Christmas Eve

Grinning with delight, Chloe places a glass of milk on the coffee table, next to a note and a plate of cookies. "Are we ready for Santa now?"

"Almost." Owen brandishes two carrots. "These are for the reindeer."

Standing by and holding a drowsy Mallory, Cristina rolls her eyes.

Owen puts the carrots on the plate. "Now we're ready. And it's bedtime."

"No!" Chloe looks distraught. "I don't wanna go to bed now!"

"No bed," Mallory murmurs.

"Santa won't come if you're awake," Owen chuckles.

"I want to wait up!" Chloe sticks out her lower lip. "Sing a song?"

Cristina smiles and shakes her head. Almost three years old, Chloe has mastered the art of tugging at her father's heartstrings.

Owen smiles sheepishly at Cristina. "Just one song?"

"Just one song, then bed," she agrees, sitting down. Mallory snuggles against her, as Owen picks up his guitar. Chloe eagerly sits by his feet.

"I know just the song," Owen says, as he begins to strum. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ..."

Sighing, Cristina looks around their living room. A huge tree dominates the space, covered in ornaments and surrounded by presents. Little Christmas decorations have been placed around the room and a fire in the fireplace keeps everything warm and cozy. Their home is everything that she never expected to have in her life. Now she can't imagine life without it.

Her gaze turns to Chloe, whose eyes are indeed aglow. Her sweet face is propped up on her small hands, as she watches her father in total adoration. Their tiny tot, Mallory, looks up at Cristina and smiles sleepily. Christmas doesn't suck, Cristina thinks to herself.

"More!" Chloe exclaims, as Owen finishes.

"It is way past your bedtime," Cristina informs Chloe. "Go with Daddy and brush your teeth. Now." Ignoring Chloe's protests, Cristina carries Mallory upstairs and places her in her crib. Eyes drooping, her younger daughter merely grunts as she is placed in her crib, one hand sleepily reaching for her favorite toy dog.

"Good night, baby girl," Cristina says softly, fingers smoothing out Mallory's ruddy curls.

"I'm not tired!" Chloe protests, as she's placed on her bed. "Please let me stay up!"

Cristina looks at Owen and sees that he's wavering. "Why don't you go 'tidy up' downstairs?" She winks at him. "I'll sit with her."

"Please Daddy," Chloe begs.

Owen bends over and kisses her. "Good night, kiddo. I'll wake you up when it's time to open presents." Then he kisses Cristina before leaving the room.

Cristina sits on the edge of Chloe's bed. The little girl tries to suppress a yawn but fails.

"I know you're excited about Christmas," Cristina tells her. "And you're going to get up extra early in the morning to open presents. Six o'clock, because that is 'what Hunts do'. So why don't you lie down, and go to sleep, because the quicker you go to sleep, the quicker you can wake up?"

"No."

"Your stubborness is going to serve you well in life, but can you dial it down now?" Cristina yawns. "Okay, do you want a story? I'll read to you if you lie down?"

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe is sound asleep. Satisfied, Cristina turns off the light and goes downstairs, where Owen is placing presents under the tree.

"Good timing," he grins. "That's the last of the Santa presents."

"Carrots? A letter to Santa?" Cristina picks up a cookie and bites into it. "Don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"Santa is fun and you can't have Christmas without him." He drinks from the glass of milk before flopping down on the couch. "And we agreed to treat Santa as more of a game, and not someone real. This is part of the game."

Cristina looks at him, sleepy and content, after a long day of preparations. She climbs onto Owen's lap, straddling him, and kisses him. "Do you know what I like most about Christmas?"

"What?"

"How happy it makes you." She kisses him again, lingeringly. "I mean, the brooding intense thing is hot, but the way you are right now, is even hotter."

Owen grins, and her toes curl.

"I also like how much fun Chloe is having this year, now that she's older." Another kiss. "And how Mallory likes the lights and the colors, and how she'll love Christmas too." Their lips meet again.

When they break for air, Cristina smirks. "You know, when people talk in the OR about their good-for-nothing spouses or significant others that do nothing to help around the house, I have no idea of what they're talking about."

Chuckling, Owen pulls her closer. "Our family means everything to me."

"I know. You're a great father." She frowns. "Do you complain about how I don't do anything?"

"Never." Tenderly, he plants kisses along her jaw. "You know I don't gossip, and I would never call you 'good-for-nothing'. We have a full life. Who cares if you've never learned how to pick up your underwear or the right way to put toilet paper on the roll?"

"There are more important things in life." She arches her back, as he nuzzles her cleavage. "I'm not too Grinchy about Christmas, am I?"

"Nope." His eyes twinkle. "Santa might think you're a little naughty, but you're not Grinchy."

Her eyes sparkle. "You like the naughty."

"I love the naughty." His hands cup her bottom as he kisses her. "You're no angel, and I love that about you. I love you, Cristina Yang."

"And I love you, Owen Hunt." She raises her arms as he tugs off her sweater. "Ready to make another Christmas memory?"

"Definitely."