Sitting crouched over his laptop Dillon barely acknowledged the presence of the rest of his assembled family. Bobbie and Cruz's home had become the unofficial outpost for the troops. Meeting at the hospital was too risky. He had gathered from Cruz that Patrick and Robin had Cameron with them for the time being. Luke, Laura, and Lulu were all too busy trying to keep the reporters from finding too much information. Luke, Dillon suspected, was actually having fun with this, breaking out his every accent, even his horrid German one.

"Alright," Dillon announced to the group. "So far there is no one consistent story and I've yet to see that tape anywhere. There are more mentions of it than Britney's custody battle but not everyone is convinced it actually exists. That's good at least."

"That doesn't mean there isn't one." Bobbie pointed out. "We can't afford to discount its existence." She was willing to play whatever game her son-in-law wanted just as long as it would get her nephew and his new family out of the spotlight. It made her sick to think about what kind of tape could be floating out in Cyberspace.

"Believe me I'm not." Dillon assured her. "I have my email alerts set to send me any information that surfaces regarding Lucky immediately. Even on my cell." He smirked over at Lucas. "And you thought putting those settings on my computer were ridiculous."

"I forgot that we're not a normal family." Lucas grumbled under his breath. "How are Lucky and Elizabeth holding up?"

"I'd know more if I could get Lucky to answer his phone but he's turned it off." Cruz admitted. "And they've put a block on all incoming calls to the hospital. You don't have the password, you don't get put through."

"It's not fair." Bobbie declared glumly. "This should be the happiest day of their lives. They're a family. I don't understand why the media had to ruin this for them. They love Lucky. How could they do this to him?"

"It's because of that love. It's misguided." Cruz explained patting her knee and watching Majandra bounce in her little chair.

"Yeah apparently the media doesn't like to be lied to and Lucky was just caught in a whopper. It's like that with all first loves." Dillon decided.

"They have no right to feel betrayed. He's deserving of a good life. He's been through so much already." Bobbie complained impatiently. "I can't stand this waiting." To further illustrate her point, she stood up and started to roam the room, back and forth.

"Alright dude. Call me if you hear anything." Axe closed his cell phone as he wandered in through the kitchen. "Well whoever the Nosy One was, she's not someone anyone's heard of. No one else has heard of her."

"Oh great." It was Lucas' turn to be dramatic. "That means she's trying to make a name for herself."

"Yup Super Spy." Axe nodded. "I put out the word I want to meet up with her, hinted that I could get her some more inside dirt. I bet she'll bite. We'll find her Boss Man. Don't you worry."

"Just what I need: another crazy woman out to get me." Cruz joked winking at his lovely wife.

"Well maybe the two of you will just hit it off and you'll send postcards to your daughter." Bobbie's fuse was too short to take any of her husband's jokes.

"Bobbie..." Cruz tried.

"Alright corners everyone." Dillon declared. "We're all upset, but there's no need to go all Rocky here. We are trying to work together."

Coming down the stairs, Becca could feel the tension that radiated still through the room. She had come to support Axe and felt immediately out of place. She answered phones and few if any contacts that could help get to the bottom of this situation. Although she loved the gossip blogs as much as the next girl, she was a pure amateur when compared to Dillon. So she stuck with what she knew, volunteering to keep Lance occupied and out of the earshot of the conversation.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone." She spoke softly but the presence of another voice in the room made everyone jump just the same. "But Lance says he's not feeling well and wants to see one of his dads."

"I'll go." Lucas volunteered leaning over to kiss Dillon's forehead before disappearing upstairs.

"What's wrong with Lance? I thought he was over this cold of his." Bobbie asked concerned.

"I don't know." Dillon admitted. "He keeps saying something about his back hurting but it's just odd. At first we thought maybe he was just faking to get attention, but now I'm not so sure."

"Has he been to the hospital?" Bobbie wanted to know.

"No. Although maybe we should take him to see Dr. Jacobs."

"If you need to take him now, we can hold down the fort—"

"Don't be ridiculous." Dillon interrupted her.

"Bobbie, it's a back ache." Cruz reminded her gently as Becca came over to take Majandra into her own arms. "Dillon is probably right and it's nothing. Taking Lance to the hospital right now won't do anything but bring more attention to this family."

"I suppose that's true. But tomorrow? You'll take him tomorrow won't you?"

"Take who where?" Lucas wondered.

"Lance. To the doctor's." Dillon clarified.

"Mom, he's just a little bruised. Bungee jumping probably wasn't the best idea." Lucas cut his eyes to his husband's.

"BUNGEE JUMPING?" Bobbie shrieked.

"Lucas agreed to it." Dillon was quick to point out.

"Only because you got to me to agree before you told me what we were doing." Lucas argued.

"Um, guys?" Axe spoke up.

"What?" Cruz asked, thankful for the distraction.

Axe pointed to his cell phone even though only he could read the text message. "We got a bite."

*****

"I should have gone when Robin asked me to." Steven forced out a struggling breath. His niece and nephew were less than a day old and already there were pictures of them splashed across the Internet. He hadn't known until one of his co-workers brought it up. The guy had made a comment about being hurt that Steven hadn't mentioned being an uncle. Apparently Webber wasn't a famous last name, unlike Spencer.

"You didn't know this was going to happen." Georgie pointed out. "No one did."

"That's where you're wrong." Steven spun around to face her. "I knew this would happen the moment my sister told me she was pregnant."

"You did not. You thought she was going to be railroaded out of her child's life." Alright maybe it wasn't the best argument to make with Steven right now, but he was dangerously close to irrational at the moment.

"Why did she have to fall in love with a guy like that?" Steven asked aloud, not particularly searching for an answer.

"Like what?" Georgie challenged. "Someone successful? Someone who loves her?"

"They're going to chew my sister up and spit her out. Look what they've done to her already. And now her children too? He was supposed to keep this from happening." Steven pointed out.

"Number one your sister knew this was a possibility when she started dating him. Number two, if I know Lucky and I do, then I know he's doing everything he can do to stop this from continuing. If there is one thing I know about the Spencers, it's you don't mess with them. You don't get one, you get them all." Georgie reached out to place her hand on Steven's shoulder. "I understand you being upset, but believe me when I tell you this. Lucky is feeling exactly the same way you are right now. I'd place money on it."

"His sister's caught up in the media?" Steven folded his arms, not wanting to be comforted.

"Very funny." Georgie said dryly. "You just don't want to admit I'm right."

"When you say something that makes sense, then I'll think you're right. As of now, I don't agree." Steven told her.

"You're being stubborn. And you're acting about eight right now."

"I'm worried about my sister. Surely you can relate."

"I do relate. Believe me I do." Growing up as Maxie's sister had been an experience no one could ever fully understand, especially after the fallout with Bruce. But as worried as Maxie made her, Georgie also knew it was useless to try to protect Maxie from herself. Her sister maybe her own worst enemy, but she was also her best teacher. "But Elizabeth can take care of herself. She didn't walk into this blind."

"Love is blind." Steven countered with a weary sigh.

"Love conquers all."

"My niece and nephew have been exploited! How can you act like that doesn't matter?"

"I never said it didn't! I'm just saying this isn't all Lucky's fault, no matter how badly you want it to be." Georgie defended hotly.

"This isn't about placing blame." Steven corrected sharply. He felt helpless just sitting here. He wanted to be in Port Charles or he wanted Elizabeth in Paris. When their parents brought her home from the hospital, he had vowed to always protect her, but he hadn't kept his deal of the bargain.

"It sure sounds like it."

"I'm pissed off." Steven explained. "And no one asked you to come here and witness it, okay? You can run on back to your roommates if this is too much for you." He suggested harshly.

"Excuse me?" Georgie drew back as if he had hit her. "Run off? We're married, remember? There is no running off. I'm here and this is something we both have to deal with it. Those twins are my niece and nephew too you know?"

"You don't understand what this is doing to me. And you want to praise Lucky. It makes me sick." Steven pressed his fingers under his eyes in agitation.

"I'm just trying to make you see reason. Like it or not, Lucky is a part of your sister's life. And the twins' lives. Your insistence on blaming him for everything you don't like is going to do nothing but drive your sister away from you."

"Not agreeing with you doesn't mean I don't value your opinion." Steven backtracked.

"Could have fooled me." Georgie declared crossing her arms and moving towards the window. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass. The day had started out so well and it was rapidly going downhill.

"There's no rule book on protecting the people you love." Steven made his way slowly toward his wife. "And when you can't protect them, there's nothing worse than that. It completely demobilizes you."

"Agreed but it doesn't give you the right to cut me out of this."

"I'm not used to having someone around to confide in." Steven admitted sliding his hands under her arms and folding them around her tiny frame.

She wanted to resist him. Her brain screamed at her to stiffen her frame and walk away, but his touch always melted her. "No excuse," she managed.

"I know." Steven agreed moving her hair off of her shoulder so he could touch his mouth to the side of her neck.

A shiver worked its way through her body as his mouth made contact with the sensitive skin. "No fair trying to distract me." She protested weakly. "We need to discuss this rationally."

"Yes. You're right. We do." Steven whispered against her skin. He swept his right hand across her right shoulder and pushed the sleeve of her black and white blouse down her arm.

Turning around in his arms, she managed to cradle his face in her hands. "This doesn't count as talking." She whispered with a smile as she brought his lips closer to her own.

"You didn't say 'talk.'" Steven reminded her. "You said 'discuss' and that leaves a lot open for interpretation. Would you like me to show you how much I love you?"

"I thought love is blind?"

"That's pretty much how I feel when I touch you." Steven murmured. "Like a blind man striving to see." When she didn't respond right away, or at all, Steven couldn't help but smile. The expression was a nice contrast to the heat in his gaze. "Come to bed, Mrs. Webber."

"I don't know." Georgie pretended to be demure. "I might have to run off or something."

"I didn't mean it." Steven bargained and kissed the inside of her palms.

"I think I might need some convincing." She took another step toward him, trailing one hand down his chest while wrapping the other around his neck.

*****

Watching from the window, Ric made sure Kate actually threw her car into reverse and was driving down the street and around the corner before he even chanced looking at Maxie. He hadn't anticipated Kate's visit, a move he now realized was stupid. Kate had left him several messages at his office, which he had ignored out of self-preservation more than anything. He should have known Kate was going to do what Kate always did when ignored: she'd force a confrontation.

Turning around he let out the breath he had been holding ever since Kate called out her goodbye over her shoulder. "She's gone." He announced.

"Thanks so much for telling me. I'm obviously too stupid and too naïve to figure it out for myself." Maxie said. She was tired of standing so she half collapsed on the second-to-last step.

"Don't put words in my mouth." He told her. "That was Kate, not me."

"Who could tell the difference? It's not like you were busy arguing with her." Maxie informed him.

"No I was too busy keeping you out of jail for assault."

"No arrest would have ever been made." Maxie countered holding up her hands.

"And then Kate would have done a whole story about small town police corruption, starring you and your father." Ric pointed out. "Trust me on that much."

"Trust you?" Maxie asked incredulously.

"Yes. I realize it's a concept we're still working on here, but I do know how Kate works. The best course of action was to keep you two apart and send Kate on her way." Ric knelt down to touch Maxie's cheek.

Maxie slapped his good intentioned hand away. "You told me your marriage was as good as over the moment we met. You said you didn't love her anymore. You stood there and let her say whatever she wanted about me."

He shook his hand from the force of her slap. "It has been over. A long time before I met you, but even more after that. I never said I still loved her. And you seemed to be handling yourself just fine. You didn't give me a chance to stop her with you baiting her."

"So this is my fault? I asked for a verbal assault?"

"I didn't say that."

"What did you say?" Maxie challenged.

"I said you didn't need my help." Ric defended himself. "You never seem to need my help so pardon me for not picking up that I was supposed to rescue you."

"You're right." Maxie nodded. "You're always right. Does it ever get old?" Maxie inquired before stomping upstairs.

Hot on her heels, Ric followed her up the stairs. "Maxie, it doesn't work like that anymore."

"Like what? Did I talk out of turn?" Maxie refused to look at him.

"You can no longer write me off as if we don't matter." Ric reached out and turned her around, placing one finger under her chin to force her stubborn eyes to look at his. "The whole dating thing doesn't work if you run from everything."

"Do you want us to work?"

"Do you?"

"I stopped didn't I?"

"I came after you didn't I?" he retorted.

"Now."

"When haven't I?" He challenged her hotly. "When haven't I come after you?"

"Five minutes ago."

"Blondie." Ric dropped his voice to a whisper. "I did choose you. You're here. She's not."

"Do you think she was right?" Maxie wanted to know.

"Right about what?" Kate had thrown a lot of accusations around and honestly Maxie could be ready to kick hiss ass for any one of them. He was going to need some clarification.

"Am I some distraction for you until you forgive her and she comes screaming back?"

He didn't have to hesitate to answer her. Kate may still get under his skin from time to time, she might always affect him, but he wasn't waiting for her to return to him. Not anymore. "Not even close."

"I don't believe you. It's in your eyes, and I simply can't believe you." Maxie returned to her task of heading up the stairs and fetching her shoes.

He reached out and grabbed her arm. "What's in my eyes? The fact that I still care about Kate? I was married to her for years, Maxie. I'm not a heartless, brainless moron who issues death threats when a relationship ends. Yes I care about her, but under no circumstances does that mean I'm just killing time with you. I wouldn't risk this much on something that didn't mean anything to me."

"I want to be important to you."

"You are important to me."

"Is she going to continue to be a problem?"

"She'll try." Ric said honestly. "But she'll only be a problem if you let her be one."

"How can I not?"

"You're not going to like my answer." Ric warned her.

"Go ahead."

"You're going to have to trust me. And trust what is going on between us."

Maxie took a breath. "Maybe it was a bad idea to come over here."

"No." Ric shook his head stubbornly. "That is never a bad idea."

"I don't want a repeat of this morning." Maxie informed him.

"There won't be." He replied confidently.

"You can't possibly guarantee that."

"No. But if it does happen I can guarantee a different outcome."

"Do share."

He advanced on her slowly, pulling her ever so softly to him. "See now that I know you actually do need me for something, I know I need to save you. That I can do easily."

"What if I need saving from you?" Maxie asked tilting her head back to look at him.

"Well that would make two of us, because I think I might need saving from you too."

Previews:

Barely edging Lucas out of the small doorway into Lance's small bathroom, Dillon eased the light on, blinking as the harsh glare assaulted their eyes. "What is it? What happened?"

Lance caught his parents' wild stares and wailed, "It hurts!"