"Well, I'd better get to work." Peter descended the stairs to their office and caught an unusual conversation between an unusual father and daughter.

"Okay, Kitty Kat. Here's the tool. Where do you keep it?" Kermit was twisting a hairpin in his fingers.

"Hem of my sleeve."

"You sure?"

Kat mulled over her option briefly. "Yes. Definitely. Can reach it with either hand that way." She took the pin and wove it into her sleeve.

Kermit grinned in approval. "Good choice. Now, let's see what you've learned."

To Peter's amazement, Kermit Griffin pulled out a set of shiny, police-issue handcuffs and slapped them onto his daughter's narrow wrists. Kat winced and wriggled her hands in front of her. "Hey! That's tight, Daddy," she complained.

"Oh, sorry. I'm sure that bad guys would be *much* gentler to those skinny arms."

"Okay, okay!" Kat dropped her hands into her lap and went to work. She was good. After all, she'd had practiced hands at her disposal to guide her. In the space of a minute, she'd retrieved the hairpin and released the cuff attached to one arm. "TAH DAH!!!" she sang, jingling the cuff into her father's face.

"All right, Houdini. Give this a try." In a flash of metal, Kermit had pulled the cuff and her arms behind his daughter's back and confined her once more.

"HEY! We've never practiced this one." Luckily, she'd returned the pin to her sleeve and began to fumble.

"Visualize, Kat. You know what it looks like. Feel it." Kermit sat and waited for her success. Kat was a sponge when it came to soaking up his tricks. She could break into any database within reach of her modem. Driving was a work in progress since she got her permit. She'd asked about a trip to the firing range and he'd passed on that particular lesson until she was older.

Kat was a natural. Alert and quick. Not a detail got past her notice. Kermit was filled with pride and dread at each new lesson his precious daughter absorbed. The fact that she was his daughter precluded any arguments against his instruction. If he wanted her to be safe, she had to be better and more skilled than any other regular kid. The fear he was accepting was that given her attitude and knowledge, Kat may not use her talents only to protect herself. Might use it to dispense justice where she saw fit. Like today.

Picking locks was a new chapter he'd just opened for his daughter. As of yet, neither of them had shared the newest curriculum with Mrs. Griffin. After a few tense moments, Kat's face exploded in relief and joy. "A+ for me!!!" Once again, she dangled the restraints in front of her father,soaking up his pride. The thing she valued above all else.

Peter joined the two escape artists. "You do remember that your lovely wife told you not to teach her that until she was eighteen, don't you?"

Kermit held up his hands in confession.

Jumping up to greet her other teacher, Kat asked, "When did she say that, Uncle Peter?"

Hugging her back, he replied, "Long time ago, tadpole. Remind me to fill you in someday. Now it's time for your daddy and I to do some work." Swatting her on the backside, he laughed, "Gotta save up bail money for you and that kid of mine."

"Hey, Uncle Peter...we're the good guys, remember?" Giggling, she ran upstairs to do her homework.

As Peter sat down at the desk, he asked, "You really carry one of those with you all the time?"

"The one time I didn't," Kermit said, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, "I lived to regret it."

"I remember....Let's get to work."

The two partners worked for three full hours before Peter realized the time and left for the kwoon to teach a kung fu lesson. His father had pretty much retired from classes and mainly kept to community work and apothecary duties, leaving the more stressful classroom teaching to his son. Both were well-suited to their jobs and became just as efficient a team as Peter and Kermit was in security work.

Peter and Kat, who had commandeered a ride since it was time for her lesson, too, walked in to see a fight brewing. With KC, no less.

"Hey, stick boy! You'd better be glad your Dad's the teacher, or I'd kick your ass right here!"

KC stood face-to-face with one of his father's new students. The new kid was a bully. No doubt about it. A few minutes prior, KC had interrupted the boy outside from intimidating a couple of younger children. The thought had crossed his mind to call his grandfather, but he pushed it aside. "I do not wish to fight you."

"I'll just bet, you little chickenshit. I've been training for years and you know I'll wipe the floor with you." The boy gave KC a little shove. Just enough to push him back a couple of steps and start his temperature boiling.

Peter Caine was silently watching, concealed by a screen at the end of the room. He wanted to see how KC would handle himself. Every muscle screamed at him to rush forward and grab the bully by the ear and deposit him in the street. He held back and waited.

Held in a temporary stand-off, KC stared. The boy stared back. Every muscle tensed. KC was sure he could take him. Even though the boy outweighed him and was a head taller. But that wasn't the point. Problem was, he wasn't supposed to use his training for that purpose. He had been struggling with that issue for a long time. Defense only. *He NEEDS his ass kicked but I can't,* thought KC as he stared and tried not to sweat. He had resolved to wait for the first punch when a familiar voice butted into his train of thought.

"Okay, smart boy! You wanna fight? Pick on someone your own size!" Kat butted in between the two, shoving KC backwards.

The boy doubled over, laughing. "YOU! You gotta be kidding!?" His taunts only served to make her angrier.

"Kat! I can handl-"

"Shut up, KC. You don't have to fight him. I need to warm up, anyway!" She grinned at her adversary.

Peter could feel an instant reply in his head from the many times a certain relative of his had jumped in his way time and time again. Kat was unstoppable and the situation was beginning to go a bit too far. Stepping into view, he addressed the group. "I see we have selected partners for this morning's exercise. But, Kat, you were to spend this lesson in meditation along with my son, were you not?"

Temporarily leaving her opponent, Kat walked over to her uncle to barter. "Uncle Peter," she whispered cagily, "I'll trade three hours of meditation for one demonstration." Eyes gleaming and grinning, she waited. KC watched them, hoping his father would stop her.

Peter wanted to give the fight back to his son, but he also knew that the fight with Kat would continue, regardless, out of his supervision if it weren't finished here and now. "Fair enough." He tried to meet his son's eyes, willing him to understand, but KC wouldn't look at him.

Kat practically skipped back to the bully and offered a slight bow. "I'm not gonna hit a girl!" the boy protested.

"Don't worry. You won't." Kat waited for him to bow, then landed a blow directly to his ribs. He stumbled, then gathered himself and threw a punch in her direction. Gleefully, she sidestepped him again and again, leaving him striking air and wind. He was getting angry and his attack began to lose the feeling of an exercise and take on the moves of a street fight.

The more Kat avoided his efforts, the madder he became. Kat spun around to kick him in the shoulder and the boy landed a foot into her lower calf. It was a cheap shot and everyone there knew it. Peter put his hand on KC's shoulder to hold him back.

Kat looked up at her teacher from the floor as if to say, "What do you want me to do?"

Peter knew that his student had been holding back. She could have easily floored the little jerk with one strike but she'd toyed with him, teaching him a lesson about how anger inhibited one's skill. Now, she was faced with very unsportsmanlike conduct. The young man needed a lesson in humility and it would be interesting to see it come from someone else in need of the same lesson. He nodded his approval and Kat leapt from the floor, screaming.

The boy's chest was exposed and Kat's fist flew directly toward his breastbone. But she stopped. An inch from him. Frozen by her strange move, the boy stared at her, then at her fist. Smiling and thinking that she didn't have the guts to punch him, he hesitated a fraction of a second too long. Kat twisted her shoulders. Only slightly. When her fist connected with his chest, it sent him flying backwards ten feet into the wall.

The victor bowed to her vanquished opponent, then to her teacher. Peter Caine swallowed his smile and instructed, "Students, I believe we have seen an apt demonstration of the art of control. Now, we shall all begin." Turning to Kat, who was grinning as if her face would break, and KC, he said, "I believe you have some meditation to do."

Without acknowledging his father, the two walked off the floor. KC lost no time. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!?!"

Stunned by his ingratitude, she retorted, "Because he needed it and I didn't want you to get your butt kicked."

"I can take care of myself! I don't need you buttin' in all the time!"

"Hey, *I* am the only one that picks on you. Nobody else. Understand?" Kat hadn't meant to embarrass him but it was too late to take it back. "But if that's the way you want it, FINE!! Try to do something nice...!"

"Children, it is very difficult to meditate when your spirits are not at rest."

They looked up to see the still-formidable figure of Kwai Chang Caine, father of Peter Caine, whom they both respected and idolized.

KC and Kat both hung their heads. "Sorry, Grandfather," KC muttered.

"'Sorry' does not solve your...problem," Caine stated gently.

"Father?" They all turned to see Peter Caine standing behind KC. He reached out and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I need to talk to KC...."

Caine bowed and escorted Kat out of the room. Peter frowned slightly, suspecting, not for the first time, that his father had different motives for cooperating so quickly. At first, he had been grateful that Caine seemed determined to play out the non-interfering grandparent. As time went on, though, he began to suspect less nobler motives. Caine seemed to get a perverse joy at the 'shoe on the other foot', watching Peter deal with the same problems that he had had to deal with.

And one of those problems was staring right at him in the face. "KC," he began, "I want you to know that I did what I did so I could supervise the fight. I knew you could handle him but Kat-"

"You always have reasons, Dad," KC stated. "I just wish sometimes you'd think of me first."

With that, KC broke from Peter's grip to go meditate with his friend. Peter, shocked, watched him go, and, after a moment, went back to the classroom.

*****

"Come in, KC," Caine greeted. "We have much to speak of."

KC sighed and took his position on the mat next to his friend. Kat was giving him a mixed look of "are you still mad at me?" and "are you okay?" He ignored it.

Caine sighed. They would never get anything done unless some harmony was established. "We must first...clear the air."

Kat winced. "Caine, do we-?"

"Yes, you have to," Caine interrupted. "I believe that there are some important revelations that are, as yet, unsaid. Kat, you must learn to permit others their struggles. When you fight others' fights for them, you rob them of their successes as well. I know that, in your heart, you wish to prevent their pain. However, you will cause more pain if you do not allow others to grow when they learn from their battles.

"KC, you must learn that, when you are loved, others wish to do things for you. Some may be right and some may be wrong to do so, but you should accept their sentiment in the spirit in which it was intended. Besides which, I believe that your anger is misdirected at the wrong person."

KC knew he wouldn't get into THAT issue. Caine had told him many times that problems between a father and son is only between a father and son. Trying to con him by saying that Caine counted since he was his father's father didn't work.

Kat, meanwhile, was looking shameful. Finally, the two children looked at each other and felt the love and support they shared for each other flow between them. In complete unison, they chimed "I'm sorry!" at the other, causing Caine to smile. They giggled themselves, relieved that their angry feelings had been resolved.

"Let us now begin," Caine said.

The two friends began to relax and free their minds as they had been taught by the Shambhalla Master since they were preschoolers. Though both Kat and KC had to be forced into meditation on a regular basis, both secretly enjoyed the freedom it entailed. Caine had shared many secrets, or the 'tricks of the trade', with the two of them, thoroughly enjoying their quick intelligence and depth of emotion.

Kat felt her angry emotions begin to lift. The feelings that regularly swirled through her seemed too large and uncontrollable at times. Kermit had sympathetically confided to her that she was not alone in this. It was a constant battle for him to control the same fiery emotions as well. Kat had attempted to share the release that she'd found in meditation with her beloved father but he was simply unable to let go. Kermit had been very pleased to see that at least one of them was able to find peace to compensate for a volatile nature.

As Kat felt her being begin to free itself, a strange feeling came over her. Just as she was about to investigate, a voice sounded inside her mind! *BOO!*

Slamming her hands to the floor, her concentration completely shattered, she gasped and turned to see KC grinning. Eyes still closed and body serenely held in the lotus position, he looked like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.

"How did you DO that!?!" Kat demanded, staring at him in awe.

Slowly opening his eyes, KC announced, "Oh, that? Grandfather taught me this morning." Knowing something that his older friend did not filled him with delicious glee.

Kat looked at Caine with a mixture of anticipation and hurt. "You taught him and not me??!"

"Child, I will gladly share all that I know...with BOTH of you," Caine assured, smiling at her eagerness. "This is a skill that requires a great deal of maturity and responsibility." Taking her hand, he began, "First, you must-"

"Grandfather, let ME teach her. Please?" KC didn't often have the upper hand with Kat. He wanted to enjoy being the instructor for a change.

"Okay," Kat said, eyes sparkling, "show me!"

"I'll show you in here," KC tapped the side of her head. "But first, you have to relax!"

They both closed their eyes and the lesson began. *Hello there, Kat...can you hear me? I'm in this goofy place you call a mind.*

Nearly dizzy with the sensation, Kat tentatively responded. *Very funny, sprout.* Suddenly feeling very vulnerable, she asked, *KC...you can't read my thoughts or see stuff, can you?*

*No. And if I could, I wouldn't. Forcing yourself into someone's mind wouldn't be right.*

Comforted, Kat continued to explore. *This is soooooo cool! Just think of what we can DO with this! We can-*

*Would you please calm down? It's hard to maintain a connection when your emotions are all over the place.*

*Okay, sorry. Now, how do you do it?? I'm just receiving, not sending, right?*

*Right.* KC, caught up in the excitement, began to share the trick. *Feel that 'pull' in the back of your head? Think about me. It feels like a tunnel or cable between us. See it?*

She concentrated on following KC's instructions. The pull between them was almost a physical presence. *Got it! I got it!!*

*I SAID calm down.*

*Sorry. Okay, now what?*

*Memorize that place. It's like putting in a bookmark. Now...I'm letting go and you try to see if you can reach me.*

KC severed the connection and waited. After a few seconds, he felt Kat's bright essence flood into his mind. *HELLOOOOO IN THERE!!! Did I do it? KC?*

*Yes,* he replied, rubbing his temples. *LOUD and clear. Tone it down, will ya' - I'm getting a headache.*

*Sorry again. Wow! This is...thanks for teaching me. By the way, I really am sorry about the fight. I just...I mean I....*

*I know. Me, too.*

Caine watched the two share their secret and smiled. He was immensely pleased how the two helped and nurtured each other. It was as if they were born twins, instead of a few years apart to different parents. There was also a faint hint of amusement as Caine considered what this two unpredictable teenagers would do with their newfound knowledge. He decided it would be prudent for all of their sakes to keep this information to himself. Their parents had plenty to worry about as it was.

*****

Daniel Lee loitered around the the doorway of the kwoon. He wasn't sure how to handle the situation. His grandfather was acting as if those thugs were simply simply another vendor to be paid. As were all the other merchants in the area. Frightened and silent. Daniel knew that each family had been threatened into submission. There had been enough "accidents" in the community to those who had resisted.

The young man understood that he was going against his grandfather's wishes. Disobeying him hurt but seeing him crawl hurt even more. Maybe his teacher could help.

"Mr. Caine! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Peter stopped straightening the room and walked over to what appeared to be a nervous young man. "Sure, Daniel. What's up?"

"Well....it's my grandfather. I think he's in trouble." Daniel spilled out all the details he knew about the intimidation the community was under. Especially, what had happened when Kat and KC had interrupted the presumed 'robbery'.

His anger growing, Peter patted his troubled student on the shoulder. Sounded like the standard protection racket. Which was usually the prelude to more vice operations in the area. Get the community scared stiff and they'd never lift a finger to interfere as it escalated. He'd know that something was strange for the past few weeks. Several of the merchants in the area had even been avoiding him.

"Daniel, I'll help any way I can but they should bring in the police."

"Mr. Caine, you know these people. They don't trust the police. But maybe you can get them to...resist."

"I'll see what I can do." Peter watched as his student left, seemingly lighter than before.

*****

"Evening, Mr. Lee!" Peter greeted, walking into the store.

Mr. Lee looked up and bowed. "Master Caine."

As always, when he heard 'Master Caine', Peter had to quelch the temptation to look behind him to see if his father was following him. Peter had gotten very comfortable in spirit with his new role in the community but it was entirely another matter to make his mind believe it.

"Mr. Lee, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about that robbery attempt the kids interrupted the other day."

Mr. Lee took one look at him and abruptly turned to stack vegetable cans on a nearby counter. Peter walked over to him and stood right next to him, invading Mr. Lee's private space. "Mr. Lee," Peter said softly, "there's word on the streets that there's a new protection racket going around. I need to know if that's true."

Mr. Lee fought his conscience. If he told, his life would be in danger. If he didn't tell, he would be lying to a priest. Not very good choices. "P-please...." he stammered, looking around to see if there was anyone else in the store.

"Mr. Lee, I can help you stop them. Just please tell me. Is it true?"

Mr. Lee moved to another shelf. His hands were shaking as he attempted to shelf food items. Peter sighed, not wanting to terrorize the old man. He had just wanted him to admit that he needed help, but apparently that was not to be.

"All right, Mr. Lee. I understand." Peter leaned closer. "But if we all band together, they can't touch us! Do you hear me? What if...*I* will organize a meeting of sorts. Okay? Maybe if you SEE your neighbors, it'll be easier to stand up to them. And you know what? I'll be ahead of the line. So if they retaliate against anyone, it'll be me."

Mr. Lee looked up with a surge of hope. Peter patted him on the arm.

"We're going to beat this thing," Peter comforted. "I'll tell you when the meeting is."

The day was a very frustrating one for Peter. Some were brave enough to admit that there was indeed strangers extorting money from them but the second Peter pressed them for specifics, they closed down. Only the talk of a community meeting would recapture their interest even though they would not make a solid commitment to be there.

*These people are terrified out of their minds!* Peter thought incredulously. He couldn't understand it. The community knew what he and his father were capable of. Yet, they still feared for their businesses and their very lives. *Who could have incited so much terror in so short a time?*

*****

"GODDAMN PRIEST!!!" Clarence Choi had no fear of blasphemy. Had no belief system to conflict. All Clarence had was a task assigned by HIS only master. Bon Bon Hai. Bring the community in line. At every turn, there was always a Caine to interfere. It had always been so. The elder Caine had almost gotten under his skin. It didn't take much to excise his influence. A couple more trips to prison.

Peter Caine's little get-together in the community wouldn't produce tangible resistance right away. But it would come. Clarence stormed around his plush office suite...his *temporary* accommodations, if he didn't get this operation flowing smoothly. There had to be options.

Intimidating either Caine physically was pointless. Clarence had the scars to prove it. Threatening those that they protected would just piss them off. He needed a wedge. Something to terrorize them enough to be worried about retaliation.

Then it came to him in sickeningly blissful flash of genius. Twist Caine's flesh and blood. The boy. *One more Caine to piss me off,* mulled the furious man. *Might as well share the blame with his elders.*

With one phone call, Clarence Choi set his hired dogs on the trail of the next link in the line of Kwai Chang Caine.

Kat saw the cars and buildings pass her, her bottom lip quivering. KC just hung on for dear life.

"Can't you stop this thing?" he yelled at her. He was beginning to see why his grandfather always insisted on walking. If HE ran into any thugs, they could fight on solid ground. On his terms. In a car, he was helpless to the forces of physics.

"I can't!" Kat yelled back. "If I stop, they'll get us!" She dialed the cellular once more, praying for her parents to end their conversation. At this point, Kat would welcome a 'Kitty Kat, you're grounded until eternity!' if only her beloved father would pull her fat out of the fire this time! This driving was a lot harder than it seemed when he took her out to the driving course.

"Griffin."

Heart leaping, Kat nearly dropped the phone. She scrambled for it and nearly blasted Kermit's ear off. "DADDY!"

Kermit, for his part, was already running for his car as she screamed. "What's wrong, Kat?" he asked evenly. He was determined to remain calm for her benefit. "Tell me what's wrong, baby."

"Some guys...chasing us," came her breathless reply. Kermit didn't need to ask who 'us' was. "We're in...we're in the Corvair."

Kermit sighed. He should have seen this coming. *Never ask two teenagers to just WASH a car.....* he chided himself mentally. "Stay calm, baby," he reassured. "Remember your training. Breathe....Where are you?" He screeched out of the parking lot, bright red cherry on top. So what if he wasn't *officially* on the force anymore...he still did a lot of jobs for them.

Kat, feeling her father's confidence and caring flow into her like a tangible force, wiped back her threatening tears and gripped the wheel more firmly. "It's okay, KC," she said. "Daddy's on his way. Daddy, we're about to cross Poplar. We're on 18th Avenue."

"Which direction, Kat?"

Kat cursed at being so rattled as to forget the direction. "Southwest."

"Okay, I want you to slow down enough to turn onto Oak. You'll be turning right. Hang tough, baby."

"Okay." Kat obeyed, throwing a confident look at KC. "It'll be okay, KC. Dad'll handle it."

KC decided not to bring up the fact that they would probably be grounded for the next thousand years as he hung on.

Kat resolutely handled the wheel, speeding up and slowing down as Dad had trained her to do. It was all coming back to her. She unfortunately hadn't counted on doing this with KC in the car with her and passersby and other cars to avoid.

"Kat?" Her father's voice came from the cellular again.

She picked it up. "Yes, Daddy?"

"I've almost caught up to you," he told her. "You're going to hang another right on Ohio Avenue. When you finish the turn, I want you to FLOOR it! I'll be coming at you warp-speed but you've got to ignore me and keep your eyes on the road and keep that pedal down. You understand, Katherine?"

Using her full name meant that Dad was worried but she was determined to comfort him just as he was comforting her. "Yes, Dad." She turned to KC. "I'd close my eyes if I were you," she warned him. "Wish *I* could...."

KC, eyes wide open, slid closer to his friend, determined to see this through together.

They turned right onto Ohio and instinctively held their breath as they saw Kermit's car hurtling toward them like a cannonball shot out of a cannon.

Kat winced as she stared straight ahead, keeping her foot down on the pedal as KC clung to her.

Kermit's car zoomed past them and, seconds later, in a sound that resembled what Kat thought an atom bomb might sound like, there was a tremendous CRASH!

She braked, sending the Corvair into a tailspin as it screeched to a halt. "DADDY!!!" she yelled.

KC, for his part, just stared. "Ohmigodddd...." he breathed. Kermit's car had sideswiped the other car just enough to send both cars into the small drainage ditch on the side of the road. KC nodded; it just figured that there was construction here. Uncle Kermit left nothing to chance.

"Daddy-?" Kat choked, climbing out of the car. KC quickly followed her. "Oh, my God, KC...." Kat moaned, walking toward the cars ever so slowly, not wanting to see the damage. "This is all my fault! I swear, so help me, I SWEAR I'll never do anything like this again! Just please, please let him be okay!"

"Kat, it's okay," KC quickly assured her. "He's alive - I can feel that much-"

CRASH!

Kermit's side window exploded outward and then again as a billy club knocked the glass out. Kat held onto KC's arm...and sighed as Kermit poked his head cautiously out the window. Their relief was short-lived when he saw them. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" he yelled. "Get back in the car!"

Kat inched back a step or two just as another identical crash sounded on the passenger side of the other car.

KC glanced at Kat but she was too paralyzed with relief that her father seemed alive and well. "I'll get them!"

"KC!" Kermit yelled, trying to force himself out of the shattered window. "Just let them go-"

KC charged around to the other side of the cars just in time to see one thug make a run for him. Seeing no other choice, KC tackled him.

"KC!" Kat yelled, running to join him. Kermit just cursed and tried to free himself faster from the airbag restricting his movement.

The thug had taken to his feet and reached in his pocket...just as a hand reached out, turned him around and forced him on the ground. Seconds later, he was unconscious.

KC stared up at his father, who was looking at him in concern. The concerned Shaolin reached for his son. "Are you all-"

"I can't believe it!" KC yelled. "I just don't believe it! What am I - totally useless? It was a knife, Pop! I could take care of creeps like this when I was FIVE! You're SMOTHERING me!!! And you, too!" he shot at Kat. "Just leave me ALONE! ALL of you! Leave me the hell alone!!!"

KC ran off toward the abandoned buildings. Kat began to follow but, Kermit, finally extricated, grabbed a hold of her. "No," he told her. "This is between them."

"He yelled at me, too, Dad!" Kat stormed, forgetting her immense relief that he was all right in the face of this new danger - that of losing her best friend.

"We have some other things to discuss, Kitty Kat," Kermit said firmly. Looking at Peter studying the ground, he added, "Thanks for getting my message so quickly."

"Yeah, sure." Peter felt it was no big trick. He had sensed KC's terror and Kermit's urgency. In fact, Peter was now so attuned to his friend and family, Peter felt he could probably sense if Kermit even got a splinter! Speaking of which...."You're hurt."

"Nah, not bad," Kermit said as Kat looked him up and down, her eyes searching for an injury.

"You always say that," Peter said, putting a hand on Kermit's shoulder. "And you always protest, even though it'll only take a few seconds...." Peter closed his eyes and directed some healing energy into Kermit's strained shoulder.

Kermit rolled his arm a bit, feeling the stiffness and slight pain go away. "Thanks," he said. "Need any help with the kid?"

"No - thank you, anyway."

Kermit nodded and directed his daughter back toward the Corvair. "Go ahead," he told Kat and hung back, waiting until his daughter was out of earshot. "Just as a thought, Peter, you might realize it's time to start letting go-"

"Like you, huh?"

The two fathers stared at each other. Then Kermit cracked a grin. "Yeah - like me."

Peter smiled, too. He knew that Kermit was letting go better than he was but Kat was also older....He sighed. Why did everything have to be a test?

The partners exchanged friendly nods at each other and separated, Kermit to the Corvair and Peter to find his son.

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