Lance hadn't calmed down until they were in the rental car on their way to Northbrook, though next to Kitty, he had seemed normal. She had been oddly quiet and extremely tense, quickly taking the backseat when they reached the car, allowing Palmer to slide in the front. Lance had raised his eyebrows at this change in routine, but refrained from commenting.

"So…" Palmer finally broke the silence when he just couldn't take it any longer. He had enjoyed looking around the city of Chicago as they sped down the highway, but now that they were driving out into the suburbs, there wasn't much to occupy his mind but all the thoughts he had been pushing away from the moment he had met this pair. "What are we going to do in Northbrook?"

"You'll meet Kitty's parents and see the house she grew up in. She might even want to show you the old high school, which I'm assuming they've fixed the principal's office by now," Lance chuckled. He noticed Palmer looking at him warily and eyed the rear view mirror to see Kitty staring out the window. "Um… I don't really know what else she wants to do."

"What about you?" Palmer shrugged.

"What about me?" Lance asked.

"Anything you're going to show me in Northbrook?" Palmer paused for a second before suggesting, "Any old haunts you want to take me to?"

"Well…" Lance sighed. "I guess there's not much of Northbrook that I remember all that fondly."

"Oh," Palmer mumbled. "Right."

"But maybe I'll take you by Mickey's," Lance offered. Palmer shot him a questioning look, but kept quiet as Lance clarified. "I used to spend a lot of time down at this sports memorabilia shop in the main part of town. Wasn't a lot for me to do, and Mickey didn't mind me coming in and not buying anything. In fact, he'd let me watch games with him in the back. Great guy. He was practically… well he looked after me a lot more than any of my so-called guardians ever did."

"Sounds like a cool guy," Palmer agreed.

"Yeah," Lance smiled. "Haven't seen him since the last time I was here, but knowing Mickey, he's still in the back of that shop watching whatever game is on."

"How long ago was that?" Palmer asked despite having a feeling that he knew the answer.

"About 15 years ago," Lance clenched his jaw. "Haven't been back since."

"Right," Palmer whispered.

"Technically," Lance relaxed as he continued, "you've met him already."

"Really?" Palmer looked to the back at Kitty for confirmation, but she stubbornly kept her eyes facing out the windows.

"Oh, yeah. You kicked whenever he sang 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.' My bet was because he never could carry a tune," Lance laughed as if he was hearing it just now. "But Ol' Mick swore it was because you were going to be a baseball player."

"Well he was right," Palmer shook his head in disbelief. "I played in little league."

"He was usually right about that kind of stuff," Lance then added almost as an afterthought. "He also gave you your middle name."

"What? But…" Palmer befuddled, stumbled over the questions that popped into his mind about his adoptive upbringing.

"I asked your parents if they wouldn't mind," Lance explained. "Cade was a family name of Mickey's and he was like family to me, so…"

"Wow… that's…" Palmer couldn't really explain. It made him feel prouder of his parents somehow and more connected to Lance all at the same time.

"They were great people, your parents," Lance said, almost as if reading Palmer's mind. "I just remember knowing it the first time I met them."

"Yeah," Palmer agreed. "Like they just sent off good vibes or something all the time."

"Exactly," Lance grinned. "They made you feel instantly comfortable, and they had this way of making you feel…"

"Like everything was going to be okay," Kitty spoke up, finally turning away from the windows to join in. Lance and Palmer both agreed silently, nodding their heads. Then the trio was quiet, all of their minds on their own bittersweet memories of the dearly departed as they continued to drive down the winding roads to Northbrook. After only a few brief minutes of silence and suburban homes, Lance was pulling over in front of a little house that he still remembered all too well.

"This is it," Kitty whispered as Lance sucked in a deep breath. Palmer and Kitty both got out of the car, stretching their legs, but Lance sat still. Palmer leaned his head back in and tapped Lance on the shoulder, making him jump as he finally turned his attention away from the house.

"You coming?" Palmer asked.

"Uh," Lance stalled. "I'm going to go check in to the hotel."

"Hotel?" Kitty poked her head in through his open window. "You know you'd be welcome to um… stay here."

"Yeah…" Lance bit his lip. "But I just think it'd be better if I stayed at a hotel."

"Okay," Kitty nodded without argument. Palmer raised his eyebrows, but let it go. After all, a second without them arguing was something to be thankful for. "Do you at least want to come in and say hi first?"

"I think I have to check in within the hour," Lance eyed the clock and shrugged.

"I guess I should go with you then," Palmer added quickly. "Drop my bags in the room."

"You're not staying here?" Kitty frowned. "You can, I mean. If you want."

"I just think… um…it might be…" Palmer fumbled for the words.

"Weird," Lance finished. "He hasn't even met them yet and you want him to stay for a slumber party?"

"I just thought it might give him a little more time to get to know them, but that's fine," Kitty clipped.

"Kitty, I just meant…" Lance started.

"It's fine," Kitty cut him off. "You two should get going."

"Okay…" Palmer answered slowly.

"Just be back for dinner at 6," Kitty then narrowed her eyes. "Don't be late."

"Of course," Lance nodded solemnly before turning to Palmer and rolling his eyes. When Lance turned back to Kitty, she was standing with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. Lance nodded at her once again with a weak smile before he set off with Palmer in tow.