Chapter 8 [Eight hours later]

Nocturne ruled and then waned. The stars and the moon herself eventually gave way before Sol's renewed presence in the east. Before that point, Santa had circled the globe with his haul and sleigh led by Rudolph's magic beacon.

And over York, he'd dropped one particularly vital gift…..

A big one indeed…

Despite fighting off the drowsies, Peggy felt herself wearing down before them. She'd accepted a steady stream of caffeinated refills from the nurses. She refused to surrender to sleep. She would see her white knight back to her reality…back to her side.

She wiped Steve's forehead off again with the dampened rag. She smiled as she did so. "You have to look good for our dance, Captain. I won't have any less. You hear me?" She rubbed his shoulder and beheld his face in the first rays of the Christmas dawn.

The dim light seemed to illuminate the patient's form granting him a halo of sorts. By now his skin had completely healed of its bruises. His hair seemed a gentler form of yellow in that hue.

"There now. You're presentable again, Steven Rogers," she assessed primly. "As if you'd be anything else?" She leaned over and locked lips with his unconscious mouth. She poured her energy and love into him for over a full minute before she had to stop for lack of breath. "That is to remind you that I love you, Captain. I am here. I am still waiting for that dance."

"P…Peg…?" Steve whispered. "Wh…what?"

"Captain?" She leaned over him again. "Yes! It's me! Peggy Carter! I'm here. Open your eyes!"

Slowly his eyelids pulled themselves open as if buried under a granite ton apiece.

And, as they did, the first sight they beheld was their beloved brunette spitfire.

"Thank You. Lord," she whispered before kissing him again. "You made it back. I'll fill you in later, Captain. Right now, you've got some very anxious comrades waiting to hear from you."

"In…a minute. P…Peggy, have to tell you…." He managed a smile. "Y…you were with me in there. Thought of you in there." Not having the strength to squeeze her hand, he patted it instead.

Her eyes teared up at those words. Her heart jumped several beats with joy. "And I thought of you too, Captain. I never gave up hope. Howard found you in the ice and brought you back to us." She smiled while straightening his hair. "I'd never give up on you…even if you are late."

"Had…to dance," he reminded her managing a little smirk for their common joke. "My…ride broke down…"

She giggled in spite of herself. "Oh, Captain! We shall. I promise you!" She got up and rushed over to the door. She flung it open and found the two MPs. "Excuse me."

"Agent Carter, what is it?" one of the two new MPs wondered.

"Get the Howling Commandos here on the double. The patient would like to see them," she informed them. "I need to get back to the Captain if you don't mind."

"Of course!" Getting a nod from his fellow guard, he strode rapidly down the hall and toward the waiting area. There he found Montgomery and Dino playing cards. Dum Dum and Howard snoozed in a pair of chairs nearby. "Gentlemen! ATTENTION!"

"What the Hell?" Dum Dum growled while stirring from his nap. "This is gettin' really old!"

"What's the good word, Chaps?" Montgomery wondered while dealing his American opponent a royal flush.

"Captain Rogers is awake, Colonel Dugan. He's asked for all of you. Agent Carter just asked to see you," the MP clarified.

"Now that is a Christmas present I can deal with! WAAAHHHOOOOOO!" Dum Dum announced. "Come on, Guys! He's back!" He led them quickly down the hall toward where the remaining guard waited for them. "Go right in."

"Thanks," Dum Dum expressed as he found Steve and Peggy embracing. He lingered in the doorway and put a hand up to allow the reunited lovers another minute before intruding on their bliss.

"Dum Dum?" Steve asked weakly.

"Yeah, Rogers. It's me and the rest of the Commandos. The brass brought us all up here last night. Thought they were crashing our Christmas. Damn if they didn't give us the best damn present!" Dum Dum declared.

"You scared us to Hell and back, Rogers," Montgomery lectured.

"Had my duty," Steve responded. "Had to save my country. That's why we're fighting."

"We're also fighting for a life after the war, Captain," she reminded him. "Some day we're all going to toast this day. All of us." She kissed his cheek. "You have a duty to us…to me."

"I know," Steve relented. "Wish that Bucky was here with us."

"He's looking down on us right now, Rogers. Count on that," Howard insisted. "Someone should call Stark, right?"

"Call me about what?" Stark wondered while walking in through the open door. "What is this? A convention?"

"You could call it that. Your own risk just paid off," Dum Dum informed him.

The industrialist quirked his brow. "Risk? What?" Then he saw the patient and stopped. He nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks, Stark," Steve expressed.

Stark grinned. "Never think your friends gave up on you, Rogers. Merry Christmas, Chief. Good to see you with your eyes open."

"Good to have them open again. Thought that would be it," Steve assumed.

"It should have been. Thank Erskine's formula," Stark declared. "Agent Carter and I were keeping the light burning in the window for you."

"I know." He gazed lovingly into the eyes of his beloved Agent. "She was with me. I somehow knew you'd think of some gadget or way to get me off the Valkyrie."

"You know it. Hey. Let me get a doctor in here to check you over. If everyone's okay with that?" Stark walked toward the nurse's station to find the doctor on call.

"Now this is a Christmas to remember," Steve presumed.

"For all of us, Captain." Peggy rubbed his shoulder. "You rest and get well. We'll worry about everything else once you're on your feet."

"Yes'm," Steve retorted half-seriously even as his eyes sparkled at her.

She would've chided him but didn't care. She had her Captain back again. She had her miracle and heart back once more.

That was all of the Christmas she and their friends needed…..