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Claire sat at the top of the stairs, frowning.

She hadn't quite thought through how she was going to tell her Uncle about her and Duncan's odd plans. She didn’t want to lie; that's something Mel would probably do and she did not want to be remotely anything like him. She had earned the trust of her family and didn’t like to betray it.

Though Claire had told Duncan that her Great-Uncle would be okay with it, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Sure, Uncle Victor let her get away with a lot of silly things (like last New Year's firework fiasco) but this? Breaking into a cemetery? This seemed like too much.

Claire figured this would be a lot like a band-aid. She would have to rip it off fast or there would be a lot of pain. So with a deep breath she walked down the stairs and into the living room, clearing her throat.

"Yes?" Uncle Victor said, his head turned towards her.

"Duncan and I are breaking into a cemetery tonight. Is that cool with you?"

Uncle Vic snorted. "Good luck, Claire bear. I hear people are dying to get in!" The greying man slapped his knee and laughed, his laughter dissolving into a coughing fit.

"Oh my god, Uncle Victor."

He coughs subsiding, he breathed deeply, sitting upright now. "I still got it!"

"I'd be angrier but I said the same thing to Duncan earlier. Well, almost."

"You should've gone for it. You can never have too many puns, you know."

Claire disagreed.

"Now what's this about a cemetery?" He asked, serious now.

"Duncan is trying to find an old family tomb to figure some stuff out. It's really important to him. He tried the other day, but the gates were bolted up. So he decided tonight to break in and asked me to come with him."

"Where is it?"

"On the town border. It's almost at Swim City."

"And how will you be getting there?"

"Duncan's driving."

"When will you be home?"

She shrugged. "Before 11, hopefully."

"More importantly, before your Aunt."

"Duh."

"Hey," Uncle Vic warned.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Danica was worse as a teen." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "If it's important to Duncan and he promises to keep you safe then yes, go ahead. I know how much it means to you, helping him figure out his family stuff."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks Uncle Vic!"

"There's bolt cutters in the basement, you may want to bring them with you. I can bail you two out of jail if need be."

Claire snorted, running to the basement. Her Uncle had all of his tools neatly put away in the far side of the basement, after years of having them in a huge messy pile in the formerly unfinished basement. She found the bolt cutters and contemplated bringing a small ladder up with her. Deciding to wait until Duncan arrived to grab a ladder, she grabbed what she believed to be the hack saw and rushed up the stairs again.

---

Duncan sat in the kitchen of his home, frowning. He too was having second thoughts. He had told his Mom that he and Claire were catching a movie together; she seemed convinced, but in all honesty he didn't think she bought it for a minute.

"Everything okay, Duncan?"

"Oh, hey Grams," Duncan said as his grandmother walked into the kitchen.

"You look distraught." She took a seat across from him, her smile soft as always.

"I'm having second thoughts about something."

"Going out tonight with your friend?" she winked.

"Sort of," he replied, deciding to ignore the wink because he did not want to think about that subtext. "If someone told you that you could find the answer to a question you've been trying to solve for ages, but to do so you had to do something like break into a…"

"Cemetery?" she whispered.

Duncan was shocked. "How did you know?!"

"I know more than your Grandfather gives me credit for. And I know almost as much as your Mother," she said.

"You do?! But how? Why didn't--"

"Now stop right there, dear. I am not going to give you all the answers you want on a silver platter. These are things you should find out yourself. Things you should know, and things you shouldn't know. Your mother's reasons for keeping things from you are sound. Perhaps not right, but she only has what she thinks are the best intentions for you at heart. As for your grandfather…"

"He hates me, it's not surprising he won't tell me anything."

"He doesn't hate you…there's so much you don't know…"

"Then help me out maybe a little bit?" he asked, puppy eyes and all.

"I will tell you three things. But only three. This is something you must figure out yourself, though I will talk to your Mother. I for one never really agreed with her reasons for keeping your father's side a secret from you."

"Only three?"

"Yes."

"Does that count?"

"No. I'm not that mean, Duncan dear."

Duncan thought for a moment. "Okay, fine. What three things?"

"First off, your grandfather doesn’t hate you. He is not particularly fond of your father's…well, he just does not like your Dad's…family."

"Oh. So he takes it out on me?"

"It's unhealthy and wrong. But unfortunately he is a daft old man who is stuck in his antiquated ways. But no, he doesn’t hate you."

"It still feels like it, though."

"I suppose me telling you that was not very helpful."

"Sort of…it's nice to know it's not my fault. Well, not fully. Nobody can help being born who or how they were."

"Exactly. Now the second thing I want to tell you. I said that you must find these answers yourself. So to put your mind at ease and answer your question, I think you should go for it anyway. I am not sure what you'll find, but I am sure that it will help you get your feet off the ground and start answering those questions you want answers to."

"I'm so sick of being unsure."

"Then don't let yourself hesitate, go for it. That's a good beginning to my next point if anything," the woman said, brown eyes suddenly hardening. "This third thing isn't really a thing, it's more…advice, if anything."

"Okay."

"Delving deeper into the mysteries surrounding this family and your father's family isn’t going to be easy. It might make you a lot more unsure. Some things are very unbelievable." She paused for a moment, leaning in closer. "I do not know what you are looking for in a cemetery, but you may not like what you find. Things are not always what they seem and sometimes, ignorance is bliss."

Duncan frowned, letting the advice wash over him.

"What's going on in here?"

Duncan jumped in his seat; his grandfather's curt voice always terrified him.

"Nothing dear, I was just giving Duncan the Talk."

"Huh?"

"You know, the talk. The Birds and the Bees?"

"Oh. Oh."

"I know how much you hate hearing these things, so we were whispering to save you the embarrassment."

His grandfather was reddening. So was Duncan.

"Now where was I…ah yes! Always have protected sex, Duncan. Use a condom, maybe a second form of contraception. Not just to prevent pregnancy; you never know what STD's a partner might have and it's far better to be safe than sorry."

"You could have waited until I left the room!" Gramps said, his face as dark as the raspberries on the counter as he hurried out of the kitchen, as fast as his old legs could carry him (which was not that fast).

"Sorry dear, you know how I am! I forget everything if I don’t get my words out right away," she said to his back, eyes rolling.

"Yes, yes." stopping at the door he glanced at his equally red grandson. "You'd do best to listen to her, boy. In today's day and age…" He looked around suspiciously before hobbling back to the living room down the hall.

"Old coot. His legs don’t work but of course he has acute hearing. Just our luck. Now, you go off with Claire. Take my advice, Duncan," she said as he got up and ran to the door. "All of it!"

"Okay sure thing Grandma see you later bye," he said in one breath, rushing out the side door.

Description

Claire sat at the top of the stairs, frowning.

She hadn't quite thought through how she was going to tell her Uncle about her and Duncan's odd plans. She didn’t want to lie; that's something Mel would probably do and she did not want to be remotely anything like him. She had earned the trust of her family and didn’t like to betray it.

Though Claire had told Duncan that her Great-Uncle would be okay with it, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Sure, Uncle Victor let her get away with a lot of silly things (like last New Year's firework fiasco) but this? Breaking into a cemetery? This seemed like too much.

Claire figured this would be a lot like a band-aid. She would have to rip it off fast or there would be a lot of pain. So with a deep breath she walked down the stairs and into the living room, clearing her throat.

"Yes?" Uncle Victor said, his head turned towards her.

"Duncan and I are breaking into a cemetery tonight. Is that cool with you?"

Uncle Vic snorted. "Good luck, Claire bear. I hear people are dying to get in!" The greying man slapped his knee and laughed, his laughter dissolving into a coughing fit.

"Oh my god, Uncle Victor."

He coughs subsiding, he breathed deeply, sitting upright now. "I still got it!"

"I'd be angrier but I said the same thing to Duncan earlier. Well, almost."

"You should've gone for it. You can never have too many puns, you know."

Claire disagreed.

"Now what's this about a cemetery?" He asked, serious now.

"Duncan is trying to find an old family tomb to figure some stuff out. It's really important to him. He tried the other day, but the gates were bolted up. So he decided tonight to break in and asked me to come with him."

"Where is it?"

"On the town border. It's almost at Swim City."

"And how will you be getting there?"

"Duncan's driving."

"When will you be home?"

She shrugged. "Before 11, hopefully."

"More importantly, before your Aunt."

"Duh."

"Hey," Uncle Vic warned.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Danica was worse as a teen." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "If it's important to Duncan and he promises to keep you safe then yes, go ahead. I know how much it means to you, helping him figure out his family stuff."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks Uncle Vic!"

"There's bolt cutters in the basement, you may want to bring them with you. I can bail you two out of jail if need be."

Claire snorted, running to the basement. Her Uncle had all of his tools neatly put away in the far side of the basement, after years of having them in a huge messy pile in the formerly unfinished basement. She found the bolt cutters and contemplated bringing a small ladder up with her. Deciding to wait until Duncan arrived to grab a ladder, she grabbed what she believed to be the hack saw and rushed up the stairs again.

---

Duncan sat in the kitchen of his home, frowning. He too was having second thoughts. He had told his Mom that he and Claire were catching a movie together; she seemed convinced, but in all honesty he didn't think she bought it for a minute.

"Everything okay, Duncan?"

"Oh, hey Grams," Duncan said as his grandmother walked into the kitchen.

"You look distraught." She took a seat across from him, her smile soft as always.

"I'm having second thoughts about something."

"Going out tonight with your friend?" she winked.

"Sort of," he replied, deciding to ignore the wink because he did not want to think about that subtext. "If someone told you that you could find the answer to a question you've been trying to solve for ages, but to do so you had to do something like break into a…"

"Cemetery?" she whispered.

Duncan was shocked. "How did you know?!"

"I know more than your Grandfather gives me credit for. And I know almost as much as your Mother," she said.

"You do?! But how? Why didn't--"

"Now stop right there, dear. I am not going to give you all the answers you want on a silver platter. These are things you should find out yourself. Things you should know, and things you shouldn't know. Your mother's reasons for keeping things from you are sound. Perhaps not right, but she only has what she thinks are the best intentions for you at heart. As for your grandfather…"

"He hates me, it's not surprising he won't tell me anything."

"He doesn't hate you…there's so much you don't know…"

"Then help me out maybe a little bit?" he asked, puppy eyes and all.

"I will tell you three things. But only three. This is something you must figure out yourself, though I will talk to your Mother. I for one never really agreed with her reasons for keeping your father's side a secret from you."

"Only three?"

"Yes."

"Does that count?"

"No. I'm not that mean, Duncan dear."

Duncan thought for a moment. "Okay, fine. What three things?"

"First off, your grandfather doesn’t hate you. He is not particularly fond of your father's…well, he just does not like your Dad's…family."

"Oh. So he takes it out on me?"

"It's unhealthy and wrong. But unfortunately he is a daft old man who is stuck in his antiquated ways. But no, he doesn’t hate you."

"It still feels like it, though."

"I suppose me telling you that was not very helpful."

"Sort of…it's nice to know it's not my fault. Well, not fully. Nobody can help being born who or how they were."

"Exactly. Now the second thing I want to tell you. I said that you must find these answers yourself. So to put your mind at ease and answer your question, I think you should go for it anyway. I am not sure what you'll find, but I am sure that it will help you get your feet off the ground and start answering those questions you want answers to."

"I'm so sick of being unsure."

"Then don't let yourself hesitate, go for it. That's a good beginning to my next point if anything," the woman said, brown eyes suddenly hardening. "This third thing isn't really a thing, it's more…advice, if anything."

"Okay."

"Delving deeper into the mysteries surrounding this family and your father's family isn’t going to be easy. It might make you a lot more unsure. Some things are very unbelievable." She paused for a moment, leaning in closer. "I do not know what you are looking for in a cemetery, but you may not like what you find. Things are not always what they seem and sometimes, ignorance is bliss."

Duncan frowned, letting the advice wash over him.

"What's going on in here?"

Duncan jumped in his seat; his grandfather's curt voice always terrified him.

"Nothing dear, I was just giving Duncan the Talk."

"Huh?"

"You know, the talk. The Birds and the Bees?"

"Oh. Oh."

"I know how much you hate hearing these things, so we were whispering to save you the embarrassment."

His grandfather was reddening. So was Duncan.

"Now where was I…ah yes! Always have protected sex, Duncan. Use a condom, maybe a second form of contraception. Not just to prevent pregnancy; you never know what STD's a partner might have and it's far better to be safe than sorry."

"You could have waited until I left the room!" Gramps said, his face as dark as the raspberries on the counter as he hurried out of the kitchen, as fast as his old legs could carry him (which was not that fast).

"Sorry dear, you know how I am! I forget everything if I don’t get my words out right away," she said to his back, eyes rolling.

"Yes, yes." stopping at the door he glanced at his equally red grandson. "You'd do best to listen to her, boy. In today's day and age…" He looked around suspiciously before hobbling back to the living room down the hall.

"Old coot. His legs don’t work but of course he has acute hearing. Just our luck. Now, you go off with Claire. Take my advice, Duncan," she said as he got up and ran to the door. "All of it!"

"Okay sure thing Grandma see you later bye," he said in one breath, rushing out the side door.