Title: Going Home

Author: Alisa Joaquin

Characters: Peter and Kwai Chang Caine.

Time: Period: Takes place during the time of the Temple

Story: Peter is seven years old. Father and Son head for town to spend the day. Kwai Chang stops at a familiar house to check on a patient.

Warnings: None worth mentioning.

Disclaimer: Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is a creation by Michael Sloan and distributed by Warner Brothers. This piece of fiction is based on KF:TLC. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. This work is available to the public for reading. Permission for reproducing this story in another form must be aquired from the author. (If you ask nicely, I may grant it, but all rights revert back to the author after one year.)

Peter was excited. His father was taking him to town. He had rarely gone and this day was going to be one to remember.

"Peter, get your jacket. It is cold outside."

"Sure, Pop."

"Do not call me Pop!" Kwai Chang called after his son.

As they walked the road to town, Kwai Chang and Peter walked in silence. The snow was deep but managable. Kwai Chang thought about the need to check on the small house that his wife had left him. Once a month he would trek to town and check on the family that was now living in theř house. The family had lost their own home from a fire and Kwai Chang offered them a place to stay. Though the house was small for a family of six, it offered comfort and security.

"Peter, do not stray from the path. We must follow this road."

"Dad, where are we going?" I thought we were going to town?"

"Yes, we will be. I must check on a family before hand."

Peter followed behind a little more slowly, his head hanging down. Suddenly, his father had stopped at the door of a house and Peter nearly ran into him.

"Is your mother at home?" Kwai Chang spoke in Chinese. Peter's ears perked up at the sound of children laughing a playing. Suddenly, a woman with long black hair came to the door and begged them to enter.

As Peter walked into the door, he had the strangest sensation that he had been in this place before. Peter's eyes became wide as the images of someone chasing him with open arms and laughter came to him. "Mumumom?"

Kwai Chang turned his head to see Peter suddenly slump to the floor. Quickly, Kwai Chang gathered his son into his arms. Alarm was on his face. He checked his son for fever and found none.

"Is the boy all right?" the woman asked; concern showing in her eyes. "Here let me get him something to drink." The woman disappeared into the small kitchen at the back of the house and came back with a glass of milk and handed it to the priest.

"Here, drink this my son."

"You are the boy's father?"

"Yes. This is the first time that Peter has returned to this place. I did not know how he would react." Kwai Chang turnd to his son. "Peter, are you feeling better? Can you tell me what happened?"

Peter looked into the eyes of his father and saw deep concern. Peter began to shake and tears formed in his eyes.

"I s-s-saw m-m-mommy." Peter stuttered, becoming more upset. "She was chasing me and laughing in this room."

Kwai Chang was puzzled. Peter's mother had died when he was two. He could not possibly remember her, could he? They had not lived in the house for five years. How was it possible that Peter would remember?

The lady of the house could see that something was wrong. She asked in Chinese if there was anything she could do. Kwai Chang stood up and handed her the bag of tea that he had made for her. He kept one hand resting on his son's head.

"My son needs me. He was only a baby when we lived here before his mother died. Take this and brew a tea. Make sure your husband drinks it three times a day after meals. I will be back to check on him next week."

Kwai Chang reached down and picked his son up in his arms. "It would seem going to town will have to be deferred another day."

Peter was disappointed. He did not mean to cause any trouble but the sensation and feelings that he experienced scared him. He wanted to go to town so much, now he would have to wait another day. That could mean waiting for another month.

"Peter, I promise you we will go to town tomorrow if you will tell me what happened." His father tried to be consoling.

Peter frowned and started to cry again. "I don't know. I saw mom chasing me. She was laughing."

"It was in the living room of the house we were just visiting?"

"Yeah. It scared me." Peter tried to rub the tears from his eyes.

"It is al right, my son. There is no need to be frightened. May I ask what did it feel like?" Kwai Chang coaxed his son gently, trying to get to the truth.

"Like I was there before, but . . ."

Kwai Chang sighed and realized his mistake. This had been the first time that Peter had returned to the house since Laura had died. Kwai Chang had been to the house many times since then to make repairs and to collect items that they had left behind. He thought about putting the house up for sale but he could not bring himself to do it. Instead, he offered the house to anyone who needed a place to stay on a short term basis. He hoped one day to give the house to his son when he was older and ready to go out on his own. For now the house was a haven for the Chen family until their own home could be repaired.

"I am sorry, my son. I should have taken you there far sooner."

"I don't understand."

"That is the house where you were born. In truth, it was your first home."

Peter's eyes became wide at hearing that he had lived elsewhere. "Is that why I . . ."

"Yes, my son. You reacted to the house because you had lived there before. In fact, the house was your mother's before I met her. We lived there for three years. Two of those years were when you were a baby. When your mother died, I tried to raise you alone in that small house but I could not. The memories were too much, so I returned with you to the Temple. I had been back there to make repairs. I should have taken you with me. What else do you remember?"

Peter's eyes looked up to think. "I remember mom smelled of this neat perfume. I don't really remember very much." Peter yawned deeply. The emotions from the day were catching up to him.

"That is all right, my son. Sometimes memories that we have lost return in unexpected ways. Maybe some day you will remember more. Now, you should rest."

"Awe, can't we go to town, I feel fine."

"Tomorrow." The stern look on his father's face silenced Peter, but in reality, he was glad that he did not have to wait until next month.

"Pop?"

Kwai Chang gave an exasperated sigh. He was going to have to break Peter of that habit of calling him "Pop."

"Can we go by the house one more time?"

"Of course my son, but why?"

"I want to apologize to Mrs. Chen. I didn't thank her for the milk."

"Of course, now rest."

With that, Kwai Chang blew out the candles, tucked the blanket around his son, and kissed him on the forehead.

End