Sean and Richard are selling Christmas trees. They ask Ben to help pick up the trees. Ben says he can't - he has plans to see a play with Felicity and her mom. Sean reminds him that he and Felicity are supposed to borrow his uncle's car to drive down to Florida for winter break. Ben tells him he can only help for 3 hours and then he'll have to leave. Once they get the trees loaded onto the truck - it won't start. Ben is late for the play. Felicity and her mother are waiting for him. While waiting they discuss plans for winter break. Felicity's mom tells her that when they return home they're going to the spa at the Stanford Hotel. Felicity asks her mom if she got her letter explaining she'd be driving to Florida with Ben during the break. Felicity's mom says she thought they were flying home together. When Ben arrives, he discovers that he's forgotten to bring the tickets. He apologizes to Felicity and her mom. Felicity suggests they go out to dinner. Her mom says that she has a headache and she's going back to her hotel. Felicity suggests they go with her and order room service. Ben tells them they should go and spend some quality time together. He'll just go home. During the taxi ride to the hotel Felicity's mom grills her about the scene she walked in on with Ben talking about the guy with the gun, the fights he's been in and the fact that he still hasn't declared a major yet. Felicity tells her mom she thinks she's getting the wrong impression of Ben. She asks Felicity to give her the right one. Felicity simply states that she loves Ben.

Tracy analyzes his decision to have sex with Elena. He tells her it was a good experience, but now it makes decisions more difficult. While they were broken up he applied for a volunteer medical program -Crossroads at Africa - and has been accepted. He'll be setting up clinics and educating people about HIV. She congratulates him and tells him that's the kind of stuff medical schools look for. She asks if he'll be going during summer break. The program will last the entire spring semester. He tells her it adds to the equation of what's going to happen to their relationship. Later they both visit with the pastor of his church and discuss premarital sex. Elena says she doesn't feel like she's sinned. The pastor says premarital sex is lust, not love. Elena says the Bible won't tell the pastor what's in her heart. The pastor tells Tracy and Elena that they 've come to a crossroad in their relationship. They have to decide what they want separately and what they want together. Later, he tells her that for 20 years he's believed that what the Bible says about premarital sex is true - until he met her. She's the only person that's made him question that. He tells her he needs to get away so he's accepted the offer with the Crossroads at Africa program. He leave in three weeks.

Molly is home alone when James calls her from a phone booth. He tells her he wants to see her and he knows she wants to see him too because she called him. She tells him she doesn't want to see him. He reminds her that he has caller Id. She says she called in a moment of weakness and she apologizes if that confused him. She tells him that she's in rehab now - she's getting clean and that means she can't see him. He says he needs to see her and asks her to meet with him. She warns him that she's going to hang up the phone. He tells her not to hang up on him. She does.

Felicity tells Ben that this is her mom's first Christmas alone. She even went back to using her maiden name. Felicity tells him it's so weird - her mom is now Ms. Hunter. She tells Ben that maybe she'll spend the holidays with her mom. It's something she wants to think about. Ben says 'okay.'

Felicity's mom hangs out with Noel and he tells her all about 'Loser Pet Store,' the cartoon he and Felicity are working on. There's a dyslexic parrot unable to read love letters sent to her by a turtle. Felicity's mom says she's glad Felicity is working with Noel. He tells her he honestly doesn't know what he'd do without her. She invites Noel to have dinner with them tonight. Noel is unsure if he should accept the invitation. She tells him he can't turn down a free meal. Noel accepts.

Meghan accuses Sean of stealing her idea to sell Christmas trees for extra cash. He won't give her a percentage of the profits because Richard is already getting 20%. He tells her that all of the money will be spent on her anyway, so she shouldn't care where the profits are going. She kisses him on the cheek and tells him to have a good holiday season - single.

Ben walks Molly home from the Al-Anon meeting. She tells him that he and Felicity have saved her life and she doesn't know what she'd do without them. James appears. She asks him what he's doing there. He tells her he knows she wants to talk to him. She tells him that she knows she called him and she's sorry - it was a mistake. She tells him she can't talk to him. Ben tells her they should just go inside. James tells him to stay of it. Ben tells him he's not going to stay out of it. James lunges at Ben attempting scare him. Ben doesn't even flinch or blink an eye. James leaves with a stupid grin on his face.

Ben is late for dinner with Felicity, her mother and Noel. He's surprised to see Noel there. Ben tells them that he walked Molly home and James showed up. He tells them that everything is fine. Noel comments that James must have been unarmed this time. Ben tells them that there was no gun. Felicity's mom gets up from the table and goes to the ladies room. Felicity follows her. Noel asks Ben if he's just blown something. Her mom tells her she's not comfortable with conversations about weapons. Felicity explains Molly's situation. Felicity tells her that Ben has been protecting them. Her mother reminds her that Ben is not a police officer. On top of everything she finds out that Molly's been using drugs. She tells Felicity that she doesn't recognize her life anymore - she's worried about her. She says that the guy that Felicity claims to love doesn't know what he wants to do with his life and gets into lots of fights. He associates with drug users and people who use guns. Felicity tells her she doesn't know Ben. Her mother thinks she does - that he's like a guy she once knew. Her father forbid her to see him, but she spent the summer before college sneaking out of the house to see him. She thought sexy and dangerous was exciting. She tells Felicity guys like that are trouble. Felicity asks who she wants her to date. Her mother says Noel - he's smart, focused, he's adorable and obviously so in love with her. She tells Felicity that it's obvious with the pet store cartoon that Noel is the turtle and she's the parrot. Felicity says she can't believe she's talking to her about this. She tells her she's returning to the table with her friend Noel and her boyfriend Ben. The rest of the evening is pretty uncomfortable. Felicity's mom compares Ben to Noel the entire night. Later, at home. Ben complains that her mother was cruel and Felicity defends her mother. Ben says he hated to say in front of Felicity, her mother and Mr. Graphic genius that he has no plans. Felicity asks if Ben is angry because her mom made him admit that he has no plans, or that he has no plans. Ben tells her maybe she should spend the holidays with her mom.

James calls Molly again. He tells her that he loves her. She tells him she can't do this anymore. She says goodbye. He warns her not to hang up. She tells him not to threaten her. She tells him to stop calling her - she doesn't want to talk to him or see him anymore. She slams the phone down.

Felicity and Noel are working on the cartoon. Felicity talks about her mom and Ben. Noel agrees with Ben, that her mom was pretty harsh. He tells her it was really uncomfortable - that's why he talked so much at dinner. He asks how her mom feels about him. She tells him that her mom loves him. He says mom's loving him is a curse. He says the turtle in the cartoon is such a loser. Felicity tells him the turtle is not a loser.

Meghan calls the fire department and tell them about the trees in the apartment. They are ordered to move the trees out of the apartment. Sean asks for Ben's help. He's in a bad mood and doesn't want to. Sean tells him that the trees are a huge investment for him. He reminds Ben that he's allowed him to be late with rent more times than he's actually paid. Ben agrees to help. Later he meets with Felicity's mom to talk. He tells her that he knows she doesn't have a good impression of him. He's the son of an alcoholic and he doesn't know what he's going to do with the rest of his life. He tells her that he understands why she'd rather see Felicity with someone like Noel - someone who's obviously going to make it - probably long before he decides what he wants to do with his life. He says he always remembered one thing a teacher once said. All the interesting people she knew had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives when they were 20 years old. He tells her that for some reason Felicity love him and on a good day he feels like he might become everything she sees in him. It's because of that and a million other reasons Felicity means the world to him. Her mother is impressed with Ben's speech. She tells Felicity that she's made plans to go to Santa Fe with one of her friends and so Felicity's off the hook. Felicity says she may be spending the holiday alone because she and Ben had a fight. Her mother says she has a feeling everything will work out. She apologizes for comparing Ben to a guy from her past.

Later all is well at the Christmas party. Everyone is dancing and having a great time. Even Molly. James storms in unnoticed, pulls out his gun and fires a shot.

(To be continued...)