A/N: Thanks for your reviews! The dinner with the Becketts has finally arrived; I admit, it took turns I didn't expect.

Chapter 85 – The Dinner Guests

It was just after five Saturday morning when Jim awoke to the soft sound of the TV in the living room and the sound of glass clanging together. His brow furrowed, his hand reaching across the bed but falling into the empty space where his fiancée was supposed to be. His eyes opened, a flicker of annoyance racing through him. She had tossed and turned most of the night but when asked if it was the dinner she had insisted on having that was keeping her from resting, she denied it, saying that she was just having a bad night sleep wise. He blew out a breath and tossed back the sheet, pushing himself out of bed to go see what she was doing and why she was doing it so damn early. It had to be about this stupid dinner, he had no doubt about it and the mere thought of having to go through it was enough to sour his mood completely and make him wish that he could skip the weekend.

He made the trek to the living room, seeing that the TV was indeed on…and that she was sitting on the floor, the contents of the bottom shelf of the bookcase scattered around on the floor around her.

"Jo, what the hell are you doing?" Jim asked as he rubbed his eye.

"I'm cleaning," Johanna replied, glancing up from the bottom shelf of the bookcase where she was dusting.

"It's five in the morning!" he exclaimed.

"I know; I have a lot to get done today. I need to clean this whole place."

"It's already clean."

"Not clean enough," she declared.

Jim blew out a breath. "Come back to bed. I assure you that it's clean enough."

"No, I have to do this."

"Why?"

"Because your parents are coming tonight and I'm not going to hand your mother an oppurtunity to say that I'm a lousy housekeeper."

"You're knocking yourself out for nothing," Jim retorted. "The likelihood of her coming is slim to none; so just put the stuff back, come back to bed and relax. No one is going to be looking at the bottom shelf of the bookcase."

"She'll be here," Johanna said as she attacked the surface of the shelf with a vengeance, her rag scrubbing away the slightest hint of dust.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because she's your mother…and all mothers want to check out the housekeeping skills of the soon-to-be daughter-in-law. I'm not stupid; she'll be here."

"I'm telling you she won't be…and if she doesn't come, I don't see Dad coming without her so you're doing all this for nothing."

"It's not for nothing. She'll be here…I feel it in the atmosphere…she's coming."

"Even if she does come, you don't have to knock yourself out like this."

"Oh yes, I do," she said, her gaze darting toward him and holding the glimmer of a woman on a mission. "I've heard enough about mother-in-laws to know how this works. The first thing they look for is dirt…and while they're on their white glove mission, they're also looking for power…and she is not going to have the power here."

Jim looked at her oddly. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," she stated as she wiped off the items that belonged on the shelf she had dusted.

"No, I don't…I don't even think you know what you're talking about."

Johanna gave him a pointed look. "What I'm talking about is the thing that all women have to fight against when it comes to their future mother-in-law…that long list of faults and blackmarks. My list is already long…and I'll be damned if she's walking in here and declaring that I'm a terrible housekeeper. That's how they get their power; they think they can do everything better than you can which makes you unsuitable for their sons."

Jim yawned. "I think in your bout of insomnia last night, you started to overthink this…and now you're…you know…."

She pegged him with a sharp look. "No, Jim, I don't know; please enlighten me and tell me what I am."

He squeezed the back of his neck, sensing he was headed down the boulevard of grave mistakes. "You're…dedicated."

"Dedicated?" she repeated. "Just what am I dedicated to?"

He thought for a moment. "Being a good daughter-in-law?"

Disgust flicked across her features. "I don't care if she sees me as a good daughter-in-law; I just don't want her putting more marks against my name in her little book of grudges. I'm not going to give her the opportunity to go tell her hoity toity friends that her son is marrying a woman who can't keep house and can't cook a meal and whatever else she can think of. I can just imagine what's already been said about me."

"She probably doesn't discuss it with her friends," he replied.

Another look of disgust flicked across her face. "Really, Jim? A man as smart as you are and you're really so dense to think that your mother doesn't gossip about her son's horrible choice to anyone who will listen and give her sympathy?"

"So what are you saying, I know nothing about women?"

"Not in this situation," she remarked as she began to put her belongings back on the shelf. "I know what I'm doing."

Jim sighed deeply. "This is why we shouldn't do this. It's barely daylight and you're already uptight."

"I'm not uptight," Johanna replied. "I just know that she'll be looking around while she's here and I'm not going to give her the opportunity to say I'm a bad housekeeper."

"It's not too late to back out of this. You don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. My mother doesn't want to do it…"

"I'm aware of all of that."

"Then let me call Dad and tell him something came up and that we're going to have to cancel tonight."

"No, Jim."

"Why not? No one wants to do this so why are we doing it!?"

"You don't need to yell this early in the morning," Johanna replied. "As for why we're doing it; it's because your father keeps insisting on it…we've been over this for days now."

"I think you're wrong to bow down to it."

"And I think you're wrong to want me to take the coward's way out with a fake something came up excuse," Johanna remarked. "I just want to get it over with, Jim. If we do it then he can shut up about it and we won't have to eat dinner with them for a long time…or at least I won't; you are free to eat with your parents anytime you want, I won't get upset about you going without me."

"It's just going to be a disaster," he said sharply. "You know it and I know it…it's just another disaster waiting to happen."

"No, it's not. I'm going to be in control of things this time…that's why we're doing this here. I'll be in control."

"No, you're not," he laughed, but the sound lacked humor. "There is no control when it comes to us having a family dinner. She'll make a smart remark and you'll be off and running and then I'll have to jump in to defend you and that will set her off even more…"

Johanna shook her head. "I've got this. I can handle it…and I can fight the battle on my own if it pops up; I don't need you to do it…especially when it sounds like it's such a chore for you anyway. Believe me, I know how much it distresses you when it comes to your mother but don't worry, I've got it. I can handle it."

He scoffed. "Sure."

Johanna glared at him. "Jim, if you don't want to stay for dinner, you don't have to…I can take care of this on my own."

"I can't do that! I wish I could but I can't…I wish you wouldn't do this. It's just going to be another war and it'll just be another fight between us."

"Not if we don't let it become one," Johanna replied.

"It always becomes one," he said bitterly. "I know it and you know it."

"Jim; we're doing this and getting it done, so just accept it and move on."

"Fine; but when it blows up in your face, don't come crying to me about it because then I'm going to say your favorite words to you, I told you so," he remarked. "So I hope you're prepared for that."

"I wish you'd just relax and let me handle this," she said sharply. "It's dinner…it's being held in my home where I make the rules; not them, so just relax. It's going to be fine…I've got this."

"Who are you trying to convince, me or you?"

She sighed deeply. "Just go back to bed and let me do what I need to do."

"You don't need to do any of it."

"I know, you've told me…but I'm going to do it anyway. Go back to bed…you're cranky."

"Maybe I wouldn't be if someone hadn't tossed and turned all night."

"I already apologized for waking you," Johanna replied. "It wasn't my intent. Go back to bed; you'll have it all to yourself while I do what I need to do."

"Fine; if you want to waste your morning to sleep in to clean a place that's already clean, go right ahead."

"Thank you for giving me permission to clean my own belongings," she said sarcastically. "Please go back to bed and wake up in a better mood later."

Jim scoffed and turned away. He'd go back to bed but he didn't think his mood would improve at all with this stupid dinner looming over them.

Johanna sighed as she watched him go; he just didn't understand that they had to do this…that she had to make her stand, just like her father always told her about difficult situations. She knew Jim didn't like the idea; they had bickered about it on and off for days now, but there was no other choice. It had to be done…hopefully he'd wake up later in a better mood and ready to be on her side with this whole thing.

---

Late that afternoon as she tended to the dinner she had cooking, Johanna couldn't help but think back to that morning and her hope that Jim would wake up in a better mood. He hadn't…in fact, she was pretty sure his mood had been worse the second time he got up. He had been a bear all day; snippy, complaining, critiquing, nitpicking. She was at her wits end with him but she was desperately trying to hold on to her patience as he leaned against the counter.

"I still think we could've left the table in the kitchen instead of moving it into the living room," he remarked.

"Jim, we've been over that," she said with an air of annoyance. "When you're having company over, you don't want their view from the dinner table to be the sink of dirty dishes that you acquired while making the meal."

"There's barely anything in the sink, Johanna. You've been washing everything as soon as you use it."

"I don't care; I want the table in the living room where there's more space, and we don't have to be looking at the sink or the food sitting on the stove. I don't have a dining room to serve meals in so I have to make do with what I have just like my mother does. When it's just her and Dad, the table stays in the kitchen; when we were kids it stayed in the kitchen, but when company was over, it was moved to the living room so the leaf could go in and there wouldn't be the evidence of meal preparation in the background."

"I'm not moving that table all the time when we get married," he stated. "So get used to the idea of eating in the kitchen with guests."

"If I want the table moved, it will be moved," she retorted. "Either with your help or without it."

"I think you're being ridiculous."

"You've been ridiculous all day," Johanna replied. "You haven't stopped complaining since you got out of bed."

"Maybe that's because we've wasted a whole Saturday on this stupid dinner," he remarked gruffly. "It's a nice day out, we could've gone and done something but no, you wanted to be cooped up here all day, cleaning and cooking for a dinner party that we don't need to have."

"Jim, I told you that if you wanted to go out, you could go. I didn't force you to stay inside all day."

"I didn't want to go without you!" he exclaimed.

She sighed softly. "Please don't yell; you know I have a headache."

"I'm not yelling," he retorted. "I'm just saying, I would've rather spent the day with you, doing something better than this. We could've gone up to Coney Island or something."

"I would love for us to go up there," she replied. "But we had already planned this. I'm sure we can get up there some other weekend this summer."

"Could've been today if we didn't have to appease people," he muttered.

"Honey, I know you don't want to do this. I know it was a nice day and you feel like I kept you locked inside…but it's best to get this done, okay? It's going to be fine."

"I don't think you need to wear a dress for this thing. I'm not dressed up."

"I'm not wearing a ballgown, Jim. It's a summer dress…that I wear around the house quit often. I didn't ask anyone to dress up…I'm completely fine with you wearing your Yankees t-shirt and jeans."

"But with you in a dress and no one else dressing up, it makes it seem like I'm being a slob or something."

"Jim, you're grasping at straws. Your clothes are fine and I'm not changing. It's a simple pink and white summer dress; nothing fancy about it."

"Let's just call this off."

"We can't!" she exclaimed. "They're on their way and I've got dinner cooking."

"They might not be on their way…maybe they won't come."

"You want them not to come too badly to get that wish," Johanna replied. "They'll be here and we'll get this over with. Since you're not watching the TV, why don't you go turn it off before they get here?"

"Because I don't want the TV off."

"Jim; just turn it off so it's not distracting during dinner."

He shook his head. "Your father never turns the TV off when we're over at their house for dinner."

"That doesn't mean we can't turn ours off while your parents are here."

"We don't turn it off when we're eating," he stated.

"Jim…"

"I don't see what the issue is with leaving it on for background noise," Jim retorted. "Maybe it'll give people something else to focus on instead of whatever disaster of conversation is awaiting us."

"Fine, Jim; leave it on," Johanna replied, figuring she better pick her battles. "Just relax, okay? It's going to be fine."

"Yeah, that's what you claim…because you're so sure that you're in control," he said sarcastically.

"I am."

He laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, you can't really think that, can you?"

"Yes, I can…because I'm not going to let this be a disaster. I'm not going to fall apart. I'm not going to get into a fight with your mother. It's going to be fine."

"You underestimate her."

"No, you're underestimating me," she said firmly.

"Yeah, I know your spiel about how you're in control, you've got it, you don't need me to fight the battle."

"Because I'm not going to have a battle. I'm just going to be honest about whatever comes up."

"Bet that will go over well," Jim muttered.

Silence fell between them until the sound of a knock on the door pulled Johanna's attention away from the stove as she steeled herself as much as possible. "Get the door, please," she told Jim.

"Why me?" he asked. "It was your idea to have this dinner. You let them in."

"Actually it was your father's idea, I just demanded a change of venue."

"Is it dinner or a trial?" Jim asked.

She rubbed her fingers across her forehead, the nagging headache lingering above her eye telling her that it was going to be a migraine, the last possible thing she needed at the moment but she'd have to deal with it. "Get the door, Jim. You're the man of the house."

"I haven't moved in all the way yet," he remarked. "It's still your place for now."

A second knock sounded. "They're your parents; get the door. I have food on the stove."

"I think you should answer it; you're the lady of the house…you're in control, remember?"

Her jaw tightened as another knock sounded. "Fine, I'll get the door…and since you haven't moved in so to speak, you can go home to your place after dinner tonight," she said as she swept from the room.

Jim sighed; God how he hated to do this thing. "Let's not be like that. I'll get the damn door."

"Oh no, I'll get it. I don't want you to hurt yourself," Johanna stated as she released the locks and pulled open the door.

Robert gave her a wary smile as Elizabeth stood silently at his side. "We were starting to think that you had changed your mind," he said as he met his eye.

"No, not at all," Johanna replied. "Your son is just too lazy to answer the door; he might strain himself. He'd rather me leave the food unattended on the stove and do it myself."

Elizabeth gave a soft huff of a laugh. "Getting your first taste of married life, aren't you, kiddo? The downside of it anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jim asked.

"Just what I said," Elizabeth replied as they stepped inside the door. "She's getting her first taste of married life. Men start showing their true colors after awhile."

"I don't think I like what you're implying," her son replied.

"I don't really care," Elizabeth stated. "I know how men are."

"Do you?" he asked. "I've always heard that you married the first one that came along."

"Jim," Johanna said sharply. "Can you let her get in the door and set her purse down before you start a war?"

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed at her son. "Maybe you don't know as much as you think you do."

"Please," he laughed. "You're too prim and proper to have some secret life. You like rules too much to break them."

"I wasn't always the person I am now," Elizabeth stated. "Life made me this way…life and a husband who didn't have much time for me back then and five kids that don't care for their mother. You wouldn't be the life of the party either if you walked in my shoes."

"Lizzie," Robert said. "You and I already had this discussion the other night. I don't think you need to have it with Jimmy."

"Maybe I do."

"Not tonight," he said firmly.

Jim studied his parents for a moment before meeting his mother's gaze. "You're wearing your hair down."

"That's what it is," Johanna murmured. She had been trying to figure out why the woman looked somewhat different. Elizabeth Beckett had released her hair from its severe, tight bun that it was usually in; allowing her chestnut locks to lay down her back with only a soft blue scarf like headband to hold her hair back from her face.

"What of it?" Elizabeth asked sharply.

"Nothing," Johanna replied. "You just looked different but not in a bad way. Actually, I think you look very nice with your hair down. It's a beautiful color."

"Are you trying to suck up to me?" she asked.

"God, no!" Johanna exclaimed. "I meant what I said. You have beautiful hair and it looks nice having it down."

"You should've worn your hair down," Jim said as he glanced at Johanna.

"My hair is up because I was cooking," she said firmly. "I think you've nitpicked me enough for today…now that your parents are here, maybe you can take a break from it."

Jim shifted his gaze back to his mother. "You look younger with your hair down."

Elizabeth's attention snapped back to him. "Are you saying I look old with my hair up?"

"No…but…you do look younger."

She shifted her attention to Johanna. "And what's your verdict on it since I'm sure you're dying to give one."

"I think what Jim probably means to say is that having your hair down softens your features…but men always go to age when they can't think of how to say something."

"I knew I should've worn my hair up," Elizabeth muttered as she glanced at Robert.

He shook his head. "No; I like what you've done with it tonight; it's fine. Besides we're not at a formal dinner at a nice restaurant like I would've liked to have provided."

Johanna eyed him. "Are you saying my home isn't good enough?"

Robert smiled. "I'm not saying that at all, dear; just that I would've provided us with a nice meal that wouldn't have caused an argument over who has to open the door."

"It wouldn't have been an argument if he had just done it," Johanna replied.

"Well, you are the lady of the house."

"See, I told you," Jim remarked.

Johanna shot him a look. "Don't," she said, her tone even. "Just don't."

"Like I said, this was your idea," Jim repeated.

"No, it wasn't my idea; I just changed the location," Johanna repeated.

"Do you always receive company barefoot?" Elizabeth asked as she glanced down at Johanna's bare feet.

"I don't wear shoes at home," Johanna replied. "I figure I have the right to be comfortable in my own home."

"I don't think it's in good taste to have company over and have your feet bare," the other woman retorted. "And I see you wear a bracelet around your ankle like a damn gypsy."

Johanna smiled. "Your son bought me the ankle bracelet that I have on…I usually do wear one in the summer when I'm in sandals or barefoot."

"It makes you look like a damn gypsy."

She shrugged. "You've called me worse things…and I'm not going to take it off to please you. I'm also not going to put shoes on."

"So much for being a proper hostess," Elizabeth stated.

"It's an informal dinner, Mrs. Beckett," she replied, dropping each syllable evenly. "No need for heels and ballgowns. You can put your purse on the stand by the door if you want to sit it down or you can put it wherever you want, on the couch or on the coffee table; your choice."

"You're holding hands," Jim said as he glanced down at his mother's hands and noticed that one of them was entwined with his father's.

"What's your point?" Elizabeth asked.

He shrugged. "I don't think I've ever seen you two do that before…it seems…odd."

"It's not odd!" his mother exclaimed. "We've held hands plenty of times."

"That's true," Robert said with a chuckle. "The romance isn't dead yet…just barely hanging on by a thread."

Elizabeth's gaze jerked toward him, her face looking stricken. "Excuse me?" she said sharply.

He smiled as he regarded his wife. "What?"

"Hanging on by a thread?" she repeated.

"It's just an expression, Lizzie."

"Not a nice one…I wasn't aware that our marriage was hanging by a thread."

"I didn't say our marriage…I said the romance."

"Feels like the same thing."

"It's not…but you know, let's be honest, romance has taken a nosedive over the years."

She scoffed, holding back the sting of tears that threatened her eyes; she had thought that with the exception of the evening before that she and Robert had settled into a bit of a warm bubble where they had been affectionate and talkative…it had been nice and had reminded her of their early days together, but apparently it hadn't counted in his eyes. It stung and yet she couldn't show him that here. Instead, she merely pulled her hand away from his as hurt washed over her heart.

Robert glanced at her as her hand slipped away from his. "Now, Lizzie, don't go getting your feathers ruffled. I didn't say there was no romance at all."

"Well maybe we can make it none so you can continue to hold up that banner of neglected, suffering husband saddled with the awful wife he had the misfortune to choose," she said firmly.

"Lizzie," he sighed. "Let's not do this here."

Jim glanced to Johanna. "Still think this is a good idea? They're already bickering."

She shot him a glare. "They wouldn't be if you hadn't brought up that they were holding hands."

"I found it strange; I don't remember seeing that before."

"Well now you know not to comment on it."

"Don't blame me if this is already going sour," Jim remarked. "I told you it would from the get-go."

"Don't you have food on the stove?" Elizabeth interrupted, her gaze pinned on Johanna. "You said you had to leave it since Jimmy was being a slug."

"Yes, I do," she replied, taking a breath.

"She didn't call me a slug!" Jim exclaimed.

"Jim, bring it down a notch," Johanna said as her head gave a small throb.

"I didn't say she did," Elizabeth remarked. "I was just reminding her of what she said."

"And I'm going to go tend to the food," Johanna said. "I'm sure it's ready. Maybe you can hold Jim's hand and lead him to the table since he can't seem to do anything today."

"He seems to be complaining pretty well," Elizabeth stated. "He didn't even properly greet me."

Johanna glanced at Jim. "Maybe you can greet your mother while I get the food."

"Are we going straight to eating?" Robert asked. "I thought we'd be able to talk awhile before dinner was served."

"I like to have the meal as close to being ready when the company arrives as possible," Johanna replied.

"That takes away the oppurtunity for small talk," Robert commented.

"Maybe that's a good thing," Johanna commented. "After all, you've already insulted your wife by saying the romance is gone."

"It's not an insult," he stated. "It was just a statement."

"A harsh one," she remarked. "One my husband better never make to me…especially in front of others."

"It was a joke," Jim said. "He was just joking."

Johanna glanced at him. "And yet no one was laughing."

Robert smiled. "Yes, it was just a joke. Lizzie knows I was just teasing her, don't you, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "No, actually I don't…considering you followed it up with that nosedive statement."

"Alright," he said with a nod. "My apologies to the ladies in the room; I don't want us to get dinner off on the wrong foot."

"Too late," Jim remarked.

"Jimmy," his father warned.

"Please sit down at the table," Johanna said. "I'll get dinner brought in."

Johanna went off toward the kitchen as Robert stepped closer to his son. "This feels like it's going to be rushed…which is why I wanted to go to a restaurant."

Jim sighed. "She wanted it to be here…you could've said no; believe me, I wouldn't have gotten mad about it."

"Is it really so terrible to have a meal with us?" Elizabeth asked as she drifted to the table.

He nodded. "Yeah, lately it's been a nightmare…as you know all too well. I don't think this thing is necessary but clearly I was overruled."

"Maybe that's because she's not the coward about it this time," Elizabeth remarked. "Maybe you are."

Jim shot her a pointed look. "Don't take it out on me because you're mad at Dad."

"I'm not; just making a statement…while pulling out my own chair since the men in this room don't remember how to treat a lady they're dining with," Elizabeth said as she pulled the chair out and sat down, placing her purse on the floor by her feet.

"It's an informal dinner," Jim replied.

"It doesn't matter," his mother told him. "It doesn't have to be a formal occasion to be a gentleman…like I tried to raise you to be."

"You don't have to keep your purse by your feet; you can put it on the stand, no one is going to steal it here."

"I'm not worried about that in the slightest," Elizabeth stated. "I just figure I'll keep it close so I can be ready to leave as soon as this thing is over."

"We're not going to rush this," Robert remarked. "No matter what you or Johanna wants."

Elizabeth scoffed. "Yes, I know…neither one of you care about what women want or need."

"Mother, are you going feminist on us?" Jim asked as he sat down at the table. "That's so unlike you…you don't even vote."

"I don't vote because I don't want to; they're all liars in the end so I don't see what difference it makes," Elizabeth replied. "But that doesn't mean that I don't think women should have the same rights as men. I believe in them having morals while they do it; but I've never said they shouldn't be allowed to do what they want within reason. I don't want to be like my mother and live under the complete control of a man."

"I don't think Grandma lived under the complete control of a man," Jim remarked. "She did come visit us on her own without him or a chaperone."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Sometimes talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. You didn't know her like I did."

He nodded. "I guess that's true. I wish I could've known her better; we lost her long before we should have."

Elizabeth tensed. "I don't want to talk about that."

Jim looked at her oddly. "You never have, but I get that…but really you don't often speak of your mother at all…not even to say if it's her birthday or something. I don't even know when her birthday was."

The topic of her mother's demise always made her stomach tighten and it wasn't that she didn't think of her; she thought of her all the time…it was just that she felt no one ever listened or wanted to so she didn't often voice her memories or thoughts aloud in that respect. Her lips felt tightly pressed together and yet she forced them to part. "Your grandmother's birthday was June twenty-seventh," she answered. "Anything else you want to know?"

Jim shrugged. "Did she ever have a nickname? Virginia sounds so matronly."

"Her sisters called her Ginny," Elizabeth replied.

"She had sisters?"

"Yes."

"Did we know them?"

Elizabeth shifted in her seat. "Briefly."

"What does that mean?" Jim asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Elizabeth said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't. We're not here for family history hour anyway," she replied.

"Maybe you should go help Johanna in the kitchen," Robert suggested to her.

"I will not," Elizabeth remarked. "I'm the guest; I don't serve when I'm the guest."

"I don't need any assistance," Johanna said as she returned to the room with her drink and placed it on the table. "What does everyone want to drink?"

"What do you have?" Robert asked.

"I have soda, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, water…."

"Do you have scotch?" Robert asked.

"No, I don't," Johanna replied. "I don't like scotch."

"She's more of a Jack Daniels type of girl," Jim remarked.

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You drink whiskey?"

"Once in awhile I'll take a little splash in my Coke," Johanna admitted. "It's not an everyday thing…not even every week or every month. I did take a drink from my father's bottle the night before my sister's wedding but if you had been a part of that nightmare, you'd understand why I needed it."

"She's actually more partial to Tequila," Jim stated.

Johanna sighed as she glanced at him. "Don't act like I drink all the time because I don't…you drink more than I do."

"So do you drink tequila or not?" Elizabeth asked.

"In a margarita, yes," Johanna replied. "I do enjoy a margarita when I go out to a club or a bar."

"I remember a time when you drank half a bottle of tequila," Jim replied.

Johanna met Elizabeth's questioning gaze. "If you had been at my sister's wedding, you would understand why I came home to the privacy of my own place and got drunk. I won't lie to you and say I've never been drunk; I have…but the great majority of the time when I have a drink, I keep a strict limit of two."

"What's Jimmy's limit?" Elizabeth asked.

"It doesn't seem like he has one most of the time…he has a much higher tolerance for alcohol than I do."

The older woman nodded. "That's what I was afraid of."

"You drink yourself, Mom," Jim retorted. "You always have a bottle of wine on hand and let's not forget those mimosas you're so fond of with your garden club friends."

"I didn't say I don't drink," Elizabeth remarked. "I just know how Beckett men are with their drinks."

"So what does everyone want to drink?" Johanna asked again.

"Do you have any Jack Daniels?" Robert asked.

"You don't need whiskey!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Bring him coffee."

"I don't have any whiskey, so rest assured he's not getting any here," Johanna replied. "How do you want your coffee, Mr. Beckett?"

"Honey, don't be so formal," Robert said with a smile. "I really don't want coffee."

"Then what would you like?"

"What are we having for dinner?" he asked. "I usually choose based on what I'm eating."

"We're having roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and rolls."

"I don't like green beans," Elizabeth stated.

"I won't put any on your plate," Johanna replied. "I'm not a fan of them myself, but Jim likes them and said he'd prefer them to corn with this meal."

"You should've overruled him," the other woman stated. "I would have."

"Yes, Mother, we know…you overrule everyone about everything."

"Apparently not everything," Elizabeth remarked.

Johanna sighed a little. "Jim, what do you want to drink, while your parents decide?"

"Beer."

"Really?" she asked.

He met her eye. "Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"Doesn't really seem like a beer type of meal," she replied.

"I'm making it one. You asked and I told you what I want," he stated. "I want a beer."

"Fine," she said tersely. "Mrs. Beckett, what would you like?"

"Iced tea; if it's sweet."

"It is," she answered.

"I'll take a beer," Robert stated. "That seems to be the best I can get."

"Robert, can't you have coffee or something else?" Elizabeth asked. "You don't need alcohol; do you want to end up in the hospital again?"

"My heart is what put me in the hospital; not having a drink, Lizzie."

"Do you think drinking doesn't have an effect on the heart?" Elizabeth replied. "You don't need it!"

"How does he take his coffee?" Johanna asked. "I'll give him coffee like you suggested."

"I don't want coffee," Robert replied. "I want a beer…I am the guest, dear; and you asked what I wanted so you should serve it to me."

"Yes, well, I'm the hostess, and I didn't really plan on serving beer for dinner but I guess since men like to try an assert themselves in front of each other to prove they're doing the man thing right that we can cheapen my meal with beer," Johanna remarked.

Robert chuckled lightly. "Well, we do keep saying that it's an informal dinner."

"I didn't want it to be that level of informal," Johanna replied as she turned away. "But I guess that's how it goes."

"Maybe they would've gotten the point if you had put your shoes on," Elizabeth remarked.

"Still not putting shoes on," Johanna said as she moved back into the kitchen.

"I was hoping we'd be having chicken," Robert said quietly so he couldn't be overheard in the kitchen.

"It was considered but decided against," Jim remarked; neglecting to mention that he had talked her out of it that morning.

"That's a shame, I had my tastebuds all set for it," his father replied. "Of course I didn't think we were going to get to the eating part as quickly as we are."

"She wants us out of here as soon as possible," Elizabeth remarked as she glanced around the room. "And I'm completely fine with that."

"I was in favor of not even doing it," Jim remarked.

"I think it would've been better if we had gone to a restaurant," Robert remarked once more.

"You haven't even tried the food yet," Johanna stated as she sat down the bottles of beer and Elizabeth's iced tea. "It might not be restaurant worthy but I don't think it'll be as bad as you seem to be anticipating."

"I don't think your meal is going to be bad at all," Robert replied. "I just think it would've been a better atmosphere."

"You seem to be in an insulting mood today," Johanna remarked. "It's not a side I expected you to have but I see you do."

"I'm not insulting anything," he told her.

"You are every time you bring up a restaurant," she told him. "You can't make it any clearer that you don't want to be in my home which isn't exactly a nice sentiment."

"It's not that at all," Robert said. "I just think it would've been a better setting."

"Why?"

"Well, because it would be neutral ground."

"And yet when you made this plan, you said your house or a restaurant…so clearly it was fine to have at your house…just not fine to have it at mine?"

"No, that's not the case at all. I just don't understand why you were so insistent on it being here instead of somewhere neutral."

"Your home isn't neutral," Johanna replied. "And I'm not welcome there. I didn't want to do it at a restaurant because if things would happen to turn ugly; I don't need strangers knowing our business. I chose my home because it's my territory…and I thought maybe you'd want to know where your son will be living after the wedding."

"We could've come over some other time for that," Robert said with a smile. "And you are welcome in our home."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not…and that's fine."

"Can we just get the meal on the table?" Jim asked. "You can bicker about that after the food is on the table."

Johanna turned toward him. "If you have a problem with the service here, feel free to go into the kitchen and pick up your own plate…that should be easier for you than twisting a doorknob."

"The men in this family don't like to do for themselves if there's a woman around who can do it for them," Elizabeth stated. "I learned that lesson the hard way and I guess you are too tonight."

"It's not like that," Jim said tersely. "I just figure if we're eating, then we won't have to go through all of these dramas."

"Food has never stopped us before," his mother replied.

Jim scoffed. "Yeah, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Johanna turned and left the room, going back to the kitchen and preparing the plates. When she was finished, she picked up two plates to take back to the living room. She put Elizabeth's plate in front of her first and then put her own plate down.

"I didn't think the hostess was supposed to serve herself first," Jim commented.

"I didn't, I served your mother first…I put my plate down second."

"Ladies are to be served first," Elizabeth stated. "It's not a rule that gets followed in this family; since your sister and I are outnumbered by men who are greedy when it comes to food; but it is the way it's supposed to be."

Johanna returned with the men's plates, sitting them down on the table before she made another trip to the kitchen to get the bread that she had lightly toasted and seasoned to go with their meal. Upon her return, she took her seat beside Jim. Elizabeth shook her head as she eyed her son. "Since we're on the topic of etiquette, you should've gotten up and pulled her chair out…of course, one of you could've pulled mine out as well but didn't."

"It's not a formal situation."

"God forbid we show some etiquette outside of a formal situation."

"Like you care if I pull her chair out," Jim replied. "In fact, I'm sure you probably prefer if I didn't."

"It's not that…I just hate to see you turning into your father," Elizabeth remarked.

"I don't see being like my father as a bad thing."

"His good traits no; but the bad ones you've picked up…that's a different story."

Robert smiled. "You'll have to forgive your mother; she's a little miffed at me because I had to change the plans we had last night."

"You didn't have to; you chose to," Elizabeth said firmly.

"Lizzie," he sighed. "I had to; that's how it is with business."

She nodded. "Oh yes, I know; that damn bank is always the most important thing to you. You like to tell everyone that I don't like to do things or don't want to do things and that's not the case at all; I just learned to quit looking forward to anything because you were going to put it off in favor of that damn bank."

"Lizzie; this isn't the place for this."

"Why not; I don't have anything to hide," she stated. "Jimmy's our son, he can learn you're not the saint he thinks you are and if she wants to marry into this family, she can see what she's getting into."

"We'll discuss it later," Robert said firmly. "I told you that I'll make it up to you and I will."

Elizabeth scoffed as she broke a piece of toasted bread and ate a corner of it. "Sure you will. I've heard that lie enough to know it'll never happen."

Robert blew out a breath. "Maybe we should just get to the business at hand since we seem to be rushing things by already having the meal on the table. Johanna, things have gotten out of hand lately and it's time for it to be settled."

"I'm settled," she replied. "I'm planning my wedding; I'm getting married in August no matter who likes it and who doesn't. Case closed."

He smiled. "No, dear; I don't think it is. If things were settled, there wouldn't be this animosity that's going on."

"If I have animosity toward you, maybe it's because you keep telling my fiancé not to help me with anything for his wedding. Maybe it's because you were as nitpicky about my progress as my mother. Maybe it's because you went to my father when you had no business doing so," Johanna stated.

Robert sighed a little. "Honey, what you took as nitpicking was just me being interested in your progress with the planning…you did get off to a slow start but things seem to have picked up. I meant no offence by trying to encourage you to get the ball rolling. As for the other thing, I didn't tell Jimmy not to help…it's just that it's really not a man's place to do wedding planning; that's a woman's work…but I know, times are changing and the modern world isn't the same world it was when I got married. I apologize for those offenses that I didn't mean to commit."

"And the part about going to my father?" she asked.

"I was trying to help you, that's all," he replied. "I felt responsible and figured that your father and I could get things worked out for you."

"I didn't need anyone to work things out for me. Jim and I worked it out; I told him that after doing a lot of thinking, I realized that all that was important to me was getting to be his wife. I didn't need a fancy wedding. We could just go get married quietly whenever he wanted. We decided that since we plan on this being our only marriage, that we should have a wedding…that I was more than willing to pay for myself. I wasn't raised to ask my father for a handout. I was never going to ask him; it was up to him to offer if he chose…and while I believe the things he told me that night in our private conversation and that it was always his intention to pay; knowing that you went to him, gave me the momentary doubts of him feeling like someone was stepping on his pride, instead of wanting to do this for me just because I'm his daughter."

"He never hesitated to state that it was intention from the beginning, Johanna," Robert replied. "He was just as offended about the idea of him not paying as you're offended by me going there in the first place."

"Because it was between him and I."

"But you seemed unwilling to do anything about it," Robert remarked. "It's no secret that the two of you have a difficult relationship at times…and this issue was coming between you and Jimmy."

"No, it was actually your family coming between Jim and I; with your helpful hints about woman's work, the nosiness about my personal finances, because your wife is very focused on what is or isn't in my bank account and what I might be trying to take from your son, the statement of your oldest son that my marriage won't last…there were so many things said that night. I get it; you all don't think I'm good enough, and that's fine because it doesn't matter if you think I'm good enough. Jim does, and his opinion is the one that matters…especially considering that you won't be living with us."

"What if I'm old and widowed?" Elizabeth asked. "Will I not be living with my son?"

Johanna gave her a smile. "I'm sure Michael will be pleased to have you move in with him."

"He wasn't the son I was referring to."

"Who said I was dying first?" Robert asked.

Elizabeth shot him a look. "Oh you are, trust me."

"That sounds ominous…and pre-meditated," Jim remarked. "Maybe change the subject…I don't want to have to testify at the trial."

"No," his mother replied. "Are you saying I can't move in with Jimmy when I'm old and widowed?"

She gave her another smile. "Well, let's put it this way, one of us will be living with him…which one of us that will be, well, that will be for him to decide when the time comes."

Elizabeth's brow rose. "You're going to move out if I move in?"

"If it's for longer than a weekend, yes," Johanna replied. "I don't want to have to hire someone to taste my food all the time."

"Oh would you get over that!" she exclaimed.

"No…not going to get over that one yet," Johanna remarked.

"I paid your doctor bill!"

"I didn't ask you to. In fact I fully intended to pay it myself but when I went in to the office to do so when I got paid, they told me they had already received your check. I would've offered to pay you back but I figured that would just piss you off…and then I figured, maybe you deserved to pay that bill."

Elizabeth scoffed. "I just bet you were going to pay me back."

"I can pay you back right now if you want."

"There's no need for that," Robert stated. "I think we've gotten off topic…with Lizzie apparently planning my demise…and forgetting that she owns the house. Your name is on the deed, Lizzie."

"I haven't forgotten," she remarked. "I just thought if it was too lonely; maybe I'd move in with one of the kids…I thought that surely one of my sons would take me in."

"Mother," Jim stated. "When the time comes, we'll discuss it…I'm not saying you can't. I'm just saying, we'll discuss that down the road."

"I can accept that," his mother replied before glancing at Johanna. "Guess you'll be moving out…if you're still in the picture then."

Johanna shrugged. "That's fine; I can get my own place. He can come and visit if we're still on good terms. Any kids we have go with me though, I won't give up my kids for you."

"Christ, Lizzie" Robert stated. "You've got me buried and their marriage broken up."

"That's what happens when I have too much time on my hands," she replied as she popped a piece of the bread she had broken up into her mouth.

Robert sighed deeply. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry for last night?"

"You don't have to tell me at all," she replied. "You gave me a lot of pretty words the other night; I was stupid to believe them."

"One cancelled evening doesn't mean I lied to you!"

Elizabeth scoffed. "It's not just one evening…it's all the things I told you the other night that I thought you actually listened to…but the first time some minor thing comes up with that bank and you're out the door."

"We'll have this fight when we get home, Elizabeth," he said firmly.

"Mom, are you going to eat something more than bread?" Jim asked. "Johanna did put a meal in front of you."

She shook her head. "I said I'd come; I didn't say I'd eat. She didn't eat at my house the last time she was there and I'm not eating at hers tonight."

"That's stupid!" Jim exclaimed. "She didn't eat because she doesn't like fish."

"Maybe I don't like roast."

"You fix roast all the time!" he yelled.

"Don't yell, Jim," Johanna said, her head giving a small throb. "I don't care if she doesn't eat; I figured she wouldn't."

"Well maybe I care; that was an expensive piece of meat you cooked."

Johanna glanced at him. "It was my money that paid for it so don't worry about it."

"She's just doing it to be rude!"

"I don't care," Johanna replied. "It's not worth picking a fight over."

"Oh yes," he said sarcastically. "Because you got this."

"I do," she said firmly.

"We're off topic again," Robert remarked. "Can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"Which is?" Johanna asked.

"These issues that everyone has been having," he said patiently. "Johanna, I don't want you going into your wedding feeling like you're marrying into a family that doesn't want you."

"I don't want her," Elizabeth stated.

"You're not my ideal mother-in-law either," Johanna replied. "But we're going to do it anyway."

"As I was saying," Robert said. "I don't want you to feel that way. I am more than happy to welcome you into this family. I will be honored to call you my daughter-in-law…."

"As long as I know my place?" Johanna asked.

Robert smiled. "I think I see why you and your father clash…you're too much alike."

Her green eyes flashed with fire. "I am not like him."

"Oh honey, you are," he said with a laugh. "You look like him too."

"I do not! I look like my mother," Johanna retorted.

"In some ways; but honey, I saw you and your father together and you do resemble him," he said with a smile. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"I do not look like my father," she said slowly. "I look like my mother and maybe even my aunt Bridget, but I do not look like him."

"I think you might need to take a good look at your father," Robert said lightly.

"And I think you better go get some glasses and take a better look yourself," she shot back.

Elizabeth laughed despite herself as she took in her husband's raised brow at the words that were tossed back at him. "And you thought I was the only woman who would ever backtalk you."

Robert smirked at her. "Well, Lizzie; what do you think? You've seen both of Johanna's parents; who does she look like?"

"Her mother," she stated. "With the exception of her hair color."

"See," Johanna said. "Even your wife, who hates my guts, knows who I look like."

"She doesn't hate you," Robert replied. "You two just got off on the wrong foot and never found the right one because you both like to fight…but I think we can get you on the right foot if you'd both just try a little."

"Who said I wanted to be on the right foot?" Elizabeth asked. "I'm fine where I'm at. I didn't come here to be friends."

"Don't worry, I didn't host this dinner to make friends either," Johanna replied.

Robert sighed deeply. "Listen; I'm sorry that things have gotten to this point where you think you won't be welcome in our family. I don't quite know how it happened but I don't want it to be that way. When you walk down the aisle at your wedding, I don't want you to just focus on your side of the room because you think that's the only side that loves you. We will love you just as much as your own family. I'm very happy to have you as a daughter-in-law. I know Andrew is thrilled to have you as a sister and I'm sure once Maddy spends more time with you, that she'll enjoy your company and be happy to have a new sister."

"I already have a sister," Johanna replied. "She has her mood swings but we get through it."

"Yes, I've met your sister," Robert replied. "She came with your grandmother."

Johanna sighed. "Yes, I know…my point was, I have a sister…Madelyn doesn't like me and I'm not going to ask her to change her opinion."

"You and Maddy just haven't gotten a chance to know each other better."

"I don't know, I spent part of my vacation with her…it wasn't a good time."

"That's an understatement," Jim remarked.

"I know the vacation plans got botched," Robert stated. "But I think if you two would let that go a bit, things might smooth over between the two of you and Michael and Natalie."

"I think the fact that we invited them to be part of the wedding party shows that we did let it go…they're the ones who turned us down, denied us the girls, and clearly anticipate our marriage failing," Johanna replied. "So I don't think this is all on us as you seem to be implying."

"I'm not saying it is; I'm just saying that the vacation thing is lingering."

"It can continue to linger for all I care," Johanna stated. "They treated us like teenagers who needed to be chaperoned all because their kids saw us kiss; not to mention the fact that they used us as free babysitters without even asking half the time."

Robert glanced at his son. "Your girl is a stubborn one, isn't she?"

"So is yours," Jim replied.

"I don't know, she may have your mother beat."

"No, she doesn't!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I can outdo her any day."

Jim smirked at his father. "You just gave yours a challenge."

"This isn't going the way I had hoped," Robert admitted.

"Look, all that we need to do here," Johanna said, "Is accept the fact that this wedding is happening no matter who likes me or who hates me. When I walk down the aisle of my wedding, I'm not going to be thinking about your family or mine…I'm going to be thinking about how I'm walking toward the man I love, that I intend to spend my life with and that it's the happiest day of my life. None of this is going to matter to me when I'm taking that walk…all that's going to matter to me is that Jim is standing at the other end of that aisle. After we're married and back from our honeymoon, the chips can fall where they may. I'm not going to spend my life worrying about who likes me and who doesn't in your family just like I don't expect Jim to worry about that in regard to my family…although they all like him because they're not snobs with unattainable standards. I'm sure there are probably people in your family that didn't like your choice of bride but you married her anyway…and I'm sure there were people in her family who thought she could probably do better…but she married you anyway. That's life; and we're not going to spend ours dwelling on this crap. So as of today, this topic is closed, because I don't care who likes me and who doesn't. I don't lose any sleep over it, so rest assured, Mr. Beckett; worrying about your side of the family, will not spoil my walk down the aisle at all…and don't worry, my father will be walking me down the aisle, no need to ask him. He'll be giving me away as tradition dictates."

"Probably gladly," Elizabeth stated.

"Most likely," Johanna agreed. "And I'm fine with that too."

"You keep saying you're fine with things but I'm not sure you really are," Robert replied. "I don't believe that you don't harbor some worries or feelings about what you think is dislike toward you from our family."

"I used to," she admitted. "But then I almost lost what I wanted most in this world and that's to be with Jim…and quiet frankly, none of you are worth me losing him; so I made my peace. Do I hope one day things will be better? Of course I do. Is it going to change things if it doesn't? No, it's not. So I've said all I'm going to say on these topics. I won't have any more dinners about it. I'm not going to any meetings about it. It's done. I've said my piece, we're moving on."

"You're declaring the case closed?" Robert asked.

"I am."

"Doesn't Jimmy get a say in the matter?" he asked. "Seems like you're doing the talking today."

"She said she would handle it," Jim remarked. "You know how I feel."

Robert gave his attention back to Johanna. "So you just get to say that a topic is closed whether anyone else wants it to be closed?"

"For myself, yes," Johanna replied. "If you all want to talk about it, go ahead, but I've said all I'm saying about it."

"I don't think that's a good way to be, Johanna," Robert replied. "As a lawyer, I'd expect you to want to get things settled."

"It is settled in my mind; my career choice has nothing to do with it."

"Lizzie, what do you think of this?" Robert asked.

His wife shrugged. "It's fine with me; I told you in the car that this was stupid."

Robert shook his head. "Boy, you two are just having all kinds of things in common tonight, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say that," Elizabeth replied. "But I am enjoying the fact that she's squashing your intentions of this meal…I never thought she'd give me any hint of enjoyment, but I am liking that aspect. I guess it's true that strange things happen."

"It's getting stranger by the minute," Robert muttered.

"Then change the topic," Jim said. "I'm tired of this. Just change the topic, eat the dinner and then we can go on with life."

"You're a bit surly tonight, son," his father replied.

"I can't imagine why."

"Are you two having words today?" Robert asked Johanna.

"No, he woke up surly and hasn't recovered yet."

"I'm not in a good mood because we had to waste a whole Saturday on this thing…because you had to be up and at it at the crack of dawn," Jim stated.

"I wanted things to be nice for our guests," she replied. "I'm sorry that it bothered you."

Robert smiled at his son. "Women like to fuss about things like dinner parties, son. That's something you'll have to get used to when you're married."

"I'm hoping we won't be hosting many of them," Jim remarked.

"Why?" Johanna asked.

"Because I don't like all the fussing over it."

"It's not like we're going to have people over all the time," she replied. "But I do intend to invite our parents to a meal once in awhile…I do eat at my parents home often enough that I feel like once I'm married, I should invite them over once in awhile to have a meal here. I figured you'd want us to have your parents over for dinner too every so often."

"What for? We can all fight at their house," Jim replied.

Johanna met his eye. "You say that like we're fighting tonight and we're not."

"Doesn't seem that way to me," he stated.

"Because you're determined to see everything in that light," Johanna told him. "Everything is fine…they showed up, I made my statement on the topics your father is stuck on and your mother hasn't called me any names yet. I'd say we're doing fine."

"The night isn't over yet."

She sighed deeply. "Can you just relax?"

"I'm not saying a word," Jim replied. "This is your dinner, you've got it…I'm not saying anything."

Her eyes narrowed at him; aggravation surging through her veins but she did her best to suffocate it. She wasn't going to fight with him either…his mother would enjoy it too much if they were to fight at the table. Why couldn't he just try for her tonight? Why did he have to be this way?

Robert took a sip of his beer. "Don't worry," he said as he looked to Johanna. "By the end of the evening, Jimmy will see that this wasn't the bad thing he anticipated and everything will be better between the two of you. Is the wedding planning coming along, dear?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "My father and I ordered the flowers earlier this week."

"Shouldn't you have done that with your mother?" Elizabeth asked.

"Some people would say so, but my father and I went and ordered them. He wanted to be sure that I got what I wanted," she replied.

"What else have you gotten accomplished?" Robert asked.

"I ordered the bridesmaids dresses," she answered. "And we've chosen someone to provide the music for the reception."

"That's good," he said warmly. "When you're ready to plan the rehearsal dinner, you'll have to let me know; the groom's parents are supposed to pay for that and I intend to do that."

Johanna shook her head. "No; my father made it very clear that he is paying for everything."

"I know what he said; but…it is my son's wedding too," Robert replied. "And I'm willing to pay for that meal."

"No; my father is paying," Johanna told him. "He won't stand for anyone else paying for it and I prefer that he do it. I understand that it's your son's wedding too…but maybe instead of paying for something with the wedding, you can do something just for him. Maybe the two of you can go to a game or on some kind of weekend trip or something…something that would be just about him."

"I guess I could do that," Robert replied. "Maybe Jimmy and I could go do some fishing somewhere for a weekend this summer. What do you think, Jimmy? Hank has a house down in Florida, maybe we could go do some deep sea fishing. Do you think we could arrange that? We could take Andrew with us too…invite Jeff as well. What do you think?"

Jim nodded. "That actually sounds great and much more fun than a rehearsal dinner."

Robert smiled. "Then we'll do that, son. We'll sit down and see how everyone's schedules line up and we'll get it planned."

"Don't hold your breath, Jimmy," Elizabeth remarked. "I'm sure some bank business will come up."

"Elizabeth," Robert said sharply. "I will not disappoint my son."

"Just your wife," she replied. "As usual."

It seemed like a slight change of subject might be needed as silence fell over the table and Johanna figured she better find one quickly.

---

"Will you be able to have the girls Friday so I can take them to pick out their dresses?" Johanna asked after several minutes of silence.

Elizabeth gave a nod. "I'll manage it. What time?"

"I'd like to pick them up around noon."

Elizabeth's nose wrinkled. "Why noon? Then they'll have to have their lunch early."

Johanna shook her head. "I'll get them something to eat while we're out as a treat. I said noon because I'm working a half day. I'm hoping to be out of the office by eleven-thirty so I can come and get the girls. We'll get the dresses taken care of, I'll get them something to eat and bring them back to you. If I can manage to leave the office earlier than eleven-thirty, I will, but it'll depend on if anything comes up that can't wait."

Robert cleared his throat. "Why don't you just call Natalie and make arrangements for her to meet you at the dress shop with the girls?"

Johanna's gaze flicked toward him. "Because I'd like for the girls to actually get their dresses and be in the wedding as they've been told they will. If it's left up to Natalie, it won't get done…besides, their grandmother said she could arrange it and I trust her to do so since she promised Angie."

"It may cause more discord between Natalie and Lizzie," he remarked. "They have been having a row ever since she brought Angie to see you."

Elizabeth scoffed. "Like I care if Natalie is mad."

"I wasn't behind the decision to bring Angie to see me," Johanna remarked. "I had nothing to do with that. She was brought to me; I was told she wanted to be a flower girl and that I should make that happen and I did so because we wanted the girls all along."

"I understand that, dear; but maybe it would help smooth things over between everyone if you called Natalie and talked to her about it and had her bring the girls to you," Robert replied. "I can give you her number."

"I don't want her number. The arrangement I made isn't with Natalie. It's between Elizabeth and I."

"Mrs. Beckett," Elizabeth said firmly.

Johanna glanced at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose."

"Can you stop with that nonsense of not letting her call you by your name?" Jim asked sharply.

Johanna laid her hand on his wrist. "It's fine."

"No, it's not!"

"You don't need to yell, it's not a big deal," she remarked; figuring she better chose her battles especially with Angie's fragile heart on the line as a flower girl.

"I think it is," he muttered.

"Well I don't; getting back to the topic. I made the arrangement with Mrs. Beckett; and I prefer to work with her about it."

Elizabeth glanced at Robert. "It's between her and I; stay out of it. I did this for Angie and no one is going to get in the way of it, not even that bubble headed twit that's her mother. I made the decision. I did the asking. I agreed to the arrangements."

"Fine," Robert said with a nod. "Then you meet Johanna in the city with the girls. That way you can be a part of the shopping and save Johanna all that cab fare for making all of those trips."

Johanna looked at him oddly. "I'm not taking cabs; I'll have the car."

"The car?" he repeated.

"Yeah; the car…you know that thing with four tires and an engine."

"You mean Jimmy's car," Robert stated.

"Yes," she said with a nod. "I have a key."

"Don't you think Jimmy needs his car? He'll be at work."

"I'm aware of that," she replied.

"You seem to take his car a lot lately," Robert stated.

"With his permission," Johanna remarked as she glanced at Jim. "Do you want to say anything about that?"

Jim shrugged as he took a bite of his dinner. "You said you could handle it; that you could fight the battles on your own, that I didn't need to do it for you."

Johanna rolled her eyes. "God you're an ass today."

"He gets that from his father," Elizabeth remarked. "I thought he'd keep it under wraps until after he had gotten you down the aisle but I guess I was wrong."

"What do you mean by that?" Jim asked.

Elizabeth gave a shrug of a shoulder. "If you go showing her what an ass you can be, she might change her mind about marrying you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Jim retorted.

Elizabeth swallowed a sip of her drink. "I wouldn't cry about it…but I am enjoying watching her come back at you…I wasn't sure she was capable of coming back at you…she usually dissolves into tears when it comes to you but I see that she is quite capable of calling you on your behavior."

"Careful, Mother; you might accidentally complement her."

Elizabeth scoffed. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I believe we've gotten off topic again," Robert declared. "We were talking about Jimmy's car."

"And how you think I shouldn't drive it," Johanna replied, doing her best to ignore the ache above her eye that was starting to feel slightly worse as the meal wore on.

"I didn't say you shouldn't ever drive it," Robert replied with a smile. "It's just that you seem to use his car a lot lately…you've had it the last few times I've seen him…and a man's car is his most prized possession."

"Really?" Johanna replied. "I guess my father missed that memo…he always claims that my mother is his most prized possession. I would've thought that your wife would be your most prized possession as well."

"You're forgetting that the romance is dead," Elizabeth stated. "I don't rate next to the car anymore."

Robert sighed. "Lizzie, don't be that way."

"Why not? Even when I try to be different it apparently doesn't matter."

"We'll discuss that later."

"Oh there will be a discussion…you won't enjoy it though."

Johanna caught Elizabeth's eye. "I hope you have a prized possession that rates more than him."

Elizabeth nodded. "I used to think it was my children but they've disappointed me just as much as their father has…my grandchildren are being brainwashed by their mother…so I guess I'll claim my flowers as my most prized possessions."

"You always have," Jim replied. "Your garden club is of the utmost importance in your life."

Elizabeth leveled him with a glare. "Maybe you should all ask yourselves why that is."

"We don't need to have that discussion either," Robert stated. "Johanna, you're a successful young lady, why don't you get your own car?"

"Why should I?" she asked. "Jim and I are getting married…we can share the car."

"But then you'd have your own and wouldn't need to take Jimmy's. Then you can do your shopping; be able to take yourself to work or court or wherever you need to go. I mean what if you want to go visit your mother but Jimmy wants to go to a game in another part of the city? You can't expect him not to want to take his car."

"I think he could probably drop me off before he goes," she stated.

"But if you had your own car, he wouldn't have to go out of his way."

"Oh God no," she laughed. "We wouldn't want him to go out of his way. I'll walk."

"Now, you can't go walking long distances like that."

"I have before…and if I don't feel up to it, there are buses, cabs and subways…or I can always call my father to come pick me up."

"If you have your own car; you don't need to rely on other people for rides."

"I don't take the car every day," Johanna said firmly.

"No, but it is getting more frequent from what I can tell."

"You know," Elizabeth said, breaking into the conversation. "Robert taught me how to drive right after we got married."

"Oh?" Johanna replied.

She nodded. "Yes; and once I had my license…I wasn't allowed to drive his car again. I had to have my own…his was off limits. I have a key to it…only for emergencies."

"I see," Johanna said with a nod.

Robert gave a laugh. "It's not the terrible thing you girls are making it out to be. Lizzie, it was best for you to have your own car for when the children started coming along and so you could do the grocery shopping and errands while I was at work…"

"That woman's work," Johanna stated. "You had to have your own car for that woman's work; can't use the man's car for that."

"Honey, I really wish you'd let that go," Robert told her. "You've taken it as something bad."

"No, I've taken it in the sexist way it was meant," she told him. "But I know, that's just the norm for men of your generation."

"She's calling you old," Elizabeth said as she glanced at her husband. "In case you missed that in the subtext."

A tight smile crossed his lips. "No, dear, I didn't miss it…and you know you like having your own car."

"Of course…if I didn't, I'd have to walk or call a cab…because your prized possession is off limits."

Robert sighed deeply, giving his attention back to Johanna. "Honey, just think about getting your own car…then you won't have to deprive Jimmy of his so often."

Johanna glanced at Jim, seeing that he was going to stay silent, not paying any mind to them at all as he continued to eat. She pushed back from the table and made her way across the room to the hallway where she opened the closet door and took out her purse. She took her keys out of her bag and worked the car key off the ring. She then returned to the table and slammed it down in front of Robert. "There you go," she told him.

Robert looked up at her in puzzlement. "What's this?"

"My key to Jim's car…since you're so worried about me depriving him…and he's sitting there not saying a word about anything you're saying, I take that to mean that he has a problem with me using the car and he's just too much of a coward to tell me, so take the key. I don't want it. Don't worry, I won't pull up in front of your house Friday to get the girls in his car. I'll carry those kids on my back before I use that damn car again. It's now off limits to me like your car is off limits to your wife."

"My car isn't off limits to Lizzie," he replied.

"It's not?" Elizabeth asked.

"No!"

"Good; then I'm driving home," she remarked.

"No," Robert said with a shake of his head. "That's not a good idea. You're not used to driving at night."

"We're going into summer, Robert; it stays light out until nine…I'm sure we'll be on our way before then. I'm driving."

"No, you're not."

"If your car isn't off limits to me then why can't I drive home?"

"Because you're not," he said firmly. "You know I don't like being driven around by my wife."

"Unless I'm hauling you home from a bar, right?" Elizabeth asked pointedly. "Then it's okay…you know, all those times I had to get your mother to come sit with the kids while I came to get your drunken self from whatever bar you were in. It was okay for your wife to drive you then."

"Lizzie," he hissed. "We don't need to do this."

"No; we'll do it on the ride home…while I drive."

"You're not driving my car!"

"See, I'm not allowed to drive his car," Elizabeth said as she met Johanna's eye.

She nodded. "Yes, I see that…and while I'm not getting my own car any time soon; I won't drive your son's car anymore. I don't want to offend the Beckett men and their prized possessions."

"Stop it!" Jim exclaimed. "Put the damn key back on your keyring and knock it off. If I have a problem with you taking my car, I'll let you know about it."

"Number one, quit yelling at me," she said sharply. "Number two, I didn't start it, your father did and you sat there and didn't say a word so that leads me to believe that you do have a problem with me using it. Number three, let me make it clear to both of you, I don't want your damn car. I'll walk."

"Fine, walk to work Monday," Jim retorted.

She held his gaze. "That suits me just fine."

Elizabeth gave a short huff of a laugh. "Well, Robert; you think it's all me trying to break them up and it's going to be you over your obsession with vehicles."

"I'm sure you probably have an opinion on the matter, Mother," Jim said. "So why don't you just unleash it and get it over with."

"I don't give a damn if she drives your car," Elizabeth replied. "It doesn't bother me."

"Oh sure it doesn't," he laughed.

"It doesn't," she snapped. "I don't care about cars the way you men do."

"I didn't mean to get a war started about the car," Robert said. "That's between the two of you…I just figured since Johanna is successful at her job that she could afford to buy her own car."

Johanna sighed deeply. "First you think I'm trying to take his money, now you think I'm stealing his car. Do you want me to draw up a legal document stating that I won't touch anything that belongs to him, other than his clothes so I can do the laundry…I am allowed to touch his clothes, right? That is part of my woman's work after all."

"Johanna," Robert sighed. "You don't need to take on like this…you're being a bit like Lizzie right now."

"Can you get anymore insulting tonight?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Good God, out of all of you, I'm starting to prefer her to the two of you!"

"Well then I guess we're making progress," Robert said with a smile.

She glared at him. "No, we're not; you're just being an ass like your son! Believe me, I didn't come here to have a good time or to make friends with her; that's not going to happen."

"That thought never crossed my mind," Johanna remarked.

"Good; because it's not happening."

"I know you want me to be offended but I'm not," she replied. "I've gotten to the point where I don't care that you don't like me."

"Good."

"And I don't care that your husband doesn't like me anymore either."

"Hell, he doesn't like me," Elizabeth remarked. "So don't go thinking you're the first person in that club."

"That's enough," Robert stated. "Elizabeth Ann, you know I love you. Johanna, I like you very much…I just don't know why you're so set on being so sensitive lately. I'm guessing it's the stress of wedding planning, but honey, if you'd just settle down and quit being so quick tempered, things would be fine. Both of you girls are too sharp tongued for your own good."

"See why I kept telling you this wasn't a good idea," Jim said as he met Johanna's eye. "This is exactly what I told you would happen. Everyone is fighting as usual…and as usual, it's turning into a fight between us just like I said it would."

She swallowed hard. "Because you've made it that way," she told him. "You've been determined to be an ass this entire day; you've nitpicked everything I've done since five this morning."

"Because you were up cleaning a place that was already clean!" he exclaimed. "And not once has she looked for any dust you might've missed!"

"Stop yelling!"

"It's the truth; she hasn't given this place a second glance just like I told you she wouldn't. You were up at the crack of dawn, doing all of this extra work for nothing…changing your mind about what to cook every hour…"

"Because you kept telling me I couldn't cook what I wanted to originally serve."

"Fried chicken would've just been fuel on the fire," he retorted. "But I think that's what you wanted!"

"No, I wanted to make a meal that I know you enjoy so you'd be more comfortable with this," she told him. "But no, you rode me all morning until I changed it…then when I decide on lasagna, you tell me I can't do that because your parents don't like Italian food. Then I was going to do a ham and you said that was too fancy like a holiday meal, so I did away with that idea. So I was stuck making this stupid roast that no one wants, including myself because you made me doubt anything I was going to do!"

"I was just trying to keep you from setting off another round of fights with the damn chicken," he retorted. "Ham is for special occasions, and no, they don't like Italian food. This isn't on me; this wasn't my idea! I told you what would happen, you said you were in control, well guess what, Jo; there is no controlling this and you'd think you'd get that by now!"

"Shh," she hissed. "I told you to stop yelling."

He glared at her. "Don't you shush me. I have a mother for that, I don't need you doing it."

The words struck her but she managed to keep the tears from stinging her eyes as silence fell. She pushed back her chair and got up, picking up her plate as she did so.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked.

"I'm going to start cleaning up," she replied. "Are you done with your plate?"

"No, I'm not done and neither are you, you've barely ate anything."

"I have a mother to tell me to clean my plate," she retorted. "I don't need you doing it. Mrs. Beckett, are you finished since you haven't touched your plate at all?"

Elizabeth handed over her plate without a word; studying Johanna as she did so. Johanna turned her attention to Robert. "Are you finished, Mr. Beckett?"

"No, I'd like to finish mine…and you really don't need to be formal, dear. Call me Robert like you always have."

"No; I don't think so…I know my place," Johanna stated before she turned and left the room with the plates.

Silence fell as they listened to the clatter of dishes in the kitchen and the soft sound of the TV that Jim had refused to turn off before their guests arrived. "Well, Jimmy," Elizabeth said quietly. "You can't blame this one on me."

"What's your point, Mother?"

"The point is that you've behaved like an ass all evening…and apparently all day before we got here. You're just like your father…if it's not something you want to do then it's not worth doing in your mind."

"Like you wanted to do this," he scoffed.

"No, I didn't…but I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, because Dad made you come."

"Contrary to what you believe, he didn't drag me out of the house."

"But you didn't want to come."

"No; but I did," she said firmly. "And I don't think for a minute that she wanted to do this either but she did."

"So what do you want me to do?" Jim asked. "Hand out gold stars for the simple fact that you two haven't ripped into each other yet? I'm sure it's coming."

"Don't tempt her," Robert remarked. "I ruffled her feathers so I'm sure she's looking for a fight as usual."

Elizabeth bit her lip for a second as she regarded him. "Oh I'm going to have one…but not with her. I'm saving it all for you," she said as she shoved her chair back from the table.

"Where are you going?" her husband asked.

"Where I'm probably not wanted any more than I am in this room but I'd rather take my chances with her than sit here with you two baboons."

"Lizzie," Robert said with a sigh as she moved away from the table.

"Leave me alone," she retorted. "It shouldn't be hard for you to do, you do it all the time…and before long, Jimmy will do it to his wife."

"No, I won't!" Jim exclaimed.

"I guess we'll see about that," she retorted before heading for the kitchen.

---

Johanna stood at the sink, her jaw tight and her head pounding, wishing she could've done things better…and maybe she could have if Jim had just cooperated for a single second but he hadn't. For once Elizabeth wasn't the issue…it was the men at the table who were the issue; one unwilling to stand united and get this thing done; the other full of antiquated notions and demands that she snap her fingers and make everything okay just because he said so. She heard the sound of footsteps crossing the threshold and she knew they weren't Jim's…too light and quick to be his.

"Do you wear glasses?" Elizabeth asked as she stepped toward where Johanna was, her tone sharper than she had really meant for it to be. A part of her wished that she had been able to soften it…but on the other hand, she didn't want this girl thinking they were going to be friends; even if there was a small part of her that was commiserating with her about the behavior of men.

"No, why?" Johanna asked, forcing herself to let go of the edge of the counter, figuring that her momentary escape was out of the question now that she had been followed.

"Because you keep squinting," Elizabeth replied. "I haven't noticed you doing that before but I thought maybe I had just missed it previously."

Johanna sighed softly. "I'm squinting because I'm getting a migraine."

Elizabeth studied her for a moment, biting back a flippant remark although why she couldn't really understand. Instead, she chose her words carefully. "I've never understood what the difference is between a headache and a migraine. Isn't it all the same thing?"

"No," she replied with a soft shake of her head. "A migraine is different from the usual headache because it's harder to get rid of and it lasts longer. The pain can be dull or it can be very severe…this one is dull for now. Migraines affect more than just the head; they can affect your vision, or at the very least, make you sensitive to light…which is why I squint; when I have one I'm very sensitive to light. They can make you sensitive to sound…you don't want anything loud…which is honestly why I've been trying to shush your son when he's raising his voice. It's not that I'm trying to be controlling or tell him what to do…it's just that when you have a migraine, things that normally don't bother you, like a raised voice, or the lights being on, become very aggravating. Migraines can make you nauseous or even sick. It has a lot of side effects that make it more than a normal headache…and after it clears up, a lot of times you're left with your head feeling sore, like its bruised from the episode…that's the best way I can describe it."

"How long have you had this issue?"

"Since I was fifteen."

"Maybe you should see a doctor for it," Elizabeth suggested.

Johanna glanced at her. "The first time I had a migraine, we didn't know what it was…my father carried me out of the house in the middle of the night and took me to the hospital because I was in so much pain. They did tests, told him it was a migraine, they kept me for several hours and gave me pain medication, sent me home. He then set about making appointments to take me to every doctor possible to make sure that was all it was and to find a cure. He took me to neurologists, ENT's, eye doctors, general practitioners…I had all kind of tests and blood work. Everyone told him the same thing, I was healthy, it was just migraines, that there wasn't anything they could do to prevent me from getting them. Sometimes they're mild…sometimes they're severe and put me to bed for a day or two…or the hospital for the evening…but it's just something I have to deal with."

"How often do you have them?"

"That's a hard question to answer," Johanna admitted. "There are times when I have at least one once a month…there have been times when I've had more than one in a month…and there are times when I go months without having any."

"What causes it?" Elizabeth asked.

"They've never given a definitive answer on that…there seems to be a laundry list of possible causes that they've given; hormones, stress, allergies, weather changes, certain foods, dehydration, caffeine, although I disagree on that one."

"Why is that?"

"Because I notice sometimes that if I have one and it's not too bad, drinking a Coke or a cup of coffee helps ease it. I know over the winter, I had one that was nagging at me at work and Jim had poured the last of the coffee in the breakroom in his cup so I took a few sips and for whatever reason, it did seem to ease it off."

Elizabeth frowned. "Jimmy takes his coffee black; I've never known a woman to drink black coffee."

"Believe me, I didn't like it," Johanna replied. "It was so strong I thought it might kill me, but it got rid of the migraine so I figured it was worth choking it down."

"I guess that's understandable…but I guess the doctors don't really know what causes these things."

"That's my consensus…just too many possibilities to make you believe that they actually know."

"Does Jimmy know that you have this issue?"

"Yes, he's always known. They're a nuisance but they're not a threat to my health."

"Does he know that you have one today?"

"He knows that I have a headache but he's been too wrapped up in himself and his need to remind me that he didn't want to do this to notice the signs and I haven't bothered to mention it further."

"Why not?"

"Because then he would've just made a harder push not to do this and I wanted to get it done."

Elizabeth eyed her. "Why?"

Johanna held her stare. "To get your husband off my back."

She gave a slight nod. "I know the feeling."

"I figure that's why you came."

Elizabeth breathed deeply as she regarded the young woman before her. Apparently you couldn't get much past her, much to her chagrin. "I'd like to deny that…but I guess I can't."

"You could've said no."

"So could you," Elizabeth remarked.

"I've got enough problems," Johanna replied. "I don't want to borrow more…I'm tired of having more."

It was a feeling she could understand all too well, Elizabeth thought to herself. "Some things aren't worth the fight."

"No, they're not…it's best to get it over with even though you know going into it that it's not going to change anything…but at least you know you did it."

"Lost causes seem like a waste of time," Elizabeth remarked.

Johanna shrugged. "To the people who know they're a lost cause, that's true…but to the people who insist it isn't; I guess it's not. Believe me, I didn't do this because I'm stupid enough to believe that it's going to make any difference…I know it's not. I can't change your mind about me…and although I know I'd like to be able to change my mind about you one day, I know that isn't going to be anytime soon. All I do know is that I'm not going anywhere and neither are you…and no, I don't want you to, regardless of what you believe; but my point is, neither one of us is going anywhere…so I guess we just have to accept the way things are right now. You hate me, I don't know why exactly, but you do…but it doesn't change anything…I'm not going to go away, nothing you can do or say is going to make me leave him or disappear from your life. You don't light up my world either at the moment…I don't care so much about the things you say about me…I can even laugh about it sometimes…but I do care that it hurts Jim. He's your son and you love him, you're not going away and you shouldn't…so trust him to know his own mind and his own heart about what he wants, even if it is something you wouldn't have chosen for him. We're going to be stuck with each other for a very long time…so we may as well acknowledge that to ourselves and get used to it."

Elizabeth eyed her for a long moment. "Did you rehearse that in the mirror before I got here?"

"No, I was too busy arguing with your son over having this dinner, about what to cook for it, about how it was going to go and the fact that he couldn't at least answer the door for me. So, you see I didn't have much rehearsal time…I just figured I'd wing it and let you annihilate me for it…so go ahead, I'm ready."

The older woman scoffed. "Takes the fun out of it if you're ready for it."

"So sorry to disappoint you," Johanna said with a touch of sarcasm. "But you know as a lawyer, I'm used to the rebuttal process."

"He had to go and hook up with a lawyer," Elizabeth muttered.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a good lawyer," she remarked.

"Going to pat yourself on the back now, are you?"

Johanna shrugged. "I may as well, no one else is doing it today…besides, I've got the record and a recent pay raise to prove it."

Elizabeth's brow rose. "A pay raise?"

"Yes."

"I wasn't aware that lawyers got pay raises."

"Of course…Jim's gotten several in his time at the firm, I'm sure he's told you."

She frowned as she shook her head. "No, I don't believe he has…he saves everything for his father."

"I'm sorry, I would've thought you would've been one of the first people he would've told."

The older woman scoffed. "My children rarely tell me anything before they tell someone else. I suppose you tell your mother everything right away."

"Not always…I waited two days to tell her I was engaged and I don't really tell her work related things."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked; although she was starting to hate herself for keeping this conversation going.

"In the matter of the engagement, I just wanted to have it to ourselves for the weekend. As for work…well…she doesn't like my job," Johanna admitted, although she felt like she was giving the woman more ammunition to use against her at a future time.

"She doesn't like your job?"

"No."

"Why? It's not like you're a street walker…although those boots you wear at times look like it."

Johanna smirked at her. "They do not. She just never wanted me to be a lawyer…she says I worry too much about my work and not enough about important things like planning weddings and being on time for dress shopping."

"What would she prefer you to be?" Elizabeth asked.

"A kindergarten teacher."

She pondered that for a long moment. "I don't think it would suit you."

"Neither do I, that's why I didn't become one…I don't think she'll ever forgive me for that," Johanna remarked.

"It's not her life."

"No, it's not…but believe me, she's got plenty of ideas for it…so don't go thinking that we're without our own discord, because we have plenty of it at times. She's not speaking to me right now, if you want the truth."

"What did you do?" Elizabeth asked.

Johanna met her eye. "I'm not planning this wedding to suit her or her ideas…I don't think we've ever gotten along so badly as we have the last few months. So you see, when I said I don't want to borrow more problems, I already have plenty of my own."

"I guess it's a bad season for mothers," Elizabeth muttered.

"It's not all that great for daughters either."

"What about sons?"

"Yours would be fine if he could just…not add to the problem by guilting me into going to places where he knows I'm not wanted or welcome, which would be your house, and that won't happen again, so rest easy, I wasn't looking for you to change your mind on that one. He would be fine if he could just let this thing here tonight go on without such resistance to it so that we can say we did it and that it's one thing off of Robert's list of demands. His list is much shorter than my mother's so I thought I could get this out of the way before I have to do battle with her again; I just didn't count on your son being an ass about it all day."

"Like I told you. he gets that from his father," Elizabeth declared. "Robert portrays himself to the world as the loveable, magic trick, storytelling, businessman ball of greatness…but he's got that other side that's full of tendencies of being an ass and I know them all too well."

Johanna gave a slight nod. "Like when he was saying the romance wasn't completely dead, just barely hanging on by a thread?"

Elizabeth bit her lip for a moment as she nodded. "Yes, that was one of them."

"I hope he pays for it."

"Oh he will…it will not be a pleasant drive home," Elizabeth said, a touch of darkness in her tone.

"Serves him right…that was harsh."

"Yes, well, I figure it was harsh of Jimmy to say to you that he already has a mother to shush him and doesn't need you to do it."

"Yeah, it was…which is why I wanted you to know the real reason I was doing it."

Elizabeth breathed deeply, allowing herself to say the words she hated to say to this woman. "I understand."

"I'm glad that you do…I don't want you think that I'm the kind of woman who wants to control the man…because I'm not."

"I believe your reason for doing it."

"Thank you," Johanna replied. "In appreciation for you believing me, I'll make you a deal."

Elizabeth's brow rose. "What kind of deal?"

"Since we both know that neither one of us is going anywhere; I'll make you this deal to make things maybe a little easier…I'll try not to step on your toes, I won't come where I'm not wanted unless the words come directly from your mouth to my ears, and no, I will not wait for that to happen. We can argue when you want and feelings on either one of our parts don't have to change. I will call you Mrs. Beckett as you want me to…and in return for all of that, maybe you can just call me by my name more often than not…okay, Mrs. Beckett?"

Elizabeth stared at her for a full minute, the sound of the clock ticking on the wall sounding somewhat ominous against the background of the men's voices in the living room. A deal, she kept thinking to herself…a deal that only asked one thing of her. She sighed softly, she hated deals…but for the sake of her son, she figured maybe she should take it this time. "Alright, Johanna," she said simply.

Johanna's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Alright?"

She nodded. "Yes…we both know it doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't change anything…but maybe they'll think it does," she said, nodding in the direction of the living room. "And they'll get off of both our backs."

"Men are easy to fool with small things like that."

"It's for their own good," Johanna replied.

"They should appreciate it."

"I agree…but as we mentioned, they're showing that jackass side tonight," Johanna remarked.

"Well…maybe we can separate them soon and then we'll each only have one to deal with."

"I'm sending Jim home to his own place because I've had it with him today," she replied without shame.

Elizabeth gave an understanding nod. "Since the romance is dead in my marriage, Robert can sleep downstairs because I'm locking the door while he's in the shower."

"They deserve their punishments."

"Are you girls coming back in here?" Robert called out from the living room, making Johanna roll her eyes as Elizabeth sighed.

"I guess we have to go back in there," Johanna muttered.

"I guess so…but I'll convince him to leave soon," Elizabeth stated. "Then maybe you can take care of that headache."

"Maybe they're the reason I have the headache," she murmured aloud without meaning to.

Elizabeth nodded. "I know they're the reason I usually have one."

"Lizzie!" Robert called out.

Elizabeth whirled back around to the doorway of the kitchen. "For God's sake, Robert; do you have to yell?"

He shrugged. "How else was I supposed to get your attention?"

"Maybe you could wait until I return to the room…or if it's that important, get up and come to the room I'm in and tell me what the hell you want," she said sharply as she moved back into the living room.

"I just wanted you to come back in here," he stated. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for you two girls to spend much time alone together."

"And why is that?" Elizabeth asked, her brow arched and her gaze daring him to say something she wouldn't like.

"Well…because…you know how you two are," he replied.

"We don't want bloodshed," Jim stated.

Elizabeth's gaze flicked to Johanna as she reluctantly returned to the room. "When I was with you in the kitchen, did I harm you?"

Johanna looked at her oddly. "No."

"Did I bother you?"

"No."

"Did I scream at you? Call you names? Threaten you?"

"No."

"Did you harm me?"

"No," Johanna replied, puzzlement in her gaze.

"Did you bother me?"

"Not that I know; you didn't say that I bothered you with anything I said."

"Did you yell, threaten or call me names?"

"No…can I ask why we're having this odd question and answer segment?" Johanna asked.

"The men in this room think we're incapable of being in a room together without a chaperone," Elizabeth stated.

"I don't know, I think maybe we do better without one…maybe it's less pressure…we don't have the expectations for each other that they do."

"So you're saying we're the problem?" Robert asked.

"You usually are," Elizabeth remarked.

Robert shook his head. "No; the problem lies between you two and has spread throughout the family."

"That's Jimmy's fault," Elizabeth replied. "He's the one that picked her…and if you don't like how we deal with each other, well that's your problem. We did what you wanted; we had a meal together, there was no bloodshed. Now let's go home."

"I didn't want this to be a rushed affair," Robert stated. "And it's been very rushed."

"I don't know," Jim said. "Feels like it's taking forever to me."

"We haven't even had dessert," his father stated.

Johanna closed her eyes; that was the one thing she had forgotten to plan for this event. "I…um…I didn't plan a dessert."

"Why not?" Robert asked.

"Because I was focusing on the meal portion…I just didn't even think about it. Jim kept saying you weren't going to come and I guess I just didn't plan further than the meal in case he was right."

"See; this was rushed," he said once more. "We should've gone to a restaurant and you wouldn't have had to plan anything, dear. It would've been taken care of."

Her emotions were beginning to tug at her as they always did when she wasn't feeling well. "I did the best I could," she said quietly. "I do have a life outside of the kitchen…I haven't spent every waking moment of this week planning every detail of this dinner. I've had work and wedding planning and my own family issues to deal with. There was no guarantee that you both were coming…no guarantee you'd stay long even if you did; so dessert never crossed my mind but if it's really that important to you; I can give you the ice cream I have in the freezer."

Robert shook his head. "No; no need for that. I apologize, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"And yet you did," Elizabeth stated. "But I'm always the one saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing. So now that you've stuck your foot in your mouth, pull it out and let's go home."

"I think we can talk a little more," Robert replied.

"No," Elizabeth said firmly. "I don't have anything else to say here tonight…but I've got plenty to say to you and you know it…that's why you want to stall and stay here but we're not going to sit here all evening just so you can avoid me."

Robert sighed deeply. "I've just barely finished eating, Lizzie. Usually people don't rush off as soon as they're done eating."

"That's in normal situations," she replied. "This was a meal you insisted on and it's been had…so let's go. Did you ever think that maybe they want us to leave so they can have their own fight? Or at the very least so she can clean up and do whatever it is she needs to do for her upcoming week."

"It's only Saturday; she won't be back at work until Monday."

Elizabeth picked up her purse and fished out her keys. "Well then you stay, I'm going home…have a nice walk."

"You're not driving my car!" Robert exclaimed as he got up from his chair.

Johanna winced at his tone; making Elizabeth shoot her husband a glare. "Why do you two have to yell so much tonight?"

"We learned it from you," Jim replied.

"No, you didn't. You two just like to blame me for everything, well guess what, some things are on you," Elizabeth said firmly. "Let's go."

"Will we be seeing you Tuesday at the kids graduation?" Johanna asked.

"I'll be there," Elizabeth stated. "Are you both coming?"

"Yes; we've gotten things arranged," she replied.

"Dad, are you going?" Jim asked.

"No, I have a conference that afternoon," Robert replied as he rose from his chair.

"See what I mean about that bank," Elizabeth stated.

"Don't start, Lizzie; you're only going because Angie made you feel guilty. If she hadn't, you wouldn't be there either," he retorted.

"The fact remains that I'm going…and I'm going to pick Alicia up on my way just to prove a point to Natalie. But it's fine, you don't need to go with me; I will take my granddaughter and go on my own. I guess I'll see Jimmy and Johanna there."

"We'll be there," Johanna said. "If we're there before you, we'll save you a seat. Jim told me that Andrew is going to come as well."

Elizabeth nodded. "Good."

Jim and Johanna followed Robert and Elizabeth to the door, a sense of relief filling her that the evening was finally over. "Thanks for coming," she said as she gripped the doorknob.

Robert released a breath. "It wasn't the evening I had hoped we'd have. Everything was rushed and some people were still uncooperative even if she was minding her manners for the most part. We didn't seem to accomplish anything…we're still stuck in the same cycle."

"I wouldn't say that," Johanna replied. "You know where I stand and your wife called me by my given name once this evening. That's enough for me."

"It's not for me," Robert remarked.

She smiled as she shrugged. "That's life sometimes. We don't always get what we want."

"I think you like it being this way…and that isn't fair to Jimmy," he replied.

"You can think what you want. I know my truth. As for your Jimmy…sometimes he isn't fair to me either, but I have never once asked him to choose between me and his family and I never would. It's not that I want things to be this way, it's that they were made to be this way…and some of that was by your own hand, Mr. Beckett. Maybe one day after the wedding, things will get better on their own. You can't just decree that it be better over dinner like you seem to think. You think nothing was accomplished but I feel better just knowing that your wife does know my name and will speak it on occasion, so I'm good. I'm sorry you're not."

Robert sighed. "I think you're just still a little too hot headed to listen to reason."

"Oh, Robert," Elizabeth complained. "Will you let it go? We did what you wanted; we had a meal, no one was maimed and I called her by her name. What more do you want?"

"I want you both to listen to reason and settle down!" he exclaimed.

"And maybe you're just too pushy with your idea of reason," Johanna told him. "Mrs. Beckett and I know that neither one of us is going anywhere. We know where we stand. We got through a meal together to appease you and Jim and no one has been tortured, poisoned, hit, or left early. Leave it at that and call is a success. Maybe you should just give time a chance to heal and change things if it's meant to be."

"You can't just wish upon a star and not make any effort," Robert replied. "You think all of the effort should come from us."

"I never said that," Johanna replied. "I know I can't change her mind and I'm not going to try. She's entitled to her feelings and whatever reasons she has for them. As for you, I never had any issue with you until lately…and I'm not going to schedule weekly family counseling sessions to make you happy. Mrs. Beckett and I spoke in the kitchen, we know where things stand, and she's free to share that conversation with you if she wishes. I don't know if it made her feel any better but it made me feel better, although she probably doesn't want to hear that. As for you, I can go back to not having an issue with you…all you have to do is quit nitpicking me about wedding planning, I have my mother to do that for me. Quit going to my father about my business unless you would for some reason be asked to do so. Quit telling me what a woman's work is and what work belongs to a man; and quit telling my fiancé how to spend his money or that we don't need to take a few days off if we want to. That's our business, not yours. Just be normal like you used to be and things will be fine."

Robert glanced at his wife. "Did you and Johanna have some special chat when you were in the kitchen together?"

"I wouldn't call it special," Elizabeth remarked. "But we made a deal."

"And what was that?" Robert asked.

"That's between her and I," she replied.

"You're not going to tell me?"

Elizabeth gave him a sardonic smile. "No, dear, I'm not…you see the sharing things phase of our marriage isn't quite dead yet but it is hanging on by a thread and sharing that information might make it seem like it's stronger than it is so I'm going to keep it between her and I."

Robert's jaw tightened. "I've had it with both of you women tonight."

Elizabeth shrugged a shoulder. "I've had it with you two baboons that call yourselves men. Jimmy's been an ass all evening and you think you just snap your fingers and we'll all fall in line with your agenda, well guess what, Robert, we're not. You talk about me not getting along with her, well I'm not the one harassing her to be different, nor is she harassing me to be different. We don't like each other; we both know it and we don't give a damn. We're not going to be the Waltons so get that idea out of your head and leave us alone!"

"Fine," Robert said with a nod. "If you two are happy being in a family feud every time you see each other, so be it, but I don't want to hear any crying about it from either one of you."

"You don't have to worry," Johanna replied. "I don't go crying to my own father, let alone my father-in-law."

"Fine, you two just be this way since apparently it makes you happy."

"Great, thanks for your permission," Johanna replied with a smile. "See, we have accomplished something after."

"Can you just stop this," Jim said gruffly as he looked at Johanna. "You're just making it worse."

"Well since you've been largely silent on anything that's been said tonight because you're in one of your moods to be a jackass; I'm handling things as I see fit. I don't cower from my own father, I sure as hell won't cower from yours…or you for that matter. You've been on my case since you got out of bed and I am sick of it, Jim. I did everything I could to try and make this work but you had to pick at every single thing all day long until I was forced to make a dinner that no one enjoyed, you've done nothing but make smart ass remarks and yell at me. My head is throbbing and you're just making that worse."

"I was on you this morning because you didn't need to be up cleaning at five; it was stupid," he complained. "And here she is leaving and she still hasn't once checked to see if you were a proper housekeeper like you thought she would."

Elizabeth stepped away from the door. "Since you like to keep bringing that up, Jimmy; I think I will take a look around so that this to-do about a woman cleaning her home can be justified."

Jim rolled his eyes. "So you're going to be a smart ass, Mom?"

"Why not, you are?" Elizabeth replied as she made her way around the room, running her fingertips over the bookshelves and examining the stands before moving to the television and running her fingertips along the top of it. "Next time get the dust rag a little closer to the top of the TV," she remarked.

Johanna nodded. "I will. Thanks for the tip."

Elizabeth smirked at her son. "Are you satisfied now, Jimmy? Her cleaning wasn't in vain. Now you can shut up about it…because I'm sure you didn't help her…now did you?"

Jim remained silent as he stared at his mother.

"Did you?" Elizabeth asked.

"She told me to go back to bed."

His mother nodded. "That's what I thought. Despite her faults, and she has many…I won't declare her a bad housekeeper just because of a little dust on the TV. I'm sure she'll do better as she settles into married life…now you can leave her alone about it."

"Careful, that might be construed as caring," Jim replied. "People might think that you might like her one day."

"No one said that," Elizabeth replied.

"Leave your mother alone, Jim," Johanna stated. "She can say something bordering on nice and not have it mean that anything has changed, she and I both know that."

"I don't think I like the two of you hatching deals," Jim stated.

"Good thing we didn't ask you first then," she replied. "Get your keys, you're leaving too."

Jim's gaze jerked back toward her. "What?"

"You heard me…you're out of here tonight," Johanna told him. "Remember, you haven't moved in all the way yet and I'm the lady of the house…well the lady of the house wants to be alone tonight so you go on home to your own place."

"Johanna," he sighed.

"No," she stated. "You're going."

He shot her a glare. "You don't get to do this when we're married."

"That's why she's got to do it now," Elizabeth replied. "Her opportunities to throw you out for a night are dwindling. Believe me, I wish I could throw my husband out for a night sometimes…but then I figure he'd enjoy that and why should he be happy when I'm not."

"Let's go, Lizzie," Robert stated. "We can go home and have that fight you're so eager to have."

"I'm looking forward to it," she told him as she stepped through the door.

"I hope you get to drive home," Johanna called after her.

"She's not," Robert replied.

"Oh I am…and while I'm driving your prized possession…that you think I don't know you named after some harlot you laid with in high school, we'll begin our discussion about things that are hanging on by a thread."

Robert's eyes widened. "How do you know about Zelda?"

Elizabeth smiled, her grey-blue eyes glittering. "Oh I know all about her…including how you two met up at your high school reunion that I didn't get to go to because I had two babies at home, one of them with colic at the time."

Jim looked to his father. "I thought you said you never saw Zelda again after she moved away while you were still in school?"

"He lied," Elizabeth stated. "It may come as a shock to you, Jimmy; but your father lies just like any other man."

"Let's go, Elizabeth," Robert said tersely. "Have a good night, kids."

"I'd say the same to you," Johanna said. "But that's not looking likely for you."

The Becketts went off down the hallway, their bickering already beginning as they made their way to the elevator while Johanna held the door open. "Next," she stated.

"Jo," he sighed. "Let's not do this."

She shook her head. "No, I asked you not to do this all day but you insisted on being an ass…so go. Remember, it's still my place and I want to be in it alone tonight, so go Jim; I'll see you at work Monday."

"You know I'm going to drive you to work Monday!" he exclaimed. "I only said I wasn't because you pissed me off!"

She winced at his raised voice. "At the moment, I don't really care if you meant it or not. I want to be alone…since you've done absolutely nothing else for me today, at least do me the one favor of leaving so I can be myself…because if you stay, you're just going to keep yelling and that's just making my head hurt worse, so get out and leave me alone."

Jim studied her for a long moment, taking in all the signs he had missed all day long. She was a little pale…she was squinting against the light; her eyes full of hurt that he had caused and the pain of a migraine above her eyes. He pulled the door from her grasp, pushing it shut. "I don't want to leave you when you're not feeling well," he said quietly.

She scoffed. "You haven't cared all day so why care now? I'll be fine."

"Jo," he said, stepping toward her. "I'm sorry…I just didn't want to do this thing."

"Yeah, I got the message…and I don't want to do this tonight, so go home, Jim."

He shook his head. "No, I don't want to do that."

"I don't care," she said her voice cracking. "I'm so frustrated with you right now and my head is throbbing and I just don't want to deal with anything else right now. I don't even care about the dishes in the sink or the fact that the table needs moved back to the kitchen. I just want to take my shower, get something for this headache that I know probably won't help much and go to bed…alone."

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"No; go home…can you just do that one thing?" she exclaimed. "You fought me all day long and now that your parents are out of here, now you want to act like you're so concerned? No. Just go!"

The words hurt him, but he figured he had hurt her all day, complaining and critiquing everything she had done or wanted to do. He hadn't been supportive…he had missed the signs that she wasn't feeling her best. He had let her down and been an ass to everyone that night. Maybe the best thing he could do for her now was to leave, let her have her peace so that she could settle and battle her migraine. He'd give her a few hours to fall asleep and then he'd come back and sneak in, check on her and then he'd sleep on the couch for the rest of the night.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"So am I," she replied. "I just wanted to do this to get it off our backs…I didn't do it to spite you."

"I know…I wish you'd let me stay but I know you want me to go…so I will for now because I don't want to make things worse; leave the mess for tomorrow; go get yourself taken care of and I'll be here tomorrow to see how you are. Call if you need me sooner."

"I'll be fine," Johanna said softly. "I'm going to get my shower and go to bed."

He took the risk of pressing a soft kiss against her lips. "I love you," he murmured.

"Yeah…I know, even if it was hard to feel it today," she replied. "I love you too."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, feeling the weight of regret settle on his shoulders. "I just hate when I feel like we're forced into a situation like this."

"Sometimes you do the forcing," she reminded him quietly. "You have a very effective guilt tactic when it suits you."

"And I've promised you that it won't happen again," he assured. "I guess part of me just wants us to stay to ourselves in some way because I'm afraid of the day when they run you off for good."

She shook her head. "Never going to happen."

"I hope it doesn't."

"It won't," she promised. "But we can't avoid your family any more than we can avoid mine…we just have to deal with it. I don't like it any more than you do but it's the way it is…we just have to deal with it. Maybe one day it'll be better…but it's not going to get that way by force like your father thinks."

"I know…which is why I wasn't a fan of doing this."

"I know why you weren't a fan…but I was trying to show that we could have this meal but it would be on my terms this time, in a place where we're comfortable. I didn't mean to hurt you by telling you that I could handle things, that I didn't need you to fight the battle for me," Johanna told him.

He sighed deeply. "I know…and it didn't hurt me, because I know you can handle things and fight battles on your own. I just allowed it to make me mad because I want to protect you from something that might hurt you."

"I get that…I don't want anything hurting you either…but sometimes we can't avoid it."

"That's the part I hate," he admitted.

"Me too."

He was quiet for a long moment as he held her gaze. "Do you still want me to go?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah…believe me, even when I'm mad at you, I miss you…but I want some time to myself tonight. It's been a long week…and it's taken its toll. I'll want you back the second you're on the elevator…but I think maybe we need some space tonight."

"Maybe so…but I hate to go when I know you're not feeling well."

"I'll be alright," she assured. "It's manageable right now…if that would change, I'll call you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He kissed her once more. "Alright; I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Jim grabbed his keys and moved to open the door. "We're going to put your car key back on your keyring so don't lose it."

"Fine…but I won't drive your car to your parents house."

"We'll discuss that tomorrow," he replied. "Lock the door. Get some medicine for your headache and get some rest, sweetheart."

"I will," she promised as he stepped across the threshold.

Jim stood in the hallway, listening as she turned the locks before he moved down the hallway. He would give her a few hours to go to sleep as planned and then he'd come back, check on her and sleep on the couch…a more fitting punishment than banishment, he figured; and then in the morning, he'd help her clean up and maybe they could finish their weekend on a better note.

A/N: We'll see the kids in the next chapter…and the return of Naomi and wedding planning!