before i start, i found this on an old flashdrive earlier, it's one of the first GH things I ever wrote, i thought I'd share. Yes, it's a Michael III x OC story and this is the only part I have so far..

It's set around the time right after Abby died, so obviously, none of the current drama will be happening exactly as it did if i keep it going that far. If people like it, I'll keep working on it, gladly. I sort of have a few ideas for it, even now.. The original character is potentially going to be the actual daughter of my favorite Port Charles couple Caleb + Livvie, though she did not grow up with them, instead, she was stolen by Caleb's manager, put up for adoption and adopted by an alcoholic dock worker and his quiet and timid wife..

there will be triggering things in this if I keep it going, btw.. What do you guys think? Do I keep writing this one? I'll be real, I have no idea why I ever stopped.

ONE

"We have to do the movie here though? In Port Charles?" the brunette gave a slightly annoyed roll of her eyes as she continued to talk on the phone in her hands to her agent, who'd gotten her a gig shooting some B Level horror movie that was being filmed in Port Charles and directed by one of it's own residents, Dillon Quartermaine. He'd specifically cast her in one of the leads after he realized that like him, she was a Port Charles native.

Port Charles was not somewhere she wanted to return to, all the place held for her were bad memories and disappointment. She'd been in the sleepy little town for ten minutes and all she wanted to do already was leave again, go back to Los Angeles.

She could feel the bad mojo settling in her veins already, the feeling only worsened as she drove past the city limits sign. She'd hung up with her agent and she sighed aloud, lighting up another cigarette, rolling down the driver side window to flick ashes out.

"It's just a few months." she reminded herself, turning on her GPS even though she didn't need it, she knew this town like the back of her hand because she'd been raised here, she'd attended Madison Prep on an academic scholarship when she was a teenager.

The thought of her old alma mater got her wondering if Kristina Corinthos Davis was still in town, they'd been best friends back then.. "I'll go by her old house later." the brunette promised herself as she pulled her Ferrari to a stop in front of the curb outside Kelly's.

She was not prepared to see him walk out of the diner.. she also wasn't prepared for the sucker punch to the gut she got when she saw him again after so many years.

To say that Michael Corinthos had grown up to be this walking symbol of her wildest desires would be sugar coating it and Arielle knew that. Taking a few long deep breaths, she got out of the fire engine red sports car she was and shut the door with her hip, fingertips tangling in wind blown brown hair as she looked everywhere but directly at Michael.

And naturally, that's when her agent gave a whistle, calling her over to a table outside the diner on the sidewalk.

She wasn't looking but Michael's head snapped up and for a few seconds, Michael leaned on a lamp post, arms crossed, watching the brunette slink towards one of the outdoor tables to an older man as he shook his head and wondered to himself why the name Arielle sounded so familiar.

And why she sort of looked familiar, too.. Not that he'd been staring at her for any certain amount of time or anything, – he had since she'd gotten out of the fire engine red two seater sports car, a Ferrari from the looks of it, but he'd die before admitting it.

He was still hurting over the recent loss of his girlfriend Abby Haver.

Arielle sat down and the agent nodded behind her, giving a smirk as he assessed, "You already got fans, Ari."

"He actually went to the same school with me for a while… Until he wound up going to Pentonville." Arielle gave her agent a look and then said calmly, "Don't, okay? I know that look, the lecture that's coming. My image and whatever.. Just spare me today. Give me the rundown on what I've got to do so I can go get started looking for an apartment. I'd like to get all this over with as quickly as possible.. Port Charles is not somewhere I planned to return to.."

"If he's a convict, Ari, it's in your best interest to stay away, but… you need to deal with your past, girl, stop running from it."

"Marlon?"

"Yeah, sugar?"

"You're not Dr. Phil.. And if I hadn't ran from my past, you wouldn't have half the money you got right now.. Might not be a good idea to give me advice and try to get me to face my past?" Arielle sipped the drink that was sat down in front of her, staring at the older man for a moment. He'd been more like a father to her than an agent, and he was one of her oldest friends but sometimes, she just got this feeling.. If something catastrophic happened to her tomorrow, he wouldn't hang around long..

Nobody ever seemed to, really.

It was one reason she was glad to get her diploma, get the hell out of Port Charles and how she was known as bottom of the barrel dock worker daughter trash here. To get out, to make a name for herself. To start over and be anybody but herself.

Down the sidewalk, Michael stopped for a moment and he thought about one of the nights he was in the coma, when he'd started to come out of it, the soft voice, the hand over his on the hospital bed.. A foggy image of the girl had played in front of his eyes that night, and seeing Arielle again, it made him wonder…

What if he hadn't gone to Pentonville?

What if he'd been a normal guy and he'd actually made a move for Arielle back in the day?

He shook his head, raking a hand over the back of his head, answering his phone as it rang, starting to talk to his uncle Jason and he did his best to put all these nagging what ifs out of his head…

Abby was the woman he loved and Abby was gone. He was still in a bad place because of the prison rape.. he was in no shape to be with anyone right now, let alone be wondering about what his life might be like if one thing and a junior high / high school crush had actually gone the right way instead of so horribly wrong the way it had..

Arielle couldn't help that her eyes fixed on an older Michael as he disappeared down the sidewalk. She couldn't help that her mind automatically went to wondering what if he'd woken up and found the 8 page letter she'd written him?

Would it have changed anything about her life right now?

Did she really want her life to be different? She didn't hurt anymore, she didn't feel anything anymore, really, she was kind of numb, actually..

But what would be different if one thing had happened differently?

"Guess I'll never know." she muttered to herself as she bit into a chocolate chip cookie and focused her full attention on listening to and memorizing her schedule for this upcoming movie she'd be making.