theresetbutton (theresetbutton) wrote in supernextdoor, @ 2012-05-21 00:28:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #group scene, 10.08.11, becky, cathair, cleo, colin |
Well the cat's out of the bag now
Who: Becky, Cathair, Bruce (NPC), Helen (NPC), Sadhbh (NPC) and Amy (NPC) (with guest appearances of Colin and Cleo via phone)
What: Meeting the family
When: 10.08.11, Saturday Evening
Where: Becky's parents' home in Remington, VA
Warnings: Language
It was strange to be back in her hometown, but Becky was okay with it. It wasn't like she was moving back, if anything she was moving on. She liked the way that felt. She was nervous, yes, but she couldn't help but feel a little relieved as well. Letting out everything and telling her parents about her engagement and impending marriage would be one less thing she had to stress herself out about. While she knew her father would likely question Cathair over and over again, she thought her mother would be happy to see Becky moving on at long last. And who didn't like a wedding? Of course they'd likely both wonder what the rush was and if their little girl was moving on too fast.
Becky glanced over her shoulder at the children in the backseat, Amy sleeping soundly in her carseat and Sadhbh looking more than a little worn out from the hour long drive. "We're almost there," she murmured to the little girl and perhaps even a little to Cathair. "Are you excited?"
Cathair was more nervous about meeting Becky’s parents than he was letting on. He was used to appearing calm, no matter how much his own emotions were in turmoil. It was how he kept his head in gruesome, harrowing battles. Save Sadhbh and himself from the vampires who had tried to destroy their entire family. He smiled at Becky’s words, reaching over to pat her hand. The GPS confirmed what she’d just said. Not that they needed it, but he didn’t want to bother her for directions when she was already nervous and rattled from Amy’s walking.
Sadhbh was more than willing to be chatty though. “Yes,” she said. “They’re going to love us, right?” She was a bit worried herself. This was a big thing, meeting Becky’s family and if they didn’t like her and her dad, there’d be no wedding and that was just not going to happen if she had her way. “Dad’s rich, that’ll help, right?”
He almost slammed on the brakes when Sadhbh blurted that. Cathair, as a rule, did not flaunt anything. Flaunting drew attention and he didn’t like to draw attention. While he had touched on the topic with Becky before, they hadn’t discussed it any detail simply because he didn’t want to overwhelm her with something like that. He sent his daughter a quelling glare in the rearview mirror. Saints, sometimes her incessant chattering was more trouble than it was worth.
"They're going to love you," Becky assured the little girl with a smile in her direction. She was adorable and chatty and that would work in her favor. Besides, welcoming Sadhbh into the family wasn't really the part Becky was worried about. Cathair was a bit older and her father was a backwoods sort of man and the conversation that he'd likely have with her fiance wasn't one she really wanted to think about.
When Sadhbh commented about her father being rich, Becky chuckled a little, especially at the way Cathair reacted. "I don't think it matters much how wealthy your father is," she told the little girl. "I mean it certainly won't hurt and it'll wipe out any talk of him taking advantage of me, but it's not crucial or anything." Her eyes flicked to Cathair and she smiled a little at him. "No need to glare, darling," she laughed.
Sadhbh glared right back at her father, especially with Becky scolding him for overreacting. “Right,” he said quietly. “Or make him more certain I am taking advantage of you.” Since he was not only older, extremely well educated, foreign, known her a little more than a bleeding month and wealthy. He knew what he’d think in her father’s place. It was also the first hint he’d given he was at all nervous about this meeting. At least Becky hadn’t chosen this moment to press him for details and be overwhelmed about it. Small blessings.
She arched a brow at him and his words. He was quiet about what he said but she knew he was nervous now. He'd been so calm and collected about everything until that moment and she sighed a little. "Cathair, darling, no one is going to think you're taking advantage of me. I'd like to think that both my parents know that I'm smart enough to figure out whether or not a man is using me and you're not. I know you love me and I love you and that's what matters the most. They'll see that."
Cathair prided himself on being calm and level headed under pressure. This was important to him, and they were doing this entirely in the improper order and there were many reasons for her father to disapprove on that basis alone. He knew no matter how much he loved her and she him, fathers thought about much more practical things as well. It was their nature.
Then Sadhbh had to put in her two bits. “And Becky dressed you, so you’re at least presentable looking as well,” she added. “That should help as well right?”
Becky smiled a little and shook her head. "Yes, darling, that'll help," she breathed. Reaching over, she gently rubbed Cathair's shoulder and leaned enough to kiss his cheek. "They're going to love you. And even if they don't, I do. And I know that you're not taking advantage of me. So stop being a worrywart, that's my job."
Cathair let out a long suffering sigh at his daughter’s comment. Yes, because reminding him of his shortcomings would help his confidence any? He knew Sadhbh meant well, but sometime he wished she wasn’t always ready to be so helpful and so bloody opinionated. She was just like her mother. Which still hurt at times more than he wanted to admit.
He smiled wryly as Becky smoothed over both Sadhbh’s unintentional jab and his own concerns. “I worry plenty,” he reminded her as he leaned closer so she didn’t have to stretch so far and covered her hand with one of his. “I just do so more quietly than you do.”
She smiled again and nodded a little. "Well, yes, I suppose you do worry, but don't worry so much about this. You're going to make me a nervous wreck and no one wants to see that," she murmured, settling herself back on her side of the car as she looked out the window. "It's right up there," she said. "Turn right, first house on the left." It all felt so much more real now, this close, practically in spitting distance of her parents home. Her stomach knotted up a little and she let out a sigh. They could do this, they could get through it.
Sadhbh immediately perked up and craned to see the house. Which was little and quaint. Like the whole town. “Their house is cute!” she exclaimed. “It looks like granddad’s carriage house.”
Cathair winced at that as he pulled into the drive. “I’ll worry less if she stops saying things like that,” he muttered under his breath as he parked the car. All right, so he was much more nervous than he was letting on. Possibly more nervous than when he’d asked Liadan’s father (and since there’d been warning, all six of her brothers were present) to marry her. Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and looked over at Becky. “I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Don’t you start fretting or we’ll both be a mess.”
His daughter didn’t wait for anyone to help her from the car. Letting herself out, she tore up the walk as fast as she could run in her flat shoes. She excited enough, she’d forgotten her manners completely.
Becky chuckled at that statement, but she was terrified to know what the house her grandfather had looked like if her parents was no bigger than a carriage house. She tried not to worry overmuch about that, however, as she let out a sigh. "You go after your daughter, I'll grab the baby and her bag," she murmured, stealing a little kiss from her fiance before climbing out of the car and moving to do what she'd said she was going to. The diaper bag went over her shoulder and Amy was carefully lifted, still sleeping, from the carseat and cradled in against Becky's other shoulder. The shutting of the door didn't even wake the baby and she couldn't help but laugh a little. Another one of Robbie's qualities that Amy had gotten, his heavy sleeping. Drawing in a little breath and letting it out slowly, she headed up the path to the front door and prayed silently that everything would be alright.
“Tossing me to the wolves already, my angel?” he joked wryly as he got out of the SUV to chase down his daughter. “Sadhbh Ceana Delaney!” he barked sternly. “You’re a young lady. Comport yourself like one.” That got her to pull up short and remember her manners. Sadhbh wanted to impress Becky’s parents as well. So she stopped and smoothed out her dress and hair, waiting for her father and Becky and the baby. Cathair was just grateful she hadn’t run all the way to the door and rung by herself. He waited for Becky to catch up with Amy, not at all eager to be the first ringing the doorbell by himself. Yes, still quite nervous.
She couldn't help but smile at the way Sadhbh smoothed her hair and dress and waited patiently. "You two," she laughed. "Everything will be alright, they're not scary and they're going to love you both." Reaching out, she rang the doorbell and waited for her parents to come and let them in. Her mother was the first to the door and she pulled it open, urging a wide smile from her daughter. "Hi, mom," she breathed, relieved to see her, as it had been far too long. Coming back to the town was difficult for many reasons, but Becky knew that shouldn't have stood in her way.
“Hello!” Sadhbh greeted brightly as she inserted herself immediately. “I’m Sadhbh. It’s very nice to meet you.” She inclined her head towards her father. “That’s my Dad. He wants to marry Becky. That’s why we’re here. So you can meet us and he can ask properly.” There, now it was all out in the open and the grown ups could stop being silly. “And...oh yes. Amy can walk now.” Because that was important as well.
Cathair resisted the urge to palm his face. He crossed himself and sent a silent prayer to whatever saint might be listening to strike his daughter with muteness for five bloody minutes. “Hi,” he said awkwardly, holding out his hand. “I’m Cathair Delaney. I’m terribly sorry about that, she goes on at times. Especially when she’s got nerves.”
Becky flushed a little as Sadhbh rambled on about everything that Becky was nervous about. The last little tidbit not really bothering her all that much because it was truly the least of all of her worries. She sighed a little and shook her head. "Mom, this was supposed to be so much less blurty," she grinned as she let her mother lead them into the living room where her father was perched in his chair. That was a welcome sign, something familiar.
Helen smiled a little as she closed the door, shaking her head at the apologies and what not. "It's lovely to meet you both," she assured them. She did catch that bit about Cathair wanting to marry her daughter and she was sort of surprised, but not overly. Obviously he cared for her enough to come meet her parents. And she'd yet to hear just how soon he intended to marry Becky as well. Still, he seemed like a nice young man and she shook his hand in greeting. "Helen," she murmured. "Nonsense, no need to apologize for a girl who knows how to speak her mind," she said, allowing everyone to get settled and taking Amy who was starting to stir a bit in her daughter's arms. "We set up the playpen when we found out you two were coming by with the girls," she said. "Amy can play to her hearts content though now that I know she can walk, she might just have to have the run of the house," she grinned. "Bruce, darling, Amy's on her own two feet already, can you believe it?"
He was a bit surprised when Becky’s mother shook his hand, even though he very well knew American women did that. He pulled his hand back and shifted uncomfortably, nodding. “Thank you,” he said. “You have a lovely home.” He relaxed a bit when she wasn’t offended by Sadhbh’s prattling. “That she does,” he agreed with a sigh.
Sadhbh was less shy, wrapping her arms around Helen’s waist for a hug. “You’re as pretty as Becky, Mrs. Matthews,” she told her. “She looks like you. Amy too.” She let her go and followed into the living room. “He looks like Uncle Colin,” she giggled. She beamed at Bruce. “Hi, I’m Sadhbh-” That’s when Cathair stepped forward and covered her mouth. “Hello,” he greeted the man, then turned his daughter around to face him and changed to Gaelic. “Speak when you’re spoken to until further notice. Understood?” She started to protest, then sighed and nodded. “Fine,” she muttered in English. Which lasted about five seconds. “I can play with babby while you talk about the wedding and things?” She was being helpful, see?
Cathair was ready to give up. Apparently, none of the saints were on his side today. He groaned and nodded, just to be rid of her for a moment. Now he had damage control to run. Saints help him.
Bruce had been thrilled by the idea of his granddaughter walking, until the man whose name he couldn’t remember that was seeing his daughter own child started talking about weddings. What?
Becky wanted to die, or fall into some very deep crevice somewhere and pretend like she'd not just been outed about everything by a six year old little girl. She drew in a little breath and took Amy back from her mother, now that she was awake. "How about I show Sadhbh and Amy to the guest room and turn on some cartoons and then us grown ups can have a nice little conversation about all of those revelations." Before anyone could object, she did just that. She tucked Amy into the playpen and flipped on the cartoons, leaving the door open so she could keep an eye on them and setting the baby's diaper bag down long enough to pull the monitors from inside of it. She left one in the room, flipped on and turned the other on as she left to head back to the living room.
Drawing in a breath, she sat the bag down out of the way and put the monitor on the coffee table. "Well, I suppose you all want answers, huh?" she questioned, looking between her mother and her father. "Cathair and I would-," but before she could get out much more than that Cathair interrupted her.
Cathair just wanted to get through the evening without disaster. Having the children, especially HIS, in another room would be brilliant. Becky was a genius and he sent her a grateful look even if it left him standing awkwardly with both of her dumbstruck parents for a few moments. He had no idea what to say and the fact that her father was starting to look less shocked and more put out wasn’t helping. Saints, what a mess.
Oh no. While he knew Becky would need to smooth things over a bit, it was not her job to ask her parents’ permission for marriage. He stepped forward, shaking his head at her and squeezing her hand gently before cutting her off. “What Sadhbh said is true,” he began. “This visit was so that you could meet me and my daughter and I could ask your permission to marry Rebecca. We should have done it sooner, but things have been a bit mad lately.” There, it was done. Perhaps his daughter had the right idea after all.
Becky was about to open her mouth to tell them that it wasn't a bad thing, but a lovely one, a wedding after all. What was bad about that? But her mother opened her mouth and responded quicker than Becky could even think. "Rebecca, are you pregnant again?" she asked her daughter, knowing well and good that was part of the reason that Robbie had proposed. "I thought you said you'd wait before having more children, at least until you'd settle down. Not get pregnant and settle down afterward." That hadn't exactly gone well the first go round. "I'm sure he's a lovely man, but pregnancy isn't a reason to rush into a marriage. Bruce, tell her she's being silly."
Cathair folded his arms over his chest. “She’s not pregnant, Mrs. Matthews,” he assured the woman. “Leastwise as far as we know.” There was no way in hell her sensible parents would believe they were cohabiting, in love and not copulating as well. Denying it would be futile. “I asked her because I want to spend the rest of my life with her and have more children with her. I’m not the sort who hesitates in these matters.” It had been true when he was nineteen and he’d not changed that much. “Your daughter is too fine a woman to let slip through my fingers because convention demands these things happen in a certain timeframe. Begging your pardon for my candidness.” He was addressing a woman, after all. The mother of the woman he loved. Even if he thought she was being a bit of a shrew, he understand her intentions and wouldn’t be disrespectful.
Helen's eyes narrowed at the man. "As far as you know," she repeated, shaking her head a little. "So she might be pregnant? That's almost as bad isn't it? She lost her fiance and gave birth less than a year ago and you want to rush her into another marriage when she's barely had time to cope?" she asked. "When's this wedding supposed to be, anyway? A few months away, I'd hope."
Becky was becoming less patient with her mother the more rude she became with Cathair. "Mother, stop it. There's no need to badger him like that. I think I know when I'm ready to get married, I'm a grown woman for crying out loud. I'm not pregnant. I love him and his daughter and I want to be with him. I'd like your blessing, and Daddy's too," she said, eyes flicking to her father who remained quiet. "But I don't have to have it to marry him."
Helen as losing patience as well. "You're ready to get married but you're still wearing Robbie's rings?" she said, reaching out to gently touch the bands around the necklace her daughter was wearing. "You don't look ready."
Becky's angry look fell, hell her whole face did. She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from allowing what her mother said to hurt her too deeply. "Because I still love him too," she told her, reaching back to unfasten the necklace and taking it off. Fastening it again to keep the rings from falling off, she sighed. "What does it matter?"
Cathair was a patient man, especially with women who had every reason to be concerned about their children. She had every right to grill him from every angle. But when she turned it on her daughter, that was the line. He reached out and took Becky’s hand, pulling the necklace from it and putting it back on her. When Becky was ready, when she could do it on her own, she would. Cathair believed it. He would not have her mother making her feel guilty for loving the father of her child, whom she’d lost the way she had. His dark expression was the only hint as to how cross he was.
“I’m a widower,” he explained quietly, holding his temper. “My wife and sons died in a fire less than a year ago as well. I understand how she feels. There is always going to be a place in both our hearts for the ones we lost. If that should stop us from getting married, then we never should by that logic. Because that will not go away. There’s room for more there.”
Helen felt guilty herself when she saw the look on her daughter's face. She'd loved Robbie like a son and it had been hard to lose him from her point of view but she couldn't pretend to know how her daughter had felt, especially with a baby on the way at the time. Not to mention all the stress that came after Amy was born. And then Cathair had to go and talk about he'd lost his wife and two children in a fire and she felt like the biggest bitch in the world.
"Becky, sweetheart," she said softly, her tone calm now that she'd heard all of what Cathair had to say. She wrapped her daughter in her arms and sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all of that, I'm just worried about you, you're my baby girl. You're my only girl. I just don't want you rushing into something because he's the first guy to show you some attention or stick around to push those walls you've built up down, baby. You don't have to rush into this. You two can just have a long engagement, yeah?"
Becky shook her head, but didn't pull back from the hug. "No," she told her mother. "Next month. On the eleventh. That's when I want it to be. Why wait? I know what I'm feeling is real, I'm not eighteen. I'm not a baby anymore. I have myself and Amy to think of and I love him." It was then that she pulled back and looked at her mother, tears forming but not spilling over. "And I want you both to be happy for me because a few months ago, I just wanted the world to end. I didn't to get out of bed in the morning and Cathair," she paused and looked at the man and smiled a little despite the tears threatening to spill over. "Cathair woke me up and made me feel like I could breathe after all. Getting up isn't so bad anymore and if that isn't love, if that isn't proof that what we have is worth it, then nothing ever will be."
She was being a bit shrewish out of concern for her daughter. She didn’t have the whole story, and Cathair didn’t blame her for that. He was calmed a bit by Becky’s words, and deeply flattered. He returned her smile a bit, shoulders relaxing. She’d made life worth living for more than his daughter again. That was simply the truth of it and he’d not go another day without her if he could help it.
But that wasn’t the true issue here. Cathair was dead against waiting any longer than they had to. For more than one reason. Perhaps her parents would find it old fashioned or what have you, but not all of those reasons were romantic. “She’s already living in my house,” he told Helen. “She’s willing to do everything a wife would for her husband for me. It’d be dead wrong of me to not make her my wife as soon as possible.” He didn’t expect the woman to like that reasoning on top of it, but it was the truth. “Besides, my daughter’d never forgive either of us if she moved out so we could wait for a more acceptable courtship. I’m not telling her that. Would you like to?” Yes, that was playing dirty. It was also a bit of humour. Because this conversation needed a bit of levity.
Helen sighed and moved to the sofa, sinking down upon it. Well what could she say to that? She didn't really have a choice in the matter. Becky was going to do what she wanted to do regardless. And she'd be damned if she told that little girl she'd have to wait even longer to have her step-mother, especially given all she'd been through at such a young age. "Well then, I guess you just have to tell us when we need to arrive to help with setting things up for the wedding," she said, eyes flicking to her husband. "You have my blessing, Becky."
Cathair stepped to Becky wrapping an arm around her and drawing her close gently. Yes, that had been a dirty tactic, but it was God’s truth. They had more reasons not to wait than to wait. It was as simple as that. “That’s entirely up to you girls,” he admitted. “I’ve no head for such things and I want Rebecca to have the wedding she’s dreamed of.” He smiled softly. “Which I assume involves a great deal of your input, as she’s already figured out I’m utterly useless in this area.” He looked over at her father. “You’ve given your blessing to her. I am asking myself if you would allow me to marry your daughter. Because she is your daughter and there’s Amy and I’ll not do anything in the world to rend more holes in your family than tragedy already has.”
Bruce let out a throaty little laugh and shook his head. "You've met her mother," he commented. "Do you really think that I'm going to go against what either of them want?" he asked. "You and I'll have a talk later, while Becky helps her mother with dinner, but yes, you've got my blessing," he said, getting up from his chair with a little grunt and offering out his hand to the man who would eventually be his son-in-law. "You just take care of my girl," he told him firmly. "She's the only one I've got and I don't take kindly to men treatin' her with anything less than the utmost respect."
“Explains a bit about her brother as well,” Cathair replied with a chuckle of his own. Colin was a bit henpecked when it came to Becky and now he could see why. He was likely worse with his own mother. “Of course, sir. Thanks.” This wasn’t over and Cathair would much rather answer the practical questions her father would have then emotionally driven ones her mother had thrown at them. “For the rest of our lives,” he agreed honestly. “I don’t take it very well either, if we’re being honest.” Which is why he needed to apologize to her mother. “I’m sorry I was short and blunt with you. Because of that fact. I know your intentions were good. We could have explained ourselves a bit better. Not that we were given much a choice.” Saints, Sadhbh would be the death of him one way or another. He’d known that since the day she was born.
Helen sighed a little, but nodded. "I shouldn't have been so quick to jump to conclusions," she admitted, though even that was difficult for the woman. "But enough of that, I'd like to see my granddaughter walk. And then it'll be time to finish getting dinner on the table while you two boys get to have a nice little chat." Getting up from the sofa, Helen made her way to the bedroom where Sadhbh and Amy were still playing quietly.
Becky was glad to be through with the hard part of all this and breathed a soft sigh of relief as she moved to give her father a hug. "Don't be too hard on him, Daddy," she instructed. "He hasn't had all the time to get used to you that Robbie got."
"I apologize in advance for anything my daughter says and beg you to take her with a large grain of salt,” he told the woman dryly. He let Becky hug her father before he took her into his arms briefly for a chaste kiss. “Don’t worry about me,mo chroi,” he told her. “Done this bit before. I’ll be all right. Try to keep Sadhbh out of trouble for me.” Impossible task, but he had faith in her. Letting her go, he turned to her father. “Shall we?”
Becky smiled a little at the kiss and at his reassurances. "Good luck," she murmured, then reluctantly allowed him to leave with her father while she headed into the room where her mother and Sadhbh were. She hoped that the little redheaded girl wouldn't say anything more about Uncle Colin, but she doubted that small favors like that would really be granted to her. Distraction would be much easier. "Sadhbh, darling, would you like to help us make dinner?"
Sadhbh was all too pleased at that idea. “Yes,” she said. Then turned turned to Helen. “Becky’s teaching me to cook. “Cause Dad’s horrible at it. He can’t plait hair or dress himself either. That’s why he needs her so much.” She smiled like she’d said something incredibly profound. “What’s for supper?”
Helen smiled at the little girl. "We're making spaghetti. I'll teach you how to throw it at the wall to see if it's done," she grinned. Okay, so maybe having another grandchild, especially one adorable with spunk, wouldn't be so bad after all. "And I'm sure your father isn't all that bad. He looked decent enough tonight," she said as she shifted Amy onto her other hip and carried her towards the kitchen. The baby went into the high chair and Helen looked at her daughter. "Can you start a pot of water to boil, Beck?"
Becky was already grabbing the pot while her mother spoke, filling it with water and getting it onto the stove. "Tell me you've made your garlic bread dough," she smiled, knowing well and good her mother likely already had it ready to go into the oven.
“I’ve had spaghetti,” she told Helen matter of factly as she took Becky’s hand as they walked into the kitchen. “Uncle Colin made it for me the last time he and Cleo babysat me and Amy. It’s good.” She made a face as Helen defended her father’s fashion sense. “No. Becky dressed him. She’s learnt already not to let him do it himself.” Oh, garlic bread. “He made that, too. Cleo said that she was keeping him because he cooked so well.”
Helen had yet to be told about Cleo, partly because she rarely got to speak to Colin but on the rare occasion that he pick up the phone or she catch him not covered in grease at the shop. Usually her calls went to Becky and she'd ask about her son, but Becky left out any information on her brother's fiance because she felt that wasn't her place. If Colin wanted their parents to know, he'd tell them. Unfortunately he wasn't going to get that chance because Sadhbh didn't know better than to not say something.
Becky winced visibly at Sadhbh's words and hoped her mother would just assume Colin had a girlfriend and leave it at that, but no such luck. Collecting the butter from the refrigerator, she glanced at Sadhbh. "Want to help set the table, Sadhbh? Get that bit out of the way early." Please god let her say yes before Helen could start her interrogation.
"Who's Cleo?" she questioned, eyes flicking to the little girl and then to her daughter who was obviously hiding something.
Sadhbh had no idea what she’d said. She knew she wasn’t to talk about magic or weres or the fact that Daddy and Becky were sleeping in the same bedroom. Her father had made that absolutely clear before they’d left. But he hadn’t said anything about not talking about Cleo, except not to talk about her being a werecat.
“I can do it by myself,” Sadhbh said proudly. “I just need the plates. Where are they?” Which meant she was still in the room when Helen asked her question. “His-,” she hesitated, knowing mate would be wrong because people didn’t have mates and that was a were thing and she wasn’t to talk about weres. “Um-” What was the right word again. “They’re getting married. And having a baby. What’s the word for that?”
Becky immediately palmed her face and let out a sigh. This was not going to end well. "Sadhbh," she murmured, but the damage was already done. "Fiance," she muttered, moving her hand from her face to look at her mother. "Fiance. Cleo is his fiance. And obviously his pregnant fiance. I didn't tell you because it's his place to tell you and he planned on doing that next weekend." And he would have, had Sadhbh not let the cat out of the bag. But she didn't know any better, she wasn't aware of the can of worms that she'd just opened up.
Helen damn near fainted right there in the kitchen. She held tight to the edge of the counter and just stared at her daughter. "Pregnant?" she breathed. "I am going to ki-," she stopped herself and looked at the little girl. Threats likely weren't something she needed to make in front of a six year old. "Excuse me, I'll need to give him a phone call. Immediately. Think you can handle dinner?"
This was not good. Becky pulled her phone from her pocket and sent off the fastest text she could manage to her brother.
911. Sadhbh let the cat out of the bag. Literally. Prepare to be reamed via phone.
"Yes, mom. Of course," Becky told her mother.
Sadhbh may not know exactly what she said that was so bad, but she did recognize when someone was very cross and trying to hide it for her benefit. Which was her cue to clear off so the grown ups could talk about whatever she’d said they thought she ought not have. If they didn’t, she was fairly certain the grown ups in her life would never talk about the things they didn’t want her to say, even when they needed to. “Found them,” she declared as she scurried out to the dining room. She might be in trouble for this, although Becky didn’t seem cross.
------
Meanwhile, Colin was back at home completely oblivious. Happily so. Cleo was curled up on him practically purring afterwards and he was feeling much better. He could even have a sense of humor about how much he and Niko had overreacted. He pulled her down for a kiss, definitely thinking they needed round two before dinner. His phone beeped but he ignored it. Emergencies came as phonecalls. And he was very distracted.
------
Bruce and Cathair were also pretty oblivious to the goings on inside the house. The older man assumed his wife and daughter were busy puttering around the kitchen doing woman things and he didn't care to be involved in all that mess anyway. He didn't say anything to Cathair at first even after he'd closed the door and walked over to his workbench, pulling a bottle of whiskey from inside a toolbox and turning his attentions back on the other man. "You're Irish," he said. "I take it you won't object to a little drink, now will you?"
Cathair was a bit more concerned, merely because his daughter was on a roll tonight as far as saying everything they didn’t want her to. Of course, since they’d likely be talking about the wedding and cooking, and he couldn’t think of anything incriminating that would crop up from those two topics, he was less concerned. So he was concentrating on dealing with the conversation at hand.
“That depends,” he admitted. “On what we’re drinking.” Might as well be honest. He was Irish, which meant he was particular about his alcohol. Went without saying really.
"Whiskey," Bruce told the man, finding the plastic cups he kept out in the garage for just such things. Helen never liked his drinking, but he'd be damned if he gave it up entirely. Sometimes he needed to take the edge off, especially living with her. He loved her, but damn the woman could ride a man's ass for anything. "Southern Comfort to be exact," he said, offering Cathair one of the cups. "Figured we might as well have a drink to come down from all that, especially if you're gonna be my son-in-law. Gotta break you in right."
He was about to ask what kind of whiskey when Bruce supplied the answer. While American beer was piss, their whiskeys weren’t all bad. He preferred Southern Comfort to the others, which was smoother and more akin to the Irish whiskeys he was accustomed to. “That’s a brilliant idea,” he agreed. “Thanks.”
Bruce poured the both of them a bit in a cup and put the bottle away again. Handing over one cup to the man, he took a sip from his and cleared his throat. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Robbie," he said with a sigh. "Becky's my baby girl and if you hurt her in any way, expect to get your karma back tenfold. I don't mess around when it comes to family, I'm sure you'll understand. Just imagine what you feel for your daughter only if you'd been a father as long as I have." He didn't doubt Cathair understood his worries completely. "How do you plan on supporting my daughter?" he asked him. "I'm aware she runs that business like it's hers alone save for the mechanic work of it all, but a man's supposed to take care of his family, I'm sure you understand that."
Cathair nodded. “Fair enough,” he agreed. It was much less vicious than the threats Sean and all of Liadan’s brothers had leveled at him, but meant with as much sincerity. “I have no intentions of hurting your daughter,” he said, just to clarify his position. “We will have our disagreements, I will do daft things that upset her and such, but I also know how to apologize and admit when I’m being an arse. And buy gifts to placate her as well.” His first wife had been a much more difficult woman than Becky was. He wasn’t that concerned about it.
Ah yes, they knew nothing about him and once again, Cathair didn’t flaunt. “I own my own bookshop,” he explained. “And I have an inheritance from my mother that was well invested and such. Money is the last thing your daughter will ever have to worry about.”
"Good man," he commented, taking another sip and feeling a bit more relaxed the more than man spoke. "I just want what's best for Becky. That's all any father wants for his daughter, you as well as I." He shrugged a little his hand brushing it over the bit of hair that he had with a sigh. "I can't tell you that I like how fast this is going or that I think you two shouldn't wait, but I haven't seen her happy since before Robbie's accident. The fact that she's got a smile on her face is all that matters to me. You put it there so you've got my blessing. Just be good to her or I'll hunt you down."
“I do as well,” he admitted, taking a drink of his whiskey. “Which is why we’re not waiting much longer. She’s already lost one fiance. The longer the engagement drags on, the more sick with worry she’ll make herself. What happened to Robbie was a random tragedy that couldn’t have been prevented. If anyone is aware that anyone is vulnerable to death at any time it’s Becky. She’s terrified of losing everyone the same way. Especially me. I can’t put her through it any longer than necessary. And as I said, I won’t have her living in my house and not respect her enough to make her my wife. That’s against everything I believe, religious and otherwise and it’s setting a poor example for my daughter. Which I’ll not have.” Cathair had thought this through on all levels. Not waiting made more sense than waiting.
When he put it that way, Bruce gained a lot of respect for the man. He was right, Becky likely was terrified of losing another fiance and a long engagement would be months worth of worry and horror for the girl to endure. Bruce wouldn't have had her go through that for anything. "So a month," he said, shaking his head a little. "I'll have to get a suit. I hate suits." He shook his head a little once more and sighed. "She better be glad I love her enough to put that darn thing on. I look like an idiot in anything but jeans and t-shirts."
Cathair chuckled and took another drink of the whiskey. “You know as well as I do you’d put on a pink tutu if it’d make her happy on her wedding day,” he pointed out. “Because you love her and she’s your daughter. I know I’d do anything for my daughter, no matter how daft I feel. But if you want to make a plea for something more comfortable, you’re talking to the wrong person. I’m paying for what my father doesn’t insist on paying for, and put the whole bit for her to decide. Weddings are for brides and I want her to have the wedding she’s always dreamed of or as close as we can get in a short span of time. So it’s on her and your wife what kind of suits we’re trussed up in.”
"Likely. I'd look like hell, but I'd do it." He didn't want to think about being in a pink tutu, but Cathair was right. "I'm sure they're in there right now talking about wedding cakes and gift baskets or whatever else weddings need," he laughed. "I vote we stay out here and just get to know each other til they call us in. Make 'em think I've scared you good."
He chuckled again. “Cheers,” he agreed. “I doubt Becky will buy it, but if it’ll keep you in the good with your missus that you gave me a good what for, we can stay out here a bit. I’ve no interest in any of it. I just want her to be happy and have her as my wife. The part I’m looking forward to comes after anyways.”
-------
Helen left her daughter to finish dinner, far more concerned with reaming her oldest child for not telling her important, need-to-know details about his life. He'd been with a woman long enough to impregnate her and ask her to marry him but he couldn't so much as tell his own mother that he even had a girlfriend?! Oh yes, he was in for it. She retreated to her room and closed the door behind herself, grabbing the house phone and dialing her son's number. "You had better answer this damn phone if you know what's good for you," she muttered, mostly to herself.
Colin considered not answering, even though he knew from the ringtone it was his parent’s house. He figured Mom would at least wait until after dinner to call him and bitch about having Becky’s wedding sprung on her and interrogate him about Cath. Jesus. “Hold that thought, baby,” he groaned as he broke away from Cleo. “It’s my mom. Probably flipping out about Becky getting married to a guy she never met before.” Hopefully he could talk her down before Cleo lost interest and took a nap.
“Hey Mom,” he greeted as he picked up the phone. “I know it’s sudden. But its not that bad, okay? Becky’s happy and the guy’s loaded and his kid’s adorable.” He was hoping to head off most of the conversation he thought they were about to have.
Cleo pouted a little when he broke away, but she sighed in defeat and rested her head against Colin's chest. The sound of his heart beating was calming, but she had no idea what was about to explode over that phone line.
"Colin James Matthews," came his mother's angry voice from the other end of the line. "Rebecca is not what I'm calling you about. How dare you not tell me that you've gotten some random woman knocked up. I had to hear that I'm going to be a grandmother again from a six year old girl because my son couldn't pick up the damned phone and let his mother know that he'd gotten some girl in trouble. How long could you have possibly known this woman to already have her pregnant before I know she exists, let alone her name?!" Oh yes, she was angry. Angry at both of her children for keeping secrets and not just letting her know what the hell was going on. It was only an hour drive to come over and only a phone call away at the worst case scenario. Surely she deserved more warning than she'd gotten.
Not for long his heartbeat was calming. Colin knew he was in deep shit before the explanation even began. She’d use his middle name. Hell, she’d use his full name. Full name was way worse than just middle name. Full name meant he’d fucked up badly and was about to get it good. She was yelling into the phone, which was making his ears ring and it was making it hard to hear what she was saying.
He got enough though to get the gist of it. Fuck.
“Mom, please stop yelling,” he asked first of all. “I was going to invite you guys here next weekend to meet Cleo and tell you everything. Because it’s a lot and didn’t want to rain on Becky’s happy parade.” Yes, he had reasons for keeping things from his parents because he was not going back to Rednecksville and endanger them and he sure as hell wasn’t taking his pregnant black fiancee to that town. They didn’t need anymore reasons to get out the pitchforks and torches.
"Stop yelling?" she seethed. "I'll yell if I please, young man. How dare you not tell me before. How long have you been with her? How'd you even meet? What could possibly be the reason that you kept something so life altering from me? From your father? People only hide things they're ashamed of, so what's to be ashamed of, Colin?" She probably shouldn't have said that either, but she never really did have a filter when she was angry. It didn't help that she'd already had plenty of surprises for one night.
Cleo flinched at the woman's words, hearing every last one of them even without the yelling. Was she right? Was Colin ashamed of her and that was why he'd not told them? She didn't think so, but it certainly didn't help her keep believing otherwise to hear his own mother say the words. Getting off of Colin, Cleo collected her nightgown and pulled it over her head and found a pair of panties, pulling those on as well. Yeah, there went the mood. She didn't bother telling him she was going upstairs as she made her way in that direction. The last thing she wanted was to expose that they were living together too.
“What?” he demanded. “Ashamed of what-?” Then Cleo got off him and realized she’d heard all of that and now he was pissed himself. “Cleo, wait-” he said. “Thanks Mom. She heard you. Way to go.” Yes, she wasn’t the only one who could be belligerent when angry. He’d gotten it from her, after all. Pressing the phone to his chest, he followed after his mate. “Baby, I am not ashamed of you,” he told her, grabbing for her arm. “Okay?” God, it was bad enough he was in deep shit with his parents, he wasn’t going to have his mother upsetting Cleo with her assumptions. “Please stay here? I need you.”
"I was going to let you and your mother talk," she sighed, brushing her free hand through her hair as she looked at him. "And way to go, now she knows I live here," she pointed out, shaking her head. "I don't need to listen to her be angry at you because of me."
“Please?” he pleaded, knowing his mother was just getting more pissed and not really caring. “I am going to tell her everything and then this’ll make sense and I need you, Cleo. She’s angry at me for not telling her yet. Not about you.” God this sucked. And he couldn’t be mad at Sadhbh, because she was just a baby and didn’t know better. He was also stalling, hoping his mother got frustrated and hung up on him. He could be so lucky.
Cleo sighed, but nodded a little. She couldn't really say no to him when he was looking at her like that and telling her how much he needed her. "Fine," she murmured. "But I'm not sitting close because she's making my ears ring."
“Just come back to bed so I can be near you,” he pleaded as he led her back to the bed. “And I’ll explain that she’s making our ears hurt. They have to know I’m a werewolf. The damned town is too small.” He laid back down, one hand tangling into his hair as he put the phone back to his ear. “Mom, stop yelling,” he said. “Please. I can barely hear what you’re saying because you’re making my ears ring. It’s a werewolf thing.” God that had been hard to say. “I’m sorry.”
Cleo came back to bed and rested her head against his chest again with a little sigh. When he picked up the phone once more and let out those words, she closed her eyes and waited for the screaming that she was sure would come. But it didn't.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you didn't tell us about her," she muttered, her voice more calm than before. "You've kept that a secret for nearly a year now, Colin. Did you really think we wouldn't put two and two together or were you just hoping that it wouldn't come up in polite conversation for the rest of your life?" She sighed a little and brushed her fingers through her hair. This was ridiculous. "You're my son and I love you, but I don't like knowing that you keep things from me, especially things like this. Werewolf? Marriage, a baby on the way even. Colin, I didn't even think you had any prospects with the way you secluded yourself from the world. You didn't want to let anyone in, least of all us and now you're having a baby and getting married to a girl I don't even know?" She sighed again and looked over at the baby pictures she still had of Colin and Becky sitting on her dresser. "Is there anything else I need to know before I have an early heart attack?"
“I know you guys would know,” he snapped slightly, wrapping his arm around Cleo. Her presence alone might be the only thing that got him through this. “The rest of the town finding out is the problem. The brick through Becky’s window was the straw. That’s why I don’t home if I don’t have to. It’s too dangerous.” He looked down at Cleo, her dark skin contrasting against his. “Especially now. Mom, Cleo’s black. You know how well that will go over.” He knew his parents wouldn’t give a damn about the color of her skin, but they were also aware how ignorant their neighbors were.
He sighed. “Cleo and I are mated,” he explained, not really wanting to get into details. “She’s a were too. A werecat. Born that way, which is different than what I am. She forced me to see I was being an idiot about it and it wasn’t the end of the world. She was the first person who didn’t let me push her away.” He leaned down to kiss Cleo’s forehead. He was still so grateful that. “And the reason I haven’t told you yet is there hasn’t really been time. I met Cleo a little under a month ago. We only know she’s pregnant because of were senses. That’s why we were having you up here next weekend. Then we can actually tell people we know.” If that didn’t give her a heart attack, everything else wasn’t going to.
Cleo tensed a little as she waited for all the things his mother might say to the admissions her son had just offered up. It was a lot to take in all at once, especially after everything Becky had gone up to tell them about. The kiss to her forehead made her feel a little better, but she still didn't like how awful it all sounded. Less than a month and she'd gotten this woman's son into a lifelong mating and been knocked up with his child as well. If his mother didn't hate her, she'd be surprised.
Helen listened to her son's admissions, taking them one at a time. "I don't care if she's purple," she said firstly. "But I understand what you mean. This town isn't the least ignorant, I know. And I know how awful everyone treated you when you lived here and I wish I could make all of that go away because I want to see you more often, but I can't blame you for wanting to keep your family safe." She likely would have done the same thing in his shoes. The next admission was surprising as well and confusing all the same. "A werecat?" she asked. "Like a housecat? How does that even work. You're canine, don't you hate each other off instinct alone?" A wolf and a cat. How ridiculous.
"Just because she's the first person you actually let in doesn't mean that you should marry the girl," she pointed out. "I said the same thing to Becky. You two just hopped on the same boat and grabbed the first people that showed a bit of interest in you after a tragedy and settled down? Doesn't that sound crazy to you?"
His mom didn’t hate Cleo. She was extremely upset at him, but there was no accusations against Cleo for a reason. Colin knew exactly who his mother was rightfully blaming here. “Thank you,” he said. “It sucks not being able to come visit you guys. Especially now. Don’t you think I wanted to tell you? Yeah, I knew you’d be upset, but you’re my family. I don’t like keeping things from you or dad. And I wasn’t planning on it.” Sadhbh and her know it all big mouth. She was lucky she was adorable and hard to stay angry at. “Yeah, a house cat. She’s cute. She’s got silvery white fur and stripes and kind of looks like a little white tiger.” Yeah, he was drifting off the topic, but Cleo was pretty damned cute in her cat form. And he was completely in love with her. “No, it doesn’t work like that Mom. Especially now. The last thing I want to do is chase her down and eat her.” Okay, well, in the predator-prey sense. In the sexy fun times sense, that was a lot of fun.
But yes, talking to his mother about serious subject, so not getting distracted like that. “Mom, I know,” he said. “I told Becky the same thing when she started goo goo eying over Cath. What’s going on with her and him is not the same as what happened with me and Cleo.” And this was just going to be awkward as hell and he was trying to figure out a way to gloss over “When we got it on, I bit her and now we’re together forever.’ and have it make sense. “Mom, lifemating is permanent. At least from my side. Cleo knows this. There’s not really a choice here anymore. It’s a done deal. And she’s pregnant and I am not going to not marry her. You raised me better than that.” He sighed, and started carding his fingers through Cleo’s curls. “Yeah, it’s completely nuts. But it doesn’t change anything. I’m sorry, Mom. But it’s true.”
The more he talked, the more concerned Helen became. "So you're mated to her, permanently and she can leave whenever she wants to?" she said. "And what happens if she gets tired of playing house, Colin? Where's that going to leave you?" She was worried about her son, especially now that she knew Cleo hadn't mated to him in the same way as he had with her. Permanent on one side wasn't a very good thing as far as she was concerned. People changed their minds, especially women.
Cleo heard his mother's words and her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she looked up at the telephone as if it were some sort of rodent that needed to be decapitated and dragged about by its tail. She was not going to leave him, damn it, and it pissed her off to think his mother would make that assumption when she didn't know her. She didn't say anything but she did let out a warning little growly noise that sounded more like a feral cat than a human at all. Leave. Ha.
“I know, baby,” he soothed immediately, stroking her hair soothingly. “She can hear every word you’re saying, Mom. She’s right here. And that was rude.” Colin probably shouldn’t have said that, but the mate bond shifted his bias towards Cleo, especially when she was under attack for something completely unfounded. “We are not playing house. Yes, she can leave if she wants. She doesn’t want to. It’s really hard to explain, because a lot of it is instincts and were stuff. Please, I know it’s a lot, but worrying about that kind of what ifs isn’t going to help anybody. It’s a done deal. We’re making it work.” He sighed. “Also, I love her, she’s my fiance and please don’t talk about her that way. Dad wouldn’t put up with it the other way around and neither would you.” It was a point worth making, especially as much as the accusations were upsetting both his wolf and his mate.
Helen heard the growly noise, even through the phone and she sighed in response to her son's words. "Fine, I'm sorry. I just don't know this girl and you're my son and I want you to be happy. I don't want anyone hurting you, you should know that." She glanced at the clock and shook her head. "I should get back and help Becky with dinner before she thinks I ripped your head off through the phone," she muttered. "We'll talk about all of this more when your father and I come down. I'll do you a favor and explain everything before then," she added. "You know I love you, Colin," she went on, just in case he wasn't sure. "No matter what."
“I am happy, Mom,” he assured her. “More than I’ve been in my life. Especially now that you know everything. I wish I could have done this in person and everything, but yeah, you know how my luck goes.” He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s got enough to worry about as it is. You’ve met him and his daughter, you know what I mean.” He smiled softly into the phone. “I love you too,” he reminded her. “Stop worrying so much. You’re getting another grandkid out of this and I’m finally settling down with a nice girl.” He grinned down at Cleo. Yeah, he was brat, but his mother needed cheering up.
"His daughter talks more than Becky did at that age," she smiled. "But she's cute, so she's got that going for her. The accent makes up for the rest." Sadhbh had grown on her already and she wasn't going to pretend she hadn't. "It had better be a boy," she smiled. "I think that two little girls is enough for right now," she chuckled. "I'll call you later, Colin. Tell Cleo I said hello. Or I will, Hi Cleo." It was handy that she didn't have to play messenger with anyone. "Behave yourself, goodbye."
Yeah, Sadhbh was already forgiven. Lucky kid. “I told Becky she was just marrying him so she could be her mommy,” he told his mother. “She didn’t deny it.” He smiled at the sentiment. “You know you’ll love the baby either way,” he said. “But yeah, I’m hoping for a boy. Too many women in this family.” He grinned. “Night, Mom. Don’t go easy on Cath.”
"Can you blame her?" Helen laughed. "Goodnight, Colin," she said, feeling better as she hung up the phone and let out a sigh. Well, at least all the surprises were out of the way. Or she hoped they were. But dinner wasn't over yet so there was no telling what might happen by the time they headed to bed. "Lord help me," she sighed, getting up from the bed and heading out of the room towards the kitchen. Surely nothing could be worse than all of that.