…I do not own GH or the characters. However, this storyline is all me. Some of the history is altered from the show. Georgie is twenty in this story, and a junior in college. The TMK did not claim her life. The only deaths so far are Leticia and Emily. Things should make sense as the chapters continue. Just ask if any questions though. More characters will appear in the next update.

Chapter One

Her head ached and she felt completely drained. The stress that she had been carrying the last couple days was starting to take a toll on her as fatigue set in. Sleep had eluded her the last few nights. Swiping at the strands of hair that had escaped from her ponytail, she flipped the lock on the diner doors and turned off the main lights. The silence of the building soothed her nerves as she slumped into a chair in the corner and buried her head in her hands. Tears slid unnoticed from her eyes as she finally released the pent up emotions that were eating at her.

Coming down the stairs from his room, Cooper Barrett paused on the last step and observed the young woman. He had noticed that she had been quiet and withdrawn over the last couple weeks, but it had become more noticeable in the past two days. Her normally upbeat personality had almost disappeared only to be replaced by a more subdued attitude. Worried about her, he cleared his throat. "Georgie, hey, what's wrong?"

Jerking upright, she blinked at him while furiously wiping at her red rimmed eyes. "Um, nothing. I was just taking a small break before finishing closing up." She started to stand but he moved over and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently easing her back into the seat.

"You don't cry over nothing. Did someone hurt you?" he demanded as his protective instincts kicked in. There was an innocence to her that had him wanting to hurt whoever was causing the torment in her eyes that he could clearly see.

Georgie forced a smile. "Don't be silly. I'm just tired, Coop." When he frowned, she saw that he didn't believe her. "Really. I promise that I am fine. The semester just ended and I am exhausted. Hopefully winter break will give me time to just relax some."

"You're a really bad liar, Georgie. Just remember that you can talk to me anytime that you want. I'm a pretty good listener."

She swallowed her protests, knowing that he wouldn't buy them. Coop was good at reading people, she knew that. It was obvious that he paid more attention to her than she had believed. No one else had bothered to see that anything was wrong. Glancing behind him at the clock, she inclined her head at it. "You are going to be late for work."

Leaning down, he hugged his friend. "Okay, stubborn. I'll let you distract me tonight. Just be careful leaving tonight. It looks like the snow is really starting to come down."

Georgie watched him leave and bit her lip. He was too observant for her liking. Taking her time, she swept the floor and wiped all the counters down before grabbing her coat and bag from the back room. Shivering as soon as she stepped outside, she hurriedly locked the doors and pulled her coat tighter around herself.

She was almost to her car when she hit an icy patch and started to fall. Strong arms caught her as she fell backwards. Tensing, she jerked from their grasp as soon as she was stable and whirled around. "Geez. You scared me," she breathed before hugging him. "What are you doing here? I thought that you weren't coming home until a week before Christmas."

Lucas slung an arm over her shoulders as he steered her toward the car after she had released him. "I wanted to see my favorite cousin. You sounded horrible the last time that we talked."

She stiffened. "Lucas…"

"Georgie," he taunted right back. "I know you, kiddo. Probably better than anyone else here in Port Charles because you don't have to pretend that you are always happy with me. You get to be human."

Unlocking the driver's side door, she exhaled heavily. "You didn't have to cancel your plans, Lucas. I know that you and Travis were planning a ski trip this weekend."

An evil grin lit his features. "Yeah, well, I brought him home to meet my crazy family instead. Mom actually handled it rather well. I was stunned speechless."

Georgie slapped his arm while giggling. "Aunt Bobbie is trying. Cut her some slack." Her eyes moved around the deserted area. "Where is your car? Please tell me that you didn't walk here, Lucas."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. It's freakin snowing and freezing out here. Travis dropped me off. Me and you are going to have a little talk, catch up on all that you have been silent on. Let's go for a ride and you can explain what has you so down."

Just excited to see him, she ignored his last comment. Once they were seated in the car while it warmed up, she glanced over at him. "Where do you want to go? It's a bit cold to go to the park and I really don't feel like running into Lulu so the brownstone is out too."

Lucas scowled at the mention of his other cousin. She had been whining and driving him crazy before he had left earlier. It amazed him how everyone just let the blond get by with her attitude. She reminded him so much of his sister that it made him sick. "Lulu hasn't changed, that's for sure. Travis was ready to muzzle her after ten minutes in the house with her."

Georgie laughed. "You should've brought him along. I feel bad that he is stuck with her while you are visiting me, the sane relative."

"Naw. He'll survive with Mom just fine. Lulu got a call and took off to Carly's like hellhounds were chasing her. Let's go to Jake's. I'll kick your butt at a game of pool while you answer my questions."

Fifteen minutes later they were walking into the rundown bar. Lucas ordered himself a beer and her a soda while she started racking up the balls for their game. Watching her while waiting on their drinks, Lucas sighed. Something was wrong, something big. He had never seen Georgie look so defeated before, even when Dillon had cheated on her. Even though he was living in Tennessee now, they had remained close. She normally confided in him on whatever was bothering her. But the last several times that he had read her e-mails, he had known that something was going on, something that she refused to talk about. After seeing her tonight, he knew that he had made the correct decision in returning sooner than planned. No one else paid enough attention to see the shattered expression in her eyes. Whatever was going on was eating at her soul.

Joining her at the pool table, he handed her the drink before motioning for her to break. Taking a drink of his beer, he leaned against the table as she took her next shot. "Mom said that Maxie has been up to her same old tricks."

Snorting, she watched as her ball rolled into the corner pocket. "I sometimes think that she can't help but try and destroy her chances at happiness. Ever since losing Jesse, she ruins anything good that comes into her life."

"Georgie, I hate to tell you, but she was like before Jesse. He just contained her destructive tendencies better. I hate that she sets out to make herself miserable though." Smirking when her latest attempt missed, he grabbed his pool stick. "Her and Lulu both need some serious help. It's hard to fathom how you are related to them at times. How is Mac?"

"Extremely busy with all the strangling's. He's hardly ever home anymore. He's been running himself ragged, especially since Emily was murdered."

Feeling eyes on them, Lucas scanned the crowded bar while she was lining up her next shot. While he didn't spot anyone looking their way, he wondered about the strange vibe that he was picking up. Focusing back on Georgie, he immediately noticed that she had tensed. "Are you gonna tell me what is going on with you? Don't make me drag it out of you."

"Is tonight interrogate Georgie night?" she muttered. "Between you and Coop, I am starting to get a complex."

"Then just stop evading the issue."

"Lucas, please just drop it." She looked down and avoided his assessing look. She hated lying, but she had no intention of telling him what was going, at least not yet.

The tears glistening in her eyes that she was trying to blink away had him biting his tongue. While he knew that whatever was going on was big, there was no way that he could bring himself to push her. Georgie had never been one to use tears to manipulate a situation, and making her cry was the last thing that he wanted to do. He would be home for the next three weeks. Surely she would open up within that time.

"Alright. Let's finish this game and then get out of here. You look like you could use a good night's rest."

Relieved, she flashed him a sweet smile. "I am really glad that you came back early, Lucas. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." When she knocked in another one of her balls, he winced. "I forgot that you kick my butt every time that we play though. I should've suggested darts."

The house was quiet as she headed straight to her bedroom without bothering to turn on any other lights. Mac had left her a voicemail informing her that he would be at the station all night and Maxie's car had been missing from the driveway when she had arrived after dropping Lucas off at his mom's house. Praying that she could take advantage of the peaceful silence and get some real sleep, she dropped her bag on the desk and flopped onto the bed. Spending a couple hours with Lucas had helped to ease the drowning feeling that she had been experiencing, but now that she was alone again, the forgotten worries were starting to creep back in.

Eyes shut she laid back on the bed and toed off her boots without moving. She curled up on her side and let out a sigh. She still had no idea what to do, and for someone who had always had her life mapped out, it scared her. All her dreams were lost, she knew that and accepted it. It was the thought of how to move forward that terrified her. As she drifted off, she never heard her bedroom door creak open.

Watching her sleep, his eyes took in her appearance. The dark circles underneath her closed eyelids concerned him, as did the paleness to her complexion. He moved closer and tenderly tucked a lock of her honey brown hair behind her ear. It was easy to see that in the three weeks that he had been out of town that she wasn't getting enough rest. Placing a soft kiss on her cheek, he decided to let her sleep. Aware that the commissioner was pulling a night shift and that Maxie was currently drunk at Sam McCall's place, he kicked off his boots and removed his coat before lying down with Georgie, gathering her in his arms.

When she murmured in her sleep and turned toward him, a grin spread across his face. It still amazed him that the sweet young woman in his arms had knocked all the walls down that he had built around his heart. Neither had expected the immediate connection and attraction to one another that had hit them after they had met. And no matter how much he tried to tell himself otherwise, he knew that Georgie was the only one for him. He may not have deserved to have someone as special as she was, but he was determined to keep her now that he had found her. No matter what others thought, he was not a fool.

Georgie snuggled into the warmth and then stiffened as she realized it was a body. As the sleep induced fog cleared from her mind, she hesitantly opened her eyes. The room was still cloaked in darkness, but she recognized his scent, calming her rapidly beating heart.

"I missed you," he murmured as he eased her closer once she had relaxed again.

"God you scared me." She playfully scowled at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close for a kiss. "And I missed you too. But what are you doing here?"

"I finished up sooner than I expected." His hand trailed down her curvy waist to rest on her hip. When her eyes darkened, he smirked. "Besides, I loathe the idea of you being alone with the TMK still out there somewhere."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she reminded him.

Growling when she started to wiggle from his grasp, he captured her wrists and pinned them as he slid his body over hers. "Why would you need to do that when I am right here, not going anywhere." Nipping at her ear and feeling her shiver, he inhaled the brown sugar scent that he always associated with her. "You are so damn perfect," he breathed before crashing his mouth onto hers possessively, stealing her breath.

All restraint fled as they both gave into the desire that was palpable between them. Need and want merged, causing him to rip her shirt as he tugged it off. Laughter bubbled from her lips followed quickly by a moan as his talented hands touched her bare skin.

"Oh God!"

"Tell me what you need, Georgie," he demanded huskily. "Anything you want is yours, baby."

Jerking his own shirt from the waistband of his pants, she whimpered when his lower body pressed against hers briefly. The desire coursing through her was overwhelming. "You. I need you!" she managed to get out between pants as she felt his hands start to roam again. Breathlessly, she let go of all thoughts and eagerly accepted the pleasure that only he could offer her.

…Georgie's man will remain nameless for a few chapters before he is revealed. Take some guesses. I'm interested to see who you guys would pair her with and if it is who I would have picked.