Part 2: Memories
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Dave got a taxi to the NY airport and boarded the Chicago bound plane at 10.00pm. He looked at his watch-he had a shift
starting at 7.00am-and the flight was just over 4 hours long. He realised if he was going to get any real sleep before his
shift he had better do it now on the plane. So he lay back in his chair and closed his eyes.

But he could not sleep. His thought kept drifting towards his father.

He had never gotten along with his father; not since he was old enough to understand the nature of his father's 'business'.

When he was younger and in School he had always been ashamed to admit to anyone who his father was. But all the same-it
was still a well known fact. For crying out loud-his was the only father who would show up for a parent-teacher meeting
accompanied by an entourage of body guards. Fitting in was hard enough without that sort of stigma attached to your name.

Not that he was ever bullied. No one would dare even think about it. Cross the son of Don Antonio Malucci? You would have
to have a death wish.

*Mind you* remembered Dave, *There was that one incident...*

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[Flash back to high school]

When Dave was 16 years old he was enrolled in Parklane High School, New York. His father had always wanted his
children to be tutored at home but Dave and his sister were adament that they wanted to attend school like normal kids.

The truth was they enjoyed the time spent outside the huge familly compound-because it provided them was some sort of
an escape from the dangerous world they were born into. But all the same-they never really felt as though they 'fit' in with
the rest of society. Deep down a part of them was worried that they would never fit in. That they were destined to be feared
and secretly loathed by the rest of the world.

It was no surprise to find tabloid photgraphers parked out side the compoud for hours on end hoping to catch a glimpse
of the infamous Malucci Familly. Dave had spent his entire childhood being transported in long black tinted limos
surrounded by body guards.

It was in this manner that he was dropped and picked from High school every day- everyone knew about Dave's
Familly. Dave was the one person who could walk down a hallway free from fear of ridicule and bullying.
He was the one people feared. The one people avoided lest they should accidentally upset him. He was tip toed around
and treated as though he could do no wrong. And Dave hated it.

All his life Dave had followed the rules. Played by the book. Never doen anything out of line-he was straight as an arrow
which quite ironic given his background. But by the time he was 16 he had enough. Enough of the constant false
praise and ass kissing. From teachers as well as pupils. So he began acting out.

He would be late with his assignments, talk in class, arrive late, leave early. Anything to be *really* noticed.
No one looked beyond his *name*. He just wanted to be treated as a normal person. But his plans failed.
Teachers ignored his behaviour, and students ignored him. They looked at his behaviour as conceited-for they were
certain he was acting out simply because he knew he could and get away with it. They couldn't have been further
from the truth.

Dave became quite depressed. No matter what he did people were still on edge with him. No one was ever openly
hostile with him-but at the same time no one really ever friendly with him either. He felt like he had a contagious
disease or something. Or maybe he and his familly were a disease-maybe they were a plague within society.

One day he was sat alone eating luch on a bench outside in the playing fields just near foot ball practise.
Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him.

"Hey, you're David Malucci, right?"

Dave just nodded feeling confused as he turned around to see a boy about his age staring angrilly back at Dave.

"Then your father's Don Malucci right, that Mafia guy?"

"What do you want? " replied Dave defensively.

"To punch you, you son-of-s-b***h!"

Without further warning the boy swung at Dave and his fist caught his right in the face.

Dave was knocked off his seat and fell to the floor. At first he was dazed-and felt warnm blood trickling out
of his nose. His jaw ached like hell. Dave looked up at the boy standing over him and asked him.

"What the hell are you doing? What's your damn problem!?"

The boy looked down at Dave with hate in his eyes and replied.

"Your b*****d of a Father bribed my old man's union leader. Because of you-my Dad's lost his job!!"

The kid went to kick at Dave while he was on the floor but Dave rolled out of the way and onto his feet.

Dave looked back at the kid and felt genuinly sorry for the guy.

"Look man-I'm sorry..." mumbled Dave.

"SORRY? You think that cut's anything with me? SORRY!! Sorry doesn't get my old man his job back now does it!
You selfish prick, don't even try to apologise to me. I didn't come here for an apology I came here to kick your ass."

"Kick my ass huh? Well why don't you?" challenged Dave .

"I think I just did, you weak-ass jerk. But if you wanna go again-be my guest. You think I won't do it?
You think you can just waltz around the place like some sort fo God-well you cat't you arrogant
freak. Come on-you think I'm not serious-let's go again!! Hell I'm not afraid of you..."

"Huh-w-wait a minute. What did you just say?"

"I said I'm not afraid of you, punk." replied the boy.

Dave was stopped dead in his tracks. It suddenly his him. At first he'd been livid with this kid. But now it struck him.
This kid treated him like he would any other kid. This kid wasn't afraid of him.

"Well-you wanna fight or not?" demanded the other boy.

Dave smiled and simply said.

"No thanks man-you uh, you really kicked my butt. Let's call it quits."

The other boy just stared back at him puzzled.

Dave just walked of the field back to school. His nose was bleeding, His jaw hurt like hell, he couldn't quite see
straight and he pretty sure he'd chipped a tooth. And he'd never felt happier.

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[Return to present time]

Malucci's flight touched down in Chicago at just after 2.00am and he hadn't slept a wink.
Memories of the past had kept him awake.

Dave caught a taxi cab to his apartment.He arrived home at just before 3.00 am and he decided to once again try and catch
some sleep before his shift. But once again his thoughts once kept him awake as his mind drifted back to the earlier
meeting with his Father.

He had seemed so tired when Dave had seen him this time. His mother had been right-the strain
had definately begun to show. When he had stood in that study he remembered how just a few years ago
he'd stood in that same study before his father as he told him that he'd wanted to become a doctor.

He knew his father disapproved but all the same he had agreed to support him. To pay his way.

Dave had not wanted to accept his father's help at first but then later agreed. It would help in the long run.
Medical school was certainly not cheap.

Dave chuckled to himself as he remembered how puzzled Kerry Weaver hand John Carter had been to discover Dave making
plans to buy a fancy car. How unable they were to understand how he could possiblt afford it on a resident's salary with
med school loans to pay off. Of course the truth was he had no loans to pay off thanks to his father. But he would
never tell them that.

As he thought of Carter it struck him-as it often did- how similar they were in some ways.

They both came from wealthy back grounds, and they had both eventually tirned their back on it too.

*Off course, the Carter Familly is so respected and legit.* thought Malucci as he tossed and turned. *The Malucci
familly is more feared than it is actually respected.* he thought resentfully.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Malucci finally drifted off to sleep.

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To be continued...
Baby JenXX

Please R&R!! ;-)