Leah smiled as she walked up the Clearwaters' driveway. "Mom! Are you supposed to be raking leaves? Charlie's gonna have a fit!"

Seth popped around the other side of the house, a leaf rake in his hand. "That's what I've been telling her, Leah." He shook his head, grinning, as Leah took the rake from Sue and pointed toward the porch swing.

"I keep telling you two that I'm not sick, I'm pregnant!" Sue grumbled, but she obediently handed over the rake and waddled over to the porch. She sat on the top step. At least they weren't going to tell her where to sit! "And you can stop rolling your eyes at me," she snapped, then sighed.

Leah leaned the rake against the shed and came to sit next to Sue. "You know it's just because we care, Mom," she said softly. "How are you feeling?"

Sue patted her hand. "I feel great, Leah, and I guess that's part of the problem. I feel like I can do all my normal chores, but everyone keeps telling me to slow down." She moved her hand, unconsciously, to her growing belly.

Leah smiled. "So you're sure this Thanksgiving thing won't be too much for you?"

"I'm positive, Leah. Between you and Jake, Seth and Paris, I'll probably sit with my feet up and just direct everyone!" She grinned. "Charlie's excited that Bella will be home from school and plans to be here for dinner. We haven't talked face to face since I found out I was pregnant, but she seems to accept it like my family has."

Leah shrugged. "What's to accept? We all want you and Charlie to be happy, and we're excited about our little brother or sister." She couldn't help the small snicker that escaped against her will.

Sue punched Leah's arm. "It is not funny, Leah Clearwater Black! Lots of 41-year-old women have babies!" she huffed. Leah smiled, then wrapped her arm around Sue's shoulders and hugged her.

Thanksgiving morning dawned absolutely perfect. The sun was shining on the multi-colored leaves and there was a definite chill in the clean air. Sue opened her eyes and stretched luxuriously, then wondered what strange noise had woken her from a sound sleep.

There it was again. Muted laughter and the clatter of pots coming from the kitchen. Sue shook her head and slipped from the bed, trying not to disturb Charlie. She tried to belt a robe around her increasing girth, then decided to just fasten the top button. Seth looked up guiltily as she shuffled into the kitchen. "Sorry, Mom. We were trying to be quiet."

Sue took in the scene before her. The kitchen smelled of her grandmother's sage dressing, and the oven was preheating and warming the room. Paris stood beside the sink trying to blow an errant lock of hair out of her face, her gloved hands buried up to the wrists in either end of a 22 pound turkey. Seth was balancing the roasting pan on the counter, trying not to laugh at her discomfiture.

"Wait!" Sue demanded, grabbing several stalks of celery from the kitchen table and placing them in a line inside the roaster. "If you rest the turkey on the celery, it won't stick to the pan so badly. There. Now you can put it in the pan, Paris, and fill both ends with the stuffing." She winked at Seth as she poured herself a cup of coffee and watched Paris gingerly pick up a spoonful of stuffing and gently tap it into the cavity.

Sue chuckled as she walked to the sink and washed her hands. "You'll never get it stuffed that way, Paris. Here – let me show you." Sue picked up a generous handful of the gooey dressing and shoved it into the turkey, then stepped back and let Paris finish the job. Seth covered the bird with a foil tent and popped it in the oven.

By the time Charlie came downstairs, the kitchen was warm and fragrant. He kissed Sue lightly as he headed for the coffee pot and poured a cup for himself, then topped hers off. "Am I allowed to have pie for breakfast?" he asked, hungrily eyeing the row of apple, pumpkin, and cherry pies Jacob had left on the counter. He looked at the clock. "And how long has it been since I slept till 8:30?" he asked happily.

Sue stood and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up into his face. "You work hard, Charlie, and you deserve a break once in a while. It looks like the kids have dinner under control already. What kind of pie would you like?"

Charlie's eyes scanned the possibilities, and he finally decided on apple. "Don't tell me Leah made all these!" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sue laughed. "Well, she and Jake made them together. They really look good, don't they?"

Charlie nodded, cutting a generous slice of the apple pie. He closed his eyes as he contemplated the first bite. "Mmmmm," he sighed. "That Jacob sure can make a fine apple pie!"

Sue laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'm sure Leah helped too. You enjoy your pie and your newspaper, because I have lots of work for you to do when you're finished," she chuckled. "I'll get showered and dressed while you finish your breakfast. Then we have to set up a table for…ten." She ticked them off on her fingers. "There's you and me, Leah and Jake, Seth and Paris, Bella and Edward, and Billy and Rebecca. Rachel and Paul are going to Sam's this year with the rest of the pack." She noticed Charlie's slight wince when she mentioned the pack and shrugged. With two vampires joining them for Thanksgiving dinner, the wolves should be the least of his worries.

Leah and Jake arrived early to help with the vegetables. Sue sat in her rocking chair and listened as they sat around the kitchen table with Seth, peeling potatoes, carrots, and turnips and chatting. When they were finished, Sue went in and joined them at the table as Leah filled each pot with ice to keep them fresh until it was time to cook them.

Seth patted Sue's stomach as she walked by. "Are you sure you don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl, Mom?" he asked for the umpteenth time. "I'm really hoping for a baby brother. Another girl is just gonna upset the balance around here." He grinned at Charlie, who had just walked into the kitchen.

Charlie put his arm around Sue. "You know we don't care, as long as it's healthy," he replied as they all joined in to chorus the last five words with him. He laughed. "Well, it's true!" he said as he stretched his arm around Sue's waist. "And we want to be surprised, so you'll all just have to wait with us."

Seth shook his head in mock defeat. "I'm going to get Paris. Anything you need while I'm out, Mom?" Sue smiled and shook her head, as Seth stepped carefully over Leah's foot mumbling, "Grow up, Leah." Jacob chuckled and lifted her easily, chair and all, closer to him and out of Seth's path.

Charlie was the last to hear the rumble of Billy's wheels on the back porch. He opened the door and stood back with a puzzled look on his face. Billy smiled. "I ran into Seth, and he helped me up the steps," he explained. He shook Charlie's hand, and Rebecca came in close behind him and gave Charlie a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for inviting us, Charlie. Dad and I have really been looking forward to being here today," she smiled. She raised an eyebrow as she caught a glimpse of her brother with one of Sue's aprons tied around him, busily mashing a huge pot of potatoes. "Nice apron, Jake, but it swears at your shirt," she chuckled.

Sue grinned as she hugged Rebecca. "Don't annoy the help, honey," she muttered in a stage whisper. "We don't pay them, you know!"

Rebecca hugged Sue, then stood back and admired her profile. "Wow! You certainly have popped since the last time I saw you!" She covered her mouth with her hand and blushed prettily. "I guess I shouldn't let every thought in my brain pop out my mouth," she said apologetically. Sue just laughed, making a dismissive motion with her hand.

"It's fine now," she smiled. "Just be sure you don't make comments like that AFTER the baby's born."

Next to arrive were Bella and Edward, who never looked completely comfortable in the company of either humans or shape shifters. He carried a gorgeous lemon meringue pie that Esme had baked that morning. Charlie's face lit up as Bella ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. There was an awkward moment as she turned and gawked at Sue.

Bella recovered quickly and hugged Sue tightly. "I'm so happy for you two," she whispered sincerely. "It's just so different seeing you…I mean…I knew…" Sue smiled and rescued her.

"I know what you mean, Bella. Sometimes I walk by a mirror and it takes ME by surprise!" She laughed and turned sideways, arching her back slightly to enhance her roundness. She took Bella's hand and led her and Edward into the dining room. Sue had made place cards, and everyone found their places. Charlie was at the head of the table, with Sue on his right, then Jacob, Leah, and Rebecca. Billy was at the other end, with Seth to his right, then Paris, Edward, and Bella next to Charlie. Sue had insisted on putting plates at each place, not wanting to make Paris and Edward stand out any more than was necessary.

As soon as everyone was seated, Charlie cleared his throat. "I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, so I thought we'd just join hands and each mention something we're thankful for." As everyone quietly joined hands – some of them very warm and some extremely cold – Charlie began.

"I'm thankful for each of you here today," he began, "but especially for the new life in our family." He squeezed Sue's hand, and she smiled softly at him. They made their way around the table, each in turn expressing his or her gratitude for friends and family – or, in Seth's case, turkey.

Sue had arranged the guests carefully, keeping the vampires and wolves at arms' length. Unfortunately, Jacob and Edward ended up directly across from each other. Sue hoped they would mind their manners, and dinner progressed uneventfully for a while.

As everyone chatted (and almost everyone ate), to any outsider it would appear to be a typical family gathering. When it was clear that the humans had eaten their fill, the wolves methodically cleaned up all the leftovers. Bella tried not to stare as Leah filled her plate for a third time. Sue winked at Bella and whispered "We don't do leftovers" with a smile. Leah overheard the remark and smirked at Bella, as Seth set down the now-empty potato bowl and Jacob worked his way through another meaty turkey leg.

As Sue turned to speak to Charlie, Leah took careful aim and flicked a pea at Seth, hitting him on the cheek. When Seth spun around and looked at Leah, she was studiously contemplating her fingernails. She looked up just in time to see a glob of mashed potato, laden with gravy, land on the front of her lavender sweater. By this time, they had attracted the attention of everyone at the table, and one by one, conversations stopped. Everyone glanced from one sibling to the other, speechless.

Leah growled low in her throat. She shook off the hand that Jacob laid softly on her arm. As she pushed back from the table, aggression pouring off of her in waves, Sue stood and spoke firmly. "Enough! I don't know who started this, but it's over. Understand?" Her eyes flashed as she looked from Leah to Seth.

Her jaw set, Leah mumbled "Excuse me" and went to find something to wear. Seth returned to his dinner unperturbed. He turned to Paris and muttered, so only she could hear, "I've had enough of her, Paris. I'm not taking her crap any more." Paris nodded, relieved, and turned back to her conversation with Edward.

Charlie insisted that Sue and the guests retire to the living room as Seth and Paris cleared the table and Leah and Jacob started washing and drying the mountain of dishes. Sue led Bella and Edward upstairs to inspect the baby's room. Billy and Charlie were deep in conversation, and Rebecca wandered into the kitchen to see if she could help. She grabbed a dish towel and started helping Jake with the drying, chatting easily with him and Leah.

Seth re-set the dining room table with dessert of pie and coffee, as well as Paris's surprisingly delectable chocolate cake. As Leah obligingly cut the pies, she handed each guest what they had requested. She knew Seth's favorite was apple, so she cut him a generous slice, then turned her back and emptied several capsules into her hand and sprinkled the contents over the crumb topping as he chatted with Paris and sampled her cake.

After dessert, everyone retreated to the front porch. They relaxed in companionable silence, and soon the steady hum of several conversations buzzed softly in the chill night air. Suddenly, Seth clutched his stomach and dashed into the house. Leah couldn't contain a smirk as he ran into the bathroom. Her smile faded, however, when Sue grabbed her stomach and doubled over a moment later. Charlie scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the house.

A half hour later, Charlie reappeared. He apologetically explained that Seth and Sue seemed to have a touch of food poisoning and asked if everyone else was okay. They tried to remember what each of them had eaten, and finally Paris recalled that Sue had wanted to try the apple pie and had taken a couple of bites from Seth's plate. Leah paled visibly as Charlie glared in her direction. He jerked his head toward the door, and Leah followed him meekly into the kitchen. Jacob started to follow, but Charlie stopped him with a subtle shake of his head, his dark eyes furious.

In the kitchen, Charlie kicked a chair out from the table and indicated with a nod that Leah should sit. He remained standing, pacing in front of the sink. His voice was low and dangerous. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with your mother, Leah?"

Leah twisted her wedding ring, refusing to look up as she mumbled, "I'm sorry, Charlie. How could I know she'd be eating from Seth's plate?"

Charlie spoke through gritted teeth. "That's a dangerous game, Leah. I don't need to tell you what could have happened. Sue is sleeping now, but you owe her an apology when she wakes up. Do you understand?"

Leah's eyes flashed. "You're not my father, Charlie." She looked up at him now. "I'll apologize to Mom because I was wrong, not because you told me to." Her voice was rising.

Charlie's eyes never wavered from her face as he spoke slowly and deliberately. "I'm aware that I'm not your father, Leah, but I am Sue's husband. And I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from you or your brother. You are not children, and you will only be allowed in this house as long as you are respectful of your mother and each other. Are we clear?"

Leah's glared at him and began to speak, but he silenced her with a growl. "This is not a debate. And now I think you owe our guests an explanation." Leah stood, shoving the chair roughly back under the table, and returned to the porch without another word. While Charlie went upstairs to check on Sue, she spoke to those gathered on the porch.

"You don't have to worry about getting sick, everyone. I just had a trip to the woodshed with my stepfather, and he explained the error of my ways…"