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It had been a frustrating few weeks. He sat in his car, absently chewing on sunflower seeds, his gaze never moving from the tall office building. The twin towers gleamed brightly in the spring sun, but he hardly noticed the warm weather. His focus was on waiting for one person to come out of those plush suites.

He'd been tailing him for quite some time now. He had a job to do and was eager for it to be finished so he could move on to other business. But this jerk had proven a more difficult subject than he'd expected. Certainly he'd been easy to follow, but the guy was never alone.

He supposed he could've just pulled the trigger and disappeared, but it wasn't his style to be so flagrant. He hadn't lasted all these years by acting out of impatience, but this was a matter of personal survival. This time he might not have the luxury of waiting.

He glanced at his watch. Noon. Lunch time. He'd already noticed an increase in people coming in and out. He sat up a little straighter. His target couldn't stay in there forever.

Remington Steele leaned back in his chair, his long legs propped unprofessionally on his desk. It was one of those rare occasions where he was in the office and Laura was not. Shortly after Katie Laura had been born, his and Laura's roles had been redefined in a manner that went somewhat against the established norm for new parents. He had found it more fulfilling and much more in his nature to stay home and help look after the baby, while Laura, always the more zealous and devoted to her career, chose to return to work. It was an arrangement that suited them both and while he still put in an appearance at the office when it was required, he spent far less time here than Laura did. Even now, with both children old enough not to need constant supervision, he still felt more comfortable at home than sitting here in the plush office that bore his name.

Today, however, Laura's maternal duties required her to attend an end-of-the-school-year tea with their daughter. It was one time Remington didn't mind trading places with his wife. In addition, his sister Caitlin and her family were in town for a short visit before the summer season got into full swing at the ranch. Their trip happened to fall between Katie's and Caitlin's birthdays so they would be celebrating those two events as well. The result was a house full of noisy, rambunctious children, while the office was blissfully quiet.

Not that he minded in the least that Cait and Andy had come. He loved his sister and her family. They didn't get to see each other nearly enough, as far as Remington was concerned. Somehow, though, even in as big a house as the Steele mansion, going from two children to seven sometimes got a little overwhelming. And, of course, he had to add Maggie's three. Even though the Parks children technically lived in the gatehouse, they had free run of the Steele home. So, in essence, there were ten youngsters under the age of ten on the loose. Coming into work today had seemed a nice respite from all the confusion.

A rap at his door turned his attention from the file he was studying. He glanced up just in time to see the door open a crack and his brother-in-law, Andy Travis, pop his head in.

"You ready?"

Steele checked his watch. 12:00 on the dot. He lowered his feet to the floor and sat up straight. "Come in, Andrew, come in. You're right on time."

Andy closed the door behind him. Remington noted, with an inward smile, his brother-in-law's western attire. In the many years since they'd first met, Andy's taste in clothes had never changed. Of course, since the Travises had moved to the ranch in Glorieta three years ago, Andy's ever-present boots, jeans and hat were extremely practical. At the moment, he held his hat in his hand, fidgeting with it nervously.

"You're sure he said it was ready?" Andy asked, running a hand through his dark blond hair, still long and thick despite the fact that he was only a few years shy of fifty.

"I'm positive. He said to come by at noon." Steele rose from his desk and grabbed his suit coat. He placed a hand on Andy's shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry. He won't sell it to anyone else. Trust me."

Andy smiled and the two of them left the office. As they emerged from the building, Andy donned his hat again. They walked out the front, past the fountains, and together climbed into the waiting limo. It was only a few minutes' ride to Westwood and their destination. Fred knew the area so well, Steele had no doubt they would arrive in good time.

He smirked as he saw the two men get into the limo. His target wasn't exactly alone, but this was probably the best shot he was going to get. He didn't have anything against the other guy, but sometimes that was the breaks. He had other jobs to do. He couldn't hang around this town forever. He waited until the sleek, black limo had pulled into traffic, then followed after it.

"I trust you finished your business with Nick?" Remington inquired conversationally.

Andy looked up from where he was fiddling with the radio. "Yeah. He just had some papers I needed to sign. Some legal junk about the ranch. I invited him to come with us, but he's meeting Yvette for lunch. First time she's been out since the baby was born." He glanced up at the back of Fred's head. "Hey, thanks again, Fred, for takin' me."

"No problem, Mr. Travis," the driver replied pleasantly, keeping his eyes on the traffic ahead.

Andy returned to playing with the dials on the radio. Remington observed him for a few minutes then grabbed his brother-in-law's arm. Andy turned to regard him questioningly. Steele smiled kindly.

"Why are you so nervous, Andrew? Cait's going to love this."

Andy grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "I dunno. I guess maybe because I've never spent this much money before." He laughed self-consciously. "Hell, I've never had this much money before. I've told Nicky he pays me way too much to run the ranch."

Steele shook his head is disagreement. "I've seen how hard you work there. You earn every penny."

Andy shrugged again and his face flushed a bit. "It's just hard sometimes to take money from my own family. I feel like they're floatin' me."

Steele knew very well the war Andy waged between pride and practicality. He also knew how much of a financial struggle the Travises had endured before taking over the management of the Michaels ranch. It had been all he could do sometimes to keep from stepping in and offering to bail them out. He hadn't. He knew how much that would have wounded his brother-in-law, who had worked tirelessly to try and make ends meet. The job at the ranch had been a godsend, coming right at the time they found out they were expecting their fifth and last child. That Nick was being overly generous in Andy's paycheck only showed Steele that he hadn't been the only person to wish he could help the young family out. At least Andy's cousin now had a legitimate reason to provide Andy and Cait with some extra income.

"He's your boss," Steele pointed out. "I'm sure he feels you earn your salary. The fact that he's also your cousin is incidental. Besides, you've done a magnificent job of making the ranch a success. From what Cait's told me, it was always a bit of an albatross when your uncle had it."

Andy had been staring out the window, but he turned to meet Steele's gaze. "Uncle Jake just never knew what to do with it." He laughed, mostly to himself. "And he wasn't exactly the type to ask for anybody else's advice."

"Yes, well, a guest ranch was a brilliant stroke. And profitable. So I wouldn't feel the slightest bit guilty for what your cousins are paying you." Not to mention the fact that young Nick has more money than he knows what to do with. Steele kept that thought to himself. Andy was certainly aware of his cousin's wealth. It wouldn't change his feelings about taking handouts from his relatives.

Andy gave Steele a grateful smile. "I s'pose you're right. I guess I'm just weird about spending this kind of money on something so... so..."

"Impractical?" Steele finished with a kindly laugh.

Andy nodded and grinned crookedly. "I just hope Cait doesn't think it's too extravagant. I want her to enjoy having it."

"She will, believe me," Steele reassured him. "Oh, she may protest at first, but all women love this kind of thing."

Andy laughed. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

Besides, it's not like you're spending the family fortune, Steele almost added, but kept silent. He knew what might seem reasonable to him would appear a vast amount to Andy.

"We're here, sir," Fred announced from the front. "No parking though."

"Just let us off then," Steele told his chauffeur. "We won't be that long. Circle around once or twice and we should be finished."

"Right." Fred pulled over to the curb.

The two men climbed out of the limo and found themselves on a sidewalk full of small shops that had been here for at least forty years. All of them were well kept, in spite of their age. The street was busy today and there was a lot of pedestrian traffic. Steele took Andy by the arm and led him into one of the nicer looking businesses, a place with a small sign that proclaimed it Benson's Fine Jewelers.

An electronic buzz announced their presence. From the far end of the shop, behind one of the long glass display cases that lined the walls, a short, stocky man in his sixties glanced up from an engraving machine.

"Ah, Benny," Steele greeted him warmly. "Nice to see you again."

The man put down his work and came over with his hand held out. His pudgy face was beaming. "Mr. Steele, so glad you could make it."

The two shook and then Steele introduced Andy. "Benny, this is my brother-in-law, Andy Travis. Andy, this is Harold Benson... fine jeweler extraordinaire."

"Benny, please." The man pumped Andy's hand as well. "So you're the one who wants the ring, huh?"

Andy nodded, casting a nervous glance at Remington. "Uh... yeah." He lowered his voice so only Steele could hear. "This place looks way too expensive. Are you sure it's not hot?"

Steele repressed a smile. "Lukewarm at best," he teased. Andy shot him a glance that told Steele he didn't completely believe him.

"It's a beaut, Mr. Steele," Benny was saying. "And a steal at this price, if you'll pardon the pun."

"Well, trot it out here, Benny," Steele prompted the jeweler. "The man wants to see it."

Benny rubbed his hands together and disappeared momentarily into the back room. He reappeared with a small box. Steele led Andy over to the counter, where Benny flicked open the velvet lid to reveal a small diamond ring.

It was beautiful. In his previous line of work Steele had seen far bigger and much more expensive gems, but this diamond, though small, was flawless, mounted in a simple but elegant setting of white gold.

"You were right, Benny," he told the jeweler appreciatively. "It is a beauty." He turned to Andy, who had remained silent and was simply staring at the ring. "Do you like it, Andrew?" he inquired with a smile.

Andy nodded his head, then seemed to collect himself. He held up a finger at Benny, asking him to wait a moment, then grabbed Steele by the arm and dragged him a little ways away.

"Are you sure he gave you the right price? That thing looks has to be way more than..."

"Andrew... Andrew..." Steele interrupted smoothly. "Never question. The man quoted a fair price and I think it will look lovely on Caitlin's finger."

Andy shot a glance over his shoulder and his face softened as he obviously considered the last statement. "You're right, it will." He shook his head. "I've wanted to get her a ring like that ever since we got married. She certainly deserves it."

Steele waited patiently, aware Andy was doing some last minute justification. Finally his brother-in-law lifted his head and by the grin that spread across his face, Steele knew a sale had been made.

"Okay," he stated firmly and moved toward the counter. "Okay, Mr. Benson. I'll take it." Steele gave a sigh of relief. Andy would never have to know that Remington had already paid Benny the rest of what the ring really cost.

"That's wonderful," Benny stated happily. "You'll never regret it and I guarantee your wife will love this."

Within a few moments, the purchase was finalized and Andy stuffed the box into the front pocket of his Levis. Steele gave him a congratulatory slap on the shoulder.

They walked out onto the sidewalk, squinting a bit at the brightness of the noon sun after being inside. Steele hunted around for a time before he spotted the limo parked across the street and down a block.

"Looks like Fred found a spot," he observed.

"Well, let's go," Andy stated. "Carrying this thing around makes me nervous. I don't know how I'm gonna wait two more days to give it to her."

Steele laughed. "We'll put it in the safe at home," he advised. "That way it won't get lost and you won't be tempted." Traffic was momentarily clear, so they stepped off the curb and started across.

Steele heard the squeal of tires and glanced up as Fred yelled his name. The next instant he saw the car and shouted for Andy to get out of the way. He remembered trying to dive to the side just as he felt the painful impact.

Mr. Steele... Mr. Steele... are you all right?

The urgent questions came through his fogged senses with gradually increasing clarity. He didn't think he'd actually lost consciousness, but he was suddenly aware he was staring at the gray and white pebbles that made up the asphalt.

Mr. Steele... Mr. Steele... you okay?

That sounded like Benny. What was he doing out of his shop?

Remington?

That was Fred. Steele blinked to clear his vision and rolled over, staring up at the blue sky and his friend's concerned face.

"Mr. Steele?"

"Fred?" He became aware of other faces. He saw Benny there, among the other curious passersby who'd stopped to ogle. Without thinking, he tried to sit up, and instantly regretted it. A sharp pain stabbed into his side and he couldn't keep back the gasping moan.

"Don't move, sir," Fred advised. "I've called the paramedics."

Steele shook his head. He attempted to grab Fred's arm for a hand up, but his right arm wouldn't work. He used his left instead and clutched his chauffeur's shoulder. With a great deal of effort, he was able to sit upright.

"What the hell happened?" he managed to ask.

"Hit and run," Fred told him grimly. "The bastard never even slowed down."

Steele blinked at the uncharacteristic harshness in his easy-going friend. Then he suddenly peered around. "Where's Andy? He was right beside me."

"Your friend's over there." A woman from the crowd pointed to another group of people. "He doesn't look too good."

"Fred, help me," Steele ordered. He tried not to cry out as his long-time friend and employee took hold of his good arm and carefully lifted him to his feet. Once he was standing his head started reeling and his shoulder hurt dreadfully, but he used Fred to steady himself as they made their way to the other crowd of spectators.

"Andrew?" Steele called as they drew near. People parted to allow him through. Steele stopped in his tracks, his heart rising in his throat, as he saw Andy lying face down and unmoving. "Bloody hell," he breathed, then staggered over to kneel beside his brother-in-law.

You can't be dead, Andrew! I can't tell Caitlin you're dead.

"Andrew?" he called again, praying Andy would wake up and answer him. He reached out his good hand and felt for a pulse. It was there and Steele breathed a sigh of relief, though he had no idea how badly Andy was hurt. He was unconscious and there was blood coming from an ugly gash on his forehead. He started to turn him, but Fred placed a restraining hand on his arm.

"You better not, sir," he cautioned. "Wait for the paramedics."

"Of course... you're right." He knew that. Why hadn't he remembered? God, he was hurting. He clutched at his injured arm as, distantly, he heard the wail of a siren and knew help was on its way. He wished there was something he could do besides sit by helplessly. He clutched at Fred. "Did you see who did this?" he asked, his breath coming in ragged and painful gasps.

Fred nodded grimly. "I got the plate. The son of a bitch won't get far."

The siren had been growing louder as the rescue unit approached and now Steele heard it shut off abruptly. There was a stirring in the crowd as they made a path for two blue-clad paramedics. The men came rushing over, their arms laden with life-saving equipment. Following behind them were several LAPD officers. Soon the crowd was being pushed back to make more room.

Steele waited anxiously as the medics went to work on Andy. As much as he wanted to, he refrained from bothering them with questions, knowing they would do the best they could. It wasn't until one of asked him to move out of the way that they became aware he was injured as well. As he attempted to rise, the pain in his side doubled him over and Fred grabbed him supportingly. Instantly one of the paramedics was there.

"I'm fine," Steele gasped. "Help Andy."

"My partner's taking good care of him," the fireman told him firmly. "But you're hurt too. Let me have a look."

Steele was about to stubbornly refuse when he felt Fred's hand squeeze his good arm.

"Come on, Mr. Steele," Fred scolded him with a frown. "What will Miss Holt say if you don't let them help you."

The thought of Laura somehow broke through his resistance and he stopped fighting and let the paramedic examine him. He sat there and distractedly answered the man's questions, all the while watching the other fireman continue his work on Andy. Finally he could no longer wait without knowing.

"Is he going to be all right?" Remington asked the man who was helping him.

The paramedic glanced over his shoulder at the scene behind him, then faced Steele again. It was obvious he was trying to weigh his words. "He's not in real great shape right now, but he's stable. We'll know more when we get him to the hospital."

Steele felt his jaw tighten as he nodded his grim thanks. He winced as the fireman prodded his rib cage.

"Well..." the man announced. "Looks like you've got some busted ribs... maybe your arm too. Can't be sure 'til we get some pictures. We'll take you both in." He went to work and quickly had the limb encased in a pressure splint. This eased the pain in Steele's arm and shoulder considerably.

He left to help his partner. Steele had no choice but to sit by and watch as they carefully slid Andy onto a backboard, his neck in a cervical collar, and strapped his head in place. He was still unconscious and Steele could see where his face had been scraped raw from the asphalt. His right leg was in a splint as well. In a few more minutes the ambulance backed its way over to where they were. They lifted Andy up onto a gurney, then loaded him into the ambulance. One paramedic climbed inside at once; the other came over the take Steele by the arm.

"You're next," he said kindly.

Steele turned to Fred. "Go get Caitlin and Laura," he instructed. "Take them to..." He looked to the fireman for the information.

"UCLA," the man told him. "Trauma unit."

Steele nodded and touched Fred's arm. "Go easy with Cait," he asked. "We don't really know anything yet, so there's no sense frightening her."

"Right, sir," Fred assured him. "Don't worry about the ladies."

The paramedic then held out his hand to help Steele step up into the ambulance. Before he got in, though, he felt a tug on his arm. He turned and saw Benny standing there, his face full of concern.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Steele," he offered sincerely. "I sure hope your brother-in-law's okay."

Steele's jaw tightened. "Me too, Benny. Thanks."

Benny held out his hand and Steele saw the man was holding Andy's hat. "I found this on the street. I thought he might want it."

Steele took it wordlessly and then moved to get into the ambulance. It was a painful climb and he sat down stiffly on the padded bench seat. The other fireman was there already, constantly monitoring Andy's condition and talking over the radio to the hospital. The door closed and in a moment the ambulance was on its way... the siren screaming loudly. Steele sat there, trying not to feel the pain every small bounce caused. He kept his eyes focused on Andy's unconscious form, and tried not to think about his sister and what she would go through once Fred got home and gave her the news.

Laura walked in the front door and was immediately aware of how quiet it was. That was nice for a change. With all the children in the house, the last two days had been a little nerve wracking. She dropped her purse on the entry table.

"Maggie!" she called. "Cait! Is anyone here?"

"We're in the kitchen," Caitlin answered.

Laura made her way there, stopping to smile at the scene she encountered. Sitting at the dining room table, eating quietly, were all five Travis children plus Maggie's oldest two. Katie and Brian were, of course, still at school, and Maggie sat nearby nursing her newborn son. Caitlin came out of the kitchen bearing a pitcher of juice.

"How was the tea?" she greeted as she refilled the children's glasses.

Laura smiled warmly, remembering how grown up her daughter had seemed. "It was great. The girls all had a wonderful time." She searched around, missing someone. "Where's Andy?"

"He had some business with Nicky and then he was meeting Remington." Caitlin gave a small laugh. "Some big secret." She rolled her eyes. "Like I've forgotten it's my birthday in three days."

"Fred said he was taking them shopping," Maggie volunteered. "But he wouldn't say where."

"Andy'll be lucky if he can keep the secret that long," Cait predicted knowingly. "I'll wager he ends up telling me by tomorrow night."

Laura laughed and sat at the table.

"Do you want lunch?" Cait asked. "I just fixed the kids some sandwiches."

Laura shook her head and patted her stomach. "I'm stuffed. They had all kinds of things at the tea."

"Oh, okay. Then I'll just get mine and Maggie's."

"Please, go ahead," Laura told her. "In fact, why don't you take a breather and I'll fix yours."

"You don't have to do that," Cait protested. "You already have more than enough to do with all of us camped here."

Laura shook her head. "I keep telling you, it's no problem. We love to have you come. I know how hard it is to get away from the ranch."

Cait relented and sat down at the table while Laura went into the kitchen. In a short time she returned with two plates. She gave one to Maggie and set the other in front of Caitlin. She then resumed her seat.

"So, do you think you'll have as good a summer as last year's?"

Cait lifted her eyes heavenward. "I don't know how it could be any busier, but Andy says it will be. He's hired a couple more hands to help us out."

"Daddy says I can help this year too," Danny piped up with a mouthful of sandwich. Cait gave him a stern look and he closed his mouth to finish his bite.

"He did?" Laura gave her nephew a smile.

Danny nodded vigorously, swallowing his food before he continued. "Yeah. I can ride better'n most of those ol' guests."

"Me too," Shane chimed in. His twin, Shawna, nodded her agreement.

"They all can," Cait confided to Laura. "Some of those poor people have never even seen a horse before." She shook her head sadly. "That wouldn't be so bad, if they'd have the grace to admit it. Most of them are spoiled, rich people who think they can ride and end up embarrassing themselves."

"They must be hard to have around the place," Maggie spoke up. "Doesn't it drive you crazy?"

Cait chuckled. "Not really. Andy's got it set up so the guests all eat outside, and there's a cook who works full time in the summers. So I don't have to do all that. That's the one thing he promised me when we moved out there, that I wouldn't end up slaving all day and night."

"I wanna go ride the horsies," four year old Jack suddenly declared. "Brian gets to ride 'em."

"Brian's older than you, young man," Maggie reminded her oldest son gently. "Maybe in a few years..."

"You and Fred are always welcome to come," Caitlin offered.

Maggie smiled her thanks. "You keep telling me that and I keep asking Fred. But he's not too keen on the great outdoors and riding a horse would be out of the question."

Laura laughed at that, knowing that if it didn't have an engine, Fred would want no part of it.

The sound of footsteps thudding down the hall stopped their conversation and all three women turned as Fred suddenly appeared in the doorway. It was so unlike him to barge in like that, he took them all by surprise. He stood there for a moment, his face controlled, but Laura could sense something wasn't right.

"Fred?" Maggie was the first one to find her voice. "What's wrong, dear?"

Fred's blue eyes darted over the children, all watching him curiously. He made a slight gesture, asking the women to join him out in the hall.

"Finish your lunch," Cait instructed the youngsters.

Laura had to fight the most awful feeling in the pit of her stomach as she, Caitlin and Maggie all followed Fred out of earshot of the children. He finally stopped and faced them, his eyes moving between Laura and Cait.

"Mrs. Steele," he began. "I'm afraid there's been an accident."

For the first time, Laura noted several brown stains on Fred's white shirt, but before she could say anything, Maggie moved to put her arm around her husband. "Are you all right?"

Fred gave his wife a brief, reassuring squeeze. "It wasn't the limo." He looked at Laura. "Mr. Steele and Mr. Travis were crossing the street. Somebody hit them... the guy came out of nowhere... and he never stopped."

"Oh my God!" Cait breathed softly. "Andy and Rem... are they...." She trailed off, waiting for whatever Fred had to tell them.

The chauffeur's normally calm face was a mask of uncertainty. His eyes moved from Cait to Laura and she could see he was asking for her help in this.

"Go on, Fred." Her voice was even, but she could hear her heart thumping in her chest as she wondered whose blood Fred was wearing. "Just tell us."

Fred nodded once. "They both got hurt." He met Laura's eyes and for a moment she thought she saw relief there. "Mr. Steele'll be okay. He got banged up pretty good, but..." His gaze flickered once more over at Cait and Laura heard her sister-in-law's sharp intake of breath as she moved toward Fred.

"What about Andy?" she demanded, her fear sounding loud and clear.

The tension returned to Fred's face. "I don't know for sure," he admitted. "He was unconscious. They took them both to UCLA."

Laura got the distinct impression that their friend wasn't telling Cait everything. It didn't come easy for him to be untruthful and she could see by his demeanor that he was holding something back. Now, however, probably wasn't the best time to start grilling him. There was no need to further panic Caitlin before they could find out all the facts.

"All right, Fred. If you'd take us there..."

"Of course. Mr. Steele asked me to come get you."

Laura couldn't keep back the wave of relief. If Remington was thinking about them, then he probably wasn't that bad off. She turned to Cait, feeling guilty that her sister-in-law couldn't share that relief yet.

"Come on, Cait. Let's get over there and see what's going on." She glanced at Maggie. "Can you handle all the kids?"

Maggie reached out to take Laura's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Don't worry about things here. You two go on."

Laura smiled gratefully, then grabbed Cait's arm. Together, they rushed out the door and down to where Fred had left the limo... the engine still running.

The treatment room at the hospital's trauma unit was hardly private -- a few curtains drawn around a small examining table. Remington sat on that table, still holding Andy's hat, only distantly aware of the noises going on around him. They'd taken X-rays when he first arrived and then an intern had been here, cleaning out the abrasions on his hands and face. He'd hardly noticed the man. Then he'd been left alone again.

He hurt. There was no question about that. His side hurt, his arm hurt... even his head hurt, though he didn't remember hitting it. He was aware of his injuries in some part of his brain but the only thing he was really concerned with right now was what was happening with Andy. Each time someone had come into his little cubicle he'd asked, only to be told that that information wasn't available yet. He'd have to wait and talk to the treating physician. There was only so much of that he could take and he was about ready to storm out and start demanding some answers.

He heard the curtains slide open and he looked up, ready to pounce on the next person he saw, but instead breathed a sigh of relief... only to wince in pain at doing so. He grabbed at his side.

"Let that be a lesson," the newcomer advised him, shaking her head. "Man was not meant to tangle with automobiles."

Steele smiled wryly. "Hello, Rose. I'm glad to see a friendly face in this bloody place. Maybe you can give me some straight answers."

Dr. Rose Michaels walked over and began pulling things out of a drawer. She continued her work as she answered him. "I've seen your pictures. You've got some cracked ribs." She gave him a tight smile. "But then, you probably already knew that." She came over and began wrapping bandages securely around his torso. "You've also fractured your collarbone." She gestured to the area between his neck and shoulder. "The ortho will be in shortly."

He'd been waiting impatiently for her to finish her recital. "Is that all?" he demanded sharply.

Rose kept her expression professional. "Apart from a few cuts and bruises... yes, that's about it." She'd finished with the wrappings. "Now... if you want to know about Andy..."

"My God, Rose!" Steele exploded. "That's all I've been wanting to know for the last bloody hour."

She didn't react to his outburst and Steele realized she was probably used to dealing with distraught relatives. He did, however, notice a hint of concern in her eyes. "He hit his head pretty hard when he landed," she stated, then hastened to elaborate. "The skull wasn't fractured, but he did suffer a concussion. The good news is he woke up for a bit. He seemed lucid, but he's out again. It's just hard to tell when you're dealing with head trauma."

Something that felt like a lead weight settled in his gut, but he said nothing more as the orthopedist chose that moment to come in. Rose didn't leave, but stood by quietly as the new doctor fitted a harness around Steele, securing his right arm to his side. He left with instructions to not do anything strenuous for a few weeks, then see his own doctor to be checked.

After he departed, Rose put a comforting hand on Steele's knee. "Is Laura on her way?"

He nodded. "Fred went to get her and Caitlin." God, what about Caitlin. She's going to be frantic. But Rose was still talking.

"Then you just wait here for her. I'll see what else I can find out about Andy."

She turned to go and Steele called after her. "Thank you, Rose." She paused and gave him a smile, then ducked past the curtain and disappeared.

Left alone, his thoughts immediately focused on his sister and what she would be going through. What if Andy didn't make it... what if... Stop thinking like that! He's not going to bloody die! Rose said he woke up. That's a good sign. But she wasn't sure. She didn't make any promises.

He lifted his good hand to his forehead and rubbed his temples, as if the action might make those awful possibilities disappear. He could feel his hand shaking. Probably some sort of delayed shock, he decided, and wondered how long it would be before Rose returned.

At that moment the curtains parted again... but it wasn't Rose, it was Laura. She stood there briefly, taking in the sight of him, then rushed over and threw her arms around him.

"Careful, luv, careful," he cautioned at the pressure of her embrace. He wrapped his free arm around her and held her close nonetheless. It felt good to have her here.

She pulled back, still holding onto his hand. Her eyes never left his face and he could see tears welling up there.

"I'm all right," he assured her, sensing her need to be sure. "I got the lesser end of this."

She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it tenderly, then brushed her fingertips gently over the bandages on his face. Her brow furrowed in concern.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

He shook his head slowly. "I'm not really sure." He met her eyes and held her gaze. "I never even saw the bugger. I think I heard him... but by then it was too late." He swallowed against a wave of emotion, then forced himself to ask, "Where's Cait?"

Laura motioned toward the main lobby. "She's trying to find out about Andy. No one's being very informative."

"Rose was here earlier. She told me she'd try and get us some news."

Laura closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his good shoulder. He could see how scared she'd been and knew she'd concealed it from others, only letting him know how she felt. He let her stay there for a time, then he lifted her chin.

"Let's go find Cait, eh?"

Laura wiped at a few errant tears and nodded agreement. She retrieved his shirt and helped him put one arm into it. The other she draped over his shoulder, then she picked up his coat.

"Can you make it or do you need help?"

"I'll be fine," he stated and slid carefully off the table.

It took him a minute to steady his legs and Laura ended up slipping her arm around his waist to offer him some support. Together they walked out into the lobby.

It didn't take long to spot Caitlin. She was standing by the admitting desk, obviously waiting for someone to help her. She appeared so distraught Remington's heart went out to her, wishing there was a way to spare her this grief.

She caught sight of them as they slowly approached. A smile lit Cait's face and she ran towards them.

"Oh, Remington! Are you all right? Fred said he thought you were okay, but..." She stopped and looked like she wanted to put her arms around him but was afraid of hurting him. He saw her gaze drop to the hat in his hands and he only just remembered he had it. She reached out to take it from him, then her face suddenly crumbled as she crushed the hat to her breast and began to sob.

Seeing her like this cut Steele to the heart. He took his good arm from Laura's shoulders and reached out to Caitlin, pulling her close. She leaned against him, her whole body shaking as she gave vent to her fear.

"I don't even know where he is," she said in a muffled voice. "No one will tell me anything."

"Shhh, luv. It's going to be all right." He stroked her hair and tried to be comforting.

"Why don't we go sit down?" Laura suggested softly.

Steele led Cait to a corner of the waiting area. He sat stiffly, barely able to stifle the groan at the pain in his side. After a moment, he was able to collect himself enough to talk.

"Now listen to me, Cait. Rose was here and she told me Andy's stable, but he has a concussion."

"A concussion?" Her voice rose in dismay.

"Hold on, hold on," he went on soothingly. "Rose said she would try and find out what was happening and come tell us. So let's don't go borrowing trouble just yet, eh?"

Cait pondered his words, then wiped her nose with the tissue Laura had given her. She sniffled in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go all to pieces."

"That's perfectly understandable," Laura assured her kindly. "And I know it's hard to wait, but that's all we can do right now."

Cait nodded and sniffed again. Then her eyes fell on the wad of felt that had been Andy's hat and she gave an anxious laugh. "Look what I did... this was his favorite one. He's going to kill me." She worked for a time at smoothing it out, then sagged against Remington again.

He kissed the top of her head. "No he won't," he promised. "He'll understand."

He held her for while. He wasn't sure how much time passed this way... maybe an hour... possibly more, but he finally noticed Rose coming toward them. Remington couldn't read anything from the expression on her face and that worried him. Softly, he nudged his sister.

"Rose is here."

Cait sat up expectantly. Steele waited tensely as Rose came over... the only sound seemed to be the squeak of her soft soled shoes on the floor. She stopped in front of Caitlin and squatted, taking hold of both her hands.

"He seems to be doing pretty well." When Cait's face lit up, Rose held up a cautioning hand. "That doesn't mean he's out of the woods. He's drifting in and out of consciousness."

"But that's good, isn't it?" Cait asked hopefully.

"Yes, for now," Rose went on. "But the next day or two will be crucial."

"For what?"

Steele could tell Rose was reluctant, and he recalled what she'd said in the treatment room.

Rose sighed. "He took a pretty severe blow to his head. The other injuries, from impact with the car... they were all repairable... just some damage control basically. He'll recover in time. But..."

"But what?" Cait had gone decidedly pale and there was no emotion in her voice.

Rose glanced at Steele and Laura, then returned to Caitlin. "When he hit the street... it caused a lot of bleeding and swelling under the skull. We have to watch him and make sure he's able to regain consciousness for good."

"And if he doesn't?" Cait's voice was so low, Steele could barely hear her.

Rose smiled her encouragement. "I don't think that's going to happen."

Cait sat up, steady now that she knew the situation. "Can I see him?"

Rose stood and gestured for Cait to follow her. "For a few minutes. They'll be taking him to his room shortly."

Cait turned to Laura. "Could you call Murphy and ask him to please let the family know?"

"Of course," Laura answered. "You go on and don't worry."

They were about to leave when Rose turned back to Steele and handed him a prescription paper. "These are painkillers. You may not think you need them, but I guarantee tomorrow you'll be about a hundred times more sore than you are now."

"Thank you." Laura took the paper from her hand.

Steele watched as the two women disappeared down the hall. He turned when he realized Laura was talking to him.

"I'm going to call Murphy," she was saying, "then fill this prescription. Will you be all right here? I can always have Fred take you home."

He shook his head. "No. I don't want to go home just yet. I want to be here for Cait."

Laura nodded her understanding, then reached up to give him a kiss. "You rest right here. I'll be back in a little while."

She was gone then, and he was alone again. He sat in the uncomfortable chair, his mind still a jumble with everything that had happened. It was hard to believe that a day could start out so innocently and end up like this.

"Steele?"

Remington was surprised to see Captain Jimmy Jarvis standing in front of him. He lifted his eyebrows questioningly. They'd known each other a long time, but this was the last place Steele had expected to see his old acquaintance.

"Why, Captain Jarvis... what brings you out of your office? I thought you spent your days buried in paperwork."

Jarvis smiled. This verbal sparing had been part of their relationship since they'd first crossed paths fifteen years ago.

"Well, funny thing... when a friend of mine is almost murdered, I take a personal interest."

Steele's eyebrows raised even further. "Murder? I thought..."

Jarvis' boyish face had grown serious. "From all accounts, the guy was gunning for you. In fact, we have a couple of witnesses who say the guy went out of his way to hit you." His eyes narrowed. "I don't suppose you'd have any idea who might want you dead?"

"Apart from Descoine... not right off the top of my head."

"Well, fortunately the Major is safely tucked away where he can't hurt anybody." Jarvis leaned forward, his eyes full of compassion. "I know now's not the best time... but maybe if you could think about it the next couple of days... see if you can come up with anybody?" He turned to go but stopped as if remembering something. "Oh, and by the way... I've got some men watching your house... just in case. Wouldn't want to see anybody else hurt."

Steele nodded absently, hardly noting when Jarvis left. The implications of someone purposefully running them down were only now setting in. That meant the driver of the car had been after him. Andy had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was the one who should be lying unconscious in a hospital room. Andy had been hurt because of him. Someone had been after him and hadn't cared who else was in the way.

He sat there and mulled that over and over until the shock of the news finally wore away, replaced by a growing anger... anger at the assailant for having dared to hurt a member of his family... and anger at himself for not being more aware... for not seeing it coming. In the course of his anger, he felt something else growing... a determination to find out who had done this and make the bugger pay.

Remington hesitated at the door to Andy's room. He could see his brother-in-law's still figure lying in the narrow hospital bed, a bank of monitors beeping behind him, I.V. tubes running from his arm to a rack of clear plastic bags hanging at his side. Caitlin sat in a chair beside him, one of his hands pressed between her own. He hated to intrude here, but he'd wanted to be sure his sister was all right. She must have sensed his presence, for she glanced up and saw him standing there. She gave him a tight smile and beckoned him in.

He stepped into the small room. There was only the one chair so he stood beside Caitlin and rested his good hand on her shoulder.

"How are you doing in here?" he asked softly.

She shrugged. "They said I could stay as long as I wanted. There's not a lot they can do now, except monitor him. We just have to wait for him to wake up."

Steele could hear in her voice how very fragile his sister's control was. He peered at Andy and cringed inwardly at the sight. A white bandage encircled his head, but Steele could still see most of the large discolored bump on his brother-in-law's forehead. His face and arms were covered with scrapes and bruises. He right leg was encased in plaster and hung suspended a few inches off the mattress by some kind of traction device.

Cait reached out and let her hand hover over her husband's head. "Look at this," she said, her voice heavy with disapproval. "They shaved away some of his hair to take the stitches. He's going to be so mad when he wakes up..." Her eyes shut tightly and Steele saw tears escaping to run down her cheeks. He squeezed her shoulder.

"He'll wake up, Cait... you'll see. He's no quitter."

She nodded once and gathered her composure. "I know," she stated shakily.

"Mrs. Travis?"

They both turned. A small, thin man hovered there, adjusting his glasses. He regarded them both a bit nervously and shifted a manila envelope from one hand to the other.

"What is it?" Steele asked sharply, not wanting anyone to bother Cait.

The man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry... my name is Harrington. I work at admissions. I just need to get your signature on a few items here." He produced a clipboard and held it out for her.

Steele snatched it from him and perused the forms.

"Uhhh... excuse me," the man spoke up. "Those are for Mrs. Travis to sign."

"I'm Mrs. Travis' brother," he stated logically.

"Well... okay... sure... I guess you can go over the stuff. Just have her sign them."

Cait took the clipboard from Remington. She flipped through the papers.

"What are these?" she inquired.

"Oh... just standard policy... admission forms... release for treatment... insurance... all that."

Cait stared at the stack of forms. "Do you need these right away?"

The man pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Well... as soon as you can... if that's all right." He remembered the envelope in his hand. "Oh yes... and this." He held it out. "These are your husband's personal effects. They were taken off him down in E.R. You have to sign for their receipt."

Cait gazed at the bulky envelope, making no move to take it. Steele watched her for a moment, then reached for it himself. The man pulled it away.

"I'm sorry... these have to be given to the next of kin. I can't..."

Steele had to work hard at containing his impatience with little paper pushers. He moved over and put an arm around the clerk's wiry shoulders. "Now, now, my good man. We're all a little tense in here. Let's don't make it any worse than it already is, eh? Be a good chap, and hand me the package." The clerk started to sputter. "Ah, now, never fear. It's in good hands."

"Rem." Cait's voice was firm. She at last gestured for the package and the man handed it to her with relief.

"You can sign the receipt with the rest of the forms," he told her. "I'll come back in later to pick everything up." He made a quick exit.

Cait turned to the envelope and sighed. With great care, she broke the seal and spilled the contents out onto the clipboard in her lap.

Steele could see the few items... basic things a man carried on his person. A wallet, some loose change, keys, a thin gold band that could only have been Andy's wedding ring. Caitlin picked it up and slipped it on her index finger, then she reached for the last remaining item... a small, velvet box.

The ring! So much had happened, he hadn't even remembered it. There was no way he could keep Cait from opening it and he watched as she lifted the lid and stared in wonder at the contents. After a moment, she looked up at him in confusion.

"I... I think they made a mistake," she whispered. "They put this in with Andy's things. This must belong to someone else."

Steele slowly shook his head. With great effort, he knelt beside his sister and took her hand.

"This is what we went shopping for," he explained. "It was for your birthday." He had to swallow hard before he could go on. "He... he wanted to surprise you."

Cait's blue eyes filled with tears. Her chin quivered slightly and she bit her lip to keep from breaking down. Finally she closed the box and placed it into his hand.

"You keep it," she instructed him in a soft voice. "You can give it to him when he wakes up... tell him you had it. That way it can still be a surprise."

Steele nodded wordlessly and closed his fingers over the smooth velvet. He slipped it into the pocket of his trousers. Using the arm of Cait's chair, he pushed himself to his feet, grunting a bit at the effort it cost. Cait turned her concern on him.

"Why are you still here, anyway?" she scolded. "You should be home resting."

"You sound just like Laura," he teased. When she still frowned at him, he gave in. "All right, mother... I'll go home. What about you?"

"I'm going to stay here for a while." She glanced over at Andy. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

He bent slightly to kiss the top of her head. "Okay, luv. We'll be back to check on you, and Rose is here if you need her."

He started for the door, but Cait stopped him. "Rem?"

"Yes?"

"Don't say anything to the kids just yet. I don't want to scare them."

"However you want to handle it. I'll do as you say."

"Thanks." She shifted back to Andy. Steele saw her pick up one of his hands again, bringing it to rest against her cheek.

He left the room and walked down the hall. As he came into the waiting area he saw Laura standing there, talking to Rose and a flustered-looking Nick Michaels. The young attorney must have just arrived. As Remington approached them, Rose gave him a disapproving frown.

"Why are you still up, walking around? Don't you know you're injured?"

He held up his hands to forestall her. "Please, Rose. I've already had this lecture from my wife and now my sister."

"Well... has it sunk in?"

He nodded wearily. It really had. He'd just about run out of steam and the thought of going home sounded extremely appealing.

"I can't believe this happened." Nick shook his head in disbelief. "Mom, make sure the hospital knows everything'll be paid for. I don't want Cait worried about money right now."

"She won't have to," Steele broke in brusquely. "I'll take care of all this. Cait's my sister and I'll..."

"All right, you two," Laura cut in smoothly. "The last thing Cait needs is you two macho men fighting over who picks up the check."

Steele bit back any retorts. He hadn't meant to sound that way. He just wanted to feel like he was doing something.

"Sorry," Nick apologized. "How's she doing, anyway?"

Remington shrugged. "Holding up, but I don't think we'll get her to leave his side tonight."

"That won't be a problem," Rose assured him. "We can set up a cot for her... if she lets herself sleep."

"Right now you need to get some sleep," Laura reminded him sternly. She took his good arm, meaning to lead him away, and addressed Rose. "Call us?"

"We will," Rose promised. She jabbed a finger at Steele's good arm. "Remember, Remington... you're still operating on adrenaline here. In a little while that will go away and you'll need to collapse somewhere. Be sure it's your own bed."

He didn't answer, merely allowed Laura to guide him out of the wing and toward the elevator. He was just as glad she was taking over. She pushed the button and held onto him while they waited.

"I got hold of Murphy. He'll let the family know. He said everybody would want to be here, but I told him to have them wait 'til we know how things are going."

"That's good." He was proud of the way she was bearing up and hated to tell her what he knew he had to. He took a breath... not too deeply, remembering his ribs. "Jarvis was here," he stated.

Laura glanced up in surprise. "Jimmy? Why? This isn't a homicide."

Steele felt his mouth draw into a taut line. "It wasn't an accident."

"What?"

"Apparently the car deliberately ran us down. The captain wanted to know what our case load is like at this point in time." He left it unsaid but knew she understood his meaning.

Her face grew thoughtful as she ran a mental inventory of their current assignments. The elevator arrived and they stepped in. It took a few minutes to get to the main floor. They walked out of the hospital without saying anything. There were too many other people around to discuss anything of a delicate nature. Steele spied Fred standing by the limo and held up his good arm.

Fred's smile was full of relief. "How are you doing, sir?"

"I'm all in one piece, my friend. And thank you for all your help."

Fred shrugged aside his thanks as he held the door for them to enter. Steele settled in carefully, starting to believe that Rose might be right about being sore. After Laura got in beside him, Fred shut the door and walked around to slide in behind the wheel. Before starting the car, he turned toward his employers.

"What about Mr. Travis, sir?"

"We don't know for certain yet, but it looks hopeful."

Fred's face was sober as he turned back to drive. Steele sat quietly. He didn't bother Laura. She would tell him if she came up with anything important. Right now she was staring out the window, but he knew her mind was working furiously. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the leather upholstery. For the moment he would leave things in her hands.

Caitlin had long since tuned out the annoying beeping from the many monitors Andy was hooked up to. The only thing she was aware of was her husband. She'd been sitting here, holding his hand, for a couple of hours at least, but she'd hardly registered the passing of the time. Andy had tried to awaken several times, not really becoming fully aware of where he was. The doctor told her that was a good sign, but she still couldn't quell all her anxiety.

Nicky had shown up not long after Remington left. He'd stayed for a few moments, talking to her softly and trying to be encouraging. She wasn't really ready for pep talks and he soon recognized that and left her alone. It was almost easier to be by herself. That way she could talk to Andy... the doctor had told her that might help. She found it remarkably easy to do as long as she was touching him... feeling him warm and alive. Sometimes, when she ran out of things to say, she just sat and watched him breathe. It was comforting in a way, and easy to pretend that he was just sleeping after a hard day's work at home... that any moment he would open his eyes and smile at her, wondering why she was sitting here.

A soft rap on the door turned her away from Andy to see who was there.

"Skip!" He was such a wonderful sight standing there, but the reason for his unexpected visit dampened the pleasure.

"Hey, Cait," he greeted with a warm smile. He bent to give her a tight hug.

She clung to him, glad to have someone else here to lean on, if only briefly. Then she happened to glance at her watch and realized he must've broken all the speed laws to get here from San Diego so quickly. She was about to scold him for his recklessness, but saw him staring at Andy and something flashed across his usually happy face. It hurt to see it there and she reached out to squeeze his hand. He met her eyes and once more had a grin fixed on his face.

"So... how you holdin' up?" he asked gently.

"Okay, so far," she answered. "Is Mel with you?"

"She's out in the waiting room with the boys. We didn't want to all come bargin' in." He peered around the room, taking in all the equipment. "So... what do you do in here... besides just sit?"

Cait ran her hand along Andy's arm. "They tell me it helps if I talk to him... that he can hear me." She sighed. "So that's what I've been doing."

Skip brightened. "You know, I'd heard that too. That's why I came prepared." He dug into a bag he'd brought with him and pulled out a portable boombox and a handful of CD's. "I've got all his favorites... Chicago... Crosby, Stills and Nash... The Doobie Brothers... The Moody Blues... all that junk from the seventies and eighties that he won't stop listening to."

Cait felt a sudden welling of tears at his gesture. "Skip... you're... you're incredible." She gave him a watery smile.

He shrugged. "Aw... that's nothin'. See what else." He plunged into the tote again and pulled out a small set of headphones. "In case the nurses complain," he explained. He set everything up and soon had music playing quietly.

Cait smiled as she heard the beginnings of one of Andy's favorite Chicago albums. Skip listened to it for a time, then shifted his gaze to his cousin.

"So it helps if you talk, huh?"

"That's what they told me," Cait answered. "If he hears familiar sounds and voices, it might help him focus and come around. He's tried a couple of times, but he always goes back under."

"Well, I'll talk to him," Skip stated. "Maybe he'll listen to me." He stood on the other side of the bed and reached to take Andy's other hand, mindful of the I.V. "Hey, Cuz," he began lightly. "You can't fool me, ya know. I know you're just layin', there fakin' it. So if you don't wake up pretty soon, I'm gonna kick your butt outta that bed."

Cait watched him, knowing how close these two were and that Skip's casual words were only masking his pain at seeing his cousin like this. He stood there for a moment then suddenly turned away. "Damn it," he cursed softly. Cait heard the anguish in his voice as he continued swearing under his breath. One of his hands had clenched into a fist and was beating against his thigh.

She rushed to his side. She took hold of his shoulder, even though he tried to pull away from her.

"Skip... it's okay. He's going to be all right... I know he is."

He spun suddenly and threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. Cait realized that their roles were now reversed and she was the one offering support. Skip finally pulled away from her self-consciously.

"Geez, Cait. I'm sorry," he apologized profusely. "I was supposed to come in here and cheer you up." He ran a hand across his face, wiping away any tears that might have escaped.

She smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. That's what families are for. We help each other."

He nodded gratefully. "I guess I should get back to Mel and the kids. We're gonna be stayin' at my folks. If you need anything, just call. Mom wanted me to tell you she's prayin' for Andy. She and Dad wanted to come, but they thought it might be better to wait... probably too much confusion for you already."

"Thank you," Cait told him kindly. "That's sweet of your mother. I'm sure Andy's folks want to be here, too."

"Yeah. Aunt Katie called right after Murphy did. I know he told everybody to stay put, but Aunt Katie thought with us being so close and all... well, I think she felt better having us be right here. I hope you don't mind." Cait shook her head and Skip gave her a penetrating look. "You sure you don't want to go home and get some rest?"

"Not right now. I need to stay here."

"Okay. Whatever you wanna do." Skip leaned over and kissed her cheek. He glanced at Andy one more time before he left the room.

Cait stared after him for a long while then she moved over to the little CD player and adjusted the volume a bit. She wanted to be sure Andy could hear the music.

Laura sat at the dining room table, picking distractedly at her dinner. Maggie had graciously volunteered to cook for them tonight, knowing what a strain they'd been under. Laura appreciated her friend's thoughtfulness, though she'd barely tasted anything.

The children had no such reserves. When she and Remington had first come home, they'd been concerned at his appearance, but he'd calmly told them he'd had an slight accident and they weren't to worry. Laura had then explained that Andy and Caitlin would be away for a few days. She felt bad about not telling them the entire truth but they'd taken her at her word and gone about their play. Now they were eating and chattering away between themselves... except for Katie Laura, who ate silently, her eyes moving between her parents as if she could tell something was going on they weren't talking about. Laura had to smile at her daughter's perceptiveness. There was little that escaped that child's attention.

Laura glanced down to where Remington sat staring at his plate. He'd eaten even less than she had. She could see the drawn set to his features. Now that some of the shock had worn off, he was probably starting to feel the real extent of his injuries. She also knew that more than his own physical discomfort was plaguing him. He was concerned about Andy and about his sister... and mostly about the cause of the accident.

She hadn't been able to come up with any likely candidates. Their cases recently hadn't been remotely dangerous. Of course, there was always the possibility that someone from the past had resurfaced. There were more than a few seedy characters they'd crossed paths with, but most of them were still cooling their heels in prison. Maybe tomorrow, when everyone was a little fresher, they'd go through some of the old files and see what they could come up with.

She heard a chair scoot out and saw her husband get stiffly to his feet. He stood there, leaning heavily on the table with his good arm.

"Excuse me, Laura... I think I'm going to lie down for a while."

"Of course," she answered sympathetically. She started to rise but he waved her back to her seat.

"I'll be fine. You stay here with the children."

Laura narrowed her eyes in concern. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"Not at all." He gave her a crooked smile. "Think I'll try one of Rose's little pills."

He must really be hurting, she told herself. He hates pain pills. "At least let me help you upstairs," she persisted.

He shook his head. "Nonsense. I'm perfectly able to find the way to my own bed." He walked toward her slowly, ruffling the head of each child he passed. When he reached Laura he bent slightly, meaning to kiss her, but winced at the movement. Laura got up at once and took hold of his good arm.

"Come on, Superman," she smiled. "Even a man of steel can accept help when it's offered.

He finally relented, sighing in surrender. "Goodnight, children," he called. A chorus of night-nights and sleep-tights filled the dining room. Katie Laura and Brian both came over to give him a careful goodnight hug. Not wanting to be left out, two year old B.J. slipped down from his chair and trotted over to wrap his arms around Remington's leg, leaving a smear of applesauce on his uncle's trousers, much to the amusement of the other children.

Laura tried not to laugh as she pried her nephew off her husband. She picked him up, meaning to take him into the kitchen to clean him up. Remington grimaced at the mess but smiled as he touched the boy's hand.

"Good night, little one," he said softly. He turned to Laura. "You've got your hands full. Don't worry about me. I can make it on my own."

She had to admit he was right. She did have a lot to take care of here. She kissed him. "Good night then. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will." He walked out of the dining room and headed in the direction of the stairs.

Laura stared after him for a moment, then she turned her attention to the table. "Okay, gang," she began. "If you're done, take your plates over to the sink. We'll have a clean up brigade."

The next few hours were chaotic as Laura helped the older children tidy the kitchen, then refereed the use of the video room, helped Katie with her homework, and got everyone bathed and ready for bed. Then it was story time for the little ones. By 9:00, with the last of them finally in bed, if not actually asleep, Laura was ready to collapse. The only good thing about the evening was that all the hassle had kept her mind occupied. It wasn't until now, as she sat down to catch her breath, that the events of the day finally claimed her full attention.

She'd hardly had a chance to think about it, but she'd come very near to loosing Remington. For the first time all day, that prospect sank into her consciousness. Someone had almost killed him and, if what Jarvis said was true, then it had been premeditated... a willful act of violence. She shuddered at the thought that there might be someone wandering around out there, planning further attacks.

She glanced up at the ceiling and felt a sudden urge to go check on her husband. With more energy than she thought she had left, she hurried upstairs and pushed open their bedroom door.

The bed was empty. That fact struck her with a cold stab of fear. She took a few steps inside the room, her eyes sweeping the entire area, searching for anything that shouldn't be there. From the signs in the room she could tell he'd been in here. The discarded clothing told her he'd changed. The bed had been turned down, but it looked like he hadn't used it.

She didn't panic. Considering the state of mind he'd been in, he could have gone anywhere or done anything. On a hunch, she walked over to the long dresser they shared. Sure enough, his wallet and keys were missing from their usual place in his top drawer. That probably meant he'd gone out. But where?

Annoyed that he'd left without telling her, she started toward the door when something on the mirror caught her eye. She leaned closer and found a small piece of paper stuck in the edge. Curious, she plucked it out and quickly read the brief note.

Laura,
Gone to the office. Won't be long. Don't worry.
Love,
Remington

She sighed. She should have known. Whenever his sister was concerned, most of the time he didn't think straight. He'd let Jarvis' concerns upset him terribly... filling him with a sense of guilt over what had happened. Naturally he wouldn't have been able to just go to bed and take care of himself like he was supposed to. No, he wouldn't rest until he'd found out who was responsible for all this.

She stood there, wondering what to do next. Her first impulse was to go after him... try and reason with him and get him to come home... or at the very least, help him go through the files. But she couldn't go off and leave the children here alone, nor did she feel right about asking Maggie to come up and sit with them. Not with a brand new baby to take care of.

She breathed out a heavy sigh and pulled her hair back off her face, wishing she could be two places at once.

"Mom?"

Katie stood in the doorway. She was in her nightgown and holding her old, pink bunny, a sure sign she was distressed about something.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Why aren't you asleep?"

Katie shook her long, dark hair. "I couldn't. I'm worried about Daddy."

Laura sat on the edge of the bed and gestured for her daughter to sit beside her. Katie padded over and sat down. Laura put an arm around the child and drew her close.

"Now... why are you worried about Daddy? He told you everything was all right."

Katie rolled her eyes in her most long-suffering manner. "Mom... come on. He didn't look like he'd been in any 'little' accident. He was hurt... I could tell."

Laura regarded her daughter, aware again of just how grown up she was getting. "Okay," she began slowly. "Maybe you're old enough to understand. We didn't want to scare the younger kids, so this is between us... grown up to grown up."

Katie nodded solemnly and Laura had to hide a smile. "I won't say anything, I promise."

"All right... you were right. It wasn't a 'little' accident. This afternoon Daddy and Uncle Andy were hit by a car."

Katie's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "No way... A car?"

Laura nodded. "You saw what happened to Daddy. He broke his collarbone." She reached out to show Katie where that was. "He also cracked some ribs. He's pretty sore right now and he probably will be for a while."

Katie's blue eyes had grown troubled. "But he'll be okay?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course," Laura assured her. "He'll be fine. It will just take some time."

Katie clutched her bunny to her as she digested that information. Suddenly she lifted questioning eyes to Laura. "What about Uncle Andy?" Her voice sounding timid, as if she were afraid to find out.

Laura pondered just how to tell her without frightening her.

"Is Uncle Andy dead?"

"Oh, no, sweetheart... no." Laura hugged her daughter tighter. "He was hurt... like Daddy... only he had to stay in the hospital. Aunt Caitlin is there with him now."

"He must've been hurt worse than Daddy, if he's still in the hospital," Katie observed quietly.

Laura again marveled at how quickly this child picked up on subtleties. "Yes, he was."

"But he'll get better, right?"

How do I field this one? Laura decided this was a time for complete honesty. "We certainly hope so, but we don't know for sure," she said evenly. "We have to just wait and see for now. That's why we didn't say anything before. We didn't want your cousins to be scared."

Katie nodded wisely. "Okay, Mom. I won't tell them." She glanced around the bedroom, obviously looking for her father, then met Laura's gaze again. "Where's Daddy?"

Laura couldn't keep back the sigh. "He went to the office for a little while." She felt her daughter scrutinizing her and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What's wrong?"

"You're mad at Daddy, aren't you?"

That caught Laura by surprise. "Mad? No, no... not at all." She took Katie by the shoulders and faced her squarely. "This has nothing to do with me and Daddy," she stated firmly. "I'm not mad at him... well, maybe a little aggravated that he left without telling me." She smiled at Katie and felt better when her daughter smiled in return. "I love Daddy and he loves me... and we both love you and Brian." She ran a hand through Katie's long, dark hair. "Think you can try and go to sleep now?"

Katie laughed a little. "I'll try," she promised. She got up off the bed and walked to the door. When she got to the doorway she stopped. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Should I say a prayer for Uncle Andy?"

Laura's heart filled with warmth at her daughter's gesture. "I think that would be a good idea, sweetheart."

"Okay. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Katie."

She left and headed down the hall for her own bedroom. Laura sat there for a long time, thinking about the exchange. She never ceased to be amazed by the things her children said and did. The sound of the telephone finally lifted her out of her reverie. She leaned over toward the night stand to pick it up.

"Hello?" she answered, half-expecting it to be Remington.

"Hello, Laura? I hope I didn't wake you up."

"Murphy!" The sound of his voice was a welcome ray of sunlight on a dark day.

The file drawer was stuck. He'd tried to cram too many folders back in without taking the time to properly straighten them and now the drawer was stubbornly refusing to close completely.

Steele leaned his good shoulder against it and pushed one more time, then gave up. He stood in the middle of the file room, his hair disheveled... one dark lock falling over his eyes, his breath coming raggedly. He wasn't sure how much longer he could continue his search. Already he could feel his legs trembling as if they weren't going to support his weight. His side ached terribly and his shoulder throbbed unmercifully. He hadn't taken any of the painkillers yet. He knew once he did that, he'd be of little use for several hours and he didn't want to spare that much time.

He glanced around at the mess he'd made of the once-orderly storage area. Laura would kill him in the morning. He checked his watch and noted that technically it was already morning. He'd been here for several hours at least.

Not that he'd accomplished much besides making a shambles of the files, but he just couldn't sit at home and do nothing while his sister kept her vigil at Andy's bedside, praying her husband wouldn't die, or worse... live like a vegetable in a coma for the rest of his life. Not a pleasant prospect in any case, but it was made even worse by the fact that the assailant had really been aiming at him.

Anger at that thought boiled up inside of him and he slammed his fist once more against the file drawer. It still wouldn't close.

"Bloody useless, that's what I am," he muttered, then clutched at the metal cabinet for support as he felt a sudden attack of vertigo. He shut his eyes to close out the spinning room and remembered Rose's warning to stay close to home. Perhaps he should have listened to her. His legs suddenly felt like rubber and he slid slowly to the floor, ending up sitting propped up against the file cabinet, trying hard not to pass out.

"You okay?"

Steele started at the familiar sounding voice. At first he thought he might be hallucinating. He could've sworn he saw Murphy standing there in the doorway to the file room. He blinked and saw three Murphys standing there, their images swimming before his uncertain vision.

"Stand still, would you, mate? You're making me dizzy."

He heard Murphy chuckle softly and then the images merged into one and his old friend came forward and stooped down beside him.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" he observed kindly.

Steele grimaced up at him. "No lectures please, Murphy. I had to start searching."

"So Laura tells me." Murphy frowned. "You really think the guy was gunning for you?"

Steele closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cabinet. "Apparently. At least according to our local homicide captain." He shook his head slowly, still fighting the dizziness. "I have to find the bugger. I made a promise to myself."

Murphy nodded. "I understand how you feel. There's nothing I'd like better than to find the creep who hurt Andy, but..." He allowed himself a slight smile. "I made a promise too. I promised Laura I wouldn't let you kill yourself."

Steele opened his eyes and fixed Murphy with a hard glare. "I'm not leaving yet," he stated firmly. "If you want to help, then take a look at those files on the table there."

Murphy got up and moved over to shuffle through the stack of folders Steele had weeded out. He flipped through a few then commented dryly, "There's not much here. A few vague threats... hardly anything, really."

"Believe me, Murphy, I'm all too aware of that. But they're all we've got at the moment."

Murphy didn't answer and Steele could hear him silently turning pages. He sat where he was, still trying to collect himself, as he let the Colorado detective sift through the cases he found. Murphy was right. There was precious little there to go on. After a time he was finally able to breathe normally again, with only a minimal amount of pain, and the room had at last stopped spinning. He heard Murphy sigh and glanced up to see his friend close the last of the stack.

"I guess some of these are worth checking out," he announced. He gazed down at Steele and narrowed his eyes. "In the morning," he continued pointedly. "You can't do anything more tonight."

Steele had to reluctantly agree. "I suppose you're right." He met Murphy's eyes. "Have you been to the hospital?"

Murphy shook his head. "We got in too late. I didn't want to disturb Cait."

"Do you need a place to stay?"

"Naw, that's okay. You guys have all the kids. We'll be at Nicky's. They've got more than enough room. Sherry and I... well, we just couldn't stay in Denver cooling our heels. We came down to see if we could help." He grinned slightly. "My biggest problem was keeping the rest of the family from jumping on planes tonight."

Steele could well imagine. He'd grown very fond of Murphy's family in the years since Caitlin had married into it. They'd accepted him and Laura and the children as part of their own. The last thing he'd ever want was to be the cause of pain for any of them.

"I'm so awfully sorry about all this," he murmured, focusing on his shoes.

He heard Murphy walk around the table and stand in front of him. His friend was silent a moment and Steele finally glanced up, only to find Murphy regarding him with mixture of sympathy and impatience.

"Look," he began, "I could tell you none of this was your fault 'til I was blue in the face, but it wouldn't do any good."

Steele narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm just feeling sorry for myself?" he asked indignantly, but Murphy was shaking his head kindly.

"Not at all, although you probably have every right to." He crouched again to be on Steele's level. "Listen to me, Remington..." Steele's eyebrows rose slightly at Murphy's use of his first name. It was an infrequent occurrence. Murphy ignored his reaction and continued. "Right now it doesn't make much difference that the driver of that car was really aiming for you and not Andy. Obviously he didn't care about innocent bystanders getting hurt. That means if he tries again, he won't care who's in his way. So our first priority is to nail this son of a bitch before he makes another attempt. And we can't do that if you're falling on your face from exhaustion."

Steele leaned his head against the cabinet and gave Murphy a weary nod. "All right, old friend. Point taken. I'll go home and go to bed. But in the morning..."

Murphy reached down to help Steele to his feet. "First thing," he agreed whole-heartedly.

Cait opened her eyes, not remembering when she'd fallen asleep. It couldn't have been too long ago. She didn't feel rested, mostly just groggy and stiff. She noticed the early morning sun shining brightly into the room. As she sat up to check on Andy, she saw her husband's hazel eyes gazing at her from the bed.

"Andy!" She flew to his side and took hold of his hand. "How long have you been awake?"

He tried to shrug and grimaced at the pain it caused. "I dunno. Few minutes maybe." His voice was steady, if slightly weak. He managed a smile for her. "I was watchin' you sleep."

Cait closed her eyes and felt the joyful tears. "Oh, my love," she whispered as she pressed her lips to his forehead. "I was so scared."

"I'm sorry for that," he apologized. "But don't worry anymore. I'm fine." He gave her a questioning look. "Aren't I?"

Cait smiled again and wiped at the tears. "You look wonderful to me. But let me call the doctor. I'm sure he'll want to see you." She started searching around the bed for the call button.

"Cait?"

She paused, wondering what he needed. His expression was one of concern and she wanted to be able to reassure him. "What is it, sweetheart? Are you hurting?"

He shook his head. "Not much. I'm mostly numb." He met her gaze again, his face expectant. "Cait... Remington was with me. Is he... how is he? Is he okay?"

Cait breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "He's home with Laura and the kids. He got knocked around too, but not as badly as you were."

She could see the fear leave his face and he closed his eyes wearily. "I'm glad," he said softly. "I was worried about him. That car... it came outta nowhere... never saw it."

His voice trailed off and Cait felt a stab of fear that he was going under again. "Andy?" She squeezed his hand and when he opened his eyes again she exhaled noisily. "Stay with me, okay?"

He gave her a slight smile and nodded his head. "I promise."

Cait let go of him reluctantly. She found the little device and pressed it vigorously. In a few moments a nurse appeared, took in the situation, then hurried off to find the doctor. Cait had gone to the door with the woman, and when she returned, she was half afraid Andy would be unconscious again. He lifted his hand in a thumb's up gesture. Satisfied, Caitlin sat back down to wait for the doctor.

When Steele finally woke he could see bright sunlight streaming in his bedroom windows. It must be mid-morning at least. He rubbed at his eyes. He was still groggy from the pain pill he'd taken after he'd been unable to even lay in bed comfortably. He tried to turn over and groaned audibly as every muscle in his body protested the movement. Rose had warned him he'd feel this way, but he really hadn't fully prepared for the reality of it.

"Good morning," Laura greeted him evenly as she came into the room with a breakfast tray.

"What's so good about it?" he grumbled, as he struggled to sit up.

She set the tray on the bed and then perched on the side. Her face was mildly reproachful. "My, my... aren't we chipper. I would've thought someone who could stay out 'til God knows what hour would be a little cheerier."

He repressed a sigh, knowing it would only make him hurt worse. "Please, Laura... I told you I was sorry."

She gave him a wry smile. "I know you are. I just felt like you shut me out last night. I'm your wife, remember... and your partner."

He touched her cheek. "You are that... and more. I just felt so... so bloody helpless."

Laura took his hand and held it between her own. "I knew you were upset and I can't say I blame you. But next time... talk to me. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours." She softened her words with a smile and reached over to retrieve his breakfast. She set the tray on his lap. "Now," she continued. "You're going to eat... then clean up and get dressed. Then you can come downstairs. Murphy's waiting for you. He said you'd be expecting him."

Remington nodded. He gave his wife a crooked smile. "Thank you, Miss Holt."

Laura raised her eyebrows. "For what? Bossing you around?"

"No. For sending the cavalry after me."

Laura chuckled and handed him a fork. "No problem. Now eat."

He meekly obeyed her. She watched him manage a few mouthfuls, then relaxed, apparently satisfied.

"That's better," she pronounced, then fixed him with an appraising look. "Are you ready for some good news?"

He paused, his fork half way to his mouth. The smile on Laura's face grew wide and he felt one of his own starting. "Andy?"

"Cait called about an hour ago. Andy woke up this morning. The doctors seem to think he's in the clear."

Steele felt a tremendous weight fall from his shoulders. "Thank God," he breathed. His arms were suddenly weak with relief and he set the fork back down on the plate.

"Hey," Laura protested. "Did I say you could stop eating?" She scooped up his neglected bite of egg and held it to his lips. "Andy has a lot of recuperating to do and so do you. Now eat."

"Yes, Mother," he said with a smile. He took the food she offered and for the first time noticed how good it tasted.

Laura helped Remington settle stiffly into the easy chair in the living room and wondered just how much help he was going to be. It was ironic that the one time he wanted desperately to do the legwork, he was physically unfit to do so. She glanced over at Murphy, standing at the fireplace, and was once more grateful for his presence. She was aware, though, that it was more than just their friendship that was motivating her old associate on this one. He had a much more personal stake in finding the person responsible for the accident. She knew how close he was to his cousins.

"Thank you for coming by," Remington was saying.

Murphy shrugged. "Told you I would. We gotta nail this creep." He turned to Laura. "Have you had a chance to go over those files?"

Laura recalled the selection of cases Remington had come home with last night. "None of them seem very promising," she stated reluctantly.

"At least it a place to start," her husband spoke up irritably. "And it's better than sitting around doing nothing."

Laura refrained from commenting. She knew why Remington was snapping and it had nothing to do with her. She placed an understanding hand on his shoulder and he reached up to take hold of it.

Murphy tactfully ignored the exchange. "So how do you want to do this? Split up... show of force?"

"We can cover more ground if we each take some," Remington commented, and just as Laura was about to protest, he gave her a look of resignation. "Although I suppose I'm going to need someone with me."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stop by the hospital first," Murphy suggested. "I want to see Andy and we might be able to talk Cait into coming home for a while. I'm sure she was up all night."

"That's a very good idea," Remington agreed. "I hated to leave her alone like that."

"Sherry went this morning to see if she could help, and Skip's in town too," Murphy added.

"I'm glad she has your family's support, Murphy," Remington said gratefully. "It means a lot to her to feel accepted by them."

Murphy smiled kindly. "She's a part of the family. So are you guys."

Laura knew that very well. She'd known Murphy for over twenty years... a friendship that had endured a lot, both good and bad. In the last ten or twelve years, with marriage and children for both of them, the relationship had grown to include Sherry, Remington, the children... and when Cait had married Andy, it seemed the entire Michaels family had opened their arms and welcomed them.

"I guess we should get going then," Laura said. "We need to check with Jimmy too... see if the police have found anything on the car."

"Good idea," Murphy agreed. "I've got a rental car outside. You two can follow me."

Remington couldn't believe the change in the hospital room. When he'd left Cait yesterday, it had been with a feeling of dread. His sister's quiet, desperate vigil had weighed on his heart, that burden multiplied by his own sense of guilt over this whole affair. This morning, however, was a completely different matter.

For starters, Caitlin wasn't the only one here anymore. Skip was in the middle of some wild tale, playing to a full audience that not only included Andy and Cait, but Skip's wife, Melanie, Nick and Yvette Michaels. Dr. Rose Michaels stood a bit apart as if she were monitoring the whole situation, ready to call a halt if things got out of hand. The jovial laughter could be heard through the hallway. Beside her, Dr. Lia McCall stood holding Nick and Yvette's two month old daughter. The sight of the woman's slightly rounded abdomen reminded Steele that Scott and his wife were expecting their own child later that year. It seemed to him that the Michaels clan was always growing.

The room itself appeared more festive as well. There were several arrangements of flowers and balloons placed strategically out of the way of the crowd of visitors. When the newcomers entered they were greeted noisily until Rose held up a hand for quiet. At that point Melanie got up and put an arm around Skip's waist, obviously reining him in.

"I think it's time for the next shift," she announced.

"Awww, Mel," her husband protested, sounding like a little boy who'd just been told it was bedtime. "We were just gettin' started."

"You can come back later this afternoon," Rose promised with a smile.

Skip heaved an exaggerated sigh of resignation. "Okay, okay. We'll be good and go home."

"Besides, Sherry's probably going nuts with all the kids," Yvette reminded them.

"The kids?" Remington inquired curiously

"I guess I never got a chance to tell you," Laura began.

"It's okay," Nicky broke in smoothly. "We figured you guys might rest a little easier if you didn't have to worry about the kids with this nut out there. We brought 'em all out to the mansion... Maggie and her little ones too."

"I thought it was a good idea," Rose told them. "And there's so much to do there... they'll have a blast."

"Rose was right," Laura chimed in, seeing the hesitation on his face. "That does help us out a great deal."

"But you left them all there with Sherry?" Remington asked in alarm. He turned to Rose. "And what about your poor father?"

"Grandpa's probably having a ball with them," Nick offered. "And Maggie's there," he pointed out reasonably. "We drafted Scott too."

"It'll be good practice for him," Lia added with a laugh.

"And Jeffers and Mickey came out to help," Yvette reminded.

"With the twins," Mel put in, hardly able to keep a straight face..

"Good grief, Nick. That's how many children? Thirteen?"

"Don't forget our boys," Skip grinned.

"And Tommy," Murphy laughed.

"Sixteen?" Remington's voice rose in amazement. "Poor Sherry."

Murphy laughed again. "She's probably loving it."

"I'm sure the kids are having a great time with all their cousins," Cait spoke up gratefully. She rose from her seat next to Andy's bed. "We can't thank you enough... all of you." She glanced at Andy. "We really do appreciate you being here."

"But?" Skip prompted with a twinkle in his eye.

Cait smiled. "I think Andy's worn out."

All eyes focused on the figure in the bed. Andy chuckled lightly and then grimaced at the discomfort the action caused. "It's about time somebody asked me what I thought," he complained good-naturedly. "But, yeah... I am kinda tired."

"That's it, then," Rose declared in a no-nonsense tone. "The patient needs his rest. Everybody out."

"Yes, ma'am," Nicky responded with a quick salute.

The gathered family made their goodbyes and filed quietly out. Cait gave Andy a quick kiss on the cheek, then followed their visitors to talk to them before they left. Murphy moved to the bed and grabbed his cousin's hand in a farewell gesture, then he too left the room. Steele took Laura by the arm and made to leave as well.

"Remington?" He turned at the sound of Andy's voice. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He saw Laura glance up at him and he nodded for her to go on. "I'll be along."

After she was gone, he moved to sit beside his brother-in-law. He had to shift an extra large balloon bouquet out of his way to do so. He caught sight of the card and saw it was from Lee and Amanda. They'd done as they were told and stayed home, but Remington was certain they probably wanted to be here as badly as everyone else. He also knew that Andy's mother hadn't been able to sit in Santa Fe while her son was in the hospital. Caitlin had informed him Katie had arranged for Murphy's nephew, Dinh, to fly her in. She'd be here later today. The fierce love and loyalty of the Michaels family never ceased to amaze him.

Andy looked better than he had last night, but he was still battered and his eyes were weary. Besides his injuries there was a certain anxiety in his face that Steele was certain he hadn't seen while everyone else was in the room. Obviously something was bothering Andy that he felt only Steele could help him with. He reached down and placed a hand on Andy's arm.

"What is it, Andrew? What's wrong?"

"The ring!" Andy whispered worriedly. "What happened to the ring? I didn't want to ask Cait and I..."

"Easy there, mate," Remington soothed, relieved this was all that was bothering the man. "I've got it at home. It's in safe keeping."

Andy relaxed visibly and let out a sigh. "I was afraid the hospital had given it to Cait, but she didn't say anything about it. So then I thought I'd lost it at the accident." He glanced up at Remington. "How'd you get it?" he asked curiously.

Steele merely smiled. "Never question, Andrew. Just accept and go from there."

Andy returned his smile and lay back on the pillow, his eyes closed for a moment. Steele got up to go but Andy spoke again. "Hey Remington? See if you can talk Cait into going home for a little while. I know she's gotta be beat but she won't listen to me."

Steele knew his sister's stubborn streak when it came to those she loved. "I'll do my best, old man, but I can't make any promises there."

Andy smiled acknowledgment of the predicament. Remington was silent and his eyes once more took in the outward signs of Andy's injuries: the ugly abrasions, the purple bruises, the broken leg. He was filled with the same remorse and guilt that had plagued him the night before.

"Andrew," he began slowly, "about what happened... I wanted to say how sorry I am about all this and..."

Andy held up his hand to forestall the apology. "It wasn't your fault," he assured his brother-in-law. "Laura filled us in when Cait called her this morning."

"She did, eh?"

Andy nodded. "She also said you were beating yourself up about it pretty bad."

Remington ran a hand though his hair self-consciously. "Well, it does seem to me that you wouldn't have been hurt if it hadn't been..."

"...for the hosepail behind the wheel," Andy finished adamantly. Steele couldn't help smiling at Andy's strange euphemism.

"I suppose when you put it that way..."

Andy grinned. "Makes all the sense in the world. Look, Remington... we were both in the wrong place at the wrong time. Doesn't mean either one of us was to blame. Just go find the creep so he can't hurt anybody else."

Steele felt his smile widen. "We're going to do just that, mate. I promise."

Laura pulled the car to a stop and killed the engine. She peered up at the old apartment building. It was in fairly good shape for its age, its lawn nicely kept and the individual units free from clutter. Obviously the people who lived here took some pride in their homes.

"This should be the place," she announced.

There was no answer and she glanced over at the passenger seat to see Remington asleep, his head leaning against the window. It was more than just the thirty minute drive out to Azusa. He was exhausted. The last couple of days had taken their toll on him. Too sore to sleep much at night, he refused to take the pain medication. He complained it made him too groggy to be of any use in the search for the assailant.

She sighed. Not that it seemed to make much difference whether he helped or not. For the last three days, between Murphy's efforts and their own, they'd tracked down nearly everyone on their list. They'd discovered two had been killed months ago, two others had left the country, a few were working hard at making a new life -- one had even found religion and started his own church. Not much to choose from as a would-be killer. The only good thing was that there hadn't been any further attempts on their lives.

As she studied her husband, she was tempted to let him sleep. Between all the legwork and his own burden of guilt over what had happened, he wasn't letting himself get the rest his body needed to fully recuperate from his own injuries. She reached over and brushed that one stubborn lock off his forehead. She couldn't leave him behind. Besides the fact that he would never forgive her, there was still the real chance that this mystery man was out there waiting for an opportunity to strike again.

Her touch startled him out of his sleep and he shifted to a more upright position.

"Hmmm? What? Are we here already?" He rubbed at his eyes and peered out the window.

"This is the place," Laura informed him. "His parole officer listed this as his current address."

"Then let's go see him." Remington opened the door with his good arm and got stiffly out of the car.

Laura got out as well and came around to walk beside him as they made their way up the small path leading to the complex. Remington's pace was slower than normal, but Laura didn't mind. It gave her a chance to keep a surreptitious eye on their surroundings. The last attack had come out of the blue, and with her husband's condition, he wouldn't be able to make a fast get-away.

"Ever vigilant, eh, Miss Holt?"

She smiled at being caught. It was a good sign that he was still as observant as ever. "Just being cautious," she countered.

"Admirable quality," he complimented with a crooked grin. Then his face grew more serious. "Just remember, I'm not an invalid."

She took his hand. "I know you're not." They reached the directory and she paused to double check the name with the address they'd been given. "Here it is... Miranda, number 10."

It was just a short walk through the open courtyard. When they came to the right apartment, Laura knocked firmly. They waited for a few moments, then a woman's voice came through the door.

"¿Quién es?"

Laura grimaced and berated herself for not sticking with the many Spanish classes she'd started over the years.

"Señora Miranda?" Remington spoke loudly enough to be heard through the closed door.

"Sí." The door opened slightly, the chain still in place. Laura could see part of the face of a small Hispanic woman. "No tengo dinero."

Remington gave her one of his most charming smiles. "Te queremos hablar de tu esposo."

The door closed and Laura could hear the chain sliding off, then the woman opened it fully. She stood there expectantly -- literally. Laura guessed she was probably seven or eight months pregnant. She was young -- early twenties at the most -- and very pretty.

"What do you want with Reggie?" Her English was good, if heavily accented.

"Do you know where he is?" Laura inquired, keeping her voice neutral. She didn't want to frighten this woman unnecessarily.

"Sí. He is at work. At the mission."

"The mission?"

"Sí. San Vicente on 5th Street. He works there every day now. The parole officer... he got Reggie the job. He cuts the grass... he keeps the garden... cleans the building." She smiled proudly. "He goes every day now and never misses."

Laura knew -- without asking any more questions -- she knew. This wasn't the guy they were looking for, but she had to at least finish up here.

"Mrs. Miranda, where was your husband Friday afternoon... around 12:30?"

The woman's smile softened and her hands moved to her extended abdomen. "We were at the hospital. Our LaMaze class."

Laura exchanged a glance with her husband. He nodded slightly.

"Muchas gracias, Señora. You've been very helpful." They turned to go, but the woman stopped them.

"Wait. Is something wrong? Is Reggie in trouble?"

Laura gave the woman a reassuring smile. "No, not at all. Sorry to have bothered you." They took their leave and started toward the car.

"Tell me, Laura," Remington began dryly, "does it seem as if rehabilitation is working better than it used to?"

Laura chuckled as she got in the car. "It does appear that way." She buckled up and started the engine. Within a few moments they were on the freeway, headed back to the office. Remington reclined his seat and closed his eyes. The sigh she heard was as much from frustration as from weariness.

They drove on in silence. There wasn't much to say. Miranda had been the last name on their list. Unless Murphy had been able to come up with something, they'd just spent the last few days spinning their wheels.

The chirping of the phone brought Remington upright. He flipped it open and spoke succinctly.

"Steele here."

Laura glanced over and saw him mouth the word, "Jarvis." Hopefully, Jimmy had some good news for them. After a few minutes of a one-sided conversation, Remington snapped the instrument shut.

"They found the car," he announced.

"Stolen?"

"Phony plates. Jarvis is having his lab boys go over it with a fine toothed comb. Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I'd say we're due." She shot him another appraising glance. "Right now, though, there's not much we can do."

"Laura..."

"I'm not coddling you," she insisted firmly. "We're out of leads. I think it would be best to go home... regroup with Murphy and wait to hear what Jimmy comes up with."

He was silent for a time, but the logic of the situation won out. He gave another sigh and leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes. The next time Laura looked over at him, he'd fallen asleep again.

He couldn't believe he'd failed. It was such an easy set-up. But, as luck would have it, the guy didn't die. And now the police had started poking their noses into it.

What a pain that had been. He'd had to ditch the car and find another one. More time spent on this stupid business -- wasted time he wasn't even getting paid for. He ground his teeth in frustration as he thought about all the money he was losing because of this.

But he was ready to end it now. He'd waited and listened and he knew his man would be here. He didn't know exactly how many others there would be as well, but that couldn't be helped now. He was going to finish the job.

The loading zone of the hospital was crowded as usual, and Remington was glad they'd convinced Andy's family it would be safer for them to have his homecoming celebration at the Carmichael house. There were too many people to keep track of as it was. He leaned against the limo, keeping his attention divided between the admitting entrance and the open area around them. There was nothing to suggest the man might strike again, but he didn't want to take any chances... not here. Murphy stood farther down the curbside parking, keeping an eye out as well.

Remington repressed a frustrated sigh. He felt as if his life was in limbo because of this lunatic. His children were still at the Foley mansion. Although he knew it was for their own protection, he missed having them under his roof. Laura was there now, with their assignments from school and spending some extra time with them.

They weren't even bringing Andy to their home for his convalescence. He and Cait were going to stay at the Carmichaels' until everything was settled. It actually made more sense. Skip's parents' home was certainly big enough and it was already adapted for wheelchair convenience. Still, it hadn't been a matter of choice. Remington felt he'd lost control of his own life and was nursing a building resentment toward the person who'd taken it from him.

The automatic doors slid open and Remington smiled as he saw Skip wheeling Andy out. His brother-in-law's broken leg was propped up in front of him and he was wearing his hat. Remington knew that was mostly to cover up the lump on his head and the hairless patch of scalp surrounding it.

Cait walked beside him, her face beaming. She'd had a terrible scare, and for those first few hours she'd probably wondered if this day would come. He couldn't express how thankful he was that Andy had pulled through. He didn't think he'd have been able to live with himself knowing he'd been responsible for Cait losing the man she loved so dearly.

As they came closer to the limo, Steele opened the passenger door. Andy grinned at him self-consciously.

"Geez, Remington... you guys didn't have to roll out the red carpet here."

"I told him to let you walk home," Skip joked, "but nobody listens to me."

"Of course not." Murphy laughed as he came over to help. "We never have before. Why start now?"

Remington watched in silent amusement as Skip and Murphy argued good-naturedly about the best way to get their cousin into the limo. Letting them work it out, Cait came and slipped an arm around her brother's waist. They both moved to stand behind Andy's wheelchair.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine." She fixed him with a penetrating look and he held up his good hand in surrender. "Just a bit sore still. Satisfied?"

"I will be when this is all over," she said softly. "I'm worried about you and Laura."

"Don't be, little sister. Laura and I can take care of ourselves." He nodded in Murphy's direction. "Besides, with Murphy's help and Captain Jarvis'... we've got everything under control."

He heard the sharp report of gunfire only an instant before the shattering of glass. He dove instantly, dragging Caitlin down with him. He heard Murphy shouting for everyone to take cover. He lay shielding his sister, aware of people screaming and more shots whizzing around them. He'd jarred his shoulder when they'd hit the pavement and it throbbed mercilessly, but he didn't dare move.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he realized the shots had stopped. He lay still for a few more seconds, listening to the ringing in his ears. Then he lifted his head tentatively. The patio was disturbingly quiet.

He felt Cait struggling to get out from under him. He held onto her arm, unwilling to let her get far from his protection.

"Rem... let me go," she cried. "Andy... I have to get to Andy."

He felt a stab of guilt that his instinctual protectiveness for Cait had pushed all thought of anyone else out of his mind. Still laid up from the previous incident, his brother-in-law wouldn't have been able to take cover. He glanced at the wheelchair. It was empty, but Remington could clearly see holes in the canvas back where bullets had passed through it easily.

"Andy!" Cait got up and stumbled over to where she'd last seen her husband.

"He's all right," came Murphy's reassuring voice and Remington saw Cait's gaze turn to the open limo door. Her hand flew to her mouth and she broke into a tearful smile.

The side window was shattered, but no one appeared hurt. Murphy got out of the car and let Cait move closer. Steele could now see Andy's casted leg sticking part-way out of the back seat. Somehow, Murphy and Skip had gotten their cousin out of the chair and into the relative safety of the limo. He breathed a sigh of relief, regretting the action instantly, as his ribs protested this kind of treatment.

A hand suddenly appeared in his line of sight and he saw Murphy there.

"You okay?"

Steele nodded. He took the offered help and rose awkwardly onto unsteady feet. He waited to get his balance, then he walked to the car. He peered in to see Skip still holding onto Andy. Obviously he'd gone first and hauled his cousin in after him. Both men were sprawled over the seat. Cait sat on the floorboard holding her husband's hand.

"How're you doing, mate?"

Andy's face screwed up in a grimace. "I've had better days, I can tell ya that."

"I think we all have," Skip agreed. Even the usually carefree Carmichael was shaken.

"Fred's here with Security," Murphy announced.

Remington could see his chauffeur in serious conversation with a guard who appeared to be in charge. He also noticed several other uniformed men canvassing the immediate area.

"We should call Jarvis," he observed.

"Already done," Murphy advised him. "Fred took care of it first thing."

Remington nodded his approval. "That was a close one, Murphy."

"Yeah, too close."

He stepped over to the wheelchair and absently fingered a bullet hole. For the first time he noticed the matching holes in the seat were the bullets had passed through. He glanced up at the many windows the shooter could have used as his post. He could feel his anger building, but there was no place to vent it. His hand slowly closed into a fist. "I have to find this bugger," he declared icily. "He's always a step ahead. He let us relax... I let my guard down and then..."

"Listen..." Murphy moved closer, his face intense. "This wasn't your fault. There's no way you could've known this was gonna happen."

Remington knew in his head that his friend was right, but it was difficult not to feel responsible. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily -- and found himself suffering an attack of vertigo. He stumbled a bit, feeling Murphy's hands take hold of his arms to support him.

"Whoa, there." Murphy helped him lean against the limo. "You sure you're all right?"

He nodded once. "Just a touch dizzy, old man. I'm fine."

"Sure you are." Murphy didn't sound convinced. "Come on. Let's get you home."

Steele tried to protest, but he didn't have the strength to put up much of a fight. He let Murphy lead him to the car's front door. His friend opened it for him and he climbed in. He relaxed against the head rest, letting the fatigue and stress of the last few days wash over him. He could hear Murphy talking to Skip, telling his cousin to get in his car and let Cait ride with Andy. Then the door slammed shut.

"We'll meet you at Aunt Beth's," Murphy told him through the open window.

Remington managed to lift his hand in a grateful farewell and he watched Murphy and Skip jog over to the other car. He heard the driver's door open and felt Fred climb behind the wheel.

"How you doing, Mr. Steele?"

"Fine, Fred... fine. Just get us out of here."

"Right away, sir."

Fred started the engine and they soon pulled away from the hospital, headed to the house of Addison and Elizabeth Carmichael.

Laura sat in front of the large bread board, making sandwiches. Caitlin bustled around her, finding sodas and chips and other goodies from Beth Carmichael's well-stocked kitchen. It had taken a little doing to get used to having everything at thigh level. Everything in this house had been altered many years ago to accommodate Skip's wheelchair-bound mother. But shortly, Laura thought nothing of the different arrangement.

There was quite a group gathered in the living room. The news of what happened at the hospital had put a damper on the celebration. Instead of the festive atmosphere that had been anticipated at Andy's arrival, the mood was now subdued, with everyone trying to figure out what exactly they could do to stop this maniac.

No one had been hurt, thank goodness. Laura still felt a flutter of fear when she let herself dwell on how close she'd come once again to losing Remington. In their years as private investigators, they'd faced their share of dangers, but most of the time they knew what they were facing. This time was different. This danger had struck without warning and there didn't seem to be anything they could do about it.

She felt her hands tremble so she put the knife down and grabbed hold of the board.

"Laura?" Cait stopped beside her and set down her armload of dishes. "Laura, are you all right?"

Laura took a deep, steadying breath. She couldn't let herself fall apart. "I'm fine. It's nothing... don't worry."

"Laura..." Cait's voice took on the tone she used with her children and Laura smiled. She felt her sister-in-law's arm come to rest across her shoulders. "It's only natural to be afraid. Nobody expects you to be strong all the time."

Laura shook her head. "I do. I expect me to be strong. I just feel like there's something I should be doing... something I've missed."

Caitlin gave a small laugh. "Now you sound like Remington. The two of you... you both try to take on the weight of the whole world." She gave Laura's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Just remember the rest of us don't expect you to be superheroes."

Laura smiled and leaned into Cait's embrace for a moment, grateful for the kind words and support. Then she took a deep breath and turned back to the work in front of her.

"Nobody's going to be very understanding if we don't get the food out there," she laughed.

Cait agreed whole-heartedly and they soon had lunch ready. After making sure everyone was served, Laura brought her sandwich and drink over to sit next to Remington. She was worried about him. He looked so worn out and defeated. Murphy had told her a bit about the attack at the hospital and she knew Remington was feeling this second near miss deeply. He didn't eat very much of his lunch, but then neither did anyone else.

After the meal, the group began to break up. Andy was tired and, after much coaxing on Cait's part, finally let himself be wheeled into the guest room Beth had set up for him and went to bed. Katie and gone with Skip and his father to the Foley's to make sure everything was under control there. Cait and Murphy were sitting on the patio, talking to Beth. Remington was still on the couch. By the pensive look on his face, Laura could tell what was on his mind. She couldn't blame him. It was all she thought about as well. She settled down next to him and felt his arm come around her automatically. Neither of them said anything -- they didn't have to.

The phone rang and Remington finally stirred. He reached to grab it off the coffee table.

"Steele here." Laura's heart hurt to hear him so dejected. "Yes, Captain... no, we're all fine... thank you. No... no one saw anything. I think the shots came from one of the rooms; that's all I can say for certain." He paused and listened, his face growing more interested. "Yes, well, I'll discuss it with Laura... maybe it will ring a bell with her... Right... Thank you, Jimmy."

He slowly closed the phone, his face thoughtful.

"What is it?" Laura asked anxiously.

"They finally found some prints on the car... on the gas cap of all places. They came up with a name."

"Who?" Murphy's voice at the door turned them both in that direction.

"The prints belong to somebody named Terrance Sands... last known address is in Chicago. They don't have a sheet on him."

"That doesn't always mean anything," Murphy observed. "This guy could have several different names."

"Captain Jarvis is waiting to hear from the F.B.I., but that could take a few hours."

Laura sat back on the couch, thinking out loud. "Terrance Sands... it doesn't sound familiar." She held her hand out for the phone and Remington gave it to her. "I'll have Mildred run him through the computer. She'll find out if he was ever involved in a case we worked on. She glanced over at her husband. "Then I'm going to take you home. You need to rest."

Remington started to protest, but she gave him a look and he fell silent. She heard a snicker from Murphy and shot him a glare. He held up his hands in innocence and Laura smiled. It was nice to be in control of something... if only the men in her life.

He'd missed... again. This was just unreal. He never missed. Never. And here he'd missed twice. He shook his head and stomped out his cigarette. He had to do something about this guy soon. He was due in Frisco next week for a job. He couldn't be late.

He'd probably made an error in judgment to try at the hospital. Too many uniformed types hanging around. They'd made him nervous and he'd missed his aim. Well, he wasn't about to make that mistake again. This time it was going to be up close and personal. He was going to be sure this time.

He scanned the sky. The sun was low in the horizon. Better to wait until dark... use its cover to help him get away afterwards. He knew where to go. He'd picked the tail up and followed him easily. Now it was just a matter of waiting a few hours. After this long, what did a little bit more time matter? After tonight, he wouldn't have to worry about this guy again.

Laura paced in front of the desk in Remington's office and wondered distractedly how many times they'd had to replace the carpet here. This was where she did her best thinking, but usually her husband was sitting in the chair behind the desk helping her work out whatever problem had stumped them.

He was standing at the window, staring out at the gleam of the city lights. Through the open door, she could hear the sounds of Mildred's computer and the occasional sound of voices as Murphy conferred with their old friend about some aspect of what she was doing. Mildred was a digger. Once she got on a trail, she never let go until she found something. Laura hoped she could come up with something now. They desperately needed her to pull off one of her electronic miracles.

In the meantime, Laura decided she had other things to take care of which required her specialties. She walked over to Remington and stood beside him.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said lightly.

He shifted his gaze away from the nightscape and gave her a wry smile "I think you'd be wasting your money."

Laura moved a little closer. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that."

His smile grew warmer. "You never give up, do you, Miss Holt?"

She shook her head. "Not when it really counts."

He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Just one of the many reasons I fell in love with you."

She stared into his sincere blue eyes. She could get lost in those eyes, but she had other things on her mind right now. She jabbed his good arm lightly with her index finger.

"Nice try, Mr. Steele, but you're changing the subject."

He laughed and the sound was wonderful to hear. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed hearing it during this ordeal.

"All right, woman... you are persistent, I'll give you that." Once more he gazed out the window. "I was just wondering if it's all worth it."

Laura frowned. "If what's worth it?"

Remington shrugged uneasily and gestured behind him toward the office. "All this. Sometimes I fell that we pay an awfully high price."

Laura turned him to face her. "Do you regret doing this?"

He met her scrutiny with a myriad of emotions running across his features. At last he shook his head. "Of course not. I can't think of our lives being any different. This is part of what we are. It's exciting and stimulating and..." He reached for her and she moved into his embrace. It was comforting to feel him so near. "It's just that..."

She looked up worriedly. "What?"

He gave her a broad grin. "Well, sometimes I could do with a little less excitement."

Now it was Laura's turn to laugh. She reached up to kiss him, more passionately than before.

"Chief... Miss Holt..."

Mildred's excited voice announced her arrival before she actually came into the office. Laura saw the older woman rush in, her hands filled with printouts. Murphy was at her heels, his face no less excited.

"What is it, Mildred?"

"I think I got something. Look at this." She spread her reports out on the desk. "I ran some cross-checks on the name Terrance Sands... you know, places Jarvis might not have thought to look."

"And?" Remington prompted.

"Well, it turns out this guy owes back taxes and the IRS had been tracking him all over the country. They lost his trail in... of all places... New Mexico."

"New Mexico?" The wheels began turning in Laura's head, but she didn't have enough to solve the puzzle just yet.

"Yeah," Murphy added. "Too weird, right?"

"Anyway," Mildred continued, "I hooked up with the law enforcement computers there and this guy's prints showed up on a pending assault case."

"Assault? Who'd he assault?" Laura inquired.

"A penny ante thug in Santa Fe. They never caught the guy and the victim clammed up tighter than a barnacle. He's not saying a thing."

"So our man's in the business of assaulting people," Remington mused. "Are you trying to tell us someone paid him to kill me?"

"Not at all." Mildred sounded like a kid who had a secret she was dying to tell. "The guy he beat up won't cooperate with the cops, but there was a witness." She grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Mildred!" Laura exploded with exasperation. "Just tell us!"

"It was Andy Travis!" Mildred revealed. "Your brother-in-law! He can identify this slimeball and it seems like the creep's not too happy about it."

"He's been after Andy the whole time," Murphy summed up. "He must've followed him and Cait out here."

"No wonder we came up blank on our case history." Laura slapped a hand onto the desktop. "We were so certain he had to be after one of us."

"And that's why he was at the hospital," Remington added, his voice taking on an urgent quality. "He found out when Andy was being released. We can only assume he knows where's Andy's staying."

He was out the door in an instant, Laura and Murphy right behind him.

Caitlin sighed as she put away the last dish from supper and dried her hands on the towel. It had been quite a day -- quite a few days actually. She'd worried so much over Andy, and she missed the children terribly. She knew that Remington was feeling awfully guilty about the whole affair and she wished she could make him see how illogical that was. But she also knew that same sense of responsibility was something he'd worked hard at nurturing within himself. That it happened to kick into overdrive at times was something he couldn't help and another reason why she adored him so much.

She heard wheels on the hardwood floor and turned, wondering if Andy had gotten out of bed. It was Beth, and Cait greeted her with a warm smile.

"You didn't have to do the dishes, my girl," Skip's mother informed her, reaching up and taking her hand.

"It was no trouble," Cait assured her. "And you've been so nice... letting us stay here. The last thing I want is to cause you any trouble."

Beth laughed. "You're no trouble, believe me, child. I could use a little more trouble around here. Everybody treats me like I can't do anything anymore."

Cait squeezed the woman's hand. She knew Skip's mother's health had been going downhill recently, but she also knew the Michaels women were fighters. Beth wouldn't give in and let herself be taken care of without a battle.

"You know they only do that because they love you so much."

Beth smiled wryly. "I know that, but I'm not going to let them pack me away in cotton just yet."

Caitlin chuckled. "They won't as long as I'm here. But you have to promise to let me help as much as I can."

"All right," Beth conceded. "We'll help each other."

Cait took hold of the woman's wheelchair and pushed her into the family room. Addison was sitting in the recliner, watching an old World War II movie. Andy was up again, deep in a discussion with his cousin Allie that had something to do with grunge rock and rap music. Skip and Melanie were staying over at the Foley place, helping to referee all the kids. In direct contrast to the confusion of earlier in the day, tonight it seemed a peaceful calm reigned over the house.

Cait settled Beth next to her husband and came over to sit beside Andy, careful of his leg which was propped up on the ottoman. She wasn't really following his and Allie's conversation, she just wanted to be near him. Ever since the accident, she hadn't wanted to be too far from his side.

He put an arm around her. She smiled and leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek.

"You feeling okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, it feels better sitting up actually. I may just sleep propped up out here tonight."

"Can we call you The Elephant Man, Cuz?" Allie laughed.

"Funny, funny." Andy's hand moved to rub self-consciously at the bare spot on his scalp.

"It'll grow back, Andrew," Beth assured him. "Don't let the boys give you a hard time." She gave her son a reproving look. "That means you too, Alister."

"Aw, Mom..." Allie protested. "Andy knows I was just kidding."

The good-natured banter continued. Cait only half-listened. She was tired, but didn't have the energy to get off the couch and go to bed. At some point, there was a lull in the conversation and the house grew quiet, except for the soft noise of the television. Cait leaned against Andy and closed her eyes, until she heard something.

She sat up straight and listened.

"What is it, hon?"

Cait's brow furrowed as she strained to place the noise. "I'm not sure. I thought I heard..."

"What?" Allie got off the couch and walked over to the sliding glass door that led into the backyard.

"I'm not sure." She stood and moved to stand next to Allie. He'd flipped on the porch light, but she couldn't see much except the patio. "I don't think it was outside," she said. "It sounded more like upstairs."

"Nobody's up there much," Beth spoke up. "We only use it when the whole family's here visiting."

"I'll go check it out," Addison stated. He got out of his chair and started toward the stairs.

"Wait, Dad," Allie called. "Let me go up there."

"I can still look after my own home, son," Addison countered a bit grumpily. Cait figured he'd had this kind of argument with his children before.

"Sure you can," Allie agreed. "I just wanna come with you." He trotted over to join his father and the two Carmichael men made their way up the stairs.

Cait came back to sit beside Andy. "I'm certain I heard something."

"Maybe you did, but we're all a little spooked," Andy reasoned. "Coulda been just the house."

"I know house noises," Cait insisted. "The ranch makes all kinds of pops and creaks. This wasn't that kind of sound."

"What was it, dear?" Beth asked.

Cait shrugged. "Footsteps... or... "

A heavy thud and the slamming of a door upstairs startled them all. Cait got to her feet and would have raced to the stairs, but Andy was holding her hand. She turned to see his concerned face.

"You're not goin' up there by yourself."

"But Andy..."

"You wait here for Allie or Uncle Addison."

Cait repressed a sigh of exasperation. Usually she loved the fact that Andy wanted to shelter and protect her, but once in a while, just like her brother, he became a little unreasonable. There wasn't another able-bodied person in the room. She wondered who he thought was going to help them if something really was wrong.

"Andy," she began, trying to keep her impatience out of her voice, "I'm just going to go up there and..."

She trailed off. Andy's grip had tightened on her hand and he was no longer looking at her. She saw a flash of fear in his eyes and heard Beth give a small, frightened gasp. Slowly, she turned around, her blood running cold as she saw the man at the bottom of the stairs, an ugly-looking gun in his hands.

The house appeared normal enough for this time of night. Remington could see lights in the family room as well as in one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was quiet, but then it was late, so that wasn't unusual. He crouched in the Carmichaels' neighbor's lawn, hidden behind the low garden wall that divided the two properties. Laura waited beside him and, on her other side, Murphy fidgeted anxiously.

"Patience, old chap," Steele cautioned his friend.

"What if he's already in there?" Murphy whispered fiercely.

"Icy calm, my friend. We have to make sure of everyone's location."

"We can't just go barging in," Laura reasoned, though her voice was worried too.

From Murphy's unhappy expression, Steele could tell that was exactly what their former associate wanted to do. They couldn't chance it though. They'd tried to call on the car phone and hadn't been able to get an answer. That didn't bode well.

They waited a little longer, then Remington signaled for them to leave their cover. Carefully, the trio crept up the driveway, reaching the living room window. Steele raised himself just enough to peer in. The room was empty and dark, but there was light spilling in from the family room. He couldn't see anything from this vantage point, however. He needed to get inside without being noticed. He'd asked Murphy about any other doors, but the floodlight was on in the backyard, making a stealthy approach that way out of the question.

He sank back down and thought a moment, then lifted his head to gaze up at the second story. It might be possible if he could gain access without making too much noise. He let his eyes rest on the block wall they'd hidden behind. It was of graduating heights, growing taller as it moved into the backyard.

"You think it'll work?"

Remington glanced at Laura. She'd been following his movements and obviously his thoughts as well. He gave her a smile. "It just might do the trick."

"What?" Murphy demanded. He'd missed the exchange between the husband and wife team.

"The roof," Laura supplied in a whisper. "The bedroom window."

Murphy glanced up and raised his eyebrows speculatively. "Maybe. You'd have to be pretty quiet so nobody downstairs will hear you."

Remington graced his friend with his most incredulous look. Murphy rolled his eyes.

"You've only got one good hand, in case you've forgotten. You're not exactly in top form."

Steele kept a neutral expression. "I can do it," he stated.

Murphy sighed quietly and moved over to the wall. Laura and Steele followed a step behind. Before they reached the side of the house, Laura grabbed Remington's hand, halting him. She let Murphy go on ahead and then faced her husband.

"Are you sure about this?"

He opened his mouth to offer her a flippant platitude, but something in her face kept him silent. Instead, he kissed her on the forehead.

"I have to do this," he said simply, and she nodded once in acceptance. He marveled at how far they'd come that they didn't have to waste precious minutes arguing with each other. "Let's go," he whispered.

They caught up with Murphy, who was inspecting the distance between he wall and the roof.

"We climbed just about everything there was to climb here when we were kids," he told them. "But I don't think we ever tried this."

Steele patted him on the shoulder. "There's a first time for everything, eh, mate?" He moved to where the wall was low enough for him to step up on, then carefully began to walk along the top, back toward the house.

It had been some time since he'd been called upon to do second story work, but it was a skill that had never left him. Even with his right arm bandaged tightly to his side, he kept his balance easily. Very soon he was positioned directly across from the level part of the roof.

It wasn't that far across. If he hadn't been concerned about noise, he would've jumped it, but he couldn't chance anyone hearing his landing.

"Be careful," came Laura's anxious voice from below.

He didn't acknowledge it. He couldn't spare the attention. He could feel the sweat on his forehead and back as he gathered himself up and took the long step across.

He made solid contact, letting his momentum bring his body across, using his one available hand to grab the edge of shingles that formed an "A" frame over the window. He glanced down and saw Murphy and Laura were now headed toward the front door as they'd planned. They would wait for his signal and then come in.

He leaned into the open window. The bedroom was dark, which was just as well. He grunted slightly in discomfort as he bent over to duck inside, swinging his long legs over the sill. He'd made it.

Cait felt her stomach turn to water at the sight of the gun. The man came down the last few steps and she sat beside Andy, not sure what was going to happen next.

"You're a hard man to kill," the man announced in a voice that sounded almost annoyed.

"Me?" Cait could tell Andy was confused. "All this time you've been trying to kill me?"

The man snorted. "Who'd you think? I've been after you all the way from Santa Fe."

Cait's frazzled nerves tried to make sense out of what the stranger was saying. He'd been after Andy -- not Remington. And he'd been following them their entire trip. She darted a glance at her husband. His face was a mixture of anger and puzzlement.

"I don't know who you are..." Beth began indignantly, but the gunman interrupted her.

"But he does." He gestured toward Andy.

Andy's face suddenly changed. Cait could see everything become clear to him and he faced his stalker defiantly. "Yeah, I guess I do know you. I saw you nearly beat that poor guy to death in Santa Fe."

"Give the man a cigar." The stranger chuckled and raised his gun. "Say good-bye, cowboy."

"No!" Cait screamed, diving over Andy at the same time she heard gunfire and a man's yell.

"Caitlin!"

Andy's terrified scream at her actions only added to her resolve to keep him safe, no matter the cost. She wrapped herself around him, her only thought that he was unable to help himself and she would rather die than lose him.

She felt his arms, first trying to push her away, then holding onto her for dear life. She waited to feel the pain of the bullets, but it never came... and she finally realized there had only been the one shot fired.

"It's all right now, Cait." It was Remington's voice and she turned to see her brother standing over the prostrate figure of the man with the gun. He held a baseball bat in his hand. "Everything's all right," he repeated, leaning against the banister for support. Laura was suddenly at his side, helping him over to the chair to sit down. Murphy moved past them to head upstairs, where they could heard a insistent pounding on one of the bedroom doors.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?"

Cait whirled at the tone in Andy's voice. She couldn't tell if he was more furious or frightened by what she'd done.

"I... I couldn't let him kill you." Her voice was a bare whisper.

"So you were gonna let him kill you? My God, Cait." All traces of anger were gone and he grabbed her up in an embrace so tight, it took her breath away. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he said hoarsely, and Cait realized he was crying.

She felt her own tears of relief start to flow.

"Is everybody all right down here?"

The sound of Murphy's voice broke them apart and Cait settled at Andy's side in time to see Murphy and Addison helping Allie down the stairs. The youngest Carmichael was rubbing the back of his head.

"We're fine," Laura informed him from the arm of the chair where she was perched next to Remington. "Looks like we got here just in time."

"Who is this guy?" Addison asked as he helped his son sit on the bottom step. "He got the jump on us... cold-cocked Allie and jammed the door shut."

"He's a hired killer," Laura supplied grimly.

"Oh, my Lord," Beth gasped.

"What did he want with Andy?" Allie wondered.

"Andrew had the misfortune to witness our friend here in action."

"I didn't know that's what he was," Andy stated. "The police just thought it was a mugging. That's why I never gave it a second thought."

"Obviously, he did," Remington continued wryly. "Anonymity is essential in his profession. He couldn't risk you ever identifying him." He hefted the wooden bat. "Good thing your sons like sports, Mrs. Carmichael."

Cait shuddered while her brother continued his explanation. She leaned in closer to Andy, glad that the whole thing was finally over.

"Police! Freeze!"

Cait couldn't repress the small yelp of surprise at the new intrusion. She saw a dozen or so armed officers, led by Captain Jarvis. It was hard to say who was the most surprised, the policemen or the civilians. After a few moments of frozen silence, Remington finally spoke.

"Nice of you to join us, Jimmy," he offered drolly.

The officers put away their guns and several of them moved to take charge of the fallen gunman. Jarvis came over to stand in front of the Steeles.

"Mildred called us after you left your office, but the info from the F.B.I. was just coming in, so we had to wait for that too." He shrugged. "Guess you didn't need us anyway."

"We'll always need you, Jimmy," Laura laughed. "Who else could we get to clean up after us?"

Remington chuckled and reached out to draw Laura off the armrest and onto his lap. Cait sighed and snuggled closer to Andy. She glanced up at him sheepishly.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

He scowled at her for an instant, then broke into a wide smile. "I oughta be," he scolded, but his voice was tender.

Cait sighed and relaxed in the safety of his arms.

"Happy Birthday to You!"

The last slightly off-key chorus faded. Katie Laura and Caitlin both leaned close to the cake and made short work of the multitude of birthday candles. A round of cheers went up and the work of cutting the cake began in earnest.

Remington stood watching his daughter and his sister as they enjoyed their postponed celebration. Laura was bustling around, making sure everyone had ice cream and enough to drink. The rest of the children were running wild, but to Remington the chaos was more than welcome. He'd missed them all while they were at the Foley's.

After the cake was served, it was time for presents. Forgetting her new-found maturity, Katie squealed with delight at the model horse set from Cait and Andy. He and Laura got quieter, though no less enthusiastic, hugs and thanks for the newest addition to her stuffed animal collection -- a Sherlock Bear, complete with cape and deerstalker. There were lots of other gifts and soon paper and boxes were cluttering the floor. The older children were helping Katie admire her new toys, while little B.J. sat contentedly in an empty box.

During the entire proceeding, Remington had kept an eye out for one certain item. He'd managed to retrieve it from the safe in the den and slip it to Andy unnoticed. Now he saw his brother-in-law extract it from his pocket during a lull in the festivities.

"If I could have everybody's attention," Andy announced. All eyes turned toward him expectantly and he grinned a bit self-consciously. "I just wanted to give Cait her birthday present from me." He took her hand and placed the small box there. "Happy Birthday, honey."

Remington had to give Caitlin credit for the outstanding acting job she did. If he hadn't known differently, he would've sworn she was seeing the ring for the first time. When she took it from its bed of velvet and gave it to Andy to slip on her finger, there were tears of joy streaming down her face. It fit perfectly and matched her wedding band beautifully.

She wrapped her arms around her husband in a happy and grateful embrace. Remington smiled as he felt Laura come up beside him. He reached out his good arm and pulled her close.

Nicely done, Mr. Steele," she complimented. She obviously knew the ring was his idea.

He smiled. "Thank you, Miss Holt. Just wait until you see what I've got planned for your birthday."