"Hey. So, absolutely no pressure at all, but did you have something planned for my birthday? Because my mom wanted me to come by for dinner, and I was going to tell her I could make it, but then it occurred to me that you may have had other ideas, and I didn't want to mess with that. Not that I expect you to do anything big, or anything at all, really; as far as birthday celebrations go, yours would be hard to top anyway, so…"
"I… what? Alec, you're rambling."
"Dammit, I am. Okay, here's the thing—" he takes a deep breath before barreling forward – "I'd like to invite you to my birthday dinner with my family. Well, my mom, mostly. Or only. I doubt Julian will show up; he's too busy being Theseus."
Kiera inhales sharply. "That's a big step, don't you think?"
"On a list of steps in a relationship, I think we've blown past most of the big ones already. Meeting the family is relatively minor at this point, don't you think? Plus, you've got it pretty easy; you only have one introduction to suffer through."
"And what an introduction it would be! 'Hi, Mrs. Randol, I'm Kiera Cameron. Yes, I realize we already met once, when your husband was shot and killed by police. Oh, by the way, I'm dating your son.'"
By now, Alec has learned that Kiera hides worry behind bitter sarcasm. "Obviously I'd have to smooth things over some before putting you two in the same room, but come on. This means a lot to me, Kiera. Please? Just think about it?"
After a quiet pause, Kiera reluctantly agrees. "I guess, if nothing else, your mother and I do have one thing in common," she sighs.
"What's that?"
"We both love you."
"Hey, Mom. I'm calling about my birthday dinner," Alec says, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder while he types. Sure, it would be easier to put it on speaker, but he doesn't trust Kellogg not to be silently snooping. The guy walks like a frickin' cat; he's snuck up on Alec more than once.
The uneasy alliance with Kellogg is back on for now. Alec and Kiera discussed it, and they'd decided that having Kellogg tentatively on their side was better than having him as an outright enemy. Kiera is hoping he'll continue feeding her intel on Liber8, and Alec is happy to still have funding to continue inventing. It works… for now.
"Yeah, I can make it. Whatever you want to make – yeah, a pot roast sounds great. I do have a request though – no, not lemon bars, I – yes, obviously ice cream, is that even a question? I – Mom! Could you shut up for one second? Listen, there's someone I'd like you to meet. I've been dating this girl, and… is it all right if I bring her?"
His mother agrees instantly, which is hardly unexpected. Now for the hard part.
"Great, that's awesome! But, um, there is something I should tell you first… No, she's not pregnant! Jeez, Mom! Could you let me actually get a sentence out for once? Thank you. Here's the thing, you've actually, uh, met her before. She's a police officer – well, kind of, it's a long story – and she was here investigating the, ah, fertilizer incident…"
He listens to the uncomfortable silence on the other end and decides it's best to forge ahead anyway. "I know you said you don't blame anyone involved for what happened to – to Roland, and if you can forgive Julian for being an ass, then you certainly wouldn't hold anything against Kiera. It just didn't see fair not to warn you is all. I didn't want you to be blindsided."
To Alec's relief, his mother takes this news in stride. She is an amazingly levelheaded woman – he likes to think he takes after her somewhat in that regard – and she would do anything for her family. Allowing a figure from one of the worst days of her life back into her home is apparently not beyond her capacity. The conversation turns to more run-of-the-mill subjects naturally.
"How did we meet? I've been, uh, consulting for the police department off and on. Well, pretty much just for the task force Kiera heads up. They're working on taking down Liber8. So, yeah, if you could just try not to get too political at dinner tomorrow… Thanks, Mom. It means a lot. Okay, see you tomorrow. Love you. Bye."
"You're sure your mom is okay with me coming?" Kiera asks again anxiously. Her leg hasn't stopped bouncing the whole ride out here.
"Yes, she's excited to meet you. It's going to be fine, Kiera. She'll like you."
"I just don't want to force her into remembering her loss. How did she respond when you told her who I was?"
"After I assured her you were not, in fact, pregnant, I explained that she already knew you… What's wrong?"
Kiera's face is twisted in an expression part grief and part horror. "Why would she think I was pregnant?"
"It was a joke; I said I had to tell her something about my girlfriend, and she – are you crying?"
Kiera wipes fiercely at her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." She takes a deep breath. "I wasn't planning to have this conversation with you yet, maybe ever, but I don't want kids. Not now, probably not ever again. It would feel too much like trying to replace Sam."
Alec reaches down and squeezes Kiera's hand. "I hear you. I'm so sorry, I didn't think… I didn't consider how that kind of joke would affect you. I want to say something, I want to get this right… Just give me a second to put my words together, all right?"
Kiera stares out the window.
"Kiera, I love you for you, past life and all. I can't say I've thought a lot about having kids one way or the other, but it's definitely not, like, a major goal of mine to be a dad. So, you know, no pressure or anything."
A wobbly smile finds its way onto Kiera's face. "Thanks. You're very… accepting, of me, always. I love you for that. Among other things." A shaky breath. "So your mom doesn't blame me for what happened? At all?"
"Kiera, she doesn't even blame Julian, and he held her hostage at gunpoint. We've been over this. I know you're nervous, but it's going to be way easier than you think."
"How much longer till we get there?"
"We're pretty close. Less than ten minutes."
When they pull in the driveway, Alec leans over and gives Kiera a quick kiss. "Ready?"
Alec's mother opens the door before they're quite in front of it. "Happy birthday, sweetheart!" she greets Alec, wrapping him in a tight hug. It's briefly awkward when she turns to Kiera and doesn't seem to know what to do with her hands. Alec desperately tries to nonverbally warn her not to hug Kiera; he's pretty sure that level of intimacy would freak Kiera out more than make her feel welcome. Mercifully, she keeps her arms at her sides as she says, "And you're Kiera. It's so good to meet you properly. Alec has told me so much about you."
Kiera shoots Alec a look. "He has?"
"Actually, he's told me frustratingly little about you," Ann laughs. "I suppose you'll have to fill in the gaps yourself. But – food first! I've had this roast in the crockpot all day and it smells so good; I'm starving."
They sit around the kitchen table; Alec tries to imagine what the chipped plates and mismatched glasses look like through Kiera's eyes. He tries to drown out his anxiety over the three of them in this room again, tells himself it's high time for a new start.
"The potatoes are wonderful, Mrs. Randol," Kiera says tentatively.
"Oh, please, don't be ridiculous," Alec's mother answers, with a dramatic wave of her fork. "Call me Ann. Tell me, Kiera, about how you and Alec met?"
Ah, crap. Somehow, rehearsing their story fell between the cracks. Thankfully, Kiera spins the same half-truth he did. "I'm sure Alec told you I'm a consultant of sorts with the Vancouver Police Department, primarily focused on gang activity and terrorism. Alec has been lending his talents with our investigations."
"Really? Well, I'm glad to hear he's putting his gifts to good use. Now, you know, as a mother, I have to worry a bit… Is it a dangerous position?"
Kiera and Alec share a look. Alec clears his throat. "Kiera goes to great lengths to keep me out of harm's way. It gets a little old at times, actually; I can handle myself."
Kiera and Ann simultaneously quirk a single eyebrow. "Really," Kiera says dryly.
Alec raises his hands defensively. "Not that I'm not appreciative," he amends hastily. An ill-timed attempt at humor, he thinks glumly.
"Well, thank you for keeping an eye on my boy. Heaven knows he's got a knack for finding trouble. Gets more than just his brains from his father! Alec, honey, how are things going with your roommates?"
"Uh, fine, I guess?"
"They still haven't warmed up to you yet?"
"Ricky and I play video games together sometimes. It's not bad, I just don't have that much in common with them. I don't mind, though, really. Gives me more time and space to work on stuff."
"Maybe you ought to move in with Kiera."
Kiera freezes with a forkful of green beans halfway to her mouth; Alec chokes on the water he'd just taken a sip of. After he's done coughing, he sputters, "What?"
"I'm just saying, it seems foolish for the two of you to waste all that money on separate rent when you could be pooling your resources."
Alec isn't sure what his face is doing, but judging by his girlfriend's tilted head and pinched lips, it probably isn't anything good. "You don't have to look so horrified," she says, and he's instantly relieved to hear teasing in her tone.
"Thanks for opening that can of worms, Mom."
Ann shrugs. "It's just a thought. Kiera, I imagine your work keeps you pretty busy. What do you do when you have the luxury of free time?"
Kiera looks slightly uncomfortable; Alec knows that she rarely indulges in hobbies. Even in 2077, her time was always spent meeting the needs and wants of others; doing something just for the fun of it is something she's really only just learning to do. "I read some," Kiera replies. "And Alec has been trying to get me into Doctor Who recently."
Ann grins. "You too?"
"I won't rest until the world is converted!" Alec proclaims. A mostly lighthearted time-travel adventure seemed apropos to Kiera's decidedly timey-wimey situation, and of course, inducting Kiera into a thriving and vital part of nerd culture had its benefits.
"I don't doubt it. You have always been very determined," Ann reflects, and there's a sad note to her voice that Alec can't quite place. He wonders if perhaps his mother is still struggling with both her boys moving out and leaving her at once; he resolves to call and visit more often. "You said you like books, Kiera? What do you like to read?"
"Oh, you know, a little bit of everything. Science and history, mostly," Kiera answers. Alec tries to recall the titles he's seen on her bedside table the last few times he's been at her hotel; they were typically otherwise occupied, so he hasn't had a chance to flip through them, but he thinks he remembers seeing a biography and a book analyzing political trends of the last decade. Sensible choices for a woman trying to suss out the climate of the unfamiliar world she's been thrust into, if a bit dry. But then, he can't imagine Kiera getting wrapped up in a romance novel.
"Mm, I'm a Jodi Piccoult fan myself," Ann says, and from there, the conversation flows easily, remaining mostly in safe waters. As always, Alec admires his mother's ability to put someone at ease with her gentle, undemanding way of being. They finish dinner and dessert without incident, Alec enjoying watching Kiera slowly come out of her shell. His mom gives him his birthday presents – a caffeine molecule t-shirt, a pair of blue sneakers, and a gift card to the grocery store (which he appreciates immensely, as it's been three days since he's eaten an actual vegetable) – and then Kiera touches his back lightly to signal that it's time to go.
It's obvious that his mom is holding back tears as she walks them to the door, so Alec asks Kiera to give them a minute. "I'll be out in a sec, okay?" he tells her.
She nods. "Thank you for dinner, Ann. It was lovely of you to include me."
This time, Ann does hug Kiera. "It was my pleasure. Please, do come back soon!"
Once Kiera is in the car, Alec's mom turns to him. "You really love her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do," he admits. It feels good to be able to talk to someone about it, though it's weird having this conversation with her. Hands in his pockets, eyes on the floor, he confesses, "I love her so much I can scarcely breathe sometimes. I know that sounds crazy, but…"
"Does she know that?" his mom asks softly.
He swallows. "I think so, yeah."
"Don't let her go, Alec," she urges. "That girl is good for you."
"She's a good person."
"I don't just mean that. The way she looks at you, sweetie… the way you are with her…" After some thinking, she finds the words. "I know you're young," she says at last. "But that doesn't mean you don't have to consider your future." As if he can ever think about anything else. "I'd like to see you become more of the person you are when she's with you. That's all I'm saying."
"Why, Mom, are you actually showing some self-restraint and leaving a thought unsaid?" Alec laughs and hugs her. "Message received. Cherish the woman in front of you. I got it."
"Don't go so long between visits next time, all right? I miss you."
"You got it. Talk to you soon, Mom."
As soon as he gets in the truck, Kiera turns to him. "Everything all right?"
"Everything's fine. She just wanted to give me some life advice."
"Anything I should be concerned about?"
"Absolutely not. She loved you, Kiera. You made a great impression."
"I'm glad. She's a good woman."
A little while later, Kiera asks him, "Alec? Did you have a good birthday?"
"Very much so. Although, I can't say it compares to how much I enjoyed yours…"
A smirk dances across Kiera's lips. "There's still time to fix that."
A/N: Holy noodles, we've reached 10,000 words! I think we're approaching the end here in the next couple chapters, but I make no promises. This chapter was ridiculously hard to write (and ended up being the longest so far, actually, for no good reason). Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed your Christmas gift. :)