Chapter Forty-One

Thanksgiving At Kingler's

When Billy got up to see what was pecking at the door the next day, there was one thing he was absolutely, positively certain of: it was not a turkey.

Radiance trilled at him questioningly when he stared at the creature, and she tilted her head to the side and then strutted down the hall as if she owned the place. Then she made her way down the front stair that led to the cafe. Curiosity got the better of him and Billy quickly got dressed, putting on his new work clothes before going downstairs. But once he got to the dining room, he stared even harder at the cafe than he had stared at the bird at his door. The changes in the cafe were so extreme that was little doubt in his mind as to why they had pulled shades down over the windows.

The booths that normally ran to the right side of the cafe door to the back wall were completely gone, leaving only three booths left, which were the ones set on the back wall near the restrooms. Along the main wall where the booths had been, there was now a very long buffet table, and although mostly empty, the side table with braided breads, rolls, pies, and fall decorated cupcakes was quickly being filled up.

The center of the room hosted several tables that were much longer than the ones that were normally in the cafe. Billy might have thought they were simply a group smaller tables put together with a table cloth over them, if it hadn't been for the fact that there wasn't any extra table legs. The strange bird was perched on the back of one of the remaining booths, trilling a greeting when he came in.

"I'm coming, Radiance! Oh, good morning, Billy!" Jennifer said, stepping in from the back with a bowl of cranberries. "Help yourself to some coffee. The one that's normally the decaf decanter has pumpkin spice coffee in it, and the other one is regular. Radiance, do you want to try something new today?" she asked, and the bird peeped curiously as Jennifer gave her a cranberry to test. It wasn't more than a second before Radiance was eagerly reaching for more. Jennifer laughed at her, feeding her another by hand.

"Did she like them? Were they too sour?" Sally asked from the back.

"Yes, she loves them!" Jennifer reported.

"Just what is that thing?" Billy asked. Fortunately, Radiance was too busy having her breakfast to be offended.

"This is Radiance, a Huang. She's my familiar," Jennifer said, feeding her several more cranberries at once.

"She pecked on my door this morning," he said.

"Well, I was wondering if you were awake yet. She must have heard me commenting on it. Aren't you a thoughtful girl?" Jennifer said, scratching under her chin. The bird crooned in appreciation. "Anyway, I'll be right back, Billy, I need to get her back upstairs. I was so busy this morning that I forgot to feed her. That's why she came to find me," Jennifer said. Billy stared after them, then went over to where Jenny was getting herself a coffee refill.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Billy," Jenny said with a smile.

"Yeah. Don't witches normally have black cats for familiars?" Billy asked.

"Oh, I have a cat!" Jenny said brightly. "But only because it's the only pet they allow in the building. There are all different types of familiars, although to be perfectly honest, there doesn't get much different than Jackie's familiar, even in the magic world."

"Good, then I don't feel bad about being shocked by it," Billy said. Jenny chuckled at that.

"Actually, I think you're taking it pretty well... learning about magic, I mean," Jenny said with a smile. "My husband isn't magic, and he's known about magic since long before we met. But there are times when he still gets shocked by some of it," she said with amusement.

Just then, the front door opened. While Billy had never met them before, there was no mistaking Lucky and Dale Chance when they walked in. Dale was carrying a couple of grocery bags, and Lucky was carrying a small television set.

"Hey, Jenny!" Lucky said.

"Hey, guys! Happy Thanksgiving!" Jenny replied.

"How come the windows are covered like that?" Lucky asked.

"Well, because Radiance was just downstairs, and also because the person who was going to decorate the windows so nosy people couldn't see in wasn't here yet," Jenny hinted.

"Don't worry, Jenny, I'm on it. Let me get this stuff to the back and I'll start on those windows right now," Dale promised.

"Where's Jackie?" Lucky asked.

"She just went to put Radiance away. She'll be straight back down," Jenny promised and Lucky went over to the bar.

"You must be Billy. I'm Fortuna, but everyone calls me Lucky," Lucky said.

"Yes, I know who you are," Billy said. "Jackie said something about you having something to do with my van being gone."

"Oh, yeah, I took care of it. It's at the Coven Suites in the employee parking section," she explained. "Just don't take the parking sticker off, and you can park there whenever you want to free of charge... and that's hard to come by these days, you know."

"Coven Suites?" Billy repeated.

"Yeah, it's a Wizard hotel. Don't worry, I'll show you where it is tonight after everyone's stuffed and things wind down," Lucky promised. "You don't seem to be doing anything yet. Do you want to help me make the Waldorf salad? You know what that is, right?"

"I'm a New Yorker. I've seen it on every pot luck at every church Thanksgiving and Christmas I've ever been to," he said so dryly that Lucky laughed at that.

"Been there, done that. You know I started in the system too, right? I know what it's like being someone else's meal ticket," Lucky said. "But you see, we had a friend named Emma that used to bring Waldorf salad for Thanksgiving every year, and when she died, I took over making it in her honor. You any good with a knife?"

"In the kitchen or a back alley?" he asked, and she grinned again.

"It's okay, you'll pick it up fast workin' here, and fortunately for you, I'm an expert at using a knife in both contexts. Come on," she said, taking him over to the prep table where Dale had already washed the apples and put them in a colander for them.

Jennifer cautiously peered around the corner, watching them work. As she had suspected, they had hit it off right away. They had a lot in common, and Jennifer was sure that Lucky could probably sympathize with his position better than most. Smiling at that, Jennifer slipped into the dining room, helping Dale with the window decals as an excuse to stay close to the door to see who was going to show up next. Suspecting that was the case from the start, Dale was not surprised whatsoever when she suddenly stood up and ran to the door, beaming with happiness as opened it so that Ginger could get the stroller in.

"Oh, let me help, Ginger!" Jennifer said, but instead of taking the vegetable tray in her hand, Jennifer took charge of Justice instead. Seeing Ginger's plight, Dale grinned and grabbed the tray, allowing Ginger to get the stroller further inside. "Rel! Ginger is here!" Jennifer announced distractedly. She was much more interested in getting the Justice in the booth and handing him a toy out of her pocket so she could spend some time with Brigid and Branwen.

Aurelius came out to the front, rolling his eyes at his mother's attempts at commandeering all three children over at the back booth. He walked over to Ginger and gave her a quick kiss, not noticing that his other daughter had just popped the cafe door open right behind them. Peering over Viorica's head was Severus, frowning at them critically.

"Is this really a good place to have a public display?" Severus asked Aurelius disapprovingly.

"Do you want me to list all of the times that I've walked in when you and Mum were having a public display?" Aurelius retorted.

"Rel," Ginger chided him.

"What? I would have left out the ones that weren't family friendly," Aurelius told her.

"Behave, it's Thanksgiving," Ginger said. "Not that I know what all that involves personally, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve family squabbles."

"Actually, I've lived in the U.S. all my life, and I can tell you that having family squabbles is most definitely a Thanksgiving tradition," Dale said emphatically.

"Hi, Dale!" Quintin said, marching in holding Leu's hand. "We're early!" he explained.

"Always a good idea to come early when it comes to these kinds of things, Quintin, because it's going to get crowded," Dale told him with a smile.

"Quintin!" Jennifer called out. Quintin ran over happily, sitting by Justice. Jennifer handed him a toy so they could play together.

"Viorica, why don't you grab us the booth next to the stroller," Aurelius suggested, and she and Leu went over there.

"I see that Jennifer has already managed to kidnap the children," Severus noted, holding the door for Carlos and his dutch oven before closing it.

"You don't know the half of it," Aurelius said dryly.

"Oh?" Severus replied.

"I think I'll let her tell you about it," Aurelius decided. "It'll sound better coming from her."

Quite curious as to what she was up to this time, Severus stepped over to the children's booth. Jennifer was playing with Quintin and Justice while the two babies seemed content in the stroller at the moment, staring at the unusual surroundings.

"I see you wasted no time in hoarding all of the children again," Severus observed.

"Hardly fair, Severus, I have barely gotten to spend any time at all with them this year, while you can go over there to see them any time you like," Jennifer pointed out.

"Yes, that's all I have to do," Severus said evenly. "You know how little time I have."

"Speaking of which?" Jennifer asked with a questioning smile.

"It's in your Chest Cloak. I trust you'll be careful with it, they aren't exactly legal in this country, you know," Severus reminded her.

"Well, that's alright, I won't be alone this venture," Jennifer said.

"Oh?" Severus inquired, and she nodded at the door as Lunette came in the door, taking a moment to chat with Dale. "And who will defend you both if you're caught, I wonder?"

"We'll be careful," Jennifer promised again with a chuckle. "Anyway, there's someone here I'd very much like you to meet... and be polite, no matter what your first impression is."

"Perhaps you might tell me who it is that I'm meeting so that I know the reason why you want me to be polite?" Severus suggested.

But instead of answering, Jennifer simply went to the back. Sighing at that, Severus sat down with Justice and Quintin, glancing up thoughtfully when he noticed that Carlos and Sally had come out from behind the grill, watching him intently. Even Jenny at the bar was watching from where she stood behind the bar making a pitcher of ice tea. Realizing that their curiosity was the only hint he was going to get, Severus watched with interest as Jennifer walked out with a man of about Dale's age with stiff new clothes that still had folded creases and an expression on his face that seemed both stressed and resigned at the same time. Billy glanced around the room curiously before finally settling on Severus, looking quite baffled about something.

"Severus, this is Billy Packer. He's Sally's newest employee, just started his week," Jennifer introduced cheerfully.

"Notice how she left out the details of how that happened," Carlos said, and Sally nudged him. Jennifer pretended she hadn't heard it.

"Billy, this is my husband, Severus," she finished with a smile.

"How in the hell did someone with your looks end up with someone that looks like her?" Billy asked flatly.

"Oh, Billy!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Perhaps you should have given him the warning to be polite instead," Severus conjectured drolly.

"I always speak my mind," Billy said with a shrug.

"How refreshing, I'm so seldom around people who are like that," Severus said evenly. Jennifer grimaced at that, realizing that Billy wasn't likely to recognize Severus' brand of sarcasm, and it was just as obvious that Severus knew it as well.

"Well, I'm the sort that'll give you a straight opinion, and I think you need to do something to put her in her place," Billy said, Jennifer blinking at that. "Because while you've been off savin' the world or whatever it is that you do, your wife's been using her magic to hold me captive and force me to do manual labor because she's sore that I tried to rob the place. Not that I mind sleeping in a room for the change, and the food's all right, I guess. But she did take my van and stashed it at a hotel somewhere and she's even set her bird after me on occasion, so somebody needs to tell her to tone it down a bit!" Jennifer had been slowly turning red through Billy's complaint, so that by the time he was finished, she was redder than Severus had seen her get in quite some time.

"I understand what's going on now," Severus decided calmly. "Jennifer has picked up another stray." Jennifer hadn't moved a muscle, but Severus didn't miss the fact that Sally suddenly jumped up and walked over, putting out a hand in front of Jennifer. Without a word, Jennifer put the twenty dollar bill in her hand. Sally walked off triumphantly. "Might I inquire, before I say anything else, how many of you ended up getting involved in Jennifer's latest acquisition?" he inquired. Sally raised her hand first, and then Carlos, Marlena, and Jenny. Lucky appeared from the back with a hand up and a knowing grin on her face. Lunette also had her hand up, and turning his head, Severus could see that Aurelius was holding up his hand behind him. Just then Tony waltzed in, blinking when he saw so many hands raised.

"What did I miss?" Tony asked, putting his green bean casserole on the counter.

"Severus just asked who all got involved in the Billy thing," Carlos summed up.

"Oh, that," Tony said, putting his hand up for good measure.

"I see," Severus said with one final look around before settling his gaze back on Billy. "It would seem that you've just been voted into the Kingler and Company family. And as such, there's very little I can do about it. You'll never be rid of them now, and it doesn't matter even if you do try to leave. Some of your new family members are perfectly capable of tracking you down no matter where you go."

"I can vouch for that," Lucky said with a grin.

"I don't think you have to full picture here," Billy said firmly. "I tried to rob the place. I threatened them with a gun, and even tried to tazer one of the girls... and your wife's response to that was to make me do all the dishes! Detention, she called it!" Ginger, Aurelius, Dale, and Lucky all chuckled at that, while Severus maintained his fixed expression.

"Your point?" Severus inquired. "Did you think the punishment was too harsh?"

"Well, I don't know how it works in your world, but in my world, when a criminal gets caught, they get arrested and go to jail," Billy said, glaring accusingly and Lunette Vallid, who he was certain knew that already.

"Unless the owners decide not to press charges," Lunette pointed out. "Jennifer gave you a pardon, more than likely due to some of the factors that she and I know about that put you in a position to be desperate enough to try this in the first place. And when Jennifer decides to forgive somebody for something, you'll find that in most cases, everyone around her tends to go along with it. One of the Craw family's most endearing traits is the ability to forgive absolutely." Jennifer smiled at Lunette.

"Yes, and as one of the recipients to one of Jennifer's brand of second chances, I will advise you not to squander it. Use it as a turning point, because it is a rare gift that really shouldn't be squandered away," Severus advised.

"I second that," Aurelius said from behind him.

"Third," Mark said from the other side of the room.

"And as for putting Jennifer in her place, that's quite impossible. She decides her own place," Severus explained unconcernedly. "Besides, I didn't marry her to put in her place. I married her so she could put me in mine."

"Oh, Severus!" Jennifer exclaimed happily, attempting to put her arms around him. She ended up on his lap so that she could do so, kissing his cheek lovingly. Aurelius turned all the way around in his seat.

"Is this really a good place to have a public display?" Aurelius challenged his father triumphantly.

"Hey, Billy! You better come back and help me finish cutting these grapes so we can finish that salad and get this Thanksgiving thing started," Lucky told him. "The longer we wait, the smarmier those two are going to get."

"I'll go check on the turkey," Carlos said with a chuckle.

"Can I help somehow?" Aurelius said, hoping he could hurry things up as well. But Ginger was quick to capitalize on the offer, handing him Branwen.

"Here, she needs a change," Ginger informed him, handing her over.

"I'll get the other one!" Jennifer volunteered immediately, and Severus quickly found his lap empty as he was abandoned in favor of the grandchildren. Shrugging at that, Severus went back to helping Justice and Quintin.

It had been many, many years since Billy had a Thanksgiving like this one, and sitting at a table who were quickly turning into friends, rather than the strangers he normally ate with. But as he quietly listened to stories at the table, it became apparent from the conversations that it been a long time since Jennifer had one as well, not since she was in school... and some of them, like Ginger, Leu, and many of the younger kids, had never attended an American Thanksgiving feast at all.

"You okay, Billy?" Lucky asked quietly from where she sat next to him.

"It's all pretty strange to me," Billy admitted quietly back.

"I get it. You mean surreal, ya?" Lucky asked. "Not strange as in having Thanksgiving with wizards, but strange as in sitting down and eating with people who seem to care about ya."

"Yeah, it's confusing and a bit stupid," he replied.

"I know what you mean. I felt a lot like that when I was taken in," Lucky said knowingly. "Before that, Thanksgiving was just another reason for Jose to get drunk and abuse mi madre and us kids. And when I was on the street, I probably wouldn't even know when Thanksgiving was if they didn't start blockin' off the streets downtown. And after the church I went to for Thanksgiving decided to turn me in to social services and tried to put me back in the foster system, eh, I didn't even do that again."

"I never had the sense or the nerve to run. I figured the streets were probably worse," Billy said. "And so far, that's been proven right."

"Then it's a good thing you're not on the streets any more," Lucky said. "But don't expect to be feeling any different right away. It doesn't work like that. It takes time," she explained. "It's not going to feel real for a while. But that's okay, you're in with the right crowd now that'll help ya see it through. Maybe you got a guardian saint lookin' after you... leadin' you to just the right spot to try and rob so you could get back on the right track. Or it was Fate. Or it was just dumb luck, take your pick. But if Jackie thinks you're worth savin', everyone here believes her, and they'll do whatever they can to help prove her right."

Billy glanced over at her Jennifer, who was too enthralled with whatever Severus was telling her to be paying much attention to anyone else, including Quintin on the other side of her, who was using the opportunity to skip the Waldorf Salad and help himself to a cupcake.

"Oh, and another thing. Whatever you do, don't fall for Jackie," she warned. "It's pointless and it'll only end in heartbreak. Even worse, she'll take advantage of it and make you do her bidding. Besides..." Billy blinked when she put a sticky note in front of his nose to read. "You see that number?"

"Yeah," Billy said, pushing it back from his face a bit.

"That's her age," Lucky explained. He blinked.

"Are you shitting me?" Billy said, loud enough he got the entire table's attention.

"Really, Billy, language!" Jennifer exclaimed. Justice, impressed with how much attention he had got, decided to repeat it, managing to garner his parents' full attention in the process.

"I think that's a bad word," Quintin informed Billy solemnly.

"Sorry," Billy blurted out. Dale and Lucky began to snicker.

Before long, most of the people in the cafe were laughing.

Even Severus was smiling softly, although it had nothing to do with Billy's outburst. Instead, it was focused on Jennifer, and watching her progress. He was finally seeing signs of her changing... evolving... perhaps subtle enough that everyone else hadn't noticed it... or nearly everyone else, he amended, when he saw Lunette's knowing smile across the table. She was taking on new responsibilities and learning how to lead, both there and at the school; setting examples and taking her skills to the next level by learning how to mentor rather than teach. And although right now the changes were so subtle that they offered him only glimpses into the potential that had been long-shackled by her lack of confidence, it was enough of an affirmation that he saw that the constant ache that came from being apart from each other was worth enduring.

"Oh, Lucky, you're not really going to plug that in, are you?" Jennifer asked so suddenly that it pulled it out of his thoughts. "Everyone is still eating!"

"But I want to watch the Bears-Lions game!" Lucky protested. "Hey, you could stay long enough to see who wins and go to the sportsbook."

"Well, that'd turn a misdemeanor into a felony real quick," Lunette said. "You'd better keep it off until we leave, Lucky. I'd rather not see us on the spectator cam before we even get there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Billy asked in confusion.

"I was wondering about how they're going to do that myself," Mark said. Jenny poked him. "What? It'd be a great way to time the market."

"It's people like like Mark that made you-know-what illegal here," Lunette informed Severus with a chuckle.

"Yes, I can see the point," Severus decided. "But I trust that the two of you will behave on your outing."

"Well... maybe not completely behave," Lunette said mischievously. "We couldn't have any fun if we did that."

"Then I'll simply trust you both to clean up your own messes," Severus decided, getting up to take care of his own plate.