Angel accompanied Foreman to work the next day; it was the day of the Secret Santa exchange, and she was giddy. Everyone was glad to see her in good spirits, though she was clearly thinner and paler as each week went by. They sat around the conference table, though House told Angel where she had to sit, and the team snickered a little. "Okay...what's the joke?" Taub motioned to her to look above her. There was a giant branch of mistletoe right over her. "Ha ha, very funny," Angel said with a smirk.

Foreman didn't look too pleased until he saw color in Angel's cheeks. "Ok then, I get first dibs," he said and gave Angel a long, passionate kiss until everyone in the room was blushing.

"Hey get a room," House said, rethinking his plot. Foreman and Angel came up for air and she giggled.

"What did I miss?" Wilson said, rushing in with a few packages.

"Just mushy stuff," House complained.

No one complained that Angel had technically broken the rules of the exchange. She gave Taub and Chase bags of homemade muffin mix, with a picture of a busty woman holding a tray of muffins on the front. "So you don't go into withdrawal," Angel said. Despite Foreman right there, both men invoked the power of the mistletoe and got a nice kiss on the lips from Angel. Taub blushed a deep red, which got a good-hearted laugh from Angel.

She handed Hadley her gift, the one she actually picked from the hat. Angel had been knitting up a storm—Hadley rubbed the scarf in shades of green against her cheek and wrapped it around her neck. The crystals Angel had tied on the end matched the sparkle in her eyes. "I love this, Angel, thank you," Hadley said, giving Angel a long kiss that had the guys speechless.

"Thank you," murmured Angel, blushing and looking down for a moment. If she weren't with Foreman….

The exchange continued when the men could finally speak. It was nearly done, and House acted like it was time to go join the holiday party downstairs. "Hey, what about Angel?" Foreman piped up. She was still smiling but it was a little forced. She hadn't wanted to say anything but Foreman always looked out for her.

"Oh okay I guess you might want this," House sighed in a joking tone, and slid a pale blue box with a white ribbon down the table to her. Angel and Hadley's eyes got wide. Every girl knew a box like that came from Tiffany's. Angel's fingers were shaking a bit as she undid the ribbon and slowly removed the lid of the box.

Wilson glanced over at House and was pleased to see a hint of an excited grin on his face; he was trying to hide it with his coffee mug but Wilson knew him too well.

Angel took out a silver charm bracelet, tears already brimming as she looked up at him, barely able to whisper, "Oh, House!" Everyone drew closer to see it. There was a heart on one end with a diamond, engraved, as Angel read aloud, To Angel, Love, House.

"It was supposed to say From House," he griped, but he fooled no one, as his eyes sparkled along with Angel's.

There was also an angel charm and a cane charm which made her laugh. "They say it's a candy cane but we know better," House said with a wink. Each charm had a small diamond. "It's going to be so easy buying you gifts from now on." Angel started getting up but he motioned to her to stay put.

House came over and suddenly realized the awkward situation he'd put himself in. He had to think fast; he couldn't kiss her on the lips. Not with the way he felt about her. "You know, I have a tickle in my throat and in case I'm sick—"

"That's okay House. Thank you so much, it's beautiful. I'll treasure this always." She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, which he returned. She wished she could hug him longer but with the team watching she knew he wasn't ready for that.

"I'm glad you like it." House smiled and went back to his seat. "Okay, everyone else, go party or whatever."

There were more hugs and kisses shared as the team left, knowing she and Foreman were taking a break for the holidays. Hadley admired her bracelet and gave House a curious glance. The whole team was abuzz, actually, at House's attitude and behavior towards Angel. There was no doubt how much in love she was with Foreman and he with her. But House was definitely acting more than a friend. Still, as they filed out, they thought better to keep quiet. Rile him up right before the holidays, and they'd find themselves working over New Year's Eve.

"I have something for you and James," Angel said after the rest had left. They came and sat by her. "I know it's not much," she began with a shrug. They both shushed her. Wilson opened his first and laughed—it was a silk tie, hand painted with ducks on it. He definitely took advantage of the mistletoe and gave her a kiss that made her remember their times together. Wilson looked sheepishly at Foreman.

Wilson handed Angel a small gift—it was a photo of her with House, on Thanksgiving, when they were jamming together. "Oh, this is great! It will fit on my nightstand." She gave him a kiss back, and was blushing after. She squeezed Foreman's hand to let him know this was all in fun and he finally relaxed.

Angel handed her gift to House. When he unwrapped it, he was quiet for a moment, but his eyes spoke volumes. "Angel, I….this is really great. I'm going to put it by the piano." She had sketched House and Wilson together; someone took a photo at a conference and when she saw it, Angel knew it was perfect. He gave her a tight hug and she could swear a light kiss brushed her cheek. "Now, you kids get out of here, go enjoy your holiday."

"House do you and James have plans for tonight and tomorrow? If not—" Angel began.

"Ahh we're just going to hang out at the loft. But thanks for the invite." House shooed them out, but not before Wilson nagged her about taking care of herself.

"That was really a nice gift you got for Angel, House. Much more than the agreed upon amount," Wilson commented when it was just the two of them packing up for home.

"Hmph." House avoided looking at him, but he didn't look unhappy in Wilson's opinion.

"You're really serious about this…..parenting thing aren't you? Well I have to say you're pretty good at it. She lit up when she saw that bracelet. And don't tell me that inscription was a mistake." Wilson wasn't about to let him go.

"Don't you have to go light some candles or spin a top?" House sounded gruff but he was smiling. He was getting the hang of this dad thing. Truth be told he wouldn't have minded spending the holidays with Angel, but he knew she needed some time with Foreman.

XXXXX

Foreman noticed how tired she looked, so they decided they'd just meander through the party to the front door and go home. Angel wanted to watch a bunch of Christmas movies tonight, so she was going to take a nap. He had her in a wheelchair and she was waving at the many nurses and staff who knew her. "Angel! Dr. Foreman!" They heard Cuddy call them. She was holding Rachel, looking adorable in her red holiday dress.

"Hello Dr. Cuddy, hi Rachel," Angel cooed at the toddler. Rachel reached out for Angel who just couldn't resist fussing over her. Rachel spotted the charm bracelet immediately and touched it gently with her tiny fingers.

"My, what a gorgeous bracelet! Early gift from Eric?" Cuddy asked, happy that Rachel and Angel got along.

"Actually…..it's from House," Angel said, seeing the look change on Cuddy's face from festive to befuddled.

"Well, it certainly is lovely,"Cuddy replied, her demeanor shifting towards jealousy. As though Rachel could sense it, she started to fuss. Angel handed her back. "Merry Christmas, enjoy your time off," she said with a stiff smile, and walked off to chat with a nurse.

As they stepped outside, Foreman commented, "Wow, it got cold in there real fast didn't it?"

"Eric, it's not her fault. She doesn't know what's going on. No one does. Well, maybe James. I just don't want to push House. I know how he feels; he's just not ready to say it yet. I can wait, and I can put up with the questioning looks and stares. It will be worth it," Angel said, smiling, putting Foreman's hand against her cheek. "You were certainly a good sport in there," she giggled.

"Yeah, well….I know who you are going to bed with tonight," he growled in that way that made her body shiver in a delicious way.

XXXXX

Angel was in full-blown tears by the end of "It's a Wonderful Life." Foreman watched her, absolutely clueless what to do. "Um, baby, it's a happy movie. Are you okay?" He handed her a tissue, and she laughed through her tears.

"It's my favorite Christmas movie. And it really has new meaning for me this year. Last year, no tree, no friends, no gifts, nothing. You could say I wanted to find a bridge, just like George. And now…there's so much to live for. You for one," she said, burrowing deeper into his arms and nuzzling kisses along his neck.

They turned off the television so the room was only lit by the Christmas tree. Angel continued to kiss him until…"Eric! It's snowing!" Angel's eyes reflected all the lights so they looked like they were dancing with joy. Sure enough, by the light of the moon and street lights, he could see the first flakes twirling down.

"You want to go out, don't you," he laughed. But the look on her face had changed to that of uncertainty. "What is it?"

"I-I haven't told you lately but I've started remembering bits of my past without hypnosis. After my father died, we didn't celebrate Christmas. But I loved the snow. And one night—the first snow—I slipped outside, even though I wasn't supposed to. I didn't have my coat or shoes, I was so excited. I was twirling around until I heard a laugh and the clicking of the lock on the front door….my stepfather….he locked me out and left me there." Angel's breathing became shallow and she shuddered, remembering the cold.

Foreman was horrified. "How did you survive?"

She took a deep breath. "Apparently a dog wandering around found me. The owners found the dog curled up around me. Saved my life. I woke up in the hospital. My grandfather was there. He promised he'd take care of me, that nothing bad would ever happen again. But he died. And I don't know what happened to me after that."

"Stay put," Foreman said. When he returned, he was carrying Angel's shoes. He reached behind the tree for a big box. "I was planning on giving this to you tomorrow, but I think you need this right now."

Angel opened it to find a dark magenta coat, with faux fur at the neck and sleeves. Her face beamed as she put it on, feeling the warm plush wrap around her like one of his hugs. "Eric, it's perfect," she whispered as he helped her with her shoes.

Slowly she walked hand in hand with Foreman down to the sidewalk. Angel closed her eyes, feeling the tiny flakes dampen her face. He laughed when she stuck her tongue out to taste the snow. Then, giving him an impish look, she slowly twirled, holding her hands out, feeling the snow fall on her, melting away when they touched her skin, and melting away some of the hurt from her past.

Breaths steaming, they kissed until they heard a distant church bell ring, signaling midnight. "Merry Christmas, my love," Foreman whispered into her ear. She held onto him, too emotional for words.

When they returned inside, Angel was already yawning from the day's excitement. But when she saw the mistletoe hanging over the bed, she laughed hard. "It's a coincidence, but hey, useful," Foreman said, kissing her tenderly before she slipped into some warm pajamas.

They lay in bed together, cuddled tight, out of need for warmth as well as their love. "Gosh I feel too excited to sleep, like I'm waiting for Santa," Angel giggled.

"You know, you're halfway done with chemo," Foreman said, his heart glad. "Have you thought about what you want to do then? Like, I don't know…."

She turned to him, cupping his face. "Like where I want to live? I know this started as a way to care for me, but I want more. I want you in my life. Not just now, not just in 3 months." She was serious now, hoping he felt the same.

Foreman sighed and smiled, relieved. "I am so glad to hear you say that. I wouldn't mind beyond that. Maybe….permanently?"

Angel leaned up on an elbow. "Eric Foreman, is that a proposal?" Her heart was racing.

"N-no. Unless you want it to be." They both stared up at the ceiling.

"I do want to marry you, Eric; I just don't think I'm ready yet. There's still so much we don't know about my past, so much we don't know about each other. Like….do you want children?" Angel bit her lip, listening to him breathe beside her.

"You know what Wilson said," Foreman reminded her softly.

"I know. But miracles happen. Or we could adopt, or a surrogate….Unless you don't—"

"No, I do. I see you with Rachel, or some of the kids in oncology and I know what an incredible mother you would be." Foreman took her hand and kissed it.

Angel let out a soft laugh. "Well, that's a good sign that we're compatible. And you're letting me get a cat. And you watch chick flicks with me and let me cry. Damn, Eric, why has no one snatched you up yet?" He could see her large grin before she kissed him hard, and then soothing his lips with her tongue.

He chuckled. "Guess the Good Lord knew someone else was waiting for me," he said, returning the kiss, and then running his lips down her neck, smiling when he heard her sigh.

"Thanks for waiting. I don't know what I'd do without you," she murmured sleepily. Angel began to dream of sleigh bells, of tiny hoof beats, and the flutter of angel wings with the laughter of two small happy cherubs.