Hey guys. Here's the scene we've all been waiting for (well, I had been waiting for this one.) Jack's dreaded meeting with his in-laws and Ianto's nervous meet with Alice.
I think I should inform you that I had my maths exam today which did not go as well as I had planned (basically because Probablity sucks and has a weightage of 10 marks out of 100) So, cheer me up with your wonderful reviews. And, as always, constructive criticism and suggestions are more than welcome.
Thanks a million to Hydrojen for being such a wonderful beta and to you all for being such great readers.
"Hey Yan, let's have a deal. If you go and meet your parents and let me go home, I'll not tell you to come and meet Alice and Steven. What do you think?" proposed Jack as Ianto parked the car out side the Jones' house.
"No, no and no. Come on Jack, it's going to be fine. You've faced hundreds and thousands of aliens and you're afraid of your fiancé's family?" He squeezed his lover's hand and started to get out of the car. Sighing, Jack acknowledged his defeat and followed the Welshman out of the car and to the door.
The door was opened by a frail looking woman. She might have looked weak but Jack noticed that her eyes were full of confidence. Her face was pretty, must have been beautiful in her younger years. She smiled at both of them and pulled Ianto into a hug.
"Mam, this is Jack," the young man introduced.
"Good evening, Mrs. Jones"
"Good evening, though we'd prefer if you address me and David as Mam and Tad, after all, you're going to be a part of the family very soon."
"Oh sure, Mam," said Jack as he, too, was given a generous hug by her before she ushered them into the living room. One down, three more to go, he thought, smiling.
Rhiannon and Johnny were perched in a love seat while David Jones sat on a recliner. The three stood up as they saw Ianto approach with his mother and a handsome stranger.
Jack shook hands with the two men and gave Rhiannon a quick hug before settling down.
"It's nice to meet you finally, Jack. Ianto was so going on about you the last time I called," said Rhiannon, fondly remembering her brother's ramblings and the following heated argument with her husband about her brother being engaged to a man.
"Nice to meet you too. Though if Ianto had told more me about his beautiful sister, we would have met much earlier," Jack replied with his 1000-watt grin as Rhiannon blushed.
"Stop flirting with my sister!" Ianto whispered urgently.
"Why? Are you jealous?" Jack whispered back.
"Me? Not at all. But Johnny might be."
"Oh don't worry, your brother-in-law's gonna love me," Jack reassured him with by taking his fiancé's hand in his and squeezing it.
The little exchange didn't go unnoticed by the Jones family. Rhiannon and Ianto's mother, Sara, smiled widely, content to see the blissful expression on the faces of the couple, just by holding hands. David too allowed himself a small smile with a twinkle in his eyes. Johnny, however, was still glaring daggers at the Captain for attempting to flirt with his wife.
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"I can't imagine that! Who thought you, of all people, could have been a naughty kid!" laughed out Jack as Ianto's mother and sister told him stories of Ianto's childhood, with interesting inputs from his father.
"Naughty is a huge understatement! I remember, he was around three when he -"
"Shut up Rhi!" exclaimed Ianto as his sister started with another anecdote.
"Ok, sorry Yannikins," chuckled Rhiannon as she saw Ianto wince at the nickname. "No more naughty kid stories. But seeing that Jack's gonna marry you, I think he has a right to know about the first girl you got home."
"Nooo," Ianto groaned, hiding his face in his hands.
"Our dear Ianto was six when he had this friend Kristen. A sweet girl she was, you know, with those blue eyes and big pigtails. So one day, he brings her home and says, 'Mam, Tad, meet Kristen. She and I are gonna marry this Sunday at the church,' and he looked so cute, we all rolled with laughter while he and poor Kristen looked at us, dazed!"
"Yan," Jack pouted. "That's so unfair! When you introduced her to your family, you'd already got the date and venue fixed! But look at us, still struggling to find a date you like," Jack pouted.
"At least I suggested a good venue. And in your childish stories, we forgot about that!" chided the Welshman. "Tad, we were wondering if we could have the ceremony in your farmhouse near Glasgow, if that's fine with you?"
"Of course son, why not!"
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"Hey Jack, why don't you and I go for a little walk? Just to know each other better?" suggested Johnny.
"Uhmm sure." Jack glanced, a bit nervously, at Ianto and Rhiannon, both of whom were as surprised as him but nodded.
As soon as they stepped outside the door, a fist connected with Jack's jaw.
"Ugh that'll bruise now," he murmured rubbing his jaw. "What was that for?" he asked out aloud.
"That was for flirting with my wife. And this -" he said, accompanying his reply with another punch "- is for turning my wife's brother into a poof. Now we're ok and can talk. So first thing, what do you want from the poor guy? Don't give me all the 'love' shite. I know how gullible my brother-in-law and his family are but don't take me to be the same. So, tell me, what's it that you really want? I'll get you a new toy if that's what you're looking for. But no, I'm not letting you get Ianto into this trap. The guy's been hurt enough for a lifetime, what with losing his girlfriend and all."
"Ok let's get it straight. First, you'd rather not use the word poof or anything similar in front of me. You live in the 21st century, don't act like a fucking 17th century guy. Second, I don't care whether or not you believe this but I love Ianto. And as long as he's sure of that, I don't give a fuck about anyone who doubts it. I know how much he's been hurt and trust me, there nothing else that hurts me more than his pain. I think I've said all that I want to. You are free to form any opinions you want. Now, if you don't mind, my fiancé would be waiting for me," Jack finished and turned around to go back before he did something rash. But before he could leave, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"Uhmm... I believe that you really love him. Guess I'll have to live with that," Johnny chuckled. "I'm sorry I hit you but let me make it clear, I'm not sorry for what I said. You hurt him and I'm gonna castrate you and peel your skin off your body."
Well that'd be a new way of dying, Jack thought smugly. "I'll make sure of that. And thanks for caring so much for him. He's lucky to have such a great family to watch his back."
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"Now I'm thinking I should have accepted your deal," said Ianto as he rubbed his hands nervously while they walked up to Alice's door.
"Don't worry, baby, it'll be okay. I've already told Alice about us and she's looking forward to meet you. And Steven, well, Ally tells me that he's been jumping around waiting for Uncle Ianto. So just take a deep breath and come," Jack reassured his lover as he rung the doorbell with one hand and held Ianto's hand in the other.
A few moments later, the door was opened to reveal Alice with Steven smiling widely at her side.
"Dad, it's been so long," Alice whispered as she hugged her dad. "And you must be Ianto," she said, louder than earlier.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you," replied Ianto, giving her a nervous smile.
"Nice to meet you too. This is Steven, my son," she introduced as the four of them walked in and settled themselves in the living room.
"Hello Uncle Ianto, nice to meet you," said Steven stretching out his hand for a handshake.
"You too Steven," Ianto replied, taking his hand while Alice and Jack stared at the boy.
"Steve, soldier, are you feeling a bit off?"
"No, Uncle Jack, I'm fine."
"Feverish?"
"No."
"Someone at school said something?"
"No."
"Then why weren't you jumping up on me like you usually do? And why are you acting like a mini gentleman?" asked Jack, exasperated.
"Mum said that Uncle Ianto works at the Special Ops with you and likes discipline. So, if I don't behave, he'll put me in jail."
"Well, if I was that much into discipline, I wouldn't be marrying you Uncle, of all people, would I?" asked Ianto, picking up the boy and placing him in his lap while they all laughed.
"So you're not gonna put me in jail?"
"Not a chance. But we could send Uncle Jack there, he's been a naughty boy."
"Yeah, that'll be cool. And we can also play cops and robbers."
"Yeah, now stop plotting against me, both of you. Stevie, why don't you show Uncle Ianto some of your video games while I talk to your mum?" Jack ruffled up his grandson's hair making him pout. But at the suggestion, the boy jumped down from Ianto's lap and pulled his hand to take the Welshman to his room.
"So, what do you think?" asked Jack.
"Does it matter?" his daughter counter-questioned, with a playful smile on her face.
"Of course it does. Come on, tell me." Jack put an arm around his daughter's shoulders.
"He's nice. Are you happy with him?"
"Very."
"And he know you're - uhm - immortal?"
"Yeah, has seen me die quite a lot and now has taken the responsibility to stop me from dying unless I absolutely have to."
Alice chuckled and slapped him on the head. "Can't you ever be serious about this dying thing of yours? Or actually, not dying thing."
"Okay, okay, no more jokes about it. God! You two are just the same with this!"
"I think I like my new stepfather."
"What do you mean by new? He's the first stepfather you'll have, or the first stepparent for that matter."
"Fine, I like my stepfather. Happy?"
"Ecstatic. Ally, we, I and Ianto that is, talked about this and we were wondering if you'd mind -"
"Dad, be straightforward," urged Alice.
"Oh, okay, we want to be an active part in your and Steven's life. If you both don't mind."
" I guess Steven would love that," she answered as she glanced at her son who was coming back to the living room with Ianto, both chatting animatedly.
Jack wished to ask her for a more elaborate answer but was interrupted by his grandson and fiancé's arrival. However, the look on her face suggested that she was less opposed to the idea as she would have been two months ago.
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Thanks a lot to Milady Dragon, random-nasha, , moonfoot13 and gurugirl for your beautiful reviews.
RubyDust, welcome to the story, I guess. Thanks a ton for taking out time to review.
Stay with me guys, coming up next is the wedding. Yay
Love
Nitz xx