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nothingeverlost · 5 years ago

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Fic: The Evolution of Thanksgiving (Penny For your Thoughts)

Thanksgiving prompt #1

@halfwayinlight asked for pennyverse, perhaps the greatest dividing line every thanksgiving: can Christmas trees and decor go out before thanksgiving is over? timeline: whenever it fits. but if belle’s not there, I might need a consolation belle thanksgiving with granny looking out for her _____________________________________ 2009

“Mary Margaret wants to know if you have plans for dinner on Thursday.” David caught up with her before she made it to the elevator.

“Thursday is Thanksgiving.” She’d been invited over for dinner twice since she’d joined the team, but not for a holiday.

“Yeah, I know it’s not a thing in Australia but you’ve been here for quite a while. Emma always comes over with Henry. Graham’s coming. And Gabe, of course. What do you say?”

“How can I say no to my first Thanksgiving meal?” She had her dad had never bothered with the American holiday but it was a good chance to be with her coworkers outside of work. And a chance to spend time with Gabe and see him somewhere less formal. “What can I bring?”

“So where do you stand, Belle? Decorations before Thanksgiving are wrong, or can the tree go up before the turkey is carved.” The way Emma shook her head made it clear which side she stood on.

“I love Christmas decorations. I have to confess mine are up already.” Belle took a sip of the very excellent wine she was drinking. Gabe had a whole cellar, apparently, and had bought three bottles for the six of them.

“I feel the same, Belle. But David likes to wait until December. We compromise and wait until tomorrow.” Mary Margaret folded her napkin neatly on the table. “Now who’s ready for pie?”

“Ice cream,” Henry demanded from his booster seat before breaking out into ‘Frosty the snowman,’ and making it clear where he stood in the debate.

“Let me help,” Gabe offered. Belle wondered where he stood on the decoration debate, or if he put up a tree at all.

2010

“Happy Thanksgiving.” Belle pulled up in front of the house the same time as Archie, and hugged him briefly before picking up her basket of rolls and bag of presents.

“Presents!” David opened the door but Henry was the one to run out and greet them. There wasn’t anything quite like a five-year-old throwing himself at you at high speed. Thankfully she was braced for him, and a moment later David was there to offer to carry things so she could pick up the boy.

“Are they giving presents or do we have to wait for Christmas because that’s a really long time?” Henry sighed just like his mother.

“They’re Christmas present that we open today.” The declaration earned her a second hug before he wiggled to be let down.

“Uncle Gabe we get presents,” he shouted excitedly before running into the house to spread the word.

“Isn’t it a little early for presents?” Gabe asked, waiting for them on the porch.

“You’re sounding a little Scrooge-like, Gabe. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” She hugged him, because she could. He would allow that, but not the more intimate touches she craved. He stubbornly insisted that dating him would be a terrible idea.

“If anyone tries to haunt me I’ll take an Ambien and sleep through it.” Archie slipped into the house first. Belle followed, and almost thought she felt Gabe’s hand at the small of her back for a moment.

“It’s just something small.” Henry had pleaded his case and Emma had reluctantly allowed him to open his gift before dinner, which meant that Belle passed them all out. None of the boxes were bigger than a few inches except Henry’s, which was really two packages.

“Minions!” Henry figured out how to shed the wrapping paper quickly and held a minion ornament in one hand and a book in the other. Belle hadn’t known how interested he’d be in an ornament.

“What do you say, Henry?” Emma prompted.

“Thank you Miss Belle.” A moment later Henry was on the floor, reading his Despicable Me book to his new friend.

“There’s a theme.” She’d found ornaments for everyone. For Emma a mug of hot cocoa (laced with cinnamon whiskey, of course.) For Archie a tiny computer displaying a Christmas tree and wrapped up in lights. For Mary Margaret a little house; when you turned it around you could see a table set for dinner. She was proud that she’d found a little fencer for David. For Graham a tiny snowglobe with a wolf and a couple of trees inside. And for Gabe a stack of books. She’d used a gold pen to write ‘Feed the Madness’ on one of the books; it was the title of the book he’d published last year. She’d gone to one of his book signings and had waited until the end to bring her book up, teasing him into signing it for her, and then teasing him into dinner after.

“I hope you have a place to hang it, Gabe.” She stopped short of offering him a spot on her own tree.

“It will do nicely on the mantle.”

“What time does Marley show up?” she teased.

2011

“You look sleepy, love. Too much decorating last night?” Gabe pulled onto the street where David lived.

“It wasn’t the decorating that kept me up late, Gabriel.” She felt a little warm just thinking about it.

“Was it my fault you looked so irresistible wearing nothing but a Santa hat?” He sighed when she used his full name, which always abused her. When she really wanted to tease she called him an angel.

“I was wearing a lot more before you started unwrapping me.” They’d spent the whole day decorating not only a tree but the whole house. She suspected it was the most decorating his house had seen.

“My favorite present to unwrap.” There was still a space directly in front of the house. Belle grabbed the cranberry sauce and left the rolls for Gabe.

“Play your cards right and you might get to unwrap your gift again tonight,” she promised.

After dinner Belle found Mary Margaret in the kitchen and picked up a towel to help with the drying. Henry was sleeping on the couch between David and Emma, the only ones that cared about the football game. Gabe and Graham were cleaning up the backyard. Apparently it was the first and only time they were going to have a roasting pit outdoors for their dinner. The neighbors had been far less impressed by Graham’s skills than his coworkers were.

“I don’t think I’ve had a chance to say how happy I am for you and Gabe.” Mary Margaret passed her a plate. “I’ve never heard him laugh as much as he did today. There’s always been something so lonely about him and that’s gone now.”

“He makes me happy too. I’ve never loved anyone like this.” She wondered if this was what it would be like to have a big sister. Mary Margaret didn’t bother drying her hands before giving her a tight hug.

2012

“Gabe…”

“No.” The rest of the team was gone already but Gabe had enough files on his desk that he could push the workday a few more hours. If he was tired enough he might sleep through the next day.

“Tomorrow…”

“The only turkey I’m interested in tomorrow is 101 proof.” He turned back to his files, blocking any argument David might make.

2013

“You’re coming for dinner on Thursday. Granny says that the only excuse she’ll accept is if you’re going home to see your dad.” Ruby showed up at the bar in the late afternoon, three days before Thanksgiving. “Are you going home?”

“No, but I’m Australian, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.” She hadn’t the year before. She’d actually taken a two week trip up to Canada to avoid the day’s meaning completely, and had tried all day not to think of her friends gathered together. She’d failed miserably, and called Archie that evening. He’d let it slip that Gabe hadn’t shown up at the Nolan’s but that everyone else was there.

“So it’s just a huge meal with awesome food and a couple of good friends.” Ruby touched one of the walls of the room; they’d painted them together not long ago. Ruby had voted red but she’d gone with blue.

“It’s sweet of you both but…”

“It’s just the three of us, after the diner is shut down. There won’t be huge crowds or strangers.” For the first six months she’d moved to town Belle and Ruby had been neighbors at the B&B. It was harder to hide things from her. “We’d really like you there.”

“Okay.” Maybe it was time to start some new traditions.

2014

He stood on the front porch, a bag of store-bought rolls in his hand, for at least five minutes. He was the last to arrive and could hear all the sounds from inside the house, the chaos that followed a three and nine year old and handful of adults. Last year he’d scheduled a book tour that not-so-accidentally had him out of town on Thanksgiving. This would be his first Thanksgiving in three years.

He wasn’t sure he could do it.

“They’ll be glad you’re here.” Graham, as he did so often, seemed to materialize from out of nowhere. He leaned against the porch railing.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good at being thankful.” Work he could manage. He was getting better about not spending all of his time there, but a great deal of the time not spent at work was spent writing. He managed the occasional dinner at David’s, the occasional drinks with the team, but the most social he got were nights when they were in another city with only the team for company.

“Henry asked if you’d be here. He and Emma have a bet, and if nothing else you’ll make sure he gets an ice cream sundae if you go in.” Graham hoisted himself up over the porch rail rather than walking over to the steps. “She’s safe. She’s alive. That’s something, right?”

“Yeah.” When Graham went inside he followed.

2015

“Turkey lasagna is my favorite Thanksgiving tradition.” Belle opened the door to Ruby and Granny, inviting them in. She’d insisted that after two years it was her turn to host. Will had shown up an hour ago and was diligently tearing up the lettuce for their salad. The table was set for four.

“There’s enough for the freezer. It’s easy to microwave. You’re still missing too many meals.” Granny set the lasagna down so she had a free finger to wave in Belle’s direction. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“Thank you for caring.” She kissed Ruby’s granny on the cheek, knowing she only fussed over the people she loved, which meant she fussed about Ruby and Belle often.

“How come no one worries about me missing meals?” Will asked, half a roll in one hand and voice muffled by the bite he was currently chewing. Belle rolled her eyes and reached for a bottle of wine.

She paused to look at the picture hanging near her dining room table of her team; Gabe’s arm around her, Emma’s feet not on the floor as she balanced herself between Graham and David. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

2017

“Are you sure about this? If you’re uncomfortable at any point we can leave.” He’d already reminded Bay a couple of times but he wanted to make sure the lad wasn’t overwhelmed. The boy had been with him half a year and this was the first holiday.

“Graham said he’d be here.” Other than himself Graham was the one that Bay had bonded with the most, thanks to the camping trips they took.

“He usually is, and if he said it to you he’ll be here.” He’d missed last year, and hadn’t said anything about why but Gabe had his suspicions. “And Henry as well.”

“I want to go.” Bay was dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt that was starting to get short at the wrists. It please Gabe to see that already in six months there were signs of him growing. He was smaller than Henry despite being a year or so older, but good food and a safe place were doing their part to help him catch up.

“Okay. Grab the rolls on the counter and let’s go.” Belle had baked rolls every year. Somehow the tradition had remained that he was in charge of them, though they were baked at a bakery now.

“Do you think they’re plotting something?” Emma joined him at the kitchen window. Graham was in the backyard with Henry and Bay, all three of them looking up to the sky.

“I believe I’ve heard the term ‘snow camping’ bandied about.” Graham was so patient with the boys.

“Better them than me. That sounds horrible.” Emma shook her head. “I’m thankful that I’m off that invite list.”

“I agree.” He would need to get Bay a warmer jacket and some new boots. He was also going to have to figure out how to make his foster situation something more permanent.

2018

“You didn’t have to come down here, it’s just a cold,” her father protested from his bed.

“Pneumonia is not the same as a cold.” She’d spent a few hours in his shop, getting the last minute arrangements ready. They closed the doors at noon, giving Belle enough time to stop by a deli to pick up a quart of chicken noodle soup and a turkey sandwich.

“That doctor was thirteen years old and probably still in school.” Moe French’s argument was not made any stronger by the racking coughs that shook his whole bed. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“You’re my dad, I’m allowed to worry.” She’d brought one of the folding tv trays into his room so she had someplace for her plate and drink. “The shop’s looking good.”

“There’s always a place here for you, you know that right.” Moe held the warm mug of soup to his chest. “Maine’s too far away for my liking.”

“I have my bar and my friends.” Will was watching the bar while she was gone. He was probably better at it than she was; at least he wasn’t tempted to profile the customers.

“So you’re not planning to return to the Bureau?” She was spared from answering when her dad started coughing again. Returning to the FBI or to DC weren’t questions she’d answered for herself yet.

2019

“Can I get you a glass of wine?” Mary Margaret greeted her at the front door before she even had a chance to knock. “I just so happened to be looking out the window when you drove up.”

“Thanks, I’d love a glass.” She had a basket of rolls with her and a tray of deviled eggs, and was glad to trade both for a wineglass. It was only the third time she’d been in the Nolan’s house since she’d returned and the first holiday. It felt strange and yet almost too familiar. “Where is everyone?”

“Emma and Ariel are in the living room. The kids are upstairs.” She gestured towards the ceiling above their head, where a sudden shouting could be heard.

“David and Graham?” They were usually trying to sneak something out of the kitchen.

“Like I said, the kids are upstairs. We broke down and got Neal an XBox this year and now they’re all up there.” Mary Margaret sighed. “Books were so much quieter.”

“Gabe?” She’d roll over in shock if she heard that he was playing or even watching video games. Black and white movies were more his speed.

“Someone who shall remain nameless but whose name rhymes with avid forgot to pick up potatoes. Gabe volunteered to run to the store.”

“You could say that, or you could say he dropped off a teenage boy and ran.” Emma came into the kitchen with two empty wine glasses. “Belle, thank god. I was going to have to go get you if you didn’t come and Gold’s vintage crap seems more potent than normal wine.”

“I wouldn’t have missed this.” She’d missed too many Thanksgivings. She’d decided to stay, and that didn’t mean just the job. “Looks like I have some catching up to do.”

She had to agree with Emma that there seemed to be something in the wine. Two glasses in and she was feeling pretty damn good. The nerves that had plagued her before showing up were gone. Three glasses in and she felt the need for fresh air. She was sitting on the porch when Gabe returned with the potatoes.

“Mary Margaret’s knight in shining armor.” She grinned up at him. She missed looking at him. Missed touching him too. She reached up a hand to him and let him help her up. It was a good thing for her questionable balance that she’d already abandoned her shoes inside, but it meant she had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving Gabe.”

2020

“It’s not my fault Neal really loves Christmas.” The tree was already up when they arrived for Thanksgiving. The moment they were in the door Bay raced up the stairs, seeking out Henry. It probably wouldn’t be long before Neal followed, but for now he was sitting at the base of the tree, looking at the ornaments. Belle smiled to see the little fencer and the house she’d gifted so many years ago.

“Our tree is up as well.” Gabe tried to sound like he was grumbling but Belle could tell that he was really just reveling in saying ‘our.’ She’d given up her apartment at the end of the summer and moved in with him and Bay.

“Can I get anyone a glass of wine?” David offered. When Gabe nodded Belle shook her head.

“My stomach is a little upset, I think I’ll make some tea.”

Later she found herself at the tree, looking at the ornaments collected over years of married life. She felt Gabe behind her, and leaned back to rest against him.

“Feeling better, love?” he whispered in her ear.

“Feeling perfect.” There was one more thing they had to be thankful for this year, but she planned on telling Gabe in private. For now she rested her hand on her stomach and looked at the ‘baby’s first Christmas’ ornament hanging on the tree. “Happy Thanksgiving sweetheart.”

#verse: penny for your thoughts #rumbelle fic #my fic #halfwayinlight #thanksgiving fic

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