Author's Note: Yay! I got it done on time for once! Actually, this one has been done for the past few weeks, and that's why... Anyway, I don't think this needs any headcanon explanation, but just as a side note, John's brother's are in their twenties at this point...

Thanks again to thebookhobbit!

Picture: John, fourteen, with his knee's to his chest, wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, covered from the neck down, and a bow on his head. He looks so unhappy that it's comical.

Teresa Brown sighed as she heard, yet again, the sounds of running feet upstairs. It was her private policy that a little bit of wrestling in the house was fine, especially with her three oldest, since heaven knew they weren't about to just sit there quietly, as long as nothing got broken, or there weren't any injuries. Save for an incident when Matthew and Mark were nine and seven with a broken vase and a cut hand, she hadn't had any problems, and she was used to the sounds that were made from horsing around upstairs.

She listened closer, however, when she could hear a voice that she usually didn't when these things happened:

"Luke, get off me!

"Come on, John, it'll be funny!"

"No! Come on, I'm trying to read- GAH!"

"You read a book a day, relax!" That was Mark, who she usually heard with Luke, but not with John.

There was the sound of ripping paper and then "come on, just let me go!"

"This wouldn't take so long if you'd just stop thrashing!"

"Good grief, your horse puts up less of a fuss when it's time for wormer!"

"This is stupid, just let me go!"

She walked to the foot of the stairs. "What are you boys doing up there?!"

"NOTHING MA'AM!" Luke and Mark both called back down.

John, however, was clearly trying to say something, but was muffled in some way. Teresa rolled her eyes and started up the stairs: if they were trying to keep John quiet, then someone was definitely up to no good.

"OUCH! Dangit, John, what are you, five?!"

"You're the one with the stupid idea- get that off me!"

She stepped into the hallway, and had to stop for a moment to process everything. Luke was examining his hand where there was a pretty good bite mark on it, and Mark was kneeling next to John with the tape dispenser in his hand, and there was a roll of Christmas wrapping paper on the floor.

And John… she could see where they'd tied him with something to keep him from moving his knees, which were tucked to his chest, and hands, and he was covered from the neck down in wrapping paper, complete with a bow on his head, and he looked so, so, unhappy and irritated that she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Ma'am!" it was the closest John got to whining.

"We were going to sneak him under the Christmas tree!" Luke was clearly hoping she wasn't about to yell at them for wasting wrapping paper.

"You wouldn't miss him for a week, right?" Mark wasn't as good at it.

John was clearly hoping that she'd at least get all the wrapping paper off of him and let him get back to reading.

"You two, untie him and get all the paper in the garbage." She paused, and her stern mother face turned into a smile; "after I get my camera."