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When Cassadines Fall
Freak
Luke's club.
"What did my brother want?" Alexis brushes her hair back impatiently not caring if her coif is less than perfect.
"Who cares?" Dara shrugs reaching for her fresh tumbler of Jack Daniels.
"We're awesome." Alexis claims aloud.
"We kick ass." Dara agrees.
"Larkin is going to have to be covering his ass literally now." Alexis quips.
"Yep!" Dara agrees cheerfully. She really should be appalled at the deficiancies of the criminal justice corrections system but it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. She nods in an exaggerated way. "No more white van outside my place. No more Maddy looking over her shoulder."
"What are you going to do now? Go back to work? Keep the lawsuit? We've got them over the barrel. Judge Porter made sure of that one."
Dara leans back in her chair. She looks over at the stage where a sax player is lost in his own music. "Gawd I love a sax. It gets me right in the gut you know?"
Alexis looks over to Ned at the bar chatting with Claude-- knowing her honey probably trying to sign him and his reggae band. "I'm partial to leather pants myself." She sighs lustfully then frowns at the bottom of her empty glass. She'd just gotten this one where the hell is it?
Dara looks over consideringly. "Nice buns. Great dimples."
"Marcus isn't so bad." Alexis toasts the absent detective with her empty glass. "Great shoulders."
Dara allows a small smug smile. "Yes, I know." She frowns when she realizes that Alexis had asked her a question she hadn't answered. "I don't know what I'm going to do. How weird was it Ricky showing up?"
"Who the hell is Ricky?"
"That was the Robideau's son." Dara declares in a quiet hiss. "The one who dropped the info off at V's."
"Really?" Alexis inquires. Her eyes go wide. Dara starts nodding her head and can't seem to stop. It's only Ned approaching the table that breaks her out of it.
Ned puts a platter of cheese fries down on the table. He looks from one to the other indulgently. This was the first time he'd ever seen his wife truly looped. "Come on, ladies. Lets dilute a little of the alcohol with some food."
"I prefer my potatoes in liquid form. Why didn't you get popcorn?" Alexis says petulantly. But she can't resist running her finger along the edge of the plate to scrape up a little of the gooey cheese.
"You two are so going to regret this in the morning." Ned slides in next to Alexis and runs a hand along the back of her chair. The shaking had stopped finally. He knew exactly how close he'd come to losing her.
"If you're going to be a party pooper, go back to Claude." Dara demands waving a hand in the direction of the bar.
"Oh no. Tonight I am but here to serve." Ned takes a sip of his tonic water with a slice of lime.
"Isn't he precious?" Alexis asks Dara. Barely waiting for Ned to put his glass back down she grabs him and puts in him in a liplock that gets Ned breathing heavy and almost has her passing out from forgetting to breathe. "I'm glad I married you."
"I'm glad I married you too." Ned tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Are you ready to go home?"
"No, no, no!" Alexis protests. "Not yet. Not 'til Taggert gets here. Dara and I are having fun. Right Dara?" Dara starts nodding again enthusiastically. Alexis leans in and runs her hand seducively down the front of Ned's shirt toying with the buttons. "Honey?"
"Yes, Alexis?"
"Could you get me another drink? Please?"
JD looks out over the city lights below his office. The only space with a window in his work environment. He hadn't stopped kicking himself since Ms Davis had dropped the bomb on Larkin's finances. Kicking himself that he hadn't insisted Charlie give up his firearm too. Kicking himself that he hadn't taken Ricky's warning more to heart. Kicking himself that he hadn't been able to protect Rita. If anything had happened to her....
"Judge?"
"Yeah Charlie?" JD replies absently.
"Sir, I'm getting too old for this shit." Charlie admits.
"You came through today." JD replies still looking out at the cityscape.
"No sir, I f'd up. You knew something was goin' down and I wasn't hearing you. He got my piece, your honor." Charlie is still appalled by the action.
"We all could have done things differently, Charlie. We'll have a debrief with Court Security tomorrow before the AM docket. See what worked and what didn't."
"I'm giving in my resignation, your honor." Charlie blurts out what had been going through his mind since this whole thing went down. "I've got enough time in for my retirement. Maybe it's time to go fishing for awhile."
"Not today, Charlie. Not tomorrow either. You hate fishing. Think about it for awhile. If you still feel the same way in a few days we'll sit down and I'll talk you out of it."
"You're good, Judge but not that good. I'm serious."
"So am I. I'll take your resignation if I have to, Charlie, but you're going to have to come at me with a plan and not an emotional impulse."
"That kid, the one with the lock. He's been here a couple of different times."
"Yes, he's a friend of the family." never a better one than today. "Charlie, are the press still downstairs?"
"Yeah." Charlie nods.
"Issue a statement for me." JD walks over to his desk and picks up a handwritten statement. "And then tell them to get the hell off the property or we'll start charging for trespass." Charlie nods and takes the statement. He leaves the Judge's chambers shutting the door behind him. JD stares down at his desk and then finally picks up the phone. "Johnny? I want the private number you have for Pete Robideau."
"I want my lawyer!" Larkin snarls wrenching at the cuffs. The animal in a cage feeling is intensified by the watching eyes of the detectives out in the bullpen.
Taggart and Ford share a glance. Taggart is the one that answers. "Well then I hope you have one on retainer cause you messed with the two best lawyers in this town and the best Judge. You are screwed, buddy and you know there isn't a GD thing you can do about it. Nobody can save your ass now. We have you on tape. We have the evidence that was entered to impeach your testimony. We have eight witnesses. You're going down. There is nothing to save you now. Nothing." Taggart gets right in Larkin's face.
"Taggert." Mac leans his head in the room and then indicates with a motion that he wants to talk to him outside. Taggert pushes off from the table and stalks out the door slamming it behind him. "Rick filled me in. Good work back there."
Taggert snorts in disgust aimed mostly at himself. "I should have been there. I told Dara I'd be there."
"Marcus, you are too close to this." Mac holds up his hand at Taggert's protest. "Let Garcia take it from here. Do the paperwork. You have a lady to take care of."
Taggert takes deep breaths. He looks over his shoulder where he can't hear the conversation but he can tell Ford and Larkin are talking. "Just make sure this doesn't get screwed up."
Alex Garcia comes up beside him and claps him on the back. He'd had to cut his date with Irene Chang short to cover this but he owed it to Marcus, to Dara. "I have it, amigo. Agent Larkin is going nowhere but a cell."
"I should make a statement." Taggert hesitates.
Mac is the one who puts the press on. "In the morning, Marcus. We'll get yours and Dara's both. It'll be good to have her back finally. Where is Dara anyway?"
Marcus gives a lopsided grin. "Last I heard they were going to Luke's for a drink."
"They? Dara and Alexis Davis together? Drinking?!" Mac has a horrified look on his face. Alex is cracking a grin.
Taggart looks from one to the other. "I need to get out of here, don't I?"
"Oh man. Do not leave those two together." Mac affirms. "Or we'll end up with another crime scene." Mac walks Taggart out of the door then comes back where Alex is watching Ford talk to Larkin. "You getting a bad feeling?"
"I always have a bad feeling whenever the feds are involved. They look at the big picture." Alex twists up his face when he says the last. "And I can see a couple of different big pictures. The one where they are worried about their image and the other where we don't know what Larkin knows."
"This isn't something they can sweep under the carpet." Mac protests.
"It's a very big carpet. And they kept Hoover's habit of dressing in women's clothing under it for forty years."
"You get in there. I'll take Ford. We'll get separate statements from them both. And if Ford wants to see Larkin make sure one of our guys is there. The only person Larkin sees solo is his attorney." Mac gives the order.
Alex nods and makes his way into the interrogation room. He points Mac out to Ford. Ford nods and comes out of the room. "You wanted to see me?"
"I want to know what you know and when."
"Do I need an attorney?" Ford jokes. But the smile falls off his face when he sees Mac's expression. "You don't seriously think I had anything to do with this." Ford points his thumb back toward the closed room.
"I didn't think Larkin did either. He put this department and people I care about through hell. I'm not making the same mistake twice."
Cookie paces the living room glancing over to the picture windows to the front. "Where the hell is he?"
"Daddy had to help clean up the mess." Rita says for like the tenth time. She glances over at Ricky apologetically. "Cookie, everything is fine now. Everyone is fine."
"First it's a damn letterbomb and now a gun pulled in his courtroom. It's worse that the f'ing mob." Cookie doesn't pause in her pacing.
"Cookie, Daddy is used to this. I'm used to this. That's why he's drilled me from birth about opening mail and packages. He's good at what he does and people hate him for that. He's a Judge. If he gives into this crap then the system would be no better than what they have in some South American countries. He stands for something."
"Quoting your father back at me is not going to make me feel better." Cookie hugs herself. "I waited more than twenty years for that man, loved him all the while. We haven't even been married for a year. I need to see him. Lord, Don't make me wait much longer, or that free will you gave me will be a curse that the people of Port Charles will not soon forget." As if Someone was actually paying her some mind, the Judge's car comes up the drive. Cookie races to the door flinging it open. JD comes out of the car, hauling his stuffed briefcase with him. He drops the briefcase when he gets an armful of wife. Rita comes up beside them and picks up the case. JD reaches out and pulls her into their embrace. Cookie breaks. Taking a step back she punches JD in the shoulder. "You scared the hell out of me. You and Rita both in danger and I'm going about my business. Swearing at Frank and going to meet you at Eli's. You didn't show up. You didn't show up." JD pulls her back to him. Cookie buries her head in his shoulder.
Glancing over her shoulder he sees Ricky preparing to leave. "I want to talk to you." JD tells Ricky. "Come on. Let's go inside. I wouldn't be surprised if the press showed up here. They had moved from the courthouse side to the police entrance when I left. I don't suppose you saved me any ribs?"
Rita laughs as her father intended at the prosaic question. "Ricky remembered. I was a little busy."
"Keeping me from going down and having a little chat with Mr Larkin myself." Cookie adds grimly. "The idea still has it's merits."
"Now Margarita, I just got home from the office." JD quips as he gives her a squeeze. "I don't want to go back."
"Make fun. I'm serious."
"So am I. I don't want to see my office until tomorrow morning at 8am. We're in for the night. All of us." JD looks over at Ricky.
Ricky steps back. "Excuse me."
"I talked to your father. You'll be staying in Port Charles. You start at the University after the winter break."
"Excuse me?!"
"We'll talk about it after dinner."
"Ricky, isn't that great! You're staying!" Rita runs up the steps to the house. "That is so cool!"
"Hold your horses, Munchkin. This is the first I've heard of this."
"After Dinner." JD insists.
"But..."
"You heard the man. After dinner!" Cookie half snarls. "Rita, show Ricky where he can wash up."
"This is so great." Rita gushes. With her dad's briefcase in one hand she tugs Ricky along after her. "Viki is going to freak."
Maddy starts putting up the joysticks and turns off the television tucking everything back within the entertainment center. The hair goes up on the back of her neck and she slowly turns around. "Hello Madeliene." Jerry says quietly. Carly shuts the door from inside and leans up against it.
Maddy straightens. She'd almost expected this from the time she saw Lucas in the kitchen. It was too obvious an opportunity. "Mr Jacks. Carly."
"I've been trying to get hold of you. You haven't been returning my calls to your cell." Jerry refers to the number that he was given by Nikolas back when they first discovered that Larkin was in Port Charles.
"Nothing to talk about." Maddy says calmly. At least the aborted phone calls had allowed her to get a script ready in her head for this conversation.
"Madeliene, Maddy..." Jerry runs a hand through his hair. This was his shot and he can't blow it. "I know you talked to my mother. I wanted to be the one to talk to you about this. I knew your mother...."
"Lots of guys knew my mother." Maddy tries to short circuited the conversation.
Jerry continues as if he hadn't been interrupted. Damn to have Jax's silver tongue about now. Jax was the one who specialized in the art of conversation-- of making people believe and trust him. He'd much rather be blowing things up. "I thought I recognized her from the pictures in Ms Sophia's albums, from her picture at the funeral...." Jerry rushes over that one when he sees Maddy's wince. "But I didn't put it together until I saw the picture of her in the Mardi Gras costume.... I was in New Orleans that year. I knew your mother."
"So?" Maddy says flatly.
"So I'm your father!" Jerry finally explodes.
"No, you're not." Maddy retorts expressionlessly.
"Maddy, if I had known. I would have come back. I would have been there for you. I would never have, could never abandon my child."
"I don't have a father. But I tell you what-- if you're looking for some progeny, why don't you take an ad out in all the countries you've been in, listing the dates. You might get lucky."
"You don't understand." Jerry says with some frustration.
"I understand perfectly. Mardi Gras is a wild time. There are lots of people there. A lot of people having the time of their life, drinking, getting busy with whoever catches their eye. So you knew my mother?" Maddy shrugs. "Lots of guys knew my mother. And lots of men have claimed to be my daddy you're just the first one to claim to have actually done the procreation. Get over it. They did."
"I know you're an adult, that you have your own life. This is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. I just need you to believe that I'll be there for you now. I am your dad. You have a family." Jerry reaches out to her. He had to convince her. "Grandparents, uncles, Bobbie, Carly, Lucas. We're all here for you if you need us."
"You're crazy." Maddy starts backing up. "Just get the hell away from me!" Maddy looks around. The door was blocked by Carly but the french doors are right behind her. She unlocks the door and goes outside.
Jerry moves to follow but Carly stops him. "Let me talk to her."
"She's not buying it. I guess I should have gone with the if you ever need a kidney line." Jerry says with some gallows humor.
"Let me talk to her." Carly goes out the french doors. Maddy is already half way to her van. "Wait up!" Carly calls after her. When she reaches Maddy she is almost breathless. "Look, Jerry is a good guy. You should go back there and talk to him. He wants to do the right thing."
"Should shmood!" Maddy falls back on Granny Sophia's favorite saying. "You knew about this. That whole thing at the coffee stand in the mall. You were trying to soften me up for this."
"Yeah, I knew!" Carly hollars back. "Do you realize how lucky you are? Jerry is a great guy. A great father. He wants to do the right thing."
"Don't you get it?! I'm not you. I didn't come to this icy hellhole looking for a mommy or daddy like you. I came here to get away from it! My mother is dead and I don't have a father and that is fine with me! I make my own way. I pay my own bills. I make my own decisions."
Carly recoils from the verbal onslaught but then pushes forward. "You can still do that and have Jerry too."
"What the hell is going on out here?!" Nik calls from the back door. The sound of raised voices in the back had drawn his attention from the conversation in the kitchen. Maddy takes advantage of Carly's momentary distraction to climb in the van. She starts up the engine and pulls away from the house.
"Damn." Carly swears watching her leave.
"What did you do? What did you say to upset her?" Nik grabs Carly. "Where did she go?" He sees Carly glancing back to the house. Sees Jerry standing in his study. "Damn you. Damn you both. You've ruined everything." Nik stalks back to the study. "Get out of my house." He orders Jerry and Carly. He barely contains his fury from spilling over when he sees Lucas staring at him wide-eyed along with Lulu outside the study door. He stuffs it deep.
"You can't stop me from seeing my daughter." Jerry says quietly as he walks to the front door.
"Maybe I can't but she can and has. Do not call her. She'll call you." Nik shuts the door after them. Tearing the house apart he searches for his keys. Maddy couldn't be alone right now. She'd run for sure.
"Why were Carly and Maddy getting into it?" Lucky asks. Nik looks around. "Don't worry; Elizabeth and Gram are with Lulu."
"Jerry just told Maddy she's his daughter and she freaked. Where the hell are my keys?!" Nik starts tossing cushions.
"Excuse me? Did you say daughter? Where was I?" Lucky holds up Nik's keys but then closes his hand around them before Nik can snatch them.
"You don't understand she'll jet."
"No, she'll go somewhere and chill. She didn't take anything with her. So you have plenty of time to tell me how exactly she ended up being related."
"The club. She'd go to the dance club. Give me my keys, Lucky. I don't want to hurt you."