A/N: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all! I wanted to get this up before I head to work for the night. I hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas full of blessings. Thanks to everyone who was so faithful to review! I hope you enjoy this final chapter - my Christmas present to you.

Chapter 8

December 25

Christmas had indeed arrived in New York City. And what a Christmas morning it was. Snow fell softly from the sky, making it look more like a Christmas card than real life. Wall Street, Centre Street, the Financial District, and Rockefeller Plaza were completely closed, a feat which happened just once a year, and the Empire State Building was lit up in red and green in celebration of the holiday. The churches had been packed to capacity the night before for Christmas Mass or their candlelight services, and this day, Christmas morning, apartment buildings were filled with the smells and sounds of Christmas.

The Upper West Side was quieter than usual with only a few people out on the snow-covered streets. The brightly colored lights on the eaves of the houses and apartment building blinked rapidly, turning the still-falling snow into brilliant shades of pink, gold, blue, and green. Snowmen dotted the small lawns, their carrot or button noses standing out against the fluffy white.

As Cutter and Connie walked up the steps to the Jenkins front porch, Mrs. Franks rushed out the front door, a huge smile lighting up her face. "Merry Christmas!" she said jubilantly, throwing her arms around first Cutter's neck, then Connie's.

Cutter chuckled, giving his assistant a bright smile. "Merry Christmas to you too."

"Mr. Cutter, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you'd give up your Christmas for the boys." She shook her head in wonderment. "It'll mean so much to them."

"We're glad we could do something," Connie said with a smile, following the older woman into the house. The distinctly wonderful smell of baking wafted into the parlor from the kitchen, and Cutter breathed in deeply. It smelled absolutely amazing, and his stomach growled hungrily.

"I'll need a place to change," Cutter said, taking his coat and Rubirosa's to the closet by the front door. He tried as hard as he could not to stare at his assistant. She wore a bright red sweater that accented her tanned skin and showed off her curves in all the right places. It was much more casual than he was used to seeing her, and he swallowed hard, making sure he kept his eyes on the older woman beside her.

"Upstairs, Mr. Cutter."

He grinned at Mrs. Franks. "Thank you. And it's Mike for today."

She returned his smile, and he quickly disappeared upstairs. Mrs. Franks turned to Connie and leaned in conspiratorially. "I made sure I hid all the presents in my room. These boys are awfully sneaky."

Connie chuckled, dodging two small boys as they ran past. "I'm sure they are. I have two brothers, and I remember Christmas in my house."

Mrs. Franks led Connie into the spacious living room, which at the moment was echoing with the laughter of little boys. Tim Dowd sat on one of the couches on the other side of the room, and his solemn face looked out of place for such a happy time as Christmas. Connie made sure she gave him an extra big smile while she listened to Mrs. Franks introduce the other boys.

"These two crazy boys are Jason and Wally," Mrs. Franks said with a smile, gesturing to the two dark-headed boys playing with toy soldiers on the carpeted floor.

"You're pretty," the one named Jason said, looking up at Connie with big brown eyes.

Connie could've melted right then. "Well, thank you," she said with a laugh. "You're pretty handsome yourself." She chuckled at the delighted blush that spread across the boy's face.

"This is the oldest boy, Will." Mrs. Franks motioned to a tall, handsome, blonde-haired young man who'd just entered from the kitchen. "He's fifteen and the best helper a worn-out old lady could ask for."

Will stuck his hand out politely, and Connie took it. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rubirosa."

Connie smiled. "It's Christmas, so it's Connie."

"Connie, come play soldiers with us," Jason ordered, giving her a pleading look.

With those big eyes, there was no way Connie could say no. She loved kids. So she sat down next to the boys and picked up one of the soldiers scattered across the carpet. Will sat down on the other side of her, grabbing Wally by the waist and tickling his sides. The younger boy screamed and giggled, and before long, two more small boys had jumped on Will's back. Connie laughed with the boys, scrambling out of the way so she didn't get caught up in their roughhousing.

"The redheaded imp is Damien, and his cohort's James," Mrs. Franks said in between bouts of laughter. She wrapped an arm around Tim, who sat next to her quietly observing all the action.

Connie shook her head, amused. "I don't know how you put up with all these boys."

"They're a blessing." Mrs. Franks grabbed another blonde-headed boy and pulled him up into her lap. "It gets a little crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Linus was the first person that ever gave these boys love. And that's what Christmas is all about, right? Love?"

Connie pursed her lips thoughtfully as she ruffled Jason's hair. Perhaps Mrs. Franks was right.

Suddenly a loud "Ho, ho, ho!" sounded from the stairs. Connie looked up in surprise just in time to see a tall, jolly-looking Santa stumble down the stairs, his white fluffy beard resting on his broad chest and his belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly. It took all her willpower to not burst out laughing at the sight of Mike Cutter in a Santa suit. But it was for the kids.

"Merry Christmas!" Mike shouted, grinning widely as he slung a big sack over his shoulder. God, it was getting hot in that suit. But seeing the looks on those kids' faces made wearing the itchy beard completely worth it.

"Merry Christmas!" the kids shouted back. One of the little boys dashed toward him and attached himself to Cutter's leg, holding on for dear life. The other kids shouted excitedly at him. "What's in the bag? What'd I get? Hurry up!"

Mike laughed and dragged his leg toward the chair by the Christmas tree. With a grunt he sat down in it and lifted the boy onto his lap. "And what's your name, young man?" he asked, deepening his voice so he sounded like Santa.

"Damien," the tow-headed little boy answered, his bright blue eyes looking up expectantly into Mike's.

"Well, Damien, let me look in my bag here." Mike reached down into his bag, rummaging around. "Hmm… I know I put it in here. The elves are gonna be in big trouble…" Finally he pulled out a brightly wrapped present, covered in green and red Christmas paper, and grinned at the child. "Merry Christmas, Damien," he said, handing it to the boy.

His freckled face lit up, and he reverently took the gift from Mike's hands. "Thank you, Santa," he said softly.

"You're welcome." Mike grunted, lifting the boy off his lap so he could hand out another gift. "Where's Jake?"

"Here, Santa!" An even younger boy jumped up from the floor and dashed toward Mike, jumping up into his lap.

Connie watched with a smile on her face as the room filled with a chorus of "Whoa!" and "That's cool!" every time Mike handed out a gift to a boy. She observed how their faces immediately brightened when they tore off the wrapping paper to reveal their precious gift. But most of all, she watched how Mike's blue eyes, usually so intense, danced and twinkled at the faces of the children. She'd been pleasantly surprised at his idea to give the kids the Christmas they'd been looking forward to. Mike Cutter might've been an overzealous, highly ambitious prosecutor, but he felt deeply. And he was so good with those boys, even giving Will tips on how to hold his brand new wooden bat.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this would be the clincher for her. She couldn't deny her feelings for him any more, not when the picture of Mike Cutter surrounded by all those children was painted in her mind forever.

"Tim!" Mike shouted above the din, waving the boy over to him. "Come here, son!"

The boy glanced at Mrs. Franks, who nodded encouragingly at him. Finally he slid off the couch and slowly made his way over to Mike's chair by the Christmas tree.

Mike reached down and lifted the boy onto his lap. His heart nearly broke at the sad look on the kid's face. Sometimes life really wasn't fair. "Tim, I have a special present for you."

He stayed silent, but an expectant and hopeful look crept into his blue eyes.

"Linus wanted me to bring this for you, and to tell you that he's okay where he is. He knows you love him, and he wants you to know that he's looking down on you right now. And he's smiling, Tim. Because he's proud of you for being so brave." He looked around at the other boys. "In fact, all of these presents are from Linus. He wanted me to bring them to you and to tell you that he loves you all very much.

Tim nodded slowly and deliberately, and Mike looked around the room at the other boys. "In fact, all of these presents are from Linus. He wanted me to bring them to you and to tell you that he loves you all very much. He wanted you to have the best Christmas ever."

Every child in the room, no matter how old they were, clutched at the gift he'd been given and smiled softly. Linus was thinking about them, wherever he was.

As he reached into his big red bag, Mike sneaked a glance at Connie, and his heart leapt. She was looking at him with a strange expression in her dark eyes. Surprise, maybe. Perhaps even affection. Whatever it was, it gave him even more hope that maybe, just maybe, something could happen between them.

Finally he pulled out another brightly wrapped present, the shiny silver paper glimmering with the lights from the tree. He handed it to Tim with a huge smile. "Merry Christmas, Tim."

Tim looked at him, then took the present in his hands. Slowly he ripped off the paper and pulled out a brand-new, blue Giants football jersey. The bright red "10" on the front felt soft and smooth under his tiny fingers. Tim looked back at Mike wide-eyed. "Thank you, Santa," he whispered.

Suddenly Tim threw his arms around Mike's neck, startling the man for just a moment. Mike let out a sigh and gently hugged the boy back. And as they embraced, he couldn't help but think that maybe this was really what Christmas was all about.

Then Tim released him and jumped down from his lap, running over to Will to show off his brand new Eli Manning jersey. Mike shook his head and smiled as he got up from the chair and crossed the room to where Mrs. Franks and Connie sat.

Mrs. Franks wiped a tear that had made a path down her cheek. "This has been the best Christmas we've ever had," she whispered. "Thank you both so much."

"Actually, we have one more present to give you," Mike said, glancing quickly at Connie.

The older woman furrowed her brow, confused. "Those were all the presents upstairs."

"This one's from us," Connie said softly, smiling at the other woman.

"I don't understand."

Mike scratched at his fake beard, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Since you were involved with a case, we can't directly donate money to you. But our boss has some connections in this town with some charity organizations."

"So we talked to him about your situation with the house," Connie interjected. "And he called around last night to pull a few strings."

Mike reached into the Santa coat and pulled out a thick envelope. His smile brightened when he saw the woman's eyes immediately well up with tears. "We picked this up this morning on the way over here. It's five thousand dollars to go toward fixing up this place."

Mrs. Franks' eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. "What?"

Connie grinned. "Repairing the leaky roof, fixing the foundations and the cracks in the walls, redoing the lighting and the plumbing, fixing up the floor. Everything you need for giving those boys a healthy life."

"We know it'll cost a lot more," Mike added, "but our boss said he'd talk to the police department's charity organizations and see about getting the home on the right track." He put the envelope in Mrs. Franks' trembling hand. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Franks."

*****

The snow was still falling gently when Connie finally pulled up to Mike's apartment building on the East Side. Night had fallen by the time they'd managed to leave the boys' home. She had to admit – this had been one of the best Christmases she'd ever had. After they'd managed to loosen her grip on Mike's neck, she'd served them the best Christmas dinner either prosecutor had had in years. They'd played with the boys for hours. When they left, little Tim Dowd threw his arms around Mike's neck in the first show of real emotion they'd seen from him in a week. Connie had watched as tears sprang up in Mike's eyes, his arms holding the boy tightly. She'd never known he could be so good with children.

When she pulled to a stop outside his building, a wave of disappointment hit Mike. This was the first time in ages they had actually been able to come together as friends, not as coworkers. He'd always known she loved children, but she had been so good with them. If anything, it attracted him even more to her. And for the first time since he'd known her, Mike had hope that maybe, just maybe, she could return his feelings.

Connie turned to him, and he turned to her. Their eyes met, and an awkward silence enveloped the car for just a few moments. Finally Mike ran his hand through his hair and gave her a crooked smile. "Would you, uh… like to come up for a couple of minutes?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but Mike quickly said, "I mean, unless you have to go or something."

Connie smiled and shook her head. "Sure."

He grinned and opened the passenger door, stepping out into the cold winter air. Connie reached behind the seat and pulled out the gift she'd so carefully wrapped the night before. Against her better judgment, she'd found a good deal online and bought it for him. She knew he'd love it.

They climbed the stairs to his third-floor apartment, and within minutes, Mike let them both into the darkened apartment. He flipped on the light, revealing a nicely furnished but small living room. A small Christmas tree sat next to the window overlooking the street below.

"Make yourself at home," he said, closing the door behind him. He helped her off with her coat and draped it across his countertop, along with his. "I just need to grab something from the back."

He disappeared down the hall into his bedroom, and, setting the gift down on the coffee table, Connie sat down on his couch. Her eyes traveled over the small living room until they rested on the pictures on the wall. One of them was of a college baseball team. Mike looked so different then… so much younger. The one next to it must've been taken much more recently. Mike stood there on a beach with an older couple, their arms around his waist. He looked exactly like the older man standing next to him, just a little younger.

"Sorry about that." His voice came wafting from the back, and within seconds he reappeared. He held a fairly big, square package in his hand, carefully wrapped in bright green paper with a bright red bow on it. He circled the couch and sat down next to her, so close he could smell that perfume she always wore. It was driving him crazy.

Connie picked up the gift she'd set on the coffee table and smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Mike," she said, handing the package to him.

He handed her the gift in his hands with a wide grin. "Merry Christmas. Open yours first."

She grinned as she complied, carefully peeling off the paper. Her eyes widened as she tossed the gift paper on the carpet and held up the book he'd bought her. "A Jane Austen box set?"

"I remembered you saying something about how those were some of your favorite books growing up." He shrugged. "When I saw it, I thought about you."

Connie shook her head incredulously. It amazed her how the man that had practically pimped her out to the jury less than a year ago could be so sensitive and thoughtful. "Mike, this is wonderful. I love it." She set it down on the coffee table and gestured to Mike. "Open yours."

Mike grinned like a little kid. "Okay." He made quick work of the paper, not nearly as careful with it as Connie had been. His face fell just a little when he pulled out a small shoebox. "No offense, Connie, but this is just a little bit of a letdown."

She chuckled. "Open it."

He glared at her for a moment, then pulled off the lid. And his mouth dropped open immediately. He looked at her again, and Connie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the shocked expression on his face. "Two tickets to the Mets' season opener?"

"I know how much you love the Mets. And you were so bummed last year when you didn't get to go."

"Connie, this must've cost you a fortune."

She shrugged. "It's Christmas. And after what I saw today, you deserve it."

A blush slowly spread across his cheeks. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to go with me?"

Connie smiled slowly and rested her elbow on the back of the couch. "I'd love to."

He smiled again, trying not to look too excited. She'd actually agreed to go out and do something with him. Maybe it wasn't a date, but it was certainly a start. And it was definitely a lot more than he would've gotten two months ago. Maybe something really was changing between them.

"Mike," Connie said quietly, looking down for a moment. "What you did today… well, it was the nicest thing I've seen in a long time. Giving those boys the Christmas they would've missed…"

Mike shook his head once and turned his gaze on his assistant. "That's what Christmas is all about, right? Love, giving to others, hope. Those boys needed to know that they were loved and they would be taken care of. Any other decent person would've done the same thing."

Connie shook her head and moved a little closer to him. "I don't know about that. But it was certainly wonderful." Almost on impulse, she leaned forward and softly brushed her lips against his cheek.

When she pulled back, he was looking at her, an intense look in his stormy blue eyes. She knew exactly what that look meant. There could be no misunderstanding there. And the thing that scared her the most was that she wanted it to happen. More than anything.

He swallowed hard and slowly closed the gap between them. Everything around them seemed to just fade away, and the only things he noticed were how her eyes slowly fluttered shut and how the smell of her perfume wafted from her. Then he softly, tenderly brushed his lips against hers.

Connie felt her heart practically stop when his lips touched hers. It was just a whisper of a kiss, but it was enough to light her on fire. She moaned softly when his hand came up to cup her face, and she fisted her hands in the material of his sweater, holding on for dear life as his lips gently caressed hers.

After what seemed like an hour, she pulled away. Mike opened his eyes to see her brown orbs sparkling, and he couldn't resist smiling just a little. Her face was slightly flushed, and to him, she'd never looked more beautiful.

"You know," she whispered, chuckling softly. "I've wanted you to do that for a while now."

Mike laughed quietly and brushed a stray tendril of dark hair from her eyes. "I've wanted to do that since the day I met you. What happened to being professional?"

"Sometimes, Mike," she replied, moving even closer to him. "When there's something you want, you have to sacrifice to get it."

His eyebrows went up as he rested his arm on the back of the couch, behind her head. "And I'm what you want?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you are. And I'm an idiot for not realizing it sooner. I guess Christmas - this case - made me figure a few things out. You're a much better man than I gave you credit for, and life is too short to live it without a little happiness." She leaned forward and softly brushed her lips against his. "Merry Christmas, Mike," she whispered when she pulled back.

Mike reached out and wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her to his chest. His other hand tangled in her hair, gently tipping her head back. "Merry Christmas, Consuela," he murmured just before he gently kissed her again.