It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

48.

Dinner preparations went fairly quickly, the women in the kitchen as they prepared the annual dinner. Children passed through the kitchen now and then, asking their mothers questions, or just looking for a carrot stick to nibble on to get them through the afternoon to dinner. Donnie walked over to Meredith as she peeled the potatoes, and tugged on her shirt. "Aunt Meredith?" He asked, looking up at her with his big blue eyes, a slight smile on his lips as she looked down at him.

"Hey sweetie..." She said as she smiled at the little boy.

"Uncle Derek told me to come in here to tell you that you're the prettiest girl ever." Donnie smiled.

"Oh... he did, did he?"

"Yep."

"Well... you go and tell your Uncle Derek that if he wants to tell me something, that he can come in here and tell me himself..." Meredith replied, watching the little boy grin up at her.

"Okay!" He exclaimed as he took off running into the family room once again as Meredith continued to peel potatoes. She could feel the eyes on her as her face burned slightly in embarrassment and turned around to see everyone else in the room avert their gaze.

"I have a question." Meredith said, just randomly asking a question for anyone to answer.

"Hm...?" Nancy asked, looking up from what she was doing.

"How many times as Derek ever brought someone to dinner... or Christmas or something... I mean... He was engaged or going out with someone before I met him... Addison I think her name was... did he ever embarrass her like he does to me?"

"Addison?" Bethany said making a face. "Addison was one mistake that Derek learned his lesson from."

"She was a lying bitch." Kathleen muttered, seeing her mother's disapproving glare. "What, she was..."

"Addison never came to holidays." Joann replied. "We're pretty sure that she thought that she was better than us. She'd try to convince Derek to stay with her on Christmas...Thanksgiving... she always wanted to take him with her family... saying that her family was more important than his... basically." Joann rolled her eyes.

"He's so in love, Meredith." Kathleen said with a smirk. "We've never seen him act this way about anyone. There's no need to be embarrassed...it's cute." She smiled.

"This is my third Christmas here..." Meredith said with a happy smile. "I can't imagine my Christmas without all of this... I wouldn't want to... I love it here." She said, her smile sincere as she nodded in affirmation.

Bethany, Kathleen and Mrs. Shepherd's heads turned as the door opened and Derek stepped inside. He was holding his nephew in his arms and a smirk on his face as he looked around the room, his sister's eyes all on him as Meredith finally realized that the room had gotten quiet. She turned her head, as did Nancy, who rolled her eyes when she saw the two of them come into the room.

"Hey... no boys allowed..." Meredith teased as she turned and leaned against the counter as Derek approached her. They stood before her with a smirk on each of their faces. "What?" She asked, looking from Derek to Donnie, their smirks matched as they gave her a devilish grin.

"Uncle Derek says he's here now..." Donnie giggled as he glanced to Derek and back to Meredith.

"Well... Uncle Derek knows the rules..." Meredith raised her eyebrows to Donnie as her eyes moved to Derek's.

"Uncle Derek says he loves you." Donnie said with a giggle.

Meredith continued to watch Derek and the way that his smirk widened to a smile as Derek stepped forward and leaned to give her a kiss. "I love you." He said with a laugh as Donnie grinned as he looked between the two of them.