This. Us. All Of It.
The firehouse kitchen was organised chaos or at least that is what it looked like even as Sylvie whacked the back of Cruz's hand with a wooden spoon as it had almost reached its intended destination as Cruz had tried to sneak one of the freshly baked cookies from the tray that was fresh out of the oven and cooling. "They're not decorated yet." Sylvie growled with a scowl directed Cruz's way as he rubbed the red mark that was forming with his other hand but got the message as he held his hands up in a surrendering manner before he stepped out of the kitchen sending a questioning look towards his lieutenant who was watching with avid amusement. Somehow Sylvie had been roped into cooking Christmas lunch for the entire second shift in between calls, and Kelly still wasn't quite sure how but he wasn't about to ask especially given the multitude of multi-tasking that was going on in the kitchen. In between the turkey and all the trimmings being cooked, she had also baked numerous flavours of pies, and large batches of cookies that were being decorated once they were cool enough with intricate decorations. The entire firehouse smelt wonderfully delicious and had them all salivating but they weren't allowed anything until it was all ready.
Sylvie blew out a breath knowing that it wouldn't be long before everything was ready and they could eat as she turned the oven off to let the turkey rest for a few minutes before it would be served. She felt as Kelly's hands landed on her hips, she didn't even have to look to know that it was him, as he pressed his chest into his back and rested his chin on her shoulder. "What can I do to help?" He asked having decided to take the cautious approach and offer to help rather than try to sneak one of the delicious treats that she had made.
"Make sure I never have to do this again." She answered and he could have laughed but he didn't instead he kissed her cheek knowing that even though she was saying it now that at some time or another she would end up cooking for them again.
"I can try but what can I do right now to help?" He rephrased the question as she began to decorate the last batch of cookies all while leaning back into him enjoying having him pressed against her back.
"Just stay right where you are." She answered softly as she had been on her feet for hours and she was already exhausted especially as she juggled all the cooking with a few ambulance calls. She had come to the firehouse extra early to begin all of the preparation and to get the turkey cooking given the size of it as well having left Kelly curled up in bed so that he could sleep through till his alarm woke him.
"I can do that." He answered as he let his fingers trace circles over top of her shirt on the top of her hips bones while watching her work, amazed at her speed and delicacy as each cookie was decorated beautifully. Within minutes all of the cookies were iced and ready to be eaten as she worked in silence while he watched.
"Now that the cookies are decorated, can I have one?" Cruz asked as he craned his neck up to look at the bench as he was keeping his distance making them both look up and around the room as everyone was watching.
"No, no cookies or any other dessert until after you have had lunch." Sylvie said with such a motherly tone that Kelly smiled and pressed his lips into her shoulder in an effort not to smirk although he failed miserably. She was telling a grown man, and the rest of the men that they weren't getting the sweet treats before they are the main meal which she had been slaving over. She had become the unofficial mother hen of the firehouse and he didn't think she had even realised it; she took care of them when they were hurt or when they had a bad call, and she fed them making sure they ate properly before eating any junk food but he loved that she had, loved that she cared for them the way she did. She was amazing to him and he loved her so much.
"Well how long before lunch is served?" Mouch asked across the common room from his safe position on the couch that was well out of distance from her smacking his hand with a wooden spoon.
"Good things come to those that wait." With that she slipped out of Kelly's hands and moved back over to the stove to make the very last thing, the final piece of the meal that she had crafted, the gravy.
Kelly moved back and leaned against the bench in an effort to stay out of her way as she moved effortlessly around the kitchen. "Kelly, can you get the turkey and the roasted vegetables out please?" She asked after a few minutes as she tossed him the oven mitts so he didn't burn his hands before she moved round and laid out all of the other side dishes including mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, green beans, warmed bread rolls, peas, macaroni and cheese, sautéed Brussel sprouts with apples and bacon, and a whole lot more. The entire bench was covered by the time Kelly added the multiple trays of roasted vegetables and Sylvie moved the turkey to its own serving tray.
"Wow! Sylvie, this looks amazing." Chief Boden stepped into the room looking at the wonderful feast that was laid out in front of him.
"Thank you Chief… Everybody grab a plate." Sylvie blushed before she turned and looked over at Kelly who just smiled at her before he reached out for her and pulled her into his side as the men swarmed the bench, their patience well and truly tossed away as they got their first real look at the magnificent meal that she had prepared and cooked for them all.
"I love you." Kelly murmured as he pressed his lips against her temple watching as the table filled up as each person took their seat.
"I love you too." Sylvie answered immediately just as softly allowing them a brief and private moment in a very public space surrounded by their family.
"Are you two joining us? We need to adhere to the tradition of a toast and the naming of this turkey before I carve it." Boden called over to them making them both smile and move towards the table, joining everyone. Kelly slipped his hand under the table, and found hers, entwining their fingers together.
"First off I would like to say thank you to Sylvie for this amazing feast, and to each and every one of you for all of your work this year. We are a family here at Fifty One, and we continually serve the community even on Christmas day with everything we have. Merry Christmas everyone." Boden kept the toast simple but it was appreciated and appropriate as everyone raised their glasses and mugs to toast with him. "Now what are we naming this bird?" Boden asked as he looked around the table for suggestions as he was ready to carve into the bird and eat the delicious food in front of him. It wasn't long before the bird was named and then carved with everyone getting a few slices of turkey to add to their already full plates, and then they were enjoying the food as the room filled with happy chatter and laughter.
Kelly glanced around the table before he finally settled on Sylvie next to him, she instantly turned her head and smiled at him. "What's your Christmas wish?" She asked him quietly catching him off guard somewhat but he already knew what his wish was and it wasn't just a Christmas wish.
"This. Us. All of it." He answered, to anyone else listening it was a vague answer but to her it was the best answer that he could give her because it related to a conversation that had had before about what they wanted, or what he wanted and that was her and his family and all the happiness that it bought him. She smiled widely and blushed again as she nodded knowing exactly what he meant. "What's your Christmas wish?" He asked smiling back at her, the happiness radiating from the both of them.
"All of it, every single piece of it." She answered back content with the life that she had built, that they had built, and with all that surrounded them. Before anything else could be said, the overhead alarm went off calling for every single one of them, and just like every single time that alarm went off calling them to action they dropped what they were doing and rushed to the scene.