A/N: It's Maddie's birthday today! So this is my present to her :) Maddie was in my fic 'we had a beautiful love affair', but this is a totally different universe.

Flashbacks are in italics.

Disclaimer: Maddie and Miranda ares the only things that are mine.

She'd never really thought she'd have the chance to be a mother.

But as she watched Maddie toddle around, clutching at Don's fingers as she kicked at the wrapping paper covering the ground, she couldn't imagine herself without the little girl in her life. Don sent her a smile over his shoulder and she returned it, cupping her mug of coffee in her hands as Maddie bent her knees, bending forward in Don's hands to peer at a bow that had been left on the ground.

Don scooped Maddie and the bow up, causing the little girl to burst into giggles, and he placed the bow on top of her head, the bright red bow sitting in her pretty dark curls. She placed her palms on his cheeks and kissed his nose loudly, giggling when he tickled her sides. He moved over and deposited her next to Sloan on the couch; the little girl immediately curled up in her mom's lap, snuggling into her warmth. Sloan kissed the top of her head, nose brushing the bow.

"Are you my present this year, sweetheart?" Sloan asked, brushing her curls behind her ear, touching her nose to Maddie's. Maddie grinned, rubbing their noses together and tugging on Sloan's dark hair as she said her name.

"Mama," she cooed, over and over; it was like music to Sloan's ears.

"That's me," she replied, kissing her daughter's nose. "And who's that?"

Maddie looked at where she was pointing to Don, giggling again.

"Dada!" she cried, and Don's face lit up like it always did, as he leaned forward to kiss her palms, pretending to eat her fingers. Maddie giggled, trying to pull her fingers away, shrieking as Don's mouth followed. Sloan smoothed back her hair, helping Maddie lean forward to tickle Don in return; they ended up a tangled mess of limbs and laughter, and Sloan's head wound up on Don's chest, Maddie between them.

Don pressed his mouth to hers, tasting like coffee and Christmas cookies, and Sloan melted into the kiss, a contented sigh leaving her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Sloan," Don whispered, nose nudging hers. She smiled in reply, stroking his cheek.

It was their first Christmas as a family.

"I think we should have a baby."

Sloan watched as Don looked up from his newspaper and blinked, obviously caught off-guard. It was their first Thanksgiving morning as a married couple, and they were leaving to go to dinner at Sloan's parents' house.

"I- okay," Don said, setting his cup of coffee down and refolding his newspaper, leaning forward on his elbows and looking at her as she sat across from him.

"Okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she tucked her knees up under her chin, wrapping her arms around them.

"Okay, let's have a baby," he answered, watching her eyes widen and light up, lips curling up into a tentative smile.

"You're okay with this?" she asked, tugging her lip into her mouth as she reached across the table, linking their fingers. He gave them a gentle squeeze, returning her smile.

"I'm more than okay with this, babe."

"She's gotten so big!" Miranda Keefer said, grinning as she scooped her granddaughter up, Sloan ushering her inside. Maddie giggled under her grandmother's kisses, squealing happily and wrapping her arms around her neck. Don slid an arm around Sloan's waist and kissed the side of her head, watching Miranda brush some of the curls out of Maddie's face.

"Let me take your coat," Sloan said, watching as Don took Maddie from his mother and they all moved into the living room, Miranda bringing a bag of presents with her.

Sloan cuddled into her husband's side as Miranda settled Maddie on her lap, showing her the first present. The two year old tugged at the bright paper in excitement, and Sloan bit her lip to hold back the grin.

"Tug on the bow, Maddie," she said, and her daughter looked up, grasping the ribbon experimentally in one hand. Sloan, Miranda, and Don all nodded encouragingly, and she tugged, squealing when it came apart under her fingers.

"She better not grow up too fast," Don murmured in her ear, and she sighed in agreement.

"I swear to God Don, you're never touching me again," Sloan ground out through her teeth, panting as she gripped her husband's hand, fingers tightened to white knuckles. Don didn't complain, just let her practically break his hand.

Sloan opened her mouth to curse again when there was a moment of silence and then a loud wailing noise and Don relaxed in relief as the doctor showed them their daughter for the first time.

"She looks great," Don whispered in Sloan's ear, and she pressed her cheek against his, exhausted and sweaty but delirious with happiness. "You did good, Sloan. You did real good."

"Maddie the point is to eat your peas, not smoosh them on your face," Sloan said, sighing as she wiped her daughter's mouth, the toddler grinning at her, mouth smeared green. Sloan couldn't help but smile back, wiping the mess clean and rubbing her nose with her own.

Don walked by and pressed his lips first to the top of Sloan's head and then Maddie's, his hand rubbing her shoulder gently.

"We're going to have to call you the Pea Monster if you don't eat all those peas, silly girl," Don said, tweaking Maddie's nose and grinning at her giggle.

"Oh, who actually eats their peas anyway?" Miranda asked, sitting across from Maddie's high chair. "It's Christmas!"

Sloan shook her head fondly, tickling her baby's cheek.

"It is Christmas, which means you should be asleep- you've had a long day," Sloan murmured, removing her daughter from the high chair and holding her close, feeling the little girl cuddle against her. "I love you, Maddie."

Maddie murmured against her, saying her name sleepily.

It felt like home.