Private And Undercover.

Chapter 22.

Jack fix's his Christmas cracker hat for what must have been the twelfth time through this dinner, My family and Brooklyn along with his dad all sit around the table after we had finished eating talking about Christmas memories.

The conversation started when William talked about the first year his wife cooked Christmas dinner and the turkey was under cooked when it came around to carving it.

That ended up in Spencer and Cruz making up stories about Christmas as well, What can I say bad people don't take breaks at Christmas... If anything they seem to think it's a great time to kill their target or create a something that could kill way too many people.

"For Brooklyn's first real Christmas once he was old enough to eat and everything he ended up throwing the mash all around the room and hitting everyone with a Christmas cracker." William says and everyone laughs.

"Our first Christmas when we had the twins was so exciting it's always so much better when you have children to spoil, They woke up at three in the morning we told them they had to wait until seven and sent them back to sleep... half hour later we heard noises coming from downstairs went down only to find them already opening their presents." Spencer says smiling at the fake memory.

"Once we had Penelope the twins would wake her up first bring some back up to wake us up." Cruz says and William laughs.

That was a little true at the training camp Madison and Mason did wake me up early along with a whole load of other kid's Christmas morning, meant we all got a gift most of the time some sort of weapon to add to our collections, I still have my first ever pocket knife with my named carved into it.

"It might be nice for the kids when they were little getting a real Christmas instead of one in a foster home or orphanage." William looks over to the twins and me.

"I remember my first Christmas with the family I didn't understand that the gift's where all mine and I didn't have to share them, Clothes still had tag's on and the gift's where still in their box's nothing that had been donated or hand down." I say joining in.

If only you knew this was my first Christmas that wasn't at the orphanage or at the agency or on a mission, Last year I spent Christmas on a mission with the twins the year before that it was just me and Jack as everyone else was on a mission and the year before that I was being treated at the agency's hospital for a broken nose and rib or two.

***

The conversation's had been moved into the living room now the TV on in the background Mason and Jack being the only two to watch it.

"Penelope." Brooklyn whispers next to me so I turn to face him. "Can we step outside for a minute I want to give you your present." I nod my head and stand up heading towards the front door, No one watched as we left everyone enjoying themselves I think everyone wishes we had done this more as a fake family.

I guess you don't know what you have till you get to fake it for the sake of a mission and really enjoy it.

Brooklyn shuts the door behind him and I go sit on the bench outside the house on the front porch.

"Here." Brooklyn pass's me my gift that was wrapped up and even had a massive red bow on it.

I reach into my pocket and bring out the aftershave I had gotten him I overheard him talking with one of his friends a while ago that he get's through the stuff really quickly and had it in my pocket all day waiting for the right moment to give it to him.