AN: OK, the idea is to go ahead and upload one short chapter of one of my stories and see if the obligation to continue actually motivates me to do so. If this story ends up looking abandoned (as in no updates for two months or more), feel free to pepper me with irritating questions concerning when I'm gonna get off my lazy butt and write.

Disclaimer: I own Fern and Laurie. That is all. Fern's name is inspired by another author who also borrowed a name from EB White to match Wilbur's. It was either that, or make my OC a boy named Orville. Aren't you glad I went with Fern? Anyway, everything else belongs to Disney, and Far Side belongs to Gary Larson. God bless that man. He makes me laugh.

Chapter 1

Life was good at the Robinson house. Business was booming at Robinson Industries, ideas were flowing like a smooth river, and fresh, young blood was stepping up to the plate. The hardest part for Robinson Industries CEO Cornelius Robinson was choosing which anxious young college grads should win a coveted one-year internship with the company. There was a competition and scholarship set up, and anyone from ninth grade to senior in college was welcome to participate. Often it was very difficult to choose the winners. There were so many new ideas that set even Cornelius' head spinning. He hated having to cut some of them out. But then there were those who made his job easy. A student may have a fantastic idea that was sure to make money, but Neil (as his family called him) could tell by that student's attitude whether they were in it for glory and riches, or whether they truly wanted to help society. Sometimes a brilliant invention was denied the top slot because of its maker's money lust. Neil always wanted to know the story behind the invention, and a student's determination to finish the project and produce a working machine earned them points in Neil's complicated scoring system.

This time the winner was a young woman in her freshman year at Midtown University. She could scarcely believe she won, but with dignity and confidence, she stepped forward to receive her reward. Her year as an intern and the scholarship to go with it would provide most of the college tuition she had left to pay (which was a good deal of it). Work at Robinson Industries would wrap snugly around her college schedule, and still give her some free time. It was an ideal situation.

"Congratulations, Emma Michaels," Neil said as he shook her hand and gave her the plaque that boasted of her accomplishment. The girl left the stage with a heartfelt thank you and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. As she headed back to her group of friends and family, Neil noticed a familiar face joining in the applause. She was an elderly lady with dark skin and silver hair. Neil smiled, remembering that kind face that had welcomed him to the orphanage that was to be his home for the first twelve and a half years of his life.

As the crowds mingled and began to disperse, Neil pulled away from his colleagues and set out to find the woman who helped raise him. He finally found her, chatting with a student's mother near the punch bowl.

"Mildred!"

"Lewis!" Mildred Duffy responded, reaching out to embrace him in a hug. "Or should I say, Cornelius Robinson. I know it's been 30 years, but I still can't help but call you Lewis."

Neil chuckled. "Well, it's been 30 years since I went by Lewis, but it hasn't been that long since I last saw you, has it?"

"No, just 25 years, since the orphanage closed. But it might as well be 30."

"What have you been up to all this time?"

"Oh, I moved to Ohio for a little while, living in an apartment, fostering children."

"Same ol', same ol'," Neil said, smiling. "You were always one of the best people with kids. So are you still there, then?"

Mildred shook her head. "My mother has lived here in town all my life, but she's gotten pretty ill in her old age, so I moved back to take care of her. My brother and his wife will be moving here in a few months, and our mother will move in with him. But I want to be close by. She's in her 90s, and she doesn't have much time left."

Neil nodded. "Best to be close to family when the time comes."

"And speaking of family," Mildred said, reaching into her purse, "I have a purpose for coming today, besides just to see you." She handed Neil an envelope. Neil looked at it and then at her with a curious expression.

"Who is this from?"

Mildred nodded toward the envelope. "Open it and find out."

Neil did so, and as he read the letter, his face showed first shock, then excitement, followed by a concentrated expression that was difficult to read. He read through the letter once and then started to read it again before speaking.

"My birth mother wants to contact me?"

Mildred smiled. "Somehow she found out where I was living. She knew I used to run 6th Street, so she looked me up, and personally showed up at my house, asking me if I knew what had happened to the baby boy she gave up 42 years ago. She went on to describe how she'd left him. She remembered every detail of that night: It was pouring rain, she was carrying her baby in a cardboard box and had wrapped him in the blue blanket she'd kept from the hospital. She described how he'd been born with hair, but it was blond, and it stuck up all over the place. He had beautiful blue eyes, and he was such a good baby. She remembers leaving him on the steps of the orphanage with a note tucked inside the box that told his name, his date of birth, and even which shots he'd already received. But she didn't include his birth certificate or even his last name, let alone the names of his parents. She told me she kept his birthday marked on her calendar every year. She knew the laws of the state, so she didn't begin searching for her son until he turned 18. But that same year, the orphanage closed, and she found herself at a dead end. She gave up the search for years, but resumed it again when she heard somehow that I was back in town. I told her I knew exactly which child she was talking about, and she asked me to send this letter. I decided I'd rather hand deliver it."

Neil glanced down again at the letter in his hand. He'd been waiting all his life for this, whether he'd realized it in recent years or not. Ironically, a few months before he'd experienced the paradox effect of time travel first hand, meeting his twelve-year-old self, who asked him if they'd ever meet their birth mother. Neil had by that point pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he'd probably never meet her, but now all that was changing. He had the opportunity. Who was he to not seize it? Of course, he'd have to talk to Franny first. He looked up (well, down, really) at Mildred again.

"Thank you, Mildred. I...I don't know what to say."

Mildred placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Say you'll respond to her. She has so much she wants to tell you."

"So she writes." Neil sighed, letting the weight of it all settle. "Well, I'd better get home and show this to my wife. But hey, it was good to see you again. You should come over some time, any time. Don't be intimidated by the twins or Lefty. Lefty's just a big softie."

Mildred laughed. "Dare I ask what Lefty's like?"

"Um, well..." Neil said, looking for a good answer. "Let's just say he felt a bit like a fish out of water when he first came to live with us. Now he's more like something out of the Far Side."

"Oh no," Mildred said, laughing louder.

Neil smiled. "Well I'd better get back to the lab so I can close up and get home."

"Have a good rest of the day," Mildred said, hugging him again. "Call me if I can help with the search at all."

"Sure thing."

Mildred left to mingle a while longer. Neil stood lost in his thoughts until a colleague yelled his name, snapping him out of his trance-like stare. He trotted over to help with the general tear down. The entire rest of the day was spent in automatic work mode. Neil's thoughts were elsewhere. He couldn't wait to get home that evening.

Short, I know. But this is more or less the "testing the waters" chapter. Prototype one, if you will. Man, I knew I shoulda started with the Catch That Kid one shot.