A/N: This story has been a lot of fun and I can't believe we're at this point. But thank you to everyone who read it and thank you to Meowser Clancy for everything. I would have never finished this or even gotten it in written form without her. Lots of love xx Mariah

Christmas morning has always been Melinda's favorite, and this would be the first time it wouldn't be held at the Clancy household. Instead, Jim, Melinda and their son would be going to their daughter Katherine's to open gifts. They'd even told little Micah that Santa had stopped there instead of home and that's why they were getting up earlier than last year.

"Merry Christmas," Melinda whispered to her husband who's head was tucked under a pillow.

"Merry Christmas," Jim muttered. "We should get up shouldn't we?"

"We should, Micah is up anyway." She said sitting up, feeling his arm around her as he sat up, kissing her shoulder.

"How can you tell?" He asked.

"He's talking to his bear, listen." She said softly.

She had heard the sound of Micah's babbling since the sun had come up an hour and fifteen minutes earlier. She smiled as she listened to her little boy babble about Santa and his sissy to Buttons the bear. That had been the first gift he'd ever gotten, from his sister. The words were interspersed with little giggles and things that only made sense to him.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, straightening the nightgown Jim had messed with the night before. She left the room and headed for her son's nursery down the hall. Her grin widened when she saw her three-year-old sitting up in his big boy bed, talking as he clutched the bear.

He grinned a lopsided grin, the one that matched his father's so perfectly when he saw his mama.

"Well good morning to you too my little prince!" Melinda exclaimed when she approached the toddler.

He giggled and raised his hands for her to pick him up. She did as he wanted and the little boy immediately wrapped his arms around his mother's neck. He giggled into her ear, kissing her over and over again.

Micah was such a happy boy, always giggling and smiling just like his big sister when she was his age. She loved mornings like this.

"Daddy?" Micah questioned as Melinda brought him over to the closet to pick out an outfit for the day.

He was enamored with Jim at the moment, and always wanted to see him.

She was so lucky her husband had chosen a profession that allowed him to be home more if he so desired. He was able to hand off more responsibility to Ned, who'd gone to college with Katie a few months after returning home from war, and only go in twice a week to check in on numbers, but still get the same check he did if he were to be working the job. Overall it's a win-win for both Jim and Ned.

"I think Daddy is still sleeping," she smiled, finding the outfit she wanted for the little boy and walking back to the rocking chair.

She placed him down and went about getting him ready for the day.

"Did you go potty on the potty instead of your bed last night?" She gasped, noticing his pajama pants were still as dry as they were when she put them on him the night before.

"Yes, mama!" He giggled.

"Oh, such a good boy. Your daddy and I are so proud." She kissed his head.

He was like a miniature Jim, all dark black hair and with the same chin and nose, but he had his mother's warm eyes; if Katherine was almost all Melinda, Micah was extremely like Jim, his twin, almost. And Melinda dressed him as such, in simple trousers and a clean white shirt that she knew wouldn't stay clean after going over to play at sissy's house.

He was already having a little trouble seeing things; she could see him squinting sometimes and wondered if he'd need glasses. She found herself smiling to imagine the sight of a tiny Jim with glasses too. It would definitely make her world better.

She slipped saddle shoes onto tiny feet, pressing a kiss to the chubby ankle before tying them for him.

He looked so much like his father it almost took Melinda's breath away. She smiled, leaning down to rub noses with her son. Micah's hands went for her hair. She smiled for a second before gently pulling his hands out.

"Gentle with Mommy," she smiled and kissed her nose.

She scooped him up from her lap and he instantly itched to get down. He'd mastered walking before he was one, just like his sister, and wanted down as often as he was allowed. Melinda smiled as she watched her son take off out of the nursery and across the hallway toward her and Jim's bedroom.

The sound of his shoes against the floor of the hallway made Melinda smile. She loved that sound. She followed a few paces behind the little boy and smiled when she saw Jim coming into the hallway, his face freshly shaved and in his trousers, suspenders, and undershirt. He smiled at her, but gestured for her to stay quiet, Micah hadn't noticed him yet.

That only lasted a second thought.

"DADDY!" Micah exclaimed when he caught sight of his favorite person. The boy jumped excitedly, clapping his hands while he grinned.

Jim swooped in and picked up his son, smothering his face with kisses until he used his tiny hands to push him away. "What, no more daddy kisses? Too much for you?" Jim placed one more on his cheek before throwing him up in the air a little bit as Melinda came closer to the pair.

"You shaved," she smiled as she ran her hand around his back, coming to rest on his opposite hip.

"You asked me to last night for pictures today," he pressed a kiss to her lips and Micah giggled, pressing his face into them in his own way of kissing them. "You go get ready, I'll take care of him until you're done."

"Thank you," she smiled and kissed him once more before going to kiss her son's cheek and ducking away. "Bye-bye."

"Breakfast little man?" He asked and Micah giggled, pointing down the hallway. "Alright, let's go get you some fruit while mama gets dressed."

"Then sissy's?" Micah asked gleefully.

He loved going to sister's house because that meant getting to see Henry.

"Yes, then we will go to sissy's." He kissed his son's cheek and set him down on his feet.

It was just past nine when Katherine heard the doorbell and heard Henry run to get the door.

"Mom and dad are here," she took off her apron and rubbed Ned's back. "And Micah."

"I'll get them situated," he smiled at her. "You go get Danielle?"

"Yes," she laughed and met him with a kiss. "Your leg okay?"

"It's fine," he resituated his prosthetic and walked toward the front door where Melinda and Jim could be heard telling Micah to just wait a second before running off with Henry.

She smiled as he walked off, he'd come so long, they both had since they were seventeen and newly married. Three years seemed like such a long time, and it had changed them for the better. Henry had been born three months after Micah on a spring day and Danielle came two years later on a hot summer day just like her mother.

"Dani, nana and papa are here," she said gliding into her daughter's room where she sat with her doll. "And Micki too."

The one and a half-year-old looked over at her mother with a smile.

"Nana? Papa?" Danielle giggled. "And Micki!"

"Yes baby," she scooped her up and carried her out, kissing her cheek. "It's Christmas, remember?"

"Yay!" Danielle squealed and was set down, waddling out into the living room in front of her mother.

"Mom, let me help you." She saw her mother struggling to get the front closet closed. "There's a trick."

"Oh thank you," her mother smiled. "You look so good, baby."

"New moisturizer," she hugged her and smiled.

"Oh? What one?" Her mother asked as she slipped her shoes from her feet.

"Something French, you know Hannah always sends me gifts from the places she visits with her husband." She laughed as Ned greeted her mother with a hug before wrapping his arm snug around her waist.

"That's right, and she sends me a postcard. I thought she was Italy?" Her mother said as she looked up at the two.

"Her last gift was from France," she reassured her before excusing her and Ned from the room.

"Why didn't you just tell her?" He laughed as she pulled a pie from the oven.

"I didn't run it past you first," she sighed. "Do you want to tell them? It's still so early..."

"Honey, we're pregnant and your mother is already suspicious." He said wrapping his arms around her. "Mostly because of your glow, which is from not only your moisturizer but from our celebration last night and from the newest addition to the family."

"Yeah, let's tell them and the kids." She smiled up at him. "I can't believe we're pregnant again."

"I believe it," he laughed. "We make love enough to have triplets."

He set her on the counter and kissed her deeply, his hand resting against her slim stomach. It was hard to believe that just four years ago they were strangers to each other, and he was the father of her children and the love of her life.

"Katherine," he whispered, his face was only inches from her and the warmth of his breath lit her up like a candle. "I love you."

"Ned," she whispered back, a smile on her face. "I love you too."

A rush of heat started in her chest and slowly spread throughout her body, reaching every last limb. She could feel his eyes watching her every move, from the slight twitch of her lip to the way her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed. He leaned forward slowly, his hand brushing the hair out of her face and in an instant, his lips were on hers again. They were warm and smooth, as they've always been. She loved kissing him, how warm he felt against her, and especially now with their third child growing inside her.

"Let's never stop having kids," he joked and kissed her again.

"Deal," she smiled. "But please, let's stop at ten. If you don't get tired of me by then."

"I'll never grow tired of you," he reassured her and kissed her again.

"I knew it!" Her mother squealed as she stood in the doorway.

"Can't we ever keep a secret?" She laughed and leaned her head against the cupboard.

"Oh honey, I'm your mother. You can't keep secrets from me," her mother said and turned around. "Jim! I have news."

"Come on, we have some presents to open. There is a box with your name on it," she kissed him and he ran off.

She peered over her family, her parents were sitting next to each other beaming from the news of a new member of the family. Danielle was cooing and waving her hands in the air in Ned's lap, Micah and Henry were sitting next to each other giggling.

They were just waiting for her. But she took a moment to watch her family before she started walking inside, sitting between her little brother and husband, pulling Henry into her lap. Holidays like this with just the seven (and soon-to-be eight) of them were always her favorite. Katherine loved her family more than anything and couldn't ask for anything better.