A/N: After writing "The Lunch" this idea wouldn't leave me alone :P Hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The Dinner

"What are you doing?"

Michael looked up guiltily from where he was examining his dress uniform.

"…Nothing," he suggested, rather than stated.

Jackie raised an eyebrow as she entered the room and put down the basket of washing she was carrying. "Why do you need your uniform?"

"No particular reason."

Jackie crossed her arms and waited, Michael gave a defeated sigh.

"I was going to wear it tonight," he confessed.

"Tonight, as in when Nerys brings home her boyfriend for dinner?" Jackie clarified.

"Yes."

"Why on earth would you do that?" she demanded.

"Because she's my little girl," he replied simply.

Jackie bit back a laugh, "Michael, don't you think that's going a tad overboard? You weren't like this when Jimmy brought Amber around."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Jimmy's my son, not my daughter."

"Michael, that's incredibly sexist and absolutely ridiculous," Jackie admonished him.

"It is not," Michael protested.

"Michael, if you put that uniform on and scare off her boyfriend not only will Nerys never forgive you but she will think you don't trust her," she told him, turning away to start folding the washing.

"I do trust her, it's seventeen year old boys I don't trust," he replied defensively.

"You're still not wearing that uniform," Jackie told him absently.

Michael considered the likelihood of his winning the debate and begrudgingly put his uniform away.

"Good boy," Jackie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She laughed at his sulky expression, "It will be fine, Michael, I promise."

"I still don't like it," he grumbled.

Jackie laughed again, "No one's asking you to like it, just to behave."

Michael pulled a face at her back as she left the room to put away the now folded washing.

Several hours later Michael had to concede that Jackie had been right: the evening had gone well, despite his misgivings.

Ryan was a polite, well-spoken young man who seemed to treat Nerys with the respect she deserved. Even though Michael was certain no man would ever be good enough for any of his three daughters, Ryan came closer to being that man than Michael had been expecting.

He liked him and he definitely had not been expecting that.

He frowned at Jackie's smug expression after Ryan had left for the evening and was about to make a comment when Nerys caught him off guard with a tight hug.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked as they broke apart.

"For not being too overbearing and overprotective," she said, kissing his cheek and disappearing upstairs.

"Did I meet with your approval as well?" Michael asked, turning back to face Jackie.

"Yes you did, although you didn't have to explain to him that you could utilise the entire Mary Hill CID to hunt down anyone who hurt your family," she said with a smile.

Michael grinned, "Did I really say that?"

Jackie tried to hide her amusement, "Yes, you did."

Michael's grin turned devilish, "It was only fair to warn him."

Jackie shook her head, "You're impossible."