Author: Well, here we are! Finally! I know it's been ages but the dreaded Real Life happened.

Frankie: But thank you for all the reviews in the mean time. They are what spurred her on to finish this marvellous chapter. Truly, it's wonderful. I enjoyed it.

Author: Even if you're not in it?

Frankie: Unlike that Jack Harkness you write about on the side, I don't need to read about myself to enjoy a story.

Author: And I suddenly remember why I love you.

Kevin choked on his sip of iced water as his father arrived at the table and spoke to him, which probably a good thing as it quashed the curse word he would have uttered.

It took a few seconds for his brain to realise that he wasn't drowning and that no, unfortunately, he wasn't having a nightmare; his father really was standing beside the table.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked, this was putting a serious damper on what had been a nice quiet romantic meal.

"I suspect the same as you. I simply am dining in this fine establishment. Imagine my surprise when it was pointed out to me that you were also here. And," Robin cast his gaze on Theresa, who blinked at him, "with a companion"

OK, the old man was obviously now trying to wrangle an introduction.

Fine.

If it meant he'd go away and allow Theresa and himself to continue their night in peace.

"Theresa," he said as calmly and politely as he could muster, trying to put a lid on his annoyance at their evening being interrupted, "allow me to introduce Sir Robin Mask. GBE at HRH's pleasure," then added as an afterthought: "My father."

He took a careful drink of water, his throat feeling bone dry before he continued.

"Father, this is Theresa Chappen. My girlfriend."

"It's very nice to meet you," Theresa told Robin softly, offering her hand, "I've heard a lot about you from Kevin"

'Most of it bad' Kevin thought to himself, though mentally applauded her for not saying that out loud

"Really?" Robin's tone conveyed that he knew precisely what sort of things his son had told her about him, but shook Theresa's hand anyway, "Well, I am charmed to meet you also, Miss Chappen."

Robin took the time required in shaking the girl's hand to give her a quick once-over.

She was, apparently, polite.

So far, there was nothing to object to

…

So far

There was still a long road ahead before she gained his approval, but politeness certainly helped

It also helped that her fingernails were clean, free of any varnish, and cut short, no talons on her.

Her hair, short and light blonde, was brushed neatly; he also noted that though she was wearing make up, it was minimal, a nice change to some of the young ladies you saw today, most of whom wore so much make up, one would swear they'd applied it in the dark with a paint roller.

And, he noticed, she was drinking iced water, not wine or champagne

Very interesting…

"So," he pressed on, "How long have you and my son known each other, precisely?"

"A little bit over a year, I think"

"And how did you two meet?"

"I ran into him at the park near where I live"

"Literally," Kevin smiled slightly at the memory. She hadn't known who he was at all and had been far too busy chasing her musical score sheets to notice where she was going.

"I did say I was sorry," Theresa pointed out, smiling at him fondly

"I see," Robin nodded, taking in this information.

A park…hardly the sort of place anyone seeking to further their lives would be found, quite the opposite in fact.

There was the distinct possibility forming that, just perhaps, she was actually interested in Kevin for himself, though Robin decided not to disregard the idea completely for the moment.

He would have questioned the girl further but just at that moment, the waiter arrived with the couple's order and etiquette deemed it impolite to remain and talk to them.

"Well, I shan't keep you from your meals," he nodded at them, "however, allow me to extend an invitation to you both for tea at the Mask Estates next Sunday?"

"What are you up to?" Kevin asked in a suspicious tone

"Nothing more than I have offered, son. Shall we say four 'o'clock?" this remark he directed towards Theresa, who blinked at him in surprise

"Um…yes?" she said, after a few moments, sounding uncertain, "that would be lovely"

"Excellent," Robin nodded, "very well. Enjoy your meals" and he returned to his own table.

Next Sunday would soon reveal the girl's agenda, if there was one to be had and he could deal with her much more effectively on the Mask Estates.

Some hours later, Kevin lay awake in bed, one arm draped possessively around Theresa's waist as she slept and he stared at the slightly less-than-blackness of the back of her head.

He hadn't felt like staying in the restaurant much past the main course, somehow the knowledge that his father was there had left him with an almost visible dark cloud hanging over him.

The only down side had been that between their arrival and the time they left, the heavens had opened and it had been lashing it down and surprise, surprise, there'd been not taxi's available.

They'd both got a dousing waiting for James to collect them.

All in all, Kevin felt the whole night had been a failure

Theresa sighed in her sleep and flexed her shoulders slightly.

She certainly hadn't seemed to find it a horrid night, she'd said something about singing in the rain, but he hadn't heard her if she'd sung anything.

He sighed.

"Penny for them," Theresa spoke up with a yawn, and stretched sleepily

"Hmm? You're awake?"

"It's very hard to sleep when you're boring holes into the back of my head," this was said with affection, and she reached out and turned on her beside lamp. They both squinted, getting used to the light again before she turned carefully to lie looking at him, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" he kissed her forehead, hoping she was too tired to probe further

"If nothing was wrong you'd be asleep, not lying in the dark with your eyes open at…" she sat up slightly to look at her clock-radio "…half past three in the morning…so what's bothering you?"

"It's a toss up between my father turning up and inviting us to tea at the estates and getting drenched in the rain and not being able to find a taxi and having to call your grandfather to come and collect us and-"

"I enjoyed it" she interrupted him

"What?"

"I enjoyed myself."

He stared at her for a few minutes,

"…Really?"

"Yes, Kevin, really. Aside from feeling that they were going to ask to see my birth certificate before they let me sit down, it was a lovely place and I enjoyed the food."

"It could have gone better…I really wanted it to be perfect"

She shook her head with a sigh, leaned up and kissed the end of his nose

"You made the effort, it means a lot," she chuckled (albeit tiredly), "though you could've taken me for pizza and a film and I'd have been happy"

"Really?"

"You know me well enough by now"

"Well enough to know you're wondering when I'll let you go back to sleep" he couldn't help himself, he smiled at her, she had managed to soothe most of the worries about their night, even if they hadn't addressed the situation with his father.

"Am I that transparent?"

"Like crystal," he kissed her forehead again, "you can go back to sleep now"

Without much pause, she turned the light off and they both settled back down, though he draped an arm around her waist a little more securely than normal.

Well, he considered, the worst that could happen would be Robin trying to forbid Kevin from seeing Theresa…and there was about as much chance of that happening as there was of finding mines filled with cheese (he chuckled to himself; he must be exhausted if he was thinking up such strange things.)

It looked like he was just going to have to grit his teeth and suffer through Sunday Tea with his father.

Oh well, bring it on…

TBC

Author: It's not the greatest ending for a chapter, I know, but I really wanted this done. I wrote and rewrote this one about fifteen or sixteen times.

Kevin: Did we miss anything huge because of it?

Author: Well…I was going have this really adorable scene of Theresa brushing your hair for you, but it didn't flow properly.

Kevin: What, exactly, is adorable about hair brushing?

Author: See? THIS is why the scene didn't work. I have to explain everything to you. It was supposed to show how much trust you have in her that you'd let her sit behind you and brush your hair.

Kevin: Oh. (contemplative look)

Author: I'll try and get to it in the next chapter.