Fight ME

The Plan

Maxine put the dishes in the dishwasher and dried off her hands. She took a seat on the sofa and stared out into the night. It was probably the only good thing about the glass house, as she called it. The pretty night view, she could see the city lights and the night sky. She let out a deep sigh and wondered what Turbo and Nick were doing.

"Hey kiddo...is everything ok?" Howie took a seat next to her.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "Yes, I'm fine. I miss California sometimes and tomorrow is my birthday and it will be the first one that I spend without..." She wasn't able to finish her sentence feeling the knot in her throat take over.

Howie cleared his throat. He knew he was good at being a dad for a three year old boy, but it was a totally different situation with a twenty year old girl...woman. "I know you miss your mother. I would give anything to bring her back so that you don't feel this sadness. It's not a big consolation probably, but now you have me, Leigh, James, and soon another baby sister or brother."

"Oh, I know and I'm really happy here with you guys. Leigh is amazing and she's sweet. I've just been thinking about my mother a lot and how nothing ever got cleared up with her. She was just another woman mugged and murdered. " Maxine frowned.

"You know how the police work...slowly! They take years to crack cases sometimes. We just have to keep the faith that someday they will call you and let you know that the bastard that did that to you and your mother has been caught." Howie gave his daughter a smile.

"I hope you're right. There is no way I want to live with this feeling for the rest of my life."

"You won't. Uh...not to change the subject on you, but the fight is this weekend and I don't see you pumped about it. You've been training and waiting for this."

"I know." Maxine bit at the corner of her lip. "It's just that I don't feel excited about it. I imagined it was going to be so much different. That I'd have---"

"Nick..."

Maxine looked up at Howie and blushed instantly. She wondered if it was so obvious that she was dying to see or hear about him. She knew that Howie talked to him occasionally, even though he never mentioned anything about it.

"I miss him. I know you are still adjusting to the whole idea and I'm sorry that I never just came out and told you about it. Nick felt really bad about betraying your trust. I don't even know how it all happened. I also miss Turbo, besides my mother he's been my best friend all this time and I've never been away from him. He may look scary, but he's such a softie and just wants to be loved."

"I know you love them both. I can't speak for Nick. As for Turbo, maybe we can try and convince Leigh to let him stay." Howie gave Maxine a wink and she grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks dad." Before she could stop herself from asking, the question had already come out of her mouth. "Does Nick ever ask about me?" She waited expectantly.

Howie let out a sigh and looked around. The truth was that Nick called just to update him about what was going on with Carlos and really didn't ask about Maxine. He believed it was due to respect and he wanted Maxine to suffer the least possible.

"I haven't really talked to him since last week."

"I'm talking about when he does call you."

"Oh." He shook his head. "No."

"There is something wrong with him. I know...I know that he cares about me and that he wouldn't just stop caring. You need to make sure that he's ok. I need him to come for the fight."

"Max, Nick isn't coming to the fight. He'd rather not distract you from something so important to you. "

"Oh. I understand." She stood up off the couch. "I need to go to bed."

"Max, everything is going to be alright. Time heals everything..." Howie tried to comfort her.

She smiled and gave him a nod. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Good night dad."

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"Are you alright, man? I know that all this is hard for you and it was really sad what they did to your dog. At least we were able to bury him in your backyard." AJ was nervous again. He didn't like it when Nick spaced out. He knew that meant Nick was trying to come up with a plan to get rid of Carlos. They'd been trying to plan something all night.

There was a light knock at the door and both AJ and Nick turned to look at each other. "Dude, your wife is nosy!"

AJ gave Nick a look and shouted. "Yes monkey?"

Rochelle's voice was muffled as she yelled back at AJ. "...you...come...up?"

Nick snickered. "You can't get it up?"

"Shut the fuck up! She asked if we were going to come up." AJ snapped back at Nick. "In a bit, my monkey!" He shouted kindly at his wife.

Nick went back to writing on the notepad on the table. "Alright, so these are the ideas so far. Number one...drown him...in a toilet." Nick read out loud and then looked up at AJ. "Are you fucking serious? Have you seen the size of the guy?"

"What? It was just a suggestion. A toilet that's been pissed in would be best."

"How do you propose we lure him to the toilet?"

AJ cocked his head to the side, like a puppy, and then pursed his lips in thought. "I didn't think that far..."

"Fuck. That's definitely out. Number two...distract the goons at the fight and somehow reel Carlos back to the lockers. That sounds better...wait...that was my idea."

"Maybe Max can seduce him."

"Maybe we can buy a gun and just shoot the fucker in the middle of the forehead." Nick snarled. "This isn't working Jay. I'm going to show up at Max's door and have to tell her that Turbo is gone and she has to throw a fight because of me. She's going to hate me."

"Doesn't she hate you already?" Nick scowled. AJ frowned. "Sorry. How about if you convince her to pack her things and leave with you? You could tell her that you're off to Mexico and you wanted to know if she wants to come." AJ shrugged thinking it was a brilliant idea.

Nick pondered for a bit. Mexico was a bit cliché of a place to head to. Carlos would find them there at some point and they would live watching their backs forever. "Maybe Brazil?"

"Loooondon?" AJ used his British accent.

Nick glared at him. "No London. I think that's a much better idea, it might just work. She'll leave with me, right?" Nick had made up his mind. He'd fly up to Florida, find Maxine and then propose that they run off to Brazil together. He circled idea number three in his notebook.

"Wait...that's not going to work. Carlos would find out that we left and then he would come after all of you guys. I'd just be putting you, Ro, Howie and Leigh in danger. Fuck."

"What if you sell the beach house and everything else? That would be more than what he's asking for..."

"I offered him all that stuff and he declined. He's just fucking with me, because I didn't do what he said. It's more of a power trip. I don't really owe him shit. Planning this shit out isn't going to work...one way or the other I'm getting Carlos off my back.

"You're not going to kill him are you?" AJ looked up at Nick wide eyed.

Nick looked at his close friend with anger in his eyes. "I have to do what I have to do, Jay. That does include the possibility of killing the bastard."

"That's fucked up!"

"No worries, I'll figure it out once I'm there."

"I wish I could help you more man."

"You can, by giving me a ride to the airport tomorrow morning. The fight is two days away. I gotta try and convince Max not to fight by then."

AJ shook his head. "Good luck with that. She's just as stubborn as D."

"No shit!"

"Well it's past midnight we should get some sleep. Come on." Nick and AJ headed out of the studio.