Natasha gave me one of her sly smiles and asked, "Could such a question have to do with Chibodee Crocket?"

I felt heat rush to my face.  I hadn't meant to say anything out loud.

Bunny saved me though when she grinned and said, "Oh, that's just his way.  He does it because we're his girls.  Shirley, that's the only reason he's such a pain, you know that."

She turned away before I could glare at her.

I wonder what the others would think if they knew how much I hated that phrase, 'his girls.'  It made me think he had one waiting for him wherever he went, though, with his looks it probably wouldn't be hard to believe.  Which only made my feelings on the subject that much worse.  I slapped myself mentally.  I didn't need to think about him that way.  That was the last thing I needed on my mind.

Once we were in the kitchen, I found more than enough to banish Chibodee from my thoughts.  Rain and Cecil were busy cleaning potatoes and Janet was hovering around the turkey, cleaning it out.  As much as I loved to cook, I hated gutting a turkey.  Bleh – just the thought of touching a turkey neck was making me ill. 

I turned to Natasha and asked, "Is there anything you'd like to make especially for this, Natasha?  I'm sorry, I'm not too familiar with Russian traditions."

She smiled and slid her coat off her shoulders.

Folding it over the back of an empty chair she said, "This is your home, your traditions will be used.  Perhaps Christmas will be in Russia and I can show you then."  She folded her arms and said, "Whatever you'd like me to do, I'll happily comply."

I was always a bit taken by how the Neo-Russians spoke.  Sort of like George, really.

Remembering the Neo-Frenchman, I turned to Marie Louise.  "What would you like to do?"

She blushed.

"I may be a princess, but I can still cook.  I can help Janet with the turkey, if that's all right?" 

Janet bobbed her head appreciatively.

"Any help is welcome, this thing is huge!" 

It had to be.  We had Argo and Sai with us.  Then again, Chibodee could eat us out of house and home if we let him.  My mind drifted for a moment.  I couldn't help but wonder how it would be if it were just the two of us tonight.  Not that I didn't love the other Shuffles and the other girls, but . . .

Not again!  I nearly growled out loud.  I couldn't keep doing this.

I had Natasha fix a salad and check on the bread dough that was rising.

I went over to Rain and Cecil and said, "When you're done with the regular potatoes, go ahead and clean the sweet potatoes, but leave those to me.  I'm making my family's recipe of sweet potato pie.  So after they're clean, hands off," I said sternly, winking at Cecil.

She giggled.

"You're sure taking this holiday seriously, Shirley.  I'd almost think you had a stake in how it turned out."

I turned my head, hoping to keep my reaction hidden.  Maybe I was going a bit overboard.  After all, I'd had to drag the other three out of bed at 6 just to make sure we had all that we needed.  Since then, I'd been lording over the kitchen like a drill sergeant.  None of them could be all that happy about it.  And, much as I hated to admit it, I wanted to be the one in control of it all.  Maybe, that way, if it went well, Chibodee would . . .

Aargh!  Again with those thoughts!  I'd almost think my mind was out to get me.

I laughed shakily at Cecil's comment, "I just want everything to go smooth.  Thanksgiving was a big thing in my family.  And since you're all my current family, it only fits that I keep up with that, don't you think?"

Cecil grinned.

"Whatever you're reasons, I'm sure it'll be fine.  I can't wait to taste this pie of yours too!"

She giggled again before turning back to the sink of potatoes.

I sure did like her.  Sai had found a real keeper, cliché as it sounded.  What I found more amusing was how shy he was around her sometimes.  Ah, young love.  I caught myself in time.  No telling how long it would take me to start thinking about a certain Gundam fighter.  Damn, too late.

I wandered over to Janet and Marie Louise.  Cath was off in the garage, checking on our beverage supplies.  They'd probably vanish by the end of the night.  We had put out a fortune for this holiday.  Who knew how much money it would take to feed five men?  Even Sai, our smallest fighter, could pack away enough to feed us for a week. 

I picked up a few basil leaves and slit the skin of the turkey.

Sliding the fragrant leaves under the clammy skin I said, "Cut up some apples and grab a few clumps of basil for the stuffing.  It makes a really aromatic turkey."

I couldn't help grinning.

"It was my mom's special trick."

Janet nodded.

"Sure.  I'll do that right now." 

I puttered around a bit more.  I took the rest of the apples and some other fruit and cobbled together a fruit salad.  By the time I was done, the potatoes were prepped, the turkey was beginning to cook and the girls were looking at me expectantly.

I sucked some of the cherry juice from my fingers and said, "There isn't much more that needs to be done.  At least, not for a few hours until the turkey is nearly ready.  Why don't you all join the boys?  I need the kitchen empty to make my pie.  Secrets and all," I added with a wink.

Rain dried her hands off and said, "We could take some treats to the boys.  And then we'll leave you to your magic, Shirley."

I had made a cheese ball the day before and a few trays of veggies, which the others happily carted out.  They wouldn't like me now, anyway.  Once I got it in my mind to make something, I couldn't stand to have anyone around me.  For the most part, they always managed to get in the way.  It wasn't their fault, I think, in a way I made it impossible for them not to be.  I moved like a whirlwind since I tended to do everything at once, rather than spacing out my different preps. 

With a sigh, I turned back to the sink and began to make my mother's pie.  Actually, two pies.  Who knew how much this crew would eat?

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

"Aw…come on, Bro!  This is gettin' borin'," Sai Sici rocked back in his chair and yawned.

"Oui," George agreed dryly.  "It's beginning to get extremely predictable," he glared daggers at me.

"Hey, now!" I threw my cards on the table and my hands in the air.  "I can't help it!  I'm just lucky."

I grinned, fully believing what I said.  I couldn't help the fact that I kept winning.  It just wasn't a good night for the rest of them.  But a small part of me could sympathize with the others – the game was getting kinda' boring.  I wanted a challenge.

"If I didn't know any better, Chibodee, I'd say you were hiding a few aces up your sleeve," Domon grumbled sourly, eyeing the three aces that I had thrown on the table.

"Impossible," Argo growled.  "I've frisked him – twice."

"And please don't make it a third time," I scowled at the Neo-Russian who kept a neutral position in the poker game as the shuffler.  "Once was bad enough."

Not that I held anything against Argo, but I didn't really like a man – under any circumstances – running his hands over me and patting my back pockets.

Now, if it were Shirley, that'd be a totally different story, I thought smugly; I wouldn't object to her friskin' me in the least.  She could do it as many times as she pleased.

Of course, such a thought was pure fantasy on my part.  After eight years together, I knew my girls as well as any man could understand a group of women, and I knew that not one of them held any kind of romantic interest in me.  And I didn't hold any toward them…except for Shirley, of course.  I'd had a thing for her since the first time I had run into her as the leader of their little shuttle-stowaway group.  In fact, the second most important reason that I had saved their pretty, collective tushes was because of my immediate fascination with Shirley.

I'd sooner die that admit it – mostly because I knew that if I did admit my feelings, I would die…by Shirley's hand.  But I had always loved that bright, wild red hair, those devious, playful green eyes, and those curving, tempting lips.  But damn, if she didn't have enough sass to make up for every woman in the history of mankind.  She was the one person who could put me in place with just a word or a look; strangely enough, I loved her for it.

The woman drove me crazy – with admiration, raw desire, and lovesick pining.  However, I knew she was far out of my league – she deserved a man who'd take care of her a hell of a lot better than I could.  I sighed wistfully; I hoped the day never came when another man would steal her away from my life.

"Are you feeling well, Chibodee?" George's voice broke me out of my reverie.

"Huh?" I glanced up sharply, feeling remarkably foolish, and finding that the rest of the Shuffles were look at me very oddly.

"If you're done daydreamin', Bro, I've got a proposition to make," Sai cocked an eyebrow, staring at me with an expression that bordered dangerously on a grin.

"Shoot," I forced my voice to be cheerfully devil-may-care, gathering my cards and passing them to Argo to be reshuffled.

"I say we raise the stakes a teensy bit," Chinese's face finally did break out in a disturbingly devious smirk.

"Okay," I glanced at Domon and George; they nodded their consent and my own curiosity won out.  "What's up?"

"Here's the deal," Sai leaned toward me, his eyes dancing mischievously.  "Let's forget the poker chips an' let's just an' me play."

"Uh…sure," I cocked an eyebrow of my own.  "But why you an' me?"

"'Cause you keep drawing aces," Sai shrugged and lifted his right hand with a cheeky smile.  "An' I'm the Ace in our little deck."

"Sounds fair to me," I grunted and leaned back in my chair, my arms folded over my chest.

"So what's the new stakes?" Domon sounded a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to be counted into Sai's new scheme.

"Let's make it interesting," Sai paused for a moment, sucking on his tooth.

My eyes drifted about the room while he thought.  After Shirley had shooed us all into the living room, I had suggested a poker game and we had relocated to the basement, where I kept a sort of game room.  It was a bit hodge-podge and needed a good cleaning, but I was never one to pick up after myself and this was the one place in the whole house that the girls didn't bother with.

I yawned – loudly – to let Sai know that I was getting a bit tired of sitting around and waiting for him to make up his mind.  I decided that when we were done with our little round, that it wouldn't be a bad idea for us all to go into the adjourning gym and work up a good appetite.

Wouldn't want to let Shirley's fabulous food to go to waste, I grinned secretly.

"I've got it!" Sai announced with great enthusiasm.

"'Bout time," I reencountered with not-so-great enthusiasm.

"Whoever loses this game has to spend the rest of the morning with Shirley."

"In the kitchen?" George blinked in surprise.

"In the kitchen," Sai confirmed with an evil little wink in my direction.

"Thank the fates you two counted me out of this," Domon chuckled.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek – Sai was looking at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

What the hell, I decided.  I feel sorry for him.  Shirley turns into a female tiger when she has run of the kitchen.

"Sure," I finally grinned, as cocky as ever.  "I hope Cecil kicks your ass for this stunt – after Shirley's done with it, that is."

Fifteen minutes later, Argo and Domon dragged me – kicking and begging for my life – up the basement stairs, through the living room, and past Marie Louise, Rain, Bunny, Cath, Janet, and Natasha (who all watched us with puzzled amazement).  Then, with a little snicker, Sai shoved me through the kitchen door; I tripped and fell flat on my face.

When I lifted my face with a groan, I found myself staring at a pair of pale, perfect feet and ten, red-painted toenails.  I didn't even bother looking up the length of those slim legs.  I knew what I faced.

I had just entered the tigress' den.