Conversation around the table began to pick up again, more general talk between the whole family, rather than smaller clusters of talking. David and Kevin were being fully included now that Grandmamma had given her approval on the bonding and the rest of the family were no longer wondering about what the response to Andronenkos' relationship would be. The idea of another generation of Addams' in Cardiff was something that all the family around the table seemed jubilant about.
Uncle Fester insisted on breaking out some of his special brew that he had been saving for an occasion and sharing it round the table, what occasion he had been saving it for Rhys wasn't sure as he would have thought Wednesday's wedding would have been an ideal time to bring out something he classed as a special brew.
It was wonderful the reactions of some around the table to the family, Rhys would forever feel remorse for the way his actions had hurt his family with the way his marriage to Gwen had gone. Andy had done something similar with his partners, in fact he had gone further, binding himself to them in the way he had and without Grandmamma's approval he could have ended up separating himself from the family further than he had been over the last few years. He seemed to know his partners well at least, more than he had known Gwen anyway, he had never considered that she would have reacted to his family the way she had, but he supposed that it was all in the past. Thankfully he had never bound himself to her in the way that was traditional for their family, it would have been much harder to remove her from his life if he had, murder of a spouse often had the ability to be traced back to the surviving spouse. He could have caused an accident of course, in Torchwood it would have been too easy to do, but at the same time Rhys did find it rather karmic that he was free of Gwen but she was still reaping the rewards of her actions.
He watched as David and Kevin took their first drinks of Fester's brew, their eyes showing their surprise as they drank it. No-one managed to drink it for the first time without some sort of reaction, it was nothing like normal beer, there was just something other about it, something more. Jack was onto his second glass already, Ianto shaking his head fondly at him as he drained it as well. He knew that Jack had a much higher tolerance for alcohol than most in this century, but he really could put away the higher quantities of alcohol in both Fester and Johnny's brews with no problem, something that had he been able to stay dead would have Rhys worried for his liver. It was a trait that he hadn't seen outside of the family before, or a blood bonded spouse, and he wondered if it was something to do with his immortality or if it was just a future thing. He had heard that Jack could carry children, which was apparently a future thing, and he couldn't help but wonder if the future human race had become more like the Addams' as time went on.
Rhys wondered if he should make his own announcement tonight, he had been sitting on it for a few days now, Ianto knew of course his cousin knew everything, and he had been instrumental in helping him get to where he was now. His family would no doubt be ecstatic at the fact that he was now in the process of divorcing his wife, in fact he wouldn't be surprised if they started planning a party for the day his Decree Absolute arrived. The decision to share his news was postponed by the sound of wheezing making its way through the manor and thing beating out a rapid tattoo on the table.
Thing was terribly excited, as he tapped out what he was trying to tell them in morse code, signing the words would not have been enough to calm his frenetic energy. "The lady is here, with the Lord and the Fire Child."
Several members of the Addams family perked up at that, Grandmamma most of all, though Jack was almost out of his seat already as soon as the sound made its presence known. Rhys watched as Ianto laid a hand on Jack's grabbing it, whether to stop him from running off after the Doctor, or to perhaps ground him for the information that was about to be revealed.
"Which Lord is it Thing?" Grandmamma asked, obviously wondering if it was her old friend, or a more recent version of the man.
"My Lord", Thing signed to them and Rhys watched as Ianto tensed just slightly. Rhys couldn't help but be amused, this must be what Ianto had felt when he had first brought Gwen to meet the family and revealed some of their secrets like ripping off a plaster. Oh Rhys knew that Ianto had told Jack a lot about their family, but there was a lot that they had kept hidden instinctively from anyone who worked at Torchwood regardless of who they were.
The Addams family had a long history of loyalty to Torchwood, going right back to Queen Victoria herself, however there was also a strong bond of friendship, and through Thing kinship, to the Time Lord at the centre of their charter. It was obvious to them really that the Doctor wasn't an actual enemy of the crown, he was just a bit careless in his actions at times, although he was always working towards the best possible outcome. Like Jack's version of Torchwood the family had never considered the Doctor as Enemy number one, Archienius staffing Torchwood Two meant that the only branch with any real issue with him was One, after all Torchwood Four was 'lost' so no-one would be able to say for definite what their opinion was. Even so the families' connection to the Time Lord wasn't something that they advertised and Rhys was willing to bet that Ianto hadn't told Jack how close the bonds of friendship where between the family and his old friend.
Ianto didn't get the chance to explain that bond however as just as he was about to speak, the man in question burst into the room, a redheaded woman following along behind him, talking about a mile a minute.
"Spaceman, you've taken us to the wrong place again. You told me we were going to stop for fuel and food, I didn't think we were going to interrupt someone's dinner." She looked around at them all, "Sorry about this, I'm Donna and this one can't drive. We'll just be getting out of your way."
"Doc," Jack started to speak, but cut himself short when he noticed the man bounding towards Grandmamma.
Rhys watched as the Doctor picked Grandmamma up from where she had stood meet him and spun her round in a circle much to the shock of his other companions. "Eudora Addams, you get more beautiful each time I see you."
Grandmamma just laughed as he set her back down on the ground, "What have I told you about just turning up?" She chided him.
"That I am always welcome, but I should check ahead on where to park." The Doctor replied, manic grin on his face as he continued. "I brought gifts though, from the market. And I promise I will park the TARDIS outside once she's fuelled up a bit more, we are close enough here to soak up some residual rift energy without going to the centre of the city. Some strange things have been going on there recently from what I could see of the timeline, bomb threats and truth bubbles, you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
Rhys having been informed of the game his family had been playing, with his wife as the main collateral, nearly snorted at the question. The Doctor wasn't stupid, he knew that the family were involved, but he appeared to be in a rather hyper mood. Rhys stood moving to grab a couple of extra chairs as the Doctor spoke again.
"Anyway, this is Donna, she's from Chiswick, she's been keeping me in line." The Doctor looked from Grandmamma back to Donna, "Donna, this is the Addams family, or some of them." He looked around the room at who was actually there, pausing when he noticed Jack. "Jack? What are you doing here?"
"He's here for dinner." Grandmamma spoke before Jack could respond, shoving the Doctor down into the seat that Rhys had brought for him and directing Donna to the one next to it. "We're celebrating a new Addams, Andronenkos' child. Have some food." She passed him a dish and forced him to put some on the plate that Lurch had put out for him and eat, effectively shutting him up for the next little while. She then turned her gaze on Jack and the rest of her family, "I think we have had enough interruptions, finish the meal and then we can talk."
Rhys could tell that both Jack and the Doctor had questions, and the Doctor's companion Donna looked like she was about to burst with trying to stop questions spilling from her mouth, but none of them dared defy Grandmamma. They finished the meal in silence before moving through to one of the sitting rooms where they could relax and talk more comfortably.