….I do not own GH or any of the characters. No copy write infringement intended….

Chapter Twenty-Three

Johnny paused midstride for a second, his head spinning at what Logan had just blurted out. Can it get any worse? he asked himself while tenderly looking down at Georgie. "Stay right here. I'm going to lay her down upstairs and then be right back," he ordered shortly before resuming his way over to the back stairs.

Frustrated and sickened, Logan scrubbed his hands over his face. "What the hell happened to you, Coop? How could you murder those women and everything else?"

"I did it for her!"

"NO! You did it for you! Georgie would never have got with you, not even if Maxie did die. She loves her family and is one of the most loyal people I've ever met. Fuck! You've gone insane!"

Milo quickly stepped between the two. He could clearly see Logan's restraint cracking. When he had dragged Milo over to Jason's last night after Johnny had returned from the meeting, everyone had been shocked with his news. It was well known that he looked at Barrett as a brother. To turn on him, it showed integrity not many believed he had possessed. "Hayes, man, back up. Zacchara doesn't need to explain to Georgie why her house was destroyed. We both know that Zacchara isn't going to let him walk away, not after all this. Just chill, man."

Placing her on the bed, Johnny sat beside her, just watching her. Georgie was everything that he had always dreamed of but never expected to find, let alone get a chance with. He knew it would only get rougher from here, especially after he did what he dreaded, but she would not accept anything else. He prayed to God that whatever progress they had been making wasn't ruined. He needed her and Baylor in his life. "I won't let you go," he whispered fiercely. Trailing his fingertips over her cheek, Johnny felt all the conflicting emotions pulling at him. He knew the moment that he said those vows that he would never let her go, not by choice. Sharing Baylor with her father would be hard enough. He loved her like his own. But no way in hell would he give Georgie up. Brushing his lips to her cheek, he then stood and prepared himself to do exactly the opposite of what his upbringing told him to.

Leaning against the kitchen table after making his way back downstairs, his emotionless eyes took in the two people that had helped destroy Georgie's life over the past three years. Spinelli just appeared terrified while Barrett looked unrepentant. His involvement had never crossed his mind, but the reason behind his actions infuriated him. Cooper posed a threat to Georgie in the most twisted way. "If you really cared for her like you claim, Barrett, you'd never have even entertained the idea of killing Maxie or trading Baylor to cover your own ass. You're twisted, sick. Georgie isn't a possession that you can just damn well take."

An arrogant grin spread slowly. "One of her best traits is her forgiving nature."

"You're as bad as my father. Baylor is Georgie's entire existence. She'll never forgive you for even thinking of harming that little girl. But she won't have too." His voice dropped to a low rumble. "Do you honestly think that either Morgan or I would let you continue to breathe after this? Emily was Jason's baby sister. Remember that small fact? He sure hasn't forgotten."

Attempting to keep his voice even, he moved his focus to Logan. "How certain are you that Helena and Jacks have Alcazar?"

"100%. Coop basically gave him to Jerry to get out from under his control after working for him." He hitched his thumb at the quivering geek. "Spinelli here had proof before Georgie fled the Alcazar compound after being told that Diego had been identified as the TMK. Jason's researching the best way to gain access to the tunnels. They were the last known place Helena had stashed him." Uncertain of Zacchara's intentions, he hesitantly asked the question that even Jason had wondered. "Are we going to rescue him?"

"Yes," he responded with a strained sigh. "I fucking hate it, but I have to." His attention shifted once more. "I wanted to destroy you when she told me that you knew she was alive, Spinelli. Georgie asking you to keep her secret was the only reason that you aren't already dead. Every fucking nightmare that she faced, losing her son, almost losing Baylor, a life looking over her shoulder, the time spent in the hospital, it all traces back to you. Then for you to know about Barrett killing those women," Johnny shook his head. "Do you not get that she almost fucking died? That her son did die because of your asinine way of thinking!"

"Fair Georgie was taken, forced into this life, by Alcazar," he protested earnestly. "I, the Jackal, only wanted to save her from this fate. I dispatched a protector when it became clear that those seeking her and the heiress would not admit defeat. My Loyal Friend…"

"Hopes you die painfully slow," Georgie stated flatly.

Five pairs of eyes swung to the steps where she stood clutching the railing but no one spoke.

"Johnny's right, you know, Spinelli. The information you kept from me cost me a part of my soul. What I survived, when you could have just opened your damned mouth and been truthful, it killed a part of me. You and Cooper can burn in hell together and it's still not enough after what you both did." Her large eyes held a vacant look, almost as if she was functioning on autopilot. "Why would you let me leave, knowing they were searching for me, Spinelli? Why did you let me believe that Diego became a killer?"

"Diego Alcazar had hurt you repeatedly in the past. He held you at gunpoint after drugging you and friends, along with Maxie, then enticed The Blond One to help destroy your marriage to your past love. Your kind heart blocked..."

"Oh my God! Are you really going to go there? Jesus!" Throwing her hands up in the air in pure frustration, she coldly laughed. "Yes, he made mistakes. But he never once hurt me as you think. Diego let me go after he got away from Kelly's that night. I followed him! I talked him into turning himself in! As for Dillon, he made his own choices. He could've believed me when I said that I hadn't had sex with Diego, but instead he chose to fuck his stepsister, knocking her up. Your poor, poor Lulu was far from innocent in that little escapade. But none of that is relevant, Spinelli! You deliberately lied, deciding that you knew everything when all you had heard was from people that hated him. Do you think that I would've taken the stand, being the police commissioner's adoptive daughter, and testified on his behalf, trying to get him free, if he had hurt me? Or that I would've had a relationship with him after Dillon and I separated if I was afraid of him? I nearly died!" she yelled. "All because you hid Cooper's freaking obsession and covered up the fact that he strangled people and framed Diego."

Confusion and pain clouded the hacker's face at her tirade. "You loved him?"

"As much as I love my sister, I'm not her. I don't just fall into whatever bed is available, Spinelli. Too bad you never talked with Brooke or Lucas, they might have mentioned the small fact that Dillon and I fought constantly over Diego and my friendship with him before Lulu pulled her little stunt. Too bad I don't think you're quiet bright enough to comprehend that I would never had done that if feelings weren't involved."

Inwardly flinching at what she was saying, Johnny remained silent. He had suspected that Georgie carried deep feelings for Diego from the articles and pictures that he had found under the bed, but hearing it aloud brought a panic he'd never experienced before. Ignoring the worry slowly eating at his heart, he caught a flash of movement and pulled the gun from the back of his waistband that he'd grabbed from the gun safe upstairs. Leveling the firearm at Cooper who had skidded to a halt as soon as Johnny moved, he released the safety, the sound echoing in the now still room.

"I'd really love to end you right this minute, Barrett, but I don't wanna do it in our home. Move one more inch in her direction though and I will." Keeping his eyes locked on Cooper, Johnny held his free hand stretched out behind him and relaxed when Georgie immediately took it with no hesitation. "I want you outta here. Now. Go to Jason and Elizabeth's, check in on Bay."

Logan, his own gun out and now pressed to his friend's back, forcibly drug him back. "Don't make this worse than it already is, Coop," he hissed.

"You won't kill me, Logan. I'm your brother."

Regret shot through his veins. "You were my brother, but yeah, I will if you make me. You've done enough damage to Georgie already."

Cooper snorted. "You always hated her."

"I never hated her," he countered, his voice a low growl.

Squeezing Johnny's hand, Georgie waited until he met her eyes. The anger in their depths mixed with sadness caused her own to soften. "I'll go but once Coop's secure, I need to talk to him, Johnny. Please don't say it's too dangerous."

"It is dangerous, Georgie, but I also understand that you need to do it for closure. But only if I'm with you at all times that you are near him. He's unstable."

"I know and I need you there, Johnny. I can't do this without you."

The urge to kiss her senseless almost overwhelmed him at hearing that one statement. She had fought against the attraction between them for so long that he had feared hearing Diego was alive would instantly erase what they were easing toward, but as of right now Georgie was not scrambling away emotionally. Johnny wasn't a fool. He knew that as she processed everything Georgie would be conflicted. But all he needed was the opportunity and he felt he could make her feel loved, cherished, and safe. While it was no fault of his own, Diego had been absent during the worst time of her young life.

"You'll get your chance to talk to both of them again, sweetheart. But right now, I want to get them some place secluded and secure. Go spend time with our girl. Stay at the house please. Until I hear everything Barrett and Spinelli know I want you and Bay where my father or anyone can't touch you." Getting a faint nod of agreement, he lifted his eyes from hers and saw Logan looked ready to implode. Learning that he put Georgie and Baylor over his friendship with Barrett had earned him a new respect from Johnny. But right now he knew Logan may be more of a hindrance than help in transporting the two. Accepting Cooper's guilt was one thing, but Johnny didn't want Hayes to live with killing his once best friend, and it looked like that was exactly what Cooper was testing, to see if Logan would carry through with it. "Logan, I want you take Georgie to Elizabeth's and stay with her and Bay."

Startled by the directive he arched a brow. "You don't want me to get them to the safe house?"

"No. Milo is here and I called Wilson and Nick while upstairs. I would prefer you watch over my girls for me."

Georgie shuddered, scooting closer to Johnny, when she looked up and met Cooper's intense gaze. Nothing recognizable from the man she had considered a part of her family could be found in his face. The way he watched her and barely smiled caused Georgie to step even closer to Johnny. How had she missed this?

"Fair Ge…"

"Shut up, Spinelli. Nothing you could ever say will repair what you let happen. Logan?"

He nodded once as Wilson stepped beside him. He replaced his gun in the waistband of his jeans. "Come on, doll. Let's go check on the little rugrat."

Johnny watched them leave out the back before focusing on the two soon to be dead men. His tone was hard and emotionless while his face devoid of all emotion when he spoke. He ached to kill them that very moment but knew he had to get all that they knew from them first. Hoping that at least one of them would be uncooperative with details, he anticipated correcting that mistake. "Let's go!" he ordered gruffly before sending Jason a text.

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Anna stood on the back porch at her daughter's house and listened to the happy shrieks of the children playing next door. Zacchara was turning into a bigger obstacle than they had expected. Something had to be done to get his attention away from Georgie. They were running out of time. She was also aware that Robin was close to cracking. Patrick leaving had affected her more than Anna would have thought. But it was too late in the game for her back out. Robin had made her decision years before and had no other choice than to continue helping.

Morgan and O'Brien finding Georgie and stepping into the playing field had created nothing but unending headaches. Both would pay for interfering.

Dialing her cell while still hearing her granddaughter's laughter mingled with Elizabeth's boys and Georgie's daughter, she spoke crisply once the line connected. "Do it! Make sure it's done right too. No screw-ups this time."

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Elizabeth struggled to close her mouth after it had dropped in shock. Jason's quick explanation of the meeting late last night with Logan and Milo left her speechless. And while Cooper and Spinelli's actions floored her, it was hearing that Diego was alive that she focused on. Compassion for both Georgie and Johnny had her remembering her and Jason's past.

Before Faison and Helena faked Lucky's death, he had been her life. Believing that he had been killed in the fire at the garage had shattered her inside, broken her completely. Then Jason had come along one night in Jake's and slowly had started to mend the fractured pieces, making her feel alive once more. Their friendship evolved to a much stronger love than anything that she had ever experienced with Lucky. But when he had miraculously returned Elizabeth had felt compelled to attempt to recapture what her and Lucky had shared before his 'death'. Too much had changed though, and no matter how much they tried, they were never the same. She had fallen irreversibly for Jason and Lucky had never been the same boy that she had lost.

"I can't believe that he's been alive all this time."

"Last update on Spinelli's computer had Helena and Jerry stashing him at Wyndamere, Elizabeth. There is no way that Nikolas was not aware," he warned.

She wanted to deny it but couldn't. "Jason, why would Nik do this, be a part of whatever they are up to? And that means that he knew Diego didn't murder Emily all this time. What exactly has he known and for how long?"

"I wish I knew. Nothing is making sense." He exhaled heavily and pinched his nose. Tension coiled inside of him, wanting to lash out. Cooper, a man that he had been to his house, even if only rarely, had murdered his baby sister. All the times that Jason had spoken to the bastard ran through his mind like a movie on repeat. Clenching his teeth, he berated himself for ever trusting him or Spinelli. "I need to you to promise to stay far away from the entire Spencer family and Nik, Elizabeth. With this new information it reinforces that Lulu is working hard to get you onto Spoon Island for some unknown reason, but I guarantee it's not an innocent coincidence."

Closing her eyes, she felt rage burn in her chest. "Well, you thought Luke was working with Sonny, giving him information. And don't forget Alexis. She's been all over Georgie's case since she came back. Mac is going to hate himself when all this blows wide open."

"I'm more concerned about Johnny right now than Mac. Resisting the desire to let Diego remain where he is could get to him. He hasn't said it yet, but his feelings for Georgie are obvious to those that know him. Hearing Diego is alive could bring some of his father's ruthlessness out."

"Not if he truly loves her like I think he does," she argued. "Jason, we've been close to where they are, without all the craziness from outside sources. You may have wanted to kill Lucky back when I thought I owed him and shoved you away, but you didn't." She touched his cheek. "Because you knew that it would only hurt me and drive me away. And John's nothing like Anthony."

The door to the den opened and Francis stuck his head, grinning widely at the squeal that Elizabeth let lose at the sight of her former guard. "Hey, Lizzie, miss me?"

Launching herself into his open arms, she tightly hugged him while kissing his cheek. "More than you know. When did you get back, Frannie? God, you are a sight for sore eyes! I've missed you so much! Don't ever leave for that long again or I'll have OB track you down and drag you back."

Chuckling at her rambling and alternating between hugging and scolding the older blond, Jason looked past him to where Johnny stood with a shit eating grin. Acknowledging the silent message with a slight nod, he felt relief mixed with sorrow that it had come to this. One down, several more to go, he thought to himself just as the kids followed by Patrick and Marco burst into the house, creating a chaos that brought a smile to his face.

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His head pounded mercilessly and his stomach pitched. Swallowing back the bile threatening to break free, Lucky hurriedly reached for the baggie. It didn't make sense. Already taking several more than normal, he tossed another five pills into his mouth before chasing them with a swig of his beer.

He needed the haziness that the pills brought on to avoid going after his faithless bitch of wife. How dare she let that murdering son of a bitch put a ring on her finger! His fingers itched to teach her what happened when you broke wedding vows with Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr! No one, certainly not her, made a mockery of him! Choosing to spread her legs for that brain damaged thug! Fucking whore!

Pretending to read a magazine, Sam fought back the smirk beginning to form on her face. The rage in Lucky's eyes had them glowing with malice. She only hoped that the loser didn't screw this up like he did everything else. Lucky was unpredictable when forced into withdrawal and she planned to use that to her advantage. When he finally snapped and went after the man stealing, baby snatching bitch she would be waiting to comfort Jason and step in as a mother to Jake. Anticipation zinged throughout her blood as she imagined her wedding to Jason. It would be beautiful. After all, Sam knew she deserved nothing but the best. She was Jason's true love.

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Trying Coop's cell phone and once again getting the voicemail, Maxie huffed. He'd promised to take her out to dinner tonight before going to visit with Georgie. She dreaded facing her sister. Georgie had always been very close with Lucas and Maxie knew that she had to be taking his death hard. Shame flooded her for not checking in on her sooner, but it was almost impossible for Maxie to handle her own grief with her hormones on overload, let alone anyone else's'.

Running a hand through her short blond hair, she tried to prepare herself for visiting with Georgie, Baylor, and Johnny. She wanted her relationship with her sister to go back to how it had been before Georgie had been presumed dead, craved it badly. But she was scared that it would never happen. Georgie was different, not the same innocent and perfect girl that had tried so hard to please everyone. And Maxie had been tortured with hearing her man call out her sister's name in his sleep the night that Georgie had walked into Kelly's and rocked everyone's world.

Burying her head in her hand she let the tears come. How could this happen to her now? Her prayers had been answered when Georgie walked through those doors, but her world had tilted and never straightened at the same time. While she never confronted him, Maxie knew that Cooper wanted her baby sister. She was carrying their baby and he was dreaming of her own sister, calling out her name! Was this karma kicking her in the rear for all that she had done in the past? A sick, cruel joke? Because now Maxie couldn't even enjoy having Georgie back and gaining Baylor as a niece. She also felt jealous over the way Johnny looked at his wife. Coop hadn't looked at her like that in years. God! Life sucked!

The warm hand on her shoulder had her jumping. When her eyes met the warm caring ones she completely lost it. Collapsing into his arms, she took the comfort that he offered freely. For years she had hated him, but after he had found her crying on the docks two weeks ago, he'd been the one bright spot in her otherwise dark existence.

"Oh, Dillon, what am I supposed to do now?"

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Cursing the arrogant Texan that had kept his plan from going off without a hitch, Anthony watched as he helped Georgie into the vehicle. As they backed out of the driveway, he repositioned his binoculars and wagged his finger playfully. "Oh no, no, Mr. Craig, you naughty boy. This pigeon is all mine," he murmured. "John would never forgive me if he knew I could've stopped you from getting your blood stained hands on his piece of ass. And I'm afraid that I need my son to cooperate with my plans."

Considering all his options on the drive to his empty and abandon mansion, he stealthily disabled the alarm system that his son assumed would keep vandals out. He had depended on Johnny's hatred and loathing for the house to keep him from discovering his latest acquisition he had sent his men to obtain after learning about it from the useless, incompetent cop. Tossing water on the drugged man chained in the basement, he cackled as he sputtered. "Wakey, wakey, Diego. I really think it's time we had a little chat about Georgianna and your beautiful little daughter."

A/N: Thank you all for the follows and favorites! To those reviewing, I am always excited to open my account up and hear what you are thinking! You guys rock!

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