Sandy's mother was a busy woman. She was raised in a household where a strong work ethic was seen as the pinnacle of life. Success was never achieved, only stepping stones. Success was the continued effort of moving upwards. Never stop. Stopping was deemed as unacceptable. Anything that impeded your movement needed to be pruned from your life. It was stressful as a kid, but soon it became a philosophy she couldn't imagine living without. It was something that simply was a part of life, no different than eating or sleeping. However, part of her never wanted to work at such a breakneck speed, and it wasn't until her daughter, Sandra, was born did this old part of her come back to the surface.

For like all things in life, moderation was key. Raising a child was unlike any challenge she'd face, and though she could quit jobs and turn down gigs, one thing was certain: she could not stop being a mother. The time away from the hustle and bustle of the fashion business allowed her to slow down and really smell the roses. Sandy was a sweet child through and through, and when she was old enough her mother began bringing her into work. Everyone fell in love with the little girl, and before she even put on a single dress and smiled for any cameras, she was a star.

It didn't take long before her mother started seeing a lot of herself in the young girl. Sandy wanted to go out and play. Her mother wanted her to stay and try on new shoes. She needed to find a balance between instilling the work values she had as a kid, and allowing her the freedom to be herself. Over time, the balance teetered towards the former, and Sandy became a full time model and student, with very little time to herself. That's why, when Sandy started making a fuss about seeing Mike again, her mother became torn. Work was important, and Mike was a distraction from that. At the same time, Mike was her daughter's freedom, and she wanted to respect that. This was her opportunity to show her daughter she cared, and saw her more than as someone to dress up and send off to make money. Moreover, she wanted to prove she was better than her parents.

In secret, she had bought round trip tickets to Roseville and back just for her and Sandy. They would leave the day before Christmas Eve, stay over the week after Christmas, and return home. It made it more difficult to keep it secret after hearing her daughter pining over the korat. She wanted to tell her, but it needed to be a surprise. After Sundays' blowout, there was no time to waste. It was the 23rd now, and that meant it was time to reveal the surprise. The mother went about her normal daily routine of waking up, showering, getting coffee, and grabbed the tickets from inside her jewelry cabinet. It wasn't always just for jewelry, she stored other valuable things in there as well.

Sandy wasn't up and about anywhere, so her mom went to her room. The teen girl had been quiet over the last day, keeping to her room, and to herself. She didn't make eye contact with anyone, and her answers were one or two words. It really worried her mother, she knew how badly heartbreak could hurt the soul, but today that would all change. She couldn't wait to see her daughter's eyes light up when she heard the news. With a deep breath, the mother knocked on her daughter's door. There was no answer, she expected this. "Sandra?" She gave another soft knock. "May I come in?" Again, no answer.

Sandy's mom opened the door. From the lumpy blankets and black hair poking out from under the covers, she could see her daughter hadn't yet gotten up. Perhaps she was still giving the silent treatment. It would be up to her mother to keep breaking the ice. "I'm sorry, Sandra. I know it seems like I haven't been listening or understanding you. That I don't care." She gripped the tickets behind her back. "But I do. I know I haven't always been the most… attentive… mother, but know that I love you, no matter what you decide to do with your life. Whether you love someone here or far away, I will always support you.." There was yet no response or movement.

Her mom sighed and sat down on the end of her bed. "You're so brilliant, so smart, so dedicated. You're better than I ever was. I may not understand why you choose Michael, but… I will trust your judgment. And I wanted to let you know…" she pulled the plane tickets out from behind her back. "I did get you tickets to see him!" She smiled brightly at the black, silky hair. It didn't move. Her mom looked away to the rest of the room. "I understand. Maybe it's too little too late for you. But they'll be here for you. And so will I." She leaned over to stroke her daughter's hair, but upon contact, something felt off.

Sandy's mom drew back and squinted her eyes. She scooted closer and when the bed depressed when she got near, the black hair fell away to reveal a round pillow. Her eyes went wide and she stood up to rip off the covers. Underneath were large pillows, and the hair was but a wig. The woman put her hands to her mouth in horror and she ran out the room, calling for her husband. He was downstairs, getting his morning coffee together. "Sandra's gone!" She cried.

"What?" Asked Sandy's father, taking a sip of coffee.

"Sandra wasn't in her room when I went to surprise her!" She said frantically.

"Alright, she may have just gone out with some friends." He said nonchalantly.

The mother shook her head. "I thought she was in bed… she made up some pillows and a wig so it seemed like she was there… I think she may have run away!" She sat down on a nearby chair. "This is my fault…"

"Now hold on dear, let's not jump to conclusions. I'm sure she's around. Maybe we can call her friends. Who was that guy that she used to hang around with all the time?" The man stirred his coffee. "Francis, was it?" His wife nodded. "Why not give him a call then? Maybe she's with him."

Sandy's mom nodded. "You're right… you're right… let me just…" she slowly took her phone out, almost afraid to call him lest Sandy wasn't with him and she truly did run away.

Francis was relaxing on a pool chair when he got the call. It was his day off, and he was determined to make the most of his down time. No texts, no calls, no emails, just him and the gentle sound of the water lapping against the sides of the pool. However, unfortunately for him, whoever was trying to call him wouldn't stop. He groaned and reached for his phone on the plastic side table. Upon seeing the caller, he answered. "Hello." He mumbled.

A worried voice came through the line. "Francis! Is Sandra there?"

Francis furrowed his brow. "No, why?"

The mother launched into the whole story, much of which the calico already knew, and then led up to the events that had just happened. "And we don't know where she is! Do you have any ideas?!"

Francis sat up in his pool chair. "Oh man."

After the airport, Mike was dropped off at his house. Lucy and him said their goodbyes and kisses and promised to meet up the next day. His mother and sister were there to greet him, and after a small back and forth, he lugged his suitcase to his room and tossed it in the corner. On his nightstand was a picture of him and Blur. Mike smiled at it fondly, and laid back on his bed, taking in a deep breath. It had been a long weekend, but it was over now. For the rest of the break, it would be him and Lucy, now able to fully enjoy their new relationship without school getting in the way.

Now that he was alone, with no noise or distractions, Mike was able to reflect on his and Lucy's relationship. It was funny, everything felt like it was when they were in middle school and younger, only now there was kissing and hand holding involved. Oh, and the sleeping together. The korat's cheeks tinged red thinking about it. It was much better now, though. The uncomfortable awkwardness that situated itself into every interaction they used to have was gone. They didn't have to lie to themselves or each other anymore. Rather than yelling, there were sweet nothings. Beatings were now replaced with soft kisses and hugs.

And Mike couldn't be happier. There was no doubt, a lot of time was lost between them, but it didn't matter now. There was nothing but them, and their happy future together. Mike wondered why he allowed himself to be so miserable with Sandy. Perhaps part of his misery was that he deep down longed for Lucy the whole time. It was the reason he put up with her for so long, he just wanted to be with her. Looking back, he was glad Sandy cheated on him. It was the best thing she ever did. Mike smiled up at the ceiling, looking forward to spending time with Lucy the next day.

Fortunately for them both, that came quickly, and Lucy found herself laying on Mike's bed, watching him put away his clothes from the trip. Lucy noticed Mike's game of World of Fantasy open, and she was asking about it. Of course, Mike was more than happy to talk about the game. Maybe it was even something Lucy could get into. Mike's blue scarf swished and swayed as he went back and forth in his room. Lucy poised herself at the edge of his bed, grinning and batting at the scarf as he walked by. He didn't seem to notice this. Either that, or he didn't mind.

"I play a flower mage." He explained, tucking some shirts away.

Lucy snorted with laughter. "A flower mage? Figures you'd pick something so fruity."

Mike agreed, it did sound kinda lame. "Hey, I'm a force to be reckoned with! You should see me wipe out mobs!"

"Mobs?" Lucy rolled onto her back, watching him work upside down.

Mike shrugged. "Enemies. Monsters. It's just something Sue and the others call them."

"Mhm. Who else plays?" She swiped at his scarf again when it swung past.

"Abbey…" Mike stopped to think. "And Stacy. But we're friends with more people online."

Lucy blanched. "The last time I made a friend online, he sent me a picture of his dick."

Mike made a fowl face. "Disgusting! Who does that?"

Lucy reached out at his scarf again when his back was turned. "No idea." She swatted at it and drew back, but this time a claw got lodged into the fabric and yanked him back onto the bed. Lucy gave him big, innocent eyes. "Hi." She giggled.

Mike was a little caught off guard but he smiled back. "Hey." He winked. "Come here often?"

Lucy booped his nose. "I hope so."

"What did you wanna do today?" Mike asked.

"Hmmm…" Lucy flipped around. "Wanna go ice skating? There's an outdoor rink set up at the park."

Mike nodded. "That sounds nice." He hopped off the bed. "Let's go!"

The two headed downstairs and Mike told his mom where they were off to. "Alright dear!" His mom said. "We may not be here when you get back, Haley has a recital this evening."

"Alright mom! See you later!" The korat said cheerfully. He threw his jacket on and opened the door for Lucy.

"Oh, and be careful! The temperature's going to drop really low tonight, be home before dark." She called as they left.

"We will, mom!" Mike waved goodbye. "And good luck, Haley!" He didn't see her response because he closed the door, and the two headed off hand in hand to the skating rink. Lucy occasionally stole glances up at the taller korat. He eventually began to notice her looking at him. "Is everything alright, Luce?"

"Yeah… but I was thinking, when did you start liking me, like in general?" It was something she'd thought about recently. They had been friends forever, and Mike had admitted that he liked her when they were very young, but where did those feelings start?

"Hmm…" Mike looked up in thought. That was a good question. It wasn't like he was in love with her all of a sudden, and it was all so long ago. "I don't know… I think it happened slowly. It's true, I did miss Sandy, but the more we hung out, the more I started to really enjoy spending time with you. You're smart, pretty, athletic." He grinned. "Even if I'm still faster."

"Hey!" She huffed cutely. "We haven't raced in a while, I may be faster now, jerkface."

"Wanna bet?" Mike shot her a grin back, the spirit of competition now firing up inside both of them.

"Wanna lose?" She put her hands on her hips. "I bet you ten, no, twenty dollars I can beat you to the park."

"Deal!" Mike said, getting into position. Lucy fell in beside him.

"Get ready… get set…" She looked at Mike, who was poised to leap forward. "GO!" Lucy bolted off down the sidewalk, pumping her legs and arms as hard as she could. Mike went for a running start but slowed down and smiled, watching Lucy run down the sidewalk. "G-gonna win, Mike!" She huffed as she ran, but as she looked around, Mike wasn't beside her. She slowed down and looked behind to see him cantering up the sidewalk, a huge grin on his face. Lucy pouted and and stomped her foot

Mike laughed at her cute expression. "Better hurry up or I'll beat ya!" He called.

"I'll beat you, jerkface!" Lucy ran back towards Mike, but her foot hit a slick patch and she slipped, falling on her rear. She cried out in pain and Mike gasped. "Ow!" She cried. "Michael…"

"Lucy!" He yelled, frightened she'd really hurt herself. The korat took off to her, and knelt down. "Lucy, are you alr-"

Lucy gently stopped his mouth with her hand and looked up, smiling. "Got ya."

Mike didn't find it so funny. "I thought you really hurt yourself…" He extended a helping hand, which she took.

"I mean it did hurt…" The khao manee rubbed her rear. "But I'll live."

"Lemme look." Mike said, moving around her, but Lucy covered herself.

"M-Mike!" She blushed really hard. "Really?"

"Guh? Oh, sorry!" He went red too. "Let's just keep going then."

The cats walked the rest of the way, striking up a conversation about videogames. Mike talked more about his MMO and Lucy listened eagerly. She told him about some new games she was excited for, that they could play cooperatively. They both had a competitive spirit, but working together felt really nice too. They talked all the way up to the park, where many had gathered to go skating. Mike and Lucy got in line, and Mike opted to pay for the skate rental. After they'd gotten their skates on, the pair walked on wobbly feet to the ice.

Lucy had the superior balance, despite her slip up earlier. She'd slide across the ice before, even without the bladed shoes. With them, she was a force to be reckoned with. Her mother would comment how she could be an Olympic skater if she wanted, but Lucy didn't want to live such a regimented life. It would also mean she'd not be able to spend time with Mike, and that was out of the question. Her korat companion wasn't so light on his feet when it came to slick surfaces. He could really move when he had traction, but ice was a whole other story. Mike clung to the railing as he slowly pushed himself along the side of the rink.

Other skaters passed him by, not paying him any mind. Even Lucy pushed off and joined their ranks, sliding and weaving between skaters as she raced around the ice. She did a few leaps here and there just for show, to the glee of a few impressed onlookers. They cheered for her and she did a little bow before skating off. She spotted Mike wobbling along the wall and skated over. "What's up slowpoke? Got lead in your skates?" She teased.

"Hey! I'm not as fast on this as you." He fired back.

"Let me help you, then." Lucy held her arm out for Mike to take. He looked at it hesitantly, but trusted her and put his arm around hers. She slowly led him away from the wall, and the gray cat clung to her. Fortunately, she had enough balance for both of them. "Just push off like this." She made a faux back kicking motion that would launch her forward. Mike followed her lead, and he gained some speed. "Good, good! Now with the other foot…"

Mike shook his head. "This is too much…"

"Hey, you can do it, Mike! You can do anything!" She encouraged. "C'mon, another kick."

Mike did as instructed and was thrust forward a little. "You got it!" Lucy cheered. "Now just keep doing that over and over. With me, now."

The two cats practiced skating forward, and Mike started to really get the hang of it. Lucy gave him little words of encouragement as they went along to keep up his confidence. Mike smiled a little as he felt himself get into the groove. He didn't even notice when she let go of him so he could go on his own. It was still slow going, but he stayed upright and off the wall. Lucy beamed at him, proud to see him skating around so well. She skated up next to him and offered a hand. "Skate with me?"

The korat smiled warmly and took it. "I'd love to."

They skated hand in hand around the rink for a good while, watching the sun start to set over the horizon. The setting sun painted the sky blazing, vibrant colors, and the clear skies allowed for viewing in all its splendor. "Sun's getting low." Mike commented, noticing the darkening sky, but even more so than that, the rapidly dropping temperature.

"Awww, is widdle Mikie getting cold?" Lucy prodded. Mike nodded and shivered a bit, and Lucy put the jokes aside. "Alright, but we should come back some time. You got really good!"

"Thanks." Mike said, blushing. "With your help."

They put up their skates and walked back home, Lucy cuddling as close to Mike as she could to keep him warm. His mom hadn't been stretching earlier, it was getting really cold, even she could feel it. Both of them were looking forward to snuggling under some blankets when they got back to Mike's house. A notification sounded off on both their phones, and Mike checked his. "Wow. Roseville Weather Authority put out a winter weather advisory for tonight, the temperature tonight's gonna drop below zero!"

"It's a good thing I have a big, strong korat to keep me warm, then." Lucy put a hand on his chest and kissed his cheek.

They hurried back to Mike's house, and by the time they reached the front door, the cold was really starting to bite at them. Once inside, they put up their jackets and Lucy went to grab some blankets for them to cuddle under. Mike went to the kitchen and made some hot chocolate for the two of them, and found Lucy wrapped up in a large comforter on the couch when he went back to the living room. "Want some hot chocolate?" He asked, setting them on the coffee table.

"Mmm, yes please. Want to come warm up?" Lucy lifted the blanket for him.

Mike grinned. "Yes please."

He slid in next to Lucy, who climbed on his lap to sit. Mike took hold of the blanket and pulled it around them, keeping them snug. Lucy leaned into her boyfriend and nuzzled him under his chin, purring happily. Mike laughed a little to himself. "Mmm… purring huh, Lucy?."

Lucy felt her cheeks heat up, a little embarrassed. "Got an issue with that, jerkface?"

"Not at all! It's really sweet." He smiled at her, and it made her heart melt, and the biting cold along with it. Lucy went back to nuzzling him and purring, adoring being so close to him. She finally made it. This, right here, is all she ever wanted. Mike rubbed her back as she loved on him, her eyes closed, soaking up the bliss between them. She mewled quietly as his hand moved up and down her back. "I love you, Lucy." He whispered in her good ear.

"I love you too." She whispered back, even quieter so only he could hear, as to keep her words of endearment for just him alone. They did break apart eventually to enjoy the hot chocolate as it was cooling off. Just as Mike was about to take a sip, they heard a knock at the door. They looked at each other, confused, but shrugged it off.

"Must have been the wind or something." Mike took a sip of the hot chocolate, but another knock nearly made him spit it out. He quickly swallowed and it burned his throat a little.

The feeling in the room changed from one of peaceful bliss to dread. Lucy shivered and snuggled closer to Mike. "Michael…" She whispered to him. A third round of knocks echoed throughout the house.

"I'm gonna go check it out." He whispered back, but Lucy clung to him, shaking her head.

"Mike, I have a bad feeling…" She whimpered. Who would be out on such a cold night?

"It's probably nothing." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back." Lucy reluctantly let go of him and sat back on the couch as Mike walked around the corner down the hall. This was followed by more knocking. Lucy heard the door squeak open, followed by a new voice.

"MAISHUL!"

A chill that had nothing to do with the weather ran up Lucy's spine.