And here it is! A little holiday ditty to get you all into the Christmas spirit. It is my second fix-it fic regarding Ted and Tracy's marriage delay. More details here, but also a slight explanation as to why Ted was wearing a ring in both "Trilogy Time" and "Unpause". Don't know how cheesy my way of explaining it turns out but, eh, anything to fix whatever damage Craig and Carter had done. (Dammit, you two, must I fix everything you ruined?!) Happy holidays, and I hope you all enjoy it!

"Merry Christmas, beautiful."

Those are the words Tracy woke up to as she felt Ted's hand on her hip, running it softly up and down. She smiled to herself, eyes still closed, as he nuzzled her neck and then spooned himself behind her.

"Babe," she mumbled sleepily, feeling him pressed agains her. "It's early; put it away."

"Sorry. Morning," he explained with a coy chuckle, adjusting his body. She finally opened her eyes and rolled over to face him, accepting his good morning kiss.

"Mmm," she murmured against his lips. "Merry Christmas, pooh bear. God, I'm so tired. What time is it?"

"8 o'clock," he told her.

When you're the parents of an infant, being able to sleep in beyond 6:30am was definitely considered a luxury. Tracy sometimes dreamed of the mornings she and Ted used to stay in bed until well beyond 9 o'clock, where they had nowhere to be and no one to tend to other than each other. Not that she'd ever trade this current life for anything else in the world, of course.

Tracy looked behind her to peer at the video baby monitor on her nightstand, which showed eight-month-old Penny still quietly sleeping in her crib. "And it looks like we can lounge in bed for a little while longer," she said with a content sigh. "What on earth were we thinking staying up so late?"

"Not one, but two Christmas movies," he teased, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "We're quite the party animals."

Tracy laughed lightly. "Hey, when we go big, we go big."

The previous evening, she, Ted and Penny had spent a quiet evening at home. They had both agreed to be a little bit selfish for Penny's first Christmas: Tracy's parents had invited them to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at their place in New Jersey, but they decided to enjoy the night of the 24th just the three of them. Holidays were bound to get crazy as the years went on, so they decided to have a low-key evening just the three of them, for their small family to enjoy their first Christmas together.

The gang was coming over for Christmas morning brunch, and then they would head over to New Jersey for a family dinner, and spend the rest of the weekend with her parents and brothers. But that night, Tracy and Ted had whipped up a lovely dinner for themselves, dressed Penny up in a pair of reindeer footie pyjamas, and then had some family time in the living room. A Charlie Brown Christmas played on the TV as the tree illuminated the room, and they sat on the floor with Penny as she crawled about, playing with her toys and exploring. It was simple and blissful all at once.

And later, Ted held Penny in his arms as Tracy read out The Night Before Christmas. The baby clearly didn't understand a thing, but they tried to read to her as often as possible, starting the habit from when she was still in the womb. Besides, it was one of the many cheesy, cliché holiday traditions Ted wanted to bring into their home. Tracy liked to tease him about it, but she admittedly loved it; after losing Max, she never thought such happiness was ever possible. So if this unadultered joy meant that they were a boring and clichéd suburban family, then so be it.

After the book had put Penny to sleep, they placed her in her crib, and the two of them cuddled up downstairs on the couch with a warm blanket and a couple of holiday movies to set the mood: It's a Wonderful Life, which was standard holiday viewing in Ted's home growing up. And they then followed it up with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, an annual tradition in the McConnell household.

She smiled at the screen as Chevy Chase frustratingly tried to light his home's twinkle lights, thinking back to Ted as he spent so much time and energy decorating the house's exterior. Nothing too ostentatious; just some tasteful white lights with a few lawn ornaments and a snow-family. Tracy knew how happy Ted was to finally have the once-empty house in Westchester filled with life and love.

They lay there together, Tracy sitting up against his chest, their legs tangled. He held her hand in his, his thumb gently stroking the diamond of her engagement ring. She knew what was going on in his mind: that they'd been engaged for over a year and had yet to get married. It didn't bother either of them too much: after all, they put the wedding on hold for the best reason in the world, and they were so happy; the fact that they weren't legally bound together by marriage wasn't an issue. In their hearts, they felt as if they were married in every sense of the word.

But she knew Ted longed for a wedding, to make it official. Postponing it for a short while until after the baby was born was ok. But now, they both weren't quite sure when they'd be able to walk down the aisle. In the spring, they were breaking ground on Ted's new building in Spokane, and he would be spending much of the upcoming year flying back and forth between the two coasts.

After he had met with one of head partners of the law firm the previous year, a few more meetings followed, and then came the hard work of designing a building for his pitch. Ted had pulled out a rough draft of a building he had been working on years earlier, admitting to her that, until that moment, he had never found the motivation or a reason to continue with it.

Tracy saw how tirelessly he worked to tweak and complete the design, and she had been supportive and encouraging the entire process. The late nights he'd spend at his drafting table in the spare room in the old apartment, nestled between her guitars and her easel and paints. She'd often wander in to bring him water or food, run a hand up and down his back, and give some feedback on the building. Or sometimes she'd sit in a chair nearby, reading a book or, at Ted's request, playing a little something on her ukelele while he worked. "It calms me," he admitted to her once, so she often serenaded him at his request. And it was during these sweet moments that Penny would kick and rustle around inside her.

It amazed her sometimes at how talented he was, the things his mind could come up with. He took her once to see the GNB building when they first started dating. Of course, she'd walked by it quite a few times before she met Ted, recalling the Arcadian building that used to sit there, the construction site that followed, and then the towering new skyscraper that settled into that spot. But this time, he took her by the hand and led her in, pointing out the giant fountain by the entrance, the frieze in the lobby, and the Art Deco-inspired design of the elevator doors, then taking her up to the roof to show her the view of the Manhattan skyline. He seemed so proud of his accomplishment, so eager to share it with her, and she was so very proud of him, too.

And now, she was honored to be able to be part of his next big project with him from start to finish. Sure, the designing process was a bit stressful on him, but it was all worth it when he flew into Spokane for his pitch and won the contract. He of course had to refine the design a bit here and there, but it was complete, and now all they had to do was enjoy one another's presence these next few months before Ted would start spending more time on the West Coast.

She would miss him a lot, she knew. Not only the fact that she'd lose her co-parent, left to tend to Penny alone for maybe one or two weeks per month at a time. Tracy knew she'd be alright with that. But to have Ted be so far away for so long, to sleep alone night after night, that'd be difficult to bear. Ted wasn't happy about it either; he had even brought up the possibility of just having the three of them move to Spokane for the 9 or 10 months it would take for the building to be completed. But they knew this was good for his career and for their family; so Tracy was more than supportive.

So all they could do was revel in their daughter and one another until it was time for him to go.

"I know we should get out of bed and get Christmas started, but I just want to stay here for a little bit longer," Tracy now murmured lazily, curling up into Ted's embrace.

Ted chuckled. "Well, we're lucky Penny's still a baby," he said. "When she's older, she'll barge in here at an ungodly hour, demanding to open her gifts. So, for right now, we get to call the shots."

Tracy wagged her eyebrows suggestively. "D'you have something in mind?"

He grinned mischievously at her, leaning forward and hungrily capturing her lips with his. Tracy giggled against them as he rolled over on top of her, gently pushing her into the mattress. She enjoyed the full weight of his body pressing down on hers, his fingers dipping teasingly inside the waistband of her pyjama bottoms.

Her own hands were equally as playful, moving from where they were tangled in his hair, wandering down his back, and finally resting on his adorable butt. He moaned appreciatively at that, then murmured something about how better it would feel if her hands were underneath his plaid bottoms and not outside them.

And as she felt him swell up against her, Tracy teasingly retorted that maybe it would feel nicer if her hands were at the front of his pants and not behind.

But before she could let her fingers trail over to where he was most excited, Penny's wails echoed from the hallway, as well as out of the nearby baby monitor.

Tracy laughed, pressing her forehead to Ted's chest. "Our kid sure has quite the timing," she said with a sigh.

Ted kissed her forehead. "It's ok," he assured her, running a hand up and down her side. "Tonight: you, me, quickie in your old bedroom."

"If there's another intense Scrabble game, you know there's going to be a quickie in my room later," she told him, giving him a playful pat on his backside before he rolled off of her and climbed out of bed.

"If there's another game of Scrabble, you better take it down a few notches, or else I can't be responsible if I take you right then and there on the board in front of everyone."

"You know, you say that all the time, but I've yet to see it happen," she told him. He laughed at that as he disappeared from the bedroom.

"Tease!" she called after him.

She smiled at herself, at the progress they'd made since Penny was born. Life with a baby was admittedly not easy, taking a toll on Tracy and Ted's sleep and their sex life in the beginning.

Penny's delivery had been unexpectedly brutal, and Tracy's recovery period had been hard. Her body was in pain for a good while, and she and Ted often got only three hours of sleep per night. That wasn't a good foundation for an active sex life.

It was admittedly difficult on them. Tracy missed that intimacy she had with Ted, although watching him with their daughter was a whole other level of intimacy Tracy enjoyed. He was a great father, and she loved him now in a whole new way; a way she never knew possible.

And him being so hands-on and attentive was helpful, as it allowed Tracy to rest when she needed. But the toll on her body—from the birth to the constant breastfeeding—was intense, so she wasn't exactly any less tired than Ted. Plus, she wasn't feeling all that glamorous. So when he occasionally attempted to initiate sex, Tracy always had to rebuff him.

It all came to a head when Penny was three months old and her sleeping patterns had been off for a few nights. After they had finally gotten the baby to fall asleep, they had both collapsed onto their bed, dog-tired. Ted had leaned over to wrap his arms around her, which Tracy took comfort in. But as Ted's fingers then trailed down her stomach, and slipped inside her pants and underwear before she even had the chance to comprehend what was going on, she pushed him away.

"Honey, not now," she had told him sleepily, regretfully.

"But I need you," he murmured in her hair, practically pleading, his hand cupping her left breast outside her t-shirt.

Tracy moaned despite herself. She wanted him, she missed him. Her hormones were all over the place, and it had been too long. But as one part of her wanted to just tear off his clothes, the other part of her wanted to cover up and send Ted to sleep on the couch.

"Ted, we can't," she whispered, her brain trying to take the reigns over her body, gently putting a hand on his hip to keep him at a distance.

"Why not?" he said, teasingly pressing his pelvis against hers. He was being cocky. And while she knew when to appreciate his brass behavior in bed, she was simply annoyed with it right then.

"Because I already have one Mosby hanging off my tits, I don't need another one!" she cried, her anger surprising even herself.

She saw a shocked, wounded look in his eyes she'd only seen once before. She hardly ever got mad at him; at the least, she never barked at him like she just did. Ted pulled his hands away from her as if she were made of lava. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, scared and ashamed, his gaze averted. "You're right. I'm sorry."

And then he rolled over in bed, curling up into a ball, his back to her. In all the time they had shared a bed, he'd never turned his back to her.

Tracy sighed. "Baby?" she murmured.

No answer.

She scooted over to his side of the bed, a hand on his thigh, her lips pressed to his shoulder blade. "Pooh bear, please turn around," she begged.

He let out a sigh and did as told, rolling over to face her. He had a glum pout on his lips and, surprisingly, tears in his eyes.

"Honey," she said softly, a hand now at his cheek. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I'm so sorry."

Ted shook his head. "No, I—I should've stopped the moment you told me to. I'm sorry," he told her. "It was stupid and insensitive of me. It's just, you know, I got carried away. I've missed you."

"Oh, Ted," she said, pressing her forehead to his. "I've missed you, too, believe me."

"Then why don't we?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice. "We haven't made love since before Penny was born."

She gave him a sad smile. "It's been four months, I know. But I'm just tired all the time. I breastfeed her every 2-3 hours, my boobs ache. I'm awake when she's awake. It's just exhausting on my body."

"I help out too, you know," he reminded her. Not angrily or bitterly; just as a simple reminder that he was there for her, that she wasn't doing it alone, that he was helping to ease her load.

"I know," she assured him, reaching for his hand to lace her fingers with his. "And I know you're running on as little sleep as I am. You're the best fiancé I could ever ask for; we make a great team. But as much as I want you, the little energy I have left goes to Penny—her needs have to come before ours."

"I get that, I swear," he admitted. "I just think it's important that we take a break when we can, and enjoy one another. It'll be good for us, to relax in the middle of all our parental responsibilities."

He had a point, she knew. "You're right, hon. But I'm also not feeling quite, you know, beautiful right now." From the extra weight she had put on, which she hadn't really lost, to the fact that she pretty much was living in sweats day in and day out, to the damage that Penny had done down there, getting naked was the furthest thing from her mind.

"You are gorgeous," Ted insisted, and she knew that tone in his voice. He wasn't placating her or telling her what she wanted to hear; he truly meant it.

She blushed. "You telling me that every day helps, honey," she told him assuredly. "When you talk to me like that, it makes me feel real good about myself. But however often you say it, ultimately, I need to see it and believe it for myself. And I'm not quite there yet."

He smiled ruefully. "I get it, Trace," he told her, giving her a chaste but tender kiss. "I won't pressure you. Let's just take it a day at a time; you tell me when you're ready."

It hadn't taken too long. Tracy had gone back to work a few weeks later, so it was a nice respite to be able to get out of the house. She felt less tired, and her body was getting stronger; carrying around a baby all the time did wonders for her arms! She also took long walks during her lunch breaks, went back to yoga once a week, and when they officially made the move to Westchester, the three of them often took evening strolls around the neighbourhood after dinner, enjoying the warm late-summer weather. And Ted had been extremely supportive and patient during that time.

And when her 31st birthday rolled around in September, Ted was downstairs preparing a romantic dinner for her, while she was upstairs getting ready. The aromas wafted all the way up to the bedroom as she got dressed, arousing her senses, getting her excited for the evening ahead. Because, as she put on a dress she hadn't worn since before she got pregnant, and looked in the mirror, Tracy was pretty satisfied with what was looking back at her. And she knew right then what she and Ted were in for later that night.

And lucky for Tracy, Penny was a damn good wingwoman; she must've known that mommy needed to get laid that night. After Tracy had fed her right before dinner, she stayed asleep all throughout their meal. And when they retreated upstairs to the bedroom, not a peep came from the nursery as they undressed one another. And when he finally moved inside her after six long months, it was like they hadn't missed a step.

And things had been pretty good ever since.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Ted returned a few minutes, a bouncing Penny in his arms, wearing the green-and-yellow Buddy outfit they had bought her. Tracy smiled up at the two people she loved most in the world.

"She had a messy Christmas present for me," Ted said with a laugh, standing by the doorway. "So, are we getting this party started, or what?"

So they brought Penny downstairs, Tracy leisurely feeding Penny while Ted brewed up some coffee for them. And when it came time to open her gifts, they sat down by the tree, the bottom brimming with colorfully-wrapped boxes. Ted and Tracy had vowed not to spoil her like this during subsequent holidays, but they unexpectedly overdid it for Penny's first Christmas. Lots of clothes and baby books, and oodles of toys, and stuff they both tried to justify as something she'd need, such as a walker since Penny was now able to get herself to a standing position and would soon need the tools to help her learn how to walk.

Penny was clearly mesmerized as they tore open all her gifts for her, either flailing her chubby arms wildly at certain light-up toys, or staring blankly and unimpressed at others. Ted had his camera in-hand, talking lots of photos of her shining eyes and gummy grin.

And then it was their turn. Ted and Tracy didn't go as overboard with their gift-giving like they did with their daughter, but they always took pleasure in gifting one another with little tokens of their love, either big or small. And now, more stuff could now be added to their riff-raff room—or "the nerd closet", as Tracy affectionately called it.

It was their secret room where they stored all their things that they couldn't really display and clutter the house with. While they showcased their geeky personalities around their home proudly—her duelling swords hanging above their bed, his collection of unopened Star Wars collectible figurines in the den—the rest of their stuff remained hidden. His Indiana Jones hat and whip, her Pee-Wee Herman Big Adventure bike, his light sabres, her chainmail corset, their Ren Faire costumes...

Ted adored the Darth Vader toaster and R2-D2 measuring cups she had gotten him, saying he was totally going to use them that morning when preparing brunch. And his reaction to his new lightsaber cufflinks was simply priceless. "I can totally wear them at dinner tonight, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course!" she assured him. She wouldn't have him any other way.

As for Tracy, the large framed retro Wonder Woman print was a hit. "This is so not going in the nerd closet," she told him in awe, already trying to think of a spot in the den where she could hang it.

Then came her new Monty Python killer bunny slippers which she immediately slipped on and, the icing on the cake, his and her Star Wars hand towels for their master bath, a simple "I love you" and "I know" and Leia and Han silhouettes embroidered on them. She adored them. And they matched perfectly with the "I love you" / "I know" mugs she had gotten him for Christmas two years earlier, from which they were presently enjoying their morning coffee.

"Well, that was a Christmas for the record books," Tracy said after they had cleaned up the mountain of wrapping paper and ribbons, a few unopened gifts left over for the friends and family they'd be seeing that day. She sat down on the sofa with a happy sigh, holding Penny in her arms, the bow Ted had stuck on her head earlier still hanging from her short strands. She laughed and removed it, replacing it with her lips, breathing in her sweet scent as she kissed her. Tracy knew it sounded silly, but she sometimes swore Penny still had that new baby smell, even though she was now eight months old.

Ted plopped down on the couch next to her, reaching a finger over to tickle Penny under her ear. He then gazed over at her, Tracy feeling his eyes on her. "What is it, Mosby?" she asked playfully, looking over at her fiancé, a smile on his lips as he stared at her.

"I have another gift for you," he told her.

"Pooh bear," she said softly. "We agreed: three gifts each. We already overdid it with Penny. I know money isn't an issue, but we still have to make sure we don't start blowing all of it away for stuff to fill the nerd closet with. This one'll eventually want to go to college, you know."

"I promise, this doesn't go in the nerd closet." He leaned over towards the side table next to the couch, pulling open the drawer and taking out a small box, wrapped in colorful red-and-green wrapping paper, with red curly ribbons dangling from the top. Judging from the size of the box, she knew what it likely was: jewelry.

"Hon," she said, her voice a light protest. "Jewelry's expensive! And you know I don't wear much, except for my engagement ring."

Ted just laughed—that adorable manly giggle he got when he was excited—and shook his head. "Can you just open it?" he said, pretending to be exasperated.

So Tracy took the box from his hands, and Ted grabbed Penny and placed her on his lap.

He stared at her expectantly as she tore open the gift, Ted keeping Penny's little arms from reaching for the wrapping paper. Tracy looked down at the small velvet box in her hands with curiosity, then up at Ted, who encouraged her with his eyes to proceed. She popped it open and, inside, was a simple white-gold band.

She looked up at Ted with a quizzical look on her face. "What's this?"

Ted smiled. "It's a gift for you, but for me," he began. "I know that our wedding keeps on getting postponed. And with me spending the upcoming year pretty much in between here and Spokane, I know it's going to be a little while longer until we actually get married."

At her sad smile, he continued:

"And that really sucks. But I guess we kind of have to play the hand we're dealt. So, until that day comes, I will wear this. Just to show my commitment to you, and to pretty much tell the world that I'm yours."

Tracy's face softened, visibly touched. "Kind of like an engagement ring?" she asked.

He beamed. "Exactly like an engagement ring."

"Baby," she began, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek. "You didn't have to do this. You don't have to prove your commitment to me. I already know that you're mine and I'm yours. We're both in this for the long run."

"I know," he agreed, but he continued with a matter-of-fact tone. "I wanted to do it anyway. Besides, you're not the only one who should get to wear a pretty ring."

Tracy laughed and shook her head. "You're right," she agreed, wiping at her eyes she hadn't realized we're tearing up. "You may just make male engagement rings a thing, Mosby."

He smiled softly. "So, do you want to do the honors?" he asked her.

Tracy nodded as she picked up the ring from its box, taking Ted's hand in hers.

"Theodore Evelyn Mosby," she began.

"God, my crappy middle name sounds so hot coming out of your mouth," he breathed out, leaning forward to kiss her.

"Mmm," she murmured appreciatively as his mouth touched hers, but pulled away quickly. "Now, no interruptions."

He gave her a pointed look. "You do remember the day I proposed to you, right? So I think I've earned the right to interrupt you a little bit, too."

She recalled that day; the surprise, joy and relief she felt when Ted got down on one knee on top of that lighthouse. Her answer was a "yes"—of course it would've been a "yes"!—and she couldn't even let him finish asking his question.

"Fine," she said, smiling. "So, pooh bear: will you—"

"Yes!" he cried out teasingly, still giggling that manly giggle, but she could see the seriousness in his word.

"Marry me?" she asked.

Ted's eyes softened as he sobered. "Yes," he whispered.

Tracy was moved, even though this wasn't anything official; they were already engaged, after all. But she took it seriously as she slipped the ring on Ted's finger, loving how the golden band looked against his skin. And Ted seemed affected too; she looked up at him, only to notice his soft gaze as he stared down at his finger. She probably would've poked some light fun at him if she weren't so damn in love with him right then and there.

"I love you, hon," she told him, leaning over to kiss his mouth, a gentle hand reaching to cup the back of Penny's head as she looked up at them.

"I love you too, Trace," he said, pressing his lips to hers.

That sense of peace and security she felt when she kissed him, when she was in his arms, was as present as it had always been. Ring or no ring, she knew she and Ted would someday be wife and husband. They were both confident about that. They were both patient and hopeful people, and they knew what their future held for them: everything would happen in due time. They had each other, they had Penny; and that was more than enough.

Ted moaned into their kiss now, and then pulled away with a sigh. "It's 9:45," he said reluctantly. "The gang'll be here in 45 minutes."

"They can wait," she whispered, moving to plant a few kisses down his throat.

Ted laughed as he let her kiss him. "May I remind you that our offspring is watching her mother suck on her dad's neck?" he said, which was the metaphorical cold shower she needed to pull away. Tracy looked down at Penny, who was flashing up a tiny smile, and offered her an apologetic look.

"Ugh, remind me again why we agreed to host brunch?" she asked Ted.

He grinned. "Because we love having our friends over. And it's one of the few times during the year they can sit and enjoy my waffles. And they love hearing you play Christmas songs on the piano, as do I," he reminded her. "Although we may have to choose some age-appropriate songs this year."

Tracy feigned indignation. "Hey, if "Fairytale of New York" was good enough for me growing up, it's good enough for Penny!"

"There's no doubt that our kid will grow up with great taste in music," he agreed. "But let's throw in some "Jingle Bells" or something, just to say we're not horrible parents."

Tracy just shook her head and picked Penny up in her arms, putting her in front of her head, facing Ted. "But "Jingle Bells" is so lame, daddy!" she said in a baby voice, jiggling Penny up and down. "Sing me something cool!"

He laughed, Tracy knowing very well he couldn't say no. "You're a bum, you're a punk, you're an old slut on junk. Living there almost dead, on a drip in that bed," he sang out in a bad Irish accent, bringing his face closer to Penny's and tickling her tummy.

"You scumbag, you magot, you cheap lousy faggot," Tracy continued, turning Penny around to look at her now. "Merry Christmas, your arse, I pray God it's our last!"

Penny laughed happily, clapping her hands together and babbling "ba ba ba" at her. "Oh, God," Tracy realized as she looked down at the happy baby. "We are horrible parents!"

Ted shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Therapy when she's older will fix her right up again," he teased. "Ok, seriously: I really need you to start up on the egg casserole while I work on the waffles. We also need to get dressed. Do you know where I put my Darth Vader Christmas sweater?"

"Honey, you were supposed to take it out yesterday so I could wash it!" she reminded him. "It's likely still in that bin from last year, reeking of moth balls."

Ted's eyes widened in disappointment. "So... what do I do now?" he asked. She saw the look of horror on his face, that fear of not getting to wear his favorite sweater at Christmas brunch. But Marshall will be wearing his fair isle galaxy wars sweater! she could already picture him whining.

Tracy sighed. "You, my love, are such a doofus," she told him affectionately. "Just run down to the basement and get it, and I'll run a quick wash and then toss it in the dryer. Hopefully it'll dry by the time our friends get here."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "You're the best, baby," he said, kissing her one more time before getting up and disappearing from the living room.

She shook her head and clicked her tongue, and looked down at Penny. "I don't know what I'm going to do with your daddy sometimes!" Tracy said with a laugh. But looking down at her elf-dressed daughter, she thought of holiday sweaters and Christmas movies, a warm home and brunch with friends. All this happiness was because he had come into her life at the perfect time. The least she could do is accept him and love him as he was.

And knowing that he loved her just as she was, too, it was the gift she kept with her year-round.