Eliza had arrived late last night being picked up from her apartment by her mother, driving the hour long drive to their farm. She woke slowly turning in her bed the aroma of fresh sausage, eggs and what she was sure was waffles wafting through the house. She opened her eyes to a face full of fuzzy orange striped butt in her face.

"Ugh Hercules, not the best wake up here," she mumbled pushing the tiny fur covered bottom out of her face.

She giggled slightly when his little tail switched at her nose before the kitten rolled over and eyed her before stretching slightly and pawing at her nose. She couldn't help but to laugh a little more, "that better Hercules. Now," she said sitting up and spotting Puck curled up at the end of her bed, "there is your brother, but where is your sister."

"Lenore," she called out laughing lightly before whispering, " nevermore."

"Eliza," she heard her mother call out to her, "breakfast is ready dear and Lenore is the kitchen with me. Come down. Bring Hercules and Puck, so I can get them some breakfast too."

Eliza grinned having missed her mother's voice and home cooked meals. She couldn't cook like her mother could. Her cooking was enough to get by, but only with her mother sending her packages constantly. She really loved being home, even though she felt slightly guilty about not being able to go out at knight and train, but she figured everyone took a vacation, right?

Eliza scooped up Hercules, who mewed briefly in protest, shuffling out of bed and scooping up Puck gently on her way out of her room. She thundered down the steps holding Hercules and Puck close and jump of the bottom of the steps. Neither kitten seemed to like the movement, but followed Eliza to the kitchen anyway when she placed them on the floor. Eliza ran over to her mother, kittens on her heels, and launched herself at her mother hugging her middle tight.

"Happy Thanksgiving mom! Breakfast smells great. What have you got for the kittens. I know you! No cat food on thanksgiving," Eliza spouted grinning bright like sunshine.

Hannah smiled kissing Eliza on the forehead, hugging her daughter tight. It hadn't been revealed to her right away that her daughter had been kidnapped last year, but when she had been made aware she wanted to tear the school apart to find her. She like a few other parents had stormed the school's office day and out and in the end their missing children had been expelled. When he daughter came back, whole and unharmed, as well as determined to continue her schooling in the city, even if she hadn't really spoken on the whole incident except to explain the school she had been transferred into held most of the kidnapped civilians. It was to that really that she conceded, thinking it would be good for her daughter maybe to around the others who had been through what she had.

“You're right, this morning they get a bit of cream of wheat with a little milk in it,” and at her daughter's slightly perplexed look, “it's one of the foods thats okay for them to eat. Trust me they'll like it. Now come on, lets have breakfast so we can tend to the animals before we start on dinner.”

Eliza nodded, making her way over to the kitchen table and plopping down in her chair so she could load her plate up with a much food as she could hold, though her mother stopped, causing her to frown. “You can have more later Liza,” she said with a slight frown, “can't have a slug trying to help me with the animals. You'll be toddling behind with all that food in you.”


“Mom, I won't toddle. I just won't be getting all of this every morning when I go back to school,” she said with a pout.

“Don't be silly Eliza, of course I will send you back with as much food as we can carry. So no more of this stuffing yourself, your not a Christmas ham.”

Eliza nodded and started eating her waffles after pouring a gallon of syrup on them, despite her mothering slightly disapproving glance. Eliza really didn't need so much sugar so early in the morning. She decided to appease her mother with plain milk as oppose to chocolate and drew a smile from the woman.

“Is the vet going to be able to see the kittens today. I know its Thanksgiving, but I want to get it done right away. I won't be able to do it when I get back and I want to make sure they have all their shot,” she said around a mouthful of waffles receiving a raised eyebrow from her mother.

“Liza swallow,” Hannah scolded shaking her head, “and no need to call him on the holiday. He will here bright and early tomorrow morning. No rush Liza, you'll be here for the whole weekend. You won't be going back until Sunday afternoon. Which reminds me, make sure you get all your homework done.”

Eliza smiled, “I just want to make sure they get their shots. Remember the racoons that got rabies, mom, remember. I don't want anything bad to happen to them. The landlady wants them to catch the mice she thinks got into the basement and who know what they might have.”

Hannah nodded at her daughter, “glad to know you keep your responsibilities in order Liza dear. You'll go far in life, I'm sure.”

Eliza rolled her eyes slightly, “first I have to make it through H.I.T.S and homework overload. Mom I swear they give more homework that Crystal. It's crazy. I've got three project. I haven't even found a partner for the third and it due just after Christmas break.”

Hannah chuckled slightly at her child, “that's the way of life Liza. If you want to go places in this world you need a good education.” Hannah rose ruffling her daughter's unruly locks, “hurry now Liza, so we can get the farm in order and start on dinner. All the animals are looking forward to thanksgiving too.”

Eliza grinned finished up her sausage and putting her plate in the sink, “Just let me grab my shoes and my jacket and I'll meet you in the barn. I bet Shake will be really happy to see me. Her puppies are probably ready to go to new homes, right? Maybe I can ask my friends at school if any of them want a border collie puppy.”

Hannah smiled, she planned to keep a puppy for Eliza, as Shake and Park were getting a bit older and she would soon retire them from herding the sheep, not that they had many. It was time to train a new puppy and it would be Eliza's pick.

“That's fine Liza dear, but I want you to pick out one to keep for the farm,” she said with a warm smile.
Eliza's eyes went wide, “really mom,” she asked as they hadn't ever kept one of Shake's puppies and she had always wanted to. When her mother nodded, she launched herself at her once more hugging her tight, “thanks mom!”

Eliza ran up the steps pulling on her bright pink sweats, her jacket of the end of her bed and some tennis though she managed to put on two different ones. When she came back downstairs her mother could only shake her head at her daughter's unusual style, but shuffled her out the door heading to the barn.

In the barn Eliza was nearly knockers over by Shake, Park and their five puppies, she laughed so heartily trying pushing Shake off who was licking her. She was being trampled by the puppies, sniffed and licked all over.

“Shakespeare, stop it you. You're as big as I am. Shake, Park come on you two,” she said pushing the dog's away and sitting up to look over the puppies, picking up each and cuddling it close. She looked at Shake and Park giving them a serious face. “We get to keep one this time you two. I bet you're happy about that. I'm sorry we can't keep them all, but we are going to keep one which is better than none, right? Then maybe the rest can go to my friends. I think they will be happy and I can check up on them.”

Shake barked as if she understood making Eliza laughed pulling Shake into her arms and hugging her tights. “I really missed you Shakespeare.”

“Come on Eliza, you've plenty of time to play with Shake, Park and the puppies later. You'll be running through the words before you know it. Come on now, let's get everyone fed. I've got all their favorites!”

Eliza grinned and pulled herself up of the ground and got to work. They needed to feed the animals they had in the barn, then go to the stables, and the chicken coop. It was going to be a busy morning and Eliza was certain she would be butted, nipped, and nearly knocked over by a ton of animals, but she didn't mind. She missed them to, so so dearly.

It was a long morning and Eliza found herself covered in hay, and corn. She had leaves in her hair and an bruise blossoming from when Odyssey bumped her a little to enthusiastically. Still nothing could take the smile off her face, as her mother pushed her up the steps toward the shower and headed back into the kitchen to wash up and start on dinner. The turkey had gone into the oven before Eliza was even awake, but it wasn't done just yet.

Puck, Hercules, and Lenore ran about their her feet as she climbed the stairs, and headed into the bathroom for a nice long bath. She drew the water while Hercules and Puck dosed in the bathroom floor, but Lenore watched from the toilet as the water filled the tub. Eliza thought for sure the kitten would try to jump in.

“Want to take a bath with me Lenore,” she asked the little tortoiseshell colored kitten who appear slightly mismatched, but that was what Eliza loved about her. She did not look so neat as her brother's. Lenore was just like her. Eliza could have sworn Lenore nodded, but the kitten settled down on the toilet seat and seemed content as her brother's were to settle into a nap.

“Maybe next time,” Eliza said pulling off her clothes and getting to the tub to scrub away the morning works sweat. She sighed enjoying the deep claw foot tub of her bathroom. It was the small things she missed most aside from her mother. Soaking in the tub, she had a lot of time to think and she remembered she should call her friends and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving and she really needed to visit her wonder so she could get her ring. She would have been able to wish Camelot a Happy Thanksgiving if she had it already. Sighing she slipped under the water and soaking her hair through she she could wash it. It had grown some more in the past few months and she could now sit on it, well if she actually brushed it. Most of the time it was a tangled mess, but she really didn't care.

Eliza washed up and went to get dressed her kittens at her feet once more despite the fact that they had been sleeping deeply just before she got of the tub. Cats amused her very highly. On the farm they had barn cats that mostly stayed outside preferring the wider spaces, so she wasn't really use to the antics of cats, especially kittens. She dressed in clothes her mother must have put on her bed, company clothes, still bright and patterned, they simply matched better than she usually did.

Coming down her hair wild, but no where near as wild as it usually did she went right into the kitchen turning up the music and doing the thanksgiving dance mostly people did. The cutting, stirring, mixing, flipping, turning, heating and arranging dance of the thanksgiving day meal preparations. Her mother was doing all of the actual cooking but Eliza helped as much as she could.

“Are we having company tonight. I forgot to ask, but seeing as you picked my clothes. I mean you only do that when you fear for what I might put together,” Eliza said laughing with a bright grin.

“You know I love your eclectic spirit, but yes the Johnson's and the Ander's are coming over. Their kids are all away this holiday and I thought they might like to spend the holiday with us. We have been friends for such a long time. We are practically family.”

Eliza nodded, she had know the families her whole life, played with their children when she was still a baby, but they were all older, grown up now and college and starting their own lives. It seemed this year they would be missing thanksgiving with their parents.

“We're almost done here Liza dear, next we need to do something with that hair of yours. Are you wanting a cut, your hair has gotten so long, its down to you bottom,” Hannah said with a laugh.

Eliza shook her head, “no not yet mom. There a place in city were I can get it cut and they will donate it to locks of love. It will be nice if my hair is used for charity.”

Hannah grinned and kissed the top of Eliza's head, “very well then. I'll make sure to give you some money for that before you leave. Tonight let's just get it brushed and braid it up real nice. You can keep it braided for a day or two and you won't have to do anything to it.”

“Yes absolutely,” Eliza said nodding happily.

Hannah laughed and started to clean up Eliza following suit, to get the kitchen back into shape and to set the table, so when everyone came they would be able to eat and everyone could enjoy their thanksgiving without starving a moment longer. Eliza's stomach was growling loudly already and she could here her mother snicker beside her. “A long days hard work will do that to you,” Hannah laughed.

“I know that mom,” she said giving her mother a incredulous look.

“Come one Liza love, let's get your hair fixed up. I'm sure the Johnson's and the Ander's will be here soon,” she said heading to the steps to get the hairbrush. Eliza trailed behind her mother going into her room and sitting at the vanity that sat in the corner of her mother's room. Her father had made it for her years ago before Eliza was even born.

Hannah stood behind her daughter brushing her hair, “My beautiful little Liza love, you have grown into such a lovely young lady. If only you're father could see you now. He would be so proud. You look like him you know.”

“I know mom, you told me. I have his blond hair though my hair is nothing like either of yours. His was super curly and yours is super straight and I got that and everything in between.”

Hannah laughed continuing her brushing, taming her daughter's wild locked to fall in soft waves, “you exaggerate Eliza. If you brushed your hair it would be perfectly manageable, soft and wavy, but you don't so it's all over the place. You're too old to still not brush your hair.”

Eliza frowned at her mother, “I like my hair just the way it is. Its not wavy when I don't brush it, so its not wavy, beside I don't have time to brush it.” All of this was code for I'm not going to brush my hair. Hannah just chuckled at her daughter and started to braid it up, it fairy fanciful style she knew her daughter would love. Eliza watched her the whole time, smiling wide, as she saw the style take shape.

The doorbell rang as Hannah was just finishing up and Eliza shot out of the chair rushing down the stairs to open the door. She was so hungry and the faster the greeting were done, the faster she could get some food in her stomach.

It was the Johnson's at the door, who of course hugged Eliza and kissed her cheeks, commenting on how she was still so tiny, and how lovely her hair was and how they we're sure she could be a little model or something. Mrs Johnson had insisted for years Eliza should have been in pageants and Hannah said she rip her way out the dresses before she made it out of the dressing room. Eliza couldn't help but to laugh, even as she was hugged and kissed by the Ander's who swore she'd grown since they had last saw her, but still going on about they could not believe she was 16 already. Eliza grinned through it all ushering the group into the dining room, taking coats and getting everyone seated.

Dinner went along, everyone joking happily asking Eliza about school knowing the school she attended was a relatively new school, but a good school and they were curious about it. Of course Eliza was happy to go on and on mostly about her classmates and homework, but not really about the school. Dessert was served and the adults retired to the living room, but Eliza chose to head up to her room and change into her pajamas.

After she was dressed, she opened her window and climbed on the roof and lay down to look at the stars. It was another thing she didn't get in the big city. She missed being able to see all the stars, billions of them all over. She briefly wondered where in the big sky the surrounding, she got so lost in her thought, she startled badly when Lenore climbed up on her chest, but she calmed quickly cuddling the small kitten close.

She just lay there watching the stars twinkling in the sky thinking on how she already couldn't wait for Christmas to be home on the farm with her mom. City life was fun, but growing up with so much natural beauty around you was much better in Eliza opinions.

“You’re going to catch your death out here and just your pj's Liza love,” said Hannah coming out onto the roof her daughter's comforter in hand.
Eliza sat up looking at her mom with a sleepy smile, cuddling close when her mother sat down and wrapped the blanket around them both. “Your dad and I use to climb out on the roof and watch the stars to the early hours of the morning. It was so peaceful. One day I'm sure you'll share the same experience with your husband and with your children. Just you wait.”

Eliza yawned nodding against her mother's shoulder and dosing off, just happy for now to be there in such a peaceful moment with her mom and Lenore of course.

Word count: 3250