Kwai Chang Caine helped his father into his bed. "I will return shortly. There is the bell if you need anything."

"You don't have to sleep on my floor you know."

He shrugged "I like the floor. Martin can have the guest room." He kissed his father's brow and turned out the light before returning to the living room to rejoin his brother.

"I made a few calls. I have the next two weeks off, and I'm putting in to transfer to France. Also, people are looking for her now. It's been a long time. It may not be possible to find her no matter who is looking."

"I should know. I have loved her since the day I met her. We share a son, a bond that can never be broken. If I cannot sense her after all this time-"

"Okay, now hold on." Martin said "If somehow she miraculously faked her death, including finding someone to be cremated in her place, and managed to get out of the country without a passport or ID, then it's possible that she can miraculously keep someone from sensing her. Like I said before either someone wanted you out of China Town, or someone was teaching her things you didn't know about."

"Or both." Kwai Chang said with a sigh. "The only one who could do either is Master Lo Si."

"The man that is keeping an eye on Peter for you?"

"The man who told each of us the other was dead." He frowned "Peter has realized who he is and doesn't trust him any longer, even though he knows that it was done to protect us both."

"Peter didn't strike me as the sort to hold grudges."

"He is not. But he is the sort to hold on to anger. Lo Si is a Shamballa Master. He has been so longer than I have known him. He does not always share his reasons, which can be frustrating, but I have never known him to do anything that was not in the end honorable."

"Would he have an honorable reason to teach your wife to run from you and her son?"

"No. I was never abusive to her. If I had been she would have taken Peter with her. If she was running from another danger, she would have taken Peter with her. She loved him deeply. I still cannot understand why she abandoned him at all."

"Then perhaps the question we need to be asking is; is there an honorable reason that he would wish to separate you and Peter currently."

"I do not know." He answered and sighed "I do not know."

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The rain fell in sheets, and it did nothing for Peter's peace of mind as they slipped onto the estate. Peter hadn't even tried to talk Paul and Kermit out of carrying guns. He didn't give the speech about respecting all life. At that moment he didn't care if the Sing Wah lived or died and he wasn't going to cripple his friends into the bargain. His father would be disappointed, and his inner great-grandfather was probably wondering what he'd let himself become. Peter however did not carry a gun any longer. He knew that he'd never be able to use it against another human being. Not anymore. Instead, he carried a shovel.

"They'll be waiting." He said as they hugged the tree line. "Pretty sure they can sense us coming."

"I always come prepared," Kermit said. "You just concentrate on getting the future Mrs. Caine out of the ground. We'll guard your back."

Peter nodded and led the way toward the back of the property The grave was where he'd seen it in his vision. The earth was depressed as he had been afraid it would be and he began to rapidly dig the mud out of her grave. It seemed that every shovel full simply let more rainwater slide down into the hole it created.

Paul took a position to one side of Peter, and Kermit the other They looked at each other, neither of them believing that Peter was going to pull a living girl from that hole in the ground.

"I'm here." Peter said as he continued to dig, his motions growing more frantic as the water pooled "I'm here, you have to hang on just a little longer. I'm here."

Paul knelt beside his adopted son. "Let me." He said taking the shovel from his hands and he began to dig. He knew that if it were Annie in that hole he would never stop believing she was alive until he held her dead body in his arms.

Peter didn't stop. He switched to using his hands to dig and scoop out the mud and water from the grave. His hands found wood and he heaved a worried sigh. "Paul, down here." He said and moved his hands out of the way so that Blaisdell could work faster. When enough of the boards were uncovered Peter drew back his fist and slammed it downward, controlling the blow to only go as far as the wood, no deeper. He pulled the boards away from her then stood over the hole and gently eased her through the hole he'd created.

"Leanne." He said and made sure her mouth and nose were clear of the mud "Leanne- " He checked for a pulse and found one, as shallow as her breathing. "Li Na." He said and was certain in that moment that his voice had mingled with his great grandfather's. "I am here. You're safe now. You need to wake up."

"Company's coming" Kermit said as he took aim.

Peter moved Leanne away from the hole in the ground and stepped between her and the Sing Wah. "They do not touch her again." He said. His voice betrayed his rage. This wasn't the strident angry tones the two older men were accustomed to, this was calm, cold, and for the first time, Blaisdell was worried that Peter might do something he'd regret.

"the thought never crossed my mind," Paul said.

"You have found her. I'm impressed Shaolin." It was the same middle-aged man that had come to Peter's studio. "It doesn't change anything. I want the book."

"Yeah, and people in hell want ice water." Peter said "You're not getting that book. I'll destroy it before I let that happen."

The middle-aged man made a motion with his hand and the younger two Sing Wah moved forward.

Peter closed the distance, tossing his jacket aside as he did. "Get her out of here." He said letting the wet slick groundwork to his advantage. He slid across the lawn like a baseball player stealing 3rd, and knocked his two opponents to the ground, he slammed his elbow into the face of one of them rendering him instantly unconscious.

Blaisdell picked up Leanne, Kermit was the better shot and he didn't want that gun arm used for anything but protecting Peter. The woman stirred in his arms.

"Don't leave him." She said barely conscious.

"Peter will be fine," Paul said as he carried her away from the battle. He wasn't going to have this all be for nothing. He still didn't trust the girl, but his son did and there was no changing that. All he could do was keep watch until she showed which of them was right about her. "He's not alone. Kermit is with him."

"Griffins can still be eaten by tigers if they don't know how to fly." She said.

"Trust me. That Griffin can fly." He said. He knew of no one that he trusted more with Peter's life, not even Kwai Chang Caine. "Even if he doesn't know Kung Fu."

Tianyu pushed himself up onto his feet in a single motion. He brought his foot down hard, barely missing as Peter rolled out of the way and regained his footing. He advanced in close, having found out the hard way that keeping his distance would leave him on the ground and vulnerable. The wet ground was no longer working to his advantage. He went purely on the offensive, a leopard against a tiger. He didn't block the attack unless doing so made it easier to strike a blow, his footwork was low and close.

As Tianyu fell, the middle-aged man, Li Zhang drew a blade and advanced toward Peter's back. Everyone (But Paul Blaisdell) was surprised to hear the report of a gunshot. Li Zhang cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. He clutched his leg tightly.

"No stabbing people in the back." Kermit said, "It pisses me right off."

"You're right about me not being my father." Peter said " I'm not half the priest he is. I'm not half as patient either. He'd fight you till you turned over a new leaf. Me … I'd rather get the bug spray and be done. So this is your one and only second chance. Stay out of my way, out of my life, and while you're at it, stay out of my town."

Peter turned and walked away, making a beeline for the car where he hoped Paul and Leanne waited safely.

"She's going to be alright, it's just the drug not wanting to let go," Paul told him as Peter climbed into the back seat of the Kermit mobile with Leanne. "We'll get her to the hospital just to be sure."

"No, we go back to my place." Peter said, "I can help her myself." He settled onto the floor boards and pushed the wet and muddy hair from her face. "Thank you both, for coming with me."

"Any time, Peter," Kermit said as he drove away from the estate.

They found Karen and Mary Margaret waiting in the brownstone for them.

"I'll get a bath started. The two of you brought the grounds back with you." Mary Margaret said and headed into the bathroom to do just that.

Karen hugged Kermit. "So how many bodies are we covering up."

"None." He said, "I only shot one guy, in the leg." He shrugged "Peter knocked the other two out. I doubt anyone from the Sing Wah is going to report things to the police."

"That has always been the case, " Paul said "Chinatown takes care of china town. Including the villains. I have to say, I am stunned that girl in there is still alive." He said the last quietly. "She should have drowned before we could get her out of that box."

"Good thing she didn't. Peter would have become more like us than either of us would like if she'd died." Kermit said. "Which I have on good authority would be bad. I can just about guarantee he won't be a carbon copy of his father though."

"As much as I like Caine, I'm just as glad that he isn't following that template," Paul said. "It tells me this is his choice, not something he's doing to please his father. Peter has always been his own man, even at fifteen he was determined that everything in his life was going to be on his terms."

"And if I am not mistaken he didn't care how many rules he had to fold spindle or mutilate to make that happen, " Simms said.

"He always had a reason why he was right to do whatever it was," Paul said with a chuckle. "But he never lied to me about it. Not once. Not even when he could have gotten away with it. Some of his father's early teachings I suspect."

"I think you both had something to do with that," Simms said

Mary Margaret came out of the bathroom and went to look through the herb jars "Is it too much to expect that these things could be labeled in English." She said, grabbed two of them, and went back into the bathroom "Is it one of these two?" She asked.

Peter looked at the jars. "This one." He said "Thanks, Mary Margaret. Can you ahm... tell everyone that it's okay to go." He asked as he sprinkled the herb into the bathwater Leanne soaked in. "I'll call everyone in the morning. I just need to get us both cleaned up and into bed."

"Peter... are you sure we shouldn't get her to the hospital?" She asked as she watched her former partner bathe the woman. "She's moved like once since you've gotten her back."

"The drug they gave her is powerful. The hospital won't be able to help with that. I just need to make sure she's warmed up enough and tuck her in for the night." He looked at her a moment. "And I know that they all care about me and I know everyone had my back today. But I also know how Paul feels about Leanne, and I can't take round two right now. I'll say something I'll regret. So please, if you could just talk to people for me."

She nodded and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'll do that. Don't forget to spend a little time taking care of yourself too. You're going to be black and blue come morning."

"Not the first time, won't be the last." He said and kissed her on the cheek. "For the record... my father's an idiot for leaving you to chase ghosts."

"How could we ever hope to have a future with his past hanging over his head? I don't like it, but that's how it is." She returned his kiss and straightened up. She went into the main room.

"How are they?" Karen asked.

"Tired. He says I'm supposed to ask everyone to go home and he'll call us in the morning." She said, "Everyone." She repeated when it looked like Blaisdell was about to object.

"Come on. You can ride with me." Kermit said, "Since your car's at the precinct."

Paul nodded. He went down the steps right behind Kermit. The two got into the car. "I appreciate the ride."

"Or we could cut out the middle man and both keep watch in this car instead of two," Kermit said.

"A good idea." He said with a lopsided grin. "I'll let Annie know what I'm doing. With any luck, she's forgiven me for my... inconsiderateness."

()0()

Peter pulled the plug in the tub and toweled her hair while the water drained.

"I'm alright you know... just tired."

"I know." He said in a quiet tone. "I just get to take care of you for a change."

"How did you find me?" She asked as he helped her stand up so that he could dry her shoulders, her arms... points south.

"I followed the echo of your qi," he said using the phrase his great-grandfather used.

"That's a thing?" She asked.

"Apparently... there's more to that … and we should talk about it but not right now," Peter said.

"It's not like I'm up to anything else tonight. I'm all ears."

"Sleep, what you are up to is sleep," He said. He hung the towel up and then scooped her into his arms to take her to bed. "And sleep is what you are going to do."

"I have been asleep since leaving your parents' place." She pointed out.

"I'm sorry about that." He said "I had no idea he'd do a background check and I never would have expected him to blindside me like that. In his favor, he did come with me to save you."

"He loves you."

"I know," Peter said. "Just like the other absentee father I've never doubted it for a minute. But love isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card." He eased her down onto the bed and covered her up. "It's going to take a bit for me to get over the fact that he doesn't trust my judgment, and even longer to get over how badly he hurt you."

"I don't want to come between you."

"You won't." Peter said "He's just going to have to learn to accept that I choose who I love, who I spend my life with, not him. And he will. He'll come around and when he does I'll get over his attitude. That does not mean you have to forgive him just because I will."

"Neither do you have to be angry every time he shows his distrust of me?"

"Yeah, I do." He said. "No one gets to hurt you. Not him, not my father, not the ancient... not me."

"People hurt each other, Peter."

"Doesn't make it right."

"Welcome to being human." She said, "So... now that I'm well and truly awake, and we've established that it's okay if not everyone loves me as much as you do, tell me about this following the echo of my qi thing."

Peter swallowed "okay... ahm... I..." He exhaled hard "I don't know how to say it."

"I recommend words." She said.

"Funny," He said "Okay blunt is the only way this is going to come out. I am apparently the reincarnation of my great grandfather."

Her eyes widened and she turned onto her side, propped up on one elbow to study him.

"Yeah." He said, then explained about how he had made the discovery through conversations with Kwai Chang Caine the elder. He studied her face. His heart was in his throat as she said nothing. The longer she said nothing the more he was convinced it was going to choke him. "Leanne..,?"

"I don't know what to say."

"I love you." He said, wondering if this was where he screwed up this relationship, was this a bridge too far? It wasn't even something he had any control over. He held his breath.

"I love you too." She said, "Much more this time around by the way."

He exhaled shudderingly, in relief. He kissed her tenderly. "Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry. It was a shock. I rather expected that he would turn up somewhere in your family tree but I never expected it to be you."

"He's not much of a talker."

"no, he wasn't." She said,d "Neither was I back then."

"He told me you were sad, and that your grandfather was... controlling."

"We were both sad and lonely." She said "As for grandfather... he was. I think it was to protect us, but I've been wrong before. "

"Li Na... Is your grandfather actually dead?"

"No." She said "I don't know where he is though. I don't believe he is on this plane of existence. There are so many other realms. The last time I saw him was... right after World War II. Before that … I think it was the turn of the century." She yawned. "Please don't tell the Ancient. Grandfather says that Shaballa has never forgiven him for leaving."

"I won't tell him." He caressed her face gently. "You need to sleep," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too."

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"So are you out of the dog house or are you crashing on my couch till it blows over," Kermit asked.

Blaisdell laughed quietly and shook his head. "I am out of the dog house. But only because Peter found the girl so quickly."

"So spill, what is it about her that sets you off."

Paul sighed. "I can't explain it. I just don't trust her. She's friendly, and she's a good influence on Peter from what I understand, but she's not who she says she is and I don't think Peter knows her as well as he thinks he does. It doesn't help that Peter falls in love at the drop of a hat. Doesn't even have to be his hat."

"Yeah but this is the first time he's asked a girl to marry him."

"He can't afford to get married."

"It's his choice, Blaisdell. He's not a kid anymore. He hasn't been for a long time."

Another Sigh. "I know which is why I wish he'd wise up."

"What? And be like us? How many people told you not to go out with that blind woman she'd only be a liability."

"That's different. Annie never lied to me."

"What makes you think this woman has lied to Peter?"

"He says she hasn't. That she's been hiding from people that want to kill her."

"Tonight bears that out don't you think?"

"It looked to me like they were more interested in Peter than Leanne or whatever her name is."

"They buried her alive, Paul. If Peter had been 5 minutes slower she'd be dead."

"Only because of the storm." Paul said, "Only because of the storm."