It was the same two detectives, and they met with Don in the same place.

"How did the last custody battle go for you?"

"I won." Don said simply. "I got joint custody."

"Ms. O'Brian's lawyer says it was luck."

"Of course she would."

"Think about it. You're probably like us. Working all sorts of hours."

"The Judge didn't seem to mind."

The two detectives ask Don a few more questions, and then left, informing him that he was a 'person of interest' and not to leave town.

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Soon, Alan frantically called

"I was at the store for my lunch break. You're in the tabloids!"

"What?"

"There are a pictures of you,Bob, Bri, and her new husband. The headline is " Husband and Ex suspected in disappearance of actor Bob O'Brian's sister. It's in a small corner of the front page."

"Any pictures of Doug?" Don asked worriedly

"Let me see" Alan flipped through the newspaper like tabloid. "Yes."

"Aww no!." Don groaned.

"Have there been reporters at your house?" Alan asked.

"A couple, from entertainment magazines and TV shows."

Alan skimmed the article. "Says that the custody dispute makes you a suspect."

"Actually, I'm a person of interest." Don said, hoping that it would sound better to Alan

"That's doesn't make me feel any better." Alan remarked, and continued with his summary. " It also says that Frank and Bri were heard fighting by their neighbors, and that police tend to look at the husband in these cases anyway. "

"Yeah."

"So the cops have been questioning ya?"

"yeah, but it's routine." Don tried to shrug it off.

"Maybe you should get a lawyer?" Alan suggested with concern.

"I'll be fine. It's Doug that we've gotta worry about." Don tried to assure his father.

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Two days later, Don received a call from Doug's school.

"The Headmaster would like to speak with you about your son's behavior" the secretary told him.

"I'll be right there." Don left work, and soon arrived at the school. He saw Doug sullenly sitting at a desk at one side of the main office.

"Mr. Eppes?" The headmaster, a middle aged woman came out of her office. She shook his hand. "I'm Mrs. Barnes, the Headmaster." The two went into her office.

"Doug hit another student with a lunch tray" she began once they sat down.

"A lunch tray?" Don repeated.

"Apparently, the argument was about his mother."

"She's been missing for some time." Don said, having explained this to Doug's teacher."No one has found a trace of her."

"That's can't be easy for anyone, especially a child." the headmaster said.

"Look, he's usually a good hearted kid." Don said.

"Have you considered therapy for him?"

"He's been going twice a week" Don replied.

"Good. I won't suspend him this time, though you can take him home for the rest of the day. I'll have someone get today's homework from the teacher."

"Thank you" Don said.

Doug didn't notice his father, until the latter was next to him and said, "Let's go, Buddy".

"Dad?"

"The Headmaster called me." Don said. "We'll talk in the car."

Once in the car, Don asked, "Why did you hit someone on the head with a lunch tray?"

"He said that his dad said that you killed mom to get 'full custody'. I told him that it wasn't true and to shut up. He wouldn't listen. I got mad" Doug tried to explain.

"I appreciate your defending me, but that is not the way to resolve an argument." Don said. "You could have gotten suspended."

"Aaron said that you and Frank were on TV." Doug sighed.

"I'm so sorry buddy! It's just that when a woman is missing, the police often look at their husbands and ex boyfriends first." Don half lied. "And you know news programs like to exaggerate things to get more viewers."

"yeah....."

"Go do your homework." Don suggested gently when they arrived home.

"Alright. Uncle Bob told me that he's setting up a center to take tips from people about mom. I wanna help!"

"Maybe on the weekends?"

"Fine." the boy said halfheartedly and went to do his homework.

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Some days after Doug returned to school, Don received another call from the school, and had to return.

The headmaster spoke to Don, "Doug threw a milk carton at someone"

"Why?"

"Apparently, it was again about his mother. Another child told him that she ran away. "

"Kids can be so cruel" Don said.

"I'm afraid he'll have to be suspended." Ms. Barnes said."For two days."

"Can you blame him? He's going through a hard time." Don tried to fight for his son.

"I'm sorry, but he's already been given a chance."

Annoyed, Don went to get his son.

"Come on buddy. Let's go" Don said.

"Okay...." The boy, not able to look his father in the eye, said.

In the car, Don began, "The headmaster told me what happened. You've been suspended."

"Mike said that my mom ran away to have fun."

"I know, but did throwing a milk carton at him solve anything?"

"No." the boy admitted.

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One fateful evening, Bob's assistant called.

"They've found Bri's remains" she said somberly. "some scuzzball involved in Bri's story gave the information in exchange for leniency. One of the human traffickers did it.."

"At least we've got some closure" Don said. "I'll tell Doug." After hanging up, he put his thoughts together, and felt sorry for Bri. While they hadn't been on the best of terms, he boded no ill will. First, he whispered the news to Robin, who worked in the dining room table.

"Oh no!" she whispered, looking at Doug, who watched television.

Reluctantly, Don sat next to Doug on the couch, turned off the television, and began"I have news about your mother"

"What? Did they find her?" the boy asked anxiously.

"Yes and No."

"Huh?"

"Buddy, as you know, your mother sometimes wrote for magazines"

"So?"

"She was doing an article on human trafficking. Do you know what that means?"

"yeah yeah.. mom told me." the boy said impatiently.

"She got too close to the bad people who do it, and they...didn't let her live." Don put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Cops found her body."

"No! No!" the boy shook his head. "Not mom!

"I'm so sorry, buddy"

Doug just sat there numbly his head hanging down as tears fell. Don put his arm around his son, trying to comfort him. Doug buried his head into his fathers chest.

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Doug, in shock, did not shed a tear, on the day of the funeral, as he halfheartedly got dressed and picked at his breakfast of eggs and toast.

"You gotta eat something, buddy." Don quietly advised.

"I'm not hungry."

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The funeral was a simple affair, with few people attending. The gray casket stood closed in front of the pews at the chapel of the mortuary. Bob, Frank, and some friends of Bri gave Eulogies, while Doug stared into space. The preteen didn't really acknowledge the people who gave their sympathy to him. His world had been shattered to be pieces. After a while, he told Don

"I wanna go home."

"Don't you want to say goodbye?"

"No." Doug couldn't bear the thought of his mother being in the coffin.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"What about the burial?"

"I just wanna go home"

"Okay buddy. Let's say goodbye to your uncle."

90809890089

At home, Doug sat on the couch.

"Buddy, I know it's hard, but I think you should start going to school next Monday. "

" Leave me alone."

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Soon, Alan came by for a visit.

"How's he holding up?" he asked Don, upon coming in.

"Not too well. He insisted on leaving the funeral early,and doesn't want to do anything."

Alan sighed. "Can you blame him?" The older man then sat next to Doug on the couch.

"How are ya doing?" Alan asked him, the boy shrugged. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

"Why don't we watch some TV?"

"okay."

Alan turned it on and looked at his grandson, concern etched on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with crying" Alan told Doug.

The boy just stared into space without answering his grandfather.

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It was in this state the Aaron found Doug when he came over to help the latter catch up.

"I had my Dad's secretary to xerox my class notes."

"Thanks" Doug said automatically.

"We appreciate your efforts, Aaron" Alan told him.

"I'm so sorry about your mom. She was cool." Aaron said. "My parents send their condolences."

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Don recieved a call from Doug's teacher two weeks after the boy returned to school.

"He either reads, or stares at the walls in class" she told him. "And only does some of his homework. At this rate, he might not pass."

Don felt guilty, with the busy schedules he and Robin had, a babysitter, who was a student of Charlie, had to be hired. Don often came home too late to check the boy's homework. "I'll have a talk with him." Don promised.

"I'll let him make up some of the work, so that he can graduate with his classmates." she offered.

"Thank you."

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"What's going on buddy?" Don asked Doug before dinner. "Your teacher says that you read during class, and only do some of your homework. You might not pass sixth grade!"

"I dunno" the boy looked at the floor.

"Look, I know you're going through a hard time, but life goes on. Your mother would want you to do well in school. She knew that education is very important."

"I know."

"Your teacher said that she'd be willing to let you make up some of the work, so you can hopefully graduate with your classmates."

The boy shrugged. "I guess."

"I'm sorry, but there will be no TV or video games until you pull up your grades." Don said firmly, but gently.

"Okay."

Don talked to the babysitter about checking the boy's homework, and making sure that he did it. Moreover, he took the boy for father/son outings as often as possible.

5767650-90-9

Doug, with much effort and help, passed sixth grade by a hair. He, due to grades and behavior had to be enrolled in the public middle school close to Robin and Don's home.

Bob said at one point, "I understand it was a bad year for you, but maybe if you work hard, you can return to private school for eighth grade? Your mother would have wanted it."

"Maybe" Doug said.

Doug still chatted and hung out with Aaron whenever he could. The two, on the weekends practiced their guitars.

"What's public school like?" Aaron asked when they finished a song at Don and Robin's house, one Saturday.

"Crowded" Doug said. "All my classes are jammed packed."

"That means you're less likely to get picked on by the teacher." Aaron pointed out.

"Yeah..."

As they talked some more, Robin suffered from morning sickness.

"You okay?" Don asked, with worry noticing her face, he was watching TV.

"Morning sickness" she replied. "By the way, when you want to tell him?"

"When you're further along." Don said.

"Just in case I miscarry again?"

"I didn't say that." Don quickly told her.

"I don't blame you."

909809809

Aaron and Doug, talked about the possible new team member.

"Let me get this straight." Aaron said. "He's our age, but already goes to college?"

"Yeah. My Uncle was able to get his parents to enroll him at Cal Sci instead of a school back East."

"Kid must be smart."

"And he plays piano! Though he'd be bring a keyboard to practice." Doug explained. "Uncle Charlie says he likes some of the same kind of music."

Soon, a car arrived at the house, and a boy with black hair, dark brown eyes came out, along with a woman. The two got out a yahmaha keyboard from the trunk, along with a stand.

"Hi! I'm Mike." the boy said before setting up the piano. He wore jeans and a shirt with the PI sign on it."

"Hey!" Aaron and Doug said in unison.

"This is my mom" the boy pointed to his mother.

She asked, when the piano was set up "Where are your parents?"

"They're inside." Doug said.

"I'll go say hi" she left them alone.

Mike played a few songs from No Face Value, which pleased Doug and Aaron. They both complimented him.

"Great job!"

"Sounds like the original!"

"I've been playing since I was six." Mike explained. "But I'm only a prodigy in math."

"We just need a drum guy and we'll be golden!" Aaron smiled.

"My keyboard does do sound effects." Mike said.

"Cool."

"So I'm in?"

Doug grinned "Welcome to the band!"

TBC