Fallen Angel - TOC

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Next morning...

Sly carried his bowl of cereal to the kitchen table and sat directly across from his father. "Dad?"

Luke looked up from his newspaper. "What?"

Sly laid his spoon beside his bowl and hesitated for a moment before speaking. Frankie and Alexis had already left for their shopping trip, so he wasn't afraid of being overheard, but he still wondered if he should violate Frankie's privacy by sharing things with his father. "Frankie was crying last night. I could hear him on the other side of the wall. It was after we went to bed. I thought you should know."

Luke cleared his throat and fingered the newspaper as he considered Sly's words. "I'm not concerned if Frankie has a bad moment or two. It's a new house and a new family. He's bound to be overwhelmed at first. But, if you notice he's doing it every night, tell me, okay? For now I think he's fine." Luke regarded his youngest son with affection. "I want to thank you for your help last night. You went out of your way to teach Frankie about the dishwasher without making him feel bad. I wanted to tell you that I noticed. Thanks."

Sly gave his father a slight smile. "I don't mind. He learns quickly. It's no problem." Sly reflected on the fact that his statement was true, but he couldn't help feeling that Frankie's presence was a definite complication. When would things settle down or were they all fated to the drama of continual shootings, bad business deals and upset girlfriends? As much as he'd come to care about his new brother, Frankie's return sure had a jarring impact on all of their lives. It had been a definite rollercoaster for the last two months. Frankie didn't seem to like things calm, but Sly relished a little peace and quiet.

 ~*~*~*~

Frankie held onto the handgrip on his door as he looked around Alexis' vehicle. She was driving a Ford Expedition, and he'd never ridden in an SUV before. It felt weird sitting up so high and exploring the universe from a different angle. He could see the tops of compact cars as they sped by them, and he laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Alexis questioned.

"You're speeding," Frankie replied. "I like to go fast, too."

Alexis frowned as she shot a glance at the speedometer. "I guess I am," she said softly, taking her foot off of the gas pedal to ease down to a more normal rate of speed. "It's hard to feel the road in these vehicles."

"Got dat right," Frankie exclaimed. "Why do ya have a big thing like dis anyway? I thought you’d want a Mercedes or a sports car. Isn't dat what lawyers drive? Kind of flashy or somethin'."

Alexis smiled broadly with amusement. "Now how flashy do I seem to you? Have you ever seen me in a flashy moment since you've known me?"

Frankie's keen blue eyes examined his stepmother's appearance, and he nodded slightly in agreement with her. His stepmother was a nice looking woman, but she didn't dress to show it off with her conservative tan and brown color choices and tailored pantsuits. "You're not flashy," he confirmed. "Neither is my dad, so dat's good, huh?" He resumed his silence and watched the traffic out of the window. After a moment, he asked, "Where are we going again?"

Alexis felt concerned as they'd already discussed stopping by Kelly's for a bite of breakfast and then heading for the mall.

"First, Kelly's and then we're going to the mall."

Frankie laughed merrily, but didn't explain.

"You're full of laughs today," Alexis observed, allowing him the room to expand on the topic.

Frankie shrugged. "It's a private joke. Sly used a term, and it took on a different meaning." Going to da mall! Ha-ha.

"Did you recall our conversation this morning?" Alexis asked curiously.

"About where we were going?"

"Yes."

Frankie looked down at his lap. "I don’t remember things in da morning sometimes. Ya gotta make sure you tell me a coupla times. Mornings are strange. Even Frank knew he had to tell me twice in da morning."

Alexis looked curiously at her stepson. "It's always been like that?" She was recalling the papers that the psychiatrist had handed each of Frankie's parents, the papers that outlined some of the symptoms of the disorder.

Frankie nodded. "Yeah."

~*~*~*~

"Hiya Ruby!" Frankie waved from his position in the wheelchair that Alexis guided near the diner's counter.

"Frankie!" Ruby beamed at her great nephew. "It's been too long since I've seen you. This is a welcome surprise."

Frankie's eyes shone back at the woman whose attention he'd enjoyed since he first arrived in Port Charles. "We thought we'd surprise ya! Alexis and I are going shopping. We need breakfast first."

Ruby adjusted her apron around her waist. "Well, what can I give you this morning?"

"Toast and tea," Alexis said softly with a barely perceptible nod.

"Da works!" Frankie said firmly. "I want da eggs, bacon and maybe one of dem big blueberry muffins if ya got it." Alexis smiled, grateful that Laura had informed her about Frankie's insecurities regarding his growth and his discomfort with the fact that Sly ate like a horse. It helped explain some of the kid's foibles and his sudden, intense desire for food.

"I think we can manage that," Ruby said brightly. "Alexis, I'll bring your tea right out. Frankie, why don’t you keep me company while I round up the grub?"

"Okay," Frankie wheeled his chair, following Ruby into the kitchen while Alexis located an empty table.

"It's very nice of Alexis to take you out today," Ruby commented as she gathered eggs from the refrigerator.

"We're going clothes shopping," Frankie commented offhandedly as his eyes roamed around the kitchen. He remembered the last time he'd been there with Maxie. It had only been a day since he'd last seen her, but he missed her as if it had been a month.

Ruby walked over to Frankie and ruffled his hair. "Don't give her any trouble when you're on your outing," she said casually. "Alexis is your father's wife, so you need to listen to her." Ruby had noted Frankie's casual treatment of Alexis as well as Alexis' insecurities regarding her new stepson, so she wanted to insert the voice of reason before a problem had time to take root.

Frankie shrugged. "It's too complicated," he complained. "I only had ta listen to Frank when I lived in Atlantic City."

"It is an interesting situation," Ruby agreed. "But here's the general principle: listen to the adults around you - your parents, aunts, stepparents, and teachers. Give them respect. Respect is good, and you won't go wrong with it."

Frankie held a thumb to his chest. "People used to respect me," he said wistfully. "Now I'm nobody."

Ruby shook her head as she fried up Frankie's eggs. "No, now you're in your right position in a family who loves you. Being younger doesn't mean that people don't respect you. All of us love as well as respect you. But, it does mean that we have a few years more experience and responsibility. That's why you listen."

"I guess." Frankie halfheartedly kicked against the footrest of his wheelchair. "I'm hungry," he announced.

Ruby held his plate under his nose. "Come join us in the dining room," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Frankie looked at his great aunt with sincere eyes. "Thanks, Aunt Ruby. I mean it."

"I know," Ruby said jovially as she used her other hand to wheel Frankie toward the door. "I love you, Frankie." She bopped him on top of the head when he used his hands to propel himself forward.

Frankie shot her a smirk. "Dat's 'cause I'm loveable." He giggled at his own sense of humor. "Love ya, too, Ruby!"

~*~*~*~

Nikolas and Athena held hands as they sat at their outdoor dining table, admiring the bright stars in the dark, clear sky and breathing in the soft warm breezes that drifted in from the sea. "I've never had a better dinner, and this is just a hole in the wall restaurant," Nikolas laughed. "I'll have to leave an extra large tip just because I feel so guilty at how little they charged us."

Athena stroked the side of his face. "You're a kind man," she said simply.

Nikolas shrugged and looked away. "Sometimes. Most of the time no."

Athena's face turned serious. "You have a temper. It angered me when you grabbed me back at the vacation house in Tahiti. I won't stand for being treated roughly."

Nikolas' eyes saddened, and he nodded. "I've turned into a bully. I was terrible with my younger brother, and he was smaller and weaker than me - still recovering from surgery. I need to get a grip."

Athena laughed lightly. "You do."

"I have all of these feelings that well up inside of me." He rubbed his face and looked embarrassed. "I'm just going to have to deal with my past. My mother left me. She didn't want to, so I need to accept what happened and move on. It's just that it felt to me like you were leaving in the same way."

"Perhaps talking about it will settle your mind," Athena suggested lightly. "It helps me to talk about my mother. It makes me feel more in control. I like to make plans that don't involve her."

Nikolas laughed appreciatively. "You're right. I've kept everything bottled up inside. It's not healthy. I promise I'll talk to you if I feel bad and not overreact or grab you out of anger. Okay?"

Athena nodded. "That's what I want to hear." Her eyes filled with tears. "Please talk to me when something bothers you. It hurts me to be shut out or ignored. I felt terrible for days on that island. You know I love you, and I do think about marrying you. I was the one who teased you about it on the island. Marry me, marry me, remember?"

Nikolas took her hand and looked into her green eyes. "I remember," he said softly.

"I wasn't joking - not entirely. However, I want you to wait and ask me again in several years, when we're more settled and older."

"I understand." Nikolas' face took on the appearance of someone much younger and uncertain. "You won't forget about me at Oxford, will you?"

"No. I plan to study during all my spare time. I'm not interested in some pale Englishman with a bad sense of humor and terrible taste in food and clothes."

"Athena the snob," Nikolas teased.

Athena leaned in for a kiss. "Working on it," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

~*~*~*~

"Dad?" Sly watched his father untangling fishing lines and straightening out his tackle box.

"What is it, son?" Luke asked distractedly, never taking his eyes from the task at hand.

Sly looked sheepish standing in the garage with his hands shoved deeply in his pockets and his shoulders slumped. He'd been feeling uneasy lately, a bit stranded in the Spencer universe. He was secure in his position as Luke's younger son, but he didn't share the genes that Frankie did. Would that make a difference in how their dad felt about him? He worked up his courage and spoke softly. "Dad, are you going to want to do things with me now? You know, just the two of us? Like we used to?"

Luke frowned and stopped what he was doing as he heard the hesitance in his son's voice. He clapped the dirt off his hands and laid the fishing pole against the wall of the garage. "What do you mean, Sly? Are you asking if we'll have some alone time now that Frankie lives in this house?"

Sly blinked in embarrassment nodded quickly, never looking directly at his father.

Luke's face softened with compassion as he realized where his son's insecurities lay. He walked up to Sly and draped an easy arm around the kid's shoulders. "Frankie will be here two weeks a month," he explained. "We'll have plenty of private time, even when he's here. I'm sure there are activities that only you and I will enjoy, as well as ones that Frankie will like that you don't. We'll work it out. If you're feeling neglected, let me know. It's not good letting it bottle up inside, or you'll explode. And then, I'd have to insist that you clean up the mess you left behind."

Sly laughed and kicked out at a rusty pail. His dad always seemed to find the right thing to say to make him feel better. He was glad that he'd confided in him. "Okay. I just wanted to know. I like spending time with you."

"And I like you, too," Luke replied casually. "Are you going to kick the bucket that will hold our fish?" he scolded. "It can only take one or two more kicks."

"And then it'll kick the bucket," Sly finished for him.

"The kid catches on quickly," Luke said. "Mighty quick in the mind he is."

Sly grinned at his dad's silly humor. Maybe it was extra strong in the genes because he had it, too. All the Spencers were silly at times. Even Alexis' was likely to be infected sooner or later.

~*~*~*~

"Frankie? How are you doing in there?" Alexis positioned herself outside of the men's dressing room with her hands on her hips. Frankie had been in there for a long time, and she was starting to worry. He had four outfits to try on, but she thought he'd had plenty of time to evaluate them.

Frankie had been lucky to find a room that was large enough to accommodate his wheelchair, but he still felt hemmed into the small space. He'd made a mental note to check and ensure that all of his properties worldwide, even in countries that didn't require it, had the necessary handicap accessibility. It was real hard to get around in a big hunk of metal with wheels. He could have managed on his crutches but not for the long length of time and distance that were required for shopping. He looked around the room forlornly. It had been difficult to find places to place his clothing as he didn't want to continually get up and down from the chair. After his first outfit, he'd grown winded and shaky from an impending panic attack. He'd spent the last fifteen minutes attempting to stymie the rage of feelings that kept threatening to swirl through him. He'd been claustrophobic for a long time - years - and this arrangement wasn't helping him. Nerves from an outing with a woman he didn't know very well, and shopping for clothes in public for the first time ever when he'd been accustomed to tailor made clothing combined to jangle on his nerves. He bent over in his wheelchair, clutching the new clothes in a tense fist. He'd quickly changed back into his own clothing when he'd felt the first grip of a panic attack. He had broken out into a cold sweat and was now sobbing lightly from the stress of it all. He was tired and felt as if he'd never have an ounce of energy again in his whole life, but he didn't want to look bad and admit this to his new stepmother. For some reason she seemed awfully excited to be doing this with him. But now he was trapped in a tiny room with no way out since he couldn’t manage to try on all these clothes. The tears of frustration flowed from his eyes, and he jumped when he heard her voice again.

Alexis poked her head in the changing area, aware that no other men were in there to be startled by her presence.  "Frankie? Are you decent? Can I come in for a second?" All she heard were soft sobs, and she grew concerned as she approached the door and knocked. "Frankie, I'm going to open the door, okay?" She paused but heard no reply, so she creaked the unlocked door open an inch or two. "Honey, are you okay? I can hear you crying. Are you feeling all right? I didn't overload you with clothes, did I?"

"Yes," she heard him answer in a tentative, teary reply.

"Can I come in for a sec?"

"Yes, but dere's no room."

Alexis opened the door, and her heart hurt to see Frankie sitting dejected in his wheelchair, crying with his head down and clothes scattered around him.

"Did you find something you like?" she asked gently.

Frankie lifted up an outfit clenched firmly in his fist. "Dis is fine," he said in a soft, breathy voice. He lifted his elbow to wipe off his tears and cursed to himself for making a scene in front of Alexis. But, he couldn't help himself. He felt trapped and overwhelmed.

"Let me check the sizes of those clothes, and maybe we can pick out a few other items in the same size," Alexis said sensibly. Her sharp eyes detected how firmly Frankie was wedged into the room. "Do you have claustrophobia?"

Frankie nodded wordlessly and sighed. He had started to recover from his panic almost as soon as Alexis had opened the door.

"Let's wheel you out of there, then," she said lightly as she squeezed behind him and pushed the chair. "I'll hang up the items that you don't want."

"Dey're all okay," he conceded. "I don’t know why I gotta wear dis type of stuff, though. I like da nice, tailored clothes. People respect you when you're wearing expensive stuff dat's cut right."

Alexis patted Frankie on the back. "Yes, they do, but they also recognize that you need some down time and entertainment. We're buying you clothes so you can go fishing with your father and maybe participate in some sports activities with Sly when you're up to it."

"I've never been fishing," Frankie informed her.

"That's why your father is taking you and Sly to the lake this afternoon."

Frankie made a face. "I'd rather go to da racetrack."

"How do you know that if you've never tried fishing? It might be your most favorite thing to do in the whole world."

Frankie snorted. "Fish stink."

"So they do," Alexis sighed. "You have a point." She rubbed his back and pulled on the tail end of his hair to tease him.

"I always gotta point."

"I'm starting to realize that," Alexis said dryly. "Let's go pay for these and find a place in the mall to sit and have a Coke."

"Now dat's a plan," Frankie laughed. He looked appreciatively at his stepmother as he was aware of how hard she was trying to like him and get to know him. And she had saved him from the changing room with the walls closing in on him. He couldn't figure it out. Sometimes when he was alone, life just seemed to crash in on him and leave him breathless and frozen with fear like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. But, when a person entered the room, he immediately relaxed. It was weird; kind of the opposite of when he'd lived with Frank. Frankie shrugged and watched his stepmother pay for his clothing. With Frank, all purchases for his son went directly onto some mysterious account, and when he'd been a bona fide employee of the Smith organization, he's paid for all of his own living expenses. Nobody ever paid for him in this way before - well, Sly had paid for his lunch that one time. It was kind of nice, like you were worth something.

~*~*~*~

Robin and Maxie were laughing and clowning around as they strolled arm in arm down the aisles of the mall. Both of them swung bags in their other hands. Robin shook her head. "Maxie, I am so bad when I'm shopping with you. I never walk away without making a purchase. And here I was trying to save money for a trip this summer."

"But you'll look gorgeous in those shoes! You needed them."

"Like a hole in the head. That was a beautiful necklace you bought. I bet Frankie likes it."

Maxie smirked and skipped a step. "That's why I bought it."

Robin stopped mid-stride. "I am so fabulously hungry," she announced.

Maxie glanced at her watch. "It's only eleven o'clock."

"I die of hunger when I go shopping with you," Robin laughed. "I must use up more energy laughing." She squeezed Maxie's shoulder in a sisterly hug.

"French fries?" Maxie asked with a grin.

"The girl is smart."

~*~*~*~

Alexis sat down across from Frankie and laid the plate in between them. "I have a confession to make."

Frankie wordlessly raised his eyebrows in question.

Alexis leaned toward him as her eyes darted around the area. "I love junk food." She gave him a secret grin, and Frankie laughed delightedly. "I won't tell," he whispered back. "What's dat?" he asked with a finger pointing to the heaping plate.

"Cheese fries...nectar of the gods."

"Not any god I know," Frankie tittered. "Can I try one?"

"You've never had cheese fries before?" Alexis asked in disbelief.

Frankie shook his head as he freed on particularly goopy fry stuck to the top of the heap. He held his palm under it to catch the drips that threatened to fall. The fry was especially hot, and he waved his hand in front of his mouth as his eyes lit up. "Better dan beer!" he announced happily.

"I agree."

Frankie caught Alexis' usual analytical tone of voice and smiled when he recognized it. "You're Stefan's sister, right?"

"Half sister," she said.

"Like me and Nikolas."

Alexis nodded. "Stefan and I share the same father while you and Nikolas share the same mother. It's similar."

"I like Stefan," Frankie confided with sparkling eyes. "He's a great businessman, and he's a friend of mine, too."

Alexis looked closely at the boy in front of her. He really did seem like a boy when he spoke like that. She'd have to remember that he was only fifteen and sheltered in some ways. "I think I may need an extra plate," Alexis worried. "You take that for yourself, and I'll order another one."

Frankie was so busy inhaling the fries and sipping on his Coke that he didn’t notice the two young women walking in his direction. He frowned when he thought he heard a familiar laugh, and soon it was apparent who was nearby.

"Frankie!" Maxie said excitedly. "Robin. Frankie's here."

"Hiya Maxie," Frankie replied brightly. He waved at the empty chairs. "You two can sit here if ya want."

Maxie looked at Robin who nodded. "Frankie, this is Robin. She's like a big sister to me. You've heard me talk about her."

Robin smiled as she gave Frankie the once-over. "And Maxie is my little sister."

Maxie shook her head and gestured toward Robin with her thumb. "She's overprotective."

"Dat's good," Frankie said. "I want you to be safe." He stared into Maxie's eyes with stunned pleasure, and the two teens positively glowed with their near proximity. He jerked after a few seconds of bliss. "Oh. Nice to meet you, Robin." Frankie's eyes only glanced at Robin as he preferred to look at Maxie.

Dog meat, Robin chuckled to herself. I might as well be dog meat with these two enraptured with each other.   But, it gave her the opportunity to assess Frankie. She smiled as her eyes ran over his physique. He's a cutie pie with those big blue eyes and pouty lips. No wonder she's besotted with him. And, he obviously adores her. I think I hear angels singing overhead. But whoa. What an accent. He sounds like Jimmy Cagney's grandson. Dirty rats. I'll get youse, ya dirty rats. Hehe.

"What a nice surprise!" Alexis exclaimed when she returned with her plate of fries. She looked down at them and blushed. "In case Frankie's extra hungry," she said breezily. "But I can help him with these. Want one?" she offered Robin.

"Sure," Robin said. She understood the female reluctance to appear the pig in public and decided to discreetly help herself to a few fries, just enough to perpetuate the illusion that Alexis wasn't going to scarf down the rest on her own.

Frankie reached out a hand and softly laid it over Maxie's, who blushed in return.

"Why don't we get a separate table," Alexis whispered out of the side of her mouth. "We can chat while these two die of ecstasy."

Robin laughed and nodded as she followed Alexis to a nearby table.

"They're a force of nature," Alexis commented with a motion of her head in the teens' direction.

"I've been talking to Maxie about predicting the weather and taking precautions," Robin said dryly.

Alexis' lips worked with amusement. "That's a wise strategy. Tornadoes can cause a lot of damage."

Frankie moved his index finger over Maxie's hand, stroking it with a sensuality that was as fiery as it was chaste. Maxie rubbed her lips together unconsciously as she stared at Frankie's. Her eyes darted over to the table with Robin and Alexis, and when she saw they weren't looking in her direction, she impulsively leaned in and kissed Frankie on the lips. Frankie blinked in surprise and grinned. "Thanks for the wonderful flowers," Maxie said softly. "And the teddy bear, of course. I loved it."

Frankie drew in his lower lip as he thought. He remembered perfectly what he had specified to be written on that card, and he blushed slightly. He hadn't emotionally prepared himself for that reality before seeing his girl again.

"I feel the same way," Maxie said softly as she looked down at the table, suddenly embarrassed herself. "I love you." Her heart suddenly raced with the enormity of her words, and she held her breath as she looked worriedly at Frankie's face to catch his reaction.

Frankie's eyes merely turned hazy with desire, and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you double," he whispered sweetly in her ear.

Alexis cupped her ear. "I think I hear fireworks."

Robin nodded as she stole another cheese fry. "The ones that are all gold and swirly and make the soft hissing noises in the air as they scatter to the earth."

"You're a poet!" Alexis exclaimed.

"But don't know it," Robins finished with a laugh. "Aren't you a newlywed? I bet there are still fireworks over your heads."

Alexis nodded and smiled broadly with her deep dimples showing her agreement. "Oh, yeah," she sighed. "Definitely. The best decision I ever made was to marry Frankie's father."

"That's so neat."

"What about you?"

Robin tapped her chin with her forefinger and looked bemused. "There was this one guy. He kidnapped me, actually. He had bright blue eyes and a killer body."

"And," Alexis prompted.

"And he turned out to be a transvestite who stole my lipsticks," Robin said with a frown. "He disappeared, and I never heard from him again. Good riddance I suppose. I'd always have to be buying stockings because he'd steal mine and put runs in them."

Alexis frowned in confusion. "Are you sure you didn't dream this?"

Robin shook her head and crossed her heart. "Nope. I swear I didn't."

"Better luck next time?"

~*~*~*~

"My God, Luke," Alexis sighed as she sank tiredly onto the edge of the bed. "I hope you've had a man to man talk with that boy. We ran into his girlfriend and her sister at the mall. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. Sparks were flying and birds were singing."

"And bees pollinating?" Luke quipped.

"See my point?"

"I do, darlin.' We've talked. He'll behave himself."

"I don't know. There was an awfully strong vibe," Alexis laughed.

"He wants to keep Miss Maxie. He'll behave." Luke's eyes turned lascivious as he looked at his wife. "But I can't promise about his old man." He growled and lunged at her with a feral grin as she reared back and yelped, but not so loudly that it would carry past the door. The two of them fell back onto the bed with Luke perched on top, kissing her silly.

"What about the fishing trip?" she asked breathlessly.

"Leaving in an hour."

Alexis blinked as her mind worked out the details. "The door," she said hurriedly with a wave of her hand. "Lock it." When Luke rose from the bed, she said, "And don't think of returning to this bed with a stitch of clothing on. I'm not a patient woman."

"Yes, mistress," Luke replied in a sappy voice. "Whatever you demand, oh wonderful one - light of my life and lust of my heart."

Alexis dispensed of her clothes in record time and grabbed Luke as he jettisoned on the bed in his birthday suit. "I never knew having teenagers would make us so horny. It's contagious. The hormones are wafting through the air!"

"I have enough of my own," Luke replied silkily as he bent to kiss her passionately.

~*~*~*~

"It feels wonderful to be out in the wilderness, in the open air, free to be yourself," Luke said expansively as he dropped the fishing gear near the lake.

Frankie looked at Sly and pinched his nose with his fingers. Sly shook his head in agreement. The lake had a definite fishy odor, and there were a few dead ones lining the shore. Mother Nature had obviously been ravaged by the nearby manufacturing plant. Luke held out two plastic containers. "Here, Sly, you take the maggots. And Frankie, you get the nightcrawlers."

Frankie turned pale and looked like he'd lose his cheese fries when he gingerly accepted the container. He was afraid to open the lid and look, so he casually placed it in the shade under the tree. The container in Sly's hand was shaking slightly with his horror at holding a load of maggots that could potentially escape and crawl up his shirt.  Luke didn't see his sons' reactions as he was busy whistling and gathering all of his lures and assorted fisherman's paraphernalia from the back of the Ford Expedition. Frankie grimaced, baring his teeth at his brother in a panicked look, and Sly merely returned the favor with his tongue sticking out and a hand placed over his stomach.

"I'm going to teach you boys everything I know about freshwater fishing," Luke said in a paternal voice as he held his hands on his hips and surveyed the surrounding landscape like a pioneer discovering new territory.

"I can just watch since dis is my first time," Frankie offered helpfully.

"Nope," Luke responded with a shake of his head. "The best way to learn is to get your feet wet."

"What if I don't wanna get wet," Frankie mumbled under his breath.

"What's that?" Luke asked with narrowed eyes. "Do you have a question?"

Frankie shook his head wordlessly and plopped down on the edge of the bank, clattering his crutches beside him. I could always kill one with da crutch. Or maybe one of dose dead ones can fake bein' caught. Looks dried up, though.

"Let's bait your hook," Luke said sensibly. He opened the lid and pulled out a nightcrawler that was so long it seemed to go on for two feet. Frankie made a disgusted noise and clapped his hand over his mouth in horror. "Here," Luke said grabbing Frankie's hand. "We'll bait it together." Luke swiftly pierced and wound the earthy monstrosity on the sharp hook and handed the end of it to Frankie to complete. Frankie halfheartedly twirled the end worm and sang out, "Dere, all done!" Luke frowned at his eldest son's lack of enthusiasm, but he placed the line in the water and handed off the rod.

Frankie grinned evilly at Sly's predicament. Sly exclaimed and shot back a few inches with an exaggerated flinch when the teaming maggots revealed their noxious glory with the pull of the lid. Sly glared at Frankie and picked up several maggots, shooting them in his brother's direction. Frankie frantically brushed at his sweatshirt when they hit him on the stomach. "Stop dat!" he ordered crossly. His eyes glinted as he made plans to fling a nightcrawler into Sly's hair the first time his dad turned his back.

Soon, all three were seated quietly, waiting for the fish to take the bait, but Frankie inwardly questioned if the fish were all dead. The tall smokestacks of a factory were visible, rising sternly over the trees across the lake. Frankie idly wondered if he owned that factory and made a note to get on the backs of the environmental scientists in any manufacturing facility associated with Smith Enterprises. He figured the fish had a right to live, too, didn't they? Frankie exclaimed and shot up to his knees when he felt his line jerk. "Dad, Dad!" he shouted excitedly. His finger pointed toward the water and the air bubbles that rose and popped over the murky surface. "I got somethin.'"

Luke's eyes shone with pleasure at his son's first potential catch. Frankie's excitement showed that he was a chip off the old block after all. To Luke, nothing beat the relaxation of an afternoon holding a fishing pole out in the fresh air. Or not so fresh air, he frowned with the realization they were surrounded by dead, rotting fish.

"Help me, Dad," Frankie said breathlessly as he reeled in the line. "It's coming toward me."

Luke took hold of Frankie's pole and slowly reeled so he wouldn't lose the catch. "What's this?" he wondered aloud when a tiny foot broke the surface of the water.

"What is it?" Frankie asked in a hushed voice. This was new to him as he'd rarely been out in nature let alone fishing in a lake.

"By gum," Luke laughed. "You've caught yourself a baby turtle. Look at him."

The turtle crawled hesitantly over the ground near the shore, but it had obviously been injured in the mouth with sharpness of the hook.

"Something's wrong with him," Frankie said anxiously. "Help him."

Luke gently removed the hook from the turtle's mouth as carefully as he could, and he succeeded with minor damage to the animal. He handed the small turtle over to his son's waiting palm.

"Wow," Frankie said in amazement. "He's neat."

"Maybe you should place him back in the water," Luke stated.

"No," Frankie said, shaking his head firmly. "He needs help."

"I'll get a box out of the SUV," Sly said helpfully as he rose from the ground and placed his pole against a tree.

Frankie and Sly filled the box with grass and leaves as Luke watched. Frankie gently placed the turtle into his new home but continued to look worried. His eyes filled with tears. "He's hurting," he pointed out to Luke. "His mouth is cut."

Luke looked with sympathy at his distressed son. "It was an accident. He wasn't supposed to go for the nightcrawler."

"But he did!" Frankie protested. "It's our fault."

"These things happen sometimes."

Frankie remained silent, stroking the turtle's back with a soft motion of his finger.

~*~*~*~

"You're back early," Alexis exclaimed with surprise when Luke approached her in the kitchen.

"I'm back early and fifty dollars in the hole," Luke complained.

"What?"

Luke sighed. "Frankie caught a turtle and nearly had a heart attack because it was injured by his hook. It became apparent that expert veterinary attention was necessary."

Alexis laughed at her husband.

"Kick a man when he's down," he complained.

"Where's this turtle now?"

"He's in the backyard with Frankie and Sly. They're feeding him turtle food. And he's settled nicely into his brand new turtle condo."

Alexis looked startled. "They're keeping him?"

"He has a name, Alexis," Luke answered dryly. "Sly and Frankie decided that Boris would really be happier living with us - just in case another fisherman dropped a hook in the water."

Alexis gave Luke a hug and patted his back sympathetically. "I'm sorry things didn't go as you'd planned."

Luke rubbed his hair and shook his head. "I think I'm going to be a lonely fisherman from now on."

"Well, maybe that's best. You feel very relaxed after you come back from an expedition."

Luke snorted. "Sly's going to be a vet, and Frankie's going to be a turtle farm mogul. I know it in my bones."

Next chapter...