"You know you don't have to do this." Mike gritted his teeth, refusing to give in to the desire to yell in pain as Grace helped him settle on the wheelchair. He collapsed on the chair, and let out the breath he had been holding, tears filling his eyes.

"So sorry, Mike." She patted his shoulders. "Are you sure you don't want to lie back down?"

He shook his head, dreading the thought of returning to that sick bed. His back already ached from lying down for too long. He hadn't seen the sun for over twenty four hours, and he was starting to forget what it looked like.

In truth, he believed he was starting to go crazy, and feel utterly useless just lying there. It made him feel even more sympathetic toward the many kids who were forced to lie in bed for weeks, months, and in several cases, years. It didn't matter that the doctor out rightly denied Mike's request to go outside that morning, he chose to defy the doctor. Which was why, he had to enlist Grace's help for his devious activity, rather than the help of a nurse. But for some reason, he was starting to feel bad about asking her.

"I just hate for you to go through this much trouble trying to please me."

"Considering you just donated a kidney to my son, Mike, I'll climb the highest mountain..."

"Sail cross the seven seas, swim the deepest ocean, crawl through a ring of fire, walk down a hundred highways?" he teased.

She laughed and began pushing him out of the door. "Basically. Except the fire part... And the highway part. I mean, they just make me think of working out and I get exhausted at the very thought of working out."

"I guess I'll just have to settle for what you're good at, right?"

She pushed the button and waited for the elevator doors to part, before wheeling him in. "I cannot thank you enough, Mike."

He shrugged. "How's the little warrior doing?"

"Okay. He's in a lot of pain, but he's alive and I'm grateful for that."

"You should be with him right now."

She shook her head, even as the elevator doors parted. "I should be with you." She began wheeling him down the halls, a shiver of anxiety racing down his spine at the thought of being outside, even if it was only going to be for a few minutes.

"Well, we can't stay very long here," He closed his eyes, enjoying the gush of cold wind that blew against his face. "I don't want to get in trouble, or get you in trouble."

He could feel the snowy path under the wheels as she pushed him further down.

"And I don't want you getting sick." She made her way around him and readjusted his jacket. "Better?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah, thanks."

A soft sigh escaped her lips. Crouching before him, she buried her hands in her pocket and pulled out a tiny box wrapped in a green gift wrap.

"This is not a proposal or anything, is it?” He grinned.

She smiled, but only a little. He could tell she struggled with her emotions as she took his right hand and placed the box in it. "An early Christmas present."

His eyes scanned her weary face. "Do I get to open it right now?"

"Sure."

He offered her one last smile, before glancing down to tear open the box. Inside was a black jewel box. Carefully, he opened it, a small frown of curiosity forming on his face.

"What is it?" He lifted it in his hands and stared at the silver object.

"An angel." She took the necklace from him and held it before him. "It's an angel with her wings wrapped around herself. It symbolizes the soul that no longer treads our world, but is not lost." She leaned forward, her perfume filling his nostrils as her hands worked to hook the necklace around his neck. "It symbolizes Maddie." His heart stopped as she spoke, her warm breath tickling his neck. "It reminds you that Maddie is, and not was. Maddie is, Mike, Maddie will always be..." She leaned back slightly, tears glistening in her eyes. Her palm settled on his chest. "Right here."

Mike glanced down, his eyes coming to rest on her palm that was on his chest. He felt tears fill his eyes, and he didn't think he'd be able to control them if he kept staring at her. He feared his tears; he feared they'd drown him if he ever gave in to them.

Something touched his cheek, and when he turned to the side, he saw it was Grace. She was still crouched before him, her face only inches from his. Her palm glided gently down his face, her warm breath now tickling his lips. Her eyes beckoned to him, as her hand caressed his face. She leaned in closer, and without stopping to think, he gave in to the overwhelming desire to fill the void in his heart.

•*•

Eden's hold on the box in her hands weakened, and the entire thing went crashing to the ground.

Gasping, she fell to her knees, tears now filling her eyes as she tried to gather the now broken hand painted, homemade Christmas decorations from the ground. Her fingers trembled as she worked, grief nearly blinding her.

Surely she was crying for the decorations! She had after all spend nearly her entire childhood making them with her grandmother, and had only stopped when she went to college and her grandmother's health didn't permit her to engage in so many strenuous activities. The destruction of these decorations was like the destruction of her childhood and the memories she had built with her grandmother. It indeed warranted the tears that were now rapidly slipping down her cheeks.

She nodded, throwing the broken shards in the box. It had nothing to do with deciding to skip Sunday service with her grandmother -so she could bring the decorations to the hospital and get started on the north pole- only for her to walk into the scene of Mike kissing his mysterious blond woman. Of course it had nothing to do with Mike! Her tears could not possibly be for Mike! He could kiss whomever he wanted. It was his lips, wasn't it? She was engaged, for goodness sake! It was no business of hers who Mike decided to spend his Sunday mornings kissing.

Still, her legs were unwilling to rise up. She remained on her knees in the snow, thankful for the numerous cars that blocked her vision. She didn't want to be seen crying in the middle of the snow!

Just then, her phone chirped in her pocket; Philip.

Sighing, she sniffed and took a deep breath before answering the phone.

"Phil?" Her lips trembled. Certainly as a result of the cold weather.

"Hey babe, how's tomorrow looking on your calendar?"

She held the tip of her nose and sniffed in a bid to clear it so she could breathe properly. "Okay. I have to work tomorrow."

"Are you coming down with something? I would have loved for us to attend a Christmas party tomorrow evening. I got the invite about a month ago but I didn't think I'd go considering I have been absent from New York for a while. But now that I'm here, might as well go, right? Plus, my sources say there will be lots of press present. I thought you'd like to come seeing as we're officially a couple."

Her head spun from having to listen to him talk.

"Did you watch the evening news yesterday? We were on it! And, my ratings went up."

She shrugged. "I went for bingo with Grammie yesterday."

"I think there's going to be a re-run today. If not, I'll have my assistant send you a clip. We sure look good together, babe."

"Um- okay."

"Anyway, since you're coming down with something, I would suggest you stay at home. I wouldn't want you getting any icky stuff on the guests, you know?"

Eden wanted to say she was sick. Besides, she did feel sick and while she knew exactly what she was sick of, she didn't want to stay home thinking about what made her sick. No, she needed to be beside the man she would marry in a few days. She needed to spend time with him. She needed to go to a karaoke bar with him and have him sing to her. She needed him to stare at her and tell her she was the most beautiful, perfect, amazing person he had ever met. She needed him to dance terribly while spinning her around. She needed him to go shopping with her, to look adoringly at her while she tried on her wedding dress...

"I'm fine!" she blurted, mentally kicking herself. She couldn't be falling for a man within such a short period of time, it was silly! She was silly! She loved Philip. They were engaged. She was going to walk down the aisle with him. She was going to be by his side when he became the mayor. She was going to attend fancy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with him. She would meet important people with him. He would take care of her. He would provide for her...

"I will pick you up tomorrow evening? You can buy a dress and put it on my credit card."

"Sure."

...But why didn't any of that make her feel happy?

~*~

Eden avoided Mike as best as she could. She had remained kneeling for several minutes after her call with Philip, and had only risen to her feet -teeth clattering and limbs stiff from the cold- when she was sure he would have gone back into the building.

Taking the box of broken ornaments and ruined crafts in her hands, she had dumped them in the trash and driven back home.

Avoiding Mike was what was best, she thought, going through her routine in the hospital. She had hired a professional decorator to handle turning the lobby to the North Pole, and had decided to focus more on caring for the sick kids, and planning her wedding. It was after all unfair to keep leaving the hard work in the hands of her aged grandmother, while she spent the majority of her time fraternizing with Mike. The truth was, whether she liked to admit it or not, Mike was a distraction and she was beginning to have feelings for him.

She sighed, making her way out of the hospital early. She needed to get her head out of the clouds and into her relationship.

She drove to the dress shop where Mike had helped her pick out the perfect outfit to meet her prospective in-laws, and after one try, chose a floor length, black dress with long sleeves and an open back. Mike had said something about floor length and long sleeves in the past, right?

Stop it, Eden! She shook her head. She really needed to stop thinking about Mike!

Philip sent the limo and like she had expected, he wasn't in it. She sat alone in the back, and was even more disappointed to find that he was absent when she got to the party.

There were truly a lot of media personnel, and after about an hour holding a champagne glass she didn't bother to sip out of, Philip showed up and took his position by her side, his arm around her waist with neither an apology, nor an excuse for showing up late. He showed up with nothing but a smile for the cameras that seemed to take great delight in taking their pictures.

Eden was thankful that the people behind the cameras didn't notice that her smile was forced, her jaw hurt, her shoes pinched her toes, and her dress made her feel uncomfortable.

She was however disappointed that the man who stood beside her, with his arm laying claim to her waist, didn't notice... Neither did he seem to care.