Christmas Present

It is the best looking tree A.J. can remember. Port Charles had thrown a tree-lighting ceremony in the park every Christmas Eve since he was a child, but for some reason, this year's tree outshines all the others. Not even the presence of Sonny, Carly, and Jason with Michael and Sam just a few yards away could distract from its beauty.

In fact, something - call it the Spirit Of Christmas, if you will – is urging him to walk on over and bid them a happy Christmas. He knows they'll suspect him of an ulterior motive, but he doesn't really care.

"Merry Christmas, Michael", says AJ, offering the child a candy cane from his overcoat pocket.

Michael stares at him silently and keeps his hands to himself, refusing the candy.

"What are you doing here, AJ?" demands Carly, pulling Michael closer to her body.

"Just well-wishing for a Merry Christmas is all, Carly", replies AJ, putting the candy cane back in his coat pocket. "No reason to call the cops or anything."

"Stay away from my son, AJ", orders Sonny, making a threatening move toward him.

"Thanks for the sentiment, AJ. Merry Christmas to you, too", says Sam, stepping between the two, taking upon herself the role of mediator. "Maybe you better head on home, though. No reason for a fight on Christmas Eve, is there?"

"I don't want any fight, Sam, but as usual, you're the level-headed one of the bunch. I hope your Christmas is everything you wish for", says AJ, and turns to Jason, stretching forth his hand. "Merry Christmas to you too, brother."

"AJ" is all Jason can muster, declining to shake AJ's hand.

"I wish none of this had ever happened, Jason – you know that."

If Jason does know, he indicates no such knowledge, saying not a word in reply. For a few seconds that seem like an eternity, the 6 stand in awkward silence.

"Well, I better get going", says AJ finally. "The family's waiting. Carly, feel free to bring Michael over any time. Mom and Dad have really gone all out with the decorations this year."

As he turns to walk home, the candy cane slips out of his pocket and falls on to the sidewalk below. Unbeknownst to AJ or the others, Michael stoops down and picks it up.

As AJ walks home, he reflects on what Christmas means to him.

Christmas had been AJ's favorite time of the year since that Christmas Eve years ago when he walked into Port Charles Bible Church and sat on the back pew. He hadn't really expected it to make much of an impact on his life, but it had – and in a big way. It was on that night that he realized for the first time that his life wasn't a waste, that he could be forgiven for all he'd ever done by a God who loved him more than words could express. In a sea of tears, it had hit him; he was actually worth something. If everyone in the world were to suddenly turn their back on him, he knew that he was never alone. He would always have the most important support of all.

The preacher's words that night had made an astounding impression upon AJ's attitude and kindled a lasting change in his behavior. Since that night, he had been a remarkably different person. He was more compassionate and kind. Alcohol didn't control him anymore; in fact, in all these years of sobriety, he had only fallen off the wagon once, and that was the time that Carly had got him drunk. But he had long since forgiven Carly; after all, that was the night Michael had been conceived. Michael, his one and only son – the one person who meant more to him than anything else in the world. Michael, who had been kidnapped years ago by Corinthos and Carly. If only...

In the solitude of his room, Michael is finally free to read the note attached to the Candy Cane. He knows that his parents wouldn't approve of him reading anything from his "biological dad", but the curiosity is too much a temptation to resist. Switching off the light and crawling under the covers, he reads the note in the dim glow of his Batman flashlight.

The note begins "A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. .."

Wait a minute, Michael thinks, where have I read this before?

He searches the recesses of his memory until he remembers that last year, a classmate had been handing out candy canes with this note attached. Michael had only been able to read the beginning of the note before the teacher snatched it from his hands, detached the note from the candy cane and handed only the cane back to him. At the time, his teacher's actions had struck him as strange, but he had put it out of his mind until this very moment.

Michael continues reading...

"A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols from the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a Candy Cane -- a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear." Every time you see a Candy Cane, remember the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas, and that His Love remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today."

This intrigues Michael. After all these years, after all the Christmases, why hadn't his mom and Sonny ever told him about the origins of the Candy Cane? But even more importantly, why had they never told him how important we people are to God?

Sure, he had seen moments of religious behavior in Sonny, but only when Sonny was facing difficult times or wanted something from God. Those religious moments hadn't lasted long, however; invariably, after each "miracle" Sonny received, he'd go back to his old self, bossing people around and telling Jason to "take care of" this enemy and that enemy.

This night, it begins to occur to Michael that if God is really out there, that if he really loves us as much as this Candy Cane note says he does, then there must be more to life than what Carly and Sonny have been living, and raising he and his brother Morgan to live. There must be more to a friendship with God than just showing up at Church every Christmas and Easter.

On this Christmas Eve, Michael makes a silent but solemn vow; he will discover the true meaning of Christmas and God's love.