Undercover Family

I would love to hear your opinions and look to working further on the story.

I do not own or have connection with the "Criminal Minds" program or its characters.

Chapter 41.

Our family slept until late Monday afternoon. The next few days were a time of relaxation and report writing for our people while the agents made sure that all of the children were finally home with their families. Sean had been invited from New York and had come in on Wednesday night. While on Thursday, momma decides to take her children out and they go to the store which also had a Santa Claus, so Derek was able to get his picture which pleased momma greatly. Sean also had his picture taken as our young teenage cousin. They just enjoyed the day before Christmas shopping. Momma brought them home by 7 pm that night and started getting them ready for bed. She is enjoying her supposedly last days with her young family.

The only one confused at the moment is Aaron. She had set up a time to toilet train him as a child and yet since returning from the kidnapping, she hasn't followed it all and actually he hasn't been encouraged to use the potty chair at all. He wonders why. He has talked to David about it and David is trying to help out by reminding him to use it and follow the schedule that momma had created. But even he has his limits in helping the baby toilet train.

That night just before she sends her children to bed, they have hot chocolate and cookies while momma reads to them different Christmas stories. Bob has come over to spend Christmas Eve with the family; he is single with no children of his own. Momma is sitting in her rocking chair and he is in the regular chair holding Emily on his lap. Sean is sitting on the floor holding Aaron in his lap and Spencer is leaning against Penelope while Derek sits in her lap. David and JJ sit listening to momma read. When it gets to be near midnight and there seems to be more sleepy eyes than awake ones, momma decides that it is time to put her children to bed. Sean had given Aaron his bottle earlier and put him to bed in his crib and then tucked Spencer into his bed. David and Derek crawled into their beds and the girls headed to each of their rooms. Momma kissed each of her boys' good night and then her girls before heading down stairs with Bob.

"You are still too close to them."

"I can handle my feelings with them."

"The case is over, we will be returning to DC on Saturday and Monday they will have to reintroduce themselves back into their old lives."

"That is only if the director says so and we haven't discussed it."

"What is there to discuss they are grown men and women who are some of the best profilers that FBI has. We need them back doing what they do best, profiling serial killers and kidnappers. We now know the attributes of your machine and its definite usability. I think it definitely can be used. But let it be used by others and not this group of profilers. You can be a mommy to a lot more agents." She smiled at this remark. "Heck, that's what your name can be the FBI mommy." They both chuckle at that remark. She finished making up the couch for Bob to sleep on.

"Good night Bob." She goes to her room and goes to bed.

"Good night Momma." He lies down on the couch looking at the Christmas tree that is set up next to it. He sees that there are no gifts and wonders why. He thought momma had been buying gifts for the agents.

The following morning, the agent children come downstairs slowly without expecting anything to be any different from any other day, even though it is Christmas Day. They know they are not children and do not expect that momma really would treat them as other children on Christmas Day. They are wrong. Spencer was the first to notice the gifts under the tree and squealed with delight like any other five year child. He wanted to open them up right away. The others come in and notice the gifts themselves, looking at each other with slight exasperation about momma continually treating them as children. They really are tired of being that right now. When Sean brings Aaron down, the little man just looks at the gifts and starts to cry. He is tired of being a baby and wishes momma saw him as more than that. Sean takes the crying man to the bathroom where he allows him to use the potty chair and cleans him up. He then takes him to get dressed.

Momma wakes up after all her children have wakened and were downstairs. She comes out in the room to go fix breakfast and learns that they have fixed a full breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausage with hash brown potatoes. She smiles appreciatively at them while they look at her with respectful irritation. Finally Spencer says, "Can we open our gifts now?" with all the enthusiasm of youth. The others look at him with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

Momma says, "What gifts?"

Spencer looks at her incredulously, "The gifts under the tree."

"Were there gifts under the tree yesterday?"

"No."

"Then why would there be any now?"

Bob speaks up, "You know there weren't any under the tree when we went to bed and I slept on the couch."

"Exactly, do you remember seeing any gifts under the tree when you went to sleep?"

"No, I didn't see any and I thought was unusual since I thought you had bought gifts for your children."

"As you keep reminding me they are not really children."

"I just thought that's what you were buying when you went shopping."

"I would buy their gifts when we went shopping together, then how could it be a surprise. I bought different little things that were needed around the house and some gifts for outside people but why would I buy gifts for my adult children? I'm sure that they weren't expecting anything. There was no talk of exchanging gifts."

Spencer says sadly, "Then you didn't buy any Christmas gifts."

Momma answers, "Did you?" He looks forlornly at Penelope and the others.

"But what about the gifts under the tree, if you didn't put them there, who did?"

"What gifts?" He takes her by the hand and leads her into the living room to point under the tree at all the gifts under there. "Where did they come from?"

David says, "Oh, come on you can't tell me that you didn't put them there."

"I am sorry, but I did not put them there. You want to dust them for my fingerprints."

"No, I believe that you did not put them there, but not that you didn't buy them."

"So suspicious, but then your age makes you that way.'

"And which age is that."

"Both."

Emily says, "Well, now that we know momma didn't put there, let us look at them." She was getting as excited as Spencer about what might be there. She and Spencer go into the room and they both begin to look at the presents. Derek couldn't help it, but his curiosity got the best of him. Momma picks up Aaron and takes him to the rocking chair to give him his morning bottle and the others look at each with a mixture of exasperation and interest in what might be there.

Derek got to taking them out from under the tree and delivered them to the person addressed on the card. Momma motions JJ over to her and asks her to bring the gifts that she has in her room for her children out. JJ smiled and said, "I didn't think you would not provide gifts for us. You think too much of us as your children." She goes into the room and gets the presents. Penelope goes up to her room and also brings down a pile of gifts. It seems that our children have been doing some shopping too.

They pass out the gifts under the tree first and the children all see that they are from "Santa Claus"; the problem is they know the truth about him the jolly old elf. Or do they? Momma denies any knowledge about the gifts under the tree or how they got there.

The gifts are set with the children in mind, the girls got furniture and accessories to go with their American girl dolls, Derek got a race car set and more Lego block sets. David got an erector set for constructing electronic machines and robots. He also got few Lego block sets that use electronics in their usages. Spencer got some Lego building blocks, not as advanced as the other boys. He also got a battleship and other play sets. JJ also got some art supplies, while Emily got a special baby doll just for her, with all of the accessories to go with. A doll that acts and feels like a real baby. Penelope got some art supplies and a new computer game as well something she can use with her computer. Sean even got a chemistry set and a computer game from the jolly old elf. Bob received a gift from him as well, a video camera pen. Momma was shocked however when she received a pin with seven birthstones on it stating mother. Aaron just watched everyone opens their gifts; he didn't touch his. He doesn't want to see the baby toys that he firmly believes that he received from Santa. After everyone opened their Santa gifts they look at the boss man to open his. They wanted all these gifts opened before they opened the individual ones they got for each other.

"I am not opening them. I don't care about them or any of this." He got off momma's lap and walked out of the room. He didn't know where he could walk to get away from anyone. He can't reach the door knobs to open any doors and isn't allowed in some of rooms, but he doesn't care right now. He's just tired of not having any control in his life. He had worked so hard in life to have control and keep it that the past months have been less a nightmare and more of a struggle to remain who he is. He feels the walls around him cracking and it frightens him. He squeezes into an area on the other side of the dining room, under the table and near the wall. He just sits and contemplates what his life is right now.

Back in the living room, the rest of the family is surprised at his statement and walking out on them. Sean gets up to go to him but momma says, "Let him go." Many eyes look toward her. "He needs some time alone." Why don't we open the rest of the gifts, he can open his later." They exchange the gifts and begin to open them.

The gifts that momma gave her children were not toys. She gave David a hunting range finder. She gives Penelope an organic beauty kit and aromatherapy kit and a metallic handbag. JJ is given a bath and body gift set and a learn to crochet kit with a beauty kit. Emily got a royal Dolton tea set with a cup and saucer from 1900 to 1990. Derek gets widescreen video glasses that he can use with his iPod. Spencer was given a set of books for the evil genius and a cardigan, Momma gave Bob a silver plated tie clip and Sean received a set of personalized brands and a picture frame of him and Aaron at Halloween, She gave Aaron a set of cuff links that said I love you Dad, a tie clip and a set of expensive pens.

The agents gave each other different types of gifts from joke to serious and they gave momma a picture album of them from throughout the eight months they were together. (The best thing they could give her.) Memories.

Aaron has not come back in and is still sitting in the corner that he squeezed into. Sean does come looking for him and does eventually find where he is hiding. He picks him up and takes him to the potty and then changes his diaper.

"Do you want to open your presents now, "Sean asks his brother.

"Not really, no, I don't really care what is there."

"You need to… I can't believe I have to say this. You need to grow up." Aaron looks at him and sniffs derisionly.

"Grow Up? What do I look like to you? I am not a grown up right now. Momma doesn't want me to be a grown up. Why should I act like one? Leave me alone Sean. I just want to feel sorry for myself right now."

"Well, that is one thing you are doing a very good job about." Momma had come in and heard the last of what Aaron had to say especially the part where she does not want him to be a grown up; she thought if he only knew. She walks out again without bothering the boys and then changes her mind. Maybe it is time she had a talk with her man. She goes back into the bedroom and picks up Aaron and takes him past the other children in the living room and the dining room and takes him down to the basement.

After walking down the steps, she drops him on his behind.

"Ow, why did you drop me?"

"Because you were getting heavy, I don't really have the strength to carry around a 180 lb. man."

"Why did you age me?"

"Because you and I need to talk, woman to man, not momma to son. Are you able to be a man, Aaron?