Chapter Nine

Three hours later and Yvonne and Arnold were still waiting. Terminal Seven of the Jupiter Mining Co-Operation Head Quarters, London, England was now locked up and Arnold and Yvonne were now sitting outside. Suddenly Mr. Paul McGruder pulled up

"Daddy" Yvonne shouted "why are you so late?"

"I forgot, darling" Mr. McGruder answered, "I'm sorry precious"

Yvonne was the youngest of four girls; she was the baby of the family, a spoilt daddy's girl. Yvonne's sisters all did different things. Jasmine was a teacher married to another teacher and they had Lorena, the 'perfect' child. Rebecca, or Becky as she was known was a professional artist; she was a single mother to Emily, Rachel and James. And there was Natasha she worked in River Island.

"How is everyone?" Yvonne hugged her father as he got out of the car "how's mum and my sisters"

"They're okay" Mr. McGruder looked at Arnold "who's this?"

"Arnold Rimmer" Yvonne smiled "he's my boyfriend"

"Arnold?" Mr McGruder held out his hand "hello son"

"Son?" Arnold smiled "no one's ever called me that before"

"Can Arnold come home with us, Daddy?" Yvonne fluttered her eyelids

"Okay precious" Mr McGruder smiled and hugged his daughter

"It's okay" Arnold interrupted "I don't want to put anyone out, I'll go home"

"You know you're not wanted at home baby" Yvonne rubbed Arnold's arm "come to mine, with me and daddy, where you are wanted, please Arnold, come with us"

"Okay" Arnold agreed "thank you baby, thank you Mr. McGruder"

"Call me Paul" Mr McGruder told him

"Thank you, Paul" Arnold felt wanted for the first time in his life "let's go then"

Paul, Arnold and Yvonne clambered into Paul's car. The first few minutes of the journey were silent until Arnold asked a question that just a few minutes later, he would regret. The question was

"Are all your sisters going to be at home, I've forgotten their names?"

"jasmine and Becky wont be" Yvonne answered "but Natasha will be"

"okay" Arnold answered. It wasn't the answer Yvonne gave that made Arnold wish he'd never asked it was the question that came from Mr. Paul McGruder

"Have you got any siblings?"

Arnold's mood dropped like a stone, Yvonne could see that he was about to cry and wanted to rewind the last few minutes. She couldn't do that so instead she tried to stop the conversation.

"Don't daddy" she begged

"What?" Paul asked, a bit on the defensive "what have I done wrong?"

"It's okay Yvonne" Arnold rubbed her leg "I can tell him"

"Tell me what?" Paul was getting concerned, what could he have said to offend poor Arnold; family was a wonderful thing, to Paul anyway!

"I've got three brothers" Arnold complained, "John, Frank and Howard, they're all older than me and more successful"

"How strange" Paul giggled, "you're the youngest of four boys, Yvonne's the youngest of four girls" he shook his head "do you get on with your brothers?"

"No way" Arnold shook his head vigorously "they don't like me, I'm a disappointment"

"Oh, Arnold" Paul sympathised "I'm sure you're not a disappointment"

"I am" Arnold sulked "my parents told me so"

"Well" Paul smiled "if you're good enough for Yvonne, you're good enough for us"

"Thank you, Paul," Arnold smiled "that means a lot"

The journey from the Jupiter Mining Co-Operation building to the McGruder's home wasn't very long. As they pulled up the drive nine bodies were standing outside the McGruder's three-bedroom semi-detached house

"Wow" Yvonne giggled, "Everyone's here to meet us!"

"Yeah" Paul smiled "didn't I tell you everyone was at home?"

"No!" Yvonne giggled knowing that her father hadn't told her on purpose "but I'm glad you didn't tell me!" Suddenly Yvonne noticed another body in the line-up. A tiny baby in Natasha's arms "Who's baby is Natasha holding?"

"That's Llewellyn" Paul answered Natasha's baby"

"Natasha's got a baby boy?"

"Yeah, Llewellyn, he's three weeks old"

"Wow" Yvonne looked at Arnold "I didn't even know she was pregnant!"

Yvonne got out of the car and went straight over to Natasha and baby Llewellyn, Natasha and Yvonne were the closets of all the McGruder sisters, but the fact that baby Llewellyn, or Lewie, was here meant that Yvonne would want to spend as much time as possible helping Natasha with him.

"Welcome home Yvonne" everyone screamed at once

"Thank you" Yvonne smiled "I'd like every one to meet Arnold…" she pulled him forward "… my new boyfriend"

"Hello everyone" Arnold smiled nervously "it's good to meet you all!"