Moving On by Robyn12786

[JRK Archiver]

Aurthors Note: Okay, here's how it goes: I absolutely love writing fics, and I did a lot of it when GQ first started - but then I got super busy and wasn't really able to do it for a while. However, I've really been in a creative mood lately and I want to get back into it, but I don't want to start again with new stuff if no one's going to read/be interested. So this is what I'm going to do -

I wrote and posted this fic almost a year ago, so I know that some people who came here from DGO might be familiar with it, while others may not. I'll post a new chapter (there's only 9) every few days, and I'd love if you guys could just get a feel for it and tell me whether or not you'd like to see more from me. If so, I'll get started on some new stories. Thanks guys!



Background Info:

This story takes place as if Dillon had left Port Charles only a month or two after first arriving. (I based it on him leaving with Tracy when she had come to get him out of jail when he was arrested for stealing AJ's car.) The romantic relationship between Dillon and Georgie never formed, they only knew each other as friends, and he left on bitter terms between the two of them. This story takes place about 5 years from that time.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter One

Georgie Jones sighed as she plopped down into a chair outside of Kelly’s, exhausted from the day’s work of waitressing that she had just finished in the diner. She had been working there since her junior year of high school, faithfully keeping her job for the last four years. A soft breeze blew through the humid summer air, providing a small bit of relief for the people who sat at the tables outside of the restaurant. Georgie untied the apron which hung around her waist and balled it up in her hands, tossing it carelessly onto the table. She fiddled with the flowers in the small vase in the middle of the table, waiting patiently for the person whom she was meeting to arrive. A piece of hair fell from the messy ponytail she had piled her head, but she made no attempt to push it out of her eyes.

At twenty, Georgie had grown to be a beautiful woman – her face was the epitome of beauty, her body one that most women her age envied. Her dark hair, highlighted by the sun, fell gracefully around her shoulders when down, but did not look any less amazing when pulled up. She seemed to be a picture of perfection in every way on the outside, unless one became close enough to see her eyes. Because her dark eyes had a quality all of their own - they never seemed to smile along with the rest of her. They carried a weight within them, images of a memory so horrible that it could never be erased – her eyes were permanently saddened, the deep pools of brown always a devastating reminder to those who knew her of the tragedy which she had to bear at such a young age. Though they did not diminish her beauty, they gave her a weathered look, one which told a person that her experiences had placed her far beyond her years.

When she was seventeen, Georgie had met Daniel Harrison, and much to her surprise, fallen deeply in love. Ever since the rejection of her by Lucas when she had been a freshman, Georgie had sealed herself off from boys, convincing herself that no male could ever like her. But two years later, Daniel had come along and changed all of that. They had been joined at the hip, inseparable, closer to each other than Georgie had ever imagined she could be to another person. He was the perfect boyfriend – honest, funny, handsome, and the most giving person she had ever met. All of his actions seemed to be only for her, his love for her and hers for him solid and pure. Yet, when they had become engaged in the beginning their senior year, no one was as happy for them as they had hoped. ‘You’re far too young,’ their parents had told them. ‘How could you even think about getting married now?’ their friends, who still embarked on careless flings questioned. ‘Don’t do it,’ Maxie had warned her and her fiancé, ‘It’s only going to lead to too much trouble too soon. Live while you’re young before tying yourself down.’

But the couple had tried their best to ignore the pleas of their loved ones, both knowing that in their hearts and minds, they were doing what was right. They went on to make wedding plans without the help of others, figuring that if they actually set a date and place, their families and friends wouldn’t just abandon them – they would have to come and believe in them. They had planned the wedding for spring, when the weather would be warm, bright, and beautiful – a new beginning for both of them. In January, the two had gone out late one night for a peaceful dinner alone, some relaxation amidst the craziness of their wedding planning. On the way home, they decided to finally announce the date to their families. The roads were icy, and a heavy snow had begun to fall. Daniel was confident in driving through the storm, and Georgie trusted him – she knew he had driven in worse. When she looked back on the memory, the last thing she remembered was the two of them laughing about a comment Daniel had made about one of their teachers before Daniel suddenly slammed his foot on the brakes, the car screeching and sliding on the ice before the car flipped and plowed into a telephone pole.

When Georgie had opened her eyes, she was laying in a hospital bed, Mac, Felicia, and Maxie all looking down on her with tears in their eyes. She had begun to panic. “Danny? Where is he?!? What happened? Danny?!,” she had cried frantically, looking around the room. Felicia had taken Georgie’s head in her arms, and tried to sooth here, brushing her fingers through Georgie’s hair. Mac sat on the edge of the bed as Maxie had looked on helplessly. Mac quietly recounted what they knew of the night’s accident to Georgie. They explained how she had just come out of surgery to repair her lung, which had been punctured in the accident. Georgie realized that was why it hurt to breathe; she could now feel the bandages around her. But the blow that Mac delivered next hurt her much more – Daniel had been killed instantly. Georgie had erupted into tears, the sobs racking her body as her family stood around, not able to say a word of help – the love of her life was gone, her dreams for the future ripped into pieces.

Three and a half years later, the pain had mostly subsided, but the memories had not. Not a day went by that Georgie did not think of him, and the life which he had left behind. The scar from her surgery that always remained hidden under her clothes was a personal reminder to her of that fateful night. Since Daniel’s death, she had had many offers, but not been on even one date since – she was too scared at the thought of facing tragedy again. It still hurt sometimes to think of the life they could have had together, but she tried to focus on other things, such as her job and family, and not a relationship. Georgie looked at her watch, and it read 4:15. Maxie usually met her at 4, when Georgie got off of her Kelly’s shift, but today she was late. Georgie couldn’t blame her – she figured she had one little reason for not being on time. And a few minutes later, she saw she was right.

At about 4:20, she looked up to see Maxie walking toward her, bouncing toddler Mikayla on her hip. Georgie smiled as she saw her niece come into view, her blonde curls tied in pigtails on the sides of her head. The child’s face lit up with joy when she saw her aunt sitting in front of Kelly’s, excited to see her, even though it was a ritual that they had done practically since Mikayla had been born. Maxie had found out she was pregnant shortly after the accident, and had given birth in the late summer of that year. The child’s father was long since out of the picture, and the single mother often had to rely on her sister for help. Working as a nurse on the night shift at General Hospital, she would spend the morning and afternoon with her daughter and then bring her to Georgie, who watch her at her small apartment while Maxie worked. Maxie would spend the weekends at Mac and Felicia’s with her daughter, so she could get to know her grandparents as well. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it worked well enough – Mikayla was a happy child who loved her mother and grandparents, and had a special bond with her Aunt Georgie.

Her nearly 3-year-old mouth unable to wrap her words around saying “Aunt Georgie”, Mikayla resorted to calling her the next closest thing, “Angie”. The toddler struggled to leap out of her mother’s arms and run to her aunt.

“Angie! Angie!,” she giggled, as Maxie placed her down and allowed her to run to Georgie.

“Hi!,” Georgie exclaimed happily to her niece as she climbed into her lap. Mikayla was one of the few things in her life that could make her happy, the child’s eternally joyful face and infectious laughter never failing to bring a smile to Georgie’s as well.

“Hey Max,” she said to her sister as she came over to hug her, as Georgie couldn’t get up with Mikayla firmly planted in her lap.

Placing a bag onto the table, Maxie started to speak, “Sorry I’m late – you know how it is. Here’s a DVD of her new favorite movie, and some more coloring books, and another doll –“

“You know she has enough stuff at my place. I spoil her rotten,” Georgie said, a reference to the all of the toys and videos that were strewn across the floor of her apartment. She knew that Maxie was trying her hardest to make it raising Mikayla as a single mom, and she always wanted to make sure she wasn’t spending more than she needed to. “You didn’t need to buy her anything else for my house.”

“It’s okay,” Maxie continued, smiling, “I got a little raise.”

“That’s so great,” Georgie said, holding Mikayla’s hand tightly as the little girl climbed off of her lap and attempted to walk away.

“Sure is,” Maxie said, her face flushed because of the hurry she was in. “But I’m running late, so I have to get going.” “Bye, baby,” she said to Mikayla.

“Bye-bye, Mommy,” Mikayla answered, waving to her mother. “Mommy, can Angie play wi’ my dolly?”

“Of course she can, sweetie,” Maxie replied, walking towards her car, “Have fun, you two!”

Once Maxie had left, Georgie picked up Mikayla and placed her back on her lap. “I have a secret to tell you,” Georgie said to the toddler, trying to sound mysterious. “Can you guess what it is?”

Mikayla looked back at her, her face taking on a solemn look. She shrugged and whispered, “Tell me, Angie.”

“Uh-uh,” Georgie replied just as quietly, “You have to tell me a secret first.”

“Okay,” replied the child.

Georgie leaned over to talk into Mikayla’s ear, the child listening intently. “I forgot whose birthday it is next week. Can you remind me?”

Mikayla laughed and said loudly, “Mine!!,” then burst into a fit of childish laughter.

“Ohhhh, I remember now!,” said Georgie innocently, playing along. “And what are we doing for you birthday?”

“A party….at the park!,” Mikayla responded happily, remembering the party that her mother had been telling her about for weeks.

“That’s right,” Georgie said. “Now I’ll tell you my secret.”

“’Kay,” said Mikayla seriously.

“We’re going to go on a trip today,” Georgie said, “There’s a fair and we’re going to go see all of the clowns and balloons and games and then we’ll go on the merry-go-round. Does that sound like fun?”

“Yeah!” the child exclaimed excitedly. She jumped down and grabbed her aunt’s hand, pulling her away from the table “Let’s go!”

Georgie laughed at the child’s overabundance of energy as Mikayla pulled her along. They walked to the car and Georgie snapped her in the car seat. Aunt and niece headed off to the fair, as Mikayla sang aloud a nonsensical song she seemed to make up as they went along.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He couldn’t believe he was back. Five and half years away from the upstate New York town, and he hadn’t missed it much at all. He had nothing but memories of disappointment and ignorance from the short time he had been there before, and wondered what it was that had led him back. A year before, he had finally realized he needed to start living on his own, doing what he wanted, rather than staying under his mother’s shadow. His mother hadn’t skimped on providing him with money and he had spent the majority of the last 12 months embarking on his own adventures. Safaris, rock climbing, bungee jumping – he had completed a lot more in his life than most people his age. But after the excitement, he was ready to settle down into a normal life. And the most normal place he could remember was Port Charles - even though he despised most memories of it, he needed some familiarity. And he did have one good memory – one memory of a girl years ago. She wasn’t his goal by any means, but he figured if he wanted to find one person who would accept him PC after all these years, it would be her.

Dillon Quartermaine pulled his just-bought car into the back parking lot of a bar he had never known of in Port Charles the first time around. The neon sign read Jake’s and his call to them with the number in the phone book had let him know they had room available above it. It was just what he needed – a small place for himself that no other Quartermaine would dare to enter. He could stay there safely and not reveal himself to the rest of them until he was ready.

The whole transaction for the room had taken place over the phone, so when Dillon walked in and said his name (albeit with a fake last name), he was handed over the room key and pointed upstairs, told his room was the second door on the left. Dillon bounded up the stairs, his two small bags of belongings clutched in his hands, and opened the door to reveal the room inside.

It was nearly barren. A bed with a mattress and two sheets sat by the window, a small door leading to a closet on the opposite side. A dresser with a mirror on top of it sat next to the door. The window had a plain green curtain hanging from it, and when Dillon hit on the light switch, a single light bulb above the bed flicked on.

“Not bad,” Dillon said to himself, surveying the room, “Not bad at all. I can work with this.”

He threw his bags on the floor next to the dresser and flopped over onto the bed. He was exhausted from the long drive from the New Jersey airport in which he had landed and all of the paperwork he had had to fill out to buy a car. Now that he finally had a place to rest, he just wanted to go to sleep. He figured he would rest for a few hours and then go out, visit some old places, and see who he ran into, if they would even know who he was. He knew where to go so that he could avoid the Quartermaine’s for now, and was determined to start over a new life in Port Charles. All of his travel options had been exhausted, and know he wanted to find a place to settle down, and more importantly, someone to settle with.

He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, and opened it to reveal the picture that sat in the fold inside. He knew he shouldn’t keep in there, knew that his time with her was long over with. But until that day, he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it. When living in London for a short while, about eighteen months before, he had met Cara. Their meeting had happened by chance – Dillon had found a purse on the subway during one of his daily trips and had gone to the address on the license to return it. It had been love at first sight for Cara, who seemed to fall madly in love with the American boy. At first, he had thought he felt the same way for her. They spent every waking moment together. But after a few months, Dillon had begun to realize that he didn’t truly feel for her the way she did for him. He realized that he was only using her as a substitute for something more, something he wanted that he just couldn’t find in her. He had left her heart-broken and in tears at her house one afternoon, when he briskly and suddenly told her that they couldn’t be together anymore because he didn’t love her and walked out.

Looking at the picture of her smiling face and shining eyes that had somehow remained in his pocket ever since, he knew that it was time to get rid of it. He folded it in half and then ripped it into pieces, tossing it into the trash can next to the bed. That part of his life was over, his life of traveling and chance, and he wanted something more solid than that. For that to happen, he needed to erase all traces of his past life in order to move on to his future in Port Charles.

Dillon lay back on the pillow at the head of the bed, and closed his eyes, hoping to get some much-needed rest. After so long, he was back in Port Charles, back to a place he never thought he’d return again. In a life full of adventure, he had returned to PC for normalcy, and, if it led him there, to finding the magic girl who had captured him there so many years before. Tortured by demons of a difficult past, Dillon fell asleep, anxiously trying to imagine what his future as a changed man back in Port Charles would bring him.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Two

Dillon walked along the docks, his hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet, trying to appear inconspicuous. He wore a hat low on his head, in an attempt to both cover his hair and keep his eyes shadowed from anyone who might pass by him. He had gotten through his first week in Port Charles without being noticed by anyone, and wanted to keep it that way for a little bit longer. He wanted to readjust to his surroundings before immersing himself in the craziness of the Quartermaines again. He had spent the last week relatively alone, mostly hanging out on a barstool at Jake’s or taking walks around the town at night, when he was least likely to be recognized by anyone he knew. Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t even recognize the familiar voice before he was too close to avoid her.

He looked up out of the corner of his eyes to see the woman in her mid-twenties talking into a cell phone as she walked toward his direction. He ducked his head again in order to avoid making eye contact with her as she started to talk into the phone. Dillon stood frozen in place next to a wooden pole, hoping she wouldn’t notice him. Her long brown hair tumbled over the side of her face as she struggled to cradle the phone on her shoulder and rummage through her purse at the same time.

“Hey Zander, it’s me,” Emily began as she pulled a compact and lipstick out of her bag. “I’m almost done with my errands, and I’ll be home in a little bit. I just have to pick up the present and then I’ll be on my way back.” She paused for a minute to listen to the voice on the other end of the phone, applying a quick layer of color over her lips as she nodded in response. She smiled, “Sounds wonderful! Tell the boys that Mommy loves them, and as soon as I get home, we’ll get ready to go to the party.” She threw her things back in the purse and listened to the response. “I love you, too, honey,” she replied after a few moments. “Bye.”

She hung up the phone and put it back in her bag. Dillon breathed a sigh of relief as she continued walking past him, barely noticing he was there. He started walking in the opposite direction, thankful that he had escaped nearly getting discovered so soon that he was back in town. But suddenly, as if she sensed something off, her head darted up and looked toward him, her eyes burning into his. He could do nothing but stand there, frozen in her gaze. Her eyes morphed slowly from worry to confusion, and finally, to astonished recognition.

“Dillon?,” she questioned, still sounding unsure of whether or not the man who stood in front of her was the cousin she had not seen for half a decade.

Dillon remained in silence for a moment. He thought to himself that if he shook his head, said “I think you have me confused with someone else”, and turned to leave, Emily would believe him, laugh at her mistake, apologize, and give a friendly good-bye. He debated lying in order to hide the truth for a little while longer, but figured that there was no point in being dishonest with Emily.

Stepping into the sunlight and taking off his hat, he revealed his face to Emily and said simply, “Yeah, it’s me.”

“What are you doing back here?,” she asked, a note of criticism in her voice. It wasn’t anger, but more surprise that after being gone for so long, he would even consider coming back at all.

“Try not to sound so excited about it,” Dillon replied wryly.

Emily smiled at seeing that Dillon’s sarcasm hadn’t left him. “I’m sorry,” she continued, “I didn’t mean for that to come out the way it sounded. I’m just surprised to see you back here after so long.”

“Well, I was looking for a change, and after everything I’ve done these last few years, coming back to this place seemed like as good a place as any,” he answered firmly.

“Does the family know you’re here?,” Emily asked.

“No!,” Dillon responded quickly, “And I don’t want them to. Don’t say anything to them about me,” he commanded. Just because he had been discovered by one of the Quartermaines didn’t mean that he had to be revealed to the rest of them. “I want to stay away from them all just for a few more days.”

“Whatever you want,” Emily said, though curiosity lingered in her voice. “But you’re not going to hide yourself for very long in this town.”

“I’ve already made it a week,” Dillon retorted harshly. “I’m just asking for a few more days.”

“I’m not going to say anything,” Emily replied, trying to reassure him, if only a little bit.

The shield which Dillon seemed to be holding over himself seemed to lower slightly as he realized he could partially trust his cousin. “Thanks, Emily,” he said, clearing his throat, “I appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. Just let me know when you decide to tell them, okay?,” she said kindly. Then, looking at her watch, she said, “I have to run, though – I’m taking my kids to a birthday party.” She paused, scrutinizing his face for a moment, and then continued. “It’s good to see you back, Dillon.” She gently patted him on the back and then hurriedly rushed off.

He watched her leave and then slid his hat back on. He wandered for a few more minutes, averting the eyes of everyone he passed. It was when he inadvertently arrived at the small diner with a sign reading “Kelly’s” above it that all of the memories of Port Charles that he had kept hidden away in the back of his mind had come rushing back. He had tried to forget about them for many reasons – they were kids then, just kids playing the games that all teens their age played. Shameless flirting, back-stabbing, manipulation, jealously, lust – and maybe even, love. ‘No! Not love,’ he told himself. It was years ago, a different lifetime, when he had been a different person. He wouldn’t let himself get sucked back into the past – that wasn’t why he had come back. He had returned for a fresh start, not to dwell on the way he used to be.

The bells over the door chimed as he swung open the door and stepped into the air-conditioned inside, a welcome relief from the burgeoning midday sun outside. He quickly glanced around the diner, and was not met with a single face that he remembered. ‘Good,’ he told himself, yanking off his hat, ‘Just lay low and everything will be fine. No one here knows you.’ He sauntered over to a table near the window away from the rest of the customers and opened a menu. He stared at it for a few minutes, not really absorbing what he was reading. A few minutes later, the voice of the waitress snapped him back to reality.

“May I take your order?,” she asked, the saccharine sweetness of her voice an obviously phony as she poised her pencil above the pad she held in her hand.

“Yeah, I’ll just take a glass of O.J. and some scrambled eggs with toast, please,” he said, closing the menu and sliding it toward her.

“Coming right up,” she said, a fake, somewhat annoyed, smile plastered on her face, as she tucked her pencil behind her ear and walked away.

After she left, Dillon slid down in his seat, observing all of the other diners around him. A few men and women sat sipping coffee, couples held hands deeply in discussion over their breakfasts, and a family with two very frazzled-looking parents tried desperately to calm down their extremely hyper child. Dillon realized he was the odd one out, as usual, the loner sitting in the corner and watching everyone else. But telling himself that he was trying to escape from his persona of the past, he shrugged it off. He lounged in the chair for a while longer, until he saw the waitress headed toward him.

“Here you are,” she said, placing his meal in front of him. Her voice had actually taken on a tone of sincerity. “A couple of customers told me I was being really rude before, and I’m really sorry if I was that way to you. It’s just that the waitress who usually works this shift asked for the day off and I got called in to take her place. I’m so not used to getting up and working this early, so excuse my – um – witchiness before. I’m really sorry.”

“No problem,” Dillon said, hoping a quick forgiveness would make her go away, “Thanks for the food.”

“Of course,” she said, and then quickly ran to refill the coffee of the tired parents at the table on the other side of the restaurant.

After ten minutes, Dillon had quickly devoured his breakfast. He stood up and threw some money on the table, knowing that it was just enough for the food and a small tip. He walked to the door and stepped back outside. A gentle breeze had begun to churn outside, fluttering the leaves on the trees. Since he had nothing better to do, Dillon pondered where to go next - considering he had left his car at Jake’s, he needed someplace within walking distance. The sudden change in the weather inspired him – and a walk in the park sounded like a good idea to him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Balloons and streamers adorned the picnic area of the park, the brightly colored decorations swaying in the late summer breeze. Cake, cookies, chips, sandwiches, and pizzas lay out across one long picnic table, and a stack of presents were stacked up on another. The sounds of children’s laughter filled the air as they ran and sang, playing games in the wide open grassy area, as their parents laughed and encouraged them on.

It was a festive atmosphere, yet Georgie sat as though she was outside of it all in an invisible bubble, somehow separated from the rest of them and not able to feel the happiness that they all were. She watched as Mikayla bounced along happily with Nathan and Peter - Zander and Emily’s 4-year-old twin boys, and several other children of Maxie’s co-workers. As Maxie, Mac, and Felicia poured drinks, the children’s parents all sat together and watched as their children frolicked. Georgie watched them all happily cuddling and adoring their children, and she envied them. They all had what she had wanted with Daniel, and in a few short moments, it had all been swiftly ripped away from her. She fought back the tears which threatened to emerge from her eyes, but the scene in front of her was only a cruel reminder of what she could never have.

She was snapped out of her daydream when she noticed Maxie’s shadow hovering over her. “You okay?,” her sister questioned. She knew all the pain that Georgie had been through with Daniel’s death, and tried not to mention it, but sometimes, even after so many years, she could realize that Georgie couldn’t hide how much it still hurt.

“Yeah,” Georgie said, smiling sadly, wiping away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. “It’s just....…you know how it is sometimes.”

“Yeah, I know,” Maxie said tearfully, then leaned over to give her sister a reassuring hug. Regaining her composure, she decided to change the subject, “Would you like to be the one to tell that ravenous pack of children that it’s time for cake and presents?”

Georgie stood up and smiled thankfully at her sister. “Thank you so much.”

“For what?,” Maxie inquired, looking quizzically at Georgie, unsure of what she was thanking her for.

“For always knowing exactly what to say to make everything seem right again for a little while, and making sure I don’t wallow in my own self-pity for too long,” she said, looking at Maxie gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” Maxie said, exchanging a smile with her, “But you could do it all on your own. You’re a lot stronger than you think.”

:”Thanks,” Georgie replied, “Now, back to that cake and those kids…I guess somebody has to do it, right?”

“Right,” Maxie nodded in agreement, “You know how happy it makes Mikayla to see you happy – do it for her.”

Georgie stood up and raised her voice so it could be heard above the noise that the children were all making, “Kids!!! Time for birthday cake!”

The adults were greeted by a chorus of “Yay!!!’s” from the children, as they all came zooming toward the cake, which sat on the table with three candles and Happy Birthday, Mikayla written in cursive across it. The party guests gathered in a circle around the table, and Mikayla struggled to climb up onto the bench and stand in front of her cake.

The group began to sing, “Happy Birth-“ but were interrupted by a loud shout from Mikayla. The little girl stomped her foot loudly on the bench and commanded matter-of-factly, “Wait. Angie needs to pick me up first!”

Georgie, who had tried to sneak off and stand by herself near the end of the table, suddenly had all eyes on her. She was ready to step over to her niece, pick her up, and join in the singing, but suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over her.

A moment before, with Maxie’s help, she had thought she had recovered from her little relapse over Daniel, but now it was coming back at full force. Everybody staring at her with a look of expectation on their faces, and she was taken back to a day long before when she felt locked in the same position – frozen in fear and grief. At Daniel’s memorial service, Georgie had stood before all of the people that loved him, with them all staring back at her – expecting her to say everything he meant to her, and her with nothing to say at all, too torn up inside to speak. The moments were too similar, making her sick, and Georgie knew that if she didn’t get away, she was going to completely break down.

She knew that if she left, ran away from her niece’s request, it would devastate Mikayla. But it would hurt her even more to see Georgie fall apart right in front of her eyes.

“Georgie?,” Felicia asked worriedly. Georgie turned her head toward her mother, but seemed to stare right through her.

“I’m sorry,” Georgie said to no one in particular. She turned and ran into the thick forested area surrounding them, leaving the stunned group of onlookers staring at the space where she had just stood.

After a second of silence, the group suddenly erupted into a cacophony of noise. Most of the children burst into tears of confusion and ran to their parents, knowing that something was wrong even at their young ages. Her eyes wide, Mikayla screamed at Georgie to come back, and Maxie quickly ran to her and scooped her up, rocking her softly in order to assuage her cries.

“I’m going after her,” Mac stated, already beginning to hurriedly walk in the direction in which Georgie had disappeared.

“No!,” Maxie exclaimed loudly, momentarily frightening the child in her arms. “Don’t. Just let her be.”

--

Georgie continued to dart through the trees, branches and thorns ripping at her clothes as she ran aimlessly, just trying to get as far away from the others as she could. Her tears blinded her as she ran, sobs racked heavily in her chest and came out as anguished cries.

She finally stopped at an open clearing amongst the trees, a small spot shaded by the canopy that trees overhead formed. Georgie slid to her knees on the cool grass, burying her face in her hands. She didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to let everyone down who saw her as so strong. She didn’t want to seem weak, someone who couldn’t deal with pain or loss. But it wasn’t just the loss of Daniel that tortured her, years later; it was the loss of everything that was her own – her spirit, her strength, her sanity, her capacity for love. She sat there for a few minutes, her face still hidden from the world, enveloped in her own self-doubt, unsure and afraid of what to do next.

And then suddenly, she felt a presence near her, one which she could not identify, but still felt vividly familiar. She heard footsteps approach across the clearing, someone coming to see if she was okay. She knew that if it was Mac, Felicia, Maxie, or anyone else from the party, they would have spoken by now, asked her if she was alright and exactly what had just happened. But the person who stood above her did not say a word, only stood in silence, waiting for Georgie to speak first.

She timidly looked up, tears streaking down her face, and made eye contact with the person who stood before her.

Their eyes locked, and for a brief moment, both were transported back in time – a chance, a moment, a kiss – a time long lost when the twisted and troubled pasts of the two had intertwined.

Five years later, he marveled at her beauty, at the way her chocolate brown eyes still managed to dig deep into his soul and touch a place in him that he didn’t even know existed.
Five years later, she was shocked at the fact that, though the significance was much greater the second time around, his face, his hands, were there to save her again when she needed it most.

The only person that had ever truly been her friend was coming to her rescue again, even after she had pushed him away all those years ago.
And the only girl he had ever truly loved was sitting there in front of him, damaged and broken and needing him more than ever.

“Dillon,” she whispered, a last tormented sob wrenching itself from her throat. “You came back.”

Dillon slid down to the ground beside her and wrapped his arm around her back, her head falling onto his shoulder and soaking his shirt with tears. Separated by miles and time, the two lost souls had found their way back to one another, both unknowing of the obstacles still to come, and sorrowing in the tragedies of the time that had separated them. Dillon sat silently, rocking the grieving figure in his arms, her mourning for the lives that they had both left behind.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Three

Dillon sat and watched as Georgie’s sobs began to subside, until the violent cries no longer racked her body. When they had reduced to soft sniffles, Georgie finally lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked at him, speechless as for what to sat to him after the years that had separated and then reunited them again. It was when Georgie looked up at him that Dillon noticed that her arms and legs were both scratched and bleeding, a painful result from the branches that had snapped against her as she ran through the trees. Another small single scratch streaked vertically down her face below her eye, paralleled by the tears which soaked it.

“You’re a little bit scratched up,” Dillon began quietly, unsure of what to say to her, “Do you want me to call someone to come pick you up?”

Georgie looked down at her arms, aware for the first time that she had hurt herself. “N - No,” she lied, trying to wipe away her tears, “I-I was just taking a walk in the park by myself and I had a sudden attack of self-pity. That’s all. There’s no reason anyone else has to see me like this – you shouldn’t have had to.”

Dillon didn’t have the heart to tell her that he had witnessed the whole spectacle back at the party from afar and had followed her to make sure she was okay. He also had a nagging thought in the back of his mind that there was something deeper than what Georgie tried to blow off as just “an attack of self-pity” – he knew there was something else she was hiding from him, and needed some time to figure out what it was.

She sat cross-legged next to him, fiddling with the hem of her pants, not wanting to say anything else that would reveal the truth to him. But her arms and legs were starting to sting from the cuts and she could feel a bad headache coming on and all she wanted to do was be taken somewhere dark and cool where she could lay down and sleep and forget about the last 12 hours.

“You could come to my place for a little bit if you just need somewhere to calm down,” Dillon offered. And then remembering her arms he added, “And you can clean up a little bit there, too.”

Rather than starting a whole line of questioning about why and since when he was back in Port Charles and where he was staying and why exactly he cared about helping her at all anymore, Georgie simply smiled at him gratefully. “That would be --– I’d appreciate it.”

Standing up and brushing the grass and leaves off of his clothes, Dillon leaned over to take Georgie's hand and help her up. She reached for his hand and hopped up, wincing as it put strain on her injured limbs.

“Sorry,” Dillon said in apology for hurting Georgie more than she already was.

Georgie smiled in return, responding. “Really, I’m okay, I promise.”

Dillon realized how whatever had happened to Georgie in the years he was away had taught her to hide her true feelings from anyone who asked. It seemed as if it came second nature to her to say that she was fine when she was obviously in pain, and he figured it wasn’t the first time she had lied.

Trying to change his train of thought to something he could talk to her about, Dillon started, "I didn’t come here in my car, so we’re going to have to walk to Jake’s.”

Georgie’s eyes widened for a moment, and he knew she was wondering why he was staying in a disheveled room above a bar when he could be enjoying the luxuries of living at the Quartermaine mansion. But knowing Dillon, she quickly averted her eyes from him, guessing that if he was saying at Jake’s, he hadn’t intended for anyone to know he was back in town yet. “That’s fine,” Georgie said understandingly. “It’s perfectly fine with me.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The party area lay desolate and lonely, the cake uneaten and the gifts unopened. Maxie had apologized to the guests for what had happened, thanked them for coming, but told them that the party was over. They had all departed quickly, and Maxie had convinced Mac and Felicia to take Mikayla away from the park, as she didn’t need to be reminded of how her party had been ruined. The only people that had stayed behind were Emily, Zander, and the boys, as Emily had offered to stay and help Maxie clean up the remainders of the party. Zander had taken the twins to the playground at the other side of the park, and Maxie and Emily had silently cleaned up the plates, pizza boxes, cups, balloons, and ribbons that lay scattered on and around the picnic tables.

After fifteen minutes of silence, Emily finally started to speak, “I’m not an expert or anything, but I can guess that whatever happened with Georgie today had to do with that boy –“, she hesitated, not sure of his name.

“Daniel,” Maxie said harshly, wondering why Emily thought it was any of her business.

“So that is the reason,” Emily continued. “I know what it’s like to lose someone that you really love,” she said, remembering her biological mother, “And how much it hurts. But it’s really important to have other people that you love to be there for you when you feel like it’s all over. Maybe you should’ve gone after her. I think you should find her and make sure she’s okay.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Maxie retorted. She knew that Emily was only trying to help, but she didn’t feel like getting advice from someone who barely knew anything about her family. And she also didn’t want to tell her that a few seconds before Georgie had run away from the party, Maxie had seen Dillon walking amongst the others in the park a few hundred feet away from the party.

She had been shocked to see him back in Port Charles, and was planning to tell Georgie as soon as they were done with the cake. When Georgie had suddenly frozen in fear and then darted from the party, Maxie had seen the look of worry take over Dillon’s face as he suddenly sprinted in the direction Georgie had headed. Five years earlier, she would have wanted to get him away from her sister as quickly as possible. But she knew now that they were all adults, and Dillon was a man who had never stopped caring about Georgie, whether she knew it or not. And if anyone could help her stop the unending turmoil that Georgie had been going through since Daniel’s death, it was Dillon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was nearing 4 o’clock in the afternoon when Dillon and Georgie finally arrived at Jake’s. Dillon quickly ushered Georgie upstairs in an attempt to avoid the ogling and curious eyes of the customers that stared at her cuts and just-forming bruises. He led her to the stairs at the back of the bar and then watched as she gingerly made her way up the stairs, no doubt a difficult task. Once they reached the top of the stairs, she followed him as he headed towards the first door on the left and slipped a key in the knob. They stepped into the dark room and Dillon flipped on the light.

“Welcome to my palace,” Dillon said, sweeping his hand in front of him in a display of the tiny room.

Georgie smiled slightly at Dillon’s sarcasm – it still hadn’t left him after all of those years. “It’s not so bad,” she said in response, “It’s nice having a place all of your own.”

“Yeah,” Dillon replied awkwardly. They both knew that there were so many unspoken words between them and so much that they needed to say to one another, but neither could seem to bring it up.

After a few moments of silence, Georgie finally said, “If you don’t mind, I’m just going to go into the bathroom for a little bit and clean up.” She looked down at the few cuts on her legs and the more numerous ones that covered her arms.

“Of course,” Dillon responded, “Whatever you need, just ask.”

“Thanks,” she said gratefully, and then disappeared into the small bathroom, closing the door behind her.

After she was gone, Dillon sat down on the bed and laid his head back against the headboard, closing his eyes. He tried to absorb everything that had happened in the last two hours. When he had decided to go to the park, she was the last person he had expected to see there. But she was. She had changed in the last five years, but not enough that he couldn’t recognize her from a distance. When he had first spotted her, she had been bouncing a little blonde toddler on her hip. The child was the spitting image of Maxie, and Dillon realized that the little girl was Georgie’s niece. As he had watched her talk to the small child, her eyes had been filled with the same happiness and exuberance that he was so familiar with from when they had still been teenagers. He had been ready to walk over to the party – he saw Emily and knew she already knew he was in town, and had decided now was finally the time to reacquaint himself with people in Port Charles.

But it had all changed when Georgie had put the little girl down and prodded her to play with the other children. She had then retreated to a chair away from everybody else and the joy which had just been in her had seemed to vanish, replaced by a dark sadness as she watched everyone else at the party. Dillon had suddenly been overcome with worry for her sudden change in emotion. And then, after what seemed like only moments later, he was shocked when she suddenly ran from the party, leaving everyone staring at her just a shocked. Dillon felt horrible, like some kind of spy intruding in business that wasn’t even his, but he had felt like he couldn’t just walk away knowing that Georgie was sitting somewhere and needing help – so he had reluctantly tracked her down and found her.

Now, as she cleaned up her cuts in his bathroom, Dillon felt lost, unsure of exactly what was going on in Georgie’s life and what had happened in the last few years. He wanted to help her, but had no clue how, and he could tell she wasn’t planning on telling him any time soon. He also realized that she was probably going to have a lot of questions to ask of him and his whereabouts and why he had decided to come back after so long. And then their was the issue of the tension which seemed to exist between the two of them even after all of those years – of how the last time they had seen each other, it had been with final exchanged glances of anger and nothing more.

Dillon was finally snapped out of his thoughts when Georgie emerged from the bathroom several minutes later and said his name.

“Yeah?,” he questioned, getting off the bed and standing up, hoping she wanted to tell him something – anything – that would help him unravel the mystery behind the breakdown that he had witnessed.

Georgie knew that he realized something was wrong, but didn’t plan on revealing any of it to him. She saw no reason to inflict all of the troubles of her past and their effect on her onto him as well. But knowing Dillon, she knew he wouldn’t give up until he found out what she wanted – and especially now, she didn’t want to deal with the questions which he was sure to start asking. In an attempt to avoid him, she was just about to tell him she was going to leave when she was overcome by a wave of dizziness, no doubt brought on by the headache which still had not gone away. She stumbled, and Dillon rushed to her side to catch her before she fell.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said, leading her to sit down on the bed, “Are you okay?” He looked at her dark-circled eyes and could tell that she was exhausted.

“I’m fine,” she lied again, trying to get up and head toward the door. “I’ll just feel a lot better if I can go home.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dillon said, making her sit back down. “I think you should just stay here and rest for a little while – you’ll probably feel a lot better.”

“No really, I’m gonna go,” she repeated, anxious to get away from his prodding.

“No,” Dillon urged, “I know you, Georgie, and I know you’re hiding something. You need to sleep, so I’m not going to bother you now. But I’m going to find out what it is.”

“Dillon, don’t start this,” she pleaded tiredly, “I really don’t want to deal with it right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Dillon said, apologetic that his words had come off so harshly, “If you want to rest, you can stay here for a few hours. I’ll go downstairs and wait for you and give you a ride home once you’re feeling better.”

Finally giving in, Georgie accepted the invitation, “Fine. I guess I’ll take you up on that. Just one thing – instead of leaving, can you stay here with me until I fall asleep? I really don’t feel like being alone right now.” Glad he could help her in some way, Dillon happily agreed. “Sure,” he said, pulling back the sheets and haleping her under them. She wrapped them up around herself and closed her eyes. Dillon sat down on the bed next to her and looked at her resting face, and she was asleep within minutes.

He felt almost guilty for watching her while she slept, but he found it hard to look away from the person he had been aching to see for the last five years of his life.

And suddenly, the idea of going downstairs to the bar to wait for her didn’t seem like as good an idea as it had a few minutes before - he realized he didn’t want to leave her. Once he made sure she was completely asleep, he laid down on the other side of the bed, and before he realized it was happening, he had fallen asleep alongside her.

-----------

Dillon opened his eyes to see that the digital clock next to his bed read 8:13. He jolted up quickly, momentarily confused as to his whereabouts and why he was asleep so early until he remembered the previous events of the day. He turned to make sure that Georgie hadn’t woken up and left while he was sleeping. She hadn’t. She still lay sound asleep next to him, the cut on her face concealed by her hair, which fell loosely over her cheek. Dillon sat up next to her, watching her as she slept. He almost wished that she would sleep through the whole night, just so that he could sit and watch her at peace – the first time he had seen her that way over the course of the harrowing day.

But his wish vanished when Georgie slowly began to fidget under the covers, and groggily opened her eyes. She was a bit unnerved to see Dillon staring back at her. She bolted up and yanked the covers back over herself, “Have you been watching me this whole time?!,” she questioned, somewhat angrily.

“N-no,” Dillon lied, fumbling over his words, “I was downstairs and then I realized you had been here for a while and that you probably wanted to be getting home and – and – I was just coming back up here to wake you up.” The last thing Dillon wanted to admit to Georgie was that he still had some feelings for her, when her mind, and quite possibly her heart, were obviously somewhere with somebody else.

Noting the time on the clock, Georgie replied, "Yeah, I should probably get going. I have the early shift tomorrow at Kelly’s and sometimes Bobbie wants me in early to help with the bills.” She rolled her eyes at the mere thought of it.

“Come downstairs with me and I’ll give you a ride home,” Dillon said, gesturing towards the door. “You don’t have to worry about getting a taxi or walking or anything.”

“Thanks, Dillon. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me today,” Georgie said. On the surface, it seemed as if she was only thanking him for taking her to his room and giving her a place to sleep – but on the inside, she was also grateful that he hadn’t prodded her any further as to the reason she had been crying in the park. She knew he was no doubt curious, but was glad that he at least respected her enough not to make her share it when she didn’t want to.

So when she yawned and reached her arms up above her head in an almost involuntary stretch from her exhaustion, she didn’t realize what she had done before it was too late. She didn’t even realize that the short halter top she had decided to wear to the party had ridden up when she stretched, revealing the ugly scar on her ribcage, until she saw the look on Dillon’s face. She quickly yanked her arms back down, and watched as Dillon’s eyes rose to meet with hers. They both knew that Dillon’s discovery at the scar had just created a new ridge between them, but neither could find it in them to speak, both unsure of what to say. Georgie knew that she was trapped, now that he had found the key to unlocking her secret; and Dillon knew the same, finally having a clue in finding out what it was that had changed Georgie from a bright, energetic teenager to such a tragic young woman.

Georgie prayed that Dillon would ignore it, pretend he hadn’t seen it, anything to leave the confrontation for another time.

But he was too motivated to keep silent. “What happened to you?,” he questioned briskly, desperate to know what had hurt her.

Georgie considered pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about, wondering that if he thought she didn’t know he’d seen it, he wouldn’t bring the topic up. But she also knew that her lying would only work for so long. Instead, she decided to fight back defensively. “Dillon, I’m not talking about it,” she answered stubbornly, refusing to give in to his inquiry.

“Why not, Georgie?,” he pleaded, “It’s obvious that something bad happened to you in the time I was away – and,” he tentatively continued, “I know it has to do with what happened in the park before.”

“I told you it’s nothing!,” Georgie responded loudly. “Can you please just leave it alone?!”

“If it’s just nothing, the why are you reacting so strongly to it?,” Dillon asked, his voice almost as loud as hers. Then realizing a fight wasn’t going to get him anywhere, he quieted it down. He continued in a soft voice, trying to comfort her, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“No!,” she replied again. But the strong façade that she was trying to hold was quickly crumbling away. She struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes again. “Nothing’s wrong, really,” she tried, a desperate attempt to avoid telling him the truth, even though she realized he wouldn’t let it go until she spoke the truth.

“How can I help you if I don’t know what’s wrong?,” Dillon asked calmly. He slowly reached out to her and placed his hand gently on a unscathed part of her arm. She jumped at the feeling of his cool hand on her arm, and then relaxed as she looked into his eyes and saw the look of genuine concern staring back at her. Dillon knew he was gradually breaking through the wall that she was trying to keep around herself, shielding her from admitting the truth.

He led her back over to the bed, as they both sat down on the edge. He took her hand in his and wiped away a tear that fell from her eye. “Georgie, please, I know we barely know each other anymore. But I still care about you and I want to help you the best I can,” he pleaded, “Please, tell me what hurt you.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Four

“I can’t do this, Dillon,” Georgie said, turning her head away from him, refusing to look him in the eyes. “It’s in the past – it’s over. Why would I tell you something that I’ve been trying to forget about for the last three years?”

“Because trying to forget it obviously isn’t working for you,” Dillon replied gently, “I can see in your eyes that you’re still in pain – from something. I want to help you, Georgie. But I can’t do that if I don’t know what’s wrong. I know it’s been years since we’ve spoken, but we were close before; I’ve always cared about you. Can’t you trust me enough to tell me the truth?”

“But I -,” she began, unsure of how to respond. She wanted to tell him everything that had happened when he was gone, wanted to tell him things about that past that she still had not told anyone else, not even her family. His caring, curious eyes were staring back at her, waiting for a response, genuine honesty reflected in them. Never in the last 3 years had she seen someone who she felt as if she could pour her heart out to and not be judged by until Dillon had returned. As he sat in front of her, begging for the truth, all she wanted to do was it give it to him, but was hesitant at doing it for fear she would only fall apart again. He had already seen it once, and she didn’t want to inflict that on him again.

“But what?,’ he responded, taking her hand comfortingly in his, “You’re afraid I’m going to laugh or scream or run away from something that I wasn’t here for to help you with? No, Georgie, I won’t. I only want to get you out of this sadness that it seems you’ve been calling your life since I left Port Charles.”

Yanking her hand from his, she said angrily, “Oh, so now that you’re back, I’m just supposed to accept that and tell you my life story? You return to town and get to automatically become the authority on me? No, I take care of myself – I don’t need you telling me what to say or do or trying to help me with something I’ve managed just fine on my own for the last 3 years! Where have you been all this time, anyway?” Inside, her heart was aching to tell him, but the shield she had held over herself against everyone else since Daniel’s death was still trying to fight against her instinct and find an excuse, any excuse, to avoid telling him how she really felt.

“I had to get away,” Dillon replied simply. “But I came back, didn’t I? Isn’t that enough? Do I have to justify my actions to you just because you’re too scared to speak a word of your past?”

The truth of his statement hit Georgie hard – she felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her, throwing her back into the horrible nightmare at the hospital when she had found out that her fiancé was never coming back for her. Immersed within her painful memories, Georgie realized that Dillon had read her too well – after all the years that he was away, he still knew when she was lying, trying to hide the truth from others, but more importantly, herself.

“How do you do that?,” Georgie asked, the returning tears glistening in her eyes as she breathed in deeply, trying to stifle the cries she fell rising within her.

“Do what?,’ Dillon replied calmly, knowing that he was finally starting to break down the wall that she had built around herself.

“How do you know exactly what it is that I’m thinking and feeling before I even say it?,” she questioned, finally looking him in the eyes. “It’s like you get inside my head and figure it out even though I don’t want you to. Like you’re reading my mind – nobody else can do that.”

Dillon hesitated before he answered. “It’s because you wear your emotions out in the open, Georgie. And in my life, I’ve learned to read people even when they don’t say a word. I can see the way you are, Georgie, just in the last few hours. The way you’re so guarded – how you pretend like you’re okay, when it’s obvious you aren’t. How you act like everything is right in the world when all you really want to do is break down and cry. And your eyes, Georgie – they’re so sad – so sad that they can’t even bear any more pain than what they’ve already seen. You’re stuck in this sadness, whatever it is and whatever it’s from – and you’re not ever going to be able to get out of it until you let everything out. I want to be the person that does that for you.”

Georgie only stared back at him, in too much disbelief at his words to even respond.

“Is that enough for you?,” he asked sincerely. “Can you tell me now?”

“It’s going to be hard,” she said sadly, trying to hold back the tears gathering in her eyes again. “I can’t do it without crying, and I hate crying all the time! I never used to be that way – and now it doesn’t end. I hate it.”

“I’m sorry it hurts you so much,” Dillon replied gently. “But I want to be here to wipe away the tears for you – I want to make it better.”

“Okay,” Georgie said simply, finally giving in to what had been building up for so long. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything – even what I haven’t told anybody else. But I need you to take me somewhere first.”

She stood up and walked toward the door of Dillon’s room. Dillon got up and walked over to where she stood, not saying a word, but knowing he had to let Georgie lead the way for the rest of the night. She reached out to turn the doorknob, and they silently walked out of the room together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Twenty minutes later, they were driving down a small side road in town in Dillon’s car, both of them sitting silently. After they had left Jake’s, Georgie had asked him to make a quick stop at the florist. She had run into the store, which was almost ready to close, and emerged a few minutes later with a simple bouquet of multi-colored carnations, but not a word of explanation to Dillon. He was growing more curious every moment, but decided not to ask anything until they reached their destination. Now, they sat in the car as they drove along the quiet, empty street, the flowers resting on the seat between them as Dillon drove at Georgie’s direction. The only words between the two were when she would quietly whisper where to turn in order to reach where she was taking him.

It was when the Port Charles Cemetery sign appeared on their left that Georgie quietly told him to turn.

“Here?,” Dillon asked, surprised, not expecting it to be their place of arrival.

Georgie nodded, but didn’t say anything. The sight of the place where she hadn’t visited in so long had already left her speechless.

Dillon quickly found a spot in the almost barren parking lot next to the closed office and drove in. He turned off the car and they stepped out, Georgie picking up the flowers from the seat next to her.

Once they were out of the car, Georgie simply said, “Follow me,” and headed down the path to where the gravestones lay scattered amongst the cemetery. Dillon followed along behind her, allowing her to lead the way. As they walked, the gentle night’s breeze fluttered through the sky, the summer’s gradual change into autumn beginning to take place.

They stopped a few moments later at a small section of the cemetery that was almost completely concealed from the rest of it. Georgie knelt down to the gravestone that lay hidden there and placed the flowers she had just bought on top of it. She closed her eyes for a moment, absorbing her surroundings, then opened them and looked up at Dillon. “You can sit if you want,” she said, her quiet voice sending chills down his spine.

He gently kneeled next to her and looked at the grave. It was adorned with a simple engraving: Daniel Harrison, An Angel Sent to Earth, Beloved Son and Friend. Georgie hesitated for a moment and then started to speak. “I came here every day for the first six months. I had to – I needed to talk to him. But knowing he wasn’t coming back no matter how much I talked to him – it hurt too much. So I stopped coming. I haven’t been back here in two years, but nothing’s changed. He’s still gone, and I’m still – alone.”

Dillon wasn’t sure what to say to her. He was confused – he didn’t know who this was, and why his death had hurt Georgie so much. And he didn’t know what kind of memory he was fighting against. Noticing the dates on the stone, Dillon finally spoke for the first time since they had entered the cemetery. “He was 18,” he began, then paused for a moment. “Who was he?”

Georgie tilted her head down and closed her eyes, as if she was trying to gather years and years of memories together within a few seconds. Her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as she sat there, recollecting the days and months of the past. She eventually started to talk, her eyes still closed as she struggled to recreate those moments in her mind.

“We were so young. That’s all that everybody else would tell us. But we didn’t care what they said – we were going to get married anyway.”

Dillon felt as if someone had taken a knife and plunged it deep into his heart. Here he was, trying desperately to get back the girl he had loved so many years before, and her secret turned out to be that she was still grieving for the loss of her fiancé. He was devastated not only for himself, but also for the pain Georgie had suffered - and for the memory of the man that she could not forget. He only opened his mouth to release a quiet “I’m so sorry”.

Georgie went on, the memories replaying themselves in her head. “It was going to be perfect. All of the arrangements were ready, and we had finally gotten our parents to accept it – they weren’t thrilled, but they were happy that we were happy with each other. The wedding was right around the corner. It was going to be so beautiful. And then we’d finally be together forever.”

A small smile had formed on her lips as she remembered the events that she hadn’t let herself think about for so long. Dillon watched tearfully as she sat with her eyes still closed, engulfed in memories of a happy time long since destroyed. His heart broke for her, as he feared what would come next, dashing the joyful memories from her mind and the beautiful smile from her face.

She remained quiet for a few moments, and then the frown overtook her face. “I knew the road was icy, and it was snowing. I was a little bit worried when we got in the car. But – I knew – I knew that he could drive in it. He had before, so why would this time be different? We were so excited about everything that had been moving so quickly for us. We were so happy.” Tears began to trickle their way down her face from her closed eyes. “Maybe I should’ve let him pay more attention to the road. But everything seemed so perfect. Why would I think anything could go wrong? I thought we were invincible.” She cringed in fear as the memory of that night came back. “But, we weren’t. Because suddenly he wasn’t in control anymore. I screamed to him, and then it was over.”

Georgie finally was able to open her red-rimmed eyes and look at him, “It was all over. He was gone – and nothing has been the same since.”

“My God, Georgie, I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” Dillon said sincerely, almost to the point of crying himself.

“Me too,” she said, not bothering to wipe the tears that rolled down her cheeks, “I should have died with him.”

“No!,” Dillon exclaimed to her, reaching to put his hands on her face. “No, you shouldn’t have – you lived for a reason. Maybe through all the tears and pain, that reason’s not clear yet; but I promise it’s there. You have to believe that.”

“It’s hard for me to believe that – Don’t you understand?!,” she replied harshly. “What reason is there for any of this to have happened? If he was going to be taken away from me, why was he given to me in the first place?”

“I can’t answer that for sure,” Dillon said. “Maybe there is no reason. Maybe it was to teach you a lesson – to teach you that you can go on. That maybe there is life after death and you can keep his memory alive through your actions. Live life to the fullest, to make up for everything that he’s going to miss. And enjoy it, rather than being saddened by it." He paused, unsure of how to mend her broken heart and then admitted, "Listen, I don’t really know what I’m talking about. But if you to were as in love as it sounds, he would only want you to be happy, not mourn for him for the rest of your life.”

“What are you trying to say, Dillon? That I can’t miss him anymore?,” she said angrily. “That, oh, look at the time, it’s been long enough, so forget about him and have the time of my life? You know what, that’s what everyone else has been saying to me for months. I thought you were going to be different, Dillon. Like you always used to be. I guess you’re just the same as everybody else.” She quickly stood up and wiped the grass from her clothes, as she prepared to walk away.

Dillon darted up beside her. “Georgie, that’s not what I meant at all. You misunderstood. You know that he’s gone and he’s not coming back – you accepted that a long time ago. There’s no reason to forget about him....he’ll be with you forever. But you deserve to be happy, too! Not angry and bitter and sad your whole life. Can’t you find a balance between the two?”

Georgie settled down when she realized Dillon had truly not meant to hurt her with his words. “I’m sorry,” she said apologetically, ashamed at the way she had overreacted. “I tend to go off a lot more like that than I ever used to. I’m just tired of people telling me how to feel – that’s up to me.” She sighed, brushing away a stray piece of hair that had fallen across her face. “Can we go now? I’ve had enough crying for day. Let’s get out of here.”

“Whatever you want,” Dillon said, smiling. The two began toward the car. “As long as everything is okay between us.”

“It is with me if it is with you,” she replied, wiping the tears off of her face. “Thank you for doing this – for taking me here, and listening. No one else would do that for me. After – well, you know - they always tried to give me their solutions to my problems, as if what would help them would help me, too. They never let me say what I wanted to. You did that for me. Thank you.” At this point, they had finally reached Dillon’s car. Before Dillon could walk around to the driver’s side, Georgie stopped him. “Dillon, wait.” He turned back to her. “Thanks again. You always were an amazing friend – I’m glad that hasn’t changed between us.” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug of gratitude.

“It’s no problem,” Dillon replied, as her head lay on his comforting shoulder for a brief moment. His heart pounded at having her so close to him again after so many years apart. He was reminded of what had made him fall in love with her before, when they were barely adults - and he couldn’t have her then. He had thought coming back to Port Charles was going to be his second chance, an opportunity to capture what he had lost when he was just a confused teenager. Now she was the one needing safety and stability, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her. He didn’t plan on giving up his fight to have her, to help her, to hold her in arms – but, in order to save her from herself, he would be facing the hardest job of his life – helping her move on from the memory of a love long lost.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Five

Dillon slowly walked up towards the looming oak doors that served as the entrance to the Quartermaine mansion, raising his hand to ring the doorbell. After the two weeks since he had arrived in Port Charles and stayed in anonymity from almost everyone in town, he had finally decided to let the Quartermaine’s know that he was back. After all, if he was choosing to make Port Charles his home, he couldn’t hide from them forever. He heard the doorbell echo from inside the house as he pressed down on the button. He stood patiently as he waited for the door to open, expecting a butler or one of the Quartermaines to be on the other side. When it finally did, he was greeted by neither.

Instead, a small child was the one struggling to open the heavy door. She looked curiously up at Dillon, her wide eyes staring at him with confusion. The little girl was about five and had long brown hair which fell down her back, almost as dark as the color of her eyes. “Hey, you’re not my cousins!,” she said, angrily stomping her foot down onto the floor. “What did you do with them? And who are you?”

“My name is Dillon,” he replied, squatting down to be more on her level, and extending his hand for a handshake. “What’s your name?”

The little girl eyed him warily for a few moments, unsure of what to say to the man that stood in front of her. Finally, her curiosity took over. She reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Kristina Davis Ashton,” she replied proudly, smiling. But suddenly, she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh no,” she squeaked out from between her fingers.

“What is it?,” Dillon replied. He now knew that the child was his niece, who he had last seen as a baby, but he also knew that she didn’t know him and probably didn’t trust him either.

Removing her hand from her mouth, she said, “My mommy and daddy told me never to talk to strangers – I shouldn’t have told you my name. You have to leave now.” She started to close the door on him.

“I know you don’t know me, Kristina, but I knew you when you were just a baby. If you let me in and go get your dad, I’m sure he’ll tell you it’s okay for me to be here,” Dillon said, trying to reason with the stubborn child.

“No, I can’t,” Kristina said. “I’m going to go wait for my cousins. Bye.” She again tried to push the door closed on him, but Dillon reached out to keep it from shutting. Kristina looked about ready to scream, when Dillon heard the familiar voice of his brother coming from inside the house.

“Kristina, who’s at the door?,” Ned said. Dillon’s face was still concealed from Ned’s point of view as he spoke to his adopted daughter.

“A stranger,” Kristina said simply, opening the door to show him who stood in the doorway.

Dillon quickly stood up from the position he was in as he came face to face with his brother. “Ned,” was all Dillon could say before a look of surprise, concern, and happiness overtook his brother’s face all at once.

“Kristina,” Ned said to the confused girl, “I’m going to talk to this man for a little while, okay? Why don’t you go to your room and get out some more toys out to play with – I’m sure Cousin Emily and the boys will be here in just a few more minutes.”

“But who is he?,” she said, tossing a wary glance toward Dillon.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Ned told her. “Now go upstairs.” With one last curious look at Dillon, the little girl ran toward the staircase and scurried up.

Over the initial shock of seeing his brother after so long, Ned opened his mouth to speak. “Come in, please,” he said, ushering Dillon into the house.

Dillon stepped in as Ned closed the door firmly behind him, and then followed Ned as he led him into the den. Ned gestured for him to sit on the couch as he poured two glasses of water and carried them over, handing one to Dillon. He sat down and looked at his brother questioningly.

“Yeah, so you want to know why I’m here,” Dillon said, putting his glass down on the table next to them. “There’s no certain reason, really. I mean – I don’t know. I was sick of never staying one place and having a non-relationship with our mother. I’ve been an adult for years now. I don’t know why I didn’t get away from it all sooner – whatever, that doesn’t matter now. I – I was looking for a place with stability, I guess. I don’t know. At least I knew I had some family here, even if –“

“Even if they treated you like you were invisible when you were here as a teenager?,” Ned said, finishing the sentence.

With a wistful laugh, Dillon replied, “Yeah, basically.”

“I wasn’t oblivious to it, you know. But you know the family was a mess then,” Ned went on. “Emily was hiding from everyone that she was sick, everything that was going on with Alexis, and Kristina, and – no one was intending to ignore you, Dillon. That’s just the way things are in this family.”

“Uh yeah, it’s fine, really,” Dillon said, rubbing his legs and looking around the room nervously. “So, um, I just thought I’d let you know that I’m back in town –“

“Do you need a place to stay?,” Ned asked, “Because you know there’s plenty of space here for you.”

“Um, no I have a place. I’ve got that covered,” the younger brother responded. “Listen, Ned, I’m not asking for anything by coming here. I just thought I’d let you know I’m here in PC if you need me – or something. Emily already knows – she saw me a few weeks ago, but I told her to hold off for a while before telling anyone. Anyway, I figured I’d kept it to myself long enough, so – here I am.” He looked around and into the house’s front foyer, noting that the house was relatively subdued, quieter than it had ever been when he had briefly lived there. “So, where is everyone?,” he asked, remembering the loud frenzy the house had always seemed to be in.

“You probably noticed that a lot’s changed here in the past few years,” Ned stated. “Lila – well, she passed away just a short time after you left. Grandfather couldn’t take it anymore in this house without her, so he bought another house in town and lives there by himself now. He’s changed a lot since then. Alan and Monica are at the hospital – they should be home in a bit. Um, Alexis and I got married…” Noting the look of surprise on Dillon’s face, he simply said, “There’s a lot of history between the two of us that you never knew about, and what can I say? I guess we found it again. Anyway, she and Kristina moved in here. Emily comes by pretty often and Kristina plays with her cousins. But other than that – I guess you can say a lot’s changed in this house. It’s pretty empty now.”

Just then, a knock came at the front door. “That must be Emily,” Ned said. “She’s due to get here any minute. I better go get that before Kristina throws a fit about not being able to seem them soon enough.”

He got up and walked to the front of the house, and Dillon followed behind him. “I’m gonna get going,” he said as they walked. “Um – I guess I’ll be back everyone once in a while – as long as you want me here.”

“I think I’m going to need a little bit of time to explain to Kristina who you are and where you came from. And I’ll tell the rest of the family,” Ned said. “But you know you’re welcome here whenever you want.”

Ned opened the front door, where Emily stood holding the hands of her little boys, who were fussing and whining next to her. “Dillon,” she said, surprised to see him at the Quartermaines.

“Yeah, you’re not the only one who knows anymore. Feel free to tell anyone you want now,” Dillon said humorously. “I’m gonna get going. I’ll talk to you both later.”

As Emily stepped in, Dillon walked out, closing the door and leaving the family behind him.

Finally content at making sure that everything was at peace with his family now that he was back, Dillon hopped down the steps and headed towards Kelly’s, where he hoped to find Georgie.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Georgie sighed exasperatedly as she walked across the diner, carrying two pitchers of coffee in her hands to table five and the elderly couple that sat there. “Regular or decaf?,” she asked, seeing that their cups needed refilling. They asked for decaf, and she poured it sloppily into their nearly empty cups, too tired to focus much on what she was doing.

She walked back behind the counter and looked at the crowded restaurant, exhausted after the day’s work. The diner had been busier than usual, and it seemed as if every customer had had a personal vendetta against her that day, because no one had seemed to be happy with anything. Their coffee was too cold, the restaurant was too hot, the order was wrong, the customers next to them were too loud – and the whole time, Georgie had to trudge through it all and fix whatever was wrong, a begrudged fake smile plastered on her face. It had gone on all morning and afternoon, and after the past week she had had, all she wanted to do was go home and sleep. Checking her watch and seeing it read 3:45, she knew that wouldn’t happen, because in a few minutes, her sister would walk in with Mikayla, and she’d be off to watch her until the child fell asleep.

She knew she needed to get her energy back up to entertain her niece for the next few hours, but she was so tired, she didn’t know how she would be able to. Thinking, she walked over to where the shift’s other waitress stood picking up a table’s order and gave her a look of pleading.

“Hey Samantha?,” she said to her co-worker. “Do you care if I step out a few minutes early before the night girls get here? I have to watch Mikayla tonight, and I just need a little break before she gets here."

Looking around Kelly’s, where the early dinner patrons were starting to disperse, Samantha said, “Yeah, it’s okay, go ahead. I can handle this for a few minutes longer.”

“Thanks,” she said with a smile, anxiously ripping off her apron. “I owe you one.”

With a yawn, she walked toward the door and stepped outside. There was a slight chill in the air, enough that a light sweater, or at least long sleeves, were warranted to keep one warm from it. Georgie was glad, because she knew no one would question the long-sleeved shirts she had been wearing all week – not because of the weather, but to hide the ugly scratches and bruises on her arms that were still healing. They were a secret to everyone except her – and Dillon.

She pulled out a chair at one of the empty tables outside and sat, waiting for Maxie to come and drop off Mikayla. Immediately, her thoughts turned to Dillon. She was so confused about what was going on between the two of them. She hadn’t seen him in a week, since he dropped her off at her house the day that they had gone to the cemetery together. And Georgie didn’t even know what they were to each other. He had said he’d be there for her whenever she needed it, but he hadn’t left her his number, nor had he contacted her at all in the last week. She didn’t know how they stood, and felt awkward about the relationship between them, after everything she had poured out to him, a man who she really didn’t know anymore. Were they friends, people who you could just call and would be there for you in a second? Or were they just acquaintances, no more than someone you say hello to when you pass on the street?

Georgie didn’t know what to think, but either way, she wished she could have back the one good person who had been able to help her when no one else could.

And as if he was reading her mind, Georgie suddenly heard footsteps and a voice come from behind her. “Long time, no see,” she heard, as he came around in front of her. He looked into the window at the solitary payphone which hung in the back of the restaurant. “What a coincidence that I would meet you here.”

Georgie followed his gaze, and her eyes locked on the same thing that his did. And they both knew they were remembering the same day, all those years ago, when the two had first crossed paths in Port Charles. To her, it was a past life, a memory of something come and gone. For him, it was a moment and a time that he was desperate to regain.

“So,” Dillon said, pulling over a chair and sitting down across from her. “You look pretty lonely sitting here all by yourself. Let’s go do something.”

Georgie was relieved to hear that he wasn’t bringing up the past week’s events and that he wasn’t treating her any differently. The only thing she was sorry about was that she had to turn his offer down, even though she wanted nothing more than to go out and do something – anything – that she hadn’t let herself do.

“Dillon, I can’t go with you,” she said, “I mean, I would really love to, but –“

“Georgie,” he replied pleadingly, “I thought you told me that you were going to try to start moving away from all this.”

“I am, really,” Georgie said, trying to convince him. “That’s not why I can’t go – as a matter of fact, here comes my reason right now,” she continued, her head turning to the direction from where her sister and niece were walking.

Dillon watched as Maxie followed her daughter, who was running quickly to her aunt. “Angie!!,” the little girl yelled happily, bounding into her lap. Then, seeing the unfamiliar face of the man who sat across from her, she was overcome with shyness and buried her head in her aunt’s shoulder. Peeking out, she whispered, “Angie, who is that?,” pointing a small index finger in Dillon’s direction.

Georgie looked alarmed to see Maxie and Dillon meet, her having told neither of them anything about the other. She didn’t know of the distant, silent exchange that had gone between the two of them in the park the day of Mikayla’s birthday party.

“Um, Maxie – as if you couldn’t tell – Dillon’s back,” Georgie said quietly, averting their eyes.

“Yeah, I see,” Maxie said, pretending as if she was seeing him again for the first time for Georgie’s sake. “I’m surprised to see you back here.”

“Apparently, so were a lot of people,” Dillon replied simply, with a small laugh.

“Mikayla, this is my friend Dillon,” Georgie said to the little girl. “And Dillon, this is my niece.”

Mikayla shyly turned around until she was facing Dillon. “Hi,” she said in a small voice.

“Hi Mikayla,” Dillon said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence between the group until Maxie finally spoke to her daughter, “Well, I’m going to get going. Okay, baby? Don’t forget to show Aunt Georgie the surprise you made for her!” She leaned over and kissed the little girl on the forehead. “Bye guys.”

“Is Dillon gonna come and play with us?,” Mikayla said as soon as her mother was gone, looking up at Georgie inquisitively.

“I don’t know,” Georgie responded uncertainly, looking at Dillon over the top of Mikayla’s head. “Are you?”

“Sure,” Dillon said, smiling back at the two. “Why not?”

----------

Several hours later, Georgie and Dillon sat on the couch in the living room of her apartment, worn out from chasing around little Mikayla all night until she had finally fallen asleep and Georgie had carried her to bed.

“You do this every day?,” Dillon asked, resting his head on the back of the couch. “That child is – energetic.”

“It’s not that hard,” Georgie replied, laughing. “You just have to know what keeps her entertained and do it and then she’s fine.”

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve never really been around kids. I guess I missed out a lot not growing up with a sibling,” Dillon said, “Or even having a real childhood myself. I never had friends or family like that when I was little. I swear, I played more hide-and-seek, tag, freeze dance, and board games today then I ever did as a kid.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Dillon,” Georgie said playfully, nudging him with her elbow. “But I hope today made up for some of that. I mean, I saw the way you were into that one game of Candyland – you were intense.”

“Hey, I wanted to win!,” Dillon said in defense of himself, “You have a problem with people who actually try to achieve things?” He nudged her back, his fingers tickling her side.

Georgie shrieked as he tickled her side. “Don’t, Dillon!,” she said, laughing. “You know how much I hate being tickled! – “ She jumped again as he poked her side again and started to tickle her. She reached out to poke him in return, and before they knew it, they were in the middle of a full-fledged tickling fight. They were both in hysterics from laughter as they fought on the couch. But after a minute or two, they both stopped to catch their breath. Georgie lay on her back, her head resting on the arm of the couch. Dillon was hovering over her, his arms holding him up over her. The laughter ceased as they looked at each other, the smiles fading from their lips as they stared at each other.

They seemed entranced with each other for a few brief seconds, until Dillon slowly started to move down toward her, their faces becoming closer and closer.

But suddenly, Georgie’s face turned to one of fear and she sat up quickly, moving out from underneath him. Seeing the look on her face, Dillon quickly sat up as well. “Georgie – ,“ he began.

“No, Dillon. I don’t want to hear it. I can’t be in this situation right now or anything like it,” she said firmly.

“But Georgie, I only wanted to -,” he tried again, only to be interrupted.

“I said I’m not doing this right now!,” she repeated. “Can you please just go now? I promised Mikayla I’d come check on her.”

“Okay,” Dillon said apologetically. “Really, I’m sorry if I did something I shouldn’t.” He looked around uncomfortably. “Um –thanks for having me over, I guess.”

“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you or anything,” she responded. “And thanks for coming – Mikayla had fun. And so did I.”

They got up and Georgie walked him toward the door. He opened it and stepped outside into the cool night. “Bye, I guess,” he said, “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” Georgie replied awkwardly, “I’ll call you or something.”
She reached her arms out toward him and they shared a quick hug. “Goodnight,” she whispered.

“'Night,” he said back, and then turned to walk away.

Georgie watched quietly as he walked down to his car, and then closed the door, leaning her head against it with a sigh. The events of the last few moments replayed themselves in her mind. And she didn’t know what to think about them. Her mind was telling her that she was began to feel something for Dillon that she hadn’t felt in years – but her heart told her that acting on them would betray the years of memories with Daniel. She was as lost and confused as ever, and desperately trying to find an answer.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Six

The music pouring from the corner jukebox pulsated through Jake’s, coinciding with the constant rhythm of pool balls clacking at the tables scattered throughout. Dillon sat at the bar and raised his hand to signal Coleman to bring him another round of drinks. It was getting late, but Dillon had been sitting at the bar since the late afternoon, slowly nursing down the alcohol he bought. Several men had come to drown their sorrows and chat with him throughout the night about there problems, but they had all come and gone. Yet Dillon remained, lost and feeling he had no purpose or anywhere else to go. It wasn’t so much that he felt bad for himself – it was more like he felt bad for the people he couldn’t help.

He checked his watch; it was after eleven, and he saw no refuge in sight – not for that night, the next day, week, or the future in general. He felt useless. Though he had contacted his family, none of them had made any particular effort since to talk to him; he knew that he wouldn’t be able to live off the money his mother had lent him forever, and realized he would need to start looking for a job soon; and most of all, he ached for Georgie. He cringed at the thought of the last few awkward minutes they had spent together at her apartment the few nights before. He nervously awaited the next day, as she had called and asked him to help watch Mikayla again. He sighed as he placed another empty cup on the counter in front of him, trying to tune out the noise surrounding him. For a few brief moments in his mind, he debated going back to his mother in Europe. Sure he would be just as lonely as he was now, but he figured any place had to be better than Port Charles was to him at the moment. But he quickly shook his head, trying to erase the thought from his mind. His mother had try to discourage him from coming back to Port Charles in the first place, and going crying back to her would only prove her right.

Sighing, Dillon was just about ready to stand and go up to his room when a man with a familiar face entered Jake’s and sat down at the bar a stool away from him. Curiosity got the best of him, and Dillon remained in his seat, determined to figure out who he was. The other man was oblivious to Dillon’s presence, and even less oblivious to the fact that he should have looked familiar to him as well. Dillon watched as Coleman handed him a drink, and from the quick delivery of it, he guessed that the man was probably a regular. He slugged back the drink and slammed the glass down on the table, loudly demanding another. As he waited, the man turned to look at the pool games in progress, obviously wanting to barge in on a game, as the smug grin that went along with this idea took over his face. It was when Dillon saw the obnoxious smirk that he finally realized who the man was. Vague memories of Maxie’s drug-hungry boyfriend from the short time when Dillon had been in PC began to resurface in his mind. Kyle Radcliffe, the selfish lowlife who had only cared about partying, drinking, and getting high as a teenager, had apparently not changed a bit.

“I guess old habits die hard, don’t they?,” Dillon said bluntly, trying to see what kind of reaction he could incite out of the other man.

Kyle hesitated for a moment, and then his head snapped towards Dillon’s direction.

“What was that?,” he asked angrily, staring Dillon in the eyes. It was obvious that Kyle had no remembrance of who Dillon was. Dillon was slightly shocked when he was able to get a closer look at Kyle’s face. It was incredibly thin, his eyes almost sunken in, lacking any bit of sparkle or shine. It didn’t take long to realize that years of drug use had done that to him. The scowl that spread across his dry lips was angry, and he seemed intent on figuring out who had dared speak to him like Dillon just had.

“You heard me,” Dillon replied matter-of-factly. He didn’t doubt it was a mixture of the alcohol in his own system, his loneliness, or anger at the fact that Kyle had been destroying a chance at life that Daniel never had the opportunity to live. But whatever way it was, he couldn’t hold himself back from mocking the man who sat next to him. “You know I’m right, don’t you?,” he continued. “A little X, some beer, a girl, and a video camera in your bedroom? Any of this sounding familiar?”

“What the hell -?,” Kyle looked back at him in confusion, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Dillon could see the wheels turning in his head as he shuffled through years of jumbled memories. Dillon was beginning to think he wouldn’t even register amongst the effects of a drug-addled past, but after a few moments, Kyle’s face suddenly changed into one of recognition. All of the uncertainty left his manner as the smug grin returned to his face. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Dilly Q. back in good old PC again. Can’t say I missed you.”

“What a shame,” Dillon replied sarcastically, “And here I thought your maturity level might have gone up a bit since I saw you last.”

“Ooh,” Kyle said, throwing his hands up in front of him in mock fear, “I’m so insulted.” He scoffed disgustedly as he picked up the refilled glass that had been put in front of him and swallowed it down. He turned and looked back at Dillon. “Look, I don’t know why you’re back in town and I don’t really care either. But I want you to stay the hell away from me, you hear me?,” he said, pointing a finger in Dillon’s direction. “I have enough damn problems on my own without having to deal with some little jerk who thinks he’s so much better than me.”

Dillon remained quiet for a minute and then spoke up, wanting to draw a truce. “You know what – just – whatever, man. We’re both grown adults sitting here acting like teenagers again. I think we’re both better than that. What good is it going to us acting like the idiots that we used to be?”

Kyle looked up at him in amazement. “Are you freaking serious?,” he asked, almost to the point of laughing at Dillon’s attempt for peace. “That’s a bunch of crap if I’ve ever heard it.”

“I just figured we both have enough of our own stuff to deal with without having to worry about what the other one thinks,” Dillon rationalized. Then, adding with a touch of sarcasm, “Juuuust trying to help.”

Not looking him straight in the face, Kyle offered out is hand in agreement. “Uh….fine. I won’t be a pain in the ass.” The two shook and Dillon agreed to the same. They sat at the bar for a few more minutes in silence until Kyle finally spoke.

“So, uh, what the hell ARE you doing back here, anyway?,” he questioned with genuine wonder. “Last I heard, you were back in Europe. Don’t tell me the charms of PC were so much more exciting that they lured you back.”

Dillon laughed. “Not exactly,” he said, shrugging. “But without getting into the whole long story, I just needed to get away. As for why I picked here, who knows? I guess it’s as good a place as any.” Dillon figured that was as good an explanation as he needed to give to anyone. He also knew better than to inquire to Kyle about his activities in life since he had last known him – in the condition he looked, it was no doubt any more than one drug binge and arrest after another. Though he had never liked the man, Dillon only hoped that Kyle had someone who would help him before it was too late.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he realized it was after midnight. Georgie had told him over the phone that Maxie had an early shift at the hospital, and she’d have to watch Mikayla from six in the morning until almost three. She’d invited him to come again after telling him that it was at Mikayla’s request. Dillon had happily obliged, grateful for the chance, and desperate to right what he had done wrong at her house the last time he was there.

“Well, I’m leaving,” Dillon said, standing up and pushing back his stool. “Do me a favor and take a cab home. I’d offer to take you, but I’ve been talking to Georgie since I got back and I’m going over there tomorrow.” Dillon wasn’t sure if Kyle had even associated with the Jones’ sisters in the last few years, but he continued on. “One, because I need to apologize for being stupid, and two, because I’ve supposedly been requested for by her niece, Mikayla.”

At the mention of the little girl’s name, Kyle’s head snapped up. “Mikayla? Have you seen her?”

Dillon looked at Kyle questioningly. He didn’t know how and when Maxie and Kyle’s relationship had ended, but considering that his name had never even been mentioned when he had talked to the sisters, he had figured he was long gone out of both of their lives. And from what Georgie had told him, the boyfriend that had gotten Maxie pregnant left town as soon as he found out, and she hadn’t heard from him since. Confused, Dillon wasn’t sure how to respond. Why would Kyle want to know about the child of a girl he had dated in high school?

He echoed the words aloud. “Why in hell would you care about some other man’s daughter?,” he asked briskly.

“Because she’s not some other man’s daughter,” Kyle replied, averting his eyes from Dillon. “She’s mine.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Georgie sat outside Gate 5 at the airport, impatiently tapping her foot in wait for the landing of the plane she had been waiting for since eight in the evening. Because of bad weather, the flight had been delayed at its place of departure and pushed back its arrival time from nine until almost one in the morning. Georgie yawned as she looked around the nearly desolate airport. A few other people sat reading newspapers, looking as bored as she felt, and others walked pulling luggage behind them. She longed for her bed and hoped she would be able to get a few precious hours of sleep before her sister dropped off Mikayla. But at the rate the night was going, she didn’t figure she had much of a chance left.

Resting her head on the back of the chair and propping up her feet, she reminded herself that Lucas was coming back to PC to visit for a few weeks after nearly a year since moving to Chicago and attending medical school, and she had promised she would meet him when he got in.

Georgie realized she must have drifted off to sleep when she was startled awake by a voice over the loudspeaker saying, ”Flight 39 from Chicago has now landed at Gate 5.” A pause, and then again, “Flight 39 has now landed at Gate 5.”

Georgie eagerly stood up and brushed her hands over her now-rumpled clothes and tangled hair. She couldn’t wait to see her cousin and then hail a taxi home. After ten minutes, a stream of people finally began to emerge. Georgie’s eyes searched through the small crowd, until she finally spotted him.

“Lucas!,” she called out, waving her hand to get his attention. The other people from the flight began to disperse in different directions, and Lucas hurried towards her, pulling a small suitcase behind him.

“Hey!,” he grinned as he approached her, dropping his luggage and embracing her in tight hug. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Me too,” she replied, returning the hug. Then, pulling away, she went on. “Now, tell me everything that’s been happening in your life. How’s Jaclyn?,” she said in reference to her cousin’s wife.

“Everything’s fine at home,” he replied with a smile, as they started walking to the baggage claim. “Jackie really wanted to come over and see you guys, too, but it would be so hard with the baby and all, so she decided against it. I hope I’m enough for you,” he said with a wink.

“Of course,” Georgie replied with a tired smile, “But right now, I just want to get to a bed.”

Half an hour later, they were in a cab traveling slowly through the streets of Port Charles. It was a clear night, and the light from the moon illuminated the quiet streets and dark houses. The ride home had been relatively silent, the cousins who hadn’t seen each other in so long both awkwardly unsure of what to say to one another.

“So, uh –“ Georgie began, “I hope the guest room at my place will be okay for you for tonight. I know it’s not much, but – it’s about all I can give you until you go stay with your mom.”

“Yeah, thanks, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he replied. After a slight pause, he said, “Georgie, I just want to let you know you look so much better than you did the last time I saw you.”

Georgie immediately took in a sharp breath, as she felt like she’d just been punched in the stomach. A year before, when Lucas had left for good, Georgie had still been a wreck, barely able to let herself leave the house. Everyone had been worried about her then, afraid that she was going to crumble at any minute, still distraught after Daniel’s death. She knew that Lucas had meant no harm in what he said, but being away, he didn’t know how hard she was trying to move on, and how his comment had brought her back to that time. “Did you have to say that?,” she snapped angrily, glaring at him.

Confused at why his compliment had offended her, but still feeling guilty, he only said quietly, “I - I’m really sorry, Georgie.”

He got no response, only an icy glare until she turned her head to stare out the window. A few minutes later, the taxi pulled to a stop in front of Georgie’s apartment building. They got out in silence, and Georgie stood as Lucas unloaded his luggage and paid the driver. The cab sped off and the two were left standing outside, neither saying a word.

Georgie felt guilty over being angry at her cousin, but she couldn’t help it. The last week, she had been able to live normally, able to focus on things other than her past, and was starting to move on from the things she couldn’t change. And Lucas’ words had just brought it all back, her shame, her sadness, and her confusion. And she needed someone who knew, someone who understood, to help her.

Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a key and tossed it to Lucas. “Here,” she said briskly, ready to burst into tears, “Number 3B. Make yourself comfortable. There’s plenty of food in the fridge. Fresh sheets are in the closet next to the kitchen. I have somewhere else I need to be.” Lucas watched, dumbfounded, as Georgie stalked quickly over to her car and jumped in the driver’s seat.

Once Georgie was in the car, she yanked on her seatbelt and turned the ignition, then flipped on a rock station and blasted the volume. She angrily pulled out of the spot and headed out of the neighborhood, seeing her cousin staring after her in the rearview mirror. Biting her lip to fight back the tears, she blindly drove to the only place she knew she could go and be accepted, no questions asked. And so she drove, desperate to find the comfort she knew awaited her in Dillon’s tiny room above Jake’s.

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Seven

“What?,” Dillon asked incredulously, taken aback by the words that Kyle had just said.

“You heard me,” Kyle replied, his dark eyes turning back to where the shocked Dillon stood. “Mikayla is my daughter.”

Immediately, a hundred thoughts were running through Dillon’s head at once. Trying to absorb what Kyle had just let slip, he was also trying to figure out the truth behind what Georgie had told him about Mikayla’s paternity. ‘A boyfriend that left her’ was what she had said. Dillon took it to mean just that, and had considered it none of his business to pry any further into Maxie’s past. Now, he was more than curious to figure out the truth behind the lie he, and he realized, most others, had been fed.

Dillon looked back at the man in front of him. It was obvious that Kyle was drunk – intoxicated enough to the point that he could easily let out information that had no doubt been kept private for the last three years. Dillon felt guilty about taking advantage of the situation, and prayed that it wouldn’t come back to haunt him once Kyle realized what he had said. Against his better judgement, he casually continued his inquiry.

“I – I didn’t know that,” Dillon went on innocently, sitting back down, trying to act as if he had no knowledge of the situation. “Not like I ever thought about it or anything, I guess it just never crossed my mind that –“

“Oh, just say it!,” Kyle spat, halting Dillon in the middle of his sentence. “I know what you want to ask. Why’d you leave her, right? How could you just walk out on your own child?”

Dillon could hear the mix of anger and frustration rising in Kyle’s voice. He realized that the matter which stood between was one that had weighed heavily on Kyle’s mind ever since the birth of daughter, and now that someone had finally cared enough to ask, nothing would stop him from revealing every detail. The noise in the bar was gradually starting to decrease as patrons decided to leave. A clap of thunder sounded outside, and after a minute, the sound of a pouring rain pounding against the windows followed. Coleman would occasionally glance up every once in a while from the end of the bar, but for the most part, he left the two men alone. There wasn’t anybody near enough to the two to stop Kyle from going on with the story.

“I – um – no, I didn’t mean that at all,” Dillon responded calmly, trying not to get Kyle any more agitated. “I just thought, maybe, if you wanted to, um, tell someone what’s going on, you could, um….” Dillon had no clue what he was trying to say. He was thankful when Kyle overtook the conversation, but even more shocked at the revelations that followed.

Kyle started out slowly, his voice choppy and uncertain at first, then quickly gathering speed and confidence as the story spilled out.

“She didn’t want anyone to know – and after three years, nobody does. When she got pregnant, we were both stupid enough to still be doing drugs. We did whatever pills I could get....we’d take whatever I could find. But she made herself stop when she realized there was a baby coming. And-” Kyle’s eyes began to blur with tears. “And she told me that I had to stop too if I wanted to be a father to our child. I tried, I really did. But I just couldn’t stop. I tried hiding it from her, anything to keep us together, and for a few weeks it worked. She thought I was clean. But one day, she was going through my things and realized I was lying to her. She kicked me out of the house and told me not to speak a word about the baby. And I never have – I mean, I’m no honorable person, but even I wouldn’t want to hurt my daughter like that. She’s better off having no father than having one like me. And ever since then, I’ve had nothing to live for except for my next fix and the chance that I might get lucky enough to actually see my daughter in the grocery store or on the docks and at least be able know that she’s growing up safe way from me.” Kyle took a last swig of his drink, emptying out the last droplets that sat on the bottom of the glass. He cleared his throat and stood up unsteadily. “So, there’s my sad story. Happy now, Quartermaine? How glad are you to see that I ended up exactly the way you thought I would? A wasted nobody here in PC while you spent the last five years living it up in Europe? Must be the life.” He slammed down a few bills to pay for his drinks and looked to Dillon for a response.

Dillon only stared blankly at him for a few moments, unable to figure out what to say. “Well, maybe if you’d thought half a decade ago how your life would turn out when you were a naïve teenager, you’d be with your daughter and her mother right now.” Dillon sighed – he could see that Kyle was so drunk that he would barely remember anything that had gone on. Dillon looked around Jake’s. It had emptied during the last half an hour, and the two men were the only ones left. “Come on, let’s go, I’ll give you a lift home.” Kyle grunted a response of agreement, too worn out to even argue. It was as Dillon was pulling his car keys out of his pocket that he looked up and saw the figure before him.

She was standing next to the entrance into Jake’s, tears staining her cheeks. Her clothes and hair dripped with rain, but she didn’t move – she only stood solemnly, her red-rimmed eyes boring back into Dillon’s, silently pleading him tor help. He couldn’t leave now.

Not removing his eyes from the woman standing in the doorway, he reached for his wallet and blindly handed over a bill to Kyle. “Listen, man,” he said, “It’s pouring out. Do yourself a favor and call a cab.” Kyle looked at the bill and nodded, puzzled, then headed toward the door. He walked out, oblivious to the soaking person waiting there.

Dillon waited for the sound of the door slamming shut before he gingerly stepped over to where she stood. He took off the jacket he had been wearing and wrapped it around her shivering body. “Georgie?,” he inquired quietly. “Are - are you okay?”

She looked up into his eyes and nodded slowly. Wrapping the jacket tightly around her shoulders, a slight smile formed on her lips. “I think I will be now.”

---------------------------

A few minutes later, the two were up in Dillon’s room, an awkward silence resting between them. “You must be freezing,” Dillon stated in observance of her rain-soaked clothes. He stepped over to his dresser and pulled out a long-sleeved shirt of his. “Here,” he said, handing it to her, “Change into something warm.” Wordlessly, Georgie took the shirt from his hand and disappeared into the bathroom. As he waited, Dillon paced the room, desperately trying to figure out what to say when she emerged. He sat down on the edge of the bed anxiously. She stepped out a few moments later, Dillon’s shirt hanging loosely off her small frame. Her wet hair was pulled back from her face, and her face looked less saddened than it had just minutes before. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.

“Dillon, I need to talk to you,” she began. “I’ve made a decision and – and ever since you got back, you told me you’d back me up no matter what. So I hope you really meant that.”

“Of course I did,” he replied. “I meant every word of it when I said I’d be here for you. Tell me what you need. Anything.”

“My cousin Lucas came back to Port Charles tonight to visit,” she continued. “I should have been excited.....I never see him anymore. And I was. I was so happy to see him again. Until –,” she stopped, looking down at her hands.

“Until what?,” he prodded gently. He took one of her hands in his. “Anything,” he reminded her.

She took a deep breath and went on. “Until he mentioned Daniel. He – he didn’t do it meanly and he was just trying to be encouraging and there was nothing wrong with what he said. But I went off on him; I yelled at him like he had insulted me in the worst way possible and I just stormed away and left him there. He was just trying to help and all I could do was get upset just by the mention of his name –“

“Georgie, it’s understandable,” Dillon said, trying to assure her. But she only interrupted him.

She yanked her hand out of his and her voice raised to a yell, “Understandable, Dillon?! No, it isn’t! A week after he died, it might have been understandable. Six months after, it might have been, too. Hell, I could see people feeling sorry for me a year after he died! But not now, Dillon! It’s been so long. What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t stand feeling this way any longer – I don’t want to be living in a life where all I can think about is how I wake up and still miss him as much as I did the day before. I have to move on. Do you know how pathetic it is to feel as if I’m made of glass? Where everyone has to monitor every word they say so they don’t upset poor little Georgie?? No, Dillon, I’ve had enough of it. I want to be normal again.”

“You are normal,” Dillon said angrily – angry at the fact the Georgie had no faith in herself and her own strength. “You’ve always been one of the strongest people I know. Why can’t you see that?”

“Do you know what normal is?,” Georgie went on, her voice lower, but still frustrated. “Do you remember that night you were at my apartment and you almost kissed me, Dillon? I remember it, because it’s all I’ve been able to think of since. And normal would have been kissing you back. Normal would have been letting myself be the person I am and not pulling away from you that night.”

“What do you mean?,” Dillon asked, confused. The last he could figure out, Georgie’s only love was Daniel, his own romantic feelings for her just as one-sided as they had always been.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Dillon,” she said. “Ever since you came back to Port Charles, you’ve been this constant thought spinning around in my head that I just can’t ignore. You get me like no one else does and you don’t second guess what I say like everyone else does and you don’t treat me like I’m going to break. And I tried – I tried so hard to tell myself I didn’t care for you that way. Because I’m scared to. I’m too scared to love you – because if I let myself love you, there's nothing to stop you from being taken away from me just like the last time. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I can’t promise you anything, Georgie,” Dillon said quietly. His hand reached up to caress her face and wipe away the tears that fell from her eyes. “I can’t tell you I’ll be with you forever, because you can’t ever know what tomorrow will bring. But I can tell you that I will always give the most of myself to you in whatever time it is we have – if you want to have that with me. We knew each other so briefly when we were young.....but I knew even then what an amazing person you are. I never forgot you in all the years I was away. I can’t change the past for you, Georgie, but I’m willing to be part of your future. Just say the word.”

“I want to, Dillon,” she whispered, closing her eyes, her voice breaking. “But I’m scared.”

Dillon gazed at the image before him, almost brought to tears himself. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in toward him. She rested her head on his chest, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. “Don’t let fear guide you,” he said. “Let me.”

Georgie unraveled herself from his arms and looked up at him. She hesitated for a moment, and then slowly brought her face to his, placing a soft, gentle kiss on his lips.

She pulled back and Dillon smiled. He placed his hands on either side of her face and brought her back to him, eagerly enveloping her in the kiss that had been awaiting the two for months. They fell back onto the bed, Dillon’s hands running themselves slowly down her back. The kiss increased in intensity for minutes, until Dillon’s lips finally escaped hers, slowly making their way down her neck. He could feel Georgie’s hands reaching to unbutton his jeans.

“Georgie,” he murmured, entranced with her, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she whispered, “I trust you, Dillon. Make love to me.”

[JRK Archiver]

Chapter Eight

“I have waited for this for so long,” Dillon said, as he placed a row of kisses along the soft skin just below Georgie’s collarbone, her hands finding their way under his shirt, raising it over his head and tossing it onto the floor.

“All I want is you tonight, Dillon,” she echoed, running her hands through his sandy hair, gently nibbling on the tender skin at his neck. Dillon eagerly, yet gingerly grabbed hold of the bottom of Georgie’s shirt, slowly pulling it upward. With her giddy nod of approval, he finished the removal, the top landing on top of his on the floor.

Moving her face upward toward his, the two were silenced again as their mouths reconnected, the only sound in the room the rustling of the sheets on Dillon’s bed and the occasional sigh making its way out of Georgie’s lips. As the intensity of their emotion increased, the mess of removed clothing on the ground grew larger – the lacy red of Georgie’s bra peeked out from under the denim of her jeans, Dillon’s thrown belt landing on top to adorn it. She laughed quietly as she unbuttoned the last button on his pants, nudging them off of him with her legs and kicking them to the foot of the bed.

The room remained quiet for minutes, the two entranced with the taste of the other’s skin and the feeling of their warm bodies closer than they had ever been before. Dillon delicately ran his hands from her neck to her chest, encircling her waist and then curving over her hips, enraptured. Suddenly Georgie pulled back, looking tentatively into his deep brown eyes, “Dillon…..”

Alarmed, Dillon sensed a hesitation in her voice. He reached up toward her, caressing her cheeks with both of his hands. Quietly, he asked, “Are – are you sure you’re okay?”

You’re under sheets,
A tepid wall,
A lukewarm shield of sheets.
Your insides are frozen
From past defeats.
Well, let go

And trip if you have to,
Won’t you fall?
Trip if you have to,
Fall from me.
We’re almost there, babe,
Won’t you fall?
This road we’re traveling,
Fall from me

“Because I would never, ever want to do anything to hurt you,” he continued, his words spilling out in a nervous rush, “And I think that if –“

“Shhhhh,” she said, placing a single finger over his lips and grinning. Once Dillon had nodded in understanding, she removed her hand from his mouth, dragging it slowly, intimately, down his neck and onto his bare chest. She brought the other hand to meet it, the two tracing soft circles across his skin. “Now,” she began, bringing her mouth down to where her hand lay and showering the spot with kisses that punctuated her words. “I’m done living in the past. You’ve already showed me that you care about me, Dillon. You gave me something to live for......now show me how good we can be together.”

And just forget about this telephone sinkhole,
And just forget about this sexual overtone,
Let’s just cut right down to the bone
And let go.

Well, we know what you want,
Baby, baby, baby, I know what you need,
Yes I do.
Let’s turn a leaf
And shelter underneath,
Shelter underneath you.

Dillon smiled up at the serene face staring back at him, her dark hair falling in a framing canopy around her face. “My God,” Dillon spoke, “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” Finally, in her eyes, intent on trusting nothing but him, Dillon could see that he was finally welcome; no longer a shadow of the past, but a living fulfillment of Georgie’s long-awaited desires. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Georgie plunged her mouth back down onto his in an almost desperate plea for more. Their tongues were soon engaged in an intense battle – one of strength, desire, and love, a prelude to their intimacy. They shivered in anticipation as their bodies moved closer and closer.

“Dillon,” Georgie uttered, closing her eyes. And to him, that soft whisper was her final release, her permission, her demand. So he gave in, taking her to him, the two uniting amidst the dark bed sheets. The couple was illuminated by a sliver of moonlight streaming through the window, their murmurs of pleasure drifting throughout the dimmed room.

And just forget about your adolescent romance,
And just forget about your fear of the fast dance,
Lets take it off, down, and take a chance.

And trip if you have to,
Won’t you fall?
Trip if you have to,
Fall from me.
We’re almost there, babe,
Wont you fall?
This road we’re traveling,
Its our own.

And in the tiny room above the bar, time passed – whether it was minutes or hours, the lovers were unsure, too enthralled in their satisfaction to care. Eventually they came to a rest, reveling in the glow of their long-anticipated connection, more rewarding to both than either had ever imagined. They lay in bed, Georgie’s head resting upon Dillon’s chest, his hand stroking through her dark honey hair. She adjusted the blanket at their waists, cuddling closer to him to drape her arm over his body.

“You were amazing,” Dillon stated simply, wrapping his arms more tightly around her and pulling her in to warm her from the chill of the room and smiled. “Perfect.”

“Tonight is the first time I have truly been happy in years,” she whispered, a touch of the past lingering in her voice. But she softly shook her head and cleared her throat, refusing to focus on anything but Dillon. “Thank you for this night.”

They soon become quiet again, contemplating and enjoying just being together. After a few moments, Georgie finally spoke up again. “Dillon?,” she questioned, breaking their silence. “Thank you. I – “

Dillon laughed in interruption. He took her face in his hand, cupping her chin and turning her head to look up at him. “Enough with the thank you’s already,” he teased with a wink. “It’s not like I didn’t want to do this too.”

“No, I don’t just mean just for tonight, Dillon. I mean for everything. For every moment that I needed someone, and I turned around and you were there. For letting me be me and not trying to make me feel some way I didn’t. I can’t thank you for that no matter how many times I say it. And I just want you to know you’re the only person I trust in this world. Thank you for giving me my life back.”

“No,” he responded. He leaned his head down to place a single kiss on the top of her head. “Thank you.”

We’ll get through, we must get by,
Slow dancing through the night.
And then we’ll spin
Until we fall.

-------------------------

(Song Credit: Trip If You Have To, by Scarlet Road)