It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

84.

Meredith woke up early, hearing Richie fussing in his bedroom, she nearly leapt from her bed as she grabbed her bathrobe. She kicked at her slipper, sending it flying across the room and onto the bed, smacking Derek on the arm.

"Oops..." She said, covering her hand with her mouth as she watched him roll over.

"Hey... naked guy trying to sleep here..." He grumbled in a husky, sleepy voice.

"It's almost time for you to get up, naked guy..." Meredith giggled as she crawled across the bed and dropped a kiss on his cheek as she grabbed her slipper from beside his arm. He reached around and grabbed her around the waist, laughing at her squeal as he held her against him.

"Naked guy wants to snuggle..."

"Well, there's a diapered guy in the other room that wants my attention too..." She said, hearing the baby over the monitor.

"Oh, I see how its... you'd rather take the one with poop in his pants over the potty trained one...I get it... I get it... we are not getting a dog, so don't even ask..." He laughed as she kissed his nose.

"Funny..." She giggled as he let her go, watching her roll off the bed and put her slipper on, she grinned brightly at him as she shuffled around the bed and out the door. Derek sat up and searched the floor for his boxer shorts. He found them and slipped them on, and then slid back into bed, covering up with the blanket.

After a few seconds, Derek could hear her talking softly to the baby over the monitor, listening to Richie's cries soften as she changed him and lifted him from his crib. He heard her ask Richie if he'd like to go in and see daddy, and in a couple of moments, the door was opening.

"See... see, there's daddy..." She said, pointing at the lump on the bed, covered in blankets. "Uh oh... I think he's hiding..." She said as she walked around the bed, the baby's cheeks were pink from crying, and he had fresh pajamas on, smelling of fresh baby powder and his little baby smell. She pressed her nose against his hair as she giggled. "Where's daddy?" She asked.

Suddenly, Derek pulled the blankets from his face. "Here I am!" He exclaimed, watching Richie start in surprise, and then laugh. Derek covered his head with the blanket again. "Here I am!" He said again, pulling the blanket down, making the little boy laugh. He pulled the blanket back up.

Meredith sat on the edge of the bed and laughed as she set Richie beside her. He reached forward and grabbed the blanket, pulling it from Derek's face, Derek made a funny face, sending him into gales of laughter. "Your daddy is just too silly, isn't he?" Meredith laughed as Richie tugged the blanket, wanting Derek to do it again.

Derek grabbed his son and lifted him into the air, lifting him gently to his chest as Meredith sighed. "Do I have to go?" She whimpered.

"Yeah, you have to go..." Derek sighed.

"I know..." She said with a half smile. "Get dressed... you have to take me to work... we left my car at the bar, remember?"

"Ah..." Derek said with a chuckle. "I thought I was going to get a little extra sleep."

"Get up..." She laughed as she pulled the pillow out from under his head and plopped it on his head, making Richie laugh once again.

"I think he likes it when you beat me up." Derek grumbled.

"That's because he's my boy..." She said with a laugh as she lifted him from Derek's chest. "Get up... get dressed... I'm going to bring him down for some breakfast before I take my shower." She said as she pulled the pillow off his head and kissed him softly on the cheek, plopping it back down on his head once again.