Giving Thanks (SoN Futurefic, F/F)

[wannablessedbe]

Hey all! It's been a while since I wrote a new SoN story (probably since Glee came on the air, and I got obsessed with another adorable blondie and her dark-haired diva girlfriend...lol), but since several people have requested some spashley action lately, I thought I'd give this a whirl! Enjoy

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Giving Thanks

A South of Nowhere Futurefic for SFF

By WannaBlessedBe

Part 1

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“This one, Mama! This one is the biggest turkey in the whole store!” Spencer Carlin-Davies smiled at her four-year-old son's unabashed enthusiasm for Thanksgiving shopping as he hopped excitedly from one foot to the other, pointing to the turkey he wanted in the middle of a huge pile in the poultry isle of the crowded grocery store. “We'll stuff him full of apples and cornbread and he'll be the tastiest turkey ever, even better than grandpa's!”

“Okay, Jack, calm down,” Spencer chuckled, ruffling her son's shaggy brown hair and helping him lift the nineteen pound turkey into their cart.

“Yay! Now we need yams!” little Jackson declared excitedly, turning to race down the isle towards the produce department.

“Jack, stop! No running in the store!” Spencer yelped, grabbing the back of his collar before he could bolt. Then she abruptly leaned away from him and gave a rattling cough into her elbow.

“Mama, do you have a cold?”

“No, baby, Mama's fine. It's just a little smoggy out today, and my asthma's acting up. Can you be my big helper and stay right here next to the cart until we get out to the car?”

“Okay.” Jackson reached up and patted Spencer's lower back reassuringly.

“Thank you, honey,” Spencer murmured, kissing the top of her little boy's head. Grocery shopping three days before Thanksgiving was stressful enough without worrying about losing her kid in the produce isle.

By the time they had the car loaded and were headed home on the crowded 101 freeway, Spencer knew it was more than just a bad asthma day making her feel lousy. Her head was starting to throb, and her nose felt irritated and congested, neither of which she could blame on her asthma. Great timing to get sick, Spencer, really perfect, she scolded herself silently, cursing her weak immune system for crapping out on her now, just when it was her first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner for her entire extended family. She'd spent hours researching the perfect recipes, testing little batches of different kinds of stuffing and sweet potatoes on Jack and Ashley for the past two weeks, thrilled to finally have the chance to take over her dad's mantle as head chef in the family. And a stupid little cold was not going to stop her.

As if in direct response to her firm resolution, Spencer's stuffy nose began to tickle intensely, and she could feel a gentle trickle of snot pooling in one twitchy nostril and beginning to slide down the divot in her upper lip. She groped for a tissue from the holder between the seats, eyes fluttering, and pinched it to her rebellious nose just in time. “Huh-chshh! Etchhiew!! *Sniffle.*”

“Bless you Mama!” Jackson said officiously from his car seat, peering at Spencer's hazy expression from the rearview mirror.

“Thag you, sweetie,” Spencer sighed, wiping her nose once in the damp tissue and giving it a soft blow.

“You do have a cold,” Jack pronounced with a frown. “After we get home, you should put on jammies and let Mommy take care of you with soup and cuddles, an' watch cartoons on the couch. I can help make dinner so you get lots of rest, 'kay?”

“You don't have to do that, Jacksie,” Spencer smiled wearily, glancing at her little boy in the rearview mirror as he played with his plastic dinosaurs in his car seat. “I just have a little itty-bitty cold, okay hon? Nothing for you to worry about.” The child raised his eyebrow speculatively, just like Ashley.

“But watching cartoons and having cuddles on the couch will make you feel better.”

“I feel fine, sweetie. Let's just drop it, okay? Why don't you tell me about the basketball game Grandpa and Uncle Glen are taking you to see next week, hmm?”

The diversionary tactic worked effortlessly on the four year old; but Spencer knew that distracting Ashley would be a little more tricky. Her best hope was that they would get home first, and she'd have a chance to run upstairs and take a shot of cold medicine, and maybe some nasal spray to clear her head, before Ashley got home. The dark-haired singer was almost always running late by this time of day, so it was a pretty safe bet.

Of course, the one day Spencer actually wanted Ashley to be late, her car was already parked in the driveway when they pulled in. “Mommy!” Jack yelled happily as he ran ahead of Spencer into the house, finding Ashley in the kitchen and jumping up into her arms. “We got the biggest turkey in the whole store!”

“Awesome, dude,” Ashley grinned, holding up her hand for a high-five, which Jack returned enthusiastically. “Want some help bringing the rest of the bags in?” She asked Spencer, who came straggling in behind her son with the first few heavy bags.

“Yeah, thanks,” Spencer smiled wearily, giving Ashley a quick peck on the lips and hoping she wasn't too contagious. They walked back out through the garage together, Ashley's arm looping instinctively around Spencer's hip, and Spencer couldn't help leaning into her wife's warm arm with a soft yawn of utter exhaustion.

“Aww, baby, you're all worn out huh? Was it bedlam at the grocery store? Please tell me you didn't have to wrestle any sweet old ladies to get that turkey.”

“Yep, it was pretty brutal. But I'm okay, just had a long day...can't wait to start cooking tomorrow. It's gonna be the best Thanksgiving ever.”

“And I can't wait to eat it,” Ashley winked, cocking her head playfully in that way Spencer always loved. The distraction, however, allowed the fresh tickle welling up in the blonde girl's head to catch her off guard, and she didn't even have a chance to hold it back before her breath was hitching and her back suddenly tensed, making them both stop in their tracks in the middle of the driveway as she snapped forward sharply at the waist, one hand cupped hastily to her face as her little nostrils spasmed in abject irritation.

“Hehh-ehchiiew!! *Sniff,*” Spencer sneezed sharply into her hand, and Ashley could feel the shiver running up her back as she doubled over with the force of it.

“God bless you!” Ashley exclaimed, one eyebrow going up suspiciously.

“Thadks.” Spencer sniffled again, smiling sheepishly.

“That was an awfully big sneeze, Spence. You're not getting sick, are you? I'm sure it's not too late to ask your dad to take over for Thanksgiving if you...”

“I'm fine Ash. And you are not getting out of hosting Thanksgiving here, so just deal with it.”

“Oh-kaaaay,” Ashley hummed teasingly, wiggling her eyebrows and hoisting up a few grocery bags from the open trunk of the car. “But I'm watching you, blondie.” The brunette winked, waltzing back toward the house with her groceries.

“Shit,” Spencer sighed quietly, and followed after her.

[Bgrace27]

YEAH A SoN STORY! ITS AMAZING! PLEASE CONTINUE!

[NoV]

...and what will happen at Thanksgiving Please continue!

[HappyDays]

Yay!!!! Thank you so much!!

[Whysprr]

It's been so long since we have has a SoN fic!! This is so good!! I can't wait to read more, thanks for posting!

[BootyBurgers]

awesome! i love SON you write both of them so perfectly its amazing please keep it going!

[tFM!]

I've missed your Spashley stories so much (though I've also been enjoying your Faberry fics ). Please continue!

[wannablessedbe]

Aww, thanx you guys!!! Glad you're happy

Here's another chap...enjoy!

Giving Thanks

Part 2

By WannaBlessedBe

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It wasn't hard to slip upstairs and gulp down a shot of cold medicine while Ashley and Jack were unloading all the Thanksgiving groceries; and a hasty five-minute shower helped clear out her stuffy head, so by the time Spencer came back downstairs in her favorite old UCLA sweatpants and thermal top, the only sign of her impending cold was a slight sore throat. That, at least, was something than no one else had to know about; and if she coughed, she could always blame it on her asthma. It was really only the sniffles and sneezes that would give her away, and the blonde girl was absolutely determined not to let that happen. She had far more important things to worry about, like being ready to serve Thanksgiving dinner for twelve people in three short days.

The clear-headed feeling from the steamy shower lasted all the way through dinner; but by the time she was getting Jack ready for bed, it was fading fast. Her ears were starting to feel like they were plugged up with cotton, her sinuses throbbed, and her throat itched. Spencer knew it was too soon to take more cold medicine, but she promised herself another blissful steamy shower if she could just get through the rest of the evening, and get Jackson to bed. She'd just tell Ashley she'd had a hard workout earlier and her muscles were stiff. And why shouldn't Ashley believe her?

“All clean! Ready for my story!” Jack announced, running into the kitchen where Spencer and Ashley were finishing up loading the dishwasher.

“Okay, buddy, let's get on the train to sleepytown,” Ashley said lightly, slinging him up onto her back.

“Goodnight, sweetie,” Spencer murmured, smiling wanly as she gave her little boy a kiss on the cheek.

“No Mama, you come too! I want you both to read my story.” It had been over a week since both Spencer and Ashley had been home to put their son to bed together; and despite her reservations, Spencer found it impossible to say no when her little boy turned on his big brown Bambi eyes.

“Okay baby, let's all go upstairs,” she agreed with a sigh, wiping her nose on the back of her wrist with a soft sniffle as she followed her wife and son up the stairs.

“Cuddle,” Jack demanded when they all piled into his bed, putting his head down on Spencer's shoulder as she opened his favorite book, The House on Pooh Corner.

“Is that nice and comfy, hmm baby?” Spencer murmured, overcome by a huge yawn as the softness of the sheets and the warmth of the blankets settled over her tired body.

“Yah...now read, Mama.” Spencer obediently began to read, getting about halfway through the story of Piglet and the Heffalump before her nose began to drip. She sniffled softly to hold it back, then a minute later, she swiped the cuff of her sleeve along the damp underside of her nostrils, pressing slightly to relieve the delicate tickle that was beginning to bloom.

"What happens when the Heffalump comes?" Spencer read, when a wave of teasing tickles reared up without warning inside her head, taking her breath away for a moment as she squeezed her eyes stubbornly shut, refusing to let the sharp pre-sneeze breath in.

"Perhaps he won't notice you, Piglet," prompted Jackson, who knew the story by heart.

"Because you're a...*sniffle*...a Very Small Animal," Spencer picked up again, with another hasty swipe of her sleeve to her wet nose.

“Do you need a tissue, babe?” Ashley asked, one eyebrow going up as she assessed her wife's stubborn sniffling over their child's head.

“No, I'm fine,” Spencer shook her head woozily, with one final sharp sniffle. Then she continued to read the story. "He'll notice me, and I shall notice him, said Pooh, thinking it out. We'll notice each other for a long time, and then he'll say...huhh...” Suddenly Spencer's breath caught sharply, and her head tilted back involuntarily against the soft pillows, so her moist pink nostrils pointed straight ahead into the air as they flared widely, helpless and irritated, dripping a thin trail of snot. Ashley leaned over and pressed a tissue into her hand from the nightstand, which Spencer clumsily pinched to her wet pink nose just in time. “Ehtshhewww!!” *Sniff.*

“Bless you!” Jack and Ashley both chorused together. Spencer sighed softly and blew her nose.

“I think somebody has a co-old,” Ashley sang teasingly, drawing out the word cold so it took two syllables.

“Yeah, an' it's not me. I think Mama has a cold,” Jackson agreed importantly. “Do you want us to read to you instead, Mama? That always makes me feel better when I'm sick.”

“I'b dot sick,” Spencer whined, wiping the damp tissue once more under her runny nose and shoving it in her pocket. “It was just an itch.”

“Sure it was, liar liar pants on fire,” Ashley teased, making Jack giggle.

“Ash, stop,” Spencer groused, kicking her under the covers.

“Aww, okay, sorry babe. I forgot how coming down with the sniffles makes you a little cranky. Why don't you go curl up on the couch, and I'll finish up here? Then I'll come down and make you some nice hot tea.”

“I don't have a damn cold! Can we please just finish the story?” Spencer grumbled, pouting as she unconsciously rubbed her tingling nostrils again.

“You said a swear word,” Jack giggled gleefully. Spencer sighed wearily and closed her eyes, sniffling softly. Ashley felt an immediate stab of sympathy and protectiveness.

“Okay, nevermind, let's just finish the story,” the dark-haired girl agreed hastily, settling back down under the covers and ruffling her fingers absently through her little boy's shaggy hair. “My turn to read now?”

“Uh-huh,” Spencer agreed, passing the book to Ashley with a soft sigh of relief. In a few more minutes, Jackson was fast asleep, and Ashley closed the book and placed it back on his bedside table. They both kissed the top his head, then Spencer tucked the covers snugly around him while Ashley turned off the bedside lamp and switched on the small blue moon-shaped nightlight in the corner. As they slipped out of the room, Spencer grabbed another tissue from the box on the bedside table; then she wobbled slightly as a sharp breath overtook her, absently reaching out with her free hand to grab the doorway for support.

“Huh...ehhh...” She knew Ashley was watching now, but she just couldn't help it anymore; the ticklish dripping in her cold-filled nose was too intense to fight, already taking over her lungs as her breath hitched sharply in her chest. She drew the fresh tissue to her face, pressing it firmly to her wet, miserable nostrils as they pulsed insistently. “Ahhhchiew!!” Her thin frame shivered as she doubled over in the doorway.

“Bless you, baby,” Ashley cooed softly, rubbing Spencer's back as the blonde girl whined and blew her nose.

“Ash, I don't feel good,” Spencer whimpered, finally giving up all pretense as she collapsed into the loving arms around her.

“Shh, I know honey. It's okay, don't worry about anything, I got this. It's okay...”

“It's not okay,” Spencer whined, tears spilling down her cheeks as she stumbled down the hall and sat at the top of the stairs, putting her face in her hands and starting to sob. “I'm r-ruining Thanksgiving...it was f-finally my turn...and now I...” She felt Ashley's hand rubbing her back as it tensed again, snot dripping steadily from both nostrils as she pinched the damp tissue firmly back around them. “Hht-chhiew! Ehh...ah'kshheh!! Uhh, fuck...”

“Poor baby! Bless you. And stop beating yourself up immediately, Spencer Anne Carlin-Davies. If it was anyone else in the family who got sick right before a holiday, you'd be the very first one to swoop in and help re-organize everything; don't even try to deny it. You take care of me, you take care of Jack, and you take care of your parents when they'll let you. Aiden and Kyla and Chelsea and Glen and Madison would all say the same thing. You don't have to take care of us all the time, Spence. Sometimes we like taking care of you, too.” Ashley leaned in and kissed Spencer's forehead, noticing as she did that it had grown warm and flushed.

“What about Thadksgividg?” Spencer pouted, giving her nose another soft blow into the now sodden tissue.

“I told you, don't worry about that. I'll confab with your dad in the morning. We will figure it out. All you need to worry about is getting comfy on the couch in your jammies, cause I'm gonna make you some nice hot soup and cuddle your sniffles away, my sweet baby.” Ashley gave Spencer another soft kiss on her temple, and Spencer giggled weakly.

“You are such a dork,” the blonde girl yawned, leaning her forehead against Ashley's shoulder.

“I won't tell if you won't,” Ashley teased, getting up and offering Spencer her hand. “C'mon, snifflepuss, let's get you to the couch.”

[Whysprr]

Yay an update!!! Thanks for posting, I love your Spashley fics! Please continue!!

[White Rose]

omg!! omg omg omggg!!!! thank you so much!! this is so perfect! please continue! <3

[BootyBurgers]

omg!! omg omg omggg!!!! thank you so much!! this is so perfect! please continue! <3

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

my thoughts exactly

[weevill25]

MORE PLEASE!!!!

[tFM!]

Another chapter? Please???

[wannablessedbe]

Hey Spashley fans! I know it's been a while, but I wrote another part for this fic. Now I'm gonna see if I can figure out how to add tags, as suggested by the mods for this lovely new platform we have. Hope everyone enjoys this! Very fluffy (what else would I write???)

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Giving Thanks

Part 3

By WannaBlessedBe

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By the time Ashley got Spencer downstairs and settled on the couch, the blonde girl was shivering noticeably. “Aww, honey, are you getting a little chill?” Ashley cooed, pulling a folded blanket from the far end of the couch and tucking it snugly around her wife's feverish body.

“Th-thadks, Ash,” Spencer sniffed, pulling a tissue from the box on the coffee table. Ashley noticed the trickle of snot streaming from one pink nostril before Spencer pinched the tissue to her nose for a long, wet blow. “Uhh, that's better. Will you get me my slippers from upstairs, baby? My feet are f-freezing...” The blonde girl's breath hitched helplessly as her head tilted back, and she kept the damp tissue hovering a few inches in front of her face as her nostrils dilated. “Huhh...ehh-chshh!!” *Sniffle.*

“Bless you, angel. Of course I'll go get your slippers, you just stay right here and get nice and snuggly.” Ashley kissed the top of Spencer's head, dashing back up the stairs as she heard the sound of another wet, sick sneeze echoing softly behind her. It made the dark-haired girl pick up her pace a little more, grabbing the fleecy slippers from beside the bed and hurrying back down again.

“Here you go, babycakes,” Ashley cooed, kneeling down on the carpet and peeling off Spencer's thin cotton socks, replacing them with the thick, fluffy slippers. “Is that better, hmm?” She murmured, smiling affectionately at the cranky pout on the blonde girl's face as she shivered and rubbed at the pink underside of her nose with a fresh tissue.

“Yeah, it will be. Just need a...a minute...ahh-ishhiew!” *Sniff, sniffle...* Spencer doubled over in her blankets with another soft, wet sneeze, followed by a miserable sigh.

“Aww, poor baby, lemme warm you up...” Ashley climbed under the blankets beside Spencer, pulling the shivering girl tight against her and settling back against the couch to share her body heat.

“Ohhh, that feels good,” Spencer sighed, not resisting as Ashley cuddled her close, rubbing a hand up and down her arm to warm her. The blonde girl yawned and nuzzled closer to the body heat beside her; then she pulled a clean tissue from the box, and held it to her stuffy pink nose, lightly rubbing and massaging around her flaring nostrils as the tissue quickly began to dampen. Ashley could feel her breathing hitch again, as she kept one hand on the blonde girl's shivering back. “Huhh...hh...hht-kshhew!!”

“Bless you, my poor little angel,” Ashley sighed, planting a soft kiss on Spencer's temple as the blonde girl blew her nose again. “You really got a chill there, huh baby?”

“It's...*sniffle*...getting better now,” Spencer sighed woozily, wiping away a fresh trail of snot as it began to trickle from one pink, irritated nostril toward her upper lip. “Sorry I'm...*sniff!*...all snotty and gross.”

“You're not gross, you're adorable,” Ashley cooed, though she couldn't exactly deny the fact that Spencer did seem to be rapidly developing a very runny nose. “And if you have to have a cold on Thanksgiving, at least it seems to be mostly sniffles and sneezes, and not going into your chest. That won't aggravate your asthma so much.”

“Yeah, that's true,” Spencer nodded absently with a soft yawn. The spell of sneezing she'd just endured had turned the rims of her nostrils a damp, rosy pink, and every minute, it seemed, she had occasion to wipe away a fresh trickle of snot on the wadded tissue she clutched absently.

“How 'bout I make you some nice hot rosehip tea to help dry up those sniffles, hmm baby? And you can pick a movie for us to watch, does that sound good?”

“That sounds great,” Spencer agreed weakly, with a sleepy smile as Ashley slipped out of the blankets and tucked them snugly back around her, giving her a soft kiss on her slightly overheated forehead.

“Won't be a minute,” Ashley assured her sweetly, with a little wink as she padded into the kitchen to make some tea for her baby. Ashley really, really hated to see Spencer not feeling well, especially since the blonde girl tended to complain so little, always trying to keep any illness to herself so Ashley wouldn't worry. This strategy, of course, just made Ashley worry more, because she knew that however much Spencer would admit to, she was probably suffering even more.

When she came back into the den with the tea, however, Ashley found Spencer curled up with a drowsy smile on her face, all ready to make Ashley watch whatever bizarro new-wave documentary had caught her fancy this week. But for once, Ashley didn't complain. Anything that made Spencer smile while she was sniffly and feverish was just fine with the dark-haired girl, even if it was weird and artsy and made no sense.

“Here you go, sweetie pie,” Ashley cooed, curling up beside Spencer on the couch and passing her the steaming tea.

“Thag you,” Spencer yawned, accepting the tea and taking a small sip, with a soft sigh of pleasure. Then her lower lip quivered, and her damp, pink nostrils dilated helplessly. With both hands holding the hot cup of tea, she didn't have time to reach for a tissue; and Ashley, used to catching her four-year-old's sneezes this way when he had a cold, reacted on impulse. She grabbed a tissue from the box and pinched it lightly to Spencer's wet nose, just in time to feel her nostrils quiver helplessly through the tissue. “Ehtshhew!!” *Sniffle.* Ashley pinched the tissue a little more firmly to Spencer's nostrils as the blonde girl rocked forward, and she felt the blast of warm, wet snot through the tissue.

“God bless you,” Ashley said gently, swiping the now-sodden tissue once under Spencer's damp pink nose before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

“Uhh, thadk you,” Spencer giggled weakly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she put her tea aside and grabbed another tissue, hastily blowing her nose until the wet, congested sound cleared a bit. “You know if anyone else was here to see that, it would be really embarrassing.”

“Yeah, big bad Spencer doesn't wanna look like a baby in front of the world,” Ashley teased, tapping her finger lightly on the tip of Spencer's cold-filled pink nose, making the blonde girl giggle woozily. “But right now it's just the two of us...and you know you love it. Right, baby?” Spencer yawned, and nodded, curling back up with her head on Ashley's shoulder.

“Right, baby.”

[Bgrace27]

an update! love it

[BootyBurgers]

Awh! this is adorable please continue!

[White Rose]

absolutely adorable!! please continue!