Broken Lullaby ▷ Tony Stark | ✓

17 - FAMILY DISUNION

JAYNE ALWAYS SPENT THANKSGIVING WITH BIRDIE. It was just their tradition. Ever since she had been able to live on her own, Jayne had just foregone all holidays and reunions with her family, though it wasn't as if they were making much effort to try and convince her to join them. It was a mutual understanding that avoidance was the best way to live out the rest of their lives, all of them gathering only for her wedding, but not staying any longer than they had to.

Birdie's family, on the other hand, was all about staying together. Her parents still lived within a drive of her, it was easy to say that even if there was distance, they all still stayed in contact. While Birdie loved being independent, it was nice to have some safety around her, and her parents supporting her and her son. They cared for their youngest and would never turn her away.

So when she came home one Thanksgiving with a friend in tow, they couldn't even fathom turning her away.

"I heard that more of the family is coming this year," Jayne said, flopping down in the seat across from Birdie, not stopping as she read over some of her files.

"Yeah, because they all feel bad and want to support me during this first Thanksgiving without Mark. Besides, it'll finally be one of the times where I won't have to worry about making him happy since he always wanted us to go see his family, not mine," Birdie replied, and if she sounded bitter, well, she wasn't about to apologize for it, "And why do you keep talking to my mom?"

"I love Janice..." Jayne drawled airily, and Birdie snorted softly, smiling.

"Well, she's excited to have you over, she was telling me last night, she's excited to see Brad too," she said, and the two laughed as they remembered how Birdie's mother had taken the role of Jayne's parents, threatening Brad with various levels of torture if he ever hurt Jayne.

"Where is Tony spending Thanksgiving?" Jayne asked, and Birdie sighed as she remembered Remy's nagging earlier that morning.

"Nowhere currently, so I'm inviting him to ours when he comes over later tonight," she said, pointedly ignoring Jayne's series of expressions in favor of looking at her files and maintaining her pride.

"He's been spending a lot of time with you," the blonde began, and Birdie sighed.

"I try not to think about it. Though I really do appreciate what's he's doing, Remy's so much happier now. At least, from what I've seen," she said, smiling and thinking back to how talkative Remy was during dinner the night before.

"That's good," Jayne said, because it was good, and she wanted nothing more than for her best friend and her son to heal.

"Yeah," Birdie agreed, "It is good."

"Do your parents know?" Jayne asked, glancing at her watch, needing to return to her desk soon for another meeting.

Birdie shrugged. "I'll surprise them."

º º º

"What if they don't like me?"

Birdie sighed as the three stepped out of her car, right in front of her parents' house. The neighborhood was packed and it was a wonder how her parents managed to reserve a spot for her in their driveway, especially when they showed up last out of everyone else.

"You're Tony Stark, I'm sure they'll love you," she said, reaching out and adjusting his tie out of habit, pausing midway when she realized that this was what she always did during her Thanksgivings with Mark.