author's note: This is a HOLIDAY side fic to Project Freelancer. It was originally just going to be Thanksgiving but I decided to extend it through Christmas, New Year's, and possibly Valentine's Day if you guys like that idea. If you read that, there's a few spoilers for characters for characters I haven't yet introduced in that story.
Agents Mississippi, Rhode Island, and New Jersey stood in the kitchen in civilian clothes. They had gotten special permission from the Director to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the agents of Project Freelancer.
"Where is everything?" New Jersey looked baffled. "This kitchen is way bigger than my old one."
Mississippi shrugged. "I'm in here all the time. Baking supplies are over to the right, just in front of us." She directed Rhode there. "Get started on the pies."
Rhode nodded and nearly ran over, excited.
"Jersey, you find the turkey. I'll find the potatoes and other stuff out of the pantry." Missi pointed to the line of freezers. Jersey walked over and started rummaging through them.
Missi eagerly dashed to the pantry and started flinging out anything she thought they would need, from potatoes to cranberry sauce to bagged fresh corn. From Rhode's direction, she heard an excited cry. "I found pumpkin pie ingredients!"
Jersey laughed. "I found whipped cream to go with your pumpkin pie!"
"Sounds like you're cooking up something great in here!" Missi heard Alabama's voice from the doorway. She ran out and dragged him into the kitchen. "Help us cook Thanksgiving dinner, Alabama!"
Alabama laughed. "I can't say no to you, Missi." He walked over and started moving the things Missi tossed out of the pantry to the counter. Jersey laughed at his predicament. "Younger sister bossing you around again, Alabama?"
"Shut up, Jersey." Alabama grumbled good-naturedly. "Just shut up."
"Nope!" Jersey teased. She shrieked with laughter.
Rhode laughed merrily as she got to work on her pies. "Listen to Alabama or you might not get any pie, Jersey!"
Jersey glared at Rhode. "No. Yes. Ugh, I hate you!"
From the door, a chorus of laughter passed by. Jersey and Rhode stuck their heads out to see a group consisting of Ohio, Delaware, Oklahoma, Minnesota, North, South, and most of the other Freelancers standing outside. York and Wash got shoved forward by a laughing Maine. South snickered evilly. CT had a broad grin on her face, and almost everyone else was trying not to laugh.
York and Wash looked at each other helplessly as Jersey and Rhode dragged them in to help.
The others moved on, though Carolina and South stayed behind to "make sure they didn't blow anything up", but everyone knew they were really keeping an eye on York and Wash.
It was a rare occasion when all the Freelancers were out of their armor and in civilian clothing during the day. The holidays were often the only times they had any downtime whatsoever. It was when everyone took a break from training, and no one was in the medical wing of the ship. Sometimes it got a little crazy.
Wash turned this thought over in his mind. Sure, he enjoyed these times, but it always seemed odd to go back to normal routine after the fun and games of the holidays.
He sighed and turned. Now to go help Mississippi with those giant turkeys she found...
Poor Wash and York. Poor guys. The others have got to be having a good laugh over that one...Anyway, I will post the actual Thanksgiving dinner chapter on Thanksgiving Day, the Christmas chapter Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, the New Year's celebration as close to midnight as I can get, and again, maybe a Valentine's chapter or two. I don't know yet. Leave feedback on what you think I should do with this fic!