Christmas Miracle is a continuation of the Easter Miracle where Jeff Webber returns Jake to Elizabeth and Jason. This is the second half with Georgie returning to Johnny and her son as well as Maxie getting together with her choice and Sam coming back to town.

THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
Part One

The young woman ignored the people around her, listening to the music on the iPod, hoping and praying that this time someone would know who she was. She had had dreams for weeks, since the moment she had woken up in the hospital with no idea of her name nor of how she had ended up there.

All she knew was that she had a son, a little boy and no one knew what had happened to him. She had spent the last nine months searching and praying that somehow she would find him. She hadn't even really had a place to start because no one in that small town hospital had known who she was when she woke up. They hadn't even been positive she was an American citizen at first since they had been close to the Mexican border.

Her fingerprints had yielded nothing when ran, her photo sent out to the various border towns had only drawn a few nut jobs but no one had known anything about her. She had been shocked when they handed her the bag with all her worldly good in it.

All she had had were some clothes, badly torn and a key. The nurse had said it looked like a locker key and it had been. She had tracked down the locker at a nearby mall and inside had found a purse. Seeing the obviously fake ID, she had wondered how she had known it was fake but that wasn't what had surprised her. There was a wallet loaded with pre-paid debit cards, when she had called she had been told each card contained almost ten thousand dollars on them.

Shocked but not really excited because she had been looking for anything to explain what had happened to her child. To the little boy with the easy smile and who according to the back of one of the picture was named Andrew, Andrew Smith. A name that matched the one on her fake ID's.

Maria Smith. She didn't feel like a Maria, not that she knew what a Marie felt like but it really just didn't suit her. She had quickly learned that she spoke enough Spanish to understand those around her as she looked through the only other item in her bag. A book with pictures and names of things that had no connection to one another.

Finding things crossed off and with a list of reasons, 'Maria' went through them while planning on picking up a cell phone. There was an ex next to the name Brook, with the notation that the number she had connected with it had belonged to someone named Alice.

The name Sage had a question mark, same with the name Serena? Even while she tried to figure out why she had drawn a picture of a bird next to her. There were several other names including a former national known model. That one had an ex through it along with the words dead end.

Seeing the name of what looked like someone's initials, she went to find a phone book. Not getting anyplace she gave a sigh as she saw it was almost nightfall. Then seeing a number for the toll free directory she called and was soon given a number.

Calling it, she heard "The Offices of ELQ will remained closed for Thanksgiving." Then came a spiel about how important her call was to them followed by the information that their headquarters was located in Port Charles New York.

Stumped a bit because that sounded familiar, she went back through her notes and found Port Charles was exed off and had a been a while ago, before her latest memory loss. Seeing the number next to it, she had called only to be told that number had been disconnected and that there was no forwarding number.

Seeing a another number with the same area code, she called it only to be told that the Jackal was unavailable to take her call at the moment. Trying again, she asked to speak to the Jackal only to be told by some woman that the Jackal was unavailable at the moment and to try again later.

Getting shown by the woman with the name badge how to use the computer, Georgie sat down and googled the names on her list. She found nothing too familiar until she typed in Kelly's Diner. What came up next was a whole serious of articles about a diner in a small town in upstate New York, a town she had already came across.

Deciding that the answers were in this Port Charles, she went to arrange a flight then was told she would need ID at the airport. Thanking the woman, she later called back and canceled the flight, tried the only available train service and once again found she needed ID. Not needing it at the bus terminal, she had quickly purchased a ticket and was on her way from El Paso, Texas.

A day and a half later, she got off the bus in Chicago and was a bit woozy. Getting a hotel room, she didn't leave for almost two weeks after having caught some sort of bug and having to no one to take care of her; self medicated from the local Walgreens store.

The only good thing was she had discovered enough medical knowledge to know what to take and what the names on the bottles meant. A bit weak she was soon on her way again, but this time taking small trips, worried that she would get sick again before arriving at her destination.

John woke up from his nightmare and trying to shake the fear it had created, pulled on his sweats and went down to the living room. Standing at the window, looking out over the city of Port Charles, all he could do is wish for things to be different. The problem was he had learned at the age of eight that dreams and wishes rarely came true.

First there was his father, a man who had never been the picture of stability, he had loathed John for taking away his mother's time and attention, yet had claimed him as an heir, as the person he wanted to follow in his demented footsteps.

Looking back, John found himself recalling the nightmare his childhood had been, then the even larger nightmare his teenager years became. Finally his twenties when he had tried to save himself only to be forced back into that house by that ambitious bastard Trevor Lansing.

But those type thoughts always led to memories of his anger, his pain and how he had been planning on ending things until a soft and kind voice at the other end of a phone line had given him a reason to live.

Karen, or rather Georgie had talked to him, about nothing and everything. The night she had seen him trying to take the pills, and how she hadn't forced him to stop, how she hadn't argued with him, not really she had just looked him in the eyes and asked him not to do it. When they had met face to face that fateful night his heart had known that she was the one for him. Too bad he also knew that that love would never be allowed to flourish.

Walking away from the window, determined not to think of her, of what happened next, John thought about Claudia and how his need for revenge against Sonny had almost cost him his life, had almost cost him the time he had had with his son. Seeing the picture that Suzanne had had, he had been grateful when Robin had had copies made and a slightly larger one created for Andrew and him. Seeing it there on the mantle was his daily reminder of how being a coward had cost him so much.

Touching the picture, his fingers tracing the light dusting of freckles on Georgie's nose, he once again repeated the vow he had made the moment he had learned about his son. That he wouldn't become like his father, like his sister.

It had taken strength to not make Suzanne pay for stealing Georgie away from Andrew, away before John had had a chance to apologize for his mistakes. To ask for another chance, to make things right between them.

Learning Suzanne was dead, he had been angry with her killer because now his only chance of finding her body, of bringing Georgie home was gone. Then had come acceptance that some things were just not meant to be and his being allowed to mourn, to know where she was was not going to happen.

Hearing a soft cry, John hurried up the stairs to where Andrew was crying softly. The little boy would sometimes wake up in the night, wanting his mother. All John could do was hold him while Andrew cried himself back to sleep, whimpering that he wanted his mommy to come and get him.

Kissing the sweaty forehead, John considered bringing him into his bed. Remembering that that was the bed he had used Lisa in, that he had slept with Olivia to try to forget memories in, knowing he would never do that to his child, to take him to that room where he had spent the last few years trying to debase himself. John grimaced then after Andrew was breathing deeply went downstairs and got on his computer.

The very next morning, an army of men showed up to take care of his requests. The room was repainted, the old furniture taken off and burnt, then what he had spent part of the night choosing was delivered and set up in spite of it being just before the holiday.

When Andrew had woken up, then tried to dress himself for his play date with the Morgan boys and his cousin Emma, John had to try and get him to change out of the blue striped pajama shirt he was wearing with the jeans and then convince him that his socks had to match.

When Andrew had looked at him then asked why, he had sat there for a moment, searching his brain for an answer that would work but getting nowhere finally let the green and red socks go. Knocking on the door of the huge stone house, he was amused when Morgan opened the door wearing what looked like tinsel.

"Don't say it." he was warned but before John could even try his son was unzipping his heavy winter coat, tossing it at his dad, then he sat down and untied his shoes while Elizabeth was walking over. A bit worried since the beautiful nurse hadn't been too happy with Jason and him taking the boys on a tour of the construction site the other day, he knew he had avoided a lecture when she saw the socks on Andrew.

"The boys are upstairs, Andrew." she said as soon as the shoes were kicked off and he had greeted them, waving goodbye at his dad. John saw her smile, then when she went to straighten up the shoes, asked "Can I ask for some help?"

As they moved over to the great room where he could see the tinsel had came from, he told Elizabeth the problem. "John, honestly it isn't a big deal. As long as he is warm, let him wear the pajama top. Parents for years have been fighting this battle, it's like the socks, clearly he won that round."

"But-" starting to protest that he didn't want anyone to think he was a bad parent, he was stopped by Elizabeth.

"It doesn't make you a bad parent. Kids sometimes need to explore what they like, what is acceptable. Trust me, I went through this with Cam. I swear that little boy would have worn every single piece of Chuggin Charlie he owned every single day. When it's bad is the day you are called down to day care because your three year old son has had an accident and you forgot to pack a clean pair of Chuggin Charlie underwear and he insists on going commando rather than wear the ones in his diaper bag."

Jason laughed, he couldn't resist then felt his smile go away because if he hadn't been a coward he would have been there for that time period only for Elizabeth to laugh as well then tell John. "Trust me, when your son then tells you the next morning that he enjoyed not wearing underwear and isn't going to wear them ever again. That is when you worry."

John got what she was trying to teach him, then looked at the stairs before around at the tree and said "I would have thought the kids would have helped with the tree."

"They did but they grew bored." she said with a shrug. "Cam wants to help when we do the staircase and Jake just wants to help with the ornaments. That's fine, I have the big kid helping so in a way its better for now so that no one gets stepped on. Did you get a tree?"

"Yes, Maxie insisted and Robin and she put it up while I was gone one day. It is a bit elaborate for just Andrew and I, especially since we are going over to the Scorpio house for the day." he told them. "I should go, but when do you want me to come back for Andrew?"

Elizabeth said they were in for the rest of the day to just come in time to eat dinner with them.

When the nurse let Maxie Jones in after an eventful hour and a half that had included the Jack children joining them, a tower falling down and a quick and argumentative visit from Nik Cassadine, she was surprised when the blond asked if she could speak to her about John.

"Elizabeth, we used to be at least friendly, now its like he can't stand to be around me." she told the nurse as she twisted a piece of tinsel in her hands nervously. "I would love to spend more time with Andrew, but unless Robin picks him up, it's like he doesn't trust me with my sisters' son. Jax trusts me more with his kids, heck you trust me more."

"Have you tried to talk to him about it?" she asked while looking at the blond who had matured so much over the last eight months.

"He won't talk, I practically have to chase him down to say hello." she explained then added. "Matt before he left told me to give it time, but how much time and why?"

"I don't know, John hasn't ever mentioned anything about not wanting you around Andrew, so are you sure your not imagining it?" she asked only for the other woman to sit down, think things through then say slowly say no, there is definitely an issue I don't know anything about.

"Talk to him, I mean Maxie you didn't relent when it came to my brother until he agreed to work with you to find out who Jenson was." she pointed out. "I grew up with Steven, I know how stubborn he is, if you can deal with him, then John shouldn't be too big of a challenge."

Grinning a moment as she recalled how Steven had finally given in to her stalking and had helped her find out that the little boy who had died had been related to Jasper Jacks, she frowned a bit because that was another man who had recently taken to avoiding her. Maybe her new perfume was annoying people?

With a sigh she said she had better get going. "Kate has a working limited hours since it is the holiday season but I still seem to be behind."

When the blond had left with Joss and an excited Morgan who was looking forward to seeing his brother Michael who was sure to be at the hospital for Joss' check up, Maxie drove over to the hospital trying to find a way to avoid answering Morgan's questions about his mother truthfully.

When she saw the heavily pregnant Carly off to the side, waiting to hear about her daughter, Maxie saw her looking around as if hoping to find someone who would feel sorry for her. When no one did, when even Bobbie seemed stiff and unresponsive to her greetings, Carly ceased her behavior while the transplant doctor and Steven Webber went over the young toddlers information with those concerned.

"So far so good, it doesn't look like there is any concern with the tissue being rejected, she seems to be handling the drugs well. Mr. Jacks, we will need to see your daughter again in a month." with that the man smiled at the little girl then at her father before shaking Steven's hand and heading towards the door.

Carly wanted to say see, she wasn't harmed by what she had chosen only she had learned the hard way and just left the hospital, walking past Lady Jane who was more than likely here to hear the results.

John finished his meeting, then went to the store, finding the last few items he had wanted to get Andrew. After they had been gift wrapped, he took them to the car and tried to figure out what to get for his host and his son's grandfather.

Maxie had been easy, a gift certificate to the spa at the hotel. Robin who seemed to devour medical mystery books, the same. Emma he had found the same kind of Fisher Price Wagon he was getting for Andrew and of course Patrick, his wife had said not to bother with but he had still gotten the man a pass for the local Track day.

That only left Mac, the man who along with his family had helped him transition from single man to single father. The nanny was only part time, he had intended for her to be more permanent but after finding he didn't want anyone else raising his son, he had hired a different woman one who was more housekeeper than nanny.

Finally finding a set of knives since he had learned the man loved to cook, John was walking out of the mall when he saw the pendant in the window of the antique shop. Stopping inside, he asked to see the piece and was soon handed the ivory cameo. "It's lovely. One of the nicest pieces we have ever carried."

John's nail traced the delicate casting and found himself imagining it on a light green ribbon and around Georgie's neck when what he was thinking hit him. He was considering buying a Christmas present a very expensive one at that for a woman who would never receive it. Starting to hand the box back, he looked down then at the woman and said "Do you know where I could get some ribbon to hang it on?"

"We have some that is already attached to the j-hook closures, would you like to take a look?" she asked a bit surprised that a young man like this was so intent on the rather old fashioned cameo.

"A light green, preferably." he said moving to the glass counter. When she came out with a few different choices, John asked how to hook the cameo onto it and was soon shown how it worked. "Then I would like the green, the light pink and maybe the bronze colored choker right there."

Wrapping it up after taking the young man's credit card, she told him that whoever she was, she was a very lucky girl. Nodding at the woman, unable to even admit out loud that he was now worried he was as insane as his father had ever been, John took the small bag and hurried to his car.

John was pulling into the garage, torn between wanting to slap Damien Spinelli upside the head and wanting to boil the man in hot oil. Things had been going so well at the hospital Christmas party. Spinelli had made quite a scene then in an argument with Maxie had tripped Santa Claus aka Mac Scorpio.

Then there had been the scene of Carly trying to talk to her family who looked upset at verbal attacks on Elizabeth, then her claim that the nurse was keeping Jason from helping him. Then had come the Davis girls trying to keep Sam from attacking Elizabeth and Jason.

His mind going back to the disaster, John saw Jason Morgan stiffen then whisper something in Elizabeth's ear before he walked off from his family. Getting Robin's attention, he asked her to keep an eye on Andrew while he went to see if Morgan needed help, John was soon hurrying down the hallway.

He shouldn't have bothered when he saw Jason disconnect from a clingy Sam McCall who was telling him how she had been waiting for him to give up his illusions of how he wanted this boring life that according to her Elizabeth was foisting on the man.

"Sam, go back to Hawaii or better yet, find what is missing in your life and go get it, as long as you understand, I am not bored with my life. This, this life is the one I have dreamed of for years. What you don't get what you have never got was that while there is danger involved in my job, I never wanted it to touch my home life. I don't dream of coming home and rehashing some stupid gun fight, I dream of going home, curling up with my wife and talking about trips to Italy, about our children, about what is for dinner than evening and knowing it didn't come from a take out container."

Sam stiffened, not liking the inference then seeing her sisters approaching said "Jason, I will be waiting, I promise that the moment you are ready."

The other woman had quickly left, then at the end of the hall had given Jason a smile then called out, "I will wait forever."

"What is it going to take for her to get the picture?" asked John as he saw the woman enter the stairwell. "Uh, you should know, I have a meeting with the families, on New Years. To discuss my father."

Jason nodded then was soon distracted when his sons hurried down the hallway along with their mother. Elizabeth's nose wrinkled as she smelt the cheap perfume that could have only come from Sam. John stepped back and watched as the Morgans left as he heard something from the supply closet.

He was a bit amused to see Maxie glaring at Steven Webber as she left the room then snarled something at the chief of staff. Walking over to John, she asked what time he was coming over to the Scorpio house for dinner. "We should be there around five thirty."

"See you then." John quickly started down the hallway but stopped just out of sight as he listened to Maxie telling Steven that she wasn't going away and that he might want to think about dealing with his doubts. "I have learned time is too short to lose out on what you need. I have enough regrets when it comes to those I love, er, care about. I am not walking away."

"Maxie, there is fifteen years between us." growled the doctor who then went for the jugular and tossed out. "Besides, while my sister has forgiven you for the past, honestly do you really think she has forgotten your part in the Lucky mess, in the Sam mess?"

When the blond ran past him crying, John considered talking to her, but seeing the tears was giving him echoes of another fight between two people and how it had been the last conversation between the two of them. Returning to his son, John thanked Robin then said he would see her later.

At home, he read the Christmas story to his son, then helped him place out the cookies and milk before carrying him up to bed, his heart bruised when Andrew asked him if he thought Santa would bring him what he wanted for Christmas since he had been such a good boy that year. "Yes, I think Santa will get you everything you want."

"Okay, night daddy." Once the night light was on, John went to his newly redecorated room, then stood at the window, his head resting against the glass watching the North Star and knowing that he had lied to his son. While Andrew would get all the material goods he wanted for Christmas, he could still hear him telling Elizabeth that he wanted his mommy to come home for Christmas.

In bed, he spent the night tossing and turning, trying to piece together the fanciful dreams that were now invading his waking moments. He walked down stairs, stood in front of the picture on the mantle, then carrying it back up with him, placed it on the nightstand and was soon fast asleep.

The girl on the bus was asleep with her head against the window when she felt the stillness that indicated they had stopped. Waking up just a bit more, she looked at the young dark haired girl sitting next to her and asked. "Where are we?"

"Watertown." she said with a yawn as she thought about the three more hours she was going to be on the bus until they hit the border. "Where are you going?"

"I am getting off at the next stop." she replied as she reached into her purse and pulled out the facial wipe and cleaned the sleepy bugs out of her eyes. "Another forty minutes."

"Wow, so you will make it home for Christmas. Cool." said the girl who then went back to her music while the woman grew impatient as the bus soon pulled out of the terminal, the driver announcing that the next stop was Port Charles, New York.

Arriving in the snowy town, the unknown Maria exited the bus and hopped into a taxi. "I uh, I am looking for this hotel."

Seeing she wanted the Ramada, he drove her over, then was surprised when she asked him a series of questions. "Oh, the diner is down near the docks. Yes, there is a coffee shop down there but a young woman such as yourself should stay away. It is connected to the mob."

"Okay, thank you." she said frowning a bit as she went in and was soon locked in her hotel room. Showering and changing into fresh clothes, 'Maria' found herself going over the notes she had found in her purse.

Pulling out the local phone book, she check on some of the names, nothing matched except there was a Webber, but the man who answered didn't sound familiar. "Sorry to have bothered you sir."

Steven hung up, then looked at his clock. Showering and heading over to Elizabeth's house, he was almost in the driveway when he got the news about Carly. Inside, he let Jason know but the man said she was going to have to deal with what she had done.

Then calling his mother, hesitated then called the number Bernie had gotten for him. "Carly is in labor."

"Thank you." said the tall blond on the other end before hanging up and turning to his wife. "Carly is in labor."

"Wow, are you ready to deal with her?" asked the woman who then said "She isn't going to be happy when she finds out the truth, is she."

"Lets go tell her. Her family is already aware that she is not getting to keep the baby, they just don't know that I am bringing my son or daughter home, away from the insanity that is Carly's life. Michael is going to be fine, now that he is with my family."

Nodding she said "AJ, you learned from your mistakes. Who knows, someday Michael will be able to forgive you. He now knows the truth, about a lot of things."

"I just wish I could have spared him the pain." he replied sadly as they grabbed their coats and walked towards the front desk of the Ramada just missing the young woman in the room across the hall from them.

Around town, children opened gifts, parents and lovers all thanking on another, as the holiday was one of good cheer. Jason and Elizabeth were kissing while Cam was talking a mile a minute with his Uncle Steven. His grandpa Jeff was on the phone clearly annoying his first ex-wife with the news that he was not sharing his grandchildren that evening.

Monica was not happy, she had had the boys and their parents Christmas Eve and while she had been invited to the house, she had ended up at GH, working. Telling Jeff he could call back later and rub it in she went to see what was going on as Carly was brought in on a gurney.

Meanwhile 'Maria' had walked the short distance to Kelly's diner and sat down in the sparsely filled room to order something to eat. "Whatever the special is today. Do you have chili?"

The bland but efficient waitress gave her a smile and said "We are famous for our chili, but today we just have a choice of ham or turkey, scalloped or mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes,..."

Ordering then taking a look around, she was confused. While the outside looked like the Kelly's in her drawings, the inside was completely different. After eating her meal and finishing off the slice of mince pie, she was a bit upset at being told that there was no charge.

"I don't need charity." she said stiffly. When she kept trying to pay, the waitress fled to the back and told her boss she needed his help. After explaining, she saw Mike say he would deal with things.

Approaching the table where the girl with the dark blond hair was staring out the window, he said "My name is Mike, I am the manager, can I help you?"

He gasped when the woman turned around, shocked to see Georgie Jones, not only alive but looking at him like he was a stranger.

Taking the drawing, before he could say anything, she said "This place is familiar, but inside it is different then the one in my drawing." When she handed him the crudely drawn schematic, he looked down, still not believing what he was seeing.

"Of course, Kelly's was remodeled after the fire." he replied, his mind barely functioning as he took in the long thought dead young woman standing in front of him.

Marie felt like she knew the man even if his name wasn't familiar. "Do you know me, do you know who I am?"

"Yes, of course I do, your name is Georgie, Georgie Jones. You used to work here while in college." Mike didn't know what was going on, but the lack of recognition and emptiness he saw in her eyes was shocking.

Before he could stop her, she suddenly gasped, then looked around, as if in shock then ran out the door saying she had to be someplace, that there was someone she needed to see.

Mike started to call Bobbie, then remembered that Carly was in labor. Calling the police station almost desperately wanting a drink, he asked the desk sergeant for Mac Scorpio then said it was personal. "Sir, he is at home with his family today."

Telling the waitresses that he had to run out, Mike grabbed his keys and his winter coat before quickly heading to the Scorpio residence. Knocking on the door, he found himself going over things in his mind, wanting to be as clear as possible and yet worried that being without alcohol had pickled his brain.

John was bundling up Andrew who had slipped upstairs to his room earlier, then had come back down holding something. Seeing the lumpy wrapped present, John looked at the lone present still under the tree and went over to his son.

"Daddy, can we bring Mommy's present to the other house?" he asked. John didn't have the heart to try and explain yet again that Mommy wasn't coming home. Mac had asked him why when they had discussed it and the man had sighed at John's response.

"John, for Andrew's sake, you need to let this go. I know what you are feeling, I feel like that deep down, after all the people in this town who have come back from the dead, do you really think that I don't wonder why we didn't get our miracle. But Suzanne took that away from us and for Andrew's sake, after the holiday, please talk to someone."

Now, he went to the closet and pulled out the shopping bag with the presents for the Scorpio family and watched as Andrew carefully placed his inside then scrambled under the tree for the only gift underneath.

The young woman in the heavy parka with a hood ran away from the diner, her mind filling with images, seeing the rusting boat on the docks just created more of the quick shots that were filling her head.

Stopping outside the entrance of the hospital she ducked behind a tree when she heard a loud woman talking to a dark haired man. Not sure how or why she knew to hide, Marie fled yet again her mind reeling as things flashed in front of her eyes without explanation, without names and .reasons, just pure emotion.

In the park, the cold was starting to get to her and something was telling her to go home. Not even thinking on it, she ran past a geek sitting on a bench, mumbling to himself about his goddess and his Maximista. Spinelli looked up, not sure who that had been, but feeling like he should have been paying better attention.

When Georgie noticed she was no longer in the park, she looked around the middle class residential neighborhood of neatly kept homes and discreet holiday decorations, not sure why she was there even as she walked up and down the street.

The sound of a plow followed by cars driving down the opposite side of the street had her looking up, then back down as the hood of her parka covered her face. Soon stopped in front of a two story brink house house with an attached garage, she saw the number then pulled out her handy little note book.

Seeing the drawing, she quickly walked away, not ready to deal with the emotions exploding in her heart. Down the street, she was already making plans to call for a cab or to walk back to the hotel, she was annoyed to realize she had come to a dead end.

Retreating, she was soon walking past the house that was bothering her so much. Now there was another car there, an upscale sedan with tinted windows. She was on the sidewalk opposite the house when she heard the sound of car.

Not knowing how she knew there was a path, the young woman slipped between the two house and followed bootprints in the snow until she was at a small alcove with a outside bench behind the Tudor looking house.

Out of the wind, she sat there, her mind trying to come to grips with her fear and why she couldn't bring herself to knock at the door and get answers to the rest of her questions.

Like who was Georgie, and what happened to her and what happened to the little boy in her dreams. And who was the man who was haunting her, the man with the accusing eyes, asking her how she had managed to loss their son? And why hadn't she told him the truth?

John and Andrew had no sooner arrived at the house when Mac explained that the presents were to be opened later, that dinner was going to be done earlier than expected. Andrew was soon playing with Emma while Patrick watched and Robin helped her uncle.

When Maxie pulled him outside and questioned John about his avoiding her, he quietly explained what was going on in his heart after hearing the pain in her voice when she asked. "Hey, when you found out about my sister, suddenly it was like you hated me. Do you blame me for Georgie's death?"

Looking at the girl he had been friends with, he leaned against the side of the house and then down at the newly shoveled walk and then said "No, its just, I never saw the resemblance to her, not until that day at the penthouse. Now, every time I look at you, I see her. I see her anger because I couldn't tell her the truth. I see her fear when she believed I was a criminal. I see her pain when I said I had to walk away if she couldn't accept my secrets."

"Oh John." Rubbing his arm, she looked at the man then said with a slight laugh. "You know, Georgie was the good girl, the one who always took care of everyone else. It's funny but finding out about the two of you, it kind of explains the last six months before we thought she died at Diego's hands. She seems to always be missing, always off dealing with something, then she would just suddenly pop up either upset or very happy."

Seeing him looking at her, she said "Yes, there were moments when she was happy. I remember one day coming home, she was sitting in her window, looking up at the stars, her head resting against the glass. In spite of her still being angry with me about Lucky, talking about getting a second chance at love in spite our mistakes."

Then she added "She asked me if she was arrogant that night, if she thought she was better than other people. I remember telling her no, that she was one of the nicest people I had ever met and I wasn't being biased because she was my sister. She laughed then said that she wasn't always nice, that she had hurt someone who didn't deserve it because she thought she knew better than them. At the time I thought she was talking about Dillon or even god forbid Lulu. Now, now I think she was talking about you."

John looked up at the clouds in the night sky then said "I still feel her, here, in my heart. Its why in spite of how bad things are, I can go on, for Andrew. The part that bothers me was that she was at that Ball, she was there."

"We argued that night." Maxie admitted to him. "Then she seemed upset about something. Later on, she uh, she had this look on her face of defeat. When we were safe, I remember she seemed a bit upset, a bit hurt. I hate to say it, but my guess would be that was because she saw you with Lulu."

"I know it is because of that." he said sadly. "I went through some of Trevor's old files, he never knew who she was, thank god. If he had, if he had figured it out, he would have killed her. I never understood until recently how he pushed me towards Lulu. He saw what I didn't, that Lulu was an escape. One he could control."

"Now, now I have to let go, but it is hard, Maxie. I see her in you, in our son. I was at the hospital talking to Elizabeth and saw one of the candy strippers and I knew she had been one from Robin, I couldn't help wondering what she had done, what she had thought while working there."

"Then there is Kelly's. Andrew loves it there, and I think that is because it is a part of his mom. The docks, there are lots of places I wish I knew what she thought about. I walk around this town, wondering what she thought of things."

Hugging him, she looked at the troubled eyes and said "I have something, a regular diary, there are some things, Dillon is in there. But would you like it?"

"No, keep it. I don't want to take your memories away." he said then went inside to where Andrew and Emma were playing. Watching his son while the others were teasing Mac about the new head of student nursing he had gone on a date with.

Soon they were gathered at the table, Patrick saying the prayer just as there was a soft knock on the door. Mac opened it and said "Mike?

"I am sorry but may I come in." said the smiling older man. When the gambler entered, he said "Mac, I had a visitor at the diner today. We opened it for a while so that those without families would have a place to go for their dinner. Someone came in that I need to tell you about."

"Did you call the station?" he asked worried that someone had caused some sort of scene. Then wondering why the man who he had barely spoken to about anything other than his daughter had come to his house on the holiday.

With another smile the man said "No, no, nothing like that. They just came in and sat down. Ordered dinner then was a bit affronted when she was told by the waitress there was no charge, said they didn't need charity. Created enough of a problem for Mary to come and get me."

"I don't understand, why are you telling me this ?" he asked looking back at his family only to see the man seemed almost excited. "Mike, what is it?"

"This person was looking around the diner, said it wasn't what they had pictured. Then showed me a slightly out of scale version of what the diner used to look, then asked me if I knew her." He was trying to give the cop all the information, worried he would forget something as he told the story.

When he saw the stillness of the adults other than the two children, he let the tears of happiness fall. "Mac, Mac it was Georgie."

Maxie's hand shook as she held it to her mouth, then looked over first at her father, then at John who was already heading out the door. "Mac, I told her yes, that her name was Georgie. That her name was Georgie Jones and she had worked there for years but before I could stop her, she thanked me then left saying she had one more stop to make."

Mac thanked the man, actually hugging Sonny Corinthos father, Patrick looked at the children then the food and said "You all go look for her, I will take care of the kids."

Soon they split up. Mac heading to the station, Robin calling Elizabeth and Jason while Maxie went straight to the hospital. John sat down in his car, then called Mac. "Where, where should I go?"

"Try the high school, then PCU, also the docks." the man stated even as he put out a call to all his patrol cars on the streets to be on the lookout for a young woman who resembled his late daughter, but to just observe not, apprehend.

At the hospital, Maxie talked to Epiphany who was a bit concerned about the blond when she asked if she had seen Georgie. Calling Steven over at the Webber house, she listened then said she would be on the lookout while Steven went to see if Maxie needed help of the medical kind.

John checked down by the docks, then was on his way to the high school when he realized they had forgotten one place she might go to and turned, driving back towards the Scorpio house, he pulled in and went inside, explaining to Patrick why he was back.

Sitting with Andrew, he watched as his son ate the small pieces of ham, his back tense, certain that this was going to be where Georgie showed up. Then trying to figure out what to say to her.

Robin went to all the places she could think of, including the Quartermaine mansion, no luck. At the Scorpio house, Patrick was feeding Emma and talking to John when he heard a knock at the door. Seeing the hope yet fear in John's eyes, he went to answer it.

Opening it he looked at the young woman wearing the light purple parka and then he said "Georgie?"

"I think so, do you know me?" said the girl who heard a young voice shout Mommy then found herself knocked down as a dark haired little boy started to ask a million questions.

Looking at the little boy from her photos, she felt a sense of home, even as she was bombarded with questions before she even got a chance to answer the first set.

Instinctively hugging him, she looked up at the other man, the man with the eyes that had haunted her for months, maybe years and said "Who are you?"

John found he couldn't speak, his throat convulsing as he looked at a healthy if amnesic. Knowing she was alive and seeing it were two very different things. His eyes were drawn to their son, then to his mother whose brown eyes were a sea of confusion.

Patrick stepped back, knowing that his presence was not needed. Taking Emma he went to the kitchen and quickly made a few calls. "Robin, she is here."

Hearing his wife gasp, he said "She is still without memories, but she is in the living room."

"I will be right there." she said making a u-turn as quickly as she could while Patrick informed her he would call everyone else. "Thank you."

Mac did something that normally he would never do, he turned on his blue lights to allow himself to speed through town as he hurried home. Patrick's call had him happier than he had been in a long time, he had wondered, believed, hoped but he wouldn't truly accept it until he saw Georgie for himself.

Steven was trying to calm Maxie down as her words tumbled over one another as she explained that no, she wasn't crazy that Mike Corbin had seen Georgie. When her phone rang, Steven who picked it up from the end table next to the sofa in the waiting room, then answered it. "Dr. Webber."

"Steven, tell Maxie that Georgie is here. She doesn't seem to have all her memories but she is home." said the neurosurgeon. Steven looked up at the blond pacing back and forth in front him and thanked him for the news. Hanging up, he said "Maxie, that was Patrick, Georgie is at the house."

"Oh god, oh god." with that the blond started to rush towards the door only to be stopped by the man. "What, look, I will talk to you later."

"You are in no condition to drive. I will take you." he said firmly while grabbing his keys.

Epiphany watched from the ER hub as her chief of staff gathered the upset blond girl, her purse and phone before leading her out the door. Sighing, she couldn't help feeling bad for the girl. Maxie had gotten her life together, but clearly she was losing it mentally as her thinking Georgie was alive proved.

Andrew looked up at his mommy then sighed with joy as he pressed himself against her. "Mommy, did Santa bring you home for me?"

Her heart turning over, Georgie looked down at her son, her heart racing as the little boy from her memories looked up at her so trustingly and answered "No, but if he had known where I was, I am sure he would have. Did you have a nice holiday?"

"Yes." he said with a wide smile "But if Santa didn't bring you, did Daddy bring you home. He said he would try and daddy usually fixes things for me."

John found himself the recipient of one of his son's hugs as the little boy let go of his mother and reached up to hug him. "Thank you daddy."

"Daddy?" asked the woman her eyes meeting the man in front of hers. Her eyes went from his dark hair to his odd colored green eyes, to the way the her son was clinging to him and needing answers asked "I uh, who are you, to me I mean?"

"I don't know." he said honestly. "I can tell you that to me, you are the woman I have loved for a very long time, I lost you twice now. Never again."

"Okay." she said simply accepting what he said. "Do you have a name?"

"John." he said finding himself reaching out for her hands while still holding their son. "Geo-"

"Georgie." There was a cold burst of air as the door opened and two people rushed in. Both suddenly stopped, neither knowing what to say to the woman in front of them.

The young woman looked at the older man with the silver hair and said "You, you are my dad, right?"

"Yes." he said his heart stopping as she smiled at him. His daughter was standing in front of him, looking healthy if a bit confused. Her eyes seemed to travel between her son and his father to him, then back, almost longing to run but she clearly didn't plan on going as she teared up at the way Andrew was looking at her

"I have seen you in my dreams. I am glad to finally meet you." she said then found herself hugged tightly as he pulled her into his arms. She felt safe, like this was a place she had been time and time again. From his arms she looked at the petite dark haired woman and said "Are you my sister? I see you in my dreams a lot, you and a really loud blond."

"We were raised as sisters." she said as Robin looked to where her husband was holding their little girl and then back at her cousin. "In truth, Uncle Mac raised me when we thought my parents were dead. Maxie is your sister."

"Is Maxie the loud blond." she asked intently while the blond who had entered thought the kitchen gasped, half in out rage and half in happiness. "I see her a lot, always shouting, always making a mess."

"That would be our Maxie." said a chuckling Steven who shut up when he saw all the eyes turning towards him.

"Do I know you?" she asked him taking in the blond hair, the green eyes and had a vague feeling of knowing but not knowing him.

"N-no, not really. I am the Chief of Staff at the hospital. My sister and you know each other." he said lamely. Turning he backed up, then went to where Patrick was standing holding onto Emma who was staring in fascination at the woman she had been told was dead.

Georgie if that was really her name felt lost but like she was home at the exact same time. Looking at the adults who were all staring at her shocked and then at the little boy who was staring at her like she hung the moon, all she wanted was to ask a million questions, but at the same time she wanted to do nothing more than hold him tightly.

"Mommy, I love you." said the little boy reaching for her. Taking him into her arms, she saw the blond whispering in the tall dark haired man's ear then nodding he left. Feeling the dark haired little boy rest his head on her shoulder, she closed her eyes, the joy she felt was so complete her heart ached.

"Why don't we give Georgie a few minutes with Andrew." said Patrick. He saw that the others really didn't want to but then as they looked at mother and son, all eased into the kitchen except Johnny who moved closer and kissed Andrew's head, then looked at Georgie.

"We will wait, but I-" The words didn't come, he was so close, she was inches away and everything in him was saying take her home, but the idea of taking her to that penthouse meant taking her away from her family. He couldn't do that.

"I am going no place." she said then sat down holding Andrew. "I missed you, my sweet little boy."

"I missed you too, Mommy." he said while John felt a lump in his throat as he walked into the kitchen.

In there, Patrick was suggesting they give Georgie some time, that they head home and open their remaining presents later. Mac thought about it, then sent Maxie up the back staircase while John went to grab the bag they had brought. Patrick went to the car and got the ones they had brought with them.

After sorting things out, the Drake family left, Robin reluctantly but knowing that right now, the best thing they could do for Georgie was to give her time. "Call me, let me know what happens."

"I will." said Mac who then had a thought but didn't say it out loud. He wanted Georgie to stay there with her family but at the same time he faced that for his daughter, she would want to be with Andrew and that meant going home with Johnny.

Johnny was standing in the doorway, his eyes on his family, the yearning in them clear to everyone in the room as Patrick placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard before carrying his daughter to the car. Robin looked at Maxie who was now pacing back and forth, clearly desperately wanting to be speaking to her sister.

Hugging the blond, she whispered. "I know what you are feeling but remember, things are different. She is a mother first, a sister second. If you need me, call me."

"I will, I know, I just..." The blond looked into the room where her sister was speaking quietly to her son and said "Look, its beautiful, you know."

With a soft happy smile, Robin said "I know. Georgie is alive, she is with her son. Maxie, you know, there is a chance she will want to go with Johnny tonight."

Swallowing her pain, her selfishness, she said "I know. I am just happy she is here. This is like a dream come true."

Mac hugged his daughter then said to her. "We all are. John."

The man turned, clearly finding it hard to take his eyes off the tableau in the living room. "Did you say something Mac?"

"If Georgie decides to go home with you, is there a room set up?" he asked then saw the other man seemed confused. "You do know, she won't want to stay with you, don't you?"

Blinking, still confused then the answer came to him. Flushing he said "Mac, I would stay on the sofa. I know that things are going to take a lot of work. I am not foolish. At the same time, we I guess, need to talk. I am not walking away."

"I don't expect you to." he said with a smile at the other man then he said something that bothered the younger man. "I think you need to speak to Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?" he asked now truly confused.

"While Lucky Spencer went off the rails when he came back, she has been in the same position you are, she can help you deal with what you are feeling." he said quietly.

"Dad. There is a difference, Elizabeth was already in love with Jason. Johnny isn't in love with someone else." she said then frowning looked at John. "Unless, are you in love with someone else?"

"No, I think we both know that..." I am in love with your sister, he thought to himself. "Besides, we have a son."

Mac nodded then hearing his name being called, he turned to see his daughter looking a bit hesitant standing there with her son fast asleep. "Uh, is there someplace I can lay him down?"

"Here." Mac took the little boy and carried him upstairs to what had once been Georgie's room and laid her son down on what had been her bed. Returning downstairs he heard Georgie telling Maxie how she had come to arrive at the house.

"I just was drawn here." she said completing her story. Going to her bag, she pulled out her book and handed it to the blond. She could feel the eyes of the other man on her, they had never left her since she had arrived. "I would write down things, even if they didn't make sense to me."

Mac saw Maxie look at it then hand it to him, he read through the lists, then looked at his daughter. Seeing certain things crossed through, others where circled and as he looked at them he said "What about this one here, for Alice?"

"I called the number, the woman that answered said her name was Alice." Shrugging it off then needing answers because for some reason it had been the one number that stuck in her head. "I know that what happened to me, my original accident is connected to the this number. To someone who was living at that house."

"No, I mean you are wrong." said Maxie insistently as she explained about Diego Alcazar and her death.

Georgie frowned then said "I don't know how I know it, but I do know you are wrong."

Maxie started to protest but Mac put his hand on her arm and when she looked at him shook his head. He had always had some doubts about Diego Alcazar, even after hearing Elizabeth's story about what had happened during the time he had held her hostage.

"Georgie, do you know how you ended up where you did?" asked John.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the passports. "These were my original passports. I found them in a locker along with a set for my son and myself."

Johnny looked at them, they were fakes but good fakes and he knew EXACTLY what forger had created them, a man who had worked for the Zachara family and he knew where to locate him.

He was not surprised because he had know what Trevor had done. Still, he knew that he was missing some very big pieces and had since learning who Georgie really was had questions about her real death.

"I woke up in Mexico, with a bag, there was money in it and passports." she said then added. "A few weeks later, I was told I was pregnant. I came back to the states, gave birth in Galveston. The memory flashes began, I started looking for answers."

With that, her voice quivered as she said "One day, I took Andrew for a walk, I was working as a translator, there are a lot of companies down in Texas who pay very well for that. And the money I was given, there was quite a lot of it. Anyhow, one day I went for a walk, we came home, the apartment we were living in was trashed but there was also a bag that matched the first one."

"The first one?" asked Maxie.

"The bag with the passports and money. This one had money and several prepaid debit cards." she said quietly. "I was watching television and saw a special about Brenda Barrett and her children's safe place program. I felt like I knew her. I found an address and then Andrew and I flew to Italy."

"That was where Suzanne saw you." said Maxie while Johnny fought his instincts which were begging him to reach out and comfort her.

"The woman who shot me and stole my son? Yes." she said. "I was so stupid. I told her way too much. When she showed up, she tried to take my son, said she could arrange for him to have a better life. I at first felt so selfish, I mean yeah, I had money but at the same time I had no memories from before I ended up in Mexico. She tried to play me, but I looked at my son, laying in his crib asleep and knew that no matter what, I couldn't leave him."

Swallowing she said "She shot me, I woke up in a hospital in El Paso, Texas. At first I had no memories then I tracked down where the key I had went to. The answers started to come to me. Port Charles kept coming up."

"I ran into a woman the first time I came here, she didn't know me, but I would have sworn I knew her. I didn't like her, I felt ill, like I knew something I shouldn't have." she said softly.

"I began to question my memories, what was real and what I had dreamed. I came back when I looked some stuff up online. It told me to come here, I went to the diner, the same place I saw the woman the first time. She wasn't there this time, there was this man though. He gave me a name, hearing it, it gave me more memories. Which led me here."

"Oh Georgie." said Maxie reaching out and spontaneously hugging her sister. "I am so glad you are home."

"But what is home?" she asked her sister then looking at her father. "I don't really have the answer to that. At least apart from when it comes to my son."

"Then that is your answer, your son, our son is home." said Johnny. "Mac, we can't let Andrew sleep much longer, he won't sleep tonight."

"Let me get him." said Maxie knowing that she wasn't going to want to hear the next part.

Leaving she went up the stairs while downstairs Johnny looked at Georgie. "Andrew doesn't live here. Will you be okay staying with us?"

Their eyes meet, then Georgie reached out for his hands and said "I think so. I have such mixed emotions when I look at you, but deep down I feel safe."

Mac went to the kitchen, packed up one of the pies, gathered the gifts then looking into the living room went upstairs to his bedroom. At the back of his closet was a box, with gaily wrapped presents, they were a few years old, but he had placed them there, unable to do anything else with them.

Now, he took them down and out to the European luxury sedan, then put them in the back seat along with the rest of the items. Returning to the house, he saw Maxie handing Andrew to his father who looked at Mac with a guilty expression on his face.

Moving to the twosome while listening as Georgie and Maxie spoke, he said "Take care of her, I know that right now, what she needs is Andrew. I have a few very long calls to make tonight. I don't know if her parents will bother to come home, but you should be prepared just in case."

Georgie hugged the girl she knew as her sister then her father before telling him she would call him the next day. Georgie felt odd getting into the car then had a flash of something. "Why am I seeing a yellow hot rod in my memories? This car, it doesn't suit you."

With a slight smile as her words reached him, Johnny said "Unfortunately the hot rod is gone, but I am building another. Its just right now, this is the safest car on the market and while I am driving Andrew around, I felt that was more important than my hyped up testosterone level."

Looking at him, she said "I said something about the car and that to you, at some point, didn't I?"

"Yes." he said then looking back saw Andrew's huge smile then looked at Georgie who was looking out the window as if she had never seen the streets they were driving down and asked "Georgie, after I put Andrew to bed tonight, we probably should talk. Once word gets out that you are alive, there are going to be people showing up, telling you things and I don't want you to be blindsided by them."

"When Andrew is in bed." she said looking back at her son who was watching the snow falling outside his car window. "I missed him, even when I didn't know who or where he was."

At the Towers, Johnny lifted Andrew while Georgie picked up the various packages only for a guard to arrive to help. "Wait, Georgie, we need to pick you up some clothes."

Showing him her bag, she said "I have clothes, Johnny. I don't need you to take care of me, I am quite capable of doing that myself."

"That's the Georgie, I know." he muttered as they went to the elevator. With a look at her, he said "I wasn't saying you can't. I just didn't know what you have or don't have."

"I have clothes, I won't be naked or embarrass you." she said quietly.

"Georgie, you not having..." he stopped speaking, looking at her with a sideways glance, he reined in where his brain was going, then said "I am sorry, I just... I talked to Mac one day. He said other than a few special things, he had donated Georgie's, well your stuff to charity, that it hurt too much to have it in the house."

Not letting on how much that hurt, she gave him a slight smile just as the elevator dinged to let them know they were on the right floor. Stepping off, she looked at first one door then the other and said "A blond man lives in that penthouse. I can see him in my mind, he had this geek living with him., I felt sorry for him."

"Some thought you were in love with him." he told her quietly as they went inside his penthouse. "What about this penthouse, does it ring any bells."

Looking around, still in the hallway, she felt her head hurt then said "A tall blond, shrieking loudly. An annoying little shit with a Napoleon Complex. Another blond, arms the size of most men."

"Okay, except for the last one, yeah, it fits. This was once Sonny Corinthos penthouse" he said putting Andrew down now that the little boy was a bit more lively.

Georgie looked around then said "I don't know how I know, but I know this doesn't suit you."

"You are right. Andrew's room, that is what I helped him chose, but otherwise, I... I will explain later." he said a bit awkwardly. He had let Olivia help him chose this stuff and he had forgotten that until now. Clearly all this stuff, had to go, because she was right, none of it really suited him.

Andrew rushed over to his Mommy and asked "Mommy, where have you been, did the mean lady hurt you?"

Hugging Andrew, she said "I was trying to find my way to you."

"Okay.'" he said looking between his parents with a grin then asked slyly "Can we open our presents from Grandpa Mac?"

"Can you drag the bag over?" asked Johnny who watched as the little boy grunted and huffed as he 'helped' bring the bag over. Seeing several packages he didn't recognize, he saw they had Georgie's name on them.

There was also a small flat book with a note to him. Lifting it, he saw it was Georgie's old diary and silently handed it to her. Her eyes widening, she opened it and looked at the familiar looking writing inside and knew that this would answer some of her questions, hopefully.

"Georgie, these have your name on them." he said handing her the gaily wrapped packages then asked Andrew if he wanted his. As the little boy excitedly unwrapped a race track from Robin and her family.

Several books from Maxie, which surprised him and from Mac had come a photo album with pictures, all labeled, all dated from Georgie's birth until the Black and White Ball.

Andrew looked at them, studying each one and smiling at his mommy when he said "You had funny hair."

"Yes, I did." she said laughing and messing up his hair. "You got very lucky and didn't inherit mine."

Johnny opened the packages with his name on it, his eyes never really leaving Georgie and their son. The gifts he had been given were thoughtful and kind but he had received the best gift of his life, a second chance with the mother of his son, and this gift would require lots of work and hopefully she would fall back in love with him.

Hearing barking, he stood, went to the kitchen door and let in Andrew's dog which had scampered straight at the little boy, stopped to sniff Georgie then after getting some attention from his owner settled at their footsteps while Andrew told his mom all about the ball of fluff that was no more an indoor dog than he was a saint.

Looking at the clock, he saw Andrew beginning to yawn and said "I think it is time for Mommy and I to put you to bed, Andrew."

"But daddy-" The little boy was about to protest when he saw his dad smile.

"Andrew, I promise your Mom will still be here in the morning." he said gently then added "But you have had a very busy day and you were supposed to go sledding with Cam and Jake tomorrow."

Georgie frowned then looked at Johnny and said "Who?"

"Cam and Jake Morgan, Jason and El-" she looked at him with a look of shock then at her own son then back at Johnny and burst into laughter.

"Tall man who lived across the hall and very pretty nurse, right? I knew it, I knew that Jason was Jake's father, hell I would be surprised if Lucky Spencer could even get it up, let alone impregnate someone." She crowed then looked at him in astonishment. "I can't remember my own history but I can remember that, well I will be danged."

Hugging her loosely as he bent down to pick up Andrew he said "We have a huge chore in front of us. Someone doesn't like to take baths then go to bed."

A joyful hour later, Johnny tucked his teddy bear under the blankets next to Andrew, told Sparkles to stay off the bed, then watched as Georgie kissed their now sleeping son and told him she loved him. "Shall we?"

Following him down the staircase, she bent and began to clean up the few pieces of loose wrapping paper only for him to say "I am sorry, but we can't delay speaking."

"I just need a moment, please." she said not sure how to tell him she saw all these images and had been seeing them since the moment she had recalled Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber. It was primarily flashes, images of people and emotions, all chaotic, all of which made no sense.

Looking at the man in front of her, she felt so much. Fear for him, love and confusion and pain. Looking in his eyes, she saw his fear, and sat down as he paced back and forth. "Please, whatever you need to say, I think it might be better if you just did so."

"I was waiting on you, remember?" he said with a slight smile as he looked at her. "Do you want me to tell you our history or just what has happened since I lost you."

"Our history." she said then listened first in horror as he told her stories of attempted suicide, of his family, all of it's history, even what he had denied her before. "I should have told you before, but I couldn't, I just couldn't tell you all the horrible things that were my life. You were my light. My dreams of all that is good."

"That is too much responsibility for one person, Johnny." she said gently as she reached out for the throw pillow on the sofa so she didn't reach out to comfort him. She just wasn't ready for that.

"I know, things between us went bad when you found me with a gun. I couldn't tell you the truth, that I had it to protect myself, you thought I was trying to kill myself again." he said looking at her with pain in his eyes. "I froze, then didn't know how to tell you what I felt, what you meant to me. You walked away that night, for six hours I had my dreams, my future and I lost it out of fear."

"We separated?" she asked softly. "What about Andrew?"

"I didn't know about him, you didn't tell me but you might not have known until after something else happened." with that, he hesitated and told her about Trevor and the news the man had given him about killing her. "I didn't deal with it, I was angry and hurting so I started down that bad road you got me off of. Then there was this meeting, I overheard Trevor talking to someone about Port Charles and I came back here."

"I gather you got over this suicidal behavior." she said grateful that he had been able to do so.

"No, not then. I came to town, there was this woman, she was reckless and selfish and it suited me, it suited my numbness because it wasn't deep, She was a mess and hell still is a mess but in truth, she was the opposite of you. It didn't matter to me, but I pulled her into my mess and knew I had to fix it at the time."

"What do you mean at the time?" she asked confused.

"I soon learned that she was not what I thought, she was drama and games. Everything I was trying to escape. But what I didn't learn until later was what she truly was. And that is why I have to tell you her history and mine. You know her, she has hurt you long before I came into the picture."

Johnny thought back on all that Mac had told him of the history between the mother of his child and the woman he had been lovers with. "Her name is Lulu Spencer and she has hurt you terribly in the past."

Stuttering a bit, he said "You were married once, his name was Dillon. I don't know much more about him except that he was Lulu's stepbrother."

Georgie thought about it, then asked "A blond, messy hair and idiotic thought process."

That hurt, deeply thought Johnny didn't let on that her remembering her first love hurt that badly. "I wouldn't know, I never met him."

"So you were involved with this Lulu?" she asked.

"Yes. When we ended, I realized she was a way of trying to move on, things had changed, Trevor was dead, my father was in jail at the time. But there was always something missing, always this hint that I had lost something I could never get back. My sister was in town, she was another version of my father,. I was just lost and then there was Olivia Falconari."

"Woman with huge tits." she said. Seeing his surprise, she said "When you say names, I see faces in my head."

"But- Olivia didn't come to town until after you were thought dead." he said astounded.

"I see a dark haired girl, and a short man in a police uniform. She is his mother and we are in New York." she said telling him what she saw. Seeing his eyes twitching, she said "Wait, you involved with my friend, weren't you?"

"No." he said firmly. "I almost got involved but she was obsessed with Dante. My guess is your short man in the police uniform. She was working for Carly, the tall shrieking woman who used to live here. Dante is the short man who lived here's son and she drugged him on her behalf."

That didn't fit what Georgie saw but then she had an image of the woman in her head, words that made Georgie angry. But then her mind came back to the present and she looked at Johnny and said "Wait, yuck, you are what, 26, 27. She has to be... double yuck."

Rubbing the back of his neck, his mind well aware that the Olivia was the least offensive of his relationships and said "I was working on my mommy issues. We ended when I wouldn't let go of taking down her ex-lover and Dante's father. I did some things, things I wasn't proud of. I bought a strip club."

Seeing her face, he winced and said "There was this woman, I needed her help and she had done something to your cousin Robin. Robin and I have discussed it, we worked our way past it for the sake of Andrew but I would understand if you couldn't get past it."

He was holding his breath but he knew he had to tell her that, had to give her an out after all the mistakes he had made over the last few years. "I need time, Johnny. There is so much being thrown at me and my memories are still scrambled. Still a mess."

"I understand that." he said then looked at her, "I haven't said it yet but I am so glad you are back."

When he kissed her on the forehead, she felt a soft tingling that began in her stomach and a pull towards the man next to her but at the same time there was almost a banked anger which made her take notice of all he had just told her. There was some part of his story that upset her more than the other parts and she had to unscramble that before things got complicated.

"I am not sure what else I should be telling you." he said as he racked his brain for what he might have missed until she smiled at him and said that she was hoping he would fill her in on her son and how they had been doing as father and son.

Johnny sat down and they spoke quietly about Andrew and Brenda Barrett. Then about the meeting with Mac which had given him the idea that it wasn't a coincidence about the name. How they had bonded over the last few months. "I uh, am not that great of a cook but I didn't poison him, which I consider a plus."

She laughed a quiet soft laugh that had him remembering times that had happened long ago between them. As they sat there, next to each other on the long cream colors sofa, Georgie and Johnny spoke about Andrew and revealed stuff they had kept hidden about themselves from many. Things that the person beside them were the only people who knew.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked with a slightly mischievous grin on her face. When he nodded yes, she said "Something has been sticking in my mind, well a few things actually but this is the most persistent."

Looking at him, she said "Did you ever actually capture the duck?"

His eyes widened, as he looked at her with shock in them. "Wait, you remember that?"

"Other than our son, the only memory I have is you, chasing that duck who had nabbed your sandwich and then you falling into the lily pond." she said as her grin became laughter as her mind went back to the mental image that had stayed with her through some pretty terrible events. "Well?"

"Well what?" he asked.

"Did you ever catch the duck?" she asked only for Johnny to pin her to the sofa, with his knees on either side of her thighs and his hands holding hers as she began to laugh even louder "I only have a snippet, the duck stealing your sandwich, you chasing it and landing in the pond, so, how did it end?"

Suspicious, he looked at her and said "Is that the only part you remember or are you wanting me to say it."

"Say what?" she asked as she looked at the man hovering over her on the sofa. "What don't I remember?"

"Do I have to tell you?" he asked his eyes trying to read hers. Seeing she seemed to be genuinely curious, he mumbled. "With a frog landing down the open vee of my dress shirt."

Georgie was laughing hysterically by now, Johnny could feel the vibrations beginning to effect his body, as he began to grow aroused but that quickly deflated when she reached up and touched the top of his head and said "Yup, it sure did. You stood and screamed like a girl trying to get it out of your shirt. I have to say, that that sequence of events, was completely unforgettable."

"You remember that?" he asked silently confused as to whether he was upset with her tricking him or happy she remembered him or unhappy that her main memory was of that particular event.

Their eyes met, and Johnny reached down to brush her hair of her face as she looked at him and said "Only bits and pieces until just now, mainly I saw your eyes. I was worried you would be angry that I lost our son."

"At you, never." he said and without thinking rested his weight on her as he pulled her into his arms. "I have loved you for so long. When I thought I lost you, there was a gaping hole in my heart, one that no matter how much I tried, I could never repair, never fill."

"Oh Johnny." her voice trailed off as she felt their closeness, looking at him, she said "I should tell you to let me up, but... this, this feels familiar, right even."

"I should let you go to bed, but first, I have something for you." he said then awkwardly getting up, went to the bag then handed her the small neatly wrapped package. "I saw this in a store at the mall, I uh, I was reminded of you when I saw it. I knew I was crazy but I had to get it for you, even if I never gave it to you. Even if I had given it to Andrew's bride someday, as a token of..." his voice broke as he thrust the package into her hand.

Georgie opened the very prettily wrapped box covered with red embossed paper and silver ribbon and then opened the small box inside. Gasping when she saw the cameo, she heard to lift the little tab. When she did so, she saw the ribbons beneath, all were complementary colors to the pale ivory piece of jade.

"Johnny, this, its beautiful." she said looking at the man standing almost frozen in front of her. "I... I don't understand..."

Knelling in front of her, lifting the pale green ribbon that was already attached to the cameo, he told her to lean forward and then slid the necklace around her neck, connecting the clasp strictly by touch. Finding it difficult to pull his hand back, wanting to keep touching her, wanting to run his fingers through her hair, his eyes fell to where the cameo was resting on her throat and said "It looks like it has always belonged there."

Reaching out, she ran her fingers on her left hand gently over his face, her mind marveling as his eyes closed, clearly enjoying the feeling she was evoking. "Johnny,-"

For once, he wanted to do this right, wanted that perfect moment, with that, he found himself moving closer and closer, his right hand tangling into her hair while his left hand slid down her body as they moved in closer and closer... then soft lips met his. There was a slight gasp then both opened their eyes looking into each others and what they saw there, made them close them again as Johnny moved his lips over hers, gently caressing, but not deepening the kiss.

He needed Georgie to know that this wasn't about sex, wasn't about their son, but about him and how much he regretted letting his fears tear them apart. How his fears had cost them years together, almost had cost her her life. But just as he was about to tell her what he felt, his hand felt something wet. Pulling back and opening his eyes, seeing the tear that gently rolling down her cheek, he knew that he didn't have to say a word. He could see her confusion, her surprised but the part that scared him, he could see some part of her remembered this, remembered how they made each other feel and that scared him yet again.

Stepping back, then standing, he turned, quickly, missing seeing the hurt expression on Georgie's face at his behavior as she ran her fingers over her lips then an almost knowing expression follow. "Uh, the bedroom, the largest, it is set up for you."

Not saying a word, she picked up her bag, then turned to look at Johnny. Starting to say something, she saw how tense he was and with a softly worded "Good Night" she hurried up the stairs and went to shower and head to bed. Removing the cameo, she laid it on the small wood square catchall on his dresser, then hurried into the bathroom, hoping the steady stream of hot water would help clear her thoughts.

Dried off and in her pajamas picked up at a Target store a few weeks before, she went to check on Andrew and found her son fast asleep. Tucking him in when she saw he was half uncovered, she gently kissed his forehead as her heart settled down and her mind gave her the answers she was seeking.

She had seen their argument while in the shower, had recalled the panicked look in his face as he broke things off with her and finally found her answers. "OH Johnny, you fool."

With that, she climbed into his bed, grimacing at the idea of those who had shared it in the past and found it hard to sleep in at first before exhaustion and the warmth took over and she was soon fast asleep.

Walking through the park, the confused girl was not sure what she was looking for as she called out Andrew? Andrew where are you? Seeing the blond talking to the young man with wild hair, she asked "Have you seen my son?"

"Your son? Who would have had sex with you? Let alone be willing to have a kid with you?" sneered the young woman as she turned around and kissed the other boy. Georgie didn't know why the girl was bothering when the man was clearly looking at the taller skinnier olive skinned brunette instead of her.

Moving on, getting that even if they saw her son, they wouldn't stop their self involved lives long enough to help her, she moved on. "Andrew? Andrew?"

"Have you seen my son?" she asked the salt and pepper haired man who she had seen at the hospital.

"What son, my dear?" asked the oily mannered man, he he gave her the creeps and when she turned around again, she saw him talking to Ric Lansing, a man she knew by name but now how.

Shuddering, she kept moving, saw the older man, standing there tending roses. "Have you seen my son?"

Cackling the man looked at her with malevolent eyes and then said "No, but according to my attorney, you have been seeing mine. That isn't allowed, You must be taught a lesson, sluts like you, are a no-no. Johnny needs to be taught a lesson."

With that, Georgie was slapped across the face, as she fell down, she looked at him and said "Who, who are you?"

"Stay away from Johnny." said the first man, the one she had seen talking to Lansing. Before she could say another word, she found herself slapped again. This time she was knocked unconscious. When she came too, she was in a small room, locked inside.

But something had changed, something had caused her to forget her son and she was now asking to be let go. Looking down, seeing her bump, Georgie was crying and now remembering her name. "What, wait, what is going on?"

Settling onto the bed in the room, Georgie was terrified, she was clearly about six months pregnant. Looking out the small window, she could see the snow, could see that it was well into winter. "What am I doing here?"

"My question exactly." said the tall dark haired woman wearing red shoes as she came down the narrow hallway. "Who are you and why is my father holding you hostage?"

Rubbing her head, the woman looked down then at the woman. "I don't actually know, but I think it has to do with my baby."

"Is he the father?" she asked the girl who was clearly a mess.

"I don't know." she said bleakly. "I don't know anything. Just that I am pregnant. They bring a doctor to come and see me every few weeks but no one will tell me anything."

There was a calculating look in the hard woman's eyes as she said "And if I can get you freed?"

"Why would you help me, something tells me there is something in it for you." she asked suspiciously.

"If that is my father's kid, I don't want it to exist. Don't want anyone to know about it." she replied. "Give me three days."

With that, the young woman sat down, not really expecting help. So when the woman came back a few days later with a man, one she thought looked familiar, she said "Who is this?"

The man had turned white and was saying holy hell, repeatedly as he grabbed Claudia's arm and pulled her out of there.

A few minutes later, the dark haired woman returned, her face set in stone as she said "Sorry about this."

With that, she stuck a needle in her arm and waited until she was half asleep. Then making a call said "I have a package for pickup. Mexico. No, she isn't to be harmed. No touching her, just give her the back pack and I have people who will be keeping an eye on her, so don't try stealing anything."

As she came back completely conscious three days later according to the date on her watch, the girl overheard two men talking and knew, she had very little time to get free. The dark haired woman was coming back for her baby and she couldn't allow that, couldn't allow them to take her child.

The men had underestimated the determination and abilities of the pregnant girl. Within two days of arriving, she had knocked one out while the other went to the store. Finding the bag was a bonus as she grabbed it, found the keys to the car and drove, far away and soon found herself at the Mexican US border.

Crossing, she arrived at a hotel, left the car in the parking lot and caught the cross town bus. Loosing herself in the crowded city of El Paso, she found a hidey hole, bought a notebook and began to make notes of the flashes she was seeing in her head.

Things went smoothly until the day she went into labor...

Andrew had woken up, hearing odd sounds. Entering his daddy's bedroom, he saw his Mommy was moving restlessly in her sleep and crawled up onto the bed with her. "Mommy?"

She didn't wake up, but seemed to calm down. "Its okay Mommy, I promise. Daddy will fix things, he always does."

The man who had been standing in the hallway felt his heart turn over in his chest as his son told his mother that daddy had brought her back to him, so he was sure Daddy could fix things for Mommy too.

Johnny walked further into the room as Georgie had settled down and Andrew had fallen asleep curled up next to her, his eyes bleak as he thought to himself that daddy hadn't fixed anything, Mommy had brought herself home. Pulling the duvet up, over the two of them, he sat there in the new brown chair, across from the bed, watching over the two people who mattered most to him and brooded.

His mind going over his past, the darkness he had given in to, the crimes he had committed in the name of family and revenge and found that he didn't know the way forward. Seeing Georgie reach out, even in sleep and cuddle their son closer, he knew he didn't deserved them, didn't deserve happiness. He had done bad things, things he had always sworn to never do, what was to stop him from doing those things again, when clearly his own conscious wasn't able to.

With that, he walked down the stairs, stood in the middle of the living room, looked around, then sank onto the sofa as he faced that he had to let them go, had to walk away from his family, for their sake.

Mac had been waiting to speak to Felecia, knowing that he had to do it after Maxie had gone to bed but his eldest was still on the phone with Dr. Webber, yet another discussion he was going to have to have soon. While the age difference bothered Mac, he had to admit that her friendship with Steven Webber and her closeness with Jasper Jacks and his daughter were actually the first normal relationships she had had in years.

When he heard Maxie saying good night, then laugh, he found himself chuckling when she began muttering as she walked up the stairs complaining about Epiphany Johnson thinking she was insane because she had asked about Georgie. "As if that is the craziest thing I have done over the last few years."

Hearing the shower, then Maxie going to bed, Mac looked at the clock and grimaced before picking up the phone. Hearing the sound of a male voice on the other end, he said "Hey, Frisco. It is Mac, I need to speak to Felicia and you."

"One second, while I put you on speakerphone." said the spy as he saw his ex-wife/current partner moving closer to the phone. "Okay, go ahead Mac."

"Felicia, we had an unexpected guest at the family party tonight." he said.

"Really, some relative of Mr. Zachara's?" she asked still annoyed with him for leaving their grandchild with the mobster prince. "I warned you..."

"Felicia, if you were really concerned, you might have wanted to come home and meet Georgie's son, but you haven't so much as asked for a picture as of yet." he snapped. "That is your grandson."

"Mac, I can't compromise my cover and there will be plenty of time." she said then added more to herself than to him. "How you can trust this young man..."

"I didn't call you to argue." he snapped, annoyed with her. "Felicia, since you are so worried about Andrew, you might be happy to know that another relative of ours is going to be living with Johnny and Andrew."

"Oh god, please tell me Maxie hasn't lost..."

"Mac, can't you get control..." Frisco started to speak when the phone disconnected, Mac having hung up. Frisco dialed the Scorpio house number, thinking it was a weather related issue. "Mac, we were disconnected."

"I know, I hung up." he replied then clipped out. "Felicia, not that you seem to care, but Georgie is alive. She is home and staying with her son and his father. Frisco, we both know you haven't given a damn all this time, you couldn't even be bothered to attend her funeral but I felt you had a right to know."

With that, Mac hung up again and then put a block on the number, not giving a damn about any questions they had. Georgie was fragile enough right now, she didn't need to be dealing with their protests about Johnny.

In Texas, Frisco was looking at a stunned Felicia who was saying that they had to go home. "We can't blow our cover and going to Port Charles right now, would expose us."

"FRISCO, that is our daughter, I don't give a damn right now about national security." with that, she went to pack only to hear the undercover phone ring. Reluctantly listening in, she figured out that they could afford the two days it would take to wrap this up. "But that is all, Frisco, after that national security be damned, our daughter needs us. No more assignments."

Agreeing, he went to his room and took out the picture he had of his girls. Maxie was about five and Georgie was just a baby. It was the only photo he had and he couldn't help wishing things were different but he had made his choice years ago, knowing that the best thing he could do for his family was to protect everyone, them included.

Chapter Three

Mac was getting ready for bed, when he heard a knock on his door. Opening it, he saw Maxie standing there looking a little pale. "Dad?"

"Hey, what is it?" he asked easing her into a chair near his window. Reaching out, he felt for her pulse and said "Maxie?"

"I-I don't know." she said weakly. "I feel bad, off. I thought I was just tired but when I laid down in bed, my heart started racing. I-I think there is something wrong dad."

Mac asked her if he should call an ambulance. "No, please just call Dr. Quartermaine and see if she can meet us at the hospital."

With that, he took his cell phone, slipped on his slippers and helped his daughter down the stairs, worried sick as she refused to let him carry her. Once at GH and Monica had taken her off to an exam room, he called Johnny and Robin. Johnny said he would wake Georgie up only for Mac to tell him no, that they wouldn't know anything until morning and Robin had rushed straight down.

Seeing Steven Webber entering the hospital followed closely by Jax, he said "Monica is in with her now."

"I thought something was off when we were on the phone." said Steven kicking himself for not insisting she let him come over. They had been talking about how fast to move on with things and how to speak to Mac so he had taken her being quiet as her being not sure how to proceed.

Looking at Jax, seeing how pale the other man was, he said softly. "There is always a chance it isn't her heart."

Feeling guilty, because his mind was on his own daughter's transplant and what she could go though as well as the young woman who had been offering him emotional support over the last few months, he said "How are you doing, I mean, she is my friend but you are in lov-"

Steven glared at the man then said "I still haven't told her that yet."

"You might want to get on with it, you never know what will happen from one minute to the next." he said then sat down to stare at his feet. Hearing Robin speaking, he said "Wait, what did you say?"

"Oh, I guess we can start spreading the news. Georgie, she is home, alive." said Robin looking at the tall blond man. Seeing his shock, she said "She doesn't remember much, just a few things so we are letting her be. Right now, she is with Andrew at Johnny's penthouse."

Grimacing a bit, Jax still wasn't sure that the former mobster was such a good guy, he was about to ask how she had been found when Monica exited Maxie's hospital room. Mac stood, looked at the woman he had known for almost twenty years and asked "How is she?"

"Sit down." she said then sat next to him on the sofa and looked at those gathered. "Its not the transplant, at least her body isn't rejecting the heart. It looks like the heart however has a hole in it. A small little pinprick but it is affecting her."

"Why didn't this show up before now?" asked Robin.

Monica said with a heavy sigh, "I have no idea. The scans show that it isn't going to be easy to operate on and we have a bigger problem."

"What?" asked Mac who saw Robin and Steven looking at one another. "Will one of you tell me what you are keeping from me?"

"In order to operate, Maxie has to go off her anti-rejection meds." said Steven who looked at Monica who looked at Robin then at Mac and finally just said. "Mac, Maxie didn't want to worry you, but she has been having some issues with her meds. We had to switch her dosage up recently."

The older man looked at Robin who said "You know that that can be a regular occurrence, she just didn't want anyone to worry. There was nothing more to it."

"Now, however, I have to wonder, maybe we should have looked deeper into things." said a troubled Steven while Monica looked up at Jeff arrived like requested then at Mac. "Mac, Jeff is an expert on the laser guiding machine that we are going to need to operate on Maxie. I need to explain her file to him."

With that the two exes walked off, Monica's words making him frown then the lines around his face deepen as he said "You do know that this has only ever been tried in a lab, that it was approved without actually having been tested on a human."

"That isn't true, Jeff. They have been using it in brain surgery for years." she reminded him.

"Then what about Drake, surely he would be a better candidate to perform the surgery?" he asked.

"No, he is too close to the situation. Not that you are much better, with how things seem to be working out between Maxie and Steven." she said with a look at where his son was slipping in to see the young blond. "We don't have a lot of time here, Jeff. It has to be you."

"When can you get one of the machines ready for this?" he asked knowing it took almost forty eight hours to prepare the program for the operation. "Also do we have a heart, just in case this goes wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, then looking him in the eye, she said "No, because Maxie is a difficult match. This heart came from her cousin BJ. We almost lost her last time."

Getting how serious the situation was, Jeff asked "Who do I need to speak to?"

"Mac, as well as Maxie. I don't know about her biological parents, they weren't here much for her. Felicia tried, but in the end, the lure of adventure was too strong." she said then looking at where Mac stood, wearing his dress clothes, but slippers, clearly exhausted, she said "I do think that part of the reason she felt so safe leaving is him. Mac would do anything, I mean anything for his girls."

Nodding, Jeff went to make a call, there was only one nurse he knew that would be able to do what he needed in the operating room without his needing to speak out loud. He wished it could be his daughter, Epiphany Johnson was correct, his little girl had a magical touch, a healing hand so to speak but she would feel guilty if something went wrong and he didn't want that for her. Not for an operation that had less than a thirty percent success rate.

In the small room, Steven had sat down in the chair next to Maxie who had her eyes closed. Reaching for her hand, he saw her eyes fly open and said "Monica is talking to my father, he is going to operate."

Untangling their hands, she ran her fingers over the worry lines on his forehead and said "This tells me you are scared. Don't be. I will be fine, I don't know how I know it, but I do."

His heart stopped, then Steven said "Don't say things like that. I-I don't believe that... I have lost too many people over the years to believe in fate or destiny or any of that crap."

"But you have got some back." she said weakly. "I mean, look at yesterday, miracles happen."

"What if I am bad luck?" he asked suddenly standing, pacing around the room. "You don't know my history, my family history. What if I caused this by telling you what I did the other day."

"Uh, Steven, I have known your sister for what feels like forever." she said dryly. "Think about it, I mean, after all at the time I felt like she was my enemy, I studied her. I know your family. I know that your dad left you all and moved to save others. I know that."

"Maxie." with that, he looked at her and decided to get her to face that his being around wasn't good. "You know nothing, nothing at all about my family. Did you know my mother is insane, that she is because she drugged herself with PCP?"

"I knew she was crazy, but not why. Why though... wait, a man, right?" she asked feeling a bit dizzy like maybe he hadn't meant what he had told her, that he didn't really want to see where this attraction was going.

"She was chasing after my dad because he was a rich doctor." he confessed. "Then when he didn't fall in with her plans, she sold me on the black market and made my father think I was dead. The family that adopted me, things went bad for them too. My adopted dad died and my adopted mom came to town. Dad found out about me, they got together, I don't think my dad loved Diana, I think it was all about me. Anyhow, my biological grandmother, she killed Diana and framed the woman my dad was really in love with."

Maxie watched his pace, hearing his words and felt for him as he continued. "I felt alone, like I had lost my feelings of being safe but then my dad was there for me. We moved and then he got married and was suddenly gone more than there and I felt alone again most of the time. I went off to school and felt disconnected yet again. I have always had intimacy issues as a result. I have always been aware of it."

The pacing became faster as did the words as he said "I came to town a few years ago, because John Durant insisted on it. I was sure it would allow me to mend things with Elizabeth, but John, he never told me who my sister was divorced from, that he had brought me to town because of her connections to Morgan. I couldn't allow myself to get close because I was scared he would try to use her... so I left again, bereft, feeling a hole in my soul."

"But you came back and Elizabeth and you are close." she pointed out.

"Look what did happen, Elizabeth's life was a mess, if I had told her what I knew about Lucky back then, instead of keeping it to myself... she might not have made that mistake. Jason and she might have been together long before this point."

"Or not." she said looking at him then saying "Steven, why do you think bad things happen because of you. What happened to Elizabeth was because of Sam and Lucky and Helena. Not you."

"You don't get it, every time I would get close to people, I would find flaws, find reasons not to trust. Then I came here, it was why I was seeing Lisa, she was clearly flawed, I wouldn't get close, wouldn't get my heart broken. Same with Olivia, there is a safety net to being involved with people like that."

"You mean with people like me." she said feeling her own heart twist in ways that had nothing to do with her medical problems.

Shocked he said ruefully "Maxie, we weren't really involved until recently we are more like sparring partners. I know you, and your past and frankly that isn't my issue with us. It is your age like we have talked about. Your stubbornness and your annoying habit of following me into the men's room to get what you want."

"It works doesn't it?" she said still feeling downcast at the words he had spoken.

Yesterday, things had been working out between them, now she was afraid she was going to lose him no matter what happened.

"What you don't seem to get is that I say no more often then not to see just how far you will go in tormenting me. I actually love seeing your jaw tighten, your eyes flash and your fists clench just before you tell me that you will win, that you always do." he said softly then said "I have never had any trouble holding people away from me, until I came here. Or until Jake and Cam. I see them, I see what I want, the future I want but I have no idea how to achieve it. You, you are like a whirlwind I can't say no to."

That did worry her, Maxie was well aware that children might not be in the cards for her, it was partly why she hung around Jax so much until recently. She had known that he cared for her, she also knew it wouldn't take much to push that over into love but she also knew that her feelings for the blond were created because he was the father of the little girl she loved so much.

Unlike with Steven there was no attraction, more an appreciation for how well he was put together. With Jax she felt the age difference between them whereas with Steven who was the same age as the Aussie, it was never an issue. Tuning back into Steven who was still going on, clearly torn about caring for her, she felt her heart pitter patter as he talked about Cam smiling at him one day with his wide childlike grin right after he had done something wrong and how it had made him laugh.

"That moment, that smile, it cracked the casing that I had around my heart to protect it. Then the crack slowly grew and now, my heart is too exposed too open. I can't risk it, I can't risk you. I won't lose anyone else I love... I can't love you, at least not now. Damn, I wish I didn't love you.." That did stop her heart for a second then she grinned and on his next pass as he paced by her bed, she reached out for his hand and stopped him.

"What?" He asked, never seeing her smile as she thought so much for taking things slowly.

"Would you repeat those last three words." she said gently touching his face, cupping his cheek. "Please?"

Thinking back to what he had been saying, his mind only now processing what had been coming out of his mouth and groaned. "Please?"

"I love you." he said almost like it was torn from him, like it hurt to tell her those words. Maxie wondered if maybe, just maybe it did when he sat down, practically falling into the chair he had been wearing the carpet down around. Their eyes met, then he said "This changes nothing."

"No, I get that." she said agreeing with him then added with a smirk. "Other than I like hearing it out loud, because your eyes have been saying it almost since Halloween, there Doctor."

Stunned, he stuttered "N-no, it hasn't."

"Yes it has and for the record, I have to admit... well I like you too." she mumbled, her face red as she couldn't find it in her to tell him the words just yet in case she didn't make it. "You are a lot of fun to be around."

"So is a labradoddle." he replied while accepting that he was already in the deep end and that he might was well give in to what he was feeling.

"Nah, they shed." she answered back. "Kate had me get one for a photo shoot once, I thought Carly was going to have a cow when it shed all over the hotel lobby."

"Shit." he said swearing. Looking at her he said "Carly gave birth two days ago. AJ took his baby home but I forgot I was supposed to go speak to her. I guess... I really don't want to go."

"Then don't." she said. "Carly can wait, after all she has made others wait for years. Besides, usually when two people finally admit that they are in love with each other, they kiss. I want a kiss."

"Tough, you only said you like me." Steven had been through this on Christmas Eve and he didn't want her heart racing, so with that he went towards the door only to hear Epiphany Johnson's voice through the speakerphone asking Maxie if she needed something.

"Dr. Steven Webber won't give me the prescription I need." she said. "I was told to keep my heart calm, and he is aggravating me. Will you tell him to give me what I want."

"Ms. Jones, this is for emergencies only." she said stiffly. "Not for you to use to manipulate the medical staff. Now as for Dr. Webber, I am quite certain that as one of your doctors, he wouldn't want you to become upset."

Steven leaned against the semi open door, then looked at her amused. "I guess she told you."

"Well if you don't want me to end up really needing help, you had better give me what I want." she said with a snarkly little grin. "I want a nice kiss, right on the lips, with tongue."

Coughing to hid his laughter, he said "So when Mrs. Neidermeyer in 406 asks me for the same treatment, you will be okay with it."

"No, because that would also make my pulse race so I had better be the only patient prescribed that particular prescription." she said frowning darkly.

"You want that kiss, then say what you are really feeling." Steven's mind was yelling at himself to stop this, that this is the last thing Maxie needs, that she was just a bit messed up right then, but his body was the one in control as he moved back to where she was resting against her raised pillow. Moving closer, within inches of her lips he said "Now what do you have to say to me?"

Maxie looked into the very pretty green eyes so close to her, then at his lips, mere millimeters away and said "I love you, Dr. Steven Webber."

"Steven Lars Webber." he said his breath warm against her lips as he said his whole name.

"Fine, I love you, wait, what kind of middle name is Lars?" she asked distracted then suddenly deciding that could wait as Steven pressed his lips to her. Her arms came up around his shoulders to pull him closer then she felt his tongue slip between her lips as he deepened the kiss.

Neither of them noticed the beeping of the machines, nor the shrill sound of the alarm down the hall but those gathered to hear how she was doing had as Monica, Jeff and Robin led the rush to the hospital room where Epiphany Johnson had already rushed in with the crash cart and had stopped in the doorway, her hands on her hips as with annoyance she glared at the obvious couple who were wrapped up in each other.

"AHEM." she said and got no response, except to be pushed into yet again as more of the crowd arrived. There was a moment's laughter then Jax, Patrick and Jason who had arrived quickly left while Elizabeth gave a quiet chuckle then did the same.

Mac, and the other three doctors looked at one another then Robin quickly split, knowing that Maxie would be fine for now. Epiphany was now a bit irritated with her boss so she moved in behind the two of them and said "SO, DR. WEBBER, IS THIS HOW WE ARE NOW TREATING ALL OUR HEART PATIENTS?"

The guilty pair split, Maxie touching her lips then looking over Steven's broad shoulders to those gathered and groaned at the fire in the head nurse's eyes. "When did you all get here?"

"When your monitor set off the alarm at the hub." said Monica who looked at Steven and said "What was it I said about keeping her calm."

"That was what I was trying to do." he muttered then glared at the grinning blond and then looking at Epiphany said "You said I would..."

Shutting up, he saw his father hiding his laughter while Mac Scorpio looked between his daughter and him then gave him a knowing look and said "Maxie must be feeling better if she is up to manipulating you into forgetting medical advice."

With a guilty expression, since he knew she wasn't, he changed the subject and said to his father. "Do you need me to order the program?"

"No, I took care of it." he said then saw Monica wanted to talk to her patient and Mac. "However, I need to get permission to bring in an outside nurse. Annie Logan, she is an expert on the machine. I would use Elizabeth but... she is too close to this."

"Annie?" asked both Monica and Epiphany, the two women recalling Nurse Logan's history with Jeff and wondering how they had come to be speaking to one another.

"She was trained at John Hopkins on it and has used it on organs other than the brain, she ran into Tom who is working there right now." he stated. Getting agreement, he said "She will be arriving tomorrow, then will be also doing the after patient care."

Steven looked at Maxie then reluctantly headed towards the door only to be stopped when she said "Steven, I meant what I said."

With that wishing he didn't have to leave but aware that he shouldn't be there, he did look at her and say "I love you too."

Leaving, he never saw Mac looking at his little girl and smiling nor his own father doing the same, while Monica was already in medical mode as she sat down and went through things with Maxie. The young woman paled then said "So this is essentially it. It works or I die?"

Monica looked at the young woman, bravely trying to hold it together and said "I am afraid so. Jeff is very good with this machine, Maxie. I will be there, your family will be here for you. I have to say that you are in the best shape for this to happen."

"Then there is no choice, I have to do it." she said looking at Steven's father then at her own. "Dad, don't call them."

"Its too late." he said softly. "I called them while we were waiting to hear how you were doing. They are on their way."

"I listened in last night dad. I knew you would call." she confessed, then wiping her tears said "They haven't been here for the last few months, they didn't want to come last night, I don't want them here. Not now."

When Monica began to leave, Maxie had a thought and knew that she had to ask the cardiologist to do this for her. "Dr. Quartermaine, I know that things are tough right now between Bobbie and you because of Carly, but could you... tell her for me, please? For BJ?"

Getting why, she looked at the young woman and said "Yes. I will take care of that right now. Maxie, if you need anything... let me know."

Maxie hid her tears, then looked at her dad then at Dr. Webber and asked him to stay before looking at her father. "Dad, Georgie... I uh, I need to talk to her. A few other people, just in case. I am not giving up, I finally have everything to fight for. But please, get Georgie here. I know you more than likely told Johnny not to bring her, but-"

Reaching out, he held her hands, tightening his own grasp on hers as if to hold on and not let go. Walking out, he heard her asking Jeff to explain in detail exactly what he had to do to her heart and then the soft timber of the older surgeon as he began.

In the chapel, he sat down, then looked up at the cross, regretting words spoken in anger. He had once wondered why god had taken Georgie and left Maxie. He had regretted it the moment he had said the words, now he was beginning to think that he was being punished for words spoken in anger.

"Commissioner, no." said the tattooed man coming from the confessional. Seeing his surprise. "I saw your other daughter, yesterday at Kelly's. I know what you are thinking, anyone would, but no, god isn't taking away for what he already gave you."

"I am not so sure. I did so many things wrong, then was so proud of myself for walking away from that life, was so smug at the life I have created for my family. I looked down on others who got caught up making the same mistakes I once had. Then my daughter was taken, we got her son sent to us, then she returned, both of those were miracles. Have I used up my last miracle, is it wrong to want more?"

"No it is human." he said then added. "Young Maxie, she has become a beacon, she changed her life and the lives of others. God had a reason for that, one that I think she is not done fulfilling."

Georgie woke up with Andrew pressed against her, and Johnny on the other side of their son. Seeing his eyes opening was strange, he had been fast asleep moments before and was now wide away. "How do you do that?"

Knowing what she was asking because she had asked it once before, long ago he finally was able to answer truthfully. "With my family, being woken up wasn't always a good thing. I just learned to be aware, to be hyper vigilant in case things were ugly."

"When did you come to bed, you weren't here around four." she said.

Sitting up, he said "I wanted to tell you something, but I couldn't wake you up."

"Couldn't because I was sleeping deep or you didn't want to?" she asked as she looked at her son and more images settled into their rightful spots in her head.

"The second one." he admitted reluctantly. "Maxie was rushed to the hospital last night. There is something wrong with her heart. I don't know if you remember, but she has..."

"A transplant." she said finishing his sentence as words and images flew into her head. As they settled in what she hoped was the right order she added "The heart was from BJ, who I know is related but not how."

"I don't know the answer to that." he admitted as their son stirred. Hearing the sound of a doorbell, he went downstairs to see Jason and Elizabeth standing there with their boys. "Uh, I am sorry, I know this is a bad time, but we thought it might help if Andrew..."

"The sledding trip." he said recalling the discussion like it was a year ago instead of just forty eight hours ago that they had made the plans. "Wait, do you know about Georgie?"

"Yes and Maxie. We were at GH already." said Jason as they entered. They discussed what was going on with Maxie, then the miracle of Georgie's return. Looking at the younger man, he asked "How are things here?"

"Good." said the woman carrying the little boy down the stairs wearing jeans and a long sleeve thermal shirt. His tousled hair was ruthlessly shoved back as Andrew rushed over to tell his friends about how Santa had brought his Mommy back to them.

The foursome were talking, Aidan more listening then speaking as Jake looked at Andrew in awe of the idea of Santa bringing him his mommy back. Across the room, Georgie was explaining about her missing semi-memories. "They are there but scrambled. Things right themselves at the oddest times."

"I am so happy for all of you." said Elizabeth hugging the other woman who looked at her and said "Are you pregnant again?"

"No." said Elizabeth then asked why she thought she was.

"You always have this glow when you are." she said. "Its odd I can remember that but yet can't remember why I am mad at my parents."

"Don't press it." advised Jason, long having been an expert on missing memories. "If you are meant to get them back, you will."

Nodding, she was about to answer that when Andrew came over with his snowsuit. "Mommy, will you put this in my bag please, I can't get it in."

Looking at Johnny he nodded at the bright green bag and watched as she squished the air out of the snowsuit while Andrew once against brushed his hair back and blew on the curl that landed back into his eyes. "I think our son needs a haircut."

"What about after he is finished destroying the hill with the Morgan boys, we meet at Kelly's and then you and I can take him to get it cut." said Johnny. "That way you can visit with Maxie and not worry about Andrew."

Suddenly concerned she said "Wait, I thought he was going sledding, how is this dangerous, where are you going with him?"

"The backyard at our house. What used to be my grandparents." said Elizabeth knowingly. Georgie had an image of a small hill with no trees but snow drifts and relaxed. "You remember it?"

"Yes, you took Serena, Lulu, and I there once." she said. "Lulu cried at how cold it was and spent all her time inside with Leslie, whoever she is and your grandmother."

Andrew was now wearing his coat, his boots and was yanking out his hat from his pocket and trying to put on his gloves to the amusement of Johnny who stopped him, tightened the straps on his boots, then zipped up his coat then pulled the hat over his eyes and listened to his son laughing. "Daddy!"

"Okay, okay, I guess you need to see." he said yanking up a bit on the cap. Andrew hugged his mommy then made her promise not to leave town again and then hurried over to where the adults were guiding the kids to the elevator. "Jason!"

Taking the offered bag, he was once again reminded that Andrew did fit into Jake's clothes only for the dark haired man to grin and say "But he gets upset without his bag."

When they had left, Georgie went to the sofa, sat down and said "I can't believe he just left like that. I mean, I miss him already."

Kneeling on the sofa next to her, he said "That is a good thing, Georgie. It means he trusts you will be here when he comes home."

"I know that, but what if I had wanted to go too?" she said pretending to pout then laughing a bit. "Its hard to watch him leave, Johnny. I mean, it was only this time yesterday morning that I could see him in my head but had no idea who he was."

At that, he pulled her into his arms and said "We can go watch them, run over and see Maxie later."

"No, I can't be overprotective, I want him to grow up, strong both emotionally and physically." she said. She didn't know why this was such a hot button issue for her, but while everything in her was finding it hard to be away from her son, there was a little voice inside telling her to let him go have fun without her watching over him every minute of every day.

"You should probably get dressed, I am sure Maxie is waiting for us." he said then followed her upstairs and grabbed his clothes then went to shower in what had been set up as the nanny's room when he had been thinking he would need one.

Georgie was finished first, heading back downstairs wearing jeans and a v-necked long sleeve cream colored jersey shirt, she was trying to put on her new necklace when she heard a knock on the door. Opening it, she saw Mac and hugged him tightly, whispering, "I have a few of my memories back, I love you daddy."

Tightening his arms around his little girl, Mac buried his head into her shoulder and said "I love you back."

Slowly parting, she looked at him, and saw that he had aged. "How is Maxie?"

There was a glance between them then she said "I know she had a transplant, I remember a few things like that, its the details that are missing. What happened?"

Telling her all he knew,, he said "Georgie, Maxie was hoping you would stop over."

"Like there was any chance I wouldn't." she said calmly then looked at her necklace, turned around and said "Would you hook this for me."

Watching as she lifted her hair, which was now almost to the middle of her back, he hooked the cameo on and asked where she had gotten it. "Johnny."

Looking up when they heard footsteps, she smiled at the man coming down the stairs, pulling on a sweater and saw it wasn't only their son that needed a haircut, John's hair was a bit longer than he had worn it before. "Mac, we are on our way to see Maxie."

"Georgie told me. You should know, some people are aware you are alive but most aren't." he said just as Johnny's phone rang. Grimacing when he saw who it was, he said "I will take this in the kitchen."

Looking at her father, Georgie was glad that the hot head she loved was gone, that stunned her for a moment, the idea of knowing she loved Johnny but restructuring her thoughts, she said "Dad, can you get Ric Lansing to the station before he finds out I am alive?"

"Why?" he asked then added "He moved to Los Angeles."

"Because he knew I was alive and pregnant, I saw him in my memories with a woman I am almost certain is Johnny's sister. He helped her send me away and I want him charged." she said then looking towards the kitchen said "I haven't told Johnny, I was planning on doing so today."

Mac was furious, that a man who had children could do what he had, but then look at what he had done to Carly, to Elizabeth Webber. "I will ask Alexis if he is coming to town to get Molly for the holidays."

"Good, because I want him to pay this time." she said grimly as she heard Johnny coming in and then said "We will head over to Maxie now. Andrew is with the Morgan house."

Across town, Jason was watching the boys as they slid down the hill, while at the bottom near the house Elizabeth was building a snowman with Aidan, well more she was building the snowman, Aidan was chewing on the carrot his mother had brought along for the nose.

"Daddy, we want to go faster." said Cam as the three boys ran back up the hill. "Please?"

"Cam, this is the only hill your brother is allowed on right now. Maybe when you are with your friends this week, you can go to the bigger hill." said Jason. "And Andrew is too little for the other hill too."

"Okay." he said with a grin then asked if Uncle Steven could take him skiing again. "I like going fast."

"You are so your mother's son." he said with a laugh as Jake and Andrew lined up for another go down the hill. Jason made sure they were on their sleds then gave them each a push and heard their laughter trailing back to him as they came to the bottom and slowed to a stop near Elizabeth and Aidan.

When instead of coming back up the hill, joining in the snowman building, Cam said "Race you down the hill."

Jason chased after his son down the slope, catching him just as he joined his mom. Kissing Elizabeth, he said "Yum, those lips taste suspiciously of hot cocoa."

"Sshhh." she said looking at the boys then back at her husband. "NO one can know."

The snowman was soon finished, looking slightly lopsided as Jason put on the top hat. "Where on earth did you find this?"

Giggling, Cam said "Mommy found it in the attic."

"I think my grandfather used it for one of the Nurse's Ball's." she said as they herded the boys inside for some warming and hot cocoa. Jason waited until the boys were occupied then kissing Elizabeth asked "So are we on for tonight?"

"I don't know, Mr. Morgan, I might have to ask the other men in my life first." she said "One of them already expressed an interest in my plans for this evening. His offer, well it was more exciting, it involved a train and tracks. Just what is your offer and you better up the ante if you want me to spend it with you instead."

With a leer, Jason leaned down and said "You, me, the studio and no clothes. But how about this, you go on your date with that other young gentleman, I will wait for you, then we can attend to my needs."

"Oh really, your needs?" she asked with a raised eye brow. "That offer of the train is sounding better and better."

"I am quite certain that while fulfilling my needs, other things will be filled and you won't be disappointed." he offered as his hand slid down her body in a suggestive fashion to her stomach and stopped there as he leaned in to whisper. "If uh, you don't get what you need that way, there are plenty of others, I am quite adept at."

"You haven't disappointed me yet, but I never turn down extracurricular attention." she said in his ear as her hand out of sight of the boys ran down his rear and then squeezed it. When Jason yelped, she gave him an innocent grin and said "Is something wrong?"

"You don't play fair." he said then went to get control of his body before returning to the kitchen.

Sonny woke up after a particularly epic session in bed with his wife, then turned to look at her. Finding her gone he went to get a drink and shower. Returning to find her still missing, he opened the French doors and stared out at the warm water on the very lovely sunny day. They had flown into the island over night, after a rather sad trip to Port Charles.

He had gone home to see his family but his children had been a disappointment. Kristina had come over for a few hours on Christmas Eve, then had gone home wanting to spend time with Sam and Molly. That idea made him frown, Sam had gone back to Hawaii but Sonny didn't get why she was still alive.

That she had had the balls to come home for the holidays, he was certain had annoyed his former partner. That she hadn't gone to jail for her crimes was astounding, but Sonny was certain that that was because Alexis had done something to keep her out of jail.

Jail, that brought his mind to Dante who had joined the FBI's joint task force for Terrorism and hadn't spoke to his father since. He had thought the young man would get past this crap but clearly he was still believing he had higher morals than his own father.

Grimacing as this led to his thinking of Michael who was now wrapped up in the Quartermaine and Jacks lives and seemed to no longer want to be around his own father. That frown grew as he thought about Morgan who pretty much lived with Jasper Jacks.

"Sonny?" That caused the Cuban to freeze as he turned around and saw Sam McCall standing there wearing what looked like a sheet. "We need to talk, I have so much to tell you."

"Sam, what are you doing here?" he asked shocked to see his former lover in his tropical paradise and added "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Its a Grecian Robe." she said looking at him. "Its part of what I need to talk to you about. See, I have had it wrong, all this time. I just didn't know it. Thanks to Molly, my head is now on right. I read the book and as much as I hate it, it is right. Eros and Psyche seem to be meant to be together."

Seeing Sam undoing the gold colored buckle by her shoulder, he found himself closing his eyes, not wanting to see what he was certain he was about as she said "See, I was meant to be with you, you, the leader of the Underworld. It was fate, destiny."

"What on earth..." Elena looked at the woman stripping in her bedroom and at her husband who had his eyes closed and looked in pain that at the woman again. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing?"

"You must be his wife, you have to divorce him. See, Sonny and I, we are meant to be together. I am meant to be his equal, his partner in ruling the underworld." she said turning to look at the older woman wearing dress pants and a twin set sweater that reminded her of Elizabeth Webber for some reason.

"Uh, okay, is this some kind of joke?" she asked looking at the trashy woman in front of her. "Sonny is no longer a part of that life, he walked away from it for me."

"That is what I meant, if he was with me, he wouldn't have to give up his power. POWER that is his, that he is meant to have the reins to. POWER that is rightfully his." she said looking at Sonny, trying to remind him of what he used to have. "Don't you miss it, Sonny. Doesn't it ever bother you that Jason has all that power, all that control and you, you are here, exiled from what is your rightful place?"

Sonny felt that old familiar tug, that need to be in charge to be on top as she kept speaking but then he looked at the woman he was married to, the woman who gave him peace then at Sam. There was no real choice in the matter. "No, I don't. I have everything I want, except my children and to get them back, I can't go back to that world. I think it is time you leave Sam."

Knowing this was only the first battle in a war she had to win, Sam bent down, certain Sonny was watching her get dressed, after all what man could resist her. With a sexy grin she looked towards where the man was standing only to find him on the phone, with his eyes looking out the window.

"Please send someone down to escort Ms. McCall off my property, then fire whoever let her down here." he was telling someone on the other end of the call.

Sam just sauntered past the man's sad and pathetic wife then stopped at the doorway then said "Sonny, I will prove that I am the only woman for you. I will get back what is yours and return your children to you. I swear on the Goddess Minerva."

Shaking his head after the nutjob had left, Sonny apologized to his wife who said "I just have to ask, where on earth would a woman like that gain any knowledge into Greek mythology. I wouldn't have thought she knew where the country is let alone its gods."

Shaking his head, Sonny said "I have no clue. Wait, you got what she was talking about? I never heard of some of those gods."

"Yes you have, you just know them by other names." said his wife. "Cupid and his wife, as for the god of the Underworld, I think you are supposed to be Hades."

"Well people always told me I was going to hell." he said then laughed. "I was feeling rather melancholy, well at least Sam was good for a laugh."

"She gets naked in front of you again, and she will find out that you already have a wife and one who isn't afraid to defend her territory." she said coldly as she bent over to kiss him passionately. Two hours later, Sonny thought about something and left a very long voice mail for Jason.

He knew he had to warn his former partner that Sam was going to be going to Port Charles more than likely, and lord knew what she would screw up in the name of winning him. Then after a moments hesitation, he left a message with Alexis who heard it and began to laugh as she got what the hell was going on.

Sam meanwhile had had a long flight from Hawaii and as she settled in for her flight to New York, she began to dream of where she was Persephone and Sonny, well Sonny was Hades. That all she needed was her mother's approval and they could live half a year in paradise and half in Port Charles.

As they drove to GH, Georgie looked at the snow then at the clear sky and said "I missed this, I missed this weather."

"You missed the snow?" he asked doubtfully then laughed as getting out of the car at the hospital, Georgie scooped up some snow in her hand and tossed it at him. "No fair, you are wearing gloves."

"Aw, is the tough guy too wimpy to get his hands cold?" she asked then laughed when he reached down encircled her waist and lifted her up. "Hey, put me down!"

"Okay, but you asked for it." he said then pretended to drop her into the snow, but not actually letting go. Hearing a cough behind him, he turned and letting her put her feet on the ground greeted Kelly Lee who looked at Georgie in shock. "Yes, she is alive, yes there is a very long story to it. If you want to know, go find Robin."

Her jaw dropping Kelly watched as Georgie gave her a slight wave before her hand was caught by Johnny as they entered GH. There were a few strange looks, a few astonished gasps and from Epiphany Johnson when they got off the elevator on the correct floor a snippy comment. "Well, Ms. Jones, I see you managed to find your way back home, glad to know that your sister isn't completely crazy."

Johnny was glaring but the words made Georgie laugh as she said "I remember you, Epiphany Johnson, your son worked here too."

Nodding, no longer smiling, she hugged the young woman then looked at the man behind her and said "I am glad you are home, this young man had better take good care of you. Family is what matters most."

"I will and you are right." he said as he led Georgie to Maxie, then said "I will be waiting out here, I have to make a few calls about the call this morning."

"Something wrong?" she asked as she looked over at him, anxiously. She still had to tell him about Ric and she wasn't sure that it was such a good idea if he was already worried.

"I put someone somewhere they deserved, now they are out and trying to get home. Unlike you, no one would be very happy with his return." he said then as she removed her coat and scarf, he reached down to touch her cameo and said. "It looked beautiful there, almost like it was made for that spot."

Bringing her hand up to clasp his, she said "Thank you, for everything."

"I should be thanking you." he said then gave her a quick kiss to gauge her response. When she only smiled he added "Last night, I had doubts, but this scare Maxie is having... I need to remind myself what we lost and what I don't want to lose ever again."

Stepping away, he called Jason and said "We need to meet later, someone is trying to get Lucky Spencer free from where I placed him. I checked it isn't Luke, at least not yet it isn't. And Georgie is keeping secrets from me. I overheard her talking to her father. I need to get Lansing before he does."

Inside the hospital room, Georgie sat down next to her sister and saw how white she was. "Maxie, we can always do this later, if you like.."

"No, no." she said gaining strength as she looked at her sister. "I might not have the time and Georgie, I did some things, bad things while you were gone. Things I need to tell

you about."

With that, she explained about her beginnings with Spinelli only to laugh and admit ruefully "But uh, I guess you didn't care about him, like I thought you did."

Blushing a bit, Georgie said "I think I know who you are talking about, but it is a bit of a blank but no, my heart was breaking and then the blond was with the man I loved, once again I felt like I was losing... if we are talking about the same person, he was a sort of way of just trying to move on."

"The blond, Georgie, I befriended her, but then I was hanging out with Sam too." she said with a heavy sigh as she explained about Lulu and her friendship. "I was wrong, I made a huge mistake and I am so sorry."

"I wish I could say it doesn't hurt that you were friends with this woman, but Maxie..." there was almost an evil side to the grin on Georgie's face as she said "Wait until she finds out the truth about Johnny and I. Also the truth about why we were apart. How do you think she is going to take to finding out she was a replacement for me, a way to get over my death. Then to find out Johnny and I have a child together."

Looking down, she said with a groan. "Uh, I should tell you, I uh, was going through a bad time. I sort of was trying to figure out what was going on in my own head. Johnny was trying to end things with Lulu. We flirted a bit, but I promise, I swear on everything, nothing ever happened. I swear."

Georgie looked at her sister then said "Johnny said something about it last night. He went over things so quickly about it, I gather that it was like you said. But Maxie..."

"Yes?" she asked looking at her sister who had a sense of self awareness she had been

lacking before.

"Flirt with him now and I will smack you into next week." she said then moved in to whisper in her ear. "I remember most of everything with Johnny, including our time together, I know what I want and this time, no one is going to get between my family and me."

Georgie looked at her sister then said "Maxie, what else happened?"

"I uh, almost married Spinelli." she said wincing as she went over what happened then, then told her out about Matt, about Franco and her screw up there. Finally she said "I finally got that I was wrong, and I helped fix my mistakes. I helped fix things for Elizabeth, for Jason and then best of all, for their kids."

Taking a deep breath, Maxie told her about Jax and his daughter and what Carly did. Seeing Georgie's horror, she said "Yeah, I almost couldn't believe it. I realized then that I had to change, I didn't want to be like Carly. Old and making the same mistakes twenty years later. Anyhow, I got my act together, fixed things and have spent the last eight months becoming me."

Seeing how happy Maxie was about this, she then asked "Who is that blond man? He looks familiar?"

"Steven Webber, I am in love with him." she said then added "I know he is older, but I think that is what I need. Someone who accepts me doing the crazy stuff on occasion but expects me to work hard to do better the rest of the time."

"Are your feelings returned?" she asked. "I mean..."

"You mean have I stopped being an obsessive nut job chasing after other people's men. Yes. He loves me too. He is scared right now for me. His dad is going to be the one operating on me."

"Wow." she said looking at Maxie then asked one more question. "I couldn't ask dad, but I need to know, did they come?"

Maxie didn't need an explanation, looking at her sister she took a deep breath, considering lying but stated the truth instead. "Mom did."

"About what I would expect." she said. "Want to hear something odd?"

Maxie nodded cautiously. "When I was naming Andrew, I knew I wanted Mac for a middle name. Or rather Malcolm. I couldn't decide on a first name, then when reading the book came up with Andrew. When I read the name, I didn't like it. I felt a sense of anger connected to it."

"But you named your son Andrew." she asked confused. "Why would you do that if you felt like that."

"There was this couple, this man with his wife when I gave birth. They had a girl, their fourth daughter and that was his name. He had been excited by yet another child, even a girl. He was talking about watching her grow up, watching her learn to ride a bike, graduate, get married. He made me laugh as he talked to his wife... that was his name. Some part of me, it yearned for that even if I didn't know that the reason it bothered me so much was because our father, our biological father couldn't do that for me."

"He wasn't here for me either, Georgie." she said.

"Maxie, it was and we both know, that if it was you who had been thought dead, he would have shown up." she said standing. Reaching over to hug Maxie, she said "I have to go, I have to pick Andrew up, he is with the Morgan boys. We promised to take him to Kelly's and then he needs a haircut."

Maxie watched her sister leave, then sighed, knowing Georgie was right and hating her parents for it. Looking at the wall, she glared at it, knowing that when Felicia and Frisco arrived, things were going to get ugly because they were not going to be happy and something told her that this version of her sister wouldn't put up with any interference in her life from them.

Brenda was packing up to leave, feeling like she should have never come back to Port Charles. Looking around her place, knowing that her son was now properly buried. She had paid Damien Spinelli for his help and now that she had spoken to Jax it was time for her to leave town.

Arriving at the hospital, knowing she had to at least tell Robin goodbye in person. Finding her talking to Monica Quartermaine, she said "May I speak to you for a moment."

Nodding, Robin walked with her to the waiting area and said "I am sure you heard about Maxie, and while I appreciate the visit, right now, isn't the time, Brenda. I am really rather busy helping prepare for her operation."

"Wait, something is wrong with Maxie?" she asked astonished.

"Yes, she collapsed last night." she said frowning then her frown went away. "Oh, I get it, you heard that Georgie a alive and with her son."

Blinking, Brenda said "What? I thought... I guess unless you see the body yourself you shouldn't believe anyone is dead."

Robin was now confused. "Brenda, if you aren't here because of any of that, why are you here?"

Brenda looked at her friend before checking her watch. "I came to let you know, I am leaving town. But, clearly you are busy. I will give you a call in a few days. Robin, if there is anything I can do, please let me know. I should be at my villa in Rome by the end of tomorrow."

With that the former model walked away to the shock of Robin who looked at her as the elevator doors closed, then shook her head as she got that clearly Brenda was a bit busy and hadn't really connected to what she had told her.

Brenda was at the airport when her phone rang. "Most bodacious one, thank you for the bountiful bonus."

"Spinelli, thank you." she said then asked him if he had heard how Maxie was doing. She was a bit surprised to realize he didn't know that his non-wife was in the hospital and needed surgery. Hanging up, he rushed out of Kelly's, past Lulu who was arguing with Nik and off to the hospital.

"Lulu, I told you to stay with your father." he was saying not at all happy with his sister. "No one knows you are in town."

"You know that Luke does what he wants. He already made plans to take off for Ireland." she said pouting. "Besides, I made a couple of calls and heard that Dante is coming to town to see Michael and the rest of his brothers and sisters."

"I thought you wanted to help Lucky." he said getting annoyed. He hadn't wanted her to come to the states, he hadn't wanted either of the Spencers to come home but but both had and now he had no chance in hell of getting Elizabeth to go and help his brother.

"Well, of course I want to help Lucky but with Elizabeth going, well you won't need me will you." she said as she sat down at a snowy table hoping to see Dante coming in, after all she knew he was in town, her plans already changed, after all, there was no way that Liz wouldn't help Lucky.

"Elizabeth is refusing to help him." he said in a frustrated tone then added. "She said he is on his own."

"Did you tell he how bad it was, how he was being mistreated by the guards, how he had been attacked in the shower room. There is no way she wouldn't help if she knew." Lulu was certain that Nik hadn't done so, after all he was still feeling guilty for what had happened, no matter what, he was responsible for the way their brother had fallen apart.

"She refused to listen." he said annoyed. Nik had been shocked, truly shocked that Elizabeth would react the way she had, and that she was still with Morgan, that was even more of a kick in the face for him. That that thug was winning, well he wouldn't stand for it. He had an idea and he needed to speak to Bobbie to execute it. "I need you to go back to the island."

"NO!" she said. "I will talk to her, how dare she treat my brother like this. After all Lucky did for her, to dessert him like this." she said storming inside to get something to eat with every intention of dealing with that traitor Elizabeth afterward.

She really couldn't deal with this, not now. She had been fired from her job, Anne Marie, had said she wasn't competent and that Brenda had been a fool to recommend her for it. Added to that, she had heard a rumor that Dante was on a date with Brooklynn Ashton and even if she was well over Dante, she had no intention of letting that trashy singer win. But she couldn't tell Nik that, she didn't want him distracted by hearing what his old lover was up to.

Then there was Johnny, she had heard an odd rumor about who the mother of his son, one she had discounted almost immediately but she had no intention of leaving town until she heard from his own lips that Georgie Jones of all people wasn't the mother of his son.

Luke who had slipped in through the back door of the diner, sat down in the office and went to see what money he could find. Opening the safe, he found a note addressed to him. "Luke, I heard you got out of prison, so I cleaned out the safe, there is no money any where in this diner. Grow up, big brother. I am done supporting you."

With that, he slammed the safe closed just as he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Nik and saw the man frowning. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Why the hell can't you listen to me." he fumed. "I told you to stay put, that if he wanted to rescue Lucky we had to do this carefully. Then I have to hear from Lulu how you are making plans to go to Ireland yourself, we don't need you screwing this up, Luke."

"Relax, Cassadine, all it will take is getting Elizabeth to help us. She won't turn us down, besides, her son is home, I didn't run him over." he said leaning back in the chair as he took out a cigar and lit it.

Scoffing, Nik said She won't help us. I tried and I even lied to her, it didn't work. We are on our own rescuing Lucky. You need to stay out of sight until I figure out who it was that set Lucky up so that he went to prison as Ronan."

"It was that bastard Morgan." said Luke furious as he recalled why he had made his own plans to rescue his son. He was positive that the only reason he had gone to prison was Sonny's old partner. "It had to be."

"I checked, it wasn't Morgan. I wish it was, I could have used that to make Elizabeth wake up as to how she is deserting Lucky."

The two men sat there, silently trying to figure out what the hell was going on and who else Lucky had pissed off enough to leave him rotting and being abused in prison.

Maxie was laying back, having been put on oxygen, her mind traveling over the past few months. She had finally gotten her act together and now she was paying for her sins. Her eyes closed, she felt like karma had come to bite her on the ass. "Maxie?"

Opening her eyes, she saw Matt standing there. "Hey, how are you?"

"I uh, was stopping through town for the holidays. I heard from Patrick... how are you?" he asked sitting down near his ex-girlfriend.

"I am going to be fine." she said then asked "How are you? I heard about your new girlfriend, I was so happy for you. Must be nice, no drama, no one telling you how bad her past is."

"I never regretted our time together." he said softly. "Ever. I heard you were dating Steven. I uh, kind of expected that in a way."

"What?" she asked a bit confused at what he was saying.

Matt laughed then said "I saw the two of you, when you were looking into who the real victim of Luke Spencer was. There was chemistry there. I just thought that the two of you would never get it together."

"We, we did, finally. Matt, thank you for coming to see me." she said then was given a soft hug from the doctor who said he wished he could stay. "Nah, go back to Baltimore. I already have enough people sitting around, waiting to find out what is going to happen to me. Did you hear about my sister?"

"Yes." he said then said "One thing, don't think that this is some sort of payment for her return, I don't think that the big guy does that."

"Thanks, Matt." she said then watched him leave, then wiped a tear just as she heard a ruckus in the hall. Grimacing when Spinelli rushed in, she found she didn't have the energy to deal with one of her biggest mistakes. And considering the ones in her past, that was saying something.

"My beloved..." Spin was about to throw himself on his non-wife when he was grabbed by strong hands from behind. Turning, he looked at the man standing there and said "Let go of me, you fiend, my beloved needs me."

The man standing there looked at Maxie then back at the geek and raised his eyebrow as he said "Your beloved needs to be kept away from you. You are clearly sniffling, which means you are going to spread germs to her. So, back away before your very presence kills her."

"I know who you are, you are the man that ruined the life of my beloved Goddess by bringing back the lost child who should have remained lost." he cried out as he tried to escape the doctor's hands as he glared at him.

Jeff looked at his patient, saw her eyes narrow as she looked at Spinelli then asked her if she wanted him to stay. "Yes, I think I need to speak to him. Would you please ask Steven to come in though."

Nodding, he let the geek go, then grabbed him when the twitchy little man dived for Maxie. "No, here."

With that, he shoved the geek into the chair near Maxie then said "Stay, or you will leave this hospital with the help of security."

Opening his mouth, Spinelli's eyes met the green eyes of the doctor, closed his mouth and sat down then looked at his beloved who was glaring at him. "Spin, how on earth can you accuse Dr. Webber of ruining Sam's life. She destroyed her own life. And this idea that Jake coming back was not a good thing, what on earth..."

"Bu-but the Goddess is all alone in this world. My former master has abandoned her." he said softly. "Its why I left, I couldn't stand to be here, watching as she mourned the loss of what was her dreams."

"Spinelli, what about Jason's dreams? What about Elizabeth Webber's dreams, don't they matter?" she asked a bit confused. "What about the dreams of their children?"

"Jake was a mistake, my master should have never let the maternal one keep him from his son, he should had demanded of her to release Jake to him and his true love." he stated. Maxie's jaw dropped, "Sam deserves happiness."

Steven who was outside the door, found himself waiting, needing to hear Maxie's response and she didn't disappoint him as she said "So only Sam's happiness matters, that is rather selfish Spinelli because I assure you, Jason and Elizabeth are very happy, ecstatic actually and so are those boys and frankly if that means Sam who hurt them badly, who did terrible things isn't happy well I can well live with that."

Spinelli started to protest but Maxie looked at him then said "You need to leave. Spinelli grow up, just grow up. You need to move on. I can't believe that there was ever a moment of that I thought I was in love with you. Wow, maybe I need to speak to a doctor, because clearly I was crazy."

Spinelli stood, then stiffly glared at her. "That you have changed so much is a such a disappointment, you are not the woman I once loved."

"Thank god for that." she said then saw the door opening and Steven entering. "Spinelli, don't come back. By the way, why don't you go to Hawaii, go embrace your goddess, take a good look at her because I guarantee she sees you way more clearly than you see her. She has used you since the moment she met you. She doesn't like you, you are a convenience."

Sniffing, he walked out, then said to her "You will regret this."

Steven hugged Maxie then asked if she was okay. "Yes, its just... was I as delusional as he is?"

"Yes." he said bluntly then added "You grew up, faced that life isn't a game where you maneuver chess pieces around to get what you want."

As they sat there, holding one another, she said softly "Frisco and Felecia are coming to town. I don't want them here. Its sad but I don't want them around right now. Not when they weren't here for Georgie, when they weren't here for Andrew. I think that my biological father might cause trouble for them."

"I will tell Morgan." he said.

"No." Seeing his surprise, she said "I just... my dad will try to send him to jail. I just want to get well, have them leave and go back to living my life. To getting to know my nephew, to find out who my sister is now."

In the hallway, Diane Miller was speaking to the man she was dating. "Jeff, unless he does something outrageous, there is no way to ban him from the hospital. Trust me, I get where you are coming from. He is a menace. I at one point had tried to befriend him, but looking back, I can see that his obsession with Sam being with Jason... that it is a threat."

"I called Jason, gave him a heads up but they aren't worried. Jason says that he has plans for Spinelli."

"That doesn't sound good." said Diane. "Spinelli won't just fade away, unless Sam moves on and even then, well he will still want them together."

In the waiting room, Felicia entered to see her ex-husband speaking to Monica Quartermaine. "How is my daughter, how is Maxie?"

"Lets speak in my office." with that, Monica and Mac grabbed Jeff Webber and went to the privacy of Monica's office. "Should we wait for Frisco?"

"No, I will tell him what I learn." she said "He needed to stretch his legs."

In truth, Frisco had had to hand off his report regarding their case to his boss who was coming to town to get it. He was down by the docks, pacing near the old pier close to the diner he had hung out in all those years ago.

Up at Kelly's, Georgie was holding her son's hand while Johnny was talking to Jason on the phone. Jason had asked him a question earlier while they were picking up Andrew and he had just recalled the answer. As they entered the courtyard, Georgie heard her name being called out excitedly.

"Georgie!" Turning to see Bobbie's grandson Morgan along with his brother Michael, she hugged the younger boy then asked "Do you know my son, Andrew?"

"No." said the younger Corinthos boy who then added "But I thought you were- I uh, I thought..."

"I was dead." she finished while sending Andrew the five feet to where his father was. "Someone bad made it look like I was. I found my way home yesterday. Michael."

"Georgie." he said not sure what else to say to the young woman he knew was related to him. Then seeing Johnny coming up, acting protectively, he said "How do you know Johnny?"

"It was Trevor who made it look like Georgie had died to hurt me, long before he faked her death. He wanted to use her to control me, wanted to make our son disappear." he said quietly so that Andrew who was telling Morgan about his holiday didn't hear.

Not understanding but getting it was none of his business, Michael said "We have to go, I have to take Morgan back to Lady Jane and then head to work. Georgie, it's great you are back."

The teenager left, then greeted his brother who came into the courtyard with a pretty blond. "Dante, hey man."

The two men exchanged manly hugs then stepped back before he turned to his girlfriend and said "Did you know Michael when you lived here before, Serena?"

"No." she said then shook hands with the boy before frowning and saying, "Wait, maybe, didn't you used to be a red head?"

"I grew out of it." he replied then asked how she knew him.

"Scott Baldwin was my biological father. I didn't see him much, but he would show up when he remembered he had children and that they weren't with Laura Spencer." she said drily. "He died last week, had a heart attack in Prague."

"OH, I uh, hadn't heard." he replied then told Dante. "Mac Scorpio's daughter is alive."

"What?" he asked confused.

"Georgie, his youngest, Maxie's little sister." said Michael then Morgan came up putting away his cell phone. "What did Molly want?"

"Her dad is in town to spend the rest of the holiday with her, she asked me make a call for her since he will be around quite a bit." he said awkwardly then added "She called to speak to Sam, but she left Hawaii already."

Shrugging, Michael said "Who knows, but hopefully she doesn't come back here, she is too much like Mom and too full of drama."

With that they parted, the brothers to the hotel and the young couple onward towards Kelly's.

Back at the diner, outside playing in the snow were Johnny, Georgie and Andrew. Their son had wanted to walk down by the docks, this after driving past his dad's construction site and telling his mom all about it, now he wanted to show her the plans going on down by the diner at the old cannery but his father had suggested they go to the nearby

barber.

"Daddy, please?" he asked and Johnny found himself unlocking the doors and showing Georgie all the changes he had made and were planning to make before saying it was time to cut those locks off. The barber found himself having a very unusual client as Andrew insisted his father get his hair cut first, then tried to get out of having his cut before giving in.

Brushing the cut hair away, then giving the little boy a sticker, he watched as the parents joked around with him, with each other, unsure where he knew the young woman from who was with the well known former mobster. As they left, he cleaned up the floor and heard the sound of his bell.

"May I help you?" he asked the man entering.

A bit unsure, Frisco said "I need to cut my hair, but- no, I need to cut it."

The barber did so, amazed that this man also had the same curly hair that had created such a problem for him with his last client. Chuckling he said "Bet when you were a kid, this hair gave your parents fits."

"Not really, they just kept it short, why?" he asked befuddled as to why the barber would think that.

"I just had a young man in here with his parents. Same sort of curls, same thick hair but his was such a dark brown it was almost black. Both mom and dad had curls. Mom's hair was long, beautiful and dad clearly keeps his short to avoid the same curls. Remarkably well behaved little boy, that Andrew."

"Wait, his name... it was Andrew?" asked Frisco. "Odd, that is my name even if I go by a nickname."

"Strange world." said the man taking payment as the middle aged man stood, then turned to ask "Is the diner open today, Kelly's?"

"I hope so, that is where I am planning on ordering my lunch from." he said with amusement.

Back at Kelly's, things were a bit tense as Lulu watched Dante entering, not with Brooklynn Ashton which would have just pissed her off but instead with someone she didn't know. At least not at first until she heard him calling her Serena. "Dante, hi."

Turning to look at his ex girlfriend, Dante said "Hello, Lulu. I thought you were in Italy."

"France." she said a bit frostily. "I am back to help out Lucky. The Irish police have him in custody, for some reason they think he is Ronan O'Rielly."

"Did you ever think of leaving that to the professionals?" he asked. "Seems to me you being there will create more problems than solve them."

Turning to his grandfather he said "Can we get two bowls of chili, two hot coffees and a grilled cheese."

"I will bring it right out. Is that your new partner?" asked Mike as he looked at the petite blond young women who smiled at him in return.

"No, she is my girlfriend, we met when her adopted grandfather was almost shot over some invention that a terrorist cell wanted. He was from around here, her mother too. You might know her, Lucy Coe. Serena is her daughter."

"NO WAY, NO WAY IN HELL." said a loud Lulu as she stalked over to the well put together blond wearing the expensive Burberry wool pea coat and red scarf and glove set. Spinning her around she said "You, what the hell are you doing in Port Charles? No one, I mean no one wants you here."

"Hello, Lulu." she said amused then her eyes narrowed as she looked at Dante who had walked over to try and protect her. "Wait, this is the crazy blond you broke up with, with the even crazier family? Funny, really funny. Sorry, but Dante, you weren't kidding, your taste in women really has had an upgrade."

"To you?" asked a skeptical Lulu. "I mean, come on, you are a nobody."

"Well you are the daughter of the woman your father raped." she said with a cold smirk. Seeing Lulu flinch, she said "Oh wait, that's right, touchy subject. Sorry Lesley Lu. Anyhow, I am in town with Dante to see about my dad's property since he died after ending things with your mother. How is she doing by the way?"

Luke had exited the office, planning on helping himself to the cash in the register when he saw his daughter slap a blond woman in the middle of the dinner. Unfortunately for his daughter, the blond slugged her back. "Lulu, angel, are you okay?"

Serena looked at Luke then said "Keep your daughter away from me, Spencer. I am in town to take care of my father's last requests and I would think even you would respect that."

"Do I know you?" he asked then ignored her when he saw Dante telling Lulu he was calling the cops. "Good, I want this young woman arrested for slapping Lulu."

Rolling his eyes, Dante said "Lulu took the first swing and Serena was defending herself."

"Wait, Serena? Serena as in Scott's daughter? Your dad is dead?" he asked with a chuckle that revolted Dante. "Sorry about that, when is the funeral?"

Shaking his head, Dante looked at Mike then at Serena and said "I am sorry, I guess this was a bad idea."

"No, it is fine, its not your fault the Spencer family has no class." she said then asked Mike if they could get their meal to go. "Dante, I am only sorry I talked you into coming with me. You didn't need to see this."

"Actually I did." he said then saw his former partner entering the diner. "We won't be pressing charges but Lulu there just attacked my girlfriend."

"She called my dad a rapist." snarled Lulu as she started to speak but thought twice about it since she wasn't sure how much the police knew about her father's history with her mother.

"I sure did and we both know I wasn't lying." she said then looked at Luke adding. "There might be some in this town who once made the mistake of thinking you were a hero, but in truth, you were a lying cheating, alcoholic rapist who finally has been seen for who you are. I know about the kid you killed and that at first it was thought to be your own grandson."

"It wasn't, it wasn't his grandson, even if it had been Jake who died. He wasn't a Spencer." said Lulu while Luke saw the scorn in Serena's eyes. Ronnie stepped up to the counter, sticking around, just it case this got ugly. Who knows, maybe his day might be made and he might get to arrest a member of the Spencer family finally.

"Lulu, enough." he replied then looked at Serena and said "I would like to attend if you have services locally."

"Luke, like I told Laura, I would prefer if every single member of the Spencer family forgot my family name. My father would no more want you at his funeral than he would want Dante's father there. Hell, he might accept Sonny there before you."

"Hell, Corinthos is why his daughter was an addict." said Nik coming over, he had been listening from the side room and didn't like the look in his sister's eyes, he was afraid she would get distracted as to the main reason they were together and that was to free Lucky.

"And Lulu is why Logan was killed, or did you forget he was my brother."she said coolly and when Lulu started to blubber she said "Yeah, I know about his trying to kill you. I also know that it was too late thanks to the farce of a trial my dad created but it became known that my brother had a mind altering drug in him. He wasn't responsible for his actions."

"Yes he was, drugs or no drugs." fumed Lulu. "He deserved what he got."

"And your brother, he deserves to rot in prison." she whispered into Lulu's ears. Then stepping back said "Funny, when it is Lucky who cheerfully gets himself addicted to drugs, everyone else is at fault. I don't give a damn about you, about your family Lesley Lu. You avoid me, I will avoid you while I am in town, but in the end, you are still a Spencer, still the same sad girl you were all those years ago."

"And, you are nobody, you are getting his used. I had him first." she said smugly pointing to Dante.

"Oh Lulu." she said laughing. "I am a Staunton and heir to all that means including a hundred million dollar fortune which we both know means something to your family, after isn't that what you dad does now, marries rich women. As for Dante, well we are just starting out, but I do know one thing, he was too good for you and you blew it. I won't make that mistake."

Mike was handing Dante the bag with their food when the trio walked in, two adults holding hands with a little boy who was talking a mile a minute. The older man smiled at the picture in front him, two days ago he had been shocked to see her, now he was just happy to see the lost look missing from her eyes.

Dante had looked up to see what his grandfather was smiling about and saw Johnny holding hands with a woman and a little boy walking in front of them. "Is that Johnny's son?"

Nodding, Mike went to greet the couple, hugging Georgie surprised when she hugged him back. "I uh, remember a few faces and emotions."

Ronnie meanwhile had gotten a call, robbery down on Courtland street, so he left wishing he could stay, almost certain that he would be missing some action right here in the diner.

"I am glad. I heard about Maxie, how is she?" he asked while behind him Nik froze and stared at Georgie Jones while Lulu who was occupied with Serena missed what had everyone staring.

Nik found himself looking around, since Georgie was a victim of the TMK, maybe Emily was alive as well. Suddenly it hit him, if she was, she would be looking for him, going to Wyndemere. Leaving the diner, without so much as a goodbye, he ordered the shuttle pilot to take him home. "NOW and step on that throttle."

Back in the diner, Serena stopped talking, shoved Lulu out of the way of her view and said "OH MY GOD."

"Hey, I am talking to you." said Lulu who was pissed when the blond hurried past her so quickly she couldn't even grab her arm. Then her jaw dropped, blinking, she took another look, then another and then looked at the other girl and said "No, she isn't. She just looks like Georgie."

That got Luke's attention, he turned and saw the face which Lulu couldn't and then at his daughter before looking at the little boy who was calling Johnny daddy and said "So that is the kid that Brenda thought was hers. I heard about that. Why are they with Georgie Jones and how is she alive?"

"That's not Georgie." insisted Lulu. "Please, like Johnny would be with Georgie Jones."

Serena didn't care what Lulu thought as she reached out and tightly hugged the familiar looking woman. "Goddamnit, why didn't you let people know?"

A taken back, Georgie rifled through her memories then laughed as she hugged the blond. "Serena? I uh, didn't even remember my own name until a few days ago. How are you, wait, I have a couple of people I want you to met."

Serena looked at the man standing so protectively behind Georgie while his eyes followed the small boy who was sitting at a table, pretending to read the menu. "Serena, this is John, my... uh.."

"Is is so hard to say the word boyfriend." she said with a smirk then recalling what Lulu had done to her last one said "Or maybe you don't want to announce it with the

Succubus in the room."

Georgie gave a quick laugh then said "No, its more complicated than that. As for your succubus, I never gave much credit to that theory. More like spoiled selfish brat than anything else. Anyhow, Johnny, this is my friend Serena Staunton. Serena this is John Zachara."

Crack. John reached up to hold his now burning cheek while Serena looked at him and said "Oh, I know the name. This is the bastard who helped Lulu cover up my brother's murder."

Seeing her shock, Serena said "Yeah, while my brother was hopped up on drugs given to him by John's father, he lost it, attacked Lulu. Yes, she killed him, which I can understand a bit of, if I squint real hard and look past the games she played with both men, finally choosing the richer one like always. What I can't forgive is what they did next."

With that, she walked to the door then said "Sorry, Georgie, but there is no way in hell I will forgive that."

Walking out, leaving behind a confused Georgie, a regretful and worried Johnny, she forgot about Dante until she was pacing back and forth outside. "I know you don't want to hear this, but don't let this destroy your friendship with Georgie. John made a mistake, a big one, but it wasn't done with malice intent."

Turning, giving a cold laugh, she said "Oh I am sure not. Lulu like her cousin Carly play the victim all too well."

"Its more than that." he said. "Sometimes you do stuff, remember I told you I lost my job with the Port Charles police department, let me tell you how that happened."

Inside, Georgie was checking on her son, ignoring his father who had gone to get the ice offered by Mike, not wanting their son to see his face looking like that. "Helping a Spencer, always bites you in the ass."

"You have that right." said Mike with a grimace. "Look, did you give Georgie a heads up on your past with Lulu? She is here."

Turning around quickly, he moved forward just as Lulu began rubbing her eyes. "No, no, this isn't real. This is just... you are like Logan... no, not real, its not real. You can't be real. I watched, I saw you in that coffin. Tried to feel bad about being happy you were gone... so no, you aren't real."

That got John's attention. Lulu hadn't attended the funeral, so why on earth would she be saying she had. Looking at her, seeing something in her eyes, he moved between her and his family. Blocking the blond as he said "Lulu you need to back away from Georgie and our son."

"Our son? No, see, that is what I mean, it can't be. For that to be true, you would have had to know Georgie before she died and you didn't. I made sure of that." she replied then tried to move around him while Luke watched unable to move as she continued talking. "I don't know why you are lying but that isn't Georgie. That isn't Georgie's son."

Dante and Serena who had come back inside after the blond had agreed to his suggestion regarding John and Georgie. Seeing Lulu, seeing the half gone expression in her eyes, Serena stood there, not moving forward, wanting to see what would play out.

Georgie checked on Andrew then saw Mike approaching with a worried expression on his face just as she heard the doorbell. Seeing Serena coming back in, she glared at her old friend then felt a sense of relief when she saw Jason Morgan. "Jason, would you please keep an eye on Andrew for me a minute?"

Looking around, accessing the situation even after he had said yes, Jason knew that whatever was going on, John would be able to handle it. Georgie stood, waited until Andrew had been distracted by his friends father then moved around John.

Feeling his hand on her arm, she smiled at him and said "As soon as Jason gets Andrew out of here, I have to deal with her. If I don't she won't go away."

Yes she would, John was sure of that, all he would have to do is make things even worse for her brother in Ireland. But he would step back so that Georgie could do what she needed to. The woman in front of him, looked like her world was ending as she looked at the brunette with a longer hair and more toned body. "No, no, it can't be. No, you can't be Georgie."

"Aw, is that the sign of a guilty conscious?" she drawled out then looking at Luke said "You might want to get your daughter out of here before she makes a return trip to Shadybrook."

"Last time it was the fault of Romeo there." he said glaring at Johnny.

"You know, its funny, my guess is you weren't protesting his relationship with her when he was pouring money into that tub you mistakenly call a boat, were you?" she taunted. Seeing Luke's surprise, she said "Oh, I had a long talk with my sister and with John about what I missed while I was being held captive."

"W-who?" he asked not able to finish that statement when he realized Nik was gone and that he had fled rather quickly.

"Nothing connected to you, so none of your business." she said with a smirk. Looking at Lulu who was sitting down, almost slumped far enough in the chair to fall under the table she told the other woman. "You on the other hand, need to know why it is your business. I was grabbed by Trevor Lansing. Yes, the same man who tried to grab you while you were still playing one man against another."

That got Lulu up as she became herself again as she said "Really, when was this, because he didn't know you before we dated. Heck he didn't know anything about Port Charles."

John coughed then said "Yes I did. I came to town long before we ever met. The night we met, I was trying to wrap my car around a tree because I had been told by Trevor he had dealt with the woman he knew I was in love with. He had told me she was out of my life for good. That I had no choice to obey. When he caught up with me, I made it clear I had other options, like death."

Luke recalled how he had first meet Johnny, on the roof of the hospital, his comment about not feeling alive anymore and swallowed, HARD as he looked between Georgie and John then at the boy who he had heard about. Swearing softly he tried to get his daughter to leave.

"No, no, I am going no where. Are you trying to tell me that it was Georgie? Well maybe it was, after all you moved on pretty quickly." she said to him then looked at Georgie. "Just like Dillon did. He fell pretty easily into bed with me."

"After you convinced him I was cheating on him with the help of Diego Alcazar." she pointed out. "As for John, well if it kept him alive, I am grateful he slept with your skanky ass."

"How dare you, I am no skank. That would be your sister." she said smugly then felt her smile fall off as she heard Georgie laugh.

"Lulu, you are a year younger than me, and lets see, you have had Dillon, had an abortion after getting pregnant there, then there was Logan, who you had only after leading on Spinelli that guard of Sonny's and Dillon. Logan you dumped when you met a richer guy. John. Then there was flirtation with Ethan, thank god you found out he was your brother in time or that might have been a little awkward, huh?"

Lulu flushed then glared at John the only person who knew about her mild flirtation. Georgie looked at her then said "Plus we have Dante there, then you I understand almost fell into the old family line of work-prostitution. So, who was your love in Paris, we both know you had one."

Flushing, Lulu started to say no one but instead taunted her with John. "At least I can keep a man."

"Aw, Lulu, no you can't. Either way, I am not here to debate your love life. Just to tell you to stay away from my family. You should know, I let things go before, things that led to me being held hostage while pregnant. No longer, so back off."

"No." she replied. Looking between Dante then at John she said "You both know I can have either of these men if I wanted them. They would both be panting after me, all it would take was an invite."

Georgie looked over Lulu then said while smiling at her. "Only in your dreams. Lulu, don't cross me. The truth is out about the Spencers, if I were to finally take your skinny selfish, self absorbed ass down, no one but no one would feel sorry for you. Grow up, Lulu. Being a Spencer means that you are a deadbeat dad, a screw-up and of course some sort of addict and for your generation, well weak minded."

Luke began to speak when he saw a red head outside the window and swore. "Siobhan, that was Siobhan."

Lulu called out to him but Luke was already on the hunt as he took after his son's wife. "Daddy?"

Turning to Georgie, Lulu said "Why are you here?"

"Could you define what you mean by here? Are we talking metaphorically? Or physically here in this diner, or in this town or are we speaking Spiritually because I promise, I am not a ghost."

Screaming in annoyance, Lulu said "Why are you here in Port Charles, why the hell are you in my family's diner. Why the hell aren't you dead?"

"Not dead because well, my killer screwed up the job." she tossed out there. "As for the diner, well Andrew loves the place and in Port Charles, well I am here to get back what belongs to me. My son,..." With a smile that Lulu was beginning to hate she added "My lover, he is pretty good, isn't he, Lulu. Too bad for you, you will never get him to go there again,"

By now the unraveling blond was on the edge but Georgie pushed her over. "Lulu, if I were you, I would let Lucky stay wherever he is, because you see, I have been having memory flashes since I walked into this diner. Very interesting ones that when I get a chance to speak to my father... well your brother might prefer that Irish jail he is in."

Johnny gripped her arm, moving closer to her as he heard Georgie's tone almost break before regaining control. "Why the hell should my brother be scared of you?" sneered Lulu.

Georgie looked at then at John and said "Because I just got the last of my missing memories back and trust me when I say, he doesn't want it known what I know. Either way, your family has screwed me over for the last time. Oh and Lulu..."

"WHAT?"

"I learned something right before I died, something that I haven't brought up, but I would just bet that Elizabeth Morgan would be real interested in." she said. Seeing Lulu turning white, she said "Yeah, we both know what I am talking about. Get out of town, Lulu."

"Don't tell me what to do, Georgie." she said then looking at Johnny said "You know, you weren't dead even three months before we had sex for the first time. What you should do is call Dillon, ask him to come back to you. I am done with him, you can have him back."

"Thanks, Lulu. I am sure that Tracy is breathing a huge sigh of relief about that." she replied then said "As for John, well,"

Looking at the man standing there, watching her, she said "I hurt him deeply when I broke things off. Yet from the moment he heard there was a chance I was alive, he searched for me. Was broken when he found out that Susanne had killed me, yet again. Yet, this necklace I am wearing... he bought it for a dead woman, Lulu."

Showing her the cameo hidden under her scarf, "That he did that, tells me all I need to know about John and myself. Where we are going in the future. We have a lot to work through, but none of it is a matter of trust or love. Those are the very few things I have no worries about."

Lulu looked at the cameo, then at the lovestruck expression on her exes face then at the woman she had disliked since she had returned from school. Rage coursed through her body as she saw John's hand enfold Georgie's then out the window, past the other bitch she had disliked even longer to the little boy playing in the snow with Jason Morgan.

Then back at Georgie and she saw the way her thumb was caressing Johnny's hand and felt anger and pain overflow her senses. Her hands were shaking as she saw the way that John looked over at as if he was afraid she might physically attack Georgie and wanted to, oh how badly she wanted to.

Georgie looked back to Lulu, her hand still holding onto John's as she let her anger fade away. "Lulu, I hope that someday you find what you are looking for. I am just sorry that you got caught in the middle of John and my mess with his family. I know it cost you a lot. We have made plans to move on, you are only reacting like this because you are feeling... well I don't know. But either way, I am sorry."

Serena moved past them, seeing what Dante had wanted her to see. Clearly she didn't have the whole story regarding John Zachara as he rubbed Georgie's arm with his other hand. Serena watched as in spite of the tense situation, Georgie relaxed against him and murmured thanks. With that, Georgie told John that they should gather Andrew. "We can come back later, maybe for dinner."

Watching as the man she had once loved, started out the diner, still holding onto Georgie's hand and Lulu couldn't resist saying. "John, please, I need your help. Please, you know that my brother doesn't deserve to be in jail in Ireland. Please, help me."

Seeing the pity in his eyes, she was convinced he was going to help her when he stopped Georgie from leaving. "John, for my sake, please, help get him out."

Leaning in so that only they could hear he said "Why would I do that when I went to all the trouble of getting him arrested."

Lulu blinked, standing there stunned as the couple walked out the door. As what he said settled into her brain, she screamed and pushing the door open, rushed at them shouting that "It was all Georgie's fault."

Turning at the shrieking, Georgie saw the blond coming towards her and balled up her fist and hit the blond who bounced back a bit before sliding to the ground just as Nik turned up. The Prince stepped over his sister lying on the cold wet ground as he approaching the couple, making Johnny wish he had a gun.

"I can't believe it." he was sputtering, "I was going to go home, to wait for her there, but you can tell me, you would know, wouldn't you. Where, where is she? Where is Emily? Georgie, please, where is my beloved."

"Nik, Emily is dead." she said gently. "I remember attending her funeral before I went missing. I am sorry but whatever you are thinking, you are wrong."

"No, no, she is alive, my beloved Emily is alive." he said ignoring her then Luke who showed up to announce that Siobhan was in town and that she had looked pregnant when he had seen her.

Walking away, ignoring the man, Nik kept repeating that he had to get home, that he had to find Emily. That he knew his grandmother was hiding her from him. Georgie thanked Jason for keeping Andrew who was looking over the tall man's shoulder and staring at the screechy blond woman now laying on the ground.

"Daddy, did you see what Mommy did?" he asked in awe of his mother. "She must have taken boxing lessons too."

"Too?" Georgie looked at John who had the grace to flush then leaned in to whisper to the dark haired man. "Who did you hit in sight of your innocent, impressionable son?"

Johnny pulled her closer then whispered "Damien Spinelli."

"Ah, okay, I will let that one slide. By the way, I didn't have a crush on him." she informed him. "I was just reeling from seeing you with Carly Jr."

Shuddering, he said "There are no apologies big enough."

"No, but you at least tried to find one." she replied only for John to laugh. Turning to Jason and taking their son, she asked the blond about Elizabeth and the boys."

"They are fine. I hate to do this now, but I need to speak to John." he told her.

"Fine, fine. I will put him in the car seat, will that be enough time." she said just as she saw Mike leaving the diner and helping up Lulu who was waking up. "Either way, I have to go."

At the sedan, she had just gotten into the passenger seat when John joined them. "Everything okay?"

Looking at her, he said "Everything is going to be fine. He was a bit worried about my plan."

Nodding as she answered John's now ringing phone, she heard a strange male voice saying. "Georgie, this is Steven Webber."

"Is this about Maxie?" she asked.

"In a way, your sister wanted me to tell you that your parents are here." he said. Hearing silence he stated. "I uh, know that this isn't my place, but sometimes confrontation, well it is helpful."

Wanting to tell him he was right, it wasn't his place, she thought about being told it was his father who was going to be saving her sister. How that had come about, she wasn't sure but she was sure at least a few harsh words had been exchanged between the Webber children and their neglectful parents.

Looking back at her son, then at John she said "Will you do me a favor. Tell Mac I am on my way, but keep it from Maxie, for now. I don't want her any more upset than she already is."

Ric was not in a good mood as he left Alexis' house. He had just dropped off Molly and found that Sam was back. He had deliberately avoided his ex-wife's daughter, had waited until he had heard she had gone back to Hawaii before coming to see his daughter.

Instead she had waltzed into the place just as they had sat down to eat. He had hoped that with Sam gone he might have a chance again with Alexis. He had been shocked when Molly had told him her highly romanticized version of Jason and Elizabeth. He had gritted his teeth and kept from his daughter how pissed he was about it.

Then to hear Sam, Sam of all people agreeing with Molly... he had at first been convinced the other woman was going to go after Morgan only to hear her repeated questions to Kristina about Sonny and got the feeling that Sam was going after a past lover but that it wasn't Morgan, nope he got the feeling that she was after much bigger prey.

Sam was after Sonny and she had done her homework and knew that the key to reinstating Sonny as head of the Port Charles mob was going to have to start with taking down John Zachara, but she had used her body with other men... surely this one wouldn't be any different. Not if it got her love back his crown and throne.

Going to the room she had dropped her stuff in, she picked up her book, the one that was going to guide her to getting back her man as head of the Underworld so he could install her as his queen, Sam went to the expert on all things Sonny forgetting that Carly and she hadn't parted on the best of terms.

Just as she was about to slip in through the emergency room entrance, Sam felt hands on her arm and tensed up, scared she would get caught before even putting her plan in place until she felt arms hugging her and a familiar voice saying. "Goddess, thank you for returning. I promise, I vow to be your most humble servant, to return you to your former glory as the one true love of Stone Cold."

Sam smiled at the geek standing there shivering in the cold and asked "Spinelli, where are you staying?"

"Alas, the bodacious one as moved on, but she has let me stay at her humble abode until her rental agreement with the evil spawn of Satan has run out." he cried out.

"Lets go there and I shall tell you why I am quite resigned into letting that mealy mouthed nobody have that wimp. I have moved on to bigger and better men. I no longer will settle for a demigod, I want a King." she said while squaring her shoulders and raising her head. "I deserve the best and Jason Morgan isn't even close. I deserve to be a queen and only one man can make me that."

Spinelli looked at her and said "Uh, Goddess, Nicolas is only a Prince and your first cousin."

With a scoffing laugh, she said "As if I would settle for a man like that, I am after the real power, the real King. Sonny Corinthos, Mob King, king of the underworld, he is my destiny. I am Persephone to his Hades. See, I was taken away from him. My mother is... here, just read the book."

Thrusting it at him, she saw his eyes widen then say to her. "But Goddess..."

"No, no arguments Spinelli. This is my destiny. My fate. You must help me achieve it."

To the older blond man coming into the hospital, the twosome sounded delusional so he quickly approaching the older doctor standing at the hub. "Uh, sir. I think two of your mental patients escaped."

"We don't keep them here, they are transferred to Shadybrook." said Jeff Webber. Looking at the man, he asked "May I help you?"

"I am here to see my daughter, Maxie." he replied only to hear the sound of childish laughter from behind him. Turning to see a dark haired man raising a little boy and settling him on his shoulders as the boy's mother fretted, he gave a wistful sigh that that had never been him when he saw the father lean down and kiss the woman who blushed.

"Daddy, daddy, my turn. I want to kiss Mommy." Both men watched as the boy leaned down and kissed his mother before saying he loved her. "Mommy can I go visit Dr. Patrick, he always has cars in his office for me while you visit Maxie, please?"

Johnny and Georgie spoke then she watched as he took the stairs so that Andrew could keep riding on his shoulders. Wrapping her arms around her herself, she gave herself a quick hug then turned to see Dr. Webber speaking to a man. Who that man was hit her just as Felecia and Mac came off the elevator arguing.

"I just don't get it Mac. Why would Georgie not want to see me before speaking to you. What is going on here?" she was asking frustrated with her ex. "I want to see my daughter. I don't want to wait until you give your permission, you need to remember, I gave birth to her."

Frisco had turned to the arguing couple, then said "Felecia, this isn't helping."

"I want to see my daughter." she insisted again.

"And you think I don't?" he asked frustrated. "I want to see both my daughters. Yet..."

Mac had seen Georgie and was about to say something when she held her fingers to her lips. Waiting until the other couple had paused she said "Felecia, if you want to see YOUR daughter, why aren't you upstairs in her hospital room. As for you, Frisco. You only have ONE DAUGHTER and she is laying in a bed upstairs."

Both turned, shocked. Felecia as she took in her now adult daughter standing there with her arms crossed. When she came over to hug her, Georgie stepped back, out of reach then saw Frisco approaching.

Moving over to Mac, she stood there and looked at the people who had given her life and said "I am not going to debate this, be here for Maxie but to me, you are the two people who had sex, creating me, nothing more."

"Georgie?" Felecia's voice broke as she saw the stubborn expression on her daughter's face. "Please, I lost you, I can't lose you again. You have no idea, none how empty I felt when I heard the news."

"Mac, when did they learn about my son?" she asked never taking her eyes off the couple standing in front of her.

"Around Mother's day." he said.

"So, for the last six months, my son was here, they couldn't bother coming to town to meet him. This from someone who says she felt an emptiness at my loss." she said scornfully. "My son, who for six months was here, known to you, you couldn't bother to come and help him. So, no, you are not my mother. As for you Frisco, this is what, the third, maybe fourth time we have been face to face in my entire life. A sperm donation doesn't a father make."

With that, she looked at them then said "I am going upstairs to see my sister. I would prefer if you two stayed away from my son and his father. Frisco, don't make the mistake of coming after Johnny out of a misguided need to try and fix my life. My life is just fine, the father of my child has been more of a parent to our son than either of you ever were to me."

Watching with regret as Georgie took the elevator, Mac looked back at the twosome and said "Felecia, you need to tell Frisco what Maxie said. Right now, I have to worry about those two girls and my grandson. I don't have time if the two of you go off half cocked trying to right wrongs you should have tried to fix years ago."

Frisco stood there, stunned as the other man left and hurried up the stairs himself. Resting his hands against the hub, he bent over and looked at the ground. "What did Maxie say?"

"Nothing." replied Felecia. Looking up at Dr. Webber, she reluctantly said "Maxie said that if we stay, we keep our mouths shut about their lives, we don't interfere with their lives and as soon as she is well, she wants us both out of their lives."

Frisco's expression was bleak as he looked at the blond he had fallen in love with all those years ago and said "What has become of us. I swore I wouldn't be a distant parent like my own and yet..."

Jeff walked away, he couldn't offer them any advise, he had none to give. He was well aware that the only think that had fixed things with his daughter was bringing back her son. That otherwise he wouldn't have gotten his foot in the door.

Seeing Epiphany Johnson, leaving for the night, he murmured good night then asked "Nurse Johnson, how is Ms. Jones?"

"Holding her own, doctor." she replied as she continued on her way past the couple standing as still as statues, looking into one another eyes, clearly distraught.

Upstairs, Patrick had Andrew in his office while Robin, Georgie and Maxie talked quietly about what was going to happen the next day and Johnny was speaking to Mac about the Jones' and Andrew. When Frisco had come off the elevator after having persuaded Felecia to head to the hotel for a bit, he saw the groupings and stood there, feeling like an outsider as he saw Bobbie rushing into the room and her reaching out for his daughters.

He watched as she hugged Georgie tightly, then reached for Maxie's hands while listening to Robin talk. He saw Monica Quartermaine looking older before her time, close the door then looked up as she said "I think that they need some privacy. Frisco, forgiveness will take time. What you need to decide is if you will stick around long enough and learn the lay of the land before asking for it."

The blond man stood there, alone, ashamed to admit to himself that he didn't know the answers to the question he was now asking himself.

TBC