Note: I don't own The Foster or any of the characters.

"I've never seen real mistletoe before," Callie commented, delicately holding the sprig of greenery. "Except in movies."

"Well, now you have," Stef smiled, as Callie handed back the plant clipping, which was tied with a red bow. "Because this is the real deal. And I'm going to hang it right... here." She stood up and taped the mistletoe above the living room doorway. "This way, I might get a little kiss from my honey." She winked at the kids playfully.

"Don't we have a tree to decorate?" Brandon asked, looking around at his siblings... and Callie.

"You're right," Stef told him. She opened a large plastic bin of ornaments. "Okay guys. Dig in!"

Brandon dug through the bin and found a gold garland. Normally, he was a perfectionist when it came to decorating the Christmas tree, but he found himself wrapping the decoration around the branches haphazardly, too distracted by the thought of catching Callie under the mistletoe. Would he have the courage to kiss her? He glanced at her quickly. She was indescribably beautiful, laughing out loud, with her eyes catching the sparkle of the twinkle lights. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I was just telling Callie about the history of this ornament," Stef giggled. She held up a gingerbread boy with a large bite mark where one arm should've been.

Brandon nodded, grinning. "I remember that." He turned to Callie. "I made it in kindergarten." The ornament was made from a baked cinnamon dough, smelled like Christmas, and looked like a real cookie. But of course, it wasn't meant to be eaten. "It smelled so good. I couldn't help myself." He looked back at Stef. "I can't believe you've kept it this long."

"It's cute," she shrugged. "And the bite taken out of it makes it even cuter. Plus," she pinched Brandon's cheek. "My baby made it for me."

"Mom," he groaned.

Callie laughed again. "I think it's a cute story." She picked up a glass pine cone, carefully cradling it in her hand. "This is really pretty."

"That one's very special to me," Stef explained. "My grandmother gave it to me. Would you like to do the honors?" She gestured to the tree.

Callie studied the delicate decoration, which sparkled in her hand. "No, thank you. You should do it. I wouldn't want to break it." She passed it to Stef, who hung it securely on a branch.

"Callie, Jude... what were the holidays like in your family?" Stef asked, trying to keep up conversation.

Callie looked over at Jude, who was untangling a clump of tinsel. He tilted his chin up to show he was listening. "They were pretty low-key," she said. "We, uh, never had much money for presents and stuff."

Stef smiled sadly. "People place too much emphasis on gifts, anyway. That's not what Christmas is really about."

"Remember the presents we used to get from Toys for Tots?" Jude asked his sister.

"Yeah," Callie replied, shaking her head. "I remember." After their father's drinking problem went from bad to worse, the gifts given to them through charities were usually all they received on Christmas morning.

"A great organization," Stef nodded. "You know, we should buy a few toys and make a donation. It would be fun. What do you guys think?"

Just then, the front door opened. "Stef!" Lena called. "Your tangerines came today!" She came into view, holding a large mailing box.

"Yes!" Stef cheered. She took the box from Lena. "Now it feels like the holidays." She turned to the kids. "We used to pick these every year when I was young. Of course, now, we can get them right through the mail." As she set the box down, the mistletoe she'd hung caught her eye. "Don't move a muscle," she told Lena.

Lena looked at her wife questioningly, until she pointed up. "Mistletoe," she laughed, as Stef leaned in for a kiss.

The family finished decoration the tree together, chatting as they worked. Afterward, Stef opened the box of tangerines. "Now, everyone gets a treat." She began passing a piece of fruit to each of her children.

Callie rolled her tangerine in her hand, then held it to her nose, smelling it. She closed her eyes and breathed in the tangy-sweet citrus fragrance, as Brandon sat down next to her.

"You gonna eat that?" he asked, peeling his own tangerine.

"Of course I am," said Callie. "It just smells so good. I've never had one."

"You've never had a Christmas tangerine?" Brandon asked with disbelief. "Not ever?"

"No," Callie told him, as she dug her nail into the bright peel. He didn't understand that a luxury like tangerines would have been unheard of in her family, where she and Jude felt lucky to have a hot meal on their table for Christmas.

"Jude either?"

"Nope. He's never had one either," she replied. "What's the big deal?"

Brandon shrugged. "I don't know... I guess it's such a tradition in our family, that it's hard to imagine Christmas without it."

Callie nodded, as she peeled the last bit of rind from the tangerine, and separated a segment. She bit into it, the sweet-tart juice filling her mouth. "This is delicious," she sighed. She ate it as slowly as possible, one segment at a time.

Later, the family went shopping, following through with Stef's suggestion that they make a donation to charity. They all got hot chocolate, and wandered around the mall. Brandon made it a point to stick close to Callie, never wanting to be far from her.

After everyone had chosen one gift, Stef led them to a donation bin, and each member of the family put the toy they'd picked inside it. "This is going to make the holidays special for a lot of kids," Lena told them. "I'm proud of you guys."

Brandon smiled at Callie, who had a faraway look in her eyes. Again, he thought of the mistletoe. When they got home, he hung around the living room, waiting for the right moment to come along. And finally, it did. Callie was passing through, and no one else was around.

"Callie," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she asked, stopping to acknowledge him.

He crossed the room to her, smiling. "You're under the mistletoe. You know what that means, right?"

Callie rolled her eyes. "You're not really going to kiss me, are you?" Please kiss me, please kiss me, please kiss me, she thought to herself.

"I think I have to," Brandon told her. "It's the rule."

"I know how much you hate to break the rules," Callie laughed, as he came closer to her.

"Here it goes," he whispered. Slowly, he leaned in, and pressed his lips to Callie's cheek, feeling the warmth of her soft skin radiate through him. He lingered there a moment, then pulled away.

Callie touched her cheek, still able to feel where Brandon's lips were. "I could get used to this whole holiday-tradition thing."

All night, Callie thought about Brandon's kiss. She fantasized about hanging mistletoe everywhere; from every door way, even above the refrigerator. Definitely over his keyboard, since that's where he spent most of his time. She'd deck every inch of the house with mistletoe if she could, just so she could get more kisses. The next morning, she decided she'd be the one to catch him standing under it this time. And she'd kiss him just the way she wanted to.

Obsessing over the anticipation of it all, she didn't see Brandon as she was coming from the kitchen and he was leaving the living room. He must have been distracted too, because they bumped right into each other.

"Sorry," Brandon apologized, catching her gaze and holding it.

"It's okay," she told him. "But...you do realize where we're standing again, don't you?" She pointed her thumb upward.

Brandon grinned from ear to ear. "I guess since we're both under it, we have to kiss each other this time."

"Makes sense," Callie nodded, barely able to contain herself. They looked around quickly, to be sure they were alone. Then, Brandon wrapped his arms around Callie's waist, and she put her hands on his shoulders. He tilted his mouth toward hers, and she met him halfway, their lips finding each other. As they kissed, time seemed to stand still. Callie wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but when they parted, they were both breathless. She looked up at Brandon, who was running his fingers through her hair. "Yup. Definitely getting used to these traditions."

The End.