Quickie:

SassyLostie - Yeah, I guess Sawyer is being inconsiderate. But hey, the man's got himself some needs...just like anyone else...P
bonboni - Well, being that you're so psychic, I'd think you'd already know. Hehe!
LostSista - Kids aren't the brightest though. At least not these days. And anyway, this is just another example of fiction! Muahaha.
LordXwee - Well, good thing Sawyer's not a bad stranger.

Chapter 53

Along with the progressing pregnancy, came the rapid change in seasons. Soon Autumn's beautifully colored leaves began to litter the ground, and the air grew cooler. Days came and went, nights lingered on forever – especially for Sawyer. Since the doctor's diagnosis, Kate refused to have sex with him, worried that they might cause damage to the baby. Sawyer argued with this, using one of his teasing remarks - "Well where do you think dimples come from, Freckles!?" – to which Kate did not laugh. The tension was growing, even with Thanksgiving right around the corner.

"You know, your mood swings are starting to get worse than mine," she told him.

"Oh please. Do you know what a pain in the ass you can be?"

She put her hands on her hips.

"Do you know how much of a pain in the ass you can be?"

"Yeah but at least I'm not a pain all the time."

"Ha!"

"What?"

"Not all the time? You're more stubborn than your own kid!"

"I am not!"

"Oh really?" she laughed.

"You know what…"

"No. What?"

"It wasn't a question!" he snapped.

Kate put a hand to her stomach, and hurried to sit at the kitchen table. Sawyer's expression changed.

"You all right, Freckles?"

She exhaled sharply. "I'm fine."

"I was just askin'," he narrowed his eyes.

"I know. It's just moving around a bit. Makes it a little hard to breathe."

"Then tell it to stop."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it would understand that…"

"Well, pardon me for tryin' to help!" he said, storming out of the room.

"James…" she sighed.

The next afternoon – Thanksgiving, as a matter of fact – Kate and Sawyer were on better terms. But that was a normal thing, lately. They would have their bad days, and then a good day, only to be followed by more bad days. Despite it all, they were able to get through it. But not without complaints. Sawyer decided since Kate was obviously incapacitated, he would make some sort of attempt at a Thanksgiving dinner. He even bought a small turkey.

Unwilling to let him go at it alone, Kate sat at the kitchen table, peeling potatoes and ears of corn, with a bowl of sliced fruits in front of her to snack on. As she started to peel the next potato, the peeler got caught on an eye and the skin flew into the air, hitting Sawyer in the back of his neck. He turned around, stunned. Kate's dropped jaw slowly closed.

"You did that on purpose," he smirked.

She laughed. "No, I didn't. The peeler got caught."

"Yeah, yeah."

He plucked the skin off his neck and tossed it into the trashcan. A moment later, he felt something hit him in the back of the head. He looked down at the floor and saw a grape. When he turned around, Kate was smiling.

"Now, that – that was on purpose," she grinned.

"You're settin' a great example for the kid," he teased.

"You're one to talk."

"Just peel your damn potatoes…."

"What're you doing over there?" she said, trying to see around him.

"I'm stuffin' the bird."

"You know it's going to take longer to cook that way."

His shoulders slumped, and he shook his head.

"Then we'll just have to wait longer. I'm not sittin' here stickin' my hand up his ass for no damn reason."

Kate laughed. "Okay."

A few hours later, Kate was lying on the couch in the living room, relaxing and letting Sawyer cook his meal. He suddenly let out a loud cry in pain, startling her.

"Son of a bitch!"

"What happened?" Kate got to her feet.

"I burnt my hand," he said, annoyed.

Repressing a grin, she entered the kitchen.

"How did you manage to do that?"

"I was tryin' to light the stove. This piece of crap doesn't light itself anymore."

She glanced at the old, run down stove over his shoulder.

"Do you ever stop to think that you really need to get some new appliances and furniture in this house?"

"With what, my looks?"

"Actually…"

"Ha ha. Just spew out all the con jokes. Hit me while I'm down…"

"Don't be so uptight," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She took his burnt hand in hers, to examine it. "It doesn't have to be perfect you know."

"I know…"

"Run it under cold water."

"What?"

"Your hand," she said, opening the freezer.

"Oh."

He did as he was told and watched her get the ice.

"It's not like this is the first Thanksgiving we've been together for," she continued.

"No, but we didn't exactly celebrate it last year."

"Listen to you," she laughed, closing the freezer door.

"What?"

"I didn't know you were such a thankful man," she said, wrapping the ice in a towel and handing it to him.

"I'm thankful for a lotta things," he said, wrapping his other hand around her waist. His eyes traveled down to her stomach, then back up to her face.

"Me too," she smiled up at him.

They shared a soft, loving kiss. Kate felt the iced hand on her back, and arched, pulling away.

"You did that on purpose," she teased.

He grinned. "Maybe."

She paused. "What's burning?"

Sawyer's eyes widened. He hurried to the stove and realized the vegetables and diced potatoes he'd been cooking in the skillet were now blackened.

"Son of a….damnit!"

"Well…it's okay," she assured him. "There's still the corn."

While he turned the fire on the skillet off, Kate lifted the lid of the pot where the ears of corn were boiling, and noticed them looking a bit unappetizing.

"How long ago did you put these in?"

"I put 'em in the same time as the bird."

"How long ago was that?"

He looked down, sighing. "An hour and a half."

Kate tried as hard as she could to keep from looking at him like he was and idiot. She sighed. Sawyer spared a glance in the oven at the turkey, and his anger rose. He angrily ripped open the door to the oven and pulled the turkey out. It was still raw and pink, stuffing pouring out of it.

"You…turned the oven on, right?" Kate asked cautiously.

"Yes!" he sneered. "The damn thing must be broken!"

Even more furious, Sawyer swept his arm across the stove, the vegetables, skillet, and turkey all flying to the floor. He screamed out in pain, again. The flame where the skillet had been on was only lowered, instead of turned off. The same hand he had burnt before was now burnt down his wrist.

"Sawyer!" Kate shouted.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

Soon after the burn incident, Kate took Sawyer to the hospital to make sure there wasn't any terrible damage to his hand and wrist. Sawyer insisted on driving home – a fight that Kate lost. He pulled into the parking lot where The Parlor resided, to go into the pharmacy beside it and retrieve the cream the doctor prescribed.

"Why is The Parlor open, today?" Kate asked, when he got back.

"It ain't. Cassie lives in the apartment above it. Jerry usually keeps her company during the holidays since she ain't got no family."

"Jerry doesn't have family either?"

"Well, his folks are both dead. And he and his brother don't get along, so he just stays with Cassie."

Kate looked at the two in the window of The Parlor, sympathetically. Just as Sawyer was about to start the car, Kate stopped him.

"Why don't we say hello?" she said. "It's the least we could do. Since we're here..."

"Why not?"

They got out of the truck and went over to The Parlor. Sawyer knocked on the locked door. Jerry waved, and Cassie immediately rushed over to open it.

"James! Kate! What brings ya'll around here today? Shouldn't you be with your family?"

"What family?" Sawyer said, grimly.

"Well what about you, sweetpea?" she asked Kate.

"My parents are out of town," Kate lied, not wanting to make the mood anymore downtrodden than it was.

Sawyer glanced at her, and she looked down. But he understood.

"Well, you two are more than welcome to stay. Jerry's cooked up a feast! We was just talkin' about how much leftovers there's gonna be. Come over here. Sit, sit."

"Thanks, Cassie," Sawyer said.

"Oh you two are more than welcome. And look at you!" she exclaimed, eyeing Kate's stomach. "You didn't tell me you were expectin'! When's it due?"

"February," Kate smiled, taking a seat.

"How far along are you, exactly? And do you know what it is? Ooh! What are you gonna name it? Oh, Jerry, ain't this exciting!?"

As Cassie chattered on, Sawyer soon forgot the pain in his hand, and he and Kate feasted on Jerry's thanksgiving dinner. Sawyer stayed silent while Kate, Cassie, and Jerry conversed, admiring Kate's laughter and smile. He realized that he was right where he should be on this day - with Kate and their baby, and Cassie and Jerry. With his family.

Outside, the first few flakes of snow could be seen slowly finding their way down to the ground…