Disclaimer: All characters belong to the distributors of General Hospital,
and none are my own. Unfortunately, I am not profiting from this story.
Chapter one
It had been a year since she had left, her life completely destroyed. Now, here she stood, the warm late-spring breeze caressing her skin. She wiped her clammy hands against the soft burgundy silk of her Chloe Morgan original.
She thought back to the incidents that had caused her to run. Most importantly, that the man she had been slowly but surely falling for was actually the long-dead father of the former love of her life. To this day, she still couldn't believe that she had been so easily deceived.
Of course the truth she learned not an hour later ran a close second. To find out that Port Charles' public enemy No.1 was her half-brother. Sonny Corinthos was her brother!!! It was hard for her to believe that her mother had been involved with Mike Corbin, but it was doubly hard for her brother Marcus. Sonny and Marcus had been adversaries for years.
Gia hadn't even stuck around for the fallout. She hopped a flight that night and disappeared into the night.
"Gia, did you hear me?"
She looked into her husband's blue eyes, which held such concern that it brought a smile to her lips.
When she had disappeared, Sonny sent some of his best men to find her, but she had run into Jason by accident. Of course she knew that the moment they ran into each other on the beach in Puerto Rico, Jason made the call to let Sonny know that she was okay. He never made her return to Port Charles, in fact, he never even mentioned the place. They lived together in a cottage by the ocean for a few months before realizing how they felt for each other. Then, two weeks ago, he dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. They were married two days later in a quaint little chapel on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was the happiest either one had been in ages.
"I'm sorry, honey. What did you say?"
"I was just asking if you're sure this is what you want."
"Good question."
"Look, we can leave if you want."
"No!! No more running, Jason. Both of our families are here, so this is where we belong. Besides I have a brother I'm dying to get to know."
"If you're sure…"
"I am." She smiled her most dazzling smile, the one that had won him over, and kissed his lips softly.
Taking Jason's arm, she inhaled deeply, and entered the ballroom. She breathed a silent sigh of relief upon noticing that the room was virtually empty.
"Sonny said his table was right at the front."
"I still can't believe that we're here. And sitting at Sonny's table to boot."
"I know, but he insisted that we join him for the evening." Jason pulled out a chair for her. "Besides, no one else knows we're in town."
Maybe we should keep it that way, she thought. "I'm kind of nervous."
"Don't be. You've got me right beside you, and if I have to, I'll take on the whole world to make you happy."
"I know." She leaned over to kiss her husband's cheek.
"Well congratulations, Jase. She's not me, but she's a hell of a lot better that Lil Lizzie Webber."
Gia looked up as Sonny pulled out a chair for his wife.
"So what, are you two an item or something?"
"Or something." Gia shot a look at Sonny as he sat down. "Last I heard, you two were on the brink of divorce."
"Well, if either one of you had any concern for anyone but yourselves, you would have known differently, wouldn't you?"
"Carly-" Sonny's voice held a tone of warning.
"What?!!! I'm just saying that if they had bothered to call they would know that we were still together."
"Look, Carly, we're happy that you're still married, but neither Gia nor I are going to apologize for living our lives."
"Nor should you." Sonny had spoken to the others, but his eyes had never left Gia's face. " How have you been?"
"Fine, I guess. Jason's been taking very good care of me."
"Good, that was his job. Now that you're back in town, I can have Benny find another bodyguard for you."
"Another bodyguard? What do I need a bodyguard for?"
"Things haven't changed since you left, Gia. In fact they may have gotten worse. The Cassadines are fighting amongst themselves more than ever. Mainly about you."
"Me? Why?" She looked from Sonny to Jason, hoping he would catch the question in her eyes. Jason shook his head, indicating that he had no idea what Sonny meant.
"Nikolas blames his father for running you out of town."
"I can handle Nikolas and Stavros, Sonny. I don't need a bodyguard."
"I don't doubt that, but I would feel better if I knew that someone I trusted was looking after you."
"And Jason isn't enough?"
"That isn't what I'm saying. Its just that Jason may be leaving town soon and-"
"I'm not going anywhere, Sonny. As long as Gia's in Port Charles, I'm in Port Charles. Keeping her safe is a more than just a job for me."
Gia smiled at her husband and raised a hand to caress his cheek. The motion caught Carly's eye, as did the ring on Gia's finger. "Why is that, Jase? Could it be because she means more to you than you're letting on?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Just that I noticed the huge rock on Gia's finger." She grinned smugly, but with a trace of approval in her eyes. "Could it be that you two are hiding something from us?"
Gia looked from Jason to Carly and back again before her gaze settled on Sonny. "We were going to tell you both. But-"
"But we thought we would wait until later." Jason finished her thought and gently took her hand.
"Wait?!! Why? You guys should be shouting this at the top of your lungs, or something. Make an announcement. Let Lizzie and Prince Nikki eat their hearts out."
"Not tonight, Carly."
Carly whirled on her husband, her lips pulled into a pout. "But-"
"No, Carly, Sonny's right. The Nurses' Ball is about raising money for AIDS research, not using it as a public stage. Besides, Gia and I will decide who to tell and when to tell them."
"Ex-cuse me."
"Well said." Sonny looked towards the door and groaned when he saw who walked in. "Heads up."
"Gia, you're home."
Gia turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Marcus."
Her brother gazed down at her with contempt in his eyes. She was surprised to see Angel Sorel Ellis on his arm.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Bertha Sorel."
"Oh stuff it, Carly."
"What's the matter, sweetie, jealous?"
"Of you, Carly? Never!"
"Yeah, right."
Gia ignored the exchange between the other women. "Marcus, have you spoken to Mom?"
"Nope. We have nothing to say to each other." He noticed the way Jason had grabbed Gia's hand when he approached. "And obviously neither do you and I."
"Marcus, don't-"
"Don't what, Gia? Don't walk away? Don't treat this whole situation like what it is? Sorry, I can't do that."
"What-what is this whole situation? Maybe if you told me what you're feeling; what you're thinking, we can get through this."
Marcus glared at Sonny and smirked in disgust. "You want to know how I feel, Gia? Well, I'll tell you. I FEEL betrayed! I FEEL destroyed! And as far as what I think, I think you're just like YOUR mother: whoring around with the enemy."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jason jumped up, practically knocking his chair over. "I think you'd better just walk away."
"So what, Gia, now you've got your boyfriend defending you? There was a time you would have done that yourself."
"Leave, Taggert."
After he had left, Jason sat back down and looked into Gia's eyes. She was trying desperately to keep her tears in check.
"Gia, are you okay?"
She stared at him for a moment before answering. "No. I don't think I will be for a long time." She shifted nervously in her seat. "I sure as hell wasn't expecting that."
"We can leave if you want."
She took a shaky breath before shaking her head no. "NO! No more running, remember."
"But-"
"Jason, as long as I have you by my side, I can get through anything. Right now, though, I'm going to run to the ladies' room."
"Ooh, I'll go with you." Carly chimed.
"If you don't mind, I'd rather go alone."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be right back."
Jason rose as she did and gently grabbed her wrist. "You're sure about this?"
"Jason, sweetie, I'm positive." She kissed him on the cheek and started towards the ladies' room.
Gia stood in front of the mirror wiping away the hot tears that streamed down her cheeks. Thank god for waterproof mascara!! After reapplying her lipstick, she did a quick check and took a deep breath.
"Okay, Gia girl, you can do this."
When she re-entered the ballroom, a smile plastered on her face, she was approached by the last person she wanted to see. Nikolas Cassadine.
"Gia you came back! How long have you been in town?"
"Just a few hours." She debated whether to ask the next question. In the end, her need to strike out at him had won. "So, how's your father?"
"M-my father?"
"Well, yeah, you remember him, don't you? Tall, dark, handsome, and as big a liar as you."
"Gia, I-"
"You lied to me, Nikolas. The truth of the matter is that you never trusted me."
"That's not the entire truth, and you know it."
"Right. The entire truth is that you entrusted Elizabeth Webber with what was probably the biggest secret of your life, and you left me out in the cold."
"I didn't want you to get hurt by Helena."
"So you did the job for her? Look, Nikolas, for a whole year, I've been able to live in peace, without some little reminder of what we had and how you threw it away. My life doesn't include you anymore, and I intend to keep it that way."
"You're making a big mistake."
Gia whirled at the sound of Elizabeth Webber's voice. "Oh great, just frickin' perfect."
"Look, Gia, Nikolas loves you. He missed you so much, and he wanted nothing more than for you to come back, and come home to him."
"Really, Elizabeth? He told you all that? Interesting!!" She crossed her arms over her chest, and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "By the way, Liz, how's Lucky? He's not still doing that whole 'I-don't-remember- our-love' thing, is he?"
"Back off, Gia."
"No problem. You see, the thought of you and Nikolas as a couple doesn't bother me anymore. For the first time in a long time, I'm really happy."
"So you don't even care that I love you?"
"I don't mean to sound cold, Nikolas, but your heart and whether or not you're in love, are no longer my concern. I just hope you find happiness."
"Well, that's a start."
"No, that's the end."
"Gia-"
He stopped when he noticed Jason Morgan approaching them. Elizabeth's face lit up as soon as she saw him, something that wasn't lost on Gia.
"Is there a problem here?"
Gia could see that Nikolas was taken aback by the question. "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Whatever, man." He turned to Gia. "Sonny and Carly are waiting for us."
"Since when do they matter?"
"Since Gia found out that Sonny is her brother."
"Jason, Gia's a big girl, she can defend herself."
"She doesn't need either of you attacking her, Elizabeth."
"Why the sudden interest?"
Jason looked at Gia, a plea in his eyes. She nodded, slipping her hand into his. "It comes with the territory."
"What?" Elizabeth looked from Jason to Gia and back again. "Comes with the territory? What territory?"
"Married life. You know how it is, right? Oh, yeah I forgot, the wedding was called off on account of Lucky not remembering you."
"What are you saying?"
Gia rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath, "Oh my god!!! Can you BE any slower?!!!"
Nikolas answered in a voice full of hurt and anger. "He's saying that he and Gia and he are married."
"No, you can't be serious." The little color that was in Elizabeth's face drained as the full impact of the situation hit her. "Why her?"
"As opposed to who, Elizabeth? YOU? All you've ever done is play Lucky and me against one another. It took me almost two years to get over you, but I did."
"She can't love you."
"Oh, but I do, and he loves me."
"What could he possibly give you that I can't?" Nikolas' voice was soft with anguish.
"Honesty for one. Trust, security, happiness, and unconditional love. I can be myself with Jason, and never have to wonder if that's enough. For the first time I can just be Gia, and be proud to be."
"I think that says it all." Jason smiled before leading her back to the table.
She stopped him just before they reached the table. "I meant every word, you know."
"I never doubted it."
"But-"
"You were speaking to me, Gia. You were looking into my eyes. Your heart was speaking to mine. I know you love me. I-" He trailed off, some unrecognized emotion flashing in his eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing." He started away, only to be stopped by Gia's hand on his arm.
"Tell me."
"I guess I was just worried that you would walk away from me as soon as you saw Nikolas."
"Really? I thought the same thing. I mean, I thought you would run straight into Elizabeth's arms and forget all about me."
"Never. You're it for me, Gia." He gently kissed her lips.
"Ditto." She smiled up at him, and they took their seats.
"Everything alright?" Sonny asked.
"Just fine."
A short while later, the house lights dimmed and Lucy Coe-Collins glided onto the stage. Jason's hand reached for Gia's and squeezed it gently. The rest of the evening flew by with no further confrontations, and Gia finally began to relax.
Chapter one
It had been a year since she had left, her life completely destroyed. Now, here she stood, the warm late-spring breeze caressing her skin. She wiped her clammy hands against the soft burgundy silk of her Chloe Morgan original.
She thought back to the incidents that had caused her to run. Most importantly, that the man she had been slowly but surely falling for was actually the long-dead father of the former love of her life. To this day, she still couldn't believe that she had been so easily deceived.
Of course the truth she learned not an hour later ran a close second. To find out that Port Charles' public enemy No.1 was her half-brother. Sonny Corinthos was her brother!!! It was hard for her to believe that her mother had been involved with Mike Corbin, but it was doubly hard for her brother Marcus. Sonny and Marcus had been adversaries for years.
Gia hadn't even stuck around for the fallout. She hopped a flight that night and disappeared into the night.
"Gia, did you hear me?"
She looked into her husband's blue eyes, which held such concern that it brought a smile to her lips.
When she had disappeared, Sonny sent some of his best men to find her, but she had run into Jason by accident. Of course she knew that the moment they ran into each other on the beach in Puerto Rico, Jason made the call to let Sonny know that she was okay. He never made her return to Port Charles, in fact, he never even mentioned the place. They lived together in a cottage by the ocean for a few months before realizing how they felt for each other. Then, two weeks ago, he dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. They were married two days later in a quaint little chapel on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was the happiest either one had been in ages.
"I'm sorry, honey. What did you say?"
"I was just asking if you're sure this is what you want."
"Good question."
"Look, we can leave if you want."
"No!! No more running, Jason. Both of our families are here, so this is where we belong. Besides I have a brother I'm dying to get to know."
"If you're sure…"
"I am." She smiled her most dazzling smile, the one that had won him over, and kissed his lips softly.
Taking Jason's arm, she inhaled deeply, and entered the ballroom. She breathed a silent sigh of relief upon noticing that the room was virtually empty.
"Sonny said his table was right at the front."
"I still can't believe that we're here. And sitting at Sonny's table to boot."
"I know, but he insisted that we join him for the evening." Jason pulled out a chair for her. "Besides, no one else knows we're in town."
Maybe we should keep it that way, she thought. "I'm kind of nervous."
"Don't be. You've got me right beside you, and if I have to, I'll take on the whole world to make you happy."
"I know." She leaned over to kiss her husband's cheek.
"Well congratulations, Jase. She's not me, but she's a hell of a lot better that Lil Lizzie Webber."
Gia looked up as Sonny pulled out a chair for his wife.
"So what, are you two an item or something?"
"Or something." Gia shot a look at Sonny as he sat down. "Last I heard, you two were on the brink of divorce."
"Well, if either one of you had any concern for anyone but yourselves, you would have known differently, wouldn't you?"
"Carly-" Sonny's voice held a tone of warning.
"What?!!! I'm just saying that if they had bothered to call they would know that we were still together."
"Look, Carly, we're happy that you're still married, but neither Gia nor I are going to apologize for living our lives."
"Nor should you." Sonny had spoken to the others, but his eyes had never left Gia's face. " How have you been?"
"Fine, I guess. Jason's been taking very good care of me."
"Good, that was his job. Now that you're back in town, I can have Benny find another bodyguard for you."
"Another bodyguard? What do I need a bodyguard for?"
"Things haven't changed since you left, Gia. In fact they may have gotten worse. The Cassadines are fighting amongst themselves more than ever. Mainly about you."
"Me? Why?" She looked from Sonny to Jason, hoping he would catch the question in her eyes. Jason shook his head, indicating that he had no idea what Sonny meant.
"Nikolas blames his father for running you out of town."
"I can handle Nikolas and Stavros, Sonny. I don't need a bodyguard."
"I don't doubt that, but I would feel better if I knew that someone I trusted was looking after you."
"And Jason isn't enough?"
"That isn't what I'm saying. Its just that Jason may be leaving town soon and-"
"I'm not going anywhere, Sonny. As long as Gia's in Port Charles, I'm in Port Charles. Keeping her safe is a more than just a job for me."
Gia smiled at her husband and raised a hand to caress his cheek. The motion caught Carly's eye, as did the ring on Gia's finger. "Why is that, Jase? Could it be because she means more to you than you're letting on?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Just that I noticed the huge rock on Gia's finger." She grinned smugly, but with a trace of approval in her eyes. "Could it be that you two are hiding something from us?"
Gia looked from Jason to Carly and back again before her gaze settled on Sonny. "We were going to tell you both. But-"
"But we thought we would wait until later." Jason finished her thought and gently took her hand.
"Wait?!! Why? You guys should be shouting this at the top of your lungs, or something. Make an announcement. Let Lizzie and Prince Nikki eat their hearts out."
"Not tonight, Carly."
Carly whirled on her husband, her lips pulled into a pout. "But-"
"No, Carly, Sonny's right. The Nurses' Ball is about raising money for AIDS research, not using it as a public stage. Besides, Gia and I will decide who to tell and when to tell them."
"Ex-cuse me."
"Well said." Sonny looked towards the door and groaned when he saw who walked in. "Heads up."
"Gia, you're home."
Gia turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Marcus."
Her brother gazed down at her with contempt in his eyes. She was surprised to see Angel Sorel Ellis on his arm.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Bertha Sorel."
"Oh stuff it, Carly."
"What's the matter, sweetie, jealous?"
"Of you, Carly? Never!"
"Yeah, right."
Gia ignored the exchange between the other women. "Marcus, have you spoken to Mom?"
"Nope. We have nothing to say to each other." He noticed the way Jason had grabbed Gia's hand when he approached. "And obviously neither do you and I."
"Marcus, don't-"
"Don't what, Gia? Don't walk away? Don't treat this whole situation like what it is? Sorry, I can't do that."
"What-what is this whole situation? Maybe if you told me what you're feeling; what you're thinking, we can get through this."
Marcus glared at Sonny and smirked in disgust. "You want to know how I feel, Gia? Well, I'll tell you. I FEEL betrayed! I FEEL destroyed! And as far as what I think, I think you're just like YOUR mother: whoring around with the enemy."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jason jumped up, practically knocking his chair over. "I think you'd better just walk away."
"So what, Gia, now you've got your boyfriend defending you? There was a time you would have done that yourself."
"Leave, Taggert."
After he had left, Jason sat back down and looked into Gia's eyes. She was trying desperately to keep her tears in check.
"Gia, are you okay?"
She stared at him for a moment before answering. "No. I don't think I will be for a long time." She shifted nervously in her seat. "I sure as hell wasn't expecting that."
"We can leave if you want."
She took a shaky breath before shaking her head no. "NO! No more running, remember."
"But-"
"Jason, as long as I have you by my side, I can get through anything. Right now, though, I'm going to run to the ladies' room."
"Ooh, I'll go with you." Carly chimed.
"If you don't mind, I'd rather go alone."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be right back."
Jason rose as she did and gently grabbed her wrist. "You're sure about this?"
"Jason, sweetie, I'm positive." She kissed him on the cheek and started towards the ladies' room.
Gia stood in front of the mirror wiping away the hot tears that streamed down her cheeks. Thank god for waterproof mascara!! After reapplying her lipstick, she did a quick check and took a deep breath.
"Okay, Gia girl, you can do this."
When she re-entered the ballroom, a smile plastered on her face, she was approached by the last person she wanted to see. Nikolas Cassadine.
"Gia you came back! How long have you been in town?"
"Just a few hours." She debated whether to ask the next question. In the end, her need to strike out at him had won. "So, how's your father?"
"M-my father?"
"Well, yeah, you remember him, don't you? Tall, dark, handsome, and as big a liar as you."
"Gia, I-"
"You lied to me, Nikolas. The truth of the matter is that you never trusted me."
"That's not the entire truth, and you know it."
"Right. The entire truth is that you entrusted Elizabeth Webber with what was probably the biggest secret of your life, and you left me out in the cold."
"I didn't want you to get hurt by Helena."
"So you did the job for her? Look, Nikolas, for a whole year, I've been able to live in peace, without some little reminder of what we had and how you threw it away. My life doesn't include you anymore, and I intend to keep it that way."
"You're making a big mistake."
Gia whirled at the sound of Elizabeth Webber's voice. "Oh great, just frickin' perfect."
"Look, Gia, Nikolas loves you. He missed you so much, and he wanted nothing more than for you to come back, and come home to him."
"Really, Elizabeth? He told you all that? Interesting!!" She crossed her arms over her chest, and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "By the way, Liz, how's Lucky? He's not still doing that whole 'I-don't-remember- our-love' thing, is he?"
"Back off, Gia."
"No problem. You see, the thought of you and Nikolas as a couple doesn't bother me anymore. For the first time in a long time, I'm really happy."
"So you don't even care that I love you?"
"I don't mean to sound cold, Nikolas, but your heart and whether or not you're in love, are no longer my concern. I just hope you find happiness."
"Well, that's a start."
"No, that's the end."
"Gia-"
He stopped when he noticed Jason Morgan approaching them. Elizabeth's face lit up as soon as she saw him, something that wasn't lost on Gia.
"Is there a problem here?"
Gia could see that Nikolas was taken aback by the question. "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Whatever, man." He turned to Gia. "Sonny and Carly are waiting for us."
"Since when do they matter?"
"Since Gia found out that Sonny is her brother."
"Jason, Gia's a big girl, she can defend herself."
"She doesn't need either of you attacking her, Elizabeth."
"Why the sudden interest?"
Jason looked at Gia, a plea in his eyes. She nodded, slipping her hand into his. "It comes with the territory."
"What?" Elizabeth looked from Jason to Gia and back again. "Comes with the territory? What territory?"
"Married life. You know how it is, right? Oh, yeah I forgot, the wedding was called off on account of Lucky not remembering you."
"What are you saying?"
Gia rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath, "Oh my god!!! Can you BE any slower?!!!"
Nikolas answered in a voice full of hurt and anger. "He's saying that he and Gia and he are married."
"No, you can't be serious." The little color that was in Elizabeth's face drained as the full impact of the situation hit her. "Why her?"
"As opposed to who, Elizabeth? YOU? All you've ever done is play Lucky and me against one another. It took me almost two years to get over you, but I did."
"She can't love you."
"Oh, but I do, and he loves me."
"What could he possibly give you that I can't?" Nikolas' voice was soft with anguish.
"Honesty for one. Trust, security, happiness, and unconditional love. I can be myself with Jason, and never have to wonder if that's enough. For the first time I can just be Gia, and be proud to be."
"I think that says it all." Jason smiled before leading her back to the table.
She stopped him just before they reached the table. "I meant every word, you know."
"I never doubted it."
"But-"
"You were speaking to me, Gia. You were looking into my eyes. Your heart was speaking to mine. I know you love me. I-" He trailed off, some unrecognized emotion flashing in his eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing." He started away, only to be stopped by Gia's hand on his arm.
"Tell me."
"I guess I was just worried that you would walk away from me as soon as you saw Nikolas."
"Really? I thought the same thing. I mean, I thought you would run straight into Elizabeth's arms and forget all about me."
"Never. You're it for me, Gia." He gently kissed her lips.
"Ditto." She smiled up at him, and they took their seats.
"Everything alright?" Sonny asked.
"Just fine."
A short while later, the house lights dimmed and Lucy Coe-Collins glided onto the stage. Jason's hand reached for Gia's and squeezed it gently. The rest of the evening flew by with no further confrontations, and Gia finally began to relax.