Billie couldn't understand what made her do it. What made her invite Quentin to Isabelle's birthday party? Has she lost her mind? The worst part was she now needed to call to tell Carlos she was bringing him.

"Hey," Carlos answered the phone on the first ring. "You okay? I assumed you stuck it out with Harrison since you both didn't come back to the gym."

"Yeah, we uh... sorted things out," Billie said, unsure exactly how else to sum up this afternoon's events.

"Glad to hear it. So, we will see you tonight?" Carlos asked.

"You know I would never miss Isabelle's birthday, but um... can a bring a guest?"

"Don't tell me...?" Carlos began.

"Please, Carlos," Billie begged.

"Dios mio, all the women in my life have me wrapped around their little finger. Fine! Bring him."

"Thank you, Carlos!"

"Yeah, yeah. You won't be thanking me once Elena gets a hold of him," Carlos warned.

"Elena?" Billie said in a hushed whisper. Oh Lord, she hadn't thought of that. Carlos' wife was like a lioness when she thought one of her familia was in trouble, and she definitely considered Billie as family.

"It'll be fine," Billie said although not quite convinced. "I'm sure it will be okay."

"Guess, we'll see soon enough," Carlos said with a slight chuckle.

"I guess so. See you soon."

Billie hung up the phone and stared at it for a second or two wondering if she should warn Quentin about Elena but then realized she didn't have his number. "Oh well, I guess you're on your own with this one."

***

Quentin wanted to make a good impression. He knew he was already in a tenuous position with Carlos. He's never been to a child's birthday party so he had no idea what to expect or what would be expected of him, but the one thing he knew was you never show up to a party you are invited to empty-handed.

So, he drove to Rockefeller Plaza to the largest toy store he's ever seen, this place had over 20,000 square feet all filled to the rafters with toys of every kind. As he wandered around and he soon realized he was way over his head.

"Excuse me, are you Quentin Harrison?"

"Yes," Quentin said to the woman who was pushing a stroller while at the same time having a young child tugging at her arm trying to pull her in another direction.

"Travis, settle down," the woman said to the child.

"But mom," the boy whined, "they got a rocket ship!"

"I know and we'll see it in a moment I just need one second, okay?"

The boy let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ookay."

"Sorry," the woman turned back to Quentin.

"That's fine," Quentin said, wondering at the patience this woman had as the child already started pulling on her again.

She looked down at him with annoyance and he stopped. "Sorry," the boy said and tried his best to settle.

"Why don't we all walk over there together," Quentin offered.

"Do you mind? He's so been looking forward to this," the woman asked.

"Not at all," Quentin said escorting the woman over to where the boy desperately wanted to go.

She set him free but not before setting the ground rules of what she expected of the boy. "I promise," the boy told her and set off to check things out.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I know you must be a very busy man. I just couldn't believe when I'd seen you standing here..." The woman's eyes filled with tears.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Quentin said putting his hand on the woman's shoulder. She quickly swiped away her tears.

"I never thought I would get the chance to thank you in person," she said.

"Thank me? What for?" Quentin asked.

"Three years ago, Travis ended up in the hospital, we thought it was just a simple cold but it got way out of hand because it turned out he had SCID."

Quentin knew of this disease. Calista had told him all about it. She was a pediatrician. It was an autoimmune disease. Those children that contracted it must live in a sterile environment. That's why it was also referred to as "the boy in the bubble syndrome" the only known cures being a bone marrow transplant or gene therapy. All options for care and cure were extremely expensive and at most times unaffordable. Quentin wanted to change that.

"The foundation you set up to offer aid, well... it saved my little boy's life. He's been cured for a year now after the transplant. We would have never been able to afford it if it wasn't for you."

The woman began to cry in earnest now and Quentin hugged her. "I'm glad I could do some good."

The woman pulled back, sniffling, and wiping her eyes with her shirt's sleeve. "I'm so embarrassed. I swore if I ever met you, I wouldn't blubber like the idiot I am right now."

"It's fine. Really," Quentin reassured her.

"Mom, Mom, Mom!" Travis came over shouting at his mother, but stopped in his tracks when he'd seen his mom's tear-stained face. Quentin wanted to laugh when the boy took a protective stance next to his mother and glared at him like he was to blame.

"It's alright, Travis," his mother said taking hold of his hand. "This man here is the reason you got that special room that kept you safe, and the transplant that made you better."

Travis suddenly looked at Quentin like he was meeting a superhero. Quentin never experienced such a look of admiration.

"Hey there, kiddo. Travis? Is it?"

Travis nodded up and down slowly. "I sure am glad to get to meet you," Quentin continued, "your mom's been telling me all about how brave you've been."

Travis looked up at his mom and smiled and she smiled back at him.

"If there is anything, we can ever do for you..." the woman said, "although I can't imagine what that may be." She chuckled.

"Actually," Quentin said, "I could use your help."

"Really?" the woman asked stunned. "Name it."

"I'm going to a birthday party for my girlfriend's Goddaughter, she's turning 3 and I'm sort of at a complete loss as to what to get for a gift."

"I know!" Travis exclaimed. He grabbed hold of Quentin's hand and immediately started dragging him to another part of the store. Quentin could hear the boy's mother giggle as she followed behind with the stroller.

"My little sister love's this sort of stuff," Travis announce when they arrived in a section filled with fancy dresses, shoes, and other dress-up items.

Quentin looked back and saw the little girl's eyes light up with wide-eyed wonder as she took in the sight of all those dresses and figured the boy was on to something.

"Any suggestions?" Quentin queried the mother.

"Honestly, you can't go wrong but to cover your bases they have this chest..."

"Here it is!" Travis said pulling Quentin once more, eager to help.

"Yep that's the one," the mother said, "It's a dress-up box so it comes with outfits, shoes, accessories. That little girl will have everything she wants in order to play dress-up."

"Wonderful!" Quentin said grabbing hold of the box. "Thank you, Travis! You've been a huge help."

Travis beamed up at him and Quentin couldn't help smiling back, this kid's smile was contagious.

"We're so happy we can help after all you've done for us."

"Truthfully, you've done more for me than I think I could ever do for you. I set up the foundation because of a woman I met. I was inspired to help but I don't normally get to see the results my help can bring. So, thank you!"

"You're welcome," the woman said and Travis was tugging on her again.

"We really should get going. We're here on vacation and we need to meet up with his father soon. It's a working vacation for him, but this is the first time we've really managed to get away since everything happened."

"What does your husband do exactly?"

"He's an engineer. He's working on a new project that meant coming here to New York. So we thought it might be fun to make it a family trip."

"I hope you enjoy yourself, Mrs.?"

The woman's hands flew up to her lips. "Oh my! I never introduced myself," she said obviously embarrassed. I'm Mrs. Davis, this is my son Travis and my daughter Ophelia."

"It's been a pleasure meeting all of you," Quentin said as he shook the woman's outstretched hand.

"You too," Mrs. Davis agreed. "Bye, Mr. Harrison!" Travis said waving.

"Later, sport," Quentin said waving back.

Quentin wondered at the odds of bumping into that woman and Travis. He saw it as a good omen as he was now properly prepared for Isabelle's birthday. He figured karmically speaking it must be a case of 'one good deed, deserves another.'

Now he just needed to head to the apartment and get ready for his date with Billie. It still bothered him how things went down at his parent's house. He knew his mother was right. To provoke his father with his relationship with Billie would be calling down the thunder. Yet, if it could save Billie's father's company, then he could give Billie, her one wish. He wanted to make that wish come true.

However, he knew there'd be a price to pay. There was always a price. Nothing in life is free, not even love, but for a chance to win over Billie, to gain her affection... Quentin realized he'd go to any length, pay any price because she was worth it.

If only he could get Billie to see him in a similar way. She was inviting him into her personal life. Or at least that's how he saw this invitation to attend Isabelle's birthday. Here was an opportunity to win over some of the people closest to Billie. If he could do that, then surely he would have a chance with her but only time could tell.

Quentin left the present in the car and wandered up to Donavan's apartment. Donavan it would seem was out, which was probably a good thing as he didn't have much time to talk, for he needed to get ready and grab something to eat before picking up Billie for the party.

Thanks to Billie he wouldn't need a shower. The thought brought a wide smile to his lips. That woman drove him crazy. Never has anyone made him feel the way she does. Not even Calista.

Calista was a mixture of all the right things coming together at the right time. He met her at a party. She was beautiful in her gown of blue satin, her blonde hair shone like the sun. He was drawn to her, a few drinks, and a couple of dances were all it took to get the ball rolling.

He should have known there was a reason his father was so excited about his choice to date her. That there was more to it than his father being glad that his philandering son had finally decided to settle down. Mr. Harrison had started to discretely buy up shares of Calista's father's company. Completely on the down low, under a pseudonym, so no one would be the wiser.

When Quentin asked Calista to marry him, he hadn't thought anything of his father offering to merge businesses with Calista's father. It would have been a beneficial merger for both companies. Everyone was excited about the idea.

Mr. Harrison had been pressuring them for a date. Quentin and Calista had been together for over a year. They wanted to marry but weren't exactly in a rush. Calista was finishing up her residency at the local children's hospital and Quentin knew once he said, "I do" his life would become about Calista but also, all about H Tech. So he was perfectly willing to wait until she was ready to tie the knot.

Little did they know his father had an agenda. From the moment the date was set, a week prior to the wedding, the papers for the merger were signed. By that time Mr. Harrison already had a controlling interest in Calista's father's company. This wasn't revealed however until after the merger and then Mr. Harrison went to work on tearing the company apart.

Calista couldn't believe what happened. Her father's legacy was destroyed and she blamed Quentin, believing their entire relationship a scam. That she was just a distraction to keep her father's attention away from what was really going on so his father could swoop in for the kill. She had screamed. She had cried. She had thrown Quentin's ring in his face and then she walked out of his life forever.

It was then and there Quentin decided never to get involved with another woman again. Oh, there were many others that followed but he was serious about none of them. He couldn't afford it, but then Billie showed up.

Quentin couldn't figure out why Fate would choose to place her in his path, and he knew could be playing the fool. Yet, every time he's with her it felt like coming home. Only not to any home he's ever known, but to a home, which was warm and inviting. He didn't want to give that feeling up and so he knew he must make a good impression on both Billie and her friends if he was to have any hope of this... whatever this was... going any further.