Doreen & Julian: Birthday Surprise

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Julian makes sure he's the first to wish Doreen a happy birthday. ((A picture of the shirt is here))

The sun was only just rising when Julian drug himself out of bed, put on his slippers and robe and padded into the common room with a discrete looking box. Even though good intentions had awaken him at this early hour, he couldn't help but curse his choice to get up so very, very early. Setting the box down on the coffee table, Julian dug out a pair of scissors and a small roll of clear scotch tape. With these tools in hand, he made his way out of the room and- after a brief diversion to the kitchen to procure some early morning caffeine- Julian found yesterday's newspaper and brought everything back upstairs.

Sitting down on the sofa, Julian spread a double layer of paper down and reached into the large box he'd been keeping under his bed for the past few weeks. "Okay, who's first," he said to no one in particular, then plucked a smaller box with the picture of Superman on one side from inside. He quickly went to work wrapping the box in the newspaper, being careful not to tear the delicate material.

Satisfied in the haphazard wrapping job committed upon the box, he turned his attention to the other object inside the box: an orange shirt. Wrapping that proved to be more difficult, but in the end, a balled up wad of newspaper and tape would be good enough for the next twenty minutes. Gifts in hand and mess on table, Julian headed for the door. A quick trip down the hallway to Doreen's suite and he was grinning in anticipation. He took his Xavier's Phone out of the pocket of his robe and hit the speed dial for Doreen, hoping to be the first to wish her a happy birthday.

Doreen’s hearing was pretty acute, but right then she had her cell phone on vibrate. But she had it in her hand, so the buzzing had her sitting straight up looking both ways and then chasing after her phone, hoping that she wasn’t going to wake up Callie. The buzzing of the phone had woke her up because her hands had been really, really sensitive for awhile now, and the buzzing wouldn’t wake anyone else up. Reaching for the phone, ignoring the angry clicking of Monkey Joe as she answered the phone, a part of her hoping it was her Dad.

“Hello?” she managed, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, Dori," Julian said though the phone. "Happy birthday!" After she didn't respond for a moment, he continued, "It's Julian, open your suite door, I have presents." He shifted them to his other arm and rapped lightly on the door. "Come on, I don't want to wake up your suitemates, but I will and by singing no less. You've heard me sing before, Dee, so...come on."

It took her a moment to realize that it was Julian on the phone. She was only mildly upset that it wasn’t Dad. This would be the second birthday that he hadn’t done anything for, but she would hold out hope. It was still early. And if it was early here it was ungodly time back in California.

“Yeah,” she said, laughing at the memory, “I’ve heard it,” she opened the door and smiled, she didn’t bother to change into her day clothes because her night shirt and shorts covered everything she should be worried about. The oversized Raider’s t-shirt and blue shorts still even fit pretty well, even after Mom had put the tail hole in the shorts, one of the first things that had been done. “You sound silly when you sing; you didn’t have to get me anything, Julian. I’m just glad you’re here.”

"Which is exactly why you deserve a little something extra," he indicated the parcels in one hand while putting his phone away with the other. "Happy birthday, Doreen." It was sincere. For countless birthdays back home, he and his friends had celebrated with wild, crazy and expensive parties, but to his knowledge and in recent memory there wasn't a point-in-time that he said happy birthday and actually had meant it. Julian held the package with the t-shirt out first. "Couldn't resist getting this one for you."

Doreen opened it easily, though she got tape stuck on her claws it wasn’t anything that wouldn’t come off later. The gift unwrapped she read the shirt and started laughing. The shirt featured a bunch of squirrels in a line reaching for an acorn on another branch, “This is awesome!” she said, “Where’d you find it?”

"The internet of course. The one on the end reminds me of Monkey Joe." While she gave it a second look, Julian shifted the box to be held in both hands for a moment before thrusting it toward his friend. "This one is not from the internet."

She looked up at the box and ooh’d, carefully folding the shirt over her shoulder. It was heavier than a box with any sort of trinket in it had the right to be and it was also quickly opened. Doreen’s eyes widened, “Oh my gosh! Julian! You didn’t have to get me this!”

"Sure I did, you wanted it and I can't think of anyone more deserving." Julian was extremely pleased with her reaction, "I'm glad you like it, Dori."

“Like it? It’s awesome!” she said, pulling out the Superman statue and looking it over with wide eyes, “Oh, I can’t wait to find a place for him!” she was going to have to move some of her smaller ones out of the way. “This is so great!”

He held his arms out, offering a hug, "Happy birthday, Doreen."

Doreen hugged him, still holding on to the shirt and the statue, “Thank you so much, Julian! Thank you!” It was good to have friends.