Save Tonight

Part Two

Georgie walked down the stairs of the docks. She knitted her eyebrows at the sight before her.

Logan was sitting with his feet dangling over the water. He was drinking a bottle of beer and cursing into the night about the unfairness of the world.

To Georgie's way of thinking, Logan just didn't appreciate how good of a life he had. He had managed to survive working for Sonny and get out of that life alive- more than most foot soldiers in the Corinthos Morgan army could say. He had a father who was bending over backwards to make amends to him. Two new sisters to love. He used to have a girlfriend till he accused her of cheating and chased Lulu right into another guy's arms. He had a best friend who would die for him. He had his health, even if there were questions about his sanity.

Talking to himself on the pier was not a good sign.

But she could tell he was hurting over something, and it was not in her nature to walk away from someone who needed help or comfort.

He yelled, at the moon, she guessed, or maybe it was God he was challenging "You can't have him! You hear me? Do you hear ME?"

"The whole town hears you."

Logan's head whipped around. "Oh...its you."

"Don't sound so enthused."

He lifted his bottle and said "Want a drink? All us hobos are getting drunk on the docks tonight. Come join the party."

"No, thanks. You do know what you are doing is illegal, right? My dad would haul you in if he walked by right now."

"Daddy's perfect little girl. You plan on making a citizen's arrest, Miss Perfect?"

She sat down next to him, took the bottle and set in on the other side of her, out of his reach. He tried to reach around her for it and she slapped his arm. "I think you are done."

"Yeah, I'm done," he said darkly. "More done than you know."

Looking straight in his eyes, she said "So tell me."

He shook his head and looked away. "What are you doing out here, Georgie? The docks aren't safe in this town."

"Nothing is safe in this town."

"You're right. Of course," he said, flashing a quick rueful smile, "you are always right. No shock there. You know...it was the same in Iraq. Nowhere was safe. Nothing was secure. All you could do was look out for those people you vowed to protect. Keep your eyes open and your head down."

"And pray. You could pray, Logan."

"I don't do that. God don't want to hear from me."

It was one of the saddest things she ever heard.

Logan turned back to look in her eyes again, after holding them for a long moment, he said softly "Cooper has to go back to Iraq."

Georgie froze, blinked, and her eyes slowly closed. All she could think of was her sister. Maxie could so easily lose her way without Cooper's love to make her strong. And when Maxie lost it, every one in their whole world suffered her wrath.

Georgie lifted up his beer bottle and took a drink. "Maybe I will have a sip after all."

"Lawbreaker."

She smiled at him, sadly. "When does he leave?"

"A week."

"This...sucks. But he'll come back. I know he will. Cooper is tough. He made it through once and he can again."

"I won't be there to have his back." Logan looked down. A shudder passed through him. A tear slid from his eyes. Georgie, on impulse, wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He sagged against her, as if he had no ability to keep himself upright.

She whispered into his ear. "I'll pray for both you and Coop. And we will make it through. We will, Logan."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Maxie lay in Cooper's arms after they made love. As purely happy as he always made her feel, as magical as she believed what they shared was, she could also feel, in this moment, that something was hanging over their heads, waiting to crush them both.

She couldn't think of what she might have done to wreck them. But it had to be her. He would never intentionally hurt her, if they were having problems, somehow she had messed up.

She ran her hand up his chest, and looked up at him. "Being here like this with you...best thing on earth."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Do you think so too, Coop? About being with me?"

His eyes registered surprise. "You know I do." He kissed her. "I hope I haven't...look I know things were hard last fall for us...I was cold to you."

"Not really. You could have been worse."

"I just hope that you know that is all behind us now. I'm past that. I love you...I will never love anyone but you, Maxie."

"So what's the deal? What's going on? Don't hold out on me. I know something is going on with you...with us...tell me what it is, Cooper."

He sighed. "I wanted tonight to be perfect."

"Before you break up with me tomorrow?"

"Before I leave to go back to the military next week."

Her whole face crumpled and he felt horrible about having to tell her the truth.

Maxie cried "No. Hell no! They can't have you. You're mine."

"Uncle Sam seems to think I'm the property of the United States Army. I agreed to serve this country and my service isn't over yet. I have to go, baby."

(Well, we know I'm going away
and how I wish...wish it weren't so.


So take this wine and drink with me.
Lets delay our misery.

Save tonight
and fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow,
tomorrow I'll be gone.)

She threw her arms around him and sobbed onto his chest. "No, no, I won't let you go."

He ran his hand through her hair. "I'll come back to you...I'll always come back to you, if you wait for me."

She sat up, dragging the cover over herself, and said, in an offended tone. "Of course, I'll wait! You don't think I can?"

"I think you can do whatever you want. I always have. There is no woman who amazes me more than you. You are...one of a kind, and just the kind I could never get over."

"Good. Don't. Don't ever get over me."

She leaned close to him and kissed him. "A week? That's all?"

"Six days now."

Tears flowed down her cheeks. "And you won't consider telling them to go to hell?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be the man you fell in love with and you know that."

"Just checking."

Cooper cupped her cheek. "This is just a pause in us...in our story...just a pause, okay?"

(There's a log on the fire and it burns like me for you.


Tomorrow comes with one desire to take me away,

its true.


It ain't easy to say goodbye.
Darling, please don't start to cry.
Cause girl you know I've got to go
Lord I wish it wasn't so!

Save tonight
and fight the break of dawn.
Come tomorrow,
tomorrow I'll be gone) ( eagle eye cherry)

Thanks for reading! I've been writing a lot lately of all my stories, except Damaged Perfection but I hope to get back to that soon. There should be one more part to this story.