Authors Note: How could I not write something after that kiss! Whole-E-Cow. Besides, I'm at school.. so what else would I be doing? Work? Yeah right.
It had been a most regular Thursday evening when his cellular phone had sung into the silence of his Regrettably Pink Room. Shutting his laptop
he cracked his knuckles and flipped it open.
"Spinelli!"
Though the voice was nasal and whining at the current moment, he couldn't help the proportion of the smile that overtook his face. Licking his suddenly dry lips he fumbled to quickly sit up straighter and formulate words. Any words.
"Maximista! Greetings! To what do I owe the pleasure of your solely vocal presence?" Spinelli waited for her reply, but there was no answer. He heard a slight sniffle and then a few moments later a not so slight one. "Maximista, is something amiss?"
"No! No, I'm fine," Maxie said with a wobbly voice. Spinelli's heart ached all blue around the edges at the obvious distress in her tone. "I just wanted to talk."
"And you chose The Jackal?"
"I thought--" Maxie stopped and took a deep breath. "I thought we were friends."
"We are!" Spinelli hastened to assuage the obvious doubt she now had. "The Jackal considers you a wonderful friend. I'm just surprised you would call me. I mean, The Jackal has somewhat less than… median skills of communication."
"Oh. Well, hmm," Maxie hummed into the phone thoughtfully.
"Was there a certain topic of desire, or…?" Spinelli offered helpfully.
"No, I just--" Spinelli heard noise in the background, the shush of pages rubbing against one another. "Hey, Spinelli? I've got to go."
"But Max--"Spinelli said into the dial tone.
Sighing he hung up his phone and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't help but let his mind go into overdrive about what had Maximista so upset. Then following those thoughts were his black and white world where he swooped in and saved her face from frowning and her eyes from being anything but the most brilliant blue.
Unable to stop his thoughts that something was wrong, really wrong, he picked up his cell phone and dialled her number. It rang and rang, but there was no answer. Letting it ring for a while longer, Spinelli straightened the beanie that was pushing his hair down into his eyes.
The concern was now raging rampant in his already less than calm and collected persona. If Maxie was in trouble he had to help her. That's what friends did, right? They helped. Even if that person doesn't answer their phone. Even if you have no idea where they are.
Throwing on his jacket he sent a wayward prayer that he was doing the right thing.
"Okay. So no one is currently residing within the sanctuary of the house," Spinelli muttered to himself as he walked around in the dark yard looking for Maxie's window. Craning his neck upwards he finally spotted it and cupped his hand over his eyes trying to spot any movements within the dark.
Nothing.
Spinelli leaned against the large oak tree in the yard. As soon as his back hit the strong comfort of the bark his eyes widened.
"No, I couldn't. That would be breaking and entering. Not only breaking and entering, but breaking and entering at the dwelling of the Law Enforcing One," Spinelli protested at the decision his heart has already half made. "However – it is in the name of protecting his most coveted offspring."
Spinelli jumped at the lowest branch and couldn't reach it. The second time he crouched way down and leapt, his hands grabbing onto it barely. Scrambling he brought his body up and climbed the three branches above it like a ladder. It was at that moment that The Jackal simultaneously made the unfortunate mistake of looking down and remembering his most frantic fear of heights.
"Oh, The Jackal, what were you thinking?! This was a bad, bad idea," Spinelli moaned as he clutched the tree against his chest. Was it his fertile imagination or was his feet beginning to slip? Were the branches more fragile and shrinking? Oh god.
Spinelli forced himself to continue climbing despite the way his legs had turned to jelly. Finally he reached the last branch and sat looking into Maximista's window, inwardly laughing at the image of her looking out and finding him perched like some sort of peeping tom.
Crawling forward on the branch and praying fervently with each breath, he got within reach of her window. Thankfully it was open. The Jackal in his haste to play hero had not even considered it could've been locked. Spinelli tried to dive gracefully into her room, but landed in a very undignified heap by her bed.
He would just wait for her here. She would be home any minute and she would tell him what was troubling her. Then he could help her. And maybe she would realize the lengths he had gone to come to her rescue, and she would figure out just how much he adored Maximista.
Walking over the posters on her wall he heard very faint footsteps in the hall, and braced himself. The door swung open and Maxie stepped in. Spinelli turned and opened his mouth to make her aware of his unasked presence but what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.
Maxie stood in a small cotton towel. How could her limbs be so long for such a petit person? Spinelli tilted his head and stared on. He saw a water droplet drip from her collarbone down, down, down and disappear into the towel. She had the most flawless skin. Spinelli's throat felt like it was going to close. Her blond hair was dark and stuck to the high of her cheekbones. His heart stuttered and stopped.
"Ah!" Maxie screamed as she turned around to go to her closet and saw him standing there. Her one arm was raised over her head as if to strike him although he stood out of reach, and he couldn't help but watch the way he towel slipped a little lower. "SPINELLI! What the hell are you doing here?"
"T-th-the Jackal… Uh… You… and I… and… I--" Spinelli stuttered helplessly.
"How did you get in here?" Maxie screeched, clutching the towel closer around her as if just realizing her state of undress.
"T-th-th-the window," Spinelli said with a flustered point.
"You broke in through my bedroom window?! How did you even manage – Oh God. Tell me you didn't climb up that old tree," Maxie said. She crossed the room and picked up her bathrobe. Making sure the bathrobe was tied tightly, she then let her towel drop the ground and stepped out of it. Spinelli's heart beat started again, this time kicking wildly against his chest. "Spinelli!?"
"You didn't answer my call. I was concerned. Then you didn't answer my most persistent knocking. And you called me crying," Spinelli rushed out, his voice softening at the end.
"So you decided a little B & E would solve everything?"
"You said you wanted to talk. And we are friends. What did The Wounded Blonde One expect? That The Jackal would just forget you were so undoubtedly upset?"
"Well, I didn't expect you to break into my bedroom, that's for sure," Maxie said as she plopped onto the foot of her bed. "Can you pass me my hairbrush?"
Spinelli followed the direction of Maxie's gaze and picked up the object and brought it over to her. Sinking down next to her on the bed he watched as she combed her blond hair.
"So, Maximista, are you going to tell The Jackal what had upset you?"
"Kate fired me," Maxie confessed. "I really didn't mean to call you. It just kind of happened."
"The Jackal didn't mind," Spinelli promised her. "You know – The Jackal believes in you. More to the point, The Jackal believes you are meant to be your own boss, not someone's assistant."
"You know – I think you may be right," Maxie said with a brief smile flitting against the corners of her mouth. Then suddenly she started laughing. Spinelli watched her slightly confused as she clutched her sides.
"May The Jackal inquire to the joke he obviously was left out on?"
"You – Oh God. Hah. You climbed up a tree, into my bedroom. You!"
"I was most concerned," Spinelli said with a small smile.
"Sure. I mean, most people would've left a message. But you're not most people."
"Afraid not," Spinelli said elbowing her in the side.
"I'm glad you're not," Maxie admitted.
"You are?" Spinelli asked as his eyebrows rose to his hairline – correction: beanieline.
"You're a real prince, Spinelli," Maxie said sweetly.
"The Jackal – a prince?"
"Yep. You're my hero," Maxie said with a kiss to his reddening cheek. Then quickly she wrapped him into a hug. Spinelli squeezed her back lightly, the smell of her shampoo intoxicating him. "So, want to stay for a bit? We could watch movies or something…"
"It's a date," he said with a grin.
"Yeah right – like I'd ever wear this on a date," Maxie said lifting the fabric of her old bathrobe. Spinelli got up and went to shut the door to give her some alone time to get dressed, but couldn't help but stop.
"You make it work, Maximista. Only you."