AN: Again, thanks so much for the reviews! Spoilers for Night Shift in this chapter.
The door to Jason's Penthouse opened slowly as Spinelli pushed the door open with his crutches.
"Spin, let me get the door." Maxie called.
"No, Maximista. You are carrying the bags and you shouldn't even do that. Perhaps I should call Cody, the Protector of the Night."
"I can lift some bags, Spin." Maxie entered the Penthouse and dumped the grocery bags by the couch. Spinelli followed.
"Sit down Spin. You're supposed to keep your leg up." Maxie encouraged him to sit down and put his leg up on the coffee table.
Spinelli started rifling through the bags. "Did you bring the Nectar of the Gods?"
"Yes." She pulled the bottle out. "But you really shouldn't be drinking this." She held it in the air.
"Maximista!" He reached up and pulled her arm down.
"I'll trade you for a kiss." Maxie smiled.
He reached for her head and pulled her in for a firm kiss. She softened into him and he grabbed the soda with his other hand.
"Got it."
Maxie laughed and leaned into him as he took a gulp. "So what are we going to do?"
"Well…" She grinned at him suggestively. His eyebrows went way up. "Mac invited us to dinner tonight." She elbowed him in the side.
He coughed. "Really?"
"Yeah. Robin and Patrick are coming."
"A real family meal?"
"Yeah." Maxie sighed. "I take it for granted, don't I?"
Spinelli wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger. "What, Fair One?"
"Having a family. I remember when I was younger; Mac and my mom were pretending to be married for some case…"
"Case?" Spinelli interrupted.
"They did some of their own private investigating. Anyway, they had been together years ago, for a while they thought Mac was Georgie's father, and Mac had just always been around. And Robin…" Maxie shook her head "…she was the cool older cousin. I worshipped her."
Spinelli put his hand on her abdomen. "So they were pretending to be married."
"Oh, yeah, and Georgie and I came in while they were pretending. We believed it and were so excited. I always wanted to be Mac Scorpio's daughter." Maxie interlaced her fingers with hers.
"Why?"
"Because he was there. Frisco was never here, I hardly even know him. But Mac…" She turned to face Spinelli." General Hospital used to have this big charity talent show called the Nurse's Ball. Almost everyone in town would perform. One year Mac, Robin and I did a number with Mr. Quartermaine and Emily, and Scott Baldwin and his two daughters, Karen and Serena. I was probably seven. Robin was about to start college. She was dating Jason then."
"And the Maximista is off track again."
"Sorry. It's just that I thought they were so romantic. The Nurse's Ball raised money for AIDS research in Stone Cates' name; he was Robin's first boyfriend. She would always give a speech. The year after Jason's accident, she was really upset and Jason ran to the stage and carried her away. I was just little so I didn't know what Jason did for a living so…"
"Maxie…"
"I know, I know." She started laughing at herself and buried her face in his chest.
"Does the Jackal get to hear about this storied performance?" He whispered in her ear.
"Right, right." She straightened up. "So the men were singing 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls' and acted like they were sending us to school, and then we sang 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.' I had the greatest boa."
Spinelli was laughing so hard that tears were coming to his eyes.
"Hey." Maxie elbowed him again.
"Ow."
"It was great. Everyone in town knew that I was Mac's little girl."
"You were."
"I wish we still had the Nurse's Ball. It was so much fun. Maybe I'll talk to Kate, or Nikolas."
"What else did people do?"
"Lucky and Liz used to sing. There was lots of dancing. People in Port Charles are way talented."
"Oh?"
"Seriously. I think we should have the Nurse's Ball again. Maybe I'll ask Robin tonight what she thinks."
"So, we are attending the Scorpio Family dinner?"
"Of course we are. C'mon, I'll help you change."
Spinelli raised an eyebrow.
--
Later that evening, Maxie held the front door of her house open for Spinelli.
"Dad!" She called. "We're here!" She ushered Spinelli over to the couch and put his leg up. "Dad?"
"Maxie?" Mac hurried out of the kitchen. "Where are you hiding the barbeque sauce?"
"It's in the fridge!"
"Where?" Maxie huffed and pushed past him. "Hey, Damien. How are you doing?"
"Fine, sir."
Mac glanced at him. "I thought you were going to start calling me Uncle?"
"Sorry…Uncle Mac."
Mac grinned. The doorbell rang and he turned to let in Robin and Patrick. He kissed Robin's cheek, and then returned to the kitchen.
"Hey Spinelli." Patrick greeted him. "How's the leg?"
"Fine. How are the Scrubs?"
"We're good." Robin sat down next to him. "I'm getting so big." She rubbed her belly. "This is your future."
Spinelli smiled.
"Look Spin," Patrick began, "there's something…"
"Let's wait for Uncle Mac and Maxie." Robin interrupted.
"What?"
"Honestly Dad, how would you survive if I wasn't here?" Maxie came into the living room. "Hey Robin, Patrick."
Mac followed her. "Maybe I'd know where the food is."
"Whatever." Maxie leaned over the couch and wrapped her arms around Spinelli, resting her chin on his shoulder. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Actually, we have news." Patrick announced.
"Did you find out the sex of the baby?" Maxie asked excitedly.
"No. But we will next week." Robin told her. "Dad's in Port Charles."
"What?" Spinelli was stunned.
Mac was equally surprised. "When did he get here?"
Robin laughed a little. "He crashed his plane outside of town and was brought into GH."
"Is he okay?" Maxie asked.
"He had some short term memory loss due to fluid on the brain." Patrick explained. "I did surgery and found a tumor."
Maxie gasped.
"It was benign." Robin told her. "But he has colon cancer. They're going to start treatment so he's going to be around for a while." She looked over at Spinelli, who hadn't moved a muscle.
Maxie whispered in his ear. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to. But you do have to breathe."
Spinelli laughed.
"If you want to come meet him, Spin, I'll be there." Robin told him.
"Let me think about it."
"Well, I'm going to visit my ne'er do well older brother." Mac declared. "I need to do some talking and for once he's going to do some listening. In the meantime, dinner is served."
--
Later that evening, Spinelli and Maxie sat together on Jason's couch, both sets of hands resting on Maxie's stomach.
"Your dad can really cook."
"He used to own a restaurant, you know."
"Really?"
"It was called 'The Outback'. Before my time, but that's where he met my mom."
He nuzzled her hair. "You have so many stories."
"Do you mind me telling them?"
"No. They are my family also."
"Is there anything you want me to tell you about?"
"Everything." He kissed the back of her jaw causing her to shiver.
"Well, Uncle Robert worked for the WSB. He and Aunt Anna were spies. She had Robin but didn't tell him right away. But he always says that he fell in love with Robin when he first saw her." Maxie felt Spinelli tense up. "He was Police Commissioner too." She changed the subject. "He and Frisco worked together, Luke Spencer too."
"Why…" Spinelli began, but he thought better of it. "Never mind?"
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Spinelli, if you don't…"
"The Jackal was wondering why you call your father by his first name."
"What should I call him?"
Spinelli shrugged. "Dad? Paternal one?"
"Ha! He's lucky I don't call him sperm donor." Maxie frowned. "I haven't heard from him in years and I haven't seen him since my heart transplant. He didn't even come to Georgie's funeral."
"True."
"Mac's my dad. He raised me, he tried to discipline me. He was at my high school graduation, not to mention all my birthdays."
"The Jackal understands."
Maxie turned and looked at him. "I know I was lucky to have Mac and I wish you'd had him too. Although the selfish part of me is glad you didn't."
"Why?"
She laughed. "Because if we'd been raised as cousins, I could never have fallen in love with you." She leaned over and gave him a kiss.
"Do you want to visit Jason tomorrow?" She kissed when they had finished.
"Indubitably. The Jackal needs his marching orders."
Maxie pulled away. "Remember, you're out on bail. Don't do anything that's gonna get you locked up."
"No worries, Maximista. Are you staying?"
"Of course." She settled into him and turned on the TV.