{Author's note: And here we have the customary place that I explain why it's taken me so long to update. Well, to make a long story short, my gall bladder decided to produce some gall stones to bug me (Nausea if I ate anything that wasn't bland, and REALLY bad pain where I couldn't even sit comfortably) until I could get it (the gall bladder) taken out. So after 4 misdiagnosis's, numerous trips to the doctor's office, and two emergency room visits (one leading to a week-long stay in the hospital...that's when I had the surgery) in the span of about a month, that's what happened. I've also had writer's block, but that's par for the course. :)}
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Wondering why there seemed to be more light than usual in his room, Leo, who was still asleep, opened an eye to the world. He awoke instantly upon seeing the tall, ornate, lit-up Christmas tree that now stood facing his bed. As he sat up in bed, the brown haired man put a hand to his forehead. He had completely forgotten that today was Christmas! Still wondering where the tree, which hadn't been there the day before, had come from, Leo turned his head as he heard the door to his room open.
"Feliz Navidad." Carlos greeted, shutting the door behind him.
"Merry Christmas to you too." Leo replied as Carlos sat in the wooden chair beside the bed.
"Like our surprise?" Carlos said, nodding towards the tree. "You don't know how hard it was for the Count and I to be absolutely quiet while putting it up. We're just lucky that you're a pretty deep sleeper."
"I guess." Leo chuckled, "Guy already left for Paris?"
Even though he had known officially that he was the Count's son for two months now, Leo was still adjusting to referring to someone as his father. Although he understood, Guy usually corrected the younger man if he referred to the Count by his first name. The Count was spending Christmas in Paris with his family.
"Yeah." Carlos nodded, "Actually, we have the whole chateau to ourselves since the staff has the day off. I don't think that it's an entirely good thing though as we're on our own food-wise."
"Uh oh." Leo remarked, looking at Carlos. "Can you cook?"
"Toast and anything microwave-able." Carlos shrugged, "You?"
"Looks like we're having toast for Christmas dinner." Leo chuckled.
"Or I need to go out to that place I went to last year and get some take-out." Carlos smiled. "I also don't think that your father will mind if we borrow some wine from his collection."
"Take-out and fine wine." Leo nodded, "Sounds like an ideal way to spend an evening. All we're missing is some beautiful women."
"Which brings me to your Christmas present." Carlos said, handing Leo an envelope. "It's not much, but I thought that you'd like it. I only wish that I could get you the real thing."
"Real thing?" the now curious Leo asked as he slowly opened the envelope. The first thing inside was a portrait shot of a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. As if in a trance, Leo simply stared at the photograph. "Greenlee."
"I saw it while browsing some American magazine." Carlos shrugged, "The Count told me that you didn't have any pictures, so I decided to cut it out for you."
"I don't even know how to thank you, man." Leo replied, hugging Carlos tightly.
"And you haven't even looked at the others yet." Carlos chuckled, hugging Leo back.
"Others?" Leo repeated before noticing that there were two other pictures in the envelope. With a smile, Carlos stood up from his seat and walked towards the door.
"I think I'm going to go call Pablo and wish him a Merry Christmas." Carlos said, "I'll come back later and see what you want for dinner."
He suddenly turned to face Leo.
"And don't even think about touching those presents under the tree." Carlos warned, "The Count wants to open those with you tomorrow."
"There are presents under the tree?" Leo repeated surprised.
"What did you expect?" Carlos chuckled, heading out the door.
As the door shut behind Carlos, Leo turned his attention to under the tree. About 30 or so multi-hued packages lay around, some gleaming in the reflection of the lights. Realizing that all of them had to be for him, he felt his stomach sink. Guy was giving him so much, but wouldn't be getting anything in return. Sighing, Leo fell back upon the bed and wondered what the best way to decline the gifts would be.
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Setting the small, half-empty bottle of wine down on the wooden chair, Leo picked up the envelope again before laying down on the bed. It was about midnight, and he had decided to retire for the night. Starting to feel the effects of the alcohol he had consumed with his late dinner, Leo rubbed his head as he pulled one of the other pictures out. This one was of a dark haired, dark eyed man who looked older than Leo. He bore a cocky grin on his face as if he was challenging the viewer to something.
"David." Leo whispered, smiling fondly at his older half-brother.
Setting the picture down upon his chest, the brown-haired man reached inside the envelope to pull out the other picture. This one was of a slightly younger man that had brown hair like Leo and was wearing glasses.
"Trey." Leo smiled, recognizing the man as his younger half-brother.
Looking at both of the pictures, Leo had to chuckle as he wondered if both of them were still out of prison. He knew that David had a knack for ending up in the jail every so often, and he also knew that Trey had at least one serious crime hanging over his head. He also had to wonder if the two were taking good care of Greenlee for him.
Suddenly, as his brown eyes fixed on the picture of David, a memory started to play in Leo's head. It had been from some months earlier when Leo was forced to reveal that David's beloved father had been part of their mother's drug ring from the very beginning. This revelation had broken the usually arrogant doctor's heart.
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"Oh, Leo." David said sadly, "What do we have left to hold on to, either one of us?"
"Not much." Leo replied, "I guess it's just you and me, bro."
"Who would have thunk it, huh?" David commented.
"Not me." Leo admitted.
"I guess we underestimated each other." David replied.
"I guess so." Leo agreed as the two brothers hugged each other.
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As his thoughts returned to the present, Leo sighed and reached for the bottle of wine on the chair. He stared at it for a moment before taking a big drink from it. He firmly kept the bottle in one hand as he took Greenlee's picture out of the envelope. As he slowly traced her face with a finger, the realization dawned upon him that this was supposed to have been their first Christmas as a married couple. He sighed heavily again before taking another drink from the bottle. Was his life really worth the heartbreak they both were going through?
Shaking his head, Leo immediately sprang from the bed and headed to the room's window. The snow-covered ground below gleamed slightly in the moonlight. As he slowly ran a hand through his hair, Leo realized that whatever he was going through, Greenlee had to have it ten times worse. After all, he knew that she was still alive and most likely doing well while she thought that he was dead. In frustration, he pounded his fist against the wall nearby before sinking to his knees. The anger he felt at himself was overwhelming him now. How could he put her through this much pain? Didn't he care about her at all?
Suddenly feeling weak, Leo slowly got to his feet and went back to the bed. He took another drink of wine as he gently put Greenlee's picture underneath his pillow.
"Maybe next year." Leo said to no one in particular.
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To be continued....
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Wondering why there seemed to be more light than usual in his room, Leo, who was still asleep, opened an eye to the world. He awoke instantly upon seeing the tall, ornate, lit-up Christmas tree that now stood facing his bed. As he sat up in bed, the brown haired man put a hand to his forehead. He had completely forgotten that today was Christmas! Still wondering where the tree, which hadn't been there the day before, had come from, Leo turned his head as he heard the door to his room open.
"Feliz Navidad." Carlos greeted, shutting the door behind him.
"Merry Christmas to you too." Leo replied as Carlos sat in the wooden chair beside the bed.
"Like our surprise?" Carlos said, nodding towards the tree. "You don't know how hard it was for the Count and I to be absolutely quiet while putting it up. We're just lucky that you're a pretty deep sleeper."
"I guess." Leo chuckled, "Guy already left for Paris?"
Even though he had known officially that he was the Count's son for two months now, Leo was still adjusting to referring to someone as his father. Although he understood, Guy usually corrected the younger man if he referred to the Count by his first name. The Count was spending Christmas in Paris with his family.
"Yeah." Carlos nodded, "Actually, we have the whole chateau to ourselves since the staff has the day off. I don't think that it's an entirely good thing though as we're on our own food-wise."
"Uh oh." Leo remarked, looking at Carlos. "Can you cook?"
"Toast and anything microwave-able." Carlos shrugged, "You?"
"Looks like we're having toast for Christmas dinner." Leo chuckled.
"Or I need to go out to that place I went to last year and get some take-out." Carlos smiled. "I also don't think that your father will mind if we borrow some wine from his collection."
"Take-out and fine wine." Leo nodded, "Sounds like an ideal way to spend an evening. All we're missing is some beautiful women."
"Which brings me to your Christmas present." Carlos said, handing Leo an envelope. "It's not much, but I thought that you'd like it. I only wish that I could get you the real thing."
"Real thing?" the now curious Leo asked as he slowly opened the envelope. The first thing inside was a portrait shot of a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. As if in a trance, Leo simply stared at the photograph. "Greenlee."
"I saw it while browsing some American magazine." Carlos shrugged, "The Count told me that you didn't have any pictures, so I decided to cut it out for you."
"I don't even know how to thank you, man." Leo replied, hugging Carlos tightly.
"And you haven't even looked at the others yet." Carlos chuckled, hugging Leo back.
"Others?" Leo repeated before noticing that there were two other pictures in the envelope. With a smile, Carlos stood up from his seat and walked towards the door.
"I think I'm going to go call Pablo and wish him a Merry Christmas." Carlos said, "I'll come back later and see what you want for dinner."
He suddenly turned to face Leo.
"And don't even think about touching those presents under the tree." Carlos warned, "The Count wants to open those with you tomorrow."
"There are presents under the tree?" Leo repeated surprised.
"What did you expect?" Carlos chuckled, heading out the door.
As the door shut behind Carlos, Leo turned his attention to under the tree. About 30 or so multi-hued packages lay around, some gleaming in the reflection of the lights. Realizing that all of them had to be for him, he felt his stomach sink. Guy was giving him so much, but wouldn't be getting anything in return. Sighing, Leo fell back upon the bed and wondered what the best way to decline the gifts would be.
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Setting the small, half-empty bottle of wine down on the wooden chair, Leo picked up the envelope again before laying down on the bed. It was about midnight, and he had decided to retire for the night. Starting to feel the effects of the alcohol he had consumed with his late dinner, Leo rubbed his head as he pulled one of the other pictures out. This one was of a dark haired, dark eyed man who looked older than Leo. He bore a cocky grin on his face as if he was challenging the viewer to something.
"David." Leo whispered, smiling fondly at his older half-brother.
Setting the picture down upon his chest, the brown-haired man reached inside the envelope to pull out the other picture. This one was of a slightly younger man that had brown hair like Leo and was wearing glasses.
"Trey." Leo smiled, recognizing the man as his younger half-brother.
Looking at both of the pictures, Leo had to chuckle as he wondered if both of them were still out of prison. He knew that David had a knack for ending up in the jail every so often, and he also knew that Trey had at least one serious crime hanging over his head. He also had to wonder if the two were taking good care of Greenlee for him.
Suddenly, as his brown eyes fixed on the picture of David, a memory started to play in Leo's head. It had been from some months earlier when Leo was forced to reveal that David's beloved father had been part of their mother's drug ring from the very beginning. This revelation had broken the usually arrogant doctor's heart.
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"Oh, Leo." David said sadly, "What do we have left to hold on to, either one of us?"
"Not much." Leo replied, "I guess it's just you and me, bro."
"Who would have thunk it, huh?" David commented.
"Not me." Leo admitted.
"I guess we underestimated each other." David replied.
"I guess so." Leo agreed as the two brothers hugged each other.
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As his thoughts returned to the present, Leo sighed and reached for the bottle of wine on the chair. He stared at it for a moment before taking a big drink from it. He firmly kept the bottle in one hand as he took Greenlee's picture out of the envelope. As he slowly traced her face with a finger, the realization dawned upon him that this was supposed to have been their first Christmas as a married couple. He sighed heavily again before taking another drink from the bottle. Was his life really worth the heartbreak they both were going through?
Shaking his head, Leo immediately sprang from the bed and headed to the room's window. The snow-covered ground below gleamed slightly in the moonlight. As he slowly ran a hand through his hair, Leo realized that whatever he was going through, Greenlee had to have it ten times worse. After all, he knew that she was still alive and most likely doing well while she thought that he was dead. In frustration, he pounded his fist against the wall nearby before sinking to his knees. The anger he felt at himself was overwhelming him now. How could he put her through this much pain? Didn't he care about her at all?
Suddenly feeling weak, Leo slowly got to his feet and went back to the bed. He took another drink of wine as he gently put Greenlee's picture underneath his pillow.
"Maybe next year." Leo said to no one in particular.
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To be continued....