We ne'er owned, we ne'er owned, we ne'er owned last year's Rent! Or the funny cameos from different shows.

Chapter 4: The Ghost of Christmas Present

Benny woke up with wonder. This time, he was ready for the Ghost. But instead of a supernatural light, he saw light coming from the living room and the smell of food. "Come," said a voice, "and don't step on my pastrami sandwich." He felt a strange and exhilarating joy come inside of him. He entered the living room to se glorious amounts of food everywhere. "Careful where you step," said a voice from behind him. Benny spinet around and saw a big…no…huge man the size of a giant in the room. He was eating a large meatball sub along with a large coke. He had dark hair and you could tell he was from Brooklyn because of the accent. He wore a crown of mistletoe on his head of black hair and seemed almost ancient in his green robe with white trimming. "Are you the Ghost of Christmas Present?" The Spirit looked at him and said, "Uh…yeah! I got this job when I was broke and dying on the street of unhappiness, but now, when ever I come across a Scrooge….hey, hey ,hey; don't touch my ham panini! I get those if I do a great job, but any, come, and know me better dude!"

"What's with the feast?"

"It's the Food of Generosity, a word that ain't in your vocabulary."

"Spirit," said Benny picking up a goblet of chocolate milk and a piece of bread, "I can see that you really love Christmas and food."

"Well you need to eat some how, it's like if I split this brownie with you," The Ghost then took the brownie in his hand and split it, leaving a sliver of a piece for Benny. "Hey, that's not fair, you got the larger piece."

"Well, that's how everyone else feels about you; you always get the larger piece." He magically then shrunk down to Benny's size. "Have you ever experienced the magic of Christmas?"

Benny looked to the ground; was he to lie to this cheerful ghost, or tell the truth? Benny then had the courage to say the truth. "Well, I guess I never really took the chance to enjoy the holiday with anyone." The Ghost rested a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon buddy, that's why I'm here, to show you the magic that is Christmas." The Ghost opened the window and said, "And now, I'd like to welcome you to….Christmas Morning." The sun was bright and the people were in a state of happiness for it being Christmas Morning. Benny and The Ghost walked about the street looking at the Carolers by Gimbals and the shoppers just putting up signs that said, 'On Vacation'. The air was filled with smells of turkey and or ham being roasted on the table. Potatoes were being mashed and the citizens were just plain excited about the holiday. "Is this what Christmas is like?" asked Benny as he felt the warmth of it for the first time.

"Heck yeah, but now, let's go see how Mark, Roger, and the rest are doin'." The walk to the home of Mark Cohen and Roger Davis seemed short and convenient…for the Ghost because he was checking all the women out on the street. They came by a small apartment complex that was all too familiar to Benny. "Hey," he said to the Ghost, "I finally recognize who you are: you're that actor who played Pinocchio at the Children's Theater,"

"Rather not talk about that, and the name is Joey Tribbianni in real life, but it's Mr. Spirit to you."

They looked inside the window of the apartment to see a working Mimi in the kitchen. The smells of turkey, ham and chicken along with beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, apple pie, gingerbread men, and Italian Love Knots. "Mimi always was a good cook." He then saw Mallory and Megan walk to their mother and ask if they can have a cookie. 'No," said Mimi. The twins said "Aww…" and then the door opened up with a cry of, "Merry Christmas Bitches!" it was none other than Tom Collins and his new boy friend, Hernandez Garcia, coming home for the holidays with their five daughters, Victoria, who was 18, Jessica, who was 16, Alyssa, who was 14, Alexandra, who was 12, and Erica, who was only 7. They were orphaned because of their mother and father's passing from a car accident, and they were taken in by this kind man they called, 'Papa Garcia,' and to Collins, he was just know as, 'Uncle Collins'.

Roger, Mark, Maureen, and Joanne, along with hers and Maureen's sons, Nick, Chris, James, and Michael. The kids saw each other and they immediately started to play with each other, with the Exceptions of Nick, Victoria, Chris, and Jessica, who decided to help Mimi with a hand in the kitchen. "How can they fit all these kids and people in this apartment," asked Benny with awe. "It's not that small, it's a loft, and its big enough to have all 21 people inside to have a fantastic Christmas dinner, thanks to you,"

"They're my friends, they deserve the best," stated Benny

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

His question was soon to be answered when three other kids entered the room. "It's those kids, Gerry, Scarlet, and Megan; they threw that slush ball at me." But his though was soon interrupted by: "Aunt Maureen! It's us!" Maureen screamed with joy as the three teenagers entered the loft. "How have you three been?" she said planting them with red lip stick kisses. "Oh, we've been fine…except our stupid sixteen year old brother got us in trouble with Scrooge last night."

"What did you do, Gerald William Johnson?"

"All I did was throw a slush ball at his head, he was in our way,"

"Don't do it again," said Joanne who was rolling the dough out for cookies. The teenagers nodded their heads and went back to their yearly Christmas plans; Gerry would flirt with Jessica while the girls would try and get Nick and Chris' attention. As the 25 Bohemians sat down to their Christmas feast, Little Megan (so you know which Megan belongs to Mimi,) suggested that they play a game. "I'll go first," said Gerry. "This thing isn't well liked and lives in the city."

"A cat?" asked Nick

"No"

"A cockroach?" asked James, Michael and Peter

"Nope,"

"A seagull!" cried Erica and Tim Davis

"Definably not,"

They were just about to give up when Jessica, a beautiful girl with wavy brown hair said, "I think I know; he's unwanted, lives in the city, neither a cat, rat, dog, nor seagull. Why, it's none other than Benjamin Coffin III!"

"Correct!" the kids and adults then started laughing, and Benny was just heart broken at this. He knew that they were his only friends, and he never knew that he was made fun of like this. "You brought it upon yourself," said the Ghost, "anyway, you have something else to see now." Benny shook his head with reluctance. "Show me no more, I just wan to go home." But the Ghost just ignored him and led him to the poorer side of town, where he led Benny to another smaller apartment. Benny looked inside the window to see a beautiful blonde woman, who looked about 21. She stirred in a pot for a second and then said to what looked like her oldest son, "Anthony, keep a close eye on that turkey, we need to make sure it perfect for your father and Tiny Tim." The boy had dirty blonde hair and looked about fifteen. "It smells so good, Mom." Benny looked at the turkey…well it looked more like a chicken if you look at it because it was that small.

"Who is that? And where are we Spirit?" asked Benny. The Ghost looked at him with annoyance of all his questions and said, "We're at the home of your employee, Bob Crotchet, and the really sexy blonde at the stove is his wife, Emily." They looked in a while longer and saw a girl in jeans, a blue sweater, and her brown hair in a braid, enter the kitchen with a smaller girl with blonde hair and wore a pink sweatshirt and jeans, unlike her older sister, she wore her hair down. "Mom," said the girl in the sweater, she looked no more than sixteen, complained, "When's Daddy and Tiny Tim going to be home? I'm really hungry, and so is Anna,"

"Belinda," said Emily, "They will be home in 5 minutes, why don't you and Anna set the table with the good plates for your father?"

"The good glasses too?"

"What about the wine for Daddy?" asked Anna, who was wise for a girl of thirteen "Yes, yes, bring the good glasses and the wine out,"

"Can Anthony and me have some wine this year?" asked Belinda as she set the table with a hopeful glare that only Anthony and Benny seemed to notice. "Yeah," said Peter, "We've been good."

"Absolutely not,"

"Dang it," murmured the brother and sister.

There was then singing outside of the apartment and Benny turned around to see Crotchet and a little about 7 or 8 on his father's strong shoulder. Silent Night, holy night. All is calm; all is bright, 'round yon Virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace…sleep in heavenly peace…. "Nice job singing son," said the loving father side that Crotchet contained in his heart. "Do you think they'll let me sing in Carnegie Hall one day?"

"Carnegie Hall, thinking of the future already Tiny?"

The father and son entered the house and the next thing he knew, the moment Crotchet sadi, "Hello family," the three eldest children ran to him and crushed him in the process. The dinner was ready and Tiny Tim got really excited as he saw Christmas Dinner on the table. 'The turkey…the food…the dinner…the…" he didn't finish his excitement speech because he started coughing. "Now, son," said Emily as she rushed to he youngest son with his inhaler, "you got too excited sweetie. You just go sit down and rest, okay." Benny then entered their house with the Ghost by his side and as the Spirit munched on a turkey sub, Benny eyed the Crotchet Christmas Dinner. It wasn't much really, mind you, it had the scrawny in size turkey, and not much enough to feed a family of six, seven if you include the pregnant dog. It had the tiny turkey, a bowl of boiled potatoes, peas, chestnuts, and canned cranberry sauce. It contained a loaf of bread and such too.

"I'd like to make a toast to Mr. Coffin, the founder of the feast," Crochet as he lifted his wine glass in toast. All was silent at the table and Emily looked bitter and sounded angry when she said, "'Founder of the feast' indeed! Why if that SOB was here, I'd sure as heck give him a piece of my mind like we did in Boston. He's rude, unkind, and inhuman…"

"But my dear, it's Christmas."

Then, Tiny Tim rose his glass of grape juice in the air saying, "The founder of the feast, Mr. Coffin." Reluctantly, Emily lifted her glass with the rest of her family and said, "To Mr. Coffin, may you have many years of happiness and good health." They then sat down to their feast as Tiny Tim stated, "God bless us, everyone," They ate in happiness and peace.

Benny looked at the kind little boy with sadness. "Spirit," he asked, 'what's wrong with the boy?" The Ghost looked at him, all tired and such, "He's suffering from Leukemia and they're trying to raise money for the bone marrow surgery that he needs. But I see an empty chair, and the same crutch, but it lacks the owner, to the looks of things, the child may die." Benny knew that after this, he would have to do something, Bob had helped him out with his growing business, and he knew that they needed help, the entire family.

As the Crotchets disappeared into the dark, Benny started to think of what he can do. When light returned to his eyes, they were in a grave yard. "Why are we here, Spirit?" asked Benny. The Ghost looked tired and said, "My time with you is ending, and you must take your time to see the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come."

"When must you leave?"

The bell of the clock at the grave yard started to toll three and the Ghost of Christmas Present started to fade away. "Now?" cried Benny, "But Spirit, you can't leave, I learned so much from you, and I know how to keep the holiday alive inside me."

"I know, but now you must go meet with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come. Go and know him better man." The Ghost then disappeared in his red and green sparkles, leaving Benny alone in the grave yard.

A/N: Ooooo, what will happen next? Will Benny get the message? Stay tuned to find out! Only a few more days til' Christmas, see if we can finish by then!!!