AN: My most sincere apologies for the delay in updating this story. Real life caught up with me. A big thank you to all my readers and to my reviewers...it's very encouraging to receive positive feedback, so THANK YOU!

Thanks "mcatB" for your Guest and signed reviews :-)

This chapter is dedicated to all the awesome ladies in my "Streets of San Francisco" group, including my very talented beta.

ACT II : Part 2

Lieutenant Mike Stone sipped his coffee and turned away from the view of the rising sun that filtered through the window and sat at his desk. It had been two hours since he left his daughter at the hotel where he decided she should stay until the investigation surrounding the botched robbery at his home was laid to bed.

"Oh, Mike!"

"It's alright, Sweetheart, he's going to be alright."

"He's not –"

Mike's thoughts brought him back to the hospital where Jeannie had run down the corridor and into his arms. She had wept against his shirt under the presumption that they had lost Steve in the operating theatre. He remembered soothing the distraught girl as she clung to him, shaking uncontrollably. It struck him just how much Steve must've meant to Jeannie and he wondered if her feelings ran deeper than she ever let on.

Setting his cup on the desk, Mike picked up his reading glasses.

Tossing and turning in his sleep, Wade Moreno threw the blankets off him in exasperation and grabbed the clock on the night stand. It was mid-morning but he felt as though he hadn't slept a wink. Beside him, someone stirred.

"What is it?" asked a croaky voice filled with sleep.

"Nothing!" Wade shot back.

"You're so tense, Tiger," purred the young woman as she messaged Wade's shoulders then reached over to caress his strong chest, before dipping down over his taut stomach. "I bet I can make you relax."

"Get out!" Wade barked and shook the woman off him, almost backhanding her.

"Alright, I'm going! You don't have to be such a bastard about it! I don't work for free either."

With a sly grin, Wade bent down and picked up his pants from the floor. He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a scrunched up bill. "Here," he said as he turned around and shoved the money into the woman's outstretched hand.

"Oh come on! I told you the price before you used those cuffs. Bondage is extra. This doesn't even cover…" cut short in mid-sentence by a blow to her face, the prostitute shook her head and rubbed her reddened cheek. Turning on her heel, she stomped out of the bedroom and picked up the various items of her clothing that lay strewn on the hallway floor. As she hastily dressed at the end of the hall, something caught her eye. Her client's jacket was draped on a chair at the dining table. Looking behind her, she was assured that she wasn't followed. She snatched the jacket and dug her hands into one of the bulging pockets, pulling out a black leather wallet. A noise told her she needed to clear out of the house quickly. With the wallet firmly in her grasp, she wrenched open the front door, let it slam shut behind her and disappeared through an alley beside the home.

A knock on his door disrupted the seasoned Lieutenant from his perusal of the notes and photographs on his desk. "Come in."

"Mike, according to forensics, your front door wasn't forced. Are you sure you locked up when you left the house?" Tanner questioned when he entered the office and handed Mike the report in his hand.

"I'm positive," said Mike firmly. "Check with Robbery and see if there's a connection between those recent cases they're handling in the area."

"Already spoke to Lloyd and Taylor. Three of the five robberies they're covering over the last two weeks shared the same MO. No sign of forced entry. No prints. The thieves got away with jewellery from the bedrooms and cash underneath the mattress on one home. The occupants were not home."

"Then we could be dealing with the same culprits. Only this time, they ran into someone they didn't expect to be at the house and they took off with Steve's Porsche after they shot him!" Mike's last words were spoken in a strained voice as he struggled to keep his composure.

"I'll work with the boys but so far it doesn't look like they have much for us to work on," Tanner sighed heavy heartedly then left the office, leaving Mike deep in thought once again.

A lonely figure walked up the steps of a dilapidated hotel establishment to her room. Shrugging out of her trench coat, she threw her keys on the table and pulled out the wallet from her purse. The first place she searched was the compartment where a man would normally keep his cash. It was empty. Cursing, she dropped it on the table where it lay unfolded, revealing an identification card on one side and a metallic police badge on the other. Wide eyed with surprise, she picked it up and studied the identification card tucked inside the clear compartment. A photo of a handsome man around her age stared back at her. She read the name out loud, "Steven Keller. Inspector."

When the telephone rang, Mike was almost jolted out of his seat. "Lieutenant Mike Stone. Homicide."

"It's me, Jeannie. Have you heard from the hospital?"

"Not yet, Sweetheart. Did you manage to get some shut eye?"

"A little," Jeannie replied quietly.

"I'll tell you what. I could use a break here. Why don't I pick you up in ten minutes and we'll head over to the hospital together?" Mike suggested.

"Thanks, Mike."

Hanging up the phone, Mike removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes to relieve the soreness. Fatigue began to wear him down and he knew it wouldn't be much longer until exhaustion disabled his awareness. He stretched his arms then rose from his seat and grabbed his coat and hat.

A persistent, yet dull throbbing pain pulsed through the young Inspector's left side as he shifted on the bed in an effort to get into a more comfortable position. He tried to moisten his cracked lips but his mouth was parched. Relief flooded through him when he heard the door to his room open. He lifted his head off the pillow and turned to face the door to ask the nurse for a glass of water. However it wasn't the nurse who entered his room. Mike! Jeannie?

"Steve?" Sensing the young man's discomfort, Mike hurried over to the bedside.

"M-Mike…water," Steve gasped weakly.

"I'll get someone to bring you some," said Jeannie as she turned on her heel and left the room.

Mike stood at Steve's bedside, taking in the young man's pale complexion and drawn out look in his eyes.

"You just take it easy, Buddy Boy. You're going to be good as new before you know it!" Mike told the young man, forcing a smile to spread across his face.

Jeannie re-entered the room with a glass of water in her hand. "Dr. Moore said to take it easy on the water."

Mike carefully helped Steve into a semi sitting position then took the glass from Jeannie and brought it to the young man's lips.

Steve was prevented from taking liberal gulps as Mike angled the glass just enough for him to take one small sip at a time.

When his thirst was finally quenched, Steve lay back against the pillows with a sigh. "Thanks."

"You gave us quite a scare," Jeannie said tentatively. She reached over and held his hand in hers.

"Sorry," Steve replied, the shadow of a grin pulled at the corners of his mouth.

Mike wished he could leave Steve to rest and refrain from asking him details about the shooting but he needed to catch the perpetrators. Steve was the only witness they had and without eye witness accounts, they had little to go on. "Steve, can you tell us what happened?"

Nodding, Steve began recounting what transpired prior to him getting shot. "That's all I remember."

"You're doing great, Buddy Boy," Mike patted his protégé on the shoulder to reassure him.

A knock on the door, caught Mike's attention.

"Lieutenant, there's a phone call for you at the front desk," said a nurse as she poked her head in through the doorway.

"Thank you. I'll be right back," Mike exchanged brief glances at Steve and Jeannie then left the room and closed the door after him.

Jeannie spotted a chair in the corner. She quickly picked it up and sat by Steve's side. Reaching out, she took Steve's hand in hers.

"Mike, does Simmons Lock and Key mean anything to you?" Inspector Bill Tanner's voice filled Mike's ear.

"They changed my front door lock last week. Why?" Mike asked.

"I just got back from Taylor's office. The guys over at Robbery just found a common denominator in all three cases of those robberies in your area. The residents of the homes that were burgled all used the services of the same locksmith in recent weeks. Since there were no sign of broken entry in each of these cases, I think we have a lead here."

"It's a start. Do you have an address?" said Mike as he mouthed the words pen and paper to the receptionist behind the desk. "Go ahead, Bill. Yeah, got it. Thanks. Listen, I'm heading over there now. I'll swing by the office on my way over and pick you up." Mike hung up the phone and thanked the receptionist as he returned the pen to her and folded the piece of paper in half.

Steve listened to Jeannie's talk of college and end of semester exams but he was having difficulty grasping her words. The pain in his side had spread throughout his abdomen.

"Steve?" Jeannie looked into the detective's eyes, with concern.

Realizing he hadn't responded to something Jeannie had asked, Steve licked his dry lips and clumsily uttered an apology.

"Didn't I tell you to stop apologizing?" Jeannie quipped. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze then reached over with her other hand to brush the stray strands of light brown hair from his forehead. She could feel Steve had broken out in a cold sweat as her fingers made contact with his clammy skin. Oh, Steve. How could anyone do this to you?

Not willing to admit he was in severe pain, Steve forced a smile to form on his pale face just as the door to his room re-opened once again. He was relieved to see Mike enter because it would mean visitation was just about over. The last thing he wanted was to worry Mike and Jeannie if he complained to them about the pain he was experiencing. He figured as soon as they left, a nurse would check in on him and he could tell her he needed more pain killers.

"Sweetheart, I have to go. I'll drop you off back at the hotel," Mike informed his daughter.

"I don't want to leave yet. Can you pick me up later?"

"Steve needs his rest. We can come back this afternoon," Mike said as he shook his head in the negative.

Sighing with disappointment, Jeannie leaned forward and gave Steve a light peck on the forehead. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "Get some rest."

Mike waited until Jeannie was out the door before he laid a hand on Steve's shoulder and said, "Bill called. We have a lead. You just hang in there, Buddy Boy."

"Mike…" Steve began but he couldn't continue as the pain in his body became unbearable.

"Steve?" Mike bent closer to the young man's face. He could see the distress clearly showing in Steve's eyes and it worried him terribly. "Are you hurting? Would you like me to get the doctor?"

Steve nodded and squeezed his eyes shut as the agony overwhelmed him. Succumbing to the pain, he turned to his side and clutched his stomach. "Don't let…don't let Jeannie…see…."

Turning to face Jeannie who stood at the doorway, Mike called out, "Sweetheart, can you find Dr. Moore, please?"

Unable to see past Mike, Jeannie noted the concern and urgency in Mike's voice and did as she was asked.

"Take it easy. Jeannie's gone to get the Doc," said Mike. He stayed by Steve's side, feeling completely helpless as he gazed into the young man's pain filled eyes. I wish there was something I could do to ease the pain. Hang in there, Buddy Boy. Just hang in there.