Second Chances: Find Me Before Morning Comes.
Approaching his wife's birthday, Rick Simon discovers a gift they share has mysteriously disappeared.
When tragedy strikes, he finds only the strength of his love and that of their friends can bring them through.
(This is a fictional story, and no money is being made from it. The characters from Simon & Simon and Six Million Dollar Man are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while, I promise to put them back when I'm done.)
Chapter 1
"Come on, little ball, 100 more points and …."
"Rick!"
"What, oh geez" Crestfallen, Rick watched the silver ball disappear into the hole, then turned around to glare at his brother.
"A.J., what is so important you had to interrupt history?"
"History, you have been trying to break the bank on that machine for 20 years! Puleeze!" A.J. sat at his desk then waited for Rick to calm down.
"All right, you have my attention." Rick sat in his chair and not so patiently waited.
"I just wanted to know what Laurie wants for her birthday. Linda's gotten her something, and I know Mom got her some of that lemon soap from the candle place in San Diego. I wanted to get her something nice too." Rick's irritation faded.
"Thanks, A.J., but you know her, anything her little brother gives her she'll love. Wait a minute, I know what…." Rick leaned back in his chair, feet propped up.
His brother shook his head. "One of these days you're going fall doing that and it isn't going to be pretty."
"A.J., you sound just like Mom, when was the last time I …." Suddenly Rick's chair took an unexpected roll and he started to fall backwards.
"Whoa!" he managed to catch the edge of the desk and haul himself upright as the whole building swayed.
"Rick?" A.J. was white as a sheet. "Is this an earthquake?"
"Yeah, must be." Both men got up and immediately got into the doorway, then realized the movement of the floor had stopped.
Glancing out the windows at the late afternoon sun, A.J. saw people on the street pointing and shaking their heads. "Rick, I think we'd better clear out of here."
Grabbing their jackets and weapons, the brothers quickly left their office and hurried down the stairs, surprised to find cracked walls and several cornices crumbled on the tile floor below.
As they came to the first floor, Rick heard the hubbub of worried people in the lobby. As they joined them A.J. went over and talked to old George the lobby guard.
After a few minutes he came back to Rick. "The penthouse has some damage, but he thinks it'll be all clear soon."
Just then George started telling everyone it was safe to leave the building, and the other tenants started rushing for the exits.
At once Rick "heard" Laurie faintly calling him. "Rick? Darling? Please answer!"
Worried, he saw his transmitter on, and as he and A.J. went out the door, he hit the send button.
"Laurie, sweetheart, are you all right?" A.J. looked at him, then realized he was responding to Laurie.
"Yes, we're okay. I'm on the way to you with Mom and Linda's following me with the kids. There's been a gas leak at the complex so we evacuated." She replied in a relieved tone. "I was worried, Rick. Didn't you hear me?"
Startled, he told her, "Not until just now, darlin'. Where were you when you first called me?"
"Just after we left the condo, I couldn't even pick you up. I don't understand." She sighed worriedly.
Rick had a bad feeling, this was the second time in three days he and Laurie had "trouble" reading each other until they were in fairly close proximity.
Just then he caught sight of her Jeep and Linda's mini-van, and he pointed it out to his brother.
"Here comes the girls and Mom, they had a gas leak at the complex."
"Rick, that wasn't that hard a jolt!" A.J. started to jog toward his wife's car, then Rick quickened his pace and a moment later both Simons were hugging their mother, then Laurie and Linda and the children. He wrapped his arms around Laurie as he kissed her, saying, "I'm glad you were at Mom's, darlin'." She grinned up at him, "I was too, love. You should have seen how fast she hit that doorway, though!"
"Everybody okay?" A.J. asked his wife, taking a wailing Robin from her.
"Yes, honey. He's just a little upset that he didn't get to finish watching his cartoons." Linda smiled with relief as her husband looked Robin in the eye. "Wouldn't you rather see Daddy and Uncle Rick?"
The little boy stopped crying long enough to stare at him, then nodded. "Daddy come home?"
"No, but we'll go to Uncle Rick's and see the horses, how about that?"
Ricky looked up at his grandmother, "You're coming too, aren't you Grandma? You can see me and Ceci ride!"
"Well, I think that would be a lot of fun, Ricky, how about it son?" Cecilia looked over at her oldest.
"I think that's a good idea, Mom. Let's go!"
On the way to the ranch, Rick called first Robbie and Ramona, then Ian and Robin on their transmitters to check on them.
Robin was the first to pick up. "Pop, are you and Uncle A.J. okay? I keep getting a disconnect at the office."
Filling her in on the earthquake damage, he found that Ian had checked their house out and found no damage beyond a surface crack or two. "Pop, the news says that it was a 4.0, that's not that strong."
"Maybe for us ex-Californians, it isn't." he chuckled.
After Robin promised to call Robbie for them, Rick ended the transmission to find Laurie had called Oscar and Rudy and they were on their way to meet them at home.
"I'm glad, sweetheart. I want to talk to them about us not reading each other right now." He admitted, then felt her put an arm around him.
"Thank you, Rick. I've never taken what we have for granted, but if it was to go away….." She put her head against his shoulder.
He stole a glance at Laurie, then saw the love in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Angel, I'm the one who's grateful I've been able to hear you when you need me. I don't ever want you to be unprotected."
"As long as I have you, I'm safe." She kissed his cheek, then sighed contentedly as he pulled her against him.
"Always, Laurie." He promised, then laughed as a familiar figure opened the gate to their driveway.
"Right on time, darlin', your father's always around when I'm just about to get fresh!"
"Well, there's always tonight!" she giggled.