Christmas was always a bright, cheerful occasion in the Hale household. Stiles couldn't resist the urge to overdecorate the homestead, lights and knick-knacks everywhere and the largest tree he could find in the woods standing tall and proud in the middle of the living room. Derek smiled softly as his lover put the last touches of tinsel on the tree, both of them looking forward to the festivities of the night. Any minute now, Allison and Scott would arrive with tiny little Kate, Jackson and Lydia were due inside of an hour and Danny was flying in with Patrick just before dark.

Derek hurried to the door as he heard the resilient minivan pull up, squeals pealing across the landscape as Kate ran for the front, slipping on some snow on the porch. He threw open the door and scooped her up before she could start crying, making the tot give him what would be a toothy grin, if she hadn't been missing three of them.

"Uncle Dewek, I wost anover toof!"

Derek smiled broadly, tugging one of her pigtails before swinging her into the warm house, Allison and Scott giving him grateful looks as they unloaded bags from the car. Setting the young girl down in front of Stiles, he gave his lover a quick peck before hurrying out to help with the bags.

"Safe trip?"

"Traffic was fine, but looks like Stiles needs to go plow again. It has been snowing like crazy, dude, almost got stuck at the turn-off."

Derek gave a nod before nudging them through the door and shutting out the cold. He, Scott and Jackson would have no problem with a little chill, but the company was going to be over half human so there was a fire roaring in the brick fireplace. He laughed at Stiles and Kate having a tinsel war before the sound of another car pulled into the drive, Lydia's voice complaining about the weather drifting to him as he slipped back out the front door to get the couple inside.

"Man, remind me to rent a four-wheel drive next year, the Porsce isn't made for this weather."

Derek offered him a friendly slap on the back before grabbing up the bags and nodding to a very pregnant looking Lydia.

"Carry her inside, I need to add more salt to the stairs, Kate slipped on the way in."

Jackson nodded and hurried to sweep his wife from the ground before she could take a dangerous spill. Piling into the warm house, Derek took the bags to one of the guest rooms, setting aside the ones marked as presents to sneak under the tree later. Returning to the living room, he did the same with Scott and Allison's bags. When he finally settled back into the living room, it was to the sounds of loud conversations, laughter and pattering feet. He scooped up Kate before she could slide into the tree, propping her up on his shoulders and handing her the star for the top of the tree, the child squealing in delight as she put it on the top branch at a precarious angle.

"So, when does Danny and Patrick get in?"

Derek turned to Jackson's voice and offered a shrug.

"Flight comes in around five. So, they should pull up around six, which is when we will serve dinner."

Jackson nodded before being pulled into a conversation about sports with Scott, allowing him the opportunity to tug Stiles away from the crowd and press a soft kiss to the younger man's lips. Stiles just smiled and then turned to rest against his back, both of them watching the activity in their normally quiet home. Allison, Lydia and Kate were tucked onto the couch together, the women exchanging pregnancy horror stories as Kate worked diligently on twining as much tinsel as possible in their hair.

To surprise one werewolf takes talent, but to be able to shock three of them is unheard of. So when Danny came slamming through the door and none of the wolves in presence had heard his approach, it was a rather heart-stopping event. Derek took one look at his former lover and saw distress on his face, making him release Stiles and move over to the student.

"What happened?"

"Car slid off the road about a half mile back. Patrick hurt his leg and I can't get the car off the side of the damned tree."

No words were spoken as he, Scott and Jackson all immediately went for the door, Stiles pulling Danny's shivering form over to the fire as the girls scattered to get blankets and something hot to drink. Being part wolf had its advantages, namely being warmer than the average person and the ability to move pretty damned fast. It took them less than five minutes to find the car wedged against the side of the tree and only another two to pull Patrick from the warmth of the car. Jackson and Scott quickly evaluated the situation, shoving Patrick at Derek and then moving to the car. Careful maneuvering and some were-strength had the car shoved back on to the road and it only took two attempts to realize the car wouldn't turn over.

"We will push it up to the house, get him inside and warm, we will be inside in a few minutes, alright?"

Derek nodded and glanced down at Patrick.

"Normally, I would let you do the macho man thing and just be a crutch, but the storm is getting worse and you shouldn't be on that ankle, so I am gonna carry you."

Patrick just shivered and nodded awkwardly before he was swept against a warm body, Derek moving quickly back towards the house. Danny and Stiles met them at the door, Danny looking worried and then relieved when he saw Derek carrying his lover through the snow. Werewolf speed was impressive, but the speed of women nursing an injury was even faster, he discovered. Allison had already gathered bandages and Lydia had a hot drink and blankets ready to go by the time Derek set the injured man on the couch. Even Kate was subdued, staying out of the way while her mother and Aunt worked to tape up the injury.

Patrick looked embarrassed but grateful as he was tended to, Danny still hovering behind the couch.

"Jeez, you guys look like you do this a lot."

The words from the only uninformed person at the gathering made everyone freeze for a moment before activity buzzed again. Derek grinned and let the words roll easily from him.

"Between lacrosse injuries and living out in the middle of nowhere, you know how to get things done, and quickly."

Patrick offered a nod as Jackson and Scott slipped into the house, stomping snow from their shoes and clothes before stripping much of the outer layers to throw in the dryer. Jackson glanced over to the couch to make sure Lydia was still alright, overprotective of the pregnant woman, before looking at Danny.

"Not that we are mad, but I thought you weren't due in 'til later. Was gonna help them get the road more clear by then."

"Took an earlier flight when I heard a storm was moving in. We were hoping to beat it here, but no such luck."

Danny stayed by his lover's side as he spoke, holding on to a quickly warming hand.

And just like that, the festivities were on again, Kate squirming away from her father to tackle Danny in a hug. The young girl loved any occasion that had all of her "uncles" gathering for her to torture with hyper-activity and a loud voice. Much like her Uncle Stiles. The comparison made Derek laugh before moving to the kitchen, the women wasting no time in following to help with the dinner. Their preparations were accompanied by the men in the living room singing Christmas carols to the only child present.

The dinner was informal, served in the living room with many of them relaxed on the floor. The conversation flowed as easily as the wine, Stiles being the first to stand and begin gathering the paper plates and plastic silverware, none of them wanting to have to resort to doing dishes for a crowd this large. Allison joined in the effort before loading what few actual dishes there were into the dishwasher and then returning to the living room to sweep an exhausted Kate away from Derek's lap.

Derek watched as the McCall bunch headed for the room, tired after good food and a long trip. Lydia and Jackson quickly followed their example, the pregnancy tiring the slender woman easily and Jackson unable to be more than a few feet from his wife. He laughed at his lover's 'wah-cha' noise and whipping motion, Jackson simply rolling his eyes and waving a good night. Giving a soft sigh, he settled back against the couch, his lover instantly curling on the floor and laying his head in Derek's lap. Derek brushed a hand through the hair that had begun to grow out, relaxing the man under his touch. Danny's voice floated out softly in the quieted room.

"Christ, that girl has some energy. Any sign yet on who she takes after more, yet?"

Derek shrugged at the hidden meaning behind the question, mindful of Patrick's lack of knowledge.

"So far, she seems like a mama's girl, but she certainly has the energy to keep up with Scott... maybe even Stiles."

He laughed as his lover half-heartedly smacked at his arm, curling an arm tighter around Stiles. The four men relaxed in the quiet, sipping at the remains of the wine before Stiles moved to go grab another bottle. When the lean man returned to the room, he had a bottle of wine in one hand, mistletoe in the other. Danny saw it and gave a groan before laughing as Stiles plopped into Derek's lap, holding the mistletoe above their heads and planting a sloppy, happy kiss to his lover's lips. Derek chuckled and returned with kiss, deepening it for a split-second before pulling back.

"Spreading some cheer, lover?"

Stiles only nodded before slinking over to Danny, holding up both hands as though asking the student to choose between the wine and a kiss. Danny laughed before reaching for the bottle of wine and topping off his glass.

"Between you and booze, Stilinski, it is a tough choice. You both make me feel drunk after tasting you."

With a wink, Danny drained the alcohol from the glass before leaning forward and pressing a mostly-chaste kiss to the younger man's lips. Derek's eyes flicked over to Patrick, wanting to gauge the reaction there and finding no sign of jealousy there, only a soft heat. His attention was brought back to his lover as Stiles took a large draw on the bottle, his cheeks puffing out as he didn't swallow and instead dove for Patrick.

"Oh sure, don't make him choose."

Danny's statement make him grin before he watched his lover feed the wine to Patrick, the kiss that followed nothing close to chaste or innocent. Watching the two interact was a treat, both seemingly submissive and edging slowly into untried territory, sharing the dominance between the two. A soft whimper from Patrick had them pulling apart before they turned to look at their lovers. Danny just arched a brow and glanced at Derek.

"Think they are trying to give us a hint?"

Derek smirked before reaching forward to drag the student into his lap, not giving the other time to object before slamming their lips together, the kiss quickly dissolving into a fight for dominance. Where the other two had put no fight between them, this was a kiss full of teeth, tongue and bruising lips, fighting for the upper hand in the liplock. A discreet cough made them pull apart to look to the entrance to the living room, Scott and Jackson standing there, flushed red at having interrupted.

"Not that the view isn't oddly hot, cause it is in a creepy way, but time to put out presents."

"You are just jealous," came Stiles' voice.

"Hardly, your dog breath is almost as bad as mine, Stilinski," Scott retorted.

The banter lightened the mood from the heat it had been edging on, Danny and Derek untangling from the floor and Stiles pushing off of the couch to help with the bags the other two men had brought in. While they found places for the abundance of gifts, Derek began rearranging the furniture, pushing the couches back and tucking the coffee table in the corner. At Patrick's questioning eyes, he shrugged and waved a hand around.

"Come sunrise, this place is gonna be a war zone. Kate goes on a battle path to the tree and in five seconds flat, you won't be able to see the floor. You will blink and then wonder how ribbon got in your hair, where the shredded paper came from and how the glitter managed to cover such a large area in such a small time. Plus, we were just planning on sleeping in the nest tonight."

Danny laughed at the description, having to agree with the accuracy after witnessing last years storm of activity. Derek went back to clearing space and dragging out every pillow, cushion and blanket he could find, the floor completely covered in softness and warmth. He didn't feel like having to explain that they typically all spent the night out here, the wolves in the bunch comforted by the nearness of pack and the rest of the makeshift family enjoying the sleepover as a chance to bond. He glanced up as Scott and Jackson finished putting the packages away before glancing out the window.

"Feel like a hunt for tomorrows dinner?"

The other two wolves looked at each other before nodding and going to their respective rooms to let their wives know where they would be. A few minutes later, Allison, carrying a sleeping Kate, and Lydia trudged out to the large nest Derek had created, burrowing under blankets to get comfortable again. Danny carefully moved Patrick to the middle of the pile, ignoring the questioning gaze and grinning as Stiles moved to help cage in the injured man before the girls came to get comfortable, all of them touching in some way. Derek looked at the scene fondly before his attention was pulled to the door, all of the wolves taking off out the door to hunt under the full moon.

"Are they seriously out hunting in this weather?"

Allison mumbled, half asleep, "Well, what else do you expect wolves to do on a full moon?"

Stiles couldn't help chuckling at the sounds of howls coming from outside before nudging Patrick.

"Just sleep, man. You will need the rest for tomorrow, trust me. They will be back to snuggle soon enough."

* v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v * v *

Morning came with bright sunlight and a screaming child wanting to open presents. Stiles was sprawled across Danny, his head resting on Derek's shoulder and his feet setting on Patrick's lap while an arm stretched over to lay a hand on Allison's stomach. She had rested her back against Derek, her feet resting against her husband's. Scott and Jackson had rested at the bottom of the nest, with Lydia tucked somewhere in the middle of the pile of bodies, as though they had formed a protective cocoon around the pregnant woman. The only one missing from the pile was Kate, who proceeded to fling herself over her Aunt to land on Derek's chest, barely missing Stiles' head.

"Uncle Dewek! It's Chwismas! WAKE UP!"

He groand before opening his green eyes to smile sleepily at the child, carefully disentangling himself from the mess of bodies. Stiles gave a snort before nudging at Danny, who shared the nudge with Patrick and kicking lightly at Jackson while Stiles nudged Scott with his foot. Stiles' voice, croaking with sleep, sounded out through Kate's excited tones.

"Yo, McCall, I think that is your pup."

"Not this morning, today she is Allison's hellion."

"Nice try, mutt, she is alllll Derek's until after I have had coffee."

Derek just rolled his eyes before hitching the child on to his hip and stumbling to the kitchen to make coffee. Once it was brewing, he headed back for the living room, setting Kate between Jackson and Lydia then reaching for the packages. He had been voted for Santa this year, since, as Scott had so kindly put it, 'she is so much like Stiles, you have the most experience'. He piled several smaller gifts around the girl before handing out the other gifts as the other adults began to wake up.

Stiles had finally managed to make it to the kitchen and came back with a tray full of coffee to help them all wake up before he made a dive for his own growing pile of presents. Derek just laughed at his lover's behavior before grabbing the last of the packages and handing them out, settling back and dragging Stiles against him as the younger man tore through presents.

It took only five minutes to look like a tornado had hit a craft store; paper, glitter, ribbons, tape and packing popcorn scattered through the room in a whirlwind of color. Stiles admired the small charm he had been given for his collar, a tiny wolf's head, as Lydia smiled at the collection of baby clothes and supplies she had gotten, including a onesie saying 'My dad is the big bad wolf'. The room didn't quiet down until Danny reached for a small package with his and Patrick's name scrawled on it in Stiles' stilted print. Carefully opening the small box, he arched a brow at the collar nestled in the cushioned box, too small to fit a human.

"Okay, what is this?"

Derek grinned before nudging his lover towards the back door, who took the hint like a pro and dashing away. Derek coughed to draw the attention back to himself before grabbing the collar and twirling it around his finger, a miniature version of the one on Stiles' neck and what had once adorned Danny's neck.

"Well, we figured, with you guys buying your own house soon, you could use a little reminder of home to take back to your new home with you."

He nodded back to the entryway where Stiles stood, holding a squirming puppy, the coloring giving away that it was a wolf pup. The small dog finally wriggled loose and took off across the floor, pouncing on Derek with a yip, a flash of blue eyes enough to make her sit still as he attached the tiny collar to her neck. He turned the pup to the two men with a smile, running his hand lovingly over the pup's head.

"If you guys want her, she is yours. She will get decent-sized, but not huge. And she is friendly, has had all her shots, the vet says she is perfect."

Danny offered a broad smile before leaning down to pick up the wolf, laughing as she wiggled and then began kissing his face. Patrick looked faintly confused but happy, reaching over to pet the animal before Kate discovered the-

"PUPPPPYYYYYYYY"

Chaos erupted again, laughter filling the room as Kate chased the dog, who chased a ribbon being dragged by Stiles, who promptly fell over Scott's foot and face-planted into Jackson's lap, making the other man yelp and his wife laugh loudly. Danny turned to Derek with warm, happy eyes before a yelp, though if it was from a dog or a person was unclear, made him laugh and give the older man a hug.

"Typical day in the Hale household. But now I won't miss Stiles nearly as much."

"Hey, man! Not cool!"

A/N: This is the final chapter of the lovely little scenario. I wanted to end on a fluffy, happy note. To those who wished Danny was still part of the Hale household, sorry to disappoint, but don't worry, he still visits often.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments and faves. Made me all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. More stories to come, hopefully!