Disclaimer: Grey's owns me – it's sad. Really.

This was supposed to be two parts but the second part was so short I just combined them. Enjoy :D

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Tom and Nathan were rolling around the middle part of the snow make making it slightly bigger while Meredith helped Madeline and Kaylie build the head.

Derek took a second to just watch her. She was laughing and having fun with the girls.

"You really were telling the truth," Nancy said coming up behind him.

"What?" he asked, turning to look at his sister.

"This is the third time you've watched her and when you do you get this look on your face. Like she's the only one in the world."

Derek smiled, "Like I said, I've never been like this over a girl."

Suddenly he was hit in the shoulder by a snow ball. He turned to see Meredith and two of his nieces giggling trying to pretend they didn't throw it. He strolled over to them.

With a smile he asked, "Ladies, none of you threw the snowball did you?"

"Aunt Meredith did it!" exclaimed Kaylie.

Meredith gasped, "You tattled!"

"He tickles!" Kaylie explained giggling.

"Kay, lets take the head over!" Madeline suggested quickly and they girls picked it up and took it leaving Derek and Meredith alone.

"They were telling me every year you all make a snow man together."

Derek nodded, "It's a tradition. Build a snowman, play in the snow while mom, Kathleen and Sarah make dinner and everyone has hot chocolate before dinner."

Mer smiled, "I like it. Having a family is fun."

Derek looped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, "They really like you."

"Aunt Meredith! Uncle Derek! Its time to dress the snowman!"

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Izzie walked into the kitchen to see Cristina in there eating. Alex had just left.

"Why are you sill here? I thought you and Burke made up."

"Because I'm not Meredith. I told Burke I'd go back in two days when I'm finished with my shift and I don't care what holiday it is," Cristina explained.

Izzie nodded, not really sure what to say.

Cristina ate a little, "Besides, I think it'll be amusing to see you guys on Christmas."

"George and I both got you a present," Izzie told her.

"I know," she replied a little reluctantly, "I got you guys something too."

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Meredith woke up, her back snug against Derek's chest and his arm around her. It took her just a moment to remember where she was and the wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. She had been expecting more questions about her family and childhood and everything but instead they asked her about work, her friends. She and Derek shared some stories and the kids were amazed to hear about surgeries. She also got to learn a lot more about Derek's family. He was right, they liked her and she liked them.

She noticed the change in Derek's breathing and knew he was awake. She rolled over to face him.

"Merry Christmas, Mer," he smiled, he voice gravely from sleep.

She grinned, "Merry Christmas."

He kissed her softly before asking, "What time is it?"

Meredith raised her head to look for a clock just before they heard running voices yelling, informing everyone that it's Christmas and Santa came.

"No need," he chuckled, "It's about six."

There was a small knock on the door then Katie burst in, "Uncle Derek, Aunt Meredith, get up! It's Christmas!" She jumped on the bed.

"Is it?" he asked feigning surprise, "I forgot!"

"No you didn't!" Katie giggled, "Get up so we can open presents!"

"Alright Katie pie, go on and make sure everyone else is awake and we will be down soon, ok?" Derek told her.

"Yep!" She scrambled off the bed and run out of the room.

He turned back to Meredith who was just partly sitting up, smiling.

"This is great," she said, "I love it."

"I don't know about you, but I need coffee. Its only 3am in Seattle." He put his arms around her again, snuggling with her, "And you're so warm."

"Mmmm, but we have to get up before more kids jump on us," she replied.

He groaned and kissed her again before getting up, Meredith following suit.

"Its going to be loud, messy and very fast," he told her, "and we all wear pajamas."

Meredith, wearing sweat pants and her Dartmouth shirt and Derek, wearing PJ pants and a t shirt, headed downstairs to get coffee from Derek's mom.

Everyone sat in the huge living room around the tree and the massive amount of presents.

"Ok," Began Julia, "Sophie, Ben, Nolan and Nicole will pass out the gifts this year. No one is to being opening until they are all passed out."

There was a chorus of "Yes Grandma" and the passing out began.

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George and Izzie woke up at 5, an hour earlier than they needed to be up for their shift to exchange gifts and they had to wake up Cristina who wasn't as happy about the gift exchange as they were.

"Morning sucks," Cristina commented, drinking coffee and sitting on the couch with George and Izzie.

"Presents make it better," Izzie told her with a smile.

Izzie knitted them each a scarf. Coincidentally, Cristina got Izzie yarn for knitting and got George the CD he'd wanted. George got Izzie a new holiday cookbook and Cristina two bags of Starbucks coffee.

"Let's call Meredith!" Izzie suggested, picking up her cell phone.

"Is she going to be awake?" George asked,

Cristina sipped her coffee, "There's a three hour time difference, its 8am there and with all those kids she'll be awake."

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Derek was right. She had never seen so much wrapping paper come flying off so quickly. Now all the toys were out, put together if needed, and being played with. She, Derek, Natalie, Sarah, and Jeremy were sitting at the table after eating breakfast talking when her phone rang.

She looked at the caller ID before answering, "Izzie!"

"Merry Christmas," Izzie, George and Cristina, not as excited as the other two, greeted her.

Meredith excused herself from the table, "Merry Christmas guys,"

"So what did the McFamily get you?" Cristina asked; they put Meredith on speaker phone.

"Derek got me a necklace. A three stone diamond pendant necklace."

"Seriously?!" Izzie gasped.

"Seriously. His mom got me a nice sweater and his sisters got us things for around the house. Oh and Brad gave Derek the blueprints for the house."

"You'll have to show us when you get back," Izzie said.

"We have to go to work now because we don't have the day off like some people!" George called.

Meredith laughed, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Tell McDreamy we say hi," Cristina instructed.

"Ok, I will. Bye."

"Bye," they all replied.

Meredith and Derek got back to Seattle the next evening and had a few hours to unpack before George and Izzie got home. They met up with everyone at Joe's after George, Izzie and Cristina's shift and Derek took the blueprints to show everyone. Two levels, five bedrooms, three and half bathrooms, a nice big kitchen, a library/study for Derek and Meredith to do work in, and all the other normal rooms a house has.

Cristina went back to Burke's apartment after seeing Meredith. She found him sitting on the couch.

"Hey," he smiled when he saw her.

"Hey," she replied, putting her stuff down by the door. She headed over to the couch.

"How was work?" he asked.

"Fine," she told him as she straddled him on the couch and started unbuttoning his shirt, "What about you?"

He didn't reply but instead kissed her.

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All was well but the 5 interns had to work a marathon hour shift over New Years Eve.

"Six hours to go. It's almost midnight and we have six more hours," complained George.

He, Izzie, Meredith and Cristina were sitting on the gurneys in their hallway. Alex was the only one with a surgery – a neuro case with Derek.

"It's my first New Years with Derek and he's in a freakin' surgery," Meredith joined in the complaining.

"Alex is in a surgery and I'm not," added Cristina.

"I hate working New Years," Izzie finished the line of complaints.

Meredith laid her head on Izzie's shoulder, "Me too."

"I hope there's a huge car accident and we get something surgical," Cristina wished with a smile, she was laying on her stomach on a gurney, "And by we I mean me."

"That's just mean," George replied sitting in a wheelchair, rolling around, "You are mean."

"What's mean is Bailey assigning Alex to Derek," said Meredith.

"Oh stop it. You can't be with McDreamy all the time," replied Cristina.

"You were with Burke all the time," Meredith countered.

Before Cristina could say something else Derek found them in their not so secret hiding spot.

"Don't tell Bailey we're here," was the first thing out of George's mouth, "We're tired and bored and there's nothing to do."

"I didn't see you," he replied, his eyes on Meredith the whole time. He walked over to her.

Meredith lifted her head and smiled at him, "You have a surgery, what are you doing down here?"

He smiled at her, "It's midnight, I have Alex finishing pre op prep and I wanted to kiss my girlfriend on New Years Eve."

Cristina planted her face into the gurney, "Oh the sweet is going to make me McVomit."

Derek put his hands on either side of her on the gurney and leaned in to kiss her. Meredith's arms went around his neck and she deepened the kiss. After a few moments they broke apart.

"Happy New Year, Mer," he whispered.

She smiled and whispered back, "Happy New Year."

His pager went off. "I gotta go. I'll see you in a little while," he tucked some hair behind her ear and headed back upstairs.

Izzie nudged Meredith with her shoulder, "Mer that was sooo sweet!"

Meredith just smiled.

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The next part skips ahead to spring, just to let everyone know :)

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