AN: It's not Christmas unless I post a Karev family fic.
Jo was startled awake and sat up as she heard her daughter's cries coming from the baby monitor on the nightstand next to her. She sighed as she sunk back into the bed and looked over at Alex. He let out a groan, but hadn't gotten up from where he was face down in his pillow.
They're lovely sixteen month old daughter Edith Karev lived up to her namesake as she was loud and bossy. She was going through a sleep regression and also getting all four of her molars so she was up every few hours with teeth pain after the tylenol wore off. Meaning she didn't sleep for very long and neither did her parents. They were tired and fighting more often as a result.
"Your turn," Jo said, reaching her arm out to lightly hit his back.
"Noooo," Alex moaned, still face down. "I was up with her at two in the morning. It's your turn!"
"Oh fat change Alexander!" Jo said, rolling over so she could properly argue with him. "I got up with her at 3:30 a.m. so it is your turn."
"You did not, I would've heard her," Alex said, turning his head to glare at her.
"Well you didn't hear her, so I got up and I've got the video to prove it," Jo said, grabbing the baby monitor camera and pulling up a video of herself walking into Edith's room as she cried and showing him the timestamp. "You slept through the whole thing."
Alex signed in defeat as he laid back. "Fine I'm it, but you're getting up with the girls."
"Ugh, fine," Jo said as she grumbled, but she rolled over and curled around her pillow remembering her victory and enjoying a few more hours of sleep. "There's new teethers in the freezer."
"Got it," Alex whisper yelled back as he left.
Jo glanced over at the alarm clock to see that it was 4:30 am. She sighed knowing that the three year olds would be up in less than a few hours. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, doing her best to calm herself down and soon enough she was sleeping again.
xxxx
Of course, a few hours later Jo was woken up by her daughter again, but this time it was her three year olds as they ran into the bed. "Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy!"
Jo looked up as they came up to her and looked over at the clock to see that it was 7:30 and weren't up too early. So she smiled as Luna and Helena immediately climbed up between them. Helena snuggled up to her as Jo warped her arms.
"Hi Mommy," Helena said as she immediately buried herself in Jo's chest and Jo snuggled her close.
"Hello baby," Jo replied as she kissed her head.
Luna climbed up on Alex's back and started to bounce up and down and push on him. She reached up to force his eyelid open as she signed to him. 'Daddy, Daddy wake up! It's Christmas.'
"Daddy's tired," Alex groaned, turning his head from Luna's little fingers.
Luna pouted, sitting back on his back and crossing her arms. Jo giggled at her daughter and Alex looked over at her with a glare. She knew it was her turn to get up with the girls but she let them torture Alex a little longer. Alex let out an even larger sigh, before promptly turning over, making Luna fall off his back.
Luna screeched as she popped back up with a frown.
Alex turned over and immediately started tickling her as her giggles filled the room. "Daddy is a tickle monster and he's going to get you!"
The girls quickly got up and crawled over Jo as they hid themselves behind her. Jo just laughed don't bothering moving, until Alex turned and looked at her with a large smile wiggling his fingers.
"Oh no girls run away! Daddy's going to get us!" Jo said and signed to Luna, quickly rushing to get up from the bed but she was too slow and Alex quickly caught her.
"Nobody escapes the tickle monster!" Alex said as he grabbed her around her waist and tickled her sides in the spot where he knew she was ticklish as she roared with laughter.
"We'll save you Mommy!" Helena said as she jumped on Alex and started to tickle him back.
"Stop, stop, Alex, I'm going to pee!" Jo screamed as she laughed.
"Okay," Alex said as he stopped, but not before Luna and Helena jumped back on top of him.
Alex pulled back and laughed as they all quickly started ticking him as well. Soon enough, they were in a pile in the middle of the bed as ticklish little fingers escaped no one. Jo sat up as she laughed holding both of her girls as Alex leaned against her. They all took a second to catch their breath, but the large smiles remained.
"Merry Christmas my girls," Alex said and signed, his eyes sparkling as he sat up and kissed Luna's forehead then Helena's head, before finally leaning in and giving Jo a proper kiss on her lip. Jo reached up to hold his cheek with her hand, forcing him to kiss her a little longer.
"Oh yeah, it's Christmas morning," Jo said as she had completely forgotten that it was Christmas.
Although how she forgot was a mystery, between her husband and her daughters constantly reminding her it was almost Christmas. Luna could barely sleep last night as she was so excited. She wasn't sure how much they remembered of their last Christmas, as memories of last Christmas filter through her head.
Alex got up and gestured for the girls to go with him. "Come on, it's Christmas. We gotta go see what gifts Santa left us."
'Santa, Santa,' Luna cheered as she jumped up and down.
"Santa and Waffles," Helena cheered, Jo wasn't surprised she was always hungry in the morning.
"Okay then let's go," Alex said as she let them pull her out of bed.
They were all wearing the matching family pajamas as Jo insisted they wear every year, they had even got a pair for Reeses. This year it has been easier to convince Alex to join in as Luna and Helena had picked them out. They were all white with colorful strings of lights wrapped around them. Alex had frowned when presented with them and said he looked like a white christmas tree. However, the second the girls tried them on and insisted he wear them too, Alex agreed and barely complained to Jo after that.
He grabbed Helena and picked her up from where she was jumping on the bed. "Come on, let's open presents."
The girls dragged them over to the baby gate at the top of the stairs jumping up and down as they held onto it. Although Alex quickly scolded them. "Girls stop, you're going to break the baby gate and fall down the stairs."
'okay,' Luna sighed as she let go of the gate.
Although Helena kept pulling on it as Jo reached down and picked her up. "You're just so excited, aren't you, baby girl?"
"I wanna see the presents Santa gave me," Helena said with a big smile.
"Yeah, let's go see what Santa left us!" Alex smiled as he held Helena and reached the baby gate.
"Hang on, I think Edith is up," Jo said as she turned towards Edith's room.
"No she's not,"" Alex argued with her. "Otherwise she'd be screaming at us, again."
"Uh-huh," Jo said as she pulled up the baby monitor on her phone.
Sure enough Edith was wide awake, looking around and for once she was not screaming. She seemed content to look around her crib. She had rolled over onto her back and kicked her legs, as she didn't seem interested in going back to sleep.
Jo showed the footage to Alex who sighed, but smiled. "Well I guess all the girls are ready for Christmas morning."
"I'll go get her," Jo said as she went and opened the door to the nursery.
Well the new nursery, as Luna and Helena's room was no longer the baby room. Although the two girls still shared a room, they had moved them to the bigger room across the hall. Leaving the smaller one, directly next to them, for Edith.
They did this in the hopes that Edith's screaming wouldn't wake up the girls at night. However, even with her in their room, the first few nights after they came home from the hospital she would often wake up Helena. Being deaf Luna slept through it all. Having to get up with two girls in the middle of the night had been rough, luckily Helena adjusted to the now sound. Now she sleeps through it, most of the time.
Jo walked into the room as she looked down at Edith in her sleep sack. Edith instantly started kicking her legs making high-pitched little happy noises as she happily greeted her. Jo reached down into the crib as Edith reached up for her and Jo picked her up.
"Ma-ma, Ma-ma."
"Hi baby. Are you my wiggly girl this morning? Are you happy to see me?" Jo cooed to her as she learned in and pressed their foreheads together.
Edith calmed down and made quieter noses. She pressed her tiny little hands against Jo's face as Jo smiled and kissed her cheek. Edith was so happy to see her Mama in the mornings and Jo loved being her favorite. She was sure Edith would be a daddy's girl soon enough but for now she was a mama's girl. Jo enjoyed every second of it, especially as she savored these fleeting moments with her last baby.
"That smile still doesn't make up for all the screaming the night before," Jo said as she ran her finger along Edith's nose, bopping the end of her nose.
Edith went cross-eyed trying to track her finger, but she giggled letting out a string of babble. She wiggled in her arms and Jo's heart melted instantly forgiving her.
"You're lucky you're cute kiddo," Jo said leaning down to kiss her forehead again before she went back to her husband and the kids that were waiting for her on the top of the stairs.
Alex held the girl's hands as he finally opened the baby gate. Luna and Helena practically jumped down the stairs saved only by Alex holding their hands. Although he was just as excited to get to the tree. Jo followed just as quickly, though gentle enough not to bounce Edith too much.
She paused as the living room came into view. The colorful lights glittered off the tree as it was the only light on downstairs. Jo smiled as the girls gasped at the amount of presents underneath the tree. They had gone a little overboard this year, getting the girls everything they wanted and more. Jo thought it was a little unreasonable, but Alex wanted to spoil them and Jo didn't have the heart to say no. They were both pushovers when it came to spoiling their girls.
"Santa's feet!" Helena said, pointing at the footprints around the living room.
'Santa really was here!' Luna signed, her face alight with excitement.
"I told you he'd come," Alex said, looking over at Jo who just smiled, remembering how last night Alex had dipped his boots in a tray of flour to make the footprints around their living room.
Reeses sniffed around the Christmas tree, searching every single present and digging his nose in between the presents. He finally sniffed out the bone they had left for him to get it and wagged his tale as he grabbed the whole thing, which was extremely large. Reeses took the bone back to his bed and settled down there. He would probably be there for the rest of the day.
'He ate the cookies,' Luna signed, pointing at the cookies that were all gone from the plate as well as a half eaten carrot that they had left out for the reindeer.
"Santa's got a big mouth," Helena said, holding up one of the cookies that had a large bite out of it.
Jo frowned a little bit as it was the cookie she had half eaten, but Alex just smiled and laughed. "I suppose he does."
Jo the side eyed him as she cleared her throat, but Alex still laughed. Edith was content to stare at the Christmas lights as she always did, but eyed the new presents under the tree. Jo set her down and she toddled over to the tree grabbing at the presents underneath.
"Can we open p'esents now?" Helena asked, jumping up and down next to the tree.
"Yes, let's open presents!" Alex exclaimed, signing for Luna too, just as excited as their kids.
"Remember girls, the ones with the sugar plum ones are Luna's, the candy cane wrapping are mine, the ones with the gingerbread wrapping are Daddy's…" Jo said, before Helena cut her off.
"That is mine," Helena said, pointing at the purple sugar plum fairy wrapping paper.
"Yes baby those are you're," Jo said with a smile as Helena grabbed her present. "And the snowflake ones are Edith's."
The girls quickly got to work unwrapping all of their gifts and soon the living room was a mess of wrapping paper, toys, clothes, and other little things they got the girls. She and Alex had unboxed all the toys and dolls for the girls so they could play with them immediately.
The girls had loved the princess dress up and work dress up clothes they had gotten. Helena was currently decked out in pink Princess wear and Edith insisted on wearing one of the princess dresses too. While Luna was in love with the astronaut costume. Helena loved the magnet train they got her and had settled to build it. While Luna was looking there all her picture books and making Alex read to her. Edith was content with her ball drop tower and played with it on repeat. Jo unwrapped one of her last candy cane boxes as she lounged on the couch. She opened the jewelry box and gasped at what it was.
"Oh god Alex, you fixed it!" Jo said as she looked over at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
The watch Ms. Schmidt had broken a couple of weeks ago. When she had taken it to the jeweler, they said it would be impossible to fix as some of the parts were no longer available. Jo had set the watch aside in her jewelry box and mourned that it would never be fixed again.
"Yes, and it wasn't easy. I had to go to several jewelers before I found one that could fix it. They had to make some of the parts and he wasn't sure if he could fix it but they did," Alex said, pausing his reading and staring over at her with this little smile.
"It looks better than ever, it really does," Jo said looking down at the watch that had been fully restored to its former glory with an additional polishing.
It now glittered as she held it up, and bore no trace of the scratches and dents from years of use. The watch ticked happily and told the exact time already. It was the most thoughtful gift he had ever given her. However she hesitated to put it on her wrist. It was such a sentimental piece of jewelry and it meant so much to her. She didn't want it to break again with everyday use. She had also gotten a new smartwatch that she loved, but her wrist still felt empty without her watch.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked her, getting up and coming over to sit next to her.
'Daddy read to me!' Luna demanded glaring at him.
'Give me a second Luna,' Alex signed back to her with a raised eyebrow as Luna pouted, but went back to looking at her book. "What's wrong Jo?"
"It's nothing, I just don't want to get broken again but I still want to wear it," Jo said to the sigh as You looked at her watch.
"Then wear it for special occasions, like today," Alex said, taking off her smartwatch and replacing it with Ms. Schmidt's watch with delicate surgeon's fingers. "Then put it back in your jewelry box. That way you can wear it but it won't get broken again at work."
Jo shook her head and smiled as she admired it on her watch. "I can't believe I didn't think about that, thank you, Alex."
She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Alex reached up to hold her cheek as he tilted his head and kissed her back. It was a warm, soft moment between them.
"It definitely beats the gift I got you," Jo said with a little smile as she went over to the tree and pulled out one of Alex's gifts. The brown gingerbread wrapping was done as best she could.
"Oh I don't care, I'd love anything you give me," Alex looked delighted as she brought it over to him. He tore off the wrapping paper with glee and pulled it back to reveal the massage gun he wanted for ages. "Jo this is perfect!"
He looked over at her with a wide smile as his eyes sparkled and quickly opened it. As they had done with the kids, Jo had pre-opened it and made sure it was charged up and easily accessible to him. He pulled it out of the case and immediately started it up.
"I know you've been complaining about your sore muscles after Surgery or when you play horsey with the girls, so I'm glad you like it," Jo teased him as she landed and kissed his cheek. "Come on, turn around, I'll try it on your back."
Alex complained and Jo started up the gun. Alex let out a moan of contentment and melted into her as she massaged his back.
"I want to try," Helena said, coming over to them.
"It's Daddy's turn right now baby, you'll have to wait a second," Jo said to her as she crawled up on Alex's lap.
"That's all right, let me have it. I'll show you how it works princess," Alex said as she handed him the massager and set it to a lighter mode as he massaged Helena's back.
"It tickles," Helena complained with a laugh and quickly squirmed away.
'I want to try it,' Luna signed, coming over to them as Edith got up too and they passed the massage gun around letting all the girls try it but Jo eventually got it back and gave Alex a nice massage.
xxxxxx-
That night they all crawled into Jo and Alex's bed to watch a movie. They all had baths and showers and dressed in fresh pajamas since they had been in these ones all day. Then they got all nice and snugly and curled up all together as a family. Alex put on The Santa Clause and they watched it together as all got to enjoy a little bit of the Christmas magic. The girls were all between them with Edith resting on Alex's chest and Luna next to her as Helena was next to Alex.
"You know I used to watch this movie and I'd really believe in Santa," Jo said as she looked up at Alex and reached out to curl her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck.
"Yeah me too," Alex said with a smile as he reached out to take her hand and kiss it.
"Yeah and I'd always ask Santa to bring me a family," Jo said with another smile as she reached down to run her fingers through Luna's hair and looked over at her and Helena, both of them were fighting sleep. Edith had already lost the battle as she was lightly snoring on Alex's stomach and he had his arm around her.
"And now you have one. I hope it's as good as everything you ever wanted," Alex said as he smiled down at her.
"It is," Jo said with a smile as she tilted her head up and he leaned down to give her a warm and slow kiss. but it was warm and full of love
"Merry Christmas Jo," Alex whispered against her lips.
"Merry Christmas Alex," Jo whispered to him again as she captured his lips in another kiss.
"Merry Christmas Momma," Helena said and signed as she turned around and gave her a hug as Jo wrapped her arm around her.
'Merry Christmas,' Luna signed as well hugging them as well.
"Merry Christmas girls," Alex said and signed as he laid down and kissed their forehead.
They all went back to the movie and Jo went out the window to see the snow was still falling, big heavy flakes but she smiled as she snuggled with her family warm and safe and happy it is quality season with everything she had ever asked Santa for.