Author's note: I don't own Gundam WIng or its characters. I do own Tenshi, Mara, Sai Lien, Cami, Kari, and Ian. If you want to use them, please contact me. Don't sue me.
A Gundam Wing Thanksgiving
For everyone else Thanksgiving is about family, and I guess that's true for me as well. But my family is like no one else's. At school, I hear everyone talk about all their blood relatives; I sometimes feel left out. I just have an uncle and a cousin who are actually related to me.
Mom and Dad are often really busy, and the kids at school know it. I often walk home alone instead of having anyone meet me.
"Hey Tenshi, I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving, you and your tv dinner," Jesse called; he's always teasing me about my family. He's lucky my cousin Mara's never heard him. She can be rather, um, protective of me.
I ignore him, but I can't help wondering what his reaction would be to the mob that'll be at my house. All nineteen of us with barely a drop of common blood except for parent-child.
War does strange things. It tore a lot of families apart. And it brought mine together. Both my mother and my father were involved, though in rather different ways. Ultimately between the two of them and the rest of my "family" peace was achieved. It was not solely their accomplishment, but they did play a major role.
Mom's the Foreign Minister for ESUN; she was the Vice-Foreign Minister for a long time, but she finally got a promotion around the time I was born. Dad's in charge of her security. He's also a Preventer, but then again, most of the adults in my family are Preventers as well.
Uncle Zechs is my real uncle. I have five uncles al together, but Uncle Zechs is the only one who is actually related to me. Both he and Auntie Noin are Preventers. They're Mara's parents. She a year older than me, and she's probably my best friend. A lot of people assume we're sisters from the way we act.
Aunt Sally's Auntie Noin's best friend. Both she and her husband, Uncle Wufei, are Preventers too. Actually, Aunt Sally is the second in command of the Preventers. Their daughter, Sai Lien, is a year younger than me.
Uncle Duo is probably my dad's best friend. He and Aunt Hildie are Preventers too. The twins, Kari and Cami, definitely take after their dad. They're full of mischief and always playing tricks on people.
Uncle Trowa and Aunt Cathy are also Preventers. As I've said, almost all the adults in my family are Preventers. However, Uncle Trowa and Aunt Cathy are also in the circus. They're pretty cool though Uncle Trowa doesn't ever say much.
Uncle Quatre is also a Preventer. He's really nice. Ian's his nephew. For some reason Uncle Quatre's his legal guardian, but it's really complicated, and I don't get it. Ian's about four years younger than me, and he's the youngest of the kids.
Auntie Une is a Preventer too. Actually she's the head of the Preventers. She adopted Marimeia at the end of the wars. Mari's really nice; she's in high school and a lot older than the rest of us kids.
That's all of us. While we see each other often enough, having everyone in the same place at the same time is a rather rare occurrence. Thanksgiving and Christmas are about the only times we're all together.
Of course that could be because pandemonium seems to rule when everyone's together. It's really not that bad, but it does tend to freak outsiders out. But, hey, they're my family and I love them. That doesn't mean they don't het on my nerves though.
Thanksgiving became a holiday for everyone the year after the Barton incident. And the world has a lot to be thankful for. So does my family. We have a tradition of going around the dinner table and saying what we are most grateful for at Thanksgiving.
Thanks are given for peace, family, love, friends, children, and hope; many things that the adults never expected to see or have. And thanks are given for silly things like chocolate, summer vacation, snow days, and power outages.
I love Thanksgiving; it's full of laughter and fun that lasts all day. Everyone has a job to do and a part to play. Though we don't let Uncle Duo have anything to do with actually making the food.
Us kids each have about three jobs. All of us get to help out with making the cranberry sherbet. Mara and I get to prepare the bread for the stuffing. We typically do this while watching the Macy's parade. We also get to help Auntie Noin make the apple pies. Of course the best part is filching the apple slices.
The house always smells good at Thanksgiving. The smell of cinnamon and other spices mixes with the smell of the roasting turkey. It makes you want to drool. We actually use the dinning room and fine china. Uncle Duo is in charge of the table setting crew.
Finally dinner is ready; we all sit around the table togther. It's funny with the good linens and fine china you'd think we'd all be dressed up. There are all varying types of clothes from Uncle Wufei's Chinese attire to Dad's tank top and jeans. The lights are out and candles lit. Holding hands we sing Dona Nobis Pacem- give us peace. Then we go round the table and say what we're thankful for.
This year Auntie Une starts. She's thankful for peace. Mari's next, hers is no homework. Then Sally; friends and Sai Lien; chocolate. They were followed by Wufei; justice, Cathy; safety nets, Trowa; aspirin, and Quatre; world peace. Four some reason, Aunt Noin and Uncle Zechs look like they are going to crack up at that. Next up is Ian; home, Duo; food, Cami; ice cream, Kari; snow, and Hildie; coffee. Noin's turn; love. She's followed by Zechs; hope, and Mara; books. Finally it's my turn, mine's family. Dad's is children, and Mom's is life.
Now we can eat. Dinner begins and ends with dessert. We start with the cranberry sherbet and end with pie. The rest of the food is between them.
Once we have our pie, we move out to the living room to watch movies. This year we're watching Muppet Treasure Island and the Blues Brothers. I start feeling sleepy about halfway through the second movies. Ian's already asleep, and Sai Lien looks like she'll drop off any minute now.
Mara and I are sandwiched between our mothers on the couch. It's warm and comfortable. Kari and Cami are still going strong, but I think those two are on a perpetual sugar high.
Some of the adults are talking while others just watch the movie. My eyes start to close. They're not perfect, but they are family. Maybe not by blood, but by something stronger I think. Love. Sometimes I think that there is more love between us than there is in a "normal" family.
Thanksgiving is about family, and I wouldn't trade mine for anything in the world.
Owari (the end)