Dara unfolded the note in her hand and reread it.

Thank you for taking our case and helping

Dara wondered what Brenda could possibly be talking about and more importantly why was she at the docks by herself at 11:30 p.m. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. As she slowly turned around, she readied her pepper spray. A tall, average looking guy came towards her.

"Dara, Dara Jensen," the man said to her.

"Yes, and you are?" she kept her hand on the nozzle of her spray.

"I’m Louie Cerullo. Brenda sent me."

Dara continued to look at him suspiciously.

"I’m Lois Cerullo-Ashton’s brother."

Dara slowly removed her fingers from around the pepper spray. Louie held out his hand, she cautiously took it.

"Nice to meet you," he said and then quickly added, "I wish it was under better circumstances."

Dara nodded. She wished he would just get on with it. She didn’t like feeling vulnerable, and she did, out here with this strange man, even if he was Lois’ brother.

Louie sensed her mood, "Ok, enough with the chit chat. Lois says that to me all the time." He paused. "Where are you parked?"

Dara thought for a moment before answering. Could she trust Brenda? Brenda might be a spoiled princess who was dumb enough to have fallen in love with a mob boss, but she wouldn’t intentionally hurt someone. Satisfied with her inner-discussion, she finally spoke. "I’m parked on the other side of the docks. The car is a gray Benz."

"Go to your car, lock the doors, and I’ll be there in a minute," replied Louie.

She watched Louie walk away. This is odd, she thought, as she walked hurriedly back to her car with her hand on the pepper spray the whole time. She checked the backseat of her car before unlocking the door. I’m paranoid, I never should have worked for Sonny. She hopped into the car and locked the doors.

Dara turned on the engine so she could turn the heater on. She needed to warm up a little after waiting in the cold winds for Louie. She listened to the smooth voice of Vanessa Williams as she waited for Louie to appear. A sudden tap on the window broke her reverie. She looked up and there stood Louie carrying someone. She quickly unlocked the car doors. Louie laid the person down in the backseat. Dara turned to see what Louie had set down and saw a bit of dark brown hair.

Louie sat in the passenger seat and handed her a file. "These are all of his records: medical, dental, school."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Who is he? And why do I need these?" She held up the file folder to emphasize her point.

He reached into the backseat and pulled the blanket back to reveal an adorable little boy somewhere between five and six years of age.

"Didn’t Brenda talk to you?" Louie asked. She shook her head.

"When I see her, ugh!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "Dara, meet Robin Stone Quatermaine Cerullo Barrett, Brenda’s son."

"Brenda’s son?" Dara asked.

Louie nodded.

She looked at the little boy again. She could see Brenda in him. "Where has he been? Who’s had him?" So many questions raced through her mind.

"He’s been with her, with us. We’ve had him while she’s been--" He searched for the right word to use. "While she’s been gone."

"She’s been gone for four years. Does he even know who she is?" she asked.

Louie nodded. "She sent gifts and letters without Alcazar’s knowledge."

"Which explains why Lois and Robin didn’t make an appearance when Brenda miraculously returned from the dead."

He nodded again.

"Why is she removing him from the only home he’s ever known?" Dara asked.

"She was afraid towards the end that Alcazar knew about Stone. So until Son--, until all of Alcazar’s men are taken care of, she wanted to put him somewhere where his people would never think to look, with the ex--"

"ADA," she finished.

She had to admit Brenda had a valid reason to be scared for her son’s sake. She looked at the little boy, Stone, as he turned and clutched on to his teddy bear.

"For how long?" she asked. She couldn’t believe she just said that.

"Just until the danger is gone and she pulls herself together," Louie answered.

"We’re going to stick out like a sore thumb," Dara said nodding at Stone. "A black woman with a little white boy."

"Tell everyone he’s your foster son, who you are keeping until his mother gets her life together, which is true. Brenda told me you’re a really private person," he replied.

Dara nodded, agreeing with that assessment of herself.

"So everyone should buy that explanation and those who don’t I’m sure you can persuade with your lawyer skills," Louie said.

He looked at the clock on the dashboard.

"It’s getting late. I better go. Let’s see. Everything you need to get you started is in the file."

He brushed his fingers against Stone’s face. Tears welled up in Louie’s eyes.

"He goes by Stone Cerullo. He must go to sleep with a night light on or he’ll freak. And no drinks, whatsoever, an hour before his bedtime."

He looked back at Stone, as tears streamed down his face.

"I’ll call you guys tomorrow."

He got out of the car and disappeared into the night.

Dara glanced at the still sleeping Stone. "Well, I guess it’s just you and me kid." She put the car in drive and headed off.