A Fairy Tail Thanksgiving

Part 3: The Dinner

By: xSteleAliniax

Beta'd By: SamGreg

November 24, 8:15 A.M.

Erza pulled open the front door with a stormy look already in place. The man on the other side did everything he could to keep a straight face at her terrifying glower.

"You're late." She accused. He shrugged with indifference.

"I'm here." He strode passed her into the room. After another moment, she closed the door and followed him into the kitchen. Various cooking items were spread out on the counters, including the two huge turkeys that Team A had gotten from the market.

"First, we start with the turkeys." Erza announced. She pulled out two large pans, and slid one over to Gajeel, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. She grabbed a turkey and dropped it into Gajeel's pan before putting the other in hers. "Do you know how to cook a turkey?" She asked.

"Do I look like someone who has ever cooked a turkey?" He replied gruffly. He should have just avoided this whole ridiculous thing. The cooking, the dinner, the weird errands Erza dragged him along for. He should have just fled the city, or the country! Anything to get out of having to hang out with these fairies for three days.

"You'll learn." Erza already had various spices spread out before them, and made quick work showing Gajeel which ones to use, and how much of each to put in. Once that was done, they finished with the turkey prep, and then placed them in the pre-heated ovens to cook.

"That was kinda easy," he admitted.

"Cooking is really quite simple," Erza explained. "You just have to follow a recipe, step by step. Let's start on the pies." She started pulling out the ingredients and placing them on the counter.

"Uh, Red, didn't we just order six cakes?"

"What's your point?" She raised an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"Just don't see how we're gonna eat all that food."

"Have you met Natsu?" She pointed out. He chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right. What do we do first?"

"We have to make the dough." She showed him how to make a dough, and then let him knead it into the appropriate texture. Once the dough was formed into a large ball, she instructed Gajeel on how to roll it out. Rather than using a rolling pin, he used his own iron dragon arm. Erza shook her head in disapproval, but left him be to work on her own pie crust.

"Uh, I don't think this stuff is supposed to taste like this." Gajeel said. Erza's head snapped up to see the iron dragon slayer with flour on his face, and some coating the tips of his long black hair. She glowered at him while pointing the end of her rolling pin at him, somehow managing to make the seemingly harmless cooking tool look threatening.

"You are not supposed to eat the dough. Or wear it, for that matter. Do try and take this seriously." She waggled the rolling pin at him threateningly. Flour sprinkled to the floor around him as he held his hands up in defense.

"Are you scaring away the help?" Jellal's voice called from the doorway. He stood there with arms crossed over his bare chest, and a smirk on his lips.

"Who you calling 'help' Pretty Boy?!" Gajeel growled.

"I am not scaring anyone." Erza answered, ignoring Gajeel. "I'm teaching."

"I remember when you tried to teach me to make a pie," Jellal mused. "I think I still have a scar somewhere..."

"Jellal," Erza pointed in the direction he had come, eyes nearly red with rage. "Get out." He held his hands up in surrender.

"As you wish, Titania." He gave a bow, then walked casually back into the other room.

"I'm kinda curious about that scar," Gajeel remarked a moment later. Erza was back to rolling out her dough, and didn't look up at his comment.

"If you don't hurry up and roll, I will give you your own to match." She threatened. He chuckled and resumed his work.

"Fine, Red. You win."

5:30 P.M.

Lucy was putting the final touches on her make up when Natsu poked his head around the corner. His eyes scanned down her scarlet red dress slowly, eyebrows raised, lingering the longest on the slit down her right thigh and very pronounced cleavage. The gold heels she wore weren't especially tall, but they still gave her a few extra inches, and did wonderful things for her calves. A gold belt went around her slim waist, and her hair was pulled back into a half side pony tail with a scarlet ribbon tied around it. A gold star pendent rested just above her cleavage, which only drew more attention to the area. Natsu let out a whistle.

"Damn, you look hotter than a flame." His lips cocked up into a grin. Lucy snorted.

"You're not so bad yourself. Are you trying to copy me?" She gestured at the scarlet tie that hung loosely from his neck. He wore a simple black suit jacket and slacks, a white button-up shirt with a red tie, and black shoes. The black cuff around his left wrist was nearly hidden under the long sleeves of the jacket. "I don't think the scarf goes with the look, though." He still wore the white scaled scarf that Igneel had given him. It didn't exactly take away from the look, but it didn't help any, either. He shrugged, unconcerned.

"Like I care. Erza is lucky I dressed up at all! This thing is so lame!" He pulled at the already loose tie, making it slip farther down. Lucy giggled and stepped forward to help him out.

"So, it's Erza you want to impress, is it?" She began unwinding the knot Natsu had made in the tie, and doing it up correctly. Natsu scoffed at her comment.

"Ha. Like I care what that witch thinks! I just don't want her to kill me when I show up wearing normal clothes!"

"She would, too." Lucy laughed. Natsu's face went pale.

"Don't even joke about that, Luce!" He looked horrified, and for a moment she almost felt bad. But his expression was too pitiful. She giggled again and leaned forward to peck his lips.

"I'll protect you from the big bad Erza." She promised. He wrapped his arms around her waist before she could slip away and kissed her again.

"You gonna give her a Lucy Kick for me?" He grinned. She winked.

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve…"

XxX

"Gray, darling! We're going to be late!" Juvia called up the stairs. He's worse than a girl sometimes, she thought. He took longer to get ready than she did, which was amusing seeing as he couldn't manage to keep his clothes on long enough for it to be worth all the effort.

Juvia admired her reflection in the full-length mirror as she waited for her darling to finish primping. She smoothed out the satiny fabric of her blue gown, which shimmered slightly with darker blue raindrop shaped jewels. The silver stilettos she wore were thin and tall, giving her an extra five inches of height. She twisted her head to make sure the soft curls she had painstakingly set in her hair were all intact. She looked like a falling raindrop. She gave her reflection a wink as footsteps sounded on the stairs. Gray trudged down the stairs, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans, a sapphire blue dress shirt with half the buttons still undone, and black dress shoes. His silver cross necklace was just visible underneath his shirt.

"Oh, you look dashing, my darling Gray!" Juvia's eyes popped with hearts. "Do you like my dress?" She gave a twirl. His eyes scanned over her dress.

"You look nice." He finally said, then smirked. "And we match." He gestured between their nearly identical blue coloring. Her eyes widened.

"It must be fate that brought us together!" She threw her arms around him and squeezed, hard. He grunted in pain.

"I don't-think it was fate." He choked out.

"We're so perfect together!" She squealed. Gray rolled his dark eyes, but he was smiling.

"Come on, Juvia. You don't want to make Erza mad, do you?"

She straightened. "No. Once was enough for me." She shuddered. Gray chuckled, then grabbed her hand and led her out the door.

XxX

Levy had her nose stuck in a book as she finished getting ready. She held her book with one hand, and struggled to get her dress to zip with the other. Someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Levy spun toward the sound, her cheeks going red.

"Gajeel!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?!"

"You've been trying to get that dress on for ten minutes already." He strode forward, ignoring the death glare she was giving him. She clutched the book to her chest, face going impossibly redder. "If you don't hurry up and put it on, I'm going to have to take it OFF." Levy gaped at his bold words.

"Gajeel!" She exclaimed again. He smirked at her reaction.

"Don't freak out, Shrimp, I was just messing with you." He rolled his eyes, then came around behind her. She stiffened when she felt his large hands on her bare back. He slowly zipped up the back of her black spaghetti strap dress. It barely fell to her knees, and was more revealing than she liked, but Lucy had insisted she would look great in it. So, she had grudgingly agreed to wear it. But she wasn't going to wear the tall stilettos Juvia had suggested for her. Instead, she wore black knee-high boots. Her blue locks were curled into simple waves, and held back by a silver headband that matched the belt around her waist, and the bangle around her wrist.

"D-Don't say things like that!" She spluttered. Once the dress was zipped, she spun around and cast an accusing glare on him, but it quickly faltered when she laid eyes on his suave attire. A charcoal gray suit jacket with matching pants, and an off-white undershirt with a light blue tie. His hair was slicked back on the top, while the rest fell down around his waist. His arrogant smirk faded as a blush colored his face.

"Um, so…" He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably and avoided eye contact. Levy felt a smile work its way onto her lips. She wrapped her arms around his back and laid her head against his chest.

"You look nice, Gajeel." She whispered. His heart hammered against his chest. Whereas moments ago he had been audaciously forward, he now just awkwardly patted her back.

"Yeah, you too, Shrimp. We should get going." He suggested, but he didn't pull from the embrace.

"In a minute." She wrapped her arms tighter around him. His heart beat louder in response.

"Okay," he murmured. "One minute."

XxX

Erza was bustling about the house, getting everything ready for the big dinner. It was already half past five, so she had thirty minutes at most before people started to arrive, though if they were practical human beings they would arrive at least ten minutes early.

Erza wore a white apron over her midnight blue, knee length dress. Tall, silver heels with straps that wrapped around her ankles and half way up her calves, and a silver comb with blue sapphires sat in her hair, which was pulled back by a large black clip. And a silver charm bracelet with various sword charms hung delicately from her left wrist.

She was putting the finishing touches on all of the food Gajeel had helped her prepare earlier. Despite his claims, he had proved to be quite the fast learner, and a decent cook. Everything was set out on the long table: the two turkey's sat on either side, and were each surrounded by various food items. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie, strawberry cake, cranberries, sweet potatoes with marshmallows perfectly browned on top. Salad, gravy boats, mashed potatoes, and a few other items, all spread out evenly across the large space. Erza surveyed the table then nodded with satisfaction, pulling off the white apron and folding it over her arm. She no longer needed its protection.

When she turned around to walk back into the kitchen, she found herself in Jellal's arms. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, catching her off guard. Her eyes fluttered shut and she sank into the kiss. She let out a long breath as his lips moved with hers. When his tongue slid into her mouth, and touched hers, she pulled back and punched him in the arm. She glowered up at him. His innocent expression said he knew nothing of her anger.

"I am a very busy woman, Jellal." She chastised him, shoving out of his embrace. He pouted dramatically. She glared fiercely. "Don't make me hurt you." She warned. He resisted the urge to laugh and gave a low bow.

"My apologies, Titania. How dare I attempt to kiss you on this special occasion."

"You're on thin ice, Jellal." She snapped then stomped out of the room. He grinned widely and fingered the item tucked away in his pocket. "Soon, my love…"

XxX

6:30 P.M.

The couples were all gathered around Erza's dining room table, talking and laughing and sharing good company. Erza sat at the head of the table, acting as hostess, with Jellal to her left, and Gajeel to her right. Levy sat next to Gajeel, then Lucy and Natsu. Gray sat next to Jellal, with Juvia beside him. Despite everyone's earlier apprehensions, they were all having a good time. Natsu and Gajeel were competing for comedian of the night, making everyone at the table laugh wildly. When that was done, the girls took their turn and recounted embarrassing couple moments, which made their partners' blush furiously.

"Don't be embarrassed," Lucy whispered in Natsu's ear at one point. He was slumped in his chair, lip poking out in a comical pout. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, which only made him go even redder in the face. She giggled. "It was sweet, Natsu!"

"Yeah, well, you don't have to go telling everyone that I do stuff like that!" He hissed back at her, still pouting. "I'm gonna lose my rep!" She rolled her eyes and leaned away, listening as Erza told a particularly gruesome story that had nothing to do with the current topic.

"Where is Happy?" Juvia asked at one point. A few others looked in the Dragon Slayer's direction, apparently wondering the same thing.

"He went with Carla and Wendy to some Thanksgiving thing at Cait Shelter." Natsu said through a mouthful of turkey leg.

"Natsu, Cait Shelter wasn't real." Lucy reminded him. "It was all an elaborate illusion."

"Whatever, they went someplace." He stuffed more food into his mouth.

"Pass the gravy, Flame Brain," Gray barked out, gesturing at the gravy boat that Natsu was hording. The pinkette stuck his tongue out and pulled the boat closer to him.

"You don't have to be rude ALL the time, Natsu." Lucy sighed heavily and snatched the gravy from him, passing it across the table to a smug-faced Gray. "And neither do you!" She scolded the ice wizard.

"I can't believe no one invited ME to Thanksgiving dinner!" A familiar voice suddenly pouted from the doorway. Eight sets of eyes bulged when they landed on the short, blonde girl.

"Mavis?!" They all exclaimed at once. Mavis Vermillion, clad in a brown dress with a turkey on the skirt, brown and orange striped leggings, and bare feet, stood before them. Her blonde hair was pulled back into twin tails, with orange and brown ribbons tied around them. The group all looked around the table at one another, hoping someone knew what was going on.

"Master Mavis," Erza was the first to overcome her shock. "We duly apologize for our thoughtlessness. Please forgive us." She bowed her head slightly.

"Can ghosts even eat?" Natsu inquired. Mavis scrunched her face up like she might cry.

"Good going, Flame Brain." Gray shot him an accusing glare. "You made the First Master cry."

"I'm not... Crying." Mavis sniffled. "I have something in my eye!"

"Do you... Want to join us?" Lucy offered hesitantly. She was wondering the same thing as Natsu, though she had more tact than he did and so kept her thoughts to herself.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly!" She stood on her toes for a moment, face scrunched in thought. "Well... okay! If you insist!" She bounded over and took up a seat next to Juvia. "Ooh, cake!" She sliced a huge piece of the strawberry cake and stuck it onto a plate. Then stacked on three different slices of pies, and some sweet potatoes (rather, the marshmallows on top).

Someone coughed to hide a laugh. Someone else gagged.

"What?" Mavis looked around the deadly silent table. "Should I be watching my figure?" She patted her flat stomach for emphasis. Natsu snorted.

"Nah, I don't think that's gonna be a problem." He smirked, but Lucy gave him a kick under the table.

"Ow!" Gray exclaimed. Lucy smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, that was meant for Natsu."

"Don't worry, I've got this." Gray smile deviously.

THUD.

"HEY!" Natsu dropped the turkey leg he'd been chewing on and jumped up onto his chair, his fist encased in flame. "You wanna fight, Frost Bite?!"

"Bring it on, Pyro!"

"Natsu," Lucy shook her head in exasperation.

"Darling, you're creating a scene..." Juvia glanced uneasily between Erza and Mavis. Erza appeared too busy eating her strawberry cake to notice the fight that was starting. And Mavis was now holding two flags in her hands that read GRAY and NATSU, and was waving them excitedly.

"Round one!" She hollered.

Gray took a handful of the cranberry sauce. "Iced cranberries!" The bloodied fruit turned to ice, which he then chucked at Natsu's face.

"Flame sauce!" Natsu threw the gravy boat at the flying cranberries. They collided and exploded in the middle of the table, splattering several of the gathered members.

"Oh, my..." Levy flicked sauce off her face. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. Gajeel patted her arm.

"Natsu!" Lucy squealed as the gravy just narrowly missed her. She glowered up at him, but he ignored her, too focused on his fight with Gray.

"Is that all you've got, Streaker?" Natsu sassed, sticking his tongue out at Gray, who responded with another ice attack. Natsu dodged this as well, flipping out of his chair and onto the floor. Lucy scooted away from him. Juvia did the same, moving her chair close to Mavis, who waved Natsu's flag a little higher.

"Round one: Natsu!" She cheered. At some point during the gravy boat explosion and Natsu jumping out of his chair, Mavis's outfit had changed into a cheerleading skirt and top, though it still held the same brown and orange striped pattern. "Round two!"

"All mine!" Natsu cried out. "Fire dragon flaming pie!" He chucked a piece of pumpkin pie at Gray, which caught fire as it soared across the table. Gray caught it in one hand, and it turned to ice before shattering before him. He yawned obnoxiously.

"Is that all you can do? How about some turkey icicles?"

"Say what?!" Natsu exclaimed, just as Gray sent cut up pieces of turkey, frozen into sharp shards of ice, flying toward his face.

"You're going to make Red angry..." Gajeel said casually, stuffing food into his mouth. Lucy, Levy, and Juvia all looked down the table where Erza sat, seemingly oblivious to all the drama unfolding before her.

"Is she really just eating cake?" Juvia wondered.

"Seriously?" Levy shook her head.

"Round two: Gray!" Mavis waved the GRAY flag more exuberantly before them. "Let's go for a tie breaker!"

"Ooh, a tie breaker." Jellal deadpanned. He was observing the chaos before him with indifference, head resting in his palm, occasionally tapping his face with a long finger as if calculating something. "The last slice of pumpkin pie says Natsu wins." His eyes flicked to Mavis.

"You're on!" Mavis pointed the Gray flag at him. "My calculations all point toward Gray's victory!"

"Your calculations are incorrect, Fairy Tactician." Jellal smirked.

Mavis stood on her toes and glowered at Jellal before pointing her flag toward Gray and abandoning the NATSU flag altogether. "GIVE ME A VICTORY, GRAY! There's pie on the line here!"

"What?!" Gray glanced over at her just as Natsu let out a breath of fire, which hit Gray right in the chest and sent him flying into the opposite wall.

"Yeah!" Natsu hooted. He jumped onto the table and snatched up the flag with his name, waving it victoriously.

"Now I'll never get the last slice of pie," Mavis sunk into her chair with a comical pout.

"And the Fairy Tactician fails again..." Jellal mused. Mavis harrumphed.

"What a mess..." Levy noted with a frown, looking over the once beautifully set-up table. Dishes were shattered, food spilled everywhere. It was a disaster.

"You can say that again." Lucy agreed, picking food out of her hair.

"I can't believe my darling Gray just lost..." Juvia sulked in her chair, a black cloud forming over her head.

"Everyone, sit down!" Erza announced abruptly. She stood up and banged a fist into the table, hard, making the food jump. Everyone quieted at once and looked over to where Erza stood seething. They all cowered. Except for Jellal who simply glanced up at her curiously. "I have an announcement." She proclaimed. Everyone waited for her to start screaming and yelling at them for making a mess of her beautiful Thanksgiving dinner. They waited for the reprimand that was sure to come. Instead, she sat back in her seat, calmly, and turned toward Jellal. He gave her a smile, but she remained stone-faced.

"Jellal," she began, tone serious.

"Yes, my love?" His pleased smile grew. Erza took a deep breath, then jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Jellal Fernandez, you are going to marry me."

A collective gasp filled the room. Her tone was commanding, suggesting that this wasn't a question, but rather an order. Gajeel and Natsu recovered first and both laughed boisterously. Lucy and Levy glanced at each other with wide, disbelieving eyes. Juvia and Gray looked too baffled for words. Jellal looked stunned as well, and gaped at Erza for a long moment.

Erza reached into her cleavage, making the guys at the table bury their faces, and the girls glare, and pulled out a velvet box, which she thrust into Jellal's hand.

"Here."

"Ooh, how romantic!" Mavis squealed, hearts in her eyes.

Jellal glanced between Erza and the velvet box.

"Open it." She murmured. He propped the box open, and then a smirk settled back onto his face. He raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

"A sword?" He turned the box around so the others could see. A silver sword pendent with a red ruby in the hilt hung from a sturdy silver cord. She shrugged.

"Rings are overrated."

He snorted a laugh. "Right, as always, Erza." Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, much to the surprise of just about everyone.

"This is so beautiful!" Mavis wiped a tear from her eye.

"I will marry you, Erza." He said.

"G-Good." She stammered, cheeks red. "I mean, of course!"

Mavis giggled.

"This calls for a celebration!" She jumped to her feet.

"I thought this WAS a celebration?" Gajeel muttered. Levy elbowed him.

"Wait," Jellal called out as everyone began talking at once, congratulating the newly engaged couple. They all stopped talking, eager to hear what the quiet bluenette had to say. "Erza, I have something to say to you." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a nearly identical velvet box. Erza's eyes went wide, as did nearly every member at the table. They all leaned forward as one. The box gave a light creak as he opened it. A ring sat inside, platinum in color, with a sword-shaped diamond in the center. Four small, blue sapphire stones sat in the band, on either side of the sword. Erza's jaw dropped.

"I take it back," she breathed, gazing at the ring in awe. "Some rings aren't overrated." Jellal snorted.

"Good to know. So," he waggled the box in front of her. "Will you marry me?"

"I already asked you!" She accused.

"No, you told me I was going to marry you. This is me acting on that." He grinned. She glowered for a moment, but then her lips pulled up into a smile and she snatched the box from him to closer inspect the ring.

"Fine." She said at last. She pulled the ring out and slipped it onto her left ring finger, admiring the less than delicate piece of jewelry. "I rather like this ring."

Laughter filled the room.

"A scary ring for a scary woman." Natsu muttered. Lucy glared at him, but she had to wipe happy tears out of her eyes. "You're such a girl!" Natsu cackled at her. She made sure her foot was aimed at the right person this time, and kicked him in the shin. "Ow!"

"Meanie," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Weirdo," he mimicked her, and she laughed.

"Man, kill me if I ever act like that." Gray muttered, watching the couple across from him with a scowl.

"I would never do that to you, my darling!" Juvie hugged his arm and gazed up at him adoringly. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'm so happy for them!" Levy said excitedly, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, just don't go getting any funny ideas," Gajeel replied gruffly, face tinted a light pink.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, frowning up at him. He avoided her eyes.

"It means, I'm the one that's gonna do the asking, you got it?" He met her eyes, and she blushed scarlet. She nodded.

"O-Okay."

"Alright!" Erza called out loudly over the growing chatter. "It's time for fun!"

"Fun?" A few voices echoed.

"Let's have a dance party!" Mavis suggested.

"Let's not," Gajeel grumbled. Mavis stuck her tongue out at him.

"We're not having a dance party." Erza said. Then she smiled mischievously. "We're going to plan a Christmas party. Who wants to do Secret Santa?"

A/N: Disaster! Haha, but they still had fun, I think. I had to throw in a little bit of Mavis, because she is one of my favorite characters, and I don't see her too much in fanfics. She's awesome, though! XD I hope you all enjoyed this Thanksgiving special! Thank you so much for reading and following along! You guys are the best! See you next time!

A/N 2: Thank you to my wonderful betareader SamGreg, who so efficiently read through and edited all three parts for me in record time! They are amazing! Cheers to you!