Characters:  Kwai Chang Caine, Peter Caine, Master Kahn, Lo Si, Clarence Choi

Time Period: Near the end of Aspects of the Soul

Story:  Caine and Peter both think about the experience they had from sharing Caine's qi.

Disclaimer: All characters are borrowed except those created by me.   All other characters (from KF:TLC and we know who they are) are property of Warner Brothers.  I promise to give them back when I am done with them (of course I do not know how long that will be.)  I give permission to archive.

Kwai Chang Caine was suddenly filled with his own energy as he felt the surge.  The candle flared to life, announcing the return of Caine's qi to his body.  With his qi depleted, Caine did not know whether Peter had succeeded in defeating Clarence Choi's iron shirt discipline.  Caine rose from the floor, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he was moving through water.   He stumbled but did not fall.  Even though his qi had been returned to him, he was still weak from the ordeal and would be for several hours.  Squaring his shoulders, Kwai Chang Caine stared into the flames of the candle.  With the quickness of a cobra he struck and the flame was extinguished.  A slight smile of pleasure appeared on his features as he saw that his life force was returning to its proper level of control.  His thoughts then turned toward his son, what of Peter?  Had he defeated Clarence?  His qi may have been returned to him, but that was not proof regarding the struggle between Clarence and his son.  Who had won the fight?

Caine's questions would have to wait.  At that moment, Master Kahn entered the small enclosure where Caine had sequestered himself through the ordeal.

"The hallway has been restored."

"Thank you, Master Kahn."

"Have you heard from Peter?"

"Not yet."

"I thought perhaps you might have sensed that all was well."

"I still do not have the strength to do so."

"Forgive me, Master, I will have the Ancient make you some tea."

"Thank you," Caine gave Master Kahn a bow of his head and Kahn left the room.

Caine looked around the small enclosure then stepped through the door and back into his apartment.  Having given Peter his qi for a few hours, though that energy had been returned to him, Caine felt the sudden chill of the darkened hallway.  As he moved into the back room of his apothecary, Master Kahn was there to drape a blanket over his shoulders.  Master Kahn then guided Caine to sit on the raised platform.  Silently the Ancient entered with a pot of tea.  He poured a cup for Caine and handed it to the younger priest.

"You must rest, Kwai Chang Caine."

"I must know if my son has defeated Clarence."

"It will be hours before your son returns.  I will attend him.  He will soon be feeling the effects of the loss of energy.  You will see him tomorrow."

After finishing his tea, Caine felt suddenly very weary.  He slowly lowered himself to the platform, found that Master Kahn had placed a pillow under his head, and the blanket that had been resting across his shoulders was now covering his whole frame.  It wasn't long before Caine was fast asleep.

***

With the last blow to Clarence Choi's chest, Peter Caine watched the humiliated would be Tong leader fall to the floor.  The other Tong leaders shook their heads and were soon walking away.  After the crowd had dispersed, Peter went over to where Clarence was still sprawled on the floor.  He picked him up by the lapels of his jacket, spun him around, and quickly cuffed his hands together, all in silence.

"I don't understand.  How could you defeat me?"

"It's a Shaolin thing," was all Peter said.

Clarence gave the cop an enigmatic stair.  "But you're not Shaolin.  You're just a cop."

"Am I?  What you don't know about me would fill the Encyclopedia Britannica, as my father would say.  Let's go, Clarence.  Time to head back to jail."

Peter Caine could hear Clarence grumbling under his breath, still bewildered how his iron shirt discipline could have been defeated at the hands of a cop.  Peter smiled to himself, for once he was the one being mysterious. 

'Clarence was really going to have a hard time figuring out this one,' he thought.

Peter escorted his prisoner as far as the entrance to the mall when he suddenly felt very weak.  His father's qi must have left him just minutes ago, but he had not realized it was gone, not until all the excitement had died down as well.  At that moment, two uniformed officers approached Peter and his prisoner, their guns drawn.

"We got a call from someone who said there was going to be a big fight."

"It's been handled," Peter stated and flashed his badge.  "Do me a favor, take this prisoner back to the 101st.  Tell Chief Strenlich everything went according to plan.  I've got some things I've got to do."

"Sure thing."

Peter watched as the officers loaded Clarence into the back of a squad car.  As soon as they were out of sight, Peter started to sag.  As his legs began to collapse under him, arms as strong as a mighty oak and just as solid grabbed Peter and supported him.

Peter turned and saw who it was that supported most of his weight.

"Lo Si.  How is it that . . ."

"Do not talk.  Where is your car."

Peter pointed across the street.

"Can you drive?"  Lo Si asked.

"I think so, but I don't really know if I can make it all the way home.  I feel suddenly tired."

"You may stop at my place and rest."

"Lo Si, what's happening to me?"

"Your father's qi had been returned to him."

"Then he's okay.  The trick worked."

"Yes.  I see that you have succeeded in defeating Clarence.  Your father will be proud."

"Lo Si, did I really experience that?"

"Yes."

"You mean my father has that much power?"

"He has cultivated his qi over many years of training.  And some day, you too will know that feeling."

Peter didn't know what to say.  As they reached his car, Peter pulled out the keys and handed them to Lo Si while he took a breather against the door.  He then allowed Lo Si to help him into the driver's seat.  He kept playing over in his mind the events.  Then another thought suddenly occurred to him.  He had shared something that no one else in the world would ever experience.  The power that was contained in his father awed him.  More questions popped into his head, one in particular that he had not thought of before.  He was going to have to ask his father about that one.  Thinking along those lines, Peter blew out a long whistle.  Just think of the number of women he could . . . Well, enough for one day.  There was always tomorrow.  For now, a comfortable bed waited for him.  Peter Caine turned on the engine of his blue stealth and headed through Chinatown and the home of the Ancient.

The End.