Journey Online

Courtney flushed the toilet and ran water in the sink. He heard the water turn off but when she didn’t come out he went looking for her. He found her sitting on the tile floor with her back against the wall. He squatted down in front of her and took her hands in his.

“Honey, I’m so sorry.” Jason said. “I know this is going to cause more problems between the two of you.”

She pushed off from the wall and stood up. She walked out into the bedroom with Jason.

“It’s my own fault. I should have told him right away. He can’t get at the money until he’s 25 but that’s only about 18 months away.” She spun around to face him. “He was so screwed up when I found out. I was afraid if I told him he’d do something stupid and end up never getting the money. Then mom killed herself and he ran away.”

“Court, stop. Go tell him. Right now. The longer you wait the worse it’s going to be.” Jason advised her.

“I can’t, Jason. I just can’t.” She said as she started crying again.

He pulled her into his arms trying to comfort her. “Shhhh, honey, you need to calm down. Everything will be okay, I promise.”

Jason’s cell phone started to ring in his pocket but he just reached in and turned it off. She pulled away from him wiping her eyes.

“Jason, you need to take that call. It might be important.” She took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Nothing is more important than you.” He replied.

Just then the phone on the nightstand started to ring. Courtney gave a small laugh.

“Evidently, whoever is calling disagrees.”

Jason walked over to the phone and answered it, “Morgan.”

Courtney watched her husband’s face as he listened to what the caller was telling him. She saw his jaw tighten and she knew he was angry. She heaved a sigh loud enough for him to hear over the caller’s voice. He gave her what she assumed was meant to be a reassuring smile but it just heightened her sense of unease. He listened for a few more seconds and then said “thanks” before hanging the phone back on the cradle.

“Ready to eat, honey?” He asked.

“No.” She said as she switched on the small bedside lamp on her side of the bed. “Tell me what that call was about.”

“Just business.” He replied but looking into her eyes he continued. “Probably.”

“Probably just business?” She asked.

“Our connection at the PCPD says that a PI was looking into my background. He said the man was very interested in recent events like the fires. Greg followed up and found the guy was asking questions all over town about me … and you.”

“What does this mean, Jason?” She asked with fear on her face.

“I don’t know but I will find out.”

“One last thing about the money …” Courtney began.

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Dinner was a tense affair in the Morgan penthouse. After Jason told Courtney about the PI and how Sonny had been looking into her past she was very unhappy. Zander was confused about the confrontation he and Jason had earlier and Jason’s remark that Courtney had lied to both of them. Jason was angry and scared that someone was going to try to hurt Courtney or their babies.

After they finished eating no one was in the mood for dessert so Jason sent Courtney up to take a bath and he and Zander cleaned up the kitchen. They worked in silence for a few minutes until Zander couldn’t take the suspense one moment longer.

“What was all that about earlier?”

Jason shut off the water in the sink and put down the dish he’d been rinsing.

Turning to his brother-in-law he said. “Courtney has something that she needs to tell you and she thinks you’re going to be angry with her. She’s afraid that she’ll lose you again once you know.”

“You can’t tell me what it is?” Zander asked.

“No, it’s not my place to tell you. But, Zander, you have to promise me something. When she tells you have to try to stay calm. She’s been under a lot of stress lately and she hasn’t been feeling well. For the sake of her health and the babies don’t blow up at her.”

“It’s that bad then?”

“Zander, you know that she would never do anything deliberately to hurt you. Keep that in mind.”

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Courtney sat on the bed in her nightgown and robe brushing her hair. She was trying to stay calm. She knew stress was not good for the babies and she had been feeling so run down the past few days. It had been easy to cover up on the island but at home there were too many eyes watching her. She had tried to assure both Carly and Jason that she was fine but she could tell neither believed her. She would see Dr. Meadows the day after tomorrow and everything would be fine then.

‘I wish this damn headache would go away.’ She thought.

She looked up as Jason walked into the room. His face clouded with concern so she gave him a smile.

“It’s just a little headache. Jetlag.” She told him.

He nodded but he still thought she looked too pale. “How about I go get you a piece of cherry pie and a glass of milk? Does that sound good?”

“MMMM, I would love some cherry pie.” She said with genuine delight.

He walked over and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

As Jason was walking out of the bedroom Zander was coming up the stairs.

“Remember what I said. She’s not feeling well.” Jason told him. “I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”

Zander just nodded and headed into the master bedroom.

“Hey, Corey, what’s up?” He asked.

“Hey Zan.” She said patting the bed next to her. “Have a seat. I need to tell you something.”

“Yeah, I know. Jason told me.” He answered. “He made me promise I wouldn’t get mad at you. It’s something about the money mom and dad left us, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” She began. “You know that I love you and … god, this is so hard.”

She got up off the bed and walked around the room a few times trying to clear her head.

“Corey, just tell me, okay? Whatever it is we’ll deal with - you, me and Jason.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jason step back into the room with the pie and milk. She met his eyes and felt calmer, safer, more at ease. She looked at him and then back to her brother and pushed through her fear.

“Zander, mom and dad left us a lot more money than you think. My portion was available to me immediately after their deaths and yours will become open to you on your 25th birthday. It was done like that because of the trouble you’d been getting into even before mom and dad died. I found out about the money shortly after mom killed herself and right before you left.”

‘He doesn’t seem too mad.’ She thought. With that she pressed on with the rest of the story.

“I know I should have told you right away when we reconnected here but with the fires, then the babies and finally Liz and AJ I was just too overwhelmed to think about it.”

“And now?” Zander asked.

“I have to tell you now because Sonny found out and he told Jason. Then Jason told you enough that I was forced to tell you.”

“You didn’t want me to know? I’d have found out soon enough when I got the money.” Zander told her.

“I wanted you to know I just didn’t know how to tell you.” Courtney shot Jason a look that practically screamed, “Help me.”

“Zander, I think what she’s trying to say is that she didn’t know how to tell you about the money or how much there really is being held on account for you.”

Zander just looked back and forth between the two of them. As much as he promised he would remain calm he got the sense that the next thing he would hear would change everything between the three of them.

Jason continued. “Courtney has decided that she doesn’t want her portion of the money. She’s used only a little bit over the years for living expenses and the private investigator she used to find you. She wants to open access of her accounts to you immediately and in 18 months when your money is available she’ll transfer her accounts to your name.”

“Courtney, you can’t do that. What if you need the money one day?” Zander protested.

“Jason has more than enough money to finance our life together. I want you to have the money, Zander … all of it.”

Zander turned to his sister’s husband. “Jason, talk to her.”

“She’s made up her mind. We’re having the bank make the arrangements tomorrow.” Jason told him.

Zander stood up and shaking his head started to leave the room.

“Zander, do you want to know how much money?”

In all the talk Zander had completely forgotten to ask just how much money they were talking about. He turned back to them and just nodded.

“With Courtney’s share your inheritance will total a little under $13 billion.”

Chapter 51 - Secrets and Lies

A smile spread over Zander’s face. “Very funny, Jase. $13 billion, right.”

“He’s serious, Zander.” Courtney said softly.

“$13 billion? How is that even possible? Where did it come from?” Zander asked stunned by the news.

“I don’t know and I don’t care. I don’t want any money from that man.” Courtney said as her temper began to rise.

Jason put a hand on her arm to steady her. “Honey, don’t get upset again.”

“This is why I don’t want the money, Zan. It makes me sick to think about it.” Courtney told her brother.

She walked over the bed and sat down taking deep breaths trying to calm down. She could feel her heart start to race. She closed her eyes but when she did images of the night her father died kept flashing in her head. It had been happening on and off for weeks now. The nightmares were mostly gone but the memories still haunted her. She tried to stop herself before Jason and Zander noticed. The last few times this had happened she’d been alone. She knew it would only get harder to hide it from her husband.

Jason saw her grow paler and took a few steps towards her. She managed to get herself under control in time and looked up at him. She gave him a weak smile when she saw the concern on his face.

“I’m just tired and I have a little headache.” She forced out.

Jason turned back to Zander. “Let’s go talk downstairs. Courtney needs sleep.”

He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead and whispered, “Rest now, baby. I’ll be up soon.”

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Jason sat on the couch and watched Zander pace around the living room for a few minutes. He knew that Zander and Courtney were enough alike that it would be best to wait until Zander was ready to talk but it was getting late and Jason was concerned about his wife.

“Zander, this is a lot to deal with right now. Maybe we should put this on hold until tomorrow.” He started to get up from the couch.

Zander turned to look at Jason. “Where does someone get this kind of money, Jason? You don’t have this much do you? Does Sonny? Do the Quartermaines?”

Jason just shook his head. “I don’t know, Zander. But it’s yours … every penny. Courtney is very serious about not taking any of it.” Jason rubbed his hands over his face. “She told me that she is determined to wipe every trace of your father out her life.”

Zander gave Jason a hard look. It scared Jason a little. He had never seen Zander this way. “She should. That man almost destroyed her. You don’t know what it was like after that night. She changed. It was almost like she had died.”

“Is she okay, Zander? I need to know that’s she’s okay now.”

Zander turned and moved toward the stairs. He stopped halfway there but he didn’t turn around.

“She’ll never be completely okay, Jason. She’ll get better every day but she’ll never be who she was before he put his hands on her.”

Jason ran over to the stairs and grabbed Zander turning him so they were face to face. “She told me he didn’t … that you got there in time.”

“I did but it doesn’t matter. Her heart broke the moment she knew that he wanted that from her. She lives every day knowing that her father’s love was a lie and no matter what she says somewhere deep inside she thinks it’s her fault.”

“Did she tell you that?” Jason asked.

“She didn’t have to. I know her, Jason. In some ways, I know her better than you ever will and I can see it in her eyes when she thinks we’re not looking.”

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Courtney lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She had managed to get her breathing under control but she was still fighting the images. She could hear Jason and Zander’s voices downstairs but not what they were saying. She could imagine though. The money. That damn money. And then, suddenly, she could see him standing in the doorway. She sat up in the bed.

Jason’s blood ran cold. It wasn’t even the word that got to him it was her voice. He had never heard her voice sound like that … younger, more innocent, girlish … and scared. He stood still for fear that he would startle her if he moved toward her in their bed.

“Hey, Court, I thought you were sleeping.” He said trying to keep his voice light. He didn’t even know what their father’s voice sounded like but he prayed his was different enough than what she remembered.

“Jason?” She asked her voice returning to normal.

He started into the room towards her. “Yeah, were you dreaming?”

‘Oh my God, I said Daddy.’ She thought. ‘Where did that come from?’

“I guess I was.” She lied.

He stood by the window so she could see him in the moon’s light. He wanted to make sure she knew without a doubt who he was and that she was safe here and now.

“It’s all this talk about the money. It’s stirred up your memories. But tomorrow, once you’ve signed the papers, you can get back to normal.” Jason told her.

“Whatever normal passes in our life.” She said jokingly. She was still distressed that she had stupidly said Daddy to him and she was trying to cover.

He walked over to the bed and sat down taking his shirt off. She ran her fingers down his arm lightly. Her touch had been little more than a tickle really and she felt the goose bumps raise on his arm.

“Sorry, honey.” She said.

Jason gave her a smile before he bent down to take his boots off and another memory of her father hit her. That night he sat on her bed and bent down to put his glass on the floor before he turned back to her. She saw it so clearly.

She gritted her teeth and tried to will the vision from her head. Jason slid into bed next to her and she forced herself to relax. She turned onto her side away from him and felt his arm reach around her to pull her against him.

“Just sleep. It’s been a long day.” Jason said.

‘Think about the babies.’ Courtney reminded herself. As the images receded she had a thought that scared her more than Jason finding out. ‘Am I going crazy?’

Jason lay next to his wife listening to her breathing slow. When he knew she was asleep he got back out of bed and grabbing his cell phone off the nightstand he headed into the bathroom to call Sonny.

“I’m coming over. I need to see that file.” He disconnected the call and got dressed again.

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Jason shot a look at his watch again. An hour had passed since he’d left her. He needed to get back to the other penthouse. He was worried that Courtney would have a nightmare and he wouldn’t be there. Sonny told him to take the file back home with him but Jason didn’t want to risk Courtney finding it. There were some things in the dossier that would most definitely upset her. Her father had a police record. It had been buried but Greg was the best at getting hidden information. Russell Matthews had been arrested twice for statutory rape. He was never indicted and never stood trial. Neither charge was from the affair with Zander’s mother. So Russell had had sex with, at least, three teenage girls and he had attempted to rape his own daughter.

‘This guy was really sick. I wonder how much other stuff he got away with that Greg couldn’t find.’ Jason thought.

He got up from the couch and left the file on the table for Sonny. As he exited PH2 he saw a sneakered and sweat-suited clad Marco check the door of PH4. When the bodyguard saw Jason he unlocked the door.

“Hey Marco, everything okay?” Jason asked.

“Everything’s fine, Mr. Morgan. First day back from vacation so I want to get my routine back.”

Jason had sent Marco on vacation when Courtney had fled to the island. It had taken some convincing but finally Marco had agreed to take the paid time off. Jason felt it was the least he could do after all Courtney had made Marco deal with over the past few weeks.

“Well, get back to bed. You need to be alert tomorrow. Courtney’s going shopping again.” Jason smiled at the man as Marco rolled his eyes.

He watched as Marco got into the elevator and hit the button for the floor below.

Jason entered the apartment and locked the door behind him. As he headed back up to bed it occurred to him that Zander needed to know all of this too. Jason made the decision to tell him in the afternoon when Courtney and Carly were shopping.

‘Wait til Marco finds out Carly is going too. He may try to resign again.’

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With the bank papers signed Courtney gave her brother a smile. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

She got up from her chair and let Jason lead her out of the bank president’s office.

The bank officer looked at Zander as he gathered up the paperwork. “You’re sister is a very generous woman.”

Zander stood up and shook the man’s hand. “She’s like no one you’ll ever meet, Mr. Williams. She’s worth more to me than any amount of money.”

Zander sat back down as a thought occurred to him. “Mr. Williams, I need your help with something. I need to do some research first. I’d like to come back and see you next week if that’s possible.”

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Max and Marco trailed as discreetly as possible behind the two blonde women. It was nearly impossible for people to not know that they were bodyguards though. Every few moments one of the men would signal the other and sweep the perimeter of the area. They were both careful and watchful but the taller, thinner guard was extra vigilant. He watched the younger woman with such devotion. Courtney and Carly ignored the men and giggled over clothes. Though only 10 weeks pregnant Courtney’s waist was beginning to expand. She wasn’t showing yet but all her clothes were becoming snug. Dr. Meadows had warned her that a multiple pregnancy would develop faster physically. So here the best friends were - not quite 3 months after Carly had spent thousands of dollars to outfit Courtney with all new clothes - buying a brand new wardrobe. As if either of them minded the shopping spree. Marco had noticed that after several hours though, Courtney had begun to tire. He walked over to her and stood behind her until she noticed him.

“Is something wrong, Marco?” Courtney asked.

“No, Mrs. Morgan, everything is fine. You seem tired though. I think it’s time to head home.”

Carly smiled at her friend’s protector. Marco had gone beyond being just a bodyguard to Courtney. Maybe it was because she was pregnant but in the short time that Courtney had been his responsibility they had bonded in a way that had taken years for Carly and Max to develop.

“He’s right, Courtney. I’ll have the store ship the clothes back to the Towers. You let Marco take you home now. I’ll have Max call for another car.”

Courtney just nodded. She was tired and grateful that Marco had noticed. As he started to lead her out of the store he got his phone out to call for the car. Courtney stumbled and Marco grabbed her arm dropping the phone.

“Max.” Marco yelled. Max and Carly hurried over.

“I’m fine.” Courtney protested. “I just stumbled a little.”

Marco ignored her. “Max, call for the car and wait for it out front. I’ll stay in here with them. Call Mr. Morgan and have him meet us at home.”

Max nodded and left the store to get the car. Carly looked on with concern and Marco led Courtney to the chair the store clerk brought over.

“Everyone, please stop. I’m fine really.” Courtney insisted. But Marco and Carly saw how pale she had grown.

“What happened, sweetie?” Carly asked.

“I just felt a little dizzy and I stumbled.” Courtney said.

Carly looked at Marco. “I’m going to go finish up with the clerk. I’ll be done in a minute.”

Marco and Courtney watched as Carly walked away.

“Marco, you’re overreacting.” Courtney told him.

“Mrs. Morgan, my job is to watch after you and keep you safe. Please let me do that.”

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“What happened, Marco?” Jason asked.

Jason met them at the door of the apartment and had Zander take Courtney up to the bedroom to rest. Now, he was getting Marco’s report.

“Well, they had been shopping for a few hours when I noticed Mrs. Morgan looked tired. I went to escort her to the car when she stumbled. She said that she had gotten dizzy. I kept Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Corinthos in the store while Max went for the car. We came straight home.”

“Thanks, Marco. You did the right thing even thought I know she probably said she was fine. She needs to be more careful. This pregnancy is hitting her hard.”

“I know, Mr. Morgan. I’ll be in the hall if you need me.”

Zander came back down the stairs so he and Jason could finish their discussion about the material Greg had uncovered.

“How is she?” Jason asked.

“She says she’s fine.” Zander replied.

“But?” Jason asked.

“But she’s lying. She’s not fine and I don’t think this has anything to do with the babies.”

Chapter 52 - Promises to Keep

“That’s why she can’t know about any of this, Zander.” Jason warned. “This money has gotten her all upset again and she needs to just forget about it.”

“I agree completely. But I did want to talk to you about something. I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to do with the money.” Zander said.

“You wanna buy a small third world country?” Jason joked.

Zander laughed. “No, I want to start a charitable foundation in Courtney’s name. Maybe do a little good with the money.”

“I think that’s a great idea, Zander.” Jason replied.

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Jason watched her sleep. Courtney had been curled up tightly in a ball in the middle of the bed but he saw some of the color return to her face and she relaxed a little on the bed. He was relieved to see the changes. He wanted to touch her but was afraid if he did she would be frightened. He felt so helpless and angry. He didn’t know how to help her and he couldn’t punish the person that had done this to her. All he could do was take care of her, make sure she was safe, and love her.

He was getting up when he felt her stirring. He stayed put and waited for her to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him for a minute.

“I feel like I’m sleeping our life away.” She muttered.

“You need your rest, honey. You’ve got a hard job.” He told her with a smile.

“Yeah, being your wife is a chore.” She said smiling back at him. “I’m sorry I interrupted your work today. I told Marco I was fine.”

He reached over and took her hand in his. “Courtney, Marco did the right thing. It’s important that you’re taken care of.”

She yanked her hand away from him and sat up. “Dammit, Jason, I’m not a child. I don’t need everybody fussing over me all the time. I can take care of myself. I did it just fine before I met you.”

Courtney got off the bed and stomped into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

‘When am I going to learn?’ Jason wondered. He walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. “Honey, I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I just mean that I’m always here when you need me. Nothing is more important than you.”

He listened for her response but all he heard was the water turn on in the shower. He heaved a sigh and went down to the kitchen to see about dinner.

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She knew that she had no excuse for snapping at him. ‘God, he even apologized.’ She felt so out of control lately.

‘What’s happening to me?’ She wondered.

She sat on the floor and thought for a long time. She came to the conclusion that it was just hormones and stress. Her mind was playing tricks on her because her body was just overwhelmed right now. Feeling better she got up and turned off the now cold shower. She went down to the kitchen where she heard Jason and Zander playfully bickering over who was a worse cook.

“It’s a tie.” She exclaimed walking over to Jason. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered an apology in his ear. She got a smile in return from him.

“So, who wants Chinese?” Zander asked picking up the menu.

“Oh, Sesame Shrimp sounds good to me.” Courtney said.

“Order me some Kung Pao Chicken, Zan. We’ll be back.” Jason said as he pulled Courtney into the living room by her hand. He settled the two of them on the couch in front of the fireplace. In a week or two it would be too warm for a fire. Spring was rapidly approaching.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Courtney asked.

“I just want to clear up what happened earlier.” Jason said.

“Jase, I was just being moody. It’s hormones.” Courtney told him.

“I know. You keep telling me that and I believe you but I want you to know that if something is bothering you, you can tell me. You can tell me anything.”

For a brief second she thought about telling him about the flashbacks but she didn’t want to worry him. He meant well but she knew he’d just hover and fuss. He saw something flicker in her eyes and then just as quickly it was gone. He had to just trust that she would tell him when she needed to. He had always been a man of action so it was difficult for him - this waiting game he had to play with her. He knew she was worth it though.

Courtney scooted over and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I really am fine. I know my mood swings are difficult. I don’t like them any more than you do. I feel awful when I snap at you for no reason.”

She pulled back to look at him. “Jason, you have to promise me you won’t take it personally.”

“I’ll try not to but you only seem to get mad at me.” He teased.

She pushed him back against the couch and climbed into his lap straddling him. She leaned in close to him and kissed his neck.

“You’re also the only one who gets the benefits of the hormones too.” She said her voice thick with desire.

He ran his hands up her back and pulled her tightly against him. “True.” He managed to get out before she kissed him fiercely. She reached down to pull his t-shirt out of his jeans wanting to get her hands on his skin.

“Dinner should be here in about 15 ….” Zander stopped abruptly when he spotted them. “Oh, I do not need to see this.”

“Jason, man, that’s my sister.” He tried to appeal to Jason’s brotherly instincts. “How would you like it if I was kissing Emily like that?”

Jason pulled away from Courtney slightly. “If I ever catch you kissing my sister like this you two better be married like we are and you better make sure you’ve got a good head start because if I catch you…. Now go away.” He growled.

Courtney started laughing and got off Jason’s lap. “Easy there, you two.”

Zander started to set the dining room table with the plates and utensils.

“You and I will finish this later, Mrs. Morgan. While you were napping Benny called me and gave me the tally on your shopping spree today.” He raised an eyebrow at her in mock annoyance.

“It’s your own fault. If you hadn’t made love to me three times a day and gotten me knocked up I wouldn’t need new clothes.” She joked back at him.

“OKAY. That’s enough of that kind of talk.” Zander yelled as he went back in the kitchen.

Jason and Courtney both laughed at Zander’s discomfort.

“If we keep this up he’s going to move out, Jason.” Courtney told him.

“He’s already decided to, honey.” Jason said gently.

“What?” Courtney asked. “When did he tell you that?”

“This afternoon. He thinks we should be alone because we’re newlyweds and with the babies coming.”

“But I don’t want him to leave. I just found him again.” Courtney protested her eyes filling with tears.

“Court, he’s not leaving tonight. He probably won’t go for another few weeks and he’s only moving down one floor. I got him the apartment next to Marco.”

“God, Jason, do you and Sonny own the whole building?” She said wiping her eyes and feeling immensely better.

“If we don’t, we will soon.” Jason answered grateful that another meltdown had been averted.

“They’ll have to change the name from Harborview Towers to Mobland Meadows.”

“Funny girl.” Jason said.

“Well, you married me for my sense of humor.” Courtney answered.

“Really? I thought I married you because you’re great in bed.”

“Dammit, would you please stop?”

Jason and Courtney looked up to see that Zander had walked back into the room. The couple dissolved into fits of laughter on the couch.

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Courtney was happy as she got ready for bed. They had a nice dinner and for dessert the cherry pie no one had wanted last night. Best of all, she hadn’t had another episode since the one in the boutique.

She took the extra pillows off the bed and pulled the covers back. She could hear Jason showering through the closed bathroom door and she contemplated joining him for a minute but her fatigue got the better of her so she climbed into bed to wait for him. As she snuggled down into the covers she rubbed her hand lightly over her belly.

“Hey, babies, it’s mommy. I can’t wait to meet you. I don’t really know how to be a mommy so you’re both going to be patient with me. But I love you both so much. And you have the best daddy in the whole world.”

“In the whole world, huh?” Jason said.

Courtney looked up to see him standing at the foot of the bed in boxers drying his hair with a towel and smiling broadly at her.

“I didn’t hear you get out of the shower.” Courtney replied embarrassed that she had been caught talking to her stomach.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, honey.” Jason said sincerely.

He put the towel back in the bathroom and crawled into bed beside her. He gently tugged the silky fabric of her nightgown up until her abdomen was exposed. He splayed his hand over her skin and gently caressed the slight swell of the babies. He leaned down and kissed her twice.

‘One for each baby.’ She thought and smiled at him.

“Hey, what about me?” She asked.

“Feeling neglected?” He inquired as he moved back up the bed to her.

He ran his fingertips over the soft skin of her cheek. He saw her eyes shut and she let out a small sigh. He gently brushed her lips with his own.

“I love you.” He whispered.

He saw tears slip out of the corners of her closed eyes but she had a slight smile on her face. As he brushed the tears away with his fingers she opened her eyes to look at him.

“You brought happiness and light back into my life.” Courtney said. “Thank you.”

He reached across her to turn the light out then wrapped his arms around her.

“You are my life.” He answered her.

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A few blocks away from the now quiet penthouse, Alexandra St. Clair sat in her hotel room at the Port Charles Hotel and made her plan.

She had been enquiring about the Morgan family around town. Discreetly, of course. She couldn’t have anybody getting suspicious before she made her move.

She had waited long enough and now she would do what she should have done long ago. She would ensure that no one would take what was hers again. Not ever.

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In an apartment the floor below where Courtney slept in her husband’s arms the phone rang. The dark haired man turned off the TV and picked up the handset.

The words he heard scared him. He questioned the man on the other end of the line to be sure the fear he felt in his stomach was warranted.

“You’re sure she’s connected to Frank Martin, Greg?”

“Dammit, why is he sending a woman to get his information?”

“I’ll talk to Mr. Morgan in the morning and find out what he wants me to do. What does she look like?”

“What? She looks like who? That’s impossible.”

“Fine, thanks for the heads up, Greg?”

Marco slammed the phone down and began to pace around the living room. Max came out of the kitchen and glanced at Marco’s nervous display.

“What’s up?” Max asked.

“Frank Martin’s girlfriend is in town asking questions about Mrs. Morgan. Greg said that she checked into the PC Hotel under her own name and that she’s been asking anybody she can about Courtney and Zander. Greg thinks Martin may try to use them as the weak link into the organization. Martin’s made no secret that he wants this territory.”

“That will never happen.” Max said.

“And I will kill anyone who tries to hurt Courtney or those babies.” Marco replied darkly the threat in his voice hard. “Or I will die protecting them.”

Chapter 53 - Family Ties

Courtney woke up alone. When she reached over, Jason’s side of the bed was cold so she knew he’d been gone a while.

She got up and put her robe on to head down to the kitchen for a glass of juice. When she got halfway down the kitchen stairs she heard Jason’s voice. She stopped. Something told her that she needed to hear what has being discussed and she knew they would stop the second she walked in the room.

“Okay, tell me again, Marco.” Jason said.

“Greg told me that Frank Martin’s girlfriend has been asking about Mrs. Morgan and Mr. Smith all over town. He said he thinks that Martin will try to use them as a way to take over your territory.” Marco reported.

“We won’t let anything happen to them, Mr. Morgan.” Tony told him.

‘So, Tony’s back.’ Courtney thought. ‘They must think Zander is in danger from this Frank Martin.’

Courtney peeked her head to see the scene in the kitchen. She saw Marco stand up and walk over to where Jason was leaning against the counter.

“I will never let anything happen to her or those babies. I will die for them if I have to.” Marco told his boss.

Courtney felt tears spring to her eyes. She knew Marco cared about her but to hear him say he would die for her or her children cut into her. Her husband paid him to keep her safe but his loyalty and devotion to her motivated the words.

“I know you would, Marco. That’s why I wanted you watching her. I am trusting you with the three most precious things I will ever have so I think from now on we’re all on a first name basis.”

Courtney let this be her cue to continue down the stairs into the room. Tony stood up from where he was sitting.

“Good morning, Mrs. Morgan.” Tony said.

“Hey, Tony, long time no see. What’s up, gentleman?” Courtney asked nonchalantly.

Toney and Marco looked to Jason for their cues.

“Oh, just a little warehouse security discussion, honey.” Jason lied.

“Oh.” She said knowing he was lying but not wanting to call him on it in front of his men.

“So are you two staying for breakfast?” She asked.

“No, thank you, Mrs. Morgan. We need to get going.” Tony replied.

“Oh, right. The warehouse.” She said shooting a look at Jason.

“I’ll be out front if you need me.” Marco told them.

Marco and Tony went out through the living room and Courtney waited until she heard the apartment door shut.

Courtney walked over to the refrigerator and got out the orange juice. As she was pouring some in a glass she looked over at Jason who was busying himself with the coffee pot.

“So, what’s really going on? She asked him. “And don’t lie to me again. You suck at it.”

Jason turned to look at her with a guilty look on his face. “I can’t tell you.”

“Like, hell, you can’t. If it has to do with me I have a right to know.” Courtney said angrily.

“Why would you think it had anything to do with you?” Jason asked.

“What? Marco was here for your wonderful eggs?” She asked sarcastically.

“He was just checking in, honey. He wanted to see what the schedule was today because he knew you had a doctor’s appointment.”

She put the glass of juice down on the counter and looked Jason square in the eye. She just stared at him for a minute until she saw him get a little uncomfortable.

“Jason, you are so full of sh*t. If you want to tell me I’ll be upstairs.”

She went back upstairs to get ready for their doctor’s appointment. She tried to ignore the thoughts swirling in her head. Someone was after her and her brother and Jason wasn’t going to tell her. She knew he would have to tell Zander because of Tony.

“Courtney, it’s nothing really. Just a rival family trying to intimidate us. I’ll take care of it.” Jason tried to reassure her.

“Using me and my brother.” Courtney said.

“You heard. Why didn’t you tell me?” Jason asked.

“I shouldn’t have to, Jason. You can’t keep stuff like this from me.”

“I was going to tell you after I got more information. I didn’t want you worrying unless I knew there was a reason. It could be nothing.”

“But you’re worried enough to put Tony back on Zander.” She pointed out.

“I’m being careful, that’s all.”

Jason brushed her hair back behind her ear and earned a small smile.

“We don’t need to be at Dr. Meadows office for another 2 hours. Can we go to Kelly’s for breakfast?” Courtney asked. “I’m dying for some French toast. Mmmmmm. Syrup.”

Jason laughed at her exuberance. “Anything you want, honey.”

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Jason sat them at the table with him facing the door and Marco outside. Courtney didn’t mention it but she could see Jason shifting into his protector mode.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, what can I get you?” Penny asked.

“She’s going to have the French toast and I’ll just have the special.” Jason answered.

“I’ll bring you both some coffee in a sec.” Penny turned to leave.

“Penny, can I have some milk instead?” Courtney requested.

Penny nodded and went back to the kitchen to put in their order.

Jason smiled at Courtney. “Milk?”

“What? It goes better with the syrup.” Courtney said.

When Penny came up to bring the milk and pour Jason’s coffee Courtney requested a side of bacon and eggs with the french toast.

“Do you want me to hold the french toast and bring it all at once?” Penny asked.

“No, bring the french toast when it’s ready and the bacon and eggs when they’re ready. Thank you.”

“God, honey, you’re really hungry.” Jason exclaimed.

“I know. I didn’t think I wanted that much but all of the sudden …. You know what I really want? Mashed potatoes. They probably don’t have any here though. Not for breakfast anyway. I’ll make some for dinner.”

Jason started laughing. “I think we’ve hit the cravings portion of your pregnancy.”

Courtney smiled back sheepishly. “I think you’re right.”

“Strangely enough, mashed potatoes sounds really good to me too.” Jason admitted.

“Uh oh, sympathy cravings. You’d better not get fat.” She teased.

Penny brought their breakfast and then returned with the bacon and eggs a few minutes later. She was stunned to see that Courtney had almost finished the french toast and had drained the milk.

“Can I get you anything else, Mrs. Morgan?” Penny asked politely.

Jason laughed at the stunned look on the waitress’s face. “She’s pregnant, Penny. With twins no less. So, I have a feeling you’re going to be asking that every time we’re in here.”

“That’s wonderful. Congratulations! So, can I get you anything else, Mrs. Morgan?”

“Well … you don’t have any mashed potatoes, do you? Oh, and chocolate milk.

---------------------------------------------------

Jason checked his watch. “We’re going to be late. I can’t believe you ate for an hour. I thought I was going to have to drag you away from that table.”

“Stop being mean to me. I’m eating for three.” Courtney said with a scowl on her face.

“Yeah, and two of them are the size of marbles.” Jason teased.

They walked into Dr. Meadows’ office right on time Courtney noted triumphantly. The nurse took Courtney in the back to weigh her. When she came back out she gave Jason a big smile.

“Ha, my weight is perfect. So there.”

Jason laughed and pulled her down onto his lap. “I’m sorry I was teasing you earlier. I’m glad that you’ve got your appetite back. I’ve been worried about you lately.”

“Jason.” Courtney groaned. “I’m fine. Stop fussing.”

The nurse came back out and motioned for Courtney. “Dr. Meadows will see you now, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan.”

She got up from Jason’s lap and took his hand to lead him in the back to Dr. Meadows’ office.

They sat down in front of her desk.

“So how are you feeling, Courtney?” Dr. Meadows asked.

“Great! I got my appetite back and I don’t feel so nauseous anymore.” She replied.

“Any concerns? Anything you’d like to talk about?”

“Actually, Dr. Meadows, she’s still having a problem with dizziness.” Jason confessed.

“Jason is exaggerating. I’ve had a few dizzy spells the past few weeks. It’s not a problem.” Courtney argued.

“Well, hormone fluctuations can cause the blood pressure to drop resulting in some dizziness. But be careful on the stairs and while bathing. The last thing we want is for you to fall.” Dr. Meadows advised.

“I will.” Courtney promised.

Dr. Meadows stood up. “Mr. Morgan, if you’ll wait here I’ll go examine Courtney and then the nurse will come get you when we’re ready for you.”

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“Well, everything looks great, Courtney. You and the babies are progressing nicely. Your weight is on target. Your blood pressure is a little higher than I like to see but if your hCG levels are elevated that will explain it. I’ll have the results of the blood test tomorrow and my nurse will call you.”

“Thanks.” Courtney replied.

“Do you have any questions that you didn’t want to ask in front of your husband?” Dr. Meadows inquired.

“No.” Courtney laughed. “I’m fine. He’s the worrier in the family.”

“Well, he’s seems like he’s giving you a lot of support and wants to be very involved.” Dr. Meadows said.

“Jason is being so great. He really takes care of me.” Courtney said as her eyes welled up and she laughed again. “Darn hormones.”

Dr. Meadows laughed with her. “Well, let’s get him in here.”

Dr. Meadows buzzed her nurse and directed her to bring Mr. Morgan to the exam room.

As the nurse let him in both Dr. Meadows and Courtney could see the concern on his face.

“Relax, they are all doing wonderfully, Mr. Morgan.”

Jason looked at Courtney and broke into a relieved and happy smile.

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“That was amazing.” Jason said looking over at his wife with awe. “You were amazing. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known.”

Courtney laughed at her husband’s strong reaction. “I didn’t do anything special. I just laid there.”

Taking her face in his hands he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “No, you did more than that. I never knew I was missing anything until I met you. Then I realized that I had been missing everything wonderful. Now I have you and our children and I don’t know how I ever got so lucky.”

“Wow.” She said. “You were really affected this time.”

“Last time went too fast. This time I enjoyed it more.”

“I noticed.” She said with a giggle as he ran his hand over her middle.

“I still can’t believe we could actually hear their little hearts beating.” Jason said.

Marco’s voice came over the intercom from the front of the limo. “We’re almost home. Do we need to make any stops?”

“Actually, Marco, I have a meeting at the Port Charles Hotel.” Jason replied.

“You do?” Courtney asked with a slight frown. “You didn’t tell me you’d be gone this afternoon.”

“Sorry, it slipped my mind. I got a call while you were in the bathroom at Dr. Meadow’s office.” He hated lying to her but he had to take care if this situation immediately.

“Okay, well, when will you be home?” Courtney asked.

Jason leaned over and gave his wife a kiss as the limo pulled to a stop. “An hour maybe two at the most, I promise.”

Courtney grabbed him before he could get out of the car. “Hey, I love you. Be safe.”

Jason smiled at her and got out. He watched the limo pull away and head around the corner towards Harborview Towers then he turned and walked back to the Port Charles hotel.

‘I’m going to find out what Frank Martin wants with my wife if I have to beat it out of his whore.’

Jason strode into the hotel lobby and went straight to the front desk.

“Alexandra St. Clair’s room number?” He asked.

The clerk looked up and seeing Jason’s steely gaze froze momentarily. “Um, she actually just went into the PC Grille, sir.”

Jason turned in the direction the man was pointing and saw a blonde woman disappearing into the café. He ran after her and grabbed her by the arm.

“We need to talk.” He said as he spun around her to face him. When he saw her face he dropped her arm and backed away. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

The woman just smiled at him and continued on to a table.

Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

“Zander, I need you to get down to the Port Charles Hotel right now. I’ll meet you out front. And don’t tell Courtney where you are going.”

Jason hung up and went back out the front door of the hotel to wait for Zander. As he paced in front of the building his mind raced.

‘What the hell is going on? Marco said she looked like Court but … that’s too much. It was like seeing her aged 20 years.’

Then it hit him. This woman was Zander’s mother. It was the only thing that made sense.

Chapter 54 - Nothing to Say

Jason paced the sidewalk outside the hotel. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he barely noticed the blue sky or the bright sunshine. It was a beautiful early spring day and instead of taking his new wife for a walk in the park Jason Morgan was trying to figure out a way to tell his brother-in-law that the mother he had never known was in town.

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Marco told Courtney to wait as walked into the apartment first checking it for anything out of the ordinary. She just laughed at his overly cautious behavior.

“Marco, they would have had to get past security downstairs AND Max and Johnny to get in here. Relax, please.”

“Mrs. Morgan, I’m just doing my job.” Marco sighed as he put his gun away and ushered her into the penthouse.

“Marco, please call me Courtney. I feel so old being called Mrs. Morgan all the time.”

“Alright, Mrs. Morg ….” He drifted off at the mock stern look she was giving him. “Courtney.”

She laughed. “Good. I think I’m just going to do some reading this afternoon, Marco. Can I fix you some lunch?”

“That’s would be great, Mrs. … Courtney.” Marco replied.

“Give me 15 minutes and I’ll come get you, okay?” Courtney asked.

Marco nodded and left the penthouse for his station outside the door.

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Zander found a very agitated Jason in front of the Port Charles Hotel. “Hey, man, what’s up?”

Jason looked up at him and Zander saw the strangest _expression pass over his face.

“This Frank Martin thing has taken a …well, an unusual turn.” Jason said.

“Is everything alright?” Zander asked.

Jason saw Tony standing several feet away and waved him over.

“Tony, I need you to go get with Greg and have him find out everything he can about Alexandra St. Clair. When and where she was born, family, friends, police record, anything and everything.” Jason told his employee. When Tony walked off Jason turned back to Zander. He took a deep breath and then blew it out.

“Have you ever thought about trying to find your mother?” Jason asked.

“What? Jason, what’s going on?” Zander asked his confusion apparent.

“This woman, Alexandra St. Clair, looks exactly like an older version of your sister. She could be Courtney in 20 years.”

“Oh my god, I think I bumped into her at Kelly’s went I went to pick up Corey’s pie.” Zander looked at Jason. “Wait … you don’t think this woman is my mother, do you?”

“I don’t want to jump to any conclusions Zander. That could put all of us at risk. But the thought had crossed my mind.” Jason told him. “My original plan was to go in there and talk to her but I’ve changed my mind.”

“Then what are we going to do?” Zander asked.

“Well … do you think you’re up to going in there and talking to her?”

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Marco heard the crash and was inside the penthouse in under a second. Running into the kitchen with his gun drawn expecting to see an intruder he was met only by Courtney sitting on the floor - a pile of broken dishes next to her. She had her knees up to her chest and rocking back and forth. He could hear that she was faintly humming. He knelt down beside her putting his gun away.

“Mrs. Morgan? Are you okay?” He asked.

He looked her over carefully trying to see if she was hurt. He saw no cuts, no blood, but he knew she was not right. Her eyes were blank and glassy. It was like she wasn’t even inside her body. He reached out and touched her shoulder gently.

“Courtney?” He said softly.

When he got no response he got out his cell phone and dialed. Frustration coursed through him when he got voicemail.

“Dammit, Jason, where are you?” Marco asked into the air. He was getting ready to dial 911 when he saw Courtney stir. She blinked a few times.

“Jason?” She asked.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Marco asked.

“What do you mean?” Courtney asked looking at Marco in confusion. She looked around at the smashed dinnerware on the floor and she jumped up.

‘Cover.’ She thought. ‘Quickly.’

“I’m sorry I alarmed you, Marco. Everything is fine here.” She gave him a tremulous smile.”

He took her by the arm and led her to the nearest chair.

“Sit.” He ordered. He sat down across from her and gave her a hard look. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me nothing or that you’re fine.”

“Marco, really, you’re overreacting. I just broke some dishes.” Courtney attempted.

“Look, my job is to watch you and since you’ve been back from the island I have noticed something is wrong. Now, I come in here to find you sitting on the floor in broken dishes completely out of it.”

Courtney refused to meet his gaze. She could feel the tears start to prickle behind her eyelids. She decided to tell him. The spells were getting worse and she obviously couldn’t to control them anymore. She had completely blacked out this time. Not for long but it still terrified her because it could put the babies at risk.

‘Maybe telling him will make it easier to tell Jason.’ She thought.

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Jason’s words rang in Zander’s ears. ‘You can do this. Just don’t let on who you really are and you’ll be fine.’

Zander walked up to the table the blonde woman was sitting at and cleared his throat. When she looked up he gave her a smile.

“Hey, how are you? I just wanted to apologize again for the other day. Bumping into you at Kelly’s.” He reminded her.

“It’s fine really.” She replied.

Her voice sent a chill up his spine. After his initial shock of her looking like Courtney he could see that she was much older but the voice was exactly the same. The tone, timbre, inflection - it was pure Courtney.

The woman held out her hand. “Alexandra St. Clair.”

Zander took her hand and shook it realizing he needed a fake name. His eyes darted around and landed on a pack of cigarettes two tables over. “Phillip Morris.”

Across the room listening on his cell phone Jason just shook his head and smiled.

“Well, Phillip, would you care to join me?” Alexandra offered.

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Courtney struggled to maintain her composure. She wasn’t even sure what there was to tell but she knew he was waiting to hear it.

“A few years ago something really bad happened to me and I’ve had nightmares about it for years. They stopped but recently I’ve been having … I guess, flashbacks is what you would call them.” She looked up at him. “The dizzy spells are a part of it but today was the worst ever.”

“How long has this been going on?” Marco asked.

“A few weeks. They started the day I confronted Elizabeth Quartermaine.” She confessed.

“And you went off to that island alone?” Marco asked shaking his head.

“I didn’t know that’s what was happening. I thought I was stressed.” She said defensively.

“Why didn’t Jason tell me? I could have made sure you were more careful.” Marco said.

When Courtney refused to look at him again he said. “Jason doesn’t know.”

Courtney just shook her head. “And you can’t tell him, either, Marco.”

“He needs to know.” Marco insisted.

“Look, I am going to tell him but right now is just not a good time. This whole Frank Martin this has him really worried. I can’t add to his stress right now.”

Marco got up and went to the kitchen closet pulling out the broom and dustpan. As he swept up the broken dishes he thought about what she had said and dumping the plate shards into the trash he made a decision.

“You tell him tonight or I will.” He said as he handed her the cleaning tools. Then he walked out of the kitchen.

----------------------------------------------------

“So, how long are you staying in Port Charles?”

“Look, dear, you’re sweet but you are way too young for me.” She told Zander gently.

He started to choke on his coffee. Taking a second to breathe he looked at her.

“I’m not coming on to you - honestly, I’m just curious.” Zander insisted.

She laughed a small laugh and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He looked over at Jason watching them and she turned around to follow his gaze.

“Do you know him?” She asked turning back around. He saw Jason nod his head.

“Yeah … well, I know of him. That’s Jason Morgan.”

She whipped her head back around in time to see Jason get up from his table. She watched him walk out of the Grille still holding his phone to his ear.

“So what brings you to Port Charles?’

She got up and grabbed some money out of her purse placing it on the table. “I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Zander watched her head out the door after Jason. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

“She’s on her way out.” He told Jason.

Zander following behind, Alexandra St. Clair walked out of the Port Charles hotel. She was startled to see Jason Morgan leaning against a limo out front.