A/N: Another (belated) Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you so much for sticking with me and reading this purely indulgent fic. it's cool to extrapolate what our favorites at Seattle Grace will be doing in 15 years. I had fun doing it, but I am happy to get back to my usual more angsty dramatic stuff too. I really appreciate all the support and reviews!

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a milking,

Seven swans a swimming,

Six geese a laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

and a partridge in a pear tree.

Fidgeting with the wrapping paper on her own gift, April nervously bit her lower lip as she watched Jackson eagerly unwrap her gift to him.

The Nike's. The newest pair, released in November as a matter of fact. Shoes which she had spent the last week trying to replace with a better more meaningful gift. One that she couldn't actually think of. So shoes it was. April was mostly okay with continuing her traditional gift for Jackson. She wasn't a very inspired wife, so it turns out. And maybe she wasn't as sentimental as she thought she was. Go figure.

And her conversation with Catherine Avery had made her feel much more comfortable about not finding a different gift for Jackson, April still felt disappointment in herself. Just because they'd made it through 15 years together, it didn't mean that Jackson didn't deserve a little spontaneity and surprise in their marriage. She'd just never been good at all of that.

The morning gift giving had commenced at 8 am, after Simon and Hannah had run through the house screeching for everyone else to get up. After some grumbling, and tempting with April's delightful holiday twist on morning oatmeal the whole family had managed to assemble down stairs and had commenced opening presents.

Now, that they'd all opened their own presents, the kids were only very loosely engaged with what was going on with their parents. Riley was curled up in the biggest living room chair, pouring over a brand new book, Conner was engrossed in properly learning the ropes on the video game he'd unwrapped. Hannah and Simon were on the far side of the living room playing a weird sort of godzilla meets freeway game with her new American Girl and his super racer hotwheels.

Trash was still strewn around the Christmas tree, and that seemed to be of no great consequence to anyone in the family except for April and Zootsuit the cat. She was itching to clean it up, but Zooty was having far too much fun running and pouncing through the used wrapping paper. She sniffed and scratched her neck.

Jackson was taking an amazingly long time to open his gift. And why wouldn't he? He knew what it was going to be. No reason for him to be super enthusiastic to open yet another pair shoes. Still it was agonizing. So much so that April was tuned out to everything but her own nerves and self disappointment.

"April?"

She could tell by the tone of his voice that it wasn't the first time Jackson had spoken her name. The raised eyebrows, inquisitive expression, and wrinkled forehead her husband displayed also seemed to indicate that this wasn't the second time either.

Sucking in a deep breath, April plastered on a grin, "Hmm?"

"Uh, aren't you going to open your gift?"

"What? Oh...yes. Yes, of course. I just...I'll watch you open yours first."

April looked at the still wrapped gift sheepishly. She'd been so concerned with Jackson and her worries that she'd totally forgotten to concentrate. She should be enjoying her own gift too.

Jackson eyed her with a mock suspicion, "What's the big deal?"

He shook the box in his hands and listened to the side of it, "Sounds very Nike like. Feels very shoe box like. Are you trying to trick me?"

April sighed. He knew exactly what he was getting because she was as boring and unoriginal as she could possibly be. Even after days of wracking her brain, she'd been unable to come up with a different gift.

Laughing uncomfortably, April shook her head, "No...no. I don't think I could."

She watched intently as Jackson eagerly finished tearing off the wrapping paper on his gift. Tossing the crumpled thing aside, he looked down at the shoe box with an almost giddy sort of grin that surprised April. Well, he had that look every year, she supposed. If she really thought about it. The surprise was that he continued to have it.

"Yes!" Jackson breathed, carefully using his plastic surgeons hands to slide the lid off the top of the shoe box, moving with the same precision he would in surgery. "Air Jordan 30's. Look at the flaps...nice"

He pulled the sneakers out one at a time, holding them up to show off. April frowned. All Jackson received was a half interested mumble from Riley over the top of her book, as the other three kids were all too engrossed with their new stuff to respond. But April didn't chastise them. she was too concerned with her husband's reaction to his gift. Surely he wasn't really excited.

"You really like them?"

"Uh, yeah."

She crossed her arms, "Jackson!"

"What?" he continued, examining the shoes. "These are great! I needed new ones."

April shook her head in exasperation, "You can't really be this excited."

"I can't?"

"It's shoes. I can't think of anything new. I have given you shoes for 15 years!"

"I know," Jackson chuckled. "I like it."

"Really? You do?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

April bit her lip and stared down at her own gift from Jackson in her hands, "You...you don't hate that I am predicable do you?"

Jackson laughed and tossed a clump of wadded paper in her direction, "No."

"I'm so boring."

"I'd call it stable."

April tilted her head to one side, still disbelieving, "Callie got Arizona a cruise! I got you shoes. No surprise."

Jackson rolled his eyes, and scooted closer to her side on the couch, slipping one arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry about it. I want you to open mine."

Sighing deeply, and trying to shake her guilt and flutters of inadequacy off, April carefully unwrapped the small box from Jackson. She pulled open the folds of paper and squinted down on the box in front of her, surprised at the contents. Based on the size and shape of the box, April had expected jewelry. It wouldn't be the first time Jackson had given her such a gift. Her guess that it was something expensive and fancy had made her feel even guiltier with Nike gift part 15.

This gift however, was neither fancy nor expensive. It was adorable. And a surprise.

"Jackson!" April squealed, opening the small box and pulling out the tiny figurine's inside. "This is so cute!I love them. They're pigs."

Jackson looked smug and shrugged his shoulders, "A wise man once told me that pigs were cool."

"It's perfect," she continued, taking a closer look at the carved pig manger. "We can put this on the mantle above the stockings next year. Thank you!"

"I aim to please." Jackson's grip tightened around her shoulders, and he kissed her cheek. He lowered his voice and whispered, "You do surprise me, April. The whole reason we have any of this is because you surprised me. You surprise when if counts."

April flushed at the feeling of his warm breaths against her ear and the way he ran one hand her legs as he whispered. He really didn't mind. He'd never minded about her craziness or her worrying or her body issues, or her family or her insecurities or any of it. She turned to kiss him deeply.

"Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Yes," Jackson said, pushing his forehead to hers. "But I am open to hearing it again."

"I love you.'

"Mom? Dad? Seriously?" Conner's uncomfortable voice interrupted.

Riley looked up from her book, "Get a room."

April's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Oh," Jackson joked. "Of course now you all decide to pay attention."

"It's hard not to," Riley wrinkled her nose.

Conner nodded, and April had to laugh, "We don't need to see any of that."

"Well, you all are here in this world in no small part because of stuff like that..."

"Dad!"

April smacked Jackson's stomach.

"It's the truth. What can I say?"

Riley and Conner were horrified, Hannah and Simon giggled, and April couldn't help but join. Christmas really was her favorite holiday. She loved spending it with her family. And having this family to spend it with.

Life was good. Predictable or not.