Disclaimer: Don't own, wrong time of the year to worry.

:}

Cat Valentine wasn't your usual celebrity. Her rise had been as much about being protected by a few friends, friends who made sure she had opportunities, as it was her immense talents. But under all her abilities, the singing, the dancing, the acting, and the juggling, even her innocence, Cat could cook. The petite girl with he amazing voice was so naturally gifted in the kitchen, she'd been the go to chef for her family since she was fifteen. So naturally, for Christmas, she was cooking for the homeless.

"Okay, you're doing that right." She told one of her volunteers, even as she walked down the less then professional line, making sure that each recipe was being followed, and the volunteers were giving as much of themselves as could be done given who they were. "Remember, the secret to great cooking isn't just the balance of flavors, though that's also important. It's the caring. We make love when we cook."

"Um, Cat, you sure you wanna be saying it that way?" Andre asked. He'd been volunteered to help out by his grandmother, who seemed a touch more lucid now that she was living in an assisted care home. Then again, she also accused the orderlies of improperly shoveling the snow off the walk, in sunny Los Angeles, so maybe she just understood people more now. "Just saying, we don't need to be getting any bad reputations now."

"My reputations good." Cat promised the boy. "I just wish you could have traveled, cause I think Beck would have responded better to you then Robbie. I had to send someone to New York, to make sure they were making only the yummiest, healthiest food for their people too. But as neither of you are that great at coking, I guess it's equal, except you could do far better at getting Beck to agree to doing things my way."

"Or you could have sent…" Dre started, only to stop. "No, forget I even thought of that. Just, lets keep cooking, cause we know that times are tough, and we may have over a thousand people here tonight."

"Jade isn't involved in this." The petite girls voice was so cold the food might not need refrigeration. "I can handle this, all on my own. No, no one needs Jade. Not me. I mean, she IS my bestest friend in the whole world, and I forgave her. I did, I really did. When she broke up with Beck and almost destroyed our little group, I forgave her, cause she is my friend. I even rooted for her when she started seeing Tori. Hell, I was doing okay, didn't need to be in her movie…."

The kitchen was in full swing, each person working hard to avoid getting on their celebrity managers bad side. Already, one volunteer was smarting from asking her if she could get Jade's autograph. It was the one chink in her armor, so dark that her otherwise sickeningly sweet nature had made her use Andre Harris, the other celebrity present, to chastise the volunteers who weren't following her directions. So now that her ire was turned on the musician, they kept their heads down, discreetly pulling cellphones to record what may well be the meltdown of night.

"I mean, sure, Jade's a director. Directed and acted in her own movies all through collage, made a small following so that, her first real film was bigger budget, and me being in it maybe gave me wider audience." Cat continued.

"Wider then Los Angeles?" Someone asked, showing they knew just how far both the present celebrities had made it that short time ago when Jade broke through, and took her friends with her.

Cat's glare could kill, except she lacked the intimidation her Gothic friend had, so it just shown her wrath at the man who'd spoke.

"Dude, why?" The woman working near him asked.

"Cat, I get it." Andre interrupted the girls feverish mind as she plotted some kind of drastic revenge on the volunteer, like maybe a bad yelp review, or wishing something mildly unpleasant would happen to him. Honestly, she was far too sweet a girl to get that big into revenge. The musician continued. "It's hard to be under Jade's shadow? You think, for one moment, I like that Tori's far better known then I am? Or that when she sings my songs, they go straight to the top, but when I sing them, people ask me if Miss Vega knows I'm borrowing her music? Hell, I'm far from thrilled that, as a favor to Tori's parents, as well as a personal challenge we all thought would drive her over the edge, Jade managed to find a niche for Trina. TRINA!" The man was shifting back and forth, all but pacing, as he ranted about his own issues. "She has her own game show, with a fan base, because Jade went and found her a slot, made the show, did everything to give that girl her shot, just so Tori wouldn't have her clinging on, ruining opportunities." He fumed, trying to regain control.

"Dude, issues much?" Cat asked. "Jade may be a gank, and a monster, but she can be real sweet when she wants to. If you're one of hers, then she looks out for you. It's why she found me that roll, and we're getting distracted. I need you to head out to the docks, and see if our supply team is under control, or do I need to unleash the kraken?"

Brown eyes met brown, one set once again reflecting to hopeful over steel, while the other betrayed their owners shocked at the girls shift in attitudes. "Okay, but if I see her, I'm running."

"Jadey won't be anywhere near this project." Cat promised. "It's mine. Besides, she can't cook with the kind of love I do. She tries, makes decent food, but she lacks the ability to make it an act of love. She can't make the food the kind of yummy that the little one's will want, so that they eat up the healthy stuff, get to grow up big and strong. She wouldn't know how to make the food carry that love. No, that's my gift, and I'm helping all these wonderful people, people who may not realize how lucky they are that they have me, as opposed to the queen of mean herself, as their manager. No, I gave her one job, got her to organize a toy drive, left it to her evil imagination how she'd get the toys and clothes and other things the homeless will need, gather it all up for us, rapped and ready and totally unaware that I wanted her miles from here."

"That why you left me to do the supply runs?" Trina asked as she led her team into the kitchen, another delivery of food being loaded into the freezers, pantry, and other locals. "We both know this is more Tori's gig."

"Tori can't cook." Cat told the girl. "I've seen food whither up just by her being present when it's cooking, cause she offered to help. Not to be mean, cause she tries. She really does. It's just…"

"Yea." Trina nodded. "I'm gonna go organize the servers, or you doing that too?"

"Tell them I'll be over to give a pep talk in a bit.' Cat said, returning to the line. "Okay, those carrots, they look good. The meat, however, a little more love. If we love the food, then the love will show through. We have to make this meal special. This, and every other we prepare for these people. I have to give back." She hesitated. "I need to give back the love, the support, I've been given..."

Dre marveled at how the petite girl shifted, again, back to her sweet self, preaching the gospel of love through cooking. 'Girls gifted in so many ways. Making clothing, cooking, it's like the angels crafted the perfect old fashion wife for someone, then made her a celebrity. Still…' He exhaled. "People, we need to get this ready, cause the doors gonna open in like minutes."

"We have loads of food left uncooked." One of the volunteers pointed out.

"Yea, cause we're not doing one seating." Cat shifted, letting them know she was listening. "We're feeding people all fucking day, so we need loads of food. Trina did her part, and you did yours. When the next shift will show, we'll be there, Dre and me, to make sure they do their part too. So, thanks for your service, and get the fudge back to work…." Her eyes darted to the desert prep area. "Um, how's the fudge going?"

"Yea, she's driven." Dre murmured.

"What was that?!" Cat accused.

"Cat, please…" He exhaled.

"Still having Jade issues?" Trina wondered as she wandered back through to find something. "Cat, she did her part too. And not just the presents, cause that's a nice hall she got for us out there. No, Jade did what we all would do, she reached back. Just like you promised to do, just like Dre here did, just like every member of your little group. Don't be upset because she was the first to be in that position to help out. I mean, this, this whole drive, it's you. You got the volunteers, the food donations, everything. This whole project, it's you helping to feed the homeless. Food and toys and clothing and everything." She hesitated just a moment longer. "You, baby girl."

"Actually, I had help." Cat admitted. "I have friends who did so much of the work. Dice and his contacts, people I met through Goomer, they helped."

"Plus, you have us." Andre added. "Here, helping run this show, even though none of us have the experience ordering people around. Heck, as a band leader and music producer, I may have the most experience of the team, and in this I'm more a follower then a leader. You made the decisions, got things moving, and that's why this happened."

"Jade would have done it faster." Trina said, poking the bear. "But lets be honest, she'd also have micromanaged things until she needed some kind of release, and thank God my sister is with her now, cause them making babies is a far better release then the way she used to lash out at everyone."

"Yea, they're probably having sex." Cat agreed. "Could you call, make sure. I mean, as much as I don't want Jadey coming here and taking over, cause bossy, I also need your sister safely away from here, for the good of the food. And speaking of, we need more butter over those veggies. The greens are healthy, and we're walking a thin line between tasty and no longer healthy, and you're erring on the side of hidden under the potatoes." She was off directing her crew again.

"Jade could have gotten them to eat their veggies." Someone murmured, and the kitchen went silent.

"Yea, she could." Cat agreed. "But I want them to eat their food because it's good, not because their afraid of what she might do to them. I mean, those people have suffered enough." Two steps and a deep breath followed. "I'm here to show them that someone loves them, loves them enough to make them food. Food full of love and caring. The warm nutrition that will help them face the rest of the year and their path into the new year. I can do that. I can make food like that. Of all the things I can do that Jade can't, and there are so many, this is the one that makes the most difference. And., and, and it's also the one thing I can have you help me do." A huge smile broke out over her face. "So, lets feed the kiddies, kay? First wave is almost ready, and that's the one we're expecting the most children in. Might be kids in all the waves, which is why we're making sure there are gifts for all the waves. But this is the time for the little one's, and I for one want to make them very happy." She exhaled, letting so much of her aggravation go.

Trina smiled at her friend., then turned to face her team. "Okay, servers, we have our work cut out for us. We know where to go, who's doing what. Remember, while it looks like we have loads of food, we still need to practice portion control. Heavy on the veggies, cause we have so much of those, lighter on the unhealthy chiz. Lets go, places, cause it's show time. And remember," She paused for a moment, to dive home the idea, "Smile. We're happy to be helping them, no judgment, just helping out because there but for the grace of god goes us. Not one of us is here because of community service, except you high school kids doing the required chiz to graduate, and you guys are still here anyways because you wanna be. Lets do this…" She led her small cadre out onto the floor, ready to serve food to the needy.

Dre took his cue, and started to rally his group. "The real cooking is about to begin, folks. Team one, we're gonna be cooking all day, so pace yourselves, cause this isn't a professional kitchen, regardless of what miss Valentine may want. We make the food, and get it out as needed. Follow her lead, and do as she says, and we'll do the lord proud. Team two our job is to make sure the cooks have what they need when they need it." He stopped. "Prayer circle."

"Hold hands where you are." Cat instructed. "But for those who wanna pray, this is the time."

The gathered put their hands together and started praying, asking for help for those who would be making their way through the door that day. Cat didn't lead the prayer, instead making sure there would be food when needed, and that the families and needy would be able to enjoy this holiday. The petite girl thought, one more time, how this was her project. 'Plenty of people try to feed the homeless. Plenty of people volunteer. But I showed them I can be a leader. See Jade, I don't need my younger cousin holding my hand. I can do this all on my own…'

Her knuckles were almost white as she forced herself to let go of her jealousy of her friends success. "I wanted to make it on my own." She whined, only to let it go, and focus, once more, on the project at hand. The doors were opening, and the hungry were making their way in. "Showtime." She breathed. Cat Valentine always rose to a performance, and that's all this would be, her putting on a show. Only this one would make so many peoples lives a little easier for the cold winter.

:}

Hope it's not too disjointed. Kinda says what I wanted it to.