Hello! FeZeTh13 here. This is my first fanfiction. Ever. I have read many incredible fanfiction's on here and thought I would play my hand. Though it kind of intimidates me. I hope you enjoy this as I kind of wrote while at work, and on receipt paper. Please review but please also be nice. I want critique not flame. Or just to know if you enjoyed it. Shepard is based off of my Jane Shepard who I am currently writing about but haven't yet finished. Earthborn, Sole Survivor, Paragon.
So while you read this I am going to go hide under a rock. Anxiously waiting. And peeking.
Ok so… Bioware owns all! I gives them big hugs for amazing games.
THANKSGIVING ON THE NORMANDY
"Did the Commander just run by with a turkey on her head?" was the question in the mess that morning. Eating breakfast, the early crew (and Miranda who was getting toast) were surprised to see Shepard up so early and running to the Main Battery… with something feathery on her head. Even more confusing was Legion walking out of the AI Core with an odd black hat and handing cards out to the crew.
"Garrus!" Shepard exclaims entering the room and the sleeping Turian rolls over to look at the intruder. He looks her over and upon seeing the feathery creature upon her head frowns.
"Didn't we dress up last month Shepard?" Garrus quips and Shepard smiles, plopping down beside him on his cot. She sneezes when a feather tickles her nose.
"Today is a different day Garrus! I came to give you this." She says pulling a card out of her side cargo pocket. "Thank you for going to hell and back twice, for always watching my six, and for being the most stylish best friend I could ask for." Shepard stands up, beaming at him.
"Ah. Its that day again." Garrus says looking at the card. "Well… uh…" Shepard notices he is put on the spot as well as still groggy from just waking. She was not just going to leave him hanging, and at least this year she did not have to explain the holiday.
"You don't have to say anything Garrus. It's an Earth holiday from my country, not a galactic holiday. I'm just letting you know how much I appreciate you."
"Yeah well, I appreciate you too Jane." He answers looking into her eyes and smiling a bit. She moves so fast he can't dodge.
"BFF's wear matching turkey hats! Here's yours!" She exclaims and stuffs a hat that was hiding under hers onto his head, takes a picture of them both, and runs out of the room cackling.
Garrus sits on his cot a little shocked and hears his omni-tool beep. The picture of the two of them displays and he notices a message below. Why do you look so much better than me? :P
"We both look ridiculous." Garrus answers and sneezes when a feather smacks his nose.
Shepard walks down the ramp toward the elevator trying not to laugh. Legion was still handing out her 'thank you' cards to the surprised crew. Their faces, oh their faces! She knew picking Legion and giving him the pilgrim hat would be awesome.
She looks down and takes her card for Tali and the bag of goodies for Jack out of her other cargo pocket when a pleasant hum from behind grabs her attention.
"Siha. Good-"Thane pauses for a second and cocks his head a little bit looking back and forth from her head to her face. "You are wearing a feather creature on your head?" He looks amused and confused.
"It's a turkey. Thanksgiving, an Earth holiday of my country is today." Shepard smiles as his small smirk forms on his lips, and she knows he is thinking that this explains nothing; except maybe a weird custom. The elevator opens behind her but she continues to talk. "You give thanks for what you are grateful for. I actually have a very special thank you upstairs in my quarters for tonight." Shepard says brightly.
"Kinky Shepard." Jack says stepping out of the elevator. Jack starts to laugh as Shepard looks confused and then blushes.
"That isn't what I meant." She growls and throws Jack's goodie food bag at the biotic who catches it and walks away smirking. Shepard looks back at Thane who has a twinkle in his eye and looks amused by her statement and blushing. "So don't go up to my room until I take you up there please." Thane nods once smiling and she steps into the elevator blowing him a quick kiss as the doors close. As the elevator goes down Shepard smirks. He is going to go research this.
Shepard had a gift or card for everyone on her squad to say thanks.
Mordin and her talked (well he mostly talked, she listened) about the holiday. His questions were fun for her to answer as were the times where he would work out the answer to his question with reasoning and deduction. She always loved to watch him when he went on these.
Grunt was already modding his shotgun with the part she gave him.
She gave Samara some tea and promised to join her one day so they could just talk.
Miranda and Jacob, she gave them non-Cerberus uniforms. The rest of the crew just wore civilian clothing since they no longer liked the Illusive Man.
"You all ready to cook this meal?" She asks as she finally makes her way to the Mess where Gardner and two other crew members, who grew up on Earth, are waiting. The man, Franklin, brings out the giant screen that is going to hide the surprise dishes from the crew. Lily, the woman, starts getting out all the pots and pans.
Shepard was going to cook all the food for the alien crew. She made sure to look up and get everything she was going to need to make all their favorites. The four of them bustled about in the kitchen and while the crew couldn't see them, they could certainly hear them.
"Commander what is that?"
"Don't know but it's going in!"
"Shepard this turkey has no giblets!"
"Of course not! That stuff is disgusting and wrong! Here Franklin play with this."
"Is that supposed to be on fire Ma'am?"
"Yes actually."
Eventually the whole ship smelled like the different varieties of food. People were gathering trying to guess the smells of the food and wondering how long it would be before they could eat.
"Oh. It smells like Amarice. A fine food of my people." Samara comments and politely takes another sniff.
"I too smell a festive food of my people." Thane replies standing beside Samara.
They see the screen door open and Shepard comes out with an apron and oven mitts on. She smiles at the two and winks at Thane. He has never seen his Siha look so domestic and it makes his chest constrict sadly, but he decides he likes this new look.
Grunt is waiting for her at the elevator when she steps around the corner an amused smirk on her face, picturing Thane's face when he saw her. "You called for me Shepard?" Grunt growls out. "Do we get to eat now?" He asks looking toward the Mess.
"Oh. No. Almost. I just need your help with something."
"I don't cook."
"Yeah ok fine. I am making Krogan 'jungi' but I got confused with this one part. Oh well. This is the fun part about cooking. You get to experiment." She starts walking back toward the mess wearing a mean grin when Grunt goes after her.
"You do not experiment with Jungi. Bah. I will show you." Grunt growls and moves past Shepard toward the kitchen. She takes down the screen so he can fit and they are close enough to being done that the crew can look now. Everybody's mouth starts watering as the smell gets stronger and they see the display of food.
People were tripping over chairs at the sight of Grunt instructing Shepard in the kitchen and then they start arguing. Grunt won.
"Legion what are you wearing?" Tali asks as she and Jack stepped off the elevator. Legion was greeting them and handing them a card with a seating number.
"Shepard Commander gave us this hat and this task while explaining the holiday for we wish to learn more of organics. The extra hat with the feathers was for Garrus Vakarian." Legion answers and steps aside for them to pass.
"Garrus… feather… pfft." Tali laughs picturing Garrus in a hat matching Shepard's. The image sent her back to the first Normandy. "It's better than the cooked turkey hat she wore three years ago." She remarks to Jack who starts to laugh while Tali fondly demonstrated how the rubber hat would wiggle every time Shepard moved.
Everyone sits in their assigned seat- Kelly had made the arrangements- and the cooks bring out the food. Shepard sets out her alien dishes, placing each dish in front of their respective species. Garrus and Tali are surprised and pleased when she places multiple dishes in front of them. They couldn't try any of the other food, so she made sure they had plenty of their favorites but also the chance to try the other race's food.
"I smelled this earlier Shepard but I did not think- how did you know this was my favorite?" Samara asks and Shepard smiles.
"Research. The right questions and studying the recipe."
"Thank you Siha. This looks delicious." Thane says and takes her hand when she sits down in her set beside him.
"Got all the right ingredients. Some very hard to find. Very dedicated." Mordin says from her left and she turns to acknowledge him. "Much appreciated. Missed this."
"Yeah, I have been working on some of these for the last couple of nights." Shepard replies putting all kinds of food onto her plate.
"So you were the phantom noise I kept hearing at night." Miranda jabs and smirks.
"And why I was dreaming of Capich." Garrus plays along pointing to said dish.
Everyone laughed and Grunt, who had his plate piled high, started eating with vigor. The crew followed suit. Questions about the holiday went around the table and the three 'Earthlings' answered them. Then a giant thanksgiving and toast was made to defeating the Collectors and getting everyone out alive.
People were drunk and others were still drinking. People were too full to move. Shepard laughed when Kelly begged Samara to show her some moves from when she was a young Asari dancer. The two started while Legion played some music and Mordin danced giving the too -full crew a performance. Jacob was singing along (badly) to the music he recognized until he went to join Kelly on the dance floor.
She found Thane leaning against the Med-bay windows watching her and she sidles up to him, hooking her arms around one of his. Leaning over she whispers in his ear and he trills as they make their way to the elevator.
"I must admit I am looking forward to tonight Siha." Thane says as soon as the door closes and Shepard can feel and hear his pleased hum. She loves that sound and kisses his cheek.
"You are going to have to close your eyes love." He looks at her and she only smiles bigger cocking her head at him waiting for his answer. He smiles his little smile and closes his eyes. She takes both of his hands when the elevator opens and leads him into her room. "All right; wait here. I will tell you when to open your eyes." She says and knows he can hear her nervous tone and she lets go of his hands.
He heard her walk toward her bunk and heard some new rustling following her. He raised an eye ridge, his interest piqued. What is it that she has done that makes that sound?
"Ok Thane. Open your eyes." He hears her somewhat nervous whisper and opens his eyes.
His breath hitches in his lungs. There are notes hanging from the ceiling. Maybe a hundred if not a little more. He moved to read the first one and realized they were all handwritten. In his language. When did she manage such a feat?
"I translated everything I wanted to say into your language. I actually don't know what each particular one says anymore." Shepard says and lets out a small giggle. Thane reads the first one.
Nobility it said.
Devotion says another.
Determined; Brave; Honorable; Worthy; Loving. Every note had a different word or memory etched upon it.
The first time you held me in your arms.
When I saw my fish flying around my room in Krogan armor because I was high on you.
That awkward dinner with Kolyat.
"These are the things about you that I am so grateful about. The way I see you." Shepard smiled as he read every note.
Thane could barely contain his emotions when he stepped in front of his Siha. He noticed she had one more sign she was holding up. She read it out loud as he read it.
"Thank you for being the most incredible man. A man I love, who blessedly and amazingly loves me back. You are everything I ever wanted, needed, and more." She pauses and he looks up at her beautiful eyes. "Sorry if that sounded lame I just-"Thane cuts off her insecurities with a searing kiss making her weak in the knees.
"Jane you are the most amazing woman. It is I who am very grateful to have you." Thane hums making her nerves tingle and her toes curl. He kisses her again and they give themselves completely to the other, thankful for having this time together.