Second Chances: Simon and Simon, Jr.?

When Rick and Laurie Simon take in an abandoned boy, it sets in motion a frightening series of events that endanger both family and friends.

(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.)

"There she goes!"

Rick laughed at his wife's excitement as the real-life fairy "flew" to the top of the castle, then set off an explosion of fireworks.

"Oh, that's so beautiful….." Laurie hung on his arm as they watched from the bucket ride carrying them through Fantasyland down to Tomorrowland. Gazing on her face in the glow of the park, Rick couldn't resist "stealing" a kiss.

"Rick!….mmmm" Laurie instantly reciprocated, then cuddled against him as they began the descent to the ride's end. "Tinker isn't the only one who's beautiful…" Rick whispered as they landed on the platform.

"That's because you make me so happy, darling." She responded, smiling as he helped her out of the bucket. As they exited the ride, hand in hand, a familiar voice met them.

"I told you that was Mom and Pop smooching up there."

Rick laughed as his son Robbie greeted them at the foot of the stairs. Behind him a smiling Ramona balanced a wriggling Katie while Andy held Lala's hand, stopping her from running after an ice cream vendor.

"You got good eyes son, here, let me have my Katie, honey." He held out his arms for his daughter-in-law to pass the brown-eyed baby over.

"Grandma, look at my mouse ears!" Andy grinned proudly as Laurie pulled out her camera and snapped a picture. "You look so funny, Andy. How do you like Disneyland?"

"I love this place, it's so cool!" the youngster gushed, waving his bag of souvenirs. "I even got stuff to give for Christmas!"

"That's the boy!" Rick smiled at his grandson. Andy was just like his father, always thinking of others when he got to go someplace fun. "I'm sure Santa's going to appreciate you being so generous."

'Speaking of generous, I have to say thanks again to you and Mom, I can't believe how wonderful this trip has been." Ramona hugged Laurie then Rick. "And sharing Mom's birthday trip with us…."

"It's been our treat, honey. I didn't know you'd never been to Disneyland, everyone should go at least once." Rick snickered as Laurie added, impishly, "And get their own set of ears, speaking of which…"

She pulled a set from her bag and popped them on her husband's head. Rick yelped with surprise.

"Laurie! You didn't, aw darlin', I look stupid with them!" he groused, to his grandson's amusement.

"Grandpa, that's great!" Andy giggled as Lala pointed at Rick and crowed, "Grandpa Mouse!"

"Come on, sweetheart, don't make me wear them!" he pleaded, then simmered down as Laurie sighed.

"Yes, darling. I'm sorry to embarrass you." she said, plucking them off his head, then dropping a kiss on his cheek.

Seeing the disappointed looks on his grandchildren's faces, Rick grumbled but put his ears back on. "All right, but if A.J. sees that picture…I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Don't worry, Rick, I'll just threaten to show you his Cheesy Chuck pictures, I think mice just run in the family!" Laurie smirked, then slipped her arm in his as he shifted a sleeping Katie in his grip and led the way back to the monorail.

"Now this is the way to enjoy a vacation, son, let someone else do the driving." Rick boasted as the group disembarked a few minutes later at their hotel. As they entered the lobby, Robbie and Ramona insisted that Rick and Laurie take some time for themselves.

"We'll be all right going upstairs, Mom, you and Dad enjoy the water show." Ramona embraced them as Robbie added, "We'll meet you guys for breakfast at 8, okay?"

"That's a good idea, Robbie, we'll start for home after some Mickey Mouse pancakes." Laurie teased, exchanging kisses with her grandchildren. Rick handed over a now wide-awake Katie, who suddenly decided she wanted her daddy.

"We'll be up in a while, but don't wait up!" he snickered, then took his wife's hand as they watched their family disappear into the elevator.

"Alone at last!" he winked at Laurie, then laughed as she put her arms around him. "This is the best part of the day, Rick. Anywhere alone with you." Giving her a squeeze, Rick saw a postcard kiosk behind her .

"Sweetheart, did you get any cards for the kids?" he asked, remembering her promise to bring some for A.J.'s children.

"No, oh, thank you, Rick." She smiled. Giving him a kiss, she added, "I'll just run in and out of the gift shop, I'll be right back."

"Famous last words." Rick teased as she walked toward the small store.

Just then a loud voice interrupted the quiet of the area. "I've had it with you!"

A man went storming by, followed by a weeping woman and red-faced boy. "You can just go up to the room by yourselves, I'll be back later." He yelled, then vanished out the main entrance.

"Mom, it's okay, we'll manage." The boy said, an ashamed look on his face.

The crying woman, looked up at him, then seemingly noticed for the first time someone else's presence.

"I….oh excuse all the noise." She sniffed, then turned toward the elevators.

Instantly Rick was feeling sorry for the mother and son, how embarrassed they must have felt. What kind of a husband did that to his family.

"It's okay, Ma'am. Are you two all right?" he asked, touched by the grateful look mother and son gave him.

"We'll be fine, sir. We're just going upstairs, Mr., uh?" the woman started, then was silent as Laurie came out of the gift shop and joined them.

"I'm Rick Simon, this is my wife, Laurie. Would you like to sit down for a moment?" Rick offered.

Startled, it appeared the blonde-haired woman had not seen Laurie with Rick. "Uh, I'm all right"

"This is supposed to be a happy place, I'd hate to see anyone leave with a bad memory like….well." Laurie said as the boy took his mother's hand and smiled at them.

"We're okay, Mrs. Simon. Thank you, though. You too, mister." He nodded at Rick, giving him an admiring look. "I'm Tim Michaels, this is my mother, Sharon."

"I'm pleased to meet you , son. Just in case, if you need help…here's our number." Rick eagerly handed over his business card.

"Thank you, Mr. Simon, I appreciate your offer." Mrs. Michaels took the card from him, then said good night as she and the boy walked into a waiting elevator.

"That was nice of you, darling. Poor boy, no child should ever see something like that." Laurie leaned against Rick, as they saw the water show begin from the outside garden.

"I know, I hope they'll be all right." Rick sighed, then grinned as she yawned.

"Come on, Cinderella, I think it's time for you and I to get upstairs before we turn into pumpkins."

A day later, Rick still couldn't get the Michaels' out of his head. He hoped the boy wouldn't have to grow up too soon, he knew from experience how that hurt. Once he and Laurie got to his brother's condo, Rick found himself forgetting about the hotel incident as he anticipated A.J.'s reaction to his gift.

"Rick, you didn't….that's too funny!" A.J. pulled a pair of mouse ears from the sack he was handed as his son Ricky snickered.

"Dad, that's great. Thanks, Uncle Rick for getting him those." his nephew told him, as Rick pretended to high five him.

"I knew you were a bad influence on your namesake!" A.J. pretended to grumble, then grinned as his wife paraded the new Snow White t-shirt her sister-in-law had brought her.

"That's cute, Linny, a much better gift then mine."

Linda giggled, then sat next to her husband. "I'm sorry, honey, but those ears are priceless. Where is my sis, Rick? I want to thank her for this shirt, it's so soft."

"She's with Ceci, hon. Wait a minute, I hear them now." Rick announced, then paled as he saw his niece helping support a white-faced Laurie.

"Thank you, Ceci. I'm all right now." She managed, then caught his arm as he came to her side.

"Uncle Rick, Auntie's having a dizzy spell." Ceci told him, worriedly.

"Thanks, sweetie. Darlin', are you all right?" Rick carefully assisted Laurie onto a sofa as Linda went to get some water. He gently rubbed her back as A.J. quickly called Rudy Wells, alerting him to her distress.

"Yes, Rick, I'm fine, just give me a minute." She told him softly, her breathing easing. After a moment the color came back into her face.

"Here, Sis, drink this." Linda came back with a glass of water, then Rick helped her sip it slowly.

"Thank you, Linda. Better, sweetheart?" he asked, his fears melting as she nodded, a smile on her lips.

"All better, darling. I'm just glad Ceci was with me, I didn't even have a warning or anything."

"What happened, Laurie?" Rick supported her as she closed her eyes and shivered.

"Rick, it was so…strange. ." Laurie hesitated, then Linda got the hint . "Ricky, Cec, can you sit with Melly for a moment, I'll be in to feed her as soon as Uncle Rudy gets here."

The young girl started to pout, then caught her Aunt's pleading look and disappeared out the door as her brother hung back to hug Laurie, then left the room.

"Thank you, Sis. I didn't want them to hear what I saw." Laurie added, then Rick stroked her hair. "It's all right, angel. I don't want you afraid to tell us what you see."

"It was in your old office, Rick. I was waiting for you .., then this woman came at me, pinned me against the wall and … I couldn't stop her." Laurie's mouth trembled, "I fought with her until you came in the door, suddenly there was a gun pointed at you. I heard Ceci call my name, and I was outside and she was asking me what was wrong."

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. Why would someone come after you like that?" Rick worried that the vision was so frightening, especially since she'd finally come to terms with her "gift".

"I don't know, darling. It was so weird…." Laurie looked down, then smiled as Rick lifted her face to his and kissed her. "I love you, Laurie. We can handle anything together, remember?"

She beamed as she put her arms around his neck and snuggled into his embrace. "How could I forget "together".

Just then Rudy Wells came in and went immediately to Laurie's side. "Honey, how do you feel?" he asked, calmly taking her pulse and blood pressure after greeting the Simons.

"Much better, Rudy. I'm just glad Ceci was outside, I thought I was going to go face first into the grass." she answered. After a moment the doctor straightened up.

"Rick, you and Linda and A.J. did the right things with Missy here, her vitals are good. I just don't like that you're not having warnings like you used to."

"Maybe this is what the Chief was saying, that Laurie's premonitions were getting weaker after being so strong before." Rick hazarded a guess, then was relieved to see Rudy nod in agreement.

"I think so too, son. I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day, Laurie. I want to talk to the Chief also, but you're not going anywhere by yourself until we figure out what you saw, okay?"

"Yes, Rudy." She sighed, then Rick added, "One thing we know won't happen, there's no reason for you to go to our old office, darlin'."

"That's right, honey." A.J. hugged his sister-in-law as Linda said, "Lunch is on, Rudy. You'll stay, won't you?" As if to punctuate her words, Ceci and Robin came into the room, then launched themselves at their favorite doctor. "Uncle Rudy!"

"Sure, Linda, if only to eat lunch with these two, have you been good?" he replied, laughing as he picked both children up and hugged them.

As the others headed toward the dining room, Rick looked down at his wife, then felt a shiver of fear.

"What is it, love?" Laurie saw his expression change, then embraced him. "It's okay, I'm safe with my brave knight. Please don't worry."

"I won't, princess." He smiled at her. "Come on, I'm hungry for something not shaped like a mouse!"

"Speaking of a mouse, did you know some guy was found dead at your hotel yesterday?" A.J. stuck his head around the dining room door.

Surprised, Laurie took the newspaper her brother-in-law held out and glanced at the national news section.

"That's awful, some poor business guy was found in his hotel room, he'd been robbed. No sign of forced entry, Rick, that's scary."

"Let me see, darlin'." Rick read the article, then saw that the victim had been seen with a blonde woman before his death, and that the police were asking for the public to come forward with any leads.

"That's too bad, guess it happens in the best places, Laurie." He said, then saw the police sketch of a possible suspect. "Hmmm, this guy looks familiar." He thought, then was distracted by Linda's calling,

"Lunch is on, guys."

During the next couple of days, Rick and the rest of their family and friends kept a watchful eye on Laurie, but the upcoming Christmas holidays soon distracted everyone. Rick and A.J. finished up the last of their special client work, and both brothers were pleased that they had the time for "real" Christmas shopping.

"Now that's what I call getting it done." Rick gloated, stowing the last of his purchases in the back of the truck cab. A.J. nodded, a pleased expression on his face.

"I can't believe we actually got all the kids gifts, and Rudy and Oscar, and Mom, and the Chief and Rob and Doc…..this has got to be the earliest we've ever finished."

"Work by appointment only has to be the best thing since sliced bread." Rick answered, climbing into the truck and starting the motor. "What'cha get Linda?"

When only an "uhhhhh" greeted his question, he turned, then saw his brother's stricken look.

"Oh, you didn't, you forgot Linda?"

"Yes, what an idiot I am, wait a minute, what did you get Sis?" A.J. returned, angry at his forgetfulness.

"A new outfit, nice and warm, and some opal jewelry, you know the Chief got me a nice chunk of Opal when he went to visit Pete. The jeweler did the settings and cutting and polishing for next to nothing in exchange for some of it." Rick didn't want to sound smug, but his mental image of Laurie's delight, …he could hardly wait.

"You know, the set I got Laurie came in a pink-Linda would look cute in that, I'll show you where it is." Rick suggested. A.J. eagerly agreed, getting out and following his brother back into the mall.

As they came back out, laden again with a few more gifts, A.J. shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day my big brother would be the expert on Christmas gifts."

Rick laughed until his watch beeped. "Oh, oh…." Seeing it was Oscar Goldman's frequency, Rick grinned then hit the watch stem. "Hey, Dad, you've got good timing, we're on our way home."

"Good, son. We've had something as soon as you can." The sorrowful tone of the older man's voice made Rick's stomach drop.

"What happened, Dad? Is Laurie all right, are the kids?" he managed, then let out a sigh or relief as Oscar immediately said, "No, everyone's all right, but….well, you need to get here."

"Be home in about 25 minutes, Dad." Rick told him, his hands managing to stay firm on the wheel. A.J. put out a hand and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Rick."