A/N: As always, thanks to those reading, following and reviewing! It is much appreciated! There is still no word on whether or not our favorite couple will be joining AMC 2.0. Only about six of the actors have signed on with PP. More have signed with OLTL which has me thinking they are focusing more on that show, again. Don't ask me why. Anyway, as a friend has said, no matter what happens, I'll continue to live in my Minx happy bubble. With that said, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Marissa parked the SUV in front of the house. The kids scrambled out of the vehicle and headed for the front door, waiting for one of their mothers to unlock it.

Bianca climbed out of the front seat. "I'll get something to cut the ropes and take the tree stand inside."

"Sounds good." Marissa studied the tree and contemplated the best way to get the massive Christmas tree from the top of the SUV and into the house.

It was bigger than they had planned on, but it was a beauty, the best one on the tree farm by far and away. They had stopped by a tree lot in town but were disappointed by the trees they had available. They were either bare and scrawny looking or the trunks were terribly bowed. None of them would do. It was then that Bianca remembered a tree farm located about thirty minutes away. Yes, it was a further drive than they had planned, but when you're in search of the perfect tree for your first official Christmas together as a family, you forget about the distance and just concentrate on the mission and end result. Yes technically, it was their second Christmas, having come clean with their feelings for each other last year and spending the day together. This year, however, they were together in every sense of the word, and everyone knew it. There was no hiding their feelings or relationship from anyone for any reason. At this point, it would be impossible to hide it anyway. Their feelings for each other were plain as day to any and every one. There was no denying the depth of their love and level of their commitment, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Another difference this year was that no one would need to leave early to go home because they were already home, and they had decorated this home together. They would wake up in this home together and share every moment of this special day together.

This was why they all felt it was important to have the perfect tree for this special day. One of the advantages of Marissa's new car was the state of the art navigation system. They looked up the name and address of the farm, received directions and headed out. It was a beautiful day for the drive to the country. The sun was shining, the sky a brilliant shade of blue with only a few sporadic white puffy clouds dotting the sky, and the temperature, while a little cold, wasn't unbearable and held just the perfect bite in the air. Along the way, the kids took in the different sites and entertained everyone with games and songs.

Before they knew it, they were pulling into the graveled lot for Michaels Farm which was an actual working farm, owned and operated by the family. During the winter, it sold Christmas trees that were located on a portion of the land. A gift shop located on the grounds sold crafts, decorations and gifts of all sorts and was very popular with the family. During the other times of the year, various other portions of the farm were open to the public for a variety of activities. In the fall, a pumpkin patch was the main focus along with hayrides. Bianca pocketed a brochure with the couple making a mental note to visit during the other seasons.

A member of the Michaels family drove the family to where the trees were located and escorted them around the area. After several minutes, the family found a Christmas tree that not only could they all agree on but one they all thought was perfect. The tree was cut and bundled up for transport. The family was then driven back to the gift shop to pay for their purchases while the tree was secured to the top of the SUV. The drive home was equally as pleasant as the one to the farm, and they all couldn't wait to get home and start decorating.

Now, Marissa was pondering the best way to get the tree off the roof of the SUV and inside the house without scratching the new vehicle or damaging the tree.

Bianca came back outside with a utility knife. Once the ropes were cut, the couple worked together and was able to get the tree off the car, inside the house and into the tree stand. Marissa then went back outside to move the car into the garage and brought the rest of the packages inside.

"I think that is the perfect spot." Marissa noted from the doorway as she set the bags down and looked at the tree which was situated in front the large bay window in the family room. "It will look even better when we unbind it."

Bianca rolled her eyes as she caught the smirk on her lover's face. "You think?"

"Yep, it's a little on the skinny side right now, and there's not much room to the string the lights and hang the ornaments on either."

"Smart aleck."

The kids started giggling as Bianca threw a pillow at Marissa who skillfully sidestepped it and flashed her lover a cheeky grin.

The redhead continued to grin as she picked up the pillow and dropped it on the sofa while on her way to help Bianca with the tree. The bindings were carefully cut and the branches carefully unfolded and fluffed. The couple stepped back to take a look and were satisfied with the tree's location.

"Marissa and I will string the lights, and then we'll be ready for you guys to help with the ornaments. Sound good?"

The kids nodded excitedly.

"We're missing something though." Marissa snapped her fingers. "I know. We need some Christmas music. Miranda, would you get my iPod for me and plug it into the sound system? You remember how to do it, don't you?"

"Yep." Miranda hopped off the couch to retrieve the item in question. When she returned, the girl plugged the iPod in just like Marissa had shown her before and queued up the playlist containing Christmas songs.

Music soon filled the air, and the kids started singing along with their mothers to Christmas favorites. Before they knew it, the lights were strung, and it was time for the ornaments.

"Okay, it's time for you guys to earn your keep. Let's get this tree decorated!" Marissa grinned.

The kids hopped off the sofa and began to sort through the boxes. It was a unique collection of ornaments with each family member offering their own contributions. It included ones that had been made in daycare, school and breakfasts with Santa. There were others that had been in their families for years including ones from Marissa's parents and Bianca's much beloved grandmother Mona along with ones collected along the way prior to their lives together. And now, it contained ones that were recently purchased. All told, it was a collection that gave a glimpse into the family, its past, present and future.

The kids set about hanging ornaments on the lower and middle branches while their mothers were responsible for the upper ones. When the music started for the next song, a huge grin spread across Marissa's face and she started dancing and singing. Before too long, Bianca and the kids were joining their favorite redhead.

AJ was facing the front window when he caught sight of Kendall and Greenlee pulling up in front of the house and raced to open the door while the others continued singing along with John Mellencamp and his version of 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'.

I Saw Momma kissin' ol' Santa Claus
underneath the mistletoe last night.
She did not hear me creep
down the stairs to have a peek.
She thought that I was tucked up
in my bedroom fast asleep

Kendall and Greenlee smirked and took in the show as Marissa and Bianca spun the kids around. Gabby had long since given up on singing and was giggling wildly. Miranda and AJ were hopping up and down and shaking their bodies in time with their mothers and the music.

Let me tell you that
I saw momma tickle ol' Santa Claus
underneath his beard so snowy white
and what a laugh it would have been
if my daddy would have walked right in
and saw momma kissin' Santa Claus last night

When the song ended Kendall and Greenlee started clapping and whistling. Marissa glanced at the couple and gestured for the rest of the family to take a bow.

"Wow, you guys are great! Who knew there was this much talent in our family?"

"Thank you! The kids get most of the credit though, Kendall." Bianca grinned.

Greenlee chuckled. "So, are you all for hire? Maybe you can go on the road with this show?"

"Who knows? It's something to keep in mind. What brings you out today?"

"We were out doing some Christmas shopping and wanted to drop off a little something as way of 'thank you for your help'." Greenlee held out a bag.

Marissa smiled. "It's not necessary. I told you that I was glad to help."

"We know, but we wanted to do this. Don't leave us hanging, Red."

"Alright." Marissa laughed and took the bag. She pulled out a very nice and expensive bottle of wine. "Thank you! This is great. I know that Bianca and I will enjoy this very much."

"You're welcome." Kendall turned her attention to the Christmas tree. "Wow, this is a pretty nice tree. Where did you get it?"

Bianca smiled. "Thanks, we think it's pretty good. We went to Michaels' Farm. They have a lot of great trees out there. I noticed last night that you didn't have yours yet. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you check them out."

"I'll keep that in mind. Come on, Greenlee. We need to go. Zach will be sending out a search party soon."

The friends left and the Tasker-Montgomery's finished hanging the last remaining ornaments. When it came time to put the star on top, Miranda was given the honor since she was the one who had found it. Bianca lifted her up, and the girl carefully put the star on top. The family stood back while Marissa plugged in the lights.

"It's the bestest tree ever, Mommy!"

"Gabby's right!"

"Yep, it is!"

"I have to agree with the kids, Rissa."

"That makes it unanimous, B."

"Okay, what do you say I get dinner started and you start picking up in here?"

Marissa nodded. "Deal. Come on, guys. Let's start cleaning up in here."

/

Later that night after the kids had been bathed, read a story and tucked into bed, the couple was enjoying a few quiet minutes together in the family room. They were snuggled together on the sofa sipping the wine Kendall and Greenlee had given Marissa earlier that day. The only lights in the room were from the roaring fire and the lights on the Christmas tree.

Bianca sighed happily. The warmth from both the fire and from having Marissa in her arms making her smile. "This is a very good wine they gave you."

"Yes, it is. I have to say it again. That really is a great tree. I would even say it's perfect, kind of like today. I'm glad you remembered that farm."

"Me too. Today was pretty close to perfect. I really liked the part where we were skating." Bianca grinned.

Marissa kissed Bianca softly. "So did I. Miranda really is impressive."

"Yeah, she is. I was thinking we could set up her play date with Mackenzie while they're off for Christmas."

"That makes sense. That reminds me. When I was talking with Cindi, she told me something Miranda said."

Bianca quirked an eyebrow as Marissa turned to face her. Hazel eyes glistening and a lopsided smile graced her faced.

"When Miranda was talking to her, she referred to me as her 'Mom Marissa'."

Tears immediately began to form in warm chocolate eyes. Bianca had missed that part of their conversation, and she knew just how much that meant to Marissa as well as Miranda. Bianca gave her lover a tender kiss. "Oh baby, that is wonderful. I know what that means to you, to her. I'm not really surprised. She adores you. I have some news of my own."

"What is it?"

"Last night, when I was tucking AJ in and he was saying goodnight, he called me 'Mom'. He was half asleep when he did it but …"

Marissa shook her head and stopped Bianca. "But nothing. He called you 'Mom', and I think that is absolutely wonderful too. That he sees you like that is just about the best thing."

Bianca paused a moment. There was another subject she wanted to bring up and was trying to figure out the best way to broach it. It had been a while since they had discussed it, and she really wanted to get Marissa's feelings on the subject. "I heard something else today at Krystal's, and I wanted to talk to you about it, see what you thought about it."

Marissa noticed Bianca was somewhat nervous. About what, she wasn't sure, but she would do whatever she could to ease her lover's mind. "Bianca, you know you can talk to me about anything. Is everything alright?"

The brunette took a deep breath. "I'm good. It's just what I heard got me to thinking about something we haven't talked about in a while. I heard Mackenzie call you 'Mrs. Montgomery', and I was wondering what you thought about that." Bianca bit her lip and waited for a response.

Marissa couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face. "You heard that?"

"I did, and I was just wondering what you thought about it."

The redhead thought for a brief second, trying to form her answer. "I have to tell you that I really loved how that sounded."

"You did?" Bianca asked wanting to be sure she heard Marissa correctly.

"I did. How did it sound to you?" The nervousness was evident in hazel eyes.

The question was answered with the goofy grin that always made her heart melt.

"I really loved it too. I know it's been a while since we've talked about it, marriage."

"Yeah, it has been. You know, I heard that the legislature is considering a bill to make same sex marriage legal in Pennsylvania, and the governor has said he would sign it."

Bianca smiled. "I heard that too. So, you wouldn't be against the idea of us getting married someday if it becomes law? I know when talked about it before you were pretty adamant about not wanting or needing a piece of paper to define our relationship. I felt pretty much the same way."

"I still feel that way."

The brunette felt deflated. She had thought for sure that Marissa had begun to feel differently. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Marissa saw Bianca slump ever so slightly. She needed to fix this immediately and explain herself fully to her lover. She couldn't stand to see the disheartened look in those beautiful brown eyes. "I don't need a piece of paper telling me how committed we are to each other. I don't need anything or anyone telling me that. I know that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. When it comes to the idea of marriage though …"

Bianca's head snapped up sensing there was more to be said. She gazed in those hazel eyes so sure and confident in the belief they would be spending their lives together. The brunette felt this way too but marriage, well it was different for some unfathomable reason. "When it comes to the idea of marriage what?"

"I've been rethinking my position. Let's be honest. Our first marriages left a lot to be desired. There a number of reasons why they failed, but it really comes down to the simple fact that they were with the wrong people. I was never as happy with JR on our best days as I am with you on our worst ones. Does that make any sense?"

Bianca smiled softly. "Yes, it makes perfect sense to me, and I feel exactly the same way."

"Good. It's easy to see why those experiences left a bad taste in our mouths when it comes to marriage." Marissa took a deep breath. She'd come this far and knew it was too late to turn back now. "I started thinking though, and I remembered my Mom and Dad. They had the kind of marriage I always wanted, always dreamed of having. It's something I believe I can have with the right person. Something I believe I can have with you."

The women held each other's gaze for a long minute before Marissa broke the silence. "What about you?"

"I've been rethinking my position too. I don't have quite the example of marriage that you do. My Mom's been married too many times to count. So while she's obviously an advocate for marriage, she really can't be considered the poster child for it. I have learned something very valuable from her though. I've learned to believe that anything is possible. After the divorce, I lost that, but loving you has given me that belief again. So, yeah, I can definitely see us having the kind of marriage you're talking about, someday."

Marissa grinned. "That's good to know."

Bianca sighed happily. She took her lover's wine glass and set it on the coffee table. Chocolate eyes darkened as she grinned wickedly before capturing Marissa's soft lips. "Yes, it is. It's very good to know."

/

Bianca opened the door a little surprised to see her sister standing on the other side. "Hey, Kendall. Come on in. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I have important business with my nieces and nephew, and before you ask, no, I can't tell you it is. You only need to know that it's nothing to be worried about." Kendall answered with a grin.

"Okay, I guess I have to trust you on that. The kids are downstairs." Bianca noticed the bag her sister was carrying. "Do you want me to hold anything for you?"

Kendall slipped out of coat. "You can take my coat but not the bag."

Marissa observed the scene and smirked. "I'm thinking whatever is in the bag is part of 'Operation Christmas'."

"Ah, say no more. I'll refrain from any questions."

Kendall laughed. "Did you say 'Operation Christmas'?"

"Yeah, the kids were talking 'in code' the other day. Judging by your appearance here today and what was said between them, you would be Elf 1. Gabby is Elf 4 with AJ and Miranda as Elves 2 and 3, not sure which one's which." Marissa chuckled.

"Alrighty then, Elf 1 will be back in a few minutes." Kendall grinned and headed downstairs to the kids' playroom.

/

"Hi, Aunt K." Miranda glanced up the stairs and lowered her voice even though the door was closed. "Is that you know what?"

Kendall nodded and handed over the bag containing the kids' Christmas presents to their moms to her oldest niece. "It is, and don't worry. They don't suspect a thing."

AJ grinned, happy that their surprise was going as planned. "We better wrap these now so they don't see them."

"We can't let them see it, Aunt K. Can you help us?" Gabby looked at her aunt. The seriousness reflected in big brown eyes.

"I tell you what. I'll distract them, munchkin, while you guys sneak upstairs. I've got the wrapping paper and bows you wanted in the bag too. You just need tape and scissors."

"I've got them in my room." Miranda added.

"Okay, I'll go talk to them now and then you sneak up in a couple of minutes."

The kids giggled and waited a few minutes before stealthily passing by their moms on their way to Miranda's room.

/

Somehow, the three women were able to keep straight faces and continue their conversation despite catching a glimpse of the kids 'sneaking' by them and failing to hold their giggles in completely. The women waited until hearing Miranda's bedroom door close before laughing softly.

"Come on, Kendall. Let's go into the kitchen and give our ninja elves a little more privacy." Marissa chuckled.

"Ninja elves, huh? I kind of like the sound of that." Bianca laughed softly.

"So instead of wearing all black like ninja, do ninja elves wear a combo of red and green with candy canes instead of throwing stars?" Kendall cracked as the others laughed as they went into the kitchen.

/

"So have you heard from anyone recently?"

It took the couple a second before realizing who Kendall was referring to.

Bianca looked at her sister. "You mean have we heard from either JR or Reese. There's been no word from her since she went back to Paris."

"How are the girls doing with that, Binx?"

"They're doing okay. Any contact they had with her from the time we left Paris until she showed up here this summer was few and far between. That visit left a lot to be desired. Gabby didn't know her anymore and really didn't want anything to do with her. I sure as hell wasn't going to force her. As for Miranda, she kind of had an idea of what Reese was up to and was very protective of Marissa and her place in our family. That was something that was pretty obvious when we went to the movies. The way she blocked Reese …"

"That's my girl!"

Bianca laughed at Marissa's proud grin.

"That day at the zoo was a good indicator too of where her loyalties lie." Kendall added, smiling at the memory. "What about your ex, Red?"

"No, there hasn't been a peep out of him since he left town after being released. He's still trying to 'find' himself again and believes travelling the world is the way to do it. I know AJ misses him some. I also know he still has some bad memories of JR, his anger and everything he tried to do. AJ doesn't want to see him, and I won't push him. I can tell you that it's really helped having Zach be there for him. I couldn't ask for a better male role model. It's good for AJ to see a man who loves his family and isn't afraid to show it and who also doesn't judge others because of who they love and not be threatened by them. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Zach spending time with him and showing him those things. He's a really good guy."

Kendall sighed. "Yes, he is, and I know how lucky I am. Zach is crazy about AJ and would do anything for him. You know that."

"I do. It means a lot to me and to AJ. He really loves his Uncle Zach."

"New subject, are you ready for Christmas?"

Bianca nodded. "Almost. We just have one final present to get for the kids."

"That would be the present, wouldn't it?"

Marissa smiled. "Yes, it would. Simon will be dropping it off Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed."

"Yeah, we really can't have it here before then. There's no way we could keep it from them if we did."

Kendall chuckled. "That's true. The kids are going to freak. My kids are going to freak when they see it Christmas. Speaking of, are you ready to handle everyone over here for Christmas? Mom and Krystal were only together for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving, and we all know that could've gone smoother."

Marissa laughed. "You think? We did get two new gravy boats out of it."

"I forgot about Bianca's order on replacing them. They both replaced it, huh? I guess they knew better than to cross Binx anymore that day. You should've seen her in action, Red."

"Oh, I did. I didn't see the whole thing, but I saw enough. My girl is kick-ass!" Marissa grinned proudly. "I can see where Miranda and Gabby get their ninja skills. She's rubbing off on AJ too."

Kendall laughed while Bianca rolled her eyes at her lover. "You are so not right sometimes."

"And you wouldn't have me any other way!"

/

Miranda spread everything out on the bedroom floor and retrieved the tape and scissors from her desk.

The three carefully wrapped the presents with Gabby in charge of tape and bows. When that task was done, they started working on their cards. Miranda laid down some extra paper since Gabby was in charge of glitter, and her little sister loved glitter.

Something had been on Miranda's mind for a little while, and she figured this was the best time to ask since they were alone and their Aunt Kendall was distracting their parents.

"AJ, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"You know how Gabby calls both Mom and Rissa 'mommy'?"

"Uh huh."

"Does it bother you that she calls Rissa 'mommy'?"

AJ stopped to think about the question. "Not really. I was kinda surprised at first, but then I saw how happy it made my Mom. Bianca was happy about it too. When I saw that, I didn't think about it anymore. I mean you and Gabby are my sisters, at least that's how I see you so I guess it's okay for Gabby to call Mom 'mommy'. Hey, Gabby, why did you start calling Mom 'mommy'?"

The little girl shrugged. "Cause she is. She loves me like Mommy, listens to me like Mommy, talks to me like Mommy, makes me laugh like Mommy, and takes care of me like Mommy. When I skinned my knee, she kissed it and made it all better like Mommy. She's my Mommy. Why wouldn't I call her that?" Gabby looked at her brother and sister like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

AJ and Miranda looked at Gabby and then at each other. When they thought about it, everything Gabby said made perfect sense. Both really were their Moms.

"Would it be okay with you, AJ, if I started calling Rissa 'Mom'?"

AJ nodded. "I think she'd really like it. Could I call Bianca 'Mom'?"

Miranda smiled. "Yep, she'd really like that too."

AJ thought for a second. "It could be kinda confusing if we called them both 'Mom'."

"You're right. Which one should we call 'Mom' and what should we call the other one?"

"Hmmm, I don't wanna call either one of them Mommy or Mama. That's for little kids, and I'm too big for that. Sorry, Gabby."

Gabby simply shrugged. "It's okay. I'm still calling them both Mommy."

"Don't you think they could get confused if you keep doing that?"

Gabby shook her head. "Nope. They know who I'm talking too. I like calling them Mommy."

Miranda looked at AJ and shook her head. She knew her sister and saw that stubborn look in her eyes. There was no changing her mind once it was truly set on something. "Gabby's good. How about we call one of them 'Ma'?"

AJ nodded. "I like it. So which one's which?" They thought about this for a minute before AJ broke the silence. "We could call my Mom 'Ma'. It's part of her name."

Miranda pondered this suggestion. It made sense. "Do you think she'd be okay with us calling her that?"

"I think so. What do you think, Gabby?'

The little girl had been listening to the other two discuss this topic. She thought they were being silly. She really didn't know why they couldn't call both Mommies the same name like she did, but they were going to do what they wanted like she was. She thought about it though and thought it would be okay for them. "It's okay." She turned back to her glitter and mumbled. "I'm still calling her Mommy."

Miranda grinned at her sister. "Okay. We could put Ma and Mom on their cards with their presents."

"I like it. Are you okay with that, Gabby? You can still call them both Mommy. This is just letting them know for sure which present belongs to who since some of the pictures on them are different."

"Okay."

"Great! We won't say anything about it now and can surprise them on Christmas!"

"Good idea, AJ! That'll be a great surprise."

/

A/N: I do not own 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'. According to Wikipedia, it belongs to Tommie Connor. I also don't own the version by John Mellencamp. That belongs to him. I just really like that particular version. I have one more note and it regards Gabby. Like her, I am the youngest of three. My siblings always thought they knew what was best for me (they still do), and thought they could tell me what to do (again, they still do). Like Gabby, I would listen to them, consider their opinions and then do whatever I wanted to do (I still do). They meant well, but it bugged me (still does but I've adapted over the years). In my mind, I can totally see Gabby adopting this attitude. It's nothing against AJ and Miranda. It's just a sibling thing. It's also something I see happening especially since Gabby had accepted the fact that she had two Mommies in every sense of the word long before her older brother and sister. Why should she change what she was doing then just because they finally realized it? I think that's what her four year old mind would think anyway. Enough from me on that. I have to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yes, we're finally getting to it in the next chapter. See you soon!