General Hospital Fan Fiction Message Board

for all those folks who have been thinking and replying... Where is Taggart? Where is Dara?

EM30

The lights narrow in on the singers in front of the band. It’s a slow song. One of the few in their set. Their action is all about getting people moving , sweaty and thirsty. Winona’s work is already paying dividends because the guys are a lot looser on stage and at least appear to be having a good time.

Chandy has always been. Her issue is more having her stomach eating itself before she got on stage-- then relaxing up there tuned into the music and the crowd. Especially the crowd. She didn’t know how much until she’d started performing in the clubs. It isn’t something she talked about, not with Karin or Kristina or even with her family. The first people to ask was the panel down at Berklee. The question had thrown her. She didn’t know how to answer that one. Mayday had only been together for a little while at that point but she’d already known this was the way she was going to go. Even if it meant playing her guitar in the park for tips. The way her dad had been eyeballing her, she figures he already knows-- which is why he’d done the big flip flop on Berklee. Or why he’d taken her to clubs since, even on occasional school nights. Always home by midnight and always critiquing. She’d learned a lot not only about stage craft but also about crowds. Her father isn’t a performer; he’s an observer and more than willing to point out his observations in ways she’d never forget.

John has a decent voice and has been working some duets with her. And Stanley would love to get some vocal work in too but he’s stuck behind the drums. Course with a rock and roll band, the reputation of the drummer is always the wild man and he is getting enough play without being front and center.

Spike Lavery watches the fiery redhead in the close fitting black pants and halter style black top. Slides in next to John. She’s playing it for heat. And that’s an outfit he’s never seen before. He can feel the heat and he doesn’t like it. John is around her all the time, at school at practices and now performing. Spike used his fake ID to get in but normally he didn’t drink at these things. Tonight is going to be an exception. Things had changed over Spring Break. He’d headed back to Pennsylvania to check in with family and Chandy had been down in Boston. They seemed to be always just missing each other. He’d thought she was ducking him when she’d said that she was busy working on a new set with the guys. He could see the new set in action now, new costumes too. There is no way her father could be okay with this.

“We’re going to take a break now and be back in fifteen. Everyone meet us back right here. Be kind to your servers.” Chandy makes the announcement and the canned music starts and the lights come up abit. That’s when she sees Spike for the first time. She gives him a wave but doesn’t come over to him. There is basically a line drawn for the underage performers between the stage and the back stage prep area.

Spike makes his way to the back of the club and gets waved through. “You’ve made a few changes to your set.”

“The guys were busy while I was down in Boston. They even managed to find some songs where I just can play bass and look pretty.” Chandy grins at John and rolls her eyes.

“Your dad see the new outfit?”

That one gives Chandy pause as she studies Spike’s face to see what the hell is really going on here. “Yeah. He has. He’s not thrilled but I’m not the one on notice.”

Paul comes over and brings Chandy a bottle of water that is not cold just wet. “The rest of us are. Anything happens to Chandy on stage or after a gig or by a stalker who saw her at a gig dressed in any of her new outfits and we’re dead men. Did I just about cover it?”

“Oh not quite, you forgot if I even trip over an imaginary tear in the carpet...”

“Ah right. Party of the first part here after known as jail bait shall be returned to her house in the same condition as when she left: no tattoos, piercings or other damage. Failure to comply will result in termination of the contract as well as parties of the second through fifth parts.”

“You’ve been spending too much time around Ms Dara.” Chandy jokes. But it’s true. Of all of them, Paul seems to have fallen for the business of music and he’s been all about the marketing, contracts and copy writes. He’s the one that made sure that even while they were singing popular songs that the ones that made it on to the CDs or to the radio play are either original or public domain. He isn’t going to be paying royalties to anyone.

“She’s a genius.” Paul’s tone is almost as worshipful as the way the guys refer to Chandy’s father.

“Yeah, she’s good.” Spike agrees. “She did a presentation for us over at PCU the danger of being an athlete–what happens off the ice.”

George comes over and gives a tap to his wrist. He isn’t wearing a watch but the message is clear. Both Paul and Chandy check the clock hanging on the wall and nod. Chandy turns to Spike. “I’ve got to fix my face for the next set or I’m going to look like a clown.” She heads to the back to do a quick fix. But it must have taken longer than she thought because when she comes out she can hear the guys already out on stage. Then she realizes what they’re playing and knows she’s been set up. It’s an instrumental of an old Bow Wow Wow tune from the 80's. Only they’d changed the main line from I want Candy to I want Chandy. “I’m going to kill them!” Chandy makes her way out onto the stage and with an eye roll announces. “You ready to go again?” She holds a hand to her ear. At the woohoos from the audience. “So what’s another way of saying Mayday?”

The band transitions into SOS.

Spike sees someone he knows at the back of the room and makes his way over. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Karin slides over to make room and cuddles closer to Mark. He is really not happy about being here. He’s over 21 and legal to be there of course but he’d have to break what was left of his cover to prove it. And Karin isn’t-- even if she isn’t drinking. She’d offered a fake ID to get in. But hey its just his career.

“So how did Chandy’s dad react to her new stage outfit.”

“Surprisingly well.” Karin leans in to be heard. “Course this is the most conservative of the three. Strictly used for the college bars and roadhouses. The other two outfits are definitely sexier.”

Spike groans because frankly he can’t imagine it. “Great.”

“You have a good spring break?”

“Not as good as the two of you evidently. You go somewhere with sun?” It’s a rhetorical question. Nobody around the NE had a tan like these two.

“Sun, Fun– tried to ditch poor Mark but he found us within 24 hours.” Karin croons. As she tilts her head back to give him a smooch. “Acapulco. Very fun. I could have stayed much longer but Mark was a total party pooper and said we had to come back.”

“Her grandfather wouldn’t have forgiven either of us.” Mark reaches for his drink.

“Oh that’s very true. Mom would have cut me off for sure. We would have had to take charters to make ends meet. Which would have worked if you’d hooked up with Kristina instead of me.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Maybe this summer we could cruise to Europe: the med, to the Black Sea to the Don and then maybe the Volga... if we don’t do the Danube instead?”

Mark shut down her suggestions with a quick kiss that goes long. She is a brat and Spike might not realize it but he does. She is talking about cruising the rivers that would put him right in the backyard of his last job.

A few hours later, Karin is a very good mood when they leave the club. She hums some of the set and does a little bit of hip moving shuffle as she uses Mark’s hold on her hand to spin and swing out her free hand dramatically as they basically dance their way back to the car. Going to a Mayday gig is about a good a work out as going to the pool. Mark isn’t a total stick when it comes to dancing and he’s playing along. This isn’t hurting anything and there is no age limit to being on the street. They are even inside the city’s curfew set for minors, barely. Mark stiffens as something is different as they are coming up on the mini. The street light is out. Okay fine so it hadn’t been before. Could happen. But the building light is out too. He pulls Karin in close then behind him.

“What the hell?”

“Get the keys out.” Mark mutters in a low tone that doesn’t carry.

Karin goes on alert too and winces. Her father would kill her for this. That’s as much notice as they get before being jumped.

“Run!” Mark demands. “To the Club.”

“In these shoes?!” Karin moves so that she is back to back with Mark. That’s the problem with the kick boxing AJ had her learn as a child. It’s face to face. It’s kinda the opposite of western thought where a good defense is a good offense. She’s been taught that a good offense is the best defense. None of that bull****, he hit me first. Any one of these guys get an undefended hit on her and she’d be going down and waking up God knows where.

“Look we don’t want any trouble. Just heading back to the car.” Mark keeps one hand out as he keeps the other down by his side and a little back to see where Karin is.

“You picked the wrong turf, muther-****er. Give us your money and your keys.... and maybe we won’t hurt you too bad.” That’s about the time that the leader’s knife comes out for emphasis.

“This is CSMC turf.” Karin shakes her head. “Back it off. Or you’ll be the ones getting hurt.”

“Karin, just shut up.”

“Yeah, listen to loverboy, bitch. Money and keys now.”

Mark reaches into his pants pocket and grabs his keys. He’s got no problem giving them up afterall Karin had driven them. All he wants to do is retreat back to the club where he can call for backup. He’s being as cooperative as he can while still protecting Karin when one of the others makes a move on Karin and he instinctively moves to block the guy. That’s when the fur starts flying. They’re outnumbered, and he’s distracted trying to keep an eye on Karin. Then he realizes he really should be paying attention to the fight in front of him because he isn’t going to be able to do her any good if he’s dead with a knife in his gut. He can hear the pounding of feet and hopes its not just the blood pounding in his ears.

Spike joins the fray with a yell and a shout, coming at the fight with his own skill set. There is a different style of fighting to hockey. There it’s all about leverage and binding and blinding your opponent while ripping them up with upper cuts.

Mark gets a moment’s breath and looks around for Karin. “Oh sonofabitch.” Karin has her hands full with a guy that is about 6 inches taller than she and at least 30 pounds heavier. He’s about to try to get to her and help when he sees Karin attack the bigger guy ducking in under his greater reach and wrapping her hand around the back of his head to force his head down as she brings her knee up quick and sharp to the guy’s ribs. The fight goes out of him quick when he starts coughing blood. Karin finishes him with an elbow to the jaw that takes him to the pavement.

“The cops are on their way!” The shout from across the street takes the fight out of the rest of the gangbangers who swear and make a run for it leaving their fallen buddies right there.

And they weren’t kidding. Within seconds the red and blue lights of Port Charles finest have arrived at the scene. Commander Marcus Taggart had been doing a ride along with one of his rooks when the call had come in. He already knows there is going to be trouble on this one when he walks up. This isn’t the best of neighborhood but he got the feeling that these three had been doing a little underage drinking at the club. A club owned by CSMC. This has all the makings of a turf war. Taggart sees the bodies on the deck. “Call for EMS.” He walks up on a fight. But this is of the domestic variety.

“When I tell you to run. You ****ing run! And don’t gimme that bull about your shoes. It didn’t stop you from kicking the crap out of that guy.”

Taggart’s brows goes up as he considers the victim on the sidewalk. He’s the only one who is not moaning or trying to crawl away. He is out cold.

“Oh you think I’m just going to leave you out here with a bunch of hoodlums?”

“The cops showed up fast enough. They would have been here even faster if you would have gone back to the club like I told you! Who are you calling?! I’m talking to you!”

“You aren’t talking to me; you’re lecturing. You need to go soak your head! I’m calling my dad.”

“Do you know what time it is in Perth?”

“Why does everyone ask me that question. Do I have to buy you a watch too?!” Karin snarls. “Daddy?” Her voice changes as AJ comes on the line.

“Karin? Is everything okay?” AJ just has a bad feeling.

“Yeah, but you need to give Narin a big bonus.”

“Put Mark on the phone.”

“Daddy wants to talk to you.” Karin hands the phone over to Mark.

He uses it as an opportunity to pull her in close in a hug that he doesn’t plan on releasing anytime soon. “Yes, sir.”

“How bad.”

“Gangbangers, sir. Attempted mugging. The police are on scene now.”

“Is Karin injured?”

“No sir. She’s got the shakes. Coming down from adrenaline.”

“Not going to tell you your job. But keep her busy and not talking to the cops unless there is a lawyer present. Tell her that. She needs to call Dara and Reggie to make sure the old man doesn’t hear about this on the news.”

“Hell, sir.”

“No kidding. Is my daughter really okay?”

“Yes sir. I’ll take her to GH so that Michael can check her out if you want.”

“Yes, Do that. You have one hour. Then we’re making arrangements to fly back to Port Charles.”

“Yes, sir.” AJ hadn’t heard that last as he’d already hung up on the bodyguard.

“I need to change clothes.” Karin says into his chest. “I have his blood on me.”

Mark brings up a hand under Karin’s chin so she is looking at him. “You need to call your lawyer. And you need to call Reggie so the old man isn’t watching the news or listening to the scanner. And I get the feeling that if you aren’t checked out by Michael within the hour then your folks are on their way.”

Karin is torn between really wanting her daddy and not wanting to be any bother. She makes the phone call that will take care of all three tasks at once. “Kristina, it’s Karin. There’s been a spot of trouble and I need your help. I get the feeling this is my one phone call for awhile.” She finally takes a look around at all the cops at the scene, seeing them for the first time. There really better not be anything else going on in the city. Cause all the cops are here.

Spike is already being interviewed by one of the uniforms. “Look, I just came out of the club and saw Mark and Karin being jumped by a bunch of bangers. The fight was already on when I came across the street. I started hollering for someone to call 911. Peeled that one off Mark’s back and made sure he wouldn’t be jumping anyone from behind.” The guy he is referring to is sitting on the sidewalk leaning up against a car. His face is pretty well hamburgered or he would have been trying to get away.

Mark knows who is command of the scene just by the demeanor of the officers. “Sir, Karin has a change of clothes in the back of her vehicle.”

Taggart and the female rookie walk with them to the classic Mini van. He takes the keys from Karin and opens up the back. The rookie uses her maglight to illuminate the back to make sure there is nothing that might be used as a weapon. Her eyes go wide as she checks out the back of the minivan and it’s a low whistle. “Expecting armageddon?”

“Maybe we should be?” Karin asks.

Mark keeps his voice low as he tells the officer. “There aren’t any real weapons in the back. But there is a glock 9mm under the front passenger seat. I have permits for it. I really want to get Karin off the street before the press shows up.”

“We’re going to secure the weapon until that’s been verified.”

“No problem, just get Karin off the street.”

Taggart nods in the direction of the rookie who starts for the passenger seat.

Mark lets her know. “Wrong side. It’s got right drive.” Only once he’s got Karin out of the way from prying eyes and phones with cameras does he breathe a little easier.

“Okay that’s Karin Quartermaine. Recognize her from Chandy Radcliffe’s birthday party. Who the hell are you?”

“If we can avert this being an international incident then I’m Mark Griffith senior at Port Charles High School and I have the ID to prove it.”

“And if not?”

“Mark Griffith, US State Department, security detail.”

“Let me guess, you’ve got the ID to prove that too.”

“Not on me.” Mark takes up a basic guarding posture at the back of the mini van while answering Taggart’s questions. He should have a lawyer present too but if he could clear this up before it got complicated all the better. “Yes, sir we were at the club. Chandy is playing there. I’m over 21 and Karin doesn’t drink.”

“I don’t think that is what it says on the door. You know, everyone welcome as long as only the folks over 21 do the drinking.”

“We were jumped, sir, on a public sidewalk, on a public street in your town. Not inside any of these buildings.”

“And you couldn’t have just handed over what they wanted and filed a police report?”

“Yes, sir that was the plan until one of them made a move on Karin, then it went Charlie Foxtrot.”

“What were you doing before the State department? Army?”

“Yes, sir.”

Taggart stiffens. “Oh now here comes trouble.” And he isn’t kidding. Kristina had driven over and she hadn’t come alone. Michael is with her as are Milo and Frankie. Michael and Kristina make their way over to Mark knowing that Karin isn’t far away. Mark indicates with a thumb that Karin is in the back of the van.

Michael raps on the back. “Hey cupcake, it’s Michael, you decent?”

Karin opens the door and is already dressed in the jeans and sweater that she kept in the back of the van. Socks are on but she hasn’t put on her spare shoes yet. The rookie cop had confiscated her dress because of the blood on it. It’s now evidence. “I’m fine. You should be looking at the other guys.”

“I can do that too and check on you.” Michael looks over at Taggart. “Long time no see... Commander now?”

“Good to see you, Michael. Kristina.” Taggart’s welcome is more for Michael than Kristina. “Your club is serving underage, Kristina.”

“I’ll look into it. Although it appears that the assault didn’t happen in the club.” Kristina counters. She doesn’t even look at Frankie and Milo who are going to the ambulances that are loading up the bangers that had been left behind. She knows they are going to be getting pictures of the four left behind and if possible put a little fear in the punks. Of course Mouse would ID them and then the clean up would begin. If the others were smart they’d turn themselves into the jail. Or at least turn over a new leaf. Their gang banging days are about to be over.

Taggart has been doing this much longer than Kristina has been alive and he doesn’t even look away from the young girl when he says. “Rein in your dogs or they’ll be going downtown for tampering with an investigation.”

Baby barely raises her voice. “Milo, Frankie. Go check in at the club. Make sure Chandy is done with her set.”

“You got it, Baby.” Doesn’t stop Milo from giving an evil grin to the guy in the back of the ambulance. It’s one of the two guys that Mark had taken out. They were both wide awake but hadn’t been moving fast enough to avoid the police. “We’ll know where you live before you get out of custody. Have a nice night, it’s your last.” He takes one last picture before heading out of the police area to the club across the street.

Krisina turns to her cousin. “You okay?”

“Just a little freaked.”

“Dara is on her way down.”

“Wonderful.” Taggart mutters. His wife works for Dara. And he used to date the city’s top lawyer.

“Could have been my mother instead.” Kristina counters. “She may not practice but I think she still knows the rules.” She comes over to sit next to Karin. She hands first one shoe and then the other to Michael who puts them on his little sister and ties the laces. “I’m sure there is going to be no problem clearing this up and having it all resolved before Grandpa even wakes up. But Dara should be here just so she can protect the good Commander from Grandpa’s wrath if he says something mean to you.”

Mark grins at that.

“Karin!” Dara breaks through the police barrier. She runs up to the girl and gives her a big hug then brushes her hair back. “Are you okay? I just got off the phone with your mom and dad. I think your mom has already told the Captain to head back to Fremantle.” Dara had been a witness to a lot of firsts where Lydia and AJ were concerned from prenup to marriage to the announcement about the pregnancy. She’s been the first phone call after AJ and Lydia had packed up Michael, baby Karin and the dog in the middle of the night when it looked like Sonny was going to try to get custody to weasel his way out of charges for shooting Carly. She’d been the one working her ass off to negotiate a deal so that AJ and Lydia could come back to the states without losing Michael. Lydia had remembered her own battles with the trustees of the Karinen group when she’d asked Dara to be Karin’s godmother. Lydia knew Karin would have the support of her aunts of course but she wanted someone with a little distance who could really look out for Karin’s interests.

“I’m okay, Just wired and scared now it’s over, Auntie Dara.” Karin gives her godmother kisses on both cheeks and a firm hug back. “I’m sorry that you had to come down.”

“Marcus, what is going on?” Dara takes the other side of Karin. So that it’s Kristina, Karin and Dara sitting in the back of the minivan and looking up at the second highest cop in the City of Port Charles.

“Feel to jump in and correct me when I go wrong.” Taggart’s tone is wry. “These two had just left that club over there after seeing Chandy play. Neither of them is over 21 but we’ll put that aside for now. They were walking back to the car when they were jumped by about 8 gangbangers ranging in age from teenagers to middle twenties. The White Knight here told your godchild to make a run for it and she wouldn’t go.”

“Auntie, I was wearing four inch heels. They would have caught me in nothing flat and drug me down from behind.”

“Go on.” Dara tells Taggart.

“White Knight was handing over wallet and keys when he thought he saw someone make a move on Karin. Someone named Spike Lavery...” Taggart refers to his notes.

“I know that name.” Dara interrupts.

“He plays hockey for Port Charles University.” Karin tells Dara. “You and Kyle did a seminar for them remember. He’s got a crush on Chandy.”

“Right.” Dara nods.

“Right.” All of a sudden the damage on the gangbanger who was jumped by Spike makes much more sense. The blows are consistent with someone who’d had their shirt ripped up over their head, the shirt used to tie up the person’s arms and shoulders while blinding them from seeing right handed upper cuts repeatedly applied to their face.

“The white Knight managed to drop two but the serious damage was done by the little one here. That one is going straight to surgery. Punctured lung and a broken jaw.”

“Narin is so getting a bonus on this.” Dara gives Karin another hug. “Are you okay, honey?”

“It was always sparring you know and I haven’t even been working out since I moved to Port Charles.”

“Who is Narin?” Mark asks even though he should probably not. Because it is just encouraging Karin to talk.

“AJ was into kick boxing before he and Lydia married. Narin is a member of the crew of the Good Fortune. He worked in the galley, washing dishes and waiting the family table when Karin was just a baby.” Dara tells Mark and Taggart both.

“He saw Daddy working out with the bag.” Karin tells the family story. “Turns out that Narin used to fight professionally in Thailand. So he and Daddy started working out together.”

“You said Kickboxing. You said your dad taught you to kick box. You did not say Muay Thai!” Mark blows up again.

“Muay Thai is Kick boxing!” Karin snaps back. “Narin started working out with Daddy and he took care of me when Mom and Dad were working.”

Michael nods at that. “Narin went everywhere that Karin or Twink went. What do you call them? Mannys? Karin’s always been a Daddy’s girl. So she started hanging out with Dad when he was doing his workouts. Narin started training both the girls to take care of themselves when they were what.. five? Six?” Michael looks at Karin for confirmation.

Karin nods. “But I’ve never been in a fight outside a ring before. I never was in a fight in the ring. Just sparring I swear.”

Taggart shakes his head. “It’s going to be a mess, Dara, but it’s not going to be criminal. You know those guys are going to sue for medical expenses if nothing else. And I’m sure they’re dumb enough to talk to the press. Even the one who got his ass kicked by a girl. You two are going to need to come down to the station and make a statement.”

“Ten am good for you, Marcus?”

“Make it four in the afternoon. That way Officer Johnson will be able to follow this one from start to finish.” Taggart counters.

Dara looks over at the rookie and frowns. “Is your dad, Rick Johnson?”

“I know. He’s still got a picture up on the wall at the PCPD for most tickets written in an hour.” The young rookie shakes her head.

“Your dad was a damn good cop. He truly believed that Justice should be blind and had zero patience with city politics– even when he was arresting the mayor’s wife for soliciting.”

Okay now everyone take a deeeeeeppppp breath? Ready for another one? then reply... or you could wait until next week. Same bat time. Same bat station.

Deb