Chapter 7: Thanksgiving

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Thinking back to that same year that she'd had her falling out with Emma, Dani remembered that she had been so glad when that first break of the year, Thanksgiving break, had come around. Besides the obvious reason, that she'd have a week-long break from her heavy load of course work, the time off would also afford her some time to spend with her parents.

Dani had always thought of Thanksgiving as an antiquated holiday that didn't have much meaning anymore. But both her parents had always held firm that celebrating it was about more than celebrating what some pilgrims and Native Americans did hundreds of years ago. Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay thought of it as a time for families to get together and spend some quality time with one another. When Dani had been younger, she'd scoffed at that idea. But now that she was older and away from her family, she understood the relevance of the holiday all too well and was glad her parents had decided to uphold the traditions that surrounded it.

Xxx

When Dani awoke Thanksgiving morning, the sweet aroma of dressing baking in the oven invading her nostrils. She opened her eyes. Her father must be downstairs cooking Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen, she figured.

Dani looked at the chronometer on her bedside table. 9:32 a.m. It'd been ages since she'd slept this late on a weekday. Her usual rising time was 6:00 a.m. She sat up, happy to be home.

Chakotay's had been away on assignment last Thanksgiving, so Kathryn and Dani and gone to her aunt Pheobe's and had dinner with Kathryn's mother and Phoebe's family. This year, though, both Kathryn and Chakotay were home, and what's more, they had invited some former members of Voyager's crew for dinner. It was going to be one big feast. The only person missing was Will. The Enterprise wouldn't be back to Earth until December, so Will had promised to be home for Christmas.

After showering and dressing, Dani headed downstairs. As she made her way down, she heard two voices talking in the kitchen. One was her father. The other was not her mother. It was another man.

Dani walked into the kitchen. "Will?"

Will Riker turned around, a turkey baster in his hand and a wide grin on his face. "Hi," he said.

Dani walked over and kissed him. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Our mission was postponed, so we got an early leave," Will informed her.

Dani turned to her father, who was standing on the other side of her. "Good morning, Dad." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning," Chakotay said. He was busy chopping collard greens and placing them into a pot. "Did you sleep well?"

"I always sleep well in my own bed," Dani said, smiling at her father.

"Good. Is your mother up, yet?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. I haven't seen her."

Kathryn appeared in the kitchen doorway. "What's this?" Kathryn asked. "I'm the last one up? I must be slipping."

"Good morning," Dani, Chakotay, and Will said in unison. Dani walked over to Kathryn and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Let me finish doing that" Kathryn said, offering to take over the turkey basting for Riker. She approached him, and he handed the baster to her.

"Thanks," he said. He and Dani walked into the living room and sat down.

"When did you get here?" Dani asked him.

"Late last night," Will said. "I was going to wake you, but you were sleeping so soundly. I didn't want to disturb you."

"I wish you would've. I was dreaming about you, anyway."

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