Paul entered the hospital room and sat down on the far side of Kermit's bed, and looked across to the other side where Karen Simms sat keeping watch.

"When was the last time you got any rest?" He asked her. She looked exhausted, which in his experience meant that she was likely on the verge of falling asleep where she sat. If she'd only allow herself to do it.

"Frank asked me the same thing when I called to check in." She said. "I'm alright."

" Frank is a good man. He always looks out for his captain as well as his detectives. The bench by the window is comfortable enough for a nap. God knows I've used it often enough when Peter would wind up in one of these beds."

She smiled a little sadly. "Did he wind up hurt often?" She knew firsthand how reckless Peter Caine could be. He had made it work for him, strange to say it was part of what made him such an exceptional detective when for others it would have done nothing but get him or his partner killed.

"Often enough that I started threatening to bust him back down to a patrol car if he didn't start being more careful," Paul said. "Of course, that wouldn't have helped really. The first time he was shot he Was a patrolman. Wound up caught in the middle of a bodega robbery."

She laughed a little at that. "Why am I not surprised? I really miss having him around the precinct. He was a damned good cop. From what I hear he's a good priest too. I can't say I'm surprised." Of course, she remembered the little boy she had been introduced to in the temple. That little boy was always going to be a priest. He just needed to take a detour through the police department first.

"I'm still having a hard time with the changes in his life," Paul admitted. "Annie says I'm being unreasonable."

"I suppose that depends on why you're having a hard time with it and what you expect Peter to do about it… or is it his fiance you're still having a problem with."

He nodded laughing quietly. "And yes I am being unreasonable about it. Peter's right. If he knew all along that Leanne Garret wasn't always her name, and that it was to escape the cult that kidnapped her, then yes I am being unreasonable. But something about that girl has my hair standing on edge. I didn't survive this long by not paying attention to my instincts."

"Kermit's instincts go the opposite direction." She said. "Admittedly I'm biased, but I trust his instincts over most other people's. Including Peter's. I have spent maybe 5 minutes talking to Leanne since they started dating. I don't have an opinion yet."

"Peter's instincts where women are concerned don't tend to pan out," Paul said. "But she and I have called a truce for his sake. All I can do is hope that there are pieces to pick up when it all goes south." He ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"Who gave you the information on her?" Simms asked.

"People in Hong Kong." He said. "They had absolutely nothing good to say about Li Na Yeoh. "

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Peter smiled a little. It felt good to work on the clean-up of Chinatown. Used to be the phrase Clean Up Chinatown had very different connotations. That was from his policeman's perspective. As a priest, he found it meant something very different, and today it felt particularly good.

"Who is your new friend?" Caine asked.

"I don't know," He said. "He works for Yeoh. Was trying to bully the book out of me."

Caine raised an eyebrow at that.

Peter shrugged. "He said he was going to follow me until I handed over the book. I told him if he was going to do that he was going to pitch in. I'm kinda surprised that he's actually doing it."

Caine laughed softly and clasped his son's shoulder affectionately. "You begin to understand. I am pleased."

Peter laughed as well. "I don't understand that at all. I'm just glad it worked. Too bad you can't just put all the bad guys to work when you need it."

"There are those who are only bad because there is nothing else for them to be," Caine said. "Because the only ones willing to lead them are bad. Is this not how young boys become involved in gangs?"

"That's why they're so hard to get out of gangs after the fact. They are loyal to the only authority figure that seems to give a damn and you can't convince them that they are being used."

"Perhaps Yulong Yeoh does not pretend to … give a damn?" Caine suggested.

"You're probably right there. He doesn't even pretend that with Leanne anymore. He's just going to have to be patient until I can get to the book. I'm not going to rob a bank to get it."

Hu Li appeared as if out of nowhere. "So that's what the hold up is. Gotcha. Okay, I can work with that. "

"The last thing anyone wants is for that book to wind up in an evidence locker somewhere," Peter said. "Because I have no idea how to break into a bank and get the safe deposit box."

"Which bank is it?" She asked.

Peter shook his head. "Yeah, not going to tell you that." He wasn't stupid. Yeoh could probably manage it and then there would be no bait for the trap.

She laughed and folded her arms across her chest. "Where's your lesser half?" Hu Li asked.

Peter gave her an admonishing look. "She's taking care of a few things. She'll be here shortly. Why? "

"Just wondering."

"You don't just do anything," Peter said. "Care to help out, there's lots to do."

"Nah, I like to watch." She said looking him up and down.

Peter blushed and cleared his throat. Well, that was awkward. Probably exactly how she wanted it to be. Not that he took her seriously. "Well, I don't have time to chat while you do nothing. Watch from somewhere out of the way." He said and went back to work.

Caine raised an eyebrow and Peter shrugged. They returned to their work.

The young man who had been following Peter through the day and had joined in the work looked between Peter and Hu Li nervously but continued to work. Until she gave him different orders there was no reason not to after all.

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Lo Si looked up as his hospital room door opened. He smiled seeing Leanne. "You have brought the book?" He asked.

"Yes," She said and opened the satchel she carried and took out the white-bound book of Shamballa. "I brought a change of clothes for you as well. Your apartment was in good condition. I didn't see any damage while I was there."

"Marvelous." He said as he got out of his bed, and Wukong was swiftly at his side. Lo Si patted his hand. "I am stronger now. I will not collapse."

"I need to go in case I was followed here." She told him. She had been watching him as well, to see how stable he was on his feet. "I'll see you soon."

"Be careful." Lo Si said.

"As careful as I can be." She left the room and made her way toward the intensive care unit. It wasn't difficult to find Kermit's room. She stepped in quietly.

Karen Simms was asleep on the bench by the window, and Paul Blaisdell was seated beside Kermit's bed. He looked over at the girl.

"Hello, Leanne, is Peter with you?" Paul asked, keeping his tone neutral and friendly.

"No." She said quietly. "He's in Chinatown helping with the clean up. The Ancient needed a few things and Peter asked that I look in on Kermit while I was here." She said.

"You and Peter have a business there in Chinatown. Was there much damage?" He asked.

"We lost the front windows, and the mats on the floor are history, but other than that I'm confident things can be salvaged. Thankfully there was only one window broken upstairs, and not much in the way of water damage up there. Sadly Peter's car did not fare so well."

"That bad?" Paul asked. Peter loved that car. It was too bad.

"Possibly. The interior is waterlogged. We didn't try to start it but as wet as it was I don't think it would have done any good. I want to get it to a mechanic to see if it can be salvaged. Peter doesn't think that it can. Of course what I know about cars they teach in driver's ed. Classes. The key goes there, the gas goes there, and here's where you find the spare tire." She laughed quietly.

"He won't ever admit it, but his knowledge isn't much more than that. I taught him how to change the oil and one of his friends from Pine Ridge taught him how to hotwire. Badly." Paul said. "Getting it to a mechanic is a good idea. I know a good one if you're interested. "

"Yes, please." She said. "He looked so heartbroken when we checked it out this morning."

"Let me guess, he decided that it wasn't a good car for a man about to be married and planning to start a family."

"Worse, he said we needed the money for more important things," She said.

"I'll take care of the car," Paul said with a quiet laugh. "Let it be our little secret for now."

"Thank you. I know it will mean the world to him." She said and took out her keys. She removed the spare key to the stealth and handed it over to him. "Fortunately my car was in the hospital parking garage so we're not without transportation."

"I imagine repairmen in general will be making a fortune for the foreseeable future," Paul said.

"As well as being sleep deprived and overworked." She said.

Paul nodded "They will be that too. Why don't you and Peter come by the house for dinner? I know Annie is worried."

"I'll talk to him, but I'm sure he'll say yes." She said.

"Good, we'll see you tonight."

Leanne took her cue and said her goodbyes. Well, he was keeping his end of the bargain, the truce still stood and she was glad of it. She didn't want to come between Peter and his foster family. They were as important to him as his father.

She drove back to Chinatown to meet up with Peter and his father for lunch. She had found a place open to serve food and had picked up falafel burgers and fries for four. He had said that Skalany was there when she'd checked in before bringing the book to the ancient.

She called Peter. "I'm here and I bring falafel burgers for four."

Peter smiled. "I'll let Dad and Mary-Margaret know. See you in a few." He said. He looked over at his father. "Ready for lunch?"

His father nodded. "Yes."

"I'm starving." Mary Margaret said and the four of them made the short walk back to the Kwoon and his father's apartment across the street. It was decided that they'd eat in the apartment because they could at least have the illusion of privacy.

"How is Kermit doing?" Peter asked once they were settled on the floor to eat.

"The same. Captain Simms was sleeping when I got there. Paul was keeping watch. He says that your mother wants us there for dinner tonight. She's worried."

Peter nodded "Yeah, okay, we can do that. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"It's fine. I doubt we'll ever be friends, but Paul and I have called a cease-fire. It will be fine." Leanne said.

"Okay." Peter was dubious. He was grateful for the illusion, but he suspected that was all it was. Paul was convinced that she was bad news and that she'd sunk her claws, fangs, and Jezebel ways into his son. It would be years before he got over it. Or until someone he trusted told him things were otherwise.

"Were you able to see Lo Si?" Caine asked.

"Yes, I took him the book he requested." They knew which book she meant. They still spoke in vagueries because there was always the potential that someone might be listening and when dealing with those of great magical power, the listener didn't have to be visible, or even close. "It is encouraging that he feels up to reading."

Caine smiled. "Yes, it is. His recovery will be slow but I believe he will be his old self again one day."

"I hope so," Peter said. "He's lucky he came home when he did. If he'd stayed around those flowers much longer he'd be dead."

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The ancient and Sun Wukong entered Shamballa via the book. They went straight to the master of the temple, moving quickly and quietly through the corridors in attempts to avoid Master Yuan, the head librarian. The mission they were on was too important to be derailed by an unknown quantity.

The Monkey King still worried about the Holy Priest. Lo Si was better but Wukong thought that it was too soon for him to be entering battle. At the same time, he was very proud of this priest that he was not deterred from his course no matter the risk to himself. He wanted the Queen of Heaven to see this man. Then she would understand his sorrow when he thought Lo Si would die.

They were led into the Master's office, and Lo Si took a seat.

"You have word, Master Lo Si?"

"We have a plan." Lo Si said. "We will need assistance from Shamballa when the time is right. But Master Yuan must not be told."

"You are certain he is involved with Yulong Yeoh?" He hated to think that one of his trusted priests could have turned so thoroughly. But then, Yulong Yeoh had once been a trusted priest.

"No. He may be a different source of trouble. Until we know for certain we should be cautious." Lo Si said. There was a reason he kept custody of the prophecies he guarded. He had never trusted Master Yuan.

"Very well. Tell me what you need of us." Shamballa would do all that it could to

Lo Si laid out the plan as Peter and his father had explained it.

He nodded gravely.

"And the means to contain a very old fox without harming her," Wukong said. "If such is possible."

The temple master raised an eyebrow. "Truly?"

"Truly," Wukong said. "She is a good fox, but the evil one has her kin, and she is sworn to protect the good foxes so she must do as the evil one says because he'll hurt them if she doesn't."

He nodded gravely. "Then I suppose we shall have to see what we can do about containing a celestial fox."

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Paul rose to his feet. "I need to get home. I'll come back by this evening after Peter and his fiancée leave."

"I'll be alright. You don't have to come back."

"You're going to need a chance to go home and check on things even if just for a few minutes," Paul said. He smiled a little sadly seeing that she was about to object. "We'll talk about it later."

Karen sighed as Paul left the room. "He means well." She said, turning her attention back to Kermit. "But I'm not going anywhere until you wake up. So you had better wake up." She said. She stroked his hair lightly. "There are only so many days I can take off of work you know. Okay, so I don't have a precinct at the moment. But that's not the point and you know it." She took a drink of her water and sighed. "When I looked at the wreckage, where the supports for the ceiling tiles broke free… it looked as though they had all sheered off at once, there was no twisting or bending like you would expect if they had come down one at a time. How is that possible? I don't think even Caine can do that."

She rose from her seat and began to pace. She was beginning to lose hope. The doctors had told Paul that the longer he remained unconscious the less likely it was that he would waken. It was breaking her heart. They'd had to be so careful to keep things circumspect. It could damage both of their careers if the wrong people got the wrong impression. Now she just didn't care who knew much less what they thought about it. She just wanted him to wake up. She wasn't a praying woman, but she was giving serious consideration to starting.

She could barely hear the sound of someone entering the room. It was so quiet that when she turned around she had expected to see Peter or his father. Instead, she found a man she had never seen before. He was approximately 5'10" with the lean and wiry build of the elderly… and he was Chinese.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

" It is more about what I can do for you, or more importantly, what I can do for your friend." He indicated Kermit. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yulong Yeoh."