Chapter Text
It’s been a year since that fateful Christmas in Shadow Creek when Ava and Beatrice reunited. The last 12 months have given her a loving wife, a bright young son, and a beautiful home.
As Ava finishes baking another tray of cookies with Eliza, she can’t believe how far she’s come. She wanted to reconnect with family, but she never dreamed she’d have a second chance at one of her own.
Eliza eyes her as Ava takes a steaming tray of gingerbread men out of the oven.
“So when do we hear about this surprise you and Beatrice have been working on?”
Ava smiles “You’ll all know soon, I promise. We just want a little more to get everything settled.”
“Is it a house?”
Ava laughs. “Of course not! We can’t have surprise houses two years in a row.”
“I suppose you’d never want to leave the log house. You just got it perfect.”
“We’re so happy with it.” Ava says. “ And Diego loves the yard and his new room.”
“Would you ever think about moving?” Eliza asks, as she gather the dirty dishes to put them in the sink
“Never.” Ava says. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love waking up to the mountains every morning.”
Eliza nods in agreement. “It really is a beautiful house. It’s hard to believe you were ready to run back to your little city apartment.”
That little city apartment… her hiding place. After everything Ava can’t imagine going back to that lonely little place.
“So if it’s not a house…” Eliza gasps. “You aren’t pregnant, aren’t you?”
“No!” Ava answers quickly. “Not that I know of, at least.” She said with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t that be a real Christmas miracle.”
“Well, I still want more grandkids.”
“You and Henry will be the first to know if and when the time comes. I promise.” She paused for a second. “Well, after Diego, of course.”
“Good. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Eliza packs some of the gingerbread men into a festive little cookie tin and hands it to her. “Here, I know how Diego likes to decorate these,. You can ice them tonight.”
“Thank you! I’m sure he’ll love them.” Ava looks at the clock as she puts the cookies away in her purse. “We should probably get going if we’re going to beat Beatrice home. Is Diego still upstairs with Skip?”
“He loves that dog, so I would think so.” Eliza’s face suddenly lights up. “That’s it! You get him a dog!”
Ava shakes her head. “Wrong again, but that’s actually a good idea, maybe that can be next Christmas’s surprise.”
“Good. I’m sure Diego would love one, and you have more than enough room.”
“That we do.” Ava says as she leaves the kitchen and steps into the front hall. “Diego! Time to go sweetheart! We want to get home before mom!”
Diego dashes down the stairs with Skip on his heels. “I have to go, Skip.”
“Woof!”
“Don’t worry, buddy.” Ava says crouching to give the dog a few pets. “He’ll come visit again soon.”
“Woof..”
—------------------------------------
When Diego and Ava arrive at the log cabin, Ava fights a smile as she gets out of the car. Diego takes her hand and follows her up the snowy steps.
“Diego, aside from the list you wrote to Santa, you’re sure there’s nothing else you wanted?” Ava asks him .”What about a pony? A trip? A kitten?”
“I’d actually really like a puppy.”
Ava smiles . “Is that right? I’ll have to keep that in mind…”
“Really?” Diego asks excitedly.
“I’ll think about it and talk about it with mom, bug, I promise.”
“Yay!”
The two of them then rush inside out of the cold and Ava starts building a fire in the hearth, soon enough the two are relaxing in the warm glow, when Ava feels her phone buzz.
“Hello?”
“Hey darling.”
“Hi.” Ava smiles.
“I’m about to head home, you can show Diego his surprise. I don’t want to keep him waiting.”
“Okay, will do”
“Yeah, I’ll be home in no time.”
“Bea…”
“Yes?”
“I love you, please drive safely.”
“I love you too, Ava.”
“Is that mommy?” Diego says. “Did she say something about my surprise?”
Ava laughs and hangs up the phone. “Yup. Go check your room and bring it back here to unwrap.”
Diego races to his bedroom and returns with a small parcel. “This is too small.” He says with a small pout.
Ava chuckles. “Just trust me, bug.”
Diego tears the wrapping paper to reveal a new shirt. On it sparkling pink letters are the words “World’s best big brother.”
“No way!”
Ava chuckles. “Yes way.”
“Does this mean you’re having a baby?”
“Not quite.”Ava pats the spot next to her. “Here, come sit.” She wraps an arm around the small boy when he takes a seat. “Your mom and I decided to adopt. There was a little girl that needed a good home.”
“Like me?”
Ava gives him a sweet smile. “Yes, bug, just like you did.”
“So she gets to live with us?”
“That’s right.”
Diego grins in delight. “What’s her name? When does she get here?”
“Her name is Sammy, and your mom is bringing her home right now.”
“Did you get to spend time with her? What’s she like?” Diego asks, almost bouncing in his seat with excitement.
“She’s a bit shy, but really sweet.” Ava replies. “She needs people to look out for her.”
“I can help with that!”
Ava smiles. “I’m sure you will, sweetheart.”
—--------------------------
Soon enough Beatrice walks in with Sammy, the girl hides behind the woman’s legs as she sees Diego, but the boy is quick to say an excited but calm hello and welcomes her into the house.
“You can stay in my room while we furnish your room!” He offers, with a happy smile. “Like a sleepover!” He says watching as Sammy inches closer to him and Ava.
Beatrice smiles warmly at them. “I didn’t know we were missing a piece of our family until now, but nothing has ever felt so right.”
“I know what you mean.” Ava says, returning her smile. “This is perfect.”
The two adults go sit by the couch while Diego takes Sammy by the hand to show her the house..
Ava never expected any of this, but now that she has it she realizes she’s incredibly happy, and feels equally as joyful about taking this chance with Beatrice. It’s hard to say how their family might grow or what the rest of her life in Shadow Creek will look like. All she knows is she’s looking forward to spending it with Beatrice and her newfound family.
Diego soon returns with Sammy in tow.
“Sam loves the house!”
Ava smiles at them. “That 's great! We’re so happy to have you here, Sam.”
The little girl beams a shy little smile at them both.
“This really is the best Christmas ever.” Diego says with excitement.
“Your mom and I had some ideas about how to make it better.”
“Really?” Diego’s eyes widened. “What?”
Ava smiles mischievously. “Well…” She pauses, smiling at the eagerness in Diego’s face and Sammy’s even if the latter is still a bit sy in showing it. “How does a puppy sound?”
Both kids gasp.
“What? No way!” Diego gasps
“A puppy?” Sammy asks.
Ava smiles and looks at Beatrice who nods in return. “That’s right. Your mom and I talked it over, and we think a puppy is the last thing missing from our family.”
Diego can barely contain his excitement. . “This is really happening?”
Ava chuckles. “Yup.”
“Suzanne’s dog had puppies, and they’ll be old enough for us to give one a home soon.” The sheriff explains.
“After the holidays we can go see them, and you two can pick one out.”
Diego rushes forward to throw his arms around Ava in a tight hug before doing the same to Beatrice. “This is really the best Christmas ever!”
“I’m really glad you think so, bug.” Ava tells him. “And what about you, Sammy? Excited?”
“Yes!”
“Good.”
Even though she’s still a bit shy, Ava has to give credit to the girl, she had opened up so much since they got her out of that house. At first her and Beatrice were worried about Sammy’s development, but with the help of a counselor she began talking more and more and Ava hope she’d soon feel comfortable enough to express herself and her wants and needs with them.
“Okay.” Ava claps. “Let’s get you both some dinner.” She says as she stands up. “It’s getting late, and we need to tuck both in before Santa can come!”
Beatrice and the kids follow her and get settled as she heats up the leftovers Eiza gave her in the oven. She knew they’d be busy picking up Samy, but she wanted their Christmas Eve dinner to be home-cooked.
Once they four of them have finished dinner, Beatrice helps her clear the table and gets started on the dishes.
“Okay you two! Let’s get settled into bed!” Ava says. “The sooner you’re asleep, the sooner Santa can come.”
—----------------------------------
Ava tucks Diego and Sammy into bed before retiring to the bathroom to get ready for the night.
She looks at herself in the mirror with a smile. Ava may have done a little Christmas shopping of her own. She hopes Beatrice likes her present, she was sweating bullets as she left the store praying to not encounter any one she knew on the street because explaining why she was coming out of a sexy lingerie store was not on her plans.
She opted for a three-piece lingerie outfit. A red lace cami with front lace up detail, garters, matching red g string and she also bought a pair of thigh high stockings to complete the look.
With a reassuring nod, she heads into the master bedroom, where the sheriff was waiting for her.
Beatrice’s jaw drops the moments she sees her.
“Merry Christmas. Do you like it?”
Beatrice had a brain once, before it was turned to mush by the mere sight of Ava on thigh high stockings and sexy lingerie.
“Do I–” Beatrice stutters. “I- fuck– Ava. I love it.” Her eyes continue to travel up and down Ava’s body. “You look…”
“Jolly? Rec-cheeked?”
“Beautiful.” She flops onto the bed with a sigh and grins at her. “Are you going to join me?”
Ava crawls onto the bed and settles into her arms. “I think today was just about perfect.”
“Is there anyway I can make it completely perfect?”
“Well.” Ava smirks undoing the lace of the outfit. “I can think of something.” She gives her a flirty smile that Beatrice returns with a knowing grin.
Later in the night as she snuggles against the sheriff, Ava thanks whoever is up there, God, the universe for where is right now, she thanks them for Gabriel and JC, for the time they had together and for giving her a second chance, for giving her a new family. Maybe the way they got here wasn’t perfect, but they are here now, and Ava will make sure to enjoy every second she has with the people she loves.