Disclaimer: I do not know nor do I claim to know Jake Gyllenhaal or any other celebrities that may wander through these pages, and I do not know, or therefore mean to imply any knowledge of their personal lives or their sexual preferences. This is a work of fiction. The character of Michael is my own creation, and therefore any use of him outside of this story must be done so with my permission. If you are under 18 years of age or are bothered by the prospect of a homo-erotic relationship between two men, then you better go find something else to read on another web-site.

Hmmm, Jake sure did look cute in Bubble Boy in his cartoon character tightey- whitey's, didn't he? He he he! That said, on with the story.....

Michael's POV

We were headed into the dining room, still talking as we went.

"I can't believe you work that kind of day," Maggie was saying.

"I kid you not! Roughly 100 pages of dialogue and one one-hour show per day. And if I'm doing both characters in a scene, my body double and I have to make sure that we match each other's blocking and everything, then I go change hair, make-up, wardrobe, and do it all over again, only the second time as the other character!"

"Oh my god! We're lucky when we're on set if what we get done in a day amounts to five minutes of screen time!" Maggie exclaimed.

"I'll talk to Glenn, the Executive Producer and see if I can get you a VIP pass one day here in the next couple of weeks to come and watch for a day," I offered.

"Make it two," Peter said with a grin.

"Make it three," Jake corrected.

"Okay," I replied, momentarily taken aback at this turn of events.

Maggie sat at the end of the table on my right and Peter sat at the other end on my left, and Jake sat across from me. Sitting at that table, I was struck with a strange sense of deja`vu and I smiled down at my plate before I raised my head and looked Jake right in the eyes.

"Mom! Donnie stopped taking his pills!" I said in a childish voice.

Jake choked on his water and I saw Maggie and Peter's mouth's drop open right before all three of them shouted "Shut up, fuck-ass!" in perfect unison and we all busted up laughing.

"I can't believe you said that," Maggie said, wiping her eyes once we had settled down.

"I know. Sometimes I amaze even myself. I sat sown and the two of you were here and I immediately thought of that scene," I said, taking the bowl of noodles that Maggie handed me and spooning some onto my plate before passing it to Peter.

Next I was handed a bowl of beef stroganoff.

"Don't worry, there's plenty," Maggie assured me.

When we all had our plates full, Maggie raised her glass of wine and so did the rest of us.

"What should we drink to?" I asked.

"How about the fact that this will be my last drink for the forseeable future."

My eyes widened in amazement. "You mean.....?"

"Yup. By this Christmas, uncle Jake here will be bouncing his niece or nephew in his lap."

"Wow! Congratulations!" I said touching my glass first to Maggie's and then to Peter's.

"Thanks," Peter said.

"We're still going to wait a few weeks before we say anything to the press about it," Maggie said.

It was then that I noticed the stunningly beautiful ring on her left hand.

"I'm truely happy for you both," I said.

Then we started eating.

"Mmmm, this is good!" I said after taking my first bite of the stroganoff.

"Thanks, it's my grandmother's recipe," Maggie replied after taking a bite of her own. "Okay, so tell me why someone as smart, funny, and good-looking as you is still single?"

"You must have missed that interview," I replied, thinking back on the pile of magazines I had seen earlier on the coffee table.

"Touche`," Maggie said. "I really would like to know, though," she concluded.

"Well, even being 'out', in our line of work, is a difficult thing, and can be career suicide in some cases. I've been pretty lucky so far."

"True," Jake responded.

"Add to that the fact I have five-year-old twins, and that makes things harder yet. Plus, you never know if someone is interested in you for 'you', or because of your job," I said.

"Boy, is that ever the truth!" Maggie exclaimed.

"And lastly, I'm living with my parents, at their invitation."

"What's up with that?" Peter asked.

"Well, up until I got the twins, I was sub-letting a nice apartment on the Upper West Side. However, while it was big enough for me, there's no way it would have been big enough for me, and the twins, and a nanny."

"I can see where that would be a problem," Maggie said, nodding her head.

"So rather than go through the whole process of interviewing and hiring a nanny, my parents suggested we move in them. Between me and my mom and dad, the three of us make sure that they get up and off to pre-school, and there's always someone there when they get home in the afternoon."

"That's good," Maggie said.

"What about their biological grandparents?" Jake asked.

"They can't be bothered to stop travelling long enough. They barely made it back for the funerals. They stop in to visit, maybe twice a year, birthday's and Christmas, usually, and they're off again. It's sad....."

We were quiet for a few minutes after that.

"So when are you going to go up to Albany? Ouch!" Jake exclaimed, leaning over to rub his shin and glare at Maggie, who glared right back.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Maggie is just reminding Jake about a secret that he promised to keep. He's just not doing that good of a job of it," I replied.

"Oh.....Okay," Peter said, clearly confused about what was going on.

I decided to enlighten him.

"You know the big lottery jackpot that was won this past Wednesday?"

Peter just nodded his head.

"Well, I won it."

"No shit?"

"No shit."

"Cool."

"Yeah. So, what do you all think I should do?" I asked.

"Have a lawyer on retainer before you even go up there," Maggie suggested. "It really does tend to simplify things."

"Anything else?" I asked

"You might want to think about getting a P.O. Box first too," Jake said.

"Definately," Peter chimed in. "You're going to have every crackpot and their dog coming out of the woodwork begging for money."

"You also might want to consider getting a bodyguard for awhile," Jake suggested.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Look at things from a purely logical standpoint," Maggie suggested.

"Go on," I said.

"If you thought it was hard to start a relationship before, it's going to be even harder now, because you're always going to be wondering in the back of your mind, ' is it me or the money and the fact that I'm an actor as well.' "

"Hmmm."

"We didn't really mean to bring you down," Maggie said, noticing that I had gotten quiet and retreated into myself.

"No, I know, you've just given me some things to think about," I said.

"Okay, so, seen any good movies lately?" Peter asked in a blatant attempt to change the subject and bring me out of my mood. I looked at him greatfully.

" ' Brokeback' was the last thing I saw in the theaters. I'm really looking foreward to ' Posiden' in May."

We spent the rest of dinner discussing up-coming releases, both theatrical and on DVD, and what we were looking foreward to seeing. When we were all done, Peter and Maggie began clearing the table.

"Let me give you a hand," I offered.

"Nonsense, you're a guest," Maggie said, trying to shoo me out of the kitchen.

We were interupted by the security buzzer going off. Since he was the closest, Peter looked at the moniter and buzzed in whoever was there.

"Well the least I can do is pour the rest of the wine since it looks like company is coming," I offered, feeling suddenly nervous.

"Very well," Maggie said with a grin as she got down two more glasses and then went to answer the door.

I could hear voices--male and female--coming from the living room, but didn't immediately recognize them, and picked up the extra glasses of wine and stood in the doorway and watched as Maggie, Jake, and Peter greated Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, and before I knew it, Michelle had spotted me.

"Oh my god! It's Blake from 'Another Life' ! Maggie, what is Blake Lindsey doing in your kitchen?"

"Pouring the wine," I said, not missing a beat. "When I'm not on the show I moonlight as a travelling waiter."

Michelle stood there open mouthed as everyone burst into laughter.

"Hi, I'm Michael Orsini, it's very nice to meet you," I said, extending a glass of wine, which she took, and then we were shaking hands.

"Can you tell I'm a fan?" she said, blushing slightly.

"I never would have guessed," I replied with a smile. "Actually, so am I. My younger brother has the biggest crush on you and he has every season set of ' Dawson's Creek' on DVD that's come out so far."

"Hi, I'm Heath," he said extending his hand.

"Michael," I said shaking his hand and then offering him the other glass of wine, which he accepted. "My sister is never going to believe this. She's been in love with you since ' 10 Things I Hate About You.' I was bummed that none of you won Oscars." I was babbling! Stop it, I told myself.

"Hey buddy, sorry to interupt, can I talk to you a minute?" Jake asked coming over to the three of us and tapping Heath on the shoulder.

"Sure, will you excuse us?" Heath said as Jake led the way over to the patio door, and then closed it behind himself once he and Heath were out on the balcony.

Jake's POV

Once we were outside, Heath lit up a cigarette and offered me one, but I declined.

"So, what's up?" Heath asked. I went over and leaned on the railing and began telling him everything.

"So you like this Michael guy, huh?" he asked when I was done.

"Well, I'd certainly like the opportunity to see if there's a possibility for something to develope." I said.

"I think you should go for it. Just one thing though, are you ready to come out and go public?" Heath asked me.

"If it meant a chance to be with him, yeah, I think so. The press already thinks I'm gay, or at the very least, bi. I really need to go see my folks though this week....."

"Shit Jake! You haven't told them?"

"No! Keep it down, would ya? I'd like to tell them about it before I go ' shouting it from the rooftops!' "

"Sorry. Well, you know that whatever you decide to do, I've got your back," Heath said.

"Thanks buddy," I said as we shook hands and pulled each other into a quick hug, then turned to go back inside. We came back in just as Michelle was lifting five-month-old Matilda out of her stroller. Matilda's gaze was fixed on Michael. It was that vibrant red hair of his that captured people's attention, but it was his personality that held it. I think with little Matilda Rose, it was a toss-up as to just who was wrapped around who's little finger: Michael or Matilda.

"This right here. This is what it's all about. Don't ever take any of it for granted. Family and friends. They're what's important," Michael said as he handed Heath his daughter.

"Love is important too," I found myself saying.

# # # # # # # # # # #

We spent the next hour or so looking over the sketches that Michael had done for his new house, everyone making some kind of comment, and Michael just sat taking notes on a yellow legal pad he had borrowed from Maggie.

Finally, Heath and Michelle said they needed to be getting Matilda home and we all stood up as they left. I took that as my que.

"I think we should probably be going too," I said, looking at Michael. He nodded in agreement, so we gathered up our things while Peter got our jackets from the closet, and then Maggie gave us each a big hug and reminded Michael of his offer to get the three of us in to see exactly what a day behind the scenes on a soap opera was like.

Before I knew it, we were out in the the hall waiting for the elevator.

When we reached the lobby, Michael was taking out his phone. I needed to think fast!

"Do you want to come back to my Hotel? We could have a drink in the lounge before I get your blanket....."

"I'd like that," Michael replied with a smile.

"Great," I said, my own lips curving into an easy smile. "Let's go." And with that, we were off, walking back to my Hotel.

# # # # # # # # # # #

Author's Note

This next part is being written in the third person as it is the only way I can write it and have it turn out any good. Please let me know if it is okay or not, thanks.....

# # # # # # # # # # #

He opened the door and let himself into the apartment, giddy with excite- ment. Everything was now in place. I might just start tomorrow morning, he thought to himself. He had just come from setting up the flower delivery's.....

And before long, they would come face to face, and they would finally be together like they were always meant to be..... Soon, he thought as he headed down the hall to the bathroom, stopping to open a door along the way. He paused for a moment in the doorway. "Soon my love, very soon....." he said, and then continued on his way to the bathroom.

There was one lamp lit in the room, its light cast along one wall..... The pictures started out small and covered every space on the wall, getting gradually larger as they moved toward the center. Most of the smaller photo's had been cut out of magazines. The person in the photo's was positvely exquisite, though they would never use that word themselves. They had been unknowingly been captured on film numerous times, sometimes walking, sometimes jogging, riding on a bike, or on horseback, rollerblading, skateboarding, sometimes through the window of a restaurant, sometimes even in a frozen image on the television.

He got out of the shower and padded barefoot back up the hallway and paused in the doorway once more, a towel wrapped around his waist. He stared at the largest photo, looking and falling into the deep emerald pools which stared back at him from the frozen image.....

"Soon, very soon....." he said, his eyes feverishly bright as he stared at the wall, at his shrine to one Michael Valentine O'Neill-Orsini!