A Barson Thanksgiving
Barba carefully balanced the two cups of coffee with the bag of pastries he was carrying as he opened the apartment door. He had gone for an early Saturday run and hoped he had made it back before Liv and Noah had gotten up. The sound of Paw Patrol greeting him told him he was unsuccessful.
"Good morning." He said as he closed the door.
"Rafi, did you get me a donut?" Noah asked excitedly quickly spotting the familiar white bag.
"Si, en espanol? " Barba asked with a smile proud of the Spanish he had taught Noah.
"Puedo tener un donut por favor?" Noah asked equally proud of his accomplishment.
"Bien hecho!" Barba praised him as he put the sprinkled donut on a plate and place it on the table for him. "Where's Mommy Noah?"
"On the phone with Abuela." He told him his mouth already full of donut.
Barba was suddenly concerned why Liv would be on the phone with his mother at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning. He grabbed Olivia's coffee and a croissant and headed back to their bedroom. Where he found his girlfriend sitting cross-legged on the bed laptop open talking to his mother on the phone, making notes on a legal pad. She looked up and smiled at him as he came in with her breakfast.
"Everything all right?" He asked quietly
When she nodded yes he placed a quick kiss on her lips and headed for the shower. When he returned several minutes later she was off the phone but still looking things up on her laptop and making notes on her legal pad.
"What's going on? I haven't seen you in this mode since Noah's birthday party." He asked
"Oh, nothing your mother and I were just finishing the menu for Thursday."
"What menu for Thursday?"
Olivia rolled her eyes wondering how the smartest man she knew could be so clueless sometimes. "Thanksgiving, Darling, you know the fourth Thursday of November every year." She said leaning up to pull him down for a kiss which he happily indulged her in.
"So what's the need for a menu? I thought we could just go out somewhere, take Mami with us of course." He told her laying down on the bed next to her.
"Rafi this is our first real holiday together, I want it to be special." She protested with a slight pout.
"Mi Amor, our first date was last New Year's Eve, meaning we have spent, New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, my birthday, 4th of July, Labor Day, your birthday, Noah's birthday and Halloween together. If none of those celebrations meet your definition of a "real holiday" then I'm kind of scared to see what is."
Olivia rolled her eyes, "They weren't that big."
"You made me turn the toilet water green so that Noah thought a leprechaun had used our bathroom." He reminder her. "Please Liv, can we just go out. We've both been so busy with work and who knows what could happen between now and Thursday."
Olivia took off her reading glasses, closed her laptop, and looked him in the eyes, "Rafi, when I was little my Mother was rarely sober enough to pull off any holiday celebration, we didn't have extended family to pick up her slack so I spent holidays imaging what I would do when I had my own family. Well now I have my family and I am going to celebrate. Especially Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for this year." She told him and he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
Barba pushed her laptop out of the way and pulled her over next to himself, "Mi Amor, we can celebrate however you want and I have never been as thankful as I am this year."
"Don't worry Rafi, I've taken most of the week off, I will handle everything," She said as she kissed him.
"Famous last words." He muttered suddenly far more interested in her kisses than he was Thanksgiving.
BarsonBarsonBarsonBarson
What seemed like a well thought out plan on Saturday had completely fallen apart by Monday . It started when Noah woke up with a serious asthma flare up and a fever in the middle of the night Sunday night. They had managed to get through it without a trip to the emergency room but he needed to go to the pediatrician first thing Monday morning. Olivia was getting ready to take him when Finn called her. Barba could tell by the look on her face that it was bad.
"Go, I'll take Noah." He told her.
"Are you sure?" She asked him
"Yes, I can do this Liv." He told her kissing and scooping Noah up to go to the doctor.
The case was a kidnapped seven year old girl, and as with these cases there was no going home until that child was found. Monday night Barba and Noah dropped Liv off a few changed of clothes.
"I'm so sorry Rafi, what did the doctor say?" She asked,
"No Pneumonia, she said we caught it in time, antibiotics, steroids, breathing treatments, for the next week." He told her.
"I should go home, I can get someone else to step in." She told him.
"Liv, you are needed here. I told Camren I won't be back until Monday. We'll be all right." He assured her. "If we are serious about being a family Liv, this is part of it, it's not just about holidays. "
"I love you." She said placing a kiss on his lips and looking up when she heard a knock on her door it was Finn.
"Sorry guys, we've got something." He told them.
"We'll see you when you get home." He told her, "I love you."
That was the last time he saw her until she came home in the very early morning early hours on Thanksgiving. Walking through the apartment she saw the evidence of a child on steroids as toys were scattered everywhere and dishes were piled up in the sink. Lucia was due here in a matter of hours and she had prepared nothing. She was too tired to think about it now though, she had hardly slept in three days. She took a hot shower pulled on a t shirt and crawled into bed next to Barba.
"Hey" he said sleepily as he wrapped his arms around here, "the girl was all right?"
"Yes, she was unharmed and her father is in lock up. Noah is feeling better?" She asked.
"Yes, much, now you sleep mi amor."
"Wake me early Raf, I have a lot to do." She said before falling asleep in his arms.
The next time Oliva opened her eyes the clock said three o'clock, panicked she jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms before running out into the kitchen. She was greeted by the sight of Lucia taking a turkey out of the oven and Barba and Noah setting the table.
"Mommy!" Noah yelled and ran to her.
"Oh. My Love, I'm so glad to see you. I'm so glad you are feeling better." She said as she hugged him tight.
"We made Thanksgiving!" He told her excitedly.
"I see that, it looks perfect." She said smiling at Barba. "Lucia, thank you, I'm sorry I didn't help."
"No worries, hija, it was my pleasure. Go get dressed, then we can eat." Lucia told her.
After they ate Rafael and Oliva were doing the dishes while Noah and Lucia played in the living room. He came behind her at the sink and wrapped his arms around her, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Was it the Thanksgiving you always imagined?" He asked her.
"No," She said with pause and a smile, "it was better than I could have ever imagined, because I could have never imagined anyone like you loving me."
"Well, I hope you can imagine plenty more." He whispered before kissing her.
The End
A/N I have some extra writing time over the next few weeks and would love some prompts. This was for ameddancesforyou .
