I don not own Once Upon a Time.
Thanksgiving time, family, food, really good times. Sorry, no spice here. Or rather no visual spice.
November Thanksgiving
November Thanksgiving
"OK, the car is packed, when the mushrooms are done in the oven they can go in the container, and we can leave. I hope there isn't a ton of traffic." Sabine loudly said in the apartment Thanksgiving morning.
"How far away do your parents live, love?" Killian asked, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. He had been deciding what to do with it for fifteen minutes. He finally decided to leave it open, definitely not a fan of the choking feeling.
"Forty-five minutes but with traffic, who knows."
Twenty minutes later they got in the car. Sabine touched a medal hanging from the rear-view mirror before turning on the engine.
Killian looked at her questioning.
"It's a St. Christopher medal, the patron saint of travelers. It actually was Justin's It was in his car and the only thing I took of his."
"Small token to keep him close."
"Pretty much." She squeezed his hand. She pulled out of the parking lot and their trip began. Almost, snacks came first.
Ten minutes later she parked the car outside a small convenience store. Killian followed her inside, unsure what to expect.
"Morning Raul." She said to the man behind the counter.
"And good morning to you too. Heading to your parents for the holiday?" He smiled at her.
"Of course, my mother needs an extra set of hands to get everything ready. Hoping we don't run into traffic." Sabine grabbed a few bags of snacks and headed to the coffee machine.
"We?" Raul asked. Then he noticed Killian. "Is this his first introduction to the family?"
"Yes. Or rather, a good number of them. Wish me luck that it goes well."
"Your family is very nice and welcoming, there won't be any reason to worry." He turned to Killian. "You treat her well; I have known her since she started college and stopped here every time she went home. She is like another daughter to me."
Killian understood the glare the man was giving him. "I will, sir."
They left the store, snacks and drinks in hand.
Once back in the car and buckled up, Killian made an observation. "You know a lot of people. And they all care about you, and you care about them."
"I guess I'm a very likable person." She smiled.
"Yes, you are." Killian took her hand to kiss her knuckles.
She switched on the radio and music filled the car.
"I still don't understand how you got pre-approved for a credit card." She mused half-jokingly. "You have the credit score of a homeless ghost. You basically didn't exist until a few months ago."
"Maybe Triton made me very believable to the authorities and the banking institutions."
"And what do you plan on buying with your money?"
"Don't I need to buy you something for this upcoming Christmas holiday?" He was still learning about all the holidays in her life.
"No talking about Christmas until after we pack the food away tonight. One holiday at a time."
"Killian stared at the colorful leaves in wonder while Sabine drove.
"Look like you are officially a leafer now."
"A what?" Clearly there were a number of words he didn't understand.
"A person who isn't from the area and looks at the leaves while locals overlook them."
Unfortunately, they ran into a little traffic which caused some colorful words to come from Sabine's mouth. "I thought we left early enough to avoid this."
"You swear like a sailor, love." Killian commented.
"Wonder where I learned it from?"
Finally, much later than she had planned, the car pulled up to a large house. Home, her childhood home.
They got out and began to unload the trunk.
Killian saw a statue in the front yard. "Who's that?"
"The Virgin Mother." Sabine didn't have to look up.
His head spun. "The what?" He was pretty sure that couldn't be right.
Sabine looked at him oddly then shook her head. "I just drove for an hour and 15 minutes. I don't have the energy to explain the immaculate conception to you." She paused in front of him. "You sure you ready for this? There will be a lot of people in there. They are loud and slightly crazy."
"I already met some people."
"You met eight people, there will be like thirty today. All sizing you up to make sure you are good enough for me. Don't let them scare you. You are amazing."
"Not sure who is reassuring who here, lass. Everything will go smoothly." He kissed her forehead.
"OK, good. Now because it's a holiday, no discussing religion, politics or the Great Pumpkin."
"I understood that reference." Sabine made him watch the movie with the dog and the blockhead.
"Nice one Steve." She laughed. Killian looked at her confused. She shook her head. "Never mind."
Sabine rang the doorbell and there was a commotion inside the house. Killian looked at her, slightly worried, she only gave him a small smile. The door flew open and Sabine's father stood there, coat half on.
"I forgot the cranberries for the stuffing. Hi honey, hope the trip wasn't too long. Hi Killian, good to see you again. I hope the store still has cranberries." He got all his sentences out in one breath before running to his car.
Sabine shook her head. "He does this every year. Welcome to my family's crazy traditions." They went inside to find Sabine's mom in the kitchen with an older woman who looked like her.
"Hi Mom, Grandma Lia, Happy Thanksgiving!"
The two women looked up, smiles on their faces.
"Sabine, thank you so much for coming early. We really could use your help." Her mom seemed frazzled.
"Dad and the cranberries again?"
"Well actually, I have those. Finally thought ahead. Your father took one look at the stuffing ingredients and suddenly remembered them. He didn't say a word to me."
"You just knew?"
"When you are married as long as we have been…" Her mom started to say then noticed Killian. "Speaking of… Killian good to see you again."
"Glad to be invited for the holiday, you have a lovely home." He was as smooth as ever.
Sabine's grandmother looked at Killian from head to toe, then turned to her daughter. She said something in a language he didn't understand. But whatever it was, it made Sabine blush.
"Grandma Lia!"
"It was a compliment dear. Not everyone is so lucky." The older woman smiled.
"Ok, what needs to be done?" Sabine had to get everyone back to the holiday tasks at hand.
"Turkey is in the oven, start cutting vegetable for the side dishes. Mom, you start prepping anything that needs it for the appetizers."
"What can I do?" Killian didn't want to be left out.
"My father needs a hand setting up tables and chairs in the dining room and into the living room."
"I am on it." Killian said. Sabine pointed him in the direction of the dining room. He walked into the room to find six long tables and he quickly counted thirty chairs. Sabine was right, this was going to be a lot of people. Where was his flask when he needed it?
But he realized he was being watched and almost inspected by a pair of tiny eyes. "Hello there, who might you be?" he asked the beagle puppy staring at him from a dog bed in the corner.
There was a pause then some careful steps towards him. A few sniffs and licks later, Killian clearly had a new friend.
"You Sabine's boyfriend?" An older man sat on the couch.
"Yes, sir." This had to be her grandfather.
"Sir? She mentioned you are a military man."
"Yes, Navy, Irish Navy, honorably discharged after my service." There was nothing honorable about him leaving the navy, but he hid those facts in this world.
"I'm an Air Force man myself. You saw action?"
"Yes, I did."
"We military men need to stick together. Sabine said you lost your brother in combat."
Killian shut his eyes for a moment. "Yes, I did."
"I'm sorry." The man patted his shoulder. "It couldn't have been an easy loss. But enough about the past, let's look forward to the future. And our future includes tables and lots of chairs. Daisy really likes you." He looked down at the puppy curled up against Killian's leg. "Take it as a good sign."
Killan nodded. "What do you do now?"
"My wife and I run a bed and breakfast in upstate New York, it overlooks the St. Lawerence Seaway. It's a nice long weekend getaway for couples and the local scene is quite nice." They set up tables and chairs as he spoke. "We have been running it since the kids were young. Now, they are all grown up with kids of their own."
Sabine walked into the room, she had on an apron and her hair was pulled out of her face. "The setup looks great. Can another table be set up over there for the appetizers?"
"Anything you need, sweetheart."
"Thanks Grandpa. You two behaving yourselves?"
"Of course, he had been the perfect gentleman. It's nice to have an extra set of hands when your father ran out for cranberries."
She smiled. She knew her grandparents would like him; it was her cousins she was slightly concerned about.
"Ok, I need to finish up chopping vegetables then I'll be back to set the table." She told them and disappeared back to the kitchen.
"You heard her, help me get another table from the garage."
Twenty minutes later the small table was set up for snacks while Sabine and her grandma put the finishing touches on the very long table.
"That's a lot of people." Killian whispered in her ear, handing a wine glass to her.
Was he getting nervous now? It was too late to back out. "Yeah, I told you. My mom is one of five kids, they all have kids and one of those kids has a kid."
"And your father's family?"
"Much smaller. He has a brother who is married and has one kid. That kid has two kids."
"I assume I need to remember everyone's name?"
"Yes, there is a test at the end of the night." She said. Killian looked worried at the thought, Sabine only giggled and playfully shoved his shoulder. "I'm kidding."
There was a loud knock at the door and her father, who had returned with the cranberries, answered it.
"Show time." She whispered to him, kissing his cheek.
"I heard there is a doctor in the house." A young man asked good-naturedly. He folded Sabine into a hug.
"Yep, finally. Only took me… way too many years." She said.
"Better late than never. I have this mole on my back, could you look at it?"
"Max! I'm not that kind of doctor!"
"Oh, sorry." He laughed then saw Killian. "And you're the boyfriend?"
"Yes, Kilian Jones." He extended his hand.
"Max, Sabine's cousin, the baby of the family."
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. I'll show you where the booze is, after meeting all of us, you are going to need it."
"I like him already."
More people began to stream through the door and into different rooms of the house and names were being thrown at Killian at top speed.
Joe was married to Wendy, they had Nick and Tim. Nick was married to Ann and they had Haliey, an adorable toddler.
Gia was married to Isaac, they had Bethany and Joan. Bethany was married to Jack.
Jacob was married to Edith, they had Valerie and Zack. Zack was engaged to Lauren.
Cindy was married to Adam, they had Daniella and Max.
And that was just Sabine's mother's side.
Finally, Killian saw a few familiar faces. Anthony, Brianna, and the children. And Rich finally in person.
"Killian, nice to actually see you. I'm assuming the scars healed?" Rich asked.
"They did, sir."
"And you are still here. Did you and Sabine figure things out or are you two still just hanging out?"
"We are more than hanging out. I'm sticking around for a long time."
"Good to hear."
"Is this the man Sabine said needed medical attention?" A woman appeared next to Rich, looking at Killian hard.
"Yes, this is Killan. Killian, this is my wife, Kim."
"Shouldn't have her long to figure things out." Then she smiled.
Soon the kitchen was buzzing with people busy with food preparation. The room was almost too small for everyone, but the warmth and chaos made it Thanksgiving.
"So, I need to know, how did you meet that gorgeous man?" Valerie asked Sabine.
"A mutual friend set us up." Sabine answered, brushing a piece of hair away from her face.
"I need better friends."
That got a laugh from the room.
"Where is the ring?" Daniella wanted to know.
"No where, there is no ring. We just moved in together. After knowing each other for about a year and a half. I'm not saying no ring ever, just not yet."
"Fine. As long as you are enjoying what you have."
"Oh, I am definitely enjoying it, every moment of it." There was a twinkle in Sabine's eye.
"Is it me or is it getting too hot in this kitchen?" Joan mused slightly louder than she should have.
"What are you girls going on about?" Grandma Lia asked.
"Nothing!" The three cousins quickly spoke up. Sabine only smiled.
Eventually, all the food was done and piled high on the table. Everyone took their seats and Sabine's grandfather led them in prayer before they were able to dig it.
Killian found the food to be the best he had ever had. And he had traveled to a few realms. Maybe because this food was made with love and he was with the woman he loved, and she was surrounded by people who loved her.
With seconds and thirds on people's plates, they went around the table to say what they were thankful for, in keeping in theme of the holiday.
There were definitely highlights, like Aunt Wendy beating her cancer, Bethany announcing her pregnancy and Zack getting into Grad School. The rest were good health, good jobs family and friends and the like.
But one took Killian by surprise.
Sabine's father stood up. "I'm thankful for Killian, I haven't seen my daughter smiled that brightly in years."
Killian squeezed her hand under the table. He really liked this holiday.
Then it was time for clean-up, a break to watch the parade and dessert. Killian wasn't sure he could eat any more. But Joe invited him to join a few of the family members for a walk around the block, and Killian accepted instantly.
The amount of dessert was almost the same if not more than dinner. And again, everything was delicious.
"Where are the kids? We need to pick names for the Secret Santa." Grandma Lia called out, holding a small basket. She found each of her grandchildren one by one. "Remember, you can't pick your sibling or your significant other."
Sabine reached in and pulled a tiny slip of paper out. She showed it to Grandma Lia who noted it down.
"Killian, you are next. Pick a name but don't show anyone. Welcome to the family."
He positively beamed before also picking a slip of paper. He looked at the name before sharing it with Grandma Lia.
"So, what am I doing with this person?" Killian asked Sabine.
"Buying them a Christmas present. Someone has you then on Christmas we do a big exchange. $40 limit and next week we will all post gift ideas in the group chat. Which I need to add you to when we get home."
They stayed a little longer, everyone sat in the living room, chatting and laughing, reminiscing about the past and planning the future.
Eventually, Sabine tapped him on the shoulder, tilting her head to the door. They did have a long drive home. They packed up their food, said their good-byes paired with good wishes and preparations for the next holiday in the works.
Sabine and Killian got into the car, and she began to drive home. He couldn't stop staring at her.
"It's a long drive, you shouldn't have to do this all the time."
"I don't mind it. I really like driving, always have. The freedom the car gives you, the ability to just go anywhere at a moment's notice." Sabine realized she had just described what the Jolly Roger had meant to Killian. "We should get you a license."
"I would like that. Maybe I can get help from work." He mused. "We should get a dog."
She chuckled. "One dog thinks you are her best friend and know we need one?"
"Maybe. She spent most of the day leaning against me. Do you like dogs?"
"Yes, there was almost always one around when I was growing up. My parents had Kimo before I was born, he practically raised me. Then Tiberius was my next best friend until he passed away a few years ago. Now my parents have Daisy. Dad wanted to be in charge of naming her because apparently, I pick odd names."
There was silence in the car.
"What's your dream job?" He asked.
Sabine actually blushed, enough that Killian could see it in the dark car. "I want to work in an observatory and discover an asteroid that is heading towards earth. They name the asteroid after me. Then astronauts go up and destroy it and save the world."
"You want to be a savior?"
"I guess so. But I'll be happy working at a planetarium, giving tours and lectures, passing my knowledge and love of the stars to other people. I would even consider occasionally teaching at a college."
"I think you would be great at that."
"Thanks."
Silence fell between them again.
"Do you think we are alone in the universe, lass?"
Sabine looked at him quickly. "Asks the man who came from another realm." She chuckled. "I think aliens fly past our planet and lock their door because we are that planet."
"Sabine…"
"We are probably on some alien kid's shelf as a science project that only got a C." She continued to joke.
"Sabine, in your professional opinion, are we alone?" He was genuinely asking.
"There's nothing to support that we are alone. But at the same time nothing suggests that we aren't. So, I don't know for sure. No one knows. Either way it's terrifying."
"I know someone who isn't alone." He reached out to squeeze her hand. "Or two people."
They finally got home and dropped the bags in the entry way. "Food needs to go into the fridge, we are obviously having leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow."
"Sabine…" There was a huskiness to his voice that made her turn around slowly.
"Yes?"
"Want to know what I am thankful for?"
She had a pretty good idea, so she just smiled and let him lead her to the bedroom.
Reviews please.
So, Christmas is up next and it's a lot! Heads up, I won't have any time to really edit until the end of July. But Christmas is coming.