Title: Holidays: Thanksgiving
Summary: Holidays sometimes help and sometimes hurt, but they're always different.
Pairing: Nick/Hodges
Rating: PG

Thanksgiving turned out to be a bittersweet holiday. Sure, David and Nick both had each other to be thankful for, as cheesy as that sounded, but Nick had decided to use the spirit of thankfulness to come out to his family.

To say that they hadn't been thrilled would be an understatement. Actually, David thought that it was so much of an understatement it almost doubled around and became and overstatement. His mother had actually cried. His father had shouted a lot. One of his sisters had cornered him about his immortal soul. Three of his sisters had refused to meet his eyes. Only two of his sisters – Kelly, David thought one was, and the other was Kate – hadn't cared.

That was why their Thanksgiving was just the two of them. They had been invited to dine with said sisters, but Nick had declined, saying he'd rather not have too much of a reminder about what had happened.

Nick was a family oriented guy, unlike David, and David could see that this was tearing the man up inside. It made him angry that Nick's family would hurt him like this. David had never been big on family since his had not exactly been ideal, but if it was so important to Nick, then it had some importance to him as well.

X

It was the day after Thanksgiving and David was making the turkey (they hadn't gotten Thanksgiving Day off work, unfortunately) when he got the call. Nick had been out getting a pie since neither David nor Nick had felt up to making one.

"Stokes and Hodges residence," David said automatically (they had moved in together in September) as he answered the phone.

There was silence on the other end and David sighed. "Hello? Look, if this is a prank call, I'll have you know that we both work in law enforcement and can have this call traced faster than you can say 'harassment'."

Finally, a voice spoke. "You must be David."

"Yes," he said. "May I ask who this is?"

"Gillian. Nick's mother."

Oh. It was her. "I see," David replied, neutrally, trying to keep the acid out of his voice, for Nick's sake. "Well, Nick isn't here right now, so I'll have to take a message."

"You're upset," Gillian said. David tried not to be irritated. You would be upset, too, if you cared one whit about your son!

"I'm fine," David replied, his voice as calm as he could make it and his patience wearing thin. He didn't know how much longer he could remain civil. "Now, do you have a message or-"

"No you're not. But you have a reason, of course. I'm a horrible mother. Did he tell you that?"

She sounded close to tears. David sighed. He didn't have the energy for this. "To be frank, Mrs. Stokes, however much I might agree with that sentiment, Nick has not, would not, and will never say that about you, because he, for some reason I don't comprehend, loves you and your entire family unconditionally. Why only two of you can afford him the same luxury, I don't know, but you're right. I am upset. I was the one who had to see first hand how miserable he was when he returned from visiting you and that is not an experience I care to ever repeat."

There was more silence on the other end, and David thought she'd hung up until he heard a quiet choked-back sob. "Tell him I'm sorry," she said.

David sighed again. "Despite my earlier offer to take a message, Mrs. Stokes, I'm afraid that is one you'll have to deliver yourself."

He heard Gillian sniffle. "Yes, I thought so." She paused. "Then, just... tell him happy Thanksgiving and that... I'll call again."

"I will."

"Goodbye."

David hung up the phone and stared at it before returning his attention to the turkey.

X

They had finished eating and David had decided that now was the time to mention the call.

"Your mother called," he said.

Nick looked up, a slight sadness clouding his eyes. David hated it. "Oh? What did she want?" he asked, his voice determinedly collected.

"To wish you a happy Thanksgiving. She said that she'd call again."

Nick locked his gaze for a long moment before he nodded, looking down again. David hoped that next Thanksgiving would be happier.

TBC.