How to Save a Life

Twenty years after Dillon got Lulu pregnant they meet again.

The title and this short fic are based on the song by The Fray called How to Save a Life.

January 20, 2027

She walked into the living room of the mansion, her eyes taking in everything to see if it matched her memories. And though the furnishings had been updated it was still much the same as when she here as a girl.

It was here she fell in love with Dillon and here she made him hate her forever.

"Mr. Quatermaine will be with you shortly." said the butler as he left the room.

When Dillon stepped into the room she couldn't help but smile. His face had lines now, crinkles by his eyes, and his hair was shorter, more professional, but he was still as handsome as she ever thought he was.

He smiled back and said, "Lulu Spencer. I can not believe it."

He hugged her and she tried to stifle her shock. Had he forgiven her? Had she stayed away for twenty years for nothing?

She pulled away and said, "Dillon, thank you for seeing me."

"Of course." he motioned to her to sit down while he moved to the bar and poured them each a drink. "Is sparkling water, okay? We don't keep alcohol in the house anymore."

"Fine. Thanks." she said as she accepted the drink and Dillon sat next to her.

He asked, "So, are you home for a visit? Finally! I thought this town would never see your face again."

"I felt I had no choice but to come see you."

"That sounds cryptic."

Losing her nerve she stood and walked over to the bookcase. "You got your Oscar, huh? I saw your acceptance speech on TV. I was sitting in my apartment in LA and you were in the across town on stage, finally getting the recognition you deserved."

With a easy laugh he said, "That was a lifetime ago. Boy, I thought I was something then. Not even thirty and in the big leagues. But, this is where I belong."

Lesley Lu looked at him to see if he was lying. Did he regret walking away from his Hollywood career? He had given up so much for the benefit of others.

Lucky still lived in Port Charles and he had kept his sister up to date on Dillon's life. Of course, for the first 15 years or so the tabloids filled her in on Dillon's rise and fall in Tinsletown. But after he came home to care for his cancer stricken wife, Georgie wanted to live her last days in the town she grew up in, and then decided to stay and raise their kids here he shunned the press and the stories dried up.

"So you're happy running ELQ ?" she asked

"It would make Grandfather happy to know I ended up right where he wanted me."

"I'm sorry. I heard about his passing."

"We got the flowers you sent. It was an unexpectedly thoughtful thing to do. But you didn't come here to express your condolences years after the fact, did you?"

"No." she said softly. Her finger rose traced his name on the Oscar.

Dillon stood and walked closer to her. "If you came to apologize... I made my peace with all that happened between us long ago."

She narrowed her eyes and asked calmly, "But you think I owe you an apology?"

"Let's not rehash it now." He did his best to change the subject " How long are you in town for? We can have lunch one day. Talk about high school. God, that was a crazy time, wasn't it? Remember Diego stalking everyone and the police thinking it was me? Or how you always stole Grandfather's Bentley? Was he ever pissed when you left town in his favorite one! He kept repeating, "not the antique, these damn kids these days." Well, you can imagine."

"Yeah, I can." she said with a slight grin." But my dad brought it back later."

"Thank God or else the FBI would have tracked you down, if Grandfather could have talked them into it." Dillon laughed

She looked at him, still so easy to have fun with. She thought he might be grim now, bitter because fate snatched away his true love. But somehow in the three years since Georgie died he had come out of his grief and now seemed- not content, really, or even carefree but- okay. More okay than she felt on most days.

"I can't stay in town long." Lulu said " In fact, I thought of calling you to tell you this but I know you deserve to hear it face- to- face." she took a breath. Just say it, say the words and start to deal with this, she told herself.

Lulu continued, "I need to tell you the whole story about what happened when I moved away. I left town and headed straight for the clinic..."

Dillon cut her off, "Luke told me all that. I know you decided to move to California afterwards and attended UCLA for college. I thought you'd be back eventually. It took about 16 years longer than I guessed but here you are. We don't have to talk about the... I would rather not go over why you had the abortion again."

She placed a hand on his arm. He stopped talking. Their eyes met.

"I didn't." she said

"You didn't come her to talk about that? I'm sorry for assuming. So, what is it you had to tell me tonight?"

"I didn't have an abortion. I had a son. Your son, Dillon."