Family Affair

Disclaimer: Here we go again…

I've been doing light-hearted stories lately, and I think it's time for a change. So this will be a tad bit serious, with Daddy and Mommy Braddock thrown in. This is part one of two, taking place a few months after the reconciliation.

(1/2)

"She seems like a really nice woman," Sam could hear his mom say among the clattering sound of dishes hitting each other. "Probably not someone I would have pictured, because your history of dating wasn't all that impressive, but-"

"Oh yeah," his sister eagerly volunteered. "Remember that chick Sammy dated when he's in high school? Black pixie hair and goth attire that made her look like she just walked out of some Tim Burton's movie? I think her name's April," Nat trailed off, before snapping her fingers. "Oh, oh, wait, maybe you're thinking about June. The redhead with heavy Texas twang who always wore shirts two sizes smaller. Or maybe those clothes just couldn't handle her breasts, much like Sam. Her doctor surely did a great job. Geez, Sam, did you change girlfriends every month? April, June…"

"Stop teasing your brother," his mom scolded, but he could hear the delight in her voice. If only his eyes weren't so deeply fixated on the scene taking place in his parents' backyard, he would have said that he had been young and thus he'd kept his options open. There's nothing wrong with being a little bit adventurous. He was a different person now, anyway.

Yeah, Sam, now you're just being a bit adventurous –and- rebellious.

But now he couldn't be bothered.

"What I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted is," Barbara Braddock continued and Sam felt a warm hand on his back. "I like her. She's strong, feisty and I think she can keep you grounded."

Nat's snort was followed with something that suspiciously sounded like 'whipped!'. He would get her for that later.

Sam nodded, blue eyes still looking out of the window, hands perching on each side of his hips in an impatient pose.

To say that Jules was very nervous would be the understatement of the year. When Nat told him that her mom had asked all of them to come and have lunch together, he hadn't thought that the invitation also applied to his not-so-official girlfriend. Then Nat did the lips-chewing thing she always did when she had something to tell but wasn't sure if she should and he just knew. When Nat confirmed it the next minute, he had been halfway thinking of various excuses to tell Jules so she wouldn't kill him and mutilate him with her bare hands.

"It'll be just her," Nat said with a shrug of her thin shoulders. "Dad won't be there, or else I wouldn't even come."

"And how did she know about Jules?" Sam probed. He loved when Jules got angry, because it was sexy. But that was when her anger and resentment weren't directed at him.

The lips-chewing again, and a nervous, bashful smile. "Eh, I might have slipped or something."

"Or something," he repeated, his patience evaporating into thin air. If their mom knew, there's a very fat chance that their dad was also in the know. Even though Sam was pretty certain that he wouldn't start telling on them – he's too proud and arrogant to tell the world what a cardinal sin his son has done by dating a co-worker-, Sam didn't have the slightest desire to spend his weekend brooding over the lecture and speech he obviously would receive. "I'll tell mom that Jules has other plans that day."

"Mom was actually excited when I told, I mean, when I –slipped-," Nat quickly amended. "And she'd better be there, you know, in person. Mom is a big believer in seeing is believing and just so you know, mom's apparently considering doing a little matchmaking. She mentioned something about you and the daughter of her friend named Brandy," the expression on his face must be so full of contempt and horror that it made her giggle. Nat flicked her hair over her shoulder, looking smug and satisfied. "No worries, I'll talk to Jules."

Sam hadn't been convinced that Nat would have been successful, but she obviously had done something to make Jules give in. And all he got from Jules was only a light smack on his bicep, which was victorious on his part.

"I don't know if this is the right thing to do," Jules muttered after he parked. Her hands nervously smoothed down her dress—an ivory sundress that contrasted against her tanned skin—and she repeated, "I really think this is a bad idea."

Jules had been pretty much quiet during the three hour ride, and if it hadn't been for Nat who came up with the most random things every fifteen minutes, the only sound inside the car would have been his old Coldplay album blasting from the stereo.

"It will be fine," Nat said from the backseat, carefully powdering the tip of her nose. "Mom doesn't bite, and really, you're like the most legit girlfriend Sam has ever brought home."

Jules tossed Sam a look. "Yeah, it's pretty reassuring to know that Sam apparently liked to bring his girlfriends home."

"Not like that!" Nat picked up her lip-gloss, raising her head just in time to meet Sam's cold staring eyes from the rearview mirror. "He's not formally introducing them to mom, she just met them when they're fooling around in the pool… as in swimming and sun-bathing." She awkwardly finished and Sam had to hold himself back from opening Nat's door and throwing her out of the car.

"Nat, I think you need to re-apply your mascara," he stated, wishing his sister wasn't so thick-headed to miss the underlying message. "I think the side mirror will assist you better."

"Right. Totally. For sure." Nat collected her bag and was out of the car in less than thirty seconds.

Afterwards, the only sound was again belonged to Chris Martin. Sam unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Jules. Nat had made a better judgment and go to the back of the car, giving them the privacy that he wanted.

"I wonder what happened with your tan." Jules was grinning. "Your family has a pool?"

"Had," he answered. "Mom thought the maintenance was too much, especially after the kids left the house. It's not like Dad would strip out of his uniforms and go skinny dipping," a second passed and the imagery sank in. Sam groaned. "Okay, bad mental image. Forget it."

"You guys have a nice place."Jules exhaled and peered out of the window. She normally wasn't one to stall things, but Sam suspected he would do the same, if not worse, when he had to meet her folks.

Sam looked up; it had been seven months since the last time he was there and even though he'd spent almost eighteen years of his life living in the house, he couldn't say he missed it.

It was a two-story brick home with a wrap-around driveway leading to a three car garage. Asters and Irises were sprouting with vigor, the color of purple and blue beautifully barricading the house. "My mom loves gardening, at least you two can talk about that," he said, hoping to ease some of the pressure. Jules loved gardening because it took her mind off of things she didn't want to think about. Her mom loved it because it gave her a sense of normalcy.

"It'll be fine. She's cooking mac and cheese and she makes the best mac and cheese in town," Sam went on, fixing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Imagine her as Sarge, only with floral apron and thick blonde hair."

That did the trick and Jules was chuckling, so that was good. His hand slid down to cup her cheek and he leaned over to give her a short kiss. He was glad to find a new spark of determination in her dark eyes when he pulled away. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Jules squeezed his hand back.

A loud, insistent rap on his window broke them apart, and Nat immediately opened his door. Her lips were glisteningly pink. "What?"

"There's a black Cadillac." Was her short answer. Short and packed.

The refined car was slightly obscured by their mom's SVU, which was why he had missed it, but the car was there- proud and arrogant.

"She'll be fine," Natalie put an arm around his shoulder. The heels she had put on this morning gave her an extra boost that made her appear taller than him. "I'm more worried that Jules will shove up her Remy 500 up his ass."

Sam's eyes darted from his father's face to Jules. He could only see her back, but he'd like to think that he knew her enough to know the tension set of her shoulders. And she had pushed her hair behind her ears twice, which was something she did when she's feeling uncomfortable. He didn't see any reasons to mention this to Nat, or his mother.

"It's Remy 700, unless that's what Spike named his latest toy."

Everything had a price and Nat elbowed his side for the comment. He was about to come up with another smart-ass remark when he saw his father drag the coffee table with his old beloved chess-set on it and set it between him and Jules. Sam could see his mouth moving, a cigar between his thin lips, and Sam really wished he was there instead of being trapped between his mom and sister in the kitchen smelled of fresh coffee and warm cinnamon.

"And things just got even more interesting," Nat rubbed her hands together as if cold. "You sure you don't want to spy on them? We could hide behind those bushes."

"You wear a mini-skirt." Sam answered distractedly, fully aware that she was just joking.

"Killjoy."

"Now what if you kids come over here and tell me about the guy Nat's seeing." His mother broke the spell that had fallen over him and in spite of the circumstances, Sam snorted. His mom's approval was a relief and it actually felt kind of nice to be back home. She did look like she genuinely liked Jules and she hadn't made any comments about the rule-breaking issue. Sam guessed it would come later, after Jules was done with the private tea-party with The Mad Hatter.

"Wha-" Nat's mouth gaped open in surprise for mere seconds before she turned to Sam, one set of deep blue eyes glaring at another. "You didn't."

"What's his name? Michelangelo? Such a darling name. Is he an artist?"

Sam's smile grew bigger. He threw one last glance at the gazebo and moved to join his mother. "Must have slipped, Nat, sorry."

So this one is mostly told from Sam's POV. The next one shall be Jules'.