Disclaimer: Still not mine... Yetness!

A/N: SOOOOOOO sorry for the lateness. School, homework, everythings' a big mess. But I hope my faithful readers are still out there! hugglez So... please review!

"This is your den?" House gazed around the room, slightly stunned. "It's…different from ours."

The den did seem quite elegant. There were two black leather sofas, facing towards each other. Three matching reclining armchairs were placed carefully alongside the sofas, creating a circle. Within this circle stood a platform.

"That's what Angela uses to create 3 dimensional images. We use it when we need to recreate what a victim may have looked like," Bones explained, noticing the perplexed looks upon the faces of their two guests. Cameron and House merely nodded, still observing.

The floor was black and white tile, which was not at all scuffed. The windows were drawn shut, covered by black curtains. It was a very retro room.

"But… no decorations?" stated Cameron, turning around to face the others.

Zack shook his head. "No. But we did make them last year. And we may have some stuff around here…"

Booth nodded. "Okay. We need a plan. Hodgins, Zack, go find the decorations. Allison… House, you two can go find some stuff in the kitchen. It's just down the hall, right Angela? Bones and I will snag the cots and blankets. Angela…" He paused as he gazed at the young woman. "You plan… Christmas stuff. I don't know… Go with Zack and Jack."
With that, they all separated.

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"Cameron."

She ignored him, looking into the fridge and pulling out some foil wrapped objects.

"Cameron."
She gritted her teeth, but continued to ignore. She gazed at a container filled with…mashed potatoes?

She felt a hand on backside, causing her to whip around, her cheeks a brilliant shade of scarlet. "House!" she snarled, the volume of her voice rising dramatically. "What the Hell?"

He simply grinned nastily. "Now you know that you should never ignore me. I was trying to talk to you."
"Yeah, what is it?" Her voice was frosty.

"What do you think of all this?" He waved his hand around vaguely. "You know, trapped in the... Jeffersonian, right, with a bunch of other strangers. On Christmas Eve."

Cameron paused to think. "I think it happened for a reason," she said quietly. She turned around so her back was to him, and she began unwrapping the foil. "I don't know why. But… it feels as though it happened for a reason."

House gazed at her curiously. "I never knew you were so… philosophical. And you're not religious."
"You don't have to be religious to believe that things happen for a reason. It's called Karma. And you should know all about that, House." Cameron washed her hands and began to organize the odd selection of food before her.

"What do you mean?"
The immunologist sighed, turning to face her superior. Her dress swirled around her as she did so. "You save lives, House. And for the past few years you've lived your life in… in pain. But then something horrible happens to you… And you turn out better than ever." She pulled out a butcher knife and began to cut up some vegetables. "You saved people, and got something in return."

"Hm… That explains quite a lot about Michel Jackson. That counts as bad Karma, doesn't it?"

Cameron released a snort of laughter, then cursed. "Damn!" She dropped the knife, gripping her finger.
House rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Let me see." He took her bleeding finger in his own calloused hands. "You're lucky that you did this here," he said with a smirk. "When you're surrounded by doctors." Cameron allowed him to run her hand under cold water, cleaning it. The bleeding stopped.

They both noted that they were quite close. So they pulled away.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes had been watching.

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"Ack! Bones!" Booth struggled to lift all the cots. "Bones, some help!"

Bones paid no mind to her struggling partner. She was gazing around the storage room, shaking her head. "Isn't it kind of weird that this is our second Christmas trapped?"
Booth heaved a gasp, and dropped the cots. "I don't know, Bones. Maybe the man upstairs just needs a reason to laugh."
Temperance raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know Catholics joked about their religion."

Booth rolled his eyes. "Just because a person is religious doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humor."
Brennan blinked, cocking her head to the side. "Right. Says the man who got uptight when I stated that Jesus rose from the dead in three days."
"Jesus is not a zombie!" he snapped angrily, causing her to grin.
"Whatever Booth… Do you need help with those?" she asked, gazing as he once again struggled with the cots.
"Wow, Bones. I don't know," he told her sarcastically, causing her to give him a confused glance. "Just help me," he said gruffly, and she did just that.

But they too were being watched by a pair of bright eyes.

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"We seem to have another pair that are blissfully unaware of their feelings."
Angela returned to scoff, noting that neither Zack nor Hodgins had been able to untangle the Christmas lights. "My God, give them here." She snatched the clump of lights away from the boys, and began to work on them herself.

Zack blinked innocently at Angela, he himself unaware of what she was talking about. "Huh?"

Hodgins rolled his eyes, glaring venomously at the lights in Angela's hands. "She means Dr. House and Allison."

Zack gazed at Hodgins for a moment. "Them? Together? Feeling things for each other?" He shook his head. "He's so… old!"

Angela grinned. "No he's not. Not that old. Grow up, Zacky." She tossed him the now untangled lights, smirking. "I have a plan, and I need the help of two brilliant…" She paused to glance at Hodgins. "Of two good friends of mine." She wrapped one arm around each of their necks.
"What is your twisted mind plotting, Ange?" Hodgins asked. "Because you know how much I like evil schemes."

Angela released the two boys and seated herself carefully upon a sofa. "It's Christmas Eve and we're all trapped in here. We have two pairs of people who have no idea that they love each other. Brennan and Booth." She held up one finger. "And House and Allison." She held up another. "We, my friends, are going to get them together. Now, here's the plan."

"Oh my God…" Cameron, House, Bones, and Booth arrived at the lounge at the same time, and were stunned by the sheer beauty of how it was now decorated.

White lights hung from the windows and tables that were scattered around. Angela had created a virtual Christmas, fully decorated and glittering. It was massive, from the floor to the ceiling. Tinsel had been scattered over the floor, while a sled of reindeer pulling Santa now occupied the bench below the large curtained window. And then out walked Angela, her arms overflowing with red and green objects.

"Ta da!" she said cheerfully, a grin spreading over her face. "I found 'em!" She revealed what was clumped in her arms. Hats. Santa and elf hats.

"No, Angela," said Booth, shaking his head.

"Come on, Booth. You took my hat last Christmas. Now, put them on." She shoved at Santa Claus hat into the hands of both Booth and House. Booth pulled it on sheepishly, while House glared at it, as though it were a cockroach that just wouldn't die.

"And these for the ladies," Angela chirped, placing an elf hat upon the heads of both Temperance and Cameron. And finally, she put one on herself. Cameron stood there in shock, but Bones spoke, pulling it off her head.
"Did you put Zack and Jack through this?" she questioned, holding the hat in a clenched hand.
Angela snorted with laughter. "Actually… No."
And then they came out. And the rest of the group howled with laughter.

Santa Claus and his elf.

Hodgins wore a Santa suit, which enveloped his body. But he somehow pulled it off. His costume wasn't so bad, but Zack…

The poor boy wore green tights. Green tights. And some type of frilly sleeved top. He wore his own elf hat and on his feet were brown shoes, which curled upwards at the tips.

As Cameron leaned on Angela for support, House wiped away the tears in his eyes. "If you guys go through that," he said, still howling with laughter. "Then wearing this hat is fine." He pulled it onto his head, grinning like a little boy.

Hodgins gritted his teeth. "The things we do for you, Angela," he growled angrily.

Zack merely twitched. "I've been scarred for life," he said, not moving.
Angela grinned, wrapping her arm around his neck. "Aw, get over it, Zack. Jack, give it to 'em." Hodgins did just that. He revealed a bag, and pulled out small bits of paper. Handing one to each of them, Angela explained.

"We're doing the same as last year. Secret Santa. But with total participation." Her eyes lingered upon Bones, House, and Cameron. Bones shifted beneath her best friend's gaze.

"Secret Santa?" Cameron repeated, glancing down at her slip of paper. It read, "Temperance Brennan." She smiled slightly.

"What, Cameron? Don't have any idea what Secret Santa is?" He smirked as he rolled her eyes. But as his eyes fell onto his paper, he restrained a curse. "Allison Cameron."

Angela's lips curved into a smile. "So, everyone know who they're doing?"
House shot her a look of sheer disgust.

"I mean… Who you are Secret Santa…ing? Good. Now go on. Aly, I'll take care of dinner. You work on your… gift."
Cameron nodded, then turned to House. "So, excited now? We've got something to entertain us, now." House rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm someone's Secret Santa. I don't even know what they like."
Cameron's lips curved into a smile. "I'm sure you'll find something. You always do." And she walked off, just like that.