To be in the company of Diego's family was an entirely different experience than her own. Where she waited impatiently with her own for the moment of togetherness to be over, she was comfortable and at ease with Diego's family. Strange, Georgie thought, considering the type of business the Alcazar clan dealt in. She should have been on edge, waiting on pins and needles for something bad to happen.

What made it all the stranger was that, of the Alcazar twins, Luis was the most welcoming. Lorenzo always held a faint sense of concern, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Luis, however, seemed perfectly satisfied as long as Diego were happy.

The strange part was that this was actually Sage's father. When he first came to town, she'd been afraid that he was going to have her killed, or maybe beaten really bad. After all, if she hadn't locked Sage up, she would have been safe with the rest of the group. His daughter wouldn't have died were it not for Georgie.

Yet, it never came up. When he first arrived in Port Charles, he glanced her way when they passed each other in the streets, but that was it. After he started dating Elizabeth, she thought that maybe she was the reason that Luis didn't do anything to her. But, now, it was as though she had done nothing at all. Like she got to start with a clean slate, the same blank canvas that she kept telling everyone that Diego deserved.

It was still weird, though, and as comfortable as she felt around the welcoming family, a part of her still waited for him to do something. At the very least, to say something. But, he never did, even though sometimes Georgie could feel that he wanted to say something. If anything were going to be said, she would have to take the initiative.

And maybe she should. Maybe, if she broached the subject and let him have his say about the whole thing, everything would be easier. His kindness wouldn't hold the faint tint of … what? Mockery? Insincerity? Georgie wasn't sure, but maybe she could feel as comfortable around him as he seemed to feel around her.

"I apologize." Georgie looked up to see Elizabeth standing. "I've got to go." Had she spaced out that badly that she didn't even realize something had happened? Yup. Elizabeth was holding her pager. She bent down and kissed the corner of Luis's mouth. "Duty calls."

"There would be no duty besides Cameron if you'd let me—"

His words cut off into a mumble as Elizabeth put a hand over his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and so did Georgie's. Sure, normal people did that, but Alcazars—And there she was again, acting like they weren't like everyone else. Besides, Elizabeth wasn't exactly an Alcazar. She was just afixed to one.

"We're not having this discussion, again, Luis. At least right now." She pulled her hand away. "Now, I've gotta go. I'll call you when I'm done." She turned. "Diego and Georgie, I'm so sorry to bail on you like this."

"It's fine," Diego told her. "I understand."

"You're such a good guy." Elizabeth grinned at him. She walked around the table and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then put a hand on Georgie's shoulder. With a wink, she said, "Remember what I said about Alcazar men?"

Georgie blushed and Elizabeth laughed. She excused herself one more time, and their quartet was down to a trio. Which soon became a duet as Luis said, "Diego, would you leave us for a moment?"

"What?" He looked back and forth from Georgie to Luis. Not too much differently than the way Georgie looked back and forth from Diego to Luis. "Uncle…"

"Trust me, Diego. Take a seat at the bar, and call your father."

"I don't want—"

"Diego." Luis didn't yell. He didn't even put much force behind the word. He merely stated his nephew's name, and just like that, Diego was silent. How could someone command that much respect?

"Fine," Diego muttered. He was forced to release Georgie's hand as he rose, but he gave her a squeeze before he left.

And that left just the two…

"I have a feeling that you have something you would like to say to me, Ms. Jones."

Georgie gulped. There it was again. That teacher's voice, like she was in trouble, and he was going to give her the chance to explain before he tore her story to shreds.

"I, uh…" She shook her head. "I was just wondering… I mean, why are you nice to me, Mr. Alcazar?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know what I did. Believe me, I know what I did. I live with it every day, and even more since I started dating Diego. And it's strange, because even knowing what I did, I'm more comfortable sitting here right now with you looking at me like I just got caught with my hand in the cookie jar than I am with my own family. But still, it's weird, because I don't know if I should just let it go or if I should be on my guard for some kind of retribution."

Luis stared at her silently. His hands slid from the table to fall into his lap. He leaned back and pursed his lips. He was thinking. That couldn't have been good, could it? Not a response that required that much thought.

"I see you're wearing Diego's necklace."

She blinked. "What?" Georgie shook her head, but at the same time, her hand went up to touch the bottom edge of the diamond circle at her chest. It was more fitting with her simple sundress than it had been with her jeans. "I, uh… Yeah."

"Good. Diego was afraid that you would refuse to wear it. I had to assure him more than once that women enjoyed jewelry."

"I do. I mean, I like it, but he doesn't have to buy me things."

"So similar to Elizabeth," he said. The corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile. "She tries to refuse my gifts as well, but the majority of them end up with her all the same."

"Mr. Alcazar?"

"You're wondering why I avoided your question. It is something that I wish not to speak of too often." Luis sighed. "I know all that my daughter did to you and your friends. I also know the person that Sage grew to become. She wasn't very different than I am. She went for what she wanted, and in the process she made enemies."

"I never wanted her to die."

"I know this. Lorenzo has explained it to me, as have Diego and Elizabeth. Do I still hold some anger and resentment toward you? Of course. Sage was my daughter, my blood, and her death angers me. However, I can't live in the past forever. I hear the sincerity and regret in your words. I know that you would change the events if that were in your power. I also know that you make my nephew happy."

"He says that he's happy."

"He is happy. Diego is my blood, as well. I was unable to truly give Sage the happiness she deserved, but I can do what's necessary for Diego's happiness. Also, you are not the only one at fault in Sage's death. I can place the blame with Mary Bishop, Dillon Quartermaine, and dozens of other people. Even Sage herself, but I know that I had my own part. She would have never come to this town had I allowed her to know that I was still alive."

"I, uh… I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but… why didn't you? Tell her, I mean."

"I thought I would die, Georgie." It wasn't lost on her that she had left school and was apparently back with friends. "I would not have my daughter live through my death twice, and instead, I lived through hers." Luis leaned forward and picked up his glass. He looked at the water dismally, and Georgie remembered that he had wanted something stronger, but Elizabeth had nipped that idea in the bud. He looked as though he were realizing that Elizabeth was gone, and maybe he should order at least a glass of wine.

In the end, though, he took a sip of water, then replaced the glass. "Now, are we finished here, Georgie."

"Yes, Mr…" She stopped as his eyes crinkled. Apparently, she was to take his cue and go back to first names. "Luis," she said. "We're finished."

With a nod, Luis rose a hand and in a few moments, Diego was back by her side. He took her hand and rose it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand, and it struck Georgie as something his uncle would have done, mostly because she'd seen him do it a couple of times with Elizabeth. Diego was definitely taking lessons from his uncle, and Georgie couldn't say that it was a wholly bad thing.

"Are you alright?" She nodded and smiled. Diego looked to his uncle. "I called Pop. I even invited him to come to dinner. He said he might come. Happy, now?"

"Ecstatic."

Luis grinned widely as he reached for his glass, again. And thought Georgie was almost positive that his smile should have freaked her out, given her the willies, and made her want to run away, she didn't really want to do any of those things. Her fears were satiated and she could focus on more important things. Like the fact that she really was more comfortable at a table sitting across from Luis Alcazar than she was standing with her own mother in the middle of Kelly's.