Title: Family Ties

Author: I AM GRUMPY BEAR

Rating: PG 13 (for later Chapters)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: This is my second EE story and I still don't own it.

Summary: Sequel type thing to Problems with the Past. Hazel is back with a new partner to help Gary and Crumb with a problem. (Really bad summary.)

Note: Trying something new. In lit class we read Watership Down and before each chapter there was a quote that gave you an idea about the chapter. I'm going to try that. Please forgive me if I'm not very good at it.

Family Ties

Chapter One: Conversation with the Grave

"Some people are going to leave a mark on this world, while others will leave a stain."

Maureen Hazel stared at the grave stone. His name was written in big plane letters across the stone. "Frederick Charles Bostwick," Hazel read aloud to herself. "Born January 15th, 1950. Died April 14th, 1997." She shook her head and started to walk away from the grave.

"Did you know him?" someone from behind her asked.

Hazel turned toward the person and stared at them for a minute. The man look vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. "What?" Hazel said coming out of her thoughts.

"Did you know him?" the man asked again.

"Not really," said Hazel. "Well, I knew, but. Let's just say our relationship is-was complicated."

"Are you an old girlfriend?" asked the man. "Though you look a little young."

"Hardly," said Hazel. She was starting to get annoyed by all the man's questions.

"So what are you?" asked the man.

"It's really none of your business," said Hazel. The man had gotten on her last nerve. "If you do not mind I will be going." Hazel turned and walked out of the cemetery. She got into her car and looked back at the cemetery. In the distance, she saw the man still standing by the grave. Hazel still couldn't place his face. She started up the car and drove off.

The man walked around the grave staring at it from every angle. "How you doing, Freddy?" the man asked the tombstone. There was a short silence and then the man said, "I saw Mom and Dad earlier. Even when you're dead you still get more attention than I ever did. They still stick up for you. Most parents would have disowned their children a long time ago for doing what you did, but not our folks. No. They still think you're a little angel. Their little angel." He shook his head and stopped circling the grave. "I was promoted to the head of the psychology ward at the clinic. I told Mom and Dad and do you know what they said?" He waited for a moment, almost like he was expecting an answer from the grave. "They said, 'How can you be so happy when your big brother is dead?' That's what they said to me." He sighed and shook his head. "You think I would have been the ideal son. I got straight A's. I never got into trouble. I had good friends. But you were still their favorite. You went to jail and they still didn't believe you could do anything wrong. They couldn't come to my high graduation, because you were in court." The man started to laugh. "They got mad at me because at my wedding you weren't my best man." He stared at the grave a moment longer and then his voice dropped. "I hate you, Frederick. I always have." The man spat on the grave and walked away.

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I know. Very short first chapter, but hey. Who cares. For those of you who read Problems withthe Past you might know who the man talking to the grave is and for those of you who didn't read my first story, you might want to so you can understand this story better. Bye.