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The Quintessential Q
Chapter Ninety Three
Where the Boys Are.
Stefan Cassadine and Pete Robideau sit across from each other in the limo. Neither makes a pretense of not assessing the other. Pete shrugs. "I hear you play chess."
"Yes, Madeliene is quite skilled." Stefan removes his gloves now that he is in the limo.
"She learned from the old men in the park across from her place." Pete smiles at the memory. There'd been a time when Maddy's feet wouldn't have brushed the ground as she sat across from a bum at a picnic table their focus only on the board. His guys might have been another park bench for all the notice the opponents gave them. "She's always been extremely focused."
"Really." Stefan frowns. "I've always found her distracted."
"Distracted seldom. Bored frequently." Pete makes a so/so motion with his hand. It was a potayto/potahto situation. "So you called this meeting by slashing the tires on the limo; what you want?" Pete says impatiently.
"Slashing your tires?" Stefan quirks a brow and allows himself a small smile. "Anyone who knows me would tell you how unlikely that is."
"Well I don't know you, but I do know a set up when I walk into one... before I walk into one. So does Madeliene."
"So you can assume she wanted this conversation to take place." Stefan tacitly admits to arranging the meeting. He looks at the window they are already at the Port Charles Hotel. "Perhaps the discussion would be better over a glass of brandy."
"Well I've heard that the coffee here is inferior." Pete shrugs. The limo pulls up to the curb. Pete opens the door and steps out. He routinely scans the crowd for possible threats. Together he and Stefan walk into the grill where they are quickly seated. "So cards on the table-- are we having this chat because you want Maddy in town or out?"
"It would be difficult to find another chess partner."
Pete shakes his head. "Eh, not buying it. This has something to do with Madeliene and the nephew. Her living in his house. You have your agenda. My guess is you want her in town and Madeliene knows it. Otherwise she would have been the first one on the phone to the auto club or offered me a lift herself."
"While her methods are unorthodox, Madeliene has been a positive influence on Nikolas."
"You thinking she's some kind of stable pony to keep your high strung thoroughbred in line?" Pete's too quiet tones indicated that the wrong answer could have his companion picking teeth out of the low pile of the Grille's carpeting.
"Pete Robideau! I'm very pleased to finally met you. Emily's had nothing but nice things to say about you." Edward extends his hand into the conversation between Pete Robideau and that eurotrash Cassadine. "I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you about Madeliene's progress here in Port Charles. I worry about that girl."
Pete takes Edward's hand and shakes it firmly before releasing it. "'Who are you?"
"Edward Quartermaine. I own this hotel among other things." Edward brags modestly.
"Then it is you to whom I own an apology. Madeliene told me she cancelled plans with you to meet with me before I have to return home." Pete nods. "You are concerned about Madeliene?"
"The girl has a head on her shoulders, a damn fine one. She's a real go getter." Edward looks at Stefan dismissively. "Is there someplace we can talk privately?"
Stefan glances down at his watch. "Edward, what a brilliant suggestion. And since you own the hotel you'll know exactly when Mr Robideau isn't already in a meeting."
"Mr Quartermaine, I would like to hear what you have to say but it's true. I must complete this business then I will be available at your convenience." Pete says politely to his elder.
"Hrmph. It will have to do but mark my words, Mr Robideau if you've got an ounce of sense you'll get Maddy away from those damn murdering, theiving Cassadines with their european manners and ways. This one buying her dresses she could catch a cold in. And the younger one..." Edward rolls his eyes. "He's a tomcat not to be trusted! I keep a shotgun loaded to keep my granddaughter safe. The only one worth a damn is this one's sister but she's ours now and we're not giving her back!" Edward stalks off to the bar.
"Is there something in the water here?" Pete watches the retreating back of the scion of PC society.
"I've often wondered that myself." Stefan admits. "It's one reason I stick to bottled or boiled."
"Your sister?"
"Recent married Edward's grandson. It's an unfortunate match but Alexis is over the age of consent and convinced it is a sound one."
"There is no love lost between you and the Quartermaines and yet you sister marries one and your nephew plans to wed another."
"Oh?" damn it, Nikolas, what the hell did you say?
Pete leans in and keeps his voice low and grim. "He is planning on marrying Maddy's best friend correct? He wouldn't be toying with Maddy or planning to use her in some way? Because there would be servere consequences for abusing Maddy's affection for your family. If you or your nephew harms my girl; you will suffer some way that would have you be of no interest to any heterosexual woman. Are we very clear, Mr Cassadine?"
"Oh very, Mr Robideau. I can see now why Madeliene is as secretive as she is. She doesn't strike me as the violent or threatening type. Confident and controlling but not limited to threats of bodily harm." Stefan's distain of thuggery comes through loud and clear.
"Maddy can be because she has someone behind her that will handle the bodily harm when it becomes necessary. I don't think you under estimate my Madeliene. Make sure your nephew is on the same page." Pete rises from his chair and walks over to the bar where Edward waits. Stefan leaves the hotel. He is going to have to have a little chat with Nikolas about Pete Robideau and exactly what secrets Maddy is harboring.
"Well you made short work of him." Edward sniffs at Stefan's back.
"You have worries about Madeliene." Pete tries to redirect.
"Well of course I do!" Edward harrumphs. "Now Emily tells me that you look out for Maddy's interests so I wanted you to know that you don't have to worry about her coming down with botulism or some other food poisoning. I got her out of that inferior factory they call a public highschool. The tutor has been very impressed with her."
"Madeliene said she was being tutored." Pete remembers.
"With my granddaughter, Emily." Edward nods and there is a devilish twinkle in his eye. "Those two are going to run the world someday. Some might say you can't teach an old dogs new tricks but those two and my granddaughter in law, Carly, are teaching me a thing of two. I've been making a mistake all these years thinking that I had to have a man to pass my business to." Edward leans in speaking confidentially. "Women run the world they just let us think they do."
"You are telling me something I don't already know, sir?!" Pete laughs. "It has always been so."
"Well they've always run my life but I thought that was an isolated incident. There is nobody quite like my Lila but I'm beginning to see the way it's going. They aren't satisfied to be pulling the strings from behind the big chair anymore; they're want to be sitting in it. That's why Maddy needs to be staying at the mansion now."
"Excuse me?"
"She's staying with a friend. Friend right-- probably some young buck who wants to get in her drawers, distract her from her potential. You need to either get back to her Aunt's place, never mind that, Dara Jensen wouldn't know a good thing if it bit her in the butt." Edward mutters still stinging that Justus had been tossed over by Dara for that copper, Taggart. "It's settled. Maddy needs to come stay with Lila and me."
"Mr Quartermaine, I appreciate your candor and I've met Maddy's friend. Your concerns match my own. If I had my way Madeliene would be back in New Orleans where I could protect her myself. But she is willful and knows her own mind. I can suggest but not order her. You've found this to be true as well." Pete nods. "Maddy says she will be getting her own place after her birthday. She is also waiting on her college letters to make a decision. But I will attempt to... influence her."
"Good. I'll talk to Emily. She might be able to convince her." Edward slaps Pete on the back. "Next time you're in town we'll take the girls to dinner." Edward leaves. Pete looks at the bartender and holds up his empty glass. The bartender nods. Ah the joys of being out of town. You could drop your guard a bit. Pete takes a sip of the freshioned brandy and sets it on the bar. He turns around at the a tap on the shoulder right into well placed right cross.
"Maddy, let me in." There is a pounding on the back door of Wyndemere Lite that Maddy willfully ignores as she puts away the last of the clean dishes from the earlier coffee and pastry.
"No, you're an idiot, stand out there in the rain." Maddy turns her back to the door.
"G'Damn it, Maddy, open the f'ing door!" Nik roars. Locked out of his own house.
Maddy throws open the back door. "You've been hanging out with the construction crews too much."
"What are you thinking? This is my house. I won't be locked out of my house." Nik lays down the ground rules. One that had been implied but never spoken. Lucky slides in beside them and then gets out of range. He shakes his head like a dog shedding the rain. Liz watches raptly as she takes a bite of the tiny snack pretzels. This was better than reading the Inquistor. Lucky reaches around her and grabs one too.
"If you think I'm giving up a favor for your performance today, you are so mistaken." Maddy growls. "I trusted you."
"What the hell did I do?" Nik looks over at Lucky for support.
"Well bro, if I had to guess it was not keeping an eye on Uncle Vlad while he was letting the air out of the tires on Sonny's limo."
"My uncle would never....!" Nikolas protests. He stops and looks at Maddy's furious face and then over to Lucky who is nodding at him and Liz who is just shrugging. "He didn't?!"
"He slashed the tires, two of them and then offered Poppi a lift. Do you realize how much trouble this is? Your uncle will say something and Poppi will be annoyed. Poppi will threaten to string him up by some extremity that Stefan is fond of and so Stefan will be annoyed. Poppi will probably set guards on me 24/7 now. And it's all your fault."
"Oh no. I'm not taking the blame on this one. You were the one that had private conversations with both of them. If you got Stefan curious that's your doing not mine."
"Well bro, you did kind of imply that you knew more about Pete than you were letting on."
"Stay out of this, Lucky!" Both Maddy and Nik demand as one.
Lucky holds up his hands in a surrender motion. "Elizabeth, we should get going. Sunday doings with your grandmother and the great gatsby."
Liz makes a face. "I hate that damn cat." Maddy and Nik are holding a staring contest neither one planning on giving in. Liz sighs. She always misses the exciting stuff. "Yeah, I guess we should go." Lucky and Liz slide by Maddy and Nik who are still standing on the inside of the back door.
"Great Cannoli, Maddy, thanks for the coffee." Lucky says cheerfully as he leaves and shuts the door. He puts a hand out behind his back that Liz takes automatically and makes a little running step so she is right beside him.
"What do you think we're going to miss?" Liz looks back longingly at the house.
"Hot make up sex. How should I know? Nik may be my brother but he's a Cassadine too. Their brains aren't wired the same."
"You think Stefan really slashed the tires?"
"Oh yeah. Stefan isn't like Helena. He'll get dirty to get the info he needs. It's like when he sent me that video game and I was following the clues to get to I didn't know who at the time... turned out to be Grandma Lesley that he'd kept locked up in a looney bin after a drug he gave her made her a drooler for a couple of decades. I was actually following the clues and ended up in a bog. Stefan went in after me and pulled me out."
"He saved your life." Liz sighs. That is just so heroic, so romantic.
"He was trying to impress my mother and at the time my Aunt Bobbie." Lucky shakes his head dismissively. "That was right about the time they got married. He denied knowledge of the game but took credit for the save. Nik doesn't know about all that stuff. He doesn't know or believe half the crap Stefan has pulled. You don't know how lucky we are to have Maddy playing chess with the guy it keeps him out of the rest of our hair."
Johnny makes a dash for the van outside the multiplex. It had started raining while he and Em were in the movie. Pulling up to the curb outside the theater, he runs around the van and tosses Em over his shoulder and dashes back to the van plopping her in the front passenger seat ignoring the curious eyes of the people departing the movies.
"Oh my hero. You loved doing that." Emily laughs pushing her hair back out of her face.
"You know how casts reek when they get wet." Johnny says practically. "Where to now?"
Emily grimaces looking at her watch. "I should probably get back to the mansion. Want to go with me?"
"Want?" Johnny shakes his head. "Well that's a stretch. If we're going to do it we should probably swing by the restaurant first and pick up some sweets to sooth the savage beast."
"You know you have such a prejudice about my family because of your mother."
"And Jason." Johnny reminds. "Sure, I heard stories from them both but nothing compared to seeing it first hand. The dock strike, the baptism."
"Grandfather is a softy." Johnny looks over at her. "I mean it. He is. He got me off restriction after I submarined Katherine. He's been great about the kidnapping. I know he's living in the past but it's kind of sweet."
"You are definitely Lila's granddaughter." able to see the best in everyone even the old goat.
"Thanks." Johnny leans over to Em's seat and plants a liplock on her making her grateful to be sitting down. "You know I really don't have to be home for awhile yet. I could just call in." Emily murmurs against Johnny's ear.
"What happened to taking it slow?"
"That was your idea not mine." even if it's a good one.
"You know I'm going to go to hell for this one, don't ya?"
"Maybe but isn't there some cheesy 80's song about heaven being a place on earth?" Emily retorts.
"Leave him alone, you big ox!" Carly screams as she races at the guy who has a fist drawn back to pummel Jerry. With a single bound she is on the guy's back. She wraps her legs around him squeezing like a vise. She'd pull his hair if he had any. Instead she wraps an arm around the guys throat and starts reefing back to cut off the guy's air.
"What the... " The guy swears and tries to shake off the crazy lady riding him like a tick on a hound.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" AJ shakes his head. He hands Michael to the maitre de ready to jump in after his wife, his pregnant wife. "Call security."
Jerry steps back from the fray wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Well he'd started the fight but it looked like Carly was going to finish it. "Caroline! Let the man breathe! AJ, Don't bother with security."
Carly slides off the guy releasing her hold on him but holding her purse ready to use it to bash the guy but good if he took a step toward Jerry.
"You're crazy." The guy bends over and breathes out. "And so is she. Inside a four star hotel, Jerry?"
"I take it you two know each other." AJ shakes his head ruefully. Rolling his eyes he goes back over to the maitre de to retrieve his son and to smooth the waters of having an irrational appearing father in law.
"What the hell are you doing in town, Pete? And don't give me that tired crap about the foliage."
Carly gets a good look at the guy as he straightens and her eyes widen. "Poppi? Maddy's Poppi? What in the hell you think you're doing hitting Jerry."
"He started it." Pete fixes his jacket. It has been an interesting day.
"No, you started it. Ditching me out in the middle of a bayou in a leaky skiff with no paddle and no bug repellant."
"Jerry, do you mean he literally left you up an unsanitary tributary without a means of locomotion?" AJ quips to ease the tensions. "Why don't we find a table, have a round of drinks and pretend this all didn't happen."
"I hate the Grille." Carly looks around the dining room glaring at the people who she catches staring.
"Then you shouldn't start fights in the middle of it, Darling." AJ reminds her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Caroline." Jerry says sternly.
"I said I'm fine why don't the two of you just shut the hell up? I get a better workout from Mr Roberts."
"Who is that-- some judo instructor?" Pete asks.
"Her horse." AJ says tersely. Now that the excitement is over he's getting a little worried. He moves in close. "Honey, are you sure you're okay?"
"Mama's mad?" Michael reaches out to pat his mom on the shoulder.
"No baby, I was just wrassling. Grandpa Jerry played a funny on Mama."
"Grandpa?" Pete starts laughing and can't stop.