Part One

"The Genealogy of Brian Griffin"

Present Day

Quahog, Rhode Island

3:30 pm

Brian opened the closet door and took out a medium sized box from the top shelf. Inside this box were various pictures, a journal, a pocket watch, a tape recorder and ten tapes. The tapes were addressed to Brian when he hit various stages in life. At the moment, he was just starting tape four.

Brian took the box to the kitchen table and began looking through the pictures trying to find meaning behind them. He wondered why he didn't think about this before; he guessed that those things didn't matter; now they did.

"So this is what Dad looked like" Brian said to himself as he stared at a shaggy looking dog that was otherwise identical to him. "Looking good Pop...now where's Mom?"

Brian continued flipping through the pictures until he found one that had his mother in it. the only reason that he recognized her at all was because his Dad was also in the picture. They were standing in front of a farm house in appeared to be Texas. From the looks of things it was a few years before Brian was born.

Brian turned the picture over to see if he could find a date or perhaps a name as to where the farm was. There was nothing.

"Well" Brian said to himself, "That's what makes it fun I suppose."

Brian set the pictures aside and turned to the tape recorder. He shook his head and smiled as he thought about how far technology had come since the days of tape recorders, but still he was grateful for it. He put in the fourth tape and listened.

Brian's mother could be heard on the tape, the parents alternating between each one with the father starting first.

I think that he's done enough talking don't you?

Brian laughed, he loved that his mother had a sense of humor that surpassed his own. It made him proud of his parents even more than he already was.

By now you probably have a lot of questions Brian. You're wondering where to go from here. Well you're old enough now that I don't have to tell you, but I will give you some good advice and a place to go should you need it.

Brian leaned intently, pulling out a notepad and a pencil to write down the information

The farm in the picture is McNealy, outside Austin, Texas. I don't know if McNealy will even be alive by the time you're listening to this but if he is just tell him that you're our son. He'll let you stay.

Brian wrote down McNealy Farm and Austin, Texas. He let the recording continue.

Once you've settled down there's a few things that you should know about the land. It's good for farming, not oil; you know what they say about Texas-

Brian fast forwarded through this part, having no interest in oil, although he would keep the farming in mind.

Good luck son. Don't listen to the next tape until five years from now. Love you

The recording stopped. Brian took the fourth tape and placed it back with the others. He then placed the fifth tape inside and closed the recorder. Once this was done, Brian put the recorder back in the box and left it alone.

Meg, Chris and Stewie walked in from school. Stewie was just old enough to officially ride the bus, even though he had been technically doing it for years. They were just about to walk up to their respective rooms and do whatever it is that they do after school when they saw Brian sitting at the kitchen table going over what appeared to be a family tree.

"What in the devil are you doing?" Stewie asked as he walked over

Brian was wearing reading glasses looking over a large family tree as well as several books that had scraps of information retaining to his descendants. Brian had gathered these before he went to the closet, placing them underneath the table for relative safekeeping.

"Genealogy Stewie" Brian answered

"Genealogy" Stewie replied, "What's that?"

"The study of family history" Meg answered, "I had to do it once for a school project. Traced it all the back to the 1700s-"

Brian nodded cutting her off at the same time. Brian got his back to the American Revolution. Apparently he had a relative who fought in every war in American history, ending with his father, who was a pacifist.

"Why are you doing this Brian?" Chris asked curiously

Brian shook his head, he honestly had no idea. It just felt right somehow.

"Because I never really thought about it before Chris" Brian answered, "And I think I should know my family history."

Meg shrugged, "Yeah but you're a dog. That doesn't bring a lot of opportunities for greatness you know."

Brian sighed, for it was true, there was almost no one in his line who did anything great. Even the ones who fought in the wars barely did anything, at least according to what the books and what he's heard from Jasper and various other family members. Still Brian found it credible and honorable that his family contributed to such a cause and that was greatness in itself.

Brian slowly turned to the journal. The first page was labeled, December 10th, 1777, Valley Forge.

"Interesting" Brian said to no one in particular, "Valley Forge..."

Chris, Meg and Stewie leaned in trying to read the name underneath the label- William Sebastian Moore.

"What a strange name for a dog" Meg exclaimed, "Why would anyone name their dog that?"

Brian shrugged, "He must be named after somebody. Moore must be his owner's last name."

"That doesn't make any sense" Chris argued, "Why would the dog also take the last name of the owner? That's just stupid."

Brian gave Chris a glaring look, "Chris" Brian began, "You do realize that that's exactly what I did right?"

Chris shrugged and said nothing.

Stewie turned to Brian with an excited look on his face

"Read it to us?" he begged

Brian shook his head, "No. I'd rather do this on my own thanks."

Meg huffed, "Come on Brian, let us help you. It'll be fun. Besides we never get to do anything with just the four of us."

Chris nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it'll be great. We can find out who this William guy is. That's as good a place to start as any."

Brian shook his head in disagreement, "Why not just start with the farm?" he suggested, "We know where it is, we know where to go once we get there. It'll be easy."

Stewie shook his head, "That's at the end Brian, the end. You have to start at the beginning, going into the unknown."

Brian was about to say that it was actually the exact opposite, you work your way backwards, starting with yourself and move on down the line. Before he could say anything though, he got deadpan stares from Stewie, Chris and Meg, shutting him up.

"Alright fine" Brian relented as he stood up, "Let's go."

Brian headed into the living room and sat on the couch, the others followed him.