Chapter Sixty-Seven

Maxie sat in front of the home computer in the Scorpio-Jones family room. The computer was positioned with a clear view from the kitchen, and she hated that her mother was always hovering nearby, ready to violate her privacy with a hand on her shoulder or an exclamation. One of these days, Maxie was determined to work at a job to earn her own money - maybe she'd have her own computer one day. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the e-card sitting in her inbox, a highly unusual event. Glancing around her to ensure that Georgie and Felicia were otherwise occupied, she clicked on the item and sat back with a delighted expression on her face. She laughed out loud when three dancing teddy bears cartwheeled across the screen to a jaunty tune, each holding a different item in its paw - hearts, flowers or candy. She clapped her hands together when the action was over, and a note appeared.

Dear Maxie.

I want to tell you how much you mean to me. It makes me feel so good when I'm near you. I feel normal and happy when you smile at me. All the bad falls away and disappears. Please forgive me for being insensitive. I'm sorry. I'll make sure we talk about things first - I promise. Don't be mad at me - please?

I love you.

Yours truly,

Frankie

Maxie hurriedly printed off the email and promptly deleted it so that inquiring minds wouldn't know. Her mind was racing as her body flooded with excited warmth. He wrote that he loves me! He's never done that before. This is just like a movie. I can't believe I’m in love. It's so perfect. I love Frankie! And he loves me, too. She folded the paper in half and held it to her heart as she felt her chest heave up and down with the furor of her emotions.

"Robin. ROBIN!" she called out loudly as she hopped up from her chair, abandoning the computer station and racing into the living room. "Where are you? You've got to see this!"

Robin walked around the corner with an arm loosely draped over Georgie's shoulder. "We were playing in Georgie's room. She has a lot of neat toys, don't you?" Robin smiled broadly at her favorite little girl. "What's up, Maxie?"

Maxie glowered at Georgie, who she viewed as a constant interference in her teen version of the world - the world according to Maxie. She pointed a haughty finger at Georgie. "Why don't you go away?"

"Because I live here?" Georgie retorted with bugged eyes. Her facial expression showed her hurt, and she let out a long sigh. Maxie got all the attention, and she seemed to knock her younger sister out of the way on a regular basis. When would the tables turn? When would Georgie be the center of someone's universe?

Robin turned toward Georgie. "Why don’t you finish setting up that game in your room? By the time you're ready, Maxie and I will be done. Okay? I'm looking forward to playing with you. "

Georgie looked back and forth from Maxie to Robin. "Okay," she said with resignation. "But it won't take me longer than ten minutes."

"That's all the time I'll need here," Robin said reassuringly.

Maxie's eyes narrowed while she watched Georgie walking away, but she brightened immediately when she focused on Robin. "Look at this," she said in a breathless whisper. "Don’t breathe a word of it to anyone."

Robin looked over the sheet of paper that Maxie handed her, and when she didn't respond quickly enough, Maxie said, "Didn’t you read it? He says he loves me. Frankie loves me."

Robin nodded. "And he apologized. That's good. He's not a hopeless cause."

Maxie protested Robin's comment, unaware that her own opinions bounced from one extreme to another within a short period of minutes, which made it difficult for anyone close to her to decipher her moods. "He's the best. He's my boyfriend, and I love him, too."

Robin laughed. "Give me a chance to talk, Maxie. He didn't behave maturely but now he's owned up to it, and that's good. I didn't mean to say he didn't love you."

Maxie's lower lip stuck out in a pout. "I know, but isn't it wonderful? He's so eloquent. And you should hear him sing, too. He sang me a song the other night, and it was so sweet."

Robin drew Maxie into a quick hug. "Of course, it's wonderful. I'm glad you're happy." The two of them were interrupted by the insistent ringing of the doorbell. "I'll get it!" Maxie shouted out loud enough so her mother and little sister wouldn't bother racing to the door.

Just when Robin thought it was safe to rejoin Georgie in her room, Maxie squealed excitedly, bouncing up and down as if she were a pogo stick. "Look, look, LOOK!" she cried out, holding out a basket that was filled with multicolored flowers, a small box of chocolates and a teddy bear sitting in the middle of it, holding a single heart shaped red balloon in its paw.

"This is from Frankie; I know it," she confided in a lower tone of voice as she sidled up next to Robin. "Just like what was on the e-card - flowers, bears and hearts."

Robin reached out and stroked the bear's soft, brown fur. "He's very special, isn't he?" "Read your card," she instructed. "There's a tiny white card there."

Maxie's fingers opened the tiny envelope, and she broke into a grin. "Love from Frankie, aka Teddy." Maxie giggled. "This is the second teddy bear he's given me. I'll hug the teddy bear and think of Frankie."

"And doesn't he know it," Robin stated with a raised eyebrow. "He's a slick one."

~*~*~*~

Next day...

Frankie had requested to make a quick phone call before leaving Wyndemere with Luke. Luke had remained at Wyndemere for the evening, set up in a guest room several doors down from Frankie in case his son needed him in the middle of the night. Dinner the previous evening had been a trip with its abundant excess and formal manners. Luke had wondered how the kid would ever adjust to the differing lifestyles of his two new homes.

Frankie's fingers nervously worked around the phone cord, twisting it and then letting it go. He watching the second hand on the clock in the library work its steady pace while he waited for the man to answer.

"Stefan?" he asked hurriedly. "It's me. Frankie." He nodded when Stefan replied. "I have a favor to ask. A big favor. Remember when we were talkin' about da businesses, my businesses? Okay. Well, I need your assistance." Frankie cleared his throat, and his eyes filled with tears as he glanced at the numerous books lining the walls of the room. "I can't take care of my businesses right now. I can't be da overall CEO. I have to go to school and all dose doctor appointments." His voice took on a quiver with his last words, and he drew his lower lip between his teeth. "Would you hire da people to do da work? I asked Alexis, and she gave me da papers. I can give you power of attorney for my businesses. Will you do it?" A tear escaped from Frankie's right eye, and he wiped it away with irritation. "I can't do it right now," he confessed with a tear-choked voice edged with misery. Admitting that he wasn't up to a task was almost more than he could bear, but he had no choice, and he knew it. Besides, he trusted Stefan. Stefan would use his expertise to manage the businesses, and they'd be waiting for him when he was ready to resume his duties.

"Frankie, I would be pleased to assist you," Stefan said with a strong, assured voice. "I'll make some preliminary inquiries. Why don't we meet weekly to review the businesses? That way, you'll still have your personal stamp on them. I can act as a go-between. Does that work for you?"

"Yes, yes," Frankie readily agreed. It sounded good to him - no pressure but still a measure of control. "I'll leave da signed paper on your desk before I go."

Stefan heard the hesitance in the boy's voice and responded accordingly. "I will certainly miss having you at Wyndemere and look forward to your return. You know that I am a phone call away. Call me if you need or want to."

"I will," Frankie said in a small voice. He hung up the phone and hugged himself. A sense of relief took hold in him, and he felt pounds lighter with the burden of his businesses off his shoulders. He trusted Stefan as much he could anyone, and it felt right to him.

~*~*~*~

Frankie sat in the nursery's rocking chair. Lulu nestled in his arms and repeatedly reached her tiny hand toward her brother's face, grasping onto a chin, nose, or cheek, anything within reach. Frankie giggled delightedly as he rocked her back and forth. "I love you, baby Lulu," he said in a soft whisper. His face fell when he considered that he wouldn't see her for ten long days. He'd looked forward to holding her every day that he'd been at Wyndemere. She seemed like a calm oasis in the middle of the storm of his extended family full of boys in their teens.

"Mama?" Frankie looked toward his mother with a sad expression on his face and a heavy heart. "I don't wanna leave Lulu. I'm not gonna see her for such a long time. Dat's not right."

Laura smiled sympathetically as she folded the baby's clothes and placed them in the white, painted baby dresser. It warmed her heart to see the strong bond between Frankie and his new baby sister. It had happened nearly overnight, and it was obvious that Frankie was crazy about babies. Lulu seemed to respond to her brother as well, becoming excited when she heard Frankie's voice and staring intently into his eyes as she squirmed and cooed. Laura smiled brightly at her son. "I might have a solution to that problem," she hinted.

Frankie's eyebrows rose hopefully. "What?"

"I discussed the situation with your father and Alexis. They've offered to watch Lulu in their home for several hours one night a week. It will allow Stefan and me to have some private time together, while giving you all a chance to visit. Alexis is Lulu's aunt after all. I want Lulu to know her whole family."

Frankie held Lulu up and wiggled her in the air, much to the baby's amusement. "Dat's great! Do you hear dat, Lulu? I won't be gone for long, and you're gonna visit me. Isn't dat neat? Here, Mama." Frankie handed his sister back to Laura and stood watching her with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He hovered silently, waiting for Laura to finish with Lulu. Laura's eyes met his, and he smiled halfheartedly.

"I'm going to miss, you, too," Laura said softly. "Come here." Laura held out her hands, and Frankie immediately stepped forward into a hug, grateful for his mother's affection and missing her already. "I don’t wanna leave you, Mama," he said in a muffled voice as he breathed in the scent of her hair.

Laura hugged him tighter and said, "It won't be long. Soon, you'll be used to both houses, and you'll look forward to springing back and forth. It'll be a nice change of pace, but you can call me at any time, and if you're really lonesome, I'll come pick you up so we can spend time together." Laura separated from her son and held his face in her hands. "But don't you feel guilty if you enjoy living with your father and Alexis. That's perfectly fine. You don't have to think of me every day. Do you understand? Enjoy the moment you're in. Okay?"

Frankie nodded slowly, but he quickly reached out to hug his mother again, not wanting to let her go.

~*~*~*~

Luke wheeled his son out to his car and thought about his late night conference with Stefan and Johnny the previous evening. The three men had come together, determined to protect the boy who had captured their hearts.

*** Johnny eased into a chair in Stefan's study and adjusted his shoulder holster for comfort while Luke watched his every move. He's always packing? Luke wondered idly. I'm not sure I care for that when he's with Barbara Jean.

"I don't think we're dealing with the mob," Johnny stated. "If it were a hit, the kids would be dead or at least the car would have been shot up."

Stefan stroked his chin and sat down on his executive chair behind his desk. "Why were they after four children and not just Frankie?"

"Again, that's unusual," Johnny agreed. "They don't like to involve civilians."

"I had two sons in that car," Luke reminded them. "I’m concerned about the safety of both."

Johnny nodded. "I spoke to Sly and told him to be careful, not to walk alone. He has my cell phone number. He can call me anytime if he has a problem."

"I don't want there to be problems," Luke asserted. "That's the point. This is becoming very frightening. There were two innocent girls involved as well. All we need is the police commissioner's daughter to go running to daddy, all afraid and upset. Frankie won't see the light of day for years."

"Let's not be overly pessimistic," Stefan replied in his analytical tone of voice. He picked up a gold leafed letter opener and tapped it on his desk to punctuate his words. "We need to get to the bottom of this before we jump to conclusions."

"I'm worried that my son is going to wind up in the bottom of the ocean," Luke shot back. "I have two sons to protect, and I don't want either of them harmed."

"And that's why we're meeting," Johnny said logically. "To put our heads together and figure this out." He redirected his attention to Stefan. "The boys may need bodyguards for a short time while they're out in public. Can you arrange for someone to shadow them? Do you have someone dependable on staff, preferably that speaks English?"

Luke snorted and waved his hand in amusement. "It didn't work while Frankie was in the hospital. Remember the hit man, gentlemen?"

"If it isn't organized crime, then who could it be?" Stefan redirected as he effectively sidestepped Luke's comments.

"My son says the government," Luke answered. "He says they have a folder a mile thick on him, courtesy of his association with Frank Smith."

Johnny nodded. "Sly said the men driving the car were wearing black, and that the black vehicle was an American make without a visible license plate."

"Which could mean anything," Luke said.

"Could it be the FBI?" Stefan guessed as he directed his attention to Luke. "Alexis mentioned the meeting that you had with the FBI and that it was, how did she say...creepy?"

"It was creepy all right," Luke stated. "I'm surprised we haven't heard from them again."

Stefan nodded with a thoughtful look on his face while Johnny frowned.

"Things are out of control," Luke worried. His voice rose. "I can't lose my son again - I won't lose him again."

"Not if I can help it," Johnny stated with determination.

"If we work together, we'll present a united force," Stefan said. "Luke, perhaps you can work with Alexis in determining if a government agency has an active investigation including Frankie. Johnny, will you use your connections to ferret out any underground organizations that might mean to harm the boy?"

Johnny nodded, and glanced over at Luke. "Will do."

"I'll source several bodyguards to tail the boys," Stefan intoned. "Let's meet back here in two days." ***

"What about my BMW?" Frankie asked with a slight turn of his head.

"The BMW will stay here at Wyndemere, where there's room," Luke explained. "I'm going to take you to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles today so you can get a learner's permit."

"What?" Frankie protested. "I know how to drive."

"But you're not legal yet. You're only fifteen. You need to have an adult present and a permit."

Frankie's face scrunched up. "I got ID dat says otherwise," he gritted out.

Luke stopped the wheelchair in front of his car and lifted the suitcase and crutches from Frankie's lap, placing them into the back seat. "I want to keep you out of jail. If you get caught driving without a license, a legal license, they'll throw you in jail so fast your head will spin. You know Mac has it out for you. You're dating the police commissioner's daughter. You're smart. Use your head."

Frankie remained silent when Luke lifted him under his armpits and carefully positioned him into the front seat, making sure to tuck Frankie's immobile leg beside him without jarring it. Frankie's face was set into a disagreeable expression, and he stared down at his hands while he picked at his cuticles. Luke caught his son's emotions and attempted to reassure him. "I know you love your car. I love them, too. We'll make sure you get to drive it enough to keep in practice. I promise. It'll only be a year until you qualify for a regular license." Luke patted Frankie on the arm. "Hey, how about that neat Cadillac Fleetwood? Is that your automobile as well?"

"No. It's Johnny's."

"Do you like older cars?"

"They're okay," Frankie admitted. "That was a nice car for trips. I enjoyed it."

"I'll let you drive this beauty sometime if you'd like," Luke said as he started up his car.

"Yeah," Frankie said disinterestedly as he gazed out the window.

"Dr Hill loaded us up with your medications and instructions for taking them, so you don't have to worry about that," Luke said. "We have everything. If you need a muscle relaxant, Alexis will have to inject that for you. She's had some kind of Red Cross training? I don't know, but she's the one with the experience. If you need stronger medication, like morphine, we'll have to go to the hospital for that. The doctor has a standing order, and we can just take you in quickly to get you fixed up. I'm sorry we don’t have the mobile hospital at our house, but it doesn't have the immense space that Wyndemere does."

"That's okay," Frankie said quietly.

Luke glanced at his son as he was surprised that Frankie wasn't showing at least a small amount of enthusiasm at going home with him. "You start back to school on Monday," he continued. "Half days for you, and full days for Sly. You won't be in gym anymore."

"Good," Frankie replied with more vigor. "Good luck to Sly, though."

"Actually, he won't be in it either," Luke stated. "We pulled him out. You're right. The teacher is a jerk. It's a waste of Sly's time to be in that class."

Frankie laughed and brightened up a notch.

"Your afternoons will be for appointments - rehab and Ivy Hills. You'll have time to rest, too. That's important."

"I guess," Frankie replied. "I was hopin' you'd forget about dat Ivy Hills," he said sadly as he darted a glance at Luke from the sides of his eyes. "I'm fine now. No need to go back dere," he added breezily. He was hoping to manipulate his father to get out of going to his court appointed treatment. "I'll be good. It was just a phase."

Luke's lips twitched as he was always amused by his son's Oscar worthy performances when it came to getting what he wanted. "I know you'll be fine," he replied with a steady tone of voice. "But the law says you have to finish your treatment plan. Sorry."

Frankie kicked out with his good leg and made a solid connection with the passenger's door. He mumbled curse words under his breath and pouted crossly. Luke looked over at his son and decided to ignore the outburst. According to his instincts and the doctors' warnings, there would likely be plenty more outbursts, and Luke wanted to save his strength for dealing with the worst of them. Don't lose the war over one battle, he reminded himself.

~*~*~*~

"I love having all of you girls home at the same time," Mac said warmly as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Robin smiled. "It's great to be home, Uncle Mac."

"You should come home more often," Felicia piped up. "Georgie and Maxie talk about you all the time."

"Robin and I are going shopping tomorrow morning," Maxie said happily as she folded a napkin on her lap and waited for Mac to cut the turkey that Felicia had made for a special dinner.

Robin raised her eyebrows. "Girlstuff," she explained with a laugh.

"We're going to cram it all into one morning," Maxie said. "Robin's ears are going to explode."

"Robin is taking me to a matinee movie that afternoon," Georgie declared as she banged the heel of her fork onto the table. "Any movie I want as long as it's rated G or PG."

Felicia laughed as she met Robin's eyes. "You're a glutton for punishment this weekend," she teased.

Robin smiled as she accepted the bowl of mashed potatoes that was offered to her. "It sure beats studying in the dorm. There's absolutely nothing interesting to do on campus. Besides, I love spending time with my two favorite girls in the whole world."

~*~*~*~

Frankie glanced around at his dining companions. Everyone else seemed to eat at least some, but he'd only managed to choke down a few bites. He made a face. Sly of course had inhaled whatever he'd placed on his plate. All his brother seemed to do was eat and then eat again. This was only the second time in Frankie's life that he'd eaten a casserole. The tuna stuff at his Aunt Bobbie's had been bad enough, but Alexis had managed to best her in the most disgusting cooking contest. Frankie warily poked at a cold stewed tomato lying nestled between undercooked noodles and what was trying to pass for hamburger. His stomach clenched. No way. I can't eat dis. He'd already hidden a few bites within the paper napkin beside his plate, so what was he going to do with the rest of it? Frankie looked longingly toward a potted plant that was positioned beside the front door. Too far away, he decided. They'll notice me lobbing it over dere. Finally, he settled for dropping bits of the casserole to the floor, hoping they'd think he was just a messy eater.

Alexis nervously caught Luke's eye. She nodded imperceptibly at her new stepson, but Luke merely shrugged. They all were going to have to get used to each other's cooking or lack of ability therein. Until then, Luke planned to secretly visit the little sub shop two blocks away, exclaiming a need for solitary walks in the evening.

This stuff is pretty bad, Alexis noted. I can't eat more than a few bites. Why could I pass the bar, but I can't even manage to cook a decent meal? Is it a talent, a talent I don't have? I lived off of takeout and microwave popcorn, but we have teenagers now. I don't want them to die or have their growth stunted. Maybe we'll order out tomorrow night. Nodding with satisfaction at her idea, Alexis rose from the table and gathered plates with uneaten casserole littered across them. Luke's technique was to move it around the plate to break up the bulky appearance of uneaten food.

"Why don't we order a pizza for a snack while we watch the movie tonight?" Alexis offered. A broad grin creased Frankie's face as he caught Sly's relieved expression. "Yeah! Dat's a great idea," he said enthusiastically. He wasn't going to starve after all.

"Frankie, why don't you load the dishwasher with the dirty dishes, and Sly, you wash up the pans," Alexis suggested.

A frown creased Frankie's forehead. "What's a dishwasher?"

Luke cracked up in his seat, but he managed to only make a sputtering noise rather than an outright guffaw.

Sly took over with his easygoing nature and willingness to help. "I'll show you," he said easily. "It's this machine over here, underneath the countertop. You place the dirty dishes into it. There's a pattern to doing it, so I'll show you how." Sly grabbed a plate and inserted it into the bottom rungs. "See? It's easy. And this is where you place glasses."

"I never did any of dat at da mansion," Frankie said worriedly as he watched his younger brother with an eagle eye. "We had servants."

"Well, the house is too small for those people," Sly explained. "It quicker to just do it yourself. It's not hard."

Luke looked with pride to his younger son. He is going to be a real blessing around here. Alexis bent over Luke and draped her arms around his neck, pausing to kiss the top of his head. "Pretty neat kids, huh?" she whispered appreciatively. She felt Luke nod. Moving over to Frankie's area, she reached for his plate but frowned and let out a gasp when she felt her shoe slide on something slimy. Lifting up the tablecloth, she spied a few wads of casserole littering the floor near the vicinity of Frankie's chair. Brat, she thought. He was trying to be sneaky. Everyone knows my cooking stinks - why didn't he just say something? Maybe he was trying to be nice." Alexis directed her attention to the phone on the kitchen counter. I know we have a pizza coupon around here somewhere. I'll have to order the monster size.

~*~*~*~

"Dad?" Frankie stood on the deck beside his father who was preoccupied with reading instructions and lifting up stray parts, inspecting them and trying to identify which piece inserted into the other. Sly was kneeling beside him, pulling out parts from separate plastic bags.

Luke lifted his eyes and smiled. "What's up, Frankie? Are you volunteering to help put this telescope together? You're our resident junior astronomer."

Frankie looked from Luke back toward the sliding glass door that led directly from the family room to the outdoors. "I got a question," he said hesitantly.

Luke rose to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Sly, you keep sorting those parts, and I'll be back in a sec." Luke followed his son back into the house.

Frankie's pained blue eyes gave him a haunted look, and Luke became apprehensive. "What's wrong? How can I help?"

Frankie was standing uneasily with his crutches barely holding him up. "What happened to my ring?" he asked. "It disappeared after...um...I came back here to Port Charles." Frankie looked straight into Luke's eyes. "Did you keep it safe for me?"

Luke cleared his throat and rubbed his chin. "I have it," he stated. "It was important to keep it under wraps when we discovered the FBI was investigating you. Alexis said it might tie you in to the Smith organization. We didn't want you to be arrested."

Frankie stared at Luke without commenting, and he looked down at the carpeting. He felt naked without his ring and living among these strangers that called themselves family. He needed protection, and Luke wouldn't allow him to keep his guns around. The ring and what it represented was the second best thing. "I want my ring," he mumbled sadly.

Luke had hoped the subject wouldn’t come up as he wanted to break the tie between Frankie and Frank Smith, but maybe that was wishful thinking. "All right," he said with a hand on his hip. "I have it in our bedroom. Wait here. I'll get it."

Frankie was sitting on the arm of the sofa near tears when Luke came back five minutes later. He was tense and feeling like a panic attack was on its way. He felt torn between two modes of living not to mention two dads, and it hurt his insides to think of it. He held out his hand gratefully, accepting the expensive hunk of gold with the blatant initials FS on it. He turned the ring between his fingers, feeling its smoothness and permanence. A surge of relief charged through him when he placed it on his finger and wiggled it around. He met Luke's sad eyes and smiled briefly. "Same initials," he said gruffly, sensing his father's pain over his background. "I'm Frankie Spencer now."

"Come on, sport," Luke motioned with his hand. "Help me and Sly put this telescope together. It's a homecoming present for both of you."

"I like astronomy," Frankie offered happily.

"So you told me. It was the first time I met you - at Kelly's Diner. Remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"We'll need you to point out the various constellations," Luke noted. "All I can find are the moon and the big and little dippers."

"Dere's lots more dan dat. I'll show you."

"I have all the parts laid out," Sly said. "Frankie, how good are you at putting things together?"

Frankie cracked his knuckles with the ease of an expert. "Real good," he smiled.

~*~*~*~

Later that night...

Frankie entered his room and closed the door firmly behind him, resting his crutches against the wall. Luke had placed his suitcase in the room when they first came home, and Frankie hadn't entered it until now. He'd hoped he'd feel better by himself after spending the day with other people, but now he wasn't so sure. He felt small and alone in this new house. His eyes swept around the room, taking in the expensive, custom furnishings that he'd insisted upon. A hollow feeling welled up inside his chest as he realized that he'd tried to recreate his Atlantic City apartment in this one small room. He walked the perimeter of the room, running his fingertips along the smooth expanse of dark gleaming wood in the Danish style that he preferred. Clean and to the point with an edgy masculinity - that was him. Or at least it used to be. Who was he now?

Frankie looked down at his gleaming ring and then over to the windows facing the back of the house and the woods lining the property. He walked over and quickly adjusted the miniblinds until they were closed. Windows made him nervous, and his mind took him back to the day that someone had thrown a firebomb through the window of Frank's study. There was nothing you could do if they wanted you bad enough. Even Frank had succumbed eventually, as Frankie assumed he would, too. He sat down heavily on his new bed and bounced on it once or twice to test it. He couldn't stop thinking about Frank and the way he died right in front of him. Frankie's eyes blanked out as he saw the image in his mind - Frank gasping for his dying breath and covered with blood, Frankie's panicky hands stroking and patting his father, desperately trying to wake him up and then gripping him by the lapels, crying out in anguish.

Frankie bent his head down and held a hand over his chest as he took in short, panicked breaths that didn't seem to give him enough oxygen. He pressed his signet ring hard into his cheek to try to divert the dangerous, racing emotions flooding his body, and the FS initials reddened his skin as if it were branded. He flopped onto his side, curled up, and repeatedly pushed the ring into his arm with a frantic intensity as he sobbed for the loss of his father, the only man he'd known by that name for fourteen years.

Frankie eventually rose up on his bed and wiped away his tears. It wasn't like people had been mean to him; his new family had gone out of their way to be nice, and somehow that made him feel even sadder. It was weird - he wasn't used to it. No one would be able to understand how scared he was, how frightened he was by the notion of a family surrounding him. He felt exposed, trapped and extremely unsure of how to act. Things hadn't been that bad with Frank, had they? Only over the last few years. He'd had lots of good times with Frank. Frankie's face fell as he tried to sift through his memories and mostly came up with blanks. There weren't that many happy times. But why did he feel like such a scum, a lowlife who'd deserted his deceased father?

Frankie hopped off the bed and limped over to the dresser where he'd placed the wallet that Luke had given him along with the ring. It was Frank's wallet, the one that Frankie had taken from his father before he fled the estate. Frankie sat back down on the edge of the bed and flipped through it. There were so many photos of him. Surely, Frank had loved his son - didn't he? Frankie smiled through his tears when he saw the photo of him at age six with his new mini motor car, complete with the stripe he'd found so racy. Frank had a broad smile on his face as he knelt beside his son with a hand on his back. That was a good time. See? There were good times. Frankie giggled with pleasure when he saw the two photos of him as a toddler, crooning with the master himself, Frank Sinatra. I must have hurt his ears, singin' at dat age. But, Frankie kept leafing back to the photo of baby Lucky, the one where his birth name had been crossed out and Frank Smith, Junior substituted for it. Frankie ran a tentative finger over the baby's face. Who were you? Would I be da same person if I'd stayed with Luke and Mama? A chill ran through Frankie, and he instinctively hugged himself out of fear. Who am I?

Next chapter...