Diversion

The sound of the phone ringing wakes Cookie from a sound sleep. She reaches over to the beside table to grab it. "Yeah?" She asks sleepily.

"Is my dad there?"

Cookie sits up in bed. She can hear the tears in Vicki's voice. She glances over at the other side of the bed. "He's pulling an all nighter at the office, I guess. He's got a jury."

"Damn." Vicki knows as well as Cookie does that when JD is pulling an all nighter at the office that he is practically impossible to get hold of. "I really need him." There is a sob in her voice.

"What the hell is going on?!" Cookie demands.

Under normal circumstances Vicki would never tell Cookie anything. "I have to get out of here. I can't take it anymore. Phillip..."

"Did he lay hands on you?"

"Just once he said he was sorry but..."

"Start packing; I'm on my way." Cookie says grimly cutting off her stepdaughter. She glances over at the clock. "If he starts giving you any trouble... lock yourself in the bathroom. You still use a lighter to soften up your eye pencils?"

"Yeah." Vicki wonders where she is going with that.

"Lock yourself in the bathroom. If he starts coming through the door take a can of hairspray and the lighter. You can use it to hold him off until I get there. He starts making a move on you-- fire them both up. It'll be like a flame thrower. That'll back his candyass off."

"I don't think I can..."

"Do what you have to do, Vicki. One way or another I'm on my way. I'll be there in a couple of hours. Three tops. Keep your cell phone with you. If you don't think you can fry him then be ready to call 911."

"Okay." Vicki hiccups as she swallows a sob.

Cookie disconnects the call and dials another number. Carly picks up before the first ring even stops. "Hello?"

"Carly, it's Cookie. I need you to fly me to Salem now."

"Oh gees what did she do now?!" The bad blood between Carly and Vicki goes way back.

"I could give a shit what she did. That limp dick she married raised a hand to her."

"Meet me at the airport." Carly hangs up.

Cookie hops from the bed and going over to her walk in closet pulls out a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She dresses quickly stomping on her running shoes. She runs a quick brush through her hair and binds it back in a scrunchie. she'd have to braid it once on the plane. Grabbing her jacket and purse she walks down the hall to Rita's room. Knocking once on the door she walks in. "Rita, honey?"

Rita flops over in the bed pushing her hair out of her eyes. She leans up on one elbow. "Yeah?"

"Vicki just called. There's trouble and she's ready to come home. I called Carly to fly me out there. Your dad is at the office. If he checks in let him know what's up. Hopefully I'll be back before he is."

"I'll come with you." Rita starts climbing from the bed.

"No, I need you to handle things here."

"Cookie, don't get arrested."

"Nah. Not going to happen. If anyone is getting thrown into the can, it'll be that punk she married."

"Okay. But when he gets thrown into the can he has to have all of his body parts-- even the small ones."

"Well that depends on him, doesn't it? Tell your father just enough for him to not worry if he should call." Cookie strides out of the room.

Rita sits up all the way in bed crossing her legs indian style under the covers. Resting her elbows on her knees she holds her head and sighs. Just enough for him not to worry? Hell that meant not telling him anything. Rita leans over to the phone and prays that the number hasn't changed. "Ricky? it's Rita. Cookie is on the warpath and is taking Carly with her. My sister is having trouble with her husband. They are going to fly out ASAP to pull her out of there. Is there any way you could go along and make sure they don't get in trouble? Thank you. I really appreciate this and I know my dad will too." Rita sighs and decides she isn't going to get anymore sleep so grabbing her robe from the foot of the bed, decides to put on a pot of coffee.
 

PC Airport. The private hangers.

The Quartermaine hanger is staffed 24/7. Carly had called the mechanic before heading over so the doors are already open. Carly pulls up beside the hanger. She grabs an overnight bag from out of the back. Luke thought it was her getting back to her Spencer genetic roots. She always figured it was just practical. Between the horseshows and the estate sales that fill her weekends, it's always better to be prepared. She locks up the vehicle and sets the alarm. Carly walks into the hanger. In addition to the ELQ jets, her plane, Jerry's plane and even Lucas' plane, when he's home, are kept here. The mechanic greets her wiping his hands on a towel. "It's all fueled up and ready to go, Mrs. Quartermaine."

"Thanks. I'm going to go into the office and file a flight plan before I go over the plane with you. Mrs. Porter should be on her way. Will you let her know where I am?"

"You got it." The mechanic steps out of the hanger to have a quick smoke and keep an eye out for the other passenger. The next car that pulls up, the mechanic looks him over with narrowed eyes. "You don't look like Mrs. Porter."

Ricky laughs. "Yeah, it's a good thing. So we're still waiting on Cookie." He glances over to the other vehicle. "Where is Carly?"

"In the office."

Ricky nods and goes inside. Walking into the office he gets Carly's attention by asking, "Is there any coffee on?"

"What are you doing here?" Carly looks up from her paperwork.

"Rita called me. Figured y'all needed a saner head to prevail."

"Ha! And she called you?!"

"Okay so I'd have a better idea of where to bury the body then."

"That I believe." Carly goes over to the fax machine and faxes the flight plan to the tower. "There is the coffee pot. The coffee is in the cupboard over it. There is a thermos in my overnight that needs filling. I have to do preflight." The mechanic has finished his smoke and meets Carly by her plane. Trained by the best, Carly starts going over every inch of the plane after putting on a pair of gloves to save her manicure. She'd only had to ditch once in the last ten years of flying and that was 'cause some dumb duck had flown into the engine. That was enough. There is no way in hell she is going to have to do another emergency landing especially for something as preventable as mechanical trouble.

Cookie arrives as the sun is starting to come up. She sees Carly is busy checking out the plane and being a nervous flyer on her best day decides to not interrupt Carly. She goes over to the office. "What are you doing here?"

"Rita called me. In case there is trouble." Ricky sees Cookie is about to protest. "Hey, nobody knows better than me that you can handle just about anything. So... you handle the hubby, Carly can get Vicki out of there and I'll drive the getaway car okay? I got your back."

"Don't you have to be at work?"

"Oh please. If I have to spend another day reading memos... I'm between projects okay? Lets do this."

"Just don't get in my way."

Ricky holds both hands up. "Wouldn't think of it. You're running the show."

Rita glances over at the clock. This was going to be make her crazy. It's only a four hour flight to Salem. They'd just arrived... maybe they could even be still in the air if there had been any delays at the airport here in Port Charles. She jumps in her seat at the breakfast bar when her father comes up behind her and gives her a smooch on the cheek. "Too much caffeine, pumpkin?"

"Yeah probably." Rita gets up from the barstool and starts pulling out ingredients to make her father breakfast. "Are you hungry? For anything special? Speak now or get what I give you..."

"Did Cookie go in to the restaurant? If you want I'll take you out."

"Don't trust my cooking, Dad?"

"It isn't that..."

"She's not at the restaurant, Dad." Rita blurts out. "Vicki called last night and Cookie went to go get her."

JD sags onto the barstool that Rita had just vacated. "How bad?"

"Everything will be fine." Rita says with some fake cheer as she breaks a couple eggs into a bowl and starts whipping them together with a fork. "I called Ricky and made sure he went too. Just in case."

JD angles his head as he watches his nervous youngest putter in the kitchen. "Cookie didn't fly commercial, did she?"

Rita bites her lip. "No."

"Oh Son of a Bitch." He runs both hands through his full gray hair. "Well why don't you wait on breakfast. Call AJ and invite him over with the kids. We might as well all worry together."

"Dad, it will be fine-- Really."

JD picks up the phone and hits the speeddial. "AJ? Yeah, it's JD. So you already got the bail money lined up?" JD snorts at AJ's answer. He looks over to Rita and nods. "Look Rita's cooking-- why don't you and the kids come over for breakfast." JD nods again and then hangs up. "They are on their way over. AJ said twenty minutes."

Rita is the one who snorts this time. "He never did advance to oven in the kitchen lessons, did he? Strictly microwave and toaster."

"And backyard BBQ." JD reminds her. "AJ, Lucas and Michael all do the grill thing."

Rita glances down at the couple of eggs she'd blended to make her father an omelet. Shrugging she grabs a few more and transfers them all to a bigger bowl. Omelets out. French toast in. "That's 'cause of Jerry. It's a macho thing." Rita drops her voice an octave and grunts and frowns. She beats her chest for effect. "Me make fire. Me tough guy."

"Jerry has a few blindspots." JD admits remembering with a grin the times when the summer BBQs with Carly's extended family had been at their house rather than at Carly's or over at the brownstone. Jerry had practically come out of his skin wanting to take over for Cookie. And Cookie had practically come out of hers with him getting underfoot. "But the other 98% of his personality is feminist. He did make Carly take her plane apart and put it back together."

"Twice. The first time she ended up with some spare parts." Rita laughs.

Ricky whistles as he comes up the long drive of the Kiriakis Mansion. This place is definitely built to impress. His father's place down in New Orleans is big too but has a more wide open feel to it. Dad needs lots of room. All this thing needed was a moat and a few cannons on the roof to complete the fortress/castle design. "You weren't kidding when you said she married into money."

"Marry for money and you earn every penny." Cookie says grimly. This place was giving her the heebies. It looks too much like the house her first husband had grown up in. The husband she'd gutted like a fish after he tried to beat her one more time-- turned out to be the last time. She'd done time for that one. Years away from Johnny who'd only been a boy when it all went down. The system figured she should of called the cops, should have gotten a restraining order, should have moved to a shelter. Nevermind that she'd done all those things over and over again. Her late unlamented spouse had been aces at stalking long before it became trendy. She'd packed her bags and Johnny's too after the first blow figuring it wasn't going to get any better and moved out. And everywhere she moved-- there the sumbitch would be. Well things were going to be different this time. "I'll distract the husband. Carly, you get Vicki and get her moving. Ricky, make sure nobody comes up on my back."

The two nod. "You know it." Ricky says grimly. "You going to have a little chat with the guy."

"Yeah, he's already burned his bridges with this family but maybe it's not to late for a little lesson in manners."

Carly pulls Ricky back a step and hisses in his ear. "Keep her away from the sharp objects... or anything she could make into a sharp object."

"You just make sure that Vicki isn't packing the kitchen sink. The sooner we get out of here the less the damage will be." Carly nods in agreement.

Cookie presses the front door bell. A servant in formal attire answers the door. "Henderson right?" Cookie presses by him. "Where is Phillip Kiriakis?"

"Ma'am." Henderson tries to block her in the foyer. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. You can tell me where Phillip Kiriakis is and then you can take this lady up to see my stepdaughter."

Henderson looks from Cookie to Carly. He is getting a very bad feeling about this. He looks over both women's shoulders to the black guy standing inside the now closing door. The guy has the look of hired muscle. "I really should call Mr. Kiriakis." He says nervously.

"Yeah, maybe you should." Cookie nods in agreement. "Cause I'm starting to get a feeling that you don't want me to see my son-in-law and I'm starting to wonder why. Is there a problem, Mr. Henderson? Something I should know about?"

"No, of course not." Henderson blusters.

"Henderson!" Phillip bellows from the front room.

Cookie slowly grins. "I'll take care of that for you, Henderson. Take Carly to see my stepdaughter."

"But..."

"Oh I'd do like she says." Ricky says softly. "It'll give you a chance to call your boss. One way or another this is going down."

Carly comes up on the guy and strings her arm through his and starts tugging him toward the stairs. "You know that's a great carpet in the entry way... Karistan? I do so prefer those to the one with the Russian influences." Henderson allows himself to be dragged away.

"HENDERSON!" Phillip bellows again.

Cookie walks over to the front room where the formal dining room is set up. Phillip is reading the paper and drinking juice from a crystal goblet. Ricky stays in the foyer out of sight but within hearing range. "Mr. Henderson is tending to an errand for Vicki."

Phillip rises to his feet. "Mrs. Porter." He looks at her warily. His wife had plenty to say about her father's wife none of it good. "This is unexpected." He walks over to greet her, putting on his charming face.

As soon as he is within range, quick as a snake Cookie reaches out and grabs him by the balls. The fabric of his clothing offers some, but not enough, protection. Phillip tries to pull away but Cookie tightens her grip. "We're going to have a little talk and I want to make sure I have your full attention."

"Are you crazy?!" Phillip stands totally still.

"Yes. But I'm sure you already know that."

"Look, I don't know what Vicki told you but she..."

Cookie squeezes again. Phillip groans but shuts up. She eases up on her grip. "This isn't about Victoria. She can be the biggest bitch in the world but you knew that before you married her. Nothing, and I mean nothing she could say would give you the right to lay hands on her. Man who'd do that is no kind of man at all and has no use for these. I'd be doing the gene pool a favor if I ripped them off right now. Or how about give them a little twist. I hear sometimes that's enough for gangrene to set in then you can have them surgically removed."

"Vicki..."

"I told you I don't care what Vicki did. This is between you and me. I'm telling you how it is going to be. Vicki is out of here today. You are not to call her, write her letters, or come to Port Charles to see her. If you got something to say send it to her lawyers. Davis and Jenson in Port Charles. You can make this easy or you can make it hard. But I tell you-- fuck with me and you won't be hard for long... if ever."

"You can't threaten me!"

Cookie laughs. "Do I look like I'm threatening you? Do I look like the type who bluffs? Is it your imagination that we're standing here in the middle of this mansion and I've literally got your balls in the palm of my hand? How does it feel to be the one with no power, Philly? Kinda helpless, kinda scary? Takes a real big man to beat up on someone smaller than you, doesn't it? But I figured this was something you'd understand. Consider this my warning to you... kinda like the smack you gave Vicki. The ball, pardon the pun, is in your court. You want this to get messy? I can do that."

Carly comes down the stairs carrying some suitcases. Vicki is behind her with some more as is Henderson. "Keys." She demands of Ricky. Ricky tosses them to her not looking away from the scene going on in the dining room.

"I have something to say to my husband." Vicki snears. She's got some guts now that she has some backup.

Ricky takes in the hand print shaped bruise on the side of her face. "You can have your say when you rape him with the lawyers. Go to the car."

"But..."

"Go to the car, Victoria. This is over. Your father is waiting for you in Port Charles. We're not staying a minute longer than we have to. I got better things to do." Vicki makes a face but follows Carly and Henderson out of the house. As soon as they are out of the house, Ricky goes into the front room. "You about done here? I'm ready to go."

"Yeah, I'm done." Cookie lets Phillip loose.

He steps out of range of her but has to save face since Ricky is there. "This isn't over."

Cookie shrugs. "Your choice." She deliberately turns her back on Phillip and walks from the room leaving Ricky there.

"Count your blessings, man." Ricky tells him with verbal sympathy even though his eyes are cold as ice. "Pay Vicki off and get on with your life. I get the feeling you don't know who you are dealing with. Why don't you ask your Daddy before getting any brilliant ideas about trying to get over."

"Who the fuck are you?" Phillip blusters.

"A friend of the family. A very good friend. My name is Richard Robideau. I've done business with your father in the past. He knows who I am." Ricky turns around and starts to follow Cookie out the open front door. He runs into Victor, Phillip's father, on the way out. "Victor."

"Ricky." Victor frowns noticing for the first time the suitcases being loaded into the trunk of a rental car. "What is going on here?"

"Your son forgot his manners. Vicki's step mother just gave him a quick refresher course." Ricky says casually as he keeps walking. "I'll see you at the media conference."

Victor calls out from the foyer. "Phillip?!" Phillip comes out of the front room carrying a glass of something it's too early for... his hand shaking as he takes a sip. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"She'll pay." Phillip says grimly. "Nobody treats me like that. Nobody! I'm going to call Gene." Phillip refers to the family attorney.

"Why was Ricky Robideau here?" Victor's question stops Phillip as he is going to make the call.

"He says he's a friend of the family." Victor winces. "Why?"

"I think you need to tell me exactly what happened. And don't leave anything out." Victor warns. Phillip fills him in on his side of things leaving out a few details that reflect poorly on him. But they are details that his father can fill in knowing his son. "Pay her off." Victor walks past Phillip to the front room where he pours himself a glass of water.

"WHAT!! No way that bitch is going to get anything from me! Not a single dime!" Phillip follows him.

"That bitch, as you call her, is your wife. The wife you've been cheating on since days after your wedding. The wife whose father is a federal judge..."

"So what? Vicki isn't exactly Caesar's wife in all this. We can beat her. We sure as hell have better lawyers... real lawyers-- than Vicki could find in that backwater town she is from. That witch of a step mother said she is already represented by some podunk firm... Davis and Jenson. Whoever heard of them?"

Victor sits down. "Are you trying to give me another stroke? I'll call Gene myself. Go... take a cold shower or something. When he gets here I want you in a more reasonable frame of mind. This is the last mess of yours I clean up, Phillip."

Ricky stows the luggage in the plane while Carly does her preflight, going over the plane with the same attention to detail that she'd used in the predawn hours. Ricky comes around to where Carly is checking the flaps. "Well that was fun."

"Who was the old guy? The one who looked like his face would crack if he smiled?"

"Victor Kiriakis. Vicki's soon to be ex father-in-law You might have heard of him... Bella Magazine? Titan Industries?"

"Oh him." Carly grimaces. "I think Jerry knows him." Carly strips off her gloves. "I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand."

Ricky looks at the plane reluctantly. "I'm not looking forward to four hours on a plane with Vic."

"You can always ride up front with me." Carly says cheerfully. But then her eyes narrow. "And if you even think of sending Vic up to sit with me... I'll ditch us in the middle of a corn field." Carly threatens.

"Wouldn't think of it." Damn that blew that idea. They climb onto the plane. The ground crew pulls the stairs away. Ricky shuts the door and fastens is shut.

"Everyone buckle up." Carly orders. "We'll be in the air as soon as I get clearance."

AJ hangs up the phone. "Well that was Carly. She says she's about an hour out of town. Everyone is in one piece."

There is a collective sigh of relief from all of them--Rita, AJ and JD. Michael and Ally are in the Judge's gameroom playing pool to avoid the obvious stress that all three of the adults are under. Rita rises from the kitchen table. "I guess I'll go make up the guest room for Vic." She pauses at the door. "Daddy..."

"I know." JD sighs again. "But I think even Cookie will give Vic a little breathing room before Vicki gets her own place."

"I'd offer to help out but..." AJ shakes his head-- no way Vicki could stay with him and Carly. There would be blood shed within an hour tops and that was only cause Carly might be feeling sorry for Vicki. "There is always the Port Charles Hotel. I do have pull with the owners."

"I'll let you know." JD nods.

Ally and Michael wander into the kitchen. Michael pulls up a chair with all the guys at the table. Ally drapes herself over her Dad. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, your mom is on her way home. She just called."

"We should go out to the airport and pick her up." Ally suggests bored at being in the house all day even if Rita and her dad are cool.

"She's got her car." AJ pats his daughter's hand. "But why don't we head home." AJ rises from his seat. "You guys are going to need some time to catch up."

"I'll drive, Dad." Michael suggests cheerfully.

"Not only no, but hell no." AJ says calmly. "We'll see you later." AJ says to JD as he gathers up his kids and starts herding them toward the door.

"Mom lets me drive." Michael protests as they are walking to the car.

"Your mom does a lot of things I don't." AJ says without heat. No hard feelings here. He knew Michael had to ask. And Michael knew he'd turn him down.

Back inside the Porter House, Rita comes back down the stairs. "I saw AJ's car leaving."

"Yeah, they decided to meet Carly at home rather than doing the reunion here."

"Ah." Rita says. No need to say anything more. AJ has become a genius in avoiding situations that might end up in Carly going off on someone. Well unless he actually wants to see it. And then it would not be when the kids are around. "Alls well that ends well right, Dad?"

"Why don't we wait for the other shoe to drop with Kiriakis before the pat on the back thing."

"Dad, Vic..."

"Vicki needed to get out of there." JD reassures. "I had a bad feeling from the day of the wedding. But I also know my daughters. Honey, if it were you-- you would have packed up and been back here with no phone call to anyone. Even if it meant you had to walk. Or you would have killed him. But one way or another it would have been over. Vicki doesn't believe in quick. This is just the beginning." JD sighs.

Carly taxis the plane to the hanger leaving it just outside so that the mechanic can go over it and give her baby a bath after the long trip. She shuts down everything and makes quick notes in her log. Gathering up her overnight bag that she ended up not needing she walks back to the cabin. Cookie, Ricky and Vicbitchtoria are already off the plane. Carly walks down the stairs. The mechanic meets her. "Mrs. Quartermaine, your hubby called; he's going to meet you at home."

"Great thanks."

"How was the flight?"

"Great. I had a wonderful time."

Ricky is storing the last of the bags in the backseat of Cookie's car... the trunk is already full. He overhears Carly's last comment and walks over toward her. "And you so owe me for that."

"Hey." Carly's eyes go wide. "Someone had to fly the plane. And someone had to bitchsit. Guess you should have taken up Jerry on his offer to teach you to fly."

Ricky looks over to where Vic is already working herself up in preparation of meeting with her Daddy. JD while having his eyes open to his daughter still managed to get sucked into her drama. "I am not looking forward to this."

"Then don't go. You did the back up thing already." Carly suggests.

"Yeah, but..."

"How did things go last night?" Carly changes the subject but has she really? "With Winslow? With Rita?"

Ricky reads the devilish glint in Carly's eyes. "You knew what she was going to do." He realizes.

"Me?!" Carly says with some drama. "Would I do that to you?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Tell Rita she's more than welcome to move in with me and AJ if Vic starts getting on her nerves. Or she can stay up at the stables." Carly climbs into her SUV.

"Paybacks are a bitch, Quartermaine."

"Ain't they though? And you'll thank me for this eventually."

JD is waiting on the front porch when Cookie pulls up. Ricky is right behind her in his car. As soon as the car comes to a halt Vicki is out of the car and flying into her father's arms. "Daddy, it was so horrible. He was so mean to me. I was so scared."

JD hugs her close and starts patting her on the back. "You're home now. You did the right thing, Vic. You called and Cookie came and got you. You know we're always your safety net."

Cookie is at the back of her car opening up the trunk. She rolls her eyes. Vicki had calmed down enough on the flight. Had even gone back to the silent treatment that has been the totality of their relationship. "Help me, Lord."

Ricky comes up and grabs some of the suitcases. "Divine intervention already, Cookie? That doesn't bode well."

"She's had a rough time of it." Cookie reminds herself and Ricky too.

"Oh yeah. And so will we before it's all through. You know she's going to play this." Ricky starts pulling suitcases out of the trunk of the car and setting them to the side.

"So you want a roommate?"

"When you moving in?"

"I meant Vicki."

"Yeah, I know, I'm ignoring that. The only woman moving into my place is going to know how to cook. I have my standards."

"You're a sexist pig."

"And you're living with Vicki." Ricky falls silent as JD nears with Vic still under his arm. JD grabs one of the suitcases. Cookie grabs two more and follows after her husband and his daughter. Rita comes out of the house and grabs another suitcase. Ricky takes the last two. Rita slams all the doors shut on the car and the trunk too grabbing Cookie's keys.

"Ricky, thanks for going with. I know I had no right to ask but Cookie and Carly..."

"Would have been just fine. But it was a good reminder not to piss Cookie off. So where did you put Vic?"

"In her old room. Dad converted it to a guest room after Vic went off to college. It has it's own bath and everything. It's where you would have been staying if Cookie hadn't gotten you your own place when you moved to PC."

Ricky nods he is as familiar with the Porter house as he is with his father's or his own. "I can come back and get that one." Ricky tells Rita referring to the suitcase she is lugging with both hands.

"Nah, I got it." Rita puts the suitcase down as they get into the entryway and shuts the door after Ricky is clear. Then picking the suitcase up again she follows him up the stairs. "But I really should have put her in the first floor guest room."

Up in Victoria's room, the bed is soon covered with suitcases. She is sitting in the window seat telling her father everything that happened and how Phillip had been cheating on her from day one and when she got sick of it and confronted him on it... that he'd backed her off with a smack. She pushes her hair back so he can see the bruise. Meanwhile Cookie is unpacking the suitcases putting everything away. "Don't you have any real hangers?" Vicki protests in mid sob story. "Those are designer originals. They'll be ruined hanging on those cheap things."

Cookie bites her tongue. Rita goes to her room and pulls out some padded hangers and brings them into Vic's room handing them to Cookie who rehangs the precious garments on a more worthy hanger. "How much stuff did you bring anyway?"

"Everything." Vicki says defiantly. "Who knows what Phillip would have done to them. Probably given them to his little opera singer!"

"Right." Cookie walks into the walk in closet. Hell when she and Johnny were on the run they'd managed with one small bag. And then most of the stuff had been Johnny's. Okay a bag and a box. The bag had been clothes and the box had been her kitchen gear. "I think we should get Taggart over here."

JD nods. "Rita, why don't you call him. See if he can make it over."

Rita goes down to the kitchen with Ricky following her. "The guy is chief of police." Ricky shakes his head. "You really think he is going to show up to take pictures of Vic?"

"Probably not." Rita agrees. She bites her lip. "Exactly what did Cookie do to Phillip?"

Ricky groans. "Yeah, we're going to need Taggart. Lets just say... I don't think Cookie should step foot in Salem for a good long while." As Rita is dialing the phone. "So how soon can I meet with Mei?"

Rita looks up at him. "Do you mean it? You mean it!" Rita reaches across the breakfast bar to grab Ricky by the shirt front and pulls him to her and plants a quick impulsive kiss on him. Ricky brings a hand up and cupping the back of her neck deepens the kiss. Rita's eyes close as her knees start going weak. If Ricky wasn't half holding her over the counter she'd been in a puddle on the floor by now.

"Taggart. Is anyone there? I can hear you breathing. You know how freaking stupid it is to crank call the chief of police?!

"Oh shit." Rita comes to her senses sorta and pulls away from Ricky. "Sorry. Chief Taggart... this is Rita Porter. We have a situation over at the house. Both Cookie and Carly kinda got mixed up in it..."

"I'm on my way." Taggart hangs up.

"Why did you do that?" Rita asks still holding the phone in her hand.

Ricky takes the phone from her and hangs it up. "You started it." He comes around the breakfast bar and sits down on one of the stools half blocking Rita next to the bar. "I just wanna know if it was a fluke." Their eyes meet. Rita starts breathing more rapidly. She nervously bites her bottom lip. Ricky reaches up and cups the side of her face with his hand. He frees her lip with his thumb. Leaning in, he kisses her again. Rita parts her lips and brings up her hands to rest on his shoulders. Ricky brings his other hand around sliding it low on her back and pressing her closer to him between his parted legs. With a groan he comes up for air, and then kisses her again. What ever the hell this is... it ain't no fluke.

"Ricky." Rita whispers at the next break her forehead resting against his and trying to catch her breath. "Timing sucks. Vicki... Taggart... Daddy right up stairs."

"I know." Ricky agrees. He leans back but can't seem to keep his hands off of her. Pushing back a lock of hair. Running his hand down her bare arm. Finally he forces himself to stop, he sets Rita away from him. Even then she is just too tempting. "What in the hell happened to you?" Ricky asks with some confusion.

"I grew up."

"Have dinner with me." Ricky demands.

"When?"

"Tonight. Hell." Ricky realizes that is impossible. "Tomorrow. I'll pick you up."

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