Fallen Angel - TOC

Chapter Twelve

Frankie lay on his back, breathing heavy and laughing. He patted his gun nestled snugly in his waistband. "I hate that Nikolas Cassadine," he said aloud with a hoarse sneer. I showed him, he thought smugly, unaware of how ridiculous he looked with the generous smears of grass staining his cheeks.

Frankie walked slowly back to his BMW, rubbing the sore place in his back where Nikolas had pushed his knee. By the time Frankie reached the parking lot, Nikolas had already driven his Jaguar far away from the school. Frankie jerked open the door to his BMW and deposited his gun in the glove compartment, which held all of his fake ID’s. Frankie had instinctively grabbed his gun first thing after leaving school, and he was glad for his forethought. He couldn’t bring the gun into school, but had it ready in his car. He started his car and sighed, leaning his head against the molded, black steering wheel. He was tired and wished that he’d had Johnny drive him to school. Oh well, then he wouldn’t have been able to teach Nikolas a lesson. Frankie chuckled as he backed up his car and headed for Kelly’s.

~*~*~*~

"Hiya Ruby!" Frankie called out brightly as he entered Kelly’s. There were only two customers sitting at the outside tables in the courtyard, so he freely walked up to the counter and plopped onto a stool, swinging it back and forth as he smiled broadly.

Ruby looked over at Frankie and burst out laughing long and hard. "What happened to you?" she asked, wiping away her tears of laughter with a dishtowel. "You look like you’ve been slimed." Ruby handed Frankie a napkin as his face first fell and then turned red with anger. He wiped at his cheeks fiercely, scowling at the green grass stains that stared back at him from the white napkin. "Damn!" he swore under his breath. His eyes met Ruby’s, and he shrugged. "Outdoor sports," he commented nonchalantly as if that explained everything. Ruby nodded sagely. "Hmm," she said absentmindedly. "So when are you leaving for spring break, young man?" she questioned. "Tonight about 8PM," Frankie said shortly. "My uncle has some business to take care of first, then we leave. Back in a week." Frankie looked wistful and slightly nervous at the prospect of going home.

"What’s wrong?" asked Ruby. "Don’t tell me you’re going to miss us," she tittered.

"Yeah, I will," answered Frankie quickly. "This feels like home now," he explained.

"Are you thinking of making Port Charles your permanent home?" asked Ruby curiously.

Frankie shrugged. "Don’t matter what I want," he said heavily. "I gotta do what Frank, um, my father says. So I don’t know. I’d like to stay, though," he expressed softly.

"Did you call that girl yet? The one whose phone number you had copied down?" Ruby asked, changing the subject when she noticed Frankie’s discomfort.

"Oh, Maxie!" Frankie replied excitedly. "Yeah, and we even went out on a date last night. She’s super. I like her a lot." Ruby smiled at Frankie’s obvious pleasure. She watched Frankie make the same nervous hand gestures as Luke while fiddling with a napkin.

"You don’t talk a lot about your family," mentioned Ruby casually. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Frankie shook his head. "Nope. Don’t have a mom. She died when I was two. I’m the only one. That’s what my father says. I don’t remember a mom, though." Frankie cleared his throat and looked down at his hands as they repeatedly folded the napkin back and forth and then started making small tears into the white paper.

"How about your dad? Are you two close?"

Frankie shrugged and looked away. "I’m a junior. I got his name," he stated proudly. "That’s about as close as you can get." Frankie twisted his signet ring nervously. Ruby glanced down and noticed the large F and S initials. "That’s a nice ring," she complimented. "A gift from your dad?"

Frankie removed his hand from the counter and placed it in his pocket. "It was a birthday present," he replied cautiously as his eyes swept around the room and away from Ruby’s prying eyes.

Ruby noticed the tension radiating from Frankie and could tell that he was clamming up with all of her questions, so she stopped grilling him. "Can I have a hug?" she asked mildly. "I’m going to miss my favorite tenant – even if your break is only for a week."

Frankie hopped off of the stool and said, "Sure thing, Ruby!" He accepted her open arms and nestled into her generous warmth. Ruby stroked the top of his hair. "You be careful on your trip, do you hear?" she ordered gruffly. Frankie separated from their hug and looked up into Ruby’s face. "Okay," he replied simply. "Thanks for the hug, Ruby!" he said over his shoulder as he bounded up the stairs to his room.

~*~*~*~

"I got some work for you to do while I’m outta town," Frankie said tensely into his cell phone as he paced the length of his room. "And I don’t want any screwups. Not for these jobs." Frankie nodded as he listened to his employee’s fervent assurances.

"First, put some men on Jason Morgan. Tail that sucker. I want to know his every movement – what he eats, who he boffs, where he hangs out, where he spends his time – everything. And put some shadows on him that won’t be detected." Frankie ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his nose. "Second, I want you to intercept Corinthos’ next shipment on pier twelve. Make it look like Morgan is responsible. If we work this right, Corinthos might kill the bastard for us." Frankie shook his head and laughed tensely. "We should be so lucky," he added. "Okay, now for the last item. I want to know the name of every crooked cop on the force, particularly those who are on Sonny’s list. Find out what they’re making and their willingness to be our snitches if we offer them a 25% increase. Don’t let ‘em know who we are – just make us anonymous for now. Got dat? Alright. Don’t let me down, I’m countin’ on ya." Frankie turned off the cell phone and paused for a minute. He turned it back on and rapidly dialed a number that he’d already memorized.

A soft female voice answered on the other end. "Hello?"

"Maxie," said Frankie in a low voice. "It’s Frankie. Can you talk for a minute?" Frankie held his breath and crossed his fingers for luck.

"Okay, Frankie," agreed Maxie. Her heart started thumping. She hadn’t expected Frankie to call back this soon or maybe not at all. But this was a great surprise.

"Um, Maxie," started Frankie nervously. "I want to say sorry for last night? I didn’t know I was doin’ something wrong, ya know. I mean, I’m new to this dating stuff. And, I guess I should have asked somebody first how I should act. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings or anything. Dammit, I sound dumb, he thought with frustration. I need a list or something written out. I need Sly! His palms started sweating, and he repeatedly wiped them on his pants.

"Frankie, it was partly my fault," Maxie explained. "I never should have gone back to your room. I didn’t want to lead you on, but you should know I won’t be going back to your room in the future. We need to get to know one another first." Maxie stopped, suddenly at a loss for more words. Help, help, she thought frantically. What should I say next? Is he going to hate me now? I need Robin!

Silence invaded the phone lines and terrorized one girl and one boy simultaneously as it wrapped around their ears and went on and on – at least it did for five seconds.

Frankie broke the silence first. "Can you tell me what to do?" he asked in a small, uncertain voice. "I don’t know what I’m supposed to do or what you want." He held his breath and let it out tensely, his eyes bugging with the enormity of his confession.

"Okay," Maxie agreed. "I can tell you what I like and don’t like. Maybe you can do the same for me." Her tense muscles began easing, as it seemed like the conversation was smoothing out the rough spots in their new relationship.

"Yeah," agreed Frankie. "That’s good. Um, how about if we do the dinner thing again when I get back? That was nice, wasn’t it?" Please, please, please, he thought.

"I enjoyed dinner," Maxie agreed happily. "Let’s do it again."

"Um, I can call you when I come back from spring break," mentioned Frankie.

"I’d like that," said Maxie. "Look forward to talking to you again real soon."

"Bye, Maxie."

"Bye, Frankie."

Frankie turned off his cell phone and laid it on his dresser. He jumped up high in the air and shouted, "Yes!" He began doing a solo victory dance in his small room, twirling his hands around one another and swiveling his hips as he stepped back and forth, tapping his feet rhythmically. "Go Frankie! Go Frankie!" he exclaimed.

Maxie hung up the phone and squealed excitedly. "Yes, yes!" she shouted, picking up the pillows on her bed and throwing them into the air in a carnival of bright color.

~*~*~*~

"You’re not wearing that when we’re on the island, are you?" Sly looked Luke up and down with a slightly horrified expression contorting his features. Luke smoothed his outfit with his hands and frowned lightly. "What’s your problem, Sylvester? These clothes are perfectly fine for light beachwear."

"Luke," stated Sly with disbelief. "You look like, well, like you walked out of 1977 or the twilight zone. How long have you had those shorts thingies or whatever you call them?"

"I haven’t gained a pound in twenty years," stated Luke proudly, holding his fingers to his trim stomach. "These clothes are in good repair, and they still fit. Why should I buy any of that newfangled garb?"

Sly sighed and pursed his lips as he flung open the closet door that held the full-length mirror. "Look," he instructed his uncle, turning him toward the glassy reflection. "Green plaid bloomers that go down to your bony knees don’t exactly go with that bright blue shirt covered with pink flamingoes. Can’t you tell?"

Luke sniffed. "Well, I do have a touch of color blindness, but it’s never handicapped me before. And don’t make fun of my knees. They’re beautiful. Some might say they’re my best feature. I celebrate them." Luke carefully removed his beachwear, folded it neatly, placed it into his suitcase, and then pulled on jeans and a teeshirt.

Sly tugged at Luke’s arm. "Come on, Uncle Luke. We’re not leaving until noon tomorrow. The stores are still open for two hours. Let’s go find you a couple of outfits. You want to look nice for Alexis, don’t you?"

Luke raised an eyebrow and looked at Sly with amusement. "So you’re going to be my fashion advisor, Sylvester?" He snorted and followed Sly to the door. "I don’t know what all this fuss is about clothing anyway. I’ll mostly be walking around in my Speedos." Luke laughed loudly and playfully slapped Sly on the side of his head as the two exited the apartment. "Don’t have a heart attack, nephew of mine! The old man still has it in him."

~*~*~*~

"Stefan, I am so ready to have this baby," Laura complained as she gently lowered herself into a chair in the master suite. "Carrying a baby at my age is a little harder than I remember when I was just a teenager."

Stefan stepped behind the chair and lovingly stroked her soft, blond hair. He bent over and kissed her cheek. "I’m sorry this pregnancy has been so hard on you," he said sympathetically. "But I still see you as that lovely young girl that so bewitched me at the Parthenon." He stroked her hair again and sat in a chair beside her. He folded his hands together as he crossed his legs and gazed at Laura with dancing eyes and a twitching smile.

"What are you looking at?" she laughed, patting her hair and her dress nervously.

"Pregnancy suits you, my dear," Stefan said in a low, soft voice. "Your complexion is enchanting."

Laura shook her head and blushed. "And this is the young man that I fell in love with in Greece."

Stefan smiled. "I am so looking forward to welcoming our daughter into the world. We’ve waited a long time for this. Our son is becoming a man and yearning to be away from home. It will be nice to have a young child in our lives again." Stefan paused and a worried look crossed his face briefly. "Do you think that Nikolas is adjusting to the idea of a new family member? He seems more distant than I expected."

Laura nodded. "He does act distracted. I think he misses his father and worries that he’ll have to share what little time he has with you."

Stefan colored briefly. "I spoke with him recently about joining me in the family business. I hope that he’ll accompany me on some of my business trips. He was positive about it. Perhaps we can grow closer during our travels. These years on the road have been absolutely crucial for the preservation of the Cassadine Empire." He looked down at his folded hands. "But empires mean nothing to children, do they?"

Laura looked sympathetically at her husband. "Nikolas realizes that your time away from the family is necessary. It’s just that he adores his father, idolizes you, really. All he wants is to spend time with you, to be near you."

Stefan’s eyes saddened, and he replied with a soft, hurt voice, "And that is the very thing that I have not able to give to him."

~*~*~*~

"My nephew Sly, the fashion policeman, insisted on taking me shopping this evening so he could properly dress me," Luke complained as he hugged the phone to his ear and made the finishing touches to his packing job. "Teenagers are so…critical," he laughed. "He acts mortified to be seen with me in my beachwear."

Silence greeted Luke on the other end of the line. "Hello? Alexis? Dearheart?"

A tense sigh emitted from Alexis’ lips. "You’re not bringing that flamingo shirt with the plaid old man shorts, are you?"

"I don’t believe this," Luke protested. "Now you’re on his side. I’m being attacked from all angles. And Sly even made fun of my bony knees. The nerve." Luke laughed merrily.

"I’d never make fun of your knees," Alexis promised. "After all, they’re connected to your leg bones, which are connected to your hip bones, which…well, you get my point."

"I never thought such a brilliant, analytical mind as yours could be so…lascivious, my dear," countered Luke. "Must I always protect my virtue in your presence?"

"Your virtue likes the attention, and you know it!" Alexis quipped.

"Just for that I’m packing my Speedos and nothing else!" declared Luke.

"Is that a promise?" asked Alexis slyly.

Luke sighed with exaggeration. "Nope. Gotta set an example for the children."

~*~*~*~

"Johnny, why don’t you take my car and drive us back to Atlantic City so I can take a nap," Frankie suggested as he and Johnny carried their suitcases out of Kelly’s and around the back of the building.

Johnny looked curiously at Frankie. "You sure you don’t want to drive by yourself, boss?"

Frankie shook his head. "Nah. Got some thinkin’ to do."

After the two settled into the BMW, Frankie asked, "How’s dat Bobbie Spencer? You getting’ along with her?"

Johnny grinned slightly. "You could say that."

"Say what?" teased Frankie.

"We’re seeing eye to eye," Johnny evaded.

"Or some other body parts," Frankie interjected, laughing at his own joke. "Whatcha gonna do when we blow this town?"

"What are you going to do, boss?" Johnny asked. "Seems like you’ve found yourself a girl, too."

"I don’t know," Frankie replied wearily as he looked out of the window. "All I can say is Frank better not find out about either one of our extracurricular activities. You know how he is about da business."

Johnny’s hands tightened around the steering wheel at the thought of Frank’s possible disapproval. "Yes, I know," he replied uneasily.

Frankie leaned over the seat and reached into the back, fishing around in a brown paper bag. Finally, his hand met cold, cylindrical metal, and he smiled as he settled back into his seat and popped the top. He leaned his head back and let the amber liquid flow down his throat, wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand and burped with satisfaction. "Ahhh," he exclaimed. "Relaxation. Let’s check out some tunes," he suggested as he fiddled with the knobs of the car radio. After about ten minutes of trying to find a decent oldies station, he gave up with a disgusted sound. "What the hell," he exclaimed. "I don’t wanna listen to no fairy-assed boy bands." Frankie reached under the seat for his CD collection and popped one in. He crossed his hands behind his head with a smug look on his face. "Now dat’s class," he stated. "He’s da man."

Frank Sinatra began his characteristic crooning, and Frankie began to sing along. "Come on, Johnny," he ordered. "You sing, too."

And so, Frankie and Johnny cruised through the night singing to the tunes of yesteryear, the words perfectly reflecting Frankie’s pensive mood

~ Regrets, I've had a few

And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

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