A/N: This one-shot is dedicated to alterus, who asked me if I could write a story about Jaddison and Henry's first Christmas together. And since I love both Jaddison and Henry and Christmas stories, she didn't exactly have to twist my arm to write this. :) So, I hope you like this story (even if it's a little late for Christmas), and I hope you're having a very happy holiday season! Thanks so much for reading! :)
Something Only You Can Give
'Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings,
And designer love and empty things.
"You're not dressed yet?" Jake asked in surprise, as he walked into the living room to find Addison, dressed in yoga pants and a casual, black v-neck, sitting on the couch with Henry on her lap.
Addison shrugged innocently.
"Sweetheart, the hospital Christmas gala starts in an hour and, um…while you look nice…I'm not quite sure your outfit is black-tie appropriate."
Addison sighed. "Do we really have to go to this?"
"I mean, we did RSVP yes," Jake said lightly.
"Yeah, but so did Charlotte and Cooper, and they're not going," Addison pointed out.
"Well, they did just have triplets," Jake chuckled.
"I know," Addison conceded. "But, seriously, who throws a gala on Christmas Eve anyway?"
"Hospitals," Jake answered simply. "You know, because somewhere in between med. school and residency and all of those twenty-four hour shifts that we pull, doctors tend to stop spending Christmas with their families…so I guess this gala is supposed to be a nice second option."
"I get that," Addison nodded. "But, still, I'd rather spend Christmas Eve here, at home, with you and Henry."
Jake smiled and sat down next to her on the couch. "It's only two in the afternoon," he pointed out, wrapping an arm around her. "The gala will be over by seven…and we can leave early. Then we can come back here, and you, me, and Henry can celebrate Christmas Eve for real. Sound good?"
"Sounds great," Addison smiled, meeting her fiancé's eyes.
"Good," Jake grinned, as Addison relaxed in his arms.
"You know," Addison began with a chuckle, as she looked around the living room, her eyes landing on the Christmas tree, in the corner. "That tree is pretty terrible."
Jake followed his fiancée's gaze, and couldn't help laughing as he, too, took in the Christmas tree that they had decorated together. "It really is," he agreed. "It's kind of an eyesore."
Addison shook her head in amusement. Jake wasn't wrong. Their Christmas tree was undeniably ugly. And, what's worse, they had decorated it that way intentionally.
Originally, they had decorated their tree very classically – white lights, simple ornaments…nothing too crazy or over-the-top.
But then, a day after they had decorated their tree, Addison stumbled upon a package of bright orange Christmas ornaments, while shopping with Violet, and she immediately thought of Henry. Henry was going through an orange phase, and loved all things orange, so she couldn't resist buying the bright orange ornaments for her son's first Christmas.
To nobody's surprise, Henry absolutely loved the orange ornaments. But, to Addison's dismay, the new, bright orange ornament clashed horribly with the rest of the tree. So, Addison and Jake did the best thing they could think of – they took down their very classic, very traditional Christmas tree decorations, and went out and bought orange Christmas lights and more orange decorations, so that they could decorate the entire tree orange. Sure, they knew they were being ridiculous. Sure, they knew the tree looked ridiculous. But this was Henry's first Christmas – and he was going through an orange phase – and they wanted to make his first Christmas special.
"You know, if you look at the tree from the right angle," Addison began thoughtfully, "it doesn't look completely horrible."
"Oh, yeah," Jake chuckled. "And which angle is that?"
"Well, if you close your eyes…" Addison trailed off with a laugh.
"I kind of like it," Jake admitted.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Jake nodded. "I mean, sure, Angela had a point, last week, when she said that it kind of looked like our Christmas tree got into a fight with a giant pumpkin. But I like it. Our boy's into all things orange, right now…so why shouldn't we have an orange Christmas tree?"
Addison couldn't help smiling at Jake's words; he always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her melt. "You know," she began seductively, before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. "When you say things like that, it makes want to skip out on going to boring Christmas parties so that we could do more fun things here instead."
"Really?" Jake asked, as he kissed her deeply.
"Mm-hmm," she breathed, allowing herself to get lost in the kiss.
"Nice try," he murmured against her lips. "We're still going."
"Fine," Addison sighed in disappointment. "I'll go get ready. Will you watch Henry?"
"Yeah," Jake nodded, accepting Henry from Addison, and cuddling the little boy close, as he watched Addison leave the living room, and head upstairs to get ready.
xxxxx
"Honey," Addison called out, as she made her way down the stairs. "I'm just about ready to-"
But she cut herself off, when she noticed Jake lounging on the couch with Henry on his chest. The suit that he had been wearing, just an hour earlier, was now replaced by jeans and a casual sweater.
"Oh my God," Addison breathed, as she rushed down the stairs. "Did Henry spit up all over-." But she cut herself off again when she noticed that Jake was on the phone.
"I'm sorry that this is so last minute," Addison heard Jake apologize into the phone, "but I've been battling this awful stomach bug all day, and I can't seem to keep anything down. So it looks like Addison and I aren't going to be able to make it to the hospital Christmas party tonight. I just…I don't want to get anyone else sick."
Addison shot Jake a quizzical look. He looked perfectly healthy to her.
"I don't care if you don't believe me, Charlotte," Jake said into the phone. "It's not like you're going to be there anyway. I just called to tell you because, well, you're Chief of Staff, and you organized this party, so calling you and letting you know that Addison and I aren't going to be able to make it seemed like the polite thing to do."
Addison continued to watch in confusion, as Jake listened to whatever Charlotte was saying on the other end of the phone.
"Well, I don't think that's necessary," Jake chuckled, "but I'll tell Addison you said so. Thank you Charlotte…I'll be sure to rest up. And Merry Christmas to you, Cooper and the family. Okay, bye."
"What was that all about?" Addison asked, once Jake had hung up the phone.
Jake shrugged. "Two minutes after you went upstairs, I realized that you and I could go to that gala, and we'd probably have a pretty decent time. But we'd have an amazing time if we just skipped the gala all together, and spent the entire day here…just you, me, and Henry. So, I changed out of my suit while you were in the bathroom, putting on your make-up. And I called the babysitter and told her she didn't need to come. And I just got off the phone with Charlotte…I told her that I was sick and they we weren't going to be able to make it tonight."
"Do you think she bought it?" Addison chuckled.
"Not for a second," Jake laughed. "But she did tell me that if I'm as sick as I'm saying I am, she expects you to take good care of me, and nurse me back to health…she actually went so far as to suggest a nurse costume."
"And what did you say to that?" Addison asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I told her I didn't think it was necessary?"
"What? Why?" Addison asked in confusion.
"I'm engaged to a doctor," Jake smiled. "You dressing up as a nurse would be kind of a downgrade. But, now that you mention it, you are kind of overdressed," Jake chuckled, gesturing to the black cocktail dress that Addison was wearing. "Not that you don't look amazing," he amended quickly.
"I'll go get changed," Addison smiled, not caring that she had just spent the last hour getting ready, only to have Jake change the plans on her last minute. She'd take spending the day with her fiancé and her son over going to some fancy, impersonal gala any day.
xxxxx
"Better?" Addison asked, when she returned, five minutes later, dressed significantly more casually.
"Perfect," Jake smiled. "Eggnog?" he offered, handing her a cup.
"Definitely," she nodded, accepting the glass from Jake. "Hey," she cut in, just as he was about to take a sip. "Are you sure that's the best idea…you know, with your stomach bug and all?"
Jake gave her a mischievous smile. "I think I should be okay."
"I love you, Jake," Addison murmured, leaning in, and kissing her fiancé softly on the lips.
"Careful," Jake warned. "I'm highly contagious."
"You are," Addison agreed with a smile. "I can't get enough of you."
"I love you," Jake smiled, kissing Addison deeply.
"Hey, Jake," Addison breathed, once they broke apart.
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas, Honey."
Jake smiled. "Merry Christmas, Sweetheart."
"And Merry Christmas to you too, Henry," Addison cooed, taking her son from Jake, and cuddling him close.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas, Little Man," Jake smiled, gently rubbing Henry's tiny back. "Happy First Christmas, Henry."
"You know, I couldn't imagine a better first Christmas for him," Addison admitted, as Jake wrapped his arms around her.
Jake met Addison's eyes and smiled. "I couldn't imagine a better Christmas, period."
And Addison couldn't help smiling at Jake's words, because she couldn't agree more. With Henry in her arms, and Jake's arms around her, she couldn't ask for a better way to spend Christmas.
"This is right," she said softly. "You and me together is…right."
"Yeah," Jake agreed. "You, me, and Henry."
"Yeah," Addison nodded. And as she looked around the living room, she couldn't help marveling at how quickly this place, that had once just been hers, had become hers, Jake's, and Henry's. It was theirs, and it was fantastic.
And, if possible, her smile grew even wider as her eyes once again landed on the atrocious-looking orange Christmas tree, in the corner of the living room, and all of the presents underneath it. She knew that tomorrow morning would be filled with all types of gifts and presents. But none of that was important to her right now. Because she knew that no gift could make her feel the way she felt, right now, as she sat on the couch with her fiancé and her son. Jake and Henry made her very happy…happier than she ever imagined possible. And as she sat there with the two of them, she couldn't help feeling incredibly lucky – she'd yet to open a single gift and, already, she had everything she ever wanted.