Author's notes

This is the second of my holiday-themed one shots, set in the LWFAW universe. As with before, we're in those six months between that story and Islands In A Storm. Enjoy!

Something To Be Thankful For

November 25th, 1948

Sage, Wyoming

Five year old Ennis sat in the kitchen, watching his mama make Thanksgiving dinner. The aromatic smell of the turkey was wafting through the house, making his mouth water. His mama was a wonderful cook and he loved her cooking. That was one thing he was thankful for; that she made such wonderful meals.

His mama had told him that on Thanksgiving, they should gather at the table for dinner and express their thanks for all they had; count their blessings. He, K.E. and Cecilia had to stand up and say what they were thankful for this year. She'd told him of its origins, about the pilgrims and the Indians. He didn't fully understand it but it was a nice story.

This was giving him pause for thought. He wasn't entirely sure what he was thankful for. He was grateful for his mama and for Cecilia, for they were always nice to him and he loved them. They were the bright spots in his life, amongst all the darkness.

On the other hand, he couldn't say he was really thankful for his father, or K.E. for that matter. His brother was always picking on him, which was bad enough, but then there was the overbearing presence of his father looming over the entire household, which scared him. It was always the same story with him; obey the rules or else, and as a five year old, Ennis's father scared him.

He didn't really have any friends so he couldn't say he was thankful for any. What did he really have to be thankful for anyway? They had hardly any money and their lives weren't all that happy. As terrible as it sounded, he was actually starting to hate his father.

At school today, they'd had the entire class stand up and say what they were thankful for, and that had been horrible. He didn't like having the spotlight on him; he was a quiet boy, preferring to keep to himself during class until it was over, and then he could come home.

"So, Ennis," said his mama. "It's Thanksgivin'. What are you thankful for, sweetie?"

He looked up at her. "I dunno, mama. What are you thankful for?"

She smiled at him. "Me? I'm thankful for my family. I have three wonderful children." The fact that she hadn't mentioned her husband did not escape his notice.

"Yeah..." He looked down, twisting his hands together awkwardly.

She came over to him and crouched in front of him. "Come on Ennis, you gotta be thankful for somethin'. Can't ya think of nothin'?" She waited patiently for his answer.

He met her eyes. "I'm thankful fer you, mama," he said shyly. She smiled again and wrapped him up in her arms.

"You're always gonna have me, sweetie. Promise you that." She kissed his forehead and rubbed his back.

He hugged her back tightly, breathing in her sweet, familiar, maternal scent. "Thank you, mama."

November 25th, 1948

Lightning Flat, Wyoming

Five year old Jack ran after Becky as fast as he could. Her daddy had built them a tree house on their property in one of the trees and she wanted to show it to him. But he couldn't stay for long; it was Thanksgiving today and he was expected for dinner in a few hours.

He'd had a think about the holiday, and that he was supposed to think about what he was thankful for this year. Only two things came to mind; his mama and Becky. His younger cousin was his best friend and he loved her like a sister. They were very close and spent all of their time together.

"Come on, Jack!" she called over her shoulder as she neared the tree. It was bare in the current climate but Jack loved the little house he saw among its branches. It was perfect for the two of them. Here was something he could give thanks for.

They climbed the rungs nailed to the tree and ascended. Becky's daddy had put in two chairs for them and some games.

"Wow..." he said, looking around with awe. He sure wished his daddy could make something like this for him, but that was unlikely to happen. Like as not his daddy would just say it was a waste of materials that could be used on the ranch, or that Jack would be wasting all his time up there instead of doing his chores. His daddy would never do anything like this for him. Even just asking would probably earn him the belt.

Still, he was thankful to Becky's daddy for doing this for them.

"This is great, Becky." They sat for a while, playing snap.

Becky looked up at him. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"What are ya thankful for? My mama said that today we gotta say what we're thankful for."

"Right..." Jack's mama had asked him the same question earlier, and only two things had come to mind; his mama and Becky.

"Uh..." He shifted. "I'm grateful fer my mama. An' fer you," he said awkwardly, glancing up at her. She smiled at him.

"I'm thankful fer you too, Jack. An' fer my mama an' daddy. You ain't thankful fer yer daddy, huh?" she asked sympathetically. Jack's beatings at the hands of his father were nothing to be thankful for, and Becky didn't like him anyway. He was always mean to Jack, in her opinion, for no good reason.

Jack shook his head. "No. I ain't. Glad I got my mama, though. An' you." He smiled up at her.

She smiled back, and they continued to play until Becky's mama called up to them, stating that Jack should get going home, and that it was time for dinner.

"Bye, Becky," Jack called as he walked away. She waved and went inside.

Later at dinner, his mama asked him what he was thankful for this year.

With a smile, he answered, "My family."

She smiled back and the meal progressed silently.

November 26th, 1953

Sage, Wyoming

Ten year old Ennis was sitting on his bed, knees drawn up to his chest, closed up. The nightmares of seeing the old man in the ditch still hadn't gone away and it had been a few months since the horrible event. He was getting sick of them.

It was Thanksgiving again but he had even less to be thankful for this year. What his father had made him and K.E. see...it had scared him. And he had wondered more than once if his father had somehow been involved. He would believe just about anything about his father right now.

His mother and Cecilia were as wonderful as ever, although his parents had been fighting a lot recently, and he suspected that this had something to do with what his father had done. He hoped that his father wasn't hitting his mother; he hated it when he heard that. Was it possible that K.E. could hear them too?

His brother had been noticeably subdued for the last few months, like himself. Didn't take a genius to work out why; they'd both been badly affected by the events of the summer.

Not for the first time, Ennis wished for a friend; someone who he could talk to about this, for he didn't understand it, or why that man had been killed. He'd heard his father use the term "queer", though what it meant he didn't know. He knew that the man had lived with another older man, run a ranch with him, but what was so wrong about that?

He wiped away his tears of frustration and fear, trying to concentrate on the wonderful smell of turkey wafting up through the house from the kitchen. His mama did make wonderful turkey, and it was something he'd always been thankful for. About the only thing he was thankful for these days. He couldn't think of anything else to be thankful for, not now. If he had a friend, he could share his thoughts with them, try to work out what all of this meant. Surely there must be someone out there who would be friends with him. But he was so shy, and now he didn't find it easy to trust people. He certainly couldn't trust his father anymore.

The only two people he felt he could trust were his mother and Cecilia, so he slid off his bed and went downstairs in search of them. They were in the kitchen, and Ennis could see how distressed his mother looked.

"Hey," he said quietly. They both turned. His mother smiled at him.

"Ennis, hey sweetie. Everythin' okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered awkwardly. "You need any help?"

"Um...sure, you could set the table, if ya want," replied his mother. He nodded and started gathering all the tableware, unaware that his mother was watching him with sad eyes, praying that what his father had done wouldn't have any long-term effects. She hoped that he would be able to get past it and be happy.

November 26th, 1953

Lightning Flat, Wyoming

Ten year old Jack sat in the barn on a bench, thoroughly miserable. It was Thanksgiving again and he had even less to be thankful for this year. Becky would be moving to Texas in the spring and he couldn't go that far by himself. She'd promised that she would call him as often as she could, but it wouldn't be the same.

At Halloween, they had gone trick or treating for the last time, and while it had been fun, it had been tainted by the knowledge that it was their last time. Becky knew that he was sad about her leaving, but she had no control over her parents' decisions.

One thing that had not changed was how he felt about his father. The man was still bullying him for no good reason and he hated it. In the summer he'd disappeared for a few days, further down the state for some reason, and had come back with a darkness in his eyes, the likes of which even Jack had never seen in him before. He'd been foul towards himself and Becky after that, and Jack suspected that this was why her parents were moving them; to get her away from him. If that was the case, this gave Jack cause to hate his father even more.

He heard footsteps, and he saw Becky enter the barn, looking for him. His heart was filled with sadness that he was losing his only friend.

She spotted him and walked over. "Hey, Jack." She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips.

"Hey, Becky." He still looked miserable. She sighed and sat next to him.

"I don't like it no more than you do, but I tried talkin' to my daddy, he won't listen to me. I don't wanna go, I wanna stay here with you."

"My daddy won't like that," he said, smiling wryly at her.

"No, guess not."

They were silent for a few minutes, revelling in the quiet. His father was somewhere in the fields and his mama was in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Jack loved the smell but he wanted some time to himself right now, apart from Becky.

"Jack, you thankful fer anythin' this year?" Becky asked after a few minutes, swinging her legs.

He shook his head. "Not really. You're leavin', an' I might not see you fer years. Gonna miss you somethin' awful, Becky."

"I know," she said sympathetically. "Me too." She slipped an arm around him and hugged him.

Becky went home and Jack went into the house for dinner. He loved his mama's cooking but nothing could life his spirits just now. He still suspected that his father was responsible for all of this. He grew to hate his father more and more each year. He was always so mean to him and was always putting him down. Nothing to be thankful for there. All he had left was his mama, and he would always be thankful for her.

November 27th, 1958

Worland, Wyoming

Fifteen year old Ennis pulled his hat out of his eyes, wiping his brow and looking around. K.E. was some distance away, fixing the fences of the ranch they were working on, and he himself was checking on the cows in the field. It had only been around a year since their parents had died, and Cecilia had married her sweetheart Tom swiftly after, hoping for an escape.

It was Thanksgiving today, and their boss had offered them the day off, but they had declined, for two reasons. The main reason was that they had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving, so what would be the point? The other was that they would rather work anyway; they had to try and earn some money.

Ennis thought back on all of the Thanksgivings he remembered. In all of them, it had been the same story. He'd always been grateful for his mother and for Cecilia, the two bright spots in his otherwise sorrowful life. But now they were gone, leaving him with K.E. The pair of them got along better these days, having been forced to grow up quickly, but Ennis couldn't see them ever becoming friends; they weren't exactly very close.

Ennis took another look around him, contemplating what he was thankful for this year. The only thing that came to mind was this job. It gave him some money and it gave him something to do. He had to earn money if he was to settle down and raise a family.

Although, now he thought about it, he didn't know how that might ever happen. He was too shy to approach a girl, something he was definitely not thankful for.

He knew what he wanted. He wanted to settle down with someone he loved, maybe raise a family together. He wanted to be successful and provide a good life for his family. Then maybe he could be thankful for something in life.

K.E.'s voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, little brother."

"Hey, K.E.," Ennis answered wearily. After so many years of hating his brother, it was hard to overcome his feelings of resentment towards him. He'd tried, if only for the fact that they now had to work together and that they were on their own. Just after Cecilia had married Tom, she'd called them to her house to remind them that she loved them and she wanted them to take care of each other. It was hard for Ennis not to feel resentful towards her for leaving them to fend for themselves but he tried to stave it off.

"So, Ennis," K.E. said to him now. "It's Thanksgivin' again. You thankful fer anythin' this year?"

Ennis thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "'Bout the only thing I can think of is this job."

"I hear ya. Lucked out here, huh?"

"Sure did."

They watched the cows moving around, each lost in his own thoughts. Ennis hoped that next year, he would have more to be thankful for.

November 27th, 1958

Lightning Flat, Wyoming

Fifteen year old Jack settled himself in bed, swinging one leg up and gingerly lifting the other up, mindful of the fact that it was still healing. He'd had to be careful with it ever since that day, the horrible day when, trying to stay out of the reach of his father's belt, he had lost his footing on the stairs and fallen down backwards. The bone had been sticking out at the knee and it had to be stitched up. The physical scar would heal with time, but Jack was painfully aware of the fact that the mental scars might never heal.

He had to be careful, but that had been unavoidable at Halloween, when he'd seen that spider in the barn and his father had thrown it at him, forcing him to run back to the house. His leg had been in agony for the last few weeks and Jack hated his father even more for it.

It was Thanksgiving again today, but Jack, once again, couldn't think of anything he was thankful for, apart from his mother. She was the only thing that stopped him from just running away; he couldn't leave her here with him.

He had just started his first year of high school, and he was doing okay. He was proving to have a head for numbers and was impressing his teachers. If only his father could see how beneficial it could be for him to progress, things would be okay. But John had sneered when Jack had started talking about college, saying he wasn't good enough for it. Jack tried not to listen to him but it was hard. He was also worried; his parents weren't exactly rich and he feared that he might have to drop out to help them, if they were unable to afford any more education for him.

Still, he was thankful that he'd got a taste of proper education, however brief it might be, and he hoped that one day he'd have enough money to go back and graduate, maybe still go to college. His mother supported his wishes and she told him that she'd always be there for him. Maybe he could get her a better life too.

He heard his parents come up to bed and he sighed. He longed to get out of this house, down that road, and get himself a better life, something he could be thankful for. It was the only thing he wanted out of life and he hoped to make it happen.

He thought about Becky. She'd called earlier to wish him a happy Thanksgiving and they swapped news. Becky wanted to be a barrel racer when she was older and by now she had her own horse. Jack was proud of her and was thankful that she was happy, even though she was so far away.

Jack wondered if he would ever have something to be thankful for, and he hoped that maybe one day, he would find it.

November 28th, 1963

Sandersville, Georgia

Ennis was at the stove making breakfast, lost in his thoughts, when he felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around him, hugging him tightly in a warm embrace that he'd become accustomed to lately.

"Mornin'," murmured a voice in his ear, still thick with sleep.

"Mornin', darlin'," he replied, smiling to himself. He and Jack had been living together for nearly two months now, and Ennis loved these mornings when they could just bask in what they had together and reflect upon it.

Jack had his head planted on Ennis's shoulder as he watched him lazily, his fingers linked together across Ennis's stomach.

"Hey," he said after a few seconds. "Know what day it is today?"

"Thanksgivin'," Ennis said quietly. He had been thinking about it almost all morning, apart when he and Jack had woken up to find that they both had morning wood. They'd been busy taking care of it and Ennis hadn't been able to think properly for a while after.

"Yeah," said Jack. He could feel the tension within Ennis. "Guess you ain't had much luck with it either, huh?" He knew by now when something was on Ennis's mind.

"Not really," Ennis said. "You know how it was back home, growin' up. 'Bout the only thing I was ever thankful for was my mama and Cecilia."

"Yeah. I was thankful fer Becky when she was livin' near, but after that..." He sighed. "Pretty much the only thing I was thankful for was my mama too."

Ennis had the breakfast ready and Jack moved away so he could serve it. They sat down at the table facing each other.

"So..." Jack began. "You thankful fer anythin' else back in Wyomin'? When you was younger? "

Ennis thought for a moment. "Well...growin' up...like I said, probably just my mama an' Cecilia." He shrugged, reflecting on how it had felt to have just those two women on his side.

"What about after that?"

Ennis met his eyes. "Well...my parents died, Cecilia left, was just me an' K.E. Only thing to be thankful for there was that they gave us work." He paused for a moment. "What about you?"

It was Jack's turn to think now. He wasn't ready to divulge too much information about his horrible upbringing; he wasn't prepared to dredge up the memories just yet.

"Um...apart from my mama an' Becky, not much," he admitted. "Was thankful that I got a little time in high school, an' that my mama supported me. But other than that...ain't had much to be thankful for. Definitely not my daddy," he finished with vehemence. Ennis looked sympathetically at him, knowing what he meant.

"Me neither. That year he made us see Earl, I never thought I'd be thankful for nothin' ever again. Couldn't see how I'd ever be happy again after that." He smiled at Jack. "Guess I was wrong about that."

Jack smiled back, taking his hand. "Yeah, me too. All we hadta do was find each other."

As they worked on the ranch with their first hand, Sam, and their foreman, Dave, they frequently looked around their property, taking it all in and acknowledging how lucky they were. Jack often caught Ennis's eye and smiled at him, feeling his heart soar when Ennis smiled back. He knew what he was thankful for this year, and couldn't wait to tell Ennis.

They let their workers leave early due to the holiday, and were soon making dinner together. Mary had shown Jack how to prepare the turkey, and with a further phone call to his mother he soon had the hang of it. Ennis chopped the vegetables by his side.

They were both wondering where they might be right now if they hadn't gotten together. Ennis would have just married Alma and Jack might have been back in Lightning Flat or maybe somewhere else, rodeoing. They would probably be thinking of each other, hoping that the other knew they were being thought about.

They sat down to dinner, which turned out very well, if Jack did say so himself. When Jack had mentioned that he wanted to make the turkey, Ennis had made a joke about the can opener, earning himself a slap on the ass, which he wasn't about to complain about.

"So, cowboy," said Jack. "We ain't had no luck with Thanksgivin' in the past. So what are ya thankful for this year?"

A shy smile spread across Ennis's face. Where do I start? he thought to himself. There were so many things, all because of this man opposite him.

"Uh, well...I'm thankful fer all this." He waved his hand around vaguely at the kitchen, meaning the property.

"Yep."

"An' uh...that our families understand us, mostly. An' that K.E.'s comin' 'round."

"Sure is a blessin'," Jack agreed.

"Um...I guess I'm thankful that we got good neighbours." Jack nodded.

Ennis paused, and then to Jack's surprise, took his hand, looking into his eyes. "I'm thankful fer you, bud," he said softly. "I'm sure thankful that ya saw me in that mirror an' turned back."

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. "Uh huh." He managed a smile. "I'm thankful for all the things you just said, you know. An', uh...I'm thankful that ya got me to stay in Signal, an' that ya never left me. You told me that ya loved me, an' I'll always be thankful fer that. An' for you too, cowboy."

Ennis squeezed his hand and let go, returning to the meal. Jack's foot moved forward underneath the table, linking around one of Ennis's ankles, making him blush. Neither of them noticed Lucky looking up at them pleadingly, wanting scraps.

They watched a movie that evening, only getting up to answer to their family members' holiday greetings on the phone.

The movie went off and they stretched. They thought they were tired until they locked eyes. The familiar look of desire was forming between them and without a word, they headed upstairs hand in hand.

They shut the bedroom door behind them, and Ennis stood at the foot of the bed. He smiled at Jack and opened up his arms, coaxing Jack into them. Jack came willingly and wrapped his own arms around Ennis, eyes roaming his face.

Ennis traced his fingers along Jack's soft lips, and then held his face in both hands. Jack was unable to look away and didn't want to. Ennis leaned in and kissed him, slow and sweet. He gently probed Jack's mouth with his tongue and drew Jack's out, letting them meet between their mouths. Jack moaned softly into Ennis' mouth, and he felt Ennis remove his arms from around him, moving them down to Jack's front to unbuckle his jeans and slip a hand inside, returning one hand to Jack's neck.

Jack wrenched his mouth away in a gasp as Ennis's warm hand caressed him. He trembled.

"Ennis...ain't gonna last long like this..."

Ennis removed his hand and then led Jack around to the side of the bed, climbing on and bringing Jack down with him, back into his arms. They undressed and threw their clothes onto the floor, not caring where they landed. They got under the warm covers into the cosy heat and Ennis held Jack close as he kissed him.

"What do you want, darlin'?" he breathed into Jack's ear. If this was the only point of the day when Ennis was truly sensuous with him, then Jack was all for it.

"Want you," he murmured, trying to bring Ennis's hands to his ass to make sure he got the message.

"You want me?" Ennis whispered, looking into Jack's eyes. Jack could only nod, unable to move any further or speak.

Ennis rolled on top of him, straddling his hips and pressing his full weight onto him. His hands roamed in Jack's dark hair and their groins rubbed together. Jack was certain he would shoot before he really wanted to.

"Come on, Ennis," he murmured into his lover's ear. "Need ya, cowboy."

Ennis rose up and looked down at him, seeing how helpless he was right now. Knowing that he could have this effect on Jack aroused him immensely, and his hand wandered for the lube. He found it and reared up onto his knees, Jack's eyes opening and looking back at him, dark with lust and desire. Ennis quickly prepared himself and wrapped Jack up in his arms again, nudging Jack's legs wider apart and starting to push in.

Jack hissed as Ennis began to fill him up, breathing raggedly. The feeling was unlike any other and he hoped he would have this for the rest of his life.

Two bodies became one and Jack's head fell back onto the pillow, his mouth slightly open as he felt himself become complete. Ennis kissed his mouth again and he wrapped his legs around his body, holding on tight. Jack's arms were up around Ennis's neck and Ennis was pressed against him from head to toe, deep inside him.

"You ready, darlin'?" he whispered. Jack nodded, anticipation flooding through him. He always felt like this just as Ennis was about to start thrusting into him. He knew that, for him, there was nothing better.

The movement started off slow and smooth, Jack's body moving with Ennis's in time. His eyes were closed in ecstasy and he felt as if he was in heaven.

"Ennis..." he breathed. Now here was something to be thankful for, that was clear. That Ennis could do to him what nobody else in his life had ever been able to do; make him feel worthy and loved. His mother had tried his best but nothing was like this. Ennis had become a part of him in so many ways and Jack knew that he would love him forever.

"Jack," Ennis choked out as his head fell into the nook of Jack's shoulder. Jack held him tightly and started sucking on his neck as Ennis sped up, thrusting more urgently, trying to get to that place.

From this close position, Jack found that he could slip a finger down between Ennis's ass cheeks to stroke his prostate. He made full use of this knowledge and Ennis was soon bucking against him as he thrust.

"Oh God, Jack..." His head felt as if it was being split in two and he responded in the only way he could; he pushed deeper and Jack was soon moaning out loud, spurring him on.

"Ennis, Ennis..." His head was buried in Ennis's shoulder and he sucked harder on his neck, feeling the end approaching and feeling Ennis beginning to tremble; a sure sign of his own impending release.

Ennis thrust hard and fast now, quicker and quicker, desperately trying to get a release from everything that had built up inside him. He suddenly shook, cried out and shot deeply into his lover, who was thus triggered into his own finish, exploding between their bodies as they held on tight to ride it out.

They finally finished and started seeing stars. Jack moved his body upwards and brought a shaking Ennis into his arms, drawing him down with him. He kissed Ennis all over his face and hugged him, running his hands up and down his back.

"That was good," Ennis finally managed to say against Jack's chest, senses coming back to him now.

"Pretty damn good," said Jack in response. Ennis smiled and settled himself more comfortably on Jack's chest.

"Love you, Jack," he murmured softly.

"Love you too, cowboy."

They were silent for a few more minutes, basking in the afterglow and once more revelling in their love and how right and perfect it felt. Neither of them had had much to be thankful for while growing up, but this had all changed.

Just as Ennis was falling asleep, he heard Jack's voice in the darkness, breaking through into his thoughts.

"That's one thing I'm thankful for."

"What's that?"

"That you're so damn good in bed."