A Heavenly Christmas: Christmas Eve

God quietly aproached Santa's desk.  He apeared to be lost in thought and she didn't want to startle him.  "Kris?" she called in her softest whisper. 

 

"Why hello, my old friend," Santa said with a tired smile.  "It's getting down to it, isn't it?"

 

"Do you mean your usual Christmas shuffle or do you mean Venus' assignment?"

 

Santa looked at god with a pained expression.  "I'm getting too old for this.  It's been almost 500 years now.  That's a long time for one man."

 

"How well I know, Kris.  How well I know.  I'm sorry.  I didn't expect it to take this long, but there just wasn't anyone else."  God's voice expressed a sorrow as great as her eyes.

 

"There still may not be anyone."

 

"She won't fail.  I know she won't."

 

"Don't you worry, my dear.  If she doesn't suceed by tomorrow, she will eventually.  You and I know he's the one for the job.  He knows great pain and suffering and still he harbors a loving spirit.  You've seen the way he looks at her."

 

"Kris, I don't think you understand.  Your time is up."  Even though Santa knew it was coming, hearing it from god's own mouth deflated his hope, but only for a moment.  He was Kris Kringle; the Santa Clause!  If his time was up then it was up, but he wouldn't go without a fight.  God was looking at him with sorrow and compassion.  "I have very much enjoyed our companionship these many years, Kris.  I will see to it that you live your last moments among those you have loved best."

 

"When?"

 

"Today."  Her voice was soft, but it didn't blunt the blow any.  Kris felt his resolve deflate.  When he looked at god he saw a single tear begin to slide down her cheek.  Kris could do nothing.  He looked at the papers on his desk. 

 

"I hate to leave such a mess.  But then maybe he'll find it helpful...if he makes it."  Kris stood up and looked around at the place he had called home for so many years.  He looked at his best friend, took a deap breath and noded.  God folded him into her embrace one last time.

 

 

Angel woke with a start.  Tears streamed down her face as if her greatest love had died.  Nick woke up to her sobs.  "What's wrong?"  He was horrified by the depth of her emotion.  What kind of dream could cause such distress?  "Hey!" he said as he took her in his arms. "Hey, it was just a dream, sweetheart. It was just a dream!"  He caressed her back and rocked her back and forth completely bewildered.

 

At last her sobs became hiccups as she began to calm down.  "You want to tell me about it?" he gently asked.  She just shook her head and climbed out of bed.  He heard the toilet flush and then the shower run.  There were many things about her that confused him, not the least of which was her need to take a shower every time she went to the bathroom.  He went to his dresser to find something for her to wear.  She would feel better with some clean clothes. 

 

He knocked on the door and let her know that he was setting the clothes by the door then went to fix some breakfast.  He was torn between the soup she seemed to love and bacon and eggs.  He decided on the more traditional breakfast hoping that her pleasure in new experiences would lift her spirits.  While he was dancing around the popping grease the phone rang.  It was the owner of the company telling him to not bother to come in today.  "I know we decided to open for those down to the last second people, but the roads around here are still pretty bad.  Besides, you boys got so much done this week the only thing left are those orders that came in yesterday and they can do without this time.  Happy Holidays, Nick!"

 

Nick hung up the phone with a smile.  He never thought he'd enjoy having so much time off with nothing to do.  Nothing to do except get to know the exquisite creature in his bathroom, that is.  He was putting the finishing touches of the breakfast tray (who knew a cookie sheet could be so useful in his house?) when he heard Angel open the bathroom door.  He couldn't help but smile at how rediculous she looked in his old sweatshirt and jeans.  The end of the jeans were in thick rolls that still completely covered her feet.  She didn't even bother to roll the sleeves up.  They just hung down to her knees from where she clung to the front of her pants.

 

"I need help."

 

"I should say so!"

 

"I can't quite figure out how these things work."  She clumsily lifted her shirt with one hand while tenaciously climging to the top of the pants with the other.  Peeking beneath the heavy sweatshirt Nick could see one end of the open fly.  She couldn't even work a zipper?  Suddenly his chilly little apartment got very warm.

 

"Uh.  Uhm.  Yeah.  I can do that."  Nick was embarassed not only to have to help her with a rather intimate problem, but because here he was behaving like a schoolboy about it.  "You hold the shirt up," he said reaching for the expossed zipper.  He forgot she didn't have anything on under the jeans.  His hand trembeled so much he wasn't sure he'd be able to fasten the jeans either.  The tender flesh exposed to him was almost translucent, as if she were not really there.  By the time he managed to complete his task, Nick was sweating.  "There you go," he rasped.

 

"Thank you," she whispered.  He looked up.  She was right there.  All he had to do was lean forward to kiss her.  He felt himself shift as if drawn by some magnetic force.  Her lips were slightly parted as if in anticipation.  Just barely he let his mouth brush against hers. 

 

A moment before it became a full kiss there was a knock at the door.  "Shit!" he swore under his breath.  Angel's eyes popped open and her hand covered her mouth.  "Sorry," he mumbled even though he really wasn't.  Who could this be?  He opened the door and wished he hadn't.  Clair stood there.  "This cannot turn out well."

 

Nick had only enough time to realize he said the words out loud before Clair started.  "Oh, Nicky!  I just couldn't go through with it!  How can I marry him when it's you that I love?  I know I made mistakes-major mistakes, but oh Nicky, can't you forgive me?"  She broke off as quickly as she started.  Her eyes were darts with Angel as the bull's eye.  Her voice abruptly changed from sweetly pleading to icey accusation.  "I didn't realize you have company.  It looks like I borrowed the 4x4 for nothing."

 

Nick took his opourtunity.  "I do have company.  As you can see, this is a bad time for me."  He stepped back and started to close the door, but Clair ignored him and pushed in anyway.

 

"So, you've moved on.  I din't realize you like mousy girls, Nicky.  Or is this just what the cat drug in?" 

 

Angel didn't know why, but insinuating that she had anything to do with cats made her angry.  Almost as angry as Nick allowing this woman to enter their sanctuary.  "Actually, I was just leaving.  I'll return your clothes later, Nicky."  For some reason the  name didn't sound at all nice coming from Angel's mouth.  Nick winced.

 

"Wait a second..."

 

"Thank you for your assistance.  I'm sure I'll repay you."  With that Angel pushed her way past him and out into the cold.  She didn't seem to care that she had no shoes on, but Nick did.  He turned to Clair.

 

"Look, it's over.  Done.  Finito.  I thought you couldn't hurt me any worse than you already did, but if she walks out of my life....just get out!"  Nick had Clair by the arm bullying her toward the door. 

 

"But Nicky..."

 

"No.  I want you gone.  Now!"  Nick didn't give her a chance to argue any further.  He escorted her back to her Blazer and forcefully put her in the vehicle.  He knew he had to be hurting her arm, but he no longer cared.  He wanted her gone so he could find his Angel.  He shut the door almost catching Clair's hand in it.  He almost enjoyed the shocked expression on her face, but he had more important things to think about.

 

Nick went back to his door looking for Angel's footprints in the snow.  Theye weren't hard to find, nor did he have to go far.  The tracks stopped at the foot of the tree directly in front of his door.  He looked up.  Angel sat precariously on one of the top most branches.  She didn't seem to realize how much danger she was in.  Not only could she fall and break a bone, she was already suffering from one concussion, who knew what would happen if she hit her head again.

 

The thought made Nick's heart stop.  He didn't think he would ever breath again.  With sudden realization, he knew he wouldn't want to breath again if something happened to her.  "Angel," he called softly as soon as he could convince his body to breath.  He was so frightened for her that the word was nothing more than a whisper.  She was sobbing so hard he could see the limb shake precariously beneath him.  "Angel?" he called a little louder.  "I'm sorry!  I didn't know she would come over.  I don't want anything to do with her!  Please!  Please come back in to the house.  We can make it our own little hideaway again.  Our sanctuary away from the world.  Please?!"

 

"No!" she screamed.  "There is no sanctuary!  God has forsaken me!  How can I live in such a cruel world?  How can anyone?"

 

She was lost.  He knew the kind of pain she was feeling.  He knew nothing he said or did was going to make her hear him, much less believe him.  She would either freeze to death up there or more likely fall to her death.  Nick fell to his knees, his emotional pain so great his body could no longer bear it.  How did everything go so horribly wrong?  How? 

 

Nick could barely breath.  He felt like his chest was being crushed.  He couldn't move.  He felt his brain being sucked in to darkness.  In that moment he did the only thing he had left to do.  He prayed.  "God," he breathed, "save her."

 

 

In Heaven all eyes turned toward god.  She had said no angel was to help Venus, but it was the human who called for assistance.  What would she do?  Each angel held their own breath trapping every ounce of hope within their own hearts.

 

God knew the eyes of all the hosts of Heaven were upon her.  She also knew of the hope each angel harbored.  Even those who were not happy with Venus did not want to see her harmed.  It was true, the human male called for her help, not the fallen angel.  At least Venus had somewhat succeeded in her task by bringing the man back to god.  She turned to the West Wind.  "Bring her down."  A simple command, that caused the greatest stir since the first Christmas.

 

 

Nick felt the warm rush of air causing him to draw a deep breath.  He opened his eyes just in time to see the brach give a great shake.  Nick reached for her as if to catch her, but she seemed to be falling in slow motion.  Slowly the wind carried his Angel through the lower branches at last depositing her in his arms.  Nick was astonished at the experience.  Not only was he seeing a mirical, but hearing it as well, for in the moment the wind died down he could have sworn he heard close to his ear a whisper of a voice saying "a gift from god."

 

In all the deaths and disapointments of his adult years Nick had never once shed a tear.  Now, when he at last knew god's unconditional love, he allowed himself to shed all the tears he had swallowed into his Angel's rose scented hair.

 

Angel did not even notice. 

 

Nick picked her up and carried her back inside his apartment.  Although she had stopped crying she was in little better shape than she had been while she was in the tree.  Nick sat down on the couch and just held her.  She gave him no resistance.  She had become the shell of herself. 

 

Nick turned Angel's face so he could see her eyes.  There was no life in them.  He had to do something.  "Angel, I know you can hear me.  Everyone has ups and downs in life.  Everyone.  Part of our job as human beings is to get past those moments.  I don't pretend to understand it all.  Sometimes I think God likes to watch us squirm, but the truth of it is, when the chips are down, he comes through.  I want to show you something."  He gently sat her on the couch beside him and got up.

 

Turning on the tv, Nick placed a video, the same video he had watched only days before, in the machine.  He sat next to Angel and took her hand.  "These are home movies.  I want to introduce you to some people I once cared about."  Throughout the video Nick gave a running commentary about each person, many of them had died.  He never took his eyes off the tv screen, dealing with each pain as it came.  Dealing with it and dismissing it in favor of the good memories that hid behind the pain. 

 

He never saw Angel turn to face him.  When the video had at least reached its end, he looked at her and saw the tears slowly trickel down her cheeks.  "Angel," he whispered.

 

"No," she replied.  "I'm no angel.  I was once, but that is all lost to me now.  I have been cast from god and I will live to my end here on earth."

 

"I...I don't understand."

 

"It's not for you to understand, my poor sweet mortal."  Angel/Venus gently caressed his cheek.  "One day you will wake up and all this will be a dream.  And once again, I will have failed my Maker."  She stood up.  "I'm so very sorry for all you have been through.  I.."her voice broke, "I'm so very sorry," she finished in a whisper before heading toward the bedroom.

 

"Angel!" Nick called.

 

"No.  My name is Venus."  With that revelation, Venus left the room.