When Nicole Devlin stepped onto the platform at the Port Charles Train Station, she felt a bit guilty. Seriously, how was she supposed to know that the universe hated her enough that she could lose her surviving child on the anniversary of her first born's death?

"Aunt Nicole!" a voice called, and she turned to see her brother-in-law Stuart's son, Sebastian. That surprised her a little as the last she knew, Ian was a medical student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. How had he gotten to Port Charles so quickly?

"Hi! Uncle Bennett asked if I could pick you up and bring you to the Port Charles Police Department Headquarters. That is where everyone is organizing. I am so sorry this is happening, but Julie really is such a strong girl," Ian Devlin said.

As Ian guided her to his car, Nicole wondered if he really believed that or if he was just saying it for her benefit. She suspected the latter, especially since during her boarding school days Julie had spent more weekends and holidays with her Uncle and cousin than her own family. Nicole was almost certain that her daughter had been a mess then. She hadn't really been in a position to advocate for her child though, at least not against her husband. Fortunately, Dr. Stuart Devlin had stepped in for both of them.

"How is school?" Nicole asked absently as her nephew drove down Western Boulevard.

"Good, I am doing an away rotation at Albany Medical Center this month," Ian said as he veered on to Federal Avenue.

"That's nice," Nicole said. What else could she say?

XXXXXXXX

Dr. Alyssa Marie Doyle firmly believed that patients getting admitted to the ICU were not having good days and should be extended much grace. Despite that her newest admission was still working her last nerve. She suspected she would find Lucy Coe Stanton unpalatable even if they were meeting on each of their best days. That was far from the case as she was stuck covering ICU call during a ward month, and Mrs. Coe-Stanton was critically ill.

"Oh, owww, I need something else for pain," Lucy whined.

"I'm afraid if we give you any more fentanyl, your blood pressure will drop again, and we're basically at the max dose for the Norepinephrine Drip," Dr. Doyle said. Then there was also the issue that Mrs. Coe Stanton's toxicology screen had been positive for benzodiazepines and her alcohol level was 60mg/dL. Purportedly she had a glass of wine with her breakfast around 2 o'clock in the afternoon and then started feeling unwell so she had called for an ambulance.

By the time she arrived in the PCGH ED, Mrs Coe-Stanton had been febrile, tachycardic, and profoundly hypotensive. Dr. Larmon had quickly did what he did best, ordered pain medicine, and placed a STAT consult. So, Dr. Monica Quartermaine had put a central line in, and started pressors with Norepinephrine. Then she had placed an arterial line for invasive blood pressure monitoring and arranged for admission to the ICU.

"You do not understand! I ache all over, I am too weak to lift my head, you have to do something!" Mrs. Coe-Stanton fumed.

Dr. Doyle took and released a deep cleansing breath and reminded herself that she was a physician and should channel compassion. "I am sorry you aren't feeling well, but your blood pressure is only 90/62 and …."

"You make it sound like I have a cold. I feel like I am dying, dying I tell you!" Mrs. Coe Stanton ranted.

Dr. Doyle shook her head and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was sure that her patient felt horrible but unfortunately sometimes that was just the reality of life and being alive. There were worse alternatives. It was definitely going to be a long and painful call!

XXXXXXXX

In her London Loft, Julia Barrett tucked her feet under her and sunk down into her couch as she watched Cord Roberts stand uneasily by the mantle in her living room. It was approaching eleven o'clock at night, and morning would come far too soon and far too early, but she wasn't about to suggest that Cord leave. They had been through far too much together for her to not sacrifice the sleep. Cord would, and had, done the same for her.

"I just don't even know what to say to her anymore," Cord said as he dropped his head down into his hands now resting on her mantle.

Julia had never known what to say to Tina Lord Roberts Rogan. Well, other than, you have to be the worst mother on the planet, but she doubted that was helpful. But then she realized perhaps Cord was talking about his daughter, Sarah.

Sarah Victoria Roberts was twelve. She was named for her Uncle Bo's late wife, Sarah Gordon Buchanan, and her mother's older sister, Viki Lord Riley Burke Riley Buchanan Lord Buchanan Lord Buchanan Carpenter. Tina basically hated both women, so the name choice was surprising. In some ways, Sarah being Cord's biological daughter was surprising, albeit very fortuitous for Sarah. Tina had apparently slept with her husband; her sister's husband, Clint Buchanan; and a local drug dealer, Johnny Dee Hesser; all during the critical conception window. When the prenatal paternity test assured that Tina's husband, who had become her ex-husband; was indeed the father of her baby Clint didn't understand why his wife wouldn't let him off the hook, and Johnny Dee tried to kill her. Things only got more convoluted when one of Viki's alternative personalities killed Johnny Dee and attempted to alternatively frame both Clint and Tina for the crime.

All of that prompted Cord to remarry the mother of his children. That was probably the right choice for CJ and Sarah, but Julia knew it had been a huge sacrifice for Cord himself.

June 9, 1986

Julia Barrett watched Cord Roberts yawn as he turned another page in the report she had completed and flown out to Llanview discuss with him.

From Julia's perspective, it was sheer luck that, at least for the month of June, Asa Buchanan hated Harlan Barrett less than Edward or Herbert Quartermaine. Thus, the site assessment on the land BE had just acquired had been done by Process Strategies rather than the Material Sciences Division of ELQ Enterprises.

Apparently, the Roberts Family was in between nannies, so, they were sitting at Cord's dining room table while Sarah and CJ slept upstairs, and his wife went out with "friends".

Cord turned another page and yawned again.

"I always strive to be concise, but maybe next time I'll throw in a few comics or something to maintain your interest," Julia said.

"I appreciate concise, really. I just haven't been sleeping well lately," Cord said.

Julia could imagine he hadn't been. She had heard that he had walked into his own bedroom and found his wife in bed with David Vickers. She carefully didn't raise her eyes from the report in front of her when she spoke. "I'm sorry, I really had hoped that Tina would be more genuine in her commitments this time around," she said.

"Perhaps in a way she was," Cord said.

Julia finally met his eyes. "I guess that is one way to look at it. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know but I need some coffee. Cream but no sugar, right?"

Julia felt the color drain from her face. "None for me, thanks," she said and quickly deflected her eyes back down to the report.

"Are you sure? You never turn down coffee, especially not mine," Cord said with a smile.

Julia smiled back at him. "I have an early flight out in the morning, so I don't want to be up all night."

Cord gently laid a hand over hers. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" Julia responded quickly.

Cord gave her hand a squeeze.

For a minute Julia wondered if somehow, he knew. For another minute she wondered if that might just be easier.

"Ok, no coffee, so, can I interest in you in something else?" Cord asked. His words were punctuated with wails transmitted in distorted fashion over the baby monitor.

"I'll get her, you can make your coffee," Julia offered and started towards the stairs.

XXXXXXX

Julia Barrett opened the door to the nursery, crossed over to the crib and scooped little Sarah into her arms. "Hi Sweetie, did you want to say hi? I have missed you too, you have gotten so big," she said with animation.

Sarah patted at Julia's face. "Jula"she said.

Julia smiled at the blonde child. "You are a smart baby, aren't you? Yes, you are!" she said. Apparently, Sarah who had said Dada around six months still didn't say Mama. Tina thought she was delayed. Julia thought it was just another example of how little time Tina spent with the children.

Sarah wrapped her little arms around Julia's neck as she carried her over to the changing table.

As she laid Sarah down, Julia thought of the baby growing inside her own belly. The pregnancy had been anything but planned and most days she was positively terrified at the idea of being a mother, still as she changed Sarah's diaper, she accepted that in another six months she would have a little boy or girl of her own. As many misgivings as she had, she had vowed to see the baby only as a blessing. Anything less was unfair to them.

Julia fastened the tabs on Sarah's clean diaper and then leaned down and kissed her little cheek. "Keep being smart and kind! I need to believe that the future belongs to girls like you!" she whispered.

XXXXXXX

Cord closed the door to the nursery and turned back to Julia. "Thank you. She always goes right back to sleep for you," he said.

"I think it was more the change of scenery than anything else. They can be a very essential thing," Julia said. She had told him that the day Clint remarried Victoria Lord Riley Burke Riley Buchanan Lord Buchanan Lord. Then she spent a month at the Green Meadows Spa in Vermont. It had helped in some ways.

So, I've heard. Maybe that's what I need. Ma's been bugging me to bring the kids out to visit this summer," Cord

"Are you planning on coming back?" Julia asked. In that moment she realized how much she would care if he didn't.

Cord laughed. "Why? Do you want to come with me? My mother would love to see you again," he said.

"As tempting as that offer sounds, I really shouldn't be doing any unnecessary traveling these days," Julia said.

"Are you sure there isn't something wrong?" Cord asked.

Julia couldn't quite bring herself to answer him. She took a step past him in the hallway and started down the stairs. Just before the bottom everything started to sway, and she grabbed desperately for the bannister as she felt strong arms from behind catching her.

XXXXXX

"I'm sorry. I thought I was over all of that," Julia offered weakly after Cord had laid her down on the couch in his living room.

"Over all of what? Have you been ill?" Cord asked. He reached out for her hand again and squeezed it. "I'm here, Jules, whatever it is, I'm your friend and I'm here for you," he said.

Julia needed to believe that so badly. Yet, everything with her father, and even his father, made it all so difficult. She fought to blink back some tears and realized that the worst was about to happen. "I'm going to…"

Somehow Cord had realized what she was trying to say before she even got the words out. He helped her into the powder room where she panted, heaved, and vomited what seemed like a lot more than she had actually eaten. Throughout all of that Cord just silently held her hair back and rubbed her back. Then he gently washed the remaining traces of vomit from her face. Tina was an absolute idiot to take such a wonderful and caring man for granted!

Cord gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Don't even think about apologizing. It's ok, everyone gets sick sometimes and like I said, I'm your friend and I want to help you. Now besides getting up off this floor is there anything else you need?"

Julia started to shake her head but then the tears broke through and as much as she tried, she couldn't choke them back anymore. She allowed Cord to pull her into his arms and hold her. Time seemed to stop as she sobbed but eventually, she took a few shaky gasps and tried to pull herself together. She mostly failed though because it was then that she realized how shaky and exhausted she really was. "Umm, maybe if you could help me back to your couch now that would be good. I'm going to call a cab to get back to the hotel. I'll try to pick up my rental in the morning," she said.

"Why don't you just rest here? It is unlikely Tina will even come home tonight and if she does, I'll just tell her the truth, you weren't feeling well," Cord suggested as he carried her back into the living room and laid her back down on the couch and opened a blanket out over her.

"Are you sure?" Julia asked uneasily.

"Like I said, you're my friend, and I want to help you. Perhaps I could be more helpful if I knew what was really going on, but I can also respect if you want your privacy," Cord said.

Julia took a deep breath and then exhaled audibly. "I'm pregnant."

Cord swallowed audibly.

"It isn't Clint's child," Julia added quickly.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I think that is probably good."

"Yes, but it's just complicated in other ways."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to have this baby and I'm going to make the best of it. This child is not responsible for the mistakes I've made."

"I hope you know if you need anything you just have to ask."

"I know. You're a good friend, Cord. You've always been straight with me and I appreciate that more than you probably realize."

Later, after some ginger ale, she had pulled herself together enough to drive back to her hotel room. In the morning, she had flown back to Connecticut. Cord had supported her as much as she would have let anyone support her through the pregnancy. His mother had suggested that meant he was meant to be the baby's father, but Julia couldn't go there. Maria thought she was being noble and respecting his marriage. Julia supposed in a way she was but since Cord's wife refused to respect their marriage that was hardly the relevant point. The truth was that Julia saw a difference between a lie of omission, just not disclosing who Cooper's father was; and one of commission where she lied about someone else being Cooper's father. Some might argue it was semantics, but it mattered to her.

Yet, although she had been very clear that Cord wasn't Cooper's father at least biologically, he had been the paternal male role model in Cooper's life and perhaps to an extent she had fulfilled the maternal equivalence of that role for Sarah. Tina certainly had never really been up for that. In many ways she and Cord had very platonically co-parented their collective children while she had dated others, and Cord had been married to Tina. Cord and Tina had divorced for the third and final time in late 1993. Theoretically Tina was the primary custodial parent although the children spent about 364 days and nights of the year living with Cord. That left Tina free to cash child support checks for children she never saw and do her own thing. It seemed despicable but it was the best thing for CJ and Sarah. Or it was until 1996 when Tina actually wanted custody for some reason, and everything fell apart. A year later they were still digging out from the fall out and consequences of that.