A/N: Thanks for reading. I may do a Christmas story/chapter set in 2013 once I get to Christmas in 'The Madness of Love' so stay tuned to that story and this.
Christmas 2010
Six years later and things were significantly different – the original Hale House had been burnt down with some of the Hale's still inside in 2005. Derek had become Theo's legal guardian, it had been put in their mothers will have he had been adopted that if anything happened then that was to happen. Laura had been made Cora's legal guardian, their Uncle Peter had escape the fire though had burns to most of his body, some worse than others. Grace's own parents had divorced, and her mother had remarried a doctor
Derek and Theo had left Beacon Hills sometime in 2005 and followed Grace to Texas and Colorado where she was currently for her intern-ship/surgical residency. Grace had put in for leave over four days for Christmas, and then an extra two days for her birthday in the January. Laura and Cora had gone to New York, and had no plans to return to Beacon Hills any time soon.
"Hey Der, I'm heading back home for a few days," Grace said as she and Derek sat in his apartment, they had separate apartments, as they figured it was the best with how their relationship tended to be.
"When do you leave?" Derek questioned, raising an eyebrow as Theo entered the apartment and practically made a bee-line for his room.
"Thursday and then back on Sunday night," Grace answered, as they both glanced down the hallway. "Is Theo alright?" As Grace asked the question she saw Derek pull out his phone to look up flights. "You do that, I'll go talk to Theo,"
"He's fine Grace," Derek said not looking up from his phone as he searched. "He's been quiet lately is all,"
"Derek," Grace sighed standing up and heading towards Theo's room before she gently knocked on the door. "Theo, sweetheart is everything okay?"
Grace heard mumbling coming from Theo's door as she cautiously opened it knowing the teen never locked it. She stepped inside dodging the pillow that was hoisted at her which fell to the ground with a gentle thud. Theo glanced at Grace before turning away from her, she was in his personal space.
"Sweetheart, what happened?" Grace questioned, walking over and sitting on the bed beside him. "Theo?"
"It's nothing," Theo mumbled, clearly upset over something even though it was so close to Christmas.
"If you're sure," Grace smiled at him, before she pulled him into a hug. "Remember what Der and I said you can always talk to us,"
"Nightmare...I freaked out this morning...you know I stayed at his last night?" Theo said quietly almost ashamed that at sixteen he was still having nightmare's.
"I still have them too you know, you're never too old. And Derek will never admit it but he's had them too," she smiled, hugging him tighter before she pulled away and brushed his hair from his face. "I told Der that I was going back home for Christmas,"
"What? When? Why?" Theo exclaimed, shaking his head so that his hair fell back into his face. Grace let out a little chuckle before she answered him.
"I'm going Thursday, it's Christmas and I miss my family," Grace paused as they heard Derek start swearing in the living room and then screaming.
"We're going back to Beacon with Grace!" he grinned as he suddenly appeared standing in the door way.
"Woah, okay. I swear you are weirder than her sometimes," Theo shook his head but was grinning at the same time it meant that he wouldn't just be him and Derek. "Wait...when are we going and what time?"
"Early morning, and don't worry we'll be staying at the loft," Derek said as Grace raised her eyebrow how had they gotten early morning flights at such short notice. "Yes?"
"Who did you bribe?" Grace laughed, her conversation with Theo not forgotten as they all traipsed out to the living room.
Meanwhile in Beacon Hills, Liam was telling Mason that his parents had told him that he had a surprise coming that year. He knew it was either going to be his cousins or his sister, Liam had figured pretty early on it was his sister when he saw his mother putting presents with her name on them under the tree. Mason tended to agree, he'd never seen his best-friend so excited about one person after just seeing their name.
"I bet it's Grace, last time I saw her was a Skype call for my birthday," Liam said, he was practically bouncing off the walls as they sat in his room.
"I don't think you're wrong. But wouldn't your mom have said something?" Mason questioned, Liam shook his head he didn't think that she would say anything about it. "Wouldn't Grace have said something?"
"Nope, Grace is great at surprises," Liam answered, as they started one of the games that Grace had sent him for his birthday that year. "Remember the first time you met her?"
"Yeah...what about it?" Mason replied, neither of them taking their eyes of the screen as they played.
"She never told me that she was coming home that day, she sort of just turned up," Liam said laughing slightly as neither of them realised that his mother was standing in the doorway to his bedroom.
Three days later and Thursday morning had arrived, Grace had spent the night at Derek's so that they could all go to the airport together, she still didn't know how he had gotten them on her flight. Grace having to wake both Theo and Derek up as they had a tendency to sleep through their alarms.
"Theo and Derek! Would you to wake up or we'll be late!" Grace yelled as before switching the kettle on and jumping in the shower.
"Fuck off Grace!" Derek called back rolling over and realising that she wasn't lying beside him any more.
"Derek...she's right," Theo yawned walking past the bedroom and heading into the kitchen.
"What time is it?" Derek yawned sitting up scraping around the bed to find his pants before realising that they were on the floor.
"Like six, we have to be at the airport by at least seven and the flight leaves at eight," Grace said as she walked back into the bedroom fully clothed and grabbed her carry-on bag and handbag taking it to the small living room.
"Why? Why did I and you have to book an early flight?" Derek moaned as he found his pants and grabbed a shirt off the floor.
"Because I was already planning on it, and you because you decided that you needed to tag along?" Grace shrugged heading to the kitchen to grab a coffee while sending her mother a message telling her that there was a slight change of plans. "I would actually like to spend time with my kid brother before Christmas,"
Theo handed Grace her coffee as Derek joined them, dragging behind him his carry on. They'd have their official Christmas when they returned and Cora and Laura were with them. By Christmas Day Grace and Derek had worked out exactly what to do, they'd spent the Friday afternoon (Christmas Eve) cooking so that there would be food for him and Theo to eat. Liam hadn't understood why she'd gone off while their mother had completely understood.
"Hey you," Grace smiled rolling over in bed to come face to face with Derek staring at her thoughtfully. "Merry Christmas Der,"
"Hey yourself," Derek smiled kissing her back and pulling her into his arms. "Merry Christmas," he kissed her again before he spoke once more. "Do you really have to go visit them again?"
"I do," Grace mumbled into Derek's mouth right as he kissed her again. "I'll have coffee with you before I head off,"
Slowly the two of them got out of bed and headed for the kitchen where they found Theo standing yawning staring at the coffee maker. Grace put her hand on his shoulder as Derek grabbed the jug for the coffee added the water and set it down turning it on. Theo jumped slightly as he realised that they were both standing with him in the kitchen.
"I couldn't sleep," Theo mumbled sheepishly, Grace laughed he had never been able to sleep on Christmas eve since they had known him.
"Come 'ere," she smiled, pulling him into a hug and then pulling Derek into another one at the same time. "Merry Christmas Sweetheart,"
"Merry Christmas Grace...do you really have to go home today?" Theo questioned, Grace nodded causing both Theo and Derek to glower at her. "But you're coming back yeah?"
"Of course I'm coming back, I told my mom I had a change of plans," Grace paused briefly before she continued to speak. "I just have to be there before they all get up, my kid brother should be up by like 8AM, and mom and dad will already be up,"
"Well we're going back to bed when you leave," Derek decided with a smirk as they waited for the coffee to be made.
"Yes, because bed is the best," Theo yawned, he wanted to sleep and not be worries that something was going to happen.
Grace, Derek and Theo headed into the lounge room to Derek's makeshift Christmas tree, makeshift in that it was a ladder with lights and baubles strung on it. Their actual tree was much better and at their apartment in Colorado. Almost the second they had sat down Theo had taken a photo of them with the camera he'd received for his birthday a couple of months earlier.
At the Geyer's house Jenna and David were sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee, Jenna had waited till after Liam had gone to bed on Christmas Eve to inform him of their daughters plans. Jenna knew that Grace would arrive well before Liam had woken up, David however wasn't so sure. Jenna smiled at him when the front door opened at 7AM.
"Morning mom, dad," Grace smiled as she quickly placed the presents under the tree and headed into the kitchen to join them. "Sorry about not staying last night,"
"Morning sweetheart, Merry Christmas," Jenna stood up placing her cup on the table and turning to hug her daughter. "It's alright, I understand,"
"Der's the root as usual," Grace laughed hugging her mother tightly before walked around the table and hugging David.
"Are you and that boy ever going to stay together?" David questioned hugging Grace back before offering her a cup of coffee.
"One day, I'll just have a hot cocoa for now," Grace smiled, David nodded and moved to make the hot cocoa pulling out a second cup as they heard sounds coming from Liam's room. "Hey mom, do you mind if I wake Li?"
"Go for sweetheart," Jenna smiled, motioning down the hall to wear her teenage son slept. "You're the only brave one,"
Grace walked down the hall stepping over a random pair of shoes and what looked to be a lacrosse ball until she ended up at Liam's room. Inside Liam's room he was tossing and turning trying to get comfortable as his door open. Grace smirked as she walked over to the end of Liam's bed and grabbed hold of the covers giving them a gentle tug until they were on the floor.
"Go away Mom," Liam moaned, grabbing hold of his pillow and hoisting it in the general direction of Grace. Grace caught hold of the pillow and tossed it back towards Liam as he started thrashing about.
"I'm so not mom," Grace laughed, this time she moved around the bed avoiding his legs that were kicking and sat down at his waist before she leant over and pinned his arms to the bed. "Hey little brother," Grace's voice still had a hint of laughter in it as she spoke.
"Not real...wait Gracie?" Liam grumbled as he stopped thrashing about and laid still so that she'd let him up. "Let go!"
"Yeah its me Li, unless you know another Grace?" Grace laughed pulling Liam into a hug and kissing the top of his head. "Missed you kiddo,"
"Gracie!" Liam wrapped his arms tightly around her and grinned. "Merry Christmas!"
Grace spent the entire day with Liam and her parents with Liam showing her that the bear she'd given him years earlier was still in one piece albeit slightly tattered. They played a few rounds of Mario Kart with Liam winning the majority of the rounds. Through out the day both Grace and Derek received updates from each other over what their brothers were doing and what they were doing. The day ended with Grace returning back to Derek and Theo after dinner.
