thanksgiving is, after all, a word of action [set on 11/26]

[triskehale]

Thanksgivings in the Hale house used to be quite the big deal. Feeding over a dozen werewolves, many of them teenagers was no easy feat. Derek loved all the chaos, and he helped out in the kitchen since he was old enough to stand on a step stool and reach the counter.

The first year after everyone died, he and Laura each got a rotisserie chicken and some biscuits, trying to hang on to some semblance of tradition, but the food tasted like ash. Laura went to bed early, and Derek pretended not to hear her cry. They stopped trying to do anything for the holiday after that.

It's been almost a decade since that disastrous attempt, and a few months ago Derek decided that he wanted to try again. While Laura and the rest of his family will always be the cause of this gnawing ache in his heart, Derek has a new family here in Darrow. He has so many people that matter to him, and care about him. It's more than Derek deserves, or ever thought that he would get, but he's grateful. He's thankful.

So he decides that he's going to do his best to put on a Thanksgiving of his own, and invite his new ragtag sort of pack. His new family.

The invitations go out and on the big day, Derek arrives at Semele's just after dawn. He puts two giant turkeys in the oven and quickly sets up the long table and chairs in the middle of the bar. With each chair he places, Derek marvels over just how many people he has in his life. It's astounding to him, and it's the perfect day to show his gratitude.

And then, all that's left to do is cook. And cook, and cook some more. If he's lucky, he'll have time to go shower and put on something nice before all his guests arrive.


[Hale pack Thanksgiving! Treat this as a gathering post. Tag in, tag around, give thanks! ♥]

Comments

[sonofdurin]

"You started it," Fíli points out, scooping up an extra-large bite of pie and chewing it smugly. It's even more delicious than it otherwise would have been. "Besides," he adds, blithely ignoring Kíli's glare - that particular expression hasn't worked in years, and he's sure his brother knows it - "I'm doing you a favor, really. If you eat too much more of this, you'll just get fat."

[willnothide]

His brother makes a fair point, though Kili lifts his chin defensively at it. "I'm far more active than you, brother, I am not the one who should be worried about eating too much." He pauses, the corners of his lips twitching. "Though I suppose if Bombur were here, he'd tell us both to stop chattering and get to eating." Plucking the fork out of Fili's hand, Kili steals himself a bite of his own pie, grunting his approval. "I certainly wouldn't argue with that logic, anyone who does clearly doesn't have their head on straight."