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When Cassidines Fall
Getting Down To It
KC sighs as she walks up to the door of her suite. "Now I
understand why you people walk even in December. With food like
that you have to do something. "And oh my... chocolate fudge
ripple cheesecake with raspberry topping... that is too cruel to
even put on a menu. You should have tried it."
"Your expression was delicious enough." Stefan replies
softly.
KC looks up at him. "And no calories." She teases. KC
brings out the door key. Stefan takes it from her unlocking the
door. "Would you like to come in?"
"I was hoping you would ask." Stefan follows her into
her suite. KC goes over to the small fridge and puts in the
leftovers that Rita had packaged for her. As she rises, Stefan
moves in behind her running his hands up her arms until he
reaches her shoulders. He helps her off with her coat.
KC looks over her shoulder at Stefan. "Did you want a
nightcap?"
"If you're having one." Stefan agrees he shrugs out of
his wool overcoat.
Pouring matching small glasses of port, KC carries them over to
the couch and seats herself. She sets the glasses on the coffee
table right in front of her next to each other. Stefan comes over
and sits down next to her. He picks up his glass and hers...
handing it to her. "To a lovely evening."
KC clicks glass. "A lovely evening." She takes a sip
and then sets the glass back down. She curls her feet onto the
couch so she is half facing Stefan and rests her elbow on the
back of the couch resting her temple against her knuckles. "Have
I told you what a good idea it was to come to Port Charles?"
"No. I don't believe you have." Stefan angles his body
so he is also leaning his knuckles against his temple, giving KC
his full attention.
"Great digs, great food, a challenging problem...."
"And the company?" Stefan suggests softly.
"That's the best part." KC whispers. She starts leaning
toward Stefan. He bring his other hand up to cup her face
bringing her closer still. "You smell like port."
"And you-- like fudge ripple cheescake with raspberry sauce.
I believe I'll have dessert afterall." Stefan nibbles her
lower lip and then deepens the kiss. He slips his hand to the
nape of her neck... finding first one pin and then the other
until her russet hair falls down around her shoulders.
"You do seem to have a thing about me having my hair up."
KC murmurs.
"Only outside of work hours." Stefan rubs a lock of her
hair. "It's fire. Like you-- breathing... consuming."
"It's a pain but a concession to my girlie nature."
"I rather enjoy your girlie nature."
"I think you like my take charge nature better."
"Oh? And how can you tell?" Stefan half smiles.
KC rises to her feet and extends a hand for Stefan to take.
"Come with me." Taking Stefan's hand she leads him back
to the bedroom.
"I'm exhausted." Maddy collapses onto the couch. Nik
pulls her over into his arms and together they stare at the
fireplace that Lucky had lit as part and parcel of the decorating
process. "What happened to no projects... to a quiet holiday."
"I think Lulu and Liz happened." Nik sighs tiredly.
"Who knew?"
"Your brother should have known. And he should have shared.
We should sic' Louise on him with the newsletter idea."
"It does look good though, doesn't it?" Nik looks up at
the fir that fills the part of the room in front of the window.
The lights are done and all of the decorations that Liz had
bought. The tree still has some spots that need work but they'd
done all they could for the night.
"If Lisette and I had a tree it was normally closer to the
holiday. The tree wasn't the thing... it was the stockings. We
had a blast with the stockings. Did you do something princely?
Holiday in Gstaad or something?"
"Oh we had elves or something." Nikolas jokes. "The
house was always dressed for the holiday. The only thing that was
real... I used to put a shoe at the foot of my bed for treats
when I was little."
"Let me guess... the biggest you could find?"
Nikolas laughs. "I guess it's similar to what you did."
Maddy stares at the blinking lights of the tree. "It really
is beautiful." Nik's arms cradle her as they recline on the
couch. She rests her arms on his covering his hands with her own.
"Luke was already gone by the time I got back from the
kiosks."
"There has been no change." Nik informs her. "There
is a possibility of surgery. We'll know more on Monday."
"How did Lu take it?"
"Better than any of us." Nik admits. "She really
likes Dr Ryan."
"But not quite the same way as Mr C, eh?"
Nikolas' chuckle vibrates through Maddy. "He's out with her
tonight."
"Would it be too mean to call him tomorrow at say... 6am?"
"Yes. To Mrs Lansbury. Cause she'd be called on to cover for
him." Maddy starts moving restlessly breaking free of Nik.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to shift a load from the washer to the dryer."
Maddy sighs. "I'm going to be up all night doing laundry.
About now I'm wishing for an all night laundramat to just get it
all done at once."
"I'll help." Nik offers. Maddy snorts in disbelief.
"No, really... I need the practice and better on Luke's
stuff than mine."
At Dara's place, Taggart comes in just as she is hanging up the
phone. He glances over at the clock. He'd just been relieved on a
stakeout and it's past polite calling hours. "What's up?"
"I just verified that Jerry Jacks is a total and complete
nutcase."
"Is that the reason that he and Carly get on so well?"
"It wouldn't surprise me." Dara takes Taggart's coat
and hangs it up. "How did the stakeout go?"
"We're just waiting on a delivery and then we'll take those
punks down. Their mamas, if they are still speaking to them, will
be mailing them fruitcakes in jail." Taggart says
confidently. "That lead Elizabeth Webber gave Rick is really
going to pan out. But we have to take them down now before the
school lets out for the holidays."
"Dead week."
"Excuse me?"
"The week before finals... when all the serious students hit
the books and all the animals hit the parties. There is no new
info going on in class just review for the finals. So attendance
is kinda optional."
"I like it. So in addition to everything else the punks can
explain to Mommy and Daddy why they didn't get to go to their
finals." Taggert snickers. Everything he could do to truly
mess up these bottom feeders was fine by him. "So why are
you more convinced of Jerry Jacks insanity today than yesterday?"
Taggart takes Dara's hand and starts dragging her off in the
direction of the bath.
"The guy has no DNA, no proof-- other than evidently a
couple of pictures and a drunk hazed memory and he had Lee
Baldwin file a Declaration of Paternity down in New Orleans on
Maddy. And then after doing all that... he flies out of the
country. Which is probably a good thing cause I think Maddy is
ready to kill him."
"Jacks is out of the country?" Taggart pauses in taking
off his shirt and then removes it and tosses it in the direction
of the laundry hamper. He puts the seat down on the commode and
unlaces his boots slipping them off as well as the heavy wool
socks that went along with working outdoors in the middle of
winter. "Why does that give me a really bad feeling?"
Dara starts drawing a tub... making it a little hotter than she'd
like. They'd be pruney before they got out of the tub... but
hotter now meant a longer soak. "Carly could probably tell
you all about it. He left on the ELQ jet for China a couple of
days ago.... the same day as Lee delivered the papers to Maddy."
"AJ and ELQ must be having a problem in the Far East."
Taggart muses as he strips out of his jeans and long johns.
"Jerry solved that problem for AJ what... a year ago in
Jakarta."
"This is a really conveniently timed problem." Dara
bitches. She lets Taggart settle back into the steaming tub. The
guy sighs as the hot water seeps into his pores. She adds a
little foaming eucolyptus oil to the water. Not particularly sexy
but it didn't set the guys off down at the station and it cleared
colds out from the inside. "You want me to scrub your back?"
"Oh yeah." Taggart grabs the middle of the oversized
tub and slides himself forward. The water is still racing into
the tub hitting the oil and the bubbles are frothing around him.
Dara hangs up her silky robe on the hook behind the door next to
Taggart's and then slides in behind him. Hissing as her bare foot
hits the hot water. With their combined mass the water level is
getting dangerously high for anything but soaking. Taggart
reaches forward and turns the water off. Dara, kneeling behind
him, picks up a washcloth and wetting it starts scrubbing her
lover's muscular back starting at his shoulders and working her
way down. Taggart's head hangs down as if suddenly too heavy for
his neck...and he practically purrs at her ministrations. "Oh
yeah." Taggart sighs the tension from sitting around in a
survellience van all day draining away.
"Don't fall asleep on me, Marcus." Dara murmurs in his
ear as she nips the lobe just to make sure. Her hand reaches
around him as she slowly and thoroughly begins to run the
washcloth over his pecs.
Growing impatient, Taggart grabs her arm and with a splash bring
her around him plopping her across his lap. He slides back in the
tub so that he is half reclining against the back. His knees
slightly bent since other than those extra long victorian style
tubs nobody his size could really stretch out. His bent knees
support Dara's back. Taking the washcloth from Dara, he lathers
it up. Dara rests her hands on his shoulders for balance. With
care and thoroughness Taggart runs the washcloth over her curves
and then rinsing off the washcloth repeats the process. Dara
shifts rising slightly on her knees straddling him. The heat now
had nothing to do with the cooling waters of the tub. Taggart
runs the washcloth down the outside of her thigh to her knee
resting on the bottom of the tub and then up the inside of her
thigh. He grins at her gasp and then strained effort to control
her breathing. Dara's nails begin to dig into his back. Her eyes
close and she bites her lower lip then licks it. Her eyes open as
Marcus adjusts their bodies for the perfect fit. His hands run up
her back bringing her even closer to him the water pressed
between them. "I am feeling kinda tired, Baby." Marcus
lies. "Maybe you should do all the work tonight."
On the other side of the world. Jerry and Jason stroll along the
plant in shanghai. Their tour guide moves the group along...
there is always one more section to do, one more thing to show.
"It's a plant. They make widgets." Jason mutters.
"How many widgets do we have to look at?"
Jerry puts on an interested face for the tour guide and shifts to
the front. He'd been listening enough to know the questions that
the guide didn't want to answer. He starts asking them. The
flustered guide finally suggests that they take a break for lunch.
"Great idea, mate." Jerry agrees as if it just occurred
to him. "I've been having a yen for fresh fish all day. Must
be all that river out there."
"I will take you back to the hotel."
"Oh no worries. We passed a market on the way here. I'll
just walk over and I'll meet you back at the hotel. Soak up some
of the local flavor."
"It is not..." The guide doesn't want to imply anything
that might reflect badly on him, the company or the country.
"Safe? Don't worry. I'll go with him." Jason offers.
"Between the two of us I'm sure we'll be fine." The
guide continues to protest as they head back to the bus that will
take the rest of the tour back to the hotel. Jerry waves at the
them as they all board and then pull out leaving them at the
front gates of the plant. "Where to now?"
"The fishmarket."
"You really want lunch?"
"Sure. I could eat. But it's also the guy's livelihood. The
wife and daughter might have come back here. It's also the
closest."
"We should toss their place. See if there are more current
pictures than what Father Frank gave me." Jason suggests.
"Stop by the embassy find out if there is anymore word on
Chow. If there has been a formal protest. Or if the poor bloke
has already met the maker. Sounds as if we've got the list for
the day." Jerry and Jason head off in the direction of the
market seemingly oblivious to the stares they are getting from
the locals.
Taggart watches from the doorway as Dara uses towels to sop up
the water on the floor. They went through a lot of towels in this
house. "You know that robe is about two inches too long."
Dara looks down at the shorty robe. "If this thing were any
shorter it would barely cover my ass-ets."
"Exactly." Taggart raises his eyebrows suggestively.
Dara starts getting an inkling of what she is getting for
Christmas. "I kinda like this house. You ever think of
putting an offer in on it? You've been babysitting it for as long
as I've known you. The only change I'd make is maybe putting one
of those hot tubs out in back. There is a perfect spot for one
right outside the back door."
Dara looks at Taggart curiously. This isn't the first time he'd
hinted around settling down ever since she'd been placed on this
involuntary vacation. "I don't think this is the
time. Everything else is still up in the air. I don't know where
I'll be working next year."
"You've been spending a lot of time over at L&B."
Taggart hints but then backs off a bit. "I mean since you
took down Larkin."
"Well Maddy did drop that problem in my lap."
"And you helped that woman with her landlord."
"I didn't tell her anything that V wouldn't have."
"You know we both work for the people but the job means we
are spending too much time with the bad guys. It must have been
nice-- no, satisfying to be able to win one for the little guy."
"You think I should go private practice?" Dara snorts.
"I can see the commercials now. Dara the
Hammer Jensen squeezing the
insurance companies. Please. Personal injury? That's a step down
from criminal law. I get enough flack as it is at alumni get
togethers from all the corporate types who are making the same
thing I am-- only add on a few extra zeros."
Taggart gathers up the towels that Dara had used to wipe the
floors and takes them to the laundry room dumping them in the
washer and starting a load. Dara follows him. "I don't see
you as a corporate cog. Or in a big firm. You're GDI. Have been
for as long as I've know you." Taggart leans up against the
washer. "Dara, you're a crusader, and the thing messing you
up now is you don't have a cause. Justus screwed that one for you.
You don't believe in the DA's office anymore."
"Mostly I do." Dara defends but then admits. "When
I took a case to court it was cause I believed the person was
guilty as hell. They deserved what they got... sometimes they
deserved more than I could get." She shakes her head. "I
must have had my eyes shut to the politics. And that is what came
back to bite me in the butt. I question everything now... and I
don't think I could be effective."
As if by mutual design they walk back to Dara's bedroom and slide
in on opposite ends of the bed. Dara reaches over and turns out
her bedside lamp. Taggart snuggles in next to her. "You'll
find it. The cause that will feed your soul."
Maddy has changed into her ragged sweatshirt and thermals. Fuzzy
socks keep her hair warm and she has a silk scarf wrapped around
her braids to keep them out of her way. "Light starch my ass."
"Excuse me?" Nikolas checks out the body part
referenced.
"Luke said he wanted light starch on his shirts. There is
nothing here that needs ironing."
"He was probably pulling your leg. Luke is a casual guy. I
don't think I've ever seen him in anything that would have a
crease... on purpose. Lucky gets his style from his father."
"Oh second generation slacker?" Maddy hands Nik one end
of a sheet and then walks away from him with the other end until
they have it taunt enough to be easily folded.
"They aren't slackers... exactly."
"style challenged?"
"You are in a foul mood today." Nik finally lets it out
in the open.
"Yes. I am. Sorry to inflict it on you."
"No, it's okay. Is it Jerry?"
"Aunt Dara called while you were checking on Lu earlier.
Jerry did file one of those Declarations. I can't believe this
happened." Maddy takes the end of the sheet from Nikolas and
snaps the fold to make it sharp and to get out some of her
frustration. "She basically said the same thing as your Aunt
Alexis. I'm totally screwed. It doesn't matter now if I have a
DNA... this guy is my father in the eyes of the state of
Louisiana. I don't get a say."
"Few kids do. You do get a say. You get a say now...
and from the time you were 15. You're legally adult. You can have
as little or as much contact with them as you want." Nik
eases in next to Maddy and takes the folded sheet from her and
sets it in a wicker basket with all of the other clean and folded
clothes. He wraps his hands around her from behind and nuzzles
her neck.
"Your sister and grandmother are right upstairs." Maddy
reminds him.
"And we're going to be up all night doing laundry. Cinnamon
will warn us." Nik persuades. They start walking in tandem
to Maddy's room down in the basement. The futon is already
stretched out and made up for the evening. Nik turns her around
as if they were dancing and holds her close. He backs her to the
low mattress. He supports Maddy as she loses her balance and
starts to fall. With one knee on the bed he slowly lowers her to
the mattress. Leaning in he kisses her passionately. Every fiber
of his being is focused on her. Looking for every reaction, every
caught breath. For now at least... they'd reach a point in the
foreplay where, Maddy would have to take a 2x4 to him to slow him
down. But since she'd always been the one to get him there the 2x4
had never come into play... Maddy arches her back, the small of
her back comes off the futon. Nik reaches for the sweat shirt and
pulls it over Maddy's head. Exposing more area for his
exploration.
Stefan rises from KC's bed wearing only the Cassadine Medallion.
He silently crosses to the chair where his slacks are neatly
folded over the arm. He slides them on and walks out to the main
living area. He goes over to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of
water not bothering with a glass he swallows half of it smoothly.
"Save some for me." KC walks up behind him. Her hair is
a tangle around her shoulders and she is wearing only his shirt.
She takes the bottle from him and takes a quick drink handing it
back. "You couldn't sleep?"
"I need very little sleep." Stefan quirks his head to
the side. "Dr Ryan, I believe you are in possession of my
property."
"There is something about your stuff that just fits
perfectly, Mr Cassadine." KC quips back. "It's my
professional opinion that if you're tired enough... you'll sleep."
"An interesting hypothesis. And how do you propose to test
it?"
KC curls her index finger toward herself in a come 'ere motion
and starts backing toward the bedroom.