Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

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MoonShadow
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Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G
By Moonshadow

As always, I own nothing but the memory of a great show.
This is for the Champagne Challenge, Naughty or Nice

The brass chimes on the door jamb rang as he pushed open the heavy glass door. Their melodious shimmer bounced and danced for several seconds as the sparkling jingle intruded on the otherwise dusty silence. He glanced upwards slightly annoyed at the obvious announcement of his arrival. From the back of the shop a slight rustle of fabric caught his ear; Mick watched a shower of dust motes that floated through a sunbeam and landed on the colorful Oriental rug. The shop was a warm and quiet invitation to holiday shoppers seeking a peaceful respite from the blaring jangle of malls.

“What can I do for you?” the voice asked from behind rows of shelving that muffled the clarity of her question. He stood unmoving patiently waiting, the unnatural stillness of his kind lending to his calm. Slowly, a tastefully coifed head wobbled to its full upright position from behind the wall of bric brac. Her motion had been accompanied with the involuntary creaking and groaning of age. Despite the heavy pull of times’ unkind hands on her body the blue eyes that appraised the tall black shadow standing in her doorway were sharp and alert.

The faintest of smiles whispered across Mick’s lips at the sight of her. Watching her approach he couldn’t help but notice that the frost of white had overtaken the grey in her hair. She lost weight since he’d last seen her. Time was washing away this lovely lady; she was becoming a pale echo of the woman he’d known.

Mick turned and glanced about the cases and shelves that filled the small shop, his eyes skimmed over the jumble of American culture. Antiques held no appeal to him, they were little more than painful reminders of a cruel joke. Time is endless, he thought bitterly, barring any miscalculations on my part. As he swiveled back around the next thought followed the first. Time might be endless for me but for them, it’s as fleeting as leaves before the winter wind.

Fully engaged now, the crystal sharp eyes watched carefully, “How may I help you?” she repeated her initial query now formal.

Mick drew a breath and characteristically shrugged deeper into his black leather jacket. “I’m looking for an old stocking” he replied, stepping around the ray of bright sunlight. He crossed the space between them walking deeper into the shop and the softer light began filling in his somber face.

A furrow creased deeper into her brow, “well, what type of stocking you are referring to?” she asked raising her hand to rub away the wrinkle. “We have some ladies stocking from the fifties over in clothing,” she added walking as she talked, “I think we might have a silk set from the forties.”

“Uh no,” he interrupted, “I uh, I meant a Christmas stocking. The kind you fill, with candy and stuff.”

A smile warmed her face at the obvious discomfort in his voice. Suddenly, an uninvited rush of distant memories flooded over her. The silky sensation of stockings, the scent of crisp and fresh petticoats, stylish dresses, warm strong hands holding her close, murmurings sweet and husky. The aching pain of love lost in the great war.

Glancing up at his embarrassed and handsome face she found her own face answering back with a pink flush. Her thoughts jumped and scattered as she realized this young man was staring at her.

Great way to get robbed, she thought ironically. However, if he had the good graces to be embarrassed about ladies lingerie I doubt he’s here for your cash box. “Well, we don’t get many old ones,” she gracefully ignored their faux pas and walked over to a half hidden cabinet. “What era were you hoping to find? Sixties,? Seventies?”

Mick watched as she slipped behind the corner, smiling at the smoothness of her voice she still had the same elegance he remembered. She focused over the tops of the heavy glasses, selected the appropriate key and unlocked the cabinet. “What’s the oldest one you have?” he asked.

“These over here,” she indicated with a nod towards the worn and limp felt stockings lying on white tissue paper. “I can’t give you an exact age, but from the size and shape I believe these are from the late thirties or early forties.” She watched his handsome face with the finesse of a seasoned merchant, “commercially made stockings can date back to the late 1800’s.”

“I’m not looking for one quite that old,” Mick smiled at her comment.

Lovely sapphire eyes combed his face, “You look familiar; did you grow up in L.A?”

“Why do you ask?” Mick chose his words carefully; this was the part he hated, the point where things always got tricky. A closed and polite smile carefully calculated for putting distance between them settled on his face.

“Oh, I taught school here in L.A. and retired out, I have over 40 years of students,” she added “sometimes I think I see some student or another from my past.” She smiled broadly to set him at ease. Mick couldn’t help but smile back, a faint dimple played in the right corner of his smile as he removed his sunglasses to examine the items in the display case. “But then,” she continued, “toss in another 10 years of old age and well, I’m a bit foggy on memories.” Mick sincerely doubted that and foggy was never a word he would have used to describe her.

“I’ll take that one,” he indicated the oldest of the orangey red stockings. “Please.”

“Of course,” she gathered up the tissue cradling the memento of Christmases’ past. “Do you have a collection?”

“Uh, no,” Mick mumbled as he dug for his wallet. “It’s for a gift exchange.”

“Oh, it’s for someone special then,” she replied. “It’s a bit delicate, but it’s in lovely condition for its age. I’ll just wrap it up for you.”

Mick watched as she walked to the front counter, you’re just as lovely as I remember, regardless of age. He pulled the bills from his wallet and handed them over, replaced his dark sunglasses, and accepted the tissue wrapped bundle. “Thank you,” he added his smile quirky and warm.

“Oh no thank you,” the brassy jingle of the bell announced another customer as he stepped backwards towards the door. As he turned to step around the new comer she smiled warmly the retreating back, “thank you and please come again,” she added before addressing her next guest. Standing in the warm sunbeam her arms crossed against her chest, she watched as he walked down the street to an elegant older Mercedes Benz. Pulling the heavy glasses from her face she stared thoughtfully, searching, trying to place the familiar grey eyes.

Mick smiled as he sat in the comfortable security of his car, looked over at the white tissue paper crisp against the supple leather of the passenger seat. She was watching him as he turned the key and listened to the rumble of the engine. He’d enjoyed the chance to see her again and he knew that she didn’t remember his gawky shy gift from so many Christmases ago.

The remembered image of a child’s Christmas stocking stuffed full of apples for a first love played itself out as he pulled away from the curb. Mick snorted dismissing the quiet memory; I’m such a sap this time of year.

finis
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allegrita
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by allegrita »

Oh, my gosh... :cloud9: what a lovely, sweet, nostalgic story! :hearts: I love the way you paint the environment. I can just see the little shop, the sweet woman whose looks have faded over the years but who still has a special "something" about her... :happysigh: I can see Mick's expressions, feel the emotions he's feeling. I love the way you've sketched out their history without telling us everything. It's really magical.

This is just a beautiful story. :heart:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

thank you! :blinksmile:
You are so sweet! It feels wonderful to have written another story.
and, to be home :heart:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by allegrita »

Welcome home! :heart:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by BlueEyedMonster »

I'm a sap this time of year also ans this was so sweet. :heart:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by maggatha3 »

A woman from Mick's past... and he is somehow keeping touch! Such a lovely story! And how beautifully you've captured how he appreciates all little details of time and humanity on her! :cloud9: :cloud9:
-It never ends well...
-Never?
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

BlueEyedMonster and maggatha3, thank you both so much for the comments, it just felt right.
Kinda like holiday candy.
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by jen »

Moonshadow

This is just lovely and so very Mick to keep track of people who have been special to him. Perhaps one day, as many other vampires, he will cease clinging to these human roots and continuing to savor the memories of his human days (but I hope he never changes).

Apparently, Beth's sapphire eyes were not the first ones to attract him. Perhaps her eyes reminded him of this unnamed woman's. He's had a lot of time to accumulate memories like this one, to take out and enjoy much as we keep mementos of happy times and pull them out when we're blue. Now, he has that Christmas stocking to symbolize a Christmas long ago.

Fabulous, fabulous job.

Thank you!

Jenna

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Mick and Beth--two of the lovely faces of Moonlight
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

Jen you are so kind with your comments. Mick's stories alway seem to tell themselves. I just get out of the way and let him tell the story.

I am glad you enjoyed this one :flowers: happy holidays
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by francis »

You have such a way to paint a picture with words. I can almost smell the dusty interior of that shop. Love his embarrassment over the stocking misunderstanding, and that he's keeping contact with someone he once cared about. You make me see the passage of time in this little sweet story.
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

francis,
Thank you for the lovely compliments. One of the things that haunts me is the way time exists for vampires. It becomes a creature of its own.
I would have loved to see snipits like these in episodes, wouldn't that have been fun!
MS
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by Lilly »

Oh, Moonshadow, this is so warm and lovely! :hearts: I feel like I'm standing in that sunbeam peering through those dust motes into a newly illuminated place in Mick's soul. What a tender and touching story. Like Mick himself, there is a sadness and longing here, but also a sense of hopefulness and humanity. And it left me with a happy tear in my eye. :blinksmile:

The detail here is so rich and strong, I would swear I've been in this store. And a few years down the road, I will probably think I actually had been -- and will find myself wondering... where was that little shop? :snicker:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by MoonShadow »

Lilly,
Your comments always make me smile, :hearts:
It is wonderful to be writing again for people who enjoyed the show so much. Wasn't it a great piece of filmography?

Truthfully, I let the stories tell themselves. But I am so pleased and touched that folks enjoy them.
It touches my heart.

Happy Holidays!
:heart:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by Lilly »

Happy Holidays, sweetie. It's so wonderful to have you back and sharing your writing with us again. :hug: :hearts: :smooch:
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Re: Christmas Gifts (Champagne Challenge #144) Rated G

Post by Lucy »

I'm jumping up and down trying to figure out their connection.....this was painted in beautiful watercolored memories....YOU did take my breath away!!
:ghug: :ghug: :ghug: :ghug: :ghug: :ghug: :ghug:
Last edited by Lucy on Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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