Dexter narrates: "Life is so fleeting, so fragile, every breath the potential to be our last." Dexter is presiding over the funeral of Cody's goldfish, Bob. Cody drops Bob into the toilet. The toilet is flushed and without showing any grief Cody asks, "Can I have my cereal now?" Cody leaves the bathroom and Dexter notices the fish did not get flushed. Dexter flushes again and the second try seems to have done the trick.

In the kitchen, Rita thanks Dexter for helping out with Bob. Astor's birthday is approaching. Dexter doesn't "get" birthdays. Celebrating just another year of life just feels "forced". Astor decides to have a coconut cake. Cody complains that he hates coconut but Rita says he's never had coconut. Dexter gets a call from work. His face shows some anxiousness about the location.

Dexter arrives at the crime scene. It's Castillo's junkyard. Dexter is worried he left something behind. Inside the trailer, Dexter sees it's Valerie. He asks if the victim has been identified, etc. Doakes tells him to just worry about the blood. The Ice Truck Killer had to dive down 100 feet to retrieve the body. Dexter thinks the guy is getting back at him for not killing the security guard.

Doakes tells LaGuerta that it's not Ice Pick Killer's M.O. Vince notes to Dexter that whoever did it was a real pro. Then Vince finds what looks like a needle mark in the neck cut. He asks Dexter to take a photo. Dexter tries to claim his battery is low. Dexter also says it looks like a bug bite. Vince seems to buy that.

Doakes, Deb and Maria find where the illegal aliens were being kept. The latrine stinks. Deb finds a phone number etched into the floor with the name Mariel. Then they're called out by an officer who heard noise inside a car trunk. They find a scared Hispanic boy. LaGuerta calms him down and gives him a hug. Dexter notes to himself, "The noose is tightening. This is how it ends -- in the hands of a 7-year-old?"

Dexter asks Deb if the boy saw anything. She's not sure.

Teenaged Deb wants to go on a pheasant hunt with Harry and Dexter. She says she can just stay in the car and study but Harry says the pheasants will know she's there. Harry tells Dexter that keeping the truth from the people closest to you is how you survive. You're protecting them if anything goes wrong.

Astor knows that things are tight and tells mom she doesn't need other stuff, but Rita intends for her to have anything she wants for her birthday.

Batista tracked down Mariel and she's at the station. She tells about the horrible conditions while locked up. See says someone unseen opened the door. She never saw a boy.

Vince sees an animal tranquilizer, M-99, on Valerie's tox screen. Vince says you need a DEA license to get it. Dexter used an alias, but he knows it will lead back to him.

Rita calls Dexter and tells him that her soon-to-be ex called. He's already out of jail because of overcrowding. He wants to come to Astor's party. She thinks he'd come even if she said no.

Dexter learns from Batista that the boy is coming in to talk to sketch artist. He saw who saved him from "the bad lady." Batista says, "Personally, I'd shake his hand."

Doakes and Deb searches Castillos' house. Doakes gets a call and Deb notices his face. Later, he takes Deb to his mom's house. That's who's been calling. Mom has been wanting him to come for dinner. He tells Deb that they'll go in, eat dinner and be out before the cheesecake. Or, she can stay in the car if she wants. As he gets out of the car he notices that his sisters are there too. Deb decides to go in. After the meal, Doakes says they have work to do but Deb says she'd love some cheesecake and she says Doakes can wait in the car if he wants. He stays, but he doesn't look happy.

Dexter goes into trunk to see what the boy could have seen. It's bad. Dexter kicks a hubcap.

Dexter has a nightmare where Deb "Dexters" him. He's never had bad dreams before. He's never felt remorse. He doesn't understand what's happening to him. He hacked into Vince's e-mail to delete his alias from the DEA list. Deb catches him but didn't see what he was doing. Dexter says his computer was down and he was just using Vince's to check e-mail. She's been working up a profile of the killer and shows it to Dexter before showing it to LaGuerta. She thinks the perp feels a connection to the Ice-Truck Killer. Cut on face seems to be a signature of sorts. Because of the lack of evidence the perp may be familiar with law enforcement procedures. He says, "A little textbook, don't you think?" He advises her to keep it to herself. If it doesn't fit it gives LaGuerta the excuse she's been looking for to send Deb back to vice. But Deb is certain she's on to something and doesn't appreciate Dexter's discouragement.

Harry catches teen Deb shooting bottles with his gun. She's proficient but Harry says, "I'm disappointed in you, Debra." She knows Dexter told Harry where to find her and she says sarcastically, "Thanks a lot."

Doakes tells staff that cadets will be going over every inch of the salvage yard. Doakes had liked Castillo for the crime, but the boy did not recognize photo of him. So Doakes asks Deb if she's got any ideas about the killer. She previously told Doakes she was going to work out a profile. She looks at Dexter and he hopes she'll take his advice, but she tells Doakes what she's worked up. Dexter sees the boy being brought in and he decides to hide in lab. The boy conveniently is looking at the floor when LaGuerta says hello to Dexter.

LaGuerta and Batista have a hard time getting boy to give description. They get him some pastry. After, he's ready to cooperate. After, Dexter goes to get the sketchpad to see if it looks like him. He thinks the room is empty but finds the boy asleep in LaGuerta's lap. She notes that her arm has fallen asleep. She's been afraid of waking him but Dexter says at the boy's age when they're asleep they're fast asleep. Dexter helps her get up. The boy doesn't wake up. It turns out the boy was too tired to complete the description. Only the eyes are done. It seems they're pretty accurate.

Cody couldn't keep his mouth shut about dad getting out of jail so now 3 of Astor's friends say they can't come to her party.

In ladies room, Deb tries to help LaGuerta get a hair out of her eye, but it makes LaGuerta uncomfortable. LaGuerta asks Deb if she knows how the department felt when Harry adopted Dexter, having found him at a crime scene. Deb says parents didn't talk much about it. Eventually, Deb manages to get the hair out. And then Deb asks why LaGuerta has it in for her. LaGuerta says, "You're loud, you're impulsive and you constantly question authority." Deb says, "Fair enough." LaGuerta closes her eyes to rest them and starts to ask Deb about her theory about the perp but Deb has left the washroom.

Astor wets her bed. Rita is understanding. Astor asks if it's OK if she doesn't have party.

Dexter packs up his tools. He tosses it all into ocean. But then he looks at the blood slides. He remembers each one. He has fond memories of each accepting their fate in their own way. Now it's too for Dexter to do the same. He looks at Valerie's slide and notices a face has been drawn in it. He decides the Ice-pick Killer is not angry with him. He's testing Dexter. He wants to see if Dexter will find a way out of the corner.

Dexter works to transfer the blood onto a knife. He has also transferred Castillo's fingerprints onto it.

Deb cross-referenced her profile with FBI database. There were 11 hits. Doakes seems unimpressed and suggests they wait until the sketch is complete. She invites him to lunch to discuss it. He notes that she never gives up.

Dexter tells Doakes and Deb about Valerie's blood being found on clothing found in the hamper. And he says the cuts on the neck look like the killer was in a rush. If it was a copycat he would savor his first kill. Deb points out that the boy didn't recognize Castillo. Dexter points out that the boy was dehydrated, 7 years old and was left to fend for himself for 7 days in a salvage yard. Dexter apologizes to Deb, saying he knows how hard she worked on the profile. She doesn't think he does.

Teen Deb is bouncing ball against garage door. She's been grounded for 2 months for using Harry's gun. Dexter insists he had to tell Harry what she was doing. She doesn't believe that. She thinks Dexter just wanted to spend even more alone time with Harry. Dexter denies it. Dexter says, "Deb, you're my sister." She says, "No, I'm not. And he is my father." She says there are so many times when she wishes Harry never brought Dexter home. Dexter doesn't respond. She apologizes for what she said. Then he tosses her one of the cans she was shooting. He notes that she's a better shot than he is.

Rita calls Paul and tries to discourage him from coming to party. He insists that he has every right to be there. But then she changes her tone and says she has full custody and he can't just drop in whenever he wants. She says the restraining order is still in effect. We don't get to hear his response.

The boy's uncle, Roberto, arrives from Tampa. The sketch is finished, so LaGuerta lets Roberto take the boy, Oscar, home. Then Batista shows the sketch to LaGuerta.

Cadet finds knife in a glove compartment in the salvage yard. Then Batista brings the sketch. Dexter looks. It's Jesus.

Dexter goes to Astor's party. Dexter decides he was wrong about birthdays. They celebrate the hope that you'll live to see another one. Dexter realizes he barely escaped getting caught this time. His days are numbered so he better make the most of them. He grabs Cody and spins him around.

All along Dexter thought this was a game he and his alter ego was playing, but relationships change and this one's getting deep. He sees a storm is approaching.