Title: My Greatest Love

Characters: Kwai Chang Caine, Laura Caine, Peter Caine

Time Frame: Takes place after Requium

Story: Kwai Chang is on his way to Paris to find his wife Laura, think she had been dead for nearly 26 years. During his travels, he relives themeories of their first meeting. When they finally do meet, Laura explaines what happened and what her life had been like during that time.

Author(s) For the first time a joint venture: Megan Madonna & Alisa Joaquin

Disclaimer: The characters belong to WB but we are just borrowing them for a while. WE promise to return them in the shape that we found them.

Kwai Chang Caine sat back, unusually restless, as the plane took him to Paris. He was lucky to get a flight. With no money it should have been next to impossible. Not to mention the only identification he had was the passport he held from his journey to France in regards to the Chalice of I Ching. Fortunately, a flight attendant had recognized him and offered assistance. Caine had recently helped her father through a rough battle with pneumonia and she was more than willing to do whatever she could to repay his kindness.

As the plane levelled off to cruising altitude, Caine pulled out two photos. On top was the photo that Ping Hai had given him. The possibly of Laura alive filled him with hope and joy. It also filled him with many questions and dread. Where had she been? Why was he told that she died? What would she think of him now? Would she even recognize him after all this time? And what of Peter, what would she think of her son? The second photo was one that Peter had handed him at the airport. His son's face stared up at him, the joyous expression captured for all time. It had been taken by Paul at the cabin a few months before Paul had to leave. As he handed over the photo, Peter had explained that it would be a way for Caine to look upon the face of his son and know what it was he would be returning to. Almost whispering, he had added that it would also allow Laura her first glimpse at what she had missed. Caine hoped that she would be just as proud of Peter as he was of him. Kwai Chang closed his eyes and remembered the day when he met Laura. It was a day that he would never forget.

>>>>>>

It was 1965. A younger Kwai Chang Caine was heading back to the Temple. He heard the old Master of the Temple had died and he wanted to be there during the week-long celebration of that life and to pay his respects. By the time he would reach the Temple several days would have passed, but he continued on his journey, knowing that there was a possibility that he would have to turn aside. There was never any real rest for the life of a traveling Shaolin. There was always someone in need of help.

Kwai Chang walked across the Berkeley campus. This was the most direct route to where he was heading. Caine could hear voices up ahead. A small crowd was gathering to see what was happening. For some reason, Caine stopped as well, not knowing fully the reason. All he knew was that someone was going to need his help.

"Make love not war!"

"Hell no we won't go!"

Kwai Chang stayed back from the crowd knowing that trouble could start. He had seen such sights before become quite ugly. Just then, a beautiful young woman standing on what appeared to be a crate of some sort shouted out to him.

"Hey you! In the brown! What's your views on the war?"

Kwai Chang looked around confused at first not knowing who she was shouting at then pointed to himself with a questioning look.

"Yeah, you! What are your views on the war?"

"I do not have any views. I do not understand the question. Whom are we at war with?"

"Are you kidding? Where have you been? Haven't you seen the news?"

Caine had a puzzled look on his face. His travels did not allow him to stay in one place very long.

"Commie lovers!"

"Fascists!"

"Pinko commies!"

Suddenly another group of students against the rally started shouting epitaphs and insults. Two of the students who were holding protest signs tried to block the newcomers from coming any closer. Suddenly someone threw their fist into one of the protester's face and a fight broke out. By this time, the people involved in the fight did not care who got hurt. The fight was becoming a riot. Broken bottles were being thrown and the young woman was hit causing her to fall into the crowd. Caine jumped to the woman's aid, fighting those so he could get near enough to rescue her. By this time, someone had called the police and sirens could be heard. Caine was able to reach the young woman. He could see she had a nasty cut on her forehead. He picked her up and carried her over to a grassy hill just when the police arrived to break up the crowd. A couple of people wanted Caine arrested but the young woman stopped them.

"Don't you dare. He saved my life. Someone through a bottle at me and I fell. He had nothing to do with the fight."

"That cut needs tending." Caine said in his soft-spoken way. Caine had pulled out a small container and began spreading what looked like a green glob on the cut. Then he began placing a bandage to cover the wound.

"What's that stuff your putting on her?" suspicion was in the police officer's voice. He had been around drug addicts and he did not relish the idea of having to arrest these two for possession. He was sure whatever the man had in his brown bag would get him into trouble. "It is a poultice of healing herbs. Ginseng, willowbark, yarrow, and marigold cream. It will help in healing the cut until she can have it looked at by a doctor."

"I don't need a doctor. I just need to rest and maybe a cup of herbal tea."

"Will you see that she gets home?"

Caine bowed to the officer.

"Do you live nearby?"

"No, I live in Braniff. I usually come here for the rallies."

"I, too live in Braniff or used to. Do you know of the Temple near there?"

"Yes, I would pretend it was a castle in a far off land when I was little. You must be joking. You're not from the Temple. You don't look like a monk. I've seen them and they are not dressed like you."

"These are my "traveling clothes?" Caine searching for the words. "And yes, I am from the Temple."

"Tell you what. Why don't I give you a lift? I'm going to head home anyway and since it's a long walk from here, you might as well have a ride and save on shoe leather. That way we can talk more. My car is on the other side of the Student Union in the visitor parking." They walked together in silence. "By the way, my name's Laura Carradine."

"I am Caine."

Laura looked at Caine rather puzzled. The name sounded familiar. They got into her car and they were soon on the open road. Laura stopped briefly for gas and to have her windshield cleaned. The man at the station gave her a very strange look. It was rare seeing a woman driving a car with the man in the passenger seat. Must be some of that women's lib crab, he thought. As they continued on their journey, Laura became more and more curious about her passenger.

"You said you were from the Temple?"

"Yes."

"Your returning there?"

"Yes, the old Master has died. I am going to repay my respects."

"You know, I can't help wondering that I've seen you before."

Caine turned toward her with a curious look. He certainly would remember her if they had met previously.

"Oh, I don't mean recently," suddenly it dawned on her and she nearly slammed on the brakes. "Of course, your KC Caine."

Caine was very surprised at the reference. He had not been called KC since he was 16. That would have been before he finished his training and left the Temple. Who was this young woman who seemed to know more about him than he knew about himself?

"Don't you remember me? Well, I was 12 at the time and you were 15. You stopped some older kids from bullying me. You were with an older priest, what was his name, oh yes. Ping Hai. I remember that because he was not too pleased with your method of handling those kids. After that I sort of had a crush on you. I would watch for you whenever the monks would come into town." Caine recalled the memory. A smile came to his face from recalling Laura's "crush" and the lesson he "taught" the bullies. They teach us patience and we teach them tolerance. Someone must protect the innocent. Caine continued to smile at that memory as they continued on their journey.

>>>>>

Caine continued to smile at that last memory. It was the same lesson that he had imparted to his son both when he had been young and the second time they returned to the Temple. His son would have been very surprised that he too learned that same lesson in much the same way. Soon Kwai Chang's, thoughts drifted into sleep. Just a few more hours and he would see her, again.

As the sun began its daily decent toward the horizon, Caine sat at a small table and looked out at the Eiffel Tower. His plane had touched down early this morning, affording him plenty of time to track down the location of the cafe in Lo Si's picture, and to make the necessary journey. Along the way, he had stopped to show the photo to various shop owners and ordinary citizens. Nobody seemed to recognize the woman he pointed out, although many commented on her extraordinary beauty and extended their best wished that he find her. Even in the fading light, one could not possibly have looked at Kwai Chang Caine and failed to see the unfathomable depth of adoration and love the man held for the mysterious woman in the photo. Moving his gaze from the surrounding scenery back to the object of his search, Caine sipped his tea and allowed his mind to drift back in time

**Flashback**

Kwai Chang Caine and his young bride stepped into the airy cafe and chose a table near the window. It was too cold to sit outside, but neither one of them wanted to miss a moment of the darkening Paris evening. The Eiffel Tower stood majestically on the horizon, lending itself without notice to the romantic atmosphere of the city.

Laura gripped her lover's hand tightly as the excitement of the day finally caught up with her. Her sweet smile held Caine's heart captive. He squeezed her hand once before raising it to his lips.

"Je t'aime, mon amour. I will love you for all eternity, Laura. No matter where we go, together or apart, my heart will forever belong to you."

***

A touch on his shoulder jerked Caine back to the present. Looking up, he found the sun had long since completed its journey and that his waiter, Bruno, was standing next to him.

"Monsieur, is there anything else I can get for you? More tea, perhaps?"

Caine shrugged, "No. Thank you. I will be leaving in just a moment"

He placed the picture down on the table and reached into his ever present satchel for the money his son had insisted on giving him, and which he had converted to francs along the way. His attention was immediately diverted as Bruno asked,

"Notre petite colombe, you know her?" {{translation: Our little dove}}

Caine's heartbeat quickened as he saw the young man pointing to the picture of Laura, face lit with recognition. "Colombe," the waiter repeated, gently caressing the image.

"I know her," Caine confirmed, "but have not seen her in a very long while. Do you know where I might find her?"

"Oui, Monsieur. Ms. Caine comes in here every day. She sits and watches the people, soaking up the sights and sounds like a sponge, non?" His expression saddened as he continued, "So much pain she has been through. She once sat here, in this very cafe, with her greatest love. She says that her husband was her heart. But he is long dead, as is leur fils, and she is alone."

Caine felt a chill run through him. Relief and confusion warred within him as he realized that Laura was truly alive, but believed that both he and Peter were dead. Catching his breath, he inquired as to the time she might be found at the cafe the following evening.

"Around noon, Monsieur. But I warn you, she is much loved by many. If you intend to harm her, you will find that to be a very difficult task."

Caine stood and bowed. "I assure you I have no intention of ever allowing harm to come to her again."

The waiter stared after the stranger for a moment, a look of quiet contemplation crossing his face, and then returned to work. 'Oui," he thought, I most definitely must switch shifts with Jean-Claude tomorrow. If just to be present when the man returns and meets Ms. Caine.'

***********

The following day dawned clear and bright. Caine had risen well before sunrise and had decided to walk around Paris and reclaim old memories. Noon found him once again in front of the Le Bourdonnais cafe. He looked around but saw no sign of his wife. 'My wife,' his mind echoed, 'how strange, and how sweet, that sounds'. He did, however, manage to catch Bruno's eye. The young waiter smiled in greeting and made his way over.

"Ah, monsieur, you have returned. I am afraid I have not yet seen Ms Caine. But fear not, she has not missed one day with us in at least the past five years I have worked here. She will be in."

He laid a hand on Caine's shoulder, sensing the need for reassurance in the older man. Though he had no idea how, Bruno instinctively knew that this man would bring joy to Ms. Caine. Joy that had been absent for much longer than his short acquaintance with her.

Caine nodded and bowed as Bruno pressed a steaming cup of herbal tea into his hands and led him over to the same table he had occupied the previous night.

Suddenly a wave of pure light washed over him, causing Caine to look up. She was standing at the entrance to the cafe, her eyes searching for the best place to sit. He watched as Bruno walked over and quietly spoke to her. Laura's hazel eyes swept over the crowd and met his with a shock. Time froze as two spirits soared.

Laura could not believe what she was seeing. This had to be some trick of the light. Standing near the back of the room was a tall but familiar stranger. Except for his hair and the lines now etched in his face, his eyes were the same. They stared with such intensity that every one in the cafe could not help but notice. Laura's hands came up to cover her mouth. She did not dare breath for fear the image would disappear. She walked slowly toward the man and he continued to stand where he was, patiently waiting. As she reached out to him, he also reached toward her. When they touched, Laura nearly collapsed in finding that he was real after all.

"Kwai," she breathed out almost forgetting she had been holding her breath. "How is this possible? Is it really you?"

Kwai Chang did not say a word but pulled her close into an embrace and buried his face in her hair. She still smelled of Jasmine. Though not the specific kind of perfume that he once made for her, it still suite her just the same. It helped in making him realize that she was just as real to him as he was to her. Tears of joy fell silently. The deep wounds of having lost her so many years ago were coming to a close. His small family would finally be whole, again. Three joys in four years. Three lives once thought lost were found. First Peter, then his father Matthew, and now Laura. Never in his wildest dreams would Kwai Chang ever imagine that his family would be restored to him. He held Laura for what seemed like an eternity. Then finally breaking away, he was aware that everyone in the cafe had been cheering. They both looked around at the faces in the cafe and not one had a dry eye, especially Bruno. He had heard her tale many times and he was happy to witness its happy ending.

Kwai Chang gestured for Laura to sit. They both clung onto each other's hands not daring to let go for fear the other would disappear. Kwai Chang finally found his voice. It cracked with emotion.

"Oh, Laura. I missed you so much."

Laura reached up and brushed a tear from his face. He quickly grabbed her hand and held it to his cheek. All he wanted to do was hold on to that moment for the rest of his life. He could not, would not let her go, again. Many questions filled his mind but he dismissed them. All that mattered was that one moment in time. To touch and to know that the other was there.

"Kwai Chang," Laura's voice was like music to him. "Is Peter . . . Is my son . . . Our son . . ."

Kwai Chang understood what she was trying to ask. He the pulled the second photograph from his pocket and handed it to her. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized the young man in the photo. He lived, too. Tears again formed and threatened to spill. This was almost too much. She studied the photo with the loving care of a mother looking for the little boy that had been lost and finding a man. He still had his father's eyes, though they were her color that stared out at her. His face was more like hers, but his hair was the color of his father's before it turned gray. He looked tall, handsome, and strong, and there was a hint of something else that she could not quite identify. She started to give the photo back but Kwai Chang stopped her hand and pushed the photo toward her.

"He told me to give it to you."

This time the tears fell as Laura brought the photo to her breast, and, again embraced her husband.

"Where is he?"

"He is at home."

"I wished he could have come with you."

"We did not know if the photograph was real. I came alone . . ."

". . . So if you didn't find me, you would not have to disappoint him." She finished his sentence for him. It was always that way with them. She always seemed to know what he was thinking and still did.

"Yes. You would be proud of him, Laura. Just as I am. So much has happened. I have so much to tell you."

"I have a lot to tell you, as well. But first, are you hungry?" Kwai Chang could not help but laugh. Always when they had so much to talk about, she would bring up the subject of food. Peter was the same way at times. As the two reunited lovers sat and talked, the hours passed, and soon the light from the setting sun faded and the lights from the city began to appear. Bruno quickly brought them a special meal. On the house, he had said. Each of the patrons of the cafe quietly slipped out, not wanting to disturb the scene. Paris after all was the city of lovers, and when two such as these had been reunited, it was a night to celebrate.

Kwai Chang and Laura had to finally be shooed out of the cafe when it came time to close. Bruno had been so kind to let them stay as late as they did. Seeing Ms. Caine's reaction to this stranger had been worth switching places with Jean-Claude, even thought it had meant working a double shift that day. His fears had been eliminated when he learned that this man was her greatest love. It swelled his heart to know that she would never be alone, again. It was also amazing to learn that her son had survived. Without hesitation she spoke in french.

<Oh, Bruno, isn't it wonderful? I have found my husband and my son is alive.>

<I am happy for you, my lady. Will you be going to see your son?>

<I do not know.>

Kwai Chang listened to what was being said but did not understand. It had been many years since he had been able to have an entire conversation in French, what he did know he had learned from his father when he had come home from the war. However, it did not matter what was being said; the look on his wife's face told him everything. Kwai Chang turned his head to the side questioning Laura's expression. Laura realized then that Kwai Chang did not understand a word she was saying.

"Oh, Kwai, I'm so sorry. I've lived here for so long that I automatically speak French. In fact, I relearned most of what I know in French. I didn't start speaking English again until about 10 years ago and only when I needed to. Bruno was just asking me if I was going to go see my son, I mean our son."

Kwai Chang was taken by surprised by her answer. Of course he wanted her to see Peter. In fact, he wanted her home, but how could he ask her to leave the life she had built here? Dread and doubt filled him and he was reminded at that moment of his father, living in St. Adele. Kwai Chang wanted him to come home as well, but his father had refused. He made a life for himself and he felt that going back to America would be too painful, that his life would be wasted and useless. Kwai Chang tried to understand but he could not help feeling rejected. His father tried to reassure him that was not the case. Then when Kwai Chang saw his father in the Bardo and said the things that he did, his father had disappeared. Soon after that, Kwai Chang wrote a letter telling his father he was sorry. Maybe, now that he was here, he could take Laura to meet him as well and really apologize for his actions. Kwai Chang was brought back from his thoughts by his wife's eager questioning.

"Are we going home to Peter? I want to so much."

"Are you sure? You have a life here."

"Oh, Kwai," her laughter was like sunshine, "my life isn't really here. Ever since my memories began to return, I knew my life was somewhere else. But then I learned, or thought I learned, that you and Peter were dead. That was only five years ago."

"Since your memory...returned?"

"Yes, it's a long story Kwai. I would love to tell you about it, but not here. Maybe when we return home. After all, I am your wife." She snuggled deeper into his arms for emphasis.

'Return home'. She wanted to return home with him. His heart nearly skipped a beat. Kwai Chang grasped both of his wife's hands and held them firmly. 'His wife's hands', oh how good that sounded. She was his wife. How could he doubt that she would not return with him?

"Forgive me . . ."

"There is nothing to forgive, Kwai. It has been too long for both of us. We need time to get to know each other again. First, I want to hear everything that happened to you and to Peter. There's a lot I've missed out on, too. You don't know what it means to have you here. I've dreamed of this moment so often once I recalled that I was married to you. When I remembered your face, and looked for you, all I had was a small photo in a locket. I wear it all the time."

She pulled the locket out from under her shirt and opened it to show him. On the left, Caine noted, a younger version of himself smiled contentedly at some unknown occurrence. On the right was a picture Caine knew very well. He had carried it's duplicate close to his heart at every moment during the fifteen years he and Peter had been apart. It was the first picture he and Laura had ever taken of their son. As if echoing his thoughts, Laura continued,

"I have never taken it off, not once, and I never will. It was all I had of the two of you and all I thought I would ever have, until now."

Kwai Chang kissed his wife's hands and noticed something else that he thought he would never see, again. On her left finger was the wedding ring he had given her. Kwai Chang had it especially made from one of the monks at the Temple at Braniff. Sadness filled him with that thought because that young monk had been a master craftsman and he had been one of the monks that had been killed by Tan's men.

"Kwai, is anything wrong?" She had noticed and was concerned.

"Just a sad memory."

"I hope it wasn't due to me." she smiled playfully.

"No, it was not."

She continued to look at him but found herself looking more through him. He found he could not hide from her what he was feeling. It felt good to have someone that knew what he was thinking.

"Tell me the truth."

"You know this ring?"

"Yes, you had it made for me for our wedding."

"The young monk that made it was killed when the Temple was destroyed."

"Oh, Kwai, you mean that beautiful Temple where we were married, and I thought you and Peter had been killed?"

"Yes." Kwai Chang was puzzled. "How did you know about the Temple and its destruction?"

"I was told when my memories returned about you and Peter. Let's not talk about sad things right now. All I want to do is walk with you the way we used to."

Kwai Chang nearly held his breath. This woman wanted to resume her life with him. They walked together in silence, cuddling close. It felt good. It felt natural, as if she had never left. They walked in the moonlight and soon found themselves by the Seine. Music was being played by a street musician and they stopped to listen for a while. They soon started talking about their joint memories. Meeting at the rally, their trip to Paris when they got married, and the day that Peter had been born.

The hours again slipped by and soon Kwai found that he was leading his wife to where he had been staying. He had found a small mission that was being run by his father's friend from St. Adele. It then occurred to him that maybe tomorrow would be a good time to take Laura and have her meet his father for the first time. When he turned the corner into the courtyard, he realized that having her with him in the mission might cause a problem until he realized it did not matter. They were married, even after all this time. Kwai Chang turned to his wife and discovered she had nearly fallen asleep on his shoulder. He hugged her close, not wanting to wake her. He knocked on the door of the mission and the person in charge of locking up frowned when he saw that this strangely dressed American had a woman with him. Kwai Chang indicated in his rusty French that he and the woman were married. He showed him the ring and pointed to both himself and her. Seeing the look on Kwai Chang's face, the man recalled the photo that Caine showed last night and understood. The man let him in and Kwai Chang was showed to a private room reserved for married couples. He carried her over the threshold as he did those many years ago when they lived in her small house in Braniff. Kwai Chang laid his newfound wife on the bed, then went to the common room, found the bed he had been given to sleep in, found what belongings he had, and took them back to the room. He then placed a blanket over his wife; but he dared not lay down next to her, not yet. It had been so long since he felt her next to him and he needed time to get to know that part of their relationship again. Instead, he sat on the floor next to the bed in meditation. Trying to absorb everything that had happened that day, going over each and every detail. As he sat next to her, he watched her sleep. As he watched, he realized that his body also ached to be with her as much as his soul. Having her close and feeling her near had brought on those old passions that he thought had died along with her. Still, he knew he must not give in to those urges until it was right for both of them. She, too, might be going through those same emotions, but neither should rush into something that they both might later regret. Many things had changed. They needed to know if they were still right for each other after the passage of so much time. Having her close would have to be enough for now. She was right. They needed time to get to know each other, and now they had all the time in the world to do just that.

Peter was dreaming. It was a vision of his father walking hand-in-hand with a beautiful woman and talking. The woman's back was turned toward Peter. She seemed familiar to him, and yet a stranger at the same time. He wished he could see her face but, just as she began to turn around, the dream ended. Peter woke abruptly as a feeling of deep loss pounded into him. He had not experienced such an empty feeling since he and his father had returned to their Temple. With a sudden flash of insight, he recognized that the emotion was attached to the very woman his father was searching for -- his mother. Peter sifted through his mind for any memory of her but could only recall a fading smell of jasmine.

'Maybe if I were to meditate,' he thought, 'I can go back into time and learn just what actually happened to her. Maybe it will help me to recall the dreams I've been having.'

Lately he had been dreaming both of the Temple and of her gravesite. But the dream would fade as he woke up, always managing to just elude his grasp. He needed to know what had happened the day his mother died.

Peter set up the incense, lit the candles, and put on a tape he'd made of his father playing the flute. Just after Caine left for France, Peter had added a small stereo to the apartment. The sound of that flute always took him back to the lesson by the campfire when his father had been shaping a flute out of a piece of bamboo. That would bring on more memories of other times his father played his flute. It was odd, though, the flute he remembered from the Temple had been handmade. The other flutes his father had must have been given to him in his travels. Peter shook himself back to the present and allowed the sound of the flute, combined with the sweet smell of the incense, to carry him into meditation. Soon he was being propelled back into time. Why had it never occurred to him to try this before? Maybe it was because he had really wanted to hear from his father the story first.

Peter concentrated on his father and mother. In this time, he would only be an observer. He could not act or even interact for fear of causing a paradox. Suddenly the distortion of time travel ceased and Peter found himself standing among a crowd of people. He could see monks and other people dressed in what appeared to be some sort of odd looking formal wear. They were all waiting and watching. Peter easily recognized the place, having scrubbed its floors and run through this great hall on many occasions.

On the day that he was observing, it was decorated with flowers and banners. From what he could see it was a celebration that everyone welcomed, or at least most. There were some scowling faces off to the side, looking on with disapproval but knowing they could do nothing to prevent whatever was happening. Peter moved a little closer, trying to remain hidden but wanting to see more. Suddenly he caught his breath. The Temple's sacred cauldron had been moved to the center at the base of the stairs. Standing next to it, waiting with customary patience, was old Ping Hai, exactly as Peter remembered him. Next to the old monk stood a younger version of Kwai Chang Caine. This version's darker, shorter hair had been brushed back neatly, and the hat that he normally wore was not present. What really caught Peter's attention, however, was what his father was wearing. Caine was dressed all in white and his feet were bare. A gong rang out and all eyes, Peter's included, were drawn to the top of the stairs and to the beautiful woman with long red hair who was gracefully descending. She was wearing a long simple white dress, was also barefoot, and a homemade flower wreath adorning her head. The light from hundreds of candles surrounded her, making her look like an angel descending from heaven. With fascination and awe, Peter silently stood witness to his parent's wedding. He watched as they exchanged vows and Ping Hai placed a ribbon around their joined hands. Then his father reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. Peter leaned forward to get a better look and was rewarded with the light bouncing off of an ornately carved ring. Detail revealed two cranes, their wings touching and their necks intertwined. He watched as his father placed that ring on his mother's left hand and felt his eyes misting as the pair closed the distance and kissed. At that moment, a flash of light engulfed the room and Peter found himself back in the present. It may not have been the memory he sought, but it had been a moment he would never forget. The gift of witnessing his parent's wedding was a blessing. At the same time, however, the loss of his mother was still be an open wound and would remain so until his father eturned with news. He hoped it would be soon.

The following morning, Caine woke to find his wife staring at him. An expression of awe and wonder crossed her face as she took in the man lying on the floor beside her bed. Kwai Chang thought she looked like an angel.

"What shall we do today, Kwai?" his angel queried.

"I thought that, perhaps, we could go visit my father in St Adele."

"Wait a minute, your father? I thought he was...um..." she bit her lip and tried to come up with a more diplomatic way to frame her question.

"Dead?" her husband smiled. "I, too, believed that to be so. At least until my last visit to France."

Caine went on to relate the story of the Chalice of I Ching. He looked up at the completion of the tale to find Laura shaking her head, bemused.

"What a strange family we have," she laughed.

"Yes, we do all seem to have a way of cropping back up at the most unusual of times. Shall we get something to eat?"

"Mmm, that sounds good. But first I have to go by my place, take a shower, and change cloths. I can't meet my father-in-law looking like a bum, now can I?"

"You could never look like a...bum." He lifted her hand and brushed her fingers lightly with his lips, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks.

She whispered, "Oh my. You haven't changed a bit, my love. Not one bit." Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the tip of the nose, a gesture she remembered he had always hated but that amused her to no end.

"Laura," he admonished. With a sigh he recalled the irritating nickname his son insisted on calling him. 'So that is where he gets it,' Caine thought with resignation.

As she unwrapped her arms from around him she laughed at his exasperated expression. "Hurry up now, Kwai, we don't want to keep your father waiting."

They left the mission a few minutes later and headed toward Laura's apartment. Not long after that, they were headed toward his father's home in her car, stopping along the way to eat breakfast. Laura had insisted on driving them, pointing out that while he might prefer the earth beneath his feet, <she> was not inclined to walk the entire distance between Paris and St Adele, not to mention back again.

"Besides," she teased, "I thought you wanted to introduce me to him today. And you can tell me all about Peter on the way."

She had not believed that her heart could be any fuller that it had been at the sight of her husband, and the knowledge that he and their child still lived. She was wrong. At the mere mention of their son's name, Kwai Chang's face lit with an internal glow that she thought could easily outshine the sun. Knowing that her husband and her son shared a bond that strong filled her with fierce joy and brought tears to her eyes. But it also brought a touch of sadness. Would she ever be able to share such a connection with her only child? Laura gave herself a mental shake and concentrated fully on her husband as he began to relate their son's life to her.

As he talked, Laura tried to imagine how Peter must have felt. Her poor baby! It broke her heart to think of him alone in an orphanage, believing his only surviving parent was gone from him forever. It had been hard enough for her to come to terms with the loss of her son and husband, how much harder must it have been for a 12 year old boy? She was grateful beyond words that Paul Blaisdell had found him and taken him into a warm, loving home. She was also grateful to Annie Blaisdell, of coarse, but found herself also envying the woman who had been given a chance at what she, herself, should have had the opportunity to do. Laura pushed to envy aside and concentrated on the fact that the woman had apparently been a wonderful mother to Peter. She had given him the love and support that Laura would have given if fate had not intervened. 'Fate nothing,' her mind screamed, 'it was my so-called <family> that stole away that precious gift.'

Caine's story concluded just as they reached the outskirts of St Adele. Laura still had a million questions about Peter, but decided to wait until later to ask them. Kwai seemed very nervous as they closed in on his father's cottage and she wanted to allow him to concentrate on the upcoming meeting. There was no doubt in her mind that she would like Matthew Caine, how could she not adore the man who was half responsible for providing her with the love of her life? She did, however, wonder what the man would think of her. Suddenly, her husband was no longer the only one in the car who was nervous.

Kwai Chang approached his father's cottage with care. There had been no way to notify him that he was coming. Matthew Caine was also one who did not have a phone. When they spoke that last time, he explained it as being too much of a nuisance. People would call you up at odd hours. They would disturb you when you were in the bathtub. Matthew remembered having a phone for a while when he first arrived in St. Adele but soon gave it up. There was also another reason. He had no one he wanted to call. Kwai Chang approached the door and gave it a gentle knock. There was no answer inside but that did not mean his father was not home. He could be taking a nap or working in his small herbal room grinding herbs and making medicines for the local villagers. It was doubtful that he would be outside on a day like today. The weather was brisk. Spring was still weeks away and there had been snow in the higher elevations. Kwai Chang pushed the door open and found it unlocked as usual. He marveled at how each of them chose to keep their homes open to the world, including Peter despite his earlier career as a cop. Peter never locked the door to his apartment or to his car. The Shaolin training they all shared expressed openness and availability. Helping others was a way of life for the Shaolin. There was no reason why that way of life would be any different.

"Father?" Kwai Chang called out as he entered. Laura hung back not sure if this was really a good idea. They could be mistaken for burglars. Kwai Chang turned to stare back at his wife and saw the concern on her face. "It is alright. Do not be concerned. We Shaolin always keep our doors open to all. Father, are you here?" Kwai Chang called a little louder.

"Uh. Kwai Chang? This is a surprise. What are you doing here, my son?" Matthew was sitting by his workbench, his back to the door.

"I have brought you someone I would like you to meet."

Laura had hung back by the doorway. Shyness had overcome her when she heard the old man's voice. It sounded much like her husband's voice. Matthew Caine turned and suddenly Laura was in awe. It was not possible but this man looked so much like Kwai that there was no mistaken where he came from. Except being older in his features and wearing glasses, they could almost be twins.

"And who might this beautiful young woman be?" There was a twinkle in his eye that would often be in Kwai's when he was hiding some secret that she knew would please her.

Kwai Chang drew in a deep breath. "This is Laura, my wife and mother to Peter." Kwai Chang tried to gage his father's reaction.

"I was not aware that you had been married." Matthew's wry humor came through and watched Kwai's reaction.

"I, uh, yes."

"So, why did I not meet her earlier?" Matthew played his part well. Looking rather stern but the twinkle was still there. Matthew could see that Kwai Chang was becoming rather uncomfortable and loving every minute.

Kwai Chang tried to explain it as best he could but the nervousness in his voice came through.

Then Matthew laughed. "Relax, my son. Come here, my daughter. I wish to look at you more closely. My eyes are not as good as they use to be."

Laura came closer and Matthew took her by the hand. "Oh, Kwai Chang. She is beautiful. I can see where Peter gets his good looks, certainly not from you. Tell me my dear. Has my son treated you well?" It was the question of a loving father.

"Always."

"And do you love him?"

Laura looked up and back at Kwai Chang. The look on her face was enough but to hear the words seemed to seal the bond and forever join them.

"Yes, very deeply, Mister Caine."

"Enough of that Mister Caine nonsense. It is Matthew or Father. I do not like formalities. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Kwai Chang could you put on the kettle please? So tell me why my son has hidden you from me all these years. If you are not careful Kwai Chang, I may steal her from you." The twinkle in his eyes remained.

Laura could not help but blush at her father-in-law's words. He was just as much a charmer as her husband. They talked for what seemed like hours until Matthew Caine got up and made some lunch.

"How has the roof held this winter?"

"It has been very good. Tell Peter he did a wonderful job with repairing it. I could have used him for other repairs but maybe next time."

"I cannot believe that you and Peter had been here. We could have seen each other and not know it. And to find your father. Oh, Kwai this has been so overwhelming. You do not know what this means to even have a father-in-law. I relearned about four years ago that my father died during my amnesia 15 years ago. It was quite a blow. I still relive old memories as if they happened yesterday. It has taken me the better part of two years to try and make sense of them and try and put them back in their proper place."

"How did you loose your memories?"

"Oh, my." Laura took a very deep sigh. "That is a story and a half. I remember becoming very ill. There wasn't much Kwai could do for me. His skills as an apothecary were just coming into fruition. It was my family that insisted they take me to Europe to see a specialist. They had not been too happy when I married Kwai Chang. They were rather prejudice. And when we had Peter, they gave me an ultimatum. Leave and take Peter with me or be cut out of the family. I chose to stay with Kwai. After all, I had fallen in love with his gentle ways and he made me feel so much alive. It also wouldn't be fair to Kwai to separate him from his son. I could see, even from day one there was going to be a bond there that would be extraordinary. When I got sick, my family took advantage of the situation. Saying that they could help me and that when I was better, I could return but . . ."

Tears started to fall. The tale had only just begun but the pain of those memories was still fresh.

"I'm sorry. It's hard to talk about it."

Kwai Chang came close and hugged his wife. Knowing how painful it must have been. He had not realized what her family had done. They had lied to him and he had not seen through the lie.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, my daughter. You have been through a great ordeal. The rest of the story can wait. Kwai, why don't you and your lovely wife go for a walk and leave an old man to his nap. We will talk more later. In fact, why don't you take her to the village. I could use some fresh candles. When you come back we will set up supper. Did you bring your flute?"

"Yes."

"Good. You can play for me while I make us something to eat later."

"Oh, please let me help. I could bring back something from the village. I could cook your favorite meal, Kwai."

"Do you remember that?"

"That was one of the first things I started to remember. I couldn't figure out why I remembered it until it was placed back in context. Please."

Kwai Chang agreed. Secretly he was delighted that such a simple memory would bring him such great joy. Kwai Chang picked up his jacket and hat and waited for his wife to grab his arm. Having her by his side made the walk more pleasant. Kwai Chang remembered the many but brief times he and Laura would go shopping together. Sometimes they would argue on the merits of buying certain items but Laura always seemed to win the argument whenever she would give him her most girlish pouty look. Whenever she did that, Kwai Chang's heart would melt and he would give in only to quickly add that she must also buy what he wanted as well. Kwai Chang realized it was much the same kind of pleading that Peter would do. At that moment, Kwai Chang could not wait to take Laura home and reunite her with their son. It would be a day that would live in his memory forever.

Matthew, Kwai Chang, and Laura enjoyed their first meal as a family in comfortable silence, each lost in his or her own memories. Later, after Matthew headed for bed, Caine and Laura moved out to the porch to talk without disturbing him. Laura laid her head on Caine's shoulder and sighed softly.

"What is it, my love?" he queried.

"I'm sorry, Kwai. I really do love it here. And I have enjoyed meeting your father, he is just as wonderful as his son," she teased. "I just can't help but wish we were already on our way to the States. I am terribly anxious to meet Peter."

"There is nothing to apologize for, Laura. I understand your need to see our son. Remember, I was also separated from him for a long while. If it makes you happy, we can leave in the morning."

Her face lit the night sky. "Can we? Oh, yes Kwai, that would be great."

She snuggled deeper into his chest and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Caine shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It is I who should be thanking you. You have given me the two greatest gifts a man could ever desire: your love and a beautiful son."

Laura lifted her face to him and smiled. Wrapping both arms around his neck, she slowly pulled his lips down to meet hers. After a moment, she pulled back and gazed into his eyes.

"I can't imagine how I have lived all of this time without you."

"Shh, my love," he place a finger on her lips, "it is enough that we are together again. And tomorrow we will return to our son."

Utterly content for the first time in a very long while, Laura laid her head back against his solid chest and fell asleep. Caine carried her to their room and placed her gently on the pallet next to his before he, too, fell into a fitful sleep.

The following morning, after bidding Matthew farewell and promising to visit again soon, Caine and Laura returned to her apartment in Paris. A few quick phone calls later, Laura announced that a jet would be fueled and waiting for their arrival at Le Bourget airport. She giggled at the stunned look on her husband's face and explained,

"After my mother died last year, I became the sole heir to the Carradine fortune. I never told you that my parents were loaded because it never mattered to me. Besides, my father was the one who disowned and disinherited me after you and I got married, so it seemed pointless to bring it up."

"Ah. So that is how they were able to create such a convincing illusion of your death."

"Yes, well, money does tend to make the lies that much easier," she scoffed. "But I really would rather not talk about that now. I would prefer to tell the whole twisted mess only once, if possible. I promise I will tell you once we have returned to your home, I mean our home, and to Peter."

Her expression softened visibly as she said his name. "Peter," she whispered again. I have not said that name for so long. Such a sweet name.

Caine responded with his trademark Shaolin shrug. "You may tell me whenever the time feels right to you. I will not push you."

"I know." Her brows furrowed in contemplation, "but I am sure Peter will want to know where I've been all of this time. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, as the saying goes. Now, if I can just forget that I am about to hop onto a huge hunk of metal that will take me thousands of feet into the sky..."

"You do not like to fly?"

"That's an understatement, my darling. I hate to fly. Outright despise it. If we were meant to fly, we would have wings instead of cars," Laura stated emphatically.

"Peter also hates to fly. You and he are so much alike. I can not wait for you to meet him."

"Well then, let's get to it." She paused and then asked, "Kwai, do you think we should call him before we leave Paris?"

"No. We can call him once we have landed in Sloanville. That way he will not spend the intervening hours worrying, pacing, and annoying his friends," Caine grinned. "Call it a...mercy?...gift."

Laura laughed and Caine decided that there was no sound more enchanting anywhere on Earth.

*******

The crew of the small jet welcomed their passengers aboard and helped them get settled. Noticing Laura's obvious discomfort, the stewardess patted her arm gently flashed an encouraging smile.

"I will leave the two of you alone now. If you need anything, or if you get hungry, just push this button here," she indicated a brightly lit call button on Laura's armrest. "Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Laura buckled her seatbelt tightly across her lap and gripped the chair for all she was worth. 'Why can't they just build a damned bridge over the Atlantic?' she thought to herself, gripping the chair even tighter as the engines of the jet roared to life.

Caine watched his wife carefully. If she had not been so truly terrified, he would have thought the situation amusing. The similarities between his wife and their son amazed him. He draped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her upper body into a half embrace. Her eyes were shut but a small ghost of a smile crossed her face at his touch. Once the jet took off, she relaxed slightly against his chest and her breathing took on a more even rhythm.

*******

Peter Caine had been pacing his father's rooms, now his, for the past half hour and his friends were getting annoyed.

"Pete, would you please cut that out. I am sure your father will call as soon as he has something to tell you," Jody pleaded.

"Alright kid. That's it. Sit down and stop pacing or I'm gonna nail you to a chair."

Peter looked up as Kermit's threat registered.

"You would, too, wouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah."

Peter stopped pacing and faced them. Kermit and Jody both had the day off from the precinct and had decided to come by to take him to lunch. He decided it was probably not very fair of him to waste their time by pacing and worrying. He could just as easily do that once they left.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Let's go get something to eat."

Just as he picked up his jacket to head out the door after Kermit, his cell phone rang.

'Has to be Pop,' he reasoned. 'Just about everyone else knows I installed a phone in here yesterday. Pop?"

The surprise in his father's voice was obvious. "Peter, how did you know..."

"You're the only person who doesn't have the number for the phone I had installed in the place yesterday morning," Peter interrupted. "Pop, where are you?"

"We are at the airport, my son. I was hoping that you could come to pick us up?"

Peter's heart jumped into his throat. "We?"

"Yes. Peter, your mother is here with me. She is very anxious to meet you."

Silence.

"Peter?"

"I...I'm here, Pop. Um, where should I meet you?"

Kermit chose that moment to duck back in the room and stopped cold. Peter's hands were shaking so hard he could barely hold the receiver to his ear.

"You alright, kid?"

Peter nodded hesitantly at his friend and held up one hand, indicating he would be off the phone in a minute. Kermit sensed his need for privacy and went back out into the hall to wait with Jody.

"OK, Pop. I...I'll meet you guys in front of the baggage claim area."

"Wait, do not hang up yet. She wishes to speak to you."

"Pop, I..." Peter began, but it was too late. Caine had already handed the phone off.

"Peter?"

The hidden voice of childhood dreams broke over him like a gentle waterfall.

"Mom?"

When Jody and Kermit heard that word, they looked at each other. Peter's real mother, alive? The only woman they had ever known Peter to call "Mom" was Annie Blaisedell. If it was true, then there was something to really celebrate. Behind his green sunglasses, Kermit's eyes filled with tears.

He was grateful that the emotions he was feeling were hidden, for now. He loved Peter like a brother and he was happy that another part of his past was coming back, not to haunt him, but to lay that final pain aside. Jody's thoughts, however, were for Mary-Margaret. Since Peter's departure from the precinct, she and Skalany had become partners. This new development was going to cause some really deep feelings to emerge in her partner, feelings that were likely to result in a few broken dishes. Jody did not like the idea of having pick up the pieces afterward.

"I can't believe it. Is it really you?" Peter's voice began to tremble with emotion.

"Yes, Peter it's me. I cannot believe it either. You sound so . . ."

"Grown up?"

"Yeah," Laura gave a little laugh at his remark.

"Yeah, well it's been, I don't know, since I was two when we were together."

"Peter, I don't want to spend all my time with you on the phone, so please hurry. Your father and I are waiting."

With that, Peter hung up the phone and was about to rush out when he saw Kermit and Jody still standing there.

"Uh, could I take a raincheck on lunch? I've got to go to the airport."

"Tell ya' what kid," said Kermit. "We'll drive you. We wouldn't miss this for the world."

Jody just nodded in silent agreement.

Jody and Kermit found it hard to keep up with Peter as he raced through the terminal toward the baggage claim area. In the end, they just gave up and resigned themselves to tagging along in his wake. Peter stopped for a moment to orient himself. At one time, it would have been nearly impossible to spot his father among the milling crowds, but his abilities as a Shaolin made the task much less difficult. Out of habit, he first scanned the sea of impatiently bobbing heads, and then reached out with his senses. Peter smiled and headed down the escalator. He glanced around the area briefly and found his father standing by the luggage carousel, lifting an unfamiliar suitcase off the belt. Peter walked up behind him and placed his hand on his shoulder

"Welcome back, Pop."

Kwai Chang turned toward his son with a look that said, please, do not call me that. Instead, he kept silent, proud that his son found him so quickly.

"Where's Mom?"

The mixture of excitement, joy, apprehension, and a bit of fear in his child's voice was contagious. Silently, Caine kept his own feelings in check. Peter's feelings at that moment were overwhelming and threatened to spill over into Kwai Chang. He could also sense his wife's feelings of apprehension. The father and husband in him wanted so much to shout for joy at the reuniting of his family, but the Shaolin in him begged restraint.

Laura Caine had intentionally held back, standing against the wall, just within view so she could watch her husband. When she saw a young man lay a hand on Kwai Chang's shoulder, tears came to her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. He was so tall. The photo that Kwai Chang had given her did not do their son justice. His hair was a little longer than in the photo and the color was slightly lighter, too. It looked as if he had been out in the sun. She could see a hint of red highlight when the light hit it just right. Suddenly, Peter began to turn toward her. She watched as Kwai Chang lifted his arm and pointed in her direction. Time stood still as hazel eyes met hers in mutual wonder. Both of them stood frozen, not daring to move for fear the other would disappear. Unconsciously, Peter's hand went up to the locket he had worn ever since his father found it when they returned to the Temple. Slowly Peter approached, not taking his eyes off her for fear she was just a dream. Not a word was spoken. This woman had always been large than life to him; a beautiful, mythical being that he would never be allowed to touch. Yet, here she was, arms extended in welcome, waiting for him.

As Peter approached, Laura reached toward him. This young man was her little boy, now grown up. The look on his face, though, told her that little boy was still inside him, crying to come out. Then his arms were circling her, pulling her to his chest, and she could feel the emotions rush through her. Tears of joy and grief spilled down her face as she held her son for the first time in over a quarter of a century. Peter also let the tears fall. This was a dream he had never thought would ever come true. A light scent of jasmine caressed him as he tightened his embrace and lifted her from the floor, laughter mingled with tears.

As Caine approached with their luggage, the sight of his wife and son together filled him with so much deep pride and love that he could no longer restrain himself. He placed the luggage down by his wife's feet and encircled both in his embrace. The reunion of his small family was something at one time he thought he would never see in his lifetime. The first discovery of his son alive had brought a joy to him that filled a void that he thought he would have to live with forever. Then the finding of his father alive was also a joyous time, though one still filled with apprehension. Kwai Chang still had feelings that needed to be resolved before his father's time would pass. Now his wife, his greatest love. No love would ever replace what she had given him, though someone had come close. This day would live on as a day of celebration; an anniversary that they all could share.

Suddenly, Laura was aware that a man and woman were watching them with obvious delight. Kwai Chang noticed them as well. He turned toward them and loosened his embrace while still keeping contact with his wife and son. Laura wound her left arm around Peter's waste and turned to her husband and gave him a questioning look.

"Kermit, Jody," he bowed to the pair and gestured them over.

"Sorry guys," Peter grinned, sheepishly. "I sorta forgot you were with me. Kermit, Jody, I would like you to meet Laura Caine, my mother." Peter paused for a moment, feeling slightly guilty using that title for someone other than Annie.

Kermit noticed Peter's odd silence and laid a hand on his friend's arm. "She'll understand, kid." he reassured.

Peter nodded once in agreement, knowing that Annie would understand, and continued the introductions.

"Mom, this is Detectives Kermit Griffon and Jody Powell; two of my best friends. They were also both, at one time or another, partners with me when I worked at the precinct. They were visiting me when Pop called, so they offered to drive me here."

Laura noted the look on Kwai's face when Peter called him "Pop". She grinned and stored the information in the back of her mind as source of future amusement.

"It is nice to meet you both. It's good to know Peter has such good friends."

Jody nodded and smiled, but Laura sensed a sadness behind the blond woman's eyes, unsuccessfully hidden behind the cheery facade. Before she could give it any more thought, Kermit Griffon was shaking her hand and gallantly offered to take her carry-on bag.

The five of them wound their way through the crowds, Peter's arm still firmly around his mother's shoulder, and out to Kermit's trademark Corvair. The lime green car was parked right outside the baggage claim area in a "No Parking Zone". Laura seemed to be the only one of the group who did not understand why it was not plastered with tickets. She looked over at Kwai, who merely shrugged and mouthed 'I will explain later'. After shoving the luggage into the trunk, Laura and Kwai Chang climbed into the back seat with Peter nestled contently between them. After one false start, and a warning growl from Kermit, the car started up and moved smoothly away from the airport.

'And toward a whole new future,' Laura thought. 'A future that was always meant to be.'

They arrived back at the brownstone and Peter led the way up the stairs to the top floor apartment. He carried his father's things while Kermit followed carrying Laura Caine's bags. Kwai Chang and his wife walked together, their arms linked. Jody brought up the rear, lost in her own thoughts. Peter opened the door and placed his father's things on the workbench in the main room. He instructed Kermit to put his mother's bags next to his father's. They both turned half expecting to see them walking in the door when Kwai Chang stopped, picked up his wife, and carried her over the threshold. She giggled with delight remembering the first time Kwai Chang performed this ages old tradition of newly married couples.

"You do not have to carry me, Kwai."

"I want to. It is an honor to welcome you back into our home and our lives. Call it a second honeymoon?"

"Well if this is a second honeymoon, maybe the three of us should leave you two alone. I could go visit Ping Hai for a couple of hours," Peter said playfully.

Kwai Chang looked at his son in such a way that said, don't you dare, but it was Laura that voiced his thoughts.

"Sorry son, you are staying here. I have not come all this way just to see you disappear."

Kermit smiled at the familial exchange and decided it was time to allow the reunited family some privacy. "Well, if you three don't mind, Jody and I have to get back to the precinct."

"Do me a favor when you get there. Don't say anything yet to anybody. I want to surprise them."

"Sure kid. See you later. It was nice meeting you Mrs. Caine."

"Please, call me Laura."

"Coming Jody?"

Jody seemed lost in thought. "Oh, sure. I'll see you later Peter. We'll certainly take a rain check on that lunch."

Peter watched as his friends left him and his newly restored family. He couldn't help but notice, though, that Jody was not her usually boisterous self. She usually had a lot to say. Her reaction towards his mother disturbed him. Her thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. He would have to meet with Jody later and try to discover what was disturbing her.

"Have you got anything to eat here? I haven't had lunch yet, and I'm starved," said Laura.

"I'd have to check. I haven't done any real shopping since Pop left. What are you in the mood for?"

"I don't know. I've really been craving rice."

"Rice?" questioned Peter with disgust.

Kwai Chang turned to Laura with a look of surprise. "I thought you did not like rice? You would not eat it when I cooked?"

Laura reached up and patted Kwai Chang's cheek, "That's because it was the only thing you would make. But I haven't had rice for a long time. At least not the way you made it."

Kwai Chang raised an eyebrow at Laura's reply. "If rice is what you wish, than rice is what you shall have."

Peter shook his head in dismay and mumbled to him self, "If they're having rice, I'm ordering Dominos."

"Peter, please. For your mother's sake."

"What's the matter, Peter? Don't you like rice?"

"I had too much of it at the Temple," Peter said grudgingly.

Kwai Chang turned to his wife. "I will make the preparations."

Peter felt outnumbered and gave in. "Okay, we'll have rice."

"Peter, you can begin by removing our baggage then setting the table." Kwai Chang gave Peter a rather stern but gentle look.

"Actually, I would like to freshen up. Is there a place where I can do that?" Laura queried.

"Sure, I'll show you." Peter took his parents luggage to one of the back rooms. Since Peter took over the apartment, he moved his own belongings over to the place. With his father home, and now having his mother back, finding privacy was not going to be easy. The apartment had only one real bedroom. The pallets that his father would use had been replaced with a real bed. Peter had also added a small futon in the main room for guests to sit on. He realized he was going to have to find a place to sleep tonight and maybe every night for who knows how long.

Peter placed his mother's things on the bed and his father's bag in the corner. Laura followed Peter to the bedroom and proceeded to unpack her bag.

"Thank you, Peter. I'd forgotten how much traveling by plane could be so draining on a person. I'll be out in a minute."

All of a sudden, Peter felt awkward. At that moment, he wondered if he should have given up his own apartment in the Towers. There just wasn't going to be enough space for all three of them. Out of nowhere, feelings of resentment and anger rose within Peter. He should have been happy that both of them were back but for some reason, he just did not know why he was feeling this way. Peter went into the small kwoon. He kept the room as his father left it because it gave him comfort and he could continue with his own kung fu exercises. Right now, Peter needed calming. The feeling of having his privacy invaded needed to be dealt with and this was the only place that he felt at peace.

*Peter, is anything wrong?*

Peter could feel his father's gentle probe but did not want his father to know exactly what he was feeling. He sealed that part of himself off not ready to deal with the emotions.

*No, Pop, just feeling tired, I guess. The excitement of the day I think has caught up with me. I'm going to do some stretching in the kwoon.*

*Dinner is almost ready. If you wish, you may have something else to eat.*

*Thanks, Pop. Tell you what, I'll do the dishes afterward so you and Mom can have time together.*

*That would be good.*

Laura came out of the bedroom after changing into more comfortable lothes. She watched her husband as he prepared the meal and noted that he seemed lost in thought. He would stop suddenly, raise his head, his eyes would take on a far way look, and an expression would appear upon his face as if he was communicating with someone. She had not seem this side of her husband before. Maybe she had imagined it. Laura watched as Kwai Chang pulled out some fruit, vegetables, cheese, and bread, arranged them on a plate, and placed them on the table. He then proceeded to fill a kettle with water for tea.

"Who is that for?"

"Peter."

Laura was a little puzzled.

"It is a . . .compromise? Since Peter is not fond of rice and this, at least, would be better for him than pizza."

Peter entered the main room to find his mother seated at the table and his father dishing up the rice. He placed a small bow by each place setting except for Peter's. In his place Kwai Chang put an empty bowl. Peter was about to dig in to the plate of food that Kwai Chang added when his mother stopped and folded her hands on her lap.

"Have you forgotten to teach our son grace Kwai Chang?"

"Grace?"

"You know, thanking the Lord for the food we are about to receive."

Kwai Chang was puzzled at first until he remembered that his wife followed different traditions. At the Temple there had always been a period of meditation after each meal. After her "death", Kwai Chang had returned to his old ways at the Temple rather than try and follow what his wife wanted to teach their son. It was not that he did not respect her beliefs, they would simply be a painful reminder of what he lost. It did not even occur to him to pass on some of those beliefs that had been a part of Laura. For the first time, Kwai Chang would have to relearn the meaning of diversity, especially with such diverse thinking within his own family.

Kwai Chang bowed his head and Peter followed suite. Laura said a quick prayer and they ate their meal in silence. It wasn't that no one had much to say, but the sudden impact of such an act surprised both Kwai Chang and Peter. Both felt somewhat embarrassed for their own reasons.

After the meal, Peter fulfilled his promise to do the dishes. He stacked the dishes in the sink, added the soap, and filled it with water. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to plunge his hands into he water when Laura approached holding a towel.

"I thought I would dry."

"Sure." Peter reached for a dish when Laura suddenly grabbed him by his forearms and turned them upward. A look of surprise, horror, and wonder was on her face.

"Why?"

Peter did not answer her at first.

"What made you do such a thing?"

"Mother," Peter used the more formal name. "Dad thought you were dead. He took me to the Temple and raised me there, or at least until I was about 12. We were very happy and I really wanted to be like him. When the Temple was destroyed and I thought I lost Pop, I tried to shut that part of my life away. Thanks to the Blaisdells, I had a home and a means by which I could help people by becoming a cop. I had been a cop for almost eight years when I found Dad again. When that happened, everything that he taught me started to came back to me. I realized that I was meant to do more than just arrest murders and thieves. This was my destiny, to be Shaolin. Didn't dad tell you any of this?"

"No. He should have given you a choice."

"How could he? I thought he died. I didn't find him again until 15 years later."

"It doesn't matter. If I'd have been there, I would have."

"Then why weren't you?" Peter asked, a little more harshly than he intended. "If you were alive, why didn't you even try and find us?"

Laura looked into her son's eyes and saw pain. Why hadn't she? She knew the reason, but if she was to tell him, would he understand?

She sighed inwardly. "Get your father, I think it's time you both learn the truth."

After they left Peter and his family, Kermit could not stop talking about how much he was going to like Laura Caine. Not only was she beautiful, she also semed to share that same sense of humor that was present in Peter.

"I really can't believe how beautiful she is. Where did Caine find her? And look at Peter. He certainly didn't get his looks from his father. I wonder where she's been all this time? Imagine finding her alive. That must have really been quite a shock . . . . . . ."

Jody, on the other hand, didn't know what to make of the situation. It seemed to her that Caine had forgotten one special lady that only weeks ago had helped save him from near death when his chi had been poisoned. The look they had given each other was reminiscent of two starstruck lovers. Jody had hoped that Mary-Margaret had really found someone she could share her life with in Caine. Soon Kermit's constant chatter faded into the background and Jody was feeling the need to be alone and think.

"Drop me off here." Jody announced without warning, distracting Kermit from his praising of the Caine family.

"Jody, we have to get back to the precinct."

"I need a drink."

"What's eating you?"

"First hand, Peter knows you no longer work at the 101st except as a special advisor."

"So he forgot. I'm not holding it against him."

"Secondly, Caine has obviously never once thought of Mary-Margaret and what this will do to her."

"Look, I'm sure she'll understand. Besides, Peter said he'd tell everyone later."

"Men?" Jody shook her head. "Just drop me off here. Go do what you have to do. I'll call in so the Captain knows where I'm at. I just need some time to get use to this."

"Suit yourself."

Kermit dropped Jody at the curb and she entered Delancy's. The bar was quiet this time of day and right now she needed that. It would give her time to think.

"Give me a beer, will yah?"

The bartender placed a cold one in front of her. Jody paid the man and took her beer over to a more secluded table, not wanting conversation. She sighed inwardly and focused her thoughts on her partner, Skalany. How could Caine do that to her? He should have said something to Skalany before he left. At least she would have been prepared for the possibility that his wife was alive. In some respects, Jody was wishing that he had not found her, that he would come back and everything would be like it was. On the other hand, she was happy for Peter that his mother had been found.

Thinking about Peter's departure from the precinct brought on another wave of anger and pain. Caine had been right. Peter cared for her, but not in the way she wanted him to. Still, no one had been prepared when Peter announced his decision to become a Shaolin like his father. It didn't seem fair. Peter had been one of the best detectives they had. Jody had tried talking to him after his father left, but he said that being a cop just didn't have the same meaning that it use to. He had started to see less and less compassion for those that needed help, especially for those that committed crimes out of desparation. Jody tried to understand, but to her, a perp was a perp. They just could not agree.

Jody finished her first beer and ordered a second. She had hoped the drink would make her feel better but it just seemed to make things worse. Just then, Jody felt Skalany's arm around her shoulder.

"I hope you have a good excuse. The Captain called a meeting and you didn't show. You're also late for your shift."

Jody continued to stare into her beer.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look like your best friend died."

"Caine's back," Jody said quietly and without much enthusiasm.

Mary Margaret's face lit up with barely contained delight. "Great! Maybe I'll pop over to see him."

Silence. Jody took another drink from her beer.

"He didn't come back alone."

"Really? Did he bring his father with him for a visit? Peter told us that he was alive. I'd love to meet him."

Jody paused, staring at the beer in her hand with intense concentration. She decided that it would be best to just get this over with. Peter and his surprises be damned. Mary-Margaret needed to know the truth.

"He didn't bring his father."

"Then who'd he bring?"

"His wife."

Laura took a deep breath and looked across the table at her husband and son. She could only pray that they would understand what she was about to say.

"When I was 13, I was diagnosed with Marfan's Syndrome. A rare, inherited disorder that results in abnormalities of the skeleton, heart, and eyes. I had some spinal deformity when I was little and the doctors tried to correct it with braces. Then they discovered the small aneurysm near my spinal cord at the base of my skull. My parents took the news pretty hard. They became almost paranoid where my health was concerned, to the point where they were dragging me to the hospital for just about every little ache and pain, from sprained ankles to headaches. Finally, when I was 18, I just left. I kept in touch with them, of coarse, and made sure that they knew I was okay. But I refused to return to living under those conditions. Then I met you, Kwai Chang," Laura paused as her face lit and a loving smile crossed her face, "and fell head over heels in love. I never mentioned my illness because I didn't want it to affect our relationship. I was so tired of being overprotected and I could not bear to have you pick up where my parents had left off. Of coarse, once we were married, my parents disowned me and their interference became nothing more than a bad dream. Little did I know how much worse it could get."

Kwai Chang reached across the table to take Laura's hand, offering silent strength and comfort. She saw only love and concern in his eyes. With this support behind her, she continued her story.

***Flashback***

Laura Caine sat across from the doctor in stunned silence. 'This can not be happening. Not now. Please God, not now,' she thought, silently. She played the earlier conversation over in her head.

"The tests conclude that the previous diagnosis' were correct Mrs. Caine. The aneurysm, however, is getting larger. I am afraid that your condition is only going to get worse. There is nothing we can do. Surgery would be too risky."

Her mind screamed its denial. It just wasn't fair. Just when she had everything she had ever dreamed of she was being told that her life was going to end. She thought of her husband and their eighteen month old son. 'No, I can't leave my baby. Please God, don't take me from my little boy.'

"Isn't there anything that I can do? Anything at all?" she pleaded with the doctor, begging for even one sliver of hope. The first doctor she had seen had not been able to offer any, nor had the second. She had tried one last time, praying that the old saying, "Third time's a charm", might hold some truth.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Caine. There are a few experimental treatments available, but they are not being used in the United States. I can give you some medicines that will help for a while, but I am afraid that's all I can do."

Laura considered her options. If she just let the disease run it's course, it was likely that she would have less than a year to live. But she might at least be able to live normally for many of the intervening months. On the other hand, if she took the drugs, she might live a bit longer but she would be plagued with all sorts of nasty side effects. She left the doctors office in a daze and returned to their small home.

She sat in the rocking chair in the nursery holding her sleeping son. It broke her heart to think about Peter growing up without her there to see him. A solitary tear crept down her cheek as she finally admitted to herself that there was still one option open to her. For the sake of her child, she placed the call.

"Mom? Mom, please don't hang up. Please, I need your help."

*******

Five weeks later, Laura Caine stood next to a private jet, hugging her husband and child to her for all she was worth. When she had finally told Kwai Chang the truth, he had done everything in his power to help her. Years later she would come to find out that the herbal remedies he had concocted for her had most likely given her the strength she needed to counter all but the worst of the negative effects from the experimental treatments she would have to endure.

Ignoring disapproving glances from her parents, Laura waved through the tiny window as the jet taxied down the runway. She watched as her dreams became nothing more than a dot on the pavement, and then disappeared altogether. Her head told her that she was leaving them to regain her life, but her heart countered with images of baby Peter and Kwai Chang, and their happy home.

*******

Months later the treatments finally began to work and Laura felt herself beginning to grow stronger. She wrote letters daily to her husband, detailing her recovery and sending her love to both him and Peter. Things were beginning to look bright once again, when the final tragedy struck. Laura's condition unexpectedly began to deteriorate and the aneurysm that they thought had begun to shrink, burst. She fell into a coma that lasted for several months. When she woke up, she encountered the one possible side effect that no one anticipated.

"Who am I?" the patient inquired, somewhat panicked.

***End Flashback***

Laura sighed, "I guess that is why they called it "experimental" treatment. The drugs the doctors gave me were suppose to shrink the aneurysm to make it safer for surgery. Amnesai was the one side affect they didn't expect. Because of my apparent progress,they just never anticipated that the aneurysm would break. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive. If the aneurysm had been in my aorta, I would have died. They told my parents that there was a pretty strong possibility that I might never regain my memory. I guess Mom and Dad decided that was their chance to bring me back to them and to correct what they considered to be the biggest mistake in my life. When I asked again who I was, they told me that my name was Laura Carradine."

She began to tremble, partly in anger, partly in sorrow for all she had missed. Kwai Chang stood up and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and placing a gentle kiss on the back of her head.

"It is alright, my love. You do not have to continue this now."

"No, Kwai, I have to finish this now or I may never be able to get it out. Mom and Dad filled me in on everything about my life. Everything," she growled, "but my husband and my child. I had no reason to disbelieve them."

Laura's eyes pleaded for understanding. Peter swallowed hard against the anger that had been growing toward his maternal grandparents. He knew his mother needed his support and love right now, and that anger would only be an impediment to the healing that was necessary. He looked up into her tear filled eyes as she softly continued,

"But they were wrong, the doctors that is. I did eventually regain my memory. It was a slow and difficult process, but something inside me told me that it was necessary. I always felt like a piece of me was missing. By the time I remembered that I had been married and that we'd had a son, it was too late. I again defied my parents and made my way back to the Temple. When I got there," she choked back a sob, "when I got there I was told that the Temple had been destroyed and that you had both been killed. The final blow came when I found out that my parents had also lied to you, Kwai. Peter would have been too young to even understand. I found a marker with my name on it by the lake. At first I didn't know what it meant. I read the date and then I realized you must have been told that I had died."

"Yes, I received your last letter in November the year before. I did not hear from you for almost three months. Then I received a letter from your mother." Tears were bright in Kwai Chang's eyes as he remembered that day.

*****

Dear Mr. Caine,

I am sorry to inform you that my daughter, Laura has died. I am writing to you in defiance of my husband because as Laura's husband, I feel you have a right to know. This will be the only time that you will hear from us. I am sorry for your loss.

Katherine Carradine

*****

Her tears flowed freely now. Kwai Chang knelt down next to her and pulled her into his arms. Peter also moved to his mother's side and allowed her to pull him into a three-way embrace.

Although Laura's news seemed to bring some kind of understanding, Peter could not fully release the emotions of guilt and anger that he was feeling. Laura Caine may have given him life, but Annie Blaisedell had been his mother when he needed that love the most. How he was going to resolve the feelings, he did not know. It reminded him of the feelings of abandonment that he had experienced when his father came back into his life. Could he just accept this woman and who she was? What bothered him most of all was that, even though Laura was his mother, he could not bring himself to say the word in regards to her.

The scent of jasmine was strong as he sat next to her on the floor. He drank in the smell and tried to bring back lost memories to him, but the thoughts of a two year old were sketchy at best. All he could recall was being torn from someone that he loved, crying, and yet, another presence was there. Holding him, giving him love and acceptance. Soothing his fears, wiping his tears, and letting him know that someone would be there for him. That someone was, for another 10 years, teaching him, caring for him when he was sick, and loving him. That someone was his father.

Peter looked up to see his father watching him, love and concern was in his eyes. He sensed the turmoil that his son was going through. Without saying a word, he communicated that he understood that it was going to take time. After all, it had not been easy for either of them as well. It had taken them many months to get to know each other again. Going back to the Temple had helped Peter and Kwai Chang to put the old pain to rest. With Laura, it was going to take even longer. Kwai Chang appeared to be ready to resume a life with her, but Peter needed time to get to know her as a mother. It would not be easy for any of them.

*Pop, I need some time.*

*I know, my son.*

*I'm going over to see Ping Hai, maybe help him with some of his patients. I think you and . . .* Peter hesitated on the word. *. . . Mom need some time alone.*

*You need time with her as well.*

*I know. I just can't right now. *

*?*

*We'll talk later.*

*Alright, my son.*

"I'll see you both later."

"Peter, where are you going? I wanted to spend some time with you," his mother asked.

"I promised Ping Hai that I'd help him with some patients." Peter hated to lie but he needed time to absorb all that he had learn, especially the feelings that he got from his mother. How could he explain to her that being Shaolin was his destiny, just as it had been his father's, his grandfather's and his great-grandfather's, down through time to his ancester Kwai Chang. The book of Shambhala had been very clear. 'And the Last shall save the First.' If only he could help her to understand. He was not that little two-year old boy crying on his father's shoulder. At first it was exciting and wonderful to see her, but the feelings he got from her when she learned he was Shaolin were of disappointment and disapproval. What had she been expecting to find? If he had still been a cop would she be more accepting of him? Was she saying it was alright for the father but not the son? Some mothers would be proud that their sons had followed in their father's footsteps. Peter had been unique. He followed in both the footsteps of his father's and his foster father's. What mother wouldn't be proud? He knew Annie had certainly expressed how proud she was of him, even when he'd told her the change in his destiny and the decision to be Shaolin. When she wanted to feel the brands on his arms, she'd shed tears of joy, letting him know that somehow she knew that this was his path. She had never expressed that before. She told him that being a cop may have been one direction in his life, but she knew he had a gentle spirit that would one day require him to follow a path other than violence. With Laura back in his life, instead of joy, he felt anger and disappointment from her at not being there so she could help him make choices based on her expectations, based on her dreams.

Peter remembered the day his foster mother told him that when he graduated high school he would have to make choices in his life. Choices that could affect him deeply. She did not suggest or give him ideas as to what he wanted to be. She didn't even tell him how she felt when he made that big choice that would change his life. Instead, she simply was there, a presence supporting him in whatever decision he would make. There were a few times earlier on that he'd wished he could go back to the Temple and resume his life and become a priest. But at the time, that had been impossible. The state child welfare board looked upon his old life as over and even unhealthy. Peter, however, did know one thing he wanted to do. He wanted to be able to help people. It would have been his way to remember his father. There was also the thought back in his mind of wanting revenge against Tan. Becoming a cop was one way how he could achieve both. Eventually, Peter's need for revenge was replaced with the need for compassion for others when his father reentered his life and stayed. Never did he realize during that time how his life would change and take a completely different turn.

Peter arrived at the Ancient's, his emotions still in confusion and turmoil.

"Sit down, young Caine. You are troubled."

"Yeah, you could say that. Pop came home. He found his wife. She's here now."

"She is also your mother. Yet, you do not feel she is, even though she gave you life."

"I should be happy that she's here but . . ."

"You do not know her."

"No."

"You must give it time, Peter. She does not know you either."

"Ping Hai, she was horrified at me being Shaolin. I could feel her disappointment and even disaproval. I can not undo what I have become. This is what I am now. Why can't she accept that?"

"Peter, she just learned that you and your father were alive. You must give her time to get use to the idea."

"Maybe I'm angry that Pop didn't tell her."

"Perhaps he chose not to because he believed it was best that you tell her."

"You maybe right. I just can't get over the look in her eyes."

Ping Hai could sense the hurt of rejection in Peter's voice. "Give it time Peter. Give it time."

Laura Caine watched her son leave and a coldness clutched at her heart.

Why she had said those things earlier to Peter was beyond her. She sounded like her mother, prejudicial. Passing judgement without really knowing the full story. So the son of her dreams was not what she had expected. What was she hoping to gain? His love and approval all at once? Relating her life experience after she had to leave her family behind may have cleansed her soul and brought some understanding, but it had done nothing to bring that little boy back to her. What was she hoping for? That he would welcome her with open arms, like he did at the airport? That they would pick up their lives where they left off? 'Get real, Laura. My son is a grown man. He has made his own decisions now for a long time. I should be grateful that he's even alive. But why do I feel like he's made a big mistake becoming like his father? What is it I am afraid of? What do I really know about the Shaolin way?' Thinking about the Shaolin and the brands, however, brought feelings of dread and despair. Nightmare images rose up within her that spoke of unspeakable tortures and horrifying rituals. Seeing the brands on Peter's arms had triggered something inside her that she could not explain. The feelings she experienced were so mixed up, she no longer knew which ones were true. It was odd, however, that she did not feel the same way towards her husband. Something just did not feel right at all.

"Kwai, why does our son hate me?"

The question surprised Kwai Chang.

"Peter does not hate you. He just does not know you."

"I'm afraid I said some things that may have hurt him."

"What did you say?"

"It's not so much what I said, but how I said it. I don't know why I reacted the way I did, but I didn't like the fact that . . . I didn't like seeing those . . ." Laura could not put her thoughts into words. Kwai Chang felt Laura's anger and disappointment over Peter becoming Shaolin. So that is the reason for my son's distress, he thought. Suddenly Kwai Chang found himself wondering just how much he really knew this woman. His memories of his wife were ones of being carefree, not caring what others think. 'Live and let live' had been one of her favorite sayings. He remembered she would always play music that reflected that carefree style, music from a group called Peter, Paul, and Mary. There were even a few songs that he even liked that reflected the Tao. He could remember the times when they would talk about having children. She had expressed back then that she did not care if her son or daughter became a priest like him, so long as they were happy. What happened to suddenly change her so? When she was regaining her memories, could her parents have done something that changed her in some way? Could they have changed her history just enough so she saw things not as they are but as they wanted her so see them? Kwai Chang was troubled. If this was not the Laura of his memories, than who was she?

"He didn't bring his father."

"Then who'd he bring?"

"His wife."

Those two little words stopped Mary-Margaret cold. She started and lared at her partner.

"His what?" she whispered. This could not be happening to her. Caine had slowly worked his way into her heart and she had actually begun to believe that they might have a future together. Even more surprising to her was that she found the idea quite appealing.

Jody's features softened as guilt flooded over her. That was not at all how she had intended to broach the subject. Laying a supportive hand on her friend's trembling shoulder she repeated,

"His wife. God Mary-Margaret, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just blurted it out like that."

Mary-Margaret shook her head. Whether it was meant to deny the presented facts or to dismiss her apology, Jody could not tell.

"Wh...how..." Mary-Margaret stopped, unsure of how to continue. She was not even completely sure what she wanted to know.

Jody motioned for the bartender to refill their glasses. She watched helplessly as her partner, her friend, silently struggled to accept the unacceptable.

"I just came from his place, from Peter's place. I guess Caine went to France to look for her. Apparently the Ancient had a photo, or something, that was taken in the last few years." She slammed her glass onto the bar with more force than she intended. "I just can't believe he didn't say a word to you."

Mary-Margaret felt almost isolated from her own body. Anger began to build as she acknowledged that her world was being turned inside out. Anger at Caine for not telling her where he was going, or why. She could not believe that he had not shared any of the deepening emotions she'd allowed to overtake her the past few months. She was positive that there was a growing bond between the two of them. So how could he not tell her that he suspected his wife might still be alive? How dare he go off to look for her without uttering one word? And Peter? Peter had been her partner for years, partner and close friend. Their relationship, of necessity, had been one of mutual respect and unbreakable trust. Or so she had thought. Now she was just confused. These two men, whom she had trusted and loved, had left her completely open and vulnerable to the worst kind of pain. She shook her head again and downed the remained of her beer. The anger, finally burning off the shock that had held her frozen in place, took over.

"Let's go."

"What? Where? Mary-Margaret, wait." Jody stood and threw a ten dollar bill onto the bar. "At least tell me where we are going."

"Caine's"

That one word, spoken with such pain and venom, ripped through Jody's heart. Resolutely, she followed her friend out the door.

"Right behind you, partner."

As the two irate women approached the door to Caine's apartment, Mary Margaret began to lose her resolve. She had not seen Peter's Stealth parked out front. In fact, she didn't even know if he continued to own the car. Since he became Shaolin, she wondered whether he had also taken a vow of poverty. The thought amused her somewhat and helped to keep her mind off of what she was feeling. Mary-Margaret became more nervouse as they approached the apartment. She began to slow her pace only to be shoved forward by Jody.

"It's now or never, partner. You have to confront him and let him know how you feel."

"Betrayed is how I feel," she spat back.

"So, tell him that."

With revitalized anger, Mary-Margaret pounded on the door to Caine's apartment. She waited barely an instant before banging her closed fist against the wood once more. The door was finally opened and Mary-Margaret fell back in surprise. A petite but unusually thin redhead stood on the other side staring back at her.

"Can I help...oh, Jody. Hello again. Please, come in."

Laura, and Mary-Margaret was certain that was who this woman was, stepped back to allow them to enter. She appeared a little bit frazzled.

"Kwai Chang," she called, "it's Jody." Even her voice was soft and gentle. Mary-Margaret winced slightly as she compared herself to her tiny, softspoken rival.

"Jody, you have returned. Peter is not..." he trailed off as he noticed her companion. "Mary-Margaret. Please..."

Before Kwai Chang could utter another word, Mary-Margaret's anger boiled over to flood the small living space.

"Don't. Don't you dare say another word, Kwai Chang Caine. I don't want to hear it, not now. Not ever. How could you? Did you think I wouldn't notice? You didn't even bother to mention that your wife might still be living, much less that you were winging off to France to look for her. When exactly were you planning on mentioning this to me?"

Just then the door opened and Peter entered.

"Pop, I'm back. I...oh, Jody. I didn't expect..." He stopped suddenly and stood, mouth slightly agape, staring at his former partner like a deer caught in headlights.

Mary-Margaret turned to him, fury blazing through her eyes.

"And you. My best friend. Hah! When were you going to tell me why your father really went to France? Hmm? What were you waiting for? The first time you brought her down to the station? Hell, why not add even more humiliation to the pile you and your father have already buried me in. You should have told me. One of you should have at least prepared me for this...this..." Unable to continue, she turned away from them and ran out the door.

"Jody, what did you tell her?" Peter queried, a little annoyed that she had not done as he had asked.

Jody glared at him. "Don't you start with me, Peter Caine. She had a right to know what was happening before you came down to show your mother off to the entire station."

With that, she turned on her heel and stomped out of the apartment, intent on finding her partner and offering whatever comfort she could.

Peter started to go after her but thought better of it. 'She is the one with the gun, after all,' he thought. At least now he understood what had been bothering her earlier.

Laura watched the blond woman storm out of the apartment with wide eyes. She had absolutely no clue as to what had just occurred. Turning to her husband and son, she notice that each looked more than just a little abashed. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously,

"Just what, pray tell, was that all about?"

Kwai Chang turned away from his wife, trying to hide the guilt that he was feeling. He just could not help hurting those that he loved. In his haste to find his wife, he had forgotten about Mary-Margaret. He had been grateful to her for saving his life from the Bardo and the feelings that he had for her now warred with the feelings that he had for his wife. All those years without Laura, Kwai Chang had bottled up what passions he had and redirected them in his life as a priest. Peter had gotten a taste of the power it had generated when he fought Clarence Choi. Now he felt weak, confused, and torn. The love that he felt for Laura was still there, but it had been clouded with the possible chance that her memories had been tampered with. Now with Mary-Margaret's anger added to the confusion, it only helped to fuel the guilt he was experiencing at not being honest with her.

Kwai Chang turned to his son, a look of pleading was in his eyes.

*We have a problem.*

Peter nodded his head at his father and felt his father's guilt.

"Pop, it wasn't your fault. I should have gone and told her after you left. There just wasn't time. I know how busy they can get at the 101st and I just didn't think. Maybe after she cools down we can try and patch things up." But Peter did not feel it would be any time soon. There would be other issues they were going to have to deal with in the near future.

The rest of the evening was filled with tension. Laura had insisted on knowing who the woman was that attacked her husband with such veracity. Peter tried to explain to her that Mary-Margaret had been one of his partners when he had been a cop and also a good friend to Dad. He told her of the time when Pop's chi had been poisoned. Without her support, as he put it, Dad would have died. Laura listened calmly, but Kwai Chang was unusually silent. He sat separate from them on the futon that Peter had added to the apartment.

"If the woman had played such an important part in saving your father, why was she so upset?"

Peter did not know how to tell his mother that they had shared more than just feelings of friendship. He did not know how she would react. This first day together as a family had already been filled with so much emotion, both good and bad. It had drained all of their resources. Just then Kwai Chang rose from the futon.

"I am going to meditate. Would either of you care to join me?"

"Sure, Pop. That sounds good. It will help me sleep. Mother?" Peter still had trouble calling Laura "mom" and used the more formal of the two words.

"No!" She spoke up rather sharply, surprising both men. For an instant, there was a coldness in her eyes at the mention of meditation. Then it was gone.

"I think I will just go to bed. Goodnight." She softened the last statement and left the room as if retreating from something less than pleasant.

Peter and Kwai Chang looked at each other, questioning why Laura gad seemed almost hostile toward them. They knew they were not going to get any answers that night. Peter patted his father on the back as they went into the kwoon for their nightly meditation.

Peter did not sleep well. His dreams were filled with nightmare images that were not his own; images of the Temple where the rituals had been perverted. They were someone else's dreams. In the dream, he was the person that was running from the images. Peter tried to understand what rituals had changed and recognized at least one. It was the ritual of the branding. He could see the distorted faces of his father, Master Khan, and Ping Hai. They were forcing his dreamself forward. His father and Master Khan each held one of his arms while Ping Hai pushed him from behind. The two that held his arms pressed them against the hot metal of the cauldron and he cried out in pain and anguish.

Peter bolted upright from the dream, breathing deeply. Sweat poured from his face. The distorted images of his father, Ping Hai, Master Khan, and what had been done in the dream had come through. Peter looked at the brands on his arms. That had not been right. He remembered being alone with Ping Hai. He remembered Ping Hai telling him that the only way his father could defeat the dark side of himself would be the have his chi strengthened by another through the brands. Ping Hai could not do it, being a Shambhala Master himself, he was required only to be an observer. There was no else who could help him. It had to be Peter's choice. Peter, at first, did not understand that the brands were not just a symbol. This part of his lessons had not been imparted to him. When Ping Hai told him that it would take him to the next level, and the universe would open its secrets to him, Peter finally understood. This was the completion of all the training that his father, Ping Hai, Master Khan, and the other monks had tried to impart to him. But, it was still his choice.

Peter closed his eyes and tried to discover the truth of the dream and found only fear. Fear from another, the woman who was his mother. Why should she fear? For the first time since their meeting, Peter put his emotions aside and tried to bring the calm reserved of the Shaolin to the surface and discovered the truth. It was not him that she feared, it was all that was Shaolin. Peter reached his chi out to his father and found that he, too, was in the throws of a nightmare. Peter leapt from the raised sleeping area and rushed to his parent's room.

Kwai Chang Caine's dreams were also filled with images that were distorted and twisted. One dream was his wedding. The Temple was filled with light but the light of darkness. He was viewing this day from the eyes of another. That person was being led to what appeared to be an alter dripping with blood. He saw his younger self standing at one end, holding the ceremonial knife that Peter had recovered from the Temple. Ping Hai waited at the other end, holding a rope that was also stained with blood. Kwai Chang could not wake from the dream. The images held him trapped in this nightmare world. He could hear his own screams in his mind. He cried out softly in his sleep and tears fell. Suddenly, the images changed. It was Peter's child dedication ceremony. Again he saw events from the eyes of another. A distorted version of himself was holding a crying Peter in his arms. Ping Hai brought the bowl of that contained water. He poured the liquid on the child's forehead and hands, but the liquid was blood instead of the sacred water. The blood ran down his son's arms and turned into the brands of the Shaolin, sealing his destiny. The person witnessing through the dream screamed out in terror. And in response, so did Kwai Chang.

"Pop! Wake up!" Peter shook his father. "It's a dream!"

Kwai Chang woke with a start, confusion on his face. He turned to see that the side of the bed where Laura should have been sleeping was empty. They searched the rooms and found her in the small kwoon in the corner. Terror was in her eyes. She held the ceremonial knife close to her heart. Peter looked at his father and saw a stricken look in his eyes.

"Laura, what have they done to you?"

Peter's heart broke for his father. This was the one woman in all the world that he loved most of all. She was his greatest love, and someone had harmed her.

Peter and Kwai Chang tried to approach Laura but she just crouched deeper into the corner, pointing the knife outward to ward off whatever imagined evil she faced. Her eyes were wide and fixated on the images that brought terror to her heart and mind.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed.

Kwai Chang was deeply affected at what had been done to his wife. He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands and wept bitter tears. He could not hate those that had done this but neither could he confront them. They were gone. If they only knew that Laura had been his life and love. She had given herself freely and without reservation. She had given him Peter, his pride and joy. There had been such hope during their reunion, what could have triggered such deep pain and horror?

Peter looked at his father than down at himself.

"Pop, cover your forearms. It's the brands."

Peter rolled down his sleeves in hopes that this would snap his mother out of the terror filled trance that she was in. Kwai Chang did not move. His guilt, fear, and bitterness only served to freeze him in place. It was Peter's time to act. Because he did not know Laura, he had the ability to react with more impartiality than his father. As a Shaolin and as a son, Peter vowed to help his father in any way that he could. And just maybe, in helping his father, he would help himself as well as the woman called Laura Caine.

The dawn still found the three of them in the small kwoon. Laura had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion while Kwai Chang had moved closer to try to give what comfort he could, though his spirit had been shattered from what had transpired. Peter watched his father stroke Laura's hair and the haunted look in his eyes. He was blaming himself for the many years they had been apart. He was blaming himself for not seeing the treachery behind his wife's family. Most of all, he blamed himself for not protecting her the way he should have been able to do.

Peter turned his eyes toward his mother with new understanding. She did not hate him, she hated what he represented. To her, he was that little boy, a child no more than two, that did not know what was good for him.

Peter could see, even when she slept, that her arms ached for the little boy that had been torn from her. If only he could be like that little boy, even for a moment, but his own memories of her were not enough to see the love. He could not remember her embrace, only the scent of jasmine.

As Peter watched, his Shaolin awareness told him that he was going to need help. His father's spirit would need to be re-centered. His mother's mind would need to be reawakened to the truth. But what was the truth? What memories his father had may help in knowing the events that happened in their lives, but they would not bring back the emotional content for his mother because they were his father's. The only event to which Peter had been a witness was their wedding, and that was only because he was searching for another. There had to be a reason why he had been shown that event. Peter calmed his chi and was about to reflect on what had transpired in the scene when he heard the outside door open.

"Hey, there. How's the Caine clan this morning?" Kermit had come in bringing gifts of coffee and donuts. A smile graced his face until he saw the scene in the kwoon. "What happened?"

"We're not sure."

"Your Pop looks like he lost his best friend."

"In a way he has. I need to get him to the Ancient. His chi has been shattered."

"What about your mom?"

"I can't help her until I know what's been done. My father thinks she's been changed somehow. I can't help her until my father's been helped."

"I've only seen your father like that once and that was when you had been shot by that junkie. There was so much pain in his eyes. I could barely hold him back from barging into surgery and taking over. Then when you were brought to recovery, he would not leave your side. He sat on the bed holding your hand, even when the nurse tried to get him to leave, he would not budge. When Lo Si came, I left to find the guy. He had overdosed on heroine."

"I knew about the junkie but you never told me that about my father."

Kermit shrugged his shoulders. "I kept it to myself, thinking that it was a private matter. So, how can I help here?"

"I would like you to stay with her. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Peter levered his father off the floor and tried to lead him from Laura. Though Kwai Chang knew the person leading him from his wife was his son, he continued to stare in horror and shock at what had been done to his wife. As soon as Peter had him out the door, Kwai Chang leaned into his son for support. He was grateful for him being there. It would be several hours before Peter would be sure that his father was going to be alright.

Two hours later, Laura Caine woke from a start. She found herself on the floor of a strange yet newly familiar apartment.

"Kwai?"

"He's not here."

"Who . . ." Laura looked over to see a man with green sunglasses sitting on an odd look in couch.

"Kermit. We met at the airport?" Kermit could tell that something was wrong.

"What airport? Where am I? Where's Kwai Chang?" Laura had the look of a hunted animal. "Who are you?"

"Hey, take it easy. I'm a friend. Caine will be back. He and Peter went to see someone."

"Peter, he's here in Paris? I thought I left him with Kwai Chang."

"Paris? You're in the US. You're in Chinatown."

"I've got to find Kwai Chang."

"He'll be back."

"No, you don't understand. I have to find him before it's too late."

Kermit tried to comfort her but Laura suddenly grabbed the nearest object and hit Kermit over the head. The impact surprised and dazed him for a moment before he fell to the floor and soon passed out. He did not know a woman her size could have such force. Laura ran for the door to search for her husband and lover. She had to warn him that their child was in danger.

Mary-Margaret paced the streets without a clue as to where she was going. Her anger had subsided and left her feeling alone and defeated. She had booked off work for the day and was now walking aimlessly, an act that had always served to help her to organize her thoughts and calm her down. She was still confused as to what had transpired the previous evening.

Part of her wanted to sing with joy that Peter had found another missing part of his past. As an added bonus, her former partner now had two complete sets of parents to watch over him and provide the love he so desperately craved. Unfortunately, that completion of his puzzle came with a price tag that was hers, alone, to pay.

"Love sucks," she muttered.

Seconds later, eyes still focused on the sidewalk beneath her feet, Mary Margaret ran headlong into someone.

"Oh, excuse me. I wasn't...um, Mrs. Caine?"

Hearing her name, Laura looked up into the eyes of a stranger. At least, she thought the woman was a stranger. Something seemed vaguely familiar about the dark haired woman who was reaching out to steady her.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Mary-Margaret bit back a nasty retort. The woman before her seemed genuinely confused and a bit dazed. 'Something is definitely wrong with this picture,' she thought.

"Um, we sort of ran into each other last night at your husband's apartment. Mary-Margaret Scalaney," she extended her hand, hesitantly.

"Kwai's apartment? Wha..but he doesn't live here. He still lives in the States. Doesn't he?" Laura raised her hands to her head and rubbed her temples in tiny circles. "I'm so confused."

Mary-Margaret led the distraught woman to a nearby bench and sat down next to her. Patting her hand gently, Mary-Margaret tried to calm her down.

"Laura, you need to calm down. Look at me."

Laura glanced up into the seemingly friendly eyes offering assistance.

"OK, now listen to me. You have got to try to concentrate. You're in Chinatown of Sloanville, in the states, where your husband and son live."

Not seeing comprehension in the other's eyes, she asked gently,

"Laura, what year is it?"

"What year is it. Why, it's 1968 wait..," she shook her head, trying to clear up the jumbled images. "That's not right is it. No, it's 1997."

Laura looked up again and Mary-Margaret found herself staring into eyes filled with horror. "Oh, God. Where is Kwai Chang? Where is Peter? What's happening to me?" She started to cry, softly, and Mary-Margaret could not help but take the woman into her arms.

"It's alright, Laura. I don't know the whereabouts of Caine or Peter but I can take you back to their apartment if you like?"

"No!" Laura pulled away abruptly.

"Please, no. I...I'm not sure why but I can't go back there right now. God, I am so scared and I don't even know of what. The idea of seeing those...those...marks on my baby...I just can't." She started shaking violently, her words and actions of the previous night flooding back to her. "Dear God, what kind of mother am I? I couldn't save him then, and I can't face him now."

Mary-Margaret still had no idea what was going on with the woman she had, just last night, considered to be her greatest rival. She did know that Laura was genuinely afraid of returning to Caine's apartment. Rival or not, the woman needed someplace to go where she would feel safe.

"Look, why don't you come with me back to my place. We can have some coffee and try to figure out what is happening to you. I'll call Caine, just to let him and Peter know that you are okay," she reassured, "and we can go from there." Mary-Margaret suddenly remembered that Peter still had not installed a phone at the Caine apartment. If she had to, she could relay a message through Kermit or Jody.

Laura glanced curiously at the woman. She remembered her now. She had been at the apartment the night before, hurt and angry. Mary-Margaret's offer of assistance now was almost as confusing as the feelings that were assaulting her regarding the Shaolin, but she had no other refuge. Nodding her assent, she stood and followed her benefactor to her car.

Peter arrived at the Ancient's with his father in tow. He sat his father on the couch. Kwai Chang continued to stare deep within himself.

"Peter, what has happened? Your father is in shock. What has done this to him?"

Peter shrugged helplessly, "My mother went berserk last night. It started when both my father and I were having these nightmares. When we woke up, we found my mother in the kwoon. She was crouched in one of the corners holding the ceremonial knife. Pop took one look at her and said, "what have they done to you' or something like that. When we tried to get close she started brandishing the knife around. Then my father just crumpled. I've never seen him like this. Is there anything you can do for him Ping Hai?"

The Ancient apothecary ran his hands over Kwai Chang. "He has retreated into himself. His chi has been shattered. What were the dreams about?"

"I dreamed of the day I took the brands, but it was perverted. You, Pop, and Master Khan were there forcing me into it. I know it wasn't the truth, but there was something about the dream that didn't feel like it was mine. I felt like I was witnessing it from someone else. And that someone else was actually the one being forced, not me."

"What did your father dream?"

"I do not know. I should have been able to sense what was in his mind but it was as if, even in the dreamstate, he didn't want me intruding. All I could feel was that two of the dreams he had were bad. He cried out in his sleep, and he doesn't usually do that."

"Where is your mother now?"

"She's back at the apartment. I have Kermit staying with her."

"The dreams that you and your father had did not come from you. They came from another. That person's mind is in confusion. Your father must be linked somehow and he will not let go."

"My mother. I should have known. How can he be linked with her? They have been apart for so long."

"The link must have reestablished itself when they were reunited. Your father loved your mother more than life itself. I could see it in his eyes whenever they were together and when they were married. I could also see it within Laura Their chis were forever linked. It was as if they had been destined to be together for eternity. When he believed she died, it took an old friend to convince Kwai Chang to return to the Temple to heal his broken heart and to raise you where you would be safe. Without you there, Kwai Chang would have searched for his wife's essence until time would have taken him as well. Because you were there, he did not. You were all that he had of Laura to be able to continue to live. When he thought you had also died, all the light within him was extinguished and he sought only release. I tried to give him hope. I am glad that he found it on his own. But, it would seem that hope has been shattered, again."

Peter kneeled in front of his father and took him in his arms.

"Oh, Pop. I never knew just how much you loved Mom or even me. You never did forget her, did you?" It was the second time that Peter referred to Laura as mom. The first had been at the airport. This time, it became easier. "I promise, we'll help her together. Just please, come back, I need you. I can't do this alone."

Peter sent out his chi to search for his father's essence within. He continued to plead silently, trying to reach that which had fled, fearing that his father would not come back. Peter's tears fell on his father's neck and collar. They continued to fall unchecked for more than 10 minutes. Ping Hai placed his hand on Peter's shoulder for comfort. He felt Peter's chi. Though it was strong, Ping Hai did not know if the young Shaolin's skills were up to the task of bringing both his father and mother out of the darkness. It could take the skills of a Shambhala Master to achieve what was necessary for all to be h