"This is crazy, I don't know how we didn't hear his car alarm…" Ramona said, standing and staring at Andy's empty parking spot on their driveway.

"Must have been a pro, no broken glass…no noise.." Ron told the group of Simons. Everyone was standing in front of Robbie and Ramona's house, as Ron and one of his auto theft detectives looked for evidence.

"When did you notice your truck was gone, son?" Rick asked, frowning as the teenager wiped his eyes.

"About an hour ago…I slept in 'cause I was….well, talking to Alex on the phone. She was having trouble with her AP homework." Andy explained, then turned red as Lala snickered.

"Alex just likes to flirt with you over the phone, Andy…"

"Lala, stop that, your brother doesn't need your teasing today." Robbie warned her sternly. At that Lala looked ashamed.

"Sorry, Andy…I didn't mean to …"

"It's okay, sis…she was at that.." Andy admitted, a wry smile brightening his face. "What bugs me is I was so careful to lock up …."

"Wait a minute…" Rick spoke up as Ramona put an arm around her son's shoulders.

"Didn't Andy lose a set of keys last week?"

Both Robbie and Ramona looked stunned, then Robbie nodded.

"Yeah, Pop…..but what if they were taken, not stolen…."

"So someone could drive off with his truck…" A.J. finished, having arrived in time to hear the last part. Ron gave him a wry look.

"No one likes a smart PI….but you guys could be right. Let me get a description of the truck out, but unfortunately, son…" Ron turned to Andy, "Your truck is probably south of the border by this time."

"I know…darn it…just when I had it tuned up just right…" he groaned. Laurie and Rick exchanged looks, feeling bad for their grandson at the misery in his voice. As Robbie and Ramona turned to sign Ron's crime report, Rick put an arm around Andy's slumped shoulders.

"I'm sorry, son…..you put so much work into that truck….I'm so proud that you did it yourself…" he started, only for Andy to choke back a sob, then put his head down on Rick's chest.

"I knew you'd understand, Grandpa…I did it myself…you taught me how to do it but I finished.it…now it's gone because I was careless…"

"No, no Andy…not careless." he interrupted, "One thing we should have taught you, things happen that you can't control. Like someone trying to hurt your uncle and I through your Grandma and Auntie… Could we have predicted that? No."

"I know, Grandpa…" Andy wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then looked him in the eye.

"You and Dad did teach me about stuff…I just never thought it would ….you know.."

"I know." Rick grinned at him, and was rewarded with a watery smile. "Now what do you say to some barbequed hamburgers since you're playing hooky, then your Grandma can help you with your homework."

"I think that might help." Andy said, a relieved look on his face. Hearing this, Robbie came over and hugged his father.

"Thanks, Pop…I think we'd all feel better with some lunch."

Reluctantly declining the offer of a barbeque lunch, Ron left with his men to file his reports just as Oscar drove up. Stern-faced, he was already talking as he climbed out of his sedan.

"I leave town for five days, and all hell…uh, sorry, honey.." he nodded at Ramona, "heck breaks loose. What happened to Andy's truck?"

As first Rick, then Robbie filled him in, A.J. roped the younger Simons into setting up the barbeque and getting the patio set up for lunch. Andy forgot to be upset about his stolen truck long enough to make a big pile of fry bread, as Laurie helped Ramona and Lala make salads and a big pitcher of lemonade.

Once lunch was done, Oscar was surrounded by the younger Simons as he told stories of cases he had worked through the years. Laurie sat down with Andy, and helped him figure out his English grammar essay. Only when he got a call from his friend Alex did Andy finally take a break.

It was dusk when Rick and A.J. and Laurie slowly walked out of the yard, followed by Oscar and Robbie and their grandchildren. "Thanks, Pop, barbequing was a great idea…." Robbie began, then the sound of a truck being revved up caught their attention. The four Simons stopped as a familiar truck suddenly pinned them in its lights. Momentarily blinded, Rick raised his hand to peer through the glare, then noticed the vehicle was speeding rapidly towards them.

"Look out!" He yelled, yanking at his son's arm as A.J. turned and pushed Laurie out of the road. Suddenly the white truck veered towards A.J. and he dove toward the house.

Catching his leg with one bumper, the truck knocked him onto the small lawn then kept going as Ramona came out of the house and screamed, "No!" A moment later A.J. lay motionless, half on the grass and half in the gutter as the car vanished down the street.

Slowly picking himself up, Rick tottered towards his brother as Robbie grabbed his radio.

"Officer needs assistance! Hit and run at 151 Deer Lane…need an ambulance, hurry!"

"A.J…..A.J…come on little brother, please…" Rick fell on his knees next to him, then nearly broke down as a groan escaped A.J.'s lips.

"Easy, don't move, A.J….Robbie, where's that…oh thank God!" Rick exclaimed as a siren signaled an emergency vehicle arriving. Half-listening to the description his son was broadcasting of the vehicle, he caught his breath as his brother's eyes flickered open.

"Rick….what…oh…my leg." He moaned.

"Let me see, Son.." Oscar gingerly felt the younger Simon's leg, then stopped halfway between his left knee and thigh.

"Sorry, A.J….I think you have a broken leg…does anything else hurt?"

"Other then my shoulder and half my body…" A.J. said between gritted teeth. Just then the ambulance pulled up and paramedics climbed out to assess his injuries.

As they worked on A.J., Robbie kept up a running dialogue with the sheriff's office, then a beeping on Rick's watch let him know Ron was transmitting.

"Hey, Ron …..did you get my message?"

"Yeah, Rick….I'm sorry I left now….How's A.J.?"

"We think his leg's broken, but otherwise, we might have gotten lucky….but the truck…it was Andy's…I'm almost sure of it!" Rick explained, upset.

"That's the license plate Robbie put out….this gets worse and worse…wait a minute…" Ron suddenly broke off his transmission. Just then the paramedic told Rick, "He's ready to transport to the medical center…want to ride with him?"

"Yeah….sure….Robbie, can you take your mother to your Uncles'?" He indicated Laurie, and his son nodded.

"Of course Pop, then I'll see you there.."

"Sis…call Linny, but don't scare her..please.." A.J. called to Laurie, and she went to his side.

"Don't worry…I'll stay with the kids while she goes to the hospital…" she told him emotionally. "I could have been the one going to the hospital, little brother..if it weren't for you…thank you."

"Anything for my big sis.." A.J. managed a smile, then squeezed her hand as they put him into the ambulance. As Rick climbed in after him, he stopped and kissed Laurie's cheek.

"Be careful, darlin'…I'll call you after they admit him."

"Thank you, love…" she told him, leaning against him for a minute, then straightening up and taking Robbie's arm as he led her to his cruiser.

Ramona ran up to them as Robbie opened the door, then Andy, Lala and Davey followed. Seeing their worried faces, Laurie stopped and opened her arms, hugging each one and telling them their Uncle would be all right.

"I'll call Aunt Linda, Mom. That way she'll be ready to go when you get there." Ramona said, and Laurie saved the last hug for her.

"Thank you, honey….I don't know what I'd do without you." Laurie told her. "I'll call you later."

As the sheriff cruiser sped off, Andy angrily kicked at the dirt, then turned to his sister.

"This jerk has got to be stopped before he hurts Grandpa or Grandma….I want to call Ricky and Ceci…we need to investigate this ourselves."

"You're right…after we see how Uncle A.J. is, we'll ask if we can go through all their files again….maybe we can come up with something if we look at their cases differently." Lala agreed.

A couple of hours later, it was Rick who was ranting as he paced the visitors section of the hospital.

"Damn these new "regulations", Dad….I should be with A.J….where is Ron? He still has some pull around here!

"Calm down, Rick…you're not helping, and Laurie's going to need you in one piece when you get home." Oscar said firmly, and Rick subsided long enough to plop down in a chair. Almost immediately he sprang up as Rudy entered the room.

"Son, he's going to be in a cast for a month or so…but A.J.'s going to be all right." He told Rick, putting a hand on his arm. "The truck must have just caught him, or he was leaning when he was hit, otherwise it would be worse then a broken leg and cuts and bruises…"

"Thank God…." Rick had tears in his eyes, then a look of terror crossed his face.

"Mom….I need to call Mom…She's going to be angry that I didn't…."

"It's all right, Rick….I already did." Oscar told him firmly, as Rudy added, "I want to look at you, son…Ron said you and Missy just missed being hit."

"He pushed Laurie out of the way, Rudy…..That's the only way I figure A.J. wasn't hurt worse. Can I see him now?" Rick pleaded, wiping his eyes.

"Sure, I'll take you in…I brought Linda straight into the trauma room, but they'll be moving him to a regular room in a few minutes." The old doctor assured him.

Once in the trauma unit, Rick was heartened to see his brother sitting up, sporting a bandage on his arm and a fiberglass cast on his leg. At Rick's approach, Dr. Allen put down the chart he was looking at, then jerked his head at Rudy.

"Okay, I want to look at stuntman here……" Painfully A.J. laughed as Rick grumbled through an examination of his ribs and finally was cleared to leave.

As he came out of the examination room, he grinned to see Linda with her arms around A.J., as they both occupied the same bed. Dr. Allen just shook his head.

"Linda, don't encourage him…he's as bad as his brother."

"That's why I love him too! Thanks for taking care of him…" Linda hugged Rick, then helped A.J. get comfortable as they readied him for transport to a private room.

Once they had moved A.J., Dr. Allen got Linda a reclining chair to use for the night, then took Rick outside. Ron Johnson was waiting outside with a grim face.

"Rick, I just talked to Laurie, she saw the face of who was behind the wheel. White, with blue eyes and a dark hat. And we found Andy's truck, the motor was still warm. It was left a few miles from here with a note…" He explained angrily, pulling out a piece of paper in a plastic evidence bag. Quickly Rick scanned it.

"Only the beginning, Simons…. Next time I aim to kill…"