"I don't have time for this...."

"Aw, c'mon, pleeeeeeeeaase!!!"

Peter looked up, partly in exasperation and partly to make sure that his 'friend', for want of a better term, hadn't suddenly de-aged 20 years. "Wolf," he said, trying to preserve the actor's fragile ego, "I'm busy! The Captain wants these files in FOUR hours!"

"C'mon, Pete, you GOTTA know one!" the actor whined. "I'm desperate!!!"

"I'm getting that way myself," Peter muttered, trying to disengage Wolf from sitting on his paperwork.

In contrast to Wolf's irritating tone, a sunshiny-sounding and very familiar Southern-accented voice filled the air. "All right, now, folks, no pushin', no shovin'...everyone can contribute all they want. Remember, *tax-deductible*!"

Peter looked up gratefully at the interruption - and just that moment, registered in his mind what exactly Wolf had been looking for AND how to get rid of Wolf at the same time. He cleared his throat. "Ahem...Wolf?" he said softly. If the lady overheard him, he'd be dead meat....

"Yeah, man?"

"That young lady happens to be...ahem, very good friends with a mercenary."

"No shit???" Wolf leered openly. "Pretty little thing like that?"

"Yup," Peter said, grinning. This could be even better than he thought. "IF you get on her good side, you might be able to finagle yourself an introduction."

"Watch my dust," Wolf Gannett smirked, slid himself off of Peter's desk, taking some paperwork with him and inadvertently toppling the sheets to the floor. He sauntered over to the diminutive blonde. *She IS a looker,* Wolf thought. *Putty in my hands....* He ran his fingers through his mousse-coated hair and listened to the lady's spiel.

"Come on, people, you don't want me to get MEAN, do you?" she said with a mischievous grin.

Wolf grinned back. No way a little thing like that could be mean. But, whatever it was, people were forking over their dough to her....*Suckers!* Wolf thought as he leaned forward, invading her personal space as he leered over her shoulder. "Hey, baby doll," he breathed in her ear.

Savannah turned sharply in astonishment. "Pet-?" One look told her this wasn't Peter, even if she hadn't seen Peter Caine over the shoulder of this look-alike, sitting at his desk, doing paperwork. The resemblance was remarkable! Still, there was no way that anyone observant would mistake this jerk for Peter. She eyed him up and down, not believing what she was seeing. *A Peter...in leather!* she thought, her lips trying not to twitch in amusement. *Wait'll I tell-!*

"Wolf Gannett," the look-alike said, trying to look seductive as he tossed his hair back with a quick shake of his head. "I hear you got connections, babe, and I'm willin' to pay for your help!"

*Where have I heard that name?* she thought. Savannah was now completely lost as to this man's motive but not his methods. *Oh dear. He has no idea who he's dealin' with!* she thought. Kermit would be arriving any minute from his meeting downtown. *This could be fun.* She opened the trap. "Why, whatevah do you mean, sugah?" she drawled sweetly.

Mary Margaret, in the corner of the precinct squadroom, had both hands over her mouth in an effort to stifle her laughter. *Savannah is going to kill him!* she giggled to herself. It was hard to feel sorry for Wolf after the grief he had given all the women in the precinct in the past.

"I think Savannah's more dangerous than her husband!" Jody whispered.

Mary Margaret nodded vehemently as they listened.

"Well, lemme 'xplain it, sweetie," Wolf continued, digging himself in deeper, "you got what I need and I got what you need." He pressed closer to her, rubbing one finger down her arm.

Savannah could not believe the crassness! His touch wasn't threatening, just annoying. "Well, sugah," she asked, "Southern women don't generally discuss their needs in public." She deliberately brought up her left hand to pat his hand, displaying her wedding ring prominently.

She needn't have bothered. Wolf had long ago noticed the wedding ring but didn't hundreds of married ladies throw themselves at him all the time, even more than the single ladies! "Well, dollface," he continued shamelessly, "obviously you ain't gettin' it at home and I'm just the guy to show you a good time!"

Peter's head hit his desk with a thunk. He knew that Wolf would embarrass himself but he didn't think the actor would go THIS far. Perhaps he'd better put a stop to this before Wolf got shot, kneed, punched and thrown into a deep, dark alleyway.

A hand stopped Peter as he attempted to rise from his chair. "Don't," Mary Margaret said from behind him, "or Jody and I will hurt you."

Savannah batted her eyelashes at warp speed and baited him further. "Well, Mr. Gannett, if you have such a good time in mind, maybe I should invite a special friend of mine to join us?" *Yeah, a friend with dark glasses and hands to wring your neck with,* she laughed to herself.

"Hey, darlin', the more the merrier," Wolf leered. "So, whatcha say?"

"Well, now, sugah, let me just tell you somethin'," Savannah said sweetly, leaning back invitingly on a desk.

"Yeah?" Wolf asked, leaning forward with a grin.

Gazing into his eyes and moving forward, she began the surgery. "Where you come from, that barnyard litter may pass for charm, but not with me." She slowly began to harden her tone. Wolf, his ego and plans going down in flames, began to retreat. "Let me, what's the word you used, 'xplain it to you. My first name ain't Doll Face, Baby Doll, or Sweetie. In fact, you may call me Ma'am or Mrs. Griffin!"

Wolf was stepping backwards as Savannah's assault continued. He was unaccustomed to a negative female reaction of this magnitude to his practiced moves.

"And another thing, I don't like being touched without my permission. Especially by some sleazy, greasy ego-maniac like yourself!" She stopped, returned a honey-sweet expression to her face and lilted, "Now. Are we clear on all relevant points, sweetie?"

"My turn, Scarlett," a new voice growled behind him.

Wolf turned to see the menacing detective everyone called Kermit. Even behind the dark sunglasses, Wolf knew his life was in danger. He gulped as Kermit grabbed him almost casually by the shirtfront, although, looking down, Wolf knew he'd have an easier time breaking free from a pit-bull.

"Don't touch her, don't look at her, don't get near her, do you understand!?" Kermit's voice was pure venom.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," Wolf babbled.

Peter rushed up to his friend. Wolf had carried it too far but Kermit might strangle him just for the heck of it. "Kermit, he really didn't know...."

*Wonder how he likes being touched without his permission?* Savannah thought, grinning at Kermit's overreaction. "Kermit, this gentleman says he wants to show me a good time. Isn't he the friendly one?"

"I'll show HIM a 'time', all right!"

"I really am sorry...Scarlett-?"

Kermit jerked Wolf around and slammed him up against the wall. "Don't call her that!" he said, gritting his teeth.

"Well, YOU called her...I don't know her name!" Wolf protested in his defense.

"Well, let me introduce you," Kermit said, still plastering him up against the wall. "Savannah Marie March GRIFFIN!"

Over Kermit's shoulder, Jody and Peter were helpfully informing Wolf, in hand signals, what exactly that meant since Wolf never knew Kermit's last name. Once realization dawned, Wolf went pasty white. "B-b-b-but...." he stammered, "but I KNOW you, man! YOU ain't never been married!"

"Um, well, now he is, Wolf," Peter said. "C'mon, put him down, Kermit. He really didn't know."

Kermit thought about it for a few seconds and, deciding he couldn't hold him there forever, let go reluctantly. "You want another whack at him?" he asked his wife.

"Oh, no. Had plenty, thanks," she laughed, trying to lighten Kermit's storm cloud. Savannah was still wondering what it was Wolf wanted in the first place.

Wolf gasped at Peter as another realization came to mind. "HE is the guy you had in mind, right???"

Peter shrugged. "Well, he's exactly what you're looking for."

Wolf looked warily at the still-smoldering Kermit as the latter asked, "For what?"

"Wolf was looking for a consultant. A mercenary, to be exact, to prepare him for his next role," Peter explained.

Kermit laughed in Wolf's face.

"Hey, c'mon, man," Wolf wheedled. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know about your little woman."

"Little woman!" Savannah repeated incredulously. Rescuing Wolf from Kermit was no longer of interest to her after that remark.

"Geez, never woulda thought you'd get hitched, man. Ole ball 'n chain time...didn't think you'd want to get nailed down like that - What???" Wolf protested as Peter stepped on his foot to shut him up. Unfortunately, Wolf was unstoppable. "Besides, man, you owe me!"

Kermit and Savannah were turning to studiously ignore him when the last sentence registered. Kermit turned to look at Wolf incredulously while Savannah looked askance at her husband. "You do?" she asked him.

"What are you talking about?" Kermit demanded.

"Hey, man, I SAVED YOUR LIFE!"

"WHAT!?" Kermit and Savannah asked in unison.

"If it weren't for me," the actor threw out his chest in pride, "YOU woulda been shot!"
Savannah looked at Kermit. "Is that true?"

"NO!" Kermit exploded. "Well, I mean...."

"I saved his life, didn't I?" Wolf reiterated, looking at Peter for support.

Peter, crossing his arms and grinning, volunteered, "It looked that way to me."

"How would you like your credit rating slashed to oblivion?" Kermit snapped.

Smoke was practically boiling from the ex-mercenary's ears. Since she'd contributed to this nasty situation, Savannah decided to defuse it a little.

"Come on," Savannah said, "it's time to talk about this privately." She dragged Kermit into his office and closed the door. She studied her husband curiously. She hadn't seen him so irritated by anyone like this before. "Did he save your life?"

"It wasn't like that," Kermit explained lamely as he paced. "He didn't *really* save my life. I was caught between two guns and he distracted them for two seconds, long enough for Peter and I to take them out."

Savannah pursed her lips, thinking. Softening her voice, she said, "Sounds like he did save your life."

"Oh, come on!" Kermit protested. "Peter and I would've handled them just fine once we had an opening."

"He gave you that opening?"

"Well...yeah...."

"Close enough for jazz!" Savannah declared cheerily, flashing her dimples.
Kermit groaned. "More of the blues?"

"The greens."

Kermit poked one finger through the blinds to peek through. They could clearly hear Wolf's conversation with Peter. "Hey, man, that guy is GREAT! How'd he do that? Lessee...." He thrust out his chin, pantomimed putting on glasses and rasped, "'You don't touch her, you don't look at her, don't get near her! Do you understand!?'"

"Um, Wolf?" Peter said tentatively, although he had to admit Wolf's imitation was pretty good. "I think you're in enough trouble already....Don't add fuel to the fire!"

Kermit snapped the blinds shut. "He did NOT save my life! The guy is a jerk and a HALF!"

"Let's look at this another way," Savannah said, knowing that he knew she was about to con him into something. "If you help him, then he'll leave. I'm all for his leaving, how about you?"

"I'll make him leave - through the 27th floor window."

"Besides, he DID save your life and, where I come from, we pay our debts." She paused, waiting for his reaction. Slipping her arms around his neck, she added, "I owe him for helping to keep you in one piece for me."

"That's fighting dirty, Scarlett."

"I know," she answered with a satisfied smile.

They returned to the squadroom and joined the others. Wolf, whose color had finally returned to normal, stood unusually silent, awaiting his sentence.

Savannah approached him, her most conciliatory expression displayed. "Mr. Gannett, I'd like to apologize. What I did to you wasn't completely fair. Fun, but not fair."

Wolf began to relax. *Now, this is more like it,* he thought.

"What Kermit decides to do about your request is up to him, but to say thank you for saving my husband's life and make this little unpleasantness up to you, I'd like for you to come to dinner at our house tonight."

Kermit's mouth dropped open. "NO WAY!"

"Way." Savannah looked back from Kermit to her intended dinner guest.

Wolf, making an attempt to recover from his bad behavior earlier, replied, "I'd be glad to have a chance to make it up to you, too." He reached for her hand, then reconsidered.
"Well, you can start with a donation to the Children's Home." She opened a large envelope and held it out to him.

"Sure, bab....I mean, Mrs. Griffin." Wolf pulled out his checkbook and began writing.
Leaning over his shoulder, Savannah instructed, "One more zero, please."

"Man, you play hardball." He tore out the check and dropped it into her hand.

"Thank you kindly," she said as she held out a slip of paper with the address on it. "Eight o'clock."

"Yes, ma'am. Well, better split for now, Pete." Wolf slapped Peter on the back and retreated to his limo.

Disgusted beyond words, Kermit gave his wife's hand a squeeze and returned to his office.

"At least I taught him some manners?" Savannah pointed out to her retreating husband.

"He did NOT save my life," Kermit returned as he closed the door behind him.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Peter questioned, shaking his head.

"Oh, yeah," Savannah replied with an electric smile. "By the way, you'd better come, too. This could get complicated."

*****

Kermit was in very big trouble. He had promised to be home at 7:00 p.m. to help Savannah. It was 7:10 p.m. and, on a perfect traffic day, it would take him twenty minutes to make the drive. The thought of spending an entire evening with Wolf Gannett made his blood pressure rise. *That self-impressed jerk won't be satisfied until I land him in the hospital,* he thought. If Wolf called his wife 'dollface' one more time, he'd check him in personally.

This obsession Southerners had with obligations and 'thank-yous' was making his life difficult. Still, he wouldn't trade his life with Savannah for anything.

Speaking of Savannah, he'd better make a phone call if he didn't want to be the main course at dinner tonight. As he pulled out of the parking lot, the phone began ringing in his hand. Preparing for the worst from his loving wife, he answered.
What greeted him wasn't that familiar Southern accent. Only a rhythmic tone.

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

Kermit was blinded by the flood lights. Gasping in pain, he covered his eyes. No relief. *How can I be here?!* he screamed in his mind. Rocketed back in time over twenty years. The smell of blood and sweat and urine. That constant ticking. Pounding in his ears.

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

The metronome was on a table in front of him. Always ticking until it was like a jackhammer in his head. The rope around his neck and the rope imprisoning his wrists behind him ground through his flesh. He could feel the blood. Standing on that broken chair took all of his concentration. When his legs began to tremble, so did this perilous support. There was no way to strike back when they shocked him with battery cables. No defense. No mercy. He'd spit in their faces. They would laugh and shock him again.

He was the sport. The big prize. Those lights focused on his face. There was no escape. Stabbing beams of light dug through his eyelids. All he could control was his mind and his mouth. Their goal was to take up residence in his head and pry open his secrets. No fucking way!!!

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

He'd die first. But they wouldn't let him. No rest. No relief. Only constant pain and brightness. Hunger and thirst. Repetition.

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

Someone was whispering in his ear. Seductive words. Offers of comfort. He could hear them on the edge of remembrance. A message. Instructions. Freedom....

*****

"Do you have to go everywhere in this boat?" Peter asked as he stretched out in the backseat of the limo.

"Hey, I have fans to impress, man." Wolf was looking out the window at this incredibly normal neighborhood. He couldn't believe that Kermit Griffin actually lived in the suburbs. *Women. They do it to the best of 'em,* he thought.

"After that performance you put on this afternoon, I think it'll take more than this to get you back in Savannah's good graces."

"I got flowers and me...that's generally enough to make up to your basic chick."
Amazed at the hopelessness of his friend, Peter rolled his eyes and got out of the car. Wolf, not to break character, waited for the chauffeur to open his door, then loped out onto the driveway, carrying a very conspicuous bouquet of roses. When they reached the door, Wolf had a frightening vision of Kermit Griffin pounding his face for giving his wife flowers. "Here," he said, slamming the flowers into Peter's midsection, "you better give 'em to her."

"Chicken."

Savannah greeted them with a welcoming smile and invited them in. She gave Peter a friendly wink, knowing that the enormous bouquet must be from Wolf. Peter was leaning in to look around the corner into the living room. Their hostess laughed and said, "Peter, Kat's in her room. You can go get her before you have a fit."

"Whoa!" Wolf complained. "I'm allergic to cats. Makes my eyes all red."

Savannah flashed him a sparkling grin and replied, "Well, I haven't met anyone who's allergic to this cat, yet." With that, Peter returned carrying Baby Kat in his arms. "Mr. Gannett, meet Katherine Griffin. But we call her Kat."

Like everyone else, Wolf couldn't resist touching those soft, dark curls and was rewarded with a full view of Kat's killer dimples. "How old is she?" Wolf asked, staring in wonder as Kat grabbed his finger.

"Too young for you, that's for sure," answered Peter as he sat down on the sofa with the baby.

"Kat is just a little over three months old and she's hungry. Wanna give it a try?" she asked, tossing him a bottle. Wolf promptly handed it to Peter.

"Oh, no! Kids just aren't my scene, babe." A thought was forming in Wolf's mind. "Now, wait a minute! I saw Kermit right before he got shot last year. There wasn't no wife and certainly wasn't no kid on the way."

Peter thought about punching him to shut him up but decided to let their hostess handle his nosy comrade.

"Wolf, dear, if you must know, Kermit and I were together a while back and then we were apart for a while. We've been married about six months now." She stood in front of him, tapping her foot, and waited for him to do the math.

He sat puzzled for a moment, then responded with, "Ohhhhh! Well, congratulations!"
"If you two can handle this little one, I'm going to call Kermit's cellphone again and find out why he's not here yet."

After Wolf was sure she was out of earshot, he elbowed Peter and said, "Should have known it would take a little 'accident' to get a guy like that to get hitched. But she sure is cute, though. Not like he got hooked by some barfly or something, ya' know?"

"Wolf..."

"What?"

"You're an idiot!"

*****

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

A seductive, soothing voice in his ear was calling him. Those foreign words. Offering release. A siren song of freedom. The only cost...compliance. Soft rhythm overriding the harsh light and relentless ticking. It was just like before. A lifeline of comfort.

Kermit grabbed it with his mind. Anything to avoid the light. The sound. The pain.
On his knees again, he felt that same hard earth beneath him. Reaching out, he felt those same four walls. Closing in. Squeezing. Sucking the air out of his lungs.

The voice returned. Reciting into his ear the path from this nightmare. All he had to do was let go. Give in. Follow....

"PAUL!!!" he screamed out loud.

TICK! TICK! TICK!....

*****

Savannah didn't know whether to be irritated or worried. They were still newlyweds; WOULD Kermit dodge a meal he didn't want to participate in and not call her? *No,* she frowned, *he wouldn't. Not without at least calling and offering some excuse....*

She shut the oven door with a clatter, untied her apron and strode into the living room where Peter and Wolf were on their second and a half drink. "Peter," she began.
Peter rose instantly to his feet. "Don't worry, Savannah, I'm sure he's okay." He went to the phone and began making calls.

"Hey...um, I don't really think you should worry so much if the guy's missing for just an hour," Wolf offered.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of the mercenary," Savannah said drily. "He would have called if he was going to be late - he wouldn't worry me like this. There's plenty of people out there who'd love to...delay him."

She paced back and forth across the living room, constantly checking the window for any sign of the Corvair. Talking to no one, she whispered, "He wouldn't do this to me after what happened. He just wouldn't."

Wolf, trying to be helpful but having no clue as to how, asked, "After what?"

Savannah just looked at him with such a pitiful expression that he knew not to continue.
Peter watched Savannah out of the corner of his eye. If Kermit didn't have a good excuse, he figured he'd near kill him for scaring Savannah like this after what they had been through with Ericson.

*****

"What the hell?!" Kermit cursed at the blue lights that were flashing in his rearview mirror. Being a half hour late was going to be bad enough. Now, some uniform who needed his quota met was going to make it worse. Kermit pulled over in irritation. He didn't think that he had been speeding.

The officer carefully approached the detective's door. "Excuse me, sir," he began politely, "are you Detective Kermit Griffin?"

His heart jumped in his chest. This cop had pulled him over not because of something he'd done but because of who he was. Something was wrong. Savannah....

"Yes, I am. What's wrong?"

The cop seemed relieved and then amused. "Well, sir, Detective Caine put out an A.P.B. on you. There was an assumption by your wife that something had happened to you because...well, because you're late."

She had had Peter call out the force because he was thirty minutes late!

"You're joking, right?"

"No, sir," the officer said with a slight smile. "If she's anything like my wife, maybe you'd better head on home."

"I'm on my way now."

The officer nodded, returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Kermit shook his head as he started the Corvair again. This was so unlike Savannah! He expected her to be displeased. Maybe even 'mad as a wet hen,' as she was prone to say. But not panicked after thirty minutes. Kermit pulled his watch out from under his sleeve. What he read stunned him. Not 7:30. The display read 9:30 p.m.! Kermit blinked, pushed a few buttons on the watch and looked again. Still 9:30.

*That can't be right!* he thought as he pulled out into traffic. He must have reset the time accidentally. Savannah was constantly making fun of his 'nerd watch'. Maybe she was right; too many buttons for his own good.

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