"And now, welcome back to the Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Day Parade..."
Television remote clattered down onto the table when it was tossed aside on her way into the bedroom. She didn't plan on watching all of the parade by herself this morning. It was a day to be spent with friends and family, and since her nearest blood relation was an ocean away, she'd decided to go see friends: the family you get to choose. To make this possible, she had to first make herself presentable. A quick shower took care of part of that.
Dried off and with a towel wrapped around her hair, the vixen headed for the closet. Here was the harder decision. Having decided that going by to see Ash, Alex, Laney and the gang, was the best chance for seeing most of those she wanted to visit, she had to choose a suitable outfit for the ocassion. Well, she wasn't going to be trying to impress anyone...
Ten minutes later, Lexie was dressed in a pair of black leggings, a forest green sweater tunic, and her favorite knee-high black boots. Another quick brush through her hair and a check of the essential cosmetics - eyeliner, eye shadow, and wine red lip gloss - and she was almost ready to get out the door. Finger stabbed down on the power button to cut off the television while shoving her cell phone into the top of her left boot, her slim wallet into the top of the right, and grabbing her keys from the end table.
It didn't take long at all to lock up, get the 'Vette's engine started, and turn in the right direction. Most people probably would have called ahead of time, but Lexie didn't. But then, she had a peace offering in case she woke anyone up: a box of beignets and four of the largest cups of coffee possible. So, the only warning of her arrival was the roar of the car's engine before it was cut with a turn of the key.
Only now was the vixen questioning whether she would be welcome or not. After all, the last time she'd spoken to the wolves it was a message on Ash's voicemail. She wasn't real proud of that, but here was hoping no one would be too upset with her. With her hands full, the toe of her boot was used to knock at the door rather more loudly than if she'd used her knuckles. The feral gleam remained in her emerald eyes, but there was a faint hint of her usual smirk in place.
She already knew that she was in the right place by the familiar scents that reached her nose, but still there was the hope that whoever answered her 'knock' would be a familiar face.
The night before had been quite an event. It wasn't every day you had a wolf exorcism in your very own home, but the sad thing was that the strange events fit right in for most of them. Even though they'd gone to bed late Ash was awake just after sunrise. He had been waking with the sun for as long as he could remember. Some part of him knew sunset and sunrise like a primal instinct, something connected to Marcus and the part of him that could feel the vampires soul slip away. As the others slept Ash went out for an early morning run and then took a hot shower before settling in at the kitchen table with a cup of French pressed coffee and a cigarette.
Thanksgiving was going to be celebrated at Betwixt and Between according to the message Geller had sent to them. Ash was planning to load the wolves up in the Hummer and drive them over later in the day. When he heard a car pulling into the driveway he crushed out his cigarette and stood up from the table, making his way towards the door as he heard the sound of Lexi knocking. The scent of the fox mingling with her sugary offerings and making his lips twitch into the ghost of a smile as he pulled the door open.
"Lexie. Happy American Holiday, pet."
The two Brits were by now used to being stateside where this unusual holiday was common place, but that didn't mean that they couldn't laugh about it. Pushing the door open he stepped past the threshold and moved to sweep her into one arm as he nuzzled his cheek to hers in greeting. Then stepping back he offered to help by carrying the coffees for her. Taking them from her he let her inside and swept the door closed behind them with one of his bare feet.
"Where've you been? I thought you'd left when Silent and I didn't hear back from you. Is everything alright with Ginny? The family?"
Making pleasent small talk he walked with her into the kitchen and set the coffee down on the counter. The smell of hot beignets was distracting and as soon as she opened the box he slipped a hand past her to steal one of the small puffed pastries.
"I was just sitting down to my morning cup. Why don't you join me? The others should be awake soon and later we're going over to one of the other wolves for Thanksgiving. It would be lovely if you could join us and if there's anyone you'd like to invite feel free."
Ash was formal as always, but he had cared for Lexi a long time and couldn't help but be happy to have her here. She had been part of the original pack in Salem, and this was exactly the time of year when it felt good to have them all together again. Tearing off a corner of the beignet he moved back towards the table where his own coffee waited and took a seat, encouraging Lexi to join him as she told him what she'd been doing these long months.
A familiar face? Oh, it was certainly that. And a most welcome sight, too. Arms spread outward with their offerings so that he could easily give her that one-armed hug. Brushing her cheek against his, she chuckled a little. "Happy Dead Bird Day, luv." The offer to help by carrying the coffees was readily taken up and she flexed the fingers that had been holding the cup holder as she stepped inside out of the way.
The inevitable questions came right on cue. The last questions were answered first since they were the easiest, but only once they'd reached the kitchen and she was able to set the box of goodies down.
"Ginny and her mum are doing fine. No major troubles on that front." A quick shrug. "I've been.. here and there. A lot of trips in the swamp, some tea with a fellow named Caine..." There she paused to look at him, see if the name meant anything to him. She hadn't said anything, but she'd noticed something about Caine that made her think of Ash. Now was the time to see if she'd been correct without actually coming out with a question.
"Well, if you don't think it would be any trouble I'd love to join everyone. I've missed you all."
It didn't take much coaxing to get her to sit down with him. But since she'd had her own coffee already, all she did was lean back and watch him enjoy the offerings she'd brought. "Iam sorry that I haven't been in touch, Ash. I hope you'll forgive me." A slight shrug. Trying to explain why she'd connected so deeply with her counterpart that she'd spent hours running on four feet would be nearly impossible. Especially since she'd yet to come up with a satisfactory answer for herself.
"I've been in discussions with the owners of the houseboat I've been watching. Deciding when and where I will be going since they plan to return in the spring." A quick wave of her hand. "But how are you? And Silent, Alex, the others?"
The vixen was more interested in hearing just how her friends were than having any soul-searching talk with the Ulfric.
The quiet tone of his voice probably spoke volumes louder than any more verbose expressions could. Ash truly felt that with Lexie missing from the mix the pack was not complete. It would just take him awhile to get used to the fact that she had resigned herself to independence. Not that he couldn’t understand her decision. For most of his life he would have done the same thing, and even in his more recent history he had tried to deny the call of his beast seeking others of his kind. The independent streak was one he understood only too well, and he wouldn’t deny her the sweet quiet of solitude as long as she wanted it.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” A small nod of his head was given. “I’m just glad to find that you’re doing alright.”
Listening to her tell him about her family and her more recent plans he leaned comfortably forward with one forearm resting on the table. The beignet had been set aside on his saucer so that he could lift his cup of French Pressed Sumatran coffee and take a long satisfying drink. There were few vices in this world that he enjoyed quite so much as a freshly pressed cup of coffee in the still moments of the morning. The aroma tantalized as he took another sip and set the cup aside to answer her question.
“Everyone’s doing alright. It’s been a rough couple of months around here. Then again, after awhile the chaos just starts to look like everyday life so I can’t complain.”
Watching her from across the table his lightning kissed blue eyes pondered her expression as he wondered if he should mention Silent’s plans to her. Nothing had been made concrete yet, in fact he and Silent had yet to have a real conversation about things since she hadn’t returned from Salem yet. Yet the chances were that after today it might be some time before he saw the vixen again. So it seemed like a good idea to at least mention the possibilities to her now, lest any changes take place without her knowing about them. She might no longer be a part of the pack, but she was still a friend and someone who was always welcome to find him should she need or wish to.
“As a matter of fact, Silent has this wild idea in her head that we should move back to Salem.”
With his eyes set on Lexie’s face that ghost of a smile touched the corners of his full lips. Tattooed fingers curled around the warm heat of his coffee cup as he brought it up to his mouth for a drink while letting her take in the information. The burn of the hot liquid felt good and he found himself looking more and more forward to a day spent among family.
“My work takes me on the road more and more, and I think she’d prefer to be in Salem…with our pack. I’m not sure Silent has ever really felt at home here with all the past looming over her. Nothing is certain yet, but I thought you should know in case one day you skip out of the woods here looking for us only to find us gone. In any event, you know you’re always welcome wherever we are.”
Simple, quiet words from Ash usually reassured her more than someone else using loud and flowing words. Fingers ran idly over the edge of the table while she watched him.Brows lifted at the talk of it being a rough few months, her curiosity and worry for her friends increasing just a bit. However, Ash didn’t have that look about him that means big trouble so she didn’t get herself too worked up.
Lips parted slightly, the only sign she gave of being surprised by Silent’s idea to move back to Salem. The vixen had nothing against Salem, in fact she was often grateful for that city since it had introduced her to Ash, Silent, the others. But she had never seriously considered returning there. She heard the explanation of sort that he was giving, but still hadn’t made any move.
Her brain was working rapidly, touching on trivial things and important things, looking for some way to say things right. Emerald green focused on Ash’s face again and she sighed a bit.
“I…” Damn, this was going to turn into one of those emotional conversation things. A slight shake of her head with a little twitch of her lips was given. “Being alone… running alone, sleeping alone, no scent but my own in a house. I have found that there is no comfort in it. If…” A pause to choose the right phrasing. “If the pack should move back to Salem… do you suppose there would be room for a lonely fox in the house?”
The vixen, that animal part of her, missed running with other bodies around her on a hunt. The vixen missed the press of furred bodies sleeping in a pile. Lexi missed being around her friends, missed being on hand to help in a crisis. So, despite her counterpart’s drive to be independent, neither the animal nor the woman enjoyed the solitude they’d found.
With a forced return of her normal cheer, she smirked over toward Ash. “Well, ah, if it does turn out that the move will happen, I’ll be more than happy to help with any packing or arrangements.” There, she’d made the understated plea to go back to being as close to pack as she could be, as well as the offer to help with packing and moving. It was all she could do.
+The air outside was crisp and cool, which was just perfect for the holiday season. Geller found himself bundled up in a black wool pea coat with a maroon scarf from Jenna coiled around his neck for warmth, even though lycanthropes usually ran hot, but still that wind off the Mississippi could be a bitch. For once the top was up on the Convertible Cadillac as he drove up the driveway to the pack house to pick up a few things before the big day. The restaurant was closed for Thanksgiving, but they were planning on having quite a large private group there for dinner.+
+Tossing his keys onto the dashboard he climbed out of the car and bounded the porch steps towards the door. Once inside he smelled food and coffee and said a silent thanks to the gods for that, because otherwise he might not make it through the morning. Ducking his head into the kitchen he spotted Ash talking to a woman who smelled like....fox. Surprise, surprise. Wide set lips pulled into a smile that most would describe as toothy as he gave a half wave to the two at the table.+
"Just stopping off to pick up some stuff for tonight." +Veering off his path to the fridge he leaned over Ash's shoulder to pluck a beignet from the plate a take a famished bite of the puffy pastry.+ "Mmmhmmm dis good." +At least that's probably what it sounded like with his mouth full. Beignet in one hand he went to make himself a cup of coffee; might as well. Seeing that some to-go cups were already sitting on the counter he pointed to them and asked,+ "Can I have one of these?"
+When someone gave him the go ahead he grabbed the cup of coffee and used the warm rich brew to wash down the pastry that he was eating like he hadn't seen food in a decade. Not true, but he did love food no matter what was going on. Pulling out a seat at the table after surreptitiously licking powdered sugar from his fingers he smiled at the woman that he didn't know and it made his strangely prominent features look a little less like a neanderthal.+
"I'm Geller." +Reaching a calloussed hand across the table towards Lexi for a hand shake he nodded over at Ash.+ "You coming with the pack for Thanksgiving dinner? I've been working on a turkey the size of a whale, so we'll need plenty of help devouring it."
Ah, the perfect distraction from emotional shit, a new person to speak to. Her usual smirk was turned on the man in response to the smile on his face. Lexi was quite pleased that her offering of beignets and coffee seemed to be going over so well. A quick look was flashed Ash’s way before her attention was pulled away by the question about the to-go cups. “Help yourself. That’s what I brought them for. They’re part of my apology for being out of touch for so long.”
Hand lifted, reaching over to clasp his offered hand. “Lexi. Pleasure to meet you, Geller.” Pulling her hand back, it joined the other crossed in front of her. “It looks like it. Ash asked me to come along, so unless there are objections…” A roll of her shoulders in a shrug. She didn’t think anyone would object to her presence, but there was always the possibility.
+As though to prove his point Geller reached across the table to take another beignet from the plate in front of Ash. They were still warm; which was important since warm beignets were a hundred times better. He had set his coffee down to give Lexi's hand a shake that was firm but not trying to prove anything. His hand was warm, dry, and hardened by callouses in various spots from his labors in the kitchen over the last several decades of his life. When their hands parted he took a bite of his beignet and chased it down with a good solid drink of the chickory laced coffee.+
"Objections?" +Geller chuckled in a way that matched his smile, a purely natural expression.+ "You kidding? The more the merrier."
+So what if she was a fox. She was obviously a friend of the Ulfric and besides there would be wolves and tigers and rats and humans there all mingling together so a fox in the mix sounded about perfect for the occasion. Ripping off another bite from the beignet he had a faint dusting of powdered sugar decoarting his upper lip which he licked off.+
"Just promise to say that everything tastes fabulous and you'll be in good company."
+Wide set lips were pulled back in a grin that showed the porcelein rows of his horsey teeth. Pushing his chair back once again he rose to his feet and circled the table behind Ash. As he passed the man he patted a hand on his shoulder in that idle way that lycanthropes have of wanting to touch and be touched.+
"So Lexi, are you from these parts? Or did you move here more recently?"
+The city had had quite an influx of people lately so you never could be sure. Going to the kitchen refridgerator he rooted around inside until he found the things that he had come for. Setting them out on the island he went to look under the sink for a brown paper grocery bag to carry them out in. Shaking out the bag he listened to Lexi's response as he loaded the items into the bag. Once that was done he went back to the table with the bag dangling from his fingers and picked up his coffee.+
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys again in a couple of hours then."
+A lopsided smile was given towards Ash and then as he passed her Geller gave Lexi's shoulder a squeeze.+ "Happy Thanksgiving Foxy." +And with that he took his leave to let the other two continue with their visiting. Besides, he had more than enough to contend with in the B&B kitchen. By now Adam & Steven were likely to have set something on fire, maybe each other, you just never knew.+
“Sometimes my apologies involve alcoholic beverages, too. At least they do when I’ve remembered to re-stock.”
A vulpine grin flashed at Geller as she tilted her head slightly. “I don’t know… saying everything tastes fabulous might be difficult to do.” A throaty chuckle followed her teasing words. “Don’t worry, luv, I’m sure everything will taste much better than my own cooking.” A theatrical shudder was given to show just how much she disliked her attempts at making edible food.
“Oh, good Lord, no. I’m a Londoner originally, though I’ve been all over the States. Most recently I was living in New York, bartending for a friend. I’ve been in New Orleans for…” She paused, thinking it over for a moment. “…oh, nearly the whole year now, I suppose.” A shrug, not particularly caring how long she’d been in one place or another.
Head bobbed in the affirmative about being seen again in a few hours. Before the hand squeezing her shoulder left, she reached up to brush her fingertips against his knuckles. “And to you, Geller.” At the moment, Geller didn’t rate anything more than that. Maybe if she got to know him better he might move into the same category as a good number of the other wolves.
When he’d gone, those emerald greens turned back to Ash, her lips forming that usual smirk. “He seems like a good sort.”
"No matter where the pack is love, there's always room for a fox in our home. That's a promised oath from Silent and myself to you."
Though the subject matter of the current conversation was rather serious he spoke with a dark toned softness to his voice, almost like he was making light of it to make it seem more comfortable. Reaching across the table he laid his hand over hers and softly brushed the back of her hand with his.
"And if we move you'll be the first one we call, free labor never goes to waste around here."
From the direction of the front entrance he heard and felt Geller coming to join them. Ashes chin tipped upwards a bit as he looked at the other male wolf coming towards them and an ironic lilt twitched the corners of his full lips. The timing was almost uncanny. When Geller asked about the coffee Ash motioned with a wave of his hand but refrained from a verbal response since Lexi was handling it.
"Geller is the packs Lupe. A title earned for his help and strength; not because he and I are involved in any other way."
The idea was a strange one, something that had never been done before as far as he knew. Yes, they were all about trying new things these days. Conversation flowed between the other two and Ash contented himself with nursing his cup of coffee while he listened. He had none of Geller's knack for small talk. When Geller rose to leave and he felt the mans hand descend to touch his shoulder Ash lifted his own pale tattooed hand and for a quick second held the other mans hand.
"We'll see you soon chap."
Things hadn't been easy for Geller recently; Ash knew only too well the pain of being away from your mate. It was not an experience that he would want to repeat. Pressing his palms flat against the table he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. Lightning kissed blue eyes met Lexi's as he noted that familiar smirk set on her lips.
"Yes he is. They all are, but you'll meet the new pack soon enough and then you can judge for yourself. Now, I have to take a shower before we head into the city. I'd ask if you care to join me but I think I can guess at the answer. Guard the kitchen, don't let anyone touch Alex's cornbread stuffing in the fridge or she'll blow a gasket. I'll be back."
Heading off to his room he was sure others would come to keep Lexie company in his absence. Soon enough they'd all be scrubbed and dressed and headed off for the Thanksgiving gorging that passed as a Holiday in the United States.
