It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

86.

When dinner was completed, Derek and Mark had washed the dishes and put the leftovers away while Meredith and Cristina sat on the floor of the family room with Richie. "I think it's beautiful..." Meredith said with a smile as she looked up at the evergreen as Richie continued to stare at it as well.

"It's a tree, Meredith." Cristina shrugged.

"It's a beautiful tree." She said with a smile.

"You don't get out much, do you?" She said with a smirk.

"Oh hush..." Meredith said with a shake of her head. "You have no idea how hard I've worked to get to this point." Meredith said as she lifted her son into her lap, handing him a little ball to hold in his hands. He pushed it hard, watching it roll across the floor.

"To get a tree into your living room?" Cristina asked with a laugh.

"No... well... yes." She shrugged. "This is my first real Christmas tree." She whispered.

"What? You can't tell me that you never had a Christmas tree."

"Have you ever met my mother?" Meredith said sarcastically. "This is my first... real live..."

"Soon to be formerly live..."

"Whatever... my first real tree... and it's Richie's first tree... so it's beautiful." She said with a smirk as she lay the baby on the blanket as she watched him try to crawl across the floor to get it. She stood up and walked towards the ball, and Richie pulled himself up onto his hands and knees. He looked up at his mother with a wobbly stance. "Derek!" Meredith called as Richie started to move forward. "Derek, watch!" She exclaimed as she knelt onto the floor. "Come on, Richie... come see mommy..."

"What, what is it?" Derek said with a nervous tone as he stepped into the living room. His son was standing on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth when he heard his father's voice. He then lost his balance as he tried to look and went flying forward hard onto his tummy, rubbing his nose into the rug. "Aww..." Derek said as he approached him.

"Wait..." Meredith said as Richie looked up at her to see what her reaction was, he noticed that she didn't seem distressed, she was smiling. He looked to his father, who seemed a little more nervous and he turned his head and saw his ball across the floor. He then lifted himself up onto his hands and knees again as Meredith reached for his ball and Derek knelt beside Meredith.

"Come on, buddy... you can do it..." Derek said with a grin as Richie pulled his knee forward.

"Why do I feel like I'm at the baby Olympics?" Cristina said with a smirk as Mark shoved her a little with his foot.

Richie slapped his hand hard against the carpet as he moved his other knee, trying to get the motion down as he felt himself move forward.

"Good boy!" Meredith said excitedly as he moved his hand, and other knee, moving himself forward as he watched his parent's proud smiling faces. "Come on buddy..." Meredith said as she held the ball out to him.

"I don't know why you want him mobile... it's only enabling him..." Cristina laughed as Mark shoved her with his foot again as Richie giggled at his mother and father.

"Come on, Richie... good boy..." Derek said with an encouraging tone as the baby moved himself forward just a little more, pushing himself across the floor until he reached his prize. He put his hand on the ball and promptly did a belly flop as Derek and Meredith both cheered a chorus of 'Yay!' as he giggled madly and rolled onto his back with the ball.

They celebrated Richie's latest feat with a hug and a kiss, and Derek held him up high as he watched his son hold the little ball and giggle. "Now... it's time for decorations!" He exclaimed as he looked to Meredith, who was still kneeling on the floor, the pride that she had for her son was radiating from her smile.