A/N: Thank you to Dionne Dance, who pretty much wrote this chapter, and for all her help and inspiration!

Ch. 4

Alone in the apartment, Ichabod looked at the clock on the stove. He had three hours before Carla arrived. "Get moving, Ichabod, you have things to do," he told himself.

His mind was full of memories as he sorted the laundry that had accumulated during their week in the motel. Angie and Steve had been baffled at his fascination with appliances. He grinned as he remembered the look on Angie's face when she realized he had taken over laundry duty!

Apparently Steve had never been one to help around the house. Angie had been amused when she caught him researching how all of the household appliances worked. Electricity and technology….magic!

Ichabod put soap in the machine and started the first load. As the clothes were going, he grabbed his journal and started prioritizing the list he and Angie had made the night before. It was overwhelming.

"No time for anxiety," he scolded when he realized he was stressing over how they would afford basic needs. He decided that reading ahead for next week's classes would be a better use of his time.

00

Ichabod had just finished putting away the clean clothes when Carla arrived, surrounded by the cloud of energy that was her offspring

"So, are you ready for another Throgs Neck adventure?" Carla navigated out of the garage and into traffic.

Ichabod smiled. "It's not so bad."

"You're a good person, Ichabod. Not everyone would take over Enzo's spot like that. I know he really appreciates it." Carla looked up at the rear view mirror. "Cosimo, I saw that! Settle down back there or I'll pull this truck over. You don't want me to stop this truck!"

It suddenly got very quiet in the back seat.

Ichabod looked puzzled. "Take over his spot?"

Carla suddenly whipped her vehicle over into a convenience store parking lot and looked at him.

"Mama, mama, I stopped! I'm beinghave, I promise!" Cosimo looked terrified.

"Quiet, kids, I need to talk to Ichabod," Carla said sternly. "Ichabod, let's step outside for just a second. We need a word in private."

"Ooooh, Ichabod, you better promise not to do that again…" "Mama, please don't spank Ichabod, he didn't mean it!" "Mama, I promise, I AM beinghave…." Now all of Carla's kids looked scared.

"Calm down now, my pigeons. The only one getting a spanking around here is Enzo!" Carla and Ichabod got out of the car.

Carla's kids sat back in their seats with wide eyes as they watched their mother and Ichabod having a discussion while leaning on the SUV.

"So," Carla started. "Just exactly what did Enzo tell you we would be doing today?"

"From what I recall, he said he wanted Angie to go with him to DC to pack up his apartment. He had lunch with his friend, and will begin teaching here in two weeks." Ichabod chewed on his lip with a slight frown, wondering what he had missed.

"That's good," Carla nodded. "Anything else?"

"Enzo asked if I could do him a favor and accompany you and help you out. He said you had to take care of some family business in Throgs Neck. I told him I would be happy to help you."

"Is something wrong?" Ichabod could see that Carla's temper was rising, and that she was trying very hard to keep it under control.

"That cowardly bastard!" Carla yelled. She turned away from Ichabod and mirrored his actions from the morning, pressing her head against her arms on the car.

Ichabod didn't know what to do. He could tell she was trying to calm herself. He reached out and gently stroked her back. "Carla, it's going to be ok. Just take deep breaths."

He continued to rub her back. "You can tell me what we are to do. I'll be fine!" He caught her arm as she started to punch the door of the vehicle and stepped back.

"Don't hurt your lovely truck, Carla. Save it for Enzo."

Ichabod had a wicked thought, and spun Carla around with mischief in his eyes. "He will owe us both. You for telling me, and me for carrying out whatever this dreaded task may be!"

Carla had never seen Ichabod like this, it calmed her down immediately. A sly grin crossed her face. "So, what do you have in mind, Ichabod?"

"You shall invite us all over for a lovely lasagna dinner, and then entice us into a game of bunny slipper twister!"

Carla giggled at the thought.

"As for me….I'll have to see how the dreaded task goes before I can think of a suitable punishment! So tell me, just what has Enzo planned for me?

"You are spending tonight and tomorrow visiting Aunt Graciela." Carla said, looking at the ground. Ichabod gasped. Everyone had noticed Graciela's attraction to him at Thanksgiving.

"Uncle Eugenio lives next door, and usually pops in to check on her every day. But as he's on the cruise, other family members have been taking turns. It's Enzo's turn. He's her favorite; she likes to spend more time with him."

Ichabod went pale, remembering the tiny woman stuffing him with food, pinching his cheeks and telling him the same story over and over again. Well...at least he wouldn't starve.

"Won't she be disappointed that Enzo isn't there?" Ichabod tried desperately.

"Ah, she might be a little disappointed, she'll probably give him grief about it the next time she sees him, but after Thanksgiving…well, let's just say I think Enzo has some competition for Auntie's affections." Carla winked, causing Ichabod to blush.

He sighed, "Well, let's get on to it. There are worse ways I could spend the time while Angie's gone. And I suppose that Enzo did need to move before the school holiday is over."

He turned to her thoughtfully, "Do you actually have family business in Throgs Neck, or was it just a ruse to get me out there?"

"Yep, I'm taking the kids to visit my family. But if you need me for anything, have any questions about how to handle Graciela, or need me to take you somewhere, just call. We'll only be a few blocks away."

"Thanks," said Ichabod. "That makes me feel better."

"Oh, and one more thing about Aunt Graciela, Ichabod. Don't fall for that senile act. Enzo said she's sharp as a tack and only pulls that so people will leave her alone."

She hesitated and scrutinized him carefully, "Enzo said that you look so much like Giovanni's portrait that it's spooky. Do you have any Italian relatives?"

Ichabod shook his head slowly. "Not that I'm aware. I think most of my ancestors are English, hence the pale skin."

"Ah, too bad. You're a good guy, you deserve to be Italian!" Carla turned and opened the truck door.

"Oh, and apparently Graciela is quite the artist. She probably won't bother you too much. If you get her started with her pencils or paints, she forgets you are there and you can watch tv or do what you want. Let's get headed that way!"

The kids looked relieved when Ichabod got back in unscathed. They continued their journey towards Throgs Neck and grandma.

Ichabod was deep in thought. "Hey Carla, since it's the holidays, do you think we could stop so I could pick up a quick gift for Aunt Graciela?"

Carla pulled in at Walmart, and Ichabod ran in. He remembered something he had seen at the toy store with Enzo. It was a Crayola airbrush made to be used with their markers. He grabbed one and the markers and turned to head for the check out. The holiday clearance table made him stop. How could he pass up that tiny birdhouse with a cardinal sitting on top for $3? He smiled as he grabbed it along with a large gift bag and paid for the items.

Carla laughed when she saw what he had bought. "Enzo's going to have to work hard to catch up with you in Aunt Graciela's heart now!"

When they arrived in Throgs Neck, Carla pulled up to a white house with a covered porch. "Well, this is it. Do you mind if I go on? We're running a little late."

"No, no, I'll be fine." Ichabod was reassuring her as well as himself. "See you tomorrow then."

00

As Carla drove off, Ichabod walked up the drive with his gift bag. He rang the bell, and the door slowly creaked open.

"Ichabod!" Graciela threw herself at him in a hug that nearly broke his ribs. She looked behind him. "Where's Enzo? Where is my boy? He promised to come stay with me today."

Her face fell. Her eyes looked so sad that it made him a little angry. He could see why Carla was unhappy with Enzo.

Ichabod decided to make the best of things and try to help Graciela forget her disappointment. After all, a happy Graciela would be much easier to take than a depressed, grumpy one.

"Enzo couldn't make it today. He asked me to keep you company in his stead. And, I have great news for you!" Ichabod smiled brightly at her. "Enzo was offered a job in New York just this morning! So he is moving back!"

Aunt Graciela perked up at that.

Ichabod smirked to himself and decided to lay it on thick. Enzo deserved a taste of his own medicine.

"Enzo was distraught to miss your visit. But the move will enable him to visit you more often. He couldn't wait. He insisted Angela go with him to DC in order to get packed up and moved back here immediately!"

Graciela clapped her hands in glee. "What a wonderful thing you say! My boy is moving home to New York!"

"Ah! But what am I thinking? Leaving you standing here in the door, come, come, you are starving! I must feed you. We can't let all of the food I made for Enzo go to waste. Look at you, so thin. Starving! You will get sick standing here in the cold. Eat! We must eat! Come into this kitchen!" Aunt Graciela went on and on as she dragged him through the house.

Ichabod stood paralyzed in the kitchen door, his eyes wide. Platters of food were everywhere. She could have catered two weddings, there was so much to eat. "Will others be joining us?" he asked hopefully.

"No, no, it's all for us!" She chuckled. "What we cannot eat while you are here, I'll send home with you. Look, I've been saving containers!"

Ichabod looked at where she was pointing. She had one whole cabinet devoted to stacks of bright yellow Polly-O cheese containers. My God! She was planning to send all of this home with him? They would never be able to eat it before it went bad! He pulled back in horror.

"Sit Ichabod, Sit. I'll make you a plate." She pushed him down into a chair.

After his experience with maternal guilt during Thanksgiving, he knew better than to resist. He had decided to try to make her happy. So he sat and let the tiny woman force food on him. He swore that if he had put down his fork for two seconds, the woman would have been feeding him herself.

As Ichabod's tummy got tighter and tighter, Graciela's smile got brighter, and the atmosphere lightened. He was doing a good job at lifting her mood.

"Aren't you going to sit down and eat?" He asked, as he finally had a chance to cover his plate with the napkin to prevent her giving him more.

"Later, I can eat later. I don't often have the pleasure of feeding such a handsome young man. Let's put away the food and visit." Ichabod stood up, feeling bloated and sleepy from such a huge meal. He followed Aunt Graciela, getting the storage containers, and helping to package up and label the containers to her specifications. He put some of the containers into a small freezer for her, and the rest went into the refrigerator. Then he helped her bring everything to the sink and scrape the plates.

"Let's go ahead and do these dishes," Ichabod said as he started loading the dishwasher. When it was full, he ran water in the sink to do the rest by hand.

"What are you thinking, sit down, sit down. I can do that later. You shouldn't be working in the kitchen!" Aunt Graciela protested. But Ichabod didn't mind. Staying busy would help the time pass, and he really couldn't allow the elderly woman to work so hard. Besides, standing up and moving helped his poor bloated stomach. He ignored her and continued to work on the dishes.

"You are such a good boy, so good to me!" Graciela pinched his cheek and grabbed a towel to start drying. As they worked, she asked Ichabod where he lived, and how Angie was, and about his holiday. Without thinking, Ichabod told her that he and Angie had an apartment in Carla's building, and that they had spent Christmas with Carla's family.

"Angela has left Steven?" She asked, looking aghast. Ichabod looked worried. Ooops, he probably shouldn't have said that. What would she think of him, living with her married niece. His thoughts were interrupted when Graciela quietly spoke again.

"Is she okay?"

Ichabod looked at her carefully. Aunt Graciela looked very concerned. "She is understandably very upset. But she is trying to be strong and move on." He was sure Angie would not appreciate him saying too much about the situation. He was afraid he had already said too much.

Graciela's mind was off in the distance. She patted Ichabod gently on the arm. "You're a good friend. Don't worry, I won't ask more. And I won't say anything til Angela is ready to talk."

She went back to her thoughts for a while before she spoke again. "Everyone saw this coming even before they got married. But she is a stubborn girl, blinded by him. It will be hard for her to tell the family. But they will be so happy."

She turned to look at Ichabod. "They worry, so, so much. Only wanting her happiness. She changed. So serious – no fun, after him." Graciela got very quiet again for a few minutes. "If it comes up, if she shows dread, find a way to let her know the family will be happy."

Ichabod smiled at her as he drained the sink and dried off his hands. "I will find a way. Would you like to see what I brought for you?"

Graciela clapped her hands and practically jumped with glee. She led him to the living room where they sat down with a scrunch. Ichabod looked startled. "Sorry. If I had known it was you coming instead of Enzo, I would have taken all the plastic off the furniture."

Ichabod said nothing, but handed her the gift bag he'd brought along.

She opened it and screamed with delight, hugging Ichabod, and then running off into another room. "Come, come, let's go into the den. I must try this!"

Ichabod followed her into the other room and froze. One whole wall was covered with pictures of cardinals. Some had been hand drawn. Others were cut from cards, magazines, newspapers, calendars. But all had been cut out and glued directly to the wall. It was a little scary to look at.

Graciela motioned him to another plastic covered couch and handed him the television remote.

"Excuse my rudeness," she said. "Make yourself at home, I must paint!"

Ichabod sat down and noticed something on the desk in the corner. "You have a computer?" he asked in a stunned voice.

"Of course, who doesn't in this modern age!" She was ignoring him, reading the instructions on the box and spreading out materials on her worktable. "Just turn it on, if you like."

Ichabod turned on the computer, and Aunt Graciela logged him in and went back to her toy.

Well, this wouldn't be so bad after all. Ichabod hadn't had a computer to use since they left the house.

He surfed the web while Aunt Graciela happily painted away. At midnight, she finally stopped and put him to bed in her guest room. A nice, soft, old fashioned feather bed. Ichabod was very pleasantly surprised at the way this was going. He truly felt spoiled. He rolled over and very quickly fell asleep.

00

The evening was not going so well for the pair headed to DC. It was snowing, and holiday traffic was snarled. Angie was not talking to Enzo. She had finally pried the truth out of him regarding this "urgent need" for Ichabod to help Carla with family business. Angie had insisted they turn around immediately.

Enzo refused, saying that "Graciela probably had Ichabod comatose with dinner by now." That, coupled with being stuck for two hours behind a crash only 30 minutes from Enzo's exit had Angie's temper ready to blow. Enzo would be lucky if he had anything left to move once she was done with his apartment!

It was 8:00 p.m. by the time they pulled off the exit. After grabbing dinner from a drive through they headed to his place. Both were too tired to argue. They just plopped on his sofa and turned on the news while they gulped down the food.

Angie noticed that Enzo's sofas were covered with plastic, similar to their parents and other older relatives. Enzo was too young for that! Most Italians of their generation didn't bother with such things.

"Plastic covers, Enzo? Really? You have enough company here to merit plastic sofa covers? Like we didn't get enough of these growing up."

"I'm proud of my culture…" he said through a mouthful of fries. "Respect it."

Angie just rolled her eyes. "Let's see, how about we start with packing up your clothes and bookcases for tonight, and we can get on with the rest in the morning."

Enzo started working on the books. Angie went to work on his closet. There were almost no clothes! Only about 6 shirts and two pairs of pants. She started looking around the room, picking up dirty socks as she went. In the bathroom she found a hamper of dirty clothes.

"I'm starting some laundry" she called. "I refuse to ride back to New York with the stink of these socks haunting me."

"Thanks!" called Enzo. "Don't forget to look under the bed, there's probably some stuff under there too."

Angie got down in the floor and started pulling things out from under the bed. She wrinkled her nose and stood up when she came out with a huge DD bright yellow bra, and a pair of granny panties that were twice as wide as Angie. She threw the bra over her shoulder and headed for the living room with the panties stretched between her hands.

"Really Enzo….REALLY?" Angie huffed. "I can't BELIEVE you have the AUDACITY to call Carla fat. How dare you! How…"

Enzo laughed hard and cut her off. "Hey, what can I say, fat chicks try harder!"

Angie huffed at him again, and flung the bra at him. "This place stinks! No wonder you have plastic on the sofa. It's to keep the vermin out! I'm going to bed. On the couch. WITHOUT the plastic. So get out of here. Either go to bed, or go into your room and pack quietly."

"Yes, Little Girl," Enzo teased her.

Angie flew at him with both arms, nailing him with a right hook. "YOU are not allowed to call me THAT. Ever. Do you understand?"

Enzo held back a laugh, pretending to pout as he gingerly touched his eye. "That's gonna leave a mark" he said, shaking as he really tried hard not to laugh at her. "Kinda like that love bite you've been trying to hide." At this he lost it, and broke down in giggles on the floor.

Angie ran to the door and grabbed the baseball bat he kept next to it. "I'm gonna show you a love bashing if you don't get out of this room right now and go to bed."

Enzo was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. He grabbed some ice in a towel for his eye, and went to his bedroom for the night, glad that his sister was showing a little spunk.

Angie pulled the plastic cover off the sofa and made herself a bed. She missed Ichabod. She really wanted to call him, but wasn't sure what she would say. She just missed him.