This is for the Christmas Story challenge.  It takes place after my two
previous stories (refer to Vachon Web page).  You don't have to read the
first two to get this one, but it does explain the actions and emotions
of the characters.  Enjoy and let me hear from you reference comments,
etc.  I would love to know what you think of it.
***************************
"Promises Made, Promises Kept" Part 1/?

Tracy braced herself against the wind as she rushed from the warmth of
her car in the frigid chill of the Toronto night air.  Reaching the
restaurant door, she hastily pulled it open and was instantly grateful
for the rush of warm air that greeted her as she entered the lobby.

Checking her watch she noted that she was right on time.  She scanned the
crowd for her father, but didn't see him seated at his regular table.
For five years now she had had a standing 'date' with the Commissioner
every Christmas Eve.  Eight o'clock sharp at Michael's.

Pulling her coat off she found herself longing for the old days when her
parents were together.  A time when she didn't have to divide  her
holidays in two.   There was always the inevitable 'tug o' war' between
parents, one always accusing the other of monopolizing more of her time.
She really wondered who was the parent and who was the child.

"Tracy, I see we are to have the pleasure of your company again this
year."

Turning, she was greeted by the always pleasant smile of the owner;
Michael LeMeux.  He was an old friend of her fathers', and had known her
since she was a little girl.  When her father was just starting out in
the department , Michael's had been on his 'beat'.  They dad become fast
friends and Michael had come to know Tracy almost as well as he knew her
father.

She hugged him tightly, "Merry Christmas, Michael."

"Merry Christmas to you," he responded, returning the embrace.

"Come, let me take you to your table," he insisted, taking her arm and
leading her to the back of the room.  "Your father phoned a little while
ago and said he was running late.  We are to take care of your every need
until he arrives."

Reaching the table he pulled the chair out for her and handed her the
menu.  "The chardonnay is especially good tonight.  Would you care for a
glass?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you."

He turned from her and motioned to a young waiter.  Her wine arrived
shortly thereafter and she settled in to wait for her father.

*****************

As she was working on her third glass of chardonnay, she saw Michael
heading for her table with the portable phone in hand.

It was her father.  She didn't know whether it was the effects of the
wine, or her total apathy towards the whole shared parenting system in
general that numbed her reaction to his words.  He couldn't make it, he
had a stack of paperwork in front of him that had to be completed before
the New Year.

//Blah, blah, blah.  Put it on a CD and play it because it's the same
old, same old// she thought sarcastically.

In the end, however, she found herself accepting his apologies.  She just
couldn't muster the indignation anymore.  Her father was her father and
he would never change his priorities.

Michael took the phone from her and tried his best to make her feel
better.  "He really does love you, you know."

"I know, it's just that it seems we're never on the same page.  Maybe
it's meant to be that way, I don't know," she exhaled.  "Well, how much
do I owe you for the wine?" she continued.

"Please, I wouldn't dream of taking your money for a few glasses of
wine," he replied.  "But I will accept your promise to come by sometime
soon, very soon, and let me treat you tan exceptional meal.  On the
house, of course."

Wordlessly she rose from her seat and hugged him.  He always had a way of
making her feel special; loved.  Something her own father had not made
her feel in years.  Pulling back she thanked him and made her way to the
lobby to retrieve her coat.

Once again she found herself outside fighting the wind to her car. She
started the engine and sat for a while, letting the heat warm the
interior.  It was then that she realized that it was indeed Christmas Eve
and she had nowhere to go.

//Vachon?//  No, she had told him she had plans with her father and
wouldn't be back until at least eleven o'clock.  He was probably at the
Raven and there was no way she was going in there.  She checked her
watch.  Eight forty five.  //What am I going to do for two hours?//

//Nick?//  No, he was at the loft with Natalie.  He usually didn't
celebrate Christmas, but this year he was like a kid in a candy store.
Tracy would have liked to have taken credit for his sudden burst of
yuletide enthusiasm.  After all, she was the one who usually decorated
the squad room.  Nick, or Mr. Scrooge, as his work mates had dubbed him,
had always resisted her attempts to draw him into the spirit of the
season, that is until now.

Two weeks ago he came to her asking for her advice.  He took her to an
exclusive jeweler downtown and showed her a magnificent diamond and ruby
bracelet that he had picked out for Natalie.  He was obviously excited
about the prospect of surprising  her with it, explaining that they had
only exchanged inexpensive gifts in years past as Natalie knew he was not
really into the whole Christmas thing.  But he wanted this year to be
special for both of them.

They had really been working on their relationship in the past several
months.  Tracy didn't like to pry but it was obvious,  from what little
Nick had told her, that they had become very close and had gotten past
the 'vampire vs. mortal' element in their sexual relationship. He was
happier than she had ever seen him.  In fact, he was so happy that he was
getting on her nerves at times.

Like when they went to the jewelers.  Nick thanked her repeatedly for
coming with him.  He thanked her in the car on the way there.  He thanked
her when she approved of the bracelet in the store.  He thanked her as
they were coming out of the store.  She finally had to ask him, politely
of course, to stop.

He ground to a halt in the parking lot and looked at her, unaware of what
he had done to offend her.  She finally had to tell him that there was
such a thing as overdoing the Christmas cheer.  That maybe, just maybe,
she preferred Mr. Scrooge to his present euphoria.  He got that 'hurt
puppy' look on his face and she just couldn't help but burst into a fit
of laughter.  Seeing her laughing he finally realized that she was only
kidding and he found himself laughing right along with her.

When they finally pulled themselves together, he told her he hadn't had
that good of a laugh in at least 400 years.  This started another bout of
laughter.  By the time they got to the station they couldn't look at one
another for the rest of the night without snickering.  It was then that
she realized that all of the barriers between them were down.  No more
secrets.  It was a very special moment for both of them.

Shaking her head she put her car into 'drive' and headed towards her
apartment.
********************************************************************************
 *

End Part 1/?

"Promises Made, Promises Kept" Part 2/2

******************************************************************
"Promises Made, Promises Kept" Part 2/2

**********************************

It was a beautiful night for a wedding.  The moon was out, the air was
crisp and clear with just a hint of pine wafting in the light breeze.

Tracy exited the limo with Natalie right behind her, grabbing the train
of her bridal gown to keep it from dragging on the ground.  Her father
was at the top step of the church waiting for her in his evening wear.

"You look beautiful, Tracy," he beamed.  Taking her arm he led her to the
foyer of the church to await the music that would send them down the
aisle.

"Everyone's in place," Natalie murmured, returning from a quick peek into
the church.  She leaned in closer and whispered to Tracy, "Vachon and
Nick look fantastic in black tails.  I might have to postpone the rental
return for a few days," she laughed.

Just then the organist began the Wedding March.  Everyone snapped to
attention and found their place.

"This is it," Natalie smiled, as she went through the doors.

Tracy caught a glimpse of Vachon and Nick as the doors swung shut.
//Natalie was right, they do look good// she thought.  In the next
instant the ushers pulled the doors wide and Tracy could feel her
father's grip tighten on her arm as they started down the aisle.

She felt as though she were floating, like time was suspended for that
brief few moments as she walked towards the man who had so changed her
life.  She found that she couldn't take her eyes from him.  He was
smiling and holding his hand out to her, welcoming her into his life.  It
was all she ever wanted.....

//What is that pounding sound?//

Tracy opened her eyes.  She was in her apartment laying on her couch.  A
half finished cup of tea was on the coffee table and the TV was playing
the muted version of "It's A Wonderful Life".  She sat up rubbing her
eyes and fighting that sinking feeling that comes from having a truly
awesome dream only to wake up and realize that it was, in fact, just a
dream.

The knocking started again.  //Who would be coming by on Christmas Eve?
At.....// she checked her watch//eleven thirty.//  Pulling herself up
from the couch she stumbled to the door and looked through the peep hole.
 All she could make out was the color green.

"Who's there?"

"It's the ghost of Christmas Future," the voice returned.

She unlocked the door and yanked it open.  It was Vachon, and he wasn't
empty handed.  He had a Christmas tree and what looked like several boxes
of decorations with him.  She wasn't even going to ask where he got them,
or how he managed to get it all into her hallway.

"What's all this?" she asked, as he began depositing the boxes inside.

"Just a little something to get you into the holiday mood," he told her,
dragging the tree inside and kicking the door shut behind him.

 "Where do you me to put it?"

She smiled, cocking her eyebrow up at him suggestively.

"I was referring to the tree," he smiled back.  "At least for right now,
that is."

"All right, why don't you try it over by the slider?"

He pulled it to the area just to the right of her sliding glass door.  It
was not a very big tree but it filled the space nicely.  Satisfied with
the area it was in, Vachon pulled the tree stand out from one of the
boxes and began setting it up.

"You're just full of surprises tonight," she joked, hugging him from
behind as he crouched over the tree.

"Well, I know you didn't have time to get your own tree.  And since it is
almost officially Christmas, I thought I would be a nice guy and help you
out," he responded, turning and pulling her onto his lap.  "Besides, I
expect you'll be so grateful for all of this that you'll want to find
some way to reciprocate."

"I think I can come up with something that you would consider
satisfactory compensation."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth to his.  He
returned the kiss for several seconds, both of them lost in the moment.

"If we keep going like this, we're never going to finish this tree," he
said, as they parted lips.

"OK, I'll go get some of my ornaments from the closet," she suggested, as
she got to her feet.

He watched her walk towards the closet.  "Nothing perky, OK?"

"What?  I didn't hear what you said," she called over her shoulder.

"Nothing, never mind," he smiled.

When she returned they both spent the next hour decorating the tree.
Tracy was really enjoying herself, she had forgotten how much fun it
could be.

After decorating, they had turned out all of the lights, except the ones
on the tree, and collapsed on the couch together.  Tracy was lying on top
of Vachon, lost in the hypnotic glow of the lights while he slowly rubbed
her back.

"That feels so good," she purred.

"You never told me how your dinner went with your father,"  he asked.  He
could feel her stiffen as he finished the question.

She sat up, pushing herself into the opposite corner of the couch.  "He
couldn't make it."

Her words hung in the air between them.  He knew she was hurt, but he
also knew that she didn't feel comfortable discussing the situation.
Scooting over, he drew her into his arms again.

"I'm OK, really," she assured him.

"I know.  I just wanted to let you know that I'll always be here for you,
Trace."

She eased back to look into his eyes.  "It's because of you that I can
handle this.  I love you, Javier."

He reached over and cradled her chin in his hand.  " I love you too,
Tracy."  He said, bringing her lips to his.

She eagerly returned his kiss, reaching to unbutton his shirt. "You know,
I don't believe I've thanked you for the tree and the decorations yet."

"Wait.  One more surprise," he said, getting up from the couch.  He went
into the bedroom and returned with a large comforter.  Spreading it out
in front of the tree, he invited her to join him.

Several articles of clothing later, they were both nude and encased in
the warmth of the comforter under the Christmas tree.

"I believe when we were on the couch you said something about adequately
thanking me," he hinted, pulling her on top of him.

"Never let it be said that I don't give thanks where thanks are due," she
said, yanking the edges of the comforter over them.  "And I'm in an
especially thankful mood tonight."

"Merry Christmas, Tracy."

"Merry Christmas, Javier."

****************************************************************************

Hope you liked my short Christmas story, happy ending and all.  No beta
reading done on it, as you could probably tell from the first part.  I
invite any and all replies, comments, etc. to me at jmtof@juno.com.  I
almost typed a big "PSYCHE" at the end of the dream sequence.  Something
different to keep you on your toes.  Thanks for the chance to add this to
the Christmas web page.

Jean
A Vaquera At Heart
"And what a screamin' fine ride it is, too"
"You're full of  it, Vachon."