(A/N: So now we all know how Xmas went for LJ and her family... Yikes. TATB fans, you knew this was coming, Blue Bloods fans, hope you enjoyed the drama. On that note, Xmas with the Reagan's, more drama as Laurie joins the table and Nicky, Peter and Jack return to meet Joe face-to-face. Also, sorry this took SO LONG, but I had trouble with the site uploading chap 3. It would appear and disappear. I was afraid to upload this chap and then have them out of order. But it seems the site is behaving today.)

Joe's pov

As excited as I was to spend Christmas with my Dad's side of the family, Christmas mass and all, I could not help but be nervous on a few accounts. Laurie and I had already spent some time this morning with her side of the family, and her father still was a bit intimidating. On the topic of intimidating, this holiday night would be the first time Laurie would find herself seated at the Reagan family dinner table. What Sean had said when I told them I married the Fire Commissioner's daughter, who was a firefighter herself, kind of helped the family be a bit pacified... I just hope tonight will be perfect. My cousins I have yet to meet, Sean's brother Jack, and Erin's kids Nicky and Peter, would also be there.

I was silently getting worked up, but Laurie could always see right through me. She wrapped her arms around me from behind, head on my shoulder

"It will all be ok, Joey. I promise. It's Christmas, I doubt there will be shop talk."

I held her hand in both of mine and kissed hers.

"Granted, I've never spent Christmas with them, but there's some sort of shop talk every Sunday Dinner. I just want them to end this silly FDNY/ NYPD feud. At least just in our family."

She kissed me

"Hey, I can take it if they say something. And it's not like I've never teased a cop before... Or are you forgetting how we met? Besides, I can put out any fires, I'm actually pretty good at it."

Her tone, confidence mixed with playful teasing, calmed me down a bit, especially with what she was saying. And I knew my family would try, even if just for my sake. But soon they would come to love her as well, I just knew it. Plus they were never truly mean, it was more of a tradition to uphold this hot-headed stubborn divide. Danny broke it once, taking the son of a killed firefighter to a hockey game. Pop had told me that story with a twinge of pride.

3rd person pov

The Reagan clan was just starting to arrive at the Bay Ridge brick house that lodged Henry and Frank Reagan. Danny, Sean and Jack were the first to arrive, an unlikely occurrence ever since Danny became a solo parent. The two hosts greeted the detective and his youngest son, then proceeded to make a fuss over Jack, who had gotten in from college on that very day. Henry spoke first

"How are you doing, Jack?"

After hugging his great-grandfather, Jack replied

"I'm good. Food on campus is ... questionable, but my friends and classes at Hadleigh College are great."

The current Commissioner pulled him into a hug, then spoke after releasing him

"That's good to hear. It's a shame we can't send you leftovers that won't rot before you cross the city line, though..."

The boy shrugged

"Thank you, but it's fine. The student who runs the Mexican restaurant on campus knows my order by heart."

Jack's father, grandfather and great-grandfather spoke at the same time

"Oh?"

His father was the one who beat the older men to the question

"Boy student, or girl student?"

A tint of pink coming across his cheeks for a split second, the college student turned to his father, the detective

"I plead the fifth."

Though that had pretty much answered the question without answering it, the older men were halted from asking further questions due to the arrival of Frank's daughter Erin and her kids. Nicky, who was in college working on her Masters,having graduated two years prior from Columbia, her Mom's Alma Mater; and Peter, who was a high school junior, but was absent from the last Sunday dinner due to a school trip. He actually looked a little downcast, a stark contrast to how the boy had been for the last couple of months. The members of the family who were already there tried to get the boy to either talk about what was bugging him, or to revert him back to his cheery self, both to no avail. His mother sighed

"It's no use. I have tried everything save for putting him under oath."

Trying to console his granddaughter, Pop placed an arm around her shoulder

"He'll talk when he's ready. There's no shortage of people to talk to, you know. Plus he's a teenager, sweetheart, you know how they are, give him time. We will do everything we can to help him."

Smiling gratefully, the lawyer turned to her grandfather

"Thank you. I rarely see him like this. It's just scary. The only times I've seen him like this were with Grandma, Mom, Joe, Jack, my ex; and when that brat Gen broke up with him... I still want to prosecute her... for breathing."

Her grandfather nodded in agreement, but had to let out a laugh at how bluntly the protective mother stated the last part of the sentence. Both Frank and Henry hugged Nicky as well. Before they could say anything, however, there was a knock at the door. Nicky got up and opened it, coming face to face with Jamie and Eddie, her uncle and aunt. They both hugged her, then hugged everyone else, having given Nicky, Jack and Peter some extra love, since they had not seen them in the past week, and also because they noticed Peter's mood was not as it usually was. A final knock on the door was heard, and Frank went to open it, coming face-to-face with his newfound grandson Joe, and his wife Laurie. He ushered them in, a smile on his face

"Welcome. Merry Christmas, Joe. Merry Christmas, Laurie. How's your father doing?"

He had promised himself he would make an effort with this curve ball. Especially after Sean had called them all out on their treatment of the firefighter who had joined their family.

Laurie smiled

"Thank you, Commissioner. Merry Christmas to you as well. My father is doing well, thank you. We spent the morning with my family."

Pop and Frank smiled

"That is great. Now we can have Christmas here with you both as well."

Henry smiled and gestured towards the table

"Well, then. Let's have a seat and say grace so that we can eat and continue the festivities!"

The family was prompt to obey the patriarch, and Frank said grace. Soon enough, food began being passed around like clockwork. Between the meal and mass there was just enough time for the Secret Santa of that year. With now 12 members of the family, they had decided it was easier to do it that way. That way each person only opened one gift, the rest being opened in their own homes with their immediate families instead of the whole clan, and they got to say nice things describing the person they got to choose a gift for. Not to mention that everyone got to put their sleuthing skills to work to figure out who got who.

Peter's pov

Pop went first, getting a package from under the tree. Now he had to give a few descriptions of the person he chose, so we could see if the mystery could be solved. He began

"My Secret Santa is a force to be reckoned with."

That was anyone in the family, really. He was just trying to drag it on.

"She is fierce."

That clue had helped a lot. It had made the possibilities go from 11 to only Erin, Eddie,Laurie and Nicky. Unless Pop had managed to get himself again, due to an extra name on the ballot last year. Then that would have made it from 12 to 4. We waited on baited breath for him to go on, my eyes trained both on him, and on the four family members that were the "main suspects", as it were. I loved this Christmas tradition of ours, and especially how it was keeping my mind off of my current situation this year with LJ... If only I could just talk to her and explain... But she needed time, and I had to respect that. My great-grandfather's voice brought me out of my thoughts

"She's got a great heart, and always looks out for others"

Again. Anyone. He's milking it at this point. He goes on

"She is never afraid of the dangers of the job, always ready to help."

I smirked. Those two words, 'the job', gave him away. It was Aunt Eddie. The others were never allowed to call out who they thought it was, that would spoil it, we just tried to figure it out as a fun exercise. And I had been right. They hugged, and Eddie opened her gift, a beautiful necklace with a pair of earrings. Jamie chuckled

"Trying to show me up, Pop?"

We had a good laugh at that, then Eddie grabbed the gift she had gotten for her Secret Santa. She smiled

"My secret Santa is someone with a very kind heart, always looking to do what's right."

That didn't quite help, other than me knowing who my secret Santa was. She then said she had known her Secret Santa for quite a while. It was a good thing she factored in time in her clue, because she had known the majority of us for the same amount of time, just not all to the same degree. Her next clue was delivered with a smirk

" My secret Santa really loves the Mexican food on campus"

The word 'campus' left Nicky and Jack, the latter who was blushing profusely. This most likely had to do with a girl, and a story I had missed and someone had told Eddie. Jack got up, still blushing, and thanked her, while wrapped in a hug from her. He then opened up his gift, a speaker he could put in his car.

"You can have all sorts of fun with that, I used to use this to scare the daylights out of people back then. You talk into it, preferably crouched down so they can't see you. It's a blast."

He grinned, all sorts of ideas no doubt running through his mind

"Thanks, Aunt Eddie."

She smiled

"No problem."

Aunt Eddie sat down as Jack found the present he was to give to his Secret Santa. Smile on his face, he gave the first clue

"My Secret Santa is someone who works very hard to keep the city safe."

That was a filler clue, and we all knew it. We just laughed as he went on

"This person is very wise and intuitive, and yeah, I know, it could be any of us. But it's hard to put this person into words."

That could be said about anyone in our family. You knew all the right attributes and virtues in your head, but there did not seem to be a word in the English dictionary that did anyone justice. I was blessed to have such a family. Even if a certain person had bailed out, aka mine and Nicky's father.

Jack went on

"Even if this person is not on the streets with a shield, this person is just as heroic as the rest of the working members of the family, fighting for what is right."

That was sounding like a three-way-tie between Grandpa, my Mom and Laurie, my cousin-in-law. My cousin Jack went on

"I know upholding laws can't be easy, so it's a good thing Manhattan has you, Aunt Erin."

Everyone let out an "aaww", as my Mom went up and hugged second-born nephew

"Thank you, Jack."

He smiled

"You're welcome."

Mom opened the gift and gasped at the sight of the beautiful portrait of herself and her mother, Grandma Mary. She teared up a bit, hugging him once more, before being able to take her turn.

"My Secret Santa is someone who I did not realize would change my life, and my family's life in the magnitude that this person did. This person can seem shy or reserved, but I have seen another side to this person. Though young, this person has already dedicated their life to serve the people in need all around him-or-her. This person makes us all laugh right when we need it most, and came into our lives when we could appreciate and relish in it the most. I'm so thankful to have you as part of the family, Joe."

He went to hug Mom, both of them teary eyed.

"I'm glad Sean found me and that you all accepted me."

We all got a little misty-eyed when he opened up the gift. We all recognized that jacket. All of us minus Eddie and Laurie, that is. That had been Uncle Joe's favorite jacket. Mom spoke

"Your dad would wear it all the time. It look great on you."

I think I saw Joe trying not to cry. We all were at this point. After a while, Joe got up and got the present for his Secret Santa. He took a while, probably thinking about what to say.

"My Secret Santa is an example of service and sacrifice. Again, that is basically all of us, but this person does not really care for rules and guidelines. Not if they are going to get in the way of getting justice for someone or keeping someone safe. This person is 100% focused on family and the job, something most struggle with, at least in my field. And this person's tactics? Infallible. Anyone needing help takes priority, and consequences don't matter to this person as much as helping does."

Uncle Danny in a nutshell. I still remember some of the great stories. The swirly, the Argentinian punk who thought he could get away with mistreating girls just because of his diplomatic immunity, and the one time he was able to arrest one of two guys he was after and turned to the remaining guy, delivering the classic line ' I don't have anything on you yet, but you're my new hobby'. Danny got up and hugged Joe, who had presented him with some books of a series he was into. Now it was Uncle Danny's turn to give his Secret Santa a gift, and give away their identity.

"My Secret Santa is someone who has accomplished many things, even with the adversities that life threw his or her way. This person also made some life choices and then pulled complete 180's. Though I bust this person's chops quite a bit, I couldn't be prouder of this person. From Harvard grad to Police Academy grad, to beat cop to Sergeant."

Uncle Danny hugged Uncle Jamie, then handed him the gift, which ended up being a thumb-drive full of his favorite songs. Teasing look on his face, the detective made a reference to one of the undercover assignments the sergeant had been on, and to his childhood trait

"Now don't go swallowing this."

We all busted a gut, and Uncle Jamie went next.

"This person, like all of you in this room, is a person greatly admired by all of us. Worked hard and in an honest fashion to the position he or her holds now. Who instilled in the majority of us the sense of the call of duty to help those around us. Ways to keep us and others safe. A person who is welcoming and warm. Full of wisdom and advice, but won't overstep boundaries. A person who is fair and won't play favorites. The kind of person whom I will model myself after when the time comes that I will be facing fatherhood."

Jamie had gotten Grandpa. That was a nice combo. They hugged, and Grandpa whispered to him

"You will make a great father someday."

Uncle Jamie thanked him, and Grandpa opened his gift, a full set of Magnum,P.I.,the tv series. Grandpa had recently gotten into it, courtesy of yours truly. Grandpa went to the center of the room and picked up a gift. His smile twitched his mustache

"I have had the pleasure of watching this person grow before my eyes."

The list of the eliminated so far, counting that sentence and the ones who have already received their gifts was Pop, Eddie, Mom, Jack, Danny, Jamie and Laurie. The current Commissioner went on

"This person has always had strong, well formed opinions and has flourished while away for a while."

Everyone guessed it was Nicky, and we were all correct. Smiling, my sister went to Grandpa and gave him a hug, as he kissed her cheek and handed her the package. She delicately opened said package, only to find various cosmetics from her favorite brands. There was also one bottle that had more content than the others,, but did not seem to fit the cosmetics pattern. Soon it clicked. Nicky spoke

"And homemade pepper spray. With... food coloring?"

Grandpa replied

"This is New York. Pepper spray is a good restock. Plus, with the coloring, you leave him marked. Easier to catch."

We all laughed at that, and knew it was a very handy trick. Nicky got her gift for her giftee, who at this point could only be Sean, Pop, Laurie or myself. We listened to her every word intently, so we would not miss a clue. She began

"This person is someone who always has a sunny disposition and a smile to make someone's day a little brighter. This person also serves the city and its people, putting life on the line to save the lives of others."

My sister smiled

"It's great to have you in the family, Laurie."

Laurie smiled as they hugged

"It's great to be here. Thank you all for being so welcoming."

She then opened her gift. A beautiful red and gold dress that draped at the knees. It was definitely firetruck red. Not sure who liked it more, Laurie or cousin Joe. Laurie now stood in the middle of the room with the present for her Secret Santa

" I am forever grateful for this one family member, because this family member changed my life."

For a hot second, I was confused, wondering if it was cousin Joe and we had once again had trouble with the ballots. She went on

"This person brought so much joy into my life and so many people into it, b giving my Joey a connection to the family he did not know he had. Thank you, Sean."

My cousin in question, Uncle Danny's youngest, smiled and hugged her and cousin Joe

"You're welcome."

He then opened his present, a science kit he had been wanting. He smiled

"Thank you!"

Laurie hugged him again, and sat down as he stood front and center with his gift. By now I already knew, by process of elimination, who he had drawn for the Secret Santa. He spoke

"This person is a talented sportsman, marksman and a great cousin and brother. Always there with a hug or smile or encouragement as needed, very sensitive towards people's feelings..."

I winced a bit. I hadn't really been sensitive with Lara Jean during our fight. Anyway, my nosy family somehow did not notice me wince as Sean went on

"My Secret Santa is super fun to be around. Here you go, Peter."

I hugged and thanked him as he handed me the package. By its shape, I could tell it was a lacrosse stick, and boy was I in need of one. But it reminded me of LJ, due to our lacrosse field kiss when she accepted to fake date. I smiled nonetheless and hugged him again once the package was opened

"Thanks, Sean! I love this! I was needing a new one."

Then it was my turn to take center stage, even though everyone already knew who I had drawn. I began

"This person has a lot of wisdom to pass on, from family matters to police matters, he has seen it all. His food is amazing, his love for his family is overflowing."

Everyone smiled at the true description as I hugged Pop, handing him the package

"Merry Christmas, Pop"

He hugged me back

"Thanks, Peter. Merry Christmas."

He then opened his gift, which was a DIY cookbook of his favorite recipes and foods/meals, but cholesterol free, to help him get out of his so-called "tactical retreat" from his war on cholesterol. After finishing getting completely ready, we headed for the Mass service that was held every Christmas night.