A/N: I am doing this new thing where I don't torture myself into writing 9 page chapters anymore. Because it makes me not want to write and I hate that. Also, some skipping ahead at a faster pace than normal. I'm not burnt out, but my muse is. So to make up for the shortness of the chapter, I made it as happy and gooey as possible.

"Linds, wake up."

"Hmm?"

"It's Christmas."

"Yes."

"Wake up, I have something for you."

"Adam, if you have those mistletoe boxers on again…"

He laughed and pulled the blankets from around her shoulders, leaning down to kiss her gently.

"C'mon babe. Up."

She grunted and sat up, rolling her eyes at his ugly sweater and Santa hat.

"You're a real piece of work, Adam Ross."

"I am. Get out of bed, pick some warm clothes."

"Warm clothes? Are we leaving?"

"Just for a little bit. We're not going far."

She glanced skeptically at him before realizing that in general, his surprises were always good, and there was no reason, save for the early hour, that she should refuse.

"Alright, give me five minutes and make me some coffee."

"Yes ma'am."

He started to get up but she wrapped her hand around his wrist to stop him.

"Feeling okay today?"

"Excellent."

"Good. Go forth and produce caffeine."

He laughed quietly and left the room, while she stood up and found clothes with which to brave the cold. She quickly peeked in on the kids, all of whom were deep in sleep, then slipped downstairs to find a tall cup of coffee waiting on the counter.

"So, what type of Yuletide adventure do you have planned?"

"I want to show you something."

"Is it dirty?"

"No, I don't think Santa would find that appropriate."

"I don't know, it's expensive to employ all those elves, I'm certain he's been cranking out immortal children since the 1800's."

"I should have let you sleep longer."

She grinned and stepped into his arms, kissing him softly and brushing her fingers over his jaw.

"I love you."

"I love you too. C'mon, we have to go while it's still dark."

"Are we looking for Rudolph?"

He shook his head in amusement and took her hand, leading her outside to the car. He opened the door for her, then reached in to buckle her seatbelt, earning a stifled laugh and a gentle kiss to his cheek for his efforts.

"How long will we be gone?"

"An hour or so. Here's a blanket, it's pretty chilly."

Content to cuddle up in the seat while he drove, she vowed to not ask any more questions, because doing so would only make her more apt to try and riddle out an answer based on his reactions to the questions.

"Warm enough?" he asked after a while, glancing over at her.

"Perfect."

"Hot chocolate in the thermos."

"Did you do something wrong?"

"No, it's just Christmas and I love you."

"I love you too," she grinned, opening the thermos and smelling what was inside. "Extra chocolate too? Maybe I should be asking what I did right."

He smiled and stopped in a parking lot, one she didn't immediately recognize because of the darkness. She frowned and glanced over at him, taking a moment to catch on.

"Always a surprise with you. Gonna propose to me again?"

"Nah. Can't really recreate that out here, it's too cold."

She smiled and moved as close to him as she could, resting her head on his shoulder and barely making out the shape of the waves in the night.

"I know you've been worrying about me," he started. "And I know that the supply of old man jokes hasn't run out yet. But I just want you to know I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"I know. And I'm allowed to worry a little."

"You are. But only a little, got it?"

"I do."

"I love you. Thank you for saying yes. For saying no to letting things get out of hand. For being my partner."

"I love you too. And being your partner is my favorite job."

"I have something for you. I know it's cheesy, and I know neither one if us is great at this being sappy thing," he whispered, digging a box out of his pocket. "And this isn't me suggesting a vow renewal or anything like that, so don't whack me over the head."

She giggled and stared at the ring he presented, sliding it onto her finger to join the other. She could barely see it in the light of the streetlamps but she could make out three small blue stones, set between what she assumed was fifteen tiny diamonds.

"I wanted it to be ready for our anniversary, but it wasn't, and then everything happened… I figured better late than never."

"Did you…"

"Remember when the dog ate your ring? And we had to wait days to get it back?"

"The week Ben referred to as "The Diamond in the Ruff.""

"Big fat lie. I took it in so they could make something that would match what you already had."

"Well knowing that the ring was never passing through canine bowels, I'm much happier about wearing it now."

He laughed and leaned in to kiss her, resting their foreheads together and speaking softly.

"I want you to remember that whatever happens now, or in the future, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I want you to be able to keep that with you, no matter what."

"I will. I do."

"I'm not going anywhere, but if I don't find that elixir of immortality, I will someday. And if that happens, I want you to have something to look at every day and remember how much I love you."

"I love you too. So much."

Three Christmas pajama-clad kids lay on the floor all caught in hysterical laughter over some joke that no one outside of the three of them understood. Ben had abandoned his glasses because they were streaked with laughter tears, and Avery lay unable to move, while Colton was nearly wheezing and holding his stomach. Their parents looked on in amusement, unsure what had just transpired right before their eyes, but glad they were there to witness it all the same.

"Okay, I think someone is going to puke if you guys keep laughing," Adam chuckled after a moment. "Deep breaths."

The trio tried, but burst into laughter again.

"Have they cracked?"

"Mama said crack!" Avery shouted happily, wiping her eyes.

"What in the world is so funny?" Adam asked, eyes wide as he took in their near-psychotic states. The three of them calmed down, looked at each other, then burst into laughter yet again.

"You just had to be there!" Ben offered. "It's a great joke but it's only funny to us."

"It's about poo," Avery added, hiccupping. "And that is all we can say."

"I'll take your word for it," Lindsay chuckled, standing up from the couch. "Since you have so much energy, why don't you clean up this wrapping paper?"

"Well that's not very fun at all," Avery sighed, looking at her brothers. "I suddenly do not feel quite so happy."

"Maybe we could recycle the wrapping paper."

"For what Coley?"

"Toilet paper!" Ben shouted, and the three of them lost it again. Clearly this was not something that would ever be understood by anyone else.

"I know they enjoy the bathroom humor but I didn't think it was this bad," Adam noted. "Maybe they've been spending too much time together."

"No!" Avery hollered, throwing her arms around Colton. "Do not make us be apart! We love each other!"

"I think you just need to get out more, Tink. You're to the point that you can read each other's minds."

"Well at least we don't hate each other," Ben noted, putting his glasses back on. "Then you'd have to pay for babysitting as to cut down on the bloodshed."

"Duly noted son."

"Is it lunchtime yet?"

"After you kids clean up the wrapping paper and take your presents up to your rooms. And I don't mean take them up and dump them on the floor. I mean put them away."

"I need to iron my new fancies before I hang them up," Ben said causing Colton to cough a laugh. "What?"

"I don't know. Funny that you still call them fancies."

"What else do I call 'em?"

"Fancy clothes?"

"That takes longer. I'm a busy guy, I don't have time for two words."

"Hey, there's another present back here," Avery announced, squeezing herself between the tree and the wall. "Did Auntie Hannah forget it?"

"No, that's a special gift for the five of us," Adam started, taking the large wrapped envelope. "It's something that came from far, far away to get here."

"IS IT A LIGHTSABER?!" Avery shrieked, eyes wide. "Oh daddy…"

"It's not a lightsaber," he laughed, pulling Lindsay down on the couch with him. "We think it's new pictures of Rebecca."

"Well what are you waiting for?" Ben asked. "Open that thing!"

They piled onto the couch together and Adam wrestled the package open, smiling when a handful of pictures and a DVD slid out.

"Look how much she is growing!" Avery giggled, snatching up the picture that was closest to her. "And she is standing on her own. What a cute little girl."

"Look, she cut her own hair," Colton said, holding up another picture. "She'd fit in with us pretty well, getting into trouble like that."

"You guys, it looks like she has a little brother now," Lindsay whispered, breath catching in her throat. There was a snapshot of Rebecca holding a swaddled baby boy, a smile on her face, tongue poking through her teeth.

"Well that's it," Avery sighed. "Becca has all the best things you could have in your life now. She is a happy girl. Maybe it is good she did not come to us. We already have so much happiness and her mama and daddy did not maybe, until they got to have her."

"Maybe that's true."

"I think it is. What's on that movie?"

"I don't know, let's check it out."

Colton got up from the floor and put the disc into the player, then sat back against the couch as it started to play.

Wind whistled against the microphone as the camera steadied to reveal Rebecca standing in the grass, smile on her face and hands clasped together. The voice of her mother speaking in Russian came through and Rebecca giggled, taking one step forward, then another. They were wobbly steps and she tended to her right side, obviously in favor of the stronger leg, but she was walking all on her own. She stopped after a moment, clapping happily at the words her mother said, then taking off again, confidence radiating from her.

"Remember when we thought she might never ever walk?" Avery mused, watching the screen with a tear in her eye. "Look at her go! That is a miracle."

The kids chattered happily as they watched Rebecca play in the grass and laugh as she was tickled and kissed by her parents. Clearly she was not only well taken care of and loved, but so treasured that the hurts of her past had been left there.

"Best Christmas present ever," Lindsay smiled when Ben started the video over again.

"Can't be topped," Adam agreed, resting his feet on the coffee table. "I can't remember being happier ever. You?"

"Nope. I should go get some jars, bottle this up."

He laughed and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Wonder where we're going to be a year from now."

"I bet it's a pretty good place."