Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from SOSF that I am using in this story. I do not write for profit, just for my own- and hopefully- your entertainment.
A/N: As always a big thank you to my wonderful Beta Reader Tanith 2011 who found the time to edit this so close to Christmas. And thanks to all the ladies from the SOSF writers group for their encouragement- and thanks for not picking this prompt for the Round Robin.
It's a wonderful life!
The weeks leading up to Christmas were never a good time for Mike Stone. So much of the preparations reminded him of his late wife Helen and all the things they used to do together to make Christmas memorable for their daughter Jeannie. Carefully chosen presents, baking of gingerbread cookies, preparations of traditional food, decorations adorning the house and of course, the well-lit Christmas tree made the holiday season in the Stone household a magical occasion. For years he had done his best to overcome his Christmas depression that always started in mid-November with the event of the anniversary of Helen's passing for the sake of his daughter, and in the past couple of years for his partner Steve Keller too. Steve had no close relatives and had become part of the Stone family, and somehow having him around had given both Mike and Jeannie's Christmas a new purpose. But this year? Why bother?
At Thanksgiving, after a lot of humming and hawing, Jeannie had come out with the announcement that her present boyfriend had asked her to spend Christmas with him and his family. Both being the only child in their families, the decision hadn't been easy for the young woman, but being in love and under pressure from the new love in her life she had reluctantly agreed. Mike pretended not to mind then after a while; Steve had dropped a similar bombshell. His aunt had urged him to spend Christmas with them, as his uncle was unwell and might not see many more Christmases. Jeannie then had suggested that Mike could come and spend Christmas with her boyfriend's family but Mike had declined vehemently. He didn't really like Trevor and suspected he would like his parents even less. So he had broken the uncomfortable silence at the table by telling the two guilty looking young people that he was looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet with no obligation to be festive and jolly.
There he was now, on his own, on Christmas Eve while the two people he wanted to be with were away having a good time. They don't need me any longer. Jeannie is grown up. Soon she will have a family of her own, my little girl. And Steve- the son I never had- well, I guided him for a few years, but he is his own man now, he doesn't need me as a father figure any more. Gloomy thoughts went through the lonely man's head. The day before Christmas … In the absence of anything better to do he flicked on the TV and sat down in his favourite chair. Get used to it, Mike; this is what retirement is going to be like. Jeannie and Steve busy with their own lives, and me, staring at the walls. This is not how Helen and I had pictured my retirement - travel, going places, taking up a hobby together. Oh Helen! He sighed. Then he looked at the TV screen. He recognised the movie alright. He and Helen had watched it countless times together. It's a wonderful life… A wonderful life? Oh, how well I understand Bailey. I also wish I never had been born! What difference would it make, anyhow? Mike nodded off…
"Mike, hey, Mike, wake up, man!" someone was shaking his shoulder. A very firm grip, too firm for Steve and the voice was different, too. But who could come into his house just like that? Mike woke with a start and opened his eyes, then closed them again and shook his head. He blinked rapidly. Impossible. This must be a dream. The man in front of him was someone he did know - well, not personally - but…. this can't be. The Cinderella Man - James J Braddock, the Boxer?
"But you died a couple of weeks ago?" Mike exclaimed. "Are you a ghost?"
"Oh man, don't you recognise an angel when you see one?" the ghostly apparition of the boxer sounded quite offended. Mike didn't want to hurt his unexpected guest's feelings, but he had always imagined that angels had more delicate features and…
"You're not exactly an oil painting yourself, buddy." Cinderella Man interrupted Mike's train of thought. "And before you ask, buster, yes, I can read your mind, so be careful what you think!"
Mike tried to wipe his thoughts clean of any negativity. During his fighting career the Cinderella Man had been feared for his powerful right. I wonder if…
"Yep, I can still clean your clock, although angels are not supposed to do such things." Braddock looked crestfallen. "I'm still on probation for the Divine Intervention Squad, you know, so I was sent down to spend the evening with you. The boss reckoned you would need someone with a powerful right to knock some sense into you, Mike Stone!"
Mike shook his head. This couldn't be for real. Before he could pinch himself, Braddock had pinched him already. "Ouch… that hurt!"
"Do you believe you are awake now, Iron Mike?" the extraordinary angel questioned.
Mike nodded his head in agreement, trying to keep his thoughts under control. "And what now?" He asked.
"Well, my friend, I could just knock some sense into this thick skull of yours, but maybe we should do it the angelic way. Grab your coat and come for a walk with me." The tone was slightly threatening and Mike complied readily. What else could he do besides spending the night with an angel who used to be a boxer in his earthly life, a boxer whose career Mike Stone had followed and… "We're not here to talk about my fights, though I could tell you some stories there," Braddock interrupted. "We're here to sort out Mike Stone, the man who would rather not have been born!"
The unreal feeling prevailed when, straight after stepping out of his front door, the world seemed to spin and Mike found himself and his companion downtown. "Sorry for the rough ride, I'm still learning some of the special skills, you know. I never seem to get the spin quite right yet," Braddock apologized.
"Not at all." Mike assured his escort. "By the way, how do I address you? Angel or Mr…"
"Just call me Cinders, my friend. "
In the meantime Mike had got his bearings; they were walking towards the square, where Wally Sensibaugh sold his newspapers. Mike smiled in anticipation. He had always liked Wally and was looking forward to a chat with the good natured man who always seemed happy.
Once more the angel read Mike's thoughts. "He will not recognise you, man, because you were never born, remember that!"
Mike suppressed a grin and the accompanying thought, not too successful, he feared, because Cinders' expression was less than angelic now. He expected to hear Wally's voice announcing "Happy news, happy cats, happy dogs…" but was surprised to see a surly man calling out the headlines "Cyclone devastates Darwin, Australia! Three girls from Fort Worth still missing! Bomb attack in London!" "Hey, Wally, Wally- what happened to you?" His old friend, the newspaper vendor stared right through him and didn't seem to notice him.
"Cinders, what's the matter with him?" Mike couldn't believe his ears or his eyes.
Braddock smiled with sympathy and for a fleeting moment Mike almost believed that he was talking to an angel. "Remember when Wally's money was stolen?"
The detective remembered the case all too well. He and Steve had worked on a homicide that was linked to a trio of thieves who had helped themselves to Wally's life time savings. Wally had intended to use the money to buy him and his wife a trip to Europe. A trip that they had been dreaming of all their lives.
"You know, you weren't there this time around and nobody believed that he recognised the shoes… Who would but Mike Stone?"
"So he didn't get his money back? Is that what changed him?" Mike asked incredulously.
Cinders nodded. "But there was more. His wife divorced him."
"What? Over the money? I don't believe it! I thought she loved him!"
"She did, and it wasn't over the money. She couldn't forgive him that he lied to her and didn't tell her what happened. Wally felt guilty about losing the money in the first place and turned bitter. As a lot of people who turn bitter he sought comfort in drink. Again, something that his wife couldn't deal with, but when he started pushing her about…"
"Oh…" Mike sighed. He didn't like the Wally he saw at all. "And where was Steve? Why didn't he help him?"
"Steve was somewhere else, but we'll come to that later. We have a few more calls to make first."
Once more, the world started to spin.
This time Mike was better prepared and regained his balance much quicker. Braddock seemed very pleased. "I'm getting the hang of this transportation thing at last," he chuckled. "It just takes time and practise, as they said, and we'll get plenty of practise in tonight, my friend."
Mike had sneaked a few furtive looks around him. He was pretty sure they were in St Quentin, though not in a part where he would normally go as a visitor. They were in the actual cell block. The atmosphere couldn't have been more different compared to how it was downtown, where the last minute shoppers were busy finding a suitable present for a loved one, while street musicians played Christmas music. Here, in the prison it was eerily quiet.
"Lock down on Christmas Eve - probably the saddest night of the year," the angel explained as they made their way along the cells.
Mike looked into a cell and to his immense surprise saw Bobby Jepsen, one of the boys from his basketball team.
"What is he doing in here? We cleared him of the wrong accusation and I was sure he'd never put a toe out of line again."
Braddock laughed. "What do you mean - you cleared him? He was out for just a few hours on Parole, you know! Unfortunately you were not born, so there was nobody there who believed him and he was thrown straight back in."
"Darn it!" Mike swallowed. "I forgot. But why didn't Steve pick up on it? He's a bright kid, he should have noticed…" Mike felt a certain amount of anger rising.
"Steve? We'll come to that in our own good time. I want you to meet a few more of your old friends before we move on."
Mike's heart sank as he followed the messenger from Heaven along the dimly lit floors.
"Meet Robert Hobbes. You remember him of course? No one was there to prevent him from taking revenge on his son's killer. He's doing life now. His old father never got over the shock and died soon afterwards. No visitors for him…" he related in an almost clinical voice. "And now Russ Rankin - doing life for two murders, though he actually only committed one. Since he thought he had killed already, nothing and nobody," the angel looked at Mike accusingly, "could keep him from killing the actual perpetrator who tried to blackmail him. Nobody cared enough to give the case a proper investigation..." Mike was too disturbed to answer. There was a hint of pity in the ex-boxer's face. "Have you seen enough or would you like to meet more old friends?"
Mike shook his head wearily.
When the world started spinning, they were outside again. By the time Mike had overcome the short bout of travel sickness, he realised they were in a big graveyard. "Oh no, not more of this!"
"Oh yes, plenty more to come, my friend."
Mike meekly answered, "I think I would have preferred a right hook."
"Yes." Braddock's voice was full of angelic compassion and Mike could really see an angel in the making now. "But that's not how the boss wants it, you just watch and learn and come to your own conclusions. In the firm up there," he paused and pointed up toward the heavens, "we don't believe in beating sense into our potential candidates. We leave violence for the other side!" a hint of pride tinted his voice.
With trepidation Mike followed his guide. "Beverly Landau - Graham got to her of course, as nobody forced her into protective custody!"
Wait 'til I get my hands on Steve! Where was he all this time? Oh, my God….not here?
Once again Braddock intercepted Mike's thoughts. "No, he's not here, you will meet him later." "Thank God!" Mike sighed.
The angel smiled. "That's more like you, the Mike Stone we know and love up there!" he pointed towards the dark sky. "But you know, buster, credits for attending church services alone won't do the trick." Braddock had started walking again, pointing out several graves in passing.
"Jeff Williams - he bought a second bullet and that time it killed him. Kim Ahearn - Amory Gilliam pushed her off the cliffs that day. Sherry Reese - the Lieutenant gave in to her pleas and let her go undercover. Nobody escorted her home that night, so Prentiss got her…" Then he stopped. "Here lies little Davey Sung. You must remember him. He was a good kid, but that crazy guy Chick Kramer put a gun in his hand when the police stormed the Cobra Gang's headquarters and he was iced. Poor kid."
Mike hid his eyes behind his hands. "Oh stop it, stop it. "
Braddock was visibly fighting with himself. "Sorry, Iron Mike, but I have to follow my brief in order to become a fully-fledged member of the Divine Intervention Squad; you wouldn't want to stand in the way of a guy's destiny now would you? Eternity can be long if you have nothing worthwhile to do!"
Mike nodded meekly.
"Okay, let's get rolling then. Next stop: SFPD Headquarters!"