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When Cassadines Fall ~ The Detour
Coupling
Maddy flips off the light in the bathroom as she walks over to the bed. She hangs her robe over the corner of the bed and carefully climbs out of her slippers to the tops of them and then into bed without her feet touching the floor. Bringing the covers up to her chin she closes her eyes and sighs. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Nik wraps an arm around her waist and brings her in close. There is a method to his keeping the bedroom about twenty degrees colder than the rest of the house and then blaming it on Wyndmere Lite being an old drafty Victorian.
“I do appreciate you warming up my side of the bed. That first thirty seconds is a doozy. Especially after spending time down in New Orleans. It’s so cold.”
“Not for much longer.” Nik reassures. “Spring is coming.”
“Sure. Someday.” Maddy shifts around so that she’s comfortable. “I can’t believe I decided on more of this by picking PCU.”
Nik quickly changes the subject. “What did you find out.”
“It’s been killing you not knowing right?” Maddy grins. “As soon as I came out of the study– everyone was already there. The party was started no time to give ya the scoop.”
“Maddy.” Nikolas’ tone has just a hint of threat in it.
“Nothing you need to worry about as neighborhood watch.” Maddy shrugs. “Just a little misunderstanding that is going to be cleared up...” ...eventually.
“If it involves Jason Morgan being in the neighborhood then it concerns me.”
“Ricky and I decided it wasn’t Jason’s business either.” And that had been an interesting conversation.
“Edward was meeting with the FBI.”
“Right. And we could tell Jason or Emily about it and it would be a big hairy mess and the neighborhood would get involved, you would get involved. Everyone’s feelings would be hurt. It would get all complicated. Or we could not tell Jason and Emily and just deal with Mr Q so that he realizes the error of his ways.”
“How many favors?” Nik shakes his head. He should have realized.
“Two.” Maddy smiles smugly. “One from Mr Q and one from Ricky too. It’s been a very good day.”
Nik leans up on one elbow so that he is looking down at Maddy’s face. “You’re okay with not telling Emily– your best friend?”
Maddy takes a deep breath and chews on her bottom lip. She’d thought about it before when she and Ricky were negotiating the deal. Second guessing is a bitch. But this is something she can live with. “I’m okay with it. Mr Q... miscalculated.. Ricky says Mr Q knows he shouldn’t have gone to the FBI. It’s not going to happen again. It’s kinda a spilt milk thing. Just clean it up and go on. Don’t keep spilling it all over town.”
Lucky pours some more pellets in the hopper of the woodstove in the carriage house apartment. Being on a reversed schedule, the apartment is actually kept warmer at night than during the day. Liz didn’t mind the heat and he slept during the day while she is at school anyway.
Liz is humming when she comes out of the bathroom. It has not only ended being a feast New Orleans style but there had also been a soundtrack of blues, jazz and zydeco. Ricky had just about broken the CD when the zydeco came on– evidently not a fan of accordian music in any form. Ever his father’s son, Lucky had defended the offending disc but quickly switched it for another.
Lucky takes Elizabeth’s hand and dances her around the room to the tune that she had been humming but that is now stuck in his head. As the song comes to an end, Lucky pulls Elizabeth in close and just holds her rocking from one foot to another.
Liz runs a hand up the middle of Lucky’s back. “I had fun tonight.”
“You want to go to New Orleans now.”
“Oh yeah.” Elizabeth grins. “Now that we know everywhere to go.”
“I don’t know... I was planning on taking you down to Florida for some drunken debauchery with all the other college students for spring break– Beer Bongs and Girls Gone Wild– a college rite of passage. My dad was kinda expecting me to pick him up some Cigars. ”
Elizabeth pulls back and just shakes her head in disbelief. “I’m sure your father has a cigar connection in New Orleans.”
“But beer bongs... Girls Gone Wild.”
“It’s a very good thing I know you’re kidding. You don’t drink beer if there is a choice. You’d rather have a bourbon– neat– if you’re going to drink anything at all. And the only girl you better be getting wild with...” Liz bites Lucky on the jaw and it’s a little harder than a nibble.
“Ow!” Lucky doesn’t complain too much. He knows he deserved that one. Lucky runs both hands over Elizabeth’s haunches not resisting the urge to give her a little tap on one cheek as a mild payback for the bite that is probably going to leave a mark. Then he picks her up. Elizabeth wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. “You know I think that’s my t-shirt.”
“Really? Do you want it back?” Liz looks up at Lucky who just dropped her on the bed and is standing beside it. She sits up on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“I think we should share.” Liz replies with a mock pout. But with an easy movement she catches the hem of the tshirt with both of her hands and pulls it up over her head leaving her torso bare to Lucky’s gaze.
“Not one of my strengths.” Lucky murmurs as he takes the tshirt back from Elizabeth and drops it to the floor by the bed. “There are some things I want all to myself.”
“What kind of things?” Liz asks breathlessly. Her body is already reacting to Lucky’s gaze; it’s like a burning touch straight to her soul. Sometimes it feels like if he touches her she’s just going to fall into a million pieces, but if he didn’t she’d never be whole. “Lucky?”
“Shh.” Lucky says softly already intent. He slides his right hand between sensible cotton and skin already damp. He can feel the tremor of her thighs. “Shh.” He says again, kissing her deeply, loving the shudder running from Elizabeth’s core to her lips. In this case the left hand knows exactly what the right hand is doing. He kisses her again and supports her neck as she lays back on the bed.
Elizabeth grabs handfuls of the bedspread as Lucky kneels at her feet. “Lucky.”
“Shh.” Lucky murmurs again. He is focused on every shudder– every tremor just for him. The way her hips shift to allow him to remove Elizabeth’s remaining garment. The way her hands knead the bedspread and her body arches as he runs one fingernail from behind her knee up the inside of her thigh.
“Oh Gawd.” Elizabeth grabs one of the pillows and throws it over her face.
At Johnny’s apartment over Porter’s restaurant, Johnny and Em turn down the bed together. “I had a lot of fun tonight. I’m glad we could go.”
Johnny looks over at that. “Em, they are your friends. There is no could about it. No reason why you can’t see them.”
“You and Nikolas...”
“Not going to be best buds but we aren’t out for blood either.” Johnny agrees with a nod. “I work with Maddy. Been around Lucky and Elizabeth forever because they were always around you. They are good kids. I don’t have to like all of your friends. Anymore than you have to like all of mine.”
“Maddy’s good for Nikolas, for his uncle too.” Emily counters. “She doesn’t put up with any stuff from either of them. Things worked out the way they were supposed to.”
Johnny gives her a look but doesn’t answer.
Whoa wait a second, Bub! Emily crawls over the bed and kneels on it so that she is right there in his face. “Things worked out the way they were supposed to. RIGHT?!”
“Sure, Em.”
Emily gives him a narrowed eye glare. She’d been practicing it after seeing Carly use it on AJ. “I know I am where I want to be. Maybe you don’t feel the same way. Cause if you don’t-- tell me now.” Em starts to climb off the bed but is blocked by an arm.
“Shut up.”
“I’m going to tell your mother.”
“You going to tell her about this too, tattletale?” Johnny asks as he tilts Emily head back and gives her a good night kiss that says everything about the evening not being over.
“Oh hell no.” Emily smothers a giggle and starts pressing kisses on Johnny’s face all the while tugging him onto the bed. With a quick reverse that would have made an self defense instructor proud Emily plants herself on top of Johnny. “Because then I’d have to tell her about this.”
Johnny holds her off with a firm but not painful grip on her upper arms. “You’re too young for me, Emily.”
Em groans and rolls her eyes. “I’m definitely not getting any younger.” Em shakes her head. “This is why I don’t like you hanging around my friends. Every time after we do something around them you start on this whole older than the hills spiel.” Em looks down at Johnny and her face is very serious, maybe overly so. “Is this because you’re over your sexual peak and I haven’t even reached mine yet? Because you know even if that’s true then I won’t be trading you in for... at least ten years. And with Viagra and everything we could probably stretch it to fifteen.”
Johnny does a quick reversal so that Emily is beneath him. “Brat!”
Emily shifts her hips experimentally. “Nope, no Viagra for you today.”
It’s Monday night which wouldn’t be so bad if it was still Football season. Could go hang in some sports bar. Tomorrow is a school, work day. And there is absolutely nothing going on. Not a freaking thing. The clubs are dead or closed. The food had been excellent over at Maddy’s and the music not too bad once Lucky got rid of that zydeco crap.
Should have been a good evening and it didn’t really occur to him what was bothering him until the evening was almost over. Couldn’t really call himself a third wheel but damn: Lucky and Elizabeth, Emily and John Cook, Maddy and Cassadine. Hell even Cassadine’s uncle had been there with a date. It had been him, Nikolas’ granny and the housekeeper.
“I need to get laid.” Ricky mutters to himself. With that in mind he heads toward the college. The frats were always good for a party whatever the day of the week. And the like minded girls would be there. It’s faster and cheaper than hiring a pro. Course a guy had to be on his guard. They could be out for a good time... or out for their MRS. Amazing how even in the 2001, women are still going to college to get married.“Hey Ricky!” Ricky is greeted from all sides when he arrives and quickly handed a beer. “How you doing, man?!”
“All good. Had to do a family thing.”
The frat boy’s eyes go wide. “With the Judge?!” He’s a junior in the Judge’s constitutional law class and lives in fear of Judge Porter.
“Nah, my dad sent me some stuff from New Orleans I had to pick up.” Ricky takes a sip of the beer and looks around. “Well, well, well. What have we here. Now I know why you were asking about the Judge.”
Vicki is curled up on the couch with a guy who isn’t a member of this frat but has become rather infamous on the PCU campus. She sees Ricky walking over and swears under her breath then puts on a broad smile as she sneers. “Well if it isn’t my father’s charity case.”
“Barbie. Going to introduce me to Ken?”
“I thought your name was Vicki?”
“Real winner here, Doll.”
“Will you just shut up.” Vicki uncurls from the couch and heads back to the kitchen where the keg is being kept cold. She’s not surprised when Ricky follows her into the kitchen although she’d hoped for a little luck there.
“Do you know who that guy is?!” Ricky snarls.
“Of course. Alexander Lewis of the Miami Lewis’. His father is a well respected doctor and his mother is a rich Doctor’s Wife.” Vicki refreshes her beer.
“He’s out on bail for dealing ruffies. The school should have kicked his ass to the curb!”
“Innocent until proven guilty.” Vicki shrugs. “I would have thought you would known that. Besides can you think of a safer time to date him? It’s not like he’s going to slip me anything.”
“Doll, that is wrong in so many different directions.” Ricky shakes his head. He really doesn’t know where to start or even if he should. Then he just can’t resist. “I guess I’m with the munchkin on this one. Some people just need killin’ and that freak qualifies. You taking a walk on the wild side just to piss your father off? Or you figure you are so bad in the sack that you’d turn on a guy who would rather screw a corpse?!”
“You son of a bitch.” Vicki tosses her beer in Ricky’s face.
Ricky returns the favor. Vicki moves on him as if to slap his face. Ricky leans back and catches Vicki’s arm in midswing. “Ah ah ah.” He warns mockingly. “You might want to rethink that. Because the only way you’re hitting me is if you’re willing for me to give you one right back. Fair warning, Barbie-- I will let you hit me just to be able to return the favor.” Ricky releases her arm and just waits with his arms out by his sides.
“I hate you!” Vicki snarls but she doesn’t swing on him. She doesn’t know if he would really hit her back. She doesn’t think so but she doesn’t know.
“First sensible thing you’ve said all night.” Ricky takes two cups from the stack and fills them from the keg. “Beer?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Ricky leans up against the kitchen counter. “Now. I thought we had an agreement. That when you were planning on doing something stup... rash you would come to me first and I’d make sure that it didn’t get back to the Judge.”
“You told me come to you for money if I overdid my allowance. That’s not going to happen.”
Ricky points in the direction of the living room. “And that guy out there isn’t going to get off for facilitating the rape of a whole bunch of women because he’s got a Judge’s daughter on his arm to make him look good– no matter how socially connected his family is.”
Vicki’s jaw snaps shut. She hadn’t expected Ricky’s second comment and she frowns as she looks at him. “That isn’t the reason....” She stops at Ricky’s look. “Okay that wasn’t the only reason.”
“I have no idea how you and Rita could be related.” Ricky shakes his head in disbelief and starts walking back to the party.
“Where are you going?!” Vicki demands.
“I came here to get laid and you’re wasting my time.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Vicki dares. She can’t believe she’s even saying it.
Ricky turns around and just looks at her. “I don’t even respect you now let alone tomorrow. But on the plus side– you would remember it in the morning. It would be a night you’d never forget.”
“You talk so big but you’re nothing much.” Vicki counters.
Ricky starts stalking toward her, Vicki backs up against the wall retreating from him. Ricky rests one hand up against the wall next to her head. He presses so close that his knee touches the wall behind Vicki between her parted legs. The kiss isn’t soft, gentle or easy. It’s hard, demanding– a war of wills. When Ricky draws back he looks at Vicki with guarded eyes. Vicki starts breathing thru her nose to get her breathing back under control and everything about her is a dare. Ricky flicks at a lock of Vicki’s hair. “You’re sticky.”
“So are you.” And Vicki knows she isn’t just talking about spilt beer. Ricky is a complication she really doesn’t need.
“That your coat?” Ricky looks toward the hooks that are by the kitchen door.
“Yeah.”
Ricky goes over to the door and spotting Vicki’s coat holds it for her. Vicki hesitates before walking over. Turning her back to him she allows him to help her on with her coat. He doesn’t hold her hand, or take her arm, or throw an arm along her shoulders. Ricky cups the back of her neck with his hand, his hand firm, and a bit dangerous. Ricky can feel her tense. “Lets go, Barbie.”
Stefan looks out the window of the Port Charles Hotel Suite. He is wearing the white terry robe that is provided by the hotel.
KC comes up behind him and gives him a hug from the back. “I don’t know what to offer: a drink, a pillow, a ride to the launch or an ear.”
“I’ll take you up on three of the four.” Stefan turns around and brushing KC’s hair back from her face gently kisses her at the temple.
“Well if I get my pick then you’re not getting the ride to the launch.” KC says cheerfully. “Water, brandy or port?”
“Water.” Stefan allows himself to be drawn to the settee in the suite and takes a seat while KC brings water over for them both.
KC curls up on the couch next to him. “What’s bothering you?”
“You don’t think he really did it, do you?”
KC starts laughing. “Stefan Cassadine, you are such a goose.”
Stefan doesn’t take offense but rather explains defensively. “Maddy has been a strong influence on him.”
She shakes her head in disbelief. “No matter how much influence Maddy has on him– Nikolas would not get a tattoo– no matter how many tattoo parlors there were on Bourbon St. You covered very well at the party. I don’t think anyone actually believed that you believed Nik got a tattoo.”
“None the less, I think that next time Nikolas is over at Wyndemere I will invite him to join me in some taichi.”
“So... you think I could talk you into getting a tattoo.”
“No.”
“Your ear pierced? I think you’d look real sexy with your ear pierced. Nice diamond stud. Tasteful but stylish.”
“No.”
“Shave off your beard.”
“Never. I have it on good authority that a certain lady finds the beard... ticklish.”
“You better be talking about me.” KC leans up against Stefan and brings his hand around her shoulders.
“I’ve had my beverage. You’ve lent me your ear.” Stefan leans in and kisses KC slowly and thoroughly. “I believe the final offer was for a pillow.”
“Dang.” KC shakes her head. “The only pillow I have is right over there.” She indicates the mussed bed. “I guess if I let you use the pillow then you’ll have to be mine... pillow that is.”
“That would be acceptable.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Maybe with a little more enthusiasm.”
“That can be arranged as well.” Stefan rises to his feet and pulls KC to hers. In a sweeping motion, he gathers her to him ready to carry her back to the bed..
“Oh my GAWD!” KC laughs even as she grabs on to Stefan for dear life. “I was not expecting that. You’re just damn lucky we’re here rather than at Wyndemere. Those stairs are killer.” Realizing what she said, KC grabs Stefan’s face in both hands so that he is looking directly at her. “That was not a dare. If you’ve got enough energy and flexibility in your back that you can carry me up a flight of stairs then I definitely want you channeling it in a different direction.”
Stefan kneels on the bed and lays KC across it. “What direction would that be, Dr Ryan?”
KC uses the belt of the robe to pull Stefan to her and whispers in his ear.
Stefan slowly smiles. “That could be arranged.”
When Nik was remodeling the house he should have had those hot water pipe thingees run thru the floor. Maddy thinks as she is grabbing for her robe and making sure her slippers are on as she heads to the bathroom. Today is going to be a bear. She’s been gone for three days and Nik had been so persnickity about the vacation being the full three days even after they arrived back in Port Charles. Maddy flips the shower to hotter than hell and lets it run long enough to take the chill off the bathroom before climbing until the pulsing spray. There is a fine line between a shower that is so nice you never want to leave and having a full day ahead. Nikolas Cassadine made that decision even harder. While he hadn’t heated the floor of the house, he had installed a hotel sized hot water heater that could run a hot shower all day long.
Forcing herself out of the shower, Maddy quickly dries off and dresses in all the layers she needs to face a February in New York. She pads down the stairs in her sockclad feet because her coat and boots are by the Kitchen back door. In the kitchen the light is already on. The coffee is ready and Mir is no where around. But the answer to that is just a few seconds later when Nikolas comes in from the back yard with Mir. Even with the full, tall and now automated fence, neither of them are going to feel comfortable with Mir on his lonesome. Maddy pours coffee for both of them. “What have you got going today?”“It will be a full day at the hospital.” Nik shrugs. “I’ll go in early to get the estate business done and catch up on paperwork before the rest of the administration arrives.”
“All the rest of the administration cept Mr C.”
“One of the reasons why we’ll be able to get estate business done at the hospital without interruption.”
“I hate three day weekends.” Maddy complains even as she is putting on her boots. “I love them but I hate them too. The work doesn’t go away. It’s just compressed into a shorter week.”
“Madeliene, it doesn’t matter if there is holiday or not– you have work.”
“True. The curse of the self employed. I was just trying to make you feel better.” Maddy gives him a quick kiss. “You want to arrange your schedule around so that you’re having lunch at Kelly’s about noon?”
“I’d prefer to arrange my schedule to have noon around here.” But Nik sighs. “Paperwork. Kelly’s yes, and I’ll call you if there is any change.”
“Kay.” She gives him another kiss. “And don’t forget to schedule some time to put all that stuff away from the garage. Cause that is your stuff and I’m not cleaning up after you.”
“Go to work. Make some money. Bring me Journal pages I can use to amaze Stefan.” Nik helps her on with her coat.
“I will.” Maddy hesitates at the door. “See ya later. Oh come on, Mir.” Mir races for the door and out to the van and Maddy closes the door behind her. It doesn’t take long for the van to warm up and she’s on her way to make her rounds of the kiosks. But as she is ready to pull out onto Mariners Way there is something different about the street. There is a cab waiting on the street in front of Ricky’s apartment building. Maddy waits to see who is coming out of the building. “You have got to be kidding me! I hope he has had his shots.”
Vicki gives the address of the sorority house to the cab driver and leans up against the back of the seat. She really needed to have her head examined that is all there is to it. It hadn’t been love or even affection. Neither of them respected the other. It had been a workout. That’s it. Just a work out. A very hot, very sweaty aerobic workout. No offer of coffee, breakfast or even the couch. Grab another shower, put on the borrowed sweatshirt (big of him to offer that at least) and the rest of her clothes and he had the cab already waiting downstairs. Hand her twenty bucks for the cab fare and locked the door after her.
“This is it.”
“Thanks.” Vicki hands him the twenty and takes back the ten in change. She unlocks the front door of the sorority house and up to the room she shares. Thankfully the *signal* isn’t hanging out and her roommates boyfriend has already left to go back to his college. It really has been a bitch of a weekend with him there. Finding other places to be is a pain. Maybe Daddy isn’t too far off about getting an apartment and just doing the sorority things on the side. Vicki is quiet when she walks in but not overly so.
“Vicki?” The sleepy voice of her roommate breaks the quiet and a light is flipped on over by the bed.
“Yeah.” Vicky starts stripping out of what she is wearing down to panties and sweatshirt and wonders if it is worth going to bed just for a quick nap before her first class.
“Where were you?! You said you were going over to party row. After Bill left I went looking for you but they say you just left without talking to anyone. Did you convince Zander to let us use his parents beach place for spring break?”
“That isn’t going to work out. He’s on bail and can’t leave the city let alone the state.”
“But that is what would have made it so perfect. All the benies and none of the drawbacks.” The roommate shudders. “I can’t believe he was part of that whole thing. It’s just so gross.”
“Innocent until proven guilty right.” Vicki quips. “We’re just going to have to go with plan B and contact some of the sisters down there to put us up.”
“Zander’s parents beach place would have been so perfect. Now it’s going to be sleeping bags on the floor.” The roommate grimaces. She hates sleeping on the floor.
“You’re not planning on sleeping anyway.”
“True.” The roommate grins. “Very true.”
