Kwai Chang posted his father's letter to Martin Bradshaw, his half-brother. He hoped that he made it back to St Adele before their father's passing. He thought to send word to Peter as well then thought better of it. Lo Si said that it was unwise to take Peter from Chinatown. He did not say why, only that it was unwise. The Ancient was often cryptic, and there were times when even Kwai Chang resented his secrets and manipulations, but he had learned to trust him.
He hoped that his son could learn those lessons as well. Peter always needed to know why. He had always demanded to know why. If the answer was not forthcoming he struggled, bucked, and rebelled against the demands made upon him. It had made him a difficult student, at times a difficult son, and he feared that it would be harder for Lo Si to help Peter than he realized. Especially as he was falling in love and striving to make his own path in life. His son was a good man, and more powerful than he realized, but in many ways, he was still that frightened, angry boy. Kwai Chang Caine feared that he always would be.
He took his time walking back to his father's cottage. The nurse was with him and his father would be well cared for until he returned. He wished there were more Chinese people in St Adele. He was connecting with his father in a way he had not been able to do since he had been a teenager. But he missed the smells and sounds of China Town. He missed hearing people speak Chinese. He missed communing with others of his belief as well.
He knew he was simply being homesick. A new sensation for him. He had wandered for 15 years after the destruction of the temple and had never once missed a place. He had missed his son. He supposed he missed his son now. He felt there was something terribly wrong, but there was nothing he could do. He had promises to keep, as did Peter. He was trusting in Lo Si to tell him if he was needed.
He picked up things from the market for that night's dinner and made his way back to the cottage. His father was sleeping when he returned. "How is he?" He asked the nurse.
"He seems to be doing better. It is good for him to have you here. He seems much more at ease." She said.
Kwai Change smiled. "Thank you for taking such good care of him. We both appreciate it."
"I must say the resemblance between you and your father is remarkable." she said "Not so much between you and your brother. Martin, I believe his name is."
"Yes. Martin Bradshaw." He said, "I have sent word for him to return."
"you sense it too don't you." She said. "Death circling."
"Death is... nothing more than a door into another life." He said "It does not stalk like a lion or circle like a vulture. It merely awaits us at the end of one journey and allows us to begin the next."
"Most of my hospice patients are terrified. They fear death, fear pain,"
"They fear the lack of control and that which they do not understand." He said.
"He said you are a priest."
"Yes. I am a shaolin priest. As my father is, and his father was before him." He smiled and said with pride "As is my son."
"My experiences with priests … it doesn't allow for having children."
"Catholic priests have different rules, than Shaolin priests." He said "But we have much the same job description otherwise. We tend to the physical and spiritual needs of our people."
"Well what ever it is you are doing for your father... keep doing it." She said, "I will see you next week."
He walked her out and closed the door. He went to his father's room in case he was needed, and sat cross-legged on the floor. He knew The Ancient would disapprove, but he knew his son needed him. He could not ignore that call no matter what his old friend might think best.
He began to hum, not a tune but the steady intonation of a single note. He focused on his son. It was nearing noon in San Francisco. He didn't know if he would be able to reach him but he would at least be able to let him know that he tried.
He found it much easier to meditate and reach the astral plain in his father's home and he found his son sleeping, which was concerning at this hour. "Peter..."
"Pop? Is that you?" He asked. In his dream state, it was a simple thing for him to be pulled into the astral plane.
"It is." he said "What has happened? You have been injured." the knife wounds were still fresh and weeping into his bandages.
"Oh, nothing much really just a little Sing Wah encounter. They're being pests again. Nothing I can't handle."
"If you need me to return-"
"Want... yes. Need no." He said, "Pop... why haven't you contacted me in all this time?" He covered Leanne, with the blanket, even if it was a dream or an astral projection, she deserved her dignity.
"I have been... uncertain what to say. My quest has been fruitless and frustrating. I was giving in to despair. I am now in St Adele."
"How is Grandpa?"
"He is dying."
"I am so sorry, Father. Do you need me to come there?"
"Not yet. When he passes I will need you very much." He said "I understand you have a new girlfriend. I assume that is her there."
Peter smiled brightly. "Yeah, that is Leanne. I can't begin to explain the peace I find with her. I've never felt that way before. She is well-trained in Tai Chi and Kung fu... she's an apothecary. She's at my side when I need her, she has my back no matter what. She accepts and understands the craziness that is my life and she has still agreed to be my wife."
Kwai Chang smiled as well "You are getting married? When?"
"So far the plan is for six months from now. I'll make sure to send an invitation to you there in St Adele. I really think you're going to like her, Pop."
"If she makes you happy and eases your burdens, then I am certain I will adore her."
"She does. Look, if you need to stay there with your father when the wedding happens, it's okay. I understand. We have the rest of our lives for you to be here for us. I don't want to be the reason you miss his passing."
"I appreciate your saying so, but it is my hope that you only have one wedding and I would like to be there if I can."
" I want you to be here. But, being with your father is important. I wouldn't want anyone to stand between me and you when your time comes. Just … don't miss the wedding to chase after Mom's shadow. Don't put your life on hold to chase after her."
"She is my wife, your mother." He said.
"And she abandoned us both. Yeah I know she had to have her reasons. And I know you say Lo Si had his reasons for tearing us apart and shoving me in an orphanage instead of another temple, but sometimes people do stupid things for the right reasons. Sometimes they do them because they can."
"What has happened between you and Lo Si?" He asked, concern in his voice.
"Nothing," Peter said, irritated at himself for having said anything. "When I was poisoned, the fever had me remembering the fire at the temple. I heard his voice... then I was standing at your fake tombstone with Ping Hai... otherwise known as Lo Si. I still have a lot of anger around that... and why did he have that picture of mom in Paris... did he know about whatever it is that made her leave and kept that from us too?" he shook his head It is so hard to shove that anger aside, Pop."
"Lo Si...can be difficult at times. He is truly ancient and knows things we cannot comprehend ...yet. He keeps his own counsel. One day it will make sense, Peter. Even if it is difficult now."
"How much am I supposed to overlook because he's ancient... possibly even immortal." He had been at the first temple, he was certain of it.
"Immortal?" Caine raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say he was immortal?"
"You know why." He said. "Look... please... don't go telling him that I am on edge where he is concerned. I need to know more before I make any decision and we both know that asking Lo Si a direct question gets you stonewalled."
"I understand. I have had frustrations with him myself. As much as I do love him as a brother, his secrets frustrate me. But his wisdom is without equal, without question. In time you will come to understand his methods if not his reasons."
"Not without question. No one, not even an ancient Shamballa master, should be obeyed or trusted without question. Always question Pop. Always. I don't think he's my enemy. I don't think he's one of the bad guys. I love that old man. But the only thing I hate more than people keeping important things from me... is someone manipulating me. It makes me a little crazy."
"I understand." Kwai Chang Caine said. "Do you know what it is the Sing Wah want from you?"
"Yeah, we got this. I'll have a few more bruises for a while until we destroy the nest but we've got this."
"We?"
"Yeah, me, and Leanne. She has my back." He said "When we spar or fight an enemy, it's like we instinctively know what move the other is going to make. Our qi … It's almost tantric, Pop... I have never felt anything like it. Am I delusional?"
Kwai Chang smiled. "No, my son. You have something very special. You have a deep bond with the woman you love, I look forward to meeting her."
"Mom and my sisters like her. They don't know what to do with her, but they like her."
"As I recall they felt much the same about me." He said with a quiet chuckle. "My visions have been about your great-grandfather and a woman he loved, and wished to marry, but her grandfather refused to let him take her with him. I wonder why I am having these visions. They mean something... but I do not know what."
"Yeah... what was her name?" He asked although he knew. Why else would the visions of a lost love be sent their way?
"Li Na," he said. "I must leave you now. My father is stirring."
"Tell him I love him." Peter said, "I love you, Father."
"I love you too, Peter."
"You know, Mary Margret's still single." He said as his father faded from sight, and Peter woke as though from a dream.
He was not exactly surprised to find that Leanne woke as well. "Were you … there?" He asked.
She nodded "I did not wish to interfere in your reunion. Although I was surprised he did not see me blushing at your praise. My face felt so hot I was certain it would glow even under the blanket."
"I meant every word of it." He said, "Are we going to share visions now?"
"I was watching over your sleep. I was worried that the Sing Wah might try something more mystical since their poison failed. I did not mean to eves drop or invade your privacy. There was just no graceful way to leave."
"I don't mind. With some of the visions I've had in the past I could use the backup," he said. "You heard the visions my father has been having."
She nodded. "I did. I don't know what to think... why would my grandfather tell him to leave without me and then be angry that he had gone... I don't understand. But I suppose I should be grateful that he did abandon me for whatever reason. If he had not I would be your great-grandmother rather than your lover. When he sees me, your father will know who I am."
"Not necessarily." He said "I'm the first guy not to wear that face in four generations. It's not going to strike him odd that you look like someone from the past. Don't worry. And even if he does, I don't care. I love you. I don't need my father's approval for where I choose to give my heart."
She kissed him. "I love you, Peter Matthew Caine." She said she was in love with this man. Not merely using him to complete the task set for her by her grandfather. This was no longer about his revenge or her broken heart, no longer about the merging of bloodlines. She truly loved him. Her grandfather was not going to be pleased... but she was.
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"No." Lo Si said sharply. "You are wrong."
"She is immortal."
"As am I. Are you saying that I cannot be trusted?"
"You are not descended from Yulong Yeoh."
"You forget I know who you are descended from. You may wish to reconsider your criteria for death." Lo Si said,
"The girl may not be a creature of evil now, but in time, if her grandfather has his way, she will be."
"Then it is the grandfather who must be stopped, not the granddaughter."
"You let your affection for the son of Kwai Chang Caine blind you to what must be done."
"You would say that to me? Knowing the pain I have caused them to keep the prophecy intact." The ancient said angrily. "There are things you do not know, things you must not know. I am the guardian of the line of Kwai Chang. I have been since before it was given that name. I have been the guardian of those prophecies since before you were born. Do not question my integrity or my objectivity. Things are as they must be. People are where they must be. Do not interfere."
"There are two roads that lead from this moment. One leads to your prophecy being fulfilled and the continuation of the line of Kwai Chang. The other leads to the end of the line of Kwai Chang, The fall of the father into darkness and slavery for the son."
"I will not kill someone to prevent someone else from doing evil." he said "It goes against everything we believe in. Everything we have taught through the ages."
"Then you must find another way to stop Yulong Yeoh."
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Peter leaned back in his chair and wrinkled his nose at the cup he was handed. "You know you two had me at a disadvantage last night. I couldn't fight back. Today I... okay, I can't fight back today either but I can definitely complain more. This is vile."
"Drink." Lo Si said sharply. "I do not have time to banter with you today. I am leaving tonight."
"Leaving..." Peter asked.
"With luck, it will not be for long." He said. "It is a Shamballa matter."
"Is it something you need help with?" Peter asked. Okay, so all suspicions aside he still cared about the man.
"You have your own troubles to tend to with the Sing Wah." he said "And you are too soon out of your bed. Now Drink."
Leanne walked in, carrying a bag of groceries "Is our patient being difficult?"
"He is being Stubborn and foolish." Lo Si said.
"I'll tuck him back into bed and make sure he takes his medicine." She said. "I promise."
"Good. I will let you both know when I return. Be careful. The Sing Wah is not to be taken lightly. Not even by the son of Kwai Chang Caine."
"I know, Lo Si," Peter said without his usual flippancy. "I know."
"I expect to see you both alive and well when I return." Lo Si said, worriedly.
"We will be. You just worry about what you need to worry about. We'll be alright."
"Be safe," Leanne told The Ancient.
When he left and they were certain he was not in the building she took the cup from Peter and sniffed it. "It's the same as we gave you last night." She said and handed it back "Do you really think he would try and harm you?"
"I … no… not really... My father always tells me to trust my instincts. My instincts tell me something is off. I don't know... No... I do know. Yes, he would if he thought it was necessary for the greater good or to see some path to its conclusion. He'd send himself out on a walkabout to clear his qi or end his own life, but he'd do it."
"There is no reality in which harming you would be for the greater good." she said "So take your medicine and I will get you tucked back into bed."
He drank the elixir and wrinkled his nose, gagging a little at the taste. "Oh thank you." He said when she handed him a cup of coffee from down the street.
"Come on, I promised to tuck you in."
"Normally that would make my day. Unfortunately, I don't think I have the energy to enjoy it."
"Well... when you have the energy to enjoy it, then I can let you out of bed."
"That defeats the purpose of being able to enjoy being in bed." He said and let her help him to his feet. He leaned on her as they went back up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Do you want me to make you something to eat?"
"You don't have to babysit me, sweetheart."
"They attacked you and poisoned you yesterday."
He sighed "Yeah I know and I walked right into it."
"Are you about to tell me that your father was never bested in a straight-up fight?" She asked "Or that being Shaolin means you always know everything?"
"No." He grumbled." that's not the point."
"It is precisely the point. We are two people, facing an entire organization. One of us was always going to get hurt."
"With your... ahm... longevity what would their poisons do to you?"
"I assume it would make me sick as it did you." She said. "I have never been poisoned."
"I just realized how much I don't know about immortality and I should probably find out what I'm getting myself into... if you still want me to … you know..."
"I do," She said "What do you want to know? It's one of those subjects that is difficult to just lecture on,"
"My father could manage," He said with a smile. "Okay, well, I guess one of the important questions for me is, will we be able to have children?"
"According to my grandfather's notes, yes." She said, " So yes I know that we would be able to have children."
He nodded and looked relieved "Good cause I wasn't looking forward to telling my Pop that he was never going to be a grandfather." He asked questions and she answered them as she cleaned and re-bandaged his wounds.
"These cuts look much better than yesterday." she said "That makes me much more confident that you're going to be okay."
"You weren't confident before?" He asked with a short laugh.
"Well, if we got the poison right, then everything should be fine."
"If?" He laughed again. "Wow... okay, well glad it worked out right."
"Believe me so am I." She said, "I could not bear the thought of losing you."
"I'm not going anywhere." He promised. "Cause you know, we have things and people to protect … together... and little priests to make... together."
"I understand that is generally how it works, yes." She said, smiling. She did not think to argue that their children might not be Shaolin. It was not mere tradition. It was destiny. "You know, I am a twin. Which means that it is extremely likely We will have twins."
Peter laughed a little nervously "Save me from that heart attack until we're expecting. I don't know how I am going to support a wife, much less children. My ancestors managed so I know it can be done. It just scares me at the moment."
"We will manage. I am not a Shaolin nun. I actually get paid for my counseling services and the Kwoon operates at a profit."
"Great I'll be living off of my wife." He grumbled.
"Peter... you forget I am not a modern girl. I am honored to become your wife. I have never been a pampered princess with long curved nails and servants to braid my hair and clean my home. I was raised to support my husband. If you were a farmer I would till the fields, if you were a merchant I would run the store, and because you are a priest I will support that too. I work so that you may teach and minister and grow. "
"But I am a modern man." He pointed out. "Yes I spent my first 13 years in a temple, and the orphanage was a nightmare realm with only the illusion of being in the same world as everyone else, but after I was taken by the Blaisdells I lived in the modern world. Paul supported Mom and us kids. He made sure we lived in a nice home, we had nice things and there was never a moment where any of us worried about where the next meal was coming from or if the power was going to be shut off. Mom didn't have to work at all."
" The world is always in danger from the Black Widow cult and the Sing Wah, and a thousand tiny insignificant cults that if left to grow and fester will become the next Sing Wah. You and those like you stand between the world and the shadows. Why would you think that diminishes you as a husband ?"
"Becoming a priest... getting the brands and walking away from my life as a cop was the hardest decision I've ever made. I loved being a cop. I loved my apartment and my car and I loved working with my father when he needed me. I wanted both worlds for the longest time. I struggled with that choice for months. Supposedly when I became a priest I was going to be like my father. Peaceful, contented, and never once look back."
"Oh, Peter." She breathed. "Don't sell yourself short that after what... nearly two years you're not the perfect priest. Two years out of the police academy... were you the best at what you did?"
Peter laughed "God no, and I'm pretty sure my superiors did not think I was the perfect cop even at the end of that career. The difference is, as crazy as this sounds, things weren't so life and death back then. Yes I carried a gun and I shot people, I got shot, I was beaten and drugged, run down by cars... People depended on me to save lives but it wasn't the same. I went home and put the pistol in the gun safe, turned on the tv, and ordered takeout. Or I would go to Chandlers and decompress with people who knew what it was like a day in and day out. "
"And now?"
"And now I feel like I'm out of my depth. The last two years have been spent teaching tai chi and Kung Fu, moving fruit crates, and making sure that the elderly in the community are being taken care of. I've been coasting and now the Sing Wah are here and they are trying to threaten you and what do I do? I get myself poisoned. I had my ass handed to me."
"I suppose this never happened to your father?"
"Of course it did."
"And he never spent time having to recover from being poisoned or beaten."
"He did," Peter said and sighed.
"And this all happened before or after he became a Shamballa master."
"Both." He said giving her a frustrated look.
"Pretty sure he was out of his depth those first couple years as a priest, as a Shaolin Master, as a husband and father."
"Yeah... I know. " He grumbled. "And I know that he showed up last night in my dreams, but when I made this decision I thought he'd be here to help me through it. I know that's lame but I still need him."
"It's not lame at all." She said " You'll always need him. But you're doing just fine without him. And the fact that he isn't here just says that he knows you're doing just fine as well."
"You know you're good at this." He said a little sheepishly.
"I should hope so, I spent six years in college learning how." She said with a smile.
"So now that you know that I'm whiny and insecure, do you still want to marry me?"
"You're not whiny and you're not getting rid of me that easily." She said
"So you're saying I am insecure?" He asked, grinning.
