A/N: Hey, gang! Okay…so ever since I started writing fanfiction, I've always written a Thanksgiving one-shot when that time of year came around. This year, due to visiting my family back in my home state, I was unable to. That being said, I didn't want to break tradition (and I felt a little guilty writing anything other than "My Voyage," since updates are fewer than they normally are) so I ended up thinking, "How can I write a Thanksgiving one-shot weeks after it already ended?" Then it hit me; an experience that I think a lot of people who have celebrated this holiday will be able to relate to. If not, no worries, though I do hope it'll make you smile, all the same. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own a very large nothing.

Synopsis: Takes place during Season 8 & is rated "T" for language.

His Leftovers

Dr. Cox was never a holiday kind of guy, so it came as no surprise to anyone that his mood was visibly worse as November transitioned into December. What would have surprised his co-workers was that the Christmas season didn't have anything to do with his anger, but the fact that he was still recovering from Thanksgiving.

Jordan hardly ever cooked, mainly in that she hated it, but Perry was beginning to wonder if her not cooking all year was her way of preparing herself for the day where all she did was cook. The idea would sound pleasant to most, but not to Dr. Cox. It wasn't that his ex-wife was a bad cook; not at all. It was the fact that she always cooked way too damn much. It was great on the night of; the table riddled with every holiday-related food a person could imagine, but now, weeks after Thanksgiving, he was still being forced to eat the leftovers; Jordan not wanting to waste a single morsel.

He had tried abandoning the Tupperware of turkey-filled lunches in order to eat from Sacred Heart's cafeteria instead, but they were just as bad with the leftovers themselves; every day for the next two weeks serving nothing but turkey-related food. Not only that, but Jordan had eventually noticed that the meals in their fridge wasn't shrinking, ultimately deciding to withhold sex from him unless he helped his family finish it off.

Sitting at his desk after having just removed his lunch from the employee-only-fridge, the Chief of Medicine grimaced as he opened the plastic container.

Turkey fucking salad. Fantastic.

Swallowing hard, Perry breathed in through his nose, preparing his taste buds for the last thing in the world he was craving: Turkey. It really was all he'd eaten for the last few, nauseating weeks. Turkey burgers, turkey dumplings, turkey casserole, turkey sausage, turkey pot pie, turkey goulash, turkey jambalaya, turkey wraps, turkey tetrazzini, turkey curry, turkey burgers, turkey loaf, turkey pasta… The list didn't end, and as Christmas became closer only to find Dr. Cox still eating turkey, the older man wondered if it would ever end.

A knock at his door dragged the Chief out of his thoughts. As much as he hated to be bothered during one of the very few breaks he received in a given week, he was almost happy to abandon his meal. That is, of course, until he saw who was standing at his door.

JD stared back at him, an awkward smile on his expression. Oh God, he wanted something, didn't he? How many times was this kid going to set himself up to be yelled at? How many times did Dr. Cox have to watch him leave his office, shoulders slumped, while silently berating himself for the new role he felt forced into playing? He wanted to scream at him to go; to save himself from yet another verbal beat down, but instead, he went with his usual, "What?" the scowl on his face apparent and the glare in his eyes sharp.

Barely flinching (was he actually becoming immune?) the brunet doctor withdrew two, Styrofoam containers from behind his back, holding out one arm so that Perry could take it for himself.

Eyebrows furrowed, the older man took it with a, "Tsk," thinking it was just the kid trying to have lunch with him in order to patch up their recent, rockier-than-usual relationship. Believing that the containers were the ones from the cafeteria, Dr. Cox prepared himself to yell at him while opening his latest meal, most of his anger actually stemming from a place of, "GET THIS FUCKING BIRD AWAY FROM ME!" But when he opened it to find a perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned steak, Dr. Cox all but gave the brunet a hug. (Not that he ever would, but damn it all if he didn't actually think about it for a second there).

"I went out for lunch today and thought I'd pick you up something," JD explained casually. "I got one too, if you're interested…"

The auburn haired doctor looked up at his protégé, stunned. When was the last time he and JD had eaten lunch together? They hardly ever did anyway; at least not in terms of Dr. Cox intentionally seeking him out to do so, but damn… The kid had gone out and gotten him a steak, for fuck's sake. How could he say no?

Nodding the bearded doctor in, Perry tried not to roll his eyes when JD's next expression was a happy-go-lucky grin. The guy really was a man-child, but he was a man-child who had just bought him steak in a world full of turkeys, and if that wasn't enough for a sit down lunch with Dr. Cox, then nothing was.

A/N: It seems like I never get to write little one-shots like this anymore. I really enjoy them though, so I hope you did too. Anyway, that's about it from me. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving & that you're enjoying the holiday season so far. Until next time!