csi_sanders1129 | Fic: Worth The Wait

Title: Worth The Wait
Chapters: Chapter 8
Author:

csi_sanders1129
Genre: AU. Drama. Romance.
Ratings: T
Word Count: ~3,000
Pairings/Characters: Jason/Spinelli.
Synopsis: Spinelli’s parent’s show up in the middle of the night and some of Damian’s secrets are inadvertently exposed, leaving Jason in a difficult situation.
Comments: AU in that I entirely distort the timeline of events as it is known to have occurred. Not so much actual events, but moreso the details of people involved in them. Which reminds me. I suppose I have to warn for mentions of underage involvement. Nothing graphic or messy, I promise. Partially co written with

cynical_sweater and with lots and lots of aid courtesy of

It takes him three weeks to track down Weston's goons – they did a damn good job of avoiding him. But, eventually, he gets an up-to-date and accurate lead that claims that two of the men responsible for the kidnapping have shown up at some warehouse out in the Port Charles boondocks.

Jason, honoring his word to Spinelli, doesn't try anything. Instead, he sends the police an anonymous tip – nothing good comes from meetings in unexceptional warehouses on the outskirts of town, and he Is well aware of this fact when he makes the call – and waits.

The two are arrested – with several kilos of cocaine prepped and ready for shipping in their possession, along with several unregistered weapons. Their guns come up in the databases as having been used in several crimes in Tennessee, and one of their prints turns up on the necklace that had been ripped from Spinelli's neck during the kidnapping.

The PCPD gives up custody and the duo are sent off to Oakfield to face prosecution first.

Spinelli identifies them as Glass-Breaker – one Brian Castleman, with no previous convictions (which hardly mean he's innocent, just good at not getting caught), and Boss-Caller – one Tyler Orson, with several arson arrests to his name.

Orson talks, Castleman doesn't. The Oakfield PD finds the two other accomplices in the kidnapping. Jason recognizes the one Spinelli had called Arm-Tier as the man he knocked out in the airport parking lot. He's identified as Patrick Quinn and has likewise managed to rack up quite the rap-sheet with some assault and battery charges. He also has some more worrisome allegations of assault with a deadly weapon that makes Jason glad that he knocked the guy out before he had the chance to touch Spinelli. The last man, the one who Spinelli had claimed disappeared after they switched cars, is Paul Stark – he's less of a career criminal and more like someone who owed Weston a favor. Jason recognizes him, too, though. As the man who'd lived near the burning house, who'd let them in and aided them.

Stark spills absolutely everything – except where Weston is now.

***

With four conspirators behind bars and one to go, Jason – since he's already in the area to speak to the police – chances a visit to Spinelli.

He knocks at the door and Daniel answers, surprise on his face upon seeing who it is. "Morgan," He greets, not quite on first-name basis just yet. "What're you doing here?"

"I came to check in on Spinelli. He's doing well with the physical therapy, he said."

Daniel nods. "He is, but he's not home right now. Lisa took him to a doctor's appointment. They'll probably be back soon."

Jason hadn't figured on that, but it does give him a chance to discuss another matter with Spinelli's father. "Well, then. Can we talk about something?"

His gaze narrows. "Depends on what it is."

"I told you that I'd do whatever I had to in order to make sure Spinelli's safe. I'm doing that. I thought you should know that I, ugh… I quit." Jason informs the man, hoping that maybe he'll be a little less hostile about his visiting Spinelli over the next nine months if the whole intimidating mob idea is out of the way. "I haven't told Spinelli yet, I was kind of hoping to surprise him."

Before Daniel gets the chance to react to Jason's news, or to his request for secrecy, the sound of a car pulling into the drive interrupts him. Lisa slides out from driver's side, Spinelli from the passenger's side, a singular crutch following after him.

"Stone Cold!" He declares, absolutely beaming the second he spots Jason standing in the doorway. Spinelli rushes forward as fast as his healing injuries allow him to. But he stops, just in front of Jason, looking as if he was going to hug him, but his father's presence freezes him in his tracks. "Oh… Dad. I, ugh…"

Daniel looks awkward as he sighs and rolls his eyes. "I'm fairly certain that hugging is not against any laws." He begrudgingly reminds them, stepping aside so Lisa can squeeze by the frozen couple, then follows her inside.

Spinelli abruptly unfreezes and tackles Jason with the hug he had previously intended. "What're you doing here, Stone Cold?" He inquires, thought he's certainly not complaining in the least about the unexpected visit.

"I was at the police station." He says, but before he can elaborate, Spinelli's eyes widen in fear. Fear that Weston had made a move or fear that Jason had, he isn't sure, but he stops Spinelli's almost-panic in its tracks. "Relax. They caught the other two guys, the ones that kidnapped you."

"Arm-Tier and the Other One?" Spinelli questions, knowing that they'd already captured Glass-Breaker and Boss-Caller. "Did they have previous penchants for violence as well?"

Jason shrugs, tries to decide what to tell him about the Good Samaritan who hadn't been as good as previously perceived. "You know what? Let's go for a walk, exercise your leg a bit, and we can talk. You up for it?"

Spinelli nods, and pops inside quickly to tell his parents that they'll be back soon. Then, they head out. They end up in the park, not far from where Spinelli had been grabbed, coincidentally. And Jason tells him of Arm-Tier's history of violence, and of Stark's dubiously-involved state.

"So, the four conspirators have been brought to justice. What of Weston? Has he been located yet?" Spinelli questions, as they pause to rest on a bench.

"Not yet, no. I'm still working on it." He assures Spinelli. "I'll feel better once he is caught, though. So I'll know you're safe." Jason pulls something from his jeans pocket, a manila envelope with the Oakfield PD logo on the front. "The police said that they were finished with this, so…"

Spinelli grins when he realizes what it is. "The ring."

"Yup, the ring."Jason echoes, watches as Spinelli pulls the borrowed one from around his neck and hands it back to its owner. "Your parents know about it now. So, if you want to wear it normally..."

The younger nods enthusiastically and Jason unhooks the clasp on the necklace so he can slide the engraved ring off of it and onto its rightful place on Spinelli's hand. He slides his own ring from its chain and moves to put in on himself, but Spinelli's widening smile and the glint of engraved letters in the sunlight give him pause.

"I… might have taken the opportunity to have yours imprinted whilst you were away. " Spinelli admits, watching as Jason spins the band so he can read the words. It had taken him all of forever to choose something.

'Destined to be…' It reads, and Jason is not at all inclined to argue with that. Despite all of the things that have conspired to keep them apart – the mob, the secrets Spinelli had kept, Spinelli's parents, kidnappings and fires, - they've overcome nearly all of it. If not destiny, then it's certainly a hell of a lot of luck and skill.

Jason grins back at him, can't think of anything to say - beyond 'God, I love you' which he does articulate - and slides the engraved ring onto his own hand. There's a couple people walking about in the park, which makes it risky and downright impossible for him to kiss Spinelli, so he doesn't, but he does let his hand subtly slip into Spinelli's.

"You have to go back to Port Charles soon, don't you?" Spinelli frowns, a good while later. It's starting to get dark and they should get going soon, but neither wants to be the one to make that move.

"Yeah, tomorrow afternoon." He agrees, absently spinning the band on his finger. "Hopefully I'll figure out where Weston is hiding out and finish it." Unfortunately, he, too, has realizes that it's getting late, so he stands and then leverages Spinelli back to his feet, too. "We should probably start heading back now."

Spinelli walks close beside Jason as they make their way back along the path toward Spinelli's parent's house. "I wonder if Regan had any knowledge of her Uncle's nefarious activities?" He proposes, as they pass the street her house was on. "Perhaps she could shed some light on Weston?"

"I'll check into that before I leave." Jason assures the younger.

Spinelli falters in his progress forward. "Or, perhaps we could look into that now."

Jason shakes his head, vehemently opposed to that ridiculous plan. "I'm not letting you go anywhere near where that psychopath could possibly be hiding. Especially when you can't run away if he is there."

But Spinelli is still stubbornly refusing to move. "But, we're right here, and Regan would likely be more inclined to speak with you if someone familiar – myself – were present, as well, since you are rather intimidating to those not accustomed to your Stone Coldness, as it were."

He doesn't like it, not at all. But, Spinelli's arguments do have the winning points of reason and logic behind them. "Alright." Jason gives in, and they turn down Regan's street. It's the third house in, Spinelli reports, and the lights are on downstairs, so someone is likely both home and conscious.

He lets Spinelli knock, standing angled himself so he has a view into the window beside the door, to make sure no one with a 'shoot first, ask questions later' philosophy is approaching – though the likelihood of that is low. Regan, as it happens, answers the door.

"Damian," She grins, when she recognizes him under the glow of the porch light. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd stop by – I never checked to see that those unsavory characters responsible for the attack on me hadn't bothered you, as well." Spinelli says, Jason suspects that this isn't entirely a lie, either. It would be just like Spinelli to go back and make sure no one else – even a possible co-conspirator in the proceedings – was harmed.

She tucks her hair behind her ear and glances awkwardly at the as-of-yet un-introduced Jason. "I, ugh, no. No, they didn't bother me. I heard about what happened to you that night. You're okay now, right?"

"A little worse for wear, but recovering nicely." He assures her, and then motions to Jason. "Oh, this is my, ugh, friend, Stone Cold, or rather Jason. He was just in town visiting."

Regan nods, and offers a wave. "I'd, ugh, invite you in, but my little brother's asleep on the couch." She explains, gesturing over her shoulder. She steps out, though, and shuts the door behind her, motioning the two toward the chairs set on the porch. She eyes Jason again. "You, you were the one who saved Damian from that house in Springs Den, right?"

"Yeah, I was there." Jason nods. "Was it on the news? I didn't see any of the reports – we were at the hospital." He explains, though he'd heard of what had been in them from other sources. He's wondering if she knows anything that wasn't in them.

The girl shrugs. "Yeah, I saw a lot of the news coverage about it while I was at the hospital."

"The hospital?" Spinelli inquires, genuine concern mixing with pure curiosity. "I thought you said the brutes that took me didn't harm you?" While he knows the brutes responsible were under her Uncle's command, it doesn't explain why she was in the hospital, so he feels justified in asking.

"Oh, no. I wasn't a patient; I was waiting at the hospital. My Uncle was in a car accident they day after you were rescued." Regan answers. "He's okay now, got released earlier this week, finally. I came to see you once while I was there, but you were out of the room when I came by."

Jason is tense and frozen where he sits. The idea that he had been that close to Weston the whole time; that Weston had been here, near Spinelli when Jason had gone back to Port Charles, was unfathomable. He could have acted and Jason would never have reached Spinelli in time. His hands curl into fists at his sides.

Spinelli, apparently, realizes what is going through the elder's mind. His hand settles on Jason's shoulder as casually as possible. "Oh. Was… was he badly hurt?" Spinelli prompts, hoping to get more information out of her.

Regan shrugs. "He hit his head pretty bad and they put him in a medically induced coma or something for a while. Broke a few bones, too, but he's pretty okay now." She summarizes for them. "He's leaving town in a few days, going to stay with friends in London while he heals up the rest of the way."

"I hope he feels better," Jason manages to say without it sounding entirely insincere. He turns to Spinelli, then, "Your parents will probably want me to get you back soon."

"Indeed, Stone Cold." Spinelli responds, knowing full well that Jason will be all over this new information, especially with the time limit in place. "It was nice seeing you again, Regan." He smiles and leverages himself back to his feet with the aid of Jason's arm. "Perhaps we can hang out again sometime?" He ignores the pointed tightening of the grip Jason has on him that denotes his disapproval of such an idea.

She beams back at him. "Sure. Like… like another date?"

Spinelli shrugs sheepishly. "Ugh, no. Not exactly. I… I am decidedly spoken for."

Jason's hand is tucked into his jeans pocket, but they both see her catch sight of the gold band on Spinelli's hand. "Oh. I see. Congratulations, then." Regan grins.

"I'll see you sometime, then?"

"Sure."

With that, he and Jason continue on the way back to his parent's house with new leads to explore.

***

Due to his recently cut ties with Sonny and the Organization, he hesitantly agrees to let Spinelli hack for him again. Just this once. Never, ever again on mob business. And, following a civil dinner with Spinelli's parents, Spinelli brings his laptop out to the back porch and Jason and Spinelli sit together and set to work.

"We can presume that the Wicked Weston is staying at a hotel in or around Oakfield for now." Spinelli says, fingers already flying over the keyboard. "Also, he is likely registered under an alias, since he has to know you've been searching for him. I can check discharge records of Oakfield Memorial and see when he was released and then check hotel registries for check-ins that correspond."

"Sounds good." Jason agrees, one arm tossed comfortably around Spinelli's shoulders.

A few moments pass in relative silence, excepting the gentle chirping of the crickets in the July night and the occasional sound of a passing car on the street, but then Spinelli 'hmm's and frowns intently at the screen.

"What is it?" Jason presses, leaning closer to try to read whatever had caught Spinelli's attention.

"It's… most perplexing. I managed to locate Weston, rather easily, in fact, as he was registered under his own name at a small hotel near the hospital." He explains.

Jason's eyes narrow. Another lead. One step closer to dealing with Weston and forever ending his ties to the mob. "Where?"

"Stone Cold, I don't think... There it quite improbable that Weston would make his whereabouts so easily known unintentionally. Perhaps it is meant as a trap, or perhaps he wants you to find him for some other nefarious reason, but something is most assuredly not right about this."

"You don't want me to go, I know." The elder says. "But I need to do this. I'll turn him into the police – I promised you, remember?"

"Indeed, I recall. But it is not legal ramifications that presently concern your Jackal. Rather whatever diabolical plan the Wicked Weston has potentially set up for you." But he already knows that Jason is bound and determined to go, so he adds a mumbled reply as to the location. "He's at the Kincaid Inn, room 214."

"I'll be careful." He says, even though they both know that words are no guarantee, and slips away into the night.

***

Jason has only just located the building in question when his phone goes off. "What?" He asks, spotting Spinelli's name on the display. The call, while likely important if Spinelli would risk calling him in the middle of this stealth-involved mission, is interrupting his silent approach to the hotel.

Through the phone, he can make out the sound of Spinelli's fast-paced typing. "There may be another alternative that explains Weston's odd actions."

Jason pauses in his advance toward the service entrance of the three story hotel. "Alright. What is it?"

"The Ace of Cyberspace has obtained access into the medical records from Oakfield Memorial and it seems Regan was somewhat uninformed about the complexities of her injured Uncle's injuries." Spinelli tells him. "It appears as though the reason he was put into a medically induced coma was because he suffered a rather severe head trauma. Even with the attempts to let his injuries heal, his records claim that he has lost both chunks of memory and some of his finer motor skills. Likewise, his right arm was crushed in the collision and will likely never regain function. His trip to London is not an escape attempt, but to see a doctor who specializes in dealing with such extreme orthopedic injuries."

Jason silently takes in this new information and considers his options. He can claim the revenge that the mob life he is no longer part of dictates he take. Or he can let enough be enough and go back to Spinelli.

"Stone Cold? I think Wicked Weston has suffered enough by his own hand, don't you?"

With a sigh, he turns his back on the hotel and starts toward the car, his decision made. "I'll be back soon."

He can practically hear Spinelli's smile and he knows he's made the right call.