Walking into the kitchen, she found Techno drinking a cup of coffee.  She smiled at him and decided it was now or never.

     Techno looked surprised to see her, "I thought everyone had left already." he paused, and frowned, "Something wrong?"

    "No, nothing's wrong.  I'm all packed and loaded up." she paused, "I just wanted to talk to you before I left."

   Taking a drink, he replied, "So talk."

   "What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

  Techno sipped his drink, studying her over the rim, "Staying here. Why?"
  "What are you going to eat?"

  Techno looked thoughtful for a minute. "Spaghetti-O's?"  At Tonya's shocked look, "Mac and Cheese?"

  "No turkey!?!?" Techno shook his head. "But it's not Thanksgiving without turkey!" she complained.

   Techno shrugged and turned his attention back to his coffee.

   Tonya stood there frowning at him, knowing she would be shot down. 

Finally, she spoke,   "Why don't you come to Thanksgiving with me?"  Techno looked at her skeptically for a moment, but he couldn't think of a good excuse not to.  Tonya misinterpreted his silence and started trying to sell him on the idea.  "My family won't care.  There's always tons of food, and extra people who aren't family always show up.  There will be turkey, maybe ham, real mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, casseroles, ummm...cookies, cake, pie, pumpkin pie, ummm...coffee, tea, lemonade, or something." she paused, but couldn't think of anything else, "Will you come?  Please?" she gave him her best pleading puppy dog eyes.

 Techno smirked, "Alright, I'll come."  Tonya immediately grinned and Techno continued. "But you can't hug me while we're there." he gestured his index finger at her. "Deal?"

"Deal!" Tonya chirruped, throwing her arms around him for a quick hug. 

Techno didn't return the hug and she didn't expect him to.  "Hurry, you need to pack," said Tonya.  "We'll come back ummm..." she paused, "Friday night, probably Saturday."  With that she was gone, skipping out the door.

Techno chuckled. "What have I agreed to?" he wondered.
- - - - - -
 The teal Ranger sped down the highway.  Going about five miles over the speed limit, the little truck seemed to fly passed the slower moving vehicles.  They had been on the road about half an hour.

Tonya was driving (piloting?), singing along with the country station on the radio.  She had given up on conversation with the man stretched out in the passenger seat.  Techno was wearing his normal black outfit, plus a pair of sunglasses.  He had leaned the seat back, considering a nap, but was afraid to because of Tonya's driving.

 As she zipped past a semi, Techno tensed.  He glanced at Tonya, and opened his mouth, then changed his mind and looked out the window.

 "What?" Tonya asked without looking at him.

 "Huh?" he replied confused, "I didn't say anything."

 "No, but you were going to," she replied, "So spit it out."

 Techno regarded her for a moment trying to figure out how he wanted to phase it.  "The speed limit is 70." he finally said.

 Tonya glanced at him surprised, "I know.  But they rarely stop you if you're only going five over."

 "I just don't want to get in a wreck." he replied watching her.

 "I have no intensions of having a wreck.  Don't worry.  I won't get you killed." Tonya started to laugh.

 "What?" Techno frowned.

 "You sound like the other girls." Tonya replied, "Especially Sally."
- - - - - -
 Techno felt the truck slow, then stop.  He yawned, stretched, and looked over at Tonya. "What's wrong?"

 "Hmm?" she looked at him for a second, blankly.  Then his comment registered, "Nothing."

 Sitting up, Techno frowned, "Then why are we stopped?"

 "Stop sign." Tonya pointed.  "You're supposed to stop at stop signs."

 Techno frowned, obviously still half asleep. "A stop sign?  On the highway?" He knew it wasn't true and that he sounded stupid, but was to tired to care.

 Tonya started to say something smart, then relented.  She knew what it was like to be confused and half asleep. "I'm getting off the highway.  We've reached my hometown." she smiled, "Go back to sleep.  I'll wake you when we get to my house."

 Techno relaxed back against the seat and dozed as Tonya drove through town.
- - - - - -
 Parking in front of the house, Tonya slipped out of her seatbelt quickly.  She resisted the urge to grab Techno's arm and chirrup, "Get up!" at him.  Instead she gently shook his shoulder, "Techno, we're here."

 Techno stretched as Tonya pulled things out of the back seat.  Slipping on her coat, she opened the door and trotted around to the passenger side.  Techno got out and Tonya unloaded their things.  Techno ended up with the pillows, while Tonya had everything else.  Her tail flicked with anticipation.

 Tonya held the door for Techno, and then followed him inside.  The light was on in the kitchen, and the dup heard a women say, "Who's coming in my house?"

 "ME!" Tonya called as her mother stepped around the corner.

 "You're late." her mother replied.

 "I didn't think I told you what time I'd be home.  I just told you Tuesday."

 "Well, I expected you for supper.  There's some in the fridge if you're hungry." Tonya's mom now noticed Techno, "Hello.  Who are you?"

 "This is T," Tonya replied, "A friend of mine.  He's coming to Thanksgiving dinner with me."

 "Alright, but he's sleeping downstairs."

 Tonya rolled her eyes. "Of course, mother."

 Tonya went to her room with Techno trailing her.  Flicking on the light she put her things on her bed, then turned to Techno.  He was looking over her room with a critical eye. "Pink." he said flatly.

 Tonya blushed slightly, "Yeah, well...I'm a girl.  There's blue too."

 He gestured to the pictures and paintings on the wall.  "Did you do any of these?"

 Tonya pointed at different pictures labeling each as bought free hand, or paint by number.  Then she pointed out her ceramic pieces on her desk.
 "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." Tonya said.
- - - - - - -
 Walking down the stairs, Techno noticed the pottery display above the stairs.  Pausing to look, he smirked then continued down.  His eyes widened as he saw the shelves lined with more pottery.

 "I like clay." Tonya shrugged, "So sue me.  Here's the room.  I'll wake you for breakfast."
- - - - - -
 As she crossed the railroad track entering Canton, Techno spoke, "Are you sure you know where this place is?"

 Tonya shot him a glare before answering, "Yes.  I've only been here a million times." then she smirked, "Besides, the town's not that big.  If you go up that little hill there, you're half way through town."  Pulling the truck into a parking spot by the bank, "We're here!"
- - - - - - 

"Tonya!" A couple of teenagers called, "Help us!" They were trying to set up some long tables.

 "Hey Amanda, Dustin." She greeted her cousins. "What's up Matthew?"

 "Dad said we needed to set up the tables," Matthew volunteered, "But they're heavier than last year."

 "They're different tables." Amanda chipped in.

 Tonya walked over a picked up a table. "Can the three of you move one?" she asked.  When they nodded, she added, "Then, let's get them set up!"
- - - - - -
 Despite Tonya's warning at the size of this affair, Techno was shocked at the amount of food and number of people.  He felt a little lost among the crowd, and he couldn't find Tonya.  Slipping through the crowd, he found a clear spot across the room from the kitchen.  Scanning the crowd, he still couldn't spot the braided girl. 

 The boys Tonya had helped earlier stepped from the throng.  The taller one, whom Techno recalled was Tonya's brother, offered Techno a Styrofoam cup.  Techno raised an eyebrow as he took it.

 "Tonya asked me to bring it to you.  It's coffee." Matthew replied to the silent question.

 "Where is she?"

 "In the kitchen." Matthew replied, "She said dinner would be ready within 15 minutes.  They're waiting on the potatoes and rolls."

 Suddenly, the crowd went silent.  The preacher took his place between the group and the food.  Then, he said a prayer for those present and for the food.  After he finished the people began to move into a double line.  

 

 Matthew motioned Techno to the front, "We're younger.  We get to go first."
- - - - - - - -
 Matthew and Dustin sat across from Techno at the table.  The seats on either seat of him were empty.  Suddenly, two girls jumped into the seats. "Mind if we sit here?" they asked, smiling at him.

 "No, you can sit there." he replied warily.

 "Thank you." They chorused.  The curly haired one fluttered her eyelashes at him, "My name's Amy."  The other smiled widely, "My name's Megan."

 "Back off, guys," Amanda said sitting down across the table, "He's Tonya's."

 "Who's mine?" Tonya sat her plate directly across from Techno, "What are you talking about?"

 Amanda pointed to Techno, "Him.  He's your boyfriend.  Right?"

 Tonya blinked then looked at Techno for a second. "Of course he's my boyfriend." she fixed Amy and Megan with a piercing look, "So hands off."
- - - - - - - -
 All food that need to be refrigerated had been put away, and most of the younger people had left.  All would return in a few hours for supper.  The elders of the Evans clan were now sitting at one table, telling stories and family tall tales.

 Tonya was wiping tables, picking up trash, straitening chairs, and refilling glasses.  She was trying to refill six at once, and she realized, belatedly, that it was not possible.  Her eyes went wide in surprise as Techno silently took three of the glasses from her.  Sitting the glasses before their owners, they turned to go.

 "Pardon me son," one of the ladies said.  Techno turned back to the group.  "I might be wrong, but aren't you Robert's boy?"

 Tonya was about to say no, but Techno beat her, "Yes, I am."

 "I haven't seen you or Robert for a few years, how are you two doing?"  Tonya now recognized the speaker as her great aunt Loraine.

 "He's dead." Techno replied, "About 6 months now."

 "Oh, I'm sorry." she replied, "I didn't know."

 "It's okay, it was a very small funeral." Techno said, "Not many know."

 "Good to see you again." Loraine said, then turned back to the others.
 - - - - - - - 
 Finally the room was clean.  Tonya had found some pitchers, filled them with tea and ice, and given them to the people talking.  Then she drug Techno off to a secluded spot to talk.

 "Robert's boy?" she asked, "What did she mean?"

 "After I became Robert's assistant, I went with him practically everywhere." Techno paused, "Especially family reunions.  He just passed me off as his grandson usually." Tonya frowned in concentration. "What's wrong?"

 "10...maybe 11 years ago.  Family reunion at Wilsie.  Where you there?" she asked suddenly.

 "Yes." Techno answered slowly.

 "You were wearing the eye patch and trench coat, and reading a really thick book with a picture of a computer on the front.  Right?"

 Techno looked mildly surprised, "That's right.  A little girl with a blue shirt and a shorts kept asking me questions and trying to get me to play with her.  Do you remember her?"

 Blushing and smiling sheepishly, "Yeah.  That was me."

 "Some things never change do they."

 Tonya stuck out her tongue, then looked thoughtful.  "That's kinda funny." she cocked her head, "That day was the first time I met you, and the first day...I found out I could fly."

"What were you doing up that tree?" Techno asked.

 Tonya smirked, "Frisbee got stuck, and I was the littlest cousin around." she shrugged, "So they made me get it."

 "Then they left." Techno added.

 "Yup." Tonya agreed, "They were cousins of cousins or something.  Didn't really care.  They thought I could get down if I got up there.  Besides I was a great tree climber," she grinned.

 "But you fell out of that tree." Techno pointed out.

 "The branch broke." Tonya smirked, "Scared the crap out of me.  All I could think of was that Mom would be mad that I broke the tree." she laughed, "Plus I knew it was going to hurt when I hit.  Probably get a big bruise."

 "You could have been killed." Techno replied.

 "I was seven.  I didn't think about death." she retorted, and then paused.  Raising an eyebrow she frowned, "How'd you know I fell out of the tree?"

 "Some of the ladies kicked me out of the building and told me to go play with the other kids." he shrugged, "So I walked to the park.  I got there just a minute or so before you fell.  I thought you would be killed when the branch snapped." he chuckled, "Couldn't believe my eyed when you stopped about a foot off the ground.  It reminded me of a cartoon when you looked down then fell the rest of the way.  I was so shocked that I didn't realize Robert was standing next to me until he spoke." Techno paused, "He told me to remember what I'd seen that day.  That it would be important in the future." He smirked, "I did enjoy the fact that you just got up, and ran off to go play."

 "What was I supposed to do?" Tonya raised an eyebrow and gave him a wry smile, "Tell everybody?  I didn't even know how I did it.  Why get myself in trouble for climbing trees?  I was already hiding my tail," she shrugged, "I figured I could hide this new power too.  Plus," her eyes sparkled with humor, "I was seven, short memory span." She turned to go.

 "Some things never change." Techno whispered again, jokingly.

 Tonya froze and Techno realized she had heard him.  She turned to glare at him, and he tensed.  She glared for a minute before she grinned and winked. "Sometimes they do."