Much like a child who waits up for Santa Claus, Oliver woke the next morning, not remembering having fallen asleep to begin with.

In his lap, practically mocking him considering the incredible security on his apartment, was a larger white box than usual, but with the same green bow around it.

The tag read:

To Oliver,

For The Man Who's Beginning To Hope, A Symbol Of Just That.

Santa

Oliver didn't open it right away. For the first time, he began to seriously consider the idea that this might actually be Santa. He had to consider the absolutely logic-defying things he'd seen in his life to give the idea in credibility, but when he did, he realized it just might be possible.

Maybe.

He re-read the note and then opened the gift, discovering a tree-topper in the form of a glimmering star. It was beautiful, and just looking at it, he suspected that he wouldn't find anything quite like it in a store. It might well have been hand-crafted.

He smiled.

A symbol of hope indeed. Coincidentally, Chloe had shot down every single tree-topper she'd seen the other day shopping with him, convinced that none of them were quite right. He'd put down good money that she wouldn't be able to find a problem with this one, though.

Chloe was almost embarrassed to admit that the first thing she did when she woke up was to sit up in bed and look around for a gift. She wasn't disappointed, either. There, at the end of her bed was a white box with a green bow.

She glanced at Lois, who was lying on her stomach and snoring loudly, mouth wide open, and she turned back to the gift, confident it wouldn't be seen.

She read the tag a little eagerly, feeling like she used to as a little girl on Christmas morning, the curiosity overwhelming her.

To Chloe,

For The Woman Who Needs To Embrace What's In Front Of Her.

Santa

Properly confused, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid, finding an object carefully wrapped in tissue paper.

She lifted up a ceramic ornament and actually felt her heart thud when she looked at it, the meaning of the tag not escaping her.

The ornament was of a little blonde boy kissing a girl with short blonde hair on the cheek, both of them blushing, the girl looking rather pleased to say the least.

The children looked unmistakably like a cartooned version of her and Oliver.

She felt herself blushing just looking at it and promptly rewrapped in its tissue paper and placed it gently back in the box.

It reminded her that everyone was coming over to decorate the tree that morning. She glanced at the clock and realized with surprise that she'd woken up about fifteen minutes before her alarm and she didn't want to crawl back under the covers and hide.

She felt well-rested for once.

Chloe, for possibly the first time in her life, was the last person to arrive. This was because she had suddenly decided to stop on the way and use the remaining money on her gift cards to bring a couple of cartons of coffee and several large coffee cakes for everyone.

When she did arrive, she was surprised by the loud carols playing and the sound of cheerful laughter already reaching her ears. They had successfully gotten the lights on the tree as well as the garland of gold beads that she and Oliver had bought.

He was the first one to notice she was there. He was laughing animatedly at Bart, who had apparently almost knocked the entire tree over in his zeal when he looked up and his eyes caught hers with a twinkle of amusement. Noticing her hands were full, he headed over to help her.

"Good morning," he grinned at her. "I was wondering what happened to you," he said, taking the boxes of coffee cake out of her arms.

Chloe felt herself blushing instantly as she thought of the ornament still wrapped carefully in its tissue paper lying in the very bottom of her purse.

Oliver, not noticing this in the slightest, announced to everyone that Chloe had brought food, and-for Bart's sake-there was an entire box with "Impulse" on it in sharpie.

Chloe smiled, watching everyone crowd around. They were all in wonderful spirits. She hadn't seen them look this happy-and certainly not this happy in the same room as one another-in what must have been years.

"All your doing," Oliver pointed out to her, noting the expression on her face. "I salvaged this for you," he added, anding over a coffee cup.

She beamed, taking it from him. "Thanks. And that's not true, by the way," she took a sip of the coffee and relished the hot, soothing taste sliding down her throat. "You pulled it together."

He scoffed, watching Bart and A.C. fight over who got to choose the X-box game they would play when the tree was done. "You think these guys would have come just for me? I told them it was for you."

Clark interrupted at that moment, giving Chloe a brisk kiss on the cheek. "Hey! Mom sent this for you." He handed her a large wrapped box.

"Aw, Clark, she didn't have to-"

"This is my mom we're talking about," he cut her off with a meaningful look.

Chloe laughed. "True."

"Well," Oliver said, "open it. Let's see what kinda loot you got."

Feeling strangely like a child, Chloe peeled back the wrapping paper and opened the box to discover a handmade quilt, it's squares various patterns and shades of ivory and forest green.

"Clark, it's wonderful. Be sure to tell your mom I said thank you," she said fervently.

"She asked what your favorite color is," Clark said with a pointed look at Oliver that Chloe didn't see, too busy fingering the soft quilt. "I told her green."

Oliver swallowed, pretending he had no idea what Clark was talking about.

"So what are you three doing for Christmas?" Dinah asked, walking over with a slice of coffee cake on a plate, eating it delicately with a fork. "I'm taking off for London in an hour."

"Oh," Chloe sighed. "I bet that'll be nice. I wish I'd thought to travel. I'm going to be stuck here."

"I'm heading to D.C. to have Christmas with Lois's family," Clark explained. "Mom should be able to join us."

"Tell Mrs. Kent I say hello," Dinah said. "What about you Oliver?" she asked casually, taking another bite of coffee cake.

"I'm staying in town. Eating frozen pizza. Nothing special."

Dinah raised one of her shapely eyebrows and looked from Chloe to Oliver thoughtfully. "Huh," she said simply. Then, after a beat, trying not to sound to obvious, "You two should celebrate together, seeing as you'll both be in town by yourselves."

Chloe's face turned absolutely scarlet and Oliver pounced on the suggestion. "I think that's a great idea. You up for it Chloe?" he asked, after shooting Dinah a grateful look. Dinah just smirked, pleased with herself. "We might as well," Oliver continued. "Frozen pizza's more fun when there's someone else to complain about it," he winked at her.

Wishing desperately that he face would stop giving her away, Chloe tried to respond casually. "Some company would be nice."

"Anything for you two?" Santa offered knowingly, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oliver, I understand you're looking for some wool socks," he said, chuckling deeply.

Oliver laughed in surprise as well. He looked at Chloe, thinking this was her doing. "You're ridiculous," he told her, squeezing her back into his side.

Santa watched this interaction with keen eyes. "Hmm...Anything else you want for Christmas, though?" he asked.

Company, Chloe thought automatically, a little sadness flickering across her face.

Chloe, Oliver thought vaguely in response. "I think we're good," Oliver said aloud, grinning. "Thanks, though."

After their break at Chloe's arrival, the group went at the Christmas tree with new energy. Dinah had immediately taken to the crystal snowflake ornaments in one of the boxes Chloe and Oliver had bought, and carefully hung each one in what she deemed the 'perfect' spot. A.C. was helping Victor string stale popcorn that Chloe had left sitting out for just such a reason. That garland would go on last. Bart, as Oliver accused, got more tinsel on Chloe than he did on the tree, although enough seemed to have landed on the tree, considering it was positively gleaming by the time they were through. Mrs. Kent had sent a box of candy canes and hand-made ornaments that wouldn't be used that year since they weren't in town, and Clark dutifully hung them, eventually joined by Dinah when she ran out of snowflakes. Chloe and Oliver took turns egging the others on and laughing at them and occasionally hanging the ornaments they'd bought themselves: crocheted angels, red glass balls, silver bells with green ribbons.

In spite of the utter chaos and occasional tinkling of broken glass, they were shocked to find that the tree looked as if it had fallen out of a catalogue, or better still, a painting.

"It's gorgeous," Chloe said in surprise.

Oliver laughed, arm around her. "Don't be so shocked."

"Yeah," Victor said with a grin. "I think we were born to do this."

A.C. chuckled. "You maybe. But I'm never stringing popcorn again for the rest of my life, I guarantee it."

"Aw, come on, Fishtstick," Bart elbowed him. "Where's your holiday spirit?"

Dinah was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, sipping a second latte with an amused smile playing around her lips, looking at Chloe and Oliver with an air of satisfaction. She'd decided to miss her flight to Europe so she could stay a little longer. Clark was going to take her over instead before boomeranging back to D.C.

"It still needs something on the top," she said idly, looking at the ornament-less tip of the tree.

Oliver slapped his forehead lightly. "I almost forgot about that. I...found something for that," he said, heading over to the counter where he had laid the white box with the tree star.

Chloe stared at the familiar-looking box. It was identical in kind to-

"For you, Mrs. Claus," Oliver said with a wink, presenting the star to her.

"I'll get a step ladder," Clark said, swishing from the room and returning in a blink with the item.

Positively glowing, Chloe took the star from Oliver and headed over to place the star on the top branch. Oliver rushed to her side to hold her steady, planting his hands firmly on her waste as she wobbled slightly, leaning over to reach just a little further.

Chloe wasn't entirely certain Oliver's calloused hands on the bare skin exposed by her sweater when she stretched her arms out were helping. As a matter of fact she was positive that the sudden tidal wave of butterflies-and something else entirely-through her stomach and into her chest set her even more off-balance, which ended in her falling just as soon as she let go of the star.

Straight into Oliver's arms. He caught her easily, looking far too pleased about it and taking just a little too much time before setting her gently on her feet.

Clark immediately lit the tree when Chloe got the star on it, and she found herself looking into Oliver's eyes with the glow of tiny white lights in the background.

Her heart skipped a beat as he set her down.