December 24th
The hullabaloo that was Winterfest (otherwise known as Yule or Christmas to some) at Maple Grove was finally over. All of the families were at home, the children tucked safely in bed. The same could be said for those who dwelt at Wisteria Cottage, Daisy and Donnie fast asleep while Dom and Elle relaxed near the fire with a warm cup of cocoa, a plate of cookies, and each other. But Elle had one last surprise in store - a very special surprise for a very special man.
Dom groaned in relief as he stretched out on the couch, Elle tucked comfortably against him as he rested his head back on the arm. "I am never letting Emily climb me ever again," he groaned softly. It wasn't that Jon's eldest was particularly heavy - more that she had very bony elbows and knees, and an uncanny knack of putting them exactly where it would hurt the most.
"She adores you," Elle said, smiling fondly as she leaned against him, adding, "They all adore you, but I have a feeling Daisy adores you most of all. You're a splendid uncle, but an even better father," she told him, touching a kiss to his cheek and leaving a trace of lipstick.
"Daisy didn't get a direct hit on the family jewels today, I know she loves me," Dom chuckled, tilting his head to catch her lips with his own. His hand curled about her shoulder, squeezing her against him gently for a long moment. "Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"
She smiled into his kiss, amused by his complaint about the children. "I assume everything still works," she remarked, brushing that bit of lipstick from his cheek. "And yes, you've only told me about half a dozen times today, but I don't mind if you tell me again," she said, tucking her stockinged feet behind her and leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Beautiful," he murmured against her hair, sleepy and content, glad they'd somehow survived both Christmas Eve and Donovan's first birthday without major catastrophe. "Gorgeous. Stunning. Elegant. Mine."
Her smile softened at his praise. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Granger," she warned him playfully. "But I think you may have missed a present in all the excitement," she added, green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I'm pretty sure I remembered to bring my pajamas out of hiding for the winter months," he drawled teasingly, though truth be told, he didn't sleep naked all that much any more. With Daisy's tendency to jump on them at ridiculous hours of the morning, it was better for everything to be covered in advance.
"Hmm, I think you should check your stocking again, love," she nudged. "I promise it's not a lump of coal." She wouldn't have minded if he slept naked, but she had warned him early on of the danger of doing so with Daisy in the house.
He raised a brow as he looked down at her, tilting his head curiously. "You mean I have to get up and go all the way over there, and rummage around in that stocking?" he complained, his hand sliding over her side to gently twang her garter-belt through her dress. "When I'd much rather rummage in these stockings?"
"You could rummage in these stockings, but you won't find your surprise there," she warned. At least, not the kind of surprise she had in mind for him, and there'd be plenty of time for him to peel her out of her stockings afterwards ....if he didn't pass out first.
He laughed wearily. "Oh, fine. Slave-driver." Pressing a kiss to her brow again, knowing perfectly well that she wouldn't let up until he did get up and look in the one stocking he hadn't been allowed to fill, Dom reluctantly pulled himself up onto his feet, absentmindedly scratching his back as he wandered toward the mantle. "Anything in particular, or am I emptying the whole thing here?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll know it when you see it," she said, unable to hide the smirk from her face and turning so that she could watch him and hoping he didn't notice that she had a cell phone tucked into a fold in her dress.
What she wanted him to find was conveniently tucked into the top of the stocking, allowing him to leave most of the little surprises for tomorrow to open with Daisy and Donovan. It was a little white stick, tied up with a ribbon - nothing fancy to look at, certainly. But his hand was shaking as he lifted it out. He knew exactly what it was. Dom stared down at the two little lines, slowly raising an incredulously delighted face toward Elle. "Seriously?"
"Mmhmm," she replied, without explanation, as there was no need. She unfolded her legs and moved to her feet, moving over to slide her arms around his waist and smile up at the only man who had ever truly captured and tamed her wild heart. "And you're the first to know." Not Vicki or Piper or even Daisy, this time. This time, she wanted him to know first.
He let out an incredulous huff of breath, leaving the little test on the mantle as she came to him, skimming his fingertips over her middle before gathering her close into his arms. "You're sure?" he asked her gently, delight shining in his eyes but not enough to still his concern that she wanted this.
"I had a blood test a few days ago to make sure. You're going to be a Daddy again, Daddy," she confirmed, her own eyes bright with hope and joy. This was one gift she could give him that she knew wouldn't disappoint. "What do you think, Mr. Granger" Are you okay with having another child?" she asked, grinning up at him and tightening her hold on his waist.
"Okay with it?" Dom laughed, hugging her tight as he bent his head to hers, lips ghosting over lips in a tender tease of a kiss. "My beautiful family is about to get bigger in a way I never expected. I am more than just okay with it." He grinned, kissing the tip of her nose affectionately. "But are you? It's your body, sweetheart."
"I think my body can handle one more," she assured him, snuggling close. "I'm just a little worried about Daisy," she admitted, though her daughter had been thrilled to have a little brother and didn't seem jealous at all.
"Hmm ....I don't think we need to be worried," he predicted. "Not with Zahan due to be a big sister to a baby pretty soon, too. Those two will bond over how annoying babies are, just you wait and see."
"I'm not too worried if it's a boy, but what if it's a girl?" she asked, though it was a little too late or maybe too early to worry about that now. Daisy had at least eight months to get used to the idea and they'd likely know the baby's gender long before that.
Dom frowned thoughtfully. "Then she'll have a little sister to dress up and teach about being a girl?" he suggested, drawing his fingers tenderly against her cheek. "I'm sure she'll be delighted, no matter what. But she will always be our eldest, our first. No one can ever take that away from her, Belle."
"I know. I just ....I wasn't expecting it, but I'm happy about it, Dom. Really, I am," she assured him with a warm smile, snuggling into his arms. Having a baby was scary business, no matter how many you had already, but she was far less frightened this time than she had ever been in the past.
"So am I," he murmured against her hair, hugging her close against his chest. The familiar flicker of fear was there in his chest, but it was smaller this time, the anxiety weaker than it had been when he'd discovered her pregnancy with Donnie. "What a wonderful Christmas present."
"I'm glad, Dom. I was afraid you might be angry," she admitted, though only because she knew how much he worried about her. "I love you so much," she told him quietly, in a rare outpouring of emotion. There would be more ups and downs in her moods in the days too come, but they'd weathered it together once; they could manage it again.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he breathed back to her, his arms tightening about her for just a moment before he loosened that possessive grip so as not to hurt her. "But I'm not as afraid as I was last time. I know you can do this, we can do this." His hand rose, gently tilting her chin up to meet achingly sincere eyes. "I love you, Elle, so much. Even the thought of you not being here makes it hard to breathe."
The hullabaloo that was Winterfest (otherwise known as Yule or Christmas to some) at Maple Grove was finally over. All of the families were at home, the children tucked safely in bed. The same could be said for those who dwelt at Wisteria Cottage, Daisy and Donnie fast asleep while Dom and Elle relaxed near the fire with a warm cup of cocoa, a plate of cookies, and each other. But Elle had one last surprise in store - a very special surprise for a very special man.
Dom groaned in relief as he stretched out on the couch, Elle tucked comfortably against him as he rested his head back on the arm. "I am never letting Emily climb me ever again," he groaned softly. It wasn't that Jon's eldest was particularly heavy - more that she had very bony elbows and knees, and an uncanny knack of putting them exactly where it would hurt the most.
"She adores you," Elle said, smiling fondly as she leaned against him, adding, "They all adore you, but I have a feeling Daisy adores you most of all. You're a splendid uncle, but an even better father," she told him, touching a kiss to his cheek and leaving a trace of lipstick.
"Daisy didn't get a direct hit on the family jewels today, I know she loves me," Dom chuckled, tilting his head to catch her lips with his own. His hand curled about her shoulder, squeezing her against him gently for a long moment. "Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"
She smiled into his kiss, amused by his complaint about the children. "I assume everything still works," she remarked, brushing that bit of lipstick from his cheek. "And yes, you've only told me about half a dozen times today, but I don't mind if you tell me again," she said, tucking her stockinged feet behind her and leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Beautiful," he murmured against her hair, sleepy and content, glad they'd somehow survived both Christmas Eve and Donovan's first birthday without major catastrophe. "Gorgeous. Stunning. Elegant. Mine."
Her smile softened at his praise. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Granger," she warned him playfully. "But I think you may have missed a present in all the excitement," she added, green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I'm pretty sure I remembered to bring my pajamas out of hiding for the winter months," he drawled teasingly, though truth be told, he didn't sleep naked all that much any more. With Daisy's tendency to jump on them at ridiculous hours of the morning, it was better for everything to be covered in advance.
"Hmm, I think you should check your stocking again, love," she nudged. "I promise it's not a lump of coal." She wouldn't have minded if he slept naked, but she had warned him early on of the danger of doing so with Daisy in the house.
He raised a brow as he looked down at her, tilting his head curiously. "You mean I have to get up and go all the way over there, and rummage around in that stocking?" he complained, his hand sliding over her side to gently twang her garter-belt through her dress. "When I'd much rather rummage in these stockings?"
"You could rummage in these stockings, but you won't find your surprise there," she warned. At least, not the kind of surprise she had in mind for him, and there'd be plenty of time for him to peel her out of her stockings afterwards ....if he didn't pass out first.
He laughed wearily. "Oh, fine. Slave-driver." Pressing a kiss to her brow again, knowing perfectly well that she wouldn't let up until he did get up and look in the one stocking he hadn't been allowed to fill, Dom reluctantly pulled himself up onto his feet, absentmindedly scratching his back as he wandered toward the mantle. "Anything in particular, or am I emptying the whole thing here?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll know it when you see it," she said, unable to hide the smirk from her face and turning so that she could watch him and hoping he didn't notice that she had a cell phone tucked into a fold in her dress.
What she wanted him to find was conveniently tucked into the top of the stocking, allowing him to leave most of the little surprises for tomorrow to open with Daisy and Donovan. It was a little white stick, tied up with a ribbon - nothing fancy to look at, certainly. But his hand was shaking as he lifted it out. He knew exactly what it was. Dom stared down at the two little lines, slowly raising an incredulously delighted face toward Elle. "Seriously?"
"Mmhmm," she replied, without explanation, as there was no need. She unfolded her legs and moved to her feet, moving over to slide her arms around his waist and smile up at the only man who had ever truly captured and tamed her wild heart. "And you're the first to know." Not Vicki or Piper or even Daisy, this time. This time, she wanted him to know first.
He let out an incredulous huff of breath, leaving the little test on the mantle as she came to him, skimming his fingertips over her middle before gathering her close into his arms. "You're sure?" he asked her gently, delight shining in his eyes but not enough to still his concern that she wanted this.
"I had a blood test a few days ago to make sure. You're going to be a Daddy again, Daddy," she confirmed, her own eyes bright with hope and joy. This was one gift she could give him that she knew wouldn't disappoint. "What do you think, Mr. Granger" Are you okay with having another child?" she asked, grinning up at him and tightening her hold on his waist.
"Okay with it?" Dom laughed, hugging her tight as he bent his head to hers, lips ghosting over lips in a tender tease of a kiss. "My beautiful family is about to get bigger in a way I never expected. I am more than just okay with it." He grinned, kissing the tip of her nose affectionately. "But are you? It's your body, sweetheart."
"I think my body can handle one more," she assured him, snuggling close. "I'm just a little worried about Daisy," she admitted, though her daughter had been thrilled to have a little brother and didn't seem jealous at all.
"Hmm ....I don't think we need to be worried," he predicted. "Not with Zahan due to be a big sister to a baby pretty soon, too. Those two will bond over how annoying babies are, just you wait and see."
"I'm not too worried if it's a boy, but what if it's a girl?" she asked, though it was a little too late or maybe too early to worry about that now. Daisy had at least eight months to get used to the idea and they'd likely know the baby's gender long before that.
Dom frowned thoughtfully. "Then she'll have a little sister to dress up and teach about being a girl?" he suggested, drawing his fingers tenderly against her cheek. "I'm sure she'll be delighted, no matter what. But she will always be our eldest, our first. No one can ever take that away from her, Belle."
"I know. I just ....I wasn't expecting it, but I'm happy about it, Dom. Really, I am," she assured him with a warm smile, snuggling into his arms. Having a baby was scary business, no matter how many you had already, but she was far less frightened this time than she had ever been in the past.
"So am I," he murmured against her hair, hugging her close against his chest. The familiar flicker of fear was there in his chest, but it was smaller this time, the anxiety weaker than it had been when he'd discovered her pregnancy with Donnie. "What a wonderful Christmas present."
"I'm glad, Dom. I was afraid you might be angry," she admitted, though only because she knew how much he worried about her. "I love you so much," she told him quietly, in a rare outpouring of emotion. There would be more ups and downs in her moods in the days too come, but they'd weathered it together once; they could manage it again.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he breathed back to her, his arms tightening about her for just a moment before he loosened that possessive grip so as not to hurt her. "But I'm not as afraid as I was last time. I know you can do this, we can do this." His hand rose, gently tilting her chin up to meet achingly sincere eyes. "I love you, Elle, so much. Even the thought of you not being here makes it hard to breathe."