Story Notes: This was the first fic I ever wrote. The hosting site was taken down a while back. I am posting it here as originally posted. I thought about touching it up but decided to let it stand as I did 15 years ago.

DISCLAIMER: They are not mine, I do not own them. I did however take them out for a ride, but I promise we were all home and in bed by midnight.

Everyone else had gone to bed, leaving Tony and Angela alone by the tree. This happens every year. No one ever said a word; the others just sort of drifted off, leaving Tony and Angela alone, as the night came to a close. And every year, as the fire began to die and the smell of holiday cooking still lingered in the air, Tony and Angela would exchange presents.

Early in the day they would open gifts from each other with the rest of the family, standard holiday fair… hats, gloves, picture frames. But this late night present was special, it spoke the feelings they could not find a voice for any other time of the year. If the family ever noticed these gifts later, they said nothing. They never asked about the heart shaped diamond pendant necklace or the silver hair combs Angela had acquired over the years. Never asked Tony about the Italian Leather jacket or the silver chain he had taken to wearing. They let these things pass unspoken of, a way of acknowledging the growing intimacy the two of them shared.

As Tony excused himself to go get them some tea, Angela sat by the fire lost in thought about the gift she was planning to give Tony, and whether it was too much, whether the step she was ready to take was too big a step to ask him to take with her. If he could not accept this gift, she could not return it. She could not take back what it would put between them. But would he be able to accept it? Would he understand how hard it was for her to offer this to him? What it meant for her to admit to him, and to herself, that strong, independent Angela Bower, single mother, business owner, self sufficient Angela Bower, needed someone. Needed him. To love, to hold, to share her life with, to laugh with, to cry with, to fight with, to be her retreat when the world had become too much to bear. Would he accept the gift of her heart as she placed it in his hands, trusting him to handle it with the same care that she would bestow upon his? Because, for him to accept her gift, her love, meant that he must give his in return, that he must be willing to entrust his heart to her. Would he be able to do that, to trust her like that, to open him self up to her and say, yes, this is what I want, you are what I want. All along she had been certain that he would accept her offer, and only now, with the moment upon her, did she question it.

So engrossed was she, in her musings, that she started a bit when Tony absently touched he shoulder to hand her some tea.

"Ay, oh Angela, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Tony, just thinking."

"Good thoughts I hope," he said, as he sat down next to her.

"They are." She smiled, as she took a sip of her tea to try and calm the army of butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach.

They sat for a moment, the fire warming them almost as much as the comfortable silence that passed between them. Angela looked at the fire, the tree with newly opened gifts still stacked beneath it, the stockings hung on the mantel, all evidence of the family and the love that they had grown together, and then, finally, she looked at the man across from her. Feeling her eyes upon him, he met her gaze and they shared a long look, a look full of love and understanding and of an intense longing that was as painful as it was pleasant.

Like the night itself, this happened every year. They stared and they wondered and they sat unmoving, just looking into each other, with an intensity that made even breathing difficult. And that stillness was filled with thoughts; thoughts of what they had been and what they had turned into, but mostly of what they could become to each other, with each other. In that moment, there were no kids, no work, no reasons that made any sense that they shouldn't allow themselves to admit their love for one another. It was just the two of them, Tony and Angela. And for that brief time they each allowed themselves to imagine what could be, what they so desperately wanted to be to and for each other, but what, to this point, they had always denied themselves. And eventually, when the intensity of the moment had become too much, one of them would stir just enough to break the spell they had cast over each other and the world and the reasons and their fears would come crashing back down between them.

This year it was Tony who brought them back to reality. He blinked, briefly looked away and then cleared his throat and turned to reach under the tree. When he sat back up he had in his hand the signature small blue box with a white ribbon that meant Tiffany's.

"Ay, oh...looks like Santa forgot this one. I wonder who it's for."

"I wonder, "replied Angela has he set it in her lap. She put down her mug and began to untie the ribbon, her fears about her gift to him slipping from her mind momentarily. She had assumed it was jewelry from the shape and size of the box, but her breath caught when she saw the bracelet inside. Diamonds, inlaid in an intricate lacing of18k gold, sparkled in the dark room as the reflected firelight danced across them. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked down at it. She had come to expect something special from him, but this was not just special, it was extravagant, it was breathtaking and it was too much for a gift between friends. She thought again about her fears that he might not be ready, but this gift caused her to hope that she had been right in thinking the time had come.. That they were past being best friends and ready to head toward something else, something new and exciting and full of the promise of Christmas after Christmas spent just like this, exchanging gifts late at night in the quiet of their home. If she expected and wanted him to accept her gift, she most certainly could accept his.

"So? Do you like it?"

Startled, she looked up at him, still unable to find words. Sensing her unease, he continued, "I know it's a lot but see, I wanted to get you something as beautiful as you are, and well…this is as close as I could get." As he spoke a single tear rolled down her cheek. He reached out and brushed it away with his thumb, lightly cupping the side of her face at the same time. Then he asked again, "Do you like it?"

This time she found her voice and answered him. "Oh Tony, it's beautiful. You shouldn't have...I mean... but… it must have cost you a fortune."

"You ain't kiddin' and by the way I'm gonna need to talk to you about a raise," He laughed, but then added sweetly, "I'd sure like to see it on you."

"Oh, of course. Would you mind," she asked as she handed him the bracelet and held out her wrist. He fastened the clasp and she slowly turned her wrist, watching the lights reflect off of the bracelets shining surface. "Oh Tony, thank you…I don't know what to say."

"Say you like it…that's all I wanted."

"Oh Tony, I love it."

They sat there in silence a while longer as she admired the bracelet and he admired her. When she looked up again and met his big brown eyes, she knew that the time had come to offer her gift to him. She could think of no other way to do it, so she looked at him and just started talking.

"Tony, you are the most wonderful man I have ever known. Since you came into my life you have taught me to take people as they come, to take life and myself less seriously, to cherish my family and to play at least as hard as I work. You have been a father to my son, given me the chance to be a mother to your daughter and helped to heal the wounds left by my divorce. You have taught me to trust again, and to forgive, when necessary, when to stand and fight and when it's best just to walk away. With you I am stronger and weaker, and happier and sadder than I have ever been in my life and I want to have that all the time." She stood, took his hands and pulled him to his feet as well. "Tony I could think of only one thing to give you this year and it is a selfish gift. Please forgive me."

As he rose to his feet he swallowed hard and said, "What are you doin' here Angela? I mean what are you sayin'?" She took a step forward, closing the gap between them. And there, silhouetted by the fire, she looked him in the eyes and offered her gift.

"Tony Micelli, my gift to you, if you will accept it, is me. I am offering you my heart and soul for the rest of my life. And I am doing it because I love you. I love you more than I ever knew I could love anyone. I love who I am when we are together and I want you with me always. It is a selfish request, because it's really for me, but when we are together I could swear you feel the same way, at least I hope you do, but I don't know. And I need to know, because I need you. I know this is sudden and if you need to think about it I understand and if you…."

Tony interrupted her, "Ay oh, Angela, stop talkin' will ya."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." He said and then stood quiet for a moment, avoiding her eyes.

Angela's heart sank. What she had feared would happen was happening. She had gone too far and he was going to tell her he wasn't ready. She tried to prepare herself for this and waited for him to continue.

But he did not speak. Instead, he took her chin in his hand and met her eyes once more. And when he did she saw his tears, but what's more, she saw in his eyes all of the love that she had hoped would be there waiting for her. And it was no longer buried deep beneath the surface, but instead radiated from him. He did not have to say a word, she knew that he was accepting her gift, and giving her the same gift in return. "Yeah?" she said, in a short nervous laugh and wiped away a lone tear that had escaped to roll down his cheek.

"You betcha life!" he said, as he smiled at her and then slowly lowered his mouth to hers. The touch of his lips on hers was soft and genuine and filled with promise. Just one brief, delicate kiss, and then he pulled away, sat back down and pulled her to the couch with him. "But can I make a request?" he asked.

"Sure Tony, anything."

"Well, Angela, as much as I love my gift, and, madonna mia, believe me, I looove my gift, I really like to unwrap my presents."

"Tony!"

"Ay oh, that's not what I meant. But now that you mention it…"

"In your dreams." She said and playfully swatted his shoulder.

"You have no idea!"

They continued on like this through out the night, talking and laughing and enjoying their new relationship. And, as the sun rose and they were still awake, they started breakfast for everyone. And one by one, as the family came in to eat, everybody noticed Angela's beautiful new bracelet and nobody said a word. And when Tony and Angela exchanged a kiss at the stove as she retrieved a second cup of coffee, everybody noticed, and nobody said a word.