Author's Note: This is just a short, one-shot ficlet that came to me as I was untangling Christmas lights today. I hope you all enjoy! Read and review! huggs ; D
Disclaimer: I do not own in any way Gabriel Gray, Virginia Gray, Papa Gray, or anything related to Heroes. Please don't sue me. I have nothing to give up. XD
An Angel
It was an overcast day in Queens as Gabriel Gray closed up the shop and made his way back to his apartment. He walked a bit as a very decorated store window caught his eye. As he looked in he was what looked like delicious gingerbread men and a chocolate log cake with a plastic holly topping it. Inside a small boy was bouncing on his mother's arm begging for her to buy that extra cookie that he wanted out of the case. The mother seemed to sweetly acquiesce to her son's plea. Gabriel gave a melancholy smile and continued on walking. Gabriel remembered an instance when he had been in a hardware store with his father and mother as a child.
- + -
Gabriel stared at all of the fake Christmas trees all done up in colorful lights and various ornaments. They twinkled and shimmered harshly under the fluorescent lights. Gabriel left the hold of his mother and wandered into the real trees section outside. He took in their scents as they towered over his head. They were plain, but he found them far more beautiful than those on display in the store itself. As he walked through the rows and rows of trees he stumbled upon one in a pile with scraps of pine from trees that had been previously cut. It was so sad looking - barely five feet tall and nearly bare. Gabriel looked upon it with sad eyes. As he went to grab for it, his mother pulled him back and began fussing over him.
"Gabriel, it's cold out here," she said as she pulled his scarf tighter over his neck and pushed his hat further down on his head. "You shouldn't wander away from us."
"I just wanted to see the real trees, momma." Gabriel said in a small voice.
"Now you know that we already have a tree. Our old faithful because your father is allergic. Real trees are so expensive anyway to only use once." She pulled Gabriel closer to her so that they could walk back into the store.
"Now, Virginia, Gabriel wants a real tree. I'm sure we can get one for him just this once," Gabriel's father said with a smile on his face from the doorway.
"Are you sure? You have your allergies, you know." Virginia said as she clutched Gabriel tightly to her.
"Of course. Pick out the one you want."
"Really, papa?" Gabriel's face lit up. Gabriel's father nodded yes to him and Gabriel bounded off between the rows and rows of trees. He didn't know which to pick. They were all so huge and had a wonderful scent. He finally was in front of the small, nearly dead tree that was in the scraps bin. He looked at it again and pointed to it. "I want that one!'
"Okay. Sir?" Gabriel's father caught an employee of the store. "I want this tree here."
"Are you sure? We were about to throw it out. It's half dead." The clerk looked at him like he was nuts.
"Yes. I won't take any other." He said as he took his wallet out from his back pocket. The clerk looked from the tree to the man standing before him.
"Forty-five," he said with a sideways look.
"Done." Gabriel's father handed the money over to the stunned clerk. Gabriel's face grew bright as his father picked him up and grabbed the small tree with their other hand. Virginia Gray paid for the other supplies that they needed and they all left to go back to their small apartment.
- + -
Gabriel decided that he was going to actually decorate his own apartment this year. Often in the past few years, he had spent the holidays in his shop, working when he knew that there was less of a chance of a customer coming in than on a regular day. Gabriel hung his jacket on the back of his front door and proceeded to a small closet in the corner. Out from the bottom he pulled out a small box labeled "Christmas Dec." He pulled out a few small Santas, a few snowmen, and a small Nativity Set that his mother has given to him for his first Christmas in his own place. He had never put it up, for he felt no need, living by himself. He hadn't had anyone to celebrate the holiday with those few years. He put a Santa here and there and the snowmen lined his windowsills. He finally placed the Nativity Scene over-top of his fireplace. As he looked around his apartment, he felt that something was missing. Then it dawned on him - a tree. He ran out quickly to where trees were being sold on the corner.
As he entered the lot, he saw that prices were hanging above each row of trees. He headed towards the trees that were twenty dollars, but they were a bit too large for his small apartment. He walked over to the ten dollar trees and picked out one that looked like it needed a home. He also grabbed one string of lights to use on the tree.
When he had the little thing all set up with lights, he took out the few ornaments from his box and placed them strategically on the tree to fill in the holes. Gabriel stepped back and admired his handiwork. It glowed gold, green, and scarlet against the night sky that was showing through his window. Gabriel looked down in, what he thought to be an empty box, and saw that there was an angel tree topper still laying in there. He picked it up and remembered that this was yet another ornament that his mother had given him. He slightly smiled and shook his head as he placed it atop his tree. It was Gabriel, the archangel. It wasn't even ironic because he knew that his mother knew full well which angel she had given him.
Gabriel lit his fireplace, changed into his flannel night clothes, and curled up on his couch with a cup of hot cocoa. He turned on his television to the channel that perpetually played Christmas music and realized that the past day had been Christmas Eve. He smiled and thought that this Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all. He may even go and see his mother the next day.