It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

44.

When Derek got downstairs with his sisters, entering the basement, he looked around at all of the plastic containers as they started to pull them down from the shelves. "Holy crap!" Derek exclaimed.

"Geez... keep it down..." Bethany elbowed him as she passed him, piling the containers against the wall near the stairs.

"There have to be a thousand gifts down here..." He said, his mouth wide as he watched Nancy roll her eyes.

"You know... we just can't stop multiplying..." Joann giggled as she checked the containers.

"They're labeled." Derek pointed out.

"Yes, Mr. Genius... very good." Bethany teased.

"You know... you're treading on thin ice, Beth... I may take away your Christmas gift from Meri." He said, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Meredith would never let you do that." Nancy said, shaking her head as Derek shrugged. "So when are you and Meredith going to get married?" She asked, glancing to Derek. "I'm assuming you're going to actually start planning the wedding after she graduates in May."

"Maybe..." He shrugged. "She's accepted an internship at Boston General." He said as he lifted the containers onto one another as the girls pulled them from the shelves.

"Aww... how cute... you're going to stick together..." Bethany teased as Derek stuck his tongue out at her.

"She didn't want to go too far from home." He shrugged. "I don't blame her... I don't think I was really ready to go all the way across the country... I'd miss you dumbbells too much." He laughed as Joann poked him.

"So you're going to wait on having kids?" Nancy asked, watching as Derek's eyes met hers quickly.

"Kids? Yeah... yeah, we're planning on waiting... get ourselves settled in our jobs... then we'll try." He lied through his teeth, the anticipation in his belly growing stronger as he wanted so badly to just scream it out loud. "We're going to wait." He repeated.

"You already said that." Bethany said as she passed him again.

"I... I know that I already said that."

"Ha!" Nancy said suddenly, watching as Derek jumped as she held her finger up at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" Derek exclaimed. "Be quiet!"

"You... you... you...!" She said as she continued to point at him, trying to get her words out as her sisters watched with an amused grin, and Derek stood there stunned and surprised, scared to death that his sister had actually figured it out.

"What!?" Joann exclaimed.

"You're scared of having kids!" Nancy exclaimed.

"I am not!" Derek exclaimed as a wave of relief passed through his body.

"Yes! Yes you are! Did you see him sweating when I mentioned kids... Uncle Derek is afraid of having his own kids! Hahahaha!" Nancy laughed as Derek shook his head.

"I am not! I am not afraid of having children!" Derek exclaimed.

"Yes you are! Look at you! You went totally pale! Oh my God!" Bethany giggled as she watched Derek's face turn bright red as he shook his head.

"I'm going upstairs!" He exclaimed, pretending to be upset as he grabbed two of the plastic containers and stalked up the steps. When he knew his sisters were out of eyesight, no one could have missed the huge grin on his face as he made his way to the family room.

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The four of them slowly brought the containers up the stairs, piling them carefully in the dining room as they tried their best to remain quiet. Bethany was arranging them by names as Derek stood and helped, watching as they gathered the containers.