fandomtownies | The Emporium is open -- Tuesday

Michael flipped the sign from "closed" to "open" and sat down behind the counter with a sigh. Even though Christmas was swiftly approaching, he was down in the dumps. Tara and Shane had left, Tobias was at the vet...his adopted family had shrunk considerably. And then there was Ben, who had gotten shorted by his secret santa (not that Ben, being Ben, would ever complain), and the stuff Michael had ordered for Christmas for him hadn't arrived yet either. Ben wouldn't care -- he'd say he had everything he needed, etc. -- but that wouldn't keep Michael from feeling like he'd failed.