"Really...? Really? Are you...sure...? Oh...wow," Devi replied softly, both stunned and excited.

"Of course I'm sure!" Emilia told her confidently, giving a small nod. "I have experience in these matters, dear. Plus, I know my son extremely well."
---

"Who said I chose?" Jack replied, somewhat joking.

"Heh. What's that supposed to mean?" Jean inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Of course I'm sure!" Emilia told her confidently, giving a small nod. "I have experience in these matters, dear. Plus, I know my son extremely well."

Devi flushed deeper crimson, cupping her cheeks in embarrassment and joy. She fought with the conflicted feelings of anxiety and excitement, at a loss as to which one would win. Looking up meekly at Emilia, she asked softly, "What...what should I do?"

---

"Heh. What's that supposed to mean?" Jean inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Jack murmured, looking at his son from the corner of his eye. "You weren't exactly planned and your mother can be persuasive as hell when she wants to be...."

"What...what should I do?"

Emilia gaped at her. "What should you... say yes, of course!! Jean's too old to be unmarried and I'm tired of waiting for grandbabies!" Smiling happily, her eyes glazed over at the thought. Then, her expression sobered, and she smiled sheepishly and added, "I mean, say yes only if you really want to be with him."
---

"You weren't exactly planned and your mother can be persuasive as hell when she wants to be...."

"Well, thanks, Dad, for reminding me that I was an accident," Jean teased, taking a drink from his water glass before leaning up against the arm of the chair, his gaze drifting lazily across the barren landscape around them. Shifting in the chair again, he sighed, a slight frown crossing his lips.

Emilia gaped at her. "What should you... say yes, of course!! Jean's too old to be unmarried and I'm tired of waiting for grandbabies!" Smiling happily, her eyes glazed over at the thought. Then, her expression sobered, and she smiled sheepishly and added, "I mean, say yes only if you really want to be with him."

Devi averted her eyes to another side of the room, blushing profusely as she stammered, "O-of course I...I want to...be with him..." I don't know about grandbabies, though, she thought forlornly. She hid her face in her hands, trying to dispel the crimson on her cheeks.

---

"Well, thanks, Dad, for reminding me that I was an accident," Jean teased, taking a drink from his water glass before leaning up against the arm of the chair, his gaze drifting lazily across the barren landscape around them. Shifting in the chair again, he sighed, a slight frown crossing his lips.

"Yeah, but you were a happy accident," Jack teased back. "So damn happy...couldn't shut you up." He then looked at his son and the frown on his lips. Interpreting this expression wrongly, he furrowed his brow and inquired in a gruff tone, "You aren't repeating the same thing are ya? She pregnant? Be honest now, boy..."

"O-of course I...I want to...be with him..."

"Oh, are you crying?" Emilia inquired bluntly, noticing that Devi had covered her face with her hands. "Really, marriage isn't too awful, promise!"
---

"You aren't repeating the same thing are ya? She pregnant? Be honest now, boy..."

"I swear, she's not," Jean replied in a dry, exasperated tone. "Don't worry, I'd let you guys know if she was, but she's not. See, thing is-" He glanced discretely toward the back doorway before continuing- "Dev... she can't have kids."

"Oh, are you crying?" Emilia inquired bluntly, noticing that Devi had covered her face with her hands. "Really, marriage isn't too awful, promise!"

Devi looked up almost immediately, her face still bright crimson, and replied, "No...no. I'm not crying! I'm just....a bit....embarrassed....kinda." Then, realizing something, she perked up and asked, "What do you mean by not being 'too awful'?"
---

"I swear, she's not," Jean replied in a dry, exasperated tone. "Don't worry, I'd let you guys know if she was, but she's not. See, thing is-" He glanced discretely toward the back doorway before continuing- "Dev... she can't have kids."

"Ah....Sorry to hear that, son. And your poor mama was hoping for some grandkids, too..." Jack's cheeks paled slightly as his son told him the news. He coughed once, trying to clear the discomfort in the air, and then reached into his front shirt pocket and pulled out a cigar and a pack of matches. Looking over to Jean, he arched a brow and inquired, "Aren't you going to light one up, too?"

"No...no. I'm not crying! I'm just....a bit....embarrassed....kinda."

Emilia sniffed the air haughtily. "Hmph. Marrying Jean is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"What do you mean by not being 'too awful'?"

"Well... surely you saw your parents fight when you were a child," the older woman said. "Oh... unless they were the type that fought behind closed doors..." she then added, her brow furrowed in thought.
---

"Ah....Sorry to hear that, son. And your poor mama was hoping for some grandkids, too..."

Jean gave a small, sad smile, trying to quell the uncomfortable feelings that tended to well up within him when Devi's inability to have children was brought up. It didn't happen often, and in all honesty, he personally wasn't too upset about it, but he knew that it bothered her.

"Aren't you going to light one up, too?"

Jean stared at his father's cigar for a second, his eyes full of longing. The urge to smoke clawed at him constantly, and it took every shred of willpower to keep from digging out his old lighter and finding a pack of smokes, especially in stressful situations (and bringing his girlfriend along to meet his parents certainly qualified as stressful...)

Wrenching his gaze away, Jean took a drink from his glass before saying in a low voice, "I'm, er, trying to quit."

Emilia sniffed the air haughtily. "Hmph. Marrying Jean is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Huh? Wait! No, I didn't mean it that way!" Devi gasped, realizing she had just said something that could be taken offensively. Waving her hands wildly she added, "I-I just meant that...I....I'm embarrassed that I didn't realize it! As for marrying Jean...that makes me...um...happy." Devi's cheeks burned crimson as she once again hid her face in her hands.

"Well... surely you saw your parents fight when you were a child," the older woman said. "Oh... unless they were the type that fought behind closed doors..." she then added, her brow furrowed in thought.

"I...uh...wouldn't really know. I don't remember my parents," Devi replied sheepishly, feeling a bit awkward about her mysterious past.

---

Wrenching his gaze away, Jean took a drink from his glass before saying in a low voice, "I'm, er, trying to quit."

Jack paused, cigar braced between his teeth, as he looked over at his son in shock. "The hell you say? Quitting?" he gasped, nearly losing the cigar as it fell from his lips into his hand. "Is this a joke? You sick or something, son?"

"I...uh...wouldn't really know. I don't remember my parents," Devi replied sheepishly, feeling a bit awkward about her mysterious past.

"Oh..." Well, that explained some things. No wonder the poor girl knew nothing of marriage. "I am... sorry to hear that," Emilia said a bit awkwardly, a number of questions surfacing in her mind. She wasn't sure where to start and decided that, at this specific moment, a distraction would be necessary.

Reaching beneath one of the tables, she pulled out another album, turning it to a random page before thrusting it toward the younger woman. "More pictures!" she exclaimed, her voice painfully bright.
---

"Is this a joke? You sick or something, son?"

"Devi's sensitive to the smoke," Jean replied hastily. Then, so his father wouldn't think he was a complete pushover, he added, "Besides... we've got a sort of reward system worked out."

Reaching beneath one of the tables, she pulled out another album, turning it to a random page before thrusting it toward the younger woman. "More pictures!" she exclaimed, her voice painfully bright.

Devi winced ever-so-slightly at both the pitch of the woman's voice and the action of having something rushing towards her. She then opened her eyes completely to peer at more photo's of Jean as a child. Her heart melted once more at the sight and she sighed, once again content. "He really was adorable..."

---

"Devi's sensitive to the smoke," Jean replied hastily. Then, so his father wouldn't think he was a complete pushover, he added, "Besides... we've got a sort of reward system worked out."

Arching his brow in interest, Jack leaned in closer to his son and inquired, "Hm....what kinda of reward system...?"

"He really was adorable..."

"I know, he gets it from me," Emilia joked, smiling sweetly. Then, remembering her duty as a host, she added, "Are you thirsty? There's still some lemonade left in the kitchen..."
---

Arching his brow in interest, Jack leaned in closer to his son and inquired, "Hm....what kinda of reward system...?"

Jean cast his father a teasing grin. "The good kind."

"I know, he gets it from me," Emilia joked, smiling sweetly. Then, remembering her duty as a host, she added, "Are you thirsty? There's still some lemonade left in the kitchen..."

Devi laughed, catching on that Emilia was joking. A soothed, relaxed smile crossed her lips as she once again felt at ease around the woman. She looked up and smiled sweetly, nodding somewhat as she replied, "Um...now that you mention it, I am a bit thirsty...yes, please."

---

Jean cast his father a teasing grin. "The good kind."

Jack looked from his son to his cigar and then back towards the house. He looked back at the cigar, then to the house again before shaking his head and frowning. "Nope. Not even for your mother," he replied, sticking the cigar back between his teeth. A sly, cheeky grin crossed its way onto his lips as he added, "Now...maybe for a girl like yours..."

"Um...now that you mention it, I am a bit thirsty...yes, please."

"All right then. I'll be back soon," Emilia said, a pleasant smile crossing her features. She stood, disappearing into the kitchen for a few moments before returning, two tall glasses of lemonade in her hands. Settling down carefully into her seat, she held one of the glasses out toward Devi, peering interestingly at the photo album. "Which picture are you looking at now?" she asked.
---

"Now...maybe for a girl like yours..."

"Come on, old man, we both know that you wouldn't quit even for her," Jean told him, smiling in an amused fashion. Hell, even I'm having some trouble, he thought, wishing that his father would stop waving that cigar around...

"All right then. I'll be back soon," Emilia said, a pleasant smile crossing her features. She stood, disappearing into the kitchen for a few moments before returning, two tall glasses of lemonade in her hands. Settling down carefully into her seat, she held one of the glasses out toward Devi, peering interestingly at the photo album. "Which picture are you looking at now?" she asked.

"Thank you," Devi replied politely as she reached over and gently took the glass from Emilia. Her gaze drifted back to the photo album as she pointed to a small photo in the corner. It was a picture of Jean as a child, sleeping spread-eagle with a line of drool streaming from his mouth and his stomach exposed. Smiling, she traced an invisible outline of the figure with her finger before looking up and giggling softly. "So...I take it he's always been this way?" she responded with a caring look in her eyes as she looked back at the picture. "He looked just like this on the train today..."

---

"Come on, old man, we both know that you wouldn't quit even for her," Jean told him, smiling in an amused fashion. Hell, even I'm having some trouble, he thought, wishing that his father would stop waving that cigar around...

"I don't know..." Jack drawled, looking back towards the house before a lecherous smirk crossed his features. "By that pretty young thing....? I'd at least try..." He then looked back at his cigar and shrugged, striking a match and lighting the end. He then looked back over at his son and sighed. Noticing the longing look on his son's face, he pulled out another cigar and held it up to him, coaxing, "C'mon, son. It's a special occasion. Besides, you know your mom--she's like a hawk. There ain't no way you're getting "rewarded" anytime while you're here."

"So...I take it he's always been this way?" she responded with a caring look in her eyes as she looked back at the picture. "He looked just like this on the train today..."

"Really?" Emilia giggled before giving a small wave of her hand as if to dismiss the matter. "Oh, yes, he's always been that way." She gave a pleasant little sigh, her eyes glazing over as she thought of days past. "I remember I would have to pack him extra shirts when we went on trips. Poor little thing, he could fall asleep anywhere."
---

"C'mon, son. It's a special occasion. Besides, you know your mom--she's like a hawk. There ain't no way you're getting "rewarded" anytime while you're here."

"And I'm supposed to be on vacation too..." Jean muttered darkly. Giving a careless shrug, he leaned over and took the cigar, his expression brightening somewhat as he held it. "Although I guess you're right. Besides, I never said anything about not smoking cigars..." Looking rather pleased by his own cleverness, he added, "Could I have a light?"

"Really?" Emilia giggled before giving a small wave of her hand as if to dismiss the matter. "Oh, yes, he's always been that way." She gave a pleasant little sigh, her eyes glazing over as she thought of days past. "I remember I would have to pack him extra shirts when we went on trips. Poor little thing, he could fall asleep anywhere."

"He still can," Devi chuckled, remembering how well he slept on the train. "And it's nearly impossible to wake him."

---

"And I'm supposed to be on vacation too..." Jean muttered darkly. Giving a careless shrug, he leaned over and took the cigar, his expression brightening somewhat as he held it. "Although I guess you're right. Besides, I never said anything about not smoking cigars..." Looking rather pleased by his own cleverness, he added, "Could I have a light?"

Jack sighed and looked at his son sympathetically before sighing and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well...I guess I could see what I could do..." he murmured. "But I'm not making any promises...you know how stubborn your mother is..."

"Although I guess you're right. Besides, I never said anything about not smoking cigars..." Looking rather pleased by his own cleverness, he added, "Could I have a light?"

"That's my boy," Jack grinned, taking his own cigar between his fingers and lighting the end of his son's with it.

"He still can," Devi chuckled, remembering how well he slept on the train. "And it's nearly impossible to wake him."

Emilia nodded in agreement. "Too true..." she said, smiling, before adding in complete seriousness, "I would have to tickle him into wakefulness."
---

"But I'm not making any promises...you know how stubborn your mother is..."

Jean nodded miserably. Yeah, he didn't see the two of them getting any chance to get some alone time this week... then again, what had he been expecting, bringing her to his parents'? Still, if worst came to worst, they could always go for a little ride.

"Maybe you could distract her?" he suggested jokingly, grinning at his father.

"That's my boy," Jack grinned, taking his own cigar between his fingers and lighting the end of his son's with it.

Clamping the cigar between his teeth, Jean inhaled deeply, a relaxed expression sweeping across his features. "Mmm... nice..." he said happily, his breath coming out in a cloud of pale gray smoke as he exhaled.

Emilia nodded in agreement. "Too true..." she said, smiling, before adding in complete seriousness, "I would have to tickle him into wakefulness."

"...Seriously? Hm, I've never tried that before..." Devi replied, blinking a few times as she tried to imagine Jean being ticklish. "I didn't know he was ticklish..."

She then paused, something catching her attention. An unusually sweet smell lingered in the air, wafting in from outside the room. It smelt somewhat similar to that of a cigarette and yet not nearly as pungent. "He's smoking?" she asked, speaking more to herself than anyone. Frowning somewhat, she stood from her seat and turned to flash a quick smile to Emilia. "Could you...excuse me for a minute? I need to speak to Jean about something..."

---

"Maybe you could distract her?" he suggested jokingly, grinning at his father.

"Or maybe you can go a week without any..."rewards"," Jack retorted, narrowing his gaze at his son for the joke. His expression then lightened as he added. "Just wait for her to fall asleep or something..."

Clamping the cigar between his teeth, Jean inhaled deeply, a relaxed expression sweeping across his features. "Mmm... nice..." he said happily, his breath coming out in a cloud of pale gray smoke as he exhaled.

"Yeah...nothin' like 'em..." Jack said, joining his son in a smokey bliss.

"Could you...excuse me for a minute? I need to speak to Jean about something..."

"Hmm? Oh... of course. Sure," Emilia replied, taking the photo album and flipping through the pages despite the fact that she wasn't looking at them.
---

"Or maybe you can go a week without any..."rewards"," Jack retorted, narrowing his gaze at his son for the joke. His expression then lightened as he added. "Just wait for her to fall asleep or something..."

"Come one, you know Mom's a light sleeper..." Jean grumbled, taking a drag from the cigar. He wasn't even going to consider going a week without 'rewards'. That was just plain crazy talk.

Devi stepped out of the room and headed towards the source of the smoke, knowing very well what she would find. She sighed, more disappointed than anything, but was otherwise calm. She couldn't blame him for smoking--she knew it was something his did when stressed. But did he really think he could hide it from her?

---

"Come one, you know Mom's a light sleeper..." Jean grumbled, taking a drag from the cigar. He wasn't even going to consider going a week without 'rewards'. That was just plain crazy talk.

"Then you'll just have to keep quiet," Jack snickered, leaning back and grinning. Then, sobering somewhat, he added, "I'll see what I can do to keep her distracted, but I can't promise much...The rest is up to you and...oh! Hey there, hun. What a coincidence--just talking 'bout you." He raised a hand and waved Devi over, smiling at her presence.

Devi looked from Jack to Jean before walking over to join them. She stopped a few inches from Jean and looked at the cigar in his mouth. Arching a brow, she pouted somewhat and sighed, shaking her head. "Are you to enjoying yourselves?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Are you to enjoying yourselves?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Uh..." Crud. She must have smelled the smoke... Jean took the cigar from his mouth, tilting his head down slightly although his blue eyes were fixed on her in a wide-eyed, guilty expression. "Sure are," he replied, his mouth drawn into a pleasant, albeit nervous smile.

"Uh..." Crud. She must have smelled the smoke... Jean took the cigar from his mouth, tilting his head down slightly although his blue eyes were fixed on her in a wide-eyed, guilty expression. "Sure are," he replied, his mouth drawn into a pleasant, albeit nervous smile.

"Mind if I interrupt for a minute?" Devi asked, looking past Jean towards Jack. Then, turning back to him, she leaned in closer and inquired softly, "Can I talk to you?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Sure! No problem. I'll be inside if you kids need me." He took the cigar from his mouth and crushed the tip to extinguish it. "Good luck, son," he chuckled, walking into the house.

"Can I talk to you?"

Jean watched his father leave with a feeling of dread before looking back up at her, sure that she had came to reprimand him about breaking their agreement and smoking.

"It was only a one time thing," he assured her, crushing the end of the cigar against the bottom of his shoe.

"It was only a one time thing," he assured her, crushing the end of the cigar against the bottom of his shoe.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Devi's pouted a bit more, but the look in her eyes was more of disappointment then anger. Sighing, she forced a small smile onto her lips and said, "It's okay. I'm not mad." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before adding a bit sheepishly, "It gave me an excuse to sneak away for a bit."

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Devi's pouted a bit more, but the look in her eyes was more of disappointment then anger.

Jean's heart seemed to sink when he saw the look of disappointment in her eyes. Feeling rather guilty now, he managed to smile weakly. "No," he replied honestly, giving a slight shrug. "I guess I didn't think you'd mind too much... sorry..."
---

"It gave me an excuse to sneak away for a bit."

Jean laughed. "What, is she getting to you already?"