Martin and Ronee were babysitting five year old David one day when something odd, or at least to Ronne, occurred. Martin was tossing a ball around with his grandson when David missed the catch.

"It's right over there by the corner, Niles. Can you bring it to Daddy?" Martin asked.

Ronee's ears picked up right away. "Martin..what in the world is going on over here? This isn't Niles. This is your grandson, David. Did you forget your medication today?"

"I know that's David, Hester. Now will you kindly get off my back so I can play with my only grandson?"

Not used to being snapped at like that, Ronee stared at her husband. "First of all, I am not Hester. I am your second wife, Ronee. And you have another grandson...Frederick. And you accuse me of being forgetful."

Martin held the ball that David had tossed him a few seconds earlier. "David...would you mind if we watched some tv now?"

"Okay Grandpa." David obeyed, leaving Ronee and an even more confused Martin alone with their thoughts.

00000

"So how was our sweet boy?" Niles asked the next morning when they picked him up.

"He was perfect. He takes after his grand...no, still can't say it. Five five years later and I still can't refer to myself as a grandmother," Ronee laughed.

"That's good. Thank you so much for letting him spend the night. It does David a world of good to see his grandparents..." Niles smiled before observing a slight frown cross over Ronee's face.

"Is everything okay?"

"It's just...it's nothing. I'm sure I'm making a big deal out of nothing."

Niles passed David along to his now pregnant wife Daphne. "Honey would you mind taking David out to the car? I will be out in just a minute."

"Of course. Thanks again, Ronee. David sure loves you and his grandpa Martin," Daphne smiled as she escorted her son out the door.

"Ronee...is there anything you'd like to say to me? I'm listening...Oh Dear God I swore those were two words that would never come out of my mouth in casual conversation."

She faked a grin. "Actually there was an incident..."

"What is it? You can tell me anything."

"It's about your father."

"Dad? What's the matter, did he refuse his dinner again?" Niles smiled, knowing how stubborn his father could be.

"No. I wish it were only that. This is different. Last night...we were playing with David, or he was. Then suddenly he started calling David Niles."

He made a strange face. "That's odd. I don't think that alone is anything to be concerned about."

"There's more," Ronee sighed. "He turned to me and called me Hester."

Not believing he was hearing what was actually being said, Niles thought about it for a minute. "I'm sure it was nothing. Just a momentarily lapse. I mean we can't expect him to remember everything all the time. He is getting.."

"If you say he's just getting older I will scream. That means I'm getting older too, and I for one will not have that," Ronee laughed. "You're right though. I'm sure it was nothing."

She hugged him goodbye and then Niles made his way to the car. On the way home though he had a fleeting thought, which would continue to haunt him for some time. This was his dad. His dad was invincible. Nothing bad could ever happen to his dad. For a minute he thought about calling Frasier about advice, but then he remembered that it was date night for he and Charlotte. No sense in working everyone into a frenzy over an isolated incident. With that, Niles drove away, trying to let go of what had happened.

TBC