A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviews, reads and follows this little story! I guess it's not so little anymore now is it? Okay, we are now to Thanksgiving for the Tasker-Montgomery family, their first together as a family. I decided to split this up into two chapters so there will be a second part. This chapter picks up where I left off with the last one. Now, I don't know about the holidays for you, dear readers, but they can be a little stressful. Don't get me wrong. They can be wonderful too. They just seem to bring out the best and worst in people sometimes. Besides, we are talking about the Kanes here so I'm thinking that description holds true for them most of all. That being said, I hope you enjoy this update!

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The Tasker-Montgomery family was settling into their new home quite nicely. The kids had the week following the big move off since school was closed. Given that there was no school along with the fact that it was a short work week for them, Bianca and Marissa decided to work from home that week. They worked just a couple of hours each day that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with both having that Thursday and Friday off. The couple alternated working and keeping an eye on the kids as well as finishing up the last little bits of unpacking that needed to be done. While they would've liked to have taken the whole week off, the couple felt they really couldn't given all of the time they had taken off during Marissa's recovery. They also wanted to save those vacation days so they could take time off around Christmas to spend with the kids.

Bianca was letting Jan and Aya take the lead in the planning of what had become the Annual Fundraising Gala for the Miranda Center. She was still needed, however, for signoffs as well providing her keen insight and signature style. In short, Bianca was finally learning to delegate and not try to do everything by herself. The gala would be held at the Yacht Club once again and was expected to bigger and better than last year's, although Marissa and Bianca weren't sure if that was possible.

Marissa worked on a few outstanding cases. Her clients had been well taken care of during her absence by Jack, Caleb and Brian, but they were extremely happy to have her back. She was a calming and reassuring presence during one of the most stressful periods in their lives, one they were eternally grateful to have. She was also helping Bianca out with some of the gala planning that the brunette had to do. There was one other piece of business the women worked on and were very pleased with the outcome. They would be able to share it with Sam and the Walkers Thanksgiving Day afternoon.

As for the kids, they spent the time off exploring every inch of their new home, inside and out. A break in the weather allowed them to play on the jungle gym and explore a portion of the woods surrounding their home as well as visiting the small pond. They made sure to let their mothers know when they were going into the woods. The kids were only allowed to go so far and had to stay together. Marissa and Bianca wanted them to feel free to explore but also wanted them to be careful and get used to their surroundings before expanding their explorations.

Before anyone knew it, it was Thanksgiving Day, and the Tasker-Montgomery family had so much to be thankful for this year. Last year at this time, Bianca and Marissa were still fighting their feelings for each other, still denying that they saw the other as so much more than just a friend. This year, they were a family and happier than any of them had ever been or had ever thought was possible.

The family was due at Kendall's in a few hours. After that, they had plans to stop by Tad's for dessert with him, Krystal, Jenny, Kathy and Opal. A quick stop was also planned at the Walkers for a special delivery. For now, they were enjoying a bit of a lazy morning. The had eaten breakfast and were now gathered in the family room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, anxiously awaiting Santa's appearance at the end of the parade.

Bianca answered the ringing phone. "Happy Thanksgiving, Kendall!"

Kendall sighed and replied weakly. "Happy Thanksgiving. We've got a problem, Binx."

Bianca stood up and started to walk out of the room, not wanting to disturb the good time the kids were having if she could. She saw the concerned expression on Marissa's face and shrugged in reply to the unasked question. "Okay, slow down and take a deep breath. Now, tell me what's wrong, Kendall."

"I got up early to start the turkey. It was cooking for about an hour when I started to smell something burning and before I knew it, the smoke detectors were going off. I walked into the kitchen, and the room was full of smoke."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's fine. The boys were enjoying the excitement a little too much if you ask me. Ian was actually hoping that we were going to call the fire department."

"Still holding out for a ride on a fire engine, huh?" Bianca chuckled.

"Yes, he is." Kendall sighed.

Marissa made her way into the kitchen and whispered to Bianca. "What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Hang on a second, Kendall. Marissa wants to know what happened." Bianca gave a brief explanation to the redhead. "I'm going to put you on speaker, Kendall."

"Hey, Kendall. I'm sorry to hear about what happened. I'm really glad all of you are okay. What about the house? Any damage?"

"Hey, Red. Thanks. The house is okay. I can't say the same for the turkey. I'm sorry to say that it's ruined, burnt to a crisp on the outside and raw on the inside. Zach said it looks like the thermostat in the oven went haywire."

"The turkey sounds delicious. Do you think Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray will be calling for your recipe?" Marissa smirked.

Kendall laughed. "Hey, only the best for my family. If either one of them calls, I'm not sure if I'll share my recipe with them. So, this brings me to why I called. The place reeks of burnt turkey. With the house smelling like this, there's no way we can have Thanksgiving here. It's going to take a while for it to air out. Plus, there's no way we can use the oven now. Guess what I get to buy tomorrow?"

"Well, everything's on sale so you should get a good deal on one. I can understand about not having everyone over there. What do you need us to do?" Bianca asked.

"I was hoping we could have Thanksgiving for the family at your place. We can't have it at Mom and Jack's. It's just too small, and she has way too many breakable things out that are really tempting for the kids. Greenlee and Ryan's place is out too because of its size, and there's no place for all of the kids to play."

The couple looked at each other. Neither was surprised by the request. They had been expecting it since hearing what happened.

Bianca spoke first. "Two problems, Kendall. The first being, we don't have a turkey."

"I sent Zach out to get one, a fresh one. There's no way we would be able to thaw and cook a frozen turkey in time for us to have dinner today. What's the second problem?"

Marissa sighed. "We're supposed to stop by Tad's. Krystal invited us over for dessert. We also planned on stopping by the Walkers after that. It's not like we can have all of you over and then kick you out so we can go somewhere else."

"Trust me when I say that wouldn't be a problem. Bianca can tell you that our family has been kicked out of lots of places for any variety of reasons. The honoring of a previous engagement would definitely be one of the nicer ones."

"She's told me some of the stories. I just wouldn't feel right about it though. My Mom would never have dreamed of doing something like that, and she wouldn't be happy with me if she knew I was doing it."

Bianca knew Marissa was struggling with what she wanted to do. "Give us a minute, Kendall." Bianca put the phone on mute so her sister wouldn't hear their conversation. She took her lover's hand and asked softly. "What do you want to do, Rissa? I'm good with whatever you want."

Marissa sighed. "I know. I don't want you to miss Thanksgiving with your family. I don't want to miss Thanksgiving with your family, but …"

"But Krystal and Jenny are part of your family. There is a solution you know."

"I don't think either Erica or Krystal will like it."

"They probably won't, but if they want to spend Thanksgiving with us and their grandchildren, they'll just have to get over it." Bianca smiled.

Marissa chuckled. "Alright, I'm willing to do this if you are. What about the Walkers?"

"We'll see if they wouldn't mind stopping by here. I'm sure they'll understand."

"And if they do stop by, that will help with the Erica and Krystal situation. Okay, let's tell your sister and then we need to get a move on if we're having company."

Bianca took the phone off mute. "Okay, we're back."

"And?"

"We'll host Thanksgiving, but we have a few conditions." Marissa stated.

"You're a lawyer, of course you do, Red. What are they?" Kendall smirked.

Bianca snorted. She could just imagine her sister rolling her eyes. She collected herself and gave the first condition. "You're calling Mom and telling her about the change in venue as well as telling her that Krystal will be over for dessert."

"Oh come on, Binx! That's a lot to ask."

"Sorry, Kendall, but you're going to be breaking the news to her. You can soften the blow by telling her that Opal will most likely be joining us too."

"Fine! I'll tell her. What else?"

Marissa grinned at Bianca with pride which she followed with a quick kiss. "Nicely done! Next condition, you have to help us keep everyone in line. There will be no fighting around the kids, no snarky comments or threats of bodily harm."

Kendall laughed. "You know you're taking all of the fun out of the holiday for the Kanes, don't you?"

"I'm aware of that, and be that as it may, that's the way it's going to be. Consider it a new tradition Bianca and I are trying to start. Who knows? Maybe, the family will like it." Marissa added with a wry smile.

"Okay, I'll help referee. Anything else?"

"I'm sure we'll come up with something else when you get here. Speaking of that, when are you getting here?" Bianca asked.

"We'll be there as soon as Zach gets back home and we get the car loaded up."

"Why don't you tell him to drop the turkey off here first so we can get it started?" Marissa suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'll have him stop by the liquor store too and pick up some more wine. I think we're going to need it."

Bianca laughed. "Good idea and I think you're right. Okay, we'll call Krystal and the Walkers about the change in plans."

"I'll get the boys cleaned up and call Mom and Greenlee and let them know about the change in plans. Greenlee was going to get over here a little early to help get things set up. Thanks, you guys, for doing this. I'll see you soon."

"You're welcome, Curly. We'll see you soon."

Gabby dashed into the kitchen. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Mommy! Mommy! They said Santa's going to be on next! Come on! You don't wanna miss him!"

The women smiled as their youngest pulled them back into the family room. They could take a few more minutes before they started getting ready

/

Marissa called Krystal who agreed to come over to the Tasker-Montgomery home for dessert along with Tad, Opal and the girls. Krystal wasn't exactly thrilled to be spending part of the day with Erica, but she did want to spend time with her daughter and her family. She told herself that, for her daughter, she could be on her best behavior for a few hours with Erica, at least she hoped she could. She believed it was the very least she could do for Bianca and Marissa.

Bianca called the Walkers and explained what had happened at Kendall's. She asked if they wouldn't mind coming over. Mrs. Walker said they understood and would be more than happy to join them. It would be the Walkers first visit to the family's new home. They weren't able to help with the move due to family outing of their own that day, and they couldn't wait to see it. It was quickly decided that they would join everyone else for dessert as well with Mrs. Walker offering to bring another dessert over.

Zach was successful in his quest for a fresh turkey that was big enough to feed everyone and dropped it off along with several bottles of wine and a case of beer before heading home to pick up Kendall and the boys.

While Marissa started the turkey, Bianca herded the kids towards their rooms to get dressed and straighten their rooms up before jumping into the shower. By the time she was done, Marissa had the turkey in the oven and had picked up the family room. The redhead jumped into the shower next while Bianca hunted down the tablecloth for the dining room table along with placemats and napkins.

A short time later, Marissa joined Bianca in getting the dining room and kitchen in order. They decided they could set up the kids' table in the dining room along with the adults with a little creative rearranging of the dining room table and chairs. They would wait until Kendall and Zach got there to help with that. The couple then started on the side dishes they had been assigned to bring to Kendall's. As for the kids, they were excited their cousins were coming over so they could help them break in the playroom properly and even more so when they were told that Sam and the Walkers would be stopping by later. They had been disappointed that the Walkers couldn't make it the past weekend, but now, the kids would be able to show them their rooms, and they couldn't wait.

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"Mom, Bianca, Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach are here."

"Thanks, AJ." Bianca smiled at her son before turning to Marissa. "I guess we better go help them bring everything in."

The couple headed to the front door to greet their company.

Spike and Ian said hello to their aunts before darting off with their cousins in the direction of the playroom.

"Happy Thanksgiving." Kendall announced looking slightly frazzled by the morning's events. "I can't thank you guys enough for taking this on at the last minute especially after just moving in."

"We're happy to help. How's the house?" Bianca asked as she led the adults into the kitchen.

"Well, I think it's smelling a little better but still not great. Burnt turkey doesn't really do a lot for the appetite." Zach answered.

"Will you guys be alright to stay there tonight? You're more than welcome to stay here if you want." Marissa offered.

"We have plenty of room." Bianca added. Having discussed it while getting ready, the couple decided to make the offer to the Slaters.

Kendall smiled at the couple. She expected no less from them. "We appreciate it, but I don't think we'll need to impose any more than we already are. I had it airing out all morning. We'll air it out more when we get home. If it's too bad, we'll take you up on your offer. I promise."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?" Zach asked.

"How about you help me set up the dining room? We need to do a little rearranging to fit in the table you brought over for the kids." Marissa suggested as the two headed off to dining room.

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When Marissa and Zach left the room, Bianca turned to her sister. "Okay, spill it. How did Mom take it when you told her about the changes for today?"

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A/N: Yeah, I had to leave it there. I couldn't help myself. It's not a big cliffhanger, just a little one this time. Yes, I'm giving our girls a bit of break on the high drama. I figured they deserved it after everything I've put them through. Thumbs up to Miched8 for guessing what I had planned!