Georgie shifted and squinted in the light. She was right where she always wanted to be, right where she always imagined. Dillon sighed and pulled her closer. She burrowed into him, grateful for the second chance.

"Cold?" his voice was strong, a rock onto which she was desperately holding.

She shook her head, emotion making her throat thick. She was halfway afraid to speak, afraid that if she did, it would all be a dream.

He shifted away from her, to look into her eyes. His face wore double looks of worry and confusion. "Are you all right? Please don't tell me that you think this was a mistake, because that's not what I'm thinking right now."

She shook her head again. Finally she found her voice. "No, no mistake. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and find that this was all a dream. And that scares me more than anything."

He sighed audibly and pulled her close to him. Kissing the top of her head, he spoke quietly, "don't be afraid. I'm right here. And as long as you'll let me, I'll always be here. I love you Georgie. I always have and I always will."

She turned to look at his face. Their eyes met and she took a breath. "I love you more than life itself, Dillon Quartermaine. And that will never change."

He smiled, kissing her again. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

"I didn't come here—to seduce you. I only came to talk," she began quietly.

He chuckled, quieting her fears. "I think that I seduced you, so it's only fair. And this was far better than talking. We're past talking, Georgie. We can't dwell on the past. We've both had a life and made decisions that affected us one way or the other. But now it's time to look forward. To our future."

"Future. What a lovely word."

"Believe it Georgie. I want a future with you. I want a life with you. We were robbed before, but now we have all the time in the world," he said and she whole-heartedly believed it. She wanted it just as much as him.

But she knew that she had to be able to tell him of the past. He had a right to know. "We will need to talk about the past. In order to get to the future, we will have to talk about it. There are things that you need to understand. About me. Things that made me the way I am today. And I knew that there are things that you will need to tell me," Georgie replied. She nestled in further, not wanting to leave their little cocoon.

"Yes," he replied patiently. He knew that to move forward she would have to come to terms with their pasts. "But we have all the time in the world. Why not enjoy the moment?"

She grinned mischievously. "That's the best idea I've had all day." She rolled over, straddled him and they both fell into oblivion.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Maxie shifted at her desk and reached for the ringing phone. She was multi-tasking as high speed right now. Her computer screen was filled with the latest designs for the spring line; she was on one phone in the middle of a heated debate with Greenlee Lavery about the upcoming spring fashion show, and now her caller I.D read her Uncle Mac's name.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. She loved her uncle and everything, but he always seemed to pick the worst moments to call.

"What was that Maxie?" Greenlee asked. "You have the spring designs ready?"

"No, no. Not yet. I will have them to you by Christmas Eve at the very latest. After the New Year, we can meet and discuss logistics. This show will be a smash."

"Oh, no doubt. I do have an inquiry to you though. What do you know about the company Lady's Court? A bit about it recently reached my radar and I'm interested in what sort of stock they carry. It might be a new collaboration for Fusion and Crimson."

"Ugh. I haven't heard about it, but I'll look into it. I really have to go. I'll be in touch. Happy Christmas!" Maxie slammed the phone down and breathed a sigh of relief. Sort of. She had an assignment? Who did Greenlee think she was? A messenger? She had her own work. But of course, she'd look into the matter. Lady's Court? She could only imagine what sort of store it was.

The phone rang again, jolting her out of her musings. She nearly let out another choice expletive when she picked it up again. And she barely contained herself from barking into it.

"Hello Uncle Mac," she said dutifully.

"Maxie! I hope that I didn't catch you at a bad time," he replied, completely unaware of her situation.

She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "No, no. It's fine. What can I do for you?"

"I've decided that we need to have a family dinner. You know, you and Spinelli, Patrick, Mackenzie, your girls. I imagine that Mattie will bring Morgan, which is perfect because what better way to welcome him into the family than at a family dinner. And especially now that Georgie's back with us. We need to unite again."

"Uh, that's great Uncle Mac. What day? Spinelli and I are free tomorrow."

"Then it's settled. I'll call Patrick and Mattie," he said happily.

"Great. What can I bring?" She asked, looking up as Kate signaled her. She held up a finger and motioned toward the phone. Kate nodded and stepped into the office.

"You can bring desert if you want. You know how much I love apple pie."

She couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I do. Now I have to go. I have a lot to do today. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you!" She replaced the phone and looked up at her former boss and current business partner. "Sorry, it's my uncle. Since he retired, he has not knowledge of time or working schedules."

"It's okay. I need your opinion on the layout. It's in my office," Kate said, leading the way and forcing Maxie to focus on the task at hand.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Patrick walked out of the elevator, speeding up when he saw Mattie come around the corner. He called her name and she stopped, turning around and smiling at him. "Hey Daddy."

"Hi," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I was wondering if you were busy, because I thought that we could grab some coffee, talk. We haven't seen each other in weeks. Not since your engagement anyway."

She nodded. "That sounds great. Just let me drop this chart off and I'll meet you down in the cafeteria."

Patrick smiled and walked back toward the elevator, fingering the velvet box in his pocket.

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, Mattie walked into the cafeteria and saw her father sitting across the room. When she reached the table, he handed her a cup. "I took the liberty of ordering for you. I hope that it tastes okay."

She took a sip as she sat down. "It tastes great. Whew! This is the first time I've sat down since my shift began at six this morning."

He grinned. "Well, you wanted to be an OB. Babies don't have a schedule."

"I'm not complaining, just reveling in the fact that I get to sit for an extended period of time." Then she frowned. "What's up, Dad? You seem tense. Is something wrong?"

He sighed. "I'm that transparent."

Mattie shook her head. "No, I'm just good at reading you. What's wrong?"

Patrick shook his head and reached for her hands. "Nothing's wrong. I just haven't seen my eldest daughter in a while and thought that I'd talk to you for a few minutes. How have you been?"

She smiled now. "I'm been good. Pretty stress free considering what's going on in my life right now. Maxie is planning this perfect wedding and between her and Carly, I have little to do other than show up at the church on the thirty-first."

"I'm sure that it will be amazing."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that. Maxie never does anything halfway and now that Carly's apologized ten-thousand times for the way she's treated me for practically my entire life, she's wonderful too."

"Listen Mattie, I invited you here today because I wanted to give you something." Patrick drew the little box out of his pocket. It looked as bright and promising as the day he'd bought it twenty-nine years earlier.

Her breath hitched as she took it, her fingers brushing against the soft sides. She watched his face as she opened it and then she gasped. "Mom's wedding ring."

His head dipped into a nod. "Yeah, she wanted me to give it to you when the time was right. She felt that as the eldest, you deserved it. And it seemed like the right time. I—uh—figured that you could wear it on a chain or something."

Mattie didn't bother to brush back the tears, but let them freely fall. "Oh Dad, Thank you, so, so much." She clasped his hand across the table.

"Your mother would be so proud of you. You are following your heart. Which is all she ever wanted you to do," Patrick replied.

"Thank you. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Maxie showed me the album of your wedding. She was so beautiful."

"And so are you. Both you and your sister look so much like her. You even more than Mackenzie. Every time I see you, I have to remind myself that she's gone," Patrick said. Then he stopped. "Okay, enough sadness. This is a happy occasion. You are marrying the man of your dreams."

"Yes, yes I am. I am so lucky. Just as lucky as you and Mom. I only hope that I get a little more time to remember that."

"I fell in love with your mother despite her condition. We both knew that someday she'd be gone. We made the best of our time together. That's all anyone can hope for." They both rose to their feet just as an overhead call requested Dr. Patrick Drake to the fifth floor. Patrick pulled his little girl into a hug before he walked out of the room. "I love you Matilda Drake. And I am so glad that you found happiness. A father can't ask for anything more."

Mattie smiled as she slipped away. She couldn't say anything because of the tears that were welling up. Slipping the ring box into the pocket of her lab jacket, she walked the other direction, intent on having a few moments to herself for a crying jag.

She knew that her father was right. Her mother would want her to be happy. But there was still a part of her that was missing her mother. And there was nothing in the world that would change that.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Lila plucked the phone off its base the moment it rang. "Lila Alcazar."

"Lila, its Cameron. I think that we have a lead on the Lansing case. An informant of mine told me that someone fitting Erosa's description was seen near the docks off of the 12th street pier."

She grinned. This was just the distraction she'd been looking for. "Great. I'll meet you there."

Silence. Then he spoke. Ever so carefully, she noted. "I don't think that that's a good idea."

Her lips pursed and she threw her shoulders back. "Why? Because I'm only an attorney, or because I'm pregnant with your child?"

She had him there. There was no way out but through the wall. "L-i-l-a." He drew her name out exasperatedly. And she knew she'd hit the nail on the head.

"I hope that it's because I'm not a cop and not because of this baby. Because let me tell you, if that is the reason, then we have a serious problem, Cameron Spencer."

"Listen—"

"No. You listen. This baby is our personal lives. This case is professional. That is what I am concerned with at the moment. Don't you dare confuse the two. Or I will personally have you taken off it," she snapped.

"Fine, fine. Whatever. I'll see you down at the docks." With that, he hung up the phone.

Lila was practically glowering as she stalked out of her office with her coat and bag in hands. Who the Hell did he think he was? Her protector? Sure he was the father of her child, but being pregnant did not make her incompetent. She would not be shut into some neat little drawer just because if it.

* * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, she was easing her car off on the side of the street. The docks were deserted as far as she could tell. But Cameron was already there.

"Didn't wait for me, I see," she observed, navigating the slippery planks to where he stood looking out at the inlet. They were at the inner point of the Port Charles waterway, much less pretty a view than from the Elm Street Pier.

He turned at the sound of her voice. "Sorry, I was halfway here when I called you."

"I see. What do we have?"

"A man matching the description of Mikhail Erosa. But I already looked, there's no one here. Rachel Jax and her realtor were leaving as I pulled in. I asked them, but they were looking at a one of the warehouses. Rachel's looking to purchase it evidently."

Lila nodded quickly. "So now what?"

"I don't know. It's just another dead end," he said frustratingly.

Then she narrowed her eyes and scanned the waterway. "No, it's not a dead end. We just need to think like a mobster."

Cameron frowned. "Think like a mobster? I'm sorry, but that's a stretch. I'm a cop remember. And you're an attorney. We've both on the right side of the law."

She smiled now. "But my father was a mobster, so I have tendencies. What I mean is that we need to put ourselves in the mind of a mobster. If I were a mobster, where would I live? If I were involved in shipping, it'd be somewhere close to the port." She scanned the horizon again. "There are a number of buildings around here. And they're all prime real estate. Erosa could be living in anyone of these."

"So what do we do?"

"We talk to someone who knows these waters like the back of their hand. Someone who happens to live in one of these buildings. We ask him what he knows and if he knows if the South American mob has infiltrate Port Charles again," She said, already walking toward her car, her mind churning with possibilities.

He jogged to keep up with her. "And who would have be?"

She stopped and whirled around, staring at him as if he'd grown an extra head. "Are you daft? Jason Morgan, you idiot."

His eyes narrowed. "My stepfather."

"Yes, he's the mob. He'd know. Or he'd at least know if anyone leased out any penthouses in the area," she said, opening the door and getting inside the car. As she started the engine, she looked pointedly at Cameron. "Do you have a problem talking to Jason?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I just didn't think about it."

She gave him a saucy grin. "That's exactly why you need me in this investigation. I have to get back to my office for a meeting. But I'll meet you at Morgan's penthouse this afternoon at three o'clock. Is that okay?"

He nodded. "Drive carefully." With a wave, he watched her pull out onto the streets and drive back toward town.

GH*GH*GH*GH*GH

Wow! Another chapter finished in quick succession. I hope that you enjoyed this one. Especially the scene with Mattie and Patrick. As happy an event as her wedding is, I imagine that Mattie is wishing that Robin was with her. Please Enjoy! Also, Please review!