Disclaimer: Don't and won't. Don't and won't.
Warning: Some TDA spoilers
Author's Note: I gave DJ's Momma a name! She's Martha Haynes! Anyhoo, its Chef/DJ's Momma romance and Gwen/DJ friendship.
--
Gwen and DJ were in the mess hall, hanging out in the time they had in between challenges.
"Wow! These are really good," Gwen said while chewing. "Did Chef make them?"
"Nah, I did," DJ said.
"You make really good sandwiches, then," Gwen said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"Thanks," DJ smiled, but looked down.
"Hey, what happened?" Gwen put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm alright," DJ sighed.
"Really?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"No, I'm not okay…" DJ said sadly. "…It's the anniversary of my parent's divorce…"
"Aww, DJ… I'm so sorry…" Gwen comforted.
"It's alright. I mean, I'm okay. But it's always hard for my momma," DJ continued.
"How many years has it been?" Gwen inquired gently.
"Fifteen," DJ replied.
"And she's still hung up on it?" Gwen asked softly.
"Yeah," DJ nodded. "I've tried setting her up with guys her age, but it hasn't really worked out well."
"Well, what kinda guy is she into?" Gwen asked DJ delicately.
"Hmm…." DJ thought. "She likes the buff, military soldier type. She likes the big, loud and tough guys who are intimidating, but can be real softies on the inside. She likes a guy who can cook too."
"…" Gwen choked on some of her sandwich.
"Gwen! Are you okay…?" DJ asked her as he shook her.
"I'm fine," Gwen spit out the piece she was choking on. "But the guy you described; the perfect guy for your mom… It sounded just like Chef Hatchet."
DJ's eyes widened as he slowly turned around to see Chef Hatchet cooking.
"You're right…" DJ said, in shock. "I never really thought about him…" DJ shuddered.
"Yeah, you probably wouldn't want the guy as a step-dad anyway," Gwen said.
DJ fainted.
--
"Devon Joseph!" DJ's mother cried.
"Yes, Momma?" DJ smiled at her.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see!" DJ grinned.
"This isn't one of those silly blind dates for your poor ol' ma, is it, poopydoo?" she asked.
"…Maybe," DJ said in a sing-song voice.
"Oh, DJ!" she cried.
"We're here! Your date will be here soon. Have fun, momma!" DJ dropped his mother off at the abandoned romance film set.
"Devon Jo-" DJ ran off before his mother could finish.
--
"I'm telling you, Chef! Chris is in trouble!" Gwen cried.
"Uh huh," Chef flipped a rotten burger.
"Seriously! Out by the romance film sets! You have to come save him!" Gwen added.
"I'm not helping Chris with anymore of his lady problems. The man's too fickle. He just needs to find one woman. And stick with her," Chef said. "Like I should've," Chef added softly.
"What was that, Chef?" Gwen asked.
"Nothing, maggot," he replied harshly. "No go off and play hopscotch or something. I'm busy."
"Chef!" Gwen said. "Chris is… on fire! You have to do something!"
Chef turned to look at Gwen, "Maggot, it is not healthy to be that worried about Chris. Plus, his ex-girlfriends have done worse than set him on fire."
"Chef, please!" Gwen cried. She sighed. "Okay, I lied. Chris is fine. But there's this innocent little puppy on the set and it's hurt and I don't know what to do! You wouldn't leave a sick, wounded, defenseless puppy all by itself, would you, Chef?
Chef sighed, "Okay, fine. But don't tell anyone that I'm doing this…"
--
"It's just there- See it?" Gwen asked.
"Uh, no I don't," Chef replied.
"Well, you have to get a little closer…" Gwen said as she pushed Chef into the abandoned film set.
--
DJ's mother wandered around the set when she saw a man lying on the ground. She gasped as her eyes widened and her heart beat quickened. She gently shook him, trying to wake him.
"Are you alright?" a sweet voice asked.
"Huh…?" Chef's eyes fluttered. He saw a beautiful woman standing over him.
"Are you alright?" she asked him again.
"Oh, I'm fine," Chef growled, looking for Gwen.
"Okay," the woman smiled at him.
Chef smiled back at her, uncharacteristically. Something made him just soften in the presence of this woman. Seeing her made his heart grow larger and a funny feeling took over his whole body.
"I haven't seen you around here… You don't work here, do you?" Chef asked.
"No, actually," she giggled. "My son's a competitor on the show. He's trying to set me up with someone."
"Really?" Chef asked. "Who?"
"I think it was you," DJ's mother replied.
"Oh," Chef said. "Do I… know you? Pardon me, but you look so familiar…"
"I'm Martha. DJ's mother," she stuck her hand out for him to shake.
"Samuel," Chef shook her hand.
"DJ made us dinner," Martha started. "We might as well eat it…"
"Oh, um, alright," Chef smiled at her.
The two of them walked over to a fancy table where two plates of delicious food, along with champagne, were placed under a red tablecloth.
"Where are you from?" Chef asked her.
"Vancouver, originally. We moved to Toronto, though," Martha answered. "What about you?"
"Born and grew up here," Chef answered.
"Have you always been a chef, Samuel?" Martha asked.
"No… not always…" Chef replied. "I started out in the Marine Corps. Worked there most my life. Only a few years ago, after I resigned, I picked up cooking." Chef asked as he cut some of the steak on his plate.
"I always had a thing for Marines," Martha laughed. "My husband was a marine… The love of my life was marine…"
"They weren't the same people?" Chef asked. "Sorry if I'm prying," he added quickly.
Martha shook her head, "It's alright. No, they were two different people. I never really loved my husband… I honestly don't know why we got married. He cheated on me with four other women. I couldn't take it, so I went back to the man I loved. When my husband found out that our son wasn't really his, we finally separated," Martha finished.
"Wow," Chef was taken aback with how she opened up to a complete stranger. Her story really hit him and everything started to come back to Chef. "So, Martha, what do you do?" he tried to small-talk
"I'm a nurse," Martha answered. "But I sew and knit in my free time."
"That's nice," Chef said, smiling. "DJ is a fine, young boy. You've raised him well."
"Thank you," Martha smiled.
They continued eating their meal, not much being said between the two until Chef started again.
"When I was young, I was in love with a wonderful woman," Chef said. "She didn't tell me that she was married though… And I felt horrible about that. And I left her. To this day, I still don't know why… It was the biggest mistake of my life."
"When I was young," Martha mirrored. "I cheated on my husband with the man I truly loved. I should've been more honest. I don't know why I hid so much about me… But when I look back at those times... I regret not holding on to him when he left me... It was the biggest mistake of my life."
"Is it really you, Mary?" Chef asked her, as he placed his warm hands on her cheeks.
"Yes, Sammy… It's me, your Mary," Martha's eyes watered.
"I never thought I'd see you again, Mary," Chef whispered. "I'm so sorry…"
"No, Sammy. I'm sorry. It was all my fault," Martha said softly.
"I've never loved anyone after I left you, Martha," Chef told her sadly. "I've been a bitter old man since."
"And I've never loved anyone either, Sammy," Martha inched closer to him. "I've been holding onto your memory for so long…"
Chef softly kissed her as Martha wrapped her hands around his neck. He whispered to her all the regrets he had, as did she. She told him how much she loved him, as did he. And they promised they never let each other go again.
--
"Do you think it'll work?" Gwen asked DJ.
"I hope so… I can't take more of Momma bein' unhappy with her life," DJ answered.
"Even if you're willing to let Chef be a potential step-dad?" Gwen asked.
"If it makes my Momma happy," DJ replied.
"Wow, DJ. You're strong," Gwen told him seriously. "I wouldn't be able to do that for my mom."
"Thanks, Gwen," DJ smiled at her. "For everything."
"No prob, Deej," Gwen hugged him.
--
"Now I know why I liked DJ so much right off the bat. He even kinda looks like me. He looks more like you, though," Chef told Martha. They were walking, they're arms around one another, back to the mess hall.
"Maybe we can finally be a family," Martha said to herself.
"I like that idea," Chef told her as he opened the door to the cafeteria.
"Momma?" DJ saw her and Chef, hand in hand.
"I take it your date went well?" Gwen asked.
"Very well, sweetie," Martha replied.
"Did you two set us up?" Chef asked Gwen and DJ.
"Maybe…" they answered at the same time.
"Well, we're glad you did," Martha told the two.
"Looks like someone's getting a new step-dad soon," Gwen whispered to DJ. She giggled.
"Poopydoo," Martha sat beside her son and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "I never told you the real reason why Daddy and I got divorced… The truth is… he's not your real daddy…" she sighed.
DJ's eyes widened, "Well… Who is?" he asked.
Martha looked over at Chef and he smiled and waved.
For the second time that day, DJ fainted.
--
OMG! I love Chef/DJ's Momma. They're one of my favorite pairings, now!
Lemme know what you think! Please leave a review!