Spinelli saw Maxie in the waiting area and hurried over. "Maximista?"

"Spin!" She pulled him close to her and whispered. "Johnny just called me."

"What? What did the Mob Prince say?"

"That Lulu is sick and he's taking her to Shadybrook. And he'll be in touch with you online." She took his messenger bag. "Let's go."

"Go where?" He followed her to the elevator.

"Shadybrook. If Lulu's losing it, we need to make sure she doesn't confess."

They got in Maxie's car and headed to the sanitarium.

"Whoa, Maximista, to the side."

"What, why?" Maxie pulled over.

"Look!" Spinelli pointed to the building, where police cars were parked and they saw Johnny being brought out in handcuffs.

"I'll follow them back to the station and drop you off." Maxie decided. "Talk to Johnny and find out what happened. I'll come back and talk to Lulu."

Spinelli nodded and pulled out his laptop.

"What are you doing?"

"If the Mob Prince's communications are checked, the Jackal wishes no record of his recent call to your device."

"Oh, that's smart."

"Just need to change this…" He clicked some keys. "Done."

"And here we are." Maxie pulled into the PCPD, pulled Spinelli over for a kiss, then pushed him toward the door. "Go."

"Maximista? Be cautious." Spinelli crutched his way inside. Johnny was being led to interrogation and saw him across the room.

"Spinelli! I want to talk to Spinelli!" He called.

Mac came over. "Damien, what are you doing here?"

Spinelli thought fast. "I had hoped to speak with you regarding my absent father, but I see the Mob Prince has been captured."

"Any idea why he'd ask for you?"

"No, not unless the Blonde One…" He looked around. "…is she here as well?"

"Lulu's at Shadybrook."

Spinelli feigned surprise. "Is she ill?"

"I don't know." Mac looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm gonna let you see Johnny, but remember, you're still on bail."

"Yes, sir." Spinelli crutched over the interrogation room and was allowed in by the officer at the door.

"Spinelli!"

"What happened?" Spinelli sat across from him.

"I don't know, man. Things were okay, we were on the run, but okay. Then Lulu started seeing Logan, just standing there, staring at her. I had to get her help."

"How were you apprehended?"

"I think the doctor called the cops. Unless…Maxie didn't…"

"No! My fair one and I were together visiting my paternal one."

"Then I don't know. She was screaming, Spinelli, and they just dragged me away." He put his head on the table in despair.

"Maximista went to see her." Spinelli dialed his phone quickly. "Maximista?...The Blonde One is hallucinating…Records need to show we communicated…Love you too."

Johnny looked up.

"If she shows up, it must show that the Jackal called her. Otherwise…"

"Dude, did you and Maxie…are you together?"

"Oh yes, there have been changes while you were away. Maxie and the Jackal are dating and expecting a little one."

"Maxie's pregnant?"

Spinelli grinned. "Oh, yes."

"And I see you broke your leg."

"There was an event on the docks. This resulted in the Jackal's current status on bail."

"Look, Spinelli, I don't know what to do to protect Lulu now. I can keep my mouth shut, but if I go to prison…I'm scared for her, man."

"Let me do some jackaling. The Blonde One's condition, while unfortunate, may be advantageous. Although, the Jackal prays to find another way."

"Whatever you can do."

"Also, I will be hiring my attorney to be prepared to represent Maximista and I am certain the Brusque Lady of Justice would defend all of you if there is…"

Claudia burst through the door. "Johnny!" She looked around. "Spinelli, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to him."

"And the Jackal will now be leaving. Be well."

Spinelli made his way out.

"What were you doing in there?" Scott Baldwin came up to him.

"Nothing, sir."

"You were plotting together, weren't you? I can have you put in jail. You're only out on bail."

"Hey, Baldwin!" Mac hurried over. "Leave my nephew alone."

"Why should I?"

"Because everything you are doing is undermining our case against Johnny. Stop it!"

Spinelli passed them and headed outside.

--

Maxie stood outside of Lulu's room at Shadybrook, steeling herself to go in. Finally she pushed the door open and saw Lulu sitting on the bed, Nikolas next to her.

"Sorry Nikolas, I was hoping I could talk to Lulu."

"I don't…"

"No, Nikolas, I want to talk to Maxie." Lulu reassured him. "I'll be okay, I promise."

Nikolas kissed his little sister on the top of her head. "I'll be right outside."

Maxie waited until the door closed behind him. "What on earth happened?"

"I don't know. Johnny was gonna leave me here, but someone must have called the cops. Can you ask Mac if he's okay?"

"Spinelli's at the station right now. But I'm sure Johnny's fine. What happened to you?"

"I don't know." She gulped. "I keep seeing Logan."

"Does he do anything? Say anything?"

"No. He just stands there, staring at me."

"Is he always there?"

"No. He comes and goes. I feel so guilty."

"Lulu, do not think that." Maxie made Lulu look straight into her eyes. "Logan was crazy that night. If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed you."

"I know that! Don't you think I know that? But I feel like I'm going crazy. Maybe I just need to confess, get it over with."

"No." Maxie shook her. "You cannot confess. I want to have my baby at GH with Robin there and Mac handing out cigars in the waiting room, not in state prison."

"Baby? What baby?"

Maxie handed her the ultrasound picture. "This baby. Mine and Spinelli's. Look at that, memorize it, before you decide to destroy our lives."

"You and Spin…was I gone that long?"

"I guess so." Maxie smiled. "Look, I have an idea."

"What?"

"I don't want you to end up like your mom, so listen: your psychiatrist can't testify against you but only if it's just the two of you. That's doctor-patient privilege. But it has to be one on one. It's doesn't work if Johnny, Lucky or even Nikolas is there. So. Be. Careful."

"Alright. Thanks Maxie." They hugged uncomfortably.

"I should go pick up Spin. Feel better, okay?"

--

Maxie waltzed into the Penthouse, giving a brilliant smile to the guards posted at the door. Spinelli was on the couch working on his laptop, his casted leg stretched out to the side.

"Maximista!"

"Hey Spin." She leaned over and kissed him. "What are you working on?"

"The Jackal thought he would look for other cases relevant to the Mob Prince and the Unfortunate Blonde One's situation. Unfortunately, the fact that they ran away is the key problem. It screams of their guilt."

Maxie sat on the coffee table. "Could they argue that Lulu was already starting to lose it and Johnny faked the abduction to hide that and maybe keep her safe?"

"Possibly." Spinelli looked up. "How is the Blonde One?"

"Losing it. She's going to break, Spinelli. I tried to salvage it some. I told her that if she tells the doctor he can't repeat it to anyone so hopefully she'll be smart and only tell him.

"The Mob Prince is not doing much better. He is thinking only about the Blonde One. He has no concern for his own circumstances."

Maxie reached over for Spinelli's hand. "I'm scared Spin. My future is dependent on Lulu and Johnny."

"I will protect you my Junior Fashionista." He squeezed her hand.

She leaned over and kissed him hard. She vaguely heard the door open behind her.

"Um hmm." Someone cleared their throat. Maxie broke the kiss and turned to see Diane Miller.

"Mr. Spinelli. Miss Jones."

"Hi, Ms. Miller."

"Greetings, Lady of Justice."

"Well, I come as the bearer of good news. The charges against you and Mr. Morgan have been dropped."

"Really?" Maxie hugged Spinelli.

"Yes, the police investigation showed that the two of you acted in self-defense. It helped that both Carly and Claudia Zacchara told the police that Mr. Karpov had tried to kill Mr. Morgan once before."

"The Jackal will have to thank the Valkryie and Vixenella."

"Your bail will be returned shortly. I'll inform Mr. Morgan of the good news also."

"Lady of Justice, before you go…"

Diane turned. "Yes, Mr. Spinelli?"

"I would like to hire you to represent Maximista."

Maxie looked at him, surprised. "Spin…"

"You need an attorney."

"But…"

"Maximista…" Spinelli began.

"How about this?" Diane interrupted. "I'll be your attorney in name only first, tell me what I'd be representing your for, then we'll decide if you really need one."

"Okay."

Diane sat down on the chair by the couch. "Go ahead."

"It has to do with Logan's death."

"Yes."

Maxie felt Spinelli's fingers squeeze hers. "Lulu killed him. Johnny and I helped cover it up."

"Okay." Diane huffed. "You need an attorney. I'll take the case." She pulled out a small notebook. "Tell me everything."

"Well, Logan and I had run into each other on the docks that day. Dr. Hunter was there too. Logan was all mad, saying it was my fault he and Lulu broke up. He was really being abusive, and I gave it right back to him."

'Why would he think it was your fault?"

"Well," She looked at Spinelli, who mouthed 'It's okay.' "Last year we made a bet that he couldn't get Lulu into bed and if he won I'd sleep with him. He did win and Lulu found out. That's when she first met Johnny." She turned to Spinelli. "I'm not like that anymore. I promise."

"The Jackal knows."

"What happened after the docks, Miss Jones?" Diane asked sympathetically.

"I went to work. Kate, Lulu and I were all there when Logan came in wanting to talk to Lulu. She didn't want to talk to him, so he started yelling at me again."

"What was he saying?"

"The same kind of stuff as at the dock. That I'm a slut, ruined his life. Lulu told him to leave. He did, but I could tell he was still mad. That's how much I told the police."

"And what haven't you told them?"

"After Kate and Lulu left, he came back and he attacked me. He pushed me over Kate's desk and I hit my head. I thought he was about to rape me, but he stopped and looked out the window. He took off and I passed out." She took a deep breath. "When I came to, Johnny was there. I told him what happened and we realized that Logan might have seen Lulu out the window."

"I assume you went to find her."

"Yeah. We hurried to Johnny's apartment. The door had been broken down. There was an axe on the floor and Logan was lying there dead. Lulu was completely freaked out. She said he was about to attack her and she stabbed him."

"That sounds like self defense."

"I know. But Claudia came home and Johnny told her that he killed Logan so she immediately went into damage control. Lulu and I faked a fight at Kelly's."

Diane looked at her notes. "Anything else I should know?"

Spinelli spoke up. "Zacchara senior…threatened my Maximista. That was when she told the Master and his Grasshopper."

"Yeah. While Johnny and Lulu were on the run, I didn't really worry, but now that they're back…"

"Well." Diane closed her notepad. "It seems fairly straightforward to me. You were clearly in extreme emotional distress when you agreed to the cover up, not to mention disoriented by being knocked out. And then, you were intimidated by the Zaccharas into keeping it covered up. That's a case I can win."

"Really? What about Scott Baldwin?"

"Scott Baldwin is destroying any kind of case he has. He should have recused himself as soon as it happened. But, has he threatened you?"

"He accused me of being involved, yelled right in my face. He said some of the same things Logan did." Maxie wiped tears from her eyes as Spinelli pulled her next to him on the couch."

"Alright, the first thing I'll do is get a restraining order. I am a little worried that they could pressure Mr. Spinelli into testifying, though."

"Never!" Spinelli responded.

"They wouldn't try, would they?"

"They might, so if you two have any plans…" She glanced at Maxie's left hand "…you might want to push them up."

Maxie nodded as Spinelli held her tighter. "I don't want to get married that way, but if we have to…"

"Well, Miss Jones, let me see what I can do first." Diane stood to leave. "You two have a good evening."

"Sorry Spin. I just…I don't want to have to get married."

"The Jackal understands. Besides, it may help for me to testify about how upset Maximista was."

"Let's talk about this tomorrow. It's been a long day." Maxie curled into Spinelli's body and fell asleep.