A/N: I know this one is a bit shorter, but I have a hard time getting into Derek or Meredith's head. I did try to do it justice, though, so let me know what you thought!

"Hold on tight," Meredith cooed at Zola, stepping onto the rink with Zola in her arms.

Zola looked around, interested in everything as she often was. Babbling, she held out one mitten-clad hand and batted at the air.

"Look, she loves it!" Meredith said excitedly.

Beside them, Derek balanced on the ice. "She's probably never seen snow," he said thoughtfully.

"And now here she is, ice skating." Meredith looked at her daughter lovingly. "Yes, you do love it, don't you? Yes, you do!"

"I'm surprised it got cold enough for the ice to freeze," Derek commented as he and Meredith set out around the rink.

"Well, it's Zola's first Christmas in America," Meredith said cheerfully. "It has to be good, doesn't it?"

Derek chuckled. "At least until we start being on-call for all sorts of things in the ER," he pointed out. "Did you hear about what happened to Cristina yesterday?"

Meredith nodded. "A florist van! Right through the doors!"

"Mm," Derek adjusted Zola's scarf. "Lexie told me about it."

"Did Lexie tell you what else happened?" Meredith asked, raising an eyebrow. When Derek only shrugged, she continued. "Her and Mark got back together!"

Derek rolled his eyes fondly. "About time."

"That's what I said!"

They continued around the rink, Meredith a bit unsteady on her skates. "I wish I knew how to skate better," she sighed. "Being the daughter of Ellis Grey never really lent itself to learning skills that weren't useful in an OR."

Derek skated closer to her and put an arm around her waist. "Well, now you can learn how as Meredith Grey, surgeon," he said. "Besides, what if Zola wants to learn how? You can't let her be hung up on her grandmother's legacy now can you?"

Meredith smiled at her daughter. "It's true, we don't want her to turn out dark and twisty like me, do we?"

Derek smiled. "Hey, I like dark and twisty."

"I think that says more about you than it does me," Meredith answered, turning to skate back to the edge of the rink.

Following her, Derek laughed.

They reached the spot where they had left Zola's carrier and Meredith started bundling her back in. "Now, you're going to go with Auntie Lexie for a playdate with Sofia," she said. "You'll like that, won't you?"

A car pulled up in the parking lot and Mark stepped out. "Hey, Derek," he called. "Me and Little Grey are here to pick up your kid!"

"Well, come get her!" Derek shouted back. He leaned down and kissed Zola's forehead. "Be good, okay? I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Meredith whispered to Zola before handing the carrier to Mark. "Did you get her giraffe in case she wants a nap?" she asked.

"Yup, Lexie's got it."

"Perfect. Alright, have fun."

"You too," Mark winked. "All the fun."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Go on, get out of here," he scoffed affectionately. He and Meredith watched Mark drive away before turning back to the ice rink. "Ready to learn how to skate for real?" he asked.

Meredith smiled at him. "I don't remember you being an ice skating god," she responded, stepping back onto the ice.

"Hidden talents," Derek responded, skating in a circle around Meredith. "Neurosurgeons have to have good muscle control, you know."

"So do general surgeons," Meredith teased, speeding up until she was moving alongside her husband.

Derek raised an eyebrow. "You're going to declare a specialty?"

"Let's not talk about work," Meredith deflected. "No work talk on dates." She gestured to the darkening sky and lit-up trees around the rink. "Let's just enjoy the scenery."

They skated around the rink hand-in-hand while the sun finished setting, leaving the last few streaks of orange to flare up from the horizon. The air grew steadily colder until the crispness turned to a chill. Meredith skated closer to Derek, taking his hand in hers. "You know what?" she asked as they skated beneath one tree decorated entirely in blue and white twinkle lights.

"What?" Derek asked, slowing for a moment.

"I love you," Meredith said.

Derek smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, too," he murmured into her hair.