"It's nice to meet you Emily," Diana said shaking the young woman's hand.
Emily and Spencer had been dating for six months now and Spencer had just proposed. Spencer had known for some time that he loved Emily Prentiss, but since he wanted to make absolutely sure, they had dated for awhile longer.
Spencer was now 32 years old as his birthday had been last month and they had celebrated by making love. Spencer and Emily had then gone to have dinner with his parents at a restaurant. Now though Spencer introduced Emily to where he had grown up from the time he was eight.
"Welcome to the family," Dave added as kissed the back of Emily's hand.
Emily blushed quite deeply. Emily and his parents had already officially met, even if he hadn't officially proposed at that time.
"She's also a fan of yours dad," Spencer told his father smiling.
"It's always nice to meet a fan," Dave said. "So many people don't appreciate music, at least not the classical kind."
"I've always loved music, but particularly classical," Emily said, "but really, I'll listen to about anything except rap music and hard rock."
"So do you need help planning the wedding?" Diana asked once the four of them had settled in the living room.
"I could probably use the help," Emily said. "It'll take me longer if I do it all myself."
"No female relatives to help you out?" Dave asked.
"I do have a sister but she doesn't live in New York," Emily said. "I suppose she could help out long distance."
"I'll be happy to help," Diana beamed. "I've been wanting Spencer to get married for years."
"Boy, do I know it," Spencer said rolling his eyes. "Where are Colton and Emilia?"
"This is Saturday, where do you think they are," Dave asked his son.
"Oh, right," Spencer said embarrassed. "They always spend Saturday with their friends at some fun location, a theme park, the zoo, a museum. They'll be home around dinnertime."
"Too bad I can't meet them, especially since your sister's name is so similar to my own," Emily said.
"Emilia is just another version of Emily," Diana said. "We might have named her something different if we knew one day our son was going to marry someone with a very similar name."
"I don't think we would have, because I've always loved the name," Dave said. "It was my choice, as Diana got to name our oldest daughter.
"That's true, it was only fair. Since we had an equal number of each we each got to name one boy and one girl, even if Emilia was a rather unexpected surprise.
"A happy surprise," Dave said smiling.
"We'd only planned on three," Diana explained to Emily. "I was in my 30s when we met and we figured that's all we had time to have. We thought four was plenty if you counted Spencer."
"Yeah, we had to turn the guestroom into a nursery," Dave remembered smiling. "I certainly didn't mind."
The two women started to excitedly discuss wedding planning and Spencer and his father left, leaving the two women to it.
"This is a very happy occasion for your mother and I," Dave said, once they got to Dave's study.
"I know it is," Spencer said. "I've known Emily was the one for sometime, but I was still taking things slow just to make sure, as I could've been wrong."
"I can't blame you for that," Dave said, "Even if I know your mother would disagree."
"That's just being a mother," Spencer said smiling sappily. "She wants all her children to be happy, to get married and have families and I am the oldest son."
Dave poured both of them drinks and handed Spencer his.
"Here's to a happy marriage Spencer. I hope you are as happy with Emily, as I am with your mother."
"I plan on it dad," Spencer said, as he clinked glasses with his father.
"So how many children are you planning on having son?" Dave asked curiously.
"I don't really know dad," Spencer said as he took a sip of his drink. "That's something I know Emily wants, but we never discussed the number. I'd like at least two, but I wouldn't object to more."
"Don't let your mom convince you to have more than you want too," Dave said. "She loves children, so she wants all her children to give her many grandchildren."
"She won't," Spencer said. "Emily will listen to her advice, but she will never be forced into doing anything she doesn't want to and neither will I."
"I don't really believe your mother would try to convince you to have more than you want but I know she loves children," Dave said. "I know she wanted another one with her ex-husband."
"I know, dad," Spencer said taking a sip of his drink pensively. "I'm glad that man is out of my life and I'm glad he disowned me, so that you could adopt me. As far as I'm concerned you're my father not the man I share DNA with."
Dave knew this, so nodded solemnly. He was very proud of his son, and he didn't give a damn that he wasn't related by blood.
"So how long do you think they'll be talking about wedding planning?" Spencer asked his father.
"Well, considering you're the first of our children to get married, they'll probably be at it for hours."
"That's what I thought," Spencer said. "It makes Emily happy, so it's not like I can really object."
"We'll just let the women decide on all the details and say yes dear, whenever they ask us something," Dave said, winking at his son conspiratorially.
"That sounds fine to me," Spencer smiled. "It's women who love to plan weddings, not the men."
Father and son laughed quietly because it was very true, as most men didn't care about the decorations, the food or the number of guests invited. Weddings were mainly for women, and the men just said I do when the time came.
~~~Spencer and Emily~~~
Part 2
Dave rushed into the police station. "I'm looking for Spencer Rossi I was told he was brought here after a mugging.
"He's sitting in the Captain's office Mr.?"
"David Rossi, I'm his father."
The Sgt. at the desk pointed the way and Dave thanked him. It wasn't long before he was knocking on the office door and hearing a voice to tell him to come in.
"Dad," Spencer said in relief.
Dave immediately noticed that his son had a black eye and he had no doubt that Spencer had numerous bumps and bruises under his clothes.
"Are you okay son?"
"Physically I'm fine but my violin..."
"Sir, there was an alternation," Began a new voice and Dave turned towards it. "I'm Capt. Feeney."
"David Rossi," Dave said shaking the captain's hand. "Spencer is my son."
"As I said there was an alternation," Feeney said. "Your son was mugged by two young boys who then proceeded to beat him up and take whatever valuables he had on him including your son's violin, which they then proceeded to damage. A beat cop came along and stop them from totally destroying it, but I don't know if it can be fixed."
"It had better be able to be fixed or those two boys will pay for every cent of said repairs," Dave growled. "I can have my lawyer here in half an hour. They better hope it can be repaired."
The captain looked at him and Spencer explained, "Is it antique captain, very valuable and was owned by my great-grandfather, whose father gave it to him and so forth. It's been in the Stenberg family for quite sometime. It's worth over $50,000."
The captain whistled appreciatively at that, as he had no idea that the violin was so valuable. He couldn't really blame Spencer or his father for being so upset at the damage those muggers had caused. He doubted those muggers had known how valuable it was or they would've tried to sell it on the black market he was sure.
"My mother gave it to me for my first performance at 12, as I had what is known as a beginner's violin until then. I was playing at a really young age."
"He's an absolute genius on just about any instrument, but the violin is his favorite. He can play the piano like a maestro, the flute, the harp, a lute and so many more. Talent like his doesn't come along very often."
Capt. Feeney doubted it was about the money at all when it came to the damaged violin. It was a family heirloom, which probably meant it was special to the family in question as they apparently valued their heritage. He had a feeling those muggers were in for a world of hurt, and being young wouldn't necessarily protect them. The captain suspected they would either pay for what they had done or he had had no doubt that the father at least would hem them in so many lawsuits that they would wish that they had left his son alone or not gone into a life of crime in the first place. On the other hand they might have had no choice but to do what they did if they wanted to keep eating.
"The muggers are young Mr. Rossi. The older one doesn't look more than 16 or 17 tops and the younger one no more then 14 or 15, which means that they are underage, so you can't legally sue them. Also, they've been living on the street for awhile."
"Then they should've gotten honest jobs," Spencer said looking near tears, which he was struggling to contain. "I've never hurt anyone in my life captain, so why they chose to attack me..."
"You looked like an easy target son," Capt. Feeney said gently.
"Why didn't you take a cab after your performance," Dave asked his son.
"My apartment isn't that far away and it was a nice night, I thought I would walk it. It's only a couple of blocks. I thought I might stop by that all night diner and get me a piece of their pie, as I was hungry after the performance."
"Next time take a cab, son especially if it's late at night," Capt. Feeney advised. "If you'd taken that cab this would not have happened."
"It wasn't really that late only about 9:30," Spencer protested. Still, he saw the logic in the Captain's suggestion.
"Still, that's way after dark and such people are more likely to attack someone whose alone," Dave said. "I'll call our lawyer son and have him here in a few minutes. They can either pay to have your violin repaired and let's hope it can be repaired or they can pay $50,000."
"I can tell you right now they don't have that kind of money," the captain snorted. "They wouldn't be living on the street if they did and also as I said a minute ago, they are underage."
"Then they better hope it can be repaired, as that will be a lot cheaper. I don't care if it takes them the rest of their miserable lives. They will pay every single cent. They damaged a work of art made by one of the most famous violin makers of his time. Amati was well known in the time he was born for his violins, just like Stradivarius was in his. There are no new one's being made, because the family has died out or at least have stopped making violins, which makes any of them by that maker very valuable. If those muggers had only known it, then they could've sold it on the black market for at least triple what it's worth, maybe more."
"That's a lot of moolah," Capt. Feeney said with a whistle.
"Yes, it is," Spencer agreed, having controlled his tears with an iron will. "It's enough to live the rest of your life on so long as you're careful. It's not about the money though, it's the fact that it was a family heirloom that has been in my family for centuries. That is what those men did, destroyed my heritage."
"Let's not say it's destroyed yet son. Hopefully, it can be fixed," Dave said patting his son on the shoulder. "Those men have no appreciation for other people things or they never would've attacked you in the first place. I'm only glad you weren't hurt worse or they didn't give you any broken bones."
"It's never had to have any major repairs in all the centuries my mother's family has owned it," Spencer said. "Other then replacing the strings, the bow and the pegs have had to be replaced a couple of times as they wore out."
"Can I talk to those men?" Dave asked the captain.
"So long as you let one of my cops in there with you," The captain said and Dave nodded.
"Okay," Dave said agreeably. "I can understand hunger and desperation for food captain. I might be willing to take them on, but I want to talk to them first. The least I can do is get some people I know to take them in maybe give them jobs, unless of course, they have a sheet. Of course, they'll realize that there are strings attached to such generosity if they're not stupid. It will also give them a way to pay back the damage they did to my son's violin."
"No, this is a first offense for both of them I think they've been on the street at least a year, possibly longer, eating what they can find out of trashcans. I still don't know if they're family threw them out or if they died. I suppose they also could have run away," Capt. Feeney said. "We are still checking into their backgrounds."
"I wouldn't be surprised if they have mugged other people," Spencer said. "I cannot be the first if they've really been on the street for at least a year and as you suggested, likely longer. I, to understand, the desperation for food and shelter as those are a basic needs, that everybody deserves, but don't always get. Yes, those two went about it in the wrong way, but not everyone knows what to do when they're tossed out by their family or they died and a lot of times the neighbors don't care or notice. There are plenty of children who slip through the cracks of the system."
"They were never reported or at least never identified if that's the case," Capt. Feeney said. "Not that I disagree with you. The only thing stopping me from filing an official report is they are not yet 18 and you have agreed to drop the charges despite what they did. If they have a sheet they might not be able to get a job, if an employer checks into their background, but if this happens again, especially for a violent crime I'll have to make it official."
"I'm only glad I protected my hands," Spencer said quietly in his hands folded in his lap.
"A musician that plays a stringed instrument, really any instrument, can lose feeling in his hands if they are too damaged and the bones broken or in some cases pulverised," Dave explained to the captain who nodded soberly. "In severe cases, they are never able to not only never perform, but never play again, not with the dexterity that is needed. Oh, bones can be healed, but there is only so much medical science can do, even with the best surgeon in the world. The feelings in a musician's hands, their dexterity it's part of what makes them so genius at their craft. Of course, there is more to it, like learning how to play in the first place, but still a musician needs their hands in good working order. If they just sprain a finger or wrist or something there are exercises they can do to strengthen the bone and if they only break a finger than that probably won't stop them from playing, but there are some types of injuries that never fully heal at least not enough to ever allow them to play professionally again. It would have been tragic if that had happened to my son, as he has many more years of performing before he retires."
Capt. Feeney knew that David Rossi and his son had the money to push this the way they wanted to go if they had the proper motivation. Those boys were in a whole lot of trouble if they didn't cooperate.
"Arthritis can also develop where the bones ache in certain types of weather and bones can also stiffen up particularly in winter, which can make a musician unable to play," Spencer added. "At the very least that musician would never be a professional again, even if they played for themselves or at hospitals or weddings and the like.
"I'm glad you weren't hurt then, since music is your livelihood," the captain said and Spencer nodded his thanks. "I'll have someone escort you to interview A."
"Thank you Capt.," Dave said. "His mother had a late meeting at Columbia, so she doesn't know her son has been hurt, which is a good thing."
"Yes, it is and she's going to be rather upset about what happened," Spencer said smiling.
"That's an understatement, Spencer," Dave told his son. "You know how protective your mother is of her children, especially of you and you know the reason why."
"Yes, I do," Spencer sighed. "She's going to be rather mad and upset that we didn't contact her and so is Emily for that matter. That's my fiancé," he added to the captain.
"It's what all mother should be," Capt. Feeney suggested smiling.
"Now, that's the truth," Spencer and Dave agreed at the same time.
~~~Spencer and Emily~~~
