"I think that will put you at the top of Santa's Naughty List..." Alex remarked playfully as she flopped back on the bed, panting, as she rode out her orgasm.

Emily burst out laughing. "I just made you cum three times, I'm pretty sure that makes me extra nice!" she teased.

Alex thought on that for a minute as if the matter required great debate, then said, "I guess..." causing Emily to roll her eyes. She simply smirked, rolled over to kiss Emily's cheek, then settled back against the pillow.

Settling against her pillow as well, Emily lay on her side so she could study Alex's profile as she lay there. Reaching out a hand to tuck a stay lock of hair behind Alex's ear, Emily eventually spoke, "Speaking of which... I'll confess that I have yet to get you a Christmas gift. Any requests?"

"I already got everything I wanted," she said simply, turning her head to meet Emily's gaze where she was met with a look of mild confusion. "You and I," she explained as if Emily were playing dumb, "Back together."

With a tender smile and a quick peck on her lips, Emily said, "I thought that was your gift to me..."

"Look, I've been thinking..." Alex said slowly. She paused, cleared her throat. "Maybe I could, you know, move to London after the Christmas break. You showed me your flat and there's plenty of space for the two of us and we could turn the spare bedroom into a nursery for Noelle. I mean, assuming that's still what you want..."

Emily smile softly, reached over to cup her cheek, thumb sweeping along her cheekbone. As much as she loved that idea, as much as it would have given her great joy, it was clear that she wasn't completely sold on it. "I'd love, that but I can't ask you..."

Alex interrupted her with a quick kiss. "Not to be too technical, but you didn't actually ask me. It's something I was thinking about before we, well...you know..."

Emily was quick to shake her head and insist, "No, Al, no way. You have your job – a life – here. You cannot just drop everything and move to another country. And Noelle...you haven't even officially adopted her, you can't just leave the country with her."

The last traces of Alex's smile vanished from her lips as it became clear they were no longer joking around, the conversation suddenly very serious. "I'd have you. And Noelle...once the adoption goes through. Besides, I can work anywhere. But if you just don't want me to come to London, come right out and say so!"

Covering herself with the sheet, Emily sat up against the headboard, scrubbing a hand through her hair in frustration. "What the fuck are you saying!?" she demanded, tone rising with her anger, "Do you really think I don't want you to move to London with me? Shit, Alex, it would make me the happiest woman in the world! But I also know how close you are to your family and I don't want you to be apart from them. If one of us is going to move, it should be me!"

"Hell, no!" Alex said vehemently. "You have worked incredibly hard to land your dream job and..." She trailed off, glancing away as shame coloured her cheeks. "What if you move here for me and things don't work?"

Emily's expression softened, just a little. "We've already fucked this up in just about every imaginable way. I have a feeling we won't be making the same mistake twice," she reassured her.

"How about we make a deal?" Alex suggested, "We take things one day at a time – no thinking too much about the future and we cross our bridges when we come to them. Okay?"

Emily shook her head a little, a soft smile playing about her lips. "I'm starting to think you're way too smart to be with a dumbass like me..." Her smile turned into a mischievous smirk then and she proceeded to pull Alex into her lap.

She gave a little squeak of surprise, but moved to straddle Emily's lap, tipping her chin up so she could ghost her lips over Emily's. "I think you should reward my brilliance, then..."

With a little chuckle, Emily teased, "Look who's vying for a position at the top of the Naughty List now?" She reached down to cup Alex's ass, guiding her down to grind on her thigh.

Alex giggled as Emily's lips travelled along her throat, nipping gently at the skin. "Em..." she whimpered, her arousal quickly rising.

"I'm gonna take care of you," Emily husked, fingers grazing her inner thigh.

Before they could get much further, though, they were interrupted by Noelle's little wails.

Emily groaned. "I love her, but her timing..." She trailed off, shook her head, even though they both knew she couldn't stay annoyed at the baby for long.

Climbing off her, Alex grabbed her robe and padded to the nursery. A few moments passed, then her voice came over the baby monitor, "Umm... Em? I'm gonna need a hand in here..."

When Emily entered the nursery, she was immediately inundated with the scent of what could only be described as a poop explosion... "Jesus!" she exclaimed, covering her nose, "What happened in here?"

Alex could only giggle. "I think this is what they call a 'blow out'..." she said. "Why don't you run a bath – I don't think the wipes are gonna cut it..." She stripped Noelle out of her onesie and the essentially useless diaper, carrying her like a little bomb to the bathroom. "Hey..." she said to Emily, a small smile playing about her face as she set the poopy baby bomb into the tub, "You know there's no one I'd rather do this with, right?"

"What?" Emily asked, "Clean baby poop off...everything?"

She shrugged, still laughing. "I mean...yeah? Is that a problem?"

Her joy infectious, in spite of the situation, Emily laughed as well. "Not a problem at all."