Chapter Four

Maxie stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor of General Hospital and spotted Kyle standing by the nurses' station. Next to him was a blonde woman, dressed in black, running her fingers up Kyle's arm.

Maxie was taken aback. She walked determinedly over to the pair and slipped her arm around Kyle's waist. "What's going on?" she demanded. She looked at Kyle's face. He looked - she was surprised - scared, and not in the "oh god, my girlfriend just caught me with another woman" way.

"Maxie Jones, right?" the woman spoke up venomously. Maxie's head shot up. Faith Rosco. Maxie had seen her around town, at the hospital and at Kelly's. The woman was always causing trouble. There was something poisonous about her.

"That's right," Maxie snapped. What the hell did this woman want with her, or with her boyfriend?

"Your sister is little Georgie, isn't she?" Maxie flashed with anger. She and Georgie hadn't been getting along very well, but there was still that button, that sisters instinct that snapped into place. Faith was getting at something.

"What the hell do you want with my sister? Or with my boyfriend?" If looks could kill, Faith would have been dead on the floor.

"I'll say one thing for you Jones girls," Faith told her. "You have good taste in men. I was just seeing if your little boyfriend here is as tasty as your sisters."

Maxie thought she would collapse, but held her ground. "What!"

"Little Virgin Georgie has got herself quite a guy." Faith leaned in, as though sharing a confidence. "I sampled him last night. Yummy." She licked her lips cruelly.

Maxie was incensed. She thought that Dillon was cocky and arrogant, and she wasn't crazy about him dating Georgie, but if he was going to do it, he damn well better not be cheating on her - just then, she saw Dillon get off the elevator.

"Go to hell!" She lashed at Faith and stormed away, dragging Kyle's arm. She rushed up to Dillon and pushed him hard. He spun around angrily.

"What the hell?" he stuttered. Maxie's eyes flashed at him.

"I ought to rip your hair out by the roots!" she hissed at him.

Dillon grabbed her roughly and yanked her into an empty corridor. He and Maxie had never gotten along, but she had never been this angry at him. "Maxie, what the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"What's going on?" she mocked. "What's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. What's going on is that I know about your little escapade last night!" He opened his mouth to object, but she barreled on. "And with that...that barracuda, Faith Rosco! How dare you Dillon! You know, I never liked you very much, but I was almost willing to give you the benefit of the doubt before you go and CHEAT on my sister-"

Dillon couldn't take it anymore. He exploded. "Maxie, I'm in love with your sister!" he screamed at her.

Maxie froze. "What?"

He took a couple of deep breaths. When he continued, his voice was calmer and extremely firm. "I'm...in love with Georgie. And I don't know what you heard about Faith Rosco, and not that I owe you an explanation, but since you are Georgie's sister, I'll give you one, if you'll shut up and listen."

Maxie nodded, silenced.

"Last night, I was supposed to meet Georgie at Kelly's. I got there early and decided to run down the block and buy Georgie flowers. I was leaving when I bumped into Faith. She started - coming on to me, and saying really nasty things about Georgie. I tried to get away, but she grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. Georgie came and saw and she ran away. Or more specifically, Faith saw Georgie coming and tried to kiss me. Georgie saw, like Faith wanted, and ran away, but she knocked over a chair so I noticed. I got away from Faith and ran after Georgie. Believe me, I am NOT cheating on Georgie and I never will, especially with someone as hideously evil as Faith!"

"Does Georgie know?" Maxie asked.

"Know what? That Faith was setting her up?"

She nodded. "That, and - does Georgie know that you, that you love her?"

Dillon nodded in return. "Yes, to both questions. I told her last night."

Maxie seemed to accept this, but she was still hesitant. "But do you really love her, Dillon? Or are you just trying to soften her up so that she'll sleep with you or lie to Mac for you or something?"

Dillon was getting irritated. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked her.

"I'm Georgie's big sister," Maxie told him seriously.

He sighed. She was right, even if she was pissing him off. He took a deep breath and looked directly into her eyes.

"Maxie," he said quietly, repeating his previous statement. "I am in love your sister. I am not using her, I am not going to take advantage of her. She means the world to me."
Maxie returned his gaze. "I believe you," she whispered. "Thank you." They regarded each other for a moment, coming to a silent understanding. The exchange was civil, if not friendly. The silence was about to get uncomfortable when Maxie squealed. "Oh my god!"

"What?" Dillon was actually more curious than annoyed, to his own surprise.

"I just can't believe that someone is in love with my little sister."

"Believe it." Dillon was almost challenging. He held his ground, but his lips soon twitched and he cracked a smile. Maxie smiled back and they started to laugh.

"You two getting along? Am I hallucinating?" Dillon turned around to see the source of the voice behind them. Even in the dumb oversized polo shirt and scrub pants that she had to wear for candy striping, she was so incredibly pretty. He couldn't help the huge smile spreading across his face, and Maxie and Georgie couldn't help noticing it.

"Hey..." he reached his arm out to draw Georgie next to him. He squeezed her in a half hug.

"What's going on?" Georgie looked happy, but suspicious.

"Nothing." Maxie smiled sincerely at Georgie. "Everything is fine. I've gotta get going."

As she walked past them, she paused and hesitated. Then she tentatively leaned up and kissed Dillon's cheek, elicting raised eyebrows from both Dillon and Georgie, then whispered in his ear, "take care of her, Dillon."

"I will," he assured. Maxie dropped another kiss on Georgie's cheek and took off down the hall. Dillon turned Georgie's body and moved his hands around her back so she was clasped firmly in his arms.

"What was that about?" she inquired, her eyes narrowed. Dillon grinned. He could see the little glimmer of jealousy she was trying so hard to conceal. He kissed her.

"My god, you're wonderful," he told her. "Believe it or not, Maxie was actually being a protective older sister. She told me to take care of you."

Georgie was surprised. Maxie had been so nasty about Dillon.

"Why the change of heart?"

"Oh she was chewing me out about Faith, which god knows how she found out, and for that matter, what Faith has to do with Maxie, and I got so fed up that I started yelling at her and something came out that made her see I might not be the worst thing that ever happened to you."

"What was that?"

Dillon closed his eyes and held her tighter. "Just how I feel about you. You know, I really should work on not screaming out my heartfelt declarations toward you."

"You mean you told her that -"

"Yes." He wanted to spend every minute telling her he loved her, but he didn't want to cheapen the words, so he saved them. But she knew what he meant.

"Oh..." she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I have to get going and do candystriping stuff..."

"I know." But he made no move to release her and she kept her head against his shoulder, her eyes closed. He breathed her in. Slowly, they pulled away. "Can I pick you up when you're done?"

"Yeah..." her voice was dreamy. He cupped her face and kissed her softly and slowly.

They moved apart. "Wow..." her eyes were still closed. He watched her; she had a small, secretive smile on her face. "Okay, going now." She opened her eyes. "Give me a push."

He put a hand on her back to guide her toward the main hall, brushing his lips tantalizingly against hers, making them both shiver, as she passed him by and continued down the hall.

Dillon leaned against the wall, his whole body tingling. Georgie left him breathless.

"Congratulations."