Fic: Four Calling Birds; PG; Taylor/Eric/Wes
So, here's some trivia for you: Four Calling Bird were originally Four Colly Birds, or blackbirds. Blackbirds were often eaten, think "Sing a Song of Sixpence".
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me:
“Wes! Eric!” Taylor snapped as she headed out of the kitchen. Wes instinctively dove behind the couch, deciding on asking from behind the couch instead of directly in front of her. Besides, if she was angry over what he thought she was angry over, then it was Eric’s fault anyway. Eric, who Wes insisted had no survival instinct when it came to their lover, stood his ground as she stormed in. “Who did it?”
Wes winced. Yep, she was mad over that. He glanced over the back of his hiding place, looking at her. “Taylor…”
“Wes!” She snapped, turning on him. “I asked you for one thing!”
“And I listened,” he tried to sooth her. “We even got a ham, but Eric thought that maybe two entrees would be better…”
Taylor moved her glare from Wes onto Eric. “You’re the one that cooked it?” She demanded.
“It’s a goose,” Eric answered, not looking very repentant. When Taylor’s anger seemed to have faded and before her hurt look was completely covered, he did start to feel a little bad. Wes was already on his way out and he gave a look to Eric.
“You know she has a hard time eating birds,” Wes reminded him. He turned back to Taylor, wrapping her up in a half-hug. “It’s a goose. It’s not an eagle. And you don’t have to eat it.”
She nodded once and started to get up when Eric took the other side, gently hold her to him so that both men had a side. “Goose was… a good memory of mine.”
Both of them looked at Eric as he admitted why he’d done it and Taylor relaxed a bit. After a minute, she looked at him. “You should have said something,” she told him as he shrugged. All of them knew that most of Eric’s memories weren’t happy.
Wes looked at them both and smiled. “Okay. So, turkey on Thanksgiving, a goose on Christmas, as long as we have something else to eat too?” He suggested. “Because I really want to eat the goose now.”
“As long as you two don’t expect me to eat it. All cooked bird looks the same,” she muttered, but smiled at them both as she tried to change the subject. “So, you two want to open presents?”
“Yes!” Wes said before Eric could say anything and was out of the room like a shot. Eric shook his head and Taylor smiled as she rested into him. Eric silently promised himself that the full goose wouldn’t go on the table for her sake.
“And you want children because Wes isn’t enough like one?” Eric teased. Taylor moved to elbow him, but stopped herself as she remembered it was Christmas. Wes came back with a cage and set it down in front of them. It was covered with a Christmas blanket.
“Merry Christmas, Guys!” Wes told them. Taylor reached up and kissed Eric before anything rude could come out of his mouth and quickly did the same to Wes to thank him. She looked at Eric who motioned for her to go ahead and pulled the blanket off, smiling as she did so.
“Oh Wes…” she murmured as she looked at the two little lovebirds that looked back at her. Eric and Taylor had both mentioned that they’d wanted a bird of some sort. Eric hadn’t taken that step after he gave up his other birds and Taylor didn’t feel right about it when she was gone most of the time. Wes hadn’t said much, other than agreeing now and then, yet he was the one who finally bought them.
Eric reached in and one of them hopped right onto his hand as if it had nothing to fear. The other just looked at him, but seemed okay with Taylor. Eric looked at the brave, but seemingly gentle bird and the fact that it was green didn’t help matters. “I have the perfect name for you,” he said gently and looked at Taylor who smiled.
“I won’t be around them as much as you, Eric,” she reminded him. “Go ahead. Name him.”
Eric gently petted the bird. “Trip,” he answered and Taylor snickered a bit. She held up hers.
“Then it’s only fair to call this one Katie,” she told him and Eric laughed. Wes stood back and hoped that something like that wasn’t going to end up in a history book because Lucas would never let Trip live it down. On the other hand, both Katie and Trip would probably think it was cute and Katie could definitely take Lucas.
He watched as Eric and Taylor began to bond with the birds and smiled. They’d managed to placate Taylor, bring one happy memory home for Eric, and has two new additions. It was going to be a happy new year.
Three French Hens
Two Turtledoves
And
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me:
“Wes! Eric!” Taylor snapped as she headed out of the kitchen. Wes instinctively dove behind the couch, deciding on asking from behind the couch instead of directly in front of her. Besides, if she was angry over what he thought she was angry over, then it was Eric’s fault anyway. Eric, who Wes insisted had no survival instinct when it came to their lover, stood his ground as she stormed in. “Who did it?”
Wes winced. Yep, she was mad over that. He glanced over the back of his hiding place, looking at her. “Taylor…”
“Wes!” She snapped, turning on him. “I asked you for one thing!”
“And I listened,” he tried to sooth her. “We even got a ham, but Eric thought that maybe two entrees would be better…”
Taylor moved her glare from Wes onto Eric. “You’re the one that cooked it?” She demanded.
“It’s a goose,” Eric answered, not looking very repentant. When Taylor’s anger seemed to have faded and before her hurt look was completely covered, he did start to feel a little bad. Wes was already on his way out and he gave a look to Eric.
“You know she has a hard time eating birds,” Wes reminded him. He turned back to Taylor, wrapping her up in a half-hug. “It’s a goose. It’s not an eagle. And you don’t have to eat it.”
She nodded once and started to get up when Eric took the other side, gently hold her to him so that both men had a side. “Goose was… a good memory of mine.”
Both of them looked at Eric as he admitted why he’d done it and Taylor relaxed a bit. After a minute, she looked at him. “You should have said something,” she told him as he shrugged. All of them knew that most of Eric’s memories weren’t happy.
Wes looked at them both and smiled. “Okay. So, turkey on Thanksgiving, a goose on Christmas, as long as we have something else to eat too?” He suggested. “Because I really want to eat the goose now.”
“As long as you two don’t expect me to eat it. All cooked bird looks the same,” she muttered, but smiled at them both as she tried to change the subject. “So, you two want to open presents?”
“Yes!” Wes said before Eric could say anything and was out of the room like a shot. Eric shook his head and Taylor smiled as she rested into him. Eric silently promised himself that the full goose wouldn’t go on the table for her sake.
“And you want children because Wes isn’t enough like one?” Eric teased. Taylor moved to elbow him, but stopped herself as she remembered it was Christmas. Wes came back with a cage and set it down in front of them. It was covered with a Christmas blanket.
“Merry Christmas, Guys!” Wes told them. Taylor reached up and kissed Eric before anything rude could come out of his mouth and quickly did the same to Wes to thank him. She looked at Eric who motioned for her to go ahead and pulled the blanket off, smiling as she did so.
“Oh Wes…” she murmured as she looked at the two little lovebirds that looked back at her. Eric and Taylor had both mentioned that they’d wanted a bird of some sort. Eric hadn’t taken that step after he gave up his other birds and Taylor didn’t feel right about it when she was gone most of the time. Wes hadn’t said much, other than agreeing now and then, yet he was the one who finally bought them.
Eric reached in and one of them hopped right onto his hand as if it had nothing to fear. The other just looked at him, but seemed okay with Taylor. Eric looked at the brave, but seemingly gentle bird and the fact that it was green didn’t help matters. “I have the perfect name for you,” he said gently and looked at Taylor who smiled.
“I won’t be around them as much as you, Eric,” she reminded him. “Go ahead. Name him.”
Eric gently petted the bird. “Trip,” he answered and Taylor snickered a bit. She held up hers.
“Then it’s only fair to call this one Katie,” she told him and Eric laughed. Wes stood back and hoped that something like that wasn’t going to end up in a history book because Lucas would never let Trip live it down. On the other hand, both Katie and Trip would probably think it was cute and Katie could definitely take Lucas.
He watched as Eric and Taylor began to bond with the birds and smiled. They’d managed to placate Taylor, bring one happy memory home for Eric, and has two new additions. It was going to be a happy new year.
Three French Hens
Two Turtledoves
And
A Partridge in a Pear Tree