Peter tapped away at the keys out of habit, paying very little attention to the information that was popping up on the screen. He knew that Kermit would have already blocked any information that might actually prove useful to him, but he could not just sit quietly and wait. He tried hard not to look over at the clock on the far wall, but his eyes were inevitably drawn there anyhow. Finally, eternity came to an end. Peter heard Kermit's voice, mingled with that of Captain Simms, before he caught sight of either one of them. He stood, along with his father and grandfather, and walked back over to Kermit's office. The mercenary appeared moments later.
"Hey, Peter, Caine," he nodded and raised a speculative brow at the stranger.
"Hi Kermit. This is my grandfather, Matthew Caine. Grandfather, this is Kermit Griffin."
Matthew bowed slightly, his eyes glued to the face of the man who might be his son. An image of Alexandra jumped, unbidden, into his mind as he scrutinized the man before him. 'Yes,' he thought 'this man definitely bears a remarkable resemblance.' Matthew tried to find evidence of himself in the face, but the green glasses obstructing his eyes prevented a thorough examination.
Peter continued, "Look, can we talk to you for a second...in your office maybe?"
"Sure, Kid. What's up?" he asked as they followed him into the office, Caine closing the door behind them.
"Um...well...damn this is difficult. Let's start with the simple stuff. Kermit, what was your mother's name?"
The older detective's right eyebrow rose above the frames of his green sunglasses. "My mother's name? Why the hell would you want to know my mother's name?"
"Just humor me, please Kermit."
Kermit shook his head and sighed. He had long ago accepted that he would never get used to the kid's quirkiness.
"OK, it's no big secret or anything. Her name was Alex, or Alexandra I guess. Now you wanna tell me what's up?"
Peter dropped into and empty chair and waved a hand toward his grandfather, mumbling "Oh my God, oh my God..." over and over again. Kermit turned his attention to Matthew Caine. "OK, so what gives?"
Matthew did not immediately answer but handed Kermit the second envelope from the package he'd received from Madeline Johnson. The mercenary accepted it with a shrug and ripped the top open. His hands trembled imperceptibly as he recognized the handwriting on the front.
"Where did you get this? This is my mother's handwriting."
"Yes," Matthew acknowledged. "An old friend of Alex's, a Mrs. Madeline Johnson, mailed this to me along with another letter a few days ago. Please, you must read the contents."
Kermit was intrigued, but also felt a twinge of something akin to fear. What was this all about? 'Only one way to find out," he chided himself. Ripping open the envelope with a finger, he proceeded to scan the last letter his mother had ever written to him. As he read, his eyebrows crept further and further away from the safe haven of the tinted glasses. When he finished, he removed the frames and stared intently at Matthew Caine.
"Is this a joke?" Kermit scowled.
"No, Kermit," Kwai Chang broke in, "it is not a joke."
Matthew looked his newfound son directly in the eye and shook his head. "Alex and I were only together for one night, but apparently it was the right night."
Kermit shook his head again. "You're saying that this is true? That *you* are, in fact, my father? This is ridiculous. It can't possibly be right. All of the background searches, all of the intense scrutiny of my life would have brought this to light years ago, if it was true."
Peter stood up and walked over to Kermit's desk. "Come on, Kermit, no one ever had any reason to think that you were not really Mark Griffin's son."
"That's because I *am* really Mark Griffin's son."
"In every aspect in which a boy needs a father, that is true. I was not even aware that you existed until a few days ago," Matthew countered. "My son..."
"Don't ... call me that," Kermit interrupted, raising his hand as if to ward off the overwhelming assault of words. The idea that Mark Griffin had not really been his father confused and shook Kermit deeper than anything else ever had. It could not be true, and yet he had no reason to question the honesty of the man making the claim. Besides which, he knew that Caine would not lie to him and he trusted Peter with his life. Kermit turned his back on everyone, leaned on his desk, and tried to regain his composure.
On the other side of the room, Peter sighed. He'd known that this wouldn't be easy.
"Peter, Kwai Chang, perhaps you could leave us for a few moments," Matthew requested, although it was more of a command. Peter glanced at Kermit, who refused to turn around, and followed his father out the door. They went back to his desk and sat silently, staring at the closed door once again. Minutes ticked by, Peter felt a disturbing sense of deja vu, as they waited for their growing family to emerge from the office and hoped that Matthew would be able to convince the skeptical mercenary of the truth.
Finally, the door opened and the two were summoned back into the brightly lit office. Peter immediately focused on his sometimes partner, who still looked a bit frazzled but was no longer scowling.
"OK, fine, say I buy this whole story. You're telling me that now I have to deal with having him," Kermit pointed at Peter, almost grinning, "for a nephew? Makes you wonder what the hell I ever did to offend who ever's in charge up there, doesn't it?"
Peter bit back a retort, relieved that Kermit seemed to be handling the information a little better now. Still, he couldn't let the remark go by unanswered.
"If you say so, Uncle Kermit," he smirked. Kermit glared back.
"Look, I am not sure how much of this I'm buying into, but there *are* some irrefutable facts backing up this crazy theory. Still, I'm gonna need more solid proof. So, with that in mind, Matthew has agreed to a paternity test. If the results of that do not rule him out as my father, we're going to have a DNA test run, too, just to be certain. I am not totally against the idea, I was not overly fond of my father...er, Mark...but I have not stayed alive this long by blindly trusting in anyone other than myself."
"Understood."
Peter could not help the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was beginning to warm considerably to the idea of he and Kermit being blood relatives. In the very least, it would provide some very interesting bantering material between the two. He voiced his thoughts as he followed Kermit, Matthew and his father out of the precinct.
"Oh, yeah."
*******
Unsurprisingly, the blood test did *not* rule Matthew out as a possibility. Kermit sighed. Part of him wished that the damned thing had been negative so that they could all get on with their lives. Another part of him, however, secretly hoped it was true. He and Mark Griffin had never gotten along very well. Kermit resented the man for never being around when his family needed him. The nights he had spent comforting his mother while Mark was off on some mission, while she cried herself sick with worry, were some of his most vivid memories. It was not that he didn't understand his father's devotion to duty to his country. On the contrary, he understood better than he really wanted to. What he could not comprehend was the man's utter dereliction of duty to his family. Even on the rare occasions when Mark was at home, his mind was always focused on one mission or other.
Kermit felt a twinge of guilt regarding his own ex-wife and son. When he'd left them behind, all those years ago, he had told himself that it was for the best. He would rather die than watch his wife and child worry their lives away over him. His son would never grow up resenting him, not only for not being there but for not allowing them all to move forward in their lives. As selfish as it seemed, he had spent many nights wishing that Mark Griffin could have loved them all enough to do the same.
His mercenary reflexes kicked into high gear and ripped him from the past as he sensed a presence approaching him from behind. He turned swiftly, not sensing danger but wary nonetheless, to meet the serene gaze of Matthew Caine.
"So, it seems we go on to the next step. Dr Sabourin said that she could get the DNA test started right away but that it will take time to get the results back."
"Yes, if that is still what you wish to do. I have no desire to complicate your life. If you do not wish to go ahead with this, I will understand." Matthew's eyes belied his words, but Kermit was grateful for the offered "out".
"No. I need to know the truth."
Matthew merely nodded and led the way down the hall to Dr. Sabourin's office.
End Part 4
