Maximum Ride

The First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving one-shot! Please enjoy and if you like my writing please check out my other one-shot Walmart Madness and my story Avenging Angels that now has over 430 reviews. Just saying. Please enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

I heard a clanging sound followed by a muffled shout and shot up in my bed. My fists clenched at my side and I blew my blondish hair out of my face. The covers of my bed had my legs trapped which made getting out of bed quietly nearly impossible. But being me I managed and was able to tip toe out of the room with out Angel, who had had a nightmare the previous night and decided she had to sleep in my room, waking up.

I poked my head outside of my room and glanced up and down the hallway. No one suspicious here, I thought. I moved out into the hallway; the cold hard wood making me wince. I crept down the hall but stopped outside of Fang's door. His was right beside mine. Gazzy and Iggy shared a room a door down from him and across from them Nudge and Angel shared a room. Fang and I were the only ones who had our own room. Well, besides-.

My thoughts were cut off as the sound of metal hitting the floor echoed throughout the house. My body tensed and my fists rose up in-front of my face. I got into a crouch and glanced at the doors around me. If that didn't wake them up we'd have some serious issues if we were ever under attack. Which we might just be now. I'll have to work on them, I promised myself and took a step forward.

The door on my right opened up and a shadow loomed out at me. I whirled and punched whatever had opened the door. My fist connected with something soft that gave way under my fist and I heard a muffled shout. I leapt on the thing and boxed it's ears. That's before I heard it's muffled shout, "Max it's me!"

I rolled sideways and stared wide eyed at the dark haired boy in-front of me. His hair was all messed up and stuck up in places while his black shirt and black pajama bottoms were now wrinkled and had dust on them. His face was red and I noticed his hand rubbing his jaw. His dark eyes were layered with fury but this didn't worry me. Indignation was stamped all across my face and I whisper shouted, "What the heck, Fang!"

Fang stood up and I did the same. He dusted off his shirt and pants without a word but his eyes never left my face. I rolled my eyes and said, "Well?"

Fang continued to look at me. "You were more talkative at the School," I muttered but instantly regretted it. His eyes hardened and his mouth tightened. He turned away from me and started for his room again but I grabbed his arm. He glanced up at me, I was about an inch taller than him, and I frowned rubbing the back of my neck. I didn't know what to say.

He waited, looking at me, but as I opened my mouth to speak the metal clanging came from down stairs again. I looked at Fang and he looked at me. In the next instant we were in fighting stances and creeping down the hallway. As we passed Nudge/Angel and Iggy/Gazzy's rooms Fang nodded towards them, a question in his eyes. I shook my head and he nodded.

We crept the rest of the way down the hallway and paused at the top of the stairs. The sound of someone moving reverberated through the air towards us. Fang tapped my shoulder and pointed towards where the kitchen was. I listened for a moment and nodded.

Quietly we tip toed down the stairs. At the bottom I peeked around the corner. The lights of the kitchen were on but I only caught a glimpse of a shadow moving back and forth. The metal sounds continued. Like whoever or whatever it was was moving pots around. I glanced at Fang and shrugged my shoulders. He just looked past me into the kitchen.

I pointed with my fingers towards the living room where there was another way into the kitchen. Fang nodded and dashed across the empty space and disappeared into the shadows on the other side of the room. Before I could blink he was gone.

My muscles tightened and I crept forward trying my best to keep to the shadows. I pressed my wings close against my back but felt the muscles loosen. I'd only just learned to fly, I was the only one who could stay up besides Fang for more than a few minutes, but if I needed to I knew I could fly up the stairs and get the others.

I pressed my back against the white wall and knocked my heels against the wall so that my toes barely shown in the light from the kitchen. The clanging continued and I looked into the kitchen. I couldn't see anyone though I could hear them. They must have been beside the stove.

On the other side of the kitchen I caught sight of movement. Two dark eyes stared out of the darkness at me illuminated only by two sparks of light that shone off Fang's dark eyes. For a moment our eyes met. I knew he couldn't see me and he knew I couldn't see him. Hand gestures were useless in the shadows. I closed my eyes and blinked once then looked towards the spot where I thought the perpetrator was. Fang blinked once and did the same thing. I hoped he got the message.

Slowly he stepped into the light and hid behind the counter. I followed his lead and hid behind the table. Now that I was in the kitchen I could see a tall man hunched over with his head buried in the fridge. He was muttering to himself and digging around inside. On his hands were some red things that looked padded. But as he stepped back I caught sight of something silver grasped tightly in one of the red paws. It was a knife.

I let out a cry and leapt forward grabbing the man behind the neck and wrapping my legs around his back. The man let out a startled cry and stumbled backwards. I saw the knife flash through the air but in the next instant a dark blur leapt forward and snatched the knife out of the man's hands. Fang threw the knife backwards into the wall and kicked the man's shins.

The man let out a howl of pain and began to topple backwards. I leapt off of him and landed next to Fang who put out a hand to steady me. I whirled ready to fight but gasped in surprise as I realized who the man was that now lay sprawled out on the kitchen floor.

"Jeb!"

Jeb looked up at Fang and I in shock. His darkish hair was unusually combed back and he was wearing some sweater with a really tight looking neck. He had on dress pants and his glasses were knocked a bit sideways on his face which was red. I wanted to take a step back at the fury that layered his eyes but held my ground. Fang stood neutral beside me. His hands still curled into fists at his side.

"Max, Fang, what are you guys doing up?" My eyes wandered over his strange get up again and narrowed. "What are you wearing?" I'd only ever seen Jeb in two uniforms. His white coat that had been the trade mark for all those whacky scientists at the School or what he called 'casual wear' or a pair of jeans and a collared shirt. Where he got his fashion sense…I'll never know.

Jeb seemed caught off guard by my question. He stood up and dusted his pants without meeting our eyes. "I was um, just, well I'm cooking." I cocked my head to the side and saw my own confusion echoed in Fang's eyes. "You've never gotten up this early to cook before. Or put on that stuff," I gestured towards his tightly necked sweater and pants. I now realized the red paw things on his hands were oven mitts.

"Well it's a special day Max."

"Why?"

"It's Thanksgiving."

"What?"

Jeb rubbed the back of his neck and straightened his glasses as he moved past us to the fridge. I kept my eyes on Jeb but noticed that Fang's eyes kept straying towards the knife sticking out of the wall. He tapped my hand and I watched in surprise as he slid across the room and plucked it from the wall. He waved it at Jeb, his eyes full of suspicion. "Why'd you need this?" Fang was always abrupt when he spoke. I'd known him for a long time, only a little while outside of the restraints of our dog crates however, and had come to expect his quietness. But now, as he looked up at Jeb with narrowed eyes, his voice was calm and calculating.

Jeb merely glanced at Fang as he looked back in the fridge and pulled out the butter and eggs. He placed these on the counter and said, "I was just getting it from the drawer and popped my head in the fridge to get these," his hands made a sweeping motion over the items he'd just brought out followed by some more I hadn't noticed, "-when, you leapt on me." He threw me a berating look but I ignored him and plopped down on the stool by the mini bar.

Fang carefully set the knife on the counter and walked over to join me. I kicked a chair out for him and he sat down quietly. I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. With Fang everything was silent. But not like Gasman. With Gazzy it was silent and deadly. That much we'd all come to understand fairly quickly.

I glanced around the kitchen as Jeb walked back and forth, pulling things out of drawers or out of the fridge. Pots and pans were all over the kitchen and I realized that must have been where the clanging and metal banging had come from. Jeb was just a loud cook.

I sighed and leaned forward on the counter with my hands supporting my head. Fang glanced down at me but returned to eyeing Jeb a moment later. I knew he still didn't really trust Jeb. I'd had my doubts too at first. Sure he'd been a bit nicer than the other whitecoats at the School. He always tried to get me out of my crate without the Eraser's having to drag me out and he always told me what he was about to do but still, he was one of them. Or…had been.

I let my head droop against the counter. Whitecoats were so confusing. It seemed all they wanted to do was stab needles into us and then all of a sudden one wants to rescue us from that…place? It was weird. But I wasn't going to complain. If living with a whitecoat meant that I didn't have to get tested on by a whole hoard of them I'd take it.

"Max?" I looked up and raised my head. Jeb now had on some white thing that tied around his neck and covered the front of his body. He wiped his hands on it and I raised my eyebrows. "It's going to be a little while. The food won't be done until about 1:00 and usually you don't eat breakfast for such a large meal."

"Large meal?"

"Yeah, I'll explain everything later. But for the time being would you go back to bed? I'll wake you up in a few hours and you can get the others ready."

I cocked my head to the side and said, "I'm not tired anymore. Besides I wanna know what you're doing." I looked at Fang. He nodded.

"Fang's not going either. So you might as well let us help." Jeb frowned but when he saw the stubborn looks Fang and I both wore he sighed and gave in. "Fine. Fang, you can come and stir this. Max, will you be my fetcher?"

"Is that a joke about my blonde hair?" Fang laughed and I shot him a dirty look. He half smiled at me and I realized I'd never once heard him genuinely laugh before. It was strange. But it made me smile as well and I nodded. Jeb chuckled and said, "Okay. Fetch me a spoon. We've got to get going."

About two hours later the sun came up as well as a drowsy eyed Iggy. He was still new to the house along with the rest of us so it took him a while to navigate down the stairs and into the kitchen. Once he reached us though his pale, blue eyes swiveled about the kitchen as he tried to pinpoint who was in it. We all paused as we noticed him and silence reigned. His brow furrowed and he said, "Max, Fang and Jeb?"

A grin plastered over my face and I ran up to Iggy embracing him in a deep hug. Iggy grinned and his face flushed. He pushed me away gently and I said, "Way to go Iggy. You're right again." Iggy smiled and looked towards where Jeb was staring at him. His eyes were a few feet off but he was getting better every day. "Maybe my sight is coming back?" The hopefulness in Iggy's voice nearly broke my heart. I put my hands on his shoulders and for once was glad Iggy couldn't see my face. Fang could though.

"Yeah Iggy, maybe that's it." Iggy looked back at me, his eyes just a few inches above my own on my forehead. Close enough.

"So what's going on?" Iggy asked. He looked around and sniffed the air. He walked towards the oven where Jeb had just put some big bird thing in. He'd called it a turkey. "Smells good. But…." Iggy paused and his face took on a thoughtful expression. "What is it Iggy?" Jeb asked. Iggy licked his lips and said, "It smells like it needs something."

Iggy turned and felt his way over to the single small cabinet at the end of the kitchen. He opened it and we all watched as he picked up container after container, lifting the caps and sniffing what was inside of it. I glanced at Fang who shrugged and walked over to Iggy. "Um, Iggy, what are you doing?" Iggy picked up another container and smelt the spices inside of it. He nodded and ignoring me walked over to Jeb. "Put this on whatever is cooking in there." He nodded towards the oven.

Jeb frowned but opened it up and sprinkled some of the red and black spice on the 'turkey'. As he leaned back Iggy walked over to where some of the food that was being fixed. He sniffed each item then ran back over to the pantry and returned a moment later with a bunch of spices. "Iggy maybe you should let me-," Jeb started with his extended towards the blonde haired boy but Iggy stopped him with piercing look.

Jeb took a step back and pushed his hair back. I grinned and Fang gave a small half-smile. It all went quickly after that.

Jeb did the cooking with Iggy who kept throwing spices into everything Jeb brought out and mixed up. Jeb didn't seem to mind though. Especially after he cooked up this gravy and Iggy mixed some pepper into it. Jeb took a sip of it and his eyes widened before he grinned and patted Iggy on the back who smiled proudly. As for Fang and I we both ended up sitting on chairs by the bar watching them hustle back and forth. I'd never known Iggy had a knack for cooking.

"Max, will you go get the others and get them dressed? It's about eleven now. You can set the table and then we'll be ready to eat. With Iggy's help we'll be done much sooner than I originally thought."

"You still haven't told us what all this food is for," I said as I got down from the chair and headed out of the kitchen. "Soon," Jeb called and I rolled my eyes.

I leapt up the stairs and went to Iggy and Gazzy's room. I opened the door and felt a smile break out on my face as I caught sight of the blonde hair wrapped up in a blue blanket. I walked across the room and gently shook Gazzy's shoulder. His blue eyes opened and he looked up at me with a sleepy grin. "Hi Max," he mumbled around the covers.

"Hey Gasman, time to get up." I pulled the covers back and he crawled out of his bed yawning. He sniffed the air and his head cocked to the side. "Jeb's cooking with Iggy. I don't know why." Gazzy nodded and stumbled towards the dresser. I beat him to it and pulled out a blue t-shirt and some cargo shorts. "Can you get dressed yourself?" Gazzy threw me a look and said, "I'm a big boy."

"You're four."

"You're…," Gazzy thought for a moment then shrugged innocently. I smiled and said, "I'm ten Gazzy."

"Whatever," Gazzy grinned and took the clothes from me. I left the room and went across the hall where Nudge was sleeping. I knew she was going to be harder to get up so I braced myself as I tried to shake her awake.

"Nudge wake up!" I shook her again and she groaned. Finally she raised her head. I blinked. Her frizzy black hair stuck out from her head like a halo. She blinked up at me groggily and mumbled, "Max?" I sighed and said, "Wake up sleeping beauty." Nudge's eyes immediately lit up. I felt like smacking my forehead. I'd just opened the flood gates. "I loved that movie! Oh I can't believe Jeb let us watch it on t.v it was so much fun! I've never watched anything like that before have you? It was so cool all the colors and pretty pictures. It was so cool. Can we watch it again Max? Please! Please! Can we Max? It was so much fun and I think Angel liked it too and Gazzy and Iggy though he couldn't see it but he could hear it and I thought I saw Fang grin. He never grins. Well almost never grins. He grins sometimes when you walk by and you don't see it and I laugh but he gets mad and says nothing and I maybe shouldn't have told you that but I have now so-," I couldn't take it anymore.

"Nudge! Please!" Nudge's cheeks flushed and her mouth fumbled to a stop. I put my head in my hands and took a deep breath. At least she was awake now. "Is that food I smell?" I nodded and said, "Jeb's cooking for some reason. So get dressed we have to set the table or something." Nudge looked at me with questioning eyes but nodded and went to get dressed. That left one more mutant.

I headed down the hall pausing outside of my door when I heard movement. I frowned and walked inside. My eyes widened. Angel was sitting up in my bed holding the stuffed dog toy Jeb had gotten her when we first arrived here, about three months ago, to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide and her hair was splayed messily around her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her tiny fingers plucked at the dog's fur. As I walked in she looked up and broke into a wide grin. "Max!"

"Hey Angel," I said with a smile.

I went and sat on the bed next to her and she turned to face me. Her cute little curls bouncing around her face. She really did look like an Angel. "Jeb funny," she gurgled. I nodded. I was used to Angel not being as normal as the rest of us. Even though we weren't even remotely normal. Wings and all. But Angel, she was special. "Max special too." I smiled at Angel and said, "Thanks sweetie." She smiled up at me and I said, "Jeb cooked for us. Lots of food. You hungry?" Angel thought for a moment then nodded and patted her stomach. I grinned and said, "Let's get you ready then and we'll go eat."

"Why do we need napkins?" I asked Jeb. He frowned and said, "Proper manners." I looked at Gazzy and Nudge who were sitting at the now crowded with food table throwing pieces of food they'd plucked from the table while we weren't looking at each other. Jeb followed my glance and snapped his fingers at them. They quieted for a moment but when he turned back to me they started up again. I glared at them from behind Jeb and they stopped immediately. I grinned.

"Food?" Angel asked? She was sitting in her baby chair with her arms folded. Jeb and I shared a frantic look. "Nearly," we said at the same time. "I'll check with Iggy. He was finishing up the turkey and yams." I nodded, still didn't understand half of that, and went to sit at one end of the table. Fang came into the room now dressed in all black and sat down on my right beside Nudge. Gazzy sat across from Nudge and Angel was in her high chair beside me. After a few minutes Iggy came in with a exhausted look on his face and plopped down on my left. He nearly missed the chair but Gazzy pushed it under him before he could fall. I sent him a 'thank you so much you are awesome' look and he smiled.

"Here we are," Jeb said as he came into the room. In his hands was the thing that had been cooking in the oven all day. The 'turkey'. Jeb put it down in the middle of the table and then went to stand opposite of me where he took off the white thing he'd been cooking with.

For a moment he just looked down at all of us. Then he straightened up and cleared his throat. "Okay guys, I'm sure you are all wondering why we are having this big meal. Well it's because today is a very special day. Today is the last Thursday in the Month of November. And on this day every year people celebrate a very special day called Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving you are supposed to give thanks for everything good that has happened during the year. It's also a time to be with family and usually you eat a big dinner or lunch. So, this is for you guys." He smiled at all of us and we looked around at each other. The younger kids seemed more interested in the food but us older kids, Iggy, Fang and I, understood.

"So, I want you all to enjoy this meal Iggy and I have cooked and give thanks." Jeb sat down and began to pass around the food. Everyone filled up their plates. But as I picked up my fork to dig in I paused. Fang noticed and put down his fork too. The Flock stopped some with food in their mouths and looked at me. Jeb glanced at me as I stood up and cleared my own throat. "Um, if we are supposed to give thanks. Then I'd like to say what I'm thankful for."

I waited but when no one said anything I continued. "I'm thankful to not be in the School anymore. I'm thankful that I can fly. I'm thankful that you," I nodded at Jeb, "-took me away from the place and brought my family with me. I'm thankful you let me meet them. I'm thankful that I'm not alone anymore. I'm thankful to be here in the mountains. I'm thankful for all this food. I'm thankful to be me." I sat down as I finished speaking and ducked my head, embarrassed.

A hand touched down on my shoulder and I looked up into Fang's eyes. He half-smiled at me and I smiled back at him. And as I glanced around I saw the others smiling too. I was thankful for my family. And I always would be.

So, love it hate it? Let me know what you thought! Reviews are appreciated. This is a one shot unless requested that I continue it upon which I might accept that challenge. As of now though this was a ThanksGiving one-shot. Please review and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!