UNDERNEATH THE TREE
SEASON 7

I was lost before you
Christmas was cold and grey
Another holiday
Alone to celebrate
But then, one day
Everything changed
You're all I need

-Underneath the Tree, Kelly Clarkson

"Your dad didn't want any of this?" Rick asks, eyeing the box that his wife sets on the dining table, next to the three equally heavy others they carried in.

Kate leans a hand on the table and takes a few deep breaths, accepts his offered glass of water with a grateful smile. "We went through everything, and he took out quite a bit. He ended up with a couple totes," she explains. "The rest, he said, is fir game. Use, don't use, whatever we want."

Rick smiles and pulls her into a sideways hug, his arm draped around her shoulders as he debates how to proceed.

He has a lot of decorations, probably more than he needs, but he's always gone all-out with Christmas. At first, it was mostly for Alexis's sake, to soften the blow of the first post-divorce Christmas, when Meredith claimed that she just couldn't get away from the movie she was filming. But his collection just continued to grow, and now, the weekend spent decorating is as much of a tradition as presents and eggnog.

Their first two years together, Kate insisted that he and Alexis decorate together while she worked. But this year, it's his and Kate's first Christmas as a married couple, so she agreed to help.

After talking to her dad about the decorations they'd stored after her mom died, Kate nad Jim went through the boxes. As much as he would've loved to be there, to listen to stories and provide support for his wife and father-in-law, he'd recognized that it was something the two of them needed to do together.

He feels Kate sag against his side, and he squeezes her shoulders, rests his chin on the top of her head. "I'm proud of you," he murmurs, shifting slightly to support her weight.

She leans back and looks up at him. "For what?"

"This," he says simply, motioning towards the boxes. "It couldn't have been easy."

She hums in agreement. "It was time," she whispers. She wraps her arm around his waist and squeezes. "Okay, let's get to it."

He can only watch with admiration as Kate grows more animated with every ornament and knick-knack that she uncovers. They've already integrated her Christmas-themed mugs in with his - except the one he accidentally broke - and put several pieces of garland into the donate pile.

"You're sure about the ornaments?" Kate asks, dragging the box next to the tree.

He nods, his gaze firmly planted on her ass. "Yep. There's plenty of space."

Until a week ago, there actually wouldn't have been enough space. But the day Kate and Jim spent together, he took the time to weed through his own ornaments. He'd always had a combination of classy monochrome and colorful handmade, so he waited to hang them until they could include Kate's.

She stands with her hands on her hips as she examines the tree. "Are we putting up tinsel?"

He manages to drag his gaze from her ass, and he moves next to her. "We might not need it." He glances down at the box in front of them and grins, picks up an ornament from the top. "Oh my God."

Kate chuckles and nudges his arm. "Thought you might like that."

He examines the photo ornament, the picture an obviously-distressed baby Kate being held by a woman he recognizes as a younger version of her mom. On the side is Santa, or at least the part of him that made the frame.

"My dad kept the 'Baby's First Christmas' ornament, but I was a newborn, so we didn't go to Santa until I was one," she explains. "Obviously, I was thrilled to meet him."

Rick grins. "Obviously. Well, this one is going front and center."

She smacks the back of her hand against his chest, but she takes it from him and hangs it prominently.

The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur filled with swapped stories, Rick soaking up every moment and memory that his wife shares.

When they finally hang the last ornament, Kate ducks into the bathroom, and he reaches for the switch to turn on the lights. He hesitates before flipping it, though, and decides not to ruin the magic of seeing their first tree in all its glory.

He's gathering the ingredients for his hot cocoa when Kate emerges, and he glances behind him when her arms wrap around his waist and her cheek presses against his back. He turns and pulls her in close, rests his chin on top of her head. "You okay?" he murmurs. Talking about her mom isn't as painful as it was before they arrested Bracken, he knows, but it's still bittersweet for her, reminiscing of memories while not being able to make new ones.

She nods against his shirt. "Yeah. You making coffee?"

"Cocoa."

She steps out of his arms and grins. "Even better."

With her help, the cocoa comes together quickly, and soon they're back in front of the tree, admiring their handiwork.

"You were right," she says, lifting her mug and taking a sip. "The tinsel would've been too much."

He grins and nudges her arm with his. "Told you so. Ready for the lights?" When she nods, he flips the switch, and the tree illuminates with a soft white glow. He hears her sigh next to him, and he looks over, sees the light reflected in her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears.

"It's perfect," she whispers.

He turns to face her and takes the cocoa from her hands, puts both of their mugs on the coffee table before framing her face with his hands.

"So are you," he husks.

Even in the low light, he sees her cheeks flush, and she loops her arms around his neck and lifts her mouth to his.

A/N: Happy New Year!