2005

The four ate in silence.Charlie continued to brood. David,Dawn,and Greg didn't know what more to tell him.

"When I was little" Charlie began suddenly. "I asked my mother why Don and I didn't really look like each other because a friend of his looked a lot like his brother.She told there there are many possibilites there were when two people had a baby, but neglected to mention the variations that can come from sharing only one parent!"

"Carrying this anger isn't going to do you any good" David advised gently.

Charlie just ignored him and moved his food around.

"Why don't we all go to a movie?" David suggested. Maybe Charlie needed some distraction for a little while?

"Sounds good to me!" Dawn agreed."Let's watch a Monty Python one!"

"I don't really feel like watching a movie." Charlie said.

David mused inwardly"Charlie really opened a pandora's box with that drawing!"

2004

"So...did you ask Nina out?" Art asked the following weekend while they both golfed.

"I was going to, but I changed my mind" Alan said while choosing a club for his next turn..

"Why?" Art asked.

"She's uh...already seeing someone" his pride prevented him from telling Art the whole truth.

"That sucks, man!" Art told his friend in sympathy. "At least you found out before asking!"

"Yeah..."

Don didn't do so well in the dating department either. He was going out with a charming, forensic account who worked a floor above him. Things were going well, until after the third time he spent the night at her place. Awaking to an empty bed, he found a note that said

"I've gone to the market so that I can make you a kickass breakfast. Last night was wonderful."

Grinning from ear to ear, he lay back on the pillow. Suddenly, he heard a male voice.

"Babe! I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! "

Before Don could react, a young man in his twenties came into the bedroom.

"Who the fuck are you?" he demanded with rage. The only thing covering Don were the silk sheets.

"I uh...am one of Bri's gay friends." Don said quickly. His gun was in the floor somewhere with his pants."My place is being painted, and she let me come here for the night with a date.

"What's with skirt then?" the man picked it up and angrily showed it to him.

"My date and I were role playing"

Just then, Bri ran into the room.

"I can explain!" she said.

As the couple argued, Don got dress at warp speed, and left the apartment. His ego had been bruised, plus he was disapointed and hurt.

Later on as he had dinner at the house, Alan asked him

"Are you okay? You've hardly eaten anything"

"I'm fine" Don insisted.

To add insult to injury, they had to work together on a racketeering case. At one point, she tried to approach him.

"Don...about what happened..." she began.

"Let's focus on the work!" he told her firmly, and left for the breakroom.

TBC