Chapter Three

Leaving Kelly's office, Jason drew Elizabeth close and kissed the top of her head. Having heard the baby's heartbeat had been amazing. Granted, he had experienced hearing the sound before, but each time it was astounding all over again. The pride and love that he already had for their unborn child was mind boggling. "You sure that you are feeling okay? She said that your blood pressure was elevated."

"Just slightly elevated," she repeated with patience. "I feel great, Jason. Stop hovering. Everything checked out great. We're both perfect."

"I just worry."

"I know, and I really appreciate it, but we are fine." Pushing the button for the elevator, she waved at Patrick as he walked down the hall. "What time is your meeting with Diane and John? Do you have time for some lunch? I didn't expect Kelly to be delayed as long as she was."

Groaning, he shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I only have about fifteen minutes before Diane arrives. What are you doing the rest of the afternoon until the boys get home?"

"I'm going to stop over and check on Georgie. I heard John come in last night about an hour and half after we did. I am sure that she is exhausted, physically and mentally. And knowing kids at that age, I am sure that Baylor is running her ragged."

Stopping at her car, he brought his hand up and cupped her cheek. "Just be careful while out and stick close to the guards. I shouldn't be late unless somethings comes up. I love you."

"I love you too, Jason."

Kissing her gently, he pulled back and smiled at the dazed look on her face. Straddling his bike, he roared out the parking garage and headed toward the coffee house. He hated having to go to this meeting, but he was hoping that Diane had found out more on the whole situation concerning the moves by Anthony and Trevor. The last thing that he needed right now was the chaos that they could bring down. With Elizabeth's pregnant, he was willing to do whatever he had to, to keep everything calm. And he also had to make a call to Ireland. Something that he had witnessed last night at the ER was nagging at him.

Opening the car door, Elizabeth looked up at the approaching footsteps and gave Alexis a curious look. The two had not really been on speaking terms since Jake's paternity had been revealed. "What do you need, Alexis? I'm not in the mood for another attack on my character this afternoon."

Wincing at the mention of her behavior after Sam had shown up on her doorstep in tears, the attorney stopped a couple feet away. "I owe you an apology for that, Elizabeth. It really was not my business. That entire situation was between you, Jason, Sam, and Lucky."

"Fine. But you didn't track me down for that, so why I are you here?"

"You're right. I am concerned about Nik. His episodes are starting to return. I know that Lucky is on a collision course with Sam, but you and Nik were always close. He won't listen to me. I was hoping that you might be able to talk to him."

Leaning against the door, Elizabeth sighed heavily. "I thought that after the surgery, he was doing well. When did things change?"

"About a month ago. He isn't hardly eating or spending time with Spencer. He needs help."

Watching as the older woman played with her rings nervously, Elizabeth began to worry. It was clear from Alexis's reaction that she was concerned. "I can try, but Nikolas was always difficult under good circumstances. Has Alfred mentioned anything triggering the delusions?"

"No. I was unaware of them until last night. I was at the one that dropped Mac at GH. I was going to come up and check on Baylor, but Nik called saying that he had seen Emily." Feeling bad for the pain that flashed in Elizabeth's eyes, she swallowed. "When I got there, Alfred said that he had been seeing her for almost a month now. We are both worried."

Stopping as it clicked, Elizabeth felt her own eyes pool with moisture. "I think that he is just wishing that Emily was back, Alexis. Think about it. Georgie was suppose to have been killed by the TMK, just like Em. She is back, but Em isn't."

"I thought about that, but it started almost a week before Georgie and Baylor showed up," she denied. "Look, I know that you are busy and our family hasn't handled the entire situation with Lucky that well, but he needs help, Elizabeth. Please, just talk to him."

"I will try. Nik doesn't deserve this, never did." Starting to turn back to the car, she glanced over her shoulder and winced. "Have you checked on Helena's whereabouts? As cruel as she is, this could be her starting something up."

Sickened by the thought, Alexis shook her head. "No, but I will. Thank you for this, Elizabeth."

"Nik is my friend, Alexis. I am doing this because I will always care about him. I will try to see him tomorrow morning. I want to talk to Patrick and see if he has any idea what could be going on before I go in there blind. That way I will know what to look for too."

Watching through the review mirror as the lawyer retreated, Elizabeth dropped her head to the steering wheel and inhaled sharply. She almost hoped that Nik really had started seeing visions of Emily again. It would so much easier to have to deal with a medical condition than to help him over the heartbreak again. Because while Georgie refused to really say where she had been, she had made it clear that Emily or Leticia had not been wherever she was. She had been certain that their deaths was not related to her disappearance. Since she was adamant about not talking about that time, Jason had not pushed, but both he and Elizabeth knew that if there had been a chance that she could have gave them any hope for Emily, that Georgie would have broken her silence.

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Walking into Kelly's was no longer as easy at it had been at one point in her life. She had once considered the waterside diner a second home. Now Georgie had to force herself to enter the place that she had worked at for years. But her daughter loved the food, as did she. Pushing the door open with a hip, she stepped into the cooler air and placed Baylor on her feet, making sure that her tiny hand was clasped firmly in hers. But when her daughter squealed and pull away, she watched with half a smile as she raced over and jumped into Cooper's outstretched arms.

"Hiya, brat! I see that you are feeling better today." Patting the little girl's back that had won his heart, he raised his eyes to see Georgie smiling at them. "Georgie, you remember Logan." Inclining his head to the man beside him, he looked down at the child looking at the stranger. "Baylor, this is my friend Logan."

Looking between mother and child, Logan focused his attention on the little imp that was clinging to his best friend. "Nice to meet you, Baylor. You sure are a cutie."

Giggling at the compliment, Baylor smiled shyly. "Hi. You knows my Uncles Coop?"

"Uh huh. Him and your Aunt Maxie. I also know your mommy." Lifting his head, he flashed Georgie a grin. "I see that motherhood certainly agrees with you, doll. She's the spitting image of you."

"Thanks." Stepping forward, she slid onto the stool next to where the guys were standing and nodded at Mike behind the counter. "Hey, Mike! Our order ready yet?"

"Ten more minutes, honey. I got swamped suddenly with take out orders."

"Sure." Turning back around, she shoved a lock of her hair from her face. "What are you two up to?"

"Just finished up lunch." Running his eyes over her face, Coop winced at the exhaustion in her eyes. "You look tired, Georgie. How late after we left before you got to take her home?"

Having had already heard about the trip to the hospital from a still upset Cooper, Logan winced at her answer of almost five. And while he would bet money that Georgie had barely slept, he could see that her daughter was full of energy as she held out her hand for the phone that Georgie handed her to play with.

"Geez. We should've stayed and drove you home. I bet you were having trouble staying awake."

Hating the guilt in his voice, she shook her head. "A friend drove me home, Coop. It worked out."

"What are you two doin the rest of the day?" Logan asked. Hearing a song start to play loudly, he laughed as Georgie rolled her eyes and turned the phone down some before handing it back.

"Hmm, not sure." Glancing up to see Baylor hold her arms out to him, Georgie sighed again. "Bay, not everyone is a jungle gym to climb on."

Transfering her to his arms, he winked at the little girl. "It's fine, Georgie. Let her play."

"Aunt Maxie says that yous a pig." Wrinkling her small nose, Baylor sniffed as both Coop and Logan laughed. "But yous smell nice."

Horrified, Georgie buried her head in her hands. "I'm going to freaking kill her," she muttered before glaring at Coop. "You have got to talk to Maxie again. She can't just say whatever pops into that mind of hers. Bay repeats everything, normally at the least opprotune time too."

"It's not a biggie, sugar." Smirking at the look on Georgie's face, Logan chuckled. "I've been called way worse by people that know exactly what they're sayin."

"Georgie," Mike interrupted, setting her bag of food on the counter. "I added a couple of treats that Baylor can have, for after lunch of course. Also, I saw Elizabeth picking up a takeout order earlier. She said something about checking in on you two ladies today."

Handing him money, she nodded. "Thanks, for the treats and the message. I will call her later." Getting her change, she shoved it into the small purse that she had slung over her shoulder. "Come on, Bay. We got to let the guys enjoy their day."

"I'm actually heading to work." Coop stood and kissed Baylor's cheek before hugging Georgie. "You take it easy on your Mom, kiddo. I think that she deserves it after last night."

"Whys? I was the one that gots poked with needles," was the slightly pouting whine.

"Now you sound like Maxie," Logan teased her, tweaking her nose. "You spending too much time with her?"

"She spoils me, at leasts Momma says so. Byes, Uncle Coop!"

Waiting until he had left, Georgie smothered a yawn and glanced over at the man holding her child. Baylor had her head resting on his large shoulder and was still pushing buttons on her phone. "Well, it's been fun to listen to my very own little version of Maxie insult you, but we gotta go."

Choking back a snort, his eyes twinked. "It's no biggie. Like I said, at least she has no idea what she is sayin. You use to say those same remarks too, doll, and meant them."

Grimacing, Georgie sighed again. "Things change, Logan. I know that now. I can tell that you aren't the same angry guy that I use to know. Just like I am not the same naive little girl that served coffee from behind that counter." Seeing his eyes narrow and darken, she held up a hand. "I guess that all people change. It happens, but I am still sorry about Baylor saying that. Maxie needs to learn that she can't just run her mouth around her. She just soaks everything in."

Placing Baylor on her tiny feet, he pulled gently on a pigtail. "It was nice to meet you, Baylor. I'll see you," his eyes drifted up to meet the dark brown eyes that where watching him, "and your mommy again soon. You take care of her. Don't let her scold your Aunt Maxie too much, okay."

"Otays. Bye, Logans."

Flashing him a grin, Georgie grabbed her phone back and slipped into her bag. "See ya around, Logan. Stay out of trouble."

Walking out of the door, she caught Baylor's hand and headed toward the parking lot. "Okay, missy. After lunch, it's naptime. For you and me both."

Watching them go, Logan heard Mike's voice and turned to see the old man looking at him with a tired, strained smile. "Jason called. He asked if you was still here. He wants you to bring him an order. Can you do that?"

"Sure, he's the boss." Sitting back on the stool to wait on the order, Logan let his mind drift. But it snapped back into focus when Spinelli entered the door, tripping over his feet as he joined him at the counter.

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"Gentleman," Diane blew into the office and looked at the men that were sitting around the desk. "We have major problems. Anthony's hearing was moved to this Friday. It appears that Lansing is throwing around a lot of money."

Rubbing a hand over his face, Johnny groaned. "Should've killed the bastard when we were in position."

Ignoring the mutterings, Diane looked over at Jason. "Since his attack was on Elizabeth that led to him being placed in that psych ward, it would be best if she came to testify. But it also exposes her to being a target."

"She already is one!" Jason snapped, rubbing his temples. "This is the last thing that we need. Her blood pressure is already elevated."

"Well, it will only get worse if that nut gets out!" Tossing the file on the desk, Diane leaned against the wall. "Also, I made the call that you requested. He said that he will call you back later tonight on your phone, but he was intrigued. I think that something struck a cord with him."

Blowing out a breath, Jason nodded. "Alright. Thanks."

"Can I stop the transfer of Trevor being appointed Anthony's guardian? I'm his only living blood relative now that Claudia is dead."

"It's a long shot, John. The courts know that you hate your father. It's not a closely guarded secret. And on paper, it looks like Trevor has been a long time family friend. I'm warning you, this could result in your father going free."

"Yeah, well, there are measures that we can take if that happens," the young mobster growled.

Holding her ears and glaring, the attorney shook her head. "I did not just hear that." Turning to Jason, she frowned. "Sonny is still on the island. But his money is moving through the old Zacchara accounts that he got with his marriage to Claudia. You are going to have to face that he is an enemy now. At least do something to make it almost impossible for him to help financially."

"I will deal with it."

Hearing the finality in his tone, Diane nodded. "On a different note, how is young Baylor? Max told me that she was in the ER till late."

"She was released early this morning. I am sure that the little imp was up and driving Georgie insane this morning." Jason looked over at Johnny while grabbing his coffee. "Was she still asleep when you drove them home?"

"Yeah, didn't wake at all. Not even when Georgie carried her in." Seeing Diane's lifted brow, he shook his head. "I just drove them, Diane. Don't start. She was dead on her feet after staying in the hospital with her daughter."

"Whatever. You forget that I have seen Georgie since she returned home. She grew into a lovely woman, John. And last I checked, you were not blind."

Scowling, he glared at the redhead. "Go away, Diane."

Quirking his brow as the outspoken woman left with a gleam in her eye, Jason cleared his throat. "John, please tell me that she was wrong. Georgie is still adjusting to being back and who knows what is going on in her head at the moment."

"Well, I am not blind and Georgie is beautiful," he replied cheekily. "And I am also not the player that I was. Georgie is not the same girl that disappeared. Hell, she came home with a daughter that no one knows a damn thing about. If anyone ever needed time, it's her. Relax, Morgan. I'm not a complete dog."

"That is not as reassuring as you probably meant it to be," Jason murmured. "You like challenges, I know that. But just remember, she is Elizabeth's friend. Probably the only one that she has let get real close since we lost Em. I'm not saying stay away, I'm just telling you to be sure. Especially with all this shit with your father getting ready to blow up."

Surprised, Johnny leaned forward. "You aren't firmly warning me away?"

Pinching his nose, Jason sighed. "No. I know what that does. And I could see that you are interested already when Diane brought her up. And you've seen her what? Once? Just remember there is a lot about her that you do not know, that no one does."

"Like the fact that she had a gun on her last night when she made to the hospital after almost an hour of the call you made?"

Stopping, Jason rubbed his neck. "Yeah, I thought that was what I saw too. And she doesn't always carry one. Something spooked her enough yesterday that she left Baylor with Maxie and Coop and took off to somewhere."

"What did Milo say? I know that you asked him."

Shaking his head, he leaned back in the chair and his face darkened. "He lost her. Milo has no idea where she went after she dropped Bay off at Maxie's. I think she knew that he was there. Otherwise, it would have been harder for her to lose him. Milo is not green."

"Sweet and innocent, my ass. Someone taught her to spot a tail. Face it, Jason, Georgie Jones is an enigma. The only thing that I can actually get a good read on, is her love for her daughter. That is plain to see. But she is a closed book otherwise. Any question send her into shut down mode."

"I already know some things," he admitted softly. "Enough to know that she could take care of herself if push comes to shove, John. I just don't know if the search into everything else is really my place to take."

"If it doesn't affect your family, then leave it be, Jason. Not all secrets are meant to be outed." Johnny leaned back and propped his booted feet onto the empty chair. "We both understand having a past that you don't want to share all the details of. But at the same time, make sure that she is protected, even if from a distance. Something is off with Georgie, something that is building. And if she is as close with Elizabeth as you say, Elizabeth would freak if she lost another friend, let alone Maxie and the rest of her family."