Notes: Once again I have forgotten to actually update the story, or at least I did yesterday, so, today, you get two chapters instead of one. Also, the story has officially been completed, the conclusion should be up by the weekend or the beginning of next week, and then I take a break until fall… cliffhanger endings and all.

Journeylove- I love AJ. I mean, I hate what he did to Michael, but damn, I love that man. He's so evil and wonderful at the same time… the very bad kind of evil, so I was sad to see him go. Better him than Jason, this much is true, but still. I don't know how I would fare as head GH writer, because I would be required to write Diego… even if it was just to write his death. It would be a glorious moment, but it would require spending time on Diego, which is a very bad thing. As you can see, I'm not fond of the boy. Carly wants Journey back together… although she's spending less time trying to break Casper up, so it makes you wonder.

Story-

Port Charles-

Dillon didn't understand why he did what he did from time to time, case in point, he was thinking about going into the mansion again, willingly. There was a time that he would never think about doing such things, a time when he would be repulsed by the very notion that was running through his mind. But that was before Brook Lynn came into his life. They weren't close, they probably wouldn't be close, but Dillon couldn't let poor Brook be corrupted by the Quartermaine's. She still had a life ahead of her, and it was his job, not only as her uncle, but merely as someone who knew what they were capable of, to save her from them.

Georgie would have been happy about it, so would Damian. They both wanted him to stay connected with his family, some of them taking measures that were little more than forcing him into their arms, but while Damian beat himself up over the choices that were made regarding Dillon, and more precisely Jason's, relationship with the family, Dillon didn't mind. The teenager knew that there were times when he could be a 'Quartermaine,' when he would have traits that showed just how deep the blood ran through him. They were stubborn people, unwilling to accept help even when they needed it most. Dillon was like that, but he was incredibly lucky to have a friend like Damian, a friend who would give him what he wanted, even though he didn't think that he did. The others didn't really have many friends. Emily did, but nobody else in the family, not even Jason, really. Sonny wasn't exactly a friend, he was more like a partner in operations. Dillon couldn't see the two of them engaging in idle chitchat, they were always talking about business or the family, family which may or may not have included Dillon.

If he needed any more reasons to prove himself different from the others in his family he was getting them constantly. He had a friend, he had a girlfriend, someone that he loved in ways that the others weren't capable of loving each other. Dillon had heard the stories of Alan and Monica's many marriages, of the manipulations. They had managed to forge a relationship of love, but it took a long time and it was still very fragile. Dillon never wanted to do something like that to Georgie, and he vowed that he never would. And then there was Tracy… but her relationships were best left ignored, even the one with his father.

"Dammit!"

Dillon stopped walking when he heard the voice of a female. Being the type of person that he was, hearing someone in distress made him head towards the sound, and make sure that they were all right. His surprise couldn't be contained when he saw that it was Brook Lynn, on the ground. Dillon watched as she got up to her knees before standing over her and offering his hand, "Need some help?"

"I don't need anyone's help…"

"Brook," Dillon knew that his niece could be moody, and that was putting it mildly, but he wasn't going to leave her alone. "Come on, it's just a hand. Are you afraid that I didn't wash it? I always wash my hands…"

"If I take your hand will you shut up?"

"You'll have to take it to find out…"

"I hate you," she grumbled, but she did take his hand, using it to pull herself up. When she was standing she dusted off the snow that was on her legs, she could feel some of it seeping in and on her legs.

"You're on your way to becoming a Quartermaine…"

"Don't say that." The last thing that she wanted was to be compared to those people. It was hard enough thinking of reasons why she was related to them, and thinking up excuses to explain why she avoided them whenever possible.

"Did my mother do something? You can't let her get to you, Brook. Take it from me, while I was here… even when she wasn't, she made me little more than her puppet, telling me what to do, how to act… all in some ploy to make sure that when she came back everyone would accept her. And it worked… it worked because I was too stupid to see what was going on."

"Granny's a bitch…"

"Hey…"

"What?" Brook looked at him. "Are you going to tell me that what I said wasn't right?"

Dillon didn't enjoy the fact that someone was calling his mother a bitch, but it only showed how much she still controlled him. Dillon had done it plenty of times in his mind, and each time it made sense, complete sense. Yet there was still that yearning desire to protect her. He had done it so many times in the past, with everyone from his grandfather to even his brother.

Brook took his silence as the answer that she needed, "See? You know I'm telling the truth. Look, Dillon, I'm sure that you would love to have a person who you could say was a good mom, but you got Tracy, and I have her as my grandmother. Face it, pretty boy, we're both screwed because of her."

"So this isn't about my mother?"

"No, I've avoided her, and every time she's tried to get me to do something for her, tried to latch onto my mind and control me I've told her to shove it up her…"

"You're so young, yet you have a mouth on you…"

"I'm named after Brooklyn…"

Dillon grinned, "Point taken. You didn't actually tell her like that, though, right?"

"Why?" She didn't see why it was important. "Are you going to tell me that it was the wrong thing to do?"

"Actually, I was going to tell you that I'm very proud of you for doing something like that, something that I've imagined plenty of times in my own head yet never actually gone through with."

"The difference between you and me, Uncle Dillon, is that Granny doesn't have me on her leash like she does you."

"Don't remind me…"

"Seriously, you've got this great chance to get the hell away from all of them, but you keep on coming back. You're with Jason Morgan, and believe me, I've heard the stories… you don't even have to worry about them trying to come and get you because they know that he'll stop them. You're like at the safest place in the world, but you keep on screwing it up. What the hell is your problem?"

"I go back for you."

"What?"

"You heard me," Dillon looked at her, "I keep on coming back for you, Brook."

"Oh, I not going to let myself be blamed for what's been going on between you and those people…"

"Nobody is blaming you for it, Brook, do you hear me saying that it's your fault? I go because I don't want you to go through the same things that I went through when I was living there. I don't know how long you're going to be around, and for your sake I hope it isn't that long, but all the while I can't just stand around and let you suffer like that."

"Who said I needed your help?"

"You don't, and I see that now, which means that I can stop giving a damn about what happens to you, but I won't, because you're actually the only person that is younger than me in that family and… I don't know, I just feel this need to look out for you."

"I appreciate the gesture, but I can do fine on my own."

"You just fell on the ground."

"I slipped!"

"You were upset about something, now you're trying to hide it. I'm a Quartermaine, remember? I know these things."

Brook sighed, "I don't know why, but I think that you're a pretty decent person, especially given that you spend more time on your hair than most glam rock groups in the 80s…"

"I resent that comment."

"Then stop supporting Aquanet."

"I don't use…"

"You know what I mean!" Brook groaned. "You want me to tell you what's going on, Dillon? Fine, I will. I'm upset because I hate it when I see people who are good people being stuck with people who aren't."

"Are you sure you're not talking about our family…"

"I'm positive."

"So then…"

"It doesn't concern you."

Dillon studied her, looking at her expressions, trying to see if there was something there. He saw it. She was hiding something. "It's a boy, isn't it?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you've only been here for a week… you haven't been around long enough to actually have any other problems. Who is it?"

"It doesn't matter…"

"I thought you didn't get out very much. I mean, the only people that you know that are guys are me and…" and… Dillon rolled his eyes. "Brook…"

"What?" She looked at him, holding back the yearning to run away, the worry that he might have realized what was going on.

"He loves Maxie."

"What makes you think that I'm in love with your friend?"

"Are you?"

"No!"

Dillon shook his head. "You're a horrible liar. You can be the cold and sarcastic kid all you want, but when you're actually caught in a lie you aren't very good at covering it up. Brook… you can't break them up."

"She's horrible for him."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I know!" She knew what Maxie was like. Maxie was everything that Brook hated, and Damian was everything that Brook liked. It only served to logic that the two opposites shouldn't have been involved in any way imaginable. "He deserves someone better."

"You're family, Brook, but Damian is my best friend, someone who I can depend on… and I know that he loves her."

"Only because he hasn't had anyone else."

"Listen to me," Dillon went on the defense for his friends, "I've lived here for a few years and I've seen Maxie Jones get into relationships that have destroyed parts of her soul. She's loved when she knew it was impossible and she let some jackass take advantage of her… all of that changed when she found him. I'm not going to stand by and let you ruin something like that."

"What makes you think you can stop me?"

"Don't cross me, Brook," Dillon warned. "I'm one of the only people that you have on your side. You're a beautiful and attractive young woman, you're going to find someone who loves you, someone who isn't already involved."

Brook sneered, "And I thought I could trust you. Why don't you just leave me the hell alone? You're the one who has only been sticking around because of me, now I'm giving you my blessing to stay the hell away. I'd actually prefer it." Brook stormed off.

Dillon couldn't believe what was going on. His niece was in love with his best friend, who was in love with his girlfriend's sister. And he was stuck in the middle. Only in Port Charles.