"Careful Hunter..." Derek laughed as Hunter played with the new toys that he had just opened for Christmas. Christmas morning had been amazing and there was no mention of cancer or sickness. His kids got to have the best Christmas morning that he could give them and the best part for Derek was sitting back on the couch with Meredith and watching how happy his kids were.
"We should have just gotten Zo wrapping paper." Meredith giggled.
"I thought for sure that she would like the baby keyboard more than crinkly paper."
"You spent so much time picking out the pink or the purple keyboard." Meredith kissed his cheek as Ava sat playing in the corner with her Barbies.
"She's definitely a purple. Ava is the pink lover in the family." Derek laughed,
"You think Hunter likes his new game system thing?"
"I think we're going to have to peel the controller out of his hands to get him to pay attention to us."
"Oh boy..." Meredith laughed.
"Do you like your gifts?" Derek asked.
"I do." Meredith lifted her feet to show off her new boots. "Especially these."
"Good." He smiled, kissing her softly. "I have one more thing for you upstairs."
"Is it something I have to unwrap?" She whispered, looking down at his zipper.
"I...yes...but it's not what you think." Derek laughed.
"No?" She frowned.
"But I could give you that too."
"You will tonight for sure." Meredith giggled.
"Definitely." Derek grinned, kissing her again.
"Daddy?" Ava walked over, putting her Barbie on his lap.
"Yes princess?"
"I like this Barbie...she has a pretty dress."
"Well I'm glad you like her."
"I gotta Santa Hat." Ava laughed, putting her hand over the pink hat on her head.
"I know I see." Derek laughed, lifting her onto his lap.
"Very pretty." Meredith giggled as Hunter came and sat next to her.
"Mommy and I have one more surprise for you." Derek told his kids.
"What is it?" Hunter asked as Zola played at their feet.
"Do you want to tell them?" He looked at Meredith.
"Sure." Meredith smiled then looked her kids. "Well we know how much you guys like New York and Hunter likes his new school so we were thinking we could move here and get our own house."
"Really?" Hunter jumped up.
"Really." Meredith smiled.
"Awesome!"
"What do you think Aves?" Derek asked.
"I like New York!" Ava giggled.
"Good." He smiled.
"We have to sell the house in Seattle but we're going to start looking for a house here." Meredith explained.
"What about Grandma?" Ava asked.
"We are going to live very close to Grandma." Meredith explained.
"Oh...kay!"
"What about Grandma?" Derek's Mom smiled, walking into the room with an Apron. She was preparing for Christmas dinner when Derek's sisters and their husbands and children came over.
"Grandma guess what?" Ava ran over to her.
"What baby?" Mrs. Shepherd asked.
"Tell her Aves..." Meredith smiled.
"We're gonna move to a house!"
"Oh really?" Derek's mom exclaimed, lifting Zola into her arms.
"Be more specific Aves." Derek laughed.
"A house by you!" Ava exclaimed, looking up at her Grandma.
"We're moving back to New York." Derek laughed, looking at his mother.
"Oh Derek!"
"It just seemed like the right thing to do." He stood up to hug her.
"Oh It was." His mother exclaimed.
"We're going to start looking for houses."
"Big ones!" Ava jumped.
"So you have a lot of room to play." Mrs. Shepherd laughed.
"Yeah!" Ava giggled.
"It's going to be fun!" Hunter laughed.
"Do you need any help with dinner, Mom?" Derek asked quickly.
"No but I could use some kids to help put marshmallows and cherries on the sweet potatos." His mother explained. "And Zola can taste test some applesauce."
"Why don't you two go help Grandma?" Derek suggested.
"Kay." Hunter jumped up.
"I'll take the kids into the kitchen." His mother smiled, with Zola on her hip.
"Thanks Mom." Derek smiled as his mother left the living room with the kids.
"So your kids took that well."
"My kids?"
"Your kids." She giggled, kissing his neck.
"Want to go upstairs...so I can give you your gift?" Derek whispered against her lips.
"Uh huh."
"Okay." He laughed, kissing her again.
"Come on before your kids come back."
"I'm following you."
"Good boy." She laughed, walking quickly up the steps.
"I really do have something for you." Derek laughed.
"I believe you."
"Something not what you think."
"What would I think?"
"I know how you think."
"Oh really?"
"Uh huh."
"What is it?" She asked, sitting back on the bed.
"Wait one second..." Derek reached into the bottom of one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a wrapped package.
"Do you like your watch? Zola helped me pick it out."
"I love it."
"She was a hit with all of the sales ladies." Meredith giggled as he sat next to her.
"This is for you." Derek handed her the package.
"For me?" She breathed, tearing away at the wrapping paper.
"Mmhmm."
"Derek..." Meredith gasped, opening the velvet box.
"Keep going..."
"Derek..." Meredith smiled, taking the bracelet with three beads on it out of the box.
"One for Ava...Hunter...and Zola...and if we have another little one...we can add on." He whispered.
"I love it." She grinned, as he took it from her hand and she held her wrist out.
"Good." Derek breathed, fastening it on her wrist.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Fourth bead."
"Hmm?"
"I'm starting to feel like its going to be three beads." Meredith swallowed.
"You never know." Derek whispered, kissing her cheek. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas." Meredith moved to straddle him, wrapping her arms around him.
"I love you."
"Love you too..."
"We are very lucky."
"Yeah?"
"I know I am." He whispered. "I have you...and three happy kids."
"Even when all three pile into our bed and insist on sleeping there?" Meredith giggled, moving to kiss his neck.
"Even when that happens." He laughed.
"Even when all three pile into our bed and insist on sleeping there?" Meredith giggled, moving to kiss his neck.
"Even when that happens." He laughed.
"Hmm...want to know a secret?"
"What?"
"I've decided that Daddy Derek...is sexier than doctor Derek."
"Really?"
"Putting together Zola's play car? Very sexy."
"Oh yeah?" He laughed, leaning back on the bed.
"And playing video games with Hunter...taking care of Ava when she cries because her lines are hurting her." Meredith kissed along his chin.
"Very sexy."
"It is." Meredith laughed, pressing her lips against his.
"You're not so bad yourself." He whispered against her lips.
"Lexie and Mark want us to go out with them on New Years."
S says 1010 PM
"Hmm...no..."
"What?"
"I'd rather stay home with the kids."
"Oh...okay." Meredith smiled.
"See how long they can stay up before they crash." He laughed.
"What happened to us?" She giggled, her head moving back.
"We had kids." Derek laughed.
"We can get Hunter and Zola sparkling cider...real champagne for us."
"That sounds perfect."
"I don't think Ava or Hunter have ever made it to midnight." She kissed him again.
"Hunter is already planning how he's going to stay awake." Derek ran his hands along her back.
"We'll know the results of Ava's tests...the blood tests."
"Yeah..."
"We earned it."
"I agree."
"And tonight...we'll put the kids to bed...in the other rooms. Even Ava." Meredith kissed him softly. "Then we'll have our own time..."
"Okay." Derek whispered, kissing her back.
"Unless we are needed..."
"We have time right now."
"Yeah..."
"The kids are downstairs and entertained..."
"We...the condoms are in the diaper bag downstairs."
"Damn."
"The box fell out in the car and when I realized I stuffed the box in the diaper bag." Meredith frowned.
"That's okay." Derek kissed her cheek.
"I just...I've been bad about the pill lately with Ava." Meredith admitted. "And getting pregnant right now..."
"Yeah."
"But you've been good..."
"I can wait until later." He chuckled.
"You sure?" Meredith kissed down his chest.
"Mmhmm..."
"I could stop." She backed up, her hands bracing on the bed.
"I...no...that's okay..."
"Okay." She smirked, unzipping his jeans as he hardened beneath her.
"Mer..."
"Yeah?"
"The door...close the door."
"The kids are busy."
"Just in case...oh..."
"Mommy! Daddy!" They suddenly heard Ava running up the steps.
"Shit." Derek reached for the zipper of his pants and quickly pulled it up.
"Crap." Meredith tossed a pillow on Derek's lap, jumping up as Ava ran in.
"Daddy!" Ava shouted.
"Yes Aves?" Derek asked, holding the pillow on his lap.
"I put six marshmallows on the orange potatoes!" Ava jumped on the bed.
"Great job."
"But Grandma said I needed a nap." Ava wrapped her arms around Meredith.
"That is a very good idea." Derek nodded.
"Cause I cried and Grandma said that means I'm sleepy."
"Well why doesn't Mommy tuck you into your bed?"
"No."
"No?"
"I wanna lay with you and Mommy." Ava said, putting her head on Meredith's shoulder.
"Oh."
"Why did you cry Ava?" Meredith looked up at Derek apologetically.
"Hunter used a marshmallow from my pile."
"Yep...you're sleepy." Meredith giggled. Hunter and Ava rarely fought and it usually only happened when one or both of them was sick or tired.
"I'm gonna..." Derek moved away from the bed. "I'll be right back."
"Derek..." She giggled, watching how red his face was as she took care of her little girl.
"Where'd Daddy go?" Ava asked.
"Oh um...he had to get something." Meredith said quickly. "How are you feeling?"
"Christmas!"
"You feel like Christmas?" Meredith giggled.
"Yeah." Ava grinned.
"Did you like your play kitchen with the pretend cupcakes?"
"Uh huh!"
"It's time to close your eyes Ava." Meredith said as Derek walked out of the bathroom.
"I'll come lie down with you." Derek laughed, looking at Meredith.
"You're a little warm baby girl." Meredith whispered, placing her hand on Ava's forehead. It was a symptom she he continued to lookout for and while Ava hadn't had too many fevers lately, Meredith knew not to worry right away. Ava needed her rest. "It means you need rest."
"Come here...between Mom and Dad." Derek laid down on the bed.
"Naptime with the king and queen." Ava giggled, sliding between them, making it easy to forget how sick she was.
"King and queen?" He laughed.
"Yeah." Ava nodded, curling into her mother's side.
"Okay."
'I'm tired." Ava admitted.
"Go to sleep." Derek whispered.
"I love you Ava." Meredith whispered, stroking her little girl's face as she quickly drifted to sleep.
"I love you." Derek whispered, looking up at Meredith as their little girl slept in between them. They could hear the faint sounds coming from downstairs of Hunter and his mother laughing and Zola babbling as they finished making Christmas dinner. Derek did his best to push out of his mind the fact that his daughter was sick and just enjoy the holiday and for once, it was actually working.