The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children -Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice

This was a hotel room. A freaking hotel room with an emperor sized bed and three people.

I was panicking, nearly hyperventilating as I held the sheets to my chest. What had happened last night? Had I...? I looked around the room, noticing that I was the only one awake. Assured that no one would see me freak out, I grabbed fistfuls of my hair in distress. What had happened?

Calm down, Maddie. There must be a logical explanation for this. Just retrace your steps. Today was- I glanced at the calender- March 12. Jazz had turned two yesterday. I closed my eyes and tried to remember.

I was so proud of my little girl. True, she technically hadn't done anything beyond survive another year, but the sight of her spinning in that little blue dress as she blew out the candles made my heart swell with pride. We threw a party. Little Jazz already had lots of friends; apparently she was popular at the daycare center. It was fun, in a kiddy sort of way. Balloons of all colors filled the large living room, their strings hanging just out of reach from the lively toddlers below. Said toddlers ran around tripping people, living up to their names as ankle-biters. It was funny, I admitted, seeing Jack flail around for the umpteenth time as a small boy ran between his legs and blew him a raspberry.

I walked up to my husband, steadying him with a hand on his arm. "Having fun, Jack?"

He laughed. "You betcha, baby! The little tykes love me!"

They certainly loved pranking him, but I kept the thought to myself. "I can't believe our little Jazz is turning two. It feels like just yesterday I was taking her home from the hospital..."

Jack's eyes lit up. "Speaking of hospitals- We're going to Vladdie's party later, aren't we?"

My smile dropped, reluctance filling my features. I really didn't want to. Vlad Masters was hosting a party celebrating the anniversary of his release from the hospital. It wasn't like I didn't feel guilty about that; it was our invention that had landed him there in the first place. But Vlad, although a great friend once upon a time, had always had an obsession with me. It had bordered on 'creepy' back in our college days, even after I had told him I had no romantic feelings for him whatsoever. I'm not sure how much of his feelings remained after the accident, but he probably wouldn't react too well to seeing Jack and I together.

"Do we have to go, Jack?" I hedged. "I don't want to leave Jasmine alone, especially on her birthday."

"Nonsense! We can leave her here for the night! I'll ask the Mansons."

As Jack lumbered away, I sighed in defeat. 'Here' was technically the Mansons' (who were old family friends)home, since our own Fenton Works building was too small to host all of Jazz's little friends. I should have known that that would come with a catch, namely being unable to use her as an excuse to avoid seeing Vlad. I knew that I couldn't outright tell Jack about my concerns. He'd probably just wave it off with a laugh. Vlad was his best friend, wasn't he? There was no way that the billionaire would look bad in Jack's eyes, I noted sourly.

Jack hadn't been suspicious when millionaires from around the world had suddenly donated substansial amounts of money to MasterCorps, turning him into a billionaire in less than a year. The situation had seemed incredibly fishy to me, but I had no actual proof that he was doing anything wrong.

My husband bounded back in his usual cheerful way, announcing that the Manson couple had agreed to let Jazz stay over. I groaned internally, resigning myself to my fate.

So I had gone to Vlad's party with Jack. The details were hazy; a doorman taking out coats, entering the lavish hotel, then the bar...

The celebration, as I remembered it, was more of a college reunion than a hospital release celebration. All my old friends had been there, drinking merrily, sharing old college tales. They looked the same, albeit a few years older. It was like being back at a college disco again.

"Ah, Jack. You're here." The silver-haired man who stood to greet us was not the friend I remembered. In place of lab coats and spiked grey hair, he was now in an expensive suit and his slicked-back hair had all but turned white. His eyes, which I remembered as a dark, curious blue, were now home to something darker lurking beneath indigo irises. He didn't look particularly happy as Jack wrapped him in a hug. I wondered if he blamed us for his accident. Guilt welled up in me. I suppose we ought to have at least visited in those seven years that he was hospitalized...

Then his eyes turned to me and he broke into a large grin. "Maddie! Lovely as ever, I see." he greeted me with much more enthusiasm than he had Jack. With no small amount of annoyance, I realized that his infatuation with me was still there.

"Vlad," I greeted amicably, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Come, come. What's a party without drinks, eh?" He steered us to the bar.

The bartender plopped down three shots of vodka in front of us.

The drinks-had they been spiked? No, I would have recognized the taste of sedative. My memories continued beyond that point.

A groan came from the bulge of blankets to my right. I darted a glance down to see a head emerging from the covers.

Muffled curses came from my left and the man sat up, stretching.

Both men saw me and froze.

"Oh. Shit." That was Vlad.

Through the haze of alcohol, I admitted that this wasn't so bad. I needed to loosen up every once in a while. I loved my family to death, but sometimes it was a bit too much to deal with Jack's naivete and a lively toddler.

I noticed Vlad watching me over the rim of his glass, and I glared right back, a challenge in my gaze. Challenging him to what, I didn't know.

A moment later my question was answered when he raised his gin and drained it in one gulp. I narrowed my eyes. So that was what it was going to be? Fine then. I wouldn't lose.

Jack had joined in at some point, turning it into a three-way drinking contest. My memories were fudged after that, which did not explain why I woke up naked in bed with my husband and his best friend.

We stared at each other for a moment longer, frozen in horror by the thought of what had most likely transpired.

Vlad broke the silence, clearing his throat awkwardly. "We should probably get dressed."

I scrambled for my clothes, which were strewn across the floor. Pulling them on hastily, I risked a glance at the two men to see that they were doing the same.

Half an hour later, we were all dressed and studiously avoiding each others gazes.

"So." Jack said. "Uh, what happened?"

"What do you think happened, you dolt?" Vlad barked. "The three of us woke up naked, in bed, in a hotel room after ingesting copious amounts of alcohol. There is only one likely explanation, and while I do not mind Maddie, to have you here-" he cut himself off, rubbing a hand over his face. "I apologize. This is a distressing turn of events."

We lapsed back into silence.

The baby named Daniel Fenton was born exactly nine months later. By then, I had successfully buried the memory of that night in the back of my mind.

It was a hard birth. The umbilical cord had wrapped around Danny's neck when he was born, suffocating him. According to the doctors, they had almost lost him. (I had also heard that they were unsuccessful in cutting the umbilical cord, but when asked, they denied this fact.) That didn't matter now, though. Because my son was healthy and very much alive.

I looked down at the bundle in my arms lovingly, my husband beside me. He didn't have hair yet, he was also small and red, but to me, he was one of the most beautiful babies in the world.

Little Danny opened his eyes. I choked back a horrified gasp.

They were neither my violet nor Jack's baby blue. They were indigo.

Dun Dun Dunnnn. And Danny officially becomes heir to Fruitloop Empire! R&R please. Reviewers get a baby Danny!