Cheryl Blossom always loved the holiday season. Thanksgiving was no exception. She loved waking up every Thanksgiving to the smells wafting from the kitchen. The staff her parents employed would prepare the most delectable dishes for her family's Thanksgiving dinner. Green beans with caramelized onions and almonds, cranberry chutney with orange, figs, and cinnamon, maple roasted carrots, bourbon glazed shallots, roasted brussel sprouts, potatoes au gratin, and browned butter mashed potatoes were some of the dishes she was used to seeing on the Thanksgiving table, along with an elegantly prepared 20-25lb turkey.
There was always an excess of food leftover as it was far too much for the five Blossoms to finish on their own. Penelope insisted they never share it with the house staff as they may get spoiled to the quality of food they would never be able to obtain otherwise. Leftovers were never allowed either, as it diminished the quality, and Blossoms only ate the very best. Therefore after dinner the food was tossed out into the garbage.
The Thanksgivings of her past were far from what her girlfriend grew up experiencing. Toni's Thanksgivings were that of instant potatoes and jars of premade gravy. The two scenarios could not have been more different, and yet this year Cheryl had decided to join Toni and the Serpents for their annual Thanksgiving potluck. At first Toni had been ecstatic, but the more she thought about it, the more she worried her girlfriend wouldn't get the annual holiday experience she was anticipating.
"Are you sure about this, Cher?"
Cheryl huffed, "Yes, TT, I'm sure. Do you not want me there?"
"What? No! Of course that isn't it," Toni countered, worried she was being misunderstood. "This just won't be like a Thanksgiving your used to. The Serpents don't exactly have a professional chef on standby."
"So you think I'm going to act like it's beneath me," Cheryl stated emotionlessly.
"Shit, no," Toni argued. "This is not coming out right at all."
"If you don't want me to come just say so."
Toni ran her hand through her hair, "I'm really fucking this up. Cher," she took both of Cheryl's hands in her own, "I want you there. I promise."
"Then what is the problem, Toni?"
"Babe, you grew up in the life of luxury. I can only imagine the feasts you had every year. My Thanksgivings consisted of a bucket of extra crispy and instant mac and cheese. I know Betty invited you to the Coopers', and I just want to make sure you wouldn't enjoy that more. Don't think for a second it's because I don't want you to come with me."
"I want to spend Thanksgiving with my family, Toni, and the Serpents are my family now. Isn't that what this jacket means?"
Toni exhaled, "Yeah, babe, that's what it means. As long as you're sure." She took her hand and cupped Cheryl's cheek lovingly, "I only want you to be happy."
"I'm happy wherever you are, ma chérie."
"You know this means you won't be seeing the twins though, right?"
"We will just have to stop by after dinner and say hello on the way back to Thistlehouse."
Two days later Toni woke up in Cheryl's four poster bed very much alone. She searched Thistlehouse before finally locating her girlfriend in the kitchen, making herself busy over a cutting board.
"So what are you making?" Toni wrapped her arms around Cheryl from behind.
"Roasted beets and sweet potatoes with a brown butter maple glaze," Cheryl answered. She dropped the peeler and turned to face her girlfriend. "Just finished peeling the potatoes." The redhead had scoured the internet to find a recipe she deemed appropriate to make for the holiday.
"As delicious as that sounds, you do realize everyone else is going to be making things out of a box right?"
Cheryl rolled her eyes, "That doesn't mean I will start slacking, TT."
"I know, babe," Toni rubbed her hands up and down the redhead's arms. "I just hope they appreciate all this work you're doing."
"As long as I'm appreciated by you I don't care what anyone else thinks."
Toni smirked, "That's my girl." The closed the gap between them and places a kiss upon Cheryl's lips.
"Now, shoo," Cheryl pushed the shorter girl back. "I still have much to do, and I don't want to be late." She turned back to the task at hand and began to cut up the freshly peeled sweet potatoes.
"Alright, alright, so bossy," Toni smirked as she gave Cheryl's ass a loving smack on her way out of the kitchen, causing an unseen eye roll from the redhead.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" F.P.'s voice called out the second Cheryl's red convertible pulled into the makeshift trailer park.
Toni had wanted to bring her bike, but Cheryl was worried about what state her beets and potatoes would arrive in if they had. The shorter girl had caved and humored her girlfriend by agreeing to take the car. She grabbed the dish from the backseat as Cheryl checked her makeup once more in the rear view mirror. "Babe, you look gorgeous as always. Let's go."
"Fine," she huffed, opening the car door to take Toni's outstretched hand.
They walked to where the group was congregated. Toni had Cheryl's dish held protectively against her right side and Cheryl's hand occupying her left.
"Hey, F.P.," Toni greeted when they reached the older serpent, who was busy messing with a large deep fryer. "We actually having turkey this year?"
"If I can get this contraption to work we sure are," he laughed. "Thought it would be nice with all the shit we've been dealt this year. What's that you've got?"
"Cher made it," Toni beamed. "Beets and sweet potatoes."
"With a brown butter maple glaze," Cheryl added in correction.
"Damn, that's going to be the fanciest thing some of these guys will have ever eaten in their lives," he joked. "It looks great, Cheryl, thank you."
"Tiny, get your ass over here and help settle this," Sweet Pea called from the bonfire the boys had started.
F.P. took a worn dish towel from his pocket and wiped some sweat from his brow before nodding to the tables to his left, "Sit that down over there, and join your friends. We've still got a ways until we'll be ready to eat."
They made their way over to the fire, dropping the dish off on the way.
"What's up?"
"I think we need to do something to thank our dear Game Master and Serpent King like setting a few perfectly harmless rats loose in his trailer. Fangs disagrees, something about cruelty to animals or some shit like that," Sweet Pea explained.
Fangs sighed, "We're trying to get back at Jughead . Throwing rats in the trailer punishes F.P.and the rats. Not to mention what if Hot Dog is there?"
"You are both idiots," Toni interrupted their banter. "Does that help? Where's Jug anyways?" The girls took their places around the fire. There had only been one open spot so Toni had pulled Cheryl into her lap as she sat on the log besides Fangs.
Sweet Pea pulled two beers out of his cooler and passed them to Toni as he answered her question, "Betty's. Actually thought you'd be there today, Red."
Cheryl rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with this again, "Why does everyone think I'd be happier somewhere else? I'm a Serpent too, as you as well aware."
"Geeze, lighten up," he scoffed. "Just making an observation."
"What he means ," Fangs interjects, "is that we are happy you're here, Cheryl. It's a good surprise. Sweets just isn't good with, ya know, speaking."
"Shut up," Sweet Pea retorted. "He's right though," softening his tone as he addressed Cheryl, "we are happy you're here."
"Thanks," she replied as Toni gently squeezed her thigh while handing over the beer she had opened so Cheryl wouldn't need to worry about ruining her manicured nails.
"Okay, so no rats," Sweet Pea caved. "I'm open to other ideas. I am nothing but flexible."
A little over an hour later F.P. called the group to dinner. The younger Serpents had spent the time planning an elaborate prank on Jughead. Sweet Pea and Fangs opted to wash their leader's underwear in hamburger grease. Cheryl thought it was the most juvenile thing she has ever heard; while Toni was worried it wouldn't go as the boys hoped for since Jughead may actually enjoy his underwear smelling like burgers.
The spread consisted of fried turkey courtesy of F.P., mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese, sliced bread, stove top dressing, canned cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, corn, sweet potatoes covered with marshmallows, the homemade pies Mrs. Fogarty spent all morning baking, and the dish Cheryl prepared, which by far the most elegant item. Nothing else on the menu was from scratch besides the pies. Most everything came from a jar, can, or instant mix.
"I see what you mean about my dish being too fancy," Cheryl admitted to Toni.
The shorter girl leaned up to press a kiss to her girlfriend's cheek, "Anything you would have made would have been perfect, babe. Trust me, everyone will love it."
"Before we dig in I think I should say a few words," F.P. announced, standing at the head of the long table they were all sitting around. "I may not be the Serpent King any longer, but I still like to consider myself the patriarch of this family. We've all been through a lot this year. If it had happened to any other group it would have destroyed them, but not us. We came through hell, and are stronger than ever for it. We may not have the Wyrm or the trailer park, but we have our family. We have a family that can overcome anything thrown at us." The group cheered, Sweet Pea's voice being the loudest. "So let us raise our glasses to family, old and new ," he added winking in Cheryl's direction. "Because family is something to truly be thankful for; Happy Thanksgiving!"
"Happy Thanksgiving," everyone answered in unison.
"What are you all waiting for? Dig in everyone," F.P. added before returning to his seat and helping himself to a extra large portion of mashed potatoes.
Later that evening Cheryl and Toni found themselves curled up in bed at Thistlehouse. They had stopped by the Coopers' to visit Juniper and Dagwood after saying farewell to the Serpents. Toni made sure to take some photos of the twins with Cheryl, which she planned to print and frame as part of the redhead's Christmas present the following month.
"So how was it?"
Cheryl snuggled closer to her girlfriend, "It was different than I was used to as you predicted. I don't think I've ever eaten so many things out of a can before today."
Toni frowned, "That bad huh?"
The redhead shook her head, "It wasn't bad at all, TT. On the contrary, today was perfect."
"But you just said - "
"It was different, yes. The macaroni tasted like plastic, and the green beans had a distinctive metal aftertaste. There wasn't a professional chef in the kitchen creating an extravagant multiple course feast that my hideous mother would find fault in no matter in what condition it was served. My mother wasn't there at all, which definitely was a check in the positive column. I was surrounded by a family that actually wanted me to be there. I was there with you . So as awful as some of the food was, I wouldn't change it for anything."
"Why, Cheryl Bombshell, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were turning into a sap," Toni teased, a smile spread across her face.
"It's amazing how sappy one can get when their life isn't a constant set of nightmares. I'm happy Toni, mostly because of you, but I think you knew that already," she smirked.
The pink haired girl laughed, "I did actually, but I don't mind hearing it once in a while." She rolled over until she was on top of the redhead. Looking down at her, she brushed a strand of hair out of Cheryl's face, "You make me happy too, Cher, but I think you knew that already."
"Shut up and kiss me," Cheryl demanded.
Her eyes darkened, "Make me."
The redhead rolled her eyes before reaching up behind Toni's neck and pulling her into a searing kiss.
After several minutes they broke contact, and Toni rolled over until she returned to her original position next to Cheryl. She reached down to intertwine their hands before pulling the redhead's hand up to her lips and placing a gentle kiss on her fingers. "You're incredible, you know that?"
"No, you are incredible. The Serpents are incredible. Sweet Pea and Fangs took all that extra food to the homeless shelter after we finished. I come from a family where we lived in excess, and then it was just thrown away. Mother was worried the poor would become spoiled if we donated anything, and they wouldn't work to get out of their situation. She wouldn't even allow us to share with the staff."
"That's awful," Toni responded.
Cheryl huffed, "That's my hideous mother for you. I'm not sure why you are surprised; you didhave to rescue me from the horrors of conversion therapy where she had sent me in exile."
"I'm not surprised," the shorter girl countered. "I've come to learn the cruelty of Penelope Blossom knows no bounds. How about we don't spend any more of our evening talking about her?"
"I would like nothing more, TT," Cheryl smiled.
A smirk crossed Toni's face, "Nothing more?"
"You are insatiable."
"No ," insisted the pink haired girl, "I just want to take advantage of some time with my girlfriend where I don't need to worry about stay arrows nearly killing me out of nowhere."
Cheryl bit down on her lower lip for a moment before turning on her side to fully face her girlfriend, "No risk of that here."
"Exactly," Toni agreed. "Just me… and you… and this bed."
"Mmm, tempting," she answered faintly.
Suddenly Toni's eyes flew open with realization as to what she just implied, "Crap. I didn't mean it like that, Cher. I know you aren't ready for that. I just meant - "
Cheryl cut her off with a finger to the lips, "It's okay, Toni. Really. You have been so patient with me, and I can't express how grateful I am for that. You are extraordinary, mon cœur."
"You do remember I don't speak French right?"
The redhead nodded in response, a ghost of a smile across her lips. "It means you have my heart, TT. What I'm trying to say is," she bit down on her lip momentarily, "I love you."
Toni gasped, "Y-you… you've never said that before."
"Today was amazing, but I would never have this life if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't feel so cared for, protected, and loved . I never knew what it meant to be part of a family. I had JJ, and you know how much he meant to me, but family as a whole was never something positive. After I lost him I never thought I'd be able to love anyone again in any capacity. I thought I was destined to go through life alone, as dear mother constantly told me. Then I met you," her expression softened, "and I realized just how capable of love I truly am. I love you, Toni, more than I can express with words, and you are aware of my rather extensive vocabulary."
By the time she finished, tears were threatening to flow from Toni's eyes. "Cher, I - "
"You don't have to say it back," Cheryl interrupted, looking downhearted.
"I love you too," Toni interjected immediately, not wanting Cheryl to think for a second longer that she didn't feel the same way. "I just wasn't expecting - "
Her words were cut short as the redhead pulled her in closer until their lips crashed together.
When they finally broke apart, Cheryl rested her forehead against Toni's. Both girls were panting breathlessly, trying to regain composure.
"Thank you."
Toni raised an eye quizzically, "For what, babe?"
"For everything. For giving me a family, for rescuing me from that nunnery, for taking me away from this awful town for the summer, for loving me," Cheryl answered.
"You never have to thank me for that," the shorter girl promised. "Happy Thanksgiving, Cher. I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite holiday."
The redhead stole a quick kiss before responding happily, "Happy Thanksgiving, and, TT, thank you for giving me so many reasons to be thankful."