Author's Note: i have up to chapter 16 plotted out. I just have to write it up. So hopefully that'll mean I'll update sooner/faster. Johnny doesn't know about Dante. It's important you know that. I don't really acknowledge the JoLivia stuff in my stories. I own nothing except my original characters that I've made up and I only half own those cause they have the relation to Olivia. Oh and I will get around to dealing with Scummy being Dante's father at some point in the near future, I promise!(I'm still not entirely sure I like him being Dante's father. We'll see if I keep it that way) You'll see them when they come by(Nathan, Matteo, Vito, Tatiana, etc)Read and Review!
After leaving Dante's room, Maxie ran straight to the access to the roof and made her way up there. Every once in awhile when she needed to clear her head or escape? She'd go up to the roof of a building. She stood on the roof looking up at the sky as she sighed. "You know, Georgie..I'm freaking out. It doesn't seem like it? But I'm totally freaking out" She said, in a high pitched voice as she waved her hands around in an over exaggerative manner. "He wants to marry me? Why? What the hell? Everything was fine and if he hadn't gone and gotten him shot? Then we would so not be in this situation right now. No, we'd be somewhere safe and we'd be doing something freaky between the sheets or getting completely wasted while he attempted to seduce me with his awful pick up lines. I know you've heard them!" She said, as she glared at the sky.
"But no, he gets shot and Sonny is his father and then he wants to call his mother and guess what? There's not a phone in his pocket! There's a damn ring box. What the hell do I say if he asks me? I'm not marriage material..unless you mean awful 24 hour quickie marriage in Vegas marriage. Then you can possibly sign me up. I have no good qualities and the qualities I have—the bad ones? They do not add up to make a good wife. Oh why did he have to think about getting married?" She asked, as she waited for some sort of answer from the great beyond. "You know these talks never seem to work for me. I mean don't they give you special privileges up there on your cloud? You can't come down to stop me from going completely batty? God, I miss you. I need you and this would be the time when you'd start rationalizing things and telling me how I'll be fine if I marry Dante. That I shouldn't flip out because he hasn't even asked and to not get so worked up because it's bad for my heart which by the way is kind of crappy, so you can tell the man in charge I said that, he takes you away and I'm still stuck with the bad heart. There should be some sort of exchange program"
Maxie took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Clearly, she was worked up over a number of things and Dante's ring was only the tip of the iceberg. "Okay, Maxie. You need to pull yourself together because you can't be a basket case right now" She mumbled, under her breath. "Oh great..now I'm talking to myself" She said, sighing as she ran her hand through her hair. Maxie was about to continue to babble on about nothing and everything all at once when she heard the door to the roof open. She turned and looked to see who it was and found it was none other than Johnny Zacchara. He was one of her closest friends and at one point when he'd first showed up? She'd wanted to take him to bed. But she was grateful that it hadn't happened.
"What are you doing up here?" Johnny asked as he made his way over to where she was standing.
"Thinking mostly. Although, I have to say that I think this roof is losing its touch because it's honestly not solving my problems like it used to"
"The roof used to solve your problems?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Well—when you say it like that I sound completely insane! I guess in the past when I've come up here? I always end up leaving..feeling like I have some sort of an idea what to do or like I have at least one answer"
"Well if the roof is defective, maybe I can help?" He suggested, as he glanced over at her. It was obvious she had been upset and even if it hadn't been obvious? Johnny just knew things like that.
"My boyfriend got shot in the chest by his father and I mean he pulled through surgery you know? He was talking to me. So rationally, I know that's something to be happy about. He could've died on the table like Jesse did or been dead before he even got to the hospital just like Coop" She told him, as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Boyfriend? Since when?"
"Since—awhile. Look, it's all really complicated. So I'm going to try to give you the idiot's guide version and be done with it. But Dominic is really Dante and Dante is Sonny's son and Olivia's his mom. Sonny shot Dante for being an undercover cop. Sonny ended up shot by the end of the entire thing and I have no idea what happened to him. He was bleeding like everywhere last I checked and Dante went into surgery.." She trailed off, before taking a breath. "And then Patrick found me, I had to threaten bodily harm to find out his condition, Dante came to and we talked. Then he got delirious and wanted his cell phone and instead of a cell phone..I found.."
"You found...what?"
"A box..a ring box..and I know I shouldn't have opened it. But it was like one of those moments, you know? When you can't help but open Pandora's box because you want to know what's inside and then you do and you wish that you hadn't opened it. I wish I hadn't opened it because inside was this beautiful engagement ring and let me tell you something? I do not deserve it. Amazing men like Dante do not end up with self-involved shrews like me"
Johnny took a moment to process the madness that was Maxie's life before he said anything. "Okay, so you've been sleeping with an undercover cop who happens to be Sonny's son. Sonny shot his own son and then ended up shot himself somehow. You went to get his cell phone and found an engagement ring instead?" He asked. "Is that about right?"
She took a moment to make sure what he said was right and then nodded her head. "Yeah, that's about right. Why aren't you freaking out that he's an undercover cop?" She asked
'Because what's that going to do? And he's not after me, He's after Sonny and you know what? Seeing Sonny rotting in prison sounds pretty great to me" He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Back to the real issue though..why doesn't he deserve a girl like you?" He asked, confused as to why Maxie always sold herself so incredibly short. "And how do you feel about the idea of getting married?"
"Because he's wonderful, Johnny. He's sweet, funny, caring, yet he can be sarcastic, sexy, and evil..he's perfect and I'm just not. I'm not perfect, I'm like the most damaged woman in Port Charles. Besides, I'll only mess things up with him if they get any more serious. Getting married? It's like the final nail in the coffin that is a relationship. People get married and they're in love and by the end of it? They can't stand one another and it's a wonder how they even got married in the first place. I don't want Dante and I—like five years from now? To end up being one of those couples on Jerry Springer who show up and argue about their infidelity with a relative on national television because they have nothing better to do than to embarrass themselves"
Johnny couldn't help but chuckle at the Jerry Springer reference. "Maxie, you and whoever you marry will never be Jerry Springer material..you'll kill him before he ever has the idea in his head if he cheats on you and you and I both know that marriage isn't the nail in the coffin. Some people have happy marriages..not many that I personally know, but you know..some people do" he shrugged.
"Gee Johnny, what wonderful words of wisdom. "Some people have happy marriages" She mocked. "And most people get married and then get divorced and you know what? No one loves each other anymore and you have to sit around figuring out how to divide your dog which is ridiculous—the idea of visitation times for a dog!" She said, as she waved her hands around, clearly worked up again.
"Alright, Maxie..I can see that your slowly losing your grip on reality" he said, teasing her a bit. "So I'm just going to be straight with you. Do you love him?"
Maxie nodded her head as she let out a breath before looking up at Johnny.
"Okay, can you see yourself being with him for the rest of your life?"
"Yeah...I mean I can't imagine being with anyone else and if I was I'd probably think about him like—all the time" She said, smiling softly to herself.
"Alright, so doesn't that answer your question? I mean you sound like you're ready to me..I think you're just scared because Mac and your parents never had a marriage that actually lasted"
"You know when did you get so insightful? I could've sworn you were just the dark, brooding, hot, mobster in training who played piano and had a thing for hanging out on ledges. Now your some hot insightful...well your hot and insightful which is far from dark and brooding"
Johnny laughed. "Well maybe I'm just more than what meets the eye. Besides, it's not hard to figure you out Maxie"
"That is insulting!" She said, with her hands on her hips as she stared at him. "I am so hard to figure out, I'm like a wheres WALDO..you just keep staring and trying to find the guy in the white and red striped shirt with the silly hat, but you can't, and eventually you give up! That is what I'm like" she said, nodding.
"Okay, fine, Maxie..you win..you are incredibly difficult to figure out and are going to die alone and miserable"
"I did not say that" she said, looking highly unamused. "I just said I'm not easy to figure out..Geez"
Johnny looked out over the ledge and just shook his head. "I'm still trying to figure out what the hell you're doing standing here talking to me when you could be down in your boyfriends room talking to him"
"Point taken" she mumbled, before giving Johnny a huge hug because she was grateful that he put up with her crazy. She pulled back from the hug and looked at him. "You know...Lulu's been talking about you non-stop lately..I'm not trying to be nosy..Okay, maybe I am..I can't help it" she shrugged. "It's in my blood. I have an overwhelming need to meddle like one of the kids on Scooby Doo. But anyway, I think you should go talk to her..who knows! You might end up surprised!" She said, rushing off before he could form a response to what she had said.
Maxie went down the numerous flights of stairs as carefully as possible being that she wasn't really dressed for stairs and made her way back to Dante's room. It appeared that his mother was still with him. But he'd apparently woken up sometime during the roof top break down. She knocked on the door before walking inside. "Olivia...do you think I could have a minute with your son?" She asked, trying not to be bossy and demanding like she normally was because at the moment? Bossy and demanding was only going to end up getting her ass kicked by Olivia—Bensonhurst style.
Olivia nodded before saying a quick goodbye to Dante claiming she was going to change and call the rest of their relatives. She mentioned something about how Dante's Uncle Nathan was going to blow a gasket and murder Sonny when he found out and then left the room.
Maxie went over to the chair and sat down. "You have an Uncle Nathan?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well..yeah I got..alotta Uncles. My Ma's got a lot of brothers..I'm not really in a good frame of mind to name em' all right now..but uh, lata I can"
"Okay..but why is your Uncle Nathan going to murder Sonny?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Cause they go way back in the neighborhood. Ya gotta understand how things work in Bensonhurst..ya know to get it, I guess. But let's just say my Uncle Nathan neva liked the way Sonny treated my Ma"
"Well I can't really say that I blame him..after all I've only heard ..not so great stories about Sonny in like any context"
"Yeah..well maybe when Nathan gets here, he can do what I couldn't..ya know? Arrest Sonny..cause he was talkin' bout transferrin' to the PCPD last time I spoke to him..somethin' bout' a woman that got away livin' here or somethin' he said, wincing as he attempted any movement.
"Well..that's curious...now I'm intrigued! It's like—a mystery or something. I'm going to get to the bottom of it. You think your Uncle will like me?" She asked.
"Oh yeah..he's gonna love ya..and my cousin, Aidan? He might even try to put the moves on ya..lemme tell you somethin' though, he blinks at you funny and I'll..have to kill him"
"That's hot, you know..being all protective and possessive" She said, with a smirk.
"Well..I know. But uh..hold onto those thoughts till a lata date when I can actually do somethin' about it, okay?" He said, as he looked over at her.
"I will. Don't worry. Listen...I.." She started, before finding herself chickening out.
"What?" He asked, curious to know what she was going to say. He was feeling a lot better aside from the pain that came and went every so often and he was bored out of his mind. He wanted to know was on hers! Maybe it would occupy him for a little while. Besides, it seemed important and that meant he HAD to know.
"Well, Remember when I was here earlier and you said you wanted to call your mother and I went to your jacket or whatever to get it? You told me it was in your coat pocket" She said, hoping he remembered because otherwise she'd look like a liar or a snoop and for once? She hadn't snooped!
"Yeah...I sort of remember that, why?"
"Cause I went into your jacket and well let's just say I didn't find a phone" She said, giving him a look.
"What did you find?" He asked, as realization dawned on him. He hadn't said what pocket. So she'd naturally figured she had to check both. She'd found the ring.
"I think you know what I found, Dante.."
"Just..tell me, Maxie.."
"I found a ring box and it had a beautiful ring inside" She said, as she tried to figure out what he was thinking. But his facial expressions weren't telling her much and he wasn't saying all that much, either.
"You weren't supposed to find that" he said, sighing. The plans he'd had were ruined. He had planned on proposing when the entire thing was all done with, when they were able to be together like a normal couple, and when he could give her the most romantic yet cheesy proposal that his mind could come up with.
"I figured that much. But I did.."
"And it..freaked ya out, right? You can just say so.."
"Yeah, it freaked me out. I mean, I didn't know you were thinking about that. I don't think we ever talked about it and I just don't want to be one of those women who marries young and then totally destroys a wonderful man, you know? Cause you are wonderful and I'm not and I don't deserve you"
"You're kiddin' right? I don't deserve you, but I want ya, anyway because I don't know what I'd do without ya...Blondie. I made ya lie to your family, friends, everyone bout' who I was and what I was doin' in Port Charles. I put ya through all sorts of hell just cause I was too selfish to let you go..cause I loved you too much"
"But I agreed to keep your secret, Dante. It wasn't like you threatened to murder my family with an AK-47 if I didn't keep your secret. I guess I don't see why anyone would want to marry me, that's all"
"Because, I love you and I don't ever wanna be with anyone else..just you..I already talked to my Ma..and she doesn't know you all that well. But she approves. She's just happy I didn't end up with Lulu..not sure why though"
"Your mother approves of me? Wow, that's a first. I couldn't even get Coopers best friend to like me. Well then again there was that entire thing and I won't get into it. Point is? I am not well liked by anyone except those who fear me and they only like me? Because I can squash them like bugs. Why don't your mother like Lulu?" She asked, curiously.
"I dunno, don't ask me, I have no idea" he said. "But she does approve..so..can you just get the ring box for me?"
She nodded as she got up from the chair and walked over to the jacket, stuffing her hand in the pocket she had found it in earlier, and then pulled out the ring box. Maxie went back to the chair and handed him the ring box.
"I think we only got two options here, Blondie.."
She sighed and nodded. "And those would be?"
"Well we can forget the ring eva existed and go on with things the way they are..or..you can put it on and agree to marry me because we both know that you want to.." he said, taking a breath before popping the ring box open. "It was my Uncle Nathan's wife's ring. They met back in Bensonhurst..and she uh agreed to marry him when she was pregnant with my cousin, Aidan? She died after havin' him though..so he neva got to know his Ma or anythin'. When I was a kid though, he gave it to me and told me that someday..I should ask the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with to marry me with the ring, just like he had. Cause it was lucky or somethin' like that..lucky cause she'd said yes. So what do ya..say..you wanna marry me or not, Blondie?"
