A bustle broke into the silence. Angel was standing in the kitchen wearing a pair of wool socks that had been thoughtfully wrapped last Christmas and were being instilled as a sort of fatherly tradition. Like ties had become over the years to other fathers, Angel remarked to himself. The current wool socks on his feet, which were itchy but didn't make him much warmer, were a dark green with a deep red pinstripe.

"Daddy! Did you know that marshmallows are little baby snowmen from fresh Christmas snowflakes? My teacher said they weren't, but thats what Zaddy said they were and I would rather belief him than smelly old Mr. Latti anyday. He doesn't even let me...what are you doing?"

Daniel craned his neck down onto the island in the middle of the kitchen, not very aware that his puffy snow pants were now covered in flour. Angel had scooped him up as he had come running into the kitchen with hats and mittens and all still on. He probably would have drawn the line at the ice skates, but Xander had at least been able to untie the skates off of little Daniel before he had come careening into the kitchen.

"I told you I was gonna make cookies for Santa, my little blackfoot."

Xander at the doorway of the kitchen, where he was leaning with arms crossed and watching Angel hold Daniel in his arms while trying to keep the kid from kicking the rolling pin off the island and onto the floor. He resisted making a remark about the flour right then and there only because he knew he would definitely be doing laundry if he did so. And laundry, for some reason, was the only chore he really didn't like.

"Can I...?" Daniel threw his puppy dog eyes that made Angel's heartstrings tremble just a bit. Angel loved the kid dearly, had ever since Angel and Xander had adopted Buffy's only boy. She had died in childbirth and since Willow had heard about the Dark Willow in the future, she had not spoken up to take charge and Faith was pretty sure she didn't want to handle the responsibility since she was already trying for a kid with Giles.

But Xander had known the moment the kid came that he wanted to protect it. The nurse at the hospital had been named Daniel Rupert and Buffy had thought it fitting enough. Complications had arisen when the kid was found to be intersex, but with mostly male traits. Angel had come along soon enough after and while it wasn't love yet, it was good enough for Xander.

There was no doubt that Angel loved the kid, even when he tried to take apart the toaster or ran through the kitchen barefoot with black mud on his feet after Xander had told him not to run into the house at the moment. Angel and Daniel shared a very intimate bond and it was clear which dad he favored. Xander tried not to feel jealous when he had to be the bad guy on pudding nights.

"You can test one of the cookies for Santa after dinner. But you gotta get out of your coat and get washed up right now, Daniel."

"Awww..."

Angel raised an eyebrow at his son, which was enough to make Daniel stop. "Better do as Zaddy says, or he'll talk me down to half a cookie and cocoa without marshmallows."

Daniel's eyes went wide at the thought of losing his favorite cocoa treat. "But I love the marshmallows! Okay...."

Daniel climbed down reluctantly and ran past Xander back to the entrance of the house. Angel heard him pause just a moment before checking underneath the Christmas tree in case Santa had come three days early. He slowed when he found that was not the case.

Xander chuckled as he moved closer into the kitchen. "You are such a pushover."

Angel lightly elbowed Xander in the ribs as he passed to wash his hands. "You are too. Always with the glass of water at night. Don't think I don't notice."

"Damn kid's too cute with the loose tooth and the soft brown hair..."

"Got us both wrapped around his little fingers."

Xander sniffed on the air. "Roast smells good."

Angel nodded. "Should be about ready to come out of the oven. I turned it down right at the end so I can just put the batch of cookies in and they'll be done by the time you've carved it up."

Xander held his index finger up in the air good-naturedly. "Oy! Why do I have to carve? I was busy exercising all day with Daniel at the skating rink, if you recall?"

Angel shook his head as he reached for pot holders. "Because it is my night off from work and I am gonna set the table since it's time to use the Christmas plates."

Daniel announced his return with all the grace of the elephants. "I'm back! Are you sure I can't test the cookies before dinner?"

Angel and Xander spoke in unison. "No."

Xander called out as he checked the drawer for his chefs knife. "Hey, little man. Why don't you help daddy put out the place settings? He wants to use the Christmas tree plates, so you'll have to be extra careful."

Daniel craned his neck to look up at Angel. He had never been allowed to even carry one of the plates, even for the great Santa Claus on Christmas eve before he went to bed. "Really?"

Angel smiled. "Your hands clean, blackfoot?"

Daniel slowly raised his hands up to eye level. "Looks clean to me!"

Angel walked over with a bit of playful menace. "Ah! But germs you cannot see could be all over those fingertips. They can only be defeated by Captain Soap!"

Daniel squealed with delight as Angel chased him to the downstairs bathroom to make sure his hands were clean for dinner. Xander just shook his head as he stood in the island of the kitchen, chopping the roast into pieces while hearing Daniel talk about his trip to the skating rink in excruciating detail to Daddy.