The Ring

By Linda Schwartz

Chinatown was awaking to a bright sunny day. The merchants were just opening their doors, and workers were on their way to work. Kwai Chang Caine walked among the throngs of people, greeting many along the way. He'd just completed his Tai Chi exercises; he felt very refreshed. It had become his habit to begin his day by cleansing his spirit through Tai Chi in the park or by doing warm ups for Kung Fu exercises in his meditation room.

This morning he had breakfast with the Ancient. He stopped at a market where he knew the owner. He had been treating the woman for the flu.

"Hello, Caine, it's so good to see you." Andrea Jennings ran a convenience store and was a fairly new merchant to the community. She'd opened her store almost a year ago. One of the first people to welcome her to the neighborhood was Caine.

"Hello, Angela," he greeted her warmly. "How are you feeling?"

"I am very well, thanks to you. I have something for you, some mason jars that just arrived yesterday." Angela brought the box out from behind the counter. She opened the box and took out a jar. Caine took it carefully from her to examine it.

"Do you like them, Caine? I figured you could use it in your apothecary work."

"Yes, I like them very much. Thank you," he said quietly.

Suddenly two men wearing bandannas over their nose and mouths rushed into the store. One of them pointed a gun straight at Angela.

"Gimme your money...NOW!"

They all stood stunned for a moment. Caine noticed the gun pointed at Angela and decided to comply with the robbers. One of the gunmen pushed the box of mason jars onto the floor, smashing many of them.

"COME ON! I want the money." The gunman jumped the counter and pulled Angela by the arm over to the register.

"Okay, I'll give you what you want, just don't hurt anyone, please."

There were only two other people in the store besides herself and Caine. A mother and her five-year-old son were also in the store; they were standing at the counter next to the register.

Angela opened the register and gave him all the money from it.

"Give me have your wallet," the other gunman demanded as he approached the woman.

She clutched her child against her as she gave the robber her purse. "Take it, take whatever you want," she moaned.

The robber grabbed the bag and pulled out her wallet. He removed the money and threw the purse on the floor.

"OK Chinaman, give me your wallet," he ordered Caine.

"I have no wallet," Caine said softly.

"What's this?" The robber pulled at Caine's pouch.

"You may have the pouch," Caine said as he took it off and handed it to the robber.

"What's this crap?" he asked, as he emptied the pouch of its contents.

"I am an apothecary; those are my herbs for healing."

The gunman dropped the pouch. "Hm, this looks interesting." He pulled the jade necklace from Caine's neck, breaking its chain.

"Come on, let's go!" The other robber had finished grabbing the money from the register and was headed for the door.

His partner was about to leave when he noticed something shiny on Caine's hand. "Oh, looky here, I don't want to forget anything." He yanked the ring off Caine's left ring finger and then quickly followed his partner.

"Oh, No!" The mother pulled her son closer and began to cry. The shock finally hit her. Caine came over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, immediately calmed by that one gesture. She had to be strong for her son. Caine bent down and took the child's chin in his hand. He smiled at the young boy, who reminded him for the moment of Peter. The child had not seemed phased in the least by the robbery. He smiled back at Caine.

"I hit the silent alarm just before they left. The cops should be here soon," Angela said. She grabbed a broom and was about to clean up the glass from the broken mason jars when Caine stopped her.

"No, you must wait for the police to get here. They must see the crime scene as it is now." Caine had watched Peter long enough to know what goes on at a crime scene.

Angela turned back to the mother and her son. "Sandy, are you and Andy ok?"

"Yeah, we're ok. Those creeps! I hope the cops get those bastards for what they did. It's a good thing that I didn't have much money in that purse." She sighed in relief.

"Yeah, and I had made my deposit last night. Still, they did get away with at least $300." She was babbling on when she noticed that Caine was being very quiet. He had gone off towards the door and was just standing there. He seemed to be staring at his left hand.

"Caine?" She walked over to him.

"It has never left my hand," he mumbled.

"What has never left your hand?" she asked. She was very concerned over the sad look on Caine's face.

"The wedding ring. I have never taken it off. It has been on my finger since Laura placed it there on our wedding day," he said as a slight sob escaped his lips. Angela was about to say more when the police arrived.

Part 2

Officers Jason Edwards and Bruce Lamprey pulled up to what they thought was a typical robbery.

"Could you tell us what happened here, Ms. Jennings?" Officer Lamprey asked.

Angela proceeded to tell him about the gunmen. Officer Edwards looked over the store and noticed the smashed jars.

"Hey, isn't that Peter Caine's father?" Bruce asked Jason. Jason had

known Peter for many years. They were friends.

"Yeah, that's him. You can't miss him in a crowd," Jason stated as Bruce continued to take Angela's statement.

"Excuse me, Mr. Caine?" Jason walked over to Caine, who was standing

alone. "I work in the same precinct as your son, Peter. I need to ask you a few questions about the robbery."

At first Caine didn't respond, then he blinked his eyes and looked at the officer. "I am sorry, I did not hear your question," he stated.

He looked like he was in shock.

"Mr. Caine, I need to know what you saw." Caine told him what happened when the robbers came into the store.

"Did they take anything from you?"

Caine took a deep breath and told the officer about the jade necklace and then held his left hand in front of him, staring at it.

"Mr. Caine?" The officer could see he was distraught.

Angela came over. "They also took his gold wedding band," Angela whispered to the officer.

Jason turned his attention away from Angela to ask Caine more about it, but realized Caine was gone.

The officers finished their reports and headed back to the precinct.

 Peter was trying to make a dent in the files on his desk. There was nothing he hated more than paperwork.

From the corner of his eye he noticed a figure standing in front of him. He glanced up. "Hi, Jason," he greeted his friend. He hadn't seen Jason in quite some time.

"Hi, Pete. Listen, you got a minute?" Jason asked him as he took a seat at Peter's desk.

"What's up, Jason?" Peter put down the file he'd been working on.

"I have a robbery report I think you should look at," Jason told him.

"A robbery report? You see this HUGE pile of folders? This is what I gotta plow through before the chief comes in and tears my head off. I barely have time to breathe," Peter said as he began to work on another folder.

"I think you're going to want to see this one." He placed the report

in front of Peter. Peter glanced at it quickly. He was going to pass it back to Jason when Peter pulled it closer, a name caught his eye.

"My father was a victim in a robbery?" Peter asked softly.

"Yeah, Pete, that's why I thought you'd want to see this."

"He wasn't hurt, was he?" Peter's concern showed in his eyes.

"No, no one was hurt, thank goodness. But I noticed he was in shock."

"Shock?" Peter asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, you could tell, he just kept staring at his left hand. Losing that wedding band must've torn him up," he told Peter. "I gotta go, Pete. I just thought you'd want to know what happened to your old man."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Peter got up and grabbed his jacket.

"And where do you think you're going, detective?" The chief stood in

front of Peter's desk.

"I gotta go, Chief. I have to see my father." He put his jacket on and straightened the collar.

"What about those files sitting on your desk?"

"Look, chief, I'll get to them later. My father's been a victim of a

robbery. I just want to see if he's ok." Peter moved past the chief quickly and made his way out to the Stealth before the chief could blow his stack.

He never saw the look of concern cross Strenlich's face as he headed down the steps to the parking lot.

Part 3

Peter climbed up the stairs to his father's place. A feeling of dread came over him as he made his way down the hallway.

"Pop, I just heard about the robbery. Are you all right?" He laid a hand on his father's shoulder.

"I was not harmed, my son." Caine moved slowly away from Peter, gathering a pair of pruning shears

and went out onto the garden on the terrace. Peter followed after him, not knowing what to say.

He took a seat on an old crate and watched his father tending to one of his herbs.

Peter continued watching his father. To all outward appearances his father appeared fine, but Peter could sense his father was upset. He could see it in his father's eyes. To see his him suffering was tearing at Peter's heart.

Caine noticed that Peter was watching him, and could sense his son's concern for him. He put the pruning shears down.

"Pop...I read the robbery report. They took your wedding ring?

"Yes," his father said softly, his head lowered. Caine felt his son's hand on his shoulder; he looked up into the warm, caring hazel eyes of his child, eyes that hadn't changed since Peter was a boy. Caine looked down at his ring finger, at the now vacant space that once had held the symbol of love and commitment given to him by his beloved wife. He felt the hand on his shoulder tighten.

"Don't worry, Pop, I'll get it back for you."

"I do not wish for you to get hurt over a ring, my son." Caine looked at Peter.

"I know how much it means to you, Pop. It means a lot to me, too. I know how much you and Mother loved each other. I remember how many times you visited her grave; you always came back looking so forlorn."

"I see so many married couples who are so unhappy, so many domestic disputes escalate to violence. Whenever I've seen that, I keep thinking how different it was for you and mother. The ring means so much to me, too. It reminds me that I have had two parents who loved each other.

Caine smiled as he cupped his son's cheek. He didn't realize that Peter felt this way; it warmed his heart.

"Your mother would be so proud of you." He turned towards the table and picked up a jar containing fertilizer and walked back to the balcony.

Peter followed him and sat back down on the crate. "Father, I've asked you several times to tell me about Mom. You said you would, but you've told me very little. Don't you think it's about time you told me?"

Peter let out a sigh, waiting for reason #2001 as to why his father couldn't talk about her.

"It was so long ago, I do not know where to begin."

Peter's head snapped up to look at his father, shocked that he would finally be told about her. He leaned forward on the crate, giving Caine his complete attention. "Why don't you start at the beginning, Pop?"

"It was a beautiful summer's day. I was working at the park, tending the grounds. I remember all the flowers were in full bloom and the birds were adding their sweet melodies to the air. I had just completed my tasks for the day and I heard some music coming from the bandshell by the lake. The park had a music program that ran throughout the summer.

I stood beneath a willow tree that was beside the lake. The band was playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I closed my eyes, focusing on the music. When I opened my eyes, I gazed upon a vision of beauty the likes I have never seen. She was a light that shined into my soul."

********FLASHBACK***********

"Hello. Beautiful concert, isn't it?"

"Yes, it IS beautiful."

"My name is Laura." She held out her hand to him, he gently grasped it.

"I am Caine."

"Just Caine?" she asked with a smile.

"I am Kwai Chang Caine," he said, looking into her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Pleased to meet you, Kwai Chang."

Caine usually went by his last name, but hearing her call him Kwai Chang was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. He realized he was staring at her and immediately looked toward the band. They had stopped playing and were taking a break. He felt a touch on his arm and looked down to see Laura's hand. His eyes followed the hand, up her arm, to her face, then gazed into her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" she asked.

He smiled, "Yes, I would like that very much."

They began to walk, arms brushing each other as they strolled side by side along the water's edge. Caine noticed a daisy patch, he picked a blossom and placed it in Laura's hair. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. Laura had told Caine that she had just finished graduate school and had come home for the summer; she was taking a few weeks off and then planned on looking for work.

The couple found a place to sit and listened to the rest of the concert. When the concert ended, Laura didn't want to part from this stranger, every minute they spent together they grew closer. Caine also felt his heart being given to this beautiful woman. They decided to have dinner that evening.

"The days turned into months. Our love grew with each passing moment. I could no longer bear to be without her and asked your mother to marry me. She answered me with a kiss."

A slight blush and smile appeared on Caine's face. Peter closed his eyes for a moment then again looked up at his father. He placed his hand on his father's shoulder and squeezed it. "Thank you, Father, for sharing that. It meant a lot to me." He smiled.

Peter returned to the precinct, resolved to get the ring back for his father. He asked Kermit to help him. Kermit began to check his databases for items that were returned from robberies. Peter began to look through the recent robbery reports for the precinct.

A short time later.... "Peter could I see you?" Kermit called out to him from his office. Peter walked into Kermit's office and stood behind his back.

"What's up?"

"I was going over the lists of items recovered from robberies. I have the lists from all the precincts in the area. Take a look at what I found at the 4-4"

Peter put a hand on top of the terminal as he peered over Kermit's shoulder to take a closer look. Among the items, cars, weapons, children's bikes and jewelry. One piece that stood out for Peter......one Jade pendant, disk shaped.

"Bingo! Kermit, that pendant has to be my father's. I'm going to go to the 44th and see where they found it."

Peter arrived at the 44th and was directed to the property room, Peter flashed his badge at the man who sat behind the desk. "Hi, I'm Detective Peter Caine from the 101st. I need to talk to someone about some items you received."

"I'm Sergeant Toller, Detective. Do you have the list of items in question?"

"Let's see." The sergeant punched up a list on his computer. "Come this way detective. He led Peter to the evidence room. He opened up a gate, which led into a room that was filled with plastic bags. The sergeant pulled one of the bags off the shelf and opened it up for Peter. There was the jade pendant. The jade disk had an energy around it that drew Peter. He could feel his father's essence there, as well as part of his own, as if this Jade pendant belonged to both of them. The sergeant interrupted Peter's thoughts.

"Detective? Oh, I see you picked the 'Jewel' of the recovered items."

"Jewel?" Peter focused his attention on the sergeant.

"Yes, that Jade has an estimated value of over $10,000. It was the most expensive piece discovered."

"It belongs to my father," Peter said, as he looked further at the other plastic bags that had most of the items that were recovered from the convenience store.

"Looking for something else?"

"Yes, did you happen to see a gold wedding band? It's about this wide," Peter indicated the width with his fingers," a plain gold band?"

"No, I don't recall seeing one of those," the sergeant said as he checked the list.

Peter left the 4-4 and headed to James Raiskin's pawnshop. Peter had dealings with this sleezeball before, and he knew if he wanted information from him, he'd have to lean on him for it.

Peter parked the Stealth in front of the pawnshop, took a deep breath, and walked in.

"What do you want...COP?" Raiskin greeted Peter.

"I want some information on some stolen merchandise," Peter told him in a no-nonsense tone.

"I already turned over some stuff to the cops yesterday. I did my 'Civic' duty, what else do you want?"

"I want to know if you might have something else in your possession?" Peter asked him.

"Like what?...Look, Caine, I don't have time to play twenty questions; I got a business to run here."

"Well, you'll make the time, Raiskin!" Peter had moved closer to the pawnbroker and was now face to face with him. His menacing tone and stance emphasized his words.

"I want to know about a ring," Peter snapped.

"A ring? I've got lots of rings, what kind you looking for? Maybe one for your girlfriend?"

Peter grabbed Raiskin's wrist and twisted it until he moaned. "NO! A gold wedding band, it belongs to my father. I want it back!" Peter put more pressure on his wrist.

Raiskin screamed. "OK, OK! Two guys came in here, one is named Kalo and the other guy goes by the name Tyler. They hang out in this place called the Silver Dollar over on Chester St."

Peter dropped by Kermit's place to pick him up. They headed for the Silver Dollar.

"I ran those names you gave me through my computer, Peter. It seems they have a track record a mile long, mostly petty stuff. I did get some pictures we can show around."

"Great, Kermit. I want these guys." Peter found a place to park about a block from the bar.

Scanning the room as they walked through the door, Kermit and Peter carefully searched the sea of people. The faces they were looking for seemed absent. Peter began to show the photos around the room. This place was giving him the creeps and he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Kermit showed his set of photos to the bartender. "You recognize those guys?"

The bartender gave the pictures a quick glance, "Ah, yeah, I've seen em. They were here last night. They ain't been in tonight."

"You sure?" Peter asked him, as he joined Kermit at the bar.

"Yeah, they're troublemakers. They were leaning on some of the customers, picking fights. I asked them to leave and they started threatening me. I don't want no trouble; I run a clean establishment."

"I can see that," Kermit commented as he ran his hand over the dirty counter. "If they show up, give us a call."

As Kermit led the way to the exit one of the ladies stopped Peter and whispered, "I know where you can find Kalo."

"Where?" Peter whispered back at her.

"He and Tyler have a meeting place by the Oakwood Bridge. He does his business dealings there, usually late at night, like around midnight."

"Thanks," Peter said as he slipped her a twenty for her trouble.

Peter shared the woman's information with Kermit. They decided to stakeout the place the next evening. They arrived at about ten, not wanting to miss anything. They waited and waited. Finally it was one am, "Well, Kid, looks like it's a no- show."

Kermit yawned; he could feel himself wanting to doze off.

"Damn, I was hoping we could do this the easy way," Peter said as he started the Stealth.

Peter dropped Kermit at his place and then drove back to his own apartment. Finally managing to fall asleep, he began to dream about his father's ring. He could see it clearly on Caine's finger. Then the image changed to the day of his parent's wedding; he could vaguely see his mother's face. She was smiling as his father slipped a ring on her finger. He could see the joy on his father's face as his mother placed the wedding ring on his father's hand. He could imagine how happy they must have been. Peter woke up with a terrible longing, he wished he could have really known his mother, could have seen for himself how happy his parent's marriage was. Now he felt he HAD to get that ring back.

Part 4

Peter glanced at the clock, it read quarter to three, and after the dream there was no way he could go back to sleep. He had a hunch that something was going on at the bridge. He got into the stealth and drove over there. He parked the stealth along the side of the road near the bridge ramp. 'I must be nuts,' Peter thought as he crept down towards the water. A light shone in his direction, he quickly hid behind some bushes. A car pulled up on the dirt road beneath the bridge. Peter watched as another car joined the first one. Several men left each car, one carrying an attach case, which he put on the hood of the car.

Peter inched his way closer; he stayed low to the ground, using the bushes as a cover. He could make out the silhouettes in the beams of the car headlights. He crept closer so he could overhear the conversation.

"Do you have the merchandise, Jackson?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, more important have you got my money?" Jackson put a briefcase on the hood of the car.

"I've got what's coming to you" the other man said as he opened up the briefcase and examined the contents.

"I got the best stuff, the BEST!" Jackson leaned against the hood of the car.

The man dipped his finger into the white powder and tasted it. Then he took out a test kit and took a sample and placed it in a vile. He smiled as the color changed to a color that showed the purity. Satisfied with the quality of the cocaine he closed the case.

"So, do we have a deal? Do I get what's coming to me?"

"Yeah, you'll get what's coming to you." The man signaled to his driver, who came forward and opened an attach case. Drew a gun and fired, hitting Jackson in the middle of his chest. He fell to the ground with a loud thud.

'Oh shit!' Peter thought to himself. He noticed who had exited the limo. It was Yuko Sakai a well-known dangerous drug supplier. The 101st and the DEA had been trying to build a case against him for months. Now Peter was in the middle of Sakai's drug deal.

"You'll dispose of this garbage for me, won't you Mr. Green?"

"Of course, sir." The henchman went over to the body; he searched through the pockets.

"Anything interesting?" the man in the silhouette asked.

"Well looks like Mr. Jackson was holding out on you. He had some stash in his pocket." Mr. Green showed him a small package of what turned out to be China White and his wallet, which was loaded with a lot of cash.

Peter decided that he had to get his ass out of there. He'd call Kermit from the Stealth and wait for backup. Kermit is going to be shocked when he hears him actually waiting instead of acting like a hotshot cop.

Peter slowly backed away trying to be as quiet as he could. Making his way carefully through the bushes. He remembered how quietly his father moved, barely making a sound.

"Look what we've got here?" A flashlight shined in his face. But then his Shaolin skills were not as honed as his father were. Peter could feel the cold metal of the fun pressed against his temple.

"Get up."

Peter slowly got to his feet, his mind racing, thinking of a way out of this.

He was dragged by the arm and thrown onto his knees in front of the car's headlights.

"I found this one in the bushes, Mr. Sakai."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Sakai's voice was very threatening.

Peter squinted his eyes in the bright light as he tried to make out the face behind the voice.

"My car broke down, I was looking for a phone." Peter knew this was a feeble excuse the minute it left his mouth.

"Oh, so where is your car, Mr..."

"Caine, his name is Peter Caine." One of the henchmen said to his boss. He'd fished out Peter's ID out of his jacket pocket.

"And guess what boss, he's a cop."

"Well, detective," the mystery man had glanced at the ID. "I wonder what you're doing way out here? Maybe you're not alone. Adam go check the perimeter!" Sakai barked at one of his men.

Peter was pulled up off the ground and roughly searched.

"I told you my car broke down," Peter tried to bluff his way out, "Oomph."

With a nod from Sakai one of the henchmen holding Peter hit him in the stomach, which made him double over in pain.

Just then Adam returned, "There's nobody out there, Mr. Sakai, the cop's on his own."

"I see, so are you on a fishing expedition to impress your superiors, Caine?"

"No, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Peter felt himself being hit in the stomach again.

"Try me," Sakai sneered.

Peter knew he had gotten way over his head. Peter decided to tell the truth. "I'm here to recover some stolen merchandise from a robbery that took place in Chinatown."

"Stolen merchandise?!" Sakai started to laugh. "Just how stupid do you think I am, cop? You're here snooping around. Well you're not going to get a chance to tell anyone about what you saw. You know that old saying, 'dead men tell no tales.'"

"Look, I'm telling you the truth, I don't know anything about your deal. I..." Peter never got a chance to finish his sentence, he felt a hard punch connect yet again with his abdomen and the wind being knocked out of him. He collapsed to his knees.

"You two, take care of this cop for me. Make sure he never opens his mouth to anyone," Sakai climbed into the back of the limo and it pulled out.

Peter recognized the two men Sakai had ordered to take care of him. It was Kalo and Tyler, the scum who had robbed his father.

The sky was slowly brightening as dawn was approaching; Kalo and Tyler pulled Peter roughly to his feet.

"Hey, guys, you don't have to do this. Don't make this any harder on yourselves anymore then it already is. I've got back-up coming."

"Shut up, cop, you think we're going to fall for some of your crap? You're all alone and we'll be long gone by the time they find your body." Tyler pulled Peter along.

Kalo had Peter's own gun trained on him. "Let's take him under the bridge and waste him.

"Hey, let's have some fun with him first." Tyler had a smile on his face that sent shivers down Peter's spine.

Peter tried to put up a fight, tried some of the moves he'd learned from his father, but the earlier hits he took to his stomach made his moves sluggish and ineffective. Tyler pushed Peter to the ground; Peter spotted something on Kalo's right hand. His father's ring was on his finger.

'Two against one, I think I can take them,' Peter thought to himself. He certainly wasn't going to take this lying down.

"Okay, copper, say goodbye," Kalo trained the gun on Peter's chest. His finger slowly squeezed the trigger.

Peter knew it was now or never, he mustered all his energy and rushed at Kalo, he took him by surprise and knocked him to the ground the gun went flying out of his hands and landed among the rocks.

Kalo took a swing at Peter's face, but Peter deftly ducked the blow so all Kalo hit was empty space. Peter tried a counter attack by knocking Kalo's feet from under him. Tyler hit Peter in the back so hard he fell onto his knees again.

"Oh," Peter moaned as he writhed on the ground. A kick to his abdomen sent him turning onto his back.

"Get up, cop. Show us what a hotshot you are." Tyler sneered at him.

"Hotshot?" Kalo laughed, "he doesn't look so hot to me."

Peter tried to get to his feet.

"Oh, let me help you, cop." Tyler punched Peter in the face.

Peter was rapidly losing his strength with each blow.

"Hey, what are we gonna do with him when we're done?" Tyler asked his partner.

"We'll just drop him in the drink." Kalo laughed as he launched another sucker punch to Peter's face.

"Come on, cop, let's take a walk." Peter could barely stand as they dragged him to his feet. The thugs led him down a pathway and onto a rocky beach under the bridge.

"It's time to take a swim," they were just about to throw Peter into the frigid water when the sound of a siren could be heard in the distance. The two thugs panicked and dropped Peter among the rocks and ran as fast as they could.

Peter didn't know how long he'd been laying among the rocks, which lined the shore. He felt like he'd been run over by a truck. He felt pain in his stomach and chest. Kalo and Tyler had also done a number on his face. His eyes were swollen shut. Any movement at all caused him extreme pain. How was he going to get out of here? No one knew where he was. He heard a noise in the distance.

'Was it one of the thugs coming back to make sure I'm dead?' Peter thought as he tried to lie as still as he could. His heart was pounding in his chest as the footsteps got closer.

His thoughts turned to his father. He regretted all the things left unsaid between them, things they never got to do.

"I'm sorry, Pop," he reached out with his mind and heart to his father. He wasn't sure he'd hear him.

The footsteps stopped next to him. He wished more than anything he could defend himself, but he was helpless. He tensed waiting for the coup de grace. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and another hand on his cheek.

"Peter," the voice of his father penetrated through the darkness.

"Pop," he whispered through swollen lips.

"I am here, my son," in the light of early dawn Caine took in the extent of his son's injuries. "You have nothing to be sorry about,"

"You heard me?" Peter said incredulously.

"Of course I can hear what is in your heart." Caine examined Peter, his eyes were swollen shut and his face had bruises and cuts on his cheeks. He ran his hands up and down Peter's body, thankfully thre were no broken bones. He felt no fever coming from within his son. His hands were bloodied and cut, he must have gotten it from falling against the rocks, he noticed spots of blood on one of the rocks nearby.

"I do have something to be sorry about. I-I never got your ring back," he said with a sob.

Caine ran his hand through Peter's hair in an effort to comfort him. He noticed Peter's left hand was clenched very tightly in a ball. He gently pried his hand open and lying in the palm was the missing ring.

"Oh, Peter," his father gently picked the ring up. "Thank you." He was not going to remind Peter that he didn't want him to sacrifice himself for a ring.

"I got the ring?" Peter felt it between his father's fingers. "I must have grabbed it during the scuffle." He took the ring and felt for his father's left ring finger and returned the ring to its rightful place. "OH gawd!" Peter tried to sit up and found out just how bad an idea that was. His father put some herbs into his mouth.

"Chew on these they will help with your pain. Now lie still while I examine you," Caine ran his hands over Peter's body. Peter became very groggy and fell asleep. Caine gently lifted his son and took him to his home.

"Okay, where is Peter, he's supposed to go on a stakeout," Strenlich bellowed in the bullpen.

"He hasn't reported in, chief," Sergeant Broderick informed him.

"What's going on out here, I'm trying to work and you're grating on my nerves!" Kermit had thrown open his office door. His voice brought an immediate silence to the room, you could hear a pin drop.

"It's Peter, he's late. You know anything about this?" Strenlich asked him. He was one of the few people that Kermit couldn't intimidate.

"Last night we went to the Oakwood Bridge to check out a lead on the thugs who robbed his dad, but nothing was going on so Peter dropped me off and he went home."

"Am I interrupting something?" Paul had quietly entered the bullpen and felt the tense atmosphere fill the air.

Kermit brought Paul up to speed. "I assume you tried to call him at his apartment."

"Yes and there was no answer. I'll go over there and check it out," Kermit volunteered to go to his friend's home.

"You do that, I'll go to Caine's place. Maybe he knows where Peter can be found."

Peter felt himself slowly returning to consciousness. His memory about what happened to him was foggy, but one thing was clear. He was in his father's home. He recognized the scent of different incense and herbs that his father used in his work. He was lying on the pallet in the Apothecary room on a soft mattress. A pillow cushioned his head and a red quilt covered his body against the chill. Peter noticed a dragon pattern sewn in the center in gold thread.

He smiled at the memory of all the times his father would care for him. He felt safe and comforted. Just like he felt right now. No one cared for him quite like his Pop.

"Ow," he winced as he tried to shift his position.

"Hello, my son. I have something for the pain." He brought some herbal tea for him and gave him the cup to drink. He gave Peter a look, which allowed Peter no room to argue over the taste. He quickly gulped it down and grimaced.

The cold compresses Caine had applied to Peter's eyes had brought down the swelling considerably.

"Pop, how long have I been here?"

"You have been here many hours. It is the middle of the afternoon."

"How long do you think till I'll be on my feet again, Pop?"

"I do not know, it is up to you, my son."

"Me?"

"Yes, your healing can not be rushed. But patience has never been a lesson that I have been able to, um, push in?" he cocked his head in that unique way of his and gently tapped Peter's cheek instead of delivering his usual slap.

Peter chuckled at his father's observation. "Okay, how about if I promise to listen to everything you say and drink all those awful tasting concoctions of yours."

"It will take twice as long. As I said, Peter, you must be patient. I will do all I can, but you must do your share as well. We must listen to your body, it will tell us when you are healed."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not in any hurry to leave. It's always so peaceful, it's a lot better then being in the hospital." Peter yawned and settled his head back against the pillow. Caine covered him and caressed his cheek.

"I love you, Pop." Peter smiled as he dozed off.

"I love you, my son." Caine kissed Peter's forehead and went out to the garden to tend his herbs.

Part 5

Paul had never visited Caine's home. He had wanted to come several times, but was so intimidated by what he represented in Peter's life, he chickened out on several occasions. He parked his car in the alley and made the long climb up the stairs to the top floor. The ascent reminded him of a man climbing the mountain to seek the wise old sage's advice.

Paul noticed the door to Caine's home was slightly ajar. He knew there was no need to knock, but it felt strange to just barge in. As soon as he entered he was immediately struck by how quiet it was. The scent of incense could be smelled.

Paul looked towards his left and spotted a room that had an altar on one wall. A Buddha sat on the table; several lit candles surrounded it. A plate of oranges sat in front of the statue. There were mats on the floor.

The atmosphere was a very calm, peaceful one, one that told of a man who exuded an air of tranquility. Paul saw that the meditation/workout room was empty so he moved down the hall to the apothecary room.

There were shelves that lined the walls; each shelf was filled with jars of herbs. The French doors were open and a garden flourished on the terrace. What drew Paul's attention was the figure that was lying on his side on the pallet.

"Peter," Paul whispered as he took in the sight of his foster son.

"Our son is resting," Caine's calm voice filtered through the silence.

"Caine, what happened to him?" Paul saw that Peter's face was swollen, his lips were cracked. With the quilt covering him, Paul couldn't tell what other injuries Peter had sustained.

"I found him under the Oakwood Bridge early this morning. He had been beaten. I brought him here."

"He should be in a hospital." Paul knew about Caine's healing abilities and maybe if it had been anyone else he would never question him.

"I would have brought him there, myself, but our son is very lucky. His injuries are minor."

"Are you sure?" Paul tried to keep his voice as low as possible so he would not wake Peter up.

"I am certain," Caine stated firmly.

"What was the kid doing over there? Kermit said they checked out a lead and then went home."

"Perhaps he was checking a hunch?"

"I'd just like to know what was so important to him that he risked his life."

"R...ring." Peter's soft voice whispered.

"What did you say, son?" Paul walked back over to the pallet and leaned over Peter.

"My father's ring, Paul. Had to," he paused to clear his dry throat. "Had to get it back for him, important."

"I had told Peter that his life was more precious than the ring."

Caine stated then quietly walked out to the terrace to leave Paul and Peter alone.

"Peter, you could have gotten killed. Then what would your mother have said." Paul tried to lighten the mood a little.

"I'm okay, Paul. Pop's healing me. I know it was a dumb move. I just had a feeling that something was going on at the bridge. I had to go back there to check it out. I didn't expect to run into a drug deal gone bad."

"A drug deal?"

"Yeah, Paul. It was Sakai; he was in the middle of a deal when he decided to doublecross the supplier. I saw what I had stumbled upon and was on my way back to the Stealth to call for backup, when one of the thugs spotted me and dragged me back. They decided to teach me a lesson. I thought I was a goner, Paul. Tyler and Kalo were working me over. They were the ones who were in the store robbery. They were going to kill me and drop my body in the water." Peter paused to take a drink from a glass of water that his father had left for him at his side.

"What stopped them?" the cop in Paul had to ask.

"They heard a siren and it spooked them and they took off. I guess they must have thought backup had arrived. Turns out the squad car was just passing overhead on the bridge. I guess I lucked out, in more ways then one." Peter glanced meaningfully at his father who was still outside on the balcony.

"Well we'll talk more about this later. Are you sure you're okay? You want me to run you by the hospital so you can be checked over?"

"No, Paul, I'll be okay. I just need to rest some more." He closed his eyes and dozed back off to sleep.

Paul wandered onto the balcony and found Caine sitting, cross-legged, on the balcony wall. He had a sad look on his face. Paul laid a hand on his shoulder. He sensed even Caine needed comforting sometimes.

"I should have stopped Peter from trying to get my ring back."

"I don't think anyone could have stopped him, you know how headstrong he is. Once he gets an idea, there is no way of stopping him."

"It was for the memory of his mother and I that he took such a great risk. The ring is one of the few memories I have left of her." Caine was staring at the gold band Peter had returned to his finger. He sighed at all the memories it evoked.

"I know how hard it must be for you, Caine. To have lost your wife, raising Peter alone." Paul looked at his own wedding band and he felt so lucky to have Annie in his life.

"It is a hole that remains in my heart, but she left me a precious gift to remind me of her and our love for each other." Caine turned his gaze to the pallet and a smile came to his lips as he looked at his son.

"I'm going to call Kermit and tell him to cancel the APB and then I'll let Annie know where Peter is. She'll want to come by to visit."

"Of course, you are both welcome here." Caine asserted.

Paul took out his cell phone and found a quiet place on the terrace to make his call.

Kermit made a beeline for Caine's loft. Peter was like a brother to him and he needed to see with his own eyes that he was okay. He took the steps leading up to the apartment two at a time.

Caine sensed Kermit's presence before he even left the Kermitmobile. He knew how Kermit felt about Peter. They were like brothers and despite Kermit's gruff exterior he would do anything to help Peter.

Paul had left to get Annie. She wanted to see for herself that her son was okay. Kermit crept quietly into the loft; his eyes were riveted to Peter. He stood by the pallet. His gaze scanned his friend's body, from his swollen and bruised face to his hands that had gauze wrapping them. The rest of Peter's body lay under the quilt.

"How is he, Caine?" He knew the priest was behind him.

"He is healing. It will take time and Peter must be patient."

"Patient? We are talking about Peter, aren't we?"

"I heard that," Peter opened his eyes and tried to sit up. Kermit immediately helped him by arranging the pillows behind his head and being an anchor for him till he found a position that was comfortable to lay in.

"I'm glad to see your hearing wasn't affected. Now would you mind telling me what the hell you were thinking going back to the bridge by yourself? I thought we decided to call it a night?"

"I know, but I had a feeling something was going down, I just had to be there. I didn't plan on getting in the middle of a drug ring."

"Paul briefed me on who did this to you. Don't worry, we'll get them."

"You're not going to go off half-cocked are you, Kermit?"

Even though Kermit's omnipresent glasses were firmly in place, Peter could still see the determined look of retribution in his eyes.

"Don't worry about me kid, you just do your part to get back on your feet," he quipped at him.

"Are you hungry, my son?" Caine changed the subject.

"I am famished." Caine went over to the kitchen to make some soup for Peter. Kermit was just leaving as Caine carried a tray with a bowl perched on top.

"What will you do now, Kermit?" he asked curiously.

"I'll do what I have to do. I will tell you this, Caine, it's going to get ugly." He gave Caine a cold stare.

"Mercenary rules?"

"Oh yeah." Kermit left, his stride spoke of a man on a mission and the bad guys had better look out.

Tyler and Kalo were sitting near the state of the strip club called the "Hot Zone." One of the girls had taken her top off and was wiggling her boobs in front of Kalo. His eyes were popping out and he had a huge smile on his face as he examined her rack.

Tyler's attention was drawn to another girl who was giving him a lap-dance. Suddenly the girl slipped off and made a hasty retreat.

"Hey where are you going, baby, we were just getting started."

"Oh, I think you are quite finished." A sinister voice spoke from behind him. Tyler's face was smacked up against the stage.

"Hey who the hell are you?!" Kalo watched his friend being attack by a man wearing dark sunglasses. He had what looked like an elephant gun pointed at him.

"Your worst nightmare," Kermit whispered in Tyler's ear.

"What do you want, man?" Tyler tried to move, but he was firmly pinned to the stage.

The girls started screaming as soon as they saw the gun and ran off the stage.

"What's the problem here?" the owner of the club came into the room from his office when he heard the commotion.

"Police, get back in your office. Backup is on its way." Kermit had called for assistance before he came in. He wanted to have the pleasure of torturing these two before reinforcements came.

"What did we do to you, cop?" Tyler managed to ask through clenched lips.

"You hurt a good friend of mine. You remember him, Peter Caine?"

"He's still alive?" Kalo blurted out in surprise. He thought the cop was dead.

"Shut up, Kalo!" Tyler yelled at him.

"You shut up, scumbag!" Kermit slammed Tyler's face into the stage. "You're lucky he's still alive. You know what I do to people who hurt the ones close to me?!" Kermit pistol-whipped Kalo in the face with his Desert Eagle.

"Before the other cops come, you're going to tell me where your boss can be found."

"We...we can't," Kalo said.

"OH yes you can, and you're going to do it now or I won't think twice about ending your existence."

Kalo and Tyler were singing like canaries before they knew it.

"What happened to him?" one of the two officers asked when he saw Tyler's face was bloodied.

"He slipped," Kermit gave Kalo and Tyler a menacing look that told them they had better not say he roughed Tyler up.

"Read them their rights, officer, I'll meet you at the precinct."

"What's the charge, Detective Griffin?"

"Attempted murder and assault of Detective Caine."

Part 6

It didn't take long for word to spread about Kalo and Tyler's arrest. It also didn't take long for them to be sprung out on bail. Their boss, Sakai, was well connected and had arranged for their release. It wasn't an act of kindness on his part; it was just his way of sending a message to the cops that he had clout.

It took everything Kermit had not to explode when he heard about their release.

"Son of a bitch! Who the hell is running this city the crooks? This is bullshit!" he bellowed from his office. Kermit had an idea and turned to his trusty computer and with a few keystrokes here and a couple of clicks of the mouse there, he just made life more difficult for Sakai.

It was a week later when the evidence they needed to go after Sakai was finally compiled. Kermit was part of the raid on Sakai's mansion. He didn't even try to escape. He just stood in his office like he was expecting them.

"Hello, Detective Griffin, I was wondering when you'd show up." He said with a smug smile on his face.

"You won't be smiling for long when your operations are shut down."

Kermit didn't give Sakai the satisfaction of knowing how much he'd like to wipe that smirk off his face. He watched as they put the cuffs on him.

"How does it feel, Sakai, to finally be taken down?"

"OH I won't be down for long, detective. My lawyers will have me out in time for dinner. OH, by the way, my two friends that I got released from your jail," Sakai said in a way you knew he was using the term 'friends' loosely. "I understand they have some unfinished business they need to do for me."

Sakai smiled cryptically as the officers led him away.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kermit confronted him outside the front door of his mansion.

"My workers are always eager to please, detective. They had an assignment and now they're going to finish their work."

Kermit didn't need an interpreter to understand exactly what Sakai meant. Tyler and Kalo failed to kill Peter as they were ordered and now they were going to hunt him down and finish the job. He'd call Caine to warn him, except he had no phone.

"Take this scum away, officer," Kermit stared at Sakai, pulled his glasses down just enough to show him his cold, brown orbs. "If anything happens to my friend there won't be anyplace you can hide."

"Is that a threat?" Sakai asked.

"No, that's a promise." Kermit quickly got into the Kermitmobile and sped off towards Caine's loft, hoping he wouldn't be too late to stop a murder.

It had been over a week since Peter had been attacked. Caine had made sure he made Peter get off the pallet and walk around. Right now he was sitting in the terrace garden. It was late afternoon and the sun was casting shadows onto the plants. Caine finished making some herbal remedy for one of his patients and joined Peter out on the balcony.

"How are you feeling, my son?" He sat on a chair opposite Peter.

"I'm still sore, but I'm feeling better then I did. Pop, I wanted to ask if you could show me how to meditate. I know I learned it at the temple, but I can never get into the deep state like you can."

"You never expressed an interest before." Caine was touched that Peter wanted to learn the meditation he so enjoyed himself.

"Well I do now. I think it's time I got in touch with my Shaolin roots again. Will you help me, Pop?" Peter implored his father.

"Of course, my son, I would be honored to instruct you."

Caine finished lighting some candles in the meditation room. Peter had followed him from the balcony and had dressed in one of his father's black silk outfits. They were so comfortable and they also didn't press against his injuries like his denim jeans would have.

Caine folded himself onto the floor in a lotus position. "Sit with me, my son," he indicated a space opposite him.

"I-I can't get into that position," Peter doubted he'd ever be able to get his legs to bend like that.

"You do not need to, sit the way you feel most comfortable and relaxed."

Peter carefully lowered himself to the floor and sat Indian style. That was as close to lotus as he was going to get.

"Take deep breaths, then let go, Peter. You must relax, let your mind be calm. Center yourself." Caine held Peter's hands as he guided him to a deep meditative level. Peter's breathing slowed, his eyes closed and his muscles relaxed. As Peter descended into a deeper state, Caine lessened his presence in his mind until Peter was left in solitude.

Caine opened his eyes and watched Peter for a few moments. He was so proud of his son, for the man he had become. He felt so fortunate to be given a second chance at a life with his son. They had so much to learn from one another. He got up off the floor and left Peter alone in his meditation. He went back to the apothecary room to make a special poultice to help Peter's sore ribs. He would wait for Peter to come out of meditation to use it on him.

Kalo and Tyler sat outside Caine's loft in a black sedan.

"Are you sure this is where the cop is?" Kalo asked his partner.

"Yeah, word on the street was some priest took him in." Tyler supplied him with this information.

"A priest, huh? Well I hope he's said his prayers cause he's going to meet his maker." Kalo laughed. The twosome left the car and entered the building, inching their way stealthily up to the loft.

Kermit was fighting his way through traffic. There was an accident between a truck and a car blocking the roadway.

"Damn, come on!" Kermit slammed on the horn. He had to get to the loft. He inched his way up through the traffic. He had to get to Peter; the detective was one of the few people who had a special place in his heart. He wouldn't lose Peter like he lost his brother, David.

Peter felt himself floating between the real world and the world in his mind. When he opened his eyes he found himself sitting under a tree in his secret place.

It was so peaceful and quiet. He watched a family of ducks swim by.

"Hello, Peter." A female voice called from behind him interrupting his reverie.

"Mother?" Peter's breath hitched, shocked by the presence of a woman he'd barely gotten to know, but always wished he had. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

"You have wanted to see me, my darling boy. Since your father has shared his memories of me with you it's easier for you to see me." Laura took a seat next to him.

"I can't believe you're with me," Peter reached out to touch her cheek and felt the warm flesh beneath his fingertips. "Oh gawd," he pulled his mother into a hug, tears flowed down his cheeks. "I wished I'd know you, that you didn't have to die."

"I know, Peter, I didn't want to leave you." Her arms came up to circle his body. Her hands came up to caress his hair then his back. "You have to stop blaming him, darling."

"W-what?" he sniffed his stuffed nose and wiped the tears as he looked at his mother, questioning her with his eyes. "Who are you talking about?"

"Your father, you have to stop blaming him for my death."

"Blaming him? I'm not blaming him."

"Search your heart, Peter, you're angry."

Peter was about to protest, but his conscience wouldn't let him. He could lie to himself, but not to her.

"Yeah, I'm angry. Why did you have to die, mom? I wanted to have you in my life. He's saved so many people, why not you?"

"He tried, Peter, with every fiber of his being. He used every herb he could think of. He was so brokenhearted that he couldn't help me. I knew there was not much time for all of us. So I valued every minute I spent with both you and your father."

"It's good to see you. Sometimes I would dream you were with me, but just out of reach."

"I'm always with you darling. I'm watching you and your father."

"What do you think of us finally finding each other after so many years apart?" he was glad to finally be able to ask her.

"I'm overjoyed, Peter. Your father was always so proud of you. He was a very doting father."

"What about me calling him Pop?" he couldn't help smiling when he asked her.

"Is he still annoyed about that? Your father should learn to loosen up. I was the instigator behind that, Peter." She laughed at the memory.

"You, Mom? I thought it was something I started."

"Well, we both were both in on it. When you first started talking we would play a game. You'd sing 'Pop goes the Weasel' song. Your father came home from work and you called him Pop. I saw him grimacing, so I decided to keep encouraging you to keep calling him that."

"I still do, he kept telling me not to call him that, but I just couldn't stop. He's gotten used to it now."

Kalo and Tyler found the loft apartment and were on the lookout for the priest.

"Do you see the priest?" Kalo whispered.

"No, let's whack that damn cop and get the hell out of here." Tyler led the way through the balcony garden and into the apothecary room.

"I don't like this place, Tyler. It's giving me the creeps," Kalo whispered very softly.

"I don't like it either. What is that stench?" They smelled the incense Caine liked to burn. Tyler stuck his head into the hallway and found the doorway to the meditation room.

Tyler motioned for Kalo to follow him and to be quiet. They kept a lookout for the priest while they sneaked slowly towards the room. They found their intended target sitting on the floor with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

Part 7

"Peter, is there something bothering you?" Laura asked her son.

"There's something I need you to know about." Peter explained to her about the orphanage and about being taken into the Blaisdell's home. He took a deep breath and told her about Annie. "She became like a mother to me, since I barely knew you. I needed her so badly. I'm so sorry Mother.

"You have nothing to apologize for, darling. I'm glad that you had someone to care for you. You're so fortunate to have another family."

"That's what Pop said when I told him about Paul. You both are really something. I'm lucky to have you for parents."

"We're lucky to have you, Peter. We were so happy when you came into our lives." Laura kissed Peter on the cheek and hugged him. "I have to go, darling."

"So soon?" he wanted more time.

"Yes, honey. But don't worry. I'll be close to you, always." She got up and walked off into the woods.

Peter felt so peaceful, like he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't wait to tell his father about this encounter. His father, he suddenly got a bad feeling, like something evil was close. He had to find his father, quickly.

Tyler and Kalo took out their guns. They then pulled out their silencers and screwed them into place. Kalo walked around the detective, raised the gun and aimed it at the back of Peter's head. Tyler mirrored his actions. Just as they were about to squeeze the triggers Tyler found himself quickly disarmed and laying in a heap on the floor. Kalo was frozen for only a moment as he watched Tyler crumple to the floor from the swift actions of the priest.

Kalo tried to fight back, but a hand squeezed the base of his neck and he quickly found himself in darkness.

"Hey, what the hell did you do to him, Priest?" Tyler demanded then launched himself at Caine.

Caine placed his hand in the middle of Tyler's chest and then did a flying kick that sent the would-be assassin to the floor for the second time.

"Oh, gawd, this is none of your business, priest. What the hell is that cop to you, anyway?" he was curious to know. He saw the priest looming over him, a dark look in his eyes that made Tyler's heart turn cold.

"He is my son," Caine emphasized the word son.

Tyler was rendered unconscious like his partner.

"Pop?"

Caine quickly turned around and saw Peter looking questioningly at him.

"My son, did your meditation go well?"

"My medi..." he started "Never mind that. What happened here?" Peter slowly got off the floor, still mindful of his healing injuries. He recognized these two thugs immediately. "They came here to finish me off didn't they?"

"Yes, my son."

"Thanks for saving me, Pop." He placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "We better call the precinct."

"You don't have to do that." A voice said from the doorway. The Caines turned to see Kermit standing there, his desert eagle in hand.

"Kermit, what are you doing here?" Peter asked.

"Oh I just happened to be in the neighborhood. I had a feeling these two punks were going to try something. I already called for backup, they should be here any minute." Kermit placed his handcuffs on Kalo and took Peter's pair and placed them on Tyler.

"I assume you put their lights out, Caine?" Kermit questioned.

Caine gave his customary shrug as an answer. The uniforms arrived and took Kalo and Tyler into custody.

"This time you're going to stay behind bars." Kermit called after them.

"Will you join us for tea, Kermit?" Caine offered as he strolled to his kitchen at the back of the loft.

"No thanks, I'll take a rain check. I'm going into the precinct to do the arrest reports. We'll need a statement from you two, but that can wait a while." Kermit left the loft.

"Well, Pop, never a dull moment, huh?"

"It comes with the, uh, territory?" Caine cocked his head. The gesture had the desired effect. Peter was laughing.

"I have so much to tell you. I saw mother during my meditation." Peter said excitedly.

"Indeed, my son? Come I will make us some tea and you will tell me about your journey."

Peter sat at a table on the balcony and his father joined him. A tray that contained two steaming cups of tea, some almond cookies and some fruit was placed in the center of the table.

It had been almost a month since Peter was attacked. His injuries were almost completely healed. He wasn't going back to work till next week. Though he was enjoying the time off, he was anxious to return to work. Tyler and Kalo were safely locked up in prison. They plea bargained their sentences in return for helping to bring Sakai and his operation to its knees.

Peter decided after all he'd been through, he deserved to kick back and relax, so he was lying on the couch watching TV. Except for watching sports and the news, he rarely had time to watch TV.

He'd been channel surfing and couldn't believe all the junk they put on. If he had to see one more infomercial he'd scream.

A knock on the door was a welcome interruption to his boredom. He went to the door. Usually he'd look through the peephole, but in this instance, he sensed who was on the other side.

"Pop!" he smiled when he opened the door.

"Hello, my son, may I come in." His smiling eyes took in his son's appearance.

"Of course, he stepped aside to let his father enter. "Pop what are you doing here?" Peter asked as he crossed the room to shut the TV off. He'd had his fill of infomercials.

"I came to visit you, my son." Caine followed Peter and sat on the couch beside him.

"You mean you came to check up on me," he said sarcastically. He regretted the way he spoke to his father. "I didn't mean it like that, Pop. I just felt a little crowded in your place. I was just glad to come back here and have time to myself."

"I know, my son. I did not mean to intrude. I only wished to see if you are well and to spend time with you."

"I want to spend time with you, too." His eyes widened expressively as an idea popped in his head.

"What is it, my son?" Caine reacted to Peter's shift in mood.

Peter blinked then looked at his father. "Oh, it's nothing, just a stupid idea. Never mind."

Please tell me your idea." He put his hand on Peter's arm in a gesture of encouragement.

"I was thinking we could do something we've never done before. Something I used to do with the Blaisdells." Peter quickly dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come, believing his father would never go for such an idea. "Forget it, Pop, it's silly."

"Perhaps you should tell me this idea, I am sure I will not think it is silly."

"Would you like to go miniature golfing with me?" There he blurted it out, now he wished he could bury his head. He kept his eyes closed then snapped them open when he heard the sound of laughter.

"I would like to go golfing with you, my son."

"Really? You don't think it's a dumb idea?"

"No, I would like to spend time with you, it does not matter what we do."

"Okay, let's go tomorrow." Peter's phone rang. He picked up the cordless sitting in a cradle in the living room.

"I'm doing okay," Peter answered. "I'm coming back to work next week." Peter sat in the club chair as he continued his conversation. "Why did you miss me?"

Caine could tell by Peter's facial expression that it was a woman he was speaking to. He was about to leave the room when Peter held up a hand, gesturing for his father to wait.

"Oh so you only miss me cause my coffee is better then Blake's?" Blake made coffee that made mud look more desirable. "Huh? Yeah he's here... you want to talk to him? Sure." Peter took the phone away from his ear and looked at his father. "It's Skalany, Pop. She wants to talk to you." He handed the phone to his father.

Caine took the phone and awkwardly put it to his ear. "Hello Mary-Margaret...yes I am well." There was a pause as he listened to her speaking. Peter was still a little uncomfortable with the idea that Caine and Skalany were interested in each other. So far they had gone out two times. "Yes I would like to go on a picnic with you... No tomorrow I am spending the day with my son. Perhaps the day after? Yes I will look forward to it, thank you." Caine handed the phone back to Peter.

"Skalany, I'll see you next week. Unless I happen to see you at my Dad's." He couldn't resist a little dig. "What? Don't wait up for you?" he looked at the phone nonplussed. "Hello?" Skalany had hung up.

"Pop are you and Skalany serious? Sorry I just have to ask." He glanced at his father's wedding ring. He risked a lot to get that back.

"Would it bother you if we were to become "involved" Peter?" Caine asked his son, he noticed Peter looking at the ring. He'd been alone for so long, never having a serious relationship since Laura. He knew Laura would want him to be happy. He did not know how Peter felt about him having a new lady in his life.

"I don't know, Pop. I never thought about it before. I guess I never expected you'd end up with Skalany. I think it will take me some time to get used to it. Sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I, too, have to get used to it. Your mother was the love of my life. She will always have a special place in my heart." He touched the ring affectionately. "But perhaps it is time for me to 'move on.'" Caine placed his hand on his son's cheek and caressed it. "No one will ever replace your mother in my heart, my son."

"I know that Pop. I hope you and Mary-Margaret will enjoy your picnic."

"Thank you. How shall we spend the rest of this day?"

"How about going to a movie? We haven't done that in a long time." Peter picked up the newspaper and began flipping through the movie times. He selected a movie and he and his father left the apartment.

They still had so much time to make up for; they would take many steps on their thousand-mile journey, together.

End