Date: Sun, 24 Dec 1995 17:57:19 -0600 From: Julie Randolph Subject: A lot of Cheer... ** Sheesh, you people are so depressing on Christmas Eve, so I thought I would take the liberty and do something less depressing. Since I seem to be getting fairly good at first person narrative, this is one and for once..*I* am the narrator, so sit back, enjoy and ingorn the plot holes they are only there to speed up the works. ** JCR A lot of Cheer Julie Randolph Merry Christmas and Greetings, I suppose you already know who I am, and what I do and all that nifty stuff, so I'll do you a favor and refrian from telling you. At any rate, technically, I'm sitting in my car, okay, probably I shouldn't be tyoing and driving at once, but my fiance is driving so, shaddup. My objective, "Operation Vampire." With me is Heather, and a few others and we have decided that Nick Knight is far too depressive for us and are going to go cheer him up, and incidentally spend the evening making sure that he and Nat end up sharing Christmas Day together. Don't worry, we have a plan. So we arrive, no lights, so merry twinkling of Christmas joy...he does have a guilt problem doesn't he? Not tonight. He has been (if you've been reading the other stories on line) FORCED to take the night off and so our timing is perfect (isn't it always?). You know, I really thought he would look more happy to see my bright smiling face, "Oh God, what do you want now?" I look around at the dim apartment and shake my head, "You, my friend, need a lift, or something...we have brought...uhm...stuff." He grimaces, "Stuff?" Heather wanders in, her arms loaded down with tinsel, garland, several boxed of lights...etc...behind her is Cherri, carrying the fake Christmas tree we bought at Steinmart. I smile brightly, "See? STUFF." He finally smiles and shakes his head, "And what do you intedn to do with this stuff?" Heather turns and the entire contents of her arms goes into a heap on the floor as her eyes come into contact with the GOD himself. Nick...oh... she stands and stares in speechless awe. "Nick...Heather...Heather...Nick....uhm...Heather?" She has not moved, but Nick smiles and moves around to pick up the things she has dropped. I step to her side, "If you don't get a grip, he might think you're a moron." This gets her attention and finally she snaps back to reality with the rest of us. Well, you know, as far as reality can be when your in the apartment of a vampire preparing to decorate. After a few more moments, someone stonding in the doorway starts giving orders, "Okay, Lights across the stairs and the to of the loft railing, tinsel over here with the tree and garland, who has the presents?" Nick turns at the very familiar voic and smiled, "Nat...you did this?" She laughes, 'On the contrary, I was kidnapped by her, "she points a finger at me, "and dragged bodily out to a car and here I am, but...as long as I am here, let's decorate this drab and dreary place of yours." Nick lookes at Heather, "Come here a second, please." I assume he figures she can talk to me about getting all these people out of his loft, Heather numbly walks toward him and he leans over, whispering in her ear. I can see the sweat trickling down her forehead from across the room. *HEY GET A GRIP* "Do you think you can talk to Julie?" She looks astounded for a minute and then starts to laugh, "About what?" "take these people...leave? I appreciate it, I really do, but I just want..." "You just wanted to sit here and sulk and be lonly and now we aren't going to allow that...yes?" He looks guilty, "I was not sulking." Heather is beginning to get used to him and rubs her chin, "Hmmm...nope, can't do it, sorry, she wont listen to me anyway." "Think she'd listen to me?" Heather bursts into laughter and then rejoins the group that is standing, sitting squatting and hovering about the tree. As the group step away, Natalie plugs in a switch and it lights up. The small greenery suddenly transformed into a glittering ball of color and light. Beauty, silence, peace. I smiled and look over at Nick who has decided to give up on us. "Okay, gather around everyone, I'm going to read the Christmas story." Nick blanches, "Is that really necessary." I give him a stare that could kill (were he not a vampire) "You'll LIKE this story, sit down and shut-up." We gather around the tree and I smile at him, "Trust me." "You stole my American Express Card." "You gave it willingly." "Humph." A chorus of Shhhhhhh's causes him to be silent and the story begins. "It was a night very much like this one. Cold, wet, dark and damp, but it was also a night that was filled with promise for everyone. Out in a field, shivering around a campfire were three shephards. Their bodies ached with the work from the day, they clothes were wet and cold. Yet each of them had caught sight of a star in the sky, hovering just abovie the horizon, a brilliant star, the likes of which none of them had ever seen. This dazzling beauty burst into a light so bright it blinded them, and they became afraid, seeing a man standing before them, his body encased in light his heart giving out the beauty that was peace and joy. 'Do not be afraid,' he said. 'For on this night in the city of Bethelahem is born a savior, who is Christ the Lord.' The shephards chose to leave their hill and floolw the star, as so many others had that night, and finally arrived at the place where it led them. It was a sttable, falling apart, seeming to rot awa at the edges, it offered little comfort from the wind and rain, yet it was encased it a light that seemed to protect it from the elements. The straw was wet and cold, but the child did now cry, He did not seem to mind and people by the hundreds came, believing that he was the promised King, the Messiah, the Christ send to save the world. On this night, Christmas Eve, we understand the beauty of what Christmas means, for in saving us, in saving everyone, Christ shed his blood not just for you....or you, but for everthing and everyone on this planet. In that, we must understand that it is impossible to be damned for sins we repent, it is impossible not to be loved and it is impossible not to be saved, if that is what we choose. For God, and the Child born on this solemn night, anything is possible." Nick looked up from his lap, staring at me with eyes that either understood what I was saying, or did not believe. Either way, they were rimmed with crimson tears. I reached across the group which was sighing with the happiness of people who share peace together, and touched his cheek gently. "Believe it, or believe it not...it will still be true, always...eternally. And when you finally figure it out, she will still be there." I stood and stretched, Nick stood with me and pulled me into his arms smiling, "Thank you." "I have very good instincts." He looked to the rest of our group, smiling, hugging each person in turn. He looked down on Heather, closed is hars around her and held her tightly, "I am no longer alone." She looked up and smiled, "I know." he leaned forward and brushed his lips gently against her own. "Thank you, for this gift." She smiled, "Our pleasure." Cherri hugged him one last time and then the three of us departed, leaving Nick and Natalie to spend this night alone. Nick turned and smiled,"Sometimes, it amazes me how much more wise a young person can be than an 800 year-old child." And with that, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips agains her own. A Christmas of miracles, a Christmas of peace and love, above all, a Christmas of happiness...for them both. ***************************************************************** ************ response, flames, letters of recommendation, definitons of "irony" and/or Geriant Wyn Davies home address (or oreos) to randolph@tenet.edu "I do hope this wave of altruism passes quickly, it is quite...distressing."--laCroix, Night in Question ***************************************************************** ************