Another Christmas at The Second Chance Boys Home, Todd sighed. Well, it could be worse. I could be out on the street, freezing my ass off and trying to beg for enough money to eat. Or...going to the Mission and standing in line and waiting for an hour to get a sandwich and some hot soup. No, the group home was way better than the life Todd had experienced for over a year, but it was still kind of sad.

He'd came to the home just a year ago, fresh from the streets where he'd been living since his foster dad had kicked him out for being, his words, 'A sick perverted homo child molester.' That hurt, Todd was only twelve then and hadn't molested anyone, child or adult. In fact, except for some harmless playing around with his buddies he'd never done anything remotely sexual. Unless you considered masturbation as sex.

But he'd been careless and left his laptop open one day to an especially 'gay' website full of young twinks doing all sorts of things, and guess who'd discovered it? Yeah, good old Graylen, his homophobic step dad. His mom had been no help, she was too much in love, or was it lust? to doubt anything her new husband had to say. And the fact that he made all the money and pretty much ran their lives meant that when he said, 'Get out!' it meant, get out.

So, he'd packed as much stuff as his backpack would hold and left the only home he'd ever known and hit the streets. At first he didn't know where to go or what to do. Somehow he wound up at his friend Ernest's place and managed to stay there two days, but eventually the questions from his parents were getting too pointed and he decided it was time to hit the road for real.

Ernest cried when he learned the truth and pulled out his stash of birthday money and Christmas money he'd been saving and forced it into Todd's hand. Todd tried to refuse, but he only had 50 dollars of his own money and he knew that would not last long. However, he vowed to return it someday, and Ernest humored him and went along with his request.

If he'd had more friends he might have had a better time of it, but being a bit of a loner, Ernest was his only real and true friend. So real and so true that he'd even offered to go with Todd. He'd said it would be a great adventure, and since it was summer, and no school, they could sleep outside and it would be just like camping out.

But Todd was a realist. He knew if Ernest went with him that pretty soon questions would be asked, and when Ernest's parents learned the awful truth about why he was thrown out, well...that wouldn't be good. Little did he know, Ernest's parents would have not been in the least bit bothered by this turn of events and would have eagerly welcomed him into their home.

But such are the lessons of life. We all make bad choices occasionally, and not asking for help was not the first one Todd had made, nor would it be the last.

"Hey, you okay?" Micky O'Donnell said sitting down next to Todd on the worn couch in the TV room.

"Yeah, I tried that once. Didn't work. My head got all jumbled up and I passed out," the red haired ginger joked.

Todd smiled. Of all the boys here, Micky was the best to be around when you were feeling down. It was as if nothing ever got him down, and he knew just the right thing to say to lift anyone's spirits.

"I heard they were having trouble getting funding for this year's Christmas Eve party," Todd said as casually as if he were talking about the weather.

"Yeah, well...someone will come through at the last minute, they always do. They won't let us starve, and even if all we get are some socks for presents, it will be better than being on the street."

"I know," Todd sighed. Then turning to smile at his friend, he added, "how come you're always so upbeat and optimistic?"

"I dunno, always have been. Even when my folks sent me to live with my aunt and uncle, I saw that as an opportunity, not a punishment."

"What? Oh, no, much worse. Uncle Ted had roaming hands and rushing fingers, if you know what I mean," he chuckled, "I spent most of my time avoiding him and fighting to keep my virginity."

"Total lush, drank all the time and passed out as soon as dinner was over. That's when Uncle Ted started his assault."

"At least I never had to put up with that," Todd sighed, "so, how'd you wind up here?"

"I finally had enough of my uncle and stabbed him in the ass with a steak knife," the boy said grinning, "didn't want to kill him, just get his attention. Unfortunately, he took it personally and had me arrested, and well...mom and dad didn't want me, so I wound up here."

"Good for you, stabbing him, I mean. I bet he thinks twice before trying that shit again."

"Well, actually, he died a while back. Not from my knife wound, in a car wreck, Aunt Edna, too."

"Nope, I was spared that. A kind judge gave me probation and sent me here, where I could learn how to (air quotes) make better decisions."

Todd chuckled, "Yeah, lucky us. But truthfully, it's not so bad here. Living on the streets sucks big time."

"I bet, did you sell your pretty ass to stay alive?" Micky asked, knowing the answer already.

"No, I told you that before. I never even let any old pervs feel me up, but I could have, a dozen times. I was...too proud, I guess, or maybe just not desperate enough. Who knows, if I'd stayed out there long enough I might have."

"Am not, I'm a freak. With pink skin and freckles," Micky said, but he was just fishing for compliments. He actually had very good self esteem.

"Pffttt, right. If this were a coed facility you'd have to fight the girls off with a stick."

"So you say, but I've never seen you even so much as look at any of the other boys, not even in the showers."

"Oh, I look, I'm just...discrete. I don't want some kid tattling to the house parent that I was perving on them."

"Yeah, I know I have a fabulous bod," Todd chuckled. Actually, he considered himself average in most ways, but he'd been told he was cute, and he had no reason to doubt that.

"Al, yeah...def. That dark hair, those eyes, that bod...and he's pretty well hung for a 13-year-old."

"He's straight, though," Micky sighed, "I've actually talked with him, one on one before, and found out some interesting things."

"That he was in a foster home at first, but there was this older girl there, and well...they got caught fitting their naughty parts together, and to keep the girl from getting into trouble, everyone agreed that they'd just say it wasn't working out with him and they sent him here."

"That sucks, but I can kind of see why that might happen. I mean, they're not actually brothers and sisters, so it would be tempting to mess around, I guess."

"Yeah, the difference is: when it's boys and boys no one gets all bent out of shape like they do when it's mixed sexes."

"I dunno, some fosters are okay, I guess, but some are just in it for the money and don't give a shit about the kids."

"Yeah, while you're at it, dream that someone will adopt our sorry teenage asses."

The days passed, and in the office of Dr. Leonard Hardesty, the man sat at his desk staring out the small window that overlooked the parking lot of the group home and sighed. His phone rang, but he ignored it for the first three rings before finally answering it.

"Dr. Hardesty," he said softly, then waited for a reply, "Yes, I'm well aware of that, sir, but I really don't want to disappoint the boys. I know, but there's still a week, and I'm hopeful we'll be able to get enough donations in time for the party. Yes, sir...I'll keep you informed. Thank you. Yes, I'll give her my love. Goodbye now."

Dr. Hardesty sighed, he was hopeful, but, like Todd, he was a realist, and the odds of raising several thousand dollars by next Monday were slim. But no matter what the amount they would raise, he'd do his best to stretch it as far as it would go to ensure the boys had a good Christmas.

Not far away, Jeff Miller also sat in his office, though his one was much different than Dr. Hardesty's. His desk was handmade from the finest wood, a smoked glass top protecting the shiny desktop surface. His leather desk chair was ergonomically designed to offer lumbar support and to allow him to spend long hours there, and had cost almost two thousand dollars. The rest of the room was fashionably and expensively furnished as well, with a built in kitchenette and his own private bath to the side.

Across from him sat 22 year-old Dan Wheeler, who was leaning forward in one of the two upholstered chairs placed in front of the huge desk, his legs jiggling with nervousness as he waited for Mr. Miller to speak. In Mr. Miller's hand was a folder which he was rifling through, his face unreadable as he scanned the documents it held.

"Yes...um, sir. I've checked all the records clear back to the county where your, umm...nephew was born."

Jeff Miller hadn't seen his sister since he'd left home at age 19 and went off into the world to make his fortune. He'd survived and thrived and done just that, and had never once had any inclination to return to his place of birth, or to see his family again.

Oh, it wasn't that he and his sister didn't get along, they'd had the typical brother/sister relationship, but Becky was a reminder of the life he'd left behind and he found it easier not to have her in his life. As for his parents, he hated them, always had. Yes, that was an awful thing for a boy-turned-man, to say about his parents, but it was as true then as it was now. And even death hadn't changed that. Both were dead now, and he had not attended either funeral. In fact, the only reminder of their death was the notation in his phone calendar, an entry for each. He's dead, She's dead.

"She's living here in the city, now married to a man named Graylen Holbrook. Mr. Holbrook is currently employed at one of the two Amazon warehouses in town. Your sister is a stylist at La Chic Hair Salon on Newbury street."

"And the boy...my nephew, is now in a group home?" Jeff Miller asked with no emotion, "how did this occur?"

"Details are sketchy, but as best as we can determine, Mr. Holbrook had always resented the boy, and about 18 months ago the boy left home, and for about a year there was no sign of him. Eventually, he fell into the hands of the local police after an altercation in the mall with some older boys, and the police turned him over to DHS. He was cleared of all wrongdoing in the incident and became a ward of the state at that point."

Dan was nervous as he formulated how best to lay this news on his employer. He wasn't sure how the man would react, and despite that old saying, 'don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger,' he was afraid Mr. Miller didn't always follow the rules.

"When approached by DHS, they...um, that is, they said the boy had ran away, but when asked why they hadn't reported it, they had no good answer for that. Since it's illegal in this state to abandon a child before they are at least 16, the DA wanted to press charges, but apparently a compromise was reached."

"And..." Mr. Miller said, finally looking up, his eyes as cold and glassy as ice.

"In exchange for not filing charges, your sister signed away her parental rights, and now your nephew is a ward of the State."

"Yes sir," the young man said, surprised his employer even knew his name. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? he wondered.

"You're welcome, sir. I have included all the contact information in the report, including that of the group home where your Nephew is residing. I didn't personally interview...um, Todd, but I am told he is healthy and doing well at the home."

"All right. Thank you again. You may go now," Mr. Miller said, and Dan stood immediately, glad to be dismissed at last.

"Oh, and Dan, relax a little, okay? You did a great job and I appreciate it. Tell your supervisor, Mr. Shelby, that I said so."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir. If I can be of any further assistance, just let me know..." he felt stupid saying that. Of course he would call him if he needed anything. That was what he was here for: to do the boss's bidding.

Jeff turned to the window and gazed out at the city. His office was on the corner, ten stories high, and from this vantage point he could see the river park, and most of the city. It was an inspiring view, but despite his wealth and his power, lately he'd come to realize that there was something missing from his life. What it was still escaped him, but he was working on it, and maybe this thing with his nephew was part of it.

As a boy, Jeff had never really felt close to either of his parents. They'd been harsh and cold people, both of them, though they had treated his sister Becky somewhat differently. His father was ex military and ten years older than his mom, who had married him when she was only 20. Jeff had been born five years later, then two years later Becky came along. But they'd never really been a family, and from the time Jeff was able to formulate such thoughts, all he wanted was to get away from them and make a life of his own.

A life, but not a family. If his family was any indication of what a family was like, he wanted no part of it. Oh, sure, he'd dated women, and while he found the sex pleasurable, the demands of his emotions by women soon turned him off to them. So, next he tried men, and was pleased to find that most gay men were only looking for sex, and that emotions were seldom involved. That was until he met Marvin Casey, a twenty one year old God of a boy who'd stolen his heart away.

Unfortunately, Marvin was unattainable, and though the sex was amazing, Jeff wanted more. However, Marvin made it clear that he was not interested in a boyfriend and finally stopped seeing Jeff altogether. At first Jeff was devastated. Marvin was his first love, and first loves are powerful, and typically set the tone for all loves to follow. Only in Jeff's place, no other loves followed.

Marvin's rejection left Jeff cold and angry and he vowed to never love anyone again. Instead, he put everything into his career and was soon rising to the top of his profession. He had a real knack for anything concerning money, and by living frugally he managed to save enough to begin his own business, parlaying it into an empire in just ten years. Today Miller Imports did over 50 billion in sales, had locations throughout the US, and a headquarters in China where most of their products came from.

But despite all the fame and fortune, he was not a happy man. Picking up the folder he opened it and pulled out the photograph Dan had included in the report. It showed a happy smiling teen boy with hair the color of his own and green eyes, just like his. The boy looked almost like he did when he was that age, though the smile was a sharp contrast to the scowl he wore most of the time, even as a boy.

"Todd..." he said wrinkling his nose, "not the greatest name, but typical of my sister, I suppose. Or...was it perhaps your father who named you," he said thoughtfully. He'd been sent a wedding invitation when his sister had married her first husband, but he'd declined the offer and sent a gift instead. One of his import items, very popular, a bread machine. He'd received a thank you card weeks later and that was that. He forgot them, and apparently they forgot him. In fact, he hadn't learned that his sister had given birth to a boy till the boy was nine years old and his father was ill.

His sister had written him then, begging for help, saying that her husband was ill and unable to work and they were desperate for money. Jeff might not have been the best big brother in the world, but he wasn't heartless. He had plenty of money, and he made sure his sister and her son were well cared for right up until her husband died. Apparently he'd had a rather large insurance policy and his sister had written to tell him he could stop sending the checks he'd been sending each month. And that was the last he'd heard of her until now.

He'd been surprised when the phone call came one cold November evening. Always before his sister had written or texted him, and despite having not heard her voice for over ten years, he recognized it immediately.

She'd told him about Todd then, and intimated to him that she was worried about the boy, but afraid to tell her husband because it was a touchy subject with him. She knew it was wrong to have thrown him out, but Graylen was in charge of everything in her life, and she felt powerless to do anything about it. She'd cried, asking him for advice, and Jeff had said he would see what he could find out. And that was that. She seemed satisfied and ended the call shortly afterwards and he hadn't heard from her since. He'd considered calling her, but again his stubbornness kept him from doing so. However, he was a man of his word, and that was how Dan wound up doing the investigation.

Jeff knew Dan was young and inexperienced, but he'd heard good things from his supervisor and he was assured that Dan was trustworthy and would be discreet. And he had not been wrong. The young man had done an exemplary job and Dan saw the boy going far if he stuck with the company.

Picking up the phone on his desk, he buzzed his secretary who sat just outside his office door, "Marylin, do I have anything on my schedule today? Good, I'm going to be out of the office the rest of the day. If it's important forward it to my cell, otherwise I trust you will handle it," he chuckled. Marylin was the best. She knew the business almost as well as he did, and could usually put out any fires that popped up without his even being aware of them.

Using the side door that led to the hallway instead of the one passing by Marylin's desk, he waited for the elevator and was pleased to find that he shared it with no one. It was awkward sometimes to ride with his employees, who either were too intimidated to speak, or who rambled on with gibberish.

The elevator dinged as it reached the ground floor and Jeff waved to the guard at the desk then went through the revolving door, where he greeted Hector, the doorman.

"Yes, Mr. Miller, sir," the fifty something Hispanic man said with a warm smile. Then pulling out his cell phone he made a call, and a few minutes later Jeff's BMW pulled up to the curb. A young man in his 20's climbed out and walked over, leaving the engine running.

Jeff reached for his wallet, ready to tip the two, but both assured him that wasn't necessary. Jeff just smiled, well, there was always the annual Christmas bonus, he'd just hike it up a bit, maybe 50 bucks. For despite his reputation, Jeff was actually a very generous man, and a good man to work for.

Jeff got in his car and opened the folder one more time to find the address of the group home, then entered it into his GPS unit. He was surprised to find that the home was only about seven miles away, near the river, and easily accessible by expressway.

Traffic was light and it only took about ten minutes to make the seven mile trip, but when he exited the expressway he began to have second thoughts about going there. His nephew was not his responsibility. His own sister had given up on him, so he must be a bad kid. But then there was the thing about his sexual tendencies. Did they mean he was gay, and was that why they kicked him to the curb? What was the big deal with that anyway? he wondered. Parents don't need to know who their kids are doing it with. That's the kids' business and no one else's. He laughed bitterly then as he thought about his own parents. Boy wouldn't they have loved for him to come out gay, then they'd had one more thing to hate him for. This thought convinced him he was doing the right thing, and he was now fully committed to seeing it through.

Grace, the lady at the front desk eyed Jeff curiously. He was dressed in a thousand dollar suit, 500 dollar tie, and looked freshly manicured and pampered. A lawyer, maybe, she guessed.

"I need to speak to someone in charge..." Jeff said giving her his best, phony but believable smile.

That would be Dr. Hardesty, one moment please," Martha said as she picked up the phone.

"Dr. Hardesty will be here in a moment. Can I offer you something to drink, coffee, a soda, water?"

Dr. Hardesty came through a set of double doors then, and seeing Jeff standing there he put on a smile and offered his hand to shake. Jeff Miller took the offered hand and gave it a firm, but gentle grip and Dr. Hardesty returned it in kind.

"My name is Jeff Miller, and I'd like to talk to you, in private, if we may," Jeff said finally releasing the Doctor's hand.

"Of course, right this way. We can talk in my office," the Dr. said leading the man in the opposite direction he'd came from and into a small but cozy office near the entrance.

"No, no, I'm fine," Jeff said easing into a worn but comfortable chair across the desk from Dr. Hardesty.

"Jeff, please," Jeff said smiling, "I'm Mr. Miller to too many people as it is."

"This is rather difficult for me to talk about. More difficult than I'd have believed possible. I talk with people everyday, all over the country, and even a few overseas, but I've never been this nervous."

"Miller, Jeff Miller," Dr. Hardesty said finally putting two and two together, "you're that Jeff Miller, the Import King?"

"Well, that's one of my nicknames, though there are others not so nice," Jeff joked.

Oh please, oh please, Dr. Hardesty silently prayed, let him be here about a huge donation.

"Where to begin..." he muttered to himself, then looking up he said, "do you have a boy here named Todd Clark? About 14...brown hair, green eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jeff, but I'm not at liberty to disclose the identities of our boys unless we have good reason. What is your interest in this Todd Clark, if indeed he is here?"

"Mother, Rebeca Miller, then Rebeca Clark, and lastly Rebeca Holbrook. Son, Todd Clark, because his step father never legally adopted him, and apparently threw him out like yesterday's garbage because he caught him looking at porn or something stupid. Something all boys do."

Jeff suddenly tossed the folder on the desk, the folder that Dr. Hardesty hadn't noticed till now.

"In there is an investigation I had conducted to find out what happened to my nephew. So, you see I already know Todd is here and how he came to be here. So, you can relax a little."

Dr. Hardesty looked through the folder, finally stopping at the 5X7 photo of the smiling happy boy, presumably taken before his world fell apart.

"And what are your intentions concerning your nephew?" Dr. Hardesty said, sounding a bit harsh.

"What? Intentions? I...I don't know, I mean...I only just found out all this today..."

"And what was your reason to come here? To confirm this was true, or to help him in some way? Before you answer, let me tell you why I'm asking. The last thing Todd needs right now is someone giving him hope that can't be fulfilled. If you don't plan on helping him long term, then it would be best to leave well enough alone."

"I didn't say that. But look at this from his perspective. He was kicked out of his home. He lived on the streets for almost a year and wound up here only through the grace of God. Where were you then?"

"I...I didn't know. I just...I figured he was fine...with my sister and her husband. I didn't know..."

"So, you and your sister didn't communicate regularly?" Dr. Hardesty said looking confused.

"I...I...we weren't, aren't close. The only time she ever called me was when she needed money."

Dr. Hardesty sighed, "And you're aware that she and her husband have given up parental rights for Todd?"

"How, indeed?" Dr. Hardesty said, "are you prepared to adopt Todd and make a home for him, or are you talking about making sure he has a nice gift for his birthday and Christmas?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead, but I'm not prepared to take care of a teenage kid. I'm not even married, and I work a lot..."

"What? Yes, there must be something. Can't you get him adopted or something. I could pay the adoption fees, or help the new family provide for him..."

"I'll be frank, Jeff. Once a child reaches a certain age, their chances for adoption dwindle with each passing year. And when a child becomes a teenager their odds decline even further. Terrible Teens and all that."

"Yes, it is, but that's the way it is. Most adoptive families want a baby, or at least a child young enough to have no...baggage, as they say."

"Yes, it goes without saying. However, there are sometimes exceptions, and Todd is a wonderful and well adjusted boy despite all that he's been through. I just don't want to see him get hurt. Right now he's adjusted well to the home, has made friends and seems happy."

"No, as a relative you have a right to see him, if he agrees, that is. But...I want you to consider all that I have said. A visit might seem like the right thing to do, but think about how it will affect him. Will he expect more from you than you can give?"

"I hadn't thought about that. Thank you for pointing that out. I guess I need to think about all this some more. Meanwhile, is there anything I can do to help him without him knowing about me, yet?"

"Yes..." Dr. Hardesty said grinning, "you see, each year we have a Christmas Eve party for the boys..."

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Todd's Christmas Surprise

by Rob Warr

Chapter 1