Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 18:44:36 -0800 (PST)
From: rimpigfl <rimpigfl@yahoo.com>
Subject: THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL 2

Disclaimer: This is just a story. But it is more than a story. First of
all, it is my 50th Story for the Nifty Archive. Beyond that, it is my
Christmas Present to all of my readers. May your lives be filled with the
joy and love of this Season and may each of you find your own 'Angel'.

THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL
Part II
By RimPig   2003

For the next five years, I continued to live and work with Ben. I appeared
in a few more films but, more and more, my work was behind the camera. I
became fascinated with the making of films and worked as a production
assistant and finally worked my way up to a second unit director.  This is
the director who shoots all the outside shots and location work.

One day Ben asked me to have lunch with him. I was out shooting location
shots and when I arrived at the restaurant, I found that Ben and I were not
lunching alone. With him was Bill, the owner and producer of the film
company for which Ben and I worked most of the time. In adult films, it's
just like in regular films. You work for a number of film studios, getting
'loaned out' to other producers and directors if they like your work. Most
of the films that I had done, however, had been for Bill's company.

The conversation during much of lunch had to do with current and future
productions. It was when we were almost finished that Bill turned to me.

"Ben tells me that you've really come a long way in learning film." Bill
said. "I've seen some of your second unit work and I must say I'm
impressed. Ben has been bugging me about something so I thought we could
have lunch today and I'd ask you about it. Do you think you're ready to do
your own film?"

I sat there stunned. Here I was, only 21, and Bill was asking me to
undertake a film on my own!  Now, a lot of people think that filming a porn
film involves nothing more than having people have sex and filming it and,
I guess if you boil it down, that's what it is. But it is a lot of hard
work with long hours and any one who's seen them made knows that there is
nothing "sexy" about the process at all! The most difficult thing for the
actors is to get hard, stay hard and shoot their load on command. There is
also the trouble of learning how to keep hand, arms, legs and heads out of
the 'shot' so that the camera can film what's going on. Working with the
temperamental and egotistical 'stars' is an added problem.

Also, people have the idea that these films are shot 'on the cheap'. Well,
I suppose some are but I knew at Bill's studio, quality was an important
part of production. The videos sold for premium price because of it. I
didn't work on a film at Bill's studio that cost less than $100,000 to make
and a lot of them were many times that. So Bill asking me to take charge of
a production was giving me an awesome amount of responsibility!

"Bill, I've trusted Ben from my very first film. If he thinks I'm ready,
than I'm ready." I said.

"Well, I have to agree with him. I think you are, too. We're starting
production next week of a new 'Jason Cord' feature and I want you to direct
it." Bill said.

"You want me to direct Jason Cord! Geez! You don't believe in starting
somebody out easy, do you!" I exclaimed.

Bill and Ben laughed.

"It just so happens that Jason asked for you." Bill said.

"He did?! You're kidding!" I said.

"Nope. Asked for you specifically." Bill said.

Jason was the major 'star' of the studio at that time. A beautiful Iowa
farm boy who stood about 6 foot 4 inches and had a beautiful body with
blond hair and blue eyes. He was also hung like the proverbial horse having
10 uncut inches. I had appeared in one film with Jason early on in his
career and found out he really knew how to use that 'battering ram' of his!
I could hardly sit down the entire two weeks that we shot our scenes
together! He'd really been a kid, fresh of the farm then. I found him to be
nice but a bit shy.

Unfortunately, as often happens, Jason's 'stardom' somewhat went to his
head and while he was a consistent money-maker for the studio, he'd also
become very difficult to work with from what I heard. I couldn't imagine
why he'd asked for me to direct him but I was willing to, especially since
it meant me getting the chance to direct my own film.

"Well, then I guess I'm your man." I told Bill.

"Well, that's great. Listen, if you aren't busy this afternoon, why don't
you give Jason a visit and talk to him about the project." Bill said.

"But I don't even know what the project is." I said.

"Oh, sorry!" Bill said and reached under his chair, pulling a script out of
his briefcase. "Here's the script. I know Jason is going to want to make
changes but try to keep them in line with the plot and not so expensive
that he puts us into bankruptcy!"

"Will do, boss!" I smiled.

Bill excused himself, saying that he had a meeting and left. I looked at
Ben who was drinking his coffee and trying to play innocent.

"Asked for me specifically, huh? I wonder just exactly how that came about
since the only director that Jason would work with was you." I asked.

"Well, it's like this. I told Jason that he had a choice. Either he let you
direct or I'd never do another one of his films. I also told him to clean
up his act and not give you a hard time or, money-maker or not, I'd get
Bill to bounce his ass out of the studio. I think Jason is still a good kid
underneath, he's just been listening to all the wrong people. I know he
likes you - has since the first film you two did together. There's always
been a chemistry between you." Bill said.

"Yeah, I know." I said, not telling Bill that it was because Jason reminded
me so much of Mike that it was almost like I was finally making love to
Mike when we did that scene together.

"I think that you should close the set entirely. Get Jason away from his
'entourage' - especially that twink lover of his! That way, you will have
less trouble dealing with him. Who knows, maybe he'll make you his favorite
director instead of me." Bill laughed.

"Well, I'll try. I do wish you'd picked something a little easier for me my
first time out, however!"  I said.

"If I didn't think you could handle this, I'd never have stuck my neck out
with Bill. Now go and make me proud of my protege." Bill smiled.

I had a chance to look over the script with Ben and then I called Jason,
saying I wanted to meet with him. He invited me to his apartment but I told
him I'd rather meet with him alone and we decided to meet for dinner. I
chose a lovely little Italian restaurant I knew of in Studio City where I
knew we'd have privacy.

Jason showed up early, a good sign, and seemed to be very much the 'old'
Jason. We talked about the film and I informed him that the set would be
closed - only people actually working on the film would be allowed to be
there. He looked surprised for a moment and then smiled at me.

"You don't have to worry. I broke up with Brent and got rid of all his
friends who were nothing but leeches - sponging off me. As was Brent. He
didn't really care about me - he just liked being the boyfriend of a porn
star as well as spending my money." Jason said ruefully.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I really am." I said.

"Yeah...well...it happens. So, how come you've never had anybody. I know
you and Ben aren't lovers even though you live together. You're way too
cute to be running around loose." he smiled.

"The last thing I want is a lover. I was in love once. Didn't work out." I
said by way of explanation.

"I don't think it was 'once'." Jason said. "Sounds like you're still in
love with him."

"Yeah. I guess I am, for all the good it does me. He's straight and a
Marine." I said.

"Oh, babe! Bummer! Stay away from those straight boys! They just break your
heart and leave you lonely!" Jason said empathetically. "I know. It's why I
left Iowa. Got tired of being the only 'queer' around with nothing but
straight boys to lust after."

We went on and discussed the script. I wanted to put some innovations into
it and Jason readily agreed, even though one of the innovations was that
Jason - the perennial 'Top' - would suck cock for the first time on film. I
would have to talk to Bill about the changes but with Jason's support, I
didn't see a problem.

Bill was hesitant at first and called in Ben who listened to my ideas. Ben
was all for them which brought Bill around. We went into production and,
unlike Jason's other 'epics', finished the shoot ahead of schedule and
under budget - something that Bill was especially happy with. He was even
happier when the film came out. It was Jason's biggest grossing film to
date and the highest grossing film that the studio had ever made! Bill
walked around sounding like he'd 'discovered' me and apparently forgot that
it was Ben who had brought me into the business, trained me and talked Bill
into giving me my first film.

No matter - Ben and I knew the truth. I was thrilled with what I had been
able to do but didn't realize what it would do to my life. All of a sudden,
I was scheduled with one film after another, some overlapping so that I was
putting in 12 to 16 hour days at the studio almost every day! By the end of
that year, I had made 30 films but at age 22 felt like I was closer to 50!
I was exhausted, in fact, I was burnt out. I was tired of porn. I wanted to
make films but I wanted to make real films. Films where how hard somebody's
cock wasn't important. Films that had messages. But I didn't know how to
make the transition.

Throughout this time, Harold and I were keeping in regular contact and he
was making visits to LA whenever he could get away from the
University. That year he was coming for the entire mid- winter
break. Harold and I were still having sex and sleeping together whenever he
was in LA.  The funny thing about it was, that was about the only sex I was
having! Here I was in the porn industry and too busy to have sex! To be
honest, I wasn't much interested anyway. There was really only one guy I
wanted, one guy I was still in love with and there was no chance that I
would probably ever see my brother Mike again.

While Harold was in LA this time, he, Ben and I got talking one night and I
finally opened up and started expressing my frustrations with the way my
life was going. I told them about wanting to make 'real' films and my
disillusionment with porn.

"I warned Bill that he was pushing you too hard. I can't blame you for
being burnt out - thirty major films in one year is a hell of a lot of
work! And Bill's made a fortune off them!" Ben said.

"I just can't find a way into making real films. No major studio is going
to hire someone who's only film experience is porn!" I said, miserably.

"That may be true..." Harold said, "But I bet they'd hire someone with an
MFA."

"What's that? A Mutha-Fucking Asshole?!" I laughed.

"No, a Masters in Fine Arts. Particularly a MFA in Film
Production. Particularly one from a prestigious University like the one
that I work for." Harold said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"With your brains and talent, you should be easily able to get an MFA in
film production from Boston University. That should suitably impress the
movers and shakers in the studios. They are constantly looking at our
graduates for the new directors and cinematographers." Harold said.

"What? Me?! In College? When pigs fly!" I said.

"Why? You're not stupid. You know that you're very bright. You also can
very well afford it.  You've got plenty of money to buy yourself a good
education and what better investment could you make than in yourself?"
Harold asked. "Look, I've been teaching there a good long time. I can spot
the people who will do well academically and those who won't. Do you think,
as much as I care about you, that I'd suggest this if I didn't think you
were capable of it, David?"

That kind of rocked my world. No, Harold wouldn't do something like that. I
did know that he cared about me. We'd long left behind his initial
attraction to 'Trace Stone' and had become friends. I sometimes felt that
Harold wanted us to be more than that but I couldn't. No matter how foolish
and impossible it was, I was in love with Mike and couldn't bring myself to
love anyone else.

"I agree." Ben said. "I hate to say this, David, but I've been watching
your work and you're too good to be doing just porn. I know you can make a
living at it. Fuck! I've made a great living at it, but I don't have your
talent. I never thought I'd say this but you need to get the fuck out of LA
and go back to Boston with Harold, go to BU and get an MFA and then come
back and take this fuckin' town by storm!"

"I don't know. I didn't even graduate high school! How the fuck could I get
into any college, much less one like BU!" I said.

"With a little help from your friends." Harold smiled. "The dean of
academic affairs as well as the dean of the school of Fine Arts happen to
be friends of mine. I'm sure that a place can be found for you. Trust
me. Our first step is to get you your GED."

"How do I do that?" I asked.

"I think it would be easier if you got it in Boston. That way there's no
question of it's legitimacy.  We should be able to get that within three
months. I'm sure you're not going to need a lot of tutoring for the exam
and I think I can help with most of it." Harold said. "After that, you can
be accepted into the University and should be able to start in the summer
term."

I looked at Ben, who smiled at me.

"No way around it, kid. You need to do what Harold says. I hate to lose
you, and Bill is REALLY gonna hate it! He's made a lot of money off
you. But that's life in the big city, isn't it?  Remember me fondly in your
memoirs." Ben smiled.

"Ben, if I ever do make a film, I'm dedicating it to you." I laughed.

And so, that's how I ended up here in Cambridge on this Christmas Eve. I
was a semester away from my MFA in Film Production. It had been a rough six
years at times but I had persevered. I remember at my graduation with my
BA, that besides Harold, who would be there as a professor at the
University, Ben flew in from LA and we had a grand reunion that weekend. My
only bad moment was when I thought of how much I would have loved to have
had Mike in the audience watching me receive my college degree. But I had
no idea where he was and he had no idea where I was - and I wanted to keep
it that way.

I had finally told Harold about Mike a few years ago. He asked me one night
as we were sitting in his apartment, a few blocks from mine, why I'd never
had a lover - never even looked for one.

"I'm in love with someone that I can never have." I said simply.

"Never say never. Anything can happen." Harold smiled.

"No, this can never happen." I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Look, Harold, you know something about my past. You know about my parents
throwing me out on the streets before I met Ben. You know I changed my
name. I was not born David Blackburn but David Kellam. I have a brother
who's two years older than me. His name is Mike.  He's a Marine and as
straight as they come." I said. "One of the reasons I changed my name was
so that Mike could never find me. I'm sure his reaction to having a 'fag'
as a brother would not be pretty."

"Nor his reaction to you being in love with him - with your own brother."
Harold said softly.

"Yeah. That's the reason. I know it's stupid! But I can't help myself. I've
loved him all my life. I can't stop loving him - no matter what he'd think
of me." I said, my voice showing some of the anguish I felt inside.

"I think I understand now." Harold said. "I'm sorry, David. I'm sorry that
you feel this way. I'm sorry for what the world has done to you. All I can
say is - don't give up hope. You never know what might happen."

"Harold, I long ago gave up hope." I said.

"No you haven't. Otherwise, you'd have stopped loving him and moved on to
love someone else." Harold said.

"You never did." I said. "I know you were in love with me. I'm sorry that I
could never return that. But why didn't you find someone else?"

"Because I didn't want anyone else. My feelings for you David have been
very confusing. Yes, I love you. I've loved having sex with you over the
years. But somehow my love for you has grown more in the direction of being
a father or mentor rather than a lover. Does that make any sense to you?"
he asked.

"Yes, in a lot of ways it does. I want you to know, I do love you,
Harold. I love you and I care about you. You believed in me when nobody
else - including myself - did." I said.

"Watching you grow and develop into the man you are has been the greatest
experience of my life, David." he smiled.

I was just putting on the last of the ornaments when the phone rang. It was
Harold.

"What's up?" I asked.

"What are you doing right now?" Harold asked.

"I was just finishing up putting up my Christmas tree." I said.

"Have you put the angel on the top yet?" he asked.

"No, I haven't reached that yet." I laughed.

"Good! Because I don't want you to! I have a new angel for you. It should
be arriving at your door shortly." Harold said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You'll see. It's my Christmas present to you. Merry Christmas, David!"

And before I could even reply, he hung up.

"Strange! Harold must have gotten into the egg nog a little to early!" I
laughed to myself.

I looked up at the empty top of the tree and wondered what the fuck Harold
was talking about - sending me a new angel? I picked up the small angel
that I had always put on top and was holding it in my hand when there was a
knock at the door.

'Who the fuck can that be at this time of night?' I thought to
myself. 'Must be Harold with the new angel he was talking about.'

I went to the door and pulled it open, saying as I did, "Merry Christmas,
Harold, now what's this all..."

I stopped dead. It wasn't Harold. Standing there in my doorway - filling up
my doorway - was this tall, muscular Marine in uniform, holding a beautiful
Christmas angel in his hand. It took me a moment to recognize him. And when
I did, I almost passed out from a combination of fright and joy! Standing
in my doorway was Mike! My brother and the love of my life! The man I
hadn't seen, had been afraid to see, for 12 years now!

"Harold told me to bring this to you, David." Mike said quietly, smiling at
me.

"What...how...where...how did you find me?!" I exclaimed.

"I didn't. I tried. I've tried for 12 years. It was Harold that found me."
Mike said. "Aren't you even going to ask me in?"

My mind was spinning. Harold had found Mike? Why was Mike here? He
certainly didn't seem like he wanted to beat the shit out of me but, then
again, he didn't know how I felt about him. I tried to put a coherent
sentence together but ended up just sweeping my arm in an entry gesture.
Mike walked in and stood looking around my apartment.

"Nice place. Real cozy." Mike said, turning to look at me.

"Mike, look, I don't know why you're here. I tried to make sure you'd never
find me, that you'd never have to deal with me. I knew I'd just be an
embarrassment to you the way I was to Mom and Dad. I don't know what Harold
had to do with this but he had no right bothering you." I said.

"David, can we sit down and talk?" Mike asked, his voice still calm - in
fact, if I didn't know better, I'd say it was loving in it's tone.

"Okay." I said.

Mike sat down on the love seat and I sat on matching chair nearby.

"I'm sorry. Would you like something to drink? A beer or something?" I
asked, remembering my manners.

"No, I'm fine, David. Now, Harold didn't 'bother' me. Harold did something
I've been trying to do for 12 years - find you." Mike said.

"Why? Why would you want to?" I asked.

"Because you're my brother! Because I love you!" Mike all but growled. "Do
you think that what our asshole parents thought means fuck to me?!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

"For you information, twelve years ago when I got home on leave and found
out what they did to you, I beat our old man senseless and left. I never
went back. I've spent all this time searching for you. I found you once. At
least I found out what you were doing. I saw one of your films at some
guy's house one night but the studio wouldn't give me any information about
you! I knew it was you though. The name may have been Trace Stone, but I
knew it was you, David." Mike said.

I hung my head in shame. Of all the things I never wanted, never expected
to happen, was for Mike - of all people - to have seen one of my porn
films! Well, at least he knew the worst about me.

"So you know. Yes, I was in porn. I made a lot of films and a lot of
money. Got to where I was directing films. That's why I'm here now. I'm
getting an MFA in Film Production because I want to make real films." I
said.

"Yes, I know that. Harold told me all about it. I don't know how he tracked
me down but he did.  I dropped everything the minute he called and hopped a
plane here." Mike said.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"San Diego. Camp Pendelton." he said.

"I see all those stripes on your sleeve." I said.

"Yeah. I'm a Drill Instructor - a D.I." he smiled. "I turn teenage boys
into Marines!"

"I'll bet you're good at it." I said, quietly.

"I guess I am. You're good at making films. I've seen some of the one's you
directed." he grinned.

"You've seen my films? But...but, Mike, they're gay porn?!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know. After all, what would you expect a gay man to watch?
Straight porn?" he grinned.

I sat there stunned. I couldn't say anything. It was like the breath had
all of a sudden left my body.  Mike had just, if my mind wasn't playing
tricks on me, told me he was gay! My brother - the Marine - gay? No! That
couldn't be right! I sat there staring at him and he sat there grinning at
me.

"You're..." I finally managed to get out.

"Yes, David. I'm gay. Always have been. It's part of the reason that I went
into the Marine Corps. The sergeant who recruited me had let me know that,
while things had to be quiet, there were plenty of guys like me in the
Corps and I would be more than welcome. In fact, he and I had quite a thing
going for a while before I left for boot-camp." he said.

"Holy fuck!" was all I could get out.

"But there's more to it than that. I went into the Corps mainly to get away
from you." he said, quietly.

"Me?! Why?!" I exclaimed.

"Several reasons, David. I wasn't sure how you'd react to your older
brother being gay. I also didn't want to influence your sexuality. I know I
couldn't make you gay, but I also knew how much you looked up to me. I was
afraid you'd try to become gay just to be like me." Mike said.

"Oh, fuck! And here all that time I was trying to keep you from finding out
that I was! But, wait a minute! What about all those girls you dated in
high school, the cheerleaders and all that?!" I asked.

"Well, part of that is that I really love sex. As long as I got my rocks
off, I didn't much care who it was with. I knew I preferred other guys, but
girls were okay. Besides, didn't you notice that most of those dates were
'double-dates' with guys from my team? What the fuck did you think was
going on when they'd come back to the house and spend the night with me
after the date?  We never had to worry whether the girls 'put out' or
not. We knew we'd get laid when we got home and got hold of each other."
Mike said.

"Oh...yeah...I guess I didn't get that part." I said quietly, my mind
reeling from these revelations.

"But there was one more reason that I left. I discovered that being gay
didn't just mean that you like having sex with other guys. It means that
you fall in love with other guys and that I couldn't deal with. I fell in
love with a guy I couldn't have and it about drove me completely crazy!
Hell!  At one point, I was so depressed about it I seriously considered
killing myself! That's when I knew I had to get away from Carlsbad - as far
away as I could. I just didn't figure it would be Iraq!" he said.

"You really did? You thought about killing yourself? Oh, fuck, Mike! No guy
is worth that!" I said.

"I know that now, but it hasn't changed the way I feel. I'm still in love
with him." Mike said, and I could see tears glistening in his eyes.

"After all these years?" I asked softly.

"Yeah. After all these years. I didn't think there was any chance that I
could ever have him. Fuck, I didn't even know if he was gay or not. When I
found out he was, I was overjoyed. But by then, I'd lost him. Do you know
what I'm talking about, David? Do you know how that feels?" he asked, a
deadly earnestness in his voice.

"More than you know, bro." I said quietly.

It was like Mike was trying to tell me something but I just couldn't get
it. I kept thinking that he was talking about someone we'd known at school.

"So why haven't you found a lover?" Mike suddenly asked.

That was the one question I didn't want to have to answer! How was I going
to explain this without telling him the truth. I mean, even though he'd
admitted he was gay, that didn't mean he was willing to have anything to do
with his brother!

"I loved someone I couldn't have. I guess I never got over him. I'm still
in love with him. I just don't want anyone else." I said.

"Yeah. I know exactly how your feel. Who was it? One of the guys you did
films with like that Jason Cord guy?" he asked, his eyes boring into mine.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. The idea that I would fall in love
with Jason...well...not that Jason wasn't a hunk and, after dumping his
twink lover, he did go back to being a really nice guy but...

"No! God! Jason was a nice guy but all those guys in the films - that was
just for fun and to make money. I didn't care about any of them!" I
laughed.

But Mike wouldn't let it go.

"Then who was it, David. Please, tell me." he said, and I could hear the
pleading in his voice and I could see it in his eyes.

I sat there silent. Just looking at him. So beautiful, so masculine. The
only man I had ever loved and probably ever would love. But I couldn't tell
him! I just couldn't! What would he think of me?

"You tell me. Who were you in love with? Who was it that you went into the
Marine Corps over." I said.

Now it was his turn to be silent. But only for a moment. He looked down at
his feet and then up again into my eyes. When he spoke, it was barely above
a whisper so that, at first, I didn't believe my own ears.

"You, David. I was in love with you." he said.

I just sat there, looking at him. This was too incredible to be real! Mike,
my brother, the man I loved more than anyone else on earth just told me
that he was in love with me! I shook my head.

"No! You can't mean that!" I said.

"I'm sorry, David. I really am. I didn't want to feel this way about you."
he said standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm sorry to have
bothered you. I hope you have a nice Christmas."

"WAIT! STOP!" I screamed.

His hand was on the doorknob and the door was partway open. He turned back.

"Don't go, Mike. Please Don't go! You don't understand!" I said.

"Don't understand what? That you can't accept that I'm in love with
you. It's okay, David. I didn't think there was much chance that you
could. I know that it's not 'normal' for one brother to love another the
way I love you." he said sadly.

I got up out of the chair and walked over to him. I reached up and gently
stroked his face, feeling the scratching of his beard growth, smelling the
scent of him - the scent I hadn't smelled in twelve years. He looked at me,
a growing questioning in his eyes. I reached around his neck and pulled his
face down to mine and gently pressed my lips to his. I then pulled back and
looked into his startled eyes.

"You've got it all wrong, bro. It's you that I've always been in love
with. I hid from you so that you'd never find out. I didn't think that you
could accept that I was in love with you!" I smiled into his startled eyes.

Never let it be said that Marines cannot take action when it is needed. All
of a sudden, I hear the door slam shut and I was wrapped in the two
strongest, muscular arms I'd ever felt around me.  Mike held me so tight,
he literally lifted my feet off the ground as he pressed our mouths
together.  His tongue pushed at my lips and I opened to him. There we stood
- or rather - there he stood, holding me off the ground and kissing me
passionately. We were both groaning into each other mouths as our tongues
explored each other.

I don't know how long the kiss lasted. It seemed to go on forever. Finally
I pushed my hands against his chest to break the kiss.

"Mike, please, put me down. I can't breathe real well like this!" I grinned
at him.

He immediately set me down, but never took his arms from around me, just
let them loosen until I could breathe comfortably.

"Sorry, David." he said sheepishly, staring down at me.

"I know, you never did know your own strength." I smiled.

"I love you. Oh, God! How I love you! You don't know what it's been like
without you!" he said.

"The fuck I don't! It was just like being without you!" I said, and I could
feel the tears running down my face.

"That's over, David. I'm not ever letting you get away from me again." he
swore.

"And you won't run away from me?" I asked.

"No way! You couldn't get rid of me if you tried!" he grinned and I noticed
that there were tears rolling down his cheeks as well.

"But what about the Marine Corps. Won't they have something to say about
it?" I asked.

"I have more than enough leave time built up to last until my current
enlistment is done. Then I'm getting out. I decided that when your friend
Harold contacted me and told me where you were. I knew if I could convince
you of how much I loved you, maybe you would want me." he said.

"Oh, I want you! I don't want to ever let you go!" I said, squeezing him in
with my arms. "So you don't have to go back?" I asked.

"I may have to for a few days, but that's all. Just to muster out and do
paperwork. If we time it right, you could go with me." he said.

"Yeah, I could do that. But Mike, what are you going to do?" I asked.

"Well, I've got enough money saved up and with my benefits as a Gulf War
Veteran, I figured I'd go to college. What about you?" he asked.

"Well, I was planning on going back to LA and try to get into films - real
films this time." I said.

"So I guess I can get a degree at UCLA." he smiled.

"Yes, I guess you could." I smiled.

"I don't care where. Just as long as we're together." Mike said.

"My thoughts exactly." I grinned. "Now, I've got another thought"

"Yeah? What's that?" he asked.

"I want a Christmas present." I said.

"Okay." he said, looking at me questioningly. "What do you want?"

"I want you to make love to me." I said softly.

"I thought you'd never ask." he said, and I could hear the husky desire in
his voice.

I pulled out of his arms and took his hand. I began leading him to the
bedroom when I stopped. I saw the angel sitting on the love seat where Mike
had left it.

"I think there's one more thing you have to do. God know's you're tall
enough to reach it without getting on a chair like I have to." I said,
pointing to the angel.

Mike picked it up and walked over to the tree. He set the little angel on
the very top branch where the tinsel of it's gown caught the rest of the
lights from the tree. He smiled at me.

"Is that okay?" he asked.

"That's just perfect. Just like you." I said.

He walked back over and leaned down, taking my face between his hands and
kissing me gently on the mouth.

"You're the only angel that I've ever needed." he said.

Then he swept me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom.

THE END

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