Chapter 23

Taggert- Are you sure about this?

The most Gia could do was nod. Her mind still swimming the knowledge that Gerald had returned to her life. Having found out that he was not her biological father was devastating but having lost him with this revelation had nearly destroyed her. Even knowing he was not her father Gia was content to go on as if nothing had changed. Yet Gerald slowly began to distance himself from her and nothing Gia said or did could stop him. Despite her numerous attempts to tell him of her still love and devotion to him seemingly in a blink of an eye he disappeared from her life. Coming to Port Charles to find the other part of her family was never part of Gia’s plans but when Gerald all but abandoned her Gia came to Port Charles in an attempt to forget her heartache. Finding resistance at every turn as far as Mike and Sonny was concerned in it’s own way helped her to forget the crumbled relationship between her and Gerald. The attempts to connect with Mike and Sonny helped to block out thoughts of Gerald and all that she thought she had lost.

~*~ Flashback ~*~

Gia peered out the window wondering how this night would end. What began as a celebration for her being accepted into Columbia’s School of Medicine turned into so much more. When Marcus called and told her he would not be able to attend Gia knew that things would only go downhill from there. Never noticing until that night the strain her parent’s marriage was under all pretenses snapped as Gerald and Florence erupted into a full-blown argument. After finally calming both sides down Gerald stormed off shouting his intentions never to return. Embarrassed her party guest found polite excuses to leave and she was left alone with her thoughts of what went wrong.

Flo- [softly] Baby…
Gia- [still staring out of the window] Yes mama...
Flo- I’m really sorry...
Gia- [looking down] You don’t have to apologize...
Flo- Yes I do... this was... [shaking her head] it shouldn’t have happened?
Gia- [turning towards her mother on the stairs] What did happen mom? One second everyone was laughing and having a good time and the next second...
Flo- [shaking her head] I don’t know what to tell you...
Gia- Mama you and daddy acted like you hated each other. The things you were saying...
Flo- Gia your daddy and I have been having problems for a long time and…
Gia- Since when? Why didn’t I know...
Flo- Because we wanted...
Gia- You wanted what?
Flo- I...
Gerald- [bursting through the door] She wanted to protect herself...
Gia- [turning toward her father] Daddy...
Gerald- She wanted everybody to think she was perfect but she ain’t... she ain’t nowhere near it...
Flo- Gerald... don’t do this...
Gerald- She has the right to know...
Gia- Know what? I have the right to know what?
Flo- Gerald please...
Gia- [looking back and forth at her parents] Know what?
Gerald- Gia...
Flo- [rushing to Gerald grabbing him] Please...
Gerald- [pushing her away] No...
Flo- You’ve been drinking and...
Gerald- Don’t put this on anything I may or may not have had to drink... [pointing to Gia] that girl needs to know the truth.
Gia- [walking to Gerald] The truth? Daddy...
Gerald- [moving back from Gia] I’m not your daddy...
Gia- What?
Gerald- I’m not your father... daddy... or whatever you want to call it...
Gia- [tears slowly falling] What are you talking about? Of course you’re my father...
Gerald- Tell her Flo...
Flo- [shaking her head as her tears fell] Why did you do this? How could you...
Gerald- How could I? The girl...
Gia- [crying] "The girl..." I’m your daughter and...
Gerald- [yelling] I told you... you ain’t my daughter...
Gia- [turning to her mother] Mama why is daddy saying this? Why?
Flo- [softly] Gia...
Gia- [crying] Tell him I’m his daughter... [softly] mama tell him...
Flo- [shaking her head] Gia baby... listen...
Gerald- She can’t say it cause she knows it ain’t true...
Gia- [turning back to Gerald as her tears fell] Why are you doing this? Daddy I love you...
Gerald- Stop calling me that! Thanks to your mother I ain’t never really been a daddy to you.
Gia- What...
Gerald- Your mother... [shaking his head] your mother... I tried the best I could to make her happy but nothing I did was ever good enough. Nothing I did erased him from her head...
Flo- Gerald stop...
Gia- [softly] Him?
Gerald- After all this time... after everything I did for y’all I still can’t take his place... can I?
Flo- Gia doesn’t need to hear this. She...
Gerald- She needs to know about her real daddy... her brother... about the family you destroyed.
Flo- [yelling] Gerald!
Gia- [softly] Mama...
Flo- [shaking her head] This is not the time for...
Gia- It’s not the truth is it? He’s lying right? Daddy’s just confused and...
Flo- [coming to softly touch Gia’s face] Baby I need you to listen to me...
Gia- [shaking her head] No... tell me he’s lying.
Flo- Gia... it was a long time ago and...
Gia- [softly] Oh my God...
Flo- Gia… [taking a deep breath] baby I want you to listen to me. I love you... I have always loved you and I don’t regret anything that I did. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so proud of everything you’ve done and everything you have yet to do but...
Gia- [softly] But...
Flo- A long long time ago I made some mistakes... [shaking her head] I did some things that I’m not too proud of and...
Gia- And...
Gerald- She let me believe I was your father when she knew damn well that wasn’t the truth.
Gia- [softly] Mama...
Flo- [shaking her head] It’s not like that... things were crazy...
Gerald- You slept with a married man who had already walked out on one family...
Flo- Gerald...
Gerald- You slept with him because you knew that was your only chance to hold on to him and in the end even that didn’t work. He still left you... and you came to me putting Gia off on me.
Flo- [turning to Gerald] It wasn’t like that and you know it...
Gerald- [shaking his head] You still trying to make yourself look clean ain’t you...
Flo- I’m trying to make her understand that...

Feeling as if she would crumble in front of them Gia pulled away running up the steps not stopping for her mother or the man she thought was her father call to her.

*~* End of Flashback *~*

Flo- Gia... [softly pulling Gia out of her thoughts] baby you don’t have to do this.
Taggert- I can call him and cancel...
Gia- [softly as she shook her head] I have to do this.
Flo- But...
Gia- Mama... I gotta know why he’s back. I have to know why after everything...
Flo- [softly] Gia... I wish things...
Gia- It’s ok mama... I know now why you did what you did.
Flo- I don’t want you to get hurt again... I don’t want...
Gia- I won’t... as long as you and Marc are with me...
Taggert- [quickly coming to hug her] We’re not going anywhere little sis... I couldn’t then but I’ll protect you now...
Gia- [softly as she looked up at Taggert] You knew didn’t you?
Taggert- [nodding] Yes...
Gia- Why didn’t you tell me?
Taggert- [softly] I thought I was protecting you...

Nodding Florence, Gia, and Taggert silently headed to the Outback intent on finding out why Gerald had suddenly returned to Gia’s life. After the debacle of her party and celebration Gerald slowly and surely pushed Gia out of his life and now Gia had to know why he was back. Taking her hand as they neared the door Florence pulled Gia closer to her ready to protect her if need be.

Taggert- [stopping outside Outback’s door] We can still turn around and walk away...
Gia- [shaking her head] I have to do this...
Taggert- [softly as he quickly kissed her forehead] I know...
Gia- [hugging Taggert tightly] I love you...
Taggert- [slowly smiling] You better baby sis...

Entering The Outback an united front they instantly spotted Gerald sitting at a table waiting for them. Smiling he rose quickly coming over to them. Not sure who to address first Gerald grabbed the first person near him enveloping them in a tight bear hug. Hugging Taggert then Florence Gerald was near balling[crying] by the time he reached Gia.

Gerald- [gently caressing Gia’s face] You are so beautiful...[hugging her tightly as he slowly began to cry] Gia... I am so sorry... I shouldn’t have said the things I said... I shouldn’t have...
Flo- [softly] Maybe we should sit down...
Taggert- Yeah...
Gerald- [still tightly hugging Gia] I’ve missed you so much... Baby I am so proud of you... I knew you could do it. I knew my daughter would be at the top of her class showing everybody... remember I told you... whatever you do you would be the best at it...
Gia- [fighting back her tears] Yeah... I remember...
Gerald- And I’m sorry about the flowers... I wanted to do something special and…
Flo- Let’s... let’s sit down...

Sitting around the table an awkward silence settled upon them no one knowing quite what to say.

Gerald- [noticing the looks on everyone’s face] I know this is a difficult situation and...
Taggert- [leaning forward] Then let’s cut out all the unnecessary drama... why are you here?
Gia- [softly] Marc...
Gerald- [shaking his head] It’s ok... he has... you all have the right to question my reasons for returning...
Taggert- Then answer the question...
Flo- Marcus...
Taggert- [looking at his mother] I’m not going to let him hurt Gia again... if he’s here to hurt her again I’m...
Gerald- Son... I’m not here to hurt Gia... I’m not here to hurt anybody...
Flo- Then why did you come back? Why...
Gerald- [softly] I want my family back... I want things back the way they were...
Flo- What?
Gerald- I know what I did to you and Gia was wrong and if I could go back and change things I would but...
Flo- You can’t...
Gerald- [shaking his head] The things I said I will never forgive myself but...
Flo- Then you shouldn’t have said them to begin with...
Gerald- Have you ever said something or did something you wished you could take back?
Flo- Of course I have.
Gerald- The way everything went down was wrong. We were there to celebrate our daughter’s accomplishments and we...
Flo- [angrily] So she’s your daughter now?
Taggert- [hearing the change in Flo’s voice] Mom...
Gerald- Yes... she’s always been my daughter...
Flo- [angrily] Then what was all this mess about? What was the purpose of dredging up past mistakes and throwing them in my face?
Taggert- Mom… calm down...
Flo- He’s sitting up here like he didn’t play a part in breaking my daughter’s heart...
Gerald- [correcting her] Our daughter...
Flo- If she was so much your daughter you didn’t need to tell her about Mike...
Gerald- She had the right to know...
Flo- [yelling] What gave the right to be the one to tell her?
Taggert- Look this isn’t helping anybody...
Gerald- I know...
Flo- How can you ever expect things to go back to the way they were?
Gerald- I don’t expect things to fall back in a day but Flo... I love you... [looking at Taggert] I love my son... [looking at Gia] and I love our daughter. Without all of you in my life... [shaking his head] it’s been hard without you and I don’t want to go on living like that...
Flo- [shaking her head] I can’t believe this... after everything you put us through you all of a sudden miss us and want us back?
Gerald- It wasn’t sudden... I’ve missed all of you the second I walked out of that house.
Gia- [softly] Then why did you?
Gerald- Because babygirl... I thought it was for the best.
Gia- You thought it was for the best? How?
Gerald- Gia...
Gia- [shaking her head] No... even after you left I still came to you. I still came to you telling you how much I loved you.
Gerald- I know...
Gia- It didn’t help...
Gerald- Baby listen...
Gia- No... [taking a deep breath as her tears slowly began to well] I remember the last time I saw you... the last time I spoke to you. Do you remember what you said?
Gerald- I...
Gia- [wiping at a stray tear] You said... you told me don’t come back to see you. You said I wasn’t a part of your life and you didn’t want me to be.
Gerald- I was wrong...
Gia- [laughing as she tried to block her pain] You told me you wasted all those years trying to be a daddy to me and you were done.
Gerald- That was the hardest thing I ever had to do…
Gia- You told me to go and find my real daddy and pray that he wanted something to do with me because if he didn’t I would be without a father.
Flo- How could you...
Taggert- Mom… let Gia finish...
Gia- [slowly standing] Even after you said all of this I still stood there begging for you to be a part of my life but it didn’t matter you still closed the door in my face.
Gerald- Gia...
Gia- And that’s what I’m going to do to you today...
Gerald- Gia...
Gia- In your own words... don’t come looking for me no more cause I don’t want you around me. I got my own life now and I plan on living it. Whatever we had... whatever it was it’s dead and as hard as it sounds that’s how you are to me now.
Gerald- Gia I was wrong and...
Gia- [shaking her head] I did what you told me to do. I found my father and my other brother and they love me all most as much as mom and Marcus does.
Gerald- I’m glad...
Gia- You don’t get it... you were right after all... I don’t need you in my life.
Gerald- But I need you and...
Gia- [softly] I don’t know what to tell you...
Gerald- Baby please...
Gia- Thank you for the lunch but suddenly I’m not hungry… if you all will excuse me...

Before anyone could stop her Gia quickly ran to the door only to run into Nikolas as he entered.

Nikolas- [steadying her] Gia...
Gia- [shaking her head] Nikolas...
Nikolas- [softly seeing her tear stained face] What’s wrong? Do you need...
Gia- [looking over her shoulder seeing Taggert restraining Gerald] I’m sorry... I gotta go...
Nikolas- But...
Gia- [softly as she looked up at Nikolas] I gotta go...
Nikolas- [gently as he caressed her face] Gia...

With a small shake of her head Gia pulled away from him running back to the safety of her cottage leaving Nikolas confused... the look in her eyes haunting him the rest of his day.

Chapter 24

Nikolas did not know what to make of his encounter with Gia. Clearly something was bothering her but by the time he attempted to run behind her she was gone and he knew not where to look. After a few drinks at The Outback Nikolas returned home anxious to figure out if he could anyway find and help Gia. Lost in thought Nikolas bumped into Sonny in a deep conversation with his bodyguard.

Nikolas- I apologize... it seems I was not paying attention to where I was walking.
Sonny- No harm done...
Nikolas- [attempting to walk around Sonny] Well if you will excuse me...
Sonny- Wait a minute...
Nikolas- Yes?
Sonny- Who are you?
Nikolas- Does it matter?
Sonny- Yeah... it does...
Nikolas- How so?
Sonny- I’ve seen you around and...
Nikolas- You’ve seen me where?
Sonny- Our penthouses are on the same floor and...
Nikolas- So then... you would be my neighbor?
Sonny- Yes...
Nikolas- Well it is good to finally put a face to the occupant of the other penthouse...
Sonny- Yeah... I’ve also seen you with my sister.
Nikolas- Your sister?
Sonny- Yeah... Gia...
Nikolas- [nodding] That is correct... Gia is your sister...
Sonny- Yeah... [extending his hand] we weren’t properly introduced... Sonny... Sonny Corinthos... and you are?
Nikolas- Nikolas Cassadine...[shaking his hand] now if you would excuse me.
Sonny- I’ll be seeing you around...
Nikolas- [nodding] Yes I guess we will.

As Nikolas disappeared into the elevator Jason came through the doors going up to Sonny.

Jason- Sonny...
Sonny- Jason... I’m glad you’re here.
Jason- What’s up?
Sonny- I need you to check something out for me.
Jason- What?
Sonny- Sorel has been too quiet... hell almost as quiet as the FBI and I need to know what’s up.
Jason- Ok...
Sonny- I want you to check out a couple of people first though...
Jason- Who?
Sonny- [looking back at the elevator] Come on...

Quickly walking towards the warehouse Sonny and Jason quickly talked about their suspicions about Sorel and what possibly the FBI was up to regarding him. Once they reached the warehouse Sonny and Jason headed to his office to discuss the persons Sonny wanted to be checked out.

Jason- Ok I understand you on Sorel and the FBI but you mentioned someone else. Who do you want me to check out?
Sonny- I would put Bennie on this but I want to know everything there is to know about him and I know you will look…
Jason- Who am I checking out?
Sonny- Gerald Campbell...
Jason- Isn’t that...
Sonny- [nodding] Gia’s stepfather... he showed up out of the blue and I want to know what he wants.
Jason- Did Gia say something or...
Sonny- [shaking his head] No... just a feeling I got...
Jason- [standing to leave] I’ll get right on this...
Sonny- Jason wait...
Jason- Yeah...
Sonny- Nikolas Cassadine...
Jason- What about him?
Sonny- You know anything about him?
Jason- Nothing more than him being Lucky Spencer’s half brother... why?
Sonny- I just met him...
Jason- And?
Sonny- Nothing...
Jason- You don’t like him?
Sonny- I don’t know enough about him to dislike him.
Jason- I’d watch him if I were you.
Sonny- Why would you say that?
Jason- The day you got back Gia was seen at The Grille with Nikolas and Lucky and a couple of others.
Sonny- Yeah I saw them...
Jason- Well when I ran into Gia later that night she just seemed out of it.
Sonny- You ran into her... when? We met at the warehouse after I saw Gia...
Jason- That’s just it... I ran into her when I went back to the penthouse.
Sonny- That was two something in the morning...
Jason- I know and like I said it seemed like something was up. So after I talked with Jake I went to visit Nikolas Cassadine myself.
Sonny- Why?
Jason- Jake said Gia left the hotel but then went back to see him in his room.
Sonny- What do you think went on?
Jason- I don’t know but from what I was getting from Nikolas I didn’t like.
Sonny- What do you mean?
Jason- He’s arrogant and cocky...

Before Jason could finish his statement there was a commotion outside the door between Johnny and Taggert.

Johnny- Mr. Corinthos is busy...
Taggert- Then I suggest he gets unbusy...
Johnny- You can’t go in there...
Taggert- [pushing past Johnny] Watch me.

Hearing the commotion outside Sonny stood preparing himself for a face off with Taggert.

Sonny- What is it now Taggert?
Taggert- [staring down Sonny] We need to talk...
Sonny- Then talk...
Taggert- [turning to Jason] You can go...
Sonny- What is this about?
Taggert- Not until Morgan leaves.
Sonny- If you can’t say it in front of Jason then...
Taggert- It’s about my sister... [shaking his head] it’s about Gia...
Jason- [turning to leave] I can leave...
Sonny- Jason...
Jason- I got it under control... I’ll get back with you later.
Sonny- Fine...
Jason- [looking at Taggert] Taggert...
Taggert- Morgan...

Waiting until Jason was gone Taggert finally turned back to Sonny ready to discuss Gia.

Sonny- You mentioned Gia...
Taggert- Yeah...
Sonny- What about her?
Taggert- Look... you’re the last person I wanted to come to with this...
Sonny- What is it?
Taggert- I would do it myself but...
Sonny- Just say it. Is there something wrong with Gia?
Taggert- I’m sure you know by now that her stepfather is back in the picture...
Sonny- [nodding] Gerald Campbell... yeah I know...
Taggert- Gia... [shaking his head] I love my sister and...
Sonny- What do you want me to do?
Taggert- Find out what he’s up to...
Sonny- Why are you coming to me with this?
Taggert- Like I said... I love my sister and I am willing to do whatever I have to do to protect her.
Sonny- So would I...
Taggert- [nodding] As much as I hate to admit it... you are Gia’s brother and I know you don’t want to hurt her...
Sonny- I would never hurt Gia...
Taggert- But Gerald... I don’t know what he’s after...
Sonny- Why can’t you do this yourself?
Taggert- [softly] I can’t...
Sonny- What do you want me to find out?
Taggert- Everything...
Sonny- [nodding] Everything...

As Taggert turned to leave Sonny stopped him with one last question.

Sonny- Why did you come to me with this?
Taggert- [softly] Because despite everything between us I know you love Gia almost as much as I do and I know you will do whatever you have to do to protect her.

Sitting down at his desk Sonny sat and thought about the things Taggert had said to him. Gia coming into his life had finally given him the thing he craved most... a family. And if it took all that he had Gerald Campbell would not take it from him.

Sonny- [quietly to himself] I’ll keep you safe Gia...