Atlas: A Top Gun: Maverick Fanfiction

Chapter 12: No One Does It Quite Like Texas

A/N: We're getting to some cute stuff :)

Thanksgiving, 2015:

Kelsey Ryan just wasn't sure about Thanksgiving. As a whole, she felt pretty neutral about the holiday. Growing up, it had always been a football event for Uncle Mav and Ice, accompanied by her brother and uncles playing a game afterwards.

And then there was the fact that after her mom died, Thanksgiving had usually been spent at Uncle Ice's house. But then she had been an idiot and dropped out of college (less of an idiot about that), and moved to Italy for Paolo the Asshole (more of an idiot about that).

So she hadn't been back in the states for a holiday for quite a while.

And the last thing she felt prepared for was meeting the infamous Seresin Family. Well, Mrs. Charlotte Seresin that is. And all of Jake's sisters. And their kids and husbands.

She felt like she was some kind of heathen—moving in and faking an engagement, hooking up with Jake, then getting into a relationship and actually living with him for the past two years—

Yeah, she wasn't sure how this entire thing was going to go down. If worst came to worst, she could always find the nearest diner and console herself with good old-fashioned small town pie.

Pie seemed to solve most of the world's problems. In fact, she was certain that if women were involved with pie in world conflicts, there would be less of them.

"So you're quiet. That's dangerous."

"Rude," Kelsey turned in her seat, eyes falling on her boyfriend. "I can be quiet."

"You can be. But you're usually not. Which means you're overthinking this whole thing. Why are you nervous?" Jake asked, bumping her with his elbow.

The duo was currently driving from the airport in Texas to his family's ranch for Thanksgiving. After getting stuck at the JFK airport for two additional hours, Kelsey had seen that as a sign from the universe that things weren't meant to be.

Jake hadn't. He had laughed and told her it was cute she was scared to meet his family.

Kelsey just rolled her eyes. "They probably think—I'm some money-hungering Jezebel or something."

Jake nearly slammed on the brakes, laughter spilling from his mouth. "Jezebel?"

"What?" Kelsey asked innocently. "I did fake an engagement to the military to live with you. And we only got together because—"

"Don't mention the hookup to my ma." Jake advised, wincing slightly. "And we would've gotten together regardless of the hookup."

"Well obviously, but that's how we did get together. That's not exactly...meet the family material—"

"We've been dating for two years and living together for nearly three. And I've known you longer than that. It's not like you were some stranger—"

"That you got on a train with in the middle of the night in Italy?" Kelsey cracked a smile.

"Well when you put it like that, it makes it sound like you swept me off my feet."

"Didn't I?" She grinned.

"Bambi, relax. My family will adore you. My sisters have already heard all about you."

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Somehow, all discomfort and unease seemed to melt off of Kelsey as soon as she got out of the car, finding a warmly smiling woman with gray in her hair rapidly approaching. "Oh Jake!" Charlotte exclaimed.