Part 4 Scene 20

By the time Kermit knocked on her bedroom door, Kalindi had been awake for hours. The butterflies in her stomach had worsened with each passing minute since she'd awakened. After one final check of the clothing she'd selected for her first day at Marquette High, she anxiously headed for the shower.

Kermit, meanwhile, was busy in the kitchen. Though movement in his injured arm was limited and still painful, he managed to produce a picture perfect meal. As he scurried about the kitchen, the detective kept a close eye on the clock. 'Better hurry it up, Sweet Cakes. Don't want to be late on your first day.'

As Kermit set the last plate on the table, the princess appeared in the doorway. "Good morning. All set for the big day? You look terrific."

"Thank you," she stammered as she took her seat. Accustomed to a small breakfast of cheese and fruit, Kalindi's already nervous stomach turned at the sight of the feast spread before her. A large omelet with ham, cheese, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes was accompanied by a large serving of hash brown potatoes. A smaller plate containing two slices of toast was next to the larger plate of food. A glass each of orange juice and milk rounded out the meal.

Not wanting to offend her guardian, the princess picked up a slice of the toast and began to nibble. After washing it down with a swallow of juice, she asked, "You are not upset with me for choosing not to wear the new jeans and sweater you purchased for today?"

Kermit paused with his coffee cup halfway to his lips to answer. "No, of course not. If you're more comfortable in your sari, then that's what you should wear," he offered with a reassuring smile. His face clouded a little as he continued. "Are you sure you don't mind Peter taking you to school this morning? The DA refused to reschedule the meeting again, but there won't be any real harm if I arrive a little late...I'd be glad to do that if you'd prefer that I take you."

Her nerves had eased enough to attempt a few small bites of the omelet. Putting up a brave front, she smiled and answered, "No. Your meeting is important and I do not wish you to miss any of it because of me. Peter is our good friend, yes?" At Kermit's nod, she continued. "Then it will be fine for him to take me. I enjoy spending time with him and the Ancient, tending to his father's many plants. Besides, he knows...things."

Before Kermit could press her for an explanation, the doorbell sounded to announce the arrival of the Shaolin. Kermit questioned the princess one final time. "Are you sure you're okay with this? If I'm going to get to the meeting on time, I have to leave right now." At her nod, he rose from the table. "Okay, then. You have a great first day of school. I'll be anxious to hear all about it when I get home. I'll let Peter in on my way out. You stay here and finish your breakfast. It's important to have a good breakfast before school."

She smiled warmly and again nodded. Kermit winked at her and headed for the door. Before Peter could set one foot inside the apartment, Kalindi's smile faded. She quickly rose and headed for the bathroom, knowing the few bites that she'd managed to swallow wouldn't be with her for long.

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Part 4 Scene 21

"Good morning, young Caine. Will you join me for tea?" queried the old man.

Peter smiled broadly and answered, "Good morning to you, Lo Si. A cup of tea sounds great." After taking a seat, he paused a minute to fully take in the sights and smells of the outdoor café where he'd found the Ancient. As he turned his attention fully back to his companion, the deceptively frail-looking old man spoke.

"You were able to calm our young friend and get her to school on time?" he asked with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

A very pleased young priest answered in the affirmative. "Yep. I made her some special tea to go with her toast and she settled right down. By the time I dropped her off, she was still excited, but not nervous. Well, not very much anyway," he admitted with a grin.

"You are learning, my young friend. Your skills grow stronger by the day," the old man announced with obvious pride.

From out of nowhere, a whirlwind with long brown hair appeared at their table. "Excuse us, Lo Si. Peter and I really need to have that talk---now," she emphasized as she pulled him by the arm.

An amused Peter Caine greeted the new arrival. "Good morning to you, too, Skalany." He winked as he spoke, which further fueled her agitation.

"Don't think that infamous Caine charm is going to work on me," she warned. "Let's go. NOW."

Peter rose after excusing himself to Lo Si and walked to the corner with his former partner. "Okay, I guess I do owe you an apology. I should have talked to you about the dinner thing..."

Mary Margaret exploded before he could finish. "You're damn right you should have talked to me about it! How could you do something like this? If you had a problem with my relationship with your father, you could have at least talked to us about it instead of setting him up with another woman behind my back."

Peter blinked in surprise. "Skalany, I don't have a problem with..."

Again, his former coworker cut him off. "I thought we were friends. I can't believe you'd do something this underhanded after all the time we've known each other. So what exactly is the problem, partner? You trust me with your life out on the streets, but you don't trust me with your father," she accused.

"Are you finished now?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. Skalany nodded, a tinge of guilt creeping in to mix with the anger in her face. "Good," he replied. "First, I DO NOT have a problem with you seeing my father. I will admit it was pretty weird at first, but I got over that a long time ago. Maybe it was wrong, but I accepted the dinner invitation because it looked like the only way to get the Chous to cooperate. They'd been trying to get the two of us to have dinner with them almost since the day Pop got back from France and I assumed he wouldn't mind the dinner if it helped curb all this violence. I have to admit that I felt it served him right for taking off so mysteriously again. I didn't consider your feelings, though, and that was very wrong. I really am so sorry and I promise I won't ever let that happen again. Can you forgive me?" he pleaded, using his lost puppy look for effect.

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly hesitated before replying. "Us? You said us. You're going on this dinner date, too?" she asked in disbelief. "What you don't trust her alone with your father either?" she sneered with a sarcastic bite.

Peter sighed deeply before attempting to explain once more. "Skalany, I don't know what you heard or who you heard it from, but the dinner isn't going to be a real date--despite what the Chous want. Pop and I are going to have dinner at the family's house. The parents, their widowed daughter, her divorced daughter AND her four children will all be there. The real reason I want Pop there is to keep ME out of trouble! Okay?"

Before Mary Margaret could reply, Peter's cell phone rang. "Caine," he answered. She watched her former partner's expressive face as concern turned into worry and then deepened into fear. "When?" she heard him say as her own cell phone began to ring.

Taking a few steps away from Peter and his conversation, she answered her call. "Skalany, and this better be good. It's my day off," she threatened. After listening to the caller, she announced, "Be right there." She disconnected and went back to stand next to Peter, who had just finished his own call.

As their eyes met, they simultaneously announced the purpose of each call. "Princess Kalindi left the school and is missing."

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Part 4 Scene 22

Peter raced back to the loft after a brief explanation to Lo Si. Mary Margaret had immediately headed back to the precinct and Kermit was on his way home to check his apartment. Repeated attempts to call both Kermit's apartment and Peter's loft had so far proven unsuccessful in locating the girl.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Peter paused to catch his breath at the top. As he got his breathing under control, the phone began to ring again. The young priest strode into the room to answer it, but stopped short when he detected the sound of muffled sobs coming from the garden area.

Cautiously, he moved out onto the balcony. There, huddled on the floor in a corner with her knees to her chest, he found the sobbing princess. "Kalindi," he gently called as he moved toward her.

Startled, she looked up to see who the intruder was. Momentary panic was quickly replaced by sheer misery as Peter looked into her eyes. Carefully kneeling next to the distraught young girl, he reached out to place a comforting hand on her arm. "It's okay now. Everything's going to be fine."

Kalindi angrily jerked away and shook her head in defiance. "No. It was horrible. I never dreamed it would be so awful," she managed between sobs.

Peter again reached out to her. "Can you tell me about it?" he queried as he placed a comforting hand on hers. Again she shook her head, but this time she didn't pull away. Instead, she surprised the young priest by launching herself into his arms. The Shaolin managed to keep his balance and struggled to a standing position with the girl's arms firmly locked around his neck. He gave her a reassuring hug and kissed the top of her head before trying to coax her to a nearby bench. "Come, sit with me over here," he enticed.

The princess gave no response, but allowed Peter to gently lead her to the bench. He held her for several minutes, remaining silent while she cried herself out. After she seemed to calm a little, he again tried to get her to talk. "You want to tell me what happened now?"

Kalindi made no attempt to move her head from its resting-place against his chest, but nodded affirmatively and began her explanation. "It was awful. They called me names and said terrible things," she explained. "I do not ever wish to go back there."

Peter gently caressed her arm in a gesture of comfort as he gently reminded her of a conversation they'd had several days prior. "Remember, we talked about the teasing a few days ago. There will always be those who have to tease and condemn the new kids."

The princess pulled away for a moment and looked into his eyes. "Those people did not bother me. I knew what to expect and did not allow their words to hurt me. It was the ones who pretended to be my friends. They would smile and talk nice to me one minute. The next they would still be smiling and tell me my people are fat--as if this was something I should appreciate. They said your car was fat, too. They--they even said I should strike you and that they would do so in my place!" she explained indignantly.

Peter groaned and with a smile explained the misunderstanding. "Kalindi, are you familiar with the word 'slang'?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "I should have taught you some of the more popular slang terms. I'm sorry now that I didn't think of it." He paused to cup her chin before continuing. "Sweetie, they weren't saying your people--or my car--were overweight. The cool way to say something is 'awesome' is to say that it's 'P-f-a-t' or 'fat.' The 'p' isn't usually pronounced."

She stared in disbelief at the priest. "You mean...they really were trying to be my friends? They thought my having a kingdom was awesome? Are you certain of this?" The princess shook her head and dismissed the notion. "No. They are not my friends. They still told me I should strike you. They even said they would like to do this to you! That is not something a friend would do in my country," she explained.

Peter nearly had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. "Did they by any chance say that you should 'hit on' me?" he inquired.

"Yes, that is the exact thing they said," she answered as the anger returned to her voice. As she noted the bright twinkle in her friend's eyes, her anger quickly transformed into dread. "Oh no. Do not tell me this is slang for something, too," she groaned. At his nod, she became perplexed. "What under the heavens were they trying to say?" she asked, bewildered.

Peter shifted uncomfortably. "Well, they were saying that you should...that if they were you they would..." He pulled away and stood to pace in front of the bench before continuing. A very confused princess waited patiently for his explanation. Running a nervous hand through his hair, he began again. "Let me start over. When a woman 'hits on' a man, it means that she is...attracted to him and...and...and she tries to make him aware of her attraction to...to find out if he is attracted to her as well." The priest returned to sit on the bench and looked into Kalindi's eyes in order to ascertain if she was following his explanation.

Caught totally off guard, Peter was too shocked to respond when the princess suddenly pulled him into a one sided, but very passionate kiss. The two abruptly parted and jumped to their feet at the sound of a familiar voice in the doorway.

"All right. Just what the hell is going on here, Caine?" Kermit hissed.

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Part 4 Scene 23

As the two men entered the workroom, Peter pulled the doors shut behind them in an attempt to protect the princess from what he expected to be a rather unpleasant scene. Kermit was broadcasting his anger so loudly that the young Shaolin was certain it could be felt as far away as China. The priest walked over and leaned against the workbench with his arms crossed in front of him in an attempt to keep some distance between himself and the ex-mercenary. Peter was still trying to choose the right words as Kermit rounded on him, the pent-up anger, frustration, and helplessness of the past weeks boiling over.

"She's only seventeen, for God's sake. Of all people, I expected you to know better than to take advantage of a helpless, naïve girl," he snarled as he slammed the Shaolin down onto the workbench, scattering bowls of herbs and assorted paraphernalia for making various remedies. Kermit had discarded the sling several days earlier, albeit against doctor's recommendations, but his injured arm was far from back to normal strength. Despite the obvious disadvantage, he pinned the younger, stronger man to the table, cutting off his air with a forearm across the windpipe.

Peter could sense the tremendous pain that the action was causing his friend and did nothing to resist. "It wasn't what it looked like," he struggled to explain, but the enraged detective was hearing none of it. When it became apparent that the ex-mercenary wasn't going to give in to the pain and release his hold, the Shaolin used the minimum amount of force necessary to escape the man's hold.

The ex-mercenary circled the Shaolin as Peter tried to reason with his friend. "Come on, Kermit. You know I'd never try anything like that with Kalindi. You know it in your heart."

Rage still consumed the detective and he wasn't able to listen to reason. "I know what I saw--and I know you're going to pay for it," he spat back.

He moved in and threw several punches which the Shaolin easily blocked, further fueling the ex-mercenary's ire. The dance continued with Kermit attacking and Peter easily avoiding or blocking each move. The young priest was hoping the detective would wear down, but the rage seemed to feed Kermit's strength and he showed no signs of weakening.

Kermit's frustration with the Shaolin grew with each passing moment. "Come on, lover boy. Fight like a man. Or are you afraid you'll lose?" he taunted.

Peter refused to give in to his attacker's goading. "I'm not going to fight you, Kermit. Especially not now," he added. Immediately, he realized it was the wrong thing to say as Kermit's rage intensified.

"Not now?" he demanded. "You think I can't take you because of this," he asked, gesturing to the injured arm. "Let me tell you something, you little piece of slime. I can beat the crap out of you with one arm tied behind my back any day of the week."

Peter decided to gamble on his friend's sense of honor. "I'm not going to fight you, Kermit. This has gone far enough. If you really think something was going on between us, then you go ahead and hit me. Do whatever you think it is I deserve and I won't move a muscle to stop you," he challenged.

Kermit advanced on the priest and drew his arm back, ready to throw the first of what he intended to be many punches, but stopped short of delivering the blow. Peter stood calmly waiting, ready to accept whatever punishment his friend decided to dish out. The frustration was overwhelming as Kermit realized that he couldn't go through with the intended punishment. Lashing out, he roared in anger and shoved the young Shaolin with all his strength.

Peter scrambled backwards and had nearly caught his balance when he suddenly lost his footing on a piece of broken pottery. Kermit turned to the garden doors, startled at the sudden scream from Kalindi, who had entered the workroom upon hearing the scuffle. He heard the sickening thud as Peter's head impacted the edge of the workbench, but saw only the horrified look on his young charge's face as she witnessed the accident.

He turned to watch the young princess as she rushed to the fallen priest's side. "Please, Peter. Open your eyes and get up," she pleaded. Receiving no response, she placed her hands beneath his head and pleaded once more for the Shaolin to rise. "Please, Peter. You are scaring me," she begged. As her brain finally registered the sticky wetness on her hands, she immediately lowered Peter's head and pulled her hands away. Staring in shock and disbelief, her gaze moved from her bloody hands to Kermit and back again. Slowly, she began to move back out to the garden and away from the horrible scene, keeping her hands out in front of her as if afraid to touch anything. As she backed through the doors, Kermit finally tore his gaze from her and looked at his friend.

Peter lay on his back, pale and motionless among the broken plants and shards of pottery that had fallen victim to the struggle. Kermit watched, transfixed, as a small red pool formed at the side of the younger man's head. The ex-mercenary seemed not to notice when Lo Si arrived and quickly moved to examine the injured priest.

Kermit started when the Ancient suddenly turned and spoke to him. "You must go find the girl. It is not safe for her to be on these streets, alone and frightened as she is," he ordered.

Kermit finally found his voice. "Is...is he going to be okay," the detective stammered, not acknowledging the old man's instructions.

"He has a concussion and will possibly need some stitches," Lo Si explained. "Now go. You must find the girl and bring her back here. She will need to see for herself that Peter is all right," he commanded again.

"She's--she's in the garden," he explained as he moved to the doors through which Kalindi had disappeared moments earlier. "I'll get her."

Lo Si's voice sounded behind him as he carefully scanned the empty garden. "No, my friend. She is not."

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Part 4 Scene 24

Kermit drove aimlessly through the streets, looking for any sign of the missing princess. He'd nearly single-handedly turned all of Chinatown upside down in the five hours since Kalindi had disappeared, but there was not a sign of the girl anywhere. Every available officer was scouring the streets for her, but Kermit found little comfort in that knowledge.

He had totally drained the battery in his cell phone in keeping a woozy Peter Caine filled in on the progress of the search. The young priest was immensely frustrated by not being able to actively participate in the search. During the last call before the phone's battery finally died, Kermit had asked to speak to Peter. He wasn't really surprised at the Ancient's reply, but rather that it hadn't happened sooner. "Young Caine has been very foolish. He attempted to locate the princess using his Shaolin skills, even though he knew he was too weak. I have made him a special tea. He will now rest for several hours and replenish his chi," the old man assured. "I will watch him carefully during this time because of the concussion."

The detective's thoughts again drifted back to the runaway princess. 'It's going to be dark before long. I can't stand the thought of her out there all alone and terrified. We have to find her--soon. Kalindi, where the hell are you hiding? Please, please be all right,' he pleaded. Kermit continued to drive, scanning the streets and alleys for any sign of his young charge.

Again his thoughts drifted, this time to the woman he loved. 'God, Karen. It would be so much easier to get through this if you were with me.' He shook his head, as if to dispel the thought. 'No. She doesn't want to see you and you don't deserve her anyway. Besides, you have to find the princess,' he scolded.

As the ex-mercenary turned onto the next street, he became aware of his surroundings. The familiar street led him to an even more familiar house and he soon found himself parked in front. He made no attempt to get out of the car, but sat longing for the company of the woman inside.

His heart leapt when the front door of the house opened and Karen strode out to the car. Opening the door, she climbed into the passenger seat and informed him, "I've called off the search for Princess Kalindi."

Before she could get another word out, Kermit erupted. "What! You can't do that. She's just a kid. She can't survive on the streets, not even for a night."

Karen quickly cut him off. "She's not on the streets. She's in my living room as we speak." She paused to allow her words to sink in.

"She...she's here, in your living room?" he echoed in disbelief.

She nodded in affirmation. "Your young friend showed up here a little over an hour ago. She said she found the address on your desk at home. It's taken me this long to get her calmed down enough to let anyone know."

He was tentative in asking her the question that burned in his mind. "How--how is she?"

Karen leveled an intense gaze at her lover. "She's scared half to death and worried sick about Peter. I'm not sure she quite believed me when I told her that I'd spoken to him earlier. When we tried to call back, Lo Si told us he was resting. I was just about to take her over there to see for herself, but perhaps you should be the one to do that."

"I'm not too sure she wants to see me after what I did," he admitted. "How could I have been so stupid," he angrily reprimanded himself.

She paused for a deep breath before continuing. "There's something you should know. The princess was nearly hysterical when she saw your car pull up. She was afraid you were coming for her. I convinced her to wait inside while I talked to you. Until you have your anger firmly under control, I don't think you should see her. She won't be able to handle it."

Kermit removed his trademark sunglasses. Tears welled in his eyes and he fought to keep them in check, but a lone tear managed to escape and trailed down his cheek. "I don't know what came over me. When I saw her and Peter kissing, I just lost it." He turned away, unable to look Karen in the eyes any longer. "I never meant to scare her like that. I--I almost killed the kid. The man is like a brother to me and I almost killed him," Kermit admitted, his voice choking with emotion.

Karen put a hand to his cheek and pulled him back to meet her gaze. "For the record, I know deep in my heart, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you would never, ever, deliberately hurt anyone you love. What happened to Peter was an accident. Yes, it could have been prevented, but it was still just an accident. I'm sure Kalindi will understand that as soon as she is able to talk to Peter."

Hesitantly, he placed his hand over hers and pressed it into his cheek. His eyes closed as he savored the warmth of her touch. "God, Karen, I've been such an idiot. I miss you so much," he whispered.

Karen answered by hooking her free hand around his neck and pulling him into a long-awaited kiss--one that Kermit eagerly returned.

"Can you ever forgive me for being such a jerk?" he asked when they finally parted.

"Only if you'll forgive me," she willingly agreed. Her expression turned somber as she continued. "But make no mistake about it--we still have some issues to settle."

Her look and tone seemed very familiar to the ex-mercenary and it didn't take him long to place it. "You had lunch with Annie," he calmly announced.

Smiling, Karen nodded. "Yesterday. It was quite enlightening," she explained with a teasing twinkle in her eyes.

Kermit willingly took the bait. "Care to share the enlightenment?"

"Not at this time, Detective." Seeing his face fall at her answer, she quickly qualified her statement. "It's a woman thing. Now let's go inside and get things straightened out between you and your princess," she challenged.

Kermit flashed her a relieved smile and nodded. The two exited the vehicle and slowly walked toward the house, savoring the closeness as his arm rested around her shoulders.

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