PROLOGUE

Holly sat on her ivy patterned couch, feet up on the coffee table, the glass door open, allowing a spring breeze to enter the living room. On her chest, knees tucked under him lay her new born son. She nuzzled his dark hair under her nose and inhaled the scent of him. With her finger she traced his ears. They had the same shape as Rogers. She smiled at the memory. Though he was sleeping she could recall the color of his dark eyes. At just a few days old, and new to the world he'd furrow his tiny little brow and contemplate his surroundings.

Initially Holly had thought about sending an email. It certainly would have been expedient, but the birth of their son deserved a hand written letter. Blake, she was sure would have called Roger to tell him Holly had given birth, but Holly wanted to be the one to tell him he had a son. She hadn't told him before as his recovery, as the doctors in Springfield had warned was long and arduous. The last time Holly saw him he was walking with a cane, his speech still slow and slurred when he tired, which was easily. She could have told him the baby was his, confirming his suspicions but she didn't want to burden him. Someday she hoped to tell their boy about their father, but for now his existence would be contained to letters and photographs sent across the ocean, or via the world wide web.

She shifted the baby to her left side, laying a pad of paper on her right leg, while holding a pen in her right hand. Staring at the lined, blank paper she knew right where to begin. Her scrawling hand writing flowed forth like blood from a gaping wound once she got started.

Dearest Roger,

By now our darling daughter has called you in England to tell you that I have been safely delivered of a baby boy.

He was born on March 28th at 9:10 a.m., he weighted a slight 7 pounds and 2 ounces and had a head-to-toe length of 19 inches. He was much smaller than his 9-pound sister, and was far easier to deliver. While her labor was an arduous thirty-one hours, his was a mere three from start to finish. Picking his name was a bit more difficult. I wanted to see who he was before locking a descriptor on him, but the moment I clapped eyes on him I knew who he was: Rory Atticus

Rory for obvious reasons, and Atticus from To Kill a Mocking Bird. I hope you like it.

As you will see in the enclosed photos he looks just like his father, you. Please know that I didn't with hold his paternity out of loyalty to Ed, but rather out of loyalty to myself. Oh Roger, if I thought for a moment that we wouldn't hurt each other or him…well, I'm not going to play the what if game, what is done is done. That doesn't mean that I can't hear your voice in the back of my head admonishing me for keeping him a secret, I hear you loud and clear, but I wouldn't have changed a thing...except for your near-death experience. I could have done without that. You do realize that both our children's existences are tied to tragedy, right? I am sure there must be a Greek play written about that somewhere.

Oh Roger, what if we could go back? No, I promised I wouldn't do that. He's here, you're there, and I am somewhere in between you both. Just know that he is perfection personified. He is loved more than I could ever believe possible. He is the best parts of the both of us, much like Blake is, only we haven't had time to corrupt him yet. I will do my best to keep him this way, I promise.

I should close this letter now. I hope it is met with celebration and not pain, though I know that an impossible request.

You have our hearts,

Holly and Rory

In the years that followed Michelle continued to treat Rory like a younger brother. While Holly and Ed's relationship never returned to its former level of love and respect it never wavered for Michelle. She went to Holly any time she had a problem with a boy, or needed help with school. When she got married it was Holly whom she went to for advice on not what to do, and Holly gladly gave it.

Ed managed to stay sober, never marrying again after his divorce from Holly. He was able to forgive Lillian whom he visited in prison; her plea of temporary insanity was shot down. She became an old woman behind bars, forgotten by the majority of Springfield as time marched on. Vanessa, Maureen's best friend even managed to forget, if not forgive the woman who took her best friend, and was responsible for Ed's falling off the wagon. Upon her release Ed took her in to the garage apartment when even her daughter Beth was too ashamed of what she had done.

While Jenna was the face of Spaulding Enterprises, Europe, it would be years before Roger was well enough to entertain meeting his son. He suffered long term issues from his injuries, never fully regaining his speech or ability to walk unassisted. He was however well enough to take a pre-teen Rory to a baseball game at Wrigley Field, with Holly sitting a few rows back to supervise.

Even Blake and Ross got a happy ending. They cruised, no the Mediterranean, but the Atlantic and continued to do so every year to celebrate their anniversary. While Springfield was often cold and snow cover the Marler's luxuriated in the sunshine and blue waters that the Bahamas could offer.

In the end, history proved it does repeat its self, but if the players make one change in the time line a whole new future opens up for them.