Merry Christmas

Riiiiiing!

Milliardo reached for the phone lying behind him on the coffee table, and pushed the 'speak' button. He had been waiting for this call.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead. Finally awake?" Treize's voice, soft and teasing, came through the receiver.

Milliardo smiled even as he gave a quiet snort. "I have been awake for hours. I even went and got our Christmas tree already. I'm just putting it up right now."

"Ah…So that's where you were when I tried to call earlier."

"Why didn't you call my cell?" Milliardo wanted to know.

"I thought you were still asleep, and there was no reason to wake you."

"So, where are you now?"

"I just got to the airport."

"Great, then I'll see you in a few hours."

"About that…" There was a brief pause before his lover continued. "I don't think I'll be able to make it?"

Milliardo frowned. "Wha…What do you mean?"

"I suppose you didn't listen to the national weather service. We are having a huge blizzard. They closed down the airport. All incoming flights are diverted and all take-offs are canceled until the weather clears."

"But… It's Christmas." Milliardo's face fell.

"I know, dear. I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. It's not your fault." Milliardo told him, his voice laced with disappointment. "So what are you going to do now?"

"There isn't much I can do. I'll just head back to the hotel and wait for the storm to pass. I'll call you later, alright?"

"Okay."

"I love you, Milliardo."

"Love you too."

The young man set the phone slowly back onto the table. Disappointment was clearly written across his face. He had been looking forward to spending the evening with his lover. Christmas Eve had always been special for them.

It was the day when Treize had picked him up from the hospital to take him 'home'. Milliardo tried to refuse but the other man had made it quite clear that he wasn't going to leave without him. - 'It's Christmas,' he had said. 'Nobody should be alone on Christmas Eve. So, you can either come with me, or I'll spend the evening here with you at the hospital. It's your choice.'
It wasn't really much of a choice. On their way home they had picked out a Christmas tree. Of course there wasn't much of selection left. The tree they finally had chooses was slightly crooked and a little naked on one side, but to him it was the most beautiful Christmas tree he had ever seen. They had decorated the tree together, and then spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a blanket by the fireplace, sipping sweet, red wine and talking about everything and nothing.

Treize sighed as he hung up the payphone. He too would have liked nothing more than to spend the evening with Milliardo. But right now it looked like it just wasn't going t happen.

He tried to remain calm on the outside, on the inside however he was cursing the circumstances that had made it necessary for him to travel to Douglas and testify at this trial; the judge who set the trial date; and himself for not taking the next plane home yesterday after his job was done.

The tawny-haired man heaved another sigh as he walked toward the exit to catch a cab that could drive him back to his hotel, when his eyes suddenly caught the large advertisement poster of a Car Rental business. He stopped in his tracks, checked his watch and paused for a moment in contemplation.

It was only 10 am. How long would it take him to drive all the way home; nine or ten hours perhaps? He could still make it. The idea of having to drive in this weather wasn't a pleasant one, but the reward, being able to spend the night in his lover's arms,' made the decision easy.

For a brief moment Treize considered calling Milliardo and telling him that he was coming home, but then he decided to surprise his lover. Oh, he could just imagine the look on the other man's face when he pulled into the driveway.

Milliardo finished putting up the Christmas tree and wondered if he should just start decorating it on his own. He reached for the boxes with the lights and begun to attach the glowing garlands to the tree. His gaze wandered to the wall clock. It was only 10:30 am. This was going to be a long day, and an even longer night.

Unless… A tiny smirk formed on his lips. If Treize couldn't come to him, who said that he couldn't drive to Douglas to see Treize. Christmas spend together in a hotel room was better than not being together at all.

Milliardo dropped the tangled chain of lights he had been wrestling with, and ran upstairs. He found the address of the hotel his lover was staying at on a piece of paper on Treize's desk.

The young man flipped open his laptop, and did a map search from their house to the hotel. His spirit had risen considerably by the time he printed out the directions.

Whistling a Christmas tune Milliardo run back downstairs, grabbed his winter coat and slipped into a pair of warm boots. Already on the way out he stopped at the door, turned and headed back into the living room. He dropped down on his stomach and pulled a small box wrapped in red and gold paper from beneath the couch, where he had been hiding it from his lover for the past few weeks. He slipped the present into his coat pocket ad smiled. "Treize, here I come!"

Treize Khushrenada yawned as he flipped through the radio stations until he finally found some music he liked. The AC was running on full blast, and the windshield wipers had a hard time clearing away the constantly falling snow.
Perhaps wasn't such a good idea after all, to drive 500 miles in this weather. And it didn't seem to get any better either. It was as though the storm was following him. But it was too late now. He was already half-way home, and turning around would only mean that he still had to drive another four hours back to Douglas.

A sign on the side of the road caught his attention. Tony's Diner and Repair Shop was promising home-cooked meals and fast service. Lunch and a hot cup of coffee sounded good about now.

A few minutes later the tawny-haired man pulled off the freeway and then into an empty parking lot. He climbed out of his car, pulled his shoulders up and buried his hands deep in his pockets as he headed toward the small restaurant. The diner was just as vacant as the parking lot. The waitress was leaning against the counter, doing a crossword puzzle.

"Merry Christmas," Treize wished, as he shook the wiped the snow from his shoulders and unzipped his jacket.

"Merry Christmas to you too."

He picked a table by the window and slipped into the red retro-style chairs.

The waitress closed her crossword puzzle book, and shuffled over to him. "What can I get you, Dear?"

"I think I'll start with some coffee, but I'd also like something to eat."

"Something to eat," she echoed. "We have a great turkey roast today; I think you'll like it."

"Turkey roast, and that's it?"

She shrugged. "You can have it with your choice of mashed or roasted potatoes, peas or beans, and I can bring you stuffing and cranberry sauce if you like it."

"I see," Treize's voice was laced with a hint of humor. "Well, in that case, I think I'll go with the turkey."

"Excellence choice, Sir." She replied in the same lighthearted tone. "I'll be right back with your coffee. Oh yeah, the meal comes also with a slice of Tony's famous apple pie, so you'd better leave some room for it."

The coffee came and so did his food. The turkey was juicy and delicious. He had chosen mashed potatoes and peas with it and was not disappointed. The apple pie was warm and came topped with a generous portion of whipped cream. Treize was still working and the pie and his second cup of coffee when the door opened and a young man, about eighteen or nineteen, entered the diner.

"Do you know where I can find somebody from the repair shop?" he asked as he walked over to the counter.

"The shop is closed until Thursday," the waitress told him. "There is just not enough business to keep it open over the holidays."

The young man plopped onto one of the bar chairs with a sigh. "Just my luck. My car suddenly started to act up; sounds like it might be the transmission. I'm afraid I might get stuck in the middle of nowhere if I drive any further."

The waitress gave him a sympathetic look, then poured him a cup of coffee and put a slice of apple pie in front of the young man. "There you go. It's on the house. Maybe this will cheer you up a little."

"Thanks."

As Treize finished his own pie he watched the young man sip his coffee and poke around listlessly on his plate. Finally he pushed away the plate and pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket. His face turned even gloomier as he opened it and looked inside.

From where Treize was sitting he could see a small, shiny ring inside the velvet-lined box. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was an engagement ring.

After a short moment of contemplation the tawny-haired man rose and walked over to the counter. The young man was so lost in his misery that he didn't even seem to notice as Treize slipped onto the seat next to him.

"Where are you heading to?"

Startled the stranger closed the box and slipped it back into his pocket before he looked up at Treize.

"Rosemead," he replied. "I was going to spend Christmas with my fiancée… Well, actually she isn't my fiancée yet. I was going to propose to her tonight."

Rosemead, Treize thought. It wasn't exactly located on his way home. It would probably cost him at least an hour if he made the detour. Oh, what the heck, he told himself What's another hour? It's Christmas after all.

"I can give you a lift if you want?

"Really…?"

Treize nodded. "Really."

"But what about my car?"

"You can leave it here at the shop," the waitress suggested. "I'll have my son in law look at it first thing Thursday morning."

"Well then, finish up your coffee and let's get going. Your girlfriend is probably waiting."

"Pump 2," Milliardo told the clerk at the small gas station/ convenient store. "And do you guys have windshield wiper fluid?"

"Back of the store, left side, second to last shelf." The middle-aged man told him. "Is that all for you?"

"No, I'm also going to take a large coffee," the blond replied as he walked to the shelf the clerk has indicated and picked up one of the bottles.

"Where are you heading?"

"Douglas."

"You might want to reconsider?"

"Excuse me?" Milliardo gave the other man a puzzled look.

The clerk gestured at the small TV mounted high in the corner behind the checkout. "They closed down the freeway at Ridgeview. That's about 10 Miles from here."

"You've got to be kidding me. I need to get to Douglas by tonight."

"Well, the way it looks you might be out of luck. It's been all over the local news for the past hour or so. Some kind of pile-up accident."

Milliardo glared at the TV screen where a reporter was just talking with the spokesman for the highway patrol. From what he gathered, the accident was caused by a big-rig driver who lost control and crashed his vehicle through the center divider where it was hit by a car coming the opposite way. Due to the weather and road conditions several more cars crashed into the immobilized vehicles before traffic was brought to a hold.

"Look on the bright side."

"There is a bright side?"

"Well, you could be stuck in the backup, with nowhere to go. I've heard it's about 4 miles long. You at least have still the option to turn around."

But I don't want o turn around. Not after I got this far. Milliardo thought. "I think I'll just wait it out. Did they mention anything about when they are going to reopen the road?

The clerk shook his head. "No, but I have the feeling it will take a few hours at least."

"Almost there," the young man pointed at a row of white-stucco condominiums ahead. "It's the second one on the left."

Moments later Treize stopped his car in front of the indicated building. "There you go."

"Thank you so much. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate your help. Are you sure you don't want to come in for a cup of coffee or something."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Treize smiled. "There is somebody waiting for me too."

Treize was more than just a little surprised to find the house dark and quiet when he arrived at home. Which the bad weather and his little 'detour' to Rosemead his drive had taken a little longer than anticipated. But it was still before 11pm, way too early for Milliardo to go to bed.

The tawny haired man called his lover's name as he kicked off his shoes and slipped off his jacket. There was no answer.

In the living room a 6 foot Christmas tree was surrounded by boxes of lights and decorations. Treize smiled softly.

He's started decorating the tree. Maybe he just got hungry and went out for a bite to eat. He'll probably be back soon.

Treize lit the fireplace and decided to hang up a few more lights and decorations while he waited for his lover to return.

Milliardo frowned when he noticed the black Lexus parked on the other side of the road as he pulled into the driveway. His frown deepened as he climbed out of his car and turned toward the house. I didn't leave the light burning in the living room, did I? Through the closed blinds he could see a shadow move inside the room.

The young man leaned back into the Porsche, opened the glove compartment – the devil knew why it was called a glove compartment when people kept anything but gloves in it – and removed a small caliber Beretta. He checked the gun to make sure it was loaded, and slowly, quietly approached the house. He checked the lock at the front door. There was no sign of forced entry. Milliardo paused and listened for a moment, then he cautiously and quietly unlocked the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob he heard the noise of something falling to the ground and breaking. With a grim scowl the young man pushed open the door, stormed through the corridor into the living room and pointed his weapon at the 'intruder'.

"Freeze!"

"Milliardo!"

"Treize?" The young man blinked in surprise.

Treize raised one eyebrow as his gaze fell onto the weapon in his lover's hand. "This is not exactly the welcome I was expecting."

"Gosh, you scared the heck out of me."

"I did? You are the one pointing a gun at me." The older man pointed out in a mixture of humor and sarcasm.

Milliardo grinned sheepishly as he secured the safety lock and put the Berretta down. "I saw a strange car…I heard a noise…"

Treize pointed at the pieces of broken glass at his feet. "I dropped one of the ornaments," he explained with an apologetic gesture.

"How did you get here?" His lover asked as he walked into the hall to take off his coat and boots. "I thought your flight was canceled?"

"I drove!" the older man announced as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "I couldn't stand the thought of spending Christmas without you. But where have you been?"

Milliardo stepped back into the living room, a smirk on his face. "Believe it or not, but I had exactly the same idea. I was trying to drive to Douglas to spend the night with you at the hotel. But there was an accident and they closed the 504 between Ridgeview and Colton. After a few hours of waiting I decided it was no use, so I turned around. Boy, am I glad I did…" He looked up at the other man a puzzled expression on his face. "Which brings up the question…? How did you get through that freeway closure?"

"I didn't use that part of the 504." Treize told his lover about the detour he had taken to drive home the young man he had met at the diner.

Milliardo chuckled quietly as he stepped closer to embrace his lover. "What an amazing series of coincidences. If it wasn't for the accident and the road closure, I would be probably on Douglas right now. And if you wouldn't have taken pity on that unfortunate fellow you would probably still be stuck in the backup on the freeway…"

Treize smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around the other man. "Sometimes prayers are answered in the strangest ways; especially at Christmas."

Milliardo tightened his embrace as he dipped his head to nuzzle the nape of his lover's neck." I don't care is it was coincident, sheer dumb luck, or divine intervention. All that counts is that we are together."

"I agree. However…"

"However?" the younger man looked at Treize questioningly. The flickering flames of the fireplace reflected in his crystal-blue eyes.

"I don't even have a present for you. I put it in my suitcase, and I had my luggage taken to the airport and checked in, directly from the hotel."

"Who cares?" Milliardo smirked. "I have the best present I could wish for right here in my arms. And I don't think I can wait till tomorrow morning to 'unwrap' it."

The other man laughed, deep and bubbling. "Well actually, it's morning already… So, I think it will be alright."

The end.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy.

Some people might be wondering about the part where Milliardo says that Treize picked him up from the hospital and brought him home. Since Milliardo will tell that story in detail in the next 'case' I'll only say so much. Treize and Milliardo were friends before they became lovers and when Milliardo needed help the older man took him under his wings.

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)