And here is the long-awaited apology. Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I've been working on my other story and I was able to finally get to it while doing laundry. Hope it's entertaining. Even though it's published I may tweak it...sometimes that happens. I read over something and I'm like what?

To clarify the tune to the song they sing later is "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. Yeah. Just in case that isn't very clear in the story.

Thanks for all the enthusiastic reviews! I read them, I love them, it makes me want to write for a living :) Some of them make me laugh, smile, and it makes me happy that my story makes some of you genuinely crack up laughing. It really does!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!

Chapter 7 of Turkey Season: Apologies

It was quiet in the dining area except for INine drifting from the stereo as everyone glanced at each other, quietly wondering exactly what they should do. None of them had ever really been in this position before, save Regina, and she wasn't the most helpful resource when it came to maternal nurturing.

"This, this is all my fault," Mary-Margaret finally said from her spot at the bar, using the hand that wasn't holding onto the bottle she had finally managed to wrench from David to brush back the hair that had fallen across her forehead. "I never should have invited…all of you here. Or I at least should have been more honest with my intentions and then maybe Henry wouldn't be holed up in his room and we wouldn't be in this mess and David…" she shot a look at her husband who was leaning against the kitchen counter as a means to hold him up. "David wouldn't be…"

"Drunk?" Belle offered and Mary-Margaret slowly nodded, her face completely colored in guilt as David himself let out a quiet burp.
"Well," Emma drew out, looking over at Hook who held her hand tightly in his before meeting the gazes of everyone else around the table and finally that of Mary-Margaret. "It's too late to really be sorry for all of us being here. Yes, you should have been honest, I'm not going to argue with that but we're at fault, too. We should have been grown up enough to I don't know…put our differences aside. Pretend to get along. Meet the challenge head-on."

Quiet descended upon the group again, some of them glancing up the stairs at the door that remained closed. It killed Emma to know that Henry was on the other side of the door upset, more than likely flopped on his stomach on the bed and she could only hope he wasn't crying any tears into his pillow.

"I'll go up and talk to him," Neal finally broke the silence, turning from the table to take a step toward the stairs.
"Like hell you will."

His foot faltered at the tone of Regina's voice and he glanced over his shoulder at her, a faint smile playing on his lips before fully turning toward her.

"Excuse me? What makes you think I have to listen to you?"

"Henry could ask you the same thing," she bit out, her tone calm and even flinted with steel. "What makes you think that when you open Henry's bedroom door he's going to sit there and listen to anything you have to say?"
"Anything any of us have to say," Emma corrected as she lifted her eyes to Neal's face and quietly begged him to sit back down.

He stood there for a long moment looking between the two women before he mumbled to himself and Emma swore she heard him curse. He swayed his shoulders and almost as if it was against his will, slouched back into the seat which gave cause for a smile of satisfaction to cross over Regina's face.

"So what? We're just going to sit here until he comes out?"
"Of course not," Hook answered him, his concerned gaze lowering from the stairs to the others gathered at the table before glancing toward the kitchen where Snow was helping David let go of a liquor bottle. "We shall form a plan to apologize to the boy."
"Why can't we just go up and apologize? Does there really need to be a plan?" Rumpelstiltskin questioned and Hook slid Neal a glance.
"Thoughtfully carried out apologies were all too rare when you were a lad I take it?"
"If I got one at all," Neal replied, not even bothering to look at what expression was spreading over his father's face.

Instead he reached for the remaining bottle of whiskey that was placed by Hook's plate and poured himself a glass thinking that if he was going to listen to anything the pirate had to say, he was going to have a drink while doing it.

"To answer your question, Rumpelstiltskin," Hook addressed the old man, his face twisting as he stumbled over his name instead of his usual nickname of Crocodile. "Considering what the boy has just witnessed from us adults, he deserves more than a mumbled apology."

"You're saying we're going to get a bit creative here," Emma stated, her words not even holding a bit of question in her tone.
"Precisely."
"So what are you suggesting? We break into song and dance for him?" Regina spat, not at all sounding thrilled with the idea. She was used to telling Henry sorry and he always forgave her. She really wasn't seeing why it needed to be an apology complete with bells and whistles.

Everyone glanced at her with a look of consideration, save Rumpelstiltskin, and she suddenly felt unsure with what she had just said, the appreciative gleam in Mary-Margaret's eye making her feel all the more wary.

"We don't have to dance for him but we could sing," Emma said looking at Hook who seemed passive to the idea while Neal looked like he'd like to chuck that idea out the window.
"Seriously? Sing?" Belle asked Emma as if she had just lost her mind.
"You're a Disney princess," Emma gave Belle a pointed look, "Singing kind of comes with the territory."
"I'm sorry, but what? What's a Disney princess?"
"Disney, I believe is a realm, where their ruler botches up our stories," Hook explained which only made Neal smirk at the pirate.

Emma opened her mouth to correct her boyfriend and then shut it. They really didn't have time for this so instead she just smiled at the girl who was fixing her with a weird look.

"I'll show you some other time. Maybe we can have a movie marathon or something but for now, let's focus on Henry. Anyone have any ideas for a song we could use as a parody?"

"So we're seriously going to sing Henry a song? This is ridiculous," Regina started.
"We're going to sing a song?" David called from the kitchen, his belligerent self finally cluing into the conversation that was going on in front of him. Everyone looked at him as a boyish grin spread from ear to ear across his face and he clasped his hands together before clapping. "I love songs! Aw, what are we singing?"

"Your enthusiasm is noted, mate," Hook managed through a smile, thinking that he and David should have many a trip to the Rabbit Hole after this night. The man was mad fun. "We are indeed singing a song," he finished with a narrowed glare at Regina. "Aren't we, your highney?"
"Singing is for Snow White and fairies and other pansies," Regina shot back and looked at Rumpelstiltskin for some back up. "Not for the likes of me and the Dark One."
"Now, Regina," Belle stepped in, her tone softening as if she were speaking to a child. "Rumpel here has come a long ways and I'm sure that if all it takes is a sung out apology to get his grandson back down here for Thanksgiving dinner, he'll do it. Won't you, Rumpel?"

Rumpel looked down at her hand that was stroking his forearm before looking at Regina with an expression that plainly communicated that he'd rather choke on poisoned apple pastries than sing with the likes of everyone else but he tampered it down and instead fought a smile onto his face.

"I believe I will, dearie."
"Besides, it could be fun," Mary-Margaret said as she grasped David's hand and started to slowly pull the unsteady man toward the table.
"Singing is always so much fun!" David once again burst into his joyful tell-all.

Hook stood up to assist Mary-Margaret and she smiled gratefully at him before fixing Regina with another look, a hint of victory shining in her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you don't want to be the only one just mumbling an apology to Henry when the rest of us come walking in and blow your "I'm so sorry, Henry" out of the water anyways. Do you?"

Regina narrowed her eyes at her stepdaughter in a dark look, her jaw grinding as she contemplated what the woman had just said before she finally let out a deep sigh.

"Fine, but if we're singing it can't be anything stupid. It needs to be worthy of applause and none of that metal music you have him listening to," she finally bit out, fixing her glare on Emma.
"So we're agreed then?" Emma asked as she looked around the table reading their faces. No one objected, she was sure Bell's gentle clasp on Gold's arm kept that from happening, and she allowed herself to slowly smile.
"Well, then. Let's get started with Operation Diabolical Apology."

Henry thoughtfully tapped the "TALK" button on the cordless phone, wondering whether or not he should call Grace. When he'd told her at school about Mary-Margaret's plan to invite his mother to their Thanksgiving dinner, her eyes had widened and she'd placed her hand on his shoulder in a comforting kind of way before shooting him with a million questions. She'd followed up the conversation with the friendly "If you need to talk to someone about it, call me" but it was Thanksgiving and he was wondering if he really should.

Then he thought of Monday and how he would answer her when she asked about how everything went and when he would finally tell her, he knew she'd be upset that he hadn't called.

Breathing out a long sigh he finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding and pressed the button down firmly before he changed his mind. He brought the receiver to his ear and nervously tapped his foot against the rug that covered the wooden floor boards while it rang. On the third ring it picked up and he instantly sat up straighter as if Grace herself had entered the room.

"Hello?" a distracted, masculine voice drifted over the line and Henry felt somewhat deflated.
"Hey, Jefferson. This is Henry. Is Grace available?"
"Um, let me check…just a second."

There was the sound of something hitting something over and over and a sharp pitched noise beeping, hurried voices and then Jefferson yelling for Grace which caused Henry to wince because Jefferson hadn't moved his mouth too far from his end of the phone. He then heard Jefferson yelling his name and he could only assume that Grace had asked who it was that was on the phone for her. There was then silence before he heard a faint thudding rhythm he could only assume was Grace running down the stairs.

"Henry?" he heard her voice ask for confirmation from her father.
"Yes, make it fast. Whale said we could join him and Ruby and Granny for dinner."

There was a muffled shuffling, obviously he was handing off the phone and then Grace's voice saying hello. He'd never been more relieved to hear his friend's voice.

"How are things going with your mom and the others?" she instantly asked, hitting on the subject that was most on his mind.
"It's a nightmare," he admitted and he could nearly feel her sympathy through the phone. "My grandma didn't just invite my mom. She invited my dad. And then Rumpelstiltskin. Oh and also Belle."
"Oh, wow," she drew out slowly. "The whole family huh? Gretel knock it off!"
"Gretel's there?" Henry asked as he heard faint giggling in the background.
"And Hansel. Our dads burned the turkey so we're all driving down to Granny's in a bit. You're welcome to join us if you want but I really think you should work on having fun with your family. Are you guys getting ready for dinner?"
"We sat down to dinner already."
"Oh? How'd that go?"
"Let's just say I didn't get to finish and right now I'm holed up in my room."
Grace let out a low whistle and then he heard Jefferson's voice calling her name. "Listen, Henry I have to go but seriously if you want, just walk over to Granny's. Between what my father didn't burn and what Granny and Ruby have, there should be enough. I'm sorry I can't be there."
"Don't worry about it," Henry waved off, grateful for her consideration. He figured he could risk going downstairs and if it wasn't any better he'd walk over and try to have a Thanksgiving with his friends.
"Kay, I'll see you Monday," she said and he could hear her smile in her voice. "It's kind of strange isn't it?"
"What's strange?"
"Not seeing each other for this long. If you're not doing anything this weekend, call me."
"Oh, alright," Henry said with just a bit of shock at the suggestion. They hadn't ever hung out together outside of school and community functions before.
"Bye, Henry."
"Bye, Grace."

There was a click on her end of the line and he lowered the phone into his lap, hitting "END". He stared at his wall and then looked toward the door after a moment, realizing that something was different but he couldn't figure out what it was. It was only when he noticed he could actually hear Mary-Margaret's music playing on the stereo that he realized he couldn't hear their voices anymore. It was quiet.

"That's strange," he said in a hushed voice that sounded loud in his own room and he couldn't help the small twinge of worry that tugged inside of him.

After a moment's hesitation he stood up from his bed and paced to the door, quietly turning the door knob just in case they were at the table because he didn't want to be seen because being seen meant being talked to and he definitely did not feel like talking. He finally managed to open it partially, just enough for him to peek out into the loft basement and he frowned when he didn't see anyone on the couches around the tv. He swiveled his glance toward the dining room table. Still no one and then once again he caught sight of the kitchen but still there wasn't a live soul.

He stood up straighter just then and pushed the door the rest of the way open, his brow furrowed in confusion as he stepped out into the open hallway only to find that he wasn't alone. There in front of him all eight adults stood in a line on the stairs, Hook and Mary-Margaret helping David take one step at a time while the others were focused on walking themselves.

Completely shocked he stared at them, not finding the will to move when both Emma and Regina looked up at the same time and saw him. He stared at them in confusion and curiosity and they stared back at him but their expressions were completely unreadable. He finally seemed to gain his bearings and crossed his arms across his chest, taking a stance that showed he really wasn't thrilled to see them.

"I really don't want to talk right now," he muttered and his voice seemed to jolt both women out of their silence.

"You don't have to talk, Henry," Emma said in a rush as he backed away toward his door.
"You only have to listen!" Regina followed, her tone sounding just on the brink of desperate.

He stopped and looked at all of them now that they were all aware that he was standing there. His parent's eyes were begging him to stay while Rumpelstiltskin looked like he'd rather be anywhere else other than where he was currently standing. Hook looked busy as he shouldered most of David's body weight and both Mary-Margaret and Belle were grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary which only made him all the more curious. He opened his mouth to ask them what was going on but before he could get the words out there was a humming sound.

He stared trying to figure out who it was when it suddenly got louder and Neal came between Emma and Regina, the most apologetic look covering his features.

"We shouldn't've fought, we should have stopped but it kept going, sorry for ruining your Thanksgiving night," he sang and before Henry could ask why his dad was singing in tune to Grenade by Bruno Mars Emma interrupted him.
"It was rude, it was wrong, but we were all selfish, drinking games, so ashamed, can we make it right?"
"I thought that I could just get us altogether, get us altogether I did," Mary-Margaret sang from the back and Henry felt the beginnings of a smile work across his face.
"But obviously we really couldn't overcome it and we all just wanted to say," Regina mumble sang but her eyes were sincere.
"That we would like to eat some apple pie with you," Belle tweeted.
"Eat mashed potatoes and roast bird with you," Rumpel talked quickly which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Bell, the act only making him shrug.
"Play some games and knock back a cup of juice or two," Hook came next before humming the music again that they had entrusted David to do since talking wasn't his strongpoint at the moment.
"Get rid of our bad attitudes." Neal again before Regina's "OoooooOOOhOhOh!"
"We would all just like to say," Emma sang, "That we're sorry we started acting this way."

"Yes, we apologize, we do, so will you just come and eat?"

They all finished together with David shouting the last part unnecessarily loud and off key, his enthusiasm making Hook wince at the volume being blown into his ear.

Henry stood and stared at them in complete shock, never thinking that any of them would ever do a song together let alone one that he actually knew. He was surprised that they even knew it. Maybe not so much Emma…or Neal. But still.

"We can sing it again if you'd like more time to think, lad," Hook said from the back and Henry shook his head with a grin spreading across his face.

"No, that's really not necessary," he laughed and took several steps toward the adults, amused that Rumpelstiltskin seemed to take great relief in the fact that there wouldn't be another go.
"So, we're forgiven?" Emma dared to ask and Henry nodded.
"Sure, you're all forgiven," he replied, his tone once again turning light. "Just remember if you can't something nice, don't say nothing at all."

"Did he like the song?" David asked from the back, his face genuinely worried over Henry's approval.

Henry gave him a thumbs up which made his gramps sigh in great relief before glancing at Hook.

"Hey, pirate," he declared, not very aware that Hook was literally less than a foot away. "I'm really hungry now. Can we eat?"

Everyone stared at David, smiles twitching on every mouth as Hook winced once again at the volume.

"Well, you heard the man," he finally said, an authorative tone entering his voice. "Let's bloody well eat."

Everyone began to shuffle back toward the table and Emma watched both Regina and Neal wrap Henry in a hug before following the others, leaving her with a few extra seconds with her son.

"You okay, kid?" she asked as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and began the descent back into the living room. "I'm really sorry about all of this," she motioned with her hand, her face looking so sincere Henry wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I should have been better."
"I know you are, sorry that is, and it's really not your fault."

She smiled before leaning over to kiss his forehead, an act that was all too rare between them.

"Love you, kid."
"I love you, too."
"Hurry up you two! You walk slower than Granny on an artemi…arthre…artistic…artmis…"
"Arthritic?" Mary-Margaret asked David, the word lighting David's face up.
"That's what I said…artistic day.""You heard your grandpa. Get going," Emma said under her breath, raising her brows in good humor.
"Or else, right?"
"That's right. Or else."

Welp, there you have it :) If you think Thanksgiving should end here or continue let me know. I'm kind of bouncing ideas around in my head...Black Friday shopping being one of them and maybe tying those orange roses in with a David and Hook discussion. But if you want me to start Christmas I shall!

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