97. Giving Thanks

November 23, 2017 (Pregnancy week 38)

The next week went by in a blur, and soon it was Thanksgiving morning.  When Lena woke up at 5am to nurse, Kara woke with her, as was her habit, retrieved the crying baby, and gave him to Lena to feed.  Kara then held the both of them as they reclined in the bed.  Of course, Kara tended to nod off at this part in the middle of the night, but she didn’t this time.  She just watched their son as he suckled greedily at Lena’s breast, a look of awe on her face.  She curled his fingers around one of hers and said, “You’re a week old today, little buddy!”

Lena smiled.  They wouldn’t officially be a week old for a few more hours, but that was just a technicality.  “Yeah, you’re doing great, my little angel,” Lena cooed.

Joel kicked his feet happily in response to their voices.  He was so adorable in his little blue onesie with Cookie Monster on the chest and a little blue baby hat over his head to keep him warm.  She could thank the twins for that.  They were the ones in charge of changing him in the afternoons and evenings after school and before bed.  This would have been their doing last night.  She peeked over at Jack to see he was sporting an Elmo onesie and a red hat.  She smiled.  She hadn’t noticed the characters during the night.

“Are you hungry, baby?” Kara asked Lena.

Lena yawned.  “Yeah, a bit.”

“What would you like?”

“Is Noonan’s open yet?”

Kara shook her head.  “It’s Thanksgiving, sweetheart.”

“Oh, right,” Lena pouted.

“I can call Amy and see if she’ll-”

“No, Kara,” Lena stopped her.  “It’ll be fine.  How about some french toast?  And bacon?”

“You got it.  You want it now, or after he’s finished?”

“After,” Lena replied.  “I’m enjoying your cuddles.”

“OK.”  Kara kissed Lena on the head a few times in response.

There came a soft knocking on their bedroom door.

Kara used her X-ray vision to see who it was.  “It’s just my mom,” she told Lena.

“Come in,” Lena called.

Alura poked her head in the door.  “Good morning, ladies,” she greeted them, keeping her voice low so she didn’t disturb the babies.  “How are we doing today?”

“Pretty good,” Kara replied.

“Mind if I join you for a bit?” Alura requested.

“Sure, as long as you don’t mind seeing me nurse,” Lena smiled.

“I don’t mind, if you don’t,” Alura replied, coming in and sitting at the edge of the bed.  “Which one is this?”

“This is Joel,” Kara told her.

“Hi, Joel,” Alura cooed at the baby.  “Grandmother is here to see you.”

Joel flailed a little at the attention.

“He’s happy to see you,” Kara grinned.

“I’m happy to see you too, little one,” Alura beamed, stroking his tiny hand.  “I can’t tell you enough how overjoyed I am to be here to meet my new grandbabies.  They’re so precious.”

“I’m right there with you, Mom,” Kara replied.  “I’m glad I came to get you early, otherwise you would have missed the boys being born.”

“They do look like you, but I can see plenty of Lena in them too,” Alura observed.  “And I wouldn’t be surprised if their hair darkens up as they get older.  Zor-El was blonde like that when he was born, but he ended up with dark brown hair eventually.”

“I don’t care either way,” Lena shrugged.  “I’m just glad they’re healthy.”

“Agreed,” Alura smiled at her.  “Would you girls like me to make you some coffee?  I’ve gotten the hang of using the coffee maker now.”

“Yes, please,” Lena replied.  “I don’t think I’m going to be able to fall back asleep for a while.”

“OK.  I’ll be back.”  Alura disappeared out the door and came back a few minutes later with coffees for the three of them.  

Joel was almost finished nursing, so Lena just let her coffee cool off a bit before she drank it, letting the baby eat his fill and then handing him over to Kara for his burping.  When she finally got a hold of her coffee, she inhaled deeply before taking a sip.  “That’s the stuff,” she sighed happily.

When Kara was finished burping the baby, she handed him over to Alura to hold for a bit.  The look of wonder on Alura’s face hit Lena right in the heart.  They were so sweet together.

“OK, I’m gonna go make breakfast, do you guys want to come downstairs with me?” Kara asked.

“Yes, please,” Lena replied.  “I need to get out of this bed for a while.”

“Oh, that reminds me, are you going to be joining the party for dinner today?” Kara asked.

Lena pursed her lips in thought.  “I would like to, but I can’t promise anything.  I’ll still have to nurse, and I don’t know if my body will let me stay awake all day yet.”

Kara nodded.  “Fair enough.”  She climbed out of bed and helped Lena get up, then passed Jack to her, so Kara could carry the bassinet downstairs, then they all headed down to the kitchen.  Kara started pulling things out to make the french toast, and Alura requested to learn what she was doing.

Jamie and Jessie must have smelled the food because they came downstairs shortly after the cooking started.  They greeted everyone with sleepy smiles and hugs and kisses before snatching the babies up and cuddling them.  Joel was still awake, and he flailed excitedly in Jessie’s arms as the girls started singing.

A few minutes later, Jamie announced, “Uh-oh! Somebody needs a diaper change!  I’ll be right back.”  She walked at human speed into the kitchen bathroom with the baby, making sure to be extra careful with him.

When the singing stopped, Joel started fussing in protest.  Lena was just about to take him when Jessie started singing again, and he settled down.  Lena’s heart melted.  It was so adorable.

Soon, Jamie returned with Jack who was looking sleepy.  As his big sister rocked him and sang, he fell asleep.  Unfortunately, a few minutes later, he woke up and started crying, which told Lena that he was actually hungry now.  She took him into the living room and sat on the couch to nurse more comfortably.

The girls followed behind her.  “Can we sit with you?” Jamie asked.

“Of course,” Lena smiled at them.

“Are you feeling OK?” Jessie asked her, rocking Joel back and forth.

“I’m tired, obviously, but yes, I’m OK,” Lena replied.  “Did you girls get enough sleep?  You got up early today.”

They nodded.  “We were excited because it’s the boys’ one week birthday and also because it’s Thanksgiving, and we wanted to be up early enough to help make everything.  Grandma said she’d be here soon, and we want to dress up the babies and take pictures.”

“Oh, good idea,” Lena grinned.  “Would you girls be willing to help me with my hair and makeup?”

“Yeah!” they replied excitedly.

“Let me finish nursing, and I’ll take a shower before you do that,” Lena requested.  “I don’t want to look like a wreck in any pictures.”

“You always look beautiful, Lena,” Jamie insisted.  

“Yeah,” Jessie agreed.  “You’re one of the most beautiful women in the whole world.”

Lena beamed at them.  “Thank you, girls.”

A few minutes later, Alex and Maggie wandered sleepily downstairs.  They greeted everyone with hugs and kisses and sat down on one of the other couches with their coffees.  Since she wasn’t holding a baby, Jamie went and snuggled next to Alex.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Alex asked, putting her arm around her daughter.

Jamie smooched her cheek.  “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you so much, baby,” Alex replied, kissing Jamie’s newly short brown hair.

Jamie rubbed Alex’s belly to see if the baby would react, and she did, kicking her feet into Jamie’s hand.  Jamie giggled in delight.  “I wonder when the girls will be born.”

“Well, hopefully they’ll wait another week, so they don’t come too early,” Alex replied.

“They’re already as big as the boys are,” Jamie pointed out.

“Really?” Alex asked in slight surprise.

Jamie nodded.  

Alex hummed thoughtfully, but didn’t reply otherwise.

Lena finished nursing Jack and handed him off to Alex when the agent made grabby hands at him.

“Hi, buddy!” Alex cooed at him as she put him on her shoulder to burp.  “Mama Alex has you now, huh?  Oh, boy!  And look!  There’s Mama Maggie.”

“Hi, Jacky!  “Who’s our good boy?” Maggie cooed, kissing his tiny hand.  “Your mamas love you.”

Lena smiled at how cute they were.  “OK, I’m off to take a shower.”

“OK, honey, see you in a few,” Alex replied while patting the baby’s back.  “We’ll be here when you get back.”

“You’d better be,” Lena warned, only partially teasing.  She had learned over the week that it wasn’t the babies who had separation anxiety, it was herself.  She fretted when the boys weren’t in her direct line of sight, even though they were completely safe with the rest of the Danvers family.  She’d already talked to Alex, who told her it was completely normal, and admitted to experiencing the same thing with the girls when they were born.  Lena took a deep breath and headed upstairs.  Once she was in the nice hot water, she relaxed a little.  The water felt amazing, and she just soaked it in for a bit before washing herself.

When she was almost finished, the bathroom door opened and Kara poked her head in the door, “Lena, honey, breakfast is ready.”

“Don’t come in!” Lena exclaimed.

“It’s just me, sweetheart,” Kara assured her.

“I know, I… I don’t want you to see me,” Lena mumbled.

“Why?” Kara demanded.

Lena pouted.  “I don’t want you to see me like this,” she said again.

Understanding dawned on Kara’s face.  “Oh, I see what this is about.”  She defiantly came fully into the bathroom while Lena hid behind the glazed shower door.  “Lena, I know what it looks like after you’ve had a baby.”

“Yeah, well, there’s knowing, and then there’s seeing,” Lena argued.

“Lena, I promise you, I’m not going to think any less of you for having a left-over baby belly only one week after giving birth to our twin boys.  It’s OK.  I love you more than that.  I love more things about you than just your body.  But more importantly, this thing about your body tells a story.  A story about love and family, and that story is everything to me, Lena.  You are everything, Lena.  I won’t force you to show me, but I promise, if you do, I won’t make you regret it.”

Lena sniffled as she bit her trembling lip.  She did like it when Kara dried her off, it was nice attention, and Kara was always very affectionate when she did it.  “Hold on,” Lena said, poking her head back under the water and making sure her hair was fully rinsed.  She took a deep breath in and out as she turned the water off.  “OK,” she sighed, putting her arms over her belly as she stepped out.

Kara was there with her big fluffy towel open and waiting for her.  “Come on, sweetheart,” she encouraged, wiggling the towel in the air and then wrapping it around Lena’s body.  At first, she just held Lena in her arms, trying to help her relax.  Then, she slowly and gently started swiping at the water beaded on her body starting from her face.  Kara left tender kisses on her skin, following behind the towel, not really to be seductive this time, just to be affectionate.  

Lena closed her eyes, enjoying the kisses down her neck and shoulders and onto her back.  As soon as the towel was around her waist, Kara stopped moving it down, but she turned Lena around to look at her.  Lena blinked up at her, not sure what her next move was going to be, but was pleasantly surprised when Kara just kissed her tenderly on the lips, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away.

“I love you so much, Lena,” Kara began.  “Even if the only thing you ever did for me was give me my sons, it would still mean everything in the world to me, and I would be in your debt for the rest of my life, but that’s not all you are.  You are so, so many things.  A scientist, a CEO, a friend, a lover, a wife, a hero, a good person.  All those things together, combined with the choices you make in life, are what define who you are.  Not this one little temporary physical attribute.  Don’t think for one second that I don’t know exactly what I’m looking at when I see you.  I see you, Lena.”

Lena’s lip trembled as tears streamed down her face.  She leaned her head against her wife’s until she could speak again.  “Thank you, Kara,” she finally sniffled.

Kara gave her another kiss before kneeling on the floor in front of Lena to finish drying her off.  When Lena allowed her to lower the towel, Kara placed a few reassuring kisses on her soft belly before drying off her legs and feet.  Once she was finished, she gave Lena a few more kisses to seal the deal, and then started towel drying her hair.

“You can just leave it loose,” Lena informed her.  “The kids are going to do my hair after breakfast, so we can take pictures.”

Kara grinned.  “Yay, pictures!”  She scooped Lena up into her arms and flew them into the closet.  “What do you want to wear?”

Lena picked a pair of grey trousers from her early pregnancy days and a soft, double-breasted lavender sweater that would make nursing easier throughout the day.  Kara helped her get dressed, even though she didn’t really need to.  Lena was enjoying the TLC, so she allowed it.  When she was all dressed, they just took a few moments to hold one another.

Eventually, Kara pulled away and gave her one more kiss.  “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go eat.”

“OK.”  The pair laced their fingers together and headed back downstairs.

Eliza had arrived while they were upstairs, and the family ate their breakfast together.  Thankfully, Lena had enough time to eat before it was time to nurse again.  She nursed the boys, and they spent the next hour dressing up and getting ready for pictures.  Jamie french braided Lena’s hair, and Jessie did her makeup, all while she was nursing.  Unlike Ruby, the twins had practice with putting on makeup because of their old dance classes.  They knew what they were doing enough for Lena to trust them with it.  Again, she could have done it herself, but she felt pretty lovey-dovey today, and was enjoying the attention.  Plus, it seemed to make the twins happy to be able to do things for her.  Plus, plus, it would take a lot longer to nurse and then do all the things to get ready, so it was also saving them time.

When everyone was dressed and ready, they all went back down to the living room to do the photos.  The boys were dressed up in the little suits that Clark and Lois had bought for them, and they looked so adorable, Lena’s heart ached with love for them.  They took turns taking photos, trying to get as many combinations as possible, and then used the timer for the group photos.  It was the first real family photo shoot they’d done in months, and they got a bunch of really great photos, and showcased both sets of twins, both grandmothers, and Jamie’s new hairdo.

After picture time was over, Eliza announced that it was time to start cooking.  She delegated jobs out to everyone, and they worked together for the next hour or so before the gate buzzer went off, alerting them that someone had arrived.  It was a little early for people to start showing up, but when Lena checked her phone, she saw that it was Amy and Tara.  “Hey, guys!  You’re early!”

“Yeah, but we brought goodies, and we wanted to help out with dinner,” Amy informed her over the com.

Lena smiled at them and pressed the button on her phone that unlocked the gate.  Less than a minute later, the pair of entrepreneurs came in with a giant tray of Noonan’s sticky buns and a bunch of coffees for the adults and hot cocoas for the kids.  The Danvers cheered at the gifts, thanking the couple profusely and greeting them with hugs.

“Can we hold the babies?” Tara asked hopefully.

“Of course,” Lena grinned, waving her hand toward the bassinet where the boys were sleeping.

Tara and Amy delicately picked the boys up and gushed over their little suits.  “Oh my goodness, you guys are so cute!” Tara cooed.  They snuggled the babies for a while before putting them back down and asking for something to do.  Eliza put them to work, and they all pitched in to help.  Thankfully, Lena and Eliza had the forethought to double everything in the kitchen when they designed the house - sinks, refrigerators, stovetops and ovens - because they were making a ton of stuff, including two giant turkeys.  With the amount of people coming, it would probably just barely be enough.  Of course, other people were bringing things as well, so it wouldn’t be too much of an issue.  With everyone pitching in, there should be plenty of food.

It was nice to have Amy and Tara around.  Not only were they good company, but they were also very helpful, and Lena didn’t feel so bad about leaving the group to go nurse.  There were plenty of capable hands on deck, so Lena could even steal one of her wives away to come sit with her.  Since she’d already gotten some nice time with Kara, she wanted to choose Alex or Maggie, but she wasn’t sure which one.  Luckily, the decision was made for her by Maggie, who followed her into the living room.

“Mind if I sit with you?  I need a break.”

“Please do,” Lena smiled and sat on the couch, getting a fussy Jack set up.

Maggie sat close to her side and put her arm around Lena.  “Good boy,” she cooed.  “You’re really getting the hang of this thing, aren’t you?  Yeah.  Good job, buddy.”  Maggie turned and gave Lena a kiss on the cheek.  “Are you feeling OK, my love?”

Lena nodded.  “Yeah, a little tired and sore, but mostly good.  How about you?”

Maggie hummed softly.  “I’m good, but I have to admit, I’m a little jealous that our boys are here, and Alex and I have yet to have our girls.  I want to hold them too,” she pouted.   

Lena hummed softly.  “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s not your fault.” Maggie told her with another kiss to the cheek.  “It’s just nature.”  She just watched Jack nurse for a few moments before asking, “What does nursing feel like?”

Lena thought for a moment about how to answer.  “It’s strange to have non-sexual sucking on my breast, I’ll give you that.  It’s still taking me a bit of getting used to it.  In some ways, it’s a relief because my breasts get so swollen, and that starts to feel really uncomfortable until they nurse.  I’d say it’s a bit similar to having to use the bathroom.  But if they have a bad latch, it hurts.  They’re still learning too.”

Maggie pressed her free arm over her breasts.  “I just feel so sensitive already, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to handle it.”

“You’re going to do great, Mags,” Lena encouraged her.  “It’s nice bonding time.  The thought that the babies would starve without me was pretty motivating.  I mean, I know there’s formula, but this is a lot healthier, you know?”

Maggie nodded.  “I always thought the idea of nursing was kinda repulsive, but watching you with the boys, it seems kinda beautiful.”

Lena smiled.  “Thank you, my love.  It is beautiful in it’s own way, even when it’s uncomfortable.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Maggie replied.  The pair of them cuddled there on the couch until Jack was sated, then Maggie offered to take him for his burping.  She inhaled the scent from his head.  “I love that sweet baby smell.”

“Me too,” Lena grinned.  

They were just about to get up when Jessie came in with a very angry Joel.  “I had to change him before you could feed him,” the little blonde explained.  “He was stinky.”

“Oh, boy,” Lena sighed.  She took Joel in her arms and tried to get him calmed down so he could nurse.  “Shh, you’re OK, sweetheart.  You’re OK.  Mommy’s got you.”Joel fussed a bit more while she tried to get him to latch on, and the gate buzzer went off.  “Jess, can you get that, please?”

Jessie took Lena’s phone and pressed the answer button.  She gasped when she saw who it was.  “Mon-El!” she screeched, pressing the ‘Open Gate’ button and running out the front door.

Lena and Maggie chuckled.  The girls had really missed him since he’d started college, so Jessie’s reaction wasn’t surprising.  

“Someone’s angry,” Mon-El commented as he came inside and heard the baby crying.

“Don’t come in here, I’m nursing,” Lena called out to them as they came inside.  She could say hi when she was done.

“I hear you loud and clear!” Mon-El called back.

Maggie snorted.  “He’s growing as a person.  When he first got to Earth, a year ago, his response would’ve been ‘Ooh, boobs!’”

Lena laughed.

A while later, Jessie came bounding back into the living room.  “Eve wants to hold a baby,” she announced.

“OK, fine,” Maggie grumbled, relinquishing Jack to her.

Jack fussed a bit at leaving his comfy spot on Maggie’s shoulder, but he settled down once Jessie cuddled him close and started talking to him.  “You’re OK, buddy.  Sissy’s got you.  Yes, I do.”  Jessie disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Lena and Maggie alone again as Lena nursed Joel.

“You can go say hi, if you want,” Lena offered.

Maggie shrugged.  “I can wait a few minutes.”

“OK,” Lena smiled, knowing Mon-El wasn't exactly Maggie’s favorite person.  Not that she hated him, but he definitely tested her patience on occasion.  

They cuddled there on the couch and watched Joel nurse for a while.  He looked much happier now that he was being fed.  The women could hear the cacophony of voices coming from the other side of the house, but they couldn’t make out what any of them were saying.

“I sure hope everyone doesn’t decide to come early,” Maggie sighed.  “I’m enjoying spending time alone with you.  There’s no way Lucy and Sam won’t barge right in, wherever we go.”

Lena chuckled.  “True.”

Luckily for them, the next guests didn’t come until a couple of hours later, but by then, Lena was fading.  She forgot who she greeted before she even finished walking upstairs to go lay down.  Mentally, she was calculating the amount of sleep she was going to get before the boys woke her up again.  They had both been recently fed, so she should be able to sleep at least 45 minutes, if not an hour.  In the meantime, there were 7 other Danvers that would keep them safe and sound, plus all the supers that had sworn to protect them were coming as well, so she was good to go.  She barely made it up the stairs into her room.  She thought about detouring into one of the closer bedrooms, but she didn’t want people to freak out when they couldn’t find her, so she dragged herself to her own bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kara was having a blast cooking in the kitchen with her family and Amy and Tara.  Tara had to be one of the sweetest people on Earth, and probably beyond.  Amy was nice too, of course, but she was a lot more feisty and sarcastic like Maggie.  The pair were just gossiping a bit about the people at the restaurant, and Kara was listening intently until she heard Jessie screeching from the other room that Mon-El had arrived.  “Sounds like Mon-El and Eve are here early too,” Kara announced to the group.

“Oh, cool, I love that guy,” Amy grinned.  “He’s my drinking buddy for Superfriend get togethers.”

Kara chuckled.  “That’s cool.  I really miss him since he’s been at school.”

Just a few moments later, Mon-El, Eve, and Jessie came in, heavily loaded with sodas and juices and bags of ice.  “We hath broughteth thine beverages, my ladies,” Mon-El quipped.

“Awesome!” Kara replied, giving the couple big hugs in greeting.  “Just put what you can in the fridge, and we can put the extras in the pantry until we need them.  The ice can go in the deep freeze in the pantry too.”

“You got it!” Eve and Mon-El replied.  The couple busied themselves with putting things away before they made their rounds through the kitchen to give hugs and proper greetings.

“And you must be Alura,” Mon-El greeted Kara’s mother with a warm handshake and a dashing smile.  “I’m Mon-El.”

Alura nodded.  “I recognize you.  You’re the prince of Daxam.”

Mon-El sighed.  “There is no Daxam anymore, Ma’am.  I’m just Mon-El now.  Or Mike.”

“I’m sorry about your planet,” Alura replied seriously.  “I feel completely responsible.”

Mon-El shook his head.  “The destruction of our planets wasn’t any one person’s fault.  I would never blame you for that.  Krypton had its faults, but so did Daxam.  I know we weren’t the best people.  Besides, my life is so much more fulfilling now.  I have an incredible girlfriend, lots of good friends, and I’m going to school now as well.  Eve and Kara have been instrumental in helping me grow as a person.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Alura smiled sweetly.  “Did any other Daxamites survive?”

“Yeah,” Mon-El frowned.  “Quite a few, actually.  They tried to invade Earth a few months ago.  My mother almost killed Kara, but Lena stopped them all.  She built a sort of bomb that irradiated the atmosphere with lead because Daxamites are highly allergic.  I’m only here because Lena made a cure for me.”

Alura’s eyes went wide.  “Oh dear.  So your mother is alive out there somewhere?”

Mon-El nodded.  “Yeah.  Who knows what kind of trouble she’s causing.”

“Hmm,” Alura frowned.  “I’m sorry, young man.  That must be hard on you.”

“Yeah, but like I said, my life is better here,” Mon-El shrugged.  “With all the slavery and shady dealings that went on on Daxam, the universe is probably better off too.”

“Well, I’m here, if you need a surrogate mother,” Alura told him seriously.  “Kara has nothing but good things to say about you.  Can I hug you?”

Mon-El grinned.  “I would love that.”  He gave her a big bear hug, knowing she could take it.  “Wow, hey, you’re a great hugger!” he said when she hugged him back just as tightly.

“Thanks,” Alura chuckled.  “I’m still getting used to my powers, so it’s nice to be able to use my full strength sometimes.”

Mon-El pulled his red sun band out of his pocket.  “You should have Lena make you one of these babies.  They help block your powers to keep you at human strength.  Or Winn, since Lena’s a little busy right now.”

Alura peered at the little bracelet.  “That would be nice to have on occasion.”

“I’ll talk to Winn when he and Lyra get here,” Kara offered.

“Thanks, sweetie,” Alura smiled.

“I wanna hold the babies,” Eve told them.  

“Jacky’s not nursing, I can go get him,” Jessie offered.

“Yes, please!” Eve begged.

Jessie ran into the other room and came back with the baby.  “Here you go.”

Eve lit up at seeing him and took him delicately in her arms.  “Hi, little man!  Look at your little suit!  You’re so adorable!  Hi, honey!”  Jack just looked at her curiously, seeming to enjoy the attention.  “Oh my goodness, I just love you so much!” Eve gushed.

Mon-El watched his girlfriend with little Jack with a look of utter adoration on his face.  “Maybe we could have a baby after I’m done with school?”

Eve nodded.  “I’d like that.  It gives us some time to prepare.  We'll have to get a bigger place, so we should start saving up.”

Kara’s face lit up.  “Oh my gosh!  You guys will make such cute babies!”

Eve and Mon-El grinned at her.  “Thanks!”

“That won’t be for a few years, though,” Mon-El amended.  “I plan on going all the way and getting my masters degree in engineering.  Turns out I’m really good at math and science, and I really love it.  I’m never going to compare to Lena or Winn, but I’m going to do my part anyway.”

“I’m so proud of you, Mon-El,” Kara gushed.  “Lena will be proud of you too when she hears this.”

“We’re all proud of you, young man,” Eliza added with a chorus of agreement around her.

“You guys!  You’re gonna make me cry,” Mon-El drawled, dramatically blinking his eyes and waving his hand at his face.  

The kids giggled at his antics.

“No, seriously though, thank you guys.  Thank you very much.  I’ve missed you guys like crazy, and I’ve been really looking forward to today so I could spend time with you.  That’s why we came over early, but I see Amy and Tara beat us to the punch,” Mon-El chuckled.  “But I’m not complaining.  It’s great to see you guys too.”

“Likewise,” Amy smiled, chucking him on the shoulder.

He flinched.  “Ow!,” he whined, rubbing his arm.

“Whatever!” Amy laughed.

Mon-El chuckled as well.  “Hey, I’m getting pretty good at that, right?”

The group all laughed at his silliness.

“You are, indeed,” Amy agreed.

“I think my little buddy needs a diaper change,” Eve announced.  “His diaper just got really warm.”

“Come see Sissy, Jacky boy,” Jamie cooed, taking Jack from Eve and going into the bathroom where the changing table was.  

Kara could hear her talking to her little brother as she changed him, telling him each step of what she was doing as she did it.  It was too adorable, and Kara’s chest ached with affection for her kids. Her heart was filled to the brim with joy and love for her family.  How could there be anything better than the little people she’d created with her wives?  She couldn’t think of anything that would make her happier.  The boys were so perfect and beautiful, and she knew the two new girls would be as well.  She thanked Rao for them with all of her heart and prayed for his blessings over them.

The group got back to cooking, putting Eve and Mon-El to work, since they were there.  A couple of hours later, the prep work was done, and they just needed to cook or bake everything.  The potatoes were boiling on the stove in two giant stock pots, the turkeys were already stuffed and roasting in the ovens, the fruit and vegetable hors d'oeuvres were all cut up and waiting in the fridge, along with the devilled eggs and the meat and cheese wraps, and that just left the green bean and sweet potato casseroles to be warmed up later.  Other people were bringing lots of other things to add, so there would be more than enough food for everyone and then some.

A short while later, the security team showed up and took over answering the gate and the front door.  The next to show up were James and Lucy, with offerings of various steamed veggies for dinner - broccoli, green beans, spinach, and corn.  Kara helped them set up the crock pots in the dining room to keep the food warm, and then the couple made their rounds for hugs.  After that, James went out and grabbed his cameras from the car, snapping photos as soon as he unloaded them.

J’onn and M’rynn were close behind, both of them carrying a huge pie in each hand.  They put them in the kitchen and gave hugs all around before asking to hold the new babies.  Jack and Joel looked so tiny in the big men’s hands, but it was a beautiful sight.  M’rynn said a brief Martian prayer of blessing over the babies, and James snapped a few photos of them to capture the sweet moment.

“Thank you,” Kara smiled at them.  “That was beautiful.”

M’rynn nodded.  “I’ve always admired the eloquence of H’ronmeer as well.”

Maggie took that moment to rejoin the group in the kitchen.  “Lena went upstairs to take a nap,” she announced.  “It’s safe to go in the living room now.”

“Aww, I didn’t even get a hug,” Mon-El pouted.

Maggie chuckled.  “Don’t worry, she’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“I hope so,” he worried.  “I wanted to talk to her.”

“I’m sure you will,” Kara assured him.

The group all went into the living room to sit down for a while.  The next people to show up were the Legionnaires, all dressed very nicely in modern-style clothing.

“Ooh, look at you guys!” Kara exclaimed.  “Snazzy!”

“Is that good?” Brainy asked hopefully.

Kara chuckled.  “Yes, it’s very good.”

Brainy stood a little taller.  “Well then, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome,” Kara grinned.

The group exchanged hugs and greetings, and the Legionnaires turned over their share of food offerings - enough mac and cheese to feed an army.  

Kara’s eyes lit up.  Mac and cheese was one of her guilty pleasures, and one of the few things that Lena made fun of Kara for eating, but she’d gotten the Legionnaires to try it once, and they’d all been hooked ever since.  “Oh, you guys rock!”

Brainy smirked.  “I knew you’d like our choice.”

“Yes, good choice,” she grinned, taking him into the dining room to drop off the food.

When they returned, Winn and Lyra had appeared.

“Hi, guys!” Kara greeted them with hugs.  “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“Happy Thanksgiving!” the couple returned.

No sooner than the words were out of their mouths, in came Ruby, running in and kissing Jessie before she even acknowledged anyone else.  Following behind her were Sam and Douglas, and the Williams.

The group was pure chaos as everyone said hello to each other and moved around the room to give hugs.  Suddenly the babies both seemed to erupt into cries at the exact same moment.  Kara checked her watch.  It was past time to feed them.  She quickly extracted them from Ruby and Robert, who had just gotten their hands on them, and took them upstairs to Lena.  Lena jerked awake as soon as Kara opened the door and she heard their sons’ cries.  She blearily swiped at her eyes, yanking her shirt off and throwing it on the floor, since she would have to nurse both babies at once.  This was a difficult thing to do with newborns because they were still learning to suckle, so Kara was going to have to stay and help.

Seeing that Lena still looked pretty exhausted, Kara said, “Once the boys are finished nursing, you could probably sleep for a little longer without missing too much of the day.  It’s still fairly early.”

Lena nodded.  “That would be nice.”

A few minutes later, Lucy and Sam snuck upstairs and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Kara called.

Sam poked her head in first, “It’s just me and Lucy, OK?”

Lena nodded, “OK.”

Sam and Lucy crept into the room and each of them kissed Lena on the head in greeting before sitting on the end of the bed.  “Hey, you,” Sam said softly, stroking Lena’s foot.  “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty tired,” Lena sighed.  “These little guys don’t let me sleep much.”

Sam nodded, “I bet.  It’s hard enough to nurse one baby.”

“I’m sure Alex and Maggie could help you nurse after they give birth,” Lucy offered.

Lena frowned in confusion.  “You mean let them nurse the boys?”

“Yeah, sometimes,” Lucy nodded.

“I’ll think about it,” Lena replied.  “I don’t know, it sounds a little strange.”

“People used to have nursemaids all the time.  It’s no different,” Lucy pointed out.

“Like I said, I’ll think about it,” Lena said with a yawn.  “It would be nice to get more than an hour’s worth of sleep at a time.”

“I’ll put a bug in their ears,” Lucy shrugged.  “It might be good for the babies to bond with all of you in that way.  You’re all their mommies.”

Lena nodded.  “That’s a good point.  You bring it up to them, and I’ll talk to them about it later.”

“You got it,” Lucy grinned.  “Do you need anything?”

Lena pointed to a little mini fridge against the wall.  “Can you grab me one of my protein shakes out of there?  I’m feeling a little low on fuel.”

Lucy crossed the room and grabbed a chocolate protein shake out of the mini fridge.  Without even being asked, Lucy opened the bottle and brought the bottle to Lena’s lips to drink from, since Lena’s hands were full at the moment.

“Thank you,” Lena sighed in relief.

“Anytime,” Lucy replied, stroking Lena’s head.

Lena closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.  “That feels nice.”

Lucy kept petting her head for a few more moments before offering Lena another drink.  She helped the new mother finish off the beverage before sitting back down on the bed.

Sam picked Lena’s shirt up off the floor and folded it so it didn’t get wrinkled, then set it on the end table next to Lena.  “Oh man, this sweater is so soft and snuggly!” she commented.

Lena smiled.  “Yeah, it’s great for nursing too, but not when I have to feed both of them at the same time.”

Sam chuckled.  “I understand.”

“Believe it or not, James has been hinting that he wants a baby at some point too,” Lucy admitted.  “I want to wait another year or two, though.  We just got married.”

“I think that’s wise,” Sam replied.  “It’s hard to have a baby before you’re ready.”

Lena nodded.  “It would have been nice if we could have waited a couple of years ourselves, but obviously, things worked out differently.  It’s OK, though.  I love our kids so much it hurts.  I wouldn’t give them up for anything.”

Sam and Lucy grinned at her, and Kara kissed her on the temple.

“Me neither,” Kara added.  “But I agree, it would have been better if we could have waited a couple of years.  But there’s no going back, and I’m so over the moon about these little guys.  I love them so much.  We couldn’t give them up now, even if we could go back and have a redo.”

“Agreed,” Lena said.

“I don’t blame you,” Sam told them.  “I feel the same way about Ruby.”

“I’m content to just be an aunt for now,” Lucy smiled.  “I love my nieces, and now my nephews too.  They’re the best.”

“I agree,” Kara and Lena said in unison.

“OK, if you don’t want to see my boobs, look away, we have to switch the babies around,” Lena warned them.

Lucy and Sam chuckled and turned their heads politely to give Lena some modicum of privacy.

After a few moments, the boys were switched around and nursing again.  “OK, we’re good,” Lena let them know.

“How do you know which one is which?” Lucy asked.

Kara grinned.  “They’re color-coded like the girls.  Jack is in black, and Joel is in grey.”

Lucy sang in the tune of ‘Back in Black’ by AC/DC, “Jack in black, I took a nap.  Then I needed to eat, you know that.”

The others laughed.

“I didn’t know the girls were color-coded,” Sam commented.  “They’ve always been fairly easy to tell apart with the way they dress.  Plus their glasses, and now Jamie’s hair.”

“Which looks so cute, and makes Alex really happy, so thank you again,” Kara gushed.  “You did an amazing job.”

Sam grinned.  “Thanks, Kara.  And you’re welcome.”

“You did Jamie’s hair? Lucy grinned.  “Nice!  It looks amazing.”

“Thanks,” Sam chuckled.  “At least I know if this whole CFO thing doesn’t work out, I can always get a job as a hairdresser.”

Lena mock frowned, “I will fight for you to stay mine.  My Sammy.”

Sam giggled.  “Professionally speaking, I’m all yours.  In the bedroom, however…” she trailed off with a dreamy look on her face.

“Are you thinking about Douglas or Lena right now?” Lucy teased.

“Don’t make me hurt you, puny human,” Sam threatened playfully.  “I was thinking about Douglas.  He is just so… beyond sexy.”

“Kara sure thinks so,” Lena smirked.

Lucy snickered.

Sam raised her brow and smiled wickedly.

“Lena!” Kara whined.  “Why?”

“Aww, don’t be embarrassed, darling,” Lena grinned.  “It’s cute that you think Sam and Douglas are sexy together.”

Kara turned beet red, but she couldn’t escape because she was holding a nursing baby to Lena’s breast, and if she pulled him away right now, he would scream bloody murder.

“Do you think James and I are sexy?” Lucy was curious.

“Ew, no!” Kara turned up her nose.  “You guys are like my brother and sister!”

Lucy scoffed.  “You married your sister, and you’ve known Douglas just as long as you’ve known James and me!”

Kara groaned.  “How do I escape this?”

“You can’t,” Lucy smirked.  “You’re stuck with us for life.”

The blonde smiled, “I’m glad.  I love you guys.  Even though you’re mean to me.”

The other three giggled.  

“We love you too, Kara,” Sam replied.  “But you can’t have my man,” she winked.

“I have three wives.  I don’t want him,” Kara huffed.

“Oh, so you just want to watch,” Lucy kept on teasing her.

Kara growled.  “I’m gonna get you for this.”

Sam and Lena just continued to giggle.

“Brats,” Kara accused.

“So how much longer until we can steal the babies?” Lucy changed the subject.  “There’s at least a dozen people wanting to get their hands on them.”

“Jack probably won’t nurse much longer, but Joel always nurses longer than his brother,” Lena replied.

“Oh, who’s gonna be a chunky monkey?” Lucy cooed, tickling Joel’s feet.

Joel kicked his feet excitedly, and Kara could’ve sworn she saw a hint of a smile on his face, sending a thrill through her very core.  This was everything to her, and every new event was a new celebration.  She kissed Lena on the temple again.  “He’s trying to smile,” she informed her wife.

“Aww,” Lena cooed.  “Do it again.”

Lucy tickled Joel’s foot again, and the infant stopped nursing and let out a squeal, flailing around like crazy, and it did seem like he was smiling.  The four women giggled gleefully at how adorable it was.

“OK, we can play with him some more when he’s done nursing,” Lena said.

Someone knocked on the door and opened it.  “It’s just me,” Maggie announced.  Sorry if I startled you, but I was getting a little overwhelmed by all the commotion.”

“It’s OK, honey bunny.  Come here,” Kara invited.

Maggie crawled into the bed and curled around Kara’s back.  “Thanks.”

There was a comfortable silence for a while as everyone just watched the babies nursing, giving Maggie a few moments of peace and quiet in order to decompress.  Soon, Jack started fidgeting, indicating that he was finished eating.

“OK, someone take Jacky and burp him for me,” Lena requested.

Sam was the closest to Lena, so she reached out her arms and delicately placed the baby on her shoulder, patting his back to get him to burp.  She sniffed the crown of his head and grinned.  “God, I love that new baby smell.”

Lena chuckled, “Yeah, Maggie was saying the same thing earlier.”  She took over holding Joel, freeing Kara to take Maggie into her arms.  Maggie snuggled close to Kara and closed her eyes for a bit, enjoying the attention.

“We love you so much, Maggie,” Kara whispered to her.

“Yes, very much,” Lena added, giving Maggie a warm smile.

“I love you guys too,” Maggie replied, raising her head for a kiss from Kara.

Kara kissed her tenderly, humming in pleasure at the wonderful taste of the detective’s lips.  “My good girl.”

Maggie blushed a little at the nickname in the presence of Lucy and Sam, but thankfully neither of the two women batted an eyelash.  Their attention was too focused on the babies.

Jack finished burping by spitting up on Sam’s jacket.

“Congratulations, you have been properly initiated,” Kara quipped.

“Little stinker,” Sam chuckled and passed the baby off to Lucy so she could get her jacket off.  Her blouse was still untouched, so she didn’t have to worry about changing.

“Dry cleaning goes in the red hamper in the back of the closet over there,” Lena indicated with a nod of her head.  “Regular laundry goes in the white hamper.  Either way, we can take care of it for you.”

Sam nodded.  “Thanks.”  She threw her jacket in the red hamper and rejoined the group in the bedroom.  When she came out, she was shaking her head with a smile.  “Apparently, the kids have decided to take some time away from the group as well.”

“Oh lord,” Maggie snorted in amusement.  “Should we send them back downstairs?”

Sam shrugged.  “Nah, not unless they decide to stay in there for more than a half an hour.”

“Poor Alex is downstairs all by herself,” Kara frowned.

“By herself?  There’s like 30 people here!” Maggie countered.

“You know what I mean,” Kara replied.  “I should get down there.  Maggie, why don’t you stay here and take a nap with Lena for a while, and we’ll take care of the boys until you wake up.”

“OK,” Maggie agreed.

Lena gave Joel to Kara, and Kara, Sam and Lucy left the two mothers to nap, taking the newborns with them.

“There you are,” Douglas called as they came down the stairs.  “Ruby disappeared on me.”

“She’s upstairs with Jessie,” Sam replied.

“Figures,” he rolled his eyes.

“They have 20 more minutes,” Sam let him know with a kiss.

“Noted,” he replied.

Robert came up and greeted them with a warm smile.  “Can I hold my grandsons now?”

“Of course,” Kara passed Joel over to him, but Lucy held onto Jack.

“Hi, little man,” Robert cooed.  “Grandad's got you now, huh?”

Joel flailed happily in his arms, seemingly loving the attention.

“Who’s our good boy?” Kara grinned at her son.  “Do you love your grandad?”

Joel kicked his feet and suckled on his fist, letting out a joyful noise when Robert kissed his tiny head.

“I love you so much, little buddy,” Robert told the infant.

A small crowd gathered around them, everyone wanting to get their turn holding the babies or just wanting to watch them.  Alex appeared from behind Kara and wrapped her arms around her.

“There’s my baby,” Kara greeted her, giving her a kiss.

Alex hummed into the kiss.  “Hi, Angel.”

“Lena and Maggie are taking a nap,” Kara informed her.  “Hopefully they’ll feel better enough to come down in an hour or two.”

“OK,” Alex replied.  “I think everyone’s here.  Mon-El and Lyra are playing bartenders already.”

Kara huffed a laugh.  “Oh, boy.”

“Oh!  I want some of that alien wine you guys got,” Sam said excitedly.  “I’ll be back.”  She gave Douglas a lingering kiss and then disappeared into the other room to get her drink.

Eliza came in from the kitchen.  “The turkeys are almost ready,” she announced.  “Maybe a half an hour to an hour more for them to rest, and we can serve them.”

Everyone in the vicinity cheered.  Yes, there were plenty of hors d'oeuvres, but this was one hungry bunch of humans and aliens, and at least half of them were already drinking.  Kara stayed near the babies, unable to bring herself to leave their sides, not interested in the least in getting drunk.  That one time with Mon-El was enough to last her a lifetime.  Alex chose to stay by her side, holding her hand and leaning heavily on her.  They mingled with the folks nearby, letting people have their turns with the babies.  When their 20 minutes were up, Kara called the kids down.  About forty-five minutes later, Kara went upstairs to wake Maggie and Lena to see if they wanted to come eat with everyone.

“Hey, sleeping beauties,” she said softly, touching each of their arms.  “You want to wake up and come eat?”

Her wives blinked their eyes open and stretched.  “OK,” they yawned.

Kara helped them get up and put Lena’s shirt back on her, accepting their kisses as a thanks.  She then took each of her wives by the hand and led them downstairs.  You’d have thought that Lena was a big movie star by the way the crowd cheered at her appearance.

Lena blinked for a moment before registering that the cheers were for her, then she blushed furiously.  “Hey, everyone,” she waved.  “Thank you all for coming.”  When she came fully downstairs, she was bombarded with hugs.  Before she was even finished greeting everyone, Eliza announced that it was time to eat.  Lena’s stomach growled at the prospect of food, making Kara giggle.

“Lena,” Eliza caught the new mother’s attention.  “You go first, then Alex and Maggie, then M’rynn and the kids, and then everyone else.”

“Thank you, Eliza,” Lena smiled.  “Hopefully the boys give me time to eat,” she chuckled.

“Go on, sweetheart,” Kara waved her towards the dining room.

Lena nodded and indicated to Alex and Maggie to follow her.  

“I’ll stay with the boys,” Kara promised.  Currently they were content in James’ and J’onn’s arms, but she wasn’t going to let them leave her sight until her wives came back.  In fact, she crossed the small distance to the men and smiled at them.  “Sorry to ruin your fun, but I think we should put the boys back in their bassinet and let them sleep until they need to eat again.”

James pouted theatrically.  And even though he didn’t pout, J’onn still seemed a little sad to let go of his grandson.  The men put the babies side by side into the bassinet, and just watched them sleeping soundly for a moment.

“They’re so sweet and wonderful,” J’onn said with a bit of awe in his voice.  “You make beautiful babies, Kara.”

Kara beamed at him and gave him a squeeze.  “Thanks, J’onn.”

He kissed her on the head and rubbed her back affectionately.  

“I’m going to go get in line for some food,” James excused himself, giving Kara a quick but loving side hug.  Kara knew that was his way of agreeing with J’onn.

“You should go too,” Kara told J’onn.

“Alright,” he agreed, giving her one last pat on the back.

The Kryptonian sat down on the end of the couch next to the bassinet, focusing in on their heartbeats, and smiling at the sound.  Each person’s heartbeat was unique to her, and she had already become accustomed to the sounds of her sons’ hearts.  It was just as soothing as listening to Alex’s or Eliza’s, or any of her family’s heartbeats.  She was so focused there for a moment that she didn’t even register her wives sitting next to her until Alex spoke up.

“Earth to Kara,” the redhead chuckled.

Kara blinked and turned to face the loves of her life.  “Hi, babies,” she grinned.

“Go get some food, Angel,” Alex insisted.  “They’ll be safe while you’re gone.”

Kara nodded.  “OK.  I’ll be right back.”  She got in line to get food behind the Williams, who practically shoved her up ahead of them, insisting that she go before them.  When arguing didn’t work, she just thanked them and accepted the spot in line.  That put her behind the Legionnaires.

“Kara!” Chameleon greeted her first, followed by the others.  “Where’s our hugs?”

Kara grinned at the shapeshifter and opened her arms to him.  “Hey, Reep,” she said as they embraced.  “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he repeated, allowing her to hug the others.  “This is such a funny holiday, isn’t it?”

Kara chuckled.  “Yes, well, the history of the day is strange, but we make the most of it by trying to be truly thankful for what we have.”

“I’m thankful for meeting you,” he grinned.  “This has been the most epic adventure I’ve ever been on, and I’m glad we got to be here to meet your new babies on top of it.  So incredible.  You and your family have all been incredible.  I’m sad we’re going to have to leave soon.”

A chorus of agreement came from behind him.

Kara tried not to cry at the prospect of them leaving after all the babies were born.  “I’m thankful for meeting all of you, and I’m thankful that you were here to help protect everyone from Reign and the other Worldkillers.  We wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help.  You saved my life, and you saved my family’s lives.  I can’t thank you all enough.”

“It was our honor,” Brainy replied seriously.  “No thanks necessary.  Though, they are appreciated.”

“You inspire us,” Liin added.  “We couldn’t pass up this opportunity.”

“You’ve given me the chance at seeing my sister again,” Imra said.  “There is no thanks enough for that.”

Now Kara was really going to cry.  “I’m so happy for you, Imra.  I’m sorry I tried to stop you.”

Imra shook her head, “But in the end, you didn’t stop me.  You could have, but you didn’t.”

Kara sniffled.  “I couldn’t let millions of people die because of me.”

“And that’s what makes you a hero,” Cosmic Boy said, putting his hand on Kara’s shoulder.  “You can’t stand the sight of other people’s pain, and you make a point to stop it.”

“That’s what makes you our hero too,” Garth added.

“I really hope that you guys can come back and visit someday,” Kara told them, hugging them all again.

“Don’t cry,” Imra soothed, “We’re not leaving today.”

“Sorry,” Kara muttered.

“Don’t apologize either,” Rokk encouraged.  “We’ll be sad to leave you too, but we’ll try to come back and visit sometimes.”

Kara smiled through her tears.  “I hope so.  You’re such an amazing group.  The future is so lucky to have you.”

“Oh!  It’s our turn to get food!” Reep announced to the Legionnaires.  “Kara, you go first.”

Again, she tried to say no, but they wouldn’t have it.  They nudged her forward, putting a plate in her hand and insisting that she get something while she still had the chance.  She grudgingly acquiesced with a thank you and started piling her plate up with goodies.  Even though it was a decent size, there wasn’t enough room on the plate for everything she wanted, so she started with the basics: turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy.  Of course, she filled her plate to the brim with them, and returned to her spot in the living room.

The living room was a bit crowded because Eliza insisted that everyone should be in the same room when they all took turns giving thanks.  Luckily, in this new place, there was plenty of space for everyone.  Decadent as it was, the mansion had many, many perks that Kara was also thankful for.  Space to breathe was one of them.  

After everyone had gotten a turn through the line, Eliza stood up and caught everyone’s attention by clearing her throat into the karaoke microphone.  “Hello, everyone!  I’m so glad that you all could be here today.  This may not be the typical traditional family Thanksgiving dinner, but this is a family dinner, none-the-less.  We are all family around here, and I know I’m thankful for every single one of you.  You are blessings to me and to the world.  I’m thankful for all the love that you pour out on me whenever we spend time together, and I’m especially thankful for all the ways you’ve been friends and allies to my daughters and granddaughters.  Also, thank you for helping us celebrate the arrivals of our new little ones.  Aren’t they the best?”

A chorus of affirmative answers popped up all over the room.

“So, with that, I’m gonna open it up to the room, and if anyone else wants to share what they're thankful for this year, just speak up.  “We’ll go around the room, so everyone that wants a turn can have one, OK?  Alura?  Would you like to share?”

“Yes, please,” Kara’s mother replied with a smile.  She took the microphone and spoke to the group, “I am of course, thankful for reuniting with my daughter after I thought she was dead, but my thanks goes beyond that.  Kara has made the most beautiful life here for herself.  She has surrounded herself with incredible people.  Loving, kind, brave, clever people who look after one another.  And that is so wonderful to me.  You all loved her when I couldn’t.  You made sure that she thrived on this world.  So thank you all.  For what you mean to Kara, and now, what you mean to me.  I’m also thankful for my four gorgeous grandchildren and the two on the way.  As if finding my long lost daughter wasn’t enough, Rao saw fit to bless me with three more daughters and six grandchildren.  I feel like there isn’t enough thanks in the universe to give for this bounty.”  When she was finished, she passed the mic to Jessie.

“I’m thankful for my new baby brothers,and for my new sisters that are coming soon, and for my Ruby, and my twin sister, and my moms, and grandmas and all the Superfam!” Jessie announced, handing the mic to Ruby, who passed it to Jamie.

“I’m thankful for all the babies, and Carter, and my twin sister, and my moms and grandmas, and also the Superfamily.  You guys are the best.”  Jamie grinned and passed the mic to Carter, who quickly passed it along to Sam like it would bite him.

Sam’s lip trembled as she took a deep breath.  “Wow, I’m grateful for so many things.  Where do I even start?  Um, I’m thankful for my amazing daughter.  I love her more than anything in this world, and I’m so, so proud of who she is and who she’s becoming.  I couldn’t ask for a better child.  I’m also thankful for Douglas.  He’s been so amazing throughout all the chaos the last few months, and I couldn’t be happier.  I love you so much, babe.  Um, I’m also thankful for the best friend and boss I could ever have asked for - Lena.  I love you with all my heart.  And last, but certainly not least, I’m thankful to all of you for helping me through the whole Worldkiller ordeal, and for keeping Ruby safe and watching over us.  Special thanks to Eliza, who figured out how to cure us.  There’s not enough thanks in the world for that one, but thank you all anyways.”  She passed the microphone to Douglas with a sniffle.

“Hey, everyone,” Douglas greeted them.  “I’m thankful for a lot, as well.  I’m thankful for my family.  I’m thankful for my job at the DEO that brought me here to be able to meet all of you wonderful people.  I’m thankful for J’onn.  I’m thankful for the Danvers who treat me like family and filled a hole in my heart that I didn’t know I had.  Most of all, I’m thankful for Sam and Ruby.  I’ve never loved anyone like this before, and I’m really looking forward to the future.  Not just with Sam and Ruby.  With all of you.”  With that, he passed the microphone to J’onn.

J’onn cleared his throat before speaking, “First of all, I’m thankful for every single one of you.  You all do an incredible job of keeping this world safe and looking after one another.  We have such a great team.  And I am so, so thankful for getting my father back.  Father, you mean everything to me, and I love you.”

“I love you too, son,” M’rynn replied, kissing J’onn on the cheek.  J’onn passed him the microphone, and he teared up a little.  “I love the idea of a holiday that brings out the gratitude in people.  This place, you people, my son… I am blessed to have a second chance at life and family with you all.  I miss the others, but that doesn’t diminish the love I have for you all.  I am so thankful that J’onn was able to find such loving people to share his life with.  And I am thankful that I get to be here today to celebrate life and love and family.  May H’ronmeer’s blessings be upon you all.”  M’rynn passed the microphone to Lucy, who gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before speaking.

“We love you so much, M’rynn.  Um… I’m thankful for my husband James.  I know we’ve had our rocky patches, but I’m thankful that we can always talk through them.  You’re such a good man, James, and I love you.  I’m also thankful to be working for the DEO.  Saving the world is so much more fulfilling there than puttering around in the military like my dad.  I’m thankful that I get to work for J’onn, and that I get to work with Alex and Supergirl.  You guys are the best friends I’ve ever had, and I love you too.  I’m thankful for all my little nieces and nephews.  I love being an aunt to your children.  They’re the best kids ever.  And I’m thankful that all of you have been helping our team so much.  We couldn’t have gotten through the Worldkiller thing without you Legionnaires, so thanks to you as well.  This family that we’ve built here is everything to me.  Thank you all.”  Lucy passed the mic to James.

“Well, I’m thankful for my wife Lucy.  Babe, you are the bomb.  I love the life we have together, and I hope it lasts forever.  You’re my whole world.  Also, I’m thankful for the opportunity that Cat gave me by allowing me to take over as CEO of Catco.  I’m doing my best to make you proud, even though you’re not my boss anymore.  I still want to do right by your company.  I’m also thankful to Lena for allowing me to keep my position and for trusting me with something so important.  I’m thankful for all of you guys.  Like Lucy said, you’re the best friends there ever were, and I’m so grateful for the love and support you’ve given to Lucy and me over the years.  I’m also thankful for my nieces and nephews.  You kids are such a light to the world.  Don’t lose that.”  James handed the mic over to Winn.

“Uh… hey guys…” Winn said awkwardly.  “I’m thankful for all of you as well…  I’m sorry, I’m not good at this…  But um, you guys make my life so much better, so thank you.  I’m thankful for my job at the DEO as well.  It feels good to have a greater purpose.  Most of all, I’m thankful for my awesome girlfriend Lyra.  I love you, beautiful.”  And with that, he passed the mic to Lyra.

Lyra gave Winn a quick kiss before speaking.  “Thank you, my love.  I’m very thankful for you as well.  You always treated me like a person instead of a freak from the very beginning, and I love you for that.  I’m thankful that you came into my life and saved me from myself.  And I’m thankful for Kara for believing in me and taking me under her wing to train me.  You gave me a higher purpose, not just in fighting crime, but also for getting to go back to my roots and getting to come work for you as a nanny.  Your kids are so beautiful, and I love all six of them.  Eight, if you count Ruby and Carter.  It has been my honor to help take care of the boys this last week, and I hope I make you all proud.  I want to keep this job for as long as I can.  You all mean so much to me, I don’t even know how to express it.  Thank you all.”  Lyra finished and passed the mic to Eve.

Eve blushed furiously.  “Uh, hi!  I’m thankful for so much.  I’m thankful for my job at Catco working for James.  It’s really fun, and I love it.  I’m thankful for all the new little ones, even the ones who aren’t here yet.  I’m thankful for the love of my life - Mon-El.  You’re such a good man, pookie, and I’m so proud of you for all the effort you’ve put into improving yourself.  And I’m thankful for Kara, without whom I wouldn’t have my job or my man.  So thank you, Kara.”  Eve shared a warm smile with Kara before passing the microphone to Mon-El.

Mon-El grinned at his girlfriend.  “I love you, Evie, and I am so thankful for you.  Kara may have given me a good kick in the pants when I first got here to Earth, but you were the one who took me in and taught me how to live like a decent human being.  You both believed in me for whatever reason, and now look at me.  I’m proud of the man you’ve helped me to become.  You made me believe in myself, and I feel more fulfilled by life in just the last year than I did my entire life back on Daxam.  I love you all, really, and I’m thankful for all the help and encouragement you’ve all given me over the last several months, especially supporting me while I go to school.  I finally feel like I’m becoming the man I was always meant to become.  I couldn’t have done that without all of you.  Thank you.”  Mon-El gave a little bow of his head to the crowd and handed the microphone to Amy.

“Man, there’s a lot to be thankful for this year, isn’t there?” Amy chuckled.  “I’m thankful for my beautiful, sweet, amazing girlfriend.  I’m sorry it took me so long to wake up, but I’m so glad we finally got together.  You have been a rock to me, and you were so kind to me when I got hurt.  I’m actually thankful for that too because it was the catalyst that finally brought us together.  I’m thankful to Kara for nudging me in that direction as well.  I’m thankful that my restaurant is back up and running, and that I didn’t lose too many employees.  I love my staff.  They’re great people, and I’m thankful for them.  I’m thankful for Maggie who was so kind to me when we met that I couldn’t help but love her.  Platonically speaking, of course, but still…  If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here right now with all of you wonderful people.  I’m so grateful to be a part of the Superfamily.”  Amy passed the mic to Tara, who passed it along to Kara.

Kara was already teary-eyed by the time she got the mic, so she cleared her throat and said, “I don’t know how to thank you all enough for the love and support you give to me and my family.  I wish I could take the time and thank each one of you, but that would take forever.  I might have to buy some Thank You cards.  Anyways, I’m thankful for my three perfect wives.  I know they’re not actually perfect, but they are to me.  I’ve never known such love in all my life.  You three are everything to me.  I love you so much.  I’m also thankful for all of my children.  You guys are the light of my life, and I will love and support you until my dying breath.  You are my legacy and the things that I’m most proud of creating.  I’m thankful for my moms.  Eliza, you took me in and loved me when I was at the lowest part of my life, and you breathed life back into me, just by being you.  Mom, I never thought I’d see you again.  Now that I have you back, I will do everything in my power to preserve our relationship.  I love you so much.  I’m thankful for the Legionnaires saving my life.  I’m thankful for Winn for always being there when I need him, both as Supergirl and Kara Danvers.  I’m thankful for all my incredible friends.  I’m so blessed to have you in my life.  I love you guys.”  Kara sniffled and passed the mic to Alex.

“I’m thankful for so much.  This last year has brought us all closer together, and I’m really happy about that.  You all mean the world to us.  I’m thankful for my family - my wives, my mom, my kids.  I’m thankful for Jamie and Jessie, our new little boys, and the girls still on the way.  I’m thankful for Alura and M’rynn coming back to their children, and for being so kind to all of us.  I’m thankful for everyone who has watched over us and kept me and my family safe, especially Douglas and now Lyra too for looking after the kids.  I’m thankful that the Legionnaires were here to help with the Worldkillers. And I’m thankful for having so many amazing friends and adopted family.  You guys are amazing, and I love you.”  Alex finished and handed the microphone to Lena.

Lena took the microphone and smiled.  “Obviously, I’m thankful for my boys making it to a week old.  They’re the sweetest little things, and I’m absolutely hooked.  But I’m also very thankful for Jessie and Jamie.  You didn’t have to love me the way you did, but for some reason, you loved me with all your hearts, and I am so blessed to have you two for daughters as well.  I’m thankful for the girls yet to come.  I’m thankful for Eliza who has been the best mother figure I could ever ask for.  I’m thankful for a warm home full of family and friends that I can trust and be myself around.  I’m thankful for Sam and James who run my companies beautifully so I don’t have to.  Thank you to Cat for selling me the company instead of…  You know who.  I’m thankful for Winn for collaborating with me on some really fun projects.  I’m thankful for the Legionnaires presence in dealing with the Worldkillers.  I don’t want to imagine what might have happened had you not shown up when you did.  You saved people’s lives time and time again.  Thank you.  Oh, and another thank you to Sam and Winn for being the best friends I’ve ever had.  I love you guys. And most of all, I’m thankful for Kara, Alex, and Maggie.  You guys showed me so much love from the very beginning.  You befriended me when no one else would even look at me, let alone speak to me.  You defended me when the whole world thought I was guilty.  You’re constantly encouraging me instead of belittling me, and you’re teaching me how to love myself and let others love me.  My life is better than I ever could have imagined because of you three and your daughters.  And now look at all the friends I have.  You did that.  I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me.  I may have grown up ‘privileged’ but I never had the privilege to know real love before you three came along.  I love you so much, and I’m so thankful for you.”  Lena shared a loving smile with her wives before she passed the microphone to Maggie.

Maggie kissed Lena tenderly before turning back to the group.  “Where do I even start?  Um, I’m thankful for my family here.  I never thought I’d have this kind of life where not only am I a part of a polyamorous relationship, but I find myself being a parent as well.  It’s not something I ever thought I wanted until Alex and Kara came along, and then Lena too.  Jessie and Jamie opened my eyes to see that being a parent is a huge, fulfilling blessing.  I’m thankful for them, and I’m thankful for the babies.  I look forward to giving birth and watching our children grow up and become people of their own.  And I also look forward to the rest of our lives together.  I’ve never loved anything more than I love being a Danvers.  You guys are my heart and soul.  I’m also thankful for my job and my boss.  It’s such a huge honor to be queer allies in a world that can never have too many.  I’m so thankful that you and your husband have taken over the role of parental figures in my life.  I’m a better person because of the two of you.  Actually, the same goes for Eliza.  I’m thankful for all of you who love us and look out for us.  The Superfamily is truly an amazing bunch, and I’m lucky to be a part of it.”  And with that, Maggie passed the microphone to Chief Williams.

The older man accepted the mic and cleared the emotions from his throat after Maggie’s words.  “Thank you, Maggie.  We are thankful for you as well.  Robert and I have considered you a daughter for a long time now, and we love you very much.  We’re so thankful that you found such a loving family to be a part of, and we wish you many years of blessings together.  We’re thankful for the Danvers as well.  It’s not often that you meet people and form an instant bond like we all did.  It’s an honor for us to be considered a part of your family.  We’re thankful for each other, and we’re thankful for this big thing you call the Superfamily that we get to be a part of.  It’s been wonderful getting to know you all over the last few months.  Thank you all for being so warm and welcoming to us.”  The chief passed the microphone to Robert who passed it along to Imra.

Imra started to tear up, but she had a smile on her face.  “We’re thankful for this trip, for meeting Supergirl, for stopping Pestilence, for all the family members we get to see when we return, and for getting to be here for the births of some of Supergirl’s children.  Kara, Alex, Maggie, and Lena, you have been more than welcoming since we arrived.  It has been an honor to be here spending time with you, fighting alongside you, becoming friends.  Thank you for everything.”

The Legionnaires passed the microphone to Cat, and everyone waited with baited breath to see what she had to say.

“Well, I guess I’m the last one, hmm?” she smirked.  “Fitting.  First of all, I’d like to say that I am so proud of all of you.  You’ve worked hard and reaped the rewards.  Yes, you’ve made some mistakes and been through some scary things, but you’ve persevered.  You’ve pressed on with smiles on your faces and an urgent need to make the world a better place.  And you have made the world better.  Each of you plays a role in that, from the smallest to the biggest.  What I’m thankful for is getting to watch you all grow in wisdom and compassion.  For getting to call you my friends and loved ones.  And for not getting lost in the noise of the world and forgetting what’s important.  Friends are important.  Family is essential.  Connection is vital.  I’m thankful for this group of people that I’m connected to.  And I’m thankful that watching Kara gave me the insight to myself that I needed those things as much as you all do.  I’m thankful for my son Carter most of all.  He is my pride and joy, and I’m more proud of him than words can speak.  Thank you all for the love and encouragement that you pour out on him.  He has grown by leaps and bounds by knowing all of you.  Even his girlfriend is a good influence.  I couldn’t be happier with you all.  Thank you for being there for us when we needed you, and thank you Eliza most of all.  It’s been a long time since I had a best friend, and I’d forgotten how special that is.  I cherish our friendship, and I hope it lasts for many years to come.  Also, James and Lena, thank you for keeping Catco true to its spirit.  The company is in good hands.  Did I cover everything?  I think I did.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”  And with that, Cat passed the mic back to Eliza.

“OK, everyone, there’s still lots of food left, get eating!” Eliza challenged before turning the karaoke system off and putting it away.

The group started moving around and talking to one another again - some getting food, some using the facilities, some giving hugs.  Eliza was right.  There was a ton of food left, so Kara let herself overflow another plate full of food before returning to her seat.  Shortly later, Jack woke up crying, wanting to nurse.  Lena hurriedly picked him up before he woke up his brother and took him upstairs for some privacy.  

The rest of the evening, the group talked and ate and drank and played games and snuggled the babies until late into the evening.  Since Lena had to nurse so much, Eve, Lyra, Imra, Sam, and Lucy would sneak upstairs to hang out with her so she wouldn’t have to feel left out.  As the evening wound down, people started sobering up and helping clean up before they left for home.  By the time everyone was gone, there were only a few more dishes to wash before everyone could go to bed.  Kara said she’d take care of it and sent the rest of her family upstairs to get ready for bed.  When everything was clean, Kara went upstairs to get ready for bed as well.  

Until Maggie and Alex gave birth, the pair were sleeping in the sun room next door to their bedroom, while Kara and Lena shared the master bed.  This was to ensure that the two pregnant mothers could still get some sleep before the girls were born.  No sense in keeping them up at all hours when they weren’t nursing yet.  Kara stopped at her mother’s room to say goodnight, then did the same for each of the twins, hugging and kissing them all before continuing down the hall.  When she reached the sun room, she found Alex and Maggie bickering over what movie they wanted to fall asleep to.

“Hey, you two, do I need to put you in time out?” she joked.

The mothers-to-be rolled their eyes, but stopped arguing.  

“Come give us some love,” Maggie demanded, opening her arms.

Kara crawled into the bed and kissed her wives thoroughly.  By the time she pulled away, she was a little breathless.

“You know…” Maggie smirked.  “It would be nice to get some serious loving tonight.  I think it would really help me sleep.”  She nipped Kara’s earlobe to drive home the point.

“Uhh…” Kara said dumbly.  She wanted to make love with Maggie and Alex, but she didn’t want to leave Lena all by herself.  “I’ll be right back.”   She headed back down the hall to Jamie’s room and knocked softly on the door.

“Come in, Mama,” Jamie called.

Kara opened the door and peeked her head in.  “Hi, baby.  Would you be willing to look after Lena for an hour or two?”

Jamie wasn’t stupid.  She knew what the request meant, and she turned up her nose.  “OK, just let me grab my red sun band first.”

“OK, go give mine to Grandmother,” she asked, putting her band in her daughter’s hand.

“OK, Mama,” Jamie replied, heading down the hall.

Kara knocked on Jessie’s door and poked her head in.  “Red sun band on, baby.”

“Ugh, gross,” Jessie huffed, pulling her band out of her bedside table drawer and putting it on.  “Goodnight, Mama.”

“Goodnight, baby.”  Kara finally went in to see Lena.  The poor thing was conked out cold, and both babies were sleeping soundly in their bassinet beside the bed.  That was a relief.  Lena needed to sleep.  She kissed her wife on the head and tucked her in before heading back out, giving Jamie a kiss on the head too, as they passed one another in the doorway.  With that, Kara crept into the sun room with Alex and Maggie and locked the door behind her.