Life had been hectic to say the least. Coulson had been given the responsibility of rebuilding Shield, so he had been pretty distant, Skye and May had been training together and had spent a majority of their time together, Trip had gone to visit his grandma, and Jemma had hardly left Fitz's side over the past six weeks. They had all gone through so much emotional turmoil, and really needed a break. The holidays were coming up, but none of them seemed to notice or even care, well except for Coulson.

Phil Coulson had grown up in a household where holidays were always celebrated. Even after his father had passed, him and his mother had kept up with the tradition of having Thanksgiving dinners and decorating a tree. The base was gloomy, which matched the mood of the members of his team. Phil decided that he had to do something about the dampening mood on base, so the Monday before Thanksgiving he left the base to go on a mission. The team didn't question his absence of course, and continued with their daily routines.

He arrived at a grocery store, buying everything he needed for a classic, American Thanksgiving. He knew hiding the 12 pound turkey would be difficult, but he figured that the team wouldn't question it considering their recent moods. The next few days he spent prepping to make different dishes, and on Thursday morning he prepared breakfast and went to wake up/gather the team before it started. He walked into the gym where Skye and May were sparring.

"Hey, you two. Clean up and meet in the common area in 20." He left before either of them could ask any questions.

"What do you think that's about?" Skye wondered as she headed towards the showers.

"Who knows." May shrugged, but she had a feeling it was one of his holiday shenanigans.

Next, Coulson headed towards the medical area, where he knew Fitz-Simmons would be. Sure enough, Jemma sat across from Fitz on his bed telling him about different star constellations. He smiled at the sight before Fitz noticed him standing in the doorway.

"S-sir." Fitz acknowledged and Jemma turned.

"Hey, how's it going in here?" Coulson wore a warm smile which Simmons returned.

"It's going… alright." Simmons replied, her smile breaking slightly. Coulson just nodded. Seeing Fitz like this was hard for everyone, but especially for Simmons.

"I just wanted to let you know for you both to be in the common area in," he checked his watch, "fifteen minutes."

"Sir, I don't know if that's such a good-"

"N-no. I, uh, I-I can, um, go."

"Perfect. I'll see you both soon." Coulson said and left to take the pumpkin bread out of the oven. When he got to the common area he turned the TV on to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

May was the first to show up.

"I knew you were planning something." She smirked. Although she wasn't big on holidays, she had always loved how excited Phil would get (of course she'd never admit this out loud). "The kids will love this, you know."

"They deserve something to lighten the mood. We all do." He shrugged. Soon after, Skye entered with her hair still wet.

"Woah, A.C. It smells so good in here!"

Fitz and Simmons followed shortly after Skye. The parade began to play on the TV and Skye understood.

"Wait… is it Thanksgiving? Already?"

"Yup." Coulson replied, "I figured we could celebrate the day together. We deserve a little R&R, don't you think?"

The group gathered some breakfast items- Melinda and Jemma opting for the healthier options- and the "kids" sat on the couch together while May and Coulson sat in their own seats next to each other. Coulson's heart warmed as the kids became more relaxed. They discussed the floats and balloons throughout the parade, Fitz's favorite was the giant Curious George monkey balloon.

Later that day, Coulson began to cook the turkey. He let Skye and Jemma help him with the side dishes, telling them what to do, while Fitz and May sat at the counter. While they waited for the turkey, Fitz took a nap, and the girls set the table. May stood next to Coulson by the stove and watched as Skye told Simmons a joke to make Simmons laugh.

"It's good to see them smile again."

"It is. They're so young, too young, to have had to experience all that they did." Coulson said with a sad smile. "You want to get Fitz so we can start dinner?"

May nodded and went to get Fitz from the couch. As they all sat down at the table, Coulson couldn't help but feel at ease. He raised his glass to make a toast and the others copied him.

"To us, may we always be there for one another." They all toasted and began to dig into the meal in front of them.

Phil Coulson had always loved holidays, but something about this felt extra special. The past few months had brought so many changes and hardships, but he knew that one thing wouldn't change. They'd always be a family, and for that he was thankful.