"Well, would you look at this?" Savannah stared out the living room window as Kermit walked behind her.

"What?" Kermit looked past her hair and watched as Peter Caine's Stealth slowed to a stop in the drive. Peter emerged, a bounce in his step, and rushed around to open Jennifer's door. The two of them paused for a moment before walking toward the door, kissing quickly and looking at each other with the expression that could only be born from a night naked in bed.

Savannah snapped the blinds shut, the smile on her face nearly blinding. Kermit stepped back as she nearly ran to the kitchen and dropped into a chair at the table. Feigning disinterest, she grabbed the newspaper and awaited the knock on the door.

"Try not to gloat, Mrs. Kravitz," Kermit said. Savannah returned his barb with a pink tongue wagged in his direction.

With a polite knock, Peter opened the door and the couple came inside. "Good morning," he said, closing the door behind them.

Kermit eased his shades down his nose, savoring the guilty blush painting both Jennifer's and Peter's faces. "Good morning," Kermit said, pushing his shade back into place. "We only expected one of you to pick up the kid."

"Figured after an evening with you," Peter said, unconsciously pulling out Jennifer's chair for her, "KC might need to be disarmed before we could leave."

"Funny." Kermit went to the back of the house and returned with a giggling child under each arm. "Here, you go," he said, handing the boy off to his father. "Unlike you, he isn't really all that much trouble."

Kermit watched Peter take hold of the boy and dissolve from the surroundings. Holding his own daughter, the ex-merc understood the supernatural feel of falling in love with your child. Peter missed that opportunity at KC's birth, but the sensation was no less magical now. As Peter sat down in a chair, he began a private conversation with his boy. The words were adult talk distilled down into simplistic baby talk. The words weren't important. KC and Peter were becoming family, touching and talking in that familiar way of parent and child that belonged to no other relationship.

"So, you have big plans for this glorious Saturday morning?" Savannah folding the paper she had been effectively using as camouflage and smiled at Jennifer. Kermit watched as she tactfully swallowed the urge to ask several indelicate questions. The curiosity was twining around her throat, threatening to kill her at any moment. "If not, we could turn these kids over to their fathers and have a nice grown up lunch," she said, looking up at her husband for backup.

He could spoil her fun. He could put a stumbling block in her anticipated inquisition of Jennifer Sung. He could, but her wouldn't. "Sounds good to me, Pete. Let these kids loose on the world for a few hours."

Peter never took his eyes off KC, who was using the table top as a drum. "Fine with me," he said, getting up and heading for the door. As he passed Jennifer, he leaned over her shoulder and spoke directly into her ear. "Come by when your done and pick him up." Looking up at Savannah, he smiled and added, "You can always plead the fifth."

Jennifer laughed out loud as Kermit and Peter left and she found herself alone with Savannah. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. Given what she knew about her hostess, she expected the questions to begin with the slamming of the door. Surprisingly enough, Savannah only rose from her seat and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Small talk was the only way to avoid the main issue, so Jennifer started the ball rolling. "I hope KC wasn't much trouble. He and Kat seem to get a bit wound up when they're together."

"No trouble at all. They had a great time." Busily filling the coffee maker, she added, "What about you? Any trouble?"

"I'm pleading the fifth."

Savannah grunted a small laugh and wiped up a few coffee grounds spilled on the counter. "Like I'd actually ask if the two of you fooled around." She glanced toward her guest and winked. "Like I have to."

"Not exactly subtle, are we?" Jennifer asked. The memory of last night flashed brightly through her mind, too vivid to hide.

Pulling cups from the cabinet, Savannah said, "Like a brick through a window. The two of you might as well have 'SEX' stamped on your foreheads." She waited for the coffee to spill into the pot then said, "So, wedding bells in the future? Hmmmm?"

"Not everyone has to get married, you know." The words came out sharper than she intended. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm just not sure if it's the right thing for me."

Bringing a tray to the table, Savannah smoothed over the discomfort. "No insult taken here, sugar. I can be pretty nosy sometimes."

"No. Not you?" Jennifer took her cup and added two sugars. Stirring slowly, she changed course. There were a few things she needed to know and this was the only place, besides Peter Caine himself, to get the answers. "Tell me about the women he's seen since we were together. He was dating a woman named Kelly when we first met."

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"Okay," Savannah said, dumping cream and sugar into her cup. "Kelly Blake, now there's a reign of bitchery unequaled anywhere. She was a detective at the 101st and just lived to throw public temper tantrums. A real off and on relationship Finally, Peter got sick of her clinging vine routine and shed her. She dated Frank Strenlich, the chief, after his divorce and evidently sent him running back to his wife with more screeching fits."

"Sounds like a winner."

"Doesn't she? Never could figure that one out," she said, shaking her head. "He was pretty serious about an assistant DA at one time but that was before I was around. He dated another detective, Jordan McGuire, for a while but she kind of faded away when he left the force. She liked his cop-self but didn't seem to care much for his priest-self." She opened her mouth to add something else, then stopped.

The reporter in Jennifer wouldn't let that gesture pass unnoticed. "Anything else?"

"There's been another detective, Jody Powell, who he's been close to for a while. She has one set of feelings but he only has a platonic feeling for her. They've worked it out and they're friends. That's all." After a quick sip of her coffee, she said, "I'll admit that I put a great deal of energy into trying to fix Peter up with Jody and others. He's been a project of mine from time to time. Could never figure out why I couldn't pry his heart open and stick somebody in there. I'm good, really I am. But, turns out there was already someone livin' there."

Ignoring that last remark, Jennifer said, "Well, you are certainly full of information, Mrs. Griffin. Maybe you should come to work for me." After a moment to digest the information, she said, "Seems like most of his relationships have been with people in his line of work."

"Were in his line of work, sugar. And they didn't last," Savannah said, looking her new friend straight in the eye. "I understand what a decision this is for you. Loving men like Peter Caine and Kermit Griffin isn't easy. Well, correction, the loving part is easy; it's the living with them part that can be difficult. But you have to decide if one is worth the other. It's not normal so if normal is a requirement, then that's strike one against. Normal seems kinda trivial, though, when there's a family at stake, doesn't it?"

Jennifer looked Savannah over carefully. The words were sincere, but delivered with a breath of sadness as if she were not only trying to convince Jennifer, but herself as well. "I have to be careful, Savannah. If I make the wrong choice, it could poison our lives forever. If I commit and it's the wrong decision, it will hurt us all. If I don't commit and leave things where they stand, I could be denying KC of the family he deserves, a two parent family with a father and mother who love each other. It's the hardest choice I've ever had to make."

"You sound like it's not just Peter's life you're afraid of, Jennifer." Savannah finished her coffee and placed it back on the tray.

"No, it's not. I'm afraid that maybe I'm just not wife material." Jennifer put her half-empty cup on the tray as well. "I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt myself or KC, either. I want to be sure but there's just no way to be certain."

"Yes there is," Savannah said, taking the tray back to the kitchen. "Just give it some time." She smiled from a safe distance, "Think about it when you've had more sleep."

"You're a regular riot, you know?"

"I know. Now let's go shopping. That'll make at least one of us feel better."

*****

KC had made car sounds from the second Peter had strapped his car seat into the Stealth. The little boy would look over at him and smile happily as he twisted an imaginary steering wheel and "Varoomed!" in the traffic.

Driving. He would teach him to drive one day. The thought of having his son loosed into the world sent a slight chill through his stomach. Peter knew his own initial driving experiences -- and the hell he had inflicted on the Blaisdell family car. With a quick shake, he banished the memory of a flattened stop sign and laughed at himself.

"Kid, you're going to pay your old man back for all of his hell raising, aren't you?" Peter reached one hand over to ruffle KC's hair as he continued to play at driving from the passenger seat.

Peter eased his vehicle into visitor parking behind the 101st precinct then gathered his son for the trip inside. He was becoming accustomed to traveling heavy instead of light. Where babies went, so did diaper bags, cups, little Ziplock baggies with cookies, and baby wipes. With boy in hand and bag on shoulder, Peter crossed the parking lot.

Now that they had spent a while adjusting to each other, it was time to make it public. Kermit and Savannah had honored his privacy and not revealed his secret. Jennifer had been true to her word and they had fallen into a comfortable routine of sharing their son's life. Now, Peter was ready to tell everyone and introduce them to his boy.

As they walked toward the entrance, a familiar blonde caught his eye. Jody was leaving the building in a rare bit of cosmic good timing. Of all his friends, Peter knew she had to be told first. Their odd dance of infatuation and partnership had evolved into a deep friendship. Jody should know this before anyone else.

"Hey, Peter!" she yelled over to him as he approached. Her eyes immediately shifted from him to the wiggling child in his arms. "Have you taken up baby sitting?"

"In a way," Peter answered, smiling down at her. As they came within arm's reach, Jody gave him a quick pat on the arm and took the baby's hand.

"He's adorable," she said, as KC gripped her fingers tightly in greeting. "Who does he belong to?"

Peter looked at the small bright face that mirrored his own and felt a swell of pride. He thought of how he should word his response. Jody would be happy for him. Peter knew that in his heart. Even still, there was going to be a small hurt this information would unleash inside Jody Powell. There would be no way to avoid that initial ache this new knowledge would cause.

"He's mine."

Jody began to laugh. "Yeah, right." She took KC into her arms and fawned over him for a moment. Then, noticing Peter's silence, she stopped laughing. Her face ordered itself from amusement into a state of shock. "You're serious, aren't you? Peter?"

"Jody," Peter reached out to stroke his son's cheek, "meet Kwai Chang Caine, KC for short."

The seconds stretched out between them in silence. Jody held the baby and searched Peter's face. For an instant, her eyes seemed to moisten with a sense of loss. The mourning ebbed out of her for a chance that never truly existed between them. Sensations reached out to him, and Peter shoved them away. It didn't seem fair for him to intrude into Jody's feelings, even by accepting her projections.

Carefully, Jody looked back and forth between Peter's face and his son's more Oriental features. Slowly, a smile found its way back to her lips. Whatever negative emotions and envy she may have, the friendship was stronger.

With her free arm, she reached out and pulled Peter into a warm embrace. "I'm so happy for you, Peter. He's beautiful."

"Thank you, Jody," he said, kissing the top of her head and hugging her in return. The hurdle had been conquered and was disappearing behind them.

Jody turned her attention back to the little boy in her arms. "Well, KC Caine, I certainly hope you're giving your father plenty of trouble. He's got it coming." KC latched onto the badge hanging around her neck and giggled in delight. "Oh, so we have cop material here, huh? Great! Maybe we can hang onto you a little longer than your daddy."

"I decided it was time to show him off," Peter said, pulling Jody's badge out of his son's hands. Subconsciously, the thought of KC and a badge send a shiver through him. Whether it was premonition or not, he wanted to banish the feeling quickly.

As they began to walk toward the entrance, Jody asked a heavy question with a light voice. "Who's the mother?"

Facts were things Peter decided should be delivered quickly and honestly. "Jennifer Sung. She's someone I--"

"I know who she is." Jody kept her voice happy, with a smile on her face, in spite of the blunt words. "What's the arrangement between the two of you?"

"We're his parents and we're going to raise him."

"Together?"

Peter opened the door and felt his own longing emerge. "I'm not sure. I've asked and she's gun-shy. Right now, I'm just going to concentrate on figuring out how to be this little guy's father."

Jody stopped him before they walked through the heavy metal doors. Her look reflected every struggle and warmth that had passed between them over the years. "You'll be a wonderful father. I hope things work out between you, this baby, and his mother, EXACTLY the way you want them to. I mean that. I hope you'll all be happy."

"You don't know what that means to me."

She smiled and returned KC to his father's arms. "Yes, I do. Now let's go give them the shock. Especially Kermit. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"He already knows."

"Figures," she said, disgust laced through her voice, as they entered the building.

*****

Savannah tried to quiet the sound of her heels clicking across the hard wood floors of the kindergarten hallways. A dreadful trip to the dentist awaited her and her offspring. Kat had clamped her mouth shut at her first visit and her father had resorted to bribery - a trip to McDonald's - to pry it open. It was a tactic Savannah disapproved of but in this case she was more than willing to debase her parental principals if it would get them through this visit tantrum free.

Rounding the corner into Miss Betty's preschool classroom, Savannah encountered a startled teacher. The room was empty and she could see the children enjoying the sunshine outdoors. "Hello, Betty," she greeted her, simultaneously scanning the yard for one little dark head.

"Savannah! How is Mr. Griffin? We were all so worried." The teacher seemed shocked to see her.

Puzzled, Savannah stepped over to the window. Kat wasn't in the yard. "What do you mean, Betty? Kermit's fine. Where's Kat?"

"A female police officer, came about an hour ago and told us about Mr. Griffin and the shooting. How is he?"

Savannah knew that Kermit was fine. She had been on the phone with him when she pulled into the parking lot. Panic began to writhe in the pit of her stomach. "Where's Kat?!"

"The officer said she was sent to pick her up and bring her to you at the hospital."

Savannah's body went cold. Grabbing the teacher by the shoulders, she shouted, "What was her name?! What did she look like?!"

Sensing the horror of the situation, the young woman shakily responded, "Tall. Dark hair. Late twenties. Very attractive. Oh no, Savannah, I'm sorry! She had identification. I'm so sorry..."

"A name! Did she give you a name?!"

"Officer Thorn. That's what it said on her ID, Savannah." The teacher's eyes were filling with tears at having handed over a child to a stranger. "She was here an hour ago. Oh, God," the young woman leaned back on her desk, "I'm so sorry. So sorry."

"Thorn...Thorn...oh my God..." Gulping air to fight the threatening panic, Savannah dialed Kermit's number.

"Griffin."

"KERMIT!" She swallowed air quickly to fight the billowing screams. "Someone has our daughter. Emma. I think Emma has our daughter."

*****

Detective Griffin stormed into the now vacant Sunnyside Kindergarten with most of the 101st precinct in tow. Savannah, Kat's teacher, and the principal were seated in the classroom, waiting.

The principal immediately launched into her apology. "Mr. Griffin, nothing like this has ever happened here at--"

Kermit didn't so much as pause to acknowledge her presence in the room. He went straight to his wife. She sat by the window, holding Kat's art project for the day, a brightly colored paper butterfly. Dazed and terrified, she held onto the creation as if it were sacred. "Scarlett. We'll find her."

She fell into his chest and choked out her despair. "Kermit...she's just a little girl."

"I'll find her."

Simms had the teacher in the corner, pumping her for information. Mary Margaret took the principal. Peter Caine, with his own child clinging to his side, had also accompanied the group. He had been standing in the middle of the precinct, introducing his son to a crowd of shocked friends when Kermit had rattled from his office and blurted out a short burst of information before running from the building. The sheer terror on his face was enough to break bones. His child was in danger, missing. Peter had dealt with parents of missing children when he was a cop. Now that he was a father, the term 'missing child' held an entirely new agony.

Into the numbing horror blanketing the room, several new faces arrived. Marching into the room with razor edged precision, came FBI Agent Stanley Rolph and a herd of other dark-suited agents. His arrival spoke volumes. The group of men flanked their superior and stood silently behind Agent Rolph.

Peter felt the ice cold fury reach out to him as Kermit launched his body across the room toward Agent Rolph. There was no time for anyone to intervene as truth and the naked betrayal of that truth scratched away Kermit Griffin's barely held civility.

"YOU SONOFABITCH!!! YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW THEY WERE ALIVE!" Kermit's hands were wrapped around Rolph's throat as he pounded the man's head against the wall. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE DEAD!!!!"

*****

The entire room echoed with the sharp metallic sound of guns being drawn. The FBI agents drew weapons in defense of their own. The 101st officers reciprocated. Savannah had grabbed Kermit's arm, trying in vain to pull his vicious grip from around Agent Rolph's neck, screaming for him to stop.

Peter moved swiftly, handing off his child to a stunned kindergarten teacher. Speaking to Kermit Griffin while he was in this state of mind would be futile. Looping one long arm under his friend's frenzied death-grip, Peter easily pulled the two apart. Kermit growled, a furious rabid sound, as Peter dragged him away. He struggled to break Peter's hold, the anger blurring his senses and skill. On a normal day, Kermit could have put up an admirable defense against Peter's attack. On a normal day, Kermit Griffin was cool in battle.

Today was anything but normal.

"Kermit! Back off!" Peter had pulled the ex-mercenary to the other side of the room, giving Agent Rolph space to pump much needed air back into his lungs.

"Rolph," Kermit said, spitting the word across the room as Peter released him, "start talking." The emotions of insane fear and rage had been set to simmer inside Kermit's body.

Both groups of law enforcement returned their weapons to their holsters as Agent Rolph gasped and rubbed his neck.

"Stanley, you'd better have an explanation for this," Karen said, standing between Kermit and the agent as if to guard against another attack from her enraged detective.

"We thought they were gone on the day of the incident," he answered, clearing his throat and attempting to recover some semblance of authority. "Later, we performed a more detailed analysis of the remains and determined that Latrodect and the woman were not the bodies recovered after the crash.

"What?" The word shook from a pale Savannah Griffin, still standing in the center of the room. "You didn't even bother to tell us that those two lunatics were still on the loose. This is my daughter. Are you insane?" Her voice never rose above a shocked whisper as she stood suspended in her disbelief.

Agent Rolph's face reddened as he attempted a softer explanation toward the child's mother. "It was the opinion of the Bureau that Latrodect would return in search of Detective Griffin. We wanted him to believe he had successfully fooled the authorities, thus we did not reveal our position. We've had Detective Griffin under surveillance for several weeks for his protection."

"And it never occurred to you that this maniac might come after his family?" An edge was slicing its way into her voice and Savannah stepped closer to the agent.

"It didn't fit his profile. Latrodect seems to go directly to his target, so--"

"PROFILE?!! PROFILE?!" She was screaming the word back at the only target available. Kermit had grabbed hold of her shoulders before she could mount her own assault. "She's THREE YEARS OLD!!! She's a BABY! MY BABY! WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU?!"

Kermit wrapped his arms tightly around her and began walking her into the hall as her words degenerated into choked sobs. "Come on, let's go outside."

"Mrs. Griffin, I--"

"Save it," Kermit said, brushing off Agent Rolph's attempt at apology as they left the room.

As Karen Simms quietly began to dismantle her associate, Peter found himself absorbed in his child. The screaming and adult chaos had silenced KC as he sat in the kindergarten teacher's arms. His dark eyes were wide and solemn and focused only on his father. Peter felt the unbridled fear of Kat's parents mingle with his own, and he quickly crossed the room and took his son into his arms, then followed Kermit and Savannah out into the hall.

Savannah's head was buried against her husband's chest. Kermit leaned over her, mumbling some private comfort and holding her tightly. For a few moments, Peter kept his distance. They needed solitude for their fear.

"Peter?" Jennifer lightly touched his arm, fear shaking her voice. "What's happened?"

Peter looked down into her worried eyes and let her take KC from his protective grasp. "Kat's missing, kidnapped."

"Oh my God," Jennifer said, holding her son more tightly and casting a horrified look at Savannah and Kermit as they huddled against the wall. "Do they know who did it?"

"Yes," Peter answered, reaching out to touch Jennifer's cheek. "We just have to find them." He took her hand, feeling her own fear, and together they walked toward their friends.

"Kermit," Savannah pulled back and looked straight into Kermit's eyes, "tell me the truth. These people, would they, could they hurt a child?"

He thumbed the tears from beneath her eyes and opened his mouth to answer. The first attempt died on his lips. When he tried again, Peter could hear the break in his voice. "Yes."

Savannah's hand moved to his face. "Do you think she's...dead already?" She began to cry again, heavy tears streaking across her cheeks.

Now it was time for Peter to intervene. He could offer something more than the officers setting up command posts and gathering information in the other room. Reaching out with his mind, Peter strained to find a familiar thread of bright, three-year-old energy. Finally, a glimmer crossed his senses. This warmth was one he had known from Kat's birth. Peter knew the glow of that life-force in his mind. Even in the terror or the moment, finding her life still dancing on this earth brought a smile to the priest's face.

Peter rested his hand on Kermit's shoulder and, with a hushed voice, he said, "She's alive, Kermit."

Both parents wheeled on him, diving for the life preserver he offered. "Where is she?" Kermit kept his voice quiet, even though the words were issued with a demand for information.

"I can't tell, but she's alive." Peter felt the thread pull in and out of his grasp. The mind of a child was so unordered, the thoughts random and fleeting with her shifting attention span, it was difficult for him to sink his mental teeth into the thread and hold it. "She's not afraid or upset....playing...yes, she's playing with something. Maybe they're trying to occupy her time...keep her busy." The thread danced away from his grasp; not broken, only traveling too quickly for him to touch.

"Oh, Peter." Savannah grabbed his arm. "Thank you."

At that instant, Agent Rolph and his FBI cohorts flooded back into the hall. Rolph took a few careful steps toward the group of parents, then stopped short of putting himself within arm's reach of any more hostility. "We've gathered enough information here, Detective. The locals will set up operations at your home and coordinate with our command base downtown when you're contacted." Looking quickly away, then returning his gaze to the angry man in front of him, the agent added, "We'll get her back."

Kermit walked toward the man with Peter trailing close behind. He stopped a scant few inches from his new enemy. His voice sheared the air with razors from his past life. "There was a time in my life when I took great pleasure in throwing one of you arrogant suits to the wolves. It was a sport of mine to let you bumbling idiots be gobbled up when it would help with a mission." Kermit ran cold fingers down Agent Rolph's lapel, his eyes welded to the man's face. "If I don't get my little girl back exactly the way I left her this morning when I kissed her good-bye," he leaned forward, hissing the last words, "it'll be feeding time again."

Rolph didn't flinch, just accepted the threat in silence. His pride had already been wounded enough in front of his men. After a few seconds he said, "We'll be in touch," and turned on his heel. The wave of black suits left the building.

Kermit stared after the group. Peter could sense the killer inside his friend screaming for release. It would be a blood bath. "Kermit, we'll find her."

The silence remained as Kermit looked up into Peter's face. Savannah had begun to cry again and Jennifer rushed to her, circling her with one arm and whispering support to her. Kermit looked from his wife and back to the priest. Peter watched as Kermit seemed to age in seconds. Lines that had always been at the corners of his eyes, around his odd grin, deepened with sorrow and guilt.

"Kermit, I can find her. Let me try again. I'll go somewhere where I can concentrate more clearly."

Kermit touched his arm, his hand closing around Peter's arm in a gesture both grateful and pleading. "Thank you--"

Before he could finish his expression, Kermit's cell phone rang. He snapped it discreetly to his ear. "Griffin."

"Well, Detective, seems I have a treasure of yours. Precious little thing. Children are such a joy."

"Where is she?" he hissed quietly, stepping further down the hall, away from the officers in Kat's classroom.

"Surprise, surprise, Detective. I'll even give you the address. 501 Hanover Place. But be careful who you invite to the party," Latrodect directed, "or you can stop saving for college today." The line went dead.

"Kermit?" Savannah grabbed his arm, desperate for any shred of news.

Kermit took her by the arms and lowered his voice. "I'm going after her. Don't say a word to any FBI jackasses. You don't know where I am. Wait forty-five minutes and tell Karen I'll be at 501 Hanover Place."

Peter watched the bond between the couple. Savannah would do anything Kermit asked. The trust was without question. Into that exchange of trust, a bitter breeze of anger drifted across Savannah's face.

"You FIX this, dammit." Her voice was brittle with blame and her normally soft features hardened with the anger. Almost as quickly as it came, the fury blew away. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean it that way." Her arms tangled around Kermit's neck, pulling him close. "I can't lose either of you. I love you."

As they held each other, Peter took another long look at his child and at the woman he knew he loved. He didn't wait for permission, just gathered them quickly into his arms.

Jennifer pulled herself to his ear and said, "Be careful." She knew he would be going after Kermit's child.

Peter pulled himself away and smiled at her, then turned to follow Kermit. "I'm going with you," he said, trailing Kermit as he strode purposefully toward the other end of the hall.

The Desert Eagle was already in Kermit's hand. He paused briefly at the door, flicked off the safety and chambered a round. The new found difference between Peter's unarmed way of life and Kermit's firepower reared its ugly head. "I haven't changed. Can you deal with that?"

"You do what you have to do and I'll do the same," Peter said, opening the door for them both. "Let's go get your daughter."

*****

501 Hanover Place was an under-rented high-rise office building. Latrodect's organization probably owned the property. Always prefers to stage on his home turf, thought the ex-mercenary. It was taking all of his strength to remain calm. To think. This man could kill with a touch. A sliver of that poison pumped into a three-year-old would snuff out her life in an instant.

"It's your call, Kermit." Peter stood beside him, sizing up the territory.

"Through the fuckin' front door!" Kermit had his Desert Eagle pulled, safety off. They strode into the bank of doors, scanning for resistance. There was none.

"Kermit, she's still alive. I think we should go up the elevator. I can find her here." The sensations of the child were stronger. Peter's mind latched onto the mind of Katherine Griffin and held on as if his life depended on it. Hers did. "She's close."

Peter's assurances were cut off by a familiar, velvety-soft voice.

"Well, you made it." Latrodect's voice bled out from the intercom. "Our special girl was starting to miss her Daddy. But not to worry," he paused for effect, "we've given her a new toy to occupy her time. Take a look."

A video monitor mounted just above their heads flashed to life. Presented before them was a vision of Kat. The little girl sat in a bare, white room, holding a polished, silver handgun. As would any child, given a new toy, Kat was twisting the weapon from side to side, inspecting every shiny inch.

Kermit rushed forward to grab the screen when she held the barrel up to her face. Her tiny thumb poised over the trigger. "NO!! Kat! Stop!" She couldn't hear his frantic pleading, but her captor could.

"Now, let's see if you can find her before the game's over, Griffin. And bring Detective Caine along for the ride. The more the merrier." As the transmission disconnected, the ex-mercenary's rage flooded into his hands. He ripped the monitor from the wall and hurled it through the bank of glass doors.

Peter grabbed the man's shoulders and jerked him around. "That won't help her, Kermit! Listen to me. I can find her!"

Still shaking with the unspeakable fear of losing his child, Kermit forced himself to focus. Without another word, he stepped into the elevator behind Peter Caine, placing his daughter's life into his friend's hands.

*****

Stepping off on the seventeenth floor, Peter Caine opened himself to fully sense Kat's life-force. She was nearby on this floor. All he had to do was follow the gentle thread of her consciousness. Her emotions were filled with curiosity, excitement, and the beginnings of uncertainty.

Kermit followed so closely behind Peter that he could feel the man's breath on the back of his neck. The sound effects weren't helping, either. Latrodect was treating them to a soundtrack of gunshots fed in through the speaker system. One shot every few minutes. Just enough to make them wonder if it came from the speakers or one of the rooms. Every shot rammed through Kermit like a spike. As each brutal firing echoed down the hall, Kermit would suck in a shocked breath. His fear was an crackling force reaching out into the air.

"Stop."

Peter wrapped his hand around the doorknob of an office at the end of the hall. Nodding his intentions to his partner, he focused his energy into the lock. Easing the door open to avoid startling the child, Peter entered to find Kat totally absorbed in the inspection of her new toy. Both men eased into the room, holding their breath.

Kermit immediately choked down his panic at the sight. One tense of that little finger and the weapon would fire into her face. It was every nightmare he'd ever had come true. All the precautions he had taken to keep weapons out of her reach, all the quiet discussions he'd had with her after seeing television characters with guns, all of his planning and care had been undone by one beguiling maniac.

Using an even but authoritative tone, so as not to frighten her, he said, "Kat, please put the gun down."

"Daddy!" Kat squealed and jumped to her feet, the gun still cradled in her hand.

"Kat...baby...Daddy's always told you how dangerous guns are. Set it down on the floor. Okay?"

Grinning in the face of her father's apprehension, she said, "Oh, no, Daddy. It's not a real one. Man said it's just a play pretty. See!" Before Kermit could react, she raised the weapon. "Pow-Pow! Just like on TV," she giggled, squeezing the trigger. The kick of the powerful blast knocked the preschooler backwards into the wall.

Peter had been diving for her before the blast but fell short of his goal. He landed on his knees in front of her, as Kermit crashed to the floor behind him.

Kat was dazed and whining as Peter scooped her up into his arms and rushed back to Kermit. The bullet had torn through his thigh and exited, leaving him sprawled against the wall. Blood was gushed out of the wound, spreading over the carpeting. His breath came in ragged bites as he fought to remain conscious.

Realizing what she had done, Kat became hysterical. "Daaaaadddy!" she cried. "I sorry, sorry, sorry!" Trembling and crying, she attached herself to his chest, holding on tightly.

Kermit ground his teeth together, controlling the pain shooting through his body. "Daddy's fine." He pulled himself more upright and held her close as Peter tried to evaluate the wound.

"No, no, no! You got big uh-oh, Daddy!"

Kermit understood the terror she felt. She was a little girl who thought of him as invincible. Now, she knew better. He wrapped both arms around her, trying to calm the sobs shaking her tiny body. "It's okay, baby. It's not your fault."

"I sorry, Daddy. Sorry, sorry," she wailed harder into his chest. "Let's get Mama. She'll fix it."

He couldn't suppress the smile at that idea. Mama fixed her boo-boos. "That's right, baby," he said. Pulling her back and looking into her beautiful wet face, he said, "Are you okay? Did those people hurt you? Tell Daddy what you've been doing here?" Using both hands, he smoothed long dark curls away from her face to get a closer look.

"I'm okay. Police lady bought me pizza then we came here and a man with yellow hair said to play until you came to get me." Her little voice stumbled as she spilled the words out in one long, breathless string. The fear grabbed hold of her once again and her lip began to tremble.

Peter rested his hands on Kermit's gushing leg wound. "Don't worry, Tadpole. Uncle Peter can fix Daddy right up. You just watch." Even as the words were flowing out to comfort the child, Peter closed his eyes in concentration. Kermit could feel the warmth flood from the priest's finger tips, soothing the pain. Flesh began to knit itself together and the flow of blood slowed. Peter's treatment eased the searing pain down to a dull ache.

They didn't have much time. Latrodect was surely watching the drama he had constructed. Peter held on long enough to stop the bleeding and give Kermit enough energy to move, then pulled himself away. This time he knew his limits.

"Can you walk?"

Kermit nodded and let go of his child long enough to haul himself to his knees. The grunt of pain couldn't be suppressed.

"Not so fast." Latrodect strolled in from the other room. Kat's deadly discarded toy was held firmly in his hand. He had the upper hand. "Slide your weapon this way, Detective."

Kermit grabbed the back of his daughter's shirt and pulled her behind him, holding her with one arm wrapped behind his back. Latrodect made another waving gesture toward the black gun still in Kermit's fist and he reluctantly slid it across the room.

"Okay, I'm here," Kermit said, biting down on his rabid fury. "You've got what you wanted. Let them go."

"Let them go," Latrodect parroted the words, pacing back and forth across the room. "Decisions, decisions." The blonde man knelt down and wiggled his fingers at the toddler cowering behind her father's back. "We did have fun, didn't we, Princess? I actually thought about keeping her. You seem to enjoy fatherhood, Griffin. Might have been fun."

"You win. Let them go and let's get down to business." Kermit pressed Kat more tightly into his back. Her face was quivering against his neck. The fear peeling from her broke his heart.

"Beg me." Latrodect's mouth bent into a psychotic wrinkle across his face. "On your hands and knees, beg me."

Peter stepped forward, only to be warned away as Latrodect cocked his weapon and aimed it directly at Kermit's face. With his hands open and in plain view, Peter said, "Murdering three people, especially a child, won't help you out of this. You must know that your time is over."

Latrodect ignored the priest, focusing on the man in front of him. "You heard me, Griffin. Beg for their lives."

Unwrapping his tight hold on his child, Kermit leaned forward. His hands hit the floor with a heavy thud. "Please." The word came out flat, bouncing against the carpet.

"Please what, Griffin?" Latrodect looked over at Peter Caine, slimy satisfaction painting his expression. "I'm sorry but your delivery simply isn't convincing." Slowly, he waved his weapon between Peter and Kat. When Peter moved to put himself in front of the child, Latrodect stopped moving the gun. His face hardened from amused cruelty to anger. "Move again or try any of your pathetic Shaolin parlor tricks and I will drop the moppet where she stands." Gone was the facade of charm. The killer was exposed.

"I'm begging you," Kermit began again, his voice stronger. "Please spare them, spare my daughter, and I'll do anything you ask. Please don't kill her for something I've done."

"EXCELLENT!" Latrodect crowed his success. Staying just far enough away to be out of reach, the man crouched down to rest on his heels. "I'm not completely heartless. The priest can take your little treasure and go. I'll even let you say good-bye."

Kermit peeled himself upright, holding still for a moment before turning to face his child. Slowly, moving gingerly as the pain in his leg screamed anew, he found his daughter suspended in a world that a three-year-old had no business seeing. Her bright green eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He had brought this horror down on her tiny head.

Forcing a smile to his face, he said, "Kitty Kat, I want you to go with Uncle Peter for a while, okay?" He put his hands on her shoulders, trying to stop her trembling then pulled her close, soaking in the feel of her against his chest. "I want you to remember I love you. Don't ever forget that. You be a good girl and go back to your mama, okay?"

"No!" She twisted her arms around his neck, panic etched in her voice. "You come, too!"

"Daddy has to stay here, baby. Now be a big girl and do what Daddy says." Her soft hair brushed against his cheek and he held on tighter. "I love you." Pressing his lips against her cheek, Kermit kissed her, taking in the sad, salty taste of her tears. "Take this kiss home and give it to your mama."

"Wanna stay, Daddy. Please?" Kat's entire body was clinging to her father, holding on for all she was worth.

Kermit looked up at Peter Caine and his words came out in a tortured whisper. "Take her."

The hesitation spoke volumes. The men locked eyes in the futility of the moment. There were no options. Kermit read the defeat and pain in the younger man's eyes. There was failure written there. Kermit Griffin had no time to address it. Their captor could change his mind at any time. Summoning all his strength, Kermit slid his hands between his chest and Kat's fierce embrace. Peeling her away from him as her hands reached out to grab him once again, he said, "Get my daughter out of here. Now."

"DADDY! NO! STAY!" Kat screamed as Peter grabbed her around the waist and wrenched her away from her father. In the whirling frenzy of a child, she began to kick and fight to stay with her father. Her litany of pleading bled into one long scream of terror as Peter pulled her into a tight hold and moved carefully toward the door.

Once again, while under the barrage of a child's fury, Peter looked down at his friend. Kermit looked back from behind green lenses and said, "Take care of her for me."

Peter nodded sadly and disappeared into the hall. Kat's voice echoed through the room, fading away as the distance grew between them. Kermit stared after them, feeling an easing of his pain as Peter spirited the little girl to safety, to the rest of her life. A life without him.

"How very touching," Latrodect said, jerking Kermit's attention back to his own fate. "I wonder if she'll remember you?"

Kermit turned back to his captor "Yes, she will." The reality was at once comforting and painful. She would remember pieces of their time together, fragments that would stay with her in blurred childhood memories. He prayed that the last five minutes they shared would be the first to fade.

Straightening his back, Kermit spat back in defiance. "Get on with it."

Latrodect rose to his full height and answered, "Sure."

As he spoke, he casually pointed the gun and fired into Kermit's body.

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