Note: One day, I will write Jess having a wonderful mum and dad and a loving, happy childhood. One day! And yes, this version of the Beckers (and Parkers) are deliberately different to the ones in the Milestones series. It would've been too easy to write them in the same way - and too confusing for my little brain to keep track!

For some reason, Becker wasn't nervous. He thought he should be – he was about the meet his in-laws for the first time, after all – but instead he was perfectly calm.

Too calm, according to Jess.

But he dealt with dinosaurs and other creatures who wanted to eat him on a daily basis. Meeting Jess's parents... He could handle it. He could. He loved their daughter, would do everything he could to make her happy – would even give his life to save hers. Surely they couldn't find fault with that – with him?

Jess was sure they wouldn't, but then Jess had explained she wasn't exactly close to her family so didn't expect them to care one way or another. Her matter-of-fact attitude surprised him; he'd always imagined Jess came from a close, loving family so to learn that she didn't was unexpected.

And was something he was determined to change.

She'd been closed to her grandmother, Mary, but the woman had died some years before. Her parents had always travelled a lot when she was younger so Jess, their only child, had been left with Mary. As a result, she wasn't particularly close to either her mother or father and had been reluctant to arrange a meeting when Becker has asked her to.

Even knowing that, after meeting them at the exclusive restaurant the Parker's preferred to dine in whenever they were in London, Becker was surprised that the first thing Jess's mother did on hearing the news that her only child was married was to lower her wine glass and stare at Jess with a vaguely horrified expression on her face.

"You're not pregnant, are you, Jessica?"

Jess rolled her eyes but Becker felt her tense at the table beside him. "No, Mother. I'm not pregnant. Not yet."

"Oh, good." Kathleen Parker picked up her glass again and smiled. "I'm far too young to be a grandmother, you know. What would the girls say?"

Her laugh was as false as her nails and the hair extensions she wore and Becker found himself staring at her in complete surprise, wondering how the hell the self-absorbed people opposite him had created the wonderful and warm woman he'd married.

"You should try and get used to the idea, Mother." Jess gripped his hand under the table. "We are planning to start a family eventually."

"Oh, must you?" Kathleen asked with a disappointed sigh. "Nothing is ever the same once you have a child, Jessica. Your body never truly feels like yours again. And are you sure you want to risk your husband losing interest in you? He's quite a catch, you know. You did say he's a Captain, didn't you?"

Becker wasn't sure what he was most insulted by; being talked about as though he wasn't there or the insinuation that he'd find Jess any less desirable after she'd had his child. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he was on Jess's behalf at the way Kathleen Parker spoke as though having a child – of having Jess – was something she found distasteful and regretful.

Only Jess's hand on his kept him from responding. Becker instead bristled in silence, and glared at Stuart Parker, who seemed far more interested in ogling the pretty young women at the table next to theirs than in defending his daughter or even listening to what it was she'd brought them there to say.

"Anyway," Jess continued, undeterred by her mother's comments or her father's lack of interest, "the other reason we wanted to see you, other than introducing you to Becker, is to let you know that we're planning to renew our vows. It'll only be a small ceremony, for close family and friends..."

"And you want us to help you pay for it, is that it?" Her father, speaking for the first time since they'd sat down, suddenly spoke up. "Father of the bride foots the bill?"

"Not at all. We're paying for it ourselves." Jess barely managed to stifle a sigh. "All we wanted to know is whether or not you'd be able to attend."

In Becker's experience, ordinary parents wouldn't have needed to be asked – and if they were, they would have accepted the invitation immediately. Jess's parents, he was quickly coming to learn, were far, far from his definition of 'ordinary'.

"It depends when it is, dear," Kathleen answered after a pause, her husband losing apparent interest in the conversation again now he'd been assured his bank balance wouldn't be affected. "We have a very busy schedule, you know. It's the height of the social season..."

"It's next month. The twenty-fifth. If you can make it, please let us know so we can put you on the guest list." Jess got to her feet, her face expressionless but Becker could see the flicker of rejection in her eyes. "Come on, Becker. Let's not take up any more of their time."

"I'll follow you out." Becker caught the surprise on her face but Jess didn't protest when he gave her a reassuring grin. As she left the dining room, Becker stood slowly, fixing her parents with the look that made soldiers with years of field experience quake in their military issue boots. "Your daughter is an amazing woman and I have no idea how she came to be that way with you two as parents. She deserves far better than both of you."

He wanted to say more, wanted to uninvited them from the wedding, to say they wouldn't be welcome as the ceremony was only for family and friends who cared for the couple. For Jess's sake, he bit his tongue and held his temper in check, following his wife out of the restaurant as her bemused parents looked on.

Two days later, an immaculately addressed envelope arrived in the post. In it, her parents sent their apologies that they were unable to attend the wedding and stated that it clashed with another event in their diaries. Becker was furious on Jess's behalf; Jess was entirely unsurprised.

The cheque that Mr Parker sent with it, written out for an amount that made Becker's jaw drop, was returned to the absent parents with a curtly written 'thank you but no thank you' note from their daughter.

Becker tried to talk to Jess about it but she brushed off his concerns with a bright smile and a dismissive 'I'm used to it, Becker. I told you, not everyone's families are as close as yours.' He mentioned his concerns to their teammates but Jess wouldn't speak to any of them, either. Nor would she talk to his mother or sisters, all of whom had been shocked when Becker had told them the Parkers wouldn't be attending the wedding of their only child.

Evelyn, having warmed to her daughter-in-law following the conversation she'd overheard and through spending time with her while pouring over wedding plans, had been appalled. She'd gotten angry on Jess's behalf, even going as far as to insist Becker give her Kathleen Parker's contact details so she could "give that woman a piece of my mind" but her son refused, knowing it would only make things worse.

The morning after putting together what she hoped was the final guest list, her parent's names noticeably absent, Jess took matters into her own hands and broached the subject with the one person she felt she could talk to.

Knocking on the door to Lester's office, she waited until he called out an impatient "yes, what is it?" before entering, being sure to close the door behind her.

"Ah, Jess." Lester's cool expression warmed a little as he looked up from the stack of reports he'd been reading to see his Field Co-ordinator standing in front of his desk, hands clasped behind her back. "Please tell me you don't have another report I simply have to review before going home this evening. I'm going to be late for dinner as it is and you can be sure that my wife will not be pleased."

"You've got all the reports that need to be signed off." Still, Jess stood almost at attention in front of him. "I wanted to speak to you about... about a personal matter but if you're busy, I can come back later or tomorrow or..."

"No, no. Take a seat." Curious, and aware of the concerns the core team had about her, Lester waved her into the chair opposite his desk. "A little distraction from the monotony of reviewing the menagerie budgets will do me good." He waited until she'd sat down before continuing. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"It's about the wedding," Jess started, fidgeting nervously with the wedding ring that graced her finger. "I was wondering... You're still going to be there, aren't you? And Eleanor and the boys?"

Lester nodded, his expression carefully neutral. "We are. Eleanor was thrilled to be invited." His wife, Lester knew, had a soft spot for the Field Co-ordinator on account of preferring her over the half-dozen PA's Lester had employed and fired over the course of his career.

Jess smiled but it was weak, nervous. "I... Um."

"Just spit it out, Jess." He let his voice drop, allowing her to hear the concern in it. When she looked up at him, he gave her a rare smile. "We've been through enough for you to be able to say what you want in front of me."

"I was wondering... hoping... that you'd agree to give me away," she said in a rush. "I mean, you don't have to. I'd understand if you don't want to. But you're the nearest thing I've got to a father, one who actually cares about me who I care about, and my own parents won't be there as I'm sure you've already heard. And anyway, it was my Grandmother who brought me up, and she's gone so I thought... I hoped..."

"Jessica." His use of her full name stopped her mid-ramble and Jess looked up from her hands cautiously. "I would be honoured to give you away if you're sure it's what you want."

"It is." She exhaled slowly, a brilliant smile spreading over her face. "It really, really is."

"Then I will gladly give you away." And he was touched, to both be asked and to hear that her feelings for him echoed his for her.

"Thank you." Jess's shoulders finally relaxed and she stopped twirling the ring on her finger. "It means a lot."

"Likewise." Lester watched her smile again and get to her feet, obviously planning to leave now she had the answer she'd been looking for. "And Jess? If your father were to show up, I wouldn't be offended if you would prefer..."

"I won't. I mean, even if he does turn up..." She shrugged a shoulder, her eyes locking with his. "My parents never wanted a child. They've made no secret of it. They had me because their friends were having children and it was the fashionable thing to do. I know Becker doesn't understand that but I made my peace with it a long time ago. This wedding is supposed to be our chance to share the experience with our families, the people that matter most to us. For me, that's you and the others. And even if my parents do decide to put in an appearance, it would mean more to me to have you walk me down the aisle."

Clearing his throat, Lester gave her another nod. "Then that's what I'll do."

She gave him another smile before slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her. Lester watched her through the glass wall of his office as she walked towards her chair at the ADD, noting the bounce in her step and the smile on her face as she was joined by her husband.

He saw the moment Jess broke the news to Becker of what she'd done, saw the realisation cross over his Head of Security's face and was still looking when Becker glanced towards him. The two men exchanged a look and a nod, and Lester turned his attention back to the pile of reports on his desk, ducking his head to conceal the grin that arranged his lips.

As far as son-in-laws went, he mused as he signed his name with a flourish at the end of the budget report, he could do a lot worse than Captain Becker.

End
The story will be continued in 'History Lessons' and 'Renewal'.