"We're glad you could come for another meal before you head home," Dave told Zelda and Tim. "We don't see you often enough Zelda, but then, we can really say that about all our children, so I suppose, you shouldn't be any different."
"You guys are always welcome to come visit me," Zelda told her father kissing his bearded cheek. "This is something you know very well, so don't try to guilt me by telling me I never visit as that particular line can go both ways and you know it. You all should come see the animal shelter and see how it has been expanded over the last couple of years. Even with the expansion we're running out of room so we probably need to move to a bigger building."
"You can only do so much," Dave told Zelda, even as he led the two of them into the same room that Tim had met Zelda's family for the first time. "You two sit and I'll get the drinks if you tell me what you want."
"Just a soda is fine dad, as I don't need alcohol right now," Zelda said.
"Soda's, fine with me too," Tim agreed. "I don't ever drink alcohol this early in the day."
"Soda it is," Dave agreed as he disappeared in the direction of the kitchen and was back just a couple of minutes later with glasses of ice and two soda bottles. "Your mother is looking forward to seeing you two before you head back to New Orleans. So are your aunt and uncle."
"I can see why you all would look forward to seeing any of your children at any time since I imagine immortality can be rather boring," Tim suggested, as he opened his soda bottle and took a long gulp.
"It can be, so a visit from any of our children is always a very anticipated event," Dave agreed smiling. "So has your family met Zelda yet?"
This question was asked directly to Tim, who answered no longer nervous around Zelda's father. He never imagined the day he would be accepted by any woman's family as her future husband, but now that he had been his nervousness had vanished.
Tim finally understood why Zelda's family had accepted him with no questions at all, as apparently finding your mate was probably like finding treasure.
"Yes, I introduced him to my mother and my sister, and they both liked her," Tim answered. "My father, as you know, is dead and it's just as well as he probably wouldn't have liked Zelda just on principal, because I didn't do what he wanted by enlisting the Navy. Of course, I realize I could very well be wrong about what my father would think, but I'll never really know one way or the other, since he's no longer with us."
"I'm sorry you had so many problems with your father, but you know that happens in a lot of families," Dave offered his tone sympathetic. "He might not have appreciated you for the talents you did have, but at least you still went into a career that makes you happy and that should be all that matters. I'm only sorry that your father will never know how much you have accomplished whether or not he would have approved."
"Yes, I really like his mother Kristen and his sister Sarah as they are warm and welcoming and nothing like I've learned Tim's father was like," Zelda said. "We'll have to spend at least part of the holiday with them while we'll spend the rest of it with you, as that's only fair. Tim's family isn't going to be around for centuries like you are."
"That's fine as you, your mother and I know we'll have plenty of opportunities to see you, because you're right that Tim's family is not immortal. It's not like our other children, who have met their mates that have family, don't spend at least some of the holidays with them and not with us, so really your mother and I as well as your aunt and uncle are used to it. It is what it is, as those families of our children's mates are not immortal, so it's only fair that those children spend time with them before they pass on."
"We'll get to see mom and my sister often, because they live in New Orleans," Tim said. "I'm sure mom will be inviting you to go shopping with her so she can get to know you better and Sarah will also want to spend time with you."
"That's not a bad thing at all," Dave said. "I'm glad your family likes Zelda."
"They love her and I'm sure mom suspects that it's serious between us and Sarah probably does too," Tim said.
"I'm sure they do for neither your mother or your sister are stupid and really you're intelligence had to come from somewhere," Zelda commented. "I've never met your father, and you might've very well gotten your intelligence from him, but not his attitude, which I'm glad of."
"I've already promised Zelda that I will never force any of my children to go into a specific career like my father tried to force me," Tim told Dave, who nodded approvingly. "For one thing, I could never be as forceful as dad was and another this is not a normal situation where somebody's slaves away at a career for 30 or 40 years and then retires. Zelda explained that everybody in your family goes into a career that makes them happy that they don't mind pursuing, even when they move to another city."
"For me, that's opening a new animal shelter whenever I move somewhere new," Zelda said, "but for others well, it could be being a doctor or a lawyer or a scientist. So where are Uncle Aaron and Aunt Shonda and mom? I know mom at least is probably in the kitchen, but what about Uncle Aaron and Aunt Shonda?"
"They'll be here shortly, sweetie," Dave said looking at his watch. "Lunch will be ready in about half an hour and they'll be here by then."
"We should go say hello to mom before lunch is served as that would be the polite thing to do," Zelda told Tim who nodded. "So what's on the menu, dad, as I know you would've taken part in the lunch preparations.
"One of your favorites, beef stew over rice with squash and onions, and for dessert something simple, your mother's double chocolate caramel nut brownies."
"Sounds delicious," Zelda said really anticipating lunch. "You'll love my parents beef stew, as it's really good," Zelda told Tim. "Dad's not wrong when he says it's one of my favorites, because it is. I've never had better and I've had it in some of the best restaurants in the world over the centuries. Part of the reason it's so good is that my parents only use the finest and freshest ingredients. Real beef not that fake meat that so much of the human race seems to live off of, because meat substitutes are so much cheaper. It has real potatoes and carrots and onions.
"I'm sure I will. I love beef stew, as it was a staple at our house, though we never had it over rice. I don't believe it had real meat in it at least, since you're right real meat is super expensive. I suspect it did have one of the more expensive substitutes though," Tim said.
"Well, Jazz created her own beef stew recipe, so you'll have to let us know whether it's better then your mother's, though you don't have to tell her if it is and yes, it has real beef in it, which would automatically make it better, even without all the extra things in it that makes it so good," Dave said. "I think Jazz has outdone herself and while I helped it's still her recipe."
"I would never insult my mom by telling her that your beef stew is better, not even if I do like your and your wife's better then hers," Tim told Dave.
"Smart lad," Dave approved, smiling just as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get that," Zelda offered, as she rose to let her aunt and uncle in.
"We'll meet you in the dining room. Lunch should be ready to be served," Dave told Zelda, who nodded to indicated she had heard him before she went to get the door.
Soon Zelda was greeting her aunt and uncle with hugs and kisses before she led them towards the dining room to meet him and her father.

~~~Tim and Zelda~~~

Tim observed the family over lunch and noticed how relaxed everyone was with each other. He noticed how they could talk about anything at all and have it be treated with respect no matter the subject matter.
This is what every family should be like, Tim thought a little nostalgically. His father had been a hard and cold arse when something didn't meet his expectations. He had never understood nor supported his dreams and that had hurt. He took the long view though, and that was at least he had his mother and sister who had always supported him when his father had been unable to do so.
His gaming company was doing very well, though it would take time to grow, but that was fine, as he was going to have infinite time as soon as Zelda turned him immortal.
He ate Zelda's parents beef stew, and he had to admit it was better than his mother's, but then, it had real meat in it so it wasn't surprising that it was. The meat was nice and tender and bursting with flavor. He would never tell his mother that the Rossis beef stew was better then hers, as that would insult the woman who had given birth to him. Still, there was something indefinable that made the stew so good of then the real meat in it and Tim wondered silently if it was the same magic that Jazz put into her desserts.
"So what do you do with your dogs while you've been here in San Francisco?" Shonda asked Zelda and Tim.
"We left them at the animal shelter so they can interact with other dogs and they'll also be fed," Tim answered. "I suppose we could've left them in a boarding kennel somewhere, but I don't see why when Zelda has a perfectly good animal shelter and there's no boarding charge."
"I'll have to buy more food for the shelter but that's a regular thing anyway, so it's no bother. I'll just buy extra since there are three extra dogs there right now. Technically, Tim's dog came from there and hasn't been gone all that long so it's not like Donnie is a stranger to the shelter," Zelda said. "We're actually lucky that we had the space for them to stay there as nearly every cage was filled."
"Next time we're away for a few days we might have to find some other place for them to stay, as we can't always depend on their being enough room at the shelter, as that goes against the law of averages," Tim said.
"You can always ask your brother to feed them and take them out to pee if you have to be gone, as at least he lives in New Orleans for this generation," Aaron suggested.
"That way they can stay at home if you give Neville a key and leave instructions for him to follow," Dave said
"That's actually a pretty good idea. I'll think about it," Zelda promised. "I didn't even think of that and we could've done that this time if we had."
"There's also my mother and sister that I'm sure would be willing to help out. Sarah at least always wanted a dog, but dad would never allow her to get one."
"I'm surprised she doesn't have a pet now since she's a grown-up and out on her own and your father is also not around anymore to object," Jazz suggested. "Not that he could object, since Sarah is an adult and has her own place, but my point is still valid."
"I don't think she's thought about it or at least she hasn't mentioned it to me," Tim said thoughtfully. "Yes, she wanted a dog when she was about eight, but now she's a grown-up and I'm sure she hasn't thought about that childhood dream in years."
"Eight is the perfect age to get a dog when that will grow with the child," Zelda said enthusiastically. "You know we might be able to reawaken that dream."
"I'll mention your shelter to her, as I never have and I don't know if you have or not, but that might be enough to awaken her desire for a dog," Tim said.
"No, the subject just never came up," Zelda said. "Still, it's a good idea."
"Well, I think Sarah is going to want a dog when she sees all the cute, adorable ones you have at your shelter," Dave said, smiling, even as he listened to the conversation. "I mean your sister wanted one when she was a kid and it probably won't take much to reawaken that desire."
"Desires like that don't usually die, just kind of go to sleep," Shonda mentioned, "so no, it probably won't take much for Sarah to give in. That desire could be easily reignited I'm sure."
"Well, we'll see, I suppose," Tim said, even as he enjoyed his beef stew.
"Let us know how it goes," Dave told Zelda and Tim.
"Of course, I will dad," Zelda promised, even as she took another bite of her squash and onions.
"You know it might be time for us to get another dog too," Aaron told Shonda. "We haven't had one in years."
"You know Jazz and I were just thinking the same thing a few days ago," Dave said. "We just haven't been motivated, because we don't have any children right now begging for one, but that doesn't mean we can't get a dog."
"Same goes," Shonda agreed. "We can talk about it soon, though we might want to get one from shelter this time instead of a pet store or breeder."
"You know, we never thought about getting one from the shelter," Jazz admitted, looking at Dave, who shook his head
"We never did," Dave confirmed, "but still it's a good idea. I don't see why we can't take one or even two into our home, as we certainly have the room and we're due to have a child sometime in the next couple of years anyway."
"Same here," Aaron agreed, smiling at the thought of having another child not that he and Shonda hadn't had plenty of those over the centuries, but it had been a few decades since they had.
"We're kind of on a cycle when it comes to having children," Jazz told Tim, who kind of looked confused at the conversation, though he did get the gist. "We have four, occasionally five children in less than 10 years and when they grow up, we spend a few decades without any giving us time to ourselves and then we'll have some more."
"Being immortal like we are, the woman are never going get too old to have children," Aaron added as he kissed, Shonda's cheek affectionately.
"Also, one of the great advantages of being what we are is Jazz and I won't be able to die in childbirth, and neither will Zelda when the two of you get around to having children," Shonda told Tim.
"No, that's one thing you'll never have to be worried about and that's me dying in childbirth, even if it only happens very rarely in this century. I'll come through each birth just fine and so will the baby."
Tim begin to look panicked and Zelda told him. "You don't need to worry about that quite yet, but eventually, even if that's 10 years from now, we will have a child raise and likely several children. We need to get married first before we ever consider children, as I'm sure your mother and sister would prefer, as for my family they won't care."
"That's true we won't," Dave immediately agreed. "It's not like it's unprecedented."
"True that," Shonda laughed gaily.
"Let's not frighten him," Jazz told everyone. "He's still getting used to all this."
"I'm fine, all this talk just took me by surprise," Tim said.
"I know we can be overwhelming to new people," Aaron admitted with a little smile. "We don't mean to be, but we just know each other so well that no subject, other than those that nobody wants to hear about like some female problem, is off-limits."
"We'll try to tone it down," Dave promised Tim, "at least until you get used to us."
"Which will take awhile and believe me, we're well aware of that fact," Jazz said.
The subject was immediately changed as everybody talked about some of the adventures they had had over the years and Tim relaxed as he listened.
By the time, Tim and Zelda left the Rossi home Tim had relaxed and really enjoyed the rest of lunch the conversation as well as the food.

~~~Tim and Zelda~~~