Who knew there was so much office politics in Heaven?! Lucky Myles and Levi have an angel in the loop!

kav

Sairs, I'm astound with all the details you can write!!

wonderful post, I'll wait for more!!

It's little gems like this smattered throughout this story that have me grinning for hours afterwards.

kav

Thanks for all the comments, I'm pleased you're enjoying this story. I'm having a great time writing it! Who knew Myles could have so much fun as a canine!

Take care

Sairs

~*~*~*~

The bones were turning in slow lazy circles in front of his nose, their meaty aroma assaulting his nostrils. He quickly stood and chased after the closest bone, pausing briefly to leap on to his prey, his four paws reaching his target and toppling the bone over. He sat on top of the huge bone and began to nibble at the edge, savouring the taste.

A nudge in his side disturbed his pleasant dream, he tried to ignore the nudge, hoping to continue his delicious dream, but another nudge hit him in the side, this time harder.

His bone disappeared from underneath him and he was forced to open his eyes, the familiar surroundings of the bullpen greeted him. “Who nudged me?” he grumbled.

“I did,” Levi replied slowly nodding his head towards the ceiling, “Gabby’s back.”

Myles followed Levi’s gaze and saw Gabby sitting on her cloud.

“Did you enjoy your dream?” She asked pleasantly.

“Yes a mouthwateringly delicious dream that was rudely interrupted,” he sighed. “Did you manage to sort the weather?”

She rubbed her hands together, “When I give my signal the weather will be certainly taking on a very wintry feel, we can have as much snow as we need.”

“Good,” Levi replied, “I like making snow dogs.”

Myles looked at him, “Snow dogs?”

“Yes, snow dogs. I lie down in the snow and roll around and leave a snow dog shape behind.”

“Like snow angels, I guess,” Myles replied, sitting up and stretching his paws. “Okay what time is it?”

“Four thirty,” Gabby replied, gently swinging on her cloud.

“Not long until Operation Christmas Present begins. Is everyone clear about their part?”

Gabby and Levi nodded.

“Okay then, prepare yourselves for the fun ahead,” Myles stated before turning to Levi. “And if you need anything just call for Gabby and she’ll appear.”

“Just like an angel, call and I’ll answer. Same goes for you too, Myles,” She replied.

~*~*~*~

“Hey, Levi, are you ready to go?” Sue asked as she stroked his head.

Levi grumbled.

“Okay then, Jack’s going to give us a lift home tonight and he might even stay for pizza.”

Levi’s tail wagged furiously, everything was starting well.

“Looks like you want pizza for dinner, then. Let’s put your leash on and we’ll meet Jack in the parking garage,” Sue hooked on Levi’s leash and waited for him to follow her to the door.

Levi looked over his shoulder and called to Myles, “I’ll speak to you later, good luck with your side of the plan.”

“Luck hopefully won’t be necessary,” Myles called back, turning his attention to Tara and Bobby, who were frustratingly enough not paying any attention to the other.

~*~*~*~

Myles glanced at the clock, five past five and Tara was not looking like she was ready to go anytime soon, she was hunched over her computer screen reading something, her fingers absently playing with her hair.

He turned from Tara and looked at Bobby, he was trying to look involved in a report he held in his hands, but every few minutes he would look over the top of the report and watch Tara, before returning his eyes to his report.

At least Bobby was showing some interest in Tara, he was obviously waiting for Tara to make her move.

Myles sat for a moment and thought, he needed to hurry her, otherwise the snow would be falling and they’d be stranded in the Hoover building, which would not be the most conducive place for a romance to begin. A thought popped into his head, it might just work, he thought as he stood and headed towards Tara.

He walked up to her and began to rub against her legs making a pitiful whining sound.

She paused and looked down at him, “Hey, Charlie, do you want to go home?”

Myles wagged his tail furiously and leaped on to his hind legs and waved his front paws, he hoped his actions would look eager enough for Tara to follow through on her suggestion.

“Okay, Charlie, home time it is,” she replied standing up and collecting her coat from its hook.

Bobby noticed the flurry of movement from behind Tara’s desk and he quickly stood, picked up his coat and walked towards her. “Heading home?”

She picked Myles up and looked at Bobby and smiled, “Yes, Charlie wants to go home, I think he must be hungry.”

Myles looked at Tara, I’m only hungry if you’re serving roast beef for supper instead of dog food, he thought.

Bobby reached out and patted Myles on the head, “He’s settled in really well, he’s bonding nicely with Levi.”

“I’m pleased; they seem to have formed a real friendship. You heading home, too?”

“Yes, a few things to do at home before Christmas. How about I walk you and Charlie to the parking garage?”

She smiled, “Charlie and I would like that, thank you.”

A voice from thin air whispered to Myles, “Well done, I think your plan is working. Now what do I remove from Tara’s car?”

~*~*~*~

Tara sat in the driver’s seat of her car, Charlie sitting on the passenger seat. She placed the key in the ignition and turned it, the engine tried to start but nothing happened. She tried again. She hit her hand against the steering wheel in frustration.

“Looks like we’re not going anywhere soon.”

A tap on the window made her jump, she turned and saw Bobby leaning towards the window. As she couldn’t start the engine, she couldn’t operate the window and instead opened the door.

“Having trouble?” he asked casually.

“My car has finally given up the ghost, perhaps now Randy will believe me that I need a new car.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath. Randy will want to make sure that your car is dead and buried before he offers you another one.”

“I’m sure I can arrange for it to be buried,” she replied a smile flashing across her face.

“Well, it’s getting late and it looks like snow. How about I give you and Charlie a lift home and we’ll sort out your car tomorrow?”

“Are you sure?”

“Charlie’s certainly keen for a lift home, look at his tail wag!”

Tara turned and looked at Charlie, his tail was wagging furiously. “Okay then, Charlie, we’re getting a lift home with Bobby.” She picked him up and stepped out of the car, locking her car behind her.

She followed Bobby to his car and sat in the passenger seat, she shivered, “The temperature’s certainly dropped. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t get some snow.”

“Well it is nearly Christmas and over on this side of the world you certainly get your Christmases cold, at home I’d be in my swimming trunks and partying on the beach.”

An image of Bobby in swimming trunks flashed into Tara’s mind, she couldn’t help but smile, the image was very appealing. “I can’t imagine a warm Christmas. Christmas to me has always been cold.”

“Well one day you’ll have to try Christmas in Australia, it’s certainly a different experience,” Bobby replied as he pulled the car out into the street. He began to drive towards Tara’s apartment.

“Ooh! Look, Bobby! Snow!” Tara exclaimed pointing excitedly to the large flakes of snow that began to dance in the headlight’s of Bobby’s car.

“Not just the odd flake of snow either,” Bobby noted as the flakes began to fall faster and settle quickly on the concrete.

As the snow became heavier the traffic became slower and within a few minutes the cars were nearly at a standstill on the street.

“I’m sorry, Bobby,” she said quietly as she stared at the brake lights of the car in front of them.

“What for?” he asked looking at her.

“For getting you stuck in the snow. If you hadn’t been taking me home, you’d be nearly home yourself and you wouldn’t need to be driving in this weather.”

“Tara, it’s not your fault it’s snowing. This is D.C and it is known to see snow, especially in winter. You didn’t make your car stop working, did you?”

She shook her head.

“Well then, you’ve go nothing to apologise for. In fact, I’ve got company tonight, when I was planning going home and feeling sorry for myself,” he admitted quietly.

“Sorry for yourself?” she asked quietly, turning to look at him.

“This time of year, I miss my family, my mum in particular. It’s not as if I can pop home for the weekend, we talk on the phone regularly but it’s not the same.”

“This time of year can be hard when you don’t have family near,” she concurred.

“What are you doing for Christmas?”

“Well, Charlie and I have a turkey and some trimmings and I thought we’d watch a few Christmas DVDs.”

“What about your family?”

Tara looked away from him, focusing on intently on a lamp post near the edge of the street.

He waited for her reply, but when she didn’t speak for a few moments, he gently touched her arm and spoke, “Tara?”

She felt the warmth of his touch on her arm, and she turned to look at him, “My Mom and Dad died when I was in college, I’ve always spent Christmas since then alone. They were the only family I had.”

Bobby’s heart ached, he never realised she was alone, she had never let on that she didn’t have any family. He’d worked with her for nearly six years and she had always been happy and cheery, especially at Christmas. As he thought about it, he realised that just like him she never asked for any time off at Christmas, they were always the agents who were on call. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, I never told you. No one knows.”

“Not even Sue or Lucy?”

“No, not even Sue or Lucy. After a while though, you get used to being on your own.”

“In a way you do, although it’s not the same as having someone to share Christmas with.”

She nodded, “Although this year I’ll have Charlie,” she smiled as she scratched Charlie’s head.

~*~*~*~

The snow continued to fall faster and faster to the ground, by the time Bobby had pulled his car up outside Tara’s apartment the snow was over a foot in depth.

Tara stepped out of the car, Charlie tucked under her arm and she shivered as the cold wind that was causing the snow to flutter assaulted her face. She trudged through the snow, when her feet suddenly slipped from under her; she tried to keep Charlie above her as she less than gracefully began to fall to the ground. Bracing herself for the impact she was shocked to feel two strong arms catching her and saving her from the impending impact of the concrete pavement.

She looked up and smiled as she met Bobby’s eyes with her own, “Thanks, great save.”

“You’re welcome, now how about I walk you and Charlie inside before I drive home.”

“You’re not driving home in this,” she gestured with her free hand to the snow.

“I’ve driven in worse.”

“And I’ll sit and worry until I hear your home safe and you don’t want me to worry, do you?” she asked quietly.

“You would worry about me?”

She nodded, “Now how about you stay for dinner and we’ll evaluate what the weather is like later and if it’s still not safe to drive, you can stay in my spare room tonight.”

“Dinner sounds good, but I’m sure I won’t need to stay, the snow’s bound to stop soon.”

“We’ll worry about that later, now let’s go inside and get warm.”

Bobby flashed his dimples at her, “Now that sounds like a plan.”

Myles couldn’t help but smile, Bobby and Tara were talking and if the evening continued according to plan, they would be making progress. He wondered how Levi was doing.

~*~*~*~

Woof! Woof! ...Dogese for More! More!

Bobby - don't be a fool! She offered you to stay in the spare room, take that offer! Any chance of the heating breaking down just a bit, so cuddling together is required?

Myles... you're good!!!


Bobby, don't venture on slippery road, and stay safe, sound and warm at Tara's place !

everyting is coming together nicely...woo hooooooooooooooooo

cuddling...a great idea!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Take care,

Sairs

~*~*~*~

Levi followed Sue and Jack into her apartment, Sue took off her coat and shook the snow from it before hanging it up.

Levi shook himself and padded into the kitchen and sat next to the radiator to warm himself up, Gabby had certainly chosen to create a very cold and wet snow storm.

He watched Sue and Jack from the kitchen, willing them to make the first move so that he didn’t have to act.

“I guess I’d better make a move before the snow gets too bad,” Jack said as he rubbed his hands together trying to get the circulation back into his chilled fingers.

“You can’t drive home in the snow; it’s gotten heavier since we came indoors. Look!” Sue pointed to the window; the snow was swirling furiously against the window pane.

Jack followed her gaze and looked out of the apartment window; the site of the snow swirling made him shiver. He turned back to face Sue, “Well if you don’t mind me hanging around for a while, I’ll stay.”

She smiled, “Okay, that’s sorted. I’ll see what we’ve got in the fridge for dinner. I wonder where Lucy is.”

Jack noticed a letter on the coffee table and picked it up and handed it to Sue, “I guess she left you a note.”

Sue opened the envelope and read the letter inside, “She’s gone to her Grandmother’s, her heating is playing up and a plumber is coming over to see what he can do. She says that she’ll stay with her Grandmother tonight.”

“Ah, so it’s just the two of us.”

“And Levi.”

“How could I forget Levi,” Jack teased.

“He wouldn’t let you forget him; I bet he’s thinking about his stomach as we speak.” She walked into the kitchen and smiled at Levi as he lay in front of the radiator.

“That’s one way of making yourself warm,” Jack said as he leant against one of the kitchen counters.

“Levi’s very good at making sure he keeps warm.”

“As they say it’s a dog’s life.”

Levi lifted his head, I don’t think Myles would agree with you, he thought before lowering his head and enjoying the warmth that was surrounding him.

~*~*~*~

They sat at the kitchen table eating lasagne and salad, Levi sat next to the table, looking hopefully from Jack to Sue, his brown eyes pleading for a tasty morsel to be shared his way.

“Levi, you’ve got your dinner, I suggest you eat it. Lasagne is not for dogs. If you’re a good dog there might be an opportunity for dessert, but you’ve got to eat your main course first,” Sue explained.

Levi grumbled, Sue could be hard when she needed to be and there was no use sitting there with pleading eyes, it wasn’t going to work on her, he’d have to wait for a new subject to try them on. Even Jack was not as pliable as he once was; he would have shared his dinner eagerly before, but now he didn’t want to upset Sue. Wise man, Levi decided before heading to his bowl and eating his dinner.

“So, Sue what are your plans for Christmas?”

“Hopefully if the weather is cooperative I’ll be going home for Christmas. It will be good to see Mom and Dad and my brothers and their families are coming home too.”

“That will be nice, are you heading out after the Christmas Eve party?”

“Yes, my flight’s booked for the afternoon. What are you doing for Christmas?”

“I’m going home too. Same reasons as you, to see my Mom and Dad and my sister.”

“Christmas is for family.”

“Yes it is. Although I often wonder how people without families cope.”

Sue nodded, “Yes, I know what you mean. My family and I always had a tradition when I was growing up, we’d help out on Christmas Day Evening in the church helping provide a meal for those who were lonely or didn’t have anywhere else to spend Christmas. My parents still do and I will be helping out this year, it’s really good to see how spending time with someone else at such a special time of year can make everything seem right.”

Jack nodded, “My Mom always helps with the Church Pageant and afterwards they hold a gathering for the neighbourhood where people bring food and share it with each other. All of the elderly people who can’t attend are taken a care basket by one of the parishioners and it gives them some human contact.”

Sue stood up and picked up her plate and then reached across the table and picked up Jack’s, “I guess we’re the lucky ones.”

He nodded, “Yes we are.”

“Do you know something, Levi?” Gabby asked as she floated into his view, sitting on a fluffy cloud.

“What?” Levi asked, taking a break from eating his dinner.

“You’re very lucky to have two people who not only care for each other but also care for so many other people. The world would be a much nicer place if people could recognise that giving, not only of gifts, but also of time is what Christmas is about. God gave us his son as a sign that we are all special and even when we make a mistake we are forgiven. Christmas is about remembering that gift and how we can use it to help others, especially those who aren’t as fortunate as ourselves.”

Levi nodded, “I am lucky aren’t I?”

“Yes you are, but you’re also a special dog, because you give unconditionally.”

Again Levi nodded, “Is that what Myles has to learn? That giving of yourself is much better than giving money without thinking about it.”

“You are a wise dog, Levi. I hope you share that thought with Myles, although I’m pretty sure he’s learning that lesson.”

“How is he doing with Bobby and Tara?”

“Well he has them in the apartment and they’re beginning to talk. I’ll be popping back there shortly for an update. Is there anything you’d like me to tell him?”

Levi shook his head, “I think things are running pretty smoothly. I’m hoping for dessert and then sitting in front of the fire, whilst Sue and Jack talk about families and friends and hopefully love. Gabby?”

“Yes, Levi?”

“Do you think you could arrange for Sue’s photograph album to make it’s way to the living room coffee table?”

“Why?”

“Because I think it will be an excellent starting point for Sue and Jack to really begin to explore their feelings.”

Gabby smiled, “Consider it done!”

~*~*~*~

Very exciting! I love Levi's idea of the photograph album!

~*~*~*~

Myles sat by his bowl and munched slowly through the tasteless food that Tara had presented him with. The smell of pasta assaulting his nostrils and causing his stomach to rumble, he couldn’t wait for Christmas Day. Hopefully he’d be back to human form and he could finally sit down at a table and enjoy anything his mother prepared, well her cook prepared for Christmas dinner.

As he ate he listened as Bobby and Tara talked over dinner, he was making progress.

“Tell me about Christmas in Australia,” Tara requested as she sat opposite Bobby on the sofa.

Bobby leant back in the chair and closed his eyes for a moment, “Christmas in Australia is about as different as Christmas here. When I was small, my mum and I would get out our tree the second Sunday in December. We had an artificial tree; we didn’t get many real fir trees living where we did. We’d spend the morning decorating the tree with ornaments that my Mum had collected since she was a child. I loved decorating the tree, Mum and me and then when my Mum remarried, my Dad would help too, it was the beginning of our family Christmas.”

He looked up and met Tara’s gaze, she smiled warmly at him.

“On Christmas Eve, I’d go to bed early leaving out a plate with a cake for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer. I’d hang a stocking on the end of my bed and go to sleep. Well try to go to sleep. Every year I’d try to stay awake for as long as possible, trying to hear sleigh bells. Every year I thought about how strange it was for Santa to need a sleigh in Australia where there isn’t any snow at that time of year. My Mum told me that in Australia Santa’s sleigh had wheels that would magically appear to help the reindeer pull away on the dusty roads and roofs. When I woke up the next morning there would be a few presents in my stocking, which I’d eagerly open before going into the lounge to see what was under the tree.”

He paused as he stretched in the chair and took a sip of the hot chocolate Tara had made for them after dinner. “Then I’d sit and wait for Mum and Dad to come into the room and we would then open our presents. My grandparents would telephone us and wish us a happy Christmas and then I’d help prepare the picnic with Mum and Dad and we’d head towards the beach. The beach was only a short walk from home and then we’d spend the rest of the day swimming, playing games and watching the sun set over the sea before heading home.”

“Wow! That sounds like a lovely way to spend Christmas; I can see why you miss home so much.”

“It’s only at certain times of the year that I really miss home, Christmas is one of those times and the other my Mum’s birthday. I’ve made a decision that for her next birthday I’m going to go home for a visit, I’m owed some vacation time and I’m going to take it, before it’s too late,” he added quietly.

She nodded, “When they’re gone you think of all the things you meant to say and you never had the opportunity to do so.”

“Do you have things you regret not saying?”

“To my parents, yes. I wish I had had the opportunity to tell them how much I loved them one more time and to thank them for all of the opportunities they gave me. They knew I loved them, we were a close family, we were all we had, but I still wish I could have said once more that I loved them.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose both parents, I’m lucky that after my dad left my Mum found someone else who loved me as well as her.”

“You can’t imagine what it’s like until it happens. I was at college, away from home for the first time, enjoying my course, making new friends and then my world shattered around me. I was about to graduate, my parents were driving up for the ceremony when they were involved in an accident, their car was pushed over the road by a car that had been involved in an armed robbery, their car hit a truck that was travelling the other way, they never stood a chance. At least God took them quickly,” she explained, wiping away a tear that had escaped from her eye.

Bobby stood and crossed the room, sitting on the couch next to her and gently pulled her into his arms, “I’m sorry, Tara.”

She leant her head back so that she could look into his eyes, “It happened a long time ago, it still hurts when I think about it, but time does make it better, slowly.”

“Tell me about your Christmases?” He asked, as he gently stroked her hair with his hand.

“When I was small Christmas was the most magical time of the year. My Mom and Dad would decorate the house with Christmas Ornaments; we’d go out together and choose a tree from the lot. My Dad always chose one that was far too big for our living room and he’d end up getting his saw and cutting off the top of the tree. We would then fix the angel on top before standing the tree in a bucket. We would then decorate the tree together, string popcorn and talk about our wishes for Christmas and the New Year.”

She leant into Bobby’s embrace enjoying the relaxing sensation of his hand caressing her head.

“We would always take a photograph of our family in front of the tree and keep it in a special album. There are photographs of my first Christmas all the way to the last Christmas before my graduation. Then we would sit and Dad would read a chapter of ‘A Christmas Carol’ every night from the first of December until Christmas Eve.”

“On Christmas Eve we’d go to church and sing carols and watch the Christmas Pageant and then we’d go home and sit around the fire and talk. My Dad would tell me stories from his childhood and my Mom would tell me about Santa and the magic of the North Pole. Then before I went to bed I’d leave Santa a cookie I had made with my Mom and some brussel sprouts for Rudolph and the Reindeer.”

“Brussel sprouts?”

Tara smiled, “My Mom wanted me to eat brussel sprouts so she told me that Rudolph and the Reindeer ate brussel sprouts so they could fly, she hoped that the idea of magic might help me to eat Brussels.”

“Did it?”

She shook her head, “Nope. Although every Christmas dinner I would have to eat at least one brussel sprout.”

Bobby laughed, “Parents have unique ways of trying to get you to eat things, don’t they?”

“Definitely,” She paused as she found her fingers gently rubbing small circles on his leg. She stopped embarrassment rising through her; she could feel her cheeks turning red. She pulled her hand back into her own lap and continued with her story, hoping that Bobby hadn’t noticed her discomfort. “I went to bed and dreamed of Santa and the North Pole, wishing that I would have the opportunity to once see him and to say thank you on behalf of all the children in the world who loved Christmas because of him. I wrote him a letter once and I got a reply, I left it at the bottom of my bed and in the morning in my stocking was his reply, it was even chewed in the corner, which my Mom pointed out must have been one of the hungry reindeer before finding the brussel sprouts I’d left out.”

Bobby giggled.

“I’ve still got that letter, it made it’s way to our Christmas Album and every year after that my Mom would read it out on Christmas morning. We’d open our presents together around the tree and then we’d have a family dinner and if it was snowing outside, we’d build a snow family just like our own. Christmas was always so magical.”

“But it changes as you grow older.”

“But Christmas still can be magical.” She looked at Charlie, who appeared to be asleep next to the tree, “Someone helped me to find Charlie this year, he has given me hope about Christmas and without him, I wouldn’t be sitting here now talking to you.”

“That’s true; I guess everyone can find a little Christmas magic.”

“Would you like to see my Christmas album?” she asked eagerly, pulling away from Bobby and sat looking at him.

He grinned, “I’d love to.”

She hopped up from the sofa and headed towards her bedroom, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Okay.”

Myles raised his head, things were progressing very nicely. He had nearly rolled over with excitement when Bobby had started caressing Tara’s head.

“Pleased with yourself?” a familiar voice asked him from above.

“I think I can be allowed some pleasure in the progress I’m making, Gabby,” he replied looking towards the ceiling to see if he could see his partner in crime.

“I think we can accept that your plan is working,” she replied finally appearing on her cloud.

“Is it working for Sue and Jack too?” He asked eagerly, as he sat up, his tail instantly beginning to swish back and forth.

“Well they’re talking about their families and Levi’s set up a photograph album for them to look at.”

“Photographs, who’d have thought it. It looks like they might be the key to happily ever afters. I’ll have to remember that!”

“Depends, you’ve got to find the meaning of Christmas before you get your happily ever after,” she reminded him gently.

“Well I think I’m learning about the Christmas spirit,” he paused. “Do I have to give a presentation at the end of this about Christmas?”

“Not a presentation, I’ll be able to tell whether your attitude has changed enough in order to ensure you get to follow the right path. Your aura will tell me everything.”

“There’s no point hiding anything then?”

“Nothing at all, your aura is the reflection of your soul. What’s hidden in your soul is changing all the time, enhancing and embellishing your aura. Your aura is starting to become truly beautiful, Myles. Keep up the excellent work.”

“I’ll try,” he promised, feeling his heart swell at the kind words Gabby had bestowed upon him.

~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~

Dinner finished Jack went into the living room and sat down; he noticed a photograph album sitting on the coffee table. He thought back to earlier in the evening and couldn’t recall seeing the album before. He sat and stared at the album, unsure whether or not to look inside, it was an invasion of privacy if he looked without asking.

He shivered as a chilled breeze whipped through the room; the breeze was so strong it blew the front cover of the album open. Inside the front cover there was a photograph of a baby, lying on a rug, her brown eyes shining and a small smile on her lips.

He reached forward and picked up the album and looked at the photograph, underneath a caption had been written in a neat script, ‘Sue aged six months, first official photograph session.”

He couldn’t help but smile, Sue had been a lovely baby. An image of their child as a baby flew into his mind, he’d been thinking more and more about a future with Sue, he just had to develop his bravery gene and actually tell her how he felt.

He was lost looking at the photograph he didn’t hear Sue enter, it was her voice that startled him from his reverie, “Jack what are you looking at?”

He jumped, “Sorry I didn’t mean to pry, it was just on the table and the breeze opened it and I couldn’t help but look.”

Sue leaned over the back of the sofa and realised what he was looking at, “My photograph album, how did that get there?”

“Honestly it was just sitting on the table,” he replied, shutting the album and placing it back on the table.

She walked around the sofa and sat next to him, picking up the album and putting it on her lap. She turned to look at him, “Would you like to look at the album?”

“Only if you’re sure,” he replied a small smile gracing his lips.

“I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sure,” she opened the album and showed him the first photograph again. “My mom insisted on writing captions underneath each picture so that when I grow old and suffer from memory loss I’ll be able to remember what was happening.”

Jack laughed, “My mom is exactly the same, she has an album full of photographs of me and one for my sister.”

Sue smiled, “Remind me when I see her next to ask her to show me the album.”

Jack shook his head, “I don’t want to scare you away; there are some very revealing photographs in there!”

She laughed, “Well my mind boggles with that last statement! I definitely want to see now!”

“Well you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you!”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she replied as she handed over the album.

~*~*~

Levi looked at them, they were snuggled next to each other on the sofa pouring over the album that Jack had propped in his lap. He sighed; they were making progress, slow progress, but still progress. Now all he had to do was think of something that would push them to talk about their feelings.

He looked towards the window, the snow was still swirling and blowing in the night sky, maybe Jack would be spending the night?

~*~*~*~

I caught up and it's just as fantastic as ever! Myles did have a good plan didn't he? Though I hope he will be...discreet...if things heat up over at Tara's and Bobby's

kav

bravery gene???

I think you have a start up there, Sairs!!
wonderful as always, I'm waiting for more!

~*~*~*~

Tara bounced back into the living room from her bedroom with a large green photograph album under her arm; she sat next to Bobby on the sofa and opened the first page of the album.

“This is my first Christmas; I was about three months old,”

“You were one cute baby,” Bobby commented as he looked at the photograph of Tara wearing a baby sleep suit with a picture of a Christmas tree on the front of it. She was sitting in front of a very impressive Christmas tree with who he assumed her mother on her right and her father on her left. “Are they your parents?”

She nodded, “Yes. They had always hoped for a big family, as they were both only children but destiny gave them me.”

“And I bet they were very proud of you.”

“Yes, they couldn’t believe it when I got accepted to MIT and was going to graduate in the top one percent in my year. Their love and guidance helped me get there.”

“And I’m sure that wherever they are now they’re still proud of your achievements.”

She smiled, “I’m hoping that they are proud of me.” She flipped the page and revealed the next instalment of her childhood.

~*~*~*~

Myles watched from his place on the carpet, talking about her past was certainly helping them to bond.

Everything was moving along nicely.

~*~*~*~

Tara turned to the last page in the album, “This was my last Christmas with them,” She stated sadly. “We had a wonderful day and I dreamed that one day they’d be there to share Christmases with my children. But it wasn’t meant to be.”

Bobby noticed the tone of sadness that carried through her voice, “One day you’ll be able to share your Christmas traditions with your own family.”

She looked at him a small smile on her face, “With my dating history I don’t think I’m going to be achieving that any time soon.”

“What about Stanley?”

She turned on the sofa so she could look at him, “He and I decided that we weren’t going anywhere and we would be better apart, rather than together.”

The news shocked Bobby, he had been certain that Tara and Stanley were still dating, “When did that happen? You never said anything.”

“I didn’t want the world to know that I Tara Williams had managed to mess up my love life again.”

“It’s Stanley’s loss, not yours,” he replied, gently pushing a strand of hair from her face.

She smiled, “Thank you, I think. But I’ve decided that for now it’s just going to be me and Charlie.”

“Well that’s a loss, because you’re beautiful, funny, intelligent and have the biggest heart in anyone I’ve ever met.”

She couldn’t help but blush at the compliments Bobby had just bestowed upon her.

He noticed her embarrassment, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but you are one of the kindest and brilliant women I’ve ever had the privilege to know and the man who finally wins your heart will be the luckiest man in the world.” He could feel his own cheeks now mirroring hers, he’d revealed more than he’d wanted to, but he couldn’t help himself, it must be something to do with the Christmas spirit that was soaring around Tara’s living room.

She smiled, “Wow! I just need to find him, don’t I?”

“Maybe you already have and he’s just waiting for the right moment to tell you how he feels.”

A puzzled look crossed her face.

He had started and he hoped that he had the courage to finish, because tonight he’d realised that the woman sitting next to him was the most important woman in the world to him and he could imagine Tara and he sitting in front of their own Christmas tree in the future with their own baby celebrating their first family Christmas.

She studied him, he looked incredibly nervous as if what he was about to say to her was one of the most important things he had ever had to say. Her stomach was beginning to swirl her hopes rising, perhaps Bobby felt something for her after all.

He inhaled deeply, “Tara, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to apologise for, something I said that I shouldn’t have.”

“I can’t think of anything you have to apologise for.”

He reached for her hand, needing to hold on to something in order to ground him as he prepared to carry on with his speech. “That night after the concert and our discussion afterwards, I wasn’t exactly truthful.”

She looked at him, “What do you mean?”

“I told you that kissing you made me realise something.”

She nodded.

“Well it made me realise that Darcy was the safe option.”

“Safe?”

“Kissing you allowed me to taste something I never thought was possible. You awakened something inside me and it scared me, Darcy was safe, although the more I analysed my relationship with her, I realised she definitely didn’t want the same things that I wanted. In a way that’s what made it safe because I was never really going to get what I really wanted with her.”

“What do you want?” she asked quietly.

“I want what you had with your parents, what I had with mine, someone to love, who’ll love me and together build a family. Darcy never wanted that, her career was too important to her.”

She smiled, “Well I’m sure you’ll find the right person who will want to build a family with you.”

“The thing is I already found the right person, I’m just not sure she feels the same way about me.”

“What?” A puzzled look crossing her face, who could Bobby be talking about?

He smiled, dazzling her with his dimples, “Yes, she crept into my heart slowly. She’s been a good friend and I never considered the possibility of more than friendship, but I was given the opportunity to kiss her and that moment changed everything. I panicked and tried to back track but then I saw her with the man she was dating and thought perhaps I’d missed my opportunity.”

Tara’s mind was whirring, who was Bobby talking about?

“I’ve sat and watched her from a far for the past six months, appreciating her beauty, intelligence and I know I don’t want to be friends with her anymore. I want to take the next step.”

Tara thought for a moment, she was going to be a good friend to Bobby if nothing else, “Well if you tell her how you feel, she might surprise you with her answer. You don’t want to be like, Jack do you?”

He looked at her confusion crossing his face.

“We all know he and Sue could be more than friends if they ever took the time to talk about their feelings, but we’ve waited and hoped for over three years and nothing. Trust me life is too short to waste on what ifs and maybes, if you know what you want you need to hold your hands out and grasp it.”

He paused, she wasn’t exactly picking up on his subtle hints, he’d have to be a bit more obvious, he decided. “Tara, what do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“What would make you happy, truly happy? If you could have one wish that would make you happy?”

She thought for a minute, “Apart from world peace?”

He rolled his eyes, “You’re so good at putting others before yourself, but what would you like?”

“To be loved. I have lots of friends who love me and who I love, but I would like to be truly loved by someone, who’s not afraid of my brain, who understands my sense of humour and who wants the same things I do.”

He laughed.

“What?”

“Tara you know there’s no one else in the world like you, don’t you? You astonish me sometimes with your intelligence, but I would never be afraid of your brain. Your perspective on the world is truly fascinating, sometimes seeing the world through your eyes is much better than seeing it through my own. Your sense of humour is perfect, especially the way you can lighten the mood in the office just by one of your smiles.”

Tara blushed, was he intimating at what she thought he was intimating at? Had he been taking lessons from Jack, she wondered. She was going to have to take her own advice and reach out and grab what she wanted, there was only Charlie and Bobby here as witnesses and if it went entirely wrong she could ask for a transfer, Milwaukee could be nice at this time of year.

Bobby watched Tara, he could see that her mind was working on something, he wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but he was hoping that she might begin to understand how he felt about her.

She inhaled deeply and suddenly moved forward and quickly placed a kiss on Bobby’s lips.

~*~*~*~

There might be at least one more post tonight. Trying to beat the deadline!

Take care,

Sairs

(screams with delight)
She did it! she did it!!
she kissed him and he's going to kiss her back and Charlie will go away and let them have some privacy and love is in the air (takes a breathe)

you will make all of these things happen, right?

~*~*~*~

Myles altered his stance, the tension building on the sofa between Tara and Bobby was almost electric. He listened as Bobby attempted to tell Tara how he felt, why he couldn’t just come out and say ‘Tara I love you, do you think you could feel the same way about me?’ instead of developing verbal diarrhoea, was beyond him. Had Bobby been reading ‘How to confess your feelings to the woman you love, in three easy years.’ by Jack Hudson? Because if he had it was going to be a very long night!

Myles noticed Tara change position on the sofa and suddenly she leant forward and placed a chaste kiss on Bobby’s lips.

Myles couldn’t help himself he leaped to his feet and began to dance, losing himself in his emotions, his plan was working, he wouldn’t be a dog for much longer! He caught sight of his tail flapping in the corner of his eye, he couldn’t resist, his doggy senses coming to the fore, he began to chase his tail with all his might. Turning round furiously in circles he chased his illusive tail, after a couple of minutes his stomach churned and his head was spinning as much as his stomach, he unceremoniously sat down and waited for the room to right itself.

“I think you deserved to chase your tail, Myles. You’ve definitely made progress. Have they said the magic words yet?” Gabby asked, sitting next to him on the floor.

“What happened to your cloud? Did it accidentally get mistaken for cotton candy and eaten by one of the other angels?”

“I thought I’d leave my cloud at home and sit with you on your own level.”

“How generous of you.”

“I hope you’re not losing the Christmas spirit.”

“Definitely not, I’m thoroughly enjoying it! Did you see Tara kiss Bobby! I knew there was more to her bumbling, she knew what she wanted and grasped it, left to Bobby and I’d be asleep with boredom.”

“Well at least we’ve had a kiss, do you think we’ll get a confession?”

“Well sit back and relax, Gabby. I’m hoping that when the lip locking session has finished we’ll get true confessions of love.”

“Don’t you feel uncomfortable watching?”

“I wasn’t really watching, I was listening and that’s rich coming from you, when your job description must contain invading subject’s private lives by watching and interfering.”

“I do not interfere!”

“Really, then what do you call my current situation?”

“Furry and cute.”

“Furry and cute! Perhaps I should put in words with your boss that you should try to live as a furry and cute dog for a day instead of an angel with divine powers. We’ll see what you prefer then!”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Maybe, maybe, not. Now I suggest we stop bickering, although it has been rather fun to have someone to bicker with, I think we should turn our attention back to the sofa and see how we’re progressing.

“Okay, this is better than the movies.”

Myles looked at her, “You go to the movies?”

“Someone has to; God likes to know what you humans like to watch.”

Myles shook his head, “I think we’ll continue this discussion later.”

“Okay,” she replied, making herself comfortable next to Myles on Tara’s living room carpet.

~*~*~*~

I'm on the edge of my seat screaming "spit it out, Bobby, spit it out!!!

Tara -- you're an FBI agent -- use your analytical skills to process the information Bobby is giving you.

Yes!!!! Kav is doing the victory dance....now what is Bobby going to do about that?



I'm sitting with Myles and Gabby waiting for Bobby to make his mood....you didn't go to sleep yet did you, Sairs?

kav

~*~*~*~

Bobby couldn’t believe that Tara had just leaned forward and kissed him, was he dreaming? No he could taste her sweetness on his lips, he looked down into her expectant face; he noticed the look of hope in her eyes that began to change into embarrassment. She began to turn away from him; he grasped her hand and began to rub circles on her palm with his thumb. “Tara could you possibly love someone like me?” he asked quietly.

Her heart had been pounding in her chest and was now beginning to slow, she smiled, “What’s not to love about you? You’ve got dimples to die for and as you’ve said before the accent gets them every time and it certainly got me. But they’re not the things I fell in love with, I fell in love with the man who puts his friends first, who willingly puts his life at risk for his country, who is one of the best friends I’ve ever had and who has a pretty unique taste in ties.”

He frowned at the last statement, “You don’t like my ties?”

“No, I love your ties, they’re a part of you, just like your dimples, your accent and the way you always make me feel safe and cared for.” She paused looking at him intently, “Could you love someone like me?”

He smiled, “Tara I couldn’t love anyone else but you, you’re perfect.”

She grinned, “Really?”

“Yes, really. I’ve spent the past half an hour trying to tell you that I love you, but somehow I couldn’t quite say the words, I was too scared that you wouldn’t or couldn’t feel the same way about me.”

“You love me?”

“Yes, Tara Williams I love you.”

She leaned forward into his arms, “You really love me?”

“Yes, I really love you with every part of my being. I can’t wait to go to work to see your smile and to hear your voice. That kiss six months ago awoke those feelings and at first I was scared of them, then I thought I’d lost you and was destined to spend the rest of my life loving you from a distance. I didn’t know about Stanley, otherwise I might have acted a little sooner.”

“The kiss is why Stanley and I broke up, it made me realise that what I had with Stanley was safe and secure, but not what I needed. I needed to be with you and I thought you’d never see me like that after our little talk.”

“I’ve been really stupid, haven’t I?”

“I’m not going to argue with you there. But I’m glad you’ve seen reason now. I love you, Bobby Manning.”

“You do, huh?”

“Yep, with everything that makes me, me.”

“Well then I’m truly honoured,” he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own and slowly began to show her how much he truly loved her.

~*~*~*~

“I think our work here is done,” Myles stated turning his back to the sofa, suddenly feeling embarrassed at watching his colleagues’ declarations.

“Aw, a little embarrassed, Myles?” Gabby teased gently.

“I think it’s a little un gentlemanly to watch two close friends' declaration of love when they are completely unaware that I’m here. I think I shall be retiring to the kitchen and attempt to eat some more of that dog food Tara keeps feeding me.”

“Well I think I should be returning to Levi and sharing the good news with him.”

“How are Jack and Sue going?” Myles asked as he left the living room and went into the kitchen.

“Slowly, very slowly.”

“Nothing more than I expected, although the way the snow is going they could be stranded for the night. Could we perhaps turn off the heating so they have to snuggle?”

“I’ll ask Levi, we don’t want him to get too cold.”

“He’s got a fur coat, that’s more than Sue and Jack have got.”

“Would you like to test your theory about lack of heating and fur coats? I could arrange for the heating to go out here too.”

“Talk to Levi, ask his opinion, he is after all the operative in charge. I’ll sit here and monitor the situation, although hopefully there’s no going back now.”

Gabby smiled, “No definitely no going back now,” she pulled out a book and flicked through it looking for a particular page. “Ah, there they are.”

“What?”

“Tara Williams and Bobby Manning, married on January 10th 2006.”
Myles’ jaw dropped open, “That’s only twenty days away.”

“When something is right, it’s right. Why wait. I guess you’d better sort out your Sunday best for the service, it says here you are best man.”

He grinned, “What an honour. Have Sue and Jack appeared yet?”

Gabby flicked through the pages, “Not yet. I’ll go and check on Levi and get back to you soon. Just think, Myles, you’re nearly there, only Sue and Jack to go and then one more thing.”

“One more thing?”

“Yes, there’s one more thing you have to do.”

“Can’t you tell me?”

“No you’ll know what it is when it’s time.”

“I knew there’d be a riddle attached to it.”

“That’s what us religious and magical creatures rely on, riddles and problems.”

“Might have guessed there’d be a catch.”

“No catch, just your true destiny, remember that Myles, your true destiny.” With that she disappeared into a sparkly cloud, stars twinkling to the ground before they disappeared.

She’s getting more and more elaborate with her exits, she’s really enjoying this. He grinned, he had really enjoyed helping Bobby and Tara to share their feelings, perhaps he should talk with Lucy when he returned to human form; he could perhaps help her with her matchmaking skills. Because after tonight his track record would be infinitely better than hers, Sue and Jack would finally confess their feelings.

He lay down on the floor and sighed contentedly to himself, he could relax for a while.

~*~*~*~

That was the last post for tonight, more tomorrow!

Thanks for the feedback!

Take care,

Sairs

I was practicly on top of my computer screen howling with laughter, Lucky me I'm home alone now...



my crystal ball says it's not the only wedding...

good night, Sairs, see you tomorrow!

Wonderful , amazing, superb.....awesome...

MORE MORE MORE....

Sigh Bobby and Tara are getting married in January.

Jack and Sue are coming along slowly

I'm curious to know what Myles has to do in order to earn back his human form.

Great writing, Sairs, thanks for all the posts. Sweet dreams.

kav

Myles!!!!! Seriously, your track record might be better than Lucy's but you still needed both Levi's and Gabby's help!!! Better not give up your day job yet.....

Bobby and Tara... Getting married in 20 days time. Gabby, check that book once more, I bet you'll find Jack and Sue in there as well, probably even sooner than in 20 days time!

Photo album ... great idea for both !!!

Bobby and Tara ... finally ...and why wait when you know what you want ...

Jack and Sue ...

~*~*~*~

Levi was laying on the floor his head in his paws; Jack and Sue had nearly finished the photograph album and their conversation had limited itself to talk about the photographs inside, no emotional declarations. He sighed, what would it take to get them to really talk?

“Hey, Levi, how’s it going?” Gabby asked as she materialised and sat next to him on the floor.

Levi lifted his head, “Slowly, very slowly. It’s as if they haven’t any hurry to make any emotional declarations.”

She giggled, “Well, Levi from what you and Myles have told me it’s taken them three years to get this far I’m not surprised there’s been any rushed emotional declarations. Now, Bobby and Tara are completely different.”

Levi turned to look at her, curiosity flashing in his eyes, “You mean Myles has had some success?”

Gabby nodded, “Surprisingly, yes. Bobby and Tara are well on their way to wedded bliss, my book confirms it.”

“And I guess Sue and Jack aren’t in the book yet.”

“Not yet, but we still have time.”

“How much time do I have, I’m not a young pup anymore, I wanted to enjoy playing with Sue’s children, the rate she’s going I’ll be watching the children from my cloud, not playing with them.”

“Cheer up, Levi. Myles had an idea, but we wanted to check with you first before we put it into operation.”

“What’s that?” he asked suspiciously.

“I could arrange for the heating to break down, then they might have to get closer and snuggle.”

“What about me? I’ll get cold.”

“Well I’ve been thinking about that, I could arrange for a very nice warm hot water bottle to find its way to your basket; it wouldn’t get cold and keep you warm all night.”

Levi thought about it for a moment, “Okay, that sounds like a good idea to me. Just don’t let Sue catch me with it, otherwise I’ll be in the dog house and I don’t want to spend time there.”

“Wouldn’t dream of letting you get caught. Now where’s the thermostat for the heating?”

“On the wall in the kitchen. What are you going to do?”

“Watch, Levi,” she smiled as she floated into the kitchen and stopped next to the thermostat. She pulled something out of her pocket and dropped it over the thermostat. Levi noticed a series of small flashes dance around the thermostat and then a large clunking noise resonated through the pipes.

“That should do it,” she called to Levi. “If I were you I’d head for your basket now and keep yourself warm. Leave some room for me, because I’m not going anywhere yet. I think these two need all the divine intervention I can muster.”

“I don’t need to be told that twice,” he called back as he headed for his basket, making himself comfortable on top of the deliciously warm hot water bottle that had appeared in his basket.

~*~*~

“What was that?” Jack asked at the sudden clunking sound that reverberated through the pipe work.

“What was what?” Sue asked, looking at Jack with concern.

“There was a noise; it sounded like it was coming from your heating pipes.”

Sue shook her head, “Lucy said that she had heard noises in the pipes the other day, we haven’t had time to call out a plumber. I hope it hasn’t broken down.”

“Well I guess the only way we’re going to find out is to check the radiators, although if they are broken I don’t think we stand any chance of getting a plumber to call tonight. Not with the snow storm that’s making its presence felt out there,” he nodded towards the window.

“Well if the heating isn’t working it’s going to get very cold tonight.”

Jack smiled, “Well I guess we’ll just have to get inventive on creating ways to stay warm.”

Sue couldn’t help but blush as she read his lips, her mind wandering to the more unusual but fun methods of warming up with Jack.

Jack noticed the blush creep into her cheeks; Sue couldn’t possibly be thinking naughty thoughts, could she? Not that he was having particularly innocent thoughts about his friend either. He hung his head, when would he finally have the courage to tell her honestly what he felt in his heart.

Sue noticed the change in Jack’s demeanour, “Are you okay, Jack?”

He raised his head and his eyes met hers, he could lose himself in her eyes they were so beautiful, but nowhere near as beautiful as her soul. “Yes, I’m fine. Now why don’t we check the heating and then if necessary make plans.”

She nodded.

Jack stood and walked over to the radiator and placed his hands on the metal, “It’s definitely cooling down. I’ll try the one in the kitchen.”
“I’ll try the thermostat, perhaps I didn’t turn it up.”

Sue checked the thermostat and Jack checked the radiator.

“It looks like we’re officially without heating,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “The temperature seems to be dropping quite rapidly too.”

Levi looked at Gabby.

“So I used a little divine intervention to drop the temperature quickly, we’ve got to move things along,” she replied haughtily.

Sue rubbed her hands, “Well I could go and get the comforter from my bed and we could sit on the sofa. That should keep us warm. I could also make us some hot chocolate.”

“Hot chocolate sounds nice as does snuggling under the comforter with you.”

Sue blushed at his choice of words.

Jack noticed her reaction as his words began to reach his brain, had he just said that? From Sue’s reaction he obviously had.

“I’ll go and make the hot chocolate,” she said before quickly turning towards the kitchen.

“Okay that didn’t go as well as I had planned,” Gabby allowed. “How do you fancy an electricity cut?”

“I don’t fancy anything. But I’m willing to give it a try if it gets the results we want,” Levi replied, snuggling down further in his basket.

“I can’t guarantee we get the results but it is worth a try,” Gabby flicked her fingers and the lights went out.

Sue screamed from the kitchen and the sound of china breaking on the floor resonated in the apartment.

Sue’s scream caused Jack to bolt for the kitchen, his eyes hurriedly adapting to the darkness that now cocooned the apartment. He saw her outline in the gloom and approached her quickly, placing his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there, she turned towards him.

She reached out and took his hand squeezing it, “I’m okay, I just dropped the cup. There’s a flashlight in the drawer by the sink.”

He released her hand and walked over to the drawer and located the flashlight. He switched it on and illuminated the room, “Well I guess there isn’t much more to break tonight, is there?”

She smiled, “No I hope that’s it. There are some candles in the cupboard in the living room; they will give us some more light. If you find them, I’ll get the comforter.”

“Okay,” he replied, following her out of the kitchen and into the living room, where he opened the cupboard and found the candles. He placed them around the room and lit them with the matches that had been sitting next to them in the cupboard.

He smiled as the candle light flames danced on the walls; the room looked like something from a romantic film. A sound from behind him caused him to turn towards the door; Sue came in her arms laden with the comforter.

“It looks very festive in here,” she said as she walked towards the sofa and arranged the comforter.

“Candle light makes all the difference,” he replied as he waited for Sue to make herself comfortable under the comforter, then he sat on the opposite end of the sofa and pulled the rest of the comforter around him.

~*~*~*~

There should be at least one more post tonight!

Sairs

oh come you two....talk about SLLLOOOOOWWWWW, snails are quicker.....

~*~*~*~

Sue shivered; the temperature in the room was getting colder by the minute.

Jack noticed Sue shivering, “Are you still cold?”

“A little.”

“Would you object to sharing body heat, apparently it works very well for explorers stranded in snow drifts?”

She smiled, “Explorers in snow drifts, do we qualify as explorers?”

“Depends how you define the word explorer, I think we could definitely be classed as explorers tonight because we’re basically lacking all our home comforts.”

“Yes, no electricity, or heat, I guess it’s a little like how Mary and Joseph felt sleeping in the stable that first Christmas.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have thought of that comparison, but I can see the similarities, except we’re not expecting a baby, are we?”

Sue giggled, “Definitely no baby, not unless one is left on the doorstep and I sincerely hope that isn’t going to happen.”

“Well I guess we can’t have everything.”

A puzzled look crossed Sue’s face, “Would you like children someday?”

He smiled, “Yes I would like a couple of children at least. How about you?”

“My mother would love grandchildren, although my brothers have already given them a few, I think she’ll only be really happy when I settle down and have a family.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he pushed gently.

“Yes I would love to have children, although it’s a little difficult when you’re on your own.”

“No body important in your life then?”

Sue looked at him, “No, no boyfriends to speak of, although I might have someone in mind.”

He smiled, “Do I know him?”

“Maybe,” she could feel her cheeks burning and her heart was pounding, why was telling Jack how she felt so difficult, surely sharing your heart was easy, otherwise the entire human race would have died out by now.

“Well, is he tall?”

“Depends on your perspective.”

He laughed, “You’ve got me there Miss Thomas.”

“What colour are his eyes?”

“No member of the female sex ever notices the colour of his eyes, once theirs meet his they’re instantly lost in them.”

He smiled one of his most dazzling smiles, hoping that she was referring to him, because he had been told on more than one occasion that his eyes were a deadly weapon, especially to the fairer sex.

She noticed his reaction and she thought she could feel his hopes rising, perhaps he possibly could feel something for her. “Are you alright, Jack?” she asked, “You’re looking a little flustered,” she teased.

“Nothing wrong with me, Sue,” he moved closer to her, and reached for her hand. “But there is something that I have to say to you and I think tonight is going to be the perfect night.”

“Perfect night for what?”

“For really talking to you.”

“But we’ve been talking all night.”

“Yes, talking, but not really talking. You and I are very good at dancing around the important issues.”

“Important issues?”

“Yes,” he inhaled deeply, hoping that he wasn’t going to make the biggest mistake of his life, “Issues of the heart.”

Sue inhaled deeply; surely he wasn’t going to talk about it at last, was he?

“Sue, you and I have been friends for a very long time, now. But ever since you were offered the job in New York I’ve been doing some serious thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” she asked quietly.

~*~*~*~

Levi sat up in his basket; they couldn’t be getting close to a confession, could they? He looked at Gabby, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

She held up her fingers which she’d crossed, “Any minute, Levi!”

~*~*~*~

“When I thought you were going to New York, it made me realise something,” he paused.

Sue patiently waited, but when it seemed like he’d lost the ability to speak she spoke, “What, Jack. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”

He nodded, it was now or never and never didn’t bare thinking about, “I thought about a life without seeing you everyday and I don’t think I could live without seeing you.”

She smiled, could Jack want more than friendship?

“I realised that I’ve wasted nearly three years of my life dancing around something that I should have grasped hold of and cherished, instead of hiding from my feelings.”

“Grasping what you want is sometimes good, but there are benefits to waiting,” she replied.

Levi groaned, how could two grown adults dance around their feelings so well, surely they could set a world record?

Jack paused, “Well I’ve decided that I can’t wait anymore, I need to be assertive.”

Sue giggled, Jack was always assertive at work, but when he was around her he always seemed to be nervous.

He frowned briefly at her, “Sue Thomas, when you walked into my office three years ago you changed my life.”

“Wow!”

“I found someone who is one of my best friends,” he paused.

Sue’s heart began to sink; maybe he wasn’t going to say what she thought he was.

Levi had to control himself, he wanted to leap on to the sofa and shake Jack up a little, come on say it, he silently urged. He could feel how tense Gabby was beside him.

“But I realised that you are the most important person in my life, when you walk into the room you light it with your heart and soul, you can also be the most infuriating and stubborn person I know. But your tenacity for finding the truth and the best in people is amazing and you’ve helped me to see the world in a completely different way.” He released her hand and began to sign as he spoke, “Sue, I love you with my heart and my soul.”

Sue couldn’t stop the tears flowing from her eyes; his speech had completely blown her away. Jack, her Jack had finally told her how he really felt, he loved her.

Jack wasn’t too sure about Sue’s reaction, was she crying because she was happy at his statement or was she crying because it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Sue noticed the concern washing over his features, was he having second thoughts? “Jack, that was beautiful,” she began to sign, “I love you, too.”

He couldn’t help but leap from the sofa, the comforter falling to the floor; he began to dance around the coffee table before noticing Levi sitting in his basket watching them. He walked over to him, “Levi, did you hear that? Sue loves me and I love Sue!” he exclaimed reaching out and patting the retriever on his head.

Levi barked, wagging his tail furiously, he wagged it so hard he knocked Gabby out of his basket, she flopped to the floor with a bump. She stood and rubbed her bottom, “Thanks, Levi,” she grinned.

Jack looked to the floor where he was sure he’d heard a bump, but could see nothing, he patted Levi on the head once more before returning to Sue. He sat beside her and leaned slowly forward, closing the distance between them, “Sue, would you mind if I kissed you?”

“I would mind more if you didn’t kiss me, Jack Hudson,” she replied shortening the distance between them.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he leaned forward and gently placed his lips on hers, it was a slow gentle kiss at first, that summed up their three years of friendship, but as their passion intensified so did their kiss, mirroring the emotions that they felt not only within their hearts but their souls.

Levi turned away from the sofa and looked at Gabby, “I think we’ve finally gotten a result!”

“I think it has one of the longest romances in history, but we’ve done it, Myles is going to be so happy.”

“Will he return to human form, now?” he asked.

“I need to have a little chat with him first; there are a couple of things he has to prove.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Will I get to say goodbye to him?”

“Levi, he won’t be turning back just yet, you’ll have a chance to talk, although you’ll see him when he returns to human form.”

“But it’s not quite the same as being able to talk to someone.”

“Well you never know what your present for Christmas might be.”

“I’m hoping for a bone and a squeaky toy.”

“I’m sure you’ll find those under your tree on Christmas morning.”

“Now why don’t you go and put Myles out of his misery, I’ll keep an eye on Sue and Jack and make sure they don’t get too carried away.”

Gabby giggled and pulled two books from her cloak, she opened the first book and smiled, “Jack Hudson and Sue Thomas, married, June 12th 2006.” She closed the first book and it disappeared; then opened the second, she just smiled.

“What?”

“Let’s just say that you’ll get to play with those children, Levi, I promise.”

Levi smiled the best doggy smile he could, “Thank you, Gabby.”

“You’re welcome and remember you can always call for me if you want to talk, angels get lonely too.”

“I might just take you up on that offer, Gabby.”

“It will be a pleasure to come and talk to you, Levi, it’s been great working with you, I’ll see you later; I’m going to see Myles.” With that she disappeared in a puff of smoke, small stars falling to the ground in her wake.

Levi lay back down in his basket and closed his eyes; his future was looking pretty good as were Sue’s and Jack’s. Perhaps they’d move to a house with a yard, he could bury his bones, and become familiar with the trees that might be there. He closed his eyes and let his dreams of children, bones and backyards dance through his mind, life was certainly looking good.

~*~*~*~

The end is nearly in sight! I'm not sure if I'll get another post ready tonight, but if not I'll be back tomorrow! Hopefully tomorrow will find the end of Myles' conundrum!

Take care,

Sairs

Nice job! Lack of heat seems to work wonders!


Jill

Yipee! Sue loves Jack...Jack loves Sue....Bobby loves Tara...Tara loves Bobby...so that just leaves....Myles and ummm......then there's Lucy and um....Sairs...wanna fill in the ummms?

What a bit of electrical failure can lead to.....wow And I agree with KB2: Myles needs to be with someone, too, especially after the way he saved Christmas for Bobby and Tara!

That was great, Sairs. I loved Levi on the sidelines, I could just feel his frustration and I wanted to pounce on Jack and shake him up too! (for Sue of course! )

kav

wodnerful, could feel the romantic tensions in the room and the easy banter between Levi and Gabby was fantastic..

~*~*~*~

Myles was enjoying his success; his dreams were no longer filled with bones but of wedding cakes and strangely enough dancing doggie chocolates. He enjoyed chasing the chocolates in and out the wedding cakes, avoiding the sticky icing that decorated the cakes and the familiar looking brides and grooms that stood on top of each cake.

A ruffling of his fur stirred him from his dreams, why was it whenever he was having a pleasant dream someone came along and disturbed him? He cautiously opened one eye, expecting Tara to be the one waking him, but it was the very angelic face of Gabby that was staring at him with a look of sheer delight etched on her face.

He opened his other eye, “They didn’t did they?” he asked excitedly.

“Yep, it was a long process, but Jack and Sue have made my book.”

“They have a date?”

“Yep, June the 12th 2006, it looks like 2006 is a busy year for weddings. You’re best suit will certainly get a lot of use.”

“Is Levi happy?”

“Ecstatic, although he’s a little upset that you’ll be returning to human form, I think he’s liked having someone to talk to.”

“I’ve enjoyed talking to him too, he really is a good friend; not only to Sue but to everyone he knows. He is rather our unsung hero; I will try to make sure that he enjoys the good things in his life and he will always be special to me now that I’ve seen the real Levi.”

“I was hoping that you might feel like that,” she said sweetly.

“Why?” he asked cautiously, not sure where Gabby was heading.

“Well, I’ve already promised to come back and talk to Levi when he’s feeling lonely, because angels get lonely too.”

Myles rolled his eyes, “But isn’t heaven filled with angels?”

“Yes, but not all angels are easy to talk to, or to bicker with,” she grinned at Myles. “I miss that sometimes.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to bicker with you anytime, as long as we choose somewhere where I’m not going to be taken away as a raving lunatic for talking to thin air.”

She giggled, “Well I would hate to think of you being locked up, but I would appreciate being able to visit you, and anyway for the next twelve months I won’t be far away, because it’s part of the conditions that your case worker keeps you on probation for twelve months, to stop you straying from your path.”

“So you’re not just going to disappear in a puff of smoke and leave me alone, then?”

“Nope, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me,” she grinned as Myles playfully rolled his eyes. “I was hoping that you’d allow one other thing.”

“What’s that?”

“For Levi to be able to talk to you, he’s really enjoyed being able to talk to you and it must be quite lonely for him not having anyone who really understands him.”

“But people will think I’m mad!”

“What makes you think they don’t already eye you with speculation, Myles?”

“You’re probably right and I have really relied upon Levi’s help with my current situation.”

“So you’ll let me use a little angel magic and let you and Levi talk?”

Myles smiled, “Yes, but I have a condition.”

“Condition?”

“I’d like for Tara to have a real Charlie, do you think you could find one?”

“Why?”

“Because she’s bonded with me and I think it would break her heart if I suddenly disappeared and Levi would like another canine to play with. So do you think you could find an abandoned Dinmont Terrier to replace me?”

She smiled, “Now that’s a condition I can deal with. It might just take me one more day to pull off, so would you mind remaining in doggie form for a little longer?”

“As long as you pull it off by Christmas Eve, because I would really like to attend the Christmas Eve party with my friends.”

“Consider it done, now enjoy the rest of your evening and I’ll catch up with you and Levi tomorrow.”

“Night, Gabby.”

“Night, Myles,” she replied, as she disappeared into the darkness.

~*~*~*~

Myles lay next to Levi in the bullpen watching his friends work. The snow had miraculously melted that morning, leaving the roads clear enough for people to travel to work safely. Bobby had driven Tara and Myles to work and they’d spent the day smiling and giggling with each other in between carrying out their jobs.

Sue and Jack had been sharing secret conversations huddled over their desks. Myles couldn’t help but smile at Lucy’s reaction; she couldn’t work out why suddenly the bullpen had become the romantic centre point of the Hoover Building. He’d heard her mumble under her breath that there must have been some Christmas magic in the air for both her projects to be completed without her help.

Lucy would never believe the truth, he thought, so it would be down to him and his two other romantic conspirators who would know what really happened this Christmas. It would be a secret they would share and an adventure that had taught him more about life, love and friendship than he’d learned in his life up to now.

“Pssst!” a familiar voice called to them.

Both Levi and Myles lifted their heads and turned towards the source of the voice, “Gabby, what do you want?” Myles asked quietly.

“Conference room, now!” she demanded before disappearing.

Both Myles and Levi stood and wandered casually into the conference room, the saw Gabby and beside her a small box, wrapped in festive paper.

“What’s in the box?” Levi asked his nose sniffing the air.
“Charlie,” Gabby replied proudly, flicking her wrist and the lid of the box levitated, as the lid settled on the floor a little grey head poked out of the box.

The little head looked around the room and spied Myles and Levi, “Hello, I’m Charlie,” the little dog stated.

Myles and Levi walked over to the box, “Nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m Myles and this is Levi,” Myles said as he nodded to his friend.

“Nice to meet you. Gabby said that I would find a good home here, it’s rather lonely in the dog pound.”

Levi nodded, “Yep, been there. Welcome aboard. I’ll be more than happy to show you around.”

“Thanks,” Charlie replied and leaped out of the box.

Myles turned to Gabby, “He has always been a dog, hasn’t he?”

She smiled, “In this lifetime yes, but before I think he was a cat, was that right, Charlie?”

Charlie nodded, “I think I prefer the dog’s life to the cat’s one.”

“Well you’re going to enjoy living with, Tara, trust me,” Myles said warmly.

“I hope so,” Charlie replied.

Gabby smiled, “You will, Charlie, trust me, I have it on very good authority that you’re going to fit in perfectly. And Myles,” she turned to look at him.

“Yes, Gabby?”

“I’ll return you to your human form, but not here, I’ll transport you to your home. But remember, you’ll be able to hear Levi and Charlie, and they’ll understand every word you say back. It is my Christmas present to Levi and Charlie, because if I know you Myles, you will make sure that they are well cared for, after all you have experienced the highs and lows of a dog’s life.”

“Very true, Gabby and I’ll be more than pleased to be confident to my four legged friends, as long as they understand I have to keep our little conversations a secret.”

Levi and Charlie looked at Myles, “Of course,” they both said in unison.

“Why would we want to spoil the opportunity we have, Myles. I would hate to see you carted off, you’ve become a good friend,” Levi stated.

“You’re a good friend too, Levi and next time I see you I’ll hopefully be more like my usual self.”

“I hope so in form, but not in attitude,” Levi reminded him.

”Don’t worry, Levi, I’ve learned my lesson. I am the new Myles Levi the third, who has learned the true value of friendship and giving and learned a lot about Christmas spirit.”

“I know you’ve learned your lesson, Myles now why don’t we travel home and you can get used to your old form,” Gabby stated holding out her hand for Myles to place his paw in.

Myles stretched out his paw and placed it in Gabby’s hand, he turned to the two dogs who were watching them intently, “Bye, I’ll see you both soon.”

Gabby smiled, “See you soon,” then she swirled her free hand and they disappeared, leaving the two dogs watching the stars they left falling to earth.

~*~*~*~

When Myles opened his eyes he was sitting in front of the fire in his living room, Gabby was sitting in front of him.

“Myles, in a minute I’m going to turn you back, but remember everything you’ve learned and you’ll stay on the right path. If you stray I might not be able to save you again and I value your friendship too much now to lose it. So I’m hoping that what you’ve learned will save you because you have too many friends who will miss you.”

“Gabby, I know we didn’t exactly start our friendship in the right way, but I have valued your advice and help and without you and Levi four of my best friends wouldn’t be about to celebrate their love. For that I’m truly thankful.”

“You’re welcome and remember Myles, there’s someone special for you too, stay on this path and she’ll realise it too, although I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of humble pie you’ll need to eat first.”

Myles looked puzzled.

“You treated her very badly and you will need to rebuild your friendship and from that love will be kindled.”

“Who?”

“You’ll know, Myles, trust me. Now close your eyes and you’ll be back to normal, I promise.”

Myles closed his eyes and he felt a funny swirling sensation inside his stomach, it was as if he was being stretched and twisted. The sensation seemed to last an eternity and then it was over.

He was almost too afraid to open his eyes; he inhaled deeply, counted to three and opened his eyes.

He looked around the room, everything seemed in order. He moved his paw in front of his face and was relieved to seek his hand, he wiggled his fingers and they all seemed to move perfectly.

He stood and turned to look in the mirror above the fireplace, he smiled as he saw his blue eyes staring back at him and his blonde hair, a little messy but definitely blonde. “I’m back!” he called enthusiastically.

He turned to look at Gabby who was smiling at him, “You’re welcome, Myles. I’ll see you at the Christmas Eve party.”

“Thank you, Gabby, for everything,” he managed to say just as the angel disappeared.

~*~*~*~

Christmas Eve, 2005.

Myles walked into the bullpen, his hands full of bags decorated with seasonal pictures. The room had been brightly decorated with paper chains and balloons and a Christmas tree stood in the corner.

“Good morning, everyone and what a beautiful morning it is. Merry Christmas!” he called as he approached his desk.

Six pairs of eyes showed confusion at the Myles who had entered the office, instead of his usual suit he was wearing a garish knitted jumper with a Christmas tree on the front.

“Are you feeling okay?” Lucy asked.

“I’m feeling fantastic, Lucy and by the way that dress you’re wearing today really brings out the sparkle in your eyes,” he replied.

She blushed.

“I take it you had a good vacation, then, Myles?” Bobby asked from his desk.

“The most educational vacation I’ve ever had. Now are we going to celebrate?”

Tara grinned, “I thought we’d never get started, but before we do I just need to get Charlie from the conference room. He won’t want to miss the party.” She hurried out and came back a few moments later with Charlie, wearing a red Santa outfit, with matching hat, he was sitting in a toy sled which was being pulled by Levi who was wearing a pair of reindeer ears.

Myles looked at the sight before him, relief that he was no longer a terrier. “Tara, you do realise that dogs have dignity, don’t you?”

Tara looked crestfallen for a moment, “But they didn’t object and it is Christmas.”

Levi and Charlie looked at Myles, “It’s good to see you Myles, and I don’t really mind the ears, it could be worse I could have the suit!” Levi said.

Myles smiled as he heard Levi’s voice.

“I’m happy wearing the suit, at least I’ve got a home,” Charlie said. “You were right, Myles, Tara’s a fantastic owner and so is her boyfriend Bobby.”

“Well as long as they are perfectly happy with their situation I’ll allow it to continue.”

“Who made you dog union rep around here?” Lucy asked.

“I just want to make sure that all members of our team are happy and Levi and Charlie are just as important as the human members of our team.”

“What did you have on your cereal this morning?” Bobby asked as he watched Myles.

“Milk, what else?”

“Nothing, mate. Nothing at all,” Bobby replied.

“Well I have gifts for everyone,” Myles stated beginning to read the labels on each bag. He handed them out to his astonished colleagues.

They all opened them, inside was a small nativity scene with the angel Gabriel watching over the special baby and a small white envelope. Inside each envelope was a certificate confirming that a donation had been made to a charity in their name.

Six pairs of eyes looked at him with shock, “Thank you, Myles,” Lucy was the first to speak.

“You’re welcome, Lucy. I gave each of you a Nativity scene because it is the time of year where we remember the special gift God gave to us that first Christmas and I hope it will help you to remember how lucky we are. The second gift I’ve given you as well as the charities is a donation in each of your names. I hoped you wouldn’t mind helping others, because we are fortunate to have each other, homes to go home to and food to eat. There are others in the world who can only dream of these things and I thought the least I could do this Christmas is to help others.”

Tara and Sue mopped tears away from their eyes.

“That’s a beautiful idea, Myles,” Lucy said as she walked forward and hugged him briefly.

“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Myles stated a grin on his face.

“Merry Christmas,” they chorused back.

Myles heard one more voice, “Merry Christmas, Myles. I’m proud of you!” Gabby called.

~*~*~*~

One more post to go!

Sairs

i laughed, cried, cheered and now i am sad to hear that they is only one more to go..... and now i must head off to work...in the lovely snow...

only one more??
Sairs, I dont want it to end!!
I think Myles had learned a very important lesson, I just hope
he'll find someone special for him...

What a lovely touch to allow Myles to keep talking to Levi and Charlie, and I'm so impressed by Myles .. the thing that impressed me the most was Myles' request to find a Charlie for Tara


Waiting for more Sairs !!!!

~*~*~*~

Christmas Day 2006.

Gabby had watched Myles all year and was proud of her achievements, he had blossomed and grown, he was certainly on the right path now. She turned to her friend, “I promised you I’d show you my success story, now as a new angel it’s important that you see how important our work is. My work with Myles last year not only changed his life, but also the lives of his friends. Without his selflessness what I’m going to show you wouldn’t have happened. Are you ready?”

The small angel floating beside her nodded, “Yes, Gabby, I’m ready.”

Gabby reached out and took the small angel’s hand they floated down from heaven and appeared in a brightly decorated living room, they were floating in the corner of the room. “Watch,” she advised her friend.

“It’s time for the photograph,” the woman called to her husband.

“We’re coming, love. Mum and Dad will take our picture; then we’ll set the timer and have one together, okay?”

“Yes, Bobby, that’ll be great,” Tara replied.

Bobby entered the room a small bundle in his arms and stood next to his wife a small grey dog following him and sitting at his feet.

“Is she ready?” Tara asked, scooping up the bundle.

“For her first Christmas photograph, of course,” he replied, tenderly kissing his wife on her forehead.

Two other people entered the room, one holding a camera. “Are you ready, son?” the man asked.

“Yes, Dad, we’re ready,” Bobby replied, placing his arm around Tara’s shoulder, as Tara positioned the baby she cradled in her arms towards the camera.

“Smile, Gabby,” she cooed to the baby.

The man pressed the button and briefly the room was illuminated by the flash of the camera, the first Christmas for the new Manning family captured forever in a photograph that would be the start of a new tradition.

The photograph taken they group rearranged themselves before the procedure was carried out again.

The small angel turned to her mentor, “Would this family not have existed without, Myles?”

“No, Myles helped Bobby and Tara to really talk; by talking they shared their love for one another. Last Christmas Day, Bobby asked Tara to marry him, she agreed and they were married in January. Baby Gabrielle was born on November 25th this year. This is her first Christmas and Bobby’s parents travelled over from Australia to spend it with their son, daughter in-law and granddaughter. This is the first Christmas of many to come for the Manning family; their future is now much brighter than it was before Myles.”

“Wow!” the other angel mumbled quietly.

“I’ve got more to show you, come on,” Gabby tugged the angel’s hand and they floated away to another living room.

The angel observed a blonde haired woman, her back to them, placing the last ornament on a tree. A golden retriever was lying protectively by her side. The woman didn’t notice a dark haired man enter the room and approach her, he placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned towards him, her face lighting up with love.

“I thought we’d get ready to go to church soon,” she said to the man.

“I’ve packed the gifts for the children’s home so we can deliver them on the way home,” he replied, his hand resting on the gentle swell of his wife’s stomach.

She smiled, placing her hand over his, “Just think, Jack, next Christmas we’ll have our own child to share the special day with.”

He grinned, “I know, Sue, I can hardly wait.”

“Well in four months you’ll be able to say hello to our new baby.”

He leaned forward and gently kissed his wife’s lips.

The angel turned to Gabby, “Myles helped this family too?”

Gabby smiled, “He and Levi, the golden retriever, helped Sue and Jack to share their feelings, they to would never have declared their feelings for the other, without Myles and Levi’s nudge they would still be dancing around their feelings. They got married in July and their baby boy will be born in April next year. They have a lot to thank Myles for. I’ve got one more place to show you.”

The angel grasped Gabby’s hand and again they disappeared appearing in a third living room. It was more ornately decorated than the previous two, with a large fire burning in a grand fire place. A large Christmas tree sat in the corner, tastefully decorated in red and gold decorations; on top was a beautiful angel.

A man walked into the room, dressed in a seasonal jumper, he carried a tray filled with canapés and placed it on the coffee table.

“Merry Christmas, Myles,” Gabby said.

Myles looked around the room and his eyes rested on their hiding place, “Merry Christmas, Gabby, I see you brought a friend.”

“New angel in training, I brought her to see a success story.”

“A success story, hey? I’m honoured.”

“How are things?”

“Good, really good,” Myles replied.

“Who are you talking to?” a woman’s voice called from the hallway.

“Just talking to myself, my love,” he called back and winked at Gabby.

A woman entered the room and walked over to him; he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I love you, Lucy,” he whispered into her ear after their kiss ended.

“I love you, too, Myles,” Lucy replied, playing with a ring on her finger.

“You asked her to marry you, didn’t you?” Gabby asked excitedly from the corner of the room.

Myles nodded his head gently, so Gabby could see his answer.

Gabby pulled out her book and flicked through the pages, “How could I have missed that!” she exclaimed. “Lucy Dotson and Myles Leland the third will be married on February 14th 2007.” She closed that book and pulled out the next and grinned, “Oh, Myles!”

Myles gently rotated Lucy so that he could look at Gabby; he raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.

“Congratulations! I’ll come and visit you at the hospital next Christmas!”

A look of alarm crossed his handsome features.

“I’ll be there to welcome, Myles Leland the fourth into the world!” she grinned at him.

Myles’ eyes almost popped out of his head, he would be having a son in a year’s time. He looked down at the woman he held in his arms, the woman who had stolen his heart and who challenged him every day with her outlook on life and her spirit. He had had to eat lots of humble pie as Gabby had predicted the previous year, but he had been rewarded with the best present ever, Lucy was going to be his wife and according to his guardian angel they would have a son!

“Lucy, I love you. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Myles,” Lucy replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Myles said quietly looking in particular at the two angels sitting in the corner of his living room.

“Merry Christmas, Myles,” both of the angels replied before the disappeared into thin air.

~*~*~*~

The End.

~*~*~

I made it before the deadline!

Thank you all for your fantastic support during my story, I've really had a ball writing it. I never imagined writing from a dog's perspective before, and it has been a fantastic ride!

I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and have a fabulous New Year.

I shall be able to catch up now on all the stories that have been updated!

Take care,

Sairs

Fantastic story Sairs !!!!

All those happy families !!!


And Happy New Year

A truly wonderful and magical story, Sairs! I am glad you decided to write it and share it with all of us. It was a lot of fun reading it!! Thank you!

What a fun story! Very touching! Thanks for sharing it with us!!

Sairs, that was outstanding!!

What a great story! I loved it!!! Thanks for taking the time to write it for us!

Jill

This was such a delightful tail (oops, tale) in so many ways. You have crafted a fine Christmas story indeed. Thank you. I enjoyed reading it.

That was amazing...thank you for writing.......i enjoyed each and every posts.

That was a fantastic ending, though it wasn't fantastic that it ended! I'll give you a reprieve and then exepect something more from you really soon!

I love that you let Myles still hear Levi and Charlie! That's so much fun and the team did need someone who could speak dogese! Levi could prove invaluable!

kav

Sairs, I'm sorry this has taken me so long to get the chance to read. It was truly wonderful. I love the detail in your writing. Every scene is so clear and the words fit so together so perfectly. I loved the blend of humor, touching moments, and fuzzies. The interchange between the dogs and Gabby was perfect. I was also so glad that Tara got a real Charlie. I was honestly worried about that the whole time.

Great work. Bravo!!!

Sairs, I just did get a chance to catch up on your Christmas story and I'm glad I did!!

What an incredible story - I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I laughed again!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent with us!!!

Joy