REUNION III:
IT'S STEELE A SMALL WORLD, MURPHY
by
JILL HARGAN
(ANAHEIM, FALL 1986)

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Major Descoine sat easily in the chair and faced his parole officer coolly. The man was overworked and it showed, on his face and on the cluttered desk between them. Pity the man couldn't take proper notice of the case before him. Descoine knew there was no way this officer of the court could possibly have studied his exploits enough to fully appreciate his brilliance.

"Now, Major," the man was saying. "You fully understand the conditions of your parole?"

Descoine nodded his head. "Of course," he replied evenly. "I report to you once a week."

"And you stay away from Remington Steele and Laura Holt."

"Naturally," the major agreed affably. "I expected that."

"Any infractions... any complaints from Steele or Holt and you're back in jail." The officer glared at him sternly. "I don't have a lot of time. I can't be your babysitter. You only get one chance to mess up. You understand?"

Descoine feigned an injured look. "I have no intention of bothering them. I told that to the parole board."

The man was unmoved by the apparent sincerity of his parolee. "Just be sure I see your butt in here next Monday at two o'clock."

"I'll be here," Descoine promised as he got up to go.

He made his way through the crowded hallway and stepped out the door of City Hall. For the first time in nearly three years he allowed himself to breathe in deeply. Freedom at last. Freedom to go where he wanted and do what he pleased. Freedom to finally make Remington Steele pay for everything he'd done.

The major smiled to himself as he anticipated the future. The plans were already there, stirring in his brain. Thanks to his daughter he knew where and when. It was up to him to come up with the how. His smile broadened slightly. It was going to be sweet.

* * *

Murphy Michaels stretched his long legs out as far as the confines of his seat would allow. It wasn't much. Airlines had never been very generous with space and Murphy's six foot plus frame was already cramped, even though the flight from Denver to Orange County was a relatively short one.

"Tired already?"

Murphy pulled his feet back from under the seat in front of him and turned to smile sheepishly at his wife beside him.

"Just trying to get the kinks out," he informed her.

Sherry returned his smile and rested her hand on his thigh.

"Wait until we get to the hotel," she advised him with a teasing twinkle in her eye. "I'll help you with your kinks."

Murphy raised his eyebrows suggestively. "I might just take you up on that offer," he replied.

Sherry laughed lightly then turned to tend to their son. Six month old Tommy sat strapped in his safety seat, the remains of his lunch left on his face and in small, messy handprints on the window next to him. Murphy smiled as the child kept moving his small, blond head in protest of his mother's efforts to clean him off. A living bundle of energy, the baby had certainly changed their lives. But then Murphy had to admit, his whole life had undergone some dramatic changes in the last couple of years.

He was quite a different person from the man who'd left Los Angeles and the Remington Steele Detective Agency. He didn't even like to think about some of the things he'd said and done, all in the name of his hopeless infatuation for Laura. He supposed there would always be a place deep in his heart where his love for his long-time friend and partner would live. Sherry understood that. Being married to a psychologist had some advantages. She'd helped Murphy to cope with those old feelings... put them in perspective so they wouldn't stand in the way of other emotions.

Like his love for Sherry. He watched her playing with their son and felt an all-encompassing warmth that came only from loving and being loved in return. It had never been that way between Laura and himself. He knew that now, and as a result, had discovered a whole new world of opportunity.

The first thing he'd learned about himself was that he was a damned good detective. Content to follow in Laura's shadow, he'd never known just how capable he was and now he was the head of his own prospering agency. Next had come his life with Sherry. She'd patiently waited for him to put his life in order... come to grips, as she put it. No pushing... no pressure... she was a good friend and he'd finally realized their friendship had become much more.

Now he could in turn, be a friend to Laura... and Steele as well. In fact, he was a much better friend than when he'd followed her around like a puppy dog. Because he was happy himself, he could be happy for them and the life they'd made together. They'd gotten married last month and Murphy was glad for them... something he wouldn't have been able to say before.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. It would be good to see them again. Skip had somehow finagled the family into having their annual reunion at Disneyland this year and Murphy had invited his old friends to join the fun. He hadn't seen them since before Tommy was born and was looking forward to playing the proud papa.

"Who's coming to pick us up?" Sherry asked.

Murphy shook his head without opening his eyes. "Skip just said he'd make sure somebody was there. Probably Andy or one of the boys."

Sherry laughed again. "You're going to have to stop calling them 'boys'," she told him. "They're pretty much all grown up."

"You're right," Murphy agreed but knew he would always think of his trio of younger cousins, Allie, Scott and Nick, as boys. Jeffers had been a part of that group but he'd gotten engaged a few months ago and seemed to have graduated from their ranks. Love and marriage matured a person, he supposed. It had done just that to Skip, quite a feat in his own opinion, and to himself as well. He knew Lee was close to taking that step with Amanda, and as a result, had suddenly become "Mr. Responsible". In fact, the only one left unattached was Andy. Murphy wondered how long it would be before his cousin found someone and settled down. He'd always thought Lee would be the last one to go. Funny how life turned out sometimes.

He must have dozed off. Before he knew it, the pilot was announcing their approach to John Wayne International. The plane touched down with only a slight bump and soon began its slow crawl to the terminal. Murphy and Sherry set about gathering their belongings. Between the baby, his seat and all his paraphernalia, plus their own carry-on luggage, they were fully loaded by the time they were able to make their way down the narrow aisle.

"I hope whoever it turns out to be brought a moving van," Murphy complained goodnaturedly. He shifted his load a bit for balance.

As they walked down the tunnel and reached the gate into the terminal, Murphy scanned the waiting crowd. When he finally caught sight of a familiar face, he immediately tensed up and tried to keep his face passive.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

"Murphy..." Sherry's voice was reproachful. "You promised you'd try to be nice."

"I haven't done anything," he protested, but he knew she was right. No matter how hard he tried, he'd never been able to let go of this ghost from his past. It bothered Sherry, and Murphy knew it only too well. This area of his life was the only thing about him that ever tempted his wife to play psychologist and he resisted all her efforts. They usually either ended up arguing or just dropping the matter. He didn't want to start this reunion out on the wrong foot so he did his best to keep a smile on his face and resolved to be pleasant.

"Murphy, Sherry!"

Murphy took a deep breath, dropped some of his burden and reached out a greeting hand.

"How've you been, Dad?"
* * *

The banquet room at the Disneyland Hotel was filled. Several long tables ran the length of the room and nearly every place was taken. Walking in with Remington and Cait, Laura paused at the door and searched the sea of faces. A pleasant looking man came up to greet them, a huge grin spread across his face.

"You must be Murph's friends," he stated and handed each a tee shirt. "You gotta wear these at least once during the weekend." His smile grew larger, if that was possible. "Reunion rules." He then raced off across the room.

"I never knew Murphy's family was so large," Steele commented as he unfolded the shirt and held it out. Mickey Mouse marched across the front, banging a huge drum. Steele regarded it with bemusement.

"His own immediate one isn't," Laura told him. "He only has one brother. The rest are aunts, uncles, cousins..."

"I think it's wonderful," Cait interjected enthusiastically. She held up the back of the shirt for them to see. "Michaels Family Reunion" was spelled across the back in red letters. "I would've given anything for all this family when I was a kid."

Laura smiled as she saw Remington put an understanding arm around his sister. They'd only found each other recently, each growing up alone, without even a father or mother's love. Though her own family had been dysfunctional to a certain extent, she had to admit, she couldn't imagine living without them. Now she was starting her own. She wondered what kind of wife she would be... what kind of mother.

Her hand moved unconsciously to her stomach. They hadn't told anyone about the baby yet... not even Cait. Of course, they'd been married for so short a time, hardly a month. They were still getting used to this change in their relationship. Time enough to adjust to midnight feedings and diaper changes, she supposed. Maybe they would make the announcement here. She would have to discuss it with Remington. They weren't going to be able to wait too much longer.

"You all right, Luv?" Remington asked softly, his hand under her elbow in case she needed support.

"I'm fine," Laura assured him with a smile. "Thanks for worrying."

"There's no one I'd rather worry about," he replied and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

Laura basked in his tender thoughtfulness. There were so many sides to this man... even after four years she was still finding out new things about him. News of her pregnancy had brought out this gentleness and it made her want to be equally tender with him. They seemed to argue less nowadays and Laura was certain it wasn't all due to hormones.

"There's Murphy," Cait pointed out and waved.

Their old friend saw them and came rushing over with big bear hugs for both women and even a hearty slap on the back for Steele.

"I'm so glad you made it," Murphy stated, a cheerful grin on his face. "Come on over. Sherry's been dying for you to get here and we're just about ready to eat. Besides, you've got to see my boy."

Steele stopped him and held out the shirt. "I don't want to be a spoil sport, Old Boy... but is this really the uniform of the day?"

Murphy laughed and shook his head. "Only if you want to. Come on." He headed off toward the tables.

"Well, I'm going to wear mine," Cait declared as she started after Murphy.

Laura and Remington followed her. As they did, Laura couldn't help but notice the bounce in Murphy's step. She'd known him a long time and couldn't remember ever seeing him quite this happy. She was glad things had turned out well for her old friend. It went a long way in easing the guilt she'd felt for inadvertently causing him so much heartache.

They reached the tables and Laura soon saw Sherry. The small, blonde psychologist caught sight of them and jumped up to greet them. They were soon being bombarded with so many introductions, Laura knew she would never remember everyone. She'd met a few members of Murphy's family before... his brother, some of his cousins. She'd also met his father... well, not really met. Murphy had never actually introduced her, but as soon as she saw him sitting at the table beside Sherry, she knew who he was. She also knew father and son had never been on the best of terms. The fact Murphy still hadn't bothered to present his father to any of them let her know not much had changed in that respect. It was actually Sherry who drew the older man into their circle. Laura noted with interest how Murphy's wife took her father-in-law by the arm and made sure he got included in the round of introductions.

The initial confusion began to settle as people resumed their seats. Dinner was about to be served.

"There's plenty of room here by us," Murphy advised.

Steele glanced at both his companions for confirmation then turned back to Murphy.

"If you don't mind, I think we'd like to get settled in our rooms first. Then we'll come back down and join you."

"Sounds great," Murphy replied. "We managed to get you a suite. Cait, you'll have an adjoining room, if that's okay?" Caitlin nodded her approval and Murphy continued. "I'll go up and show you where they are. Feel free to come back down anytime. We're very informal around here." He gave Sherry a quick kiss. "I'll be right back." He turned back to Steele. "Where're your bags?"

"We left them at the front desk."

In a few moments they had collected their things and found themselves in an elevator headed for the tenth floor. Laura felt the lurch of the car as it started its ascent, but since no one else appeared to notice it, decided she was being paranoid. She hoped some of her fears would disappear as she got used to being pregnant. She didn't want to spend the next six months worrying about every little thing that happened.

The elevator lurched again. This time Laura grabbed Remington to steady herself.

"This thing rides a bit rough," he commented.

"You noticed it too?" Laura felt relieved she wasn't the only one feeling the bumps.

"It does seem to be acting funny," Murphy agreed. "Maybe it's due for some maintenance."

"Do you think we should mention it to someone?" Cait asked, a look of concern crossing her face.

Murphy shrugged. "It's probably nothing to worry about but I'll let the front desk know..."

He never got to finish his sentence. The car gave one last jolt and stopped abruptly. Suddenly off balance, Laura stumbled into Remington and the two of them landed in a heap.

"Are you two okay?" Murphy asked.

Laura looked up at him. He and Cait had both managed to keep their feet. She turned to Remington and gave him a chagrined look.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Nothing to be sorry about," he stated. He made no move to get up. His arms still wrapped around her protectively. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"Of course," she replied flippantly but when she saw the genuine concern in his eyes, she regretted her quick tongue. "I'm fine, really," she assured him, her tone much softer.

Murphy came over to help her up. "This is a first," he stated as he pulled her to her feet. He reached out his hand for Steele who took it graciously. "I'm sure glad these things have brakes."

"As we all are, Murphy," Steele replied as he stood up and brushed himself off. "Have I ever told you why I bloody well hate elevators?"

Murphy chuckled. "No, but I'd love to hear the story."

Cait remained silent throughout their exchange but now she spoke up, and it was evident she was more than a little frightened.

"How do we get out of here?" she asked, her voice trembling.

There was a brief silence while they all pondered the question. Laura glanced around the stalled car. She spied the emergency phone at the same time Murphy reached for it. "Not to worry," Remington spoke up reassuringly and reached over to give Caitlin's hand a squeeze. "I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time at all."

Laura however, was watching Murphy try to work the telephone. His brow was creased with a concerned frown.

"No luck, Murph?"

He shook his head. "The damn thing doesn't work."

"Are you sure?" Cait asked in a small voice.

Remington moved over to put a brotherly arm around her. "I'm sure someone will notice the elevator is out of order. We won't be in here long."

Laura felt sympathy for her sister-in-law. They'd only been stuck for a few minutes and the car already felt stuffy. She was certain it was entirely psychological. There was no way they would suffocate in here. "Is there any kind of alarm button?" she asked Murphy.

"I don't see any. Just the phone. Don't worry," he told his friends. "Sherry's bound to miss me. She'll send out a search party."

"So what'll we do till then?" Laura asked. "I don't suppose anyone brought cards?"

"Don't let her talk you into pinochle," Remington cautioned. "She'll beat the pants off you."

They all laughed, some of the tension eased.

"So tell me, Murphy," Steele began. "How's life in Colora..." He trailed off as the lights in the car flickered and dimmed.

Laura moved over closer to him and felt his arm draw her near. There was a heavy silence in the elevator as they all watched the light panel above them.

"Please stay on," Cait murmured softly, a sentiment Laura agreed with wholeheartedly.

The lights continued to flicker then suddenly went out, leaving the four friends in total darkness. Laura felt Remington tense then the floor fell away and the car plunged downward.
* * *

"I'm sure he'll show up any time." Robert Michaels tried to reassure his daughter-in-law. She sat beside him at the banquet table, her dinner untouched. It had been a while since Murphy left to escort his friends to their rooms. He should've been back long ago and Sherry was starting to worry. "They probably got to talking about old times," he continued.

Sherry shook her head. "He said he'd be right back. Something's wrong, I know it."

Robert thought she was overreacting, but he hated to see her upset. He was extremely fond of his son's wife. He and Murphy never quite knew what to say to each other, but Robert found talking to Sherry easy. He'd go look for his errant son, if it would ease her mind.

"I'm sure nothing's wrong," he told her kindly. "But I'll go check, if you want."

"You don't have to do that," Sherry replied, looking a little embarrassed at causing a fuss.

"It's all right, Dear." Robert patted her hand affectionately. "If it'll make you feel better..."

The shrill ring of an alarm suddenly sounded. Robert jumped to his feet but Sherry was one step ahead of him. She shoved Tommy into his arms and fled toward the commotion.

"Sherry, wait!" Robert called after her retreating figure, but it was no use. He followed but by the time he reached the big double doors leading into the lobby, nearly all the family was crowded around the exit. Two blue-clad security guards were trying to keep them inside.

"Please, folks, please," one of the men was saying. "Everything's being taken care of. We don't need any more confusion in there."

Robert spotted his sister, Katie, up near the door. Shifting his grandson in his arms, he worked his way up to where she was standing, facing the guards.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"Something happened to the elevator," she replied. "Seems some people were in it."

Robert felt a stab of fear. He tried to tell himself it was a result of listening to Sherry but he wasn't very convincing.

"Murphy never came back," he told his sister. "He went to take his friends to their rooms." He started forward.

Katie grabbed him. "We don't know he's in there," she stated firmly. "Don't start borrowing trouble, Robbie. Besides, Lee talked his way out. He, Andy and Skip are there. They'll let us know what's happening."

Robert fell silent. From where he stood, he could see the group of men around the elevator. He spotted his nephews and felt a little better but he still wished he could check on his son.

"Dad?"

Robert turned to see Stevenn come up beside him. His oldest son's face wore a look of concern.

"Somebody said Murphy's in trouble."

"We don't know yet," Robert replied tersely. "The guards won't let us out."

"He'll be okay, Dad," Stevenn said determinedly. "Try not to worry."

Robert turned back. It was just damned frustrating not to be able to do anything. If Murphy was hurt, he wanted to be out there helping. There had been too many times in his life when he'd had to stand by helplessly and watch his children hurt, especially his youngest son. If only this idiot would let him go.
* * *

Murphy gingerly picked himself up off the floor. The lights were still not working and it was impossible to see anything. He tested his arms and legs. So far, so good. Nothing seemed permanently damaged. He was sure he'd picked up some bruises here and there. He remembered being knocked around quite a bit but fortunately the elevator had stopped shortly after it fell, before it picked up very much speed. He heard movement around him and reached out in the darkness.

"Laura?" he called softly. "Cait? Steele?"

"I'm here," came Caitlin's fearful reply.

Murphy felt her groping hand come in contact with his and he grabbed it tightly.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I think so," Cait replied. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a cable or something broke. We better not move around too much." Murphy paused and listened for a moment. "Steele... Laura... are you two all right?"

"Bloody hell," came Remington's accented voice. "From now on I'm taking the stairs."

Murphy could hear the scuffling sound as Steele tried to sit up. "Don't move too much," he cautioned.

"Still as a statue, old chap. I... Laura?"

"I'm right here," Laura answered. "All in one piece... I think."

"Thank God," Remington breathed out and Murphy could hear the sheer relief in that remark. "You're sure you're not hurt?" Steele seemed overly anxious but Murphy chalked it up to being newlyweds.

"Now what?" Cait asked.

"I remember hearing an alarm bell as we fell," Murphy told her. "I'm sure they're already trying to get us out."

"I hope so," she stated emphatically.

Murphy couldn't have agreed more. It was disconcerting to sit here in complete blackness. It brought back too many unpleasant memories. And the fact they had no idea how stable the car was, did little to make him feel any better.

There seemed little to say after that. They each sat as still as possible. Cait had sidled up next to Murphy and he put a protective arm about her shoulders. He knew she was scared. Hell, he was too. He could hear Steele speaking softly to Laura. He couldn't make out what the man was saying, but he could hear Laura's adamant assurances she was just fine and not to worry. He wondered about that. Maybe it was just a response to their predicament, but he'd never known Steele to react this way.

He didn't know how long they sat there but he gradually became aware of noises above. He sat up straight. "Do you hear that?" he asked hopefully.

"I certainly do," Cait replied with joy. "They're coming for us."

The sounds grew louder, this time near the ceiling. Murphy could now make out men's voices from the other side. They must have stopped near a floor. Before too long, a sliver of light filtered into their dark prison as the doors were slowly pried open.

With a grating groan of protest, they finally parted. Looking up, Murphy could see the lobby floor. Someone crouched down and peered into the elevator.

"Are you guys okay?" It was Lee.

Murphy let go a long, relieved breath at the sight of his cousin.

"'Bout time, cuz," he admonished with a laugh.

"Hey, if you didn't like the food, you could've always ordered out."

"Funny, funny. Just get us out of here."

Lee was at once all business. "We've secured the cable. It should hold. Can you reach us from there?"

Murphy slowly got to his feet, still wary of trusting the elevator. He reached down to help Caitlin. He could see her face now, her eyes still wide with fear.

"Everything's okay now. Lee'll give you a hand up," Murphy told her gently. "See if you can reach him."

Cait moved to the doors and stretched out her arm. Lee bent over the edge and reached down for her. Murphy could see somebody held Lee around the waist as an anchor.

"I can't reach her," Lee stated. "Murph, give her a boost."

Murphy bent down to let Cait step on his hands. Steele came over to help as well. Together they boosted her up. Lee grabbed hold of her forearm and pulled her out of the car and onto the floor.

"All right!" Murphy shouted exuberantly. "Laura? You're next."

Laura was shorter than Cait and they had to lift her a little higher before Lee was able to get a firm grip. During the whole process, Steele kept cautioning them to be careful. Finally she was up and out.

"You're next," Murphy advised Steele. His friend began to protest but Murphy held up a warning hand. "You're my guest here. So be my guest and get your... ah, self... out of here."

Steele gave him a questioning look then shrugged. "If you say so, Mate." He reached up to Lee but was only able to touch his fingers. "I guess I need your help too, Old Man," he stated.

Murphy bent down again and let Steele use his laced fingers as a step up. Lee grabbed him easily this time and soon Steele's lean form disappeared from Murphy's sight. Murphy sighed. He was next. It wouldn't be too soon. He definitely wanted out of this place.

Lee bent back inside. "Your turn, Murph. Can you make it?"

Murphy was only slightly taller than Steele but he'd hoped that would make a difference and he wouldn't need a boost. He reached up to his cousin. Lee leaned down as far as he was able and still maintain his balance. They couldn't quite make a firm grip.

"Come on, Murphy," Lee urged. "Up on your toes or something."

"I can't," Murphy admitted reluctantly and it was true. There were still some things that damn leg of his refused to do, even after two years. He didn't have to explain any further to Lee.

"Damn it, Murph," Lee swore at him. "Why didn't you come up before Steele?"

Murphy shrugged self-consciously. "Guess I didn't think about it."

"Great!" Lee muttered. "All we need around here is a hero." But he flashed Murphy an understanding smile.

Murphy thought for a moment then suddenly realized how stupid they'd been. "Wait a minute, Lee," he told his cousin with a laugh. "I guess we're not thinking clearly." He took a moment to stack up a couple of the bags. "I hope there's nothing breakable in these." He stepped up onto the luggage and grabbed Lee's hand easily. Soon he was out.

He breathed in deeply, marveling at how fresh the air felt out here. "Thanks," he told Lee gratefully.

"Tell me one thing, Murphy."

Murphy turned to see Steele and Laura standing beside him. Steele had a protective arm around his wife.

"What's that?" Murphy asked warily.

"Do all your family reunions start off this exciting?"

Murphy had to chuckle as he shook his head. "Not usually..." He paused and gave Skip an accusing look. "Except for last year."

Skip's face was all innocence. He merely turned to Lee. "Or the year before," he said nonchalantly.

Lee started to sputter indignantly until Skip slapped him on the back with a laugh. Murphy joined in out of sheer relief. Suddenly he heard his name called from across the lobby. He turned and was practically knocked off his feet as Sherry ran up to throw her arms around him. He held her tight, knowing how worried she must have been.

"I'm fine," he comforted her. "Nobody got hurt."

He stood there holding his wife and finally noticed the crowd in the lobby. Most were hotel security but there were some fire and rescue workers, as well as jumpsuited maintenance men. Murphy didn't know how his cousins had managed to be included in the rescue effort but he was glad. It had been reassuring to see a familiar face appear out of that blackness.

He also noticed Andy was in the throng. He was seated beside Caitlin on a nearby couch. Cait was holding a cup of coffee which Murphy assumed Andy had gotten her. He had to smile. Leave it to Andy to manage to meet a girl during all this.
* * *

Robert watched with apprehension as one by one, Lee pulled the people out of the elevator. First a dark haired woman he didn't know, then another woman. He knew this one... at least he'd seen her before. She was a friend of Murphy's. Both women appeared shaken but unhurt. That was good. If anyone was seriously injured they would have gotten that person out first.

A man came out next... tall and thin, with thick, dark hair. That was Steele. Robert remembered him from the earlier introductions. Robert waited anxiously, wondering where his son was. Lee seemed to be having some difficulty and Robert's heart leapt to his throat. At last Murphy's sandy blond head appeared. Lee helped him out and the lobby erupted into a round of cheers. The four friends were instantly surrounded by rescue workers and well wishers. Robert handed Tommy over to Katie and once more tried to push his way out of the banquet room. He wanted to get to Murphy but this damn security guard was still blocking the exit.

"Sir..." the man began authoritatively. "Please sir. Stay inside until the lobby is cleared."

"That's my son," Robert demanded. "I want to see my son."

"My orders are to..."

"The hell with your orders," came a firm voice behind Robert. He turned to see Stevenn glaring at the guard. "We're going."

The man hesitated for a moment longer then moved aside. "Just you two," he told Stevenn.

Robert rushed out and headed over to the crowd. He was glad Stevenn had been there to push some weight around. He'd never been good at that. As he neared the group, he slowed. Murphy was there, his arm around Sherry. He looked fine. In fact, he was laughing and joking with his cousins and friends. Robert felt the familiar twisting in his stomach. Murphy had always kept him at a distance, making him feel like an outsider. He'd never felt more like that than right now.

"Come on, Dad." Stevenn's voice was quiet but Robert could hear the suppressed anger.

He glanced at his oldest son. Stevenn had little patience for the situation between Murphy and himself but the last thing Robert wanted was to create a scene. He laid a restraining hand on Stevenn's arm.

"It's alright, son. He's okay. That's what I wanted to know."

"God, Dad! You're his father. You have a right to talk to him." Stevenn was ready to explode.

Robert shook his head. "I'll see him later. I don't want to bother him now."

"Bother!"

"Stevenn, please. Let's go back to the rest of the family. I'm sure Murphy will join us when everything settles down."

Stevenn was still steaming but he followed after his father reluctantly.
* * *

Steele was adamant. He wanted Laura to see a doctor. Even though she stubbornly insisted she was fine, he wouldn't be satisfied until she'd been checked.

"Please, Laura," he entreated her again. "What can it hurt just to make sure."

She was exasperated with him, he knew, but he couldn't help his concern. It had taken him a whole life time to find what he had with Laura and now with the baby coming... He didn't want to risk losing either one of them.

"I keep telling you, I'm fine." She glanced around self-consciously at the group of people surrounding them. Their exchange couldn't have gone unnoticed, he knew that but he really didn't care.

"Laura..."

"Come on, Steele," Murphy finally spoke up. "She's says she's okay. We didn't fall that far. What's the big deal?"

Steele could tell Murphy thought he was acting strangely. Probably so did everyone else. He quickly surveyed the nearby faces. Everyone was either looking at him quizzically or else trying hard not to look at him while he argued with his wife. He was suddenly seized with a great need to justify himself.

"It is a big deal," he replied vehemently. "She's going to have a baby."

There it was... Out before he could call it back. There was a moment of complete silence. He met Murphy's eyes and saw an accusing look there. Beside him, Laura was quiet as well... too quiet. He knew she'd wanted to do this another way. She had an archaic apprehension about having conceived their child before they were married. But there was nothing he could do now.

It was Sherry who finally stepped in. She hugged Laura enthusiastically.

"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you. But you know, you really should go see a doctor. You don't want to take any chances."

Steele could have kissed her. Laura actually smiled.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I guess I'll have to."

"Congratulations, Laura," Murphy told her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. He then extended his hand to Steele. "Congratulations," he repeated evenly.

Steele took his hand, unsure what was going through Murphy's mind. The detective's face was unreadable. After a bit, Steele decided it was time to make an exit.

"We really must be going," he told Murphy. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

He took Laura's arm and ushered her away from the group and out of the lobby. She went with him quietly and Steele knew from long experience, that was a sure sign she was angry.
* * *

Murphy shifted a sleeping Tommy in his arms and walked with Sherry down the hallway towards their room. He felt drained, physically and emotionally. Sherry assured him that was normal after the experience he'd been through but he still wanted nothing more than to just go to bed.

Steele and Laura returned as promised with the news that she and the baby were both fine. Murphy wondered why their unexpected announcement bothered him. They were married, after all. He'd accepted the fact. He thought he'd come farther than to still hold any hostilities towards Steele. They had a perfect right to have children, for crying out loud. He wondered why he was so neurotic about them. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had a headache.

"Murphy, wait."

Murphy sighed. What now? He turned and saw his brother headed his way. He groaned inwardly. Stevenn didn't look very happy. He wondered what he might have done to upset his brother. It didn't have to be much. He and Stevenn had learned to overcome their childhood differences but there were still many things they viewed differently and his big brother was not shy about voicing his opinion.

Stevenn stopped and faced Murphy squarely. They were about the same height but Stevenn was built bigger. The result was, Murphy always felt on the defensive when his brother confronted him. Maybe that stemmed from his boyhood as well.

"I need to talk to you about Dad," Stevenn began.

This time Murphy groaned audibly. "Not tonight, Steven. I'm beat."

Stevenn's eyes narrowed. "When, Murph?" he asked firmly. "Not tonight... not tomorrow. You never have the time."

Murphy had heard this so many times, he felt he knew the litany by heart. He bit back a flippant reply. The only way to get rid of Stevenn was to hear him out.

"Okay," he sighed. "What did I do this time?" He couldn't keep the sarcasm completely out of his voice and he felt Sherry tug at his sleeve to remind him to stay civil.

"Dad was pretty worried about you today but I bet you never gave him a thought."

Murphy didn't answer. His brother was right. He hadn't thought about his father once during the whole episode.

"He wanted to see you... make sure you were okay," Stevenn went on.

"I was right there," Murphy retorted. "All he had to do was find me."

"Yeah, right. He's always the one who has to come to you. Well, he was there."

"I never saw him."

Stevenn shook his head slowly. "You never do, Murphy. And you never stop hurting him."

Now Murphy was mad. "Come off it, Steven. That's not fair. Maybe you don't remember far enough back."

"Yes I do," Stevenn replied. "That's the difference between you and me, Murph. Sure, I can remember that stuff but you can't forget it."

With that, he turned and retreated the way he'd come. Murphy stood and stared after him for a long moment. Then he felt Sherry slip her hand into the crook of his arm. He looked down into her concerned face. He sighed again.

"Let's go to bed," he said wearily.

"Murphy..." she started.

"Please don't analyze me tonight," he said more sharply than he intended. He knew how much Sherry wanted to repair the rift between his father and himself. "I'm sorry." He apologized at the hurt look on her face. "I'm just tired."

Later, after they'd put Tommy in his crib and Sherry lay in his arms, he apologized again, finding more energy than he thought he had.
* * *

Laura took her time getting ready to retire. She felt very foolish. He was only worried about her and probably rightly so. They had been knocked around quite a bit in the elevator ride. It made sense for her to be checked over by a doctor. She had to admit she was relieved herself when she'd been told everything was fine. Then why had she acted like such an idiot? It seemed she was always asking herself that question.

Of course, that wasn't exactly how she'd envisioned telling people about the baby but that wasn't a reason to be mad. So why was she still fuming and fussing instead of going to bed? Maybe it'd all happened so fast... she hadn't had much time to adjust.

That's a bunch of bull, she told herself. It'd taken her four years to decide this was what she wanted. That wasn't exactly jumping into anything.

Finally ready, she emerged from the bathroom and stood in the doorway, her eyes on the big, king size bed. He lay on the far side, his back to her. He felt bad about embarrassing her, she knew. She should really apologize. He hadn't done anything wrong. It was usually her hang-ups that caused the majority of their problems. So why was she just standing here?

Making up her mind, she crawled into the bed and moved over to lay close beside him. He rolled over and took her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he began but she hushed him with a finger to his lips.

"Don't say it," she told him. "I'm the one who needs to apologize. I guess I overreacted."

He smiled at her and the feeling that filled her chased away the last vestiges of her confusion. She returned his smile and reached up to kiss him.

"Did you see the way Murphy looked at you?" she asked with a giggle. "Like you'd just ravished his sister."

Remington gave her a wry smile. "My friendship with Murphy has always been a bit tenuous," he reminded her.

"I know," Laura replied. "But he'll get used to the idea. You just sprang it on him a little suddenly. Speaking of that, we better apologize to Cait first thing in the morning. She's probably wondering why we didn't tell her before."

"You're right," Remington replied distractedly as he ran his hand through her hair. He suddenly stopped and raised up on his elbows. "By the way, I haven't seen Cait since we got out of the elevator."

"I did," Laura informed him. "Don't worry about her. She's made friends with one of Murphy's cousins... the shorter one with the cowboy hat."

"A cowboy?" Remington raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't think Cait went for that type."

"Disapproving, Big Brother?" Laura teased.

"Well, no... I mean I'm glad she's having a good time, I just..."

"It's okay," Laura assured him. "Murphy introduced me after dinner. His name's Andy and he seems very nice."

"Hmmmm...." was Remington's only comment.

Laura pulled him back down beside her. "Let's don't worry about Cait tonight. Let's concentrate on us."

"Why Miss Holt, is that a proposition?"

"That's Mrs. Steele to you," she replied and reached up to kiss him again. This time he met her halfway.
* * *

The janitor cleaning up the banquet room chuckled to himself as he swept. It was so easy... almost too easy. They had no idea. He'd made sure no calls would reach them. There was no way they even knew about his parole.

He could have taken care of them in the elevator. It could have just as easily fallen all the way to the basement. That's not what he wanted though. At least, not yet. When the final moment came, he wanted them to know who it was striking the blow. Until then he would have some fun playing with them. Tonight had been only the beginning. Tomorrow was when the real fun began. His job would be even easier now. That idiot handing out tee shirts had played right into his hands.

* * *

Murphy awoke stiff and sore but considered himself lucky. He hoped today would turn out to be better than yesterday. He got out of bed and tested his weight on his bad leg. He'd feared it might start acting up after his fall in the elevator but it seemed to be faring well. Hopefully walking around Disneyland all day wouldn't be too taxing.

He found Sherry in the bathroom bathing Tommy. He stood in the doorway for a moment and watched his son's antics. The baby was thoroughly enjoying the water, splashing and kicking so much that Sherry was drenched as well.

"You might as well get in with him," he told her with a laugh.

"I just might do that," she replied as she tried to pry the washrag out of his strong little fingers. "It would save time."

Murphy watched them for a moment longer. Fatherhood was certainly a strange thing. Who would've guessed you could love a little baby so much in so short a time. Tommy had only been with them six months but already Murphy couldn't envision life without him. Impulsively he knelt down beside Sherry and took the rag from her hand.

"I'll do this," he offered. "You go ahead and get ready."

"I'll take you up on that," Sherry laughed and left the task in Murphy's hands.

After it was over, Murphy had to completely change his clothes before they could go down and meet everyone for breakfast. When they reached the end of the hall, Murphy noticed the one elevator was still out of order.

"I sure hope they checked these babies out," he muttered as he pressed the call button.

They had no further mishaps however, and made it to the banquet room with no delays. Most of the family were already there. The children, eager with anticipation, were running excitedly about the room, making for a great deal of noisy chaos. Murphy spotted Lee and Amanda seated at one of the tables and he steered Sherry over in their direction.

As they approached, Murphy saw Lee hastily withdraw his arm from the back of Amanda's chair and he had to chuckle at his cousin's actions. Didn't Lee know by now the whole family knew they were "together" and expected a wedding soon? Murphy shook his head. He knew it took Lee longer to make attachments than most people and his cousin was also more reticent about showing his feelings in public, but he had to know that sitting here with Amanda and her two boys was so utterly... domestic, there was little use in trying to keep up a facade.

Lee grinned when he saw them coming. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.

Murphy smiled ruefully. "Black and blue. Other than that, okay. Hey, thanks again for getting us out of there."

Lee waved aside his thanks. "Where are you three headed first?"

Murphy shrugged. "Tommy's too little to really do much," he answered. "We'll probably just walk around... show Steele the park. This is his first time here."

"Mine too, if you can believe that," Lee informed him sheepishly. "The Colonel was never stationed in California and after I left home, I guess I thought I was too old."

"The boys have been here once before," Amanda added. "So they're going to be our tour guides."

"We gotta see Captain Eo first," Phillip interjected and Jamie seconded his brother.

"I guess we're going to go see Captain Eo," Lee said and tousled Jamie's hair affectionately.

"Have fun," Murphy offered as he saw Laura and Steele come into the room. He waved them over to join them for breakfast.

The rest of the morning went reasonably smooth. During the meal, Murphy noticed Steele had quit fussing so much over Laura and she in turn, was no longer angry with him. Obviously they'd made up their differences of yesterday. Murphy still was bothered a bit by Laura's pregnancy and he didn't know why. He decided the best thing to do would be to ignore it... get on with their day and have some fun.

He saw his father sitting across the way with Stevenn's family and he felt a twinge of guilt, recalling his brother's words of last night. He probably should make an effort to go talk to his father but Stevenn was right about one thing. It never seemed to be the right time. He promised himself he would make a point of seeing him sometime during the reunion. A little vague he had to admit, but at least it made him feel better.

* * *


As he watched Murphy push the stroller through Disneyland, Steele had visions of the future... He and Laura bringing their own children here. He realized he'd used the plural and wondered what Laura would say to that. She would probably laugh at his flights of fancy. Let's take it one step at a time, she would tell him in her most practical Laura Holt voice.

He studied her as she strolled beside him. There was still no outward sign of the child within her, though it wouldn't be too long before that would change. He tried to picture her "great with child" as it were and couldn't do it.

Laura glanced up at him and caught him staring.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing, my dear," he told her reassuringly as he lifted her hand to his lips.

They continued on, taking in the sights. It was Autumn and the park wasn't very crowded, though Laura assured him the place was a madhouse during the summer.

"That's why Skip pushed the reunion back," Murphy added. "We usually get together around the Fourth of July but we'd never have gotten all the hotel rooms we needed."

Sherry provided a running commentary on all the little known facts about the place and Steele wondered how she knew them but then, nothing about Murphy's wife surprised him. Ever since they'd met her while helping poor Alfred with his money problem, Sherry had shown herself to be an extremely versatile young woman.

The day and the company were pleasant. Except for the occasional hard glance he got from Murphy, Steele was enjoying himself, last night's scare with the elevator fading into memory. They stopped at the wishing well for a rest while Sherry took Tommy over to the restrooms to change him. Laura went with her, leaving Steele and Murphy together in an awkward silence.

Steele leaned over the wooden railing to watch the swans swimming in the green pond. He stared at them for a few minutes, feeling Murphy's eyes upon him all the while. Finally he turned around to face his friend... and they were friends. He knew that just like he knew whatever was upsetting Murphy now, arose out of love and concern for Laura.

Murphy stood leaning against the opposite railing, his arms folded across his chest. He regarded Steele coolly.

"What's bothering you the most, Mate?" Steele asked conversationally. "The fact that Laura's pregnant or that it's my child?"

Murphy didn't answer immediately but when he did, it was in calm, even tones. "I only want to know one thing?"

"And what's that?" Steele asked curiously.

"Is that why you got married? I mean, obviously you haven't been married long enough..."

"We can all do the math, Murphy," Steele interrupted testily. His first thought was to tell Murphy it was none of his damn business but he restrained himself. He considered carefully how to answer the question and decided honesty was probably the best option. "Partly," he finally answered. "But not the only reason." He paused but Murphy was not going to let him off the hook that easily. "I don't really have to explain myself to you, Murphy," he continued. "But I suppose you have a right to hear it. I love Laura... and I love our child. That's what it came down to." Self-conscious at being so open about his feelings, he turned back to watch the swans. Murphy came over and joined him at the railing. Steele ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I don't believe I just told you that. It took me four years to tell Laura."

Murphy laughed then, and not unkindly. He laid his hand on Steele's shoulder.

"That's all I needed to hear," he said warmly. "I guess I don't have to worry about Laura anymore."

"I suppose that's my job," Steele chuckled. "Speaking of that, I wonder what could be keeping our respective wives." He stood up straight and scanned the area toward the Matterhorn where Sherry and Laura had gone. He could see no sign of either of them but there did seem to be an awful lot of people headed in that direction. "Murphy, is something going on over there?"

Murphy shook his head. "There's not supposed to be."

Steele frowned. "I don't like the looks of the crowd. Let's go take a look, why don't we?"

They started back down the lane and headed over toward the path that ran between the Matterhorn and Fantasyland. It was slow going. The wide walkway was crammed with people, all talking and pointing up ahead.

"Look!" Murphy exclaimed at the same time Steele saw it.

The aerial skyway had stopped its constant movement. The cars all hung suspended, swaying slightly in the breeze but one bucket seemed wrong. It was lower than the rest and the cable holding it was slack. From this distance it was hard to see but Steele thought there were at least four people in there.

"Good Lord!" he breathed. "The poor blighters."

"The Park'll get 'em down," Murphy assured him. "They've got all kinds of safety equipment."

"What's happening?"

Steele turned to see Laura beside him. He pointed to the disabled ride.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed softly. "Can they get down?"

"We don't know yet," Murphy told her. "Where's Sherry?"

Laura pointed over towards the bathrooms. "She couldn't get the stroller through this crowd. She said she'd wait there for us."

Steele had been watching and now saw security trying to move people back out of the way. A large snorkel truck was moving slowly through the park.

"Look there," he informed them. "They're going to use the ladder."

They stood for a moment and watched with fascination as the mechanical ladder slowly rose upward toward the Skyway.

"Murphy! Murphy," came an excited voice.

Steele turned to see a couple of young men pushing their way through the crowd towards them. He could tell by their shirts, they were part of the Michaels' reunion.

"Nicky, Scott," Murphy called and waved them over. "Where's Allie? I didn't think he'd be missing out on all this action."

"He's over there somewhere," the taller, blond explained and gestured in the direction of the rescue operation. His eyes were wide with excitement. "Murphy, it's Skip and Jeffers up there."

"What?" Murphy shaded his eyes, trying to see better.

"That's right," the other piped up. He was shorter and had a slightly foreign look about him. Some Amerasian background in this one, Steele guessed. "Mel and Aunt Mickey too."

Murphy was off at once, pushing and shoving his way through the mass of spectators. His two younger cousins followed in his wake.

"Murphy, wait!" Steele called after his disappearing friend. It was futile. He turned to Laura. "What does he think he can do?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe nothing." She gave him a meaningful look and he grabbed her hand.

"What are we waiting for?" Pulling Laura closer, he began to fight his way up to where he'd last seen Murphy.

* * *


Laura stuck close to Remington as they worked their way to the front of the crowd. She could see the fireman climbing the long, extension ladder and shuddered at the thought of being trapped up there. She felt she'd handled the elevator accident relatively well but she wasn't sure she could've taken being stuck up that high.

"There's Murphy," Remington stated as they finally reached the front.

They could get no closer to the rescue. Security had hastily put up some ropes and barricades to keep back the crowd. Murphy stood there watching the operation intently. He was surrounded by several of his family members. Laura recognized Lee right away and Amanda stood at his side, holding his arm tightly. They both wore expressions of great concern as they stared at the Skyway.

Standing beside Murphy was a young man Laura thought she knew but couldn't quite place. His long, blond hair was cut short over his ears and he had a face that would be quite nice looking if he wasn't so obviously worried. Standing in front of him was a girl about eleven or twelve. Her white blonde hair hung in two long braids. She was obviously upset by what was happening. Her face was twisted with her effort not to cry. The young man had his arm around her and was trying to comfort her. The two boys who'd run up to Murphy were there as well.

Laura sidled up next to Murphy. He glanced down at her quickly then returned his gaze upwards.

"How's it going?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "They're just getting there now."

Laura turned her eyes up as well. The fireman had reached the top now. She wasn't sure what he was doing but it seemed to take him forever before he reached into the car. When he finally straightened a gasp went up from the crowd. In his arms, he held a baby.

"God, Petey's with them," the man beside Murphy exclaimed. Murphy gripped the younger man's shoulder. "Take it easy, Allie. He'll be okay."

Allie? Laura suddenly remembered Murphy's cousin. The last time she'd seen him he'd only been fifteen or sixteen years old. She tugged at Murphy's sleeve.

"Is that his brother up there?" she asked.

Murphy nodded grimly. "Both his brothers... and Skip's wife, Melanie... and Jeffers' fiance, Mickey. That's Skip's little boy they're bringing down now."

Laura held her breath as the fireman descended, one hand holding the crying, squirming baby, the other clinging to the each rung of the ladder. It took a long time but finally the rescue worker reached the ground safely. Immediately another fireman started up the ladder.

The baby was still crying inconsolably and Laura moved closer to Remington. He put a sympathetic arm around her waist.

"The poor little thing," she murmured.

There was a commotion at the barricade and suddenly the girl ducked under the rope and ran out towards the rescue trucks.

"Michelle!" Allie called out to no avail. She kept running.

Several security guards raced after her, shouting at her to come back. Before anyone could stop her, she reached the fireman holding Peter and snatched the baby from him. By the time the guards reached her, Peter had stopped his crying and was clinging to her as she rocked him soothingly. It was obvious the child knew her so they let her alone.

Laura breathed out a sigh and turned back to the top of the ladder. One by one the adults were taken out and helped down, Melanie first, then Mickey... finally Jeffers and Skip. When they were all down, the guards set about trying to disperse the crowd. With nothing left to watch, most of the spectators wandered off to continue their day at the park. Murphy and his family waited until they could convince security they were related to the rescued victims.

Standing there, Laura's mind kept remembering Sherry's statistics about the park's safety record. Of course, the hotel wasn't an actual part of the park and an elevator was hardly a ride, but it still seemed strange that during the weekend of the reunion, two such accidents should happen and to the same group of visitors. Maybe it was her paranoia kicking in, but she didn't believe in such coincidences.

Skip and Melanie, their baby once more safe with them and Michelle by their side, found the group and were busy relating what had happened. Laura listened distractedly, her eyes fixed on the Skyway, the car swinging from it's safety cable. Cables... the elevator ran on cables too. A safety cable had kept them from falling to their deaths then as well. She couldn't pinpoint it but the similarities of the two events bothered her. She knew she wasn't going to be able to enjoy the rest of the day here.

* * *


Murphy watched his cousins break up into several small groups and wander off to continue enjoying themselves after this hair-raising episode. He breathed deeply as he turned back to Steele and Laura.

"Quite a day it's been, huh?"

"Not exactly what I expected from a day at Disneyland," Steele replied. "Eh, Laura?"

There was no answer. Laura was still staring up at the Skyway as park maintenance went about the job of securing the car. Steele nudged her with his elbow.

"What?" Laura turned to them. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Nothing important," Murphy chuckled. "Shall we go back? Sherry's probably wondering what happened to us."

"Lead on, Mate," Steele replied. He reached for Laura's arm but she shook him off gently.

"You go ahead. I think I'd like to go back to the hotel for awhile."

"Do you feel alright?" Steele asked in concern.

Laura nodded and gave him a smile. "I'm fine. I just want to talk to the elevator maintenance crew. They're supposed to be there today."

Murphy had to laugh at the expression on Steele's face. He knew Laura well enough to know she felt something needed investigating. Obviously Steele knew that too and disagreed with her.

"Laura, we're on holiday here. The elevator mishap was an accident."

"And this too?" She gestured up at the hanging car and shook her head. "Humor me, okay." She reached up to kiss Steele on the cheek. "You three go on and have fun. I'll meet you back at the wishing well in a couple of hours, say five o'clock?" She smiled then turned and headed off toward the Monorail.

Steele stared after her, his face incredulous. Then he turned back to Murphy.

"Tell me, did Sherry do many strange things when she was carrying Tommy?"

"Sure," Murphy replied with a knowing smile. "You'll get used to it."

Steele regarded him thoughtfully. "Do you think she could be right?"

Murphy considered the question. He hadn't thought about it before but it was extremely coincidental that these things had happened to them.

"You've been around Laura a long time," he answered carefully. "More than me the last few years. Have you ever known her to be wrong?"

Steele opened up his mouth but then closed it again without replying. They walked on in silence for a few moments. Murphy could tell Steele was thinking hard. Shortly they arrived at the bathrooms and a waiting Sherry. Murphy walked over to take the stroller from her. Tommy was asleep inside.

"Sorry we took so long," he apologized.

"That's all right," Sherry informed him. "Andy and Caitlin were just here and told me everything."

"Cait was here?" Steele asked curiously. He looked over at Murphy. "Tell me something about this cousin of yours," he requested. Distrust sounded loud and clear. "I understand he's a... cowboy of some kind."

Murphy laughed, the accidents temporarily forgotten. "Andy's a great guy," he told Steele. "You don't have to worry about Cait if she's with him." He then proceeded to fill Steele in on his older cousin's merits as they walked towards Tomorrowland.

* * *


Laura paced impatiently in front of the maintenance foreman's office while she waited for the man to respond to his page. She hated waiting. Especially now, when she was so eager to find out more about the elevator malfunction.

"Excuse me, Miss." Laura turned to find herself face to face with a short, stocky man in a blue work shirt. He was fiftyish and balding and was, at the moment, filthy. "You the lady who wanted to see me?"

"If you're in charge of maintenance around here, yes," Laura answered.

"Just give me a minute," the man told her as he pulled a dirty orange rag out of his back pocket and tried to wipe his hands. Laura wasn't sure the cloth was any cleaner than the rest of him. He stuffed the rag away and unlocked his office, motioning Laura to proceed him in. "Sorry about the mess," he apologized as he cleared away a chair for her to sit in. "We've been a little busy around here."

"I can imagine," Laura agreed as she sat down.

The man gave her a scrutinizing look then widened his eyes in a flash of recognition.

"Hey, you're one of the ladies from the elevator." Laura nodded. "Sorry about what happened. What can I do for you?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You gonna sue?"

Laura shook her head. "You don't have to worry about that." She smiled at the relief she saw in the man's eyes. "I'm more interested in what happened... what caused the problem."

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to release that information," the man told her warily.

Laura fought back her impatience. "Listen," she began more firmly. "Besides the fact I was in that thing when it fell, I happen to be a licensed investigator." She reached into her bag and produced her identification. "I'm more than a little interested in what almost killed me, my husband and a couple of very good friends of mine."

The man glanced at her ID and thought for a moment. Then he reached down and pulled out a file. He tossed it onto the desk in front of her.

"I guess it doesn't matter. It'll all come out anyway. The cable didn't wear out. For the record, we have our equipment inspected on a regular basis. None of our lines are allowed to fray. That cable was cut."

It was what she expected but his words sent a chill down her spine nonetheless.

"So I guess we're lucky to be alive," she concluded.

The man shook his head. "No luck involved, Lady. Whoever messed with the thing had to know what he was doing. He shoulda cut the safety line too... that is, if he wanted you dead. Seems to me, like he wanted to scare you pretty bad."

Now the hairs on the back of Laura's neck rose to stand on end. It all sounded too familiar.

"Thank you," she told him and rose to leave. She wanted to get back and share this information with Remington and Murphy.

"Oh yeah..." the man stopped her. "There's this too." He reached into his drawer and grabbed something. He extended his hand. In his dirty palm lay a large, golden once morecoin. "My men found this up there on top of the car. Too fancy for any repair man to be carrying around. I was gonna give it to the police."

She didn't have to see it any closer. She knew all too well what the coin looked like close up. "You do that," Laura told the man and left his office. She didn't want to believe it. She thought he was in jail. Surely someone would have told them he was out. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly the time they were supposed to meet back at the park. She walked rapidly out of the hotel toward the loading station for the monorail. As she rounded a corner she nearly bumped into a janitor.

"Oh, excuse me," she began, then stopped.

"Good day, Miss Holt," the janitor greeted her pleasantly. "Or should I say Mrs. Steele?"

"Major Descoine," Laura acknowledged frostily.

"I trust you're having a pleasant stay at the Magic Kingdom," he said with an oily grin on his face that kindled Laura's anger.

"Not really, no. But then I don't suppose that's any news to you."

Descoine's smiled broadened. "No, it's not. Now if you'll just come with me." He gestured toward the monorail.

"Why should I?" Laura countered.

"Because I wouldn't want any harm to come to you or that little baby you're carrying... at least not yet."

Laura's blood ran like ice in her veins. How could he know about the baby? But then, how did he know they would be here... at Murphy's family reunion? How did the Major find out anything?

Not sure if he was armed, Laura went with him, cautiously climbing the steps to the loading platform.

"I suppose the Skyway was no accident," she remarked.

"Just a little cat and mouse," he replied. "I need to have a little fun, now don't I? There'll be a few more surprises before I'm done."

Laura shivered, knowing full well how capable Descoine was of living up to his promises.

* * *


"So he actually likes rock and roll music," Steele was saying as they walked past the Matterhorn and emerged on to Main Street.

Murphy chuckled to himself. This overprotective big brother was certainly a new side of Steele. He shook his head. Doting husband, expectant father, now brother... they weren't exactly the roles he'd pictured for the con man who'd entered their lives four years ago.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Murphy suggested. "They're right over there... I'll introduce you."

He pointed over towards the entrance to Tomorrowland. Andy and Caitlin stood talking, apparently oblivious to the noisy People Mover rattling over their heads every few minutes. They both wore the family shirts and Cait was wearing Andy's black cowboy hat. From what Murphy could tell from this distance, they'd hit it off pretty well. Too bad there were so many miles between Los Angeles and Andy's home in Cincinnati.

They were headed in that direction when Murphy once more heard someone calling his name.

"It's Lee," Sherry observed as she looked back where they had just been.

Lee was running towards them, his face determined.

"I wonder what's wrong now?" Murphy muttered, some of his earlier suspicions flaring.

"He looks pretty worried," Sherry noted as she moved closer to Murphy. "Is it just me, or is nobody having a very good time here today?"

"Murphy, Sherry... wait a minute!" Lee slowed when he reached them and stopped to catch his breath.

"What's up?" Murphy asked.

"Something's going on around here," Lee replied, his face full of concern. "First the elevator yesterday... I was willing to chalk that up to an accident. But now... I was hanging around the work crews after Skip and Jeffers got down... just curious, you know, about what happened." He paused and his face darkened. "Murphy, that cable was cut."

"Cut?" Sherry repeated. "But who would want to hurt Skip?"

"Maybe not just Skip," Murphy remarked. He exchanged a knowing glance with Steele then turned back to Lee. "Laura was wondering about the elevator. It might not have been an accident either."

"Murphy," Steele began slowly. "I think it might be wise to have your family leave the park... for the time being anyway."

Lee nodded agreement. "Amanda's already out looking for the boys. I told her to take them to their room and stay put."

"That's a good idea," Murphy concurred. "But how do we find everybody?"

"We can start with Cait and your cowboy cousin over there." Steele nodded in their direction.

"Okay... then maybe we can divide up... Andy'll help us. We can take different sections of the park." As he spoke, Murphy took Sherry's arm and started walking. "I want you to go with Cait back to the hotel," he told her. Sherry started to protest but he interrupted her. "I want you and Tommy where I don't have to worry about you."

He quickened his pace. Steele matched him stride for stride as Lee trotted along beside Sherry. He could see Andy and Cait still standing under the overhead crossing, not paying attention to much going on around them. As they neared, Murphy heard the clanking of an empty tram coming this way. Maybe it was just his sense of danger working overtime but it sounded wrong... louder.

He looked up and saw it. The People Mover was a slow ride, a tour of some of the other attractions. It wasn't supposed to go very fast. Murphy didn't even know it was capable of any high amount of speed. This link-up of cars was coming faster than Murphy had ever seen.

He grabbed Steele's arm and pointed out the oncoming tram. What he hadn't noticed earlier was the sharp curve right before the crossing. The cars came hurtling down the incline, disappeared into the Circlevision Theater for a short time, then emerged out of control.

The next few moments seemed like slow motion to Murphy. He saw the tram hit the curve at the same time he heard Steele shout Caitlin's name and take off running. Murphy followed him. He saw Andy and Cait both look their way, wasting precious moments. Then Andy looked up.

The tram fell like dominos as first the lead car jumped the track and, one by one, the others were dragged over after it. As it fell, Murphy saw Andy lunge toward Caitlin then he lost sight of them both as it came crashing down onto the pavement below.

Murphy's mind registered the screams of the crowd but he paid little attention to the noise. Steele reached the scene ahead of him. The line of topsy turvy cars blocked the walkway and Murphy saw Steele climb over the wreckage. When Murphy got there he realized Lee was right beside him. They picked their way over the cars as well.

"Andy!" Murphy called out. He could see Caitlin sitting on the ground a few feet away. Steele was beside her.

"He's over here," Lee shouted.

Murphy ran over to where Lee knelt. He could see Andy laying face down on the ground, his lower body underneath the tram. Murphy knelt down on his cousin's other side. He saw Lee reach out to touch Andy's neck.

"He's alive," Lee breathed out.

Murphy heaved his own sigh of relief. He looked over at Steele. "How's Cait?" he asked.

"She'll be all right," Steele answered. "Just shaken up is all."

"What about Andy?" Cait asked in a trembling voice. She slipped out from under her brother's arm and came over to join Murphy and Lee. "He pushed me out of the way."

Andy stirred and moaned. Murphy took Cait's hand.

"I think our cousin is still with us," he told her.

Andy's head lifted slightly and Murphy could see blood streaming from his cousin's nose.

"Don't let him move too much." Murphy looked up to see his wife coming over. He didn't know how she'd gotten the stroller over the wreckage but he wasn't surprised. Sherry always managed to do what she set her mind to. She knelt down at Andy's head. "Keep still, Andy," she ordered firmly for Andy was trying to get up.

He did what she requested but Murphy could see his eyes were now open.

"How're you feeling, cuz?" he asked gently.

"I'm not sure," Andy answered in a voice muffled by his position. "What happened? Where's Cait?"

"I'm right here," Caitlin spoke up. "Thanks for getting me out of the way," she said gratefully.

"Yeah, but next time get yourself out too," Lee admonished kindly.

Andy started to chuckle but his smile changed to a grimace.

"Where are you hurting?" Sherry asked.

Murphy watched Andy try to gather his rattled senses together enough to take stock of his condition.

"Uh... my head's okay... I think... but my nose hurts like hell."

"That's what you get for kissing the pavement," Lee quipped lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "What were you trying to do, look more like Murph here?"

"Hey," Murphy protested in mock indignation.

Andy smiled again and tried once more to get up but Sherry placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Stay put," she told him again. "You don't want to make anything worse."

"I'm okay," Andy insisted weakly.

"You better do what she says," Murphy told his cousin with a laugh.

Andy lay still and closed his eyes.

"Looks like the paramedics are here," Lee announced.

It was only then Murphy glanced up and saw the now quite familiar sight of park security. They pushed the crowd back to make room for the rescue team. Two firemen in turnout coats and laden with equipment hurried over to the accident scene.

"Okay, folks, move aside please."

Murphy stood and gave his place beside Andy to a paramedic with thinning blond hair. His partner, slightly younger and leaner, with a mane of untamed dark hair, knelt down where Lee had been. With quick, expert movements, they examined Andy carefully. Murphy watched anxiously. It didn't appear too serious but you could never be sure.

"We've gotta get this car off of him," the older paramedic declared. "Johnny, get on the horn... tell the Cap we need the rest of the guys in here."

As the younger man started to pull out his handy-talkie, Murphy tapped the first paramedic on the shoulder.

"You need some manpower? You've got us." He gestured to Lee and Steele. "I don't think those things are that heavy."

The fireman got up and knocked on the car. "Probably only fiberglass." He looked around at the security guards. "We can use some of these guys too."

Shortly they were all in position to lift the tram. The paramedic signaled his partner, positioned at Andy's shoulders, ready to pull him away.

"Ready, Johnny?"

"Okay, Roy. Do it."

"All right. Let's lift this thing."

It took more effort than Murphy had anticipated and he felt the strain deep in his left leg. He hoped this wouldn't take long. He could feel his muscles trembling slightly. The car lifted slowly.

"Hold it a minute... Got him, John?"

"Got him. Go ahead and let it go."

They dropped their load and the car hit the ground heavily. With Andy now free, the paramedics completed their examination. He seemed to be faring well until, as they gently turned him over, his right foot moved. A sharp cry of pain escaped before he could clamp his jaw tightly against it. Instantly the younger fireman was there, probing the limb gently.

"Is he okay?" Cait asked.

The paramedic glanced up reassuringly. "It looks like a fracture but don't worry, bones heal." He gave Cait a charming, toothy grin. "Course, it's hard to tell around all this leather." He gestured at Andy's boots. "We'll have to cut it off."

Andy heard that and lifted up his head as far as he could, unmindful of the pressure of the other paramedic's hand, trying to keep him down.

"Man... don't cut my new boots. You know how much those things cost?"

"Don't worry," the blond fireman instructed him. "You can probably get the park to pay for them."

Everybody laughed, including Andy as he lay down, resigned to his fate. Soon, bootless and splinted, he was being loaded onto a stretcher and into the waiting ambulance.

Steele had remained silent during most of the rescue but he now approached Murphy.

"Cait's going with Andy to the hospital. You might want to send Sherry and the baby with them."

It was a grim reminder this was probably no accident. Murphy nodded his agreement. He reached out to take his wife's hand.

"Why don't you and Tommy go with them to the hospital," he suggested, trying to sound casual. Sherry's stance told Murphy she wanted to argue but he was determined on this point. "Please... do this for me. I don't want Tommy here. We're getting everybody out."

Her face slowly relented. She started towards the ambulance but then came back to throw her arms around him. He held her close for a long moment.

"You be careful," she warned. "I'll be just as worried about you."

"I know." He kissed her then took her hands and gently removed them from his neck. "Go on, please."

She left reluctantly and Murphy breathed easier as he saw her climb into the ambulance with Tommy and the vehicle slowly pulled away. He took a deep breath. There was still a lot to do.

He saw Lee and Steele poking around the wrecked tram. He walked over to them.

"I guess the best thing to do is divide up," he began. "We don't have Andy but we can get some of the other guys to help when we find them... Skip, Jeffers or the boys maybe."

"Right," Lee agreed. "Amanda was headed over to Frontierland to look for Phillip and Jamie. I'll start there." He climbed back over the cars. He turned back to yell over his shoulder. "Tell everybody to take off those damn tee shirts. They might as well be wearing bull's eyes." He then raced off.

Murphy turned to Steele. "Do you want to start here or..." He stopped. Steele wasn't listening to him. Instead he was peering intently at the wheels of one of the overturned cars. "What's wrong?" Murphy asked.

Steele leaned closer then reached down and pulled something from between the wheels. It was covered with grease but it was still recognizable as a long stemmed lily.

"Bloody Hell!" he cursed.

"What is it?" Murphy demanded.

Steele threw the flower violently to the ground. "Descoine!" He spat the name out like it was distasteful "The bugger is supposed to be in jail."

Murphy knew the name. He'd worked with Laura on the Lily Martin case in the years before Steele and he'd been told of the Major's attempts at revenge.

"You're sure it's him?" he asked.

Steele's face was grim. "Absolutely," he stated vehemently. "He's more than likely the cause of all the problems here today. It's just like him to... Laura!" Steele stood up but Murphy stepped in front of him to stop him before he could go racing off.

"Wait... Laura's at the hotel. She should be okay."

Steele's blue eyes were fierce as they met Murphy's. "The elevator was at the bloody hotel."

He was right but it wouldn't help to run around without a plan. "Okay... but think a minute. It will save time if we call her. She'll probably stop at the room. Let's call first and find out."

Steele thought for a moment then finally nodded. "All right, let's get going and find a phone."

"There should be one on Main Street," Murphy suggested and they started off at a fast clip.

* * *


There was definitely trouble brewing. Lee hadn't told them everything... just get back to the hotel and sit tight until told otherwise. From past experience, Robert knew his nephew was involved in government work but this hardly seemed the place to find spies. Still, he'd gone along with Stevenn and his family to the monorail until at the last minute, he decided he had to find out what was happening... for some reason he needed to find Murphy; if only to get an explanation out of him.

He ran into Allie, Nick and Scott who were now helping Lee round the family up. They told him they thought Murphy was on Main Street so he'd headed over in that direction. As he trotted down the old-style boulevard, he pulled his jacket tighter against the chill of the oncoming night. It would soon be dark and he hoped they found everyone before then.

Close to the flag pole, he spotted Murphy with Mr. Steele. To Robert, it seemed his son was limping slightly. With all this traipsing around it was no wonder the old injury was acting up, but knowing Murphy, he knew his son wouldn't stop whatever it was he needed to do.

"Murphy!" he called. "Hold on a minute." He jogged the last few yards to catch up to his son.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Murphy asked impatiently. Not a "hello" or a "what can I do for you?"... just that annoyed look on his face.

Robert didn't know why he expected anything else. For some reason he just kept hoping one day there might be a change between them. Now, for the first time, it struck him that it was probably too late. Too many years had already gone by while he waited for the right time to put things right with his son. He faced Murphy impassively, fighting back the emptiness he felt.

"I'd like to know what's going on around here," he stated. "You and Lee start ordering everybody around... something must be up."

Murphy sighed. He looked tired and Robert noticed his son's hand rub absently at his bad leg.

"I don't have time to go into it," Murphy told him. "Just trust me and go on back to the hotel."

"But I'd like to..."

"Damn it, Dad," Murphy exclaimed in exasperation. "Can't you just..." Murphy interrupted himself and waged a visible fight to stay calm. Robert saw Steele watching them both. "Dad, please," Murphy continued in an even tone. "If you want to do something, go find Lee... see if he needs any help. If not, the best thing for you to do is go to the hotel and wait."

Robert was silent for a moment, regarding his son and his companion. They were obviously in a hurry to go about their business and he was keeping them from it. He backed up a couple of steps and nodded to Murphy.

"All right, son. You go ahead. I'll find Lee."

With that he turned and headed back up Main Street. When he reached the top of the street he turned and looked around but the two men had disappeared. He knew Murphy didn't want his interference but he also knew he couldn't sit in his hotel room.

Since Margo had walked out of their lives twenty-five years ago, he'd never been able to reach his youngest child. There was an emptiness there Murphy wouldn't let him even try to fill. All this time Robert had waited patiently for something to happen to make a difference between them. That something had never occurred. Now something inside was telling him this was the turning point between his son and himself. If he went back now, there would never be any chance of reaching Murphy. He didn't know why but he had to stay in the park.

Not knowing what else to do and realizing there probably was something dangerous happening, he decided to find Lee and see how he could help the situation. At least then he would be nearby.

* * *


All during the confrontation between Murphy and his father, Steele had remained silent. This was none of his business. He was anxious to get to the phone and Laura, yet he couldn't help but hear the exchange between the two. He'd never had a father... never known a father's love or concern. He'd lost count of how many cold, bitter nights he'd wished for that kind of security. He wondered what made someone like Murphy reject this man who obviously cared about him. Now however, wasn't the time to go into long, psychological discussions. His biggest worry right now was Laura.

They finally found a phone and he quickly punched in the number for the hotel. He could hear the distant ringing as he fidgeted impatiently.

"Disneyland Hotel, Front Desk," a pleasant voice greeted.

Steele snapped to attention. "Could you ring room 1009 for me please," he requested urgently. The call went through and once more he heard the far away ringing. Four, five, six times and no answer. "She's not there," he informed Murphy.

"Try and leave a message for her," Murphy suggested.

Steele hung up and redialed. When the desk clerk answered again he spoke hurriedly. "This is Remington Steele," he began. "I'd like to leave a message for Laura Holt... uh, Steele...for my wife." He blasted his own ineptness.

"Yes sir, Mr. Steele," came the young girl's amiable voice. "But I believe your wife left one for you earlier. Let me check." There was a brief pause then the clerk came back on the line. "I thought so. Here it is. 'We'll be at the Island. Come when you think you're ready for me.' Does that make any sense?" The girl sounded puzzled.

Steele felt like a dagger had just been plunged into his heart. He hung up the phone without saying a word and turned to face a questioning Murphy. "He's got her," he said dully. He was too numb for it to really sink in yet.

"What?" Murphy asked in disbelief. "Descoine?"

Steele nodded grimly, his jaw clenched as anger now seeped in to replace his first shock. "Damn the man!" he cursed and slammed his fist against the telephone. "He's always one step ahead."

"What did he say?" Murphy asked, his own face intense.

"To meet him at the island," Steele replied. "What bloody island?"

Murphy thought a minute then his face light up. "Tom Sawyer's Island," he announced. "It's the only one here."

"Then let's go," Steele ordered.

Murphy started out at a fast jog. Steele followed after him and soon they were both running. Steele tried not to think of what was happening to Laura. He concentrated on following his friend as he guided him through the huge amusement park. He was certain of one thing. If Descoine harmed Laura or their child in any way... Steele would make sure the man would never leave the park.

* * *


Murphy's leg was starting to ache as he ran, pushing the limits of the progress he'd made with the old injury. He tried to ignore it. He kept going. The park was well lit so, even in the dark of the night, they could see where they were going. Steele kept pace with him, though Murphy knew his friend could have passed him long ago if he'd only known which way to run.

It was strange to be in the park while it was so empty and Murphy only now realized it was deserted. Lee must have not only gotten the family out, he must have convinced security to close the place down to everyone. Unhindered by the crowds, it didn't take long to reach Frontierland and the big body of water Disney had dubbed the Rivers of America.

He stopped at the loading area for the rafts. Steele halted beside him. Murphy waited a bit to catch his breath. It was quiet here. None of the boats were running... neither the big Mark Twain nor the sailing ship Columbia. The water lay still in the night, reflecting the lights from New Orleans Square.

"How do we get over there," Steele asked, pointing to the dark land mass in the center of the water.

"Usually the rafts," Murphy answered then frowned. "I don't know how they work or what runs them. They'd be pretty noisy anyway." He paused and thought a moment then an idea came to him. "Come on," he told Steele and trotted further down the dock.

The long canoes were tethered together, waiting for a new day's workout. Murphy pointed them out to Steele.

"We should be able to get across in one of those. They'll be quiet too."

It took some time to free one of the boats but soon Murphy and Steele were paddling silently across the river. It wasn't a long trip. They edged up to the marshy banks and Steele, up front, climbed out and secured the canoe. Murphy picked his way up to the prow and found himself once more on dry land.

"Now where?" he asked Steele. "Did Descoine say where to meet him?"

Steele shook his head. "Just to come here when I felt ready for him."

"This way then," Murphy told him. "There's a path all the way around the island. We might be able to spot him." He started walking and Steele followed behind. "He's probably armed," Murphy murmured quietly. "I'd feel better if we had a gun."

Steele reached under his shirt and wordlessly produced a pistol from the waistband of his trousers.

"How'd you manage that?" Murphy marveled.

"I took the liberty of 'borrowing' it from one of the security guards," he replied.

Murphy smiled at his friend's ingenuity and turned his attention back to the path. They walked on quietly. Murphy knew he was limping slightly but his leg had stopped throbbing as soon as they quit running so he did his best to minimize the slight hitch to his gait. He didn't want Steele to notice. That was all water long gone under the bridge as far as Murphy was concerned. Besides, his friend had too much on his mind already to worry about Murphy.

They'd come nearly halfway around the island without any sign of the Major when a voice suddenly sounded loud and clear.

"Nice you could make it, Mr. Steele." Murphy froze in his tracks. He still couldn't see anyone. "And you brought your friend, Mr. Michaels with you."

"All right, Major," Steele called out gruffly. "We're here, now come out... and bring my wife with you."

"You're certainly full of demands for someone who's got as much to lose as you do." Descoine laughed maliciously. "But I'll do as you ask." It was quiet for a long moment then his voice came again, this time behind them. "Here we are."

Murphy and Steele whirled around. The Major stood about fifty feet back on the path they'd just traveled. Beside him stood Laura. He held on to her arm with one hand and in the other he brandished a gun. Steele started to lunge forward but Descoine quickly put the weapon to Laura's head.

"Ah, ah, ah," the Major warned. "Don't make me end this too soon."

"Take it easy," Steele growled. "You've got me. Let Mrs. Steele go."

"But that would take away the whole point," Descoine countered calmly. "Don't you see? You hurt my Lily. Now I hurt your lady." He cocked back the hammer slowly.

Murphy stared in mute horror. Was this man actually going to shoot Laura in front of them? He darted a glance over at Steele. He stood rigid, his fists clenched but not daring to move as long as Laura was in danger.

Descoine laughed again and let the hammer down carefully. "Once again, too easy," he stated. He then aimed the gun at Laura's stomach. "Maybe I can hurt you another way."

God, the man was crazy, Murphy decided. He was taunting Steele by threatening an unborn baby. He'd heard the stories about Descoine but he'd never known until now just how warped the man was.

"You touch a hair on her head, Descoine," Steele threatened in a dark and chilling voice Murphy had never heard before. "You'll never get off this island."

"Why Mr. Steele, are you threatening me?" He moved the gun barrel away from Laura and trained it on Steele.

Laura must have been waiting for the right moment, for as soon as he did, she dropped her weight and sagged against the Major, throwing him off balance. Murphy and Steele both moved at once, lunging for their enemy.

Descoine recovered enough to fire one shot before Steele reached him. They went down together and Laura rolled out of the way. As Murphy got there, he saw Descoine scramble out of Steele's grasp and head up the trail. Murphy started after him then stopped when he heard Laura scream his name. He hesitated, torn between letting this mad man go and Laura's insistent cries. Finally, he turned back. He found Steele still on the ground, but trying unsuccessfully to get to his feet. Laura was doing her best to support him.

"He's been hit," Laura told him as he came over to take Steele's other side.

"It's nothing," Steele protested weakly. "Get Descoine."

"Let's take care of you first," Murphy told him. "Where did you take it?"

"The side," Steele gasped out as they tried to help him stand.

Murphy could see the glistening wet stain on his shirt. "Can you make it to the canoe?" he asked in concern.

"Of course I can," Steele answered.

The zing of a bullet sent them all sprawling to the ground. Obviously Descoine wasn't going to give up easily. Murphy crawled over to where Laura lay protectively over Steele.

"One of us has to go get help," he whispered. "I think I can make it back to the canoe without being spotted." He looked around for some kind of cover and spotted the entrance to the caves. "Let's get you two in there," he gestured to the rocks then moved carefully up to Steele's head. A quick check told him the detective was unconscious. He reached down and found the gun where Steele carried it. He handed it over carefully to Laura. "Fire a couple of rounds in the air while I move him," he instructed her.

She nodded and waited for him to get ready. When he was in position, she raised the weapon high and fired.

Murphy moved quickly, dragging Steele into the pitch black of the cave. He heard Laura fire one more round as he came back for her.

"Okay, save the rest for later."

They both hurried into the dark opening.

The caves were artificial, made as a maze for children to play in. There wasn't much room for three adults. Crouching in the close quarters, Murphy was only too glad he wasn't going to have to stay in here. He'd spent too much time in caves for one lifetime.

"You keep the gun," he told Laura in a hushed voice. "I'll bring some help back as soon as I can."

"Okay, Murph," Laura answered, a soft voice in the darkness. He felt her touch his hand and he squeezed it reassuringly.

"Try not to worry," he said and with that, ducked back out of the cave.

He opted for the straight course, over the main body of the island. It was a tougher hike but it wasn't as well lit as the path. Hopefully, he could avoid Descoine until he had some reinforcements. It was hard to keep quiet and there were times when he was sure the Major had to have heard his noisy slips and slides. But he finally made it to the other side of the island. He could see their canoe bobbing in the water. What he also saw was another canoe, pulling away from the bank, a lone figure paddling furiously. It had to be Descoine.

Furious the man would get away after causing so much pain, Murphy threw caution to the wind and ran down the grassy hill to the water's edge. He was a good swimmer and those big canoes were difficult to maneuver with only one person. He was confident he could overtake it. Without another thought, he dove into the water and set out after Descoine.

It didn't take long to reach the boat. Remembering the Major was armed, Murphy did the only thing he could think of to even the odds. Coming up on the canoe silently, he grabbed the end. Rising up out of the water, he pulled down on it with all his weight. The boat flipped over easily and spilled Descoine into the river.

He came up sputtering and Murphy swam for him. Recovering from the initial surprise, the Major fought back with remarkable strength. It was difficult to tread water and fight at the same time and Murphy at last began to wonder if this had been such a good idea.

* * *


Robert walked hurriedly beside Lee, looking for Murphy and Steele. They were fairly certain they'd gotten everyone out of the park and now were making one last round. Robert knew Murphy wouldn't have left. He had to be here somewhere. He only hoped he wasn't in trouble.

He glanced over at Lee beside him... so much like his father. Robert had only known Matthew Stetson a short time but he'd liked him. He never did see why his father objected so strenuously to Jenny marrying the man. His sister wrote often from the many places they lived and she had been happy... something he couldn't very well say about his own marriage. It was a shame the accident took them so soon, before they were able to fully enjoy their lives together and their son. He'd always felt badly about not stepping in to help Lee when he was orphaned but he knew whatever life he had with his uncle, had to be better than anything Robert could've offered.

As they neared the entrance to Adventureland, they met up with the boys.

"Nobody else around," Allie informed them. "We checked all this end."

"Yeah, the place is deader than I've ever seen it," Nicky added.

"I guess that's it then," Lee said. "You guys better head back to the hotel. You too, Uncle Robert."

Robert ignored his last request. "You're sure you didn't see Murphy or Mr. Steele?"

The boys all shook their heads. "Not since that time we told you about on Main Street," Scott replied. "Maybe he's already gone."

Robert shook his head emphatically. "I know he's still here somewhere."

Lee gave him a scrutinizing look. "I think you're right. Murphy wouldn't have left without telling us. The only thing is, I don't know this place well enough to..."

The unmistakable report of gunfire rang through the air.

"Where did that come from?" Allie asked.

Lee shook his head. "It's hard to tell." He paused, cocked his head and listened. Two more shots sounded. "This way," he ordered and set off running. Robert and the boys followed behind him. It seemed they ran quite a ways before Lee stopped and held up his hand for them to keep silent. The park was eerily quiet. Robert tried to catch his breath as he looked around and saw they were in New Orleans Square. Lee face was intense, as if he was listening for something.

"What's wrong?" Robert asked.

Lee shook his head. "I thought I heard something."

They were all quiet. At first Robert heard nothing but crickets, then he could make it out, very faintly. It came from the river.

"Sounds like splashing," he commented.

"Let's go check it out," Lee told them. He set off towards the river. Without a word they all followed his lead.

* * *


Murphy felt the cold water close over his head as he wrestled sluggishly with Descoine. He was tired and his body was protesting this kind of abuse but he couldn't let the man get away. He'd caused too much harm already to too many people Murphy cared about. If he got away now there would be no one left to deal with him.

They rolled over in the water and broke the surface. Murphy sucked in a greedy lungful of air, distantly aware the Major did the same thing before they pulled each other down again into the dark tomb. Neither man was fighting very successfully. Water slowed any punches, making them mostly ineffectual. If somehow Murphy could get his feet under him, stand up to face Descoine, then maybe he could put an end to this. The river couldn't be that deep. He'd always thought a man could stand in it and have his head above the surface but he couldn't tell right now. He was too disoriented to even know which way the surface was at the moment.

He needed air. He wasn't going to be able to stay under much longer. He tried to punch Descoine's stomach, to make the man lose the breath he was holding but when he did, somehow the Major slipped out of his grasp. There was no way Murphy could see in this murky darkness so he shot to the surface to breathe and to try to find his adversary again.

Gasping huge gulps of air, Murphy tread water. So much for his theory about the depth of the river. He scanned the area but couldn't see Descoine anywhere. He couldn't possibly have gotten away. Murphy hadn't been that far behind him. He knew he wasn't going to be able to stay in the water. Already his leg muscles, taxed beyond their limit, were starting to cramp. He glanced over toward the island. There were lots of places a person could hide out in the dark marsh along the edge there. Maybe if he swam over for a quick look....

He felt the jerk on his leg only a moment before he was pulled under. He didn't even have time to get any air into his lungs. How did the man stay under for so long? Murphy wondered briefly even as he kicked against the hold Descoine had on his leg. And then his descent stopped. Murphy no longer felt the pulling sensation. He immediately tried to kick himself upwards but something was holding him back. Something had a grip on his leg.

Already feeling the pressure in his lungs to breathe, Murphy tried to feel down his left leg to see what was snaring him. It felt thick like cable of some kind. His foot was entangled in a mesh of lines. Trying desperately to fight back the panic creeping into his mind, Murphy struggled to free his foot. The cables were slick with mud and algae and the cold had already made his fingers clumsy. It seemed each time he pulled a line, another one suddenly appeared.

He needed air now. His lungs kept that urgent message coming. His head was pounding and he was having difficulty focusing on what he was trying to do. He needed to breathe, to draw in some oxygen to his starved body. He started kicking madly, dimly aware it would do no good but unable to stop himself. His arms flailed wildly through the water, trying desperately to pull himself to the surface.

God help me, I'm going to die!

The thought came rushing into his mind and his panic stricken body thrashed even harder. He couldn't die now. Not now. He couldn't leave Sherry and Tommy alone. Besides, Steele needed help. If he died, Steele would most likely bleed to death in that dark cave. He couldn't let that happen. He owed the man his life. He couldn't let him down now.

His lungs were going to burst. He had to breathe. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he would kill himself if he did but he couldn't help it. He had to breathe. He just had to.

Sherry, I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you.

It didn't feel like he'd thought it would. He was dimly aware of a new kind of pressure in his chest as a red haze filled his mind. He'd stopped fighting. He'd let everybody down, he knew, but he didn't care anymore. He floated there in a kind of limbo for a short while before the blackness started creeping in to replace the red.

I never got the chance to be a father to Tommy, he thought distantly. I would have made a good father. And then the blackness claimed him.

* * *


"Uncle Robert, wait!"

He heard Lee call after him but paid no heed as he dove into the cold water. They'd reached the river just in time to see Murphy and some man go under the surface of the water. As they watched, the man came up and swam for the shore. Murphy never resurfaced.

Without a thought, he vaulted over the iron railing and dove headfirst into the murky water. He knew it would be next to impossible to find anyone in the river but he had to try. He couldn't stand by and let his son die. He never heard the splash as Lee dove in after him.

* * *


It was very dark. But there was no fear. Only a vague sense of disquiet. It all seemed so familiar somehow, like he'd been here before. Was he in a cave of some sort? That could be it. He was back in the cave in the mountains.

His hand flew automatically to his leg but he could feel no wound there. There was no pain either.

Steele? Where are you, Steele?

There was no answer. He felt lost. If this was the cave then Steele should be here. He hadn't been alone then. Steele had stayed with him the whole time, talking to him and helping him. He hadn't left him alone.

Another time then. And another cave.

God, I was so scared then. But I'm not scared now. Not the same way. I wasn't alone that time either. Lee was with me. But I didn't want Lee. I wanted...

Daddy... Daddy, are you there?

This was crazy. He wasn't a child anymore. He was a grown man. That had been so long ago. But he realized it was then he'd quit hoping. It was then he'd lost something with his father. Something he would never regain now. Too late for anything else.

Poor Sherry. She'd never given up. She had more faith in him than he deserved. He'd gotten mad at her for her efforts, made her feel bad for caring. He didn't know how she'd put up with him.

Because she loved him. He knew that. She was the first woman in a long time to really love him. The only one since...

No! He didn't want to dwell on that. That was an old hurt. It ran too deep.

"Murphy."

The voice was soft and gentle.

He looked up and saw her standing before him. It was hard to see her clearly. After all the blackness, she stood in dazzling white light. But there was no question in his mind. It was her.

No. Go away! I don't want to talk to you!

"Son." Gentle reproof sounded clearly.

He met her eyes and he was nine years old again, frightened and hurt and demanding explanations.

Why did you do it? Why? You left me all alone!

"Not alone, son. Never alone."

Yes you did. I thought you loved me. You were the only one who ever loved me.

"Not the only one."

Then he was seeing things, things he should have seen but had been first, too young and then, too blind.

His father standing outside his bedroom door, crying and confused.

His father trying to reach out to him, to talk to him but unable to do either.

His father sitting by his bedside when he'd been hurt in the cave in, sitting there all night long and holding his hand.

His father coming to every Little League game he'd ever played, every important event in his life.

His father at his wedding, dancing with Sherry.

His father's voice on the telephone congratulating him about the baby. He'd heard about it from Aunt Katie.

He couldn't take anymore.

Stop, make it stop, he begged. Have I been that horrible? I never knew. I thought... I don't know what I thought. I was confused too. I was only a kid. It wasn't all my fault. What about you? he accused. You're the one who left.

"This isn't about me."

And then she was gone. He was left alone again in the dark and he was afraid again... but more than afraid. He felt profound regret.

Dad, I'm sorry. I never knew. Dad, I'm so sorry.

Then images began to swirl around him. Some he recognized from his life. Others, he could only guess at. It was making him dizzy. And he was tired... so tired. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep...

* * *


He swam desperately, willing his eyes to see in the dark water. He knew he was in the right area. Murphy had to be here somewhere. He rose to the surface, gulped in some air and dove again, determined not to give up until he'd found his son.

His hands contacted the slimy river bottom and he found what felt like cable. Using it like an anchor he pulled himself along, feeling for anything that might be down here.

Then he hit something with his hand. Swinging himself around, he reached out and grabbed the limp, floating arm. It had to be Murphy. Elated, he pulled, meaning to rise to the surface but something held him back. Murphy was hung up on something.

He thought his lungs would burst but he felt down his son's leg until he reached the cables again. Murphy's foot was entangled there. Robert worked furiously to free him, but made no headway. He needed air but was reluctant to surface. He didn't know if he'd be able to find Murphy again if he let go of him.

Just as he thought he would have to, he felt someone else's hands tugging at the cable. He couldn't tell who it was, but working together, they somehow got Murphy's foot free. Holding his son's arm, Robert shot to the surface and gasped air gratefully into his lungs. Murphy floated lifelessly beside him, buoyed up by Lee on his other side.

"Come on," Lee ordered as he held Murphy's head out of the water. "Let's get him to shore."

Robert was exhausted and he let Lee do most of the work. He then realized the boys were in the water with them. He saw Allie come up and help Lee with Murphy. Nicky and Scott were suddenly at his side.

"Let us help you, Uncle Robert," Scott told him.

Robert shook his head determinedly. "Get Murphy to shore," he stated, spitting out water and trying to concentrate on his swimming. Neither boy left his side until they reached land. Scott then went to help Lee and Allie drag Murphy out of the water. Nicky stayed beside him and Robert was glad of his helping hand. The two of them staggered over to where the other three had laid Murphy out flat on the grassy bank. Robert sank down beside his son.

"He's not breathing," he realized with horror. "My God, he's not breathing."


* * *


The cave was dark and he hurt so bad. Somebody wanted something from him but he couldn't remember what it was. He had to do something but he was too tired to think straight. The only thing he wanted was for somebody to come and get him, to take him away from this place. He felt so all alone. No, Steele was here. He wasn't alone. It helped, but it wasn't what he needed to make the pain go away.

Keep up that rhythm, Scott. Always on the count of five. One... two... three... four... five... Breathe.

But he's so still, Lee. He's not responding.

I don't care. Just keep that rhythm.

Here, Lee. Let me take over for you. I know how to do this. You must be worn out.

I'm fine, Nicky. Just take turns on the breathing. One... two... three... four... five.

Everything was all mixed up. He was in that horribly dark cave. Steele was there. But Steele was hurt this time. Steele needed his help. That wasn't the way it happened. He couldn't clear his head enough to think. Something wasn't right.

It's not working, Lee. Nothing's happening.

Don't stop. Allie, change places with Nicky. One... two... three... four... five... Breathe. Come on, Murphy. Stay with us.

His head was throbbing horribly. His nose and mouth were bleeding and his whole body hurt. He was alone... no, not really. Lee was here. He could hear Lee's voice. But he didn't want Lee.

One... two... three... four... five... Breathe. Anything yet? Damn it, Murphy. Breathe!

"Daddy? Daddy, are you there?"

Come on, son. You have to help us.

"I'm trying, Daddy. I'm trying. But it hurts so bad.

Wait a minute, Lee. I think I got something here. I think he's coming around. My God, he's coming back to me.

A face suddenly appeared at the opening of the shaft. He shouldn't have been able to see so clearly in the dark but he had no trouble recognizing his father.

"Daddy? Daddy, you came for me!"

The joy flooding through his pain-racked body seemed to bring with it a sudden warmth that spread throughout his entire being.

* * *


Consciousness came back to Murphy with a painful jolt. His lungs expanded to fill with air and he immediately began retching violently, trying to force all the water out.

"Take it easy, son. Take it easy. You're going to be all right."

The voice was soothing, and as the spasms lessened, Murphy realized who was talking, whose gentle arms were holding him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up into his father's caring face.

"Dad," he tried to say but his voice was only a dry croak.

"Don't try and talk," his father told him softly. "Help's on the way."

Murphy closed his eyes again and, for the moment, relaxed in his father's arms. He nearly floated away again into unconsciousness but something suddenly brought him back to reality. He opened up his eyes. This time he saw Lee sitting beside him. His cousin was dripping wet. He looked up at his father and realized he was drenched too. They must have fished him out of the river but he couldn't remember. Everything was so fuzzy.

Another fit of coughing racked his lungs and when it was over he lay back exhausted. He gradually grew aware Lee was talking to him.

"Murph... Murphy can you hear me?"

"Mmmmm..." Murphy murmured. He looked over at Lee.

"Murphy, where's Steele? You were with Steele."

Steele? That was right. He'd been with Steele. What happened after that? He tried to think... to remember. He was fighting with Descoine... in the water... couldn't get loose... why was he there... why... Laura... on the island... in a cave. He shuddered at the thought of the dark cave. That same sense of urgency he felt before flooded through him and this time he knew why.

He tried to sit up but couldn't make his body work. He settled instead for reaching out his hand to grab Lee's arm.

"Steele," he croaked out. It was so hard to talk. His throat burned like fire but he knew he had to let someone know. "In the cave on the island." He had to stop and cough. "He needs help... been shot... Laura's with him."

There, he'd done it. He closed his eyes again and this time let himself drift. He was so tired.

* * *


Laura sat in the darkness and stroked Remington's hair. His forehead felt cold and clammy. She had used her sweater as a makeshift compress against his wound. She knew his body was probably in shock but she didn't know what else she could do for him. She'd never felt so helpless.

"Laura?" His voice sounded weak and far away, even though he was right here.

"Don't try and talk," she told him. "Save your strength."

"I'm going to be fine," he assured her. "I was just too clumsy. I let that bugger get a shot off."

"Don't worry," she soothed. "Murphy's bringing help. They'll get him."

He was silent for a moment. Laura sat and listened to his breathing. It was strong and regular... a good sign. She was just worried about the bleeding.

"Laura?

"I'm right here."

"Do you know Murphy's father?"

"His father?" She wondered what he was thinking about. "A little. I've seen him but never really met him. Why?"

"They don't get along very well, do they?"

"No... not really."

"Hmmmm..." He was quiet again for a moment then continued in a low voice. "I wonder why that happens."

"Well..." Laura considered how free she should be with Murphy's private life. "Their problems go way back... to when Murph was a little boy. They just don't connect with each other."

"That's sad," he commented. She felt his hand groping in the dark and she took it. He squeezed it tightly. "I hope that never happens with our child," he said earnestly. "I hope I can be a good father."

She felt the tears well up in her eyes at the longing in his voice. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"You'll be a wonderful father," she told him softly.

He didn't answer and she lay her cheek against his forehead, listening to the rhythm of his breathing.

She thought he'd called her name again and she sat up straight. It wasn't him though. The voices were coming from outside the cave. She tightened her grip on the gun and sat listening.

"Laura! Steele!"

It couldn't be Descoine. He wouldn't be shouting for them like that. Besides, it sounded like more than one voice.

"Laura! Are you in there?"

The voices were closer.

"Laura... it's Lee."

Relief washed over her and left her weak.

"In here," she called out. "We're in here."

"Okay, hang on."

She suddenly saw a flashlight shine in the opening to the cave and she saw Murphy's cousin stoop down to clear the ceiling. She sighed and hugged Steele tighter. Murphy had done it. The cavalry had shown up.

* * *


Robert sat by Murphy's hospital bed and watched his son sleep. It was quiet in here, the only sound the beeping of the machines monitoring Murphy's vital signs. The doctors had told them everything looked okay but they had to keep him here for a while. Sometimes there were complications from drowning and Murphy had been under the water for a long time. They assured him his son would most likely sleep through the night and he should go home but he didn't want to leave. It had been too close a call. He needed to be near Murphy for a while yet, just to convince himself his son had made it. Sherry had been here with him most of the night but had finally gone back to the hotel to leave Tommy with Katie. She'd told him she'd be back within the hour.

He must have dozed off for he jerked awake suddenly when he heard the rustling of the sheets. Murphy was awake and stirring. Robert sat up straight and reached for his son's hand but years of awkwardness made him stop short and he settled for resting it on the bed.

"Dad?" Murphy asked in a weak, raspy voice.

"I'm right here," he replied. "The doctor said your throat will be sore from all the water you swallowed. Try not to talk too much."

Murphy nodded then did something that took Robert by surprise. He reached over and took hold of his hand.

"Thanks," he whispered hoarsly.

"son... I..." Robert felt foolish as he stammered self-consciously.

"I know you saved me," Murphy told him. He paused and swallowed hard. It was an effort for him to speak. "I wish..." He had to stop again. "I wish I could tell you..."

"Then let me tell you," Robert interrupted. He took Murphy's hand between both of his. This wasn't going to be easy but it was long overdue. "When your mother left... I know I didn't handle things very well." He gave his son a wry smile. "I guess that's an understatement." He saw Murphy smile back at him. "Well... for a long time I was just kind of... lost, I guess. I could hardly handle my own emotions, let alone yours or Stevenn's. Hell, maybe I thought since you were just kids, you'd get over it or something. Pretty dumb, huh?" Murphy shook his head and Robert saw tears in his son's eyes. "You know, that day at the ranch... when you got hurt so bad... I wanted to just pick you up and hold you like when you were a baby... but you wouldn't look at me. I remember thinking then I'd lost you. I think after that I gave up trying to reach you. I just couldn't bear to have you turn away from me."

Murphy's grip tightened. "I know, Dad," he said hoarsely. "And I'm so sorry."

Robert felt his own tears running down his face but he managed to smile. "I guess that makes two of us, boy."

There was a long moment of silence. Murphy had closed his eyes and Robert thought he'd gone back to sleep.

"Dad?" Murphy's voice was so low, Robert had to lean close to hear him.

"Yes, son?"

Murphy opened his eyes slowly. As they met his own, Robert could see Margo there so plainly, it hurt to look. But he'd spent most of his son's life turning away from the memories, he wasn't going to do it now.

"Why didn't you ever remarry?"

The question took Robert by surprise. He sat back and was quiet as he thought about his answer.

"I... I'm not really sure," he finally replied. "I don't think I ever wanted to marry again. I loved your mother very much. Even though I couldn't make her happy... I guess we were just too different. But I think... somehow I never stopped hoping she'd come back... if I waited long enough, she'd come around to my way of thinking." He shook his head. "I guess I waited too long... for everything." He looked back down at Murphy and was surprised to see the tears had returned to his son's eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you so."

Murphy shook his head. "It's not you," he rasped out. "It's me. I never knew we were so much alike."

Robert wasn't sure he knew what his son meant but he didn't press him. Already he could see Murphy was exhausted from their conversation. He patted his hand reassuringly.

"Rest now, son. Just rest."

* * *


Murphy felt like hell. His head was pounding and his throat was raw but at least he was alive. He knew it had been pretty hairy. He glanced over at Sherry sitting next to him. She was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. There had been a time when he didn't think he would ever see her again. He reached over and took her hand.

"You were right all the time, you know," he told her.

Sherry shook her head. "It was never about being right or wrong," she replied.

Murphy smiled at her. "I know." He coughed hoarsly.

"Try not to talk," Sherry advised him. "We'll have lots of time to talk later."

Murphy nodded and lay back quietly. There was so much he wanted to tell her... like how much he loved her and how stupid he'd been most of his life. But knowing Sherry, she'd probably known it all along. It was, after all, what she'd been trying to tell him for a long time.

"May I come in?"

He looked up to see Laura standing at his door. She looked none the worse for their ordeal. He smiled and waved her in. "How's he doing, Sherry?" she asked with a smile.

"Fine," his wife replied, beaming her delight. "The doctor says he should be out of here in a few days.

"How's Steele?" Murphy managed to get out.

"He's doing pretty well. He lost a lot of blood and he's a little weak but the bullet didn't hit anything major. He should be okay in a few days too."

"I'm sorry about Descoine," Murphy apologized.

Laura shook her head. "You did your best, Murph. The guy's pretty slick. But we'll be watching out for him now."

Murphy lay his head back to rest it. "Some reunion, huh?"

"Definitely something to remember," Laura agreed.

"Maybe we can try again," Sherry suggested brightly.

Laura shook her head ruefully. "I don't think you're going to get Remington to Disneyland anytime soon."

Sherry shook her head. "Not here. You'll have to come up and visit us. Maybe next year for the skiing season."

Laura smiled. "Sounds pretty good to me. I'll have had the baby by then."

"Does Steele ski?" Murphy asked curiously.

Laura shrugged. "I'm not sure. You'll have to ask him yourself when he gets here?"

"What?" Murphy was puzzled. He swore there was a twinkle in her eye as she leaned closer to his bed.

"Since you're both out of intensive care now, they're moving him in here. They thought since you were friends, you'd like that. You're going to be roommates for the next few days."

Murphy stared at her in disbelief for a moment then fixed her with a suspicious glare.

"You're joking, right?"

Laura shook her head and laughed. "I knew you'd be pleased. I've got to go now and help with his things."

She left the room. Murphy stared after her for a while, suddenly realizing he would be glad to see Steele. How life had changed. He turned to Sherry and smiled.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Sherry returned his smile. "Not really. Not from the Murphy Michaels I know and love."

Murphy gazed at her in admiration. It seemed she knew him better than he did himself. But then, she always had.

* * *


Murphy sat in his wheelchair, barely able to keep from laughing as he watched Skip consult with the photographer. The family had decided they still needed a reunion portrait, despite the fact that Murphy, Andy and Steele were all in the hospital. Skip, true to his reputation of ingenuity, arranged to have it taken here on the patio outside the hospital cafeteria.

Murphy glanced around, amazed at the sheer numbers they were trying to get into the picture. He certainly didn't envy the photographer his job. What was even more amazing to him, was seeing Laura and Steele. The orderlies had placed the wheelchairs together so that Murphy and Steele were side by side, Sherry and Laura behind them. They had been an integral part of the Michaels family reunion this year and deserved a spot in the photograph. It was just something Murphy had never thought would happen.

He glanced past Steele to where Andy sat with his broken leg propped up in front of him. Standing next to Laura, Cait had ended up behind Andy. Murphy smiled. Maybe, if things turned out right, Laura and Steele would really be a part of the family. He smiled wider. Now there was a scary thought.