*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. You guys are awesome!
About two weeks later Tony and Alex were on their way to upstate New York to visit Tony's father. Neither of them told their families where they were going. They were keeping their visit with Dr. Ciccone between the two of them. They both knew their significant others would object to the visit. Tony was driving as Alex was looking out the window of his car. "So are you okay with this?"
"I guess," said Alex. "I mean I don't know."
"It will be fine," he said. "We're just going to go in there and tell him to call off his hounds."
"Easier said than done," she said. "You know first hand what an asshole your dad is. He's not just going to call off his hounds."
"We'll see," said Tony. "So how's your book coming?"
"It's all right," she said. "I haven't written more than a chapter but I'm getting ready to do the second chapter."
"Oh," said Tony. "Was I really as bad as Lindsey's ex-boyfriend?"
"Honestly?" she asked. "I think you were worse. You attacked me so many times after we were broken up it was borderline crazy. And each time you attacked me I ended up at your father's hospital and I would always have him as the doctor. I'll never forget the day you attacked me on Thanksgiving. I was coming home from my mom's house and I thought I was pregnant. You beat me down, you kicked me in the stomach and then you beat me with a belt. It hurt so bad and what hurt the most was every time you attacked me I begged you to stop but you never did. You just kept going and going. Anyway that night I went to the hospital to get checked out.. I specifically asked for the other doctor but I got your dad. I'll never forget him telling me that if I was pregnant he hoped you killed the little bastard. I had never heard anyone so heartless in my entire life."
"He said that to you?" asked Tony. He knew his dad hated Alex but he never thought his dad would say something so heartless to her.
"Yes, Tony, he did," she said. "And he wished you would have killed me when you broke into our house in Florida and left me for dead.."
"Alex, I am so sorry about that. You have to know I didn't mean to stab you. It wasn't my intent to stab you.."
"It wasn't your intent? You raped me, tried to choke me and then you stabbed me when I tried to get away. You left me for dead, Tony."
"Alex, I swear to you I never wanted to stab you. I don't even know why I did it."
"But did you not hold a knife to my throat?"
"Yes," he said, "but my intent was not to stab you."
"Then what was the intent?" asked Alex. She knew it happened years ago but it still hurt her deep inside because Tony and her never really talked about it. Tony was one of her friends now but she couldn't let it go what he had done to her.
"I don't know. I just wanted to inflict pain. I was a sick man, Alex. You didn't deserve any of that and I'm sorry. I was jealous of what you and Dave had. I wanted to control you. I wanted you to be mine but when I saw that I couldn't it made me go crazy. I loved you, Alex. I never wanted my intention to be to stab you. If I could go back I would have done things differently. I would have gotten my shit together back then so I wouldn't have lost you. I have come to realize I lost you because of my own destruction. I was the one that pushed you away by doing drugs, raping you, beating you and all the other f**ked up things I did to you. It was ME that pushed you away. I could have had you if I cleaned up my act but at the time I didn't want to. I was scared of my father and what he would do to me. I wanted to be like my father so bad I destroyed myself in the process. I destroyed you in the process and made your life hell. It wasn't fair to you but I have worked through my personal demons and became a better person. It took my daughter and Athena to make me a better person but I did it and I am proud of myself for that. And now looking back I see how wrong I was for what I did to you. I still can't believe I was one of those guys. Especially after watching my mom get beat by my dad everyday of my life. I used to help my mom clean up the blood from her busted lip, I helped my mom off the ground after my dad knocked her down, I helped my mom get ice for her bruises. I saw my mom give excuse after excuse on where she got the bruises. Each time it was different. I never understood why she kept enduring it and she kept allowing it to happen. I still don't understand it. I used to promise myself I would never treat a woman the way my father treated my mom. I failed on that promise big time. You live what you learn I guess. My dad's theory on a woman was they were there to have sex with, make dinner and have babies. He never allowed my mom to work or do anything with friends. He controlled her in every way possible. It's funny because he was this well respected doctor to the community but at home and on the streets he was the biggest asshole in the world. He led two different lives. His kids were to inherit his business and there was a time I wanted that more than anything but that was after I was brainwashed and manipulated into thinking it was the only life out there. I wish I wasn't that guy but I was and all I can say is I'm sorry."
"Tony, it's okay. You were the one that pushed me away. I gave you chance after chance. I denied the abuse at first but then it kept going and going.. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out. I left because of how you were treating me. Getting out is the easy part but staying out is the hardest part. I did everything I could but none of it was good enough. I even moved out of state and it still occurred and now here we are again but this time I'm being harassed by some psychos that don't know how to move on with their lives. It's not fair to me," she said. "I feel like I did back then. I am scared for my life," she said.
"Alex, I am sorry. Everything is my fault. I never wanted your life to turn out like that. It's not fair for you to be scared for your life because of me."
"No.. it's my fault too because I got involved in this mess by getting involved with you and Ron."
"But I started it.. Actually my father started it but we were all acting participants." he said as they pulled into the parking lot of the jail. He found a parking space and put the car in park. "Let's do this."
"I don't know if I can," said Alex. "I don't want to face him."
"Alex, it will be fine," said Tony. "He can't hurt you."
"Physically," she said, "but he could f**k me up emotionally."
"I'm with you. It will be okay. Come on," he said.
"All right. Fine," she said unbuckling her seatbelt. "Let's do this."
"Let's do this," he said with a smile as they got out of the car. They walked into the police station together. They were checked with a metal detector to make sure they didn't' have any weapons on them. They were then hand checked to make sure they weren't hiding anything. They signed in and were given passes to go visit with Dr. Ciccone. Neither of them were really ready to see him but they felt it was necessary.
As they were escorted to the room where they were meeting him Alex whispered to Tony, "that female guard definitely copped a feel when she was checking me."
Tony let out a laugh and said, "well, you can't blame her."
"Shut up," said Alex with a laugh of her own. Their laughter stopped as they reached the door to the room they were meeting Tony's father.
"Have a seat," said the guard as they walked into the room.
Alex and Tony took a seat as the guard called for Dr. Ciccone to be brought in. Alex took a deep breath as she waited to see Dr. Ciccone for the first time since he tried to kill her but ended up killing Ron instead. She waited to see him as he finally came in after they waited 15 minutes. They brought him in in a blue jumpsuit and he wore handcuffs and his feet were shackled. He had aged a lot since the last time Alex had seen him. His once jet black hair was now graying at the roots and he was once a clean shaven man but he was growing grey stubble on his face. His blue eyes looked weary and tired. He was not the same man physically that Alex had remembered. It was obvious he had let himself go while in prison. He walked over and took a seat. He let out a "Hmph," as he sat down leaning back on the chair.
"Hey, Dad," said Tony.
"Hello, Dr. Ciccone," said Alex with a little weariness in her voice.
"What do you two want? Isn't this a nice surprise."
"We just came for a visit," said Tony.
"And why on Earth would you visit me? You're the one that got me in here."
"No, Dad, you got yourself in here," said Tony.
"Because you ratted me out to safe your own ass!" he yelled.
"Calm down, Ciccone," said the guard.
"It was the only way I could get out to see my daughter and be in her life," he said.
"And you have a lot of nerve bringing her here," he said looking at Alex. "Did you come back to join the family business?"
"No," said Tony.
"That's a shame. I'm sure your little girl would be perfect for a job in the business. She would make a good drug deliverer. No one would expect a little girl to deliver drugs."
"KNOCK IT OFF!" yelled Tony. "That's my daughter you're talking about. She will NEVER be a part of your bullshit. I will kill your ass if you EVER try to bring my daughter into your shit."
"So you do still have the Ciccone rage," said Dr. Ciccone with a laugh.
"Tony," said Alex, "I don't think this is the place to be threatening him."
"I'm not threatening anyone if he EVER thinks about bringing my daughter into his f**ked up life or has someone touch her I will kill him. That's a promise!"
"Tony," said Alex, "you could get yourself put in jail."
"I don't give a f**k! My daughter is my life.. He's not going to ruin her."
"And Alex what about your son.. He would work out too."
"My husband would bury you," said Alex. "You don't even want to go there."
"So really why are you here?" asked his dad.
"We want the phone calls and the threats to stop," said Tony.
"Oh yeah. I heard about those. Alex, I hear you have a few skeletons hidden in your closet."
"I have NOTHING hidden in my closet," she responded. "I want the phone calls to stop and the threats to stop."
"Why do you two assume I have something to do with that?"
"Because you're a monster," said Tony. "It has you written all over it."
"My hands are clean," he said.
"Then how do you know about the secrets?" asked Tony.
"I have an informant but it's not me."
"Then tell Chris and Brian to knock it the f**k off," said Tony.
"Chris and Brian no longer work for me. In case you haven't noticed I'm sitting in jail waiting to be put to death.. No one works for me. I'm going to assume that there's a new boss in town and it's not me."
"Who are you trying to fool, Dad. I know you would never give it up even if you're getting ready to rot in jail. I'm not stupid. Tell Chris and Brian to knock it off."
"What makes you so sure it's them?" asked his dad.
"Tony, he's just playing mind games," said Alex. "It's all of them working together."
"Alex, I see you're still the smart one. My son was never the smart one when it came to you two. You would have been a great asset to the business had you not run away."
"I didn't want to be in your business," said Alex. "That's why I left when I did."
"But you didn't mind sleeping with Ron. He was involved in the life until you made him think straight. You ruined him."
"I didn't ruin anyone," said Alex. "He wanted out. He told me he wanted out. He wanted to make his life better and didn't want that bullshit holding him down."
"And now he's dead because of you," said his dad. "You're toxic."
"No. He's dead because of you," said Alex. "YOU held the gun and you shot it. He's dead because of you."
"Anyway," said Tony, "are you going to make it stop or not?"
"I can't make something stop that I have no part in," said Dr. Ciccone. "So I heard your wife is pregnant. I congratulate you even though you never bring your kid to see me. I am her grandpa after all."
"Over my dead body," said Tony. "You will NEVER meet Lexie and as far as she knows you're dead."
"That can be arranged," he said. "Let's get this straight right now, Anthony. You are not my son anymore. You are NOTHING to me. You turned your back on me. You turned me in to the police. You chose water over blood. We're done. You're not my son. You're out of my will and you're out of my life. So take your bitch and get the f**k out. And when you end up in a pile of shit.. Don't come to me looking for help. I don't' help traitors."
"We're not leaving until you tell your bitches to leave us alone. We want the threats to stop and we want the phone calls, e-mails and text messages to stop. Tell us you're going to make it stop or we're not going anywhere."
"I told you. I have no control over that. I can't make anything stop," said Dr. Ciccone.
"You're lying," said Alex. "It's your doing."
"Think what you want but if I were you, Alex, instead of trying to figure out who was making the calls, I would worry about the sex tapes that they have on you along with that GREAT conversation with Ron. I think if you have any skeletons in your closet it's time to take them out before they reveal them for you. You and me both know you don't want that. You just became a teacher right? I don't think your employers would be happy to know their new 1st grade teacher has a few sex tapes out there. I think you should do what is said and tell Dave your secrets and lies. You know what they are and so do I. Get them out there now before someone does it for you and I assure you.. They will be tabloid worthy. You worry about Chelsea being trailed by the paparazzi.. Just wait till your secrets are revealed.. They are going to hound you. Asking questions and the world is going to hate you."
"I don't believe anything that is going on," said Alex. "I have no secrets hidden. I have no lies told. This is bullshit."
"You seem so sure," said Dr. Ciccone. "You know it's kind of funny that you two are here together. Are you giving it up to Tony on the side?"
"No," said Alex. "Since Tony became a human being something you have never achieved, I have become his friend. He's a good guy and he's an amazing father. You should take lessons from him."
He let out a laugh and said, "take lessons from him? That's funny."
"Dad, are you going to make it stop or not?"
"I told you. I have no control over it. I just simply have an informant telling me the information I need to know. To tell you the truth I don't know who's involved but I don't think you two want to make them mad."
"You do know," said Tony, "and you're just playing games. That's okay. I got your number. Just remember what you raised your son to be. I know the ins and outs of evil. So tell your informant they're playing with fire and if they keep playing they're going to get burned. Let's go, Alex. I've seen enough of this despicable human being."
Alex got up and followed Tony to the door, "Bye guys," said Dr. Ciccone with a smirk. "Oh, Alex!"
"What?" she said as she stopped at the door.
"The baby you're pregnant with. Good luck. I wouldn't want you to get too stressed or hurt."
"F**k you," said Alex as she headed out the door. They signed out of the prison and handed in their passes before leaving the prison. When they got in the car as soon as Tony started the car Alex said, "that entire trip was pointless."
"It was worth a shot. I am sorry that he said that stuff to you."
"I expected it," she said. "It's no big deal."
"It is to me," he said. "I know he has Chris and Brian calling us."
"I know he does too. Informant my ass."
"So what are we going to do now?"
"I don't know," said Alex. "I don't know what to do because no matter what we do nothing ever works. So I guess we just endure it for a while."
"I guess," said Tony, "but I meant what I said. I will fight back if it doesn't stop."
"And you're doing so good. Why would you do that?"
"Because it's about protection," he said.
"But is it worth risking your freedom?"
"Probably not," he said.
"Then let it be handled by the police or something."
"Because calling the police is going to make it stop. I doubt that."
"I was being helpful," she said. "Maybe he will have it stop."
"I doubt it," said Tony. "I know my dad. This is just the beginning. It's going to get worse."
"Lovely," she said. "I just want it to stop. There has to be a way to make it stop. I'll figure it out."
"Good luck with that," he said as they drove home. "And who does he think he's hurting when he tells me I'm nothing to him? I don't want to be anything to him. I could care less. I have a family now. A loving and caring family."
"Yes you do," said Alex with a smile. "And I'm sure you have your mom too."
"My mom is so in love with my dad she hates me too for turning my back on my father so no I don't have her."
"Oh. I'm sorry," said Alex. "Tony," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think this could get tragic?"
"It's a possibility," he said, "but I assure you I will NOT let anything happen to you."
"Okay," said Alex. "I am just so scared that this is going to get tragic because of us going to see your dad. I think we made him angry."
"I know," said Tony. "But like I said, I won't let anything happen to you. I got your back."
"Thanks," she said. Alex wasn't sure why she felt that something tragic was going to happen but down deep inside she felt the fear. She felt going to see Tony's dad was a big mistake and she was now regretting it. It was clear that they had upset him which in most cases would make the entire thing worse. Alex didn't know what to expect in the future and that's what scared her the most. She felt like she was reliving history not knowing what was going to happen or if she was safe or not. This time it was different because she had kids to protect but she promised herself she would do anything she had to in order to keep her kids safe. She would not let any harm come their way. She didn't care what she had to do but her kids would not be tainted by anything. Her goal from that moment was to protect her kids and herself because the thought of knowing Dr. Ciccone was still destroying lives from jail made her even more nervous especially now that they had upset him.
*A/N: So now we know why Tony did what he did to Alex so many years ago but that doesn't make it right and he still should have gotten more than five years in jail for it. THey went to see Tony's dad.. everything went as expected. Nothing really changed and all they managed to do was upset him. Dr. Ciccone knows he's part of the threats and the calls. He knows too much not to be. I have to say he is one heartless man.. his time is coming soon...Poor Alex is now regretting going to visit him. SHe shouldn't have gone in the first place. Things could get worse now but only time will tell. What did you think? Please review and thank-you for taking the time to read.