Thank You for this Turkey {Day}
By Brate
Challenge by Cin; make a Thanksgiving story of any type or length including the following items: turkey, turkey baster, paper bag, and horseshoe.
ATF Universe
Chris Larabee opened the door to four surprised expressions. "What do you guys want?"
"Chris, you're home!" JD sounded surprised.
"Yes, I live here. What are you all doing here?"
"Now is that any way to greet your friends?" grinned Buck. "We just stopped by to make sure you had a good Thanksgiving."
"And yet you seem surprised that I am home."
"It's not that, we just kinda thought you'd be with Mary."
"She and Billy are at the Judge's."
Silence met his proclamation, and Larabee was unimpressed by the dancing around his men were doing. He'd seen Buck hide his ranch house key away when he opened the door, so he knew they'd been planning on crashing his house while he was gone; the beer and chips were a dead giveaway, not to mention their guilty looks. He knew Nathan was out with Rain, and Josiah was serving dinner at the shelter, but these guys all had plans as well. "Thought you'd be at Nettie's," he told Vin.
JD answered, "She took Casey to her sister's." Vin nodded.
"And you?" the blond asked the unpredictably quiet undercover agent.
"My dear mother is currently in the Riviera and unable to attend to the holidays with me."
Buck piped up. "I offered to show Inez the real meaning of Thanksgiving, but she politely declined."
The youngest agent laughed. "You mean she dumped a plateful of frijoles on your head."
"I said what I meant, Kid."
Chris looked at the expectant faces of his men. "Okay, you can stay, but I want you guys to promise... no trouble this year."
"Chill out, Cowboy," Vin softly stated. "Don't git yer panties in a bunch, we'll be good."
They pushed past their boss and took their munchies into the kitchen. Chris followed, watching them unpack bags of chips and pretzels and a couple cases of beer, which they stuck in the fridge after grabbing some to start off with. Then Buck took out hot dogs and buns from a small paper bag. Chris leaned over and read the package of meat. "Turkey dogs?"
"Hey, pard, it's Thanksgiving. We have to have turkey," his oldest friend said matter-of-factly. "JD, why don't you start the grill while I surf for a game." The dark-haired agent set off to do just that. Ezra followed after the ladies' man, trying to convince him that watching a game of rugby instead of the usual football would be much more enjoyable.
Vin smiled after the departing men then turned back to look at Chris, worry invading his expression. "So, are ya sorry we're here?"
"No, I guess holidays are best spent with family."
Vin grinned. "C'mon, let's help 'em find a decent game."
Each man was settled down around Chris' television, as they flicked between three games, taking bets on the outcome of each.
JD was going from the games to the grill, making sure the dogs were cooked to perfection. On one of his trips through the kitchen, he noticed the small paper bag that Buck had brought the dogs in. Not bothering to hide a wicked smile, he snagged it up, and blew into the bag inflating it. Then he slowly crept into the living room.
Out of the corner of his eye, Vin saw JD sneaking up behind Buck on the couch. Wilmington was focused on the football game, and unaware of his roommate's entrance. Vin glanced at Larabee, who nodded slightly, letting him know that he, too, saw the troublemaker.
Creeping silently, JD came behind the couch and crushed the bag over Buck's head. Squawking in surprise, Buck's beer flew out of his hand, landed on Ezra and soaked his jacket in the brew.
"Goddammit, JD!"
Ezra wrinkled his nose, and tried to sponge off his jacket with some napkins. "Mr. Wilmington, please control your bodily spasms."
"You're dead, twerp," Buck snarled as he set off in pursuit of his young friend. JD led the chase through Chris' house.
Larabee just shook his head in bemusement, got the dogs off the grill, and then walked into the kitchen. Vin followed and watched his friend get the condiments together for their "meal." He noticed that Chris had smiled slightly at the prank perpetrated by their youngest member, but gotten serious again shortly after. Looking back, Vin remembered that his best friend had been moping around for the past couple weeks. Had to be this time of year. Knowing what he was missing during the holidays, no longer having his wife and son. There was just one thing Vin could do. He went over to the counter, taking something from the utensil drawer before sliding sideways to the sink. Prepared, the longhaired man turned around to address his friend.
"Ya know, you really outta lighten up."
Chris turned around to see a turkey baster filled with water pointed directly at him. "Put it down, Vin." He saw the sharpshooter glance at the side door, gauging his escape. "Don't even think about it, Tanner, you won't make it."
"Yer prob'ly right." The hand holding the "weapon" started to lower and Chris relaxed his stance. "But I gotta try," shouted the Texan as he squeezed the baster, coating Larabee in water, and dashed for the door.
Larabee's scream of outrage and astonishment caught the attention of the other men in the ranch house and ended Buck's pursuit of JD. "What's going on?" Buck asked as he sidled up next to Standish watching something out the big bay window.
"It appears Mr. Tanner has angered our superior, and Mr. Larabee is seeking retribution." Ezra nodded at the scene before him. Chris was chasing Vin around the ranch, smashing through the piles of colored leaves, and laughing as he threatened to perform all types of violence on the wayward ex-bounty hunter.
Joining his friends, JD stared in astonishment at the sight of his boss enjoying himself. "Is he okay?" he asked, confusion coloring his voice.
"Now he will be," Buck answered smugly. "Let's go watch the fun." The two followed their coworker and friend out to the front porch to continue watching the spectacle before them.
Larabee thought he had his prey cornered in the barn, when Tanner suddenly grabbed a rope and pulled himself to the hayloft, just ahead of Chris' snatching hand. "Yer getting' old, Cowboy," called Vin down from the loft.
Chris saw his friend's boots sticking over the edge of the loft and grabbed the nearest thing handy: a horseshoe hanging on the wall. Tossing it up, he managed to smack the sole of the left boot, disrupting the sharpshooter's balance. Vin flailed his arms in a vain attempt to maintain his equilibrium, before he fell over the side into a pile of hay.
"You coulda killed me, Larabee!" he snapped angrily, trying to pick the hay out of his hair.
Chris smiled as he held out a hand for his friend. "Nah, even if you'd fell on your head it's way too hard to hurt." He pulled his friend up and they started to walk side by side out of the barn. "Thanks, I owe you one," the blond said, his green eyes sparkling.
Vin grinned in return. "I jest wanted to cheer you up, that's all."
"No, I really owe you one," Chris assured his friend. "And here it is." He smirked as he pushed his best friend into the watering trough. "Happy Thanksgiving, Cowboy."
The End (and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone!)
