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Cassadine TNG 13

6:00am Tai Chi in the park with Uncle Stefan
7:30am Breakfast at home.
9:00am Lessons with Uncle Stefan (personal finance and charitable contributions)
2pm- 4:30 SAG Orientation/Baba’s coming
5:30 To Do at the Towers Building.
Midnight home and asleep.

Mona’s company apartment out here in LA is way bigger than what she’d had back in NYC. It had come furnished but Edwards had already put his mark on her place. He’d insisted on buying her a new bed and the bedding to go with it. Well of course the guy had. He’s 6 ft 8. A normal queen size bed he’d be hanging off at about the knee. So even if the bedroom is bigger than back in NYC there is just as little wiggle room around the oversized bed in the master.

First things first while the coffee is dripping she has her laptop open and is checking to see if anyone left messages. She should have gotten a ping anyway but she does the checking making sure that everything is going well. She’s surprised to see an email from Fancy in her inbox. Clicking on it she sees that it’s a restaurant review formatted just like in the newspaper. She’d been the copy, the CC, on the review. It had really gone to Marta in Chicago. Fancy had included everything including where the chef had studied. Directions on how to get there. Compared it to meals she had eaten in Paris when she’d been visiting there with Stefan Cassadine. This is just the kind of thing that she needs for company people visiting LA. They could look up the CSMC resources themselves. She adds the review to her list of resources and does a quick reply back to Fancy thanking her for the heads up. From there she goes to Fancy’s journal to read about the girl’s day. She already knows that the Lakers won. Edwards had shown up really late the night before and in a good mood.

Edwards reaches around her for the coffee and pours himself a cup. He gives Mona a kiss on the back of the neck. “Faith enjoy the game last night?”

“Says you guys got lit up by somebody on the Portland bench?” Mona gives him a pat on the arm.

“She ain’t kidding.” Edwards shakes his head in remembered disbelief. “Linc had his hands full with that guy, ended up fouling out because of him. We had to win in regulation if it has gone to overtime we’d have been so screwed. He never cooled off.”

“Coach will probably tear someone one up about that one. Scouting right?”

“It was a rook... not somebody with a lot of history in the league.” Edwards excuses. “And if the guy had been consistently doing it before last night we would have known. What are you looking at now?”

“The list of charities you and Linc are interested in.” Mona is flipping through the information and does a quick cut and paste into an email. “Stefan Cassadine is going to be reviewing charities with her today and I want to send her the list that you guys are giving to. Not going to put your names on them but just to get feedback.”

“My accountant checked those out.” Edwards protests.

“Good. But I don’t know about Linc’s.” Mona exhales and nods. “Second opinion couldn’t hurt specially one you aren’t paying for. I told you about Stefan Cassadine.”

“That’s the security guy who has been testing your computer systems.”

“Uh... he’s a lot more than that. The guy is a like the Cassadine Family guard dog always moving, always checking the fences to make sure that nobody is screwing over the family. If he’s going to be checking charities for Faith maybe I can slip in a few too.” Mona shrugs and makes a clicking sound like a gotcha.

Since it’s a nice day, Fancy had revolted and is sitting on the back patio. The table out there is set up as a hot spot and she could do her course work just as well out there as anywhere else. It might be winter but this isn’t Port Charles, New York. The sun is shining and it’s a NICE day.

Stefan takes the folder labeled charities that Fancy had brought to the table. He opens it up. There are invitations and then there is an email. He checks the return address— mona at courtlandstreet. He has the feeling Ms Dupree has been reading Fancy’s schedule again and is seeking more information for her clients. He sighs. Did these young people think he was born yesterday?

“I left her email address on there, on purpose.” Fancy tells him not looking from her Mouse built laptop. “I figure it might be her first chance to get to use that dumbass clause.”

“Language please.” Stefan says automatically. “Penny went through a similar deluge when she won the lottery as Ms Friedan has provided for you. Charities and scams attempting to attach a face to their organization to give it credibility. Penny had always been one to give to charities close to her. Having grown up in Hawaii she was very environmentally oriented especially protection of the oceans. She’s taken up that cause again in Greece which is basically also an island nation.”

“This is like Aunt Brittany putting her money and time where her mouth is, with the Schipperke rescue and Uncle Dillon with the Cancer research because he’s lost so much family?”

“Precisely. The danger is when organizations set up as charities are more interested in overhead and lining their pockets than following their mission statements. Then it can be just as disgusting as an undertaker taking advantage of a grieving family member. It is the responsibility of the giver to make sure that their contribution is going to the cause, not the organizer’s pocket.” Stefan names off a percentage. “Overhead should be no higher. And any organization that is not willing to say how much the CEO is making, is a charity to pass over.”

“I see these. You have the original examples Penny investigated 23 years ago.”

“You’ll find that the good ones are still in business, but are they as well run as they were then? And the bad ones...”

“Hopefully I won’t be able to find anything on them.”

“Oh you will. And it will be a history lesson. The invitations were sent to Dillon Quartermaine. They want his face associated with the charity so they can pull more people in, and receive free advertising through the tabloids. Even if he doesn’t give them a dime he is potentially bringing thousands of dollars to the organization because he attended one event, with a red carpet in front of it. You have a higher profile than the average 16 year old and your own degree of notoriety, to a lesser degree you will also be walking in those shoes. It may be professionally prudent for you to have your face out there, and personally irresponsible.”

“Got it.” Fancy nods. She’d run into a version of this on the streets, not that she’d tell Stefan. Charities that had taken in blankets and coats for the homeless and then turned around and charged the homeless for them. “Who do you give to, Uncle Stefan?”

Because he can see her doing the work and knows Faith can multitask, he tells her. “Michael Quartermaine’s clinics and Soccer Town. All the monies are going to the institutions. Whatever stipend Michael takes is less than what he could earning in any first world country.”

“Oh good one.” Fancy flips to another page and types in quickly soccer town and the clinics. “I would have done that one anyway but it’s good to have a list. I can’t believe he actually takes money from the clinics.”

“It’s my understanding that he lives on this stipend and gives the interest from his trust to various charities of his own picking.”

“Cat 5.” Fancy picks another and adds it to her list to check for herself.

“I also give a significant portion of my charitable contributions to the research for the care, treatment and cure of mental illnesses.”

Fancy stops typing. “Tasha.”

“Tasha yes, but also Nikolas’ mother, Laura.” Stefan explains. “There is still a stigma attached to mental illness and the research into new medications is woefully underfunded. Tasha had the best medical care available once her disassociative identity disorder was discovered. Laura remains in a catatonic state. She had a brief respite with an experimental treatment but the improvement was short lived and she slipped back into her fugue state.”

Fancy resumes typing. “So I have to find something that is important to me.”

“Absolutely. And it may or may not be in those invitations. And if it is, then you may be just as appalled by the invitation as you were after going to the luncheon for the animal rescue.”

“That was just sick. They were showing dogs that had been used for pit fighting while serving your choice of grilled chicken or poached salmon.” Fancy is still ticked about that.

“Right cause, wrong application and a very good example for you.” Stefan nods. “Isn’t Tatiana involved in some greyhound rescue?”

“Not her so much as Kirby the woman who designs sweaters for Lurch. She uses greyhounds up for adoption as her models for the sweaters and puts their pictures in her advertising. Twink is definitely on the hook to the humane society where she got Lurch though. She does a regular contribution to them but they’ve got her number in case something huge happens like them busting a puppy mill. She’s right there than with her checkbook and a bottle of dog shampoo.” Fancy adds to lighten the mood and probably a little more truth than she’ll admit. “And probably an offer to kick the offenders’ ass for them.”

“Tatiana can be.... reactionary as can her sister.”

“I bet Tasha gives tons to places like the ACLU or something right?”

“I do not monitor my sister’s charitable giving.” Stefan relents slightly. “You’ve been around Tasha enough... have you ever heard her say What is a day in your life worth? When you can’t get it back?” Stefan waits until he sees her nod. “Amnesty international, prisoner relief organization like the Southern Center for Human Rights. My sister is a fury when she believes an innocent person has been incarcerated.”

“I was wondering if I was going to see you this afternoon.” Mona says cheerfully. “I saw on Fancy’s schedule that she’s taking Baba to that youth orientation program that SAG puts on.”

“Mrs Koslov has accompanied Faith in the past when she’s been on location.” Stefan replies. He puts a file on the desk and then puts a finger down on it so Mona can’t take it. “There is a trite phrase. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day...”

“Teach a man to fish and he’d better like fish because he’ll be eating it forever. Yeah, I’ve heard that one.”

“There were problems with each of your client’s charities, in my opinion.”

“I didn’t say who picked what charity.” Mona counters.

“I have been working in your systems for the last week. You don’t have that many clients yet, Ms Dupree. Now I can hand you this folder and you’ll know which of the charities are questionable. Or I can give you the background you need to find the information yourself.”

“How bad is it?”

“Last year one of clients gave $100,000 dollars to a charity that says it helps inner city youth– an admirable goal. What would he say if he realized that of the 100,000 only sixty went to the children? The other forty went either into his accountant or the charity manager’s pocket.”

“Oh **** me. Edwards. He said he had his accountant look over all of his contributions.”

Stefan winces at her vulgar language. “Perhaps he needs to have someone looking over his accountant.”

“Are we talking illegal or just skuzzy behavior?!”

Stefan shrugs. “I am not a lawyer.”

Mona makes room on her side of the desk. “Teach me.”

Frankie and Fancy come to the party going on at Tower Records on the early side. There is a red carpet out, it’s some sponsored gig that is using the facilities. The charity had passed Uncle Stefan’s sniff test so there is no problem with her being there, and being seen supporting this cause.

“Faith! Faith! Saw you on Law and Order, you looked hot.”

“Oh bull.” Faith calls back. “You didn’t see me– you were working!”

“Tivo.”

“Got me there.” Faith grins.

Frankie hangs at the back of the carpet just there looking like an assistant. He’s also the one that moves things along so that Faith can get inside the club and finally relax. “Well that went well.”

“Whew.” Faith does a mock wiping of the brow. She sees a familiar face guarding the access to the party. “Hey is Mona Depree here?”

“Yeah, she’s here with Edwards, you know the basketball player? They are in a VIP room up the stairs and to the right.”

“Thanks.” Faith and Frankie make their way up the stairs. Faith is working the party while attempting to get to her destinations so there are brief stops complete with air kisses and project inquiries. Faith does a little rap on the outside of the door even if the people inside are unlikely to hear it. The band has already started. She peeks in and takes one look at Edwards face. “Oh hell you told him.”

“First thing,” Mona nods. “He knew I was going to slip his charities into that email back to you. He was not expecting to have it come back anything but A+. And then for me to tell him that what they were doing was definitely skuzzy but maybe not illegal...”

“Ouch. I feel for you.” Faith comes over and has a seat next to the duo. Close enough to be heard without announcing their business to the next suite over. “I knew I was going to be studying charities with Uncle Stefan today so I had a list of twenty that I thought were kind of interesting. He shot down 18 of them. He is a stickler.”

Edwards already knows that Faith knows exactly what the situation is. She had helped the generate the file Mona showed him earlier as part of her homework. Mona had been the one to show him step by step how Stefan had come up with the information. See one, do one , teach one. “So what did Stefan Cassadine think of tonight’s sponsor?”

“I’m here.” Faith shrugs because that says it’s all. “He said they could be doing a little better here and a little better there but they passed. You going to call in a forensic accountant to make sure skuzzy didn’t cross the line?”

“Yeah, Mona is going to do the research on that and get somebody in to check my books my taxes for the last three years-- all of it. I am so screwed.”

“Nah, screwed is someone else telling you, not finding it yourself.” Frankie suggests. “So you’re screwed on the charity, but your accounts? You’re just taking care of business, man. Fancy, you want something to drink?”

“Q special.”

“If you’re up and getting them I’ll have one too.” Mona nods. She pats Edwards on the knee. “You just have a good time, handsome, I’m driving.”

Baba had been in the country long enough to get hooked on American soaps. It wasn’t that she couldn’t get copies of the stories that she’d watched back in St Petersburg but she figured she might as well work on her English while being entertained. So she uses the time while Fancy is out and about to catch up on her soaps, finish a few projects and check in with her boys– Josef absolutely but also Pavel. Pavel Radcliffe is out on his own tour. He’s down in Australia playing golf makes it easier to email him than call.

“Good evening.” Stefan comes into the living room. He winces when he sees what the older woman is watching. “I will leave you to your... program.”

Baba clicks it off. “Is on disc. You find dacha?”

“I’ve narrowed the possibilities.”

Baba and Stefan may not have the same methods on just about everything but she knows if Stefan gets a place like what Fancy has been telling her then Josef and Baby will be able to visit more often, more privately. The dacha would be separate from the Cassadine estate, CSMC, Josef’s business. Neutral territory for family only. “Good. You eat? There good things at farmer’s market today. I tell you about orientation.”

He was about to say good night and head to his room until she said that. “Perhaps a little something.” He gives her an hand up from the chair.

In the kitchen, Baba lets Stefan get comfortable at the table and sets up a simple repast. Good dark rye bread, strong cheese and sliced meats that she’d picked up at the farmer’s market as well as a selection of fruits that are sliced to nibble. Putting the platter on the table, she then goes over to the cupboard next to the fridge and pulls out a few glasses and from the freezer-- a bottle of vodka.

“That good?” Stefan comments wryly.

“This business eats it’s young. Already I see it.” Baba pours them both a drink of the syrupy alcohol. “Fancy is a good girl, but we have fine line.”

“Between protecting her and not blockading her from her goals.” Stefan reaches for a slice of dark rye. Downing the shot he then takes a bite of the rye bread.

Baba does the same and exhales some of the alcohol. “Dah. Fancy did translation for me. I think this is good. If she understand what is going on in english and in Russian then she know the rules.”

Stefan nods his agreement. He reaches for the platter and makes himself a small sandwich of rye, cheese and smoked meat. If he is going to be having this discussion over vodka then he will need to have something to dilute the alcohol. “A useful side benefit.” He has seen in the past where Baba had been underestimated by someone attempting to take advantage of her still spotty english. He’d discovered over the years Baba understands a lot more english than she’s willing to speak. They could be having this conversation in Russian it would be easier on both but do not for just that reason. If there had been another person in the room they might switch to Russian but in the privacy of the house, Stefan keeps it to english so Baba will practice.

“All the children in the room, they not there unless they already working actor. They have enough credits to join guild. I hear the questions that the parents ask.” Baba shakes her head in disbelief and pours another round. “Their child already star. Already big britches.”

“Maybe it’s not the business that eats its young, Sofia.”

“Oh them too, Stefan. All very ... we be doing this for over sixty years... no need to reinvent wheel. I hear the stories, for sixty years children used up and put under those wheels.”

“Faith will take from it what she needs. The access to the projects and classes. Expand her resume. If she forgets herself or her goals then we will leave.”

“And you think Fancy do this? Just leave on your say so?” Baba’s brows go up in disbelief. They both know how stubborn Fancy can be.

“She will.” Stefan says confidently. “Because I will make arrangements for her to study at Steppenwolf in Chicago.”

Baba slowly grins and raising her glass clinks it against Stefan’s. Downing the shot she sets it back on the table. “On this we agree.”

And there is a bonus even if you've gotten this far! I finally finished the Georgie I promised Sue and that is going to be in replies. course I'm trying to date it and I figure after Path to Power and Estrogen Mafia... because Patience is mentioned.

Deb