Disclaimer…I do not own GH or the characters…No copy write infringement intended…Entertainment purposes only…
Author's Note: I truly appreciate all the support from those reading! Thank you again for all your patience. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Also I owe you all an apology. Because I edit myself I'm positive none of the chapters I post are 100% free of errors, but chapter 47 was filled with an insanely large amount of them. In my haste to get an update up I must have overlooked them. I was astonished & embarrassed at how badly I proofed that chapter. Hopefully this one is edited better.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Tears welled in her panic stricken eyes. The stranger looming in front of her looked and sounded like Diego but it was glaringly obvious only traces of the man she'd fallen in love remained within the shell of his body. Sympathy and compassion for the tortured soul left behind warred with undeniable fear. Chills skittered along her spine at the ominous expression her declaration provoked.
"You love him?" he ground out bitterly.
Georgie gulped in a ragged breath, knowing she was treading on dangerous ground. "I-I didn't plan on it happening, Diego."
His jaw tightened, teeth grinding. Forcing himself to turn away before he committed an unforgivable act he moved to stand by the window. He needed a minute to battle back the darkness threatening to overtake him.
Unsure what to expect next, Georgie remained quiet while staring at his back. Her eyes darted to the door but she couldn't bring herself to make a run for it. Painful or not, this conversation needed to take place. There would be no happy ending for everyone under the circumstances. And as much as it broke her heart to hurt him even more after all he must have suffered, she couldn't promise him what it was clear he desperately wanted. When she looked to the future it was with Johnny. Diego, by no fault of his own, was a part of her past. But that didn't mean she no longer cared for him.
"After everything you're just giving up? What about Baylor, Georgie? Am I supposed to accept you're letting another man play house with my daughter? I don't think so!"
"It's not like that!" she cried emotionally, voice breaking. "Damn it, Diego! Do you think this is easy for me? Do you? It's killing me to hurt you like this! I begged you not to go, not to leave us! All I wanted was you! I needed you! You, not anyone else! Not those damn guards! But you left me anyway! You left us!"
Diego whirled around and stalked over to stand in front of her. "I fucking left for you! I wanted you happy, Georgie, to have it all!" he hissed angrily. "I loved you enough to realize you needed your family in your life. And for my efforts I survived hell on earth. Then to top it all off, this is my thanks! The woman I love more than anything on this earth standing here saying she wants another man!" Backing her up against the wall Diego eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "How could you? You said you loved me!" he screamed.
Tears slowly tracked down her face. "I didn't know you was alive, Diego! Everyone thought you had died! Do you honestly think I would've married Johnny if I'd had an inkling of the truth? But as far as I knew you'd never be in our lives again. God! I fought like hell to keep from letting Johnny too close in the beginning. All it started out as was a way to keep Baylor safe when the WSB revealed her paternity to the families. It's not like I planned this! I did everything in my power to protect myself from heartbreak, but it didn't work! I love him! I'm sorry, but I love him!"
Diego's fist crashed through the wall beside her head. Fire leapt in the depths of his black eyes, his chest heaved.
Georgie whimpered, flinching.
Guilt slammed through him. "Shh, baby. I'm so sorry." He hesitantly pulled her close. Her shallow breathing and the tremors wracking her body verified how scared she was. Of him. Shame choked him. What a fucked up mess. "Please don't cry, Georgie. I'm not going to hurt you. I swear. You're my angel, my salvation. Don't be afraid, mi amor. I'd die before harming you. I've dreamed of standing in the same room you for so long. I'd almost lost hope of ever being here again."
"I hate this," she murmured against his chest. "It hurts so bad, Diego. This wasn't supposed to happen!" Sobs rattled deep inside her.
"What wasn't supposed to happen? Me being alive or falling out of love with me?" Diego watched her lower lip quiver. "Georgie, answer me!"
"I'm relieved you're alive. I wanted to die when Alex told me you'd been killed."
The truthfulness of the declaration eased a tiny piece of the pressure from his heavy heart. "Did you stop loving me when the lies about me strangling those women reached you?"
Her lips parted but no sound emerged.
The first strands of hope weaved past the solid ball of fear and anguish lodged inside his chest as Georgie's shield slipped momentarily, leaving her exposed to a man who'd studied everything about her for years. "Tell me, mi amor, tell me when you kicked me out of your heart."
Georgie's lashes swept downward. Please don't do this! she mentally begged.
Silence.
"You can't say it, can you? You may think you love Zacchara, but if that's true, explain why you can't kick me out of your heart. How could you not hate me when you thought I'd killed those women?" His lips curved. "It's still there. I can feel it and so can you. You belong to me, Georgie. Since the night you convinced me I was worth fighting for, right in this very room, you've been mine."
A device in his jacket pocket beeped. Shifting back enough to retrieve the electronic equipment, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her cloudy eyes never leaving his own now lit with an emotion other than fear or anger. "We're about to gain some company so I need you to listen to me, really listen, okay. Nothing is gonna be resolved today. Too much has happened. For now I need to know you will let me get to know Baylor, spend time with our daughter. I've missed so much, Georgie. Don't keep her away from me now that I'm finally able to be here."
"I want you in her life, always did, Diego. But…"
Checking out the window he interrupted, his urgency bleeding into his tone. "I'm aware it will be slow going. Baylor will need time to adjust and accept all the changes. There's still so much we need to discuss but know our daughter is perfect, Georgie. Our son would've been too." Squeezing her hand when anguish flew into her eyes, he blinked moisture from his. "But most importantly, I'm not giving up on us, Georgie. I never will. I love you, and I always will. This lodge is where our friendship gradually started to evolve to more. You saved me that night by believing in me when no one else, including my father, would. There is a reason our paths intersected as much as they have. Think about that, Georgie."
Echoes of a conversation from their past whispered in her ear. Unconsciously flashing back years to the day on the docks she wondered at how long he'd kept her alive in his heart. No amount of pain ever deterred him. Unsure how to answer the heartfelt declaration she opened her mouth but never got to respond before the door violently bounced open. He whirled around, keeping her behind him.
Tension skyrocketed throughout the room, the atmosphere taking on an unstable edge. Diego had watched panic wash over her pale face when she caught sight of the gun he'd removed from his jacket before turning and meeting a pair of dark eyes shooting daggers. Tempers flared between the two dark haired men.
"Georgie?" Partially blocked from view Johnny needed to hear her voice. Needed to know she was unharmed.
"I'm okay." Starting to step around Diego she froze when his arm shot out, stopping her forward movement. What was he doing? None of the guys would hesitate to kill him if they perceived anything threatening in his movements.
"Let Georgie go!"
Diego chuckled. "You act like she's a prisoner, Morgan. Georgie chose to come with me."
"After you threatened to kidnap Baylor! Coercion ain't the same as freely deciding," Logan growled. From his position he clearly saw how upset the young woman appeared. Thankfully no physical injuries stood out in the dim light.
"Baylor is our daughter, mine and hers. Georgie knows I'd never hurt a child, especially my own."
Trying to ignore the cocky reply meant to infuriate him, Johnny blew out a deep breath. Drowning in the desire to kill the arrogant bastard he fought to maintain control. All that mattered at the moment was getting Georgie home and making sure she wasn't hurt in anyway. But no way in hell was he going to let today go unanswered. The man proved he was dangerous and unpredictable. Convincing his wife might be next to impossible though. She carried a lot guilt associated with her ex and Johnny agreed with Francis in thinking Diego would play on her soft heart and compassion to manipulate her.
"We need to meet, to address several issues. But right now I want to take Georgie home."
"We have nothing to discuss with one another, Zacchara. My only concerns will be discussed without you present."
"Really? What about your father's property? Or how about what happened today in the park?"
"Keep the warehouses and water lanes." Amused at the shocked reaction he laughed. "My father specifically left certain things to Georgie to protect her. I have what I need concerning the family business already. As for today, tough shit. It doesn't involve you."
"Hell if it doesn't! Georgie's my wife and you basically forced her from the park at gunpoint. I'm also the one who held Baylor and tried to comfort the little girl as she cried herself to sleep after realizing her mommy was gone. So yeah, it definitely involves me whether you like it or not. They're my family, Alcazar. I'm the one who's been there, not you."
"You sonofa…" Diego stepped forward, hands curled into fists.
Georgie darted between the two, wanting to stop the escalating resentment before it exploded. "Don't! Stop it, both of you! I can't handle this right now!"
Johnny's searing gaze swept over her as he held out a hand. "Let's get you home." Dealing with Diego could wait until he had her safely at the house.
"Okay. But Diego leaves first." Otherwise she feared the guys would put a bullet in his head after she left the cabin.
"Don't be ridiculous. Go ahead and go. Bay needs to see you, kid."
"OB, I'm not stupid. None of you are killing him." Feeling the weight of everyone's incredulous stare she sighed. "Johnny, please! I just want to go home."
Shit! Already sensing the upcoming disagreement on how to handle the presence of Alcazar in their lives, Johnny started to deny her request. He trusted the other man about as much he did Anthony. Boundaries needed set. No one screwed with his family without repercussions. The only reason he was going to even let Diego walk out the building after what he pulled at the park was the fact he feared Georgie would not be able to forgive him for removing the threat to their lives. This was his only warning though. Any more similar situations like the one today and Johnny would guarantee Diego never touched those he loved again. But he didn't have time to argue right now because Georgie's complexion worried him. Sarah explicitly warned him stress would be a major concern with this pregnancy. If her blood pressure rose too much, she and the baby would be in danger. Their health took precedence at the moment "Fine, but…" Cursing when she stumbled then started to sway Johnny lunged to catch her before her knees buckled. "What is it? Do you need to go to GH? Georgie?"
Sinking into a chair she cradled her head. The room tilted unevenly. "No. A wave of dizziness caught me off guard is all." She laced their fingers together. "We're okay. Nothing bad, I promise." Jumping when the door suddenly bounced off the wall she fought back tears. Learning she was pregnant had to have felt like a slap in the face. And Diego tended to lash out before thinking of the consequences when hurt. "Bay's gonna need more guards, Johnny."
"Already done," he murmured before lifting her into his arms. Nodding to O'Brien he trusted the other man to make the necessary changes to their previous plan and assign a permanent detail to tail Diego. Right now Georgie needed him, and honestly he needed her just as much.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Sarah looked up at the ceiling before rolling her eyes. The three kids sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding. Miniature little people shouldn't be able to produce that much racket. "Wow! I think your floors are made of steel."
"Now I know what Mom and Dad must have felt like."
"Oh whatever! You mean the nannies, right? They never took the time to parent like you do, Liz. Too many poor helpless people to save."
Elizabeth blinked. Rarely did Sarah or Steven comment about their parents' lack of skills. And while the words were true, she didn't think it was their childhood distracting her sister. "The guys are all the best, Sarah. Georgie will back home with Baylor and Johnny before nightfall."
"I have complete faith in Georgie coming home."
"But?"
Sarah flopped onto an overstuffed chair before playing with her wedding band, a nervous habit she'd developed over the years. "Oh, Lizzie, it's just sad. Georgie's survived so much already. Yes, she's strong. But how much longer can she deal with all the upheaval? She deserves more than one or two days of happiness in a row."
"John's working on making exactly that happen."
"I know. I just worry. Zacchara seems to truly care about them."
Elizabeth smiled. "He's been hooked since the night Bay's sugar skyrocketed and she was treated at GH. It took a while for him to convince Georgie to really open up, but they're finally on track together."
"Okay, enough about them. Let's discuss you. How you holding up?"
"Uh." Caught off guard by the abrupt change of topic Elizabeth shrugged. "Care to be more specific? Life's anything but dull at the moment."
"Don't even. I know all your distraction techniques." Sarah smirked when Elizabeth huffed in annoyance. "Come on. I worry about you too. A lot's been going on recently."
After a quick glance at the stairs Elizabeth released a long sigh. "Jason and I couldn't be in a better place relationship wise. He's so amazing, Sarah. I never should've spent all those years fighting my feelings for him and trying to protect Lucky. It kills me to know we could've been this happy for years but I ruined our chances back then."
"Hey, you finally got it right. Cut yourself some slack. Live and learn. No use beating yourself up about things you can't change."
"Easier said than done, Sarah. But all that matters is we're together now and a family."
"Johnny's thrilled you two finally decided to make it legal. Him and Francis seem to enjoy fighting over who's walking you down the aisle. Being Jason's best man is the loser position, so I'm told."
Elizabeth giggled. "God, I missed them so much! Never a dull moment when they're around. When OB said you guys were moving home I was so excited."
"It's time. I missed all of you, but especially Cam and Jake. Kids grow so quick. And I'm gonna spoil my niece."
"Maybe a nephew."
"Nope. Girl. We need one with all these males around. Georgie and Bay help pick up the slack but our guys can be a tad overwhelming."
"You think?" she chuckled.
"How you dealing with all the bad seeds? Carly responding the way she did really didn't surprise us, or Lucky's attitude. But I will admit Nik's involvement creeped me out majorly."
"I wish I could say it stunned me," Elizabeth murmured sadly. "His personality really started changing after Em died. But every now and again you'd catch glimpses of his Cassadine side showing even before her death. Even with all the subtle hints I tried my best to ignore the possibility. I wanted to blame it all on Helena and Jerry Jacks. Unfortunately Nik embraced his genetics."
"I sometimes wonder if I had stayed in Port Charles if some of the pain might have been avoided. Instead of Grams shoving Lucky down your throat constantly maybe…"
"Sarah, don't." Elizabeth reached over to squeeze her hand. "Yes, Gram sang his praises and hated Jason. But I refused to open my eyes to Lucky's abuse. Jason offered me plenty chances of escaping. Patrick tried his hardest to convince me from the time we became friends to leave Lucky. Nothing anyone said made a difference. I allowed him to control me for years but I broke the cycle for my children and myself. None of the Spencers or Cassadines can hurt me now." Elizabeth stood, nervously looking at the clock. "They need to find her soon. Baylor won't be distracted for long by playing with the boys. Georgie hardly leaves her for very long at a time."
"I just pray Alcazar hasn't…"
A loud crash on the porch followed by muffled voices caused Sarah's mouth to snap shut. Hearing the commanding tone in Marco's voice alerted both women to the fact something was very wrong. Elizabeth's face drained when Marco suddenly yelled the code word, one that meant security breech.
"Come on!" Sarah and Elizabeth hurried up the stairs.
Elizabeth smothered a yelp when the front door crashed open and four masked men heavily armed entered as they reached the top of the stairs.
Clamping a hand over her sister's mouth, Sarah shook her head. Racing to Cameron's room Elizabeth broke away and jerked the closet door open to push the button inside that would activate the panic room entrance to slide open.
"Cam! Jake! Now!" she frantically ordered as Sarah snatched Baylor up from where the little girl had fallen asleep on the bed. The sound of pounding footsteps running up the stairs broke the boys from their dazed state. Although there had never been a reason to use the safety feature, Jason had made them practice fleeing to the secure room if the worst ever occurred.
Running into the closet and into the hidden room Sarah quickly motioned for Elizabeth to engage the locks. Everyone screamed when Cam's bedroom door burst open. The intruder's head swung in their direction and he starting cursing when the door began to close. He immediately started firing several rounds off.
Elizabeth exhaled heavily, choking on sobs, as the unmovable door finally latched in place. Immediately looking to make sure no one had been injured by the spray of bullets she felt her heart stop. "NO! OH GOD!" Dropping to her knees she frantically started applying pressure, her medical training automatically kicking in. "You're gonna be okay!"
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Surprise flickered briefly before the eyes turned shrewd and calculating. Well, he mused to himself, this was certainly unexpected. Inclining his head at the chair opposite him at the table, he leaned back, crossing his arms. "I must say I didn't expect your presence again, especially since you've managed to evade the men searching for you. What can I do for you, Mr. Alcazar?"
Diego shrugged unconcerned. Armed and physically stronger than the elder Zacchara, he didn't worry about being captured. "It's more along the lines of what we can do for each other."
Anthony cackled. He may be old but he definitely wasn't stupid. "I take it you had a run in with John, huh?"
Jaw jumping with tension, he forced himself not to bash the old fool's head in. "I can give you everything you want. Power from the Alcazar holdings and I'll get Georgie to sign over the Jerome interests once I get her and Baylor back. Your son won't give you the power you crave, will he? But I will."
All amusement rapidly evaporated. "Why should I trust you to carry through on your promises?"
"The power doesn't mean jack shit to me. All I want is my family. Your son is an obstacle right now."
Anthony frowned. "Killing John will buy you a one way ticket to hell."
"I don't necessarily want him dead," Diego stated. "Georgie and my daughter are the important things. But right now your son has a hold on what belongs to me. I'm getting them back, make no mistake on that. The only question is will it be with or without your help."
"Give me on reason why I should consider your offer, Alcazar? I can go after all the power without any help from you."
Diego leaned forward, eyes never wavering from the older man's. "Your son's about to become a father." At the string of curse words spewing unrestrained he nodded seriously. "Exactly. Do you honestly believe your John will allow you any chance to harm the family he's making. His loyalty will be with Georgie and you know it. Now if you help me get Georgie away from him, without harming her or my daughter, wouldn't that turn him your way? That pain will accomplish creating the darkness you haven't been able to instill within him."
Lips pursed, Anthony carefully considered all the information before reaching a decision.