Part Five

"Stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there…" Paige continued to read to her two nephews in the quiet corners of their room. Wyatt had fallen asleep in the crook of her arms and Chris looked around at the stark white ceiling up above his bassinet. Brushing back a swap of Wyatt's blond hair, she kissed his forehead, quietly humming a random Christmas song that popped up in her head and set the book aside.

The clock on the wall told it her it was way past their bedtime and also way past her time to get ready. She just hoped and prayed that Kyle wasn't downstairs already waiting on her.

Phoebe had occupied herself entertaining Leslie since he had got to the manor and Paige couldn't be any happier for her. That meant that Phoebe was out of her face about Kyle and Paige loved that. Piper was the only one who was asking questions.

Lifting Wyatt up so his head rested on her shoulder, she got up out of the rocking chair situated in between his crib and Chris' bassinet and laid Wyatt down, pulling up the blankets around his neck so he was as snug as a bug in a rug and got his rest. After all, Christmas day was tomorrow.

She liked watching him sleep. It was peaceful and made her wish of a day when she would be just as lucky as Piper and Leo were. And a little part of her hoped it would be with Kyle.

Shutting off the light and walking down the hallway towards her room, she quickly examined the dress of the night and as much as she wanted to go downstairs and socialize and celebrate the Christmas season, especially with no demons interrupting them, she kind of wished for a night like last night: a night where she woke up in Kyle's arms.

The night had been perfect, well as perfect as they could get it. There was the greeting, champagne, apologizing on both parts, kissing, long steamy love and the waking up in each other's arms. She loved that part.

The hue of dark burgundy flowed down the length of the satin dress as Paige ran her hand across the smooth fabric and debated on actually putting it on or not. She would be much more comfortable in sweats and a t-shirt, but if she did that, Piper would kill her. Literally.

Upon putting the gown over her head and zipping up the side zipper, Paige slipped on her Cinderella glass shoes, and slid the dangling diamond earrings on her lobes. Ensemble complete, she strolled back down the hallway and nearly ran into Phoebe and Leslie making a dash for Phoebe's room.

"Hey now, not too much noise," Paige reminded them before they disappeared behind the streamer decorated door that was Phoebe's.

Step by step, Paige descended the stairs and actually felt like it was the prom all over again. Of course this time, there would be tons of people watching her come down and be escorted to the party by a boy. Last time, it was just her and her one girlfriend, both of who couldn't get dates for senior prom if they did a spell.

She could see Darryl, Sheila and Leo in the conservatory's corner, smiling and laughing about the season. Piper with her long brunette hair in soft curls and in her gold shimmering gown, headed towards the door to let more of their friends into the party.

Paige looked around for Kyle, but concluded that he wasn't there yet. But Glenn and Jennifer were in the corner talking with Piper's old beau Dan and his wife, Rebecca. Everyone had a partner, except for her. Where was Kyle? Paige darted her eyes around the foyer, family room and conservatory looking for him but didn't spot him anywhere. It was way past nine o'clock and she told him to be there before eight, just so she could show him off.

"Looking for Kyle?" Piper asked above the noisy crowd at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yea, is he here?"

"Come on," Piper smiled big and pulled her baby sister off of the stairwell and led her towards the kitchen. Trays of leftover food and champagne were atop the dining room table and Paige got an overwhelming feeling that her big sister was up to something.

"Did you and Phoebe like switch roles? Are you playing Cupid now?" Paige inquired not sure of Piper's intentions.

"Kind of," Piper paused before she swung the kitchen door open. "But I'm not Cupid and don't intend to be. I leave that part up to you."

"What?"

"Merry Christmas Eve Paige," Piper told her before swinging the door open to the kitchen. Paige looked into the kitchen, surprised to see candles lit in every nook and cranny, a private dinner setting for two and a tiny wrapped gift on one of the plates.

Peeking her head around the corner, she couldn't believe what she saw. More candles surrounded the island with Kyle leaning against the counter, patiently waiting for her to arrive. She quickly turned back her head to say something to Piper, but she was gone.

"What is all this?" Paige inquired, moving into the dimly lit kitchen and looking at all the preparations that the new Cupid and the Secret Agent Man made for her.

"This is…" Kyle waved his hand about, walking towards her with a big smile on his lips, "to tell you the truth, I have no clue. But you can thank the miracle worker."

"You mean the replacement Cupid?"

"Yea, she's good," Kyle told her, getting a chance to look at her. The burgundy dress hugged her subtle curves and Kyle's eyes drifted down and up her slender body, landing back at her chocolate tinted eyes and dark ruby lips. "Merry Christmas Eve."

"Merry Christmas Eve to you too," Paige paused, stepping towards him a few inches and letting her hand cup his jaw line. "You gonna answer my question?"

"Which was?"

"What is all this?"

"Well, the plan was to have dinner last night, but that was unsuccessful…"

"Unsuccessful?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Kyle said softly, pressing his lips against the palm of her hand while taking it in his. His lips delicately skated across her wrist and up the inside of her arm. Skipping across the bare of her shoulders and neck, he captured his lips with hers.

The steamy kiss lasted long and Paige couldn't get enough. All she could think about was that it was a waste of time to get dressed, when she was sure that Kyle could get it off in a little over two seconds just like she could with him.

Breaking away for a much needed breath, she ran her hand down the length of his tailored shirt and cupped his shoulder with her right hand, wanting more but knew that the new Cupid would have their heads if she knew what they were doing in the kitchen.

"Kyle?" Paige breathlessly said.

"Yeah?" He reciprocated.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I love you," she faintly said making her back away a few centimeters so he could take in all she said.

"You…you…you love me?"

"Yes, I do. I don't know when it happened, but it did and I...," her words were cut off short by the touch of his lips again.

"I love you too," he managed to get through in between the many kisses that he didn't want to stop giving her.

"You do?"

"With all of my heart," he said, finally pulling back and looking at her in the eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he knew this was the perfect time. "I have something for you," he declared, flying towards the table and picking up the shiny blue wrapped box with a metallic silver ribbon on top.

"Yours are upstairs, if you want I can go get them," Paige offered but Kyle stopped her from fleeing.

"No, those can wait for later, this…you have to open now," Kyle handed her the little box that looked like it could hold a piece of jewelry. Oh, she hoped it wasn't a ring…not this early in their I-love-you-now-things-are-different-relationship. "It's not a ring, so you don't have to worry."

"Oh, thank you Lord," Paige said, having the weight of that question taken off of her shoulders, "so, what is it?"

"Open it," he urged her, a smile emerging from beyond his lips and anxiousness of her to open it expressed all over his face.

Paige took the present from his muscular hands and carefully started to un-wrap the beautiful shiny paper that covered the box where the ornament was housed.

"What are you doing? Rip it," Kyle said, anxiousness building up in his system.

Paige took his advice and tore the blue paper from the box, tossing it onto the counter beside them. Opening the top of the box, Paige was nervous as to what was inside. It wasn't the right size for a bracelet of any kind and too big for earrings. Lifting up the small square of tissue paper that covered the present, Paige opened her mouth in admiration.

The tiny blue bulb shimmered in the dim light as it dangled from her index finger. The gentle calligraphy that Emera Brody once wrote on the glass circle had faded and Paige had to squint to see what they said.

"Kyle, it's beautiful," she managed to say out of the shock of what he got her for Christmas.

"It was a present that my mother gave to my father…on their first Christmas together," Kyle started to tell her the story, "my mother found out she was pregnant that Christmas with me."

"I hate to tell you this, but I'm not pregnant."

"Good, I don't think we're ready for that," he laughed at her confession, "it's an ornament that was passed down to me and my mother, before she died, always told me to give it to someone that was true."

"True?"

"Someone that I loved," Kyle paused, pulling Paige close to him again, "and I love you."

"I love you too," Paige concurred, admiring the ornament that swayed from side to side on her finger. Turning her head back to Kyle, she beamed from ear to ear, knowing that this gift was special. "I can't believe that you would give this to me though, it should be kept in your family."

"Paige, you are my family."

Paige couldn't believe her ears. She was his family, well, the only one around anyhow. She knew that his baby sister, Kellee was in college on the east coast thanks to after sex conversations and that the rest of his family that included numerous aunts and uncles and grandparents were in a small town in Pennsylvania. She was family.

"Did I mention that I love you lately?" Paige asked, placing the ornament safely back in the box for now. This was the most perfect Christmas season that she could ask for. She had two nephews that were sleeping peacefully upstairs that she thanked God for everyday, two bewitching sisters who would do anything for her, an angelic brother-in-law who owned up to the 'angel' part of his title and a man in her arms that she loved and loved her back.

"Yes, but say it again just so I know," Kyle wrapped his arms around her waist as she curled her arms around his neck.

Paige smiled big once again and gave him a peck on the lips. Looking back up into his eyes she whispered once more and summed up the Christmas season in three little words, "I love you."

"Merry Christmas Eve," he told her.

"Merry Christmas Eve."