"Did she leave the bed for any reason?"

"To pee, if that's all right with you." Todah glared at his brother.

"What time?" This time it was me pouncing on him and he looked shocked.

"About an hour ago. What's all this about? You don't think the kid is mine do you?"

n.o.body said anything for a moment.

"First of all, I can't reproduce unless I'm in love, and I'm not in love. Remember? You told me the rules of being a vampire, Jimmy. I can't reproduce until after my first full year as a vampire and it's only been three months."

"You said she was a keeper," I reminded him.

Please G.o.d, don't let him want to keep Nonita in the family. It's going to be hard enough getting Tem to accept her at the table for Christmas dinner...

"Well, you know...the s.e.x is pretty hot." He paused. "Don't look at me like that, Tem. But actually, there's another girl I like." He lowered his voice. "That's what I didn't want to say. I met somebody else. She came over for a couple of hours and left around three o'clock...Nonita's like the, ah, second shift, if you want to know the truth. But don't tell her I said that, please..." He looked at me. "She's a little spitfire, isn't she?"

"That's putting it kindly." I could not help smiling. He was a chip off the old Thunder block.

Tem gave me a withering look then turned back to his brother. "Why couldn't the first girl stay?"

"It's Christmas...you know, family visiting. Some old aunt visiting..."

"At three in the morning?"

Todah shrugged. "Hey, I was half asleep. She's been in a weird mood for days...I just wanted to get laid, you know?"

"Oh, callow youth." Clancy gave him a playful belt in the arm and Todah laughed.

Tem looked at me. "Are you sure he can't give or catch any s.e.xually transmitted diseases?" This, from the man who used to f.u.c.k for a living. It was so endearing how protective Tem was of his brother.

"None." I dropped a kiss on Tem's mouth. I couldn't help myself. "The only thing he's spreading is...some good Christmas cheer."

Todah laughed. "Yeah, that's me. s.e.xual Santa."

"Oh. Well in that case, bravo, bro'. So who's coming to Christmas dinner?" Tem asked. "Which one?"

"Nonita."

Tem grimaced. "I can't believe it. I have to cook for that little wretch." He banged around the kitchen, pa.s.sing out cups of coffee and slices of thick, b.u.t.tered Hawaiian bread. We all helped ourselves to chunks of papaya and strawberries drizzled with fresh lime juice. Moontime soon turned up whining for his ahi and everybody's mood brightened with a little sustenance.

Moontime and I got even merrier with a little extra lovin' attention from Tem.

Todah laughed as he sipped his coffee. "Nonita won't be staying that long. She's got her own family dinner to go to...unless you'd like them to come here."

"No!" Tem and I shouted in unison. I could just imagine the scene now...I shuddered involuntarily.

Todah snorted. "Geez, keep your vests on, guys...say, those are some chillin' outfits..."

Tem went back into gift-giving mode. "Wait...I have something for you."

And then the gift opening frenzy began.

The baby slept on as we exchanged wonderful gifts, the girls and Todah thrilled with their leather flying outfits. Nonita came into the living room and perched on the arm of one of the chairs as Tem opened his box under the Christmas tree.

"For me?" He bit his lip. He and the girls oohed and aahed as they lifted layers of the gossamer rice paper. "I love this," Tem murmured. I couldn't wait to see his reaction to the tiara and scepter. "Oh...dear G.o.d. Oh...Div. You didn't. Empress Eugenie's tiara!"

Kalani and Clancy helped him put it on his head and he held the scepter in his hands.

"You are so gay!" Todah screeched, and Nonita just looked jealous. "Where are you going to keep it?"

"On my head." Tem looked indignant as his brother kept laughing. "Where else?" He turned to me. "Oh Div...what...how much you must have paid for these. I can't believe it." He sat on my lap, raining my face with kisses, and I ate up the attention.

"It's absolutely beautiful." Kalani's eyes were riveted. "Those pearls are so luxurious."

"There are two hundred and twelve of them. And...oh, I forget exactly how many diamonds. But almost two thousand of them, right Div?"

I nodded.

"Napoleon had it made for her as part of her marriage parure in 1853," Tem knew the entire history of everything in Blossom's vault. "It was originally a seventeen piece set. And I have two of them! Oh, Div..."

"1853...how odd it would be the same year as the smallpox outbreak here. As our people were dying like flies, somewhere else in the world, beautiful treasures were being created."

"Please let me try it, please let me try it!" Clancy implored, and Tem generously allowed her to put it on her head. He kept a st.u.r.dy grip on the scepter, however, as he remained on my lap. My own s.e.xy, studly vampire man queen.

"You look hot," Kalani told her wife.

Clancy sighed. "You two give the best gifts. I got my violin and Tem got his tiara. I must say, I feel like an empress in this, don't you, Tem?"

"Not anymore. Give it back, please."

"I want to try it." Kalani's face shone as Clancy fitted it on her dark tresses. "Wow..." Fidgeting on her chair, I knew Nonita was dying to try it on but did not want to ask.

"How did you manage to get Blossom to part with it?" Tem kept asking me. I just kept shrugging and kissing him, and at last he very sweetly offered to let Nonita try it on.

"No." Her tone was abrupt. "I have to get going. Todah, please see me out."

"Right now?" Todah wasn't big on undercurrents, that's for sure.

"Humph. Green with envy," Clancy sniffed, as Todah walked her to the door. "n.o.body bought her a tiara. And you know what, she has about the biggest a.r.s.e I ever saw on a woman."

Tem laughed uproariously. He loved when Clancy's Australian side flooded to the surface. "I mean, don't you think, Kalani? Absolutely b.l.o.o.d.y huge!"

"It's not that big," Todah mumbled when he returned.

"Of course it is," Clancy scoffed. "She's one chubby Chihuahua." She popped a wedge of lime into her mouth and tore off the fruit from the rind with dainty, decisive teeth.

"I can't believe how pretty this is...and heavy, too." Kalani held the crown in her hands. "How did you manage to get it away from Blossom?"

"More to the point, how did you manage to keep it a secret from me?" Tem asked. "What else are you hiding inside that wonderful mind of yours?"

"Nothing." He could look and see it was the truth.

He wound his arms around my neck, stroking my head. "Are you ready for your Christmas present, Div?"

Todah was grinning now.

"I already have what I want, right here." I held Tem's body just a little tighter.

"Well, Santa's not through with you yet."

"But I don't want you to move."

Tem laughed. "Clancy honey, can you pa.s.s me the box with the red velvet ribbons, please?"

I wasn't pleased when he slid off my lap, but he kneeled at my feet as I opened the lovely package. I hadn't given a single thought to what he might have bought me. I had been so consumed with having the tiara and scepter evaluated, cleaned, photographed, authenticated and insured and it had been a rewarding mission. Now, as I sensed Tem's eagerness, I knew whatever he had given me he, too, had put a lot of time and effort and secrecy into his mission.

The others sat around grinning as I opened the intricately carved sandalwood box. It was about a foot long, in beautiful condition, but I knew it was very old. The scent of that box alone stopped me. It was the smell of my island, before the trading with the logging ships began.

"Oh, Tem...oh darling. How in the world did you find it?"

"Look inside." He was bursting with excitement now. Our family members all beamed. Clearly, they'd all been in on the secret. I was holding in my hands the one thing I had long coveted. It was a book. A fine art edition of .

Maxine Hong Kingston's Hawaii One Summer. I looked at Tem, wishing we could be alone so I could show him how much I loved him. But I also couldn't wait to open the first page.

"Only one hundred and fifty of these were made, half with this casing...how...where did you get it?"

Tem laughed, delighted by my reaction. "Todah helped me find it. Smell the pages."

I opened the book and put my nose to it. It was indeed a gift to be able to hold this treasure. I carefully turned the pasted, hand wood-blocked rice paper from an old paddy in South Korea. I loved this book and had always wanted to see one of the fine art editions, but never even hoped to own one.

"We found it." Todah looked very proud of himself. "Tem wouldn't let any of us touch it without wearing cotton gloves."

"Yes, I have some in the box." Tem pointed with his scepter.

"Come here." He scrambled back onto my lap and let me give him a little preview of coming attractions.

"Geez, you two, no wonder Nonita got jealous." Todah looked at me. "I think she still has feelings for you, Jimmy."

"I hope not. For your sake."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me, but..." his .

cell phone was ringing and, with a nervous look, he skittered away to take the call in private.

"What's going on with him?" Clancy asked. She leaned toward me and Tem. "I heard loud...discussions coming from his room early this morning. Whoever he was with, left in a huff." She frowned. "I hope he isn't going to be a total jerk with every woman he meets."

I had no desire to discuss my brother-in-law's peccadilloes. I wanted to share a piece of literature that meant the world to me. I opened my book.

"Listen to this...Maxine Hong Kingston's essay on Chinaman's Hat."

"That's that little island way out on the north sh.o.r.e, right?" Clancy asked. "Kalani and I keep meaning to swim out to it."

"Well, after you hear this, you will want to," I a.s.sured her.

We were climbing down to the boat, holding onto the face of the island in the dark, when a howling like wolves, like ghosts, came rising out of the island. 'Birds,' somebody said. 'The wind,' said someone else. But the air was still, and the high, clear sound wound like a ribbon around the island. It was, I know it, the island, the voice of the island singing, the sirens Odysseus heard. The navy uses Kaho'olawe for bombing practice, not recognizing it as living, sacred earth. We had all heard it, the voice of our island singing.

"I've heard that song." Clancy's voice was quiet. "Lately, since I fell in love with Kalani, I hear it louder and louder."

My sister went berserk, scrambling on her knees to reach her wife. There were still many presents left unopened, but they were in haste to make it back to their bedroom and Tem and I lost no time racing to ours.

Tem placed his scepter and tiara on our altar table, made of ancient koa wood. We kept it in honor of our ancestors and our love. With bowls of gardenia on it and candles galore, we reminded one another each day of the importance of our time together. Even Moontime respected that altar and didn't toss around the fruit we left for the G.o.ds. I put my book right next to the tiara and Tem looked across at our cat hogging the bed.

He opened one eye, sensed our need for some man-on-man pa.s.sion and stretched out right across the covers, challenging us to move him.

"Daddy is a resourceful man," Tem chuckled. He stroked the cat's thick black fur and, anxious not to lose one more moment, I dragged him into our bathroom.

"Mmm.." Tem allowed me to pick him up and put him on the vanity. "I love when you get macho."

"Macho? I haven't even started with you yet."

Tem allowed me to take off his kimono, his large dark eyes ready for whatever I wanted to do to him. I wanted to kiss and lick his body and got about half way, his stiffening c.o.c.k just smacking into my face looking for its fair share of attention. I reached into a drawer.

"Oh...lover. There's something I've been wanting to try."

"What's that, baby?" His voice was thick with desire, his legs were open, his feet up on the vanity. I think he thought I was going to f.u.c.k him, but I had other ideas. I reached into a drawer and pulled out the cardboard tubing from a toilet roll.

"This looks like it shouldn't work, but I'm told it does."

Tem was pulling on his nipples now, very aroused. "I'm game."