His daddy was here now; he would wake Pa up. Give him a kiss just like the prince in the storybook Auntie Em read to him. Holding onto his pa was the best Christmas present. He had asked Santa to bring his pa back but Gus said Santa only gave toys; he was glad Gus was wrong.

Wiggling down, he laid his head on his pa’s chest. He missed him so much. While he loved living with Daddy, nothing was as good as falling asleep with Pa telling a bedtime story.

There were things he couldn’t remember very well. He remembered being scared a lot but not why. Remembered his Pa hurting a lot but not how he got that way.

“He gonna wake’d up soon?” he asked his daddy, who was just looking at them from the chair. Uncle Ted took Gus outside to Aunt Linny. He told him just to go home.

“I don’t know, buddy. We’re going to have to leave soon. The nurse keeps giving me the death glare.”

“NOOO!” He couldn’t leave, if he did his pa would be gone again.

“You don’t want to be out of bed when Santa comes do you?”

He had to think about that. All he really wanted from Santa was his pa, but he had his pa now. But maybe if he was home in bed Santa would wake him up.

“Santa the prince?” he questioned, just to make sure.

“Sure, Santa is the prince.” His father huffed and stood up.

“Let’s go.” He gave his pa one last snuggle and kiss. Then he jumped into his daddy’s arms.

On the way home he thought what it was going to be like to have Santa as another daddy. Cause the prince married Sleeping Beauty and they lived happily ever after in a castle.

But where would his daddy live? In the castle with them? Or back home? He hoped that he lived in the castle with them, and that he got to bring his bed. It was the best bed ever.

As soon as he put Tommy to bed he called his lawyer. He ran by him what was going on. The man agreed since the staff think that Justin was on his way to waking up that they should keep his identity quiet. Less chance for Maxwell Stevens to get his claws into him. Which meant it was less likely that Justin would die mysteriously.  

He showered and climbed into bed. It had been an exhausting day. It felt wrong to leave Justin but he had to think about Tommy. It was also Christmas Eve; the boy would want to see what Santa brought him in the morning.

“Fuck,” Brian cursed as sat up. He still had to put together two of Tommy’s toys and finish wrapping the others. He had just given Gus’ to Mel and Lindsay, they wanted to put together his bike.

Brian had gotten a bike for both boys. Gus’ bike was black with blue strips. Tommy’s was black with hot pink strips. He groaned when his son had fallen in love with the bike at the store. He told him that maybe he should ask Santa for a green or blue one. Tommy said no, Santa would bring him the pink one he liked.

The boy didn’t even know about Christmas or any of the festivities because his stepfather never let him or his father celebrate. He did tell him that sometimes ‘Sir’s niece and nephews were given presents but he was a bad boy and didn’t get anything. He also shared with Brian how much he wanted to be a good boy so one day he would get a gift.

Brian felt sick when he heard that. Jack and Joan Kinney were the worst parents he knew but they always had a few little gifts under the tiny tree for him and his sister.

After making sure that Tommy was asleep he went down to his storage area in the basement of the building. Carrying the bike box to the lift. He hoped the noise wouldn’t wake Tommy but he was sure as hell not carrying it up the stairs.

Once inside his loft again he got to work putting together the small bike. Putting the training wheels on almost made him want to throw it out the window. Two hours later, and a lot of blood, sweat and tears it was together. He quickly wrapped the rest of the presents. Last was setting up the train around the Christmas tree.  He had seen some kid wake up to one on a TV show when he was little. Every Christmas he would wish that he would have one when he woke up. It never happened, even the one time he asked his mother.

He had no idea if Tommy would want one but it was worth a shot. Gus would like it when he come over anyway.

It was four in the morning by the time he was able to get to sleep.

Something poked him in the face, he swatted at it.

“Daddy, wake up.”

“Why?” he questioned, keeping his eyes closed.

“Santa was here,” Tommy squealed.

“I hope he didn’t drink all my whiskey.”

“No, ‘member, he drinks milk.”

Popping one eye open he looked at his son’s glowing face. “Oh, so we’re out of milk?”

“I don’t know,” he answered worriedly.

“I’m sure we’re good. Let’s go see if Santa brought me a bike.” Brian had put the bike right by the tree, he knew Tommy had already seen it.

“Oh no,” Tommy cried as he ran for the bike.

When Brian walked down the steps and saw Tommy hugging his bike.

“It’s a nice looking bike you have there.”

Tommy nodded his head, letting go of the bike. “Mine?” he asked, making sure.

“Yes, it’s all yours.”

A huge grin broke out over the little boys face. While Tommy was looking over his bike, Brian turned the train on. The boy’s head shot up as he saw the train going around the tree.

“Wow,” Tommy said in awe. “Who?”

“Yours, mine and Gus’ train.”

Little hands clapped together, he was so excited. He spent the rest of the morning opening presents and talking a mile a minute. It was almost nine when the call came in.

“Yeah,” he answered to phone.

“Justin’s awake,” Ted simply said.

“We’re on our way,” Brian said before disconnection.

“Tommy, let’s go get dressed. Pa woke up.”

“Prince Santa. Yay!”

“Oookay.”

Justin couldn’t believe what was going on. The nurse had just told him he had been in a coma for the last six months. There was also his unwanted guest in his room.

“Now you’re awake what are you going to tell Brian?”

“Ummm…the truth,” he said.

“About what?”

“Everything.”

“Brian doesn’t want you in his life. He’s already pissed that he has that brat in his life.”

“Tommy’s not a brat.” His mouth was really dry; he could use another drink.

“You stuck him with that kid after I told you to leave him alone.”

“I had to, Tommy’s life depended on it.”

“Well, don’t worry I called your husband. He should be here any minute.”

“What? No. I need to get out of here.” He tried to get out of bed but his body wouldn’t work right. It was like his whole body was made out of concrete.

“I told Ted that I would watch you while he went to check on Erik.”

“Erik?”

“Yeah, apparently you’re so much of a slut you cheated on your husband and got pregnant by another man.”

Subconsciously, his hand went to his stomach, even though he knew he had lost the baby long ago. He hissed a bit at how tender his stomach felt. That’s odd.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I do. Hopefully Erik will keep Marissa away from you just like Brian is keeping Tommy away.”

Confusion caused him to stop trying to get his body to respond the way he wanted. “Who’s Marissa?”

“You don’t even know your own daughter?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The baby you were pregnant with.”

“No, I lost the baby.”

“Nope, you carried that thing until a week ago.”

“My baby is alive?”

Before Michael could say anything else the door flew open. Any lingering hope that Brian would come with Tommy was stripped from him.

“Well, if it isn’t my runaway husband.”

“Pa and me,” Tommy sang to himself. Brian smiled at the joy in his son’s eyes. After six months he was going to be able to talk to his pa.

“Are you excited, buddy?”

“Yep.” 

Tommy had already unhooked himself when Brian parked the car. He grabbed his present that he made for him. They didn’t really spare the woman in the lobby a glance as she buzzed them in.

He followed Tommy who was running to the room they had been to last night. Smiling at his son’s enthusiasm. Once they got to the room Tommy busted in, running to the bed behind the curtain.

“Pa, I here.” But as he pulled the curtain back they both saw it was empty and the bed made. Just at that time the nurse came to check on the other man in the room.

“Where’s Justin?”

“Oh, it is great news. He woke up and his husband came and got him. Now he’ll be spending Christmas with his family. His doctor was a little leery on letting him go without any tests but his husband promised to bring him back tomorrow. So the doctor just told them that Justin would need extensive physical therapy after the tests. It’s weird calling him by his real name after so long calling him Mr. Degas.

“Where Pa?” Tommy asked, his little lip coming out as tears started to run down his face.

Worst Christmas ever.