Today's Thanksgiving and the air frightfully cold as rain moved in last night. People bundled up as they went about their Thanksgiving plans for the day and especially at the Odds & Ends, west of Bleaker Street.

Matt's bringing Ripley with him to his parents' home, the second time she's been and this time, she'll be introduced as his girlfriend.

Dropping hints here and there, Matt let his parents decipher who the mysterious girlfriend was in preparation for this occasion. On top of that, he's prepared for any questions that they might've asked.

As for Ripley, she's readying for the inevitable questions Matt's parents would ask her regarding their relationship.

They only knew her as his boss and now that she's his girlfriend, well, it'll be an interesting experience for the both of them for today.

Matt assured her that they'll accept her as his girlfriend, despite what she feels considering he already told them about Jenna.

They only mean well and they're just looking out for him.

It's in their nature, as parents, to worry about him.

However, they won't have any problems with Ripley, she made a strong impression just the first time they met in person.

It helps that Matt talks about his job a lot and while he never told his parents about his other job, they know enough about Ripley to hopefully have a good impression of her.

With that said, the couple prepared to leave, bundling up before braving the cold.

After this, they'll go to Matt's flat for the remainder of the night as the repairman won't be coming to fix Ripley's heater until tomorrow.

Ripley's looking into portable heaters if things go wrong with the repairs or the repairman reschedules the appointment. It's one of those things and while she wished she could've repaired it herself, there's so much she can do with a melted heater.

Matt wouldn't let her go out of her way and set up a new heater, just cautious is all, and wanted it done by a repairman, he brought up the point that if anything goes wrong afterwards, the repairman would've had to come back out.

"I picked up something to keep us warm tonight after my parents," Matt tells Ripley as he tugged on his winter coat that he put over his tweed jacket.

Before today, Matt went and picked up some hot chocolate for himself and some tea for Ripley. He went and found some food they can easily heat up and have something warm in their bellies after everything's said and done.

Ripley joked that they might not be able to look at food after tonight at his parents. Matt shrugged as he said, "Well, maybe some breakfast, then?"

Giggling, Ripley locked everything up and went with Matt out of the shop, locking the door. She got into the passenger side of his beetle as he got into the driver's side.

Turning over the engine, Matt made sure the beetle warmed up before he pulled away from the curb and joined the traffic.

They listened to the music along the way to his parents' place and while stuck in traffic.

As he drove, Matt made small talk with Ripley, checking up on her. He wanted to make sure she wasn't nervous about going to visit his parents.

She's met them once and knew how they are, but he could tell that she silently fretted about the idea of that changing and the uncertainty that comes with it.

When he stopped at a light, Matt reached his hand over to hers resting on the arm rest and squeezed it gently, assuring her that all's well.

Her eyes moved towards him as she aimlessly stared out the window, feeling his hand wrapped around hers, and saw him looking at her.

"I mean, how often do I get to meet the parents of my boyfriend?" Ripley shrugged.

Matt smiled as he gently pulled away from her hand and returned to driving as the light changed and the traffic moved.

Arriving at his parents after an hour of driving through winding traffic, Matt parked his beetle on the side and gotten out as Ripley did.

Closing the car doors and walking up the cobbled path, Matt stood in front as Ripley stood behind him. He rung the bell and waited by the door with her.

Behind the door, he heard muffled voices and the door opening inward.

"Matthew!" his mum smiled as she instantly hugged him.

Matt hugged her back and responded, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Pulling away, his mum told him his dad's in the den and he nods.

She attempts to look past Matt and he stops her.

"I think it's only fair if both of you meet her," he suggested.

Nodding, his mum let them through the door and went towards the den.

Matt and Ripley took off their coats and followed her.

"Matthew's here!" his mum called out to him.

Matt heard his dad, "Oh, wonderful!"

Stepping into the den, he found his dad playing solitaire.

"Traffic wasn't too bad was it?" his dad asked him.

Shaking his head, Matt told him it was light the moment they got out of the city.

He looked at his parents waiting for him to tell them the news and he did.

"Mum, dad," Matt smiled as his arm reached behind him to gently pull on Ripley.

She moved up and Matt stood behind her with his arms over her shoulders.

"You remember, Ripley, doncha?" Matt looked between the two.

He expected his mum to be surprised.

His dad having a quick quip.

He's surprised when his mum turned his father and held out her hand.

"Pay up," his mum told his dad.

Sighing, his dad pulled out his wallet and paid her.

Matt raised a finger as he raised a brow at this scene.

"W-what's going on?" Matt asked them.

His mum flatly told him she and his dad had a bet going on, about who his girlfriend is. His mum placed money on Ripley and his father placed it on someone else.

Mother's intuition on how his mum guessed it was Ripley.

His father had the idea it was someone at an antique show, given Matt's job.

"Mother's know everything," his mum told him as she shoved the money in her handbag before turning around.

Matt tilted his head and asked, "How?"

His mum told him about the last Thanksgiving, how they noticed how he barely said a word when Ripley sat across from him.

It didn't take a genius to catch what was going on there and when Matt tried to defend himself, his mum reminded him that she knows him.

"As chatty you are, you would've talked up a storm," his mum brought up a valid point.

Matt never had trouble talking to people.

However, when it came to crushes on the other hand…

"Mum, I was just surprised," Matt meekly told her.

His dad spoke up as he shifted in the chair, talking about all the times Matt brought up Ripley thereafter, especially as of recent.

"Even in your voice it was there," his dad pointed at him.

It seemed his parents found out early on who smitten his heart, but didn't want to embarrass him.

So, they went along with the charade until now.

"Um, well, huh," Matt's without words as he realized all along his parents figured it out.

Guess what they say is true, parents notice the littlest things.

"Well, without further ado," Matt's mum smiled as she turned her attention to Ripley as she stood quietly, not wanting to speak up during this conversation.

With eyes on her, Ripley looked like a deer in headlights.

Never had this happen before and she should've been able to converse with Matt's parents, but she just weakly smiled.

"Um, well," Ripley's without words as she looked at Matt's mum as her diamond necklace and earrings gleamed in the light.

Thankfully, Matt's dad saw how awkward Ripley looked and brought up the roast.

"Oh, shoot, Johnathan you were supposed to remind me ten minutes ago," Matt's mum urgently ran from the den and towards the kitchen to check on the roast.

Exhaling sharply, Ripley felt relieved when Matt's mum left the room.

"You should've told us sooner," his dad lightly scolded Matt.

He knew Matt well and while they've already figured it out, Matt didn't need to hide it from them for so long.

Matt nodded as he apologized, but his dad waved his hand.

"Oh, I understand, believe me, I've had a nasty bout, too," his dad acknowledged the hesitation in telling them sooner.

He experienced a bout like Matt where he didn't want to say anything, out of fear jinxing it, and then even when it went wrong despite that, it made him feel helpless.

Until he met Matt's mum, of course.

"Honestly, I didn't think this would even happen," Ripley admitted to his dad.

How often does anyone get to, well bluntly, shag the Doctor, save the world, and go meet his parents?

"Always expect the unexpected," his dad advised her.

Nodding, Ripley turned her head as Matt's mum said for them to come into the dining room, dinner's ready.

Leaving the den, the three entered the dining room with Matt's mum pouring brandy out for them.

The roast steam swaying in the breeze.

"Hm, marvelous," Matt's dad commented on the aroma as he went and took his seat across from his wife.

Ripley took a seat across from Matt as his mum handed out the brandy to them.

With the drinks given, Matt's dad cut the roast in slices and handed them to everyone.

They reached for the sides and slowly dig in.

As they ate, they conversed.

"Bit of a trouble maker isn't he?" Matt's mum looked at Ripley.

Ripley shrugged as she said, "I mean, he makes up for it, don't he?"

Matt smiled as he held up his glass of brandy.

His mum agreed.

"So, how about you, get into any trouble?" Matt's mum inquired.

Ripley shirked in her seat before explaining that Matt tends to keep her out of trouble as much as she does for him.

"Ah, when I was young, oh, I was quite the troublemaker," Matt's dad fondly remembered the trouble he caused in his youth.

He got better about it, but he couldn't help it at the time.

"And I whupped you every time," Matt's mum points at him with her fork before eating some of the roast with the mash.

Every time his dad caused trouble; his mum kept him in line.

His dad chimed, "Well, what about the time you snuck into the girl's locker room and put minnows in Sara's gym shorts?"

When she went to school in Kent, Matt's mum and the head cheerleader had a bit of a rivalry going on.

She glued her locker shut; Matt's mum put dead minnows in the cheerleader's gym shorts.

"That's different!" his mum expressed the difference between troublemaking and rivalry.

She watched as her husband made comments regarding all the times, she played tricks on the cheerleader from sunup to sundown, all in the span of years before they graduated.

"What were you rivaling about?" Ripley sheepishly asked, curious.

She heard, "Let's say she deserved every bit of minnow I could fish out from the pond."

Matt's dad interjected, "The cheerleader tried to steal me."

Raising a brow at this, Ripley looked towards Matt for guidance and he briefly nodded.

The rivalry started when Matt's future parents met and the head cheerleader tried to muddle in between them.

Didn't work out for her in the end.

"I say, it runs in the family," his dad scratched his chin.

Turning her head, Matt's mum asked what he meant and he brought up him and her.

She worked in the archeology field and chanced meeting him at a record store.

Painting parallels between them and Matt and Ripley, Matt's father recalled the day at the record store.

Matt's mum worked at the record store for extra change on her day-off from the university and his dad needed some work to tide him over at his job, an accountant.

He was getting bored with it, couldn't stand it.

So, he decided to clear his mind and went on a walk, found a record store to poke through, and that's all he wrote.

"Coincidence, I'm sure," Matt mustered as he lowered his fork.

His dad told him that his mum tutored him when he got the job at the record store.

Ripley spoke up and said, "I think you're not going to win this argument, Matt."

It's evident that no matter what he says, Matt's not winning.

Frowning, he shoved the fork into his mouth and chewed the roast with the mash and gravy.

"Hm, well, I'm curious," Matt's mum looked at Ripley.

Ripley raised a brow.

His mum gestured as she asked a question, "So, where're you from?"

Ripley refrained from wincing as she tried to keep her composure. She chewed on the green bean before it disappeared and she said, "Oh, small town, it's one of those "blink and you miss it" types where you won't recognize it as a town until you're little ways away from it."

Belford's more of her home than whatever small village she originated from. Just in case there's none here, as Ripley never checked, she's keeping it vague, for the sake of preventing a snafu later.

"Oh, farming?" Matt's dad inquired.

He's seen his fair share of small towns that barely looked like a town and looked like one large farm.

Ripley shook her head and replied, "Construction, mostly."

Belford's on uneven terrain, mostly stone underneath the ground, so farming's not possible unless you go further out.

By that point, you're close to another town or village depending on the direction you take.

Belford went into construction as there's always things that needed building and always needed helping hands elsewhere.

After WWII, the town saw a massive boom from construction workers receiving jobs from all over England, working to rebuild.

The money earned from that went into the town's well-being and allowed it to thrive into the present.

It attributed to the hardiness in the people who lived in the town.

Nothing's an impossible task, it's only when you give up. Only way through, get creative.

Resourceful, they'll reuse what they have and make something new with it.

Thanksgiving continued until well into the night, the dinner topped off with dessert which Ripley passed over as is her nature.

As they sat around, they discussed more things and to Matt's relief, his parents approved of Ripley.

Not to say his mum wouldn't hurt her if anything happens, but she likes Ripley's wit, so that's something.

After helping his parents clean up, he stood near the door with his coat on with Ripley tugging on hers.

Matt's mum and dad hugged him tightly and thanked Ripley for coming out.

"Aw, mum, you know I'd always come out for anything," Matt smiled.

As the dutiful son, Matt always came whenever his parents asked him. No questions asked.

"And we're proud of you for that," his mum straightened his bow.

Matt's dad said he'll be in the den and his mum waved him off.

Just before Matt and Ripley were ready to leave, his mum stopped them.

She wanted to ask another question before they left.

"Hm, I'm curious about something else," Matt's mum eyed the couple.

Ripley blinked as she inquired what his mum's curious about and she heard, "Why are there handcuff markings on my son's wrists?"

THE END