Maximum Ride: Thanksgiving Special by flYegurl

Okay, here you have it, my Thanksgiving special! Yayz! All be happy!

Disclaimer: I own not Maximum Ride

The flock sat calmly around their table. It was the first Thanksgiving after Jeb had disappeared, and everyone was feeling the empty feeling of his absence.

But nevertheless, the dinner had been made. A magnificent wild turkey sat, plucked and stuffed and garnished and cooked as the centerpiece of the meal. Dishes of all sorts spiraled out around it; salads, pies, quiches, rolls, breads, other meats, eggs, etcetera. Iggy had really outdone himself in an effort to bring everyone's minds away from it all.

"Okay," Max spoke up as they all stared at the variety of delicious food. "Let's all thank Iggy for slaving his bird-kid butt off the past two days to make this dinner. Thanks, Iggy."

"Yeah, thanks bunches!"

"Totally, it looks sooooo good, you are such an amazing cook, seriously, Iggy, thanks soooooo much."

"Thank you, Iggy!"

"Thanks, bro."

Iggy grinned and nodded in acknowledgement, taking the praise with an air of mock-dignity, bowing his head slightly and raising his hands.

"Ah, 'twas nothing, but I appreciate the thought," he answered, accepting the thanks.

Max nodded and began again.

"Now, we all know that we are missing someone from our table on this special day. Jeb has been gone now for a little less than a year. Let us all bow our heads in remembrance."

The table fell silent, and everyone sadly bowed their heads, softly closing their eyes as they paid remembrance to their pseudo-dad.

"Okay." Max raised her head and began again. "Now, why don't we go around the table and say our thanks?"

"Okay!" Nudge answered eagerly. "Me first!"

"Go ahead, Nudge."

Nudge cleared her throat and stood, putting her hands on the table on either side of her plate, looking around at each of her friends with a smile before talking.

"I'm very thankful of our house, and that we are no longer trapped in the School. I'm thankful that we don't have to go through daily experiments anymore. I'm also thankful that my family is all here with me tonight, because I love all of you bunches and bunches and I never want any of us to ever be separated. Ever." Nudge took a breath. "I'm thankful to Iggy for making us this delicious meal, and I'm also thankful to all of the rest of us for going out to get the supplies for this delicious meal. I'm really thankful that Jeb was kind enough to give us this house, because if he hadn't we'd be homeless and sad somewhere else not as pretty or nice and we wouldn't have space to fly. I'm thankful that we are all way far away from any of the cities so we can be ourselves without being found out. I'm thankful that I have my own bed, and a room even though I have to share it with Angel. I'm thankful that we have bathrooms where we can take showers and baths and a toilet because we didn't used to have one but now we do and it's just sooooo much better than going in the woods. I'm thankful I have a hairbrush and real clothes. And I'm thankful that we are all here today. But I already said that. Anyway, thanks."

Nudge grinned bubbly and sat back down. The rest of the flock gaped at her for a moment, then clapped slightly.

"Very nice, Nudge," Max answered. "Now, who..?"

But Gazzy jumped up excitedly.

"Me! Me! Okay, I'm really thankful that my whole family is here and stuff. I'm really thankful that we have all this good food, so yeah, thanks again Iggy. I'm thankful that I can fly and have wings and stuff. And I'm thankful that we have this awesome house in the mountains, because it's a really cool place to fly. And I'm thankful I have my own room, and my own bed, and my own pillow, and my own blankets, and my own clothes and bathroom and stuff. And I'm thankful that Iggy is teaching me how to make bombs." Here, Max threw a dirty glance to Iggy, who pretended not to notice due to his blindness. "I'm really thankful that we're not dead, or starving, or still in the School. I'm thankful Jeb was such a nice guy. And I'm thankful that we're way out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't think anyone will ever be able to find us and stuff. Yeah. Thanks."

Gazzy sat down and grinned broadly at all of them, and they all smiled back.

"Now it's my turn," Angel said softly, standing. "Okay. I am very thankful to Iggy for being such an amazing cook, and babysitter, and big brother, and dad, and friend. I'm thankful to Nudge for being such a nice big sister and friend for me and being able to see the brighter side of every situation and liking to play with me when I'm bored. I'm thankful to Gazzy for being a really awesome big brother and for teaching me things and for being there for me and all. And I'm grateful to Fang for being a nice protector and defender and fighter and everything, and being a caring big brother. And I'm thankful to Max for being such a nice mommy and leader and being able to keep us together. I'm really thankful to Jeb for taking us out of the School, and I'm thankful that they haven't found us yet. I'm thankful for our food and our shelter and for all of my stuffed animals. And I'm thankful for all the stuff everyone else is thankful for. Thanks so much."

Angel sat back down with a little flounce, leaving everyone feeling rather proud and happy.

"Right then. Fang, you go ahead," Max commanded, and Fang sighed, standing.

"Yeah. I'm thankful for all our house and shelter and food and clothes and stuff. And I'm thankful to have my family all here with me. I'm thankful we're not in the School. I'm thankful for Jeb. And yeah. Thanks."

After that moving and lengthy speech, Fang sat.

Iggy stood right next, opening his mouth to talk.

"I'm thankful that none of us are stuck in the School. I'm thankful to Jeb for getting us out of there. I'm thankful that when I was experimented on, I wasn't killed, just blinded. I'm thankful I wasn't left behind when you all escaped. I'm thankful I was able to learn to do all the normal stuff and be able to live relatively normally. I'm thankful that I can cook and build bombs and pick locks, and fly of course. I'm thankful Fang never fulfilled his promise to leave me tied up at the bottom of a canyon after I accidentally ran into him and knocked him down the stairs." Fang looked guilty for a second. "I'm thankful that all of my family is here with me to support me and help me along. And I'm thankful I have friends like all of you guys. I'm thankful that we have food for me to cook and a kitchen to cook it in. I'm thankful we have a house and that I have a bedroom and bathroom and real clothes and stuff. I'm thankful that you're all thankful for me. So, thanks."

Iggy sat after his speech, and everyone grinned at him. He smiled back.

Max stood last, and looked around at all of her family. Minus Jeb. And she smiled and opened her mouth.

"Okay. I'm thankful to all of you. I'm thankful that I have a real family to lead and to love. I'm thankful we're all out here, free in the mountains, instead of stuck in the School. I'm thankful for Jeb, wherever he may be right now. I'm thankful to Fang for being a great right-wing-man, and being able to follow my orders, no matter what. I'm thankful that Iggy is here with us right now, because even if he's blind we all still love him, and it beats the worse alternative by far. I'm thankful that Nudge is a chatterbox, because what would we all do without our Nudge Channel to distract us from the world? I'm thankful to Gazzy for being such a little trooper, and I'm thankful to Angel for being so sweet and supportive to everyone. I'm thankful that we have a roof over our heads and a bed to lay down in at night. I'm thankful we have wide-open skies to soar in, and mountains and trees to explore. I'm thankful that you guys all love me. And I love all you guys as well. I'm just so thankful."

Then Max sat down, and everyone smiled at each other for a long moment. Then, Iggy said "Let's dig in!" and they all piled food onto their plates, temporarily forgetting any of their dark past. Just a happy family, eating together on one happy Thanksgiving.