Hey everyone! Senior classes are really getting me behind in updating, so I'm sorry. Due to the incredible craziness that is school, I've been writing little by little of my multi-chapter stories. What If, and Premonition of Love are the stories that have the most likeliness of being updated soon. Either way, I need to escape and my muses are driving me crazy. This is an incredibly sporadic "Strong Enough" snippet, hope you enjoy it!

Do I own the Cape? Hmmm, do I own the Cape? Wait… aww man, I was getting all hopeful for a minute. I own nothing.

Mistletoe

During Christmas time, the Faraday household was always busy. With four kids under one roof, things were pretty hectic from time to time. Scissors slicing through wrapping paper, tape being applied to the finishing touches of the rectangular boxes that were stuffed under the tree; these were just some of the many sounds that were heard through the home. Christmas carols were heard from a boom box that never seemed to be turned off; and the house always smelt of warm sugar from the never ending supply of baked goods Orwell fixed on a daily basis.

Every year there was always something different about Christmas Day. A family gathering was always held at Vince and Orwell's home, but the blogger tried to keep her extended family on their toes. One year, however, was a year to remember for the vigilante.

Vince knew it was silly; but he had wanted a mistletoe in the hallway. Over the 9 years they had been together, any excuse he could have gotten to kiss his wife, he had surely taken it. However, he had never thought of a mistletoe kiss until the Christmas right before his and Orwell's tenth wedding anniversary.

Throughout the whole day the Cape watched Orwell, waiting for the perfect moment to bring her over to the arch where the mistletoe was dangling.

The blogger couldn't sit still for very long. She was bouncing up and down to talk to the family, or even to check on her kids. The first time Vince tried to pry her away from the family was like trying to pull teeth. She sat on the couch next to her grandmother as eight year old Matthew sat in between his mother and great-grandmother and talked both of their ears off about what Santa-Clause brought him. Sitting on Orwell's lap was six year old Elena, who had passed out accordingly after ingesting too many sugar cookies in one sitting. Four year old Alexander was snuggling into his great-grandmother's chest while he sucked the tip of his mother's slender thumb.

Vince took one look at that and grinned. His wife had the maternal instincts of a lioness, and all of their kids loved Orwell to no end. As he pushed himself off of the other couch he and his parents were sitting on to watch TV, the vigilante walked over to where his wife and three youngest kids were spread about.

The blogger looked up at her husband, a smile etching across her features. "Hey, honey."

Vince returned the smile and planted a kiss on her lips. "How's it going over here?"

Orwell breathed in a bit and returned glances to each one of her children. She then met with the Cape's blue eyes again. "Things are fine. Actually," she paused to secure a sleeping Elena against her hip as she raised to her feet, "I need to be heading back to the kitchen."

The vigilante placed his hands on either side of his wife's hips. "For what, gorgeous? Don't you think you've done enough today?"

The blogger narrowed her eyes at Vince. "I'm not done until this party is over with."

Vince sighed in defeat. "I would like to spend some time with my wife too. The kitchen can wait," he said as he bored his eyes into hers with a smile.

Orwell handed her mini over to the vigilante and stretched on her tiptoes to meld their lips together in a kiss. Relaxing against each other's foreheads as they slowly broke apart, the blogger murmured into her husband's lips, "I love you."

The Cape smiled and kissed his wife again. "I love you too." Right as their lips went to touch once more, both husband and wife heard their six year old's disapproval.

The blogger looked down to see a barely conscious Elena. "Wh-what's going on?" she slurred her words out a bit as she spoke.

Vince laughed. "Welcome to the land of the conscious, mini."

The little brunette rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Did I go somewhere daddy?"

Orwell let out a light laugh. "You just fell asleep sweetie."

"Oh. Okay mommy," Elena said sleepily as she snuggled into her father's shoulder blade.

The blogger kissed both of them before she backed out of her husband's arms.

"Where are you going?" the vigilante asked with a whine.

"The kitchen. I won't be gone long, I promise," Orwell smiled.

"Alright, Mrs. Faraday. I'm holding you against that promise," Vince said with a grin.

"I won't break it," the blogger said as she walked away from them.

The Cape watched his wife vanish into the sea of family that was swarmed through the house. With a sigh, he turned his attention to the mini Orwell in his arms. "Your mom can never sit still can she?"

Elena perked up and looked into the direction she last saw her mom. "Daddy! Where'd mommy go?"

Vince sighed. Women just don't listen to him. "She's in the kitchen."

"Can I go? What's she doing?" the little brunette asked as she bounced up and down in her father's arms.

"I dunno. Let's go find out," the vigilante secured his daughter in place and made their way into the kitchen. When Vince saw his wife, she was refilling the bowl of eggnog for the family to come and get as they pleased. He knew his wife too well; every family function they had ever had been through as a couple, Orwell had to be the neat and organized one. She had to be the one to prepare the meals and the desserts, if Vince and the blogger were invited over to someone else's house, it would drive her crazy if she couldn't help, at least a little bit.

The brunette mother turned around to see a wide-eyed Elena and a grinning Vince. "Hey you two."

"Need any help in here?" the vigilante asked.

"No honey, everything's fine," she paused to take the six year old in her arms. "Why don't you go sit down? Elena and I are going to raid in the sugar cookies," Orwell said as she grinned at her daughter.

"After that will you come sit with me?" Vince said pitifully.

"Of course dear, you do have my word," the blogger said as she gently met with her husband's eyes.

The Cape nodded and headed back into the living room. He walked over to his sister, who was talking to a now twenty year old Trip. From time to time, the boy came home to visit his family, otherwise the young adult stayed in his college dorm room. Michelle looked up from where she sat next to Trip and grinned. "Vince! You get around, don't ya bro?"

"Uh, yeah? Maybe so," Vince trailed off, rubbing his face a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"I just mean that you're worse than your wife. I see you one place and in the next second you're two rooms over!" Michelle teased.

The vigilante laughed. "Nah, that's just my wife."

"What is she doing, anyway?" his sister asked.

"Right now? She is feeding our daughter sugar cookies," Vince said with a wide grin.

"Really?" Michelle began, pointing to the couch. "Cause there's little Elena over there, and unless you two have made yet another baby and have hidden her from us, I'm not thinking so."

Crap. Vince really needed to learn to keep up with his wife. "I'll be right back," he dismissed as he rushed back into the kitchen. "Orwell!" he called out. Unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere in the kitchen. That woman needed a cow bell around her neck, the vigilante thought. A little more than frustrated at his luck, Vince took down the mistletoe from the hallway and kept it clutched in his hands. If he could just find his wife and sit her down for more than five minutes, this plan would be genius.

He headed down the hallway, in hot pursuit for Orwell. He started to get a little nervous when he couldn't find her in any of the other rooms. However, he did run into his wife as she made her way out of the bathroom. The Cape spoke out to her, a little startled at the unforeseeable events. "Orwell, are you alright?"

The blogger raised her eyebrows a bit. "I'm fine, Vince. I just needed to use the bathroom, is that okay?"

"No, that's fine, I was just a little worried is all," the vigilante smiled.

Orwell raised to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. As Vince broke them apart this time, he took a hold of her hand. "Do I have your time now?"

"Of course," the blogger said with a sweet smile.

"Okay," Vince began as he led his wife into the hallway leading into the living room. He stopped under the archway and pinned the mistletoe back up.

Orwell's eyes glistened up at the plant and then to her husband. "Is this why you've been trying to get me alone all day?"

"Pretty much," Vince shrugged it off with a laugh.

"That's really sweet," the blogger began, gaining a grin from the vigilante. "You know what else I think about that?"

"What?" the Cape curiously asked.

Orwell smiled and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, leaning forward to kiss him slowly. "Merry Christmas," she said breathlessly as their lips disconnected.

Vince swooped the brunette off of her feet and held her closely. "Merry Christmas to you," he said softly.

The Faraday family may had have their hardships along the way, but there is no doubt that the six of them possess the love that will bring them closer together, and these little moments are just a highlight of them.

It's almost one o'clock in the morning here and I'm Mega Godzilla tired. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story.