A/N: I know I keep saying this but this really was a surprise. It started with a song and the first scene and just continued from there. I know my Joliday fic is usually Christmas or NYE but since 2020 is so screwy I decided to do this one as a Thanksgiving fic instead. Stay safe and until next time-PCGirl.


November 2013

John sat in the booth at a diner, having just finished his debriefing on his current case and getting any missed messages that had come to his phone while he was away. There was the expected one from Mike-asking if he was coming for Thanksgiving this year or not. He'd already called his brother back and declined-coming up with some excuse that he knew he'd seen right through but hadn't called him on it. Yet, anyways.

There were a few from FBI buddies calling in favors, not realizing John was back with the Bureau. When he'd gotten pulled away from Port Charles eight months ago he hadn't realized how much he was going to enjoy it. How much the rush of the search helped him forget everything else that was wrong with his life.

He'd thought about staying in-was about to go for the next case when he saw he had a few messages from Natalie. He'd been surprised by one message-instead of a barrage of yelling, she'd told him to call him-that apparently her dad had been behind the restraining order and it had been taken care of.

A part of him should have known she wouldn't do that-it wasn't like Natalie to hide behind the Buchanan name or lawyers. And yet he'd listened to his own lawyer and wasted over a year of time with Liam. Time that, no matter how long he tried, he'd never get back.

Sighing, he picked up his phone and scrolled through the contacts, knowing what he needed to do next.


Happy Thanksgiving

Those were the words that popped up on Natalie's phone as she helped her mom in the kitchen at Llanfair. Seeing who they came from made a lump in her throat appear.

Looking over she saw her mom was in her own world and not paying attention to her daughter's emotions. She paused for a moment before texting back, unsure exactly what to say.

Happy Thanksgiving. Is your assignment over?

Yeah. I was thinking of taking another, but I don't know if I should. How's Liam?

Big. Excited for today. He misses you.

I miss him so much.

You should come home. Don't take the FBI assignment. He needs his dad.

What about his mom?

Natalie paused, her heart and her head battling each other for an answer.

Honestly?

We need to be. I think that's how we got into this situation, Natalie.

I'm not sure, but I'm not keeping your son from you. I'm also not going to tell you what you should do, John.

Natalie paused when there was no immediate response. Moving around the kitchen she tried to keep the tears at bay. Feeling like each second with silence was the door to Liam having a relationship with his father getting closer to being closed.

Hearing the ding of the text message she paused and walked slowly over to the phone and picked it up.

Llanair Flight 35 Arrival in Llanview at 6:15 tonight

"Natalie? Sweetheart-what is it?" asked Viki as she watched her daughter just stand there with tears going down her face.

Natalie looked up at her mom and smiled, possibly the first real smile she had given anyone in over a year, "John's coming home," she said with a slight laugh.


As Natalie stood there watching the passengers come off the plane she thought of the other times that an airplane had seemed to change their path. Him giving her and Christian the tickets to Las Vegas as a honeymoon gift. The plane crash with him and Todd. Going to Thailand and bringing Vickers and Margaret Cochran back. Him stopping her at the airport. Her stopping him from going to Seattle and then the next day them heading to Michigan to bring Liam back. Her taking the jet and his passport to London which caused an avalanche of pain on both parts and brought them to this moment.

She wondered what this flight would represent. A new start? Or just a reminder of how much they'd hurt each other through the years. As the number of passengers dwindled she wondered if he'd changed his mind. She looked at her phone to make sure she hadn't missed a message, but then could feel his presence. How was it possible after all this time that her body instinctually reacted to him?

Looking up she saw him coming towards her and she remembered how handsome he was. For all the hurt and tears shed there was still a connection that made her heart skip a beat. "Hey," she said softly, unsure how to broach this.

"Hey," he replied, feeling the same Natalie did. He'd been slow getting off the plane just now, unsure of the welcome or unwelcome he would receive. Or maybe there would be no welcome at all. But when he came through the door and spotted her he realized he'd made the right decision this morning when he texted her. "How was Thanksgiving?"

"Good. Crazy like always, but good," she said with a timid smile. "Jess is in town for the holiday so I left Liam to play with Ryder. I didn't tell him you were coming-not that I'm keeping you from him-I just-."

He chuckled at her rambling. She always did that when she got nervous-it was something that used to drive him crazy, but he realized just now how much he'd missed it, "It's fine. I trust your parenting decisions, Natalie."

"That's funny considering I don't trust mine at times," she said with an uneasy laugh. "You want to go find a quiet place to talk?" she asked and got no verbal reply but just a nod of the head from John.


Natalie took in the fresh evening air as they walked out onto the roof of the hotel. She hadn't been here since the incident with Marty-and though a part of her mind went back to that night she knew there were a lot more good memories than that one bad.

She had been happy to have missed seeing Roxy when they came through the lobby. The only people in Llanview that knew John was here were her mom and Jessica. The only reason Jessica knew was she could tell something was bothering her while they ate and cornered her afterwards until she spilled. In typical Jess fashion she insisted they had to meet tonight and start the line of communication, no matter how hard or awkward it would be.

John watched her put her arms around her shoulders and hold tight, "Too cold?" he asked with his hands stuffed in his pockets to keep them from fidgeting as he walked to the edge and looked down, remembering Natalie lying there unconscious.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I guess I'm just nervous of this conversation we're about to have."

He nodded and turned around to take her in, "I'm sorry. I don't want this to be uncomfortable."

"No, it's not you. All this time we've been listening to other people-letting them control our lives And I guess-now that we're here we have to see what each of us really wants. I'll go first-I want my son to have a relationship with his dad. I was already seeing you become a great dad before, and I know you can be even better. But I also have to protect his heart-even from you, John. I won't let him be hurt because you keep walking in and out of his life."

John nodded, understanding the implications of everything she said and what she didn't say. "What I want is a relationship with Liam as well. Becoming a dad was the best present I could ever be given. And stupidly I kept throwing it away-when I thought he wasn't mine and this last time also. I'm done with doing that. Done with the FBI. Done with damn ghosts. The only thing I want more than my relationship with him is our relationship back to what it was, and I know that's not going to happen."

Natalie gave a slight smile at his honesty about wanting to get their relationship back to what it was, "I'm glad we're on the same page when it comes to Liam. He'll be so happy to see you. As for us-other than being parents together I don't know what else is left of our relationship."

It made John sad to think this might be it-other than parenting Liam they didn't have anything remaining between them. "I'm not accepting there is nothing else between us," he said with a shake of his head and walking around her.

"John-."

"Let me finish," he interrupted and paused while she did so. "I know I screwed up-by chasing a ghost and not telling you about the kiss with Sam, but that's all over. You once said you need to know I'd fight for you-well this is me, standing here on our rooftop saying I'm fighting for you. You can push all you want, but I'm not giving up.

"I still love you, Natalie. Just because I've been away doesn't mean I stopped," he said as he allowed himself to get close to her and reached out to push a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Is love going to be enough?" she asked, hearing her voice shake as she asked the question.

"It is, but we both know what's between us is more than just love," he said as he leaned down and gave her a simple kiss, pulling back despite his body's urge to go in further.

When John pulled out of the kiss Natalie felt her head spinning. Getting her bearings she blinked a few times before finally speaking, "Now what?"

"If it's ok with you I'd like to spend the rest of Thanksgiving with my son, and maybe his mom as well?" he asked and watched her nod in response. "Good, it'll help us remember what we are thankful for," he said as he took her hand in his and they walked towards the door.

They both knew this wouldn't be easy-that there would be push back by some that they were willing to go down this road again. But John was right-what they had was more than just love. Some might say it was a history filled with dishonesty and hurt, but at the start of it all was a friendship that never seemed to go away, no matter time or distance. And just like all the times before it would be the friendship that would guide them through.