Meeting the parents

Everything went according to plan. Ellen and Steven made it to her parents home without anyone seeing them disappear or reappear on either of the back streets, shortly arriving at Ellen's childhood home. Ellen parked her car in the driveway behind her parents car and looked up at her old bedroom window. "Doesn't matter how many times I come up here. I always look at that first." She thought to herself. "Well, We're here babe. You okay?"

"I'll be fine sweetheart. Just really nervous about meeting your mum and dad." He replied. "It's the first time in a long while I've had to meet a girlfriends parents. Last time I was still at school."

"It'll be fine Steven. Just be yourself. But don't mention anything that's happened over the past few days. It'll only worry them." Steven nodded back and took a deep breath. Puffing his cheeks as he let it back out. "Come on. Let's go. Just try and keep calm and relax okay hun." Together they got out of the car and headed for the front door. Before they reached it, Ellen's mum had opened it to welcome her daughter home.

"Ellen. I'm so glad to see you sweetie." She then gave Ellen a big hug, showing here how much she was missed. "And you must be the young man that swept my daughter of her feet." Giving Steven the up and down look. "I say Ellen. You bagged yourself a good looking fellow here. You must be something special if you're dating Ellen. She's a bit of a career girl."

"Mum. He's nervous enough as it is. Is dad back yet?"

"No. He's on his way though. He was going to have a few drinks with the lads after the game, but now he knows you're here he couldn't wait to get back and see you. I didn't tell him that you had a boyfriend though. Thought you might want to break that news to him. I know how protective he is of you."

"Yeah I know."

Steven then interjected. grinning sheepishly. "Sorry to interrupt but." Steven held his hand out to Ellen's mum. "I'm pleased to meet you maam. And that's my knees you can hear. Not a woodpecker."

Ellen's mum got the little joke straight away. "You were right Ellen. I do like him. Polite and humour in the face of adversity. It's a pleasure to meet you too Steven. Please call me Donna. Anyway. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I'll go and put the kettle on." As they entered the living room, Ellen's mum went to the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Ellen's mum came in with a tray with an old fashioned teapot and empty cups with small jars containing milk and sugar. "I forgot to ask you how you have your tea Steven. Thought this might be easier." She then set the tray down.

"Thank you." Steven said. "I haven't seen a teapot for years." Then the sound of the front door was heard.

"Is that my baby girl's car I see in the driveway?" Ellen's dad had announced his return home and Steven's nerves returned with a vengeance. Ellen sensed this and took his hand in hers.

"Chill." Then got up to meet her dad before he could enter the living room. "Hi dad." They held each other for a short while.

"So what made you drop in at such a short notice. Not that I'm complaining. You know we'd love to have you move back up this way."

"Yeah I know dad. The truth is. You and mum have a lot to talk to US about."

"Us?"

"Yes dad. I have a boyfriend now and I wanted you and mum to meet him. Just go easy on him though please. He's really nervous as it is. So please relax over it okay. He's everything to me."

He looked at Ellen and sighed. "Okay sweetie. I'll give him a chance. Your not a kid anymore I know that, But I still have a right to worry about you."

"I know dad. Steven's a good man. I wouldn't be with him if he wasn't." Her dad nodded his acknowledgement. "Come on. let's get you two introduced." They then went back the living room. "This is Steven dad." Steven got up from the couch and held his hand out to Ellen's dad. He took Steven's hand, but still had an air of distrust about him.

"It's an honour to meet you sir." This took Ellen's dad back a bit. He didn't expect the level respect that Steven was showing and lightened up a small amount.

"Well you seem a good mannered young man, I'll give you that." Still giving Steven reason to be nervous.

"Now stop it Peter. You keep this up and we'll never have grandchildren. You'll have to excuse Ellen's father Steven. She's our only child so he's very protective of her."

Steven looked at Donna. "I heard." Then returning his gaze to Peter. "And I don't blame him. I'm exactly the same with my sister."

"Well now that we've all been introduced. Let's get to know each other better." Said Ellen trying to lighten the mood.

"Good idea Ellen." Donna agreed. "Peter. Sit and let's give the young man a chance. Ellen's in her twenties now. I know you still think of her as your little girl but she's a grown woman and you have to let her live her life."

"I guess your right Donna. I just wasn't expecting this okay. Let's talk for a while." He then sat down. "So you have a sister then. If your dad just as protective of her as I am of Ellen, then I'm sure you understand."

"Dad." Ellen looked horrified. Steven then interrupted her though.

"It's okay Ellen. He doesn't know." Steven's eyes starting to water as his thoughts then turned to his father.

"I don't know what? did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"My father died when I was seven." Peter went red with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. That must have been hard on you and your family. Please forgive me."

Steven then explained. "No need to. He was in the army and died on tour in Afghanistan. My mum, sister and I have all now come to terms with it. But we still miss him."

Donna then spoke. "You poor thing. I really feel for you."

"It's fine. We've learned to get on with our lives. But I will apologise for springing myself upon you like this. Ellen said she hadn't seen you both for a while so coming up here was my suggestion. Knowing how much I miss my dad, I thought it was important that she saw you as much as she can." Peter lightened up considerably at Steven's sentence.

"You know what Donna. This lad has won me over already. So far."

"You may not say that in a little while dad." Ellen's own nerves now rising.

"Oh. Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Okay. You know I've been working on this Nanobot project for the last few months." Both her parents nodded. "Well we succeeded. Steven here was our test subject."

"So what happened to you Steven. Ellen told us everything she was working on. Even though she shouldn't have done. But we know everything about it." Asked Donna.

"I had a brain tumour. I probably only had days to live when Ellen saved my life." Knowing he had to keep his immortality quiet. Then Ellen continued.

"Anyway. As you heard. He was saved by the project. After a few days. I got call from the hospital he was at informing me that Steven wanted to thank me for saving him and passed on his number to me. We met at my home and we got on with each other straight away. But owing to the nature of things I kept professional but we had a massive mutual attraction to each other. It took some time, but we finally admitted to ourselves how much we liked each other. Truth be told. Steven kissed me to say thank you before he left mine. I fell in love with him there and then. I just couldn't admit it to myself."

"So how long have you two been together then?" Peter then asked.

"Three days. Since Thursday night." Replied Ellen. But I'm nervous about how you guys are gonna react when I tell you that." She paused to gather her courage. "Steven's nineteen."

"WHAT?" Both here parents were shocked. Peter's over protective dad role now returning. Visibly now feeling angry.

"And I might be pregnant." Donna nearly fainted and Peter started shouting.

"Three fucking days together and you already knocked my daughter up. Your fucking dead meat kid." He then lunged for Steven with his fist balled up and raised ready to strike. In a knee jerk reaction and not wanting to hurt anyone, Steven just vanished into thin air, leaving Donna and Peter gobsmacked. "What the fuck. Where'd he go?"

"I really didn't want you guys to find that out." They now looked at Ellen. "I better explain now hadn't I."

"I think you better had Ellen. But I'm going to get a whiskey first." Peter opened the cabinet and poured a glass, then necked it. He poured a second and returned to his seat. "Right. Fire away."

"I tested the nanobots on myself first to see if we had succeeded. Then we cured Steven. As it turns out, Steven retained a number of the bots in his body and has now practically become a god. Both he and the bots have merged into one life form. But to cut a long story short. Steven is my soul mate. We were destined to be together. You know me. I'm a scientist and never believed in fate. At least until I met Steven. But I have some of the bots in me too. On Thursday night after Steven had became what he is now. The lab was held hostage by an American company called Robotech. Their leader ordered one of his lackeys to kill me and shot me in the chest. I could have died there that night. But the nanobots that reside in me stopped me from bleeding out. Then Steven appeared, rendered them **** and saved the lives of my work friends. But while he was doing that. I saw something."

"And that was?" Asked Donna.

"I saw both Steven and I together. Not just in the future. But in the past too. Our past lives. Now the nanobots have helped us to be together in this life until the end of time. Neither of us can die. We're both immortal. It was destiny that I saved Stevens life. It was always going to happen. Now, we have being among us that can end all tyranny. Save the lives of everyone that...Well, you know what I'm trying to say. Now it's not Steven's fault that I'm pregnant. It is his child yes. But It was my fault. I wanted it. So don't blame him. Please."