The Grand Hotel

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Debbie’s POV

I enter the hotel bar and give Emmett a little nod of recognition as I make my way over to where Daphne is sitting alone at a table in the corner. “Drinking alone, Sweetheart?”

“Oh, hi, Deb,” she smiles up at me, wrapping both hands around her coffee mug. “No, I’m just having some coffee.” She winks at me. “Well, maybe Em did add a little something just to give it a kick.”

“So, you’re drinking alone,” I reiterate as I sit down. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“It’s silly,” she sniffs slightly. “This will be my first Christmas without him, you know?”

“Oh, honey,” I scoot my chair closer and brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s not silly at all. You miss him. We all do.”

She wipes her eyes. “Even that first year when he was so sick, I could still be with him. This is…it’s just so hard and I don’t understand why. Why we can’t see him.”

I sigh and pull her into an embrace. I don’t have any answers for her. I don’t know why either. It’s been a little over two months since Justin died and we haven’t heard a thing about him or from him.

Our other loved ones went the way of the light, wherever that is. They aren’t allowed to talk of the place, but we know they are together and happy. Daphne and I still visit them sometimes and even though it’s a bit easier now that the darkness is gone, it still takes a bit of doing on our part.

They don’t speak of Justin and we know better than to ask anymore. We don’t know if they don’t know or can’t tell us.

Daphne has stayed on at the hotel with us and I know it makes her feel closer to Justin and Dana. Well, that and she wants to keep an eye on Brian. Yes, Brian is still here at the hotel, having refused the angels invitation to join the rest of his family in the light.

We thought it odd that they gave him a choice, but they did. Brian is different now, even though he has found some measure of peace. He is no longer tortured by the darkness of the entity but he lurks about here sad and lonely, lost in his memories.

“You should have gone home to your family for Christmas,” I finally say to Daphne.

She shakes her head. “No, that wasn’t even an option. I would just fight with them about my weird lifestyle. You guys are my family now. Anyway, I figured I should be here for Brian.” She looks down to her mug.

I sigh. “I wish there was something we could do for him. He should be with Lindsay and Gus, not moping around here.”

“I think he sees them whenever he wants,” replies Daphne. “That’s something anyway. I just hate to think he‘s waiting for something that‘s never going to come.”

All I can do is nod and squeeze her shoulders again because I have to agree.

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Brian’s POV

It’s Christmas Eve and I sit on my bed thinking of Justin. How odd that we never actually spent a Christmas together. Even odder that I would think about it since I was never one to celebrate holidays much.

I admit that I’m angry about our separation. Is it okay to be angry with angels? I guess so, since they have pretty much left me alone to do what I wish. None of them blinked an eye when I refused to join Lindsay and the others in the light. In fact they even graciously let me go between the two worlds as I please; a small prize in exchange for the loss of my lover I suppose.

The others cannot move between worlds so easily. It takes energy for them to come, though I know they do, to visit with Daphne and the others from time to time.

I sigh heavily and stand up. I promised Deb and Daphne that I wouldn’t brood in my room all night. I told them I would join the family for a small Christmas Eve celebration so I suppose I should make an appearance. I no longer even bother to try and appear normal to the others as I close my eyes and apparate to Deb’s rooms.

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Lindsay’ POV

I sit with two little bodies on my lap as I recite “The Night Before Christmas.” Life is very much the same here as it was on earth, or at lease Mel and I try to make it that way. We are pretty much free to choose how we live here, and we have made a home for the children much like the one we shared in Pittsburg. The only difference is the lack of pain, illness and hatred that is so much a part of the living world.

We care for Dana since her parents cannot be with her, though we are able to visit Daphne from time to time. And Justin, well, he is our one true sadness. The only thing that mars our happiness here. I know Brian thinks we know where he is, but we truly don’t.

Gus and Dana giggle when I do my impression of Santa’s belly laugh. Suddenly the room is filled with a bright light and the two little ones wiggle off my lap. “Daddy!” yells Dana.

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Daphne’s POV

We are all in Deb’s sitting room enjoying a quiet holiday filled with pleasant conversation around her fireplace. I admit to feeling a bit melancholy tonight, but I am enjoying myself with my adopted family anyway.

Michael stands up to get more eggnog, which he promptly drops on the floor when Brian pops into the room right in front of him. “Boo.”

“Fuck, Brian!” Michael yells. “You know I hate it when you do that.”

“No shit,” Brian replies. “Hey, Deb,” he says as he moves to kiss her on the cheek. “Daph,” he kisses me as well.

“Merry Christmas, Brian,” chime in Ted, Emmett and Ben.

“Whatever the fuck,” Brian sighs as he throws himself into the chair next to mine.

“Brian,” warns Deb. “Don’t fuck up my Christmas, asshole.”

“Sorry,” he says. I reach over and grab his hand squeezing it tightly. I know how he feels. “Merry Christmas,” he says to the room in general, but we can tell it’s not sincere.

After another hour or so of food, drink and conversation we all stand and are ready to turn in for the night. Suddenly there’s a knock at the door followed by laughter and a rousing rendition of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’

“Who the fuck is that?” asks Deb. “There’s hardly any guests here.”

Ben moves over to open the door and the rest of our family piles merrily into the room as they continue to sing.

“How did you all get here?” I ask when they stop singing. I look at Deb, who shrugs and then Brian, who looks as surprised as we are. “We didn’t do a spell.”

“Mommy! Mommy! Look!” calls Dana as the little crowd parts and she leads Justin into the room from the hallway.

“Sunshine,” gasps Deb.

Brian grips my hand tighter as he stares at his lover. Justin moves over to us and drops a gentle kiss on my lips. “Hey, Daph,” he says quietly.

I can’t even find words as I clutch him to me.

Brian lets go of my hand as Justin moves to stand in front of him. “Hey.”

“How…where…?” Brian can’t complete a sentence.

“Daddy is an angel!” Dana exclaims as she runs over and clings to Brian and Justin’s legs.

Brian stares at his lover and then snorts a little in disbelief. “It’s true, I am,” replies Justin with a smile as he lets his bright, golden aura flare around him, and silver white wings magically unfurl from his back.

“Well, fuck me,” Brian says softly as his mouth gapes open for a few moments. But he soon recovers himself and cups Justin’s face, pulling him into a searing kiss anyway; angel or no.

“That can be arranged,” replied Justin when they finally pull apart.

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Brian’s POV

“So there is still evil here?” Michael asks Justin with a concerned look on his face.

“No, but the portal is still here.”

“But I thought when you defeated your father…”

“Craig was not the only entity at work here,” Justin interrupts my friend. “The elevator shaft is a portal to the evil realm. It is sealed off for now, but it must be guarded.”

“So, you’re here to stay?” Daphne asks, almost if she’s afraid she’s dreaming.

“Yes, I can stay,” Justin says softly as he looks at me.

“And the others?” Daphne asks as she holds Dana in her arms.

Justin frowns a little and sighs. “It’s not that simple for them, Daph. Their place is in the light.”

“I see,” Daphne says as she looks to the ground.

“But, it’ll be easier, Daph.” Justin continues. “As long as I’m here you won’t need a spell to see her. I can bolster her energy so you can visit with her often.”

Daphne smiles and cuddles Dana closer. “Thank you, Justin.”

The others have millions of questions for Justin and he tries to answer them all, but he hasn’t said anything to me. He hasn’t told me what my place is in all of this. I move to the outskirts of the room and make myself disappear.

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Justin’s POV

I appear silently in the gazebo and take a moment to admire Brian from behind. I’ve missed him so much. “I thought I’d find you here,” I say softly as I walk up behind him and place my hands on his shoulders.

“Yeah, I…” He clears his throat and continues. “It was just a little much for me back there, you know?”

I turn him around to face me. “Brian, I’m sorry about disappearing like that, but they made me. I wanted to come to you, but there were things…things I had to learn first. Do you forgive me?”

He turns away. “I thought I lost you again,” he chokes out.

“I know. I’m so sorry. I love you Brian and now we’re together. They said you can stay here with me. That‘s why they never made you leave.”

“I didn’t want you to have to die to be with me.”

“It was how it was meant to be, Brian. The only way it could be.”

He stands still for a few moments and then nods slowly as he pulls me into his strong embrace. “I love you, Justin Taylor. You are the bravest, strongest man I know; dead or alive.”

He pulls me into a kiss and the passion that always burns between us is fully ignited. “Bed, now,” I breathes against his skin.

“So, I’ve never fucked an angel before. My dick’s not going to burn off or anything is it?”

I laugh heartily at him. “If it does I’ll grow you a new one.”

“You can do that?” He asks in amazement and I swear I can see the wheels turning in his perverted head.

I shrug and raise my eyebrow. “You never know.”

He scoops me into his arms and before I know it we’re lying on our bed and he’s undressing me, peppering my body with kisses. I get lost in the moment and lose control a bit and my wings start to open out of my back. I am fairly new at all of this after all. “Can you keep the wings put away, Sunshine? Feathers make me sneeze.”

I simply laugh again as we get lost in our passion.

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Debbie’s POV

Brian and Sunshine have disappeared (what a surprise) with Justin’s promise that they will be back to celebrate Christmas with all of us tomorrow. I step onto my balcony to center myself and get a breath of fresh air for a few moments.

I hear a rustling in the bushes and catch a glimpse of something that looks like a large black dog walking back into the shrubs. It glances up at me for a moment and my breath stills when I see a flash of red in its eyes. I blink hard and when I look again it is gone. I peer hard into the darkness and reach out with my other senses, but I feel nothing.

I laugh at my paranoia and decide to lay off the eggnog as I turn to go back inside. I forget my fear when I observe the happy scene of my family; happy and together again.

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