Ch. 53
The next few days proved to be busy ones for both Valerie and Dante. It was important for Val, after finding and meeting her father Virgil, to connect him with her friend Pippa, her other "family" in Philadelphia. Growing up with Val and knowing her for so many years, Pips knew how much she had missed having a father. She was ecstatic that her friend's search had proved successful and she met Virgil with her usual exuberance. Privately, she promised Val that she would "keep an eye" on him from time to time and stay in touch with him, a promise Val gratefully accepted.
There was an unfortunate, not entirely unforeseeable consequence to the uniting of father and daughter. Lydia, Virgil's wife, was unable to accept the fact of Val's existence, especially when she realized that Val had been conceived while she and Virgil were engaged. That news caused Val's heart to sink and she tried to make peace with the unintentional impact finding her father had led to in his life. He reassured her that she wasn't at fault, that he and Lydia had technically been estranged for years, that maybe this was even a good outcome. Val wasn't totally convinced, however, and before she and Dante finally made their way back home, she attempted to convey that regret through the hug she and Virgil exchanged. He leaned back and searched her face, smiling faintly when he saw the sheen of tears beginning in her eyes. "Val," he told her sternly, "I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. It's not a regrettable thing that we met, all right? Everything is going to turn out for the best. I remain grateful that you came seeking me and that you found me. I don't want you to have any negative feelings about that, or the aftermath, whatsoever. I'll be fine. Our plans are still on for New Year's, aren't they?"
"Of course they are. I can't wait to show you off to my family in Port Charles and to have you meet them. I just wish-"
"It's useless to regret what can't be changed, Sweetheart. Wow, that just came out so naturally—I hope you don't have an issue with me calling you that."
"My own father calling me 'Sweetheart'? No, I don't have a problem in the world with that! Thank you for wanting to call me that. Thank you, Virgil, for everything, really. For the way you loved my mom, even if things didn't work out. For not rejecting me or being suspicious of my motives for finding you. That you want to be a part of my life."
You're welcome, for all those things. And eventually, when we've gotten better acquainted and your trust in me is fully established, you'll someday be able to call me 'Dad' or something along those lines. That will come, though—I'll have to have patience, won't I?" His delight at seeing the embarrassed and sheepish look on Val's face made him give her another brief squeeze. Virgil kept his arm around Val as he turned to Dante and said, "I'm grateful to have met you, as well, Dante. I know our association has been brief but I believe you to be a good man. I know I can entrust my daughter to you, since you've taken such good care of her thus far. Thank you for being by her side through this emotional time."
"You're welcome, Sir-"
"Virgil, please."
"Virgil, then. I'm just glad for her sake that we found you and that you didn't mind being found. Thank you for accepting her and wanting to be a part of her life. I'll do my best to look out for her, though we're really good at looking out for each other. You don't have to worry about that."
After the two men exchanged an understanding nod, Virgil reminded Val, "So we're set here, correct? Email a couple of times a week and phone calls at least a couple of times a month?"
"At least that, if not more. I don't want to make you sick of me, but-"
"You could email me every day and I won't 'get sick' of you. I want to know you, Val. Don't lose sight of that. It's going to take effort from both of us and I'm willing to put in the work, so get ready to do the same."
"I am. I will."
"Good. Now you two go on and prepare to board. Let me know when you've safely landed in Port Charles, all right?"
"We'll be sure to call."
"Safe travels, then." Virgil watched them as they went through the checkpoint, giving them a final wave before they disappeared. He then made his way back to the university to prepare for his afternoon class.
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"So was I right, or was I right?" Dante asked Val once they were seated on the plane.
"About what?"
"About a whole lot of things, but mostly, that what you thought would happen was nowhere near what actually happened. 'The anticipation of death is worse than death itself'."
"Oh, yeah, your little mantra. Yes, I'll admit you were right. Things turned out way better than I expected, although I wish his marriage could have survived…"
"Like he told you, what's happening to them is not your fault but her choice. Personally, I think he's relieved, in a way. Like this gave them the push they needed to make some changes."
"I guess you're right about that, too. You've just been batting 1000 all weekend, haven't you? Where did you get that saying from anyway?"
"It's an old Japanese proverb, supposedly. I can tell you, it's gotten me through many situations and gone with me through a whole lot of doors in my career. It gives me courage somehow."
"Something I'll need to face Jordan—Commissioner Ashford—when we get home."
"Exactly. Although what she can do-"
"She can do a lot!"
"Ok, but I mean really, what can she do? She could block your entrance into the academy but she won't do that. If she was going to fire you she'd have done that already. If I understood her correctly, she left the ball in your court, right?"
"Pretty much."
"There you go. Go in there, state your case, tell her your decision, and go from there. I'm assuming you still want to become a cop?"
Val turned to Dante and with a puzzled frown asked him, "Why are you asking me that? My plan is still to enter the academy. You don't think I should?"
"I think you should do what you want to do but you're not good at the minutiae of police work, in my opinion. You're not the most patient person from what I've observed. So much of detecting is tedious, painstaking work. You like things to happen 'now, now, now!' and I'm not sure how that works for your future as a cop."
"I can't believe you're questioning me now about my dedication-"
"I'm not questioning your dedication—I'm helping you solidify your position. You asked me once what made me become a cop and why I do what I do. You seemed happy enough being an admin. You have one conversation with Anna Devane and your whole focus shifts, which is fine with me. Just be sure about what you're doing and why you want to do it before you talk to Jordan."
After a few moments' reflection, Val admitted, "I'd be lying if I said I had a sudden urge to help mankind, though that element is there. It's a lot of things, I guess. The ability to meet a challenge like going up against someone like Joey Robbs and coming out on top. Pitting my wits against a bad guy and getting him off the streets. I never thought of myself as an adrenalin junkie but I'll admit that element is there, too. The rush you get being in the moment, when making the wrong decision could have dire consequences but you've still got to make a move. I don't know if I'd want to go through that every day, but when I was sitting across from Robbs and we were negotiating a price for the Sigs, I enjoyed it. I wanted to complete my mission so when he zigged, I zagged. It was exciting. It looks like becoming a cop is my best chance to take almost nothing, build it into something, and get a satisfactory conclusion for myself and the people around me, using guts and grit. In a nutshell."
"And the danger? That isn't an issue?"
"Of course it's an issue but I feel like if I use my head, I can either avoid the danger or find a way out of it. That's where, hopefully, my training will come in handy."
Dante couldn't help but laugh as he said, "You are such a Spencer!"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, it's an amazing thing, actually. It's a family trait and almost all of you seem to have it. I saw it in Lulu and your cousin Lucky—even in your Uncle Luke before he went off the rails. It'll serve you well in your career, Angel. I think you're ready for whatever Jordan throws at you."
"I guess we'll see, won't we?"
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The next morning, Jordan faced Val across her desk with a raised eyebrow as she inquired, "You've used this time well, I trust. What have you decided about your future with my department?"
Looking Jordan squarely in the eye, Val replied, "I want to work for and with you, Commissioner. I believe I could learn a lot from your influence and experiences. I want to become a cop and I'd like to serve here, under your command. I've made some mistakes in the past, some of which I regret, like ruining our friendship. I'd like to tell you I regret everything I've done but I'd be lying if I said that."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I don't regret going up against Robbs. I shouldn't have done it without your permission or knowledge, I know. I don't regret being able to outthink him or even proving to myself that I had the courage to do what I did. I intend to work hard to rebuild your trust and faith in me. I can't say enough that it never was my intention to trade on our friendship by doing what I did. I really hope that someday, you'll believe that." She paused as she waited for Jordan's response.
"Ok, listen. What you did was reckless and foolish and even somewhat illegal. I was able to keep it quiet, though so there'll be no repercussions for either you or me. You say that you didn't intend to use our friendship to get over or get away with your actions. I'll accept that. We'll start with a clean slate."
"What does that mean, exactly—a clean slate?"
"It means that after all the requirements are met, I won't try to block your entrance into the academy. It means that I look forward to working with you again and even more so once you become a cop. What you did was foolhardy but it took guts and I can admit to you now that I admire that. It means that Anna and I are going out for drinks tonight after work and you should come along with. That's what it means."
A huge grin broke out on Val's face and she asked, "Do I still have to call you 'Commissioner Ashford'?
"Don't push it, Spencer! You should call me that anyway when we're at work! We can hang out and everything we did before but I need you to remember that at the end of the day, I'm still your boss. What you do professionally reflects on me. If that's going to be a problem or if you can't make that distinction-"
"It won't be a problem, I promise! Thanks, Jordan, for giving me another chance. I mean that."
"Yeah, well, don't make me regret it."
"You won't."
"So we're clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Now that that's out of the way, tell me about Philly. What happened there?" With a relieved heart and mind, Val told her friend about the trip to Philadelphia, and meeting her father.
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While Val and Jordan were hashing out the details of their working and personal relationships, Dante was catching up on the brief happenings he had missed while away. Nathan had finally been cleared for duty and it was with barely disguised relief that Dante tried to keep his pleasure at being released from partnering with Randy Hill from showing. He knew that Randy still had thoughts of getting Val to see something in him that she would be willing to leave Dante for, and he still found it hard to trust someone who believed so strongly in the mission of Internal Affairs. He was looking forward to getting things back to normal. Nathan was bringing him up to speed on a case that had come in the previous day, one involving two teenagers and an accidental overdose on high-grade cocaine. It seemed as though once again, someone was attempting to move drugs through their city. Dante dug through an old case file, a case he had worked with Lucky Spencer involving the North Coast Cartel, Joaquin Sebastian Ordoñez, and his sister, Pilar. Sebastian had finally been successfully indicted for the attempted murder of Johnny Zacchara and Ethan Lovett after an exhaustive investigation but he remembered Sebastian mentioning how extensive their network actually was. He offered this new line of inquiry to Nathan and the two of them set to work.
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It was in this way that the days began passing into weeks. Having made her peace with Jordan, Val was waiting to hear how she did on the civil service examination. She felt confident that she had scored well but she found herself growing anxious as she waited for the results, a feeling she shared with her father during a recent phone call. "It'll come, Sweetheart. Be patient," she was reminded as he added, "I remember how many tense months and years I spent in pursuit of tenure. Looking back, I wish I had allowed myself to enjoy the process more. Slow down, Val and just enjoy the process. Life happens quickly. One day you're going to look up and realize that you've been a police officer for over five years. That may seem so far off in the distance but trust me, it's not. Everything happens when it's supposed to, so relax." She marveled as they ended the call how wonderful it was to have his steady influence in her life and how he had come to mean so much to her in such a short time. Taking his words to heart, she resolved to be patient and to enjoy the journey. When the news that she had passed the test in the ten percentile of the applicants came, she was excited but settled as she prepared for the next phase in the application process.
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Dante and Nathan weren't finding a direct or obvious link to the North Coast Cartel and the sudden influx of coke into their city but Dante knew deep pockets had to be involved because the product was of such a high quality. After reaching out to the surrounding precincts, he and Nathan concluded that the problem was far-reaching, moving out beyond Port Charles. It was with this in mind that he approached the Commissioner with the proposal to form a task force specifically designed to tackle the case. Liaising with precincts in Buffalo and Rochester, Dante was put in charge of heading up the task force under Jordan's guidance. It was a daunting undertaking and a huge responsibility to be placed in such a position but Dante was determined to crack the case. He decided to use the resources he had at his disposal, namely his father and Mac Scorpio, who had been commissioner when the Ordoñez case had been successfully resolved. Whenever he felt himself getting frustrated with the progress he didn't feel he was making, he remembered telling Val about having patience with the minutiae involved in police work and he felt himself settle. He couldn't exactly preach patience if he wasn't willing to show any.
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Val and Dante were sitting on the floor in front a cozy fire in the penthouse enjoying wine and discussing the lack of momentum or headway in his case. He knew that there was something staring him in the face, a connection that, If he could just make it, would have an important impact. As they reasoned out the facts together, Val queried, "What makes you so sure the North Coast Cartel is involved?"
"It's the insidious way they operated before. They had so many things in place before we even knew there was a problem. They'd gotten to the Five Families and even chased Sonny out of town. If we hadn't been able to bring Sebastian to justice, Sonny might still be on his island in Puerto Rico. They're usually more subtle, though. It feels like they're involved, and yet it doesn't. It's frustrating."
"You say Ordoñez is locked up?"
"Yeah, he went away for a nice, long stretch for attempted murder. That doesn't prevent him from operating from prison, though." "True. Where's his sister Pilar?" "Who knows—probably off spending their millions on some island somewhere." Val looked at Dante in surprise. "Why don't you know where she is?" "Look, she was just an empty-headed chick who was only involved because she was his sister. I'm seeing her as a non-factor in this thing." "Which could be a mistake. From what you told me about this guy, I don't see him having the tolerance for keeping an empty-headed nuisance by his side. How do you know that it wasn't just a cover to help her avoid prosecution? For all you really know, the reason this feels familiar and yet not is because SHE'S running things and not him. I wouldn't count her out, especially if you haven't investigated her. Girl Power, you know."
"You have a point, a valid one. One I really don't want to have to deal with because I don't know who was crazier, him or her." He sighed before going on, "I need a break. Being in charge of this task force is harder work than I thought. I'm glad the holidays are coming up."
"Tell me about it. It'll be nice to kick back and take some time to relax and chill. I'm looking forward to it, too."
"Don't get too relaxed, Angel. Don't forget—we've got special plans for those days off."
"Special plans?"
"Yeah. You, my sweet, in case you've forgotten, are going to spend Natale with me and the whole Bensonhurst Falconeri clan, meeting my Nonno and Nonna. No excuses." Valerie gave Dante a look of startled shock. Somehow, she had successfully managed to block out the mention of a Falconeri Christmas. Against her will, images of angry Italians yelling curses at her swirled in her head and suddenly, the much welcomed "Christmas break" didn't feel like something to be desired at all…
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