Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – A Feast Fit for an Inventor
(A/N: I'm so sorry this is, like, two months late. It was supposed to be posted along with my Wander Over Yonder fanfic for Thanksgiving, but I never got around to it. Just keep your mouth shut and read (haha just kidding. I'm not RUDE like that.) Enjoy :D )
Flint, Sam, Tim, Brent, Manny, Barb, and Steve sat down at a long table in the Sparkswood laboratory dining room. It was Thanksgiving Day and everyone had just finished preparing dinner after many hours in the kitchen and lab cooking and inventing.
Flint made a miniature FLDSMDFR for making the raw food (to partially save money) and an automatic server for the table (to make serving the food faster). Sam and Tim cooked a delicious turkey and most of the meal's contents. Manny made an oversized pot of his famous Gorilla Stew. Brent helped in many ways, but only in small amounts here and there. Barb helped decorate the table and make dessert (just in case anyone had room, of course!). Steve "helped" Flint make his inventions for the feast and preparation.
Brent plopped down in his seat and cracked his knuckles hungrily. "Man, this look's soooo good! I can't wait to eat all this!"
Sam stuck out her hand and told him, "Wait, Brent. First, we need to say a prayer and what we're all thankful for. Okay?" Sam straightened out her glasses and removed her flour-covered apron before sitting down next to Flint, who wore the possible world record for biggest smile.
"Wow. This looks amazing, Sam! Great job! You, too, Dad!" Flint gave a thumbs-up across the table to his father, shooting them both an eager smile.
"Why, thank you, Flint." Sam took a joking bow and kissed Flint's cheek. "I hope it tastes as good as it looks!" She licked her lips at the thought of eating the turkey and cranberry sauce (her two Thanksgiving favorites) that rested on the table, silently taunting her.
The decorations were a little over the top for Thanksgiving, but that was what Barb was used to back at Live Corp since their Thanksgiving dinners were over the top by them.
The aroma of the plentiful food on the long, almost never-ending table filled everyone's noses, making them more and more hungry by the moment. "Why don't we start the prayer and speeches now? The sooner we pray, the sooner we can start eating!"
Everyone settled quickly in their designated spots to pray and say what they were thankful for. They all joined hands (even Steve, who couldn't exactly keep still, but still grabbed Flint's hand), put their heads down, and closed their eyes. They all chanted the Lord's Prayer. When everyone put their heads up, Sam stared over at Barb. "Well, Barb, since you're newest, why don't you start us? What are YOU thankful for?"
Barb sighed, "Alright… um… I'm thankful that the late Live Corp is now demolished and rid of, along with my old friend, Chester V. who was more of a fake friend. I'm happy that I found you guys and got to live here in Swallow Falls with all of my new, TRUE friends. Thank you, everyone."
Everybody beamed and a couple said, "You're welcome, Barb."
"Thanks, Barb. We'll go counter-clockwise around the table, so you're next, Steve." Sam looked over at Steve and smiled real big.
"HAIR!" Steve blurted out through his thought translator. Sam giggled and nodded to Manny for him to say his part.
"I am very grateful that I'm well and able to help you all out through any trouble. It is my mission to help you whenever you need it. I'm glad we all have one another's backs." Manny said in his usual Spanish accent with a smile.
"That's a good one, Manny. Brent?" Sam looked over at Brent.
"So, for this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that we can, like, eat all this awesome food. I'm thankful that y'all, like, took the time to make it and stuff." Brent smiled and shrugged. "Thanks, guys!"
The cooks, Tim and Sam, said "You're welcome". Barry walked out from the other room, stretching from a long nap. Sam laughed at herself, forgetting to wake up Barry was a big mistake.
She walked over to Barry and kneeled down. "Hey, little buddy! Tell everybody: What are YOU thankful for?"
Barry's face instantly lit up as he said, "Sa' Spa'! En Woo!" Everyone laughed out loud as Barry smiled bigger and bigger.
"Well, we're thankful for you, too, Barry!" Flint told Barry between giggles.
Getting up and going back to the table, Sam asked, "Who is next?"
Tim raised his hand and cleared his throat. "I would like to say that I'm thankful for all the chances and second chances in life that I have gotten in all my years: getting to run a tackle shop, mastering fishing, helping everyone with their adventures in saving the world, and especially, getting to be the father of a son worth saving a million times if he's in danger. I promised I'd never ask for anything more when you were born. You were my gift from God, Flint. I could never get a better present."
Flint almost got teary-eyed. Everyone else sighed and said, "Aaaaawwww…." Flint walked over to his dad and gave him a great big hug. "Thank you, Dad. You're the best dad ever." When Flint let go, he grinned at his dad in approval, as returned by him.
Everyone was back to their normal standing and Sam said, "Well, I guess it's my turn." Sam tucked her bangs back behind her ear and placed her hands on the chair in front of her. "I, Samantha Nicole Sparks," she began. "Am so thankful for my weather forecasting job, getting the chance to go to Swallow Falls for an exclusive news casting, get to experience a giant food storm, get to bounce around in a giant Jell-O mansion, getting to live in San Fran José, California, getting to meet Barry and befriend him and all the foodimals, getting to help with the island clean up, and getting to sit down at this table and enjoy the food at this bountiful feast." Sam paused. Flint looked a little sad she didn't mention him or anyone at the table, for that matter. However, Sam wasn't entirely finished. "And I am also extremely thankful that I got to meet the best people in the world, especially YOU, Flint."
Flint heard his name and looked up. "I could never be more thankful for all the great experiences I've had here on Swallow Falls instead of boring old New York, but you, Flint, you have made all the difference between a normal life and a life of adventure and amazement. " Sam finished with a grin. "Ta da…." She giggled slightly.
He thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but Flint could have sworn he saw Sam shoot him a flirtatious look. His pupils dilated at the sight of her gorgeous face.
"It's your turn, Flint." Sam whispered.
Flint was sort of at a loss of words for his "Thankful speech". He thought everything he was about to say was already taken by everyone else. Then, the perfect words hit him like a ton of bricks.
Flint cleared his throat and began, "I am so very thankful for the world and everything in it that is good, all that has been discovered and all that has not. The past one and a half years have been a total blessing to experience: trying my best to become a Thinkquanaut, defeating Chester V, inventing probably the best…and worst invention ever. I'm especially happy and grateful that I have the best FRIENDS ever. You've all been there for me since the day we all met, more for my dad. He was there for me since the second I was born. I'm so thankful for my talents: inventing, drawing, and some others. I may be different from the rest of the world, but you all never gave up on me. Not even when I almost destroyed the entire planet with my FLDSMDFR's food storm. When you all were going to be turned into food bars, I thought it was the end for me, but we all pulled through and sort of built ourselves an emotional home through that triumph. I love all of you so much and I want us all to be best friends for the rest of our lives." Flint turned to Sam, red in the face. "Especially you, Sam. I fell in love with you the day we met. Now we have something special between us. I never want to lose you. You are the greatest thing I look forward to every day of my life, from the second I wake up every morning. I love you dearly and I never want us to be apart. It's almost like I was an unsolved puzzle and I just had to wait for the right person to come along and work out all my kinks, solve me, put me back together again. You complete me, Sam. I love you." The two of them were teary-eyed, just like the rest of the people at the table. Flint held Sam's hands in his and stared into her forest-painted eyes. She stared back at him.
Flint's eyes practically drowned her in the sweet ocean color they naturally were. Right on cue, the two slowly puffed up their cheeks and kissed. Just like the first time, everyone cheered and clapped like they were a romance act in a movie or musical. Before they even let go, Sam said, muffled, "I love you too, Flint."
After they let go, Flint announced in unison with Sam, "And now we eat!"
As food passed around the table, Flint thought to himself that this was the best Thanksgiving ever, not because he got to kiss the love of his life, but because he wasn't alone any longer. He had everyone there with him. That was all that mattered to him.
