Rabastan walked into Malfoy Manor with his brother, sister in-law, and about twenty other Death Eaters. All of them were giddy and happy, for the attack on the wizarding community in the Scottish Borders, which happened earlier that morning, had been very successful. Rab took great pleasure in it, and he knew that Master would be very pleased.

"All in a day's work, eh, brother?" Rodolphus swung an arm around him and ruffled his hair.

Rab grinned at him. "It was a brilliant attack, Rod. I wanted to stay longer, just to watch all the houses burn."

The huge doorway in front of them clicked, and the doors were opened. Peter Pettigrew stood waiting for them as they swept past him. "D-did all go well?" The mousy man asked, his hands raised near his face for some reason.

"Very." Bellatrix replied, moving to walk the furthest in front. "They didn't expect us at all."

Rabastan patted Pettigrew on the shoulder as he walked past, a bit begrudgingly. The man creeped him out, truth be told, and that was coming from him. He didn't necessarily trust him either - he always sounded so scared and meek. Though he was nothing more than Voldemort's servant at best, and was only taken on after he leaked the news about the Potter's location all those years ago, he didn't concern himself that much with the man's wellbeing.

They were soon in the room with the huge long table, where the others were gathered to hear their news of the plan. He saw Lucius and Narcissa sitting next to each other already, and Bellatrix even went to hug her sister. Master was stood at the head of the table, and when he sat down so did everyone else.

"You all look very happy, so I'd say it fair to assume the attack went well?" Voldemort asked slowly.

Rodolphus nodded. "Indeed, Master. They had no idea we were coming, and were scared out of their minds."

Voldemort even graced a smile. "Very good." Was all he said, his tone quite slow. He leaned down to stroke Nagini, his great big serpent. Rabastan could only see the top of the snake's head from where he was sitting in between Rod and Jugson. "Did you take any prisoners?"

"Didn't deem many of them worthy, Master," Bellatrix said immediately, "they were all nobodies. However, we took some child hostages. Frightened little beasts, to be sure."

At that, Fenrir Greyback stirred from further down the table. Rabastan couldn't help but feel faint - if there was one thing he couldn't abide, it was people who were predatory towards kids. He secretly couldn't stand Greyback, and wanted to hex him many times.

"Yes, Walden very kindly apparated them back for us. They're now in the dungeons." Master added, and gave a slight nod in McNair's direction. Rabastan chanced a glance at everyone - he saw that Narcissa was looking a bit uncomfortable.

"How soon will the next attack be?" Dolohov asked, "my blood's still up."

"All in good time, Antonin," Master replied, sounding as eager, "I'm sure we will have more information soon. After all, we have to thank Yaxley for planning this attack so nicely!"

Everyone either clapped lightly or made sounds of praise towards Corban Yaxley - who had thought of the idea to attack the Scottish village. To be honest, Rabastan could have planned it just the same, but Yaxley had thought of some good and quick tactics for the ambush. Rab clapped along with the rest before falling silent and alert again.

"Now, I have some news regarding new international allies." Master said, and everyone leaned forward, suddenly alert. "Ten graduates from Durmstrang have expressed supreme interest in our cause, and will be joining us next week at the earliest. They will be Marked within days of their arrival."

Everyone either nodded with appraisal or looked pleased. Rabastan was just happy for the new members. More people for the cause.

"All from good families, I assume?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, they certainly are." Voldemort replied, clasping his hands together slowly. He started smiling in a giddy way. "We get stronger by the day, my friends. Sooner or later the Ministry will be ours too. Then the world…"

Half of his comrades started hitting the table in praise, and started a small cheer. Rabastan could care less about the world - he just wanted the right person leading it; the man at the head of the table.

The rest of the meeting was just basically a lot of planning. The foundations of future attacks were laid, and they spent the better part of an hour pouring over maps of the UK alone. The places were just names to Rabastan, but he nodded along nonetheless and contributed to the conversation.

Just as Avery rolled the map up, Master looked like he wanted to say something. "Speak, Master." Rabastan urged. The table looked surprised, as if they hadn't noticed before, and quieted immediately.

"Thank you, Rabastan. Now, before we all go, there's somebody I'd like us all to meet." Master said.

Everyone looked to one another, either with excitement or interest. Rod nudged him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Eh?" Rab whispered back, confused. Rod just shook his head.

Rohan Nott stood up and gladly went to open up the door. When they were opened, a person was revealed to them.

A young lad, maybe sixteen or seventeen. He had immaculate dress sense, and seemed to have an air of preposterous energy about him. His hair was a light brown, though in a certain light some of it looked to be blonde. The whole table looked expectant as he walked past Pettigrew and Rohan into the room.

"Where'd you find this baby-faced kid, Master?" Walden said, eyeing the boy.

"He looks like one of those muggle models," Goyle Snr said, in a sneer, "I hope he isn't a mudblood, else-"

"-Shhh, Goyle," Master commanded, which shut the other man up a bit sheepishly. "Introduce yourself, my boy."

The lad took a breath. "I am Ares," he said, and Rabastan was a bit taken aback when he boy went to stand directly behind Rodolphus's chair. "Son of Rodolphus Lestrange."

Rab thought this was some joke. Rodolphus's child? That meant the lad was his nephew! How on earth could that ring true?

"I didn't know you two had a child?" Jugson said, looking between Rodolphus and Bellatrix.

"I am not his mother." Bellatrix replied simply.

"Then who…" Was all Rab could say. He looked to his brother, and gave him a look as if to say, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ares has been hidden from anyone except me for his own safety. Though he may only be a bastard child of mine, I believe he is worthy of the name Lestrange." Rodolphus explained, everyone listening intently. He then looked to Voldemort. "I believe he is ready for the Dark Mark."

The boy who was Rabastan's nephew just stared at seemingly nothing. His head was inclined though. He tried to get a good look at him, as if to puzzle out who his mother was. He looks a bit like me, he thought, he has all the classic Lestrange features and looks. He looks like our father and grandfather...

Master looked giddy. "I believe so too. There are great things in store for you, young Ares."

"I would be delighted to join today, sir." The lad said, gracing a small smile. Gosh, he's almost as lifeless as the rest of us. He chanced a look at his sister in-law, two seats down from him, who didn't even look phased that this boy was her step-son - a child that was not hers, which therefore had meant that Rodolphus had cheated on her at some point, effectively.

"That you shall be permitted. In fact, the ceremony shall take place in five minutes! You are all free to go - Wormtail, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Antonin, Lucius; you four remain. There has to be five present to bear witness and confirm. The rest of you, you are free to go. We meet again on Sunday." Master said.

Chairs immediately started scraping the marble floor. Rabastan wanted to ask his brother so many questions about this son of his, yet he couldn't just now, as his brother had to remain to watch said boy receive the Mark. Rabastan looked at the boy one last time before he got up.

"I'll meet you back at the Manor," Rod said, as he clapped his shoulders before walking past him to go towards his son. Rab just nodded, though cursed him in his head for all the secrecy. What was the need? He thought, Do you not trust me, brother? How many more things have you kept from me?

Exiting the room, Rabastan felt the urge to get some fresh air - especially after that revelation. He pushed open the front door to Malfoy Manor and just stood, his mind everywhere.

He pulled out a cigarette - one muggle thing he actually liked, - and lit it up. Taking a long drag of it, he felt a tiny bit of his wonders leave him as he breathed out, feeling somewhat at ease.

He continued smoking for what he assumed was five minutes; yet the cigarette was barely halfway done. It just wasn't like Rodolphus to hide things from him - they were brothers, and very close ones at that. Ever since childhood it had been like that. So why had this mysterious newly-revealed nephew of his suddenly appeared without any word from Rodolphus?

"Oh, you're out here." He heard a voice. He turned around, and it was none other than Narcissa.

He nodded at her in acknowledgement. "Clearing my head."

She gave the tiniest smile, but then noticed the cigarette. "Isn't that some muggle contraption?"

"Yes, but I only use them for short-term relief." He said simply, taking another drag and breathing out once he felt it fill his lungs.

"A pipe would be more fitting," Narcissa Black said, moving to stand closer to him.

"I would rather die than look like I'm from another time period," he said, and smirked a bit at his own humour. Rohan's mother smoked a pipe, and she resembled a shrivelled worm.

Narcissa scoffed, but not in a bad way. There was some silence for a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard were sourcing from the menagerie of Lucius's at the back of the property.

"Did you know about my brother's son?" He asked the woman, who was Rodolphus's sister in-law.

She looked up at him. "Bella told me."

"So Rod can tell his wife but he can't tell me?" He said in part-disbelief. "The boy's my nephew, I guess. I could have been his guardian, and trained him myself."

"Rodolphus seemingly had that same thought too, but decided it was safer if only they knew." She replied.

Rabastan nodded, though a bit reluctantly. A thought came to him then: "How does your sister feel that her husband has fathered a child on some other woman?"

Narcissa smirked. "You know as well as I do that Bella's marriage to Rodolphus was not for love, Rabastan, but gain. If anything, they're friends at most. They don't even share the same bed most of the time. She doesn't care that he's having flings with others."

"Fair enough," he said, deciding he'd had enough of the cigarette and putting it out. "I suppose I have a nephew to catch up with now."

"The Marking doesn't take long, it'll be done in no time." The woman replied, straightening her long coat out slightly. "I'd assume he's going to live with you and your brother?"

"Probably," he said, "Rod will want him moved in straight away."

He looked back down at Narcissa, and he noticed her looking a bit distant all of a sudden. She was staring out at the long winding path of the estate. Rabastan had always thought her a pretty woman, ever since school, but even he admitted she looked beautiful in this moment. "What's wrong?" He asked her. She's probably just missing Draco, is all.

"It's my sister's birthday today." Was all she said, quietly.

He was confused, for he didn't think it was Bellatrix's birthday today, else someone would have said at the meeting and they would have drank to her day. "No, not Bella's, my other sister - Andromeda."

It clicked then. He remembered Andromeda from school - she was a Slytherin, and was initially friends with them, but then she excluded herself from them. Bellatrix had said one night at a family supper that she'd married a muggleborn. He could guess that Andromeda had long since been banished from the family by her parents and sisters. However, Narcissa's expression wasn't one of hate, she looked sad more than anything. "Do you miss her?" He asked, albeit a bit awkwardly. Being supportive and offering comfort wasn't really a strong point of any Lestrange. They were tough and cruel people.

"I hate her for what she did, but yet I can't help but yearn for her and think of the happy times. The sisterly love has never gone away…" She replied, keeping composure, yet her voice went that tiniest bit higher.

He tried to offer some support, yet he knew he'd probably look and sound an idiot. "I'm sure she feels the same."

She scoffed. "I doubt it. After what we said to her when we found out and cast her away… I'm probably as good as dead to her."

"Perhaps, but that familial bond will always be there." He said, having no idea if it was the right thing to say.

Narcissa sniffed a bit. "Didn't you have a girlfriend in school? That Hufflepuff girl - what was her name?"

His heart skipped a beat. "Ana."

"That was her name. What happened to her?"

"I… We went our separate ways." He said, hurting all over again. He also felt guilt over just what he did to get her back. "She didn't like who I was becoming."

The woman eyed him, and seemed to understand, for she didn't ask any more questions. Ana had been his first, and only, love. Yet he'd been a conflicted person - he had to uphold his family image and join the side of the Dark, there was no room in the world Voldemort was building to also be in love with a muggleborn girl. Yet he'd loved her so much… He'd never told anyone that Ana had been a muggleborn, not even his own brother. Whenever they'd asked, he told them she was a half-blood, of Macmillan descent, to keep them appeased. She was always on his mind.

She never left his mind.

Regulus found his brother in one of the many studies on the ground floor, and it was purely by chance. He'd been calling his name the past few minutes, wondering where he'd gotten to. Ophelia had assumed he'd been doing some marking, but hadn't been too sure. He'd walked past the study on the way to the kitchen, when something caught his eye in the room's empty doorway. Sirius, sat at the long mahogany desk.

"There you are, brother," Reggie said, sighing with relief and entering the cavernous room. He quickly noticed the faraway look on his brother's face. "What's up?" He asked immediately.

"Daughter's. In particular, my one." Was Sirius's short response.

Regulus chuckled. "What could you possibly mean by that?"

"She's hiding something from me, I can tell. And I get the feeling it's to do with d…."

"...What?"

"..Dating. Urgh!" Sirius flinched as he said it, and made a look of distaste.

Regulus would have burst out laughing if it wasn't for his brother's turmoil. He was glad he didn't have children. Sure, he'd love to have a little mini him, but that would mean getting a girlfriend or wife. He was in his thirties, and hadn't really dated before.

"You think Dorea is in a secret relationship with someone?" He wanted to make sure.

"Yes. Well, I have reasons to believe that she is anyway."

"I hope you don't explode if she does admit it, brother," Reggie said quickly, "I know she's your baby and you feel a need to protect her from the world, but remember that she ultimately has spirit. She'll tell you if, and only if, she's ready to."

Sirius eyes him. "B-but, how am I meant to feel that way if I do not know who the boyfriend is? She could be dating a manwhore for all I know, someone who's only using her for popularity or something…"

Regulus smirked. "Relationships aren't all that serious at her age anyway, Siri. Just look at how many girls you had on your arm."

His older brother glared at him. "That was different."

He chanced a laugh. "I suppose. So, do you want to say all that's on your mind regarding this situation?" He deployed a new tactic.

Sirius sighed. "I'm obviously overreacting a bit, but I can't help it. We're once again living in times of tension and war, what if she gets hurt?!"

Reggie just nodded as his brother vented. He hadn't known his niece for that long, but he could tell that Dorea was sensible and driven, and not someone who was that reckless. He knew that she was capable of protecting herself, due to her assertiveness, so he had no real qualms about her having a boyfriend. Though like his brother, he would definitely keep an eye on her.

"... The boy could be a total scruff for all I know, or sleazy. An arrogant, controlling shit. Abuse happens in relationships, Reg, what if she gets hurt? I don't know what I'd do if my baby.."

Wondering how on earth Sirius had gone from fuckboys to domestic abuse, Reggie could tell he was getting upset, especially by that last thought. He quickly tried to intervene. "Alright, that's enough, Sirius. Get those thoughts out of your head, they're not healthy for you." He said as kindly as possible. "Dorea's a strong girl, like her mother, and she has all your charisma too. If she was being abused, she would tell her family, and her friends. She's never once given me cause for concern, so I trust that she's happy."

Sirius sniffed. "Being silly. B-but I just can't help but… consider all possibilities."

He understood. "It's fine, Siri, I get where you're coming from. But just know this - if she ever gets hurt, the boy will have to watch out, for her crazy father and uncle will hex him into the next century. Oh, and her other uncle is a werewolf."

Sirius laughed a bit, and Reggie felt accomplished he'd reassured him of that much. He felt warm as he laughed with his older brother. It felt like the good times.

"Gosh, I feel like a right idiot, getting upset over nothing." Sirius said, furiously rubbing his eyes.

"You have a right as her parent to be concerned. Just make sure you don't dwell on thoughts like those that often, okay?" Regulus reassured him.

Sirius nodded. After a few moments, his brother lit up. "Guess who I've managed to contact?"

Regulus eyed him, not sure. "I don't know."

"Andromeda."

"Cousin Andy?!" Regulus piped up, surprised. Andromeda Black was the daughter of his uncle Cygnus, therefore making her their cousin. By default, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black were their cousins too, though they didn't like to speak about that.

"Yeah!" Sirius smiled with him, but then it faltered. "Well, I suppose you were made not to like her after she revealed she was marrying Ted Tonks."

"I was… reminded, by father, that she was scum. Obviously I do not hold that grudge now." Reggie explained, but then went back to the happier topic. "So, has she said anything?"

"Well, it was her birthday yesterday, and I thought it would be a nice surprise if we arranged to meet each other again - either at their house or ours. I thought Dorea could finally meet her. She's coming tomorrow, when she and Dorea are going to London for shopping and lunch."

Regulus nodded. "That will be good for both of them. They'll bounce right off each other, that's for sure. What about Nymph?"

Sirius grinned at the makeshift name for Tonks. "She's working, I'm afraid, but she'll probably come over at some point."

Regulus had never met this Nymphadora Tonks, but from what Sirius had told him, she was a handful. A handful, but a spritely young woman all the same (according to Siri). Reggie rather liked the idea of the non-mad, decent members of the Black family reuniting (few as they were). He knew he had a lot to tell them - which would mean reciting his story again and again and again, but that was no real problem to him. He'd already done it a handful of times.

Dinner was a chilled affair, with Ophelia whipping up a simply delicious chicken, ham and leek pie for them all which all had them scrambling for second helpings. Young Theo kept praising his mother's cooking, with everyone agreeing dreamily. They were all sad when the tray was eventually empty.

The house was quiet thereafter, as the kids all went back up to their rooms for the evening. Reggie did the same, though to his deep chagrin he'd fallen asleep - which meant he had dreamed of that dreaded night he and Kreacher had gone to that cave to do the impossible. He tried desperately to snap himself out of that dream, and he succeeded, though he'd seen almost all of it. He woke up with a cold start.

Running a hand through his hair, Regulus's breathing was a bit rapid. It always was after he'd dreamed of that particular event. I need to stop having nightmares, he knew, I'll have to ask the kids if they have any Dreamless Sleep potions. That ought to do the trick.

Just as he'd calmed down, he jumped a bit, for a voice was shrieking somewhere in the house. He heard it.

It was Sirius, and he sounded furious as he shouted, "DOREA!"

It was fair to say that Dorea Black was beyond a) scared and b) screwed. She knew just why her dad sounded angry.

Fred had sent another letter.

A chill went over her, and she suddenly felt everything closing in around her. He was mad. Amelia appeared in her doorway, "Do you think he's found out?" Her godsister asked hesitantly.

Dorea nodded. "Oh yes it's the only explanation. Fred didn't take the hint." She sighed nervously. "I'm in deep shit."

With that, she shakily stood up and prepared herself for the unavoidable iratedness of her father. When she got to the stairs, the boys were standing at the juncture. "Was that Sirius shouting you?" Theo asked.

She nodded. "I think he's just found out about me and Fred."

Harry let out a low whistle. Blaise looked concerned, and Theo's eyes had widened. "I have to get going, else he'll just shout some more." She quickly said, averting her eyes and leaving them. She didn't want to get down the stairs so quickly, she just didn't want her father screaming more. He was already angry, and he was just going to be more furious if she didn't come and face him.

He was in the living room. Dorea's worst fears were confirmed - in her father's hand, an envelope. She just knew it had to be from Fred. He had sent it through way too early for some reason, despite the fact they had talked about times to send the letters through the Floo.

Sirius's face tightened when he saw her. "Another letter."

"It appears so," she said, trying to sound calm.

"But the thing is, this letter was already open when I found it." He said, finally looking at her, "want to explain why Fred Weasley is writing to you?!"

She internally cursed herself when she felt her face flush. Her dad's gray eyes were boring into hers, as if awaiting an explanation. He was holding anger back too. Does he want me to straight up admit that Fred is my boyfriend, or does he want to see if I lie? She thought frantically.

"Er… Well.."

"Why does Fred say those three words right at the end of the letter, eh?" Sirius Black asked, and you would have thought he was an Auror interrogating a criminal the way he was both eying her and speaking to her.

Looking down, Dorea's heart dropped when she looked to the end of the letter writing, for Fred had finished the letter off by saying, "I love you". There really was no way of getting out of this mess now. Taking a deep inhale of breath, she felt some courage come to her. She was going to be straight-up with her dad. "Well, that's because he's my boyfriend, y'see."

Her father went rigid, though she knew he was expecting an answer of that sort. He smiled, yet it didn't reach his eyes. "You what?"

She decided to throw some of her sass (which ironically she got from her dad) back in his face. "Didn't you hear me, dad? I said it's because Fred Weasley is my boyfriend."

He loomed a bit closer, and she couldn't help but feel a little bit scared. She knew her father would rather die than hurt or scare her, but his anger was almost overflowing. Dorea even knew that deep down it was justified. "And how long has this been going on for, eh? How long have you hid it from me, your own dad, for?"

"Since the end of June last year." She said proudly.

"YOU WHAT?"

"Look, I know we've been going about it for almost ten months, but with everything that's happened-"

"YOU'VE ALMOST BEEN DATING A YEAR WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE!" Sirius Black was downright furious.

"Dad, calm down-"

"-YOU EXPECT ME TO BE CALM, DOREA? HOW?"

This carried on for god knows how long. She was amazed he hadn't gone hoarse. She knew her dad wasn't angry at her, per say, he was just fuming in the moment. The accusations he was throwing around were also meaningless, she knew. At one point he even accused her of not trusting him, 'your own dad!'.

Dorea swore she kept either sighing or rolling her eyes every few seconds. By this point she couldn't get a word in edgeways. To put it fairly - if their house wasn't detached in the middle of nowhere and they actually had neighbours, she knew that they would definitely have started calling the muggle police ages ago out of sheer concern and fright.

"Dad, will you shut up and listen to me?!" She snapped, finally having enough. It worked, for her dad was silenced at last. He shot her a filthy look.

"First of all, you are blowing this way out of proportion, dad. Yes, I know it was kinda wrong to keep it from you for so long - but maybe I was right to, the way you're acting now! Second of all, I do trust you, believe it or not, but there are some things that I was understandably reluctant to tell you. Dad, honestly, Fred's lovely-"

"-I don't believe it."

"You've spoken to him before! In fact, you said what a great admirer you were of him and George being the newest Hogwarts pranksters!"

"You still can't date him."

Dorea sighed exasperatedly. "Dad!"

"You're not dating anybody until you're 30."

"Well that's just impossible and unreasonable-"

"-40."

"Right, that's enough!" Dorea demanded her father to listen to her again.

Sirius glared at her and crossed his arms. She didn't expect him to speak, but he did. "I swear, if that boy ever lays a hand on you or disrespects you, he will feel my wrath."

"And mine." Came a third voice. Dorea turned around, and saw her uncle looming in the doorway.

"Uncle Regulus, tell dad he is nothing but an overprotective, overreacting, scruffy-looking mutt and that he needs to calm down." Dorea said in a fake pleasant tone.

"Who are you calling scruffy-looking?" Sirius was about to protest even further, but his younger brother got there first.

"She's right, Sirius. Me and you talked about this just days ago, yet what do you do? Explode."

"Wait, you talked about my dating situation?" Dorea was momentarily distracted.

"Your old man had his suspicions, that was all. Then he went into a meltdown." Regulus whispered to her.

"B-but, she's dating Fred Weasley, Reg!"

"Oi, don't say it like that! They're technically like family anyway, right?" Regulus exclaimed.

"I don't want him dating her."

Regulus scoffed. "And why is that? Dorea, is Mr Weasley good to you, or is he a total sleaze ball?"

She almost giggled at his question. "He's perfectly normal, uncle, almost a gentleman."

"There we have it, then." Her uncle turned back to his brother, clasping his hands together. "Dorea likes him, I like the sound of him, therefore you, Mr Dramatic-Ass, have nothing to worry about." He jabbed a finger in Sirius's direction.

Her father sighed, annoyed. He was like that for a few moments, and you could tell he was getting his bearings back. "Dorea, does Fred really treat you right - like the queen that you are?"

Her heart warmed a bit at that. "Yes, dad, truly. We both love and respect one another and our boundaries. We're really happy together."

Amazingly, her dad's eyes had softened, and he was looking down at his hands with the smallest smile. As he did some thinking, she eyed her uncle, still in the room. He smiled at her encouragingly.

After a minute or so, he finally looked back up again. "I'm sorry for going all mad, sweetheart, I was just angry initially. I guess I can't outrun the inevitable of you growing up any longer."

She was silent as she weighed his words. "So… you're accepting of me and Fred?"

His smile faltered a bit. "Reluctantly."

Giggling, that was all she needed to hear. She flung into her dad's arms and hugged him tightly, a big smile on her face that after all that shouting and balling, she'd gotten through to him. He hugged her back, and she felt nothing but love.

"I can't wait for the 'meet-the-parent' moment, honestly." Regulus said as they detached themselves from their embrace, which they all laughed at. "I'd pay a hundred thousand galleons to watch poor Fred crumble under your gaze, Siri."

"You better not terrorise him when that eventually happens!" Dorea warned her dad.

"There will be an interrogation, but it'll all be for a laugh," Sirius replied, and at her death glare he added, "probably."

Just as they were about to leave, Dorea had gotten to the door when her dad called her name. Turning quickly, she looked at him expectantly. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say - be safe. Take care of yourself. If any problems ever arise in your relationship, talk to your family. The people around you."

"Even you? You'd rip Fred's head off if you could." She said, half-joking.

"Especially me." He said. Assuming he was done talking, she turned again and went to leave. But yet just when she'd gotten out the door, she heard her dad talking again, seemingly to himself.

"Oh, Marlene, am I doing this right?" she smiled at that. He said something else after about five seconds which made her heart leap. "You'd have loved Fred, Marlene, you truly would have."