Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:28:04 -0700
From: Stephen Phelps <dnsphelps@mcsi.net>
Subject: Michael and Jake, Part 12-B
Disclaimer: I do not know, nor do I claim to know Jake Gyllenhaal, nor do I
know or claim to know any other celebrities that may wander through these
pages, and I do not know or therefore mean to imply any knowledge of their
personal lives and/or their sexual preferences. This story is a work of
fiction. The character of Michael is my own creation, and therefore any
use of him outside of this story cannot be done without first gaining my
permission. If you are under 18 years of age, or you are bothered by the
prospect of a homo-erotic relationship between two men, or it is illegal
for you to be reading this where you live, then I highly recommend that you
go and find something else to read on another web-site. There, I think
that that takes care of the C.Y.A. part of things.....
R.I.P. Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro
Well, I just want to say thank you to everyone that's taken the
time to read and write back with your thoughts, good and bad. March 24th
marks the second Anniversary, and I just wanted to give a special Thank You
to Avy and Christopher for all your support. If y'all haven't checked it
out yet, I suggest you head on over to Avy's site, The Gyllenhaal
Chronicles at http://groups.msn.com/TheGyllenhaalChronicles/ for other good
Jake stories. Also check out http://iheartjake.com for lots of great Jake
photo's. I also want to say, have a safe and Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Okay, now that I've gotten all of that out of the way, on with the
story....
The Christmas Miracle, Part B.....
An Interlude Between Two.....
My cock was hard as a rock and pointing almost straight
up....My whole body was on sensory overload. I was kneeling on the bed,
hands locked in a white knuckled grip on the headboard, with a large bath
sheet draped over the headboard and covering the pillows. I was looking
down at myself....My cock was leaking pre-cum and I knew that it wouldn't
take much more than the slightest touch from either of us and I would
explode.
His chest was pressed up tight against my back, and I could
feel the small patch of hair in the center of his chest scraping lightly
between my shoulder blades and his cock was buried in me to the hilt....
He started making little circular motions with his hips, and I
could feel the head of his cock stabbing my prostate. My head snapped up,
and my eyes flew open....I didn't even realize that I had closed them. I
allowed my head to fall back onto his shoulder and my breath began coming
in shallow, panting gasps, and my eyes drifted shut again as my hips took
up a carnal rhythm all their own, grinding back against him to get more of
his dick inside me.....
His breathing matched mine as I felt his stubble roughened
cheeks moving against mine and his chin rubbing on my shoulder....
My body felt the like the strings of a violin, pulled tight,
and ready to snap! I could feel the churning, tingling sensations
spreading, from where his cock was hitting my prostate dead-on with every
combined movement of our hips, up through my own balls and cock, and even
through my insides! My whole body literally felt like one gigantic
impending orgasm, from the tips of my fingers, down to my toes, which were
curling in anticipation of my upcoming release....
And then he did it....He pulled almost all the way out, his
hands locked over mine, our fingers laced together on the headboard, and
then slammed back into me, his cock hitting my prostate like a bell, and
his teeth sinking into my shoulder!
"Oh God!!" I groaned as I came, ribbons of white shooting out
of my cock and into the towel as my ass clenched again and again around his
cock, pushing him over the edge and into his own powerful orgasm, his
breath coming in shallow gasps next to my ear in time with his dick
spasming deep inside me as he shot....
Using the towel to clean up afterwards, we collapsed back onto
the bed to catch our breath.
It seemed like hours, but it was in fact only mere minutes
later that I felt him roll over and turn towards me, and I felt him place a
gentle kiss on my lips, and then on one of my closed eyelids before he
kissed my temple and murmured against it, "We need to get to the airport,
or we're going to be late," and then he was rolling back over to get out of
bed. I opened my eyes and rolled over to watch his tall broad shouldered
frame as he went into the bathroom, and I got up to follow....
Michael's POV
I had basically spent the better part of the year doing my
Christmas shopping and I would then send the items off to Naomi for 'safe
keeping.' Anything else that I had to get, I would get in L.A.
It was Friday the fourteenth of December. That gave me ten
days to finish my shopping and get everything wrapped. Well, eight
actually, since we were going to get the tree and decorate the house this
weekend.
All of this went through my mind as I herded the twins in front
of me, leather book bag slung across one shoulder with my laptop and a
couple of DVD's in it, and made my way to baggage claim to grab my suit
case. The twins were sharing one extremely large suit case between them.
We had just gotten to the carousel's when my phone started
ringing in my pocket, and I pulled it out.
"Hello...."
"Hey, we're here....Where are you at?" Paul asked.
"Baggage claim. I'll be there as soon as I can," I said as I
started to watch for our bags to start coming down the conveyer belt.
"Okay. I'll be waiting just inside the terminal."
"Alright. I love you," I said as I spotted one of our bags and
grabbed it off the carousel.
"I love you, too," Paul replied, and then ended the call. I
closed my phone and put it back in my pocket as I spotted the second bag
and grabbed it as well.
Fifteen minutes later I was walking towards Paul. I'm sure I
must have a silly grin on my face. Ryan and Michelle ran ahead and threw
their arms around his waist to envelope him in a double hug. As I reached
him, he was pulling out his phone and scrolling down through his numbers
before he found what he was looking for and hit the "dial" button.
"Hey. Yeah, they're here. Okay, see you in a few," he said
before closing the phone and pulling me into a quick one-armed hug. "I
missed you. So did Jake," he said quietly as the twins released him and I
stepped back a couple steps.
"I missed you guys too," I replied.
"How was the flight?" he asked as he took one of the suitcases
in one hand and held out the other to Michelle.
"Surprisingly and blissfully un-eventful, especially for a
Friday before Christmas. And it didn't hurt that I brought my laptop and a
couple of DVD's for the kids. The on-deck flight crew just loved me!" I
said giving him a cheesy grin as I grabbed the other suitcase and held out
my hand for Ryan.
"I bet," Paul said as we made our way to the sliding doors and
out of the terminal.
We only had to wait a couple minutes before Jake pulled up in
the Excursion. Throwing it into park, Jake hopped out and opened the
driver's side passenger door as I opened the other side and lifted Ryan up
and in.
"C'mere buddy, let's get you buckled in," Jake said, motioning
for Ryan to come to him. While he took care of Ryan, I attended to
Michelle, and Paul got our luggage put in the back. We were on our way in
under two minutes.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked.
"My folks are going to come over to watch the kids while we go
to the premiere and the after party," Jake replied.
"Great! Just don't be surprised if I decide to make an early
night of it...." I said as we headed home. "At least we have the weekend
to ourselves. We still going to go get the tree tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yup. I have someone coming by to put up lights outside," Jake
said as he maneuvered us smoothly in and out of traffic on the freeway.
"Rebecca's going to drop off Meadow tonight, and I'll take her
back on Sunday night," Paul said.
I'd had a busy couple of days, with the New York City premiere
of 'Obsession' and the after party last night, then flying out to L.A.
today....I was glad to have a few days' respite from the whole publicity
whirlwind. I was looking foreword to tonight and just being able to sit at
home with my kids and the two men I loved, and relax....
When we arrived at home, we got out and got everything unloaded
and headed inside. Paul took the suit cases and headed off toward the
bedrooms, while Jake headed toward the kitchen, and the twins and I headed
for the great room. Something nagged at my brain as I watched Jake
disappear into the kitchen.....
Ryan and Michelle immediately went over to poke around in the
boxes that sat in front of the sliding glass doors, and I flopped down on
the couch, closing my eyes.
"Do you want something to drink?" Jake asked from the doorway
leading into the kitchen.
"Just water for me," I replied. "Juice for them," I said,
answering for the twins. Jake nodded his head once and turned back into
the kitchen.
He returned a minute later with two glasses of orange juice
which he set on the brick fireplace hearth near the twins and then went
back into the kitchen. I heard Paul coming back down the stairs before he
too went into the kitchen.
He and Jake came back out and sat down, one on either side of
me, and that was when it dawned on me. I couldn't resist saying something
about it!
"You're walking kinda funny there Jake. What did you guys do,
spend the whole afternoon fucking?" I joked quietly.
Jake snorted on his beer, coughed and then choked, coughing
some more. I looked over at Paul who blushed.
"Oh my god! You really did, didn't you?"
"Umm, yeah," Jake replied.
"So? Are you okay? How do you feel?" I asked.
Jake looked over at Paul, who looked back, before replying,
"I'm okay...."
"Good," I replied. "So, what's in the boxes?"
"Christmas decorations....My folks sent some stuff over, Paul's
mom sent some stuff over...." Jake said as he too looked over at the twins
as they looked through the different boxes.
"Hmmm...." I sighed.
"What?" Paul asked.
"I ordered some stuff.....It should be coming anytime," I
replied.
"What kind of stuff?" Paul wanted to know.
"I found some really nice tree decorations in a catalog and
ordered them. The package will probably come with the mail tomorrow....."
I said.
"Actually I think it came today," Jake said. "It was addressed
to you, so I didn't open it," he said as he went into the dining room and
picked up the medium sized box which was sitting on the table and brought
it, along with some scissors, back into the living room.
After I had opened the package and assured myself that
everything was intact, we got up and looked through the rest of the boxes
along with the twins until Rebecca arrived to drop off Meadow, and then we
ordered in some pizza and spent the rest of the evening trying to decide
which decorations were going to go where.....
Saturday the fifteenth, which meant it was time to go get the
tree! The guys that Jake had hired to put up the lights outside arrived
while we were having our breakfast, so he excused himself to go outside and
let them know what we wanted done. He came back in about fifteen minutes
later and finished his breakfast and after rinsing off the dishes and pots
and pans, we were pretty much ready to go.....
"Well, what do you guys think?" I asked as we stood looking up
at the tree.
"Well.....It's tall....." Jake said, squinting as he looked up
at it.
The tree in question was a twelve foot tall Nordmann Fir. It
was nice and full and lush and green.
"It's twelve feet high....The ceiling in the Great room is
twenty....It's perfect," I said.
"Great! We'll take it!" Paul said decisively as he reached
into his back pocket for his wallet.
Twenty minutes later we were leaving the community college
parking lot with the tree tied to the roof of the Excursion. We had them
take an inch off the bottom to allow the tree to be able to take in water.
When we arrived home, we got the tree down and took it inside
where we placed it in the tree stand and got it secured and put some water
in the stand to feed the tree while we went and fixed some lunch.
Someone had put some CD's in the player and we now had a nice
mix of holiday music while we fixed and ate lunch, and then went back to
continue trimming the tree.
Jake and Paul went out to the garage and each came back in
carrying a tall ladder. After they had them set up, I got out the lights,
and the tree decoration was officially underway....
As the afternoon, and the decorating, progressed, I captured
everything on digital 'film'.
At around five thirty, I went into the kitchen to set about
making dinner. I went into the pantry and got out the bag of potato's and
set it on the counter next to the sink where I began to peel and slice them
into a large pot, which I then filled with cold water and set on the stove.
Next, I got out the flour and the spices I was looking for and
set them on the counter and then got a glass pie dish out of the cabinet in
the island. Putting a couple scoops of flour into the dish, I added a nice
variety of the spices to the flour, and then went to get the three packages
of chicken and some eggs from the fridge.
Within minutes, I was frying up the chicken. Thank God for
nice big cast-iron skillets!
"Michael!"
At the sound of my name being called, I looked up, and
immediately began to see spots, as Meadow snapped my picture using the
flash. I crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue at her, and she snapped
another photo of me before heading back into the Great room. I shook my
head, grinning to myself as I went back to my cooking.
Putting the lid back on the chicken, I made a quick check of
the potato's, and then got plates and silverware and set the table.
Looking out the windows, I noticed that the trees had all been wrapped in
tiny white lights. That was when it dawned on me that we wouldn't be
having a White Christmas this year.....
I stood looking at the action going on in the Great room. The
lights had been strung, along with the garlands, and now they were hanging
ornaments....Someone had taken the time to set up the Nativity scene on the
mantle....
"Dinner's ready," I said. The kids cheered, and Jake and Paul
climbed down their ladders.
"I totally forgot to ask yesterday, how're things coming along
on the house?" Paul asked.
"Well, I'm just waiting on a walk through by the inspector next
week. My dad agreed to go through the house with him along with Jason and
Sparky. If everything goes the way we expect it to, Maggie and Peter's
place is done and they can move in whenever they want to....." I replied.
"Hey, that's great!" Jake said as he spooned some mashed
potato's onto his plate and then ladled some gravy over them.
"So, how're things coming with my place?" Paul wanted to know.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I was kind of putting of starting
working on it...." I said, looking at my plate.
"What? Why?"
"I was sort of hoping you might want to live with me, with us,
instead....." I said, finally looking up to meet his gaze.
Paul's gaze shifted to Jake for a second, and there seemed to
be an unspoken communication going on before Paul smiled and nodded his
head and said, "Alright, let's do it!"
"Good," I said. We finished dinner and then finished
decorating the tree and then finished decorating the house.
The following day, Sunday, was spent putting the finishing
touches on everything that we had done yesterday, and just being lazy,
until Rebecca came by to pick up Meadow after dinner.....
I headed into Beverley Hills the following afternoon to do some
shopping. Since I had the twins with me, I couldn't do any shopping for
them, so I finished doing all my shopping for everyone else. We were doing
Christmas dinner for everyone at home, so it would be pretty much everyone
that had been over for Thanksgiving, hopefully minus Shane and Wes.
I was just passing a rather expensive jewelry store when my
phone rang. Pulling it out, I saw that it was Andine and flipped it open.
"Talk to me gorgeous." I said as I entered the store.
"Aahh, now if only you meant that seriously," she sighed on the
other end.
I let out a chuckle and said, "What's up?"
"I might have an early Christmas present for you...."
"Oh goody! I like presents! Is it bigger than a bread box?"
"Hmmm.... All depends on your definition...." Andine teased.
"Ohhh, now you've got to tell me!" I begged.
"Okay. Seven scripts. Two trilogy's, completely un-related to
each other, and a prequel to an already established trilogy. A three and a
half year commitment. Worth seventy-five million."
"Jesus Christ Andine!" I muttered quietly into the phone while
looking furtively around the jewelry store.
"The only people I know of that do those kind of production
schedules are either Peter Jackson or George Lucas! Please tell me that
it's not either one of them!" My plea was met with only silence on the
other end.
"Andine, you're not saying anything!" I said, feeling more
nervous, yet excited by the second.
"All I can tell you is that I spoke with both Director's
involved, and they both asked for you specifically."
"Oh my God!"
"Of course, the strike has everything put on hold, but as soon
as it's over, they're moving full steam ahead and finishing up the
scripts....."
"Shit!" I whispered quietly.
"And I've also heard rumors circulating of the possibility of
'Ocean's 14' as a definite possibility for '09," she said.
"That's eight possible? We're talking about nearly four
years....."
"An eight picture deal worth ninety-five million dollars! Do
you realize what a deal like this means? You do this, and manage to pull
it off, and you could pretty much write your own ticket in this town,
Michael...."
"I know.....But four years?"
"I know it's alot to think about in a very short period of
time. Anyways, I thought I would call you with the good news," Andine
said. "I'll see you Wednesday night, and I'll have more details for you
then, I promise. Oh, and here's a little some- thing for your
consideration. Jake and Paul's agents are probably on their phones right
now having this very same discussion with the two of them. Just something
to think about," she said before ringing off.
Closing my phone, I put it back in my pocket, and walked over
to the jewelry cases. I walked out an hour later with two rings....One for
Jake, and one for Paul.
They were polished Tungsten Carbide, with a row of six tiny
diamonds in the center: one for each of us, and one for each of the kids.
I put them in the glove box of the Excursion and then locked the doors and
set the alarm before we headed off to get something to eat.
"Thanks for letting me send this stuff here," I told Naomi as
she, Stephen and I finished loading everything into the back end of the
Excursion and I closed it up.
"It was no problem. In fact, if you had let me know what was
for who, we could have opened everything and gotten it wrapped for you,"
she said.
"Nah, we're going to do that this weekend. My family are
flying in on Friday and will take the kids out for a few hours while we get
the bulk of their stuff wrapped on Saturday."
"Well, if you change your mind, the offer still stands."
"I may just take you up on that on Wednesday. It will give the
kids something to do for a few hours before they go to bed. I'll let Jake
and Paul know also."
"Okay then, We'll see you all on Wednesday afternoon?" Naomi
said as I opened the driver's side door and got in.
"Yes." I replied.
"Okay, we'll see you then. Drive carefully," she said as she
closed the door.
Buckling up my seat belt, I put the key in the ignition and
turned it, starting up the vehicle and backing around before I drove down
the driveway and headed home.
I walked into the house from the garage and headed for my
bedroom to drop my purchases on the bed, and then went back down stairs to
the kitchen where Jake and Paul looked up at me as I approached and halted
their conversation.
"I had a call from Andine this afternoon," I said, deciding to
take the bull by the horns. They both looked instantly relieved.
"So, what did you hear?" Jake asked.
"I probably know about as much as the two of you. Andine said
she'd tell me more on Wednesday night."
"We got the same story," Paul said.
"I guess all we can do is wait," Jake concluded.
"Hey, do you guys want to give me a hand? I picked up all my
presents that I sent to Naomi. She said she and your dad would help the
kids with wrapping duty when they come over. If there's anything that you
want wrapped, you might as well get it out," I said, looking back-and-forth
between the two of them.
We went and started unloading the boxes from the back of the
Excursion, and took them inside.
"Where do you want them?" Paul asked.
"In on my bed. I'll sort thru it all after dinner," I said as
we went and got the rest of it.
"Are you guys sure you don't mind doing this?" I asked Naomi
as she and Stephen sat at the table. We were having an early dinner before
leaving for the premiere.
"Of course not. We actually brought a few things to finish
wrapping, so it's no problem," Naomi said. Stephen nodded in agreement.
"If you're sure...."I began.
"I'm positive. Now go finish getting ready," Naomi admonished.
"Okay," I said, getting up and taking my plate into the kitchen
to rinse it off and put it in the dishwasher.
Heading up to my bedroom, I walked into the bathroom and
brushed my teeth and ran a brush through my hair, which now hung down past
my shoulders once again.
Picking up an elastic band, I pulled my hair back and up into a
pony tail and then made quick work of securing it in place. I had long
since gotten a second piercing in my left ear, just below the first one, so
I put in a pair of diamond stud earrings and after putting on the backs, I
went back into my bedroom to finish getting ready.
I was just putting the finishing touches on my neck tie when
the twins came in to tell me good bye and give me a hug and a kiss before
they went off to wrap presents. Picking up my jacket from the bed, I put
it on as I made my way out of my room and down stairs to wait for the limo
with Paul and Jake.
"Okay, we're all here, now would someone please tell us what's
going on?" Jake said once the three of us were seated in the back of the
limo with our agents.
"Well, this is what we know for sure," Andine began. "It looks
like 'Ocean's Fourteen' is a definite go for '09. Jerry Weintraub is
producing, Steven Soderbergh is directing. George Clooney himself
suggested the three of you for the parts."
"What parts?" Paul asked.
"The younger siblings of George, Brad, and Julia's characters,"
Paul's agent replied.
"What about the other projects?" I wanted to know.
"Well, you were actually right on the money the other afternoon
when you mentioned Peter Jackson and George Lucas, just not quite the way
you think," Andine said cryptically.
"Oh? How do you mean?" I asked, my curiosity thoroughly
piqued by this time.
"Okay, well, first off, Michael, you're pretty much a lock for
a role in 'The Hobbit' when it starts shooting next year," Andine said
looking me square in the eyes.
"Holy shit!" I muttered, just barely above a whisper.
"And?" Jake prompted.
"Peter Jackson and George Lucas are going to have a go at each
others stories," Paul's agent replied.
"Meaning?" Paul asked.
"Meaning, Peter is going to do the final original trilogy in
the 'Star Wars' series, and George is going to do 'King Kong.'
"Okay, but didn't Peter already....?" I asked.
"Yes, he did. As you know, they made a book based on Peter's
version of the movie. Well, there was also a prequel book written. George
has bought the film rights, and also gotten Peter's blessing, and is going
to do 'King Kong: The Island of The Skull,' he's going to re-do Peter's
version of 'King Kong,' and finish it all up with 'The Son of Kong.'
Likewise, Peter got George's blessing to do the final 'Star Wars' trilogy."
"Any word on casting yet?" Paul wanted to know.
"Well, in the 'Kong' trilogy, it's shaping up to be Eric Dane
as Sam Kelly, the male lead in part one, along with Patrick Dempsey as
Jack, Johnny Depp as Carl, you, Jake, as Preston, Paul as Bruce Baxter,
Anne Heche as Ann, Michael as Jimmy, Jamie Foxx as Mr. Hayes, Ralphe
Fiennes as the Captain....." Jake's agent responded.
"Of course they've already talked to Mark, Carrie and Harrison
for 'Star Wars.' They're also talking to Nicole Kidman about the role Mara
Jade-Skywalker. This will be a family affair for Jake," Andine said with a
cheeky grin.
"Oh?" Jake asked.
"It looks like it's going to be you and Maggie playing Jaina
and Jacen Solo, and Paul and Michael playing Ben and Anakin Skywalker,
respectively," his agent said.
"Paul's got 'Fast and Furious 4' in the works," his agent said.
"We're here," Andine said as we pulled up in front of the
theatre. "You guys ready for this?"
Looking out the tinted windows, I could tell that there were
even more people at this premiere than at the New York one last week.....
"Oh, one more thing," Andine said, pausing before she opened
the door. "Merry Christmas!" she said, then opened the door and stepped
out into an explosion of flash bulbs.
Jake and Paul's agent's followed Andine, and the three of us
followed them. We were joined almost immediately by Shane, and then the
four of us began the stroll up the Red Carpet.
"Michael!! Michael!! Over here!!"
I turned this way and that, smiling for the photographers, and
going to answer reporters' questions.
"Michael! Mark McGrath here, from 'X-tra.' How does it feel
having 'Oscar nominee' mentioned in conjunction with your name every time
the press talks about this movie?"
"It all seems kind of surreal! Have you seen it yet?" I asked
him.
"Not yet, but I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it from
everyone who has. I've even heard a rumor floating around that you sang
two of the songs on the soundtrack?"
"It's not a rumor, it's a fact. Oh, looks like they want me
for a group photo with the other guys. I'll talk to you later?" I said as
I started backing away.
"Sure thing," Mark said with a smile.
I joined the guys for a group photo-op. and then we resumed
our journey.....
There was almost ten full seconds of silence after the movie
ended, and the credits started rolling before someone up on the back row
began clapping and whistling. I stood and turned to see who it was as the
lights came up. It was Wes.
The four of us headed for the lobby to meet Andine, and the
other two agents. Wes caught up with us and then we did the whole
"post-movie" interview thing, and after that was done, our agents decided
to give the after-party a miss, and left. The rest of us headed out to the
limo to go to the party.....
After about three hours, I decided to head home myself.
"Are you sure you won't stay?" Jake said, just a tiny bit
drunk.
"Nah. I'll just catch a cab. And at least that way your
parents can head home," I told him.
After arriving home, I had a nice visit with Naomi and Stephen
before they left, and then went to check on the twins before going through
the house and turning off all the lights except for the Christmas tree, and
then sitting down on the couch.
I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I was
awakened by the sound of the front door closing and the hushed sound of
muffled voices. Sitting up, I looked over the back of the back of the
couch and was.....surprised, to say the least! There, in the foyer, in a
heated kiss, stood Jake and Paul, feverishly trying to remove each others
jackets. Once they had their jackets off, Jake took Paul by the hand and
led him off toward his bedroom.... Happy Birthday Jake!!
I had long since kicked off my shoes and taken off my jacket,
so I got up and went and turned off the tree, and then grabbed the throw
off of one of the side chairs, and grabbing one of the pillows, I laid down
and covered up, drifting into an un-easy sleep, my mind going over the
implications of what I had seen tonight. My last thought before I finally
went to sleep was, now that they're back together, how do I fit into this
relationship, and will they even want me to?
I walked into the darkened theatre just as the last preview was
starting and looked for a place to sit. It looked to be pretty slim
pickings, as the space was nearly filled to capacity with what looked like
mostly high school and college students out for Christmas break. Spotting
an empty seat about halfway up, I quickly headed for it. I didn't have the
luxury of being able to see 'Inferno' in the theatre after it had come out,
and I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.
It was one thing to sit in a darkened theatre and watch
yourself on screen with a bunch of friends and fellow co-stars at a big
premiere, and another thing altogether to see it in a theatre with a bunch
of complete strangers who were all seeing it for the first time.
I had just gotten comfortable as Butterfly Boucher's 'Another
White Dash' came pouring from the speakers, and I saw myself sitting next
to the window on a Greyhound bus, earphones from my Ipod in my ears,
looking at the passing countryside, the white lines on the highway
reflected in the window as the opening scene from 'Obsession' filled the
screen.....
Paul's POV
It was Saturday, the twenty-second, and I could tell that there
was something really wrong with Michael. Jake and I had headed out to pick
up a few last minute things for him and the twins at the same time his
parents had taken them out for some shopping, leaving Michael at home with
his younger brother to finish wrapping his gifts.
I wanted to get him a new ring, something from both Jake and I,
which was why we found ourselves wandering around through various jewelry
stores. Jake wasn't any help. He too seemed to be distracted.
"Something's wrong," he murmured quietly.
"What?"
He looked over at me, somewhat shocked, as if he didn't realize
he had spoken the words out loud.
"With Michael....Something's wrong," he stated.
"How do you mean?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I can't put my finger on it, but something's
definitely not right," he said.
"Ever since the premiere last week," I agreed. "It's like he's
just sitting back and waiting for.....something.....to happen."
"I don't know," Jake said, shaking his head.
"Okay, well in the meantime, we need to be looking for a ring,"
I said as we made our way along the display case, looking at the dazzling
array of rings that were available.
I stopped as something caught my eye. It was a truly stunning
three-ring set. The center ring had two rows of tiny diamonds that came up
and around from either side and wrapped around a larger center diamond, and
the matching bands each had a swirled row of tiny diamonds, so that the
larger diamond in the center looked like the eye of a hurricane with the
smaller diamonds swirling around it in a storm of glittering brilliance.
"Can I show you gentlemen anything today?" the saleswoman
asked as she glided silently up to where we stood.
"That one." Jake and I said in unison, pointing at the
hurricane ring.
"An excellent choice, if I do say so. The settings and
mountings are all in platinum. The center stone is two carats, and all of
the smaller stones are all either a half or one point diamonds. And, if
you'll notice, all of the smaller diamonds are channel set, so that you
don't have to worry about a tiny prong getting broken and losing a stone."
"We'll take it," I said, reaching back to pull out my wallet.
Jake was pulling his wallet out also. "I got it," I said.
"It should come from both of us. It'll mean more that way," he
reasoned.
"Okay. Put half of it on mine, half of it on his," I told the
saleswoman. "Oh, we're going to need it sized to a size seven, and it
needs to be ready by Monday."
"Why don't I just double check this one to see whether we need
to size it up or down," the saleswoman said as she pulled a ring sizer out
from a cabinet under the display case, and slipped the rings onto it.
"It's actually a size six and three-quarters. Did you still want it
re-sized?" she asked.
"Actually, no, we'll take it just the way it is. Better a
little bit small and have it stay on than any bigger and have it slipping,"
Jake said decisively.
"Okay then, we'll take it just the way it is," I said to the
saleswoman.
She gave a smile and then went over to start the paperwork to
complete the transaction.
Michael let out a gasp and a whimper as I slid into him fully
and rested there. Then I heard him mutter a strangled sounding, "Oh my
God!" just before I felt the bed dip like someone was on the end of the
bed, and he was torn between trying to push me off of him, and keep me
there to shield himself from view....
I turned and looked over my shoulder and was surprised to see
Jake crawling up the bed towards us. When he reached us, he pulled my head
around to give me a kiss, his hands sliding up and down my chest. I could
feel him pressing against me, hard and throbbing, and then he was moving
over to the nightstand for the lube. I jumped slightly as I felt the cool
sensation of his fingers lubing me up, the tip of my cock nudging Michael's
prostate, causing him to gasp again.
Jake replaced his fingers with his dick, and began to slowly
push into me.....
"Oh god!" The feeling was indescribable! I was buried to the
hilt inside Michael, and now Jake was filling me in the same way! His
chest was pressing me foreword, and soon I was laying chest to chest with
Michael, with Jake laying on my back.
"I love you," he whispered in my ear, "and I love you too," he
said to Michael. "And I'm not going to go anywhere. This, the three of
us, is forever....."
"That goes for me, too," I said. Jake was resting his chin on
my shoulder and we were both looking Michael in the eye. And then Jake
started to move, and I forgot about everything....
I woke up the next morning, spooned up against Michael's back
with Jake spooned up against mine. My body ached, pleasantly, in all the
right places. I think I had finally figured out, maybe, what was up with
Michael. I think that he probably thought that since Jake and I had
resumed our sexual relationship, that there was no room for him in the
scheme of things.
Michael stirred and I moved my arm from around his waist as he
sat up. I could feel Jake starting to move behind me. Reaching up, I
placed my hand on Michael's shoulder.
"We need to talk about last night," I said.
"I know....Just, not today....It's Christmas Eve. We'll do it
the day after tomorrow," he said, reaching up a hand and placing it over
mine. "C'mon you two, we need to get a move on. We need to go to Safeway
and then hit the mall for some stocking-stuffers," he said as he turned his
to look at us over his shoulder with a smile.
Jake's POV
Maggie and Peter stopped by with Ramona and asked if we
wouldn't mind taking her with us, and we were also going to pick up Meadow
and then head home to fix dinner. We had already gotten a bunch of fresh
apples, oranges, pears, and banana's for everyone's Christmas stockings, as
well as a ton of candy and other small gifts. Paul and I had taken Ramona
and gone to a restaurant a couple of blocks away from the mall to wait for
Michael and the kids. Michael had had to park the Excursion down on the
lowest level of the underground parking garage across the street from the
mall. There was also four level's of parking above ground, about the size
of a football field, and next to that there was a new high rise going up.
"I think Michael might be thinking about ending it," Paul said
quietly as we sat waiting. He had taken the box with the ring out of his
pocket and had opened it up and was looking at the ring.
"What?" I said, snapping out of my thoughts.
"Think about it Jake....We jumped feet first into
this.....thing.....between the three of us without really giving it any
thought, and then you and I started things back up last week. Hell, he
even made a joke about it, remember? I think last night might have pushed
things too far."
"What?"
"You shouldn't have come in like that. It wasn't part of the
deal. There's no telling what's going through Michael's mind, because he's
not talking.... He hasn't been, not for several days."
"I know! You think I haven't noticed how he's been keeping his
distance from both of us? I had to do something to get through to him that
we, you and I, are in this for the long haul!" I said, feeling just as
frustrated by the whole situation as Paul was. I looked down at Ramona in
her stroller, looking back up at me. Anything else I might have said was
put on hold.....
Third Person POV
Michael had just gotten off the elevator and was making his way
over to the Excursion, thankful that he had been able to find a parking
spot close to the elevator and the stairwell. Meadow and the twins had run
on ahead of him to wait by the back end as he dug the keys out of his
pocket and unlocked the doors. Then he opened up the back end and put the
shopping bags he was carrying into the back along with all the other bags
that were there, closed it up, and then went about getting the kids inside
and making sure they were buckled in before fastening his own seatbelt and
starting the engine.
He had just put it in "reverse" and had turned in his seat to
make sure there were no other vehicles coming when he heard and felt a loud
slamming "thunk" on the hood of the Excursion.
Whipping his head around, he stared in horrified fascination at
the piece of concrete, roughly two feet square, which now sat in a small
crater in the middle of the hood of his Excursion. Another loud "thunk",
this time on the roof, had him looking up and then around the parking
garage as he threw the vehicle into park and shut it off, glancing around
as the terrible realization that something was dreadfully and horribly
wrong started to sink in.
"Shit!" he muttered, hands scrambling to unfasten his seat
belt as more concrete began to fall. Turning his head, Michael looked at
the three frightened children sitting in the seats behind him. "Get down!"
he said tersely. "Get down on the floor now!" he ordered, watching to
make sure they were doing just that before he curled himself into the floor
space on the passenger side to wait it out. "Cover your heads!" he
shouted over the noise of the collapsing parking garage, just before
pulling Jake's leather jacket over his head.....
After about a minute, the noise and shaking had stopped, only
to be replaced by an eerie silence.
"Daddy, I'm scared!" Michelle said from her spot on the floor
behind the front passenger seat. Michael could see one of her eyes peering
at him from the narrow space between the seat back and the passenger-side
door.
"Me too!" Ryan chimed in.
"I know....Everything is going to be just fine....." Michael
said, praying that it would be true.
"Michael, what happened?" Meadow asked from behind the middle
row of passenger seats. "Was it an earthquake?"
"I don't know sweetie," Michael said, as he removed Jake's
jacket and got his first look at the interior of his rig.
The roof and windshield were completely caved in, down to the
dashboard, on the drivers side. It sloped up to the pretty much in tact
passenger door and window.
"What are we going to do? Are my dad and everyone else okay?"
she asked.
"I'm sure that both your mom and your dad, and everyone else,
are just fine. Now, the first thing we're going to do is get out of here,"
Michael said looking around his rather cramped quarters to try and figure
out his best means of escape.
From the look of things, his only option was the passenger
door, since the roof was too close to the head rest for him to be able to
climb over the back of the seat.
"Michelle, Ryan, I want to you to do me a favor, and try to
open your doors back there," Michael said as he un-curled himself and moved
around to try the front door. It ended up being an exercise in
frustration, however, as all three doors were jammed up tight.
He did happen to notice, however, that while the rear doors
were still shut, if slightly askew, the back window was pretty much
completely busted out, and while there wasn't enough room for him to be
able to climb over the back of the front seat, there was enough room, since
the kids were smaller, for them to be able to climb over their seats and
into the back with the presents and groceries where he could get them out
safely. All he had to do first, was get himself out.....
After a great deal of maneuvering, Michael managed to get
himself laid out across the front seat, his head near the driver's side
door. He had just enough room to move his arm around to cover and protect
his eyes from flying glass.
"I want you three to get down and cover up until I tell you
it's alright, okay?" he said. He waited several seconds while heard all
three of them moving around, and then he closed his eyes, moving his arm to
partially cover his face before his jaw clenched and tightened up as he
raised his legs and kicked at the window, not for the first time thankful
that he had worn his cowboy boots that morning.
It took three tries, but he finally managed to break out the
window, and he gave the kids the 'all clear', and told them to start to
climb into the very back of the vehicle while he himself began the process
of moving out from under the caved in part of the roof.
Once he was free and clear, he moved around to clear away any
broken glass, and then carefully began to ease himself out and then onto
the cool cement floor of the parking deck where he got his first look at
his surroundings.
Outside the Excursion, it was admittedly hard to see anything,
since there was really no good source of light. Reaching in through the
broken out window, Michael opened the glove box and grabbed the flashlight
that was kept there, praying that the batteries still had a few hours of
life left in them, and turned it on.
The immediate vicinity was a mess of concrete and twisted steel
re-bar. There were several cars nearby which were crushed under huge
broken pieces of concrete.
Drawing in a shaky breath, Michael turned back to reach in
through the open window for Jake's jacket, and remembered the rings.
Turning the flashlight on the open glove box, he saw the box sitting right
where he had left it over a week ago, and grabbed it too, before turning to
make his way to the rear of the Excursion where Meadow and the twins were
waiting for him.
After getting all three children out safely, Michael swung the
flashlight around, hoping to find someplace that looked to be relatively
safe from further collapse. Figuring that any rescue attempt would come
from either the elevator shaft or the stairwell, he carefully picked his
way across the debris strewn parking deck to the stairwell door. Reaching
it, he pushed down on the push-bar handle, and cautiously opened the door.
Shining the flashlight around the space revealed that there
would be no means of getting out that way: It was pretty much impassible
due to the cave in. Shoving a piece of concrete in front of the door,
Michael managed to prop it open. Then he pulled his phone out of his
pocket and flipped it open and dialed. It rang three times before it was
finally answered.
"Jake? Thank God! Are you guys okay? Was it an earthquake or
what?"
Jake's POV
The first indication that anything was wrong was a couple of
people coming to a halt on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant,
horrified looks on their faces as they pointed at something, and then began
to walk backwards before turning and running the other direction. Then
came that sound.....
It's something that I don't forget any of us will forget, not
after 9/11..... That horrifying sound of a building crashing down.....It's
strange, but I don't remember feeling any shaking or tremors before it
happened, so it wasn't an earthquake. Paul and I looked at each other for
a split second before we got up from the table and made our quickly toward
the front door along with everyone else. When we got out along with
everyone else, we looked up the street in the direction of the mall and the
new hotel that they were building.....or at least where the hotel had once
stood. I faintly heard Paul mutter a broken, "Oh my God!" a split second
before he turned away and vomited on the sidewalk.
The entire structure now lay amid a mass of twisted steel and
broken cement. For whatever reason, it had collapsed over sideways, into
the above ground parking garage, across four lanes of traffic, and into the
shopping mall.....
I was vaguely aware that my phone was ringing in my front
pocket, and I pulled it out before it rang a fourth time and flipped it
open without looking at the caller I.D.
"Yeah," I answered distractedly.
"Jake? Thank God! Are you guys okay? Was it an earthquake or
what?"
"Michael!?!?! Are you alright? Are the kids okay?" I was
aware that Paul was standing beside me in an instant.
"We're fine. What the hell happened Jake?"
"The hotel....Some kind of construction site accident. The
whole thing just went over sideways, into the upper parking deck, across
the street, and into the mall."
"Oh Jesus....." Michael said quietly.
"It's a mess up here, big time!" I said, looking around, still
not able to wrap my mind around the enormity if the situation. I could
already hear the sound of approaching sirens, signaling the impending
arrival of Emergency Services on the scene. "Okay, I'm going to get off
here and call the families and let them know what's going on. EMS are
starting to show up and the cops are starting to move people away from the
immediate area, so I'm going let Paul talk to you then make the other
calls," I told him.
"I love you," he said quietly.
"I love you, too," I replied. "Okay, here's Paul," I said just
before handing the phone to Paul.
"Hey! Are you okay? And the kids? Alright, let me talk to
Meadow.....Hey, how's my best girl? Yeah? We're okay up here. Yup.
Okay, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to listen to Michael and do
what he says down there, alright? He'll take care of you. I know, me too.
I love you....Now, can I talk to Michael again? How are you holding up?
Yeah, it's really bad. He's waiting for me to get off here so we can start
making calls, so I'm gonna get off here. We're going to be here when they
bring you all out. I love you. Give the kids a hug for me, and we'll see
you later," he said as he closed the phone and handed it back to me. Our
eyes met.
"They're going to be fine," I told him. "All four of them."
He just nodded and pulled his phone out and flipped it open and scrolled
down through the numbers until he found what he was looking for and hit
'dial.' I opened my own phone and did the same thing.....
Within the hour, all of our families were there, as well as
many others, and the wait for news, good or bad, began.....
Michael's POV
I pulled out my phone and turned it on. Twelve-thirty.
Roughly twelve and a half hours since the cave in, give or take a few
minutes.....
Less than hour after the collapse, the kids and I were joined
by another guy and a couple of college kids named David, Sam, and Morgan,
respectively. Between us four adults, we had three working flashlights, so
we turned off the other two to conserve the batteries We eventually ended
up turning on the headlights on the Excursion, but I knew they would only
last so long.....
When we got hungry, we raided the grocery bags in the back of
the Excursion for the beef-stick, cheese, and fresh fruit I had planned to
put in every- ones stockings for our Christmas Eve dinner.....
I kept my phone turned off to save the battery, pulling it out
about every hour or so to call up to the surface to see how things were
progressing, and let Meadow talk to her father.
By eight o'clock, I'd had enough, and pulled out my phone and
turned it on and scrolled through my list until I found what I was looking
for, and hit "dial," walking over by the Excursion so I wouldn't be
overheard by the kids.
"Hey dad....."
"Michael?"
"How's it going up there?"
"Slow....."
"Have they even started to try and get down here?" I asked.
"Son....."
"Jesus, dad!! It's been eight fucking hours! If we hadn't
done the grocery shopping first, we'd probably have passed out from hunger
by now! I know for sure the kids probably would have. I can't handle this
for too much longer, dad."
"They're going as fast as they can, son."
"I know....It's a miracle I haven't had a panic attack
yet....."
"Are you doing okay?"
"Yes....I just needed to vent. How are you all doing up
there?" I asked.
"We're all worried, but we're coping. This is especially hard
on your mother and Paul....."
"Yeah.....Well, I'm going to get off here. Tell everyone I
love them and that we'll see them soon."
"Will do. I love you too, son."
I closed my phone, and made up my mind. I went back to where
the others were.
"Meadow, let me have the flashlight sweetie. Please," I
requested, holding out my hand. She gave it to me, and I turned it on and
headed back to the Excursion. David was hot on my heels, watching as I put
one plastic grocery bag inside another.
"What are you doing?" he asked as I began putting water
bottles into the doubled up plastic bags and then tied it up.
"I keep hearing the noise from the equipment up above, but in
never seems to be getting any closer! We've been trapped down here for
eight hours.....I didn't survive nearly dying in a pool-house fire set by a
former school-mate turned stalker just to end up dying in some freak
construction site accident on Christmas Eve! I'm getting me and my kids
the hell outta here, if I have to dig my way out to do it!"
David just looked at me, trying to decide if I was crazy, or
what.....Maybe I was. I didn't know, I just wanted to get the hell out of
there....
"Alright, I'm in," David said finally.
"Okay then, let's go," I said, and grabbed two more plastic
bags. We went back to Morgan and Sam and the kids. "I've got two bottles
of water for each of us. Everyone gets two apples."
"What are we doing daddy?" Ryan wanted to know.
"We're going to try to get out of here," I said
matter-of-factly. I pulled out my phone once again and called to let the
folks know what we were going to do and to let Meadow talk to her father.
I gave my phone to her for safe keeping, and we began the task of digging
our way out of hell.....
It took three and a half hours, some blood, alot of sweat, a
few tears and alot of cursing, but we did manage to make it up to the
fourth level and about halfway to the third when we had to stop. Since the
stairs were gone, we'd had no choice. We back-tracked down to the fourth
level to try that way only to find that the door wouldn't budge, and no
amount of pulling was going to make it do otherwise. So, we went back up
to our new 'resting place,' and waited.
Which brings us to where we are now, twelve thirty.....I turned
my phone off and shoved it back in my pocket, and closed my eyes.....
I think I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, I
hear a voice, several voices, actually, coming down from above us!! I
prayed to God that I wasn't dreaming as I called out "Help!!"
"Hello!" a voice shouted back. I looked at the others as we
all stood up. The stairwell was suddenly awash in light as flashlight
beams were bouncing off the concrete walls.
"Help! Help! Down here!" we were shouting back. I held onto
the handrail, and leaned out over the open stairwell, and looked up.
"Please!! Please help us!" I called out, and was almost
blinded when one of the rescue workers shown his flashlight in my face. I
brought my free hand up, and he immediately moved the light away from my
face.
"How many of you are there?" the fireman asked.
"Seven! Four adults, three children!"
"Okay, everything will be alright. We'll have you folks out of
there in no time."
"Thank God!" I murmured as I moved back from the edge when a
rope was dropped down in front of us.....
Within a minute, there was a Fire-Rescue worker there with us,
and he was putting us into a harness and we were lifted up, one by one, to
the next level. From there we would go up through the elevator shaft. The
kids would be the first ones to go.
I reached into the pocket of Jake's jacket, and pulled out the
box with the rings in it. I reached a quick decision, and took off the
chain that I had worn Jake's ring on for all those months, and put the new
rings on it.
"Meadow, sweetie, come here!" I said urgently. I slipped the
necklace over her head. "Sweetie, I want you to do me a favor. If for
some reason I don't make it out of here, I want you to give these to your
father and Jake, and tell them I loved them both, very much."
"Michael, you're scaring me! You're going to get out of here,
just like all the rest of us, and we're all going to be just fine," she
said as she gave me a quick hug.
"Sweetie, we don't know what's going to happen....." I began,
but she cut me off.
"Nothing bad is going to happen Michael....It's Christmas,
nothing bad ever happens on Christmas...." And with that, she gave me
another hug, and put the necklace in my hand and walked over to where they
were ready to send her up next.
I walked over after her, putting the chain back on, and said,
"Don't look down. Keep looking up, just keep looking up."
And then she and a rescue worker were being lifted up and out
of sight.
"You're next," one of them said to me, and I just nodded my
head silently. I stood still as I was strapped into the harness and given
safety instructions, and then I was being lifted. I looked up. The area
around the opening was brightly lit, and though I'm sure there was alot of
noise, I heard nothing, not a sound.....
And then I felt hands on me pulling me away from that hole in
the ground, and it was like the sound came crashing back, all at once, like
someone had pushed the 'mute' button on the remote and suddenly the sound
was back on.
Before I had time to realize what was going on, the rescue
harness was being taken off, and I was being led over to a waiting
ambulance, where after a quick check, I was pronounced "okay" and allowed
to go.
"Michael!" I looked to my left, and there was my family. I
began walking to them, my steps quickening, and before I knew it I was
safely in my parents arms. It took me a minute to realize I was crying,
and then I was in another pair of arms....
So many pairs of arms before I was in the right ones, and the
three of us just stood there not willing to let the other go. I felt a
tugging at my sleeve and turned to see Meadow.
"See? I told you nothing bad would happen on Christmas," she
said with a smile.
"C'mere you," I said, pulling her into the hug. Within a
minute, we were in the center of a giant family hug.....
"C'mon everybody, let's go home," Jake said.....
It was later, much later, in fact, on Christmas day. We had
had a quiet dinner with our families, and then played 'rip and shred,' and
opened our gifts. Jake and Paul had told me they had something they wanted
to ask me, and so we went outside to sit down at the far end of the pool.
"You were going to end it, weren't you?" Paul asked without
preamble. I looked at him, shocked.
"It's okay, you don't need to answer," Jake said.
"Michael.....I love you, and I don't think I can imagine what
my life would be like without you in it. I think I started falling in love
with you the first day I met you, in Jake's hotel room almost two years
ago..... Aaww, shit.....This isn't coming out at all like I wanted it
to....." Paul said, sounding and looking very helpless and frustrated.
"Just say what's in your heart," I told him.
"Okay.....I--we want you to stay. One bed, one bedroom. No
more of this separate rooms crap. One bed, one bedroom. Not yours, not
mine, not his. Ours Forever," he said pulling out a box and setting it on
the table. "Fuck, this still isn't coming out right," he said, sending
Jake a look full of frustration.
"I think I know where this is headed," I said, reaching into my
front pocket. I put my closed hand on the table next to Paul's box, and
opened it, palm up, to reveal the rings I had bought. There was a slight
gasp as Jake and Paul looked from the rings to each other, then at me, then
back down at the rings in the palm of my hand.
Paul reached out to open his box, and then it was my turn to
gasp!
"So is that a yes?" Jake asked, nodding his head toward the
rings in my hand.
I nodded silently, not able to speak.
I took the rings and then took Jake's right hand and slipped
his ring on, and took Paul's hand and slipped his ring on, and then
extended my bare right hand.
"This is only until the ceremony," I said. "Then these are
going on our left hands where they belong." I looked up at the two of
them.
"Absolutely!" Paul said. Jake nodded in agreement.
"Christmas really is a time for miracles," I murmured, looking
down at the rings as they sparkled in the lights that decorated the trees
outside. "Well, we may as well go back inside and get it over with."
With that, we got up and headed back inside.
"Well?" Maggie smirked.
"What?" Jake asked.
"What do you mean, 'What?' Don't you 'What?' me, little
brother!"
"It's official!" I said as the three of us held our right
hands up, side by side. Maggie let out a shriek and jumped up off the sofa
to envelope the three of us in a huge hug. Naomi, Cheryl, and my mom came
in a minute later carrying trays filled with glasses of champagne.
"What do we drink to?" Paul's younger brother Cody asked.
"To Love," Peter toasted.
"To Miracles," Naomi suggested.
"To Christmas Miracles," I amended, and we all raised our
glasses.....
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well, that's it for chapter 12. Let me know what y'all think.
dnsphelps@mcsi.net or you can find me on yahoo messenger at
twains_fan_03@yahoo.com on msn at twains_fan_03@hotmail.com and on AIM at
guyoregon8