Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with General Hospital.
A/N: I've lost the energy to rant any longer about what Guza has done to Dilu. As much as I want to get it off my chest, the rant would be longer than the chapter. At least their fans still remember what they had, even if Guza has conveniently forgotten.
To Choose Life
Chapter 24
As I arrived at work the next morning, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally something worthwhile to take my mind off of Dillon, Spencer and my pregnancy. I sat down in my desk and began listening to my messages.
It was only two hours into my shift when someone knocked on my door. I ended my call with a client and then told the person to enter. Much to my chagrin it was a bouquet of flowers. I mentally pictured impaling Dillon. I signed for them and tipped the delivery guy. I reached for the card and began to read it. "Please have lunch with me today. I just want to hang out with you. Dillon"
I stood up and went to Carly's office. "Help me," I moaned.
"Dillon? Wow did he take a page from Sonny's book?" Carly asked.
"Will you come to lunch with us?"
"You're going with him?"
"If I don't, then I'll just keep avoiding him and that won't be good for the baby."
"All right but you need to tell Dillon how you feel."
"I did and he's not really pressuring me into being anything more than friends. He just always wants to hang out and have things be like they used to be. I don't think he understands how hard it is for me to be around him. I'm still in love with him."
"How do you know he doesn't love you?"
"Because I stood there while he screamed it at me when I had almost had the abortion."
"Lulu, that was months ago during a tough situation. You can't base everything on that."
"I know Dillon didn't mean it, but the fact is that if he was capable of saying it then obviously he doesn't love me like I want him to."
Carly frowned. "You can't close off from everyone in fear of what might happen."
"I am protecting my child. My child has to come first. I would have taken Dillon back if it was just me. Hell I would still be warming his bed, but my child can't grow up thinking she has both parents and then when Dillon takes off, have her always wonder why her father never loved her enough."
"Dillon is not Luke."
"This is not about my father."
"Are you sure?"
"It doesn't matter. I am doing what is best."
"Well I can't tell you what to do. I just want you to be happy."
"I have to get back to my office. I'll meet you here at noon."
"I'll see you then."
I went back to my desk and called Dillon to let him know I'd meet him for lunch. I thanked him for the flowers and then tried to tell him he didn't need to do things like that. He told me he liked to and then said he had to get back to work. I bid him good bye and got back to work, suddenly overcome with a sense of doom at the prospect of lunch with him.
At noon I met Carly in the lobby. Dillon arrived and came towards us. "Carly is joining us," I explained.
"I hope that is okay," Carly interjected.
"Its fine by me," Dillon offered.
We all got into the elevator. "So when is your next appointment?" Carly asked.
"At the end of the week," I explained.
"Are you going to find out what you're having?" she asked.
I turned to Dillon. "I hadn't even thought about it."
"It's up to you," Dillon responded. "If you want to know then we'll find out."
"I want to know," I answered.
The baby kicked gently. "Don't you ever sleep," I moaned.
Carly and Dillon smiled. The elevator doors slid open and we went into the restaurant. I hobbled to the nearest table. "Are you okay?" Dillon asked.
"My feet are swelling," I complained. "One of the many joys of being pregnant."
"One of them for sure," Carly agreed. "Of course labour takes the cake as the most joy you'll have while pregnant. Dillon, be prepared for a broken hand that day."
Dillon smiled. "Well I think I can handle a broken hand with what she has to go through. If I complained I have no doubt in my mind that Lulu would kill me."
"Smart man," I muttered, just before the waiter approached us to take our drink orders. I ordered a lemonade.
Once the waiter disappeared, Carly tried to shift the focus off of me and the pregnancy by asking Dillon what he did at ELQ. He explained how Edward had set up the internship and I listened attentively.
The time passed quickly and the waiter returned with our drinks and took our orders. "So have you discussed names?" Carly asked.
"No. I don't even want to begin to think about it," I muttered.
"We should probably start," Dillon said. "You are almost six months pregnant."
"We will. We still have more than three months."
"Is it going to start with an 'L'?" Carly asked teasingly.
"Hell no," I said with a laugh. "It will definitely not."
Carly smiled. "Way to kill a family tradition."
"I'm killing it with a vengeance."
As the time passed, I actually found myself having fun with Carly and Dillon. Our lunch was really good and it was nice to have real conversations that didn't center around my feelings for Dillon, my fear of this pregnancy or how worried I was about Spencer.
After lunch Carly and I returned to our desks while Dillon left to go back to ELQ. I threw myself back into work and didn't even notice the time slip by until my shift was over.
Carly came to my office to offer me a ride home. A part of me wanted to keep working, an excellent avoidance strategy. Instead I told her I had plans to meet someone at Kelly's and she said she'd see me when I got home.
I stood up from my desk and stretched my back. My muscles resisted with pulsations of pain but I tried to ignore them. I hobbled over the to the coat rack and threw on my jacket before heading over to Kelly's.
The place was warm when I entered and I rubbed my hands together to warm them as I inhaled the sweet scent of cinnamon. Mike called me over and asked what I was having. I received a dirty look from Georgie, as I ordered an herbal tea and muffin.
I turned around to avoid another one of Georgie's evil stares and noticed Spinelli waiting at a table and waving me over. "Evening Blonde one," he greeted me as I sat down.
"Hi Spinelli."
"I hope you had a nice holiday."
"Besides my nephew being kidnapped, I had a good time."
"I'm sorry," he offered.
"Here's your order," Georgie spat, as she sat it down on the table.
"Georgie seriously, I didn't do anything this time. I'm sorry you guys broke up but this isn't my fault. I didn't intentionally get pregnant."
"Well I guess you should have had the abortion then."
"That's not your decision. I seem to recall you telling me it was mine."
"Look, have your perfect life with Dillon, but leave me out of it."
"When did I bring you into it? Sorry my family owns the place you work at and I happen to frequent it. It doesn't mean that you can treat me like the garbage off the street."
"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do."
"I'm sorry that things didn't work out with you and Dillon. I really am. It's nice to know you were only nice to me to score points with him. You are a two faced bitch and I don't want anything to do with you. So please for the sake of my child, stay the hell away from me."
"Gladly. I hope something goes seriously wrong and you get what you deserve."
"HEY," Dillon exclaimed. "You stay the hell away from Lulu. You want to be mad Georgie then you be mad at me, but you have no right to threaten Lulu or our child. They don't concern you. Yeah you got hurt but wishing harm upon a baby or that child's mother. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Don't Dillon. Don't act all self righteous," she cried. "You have been looking for an excuse to be with Lulu since last summer. You left me for her."
"I loved you at one time. That was before your little emotional affair with Diego. That was before the lies and the protection of the man that tried to frame me and hurt my niece and your sister. You didn't have to sleep with him because you may as well have."
"I didn't, unlike you who jumped into bed with Lulu at your first opportunity."
"Enough," I shouted. "You two want to rehash everything, that's fine but my blood pressure doesn't need it and neither does this child. Georgie your little problems just aren't my concern. They pale in comparison to my nephews kidnapping. Sorry you got hurt. Sorry I hurt you. Sorry Dillon doesn't love you anymore. However, I want you out of my life."
"What life? The one you stole from me? The one you lied and cheated for?"
Her words hurt and I felt the tears start to burn. "Spinelli do you mind taking Lulu away for a minute so I can have a word with my ex wife?" Dillon asked bitterly.
Spinelli took my arm and led me to another table. He brought over my tea and muffin and sat me down. "What a bitch?" he muttered.
"It's okay. I did some horrible things to her last summer. That's the reason I'm pregnant. She gets to be bitter."
"She wasn't bitter, that was downright nasty."
"Do you have a nickname for her?"
"The only thing that comes to mind is the wicked witch from the west."
I grinned. "The only thing missing is her flying monkeys."
"I am so sorry about her," Dillon said as he sat down.
"It's okay. It's not like I didn't bring it on."
"You don't have to put up with her. She makes Maxie seem tame."
"Where is Maxie lately?" I suddenly asked. "I haven't seen her since before Christmas."
"You heard about her miscarriage, right?" Dillon asked.
"She had a miscarriage?"
"She fell down the stairs."
"What? When?"
"While you were away for work."
"Dillon why didn't you tell me?"
"I just assumed Lucky, Liz, or Carly would have."
"I feel so horrible. I was horrible to her. I accused her of faking her pregnancy."
"So what? She was horrible to you too."
"For good reason."
"She fed your brother pills to get him into bed."
"What the hell is this place?" Spinelli suddenly interrupted. "It's like right out of a soap opera."
Dillon and I laughed. "The town is odd, but it has its moments," I said. "Besides once you start to know everyone things will finally become understandable."
"She's right. People here can be crazy but they're fiercely loyal to what they believe in."
"You've met Dillon's family. It's a town of Dillon's family," I said.
Spinelli laughed. "So Rick Webber's murder; do you have anything for me?"
"Nothing new from when we last met."
"Okay, well we should keep digging on Alan," Spinelli suggested.
"That sounds like an idea," I agreed.
We started reiterating everything we knew to ensure we were all on the same page. Then Spinelli's cell rang and he said Jason needed him. He said we'd meet up in a few days and left.
"I can't believe Maxie lost her baby. I feel like the worst person in the world."
Dillon reached over and took my hand. "You're not. You never told her you wished she would lose her baby. It's not your fault. She fell and the baby is gone. That's it."
"What if I lose this baby? I can only imagine what it feels like to lose the baby growing inside of you," I said, as I touched my stomach.
"You're not going to ever have to know. Our baby is fine and you're doing everything you can to keep our baby safe. If it makes you feel better, avoid stairs."
I smiled at him. "What are we going to name our baby?"
"What names do you like?"
"It can't start with an L," I explained.
"How about Tracy?" he teased. I burst out laughing.
"I don't want to name our child after anyone in town. I want our child to have his/her own identity."
"Okay any suggestions?"
"Do you like the name Grace?"
"Grace Laura?" he asked. "I think that's cute."
"What about Grace-Lynn Laura?"
"Grace – Lynn?"
"Dillon it sounds like Graceland, which is Elvis' home."
Dillon furrowed his eyebrows and held back his laughter. "I don't want our child named after Elvis, the real one or the made up one."
"That was my idea for a boy's name," I teased.
"I'll take Grace or Gracie but not Grace Lynn."
"Fine. I only liked it because it sounded like Graceland."
"I have an idea. I'll buy a name book and this week we'll get together and go through it."
"It sounds like a plan," I agreed. "I should get going. I want to call Lucky and check on Spencer's status."
"Okay, I'll talk to you later."
"Later," I responded before pulling my jacket over my shoulders and leaving the building.