Abby had always loved Christmas.

She loved the meaning behind it, and the joy that being together with her family brought. She also loved the Christmas traditions that they did, including the annual viewing of A Christmas Story while eating Clementine's ham and grilled cheese sandwiches. Next to Thanksgiving and her birthday, Christmas was another day that she was thankful that her biological parents had met, fallen in love, gotten married, and made her.

This year, she was loving Christmas more than ever because she was engaged now, and a mother.

The baby she was carrying was very active and loved to kick her what seemed to be around the clock. It also seemed to really enjoy when she snacked on pickles and peanut butter, but in equal measure, the baby loved being talked to by its parents and big sister. Abby had long ago given up up on being pregnant, and now that she was, it felt like the best feeling in the world.

Then there was Rubyjane. She was beautiful and bright, and just a very fun person to be around. Christmas Day also happened to be her birthday, and from what Abby gathered, the little girl had never had a proper birthday or Christmas before because of what had happened during the years she'd lived with Onyx. Abby wasn't sure if Rubyjane understood what the fun side of having a birthday was.

She was determined to change this.

Abby woke abruptly to the sound of Rubyjane's voice.

"Up! Up! Up!"

When Abby and McGee didn't act fast enough, Rubyjane began bouncing up and down on the mattress.

"Oh, my God, Tim." Abby groaned, reaching across and nudging him. "Please make Ruby stop—she probably doesn't have her hearing aids in, and the baby's going whacko."

Dutifully, McGee sat up, caught Rubyjane in mid-bounce, and helped her put her hearing aids in. By this time, Abby had pulled herself in to a sitting position, something that was not easy these days because whenever the baby was awake, it behaved like it was on caffeine. At least she wasn't the size a whale. Yet.

"How are you doing?" she asked her daughter. "Do you know what today is?"

Rubyjane thought about it. "Tuesday?"

Abby tried not to laugh. "Actually, yes, but do you know else today is?""

"Nope!"

"Today is Christmas, which also means it's your birthday!"

A light went on in Rubyjane's head at this last part, and she brightened.

"I'm three today!" she crowed proudly, holding up two fingers.

"It's actually this many, kid." McGee helped Rubyjane hold up the correct amount of fingers and helped her count them. "You see? One, two, three."

His daughter echoed him, and then pointed to herself.

"Me? I'm three?"

McGee bobbed his head. "Uh-huh. What do you think?"

Rubyjane shrugged and slid off the bed, walking away.

"Where are you going?" McGee called after her.

"To potty!" Rubyjane called, without looking back.

"Do you need help?"

"No!"

McGee sighed and turned to Abby. "If she's this independent when she's three, what's she going to be like when she's a teenager?"

"Probably calling us Abby and Tim, and figuring out makeup."

"Okay, but she can't date until she's thirty!"

Abby chortled. "My first date was when I was twelve. EK's was when she was eleven."

"What the hell?" McGee complained. "When was Clementine's?"

"She was eight, and it was with her friend from class."

McGee hung his head, so Abby gave him a sympathetic path on the shoulder.

"We still have another kid besides Ruby, remember? And who knows? They might not always be the youngest."

McGee lifted his head to look at his fiancée. "Wait—you want more than two kids?"

Abby nodded. "I love Ruby and the baby equally, but if the one I'm carrying now is another girl, I'd like to try for a son until we get one… that is, if a son doesn't fall into our laps first."

"Like Ruby did?"

"Exactly."

McGee was now pondering Abby's words as memories of his chat with Gloria popped into his brain.

"What if we end up adopting siblings, though?"

"Then we take them all, no matter how many there are or how old they are."

Abby straddled McGee's lap and sat facing him. She took his face in her hands and looked at him with concern.

"You alright, Tim?"

He nodded and lowered her hands, but held on to them. "Yep—I'm just picturing our lives with lots of kids. I've always wanted a lot, but I've never been able to share that with anyone before."

"Well, you've told me, and I'm going to be your wife." Abby kissed his cheek. "That counts."

"Definitel—what's wrong?"

Abby's bottom lip was trembling, like she was going to cry.

"The baby is kicking again, and she just won't let up!"

McGee rubbed Abby's lower back, in the area he knew she liked. "What can I do?"

"Help me think of a name to call her when she's being a pest!"

"Well, for an actual name, I like Riversong."

"Either your brain is actually a computer," Abby quipped. "Or you've been sitting on that name for awhile."

McGee blushed. "The second one, and Riversong flows with Rubyjane."

"It does." Abby agreed. "It's also cute and elegant, like Ruby's name is, and when she grows up, she could go by River if she wanted."

"So then it's agreed—Kid Number Two is called Riversong?"

"Yes."

"Is it wrong that I think we should keep the name to ourselves?"

"No—River's name will be our secret for now." McGee gently rested a hand on Abby's middle. "I can feel her in there, but I don't feel any more kicks."

Abby actually smiled, her mood lifted. "That's because she stopped. River just needed her name."

"Feel better?"

"Much." Abby hugged McGee and got off the bed to stretch. "Merry Christmas."

She didn't wait for a reply because was already hurrying out.

McGee just laughed and spoke aloud to the empty room as he fell back on the bed.

"Merry Christmas, Abby. Merry Christmas."

After going to the bathroom and making sure she had her precious bumblebee teddy bear toy in tow, Rubyjane wandered through the house, checking to see who was awake.

She found Sarah first.

Rubyjane blew her a kiss. "Good morning!"

Sarah spoke around a yawn. "Good morning, baby girl. Happy birthday."

"Thanks!"

"Where's your mommy and your daddy?"

Rubyjane shrugged. "Talking."

"You hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, baby. Come on—I'll make us both some breakfast."

Rubyjane happily followed Sarah after that.

In the spirit of generosity and because Rubyjane loved to learn, Sarah let her niece help her make no-bake breakfast bars, arrange a plate of just-cut apple slices, and even pour two cups of milk.

While they ate, Sarah began imagining what life was going to be like when her own child was a toddler. Perhaps Rubyjane was around in her life right now so she could practice being a mother. The little girl was already plowing through breakfast, and Sarah was willing to take that as a good sign.

"Auntie?"

Rubyjane's voice punctuated Sarah's thoughts.

"Yes?" she asked.

"My hair's in my face. Please help?"

Rubyjane's natural hair color was black, and it was down to her shoulders and quite thick. At the moment, she had bedhead, and a lot of her hair kept flopping into her face. It was clearly frustrating her.

"Sure thing, Miss Ruby." Sarah stood behind the little girl's chair and started to gently comb through her dark tresses with her fingers. "I'm going to give you a nice braid."

Rubyjane continued eating, but she stayed still for Sarah.

"Thank you, auntie. I love you."

Sarah smiled. "I love you, too."

When Sarah had finished braiding Rubyjane's hair and she'd secured it with a hair tie, she sat back in her chair. Standing up hadn't winded her per se, but the baby was apparently in a silly mood, because it kept turning flips. This caused Sarah to exhale audibly and touch a hand to her middle.

This caught Rubyjane's attention.

"Is your tummy icky?"

"No." Sarah shook her head. "There's a baby in there."

Immediately, Rubyjane turned in her chair to look at Sarah, eyes wide. "There is? Like how mommy has?"

"Yep. What do you think?"

"I like babies." Rubyjane cast a glance at Sarah's midsection and then at Sarah. "Does it kick?"

"No—that won't be for a long time yet."

"Oh."

Rubyjane's interest ran its course, so she slid off her chair and hugged Sarah before heading off to a bathroom again.

Amused, Sarah looked down at her middle and her bump a tickle. She smiled when she felt a small flip.

"That's Cousin Ruby, little one. She's a love, but she's going to be much more excited when you start kicking."

The baby just wiggled, so Sarah spoke in a whisper.

"But mama wouldn't mind if you stayed little."

In a great show of self-restraint, Rubyjane had stayed out of the den, where the tree and presents had been arranged. She didn't know what was keeping her away, so Abby checked on her.

"What's wrong?"

Rubyjane shuffled her feet. "Where's daddy?"

"Hanging out with Auntie Sarah. Want me to get him?"

"No." Rubyjane shuffled her feet again. "My other daddy didn't give me anything last year."

Immediately, Abby's heart broke for her daughter, and at the same time, she felt anger towards Onyx for having deprived his own child of even simple joys.

"Mommy," Rubyjane whimpered. "Was it because I was bad?"

Rubyjane asked this with her face pressed into the side of Abby's dress, making her query sound muffled. Her sadness was so palpable that all Abby could was stroke Rubyjane's hair.

That's how McGee found them.

"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.

Abby sighed. "RJ just told me she didn't get any presents last year, and she asked me if it was because she was bad."

Like his fiancée, McGee was filled with sadness and anger about how Onyx had treated Ruby, but he took the higher road. Scooping Rubyjane up in a hug, he wiped her tears and gave her a kiss on her crown.

"You weren't bad last year, alright?" McGee said gently. "He just didn't have a lot of money. That's all it was."

Rubyjane rubbed her eyes and sniffled, "You sure, daddy?"

"Very sure."

Rubyjane hugged McGee and gave him a pat on the back.

"I love you, daddy."

McGee tried not to turn to mush. "I love you, too, Rubyjane Lily. So much. You ready to open presents?"

When they reached the den, the rest of the family was waiting.

"Everything alright?" Tyler wanted to know.

McGee nodded. "Ruby just had some jitters that needed quelling."

"Is she better now?"

"Yep."

McGee set Rubyjane down so that she was facing the tree. There were present piles and stockings for everybody, but it was very clear what was for the birthday girl.

"Bumblebee," McGee said to his daughter. "Do you see something that's for you?"

"Daddy, I can't read yet." she said blankly.

"Think about it."

Rubyjane looked at all of the present piles, and spotted one where everything was wrapped in paper that bore her favorite insect.

"There!"

She hurried forward and plucked a box up before hurrying back to McGee, who had moved on to the couch to sit next to Abby. In a heartbeat, Rubyjane had plunked herself in his lap.

"Who's this from?" she asked.

McGee hugged her. "It's from me!"

Completely enthralled, Rubyjane tore into the paper… although she quickly got derailed by a very stubborn piece of tape, and she had to ask her parents for help. When they'd helped her, she continued and was very excited to find a new bumblebee costume.

Everyone else took this as segue to open their own presents. Even the dogs got new things.

Rubyjane was in the thick of things, enjoying every moment.