The snow fell outside in sheets. Victoria stands at the window, perplexed by the large amounts of snow. God, it had been since she lived in New York was the last time she ever encountered snow, she thinks to herself. Meanwhile, Elka and Melanie were decorating the tree, and Joy was following Elka's insane shopping list for Christmas dinner at the local market. Victoria was excited. It would be the first real Christmas in Cleveland.

'Victoria,' Melanie calls out, holding the star, 'would you put this up for us since you're the tallest one of the three of us, and Joy's not here to do it?'

Victoria sighs. Sometimes she hated being tall. Others always used her for her height, whether it was pull a cat from the tree, or even now, hanging lights and putting up the star that Elka found after hours of careful search in the basement. It was a star that Bobby bought her one of their last Christmases together. She nods, and runs over to help them, carefully placing the star on the tree.

'There, that's taken care of. Is there anything else you need?'

Just as she says that, the door opens, and Joy comes in, saddled down with bags of groceries. She peeks out from what little space she could see, and motions for Victoria.

'Tori, would you please help me unload? Elka made me go all over town for some spiral ham that was not at the market she sent me to.'

Victoria nods, and heads to put on her coat and boots. As she heads out, Elka holds up a small thing of mistletoe.

'Mistletoe?' Victoria asks, snorting a little. 'Why do we need mistletoe? Is Max dropping by?'

The elderly woman blushes. 'You never know. Now why don't you be a dear and hang this up real fast before you go out to help Joy, won't you?'

Victoria sighs, taking the small tassel of green shrubbery and carefully hangs it over their front door.

'There…now I've got to help Joy. Something tells me she's not in too good of a mood because she had to go all over Cleveland in search of your favorite spiral ham.' The older woman raises an eyebrow.

'Isn't she always in a bad mood?'

Victoria raised an eyebrow, and looked at the older woman, but said nothing, heading outside to Joy and a packed car. Joy hands her some groceries.

'Take these inside…and be careful! There's eggs, which Elka needs those for her pie crust!' Victoria sighs, carrying the somewhat heavy bags, as she stumbles to the kitchen. Melanie spies her, and asks, 'Need help?'

Victoria hands her a bag. 'Take this. Joy's got a carload.'

Melanie nods, and heads in with the bag, as Victoria quickly drops off the bag and runs out to help Joy with the rest.

Joy stands there, hands on her hips.

'Hurry up, these bags won't carry themselves. I wish they would but they haven't invented anything yet, so hurry your arse up.' Victoria rushes over to grab the bags from her, they were quite heavy, but she managed to haul them inside of the house. Finding Melanie at the door, she hands some of the load over to her, and the two women enter the kitchen, setting the groceries on the table.

Joy follows behind, setting the last of the bags on the kitchen table. After setting her purse down, she sighs.

'I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to take a nap,' Joy says, yawning. A day of shopping at the new warehouse store, buying all the food in bulk for Elka's Christmas party and dinner, left her exhausted and stressed to the max. She heads upstairs as Melanie and Victoria rush to put food away. Elka walks in, finding only Melanie and Victoria, applying teamwork to putting the groceries away. She goes through some of the bags.

'Good, Joy actually followed the list for once!'

Victoria sighs, and puts in the last of the food. 'There,' she smiles, and heads upstairs where she found Joy on her bed. She hadn't yet begun her nap. Shutting the door behind her, Joy smiled.

'I knew you'd find me here. I just said the nap thing to get away. This whole morning was horrid, 'she says, looking Victoria deep in her eyes. Victoria throws her arms around Joy, and kisses her on the lips.

'It's alright babe, I'm here.'

Joy smiles, and pulls Victoria close to her. 'You always know the right thing to say.'

Victoria leans in against the nape of Joy's neck, pressing soft kisses. 'I do, don't I sweetheart?'

Joy murmurs softly at the feeling of Victoria's lips against her neck.'Oh, you know me all too well.' Victoria sighs, and grasps Joy's hand. Gently she takes it into her own. It felt soft and inviting.

They had been secretly dating for almost a month; it had all started right after Thanksgiving. Victoria would forever remember the holiday as the day she and Joy got drunk and kissed each other, on the lips. Their inhibitions were gone, and they ended up making out on the back porch. Good thing Elka and Melanie weren't home; they were at Rick's enjoying deep fried turkey that he had made himself, his special recipe. Victoria wasn't intrigued by the idea of eating deep fried food, as she was trying to be calorie conscious, and Joy hated turkey, so the two were in company at the house…alone. Joy cracked open the wine bottle and they had gotten, in Joy's words, 'rat ass drunk' off of the wine. And later that evening, they found themselves in each other's arms, lying on Victoria's bed…drunk and hung over.

'What the hell happened?' she says, looking over at Victoria. Victoria raises an eyebrow.

'I don't know, you tell me.'

Victoria looks in a nearby mirror. She spots a bite mark on her shoulder, and looks at it.

'We did something, didn't we?'

Joy checks herself, noticing she had lipstick on her face, smeared. She looked over at Victoria, eyes bulged.

'We made out, didn't we? And that imprint on your shoulder looks like my teeth. Oh my god, 'she says, trying her hardest to be as calm as possible.

Victoria sighed. 'It looks to be that way.'

Victoria and Joy sit there, holding each other for that moment. She reaches up, her palm touching Joy's cheek.

'You know what, there's some mistletoe downstairs. Elka made me hang it up.'

Joy smiles sweetly. 'Mistletoe? Is it the real stuff?'

Victoria nods silently.'Yeah. So would you like to…um…kiss under it?'

Joy glares at her. 'Tori, Mel and Elka don't know we're seeing each other. They're going to think things if they see us kiss. I don't feel ready to tell them…about us.'

Victoria strokes Joy's cheek with her palm. 'Baby girl, don't worry. We're going to wait until Elka and Melanie head to bed, and then we're going to go. But for the time being, I'm pooped. Let's lock the bedroom door, and nap together. I'll hold you while you sleep, because I know you like that.'

Joy smiles at that thought. 'I'd really like that…and will you stroke my hair?'

Victoria smirks at her, raising an eyebrow in interest. 'Anything for my Joy.'

They lay there, Victoria holding Joy. She watches as her best friend and lover sleeps soundly in her arms. Stroking Joy's hair softly, she was content. Here she was, spending a beautiful moment with her girlfriend.

Girlfriend, Victoria thinks to herself. It's been a long time since I've used that word, and not in a platonic sense. She is my girlfriend, and my love. Victoria smiles, quietly pressing a soft kiss against the wavy mess of curls Joy loved. She loved them too, she always complimented them, telling Joy to never stop curling her hair. She loved how bouncy and lively it made Joy look. And she continued to wear them, wearing them for Victoria. Victoria lies there silently, keeping on holding Joy in her arms. She had to wonder what would happen if Mel or Elka were to walk in on her and Joy, especially in this way. Victoria was relieved she had locked the bedroom door; otherwise, they'd have to explain why Victoria was spooned up next to Joy and why her arms were around Joy's waist. Victoria knew how nervous Joy was about them being together. She loved Victoria, she loved the thought of them trying it out, trying to see if they liked each other as more, but she always in the back of her mind worried what Mel or Elka would say if they knew of them.

Victoria was sure Mel was aware, and probably had been for years. But only in the last month they were dating each other, even after the marriage they had in Canada for publicity reasons. She felt bad on the cruise for it being revealed that the reason for them continuing as a couple was a publicity stunt by her. But underneath, during the speech she gave, she felt a lump in her throat. She had tried hard not to cry. She wanted to run away, but it was a cruise, and as Joy had put it, they would be unable to escape…that is unless they jumped ship. She didn't want it to end, she truly had loved Joy.

And for months after the fallout, Joy and she talked, a lot. Victoria apologized for using their marriage that occurred after a drugged and drunken night of partying, as a way to revive her career. They talked every so often, Victoria encouraged it. Joy knew Victoria felt bad because of everything. In her mind, she still loved Victoria herself. But she wasn't sure of things. She was confused. And one day over coffee, she asked Victoria a question.

'Victoria, do you love me?'

Victoria looks up from her coffee, raising an eyebrow. 'Of course I do, Reyjoyla.' Joy didn't cringe when Victoria used her full name; after all there were only three people who were allowed to use it; Elka, her mother, and Victoria. She smiles sweetly at Victoria, and takes a sip of her coffee.

'Platonic or romantic…take a pick.'

Victoria smiles in return, setting down her coffee. 'Joy, what are you getting at? Are you trying to tell me something?'

Joy smiles sweetly, taking a sip before setting her mug down. 'Victoria, I love you…as more than a friend.'