The weeks went by and spencer continued his treatment, he vomited, and sobbed but he was one step closer to ending his horrific journey. Thanksgiving had arrived and dave found himself in the kitchen cooking for the family.

Setting a covered dish down on the table, dave looked up to see his husband entering the room. Smiling at him, he set the dish towel down, moving into his arms and resting his head against his chest.

"how is he doing?" he asked softly, looking up into his husband's eyes.

"he's okay. His throat's really hurting though," aaron replied, pressing a kiss to his husband's temple. "at least dr edmonds is happy with how he's progressing"

"i hate seeing his so sick...but i know he has to be this sick to get better," dave said softly, lifting his arms up around his neck. "but today...let's try and keep today as normal as possible"

Aaron smiled, giving his husband a quick kiss. "i'll try my hardest"

Sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, spencer watched sadly as his family sat around the table to eat their thanksgiving meal.

With his condition deteriorating and his chemotherapy affecting his ability to eat, spencer couldn't enjoy the meal with them.

Despite that, spencer felt a warm feeling in his heart. He hated being sick, and the thought that he actually had cancer was a thought that scared him. But without his diagnosis, his family wouldn't have come together in the way that they did so he was appreciative of what they still had.

"peanut, you wanna help me carve the turkey?" aaron called gently, holding a hand out to his little boy.

Spencer shook his head, pulling the blanket around his tighter.

"i know you can't eat, spence, but we still want you to join us. I want you to help me carve the turkey. I don't think i can do it by myself," aaron said lightly, a smile playing on the corner of his mouth.

Spencer rolled his eyes, a soft smile crossing his face as he pulled herself up off the couch and dragged himself over to his dad. He stumbled slightly, almost losing his balance, and suddenly Emily was right by his side, supporting him as he took the last few steps to his father.

Aaron moved so that spencer was between his arms, holding the knife in front of his and smiling when he wrapped his hand over his.

Moving carefully and slowly, he began to carve the first piece of meat from the turkey, spencer's thin little hand gripping his tightly.

"i could blend some up and put it down your tube spence," he said with a laugh as he moved onto the second piece of meat.

Emily and spencer laughed while dave scowled at his husband, his face reading shock and amusement.

"aaron that's disgusting," he scolded, but his expression was softening as he watched spencer giggle at his father.

"what about cranberry sauce?" Emily suggested.

Aaron put on a huge grin as he moved slightly to look down at spencer. "you want some cranberry sauce?"

Spencer giggled hysterically, shaking his head at his dad as he let go of his hand and moved around the table into his Pappa's lap.

Dave smiled at the antics of his family, wrapping his arms around spencer as spencer laid his head against his Father's shoulder.

"you ok?" he asked softly, just whispering it in spencer's ear as his husband and son laughed together.

"yep," spencer replied, popping the p. "just tired"

"i know. After we watch the parade, you can sleep. You could even sleep through the parade if you like?" dave suggested with a smile.

Spencer shook his head. "i wanna see the parade"

Kissing spencer's temple, dave smiled lovingly as he tightened his hold on his son. "i know you do monkey"

As he finished carving enough meat to feed their big family, aaron noticed spencer looking longingly at the food they all knew would probably make his sick.

"do you want to try and eat a little, spence? I know your throat's sore, but maybe you want some mashed potatoes?" he said gently. "if you get sick later, it won't be so nasty"

Spencer thought for a minute, looking over to his Father's as though asking permission.

Dave gave spencer a look that said 'it's up to you'.

"if you want to try and eat spence, you can. It's your choice," he said gently, squeezing spencer's hand and tightening his embrace slightly.

Spencer remained silent, sliding out of his father's embrace and moving into the adjacent chair. Reaching out, he pulled the plate his brother had brought out just in case closer to his.

Looking up, he smiled at his dad. "can i have some potatoes, and a little bit of turkey? Like a tiny bit," he asked sweetly, holding his thumb and forefinger slightly apart as he made his request.

Aaron grinned, carving off a little bit of turkey as Derek scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto spencer's plate. Pretty soon, the turkey joined it, and once everyone had helpings of food on their plate, they began to eat.

Spencer ate tiny mouthfuls at a time; when he had the mash, he had a tiny pile perched right on the end of the fork. With the turkey, it was a few flakes of the meat at a time. He struggled a little bit with the fork, but managed on his own nonetheless. As slow as he was going, his parents were ecstatic to see his getting nutrition by mouth for what felt like the first time in months.

And just like that, their thanksgiving got a whole lot better.

Pumpkin pie had been a straight up no for spencer when it came time for dessert. He had never liked pumpkin before getting sick, but the thought of eating the dessert that he normally managed a tiny piece of was enough to make his want to throw up his dinner.

Instead, aaron had made his the hot chocolate he loved so much. He had sat at the table with them, drinking it slowly while his family ate their dessert.

Afterwards, they had moved to the lounge room, a sleepy spencer curling up in his dad's lap as they watched the macy's parade.

About halfway through the parade, dave looked over to see that spencer had fallen asleep in his dad's arms, his head tucked into the crook of his neck, his blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

He watched with a soft smile as aaron lovingly pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head, careful to avoid the radiation burn that had cropped up there just the week earlier.

Spencer shifted, cuddling closer as his dad tightened his arms around his.

"love you spence," aaron whispered in his ear, barely loud enough for dave to hear. When his words reached his ears, he had to smile.

Moments like this would make the dark days seem few and far between.