The doorbell rang very early in the morning at the McAllistair house. Luckily for Hayden and Flynn they were already awake and playing with their niece.

As soon as Engel heard the sound of the doorbell, she dropped the blocks she was playing with and ran to answer it. Hayden ran after her, not wanting her two year old niece to answer the door to a stranger.

Engel struggled with the doorknob until her Aunt helped her to open it. The two year old swung the door open wide, almost throwing herself against the wall with it as she did.

"Mama!" she cheered, running to her mother and hugging her legs. Samantha picked her daughter up and stepped into her sister's house.

"Hey, how was the night?" she asked.

"Pretty good," Hayden nodded, "We talked for a little bit, the three of us then Engel went right to sleep. No crying, no asking about mommy or Scotty. Nothing. She just curled up in the little bed we made for her and slept soundly until six o'clock.

"Good," Samantha smiled. She set her daughter down and the two year old returned to the living room to play with the blocks and her uncle again. Samantha shut the door behind her and looked to her sister. "What did you talk about?"

"Flynn spoke to her," Hayden explained as she led her sister to the kitchen to make some coffee, "She told him she was confused."

"About red and green, right?"

"Well, not exactly," Hayden said, "You see, she knows her colours, really well actually. Right now she's telling Flynn why you're not supposed to put red and green too close together unless it's Christmas."

"So then what was the problem?"

"Well, you see, Engel's parents are you and Mike. That's what she knows. Naturally she knows you're her mother. There's no confusion about that. And I guess she figured out who her father was the same way every infant does. He's always the other person who's with mommy and he's the one taking care of her, in this case I mean Engel, and loving her unconditionally."

"That was Mike," Samantha nodded.

"Yeah, so that's what Engel remembers. Dada is Mike. But now there's a new man taking that role, and she's seeing less of dada. Now this new man, Scotty, is always with mommy and he's always at home to take care of her, Engel. In Engel eyes, Scott is now her dada. What's confusing her is that Mike's still in her life and he's still playing the father role, while at the same time Scott's being the true father right now by caring for her every day. And you're not helping matters."

Samantha frowned, "I'm not?"

"All those times Engel asked you to choose between red and green, she wasn't asking you to choose which colour you wanted her to use. She was asking you which one you were choosing as her father. Because you're her mother, you're really the only constant in her life. She's looking to you for help when she's confused. Now, remember, Engel knows Mike is her dada. Nothing can change that for her unless you say otherwise. By choosing red, you are."

Samantha dropped into her seat, sighing deeply, "Wow... that's some brain she's got up there. But if I'm telling her otherwise, why doesn't she just believe me?"

Hayden smirked, "Scott doesn't let her call him dada, right? He says he's not her dada and doesn't want to confuse her. So after you pick red, what usually happens?"

"I don't know," Samantha frowned, "She colours with red?"

"She told Flynn that she tries calling Scott dada. She trusts your answer, but she wants to see if dada will accept the role of father. Now Engel may be just a kid, but she's not an idiot. She sees Scott's face when she calls him dada. She knows he's not accepting it. So now mommy's choice for dada doesn't want to take that role. If mommy's choice was wrong, then who is dada? Thus, her confusion."

Samantha stared blankly at her cousin, "You got all this after one night with my daughter?"

"Flynn's really good with his power," Hayden nodded. She placed the cup of coffee before her sister, "I know you may want to talk with her and clarify everything, but I wanted to ask you if I could keep Engel until after lunch."

"I guess so," Samantha said, "But why?"

"Well, she's having daddy issues. I figured I would take her to talk with someone who went through some of the same situations. She's only two, but as you heard, she's a freaking genius at understanding the world around her."

"I hate to say it, but I can't wait until her development slows and she's a normal child," Samantha chuckled, "Who are you going to take her to see?"

"Dawn," Hayden answered. "Her parents went through a divorce and I know my dad really stepped in for Dawn and kinda took on a fatherly role for her, even though her father was still in her life. If anyone would be able to relate to Engel, it would be her."

"Sounds good to me," Samantha said, "That might give me time to think of what I'm going to tell my little thinker. Thanks so much for doing this, Hayden."

"Don't thank me," Hayden smirked, "Flynn did all the talking last night. I just sat there and looked pretty."

Samantha handed the coffee mug back to her sister as she prepared to leave. She called to the other room, "Thanks so much, Flynn. I'll be back later today for the little Freud."

-----Afterlife-----

Just as Hayden promised, she took her niece to visit Dawn. To make matters a lot easier for everyone, Dawn and Hayden decided to take Engel for a walk through the park. After the T15 attacks, everything in the city had been destroyed. Many people both worked and volunteered many hours to rebuild the city so it could be functioning again. One of the places they worked on was the park. It was now a beautiful place. Nature had definitely claimed this part of the city. In summer the grass was green and the flowers were in full bloom in the flower bed. In winter, it was blanketed in beautiful white snow. Snowmen and snow forts could be seen everywhere. The trees were covered in snow and ice. It looked like a Winter Wonderland.

Engel hopped in the snow and dropped on her back, making a snow Angel. When she was done, she lifted her hands up so her Aunts could pull her out without ruining the angel art. Dawn did so, holding Engel up so she could look at her creation.

"Me!" Engel smiled, pointing to the snow, "I made me!"

"Yes you did," Dawn nodded, "It's very pretty."

"You make a Mangel?" Engel asked. Dawn laughed, putting the two year old back on her feet before falling back in the snow. She spread her arms and legs to make the angel, and then looked to her cousin.

"Lift me up, princess," she teased. Hayden shook her eyes, exchanging a glance with her niece, before throwing a snowball at Dawn. The brunette jumped up from the ground and shook the snow off herself.

"Cold, cold," she said.

Engel laughed, following her Aunt Dawn through the snowy field, until she hit a pine tree. She stopped and looked up at the majestic tree, wearing the confused look on her face. Because Christmas had just passed, and it was still the winter season, the city had yet to take down the decorations. The green pine trees were still decorated to be Christmas trees, and most ornaments were red.

Dawn turned back, kneeling beside the two year old as Hayden caught up slowly. She kept her distance from the two so they could discuss privately.

"What's going on with you, shrimp?" Dawn asked, hugging her niece close. Engel pointed to the tree.

"Stuck," she said.

Dawn nodded. She understood Engel only because Hayden had explained earlier about Engel's confusion.

"You know, for a little while, I had two daddies," Dawn said, "My real daddy and my uncle."

"I one dada," Engel said, "But no no who dada is. Mommy say red, but green dada."

"How about I solve this problem for you here and now," Dawn smirked. Engel looked at her funny. "You're a very special little girl. You have a mommy who loves you and aunts and uncles who would move mountains for you."

"No move mountains," Engel stated, "Heavy."

Dawn laughed, "It's just a saying, shrimp. Look, because you're such a special little girl, you deserve everything life has to offer. A real home, a real family and a normal life. But Mommy and Daddy can't offer that like every other mommy and daddy can."

"Red dada?" Engel asked.

"No, green is dada," Dawn explained, "Green will always be dada. That'll never change."

"Mommy choose red," Engel said.

Dawn sighed, "There are some things I could tell you, but you wouldn't understand. Mommy and daddy love you very much, but they don't live together. Mommy loves Scotty. He's a step-dada."

Engel frowned. She didn't understand this term. She was only two. There was only mommy, daddy, aunts and uncles. There was no such thing as step-daddy.

"This means that Scotty isn't your real daddy, but he and mommy love each other," Dawn explained, "He's a little like a daddy, but he's not your real daddy."

"Green dada," Engel nodded, "Red Scotty."

"Exactly," Dawn smiled, "Scotty's not your real daddy. But it's okay to see him as a daddy. He's going to be in your life for a very long time, and he's going to act like a daddy. That's why I say you have two daddies."

Engel frowned, again she didn't understand. There was only one mommy and one daddy. Two daddies was an insane idea.

"Scotty is more than an uncle," Dawn said, "He's different from Uncle Flynn or Uncle Greg, but he's not the daddy who you know. He's not a green dada. He's a Scotty dada."

Engel giggled, "Scotty no dada? Scotty 'portant?"

"Very important," Dawn nodded, "He'll be in your life and mommy's life for a very long time. You'll understand when you're older though, okay?"

"No," Engel frowned. Dawn simply smiled, poking her niece's nose.

"Yes you will. So no more confusion, okay? Green is dada. Red is Scotty. That will never change."

"Aunt Tawn?" Engel asked, bending over and picking up a handful of snow. She threw it at her Aunt's face, "Me win snowwall fight. That never change."

Dawn spit out the water from her mouth and frowned, "One day I'll beat you," she laughed. She reached for her own handful of snow, but Engel was sneaky. Just as Dawn was about to through it – gently of course – Engel ran behind Hayden's leg and took cover, causing the snow to hit Hayden.

"You little sneak," Hayden frowned, grabbing her niece and holding her up in the air, "You think that was funny?"

Engel nodded, giggling as her wet mittens dropped on her Aunt's face. Hayden put the young child down as the water dripped down her neck and into her shirt.

"Oh, this isn't fun anymore," she said, "Let's go back home."

-----Afterlife-----

Seeing as she wasn't with Engel, Samantha decided to take the long way home. Scott wouldn't be missing her because he was still at work, and Samantha loved to see Corinth city in the winter time. However, on this walk something felt off. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Of course, being the Angel daughter of the city's commander usually meant that someone was occasionally glancing at her, but this didn't feel like the casual look it's the Brooks girl watch, it felt more like a dangerous watch.

Finally she decided to look over her shoulder and she spotted an older man suddenly skid to a halt and leaned against the wall of a store, pretending like he was waiting for someone else. She shook her head and continued her walk, only to suddenly look over her shoulder again. The man had moved. Now he was sitting on a bench, waiting for the bus.

Samantha turned around and walked over to him, "Excuse me, do I know you?"

The man looked up and Samantha saw his face was hidden by a scarf. She found this to be slightly suspicious. The weather was cold because it was winter, but it wasn't below freezing at this point in time. The scarf seemed a little excessive.

"You don't know me," the man said.

"Have you been following me?"

He nodded, "I'm sorry, it's just you look so much like your mother."

"How do you know my mother?" Samantha asked. She knew it was a bit of a stupid question. Everyone in the city knew her family.

"We go way back," the man said, "I actually don't know her as well as my brother did."

"Old friends?" Samantha said, "That's nice... I think. Well what's your name, maybe my mom will remember you."

"She wouldn't," the man answered, "And my brother's name no longer matters. He's passed."

"I'm sorry," Samantha said, "Was it Venjix?"

"No," the man said, "It wasn't Venjix. It was someone else."

"Well, I'm very sorry," Samantha nodded. She looked at her wrist, seeing the time. "Look, I've got to go. It was nice meeting you... I guess."

"Have fun, Samantha," the man said, waving as Samantha took off as a faster speed than normal. Truth be told, Samantha had nowhere to go, she just needed an excuse to get away from the man. Though she was pretending to be friendly, she wanted to figure out his intentions. It was strange how he didn't want his name to be mentioned, nor would be give away too much information about himself, and yet he knew so much about her, even her name. Most people didn't know she was Samantha, often mistaking her for Hayden, or even Summer when she used to live in the city.

Samantha cut through a parking lot and made it home quickly. Locking the doors and swearing not to leave until Engel needed to be picked up from Hayden's house.

"What a strange man," she mumbled to herself.