Anna and the students have worked tirelessly to create a Christmas banquet. She has made this a final grade for the semester.

The students create a gingerbread mansion, and using their various gifts have created an edible winter wonderland for the other staff and students to enjoy. This is a formal party of sorts, and for all the students with parents unable to provide formal attire, a few of the talented students help make formal gowns with the help of Meggan, who has shown a remarkable gift for fashion design and creation. Some of the girls are a little leery of wearing a handmade gown. Anna, knowing Meggan's tendency to be oversensitive, asks the girl to make a gown for her. When the others see meggan's work, they are eager to have her make their gowns as well. Anna takes on an extra part-time job with an entertainment company to help provide the materials needed.

There is the gingerbread mansion, a drink fountain made to look like the fountain in the formal gardens, and all manner of holiday foods and treats in fantastic holiday shapes. Bobby assists with an ice sculpture for the occasion, and many of the other students have assisted with the decorations.

Although they are proud and excited about the work done for the party, anna's students are exhausted, and before long are dozing in chairs and couches around the main dining room.

Outside the main dining room, a horde of chattering children gabbled and fidgeted excitedly as they waited for the doors to open. Decked in colorful formal and semi-formal attire, they all looked older and much more mature than their teen and "Tween" years. Hank watched them all with bemused fascination, thinking them not unlike the hundreds of guests at the President's formal holiday party the previous week. Although he had to admit that these party goers' jollity and excitement was infinitely more innocent and pure than that of his fellow politicians and their entourages. It was refreshing and a much more pleasant atmosphere to be part of. At least he didn't have to worry about the motivations of this particular group of revelers.

The door he was leaning against bumped into him and he hurriedly stepped away. A Grinning Ororo stepped out of the dining hall to announce the beginning of the Xavier's Institute Holiday party. Immediately all of the students refocused on her and quieted. She smiled and directed the organization of the group into a two-by-two line. Once they were ready, she returned to the head of the line and rejoined her old friend.

Hank took her hands and held them outspread so he could admire her gown. It was a stunning piece, Elegant and sophisticated that flattered her athletic figure beautifully. It was ingeniously designed to appear to be a tuxedo with a form-fitting floor-length skirt that flared out below the knee. Her pristine hair had been slicked back into a 1920's style with the elegant finger waves and a feathered and beaded barrette pinned to the side.

"My dear, you look stunning."

She smiled and stepped into his arms. "As always, you look wonderful, Hank," She kissed his cheek and gave him a mischievous grin. "But Anna looks even better." She said with a wink.

At the mention of her name, his heart sped up and he felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. Unconsciously his hand slipped into his pocket and he nervously fingered the tiny leather box hidden there. Excitement, nervousness and a hint of worry welled up within him, and he had to take a deep breath to steady himself.

He tugged at his collar, straightened his jacket and offered Ororo his arm. She chuckled and shook her head at his fidgeting and patted his arm reassuringly. "It's good to see you so smitten Hank. You deserve it."

Touched, he kissed her hand and murmured his heartfelt thanks. They then turned to the doors.

Hank reached out and rapped sharply on the doors. At this prearranged signal, the twin sets of double doors opened wide to reveal the results of two months of the students' work. As they entered, they were greeted with a feathery snowfall (courtesy of Robert). The Windows were artfully frosted and mounds of seemingly fresh-fallen snow lay in piles just outside. Around the edges of the room, dozens of tables and chairs had been set up, and central on each was a beautifully made edible centerpiece. Near the Kitchen, several tables sat, heavily laden with a mouth-watering array of Holiday dishes from around the world. The sound of students inhaling deeply of those enticing aromas could be heard clearly over the thematic music playing low in the background.

In a corner opposite the kitchen, a low platform had been set up for the DJ, and spread out in front of it was a confectionary masterpiece; a gingerbread, icing and candy recreation of the mansion and its surrounding grounds. Students and faculty alike would later gather around the sculpture, sighing with awe and some would reach out a careful finger to brush against the lovingly recreated memorial markers for Professor Xavier, Jean Gray, and Scott Summers.

A wide, open square of the floor had been left clear for dancing. There stood the group of students whose hard work and dedication was about to be fussed over and eventually devoured. Each student stood before the masterpiece(s) he or she had created, looking both immensely proud of their accomplishment, and simultaneously horrified at the realization that it was all meant to be eaten.

At the forefront of the welcoming culinary artists stood Robert and Anna, who led the applause for all of her students' hard work.

When Hank's eyes fell upon her, he stopped dead in his tracks. She seemed a princess straight out of a fairy tale. She wore an strapless, A-line gown of pale green silk with a pair of long, flowing strips of delicate charmuse that hung freely from a broach at the center of the bodice, and from there were attached at the sides of the bodice, and then wrapped around her arms on either side. When she turned to applaud her students, he could see that the charmuse attached at either side of the zipper, to fall flowing once again all the way to the floor.

Her hair had been pulled up at the sides to fall in an elaborate cascade of curls down her back. Throughout her hair, tiny rhinestones sparkled like stars in a glittering profusion, further enhancing her fairy tale appearance.

As the students took their bashful bows, Anna turned, smiling, and caught sight of him. Her eyes widened, and her already broad smile widened further. With girlish enthusiasm she flew into his arms and kissed him soundly, but chastely. "I have missed you, my Love." She breathed with a sigh of relief. "It's always good to talk to you, but I much prefer to have you close at hand."

"My sentiments exactly," he murmured, holding her tightly and nestling his nose in her hair. She made a happy little sound and regretfully pulled away. She took his arm and led him proudly around the room to join the crowds of students who were admiring the various displays of edible artwork, and offering praises to their creators.

The students were allowed a full half an hour to roam the room before the dinner buffet began. As they all took their seats, everyone glanced at one another and at the centerpieces. No one wanted to be the first to pull apart their friends' hard work. Piotr settled the problem by standing up and plucking the head off of the sculpture at his table and taking a big, sloppy bite of the sculpted melon. The room erupted with laughter and soon everyone was busily picking them apart and devouring them.

Dinner was filled with bright conversation, and everyone pitched in where he or she could. After dinner, the DJ cranked up the music and everyone moved toward the dance floor. He played to his multicultural audience with a wide selection of music, ranging from Salsa and Merengue to County, Rock, and Hip Hop. Hank and Anna were dancing to a lively Salsa when the room grew suddenly quiet and the kids near the door stopped and stared.

Hank, who stood much taller than most of the people in the room, craned his neck to see what the hubbub was about. He suddenly whistled in appreciation and grinned. "I wonder who managed that?"

Trying to see what was going on, Anna was hopping up and down, trying to see past the crowd between her and the door. "What is it Hank?"

He chuckled and lifted her up to sit on his arm. Too curious to be afraid, she didn't even squeak like she normally did when he picked her up.

She gave a surprised little gasp and touched her fingertips to her lips. There, standing in the door stood Logan. He was almost unrecognizable. His normally stubbled chin had been shaved clean, and his wild lamb chops had been shaved off. His unruly hair had been trimmed and slicked back and down. The most shocking twist of all; He was wearing a tux.

Hank carefully lowered her to the ground and she moved back into his arms. "He looks amazing, doesn't he, Hank?"

He nodded with a broad smile. "He cleans up, rather well, doesn't he? I am terribly curious to know who managed to get him into that tux, though."

She giggled wickedly and unsuccessfully tried to keep the smugness out of her expression.

"YOU did it? How?"

She assumed a lofty expression and replied airily. "If I told you that, I'd be betraying every woman since time began."

Hank laughed good naturedly and swept her into another dance. He pulled her close and touched his forehead to hers. "I'll bet I could get you to tell me," he rumbled teasingly.

"You're welcome to try," She said with a breathless challenge.

The twinkle in her eyes caught at his heart, and he remembered the ring in his pocket. His chest seemed to swell, making it difficult for him to breathe, and his heart began to pound in expectation. He raised his fingers to his lips and blew a single, sharp note. The DJ looked up and met his eyes. Some silent communication passed between them, then the DJ bent his head back to his equipment.

"What was that all about?" Anna asked as he whisked her across the dance floor. At that moment, the song changed.

It was their song. It was a little silly, being a theme song from a Disney film, but it was theirs. It began softly and as it continued, everything else around them seemed to fade away until it was just them. They spun and whirled as they gazed into one another's eyes. As the song built to its crescendo, Hank stopped them and took a step back. He then got down on one knee and produced the ring box. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in stunned disbelief. The song had built to its soaring crescendo. Hank held out the open box, and gazing into her sparkling eyes, he mouthed, "Will you marry me?"

Around them, the room stood still as everyone nearby realized what was happening. Those closest alerted everyone around them, and in turn, they passed it on to those yet behind them. Yet though the murmuring could be heard over the music, Hank and Anna remained oblivious to everyone but one another.

Hank gently took her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. Her eyes filled with tears of joyful surprise, and she stammered her reply. "Yes…Yes!" She threw her arms around his neck, almost knocking him over and cried, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Thunderous applause shook them from their oblivious reverie, and they turned to receive handshakes, hugs, and share tears of joy with the rest of the Xavier Institute family. Bobby, Kitty, and Jubilee all pushed through the crowd first, crowing with delight. Marie followed soon after with Remy LeBeau at her side. Still leery of her newly acquired powers, She was sincere and boisterous in her congratulations, but refrained from hugging them. In her stead, Remy offered warm handshakes and a kiss on the cheek for Anna. Finally, they were joined by Ororo and Logan. The headmistress hugged them both, so happy she could hardly speak. She dabbed at her eyes with the decorative hankie from her Tuxedo Gown and gushed happily. Logan simply offered a crooked smile and a handshake.

"Very nicely done, McCoy,"

"Why thank you, Logan." Hank replied with a smug grin.

"Congrats, babe," He said as he hugged Anna. "I'm happy for ya."

She smiled tearfully and touched his face. "Thank you, James."

He seemed a little startled that she'd used his birth name, but he nodded graciously and took Storm by the arm and led her out onto the dance floor so that others could offer their congratulations and well wishes.

There was an added air of celebration for the rest of the night. Once the hullabaloo died down, the happy couple was able to leave the spotlight and find a quiet moment alone. They stood with their heads together, holding hands.

"I don't know what to say, Hank," She said with a giggle. "You got me. I never even expected it!" She tilted her hand up to admire the ring and sniffled. "I was just so happy that we were together, I never even dared to hope…" Her voice broke and she swiped away a tear self-consciously. She looked away and flapped a hand at her face, as if that would ward away the tears. He reached out and gently turned her face back to him. He tenderly brushed away a tear with his thumb and looked deeply into her brimming eyes.

"Now will you believe that I love you?"

She laughed through her tears and then shook her head irritably. She sniffed loudly and growled exasperatedly. "Ok, ok, woman! Pull it together!" She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and dabbed delicately at her eyes. "I'm making a mess of myself." She kissed him almost perfunctorily. "I'll be right back. I'm going to go touch up my makeup. I love you."

"hmmm," he sighed with mild resignation. "Hurry back."

He watched as she rushed off, gathering a gaggle of excitedly chattering girls as she went. He chuckled to himself and moved off to get a drink.

Logan met him at the punch bowl with a crooked grin and a grimace of distaste for the cup of punch in his hand. "It's not much to make a toast by, but it'll get your insides wet."

Hank shook his head with a smile and sipped at his drink. Suddenly, something occurred to him.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that night a couple months ago, when you convinced me to go talk to Anna?"

Logan took a sip from his cup and nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Do you recall the remark you made about her kissing ability?"

Logan was suddenly overcome with a coughing fit, and couldn't respond.

Hank grinned a feral grin. "I take that as a yes."

The room erupted in applause when Ambassador McCoy entered. He took a surprised step back, unsure of what was happening.