Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or any of the characters from the show. Any character names that don't look familiar are creations of my own. And yes, the first few lines of dialogue are straight from the end of Michael and Francesca's first date, but it fit perfectly with truly starting their story.

Michael's POV -

Honestly, I just want something new in my life. I want to be able to move away from things with Nelle. She just isn't the woman I had thought she was. She is just like my mom and dad described her and I was seeing it all unfold before my eyes. And I really thought that I would be able to move on and start over. But Nelle has truly messed that up for me. I'm still standing on the docks with the girl I'd just been out at Kelly's with for coffee. She really is the kind of girl that I think I can be happy with. I turn as I hear Francesca calling out to me as she walked away. "Hey!"

"Yeah." I called back.

"Save my number in your phone. Just in case… I don't know… Just… save it?"

"I will." I replied, watching the way a smile lit her face before she turned and left me alone on the docks. Because honestly, I would. There was just something about this beautiful girl that drew me in. She was amazing and everything that I could want in my life.

I'm hoping that we can figure out a way to get around this whole issue of Nelle. I know that Nelle thinks that I'm the love of her life, but I'm not. There really is nothing between us other than the baby. Our child is the only thing that will keep us connected and the sooner that she figures that out, the better. I can't be with someone that is going to lie to me or try to manipulate me to get her way. And I can't let her do the same to our child once he or she is here. But that's something to figure out the legal way once the baby is born.

Looking out over the water, I stared at Wyndemere in the distance. Francesca compliments me perfectly. She's beautiful, smart, funny… And I'd love to get to know her better. I can see something there forming, but she's leary because of the complications in my life at this time. She doesn't seem to have a problem with the fact that I'm about to be a father, it's more of the fact that Nelle stepped in and tried to infer that she and I were still something. I explained that Nelle and I are definitely over and that we won't be getting back together. The baby is our only connection and will be our only connection. Now I just have to figure out a way to make my ex realize that. Closing my eyes, I breath in deeply and nod my head. "Time to make a change." I say softly to myself.

It's time for a fresh start. First thing in the morning, I'll get with mom and get a room at the Metro Court. I'm going to look for my own place, something big enough so my child will have plenty of room to grow. I know that mom and dad would love to have me back out at Greystone, especially now that Grandpa Mike has been diagnosed with alzheimer's. But really, I don't want to be under foot. I don't want mom thinking that she'll be able to control my life even though she seems to really like Francesca. She doesn't even know her yet, not really. I would love to introduce Francesca to my family, I would love to be able to call her my girlfriend, but neither of us is really ready for that. Not until I get my life together. Not until I clear up my 'complications'. Not until Nelle realizes that our only relationship will be co-parenting our child.

Francesca's POV -

I was really having a good time with Michael. He just seems like a genuinely good guy, the kind of guy that I can really see having in my life for years to come. He's sweet and funny and really, really good looking. So much better than the last guy I was seeing. Yeah, I'm still somewhat new to Port Charles, but I have learned a few things since I've been here. I used apps at first in order to meet new people, mainly to have dates. But people are completely different when you meet them in person compared to what information they provide. Most of the guys that I met were just looking for sex.

I walk into my apartment and reach down after closing my door to pull off my heels. I really thought that this first date with Michael could go somewhere. I want it to go somewhere, I just don't know if I'm up to dealing with his ex-girlfriend. He's going to be a father in just a few months and wow! I hadn't expected that, but I'm glad that he was going to tell me about it. Yeah, it would have been nice to have been able to hear it from him instead of that girl Nelle basically tossing it in my face. She lead me to believe that she and Michael were living together and yeah, they are…

Just not the way that she was implying. He cleared that up for me. And I can completely understand why he didn't want to just tell me everything just as we sat down and flirted over cover. Telling me first thing that he was about to be a father and that his grandmother had moved his pregnant ex-girlfriend into the family home is a lot for anyone to take it. But it can truly end a first date. It kind of did end our first date just as we were making plans to check out this really great band together. Someone does need to update his taste in music, especially if he's willing to settle for music that's 'not that bad'.

Sighing, I let my heels drop from my hand as I thought back over our coffee date. Man, I had been hoping for so much more. I thought he could be different than the other losers I'd been out with. Not that Michael's a loser, he just seemed… different. And he is. He's sweet and honestly, I wanna give him a chance to show me that he's not some guy who's looking for his next hookup. I don't think that's him at all. I move further into my apartment, stopping at the window and peering out up towards the moon. My phone buzzed in my purse and I pull it out.

'I had a nice time tonight. Thank you.' My text read and I couldn't help the soft smile that came to my features. He really is a nice guy and I can't stop myself from sending him a quick reply. 'That ticket is still yours if you're still up for the benefit.' I send. And I mean it. I really want to introduce Michael to the band, spice up his musical choices. I really want to give him a chance and to see just where this could go. Because I can see a future with a guy like Michael and I do want to give him that chance. Tomorrow is a new day afterall and I head off to my bedroom to get ready to go to bed.