PART FOUR, SCENE EIGHTEEN

Jake fidgeted nervously with his breakfast. Skalany had made her famous pancakes for all of them, but in the boy's case, they had ended up as an unappetizing heap of crumbs and syrup on his plate. He had spent breakfast cutting the pancakes into smaller and smaller segments; Mary Margaret had watched him put exactly two pieces into his mouth. "What time are they coming?" he asked, his voice anxious.

"They should be here in about thirty minutes," Peter answered, his voice calm. He hadn't eaten much of the pancakes either, Mary Margaret noticed, looking at his plate. In fact, only she and Paul seemed to have much of an appetite. Lo Si had politely refused the offered plate earlier.

"They're probably mad at me," Jake said gloomily, making a pattern in the mushy pile in front of him. "Damn. I really liked that treehouse."

Peter and Paul exchanged a quick glance. Paul cleared his throat. "Actually Jake, when I talked to the Rogers, they were very worried about you. They were very relieved that you're fine."

"Yeah?"

Blaisdell nodded. "Yeah. In fact, they asked if they could come over and pick you up...I had suggested that we meet at the precinct, since I was going to bring you over there later this morning to fill out some forms. Kristine said she didn't want to wait that long."

"She did?" the boy asked, sitting up straighter. "Really?"

Chuckling, Paul nodded. "And then Will said to remind you about some tickets to a hockey game tomorrow night."

Jake's face lit up. "Will *still* wants to go?" He turned to Peter. "It's the best game of the year...a great exhibition game...the Sonics are playing the Bruins. Will got us tickets at center ice. Wow!" Looking down at the unappetizing mess in front of him, he made a face.

"Would you like another pancake?" Mary Margaret asked, her eyes dancing with laughter.

"Thanks," Jake said, gratefully accepting a new plate. He had just finished eating when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught everyone's attention.

"They're here," Peter said, looking out the window. "I'll go let them in." Getting to his feet, he walked to the front door. Will and Kristine Rogers turned out to be a couple in their early forties; Will was tall and athletic-looking, Kristine only a few inches shorter, her face wreathed in laugh-lines. The young Shaolin could feel the worry radiating off their tense bodies. "Hi, I'm Peter Caine," he introduced himself, holding out one hand. "Jake's in the kitchen. Please come in."

Will took his hand in a firm clasp. "Thank you so much for helping Jake."

"Jake's a good kid. It was my pleasure."

"Where is he?" Kristine asked, grasping his hand in turn, and looking anxiously past him. "We've been so worried...I won't be happy until I see him with my own eyes."

"This way," Peter said, smiling as he led them towards the kitchen. They were halfway there when Jake came out to meet them, looking scared.

"Hi," he said tentatively, biting his lip. "I'm sorry..." The rest of his words were lost as Kristine scooped him up into a big hug, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Will looked on, patting his wife's shoulder, waiting for his turn.

Jake looked dazed when he was finally released. "I thought you'd be mad..." he said. He looked from Kristine to Will. "Why aren't you?"

Kristine put one hand on his cheek. "Honey, we aren't angry. I just wish you had trusted us enough to come and tell us what you saw. We would have helped."

Will spoke up, his voice a deep rumble. "Jake, Kris and I know you've only been with us a few weeks, and it takes time for trust to develop." His lips quirked, "God knows, I hope that this is the biggest problem we'll ever face. But, whatever comes our way in the future, I hope you'll bring your problems to us instead of trying to handle them on your own."

Chewing his lip, Jake studied the man standing before him, his face a mixture of hope and confusion. "I...okay." Kristine hugged him, and Will ruffled his hair. When Jake looked over at his new friends, his smile was wide. Peter grinned back, conscious of Paul's hand on his back.

Will turned around, offering his hand to Paul. "Will Rogers," he said, with a self-deprecating grin, "No relation. Glad to finally meet you, Mr. Blaisdell. Thank you for taking such good care of our boy."

"No problem," Paul said, blue eyes twinkling.

"I understand there's some paperwork to be filled out?" At both Peter and Paul's affirmations, he nodded. "Do you suppose we could take Jake to breakfast and meet you at the precinct? We'd like to catch up with him on what happened."

"Can we go eat at that place around the corner from the bike shop? It's got the best waffles," Jake put in eagerly. He looked offended at the laughs from Paul, Mary Margaret and Peter. "I'm a growing boy," he said, sounding offended, but the hint of a smile hovered on his lips.

They left with the promise of meeting in two hours at the precinct.

"I'm off," Skalany announced, as the Rogers van drove out of sight. "I'll meet you in two hours too, but I want to go home and change. Would you like a ride home, Lo Si?"

Peter had almost forgotten the silent priest. "No, that's okay Skalany. I'll give the Ancient a ride home." Mary Margaret acquiesced, waving cheerfully as she drove away.

"I guess I'd better clean up the breakfast mess before your mother and Kelly get home," Paul said. "If you want to take a nap, you can sleep in your room."

"Thanks Paul," Peter nodded, knowing an excuse when he heard one. "I guess it's just you and me, Lo Si," he said, watching as his father walked back into the house. "Would you like to take a walk, stretch your legs before we drive home?"

"That would be...good," the Ancient said, studying Peter's averted face. "Shall we go?"

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PART FOUR, SCENE NINETEEN

They walked in silence for several minutes, Peter shortening his strides so that the smaller man could keep up. Unconsciously, he led the priest to a small pond just outside the neighborhood, a place where he had gone as a boy to reflect on things that were bothering him.

Squatting at the edge of the water, Peter looked out across the surface. "I guess you heard most of my conversation with Paul," he started, not looking at the elderly man.

"I did not think you saw me," Lo Si said.

"I guess my senses are getting better," Peter admitted, picking up a leaf and studying it intently. "I felt your presence as we walked in the door."

"Ah." They sat, watching a hawk fly in lazy circles above them. Peter was determined to let the old man talk first, but he finally gave up.

"Lo Si... he ground to a halt, unsure of how to address the older man. "I'm not sure what to say to you."

"Then...it is mutual," Lo Si said. Something in the timbre of his voice caused Peter to turn his head and study the man. For the first time in his life, Peter saw the countenance of his elderly friend look upset. In the temple, even after the fire, he had seen that face sad, uncomfortable, worried; but never upset. Quickly, the younger man looked away. "Peter...I spoke to Jake last night. He told me what it is like to be a foster child."

"Not exactly what you expected?" Peter forced out, finding that his throat was tight.

"No," the elderly priest answered simply. "When I left you, I did not know that it would be...like that. I assumed that it would be like the temple; where the good of the children comes first."

"Sometimes, it is," Peter said, looking at the leaf as he tore it into strips, "Sometimes...it's far, far different."

Lo Si nodded sadly. "Peter...I am sorry. If I had known..."

"You wouldn't have sent me there? I'm not quite sure I believe that, Lo Si." The young Shaolin looked across the water, his eyes seeing the past. "You always seem to think you know best. Even if you had known what it would be like, I think you would have still separated me from my father...'for our own good'," he added bitterly.

"Perhaps," Lo Si said, staring at the ground. "But I would have arranged for guardians to watch over you and protect you from harm."

Peter threw down the pieces of the leaf. "You don't get it, Lo Si," he said angrily. "You're shocked because you just discovered that I spent three years in some pretty nasty situations. But it wasn't because of the physical stuff that I was such a wreck...it was because there was absolutely nothing I knew or recognized. You left me with strangers! Everyone I cared about was dead. You made me think you were too old and feeble to take care of me; then you just disappeared." He took a deep breath, calming himself. "It doesn't really matter, because the past is past. We've already talked about this. The fact is that I did go through all that."

"Yes," Lo Si said, his head bowed. Peter looked over at him.

"But as long as you brought it up, I do have one other thing that's been bugging me since our last conversation." Lo Si remained silent, so Peter went on. "When I made my decision after the training at the temple, you couldn't accept that. For some reason, you thought that my life would be complete only if I took the brands."

Lo Si's whisper was barely audible. "That is true."

Studiously avoiding looking at the elderly Shaolin, the younger man continued. "I have no doubt that you dropped a few words into my father's ears...after our time in the northern temple. Words to make him think that my decision there was not...thought through completely." Lo Si said nothing, and Peter knew he was correct. He sighed. Picking up another leaf, he shredded it.

"Peter..." the Ancient's voice was full of pain. Peter looked up. "I have made many mistakes in a long life. Leaving you in the orphanage was one of them. The means through which I coerced you to take the brands may have been another." The young man pressed his lips together, looking back over the pond.

The elderly priest moved to stand beside him. "But Peter, I love you as if you were my own child. I did not mean to cause you such pain; it is only now that I have come to realize the extent of my actions." He laid one hand carefully on the younger man's shoulder. "I promise that I will not try to...adjust your life to a path in any way, without your knowledge."

Peter's hazel eyes glinted at he looked over at the man he had known for so many years. "'Without my knowledge.'" he repeated.

Lo Si gazed intently at the younger man. "Yes."

"You promise."

"Yes." Lo Si bowed, his face shadowed. "And...I am sorry for the mistakes I made in the past."

"I will hold you to that promise," Peter warned, "I don't intend to be manipulated into any other situations that I don't want or understand." His voice softened. "Lo Si...I know you didn't know what the foster homes would be like." He shrugged. "Shit happens. Uh, sorry."

"I am familiar with the term," Lo Si said, a sparkle coming back into the somber eyes at the unconscious echo of another young man's words.

Peter laughed, not knowing the cause of that twinkle, but happy to see it. "Can I walk you to my car, Lo Si? I believe we have some police forms to fill out."

The elderly man bowed. "Peter, you are an amazing young man. I am very grateful we have come to know each other again."

"Yeah, me too," the younger man admitted. Putting one arm around his friend's shoulders, they walked together back to his car.

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PART FOUR, SCENE TWENTY -- EPILOGUE

They returned to the Blaisdell home just in time to see Kelly's car pull into the driveway. Peter ran to open the passenger door and wrapped his mother in a big bear hug.

"Peter!" she laughed, batting at him. "You're awake already? Don't crush my ribs! Did you have breakfast?"

Peter's eyes met Paul's as he came down the steps. "Sort of. Dad can tell you the whole story. I have to take the Ancient home and change."

Annie's face fell. "Oh. I was looking forward to seeing you. You've been so busy the last few days. Will you be home for supper tonight? We're having spaghetti." She sounded like she expected him to say no. Peter felt a momentary twinge of regret, knowing that he had turned down far too many offers in the past.

"I'd love to, Mom," he said, kissing the top of Annie's head. "What time?"

She beamed. "Like you don't know. Come home early though, I'd like to catch up with what you've been up to."

"Okay. Hey, Squirt," Peter said, laughing at his little sister. Pulling her into his arms, he tucked her head under his chin.

Kelly made a face up at him. "What's put you in such a good mood?" she asked, returning his hug.

"Oh, I dunno. Knowing how lucky I am, I guess. Seeing somebody else get the same chance I did. Solving a murder. Staying up for thirty-six hours. Take your pick."

"I think it's sleep deprivation," she said, shaking her head, a smile on her face. "Are you really coming to dinner?"

"Yup."

"Good. We seem to have such different hours lately. I've missed seeing you."

Paul stood watching his family, one arm around his wife. "Let's see if Carolyn and Todd and the baby can make it too," he said in his wife's ear. "I think I'd like to celebrate."

"Would you like to join us too, Lo Si?" Annie asked, promising herself to get the full story out of Paul in the near future.

The Ancient hesitated, looking at Peter. The young man smiled over at him. "Mom's spaghetti is the best," he said, "and if we're having a family dinner, we can't have it without you."

"In that case, I would be delighted," Lo Si said, bending over Annie's hand.

Peter hugged his sister again and took a deep breath. Life was good.

The End