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Title: Just Between Friends
Author: speedy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Expecting her second child and caught up in a mafia war, Carly Corinthos has a secret that will change the lives of everyone she knows.
Disclaimer: I'm not the Rat, so obviously the characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for awhile.
Notes: Just moving this over from my now defunct website. This veers off canon right before the panic room fiasco in 2003.
Chapter 28
"We're lucky to be in one piece," Carly said, as they entered the Versailles Room at the Port Charles Hotel. Frisco's eyes were immediately all over the room. It was standard procedure for him and she was used to it now. He was sizing up potential dangers and memorizing the exit points. He noticed everything, including all the male heads that turned as she passed by.
"I'm a good driver," Frisco shot back defensively.
"You call driving like a maniac good?"
"I was not driving like a maniac! I had a great stretch of empty road and I took advantage of it."
They immediately spotted Georgie with Dillon, close to the center of the room. The two teens were at what was obviously the Spencer table, talking to Lucas, Bobbie and Luke. Frisco made a beeline towards his daughter.
"Ha!" Carly snorted, crossing her arms as she followed behind him. "That was not the Nordschleife, buddy."
Georgie happily greeted her father with a hug. "What's the Nordschleife?" she asked curiously.
"Only the best rubber burnin', gut busting, pedal to the metal fourteen and a half miles of asphalt in the world," Luke answered, slapping his hand on the table for emphasis. From the slightly slurred speech, Carly guessed that the spilled drink in front of him was not his first.
Georgie looked at Luke blankly, not understanding. "It's a racetrack in Germany," Dillon explained, clearly not understanding what the older man had said either.
"It's open to the public," Frisco added. "I drove it a couple times."
Dillon's eyes lit up excitedly, but Carly cut in before he could speak. "A couple times?" she scoffed. "Try twenty-four, ya dipstick! And it would've been more if you'd had enough money!"
"Hey, it is not everyday I get my hands on a Ferrari 355 Spider!"
"No, you just drive like it everyday! Last time I checked, your name's not Schumacher!"
"And I'm glad! I'd have to kick my own ass!"
"Aw, how cute!" Luke injected, snickering. "The love birds are bickering."
"Do I look feathery to you?" Frisco shot back, annoyed.
"With that hair, do you really want an answer?"
Frisco leaned down to whisper in Bobbie's ear. "I'll keep him in line," the redhead softly assured him, with a small smile. Carly didn't know what he said, but she was sure it had something to do with her uncle's drinking.
"Have you seen Maxie?" Georgie asked, craning her neck to look around the room.
"Not yet," Carly answered automatically, eyeing Felicia hovering a few feet away. The blonde wore a lavender jersey dress that highlighted her slender frame. She hooked her arm around Frisco's and smirked. Felicia took a seat at the table next to them and looked away.
"She'll be here when she gets here, Georgie. Chill," Lucas told her.
"I hear Lucy added you to the schedule," Bobbie said, changing the subject and smiling at her former brother-in-law.
Carly looked at Frisco, confused. "You didn't tell me about that."
He shrugged. "Lucy begged. One of the doctors got laryngitis yesterday."
"Stage fright is more like it," Bobbie giggled. "According to Amy, anyway."
"Now there's a reliable source," he snorted, smiling despite himself.
"The nurses in plastics were surprised he signed up at all. Word was he wasn't very good and this guy has a huge ego. He knew he was going to make an ass of himself in front of half the hospital and chose to chicken out instead."
"And Lucy remembered where to find talent," Felicia added slyly from across the table.
Carly's eyes narrowed at the other woman. "I guess she did."
"So what are you going to sing?" Georgie asked her father, oblivious to the tension between her mother and stepmother. "Something new?"
He grinned. "You'll just have to wait and see."
The grin got bigger as he looked back and spied someone close to the bar. He suddenly took off without a word. Stunned, Carly looked at the crowd around the bar. Alan, Monica and Emily were talking to a brunette with long, straight dark hair and she froze for a moment. She couldn't see the brunette's face, but from a distance, she looked suspiciously like Robin Scorpio.
The woman laughed and turned her head enough for Carly to see her face. It wasn't Robin, or anyone else she recognized. But from the way Frisco excitedly picked her up in his arms and swung her around, he obviously knew her well.
She smiled sourly, trying to cover her irritation. "I think I need some air."
It was the long dark hair that caught Frisco's attention. Not as long as it once was and it looked like she'd added some highlights, but he'd recognize Anna Devane anywhere.
He couldn't suppress the smile. It had been so long, he couldn't believe she was here, now. He rushed over to where she was talking to the Quartermaines.
"Well, aren't you a blast from the past," he joked.
Anna laughed, a laugh he was insanely happy to hear, and turned around. He picked her up, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. He spun her around, hugging her tightly, just happy to have her in his arms again.
She pushed him away gently and he reluctantly put her down. "It's so good to see you, Frisco."
"Not as good as it is to see you, Anna," he said softly. "I guess now I know how you felt that day down in catacombs."
"Not quite. I'm not angrily lashing out at my friends."
Alan, Monica and Emily excused themselves, giving the two old friends time alone. Anna joyfully hugged Frisco again.
"How are you doing?" she asked, touching his face tenderly.
"I'm good," he said, taking her hand in his own. "What about you? I heard you were living in Pennsylvania and something about a twin sister..."
"Yeah, Pine Valley. I'm the police chief. And Alex... Well, it's a long story." She paused, her smile fading. "I heard you're still WSB."
The bite in her tone caught him off guard. He'd heard this tone many times before. It usually meant he was in trouble. "You don't hold back, do you?" he asked, stunned. "Same old Anna."
She looked expectantly at him in silence, clearly waiting for an answer. That look had always made him uncomfortable, like a child that had been caught red-handed at something.
He couldn't lie to Anna. She knew him too well and he'd never get away with it. "I'm still WSB," he said reluctantly. "But I'm out of the active duty pool right now."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Already on a case, he was considered out of the pool of available agents.
She must've believed it, because she didn't question that statement. "I heard you remarried, too."
Frisco pointed towards Carly, who was walking towards the terrace. "Brunette in the red dress."
Anna's tone was disapproving. "Did you really elope in Atlantic City without telling anyone?"
"Yep."
"Do you love her?"
Frisco saw Mac heading their way and decided to make himself scarce, conveniently avoiding her question. He nudged Anna and gestured to the Aussie. "I think I should be getting back to my wife now."
"Right," she said, not buying it. "We're at the next table, you know."
A night within feet of Felicia and Mac. "Wonderful," he groaned softly.
"Frisco," Mac said coldly as he reached them.
"Mac." Frisco leaned over and kissed Anna's cheek. "See ya," he whispered and walked out to the terrace after Carly.
Carly watched the scene in front of her with a twisted interest. She'd stopped close to the terrace when she saw Jason. He was standing around, talking with Charlotte and Sonny. Then the disgustingly happy little group was approached by a brunette she did recognize. Robin.
She'd taken a deep breath and thanked her lucky stars it was Charlotte dealing with the obnoxious pixie and not her.
Both Jason and Sonny said hello to their old friend warmly, far nicer than she deserved. If looks could kill, then Charlotte could be classed as a lethal weapon by the glare she had.
"What rock did you crawl out from under?" Charlotte asked, voice dripping with venom.
"Carly..." Jason chided.
Robin looked at the woman carefully. "Carly?" she asked, confused, like she didn't recognize her.
"Oh, am I that forgettable?" Charlotte snapped. "Or did you break your head after you fell off that pathetic pedestal everyone puts you on?"
It was at that moment, Carly regretted spying on them. Robin's gaze passed over Sonny's shoulder and fell on her.
Busted.
The annoying little twit instantly recognized her. With Jason and Sonny right there... Her cover was blown, she was sure of it. No way would the first Little Miss Perfect Pollyanna keep her mouth shut.
Coming back to Port Charles was truly the worst decision she'd ever made.
Carly turned around and walked outside, but she could still hear Robin's retort and it surprised her.
"I'm not going to play your stupid head games this time. I'll see you guys later, preferably when she's not around."
Carly leaned back against the stone railing, crossing her arms, and waited. It didn't take a trained spy to realize the next place Robin would be going.
"What the hell is going on?"
Carly rolled her eyes. "Awfully demanding, aren't we?" she replied, smirking at her former rival. "You're the perfect angel, shouldn't you know?"
"Bitchy as always, I see," Robin shot back, just as bitterly sarcastic. "I left my omnipotent hat at home. So tell me, who's your doppelganger with the sparkling personality?"
Carly stepped forward, moving her hands to her hips. "What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?"
"Fine," the brunette sighed, with a smirk of her own. "I'll just find out on my own. Ask lots of questions."
"Go right ahead. Then everyone will know you are completely insane."
"Will they? My uncle Frisco's here. You know, Tony's brother, the secret agent? He'll believe me over you any day."
"He already knows," the annoyed voice said from the doorway.
Both women turned, surprised. Carly frowned. She was halfway relieved that he'd interrupted the twit, but she knew he'd probably take her side. He always did.
Robin looked between the two. She quickly noticed the rings on their left hands and mentally put the pieces together. "You know who she is?" she asked, dumbstruck.
"I think he just said that, but thank you for playing," Carly replied mockingly.
"You married her knowing who she is? After everything she's done?"
"What I've done?"
He groaned. "Robin..." he began.
"Have you lost your mind, Uncle Frisco?" Robin snapped, not letting him get in another word. "How could you go along with this?"
"It's complicated," he told her.
"Complicated?" she laughed in disbelief. "Complicated? Everything with Carly is complicated because she's a selfish, manipulative..."
"Hey!" Carly shouted furiously.
Frisco glanced back through the door, making sure no one inside the ballroom was listening. "Keep your voices down," he ordered. "I can't go into detail, Robin, and even if I could, I'm certainly not going to out here."
Robin crossed her arms. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Yes, I do," he assured her. "I am a well-trained WSB agent. I know exactly what I'm doing. And I expect you to respect that."
Something in that statement seemed to strike a chord within the young woman, calming her down, mostly. Some understanding passed between them that Carly didn't quite get.
The agent sighed knowingly. "Robin, meet Robin," he said, gesturing to his wife.
Shock didn't begin to describe the look that crossed the petite brunette's face. "Robin? You gave her my name as an alias?"
Frisco winced and for once Carly actually enjoyed her new name. "Got a problem with that?" she asked sweetly, earning her a nasty glare from the younger woman.
"It's a long story," he said, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.
Robin shook her head, still not quite believing. "Oh, I'm looking forward to hearing how she managed to rope you into this one."
Carly had had enough of the twit's insults for one night. "I didn't 'rope' him into anything, you little bitch!" she sneered, getting into her face.
"Hey, you two!" he shouted angrily, separating the two rivals and standing between them. He looked pointedly at Carly first. "You, Robin is my goddaughter. I don't want to hear you calling her names again or insulting her in any way. Is that understood?"
Carly glared at Robin, then turned her anger on Frisco. "I..."
She didn't get to finish her statement. "Is. That. Under. Stood?" he repeated slowly, emphasizing every word.
She knew that tone and she knew better than to argue with it. "Yeah."
He turned to Robin. "You, I'm married to her," he said, pointing his thumb back towards Carly. "I am stuck with her for the time being. No baiting her. Got it?"
Robin glared at Carly. "Yeah."
"You two are going to play nice or you will answer to me. I do not want to get dragged into the middle of any fights. This is bad enough without you two being at each other's throats the whole night. Capiche?"
"Fine," both women answered at the same time.
They glared at each other once more. "I'm going back inside," Robin grumbled. She stormed off the terrace and back into the ballroom.
"Me too," Carly said, leaving right behind the younger woman.
Alone on the terrace, Frisco sighed tiredly. "I am so not getting through this night alive," he muttered.
Chapter 30
Author: speedy
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Expecting her second child and caught up in a mafia war, Carly Corinthos has a secret that will change the lives of everyone she knows.
Disclaimer: I'm not the Rat, so obviously the characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for awhile.
Notes: Just moving this over from my now defunct website. This veers off canon right before the panic room fiasco in 2003.
Chapter 28
"We're lucky to be in one piece," Carly said, as they entered the Versailles Room at the Port Charles Hotel. Frisco's eyes were immediately all over the room. It was standard procedure for him and she was used to it now. He was sizing up potential dangers and memorizing the exit points. He noticed everything, including all the male heads that turned as she passed by.
"I'm a good driver," Frisco shot back defensively.
"You call driving like a maniac good?"
"I was not driving like a maniac! I had a great stretch of empty road and I took advantage of it."
They immediately spotted Georgie with Dillon, close to the center of the room. The two teens were at what was obviously the Spencer table, talking to Lucas, Bobbie and Luke. Frisco made a beeline towards his daughter.
"Ha!" Carly snorted, crossing her arms as she followed behind him. "That was not the Nordschleife, buddy."
Georgie happily greeted her father with a hug. "What's the Nordschleife?" she asked curiously.
"Only the best rubber burnin', gut busting, pedal to the metal fourteen and a half miles of asphalt in the world," Luke answered, slapping his hand on the table for emphasis. From the slightly slurred speech, Carly guessed that the spilled drink in front of him was not his first.
Georgie looked at Luke blankly, not understanding. "It's a racetrack in Germany," Dillon explained, clearly not understanding what the older man had said either.
"It's open to the public," Frisco added. "I drove it a couple times."
Dillon's eyes lit up excitedly, but Carly cut in before he could speak. "A couple times?" she scoffed. "Try twenty-four, ya dipstick! And it would've been more if you'd had enough money!"
"Hey, it is not everyday I get my hands on a Ferrari 355 Spider!"
"No, you just drive like it everyday! Last time I checked, your name's not Schumacher!"
"And I'm glad! I'd have to kick my own ass!"
"Aw, how cute!" Luke injected, snickering. "The love birds are bickering."
"Do I look feathery to you?" Frisco shot back, annoyed.
"With that hair, do you really want an answer?"
Frisco leaned down to whisper in Bobbie's ear. "I'll keep him in line," the redhead softly assured him, with a small smile. Carly didn't know what he said, but she was sure it had something to do with her uncle's drinking.
"Have you seen Maxie?" Georgie asked, craning her neck to look around the room.
"Not yet," Carly answered automatically, eyeing Felicia hovering a few feet away. The blonde wore a lavender jersey dress that highlighted her slender frame. She hooked her arm around Frisco's and smirked. Felicia took a seat at the table next to them and looked away.
"She'll be here when she gets here, Georgie. Chill," Lucas told her.
"I hear Lucy added you to the schedule," Bobbie said, changing the subject and smiling at her former brother-in-law.
Carly looked at Frisco, confused. "You didn't tell me about that."
He shrugged. "Lucy begged. One of the doctors got laryngitis yesterday."
"Stage fright is more like it," Bobbie giggled. "According to Amy, anyway."
"Now there's a reliable source," he snorted, smiling despite himself.
"The nurses in plastics were surprised he signed up at all. Word was he wasn't very good and this guy has a huge ego. He knew he was going to make an ass of himself in front of half the hospital and chose to chicken out instead."
"And Lucy remembered where to find talent," Felicia added slyly from across the table.
Carly's eyes narrowed at the other woman. "I guess she did."
"So what are you going to sing?" Georgie asked her father, oblivious to the tension between her mother and stepmother. "Something new?"
He grinned. "You'll just have to wait and see."
The grin got bigger as he looked back and spied someone close to the bar. He suddenly took off without a word. Stunned, Carly looked at the crowd around the bar. Alan, Monica and Emily were talking to a brunette with long, straight dark hair and she froze for a moment. She couldn't see the brunette's face, but from a distance, she looked suspiciously like Robin Scorpio.
The woman laughed and turned her head enough for Carly to see her face. It wasn't Robin, or anyone else she recognized. But from the way Frisco excitedly picked her up in his arms and swung her around, he obviously knew her well.
She smiled sourly, trying to cover her irritation. "I think I need some air."
It was the long dark hair that caught Frisco's attention. Not as long as it once was and it looked like she'd added some highlights, but he'd recognize Anna Devane anywhere.
He couldn't suppress the smile. It had been so long, he couldn't believe she was here, now. He rushed over to where she was talking to the Quartermaines.
"Well, aren't you a blast from the past," he joked.
Anna laughed, a laugh he was insanely happy to hear, and turned around. He picked her up, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. He spun her around, hugging her tightly, just happy to have her in his arms again.
She pushed him away gently and he reluctantly put her down. "It's so good to see you, Frisco."
"Not as good as it is to see you, Anna," he said softly. "I guess now I know how you felt that day down in catacombs."
"Not quite. I'm not angrily lashing out at my friends."
Alan, Monica and Emily excused themselves, giving the two old friends time alone. Anna joyfully hugged Frisco again.
"How are you doing?" she asked, touching his face tenderly.
"I'm good," he said, taking her hand in his own. "What about you? I heard you were living in Pennsylvania and something about a twin sister..."
"Yeah, Pine Valley. I'm the police chief. And Alex... Well, it's a long story." She paused, her smile fading. "I heard you're still WSB."
The bite in her tone caught him off guard. He'd heard this tone many times before. It usually meant he was in trouble. "You don't hold back, do you?" he asked, stunned. "Same old Anna."
She looked expectantly at him in silence, clearly waiting for an answer. That look had always made him uncomfortable, like a child that had been caught red-handed at something.
He couldn't lie to Anna. She knew him too well and he'd never get away with it. "I'm still WSB," he said reluctantly. "But I'm out of the active duty pool right now."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Already on a case, he was considered out of the pool of available agents.
She must've believed it, because she didn't question that statement. "I heard you remarried, too."
Frisco pointed towards Carly, who was walking towards the terrace. "Brunette in the red dress."
Anna's tone was disapproving. "Did you really elope in Atlantic City without telling anyone?"
"Yep."
"Do you love her?"
Frisco saw Mac heading their way and decided to make himself scarce, conveniently avoiding her question. He nudged Anna and gestured to the Aussie. "I think I should be getting back to my wife now."
"Right," she said, not buying it. "We're at the next table, you know."
A night within feet of Felicia and Mac. "Wonderful," he groaned softly.
"Frisco," Mac said coldly as he reached them.
"Mac." Frisco leaned over and kissed Anna's cheek. "See ya," he whispered and walked out to the terrace after Carly.
Carly watched the scene in front of her with a twisted interest. She'd stopped close to the terrace when she saw Jason. He was standing around, talking with Charlotte and Sonny. Then the disgustingly happy little group was approached by a brunette she did recognize. Robin.
She'd taken a deep breath and thanked her lucky stars it was Charlotte dealing with the obnoxious pixie and not her.
Both Jason and Sonny said hello to their old friend warmly, far nicer than she deserved. If looks could kill, then Charlotte could be classed as a lethal weapon by the glare she had.
"What rock did you crawl out from under?" Charlotte asked, voice dripping with venom.
"Carly..." Jason chided.
Robin looked at the woman carefully. "Carly?" she asked, confused, like she didn't recognize her.
"Oh, am I that forgettable?" Charlotte snapped. "Or did you break your head after you fell off that pathetic pedestal everyone puts you on?"
It was at that moment, Carly regretted spying on them. Robin's gaze passed over Sonny's shoulder and fell on her.
Busted.
The annoying little twit instantly recognized her. With Jason and Sonny right there... Her cover was blown, she was sure of it. No way would the first Little Miss Perfect Pollyanna keep her mouth shut.
Coming back to Port Charles was truly the worst decision she'd ever made.
Carly turned around and walked outside, but she could still hear Robin's retort and it surprised her.
"I'm not going to play your stupid head games this time. I'll see you guys later, preferably when she's not around."
Carly leaned back against the stone railing, crossing her arms, and waited. It didn't take a trained spy to realize the next place Robin would be going.
"What the hell is going on?"
Carly rolled her eyes. "Awfully demanding, aren't we?" she replied, smirking at her former rival. "You're the perfect angel, shouldn't you know?"
"Bitchy as always, I see," Robin shot back, just as bitterly sarcastic. "I left my omnipotent hat at home. So tell me, who's your doppelganger with the sparkling personality?"
Carly stepped forward, moving her hands to her hips. "What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?"
"Fine," the brunette sighed, with a smirk of her own. "I'll just find out on my own. Ask lots of questions."
"Go right ahead. Then everyone will know you are completely insane."
"Will they? My uncle Frisco's here. You know, Tony's brother, the secret agent? He'll believe me over you any day."
"He already knows," the annoyed voice said from the doorway.
Both women turned, surprised. Carly frowned. She was halfway relieved that he'd interrupted the twit, but she knew he'd probably take her side. He always did.
Robin looked between the two. She quickly noticed the rings on their left hands and mentally put the pieces together. "You know who she is?" she asked, dumbstruck.
"I think he just said that, but thank you for playing," Carly replied mockingly.
"You married her knowing who she is? After everything she's done?"
"What I've done?"
He groaned. "Robin..." he began.
"Have you lost your mind, Uncle Frisco?" Robin snapped, not letting him get in another word. "How could you go along with this?"
"It's complicated," he told her.
"Complicated?" she laughed in disbelief. "Complicated? Everything with Carly is complicated because she's a selfish, manipulative..."
"Hey!" Carly shouted furiously.
Frisco glanced back through the door, making sure no one inside the ballroom was listening. "Keep your voices down," he ordered. "I can't go into detail, Robin, and even if I could, I'm certainly not going to out here."
Robin crossed her arms. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Yes, I do," he assured her. "I am a well-trained WSB agent. I know exactly what I'm doing. And I expect you to respect that."
Something in that statement seemed to strike a chord within the young woman, calming her down, mostly. Some understanding passed between them that Carly didn't quite get.
The agent sighed knowingly. "Robin, meet Robin," he said, gesturing to his wife.
Shock didn't begin to describe the look that crossed the petite brunette's face. "Robin? You gave her my name as an alias?"
Frisco winced and for once Carly actually enjoyed her new name. "Got a problem with that?" she asked sweetly, earning her a nasty glare from the younger woman.
"It's a long story," he said, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.
Robin shook her head, still not quite believing. "Oh, I'm looking forward to hearing how she managed to rope you into this one."
Carly had had enough of the twit's insults for one night. "I didn't 'rope' him into anything, you little bitch!" she sneered, getting into her face.
"Hey, you two!" he shouted angrily, separating the two rivals and standing between them. He looked pointedly at Carly first. "You, Robin is my goddaughter. I don't want to hear you calling her names again or insulting her in any way. Is that understood?"
Carly glared at Robin, then turned her anger on Frisco. "I..."
She didn't get to finish her statement. "Is. That. Under. Stood?" he repeated slowly, emphasizing every word.
She knew that tone and she knew better than to argue with it. "Yeah."
He turned to Robin. "You, I'm married to her," he said, pointing his thumb back towards Carly. "I am stuck with her for the time being. No baiting her. Got it?"
Robin glared at Carly. "Yeah."
"You two are going to play nice or you will answer to me. I do not want to get dragged into the middle of any fights. This is bad enough without you two being at each other's throats the whole night. Capiche?"
"Fine," both women answered at the same time.
They glared at each other once more. "I'm going back inside," Robin grumbled. She stormed off the terrace and back into the ballroom.
"Me too," Carly said, leaving right behind the younger woman.
Alone on the terrace, Frisco sighed tiredly. "I am so not getting through this night alive," he muttered.
Chapter 30
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