Noting the phone was lying there, tempting him to pick it up, Tony did so, apologetically glancing at Lily. "Sorry... I'll give this back... I just need to make a phone call." he said, beginning to dial the direct line to his father's residence. He still remembered it after all this time, and felt his heart start to race as he pushed the call button. What was he doing? Was he crazy? How would his father react? He shut his eyes, almost yanking the phone down from his ear and hanging up, but then the line on the other end was answered, and he swallowed hard.
"Stracci residence." came the smooth voice on the other end. It wasn't his father... his father NEVER answered the phone if it was an unknown number. Instead, Tony immediately recognized it as Max Fontana, his father's consigliere. That was what he'd been expecting. Fontana typically answered the phone if it was an unknown number for legal reasons, as he had extensive legal training and could parry any attempts by the law to probe the residence via phone.
"Max... it's... it's... Tony." the ferret said slowly, his voice thick.
"Tony? Good god, boy! Where have you been?" Fontana asked, sounding incredulous.
"It's a long story... is my pops there?" he asked hesitantly.
"Sure! Let me put him on!" There was the customary pause as the call was directed to either his father's room or his office (depending on if he was in bed at this hour or not), and then, the warm yet aged voice of his father came on.
"Tony?" was the question posed.
"Hey... pops." Tony said, turning away from the group. Then... nothing. His father wasn't speaking, and Tony waited a few anxious moments as he wondered what his father was doing. He knew his father had this weird sort of squinting expression to his face, and might even puffing on those thick cigars he loved.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" came his father's voice after what seemed like ages.
"I... I'm sorry pops." Tony said, face falling.
"Don't you 'pops', me." Gruffness now.
"Yes, sir." Tony said, more respectfully now. His father typically wouldn't insist on his son calling him "sir", but when he was in trouble... then it came out. "Dad... I'm sorry..." he whispered, blinking back a few tears. "I'm sorry. I think I'm ready to come home..." he said softly.
"You'd better be... I had half the city looking for you. I've also heard the most disturbing rumors... rumors about what you've been doing with yourself recently." No surprise there. His pops was always well informed.
"Dad... I want to see you soon. But there's something I have to take care of first. Some people need my help..." Tony began explaining.
"What people? Not family, are they?"
"No, sir. Not family."
"You're helping outsiders before family?"
"Dad... hold on. You said I needed to learn responsibility for my actions. Because of my actions... some people got hurt tonight. I want to help. We might be going to a hospital." Tony continued.
"Which hospital? I'll send Max out to meet you. Take you home." Sending "Max" out meant Max and his squad, as the consigliere never traveled without protection.
"Dad... I can manage. I'll let you know when I know which hospital.... or wherever I'm going next." The ferret held his forehead with his paw now, rubbing it in a massage as he closed his eyes.
"Can I reach you at this number?"
"I don't know... probably not. It's someone else's phone. I'll call you... I promise. I'm not gonna disappear again. I..." Tony sniffled here, opening his eyes again. "I love you dad." he said, his voice cracking. "I just wanted you to know that, OK? I want to see you soon... I want to come back. Just... give me some time. I will be there... I promise."
A pause again... and like before, hefty in length. "I'll let you know where I'll be as soon as I know, dad. Please... just let me do this. Then you can send whoever you want."
Finally, after another interminable pause, "All right. But I'm holding you to that. Your mother's worried sick after all."
Tony sighed. "I know... I'll call you as soon as I can, I promise. I have to give the phone back now... but I'm sorry again. I'll talk to you soon." Tony brought it down, and hung up. No "I love you too, son" or "I'm glad you're safe." But he'd been expecting that. His father was a hardened don after all... but Tony knew his father loved him. The fact he hadn't hung up on him or exploded in anger indicated that.
He promptly erased the number from the phone's call history with a flick of his claw, and began walking back over to Lily. Tony placed a paw on her shoulder comfortingly, noticing how shaken up she seemed, and held the phone in front of her. "Thank you... I needed to do that." he said in soft tones.
