Title: To Have and To Hold
Rating: G
Notes: For Angel, who wanted a fic with Some Father/Son moments.... Red giving Hyde advice about Jackie, on their wedding day. Merry Christmas!
~*~
Hyde fumbled with the small piece of cloth that was supposed to assemble into a bow tie. Three tries later, he swore and threw the offending scrap of fabric onto the floor. "Jackie's going to pay for this." He muttered.
His tantrum was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hello!" Kitty poked her head around the door and scanned the room. Her eye's grew wide and started to water when she spotted him standing in front of the full length mirror. "Look at you, all grown up, getting ready for your wedding. I remember when you were a dirty little boy and I had to put you in the bathtub…" Her voice cracked and she lost the fight over her tears.
Red, who had followed her into the small room, rolled his eyes at his wife. The look he gave Hyde was unmistakable; This is all your fault.
"There there," he rubbed her back in a less than sympathetic motion. "Why don't you see how the girls are doing?"
"OK," she sniffled and patted Hyde's cheek affectionately. "We're s-so p-proud of you." She wailed and ran out of the room.
Red shook his head as she scurried through the door, he was about to sit down in one of the arm chairs when a distinctly feminine wail filtered through the hallway. After waiting a few seconds for his emotional wife to calm down; he settled into the chair, cleared his throat and looked around uncomfortably before starting. "I'm supposed to have a talk with you, so...if you decide to change your mind, I've left the side door unlocked."
Figuring this was enough he slapped his hands on his thighs and was about to stand up and walk away when Kitty's voice bellowed through the hallway.
"Red!"
Hyde watched as Red let out an impatient sigh, and settled back into the chair. "If it's the one about the birds and bees, I've already heard it." He tried to help out.
"Yes. We're all painfully aware of that." Red grimaced and Hyde laughed as they remembered the events that lead to the replacement of the rarely used 'knock before entering' rule with the installation of a lock on the basement door. Jackie and Hyde had recently announced their engagement and were indulging in a private celebration in the basement, assuming that in the middle of the day everyone would be at work. Hyde had a suspicion that Red and Kitty were about to engage in the same activities when they stumbled down the stairs and saw the other couple.
"Yeah, Jackie was so embarrassed she wouldn't talk to you guys for a month after that." Hyde remembered.
"Quietest month of my life. Too bad it didn't last." Red grumbled.
Hyde snorted in agreement and picked up the discarded tie, looped it around his neck and turned towards the mirror, ready to make another attempt at fashioning a bow. "I gotta tell you, I don't think I could take much more of Jackie's planning. She cried for two hours yesterday because the napkins weren't going to match the bridesmaids shoes. And then she tried to get me to make flowers out of paper for the tables. I think she's insane."
"A week before our wedding Kitty called me up in the middle of the night because she had a dream the restaurant forgot to put croutons on the salad—"
"I don't know, I like croutons myself, I can see why she'd be upset." Hyde interrupted.
"That's not the point." Red gave him a scolding look and continued, "They all get a little crazy when stuff like this happens. You just have to learn to go with the flow. A good trick is to stay as far away as possible. They can't ask you if they can't see you."
"I'll keep that in mind, " he turned his attention back to the now lopsided bow-tie, swore again and undid the whole thing. Bucking the system and wearing a tux with no tie ran through his head.
"You know they have clip-ons these days." Red supplied.
"I know that, and you know that, but Jackie didn't seem to think it was a good idea."
Red sighed the sigh of a long suffering person, and got up to help. After a false start that left both of them laughing, he tied the tie without any problems. He glanced around the room and noticed a garment bag hanging on the closet door, wordlessly he took the tuxedo jacket out and helped Hyde shrug into it. He straightened the pocket handkerchief and stepped back to asses his work.
Hyde shifted uneasily at the scrutiny, "Sooo, there was something about a talk?"
Red looked at him for a second and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We're proud of you son. You've grown up into a fine young man, not the complete misfit we thought you'd be. You proved us wrong. Kitty and I wish you two all the best."
"Gee Red—"
"But—" he cut Hyde off and pushed a finger into his chest. "Just because you're married doesn't mean I won't come over and kick your ass if you do something stupid."
"Yes sir." Hyde said sheepishly, but with an edge of amusement.
"Good." Red inhaled sharply. "Look, I know it seems like a lot of girly nonsense now, but in return you're getting someone who will always be there; stand beside you when you do something stupid, and come home to when things get rough. If you haven't figured it out by now, she's your best friend, no matter what. And *that* is worth putting up with all of the parties and crap."
There was a long silence as Hyde absorbed Reds words.
"You don't really believe that do you?"
Red smiled evilly. "Every word. But don't let Kitty know I told you."
Their conversation was cut short by the perky wedding co-ordinator knocking on the door and informing them it was time for the gentlemen to take their places.
"Well…this is it." Hyde said as the co-ordinator left to make sure the girls were ready. After one last glance in the mirror, he followed Red out of the room and through the hall.
"I meant what I said about the side door." Red told him as they walked towards the church, "You know, in case you change your mind."
Hyde laughed, knowing that Red was probably telling the truth, but realizing that he didn't ever consider not marrying Jackie.
The End