Thanks for Giving In

"Good girls do love good boys," Camille looked at Keith

"Hear hear," June said. "And I'm thankful for having met Camille, and her helping showing me how good I can be, or how good we can be."

"I'm thankful for meeting an awesome group of people, for being taught how to dance without embarrassing myself, with the right partner." Auggie kissed June's hand, loving seeing the gooseflesh emerge from his soft attention. "Oh, and for winning my first arm-wrestling match in a long time," prompting a challenging stare from Trent.

"Oh, and I'm thankful for the outcome round 2 will have," Auggie's challenger replied.

"And for the good girls that love good girls," Carlie laughed at the male competitors, shifting the attention her way, "I'm thankful for meeting such great people too, strong loving people who taught me to be ok with me and love what I am, and whoever I want."

The warmth she received all around the table was what Carlie hoped to get from her parents, someday. The lie she told them about being stuck where she was felt bad, but it was necessary; Teri and Carlie became an official thing really quickly, and she needed time to sort out family's predictable outrage and shock. She might have to ask Camille to step in and convince them why it was a good thing.

She got warmth from Teri too, but for some reason, Teri kept staring at the entrance, and looking at her watch.

"I think everyone here knows I have plenty to be thankful for this year, like life couldn't get any better, moving out here, meeting you all, meeting Camille, being allowed to be honest with myself for the first time. I feel like I've been given so much, that I'm reminded of the joy of giving. So-"

Teri's phone went off. She looked down to see a text message, and looked satisfied at what she read.

"So I'm thankful for giving as good as I get, or trying to when I can."

"And do you have any good news to give us?" Camille asked

"Possibly."

Teri's cryptic smile didn't go unnoticed, but decided to keep the thanks going.

"Magic Keith," Camille joked. "Any thanks?"

"Dancing, friends, and the goddess next to me."

"Don't make me blush," Penny responded, which made everyone laugh heartily, even Celine.

"And Miss Celine? What are you thankful for?"

"A lot. For surviving all the crazy diets I've been through, and maybe for more to be thankful for in the future. And usually, for two reasons this holiday's been tolerable for so many years."

Camille and Penny got up and gave Celine a sisterly hug in her chair, which she gave back with an annoyed look on her face, annoyed more because of the 'awww's' at the table.

"I hope we can be discreet about this," Celine asked everyone.

"Sure," Penny said cheerfully. "Just like we can be discreet about the show you're going to put on for us."

"You realize that was when Camille wasn't crutch-bound; it's the whole point of a competition."

"You didn't have that problem when we were younger," Camille countered. Celine's raised eyebrows met a confident smile. "Just think of it like bowling - go for a turkey."

She stopped herself before saying anything, and folded under Camille's unyielding, expectant look as she got up from her seat, took her coat off, and strutted up to the center of the small dance floor, ready to amaze them in her casual clothes. She tapped a few beats on her feet to start, unable to hear Camille do the same with her heels, and began to dance.

***

Vivid dreams washed over Celine, dreams she latched onto, dreams that let the rest of the universe come to a complete halt as if on her command. It wasn't really her command, it was someone else's command that made it happen, someone she trusted like she trusted herself. And she wanted those still moments as often as she could get them, so her mind reasoned to a compromise that she made it happen.

The dreams reminded her of how dancing felt better than anything else, how her love for it trumped all else. "All else?" her mind suddenly questioned. She heard that trusted voice from far off, sounding a little surprised herself, but confidently lead her to a sense of it being perfectly alright to admit there was something, someone she could love like dancing.

Love of success waned, seemed vapid sometimes. Love of traveling seemed tedious, too many timezone to keep up with, and some places were starting to look the same despite their individual fame. The same applied to being a celebrity, and how the people, their figures, their dances, their faces all ran together in a bland mix. Except one.

Desmond, a back-up performer trying to make his way to the same consideration and stardom she already had, but found himself falling for his superior. He fought it at first, and she didn't care. She expressed as much when he asked her out for coffee the first time, and the next few times. He was always polite about it, and she was always rude, as she was known to be. He spread the times asked between months while within her dance company. When she finally asked "what's not getting through your skull that I don't feel like going out with you," Desmond finally admitted "I get that sense, and I'm surprised I'm asking too still. But, I kinda can't help it, and you're worth it."

There was something sincere in his voice, something that broke the cycle. She told him she'd agreed to one short coffee date, very informal, very "not a date." She got it in her head he was just looking for an in to a better position, past the unreliable on-call position he fought like hell to be put on unofficially. She eyed everything he did carefully, looking for something that would show what he was really after. It took several official dates she called "business meetings over dinner" of watching to be convinced of his sincerity, and it was only after the fact that she realized he was actually fun to be around.

Neither knew when, but they became an unofficial thing quickly. She kept things very private, which he was ok with, though he expressed not being afraid of being seen dating an ice queen. She laughed after he quickly amended that to ice princess, as if it was any kind of good recovery; it was, weirdly, but she kept that to herself. Celine couldn't remember when she'd been so happy with regard to someone besides herself, the main reason for that being any happiness was reserved for dancing only. Everything else was either business or necessary evil, even relationships. It was kind of an oddity in her mind for someone of her status to date someone fairly lower, as far as the tabloids were concerned. Eventually, in the grand, disastrous fashion she was known for, she got him silently moved away, to another company, less glory and opportunity.

He never figured out her hand in it, and his only real sadness was expressing his having to go away. He even admitted the kind of other jobs he thought about taking temporarily just to stay somewhat close to her, and asked her how she felt about them. She was speechless, didn't say one word to him as she left his presence. He'd left messages, but she hadn't returned any of them, right into the holidays. He probably would've asked her to come spend time with his family, so she wouldn't be alone. He didn't know her "sisters" kept her from being alone most holidays, and it would've been a harsh rebuke to the offer anyway. She felt she was sparring him, and would find a way to deal with it next year. Maybe.

Sadness and regret nearly interrupted her pleasant dreams, but a voice was able to soothe her impossibly over the bad feelings. It always knew how to make her feel better; this time, it told her to imagine "What if Desmond was there, and offered to dance with you..."

***

Silent amazement rang through the restaurant, captivated by how even this known celebrity fell into the holiday swing of things, unbeknownst to how much she was getting into it. Even Camille herself got lost in it all, so much so that she never noticed Teri leaving temporarily and having brought a guest with her. Camille got up gently by herself and met them at the bar.

She did a double take as she sat, staring closely at her Teri's newcomer.

"Hope you don't mind Camille, but I decided to invite an extra person, who was really looking forward to coming."

Camille looked at her and at the man silently, immediately recognizing him, but not knowing what to say right off the bat. It was an expression her student savored with a naked happiness.

"Welcome to our little gathering, Desmond," Camille greeted, leaving out the 'private' part. "Hope you didn't have much trouble getting here."

"None at all; Teri was a real help."

"I do like to be helpful. Just like you like to be silent and sleepy."

"Yeah..." Desmond's speech trailed off as he leaned against his stool seat, with Teri next to him ready to keep him seated and safe, as she enjoyed Camille's triple-take.

"Ok, I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but given Celine's 'turkey' dance is still going, I'll be quick. I found your holiday planning notebook weeks ago. Saw what planned for Celine and Desmond, and know something happened with Desmond that you had to amend. I just happened to have made a contact that could get in-touch with him. I reached out, told him I was a contact of Celine's, and that I was to help prep him for a job. I reached back to your training of captivating my audience, and things really, really worked out. So I got him here, ready for you to go the whole nine yards. And I threw in a little bonus for you. Open your coat, Desmond."

Camille covered her mouth to keep from gasping at the surprise. She let herself process the information as slowly as possible, breathed deeply for a few seconds, and gave her student a look that said there would be more to talk about later. Celine's dance in the background was beginning to very much live up to the turkey part of things, when Camille moved over to Keith, who moved up near Celine as Camille spoke something significant only to the current performer, slowing her to a crawl and eventually standing still. Keith held her in his strong arms as Teri brought Desmond up, having him take off his long coat to reveal the surprise. Camille and Teri spoke to their charges in agreement to let them synchronize into something like the dance Camille wanted to display all along.

***

"What if" began to reshape Celine's world, as if it was constructed by the fleeting structures of thoughts and dreams. Things her mind told her were impossibilities were shattered like mirrors by the impact of the trusting voice. Small reflections of herself appearing, only the reflections promoting positivity, energy, believing in happiness. Slowly the mirror put itself back together until she saw a new self, a better self.

She could feel herself grounded in this newness, gravity settling in as her feet reached the floor, and things seemed normal. The desire to dance was among the normality, except something was missing. It wasn't until she felt someone taking her hand in theirs, and looking up to see Desmond that what was missing, in-fact everything seemed complete. All was right with the universe, and what would keep the world turning was when they let their instincts take over and begin to waltz with each other.

Arm-in-arm, they danced slow, breathing together, hearts beating at the same rate, taking the time to study each other's faces. The haze that was once the real world showed how unimportant all else really was, and how all they needed, wanted was themselves moving with each other, against each other. Noises that sounded like approval from somewhere barely pierced their space, but became accepted by both as affirmation to how right this was.

As everything else was in-sync between them, so was their kiss, mouths pushed against one another, tongues cooperating with one another, tingles exchanged though both their bodies. Hearts took over as their minds were at rest, and at some point both knew they were forever changed. That knowledge left both very content while a familiar sound easily pierced the haze - the measured foot stomping had returned, and it became the pace both set their hearts, limbs, and minds to.

How Desmond imagined taking Celine out for salsa dancing came true as music came from nowhere and gave him to confidence to make her love it. His hands rested at her hips, gripping the material as his feet moved. Her hands grasping his neck and the hair under his hat kept his face fixed on hers. He literally couldn't look anywhere else but at her, and he loved her possessiveness, unnecessary as it was. She felt the material of his hat, and finally paid attention to the pilgrim hat sitting atop his head.

She understood it being there better when she looked down below his neck to see his painfully-accurate pilgrim costume, dark fabric, buckles, ridiculous shoes and all. He got the urge to look down as well, wondering why with the glitter and color scheme did she eerily resemble a turkey, feeling what was probably a tail around his hands. They both concluded what each was wearing, unable to laugh at one another or themselves as there was no one to laugh at them despite what sounded like the occasional laugh from somewhere. All their costumes really got them to feel was an inexplicable need to heat up their dance.

Desmond picked Celine up and twirled her around in circles according to the tap, loving seeing her hair, feathers on her arm and tail flowed in the wind, until Celine's body language told him she wanted back to the floor. He obeyed and the second her feet landed, she took the lead, moving her hands between his, grasping his wrists and raising them over his head, keeping there while her hands trailed down the arms, over his face, down his chest to the sides of his hips and grasping at the air she imagined his full hardness would be grasping, as she spun on her own feet, giving him a show as she used her plumage to tempt him while he stayed still looking like a man under arrest. Seductive charms surely kept him that way until she approached him again, grinding against his body as if she was a pole dancer and he the pole.

Soon he couldn't take it any longer and gripped the back of her neck, and reached under her thigh, and dragged her across the floor, kissing her as he did so, trying to get her to melt in his grasp. Celine nearly did, until a gentle touch under his chin made him falter, an erogenous spot of his they discovered after one of their recent dates, one she kept repeating until he lost the strength to keep her help up. Years of professional training got her timing on her feet like a cat naturally always would, as he became still again, enjoying the simple conquering caress, feeling him follow it as she walked around him in circles, turning his neck and then his body to keep up. She led him in dizzying circles, made even dizzier when she switched caressing hands and opposite circles.

He didn't know how long he could remain on his feet, his only gambit a memory of how he remembered searching her body for an erogenous point he could match on her body. He'd found it the night she'd found his, tickling the skin behind her left ear. Still in the whirlwind of her circles, his hand reached for the side of her face. Celine wasn't fast enough to realize what he was up to, and began drowning herself in his perfected touch, moaning at a miniscule pinch of her skin. The circles slowed, but didn't stop as they increased the attention to each other's weak points.

Their legs got weak eventually, the circles dwindling as they got closer and closer to the floor, simply holding their special points, and their cheeks with their free hands. One of them lost their grip, and that was incentive enough to begin kissing each other on the floor, wrapped in each other as if they were in bed. Just as they begin to tear their clothes off, a powerful word from somewhere stopped them both, and they found they couldn't continue, but sighed and rested against each other.

***

"You're such a nerd, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Camille asked Penny.

"That first dance from Turkey, the outfit you planned to wear that Celine happened to fit, the bowling suggestion..."

"Not to mention the other thing."

"What other thing?"

Penny wondered why Camille felt the need to whisper, wondered what the strange word meant, and what it meant for one of the recently worn-out entertainers.

"Hey Celine," Penny asked, looking down at the tired dancer atop her partner.

"Mmmm?"

"Snood?" She looked puzzled at the word Camille gave her.

"Gobble gobble gobble. Gobble gobble."

"What was that? And what's that name you had for me?" Penny got out between giggles, starting the video record function on her phone again.

"Gobble gobble. Gobble! Gobble gobble gobble gobble! Gobble..." Celine seemed angry for being engaged while she was so drowsy, unaware of her words.

"That favor I did for you on Halloween, consider it repaid in spades," Penny thanked Camille.

"Told you I would."

"So...who won that one?" Penny asked.

"Well, the turkey is on top, so I think the turkey finally wins Thanksgiving. What do you guys think?" Camille asked the table. She got everyone clapping and "bravos" and "encores" as and answer. She bowed as best she could and started quietly address the grounded couple.

***

Celine and Desmond blinked together, coming to, standing in each other's arms, as if a slow dance had ended and one or the other fell comfortably asleep in the other's safe arms. No attention was paid yet to the table watching them, just each other as they sighed together, her half smile not as bright as his, but not any less sincere. She started to laugh for the first time at his costume.

"Apparently you're not a bad dance partner, pilgrim."

His smile turned lopsided as he looked at her.

"And you make me...really hungry."

Acting undignified, she playfully slapped him, and he quickly caught the slapping hand to kiss it over and over again, trying to make her blush. She was halfway there when an 'aww' from Carlie made them both look toward the table.

Celine tried to walk away and regain her dignity, but Desmond's strong hand pulled her back into an embrace, ready for the slap he knew was coming, but unprepared for the kiss she gave instead, making the whole table go 'awww.'

Celine ended the kiss and dragged Desmond's unresisting body back to the table.

"As I said people, discretion."

"Whatever you say, lovergirl," Penny joked as she finally put her phone away.

"Come on guys," Teri asked. "Give'em a round of applause."

Desmond immediately bowed, and Celine annoyingly followed, regarding the hoops and hollers amongst the clapping as best they could.

***

Post-turkey dance, everyone had settled into being full from food, and discussion was going on about if they all wanted to use the dance floor and what song they might want to dance to.

Teri couldn't participate at the moment as Camille had pulled her aside toward the bar to talk.

"Are you mad," Camille's student asked in all seriousness.

"I'm...somewhere between upset and unsure." She watched Teri take that answer with as much unsurety as she felt.

"Truthfully, ego wants to be harsh with you saying 'I'm the ringleader here,' but also part of me is worried about the risk you took. I've been at this for years, and have made plenty of mistakes along the way, some bigger than others, taking the same kind of risks you have, sometimes bigger ones. Some were mistakes I couldn't fix, no matter how persuasive I can usually be. This year has been exceptionally good for me, whether planned or not, but I had to make lots of mistakes to get to it. And if you're trying to go where I think you're trying to go, I'd rather not have you make the same mistakes and realize you're messing with big things."