AN: Hi peeps, sorry it took so long updating this chapter. I was in hospital for a while having an operation so pretty sore at the moment! I'll be honest i havent had as much time to write this fic so please be patient with me! im working on the next chapter and id say there is maybe 3-5 left depending! It might be a while though depends on my recovery! hehehe i sound like an ER doctor but whatever!

So Kylie aka kirstencohen cowrote this chapter with me and she will be cowriting the next chapter with me too so a massive thanks to her for her contribution and her ideas! Love ya girl!

Big shoutouts to everyone else who reviewed etc! please keep them coming! and be nice! I hope you enjoy this chapter this chapter is my personal favourite so far! let us know what you think!

"Mom, do you think Ella will be surprised?" Seth carefully coloured in the white clouds on the blue wall.

Kirsten meanwhile was painting a mural on the wall, which consisted of castles on clouds with angels, fairies and flowers.

"I hope so honey, I think Ella needs a place she can actually call home for a while."

"I know, imagine living your life in a hospital, it's horrible how can anyone just abandon their child."

"I know sweetie, it's a horrible thought, but think of it this way if Ryan wasn't abandoned then we wouldn't have him as part of our family, same thing goes for Ella."

"Its just so unfair mom, I mean Ella why her, why does she have to get sick?"

Kirsten stopped painting and gazed admirably at her son. She has seen a whole new side to Seth since Ella was introduced into his life, a more caring Seth and a more emotional Seth.

Kirsten walked over to Seth and put her arm lovingly around his shoulders.

"Honey this is amazing."

"Well I guess I got my good artistic talent for yours truly."

Kirsten laughed and playfully brushed some paint over Seth's face.

"Mother!" he shouted, "Lets get back to work shall we?"

"Yes lets son, Ella will be here shortly and I have to get this finished."

"Yeah and you have scared me now with your creative abuse I'm deeply insulted."

"You'll live." she replied laughing softly.

"KIRSTEN! SETH!" Ella screamed as she walked quickly towards Kirsten's open arms.

"Ella Bella, you're here, are you excited about staying with us?"

"Am I? I can't wait, where am I sleeping?"

"Well we have a big surprise for you."

Sandy, Seth and Ryan walked ahead of Kirsten and Ella and stopped at a bedroom, which had the name Ella imprinted on the front.

"Ella, that's my name." she giggled.

"Ella Grace welcome to your crib." Seth introduced. Sandy and Ryan opened up the door and shouted

"Da da!"

Ella walked slowly into the room clasping Kirsten's hand. Her mouth was open in complete shock as she looked around.

The roof was white with golden stars imprinted all over. There was flying fairies hanging from the roof, and there was a massive canopy bed with white canopy sheers with pink tie-dye bedding.

A small porcelain doll sat sitting up in the middle of the bed on a pillow that had the name Ella imprinted on it and fairy lights surrounded the headboard.

On the main wall there was Kirsten's mural which had sky blue walls with clouds painted neatly on it, a golden castle surrounded by flowers, and sitting on the clouds were various fairies and angels, painted in various reds, pinks and purple.

There were also two small angels riding a white horse and these angels were wearing white dresses and had golden wings.

Underneath the window with the ocean view was a large antique dollhouse complete with furniture. The curtains surrounding the windows were pink with flowers patchwork.

On the other side of the room there was a pink painted wall with small flowers and beside the wall was a little girls table and chairs with a tea set on top of the table. Beside her bed there was a small bedside table with a pink lamp and surrounding her room were painted photo frames, which included pictures of Ella with the whole family.

Ryan and Sandy also stood in amazement at Kirsten and Seth's work. They had spent night and day working and a lot of effort went into the room.

"Do you like it sweetie?" Kirsten asked squeezing her hand.

Ella's face formed a massive smile, which lit up her blue eyes. She shrieked with delight as she jumped up on her bed.

"This is my room, my own room?" she asked

"Yes honey it is, after all you have to live with us now for a while."

"I… love it, it's so pretty and look Kirsten it's our picture we drew."

"I know honey, I loved that picture so much I had to draw it again."

Sandy went up to Kirsten and wrapped his arms around her waist whispering into her ear

"Your amazing, have I told you that."

She spun around in his arms and kissed him lightly

"Not today you haven't," she laughed.

Sandy grinned and kissed her again, "Don't worry I'll be saying it again before the day is out."

"You better." Kirsten smiled.

"So Ella, you ready to go decorate the Christmas tree?" Ryan asked holding his arms out.

Ella jumped into his arms "You bet I am, let's go decorate that tree!"

Seth followed and gazed at his parents on the way out.

"Mom thanks for going to the children's hospital that day, for bringing Ella into our lives."

Kirsten kissed Seth on the cheek

"Your welcome sweetie, and thank you for all your help with this room, I knew Ella would love it."

"SETH A LITTLE HELP HERE" he heard Ryan call from the living room.

"Someone needs my expertise, you two behave don't ruin the magic of Chrismukkah with your love stuff."

Seth quickly left the room and Kirsten turned around in Sandy's arms. The two of them looked around the room and Kirsten sighed.

"Honey this room is amazing, I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of me too, and Seth, I love this new side of the boys. And I love that we got to provide Ella with something she can consider her own."

"Don't you worry we will be providing Ella with a lot of fun and love in the days she is living here. Now lets get going before Seth has Ella actually lifting the tree."

Kirsten kissed Sandy's lips again more passionately this time.

"We won't have as much alone time so might as well make the most of this minute."

Sandy smiled through their kisses.

"Honey you're amazing you know that?"

"I know! But you can keep telling me if you want to," she said in between kisses.

"Lets get going." she grabbed Sandy's hand and he slowly closed the door to Ella's bedroom, taking one final look at the magic that Seth and Kirsten had introduced to Ella

Ella grinned as she looked up at the tree towering above her, "So we have to decorate this? Like the whole thing?" she said squinting in attempt to see the top. Sandy nodded, gesturing to the boxes at his feet.

"Yeah. With these," he held up a number of different ornaments in his hands. Ella's eye's lit up at the sight of the brightly coloured ornaments. She gasped and knelt down next to the boxes and shuffled through. Just then Seth and Summer entered the room carrying two trays of eggnog. Summer bent down and handed one to Ella and Marissa who were both busy marvelling over the glass decorations and Seth handed a glass to both of his parents, "Yours are of course alcoholic whereas we under 21s have the virgin variety." Seth said with a smirk. Kirsten clinked her glass with Sandy's and sipped delicately on her eggnog. Sandy sat down heavily on the couch and pulled his wife onto his lap.

"Merry Chrismukkah," he said in a low tone. Kirsten placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Merry Chrismukkah to you." Kirsten was distracted by Ella's tiny figure racing toward her.

"Kirsten, I want this one to be mine." She said holding up a tiny crystal angel, "Seth says we all have our own decorations and want this one to be mine." She said breathlessly. Kirsten lifted Ella onto her lap and took the ornament from her and studied it closely.

"Okay Ella Bella. This is officially yours." Kirsten chuckled. She ran through everyone's decorations in her head. Seth had an old wooden Nutcracker from when he was a toddler, Ryan had a tiny star made of glass, Sandy's was a plastic Father Chrismukkah he had made specially when Seth first invented the holiday complete with it's own yammakah and dreidel, hers was also an angel but the halo and wings were outlined with gold. There was one for every member of the family. Hailey: a wooden reindeer. Caleb; a plastic candy cane and her mother's was a long thin icicle that always hung at the bottom of the tree. She watched as Summer and Marissa helped Ella hang random ornaments on the branches. Seth was lining up the special ornaments on the coffee table in preparation for each individual to hang their own. Kirsten saw the eight lined up and she suddenly realised, "Girls?" she said loudly enough so that they all jumped. Sandy steadied his glass in his hand as the eggnog swirled around the rim, "You have to choose one too. We all have one now so… whatever you want…" she gestured to the boxes and watched as they happily searched through the box in search of the perfect item to secure their own place on the tree.

After the tree was done they all stood back and surveyed their work. Ella clung to Ryan's head as she sat propped up on his shoulders. Marissa's snowman and Summer's snowflake were added as Sandy entered the living room with a box in his hands. "And now Ella honey if you would do the honours," he held the box open revealing a large gold star, "You look like you could reach it but Ryan's kinda short so…" he stopped short as Ryan scowled and turned toward the tree. Ella held the star carefully in her hands and reached for the top.

"You're too small, Ryan." She giggled. Seth rolled his eyes.

"Come on man she's gonna get vertigo up there." He took Ella from him and lifted her high enough to place the star on top of the tree. As Seth brought her back down to his chest he balanced her on his hip and shot his fist into the air while everyone else applauded. "Good girl Ella," he said and placed her back on the ground. She headed straight for Kirsten and hugged her knees.

"Thanks for the angel." She whispered. Kirsten smiled sadly.

"Oh baby you are the angel." She replied and hugged her back.

Later when Marissa and Summer left Ella was on Ryan's lap on the couch watching him play video games. "You wanna try?" he asked stifling a yawn. Ella shook her head sleepily.

"No thanks Ryan Atwood." Ryan smiled as she rested her head on his chest. Seth plopped himself down net to them on the couch.

"Ella sweetie you have to wake up. I got another surprise for ya." He smoothed her hair away from her face and tipped her chin. A smile crept across her face and she grabbed onto Seth's fingers.

"I'm tired, Seth. I think I have to go to sleep." She said her eyes still closed.

"Ella this is a Cohen tradition and it'll only take a few seconds." She opened her eyes and nodded.

"Okay." Kirsten and Sandy both entered the room and Kirsten lifted Ella from Ryan's lap. She carried her towards the fireplace with the boys in tow.

"Here you go Bella." Seth said quietly and handed her a large red stocking complete with her name and an angel embroidered on the foot. Ella smiled and ran her hands across the soft fabric.

"Thank you." She whispered and hung it next to Ryan's on the fireplace. She turned and pressed her head against Kirsten's chest and closed her eyes again, "Can you take me up to my room?"

"Did you have a nice day Ella Bella" Kirsten said as she gently placed Ella on her bed and tucked her in

"Ella nodded her head her eyelids drooping slightly, "Yeah it was fun." Ella pulled the blankets closer to her body as she shivered slightly with exhaustion"

"Kirsten, will you read me a Christmas Story?" she whispered sleepily.

"Sure honey you just close your eyes and I will tell you a story. Would you like to hear a Christmas poem my mother use to tell me, and I use to tell Seth?"

"Yeah I would love to."

Kirsten slowly crawled in beside Ella and Ella rested her head on Kirsten's chest.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash"

Kirsten looked at Ella who was sleeping soundly on her chest. Kirsten gently lifted her head and placed it on the pillow but Ella woke up suddenly.

"Please don't leave me, it's Christmas Eve and I really want you to stay just for a little while."

Kirsten kissed Ella's forehead and Ella placed her head on Kirsten's chest again, "I'll stay until you fall asleep. Deal?" she asked smiling. Ella nodded.

"Okay. Won't Sandy miss you?" she asked softly. Kirsten grinned.

"Probably but I wanna lie with you for a little while. I'm sure he'll manage." Ella nodded again and sighed softly.

"I like your family, Kirsten." Kirsten looked down at her tiered figure sadly.

"They're you're family too now Ella. They all love you being here. They don't want you to leave." Ella opened her big blue eyes wide. They sparkled in the dim light from the lamp.

"Really? I love it here. I like having people around. It's kinda lonely at the hospital." She said softly looking up at Kirsten, her eyes glistening slightly.

"Oh sweetie, we'd have you move in if we could. But you can come here whenever you want if the doctors say it's okay. Just ask Hannah and she'll call me. We're always here for you, Ella Bella." Ella smiled widely.

"I love your family. My family. I love you Kirsten." She said softly laying her head back down, "Merry Chrismukkah." Kirsten paused her breath caught for a second.

"I love you too Ella. More than you know. Now close your eyes and have sweet dreams."

Sandy walked past Ella's room and noticed the light was still on.

He quietly tiptoed into the room and noticed Ella's head nestling on Kirsten's chest. She was sound asleep and Kirsten had her arms wrapped around Ella. Kirsten also was sound asleep.

Sandy walked over to the bed smiling at their sleeping figures. He gently kissed Ella and Kirsten's forehead. He tucked both of them in and turned off the bedside lamp.