The trip back to Aidan's apartment was silent. The young woman leaned back as they drove, watching the passing scenery but not seeing it. Her mind was going over the day. She still couldn't believe that her godfather was dead. Ralph had always played his role as mentor to Aidan to the hilt, long before she even joined his and Pam's family as their guard and eventually adopted daughter. He would give guidance to his goddaughter whenever she had a rough time at the "other" side of the family, and along with Pam would try to find a way to always make her smile through the roughest times.

She loved them even more for the guidance and the humor they gave during rough times, but those things didn't stop when the rough times stopped instead they flowed into every aspect of their lives both in the good times and the bad. Even though her godparents provided plenty of fuel to the comedy and calamity in the house she knew her contribution was a healthy one.

Many of those times came to Aidan as she continued looking out the window, most of them faded like old pictures you might find in a box that had been stored in attic long forgotten. Other memories were clearer one in particular stood out. She was in the third grade and heard the news that her teacher was going to be expecting a baby soon. Aidan also learned her teacher would be absent for six weeks after the delivery.

When she arrived at home later that afternoon, she was still confused as to the news of why her teacher would be gone so long. When she noticed Ralph sitting in the living room, making his lessons for his special education class, she decided to walk over to him and ask.

Aidan smiled, remembering what happened next. Ralph had looked up at Aidan, noticing her perplexed look and asked her what was wrong. The young girl looked at him and asked in her mind a simple question: "Where exactly did babies come from?"

The young woman chuckled, remembering how red Ralph blushed at the innocent question, barely able to stammer out that she would need to ask Pam that question.

While Aidan was lost in her memories in the back of the car, in the front seat of the car Aidan's parents held their own quite conversation over the evening's events only interrupted when a soft chuckle or mumble would float from the back to the front. Each time one or the other would look back with concern at their daughter then share a look with each other.

It wasn't the small chuckles or mumbles that bothered them that was a common thing for Aidan and what they thought at times to be her overactive imagination. No what concerned them was Aidan's behavior tonight. She was totally out of character for their daughter. Normally she was very polite, well behaved, especially when it came to obeying her parents, whether she was five or in her twenties. They never have known her to be so forceful and disobedient especially over something like this.

Neither was convinced that the small paper Austin saw his daughter push into her pocket contained a recipe from Pam, and the tears in the older women's eyes was clear evidence Aidan had told her aunt another Ralph story one that she most likely made up with that paper, upsetting her aunt. And that kind of behavior along with everything else they couldn't understand. It was so out of character for their normally well organized, level headed daughter.

If Ralph had passed away a few months ago they could understand Aidan's insistence at bringing up his memory and even encouraged it knowing how much the women loved her aunt and uncle. But he hadn't died only a few months before, but nearly 10 years earlier and while Aidan had no memory of that night from her fall and eventual amnesia of that night she was told her uncle had died.

Both at first attributed this change to Aidan's accident, and were willing to go along with it with the doctors assurance that everything was alright, but after tonight's events both agreed Aidan couldn't keep living in her dream world of Ralph still being alive. If she kept it up, both surmised, she'd eventually lose all sense of reality.

Looking in the mirror again and seeing Aidan chuckle and mumble something about her uncle, Austin cleared his throat. "Aidan I know the accident caused some problems but I don't think your behavior tonight was appropriate," he said bluntly.

Aidan's head snapped up, thoughts jolted by the comment. "Dad what…"

"You know as well as I do your Aunt Pam has had a hard time dealing with your Uncle Ralph's death - even now, and you bringing it up acting like he was alive…"

The young woman stammered, surprised at the sharp - almost accusing - tone he had in his voice. She felt her face turn a little red. "I didn't know he was dead... I... I didn't remember…"

"Aidan Micah, you know he's been dead for nearly 10 years now," he said. "But, you kept acting as though he could simply walk into the house again."

"I didn't remember," she argued, then softened her tone. "He's not even supposed to be dead...you …" Aidan paused, realizing that she could not say the truth of her time - that Ralph was alive, but they were dead. I'm already in hot water, no need to get told I'm going crazy, she thought.

"What were you going to say Aidan?" asked Austin.

"Nothing Dad…" she said, and fell silent, watching the buildings go by. After a few moments, she spoke up again. "Could we go visit Ralph's grave tomorrow?"

The young woman's parents looked at each other, silently arguing the issue. They remembered how rough the days after her uncle's passing had been on the young woman, and were surprised at her request. Both knew that while Pam chose to have a memorial service, Ralph's ashes were strewn out into the sea.

The request was one that surprised M'Lynn at the time, who thought Ralph had suggested being cremated but the cremains to be interred in the mausoleum. But Pam insisted that Ralph changed his will, the reason was that he didn't want people thinking of him as being in a marble building - because he didn't feel that his soul would be there. It still confused her to that day, but Ralph's sister also knew that her brother always wanted to do what he could to benefit all… and apparently it included in death.

After a few moments, her mother spoke up. "No Aidan… I think it best we don't go to the cemetery," she said.

"Why not?"

"Well… it just brings a lot of bad memories to you," she said, deciding to not mention Pam's request.

Aidan, however, was not convinced. "Bad memories? What else could be worse than knowing my uncle's dead?" she said, then thought about everything that could've happened that caused his death - including possible suit cases. "Did he die in some horrific way that you guys haven't told me about?"

"No, Aidan… your mother and I just feel that you need to not over tax yourself right now, especially with your head injury…"

"I'm fine, Dad, I'm sick and tired of constantly being told that I need to be coddled and treated as though I'm glass," she snapped, growing frustrated. "Let's go visit please…"

"No, Micah," said Austin, and Aidan froze. She knew that if her father called her that, he was becoming really upset with her. The only other time she was ever called by her middle name was if one of the Onyxsards spoke to her.

Aidan sighed, and then pulled out the slip of paper from her pocket and read the information on how to contact Bill. Aidan realized that she was not going to get any answers or closure from her parents, so she knew now that she chose well to go and ask her uncle's friend. "Bill will help…" she said outloud, thinking.

Hearing the name, Austin glared through the rearview mirror. "Bill who?" he said pointedly.

"Bill Maxwell, I … figured I'd call and say hi, see if he needed…" said Aidan, only to grab onto her seat as her dad suddenly pulled off into a parking lot.

Putting the car into park, he turned around and glared at his daughter. "Now, listen here Aidan Micah, I've have been patient with your comments and questions about that night, even tonight with your strange behavior, but" he said, his steel blue eyes penetrating into her very soul. Seeing he had her full attention, he continued. "But, I better NEVER hear you mention that bastard's name again."

Aidan looked at him, shaking slightly with fear at the abrupt change in his tone. "Why… what did he…"

"He destroyed this family - Pam's life, your mother's life, your uncle's life… your life..."

"My life? How..."

Her father continued, ignoring the question. "I never EVER want you to find him or even mention his name again."

"But…"

"NO BUTS. Do you UNDERSTAND?" he said, nearly roaring. Aidan paled, almost to the point she thought she'd pass out. She remembered her father being angry at her when he was alive, but never to this point. In fact, the way he was acting toward her… she could swear that every ounce of him was a pure Onyxsard instead of the loving father she remembered. She could only see bitterness and hatred in his eyes, just like she always did when she visited that side of the family when she was younger.

She slowly gathered her composure and nodded. "Yes sir," she said, on the verge of tears. She cleared her throat to avoid sounding upset. "I'm sorry I upset Aunt Pam...I'm sorry I ruined tonight."

Hearing the almost pleading tone in her daughter's voice, M'Lynn touched Austin's shoulder and looked at her husband. In that look, she gave him a warning glare of her own - Let her heal Austin… don't destroy her life like mine was when Ralph died, it read.

Seeing Austin nod his head, turn around and put the car back in gear to head out to the freeway, M'Lynn turned to her daughter. "Aidan you didn't ruin tonight, we understand with the accident and work it has been tough on you…" she said, looking at her daughter and smiling. "But it will get better you will see."

"I hope so," said Aidan softly. "I hope so."

Aidan's mother smiled and turned back around. The rest of the trip remained silent, each person lost in their thoughts of the night, about Bill, and for Aidan, how to find out what happened to her godfather, the one missing part of the puzzle. Once she found out, she surmised, she could finally decide which path she wanted to choose - and with no regrets.