TITLE: Family Values
Author: Hjmugillecuty ()
Rating: PG
Summary: It seems that Jason Morgan's young protégée has gotten the Police Commissioner's daughter pregnant.
Spoilers: This starts after the August 1, 2008 episode and quickly goes AU
Pairing: Maxie/Spinelli
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me;
they belong to
their original creators
Author's Note: This story is 120 pages handwritten, 98 on Word, so be warned. Jason is probably very OOC in this, but oh well.
Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio walked into his house prepared for a semi-relaxing evening at home. His niece Robin and her boyfriend Patrick were coming for dinner, and while he wasn't crazy about Patrick, he loved to spend time with Robin. Unfortunately, what he walked in on changed his plans.
His daughter, Maxie, sat on the living room couch, curled in a ball, sobbing.
He rushed to the couch. "Maxie? Maxie, what's wrong?" He gave her a strong hug. She kept crying. "Maxie, sweetie, answer me. What happened?"
She shook her head against his shoulder.
"Maxie, please, you're scaring me." There was a knock on the door. "Come in! Please." He added under his breath.
"Uncle Mac?" Robin and Patrick walked in. "I asked mom if she wanted to come and…What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I just got home and found her."
Robin hurried over. "Maxie? Maxie, it's Robin. Talk to me. What's wrong?"
Maxie just kept crying.
"Maxie, you're going to make yourself sick." Robin turned to Patrick. "Maybe we should call someone."
"Who? Spinelli?"
"No!" Maxie yelled into Mac's shoulder.
"What!" Mac held her tighter. "Did Spinelli do something to you? Did he hurt you?"
"No, Daddy."
"Then why don't you want us to call him?" Robin asked quietly.
"He…he…" Maxie started crying again.
There was another knock on the door. Patrick opened it to find Anna.
"Hi, hope I'm not late…What's going on?"
"We don't know yet." Robin replied.
"Maxie, honey, it's Aunt Anna. Are you okay?"
"Aunt Anna?" Maxie looked up in surprise.
"Yes, sweetie, what happened?"
"Yeah, Maxie, what did Spinelli do?" Mac asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Spinelli?" Anna whispered to Patrick.
"He's her friend." He replied.
Maxie shook her head. "He…he kicked me out", she hiccupped.
"Of where?" Robin prompted.
"His life."
"What?" The question came from all directions.
"Maxie," Robin added, "What do you mean?"
"I went to see him at the coffeehouse because Dr. Hunter was making me so mad and I knew Spinelli would help. But he was all worried about something and he said…he said that 'he could no longer be in my radiant presence.'" She dissolved into tears again.
"He said what?" Anna asked, completely confused.
"That's how Spinelli talks." Patrick explained. "I imagine that meant that he couldn't be around her anymore."
"But why?" Anna added.
"Spinelli works for Jason Morgan, mom."
"Oh."
"He thinks," Maxie started again, "that there's going to be a mob war and he doesn't want me caught in the middle."
"Spinelli's smarter than I give him credit for." Mac declared.
"Dad!"
"Mac!"
"I'm sorry, honey." He patted Maxie's back.
She pulled away slightly. "I tried to tell him that nothing would happen to me, or at least that I'd be in danger anyway because of Kate. But he just pulled me out of the office and told one of Jason's men not to let me in anymore."
"It sounds like he just wants to keep you safe, Maxie." Patrick replied.
"I can keep myself safe."
The others looked at each other, bemused.
"Maxie," Robin began, "are you sure this is just about friendship?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've been spending a lot of time with Spinelli."
"He's my best friend."
"Are you…are you in love with him?"
Mac shook his head.
"I can't be in love with him."
"Why not?" Anna asked her.
"Aunt Anna, every guy I fall in love with dies. And I'm not going to let that happen to Spinelli."
Mac sighed, "Maxie, I think you might be overreacting."
"Oh rea…"
"That's not what I mean. As much as I wish it would happen, I don't think you and Spinelli are going to be able to stay away from each other."
"Yeah. I have faith in you Maxie." Robin added.
Maxie smiled and wiped her eyes.
"Well, now that things are somewhat settled," Patrick said, "how about dinner?"
"Oh! I didn't make anything." Maxie gasped.
"We'll go out." Mac smiled.
Jason Morgan sat on his couch wondering why his roommate Damien Spinelli hadn't come downstairs all evening. He wasn't about to go upstairs and ask, but he was honestly curious.
The sound of someone pounding on the door made him jump.
"Jason! Spinelli! Open up!"
He recognized Robin's voice and headed to the door.
"Hey Robin."
Robin pushed past him, followed by Anna.
"Uh, Robin?"
"Oh, right. You remember my mom, Anna Devane?"
"Jason."
"Ms. Devane."
"Alright." Robin waved her hands dismissively. "Where's Spinelli?"
"He's upstairs. He hasn't come down all night. So you know why?"
"Yeah, we know why." Robin walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Spinelli, get down here!"
"What's going on?"
Spinelli came downstairs carrying his laptop.
"Dr. Robin?"
"Spinelli, how could you?"
"Robin, what are you talking about?" Jason raised his hands, trying to calm her.
"Why don't you ask Spinelli?" Anna interjected.
"Yeah. Why don't you ask him why my cousin was in tears on the couch when I got there?"
"Maximista?" Spinelli's voice was hollow. He stumbled over to sit on the couch. "She cried?"
"Yes, she cried. Probably for hours."
"The Jackal didn't intend…didn't perceive that…"
Jason raised his hands again. "Will someone please tell me what is going on?"
"The Jackal told the Fair Maximista today…"
"Robin?"
"Spinelli told Maxie to stay away from him."
Jason's eyes grew wide.
"For the Fair One's own protection, Stone Cold."
"Protection from what?" Anna asked.
"From the Russian rouge. The Jackal couldn't bear it if Maximista was…"
"Wait," Jason interrupted, "did you tell her about Karpov after I specifically told you not to?"
"The Fair Maximista came to the Jackal upset about the Devious Doctor. She desired that the Jackal do a background check, but to his great consternation she saw the work the Jackal had been doing for Stone Cold."
Anna leaned over to Robin, "I didn't understand a word of that."
"I did."
"The Jackal realized that his Fair Maximista might be in danger if his and Stone Cold's suspicions are correct and informed her that they should no longer be in each other's presence."
"Spinelli," Jason sighed, "why do you think Maxie's in danger?"
"Stone Cold, it is the women and children in our lives that are most in danger, because of our choices."
Robin gave a humorless laugh. "Well, you're really teaching him, Jason."
"Maxie's safe, Spinelli." Jason ran his hand through his hair.
"How can Stone Cold be certain?"
"I assigned her a guard the day…well, you know what day."
"Mac's not going to like that." Robin told him.
"If he keeps her safe, he will." Jason shot back.
"But she could still be harmed." Spinelli stood. "No, the Fair Maximista and the Jackal must stay apart." He ran back upstairs.
"Jason, you've got to convince him."
"Robin, when Spinelli makes up his mind…"
"You didn't see Maxie. She's hurting."
"So is Spinelli." Anna said thoughtfully.
"I'll talk to him, but Maxie should stay away for now. Spinelli is right that things aren't very safe."
"I don't know if they can stay away from each other, but I'll try." Anna and Robin left the Penthouse.
"Robin?"
"Yes, mom?"
"Is something wrong with Spinelli?"
"I used to think so. But, I think he just spends a lot of time in his own head that he forgets when things are real."
Meanwhile, Jason had followed Spinelli to his bedroom.
"Spinelli?"
Spinelli lay, flat on his back, in the middle of his bed.
"Yes, Stone Cold?"
"Are you okay?"
"The Jackal is ashamed. He did not think Fair Maximista would be so upset by his edict."
Jason sat down on the bed. "She really is safe, Spinelli. When I came home and found you two…That same day I put a guard on her."
"Why?"
"Because she's important to you. And you're right; it's the women we care about who get hurt. I've tried to make it seem that you weren't as much a part of things as you really are, to keep you safe. But we both know that if Maxie was in danger, we'd be compromised. Because you might not be able to work, and I couldn't do things without you."
"The Jackal just wants her to be safe."
"I know. And I agree, until this Karpov thing is over, you two should stay apart."