Disclaimer…I do not own GH or any of the characters…No copy write infringement intended…..Entertainment purposes only….
Chapter Thirty-Seven
"Oh my God!" Elizabeth threw the dish rag in the sink before hurrying to embrace her sister. "It's so good to finally have you back in PC! I'm so glad OB talked you into returning."
Sarah returned the hug before pulling back to examine her sister closely. Johnny continuously reassured her that Elizabeth was healthy, but after the recent scare she wanted to see with her own eyes how Elizabeth was doing. The pregnancy glow combined with the happiness shining in her eyes reassured Sarah that her sister was indeed healthy and happy. "I've missed you too, Lizzie. You're starting to glow too. I can't wait to see you big and pregnant. I bet you're just too cute! As for coming home, I'd follow that mine of mine wherever he went. His backside's too sexy not to."
Wrinkling her nose at the use of her old nickname and the teasing comment, she rolled her eyes. "I think your husband's rubbing off on you, Sarah. It's not attractive either."
Laughing, she wiggled her brows. "He sure didn't need to 'rub off' last night."
Elizabeth jaw dropped. She was used to Sarah always being so proper and serious. Being married to OB had brought out a more relaxed and playful side that she was still trying to adjust to. "Please don't even hint at your two's sex life," she begged, appalled at even the idea. "I still get nauseated easily."
Still giggling at her reaction, Sarah shrugged. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Francis mentioned how you freaked yesterday and I just couldn't resist picking on you a bit since you always took such glee in making me miserable and embarrassing me when we were teenagers." Moving over to pour herself a cup of coffee, she tilted her head questioningly. "It's too quiet. Where are Cam and Jake? I've missed the rascals."
Elizabeth joined her at the table before answering. "Monica and Edward asked to keep them last night. With everything hitting the news they needed a distraction."
All humor faded from her face. "Johnny explained what he could. How are you and Jason dealing with learning what that Barrett person did?"
"It's hard," she admitted softly, blinking back the moisture threatening to fall. "We weren't friends with Cooper but we still spoke when we ran to him. My stomach rolls to know he was in our home recently."
Sarah clasped Elizabeth's hand and squeezed lightly. "You didn't know, Liz. No one even suspected it wasn't Diego from what I heard. Emily wouldn't want you to dwell on this, especially not when you've been repeatedly warned about stress."
"I know," she swallowed thickly. "I'm trying. Hopefully going back to work in a couple days will help distract me some."
"Your doctor cleared you?"
"My appointment is tomorrow. I feel great so there shouldn't be a problem."
"Good, but you still need to take it easy."
"Not you too!"
She grinned. "Sorry, but I get to be here for this pregnancy and I'm not settling for anything except smooth sailing. No complications. You hear me missy?"
"I'm doing my best."
"Good! Now tell me how Georgie and Baylor are doing? I've been worried about how they are adjusting."
Elizabeth's smiled faded. "Georgie keeps so much in that it's really hard to tell. She swears she's okay but everything just keeps coming with no time for her to just deal with things. John taking her to Italy will hopefully distract her for a little while. Bay on the other hand is flourishing and growing like a weed. She's such a happy little girl."
"How is the marriage going? All Johnny says is she's protected and that this Zacchara character seems to honestly care for her. Is Georgie truly happy? And is he good with Baylor?"
The concern in Sarah's voice didn't surprise Elizabeth in the least. They had grown close and developed a strong friendship in the time that Georgie and Baylor lived in Ireland. Elizabeth suspected that Georgie had confided more to Sarah about the three years she presumed dead than to anyone else. "In the beginning it was rough. Georgie did everything she could to try and keep John at an arm's length. But the last couple times I've seen them together I could tell something had changed between them, and for the better. I know he really cares for Georgie and loves Baylor. He's a good guy, Sarah. You'll like him. John's amazing with Bay and he's been a rock for Georgie."
"Johnny says he's in love with Georgie." She played with the handle on her coffee mug while processing what she'd just heard. Zacchara sounded like a decent guy but she wouldn't relax until she observed them together herself. He gained a lot from their marriage and she wanted to make sure he wasn't playing with Georgie's emotions.
"What did you think of the house OB bought?" Elizabeth asked, changing the subject.
Sarah's hazel eyes lit up. "I loved it! All that open floor space and the sky lights, it's just simply gorgeous!"
"When he showed me the pictures I was amazed. I knew you'd fall in love with it." Stopping and listening, Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow. "Where are the guys? I assumed they were on the back porch but I don't hear them."
"The guy next door waved Jason over when we were getting out of the car. Johnny joined him at the fence while I came on in. The guy looked unhappy," she added.
"Probably because he is. That would've been Patrick, Robin's husband. Did OB tell you about her being attacked?"
Her mouth curved downward and she made a sour face. She had no sympathy for Robin. "Yeah, he called and told me the night it happened." She suspected he'd dropped hints to Georgie's husband as well, something she wasn't too thrilled with him over. She's made a promise to Georgie and she was about to break it. Johnny was placing her in an awkward position if the man decided to approach her for answers. "Johnny also said she made it through the surgery."
The clearly disgusted tone confused Elizabeth. Last time Sarah had seen Robin was years ago. "Something wrong?"
"Not really, I just find it amusing how karma can bite you in the ass if you aren't careful. Is Lucky still giving you a hard time?"
Biting her lip, Elizabeth released a sigh. "He's been quiet for a couple days, but up until then, yes. He's changed so much, Sarah. There's nothing left of the young charismatic boy that we argued over." Glancing at the back door, she wiped away a tear. "I truly believe Lucky is the one who shot Jason. Thankfully it wasn't a good shot, but if it had been someone else the aim probably would've been better. He hasn't said it, but I know Jason suspects him too."
"Don't blame yourself, Lizzie." When her head jerked up, Sarah read the quilt plaguing her. "If it was Lucky, he made his own decisions. From all you've told me over the years he's always been extremely jealous of Jason, unreasonably so at times. The man you and Johnny describe is not the boy we met when we moved in with Grams. People change and grow and are responsible for their own actions. Everything you told me indicates Lucky was close to becoming physically abusive. He already mentally and emotionally abused you for years." Locking her eyes with her sisters, she recognized the sadness but acceptance reflected there. "You, Cam, and Jake were objects, possessions to Lucky. He loved being able to control you, to flaunt that you were his. When you and Jason finally got your acts together and admitted you needed each other I was so relieved. The boys deserve a father who loves them and will put them first. Just like you deserve those same qualities in a man. And that is exactly what Jason does."
Elizabeth hugged Sarah tightly. "We finally got it right, Sarah. Neither of us could ask for better men."
"Yeah, we did," she agreed happily. "Now we just need to get you married," she added cheerfully while pointedly admiring the ring on Elizabeth's finger.
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Fighting back the urge to throttle his brother, Nik grabbed the container of vodka and scanned the room. Lucky was obvious stoned if the glassy eyes and slight slurred speech were any indication to go on. Not noticing everyone going out of their way to ignore him, he continued to alternate between ranting about Elizabeth and moaning over loosing Luke. Alexis and Jerry had tucked themselves into an empty corner, whispering back and forth. When entering the room Nik overheard his aunt admitting to not being able to reach Georgie or anyone with her in Italy. Helena sat rigidly behind the desk with an eerily content expression as she discreetly watched Lucky.
Downing a shot he relished the burn as it smoothly slid down his throat. Two members of the family were missing. Lulu had called and explained she needed to put in an appearance since Maxie was still in the hospital. He snorted, remembering her comment that it would make her look like a good friend. His sister didn't know the meaning of being a friend but was using this opportunity to look good for Dante. The man was distancing himself since Corinthos' murder. But it was Sam's disappearance that concerned Nik the most. No way would she not be present and plotting to win Morgan back. Something wasn't adding up. And while he loathed her, Sam had the potential to distract Jason just enough so that his plan could be carried out. Once he had Elizabeth it would be too easy to take the mobster out, effectively ending the only threat to their future happiness. Morgan would die for her, which was exactly what Nik intended for him to do.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Alfred?" he responded, still lost in thoughts of Elizabeth.
The elderly butler did his best not to shiver at the menacing smile curving Helena's lips as she watched his master's brother rant bitterly. "The security detail assigned to the east side of the island is requesting your presence. Thomas radioed in stating it is of an important nature."
Nikolas immediately frowned. No one could gain access to his home without their knowledge. It was why the island met their needs so perfectly. "Spit it out, Alfred! What did he want?"
The butler stiffened at the cold, impersonal tone. His highness was slowly developing all the qualities of his father. Spending so much time with Madame Cassadine was destroying the young man's determination to be different than the previous generations.
"Well?" Nik snapped.
"Thomas located a young man's body near the tunnel entrance."
Everyone in the room stopped at the announcement. After a heavy pause Helena inclined her head. "Jerry, join Nikolas as he speaks with the man. Find out how someone breached the security measures and then locate Natasha's first born brat. She's been missing without a word and now this? I want answers. Get them!"
Alexis squirmed. If Sam had helped anyone on the island and it endangered their plans, she knew Helena would take great satisfaction in hurting her daughter. She hoped Sam had enough brains not to cross the wicked witch.
Lucky waited until Helena and Alexis started snarling with one another before slipping unnoticed from the room. Taking the tunnel that led to the basement of GH, he hurried down the damp passage. It was time to take back what belonged to him. First he needed to score some drugs and then he could go after his whore of a wife. He'd heard Nik muttering to himself late at night while pacing the length of the den. No way in hell was Nik taking Elizabeth away from him. She owed him! She loved him! Now he just needed to make Elizabeth see the error of her ways and it had to be done now. Morgan, Nik, or even Helena wouldn't stop him. They shared a permanent lock, an unbreakable bond. It was time to remind the bitch of her place, at his side.
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Careful not to disturb Georgie, Johnny slowly untangled their limbs before standing and pulling on his sweats. Moving into the living room while rereading the text his eyes narrowed. The unexpected development had him cursing under his breath while hitting the preprogrammed number.
"I take it you received the information from Cody." Jason wasn't surprised Johnny had responded immediately. Even if it was after two in the morning in Milan he'd known the younger man would hear his phone.
"How in the hell did he manage this?"
"Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea. The only explanation that makes any sense is he's tapping sources we aren't aware of. Francis couldn't get to him before he'd already boarded." Uncertain of what Johnny would do, Jason waited for the man to process all the options.
"I'm at the end of my patience," he growled while running a hand threw his hair in aggravation. "Do we know yet if he had any part in what happened with Donley and Robin?"
Jason's own voice took on an edge. "No, but whoever is responsible for their injuries, they have balls. Robin's house is down the road from yours and right next door to ours. By the way, Donley died about forty minutes ago. Shawn carried out your order since his prognosis looked good. So far Robin is still holding on but her immune system is a concern. You'll need to reach a decision before she regains consciousness, if she does."
"Let her suffer. I think whoever beat me to her handled it beautifully. Kinda like poetic justice how thing ended up. Have you heard how Maxie is doing? Even though she won't say it, I know Georgie is worried about her sister and the baby."
"Elizabeth said she'll probably be released tomorrow if she can keep her blood pressure down. Physically she is fine. She's still asking about Georgie. And Dillon's been at her side since she was admitted."
That tidbit of information caused his eyebrows to rise. From everything he could recall Maxie had never had one good word to say about Georgie's first husband. Did she think getting close to him would have her running back to the States? Then he smirked. "Maybe he'll distract her. God knows Maxie's gotta have all the attention she can get."
A small chuckle escaped as Jason silently agreed. The blond thrived on drama. He also wondered why Dillon and Maxie were suddenly so close. "Do you want Francis or a couple other guys to fly over there? Diego's heading to Italy cannot be a coincidence, John. And we still have no idea what his mind set is," he reminded him.
"No." Johnny was concerned too but hadn't forgotten Lucky was still unaccounted for. They also hadn't completely figured out what Nik and Helena were conspiring with Jerry for. "We will only be here a few more days. Corelli needs to be in Port Charles. I won't pull Elizabeth's guards and O'Brien's wife just arrived. Logan, Milo, and Wilson are good. I'll be careful to stay in Rudy's territory if we go exploring any."
"I'm going to look into who's helping him. If it's men still loyal to him or another family backing him. But we need to pick him up soon. Until we know exactly what he wants Georgie and Baylor aren't safe. And I sure don't want your father or Helena using him for whatever they're planning."
Johnny's features darkened and his voice went flat. "It's pretty damn clear what he wants, Jason. He had the perfect opportunity to take Baylor and disappear when he got into the house. You've all mentioned the lengths he went through in the past to get Georgie. Whether he was obsessed or actually loved her, it's still there. The question is if he's gonna become a danger when he realizes she's moved on and this isn't just a marriage of convenience." The rest of the conversation died on his lips when a scream pierced the air. Swiftly reassuring Jason it was Georgie caught in a nightmare, Johnny hung up and tossed the phone on the bedside table after returning to the bedroom.
Georgie's mumbled words penetrated his brain as he reached for her. Gathering her close and trying to wake her gently Johnny wished he could erase all her pain. He was very much aware nightmares plagued her nightly, making it so she dreaded sleeping.
"Shh," he murmured when she once again cried out. Trapping her arms at her sides since she tended to wake from the dreams swinging, Johnny cradled her trembling body against his. "Come on, baby. You're safe. It's just another nightmare, Georgie. Open those gorgeous eyes for me, baby."
His coaxing voice cut through the dissipating haze of sleep. Feeling her muscles relax, he buried his head in the curve of her neck, inhaling her scent. "Hey, beautiful."
Embarrassment flooded through her. While he never complained, Johnny ended up waking her and chasing away the demons every night. "I'm sorry."
He lifted his head and stared down into her large eyes that still contained traces of the shadows she hadn't been able to shake off yet. "You have nothing to apologize for, Georgie."
"Yeah, right. You haven't had a full night's sleep since we started living together, Johnny. It's got to be getting old by now."
"Trust me, it's a small price to pay for getting to hold you close all night." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before trailing his thumb down her smooth cheek. "Tonight's was different."
Rolling so they both were on their sides facing each other, Georgie rested her hands on his muscular chest, content to feel his heart beating under fingertips. His mentioning the dream meant she'd been talking aloud. Johnny normally didn't ask about the dreams, not after the first time she'd woke him and then refused to answer any of his questions. But tonight's was different. It wasn't about the past. The dream focused on the future, scaring her with even the possibility.
"Talk to me, Georgie," he urged.
"He took her."
The fear and pain coating her admission was bad enough, but the words twisted his stomach into knots. "Diego?"
Tears glistened in the darkness when she barely nodded. "He took Bay and left."
"Never gonna happen, Georgie!" he fiercely whispered, his voice pure steel. "No one, not even Diego, is ever going to take Baylor away from you!"
Her lips quivered. "He's her father, Johnny. They both deserve to know one another. I know it was just a dream, but it felt so real. Diego's never hurt me before." The tears she's been fighting finally started to fall unnoticed. "But I broke a promise to him, Johnny. It's my fault! And he should hate! But he can't take her away from me! I can't lose her too!"
Johnny sat up, concerned about the growing hysteria Georgie was displaying. She'd survived more than most men or women could have without cracking. Letting her blame herself for doing what had been necessary to stay alive wasn't happening. Lifting her and placing her in his lap, Johnny grasped her hands. "Georgie, listen to me. Nothing, I repeat nothing, is your fault! I don't fucking care what promise you might have broken. Robin and the WSB are ultimately responsible for the mess everything became, not you."
"But I left! I swore I'd stay with the guards, Johnny, and I didn't! I left and my son died because of my choice to run!" Despair smothered her, making it hard to breath. Clutching his hands, Georgie flashed back to the worst moment of her life. Holding his small lifeless body had killed a part of her soul, knowing it was her fault he didn't survive to celebrate a single birthday. "I killed him, Johnny," she whispered between sobs. "Baylor barely made it. Diego's gonna blame me because I left after vowing not to." She crumbled, hating herself. "He's right to. I hate myself."
"Oh, Georgie," he breathed while tightly holding her as she wept. From the little she spoke about her son Johnny had suspected she blamed herself for his loss. No words existed to ease the burden she carried. Only Georgie had the ability to forgive herself even if she had done nothing wrong. Learning that Diego had been a serial killer, even if they now knew the truth, destroyed the belief she'd had in him. Maybe she should have stayed, but her leaving was understandable with the events leading up to her taking off. "Shh. You did what you thought was best at the time, Georgie. You aren't to blame for his death, baby." Wiping the tears from her face, Johnny cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. "You had no way of knowing what would happen. You were trying to protect yourself and your children. Anyone who knows you could never blame you."
"I messed up," she miserably argued. She wanted to take solace in his words but couldn't. Georgie hated herself for not listening to Diego's warning not to leave the compound.
"So did he. Diego could've sent a trusted man to speak with Jason. You were pregnant with his twins and being hunted by the WSB. He never should've left you, Georgie. You needed him and he left you with some damn guards. Guards that didn't pay enough attention to stop you from running." Freeing the lip she was biting so hard that it was bleeding, Johnny was relieved when her tears slowed. "There was no right choice to make, baby. The WSB might have come after you even at the compound once they thought Diego was dead. Those agents, Frisco, Anna, Robert, Sean, and any others present, they are the ones who should be blamed for you losing your baby, Georgie. Not you. You're one of the best mothers I know. Watching you with Bay, being able to witness how devoted you are to that little girl, it's truly amazing. Not everyone is meant to be a parent. You are."
Georgie shakily touched his jaw. His intently hushed words touched her heart. "I love you."
"I love you, Georgie." Their lips joined briefly but the emotion in the kiss sent shivers down her spine and caused his blood to hum. Easing back to rest his forehead on hers, Johnny fisted a hand in her hair possessively. "No one's going to hurt you or Baylor, Georgie. I'll never allow it."
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