thankful   

Standard Disclaimer: due South and it's characters belong to Alliance. I
just use them for fun. Hopefully they will return to their world unharmed
and ready for other people to play with them. 
 

WARNINGS: AU G! Holiday 
 
 

PAIRING: Benton Fraser/Francesca Vecchio 
 

TEASER: Thanksgiving with the Vecchios. 
 

Originally posted to RedSuitsYou@onelist.com 
 

This is a tie in to my Francesca & Benton series. Hope whoever reads them
enjoys them. If you don't... :) 
 
 Thankful Icecat62 
 
 
 

 Fraser looked around the food laden table. Turkey, two kinds of stuffing,
gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, olives, stuffed shells, rolls and
butter. There was an abundance of food and drink. If the table wasn't
solid oak it probably would have caved in from the weight of it all. On
the table in the kitchen there sat pies, cakes and puddings waiting to be
consumed as well. 

 Looking down at the plate before him, he tried to imagine how he would
eat it all. Every time a bowl had been passed his way, Francesca had
grabbed it before he could and spooned something onto his plate. She had
admonished him that he didn't eat enough as it was and there was no way he
was going to skimp on Thanksgiving. Glancing at Francesca's lean figure he
smiled. She could pack away the food, yet she never seemed to gain a
pound. 

 She caught his smile and reached under the table to clasp his hand. It
was hard to believe that only two months ago he had finally worked up the
nerve to ask her out and now they were inseparable. Looking up he saw Ray
staring at them, his face slightly disapproving. Fraser began to feel
unsettled. Trying to balance Ray's friendship and his love for Francesca
wasn't always so easy. So far Ray hadn't outright interfered, but he
hadn't exactly given them his approval on their pairing. 

 She must have sensed his discomfort because he felt Francesca's hand
squeeze his. Turning to her, he smiled as she leaned in and whispered to
him. "Ray should give thanks that I don't move in with you." Reaching up
she quickly kissed him. Ray's voice cut across to them. "Not at the
table!" Looking back over at Ray, Fraser smiled again. Francesca's
happiness was infectious. He found it hard not be happy as well. 

 "What are you smiling about?" "Everything Ray. I'm thankful for the
company I'm with. For the food that I'm eating. Everything." Ray looked at
him sadly, his mood changing from irritation to understanding. "Yeah, I
keep forgetting you didn't have any of this before." "No I didn't Ray. We
were lucky to have meat on the table let alone any type of fowl. My father
was never present at the holidays. It was never like this. That is why I'm
thankful." 

 Francesca squeezed his hand again and as he looked at the faces smiling
back at him from around the table, he knew that they were thankful as
well. Yes they had an abundance of food, but more importantly they had
each other. That's what Thanksgiving meant to Fraser. Having a family to
share this holiday with.