“So you decided to meet Megan's parents?” Maya asked.
Tony nodded. “We decided to leave in a week and drive there. It took us a couple of days but that may have been because we stopped to stay the night in Denver. While I was nervous about meeting my girlfriend's family I really missed the team and part of me regretted that I wasn't with them over the holidays.”
“But you especially missed your ever faithful partner Ziva.” Maya pointed out.
“Well yeah I did kind of miss her. We didn't really get to say a proper goodbye. I was in a hurry and she had been acting weird that day. I guess it was just that she wasn't spending the holiday with her family and friends in Israel.” He replied.
“Yeah that must be it.”
“Anyway,” Tony said trying to change the subject. “While I was nervous about meeting Megan's family it seemed she was just as nervous about meeting your Auntie Alex who we were spending a couple of days with.
* * *
“So what's your sister like?” Megan asked him nervously as they drove closer to Alex and Logan's house.
“She is,” Tony grinned as he remembered the last time he described his sister to Ziva. “Charming, sophisticated, and focused.”
“Do you think she'll like me?” Megan asked him as Tony pulled up outside his sister's house.
Tony shut off the car, took off his seat belt and leaned over to wrap his arms around her. “Of course she will how could she not?”
She shrugged and opened her door and looked up in awe at the beautiful old Victorian style, two story house that was coloured in a rich terracotta. “It's so beautiful.”
Tony nodded as he handed Megan her bags and retrieved his own from the car. “You ready for this?” He asked her.
She nodded and followed him towards the door. He grinned at his beautiful girlfriend before he knocked on the door. He had called Alex and Logan from Denver to let them know they would be arriving in the afternoon and to warn his sister to be nice.
They heard the sound of footsteps running to the door before Alex and Logan opened the door and Tony was engulfed in another one of his sister’s hugs.
“Did Auntie Alex and Uncle Logan like Megan?” Maya asked curiously.
“Well they seemed to get on alright they gossiped a lot and my lovely sister kindly shared some of my embarrassing childhood photos with her so that made Megan happy.” Tony replied.
“You did say you would tell Megan more about your childhood when you went to dinner at Ziva's.” She reminded him. “Anyway get to the good part what was it like when you met Megan's parents?”
“It was a very interesting night...
* * *
Tony stood behind his girlfriend as they waited outside her family house. It was also an old Victorian style house but it seemed a bit more upmarket then his sister's house. It was a small multi-story dusty blue house with artistically carved multi-story style windows.
He took a deep breath as shadows approached the door and Tony Megan reassuringly squeezed his hand as the door opened and a tall man with thinning blond hair and the same curious blue eyes as his daughter.
Tony instantly held out his hand for Megan's father to shake. “Hello Mr Ryan, I'm Anthony DiNozzo. It's umm nice to meet you.”
Mr Ryan took his hand and looked him up and down. “So you are the man who has stolen my daughter's heart.”
Megan casually pushed herself between her farther and her boyfriend and gave her father a hug. “Daddy, be nice and Tony he hates to be called Mr Ryan just call him Daniel.”
“Thanks for telling me.” He whispered in her ear as he followed her and Daniel into the elegant lounge.
“Daniel didn't seem to like you much,” Maya pointed out. “What about the rest of the family? Did they like you?”
“Well...
* * *
Tony looked around at the two pairs of eyes staring at him from under the beautiful tall Christmas tree that stood in the centre of the room; the first pair belonged to a woman who looked to be in her early 20s and boy who was probably in his early teens. The woman was wearing skinny jeans; she looked a lot like Megan apart from having long dark hair with blond streaks in the second pair belonged to a teenage boy with short blond hair. He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a black hoodie. One thing he, the woman and Tony's girlfriend had in common was their curious blue eyes.
Daniel cleared his throat. “What exactly are you two doing?” Tony wondered what he was talking about until he noticed that both the woman and the boy had wrapped presents in their hands.
The girl quickly placed the present back under the tree. “Nothing Daddy honestly.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows before walking out of the room leaving the other four alone.
Once he was gone the woman and boy both ran up to Megan. The woman embraced her in a gentle hug while the boy stood glaring at Tony.
“So who have you brought with you this year?” He asked Megan without taking his eyes off Tony.
Megan disentangled herself and reached for Tony's hand which he squeezed with relief.
“This is my boyfriend Tony, Tony this is my sister Lizzy,” She said pointing to the woman, “and that little brat over there is Ben.”
“Ahh, nice to meet you.” Tony said nervously.
“You're a lot younger then the guys she normally goes for.” Lizzy told him with a grin.
“Yeah and a lot uglier too.” Ben added.
“Ben!” Both sisters snapped at him and Lizzy punched him in the arm. “Be nice would you. He does seem better than the last one.”
That grabbed Tony's attention. “What last one?” He asked.
Before she could answer Megan grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the room his father had gone into moments before.
“I bet that last one they were talking about was that creepy Stark guy." Maya exclaimed.
“Mmm,”
“Well was it?”
“Anyway after I met Megan's brother and sister I got to meet the nicest one in the family, her mom Anne. And then there was dinner a nice Christmas eve roast...
* * *
Thankfully to Tony's surprise Anne was a much better cook then her daughter and the food was so good he felt himself wanting seconds but one look at Daniel and Ben stopped him in his tracks.
Ben he could get used to but Daniel would be a bit more difficult he needed to make a good impression that's why he had decided to come here. That's why he needed to talk to him, alone, that very night.
He finally had the perfect moment when Megan's cell phone rang and she excused herself from the table to answer it and Tony knew he finally had his chance. He carefully leaned over the table to where Daniel sat next to his wife.
“Excuse me Mr...I mean Daniel. Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure go ahead.”
“I...I was kind of thinking we could talk privately?”
“Anything you say to me you say to this family.” Daniel told him.
Tony gulped. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. He took a deep breath before he began: “As you know I've been seeing your daughter " and sister for a while now, in fact it's been over three months. Anyway I really care about her and I was wondering if it was okay with you if,” He paused and glanced pleadingly at Daniel as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black velvet box. “If I asked for her hand in marriage.”
Silence filled the room but it was broken when Megan rushed back in and Tony quickly put the ring back in his pocket. He noticed she had tears in her eyes.
He immediately went to her side and wrapped his arm around her. “Hey, what's wrong?”
“It's Stark,” She explained between sobs, “He's in hospital.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
It’s Christmas time and Tony and Megan go on a road trip to see Alex and then have lunch with Megan’s family where Tony asks Megan’s father for permission to marry his daughter. Their trip is cut short after Megan receives an urgent call from a hospital concerning Stark and she rushes to be at his side.