Chapter 33

On Thanksgiving Day, Wanda arrived at Steve's house early in the morning to start baking the turkey. Since she had a key, she didn't need to wake up Steve. She made sure to be as quiet as possible so that she wouldn't wake Livy or him up. In addition to the turkey, she also had plans on making them breakfast. Later on in the day, she would make the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob, and green bean casserole. Allison would be baking the pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies, cornbread, and buttermilk biscuits in addition to making the cranberry sauce. For anyone, this would be enough food for a party, but with Steve, Bucky, and Pietro's appetite, this would suffice.

Steve woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and coffee. He was a bit confused at first as to why, but it didn't take long for him to remember that Wanda was most likely making breakfast. On an ordinary day, he would go do his morning workout, but today, he took a shower instead. After showering, he padded down the stairs making sure not to make too much noise so that Livy wouldn't wake up. He wanted her to sleep in today. Upon entering the kitchen, he went to the coffee machine and started pouring himself a cup. "Morning," he greeted Wanda.

"Good morning, Steve. How did you sleep?" she asked as she poured more batter into the pan.

"Better than most nights."

Wanda smiled. "That's good to hear. Uh, I know I probably should have asked this like last week, but I forgot. Who all is coming tonight?"

Steve's brows furrowed. "I thought I told you already."

"Yeah, you were about to, but I think you got a call from one of your clients."

"Right. It's only going to be Pietro, Allison, Bucky, Sam, Livy, you, and me this year."

Wanda nodded. "Thor isn't coming?"

Steve shook his head. "He's going to celebrate with Jane, Darcy, and Erik."

"Um, how about Sharon? Or is she still in Italy?"

Steve stayed silent just leaning against the counter with his coffee in his hand.

Wanda looked up. She noticed his face had gone from relaxed to tense. "Steve? What's wrong?"

He gazed at the coffee cup in his hands. "She won't be coming…ever again."

Wanda was a bit shocked, to say the least. "What do you mean, 'ever again'?"

He directed his gaze to meet Wanda's. "I, uh, I broke up with her a couple of weeks ago."

If Wanda hadn't been choosing her words carefully she would have probably said something like 'Thank goodness,' but she knew better than to say that. "Oh, Steve, I-I don't know what to say."

"You should probably be saying something along the lines of 'Finally! About time! What took you so long?' You can rub it in my face telling me you were right all along and that I should have listened to you."

"Steve, you know I'm not like that. Though, I do want to know what made you do it."

"After your talk with me, I started to ponder everything you told me. With that and Sharon becoming a bit more distant, it gave me some insight. It wasn't until Livy's incident that I finally realized that she didn't care. I broke up over the phone with her, and later on, she came to the hospital for our date I canceled. I found out then that she had been cheating on me and that her 'business trip' to Italy was actually a vacation."

"Oh, Steve! I can't imagine the betrayal you felt! I'm so sorry that happened," she tried to sympathize.

"Don't say something you don't mean. Besides, I think it was for the best. I actually feel free again. With Sharon, I felt like I always had to act sophisticated. I mean, she never liked going to regular restaurants. They had to be in Manhattan and elegant. I really don't know what I saw in her."

Wanda gave him a little smile. "You didn't see anything in her. The fact that Peggy and she had been friends was enough to encourage you to date her. She knew things about Peggy you didn't, and probably still don't, know. That was your way of keeping Peggy close."

"I guess you're right, but this is supposed to be a happy day. Let's forget about this conversation."

Wanda laughed. "Ok, but I do have one more question. Does Maggie know yet?"

Steve shook his head. "Only Buck, Natasha, and you." He saw Wanda's face of curiosity and knew what question she was going to ask, so he held up his hand to stop her. "Before you ask, I told Natasha because she was the one I called for support after I broke up with Sharon. She asked me, so I told her."

Wanda then pulled on her sly smile. "So, you like her, don't ya?"

Steve's cheeks started to tint pink a little. "I like who?"

"Don't play dumb on me! You know perfectly well who I'm talking about!"

"No, I don't," he innocently replied.

"I'm talking about Natasha! You like Natasha, don't you?"

"As a friend."

Wanda faked a laugh. "For the record, you suck at lying. I've seen the way you look at her like she's the only person in the room."

Steve blushed a little more. "Ok, I said we're dropping the subject, didn't I? I'm actually getting a bit hungry right now. Is it ok if I start or do you want me to wait a little longer?"

Wanda playfully smacked his arm. "We'll talk about it later. About breakfast, wouldn't it be nice if you wait until Maggie gets here?"

Steve smiled. "Well, if you must know, she's already awake. I heard her moving around in her room while we were talking. She's probably playing in their or trying to pick out an outfit to put on. Since she knows it's her day off, she knows she can play before breakfast."

Wanda stared at him in awe. She hadn't heard any movement from upstairs during their conversation. "Wow! You must be used to hearing that sort of stuff because I didn't hear a thing."

Steve chuckled. "When you become a parent, you'll be surprised how acute your hearing can become."

"Anyway, if you want to eat breakfast, you should probably get Maggie. I still need to make the eggs, so it'll give me enough time."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Steve headed up the stairs and knocked on Livy's door. When he didn't get an answer, he opened it very slowly. His first assumption was right. There she sat on the floor playing with her Barbie dolls. He was a bit relieved she hadn't changed yet because she would get sticky with the maple syrup on her pancakes. "Good morning, Princess."

Livy looked up and saw Steve in the doorway. She jumped up and ran to him. "Good morning, Daddy!" she exclaimed as she gave him a big hug on his legs.

Steve bent down to pick her up. "Do you want to eat breakfast now?"

"I want to keep playing with my dolls."

Steve sighed putting her down. "Ok, you can keep playing. I guess I'll have to tell Aunt Wanda that we can eat all of the blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs because you decided to play instead of eat."

"Aunt Wanda is here!" she squealed.

"Indeed, she is." Livy started running down the stairs before Steve finished answering. "Livy, take it easy. I know you're already better from your surgery, but you still need to be careful," Steve explained once he caught up to her.

Livy stopped running and walked the rest of the way down. When she entered the kitchen, she ran to Wanda and hugged her. "Hi, Aunt Wanda!"

"Good morning, Maggie! Are you ready to eat breakfast?"

Livy eagerly nodded her head.

"All righty then! Let me just serve breakfast, and we can eat!"

After breakfast, Steve bathed Livy since she was a sticky, greasy mess from the syrup, jam, and bacon. He allowed her to play a little while in the tub after her bath.

While Steve was busy with Livy, Wanda was busy with starting to cook the rest of the meal. Since she had done this before, she had already found the perfect rhythm. At the pace she was going, everything would be ready on time.

Pietro and Allison arrived about an hour before so that she could help Wanda set the table and with anything else. She made sure to tell her to go shower and get ready once all the big stuff was done. Wanda hadn't wanted to, insisting there was still plenty of time, so Allison practically pushed her out of the kitchen.

Bucky and Sam were the last to arrive. After greeting Steve and Livy, he made his way to the kitchen to greet Wanda, but to his surprise, he found Allison instead. Allison explained that Wanda was getting herself presentable.

When Wanda emerged from the spare bedroom, the men were in the living room absorbed by the football game while Livy was in the kitchen with Allison. She first went into the kitchen to make sure everything was in order. Once she got that confirmed, she went into the living room and cleared her throat. Seeing that not one of them turned to look at her, she spoke up. "Do you guys want to finish watching the football game or are you ready to eat?"

Wanda didn't receive an answer. All three guys were so concentrated on the football game that they didn't hear her question.

Wanda decided to get in front of the television so that they'd answer her. The moment she stepped in front of it, they all looked at her in disbelief. Sam was the one to voice what they were all thinking. "Hey, we're watching that! Can you please move?"

"I'll move just as soon as you answer my question. Do you all want to eat now or later?"

"Later, Wanda. The Patriots are playing against the Detroit Lions, so we can't miss it. This game is almost over," Steve quickly replied.

Wanda stepped out of the way. "All right. Everything is ready, so after it's over, wash your hands and come to the dining room."

She made her way back into the kitchen.

Livy went up to her. "Aunt Wanda, I'm hungry."

Wanda crouched down to Livy's eye level. "I know, but it seems as if your dad and uncles want to finish watching the football game."

Allison sighed. "Those men and their football. Who's playing?"

"Steve said that the Patriots and Lions are playing," Wanda answered while she got back up.

"No wonder. The Patriots is Steve's favorite team. He's not going to miss the finale of the game."

Livy sighed loudly. "I'm bored."

Wanda and Allison giggled. "How about we go get your drawing pad?" Wanda suggested.

"I don't want to draw."

"Do you want to color?" Allison asked. "I have some Thanksgiving coloring pages on my phone that we can print out."

"Yeah!"

"Ok. I have a couple different ones, so I'll show them to you. Pick the one that you like the best."

Allison helped Livy look through them. "I want this one," Livy said pointing to the one she wanted when Allison started swiping back.

"All right. I'll go print it out. Do you want one, Wanda?"

"Sure. I'll join Maggie in coloring."

"Yay!" Livy cheered as she jumped up and down. "You too, Aunt Allie."

"Ok, I'll print one out for myself. Just I don't think your dad would be too happy to see you jumping up and down."

Livy smiled sheepishly as she stopped jumping. Allison went into Steve's office and printed out the coloring pages. When she came back, Wanda and Livy had already set out the crayons. Once they each had their coloring page, they got busy with adding the color. While coloring, they heard different shouts erupt from the living room, both happy ones annoyed ones. Wanda and Allison would just shake their heads every time they heard the guys shout. Livy soon caught on and started mimicking them. Finally, they heard Steve's victory cheer.

"Ok, I think it's time to eat now," Wanda said as she got up. "Let's put all of this away and wash our hands."

Among the three, they quickly cleaned the breakfast bar and washed their hands. Wanda and Allison got busy with taking out the turkey out of the oven. Soon Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Pietro came into the dining room where the girls were waiting.

"That was an epic game!" Bucky exclaimed.

"I know, right! Did you see Tom Brady's touchdowns? No one intercepted him!" Pietro said.

"It was incredible no one intercepted him!" Sam said.

"So, what was the final score?" Wanda asked.

"It was 45 to 24. The Patriots totally creamed them!" Steve answered.

"I'm glad that your team won, but now it's time to focus on the family meal."

They all took their usual seats around the table, the excitement of the game slowly dying down.

"That's a lot of food," Livy pointed out as she saw it all on the table.

Everyone laughed at her comment. "Don't worry, Liv, you won't have to eat it all yourself," James assured.

"Ok, so Steve will do the honors and carve the turkey," Wanda said as she passed him the carving knife. "I'll pass the plates around."

Once everyone had their plates all the other dishes were passed around the table so that each one could serve themselves to their liking. Steve served Livy's plate making sure she had a little of everything.

After everyone had finished serving themselves, they all started to eat. That's when Wanda looked over at the guys' plates. They were filled with food. You could barely see the rim of the plate. "You guys do know there's still a lot of desserts, right?" she asked as she looked from one plate to the other.

"Yeah, we do," Pietro answered. "I had to smell all the delicious desserts all day, and I couldn't even have a bite."

Wanda shook her head. "You all eat like pigs."

That sent everyone into a roar of laughter. "Yeah, but I'm your pig," Bucky says flirtatiously.

Wanda swatted him on his arm.

"Don't deny it."

"I'm not denying anything," Wanda said as she tried to hide a smile.

Bucky laughed at her failed attempts to hide her smile. "You see, my charm works every time."

Steve cleared his throat. "I think you should tone it down a little. There are innocent eyes watching and innocent ears listening."

"I was about to say something like that, but instead, you guys are so gross," Sam added.

"I think we should just drop this conversation completely and start up another one," Allison suggested.

From then on, they talked about random things from work to memories of the past year. As they were all finishing up their meals, Steve brought back the seriousness. "I think it's time to say what we're thankful for this year."

"Yes, this is my favorite part!" Wanda squealed.

"Ok, Sam, why don't you start, and we'll go around and end with me."

"So, I'm thankful for getting to spend Thanksgiving with you guys this year. With work not giving me as many days off, I obviously wouldn't be able to go to see my family in D.C. I'm thankful for friends like you that make one feel like family," Sam said. "Oh, and Buck, I'm Steve's best friend."

They all laughed at him. "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure I am," Bucky replied.

"You both are my best friends, so you don't have to fight over the title anymore," Steve made sure to let them know.

It was Pietro's turn next, and he made sure to say how thankful he was that Allison agreed to move in with him.

Allison said she was thankful for her family and the new job she got as a floral arranger.

Bucky was thankful for "the pretty lady sitting next to him," as he put it, and finally being able to call her his girl.

When Wanda's turn came, she expressed how thankful she was for Pietro. Then she said she was thankful for Steve's mom for taking them in and for Steve himself. She was thankful for seeing Steve move on, as hard as it was for him. She also said she was thankful for having a such a beautiful niece and that she was all right after recent events. Then she proceeded to say how thankful she was for Allison, saying she was a nice match for Pietro. Lastly, she said she was thankful that Bucky and Sam are always there for Steve when he needs it.

Livy's turn was after Wanda's. They were not expecting her to say much, but she did. "I'm thankful for Daddy and Aunt Wanda and Uncle Bucky and Uncle Sam and Uncle Pietro and Aunt Allison and Uncle Thor and Aunt Jane and Miss Darcy and Uncle Tony and Aunt Pepper and Uncle Clint and Aunt Laura and Cooper and Lila and Nathaniel and all my friends from school and especially for Miss Nat," she ended.

"It seems to me that Livy has more affection for Natasha than for you, Steve," Sam whispered to him.

Steve rolled his eyes before starting to say what he was thankful for. "Well, first of all, I'm thankful that you all could come and spend Thanksgiving with Livy and me. I'm thankful for the big meal Wanda and Allison put together. The food was amazing, and I'm pretty sure the dessert is just as good. Next, I'm thankful that Livy is getting better from her surgery and that nothing major happened. I really can't imagine my life without her. Lastly, I'm thankful for each and every one of my friends, including, of course, the ones that aren't present. You all have helped me through the tough times in my life and haven't ever given up on me. I appreciate that so much. I don't know what I'd do without you or where I'd be if it weren't for your support and encouragement. Thank you so much."

Wanda wiped away at the tears that had escaped her eyes. "That was so sweet, Steve. I'm sure we're all glad to help you out, and we'll always be here for you."

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"So, who is ready for dessert?" Allison asked as she got up to start clearing the table.

Everyone said that they were ready for it, so Wanda and Allison got busy with taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen and bringing out the different desserts.

They all enjoyed the delicious dessert while they talked. It couldn't have been a better night. Well, in Steve's opinion, it could have better had Natasha been able to come. His feelings he had buried a couple of months ago were starting to resurface after he broke up with Sharon. They were actually getting stronger, and he didn't know what to do about them. He knew that he had to tell Livy first about his breakup with Sharon, and this time, he would be sure to ask Livy's honest opinion about his choice before starting to date someone.

When Wanda was saying goodnight to him, she whispered, "When are you going to tell Maggie?"

"Soon," was Steve's response which earned him a 'you'd better' look from Wanda.

Once everyone left, Steve tucked Livy into bed. "Did you have a fun time tonight?"

"Yes, Daddy. Aunt Wanda and Aunt Allison make really good food."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Tomorrow, I need to tell you something, ok?"

"What, Daddy?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Right now, you need to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," she said as she began to yawn.

"Good night, Princess," Steve whispered and gave her a kiss on the forehead before turning off her lamp and leaving her room. He trudged into his room knowing that he would need to have a rested mind for the conversation he would have with Livy.

I'm sorry for the long wait. I have been busy with finishing up the last of my tests for school, but I finally found some time to finish this chapter. I'm not sure when the next update will be, but I'll try to post it soon.

Also, I used the 2010 Thanksgiving football game for reference.