A/N: Okay, it isn't seasonally appropriate at all, but here it is anyway: Misto's first Christmas. This takes place pretty soon after the end of "Friends and Lovers." It's just a fluffy little piece.

"Zaphia, do you celebrate Christmas?" Mistoffelees asked one early December morning as the two sat lapping up their breakfast. The queen looked up at him, surprised. Looking past him, staring into space, she waited a moment before replying.

"I used to…sort of…before…" she trailed off, looking down. At the pressure of a hand on hers she looked up into the earnest face of Mistoffelees. Zaphia smiled a bit. "I mean, my family used to do a little for it. Nothing big. And we weren't religious, so it was just a family thing. Later, without a family…and after everything…I just got out of the habit." Curious, she tilted her head while looking at her mate. "What brings it up?"

The tomcat shrugged a bit, a hint of a blush lighting his white face. "Just curious…I'd heard of it before I left Miranda. But she never…and I've heard about it so much since…" he stopped, looking a bit more embarrassed.

Zaphia smiled. "Misto…do you want to celebrate Christmas this year?" she asked gently. He nodded.

"What do we do?"

Suzanna had laughed long and loud over the phone when Zaphia had first called to ask her a favor. It wasn't that she didn't think her feline friend was sincere. It was just…amusing.

She'd consented, and now here she was, at the mall in Chicago of all places. After all, she and the cats were on winter break, free from school…and coming up here gave her a chance to drag Adrian along for this historic occasion. Zaphia stood at her side, grinning. Adrian was also smiling a bit at the completely flustered expression on the tomcat's face. With his ear twitching Misto looked at them all. "I just didn't realize it would be so crowded" he said petulantly, and Zaphia took his arm with a squeeze. "I guess I didn't prepare you for the horrors of Christmas shopping" she murmured.

"Is it always like this?"

Suzanna laughed. "Oh, you have no idea. It gets so much worse."

At a child's shrieking and pointing upon coming close and spotting the feline couple, both cats winced. "I'm glad we came now, then…" Mistoffelees muttered to himself. With a slight frown he curled his tail close around his leg, trying to keep it out of the other shopper's way.

"You could always back out now…" Zaphia whispered in his ear, smiling gently.

Misto shook his head. "No, I want to see what everybody else does. If this is part of it…I want to give it a try." He looked at the other couple appealingly. "Assuming you're still willing to help?"

Suzanna and Adrian both nodded, amused. "Let's split up into guys and girl" Suzanna offered. "We can help each other scout out for stuff, come up with ideas…then in awhile, we can call each other when we're ready to switch partners. Then Zaph and Adrian can look, and you'll go with me. That way we can each look for all four of us." With that Suzanna and Zaphia strolled off in one direction of the mall, each of them puling out a sheet of paper containing a list of ideas. Mistoffelees and Adrian watched them go.

"I think they already have quite a head start on us" Adrian said complacently. "Ah well, easily fixed." He turned to his shorter companion with a smile. "Shall we attempt it?" he asked, and Mistoffelees nodded, with a gulp.

"I have no idea what to get her" he admitted. Adrian smiled.

"You sound just like everybody else."

The tomcat smiled warmly as they walked off.

The clerk in the music store looked up with surprise at the girl in line. Her appearance was by necessity startling. Zaphia simply smiled her standard "I'm not threatening at all" smile that she'd perfected for just such occasions as this shopping trip and slid her purchase onto the counter. Looking at it, the clerk was forced to glance back up at her with raised eyebrows. "I know" the queen said laughing, and he smiled a bit.

Behind her in line, Suzanna snorted loudly as the clerk rang up a copy of the Cats musical on DVD. Zaphia turned to her with a swish of her tail. "Going to make sure he actually watches it finally?" Suzanna asked, grinning. Zaphia shrugged, but her smile was cheeky.

"Probably. Either way, I thought it would be funny."

Zanna nodded. "If you didn't get it for him by this point, I would."

The queen giggled. "Well, it's not the only thing I'll get him, so hopefully he won't take it the wrong way. Besides, I haven't seen it in ages…and I have a bit more personal curiosity in it now."

"Don't tell me you want to compare Mistos…"

"I won't… but you have to admit, it would be interesting to watch him watching 'him'!"

Mistoffelees trailed behind Adrian in yet another shop. The older man was waiting for his latest purchase to be gift wrapped. The tomcat sighed. With a raised eyebrow, Adrian turned. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"We've been through so many stores and… I can't think of a thing to get Zaphia!"

Adrian shrugged. "Well, why not go with the classics? Jewelry, candy, perfume…" at that he nodded at the lovely wrapped box the store clerk handed him, containing a costly and elegant perfume. "I'd recommend wine, but you two don't drink…so that's not an option."

Mistoffelees sighed. "How would I know what she'd like?" He turned, looking around the perfume selection. "With our noses, scent is really important…I could never pick something she'd like."

Adrian gestured with the small bag towards the woman working the counter. "I'm sure she could help you make a selection…or you could trust my taste on this one." Lowering his voice a bit, he added "in human form my nose isn't as sensitive as yours, but I think I still have an advantage over most people."

Again the tomcat sighed. This trip had convinced him of one thing: Adrian had all the class and taste that anybody could want…and it made him feel, as usual, the inferior. The fact that he could walk into a women's perfume store and know exactly what to get…just like at the wine store across the street…and the jewelry store…

The woman behind the counter was staring at the two with a fixed smile plastered over her face. Still, she worked on commission…as the tomcat wandered past some of the selections she thrust a bottle of perfume towards him aggressively. "This one is quite popular" she stated. Mistoffelees just looked at her. With a tight smile the woman opened the bottle and stuck it under his nose.

With a frown the small tom backed up immediately. "Ugh, they're all so strong" he muttered, and the saleswoman closed the bottle with something close to a frown.

"Well sir, they're meant to give a woman a distinct aura of scent." Misto rubbed at his nose, perturbed. The saleswoman continued. "A woman's perfume reminds you of her presence when she's gone, lends her a pleasant air, helps her create a distinct personal impression" the saleswoman continued, looking at Adrian as if for support.

Adrian looked at his younger brother, nodding a bit. Mistoffelees shook his head. "Zaphia already has a distinct scent that does all that" he said softly. Adrian laughed as the woman holding the perfume looked up with some degree of alarm. Misto gently pushed her hand holding the perfume away. The scent was too strong for him to have comfortably near his sensitive nose, even when shut. "I don't want to cover her scent, I like it" he said softly to his brother, and Adrian smiled.

"Perhaps I was going at this wrong. Perhaps the 'classics' don't exactly apply to such an unusual woman" Adrian said softly, putting a hand on Misto's shoulders. Mistoffelees nodded, but his ears drooped a bit.

"Well, what do I do then?" he asked sadly.

Adrian shrugged. "Frankly, I have no idea. It might be time to see if we can switch shopping partners."

Suzanna sat at a table in the food court facing a most disconsolate tomcat. "I take it you didn't have much luck with Adrian?" she asked. Mistoffelees shook his head.

"I haven't been able to think of a single thing to get Zaph." He started drumming his claws on the tabletop distractedly. "Adrian suggested wine, but we don't drink…perfume…but I don't want to cover her natural scent…" at this he intercepted a curious look from Suzanna.

"Her natural scent?" she asked.

Misto nodded with a sigh. "I've gotten used to her scent. It's distinctive, and I really like it…I'd hate to cover it up. She smells like almond paste, in a way…" for a moment he smiled, his attention wandering. A cough from Suzanna brought him back to earth. "Besides, strong perfume would probably hurt her nose, make it harder for her to smell anything else."

His friend sat at the table, amused.

"And most jewelry is out" the tomcat continued. "Adrian thought earrings would work- not too big of a gift, not too expensive…but look at our ears!" At this Mistoffelees tugged on his own large feline ears. "It's not like she could pierce ears like these…"

"Why not?"

Misto looked taken aback. "They're too thin, too many nerves…and they move around so much, earrings would just tear right out."

Suzanna slumped in her chair, taken a bit aback. Shopping for kitties was more complicated than she'd expected. "Well, forget what everybody else buys. What do you know she likes?"

Mistoffelees looked pensive for a moment. "Well…coffee. Caffeine in general. Her stuffed cat…" with a start he looked up at Suzanna, realizing he shouldn't have admitted that last one. "I'm never going to be able to get her the right gift…" he murmured, resting his head on his hands.

In their apartment weeks later, Zaphia leaned back on her haunches. A tired but satisfied smile covered her face. Turning to Mistoffelees, she saw a similar look on his face.

Standing in front of them was a tree, covered in silver and gold. "It's beautiful" Mistoffelees murmured, and Zaphia grinned.

"You haven't seen the best part yet!" she giggled.

While the tomcat watched, his mate turned out the lights in the living room and plugged in the tree. With a satisfied sigh the queen sat down again. She wrapped her arms around the tomcat who was staring at the tree. "This is much better than shopping, isn't it?" she said gently, and he nodded. But there was a bit of a frown on his face.

They'd done their shopping. Packages were wrapped and piled under the tree. He'd tried. But he couldn't shake that feeling…that he'd failed. This was his first Christmas, and Zaphia had been trying to make it perfect for him. They'd shopped, they'd baked cookies, she'd taught him songs and stories and traditions…

But he hadn't been able to find anything that he would be proud to give her.

"I can't believe it's almost time" he whispered, and Zaphia nuzzled against him gently. He couldn't take his eyes off the tree.

It was Christmas eve. Time had run out. Mistoffelees sat in front of the tree, not quite as full of satisfaction as he'd been hoping. Until today he'd held out a hope that somehow, the idea for a perfect gift would occur to him. Something to give her she'd love, that would show her just how much she meant to him…

With a sigh, the tomcat looked at the clock. Nearly midnight…Zaphia was long asleep. He should have joined her by now. But the tree was hypnotic to him…the way the lights flickered against the ornaments…

Gently he lowered himself to the ground and slowly scooted underneath the tree. With a slightly more contented sigh he made himself comfortable, lying on his back and looking up through the tree branches. It was even more beautiful from this angle. He'd really been enjoying all of this…if only he knew Zaphia was pleased, it would be the perfect holiday…

He didn't mean to fall asleep there.

Zaphia walked out of the bedroom softly, trying to make no sound. Barefoot, she didn't. She'd gotten up because she was thirsty…and because she was worried. Mistoffelees had been sitting up when she went to bed, and she hated to think he was still awake.

Walking into the living room, she had to smile.

Curled up under the tree was a certain black and white tomcat. He was lying on his side, head pillowed on his arm. That long black tail, tipped with white, was slowly brushing along the presents piled around him. Zaphia knew he was fond of the tree and the lights, but hadn't exactly expected him to fall asleep under there. She grinned widely, sitting there for a few minutes just watching him sleep. "Beautiful," she whispered.

Softly she crept close and placed a soft kiss on the end of his nose. His eyes opened half-way, and a soft blush lit up his face. "I didn't mean to fall asleep" he whispered, and she giggled.

"It's after midnight." The queen looked at him with a wide grin. "Merry Christmas."

He smiled back at her. "Merry Christmas…want to open your presents?"

Zaphia shook her head. "I already found the best present I could under the tree…" she whispered into his ear, and Mistoffelees blushed again, brighter this time.