Caterina Valentine hummed to herself as she arranged ornaments on their Christmas tree.

She stepped back for a moment -assessing- then promptly started over again.

Christmas (like most holidays really) was Cat's favorite time of year. Or second, when one considered that Halloween not only gave her an excuse to rush head-long into a sugar-induced coma but also allowed her to don a new persona...

But Christmas was special. It was the time for gifts! Cocoa and Christmas carols! It was also the only time of year that her parents deigned to remember that yes, they did, in fact, have a daughter. Even if it was only a card.

And Jade always went out of her way to get her a new stuffed animal for Mr. Purple to play with. Cat liked Jade. Whenever she was around the goth, she wondered if that was what having a mom was like; having someone who made you laugh when you were sad, fed you cereal when you were hungry, and helped you up when you fell.

Someone who bought something they knew would make you happy even if it almost physically hurt them to touch something so "cutesy."

So maybe Christmas was her favorite holiday after all, because recently, it was a time to reflect on and appreciate the family she'd found.

But this Christmas was extra special, because it was the first one she and Sam would be spending together.

Cat needed this to be perfect, because she got the sense that in this, she and Sam were same: they had so many Christmases in their past, some were even memorable, but none of them belonged to them.

But they were a Sam and a Cat now, and this Christmas could be their Christmas. It could even be their first Christmas together, if things went the way she wanted them to tonight.

…Which was why Cat was rearranging her red and green tinsel and Scooby-Doo ornaments for the umpteenth time.

Soon their door opened, and Sam walked in.

"Still at it, Kit-Kat?" she asked as she hugged Cat from behind.

Cat smiled. Sam did that now. Granted, it was the only one she used, cause she wasn't into all that "sentimental crap," and it was one of her favorite candy-bars, but Cat still liked it.

She had realized early on that Sam never did things directly.

"Yeeesss," Cat replied, pouting. "It refuses to look nice for me."

"Hey, no frowning!" Sam exclaimed. "This is the time for love, peace, good cheer, and all that other after-school special stuff. I can help you, if you want."

"Okay!" Cat replied, clapping her hands excitedly. She turned around to face Sam. "Can you wait here for a second? There's something I want you to see first." Cat ran into their bedroom before her roommate could reply.

She came back a few seconds later, ran behind Sam and covered her eyes with her hands. "Now walk!"

"Okay..." Sam was hesitant, but did as she was asked. With Cat's guidance they made it back to their room, and Sam could hear some soft, instrumental music playing.

Cat's hands lifted off her eyes with a bi of flair and a "Ta-daa!" complete with a twirl.

"It doesn't look any different," Sam commented dryly. "You haven't been sniffing scented markers again have you?"

"Of course not!" Cat cried, affronted. "I haven't found where you hid them yet!"

"Besides," the red-head continued, looking up at the ceiling. "Are you sure there's nothing different?"

Rolling her eyes fondly, Sam looked up...and her face swung back to Cat's so fast she could've sworn her neck cracked.

Because from their ceiling hung various sprigs of mistletoe. Because while Sam never did things directly, she was also someone who didn't understand subtlety.

Because while she knew what people traditionally did underneath mistletoe, she couldn't in a million years understand why it was only here, in their room, and not anywhere else in the house.

Or maybe she did, but wouldn't believe it until she heard the words.

So Cat would make sure she listened.

"I know you're not one for grand gestures," Cat began. "But I am, so here goes.

"I'm not normal."

Sam made to interrupt, but Cat shushed her.

"I know it, you know it, there's no point hiding from it. So many everyday things make me nervous. It takes me forever to learn anything new, and I can rarely express myself without sounding like a child. Maybe that's a side-effect of my brother hitting my head with a vase when I was younger-"

"HE DID WHAT!?"

"Shush, dear one," Cat admonished, placing a finger on Sam's lips. "It was an accident, he apologized, and if it makes you feel any better, I think he's actually worse off than me in here," she continued, pointing at her head.

"The point is that for the longest time, I was alone. My parents spend all their time with Frankie, and while Nona tried to connect with me, gave me a home and a family, she never really got me. Kids made fun of me because I wasn't like them."

Cat smiled. "Then I enrolled in Hollywood Arts. And I met Jade and Beck, and all my other friends who, while normal, were just as weird as I was. I found out that when I'm on stage, my nerves melt away, and that when I sing, I can say all that I want to say."

Cat smiled brighter.

"And I met you, who makes me want to sing."

"So I'm offering this simple phrase,

From my heart, from me to you.

Though it's been said, many times, many ways,

Sam Puckett, may I kiss you?"

Sam stood frozen, and Cat waited. She moved, their lips touched, and Cat smiled.

It was perfect.