Disclaimer: Square Enix own Final Fantasy, not me.

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! This is one of my favorite holidays, so this is my Thanksgiving special. Enjoy my darlings.

"Get the pot!" Cass said quickly. Sephiroth lifted it off the stove before it could boil over. A quick peek at it's contents made him smile. Potatoes, a lot of them, ready for mashing.

"You can smash them up, but no eating until the table is set and everyone seated," Cass said firmly. His grin widened.

"Why are you doing this again?" Sephiroth asked dumping a pre-measured amount of butter into the pot.

"Angeal asked me to," she said, "It's sort of a tradition where he and Genesis are from. We seriously owe both of them." Sephiroth nodded as he started mashing. It was part of the reason he liked mashed potatoes. The other part was the taste of course.

"Are you sure you're not mad about...that?" Sephiroth asked. They had been ushered away as soon as the word "Mom" had left Sephiroth's mouth, but the damage had been done. People knew Mom existed. Apparently that was bad.

"Yeah," Cass snorted, "That was the funniest moment of my entire life. I couldn't be mad if I wanted to. You should have seen peoples faces!"

"It seemed like it was the wrong thing to say," Sephiroth said.

"There is no right or wrong answer for that sort of question," Cass said, "They were just upset that you said it was me. They don't want to dig up my grave, figuratively speaking. I'm not upset by it. They'll probably just kill me off figuratively again. It'll make such a nice tragic picture of you."

"I don't want you to die," Sephiroth said, "Figuratively or literally."

"To be honest, I don't either," Cass said, "I raised you, I'm proud of you, and I love you." Sephiroth smiled. "And I am flattered that you said it was me." Sephiroth slowed his movements.

"Really?" he asked.

"Of course," Cass said, "It isn't everyday that a lady hears that she's beautiful." He smiled again as he resumed his project. He kind of liked this tradition. It smelled delicious.

"What was this tradition again?" Sephiorth asked.

"I knew you were distracted," Cass chided, "I'm not really sure, but it sounds like people gather together with a lot of food."

"That sounds nice," Sephiroth said.

"It does, doesn't it?" Cass agreed, "Angeal said he and his mom did it every year. I think he's homesick, hopefully this helps a little."

"Homesick?" Sephiroth asked.

"He misses home and really wants to go back," Cass explained.

"That's what it's called?" Sephiroth mused. He had to admit it was a good descriptor.

"You've felt it?" Cass said. He nodded.

"Sometimes," he said, "I just feel like coming home, but I can't. It goes away a little." She nodded.

"Since Angeal can't come home like you can, we'll try to fill the void," she said. He nodded. He could do that. It sounded like fun anyway.

Angeal couldn't believe it. Cass had given him and Genesis directions to just come in sometime between 1300 and 1700 hours. The door would be open. He froze in the doorway. The smell hit him harder than the drill sergeant's boots.

It smelled liked home.

"Woah," Genesis breathed. Angeal said nothing. He hadn't thought she'd go all the way. He could hear voices in the kitchen.

"Not until the table is set and everyone is seated!" Cass's voice yelled

"I couldn't help it," Sephiroth said.

"Just for that, you can finish the cranberry sauce," Cass said.

"Aww." Genesis laughed quietly at the exchange. Angeal swallowed and stepped over the threshold. He let the door shut behind him.

"Hi Angeal," Cass called, "Hi Genesis." Genesis moved in further and called back his own greeting. Angeal had to stop again. He thought he had only stopped for a few minutes, but suddenly Cass was beside him.

"Angeal are you okay?" she asked him. He jerked in surprise. Genesis and Sephiroth were nowhere to be seen.

"I'm fine," he said. He could tell that Cass didn't believe his lie in the least. "I just didn't think...you went all the way."

"Well, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right," Cass said, "and I owe you."

"No yo-"

"Yes, I do," Cass said, "You have no idea how long I've waited for someone to be friends with Sephiroth and I know Genesis would not have done it on his own. Then both of you cover him so the public doesn't know just how anti-social he is. I know it would have been easier just to let him drown."

"I wouldn't have done that," Angeal said, "Gen wouldn't either."

"I know," Cass said, "but I'm still grateful. I haven't seen him this happy since I took him to live with me." He could hear Genesis's familiar exasperated sigh in the next room and Sephiroth questioning what he had done wrong now.

"I know you're homesick," Cass saick, "and I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do to get you back home today, but I can make this place home for just a few hours. It's the very least I can do to repay you for what you've done for me. You put everyone's problems ahead of your own. That's a rare sort of person to meet Angeal." Angeal blinked a few times. He felt the familiar choking sensation and pushed it back.

"If you ever need anything, Angeal, you can ask me," Cass said, "I'm not your Mom, but I'm just like you. I fix my problems last." Angeal looked up at her.

"Thank you," he said.

Dear Mom,

I'm sorry I couldn't come home for Thanksgiving. It's not recognized as a holiday on this continent. I don't know if I can come home to visit sometime soon. I didn't think I'd have to leave you alone on Thanksgiving. I promised I'd keep you company after Dad died. I'm sorry I broke my promise. I hope you found company.

"You seriously went all the way," Genesis said as Cass set out the tenth item she had cooked. (Her table was extendable for the occasion).

"I like cooking," she said, "I find it relaxing."

"I hope this isn't all for us," Angeal said, "I said you could invite other people...didn't I?"

"You did," Cass said, "and I did. If Tseng got the day off, he said he'd come. He's getting leftover regardless."

"That is music to my ears," said a voice in the doorway.

"Tseng don't be creepy or I won't feed you," Cass said without missing a beat, "How many times do I have to tell you to knock."

"You said the door would be open," Tseng said, "I took that to mean I didn't have to knock."

"I didn't think you'd sneak in," Cass said. Tseng gave her a faint smirk and said nothing. She returned with a glare.

"I can see you're not going to introduce yourself," she said, "Boys this is Tseng, the asshole I work with." Tseng gave a quiet snort at that. "Tseng, this is Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley."

"I know," he said.

"You're so fucking polite Tseng," Cass said, "I should lock you out."

"Who would eat your leftovers then?" Tseng asked.

"Them," Cass said pointing at the boys, "and I could give your share to Rude. He's nice to me."

"He has a crush on you," Tseng said, "that's the only reason why."

"I know and I use it shamelessly," Cass said.

"They do this all the time," Sephiroth assured them quietly.

"This is funnier than when you annoy Genesis," Angeal said. Genesis shoved him lightly as he rolled his eyes as Cass and Tseng continued to bicker.

"Whatever," Cass said, "Table's set." They took that as the cue to take a seat.

"So Angeal, Genesis," Cass began, "Is there any special tradition to go along with the meal?"

"My family didn't celebrate," Genesis said, "I went to Angeal's."

"And Ma usually said grace and had us say what we were thankful for," Angeal added.

"Would you do us the honors this time?" she asked. He paused for a moment then took Cass's and Genesis's hand. The held hands around the table as Angeal said the quick and simple prayer his mother used.

"You don't have to say what your thankful for," Angeal added quickly at the end.

"Nonsense, that's easy," Cass said, "Tseng can start."

"I only came here for free food," Tseng said.

"You're getting jack shit unless you start talking," Cass said. Tseng muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "bitch" before speaking again.

"I'm grateful you're my partner," Tseng said, "babysitting is more fun with you. And you give me free food."

"Very good," Cass said, "next."

"I'm grateful to be here," Genesis said, "Both at this table and in training."

"I'm grateful for this meal," Angeal said, "and for this opportunity, my mother, and my friends." There was a long pause.

"Sephiroth?" Cass asked.

"Sorry I was thinking," Sephiroth said, "I'm thankful for Genesis and Angeal and for Tseng even though he's supposed to be your friend." He paused again. "And I'm thankful for having a really nice meal today and leftovers to take with me after. And I'm really thankful to have a mother who is very pretty."

Cass fell off her chair laughing again.

Even if you didn't have someone to celebrate with I hope you feel a little better knowing that I did. Genesis was with me of course. We found some other friends to celebrate with us. I don't know if you saw us, but if you did, the third boy really is our friend.

I told you about Sephiroth before. He really seemed to like Thanksgiving. He doesn't know about a lot of our holidays. He doesn't know about a lot things outside of the military, but I like him. He's a nice person once you get to know him. It's a hard thing to do, but I'm grateful he wanted to celebrate a silly holiday with me and Genesis.

There was someone I haven't told you about and I can't really tell you anything about her. She is close to Sephiroth and she is the one who put Thanksgiving together for me. You would like her. She's funny, but sweet. I wish I could say more about her, but she asked me not to and I have to respect that wish. I hope you understand that.

"That was really, really delicious," Sephiroth said, "Can we do it again next year?" Cass chuckled quietly.

"Yes," she said, "We can do it every year from now on if you want." He nodded.

"Angeal seemed really happy," Sephiroth said.

"Mmm-hmm," Cass said. Sephiroth was quiet for a long moment.

"You never said what you were thankful for," Sephiroth said. Cass paused in her washing of the dishes. "You started laughing and everyone else forgot." Cass set down her dish.

"I didn't," she said, "do you want to know?" Sephiroth stopped too.

"Yes," he said.

"Where to start?" Cass asked herself.

"The beginning," Sephiroth said. She nodded.

"Okay," she said, "I'm thankful that Professor Gast found me working in the infirmary and recognized me as the little punk who outsmarted him during a lecture at a university. I made him look like an idiot. I'm thankful that he wasn't angry at me and he followed me so we could talk. I'm thankful that when I got kicked out of school and any dreams I had shattered that I took his job offer. I'm thankful that ten minutes after I started working some freak with glasses asked me to get some kid off the roof in the pouring rain and that I did it." Sephiroth looked up at her.

"I'm thankful that you're my son," she said, "and that you have friends like Angeal and Genesis so we can do things like this. I love you Sephiroth. I'm thankful we met."

"Me too," Sephiroth said.

For a long time I wondered if I made a mistake, but for right now I feel like I'm supposed to be here. I'm sorry I had to leave you. I missed Thanksgiving with you, but I feel okay about it for some reason. I still miss you. I really do. But I'm okay now. I have good friends who will do things like make a Thanksgiving just for me because I belong here with them.

With Love,

Angeal