The Saturday after Thanksgiving, though it was still November, Monroe roped Nick, Hank and Wu into helping him get the Christmas trees for his home.
Rosalee stayed home with the triplets, since their parents agreed they were too young to be out in the cold for too long.
Adalind, Diana and Kelly were with her, having ridden with Nick, since Monroe had insisted the guys all meet up at his place, before going to pick up the trees.
(Yes, trees. One big one for the living room and smaller ones for each of the other rooms.)
"You three owe me after giving me such a hard time during Halloween." The blutbad claimed. "I put my heart and soul into decorating, trying to make the holidays as festive as possible. And all you three do is mock me and drive me crazy."
The three smiled unapologetically.
"To be fair, you make it really easy." Hank told Monroe.
"Look at it this way." Nick fake comforted. "Once the holidays are over, you'll have nearly a year before we mock you again."
Monroe sighed in exasperation. "I should have mauled you when you came back to my house that night."
"Then you would have never met your wife, and you wouldn't be celebrating Christmas with her and your three children." Nick retorted smugly.
"Oh, shut up and help me find the best tree, before someone else comes along and takes it." Monroe growled.
"I'm kind of surprised you wanted to wait this long. Thanksgiving was two days ago." Wu snarked.
"Yesterday was dedicated to shopping." Nick explained.
He thought about how Adalind and Rosalee had gotten up early to hit every sale possible.
The Burkhardt clan had just stayed over at the other families house, seeing as how the ladies wanted to go together to get everything they wanted, believing it to be the best strategy.
That meant it was up to Nick and Monroe to keep the kids alive, while also getting out all of the boxes of Christmas decoration from the attic. But not start decorating, just doing inventory, make sure everything was still in tact. The decorating would come Sunday, and the entire gang was expected to help out.
Nick had come up with a way to keep Diana and Kelly occupied and to give Adalind something she would cherish.
He had them make colorful molding clay, and then create Christmas ornaments out of the clay. The children had been encouraged to put their personal touches on their crafts. To make them more meaningful.
Nick was really grateful that Monroe and Rosalee had an in home photo printer, so that he could put the children's pictures in a few of the ornaments.
The outcome was exactly what he had hoped for.
Adalind had burst into tears and didn't stop hugging and kissing Nick and the kids for quite a while.
Rosalee had been equally touched, when Diana showed her the ornament she had made, with a picture of the triplets in it. She had hugged and kissed the little girl, tears glistening in her eyes.
He and Monroe knew they would always love the look on their wives faces, every time they looked at their trees, saw the ornaments, and were reminded of their loving family.
Nick and Adalind decided they would wait until December first to get their tree. And make it something for just them and the kids.
Nick made sure to get fishing wire and to screw hooks into the wall where the tree was going. With a toddler, especially one who was the son of Nick Burkhardt, it was best to ensure that the tree would be held in place. Just in case little, but surprisingly strong, hands decided to shake, pull, and push at it.
He and Adalind knew they were going to have to keep an eye on Kelly every second, once Monroe and Rosalee's home was decorated.
Which brought up a question.
"What are you going to do once your kids start walking? How do you expect to have all of your antique Christmas stuff out, when your triplets start to get into everything?" Nick asked Monroe.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Monroe replied. "I'm pretty sure desperation will breed a solution. But, thankfully, this year I don't have to worry about it." Monroe replied.
By some miracle, they were able to find trees that were up to the blutbad's standards.
And before the last weekend of November was over, the Monroe and Rosalee family home was completely ready for the Holiday season.
The Nick and Adalind Burkhardt family home, was made ready for the season, during the first weekend of December.
For their new home, that had a front and back yard, four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a beautiful fireplace, the Burkhardt's wanted to go all out with Christmas decorating.
Not as far as Monroe, that was impossible, but almost.
Every inch of the outside of the house was strewn with lights. Monroe, Hank and Wu had helped Nick, while Adalind, Rosalee and all of the kids were inside.
By the time they were done, the whole place looked very warm and welcoming. With plenty of reds, greens, golds and silvers seen throughout all of the decoration.
That night, once the kids had been tucked into bed, Nick and Adalind sat in their chair and a half, holding one another, her head laying on his chest while he stroked her hair, and gazed at their tree.
Very tall and very fat, it had been the biggest tree on the lot, And it had been the one that Nick and Diana had been drawn to, instantly.
Adalind had been a little concerned that it wouldn't fit in their home, but after being assured by both her husband and her daughter that it would, they would make sure of it, she had allowed them to get the siegbarste size plant.
They had also purchased some fresh garlands, to adorn with red ribbon and place in their windows and on top of the fireplace.
The scent of pine filled the room. The warmth and glow of the fire, along with the glow of Christmas lights, lent an air of peace and calm that was often lacking in their lives.
Speaking softly, so as not to ruin the tranquil mood, Adalind confessed, "This feels like the kind of Christmas I always dreamed about growing up." Her and Nick's eyes meet. "My mother was never one for warmth and tenderness. Everything we had was designed by a professional. We never decorated a tree together, or made cookies." She snuggles closer to him. "Thank you for giving me this."
Nick's arms tighten around her. "You're giving me this, too. I haven't had a lot of family Christmases. Not since I was twelve. This feels like I'm finally having my very own traditional family Christmas. With my very own family and traditions."
"Even if we aren't exactly a traditional family." Adalind giggled.
"Oh, really? We're not? Two parents, a son and a daughter? Sounds like an old fashioned Christmas story, to me."
"Our family has to witches and a monster hunter and a potential monster hunter, how traditional is that?"
Nick shrugged. "We're a family not to be messed with. I'm sure there are a lot of Christmas stories about families like that."
Adalind concedes that he's right.