A/N: Merry Christmas, fellow D/L fanatics!

So, this is something I came up with a while ago, but I held off on posting it until closer to Christmas. So, now that we're less than a week away, I figure it's a good time.

This is dedicated to all you lovelies who have been reading my stories since I began posting in the spring. Consider this a little Christmas treat for sticking with me, a little something-something under the tree ;) God knows we need a little something to tide us over this year. It's been pretty slim pickings on the show, so it's up to us authors to pick up the slack, I guess. And this is just my way of showing my appreciation for all of your support.

Anyways, this is just a piece of Christmas fluff… with some good old fashioned smut thrown in just for fun! It takes place during… oh, let's say Season 4, shall we? Pre-everything-that-happened-with-Ruben.

So put on your jolly because Santa's got his list and he's checking it twice. Here we go!

"Hey there, kiddo. Looking good," Stella said, walking up to Lindsay and giving her a warm hug.

"You too, Stell," Lindsay replied. "Merry Christmas!"

"Right back at you," Stella smiled. She looked around, and then turned back to Lindsay. "Where's your other half? I thought you and Danny were going to come to this shindig together."

"Yeah," Lindsay sighed. "We were. But then Mac found out that Cooper – you know, the guy that we usually get to play Santa? Well, he came down with the flu, and all the guys had to draw straws to see who would fill in for him. Danny got the short straw."

"Ah. I thought Santa looked a little on the thin side this year," Stella laughed, glancing up at the front of the conference room, three floors down from the lab, where the they were holding their annual family Christmas party. She could see Santa sitting on his chair atop a small platform, a crowd of children lined up to sit on his knee and make their Christmas wishes. "And it looks like he's got a helper!"

"He does indeed," Lindsay said, sipping at her eggnog. "Danny figured he shouldn't have to suffer alone, so he managed to convince Flack to be his elf."

"Wow. How'd he managed to get him to wear that costume? I mean, Flack's a good guy – lots of holiday spirit – but I find it hard to believe he would willingly wear tights in public."

"The tights were my idea," Jessica Angell piped up, overhearing their conversation while she was filling her glass with punch. "Let's just say I made him an offer he couldn't refuse." She winked at Stella and Lindsay, who smiled knowingly.

"Ah ha. Say no more," Stella said. "Nothing's more festive than a little holiday bribery." The three women laughed, clinking their glasses together. "So, are you going to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?" Stella asked, turning to Lindsay.

"I think I'm a little old to sit on Santa's lap, Stella. This is supposed to be for the kids."

"Yeah? Well tell that to those three," Stella said, pointing to the group of female lab techs that had joined the crowd up front, giggling as they shuffled forward in line, waiting for their chance with Santa.

"Hmph," Lindsay huffed, narrowing her eyes at the women, knowing full well that these were the same women that had lusted after Danny – her Danny – since long before she had arrived on the scene and staked her claim on him. "Sluts."

"There's the holiday spirit!" Stella laughed. She placed a reassuring hand on Lindsay's shoulder, drawing her friend's attention away from Santa and his entourage. "Come on, Linds. Don't let those bimbos get to you. At the end of the day, Danny's going home with you, and that's all that matters."

"I guess so," Lindsay sighed. "I just don't like the idea of them sitting on his lap. It's just… it's wrong."

"Well… why don't you go up there and show them how it's done?" Angell suggested. "I mean, keep it PG of course – there are children around. But let them know that Christmas or not, you're not in the mood for sharing."

"No, I couldn't do that," Lindsay replied. "I don't want to embarrass Danny anymore than he already is at having to wear that suit."

Stella and Angell smiled sympathetically at their friend, pouring her another glass of eggnog in which to drown her sorrows.

"I want a pony and a Barbie and a new bicycle and…"

Danny nodded his head as the little girl on his lap droned on and on about what she wanted for Christmas. He was seriously getting tired of this shtick. He'd been sitting up here playing Santa for over an hour and a half now, and he was so ready to get out of his stupid costume. It was hot, the beard was itchier than hell, and he felt ridiculous. He reminded himself that he was doing for the kids, plastering a smile on his face as the little girl continued with her long list. He cast a weary glance at the line that had mercifully thinned out, most of the children having already had their moment with Santa. His eyes went wide when he saw that next in line were several women from the lab – women who were far too old to be sitting on Santa's knee. Women who he was certain had never bothered to line up for Santa in previous years. He sighed, hoping that Lindsay wasn't around to see this. He knew that she would not be happy and that he would never hear the end of it.

He realized that the little girl had finally stopped talking and was waiting patiently for him to say something. Smiling down at her, he pinched her cheek gently.

"Well, that's quite the list you have there…"

"Emily," Flack whispered in his ear.

"… Emily. If you've been a very good girl, Santa will do his best to get you what you want for Christmas."

"Thank you Santa!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck. "Merry Christmas!"

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" he said, forcing himself to sound jolly. "Now smile for the camera!"

The flash was almost blinding, and Danny blinked a few times to clear the spots from in front of his eyes as Flack helped Emily down from his lap. He turned to see the gaggle of women approaching, apparently intent on besetting themselves on him all at once. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

"Merry Christmas, Santa," a woman by the name of Erica purred. She perched on his knee, giving him what he supposed she thought was an alluring smile.

"We've been very good girls this year," said another woman that Danny vaguely remembered was called Bonnie. "Very, very good," she finished, sitting down on his other knee and wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Oh… um… well, that's good," Danny said lamely. He was suddenly very glad he was wearing the beard. Itchy or not, it served to hide the flush of colour he knew had spread across his cheeks as the ladies surrounded him. God, he hoped Lindsay wasn't watching. He glanced at Flack out of the corner of his eye, silently beseeching him for a little help. Flack merely grinned back at him, shaking his head.

Bastard, Danny thought. Stupid, useless, tight-wearing elf.

"Don't you want to know what we want for Christmas?" the third woman whispered in his ear, her breath tickling the side of his face and he squirmed in his seat, trying to keep his distance as best he could.

"Yeah, sure. What do you want?"

Lindsay watched, silently seething as the three women fawned over Danny. Her only solace was the fact that Danny looked more than a little uncomfortable with the unwanted attention, and she felt a twinge of guilt at the jealousy that raged inside of her.

But rage it did, despite her best attempts to remind herself that she trusted Danny. It wasn't him that she had a problem with right now. It was those three bitches that were making her blood boil in her veins.

"Linds? You alright?" Angell asked, and Lindsay tore her eyes away from Danny for a moment to look at her friend. "You look a little… tense." She gestured down to Lindsay's hand, which held the small plastic cup that had contained her eggnog. Without realizing it, Lindsay had inadvertently crushed the empty cup into a tight ball.

"It's nothing," Lindsay said, casting a quick glance in Danny's direction, "It's really… oh my God! What the hell?" Her eyes went wide as she saw one of the women pull a sprig of mistletoe from her purse, dangling it over Danny's head as they posed for their picture with Santa. "Alright, that's it," she muttered, tossing aside the remnants of her cup. "I can't watch this anymore."

"Lindsay?" Angell asked. "Where are you…?"

But Lindsay was already gone, slipping away out of the conference room, the door closing silently behind her.

"Alright, girls. Smile for the camera," Danny said through gritted teeth, thanking his lucky stars that his moment of torture was almost over. Once the picture had been taken, he could get rid of these women and finish up with the rest of the kids before getting back to Lindsay.

"We've got a surprise for you, Santa," one of the women said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small, green sprig with tiny, round berries and Danny's heart sank. "You know what this is, don't you, Santa?" she asked. He nodded, letting out a resigned sigh and she raised the dreaded leaf up over his head.

"Um… you know, uh… Mrs. Claus doesn't really like it when I use mistletoe with anyone other than her," he said nervously, searching the sea of faces in the room for Lindsay, hoping against hope that she wasn't watching.

"Well, what Mrs. Claus doesn't know won't hurt her," Erica said, leaning in toward him.

Danny glared at the photographer who appeared to be stalling. "Just take the fucking picture," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Uh, okay," the photographer said. "Everybody on three. One… two… three!"

Once again blinded by the flash, Danny felt three pairs of lips on his cheeks before he heard Flack's voice asking the women to step aside and make way for the next person. Danny sighed with relief as they stood and moved away, giggling and looking back at him over their shoulders as they waited to collect their picture.

"You alright, man?" Flack asked, a wicked grin on his face, patting Danny on the shoulder.

"Yeah. No thanks to you, asshole. You're the worst elf ever. You prick."

"Language, Messer," Flack chided him. "You're going to end up on the naughty list if you keep that up."

"Naughty list my ass," Danny muttered under his breath.

"Come on, Danno. Only a few more and then you're free to go."

"Fine. Let's get this over with so I can get the fuck out of this stupid suit."

He managed to make his way through the last few children, listening patiently as they listed off their Christmas wishes and smiling for the pictures until finally, he was done. He stood up, groaning as he stretched, his back cracking in protest after having been sitting for so long. He and Flack descended from the platform and Danny glanced around the room, his eyes searching for his girlfriend.

"Guys, thanks so much for stepping up and doing this for the kids," Mac said, approaching the pair of them. "It means a lot to them, and I really appreciate you taking this on at the last minute."

"Hey, no problem, Mac," Flack said, taking off his elf hat and running his fingers through his hair. "It's our pleasure, right Messer?"

Danny grunted his acknowledgement, frowning when he couldn't see Lindsay anywhere.

"You alright, Danny?" Mac asked, sensing Danny's distraction.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, stiff, hot and itchy. You mind excusing me? I gotta get changed."

"Sure, no problem," Mac said. "Thanks again."

"Welcome," Danny said, walking away and pushing through the doors leading out to the hall.

Lindsay was sitting on a bench in a small alcove just off the hall when she heard the conference room doors open. A figure dressed from head to toe in red and white walked quickly past her, heading for the bank of elevators. She blinked, realizing that it was Danny. That must mean he was finished. And that meant that it was her turn for some time with Santa.

She watched him step into the elevator, the doors sliding closed behind him. Figuring he was heading for the locker room three floors above them, she dashed into the stairwell, sprinting up the three flights of stairs, taking the steps two at a time until she reached the 35th floor. Pushing open the door, she gazed out at the familiar sight of the crime lab, smiling as she saw that it was completely empty – the entire staff still celebrating downstairs.

She rounded the corner, pushing open the door to the locker room. Slipping out of her heels, she padded - barefoot and silent - down the aisle to the row that housed Danny's locker. She found him standing with his back to her and she crept up behind him, grabbing him by the back of his belt and giving him a firm tug.

"Christmas over already?" she whispered against the back of his neck.

He gasped, letting out a mumbled string of obscenities before he turned to see the source of the voice. "Linds?" he asked, smiling in relief. "Shit, babe. You scared me."

"Sorry, Santa," Lindsay replied, pushing him back against the bank of lockers and pressing herself against him. "I hope that doesn't put me on your naughty list."

"Wh-what?" Danny sputtered.

"I never got my moment with Santa," she continued, her fingers toying with the white faux-fur trim on the front of his jacket. "I was wondering if anybody bothered to ask you what you want for Christmas. Because I know what I want." She slid her hand around to his backside, giving his ass a good, firm squeeze. "I want you. Right now."

"But… but… the party…"

"There will be other parties, Santa," Lindsay replied. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be in the business of granting Christmas wishes? You don't want to disappoint me when I've been such a good girl this year, do you?"

Danny groaned as she began to grind against him while continuing to kneed his backside.

"Fuck, Linds," he managed to croak out, "You sure you're not on the naughty list? I'm pretty sure that seducing Santa isn't something that good girls do."

"Naughty or nice, does it really matter when it feels this good, baby?" she asked. Before he could respond, she grabbed the white beard that had been the bane of his existence all afternoon, pulling it down under his chin and pressing her lips against his. She shoved her tongue roughly into his mouth and moaned as Danny began to respond to her advances, dropping any pretence of resisting her as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body tightly against his.

He pushed himself up off the lockers, quickly spinning them around so that Lindsay was now the one pressed up against the cool metal. She let out a shriek of surprise as he grabbed her skirt and pushed it up her thighs before hoisting her up off the ground. She tightened her legs around his waist as he began to gyrate his hips against her pelvis, causing them both to moan with longing.

"You're a bad, bad girl, Miss Monroe," he whispered in her ear. "Very, very naughty, making Santa think all these dirty thoughts. What am I going to do with you?"

"What about you?" Lindsay panted, overwhelmed with the feeling of Danny's body moving against hers. "You looked like you were having fun with those girls, Santa. What would Mrs. Claus say if she caught you?"

Danny stopped, pulling back slightly to look at her. "Is that what this is about?" Still breathless from his kisses, Lindsay shrugged her shoulders, averting his eyes. "Baby?" He took her chin in his hand, raising her gaze to meet his. "You saw that, huh?"

She nodded her head. "It was kind of hard to miss," she pouted. "They were all over you."

"Hey," Danny said, stroking her cheek and pressing a kiss to her nose. "Listen to me, Lindsay. You're the only girl I want, okay? Not those other trashy bitches. I'm not interested."

"Really?" she asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Montana, you know it's true. I'm crazy about you and only you." Her smile widened and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a tender kiss to his jaw. Pulling back, he cupped her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "I love you, Lindsay Monroe. I want you to know that."

Lindsay was sure that her heart actually stopped beating for a moment, so shocked was she to hear those words from Danny. He'd never said that before… she wasn't sure he was the type of guy who would ever say it. But he just had… hadn't he?

"What?" she whispered.

He kissed her sweetly then pulled back, still holding her face gently in his hands. "I love you, Linds. I'm in love with you."

She stared blankly back at him, her mouth moving but no sound coming out.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He shouldn't have said it. It was too soon. She was freaking out, he could see it in her eyes. Fuck. He had no idea what to do now. He'd never said those three little words to a girl before, and he wasn't sure what the proper etiquette was in this situation.

"Um… it's okay, you know if… if you don't… I mean, you don't have to say it back. I just… I thought you should know."

She surprised him when the slightly confused look on her face suddenly vanished and she beamed back at him, her eyes shining brightly even in the relative dim of the locker room. "I love you too, Danny," she said softly, finally finding her voice.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He grinned at her before leaning in for another kiss, his hands moving down to hitch her up higher against the lockers, reaffirming his grip on her as he claimed her lips, plunging his tongue into her mouth.

"So, does this get me off the naughty list?" Lindsay breathed, breaking away from their kiss and allowing Danny to explore her neck with his mouth.

"Mmm," he murmured against her skin, grinding against her once again. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you feel like giving Santa a little sugar."

She giggled, pressing her lower body more firmly against his. "I don't know," she said, pretending to think it over. She moaned as Danny bucked his hips hard against her core. "Oh, God… Mmm, you're very convincing."

"Well you're very, very sexy."

"Danny, please…" she begged, unable to take his teasing any longer. "Take me. I need you."

"What do you want, baby?" he asked, one hand sliding down under the front of her skirt, his fingers skimming over the cotton gusset of her panties, teasing her clit through the thin fabric. "Tell me, Lindsay."

"I want you, Danny."

"You want me to what? Say it."

"Oh, God," she moaned as he bucked against her once again, his erection pressing against her lower belly. "I want you to fuck me, Danny."

"That's my girl," he smirked. "But first I gotta get this fucking suit off. I'm boiling in this thing." He stepped back, setting her feet down on the ground before he quickly tore off the red hat that covered his hair, yanking the beard over his head and tossing them both to the floor. Lindsay reached out to help him out of the bulky jacket, pushing it down his arms and then moving on to the pants while he unfastened the padded belly he'd worn to fill out the suit. "Oh, God… that feels so much better," he sighed, finally free of the costume, standing in only his boxers and wife beater. He grinned at her, pulling her into his arms once again. "Now… I believe you had a request?"

She shivered as he crashed his lips against hers, walking her backward across the locker room until her back hit the countertop that housed the sinks at the far end of the room. He lifted her up, sitting her on the edge of the counter, his hand sliding down between her thighs, pushing aside her panties before he pulled down his boxers and positioned himself at her entrance. He teased her for a moment, rubbing the tip of his penis against her clit before he grabbed her hips and plunged into her, eliciting a long, low groan of satisfaction from her.

"Oooh, Danny! Fuck!" she cried out, placing her hands on the counter behind her and arching her body toward him.

"You alright?" he asked, slowly pulling out all the way before he sank into her depths once again.

"Mmm… so big," she sighed appreciatively as he moved inside of her, setting a fast and rough pace that had her whimpering with pleasure. "Feels… so good!"

A grin spread across his face at her words. "You like that?" he asked. "You like it rough, Lindsay?"

"Yes!" she cried. "God, yes!"

"Definitely on the naughty list," he surmised, picking up his pace, his breath coming in panting gasps. "Fuck… you're so tight, baby."

"Harder!" she moaned. "Oooh, Danny… more!"

He grabbed her hips, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter, and Lindsay leaned back further, resting on her elbows, the back of her head pressed against the mirror. Sliding his hands up her thighs, he spread her legs wider and she wailed in delight, arching her body up to meet his thrusts as he pressed himself deeper.

"Better?"

Unable to form words at the moment, she bit her lip, closing her eyes and nodding her head, concentrating hard on the feeling of him moving hard and fast deep inside of her. She was close… so close. She could feel the delicious warmth beginning to spread through her body, starting in the pit of her stomach. It was a feeling she'd only ever had with Danny. Sure, other guys had made her come and it had been fine; but no other man before him had ever made her feel so good. Hard and fast or slow and tender, he made her feel desired and cherished, their connection one unlike any she had experienced before.

"Tell me…" she began, digging deep to find the strength to form the words, "Tell me again… tell me you love me."

"I love you, Lindsay," he said, his voice a low, deep growl. "I love you, I love you."

"I… I… I love… Oh, God! I love you, too!" she moaned as he rode her closer to her climax.

She was almost there. He could see the telltale signs that she was ready to come. Her breathing was low and shallow, she was chewing her lip the way she always did right before she fell over the edge, and her walls were starting to flutter and pulsate around him, making her even tighter than she had been when they'd begun.

"Come on, Lindsay," he urged her, his movements almost frantic now as he pounded into her. "I want to hear you scream my name, baby. Come for me. I know you're there."

"Oh, God… oh, God… oh, God!" Her voice rose in volume and pitch with each repetition and she let out a strangled gasp before throwing her head back and finally letting herself go. "Fuck, Danny! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Danny!"

Her muscles contracted fiercely around him, squeezing him tightly as he continued his thrusts. He refused to slow his pace, wanting to ride her through her orgasm before his own overtook him. "Fuck, Lindsay. You feel so good, baby. Keep doing that… oh, God… so fucking tight…"

Lindsay felt the hazy fog of her climax beginning to lift, her body still tingling after reaching her high. She heard Danny's words, begging her to squeeze him while he rode her to his own release, and she was only to happy to oblige, milking him in time with each of his thrusts. His fingers dug into her thighs, and he closed his eyes, his body suddenly tensing as he tumbled into oblivion.

"Oh, shit! Fuck, baby… Oh God, Lindsay… Lindsay… Lindsay!"

He let go of her legs, resting his hands on the counter on either side of her hips, his chest heaving as he struggled to regain some semblance of his composure. Lindsay shifted beneath him, pushing herself up from her prone position and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing a series of light, fluttering kisses to his face.

"You okay, Danny?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair as he tried to catch his breath. He nodded, raising his head to look right at her, a smile spreading wide across his face.

"Oh, I'm so much better than okay," he said, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a kiss that was startlingly tender and gentle, in such stark contrast to his frantic roughness from only moments before. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, pulling back from the kiss to study her face.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "No. I might be walking bowlegged for a few hours, but it was totally worth it." She winked at him, pulling him in again for another kiss.

"Mmm… we should get back to the party, babe," he said, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths finally returning to a more normal rhythm. "People are going to wonder where we got to."

"So let them wonder," Lindsay giggled. "I don't really give a rat's ass."

"Such a bad girl," he chuckled, pressing a final kiss to her lips before he stepped back, pulling up his boxers and helping her down from the counter. "I'm just going to grab a quick shower, get the gross Santa feeling off of me. I'll meet you downstairs?"

"Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes," she said, straightening out her skirt before slipping back into her shoes and checking her appearance in the mirror. She nodded her satisfaction before she patted Danny on the butt. "When do you have to give the suit back?" she asked casually.

"Um… tomorrow. Why?"

"Maybe you could bring it over to my place tonight… I might have a little treat for Santa."

He raised his eyebrows, grinning at her and shaking his head. "Bad, bad, bad," he chuckled. "We'll see."

She gave him a little smile and a wink before turning on her heel and sashaying away down the aisle, leaving Danny standing in front of his locker with a bemused expression on his face, the Santa suit discarded carelessly on the floor at his feet.

"Definitely, definitely naughty," he said to himself before gathering the suit from the floor and shoving it into the bag it had come in, then grabbing his towel and toiletries from his locker and heading off to the shower, whistling 'Here Comes Santa Claus' as he went.

"Hey guys," Lindsay said, walking up to the group crowded around their table. Mac, Adam, Hawkes and Flack nodded their greetings, while Stella and Angell raised their eyebrows at her.

"Nice to see you back again," Stella said.

"You sure were gone a while," Angell observed, leaning in closer so their conversation wouldn't be overheard by the rest of the table. "Feeling a little better now, are we? A little more merry? Did a certain someone put the jingle back in your bells?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lindsay said primly, taking her seat, her cheeks blushing slightly under their careful scrutiny.

"Uh huh," Angell chuckled, sharing a knowing look with Stella. "Sure you don't."

Lindsay glared at the pair of them, "Get your minds out of the gutter, you two. You're terrible."

"Whatever you say," Stella said, smirking at her. "But if I may say, that's a mighty fine hickey you've got there. Very festive."

"What?" Lindsay said, her hand flying up to her neck.

"Gotcha!" Stella chuckled and Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, there's nothing there. I'm sure you've got Danny well trained by now not to leave any evidence behind."

"You are such a bitch," Lindsay muttered.

"You know for someone who just got laid, you're awfully grumpy," Angell teased. "Danny not doing it for you anymore?"

"You watch your mouth," Lindsay said, a smirk spreading across her face. "Danny does it for me just fine, thank you very much. Better than fine, actually. Absolutely amazing, if you must know."

"Alright, that's it," Stella said, grabbing both Lindsay and Angell by their hands and dragging them up from the table. "Excuse us, boys. We're going to go get some drinks." She linked her arms through those of her friends, manoeuvring them over to the table where the food and beverages were laid out, ladling out cupfuls of punch for the three of them before turning to Lindsay expectantly. "Now, spill. What happened? We need details."

Lindsay scoffed in derision at her request. "Oh, no. No way. I'm not one to kiss and tell."

"Bull. Now talk," Stella pressed. "Don't forget, we are highly skilled investigators. We will get it out of you eventually."

Lindsay sighed in resignation, looking up at her friends through lowered eyelashes. She really did want to tell them… not about the sex, but about what Danny had said to her. What they had finally said to one another.

"Well, I followed him to the locker room… he was going to get changed out of the suit," she began, Angell and Stella nodding their heads, urging her to continue. "And, um… we kissed and then… and then…" She paused, taking a deep breath, "...hesaidhelovesme."

"I'm sorry, what?" Angell asked, cocking her head inquiringly.

"Yeah, I didn't catch that," Stella agreed. "One more time, a little slower please."

Her cheeks flushing hot pink, Lindsay smiled shyly at her friends. "He… he said he loves me."

The two faces staring back at her were absolutely priceless. It took a moment for her words to sink in, much as it had taken her some time to process it when Danny had first spoken those three magic words to her.

"He… he said what?" Stella asked. "Did… did you just say… he said he loves you?" Lindsay nodded her head and Stella turned to Angell, the two of them sharing incredulous looks.

"Danny said that?" Angell clarified. "Our Danny? Danny Messer?" Again, Lindsay nodded, her smile stretching across her face. "Wow," Angell said, shaking her head and grinning at Lindsay. "Just... wow."

"And what did you say?" Stella inquired.

Lindsay bit her lip, her blush intensifying. "I said I loved him too."

"Oh, honey!" Stella crowed, pulling her into a tight hug. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! Oh, I'm so happy for you! Both of you!"

"Congratulations, Linds," Angell said, taking her turn to hug Lindsay. "Good for you. Danny's a great guy."

"Yeah. He really is," Lindsay agreed, sipping her drink, trying to keep her hands from shaking with her excitement. She had never thought in a million years that she would find love when she moved to New York, much less with someone like Danny – the man who had lived to torment and tease her during her first few months on the job.

"Well, speak of the devil," Stella said, nudging Lindsay with her elbow. She turned to look over her shoulder, her already impossibly wide smile brightening even further as Danny surreptitiously slipped through the doors, his eyes scanning the room, his smile almost as ridiculous as hers when he saw her staring back at him. He nodded at her, giving her a little wink before he began to make his way over to her.

Her smile faltered momentarily when he paused, eyeing the three women who had braved her wrath to sit on Santa's lap. He shook his head, smiling at Lindsay as he continued on his way toward where she was standing with Stella Bonasera and Jessica Angell. "Hey, baby," he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Stella. Jess. You guys having fun?"

"Absolutely," Stella said, Angell nodding her agreement.

"What was that about?" Lindsay asked, glancing over his shoulder at the gaggle of women.

"Well… I was thinking about asking if I could borrow their mistletoe," he admitted sheepishly. "You know, give me a good excuse to plant a big fat kiss on you in public… But I thought it might be kind of mean."

"Who cares?" Lindsay said, giving Danny a playful shove back toward the three women. "Got get that mistletoe, mister."

"Bad, bad girl," he murmured, reaching out and cupping the back of her head in his hand as he pulled her closer, pressing his lips to hers in a soft and loving kiss. "Lucky for you, I don't actually need the mistletoe," he said, giving her a lopsided grin. "Merry Christmas, Montana. Love you, babe."

Lindsay smiled up at him, kissing his cheek before she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close and nestling against his chest. "Love you too, Danny," she sighed. She glanced over at Stella and Angell who were staring back at them with wistful smiles on their faces. "Don't you two have anything better to do?" she giggled. "Go on, leave us alone."

"Spoilsport," Angell said, sticking out her tongue.

"I'm still going to want those details, Lindsay," Stella whispered before walking away. "Don't think that telling us about the 'L-word' gets you off the hook!"

"Details about what?" Danny asked.

"Oh, just girl stuff," Lindsay replied.

"You know what? I don't think I want to know."

"You definitely don't," Lindsay assured him.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Danny asked. "You hungry?"

"I could stand to rustle up some grub," Lindsay replied, taking Danny by the hand and leading him over to where the food was laid out.

"God, I love it when you talk country," Danny said, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as she filled a plate with food. "It's so fucking hot. Tell me more."

"Shut up," she said, elbowing him in the ribs, "Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not. I'm totally serious," he said, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "I wanna hear all about whitlin' on the porch and huntin' and jiggin' frogs down by the crick…"

"Ass," she huffed, picking up a devilled egg and stuffing it in his mouth to shut him up. "You better be careful or you won't get your treat. Santa or no Santa."

"You don't mean that," he said, having chewed and swallowed her diversion, tightening his grip around her waist. "You love it."

"I really do," she sighed, leaning back against him. Her plate full, she turned and smiled up at him. "I love you, Danny."

"Never gets old," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Love you too."

"Danny?"

"Yeah, babe?"

She grinned at him, pointing up above his head. "Look."

He looked up, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Well, will you look at that. Mistletoe. Now who put that there?"

"Does it matter?" she asked, setting her plate down on the table and fisting her hands in the front of his shirt, pulling him close and kissing him firmly.

"Merry Christmas, Danny," she sighed, smiling at him after breaking their kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Montana," he replied, taking her hand in his and leading her back to the table to join their friends.

So there you go. Wow, looking back, it's kind of an epic one-shot, if I do say so myself! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, and that it left you feeling a little bit naughty and a little bit nice.

I have a few more little short stories on the Christmas theme, and I will do my best to edit them and get them up before the big day on Saturday.

If you liked this one, please feel free to leave me a little something in my stocking by way of a review!

Merry Christmas!

*rhymes*

December 19, 2010