Chapter 3

They hit Babies, Toddlers and More like a tsunami and when one of the employees that approached them learned that it was Lynnette Rossi that needed some things for her newest addition, she rushed to help her get everything she needed.

The entire group of women including the children would be extended every courtesy.

"Just tell me whatever you require and I'll do my best to find what you are looking for," the employee whose name was Wendy stated.

"Well, I don't know what sex I'm having at this early stage, but Dave and I are hoping for a little girl, so I thought I'd look at the little girls clothes and if it turns out to be another boy, we'll just give the clothes to a needy family. Unless of course, you plan on having another Rox," Lynnette added, looking at her sister

"Well, Dan and I were talking about having one more," Roxie said. "Halley is getting so big now."

"Well, if that's the case, you need to go ahead and bite the bullet since you're older than Lynnette is," Diana told her daughter. "It might be better just to stop with the two you have, as you're nearer to 50 then Lynnette is. You don't want to push your luck and possibly die in childbirth, even if I know that happens only rarely anymore.

"Mom, you worry too much," Roxie told her. "I'm in excellent health and I expect to come out of any pregnancy just fine. If Dan and I do decide to have another, and that's only if, then it will definitely be the last one. I realize I'm older now and not as young as Lynnette, but then, I am the next oldest after Spencer, which means I'm three years younger than he is."

"Women are getting pregnant at Roxie's age all the time and they come out of it just fine," Michelle told her mother-in-law. "Spencer and I were just talking about having one more, as I am getting older, but I'm certainly younger than Roxie by several years."

"Besides, you weren't much younger when you had me, Mom, then Roxie is now," Lynnette told her mother, "and you came out of it just fine."

"True," Diana sighed. "I know I was lucky I did come out of it alive and well. You'll just have to forgive me for worrying about my daughters. Worrying about her children is a mother's prerogative, as I've told you multiple times over the years."

Dana, who was looking around the store, looked up at her mother when she said that she and her father had been talking about having at least one more child and she thought that didn't they have enough children? her home was practically overrun with children now and they really didn't need any anymore if you asked her.

The problem was that nobody ever asked her what she wanted. Her brother and sister were enough of a pain in her life and wasn't she tortured enough by their very existence?

She knew better than to say anything about it here however, as her mother would only punish her once they got home if she caused a scene in the middle of a public place.

Besides, just because her mother and father had been talking about having another kid didn't mean they were actually going to do it, though she still intended to give her opinion on the matter, even knowing that if they really wanted another child, they were going to go ahead and do it and she was just going to have to suck it up and live with their decision.

"For now, let's go shopping as the boys are expecting us by dinnertime," Lynnette said, and all the women nodded as Wendy led the way to the section for little girls clothes.

The troubles with William Reid and possible future pregnancies was forgotten for the moment.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~

"You should see some of the cute outfits we got," Lynnette told Dave as soon as they were reunited, and Lynnette had leaped into his arms.

"You'll have to show me later after we get back home, as there's no point of unwrapping everything since we'll be leaving in a few days," Dave said, smiling as he kissed Lynnette again.

"Yeah, they were nice enough to wrap everything up really neatly for me once I told them that my family would be heading back to New York in a few days. They didn't have to do that because it's not like anything is breakable as it's just clothes, but still, that was really nice of them."

"So, I'm assuming that you enjoyed going shopping for baby things here in Las Vegas," Dave inquired with a faint smile, it was clear that Lynnette had enjoyed her shopping expedition very much.

"Oh yes, as we went to this place called Babies, Toddlers, and More which the concierge suggested. It's apparently only been open for a few years and wasn't around when I lived here in Vegas."

"They are very well stocked, and now I can go there and buy a few things for all my grandchildren," Diana, who had sat down on the sofa in the seating area said. "They have things for newborns, toddlers, and children up to 10. It's even better stocked than Babies Plus in New York and also a bit bigger."

Diana had watched Dave's reunion with her daughter and practically had tears in her eyes at the sweetness of the scene. She felt as if she was invading a private moment so she waited until they were done with each other before she spoke, as she didn't want to interrupt.

It was apparent that Dave and Lynnette were still just as close and still very much in love, as they had been when they had first married just over 12 years ago and through four children with a fifth one on the way.

"I bought mainly little girls clothes because I'm hoping we have a daughter. I have a very strong feeling we will. Don't ask me to explain why I think that because I can't," Lynnette added, as she and Dave stood together with Dave's arms wrapped around her holding her close.

"Women's intuition," Diana suggested from her seat on the sofa.

"It has been known to happen in the past where a woman just somehow strongly suspects what sex she's having before the doctors ever tell her and she happens to be right."

"I didn't know that," Dave said.

"Well, it's not really something that most men know about unless they're married to the woman in question," Diana said. "So, Lynnette may be right. She might very well be carrying a daughter instead of a son, which is what all of us want so let's hope her intuition is correct."

"I hope I am, but it could very well be wishful thinking," Lynnette said.

"This feeling is why I bought all little girls clothes, even if I also bought a few things for the other children in the house, ours and Michelle's and Spencer's. Also, something for Rocky's daughter, Myrna and Roxie's two children as well.

"I bet Dana in particular was pleased that she likely got what she wanted this time," Dave snorted an amusement.

"She was," Diana chuckled remembering Dana's reaction when her mother had agreed to let Lynnette buy her the outfit she had wanted that was very expensive.

"She was very well behaved, so I thought she deserved to be rewarded for not pitching a fit like we know she's prone to," Lynnette said.

"The only problem is she'll outgrow that outfit within a year or so, and it wasn't exactly cheap," Diana said, shaking her head. "She's young enough that she still outgrows her clothes quickly. It's usually around 11 to 14 that children stop growing so rapidly and Derrick is the only one who's growth should start slowing down."

"Well, he has had a growth spurt lately, but he could keep growing until he's 14 and then he should slow down," Lynnette commented

"He's already as nearly as tall as you are honey," Dave said. "Once he finishes growing, he might reach my height or at least be close to it."

"He could even end up taller than you," Diana commented, smiling as she thought about her oldest grandson.

"That's certainly a possibility," Dave agreed smiling at Diana. "It's hard to believe he's 12 already, as it doesn't seem like anytime at all when he was born."

"Time does tend to fly and children are grown up before you realize it," Diana agreed. "You'll have an empty nest before you realize it and so will Spencer and Michelle and then you'll have a lot of free time on your hands."

"So that just means Dave and I can travel in between concerts," Lynnette said with a shrug. "We've taken some trips without the children that's true, but we're never been gone for more than a few weeks before we return home and we remain in constant contact with the adults left behind."

"I was already planning on signing us up for a world cruise once the children are out of the house and have their own lives," Dave told Lynnette. "By the time that happens, you will likely be retired from performing professionally."

"Well, that sounds exciting," Diana said smiling.

"And you didn't say anything about this world cruise?" Lynnette asked.

"I was saving it for a surprise for later when this little girl, you're sure you're carrying now is off to college so it will be quite a while before we can take that world cruise so I saw no point of mentioning it. However, I just decided that I would reveal it now," Dave said, kissing Lynnette's cheek.

"We won't be able to take one for a couple of decades, sweetie, not until whatever you're carrying now is out of the house, so it was more of a long-term idea." Dave said

"Those 20 years will pass before you know it," Diana said smiling. "I'm sure I'll be gone by the time you take that cruise."

"I don't ever want to think about you dying Mom," Lynnette protested.

"Death happens to all of us, sweetie," Diana told her gently. "You and Dave will be alive for decades after I have met my maker and that's the way it's supposed to work."

"So, what are we going to do about that man?" Lynnette inquired.

"We'll talk about that once Spencer and the boys return," Dave said.

"It is a decision that the whole family needs to discuss, which is why we need to wait for the others to get back."

"All right, you're right," Lynnette finally agreed. "Why don't you take a nap mom, before the boys get back? They should be back by dinner time. We got back earlier than I expected considering our late start on the day."

"Well, when you're only shopping for baby clothes, it doesn't take as long as shopping for everything you need for a newborn," Diana said. "Since we were only shopping mainly for newborn clothes for girls we were done sooner."

"You said you also got clothes for the other children in the family," Dave said and Lynnette and Diana nodded.

"We did, but that was mainly the others looking at different selections than the ones I was," Lynnette explained. "Most of the others wandered all over the store while I was in the newborn girl's section. Mom stayed with me the whole time though, helping me choose many cute things for our newest bundle of joy when they arrive. I could easily have spent more than I did in that store, I promise you, but I didn't think it was wise to spend more than a few hundred dollars until we're sure it's a girl."

"I wouldn't have minded if you had," Dave said.

"I know you wouldn't, but I spent over 500 as it is and got quite a few cute outfits. I figured that when we come to visit Mom, I can always go back and buy some more. We do visit mom several times a year, just as she comes to visit us, so I'll have more opportunities to purchase clothes for a newborn or a toddler."

"I thought Lynnette showed great restraint considering how many cute little girls clothes they had," Diana spoke up. "A lot of times when people have a lot of money they go and spend thousands or even more of it on a splurge. They often then regret their impulsiveness when something comes up and they realize they should've saved the money for something that was truly important, like medical bills, for instance. I did teach all my children about the value of a dollar and they haven't let the money they have now, corrupt them. Turn them greedy where they don't want to share their good fortune."

"Yeah, it happens," Dave agreed soberly. "You're absolutely right, as I've seen it happen. In fact, that's what most of the ultrawealthy, the ones that married by arrangement instead of the love are like, though not all of them, just a great majority. I've always given to charity because it's the right thing to do not because it would look good to other people.

"The way that the ultrawealthy follow antiqued rules like marrying by arrangement instead of for love is one reason that my family have never considered themselves part of that set.

"In their eyes, Lynnette was a nobody when I married her, even though if I had met her 10 years later then I did, she would've been wealthy in her own right and better known, as a famous musician, as I truly believe she would have gotten there on her own without any help from me, it just would've taken her longer. All I did was speed up the process of her becoming famous, because I introduced her to Blake Yearwood a well-known music producer."

"Who cares what those idiots think?" Lynnette broke in her tone acid giving Dave a fierce, passionate kiss not caring that her mother was watching. "I would never have married one of those blue blooded idiots anyway, as I would be expected to give up my music, at least professionally, I'm sure."

"Probably true for most of that set," Dave admitted. "Most of them wouldn't want a wife that was constantly in the public spotlight."

"You know that any woman that had such a public career would've been expected to quietly give it up, except for maybe playing an instrument at family gatherings."

"In any case, why don't you go take a nap mom and we'll see you in say two hours, as that's when dinner is. I can come and wake you if you like so that you're up in time," Lynnette offered her mother.

"Thanks sweetie. That's very nice of you to offer," Diana said rising. "I probably could use a short rest before dinner, as I'm not as young as I used to be."

"You can use Derrick's room since you'll be up in plenty of time before he goes to bed," Dave offered. "This will prevent you from having to go all the way back home since dinner isn't that far away.

"That sounds good. Thank you Dave," Diana told her son-in-law kissing his bearded cheek.

"You're welcome," Dave told her smiling rubbing his cheek, even as he pointed towards the room Derrick had been using while they were here in Las Vegas.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~

"So now that everybody is back from their activities, what are we going do about William Reid?" Lynnette asked.

It was dinner time and Dave and everyone had decided to order dinner and were eating it in one of the suites. They were all eating in the sitting area with the food placed on one of those rolling carts that was sitting the middle of the space, as the table that had been there had been pushed to the side for the moment. Everyone was eating their food off their laps on plates that had been provided by the kitchen that had delivered their meals.

All the adults were taken up every piece of furniture and Lynnette was sitting in Dave's lap since there wasn't anywhere for her to sit except the floor and Dave's arms were wrapped around her middle making sure she didn't fall off while Michelle was also sitting on Spencer's lap with his arms providing the same support, making sure she didn't fall to the floor. Everyone who saw both couples thought that they were utterly adorable.

As for the children they were occupied in one of the bedrooms watching TV with Bertha and Millie keeping an eye on them. The children of course had their own food so they weren't going to be going without. It might have been a rather unusual arrangement, but nobody cared at the moment if they weren't sitting properly at a table. None of them were so high and mighty that they couldn't do a casual meal eating from their laps instead of a table. A lot of people's dignity might be offended by the casual atmosphere and the fact that they weren't eating a meal at a table, but that wasn't like the Rossis or the Reids at all. It was no different than having a casual picnic in the park.

"First off, it really depends on how much trouble he intends on being," Spencer began.

"Like Mom, I still can't believe he was so idiotic to come here and demand that Lynnette see him. From what I can remember, he was an intelligent man and intelligent people, if they're thinking that is don't make such mistakes."

"But what you forgetting Spence is that, that man is also arrogant in the extreme and has a big ego. People that are arrogant and with large egos often do things that normal people without these things would do," Lynnette said.

"Also, you have to think about the fact that I'm sure he assumes that mom would have told me all about him. It would likely never enter his mind that his name wouldn't have been uttered in his former household, with anything except positive comments.

"I'm sure he never imagined that the only time someone utters his name it's with anger or contempt," Lynnette told everyone.

"That's very insightful of you," Spencer told his sister with a smile, "and you're absolutely right."

"If he really believes that, then he is indeed an idiot," Roxie said acidly.

"I never claimed he wasn't an idiot," Lynnette told her sister with a small smile. "People are complicated and can be both intelligent and stupid at the same time depending on the situation. In this instance, instead of acting like the intelligent man, I've been told he is, he is indeed not thinking straight and acting like I should be honored to meet him. It probably would never occur to him until it's explained in small words that I don't want to meet him or have anything to do with him at all.

"Also, the fact that I or anyone else don't want him anywhere near any of the children in the family would never enter his head once he learned that most of his former family has long since settled down and have kids of their own."

"Let me just repeat my husband's comment and say that's very insightful," Michelle told Lynnette. "Considering you've never met the man, you sure do understand how he thinks."

"It isn't that hard really, though," Dave put in, even as he kissed the side of Lynnette's neck. "She would've heard all about him from the family and none of their comments or emotions would've been positive. She's now had plenty of experience with other people due to her professional musical career and so she understands how people tick now, so it wouldn't have been that hard to figure out what William Reid was thinking. She now basically knows how to read people and that's not a bad thing, because she can figure out if they're being honest or trying to con her."

All the men of the group had been told what had happened when Dave had called to tell them about the Senior Reid's visit.

"From what I understand from Roxie William Reid never knew about his youngest daughter and that might mean that he's angry that he was never told about her," Dan postulated.

"That's certainly a possibility," Michelle agreed.

"Personally, I don't think he has any right to be pissed off that he never knew about Lynnette," Rocky spoke up. "He's the one that walked away when the three children he knew about were really young."

"Even before he left, he wasn't much of a father," Spencer said. "I'm sorry if that hurts you mom, but it's true."

"It's OK Spencer," Diana told her son, smiling sadly. "I understand everyone's feelings on this. He certainly fooled me for quite a few years before he walked away. I really can't blame my children for their feelings about their father now can I, as that would be rather hypocritical of me considering. As for what we can do if he shows up again…"

"First, I believe that I'll make it clear that he's not welcome if he didn't get the message that Dave gave to the employee at the front desk to tell him," Lynnette began when Diana's voice trailed off.

"If he insists that we meet somewhere and he tries to convince me to let him see Lynnette I can always threaten to sue him if he doesn't leave my family alone. He's a lawyer, so he'll know exactly what that means. I'm rich and powerful and while I won't say that William Reid isn't wealthy despite his recent troubles at work he's nowhere near the Rossis social strata."

"And if he tries to approach Lynnette when your elsewhere, then what will you do?" Spencer wanted to know.

"Well, first I suggest you record the conversation Lynnette if he does manage to approach you when you are alone. The communicators do have a record feature just like the old cell phones," Dave suggested, and Lynnette nodded.

"That's actually a really good idea," Lynnette agreed. "Also, Spencer, you should do the same if he decides to approach you instead in order to supposedly gain access to me.

"I really don't think that's too likely Spencer said. "According to him, I'm useless. Of course, the fact he hasn't seen me in over 30 years to see how I'm doing likely never entered his thoughts."

"It is possible that he will approach you instead of Lynnette or my father," Michelle told her husband. "It would only take a minimum of research to discover that you and Lynnette are close and that you are married to the daughter of David Rossi. He'll probably believe he can bully you into convincing Lynnette to meet with him or that you'll give him money in order to go away to not cause your sister any pain."

"Michelle does have a point son," Diana spoke up. "You must remember that Will left while you were still young and as far as we know, he hasn't kept up with any of his children, even from a distance. He has no way of knowing what kind of man you have become. He'll expect the same little boy he remembers from decades ago."

"I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're right," Spencer finally agreed thoughtfully.

"If he does approach you, I'm sure you know better than to give him money and I know you won't agree to talk to Lynnette about meeting with him," Dave spoke up.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to give him any money or letting him anywhere near my sister," Spencer promised everyone. There was steel in Spencer's voice, letting everyone know that he would never allow someone like William Reid anywhere near someone he loved. That same man was going to be very surprised that Spencer had actually stood up to him instead of folding like a marionette with its strings cut.

Then again, the Senior Reid hadn't seen his oldest son in decades, so just because he assumed Spencer would be the same, as he'd been when he was a kid didn't make it true, which would no doubt surprise the man in question if that confrontation ever came.

"If I gave in and bribed him to go away, he would only likely be back for more and might even show up in New York at some point. We don't want this trouble to follow us home to where we have to deal with him once we're back on our home territory."

"As to that I can easily have someone keep an eye on the passenger shuttles and the people that use them to come to New York. They will report back to me if William Reid gets on a shuttle heading in that direction," Dave said.

"If he does manage to approach me, I'm warning you now, that he will likely bring me up on charges when I punch him in the mouth," Lynnette warned everyone. "I knew that doing this concert might bring him back into my family's lives, but it was for charity, so I couldn't really refuse."

"Well, you could have refused, but that's not like you at all," Rocky commented. "I know how important it is to you to nurture new musical talent."

"It is, so I'm thinking of endowing a scholarship for Juilliard for those that show exceptional musical ability," Lynnette announced.

"That's a very good idea," Dave said eyeing his wife speculatively, as this was the first he'd heard about it. Still, he got back to the subject at hand and would talk to Lynnette later about her idea of endowing, a scholarship to Juilliard.

"It is an excellent idea, but we can discuss that later," Diana said, looking at her daughter with an approving expression.

"It is a great idea," Spencer told his sister. "As to our father if he has any sense, he'll give up on this idea of meeting the daughter he never knew he had."

"Personally, I don't think he has the common sense that God gave a goose," Lynnette snorted in contempt.

"That might be the case, so our best option is to record anytime we interact with him whether that's me or Spencer or even you, Diana," Dave said.

"You think he'll approach me looking for a way to get Lynnette to see him?" Diana asked eyeing Dave speculatively.

"We all have to at least consider the possibility," Spencer answered before Dave could. "The fact that you'll likely slam the door in his face will never occur to dad."

"He'll get nothing from me," Diana promised. "I mean, why should I give him the time of day considering I haven't seen him in decades? It's not like we're bosom friends. Will, should know me well enough to know that I would never ask Lynnette to meet a father she's never known when he refused to support her siblings. He might've paid the minimum in child support all those years ago, but it wasn't much, especially with inflation being what it is. I mean by the time I bought clothes and other school supplies for the new school year it was basically gone. I didn't realize before I married him that Will was such a pinchpenny that didn't like to spend money on anything except his hobbies, his interest, so basically himself.

"He would have totally ignored holidays like Christmas and birthdays and forgot about his children if I hadn't spent some of his money making their Christmases and birthdays special.

"I never understood Will's attitude about money, because he made a more than decent living, even when he was just starting out as a lawyer."

"I seem to remember him grumbling whenever you did that," Spencer said. "I believe he resented that you had had the atrocity to buy presents for the children that he so disdained."

"Well then, he shouldn't have given me a credit card linked to his account. In fact, he never should've married in the first place, if that's what he really thought," Diana said serenely. "He made far more than I did after all, so he shouldn't have grumbled about spending a few hundred to make the holiday special for his family."

"In any case, we can't really do anything until and unless he shows up again and approaches, one of us," Roxie said. "It is possible that he'll try to approach me or Rocky instead of one of you guys."

"True, so we all need to be on the lookout in case he does show up where we least expect him to," Dan, who had been mostly silent said.

The group continued to discuss it for a few minutes, as they finished the food on the rolling cart each taking what they wanted until everything was pretty much demolished.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~

Meanwhile

William Reid was escorted out of the Willow Hotel by security and told not to come back. Will was enraged, but he knew he didn't dare cause a scene, though, because he believed the threat that the police would be called and he would be arrested for disturbing the peace and harassment.

Once he had calmed down, Will begin to wonder why his daughter didn't want to meet him as he was sure that Diana had told her who he was. That also begged the question of why Lynnette had never come to the offices of the lawyer firm in order to meet him or why Diana had never informed him of her birth at all.

It never occurred to him that the reason his daughter didn't want anything to do with him was because he had abandoned her siblings and only paid the very minimum amount in child support.

The thought never entered his brain that his youngest daughter, might love her siblings and hated the fact that he had left them with only the bare minimum and that the reason she had never come to his office to introduce himself was because she didn't want to know him.

From Will's viewpoint, his other three children were useless, and he didn't give them a second thought, though it did appear at least his oldest son had married the adoptive daughter of David Rossi, the same man that his youngest had married.

Will wasn't sure why David Rossi would've allowed someone as useless as his oldest son Spencer to marry into his family, but he apparently had.

Will never even considered that he was the only one that considered all his children except Lynnette as useless, and that David Rossi recognized a brilliant, kind man one with many talents and abilities. The fact that Spencer Reid was his daughter's mate meant that Dave would've accepted him into the family, even if he wasn't a genius and didn't have half the skills he did.

From what Will had been able to discover Spencer now had three children while the daughter he had never known about had four with her husband. From what the background check had revealed there didn't seem to be any marital problems.

Of course, there was only so much a background check could tell you, as a lot of things never made it in to public record.

Will wondered if he could get his ex-wife to talk to Lynnette about meeting her father, as he couldn't imagine Diana wanting to deny her daughter a chance to meet the man that had contributed to her make up.

Will never imagined that Diana would give him short shift and slam the door in his face, which made him willfully blind at the very least or maybe delusional.

Will started out for the house, where he was sure Diana still lived. It was the same one that he had lived in as well when they had been married.

Will parked the car on the side of the street and walked up the driveway to ring the doorbell. It never occurred to the Senior Reid that Diana might very well be spending time with her family while they were in town.

No one answered the door and Will looked in the windows to see the entire house was dark. He then checked the garage and saw that Diana's car was gone.

So, she apparently wasn't home, Will thought. He walked back to his car, never even noticing the curtains flutter on some of the windows on the same side of the street as his ex-wife's house as well as the house directly across from it in the neighbors.

William Reid had no idea that Diana would be informed that he had dropped by, as the neighbors recognized him, even though it had been decades since he had lived in that neighborhood. Nosy neighbors never occurred to William Reid, as he trudged back to his car nor did he think about the fact about questioning those people that lived closest to his ex-wife to see if they knew where she had gone would be the smart thing to do.

The Senior Reid wasn't exactly well liked on the street that he had once lived on mostly because of the way he had abandoned his wife and his children.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~

The next morning, during breakfast, Diana informed them that Will had dropped by her house, apparently looking for her.

"I got a call last night, as the neighbors saw my ex-husband park on the street and trudge up to my front door. He apparently rang the doorbell, but when nobody answered, he started peering in the windows and even looked into the windows of the garage," Diana said shaking her head. "He then apparently left again without bothering to knock on any of the neighbors doors to see if they knew where I was, not that they would've told him, but Will wouldn't have known that."

"So old Mrs. Parsons was looking out her windows again?" Roxie asked her mother. "She's well known for spying on the neighbors," Roxie explained to Dan and Dave.

"Yes, old Alberta Parsons as well as the neighbors on either side of where we live, saw him and recognized him from when he used to live there before he abandoned us," Diana said.

"Mrs. Parsons lives across the street," Lynnette explained to the two men who didn't know the neighbors were where she had grown up, even though Dave regularly visited with Lynnette and his children. That didn't mean, however, that he had met many of the neighbors, even if he was a regular visitor to Diana's home.

"She's ancient and I'm actually surprised she's not in a home, as her husband died some years back and her children are grown.

"I'm also pretty old sweetie and I am nowhere near ready to go into a rest home," Diana told her daughter.

"Yes, but she was old when I was a kid, so she's definitely older than you are mom," Lynnette said.

"Still, she's pretty well able to take care of herself, even if she moves a little slower than she used to," Diana said. "In any case, I got a call on my communicator the other day."

"So, he didn't try to enter the house?" Dave asked Diana shook her head.

"No, not according to Betty Hoffman, who lives on the right side of me," Diana said. "He just rang the doorbell and when nobody answered he looked in the windows, including the one in the garage door, and when he saw my car wasn't there he left again."

"That's good, because you could've brought him up on charges if he had tried to get into the house like by breaking a window and entering the house that way by unlocking the door from the inside," Dave said.

"Even Will wouldn't be that stupid or at least I don't believe he would be," Diana corrected herself. "I suppose I don't really know him anymore, since we haven't exactly seen each other in decades."

"People can change for better or for worse," Roxie commented, even as she continued to eat her breakfast while listening to the conversation.

"True, they can," Diana agreed with her oldest daughter. "Unfortunately, it does sound as if my ex-husband hasn't changed for the better."

"I would say so, as just look at how he almost demanded that I meet with him," Lynnette said. "When Dave and I told the man behind the front desk that we wanted nothing to do with William Reid, we heard from that same man once he had security escort him out that he was as mad as a hornet, but left

"I had asked Clyde, as that was the name of the man on the front desk, to please call us back and inform us when your ex-husband had left the hotel property, so that we could get started on our day," Dave told everyone.

"Neither Dave or I wanted to chance running into him if we came down too early and that's one reason we were so late going shopping for little girl's clothes," Lynnette explained.

"It makes good logical sense to me," Spencer spoke up. "I don't really blame you for not wanting to run into him either one of you."

"I don't think anybody can," Rocky spoke up. "Lynnette never knew him and I don't really remember him, so we got off lucky in that regard. However, even if I don't remember him, that doesn't mean I want anything to do with him, as he did abandon his children after all. This latest act of stupidity doesn't exactly make anybody see him in a good light."

"I wouldn't call it stupid as it's not like he broke in," Michelle spoke up, though she had been listening to the conversation. "Now, if he had broken in then I'm sure the neighbours would've called the police, which I'm sure he was well aware of."

"No, in this case, he wasn't actually stupid, but that could quickly change," Dave put in. "We might want to consider heading back to New York a few days early now that Lynnette's concert is over."

"That might just mean bringing trouble to our doorstep," Spencer told Dave. "I mean, if he figured out that Lynnette is his daughter and wants to meet her, he is perfectly capable of taking a flight or getting on a train to come to New York. I'm sure he's already had somebody do a background check on her and I'm sure he knows she's married to you and that your home base is in New York."

"That's a good point," Spencer.

"And it is certainly logical," Dave said soberly.

"And that would still leave the rest of the family here where he might track us down, since this is where we live," Dan pointed out.

"Even if he does, you don't have to talk to him. Just slam the door in his face like I was already planning on doing if he managed to catch me at home," Diana told her son-in-law. "I don't think we need to worry about him actually harming, any of us. When none of us are willing to talk to him he'll either get the message or he'll get himself in legal trouble. If he does get himself in trouble with the law, that's not on any of us, as he's the one that's being so persistent."

"If he does harm anyone in this family, he's going to regret the day he was ever born," Dave promised his tone menacing making the rest of the family shiver, even though they knew that Dave's anger wasn't directed at them. It went without saying that none of them felt sorry for William Reid if he stepped over the line.

"I really don't think that Will, will do that, though I realize I really don't know him anymore," Diana said.

Everybody went back to their breakfasts and was silent as they finished all the delicious food.

"Will all of you let me know if he shows up at either your home or your place of employment in order to demand that you convince Lynnette to see him?" Dave requested of everyone that lived in Las Vegas.

"We will," Roxie, Dan, Rocky and Diana promised, since they were the ones that lived in Las Vegas.

Breakfast ended on a sober note as they parted to head to their separate activities for the day. Diana left with Lynnette, Roxie and Michelle as they had plans for the day. While all the men also headed off for whatever they had planned. As for the children, they would be left with Bertha and Millie who would take them somewhere kid friendly, so they weren't stuck in the hotel all day.

Bored kids would only cause trouble and that was especially true in Dana's case.

~~~Dave and Lynnette~~~