The Seventh Sense is Love

The Seventh Sense is Love (End)

Meredith woke up first on the morning of Jocelyn and Amelia's first Christmas. Derek had managed to get the day off and she was still on her maternity leave. So, they had the pleasure of spending the special day all together. Meredith immediately heard and turned off the alarm she had set the previous night. Derek stirred and grumbled irritable. "Shh," she said, kissing his shoulder and his stubbly cheek. "Go back to sleep." With a grateful sigh, he did just that. And she smiled happily as she got out of bed.

After washing her face and putting her hair up she checked on Ian and the girls. They were all sleeping peacefully so she went downstairs and started coffee. She realized she was humming a Christmas song as she gathered ingredients to make breakfast. This made her stop in the middle of the kitchen and scowl. When did she start humming Christmas songs? Yes, she had been learning them since her son was a baby - for the first time - very aware that Christmas was a special time of year. Still, he was asleep, and she was humming the goofy songs anyway. She really didn't know what the hell to make of it. She forced herself to mentally recite anatomy facts as she cracked eggs into a bowl for broccoli and cheese omelet's. She made bacon and orange juice to go with the omelets. Just as she was finishing, Jocelyn and Amelia started fussing. "Good timing," Meredith said with a smile and went upstairs.

"Hi Mommy," Ian said sleepily as he walked out of his room and saw her coming up the stairs.

"Good morning sweetie," she said and swooped him into her arms after stepping over the baby gate at the top. "Merry Christmas," she said and covered his little face in kisses.

"Mommy stop," he said amidst his giggles. "Jocelyn and Melia are hungry."

"I know, let's go get her."

"I'm hungry too," he said seriously.

"Me too," Derek said, stepping out into the hallway. "And I smell coffee."

"Daddy!" Ian squealed in delight and wiggled out of Meredith's arms to run to Derek. "You're home! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Derek said and swallowed the lump in his throat as he gathered his son close. He smiled as Meredith winked at him and then walked into the girls' nursery. To Ian, he said, "I missed you."

"Missed you Daddy," he said, nuzzling into his dad's shoulder. "So did Jocie and Melia. They were afraid you wouldn't be here for Christmas."

"They were?" Derek asked, still amazed at how well Ian was able to communicate. "Even though mommy and I made sure you knew I'd only be gone for three days?"

"Well," he said and moved to look at his dad's face. "They are only babies, you know."

"I know," he replied and gently nudged Ian's head back to his shoulder so the little boy wouldn't see the grin he could no longer contain. Then he went into Jocelyn and Amelia's nursery and kissed his wife. "Merry Christmas, Meredith."

Both girls, who were having their diapers changed by mommy, let out the longest, most adorable and loud cooing sounds.

"Merry Christmas Derek," Meredith laughed and finished zipping the girls back into their footie pajamas.

"See Daddy," Ian said with all of the authority of a big brother. "I told you the girls missed you. I think Mommy did, too."

"Of course I did," she said, handing a wiggly Jocelyn to her daddy for a cuddle.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?" she asked, squatting down to his level because he sounded so serious all of a sudden.

"Why are the girls sleeping in here?"

"Umm," she said and then glared at Derek as he chuckled. He knew damn well that their daughter was in her crib because his horny ass had wanted sex when he'd gotten home at one thirty in the morning. Not that she'd objected of course but he could try and help right now rather than laugh. "I thought I'd see how the girls did in their cribs."