I have been crazy busy the last few weeks. So I haven't been writing much. This was sort of thrown together.
I wasn't really thinking of Family Guy when I made up the giant chicken but I can see some resemblance. I just always thought giant chickens were funny… as well as giant cows with udders (which only female cows have… yeah, I'm looking at you Back to the Barnyard).
So another holiday and another fic to celebrate the day of gluttony and football (the American kind not the one the rest of the world plays). And don't forget Black Friday. Happy Thanksgiving.
I don't own anything.
"Are you sure you have to do this, mom?" Jasmine asked as she watched her mother systematically take out pots, pans, baking trays, and other assorted cooking instruments … or as the children know it as instruments of gastrointestinal doom.
"Yes, Jasmine." Holiday sighed as she lugged out the large roasting pan. "Grandma and grandpa wanted to come here for Thanksgiving this year so they can see Aunt Beverly's baby. Since Aunt Beverly can't make a Thanksgiving dinner, I will have to step up this year."
"Oh." Jasmine tried to think of something else to say but decided anything she said would offend her mother. "Do you want any help?"
"Not yet. I'll let you know." Holiday said distractedly as she hauled down the crock pot.
"Okay, mom." Jasmine backed out slowly from the kitchen while her mother pulled out several more utensils.
She quickly went upstairs where her siblings were waiting for her.
"What did mom say?" Kenji asked impatiently.
"She's making Thanksgiving dinner." Jasmine confirmed.
All the children stifled a groan.
"We're all going to starve or die from the food." Jade shook her head. "It's been nice knowing you guys."
"Remember the last time mom tried to cook Thanksgiving dinner?" Kenji rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Yeah, I didn't think our town had that many fire trucks." Jasmine replied.
"And the lawn is just recovering." Jade added.
All the children sighed.
"You know, I can't believe someone who has 3 PhD's can't boil water for pasta." Jasmine slammed her fist into her hand. "You know, when a scientist wants to diagnose a problem they observe carefully the situation."
"You want to watch mom cook? How? She doesn't like people looking over her shoulder." Kenji raised an eyebrow.
"We conceal ourselves and observe her discretely in her habitat." Jasmine said.
"You mean we hide and spy on her like on those nature shows?" Kenji asked.
"Well, yeah, except I wouldn't put it that way." Jasmine wrinkled her nose.
"So we follow mom around and what?" Jade asked.
"We figure out why she can't cook and we help her." Jasmine said determinedly.
"Well, it can't hurt." Jade shrugged.
"Can't hurt more than eating her mashed potatoes." Kenji added. "Crunchy mashed potatoes."
All the kids shuddered.
0o0
"She's flipping through her cook book." Jade whispered into the walkie talkie. She had snuck into the kitchen while her mother was running around prepping for dinner that night. She had managed to crawl under the kitchen sink and opened a small crack to look through.
"She's mixing flour with eggs and milk. I think she's making a cake. Wait, she's getting a phone call… she just dumped a cup of salt into the cake… and baking powder."
On the other end of the walkie talkie the siblings grimaced at each other.
"I'm sure mom knows that that's too much salt." Jasmine mused. "Not to mention what that much baking powder will do to the cake."
"Shhh." Kenji shushed. Jade was reporting again.
"Mom's still on the phone. She just poured the batter into the cake pan. She's putting it in the oven and setting it for 450 degrees."
"I'm no cook but I think that's a little high." Kenji commented.
"She just put water into a pot. She's putting it on the stove and turning on the burner. She's now leaving the kitchen."
"Where's she going?" Kenji asked.
"I don't know! I'm supposed to watch her in the kitchen." Jade snapped.
"Fine, I'm on it." Kenji got up and went downstairs. He watched as his mother walked into the study which led to her lab.
Kenji paused outside. He wasn't allowed into his parent's private work area but this was for a good cause.
He carefully pushed the study door open and snuck inside. He made his way to the back of the study where there was a door leading to his mother's home lab. He could hear her talking.
"Yes, 100 miligrams. It says so right here. No, I don't know what body weight it's for. Let me check."
There were more sounds of rummaging and the tapping of the keyboard. Kenji craned his neck over the side of the open door.
His mother stood with the phone cradled to her ear. She was looking at her clipboard and typing something into the computer. She was still talking on the phone.
Then Kenji smelled something burning.
"Oh, my water!" His mother must have smelled it too. She ran out of the room and back into the kitchen. She did not notice Kenji who had ducked behind his father's desk.
The kids sauntered into the kitchen. Their mother was hosing down the stove with the fire extinguisher.
"Oh, Kenji, Jasmine. Can you call your father and ask him to pick up another fire extinguisher from the hardware store? This was the last one."
She opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink. The kids sucked in a breath.
She was so distracted that she didn't notice Jade sitting there. Jade handed her the other pot and Holiday took it without batting an eye. She shut the door. "Well, off with you guys. I've got to finish making dinner."
"You mean the dinner that's smoking in the oven?" Kenji asked innocently.
"Oh, my cake!" When Holiday opened the oven door, smoke poured out from it. "Kenji, also tell your father to pick up some cake for dessert."
0o0
"I get why mom is such a horrible cook. She's just distracted easily by work." Jasmine mused as she paced back and forth.
"That explains why everything has a burnt taste to it." Jade had finally extracted herself from under the cabinet.
"Well, what can we do to remedy this?" Kenji asked.
"Why don't we pull the phone off its hook and ask everyone to not bother her the day of Thanksgiving." Jade suggested as she rubbed her calves. She had lost feeling in her legs.
"Do you think that'll work?" Kenji wondered.
"Well would you rather be eating turkey burnt on the outside, frozen on the inside." Jasmine looked at her brother.
"Point taken. Let's do this." Kenji said determinedly.
They gave Calan a quick call. He agreed that all calls to their mom will be halted at least until after she had finished cooking… unless there's an emergency.
Then on the morning of Thanksgiving, Kenji pulled the plug on all the phones. Jade hid the cell phones and Jasmine set up a jammer to block any signals just in case someone did try to call on the comlink.
Rebecca had gotten up early that morning to start the cooking. The kids had helped her prep the night before. The vegetables were washed, the potatoes were ready to go, the turkey was defrosted, the stuffing was ready, the filling for the pie was mixed and the crust was resting in the fridge.
Rebecca stepped into the kitchen and took a deep breath. She steeled herself as if she was about to enter a combat arena. She picked up an apron, armed herself with a cooking spoon and started going through the list of things she needed to start first. She had printed out a spreadsheet with the time and order of each dish she needed to start. She also had recipes taped to the cabinets at each work station with the utensils ready to go. Rebecca snapped on rubber kitchen gloves, preheated the oven, and went to the first station.
"OK, mom has started to prep the turkey. So far so good. She's not doing anything weird or adding anything that doesn't belong. Okay turkey's in the oven." Jade was observing from outside the kitchen window. Kenji and Jasmine sat at the top of the stairs.
Jasmine and Kenji hi- fived each other. Things seemed to be going according to plan.
Suddenly, the computer in the den started beeping. It was the video messaging system.
"Oh no! I forgot about the computer." Jasmine put her hands on her head.
"Quick before mom hears it." Kenji snapped.
Jasmine dashed into the den and quickly opened the message.
It was a Providence scientist. There was a fire behind him and some grunts were firing at something off screen. Some concrete flew at them and they dodged it.
"Where's Doctor Holiday? It's an emergency!" He fairly shouted.
"She's busy. Can't you get my dad?" Jasmine said in low tones.
"Your father is on the field with Rex. They've been contacted. But they're too far away and can't get back here on time."
"How about Uncle Caesar? Aunt Circe? Uncle Calan?"
"We can't reach Dr. Salazar. Agent Circe is with her children. Captain Calan has been hurt and is unconscious. Please, we need your mother." Providence agents were being thrown around in the background.
Jasmine gritted her teeth. Their mom was so close to getting the perfect Thanksgiving dinner together. It was a shame to let it go to waste. She had a crazy idea.
"What's the problem? Maybe we can help."
"What? But you're just..."
"Hey, our father's Agent Six our mother's Rebecca Holiday. Don't you think their kids can handle a little problem?"
"This is hardly little. Several people have broken into Providence trying to steal the new EVO your parents brought back from the Nanite Island for treatment. On top of that several dangerous EVOs have escaped and are roaming around destroying the base."
"And you want my mom to stop this? How is she supposed to... Never mind. We'll be there in 30 min."
"You? But how?"
"Jasmine, out."
She ran to Kenji and told him what happened.
"You want us to do what now?"
"You need to get down there and take care of that problem."
"Are you crazy? How am I supposed to do that?"
"Pretend it's a training session with dad."
"Dad's usually not trying to kill me."
"Come on! For mom!" Jasmine pleaded.
Kenji groaned. But Jasmine knew he was relenting.
"How am I supposed to get there?" Kenji asked.
"Dad's jump jet is in the garage."
"Dad's gonna kill me if he finds out."
"He won't he's out with Uncle Rex and if you do this right you'll be home before him."
Kenji groaned again, but he grabbed the keys for the jet out of the basket.
"Wait, I'm coming with you." Jade appeared out of no where.
"No Jade, it s too dangerous."
"Well, you're not having all the fun."
"Fine whatever you're both crazy." Kenji huffed.
They were on base in less than twenty minutes, mainly because Kenji was flying at unsafe speeds.
The base was smoking.
Kenji took out his bo. Jade pulled out Six's old katana.
"Dad's going to kill you if he finds out you took his sword." Kenji observed.
"Only if he finds out you flew his plane." Jade retorted.
They entered the building.
0o0
The doorbell rang. Holiday had just put the finishing touches on the last dish. It was then she realized that there were no calls or interruptions all day.
Huh, what luck. When she entered the living room Jasmine was greeting her grandpa and grandma. A few minutes later Caesar and Beverly showed up with Angel. The grandparents cooed over the little baby. Jasmine wondered where Jade and Kenji was. She was getting worried.
Then the door opened. It was their dad with Kenji and Jade. Kenji and Jade looked all right but they had on fake smiles. Their dad did not look amused. Jasmine ran to hug her siblings.
"What happened?" She whispered into their ears.
"You don't want to know." Kenji hissed back.
"Are we in trouble?" Jasmine asked.
Jade did a small shrug. Jasmine let go as their grandparents came to greet their older grandchildren.
Rex and his family showed up a little later and everyone sat down for the meal. Everything went off without a hitch. Their grandparents teased their mother about her cooking skills but the meal was surprisingly... edible. Everyone actually complimented Rebecca on the meal. After dinner, grandma and grandpa played with Angel in the living room. The women started clearing off the table with help from Rex and Caesar. Six motioned for his children to come with him outside. Their hearts sank as they followed their father outside.
To their surprise they walked to the shed in the backyard. Their dad spun the combination on the lock and opened the door. The kids gasped. Inside on warming trays was a whole Thanksgiving feast, complete with turkey, all the trimmings, and pumpkin pie.
The kids looked at their dad curiously.
Their father shrugged. "Insurance. In case dinner didn't turn out the way your mother planned."
"You were going to replace anything that got burnt or ruined?" Kenji looked at his dad with a mixture of surprise and awe.
"Wouldn't that hurt mom's feelings?" Jasmine asked.
"What she doesn't know..." Six trailed off. "But she pulled it off and we shouldn't let this food go to waste. We're going to take it down to the shelter. I'm sure there are people who would appreciate this."
The kids understood and began wrapping up the still hot food.
"And kids," Six added,"I won't tell your mother what you did today if you keep this between us."
The children all looked at each other and smirked. Six smirked back.
"But you're going to need more training if you're going to take out international terrorists and EVOs." He said dryly. "I'm not always going to be around to save you."
Kenji, Jasmine, and Jade chuckled nervously.
"No, I'm serious. Starting tomorrow at 5AM I want to see all of you bright and early in the backyard. We're running laps before we start hand to hand combat practice."
The kids groaned. They could already feel the bruises.
Happy Thanksgiving! Gotta go bake some pies now.