A Son of Matthew Caine, a kung fu: the legend continues fanfic

Title: A Son of Matthew Caine (Short Story)

Chtacters: Kwai Chang Caine, Peter Caine, Lo Si, and Martin Bradshaw

Time Frame: During Brotherhood of the Bell

Story Line: On their way back from defeating Damon and his unholy alliance of men and women who celebrated the lives of historical bad guys, Kwai Chang Caine learns more about his half brother Martin Bradshaw and Martin learns the truth about Matthew Caine

Violence: None

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 required from the author. (If you ask nicely, I may grant it, but all rights revert back to the author after one year.)

Note: This story had not been beta read.

A Son of Matthew Caine

by Alisa Joaquin

Kwai Chang Caine glanced over at the man who sat next to his son. He scrutinized the face and saw within the man's eyes, the eyes of his father. That left him feeling amazed and proud to know that he had two brothers instead of only one. Though he had heard rumors about his brother Damon, never in his wildest dreams did he expect this.

Kwai Chang Caine looked at his son and then over at Martin. He was surprised to see that their features were quite similar. But it was the eyes again that told him that they were all related. To think that Matthew had loved another woman, besides Caine's mother, gave him cause to pause and to hope that someday, he too, could give his heart to another.

As they drove back to Chinatown, Martin told Caine and Peter of his life as a Bradshaw.

"Life with my grandparents wasn't easy. Though no one outside the family knew about the situation, they never really let me forget my mother's sin. That is what they called it. I really didn't understand or knew who my father was until I was about 12 years old. At first I was real bitter about my father leaving my mother to die. Plus, I was made to feel that no one really wanted me. I was the family shame. I ran away a few times but something always brought me back. I guess it was because they only hinted at who my father was. I thought if I could get some kind of information I could find out and get answers. At one time I really wanted to kill him for leaving her and leaving me. It was my uncle who set me straight, saying that he probably didn't even know I existed because he left before she knew she was pregnant. He gave me clues as to who I really was but couldn't tell me much. Those clues led me to an old trunk buried in the attic where I found the letters from Matthew Caine and the amulet. The letters told me a lot. He really loved my mother. It was my grandparents who didn't want a Shaolin Priest involved with their daughter"

"How did you get involved with Interpol?" Peter asked.

"It was because of my search for Matthew Caine. I stumbled on some things about all those treasure hunts he went on. Each of the artifacts that he found had some kind of power. If those artifacts got into the wrong hands they could be used as weapons."

"I can believe that after seeing what that amulet did to that bell," Peter remarked.

"Turns out those very same treasures were also being searched by Interpol. Or at least that's what they said. What they were really after were those groups who would use the artifacts as a means to finance their terrorist activities. They never really believed that the artifacts had any real power."

"But how did you get involved," Peter pressed.

"They believed at first that I was involved with one of the groups. Each time I searched, Interpol would be there. I had to convince them that I wasn't. My mother's letters were the only way I could convince them, and the fact that they learned that Matthew had been a medic in the second world war. There was something very strange about that. They wouldn't tell me all that they knew. They wanted me to go to France to search for some Chalice, but then all investigation stopped. Seems an agent had been killed trying to discover who the Singh Wa leaders were. They found his throat had been ripped out. Because of who I was, they had me do the research as to which branch of the Singh Wa would be safest to infiltrate. It wasn't easy, believe me. It took me almost two years. The Singh Wa are not an easy group to learn about. I thought that was the end of it and I could resume my own search, but then they wanted someone to go undercover. That's when I learned about Damon and that he was also a son of Matthew. It was an opportunity I could not pass up. But when I learned that Damon wanted to kill you," Martin turned his focus back to Caine. "I had to learn as much as I could about you and Peter to warn you and to find you."

"Why would Matthew write to your mother about his searches?" Peter redirected.

"I can answer that," Caine said, "When I was 14 years old, we lived in Boston for several months. It was the only time my father actually took me with him on one of his journeys. I remember he was doing research with a woman by the name of Marie Bradshaw. She was an historian on ancient Chinese history and legends. They spent a great deal of time together." Caine paused in his narrative, remembering his actions during that time. It seemed to him, at that age, that his father was more interested is spending time with the woman and hunting for treasures than spending time with his son. In truth and in part, his father was trying to get him interested in learning about the Bradshaw family in hopes that the two families would become one, but that was not to be. The Bradshaws made it perfectly clear they did not want their daughter marrying a "poor Shaolin priest with a teenage son and whose life was helping charity cases or hunting for treasures for enlightenment and not for the profit of it." It was a realization he had not thought of before. Caine continued his explanation. "Before he left on his last expedition, he sent me back to the temple in California. He said it would be best that I return there. I remember, there was a great sadness in his eyes. The night before, he was with Marie Bradshaw. He spent nearly the whole night with her. That must have been their last night together."

"And the night that I was conceived,' Martin thought, but did not voice it. "That would explain the nature of the letters," Martin replied. "He must have heard about her at least two or three years prior before he met her in Boston and was writing to her for answers regarding his searches. The first five were friendly, but did not speak about love, only about research. I don't know why she kept them. Maybe at the time she liked the way he wrote and wanted to meet him some day. That someday happened and they fell in love. The later letters were more personal and their postmarks were several days apart; almost two weeks, and from different countries. He must have continued writing to her, but then the letters stopped. The last letter mentioned about scaling to where some cross was supposed to be found in the Hymalayias. There were none after that."

Martin paused in thought and the car grew silent for a few minutes. Then he spoke again. His voice was filled with emotion. "You were lucky Kwai Chang. You got to know our father. After reading his letters, I knew why my mother loved him and I realized that he would have stayed with her if he could. I'm not bitter about that any more. I wish I could have searched for you sooner learning that you were my brother. Life gets so busy sometimes. I'm glad though we've met now. And Peter, I'm glad to get to know you, too. Through you, Kwai Chang, maybe I'll get to know more about Matthew."

Peter was about to say something when his father silenced him with a look that said, Wait. I will tell him. Instead Peter changed the subject.

"Pop, should we stop at the Ancient's and pick up your stuff?"

"That would be fine, Peter."

"How about I give you a hand?" Martin asked. "Who is this Ancient?"

Peter and Caine both smiled. To have them meet was far easier than trying to explain. The Ancient, after all, was somewhat an enigma.

They arrived back at the Ancient's just as the sun was rising. Lo Si met them at the door.

"Lo Si, I would like you to meet my brother, Martin Bradshaw, Uh, Martin, this is the Ancient, Lo Si."

Before Martin could ask the question, Lo Si answered with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye. "I am called that because I am so old. It is an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine," Martin bowed.

"Peter, there are some crates upstairs. Would you please bring them down and we can begin packing."

"Sure, Pop."

While Peter ran upstairs, Kwai Chang pulled from his pouch a slip of paper.

"This is for you," he said as he handed the sheet to Martin.

"What is it?" Martin asked without opening it.

"An address. I believe you will find it most rewarding," Caine replied.

Martin gave his brother a puzzled expression.

"As Peter would say, 'Brace yourself.' Father is alive."

Martin's eyes became wide as Caine's words penetrated his mind.

"A-Alive? Martin swallowed hard. "This can't be happening. Where's he been all these years?"

"I will let him explain," Caine said, and pointed to the sheet of paper. "That is the address where he can be found."

Martin stared at what was written on the small slip of paper. The name of the French village glared out at him. He realized that was the very place that Interpol was supposed to send him in search of the Chalice. And now it would seem in that vary same village Matthew Caine could be found alive. As Martin continued to stare at the paper, he was brought out of his thoughts by his brother's voice.

"Rather than helping Peter and I move my belongings back to my apartment, perhaps it would be best that you seek out the one who can answer all your questions as soon as possible?"

Martin's head snapped up, then a broad grin crossed his face as he realized just what Caine was suggesting.

"You sure you don't mind?"

Caine shook his head in response.

"Let me at least help you pack the car. You'll tell Peter why I couldn't stay won't you?"

"Yes," Caine said nodding his head.

"Thanks brother. You really don't know how much this means to me."

Martin suddenly pulled Caine into an embrace that surprised them both. The Caine family tree was growing beyond anyone's imaginings. Another branch had been added, another son of Matthew Caine.

End.