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[beautiful_ann]

Christmas Eve in New York City is beautiful, particularly with the light snow falling tonight.

Ann is up in her room, touching up her makeup and nervously primping.

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[beautiful_ann]

And if Jack's parents weren't here, Ann would probably do more than touch his hand and smile at him as she passes him to the couch.

But. Parents.

As she sits, she asks the room at large, "How useful would it be for me to offer to help in the kitchen?"

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Bill looks over his shoulder. "Not very. It sounds like they're almost done."

[beautiful_ann]

She smooths her hands over her skirt. "In that case, can I ask you to fill in the gaps that Jack left? Where are you from?"

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

"Canlifornia. That's where the more industrious members of our family live. We own a shipbuilding company over there."

[beautiful_ann]

"Do you really? You're a broadly talented family."

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Jack smirks. "Well, we're the only ones who aren't really doing shipbuilding--although, dad, didn't you have a cousin who was in law enforcement?"

"Yeah, but he died the year you were born."

"Right." Jack tries to look into the kitchen, which he can't see because there's a wall in the way.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann gives Jack a speculative look. "So does that explain the sea legs?"

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

"It does," he says smugly.

"I still think you have very nice sea legs, by the way," he says in a low voice.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann goes a little pink.

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Jack's dad, meanwhile, simply erupts in a fit of laughter.

[beautiful_ann]

Fine, subtlety be damned. Ann puts a hand over Jack's, on the couch between them.

"When'd you come to New York?"

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

"After I got back from Ireland. That's where I met Jack's mother."

Jack wraps his hand around Ann's. He doesn't really care for subtlety, not right now.

[beautiful_ann]

"Oh, really? How did you meet?"

Ann's a romantic, in case no one noticed.

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Srsly?

"In a bar. It was her father's bar, and she served there. She sang sometimes to entertain the customers. I visited on one of the nights when she sang."

[beautiful_ann]

She squeezes Jack's hand, smiling. "I can't wait to meet her."

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Jack grins. Or grimaces. Who can tell?

Right on cue, Else breezes into the room and announces that dinner is ready.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann grins, and rises, hand still wrapped around Jack's.

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

And thus they are ushered into the dining room, where Jack's mother, a thin and slightly taller than normal woman, is setting the silverware on the table.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann pauses, nervous. Again.

Come on, it's his mother.

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Jack's mother straightens and peers at her through wire rimmed glasses, her lips pursed. Then her eyes move to Jack, disapproving. "You both need food," is said in an Irish accent.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann's face breaks into a smile.

"It's good to meet you, Mrs. Driscoll."

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

She grins back, warmly. "Do sit. Me and Else've been working on the food all night, and I know Mr. Driscoll'll get grumpy if he doesn't eat soon."

[beautiful_ann]

They settle in around the table (Ann somehow ends across the table from Else, next to Bill Driscoll), and begin a hearty, tradtional Christmas dinner.

If there's interrogation of Ann going on? Well, it's subtle and friendly, and balanced by the occasional embarrassing story about Jack or Else.

Eventually, the plates are cleared away, and as Jack pours wine for everyone, someone suggests they move into the living room for some present-opening, to general agreement.

[jackdriscoll.livejournal.com]

Jack is an adult. Christmas presents lost their exciting appeal years ago, though he always looked forward to the surprises he’d receive under the Christmas tree. This year he could care less what he got as long as his esteemed visitors left at the end of the night. They weren’t particularly annoying tonight. They weren’t ever particularly annoying, it’s just that tonight he had someone whose presence alone was satisfying enough, and he’d prefer to savor her presence alone. So it’s a distracted Jack who enters the living room with his family and Ann as they begin to unwrap presents.

[beautiful_ann]

Ann ends up on the couch next to him, again, and watches the Driscolls hand out gifts with a smile on her face.

She decides, to herself, that she'll let the family get into the swing of things before getting Jack's present out of her purse.