Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing. The kiddies are mine, though…

Thanksgiving at the Maxwells Part 3

by Dorothy Winner

~*~

A problem soon arose regarding one of the foods at the table…

Wufei and Dorothy were arguing over who should be the one to cut the turkey. "I should cut the turkey," said Dorothy. "I'm very good at slicing things."

"Slicing food, or slicing people? Everyone knows you will just stab the turkey with the knife, onna," Wufei snapped. "I don't think anyone wants a turkey shish-ke-bob for dinner."

"Oh really?" said Dorothy. "I don't suppose you would do any better, you'd probably just hack the turkey into pieces…"

"Excuse me," said Hilde, "I was the one who made the turkey; I should be the one to cut it, don't you think?"

Wufei and Dorothy stopped. "Of… of course," said Wufei.

"You're right, Hilde, um… go ahead," said Dorothy.

Hilde took the knife and began to slice. "Okay, who wants turkey?"

Meanwhile, Mariemaia was trying to get all fourteen children of the Gundam pilots to sit down. "Um… everybody," she half-shouted over the din, "please, just pick a seat and sit down; remember, the sooner you sit down, the sooner you can eat…"

This seemed to work; Jason Maxwell plopped into a seat in a flash, and the other children quickly sat down as well.

As Mariemaia was putting Isabella and Serena into booster seats, an argument rose at the far end of the table. Mariemaia sighed and went over to the other end. "All right, what's the problem?"

Morgiana was sitting between Matthew Barton and Jade Chang. All the seats were filled except for one at the opposite end of the table. "I want to sit next to Morgiana," said Helen, "but Jade's in the way."

"I was here first," said Jade adamantly.

"But I want to sit next to Morgiana," said Helen. "Can't you sit over there?" she said, pointing to an empty seat across the table.

"You go sit over there," said Jade. "I'm not moving."

"Okay, okay," said Mariemaia, "look, Matthew, is it okay if you go sit over there so Helen can sit with Morgiana?"

"Sure," said Matthew, getting up and sitting down in the other seat.

"All right. Helen, you can sit next to Morgiana, and Jade, you can keep your seat," said Mariemaia. "I'll be right back with some turkey. Don't start eating yet, okay?"

Mariemaia took the empty turkey platter and went over to where Hilde was cutting the turkey. "How are the kids, dear?" asked Hilde.

"They're… well, they're… really something," said Mariemaia. She held out the platter. "I don't know how many slices we'll be needing. Most of the kids won't be able to finish a whole slice of turkey, but Jason can scarf down two or three."

Hilde began to place turkey slices on the platter. "I knew he would be going after the desserts, so I made two more pumpkin pies and hid them just in case," said Hilde. "Here you go. Come back for more if you need some."

"Thanks," said Mariemaia. She took the platter and went back to the kids' table, setting it down. "I'm going to be coming around with the sparkling apple cider. Hold out your plastic champagne glasses if you want some."

"Fizzy stuff!" Christopher cried out eagerly, waving his plastic champagne glass in the air. Mariemaia couldn't help but smile. "There you go, Christopher… be careful not to spill it."

After she filled everyone's glass, Mariemaia went to sit down. She heard a loud snort come from Jason. Mariemaia gave him a suspicious look and found the bowl of mashed potatoes on her seat. "Very funny, guys." She put the mashed potatoes back on the table and sat down. "Now, before we all eat," she said, "someone has to say the Thanksgiving prayer. Would any of you like to?"

"I do! I do!" Jason exclaimed eagerly.

"Um… okay," said Mariemaia. "You first fold your hands and bow your heads…"

All the children quickly followed her example. Jason closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, bowing his head reverently and looking like an angel child about to recite the most solemn prayer. There was a pause.

"Good food, good meat, good God, let's eat!" he exclaimed.

"Amen!" Christopher piped up, and soon everyone was piling food onto their plates.

 "No, no," said Mariemaia, "that's not a Thanksgiving prayer at all…" But it was too late; all the kids were stuffing their mouths with food. Mariemaia sighed. She could feel a headache coming on… "Never mind. Just remember, you touch it, you eat it, okay?"

Mariemaia had done some babysitting for some of the children of the Gundam pilots, but never all at once, and now she was finding the task a bit overwhelming. Between trying to keep order at the table and cleaning up after the kids, Mariemaia couldn't even get in the time to eat herself. "Christopher, don't chew with your mouth open… Here's your bottle, Serena… Mia, do you need me to help you slice that turkey into smaller pieces? Sure, honey… Jason, don't mix your cranberry sauce with your mashed potatoes, eeeeew, that's disgusting… You accidentally got gravy on your dress, Morgiana? Here, I'll wipe it off… Open wide, Isabella, the mashed potatoes are really yummy… Your sweet potato fell onto the floor, Lucian? Get another one; I'll pick it up… Jonathan, you have some pasta sauce on your chin, let me wipe it off for you… You want some more fizzy juice, Genevieve? Hold out your glass… Don't reach across the table, Helen, ask someone to pass it to you…"

Jason was getting frustrated. Try as he might, he couldn't get that pretty Elena Peacecraft, with the shimmering blond hair and big, deep cerulean eyes that were unlike those of any other girl he had ever seen, to notice him. He had been trying to get her attention all during dinner and she hadn't even glanced at him yet. He, Jason Maxwell, who could get any girl in his kindergarten class to share their crayons with him, wasn't used to trying this hard in vain.

The time had come for drastic action. He took a spoonful of peas and flung them at Elena, yelling, "Peascraft!"

Elena was abruptly jolted out of her pleasant conversation with Genevieve Winner and stood up, shaking the peas out of her hair, her eyes blazing with fury. She had obviously inherited her father's temper, and the full force of it was directed at Jason Maxwell. "You mean, horrible boy!" she cried. "How dare you insult my family name!" She grabbed the bowl nearest to her and took aim at Jason.

"Elena, NO!!!" exclaimed Mariemaia.

SPLAT.

The bowl hit Jason dead-on. Jason found himself dripping with… gravy. The bowl shattered on the floor with an almighty crash.

A unified "ooooooh" came from the other children. Hilde ran into the room and gasped. "Oh my goodness… what happened here?"

"I… Jason… he… Elena…" began Mariemaia. "That's it! I've had enough! I'm done!" she cried, marching from the room.

"Jason threw his peas at Elena and called her a Peascraft, so she threw the bowl of gravy at him," Helen explained.

"Jason!" said Hilde angrily. "What an awful thing to do! Apologize at once."

"I'm sorry, Elena. I really am," Jason said earnestly.

No response.

"You too, Elena," said Hilde. "Although what Jason said was very mean, you shouldn't have overreacted."

"I'm sorry," said Elena, although she still glared at Jason.

"All right," said Hilde, "c'mon, Jason, we have to get you cleaned up."

Jason got out of his chair and started to leave. Lucian Peacecraft stopped him. "I won't let you hurt my sister," he said, with an eerie similarity to his father.

Jason swallowed and followed his mother out of the room.

~*~