The band played for Doug's baby sister's first birthday party, one sunny Saturday. There were young women dressed as fairies, and a general fairy theme, with bright decorations and green tablecloths. The cake, had an aqua green frosting, with a picture of a fairy. It had on it, "Happy Birthday Maggie."

The toddler, who looked like her mother, squirmed in Robin's arms, demanding the freedom to walk around in baby talk.

"Okay. Fine." Robin let her go, but kept on eye out. Don, busy grilling hotdogs, and burger patties, listened to his son play. Bob was nearby.

"I'm so glad Doug's was about to make a come back to private school." the actor remarked.

"Thanks to your support." Don flipped some of the patties.

"Anything for Doug."

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Later as the small children from the neighborhood played musical chairs, Doug asked Don "Dad!Can I go to Hawaii with Aaron's family this summer?You'd only have to pay the airfare."

"I was thinking maybe we could do a road trip this summer, with Robin and your sister." Don answered. "I already got the time off approved."

"It's no fun traveling with Maggie!" Doug protested. His face, now with less freckles was longer, while his hair, while still brown was the same texture as Don's. "She cries, and then we have to stop every five minutes because of a diaper change, or having to feed her, or whatever."

"She's a baby, Doug." Don said. "They need more care."

"Come on Dad!"

"Nope. Tell Aaron's parents thanks, but that you're traveling with your family." Don said firmly.

"Fine..."

"It'll be fun!"

Doug, with a sigh, rejoined his band, who now watched the little ones take turns hitting a Tinker Bell shaped pinata.

"What did your Dad say about Hawaii?" Aaron asked.

"He said no."

"That sucks." Aaron said.

"Tell me about it."

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June came, and the whole family after putting the luggage in the car, got in and started for their road trip, which included the Grand Canyon. Maggie was in her car seat, while Doug sat next to her, listening to his IPod. Robin and Don sat at the front. The road trip started off well; the hours passed, and they only stopped to have lunch. Then, it was back on the road. On a lonely stretch of it, the car started making odd noises, waking Maggie. After a quick dinner, Don couldn't get the car to start.

"Damn!" He muttered.

"Could it be the battery?" Robin asked,.

"I just changed it."

"Call triple A" Doug suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Robin remarked. "We can have the car towed to the nearest mechanic, and stay around here for the night."

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They did just that. Thankfully, the car repair only required a day. At the motel, Doug asked, "Can I swim at the pool?"

"Robin and I need you to look after Maggie while we check in" Don said.

"Fine."

Doug watched the toddler walk around, and touch things including a seeing eye dog.

"Leave the dog alone." Doug pulled her away from it. He sat her down on his lap, and started listening to his IPod. Before he knew it, Don was asking, "Where' s your sister?"

"Huh?" Doug frantically looked around. "She was with me a minute ago!"

"Let's go find her." Robin said. They looked everywhere they could in the lobby until they found her, crying because she had tripped on something. Robin picked her up and glared at Doug.

"You need to be more careful." Don told him. "She could've fallen on her head just now."

"She just won't sit still" Doug argued.

"Maggie doesn't know better" Robin countered. "It's up to all of us to watch her."

"Can I go to the pool now?"

"It's late, and there's probably no life guard." Don pointed out. "Maybe tomorrow."

At the pool, the next day, Doug swan back and forth. His mother had insisted on lessons early on. "For your own good" she' d say.

Doug remembered, his younger days, where at Pop Pop's condo, he'd go to the kid's side of the pool, while his mother read.

"I miss you mom" he found himself muttering, and continued to think about her.

Don interrupted his thoughts, holding a phone.

"It's your Uncle Bob" Don said. "He's got something important to tell you."

"Okay." Doug got out of the pool,dried his hands, and got Don's phone.

"Hello?"

"I've got some bad news and good news" Bob began. "The good news is that cops found your mother's killer."

"What's the bad news?" Doug didn't think he'd like it.

"Well, in exchange for snitching on other bad guys, he's avoiding jail and is gonna get protection."

"That's not fair!" Doug exclaimed, as Don moved closer. "He should be punished for what he did to Mom."

"I'm sorry kiddo. "Bob said.

"I gotta go" Doug hung up, too upset to talk.

"What's wrong?" Don asked.

"The Cops are not gonna put whoever...didn't let Mom live in jail."

"What?"

"He's gonna snitch on other bad guys."

"Aw buddy... that's terrible." Don said, and tried to explain. "But not unusual."

"What do you mean?"

"Whoever made this deal hopes that other people won't suffer the same fate as your mother." Don said. He often hated these kind of deals, but sometimes there wasn't a choice, in his view.

"So, I can commit a crime, and get away with it if I have information?" Doug seethed.

"It's not that simple."Don said.

In a huff, Doug returned to the pool.

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At dinner in a diner, Doug moved his food from side to side. Robin, tried to comfort him. "Think of it this way, your mother's death wasn't in vain. She would have wanted as many traffickers as possible to go to jail."

Maggie banged on her little high chair table with a spoon as if to interrupt the silence.

"It's not fair!" Doug repeated, looking up from his plate. "She'd want the bad guy who ....didn't let her live to be punished."

"Bad guys are being punished" Robin said.

"But not that one!" Doug argued.

"That's the price" Robin tried to explained, though Don gave her a look.

Doug stayed quiet for the rest of dinner.

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Later, the couple talked in the shower, as Doug reluctantly watched a sleeping Maggie.

"You can't expect a kid to take the big picture." Don pointed out, as he put soap on himself. "Especially if his mother was killed."

"I was hoping that it would give him comfort to know that his mother's death meant something." Robin said.

Don leaned on the shower wall "I know. Poor Kid..."

TBC