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Thanksgiving is an odd holiday, but I’ve never been one to forego an excuse to write a special, so here we go.

This one would take place –fittingly- during Thanksgiving, before the Christmas Special I wrote last year.

Also, since this fic has enough family members to match or outnumber my Hanako birthday special, and worse includes a bunch of characters who will probably never be mentioned or used again, I have made a rough family tree to help everyone keep it all straight:

Family Tree Image

I intend to make one for H&K: MD as well, but that one is gonna be a bitch, so it might take a bit. Until then, on with the show, because for some reason I enjoy writing about lesbians almost as much as I do eccentric cryptozoologists and insane private detectives (warning folks: this one is a long one (heh)):

Guess Who’s –Wait, 4LS already made that reference.

Giving Thanks –A USM Thanksgiving Special


“Are you nervous?” Misha asked her girlfriend, Lynda.

Lynda glanced at Misha with her bright brown eyes and shifted some of her black hair behind her ear before responding, “Why should I be nervous? Just because my girlfriend is having Thanksgiving Dinner with my family for the first time and you haven’t met any of them before and my mother’s going to be there and she’s been about as supportive of my life choices as –mmph!”

Misha placed a hand over Lynda’s mouth to stop her diatribe. Since Lynda was holding a large casserole dish, she resorted to licking Misha’s palm to get her to remove her hand.

Misha just grinned, “Nice try, Lycchan~, but I like your tongue too much for that to work~.”

“Could we please not go there?” Will Benson said from Lynda’s other side, “It’s rather disturbing hearing innuendo from your stepsister’s girlfriend.”

“We love you, too, Wicchan,” Misha stated, finally removing her hand from Lynda’s mouth.

Lynda sighed, “Okay, I’m overreacting.”

“Indeed,” Will stated, adjusting his round silver glasses as he did so.

“Shove it,” Lynda snapped at him, then turned to Misha, “I’m just worried. Your parents were very supportive of us, and I’m not sure my family…”

“As long as Dad’s on her side,” Will stated, “The rest will behave.”

Lynda nodded, “Right. Let’s go before I change my mind.”

The three left the curb where the taxi had dropped off Misha and Lynda, since there wasn’t a convenient bus stop near Will’s aunt’s house, and started the trek down the sidewalk. All were dressed in the most comfortable informal wear they could stomach, except Lynda, who was wearing a slightly more formal, conservative dress that matched her fleece jacket and loose, long hair rather well.

Misha’s blouse and skirt set almost looked outclassed in comparison, but not quite, and it worked well with her eyes. Her long brown hair was also loose, though Misha had a pair of hair clips to keep it behind her and away from her face. Will had settled for a green shirt that matched his eyes and a pair of black slacks, his shaggy dark brown hair combed but otherwise left alone.

As they walked, Lynda somewhat carefully because of the large green-bean casserole dish in her hands, Misha, who had never been in Michigan before, glanced around her as she noted the differences between that state and New York.

“What town did you say this was?” she asked.

“Garden City,” Will replied, “most notable for… Something, maybe. I’ll check the Wikipedia article when I get a chance and get back to you Although I’m partial to the game store myself.”

“Okay,” Misha said. Looking at Lynda, she asked, “So you think your Dad will like me~?”

“He should…” Lynda mused, “…Will, what if Dad doesn’t like Misha?”

Will didn’t say anything.

“Will,” Lynda said again, “What if Dad doesn’t like Misha?”

Silence.

“William Benjamin Benson!” Lynda snapped, “What. If. Dad. Doesn’t. Like. MISHA?!” Lynda nearly shrieked her girlfriend’s name.

Will sighed and rolled his eyes, “Then the entire family will turn against both of you and you will be forced to wander from town to town as either some mismatched comedy group or as a future Showtime series.”

“…Misha, could you hold this casserole while I beat the shit out of my smartass little brother?”

“You’re only three months older than me,” Will stated.

“You’d mess up your dress,” Misha quipped, “And beside’s, he’s just kidding. Right~?”

Will nodded, “Dad’s pretty laidback –almost oddly so, considering the whole ‘got my leg blown off in one of the stupidest military actions ever perpetrated by the US government’ deal. It’s the rest of the asylum you have to worry about.”

Lynda nodded, “Will’s family is insane.”

“Which one of us has a mental disorder?” Will asked.

“Misha, could you pin Will to the ground so I can beat him to death with the casserole?”

“Not after all the work I put into it,” Misha quipped, “and will you two please~ play nice?” Misha asked, putting on her best pouting face.

Lynda sighed and nodded, “I will if he does.”

Will rolled his eyes, “Of course I will; I am Will,” jabbing a finger at Misha he added, “and no fair playing the moe card!”

Misha grinned and shrugged, “I promise to only use my powers~ for good.”

Will sighed, and the three continued their brief trek along the sidewalk. As they walked, Misha noticed Lynda looked extremely nervous –more nervous then when she had met Misha’s parents.

“Are you okay, Lycchan~?” Misha asked.

Lynda, who was staring off into space, didn’t respond. Misha repeated the question a little louder, and Lynda blinked and turned to her, “Huh?”

“I’d say that answers your question,” Will quipped.

“I asked if you’re okay,” Misha said.

Lynda nodded, “Yeah, just… you remember everything we told you about our families, right?”

Misha nodded, “I think so~. It was a lot of information.”

“The main points are all you need to worry about,” Will said, “Don’t mention the war to Grandpa Charles, don’t mention pad thai to Uncle Fred, don’t mention hockey to any of Lynda’s relatives-”

“Your aunt’s the Red Wings nut,” Lynda interjected, “although since you’re bringing up things, if you give Mark a chance he’ll never shut up –he’s like Will without having gotten some sense beaten into him in elementary school.”

“Shame Henry didn’t let them beat some more into me in High School,” Will quipped, “Also, Jacob can really get going too, and God help you if he and Mark start going at it.”

“…I’m suddenly nervous about this~…” Misha muttered.

“You’ll be fine,” Will said, readjusting his glasses again, “Damn, I need the bridge pads on these tightened again.”

“There are so many things that can go wrong with this,” Lynda muttered.

“Don’t dwell on the negative,” Will stated, “and be grateful her accent isn’t so bad anymore -you know what a bitch Kristen can be when she gets going.”

“I worked really~ hard on that,” Misha declared, “Kristen’s your cousin, right Will?”

Will nodded.

“…This was a bad idea,” Lynda said, “I shoulda had you meet my parents first, and not drag you to a family gathering.”

“You’re making a statement this way,” Will countered, “You’ve never had a partner meet the whole family before. And it’s way too late to back out now, so try and relax before you burst a blood vessel.”

Lynda sighed and nodded, “Right, this will go well, and I’m just overreacting.”

“Can’t go worse than what’s her name,” Will retorted as they rounded the walkway to the house’s front porch, “you know, the yutz from the lit club who cheated on you with half the rest of the lit club? What was her name…”

“Holly,” Lynda replied, “and thank you for reminding me about that fiasco. Stupid lit club, wouldn’t know quality literature if it slapped them in the face.”

Misha sighed and looked up at the house as the three stepped onto the small front porch. It was a simple ranch brick house with a black tiled roof.

“Here we go, then,” Lynda declared.

“Just relax,” Will said, “they can smell your fear.”

Lynda made a whimpering noise Misha was used to hearing in the bedroom as Will opened the door.

Part II:

“I’m back,” he declared as he stepped in, “and I found a couple strays. Can we keep them?”

Misha glanced at Lynda, who was frozen on the spot. Sighing, she gently pushed Lynda forward. When that failed to work, she gently shoved her into the house. Lynda stumbled into the building, and Misha followed, closing the door behind her.

The inside of the house was cozy, decorative, incredibly warm, and filled with smoke and the smells of food. A few people were sitting in the living room to the left of what appeared to be a small kitchen, which was abuzz with people talking and things cooking and clattering. A few voices drifted from the family room beyond the kitchen. Misha could barely glimpse the dining room, as there was a wall between the living room and the kitchen that blocked her line of sight.

The voices mixed and formed an odd buzzing sound that threatened to aggravate Misha’s inner ear. Misha shook her head to fight off the buzzing and focused on a single noise to fight the buzzing and ringing that threatened that overrun her hearing.

“Did Uncle Fred set the stove on fire again?” Will asked, poking his head into the kitchen.

“We got the fan goin’, don’t worry!” a woman’s voice responded. A few moments later the source of the voice stepped out from the kitchen and into the hall.

“That’s my Aunt Jill,” Will muttered behind him, “This is her and Uncle Fred’s house.”

Misha nodded, her ear under control as Will exchanged a hug with the shorter woman. After they broke apart she turned to Lynda, giving her an awkward hug she didn’t react to before taking the casserole from her.

Turning her head back toward the kitchen, Aunt Jill called, “Denise, could you take this to the kitchen?”

“Got it, Mom,” a young woman appeared in the hall, nearly a decade older than Will but otherwise looking oddly like him, although her hair was slightly longer. The woman blinked at Misha as she took the dish, then whirled around and returned to the kitchen.

“Oh, you must be Misha,” Aunt Jill had noticed Misha for the first time, it seemed, and she moved in for a hug before Misha could reply.

The move stunned Misha a bit, rendering her speechless until Aunt Jill had pulled back. When she did, Misha was able to stammer, “Y-yep, I’m Misha! Thank you for having us over!”

“No problem; thanks for making the casserole.”

“Where’s Dad?” Will asked, waving a hand in front of Lynda’s face and getting no reaction.

“I think he went outside to sneak a smoke,” Aunt Jill said, “or maybe to fiddle with the smoker with Fred and Jake.”

“God help us all,” Will muttered, “Lynda, you awake in there?”

Will snapped his fingers and Lynda jumped, “Um, hi…. Aunt Jill, this is my girlfriend, Misha. Misha, Aunt Jill.”

“You really don’t like your first name, do you?” Will asked, “er, I mean given name.”

Misha shrugged, “Not really~. I was thinking of changing it if I applied for citizenship.”

Lynda explained to a confused Aunt Jill that Misha’s name was actually Shiina, and everyone just called her Misha.

“Oh right, I had forgotten you mentioned that,” Aunt Jill said, “I better get back to the kitchen, but I’ll stow your coats, and can I get you anything to drink?”

“Just some Cokes, please,” Lynda replied, taking off her coat and handing it to the older woman.

Aunt Jill took the three coats to a nearby closet, then headed for the kitchen, passing Denise on the way as she stepped into the hall.

“Andrea couldn’t make it?” she asked Will.

Will shook his head, “She’s with her family, but she’ll be by sometime during winter break. I hope.”

“Who?” Lynda asked.

“My girlfriend, remember?” Will asked, “I do have one, you know.”

“Kinda hard to remember when we never see her,” Lynda quipped, “Speaking of girlfriends, though, Denise, this is Misha. Misha, Denise.”

“Hi, hi~!” Misha chirped.

“Hey,” Denise returned, “nice to meet you.”

“Could you go grab Dad for us?” Will asked, “Feel free to pluck the Kool from his mouth on the way.”

Denise nodded, “On it. Be right back. Oh, your Mom’s in the bathroom, but I’ll let her know you’re here when I get the chance.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lynda stated.

“Don’t put it off,” Will advised.

“He’s right, you know,” Denise said before dashing off.

Lynda sighed and rubbed her forehead, “Why does your family have to be so damn logical?”

Will shrugged, “Why is your family so stubborn? You’re supposed to be polite and considerate.”

“Blame the French,” Lynda countered, “How ‘bout I introduce Misha to the rest of the family, and you stand there and lend silent moral support.”

Will glanced up at the ceiling and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Silent moral support… I’m not sure I can do that, but I’ll give it a shot.”

Misha grinned and kissed Will’s cheek, “Thanks, Wicchan~.”

Will shuddered slightly and glared at Lynda, “You are a terrible influence.”

Lynda grinned, “I’m an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos?”

Will grinned back, “It’s fair. In lieu of a coin to play with, I’m gonna go find one of the cats.”

Will wandered off down the hallway, leaving Misha and Lynda together.

“Never mind he only sees his mother once every few months,” Lynda grumbled. Turning to Misha, she asked, “Ready to meet the family?”

Misha nodded, so the two headed towards the living room. They were paused partway there by Aunt Jill, who handed them their drinks. The living room had a small table with bowls of snacks, paper plates, and napkins in the middle of an otherwise tastefully decorated and furnished room.

“Hey,” Lynda greeted the present family members, “Everyone, this is my girlfriend Misha. Misha that’s Grandpa Dave, Grandma Beth, Great Uncle John, his sons Mark, Mathew, and daughter Mary, and their wives and husband Sara, Karen, and… Frank.”

“Hi, hi~!” Misha chirped.

“Hello,” everyone said, whatever opinions they may have had regarding the couple masked by politeness.

Lynda pointed to an empty set of folding chairs next to Frank and Mary, and the two sat down.

“Are Will’s other cousins around?” Lynda asked, “We’ve already run into Denise.”

“They’re in the family room with the kids,” Mary, a short woman with black hair and dull gray eyes, replied.

“Jacob’s out with Carl, Charles and Fred,” Mark, a lanky man with short black hair and thick glasses, added.

“Have they burned the backyard down yet?” Lynda asked.

“Not yet,” Grandpa Dave, a stocky man with white hair and weary eyes, replied, “Though they wanted to fry the second bird instead of smoking it.”

Lynda rolled her eyes and groaned, “Even after last year?”

“You know how Carl is,” Mark stated, “Man thinks he can work any technology, but last I checked a fryer didn’t have a motor.”

“If he could add one, he would,” Grandpa Dave said.

“I found him!” Denise’s voice chirped from the dining room.

Part III:

Lynda bolted from her seat and charged forward, leaving Misha behind as she quickly wrapped her arms around the man that was now in the dining room.

“Oof!” the man grunted as Lynda rammed into him, “Easy there.”

Still holding tightly onto the man, Lynda yipped, “I’m sorry!”

“Its fine,” the man replied, “and I missed you, too.”

After several moments the two broke apart, and Misha was able to get a good look at Carl Benson.

He looked very much like Will, except he was taller, had much shorter hair that was mostly gray, and sharp hazel eyes instead of green. He also had a carefully styled mustache that looked like it was still growing in.

As the two broke apart, Mr. Benson noticed Misha and raised an eyebrow, “That’s Misha, I take it?”

Lynda glanced at the mentioned woman and nodded, “Yup. Dad, this is Misha, my girlfriend. Misha, this is Dad.”

Misha bolted out of her chair and bowed to the man on reflex, “Hello, sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your daughter has taken very good care of me.”

Mr. Benson blinked a few times in confusion before stepping over to Misha, his left leg limping lightly as he did so, “Good to hear, and please, don’t call me sir; I work for a living.”

Lynda sighed at the old joke, but Misha just stood upright and looked confused. Mr. Benson extended a hand. Misha recovered from her confusion and took the proffered hand, “Okay, Mr. Benson~!”

Mr. Benson grinned, “Lynda’s spoken very highly of you, and so far, I can understand why.”

“Thanks, I hope I can live up to your exptect-tations~!” Misha chirped.

Mr. Benson let go of Misha’s hand and glanced at Lynda, “So, where’s Will?”

Lynda shrugged, “He said something about a cat and wandered off.”

“Huh. Weird,” Mr. Benson said. Noticing the food, he added, “Guess I better get some spinach dip while there’s still some left. You two should eat something, too.”

“Good idea,” Lynda said, “Oh, you wanna meet Will’s side of the family? Sounds like most of them are in the family room.”

“You could say hello to me first,” a woman’s voice stated from the hallway.

Lynda and Misha turned to the source, a short woman who resembled Lynda. Her hair barely went passed her ears and was not quite as dark, but her eyes and build were the same. Will was standing behind her, holding a large brown cat in his arms.

“Hi Mom,” Lynda said, glaring at Will as she pointed to Misha, “This is Misha. Misha, my mother.”

“Hello,” Misha turned to face Lynda’s mother and bowed, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Lynda speaks of you often.”

Lynda’s mother raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

Misha nodded.

Lynda, her mother, and Misha entered a strange Mexican standoff, where no one was willing to say anything more. Will rolled his eyes at the show and set the cat down. The cat proceeded to follow him as he moved into the living room and loaded three plates with food. When he was done he handed a plate to Lynda and another to Misha, keeping the third for himself.

“So, I heard Misha wanted to meet some more of the family?” he asked.

Lynda glanced at Will and nodded.

“Excellent, let’s go. Oh, Mom, you want a plate?”

“I already ate some, thank you. I’ll speak with you later, Lynda. Misha, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

Misha bowed lightly, “For me, too, er…”

Lynda’s mother smirked, “Mrs. Long is fine.”

“Thanks,” Misha said, then followed the already departing Will and Lynda, giving a quick nod to Mr. Benson, who was sitting and eating in a chair.

“You dragged her out of the bathroom, didn’t you?” Lynda hissed at Will as Misha approached.

“Someone had to,” Will muttered back, “if for no other reason then so she could meet Misha.”

“She’s just going to start badgering me about why I haven’t visited!” Lynda snapped, “Or say something insulting or snarky.”

“Unlikely,” Will countered, “Only Kristen is stupid enough to be a bitch in front of the family.”

“I heard that!” a woman snapped from the family room.

“Fuck my ass…” Will grumbled.

“Hey guys,” the woman said. She stepped forward until she was barely a pace away from Will and said, “I’m the aforementioned bitch, Kristen.”

Will looked up at the older brunette with auburn streaks dyed in her hair, “I didn’t call you a bitch. I just said you lack the tact to not act like one around the rest of the family.”

Kristen shrugged and crouched down, “Hey Splat.”

The cat that had been following Will mewled and walked over to the woman, who picked it up and started petting it. Standing back up with a grunt, she said, “Hey Lyn, it’s been a while. You’re Misha, I take it?”

Misha nodded, “Yup, yup~! Nice to meet you!”

“You, too,” glancing at Lynda, she asked, “Your mom have a fit yet?”

“That I brought my girlfriend to dinner, or that I haven’t gone back to Canada since the summer?”

Kristen shrugged, “Either one works. Family gatherings are so boring without at least one argument.”

“We could always have Dad set the backyard on fire,” Will suggested.

“He better not!” Aunt Jill barked from the nearby kitchen, which opened out toward the dining room. How she heard anything over the bustle and clattering of meal preparation was anyone’s guess.

Lynda sighed, “Stick around, I’m sure she’ll say something soon enough.”

Kristen smiled, “Great, something to look forward to besides the food.”

Splat the cat meowed, so Kristen crouched down to let her go. The cat nimbly leapt from her arms to the floor, turned, hissed, and ran for the hallway. A second later a white furry blur with a yapping bark zipped past Kristen at the same time someone called from the living room, “April, don’t chase the cat!”

Looking down, Misha quickly grabbed the dog in her arms and started petting it. The confused animal squirmed in her arms and barked at the retreating cat.

“Easy, there,” Misha crooned, “don’t go chasing the kitty, okay~?”

The furry white dog the size of a small muskrat looked up at Misha and tilted its head.

“Good girl,” Misha said, and set the dog down. The dog continued to stare up at her for a moment, shook itself, and dashed off.

Kristen watched the oversized rat-dog bolt off for a moment, then looked back up at Misha, “I take it you’re a dog person?”

Misha shrugged, “Pets tend to like me~. Not squirrels, though –the ones on campus always run away from me, though not from Lynda or my other friends~.”

“You did kick one,” Will pointed out.

“It was an accident!” Misha retorted.

“Well, I’m bored now,” Kristen declared, “So I’m gonna go grab a beer and wait for something amusing.”

With that declaration, Kristen wandered off.

Will glanced at Misha, who was looking down at the still staring dog, “I promise the rest of my family isn’t that… annoying.”

“Someone mention Kristen?” another young woman stepped from the living room into the dining room, this one the same height as Will, with long brown hair that went practically to her knees. She also looked closer to his age then Kristen or Denise had. Behind her, six kids of varying ages were either looking in the direction the dog had bolted, or looking up curiously at Misha.

“Indeed,” Will said, “Ladies, let me present the final child of my Aunt Jill and Uncle Fred: Rachel.”

Rachel rolled her eyes, “I knew I sensed a dorksturbance in the Force when someone else arrived. You’re Misha, I take it?” she added to the mentioned woman.

Misha nodded, “Yup~. Hi, hi~!”

“Hey,” Lynda added, “See all the twerps made it.”

“I am not a twerp!” one of the children squeaked.

“Are too!” four others retorted.

“Behave,” Rachel scolded, “and line up so we can make this quick and easy.”

Part IV:

The children tried to form a line down the width of the dining room to face Misha properly, but ended up having to form two rows to fit. Rachel helped arrange them by height so they could all be seen. She seemed to handle the kids well, which made sense when Lynda explained that she was wrapping up her teacher training.

“You’re gonna be a teacher~?” Misha blurted when Lynda mentioned it.

Rachel looked up and nodded, having heard Lynda whisper to Misha, “Yeah, just need to finish my student teaching. Oh right, Will mentioned you were gonna teach, too.”

“Yeah, sign language~.”

“I’m going in for elementary, myself,” Rachel said. When the kids were finally properly arrayed, she stated, “Aight, introduce yourselves so you can go harass the dog s’more.”

“That’s not a dog,” Will and Lynda declared.

From oldest to youngest –which was a problem as several of the younger children were taller than a few of the older ones- the six kids –three boys and three girls- introduced themselves; Henry, Paul, Sarah, Peter, Martha, and Danielle. Henry looked about eight or nine, while Danielle, who stuck out because of her green eyes, looked around three.

“Hi, hi~!” Misha greeted, “nice to meet you all~!”

After the introduction Rachel shooed the kids away, after which Aunt Jill announced dinner would be ready in a few minutes. To get out of the way of things, the three stepped into the living room, which was vacant except for the kids, Rachel, and the small dog, which had returned to the children and appeared to be having a ton of fun playing with them.

Misha turned to Lynda, “Your family’s a bit older than Will’s, isn’t it?”

Lynda nodded, “Mom’s older than all her cousins, and married young the first time around.”

“My Dad’s also a few years younger than Mom,” Will added, “and as you may have picked up, Uncle Fred’s the oldest of the two.”

Misha nodded, then, reminded of her brief interaction with Mrs. Long, asked Lynda, “Long’s not your mother’s maiden~ name, is it?”

Lynda shook her head, “I knew we forgot something. It’s Thompson. Mom never bothered to change it. So everyone on my side of the family but me and Mom are Thompson’s –except Mary and Frank, they’re Taylor’s- and all of Will’s side except Danielle, Denise, and Jacob are Benson’s –they’re Goldstein’s.”

Misha groaned and rubbed her temples, “There are too many names in your family~….”

“I shoulda made a flowchart or something,” Lynda quipped, “I know someone made one before the wedding….”

“Blended families can be a pain,” Will stated, “I take it your family’s not very big?”

Misha shook her head.

“It can take some getting used to,” Rachel interjected, “Especially if you get nominated the babysitter.”

Mr. Benson ambled by at that point, “I’m gonna help the others bring in the second bird. Rachel, could you get the card tables for the kids?”

“Yeah. You guys mind watching them for a second?” Rachel asked the three, “Just make sure they don’t use April for any satanic rituals or something.”

“I don’t know any satanic rituals,” Martha stated.

“If you behave I can teach one,” Lynda declared.

“No teaching the children satanic rituals!” Aunt Jill chided from the kitchen.

“…Can you teach me?” Will asked.

Lynda shrugged, “You’re already a Lutheran, isn’t that close enough?”

“That joke was funny four hundred years ago, Miss practices a religion based on a guy wanting a divorce.”

Misha pouted at the two, “I thought I asked you two~ to play nice~?”

“That is nice for them,” Aunt Jill remarked from the kitchen.

Will smirked and glanced out the window. He pulled off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt, put them back on, and sighed, “Looks like they set a bush on fire.”

Lynda sighed and watched the dog scamper around the floor, “That happens every year. Did Uncle Fred burn off an eyebrow yet?”

“Not… oh wait, there it goes,” Will said. Turning toward the kitchen, he called, “Do they have a fire extinguisher out there? Uncle Fred set himself on fire.”

“God damnit not again!” Aunt Jill snapped, “Denise, go get the backup!”

“Gramma said a swear!” Danielle chirped.

A few seconds later Denise ran outside lugging a small fire extinguisher with her.

Misha looked outside at the odd scene that was transpiring, her face quirking into an amused grin despite the possible dangers involved, “Should we help?”

“They can handle it,” Will stated, “this happens every year, and they’re all wearing fire resistant vests.”

“Maybe I should help cook next year…” Misha mused. She glanced down in thought and noticed Danielle looking up at her, “Hello~.”

“Mommy said you like Lynda,” Danielle declared.

Misha nodded, not fazed at all by the child’s bluntness, “Uh-huh~.”

Danielle frowned and scratched her head, “How does that work?”

“Same way it does with your Mom and Dad,” Misha replied.

Danielle blinked up at the young woman, then shrugged and wandered off.

“Ah, the attention span of a child,” Will mused. Looking out the window, he added, “The fire’s out.”

Aunt Jill stepped out from the kitchen to look out the window. After a moment to appraise the scene, she sighed in relief and shook her head, “Those three are why you can’t buy dynamite in hardware stores anymore. They better hurry up -everything else is ready.”

“Will!” Rachel called from the basement hallway, “Give me a hand with these tables and chairs!”

Getting up, Will called back, “How come you didn’t ask before?”

“Because I know you like watching Dad set himself on fire! Did he do it yet?”

“Yeah, he’s fine.”

Will walked off to help his cousin, while Misha looked out the window and sighed.

“Everything alright?” Lynda asked.

“It’s funny to watch, but… it reminds me of someone I knew at school~…” Misha replied. Turning to face Lynda, she said, “It can become very unfunny very~ easily.”

Lynda nodded, “Yeah. Fortunately they’re professional idiots; they haven’t even burned themselves in years.”

“Clear a spot!” Rachel called as she stepped into the living room lugging two green card tables, Will behind her with as many folding chairs as he could lift.

The kids cleared a spot and Lynda and Misha got up to help. As they did so, the back door opened and one of the men popped his head inside, easily recognizable as Uncle Fred because he was missing an eyebrow.

“Almost ready!” he declared. Noticing Misha, he added, “Oh, Lynda’s girlfriend,” Uncle Fred’s head retreated, “hey, Lynda brought her girlfriend, so all of you introduce yourselves while I help Carl haul in the bird!” Poking his head out again, he declared, “Hi, I’m Fred Plays-with-Fire.”

“I’m Misha… er, the Hand-Talker,” Misha improvised, “Thanks for having us over~!”

“No problem,” Uncle Fred poked his head back out, “Denise, you can stop spraying your uncle.”

“I’m being thorough,” Denise retorted as she came back into the house. Heading for the kitchen, along the way she muttered under her breath, “Every year.”

“And they want to use a fryer~?” Misha asked as she placed the unfolded chairs around the two card tables.

“Some people just want to watch the world burn,” Will declared.

“Welcome to my life,” Lynda muttered, speaking as if Will hadn’t spoken, “You’d think they were a bunch of pyromaniacs.”

“Could be worse,” Mr. Benson said as he and Fred –who had several fire resistant vests over one of his arms- hauled a large tray with a foil covered bird through the opened back door toward the kitchen, “One of the bomb disposal guys had a bit too much fun ‘experimenting’ with the tracer rounds. Nearly took out half the motor pool one time, so they transferred him to an artillery unit in North Dakota.”

Part V:

The two men walked into the kitchen, Fred pausing to toss the fire resistant vests he’d been holding onto a spare chair as they went. Behind them two other men appeared, one of whom closed the back door behind him.

“Great, the last introductions,” Will declared, “Misha, Grandpa Charles and my cousin Jacob. Grandpa, Jake, this is Lynda’s girlfriend Misha.”

“Hi, hi~!” Misha chirped, standing up as the two men approached to shake her hand.

“Hello,” Grandpa Charles said. He had a stout frame, thick glasses perched on his small nose, and very little hair, and what hair he did have was white.

“Nice to finally meet you,” Jacob said. He was slightly taller than Will and had short curly black hair, “Will’s said some very nice things about you.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Aunt Jill declared from the dining room threshold.

Aunt Jill and Uncle Fred herded everyone into the dining room, except the kids and Rachel, who was put in charge of supervising the children. The seating arrangement seemed to have some thought to it, as it took a few moments for everyone to find an appropriate seat. Will was sitting next to Denise, while Lynda and Misha sat next to each other, with Mr. Benson next to Will and Mrs. Long next to Lynda. Neither woman made any indication about how they felt about the arrangement, though Lynda seemed to tense up while the family waited for everything to settle. Misha reached under the table to give her hand a reassuring squeeze, and Lynda relaxed a little. But only a little.

“Who carved this year?” Matthew asked.

“Mark,” Aunt Jill replied.

“Mark and Fred alternate carving,” Lynda managed to explain to Misha, “because Mark’s a doctor and Fred’s a veterinarian. Will’s offered a few times, but every time he tries to carve any kind of poultry it ends up looking like he hacked it apart with a machete.”

“I don’t trust electric knives,” Will explained, “Too easy to lose a finger.”

“Just pretend it’s a chainsword,” Lynda countered.

Will made a thoughtful noise and started thinking the idea over as Uncle Fred and Aunt Jill finally took their seats, having arrayed the food on the table as best they could.

The large oval table was mostly covered with people’s plates and glasses, with the food either crammed where it could fit, or placed on a nearby serving table by Aunt Jill. Uncle Fred led a quick grace, and the family started moving and serving food around.

“So,” Mr. Benson looked at Misha while placing some mashed potatoes on his plate, “I imagine going to college here has been a bit of a culture shock. How’re you adjusting?”

“Okay, I guess,” Misha said, “They’re little things here and there I tend to forget or do that get me odd looks, but overall I think I’ve gotten used~ to it.”

“What about the city?” Denise asked, “Getting used to New York must’ve been tricky.”

“Kinda,” Misha said, “I grew up in a small town in the Yamanashi Prefecture near Tokyo, but never spent much time in the city itself~. Then I went to high school near Sendai, but its way~ smaller than Tokyo or New York. I’ve been in big cities before, but being in one nearly all the time was definitely an adjustment~.”

“At least it’s not boring,” Kristen stated as she sipped her wine.

“That~ is definitely true!” Misha declared, “Although the crazy in New York is different from the crazy in Tokyo.”

“The crazy may manifest in different ways,” Mr. Benson said, “but it is a universal trait of all cities.”

Food was passed and conversation flowed, though obviously Misha was peppered with questions throughout the meal. Mrs. Long was oddly silent, picking her way through her meal and listening to the conversations around her, only providing input when prompted. The less she talked, the tenser Lynda seemed to get.

During a lull towards the end of the meal, Mrs. Long turned to Lynda and spoke, “By the way, I was wondering if you were coming home this Christmas?”

Lynda froze, swallowed the piece of turkey in her mouth, and, not meeting her mother’s gaze as she reached for some water, replied, “I was thinking of staying with Dad. Since he’ll be able to move to Canada next year, I thought it’d be a nice chance to be together.”

“I see…” Mrs. Long said, “So, you would go with them here for Christmas Day?”

Lynda nodded, “I was also planning on spending a weekend in Japan.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Mr. Benson interjected, “You’ve been there a few times. How did it go? Will said you met Misha’s parents, but he didn’t give any specifics.”

“Figured it wasn’t my place,” Will stated.

Misha beamed at Will, “See, you do~ have tact.”

“Lies and slander,” Will declared, readjusting his glasses for the umpteenth time.

“You need to get those adjusted,” Kristen said.

“I know, thank you,” Will grumbled.

“That’s why I switched to contacts,” Denise stated.

Having redirected the conversation, Lynda relaxed a little as she responded to her father’s question, “Misha’s parents are good people. Her mother is nice, and her father took the news about us better than I expected-”

“He drove into a telephone pole,” Misha interjected.

“Well, besides that,” Lynda said, “and he owns a vintage Mustang. We didn’t spend a lot of time together, honestly, and I was hoping to get to know them better.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem~,” Misha said.

Mrs. Long didn’t say much after the conversation redirected, nor did she appear interested in broaching the subject again with Lynda. Dinner finished uneventfully, and people started to drift back to the living room to wait for dessert, for those that were willing to eat it. Aunt Jill started making coffee and asked if she should put on a pot of tea, but no one said they wanted it. Mr. Benson and Jacob went outside to dismantle the smoker and store everything else they had taken outside, while Mrs. Long wandered into the living room to speak with her cousins.

Lynda stayed at the table, so Misha did, too. Will wandered into the family room, bickering with Rachel while the children spread out to be closer to their parents. A few snuck over to Misha, quietly sitting and observing her and Lynda.

“Don’t go botherin’ ‘em!” Rachel barked to the kids who had gathered around the two.

“They’re not a bother,” Lynda stated, though most of the children wandered away.

“Give the little runts time,” Rachel stated.

“You exude such a motherly aura,” Will deadpanned.

“You two play nice~,” Misha scolded.

“That is nice for them,” Aunt Jill declared, taking a seat at the table to drink some coffee and take a break from hosting, “Oh, and thank you again for the casserole.”

“Glad to have helped~,” Misha said, “how was it?”

“Very good,” Aunt Jill declared.

Misha grinned, “Thanks~.”

“She’s a rather accomplished cook, actually,” Will stated, “I’m told she gets it from her mother.”

“My mother’s family~ puts a lot of emphasis on cooking skills,” Misha declared.

“A fine quality in any partner,” Matthew declared from the living room.

The back door opened at that point, and Mr. Benson and Jacob returned.

“I see you two are behaving,” Mr. Benson remarked to Will and Rachel.

“I’ve been behaving,” Will declared, then jerked a thumb at Rachel, “Rapunzel here’s the problem.”

Rachel thwacked Will on the ear, “Jerk.”

Will thwacked Rachel back, “Witch.”

“…I’m gonna get some coffee,” Mr. Benson said.

“Me, too,” Jacob said.

Lynda chuckled and sipped her coffee, eyeing Danielle, who had stayed by the table to stare curiously at Misha some more. Misha caught Lynda’s eye and followed her gaze to the child.

“Hello again,” Misha chirped.

“Hi.”

“Whatcha~ doin’~?” Misha asked.

“Watchin’.”

“It’s not polite to stare,” Denise stated as she arrived from the kitchen, holding a shot of something on the rocks, “Dessert’s on the way, folks, soon as Mom is done giving Dad the Eye for nearly razing the backyard. Again.”

Part VI:

Mr. Benson and Jacob also came from the kitchen to sit at the table, each one holding a coffee mug. Jacob sat next to his wife, while Mr. Benson edged over next to Lynda. Lynda moved to get up and help him, but he didn’t have any problems sidling his way past the chairs over to her. He noticed Danielle was still staring and smiled.

“I think you have a fan,” he said to Misha, indicating the young girl.

“Danielle,” Denise said, “What did I say? Come sit over here.”

“Yes, Mom,” Danielle muttered as she moved over to Denise.

“Sorry about that,” Denise said as Danielle took her new seat.

“It’s okay~,” Misha stated.

Lynda nodded, “What’s for dessert?”

Denise rolled her eyes, “What isn’t? Mom loves to cook. Got it from her mother, I think.”

“Mine did, too~,” Misha said.

“Some things transcend all boundaries,” Will observed, “Food seems to be one of them.”

“That and mother-in-laws,” Mr. Benson grumbled.

Misha chuckled at that, which earned her a curious glance from everyone at the table except Danielle, who was expectantly watching the kitchen.

“Sorry,” Misha said, “You just reminded~ me of a story my dad told once about his mother-in-law.”

“Wanna share?” Lynda asked.

“Sure, sure~! Now, how did it go~…”

Misha spent dessert eating and retelling the story as best as she remembered, a task made difficult as she had just overheard it. Everyone who was listening seemed to enjoy it though, and dessert passed lightheartedly. When she was done with her story, conversations sprung up and a few people readied themselves to leave. While they had been eating, Misha got the unsettling feeling she was being watched. Danielle had stopped looking after Denise had told her to stop, but the feeling had lingered throughout dessert.

The mystery resolved itself when Lynda and Misha were getting ready to leave. While Lynda chatted with Denise as she went to get their coats, Misha accidently made eye contact with Mrs. Long. At least, she initially thought it was accidently.

When they made eye contact, Mrs. Long stepped over to Misha and asked, “Could I have a word with you, privately?”

Misha managed a stunned nod, and the older woman led her into the short hall that led to the garage on the opposite end of the kitchen.

“I just wanted to say once again that it was a pleasure to meet you,” Mrs. Long stated, “and I’m sorry we couldn’t talk more, but I was worried I’d make Lynda uncomfortable if I tried.”

Still somewhat stunned by the situation, it took Misha a moment to reboot and confide, “She was pretty tense about today.”

Mrs. Long nodded once, “Understandable; family approval of her partners has always meant a great deal to her.”

“Do you approve?” Misha asked; Lynda had never said anything about her mother’s opinion of the two, and Misha got the distinct impression she didn’t care.

Mrs. Long smirked lightly, “She does speak of me often, then. I honestly can’t say either way. The rest of the family seems to like you –I didn’t want to intrude on that, either.”

Misha had a thought, and decided to verbalize it before she changed her mind, “Maybe the four of us should have dinner~ together; you, me, Lynda, and her Dad. So we can get to know each other better~.”

“That would be a good idea, if you could get Lynda to agree to it,” Mrs. Long said.

“I’ll think of something~,” Misha declared, “I’m sorry Lynda hasn’t gone back to visit~, and she should spend more time with you~.”

“It’s alright,” Mrs. Long said, “We were never really that close,” Mrs. Long sighed and smiled wistfully, “She was always very much Daddy’s Little Girl –fortunately Carl likes you.”

Misha smiled, “Thank you, I’m glad~ to hear that. She should still talk to you more.”

Mrs. Long raised an eyebrow, “Our separation seems to bother you more than it does Lynda.”

Misha shrugged, “Family~ is important where I come from.”

“Ah, right,” Mrs. Long said, “Well, some things take time, and time seems to be something of which I never have enough. As I said though, you have Carl’s approval, and that’s what really matters to her.”

Misha nodded, unsure of what to say. The two stood in awkward silence for a moment, until something Mrs. Long had said piqued Misha’s curiosity, “Do you think her father would have approved~ of us?”

Mrs. Long looked a little nonplussed at the question, but, after a moment’s contemplation, she nodded, “I think he would have. He was a very devoted father who always knew what was best for Lynda –not what he thought was best, but what was. He was also better at balancing his faith and his parenting then… some of the others in the family.”

Mrs. Long glanced at the kitchen, then back to Misha, “Well, I just wanted to speak to you more personally, and to say you’ve integrated into the family rather well.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Long~,” Misha said, bowing lightly, “It was a pleasure to meet you, and I promise to take good care of you daughter, because she’s taken good care of me~!”

Mrs. Long smiled, “I think I should be thanking you… Shiina, was it?”

Misha nodded, “You can call me Misha~.”

“I’ll consider it,” Mrs. Long said, “but we best get back before Lynda starts looking for you; I’d rather avoid an incident this late if possible.”

Misha nodded and checked the kitchen and surrounding area for Lynda. Seeing the coast was clear, she left the hall and walked through the kitchen to the front door, where she expected to find Lynda waiting.

Lynda was by the door donning her coat, while Will patiently held the now cleaned casserole dish for her to take back to the hotel. Will was also wearing a coat, and had Misha’s awkwardly schlepped over one of his shoulders.

“I’m giving you a ride,” Will explained as Misha approached.

“Thanks, Wicchan!” Misha said as she took her coat and put it on.

Will shrugged and turned toward the door, “Aunt Jill’s making a tray of leftovers for you for the weekend.

“That’s thoughtful~,” Misha said.

“No problem,” a wrapped plate-laden Aunt Jill said from behind Misha, which made her jump in surprise.

“Just wanted to drop off the plate, say goodbye, and thank you for coming over,” Aunt Jill said, giving Lynda an awkward hug before hugging Will. When Misha had recovered from the shock Aunt Jill turned to her and gave her a hug as well, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Misha.”

“You, too, Mrs. Benson,” Misha said. Pulling away from the hug and taking the proffered plate, she continued, “And thanks for having us over.”

“You should come by for Christmas,” Aunt Jill said, “Unless you were planning on going home, of course.”

“I probably will be going back~,” Misha said, “But thank you for the offer.”

“As long as you’re dating my niece, you’re always welcome here,” Aunt Jill declared.

Misha beamed at that, as did Lynda.

“Drive safe in that wreck you call a car,” Aunt Jill told Will.

“The coat hanger’ll hold,” he declared, “I hope.”

Lynda sighed, “Please buy a new car. Or a less used one.”

“It’s on my to-do list,” he said, “I really don’t need a car at college, after all.”

Lynda conceded the point with a nod, and, after brief goodbye’s from most of the remaining family members, Will opened the door, leading the way to his car. Lynda and Misha followed, and as they stepped outside and closed the door, Lynda turned her head to face Misha.

“Where did you wander off to?” Lynda asked.

Misha shrugged, “Just having a chat with your family~. They care a lot about you, you know~.”

Lynda nodded, “I was surprised no one said anything stupid –I think Dad mighta warned them not to. I’m glad Mom and I didn’t make a scene, but I don’t know how long I can avoid giving her an answer, or if I even have an answer, for that matter.”

“The answer is yes, you nutty Canuck,” Will interjected from in front of them.

Lynda rolled her eyes and shifted the dish in her hands, freeing her hand so she could sign, [You spoke to Mom, didn’t you? I saw her eyeing you all through dessert.]

Deciding honesty was best, Misha nodded shifted her own plate so she could respond, [She just wanted to talk to me one-on-one for a bit. Nothing serious.]

[She didn’t say anything upsetting, did she?]

Misha shook her head, [She was very polite.]

Misha decided to refrain from mentioning her idea of them having dinner together; Lynda had dealt with enough anxiety for the day.

“Ahem,” Will said, standing by his aging Buick, which he had parked on the road to free the driveway, “You ready to go?”

Lynda nodded, her expression far away as she started thinking.

“Yup~, and thanks for the ride,” Misha replied. Smiling and turning toward Lynda, she added, “And thanks for bringing me. I had a lot~ of fun.”

Dragging herself from her internal thoughts, Lynda weakly returned the smile, “Thanks for coming over- I had fun, too.”

Will, who had unlocked the driver’s seat, unlocked the other doors with a click and moved to open the nearest rear passenger door, “All aboard the Benson Limousine Service, please save the nightly shenanigans for the hotel.”

“You have problems,” Lynda said, kissing Misha on the cheek before sidling into her seat.

Misha chuckled at Will’s eye roll as she moved around to other seat, the experience of the previous afternoon and evening giving way to the future ahead.

+++

I have got to stop writing dinner scenes. Fortunately this should be the last one for the foreseeable future. Hopefully I got the part breaks spaced out well enough.

Misha kinda blends into this one cuz of all the characters, but that’s kinda the point, I’d say. How well I got that across, well, I’m sure you’ll let me know.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Excuse to Overeat Day!

Okay, that family tree almost scared me away from this "one-shot." You really like your large families, don't you? Makes it very exhausting to follow your stories, if you decide to give a damn. (I gave up giving a damn about the names here before I even started, so it was all right)
By the way, did Misha get the casserole recipe from Hanako?

You’re parents were very supportive of us...

You did it again...

The dog continued to stair up at her for a moment,

Homophones are a bitch aren't they?

Mirage_GSM wrote:Okay, that family tree almost scared me away from this "one-shot." You really like your large families, don't you? Makes it very exhausting to follow your stories, if you decide to give a damn. (I gave up giving a damn about the names here before I even started, so it was all right)
By the way, did Misha get the casserole recipe from Hanako?

Maybe it's cuz my family is so small and scattered that I find the chaos of a large family appealing.

I'll try not to make a habit of it. At least H&K has less OC's.

As for the recipe... hmm...

You’re parents were very supportive of us...

You did it again...

I am sorry, Sensei.

The dog continued to stair up at her for a moment,

Homophones are a bitch aren't they?

Apparently; I have no idea how that happened. Thanks for those, and fixed

And thanks for reading despite the family tree

Hoitash wrote:I am sorry, Sensei.

Stop being sorry. Start being RIGHT.

Seriously, man...

With this so many new characters, you could write a book (I mean, a novel) on your own already.

TheVUP wrote:Seriously, man...

With this so many new characters, you could write a book (I mean, a novel) on your own already.

Not really, since Misha is the property of 4LS.

(Just a little joke; I know what you meant )

It's a side-effect of family gatherings, unfortunately. As I said, I won't make a habit of it, because I am nowhere near as good as Helbereth at herding a lot of characters into a single space for extended periods.

Hoitash wrote:

TheVUP wrote:Seriously, man...

With this so many new characters, you could write a book (I mean, a novel) on your own already.

Not really, since Misha is the property of 4LS.

(Just a little joke; I know what you meant )

It's a side-effect of family gatherings, unfortunately. As I said, I won't make a habit of it, because I am nowhere near as good as Helbereth at herding a lot of characters into a single space for extended periods.

And I suck at it, so where does that leave you?

Helbereth wrote:

Hoitash wrote:

TheVUP wrote:Seriously, man...

With this so many new characters, you could write a book (I mean, a novel) on your own already.

Not really, since Misha is the property of 4LS.

(Just a little joke; I know what you meant )

It's a side-effect of family gatherings, unfortunately. As I said, I won't make a habit of it, because I am nowhere near as good as Helbereth at herding a lot of characters into a single space for extended periods.

And I suck at it, so where does that leave you?

Up a creek without a paddle, where else?

As I said, I won't make a habit of it, because I am nowhere near as good as Helbereth at herding a lot of characters into a single space for extended periods.

Helbereth had fewer characters, introduced all but one of them beforehand and had a lot of stuff happening during the time they spent together.
This story spent more than a third of it's bulk just with introductions that nobody could remember anyway. Remember: Misha had the advantage of cram sessions beforehand.

Hoitash wrote:

TheVUP wrote:Seriously, man...

With this so many new characters, you could write a book (I mean, a novel) on your own already.

Not really, since Misha is the property of 4LS.

(Just a little joke; I know what you meant :wink:)

You can just change her name and in a first few pages of the book you can write "inspired by Katawa Shoujo VN" or something like that.
Also, you may want to change "BWAHAHAHA~!!" into something like "KEHEHEHEHE!".