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When Cassidines Fall
Damn Ricky
Sunday mid-morning, Maddy is already back from checking in with
the half of the kiosks that are open on Sunday. Standing in Nik's
study she stares out at the back yard. The kids had kept the area
around the house clear of snow but it was mounding up big time.
Maddy hugs her arms to her and bites her lip. "Damn Ricky."
She shakes her head. Ever since she'd talked to him, his words
had been gnawing at her. "What are you doing, Maddy? What
are you doing?"
It's one of those very rare times when she is actually alone in
the house. Lesley is at the hospital. Lucky and Liz are over at
her grandmother's house. Nik had left a note that he was off to
take care of Sheba. It's just her and Cinnamon kicking in the
study. Cinnamon is snoring on a mat by the fire. Maddy turns from
the view and goes over to Nik's desk. She pulls out her organizer
and goes back to before she'd moved to Wyndemere Lite. Flipping
through the pages, she sees all she has accomplished. And
everything she hasn't. "Damn Ricky." There are a lot of
things in the organizer she wasn't getting paid for-- like doing
Luke's laundry. She was only suppose to be cooking one night a
week, okay, maybe two-- Ha! Deadlines coming up for applying to
schools that were getting close... Material she hadn't even
looked at.
Maddy reaches into her satchel and pulls out the college
prospectives materials: Xavier and Tulane down in New Orleans.
University of Michigan and Yale where Aunt Dara had gone. Howard
and Georgetown in Washington DC. Maddy groans as she looks at one
of the prospectives. Cornell wanted their stuff back by January
first and that was their second deadline. She'd
already missed the first one where most of the freshman class was
picked from. "Damn Ricky." Port Charles University
prospective draws her gaze. Maddy bites her lip. Was she
considering PCU because she wanted to go there?
Or just 'cause it was there? Sure it would make
everything so easy. No packing up and moving. "I hate moving."
Maddy mutters. She might be good at it didn't mean she liked it.
"I'm going to have to move anyway... it's just a matter of
how many times. Move out of Nik's? Move to college? Maddy exhales.
"Okay. Here is the deal, Reynolds. If you decide on an out
of town college then see if Nik minds if you stay until it's time
to leave. If you decide on PCU then start looking for your own
place." One decision down... sorta.
That decision made Maddy pulls out the financial aide forms she'd
picked up before she'd left the high school. She couldn't file
until after she did her taxes for the year but it would at least
give her an idea. Maddy scans through the form quickly. "Oh
Screw. Thank you, Daddy!" Maddy mutters
sarcastically. Need based aide is out. She might have qualified
on her own for some... since the shopping business was kinda
under the table and all she had were the kiosks. Well those and
the house down in New Orleans. But between the insurance money
and the damn trust... neither of which she wanted to lay a finger
on-- she was ineligible for everything else.
"Scholarships." Maddy boots up Nik's computer and
starts doing a net search for money. Cinnamon comes over and
nudges her. Maddy pats the dog absently. Cinnamon nudges her
again more insistently. "Okay, okay! Do you want outside?"
Cinnamon starts an impatient hop. Maddy gets up and walking to
the kitchen lets the dog out. Refilling her coffee, she realizes
she needs some stuff from her room and goes down in the basement.
Cinnamon greets Nik at his car. Nik climbs out of the jag and
pets the dog. Cinnamon bounds away to complete her business and
meets Nik by the back door. Nik walks in shedding his coat and
boots. He sniffs his shirt... eau de cheval. Stripping off his
shirt he uses it to wipe the dog's feet. It's already trashed
anyway. He was going to have to do laundry today. Should have
done it last night while they'd been doing Luke's. Nik starts
heading toward his room. Cinnamon instead of staying in the
kitchen as she normally does pads along with him until she nears
the study and breaks off. She pushes the slightly ajar door open
wider and goes over by the fire. "Maddy?" Nik asks
curiously as he leans into the Study. The room is empty but there
is a fire built and the computer is on. He goes over to his desk
and glances over the materials. His eyes go wide and then he
looks over to the computer screen.
"What's up?" Maddy asks from the door.
"I was wondering where you were... Cinnamon wanted back in."
"Right. I'll just clear out of here. Get out of your hair."
"There is no need for you to do that." Nik protests.
"I need to go up and take a shower anyway. College
applications?"
"Yeah, Ricky reminded me I've been letting it slide. I have
to get them done... the sooner the better. I need the stuff back
from the schools in order to make plans." Maddy comes over
to the desk and sits back down.
"Well I'll leave you to it." Nik backs off. He leaves
the study shutting the door behind him. "Damn Ricky."
Vicki collapses on the cool tile of the bathroom floor. "ack."
Her stomach heaves again barely staying down not that there was
anything more to bring up. She pulls herself up and rinses her
mouth out and then grabs her tooth brush. She looks up in the
mirror and then looks away. She looks like hell. Stiffening her
spine she looks again refusing to look away from the messy sweat
stained hair and the raccoon eyes. "It's your own damn fault.
It's called binge drinking you stupid..." She'd gone out to
the clubs the night before. The excuse this time was it the last
weekend before dead week and finals before the holiday. Turning
on the shower as hot as possible, she strips out of her clothes
and climbs in. She leans against the shower wall letting the
water pound on the back of her neck and shoulders.
One of her sorority sisters comes into the bathroom carrying a
two large glasses. One filled with tomato juice the other with
ice water. "Vic-- I left the fixer-up for you on the counter.
We're all going to Porter's for brunch. You want us to wait?"
Vicki grimaces. "Nah. Go on ahead. I'll see you later."
As if she would step foot in that place.
"Hon, last night was the bomb! I can't wait until finals are
over so we can really cut loose. See ya later!"
"Yeah, Later." Using both hands to push off of the
wall, Vicki steps back into the direct spray of the shower.
About twenty minutes later she walks back to her room. Her head
is wrapped turban style in towel and she is wearing a terry robe.
Over one arm is the party dress she'd worn the night before and
passed out in. In the other hand she carries the glass of tomato
juice. She absently pushes the door open.
"Hello Victoria." JD says from next to his daughter's
desk. At a glance he takes in the dress as well as the glass of
tomato juice.
"Daddy?!"
"Rough evening?" JD says quietly.
"Saturday night. You know, a couple of the kids had a get
together." Vicki shrugs.
JD comes over to his daughter and grabs her by the chin. He
inventories the bloodshot eyes and other evidence of over
indulgence. "Did you forget that I teach a few classes at
this school? What I do for a living? Who I know?" Vicki
looks at him questioningly unwilling to say anything that might
incriminate her. "I remember college. Made some good friends
back in the day, good contacts and had some good times. Some with
alcohol some without." JD steps back. "Lt Taggart is
investigating a problem here on campus. As part of his
investigation he is checking the local hangouts. The only reason
you weren't arrested last night is because you are my daughter.
Needless to say I chewed him out. You don't get a free pass
because you are my daughter."
Vicki realizes she isn't going to slide out of this one. "I
know I screwed up, Daddy. Believe me I paid for it this morning."
"Good." JD says sternly. "That way I won't have to
go into the lecture about underage drinking, alcohol poisoning,
other drugs, unsafe sex, date rape. You weren't driving were you?"
Vicki is grateful to be able to shake her head no on that one.
"We took a cab."
JD nods reflectively. "I don't know if this..." He
waves a hand around. "... is working out for you. I guess
we'll see after finals."
"Daddy! That's not fair!"
"Oh but it is. Very fair. You are here first
to get an education. If this isn't working out you can always
move home."
"HOME!! That isn't my home!
Not since you married that bitch!"
JD bites back his instinctive-- it will always be your home. Time
might ease the situation eventually but right now Vicki at home
would pretty much guarantee Cookie splitting and probably taking
Rita with her. "Then an apartment off campus. Ricky is
staying in a converted Victorian over on Mariners Way. I'm sure
we could find something over there. Something more conducive to
studying and just as close to school as this."
"That won't be necessary." Vicki says reining in with
some effort. She takes a deep breath and blows it out through her
nose. "It won't happen again, Daddy. I would never do
anything to jeopardize my future. I know how important it is. I
also know how much Mother wanted me to be a part of her sorority
and make the kind of friends she did in college. I do appreciate
the opportunities and advantages you've given me, Daddy. I know
how lucky I am to have you. Things will be just fine."
"We'll see." JD agrees. "After Finals." While
his voice is calm the implication is clear. JD walks over and
gives Vicki a kiss on the forehead and then departs.
"Damn it." Vicki kicks out at a chair which hurts her
more than the chair. "And Damn Ricky! Who the hell does he
think he is?! If Daddy only knew." Vicki gets an
evil glint. First that bitch with her self righteous son and now
this. Being compared to her father's new pet project. "I'll
fix them. I'll fix them all."
2pm Ricky shows up at Porter's Restaurant. "Hey munchkin,
your relief show yet?"
"Nah. She doesn't come in until 5pm. The waitresses will
cover now that brunch is over. Just let me get my stuff. Cookie
kicked Johnny out of the kitchen so he could buy Daddy's
Christmas present. Frank will come in to relieve her."
"What's he getting?" Ricky follows Rita back into the
kitchen looking around curiously.
"A pool table. Daddy kicks ass at pool. Cookie says that's
the way he paid his way through school. It's how they met."
"Wow I would have never figured the Judge for a hustler."
The Judge goes up a few points in Ricky's books.
"You should see when he and Carly get together... it's like
watching ESPN or something. Calling shots and chalking the sticks."
"It's a cue. Pool cue."
"Oh okay." Rita grabs her jacket and sorting through a
dish with her tips in it quickly stuffs them in her jacket pocket.
"Cookie, Ricky is here to take me home."
Cookie growls in her direction and slams some plates up on the
prep area. After she has completed her order she turns to Rita
and Ricky wiping her hands on her apron. She grabs a 3x5 card
from off of a clip on the prep area. "Here. You and your
father will need to start dinner. If the Idiot shows up I'll be
home in time to finish everything." Rita takes the card and
nods at the clearly written directions. There is nothing on the
card that she hadn't done elements of before. Cookie turns the
focus on Ricky. "Drive safely." She says sweetly then
picks up her favorite knife and the sharpening stone.
Ricky can't take his eyes off the knife. "Yeah, no problem."
Rita rolls her eyes and grabs Ricky's sleeve tugging him toward
the back door. "Damn Ricky, you are so gullible. Like she'd
really fillet you here with all those witnesses."
Lucky and Liz come into the house via the backdoor. Liz puts a
pyrex container on the counter. Lucky helps her off with her coat.
"What's this?" Nik asks.
"Gram made apple crisp for us to bring home." Liz
explains. "Has Maddy already started dinner?"
Nik looks at the calendar. "Not her night. She's in the
study up to her ears in college applications."
Lucky pauses in hanging up the coats and looks over at Nik.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Evidently she ran into Ricky and he reminded
her that she's been putting it on hold with everything else going
on."
Liz looks back and forth between the guys. "PCU is
on her list right?"
"Yes, along with schools from New York to New Orleans and
Michigan to Washington DC. I didn't see one for Hawaii but I
think I did see Oxford. The one for Timbuktu must still be in her
backpack. "
"Oh." Liz says softly. She bites her lip. Going over to
the fridge she checks Mrs L's notes. "Lucky, it's your night.
Mrs Lansbury has you down for nachos."
"That doesn't sound too bad." Lucky nods in agreement.
Liz goes into the living room to put her presents from her
Grandmother under the tree. Lucky looks over at Nik. "Maddy's
planning on jumping ship? I thought she got over that after
Halloween." Nikolas shrugs and says nothing. "Damn
Ricky. So have you decided... is he messing with your head or
hers?"