Georgie and Dillon sat holding each other while Zander and Jade watched helplessly with Mac. No one had come to tell them what was going on, as Monica had promised, which worried everyone. They were all silent, and the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Gia had come to take Alyssa home so Jade and Zander could wait for news, but after a couple of hours, Dillon turned to them.
�Go home to Alyssa. She needs you both right now.� Dillon said, but Jade insisted on staying.
�I told you that I was going to be here��
Monica walked in with a smile. Everyone walked to her and she told them the good news. �She made it through the surgery.�
�So she�s alright?� Georgie asked.
�She�s doing better, but she�s still not out of the woods. We have a specialist coming in to examine her more thoroughly. Right now, there�s nothing else we can do but wait.� Monica saw Georgie�s pale complexion and touched her shoulder. �You need to get back in bed and stay there. I�ll arrange for you to see the baby tomorrow.�
Georgie nodded and slowly walked back to the wheelchair and sat down, looking exhausted. Jade walked to her and kneeled.
�You need to keep your strength up, Georgie. I know that you want to stay here and wait for news of the baby��
�I need to sleep.� Georgie said, her face suddenly looking very flushed. �I feel horrible��
Monica walked over, prepared to take her vitals, and touched her forehead. �You�re running a fever. We need to get you upstairs.� She motioned for someone to come help her and they rushed Georgie away with no further explanation.
�Georgie? What�s going on?� Dillon started after them, but Jade stopped him.
�You have to let them do their job,� Jade said. �Let�s go upstairs and wait��
As soon they were upstairs, pandemonium was everywhere. Monica, Alan, and Dr. Meadows were screaming orders, nurses were running all around, bringing several different things into the room where they knew Georgie was. �What�s going on?� Zander asked someone running into the room, but no one would answer their repeated questions.
Jade saw Bobbie walking toward them and asked what was happening.
�Monica�s on her way out here to talk to Dillon and Mac�� Dillon and Mac rushed over to see Monica, and they both looked frightened. Monica said something else to them, and Dillon grew angry.
�I won�t lose her! I can�t! My daughter is downstairs, sick. Don�t tell me her mother might not wake up!� Dillon was screaming, and Ned tried to comfort him, but Dillon pushed his brother away. �I want to see her!�
�No, you can�t see her like this.� Alan said. �Calm down, get some coffee, take a walk, and then you can��
�Like hell, I want to see her now!� Dillon tried to push through, but Zander and Mac were able to grab him and pull him away.
�What�s going on?� Jade asked Bobbie. Zander was pulling a struggling Dillon to the elevator. �Bobbie, what�s going on?�
Bobbie pulled her away from the crowd. �Georgie lost a lot of blood and she pushed herself going downstairs to see Kat. Her fever shot up almost instantly, there�s an infection. She also had a cold coming on,� Jade nodded, remembering Georgie saying something about it, �And she�s been through so much. Her body couldn�t handle it��
�What are you saying?� Jade asked.
�She�s in a coma,� Mac said. �She�s in a coma and they don�t know if she�s going to make it. Her blood pressure has been low, and there�s just so much��
�A coma?� Jade asked. �What?� Her brain was not processing the news.
Bobbie sat her down and tried to comfort her, but suddenly there was another commotion near Georgie�s room.
Monica yelled a list of requests as she ran in, and Bobbie jumped up to follow. Jade stood with Mac, wondering what was happening. Ned walked over, and looked at Jade.
�Zander said he was taking Dillon back to your place. I have a feeling they�ll need you,� He didn�t tell her that Zander had been that frantic when she�d been rushed to surgery, especially since Alyssa was so sick. �Will you go and keep an eye on them?�
�As long as someone calls and tells us what�s happening.� Jade said. �Please, if anything happens to Kat or Georgie��
�I�ll call,� Ned promised. Jade hugged both men before heading to the garage. Once there, she nodded at the security guard that had been hired by Nikolas only weeks before and walked to her car, hoping that her suspicions about Zander�s therapy for Dillon.
As she started the car, she checked to make sure there was nothing behind her and then heard a loud knock at her window. She screamed and then saw the man looking at her.
�What the hell are you doing here?� She asked, shocked to see him standing outside her car.
�It�s about Emily.� was all he said. She nodded and unlocked the passenger door for him to get in.
Chapter 22
�You think Zander knows who she slept with?� The man asked Jade as they drove toward his apartment.
�I�m not sure, actually. I think he has suspicions, but I don�t think he really wants to know.� Jade looked at him. �Do you really think that the two of you ought to be seen together? Zander trusts you..�
Lucky sighed. It wasn�t something he�d planned, but he did care about Emily. �Is the baby mine?�
�Ask Em. I don�t know.� Jade said, honestly. �Do you really think Zander is going to want to hear that his best friend slept with his wife? Lucky, after they went to Hawaii, things seemed so much better.�
�Things have never been great between them, Jade. No matter what anyone says, I don�t think that they�ve really ever gotten to a point where something or someone wasn�t in the middle of their relationship. Namely you.�
�I haven�t tried anything and I haven�t slept with Zander! You slept with Emily and now she�s pregnant and there�s no way of knowing who the father is until..�
Lucky looked at her and shook his head. �You know he�s going to find a way to stay with you, and work his way back into your life.�
�No, he�s not. He�s only in my life because of Alyssa. We�re friends and always have been, but it took a lot to get back to that. What are you are Emily going to do? What if she doesn�t actually get divorced? Did you consider that right now she might be confused? She didn�t know about the baby until this morning, and she�s thrilled. It�s obvious that she�s happier than anyone could possibly know, but I suppose that could change in a moment if she learned the wrong man was the father��
�Who is the wrong man?� Lucky asked.
�That�s not for me to say, but I hope Emily knows.� Jade said, stopping in front of his apartment. �Be careful.�
�I always am.� Lucky smiled at her.
Chapter 23
Emily sat in the bedroom that she�d shared with Zander for over a year and thought about everything leading up to this day. She�d made mistakes. He�d made mistakes. Together they�d made mistakes. And now, there was a baby involved. She�d told Lucky that she didn�t know, but she was almost positive that the baby was Zander�s.
Her mind drifted back to when she was sick fighting the cancer. She�d pushed Zander so hard, and eventually, he�d backed off�
�We�re engaged, Zander,� Emily told him, wanting him to leave before the tears started. She didn�t want him to know the truth, and if this was the only way to protect him, she had to do it.
Zander walked away, his heart obviously ripped out of his chest. Emily watched him leave and once they were alone, Nikolas promised to keep helping her.
Seeing him around Port Charles after that had been difficult. She�d learned that he and Gia had spent time together, and she was glad, although it made her sick to her stomach that he was with someone else. But, as her mother had pointed out many times before; it was what she�d said she�d wanted.
It had been agony watching him leave the mansion that day, and seeing him around town with Gia, and then Jade, but at the time, she�d believed it best that Zander not know about the cancer. He found out, of course, but by then, the damage had been done.
After Zander discovered the cancer, he was angry with her. Emily decided that there was no reason to keep up the charade with Nikolas, but she thought it was too late when she saw Zander leaving Jade�s house early one morning when she was going to the hospital. He was smiling and Jade was watching him leave. For several weeks, it was obvious to everyone that Zander and Jade were together, but that Jade was the one with the feelings. After they finally found their way back to each other, Emily made it clear that she wouldn�t tolerate Jade calling at all hours of the night, or expected Zander to spend time with her. It was unfair to ask him to suddenly drop his best friend since childhood, but he did.
As Emily remembered the times she�d seen Zander with Jade, she smiled, recalling the laughter and happiness she�d seen. Zander loved Emily, he always had, but even his wife knew that Jade held a special place in his heart.
And then Jade made the announcement to them before their engagement party; she was pregnant with Zander�s baby. Emily was angry and hurt and almost ended the engagement that night, but Jade made it clear that she wanted nothing from them, she just thought that Zander should know about the baby. Zander was torn between two women that he cared for and loved deeply, in different ways. He never made that choice, but in the end, Emily made it for him.
Emily had never really told Zander he couldn�t have anything to do with Jade or the baby, but she was never very accepting of the situation, and by the time she realized how wrong she was, it was too late. Emily couldn�t believe that tonight of all nights, her mind would be wondering back to something that was very similar to what Georgie and Dillon had faced today.
Jade was at the Grille one night when Emily and Zander joined her grandparents for dinner. Lila smiled at Jade, which set Edward off, calling Jade names from across the room. Having had enough, Jade walked out, but Emily followed her.
�You can�t follow him around town, Jade. That isn�t going to make him come back to you.� Emily had known her words were harsh, but she didn�t care. She had still not forgiven Zander for the time he�d spent with Jade, even though they weren�t together.
�I wasn�t following him. I stopped on the way home from work to get something to eat�� Jade turned and walked away, but it wasn�t the last Emily saw of Jade that night.
Had Emily known what was going to happen, she�d have never said the things she�d said. She would never have let Jade leave the Grille without someone driving her. Since that night, she�d carried the guilt of her actions and knew that had Alyssa died, it would have partly been her fault.
Two hours later, Lucky was ringing their doorbell, banging on the door, and screaming for them, all while trying to get them to pick up the phone. When Zander opened, Lucky told them about the accident. The look in Zander�s eyes had almost killed her, but she knew that he was thinking about the baby that his own wife was trying to deny him.
�Let�s go to the hospital,� Emily said, grabbing her purse.
Jade could be heard calling his name, but he stood frozen. Emily was the one that pushed him in just in time. Jade delivered their premature daughter only moments later.
That moment was something that had touched Emily in the most profound way. She�d never really put much thought into childbirth, but watching Jade, who was in so much pain, but handling it like a trooper, bring life into the world was really the most beautiful thing she�d ever had the privilege to witness.
Emily was the one that sat downstairs watching little Alyssa. There were several moments where she feared she would have to go and tell Zander and Jade that the baby didn�t make it, but Alyssa was strong like both her parents. Eventually, the three of them brought her home, but it was obvious to Zander that the situation was never going to be easy. Emily loved Alyssa, but hated her mother�
It wasn�t really hatred, but jealousy. Zander�s face lit up everytime they talked about the precious child he was in love with. Emily was in love with Alyssa too, and that was what made her start trying for a baby.
Emily cried into her pillow, confused and alone, wishing she would overcome whatever idiotic notions she was having and tell Zander to come home, but something inside her wouldn�t let her.
Chapter 24
Georgie could tell she was dreaming. She heard voices in the distance, but she couldn�t call out to them and tell them she heard them. Dillon was there, Maxie, Lucas, and Mac, the man she thought of as a father. She heard beeps, like machines, but all she could see were flashing images of the past. Her body felt like it was floating as she revisited so many important events with Dillon.
It was so unfair that Maxie and Lucas weren�t going to let her go to their stupid party. It wasn�t like they could stop them; she lived there too, but she�d promised not to.
Kelly�s wasn�t the place she really wanted to spend the night, but she didn�t want to just wander around town. And then, she saw them. Something inside of her snapped and that�s when she saw him. He was on the phone, and for some reason, she grabbed him, kissed him, and hoped for the best.
It was a shock to realize that he was a Quartermaine, and it was a shock to realize that she�d enjoyed kissing him, although she also liked seeing Maxie and Lucas both jealous.
Georgie felt like laughing as she remembered the looks on her sister and Lucas� faces when they saw her kissing Dillon for first time. It wasn�t something she�d normally do, but she�d wanted to make Maxie and Lucas jealous.
The party was a typical high school party; drinking, drinking, drunk kids acting like idiots, and more drinking. Georgie thought Dillon looked completely out of place, but Mac came home before anything else could happen.
Georgie was seeing more images; the first time they watched a movie together, and the day she�d asked him to help her with her kissing, and then the night that Lucas had kissed her�
It was hard to believe it! Lucas had kissed her! She was floating, but something inside her said that it wasn�t enough. She remembered Dillon�s face and it�s effect on her.
Maxie�s relationship with Kyle, her overdose and the prom disasters followed, along with some more pleasant memories.
Riding the motorcycle while holding onto him had been heaven. She�d never felt so free in her life, and they�d had a huge laugh when they got back to Kelly�s and the owner confronted them. Dillon left after that, but Georgie�s feelings took a drastic turn.
And then there it was. The memory she�d been waiting for. The night she and Dillon finally gave in to the feelings they�d developed for each other.
�Do you think you�ll ever get over Lucas?� Dillon asked, not in that angry tone usually used when speaking about the guy she�d been carrying a torch for.
Georgie looked at him and smiled. They were at the hospital, because Mac had caught them together, but after hearing about Jade�s accident, he�d made them ride with him. Lucas and Maxie were trying to get news of Jade, and Mac was questioning the other witnesses of the accident. �I think I�ve been over him for awhile��
�Really?� Dillon asked. �When did that happen?�
Putting her hand in his, she smiled, �The dance at Emily and Zander�s wedding. You kissed my cheek, and then acted like you wanted to kiss me, but never did��
�I�ve been in love with you for a long time, Georgie.� Dillon�s use of the word love startled her, and he saw that. �I do love you. I�m not what it is about you, but you are different, and special. You�re beautiful, smart, funny��
Georgie kissed him then, shocking everyone standing around them. Dillon looked at her when their lips parted. �Are we a couple now?�
Nodding, Georgie touched his cheek. �I wish I hadn�t wasted so much time.�
�It doesn�t matter. We have all the time in the world.�
All the time in the world�.all the time in the world�
The monitors were beeping out of control, and Monica ran in. �It looks like she�s starting to come around a little bit��
�Is she going to wake up?� Dillon asked.
Monica smiled, and touched her nephew�s shoulder. �I do believe that she will wake up soon. She�s not in the coma anymore.�
Dillon�s face lit up as he looked down at her. He felt that somehow he�d reached her, and that Georgie and Kat would soon be home with him.
Chapter 25
Zander had let Dillon go back to the hospital because he knew that�s where he needed to be. When Alyssa and Jade were both so sick, he didn�t want to leave the hospital, but this was different. Dillon and Georgie were together, and he had no doubts that they were getting married.
Marriage. It seemed like such a strange word to use. Especially since his was over. He had tried talking to Emily the night before, but she was convinced that it was the right thing to do. He knew that she�d slept with someone else, but he didn�t want to think about who the guy was. Thinking about it brought back memories of Nikolas�
He�d found Gia at Kelly�s and they went back to his place. She kissed him and he was tempted to take it a step farther, but he knew he couldn�t.
�I still love Emily,� he�d told Gia, and she claimed to understand, but he was sure that she didn�t.
Finding out the truth about Emily�s cancer could have been their saving grace, but he was scared, and still angry that she hadn�t trusted him.
�Why couldn�t you tell me, Em?� He asked with tears in his eyes. �You know I�d have done anything and everything to help you.�
�I know and I�m sorry, but I didn�t want you watching me die!�
The fear that Emily could die had been what sent him to Jade that night, and many nights after that until they were appearing everywhere as a couple.
It was obvious that Emily wasn�t thrilled to see Zander with Jade, but he didn�t care. Jade knew when he kissed her that it was Emily he was thinking of, but she played his game and Zander knew why.
Later that night, Jade decided to confront him. �You know that I love you, Z.� A nickname of the past. She�d been the one person growing up that called him Zander. He was Alexander, or Alex, to everyone else.
�I know you do. I love you too.� Zander said.
�But you aren�t in love with me!� Jade said, getting out of the bed. �I�m just a warm body. All you can think about is Emily��
�That�s not fair! You and I have something special here, Jade. Emily and Nikolas may not be pretending anymore, but it doesn�t matter. Emily didn�t trust me.�
�But you still love her,� Jade said through tears. �You always will. Why the hell are you even here?�
Zander stood up and she tried not to look at his body, but it was difficult. He pulled her to him and kissed her softly. �I�m here because I want to be.
That was the night Alyssa was conceived. Zander knew better than to bring thoughts of Jade into everything, but he couldn�t help it. She was an important part of his life and everything that had happened in the last year. She and Emily. He still remembered the night he�d made his choice.
�You can�t tell me that there�s anything left between us! You were with her!� Jade said, looking very pale. Zander would soon learn that her �flu� would not pass as quickly as she hoped.
�I love her! You know that!� Zander said.
�And I love you, you know that, don�t return the feelings, but have been with me for almost two months! Zander, if you�re leaving, go!�
Emily was there too, except she�d stayed outside until she decided it was time for Zander to tell Jade the truth. �He�s leaving. Don�t doubt that, Jade.�
Zander watched Jade and saw that she wasn�t going to fight him. Instead she whispered the last statement he heard from her for six weeks.
�Get out of my life.�
He hadn�t wanted to, but he�d had no choice. Emily didn�t want Jade in his life, and he knew that if he wanted to start over with Emily, he was going to have to let Jade go, as much as it hurt to lose her friendship. It was painful for him not to see her for six weeks, and he hated to admit that his heart soared when she showed up and ushered Emily and himself out of the ballroom reserved for their anniversary party.
�I don�t want to cause problems for the two of you, and I�ve accepted that I meant nothing to you, but I thought you might want to know I�m pregnant.�
Emily was ready to leave him, again, but somehow they made it to the alter. Everything was strained for a while, but especially after the night they saw Jade at the Grille.
�I can�t believe she has the audacity to show her face here, and I can�t believe that she is flaunting the fact that she�s pregnant with your child.� Edward was on a roll.
�Edward! Jade is a perfectly lovely young woman. Zander and Emily weren�t together for a long time. A baby isn�t a curse.� Lila looked at Emily. �I�m sure that as soon as you see the little darling, you will fall head over heels in love with her.� Ned and Alexis had been with Jade during her ultrasound and Ned had shared the news with Lila.
�I don�t know, Grandmother.� Emily said, watching Jade leave. �Excuse me for a moment.�
Zander had been quiet the entire meal, and he knew what Emily was going to do, but he made no move to stop her.
Zander was staring at Alyssa and remember vividly the night she�d been born. It was like nothing he�d ever experienced and he couldn�t wait to share that moment with Emily.
Lucky had been trying to reach them for an hour, ever since Mac had called him. When Zander opened the door and Lucky told them what happened, Emily had insisted that they go to the hospital.
Zander walked into the delivery room and saw Jade�s face. She was hiding the pain as well as she could, but she couldn�t hide the fear from him. Alexis was with her, but motioned for Zander to take her place. She wasn�t going to let him miss this important moment.
Knowing Emily was outside the door, Zander kneeled next to Jade and whispered, �I love you, Jade, you�ve always been my best friend.�
Jade knew what he meant, and took a deep breath. Within seconds, they heard their daughter�s weak cry.
�Get her to the neonatal unit!� Someone instructed, and Jade grabbed Zander�s hand. He looked down and saw the concern for her child. �Zander? What�s going on?�
�I don�t know, but I�ll find out.� Zander promised, but then Jade started to falter and he didn�t want to leave her.
Jade was never as sick as Georgie, but it was hard to watch her go through that, knowing that when she went home, there had been no one there to offer her the love and support she deserved. Zander also remembered the first time he saw Alyssa.
Emily was staring through the glass, crying softly at the little angel she�d fallen in love with. Alyssa looked a lot like Zander, but she also looked like Jade.
�She�s gorgeous.� Zander said, breathlessly. �I�ve never seen a more beautiful baby.�
�Neither have I,� Emily said, reaching for his hand. �I�m sorry I wasn�t supportive. You should have been involved with her pregnancy.�
�It�s alright,� Zander said, taking his wife in his arms. �We�ll be a part of her life.�
Zander softly closed the door and leaned against it. It was going to be hard on Alyssa if Emily really wanted to go through with the divorce. She�d been a second mother to her, and an important part of her life.
He was jolted back to the present by the door opening. He saw Jade walk in, looking totally exhausted, and walked to her. Taking her purse off her shoulder, he smiled gently and leaned down to kiss her. It took her by surprise and she pulled away, but Zander shook his head and kissed her again.
�No regrets,� he whispered, taking her back to a place she never wanted to go.