The `Cookie' Chronicles 
 
Author: Eileen Thomson

E-Mail: indigotoast@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Summary: August Challenge story

Author's Notes: Poor Linda has had to twiddle and fix this piece all
by her self. Where does she get the patience? Thank you for your
continuing support.


--+--
 

Nick Fallin reaches across the linen-topped table for the dark
leather credit card folder. Sitting on top of the folder are fortune
cookies, and he carefully chooses one.
He snaps the crispy wafer delicacy in two, and the cookie's content
falls onto the table. Very carefully, he picks up the tiny, paper
fortune and unrolls it in his fingers.

Nick reads it and turns to Judge Barr. "Don't you want one?"

"I try to steer clear of anything which is enshrouded in such high
thinking," laughs Barr

"This doesn't apply to me. It's not even the best one I've ever read-
- some of them can be quite profound."

Barr changes the subject, "Where are you going tonight Nick?"

"I have to see someone on business later, so for now I will take a
drive round Pittsburgh. Then I'll go home for a well earned rest."

"Are you lonely, Nick? Do you have enough to occupy your life?"

"I wish people would stop saying that I have nothing in my life. I
have friends to see and I go places. I'm not lonely, just alone.
There is a difference. I have a girlfriend or two." Nick is getting
defensive. "It's not fair to assume that I do nothing, when I just
want to relax in my own home sometimes. It's not unnatural to like
living alone."

"Nick please, don't get upset. I live alone myself and I would be
the last one to worry about you. I have gotten to know you quite
well recently and I think you are in fine shape. Honestly, I meant
no offence by asking the question. Anyway, now I have to drive home
to Harrisburg, and I will see you next week. You are coming on very
well. Are you feeling any benefit at all?"

"I like having dinner with you each week. Does that count?"

"Cheeky boy!" exclaims the old judge.

Nick rises from the table. He absent-mindedly puts the fortune
cookie paper in beside the credit card, and puts both in his pocket.

~*~*~

Nick is driving round the city before he heads for his next
appointment. This is his favorite time of the day, his time to
relax. He listens to music as he drives. A news reporter cuts in
with a bulletin.

"Firemen are tonight fighting a blaze at Hathaway Glass and all
roads going north are blocked. Fire department officials are talking
with the owner of the factory, Shayla DeMarko. We have no report of
injuries or fatalities at this time."


Nick screeches to a halt, then does a quick turn round and heads
east. He will then go south and head towards the factory from the
other end of town. He has to get to Shayla. He phones the Club to
let Amanda know he is running late.


He sees the blaze on the horizon, and it brings terror to him. He
knows that Shayla works in the factory with just a few men when she
has a show on. Her work was going to be displayed in a new gallery,
and Nick thought she said she was going there tonight. Fear pounds
in his heart.

Going to the scene is dangerous and foolhardy, but Nick is driven by
abject terror. He is running towards the fire fighters when he hears
Shayla call his name.

She threw her self into his arms, sobbing hysterically. "Nick, the
whole place is going up. They can't save any of it."

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"We were having trouble with one of the older kilns so we decided to
stop and let it cool. I thought we could start with the new kiln in
the morning. I was in the office when I saw the flames and called
the fire department. Nick, how could it take such a hold so quickly?"

"Was anyone in there?"

"No .We had loaded the finished work into the van, and John and
Louis took it to the gallery. I was going to wait until the kiln
cooled a bit before leaving. I thought I would work on some designs."

Nick's phone rings. Putting his hand to one ear to block the noise
he shouts, "Nicholas Fallin."

"Nicholas, have you heard the news?" Burton pauses, "Are you there
with Ms De Marko? I can hear the sirens. Is there anything we can do
for her?"

"Dad I'm bringing her to my house. I don't want her to be alone.
Could you go there and keep her company? I'll be in as soon as
possible. I have to see someone urgently." He turns to Shayla.

"Shayla, I'm going to see the fire chief, and I'll give him my home
phone number. Dad will be at my house by the time I drop you off,
and I want you to stay with him until I get home. Don't worry I'll
help you through this, I promise."

"Nick, can't you stay with me?"

"I have to see someone; I'll be there as soon as I can. Have a glass
of wine. Come on my brave Shayla," Nick says kissing her lovingly on
the top of her head. "Be my girl and do this for me." He holds her
to him and rocks her like a baby, shushing her and rubbing her back,
all the time kissing her wet cheeks and smoothing her hair. "Hold
on, baby, be brave. No-one got hurt, so everything else is a
blessing."

Nick puts Shayla in the car and drives home. The lights are on when
he arrives and he takes her to the door.

"Dad, thanks for coming. Look after her for me. I won't be long."
Nick bends down and kisses Shayla goodbye.

Burton takes Nick outside and closes the door. "Nicholas, what is
your relationship with Ms DeMarko? You seem to be very familiar. You
know, it's not wise to mix business and pleasure."

"Dad, trust me, we have gone far beyond that," Nick says, and goes
inside and puts his arms around Shayla again, hugging her to him,
giving her comfort and love.

He tilts her chin and leans down and brushes his lips against
hers. "Wait for me here."

~*~*~

Nick enters the Club at a run. He sees the back of Amanda's head
over the top of one of the corner seats, and goes to greet
her "Amanda. I'm so sorry to be late. Are you all right?" He pulls
her out of the chair and hugs her. "It's all right I'm here now."

"Oh Nick. I can't believe it happened. I'm so scared it was my
fault, I'm not sure I could live with that." Amanda weeps, almost
too upset to be coherent

"Tell me all about it," Nick says quietly, pulling her next to him
on a couch. He gently rubs her hands to get them warm. He caresses
her cheek and slowly he sees her start to relax. "Tell me now.
You're with a friend. Let me help."

"This was my first criminal case Nick. I wanted so badly to win. He
was a young boy, just nineteen, and I know he was innocent. Please
don't say that he could have been playing me, I've heard it all
today already. Nick he hanged himself in his cell. They say he had
been raped. I tried so hard to keep him out of prison." Amanda weeps
uncontrollably, and Nick just holds on and gives comfort, listening
to her tell the sad tale.

Amanda finishes the telling of the affair, and stops crying
eventually. Nick tells her he has someone he wants her to talk
to. "He is one of the best criminal lawyers we have in the
Pittsburgh area. He will tell you truthfully if what you did, was
right or wrong, and he will help you get over this. Amanda, I love
you as a friend and I know that you will come out of this well. I
know that you would never give a client shoddy service. These things
happen, and as awful as they are, they are out of our control. We
have to learn to live with them, but I'll always be here for you and
I'll hug away the pain any day you need it. Come with me now, and
let me introduce you to Mr. Johansson."

~*~*~

While Nick sits waiting for Amanda to finish with Johansson, he
looks towards a darkened room at the back of the Club. He thinks he
can see someone in there but the light is tricky and he's not sure.
He goes into the room and sees Judge Tilson standing at the edge of
the light coming from outside the darkened window. He hears her
catch her breath and realizes she is crying. He turns to leave, but
the he pauses. This woman is his Stress partner. She would never
turn her back on him.

"Judge Tilson."

"Burton?"

"I'm sorry judge. Are you expecting my father?"

"I...I thought he would be here today."

"I needed him to be with one of my friends tonight. Is there
something I could do?"

"Oh Nick, you are so kind. Sometimes you are so like your mother,
it's uncanny."

Nick is shocked to hear her say this, "I didn't know that you knew
my mother."

"Just for three weeks at the beginning of the Club. You were only
three when I first saw you and the most beautiful of boys, with
you're your blonde curly hair. Anne cared for everyone. She was my
sister Jenny's best friend."

"Why only three weeks?" Nick asks. "It seems odd that you only knew
her for three weeks."

"Your mind is so sharp Nick, but that is a tale best left for now.
The pain is still raw even after thirty years. It still hurts, and
some decisions never make sense, even if they were the correct ones
to make."

"Come sit outside with me, I'm waiting for Amanda. I'd like you to
come back to my house with me. You can hook up with my father there.
I don't want you to be alone tonight."

Nick puts his thoughts about the judge knowing his mother to the
back of his mind, but he knows he will have to hear this story soon.
It intrigues him so.

~*~*~

While they sit having coffee Siobhan comes into the Club and Nick
reaches into his briefcase to take out the papers he has been
working on for her. He stands up and she puts her arms round his
neck.

"Nick, I miss you so much when I'm out of town. Have you been busy?"

"Tonight has been traumatic, to say the least." Nick sits and tells
them about Shayla and Amanda.

Then the judge asks, "Siobhan, are we going to have another war
about the Taft-Hartley bill?"

"Not this time," says Nick. "Look I think you having been going
about this the wrong way, trying to fight everyone in Pittsburgh
over this." He goes and gets a rolled map out of the cupboard and
lays it out carefully onto the floor. It is covered in blue pins and
red pins. "Now Siobhan," he says pulling her down onto her
knees. "Look at all the blue pins. These are the amount of Stress
Clubs around America. The red ones are the top line labor lawyers in
the country who are members. I don't know how many times I have read
since I met you of the different people who have tried to have this
law repealed. Now, if all the lawyers got together, isn't it
possible you could up with a solution to this. If you can't get the
law repealed why don't you simply try and find a way to bring about
law reform to soften it. I don't think the government is ever going
to repeal this particular law; the best you can hope for is a
compromise. Utilize the members Siobhan. This is what the Club is
for. Why don't you try this?"

"So like your mother," Judge Tilson murmurs.



~*~*~

Sitting in the car Nick again sees the judge become agitated and
leans over and squeezes her hand. "Are you all right?"

She nods wearily.

Nick opens the front door and is surprised to see his father come
quickly to the judge's side.

"Maddie, I'm sorry I wasn't there tonight. You know I would never
have left you alone. I was coming down just when Nicholas came home.
Come into the kitchen and let me get you some coffee." Burton puts
his arm protectively round her shoulders and guides her away.

Nick thinks `I definitely have to get to the bottom of this. It's
too weird'

"I'm going upstairs to change out of this suit- it smells of smoke.
Listen for the door I have ordered Pizza."

Burton is amazed at the way the three women in Nick's life seem to
get along. He sits and pulls at his eyebrow while he is thinking.

Judge Tilson leans towards him and whispers, "He only goes on dates
with one of them, you know."

Burton looks at his son standing, dressed in jeans and a white t-
shirt, with his arm over Shayla's shoulder and his hand trailing
down to her bottom. He sees him lean forward and kiss Siobhan
lightly on the brow and give Amanda a quick caress on the back of
the neck as he draws away. I don't believe that for one moment he
thinks, that boy will have to be careful, or everything will spill
over.

Just then, some one knocks at the door.

"Food!" says Nick, but when he opens the door Judge Barr is standing
there.

"Come in. This is a surprise."

"Nick, I paid for the meal tonight, but you took my credit card and
put it in your pocket. I will need it before next week when we meet
again," he says laughing.

"I am so sorry. That is what you get for upsetting me. It serves you
right! I'll just get it from upstairs, it must still be in my
pocket."

Nick hands the credit card holder to Barr and a small piece of paper
falls to the floor. Judge Barr picks it up and reads it. "Turn
around Nick and look into your living room. I would like you to
remember this moment. Freeze it in your mind, and keep it safe."

Nick turns and looks into the living room. His father is sitting on
the couch talking to Maddie Tilson, and the three women in Nick's
life are sitting on the floor discussing ways to mend the broken
world.

A feeling of love and well-being drifts over Nick and he looks at
the old man. "Some things are worth remembering. Is that what you
are trying to say?"

Barr hands Nick the small piece of paper and says, "Read"


Nick takes it and reads aloud.

"Treat your friends as you would treat your most cherished
relatives."

Guffawing loudly the old judge says, "What on earth made you think
it didn't apply?"



The End