Show: General Hospital
Title: Las Vidas de los Corinthos' II: Chapter 24
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: First off, I'd like to apologise profusely for the delay in getting this chapter out –
needless to say that life and all that was a major headache for the past weeks; I'm sorry.
That said, thank you muchly for last chapter's comments; I really appreciated them. Keep
them coming and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Would it be wrong if I said this is all more than a little weird?"
Mother and daughter were speaking in whispers and Alexis sighed heavily as she quietly
closed the bedroom door behind her. "No, it wouldn't," she replied. They had just put
Zico to bed, after his much needed bath of course. The little boy had been asleep before
his head even touched the pillow; he was so exhausted.
"Poor kid," sighed Elizabeth, looking at the closed door, thinking of the sleeping child
within. "Do you think he saw anything?" They hadn't had much time to talk to him
before his eyes began shutting down in renewed exhaustion.
Alexis nodded and started to make her way down the hall. "Without a doubt." She
paused, "He seems scared… but I have a feeling that it's not just because of the murder."
Downstairs, Ric, Jason and Sonny looked up as they heard the women's soft voices. "Is
he asleep?" came Sonny's concerned voice.
Alexis nodded, as she made her way to the couch and settled in beside her fiancé. "He
was sleeping before I even got him out of the tub."
"What are we going to do?" the question came from Jason.
Alexis frowned. "There's not much that we *can* do, Jason. Zico may have been a
witness to a crime; we need to find out what he knows."
"Will you take him to the police?" He couldn't help it if his tone was a bit accusatory.
Alexis frowned – she had tried to weigh the pros and cons. Zico obviously wasn't an
American citizen and was in a lot of trouble– thus, people might be out looking for him,
good or bad was difficult to determine. However, he *had* seen the murder and they
needed to find the murderer badly. Yes, she nodded finally. "I'll call Mac Scorpio in the
morning."
Jason grit his teeth but said nothing. Sensing his obvious distress, Elizabeth laid a
comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"Listen," said Ric after a huge yawn. "It's after three. The kid obviously isn't going to be
saying anything else. What do you say we all turn in?"
"Yeah," nodded Sonny, looking away from the pair his daughter and his partner made.
"That's a good idea."
Ric stood up and gathered his rumpled jacket and briefcase. "I'll meet you at the PCPD at
nine?" he asked his partner.
"Make that ten," advised Alexis. "I have a feeling Zico might be asleep for a while."
Ric nodded in satisfaction and took his leave, closing the door softly behind him.
With his departure an awkward silence descended on the foursome. With all the
subsequent drama after Jason's less than subtle declaration of love for Elizabeth, there'd
been no time to talk about their renewed romance… until now.
Sonny opened his mouth to ask just what was going on when Alexis, sensing his
imminent interrogation, poked him in the ribs and shot him a look that said, don't start.
"See you in the morning?" she asked her daughter.
Elizabeth was inwardly filled with relief. "Yeah."
Sonny and Alexis watched as Jason helped Liz gather her things and with a quiet
goodnight, they left.
Sonny turned to his fiancée. "Why'd you do that for?"
"Oh, hush, Sonny. There's time enough for that in the morning."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth snuggled closer to Jason as they made their way through the parking garage to
Jason's motorcycle. "We got off tonight," she mused softly.
Jason smirked a little. "I know," he echoed, and handed her a helmet.
There was a faraway look in his eyes and Liz paused. "He's ok, you know," she said,
guessing he'd been thinking about Zico.
Jason nodded his head. "I know he is… for now," he added ominously. "If the murderer
finds out that there was a witness, Zico might be in danger."
Elizabeth smiled softly. "That's what he's got *you* for."
Jason pursed his lips; every protective instinct he'd harbored and thought he'd lost when
he'd first lost Michael was rearing to the surface. He felt some need to protect this little
boy and pledged he would do everything in his power to ensure that he was safe. "Yeah,"
he replied, smiling at Elizabeth. "Let's go."
*~*~*~*~*~*
New York City (early morning)
It was a wild night and the music in the club was so loud he hadn't heard his cellphone
when it went off. It was only when he'd settled back in the plush velvet seat in the VIP
lounge and he'd fished the phone from his pocket did he realize the message light was
flashing.
Delano leaned back in the seat and nonchalantly watched the practically half-naked
bodies gyrating on the crowded dance floor below. All around him, the beautiful and
privileged smoked their cigarettes and drank their Cristal as he checked his messages.
The first two were about work and he mentally shifted them to the back of his mind. The
third brought a smile to his face. It was Lyle and the message was simple: "It's done. Call
me when you need me."
**Excellent** he thought. Things were right on schedule.
"What's got you so happy?" came a seductive voice close to his ear.
Delano turned to the woman beside him. Blonde and busty, she was perfect for a
celebration fuck. "Nothing you can't top," he replied suggestively, slipping the phone
back into his jacket pocket.
"I'm sure," she purred in reply and slipped into his lap, not caring they were in a room
full of people. **God!** he thought as she undulated her hips against his lap, he loved
New York City!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Port Charles (later that morning)
Courtney spit out her orange juice as she read the glaring newspaper headline:
BODYGUARD'S BODY FOUND IN DOCKSIDE ALLEY. She visibly paled as she
read the subsequent article. They had given Rhys's name and age as well as the fact that
he'd worked for Sonny. Then the journalist had begun to speculate if this was a serial
killer on the loose and indeed whether he was doing the citizens of Port Charles a favor
by ridding the city of Mafia riff-raff. That last line made Courtney's stomach roil and she
tossed the paper on the table and hurried to the kitchen sink where she proceeded to hurl
what was left of her stomach contents into the sink.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth sighed heavily and rolled towards the source of warmth beside her. Jason
smiled softly as she slipped her right thigh between his, slid her hand over his chest and
pressed a soft wet kiss on his shoulder. He threaded his hand through the curls at the nape
of her neck and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Finally giving up going back to sleep, Liz opened sleepy blue eyes to find Jason looking
down at her. "Mornin'" she murmured sleepily.
"Mornin'" Jason echoed.
Liz yawned and sat up, the strap of her tank top falling down, baring a creamy expanse of
shoulder. "What time is it?" she asked Jason.
He glanced at his watch. "Seven thirty."
Yikes! "After last night, I thought I wouldn't get up on the left side of noon." Liz paused
and looked at Jason. "What about you? Sleep?"
Jason shrugged. "A little," he admitted. Truthfully, he'd been too focused on thinking
about Zico to get much sleep. "I want to be there when Alexis takes Zico to the PCPD,"
he added, clueing her into what he was feeling.
Elizabeth paused. "Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean Taggert's bound to try
and spin this somehow."
"Let him. Alexis will deal with him."
Liz smirked. It was fun to see Taggert try to tangle with her mother. "Well, you better get
moving. She and Ric are due there at ten."
Jason nodded and slipped out of bed. "What about you?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Probably stay here and paint a little. I have standing orders," she added,
the pride suffusing her voice.
Jason smiled, the simple action telling her all she needed to know – he was proud of her
as well. "I'm going to grab a shower."
Liz grinned devilishly. "Need me to scrub your back?"
A rare smile found its way to his face. "Always."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Casa Corinthos (same time)
"Can you believe this shit?" Sonny exclaimed incredulously and tossed the paper across
the breakfast table.
Alexis, who'd been reading the New York Times, dropped her paper and picked up The
Port Charles Chronicle. Her eyes widened as she read the headline and narrowed in fury
as she read the rest of the story. She managed to read it all, although she was tempted to
toss the paper just as her fiancé had. "This reporter's just begging for a lawsuit," she
muttered.
"Fucking reporters," grumbled Sonny, taking a hasty sip of coffee. "You'd think I was
the Devil Incarnate the way he's going on."
Alexis held her tongue. To the 'good' citizens of Port Charles, Sonny Corinthos *was*
very much the definition of the Devil Incarnate.
Sonny sighed and wiped the last lingering evidence of his fatigue from his face. It was
seven thirty and he was already dressed for work; Alexis was still clad in her midnight
blue silk robe. "Shit…." The last twenty-four hours were weighing heavily on him. He
couldn't wait for Zico to tell them what he'd seen. Unfortunately, he couldn't be there –
one of the five families was getting antsy with all the publicity and had had the audacity
to call him at five-thirty this morning to tell him the families wanted a ten o'clock
meeting. He was due to meet Benny at the warehouse office in half an hour to discuss
strategies.
"Zico'll come through. I know it," Alexis said softly.
Sonny cocked a brow. "He shouldn't have to."
Alexis shrugged. "But he has to. This way, we can go about things the right way…."
Her sentence hung in the air. Sonny didn't even bother – her words were like a fuse line
and his reply could be the possible spark. He knew they would never see eye-to-eye on
the pursuit of justice. But he couldn't resist adding: "If the PCPD doesn't fuck up, as
usual."
"They won't. Not this time. I promise you."
*~*~*~*~*~*
After Sonny had left for the office, Alexis loaded the dishwasher and headed upstairs.
She checked on Kristina first and the two-year-old was still fast asleep before heading
across the hall to what had been Michael's old room and peeking in – Zico was still dead
to the world. She smiled – he'd kicked his covers off, just like Elizabeth used to do when
she was his age.
Just as she made to leave the room, the little boy began to wriggle and eventually he
woke up. He lay there for a few seconds and sat up as if trying to figure out where he
was.
"Good morning," called Alexis in Greek.
Zico's head snapped up and recognition dawned on his face.
"Good morning," he replied softly, shyly smiling at her.
"How did you sleep?"
"Good."
Alexis smiled as she made her way over to the bed, his beautiful amber eyes following
her the whole way. "Are you hungry?" she asked, kneeling before him.
Zico nodded.
"Great!" she replied, holding out her hand. "I'm not much of a cook," she admitted
conspirationally as he hesitantly took her hand in his, "but we've got cereal. You like
cereal?"
Confusion furrowed Zico's brow. "What's cereal?" he asked.
Alexis gasped exaggeratingly. "You *don't* know what cereal is?" Zico shook his head
and they descended the stairs. "It's only the best food on earth… after popcorn, of
course."
"Popcorn?"
That was how Jason found them when he let himself into the apartment half an hour later;
sitting around the breakfast table with about six cereals – Cap'n Crunch, Honey-Nut
Cheerios, Cocoa Crispies, Frostie's, Lucky Charms and Corn Pops – spread out before
them. Zico was talking to Alexis in Greek whilst Kristina, who'd wandered down about
ten minutes earlier, slurped milk from her cereal bowl. Alexis looked up at the intrusion
and smiled when she realized it was Jason. "Look, Zico," she said in Greek, pointing to
the dirty-blonde, "Jason's here."
Zico turned around and offered a shy smile.
"Eat up," she encouraged. "I'll be right back."
Zico nodded and turned around again, shoveling Cocoa Crispies into his mouth.
"Morning," she said, heading into the living room.
"Morning," he echoed. "I wanted to go with you to the PCPD this morning, but some
meeting came up."
"I know," Alexis replied. "Sonny's already at the warehouse. Don't worry, we'll be fine."
Jason nodded slowly. "So… this going to the police… what does it mean?"
Alexis found her gaze straying toward the kitchen. "Well, he'll give a statement and I'll
petition to have his name kept anonymous or at least sealed in the public records. He's a
minor and he's not an American citizen, so there might be some problems with INS and
DCFS, but I'll petition for him to be released into my care on account that I can actually
verbally communicate with him. Other than that," she heaved a sigh, "there's not much I
can do."
"Did he tell you anything this morning? His full name? How old he is? What he was
doing hiding on the docks?"
"Actually, his full name is Zico Constantine and he's five years old. Anything else about
him, he's a veritable clam."
"He didn't say anything about the murder?"
"Whenever I bring it up, he gets so scared and he doesn't even look me in the eye."
"If he won't talk to you, what makes you think he'll talk to the police?"
Alexis shrugged. "We have to try, Jason. Don't you want to find out who's murdering
your employees?"
"Of course I do, Alexis; I just think we should go about it a different way."
"And what way would that be, Jason?" she asked in as heated a whisper as he. "Muscling
our way over on the docks? Because, so far, that's not working. I know you don't like the
PCPD much; frankly I completely agree with your opinion there but Zico may be the
only chance we have."
After a pregnant pause, Jason reluctantly nodded. "You won't let Taggert bully him?"
"Of course not. But I don't think Taggert's *that* much of an ogre to take his displeasure
out on a child." The look Jason leveled her made Alexis rethink her words. "Point taken."
"Good luck then," he said, his sensitive ears picking out Kristina's giggles in the kitchen.
"I could say the same for you, too."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Mac Scorpio's day wasn't going that well. And it was barely 9:55. And in five minutes, a
certain long-legged brunette lady-lawyer was bound to make it a helluva lot worse. He
tossed the PC Chronicle from him and rubbed his temples, wondering which bumbling
idiot on the force had let out what was supposed to be confidential information.
Taggert ambled in, his expression blank. "You read the paper this morning?" his voice
was curious, with just a hint of anger.
"Yeah," replied Mac, taking a sip of the diesel fuel masquerading as coffee. He grimaced
at the taste – damn he would kill for a proper cup of coffee or a shot of vodka… anything
to prepare him for the storm that was bound to erupt the moment Alexis Davis stepped
into his office.
"Can't anybody in this frickin' department keep their mouths shut?"
"I was here wondering the same thing," came a voice from behind Taggert.
Both men inwardly groaned. She was early.
Taggert stepped aside and turned around. "Ms. Davis. Lansing," he nodded at Ric,
standing just behind his partner. He looked at the little boy with curiosity but, for once,
kept his mouth shut. There was time enough for questions later.
"Good morning, Detective. Mac."
"Good morning, Alexis. Lansing." He stared at Zico who was looking around in anxiety
and confusion, clinging to Alexis's hand. "Who's the little boy?"
Alexis smirked mirthfully and tightened her hold on Zico's hand. "Think of him
as an early birthday present."
TBC…
A/N: Did you like? I threw in the tiniest bit of Liason moments there. I hope you liked
them. Drop me a line to let me know. Next chapter: Does Zico tell them what he saw?
What happens at the meeting of the Five Families? Just what *is* wrong with
Courtney?
Title: Las Vidas de los Corinthos' II: Chapter 24
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: First off, I'd like to apologise profusely for the delay in getting this chapter out –
needless to say that life and all that was a major headache for the past weeks; I'm sorry.
That said, thank you muchly for last chapter's comments; I really appreciated them. Keep
them coming and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Would it be wrong if I said this is all more than a little weird?"
Mother and daughter were speaking in whispers and Alexis sighed heavily as she quietly
closed the bedroom door behind her. "No, it wouldn't," she replied. They had just put
Zico to bed, after his much needed bath of course. The little boy had been asleep before
his head even touched the pillow; he was so exhausted.
"Poor kid," sighed Elizabeth, looking at the closed door, thinking of the sleeping child
within. "Do you think he saw anything?" They hadn't had much time to talk to him
before his eyes began shutting down in renewed exhaustion.
Alexis nodded and started to make her way down the hall. "Without a doubt." She
paused, "He seems scared… but I have a feeling that it's not just because of the murder."
Downstairs, Ric, Jason and Sonny looked up as they heard the women's soft voices. "Is
he asleep?" came Sonny's concerned voice.
Alexis nodded, as she made her way to the couch and settled in beside her fiancé. "He
was sleeping before I even got him out of the tub."
"What are we going to do?" the question came from Jason.
Alexis frowned. "There's not much that we *can* do, Jason. Zico may have been a
witness to a crime; we need to find out what he knows."
"Will you take him to the police?" He couldn't help it if his tone was a bit accusatory.
Alexis frowned – she had tried to weigh the pros and cons. Zico obviously wasn't an
American citizen and was in a lot of trouble– thus, people might be out looking for him,
good or bad was difficult to determine. However, he *had* seen the murder and they
needed to find the murderer badly. Yes, she nodded finally. "I'll call Mac Scorpio in the
morning."
Jason grit his teeth but said nothing. Sensing his obvious distress, Elizabeth laid a
comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"Listen," said Ric after a huge yawn. "It's after three. The kid obviously isn't going to be
saying anything else. What do you say we all turn in?"
"Yeah," nodded Sonny, looking away from the pair his daughter and his partner made.
"That's a good idea."
Ric stood up and gathered his rumpled jacket and briefcase. "I'll meet you at the PCPD at
nine?" he asked his partner.
"Make that ten," advised Alexis. "I have a feeling Zico might be asleep for a while."
Ric nodded in satisfaction and took his leave, closing the door softly behind him.
With his departure an awkward silence descended on the foursome. With all the
subsequent drama after Jason's less than subtle declaration of love for Elizabeth, there'd
been no time to talk about their renewed romance… until now.
Sonny opened his mouth to ask just what was going on when Alexis, sensing his
imminent interrogation, poked him in the ribs and shot him a look that said, don't start.
"See you in the morning?" she asked her daughter.
Elizabeth was inwardly filled with relief. "Yeah."
Sonny and Alexis watched as Jason helped Liz gather her things and with a quiet
goodnight, they left.
Sonny turned to his fiancée. "Why'd you do that for?"
"Oh, hush, Sonny. There's time enough for that in the morning."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth snuggled closer to Jason as they made their way through the parking garage to
Jason's motorcycle. "We got off tonight," she mused softly.
Jason smirked a little. "I know," he echoed, and handed her a helmet.
There was a faraway look in his eyes and Liz paused. "He's ok, you know," she said,
guessing he'd been thinking about Zico.
Jason nodded his head. "I know he is… for now," he added ominously. "If the murderer
finds out that there was a witness, Zico might be in danger."
Elizabeth smiled softly. "That's what he's got *you* for."
Jason pursed his lips; every protective instinct he'd harbored and thought he'd lost when
he'd first lost Michael was rearing to the surface. He felt some need to protect this little
boy and pledged he would do everything in his power to ensure that he was safe. "Yeah,"
he replied, smiling at Elizabeth. "Let's go."
*~*~*~*~*~*
New York City (early morning)
It was a wild night and the music in the club was so loud he hadn't heard his cellphone
when it went off. It was only when he'd settled back in the plush velvet seat in the VIP
lounge and he'd fished the phone from his pocket did he realize the message light was
flashing.
Delano leaned back in the seat and nonchalantly watched the practically half-naked
bodies gyrating on the crowded dance floor below. All around him, the beautiful and
privileged smoked their cigarettes and drank their Cristal as he checked his messages.
The first two were about work and he mentally shifted them to the back of his mind. The
third brought a smile to his face. It was Lyle and the message was simple: "It's done. Call
me when you need me."
**Excellent** he thought. Things were right on schedule.
"What's got you so happy?" came a seductive voice close to his ear.
Delano turned to the woman beside him. Blonde and busty, she was perfect for a
celebration fuck. "Nothing you can't top," he replied suggestively, slipping the phone
back into his jacket pocket.
"I'm sure," she purred in reply and slipped into his lap, not caring they were in a room
full of people. **God!** he thought as she undulated her hips against his lap, he loved
New York City!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Port Charles (later that morning)
Courtney spit out her orange juice as she read the glaring newspaper headline:
BODYGUARD'S BODY FOUND IN DOCKSIDE ALLEY. She visibly paled as she
read the subsequent article. They had given Rhys's name and age as well as the fact that
he'd worked for Sonny. Then the journalist had begun to speculate if this was a serial
killer on the loose and indeed whether he was doing the citizens of Port Charles a favor
by ridding the city of Mafia riff-raff. That last line made Courtney's stomach roil and she
tossed the paper on the table and hurried to the kitchen sink where she proceeded to hurl
what was left of her stomach contents into the sink.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth sighed heavily and rolled towards the source of warmth beside her. Jason
smiled softly as she slipped her right thigh between his, slid her hand over his chest and
pressed a soft wet kiss on his shoulder. He threaded his hand through the curls at the nape
of her neck and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Finally giving up going back to sleep, Liz opened sleepy blue eyes to find Jason looking
down at her. "Mornin'" she murmured sleepily.
"Mornin'" Jason echoed.
Liz yawned and sat up, the strap of her tank top falling down, baring a creamy expanse of
shoulder. "What time is it?" she asked Jason.
He glanced at his watch. "Seven thirty."
Yikes! "After last night, I thought I wouldn't get up on the left side of noon." Liz paused
and looked at Jason. "What about you? Sleep?"
Jason shrugged. "A little," he admitted. Truthfully, he'd been too focused on thinking
about Zico to get much sleep. "I want to be there when Alexis takes Zico to the PCPD,"
he added, clueing her into what he was feeling.
Elizabeth paused. "Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean Taggert's bound to try
and spin this somehow."
"Let him. Alexis will deal with him."
Liz smirked. It was fun to see Taggert try to tangle with her mother. "Well, you better get
moving. She and Ric are due there at ten."
Jason nodded and slipped out of bed. "What about you?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Probably stay here and paint a little. I have standing orders," she added,
the pride suffusing her voice.
Jason smiled, the simple action telling her all she needed to know – he was proud of her
as well. "I'm going to grab a shower."
Liz grinned devilishly. "Need me to scrub your back?"
A rare smile found its way to his face. "Always."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Casa Corinthos (same time)
"Can you believe this shit?" Sonny exclaimed incredulously and tossed the paper across
the breakfast table.
Alexis, who'd been reading the New York Times, dropped her paper and picked up The
Port Charles Chronicle. Her eyes widened as she read the headline and narrowed in fury
as she read the rest of the story. She managed to read it all, although she was tempted to
toss the paper just as her fiancé had. "This reporter's just begging for a lawsuit," she
muttered.
"Fucking reporters," grumbled Sonny, taking a hasty sip of coffee. "You'd think I was
the Devil Incarnate the way he's going on."
Alexis held her tongue. To the 'good' citizens of Port Charles, Sonny Corinthos *was*
very much the definition of the Devil Incarnate.
Sonny sighed and wiped the last lingering evidence of his fatigue from his face. It was
seven thirty and he was already dressed for work; Alexis was still clad in her midnight
blue silk robe. "Shit…." The last twenty-four hours were weighing heavily on him. He
couldn't wait for Zico to tell them what he'd seen. Unfortunately, he couldn't be there –
one of the five families was getting antsy with all the publicity and had had the audacity
to call him at five-thirty this morning to tell him the families wanted a ten o'clock
meeting. He was due to meet Benny at the warehouse office in half an hour to discuss
strategies.
"Zico'll come through. I know it," Alexis said softly.
Sonny cocked a brow. "He shouldn't have to."
Alexis shrugged. "But he has to. This way, we can go about things the right way…."
Her sentence hung in the air. Sonny didn't even bother – her words were like a fuse line
and his reply could be the possible spark. He knew they would never see eye-to-eye on
the pursuit of justice. But he couldn't resist adding: "If the PCPD doesn't fuck up, as
usual."
"They won't. Not this time. I promise you."
*~*~*~*~*~*
After Sonny had left for the office, Alexis loaded the dishwasher and headed upstairs.
She checked on Kristina first and the two-year-old was still fast asleep before heading
across the hall to what had been Michael's old room and peeking in – Zico was still dead
to the world. She smiled – he'd kicked his covers off, just like Elizabeth used to do when
she was his age.
Just as she made to leave the room, the little boy began to wriggle and eventually he
woke up. He lay there for a few seconds and sat up as if trying to figure out where he
was.
"Good morning," called Alexis in Greek.
Zico's head snapped up and recognition dawned on his face.
"Good morning," he replied softly, shyly smiling at her.
"How did you sleep?"
"Good."
Alexis smiled as she made her way over to the bed, his beautiful amber eyes following
her the whole way. "Are you hungry?" she asked, kneeling before him.
Zico nodded.
"Great!" she replied, holding out her hand. "I'm not much of a cook," she admitted
conspirationally as he hesitantly took her hand in his, "but we've got cereal. You like
cereal?"
Confusion furrowed Zico's brow. "What's cereal?" he asked.
Alexis gasped exaggeratingly. "You *don't* know what cereal is?" Zico shook his head
and they descended the stairs. "It's only the best food on earth… after popcorn, of
course."
"Popcorn?"
That was how Jason found them when he let himself into the apartment half an hour later;
sitting around the breakfast table with about six cereals – Cap'n Crunch, Honey-Nut
Cheerios, Cocoa Crispies, Frostie's, Lucky Charms and Corn Pops – spread out before
them. Zico was talking to Alexis in Greek whilst Kristina, who'd wandered down about
ten minutes earlier, slurped milk from her cereal bowl. Alexis looked up at the intrusion
and smiled when she realized it was Jason. "Look, Zico," she said in Greek, pointing to
the dirty-blonde, "Jason's here."
Zico turned around and offered a shy smile.
"Eat up," she encouraged. "I'll be right back."
Zico nodded and turned around again, shoveling Cocoa Crispies into his mouth.
"Morning," she said, heading into the living room.
"Morning," he echoed. "I wanted to go with you to the PCPD this morning, but some
meeting came up."
"I know," Alexis replied. "Sonny's already at the warehouse. Don't worry, we'll be fine."
Jason nodded slowly. "So… this going to the police… what does it mean?"
Alexis found her gaze straying toward the kitchen. "Well, he'll give a statement and I'll
petition to have his name kept anonymous or at least sealed in the public records. He's a
minor and he's not an American citizen, so there might be some problems with INS and
DCFS, but I'll petition for him to be released into my care on account that I can actually
verbally communicate with him. Other than that," she heaved a sigh, "there's not much I
can do."
"Did he tell you anything this morning? His full name? How old he is? What he was
doing hiding on the docks?"
"Actually, his full name is Zico Constantine and he's five years old. Anything else about
him, he's a veritable clam."
"He didn't say anything about the murder?"
"Whenever I bring it up, he gets so scared and he doesn't even look me in the eye."
"If he won't talk to you, what makes you think he'll talk to the police?"
Alexis shrugged. "We have to try, Jason. Don't you want to find out who's murdering
your employees?"
"Of course I do, Alexis; I just think we should go about it a different way."
"And what way would that be, Jason?" she asked in as heated a whisper as he. "Muscling
our way over on the docks? Because, so far, that's not working. I know you don't like the
PCPD much; frankly I completely agree with your opinion there but Zico may be the
only chance we have."
After a pregnant pause, Jason reluctantly nodded. "You won't let Taggert bully him?"
"Of course not. But I don't think Taggert's *that* much of an ogre to take his displeasure
out on a child." The look Jason leveled her made Alexis rethink her words. "Point taken."
"Good luck then," he said, his sensitive ears picking out Kristina's giggles in the kitchen.
"I could say the same for you, too."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Mac Scorpio's day wasn't going that well. And it was barely 9:55. And in five minutes, a
certain long-legged brunette lady-lawyer was bound to make it a helluva lot worse. He
tossed the PC Chronicle from him and rubbed his temples, wondering which bumbling
idiot on the force had let out what was supposed to be confidential information.
Taggert ambled in, his expression blank. "You read the paper this morning?" his voice
was curious, with just a hint of anger.
"Yeah," replied Mac, taking a sip of the diesel fuel masquerading as coffee. He grimaced
at the taste – damn he would kill for a proper cup of coffee or a shot of vodka… anything
to prepare him for the storm that was bound to erupt the moment Alexis Davis stepped
into his office.
"Can't anybody in this frickin' department keep their mouths shut?"
"I was here wondering the same thing," came a voice from behind Taggert.
Both men inwardly groaned. She was early.
Taggert stepped aside and turned around. "Ms. Davis. Lansing," he nodded at Ric,
standing just behind his partner. He looked at the little boy with curiosity but, for once,
kept his mouth shut. There was time enough for questions later.
"Good morning, Detective. Mac."
"Good morning, Alexis. Lansing." He stared at Zico who was looking around in anxiety
and confusion, clinging to Alexis's hand. "Who's the little boy?"
Alexis smirked mirthfully and tightened her hold on Zico's hand. "Think of him
as an early birthday present."
TBC…
A/N: Did you like? I threw in the tiniest bit of Liason moments there. I hope you liked
them. Drop me a line to let me know. Next chapter: Does Zico tell them what he saw?
What happens at the meeting of the Five Families? Just what *is* wrong with
Courtney?
