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Part of the Reunion Series
I want to dedicate this fic to my family; Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Josh and Liz, Uncle Carl, Aunt Cheryl, Catherine, Matthew, and Nathan, Uncle Chris, Aunt Diane, Eric, Greg, and Beth, Uncle Mark, Aunt Cindy, Tony and Jennifer, Uncle Mike, Aunt Lynette, Luke and Katie, Uncle Pat, Aunt Julie, Dustin, Janelle and Savannah, Uncle Paul, Aunt Tammy, Trent, Olivia and Tyler, and we can’t forget Uncle Stan. To commemorate all our years of more than 30 people in one house…and only two bathrooms. May many more years see us all together.
Part One
December 27th. Two days after his second Christmas with Ezra, Chris Larabee found himself turning his rental car into his parents’ driveway, his lover seated beside him looking uncharacteristically nervous. But then, Chris would probably be nervous meeting Ezra’s family too. If the younger man ever mentioned any family besides Maude. Parking the car behind his sister Erin’s car, the blonde offered one last out.
“ We don’t have to do this. Mom will understand if you feel overwhelmed.”
“ Yes, we do.” Ezra insisted, setting his resolve. “Your mother invited us both. It would be rude to back out at this time, especially as I believe we have already been spotted.” Three children were in the front yard, racing across the six or so inches of snow towards them.
“ You ready?”
“ As ready as ever.” Both men stepped from the car, the kids seemed unsurprised to see another man with their uncle.
“ Uncle Chris! Hi!” They chorused, practically bouncing.
“ Hi. Kids, this is Ezra Standish. Ez, this is Jessie Millikin, and Josh and Lexi Parker.”
“ Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Ezra greeted, but his formal words were offset by an open smile and inviting tone. Plus that accent that made Chris think of warm southern breezes never hurt.
“ You sound funny. Do you have a cold? Mom says Denver gets more snow than we do, so it must be cold there.” Jessie asked, and Ezra grinned even broader.
“ No, I don’t have a cold. I speak differently because I am from a different part of the country. Do you know where Charleston is?”
“ Isn’t that by Atlanta?”
“ Well…I suppose on the grand scale.”
“ You live with Uncle Chris don’t you?” Lexi, the oldest of the children, whom Ezra would estimate was about ten, asked.
“ I do.”
“ Do we have to call you Uncle Ezra then?”
“ Not at all. You may refer to me by any appellation you like.”
“ Huh?” All three looked to Chris for a translation.
“ Call him what you want.” They nodded, before turning to dart back inside.
“Grandma wants you inside, so you can get settled in.”
“ We’re coming.” Chris called after them. He smiled at the light smile still on Ezra’s face. Leave it to kids. Ezra had a special way with kids, but despite his constant success, every time he realized the child genuinely liked him and accepted him it would make the younger man literally glow.
Stepping inside the house, Chris left his shoes at the door with everyone else’s and placed his bag on the table. Ezra merely followed his lead.
“ There you are little brother. Thought you were gonna miss lunch.” Kelly hugged Chris lightly then turned to face Ezra. Her look was clearly appraising, but he must have passed muster as she was quickly nodding.
“ You must be Ezra. I’m Kelly.”
“ Mrs. Millikin, isn’t it? I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” Kelly smiled widely and shot a look at her brother.
“ Oh, you got a charmer here, brother. All cute, and likeable already to boot. Let’s get this straight right off though, Ezra. You’re my little brother now too. You call me Kelly, or I’ll kick that cute southern ass back to Georgia. Oh, and I hope you had sisters, cause welcome to the family kiddo.” Kelly continued walking by, soundly slapping Ezra’s ass as she went by, laughing as he jumped. Chris laughed lightly himself, happy that at least one family member was ready to just accept Ezra. Of course, Kelly had always been the sister Chris was closest to, and it had been to her that he had first revealed his bisexuality; a secret she had faithfully kept as long as he had asked her to since the telling when Chris was only twenty-one or so.
“ Cute?” Ezra had been called many things in his life, from handsome to scrawny, but never once had anyone called him cute before. At least, not to his face.
“ Yep. Especially your ass.”
“ I always liked to think of it as enticingly toned…but not cute.”
“ Its definitely enticing.” Chris replied, wrapping an arm around his lover and bestowing a gentle kiss on his southerner. Ezra lengthened the kiss, following a slightly retreating Chris with his mouth. Had the younger agent remembered that they were in the hall of Maggie’s home, he would have been far more discreet. As it was, the two men continued their light kissing until they were interrupted by a familiar rhyme, in stereo.
“Chris and Ezra, sittin in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes-”
“Enough.” Maggie cut the children off, and they giggled happily as the two men pulled apart, Ezra blushing deeply. “Why don’t you three go put gifts under the tree?”
Part Two
“ We already did. There aren’t any more.” Jessie responded.
“ Well, I just put a few more on the piano bench, so, go.” All three scampered off to the living room, leaving the three adults in the hall.
“ Hi, Mom.” Chris greeted, hugging his mother and placing a kiss on her cheek.
“ Christopher. How are you?”
“ I’m fine.”
“ Good. Come here, Ezra Standish, don’t think you get out of a mother’s hug.”
“ Maggie. Thank you for the invitation.”
“ Ah, you’re part of the family now, boy. How’re you feeling?”
“ I’m fine.”
“ Uh-huh. Chris mentioned that you’d been down with the flu. How is he?” Maggie turned to her son, who was smiling at the exchange.
“ He’s better. Still tired a lot, but at least he stopped puking.”
“ Chris!”
“ What?! Its not like she’s never been around someone with the flu.”
“ Are you feeling up to a big meal, or should I make some soup or something light for dinner for you?” Maggie asked, and Ezra paled slightly.
“ Oh, please, don’t trouble yourself on my account. Just make what you normally would.”
“ Lord, child, I’ll be making enough food for an army. My army. A little soup so you don’t get sick again is hardly trouble. I’ll make some of my chicken vegetable soup up. I planned on you boys having your old room, Christopher.”
“ Thanks Mom. We’ll just get settled upstairs then.”
“ Of course. Lunch’ll be ready soon, its almost noon now.” Maggie disappeared into the kitchen as Chris picked up their bags. Ezra protested, perfectly capable of carrying his own bag.
“ There is no need for you to carry my belongings as well as your own.”
“ Humor me, baby.” Chris dropped a swift chaste peck on his lover’s lips and turned around to head upstairs. He didn’t get very far as the front door opened to admit his brother and sister-in-law.
“ Well, hell, who’s this stranger?” Mike asked, before wrapping his arms around his little brother. Despite the ten and a half year age gap between the two, Mike and Chris had always been relatively close. Close enough that Chris had stood as godfather to his brother’s younger son.
“ Mike, its good to see you. Linda, you too.” Chris nodded at his sister in law, who smiled hugely at him.
“ Oh, this must be Ezra. Maggie’s told us so much about you.” Linda pulled the southerner into a hug, and Chris laughed at the look on his baby’s face.
“ Mrs. Larabee.” Ezra managed, through his surprise. He hadn’t known these people two minutes and already he was being hugged…it was an odd sensation to be so obviously welcomed.
“ You call me Linda. Even Mom isn’t Mrs. Larabee.”
“ So, you’re the vixen that caught my brother?” Mike teased, pretending to carefully look over the younger man. “Are you even old enough to shave yet?”
“ He’s teasing, Ez.” Chris cut in before his lover could make a sharp retort.
“ I don’t know, kiddo. He’s awfully young…any older than Danny?”
“ Jealous, big brother?”
“ Maybe.” Mike admitted, earning a slap to his shoulder from his wife. “What? Come on, aren’t you jealous, just a bit, that Chris is bringing home guys under thirty?”
“ Oh my god.” Nicole, Cindy and Rich‘s oldest, stood at the door, staring at her uncle and his boyfriend. “Uncle Chris, can I borrow your boyfriend? I need a date for the winter dance.” Ezra blushed a bright pink, but managed to not obey his desire to flee the house in embarrassment.
“ I don’t know. Will you have him home by 10?”
“ 10?! Come on, there’s no way before 2.”
“ Midnight.” Chris bargained.
“ One.”
“ Eleven.”
“ Come on, Uncle Chris. You’re killing me. Twelve thirty?” Nicole asked.
“ I suppose. Ezra, you want to revisit your high school dance days?” Chris smirked at his lover, but his smile wavered as he watched a brief flash of pain flit across green eyes.
“ Don‘t worry, Ezra, I was just kidding. It is kinda cool though, being related to an ATF agent!”
“ Hey, you’ve been related to an agent for years.” Chris tried to sound indignant, but failed.
“ Yeah, but you’re not hot like him.” Nicole dead-panned, and laughter rang out as all but Ezra joined in the happiness. Ezra just blushed furiously.
“ Where were you when I was eighteen?”
“ Uhm…how long ago was that?” Nicole asked.
“ Ten years.” Chris responded automatically. He had never let the age difference bother him, but he could see on some of his rapidly arriving family’s faces that they were surprised.
“ I was in second grade. And since that was ‘92, Uncle Chris was married to Aunt Sarah and expecting Adam-” Nicole stopped, knowing that any mention of her cousin and Aunt usually threw her uncle into a depression.
“ Well, introduce us late arrivals to your…lover.” Cindy struggled to find the right word as she stepped into the hall behind her daughter and husband. Significant other was too stiff, boyfriend too juvenile and fuck-buddy was far too vulgar. And incorrect, from what she’d heard from her mother.
“ Everybody, this is Ezra. Ez, that’s Mike and Linda, you already met, then Cindy, Rich, you met Kelly, her husband Dave, and their boys Rob and Justin, my sister Erin and that ugly mug is Erin’s husband Tom.”
“ Nice to see you too, Chris.” Tom replied, smiling at the insult.
“ Pleased to meet you all.” Ezra inclined his head lightly in deference. Everyone nodded and smiled, but Chris could see that they had something on their mind. He’d prefer to deal with any problems himself, and let Ezra just enjoy the holiday. His undercover didn’t relax enough.
“ Ez, you want to take our stuff upstairs? Second door on the right.”
“ And straight on ‘til morning?” Ezra whispered in his ear while placing a kiss on his cheek. Chris flushed slightly but smiled. Ezra picked up both their bags and headed up the stairs. His lover watched until the southerner was out of sight, and hopefully hearing, before facing his family.
Part Three
“ All right, let’s take this in the den.” He led the way, knowing that they’d follow. He wanted this to stay between the adults, which meant not having the conversation in the front hall. Standing in front of the desk that had always been his father’s, the federal agent glanced over his gathering siblings and in-laws. Kelly looked merely curious, but most of the others seemed to have questions that needed answering.
“ So, speak now or forever hold thy peace.” Chris opened up the floor, hoping to get this over with quickly and quietly. Ezra didn’t need more family problems, Maude was more than enough for anyone.
“ What’s going on?” Maggie came into the room, and shut the door behind her, something the others had forgotten.
“ We’re getting ready to ‘discuss’ his friend.” Rich announced.
“ Ezra? Is he feeling all right?”
“ Yes, Mom. He’s fine, upstairs as a matter of fact. Hopefully resting a bit.”
“ You’re sharing a room?” Rich actually seemed surprised, and Chris nearly laughed.
“ Of course. We’ve been sharing a room and bed for some time now.”
“ Yes, but I thought the rule in this house was ‘no sharing until you’re married’ Maggie?”
“ It is. Except for those who can’t get married. I have no doubt they would be, if they were capable of being man and wife.”
“ We would.” Chris agreed wholeheartedly.
“ And Richard, this is my home. Remember that.”
“ I don’t think it’s a good example for the kids-”
“ Why not, Rich?” Kelly spoke up, “ Afraid it’ll somehow turn Brian gay or something? He’s twenty years old, its already decided.”
“ What about your children? How will this sort of thing affect them?”
“ Oh, I think they’ll grow up knowing that love is the most important thing in the world. I’m not worried, Rich.”
“ Dave? What if your boys end up…like that.” Chris clenched his fists, but managed not to take off his brother-in-law’s head.
“ End up gay? I don’t think having their uncle’s boyfriend around the house a couple times a year is going to train them to be gay, Rich.” Dave responded confidently, but then changed his gaze to Chris. “Not that it doesn’t creep me out a bit, Chris.”
“ Creep you out?” He had expected anger, but not that.
“ I’m with Dave here, Chris. You’re my kid brother, and I love you for that no matter what. But the thought of you and ANY guy…it’s a bit…creepy I guess.” Mike agreed.
“ So, you guys don’t want Ezra around? Or is it me that ‘creeps you out’?”
“ Chris. This was sprung on us pretty recently.” Erin reasoned. “ You were married. it’s a bit of a surprise to see you with another man now.”
“ I’ve always been bi, Erin. I knew in the Navy, and you think its hard for you, try learning that about yourself there of all places.”
“ I like Ezra. He’s a good guy.” Kelly announced, coming to stand next to her brother.
“ He’s barely older than my own children.” Rich argued. That argument Chris had expected. After all, he’d had it with himself a few times.
“ So, you don’t like the fact that he’s male and only 28? Is that it?”
“ Pretty much.” Tom agreed, and was echoed by most of the others in the room.
“ You know, I don’t have to justify my actions to you guys, right?”
“ Christopher, I think you owe them the explanation I’ve already been given.” Maggie put in. Chris nodded.
“ I was planning on it, Mom. Just want to remind everybody we’re both well over the age of consent.” Chris took a deep breath, hoping desperately that Ezra wouldn’t interrupt this. He was probably going to spill a lot more than the private southerner would like. “Ezra and I have been together for almost a year and a half. When we started…dating, I was almost thirty-nine. He was twenty-seven. And he was and still is, working as my direct subordinate. So don’t think we don’t know already that between those two, and us both being male, that our relationship could become complicated. As for the fact that he’s male, I’ve always been bi, and Ezra as well. I haven’t changed from the man who’s always been your brother.”
“ He told me he was bi more than fifteen years ago, so I can back him up that this isn’t an overnight change.” Kelly added earning a few surprised looks.
“ As for his age…Mom can back me up here. He’s twenty-eight on a calendar. Ez is an old soul as they say. He’s seen things that aren’t even fit for nightmares. He lives with the very real specter of death daily. Don’t judge him so easily.”
“ Chris, what if one day, that specter wins?” Cindy asked, concerned for her brother. It had taken three years for Chris to recover from the loss of Sarah and Adam. Another such loss he might not ever recover from.
“ God, I don’t even want to go there, Cindy. But, as Ezra says, you can’t live out of fear.”
“ I think you all owe it to Chris to get to know Ezra before you make any judgments.” Maggie announced, and her tone of voice let them all know it was the end of the discussion. Most of them accepted that she was right, although Rich still looked upset. Chris just hoped that the man kept his mouth shut around his lover. Ezra needed a happy relaxing holiday not more stress about them being together.
Part Four
“ Chris, has he talked to his mother yet?” That halted the retreat from the room, and all eyes focused on the blond agent once more. Chris sighed, he had been hoping to not have to explain Ezra’s family, or what there was of it.
“ No. He tried to call her on her birthday last month, but evidently Edward, her husband, said she didn’t want to talk to Ezra.”
“ Foolish woman. How’d he take it?”
“ The usual. A bottle, some nasty music and a couple weeks worth of depression.”
“ So, he drinks his problems away too?” Rich commented as if notching another strike against the southerner.
“ Hell, I’d be drinking if I had his mother.” Maggie defended vehemently.
“Mom?” Mike asked, noticing his brother shut his eyes as if in pain. “You’ve met her?”
“ Hardly. I’ve heard enough.”
“ Mom.” Chris interrupted. “This doesn’t leave this room. None of it. You don’t bring it up with Ezra. Understand?”
“ Yeah, Chris, we get it.” Dave replied, and nods from the others backed him up.
“ Ezra and his mother haven’t spoken in a year. He told her about us and she disappeared. Ezra calls her husband once in awhile, but she won’t talk to him. Edward always asks Ezra not to call.”
“ So I take it his mother didn’t know he was interested in men before?”
“ No. He was worried this would happen. Look, I’ll be blunt. Ezra’s family life sucks. His Dad died when he was six. His mother’s never spared a moment for him that I know of. No siblings, and the only aunt and uncle he mentions with any fondness were killed in a car wreck a few years ago. He doesn’t have any experience with family. And I was really hoping you guys could see past any problems you might have with our relationship enough to show him what family can be like. The team and I have been working on it, but that just shows him what chosen family can be like.”
“ Well, you’ve got my support, little brother. You’ve always had it, even if I don’t even want to contemplate you and Ezra in bed.” Mike announced and agreements echoed in the room.
“ Don’t worry. I’ve always chosen to believe my nieces and nephews arrived via the stork.” Chris retorted.
“ Now that this is over, I think its time for lunch.” Maggie announced, leading the way from the den. The group followed her, splitting up to find kids and one southerner so they could eat. Slipping into the bedroom, Chris found his lover surprisingly sleeping on the bed. Ezra must have really been tired, he’d slept through the flight as well. He sat lightly on the side of the bed, and leaned in to kiss his firecracker. Ezra shifted, and half awake he pulled Chris’ head down to deepen the kiss. Tongue lapping insistently at his lips, Chris opened his mouth to accept the familiar probe. Enjoying the taste of his lover, the older man ran a hand down the length of Ezra’s chest, before resting it possessively over the growing bulge in the denim.
“ This,” He commented, patting the developing erection, “will have to wait. Lunch is on.”
“ Rather have you for lunch.”
“ Not on the menu.”
“ Since when?” Ezra pouted, running a hand teasingly down his lover’s chest and then back up.
“ Since my whole family is downstairs waiting to eat.”
“ So, is this a short-term change in menu?”
“ Oh yeah.” Chris answered confidently, leaning in to kiss his beautiful man once more.
“ So, when do I get to open my present?” Ezra asked, hands straying to the fly of Chris’ jeans.
“ The ones under the tree you get tonight. The one-” Chris’ gasped interrupted what he was saying as a deft hand slipped inside his jeans to caress him. “ you are currently…playing with will have to wait.” He pried the hand from his body. He would love to do just the opposite right now, but they had enough tension on their hands without adding actual sex in this house with everyone else here as well into the mix.
“ What if I don’t want to wait that long?”
“ Just think of those cute kids you saw earlier busting in right now, and it’ll fetch ya ‘round.” Ezra’s hand retreated immediately, and he glanced at the door. There was no lock, he noticed. Sighing he nodded.
“ How long until we go home?”
“ You know we leave tomorrow, we have to go back to work.”
“ A short period of suffering then. Very well.”
“Suffering?”
“ Yes, suffering without your touch, without the feel of our tongues entwining and without velvet steel slowly entering me and setting fire to every nerve-” Chris clamped a hand on his lover’s mouth, before groaning.
“ Talking like that is not helping.”
“ But it is fun to see you flush with desire, even knowing you won’t act on it.”
“ Tease.”
“ You love me anyway.”
“ Yes, I do. Now let’s go before they send out a search party.” Chris stood, and offered Ezra a hand as he did the same. Ezra smiled and not relinquishing the hand the two lovers headed down to the dining room.
Part Five
After lunch, the children tramped back outside, intent on having a great snow ball war. Ezra went outside to exercise ‘adult supervision’, while the adults stayed inside to catch up on each other’s lives. The three girls all lived with thirty miles of their parents’ and thus had little news to report, but Mike and Chris lived half way across the country, and it was an hour later that Chris finally looked out the window to check on his lover and the kids. He laughed, watching Ezra chase about the lawn with kids, even getting the older kids, who usually considered themselves ‘too mature’ for this sort of thing, involved. The all too rare laughter of their younger brother had everyone in the room looking to see what had caused it. A horribly expensive leather coat was coated in snow, and the young agent was most likely soaked to the skin, but everyone seemed to be having a ball outside. Chris smiled at the natural grace and athleticism inherent in his lover’s every move. Maude may have thought sports were useless distractions from more important matters, but her son was an accomplished athlete, a boxing champion at the academy, and a three sport varsity athlete at his high school. He still played in a summer baseball league.
Ezra swooped Jessie off her feet, and had her on his shoulders in a move calculated to keep her from being tagged by her cousin. Ezra carried her a few feet and then allowed the girl to sprint off again, Josh in hot pursuit and Lexi not far behind. Ashley tried to keep up as best her littler legs could. Ezra could not quite grasp the rules of the game…he wasn’t sure there were any, but he did know that the older kids, at least the boys, had declared it full contact sport. The younger ones seemed happy with a version of tag that involved dropping snow down the inside of a coat. He was contemplating calling it quits, his Southern blood was getting cold, when Brian tackled him, sending them both into a snow drift. Out of long habit, Ezra had Brian rolled and under him smoothly, straddling his assailant’s chest. Brian looked up, hearing the laughter of Dan and Kevin at the reversal. Ezra grinned down at him, then leaned in to whisper in his ear. Brian nodded, and Ezra rolled off and up, Brian quickly following as they took off after the other two.
Part Six
Maggie noticed when Rich stiffened as Ezra straddled his son, but didn’t comment. She knew that Rich was uncomfortable with Ezra, and Chris’, sexual preference, but she preferred to be charitable tonight and hope it was minor parental concern for his son taking on a trained federal agent that caused the reaction, not Rich’s feelings about gay men. Her hopes were dashed when Rich turned his attention to Chris, who was still smiling as his lover and nephew chased Danny and Kevin across the wide yard.
“ I don’t want him touching my son.”
“ Let it rest, Rich.” Kelly bit out.
“ I don’t control everything Ezra does.” Chris replied, doing his best to rein in the infamous ‘Larabee wrath’.
“ No, I rather suspect your little pillow-biter controls you.”
“ Rich…” Maggie warned, angered at the slur against a young man she was genuinely coming to enjoy. Ezra was young, true, and very male, true, and he lived a dangerous life, true, but he was also hopelessly devoted to her son, which was the most a mother could ask for.
“ I’m gonna ignore that, this once, Rich,” Chris responded, “ because Ezra’s not in the room, but you ever say something like that around him, or those kids, and I’ll beat the shit out of you, family or not.”
“ Chris-” Cindy began, but was cut off.
“ No, Cindy. I’ve never once said a word about any of you guys’ relationships, or your lives, no matter what I think. I accept it. I expect the same courtesy, and I sure don’t expect to have to tolerate shit like that just to see my family at Christmas.”
“ Richard, I don’t ever want to hear that in my house again.” Maggie declared, her eyes taking in everyone in the room, but finally resting on her son-in-law. “Ezra is as much my family now as you are.”
“ I don’t want a…person like that around my kids. Or the other kids. It’s unnatural, and I don’t think we should hold it up as an appropriate-”
“ Fine.” Chris stopped him. “Say it now, and we’ll leave. Won’t come back. I’ll call Mom next time I want to visit, and make sure you guys aren’t here. You’ll not have to be exposed to either of us.”
“ Chris-” This time it was Kelly who never finished.
“ I’m serious. If you all want us to leave, we’ll go. But don’t expect me at another family holiday. If Ezra’s not welcome because he’s bi, well I’m bi too, so I’m not welcome either. Think about it Rich. I’ve been around Brian and the other kids since they were born. I haven’t warped them. Why the hell would Ezra.”
“ Even if you were interested in men before, you weren’t shoving it onto them. You were married, with a child.”
“ Like a normal person?” Chris asked sarcastically. “Sarah knew I was bi. She loved me anyway. Kelly knew all these years. Just because I’m living with Ezra now I haven’t changed. Now, decide, because if we’re leaving I want to go now.”
“ You’re staying, Christopher.” Maggie announced. “I will not have my family tore apart by this foolishness. Richard, none of these children are going to be ‘infected’, as if sexual preference was some sort of disease to be avoided. We are family. That means we stick together, no matter what happens. When Cindy nearly died in that car wreck when she was seventeen, we stuck together. When Chris was missing in action in the Navy, we found strength in each other. When Nick was diagnosed with leukemia, we pulled through as a family. And when Dad died we survived it together. Everything, together.”
“ Divided we fall.” Erin nodded, quoting their father.
“It’s Christmas,” Mike spoke up, “let’s just concentrate on being with the people we love, okay? I know I’m deeply grateful for every year we can all come together as a family.”
“ That’s right.” Maggie dropped a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “ This family will not be pulled apart. Not my family.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“ Go get those fool kids in here before they all freeze to death.” Maggie declared, eliciting laughter from most of the adults, and Erin and Kelly went outside to do as she said.
Part Seven
Later that evening, after a dinner that had stuffed everyone nearly to the point of pain, and was passed without any words of anger, even if Rich decidedly ignored the presence of Ezra, the whole family had headed into the living room. The tree was lit with seemingly thousands of little lights, their glow reflecting off ornaments gathered over Maggie’s last 51 years as a wife and mother. Presents were stacked under the tree, and the familiar stockings were hung on the mantle. Inside each stocking, as was tradition, was a small present from Maggie to each of her grown children.
“All right, kids, pass them out.” Maggie announced, and the youngest grandchildren scampered happily to do as she bid. Presents were dispersed quickly with most of the kids helping and Chris laughed as he watched Ezra’s eyes widen in surprise when a gift appeared at his feet. He had his expected pile of presents, one from each sibling and a few from his mother. The kids, finished handing out gifts, scattered back to their own respective piles, eyeing their presents. Maggie waited a moment, drinking in the sight of her family gathered for Christmas.
“ Okay. Ashley, you start.”
“ How come she always starts?” Jessie complained.
“ ‘Cuz she’s the youngest.” Nicole explained. Ashley took no notice as she tore into her presents. The little girl smiled at each, and was through her small pile quickly. After she finished, the attention moved to Jessie, and on up through the ranks of the grandchildren in a long practiced order. The little kids had quickly opened their gifts and were playing with their latest toys as the adults began their own practiced order of gifts. Chris went to open his, but was stopped by his mother.
“ Christopher.”
“ Mom?”
“ You aren’t the youngest adult anymore. Ezra?”
“ She’s right, brother. Come on, Ezra. Open it.” Kelly encouraged. Rich was the only face not lit up with expectation. Ezra smiled nervously and reached for the package that was marked ‘from everybody’. Carefully unwrapping the paper, he managed to ignore the fact that everyone seemed to be staring at him anxiously. He opened the box, and his eyes widened once more in surprise.
“ Well?” Erin prodded impatiently.
“ Thank you. I wasn’t expecting-”
“ Half the fun of presents is surprise.” Dave interrupted.
“ What is it?” Chris asked, and Ezra handed him the album. Opening the cover, Chris flushed with embarrassment.
“ Its you. Well, what we could wrap. Its copies and doubles of a bunch of our old photos of you, from baby pictures up through the Navy.”
Part Eight
“ Thank you.” Ezra reiterated, meeting the eyes of each member of Chris’ family, even Rich‘s eyes that held a familiar distaste Ezra easily recognized. “Its quite possibly one of the best presents I’ve ever received.”
“ Its our pleasure. Welcome to the family, my boy.” Maggie answered, brushing a hand lightly through chestnut hair. “Now, Christopher, it is your turn.” Chris nodded, and opened his presents, thanking each of his siblings and his mother in their turn. His mother’s gift had been a week’s cruise in Alaska, and Ezra had smiled brightly at that.
“ I’ve never been to Alaska.”
“ I know.” Maggie replied. “I’d heard you mention once that you wanted to see it, and had never gotten there. So now you don’t have any excuses. That’s good for any week between May 1 and October 1, but you have to make reservations a month ahead of time.”
“ Thanks, Mom. Maybe I can get the workaholic here to take some time off now.”
“ Hmph. Hypocrite. Who spends the most evenings still at the office?”
“ Boys? If you don’t mind?” Kelly asked, gesturing to her own pile of presents for her and David. The two lovers quieted, and Kelly began their pile. She and David traded off opening as they went through each present, thanking the appropriate giver and then moving on. The last gift was a simple white envelope, addressed in perfect script to Mr. & Mrs. David Millikin and Family. Kelly opened it, and gasped as she pulled out six plane tickets. Reading the note, she stared at Ezra in surprise.
“ This is wonderful. I mean, I can’t believe this. Are you serious?”
“ Completely. Those are actually vouchers for tickets, that are good until January 31 of 2004.”
“ Where are you going?” Erin asked curiously.
“ Aspen.” Kelly replied happily. She’d always wanted to ski out there, but it was so far. And since Sarah and Adam had died, seeing Chris on the way had seemed to be un-welcomed by her brother.
“ There is a matching gift to each of you, in the appropriate numbers for your families. You may choose to come out together, or separately.” Forgetting tradition, each sister reached for the identical white envelope addressed to their family and pulled out ticket vouchers.
“ This says accommodations are already set?” Tom asked, reading the note carefully.
“ Ez owns a ski lodge there.” Chris supplied.
“ Well, I own a partnership in Aspen truthfully. It is a rather large resort, however with plenty of room for all of you if you wish to arrive together. There will be other guests, the lodge is a fully sized and serviced hotel.”
“ There’s six tickets here.” Mike announced, counting his out.
“ Yes, well, I believe Maggie mentioned a particular girlfriend of your son, and I felt that considering that he has brought her to a few family functions he might wish to as well on this occasion. If not, you may cash in the voucher if you like.”
“ Amy would love to come.” Dan replied assuredly.
“ So, we’re going skiing?” Linda looked around the room for confirmation.
“ Definitely. Will you boys be meeting us there?” Maggie asked.
“ If available. I shall look forward to it.”
“ You just be available then.”
“Well, I think we have some more presents to open before we make any plans for heading to Colorado.” Tom announced, gesturing to the piles still before three of the couples. Erin reached for another present, and soon the familiar tradition was back underway once more.
Part Nine
By the time all the presents were opened, carols had been sung after Ezra was convinced to play the piano, and another round of ‘thank-you’ had finished, it was late enough that everyone was tired and ready for bed. Children were herded upstairs, and soon the living room was empty except for Chris and Ezra, who still stood gazing at the tree. Looking it over, Chris wondered how the very much haphazard, miscellaneous tree looked to his lover who had grown up surrounded most likely by professionally decorated trees and homes.
“ Its beautiful, Chris.” Ezra answered the unspoken question. “The most beautiful tree I’ve seen since my grandmother’s passing. She had a similar tree, covered in ornaments my father and aunts and uncles had made, as well as her grandchildren. Its so much better than the trees that are so put together. Its real. Its…home.” Ezra leaned back into the chest of his lover, as strong arms wrapped around him.
“ I’m glad you like it.”
“ Thank you for bringing me here. I know it wasn’t comfortable at first-”
“ Hush. My home is your home. Remember that.”
“ Always. Your family, they seem too good to be true. Even Rich. He doesn’t like me, but at least he’s honest about it. And quiet.”
“ He’ll come around. How could anybody not love you?” Chris asked, and felt his lover stiffen in his arms.
“ Ask my mother. I’m sure she could give you a hundred reasons. If not more.”
“ Maude’s loss. My gain.”
“ Chris?”
“ Yeah?”
“ Why?” Chris knew what his lover was asking. He wished he had an answer for the sweet man in his arms, but he didn’t. He couldn’t fathom why Maude stayed so far from him.
“ I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.”
“ Chris?”
“ Yeah?”
“ Promise me that if you ever stop loving me, you’ll tell me why.”
“ It won’t happen, baby. Not ever. Even if I died I’d still love you.”
“ I miss her, Chris. I can’t understand it, but I miss her. She’s controlling, manipulative, thoughtless and selfish, but I miss her. She’s never missed a Christmas before. She always calls, even if she rarely visits for the holiday.”
“ She’s your mother. Its natural to miss her.”
“ I know, I guess.” Ezra sighed, his eyes still fixed on the tree.
“ Let’s go to bed, love. Its been a long day, and we have another flight tomorrow.”
“ Mmhmm. And I know exactly what I want to do when we get home.” Ezra turned in his arms and kissed the older agent thoroughly. Chris’ hands pulled him closer in, before they were forced apart by the need to breath.
“ Upstairs.” Chris practically ordered, pushing his lover towards the stairs.
“ But I thought we were waiting-”
“ Mom’ll understand. Chair under the knob and we’ll be safe enough.” Chris replied, possessively caressing the ass in front of him as they headed to their room. Once inside, Chris pulled his lover in for another kiss, and walked them across the room to the bed. Ezra dropped onto the bed, reaching up to undo Chris’ khakis with a wide grin on his face.
“ The best present of all for last.” With that, Chris climbed on top of his younger lover and began a long night of lovemaking made all the more intense by a mutual desire to be as quiet as possible.
It was early morning when Chris awoke, and glanced down to see his firecracker nestled against his side. They were heading back to Denver today. They had a couple days at work before New Years. Last year, they had spent the holiday apart as Ezra was undercover once more. This year, Chris intended to celebrate right. Together. Ringing in the New Year had not sounded so tempting in some time. If his plans weren’t ruined by work, this was going to be one night Ezra would never forget. Smiling with anticipation, Chris lay a kiss on the top of the southerner’s head. He recalled a song Vin had played the other day, it fit his life since loving Ezra well.
There’s a difference in living, and living well.
You can’t have it all, all by yourself.
Something’s always missing ‘til you share it with someone else
There’s a difference in living and living well.There certainly was a difference. And Chris and Ezra were both living proof. And this content state of living well was something Chris intended to continue for the rest of his days.
The End
Continues in Confidence
Feedback to rebel_yell12@hotmail.com
Song is Living and Living Well, by George Strait
Title was inspired by another song, by Montgomery Gentry, entitled Merry Christmas from the Family.