Lennon and Kade spent the next week together. Heading into Thanksgiving with his family, they needed to be comfortable around each other again. It helped, that Kade's stress was relieved when he got news that his grandpa was doing much better. They forced any awkwardness away by focusing on the friendship they had before his birthday.

When Lennon landed in Boston two days before Thanksgiving, she felt comfortable around Kade once more but was still nervous about meeting his family. The fact that they weren't a real couple put more weight on the situation.

****************************

As Lennon walked towards baggage claim she spotted Kade. He looked comfortable. His signature hair was hidden beneath a beanie and he wore a big jacket. His appearance wasn't the only thing that was different. He was more relaxed and Lennon found the conversation flowed easily as they drove to his parent's house.

"Here we are," Kade said, as they turned onto a small road.

The houses were big but in an old fashioned way. All with large front yards and most lit up with Christmas lights. He pointed to a house directly in front of them. All the windows were lit and it gave off a sense of warmth.

Lennon took a deep breath, trying to combat the nerves that were ricocheting through her body. She tried to convince herself it was the same as going to a friends house for the first time. Then her stomach dropped

"Kade stop!" she said, a horrible realization coming over her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

He whipped his head around, trying to find the source of her panic.

"We have to leave!"

He laughed.

"Lennon it's going to be fine."

Kade pulled into the driveway.

"No it's not! I forgot to bring a gift," she said.

How could she have forgotten? Bringing a gift to someone's home was second nature to her. Like shaking hands.

"I don't know what happened? I've been so busy in the studio but I always bring a gift," she blubbered. "What will your mother think? Probably that I don't have any manners. That I was raised by wolves."

"Lennon, Lennon," Kade said firmly.

He gently cupped her face.

"Calm down," he said authoritatively.

He let out a few slow breaths. Lennon slowly matched them.

"There," he said.

His hands dropped away from her face. She stayed quiet for a minute, her eyes still on him.

"How am I suppose to meet your family without a gift?"

He didn't answer but reached into the backseat of the car. He pulled out a poinsettia plant and a flat box with a fancy red bow tied around it.

"This is my mom's favorite," he explained about the plant. "And I'm told this is the best chocolate LA has to offer."

Lennon was speechless.

"How did you know?" she asked.

He gave a casual shrug.

"I knew it was a busy week. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have them, even if you did remember."

"I don't know what to say," she said, stunned.

"Don't say anything," he said. "It was nothing. Now, we should probably get in there or they will wonder what we are up to?"

"Who are they?"

Her nerves took over again.

"My parents and brother. Some cousins. It's not everyone. They wanted to keep it smaller for your first night."

"Ok."

"You got this and I'm right here," he reassured her.

Lennon looked at him and smiled.

"You're going to do great. Everyone always likes you."

"But it's your family," she said.

"They aren't vampires," he joked.

She smiled. "Ok."

The front door was big and black with an old fashioned knocker. Kade gave her a reassuring smile as he opened it. Lennon was instantly flooded with warmth and a delicious smell she could only describe as the holidays. There was soft music playing somewhere and voices could be heard both young and old.

"I'm back," Kade called out.

He pulled his beanie off and roughly ran his hand through his hair. He carried the poinsettia in one hand and took Lennon's hand in the other, leading the way into the dining room.

"Kade is that you?" someone called out.

Lennon's whole body tensed up in the split second before a woman appeared wearing a wide smile spread across her face. She looked young and her smile seemed at home on her face, like it was a frequent visitor. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Lennon, this is my mother," Kade said. "Mom, this is Lennon."

"Lennon, it is so nice to meet you!" his mother said.

She moved forward with open arms.

"You too," Lennon said, hugging her.

"Please, call me Margret," she said warmly.

Lennon smiled and her shoulders relaxed.

"This is for you," Kade said, handing her the plant. "It's from Lennon."

"Oh, it's my favorite!" Margret said, taking the gift.

"That's what Kade told me," Lennon said.

Her gratitude to Kade deepened with the happy look on his mother's face.

"Stop hogging all the attention and let the rest of us meet her" someone called out.

"Hi, I'm Gwen" a young woman said, giving Lennon a hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Rockstar over here doesn't usually bring his girlfriends around."

Kade reached out and slapped the back of Gwen's head. Gwen quickly retaliated with a jab at his stomach, like they had been doing it their whole lives.

"Hey, that's no way to act in front of our guest," Margret scolded.

"This trouble maker is my cousin," Kade said.

Gwen let out a loud laugh.

"Look whose talking," she said.

Another woman appeared.

"And this is my aunt Sara."

"Its so nice to meet you," Sara said.

"We are so happy to have you with us for the holiday!" Margret said.

"I'm happy to be here," Lennon said and she meant it.

With the first hug from Margret, her nerves had disappeared.

"Where is everyone else?" Kade asked

"Down in the basement and Rue and Paige are running late," Margret said. "Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you show Lennon the rest of the house and round everyone up?"

"And make sure my kids haven't killed Robbie yet," Gwen added.

"Sure," Kade said.

Kade led Lennon around the house, showing her the kitchen, family room and ending back at the front door.

Someone let out a loud cry for help and Lennon looked behind them.

"That would be my brother, Robbie," Kade said with a smile.

He led her through a door and down a staircase.

"This is the basement" he said.

It was a large room completely furnished. In the center of the room were two small kids tackling someone on the ground as an man looked on.

"Was that Robbie's girly scream we heard?" Kade asked.

The two kids looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Uncle Kade!" they both screamed, rushing towards him.

Kade dropped Lennon's hand and expertly scooped both kids up, one in each arm.

"Were you guys wrestling?" he asked.

"We were tackling him," the little boy said proudly.

"I was climbing on his back!" the little girl added.

"I was winning," Robbie said, getting up from the floor.

"Good to know someone is still picking on you even when I'm gone," Kade said.

"Who are you?" the little boy asked.

"This is Lennon," Kade said. "Lennon, this is CeCe and Sammy. They're Gwen's twins."

"It's nice to meet you," Lennon said, shaking their hands.

The gesture made them giggle.

"Are you Kade's girlfriend?" CeCe asked.

The question got laughs from everyone in the room.

"I am," Lennon said.

"Eww," they both squealed.

"Be careful how you act or I might just kiss her," Kade threatened.

Both kids squirmed their way out of his arms and ran for the stairs.

"Don't be gross Kade," Robbie said, stepping forward. "Lennon, it's great to meet you. I'm Robbie."

"It's so nice to meet you too," she said.

"And this is my dad," Kade said, motioning to the other man in the room.

"Lennon, we are so happy to have you here" his father said warmly, shaking her hand. "Please, call me Harryson."

"Thanks so much for having me," Lennon said.

"Is it almost dinner time?" Harryson asked.

"It is, mom told us to come and fetch everyone," Kade said. "Have you wash up before dinner. Robbie I think you have a little blood right here."

He reached out to touch Robbie's face but Robbie slapped his hand away.

"I'm ninja fast," he said.

"Against five year olds maybe," Kade said. "We will have to see how fast you are during the football game on Thursday."

Robbie scoffed.

"Do you ever get tired of this guy, Lennon?" Robbie asked her.

"Not yet," she teased.

"Give it some time," Robbie said.

"I think she is already tired of you," Kade said.

"Boys, let's make it through dinner before you start wrestling," Harryson said, roughly grabbing their shoulders.

"Sure," Robbie said.

"So, now you have met the lesser brother," Kade said.

"Hey now, we can't all be pop stars," Harryson said.

Lennon laughed.

"Kade, why don't you take Lennon's bag upstairs and show her the guest room?" Margret said, when they got back to the kitchen.

"Ok."

Kade led her by the hand through the family room to the front door. He grabbed her bag and led the way up the stairs. He quickly pointed out his own room, Robbie's and his parents before showing her the guest room.

"Told you my family weren't vampires," he said, setting her bag down.

She smiled.

"They're really nice," she agreed.

They were just heading back downstairs when they heard the front door open and loud voices shouted greetings.

"You'll never believe the traffic we hit!" a girl said.

"Are Lennon and Kade here? Do we like her?" another girl asked.

Lennon smiled at Kade as someone loudly shushed her.

"And that would be Rue and Paige. They are loud and overwhelming in the beginning," Kade warned, "but you can learn to tune them out."

He led the way into the family room. Rue, Paige and Gwen's conversation was quickly cut off when Lennon and Kade entered. Their eyes darted to them.

"Hi" one of the girl's said, moving forward. "I'm Paige. I'd like to be able to say we weren't talking about you just now but that would be a lie. But it was all good things."

Lennon smiled at her bluntness.

"You know how it is," the second girl said, coming closer. "The pop prince brings home a girl for the first time ever and we are dying from curiosity!"

"Nice guys," Kade said flatly.

"It's fine," Lennon reassured him. "I get it."

"I like her!" the second girl said. "I'm Rue."

"Pop prince?" Lennon jokingly asked Kade.

Rue and Paige laughed.

"Dinner time," Margret called.

*****************************

"Mom, Aunt Sara and Gwen, that meal was delicious," Kade said, sitting back in his chair.

His arm was causally slung over the back of Lennon's chair.

"It's was amazing! I never know how much I miss home cooked meals until I get a taste of what I'm missing," Lennon said.

"Unfortunately, our lives mostly consist of eating out," Kade said. "Aunt Sara, are you sure I can't convince you to come back to LA with us and cook garlic bread all the time."

"Hands off her buddy," Gwen said. "CeCe and Sammy would beat you up before they let their number one Mac n cheese maker leave them."

"We should let the kids keep Sara," Lennon said. "I understand the importance of Mac n Cheese. Plus, if I had garlic bread like this to eat everyday, I probably wouldn't fit into any of my clothes by next week."

Kade looked at her.

"Traitor," he joked, glowering at her.

She laughed. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning back to the conversation.

"Get a room," Robbie said loudly and the whole table laughed.

******************************

"How about a movie?" Rue suggested, after dinner was cleared and the kitchen was clean. Kade was leaning against the counter, his arm around Lennon, her head tiredly resting on his shoulder.

"Why not?" Robbie said.

"The kids are asleep, so I'm in," Gwen said.

"How about a Christmas movie?" Paige suggested.

"I thought we couldn't watch those until after thanksgiving?" Robbie said.

"You wanna watch?" Kade asked Lennon.

"Sure," she said.

"Good!" Rue said.

She pulled Lennon away from Kade and linked her arm through Lennon's. They led the way to the basement.

"What do you want to watch?" she asked.

"I fine with whatever," Lennon said, trying to suppress a yawn.

"What about The Grinch?" Paige said.

"While You Were Sleeping?" Gwen said.

"No!" both boys cried.

"It's a Wonderful Life?" Kade said.

Lennon and Rue were just hitting the last step when Kade rushed past them.

"I don't think so," Robbie said.

He jumped over the railing and dashed after Kade.

"What's going on?" Lennon asked.

She watched them scuffle on their way to the couch.

"Seriously? It's like you are still kids," Gwen said.

"They're fighting for the corner seat," Rue explained. "It's the best spot on the couch."

"We use to fight for it when we are kids," Paige explained. "And some of us still do."

"You'd think a big celebrity would handle himself better," Rue joked.

"You would think that but I've seen my fair share of idiots in Hollywood," Lennon said.

Rue and Paige laughed. Kade made it to the corner seat first and pushed Robbie off when he tried to sit on top of him.

"While You Were Sleeping it is then," Gwen said, turning on the tv.

"No!" the boys yelled.

"Its a Wonderful Life," Kade said again.

"I could go for that," Robbie said.

Rue and Paige shrugged in response and everyone turned to Lennon.

"Sure," she said, taking a seat next to Kade.

"Fine," Gwen said.

Kade pulled a big foot stool closer and slouched down on the couch, resting against the back, his feet up on the stool. He reached out and motioned for Lennon to move closer, putting his arm around her. She rested her head back against his arm and put her feet up on the stool.

Robbie stood to dim the lights as the opening credits began and the familiar music played. As the opening credits slowly flashed on the screen Lennon felt the last bit of her energy leave her. Her whole body became heavy.

She closed her eyes and told herself she would just shut her them until the opening credits were done. Then she was asleep.

**********************************************************************

Heyo!

So it's a cold, gray day outside and I love it!!! Gosh Fall is in the air and I'm literally so excited! I love summer but I'm a total sucker for Fall, all the leaves change colors and more importantly you can wear boots, scarves and super cute sweaters! Really it's the best season!

Anyways, vote, comment, follow! Really do whatever you feel like doing! I won't stop you! ;)