Athena sat in the front seat of Phil's car while Haley, Alex, and Lily sat in the back. Lily's doll was broken and Phil was taking her with them to the mall to get it fixed.

"I never really got dolls," Alex admitted. "Does that make me weird?"

"It's on the list," Haley responded. Athena turned in her seat and slapped Haley's leg lightly.

"You're not weird," Phil said. "You just kind of skipped the little girl stage."

"And jumped to the 'I dare you to ring her doorbell' stage," Haley added.

"The only stage you're ever going to jump on has a pole on it," Alex told her.

"Jesus, Alex," Athena muttered.

"Hey, at least I have the body--"

"Okay, okay!" Phil interrupted. The two sisters continued shouting over each other. "We're gonna have to settle this dispute in court -- the food court. The honorable judge Cinnabon presiding."

"The food court? That place smells like the inside of Lukes bicycle helmet," Haley said.

"Hey, the food courts the best part of the mall!" Athena told her.

"I like the food court," Alex said.

"Me too," Lily added.

"Don't worry, girls. We're not gonna deprive ourselves just cause of Haley's adversion to food--" Phil said but was cut off when Alex laughed.

"Oh. Oh, Haley's 'adversion.' I thought you said..." Alex said but Haley shook her head with wide eyes. "Never mind."

Phil walked ahead of the girls into the store, holding Lily's doll. He had been silent the rest of the car ride.

"What were you thinking saying that in front of him?" Haley asked Alex. Athena stood next to her, Lily in her arms.

"I'm sorry. It slipped out," Alex apologized. "Besides, I figured he knew. Mom knows."

"Only because she dragged it out of Athena," Haley said, shooting a glare in Athena's direction.

"Claire can be very scary," Athena defended.

"And she promised not to tell Dad until I left for college, which means he might never have found out."

"Stop panicking. We don't even know for sure he heard what I said."

"Okay. Beatrice is with the nurse. They'll call us. Shouldn't be too long," Phil said, walking back to them. "We can just wait until she's married. Until she's...ready. Which, apparantly, everyone is these days. Funny, I used to think it'd be years until everyone was ready, but I guess I was wrong. Wrong and naive."

"So I've completed the examination. She did really well," The doll doctor told Athena, Haley and Phil. Athena sat a few extra inches away from Haley, for Phil's sake.

"What's the prognosis?" Phil asked.

"We can fix most of her arm, but she'll never regain full mobility in her shoulder joint, because they don't make that part anymore."

"Well, that's pretty good, right?" Haley asked. "I mean, she'll look exactly the same. No one will know."

"I'll know," Phil said. "I'm just saying I liked her the way that she was. She was such a sweet little doll. I'm sorry, doctor. I'm having trouble adjusting to all this."

"Uh, dad, she's still a sweet little doll."

"No, she's broken."

"Oh, my god," Athena whispered.

"No, she's just changed a little," Haley said. "It happens. Dolls grow up."

"Well, actually-- I actually have to go give a little girl some pretty bad news," The doctor said.

"Wow, you guys scared off the guy who's job is to pretend to be a doctor to plastic," Athena said. Both Dunphy's turned to glare at her.

"So, Haley..." Phil said. "The thing is...we should...we should probably get Beatrice a cast or something, and we can all sign it."

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"This repairs probably gonna take a little while. Why don't you run up to the food court and grab us a table. I'll get Alex and Lily."

"Okay," Haley muttered, taking Athenas hand and walking away. "Do you want the counter or a booth?"

"Whatever seems right to you. I trust you," Phil said, hugging Haley.

"Come on, Lily. Let's see if Beatrice is ready," Athena said, her and Haley taking both Lily's hands in theirs. Phil watched with sad eyes as he realized his little girl was truly growing up but at least she was growing up with someone like Athena.

"Hey, Dad?" Alex said. "I know I'm way too old for this, but do you think I could get this doll? Her names Genevieve, and she's devloping a vaccine for--" Phil cut off her sentence by wrapping her in a hug.

"Yes, you can get the doll," He told her. "You can get as many dolls as you want."

"It's $200."

"Or one is fine."

this is more of a filler chapter but here you guys go