I feel weird posting a Christmas chapter in September but I don't have many other options so I hope you enjoy. So I hope you enjoy this, and of course I love reading your reviews they really make my day. Same as always I own nothing.
"Are you coming to mass or were you planning on staying here and getting dinner ready for tonight?" I questioned rounding up the kids to load into the car, "I know you don't like church."
"Oh I don't mind so much." I felt his arms wrap around my waist and his kisses in my hair. "But if you want dinner ready by the time the team gets here I should probably stay."
"We got all the groceries right, you don't need anything picked up this morning do you?"
"It's all taken care of Teresa, relax everything is going to work out."
"And all of the kids presents are wrapped, and we sent the Christmas cards to their relatives."
"Yes love, it's all done, all that's left is cooking and you don't have to worry about that."
"And Annie is getting dropped off in three days."
"Then we leave for the cabin as soon as she gets here."
"And you're sure we can all fit in this cabin of yours."
"There will be plenty of room."
"Alright, we got to get going, you start dinner I'll be back in an hour." I stood on my toes to kiss him. "Alyssa and Emily get your little butts in the car right now we don't want to be late for Christmas Eve mass."
"Do we get dinner when we come home?" Alyssa was the last one out of the house.
"Yes we get dinner, we get dinner with Agent Cho and Agent Rigsby and Agent Van Pelt." I buckled her in.
"Why isn't Patrick coming to church?"
"So he can make that wonderful dinner for all of us."
"Do you think Santa knows we aren't in Chicago any more?" Emily wondered.
"I'm sure he does, especially after you all told him in your letters."
"What if he didn't know about mommy and daddy, what if he made presents for them to?"
"Oh sweetie I'm sure he knows about mommy and daddy."
"What if he doesn't, we forgot to tell him in our letters."
"Well then you guys can decide what to do with the presents, we could keep them or we could donate them or we could send them to your family in Chicago to put at the gravesite."
"I think you and Patrick should keep them." Alyssa decided unbuckling herself to go into church.
"That's very sweet of you, come on lets find a pew."
"We have to genuflect we learned that at an all school mass." Emily explained bending on one knee and making the sign of the cross before walking into a pew followed by her sister who repeated the motion and William who in an effort not to be left out made a very clumsy effort before I followed their lead and genuflected before getting into the pew.
Mass seemed to go by quickly which never happens but I suppose when your nervous about something afterwards time is never on your side. Not that I had any reason to be nervous about telling the guys I mean apparently Cho already guessed this much so it wouldn't surprise him, but then again I'm not sure anything really does surprise him. I was drawn out of my thoughts and actions of helping the kids get back in the car.
"Teresa!" I turned around to see Anna Romero flagging me down, I hadn't seen her since the girls soccer season ended. She was one of the moms I found that I actually enjoyed talking to. I guess maybe I was going to end up being a soccer mom after all.
"Hey Anna, how have you been?"
"Not bad, I see you've got the kids but it looks like your missing someone."
"He's at home making dinner for us and some friends from work."
"And he cooks to, you know I can barely get my husband to set foot in the kitchen. I think you may have gotten one of the last of the good ones Teresa."
"Oh if only I could get him to behave at work the way he behaves at home I might agree with you."
"Well there is that, are the rumors true did he really hold a man hostage until he got a confession."
"Is that what people are saying." I couldn't help but laugh, "No well I don't agree with what he did, but he did not hold a man hostage not techniquely, he locked the suspect in a dark basement for no longer than ten-fifteen minutes which did lead to the man's confession."
"He locked a man in a dark basement?"
"Apparently the man was terrified of the dark, I don't know how Jane picked up on that but he did."
"Well I hope you properly punished him for that stunt, though I imagine with a man like him that's hard to do."
"Man like him?"
"Well from what I hear at work as long as he catches the killer he doesn't care how he's punished and it's not like you can fire him because he did catch the killer. I suppose you could punish him at home, but that brings up another problem, how do you refuse such a charming and attractive man."
"I'm a little worried that you've thought about this so much. And trust me he's only half as charming once you get to actually know him."
"That still makes him ten times more charming than ninety percent of the male population."
"It was good to see you again Anna, but I do have to get home." I really couldn't help but roll my eyes at her comment.
"That's right you have guests coming over not to mention four kids waiting in the car. It was nice to see you to, maybe we could do lunch sometime soon."
"I would enjoy that, but I'll be out of town most of next week."
"Well afterwards then, I'll call you."
I watched her walk away before climbing into the car myself only to have to stop Emily from pinching Alyssa who was poking Cassandra while William giggled in his car seat, just another normal car ride.
Twenty minutes later I was herding the kids into the house setting Cass in her playpen next to her siblings I went to the kitchen to see how far Patrick had gotten in our absence.
"Long Homily?" He questioned handing me a glass of wine.
"Not to bad, I talked to Anna Romero after mass."
"Oh?"
"Interesting conversation, about you actually."
"Naturally." He chuckled.
"She wanted to know if you really held someone hostage."
"And you told her yes and I hope she lets everyone know I'm a cruel man who enjoys torturing people."
"No I told her the truth, why do you want everyone to just assume your such an ass."
"Because it's true."
"No it's not its just another mask you wear, you want to know what I think."
"What do you think?"
"I think you're afraid people will reject you if they get to know you so you don't give them the chance."
"Very astute, but if you must know it's much simpler than that."
"Really?"
"I've told you before growing up where I did you either were a mark or someone who played the marks."
"That's what you're afraid of? Being a mark?"
"I told you it was a simple reason."
"Patrick Jane you are not a mark and letting your guard down with people will not make you a mark."
"I let my guard down with you and the kids."
"Well I suppose it's progress."
"Try this." Before I could react I had a spoon in my mouth.
"God that's delicious, what is it?"
"I thought you'd like it, double chocolate cheesecake."
"That's what you "had" to make last night." I finished off the spoon, "Is that caramel?"
"Yes there are both caramel and chocolate chips in there with chocolate cookie dough for the crust."
"Where did you get this recipe?"
"The victims house about four cases back, I made my own changes of course the caramel chips and the cookie dough crust, but I noticed the recipe on the women's kitchen counter."
"You stole a recipe from a dead women?!"
"I did not steal it I remembered it and wrote it down later, of course I doubt anyone in her family would ever put that much effort into making it."
"Why did you make it we have all kinds of candies from the weekend."
"Well it's an important dinner it needs a proper dessert." And with that the door bell rang prompting three kids to yell and rush to get the door.
"You promise to behave."
"And when do I not?"
I just rolled my eyes and headed into the other room where all three of my co-workers were being welcomed into the living room by three children who were more than happy to take the presents off their hands. "Alyssa stop shaking it, put it with the other presents, you can unwrap it after dinner."
"Why not now?" Emily pouted.
"Because Patrick said dinner was ready."
"Jane's here, I didn't see his car in the driveway."
"That would be because it's in the garage Wayne." Patrick came and held the kitchen door open for our guests and I went to lift Cass from her playpen.
"Your car is in the garage? Why is your car in the garage?"
"Good to see you could join us Ben." Patrick proceeded to lift the boy out of Rigsby's arms ignoring the question all together. "You know William has been so excited to play with you again."
"Seriously why not park in the driveway like always?"
"I parked where I park everyday in the garage like always." Patrick never looked away from Ben until setting him in the booster seat next to William.
"Everyday?"
"Yes Rigsby everyday." Patrick mimicked the surprised look on Rigsby's face.
"Play nice Patrick."
"I thought I was, love."
"Now you're just trying to embarrass everyone."
"Me? Never." He feigned offense.
"You owe me a hundred bucks." Cho reminded Rigsby accepting the glass of wine I handed to him.
"Dinner will be ready in just a second if you want to take a seat."
"You cook?" Rigsby frowned.
"Grace didn't tell you." Patrick smirked.
"You knew."
"Only since Saturday." Grace hid her face in her glass.
"How come you told her?"
"We didn't." I sighed.
"I came over to see if boss needed any help getting the house ready for Christmas and it all kind of came out, they promised they were going to tell you soon."
"And we did."
Questions continued through dinner, and the night ended with promises to see them again in a matter of days to leave for out little ski trip. The kids were passed out on the couch as Patrick and I set out the rest of their presents for in the morning. Even I was looking forward to tomorrow. The kid's energy was contagious and Annie was coming to stay with us. I had received some packages from their grandparents apparently when they were emptying out the house they found some Christmas presents that had been bought early so the kids would be receiving a couple presents from their parents. I wasn't sure how they would react, but I thought it was a really sweet thing. Overall I was thinking tomorrow would be a very good Christmas day.