En Famille

## Content Information

~~The Night Before~~

Tamzen sprawled face down across slightly more than half of Xander’s bed, in the hotel room that he was sharing with his teammate Roni. It had been an eventful evening for both of them, one that Tamzen had missed due to a prior obligation to help baby-sit her sister’s children. She had gotten the news of the attack on Roni from Xander, and had hurried over as soon as she was free in order to make sure they were both doing okay.

The fact that checking on them would give her an opportunity to sleep somewhere where she wouldn’t be tackled awake by one of the Goblins (as her sister and her wife lovingly referred to their brood)? That was merely a bonus, and nothing that factored into her decision to come to the hotel. Right?

*Sure*.

Roni had fallen asleep shortly after Tamzen arrived, leaving Xander to watch over them. Tamzen yawned, and turned to cuddle up next to Xander, a sleepy smile on her lips. “Oh…” she murmured, only half awake. “By the way… Abby says you’re coming over for dinner tomorrow…”

*Wait… what?* Xander’s head, already spinning from the events of the day, started racing.  *Oh fuck, I’m gonna make such a bad first impression.  I’ll be all sweaty and gross after the finals, my hair’ll be a mess.  Wait… my hair’s always a mess!  Gah I don’t have any presentable clothing either, just track pants and t-shirts!  They’re going to think I’m such a brainless jock!  Ugh… why must these important events always be sprung on me so suddenly!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.*  After a couple of seconds he whispered, “Oh, cool, that sounds like fun.”  Xander held Tamzen close, giving her a light kiss on the forehead.

“Xander…” she murmured sleepily.

“Hmm?”

“They have young children - they aren’t going to care what you’re dressed like.” A moment later, the even rise and fall of her chest told Xander that she was well and truly asleep, leaving him along with his own thoughts.

*Easy for you to say… I had to dress way better when I was a kid…* He stared up at the ceiling, his breaths shallow and heart racing.  *I hope I don’t fuck this up.  They’re probably nice people, decent people, not egomaniacal monsters.  Oh gods what if I come across as a pampered egomaniac!  Oh shit they’re going to ask questions about MY FAMILY!  What the fuck am I going to say, ‘Oh yeah I come from a long line of death merchants!  We’ve been taking advantage of other people for as long as I can remember!’  Oh god I’m totally… going… to… ugh sleepy.*  Xander’s body, having been through so much that day, finally gave in to exhaustion as he drifted off.

~~The Final Match~~

Xander lunged forward, the tip of his blade barely missing his opponent’s chest.  As the other competitor readied a strike of their own he regained his balance, and managed to reel back his blade just in time to parry the strike.  The score was 13 all, the crowd was louder than they’d been all tournament, and at that moment it felt to Xander like he and the other fencer were the only two people that mattered in the world.  Back and forth their blades clashed, Xander ducking a strike, his opponent deftly backing away just in time to avoid being jabbed.  The two went for a solid minute before the other fencer finally managed to land a hit on Xander’s chest.

Tamzen knelt on the ground near the end of the announcer’s table, ostensibly checking on the connections of the audio cables snaking back to the mixing and broadcast equipment, but mostly watching the match play out with wide eyes. She heard the tone announcing a hit, and cried out “Nooo...*c’mon*!”, winning her a sharp look from the dark haired woman manning the scoreboard. The woman leaned over to her.

“Shaw,” she hissed. “Either stop screwing around up here and go back to the rest of the equipment, or just go and watch the rest of your boyfriend’s match. You’re ruining the audio.”

Tamzen blushed bright red, and smiled sheepishly at the woman. “Sorry Tammy,” she murmured, before hurrying around the edge of the main floor towards the main seating area, and taking a seat on the edge of the stairs leading up to the higher levels.

Xander, breaths heavy and sweating profusely, sighed in frustration.  He knew what he’d done wrong to get hit, and he was about to start berating for it.  Then he caught a glimpse of someone in front of the stands, there was no mistaking that red hair done up in pigtails.  *Pull yourself together Xander, everybody who cares about you is watching right now. They’re cheering you on, the school’s cheering you on, most of all though* he looked back up to the stands and gave Tamzen a wave *she’s fucking cheering you on.  You better not disappoint any of them!*

Returning to his starting position, Xander's stance was firm.  As the referee signaled to begin again he aggressively launched himself forward.  A flurry of jabs rained down on his opponent, almost every one of them parried… almost.  The referee scored a point to Xander, as his final jab landed dead center of the other fencer’s chest.

Tamzen jumped to her feet, cheering loudly. “Go on! You’ve got this!” she yelled, smiling broadly.

Xander, focusing his eyes again on Tamzen, smiled wide watching her cheer him on.  He returned his gaze to his opponent, once more steadying himself.  The two fencers faced each other down from across the line.  The referee chopped their hand down again… and the duel to the final point began.

The two were both incredibly defensive, each one slowly approaching the other.  They nearly came together at the dead center of the competitive space, when they both stopped.  For a second neither moved an inch.  The raucous crowd grew eerily silent.  Then, with a flash, the other fencer stabbed out at Xander.  He dodged, moving smooth as a snake around the blade, and jabbed out at his opponent.  Silence, no one moved, it felt as if in that moment everyone held their breath.  Then, confetti raining, the crowd going absolutely wild, air horns sounding off around the arena.  Xander’s blade was poking directly into the other fencer’s side.  *I won… I won!?*

“Ladies and Gentlemen, an upset from the Freshman from Monsterhearts University - Xander Crossman takes the gold!”

Xander backed away, dropping his blade to the floor.  Pulling off his helmet, sweat dripping from his forehead, he looked around in disbelief.  His opponent had already begun storming off, not even attempting to shake Xander’s hand.  He didn’t care though, he was too shocked to even process it.  After what had happened last night… he was standing on top of the fucking world.  Suddenly, he felt a weight slam into his side, as Tamzen wrapped her arms around him, causing him to stagger back a step or two before regaining his balance. She kissed him fiercely. “You were *amazing*!” she laughed, then kissed him again. “Absolutely amazing!”

Xander laughed loudly and swept Tamzen off her feet, twirling her around and kissing her the whole time.  Setting her back down he smiled wide down at her.  “I can’t believe it, I can’t!  I saw you in the crowd after that last point he got, and something just clicked!  I knew I couldn’t lose if you were watching!”  He kissed her again, tightly holding her.

Tamzen relaxed against him, enjoying the sensation of him holding her, for once not noticing the masses of people around her. A minute later, the two of them were in the middle of an enthusiastic crowd, as the rest of the team and several MHU students rushed up to congratulate Xander. “It’s all you, hon…” she said in his ear. “Put me down so you can enjoy your moment in the spotlight...”

Xander gently lowered her to the floor, giving her one last kiss before getting mobbed by his teammates.  Roni was the first to get to him, putting him in a headlock as everyone swarmed around him.  Eventually the team lifted him off the ground, and paraded him around the arena.  The crowd kept roaring as Xander pumped his fist high into the air.

~~Later that Evening~~

The initial celebrations were finally over - though doubtless there would be further festivities back on campus - and the buses carrying the MHU students and the rest of the fencing team had already departed for Night Falls. Xander and Tamzen had managed to grab a quick shower to freshen up before having to check out of the hotel, and were now sitting in the back of an Uber, their destination Tamzen’s sister’s house out in the suburbs.

“So, your sister…” Xander began tentatively, “What's she like?  Is she like you or…”

Tamzen chuckled. “Kitty is an absolute sweetheart - you’ll like her. She’s…” she thought about this for a moment. “Very excitable - or maybe flighty? Abby’s more down to earth - she and Kitty make a good pair in that sense.”

“Aw, they sound cute.  Kinda sounds like a yin and yang sorta thing.”  He relaxed a bit, but then looked down at his clothes.  “So are you sure I-”

“They knew why you were in town, and they knew I was going to surprise you.” Tamzen laid a hand over his. “They aren’t expecting you to be dressed up. I *promise.*”

He sighed, his thumb trailing above her fingers and rubbing them.  “Ok, as long as you promise.”  He looked out the window to see the buildings passing by.  “The kids, there’s five of them yeah?  How’re they?”

Tamzen laughed, and there might have been a hint of hysteria in her voice. “Oh, they’re very charming… for about 15 minutes at a time.” She smiled. “But in all seriousness, they are good kids.” Tamzen opened her phone and flipped to the photo of her with them earlier in the week, and pointing out each kid as she spoke. “The two oldest are Robby and Casey - they are Abby’s two kids. Robby’s getting to that age where he really wants to be treated like a grown-up, very serious. Casey wishes she was living in a Pokemon game, if you get her started on that she will tell you about them for hours.”

Xander, looking and listening intently, nodded.  “I remember going through those kinds of phases.  Though we never had any video games in our household, so I’d probably appreciate the crash course.  I’ve always wanted to get into the Pokémon series.”

“Y’know, it doesn’t surprise me that Gertrude hates fun - don’t worry, by the time Casey is done with you, you’ll be well on your way.” She pointed at the redhead. “The one that looks like a mini-me is Laney. Actually, her name is Elaine - Kitty named her after our mother. Anyways, she’s a little dynamo. Constantly running, and I swear she could find the sole mud puddle in an open field.”

Xander laughed a bit nervously.  “My sister Katherine was like that when we were young.  Honestly she’s still like that… as far as I know.  I haven’t gotten to talk to her in a few years.”

Tamzen leaned her head against his shoulder, shifting until she was tucked up under his arm. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she sighed, wishing she knew how to comfort him. She looked down at the picture again. “Umm… anyways, then there’s the twins, McKenna and Jori. They are seven, and Kitty and Abby adopted them… I think 18 months ago or so? I just met them for the first time at Christmas. McKenna spent half of last night taking things apart - I barely got the vacuum cleaner back together, and I needed it working to clean up the rest of the mess.” She shook her head. “And Jori. Well, he’s a boy. It’s *very* important that you get that right.” She chuckled. “Actually, he’ll like you - you have a good pirate impression.”

Xander chuckled a bit.  “Yar, I do indeed lass!  I can’t wait to meet the little scallywag!”  He gave Tamzen a quick peck on the cheek.  “That’s really admirable that they’d open their home to the two of them.  Especially with how old they were at the time.  My mom had enough kids running around the house, but she always talked about adopting some after she couldn’t have kids anymore.  Would’ve been cool to have an adopted little sis or bro.”

Tamzen laughed. “I always wished I had younger siblings too. Then I spent three days with the Goblins...and I’m starting to realize that maybe I’m glad that I didn’t.”

“They must’ve been running you ragged.”  He put his hands on her shoulders, lightly rubbing them.  “Poor thing, worry not I shall ease thy stress.”

Tamzen grinned, and leaned back into his touch. “Mmm… only if you survive tonight.” The car slowed and turned into the driveway of a moderately sized two-story house. A battered robin-egg blue pickup truck was parked on one side of the driveway. She turned to look at him. “Well, we’re here… last chance to run away and forget you ever knew me,” she teased.

Xander took a nervous gulp.  “I would travel to the ends of the Earth for you Tamzen.  If I can do that, I can meet your family.”  He opened the door and slid out to the sidewalk, offering a hand back to Tamzen.

Tamzen took his hand and slipped out of the car, turning back to thank the driver. As they pulled away, Tamzen opened the app and quickly left a rating, before tucking her phone back in her pocket and giving Xander a light peck on the cheek. “You’ve got this, hon.”

She led him up the front walk, and knocked twice on the door, before opening it and peeking her head inside. “Hello the house! Is it safe to come in?” she called out. The response was a clattering of footsteps rapidly approaching the door, and a male voice responding, “You’ve got about 30 seconds before the goblin horde descends, honey - come on in!”

A short redhead with pigtail braids peered around a corner and squealed in delight - “Auntie Zee is back!”

Xander looked both amused and terrified.  “Well… this is… we should go in yeah,” he whispered.

“I have complete faith in your ability to manage this-” Tamzen giggled as she stepped into the entryway and swept the girl up off the floor. “Hey there, Laney-bug,” she said, bussing the girl on the top of the head. “Where’s Grandpa Tom and your moms?”

Laney squealed again as her feet left the ground, and laughed. “They’re in the kitchen.”

“The kitchen? That’s my favorite place - should we go find them?” Tamzen asked, setting the girl back on the ground.

Xander followed Tamzen sheepishly through the door.  The entryway was well lit and nicely decorated, flowers sat in tall plastic vases, and paintings hung high on the walls.  In fact, a lot of things seemed to sit higher on the walls than he’d expect, as if they were being kept out of reach on purpose.  He smiled watching Tamzen sweep up her niece, and slowly saddled up to her side.  “I’m also quite partial to the kitchen,” he said quietly.

Laney led them through a doorway and down a hallway towards the sound of a large family clattering around the kitchen. A pair of blondes popped out of the kitchen and ran towards them, followed by the sounds of a woman saying “Jori, McKenna… let them actually get in here first!” The girl turned back and said “Sorry, Mama!” but the boy rushed forward, until he was standing directly in front of Xander. “Is it true you have a real sword?” he demanded. “Auntie Zee says you have a sword.”

Xander looked awkwardly to Tamzen, then he gave a confident chuckle.  Lowering himself to the boy's height so he could be face to face he held up three fingers.  “Oh I’ve got more than one sword little dude, I’ve got three.”  Putting on his pirate accent Xander pointed at him.  “Aye and each of ‘em is as real as ye are young scallywag.”

Jori laughed brightly. “I wanna show you my ship, come on-” he tried to take Xander’s hand and drag him along, only to be interrupted as a dark skinned woman swept him up in her arms. “None of that now, Captain. It’s time for you to have your hardtack and grog.” The woman turned towards Xander, mouthed the word ‘milk’ and winked. “You better bring your special friend in here, Zee, or we’re never going to get this lot to settle down and eat.”

Tamzen grinned and followed after her sister-in-law. “Sorry, Abby. Anything we can do to help?”

“How’s your PB&J making game?” the other woman piped up, holding out a knife and a bag of whole wheat bread. “The kids couldn’t agree on what they wanted for dinner, so we’re having an indoor picnic.”

Tamzen looked over to Xander and raised an eyebrow. “Well, what do you think? Are we up for the challenge?”

He grabbed her hand and winked.  “I just won a National Championship, and you survived the last week.  At this point sweetheart, I’m pretty sure we could conquer any foe.  PB&J is child’s play!”

“Zee!” Abby scolded gently, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “You didn’t tell us that he won!” She turned to Xander. “You’d think she could have found a second to let us know, we’d have done a cake or something.” The red-headed woman rushed over to join them. “Yes, congratulations! I’d like to give you a hug...is that okay, or would you prefer a high-five?”

“Kitty…” Abby warned, blushing slightly. “You haven’t even been introduced to the poor boy y-”

Xander, a little flushed, just hugged Kitty himself.  “Hugs are always appreciated.”  He looked to Abby, “And don’t worry about it, they’re holding the championships here again next year anyways.  I’ll just have another reason to win twice in a row.”  He gave a wide smile to her.

Abby smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, kiddo.” She cleared some space at the island for Tamzen and Xander to work, then glanced over at Tamzen. “So, are you going to put Kitty out of her misery and introduce us to your friend, or…”

Tamzen had been distracted by seeing her family interact with her boyfriend, and started slightly as Abby addressed her. Blushing furiously, she responded: “Oh, sorry Abby.” She straightened up, and gestured at Xander. “Everyone, this is Xander. He’s my ‘special friend’ and he was here this week because he is really good at fighting with swords, and he even won a medal today.” She grinned at Xander and pointed out each of her family members in turn. “This is Abby, and my sister Kitty. You’ve already met Jori and Laney… setting the table there’s Robby and Casey, and the one with the napkins is McKenna.” Then she gestured over at the older man cutting up fruit. “And this is my dad, Thomas.”

Xander made his way through the room, greeting everyone individually with a hug or high five - mostly high fives, though McKenna did give him a quick hug - as they went about their tasks.  That is, until he reached Tamzen’s father.  He held out a hand to the older man, and greeted him respectfully.  “Nice to meet you Mr. Shaw.”

Thomas glanced over at his daughter, setting down his knife on the counter and wiping his hands on a towel. “Honey...what on *earth* did you tell this poor man about me?” He turned his attention back to Xander, and gripped his hand in the firm handshake of a man who had spent his life doing physical labor. “My girl has already talked you up to me a fair bit, so I think I’m going to have to insist that you call me Tom.”

Xander, holding his own in the handshake but clearly not a strong and sturdy, gave a sheepish grin.  “Understood, Tom.”

Tamzen’s father smiled at Xander. “Pleasure to meet you, young man. Now, I don’t aim to be rude, but…” he picked up his knife and turned his attention back to the fruit. “We did promise the sitter that we’d have the crew already fed by the time they come over tonight, so I think we’ve all got our work to finish.” He glanced over at Xander, and winked. “We’ll just have to save the traditional ‘interrogation of the special friend’ for after they’re all fed and settled. Hope that’s all right by you.”

While Xander had been making his rounds, Tamzen had already started taking slices of bread out of the bag and laying them out in pairs on the counter (“Go ahead and make them all, Zee, there’s bound to be someone looking for a late night snack tonight, or we’ll pawn the extras off on the sitter when they leave''), before spreading sunbutter across half the slices (“None of the kids are allergic, thank all, but a couple of their friends are sensitive, so it’s just easier to keep that on hand instead”). Over at the table, Robby was leaning down next to Jori, helping the younger boy set forks and spoons next to each plate, murmuring encouragement. Laney was seated on a stool next to Tom, legs swinging as she carefully picked grapes off the bunch and put them one by one into a colander to be rinsed, while Casey chattered happily about the newest pokemon she had just captured (apparently some kind of sword-ghost-thing?). Tamzen smiled at Xander as he returned to the island, and handed him a knife and a jar of raspberry jam.

He began diligently putting jam to bread, being very careful not to make any sort of mess.  Spreading each layer as evenly as possible, so that no one would complain if they got more or less than the other (though he doubted they would).   Surveying the room, seeing everyone cooperating and being supportive of one another, it was so alien to him.  *So,* he thought, *this is what family means outside the walls of that mansion.  It’s… it’s so different… but so…. good.*  As he smiled, and looked to his girlfriend, he could feel his eyes water just a touch.  *Oh no, we’re not doing that here, not now.  Don’t need them thinking I’m some sort of soft weirdo the first night they meet me.*  He quickly wiped the forming tears from his eyes, and kept spreading jam.  The more he surveyed Tamzen’s family around him, the more comfortable he became.

Then he felt a slight tug at his shirt, and looked down to find Casey right at his elbow.  “Do you like Pokémon?” Abby sighed with fond exasperation and tried to deflect the girl with a murmured “*Betii*…” but Casey barreled on. “Auntie Zee played Pokémon with me this week, and we had a lot of fun.”

Xander smiled down at the girl, set his butter knife down, and ruffled her hair a bit.  “Actually, I do like Pokémon, but I’ve never gotten to play any of the games before.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked up at him.  “You’ve never played Pokémon?  Like *never ever*?” She looked to Tamzen for confirmation of this impossibility, who nodded slightly. “Oh…” Casey looked thoughtful. “You could play on my game for a bit?” she offered hesitantly, “If you want.”

Kitty smiled over at the girl. “I’m sure Xander appreciates the offer, sweetheart, but you need to give him room to work so we can finish dinner.”

“Okay,” Casey said, taking a couple of steps back, still looking at him thoughtfully. “Kitty was Mama’s special friend before they got married… does that mean *you* are going to get married to Auntie Zee?”

Xander, completely unfazed and without skipping a beat, just nodded at the girl.  “Yeah probably at some point, just not any time soon.  That’s more up to your Auntie Zee though.”

Tamzen blushed and ducked her head, focusing on cutting up the sandwiches and stacking them on a plate, trying to avoid the stares that she was *sure* were directed at her. After a moment of (relative) silence, Kitty looked around the kitchen, clapped her hands once, and said in a cheery voice: “Well, I think we’re just about ready, so now it’s time for little goblins to go wash their hands, please.”

After the children left with varying levels of enthusiasm, Abby took the plate of sandwiches from Tamzen and placed them on the center of the table, along with plates of cut up veggies and fruit. Kitty turned to the fridge and pulled out a casserole pan, covered with aluminum foil and looked up at Xander. “Tamzen told us you were allergic to shellfish, but she didn’t tell us how you felt about spices, so I made shepherd’s pie for the adults tonight. Perfectly tasty - it’s just Abby tends to forget that us mere mortals can’t always handle her home-style cooking.”

“Oh, I don’t have any issue with spice.  I once ate a meal laden with ghost pepper when I was eight, and only regretted it a little the following day.”  He laughed with a bit of hesitation, the memory fresh in his mind.  “But I must admit, I’ve never eaten shepherd's pie.  Can I ask what’s in it?”

Kitty lifted up the casserole and checked the bottom. “It’s one of those meals that can change a bit based on what you have on hand. Today it’s corn, peas, and carrots on the bottom, ground lamb, and shredded potato and cheese on top.”

“That sounds awesome, I can’t wait to have some!  Also apologies if the allergy limited your options too much.”  He nervously laughed, “If it wasn’t so serious I wouldn’t bother mentioning it-” Catching a glance from her sister-in-law, Tamzen gently laid one hand on Xander’s, letting him know he was babbling.

Abby smiled at him. “Most of the kids don’t really go for shellfish either, so it wasn’t a hardship to work around it.”

“Oh good, good.  I’d hate to be an-” He looked to Tamzen, and let the rest of the statement lie where it was.  He glanced back up to Abby and let his manufactured smile be replaced by a more genuine one.  “Anyways, thank you very much for inviting me into your home like this.  It’s very cozy in here, much warmer than what I’m used to.”

Kitty smiled at Xander, and handed the gallon of milk to Tamzen, tilting her head towards the table. As Tamzen wandered off to fill glasses, Kitty reached out and patted Xander on the shoulder. “Some days it feels like we feed half the neighborhood, so making room for you was truly not a burden.” She glanced at Tom. “And even if it were, Zee never brings friends around, let alone a ‘special friend’, so we’d have found a way.”

“Regardless, I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet you all.  Tamzen told me a bit about each of you, and it’s good to see she’s come from such a loving family…”  He trailed off a bit, and just then he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, followed by the cacophony of five pairs of feet clattering down the hallway towards them. A moment later, the children crowded into the kitchen and took their seats.

Xander slipped the phone out of his pocket, quickly excusing himself for a moment.  *Not fucking now you old… oh… ok… good.*  The text was from Roni, they were a half hour from campus.  Heaving a relieved sigh, Xander made his way back to the island. Tamzen gave him a concerned look, quickly dispelled by a shake of his head.

Over at the table, Abby calmed the children down. “Okay, it’s time for thanks...I’ll start us off, and Mom will finish. “*For our family, and this food…”*

*“...for good weather…”*

*“...for roller skates…”*

*“...and swordfights…”*

*“...for Pokémon…”*

McKenna glanced shyly over at Xander. “*...and ‘special friends’...”*

“*...we are grateful.*” Kitty finished with a smile. “Okay, you know the rules for indoor picnic - at least one thing from every tray, and finish your milk, and then there’s a popsicle for dessert. Eat up!” The children started reaching out to fill their plates, or passing things around, their volume at only a low rumble.

Xander, watching the kids pick through each plate, was fairly impressed.  “Wow, they’re just going with it.  Not much fuss or mess…” Over at the table, Robby deftly moved a milk glass out of the way before it could be knocked over by Jori in his quest for a PB&J, “...and everyone’s getting a little bit.  That’s… really cool.”  He looked a bit wistful, remembering back to dinners with his siblings when he was young.  He was about to start talking about them… but then he thought better of it, just watching over the kids as they ate. He tried not to be too obvious about it, looking back to the adults.

Tom laughed and turned to Xander, a conspiratorial look on his face. “Shaw family secret - turns out, when you make a simple meal like this into something fun and special, then when you’ve had a long day and don’t have the energy to do more, the kids will be thrilled, and I’ve never seen anything that raised my mood better than a pack of happy children.”

“Plus, it’s a good way to clear out the crisper drawers in the fridge,” Abby added, ever the pragmatic one.

“Oh that makes a lot of sense actually.  They seem to be having a blast over there, so it’s definitely effective.”  He looked back at the kids for a second, organized chaos still occurring, then refocused on the adults.  “I’m the youngest of seven, and we were never that in step.”

Kitty laughed from over by the oven. “You wouldn’t have said the same if you were here right when we brought the twins in. It takes a while to settle in the rhythm when you are creating a blended family like ours.”

Abby smiled. “It helps that Ravi is at the age where he wants to be seen as a grown up. He’s really taken Jori under his wing - he wants to be a good role model for the boy.” She chuckled slightly. “Sometimes I worry that he’s so serious at his age, so like his father, but having a little brother after all these sisters… well, I think it’s been good for him.”

“My brother Daniel was the same with me around that age, always serious and trying to be a good mentor.  He’s turned out really well, has a little family of his own out in Oregon with his husband.  Though he’s still the same worrywart he’s always been, but Harry does a lot to balance that out.”  Xander smiled at Abby, “So, I’d say he’s probably going to do well… for what it’s worth.”  He rubbed the back of his neck a bit before looking back to his food.

Abby smiled, gratefully. “I’m glad to hear that. Sometimes I worry that he doesn’t have enough male role models - though now that Grandpa Tom is living with us, I’m not nearly so concerned,” she said, flashing a smile at her father-in-law. Then she looked at the island, and flushed in embarrassment. “I am *so* sorry! You came in and we put you right to work and we never thought to ask you if you’d like something to drink. Can I get you something? We’ve got water, milk, juice… we might even have a soda or two stashed somewhere…”

Xander flushed as well.  “Oh, no, you’re ok!  I was more than happy to help, no need to apologize!  I mean I’d like water, but like I can also go get it if you show me-” Abby intercepted him, pressed a glass in his hand, and turned him to point at the refrigerator, with it’s in-door water dispenser.

“Please, make yourself at home.”

“Oh thank you… I’ll do just that.”  He awkwardly shuffled over, pressing his glass to the dispenser.  Once he’d gotten his drink he came back.  “That’s pretty nifty, never seen one with one that feature before.”  He took a sip and settled his glass on the island.  He shifted uncomfortably a bit *oh gods I’m embarrassing myself and Tamzen in front of her family.  Uh what can I say or do to salvage this… Talk about something they may be interested in, right!  Weather… no too bland, fencing… no that’s too niche, uh uh uh…*  Xander looked like he was doing his calc homework in his head while nearly chewing through his own cheek.

Tamzen came to his rescue, looking towards her father. “So, the cottage is still empty. Ruby got the head groundskeeper job, but she decided not to move in.”

“Well, it makes sense, with that big brood of hers. It was already cozy in there just with you and your mother and I.”

Tamzen laughed. “Yeah, that’s true. At least that means I can keep the truck parked there.” She got quiet for a bit, then sighed. “Still weird to see it empty, though.”

Tom reached over and pulled her into a hug. “It’s all right, honey. I know moving to the dorms was hard for you. But look what you’ve got to show for it! All those new friends that you’ve been telling me about!”

Tamzen smiled into his shoulder and relaxed into the hug. “You’re right, but I still miss you.”

Xander just silently watched their interaction unfold, giving a supportive smile in Tamzen’s direction.  *This is what it’s like huh… this is what a family is supposed to be.*  He glanced around the room, taking everyone in, each of them talking and laughing.  *Emotions flowing free as water.  Sadness comforted, laughs reciprocated, mistakes corrected with kindness and attention.* He poked at his water glass, seeing a bit of his reflection in it.  *I guess I knew this type of family at some point…* He remembered back to family dinners when he was really young.  His mom directing traffic, his dad going around the table asking the kids about their days, everyone normally cheerful.  *But not anymore…* He flashed back to his teen years, sitting alone at a table, a butler his only company.  Gertrude only coming around to tell him when meal time was over, and reminding him it was time for more tutoring.  If she was even around, and it wasn’t Ms. Potts that is.  Everyday, just like that after Katherine left, for five years...

A light hand rested on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. “You doing okay, kiddo?” Kitty asked softly, concern in her eyes. Tamzen and Abby were deep in conversation with Tom regarding some amusing story about a couple of his colleague’s children. “You seemed a bit…*lost*…there for a second.”

“Oh um… y-yeah I’m f-”  He stopped himself, and lightly shook his head.  “Sorry I uh, I was just remembering something.  Seeing everyone here together, happily chatting and supporting each other is just… I guess it brought some stuff back into my head.”  He paused and beamed a smile towards her.  “I’m ok though, nothing to worry about.”

She nodded, understandingly. “Yeah, Zee...well, she kinda warned us that your family has...issues.” She placed her other hand on his other shoulder and looked up at him. “If you need a moment, there’s a guest bedroom at the end of the hallway, with a bathroom. I promise you no one will bother you while you’re in there.”

“O-oh no, that’s not necessary.  I don’t want to cause any sort of scene.  I’ll be f-”

Kitty gave him a stern look, softened by her obvious concern for him. “Look, if you don’t need it, that’s one thing. But if you are turning it down just because you don’t want to make a scene, then please…stop apologizing for needing to take care of yourself. I don’t think Abby realized how hard this might be for you when she invited you over tonight - we want you to be comfortable here, okay?” She reached up and brushed a hint of a tear from the corner of Xander’s eye.

“Okay,” he said quietly, trying to stifle any attempts from tears to escape his eyes.  “I’ll uh, I’ll be ok.  I like it here, and you’ve all done a great job of making me feel at home.  It’s uh… it’s just not something I’m used to is all.  I’m s… so happy to be here.”

She watched him intently for a moment, then pulled him into a hug. “All right, kiddo. The offer stands if you need it, okay?” She released him, and turned to the main conversation with a “No! They *didn’t!*”

Xander composed himself, and looked over to the kids.  He caught a glimpse of Ravi showing Jori how to use his fork properly (and not try to duel the others with it).  He smiled at the both of them.  Ravi looked up to see Xander looking over, and gave a thumbs up to him.  He returned the boy's gesture in kind, and returned his attention to the adults.  Listening intently, Xander tried to piece together what the conversation was about.  Overhearing that they were talking about adventures into the wilderness, and waiting for a lull, Xander eventually spoke up.  “I actually attended a ropes course not too long ago near campus. It was kind of meant to be a PR move for my friend Iva, she’s running for a position in student gov, but it wound up actually being pretty fun in the end…”

Xander kept regaling the others with that day, and all the shenanigans it entailed, until the kids had finished eating, and everyone focused on getting leftovers packed away and dishes put in the dishwasher, and the dining area wiped down and swept up. Everyone had their own task to do, so the whole process took less than five minutes, and ended with the children receiving a popsicle from the freezer just as the doorbell rang.

“Tavey’s here!” Ravi called from the hallway. “Can I let them in?”

“Go ahead!” Kitty called back. “I’ll be right there to talk to them.” She quickly put the lid on the last container of leftovers, and stuck them in the fridge, and wiped her hands off before disappearing down the hallway towards the entryway. Abby took a turn around the kitchen and dining room, inspecting the results. “Okay, good work crew - Tavey’s here to keep you company for awhile while Mom and I and Grandpa Tom visit with Auntie Zee and her friend.” There was a limited amount of pouting at this… (“But I wanted to show him my ship” “He was going to play Pokémon with me…”) but Abby shooed them gently out of the kitchen. “We’ll send the two of them upstairs to visit with you after the adults have had a chance to talk, so go be good for Tavey, okay?”

“Yes, Mama…” came the chorus of replies, no longer quite so sullen. They left, chattering about what they wanted to show the babysitter first, and for the first time all evening, the adults were alone in the room.

“Phew… I love those kids, but they are a handful sometimes,” Abby said, leaning back against one of the counters and dramatically fanning her face with a pot holder.

Xander chuckled a bit.  “At least they’re all around the same age, my oldest sisters are in their late thirties now.  For twenty years or so there was always at least one little kid running around.”  He settled himself against the island, and looked to where the kids had left from.  “They seem like a great bunch though.”

“They’re the absolute joy of my life,” Tom agreed. “But then again, being a grandfather means all the fun with none of the work… or at least it did until these two took me in.” He gave Tamzen and Xander a woeful look.

“*Psh*,” Kitty chided as she came back into the room. “Don’t let that man fool you, Xander. He still gets to be the fun one, as far as the kids are concerned. Don’t think I don’t know how bedtime *mysteriously* gets forgotten when we leave ‘Grandpa Tom’ in charge for the night.” She gives Xander a sly look. “Honestly, we hire someone to come help out when Abby and I need to be out, but half the time I think that we’re mostly hiring someone to keep Dad here out of trouble.”

Tom looked like he was about to speak to his defense, when the oven dinged and everyone’s attention was redirected towards getting supper on the table. Tamzen and Xander were pressed into service to set the table, while Abby and Kitty quickly tossed a salad, and Tom carefully eased his way down off the stool where he had been sitting all evening, and slowly moved over to the table, using a cane to help support himself. Tamzen hurried around the table and pulled out the nearest chair for her father, and met Xander’s eyes, shaking her head slightly in a warning not to ask.

Xander glanced at Tom briefly, and caught a glimpse of a prosthetic leg, barely visible beneath the hem of his pants.  Xander turned his attention away and continued setting the table, chiding himself for staring even for a second.  He focused on the task at hand, gently setting each fork and knife in their place.  This was something he’d practiced before, and had gotten quite good at.  Folding the napkins into triangles, gently placing them on the table with the plates.  He didn’t stop until every place was in precise order, even stopping to ‘fix’ one of Tamzen’s setups ever so slightly.  He looked at the table with a bright smile, and waited for everyone else to set the food down and take their own seats.

A moment later everyone had taken a seat at the round table, leaving Xander to sit between Tamzen and Abby. As soon as he had taken his seat, Tom looked around to the others, before turning to Tamzen. “Care to do the honors, honey?” Tamzen nodded and closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly. “*For this food, and this family, and the love that makes both possible, we are grateful.”* A murmur of assent swept around the table as Abby picked up the salad bowl, served herself, and passed it around the table.

Xander watched and followed everyone, serving food for himself when it was his turn, passing along any food after he was done.  He was careful not to take too much, as he didn’t want to be rude.  However, once everyone had gotten their fair share, he realized he had taken far less than anyone else.  Trying not to draw attention to it or himself, he sat quietly as he decided what to go for first.

Dinner passed uneventfully, the distant clamor of the children playing covered by the clink of silverware on dishes and pleasant conversation so skillfully managed by Abby and Kitty that only Xander seemed to notice that nothing of any substance was discussed. Perhaps not surprising, considering their respective careers, but an impressive display of skill nonetheless. After the meal was over (and after Kitty had made sure that Xander had gotten seconds), the adults made their way down the hall towards the den.

Tamzen was set to follow them, when Kitty placed one hand on her younger sister’s shoulder. “Would you stay here and help me get everything cleaned up and put away? We can bring the coffee down with us when we go.” Tamzen nodded, sparing a glance towards the hallway, and Kitty laughed softly. “He’ll be fine without you for a few minutes, it’s not like either of them bite.”

The den was a comfortable room at the other end of the first floor, filled with well-loved furniture and still sporting the wood panelling that betrayed the house’s age. Thomas settled into an overstuffed armchair with a bit of a groan. “Prerogative of the agéd,” he explained with a grin as Abby entered the den and firmly shut the door behind her.

“All right, young man - take a seat,” Thomas instructed. “Kitty’s keeping Tamzen busy, so let’s get this conversation over with before they come join us.”

Xander resembled a cornered animal as he settled into an empty spot on a couch.  “A-alright sir,” his voice shaking a bit, “W-what did you want to talk about with me?”

Thomas snorted and glanced over at Abby, who was still leaning against the wall by the door. “Nobody ever called me ‘sir’ my whole life - why is it that I seem to be getting it everywhere I turn, these days?”

Abby gave him an amused look, and nodded in the direction of his cane. “Probably because you’re armed now.” Thomas chuckled, and replied “Maybe so,” before turning his attention back to Xander.

“You can relax, Crossman - my Tamzen is a smart girl and she can make her own choices about her relationships. She hasn’t given us any sense that you don’t treat her with the respect she deserves, and we certainly didn’t notice anything like that here either. It’s pretty damn clear to me that you care for her, and that’s all that matters to us.”

Xander nodded along, listening with intent.  “Her happiness and safety have been my top priority since we met.  I want nothing more than to do right by her everyday, and help provide her the respect and dignity she deserves.”

Thomas nodded. “I’ll admit that I was a tad concerned by how… intense this relationship seems to be - you probably already know that you’re the first person she’s ever gone out with - but seeing both of you together? Well, it doesn’t just seem like infatuation to us. Sometimes it just happens, when you find the right person.” He shrugged. “Was that way with my and my Elaine, so I’m not one to judge - as I said, my Tamzen is a smart one.”

Abby crossed the room and took a seat on an ottoman directly across from Xander. She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, looking at him intently. “But we are concerned. We expected to see a giddily happy bundle of energy arrive on Wednesday, given what we’d heard about you. And that’s not what we got. So, now we’re going to ask you… what’s she not telling us about the two of you?”

Xander froze up, he knew had to be honest with these folks.  He wasn’t about to lie directly to them, he didn’t want to make them think ill of their relationship.  Without much hesitation he let out a hard sigh.  “My grandmother’s gotten involved in our relationship.  We were on a date, and she just showed up and started messing with us.  I’ve been worried about something like this happening from the beginning.  She tends not to let any part of a family member’s life slip by her.  She’s in Night Falls now, and she’s watching me like a hawk.  Even Tamzen’s gotten on her radar, and mixed up in my mess.”  His knuckles were white as he gripped his pants, tears barely being held in.  “It’s not how I wanted any of this to go, and I’m so sorry that she’s gotten dragged into this.”

Thomas and Abby looked at each other uneasily for a long moment, then Abby turned her attention back to Xander. She seemed to be choosing her next words very cautiously. “She hasn’t given us a lot of details about your family, and maybe that’s because you haven’t shared them with her, but she’s been distinctly cagey about what they do.” She sighed heavily, and straightened up. “Sometime, when people talk about their family… especially in the context of a family business… well, sometimes they’re talking about something more than just blood relations, if you take my meaning…’

Xander looked her in the eyes and shook his head slightly.  “I honestly don’t understand what you’re getting at... sorry.”

Abby shot him a look, then softened somewhat after recognizing his confusion was sincere. “You’ve got a large family, headed by a single powerful individual, who makes it her business to be heavily involved in the lives of the members of that family. And not a lot of talk about the other members of your family… I’m not asking you to betray any confidences, because I know how...*difficult*… that can be, but… Well, if Tamzen’s caught up in it, then we need to know…”

Thomas looked at his daughter-in-law, then back at Xander. “Abby, honey. Stop trying to be a lawyer and put the poor man out of his misery.” He looked over at Xander. “She’s trying to ask if the Crossmans are the Mob.”

“Oh… *ooh*.”  Xander frantically waved his hands in front of him.  “Oh no nothing like that, nothing illegal or anything!  My grandmother is the current Board of Directors Chairwoman for Dynasty International.  She-“

“*Fuck*,” came the muttered response from Tamzen’s sister-in-law, who buried her face in her hands as Thomas turned to her with a shocked expression. Still not raising her head, Abby spoke again. “Your grandmother is *Gertrude* Crossman? You’re one of *those* Crossmans?”

“Oh gods you know her… Y-yes, I’m her youngest… un-estranged grandson.”

“Oh, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting your grandmother. The Dynasty legal team... yeah, we’re *quite* familiar with them at my firm.” Abby’s head was still buried in her hands. “Gods, I almost wish you *were* with the mob.”

Xander shifted uncomfortably.  “Trust me… you and I both.  I’m sorry for any trouble her, and that damnable company, have caused you and your firm.  I’ve come to understand more about how that company treats people over the last few years, and I can only guess it wasn’t pretty.”

“*Okay*…” Abby muttered, mostly to herself, before repeating the word several more times in quick succession. “*Work the problem, Abby*...” She took a deep breath and straightened up, pinning Xander with her gaze. “So, how is Tamzen wrapped up in this?”

Xander held her gaze, trying not to flinch away.  He stayed as calm and still as he could.  “All of my siblings and cousins have either cut all ties from her, are dead, or in the case of my brother Silas, are locked up.  I’m the only person left she can conceivably hand the company over to when she dies.  The woman is obsessed with keeping some sort of Crossman lineage alive, and keeping them in the image of herself.  I’ve turned down every person she’s ever tried to force a relationship on me, and now suddenly I’m with Tamzen and she’s found out.”  He finally let his tears go, unable to hold them in any longer.

Abby reached out a hand and laid it on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. “It’s okay to cry, but please stay with me here… is Gertrude going to try to get Tamzen out of the picture? Is my sister-in-law in *danger* from her?”

“No,” he choked out, “It’s worse than that.  She wants Tamzen to take over the damned company!  She finds her more palatable than me, and threatened her with taking me away if she didn’t comply.  I tried to tell her she should let me go, that it wasn’t worth it, but she wouldn’t listen.  Now Gertrude’s trying to mold her into another fucking Gertrude, and there’s nothing I can do about it.  It’s all my fault, if I’d just done something I…”  Xander couldn’t keep his composure any further, and started to break down.  He sobbed loudly, only barely managing to get an, “I’m so so sorry…”

Abby got up and moved to sit next to Xander on the couch, wrapping her arm around him and pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay,” she murmured, letting him cry until he had calmed down a bit. “What happens if you try to leave?” she asks, quietly.

“She’ll make my life hell…”  His eyes were focused on the floor.  “I’ll be thrown out of college.  She’s on the Board of Trustees for MHU, and she’ll get me expelled.  She’ll call in favors to keep me from going professional in fencing, making sure I can never get into events or garner any sponsors.  If I just try to disappear… she’ll track me down and make sure I can never find work.  She did it to Daniel for years after he walked away from the family, until his husband got involved and beat her back with his own company.”  Xander looked back up to Abby, his face still stained with tears and his eyes cold as ice.  “Nobody leaves the family freely, everyone winds up paying a price…”

“*Cui bono*…” Abby muttered under her breath. “And if you would walk away, without consequences?”

“I’d have left the day I met Tamzen...”

Abby was silent for a long moment, just holding Xander close to her. “Okay then… listen up kiddo, because this is important. Dynasty International is a powerhouse, but they can lose - my firm has even done it, once. And Gertrude Crossman is dangerous, and has plenty of ways to make your life miserable, but you’re forgetting something important.” She shifted so that she could look him in the eyes. “Despite the worst she could do, everyone in your family has walked away. *Who benefits* when you believe that you are trapped, that there’s nothing for you outside the path she’s laid out for you?”

“She does… but-”

Abby shook her head. “Don’t let her get into your head, Xander. Not right now. People have walked away from her time and time again. She’s *losing*, and people like Gertrude Crossman don’t like to lose.” Abby glanced over at Tom, who nodded. “Right now, all you need to know is that you *do* have a choice. You’ll have to fight like hell for it, but it exists. And when you decide that you’re ready… we’ll be here to help you.”

The tears began running from his eyes again, and Xander gripped onto Abby tightly.  *I don’t deserve this* he thought, *gods I don’t fucking deserve this.  These folks are too good to have been dragged into this mess, but if they’re anything like Tamzen, there’s gonna be no talking them out of helping me.*  “T-thank y-y-you… I’m s-s-so sorry to have g-gotten any of you i-i-invo-”  He cut himself off, as he sobbed once more.

She sighed softly and pressed her forehead into the top of Xander’s head. “Look, this isn’t something we can move quickly on - we want to make sure everything is in place before we tip our hand. So just keep a low profile for now, and let her think she’s winning.” She hesitated, then continued. “This is completely up to you… I’m not asking you to betray any confidences, but… this *will* be easier to pull off if we can find some leverage on her or Dynasty, in case it comes down to a legal battle. So just… keep that in mind, okay?”

“Ok… but she’s not going to spill anything to me.  Even if she thinks she’s winning I’ll never hear a word of what’s going on, unless it’s some sort of threat against me.”  Xander paused for a second and then nodded his head.  “Tamzen will wind up knowing a lot more, she’s the one Gertrude’s ‘mentoring’ after all.”  He wiped away his tears, and some confidence began to show.  “I’m in though.  Gertrude’s terrifying, but I won’t have her screwing with my or Tamzen’s lives like this long term.”

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door, followed by a quick pause before Tamzen slipped inside. She took in the scene in front of her, Abby comforting Xander while Thomas watched from his chair, and all three of them filled with determination. She gave them a hesitant smile. “So… if you two are done with my boyfriend, Jori’s been asking if ‘Sandy’ could *please* come up and see his ship before he has to go to bed…”

~~A few hours later~~

As she had expected, the quick trip up to visit the children had turned into an extended play session, and it had taken nearly an hour before she and Xander had managed to free themselves to return to the adults. After a bit of coffee and some dessert - there may not have been a cake, but Kitty had managed to make some cookies - it was time to head out.

Saying her goodbyes to everyone, Tamzen grabbed her keys and went to start up the truck, leaving Xander to follow after.

He went around the room, giving Kitty and Abby hugs, and stopping in front of Tom.  Still keeping all of them in view, he held out a hand to him.  “I promise, I’ll do my best to keep her safe.”

Tom laughed and squeezed Xander’s hand tightly.  “I know you will.  Now don’t keep her waiting too long.  We’ll see you again soon.”

Xander gave him a sharp nod and followed Tamzen out the door.  Turning to face her, he finally took in all of her truck for the first time… and he was shocked.  “Wait… Tamzen… you drove *this* up here!?”

She gave him a confused look. “Well, it was a little too far to walk, so… *yes*?” She slid into the driver’s seat and turned the key into the ignition, listening to the engine whine and sputter to noisy life. “She made the trip just fine - and look…” she gestured to a picnic basket that had been stuffed in the middle of the bench seat. “Kitty packed some leftovers for the road - she said you hadn’t eaten enough for someone who had spent the week competing, so you were probably starving.”

“Aw gosh, that was really sweet of her.”  He slid into the passenger’s side, closing the door with a rusty creek behind him.  “Wait a second…”  He gave her an accusing stare.  “Oh no you don't, sweetheart, we’re still gonna talk about this here death trap.”

Tamzen grinned, fastened her seatbelt, and waved to her family as she shifted the truck into reverse and started pulling out of the driveway, looking carefully to both sides for oncoming traffic. “Well, we’re going to have to talk about it while we’re on the road then, won’t we? We won’t get back to Night Falls just sitting here, after all.”

His eyes narrowed as he fastened his own seatbelt.  “You win this round Shaw.”  He looked around, taking note of any minor broken or rusted piece.  “How in the absolute hell is this thing still moving without falling apart?”  He turned to her with concern.  “It isn’t going to explode is it?”

“Relax… it was owned by a nice old man who only drove it around the neighborhood… for twenty years. Or so.”

“Twenty years!  How old is this thing?”

She shifted the car into a higher gear turned onto a main road, ignoring the increased vibrations as they picked up speed. “It’s a *classic*,” she replied as though that would explain everything. “They don’t make them like this anymore.”

Xander grabbed onto the door to keep himself steady.  “Yeah and there’s a damn good reason for that!  People also used to die in car accidents a lot more, but we don’t consider them *classic* deaths now do we!”

“Well, it’s not like I drive this all the time, do I?” she reminded him. “Relax, she’ll smooth out once we hit highway speeds.”

“Tamzen the thought of this thing going upwards of eighty miles per hour does little to soothe me.”  He gripped the door even harder.  “When we get home we’re going to do one of two things.  Either we’re going to a dealership-”

“You’re *not* buying me a car, Xander,” she replied, firmly.

“Or we’re getting a mechanic to take a look at it so there’s a lower likelihood of you being in it when it disintegrates.”

“I’ll think about it.”

He sighed, “If it makes you feel better about it, I can make that your birthday gift?”

She drove in silence for a while, before finally relenting. “Fine… I’ll take it in, and then once I see what it needs we can *discuss* you helping out-”

He lit up a bit.  “Alright I can-”

“-but only if you promise that you’ll lay off on the complaints for the rest of the drive home.”

He contemplated for a second, then stuck his tongue out at her.  “These terms are acceptable.  It’s a nice little truck that has never done anything to endanger a human life in its existence.”

Tamzen turned onto the on-ramp to the interstate, and grinned over at him. “Now, that’s probably a *bit* of an overcorrection - hang on!” she said as she brought the truck up to speed.

The less said about their drive back to Night Falls, the better, but at least Tamzen was telling the truth - the ride *did* significantly smooth out once they got going, and despite Xander’s fears, both they and the truck made it back to campus in one piece.

They parted ways in the entryway of Carter Hall, and returned to their rooms shortly after midnight, both to collapse immediately from the exhaustion of the past few days.