Dinner at the Longs

"Well, Jakers, if her parents make no objection, I see no problem with Rose coming to dinner with us." Jonathan replied to Jake's request.

"Jonathan!" Susan exclaimed upon hearing the conversation. "We can't let that… girl anywhere near our children! She's dangerous!"

"Susan, what's your problem with Rose?" A confused Jonathan asked.

"Jonathan, that girl has troubles with her upbringing." Susan explained the most truthful way possible without exposing her side of the family as dragons.

"Susan, I'm aware of the fact she just found out her so-called family wasn't her real family after all." Jonathan replied with a serious tone. "That's just another reason why we should meet her to know if it's safe or not to let our Jakers around her."

"It's obvious she's just waiting for a chance to slay him."

"Why would she do so? Is our son a dragon? Is your side of the family made of dragons like in that dream I had back in 1986?"

"Uh, never mind."

LINE BREAK – Canal Street Electronics

"Fu, you must make a truth serum." Susan pleaded. "It's the only way to make Jake understand Rose is still the evil and murderous dragonslayer she had been raised to be."

"Susan, if those potions were so easy to make, your Dad would have already made Rose try a batch." Fu replied, annoyed by Susan's obsessive mistrust of Rose. (At least whenever she isn't paying him to help her)

"What about a magic mirror like that one Snow White's stepmother used to ask who the world's fairest one is?" Haley suggested.

"What became of her is the reason the use of those mirrors is controlled." Fu replied. "Those things are cursed to make their users give in to their obsessions."

"I don't care!" Susan replied. "Get me one and I'll ask what that murderer is up to."

"You'd need an authorization from the Dragon Council." Fu explained. "And they'd have used it themselves if they deemed it safe."

"But there must be something we could use to expose that slayer." Haley pleaded. "I want to become the next American Dragon by proving to the Dragon Council I'm a better dragon than he is, not by having him slain."

"No need to worry, Haley." Susan offered her daughter some sort of comfort. "We'll just have to keep a close watch on her."

"I can assure you Rose can be trusted, Susan." Lao Shi appeared and said.

"Dad, you changed a lot." Susan frowned at her father. "Back when Jonathan and I were dating, you were strongly opposed to it just because he was a non-magical human."

"A non-magical human with a bad taste for clothes, Susan." Lao Shi corrected.

"Those were the 1980's, Dad." Susan replied. "That couldn't be helped. And this is not the case. The case is that you don't mind Jake dating a dragon slayer. You wouldn't have allowed that back then. I bet you even investigated Jonathan for the chance he was a slayer, hoping he was so we'd split."

"I soon gave up the investigation." Lao Shi commented. "Albeit I'd have investigated more if Huntsboys like 88 and 89 were already known back then."

That night, when Rose arrived at the Long household, Rose was overwhelmed by Jonathan taking pictures of her just like Jake feared when Rose first suggested going to his place. Rose was initially surprised about the lack of hostility from Jonathan Long until she remembered he doesn't even know dragons are real. Susan and Haley were another story altogether. Their forced smiles gave Rose a feeling of uneasiness.

"Haley, will you help me with the food?" Susan asked her daughter, and the both of them went to the kitchen.

"May we put something on her food?" Haley suggested.

"Unfortunately there's not much we can do with your Dad looking, Haley." Susan answered.

"Fortunately you've arranged the chairs so Rose will sit at Dad's left so she'll not be able to reach our left ears." Haley commented.

As they went back to the living room, it seemed Haley jinxed it since Rose was seated at Jake's left. "Rose, weren't you seated at Jonathan's left?" Susan asked.

"Jake insisted so much." Jonathan replied. "I don't understand why but Rose seemed to be hesitant but Jake convinced her by explaining something about giving you a message."

"I see." Susan said, gritting her teeth.

"I like sitting next to Jake." Rose commented.

As the food was served, Haley 'accidentally' poured water on Rose's clothes. With no other choice, she put on one of Jake's sets of clothes (shorts and a shirt). Because Jake is shorter than Rose, his shirt didn't hide her bellybutton, a fact Jake mentally thanked Haley for, despite the dragon girl's intentions.

"Rose's I'm deeply sorry." Jonathan said. "My daughter isn't usually so clumsy. I'd expect that from Jake. If I were to tell whatever happened every time he tried to help his mother with her catering service." Jake was now sure there are things on this world worse than being slain.

"I'm certainly going to do a better job if I ever work on Mom's catering service." Haley commented.

"I'd not be so sure after what happened to Rose." Jake replied.

"Just a little mishap." Haley replied. 'Mom would never have me catering to murderers.' Haley thought to herself.

After they finished eating, Jake asked if there was anything Rose wanted to do while waiting her clothes to dry. "I want to see Thad and Jasma returning from their honeymoon."

"Mom catered to their real-life wedding." Jake commented.

"Jake almost ruined it." Haley replied. While Jake would usually hate it when his sister downplays him, he was glad she seemed to have forgotten how much she hates Rose so this teasing would be welcome.

"Really?" Rose eagerly asked. "Please tell me more."

"I don't know the details, Rose." Haley replied. "You should ask him. Or Mom."

A look at Susan's face suggested the second idea not to be a good one. She just watched the soap-opera, picked up her now-dry again clothes and went home. Fortunately she and Jake continued dating after that night.

THE END

Honestly, I don't know what else I could do with this fic. I came up with the idea of including the mirror or Snow White, neither of which I own, while I was writing this chapter.