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Michael turns from the landscape and looks out to find Belinda’s large face smiling at him.

“Where am I?” Michael asks and Belinda claps her hands together and smiles.

“You are the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Michael!” Belinda says and Michael looks down to find a cartoon dog running around his feet.

“I’m in a cartoon. So where are you?” Michael asks the giant face with twinkling eyes.

“I am in your apartment watching the show. Look down to Who-ville.” Belinda says and Michael shakes his head.

“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Michael says as his anger builds and Belinda shakes her head.

“Michael… right down there… in the valley. Tonight you will go, on Christmas Eve and take all their gifts away. You have to make your Santa Claus outfit. Better hurry.” Belinda says and Michael stares at her as she sits down on his couch and starts to eat popcorn. She pulls a black shirt out and rubs her greasy hands into it.

“THAT’S MY BEST BLACK SHIRT!” Michael screams as his body is lifted and placed on a sleigh. The dog has funny sticks stuck to his head, but he can not run in front of the sleigh. Soon, Michael finds the dog on the back of the sleigh.

“Commercial break!” Belinda calls out and Michael looks around, but nothing happens. She smiles in amusement.

“I guess not. Better go to that house there, Michael. Little Nikita-who lives there.” Belinda says and Michael stares at her.

“WHO?” Michael asks and Belinda giggles again.

“They are all Who’s, Michael. But this one…. I think you will see something in her.” Belinda says and Michael jumps down the chimney. He gets momentarily stuck but continues down the chimney.

Michael almost cracks a smile as he goes through the motions of taking away Christmas. He is glad to clear the food out of the refrigerator. None of that food was healthy either way. He felt joy in taking down the decorations and then trying to force the Christmas tree up the chimney.

“Santa Claus, why are you taking our tree?” A little voice says from behind him. Michael turns around to find Nikita’s face on the cartoon drawing of a two-year-old who. Michael looks as she hands him an ornament that had rolled to her bed.

“Well, see little Nikita-who… there is a light bulb on the tree that is burn out. I am going to take it to my workshop and fix it, and bring it back.” Michael says and he stops and listens to himself.

“But, Santa, will it be back in the morning.” Nikita-who asks and Michael nods his head.

“Oh of course, my little Nikita-who.” Michael says as he moves to the kitchen and retrieves some water for Nikita-who and sends her back to bed. Michael stands in the bedroom, watching the Nikita-who sleep. She did not know that the tree would be gone and gone forever. She trusted him and easily went to bed. He had disappointed the Nikita-who, just like he did the real Nikita.

“Michael! Get a move on it! The Grinch has to destroy Christmas before they wake up!” Belinda says and Michael stares back at her.

“I don’t want to destroy Christmas for everyone. I just don’t want to be a part of Christmas myself!” Michael calls out and Belinda shakes her head.

“You can’t be a part of someone’s life if you don’t want to be a part of their celebrations, Michael! Christmas is not just one day a year; it is a state of mind. You have lost that state of mind, Michael. Now, take those presents to the mountain and dump them away.” Belinda says as she taps on the television screen.

“No.” Michael says as the dog runs around his feet and he looks at the huge sleigh, filled to the top.

“I will get another black shirt to rub my hands in!” Belinda says as she moves away and Michael begins to climb up the huge pile of bags that contained gifts, food, trees, and other assorted holiday goodies.

“Michael.. There is the mountain.. You are going to destroy Christmas.” Belinda calls out as she slaps her hand against the television. Michael looks and then looks down at the valley. He looks at the house on the right. The house of little Nikita-who.

Michael closes his eyes. He remembers what he saw at Nikita’s apartment while he was with Rene. He was hurting her this Christmas. He still did not want to admit it. He knew when he turned her down that first Christmas, that it hurt her. It was what he was suppose to do. Michael looks down at the village and the sleigh continues to travel up the mountain.

“Michael! Remember her face, you grinch!” Belinda calls out and Michael closes his eyes at the statement. Nikita had called him that. And now he was. That was what Nikita felt he was capable.

No, he wasn’t capable of it; he was succeeding in doing just that. He was taking Nikita’s hope and riding up a mountain with it to dump it off into the wide-open space. Michael pushes his hair back and looks at his feet.

Michael jumps off the sleigh as it starts to tip over the edge. He started to pull and pull. He did not think he could stop the sleigh from dropping over the edge.

He closed his eyes and he saw Nikita. He looked at her as she placed that first pair of silly sunglasses on her face. He saw Nikita shaking her hair out after taking off the tight ski masks. He saw Nikita padding out of the bathroom in that funny pink robe that he once worn.

“And with that his heart grew.. Three sizes too big!!!!” Belinda proclaims and starts to dance around.

Michael looks at her as he suddenly as the strength to pull the sleigh from the edge and then lift it above his head. It felt light as he turned it around and started down the mountain.

Michael felt joy as he slides back down towards the village. Suddenly, it hits a bump and Michael lands hard.

Michael lifts his head and reaches for the Santa Claus hat, to find it not there. He opens his eyes and finds Belinda places her hands on his face.

“Are you ok?” Belinda asks and Michael shakes his head. He turns to the television and sees that it has been turned off. He turns back to where Belinda was standing, only to find her gone.

Michael slowly stands up and walks back to the cabinet. He pulls the door open and pulls out another bottle. He remembers Belinda saying that she had replaced it all with apple juice. Michael swings his arm back and quickly finds out by the burning sensation, that it was all a dream, AGAIN.

Michael turns and walks back to the bedroom. He really needed to get some sleep. His eyes were closed before he even hit the pillow.

“Hello, Michael.” Simone says as she bends over and pushes the wild curls of his hair back behind his ear. He leans his head into her palm and she pulls away.

“Simone.” Michael whispers out. He sits up and looks at her. She was dressed in white. Michael looks at her and then shakes his head as he thinks about how good Nikita looks in white.

“Is this a dream?” Michael asks softly and Simone shakes her slender neck back and forth in the no manner.

“It is neither reality or dream. It is somewhere in between. It is a place that you and I can be.” Simone softly says as Michael moves his legs to stand up.

“Are you an angel?” Michael asks softly.

“No.” Simone says simply as she smiles at Michael’s stark confusion.

“Are you a ghost?” Michael asks and Simone laughs louder. She leans her head back and exposes the light flesh of her neck.

“Michael.. Have you forgotten what has occurred this night? I am the ghost of Christmas’s yet to be.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head.

“No. You can’t. The ghost of Christmas’ future is never good. Evil.” Michael says and Simone laughs.

“Oh, Michael. How you let all the wrong people guide your mind.” Simone says as she touches his chin.

“Simone. I have missed you.” Michael says as he steps forward and wraps his arms around her body. He closes his eyes and embraces her.

“Michael.” Simone says, but her voice is from a distance. Michael opens his eyes and finds that he is hugging air. He turns and sees Simone over by his bed.

“I am not here for a reunion. I am here to save you.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head.

“I don’t want saved. I want to be with you.” Michael says and Simone again lets out a louder laugh than she would have allowed out in her real life.

“Michael… I am your past, and I am here to show you the future that will continue if you do not realize that I am your past.” Simone says passionately. Michael shakes his head.

“There is only you.” Michael says and Simone smiles and it oddly reminds Michael of Madeline’s smile.

“For me.. There is only you, Michael. But your heart…. It is meant for another being. Not I.” Simone says as she even sheds a tear at the thought.

“No…. Only you.” Michael says and Simone looks down into his eyes.

“Even you know that you just lied. My rule in your life was to ready your soul to let in the real light. You have to accept Michael… or it will destroy you and her.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head.

“I love you.” Michael says and Simone smiles and nods her head.

“Yes, you do. But not as you do for your Nikita.” Simone says and Michael sits down on his bed. He still is on the edges of grasping it. Simone sits down beside him and takes his hand softly into hers

“I am not your love.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head with tears rolling down his face.

“I am not your dream.” Simone says. She extends her hand and cups Michael’s wet chin.

“I am not for you, Michael. No electricity. No magic. Not me.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head still. Simone stands up and gives Michael a large sigh.

“Then you leave me no option. Come with me, Michael.” Simone says as she pulls at Michael’s hand softly. Michael stands up and looks at her. She smiles and moves slowly, knowing that Michael will still follow.

“This way. You’ll want to see this.” Simone says softly and Michael follows. It is quiet and Michael looks around. It seemed like it was the years that he spent with Simone. Michael smiles softly. Those times were easy.

Michael stops as Simone stops and looks at Birkoff. He was easily five years older, and sat at the computer and looked up at the glass window.

“Birkoff.” Simone says and Michael turns and looks. Birkoff stands up and pulls out a gun. Michael looks at Simone and she only points back to Birkoff.

“You have been ordered cancelled.” Birkoff says to an incoming operative. He points the gun and pulls the trigger. The man falls back and Michael looks on in horror.

“That is not Birkoff!” Michael calls out. Simone lonely raises an eyebrow and nods her head.

“Yes it is. That was what will happen to Birkoff when… well… let’s continue on.” Simone says and Michael turns and looks towards the weapon’s bay. Michael stops and stares at the older brown haired woman.

“Where is Walter? Is that his new interest?” Michael asks and Simone looks up at Michael.

“Do you want to see where Walter is?” Simone asks and Michael looks at her. She throws a white cloth over Michael’s face and then pulls it away.

“His body can not take much more testing.” A voice is heard from behind a glass wall. Michael looks at the older man and looks at Simone. He is strapped to a table and has tubes and machines linked to every part of him.

“Testing?” Michael asks and Simone nods her head.

“With the use of Walter’s body, Section will try new poisons, try unsuccessfully some AIDS vaccines, and other things.” Simone says and Michael stares at her.

“And what did he do to get in such a program?” Michael asks and Simone looks to Michael’s green eyes.

“He volunteered.” Simone says as the doors in the room shut tightly.

“Testing Ebola Vaccine ZX3789-B” a recorded voice says and Simone looks at Michael.

“That breath will be his last.” Simone says as she throws the cloth over Michael’s face again.

Michael looks as he sees Madeline’s office. He swallows and looks at Madeline. There are three men on a bed in the middle of the room.

“Is this Madeline’s doing?” Michael asks and Simone shakes her head.

“It had been arranged by Operations. He thinks she should do some more training of men… but they do not respect her. She no longer has power.” Simone says and Michael shakes his head.

“Why?” Michael asks and Simone looks at Michael’s green eyes.

“Do you really want to see?” Simone asks and Michael nods his head. He had a notion of what Simone was going to show her. It was the classic plot line of a Christmas Carol. Michael watches at the door opened from Madeline’s office. Michael steps with Simone and stops as the grave marker arises.