Author's Note: A Thanksgiving treat! This will be a short fic, three-four chapters tops (I think, assuming I don't get carried away with myself), including this Prelude. I plan to only post once a week and only if I get reviews, naturally. This takes place after my other two Sonny/Tawni stories, though I'm not sure it's essential that you read them to know what's going on. But this could potentially be spoilery for either of them if you haven't, so there's a heads up. As usual, it's femslash, but not graphic and so not warranting an M rating. This is set roughly five months after Be Mine, which ended with Tawni's 18th birthday. Because I don't recall if her birthday is ever actually given in the show (or even if I gave her one in my fic, and I'm too lazy to check even that), we're going to say it was late June. June 27th, how about?

Wisconsin with a Tawni

Prelude

"I should have figured you wouldn't be able to handle Wisconsin," Sonny sighed loudly, leaning back on the dark leather sofa in Tawni's living room. "Too cold, too much cheese, too many polite people, too-"

"Please, Sonny, this little reverse psychology thing isn't going to work on me." Tawni interrupted, her attention focused on her reflection as she set about reapplying her makeup for the second time that morning, her girlfriend having made a mess of it by doing things that Tawni simply couldn't hold against her. The blonde was, after all, a big fan of morning sex, so when Sonny rolled out of bed and appeared behind her in the mirror, Tawni wasn't going to say 'no', even if she had just showered and finished getting all pretty...well, prettier.

"What?" Sonny feigned confusion. Twisting around on the couch and putting on her best doe-eyed innocent face. The blonde didn't turn to see it, though. Sonny pulled a blanket from the armrest and pulled it around her. Tawni's apartment had one wall that was almost entirely glass and she always found herself shivering as a result- of course, it did provide her with a solid excuse for getting the blonde back into the bedroom whenever they had sex, when in fact the truth of it was that Sonny was afraid some would be watching them if they did it in the living room or kitchen. The bedroom was far more private. That or the room Tawni was currently in, a second bedroom that she had had converted into a giant walk-in closet complete with her vanity. Or the shower, sometimes...Sonny's phoned mooed then, and glancing down to see her mother's name flash on the screen the brunette wondered how it was that every time her mind was drifting toward, or rolling in, the proverbial gutter, her mother seemed to sense it.

"I remember when you tricked Chad into dealing with us just by telling him he wasn't capable. And that's not going to cut it here. You know why? Because I don't care if you think I can't handle Wisconsin. I already went there when I drove you to your stupid cheese cannon thing and that was one trip too many."

"I'm not trying to trick you-"

Tawni tilted her head at the other girl, disbelieving. "I'm actually a little offended that you think I'm as dumb as Chad."

Sonny rolled her eyes. ""Just a second, my mom is calling."

"Is she ever not calling?"

"Well, she doesn't exactly like it when I stay over here."

Tawni didn't respond except to giggle smugly.

"Hey Mom. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"At Tawni's, I told you I was going to crash here."

"Again? Sonny, do you think I'm stupid?"

"What? No. I just..."

"I know what you're doing."

Sonny blushed even though no one was around to see her.

"I'm sorry," Connie muttered. "I know I said I was OK with Tawni and I know you used to have Lucy over and while I pretended that was all innocent, I'm not really that naive. But for the millionth time, I really don't want you spending the night at her place all the time, Sonny. You live here, you sleep here."

"I sleep there all the time. I only stay over here once in awhile."

"Really? Once in awhile? You've spent 74 nights at her place in the last three months."

"What? How...? You've been keeping track?"

"That's not the point."

"That's insane!"

"You are sixteen years old and that is too young to be living in sin!"

"Ok, first off, I'm not living with Tawni, second I thought we all let go of the premarital sex thing awhile ago, and third, you've obviously been talking to Grandma."

"Yes, well..." Connie sighed. "That's true. I just got off the phone with her."

"And?"

"Well, I think she'll be spending Thanksgiving trying to 'save you'."

"She's done that the last few years, it's no big deal. She's from a different generation. I don't expect her to just be OK with it. It'd be nice, but it is what it is."

"See, this is what I'm talking about- the Sonny I know would want to try and enlighten her grandmother and help everyone to get along. All this time with Tawni is giving you this whole 'that's life, what can you do?' attitude."

"That's what you're talking about when? When have you ever talked about that?"

"Nevermind. Did you already invite Tawni? Because I'm thinking you maybe shouldn't. I mean, Grandma disliked Lucy enough when she decided that she'd 'corrupted' you and Tawni is so...different from our family. I just don't see how it could possibly go well."

"I'm not uninviting her!" Sonny replied, a little louder than she intended.

"Seeing as I don't want to go, I promise not to be offended," Tawni chimed in at that point. She was only fifteen feet or so away from her girlfriend and since Connie had a tendency to yell into the phone when she talked so Tawni rather effortlessly overheard several snippets of their conversation.

"She doesn't even want to come? Well, that's nice," Connie grumbled, taking offense even though she didn't want the blonde joining them anyway. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."

"We're still working out the details," Sonny insisted, glaring at the blonde in the other room, who was, of course, still not even looking.

"You know, Sonny, if she doesn't want to come, you shouldn't force her. I've always said you needed to ease up on the meddling."

"What? Two seconds ago you were all upset that I wasn't meddling enough!"

"Well, you aren't meddling where it really matters."

"If I bring Tawni along and introduce her to everyone, then Grandma and Uncle Louis will see that she isn't some demonic creature."

"I think you'd be better able to convince them of that without having them actually meet her. She does not make a good first impression, Sonny. If anything, she'll single-handedly convince them that all gay people are self-centered, slutty, vain, arrogant, two-faced little devils."

"All the better to seduce your daughter with," Tawni quipped loudly.

"Wait- did she hear me? Am I on speaker?"

"No, but you're talking really loud."

"Oh, uh...sorry," Connie muttered.

"Uh huh," Sonny replied. "I'll be home in a little bit, alright?"

"OK. Bye," Connie relented.

"Sorry about that," Sonny looked back at Tawni. "She didn't mean-"

"Do you really think I care, Sonny?"

"No," she sighed. "So...come to Wisconsin?"

"Your mother doesn't want me to come, your family doesn't want me to come, I don't want me to come- which is obviously the most important opinion of all."

"But I want you to! You'll have fun and it will be...nice."

"You still haven't said one thing that is remotely convincing, sweetie."

"Well, can't you just agree to come out of the goodness of your heart?"

"I don't do anything out of the goodness of my heart," the blonde scoffed. "Who do you think I am? You?"

"It's Thanksgiving, Tawni. It's a time to be with family and friends and to, you know, give thanks. Nico's whole family is gathering in Sacramento, Grady's spending it with Mel's family, Zora's family is going to be in Denver. Marshall and his mother are going to New York. Charlie's got his cruise. Even Chad's going to visit family in Puerto Rico."

"I love that you actually believe Chad is going to Puerto Rico to visit family."

"What else would he be doing over Thanksgiving weekend?"

"My guess? Hot island boys."

Sonny frowned. "The point is you'll be all alone if you stay behind."

"You're worried I'll cheat on you, aren't you?" Tawni mused, her attention still focused on her reflection. "It's been like five months and you still don't trust me." Oddly, the blonde sounded more amused than offended by the notion.

"No," Sonny countered, getting to her feet and moving across the room, draping her arms around the blonde's neck from behind. "I trust you. I just want you to spend the holiday with you."

"So let's go to Paris or something then," Tawni suggested.

"Thanksgiving is an American holiday. Why would we leave the country to celebrate?"

"Charlie's cruise ship is going to be in the Mediterranean. That's not American."

"Yeah, but 90% of the passengers are and besides, that's not the point."

"We could go on the cruise if you are so set on showing your patriotism. The S.S. Tipton is supposed to be really high end. I've met London Tipton myself. She's beyond loaded. Dumber than Chad, Nico, and Grady, by a long shot, but still. I might even have her number, I bet we could get a last minute room..."

"Come with me to West Appleton, Tawni. I promise you'll have fun if you give it a chance. There's lots to do and, believe it or not, it doesn't all have to do with cheese. It'll only be a couple days anyway. We're leaving Wednesday morning and Marshall wants us all back by Saturday for work and you start filming Monday, right? That's not enough time to enjoy a cruise."

"But it is enough time to do everything fun there is to do in Wisconsin? Wait, what am I saying? Of course it is. In fact, we'll probably run out of fun by Wednesday afternoon."

"No we won't, come on," Sonny begged, flicking her tongue against the back of Tawni's ear. "I will personally make sure you have tons of fun. Tons."

"If you're hinting at one of your FunGendas, I'll have you know that makes me want to go even less."

Sonny rolled her eyes.

"Besides, you said it was too cold. I don't like cold."

"I'll keep you warm."

"Well, unless you're planning on dragging me there for non-stop sex, which I doubt your mother or family would be too happy about, I'm going to have to wear a ski coat or something at some point- and they make me look boxy."

"You don't have anything else to do."

"I could shop."

"You can always shop. And there's shopping in Wisconsin."

"Ugh," Tawni fake-shuddered at the thought.

"Please?" Sonny asked, her hands dropping down and sliding up under the hem of the blonde's shirt.

"It's Wisconsin," Tawni stated, finding that reason enough in itself.

"Please?" Sonny repeated, pressing her lips against the blonde's throat.

"Now you're clearly cheating," Tawni murmured, feeling Sonny smile against her neck. Her green eyes watched their reflection intently, as Sonny pulled away and stood upright. The brunette smirked and pulled her own shirt up and off, over her head.

"I just know my audience," Sonny contended, pulling the blonde around to face her before straddling her.

"Nice of you to wait until after I finish fixing my make up to go for round two..."

"Round two is only going to happen if you come to Wisconsin with me for Thanksgiving."

"Sonny-" Tawni groaned, frowning, only to be cut off by Sonny's mouth on hers.


Two days later,Tawni Hart was scowling out the window of an airplane as it soared over Los Angeles, her girlfriend tightly gripping her hand as though she was afraid the blonde would somehow still manage to escape. In spite of Tawni's persistent glowering and her mother frowning at them from across the aisle, Sonny couldn't help but be giddy with excitement for the holiday.