This is the story of Lee and Vicky, and what lead to them.

Lee never wanted to abandon her sisters or her mother, but after twenty years of doing everything she could for them, she needed to do something for herself, it's why she moved away. She needed to find her place in the world and figure out who she is.
She took a bag of clothing, all the money she's saved up over the years, and one of the few family pictures the Kankers owned and jumped a bus to Seattle. She was able to find a small studio apartment and got a job working in the house keeping of a hospital. It wasn't a great job, or a great apartment, but she knew starting over wasn't going to be easy.

After her twenty fifth birthday she finally figured she should give dating a go. She never really did the whole dating thing when she was younger, yeah she messed with Eddy and forced kisses on him, but she never felt anything for him, he was just a target for her boredom.
She'd let some guy at the hospital take her out to dinner, they'd talk but she wouldn't. Lee had built up walls to keep people out and none of the guys were willing to try to get past them. It's not like she didn't think the men that took her out were good looking, she just has a lot of bad memories of May's father and she just had trouble trusting them.

Vicky was the first friend that Lee made in Seattle, say for the bartender, after living there for a few years. Lee was sitting at the counter of the bar she frequents, another failed date with a guy from the hospital. The seats on either side of her were empty, she was giving off an aura of hate that was keeping people away.
She was lost looking into her beer that she didn't see a blond head pop up next to her. "Hi." The blond woman says to Lee with energy in her voice.
Lee looked over at the woman. "Fuck off."
Lee's aggressiveness didn't faze the woman. "Bad day I take it?" She asked signaling to the barkeep for a beer for herself.
"What do you care?"
The woman picked up her bottle of beer. "Well you looked really bummed out up here, I think I even saw a priest turn tail when he saw you."
A small smile flashed across Lee's face at the woman's joke, but she still wanted to be left alone. "What's it to you?"
"No one should drink alone, especially if they are sad."
"What's so bad about being alone?"
"It only makes it worse, why don't you come sit with me and my friends?"
"No."
"M'kay, then I'll just sit here then." The woman smiles and takes a drink.
"You don't even know me."
"Name's Vicky."
Lee looks at Vicky, she is smiling as she drinks her beer. No one has ever pushed back when Lee pushed people away, it made her feel different to have someone want to be around her. But she had no intent of leaving to sit with a bunch of people she didn't know.
"Lee." She figured at the very least she could tell this woman her name.
Vicky was able to tell that Lee needed a friend as they sat at the bar and when Lee was getting ready to leave Vicky told her they should hang out again sometime.
Again Lee found it odd that someone wanted to be around her, and either it was the alcohol in her system or her basic human need to be around people, she agreed to meet up with Vicky again at the bar sometime.

Vicky never pushed Lee on talking about her past when they would meet up at the bar. Most of the time they'd just sit at the counter drinking in silence. But after a while Lee started to open up to Vicky. Whenever Lee needed to vent her anger at the world or work Vicky would sit there and listen not judging Lee but helping her get it out. She would sometimes make a joke or two that Lee couldn't help but smirk at, but she mostly was a supportive friend.
Something she couldn't understand was starting to happen to Lee, she felt an odd sense of connection to Vicky and would feel a bit jealous whenever she's see Vicky talking to other people. Every day that had Vicky in it, whether they were at the bar or hanging out at Vicky's apartment, Lee found herself feeling more relaxed and happy.

She was coming up on two years of being friends with Vicky, and to her surprise Vicky invited Lee to the Christmas Eve party at her work.
"No one should be alone on Christmas Lee. Come join in on the free food and cheap champagne." Is what Vicky said to convince Lee to go, along with Lee's subconscious desire to be near Vicky.
Lee didn't know anyone at the office building Vicky worked at, she is a personal assistant to some high ranking lady named Holly Gennero, so she was sticking to Vicky all night.
Eventually Vicky had to excuse herself to the restroom leaving Lee alone. As she stood off to the corner waiting for her friend to come back an older looking guy with a scruffy beard walked up to her.
"Hey… you came with Vicky didn't you?" the guy was clearly drunk and Lee could smell it on him.
"What if I did?" Lee asked, wanting the guy to leave her alone. Her time around Vicky has soften Lee, she would have punched the guy when she was younger.
"So, your girl girlfriend I take it?"
"What?" This guy's question threw Lee off.
"You know, girlfriend, lady friend, significant other."

Dread filled Lee, she hadn't ever thought of what Vicky's preference in partners is. 'Was all this just a long con to get me in bed?' She wondered as she pushed the guy into a potted plant walking away.
"Lee what are you doing out here?" Vicky asked as she walked out onto the small balcony of the office. When she came back from the restroom she spent five minutes looking for Lee.
Lee is leaning on the guard rail looking out over the city. "Was it all your plan?"
"What?" Vicky is confused and leans on the rail next to Lee.
"Getting me to be your friend, wanting to be around me, was it just a way to sleep with me?"
"WHAT"? What would ever give you that idea?"
Lee turned to Vicky, her face was pink and her eyes were wide. Despite how serious this conversation was meant to be to Lee, she couldn't help but find the look on Vicky's face funny. "Some guy in there asked if I was your girlfriend, is that what it was all about when you came and talked to me?"
"Well I don't think you are Lee, and I never intended for you to think that. I just thought you could use a friend."
Lee looks at her friend, her face has now gone red, but Lee couldn't tell if it was from the cold or embarrassment.
Vicky decided to be honest with her friend. "Ok, look. Yes I thought you were pretty when we first met, and once I got past the outside, I saw how cool and fun of a person you are. Can you blame me for finding you attractive? Everyone does it to everyone."
Lee has never been called pretty before, her clothing at times yes, but never herself directly, and it felt good to hear it from Vicky.
Lee turns back away from Vicky, her brain is over capacity and she doesn't know what to do with what is going on inside her head. "This is getting too much, I… I don't know how to deal with all of this."
Vicky has become somewhat of an expert on helping Lee deal with her anxieties and other problems. "Ok, we'll just tell it like it is Lee. How you feel and what you want to say."
Lee looks back at her friend, she is leaning just a few inches away from Lee and has a look of deep concern and caring on her face. "I don't know how to explain it all."
"Just let it all out Lee, vent till you got nothing left to say."
Lee took a deep breath to gather all of her thoughts on her only friend. "There are times when I… I want to keep you away from anyone that wants to talk to you. I like being around you an how I act when I'm around you. I feel like I'm a better person with you in my life. But lately when we're hanging out I start feeling like my stomach is all messed up. With you, I don't feel like I have to wall myself up, that I don't have to fear the world getting to me." Lee tried her best to put words to what is going on in her head, but she's not the best at explaining her problems to other people. "And now all this? I don't know…"
"Lee." Vicky places her hand on Lee's. "That's called having a crush on someone. And before you say so, it is ok to have a crush on another girl. It's not wrong or sinful, it's what your heart wants." Vicky would be lying if she said she never had romantic thoughts about Lee, but it was always friend first, drinking buddy second, soundboard third, and then it was other interests for her when it came to Lee.
Lee didn't know what to say, her best friend, her only friend, just told her that she has a crush, and it is ok if Lee was crushing on Vicky. "I… I don't. I don't know what I want." Is all Lee could think to say.
"I think, we need to get out of this office building and find someplace to get some food. You need something other than little sandwiches and I could kill for a milkshake. Like if you had one right now I would throw Ellis off this balcony for it."
Lee laughed, the situation was confusing to her, but Vicky still found a way to slip in a joke and make Lee laugh.

They left the office building on foot in silence just as a white van pulled into the underground parking of the building and made their way down the street.
They didn't talk as they walked, just enjoyed the sounds of the city at Christmastime until they came upon a all night diner.
This time it was Vicky's turn to share with Lee to let all that was stirring around inside of Lee's head settle and for her to figure out what it all meant.
Vicky told Lee about how she used to live outside the city in the rural area and how she always wanted to live inside the city and work in a skyscraper. How she wanted a pet cat but she is allergic to them. And that she knew she liked girls since she ninth grade gym.

By the time they were getting ready to leave Lee was starting to feel right, that maybe she just really like Vicky as a friend and that it wasn't anything more than a bromance kind of friendship.
As they were walking down the road again, still enjoying the quiet Vicky caught the toe of her shoe on a crack in the sidewalk and would have fallen had Lee not grabbed her by the hand to catch her.
"Good catch, I guess I'm still a bit tipsy." Vicky says as she notices that Lee isn't letting go of her hand.
'Just to keep her from falling again.' Is what Lee thought to herself as her reason for keeling Vicky's hand in hers.

The original plan for the night was for Lee to sleep on Vicky's couch for the night, but after the bomb shells that had dropped, Vicky wasn't sure if that was the case. So once they reached the entrance into her apartment building Vicky turned to Lee and spoke. "So did you still want to crash here? I swear nothing will happen."
"It was the plan. I don't want to walk across town."

And nothing did happen, Vicky gave Lee a spare pillow and blanket for her to use to sleep on the couch with. As Lee laid on the couch she felt off, she's been inside Vicky's apartment before, but now that she was lying with her thoughts she started to freak out.
She needed to get out, but she didn't want to bail on her friend. So she did the only thing she could think off, she climbed out onto the fire escape. With the cold air blowing past her she tried to wrap her head around everything that has happened that night. She found out her best friend is gay, that Vicky has had a crush on her at one point in the past, and maybe still does, and that maybe she likes Vicky in the same way too.
'What if this is why guys never got me? What if I was never into boys and that I just like girls and didn't know it.' Lee was trying to put logic to her situation. 'But if that's the case, why now and why Vicky?'
"Dude, what is with you and going outside when it is freaking freezing?" Vicky had come out of her room for a drink of water and found Lee off the couch and the window open.
Lee looks behind her at Vicky who is climbing out of the window with a glass in hand. "Sorry. I guess the night has been just too much. Everything has been turned on its head and I don't know what to do."
Vicky sits down next to Lee. "What do you feel like you should do Lee?"
Lee puts her head in her hands. "My brain is saying pack and run, and my gut is telling me to find a bar and drink till I yak."
Vicky did her best to hold back her laughter at the word yak." But what about your heart Lee?"
Lee looks over at Vicky. She's the first person to ever want to be in her life, to push back against Lee pushing people away. Lee always has fun with Vicky and she feels safe around her. "It's telling me... that this is scary and completely different and could be a big risk… but regardless, I should hold onto you... and never let go."
Vicky smiles, she didn't plan on this or wanted it to come out of her friendship with Lee, but she wasn't going to take happiness from her friend or herself. "Then, do what your heart is telling you."
Lee blushes, this is a conversation she's never had before. "I... I don't know how to do any of this, this stuff. You know I've never even had a second date with anyone before." The most experience she has with relationships is all bad and wouldn't help her here and now.
Vicky smiled wider. "Well then, it is clear what we have to do." She says confusing Lee. "We go back inside, you try and get a few more hours of sleep. And when we get up we go out and get some breakfast."
Lee laughed. 'Maybe this is what I came here to find.' She thought before saying; "I think I could do breakfast."

They went back inside Vicky's apartment, Lee laid back down on the couch and Vicky went to go back into her bedroom.
"Hey Vicky." Lee says stopping her friend from entering the bedroom.
Vicky stopped. "Yeah Lee?"
Lee couldn't help but smile at Vicky, after everything that happened that night, Vicky was still the supportive friend that had her best interests at heart. "Thanks for putting up with me."
Vicky smiled back. "No problem Lee, it's what friends do."

The next morning Lee awoke to the sound of running water. She didn't remember at first everything that was talked about the night before, but when it came back to her it hit hard. 'Jesus.' She thought as the sound of the water stopped.
Vicky came out of her restroom with her toothbrush in hand. "Morning Lee."
Lee felt her heart beat ever so slightly faster. "Morning."
"You still want to get some breakfast? Not sure what will be open today, but there is bound to be someplace."
"Yeah sure."
"Cool, I'll get dressed and we can venture out."

As Vicky got dressed Lee did her best to clean herself up in the restroom. She tried to straighten out her hair, she had cut off her curls years ago, but it was a mess that couldn't be tamed.

Almost everything was closed throughout the city as they walked around looking for a place to eat. Eventually they did find a place that was open, it was the diner they ate at the night before.
Lee and Vicky ended up spending all of Christmas day together after breakfast. They walked around the city, found a coffee shop still open, walked along the mostly empty pier, and ended up back at Vicky's apartment to watch Christmas movies. About half way threw the second movie Vicky rested her head on Lee's shoulder and Lee didn't feel bothered by it, she actually like it.
By the end of the night, which they will look back on as their second date, Lee had an understanding of her feeling for Vicky. It wasn't that Lee wasn't into boys or that she was only into girls, it was she is into Vicky herself, and being with her makes her happy and she knew she wanted more than just friendship.

Everything was new to Lee, not only was Lee in a relationship with another woman, she was in the first relationship of her life ever. But Vicky let Lee set the pace for everything they did as a couple. Though Vicky turned out to be a very playful person to be with, she would joke around more with Lee in flirting and not flirting ways, tickle Lee when she wasn't expecting it and would kiss her on the cheek out of nowhere just because Vicky knew she would make Lee's cheeks turn red. But she was also a very caring person to Lee, never judge, never pushed her to be someone she isn't.
After a year of being with her Vicky offered Lee to move into her apartment, Lee was spending more time at Vicky's then her own place already so it made sense to make the move. And the move only strengthened their relationship making Lee and Vicky happier.

A few years later Lee got an email about helping Marie with their mother and cleaning out the trailer. When she told Vicky about going to help her sisters she asked if she could go with her, she had some vacation time she could use to get away from work, Lee thought it was about time for her sisters to meet Vicky.

When Lee and Vicky reached the Park n' Flush they find Marie and May already there. She was confident on the trip down, but now that Lee was looking at her sisters she began to worry. She hadn't seen her sisters in years, and she didn't even tell them that she was leaving when she did, she just up and disappeared on them with only a three line note saying she was leaving.
"You ok Lee?" Vicky asks looking over at her girlfriend whose knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel.
Vicky reaches over and places her hand on Lee's, her touch helped Lee relax. "I'm just worried what they'll say. it's been five years."
"They're your sisters, after everything you've told me that you three have been through, I'm sure they will be happy to see you."
Lee looks over to Vicky and sees the smile she has. "Thanks." She says feeling more confidant in seeing her sisters again.
Lee undoes her seat belt. "I'll wait here for a few, let you see your sisters by yourself." Vicky says not undoing hers.
"Ok, I'll come get you soon."
Vicky gives Lee a kiss on the cheek before she got out of the car.
Marie and May were taking bags of trash out of the trailer when Lee pulled up and they were waiting for their sister.
When Lee got close enough May couldn't hold herself back anymore. "Lee! I've missed you so much!" May ran at her sister and hugged her.
Lee forgot her Kanker ways for a moment and hugged her sister back, she really missed her sisters and if Marie hadn't said anything, Lee may have kept hugging May.
"Damn sis, five years made you go soft?"
Lee pushed May off. "No I'm not, May here was just death gripping me."
"What? you hugged me back? and you gave me a hug too Marie when I got in town." May tried to defend herself.
"Psh, whatever." Marie tried to wave off her sister busting her.
May looks past her sister and sees Vicky in the car. "Hey Lee, who's that?" She asks pointing at Vicky.
Lee looked back at the car. "I'll go get her."
Lee left her sisters and walked over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door.
Marie and May watch their sister walk to the car and then Vicky get out. As the two walked back over, May and Marie's eyes grow wide at the sight of them holding hands.
"Marie, May. This is Vicky, my girlfriend." Lee says as her paranoia starts to build again.
Marie and May look at each other and then back to Lee and Vicky. "So did you bring her to help, or is she just here to watch?" Maire asks.
"Yeah we could use the help, this place is a horrible mess." May adds.
Marie and May were shocked, but it is not their place to judge their sister.
"Yeah I'm here to help, just don't ask me to clean a toilet, I don't do toilets." Vicky says happy that her girlfriends sisters didn't seem to have a problem with her and her relationship with Lee.
Marie grins. "You can have the kitchen then, the fridge hasn't worked right in a few years and Mom didn't seem to care."
"Aww man…" Vicky says, getting laughs out of the sisters and a smile from Lee.

Vicky did more than just give Lee the friendship she needed, or the love she never thought would come, she saved Lee from herself. She gave Lee something that she really cares for outside of her sisters and mother, someone she never wanted to let go of. Vicky helped her tear down the walls of her troubled past to let the Lee that Vicky knew she could be out.

So here is the very short story that explains Lee's story, I've never written anything like this is I hope I did a good job on it. I was watching Die Hard while writing the middle of this so that why there is the references to the best Christmas movie (fact). I used Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a reference for how the relationship came to be. Again, I hope I did a good job and you all liked it.