Ch. 22

"Let's go back to the hotel." Carly said quietly and meekly almost nearly unheard of for Carly but at that moment she was luck to get the words out.  The group walked outside and called a cab.  When the cab pulled up to the hotel the group paid and silently walked inside.

"So, I guess we'll see each other in the morning, bright and early 'cause we're going to California! WAHOO!" Carly couldn't contain her excitement for the trip even at such a serious time.

"Alright goodnight everyone." Courtney headed towards the elevators.  Jason didn't know what to do, he decided to follow her, he didn't want to lose her again.

"Courtney, wait!" Jason hopped into the elevator as the doors began to close.

"Jason, I'm not going anywhere except to our hotel room.  I promised I wouldn't leave you again, I'm just tired."

"I love you"

"I love you too, even if what Liz said is true."

"Umm… what did Liz say?"

"That you have a daughter named Mary, and that you named her after the girl you loved in high school."

"Ohh my god!  No we do not have a child!  And my high school love was definitely not Mary Bishop; the only person I have ever loved is you."

"Thank god…" she walked into Jason's open arms until the elevator opened.  They walked silently, hand in hand to their room.

"I'm going to go back to bed now." Courtney changed in the bathroom and came out.

"God, you're so gorgeous" Jason walked over and planted a kiss on the top of her forehead.  She climbed into bed and settled into her pillow.  She felt safe with him there; she fell asleep quickly and into dreaming of Jason.

Jason didn't sleep at all that night he knew the door was bolted and locked but still he was worried.  He sat in his bead awake and alert.  When it was 5a.m. he woke Courtney up and they got ready for their flight.  At six Sonny and Carly showed at their door.  Carly was practically jumping out of her skin.

"Are you two ready yet?? She whined in anticipation.

"We are now…" she zipped her suitcase closed, "let's go!" the group walked out of the hotel, checked out and left the building into a world unknown.  After arriving at the airport the group collected their tickets, December 23^rd 2004, JFK to LAX, seats 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D.  Although the airline offered a movie for the five hour flight, none of them watched it, they stayed awake long enough to get a drink from the flight attendant an then fell asleep.  Courtney snuggled into Jason and he held her close, they fell asleep just like that and didn't wake up until landing.  Once Carly was asleep Sonny started to think of ways to ask her, he wanted it to be short but romantic in everyway.  When the plane landed the group left and entered the airport.  Jason remembered it only to well; the airport, the pain, the hurt, the love.  Courtney could see it in his eyes; it still caused him pain to think about when she had left.

"It’s different this time around." She whispered in his ear and took his hand in hers.

"Yeah I guess it is but it still hurts to think about it."

"Jason, I am so sorry…"

"Don't be, you were protecting yourself.  At least you were safe."

"I still am safe; I've got you to protect me, that’s all I need."

"I've failed to protect you twice how can you still feel safe?"

"Jason, you never failed to protect me.  The fact that Ric found out where I was has nothing to do with you.  And when I got kidnapped it was my own fault, I didn't let Carly come with me."

"So you're not angry?"

"Not for a second!"

"Well in that case…" he leaned down and kissed Courtney gently.

"Alright you two, come on there are other people in the airport who don't want to stand around watching you two be all 'ohh I love you'.  Carly called out to them breaking the moment.

"Ok, ok we're coming!" Courtney ran towards them still holding Jason's hand.  He dragged on behind her admiring the energy she had even so early in the morning.  The group collected their luggage from baggage claim and then called a cab.  When they arrived at the house they paid the driver and there she was Courtney's grandmother.  Courtney ran to her.

"Ohh, Courtney it's been so long."

"Grandma it's only been a few-ohh, well it has been a very long time.  It's so great to see you!"

"You too sweetheart, you too."

"Let me introduce you, this is Jason the love of my life, this is Carly my best friend and this is Sonny, my other best friend and Carly's boyfriend.  So where's mom?"

"Well darling, she went back to New York about a week ago.  Some man Ric, I think his name was, called here and she left, she didn't tell me much."

"Ric?? Ohh well then I will visit her when I get home."  She didn't want to worry her grandmother with horror stories about Ric so she dropped the subject.

"Shall we go inside?" her grandmother led the way into the house.

"Grandma, I'm going to go upstairs and unpack.  I'll be down later" Courtney headed up the stairs.

"Me too, and thank-you Mrs. Matthews for letting us stay here."  Jason grabbed his suitcase and walked towards the steps.

"Please, call me Katherine."

"Ok" Jason walked up the stairs with Sonny and Carly behind him.  There were three bedrooms upstairs; Courtney's obviously was in the room she had always stayed in at the end of the hall.  A large sign on the door read, ' Courtney's room, keep out'.  The room next to it seemed to be the other guest room where Sonny and Carly would stay.  Jason walked into Courtney's room; there she was on the queen, four poster bed, crying.

"Courtney, baby I know your scared.  I saw the look on your face that haunted me for two years before I found you.  Maybe, he's changed, maybe he's different."

"Jason, people like that don't change, pretty soon they are going to want me there with them and if I say no, then who knows what he'll do."

"Courtney no body is taking you away from me, even if I have to die trying, , you're not going back there while I am alive."

"Jason… when did you get permission to die for me?"

"When you started loving me."

"Ohh, really and you think you know when that was?"

"Well I suppose it was when u told me that you did."

"Wrong!  I have loved you since the afternoon I went to your house and you told me that you wanted to kiss me in the middle of the hallway."

"Ohh, really?  Well then I have loved you longer!"

"What? Jason that is impossible!"

"Nope!  I've loved you since that first day of school when we were at our locker and you smiled over something and that is when I fell in love with u."

"Well you did a real great job of showing it!  Jeez and I thought that it took that accident to make you really love me."

"Well either way, I get to die for you!"

"If you die for me, then I might die."

"Well then let's not die."

"Sounds good," with that she leaned over to him and kissed him.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear and then kissed her again, he was hurt by her sudden rejection and she knew it.

"Jason, I'm scared of losing you."

"Why?  That’s never going to happen." He kissed her one last time.

Ch. 23

The next day…

Katherine walked into her granddaughter's room that morning at 6 a.m. that was when she first realized who Jason was, like a car crash it hit her, Jason was the boy who had called all those years ago asking for Courtney.  This was also when she saw them, laying there Jason simply holding Courtney while they slept.  At that moment she knew that they were meant to be and someday they would be together forever.  She left the room after that closing the door behind her.

Jason woke-up when he heard the door close.  He silently got out of the bed and exited the room.  Katherine was just ahead of him so he jogged to catch up with her.

"Good morning Jason I hope I didn't wake you."

"Ohh, no it's fine there is actually something I wanted to ask you…"

"Well then go ahead."

"I just wanted to ask your permission to ask Courtney to marry me."

"Ohh, Jason, you have all the permission you need and more." She smiled to herself, her granddaughter was finally going to be happy.

"Thank you"

"Mm hmm.." she nodded and kept walking while Jason turned around and walked back to Courtney's room.  There she was, but something was different about her.  Suddenly she wasn't smiling anymore.  Jason climbed back into the bed and she stirred.

"Good morning what time is it?"

"Early, go back to sleep."

"Are you going back to sleep?"

"I suppose" he kissed her on the forehead and she turned and snuggled into Jason falling asleep again.  They didn’t wake up again for another 3 hours.  At 9:15 Carly and Sonny came in their room.

"WAKE UP!!" Carly screamed into the room.  Jason and Courtney quickly stirred from their slumber.

"We're up" Courtney moaned.

"If you were up you wouldn't be in that bed still!"  Courtney and Jason rolled out of the bed.  The group decided to go out to breakfast.  At 10 they left, it was going to be a busy day.

"Ok so last night I figured out an entire schedule; 1. Breakfast 10-11:30, and then back home. 2. Tux fitting for Sonny and Jason 12- 1:30, hair for me and Courtney 2-4, time to get dressed and so on 4-5:30, leave and arrive at the party at 6!!" she smiled, she had planned it all out for the group.

"Sounds… great!" Sonny knew not to get in the way of Carly's plans especially when he was popping the question that night.

The group ate and then headed for the tux fittings.

"Courtney do I have to wear a tux, I mean I never get dressed up."

"Jason, you agreed to it!" she was tense about the party and her mother having moved back with Ric.

"But…"

"Fine!  Don't wear the tux I don't give a dam what you do!"  She was stressed and hadn't meant to explode at Jason. "Jason I'm sorry… I didn't mean that…"

"Whatever, we'll talk about it when we get there." Jason turned to look the window, Courtney looked out the other and tears welled in her eyes.  Right before their first Christmas ans she had started a fight with him.

Carly saw her crying, she saw the hurt in his eyes.  For once she didn't know what to do.  She nudged Sonny as she did Courtney broke down and cried letting the tears stream down her face rapidly reaching her chin and then falling.  Jason looked over, why had he been such an ass?  Why couldn't he just wear the tux?  He looked away again unable to handle the pain he had caused her.  They pulled up to the shop and everyone got out robotically.  They entered, Carly and Sonny going to ask for assistance but Jason and Courtney stayed to the side of the entrance.  Jason took Courtney's hand and pulled her to an empty area filled with tux tops and bottoms.

"Courtney I am so so-"

"Jason I didn't mean what I said.  And I fully understand if you want to call things off right now.  But Jason I just want you to know that I am going to love you forever."

"Courtney, you are not going anywhere, I was being an ass.  Please don't think I want you to leave because I want to be with you for the rest of my life.  I love you Courtney more than you could possible know." He hugged her tightly and then kissed her gently.  After that they met up with Sonny and Carly.  Carly looked in Courtney eyes and saw that everything was fine.  After an hour Jason decided on the classic black and white as did Sonny.  They left and headed to the salon.

"Do you know how long it has been since I got my hair styled?" Carly was to excited to function.

"No, Carly tell us please I am dying to know." Courtney knew Carly couldn't hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"Since prom and that was six months ago!!"

"NO! Not an entire six months!" Courtney giggled if Carly knew Sonny was going to propose she might have passed out by now.  They pulled up to the salon and Carly and Courtney went to the back leaving the men in the waiting area.

"Ohh boy we are in big trouble spoiling them like this!"

"Yeah I know so are you ready for tonight?" Jason didn't want to seem rude but he didn't have a lot of time to talk to him, he was thinking very hard.

"Well I tried to think of what to say but it is just going to have to be from my heart."

"Ohh, I am going to go for a walk I will be right back."  Jason left and walked next door to the jewelers.

"May I help you sir?" a clerk at the desk asked as Jason let the door close behind him.

"I'm looking to purchase an engagement ring."

"Well sir, I don't know what your budget is but we only have few in stock, this way." The man led Jason to a case of rings.  That was when he saw it, shining brightly against all the rest, a sapphire and diamond engagement right.  He already knew which one he wanted.

"Do you have this one in stock?"

"Yes, but it is very expensive."

"I don't care." He stated it with out emotion he didn't want to let his emotions make him seem like a young boy who had a crush.

"So who is the lucky lady?"

"Courtney Matthews"

"Courtney! Wow, I knew her mother, we dated in high school and then remained friends."

"Yeah, well I have got to get going." Jason purchased the ring and went back to the salon.

"What did you buy?" Sonny asked gesturing towards the bag.

"A present" Jason wanted everyone to be shocked when he asked Courtney to marry him.

"Well I hope she likes it."

"Yeah, me too."  Jason then hid the present in his pocket and sat down

1 hour later…

"Here they come!" As Sonny said it they both stood up.  First Carly walked out her hair was situated on the top of her head in perfect ringlets, the back was twisted in a criss cross pattern.  Sonny almost dropped onto the ground.  She was so beautiful.

"Carly you look amazing" he stuck out his hand and she took it both of them stepping to the side.

Courtney took a deep breath, I hope he likes it…

Jason inhaled deeply waiting for her.  She stepped out and Jason dropped his mouth open.  He couldn't believe how amazing she looked.  Her hair was curled fully and the top had been pulled back, but the bottom hung down just reaching the edges of her shoulders.  She had never looked like an angel the way she did now.  He would gladly stay in that moment forever just to be able to see her like that everyday.

"Jason…" she said it softly but it melted his heart like butter.

"Courtney, I don't know what to say… you look, you are, you're an angel." She ran towards him and he held her.

"I love you." She whispered into his chest.

"I love you more than anything." He kissed her on the top of the head then took her hand and they walked out of the salon, oblivious to Carly who had begun to cry and Sonny who was just watching them.  When they realized the other two were gone they left the salon.  They all went back to the house and began to get dressed.  An hour later Courtney and Carly walked down the stairs.  Carly came first,

"And now presenting Carly!" Katherine called out while Carly pretended to walk down the runway.  Sonny saw her and inhaled how was he going to ask her when she looked so amazing.

"Carly… wow, I mean you look... beautiful." He put his arm out and she wrapped her's around his.

"And here is Courtney!" Jason held his breath, he had almost passed out just when she had her hair-he stopped thinking there she was glowing.  She was  more beautiful than any fairy tale princess by far.

"Courtney… ohh my… I don't know what to say I mean, wow!" he couldn't keep his words straight.  She giggled and took his hand.  The group walked out and left for the party.  As soon as they walked in everyone's eyes were on the two couples.  First the Italian and the women on his arm descended the stairs; she looked ravishing in the deep red of her dress.  Then came the couple afterwards; Courtney felt the same way she had on the first day of high school in Port Charles, everyone was looking at them.  Jason slightly tightened his grip on Courtney's hand and they walked down.  The stairs to meet Carly and Sonny.  They night progressed with the normal eating, a few dances.  At 10 Sonny pulled Carly out into the gardens.  She followed totally confused on what was going on.

"Sonny…"

"Shh... Carly there is something I need to say."

"Well then go on.,,"

*~*

Sonny and Carly walked back in, when they reached Courtney and Jason Carly hugged each of them.

"Congratulations!" Courtney said and the night continued.  During a dance the thought passed her mind.  Will Jason ever propose to me? But she dismissed it, of course he will, I mean we only saw each other for two months and I just came back.  When the group got home Katherine congratulated Carly and they went to sleep.