Chapter 1: No Santa!.
"I'm ready for the using!" announced Justin Taylor as he entered the Winter Wonderland of his parents store.
"Oh my, here already and early at that, has hell froze over?" asked his best friend Daphne.
"No, it's just that we finished up early today and well, it's the beginning of my winter holiday, okay so I want to help out this year, I'm in the holiday spirit so sue me."
"Okay, well the costume is in the back but we have bigger problems Justin."
"What?" asked a concerned Justin.
"Sean called and he's not going to be able to be Santa this year, and it's an hour before we open this part up, we can't find a Santa and everyone comes to see Sean anyways."
"Shit, fuck! What the fuck is dad going to do?"
"I have an idea but you're going to have to really involve yourself this year."
"What do you have in mind Daph?"
Justin watched as the grin spread across his friend's face and then she picked up the tights and the striped shirt that the elf normally wore and looked at him.
"Hell no!" screamed Justin.
"Oh come on I'll be gentle." Daphne smiled at her friend as she dragged her friend in the back of the store to get him ready for the kids.
Brian stood in the middle of the lobby in front of his easel trying to visualize the assembly that he was in charge of this year. Kinney Landscaping was not his company. It was his father's and since the old man finally died he was in charge of running it. This was the year they chose to finally pick Kinney Landscaping to do, The Town Square holiday display. He was pissed. It wasn't that he didn't get the company, he did and he had worked for his old man every summer but he was an ad man and he ran his own company. Why the fuck did his mother want him to do this? Oh right, because he loved Christmas. Well he use to, but not after what happened , now he fucking hated it but he had to be strong for others.
"So what have you come up with?" asked his friend Emmett.
"The fuck if I know, but I've got thirty days, I mean we're barely finishing off the damn Thanksgiving turkey and now I have to do this. This was not suppose to be my job he did this, this was his baby."
Emmett stood next to his good friend shaking his head. Brian was always busy, now he was spending the time that he should be mourning his father, being angry at him. Brian's father had just died a week ago in a tragic accident. Investigators were saying that he was drunk but Brian had believed his father when he said that he had stopped drinking a month prior to the tragic accident. But now he doubted that. The accident didn't only take the life of his father but also of Brian's best friend Lindsay and his sister Melanie. Brian should be taking time to grieve but he wasn't, he had thrown himself into work and being angry.
"I'm sorry what did you say?" asked and obviously confused Emmett.
"I said I'm fine and stop looking at me like that. I'm just trying to think and then I have to pick up the kids before my mother has them brainwashed." repeated Brian.
"You should forgive her for what she said, she was just trying to help and she thought that she was helping you out, considering."
"Considering what Honeycutt? My mother called me a whore, told me I was unfit to watch my own children and told me that her filing her motion, was for my own good. She wasn't trying to take them away from me because she thought I was a bad father, she just thought that it would be better if they were with her. Oh, then she threw in and it's not because you're gay honey, it's just the type of gay that you are, what's up with that?"
"Forgive her okay, the two of you need to come to an agreement, besides she had a point and don't call me Honeycutt!"
Brian stared at his friend, he really was getting pissed, what did people really think of him? After the holidays things were going to get bad, he knew it and he really needed to know what his friends thought of the life he lead and if they were on his side.
"I need to ask you something and be honest. Do you think that Liddie and Gus are better off without me?"
"I wouldn't say better off, Brian you love those kids and they love you. Gus can't stop talking about you, he's ten and he loves you and Liddie well she's new so she's just getting to know you. But whenever she hears your voice, her eyes light up and she just knows that you're her daddy. Brian, you like to have fun and well, the question your mother is asking is if you are ready to stop partying and be a father."
"Of course I am! Besides, why do I have to stop partying? I just have to know when to do it. I mean look at Michael. He's in the same boat as I am, he and the professor have a kid."
"Yea, but well the kind of relationship they have is different than you, and yours."
Brian stared at him before he asked his question.
"What was wrong with them?"
"Okay first there was Derrick, who was gorgeous, but he worked for a traveling nude circus."
"So?"
"We came to your birthday party at the Hyatt and he was hanging all out."
"Okay okay, fine I get your point. But come on, if it came down to it, do you think they'd give my kids to my mother? Things could get ugly. I could tell what she did when we were growing up, but she'd just get away with it, because they'll say that she was a battered wife, she was, even I can't deny her that. Then if it comes down to it, she can use the medical reason why."
"You really think that she would use that against you?"
"I hope not."
"Well I'm going to let you get to it, I have to go and meet George."
"Later Em, and thanks even though you were more of a distraction than any help."
Emmett smiled at his friend. Brian liked to make folks think that he was one of the meanest people around, but truth be told, he was one of the sweetest men he knew.
Gus Kinney was getting bored fast. He stood in line with his grandmother to see "Santa". He for one knew that there was no such thing. He knew that it was Sean. Sean was great, he had met him four years ago when he was visiting his dad. Sean and his dad were part of a club, for survivors. He didn't know what that meant, what kind of survivor they were because the mommies and all the other adults were secretive when it came to that kind of thing, like he was a kid. He was no kid. He was ten he was a man. That's why he enjoyed being around his dad, because his dad treated him like a person and not a kid. His grandmother didn't think he knew but he did, he knew she wanted them for herself.
"How fucking much longer is this going to take!" screamed Gus.
Joan Kinney tried to paste a smile on her face, as she saw all the looks she was getting from the mothers, as she stood in line with her grandchildren to see Santa.
"Augustus Kinney you will not use such vulgar language! Yet another trait you're picking up from your father. I will have to talk to him about that later. He should know by now that you are like a sponge, you pick up on everything."
"Yea I'm a sponge and I'm soaking up all your bull…."
"Enough Gus!" Joan screamed as she cut off his train of thought.
"Now go on and tell the nice man what you want for Christmas."
Gus looked up where he expected to see Sean all decked out in his Santa suit, but instead was some pasty white kid. There was a big sign that said Sunshine Santa's Special Elf.
"Fuck!" Gus whispered to himself as he took a seat on the man's lap.
"So tell me young man, what do you want for Christmas?" Justin said in his happiest voice even though he was so pissed at what he was wearing and the way he looked.
"Where's Sean?" Gus asked.
"Sean who?" Justin asked politely, even though if looks could kill, this kid would be dead with the look he was giving him.
"I mean Santa." Gus said obviously getting the hint from the look.
"Santa is very busy, after all it's Christmas time so I'm filling in for a couple of days. Now tell me, what do you want me to tell him you want for Christmas?"
Gus really needed to talk to Sean. Sean and his dad were friends and he knew that Sean would do anything for him if he just asked. But he wasn't around and well ,this kid couldn't do anything. He looked about eighteen. He probably was a Senior or something, but this was what he wanted to see "Santa" anyway, he looked at his grandmother waiting impatiently with Liddie so he decided what the hell.
"I want a new daddy." Gus whispered.
Justin didn't know what to say. The poor kid wanted a new daddy. Was his real daddy abusing him? Should he call someone? What could you really say to a kid who asked something like that?
"Excuse me?" Justin stuttered.
"Yea you see I need a new daddy because last week my moms were killed and well, all I have now is my dad, and my grandmother feels that since he lives alone and likes to date A LOT that she would be a better mom for me and she wants me and Liddie to come and live with her."
"I don't know if Santa could fill such a big order before Christmas."
"I know that and I know that there's no Santa Claus I was looking for Sean. He knows my dad and he would have done it if I asked him, but you were here. Who the hell ever heard of a stupid Special Elf, what are you the slow elf. The one no one likes and this is the way Santa makes you feel worthy?"
"Hey!" Justin said upset by the kid's attitude.
"Tell me kid, where can I find your dad? Maybe I can get Santa to help you out."
Gus looked up into the face of the elf. He really did look sort of odd, and he had been watching all those silly Christmas movies with his mothers lately about elves, and angels and people coming down to earth on Christmas bringing good cheer and what not. Maybe this kind of stuff does happen. He looked out in the crowd to see if his father was still at his drafting table he saw him at earlier. But he wasn't he had already walked into the store.
"That's him!" Gus practically screamed to Justin.
Justin looked up and he couldn't explain the feeling that came over him when he saw that face. It was like he was staring at the face of God. He was single and he hadn't made many plans to occupy his time, while he was on his vacation. So maybe, just maybe he could throw this kid a bone and get to know this sex god that stood about six feet away.
"I'll do it."
"Do what?" asked an obviously confused Gus.
"I'll tell Santa and we'll see if we can help. Now go back to your grandmother."
As Gus jumped from his lap, Justin called out to his Mrs. Claus, Daphne and told her he needed a break. Just the look of the boy's father was making his "Candy Cane" rise up for attention. That wasn't good wasn't good at all, but helping out this kid now that could be something special, maybe just maybe, Santa brought him what he always wanted for Christmas.