Chapter 2:

~*~ The Airport

“Oh Gabby!” Courtney exclaimed as the two girls prepared to board the plane, “I can’t believe that we’re really going to Spain!” Both girls smiled, ready to get away from California… and hit Barcelona’s gorgeous beaches! Although Gabby had traveled a lot before, Courtney had never been out of the country, except when AJ took her to that island, but she didn’t want to think about that. The thought of him made her shudder. She tried to shake off her nervous feeling as normal jitters and focus on all the fun she was going to have!

Once on the plane and seated comfortably, Courtney drifted in and out of sleep. She couldn’t get her brother, Carly and Jason out her mind. She’d only called Carly once in the three weeks since she’d left Port Charless-and hadn’t even told her that she was going to Barcelona.

She lay awake, her long blonde hair messy from turning and trying to get comfortable. “Hey Gabby, you awake?” Receiving no answer, Courtney reflected on the irony of the situation. Less than a couple of months ago, this was all she wanted-to be in Spain-with Jason. Just them in their own little world, but their world had come crashing down.

***Flashback***

***End Flashback***

~*~

Jason walked out of the penthouse, bag in hand. Sonny stepped out of his room to say goodbye. “Thanks for letting me do this. You know, if there are any emergencies, call me,” Jason said.

Two hours later, Jason was seated on the plane, headed to Barcelona. He needed time to clear the thoughts he’d had filling his mind for the past couple of weeks. The last time he’d been in an airport, it had been to see Courtney off. He tried to block her sweet, innocent face out of his mind and memory, but he just couldn’t do it. They way her smile lit up the room, her eyes and cheeks glowing. She had made him so happy.

~*~

When Gabby and Courtney reached the hotel in Barcelona, Courtney couldn’t believe her eyes. “This place-this view. Oh my god. It’s so beautiful.”

“One of my favorite spots in the world. Do you wanna hit the beach, or what?” Gabby asked.

“Of course. Let me grab my suntan lotion and change into my bikini.” Once the college-aged girls were ready to go, they set out on their first adventure in Barcelona.

“I already love it here,” Courtney sighed as she lay on the beach. Her blue-green bikini fit her body well, and the color matched her eyes. Soaking up the sun was all she needed to relax, just to be away from it all and not have to worry about anyone or anything.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Gabby whispered, hoping not to break the mood, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so peaceful.” They listened to the shouts of people having a good time and the sound the waves made as they crashed on the beach, endlessly moving, the waves never stopped coming.

“I feel so safe-so loved. This is what Jason would want me to feel like,” she spoke, not realizing that she’d said the words aloud.

“Who’s Jason?” Gabby inquired. Courtney’s heart beat faster, unsure of what to say. Who was he to her?

“He’s-he’s-I don’t know what he is. He is my best friend, my protector, my life, my love.”

Gabby turned to look at Courtney, her face confused. “Why did you leave him?”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

***Flashback***

***End Flashback***

The words of their final parting echoed through her mind. What they had shared was truly wonderful and unlike anything she’d ever experience before-from her protector, to her friend, and then her lover, he’d always been there for her. Lying on the beach, Courtney’s eyes filled with tears. “It just wasn’t meant to be,” she repeated.

“Oh Court, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, no,” she replied, “I was just remembering our final goodbye.”

~*~

He sat in the hotel room, remembering their last kiss. How strong she had been-how determined. Remarkably like the brother who had torn them apart. “It was all for the best though,” he thought. But how could he lie to himself? He knew inside the boy who appeared to feel no pain, there lay a heart that had been cut open. Grabbing his swimming trunks, he headed to Barcelona’s hottest beach.

~*~

Chapter 3:

“It was my brother-his boss-who tore us apart,” Courtney spoke suddenly.

Gabby gaped at the petite blonde. “You have a brother?” she asked in disbelief.

“Half-brother. When I first moved to Port Charles, I didn’t know. We didn’t get along too well, and I was too stubborn to listen to him.”

“That’s incredible. And you never knew, growing up?”

“Nope. And yet, when I finally found him, I turned my back. I refused to let him stop me from marrying the man that I thought I loved.”

“You and Jason were married?” Gabby questioned, becoming more confused the longer the conversation went on.

“No.” Courtney paused. “Have you ever been sailing?”

Gabby smiled, knowing that Courtney obviously didn’t want to talk about it. Although she was curious, Gabby knew that she should just let Courtney tell her on her own time. “Nope, but I’m game. Come on!” Gabby grabbed her stuff and the two girls ran along the hot sand toward the sailboats.

“Courtney! Stop! Wait!” Gabby called, out of breath.

“You never could keep up, could you?” Courtney teased, biting her lip in a small smile.

“Oo. Check out the guy by the docks,” Gabby remarked. “And oh-do you see those gorgeous baby blue eyes?” Courtney rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look at the stop to which Gabby was pointing. “If you’re not even going to look at him, well, I’m going to go talk to him.” Gabby started to walk towards the docks, her dark brown hair bouncing along her back.

“Wait, Gabby! You go ahead, I’ll go back to the hotel and just chill. Take a shower or something. I’m a little tired.” Courtney smiled, she did need a nap.

“You sure? I’ll be back in time so that we can go out tonight, ok?”

“See ya.”

~*~

Jason couldn’t believe that he’d just accepted an invitation to go out for drinks at a local club that night. He hoped that the pretty brunette wouldn’t want anything more than a friendly date because she wasn’t getting any. “She’s definitely not Courtney,” Jason sighed. “Why am I even comparing her to Courtney? I’m supposed to be here in Barcelona to forget about her. Well, the brunette-what was her name?-did say something about a friend coming too. So it’s not really a date, right?” Jason remembered the night Courtney had invited him for dinner. Carly had warned him then that it was a date, but he’d refused to believe it. And he ended up sleeping with her. What was the use of worrying? He couldn’t back out now.

~*~

“So… guess what?” Gabby said, trying to hide her excitement.

“What?”

“I invited him to go out with us tonight to that club we heard about.”

“You didn’t,” Courtney rolled her eyes.

“And…”

“Yes?”

“I think he’s perfect for you. I can’t wait for you to meet him!”

“Whatever Gabby, but I’ll go. Not guaranteeing that I’ll like him or anything,” Courtney said as she shrugged her shoulders.

“We’re meeting him at eight. Which gives us four hours to look nice. I say we hit some shops!”

Courtney grinned at her friend. “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day, Gabby.”

~*~

Carly dialed Courtney’s new number. She missed talking to her and going out with her. They’d had some really great times before she left. Carly was still angry with Sonny for ordering Jason to stay away from Courtney, but Courtney had left by her own choice and Carly respected that.

“Hey! Thanks for calling. This is Courtney and Gabriella, but we’re not available right now. Please leave a message and we’ll get back to you after we get home from our vacation to Barcelona.”

“Courtney’s in Barcelona?” Carly thought as she listened to the message on the machine. “Wouldn’t that be crazy if she ran into Jason?” Carly shook her head, knowing that the possibilities were slim.

~*~

After shopping, Courtney and Gabby began to get ready, each with a new dress. Courtney put on only a little make-up because she never liked to look all done up. Her hair was curled a little, just enough to give it a little bounce. She wore a deep red-colored dress that had thin spaghetti straps. It was cut low in the back and fit her shape nicely. Gabby was wearing a short black halter dress with cute black strappy sandals. The girls looked startling together, both very pretty. Heads were sure to turn all night.

“You look great!” Gabby gushed.

“You too! Are you ready?”

“Yea, let’s go.” The pair headed out to the club, excited for the night. When they reached the club, the bouncer let them in right away.

“He’s over there!” Gabby said as she pointed towards the attractive man sitting at a table near the dance floor.

“I can’t see him, but hold on. I’ll be right over.” Courtney smiled as she walked to the bathroom, “Maybe tonight won’t be too bad after all.”

As Courtney walked away, Gabby walked toward the table where the guy she had met that afternoon was sitting. “Oh how his eyes sparkle!” Gabby whispered to herself. “Courtney is really going to like him.” She gave him her million dollar smile as she approached the table, hoping that she looked okay.

Jason gazed at the beautiful girl in front of him, now a little more glad that he had accepted her invitation. “You look great.”

“Hi, you too. My friend is on her way over.”

“Please, sit down,” Jason offered with politeness. He got up to pull Gabby’s chair out for her, unaware of the blonde who was walking over to them. He turned his back to return to his seat, not realizing that the blonde had reached the table.

As Gabby began the introductions, Jason faced the blonde for the first time, and Courtney’s face froze. “Jason, this is Courtney,” Gabby began, oblivious to the terrified looks on the faces of the people standing next to her. Jason and Courtney stared at each other, their blue eyes meeting for the first time in weeks.

“Is it really you?” Courtney managed to say after several moments. “This can’t be happening.”

~*~

“Did you talk to Courtney?” Sonny asked his beautiful wife.

“No, I tried calling. The message said-um, she’s gone,” Carly replied.

“What about her roommate, did she tell you how my sister is doing?”

“No. The message said that she and Courtney are gone for the next week or so.”

“Oh,” Sonny said softly, “Why?”

“Courtney probably needed a little relaxation time-just to herself and a close friend, you know?”

“I’m worried about her, but I’m glad she’s finally starting a life on her own-away from me and my life.”

“Well, yea. It was her choice, whether it was the right one or not-”

“Carly! Don’t start!” Sonny interrupted.

“I DIDN’T,” Carly yelled. “We are through talking about this. We’ve already been there, Sonny. We are never going to agree on this one.”

“I know.” Sonny walked away. “I’ll be back later.”

Carly’s eyes followed her husband as he left. She picked up the glass she’d been drinking out of earlier and threw it at the closed door. “Why is he so stubborn?”

~*~

“Uh, I’ll go.” Gabby told Courtney and Jason.

“Oh Jason!” Courtney cried, fighting her every urge to lean down and kiss him. Whispering to herself, “I’ve missed him more than I could ever know,” she stared into his blue eyes, hoping to understand what he was feeling. His eyes weren’t cold and heartless, so unlike what most people saw. They were Jason’s one fault-the part of him that betrayed his true feelings to those who knew how to read them. He could no longer hide the truth from anyone, including himself. What he needed was to feel her arms around him, and her lips kissing his.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, unable to stop himself.

“I never wanted to hurt you.” She reached out for his hand, and when their hands met, they knew. They could not live without each other. All the bottled up emotions from their horrible weeks apart came out as they pulled together, sharing a wonderful kiss. Neither wanted to pull apart as they got lost in each other, forgetting the world around them. Finally, they broke apart, needing time to breathe.

“I don’t know what just happened,” Jason said as he fumbled for words. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” He stood up, preparing to walk away when Courtney stopped him.

“I love you,” she admitted.

“Don’t do this.”

“I was wrong to leave, to hurt you like I did.”

“You made your choice.”

“I know now that it was the wrong one. Jason,” Courtney pleaded. “Do you still love me?”

Jason looked away from her. He couldn’t do this to her, or himself.

“You don’t have to say it,” she said. “I already know how you feel. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Do you want to walk along the beach?” he asked.

“If you do. I would love to. Barcelona is an amazing place.” She took his hand, and it felt so right. “Wait, I need to find Gabby. She’ll understand.” Jason’s eyes followed her figure as she walked away. How could he have ever let her go?

“Um, Gabby?” Courtney said, “I’m really sorry, but is it ok if Jason and I just… have some time--?”

“Of course!” Gabby replied as she hugged her good friend. “Don’t worry about me. I know you two have a lot to talk about.”

“Thanks,” Courtney expressed as her eyes glistened. “I never realized how much I had missed him until I saw him.” She stopped to brush away her tears. “Have fun, ok Gabby?”

“You too sweetie.”

~*~

“Hey Jase,” Courtney said while smiling, “I’m so glad to see you! I just, I don’t-what are you doing here? I guess that’s what I’m trying to ask. It’s just thrown me off guard.”

“I never expected to find you here,” he replied. “I came because I needed to know what was going on. I couldn’t live around Carly, Sonny and Michael and figure out what I wanted.”

They walked toward the beach, their hands finding each other in the moonlight. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” Courtney confessed quietly.

“I know, but Courtney, you did what you thought was right and I respect that. You’ll be better off without me. You know that all I want is for you to be happy.”

“Do you ever think about your own happiness, Jason? You give up so much for the people that you love and take nothing in return.”

“It doesn’t matter because I don’t want anything.” Neither needed to hear the other’s voice as they walked in silence, just being together was enough. The sand squeezed between their toes, but was soon washed away by the gentle waves rolling in along the beach. Courtney stopped to look out across the water, searching for answers to the questions that filled her mind. Jason pulled her closer to him, his hand running along her back. She placed her hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes, hoping that he would kiss her again. His other hand pulled her mouth to his, their lips meeting in a powerful kiss. Neither of them had experienced a kiss full of so much longing and lust, yet remaining so gentle and kind. A kiss that was more wonderful, sweet, passionate and sensual the longer it lasted. Their tongues seemed to dance together, as the world around them disappeared, and they got lost in each other.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m choosing to ignore Carly’s pregnancy at this point, however, the night with Ric did happen.

Chapter 4:

Gabby returned to the hotel room in the early morning hours, in desperate need of rest. It had been a great night, but she was certainly ready to crash. She flipped the lights, unaware that the room was already occupied.

“Um, I’ll um, come back later,” Gabby whispered when she saw Jason holding Courtney, “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s ok,” Jason replied softly. He didn’t want to wake Courtney who was asleep, her head on his chest.

“I’ll leave you two alone. I know you have a lot to talk about.”

“Well, yea, but we’ve been talking all night.” He brushed his fingers through her long blonde hair. Courtney stirred and opened her eyes.

“I’m so glad you stayed,” she lovingly murmured.

“I’ll leave now. Be back in a few hours.” Courtney looked startled to hear Gabby’s voice.

“Oh, oh! Sorry, I know you’re staying here too. We’ll be out soon.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can go downstairs,” Gabby said sincerely. She left Courtney and Jason, who were busy staring into each other’s eyes.

“Did you sleep ok?” he asked.

“Mmhmm. Better than I have since,”

“Me too. You’re so beautiful when you sleep.”

Courtney blushed at the compliment, though she was glad to hear Jason say it. He always knew how to speak right to her heart, so honest and true, and yet so gentle. She sat up and settled into his arms, enjoying how safe it felt to be with him. How could Sonny ever have thought that she wouldn’t be safe with him? She sighed, knowing that she wouldn’t be if they were still in Port Charles.

“Are you ok?” Jason asked, sensing her change in thought.

“Yea, I was just thinking about Sonny.”

“Courtney, don’t worry about Sonny right now. We’re here in Spain, together.”

~*~

Sonny frowned, wishing he could talk to Jason about the situation at hand. “Will Benny be able to handle this? What if the shooter is in town for me, or worse, for Carly or Michael?” he thought with concern.

Benny entered the room, his face full of concern. He told Sonny of what he had just learned from the go-between.

“Are you sure my name is on that contract?” Sonny fumed. When Benny nodded, Corinthos continued, “We need to find this man and take him out, now. I want guards with Carly and Michael 24 hours a day.”

“I’ll be on it, sir.” Benny left, but not soon enough to avoid hearing the shattering of glass as he left. “Sonny has lost his temper again, and Morgan’s not here to save him.”

~*~

Courtney entered the room after her shower, dressed in cute jean shorts and a pink spaghetti strap top. “Hey.”

“Hey, I uh-cooked you some eggs.”

“Oh, Jason. You’re wonderful,” she said as she walked toward him. “Thank you.” He handed her the plate, hoping they had turned out ok. After all, he certainly wasn’t half the cook she was.

“You know… Gabby is it? She’ll probably be back soon,” Jason stated.

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t either, which is why I was thinking maybe you and I could, you know, go down to the beach today, if you want. We could go sailing,” he said, his eyes hopeful.

“I would love to. Look, I know it might be a little strange, but can I ask Gabby to come? After all, I did come here with her and I want you to get to know her.”

“Of course. And if she met anyone last night, she can bring them too.”

“Ok. Um, you’ll be back, then?”

“Yes.” Jason leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be back.”

Courtney sat down on the edge of the bed as he left, a million questions filling her mind. “Did I make the wrong choice? Will he take me back?” She wondered, “But Sonny will be furious. Maybe I should tell Jason that it’s not going to work, but I’ve already hurt him enough!” Courtney was confused because she didn’t know whether she wanted him back, or whether he would even take her back. “Why am I suddenly forgetting all the reasons for leaving him in the first place? Sonny will always win.”

~*~

Jason’s thoughts were filled with one thing-Courtney. She had been the only thing he’d been thinking about for weeks. “Is that what I want? Is that what she wants?” Jason shook his head, unable to clear his thoughts, and left the hotel. “I can’t pressure her into anything that she doesn’t want.”

~*~

Gabby knocked quietly on the door, hoping that she wasn’t going to interrupt anything again.

“Hey! Come in!” Gabby heard Courtney call through the closed door. Courtney hugged Gabby and thanked her for allowing she and Jason to have some time together. “I just, I don’t know what he wants. I don’t even know what I want. I just know that it can’t be like this.”

“Oh, Court. Don’t worry. If it happens, it happens.”

“Yea. Ok, listen. Jason and I were wondering if you wanted to go sailing with us this afternoon. And if, you know, you met a guy last night… you should bring him along too,” Courtney said.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Gabby started to say. “So if you’re just inviting me because you feel guilty, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind at all.”

“No, no, no,” Courtney answered, “We would really love to have you come. And besides, I want you to get to know Jason.”

“You sure?”

“Yep. And so if you want, he’s going to back in the afternoon.”

“Ok, ok. You know what? I’ll call the guy I met last night-”

“Oo! Tell me Gabby,” Courtney squealed.

Gabby smiled, hoping to remain cool. “There’s really nothing to tell. His name’s Christian and we made plans to meet up this afternoon.”

“Aw, well did you, um, hook up?” Courtney asked, unable to hold back her curiosity. “I shouldn’t have asked, sorry.”

“No, it’s ok Courtney. And no, we didn’t. We connected, but you know, neither of us wanted to, uh.”

“Yea. So I’ll let you call him while I go get some breakfast.” Courtney made a face. “Don’t tell him, but Jason’s eggs are horrible.”

The two girls were all smiles, each glad that the other seemed to be happy.

~*~

Gabby picked up her cell phone and dug Christian’s number out of her pocket. He wasn’t going to mind if they went sailing, was he? “No, he’ll understand. Besides, I’m sure that he’ll love to meet Courtney and Jason.” Twenty minutes later, Gabby had a date for the afternoon.

Gabby got into the shower, getting ready for the afternoon that was soon to come. She changed into her red tankini and put on a black tank-top over it with jean shorts. “Hey Court!” Gabby called as she walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair.

“Yea?” Courtney responded, back from her breakfast.

“I told Christian to meet us here at like three. What time’s Jason coming back?”

“He said around three too,” she replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Great!” Gabby grinned. “I’m excited to go sailing.”

“Me too,” Courtney responded. “Well, you know, while I was down at breakfast, I realized that I never explained to you about my marriage.”

“Oh, that’s ok. You don’t really have to.”

Courtney began her story as she dressed herself and fixed her make-up. “No, I want to, so maybe you’ll understand a little more about the relationship that Jason and I had. When I arrived in Port Charles, I befriended a man by the name of AJ Quartermaine. We got married so soon, and I didn’t realize that AJ was involved with me so that he could get closer to his son, Michael. He lied to me, pretended to love me, and right before our wedding he went to my brother and made him choose: Me or AJ’s son.”

“I don’t understand. What does your brother have to do with Michael?” Gabby questioned.

“My brother is Michael’s adoptive father and AJ believes that Sonny stole Michael from him. Sonny could never abandon his son, but he came and told me what AJ had done. I refused to believe him. I held onto the love that I thought was there.” Courtney stopped telling her story, wondering what part she should explain next.

“Everyone in Port Charles warned me that AJ was bad news, but I didn’t want to believe them. I felt safe with AJ, and I thought that I had found someone who would love me no matter what. God, Gabby, how could I have been so stupid? I mean, I stripped for this guy.”

Gabby stared at her friend with disbelief. “You did what?”

“We had a debt that needed to be paid off, so I agreed to strip so that we could pay it off. Sonny ordered Jason to guard me while I was stripping.” Courtney remembered the night that Jason had first come into the club. She gave Gabby a small smile. “I gave him so much attitude. And then when AJ had me stalked so that he could come to my rescue, Jason was there for me again.”

“Oh my god! Your husband had you stalked?” Gabby asked with confusion. “What the hell was wrong with him?”

“Gabby I don’t know how I didn’t see through him,” Courtney said, tears filling her eyes. “And then when Jason was protecting me because my wonderful husband left town, we-we became friends. He made me feel safe, he listened to me, and he gave me something that AJ never could give me. When AJ came back and found out that his brother had been staying with me, he was furious, even after I desperately tried to explain that there wasn’t anything going on between us. And Gabby, there really wasn’t. He was involved with someone else, well, he was becoming uninvolved.”

“Hold on. AJ and Jason are brothers?” Gabby couldn’t believe how complicated this story was.

“Well, sort of. Jason doesn’t think of them as brothers because Jason doesn’t want anything to do with his family.”

“I see.”

“It was after AJ and I got the divorce that Jason and I slowly began to admit our feelings for each other. But then, Jason went and got married.” Courtney laughed at the exasperated look on Gabby’s face. “That’s another story for another day. And don’t worry, he wasn’t in love with his wife.”

~*~

Carly entered the penthouse, only to find glass pieces everywhere. “Sonny’s had another fit of rage,” she thought. “I wonder what happened this time.” She walked up the stairs, searching for her husband. “Sonny!” she called. Receiving no answer, she returned to the room downstairs, where she began to pick up the broken glass. She wondered if this had anything to do with Jason being out of town, but she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. Her clean-up was interrupted by a knock at the door.

When she opened it, a look of disgust crossed her face. “What the hell do you want?”

“Glad to see you too,” Ric answered cheerfully. “I need to find Sonny.”

“What for? You want to blackmail him too?”

“Carly, I’m not blackmailing you,” Ric answered, knowing perfectly well that he was.

“Oh really? Could have fooled me!” She said with a sarcastic grin.

Ric was about to reply when the door opened, and in walked the man he was looking for. “Uh, Sonny. I’ve got that information you asked for.”

“Good work, Ric. Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”

“Ok. You need anything, call me.” Ric left the penthouse, glad that he had finally been of some use to Sonny.

“What was that all about?” Carly asked her husband.

“Oh, Ric’s just checking up on a few things for me.”

“I thought you didn’t trust him.”

“I don’t. But with Jason out of town, I just needed someone to check up on a few things.”

“Right.” Carly said with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes scanned the room, remembering the awful mess she had come home to earlier. “Um, you want to do something about this?”

“Yea,” Sonny replied. “Carly, there’s something I need you to do for me.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, hoping that she’d listen to him for once.

“You know I’d do anything for you,” Carly said as she moved in closer, giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

“I need you to leave town.” Carly quickly jumped out of Sonny’s embrace, startled by his words.

“You know that I won’t do that. It’s not even an option.”

“Carly, you need to do this for me. It’s just not safe for you to be in Port Charles right now.”

“No. I’m not leaving you and don’t even think about trying to change my mind. Now, I need to go get Michael.” Carly promptly picked up her coat and walked out the door before her husband could reply.

Sonny scratched the back of his head as he watched his wife leave. “How could I have ever married a woman who is so stubborn?” he thought. “I need Jason back in town.”

~*~

Jason walked into the hotel in Barcelona, eager to see Courtney again. He’d survived weeks without her, but now he couldn’t even go for a few hours without needing to touch her? Was he losing his mind, or did she really have that kind of power over him? Jason already knew the answer. He glanced at his watch which read: 2:55. Taking his time, he rode the elevator up to the eighth floor. He smiled to himself as he thought about her, and about the night that they had shared together. She was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen, and he felt so lucky to know that she loved him for who he was. “Stop thinking like this, Jason,” he chided himself, “You know that it can’t be like this.”

Courtney quickly opened the door after he knocked. They were both greeted by huge smiles and then a hug. “I missed you,” Jason whispered.

“After only a few hours?” Courtney teased lovingly. “You really are getting desperate you know.” She regretfully pulled away from his hug, hoping that there would be time for that later. She needed him so badly. Jason followed Courtney farther into the hotel room and spotted Gabby.

“Hey,” she said. “Christian just called and he’s on his way.”

“Sounds great,” Jason said. He was startled to hear his cell phone ring just then. “What the hell? I need to take this, I’ll be right back.”

Courtney glanced at Gabby, who looked at her with questioning eyes. “Jason’s very dedicated to his work. He knows that no one would call him unless it’s an emergency.”

“Oh,” Gabby said, slightly annoyed. “What does he do?”

“Um. I can’t really talk about it.”

Gabby raised her eyebrows at Courtney’s response. “What, is it illegal or something?”

“He can’t tell me much,” Courtney replied. “It’s just that-what he and my brother do is dangerous. It’s one of the reasons my brother ordered Jason to break up with me.”

“Wait, I thought you left him.”

“I did. Jason came back to me when he realized that he needed to let me make my own choice. And I made my choice.”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s important.”

~*~ Meanwhile

Carly and Sonny, along with some of the other guys in the business, were the only people who knew his number. “I must really be an emergency,” he thought as he pressed the talk button. “Hello?”

“Jason, it’s Sonny. You know I would never call you unless it was a big emergency.”

“Yea, yea. I understand. What’s up?”

“There’s a shooter in town and he’s out for me.”

“Damn. Do you have maximum security on Carly and Michael?”

“Of course. I tried to send Carly away, but you know, she won’t have it,” Sonny told his best friend.

“That’s just like Carly. Look, do you need me to come back?”

“Not yet, but I may. I realize that you need this time away, but, if things start to get really bad, I’m not sure that Benny and Marco can handle it.”

“Ok, just, call me if you need anything else. I’ve got to go.” Jason looked at his phone with disgust. Would Sonny be able to handle the pressure? He sure hoped so, as Sonny’s life and the life of his family depended on it. Jason sighed as he rounded the corner and headed toward Courtney and Gabby’s room, unaware of the presence of another man in the hallway.

~*~

Chapter 5:

The two couples walked away from the docks where they had rented the sailboat for the afternoon. Courtney and Jason walked slightly in front of the other two, far enough away to carry on their own conversation. They had enjoyed spending time with each other, laughing and talking like they used to. Courtney had been too afraid to ask what the phone call Jason had gotten earlier was all about. Jason hadn’t told her, but what could she expect? She understood that she needed to stay out of his business, but something inside her said that the phone call was from Sonny-and that it was important.

“Court! Jason!” Gabby called from several feet behind, “Do you guys want to meet up later?” Gabby turned to face Christian, who was walking alongside her. “Don’t they look so perfect together?” she asked him.

Christian nodded, but replied with a mischievous smile, “I guess, but I haven’t been looking at anything but you the whole afternoon.” Gabby shyly smiled, glad that she had met Christian the night before and happy that he had agreed to come along that afternoon. The sailing adventure had been a fun one, and had provided the relaxation that all of them had needed so much.

“How about we have dinner tonight?” Courtney asked her friends, “Have you heard about that great place around the corner?”

“You mean La Salsa? Yea, I’ve been there. It’s great,” Christian replied.

“That settles it then,” Gabby said. “We’ll see you guys at 8.” She and Christian walked away, hand in hand, ready to have some time alone.

“Is dinner tonight ok?” Courtney asked Jason, who hadn’t said anything during the conversation.

“Yea, you know that I don’t care. As long as it means spending time with you.” He reached over and lovingly caressed her face. He loved the soft feeling that touching her skin gave him. She was so beautiful and perfect in every way. “Today was great.” He didn’t know how to put all of his feelings into words, or how to tell her how much he cared for her without seeming too pressuring. She was all that he needed. He took her hand as they walked along the sang, the sun rays beating down against their backs. For the second time that week, they walked in silence, breathing in the scent of the ocean water.

Jason lightly grabbed Courtney by the hips, surprising her a little as he leaned in for a kiss. The bond that was ever present between them increased as their tongues explored each other’s mouths. There was a feeling of unconditional love that neither Jason nor Courtney had ever experienced with past relationships. “It’s as though we have this electricity between us,” Courtney thought to herself as she lost herself in the passion of the kiss. “I don’t ever want to lose you,” she whispered, pulling away from him and resting her head on his chest.

“I don’t want that to happen either,” he assured his soul-mate as he brushed her hair away from her face. “Our love will never die. I can feel it every time I’m with you. The bond is just too strong.”

Courtney smiled, unable to hid her gratefulness for his tender words. “He may not say much, but when he does, it feels so perfect,” she thought with awe. Jason walked Courtney back to her room and was almost unwilling to leave her side. When they arrived at her door, he gently placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, allowing his head to rest there for a moment. “I’ll be back,” he promised. Courtney entered her room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the back of the door, aware of his lingering presence in the hallway. She sighed to herself, knowing that all good things must come to and end.

~*~

Carly walked into her new club, proud of the place that she had created. So far, the club had been a huge success since its opening. Her caring husband walked along side her, taking in the changes that his beautiful wife had made to the old speakeasy. She was an amazing woman and Sonny knew that he was lucky to have her and their son, Michael. Carly led him to a table near the dance floor, hoping that he would take the hint. They ordered their drinks as Carly told Sonny about Michael’s day at school.

“He was so happy when he came home today. You know the science project you helped him with? His teacher adored it,” Carly gushed.

“Michael’s a bright kid,” Sonny replied. Carly eyed the dance floor, which remained fairly uncrowded. She hoped that before the night was over, she would be able to convince Sonny to one dance at the very least. “This club of yours is great, Carly,” her husband complimented. “It looks absolutely amazing.”

“Thank you,” Carly said sweetly. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?” Sonny looked unsure of himself for only a moment, but nodded in agreement. He took his wife’s hand and danced slowly to the music. He loved the way that she fit into his arms, as if their bodies had been created for each other. Carly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips.

“I love you so much,” she told him, “You are my everything.”

Sonny couldn’t resist the way that she spoke to him with such feeling. It was times like this made up for all the times that she made mistakes. Sonny noticed a slight scowl on Carly’s face and turned to find Ric standing near him. “What do you want?” he asked, annoyed.

“There’s a problem that needs to be taken care of,” came the reply.

“To interrupt my time with my wife like this, Ric. You better hope that this is good.” Sonny hugged Carly and let her know that he would return soon.

“What is this all about?” Sonny demanded to know as he and Ric approached the steps.

“Do you see our problem over there?” Ric questioned as he motioned toward a man of medium stature with dark brown hair.

“Ric!” Sonny fumed. “You know that my men can handle AJ!”

“That’s not all, sir,” Ric continued.

~*~

Jason knocked lightly on the door, a smile on his face. The thought of her made his heart melt in a way that no woman had ever affected him before.

“Hey,” Courtney said shyly as she opened the door to find him standing there. Jason didn’t move, he was too busy staring at her, unable to speak. She was wearing a light green halter dress that was tight fitting at the top, but slightly flared at the bottom near her knees. Courtney looked absolutely amazing in that shade of green, especially with her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

“Wow. You look gorgeous,” Jason complimented as his eyes scanned her beautiful body. She always looked gorgeous.

“Thanks.” Courtney blushed as she gestured to let Jason in, their eyes meeting in a long glance. “Gabby already left with Christian about an hour ago.” Jason entered her room, the one that he had spent the previous night in, just holding her. The room was neat, the bed made, the clothes folded and placed in her travelling bag. Jason recalled their loft and how cozy Courtney had made it feel when they had lived together. He sat on the bed and watched with amusement as she finished getting ready. After several minutes, the couple headed out for the night.

After reaching La Salsa, Courtney’s eyes searched the small restaurant for Gabby or Christian. Jason spotted them first and walked towards the small table. After seating themselves and ordering their food, the four of them enjoyed a dinner full of laughter and good conversation. They talked for a long time before Courtney mustered the courage to ask Jason what she had wanted to ask him all night long. “Would you like to dance?” she asked him, knowing what the answer would be.

“I don’t dance,” Jason replied, a small smile creeping onto his face.

“Come on! I can find someone else,” Courtney teased.

Jason looked into her big blue eyes and knew that he couldn’t refuse her enticing offer. He led her to the dance floor and took her into his arms as the music began playing. Their dancing started out a bit uncomfortably, but as they began to feel the music, they moved closer and closer. Courtney felt herself become a part of Jason as he held her close; their bodies becoming as one. The song ended, but neither of them moved. Courtney hoped that time would stand still for them so that she could savor the moment, feeling so secure in his arms.

“I love you. I don’t ever want to let you go,” Jason whispered. Courtney’s heart skipped a beat. Even though she had already known, just hearing him say those words meant the world to her. She kissed him passionately, loving the feel of his lips pressing against hers. Jason pulled back for a moment and looked into her eyes, “Do you-do you want to get out of here?”

“If you want,” she replied, hoping with all her heart that he did.

After excusing themselves for the evening, Jason and Courtney headed to Jason’s room. As they walked, their thoughts were filled with images of each other as they remembered the night that seemed so long ago. The night that Courtney had invited him over for dinner.

***Flashback***

***End Flashback***

Jason closed his door behind them, and immediately began to kiss her again. He knew what he wanted, and after looking into her eyes, he knew that she also wanted it too.

Jason broke the kiss rather unwillingly, but only enough to ask, “Are you sure?” He didn’t want her to do anything that she was going to regret. Courtney responded by kissing him again, this time with a little more force. She gently slid his leather jacket off of his shoulder and let it fall to the floor, while allowing him to remove her jacket at the same time. Never breaking their wonderful kiss, Jason turned her towards the bed, knowing that this would be a night to remember.

~*~

Carly settled herself into bed, wishing that Sonny was beside her. She knew that he was worried about something in the business, but she also knew that he needed to sleep. Hearing the front door to the penthouse open below, Carly slipped out from under the covers and put on her slippers. She walked down the stairs and softly called out, as not to wake Michael, “Sonny is that you?”

Carly received no response, but found her husband sitting on the couch, staring into the fireplace, even though there was no fire there. “Sonny?” He didn’t respond and seemed to be flat out ignoring her. He got up to get a drink of water from the bar and instead of pouring himself a drink, as Carly assumed he would, Sonny brought the glass crashing down and swept everything from the bar onto the floor in a big crash! Carly was shocked, her eyes full of concern. What was wrong with him?

“Sonny!” she almost yelled as she ran over to him, “Baby, what is wrong? You don’t look so good.” At the sound of his name, Sonny jumped a little and he turned himself towards Carly.

“I’m sorry,” he said simply. Carly looked down at the mess, but decided to leave it there until morning. Whatever it was that was bothering Sonny, sleep would do him good.

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

“I’ll be up later,” Sonny replied.

Carly protested his statement, saying, “Sonny, I know you. And I know that right now you need to sleep before you do something stupid.” After a little persuasion, Sonny finally gave into his wife’s pleading and followed her up the stairs and into their bedroom. Carly watched him as he fell into bed, and into a deep sleep. She sighed as she climbed in next to him, hoping that he would feel better in the morning.

~*~

Jason lay in bed next to Courtney, whose hair was tickling his bare chest. He brushed his fingers through her hair and kissed her lightly on the forehead as he watched her sleep. “I love her so much,” he thought. Courtney stirred, and awoke in bed next to Jason. She rubbed her eyes and smiled when she realized that this was no dream. She was there, in Barcelona, lying in bed with Jason Morgan, the man that she loved.

“You were wonderful,” he told her, his blue eyes sparkling with love. “Sleep okay?”

She grinned as she looked up at him. “How could I not with you here?”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he replied in a light tone. He caressed her bare shoulder with his fingers, needing to have contact with her skin as they lay in bed together. Jason knew that their night had been amazing and that he would never forget it, just as he would never forget their first time together. Jason kissed her again, loving every moment that he was able to spend with her. “I should take a shower,” Jason said softly.

“Need any help?” Courtney teased.

“If you’re up for it,” Jason said with a knowing smile. He climbed out of the bed, with Courtney close behind, and walked into the bathroom.

After a long and hot shower, Courtney and Jason, each dressed in a bathrobe, settled onto the couch in the hotel room and turned on the TV. Courtney snuggled into Jason’s arms, feeling so safe and secure. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. Courtney grabbed the dark blue cell phone off the table, as Jason said, “Wait Courtney-”

Assuming that it was Gabby, Courtney answered with a sleepy, “Hello?”

“Jason?” Carly asked, surprised to hear a female voice, “Well, well. This isn’t Jason is it?” A look of fear crossed Courtney’s face as she realized her mistake, and realized who was on the other side. She had accidentally grabbed Jason’s phone, thinking that it was hers.

Jason, sensing Courtney’s look, knew that it had to be someone that Courtney recognized. “Oh god,” he thought, “Please don’t let it be Sonny.”

“Uh,” Courtney replied, sincerely hoping that Carly didn’t recognize her voice. She mouthed the words “Carly” to Jason as she handed him his phone.

“Uh, hey,” Jason said uncomfortably. Of all the people to call, it had to be Carly, who he knew wasn’t going to let him get by on this one.

“Who the hell was that?” Carly asked straight out.

“Someone just picked up the wrong phone,” Jason replied, knowing that this wasn’t going to fly by Carly that easily.

“Jason Morgan, you have never lied to me,” Carly told him, “Don’t start now. It’s early morning in Spain, and I know that whoever that girl was, she certainly sounded sleepy to me.”

“Carly, just stay out of it, ok?”

“Jason, I’m going to tell you this and don’t you ever forget it. Having a fling to get over Courtney is not going to help anyone.”

“You know Carly, I do seem to remember that the first time I met you was in a bar. We didn’t turn out so bad, did we?” Jason replied with a smirk. Courtney rolled her eyes, knowing that Carly was grilling him for information on his female friend.

“Jason, would you just listen to me once?” said an exasperated Carly.

“Have I ever done that, Carly? I thought you knew me better than that.” Jason heard Carly sigh on the other side of the line.

“We’ll talk about this later. Now, the reason I called you is, well, I’m worried about Sonny. He’s falling apart,” Carly told her best friend.

“What do you mean? You know how strong Sonny is. He can take care of himself,” Jason questioned, a confused look on his face.

“Last night when Sonny came home, it was like he didn’t even recognize me. He didn’t respond when I asked him what was bothering him and he refused to sleep.”

A look of concern crossed Jason’s face. “Carly, are you sure?”

“Jason, you have to help him. I don’t know what is wrong, but I know that he needs you.”

“Ok, Carly. If Sonny needed me, he would call me.”

“I don’t think Sonny realizes how strange he is acting. He’s not thinking rationally. Promise me that you’ll call him?”

“Ok, I promise,” Jason gave in. “If things get worse, give me an update.”

“Alright, I will. And Jason, please think about what I said about Courtney. I know that you two are destined to love each other.”

“Carly, don’t start with that now, please.” Jason tried to sound convincing, but in his heart, he knew that Carly was right. He and Courtney were destined to love each other.

“I love you, Jase,” Carly said before hanging up. “Don’t do anything that you’ll regret later.”

“I won’t,” Jason said with a smile, “I won’t regret anything that is happening here in Barcelona.” He looked over at Courtney, who smiled, knowing that she wouldn’t either.

“Oh god,” Courtney apologized, “I cannot believe I picked up your phone. And to have it be Carly, of all people!”

“Don’t worry about,” Jason said, “She didn’t recognize your voice anyway.”

Courtney was relieved, but she still didn’t understand what Carly had wanted to talk to Jason about. “What’s up with Sonny?”

“Carly’s concerned about him. Says he’s not acting like himself.”

“Oh. Does that mean that you’ll have to go back to Port Charles?” Courtney asked with apprehension.

“It may,” Jason said slowly. “I don’t want to, but, if Sonny needs me, I’m going to have to.”

“I understand,” Courtney said, but she wasn’t quite so sure of that. She understood, but she didn’t want it be that way. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jason in Barcelona, but she knew that it wouldn’t be that way. It just wasn’t possible.

Chapter 6:

Part I:

Carly put the phone down on the table, a dazed look on her face. She couldn’t deny that having Jason move on from his relationship with Courtney was a good thing, but he was already sleeping with a woman that he couldn’t have known for more than two days? Carly shook her head at the thought of Jason falling for anyone except Courtney. She just couldn’t picture them without each other. Carly was sure that Courtney was the one, the only one, for Jason. She looked over at the clock and realized that it was time to wake Michael up for school. She walked softly into his room and gently shook him. “Hey sweetie, time to wake up.” Michael opened his eyes and smiled at his mom. He stretched and rolled out of bed, dressed in his fuzzy blue pajamas.

“Where’s Daddy?” Michael asked as he walked into the kitchen. Every morning Sonny was up, cooking breakfast for his wife and son, but not today.

Carly was unsure of what to tell her child, but she decided to be as honest with him as possible. “He didn’t get home until very late last night. But don’t you worry, you’ll get to see him sometime today.”

“Was Uncle Jason with Daddy too?” Michael asked with an innocent smile. “I haven’t seen him in a long time. I miss him.”

“Jason is in Barcelona. That’s all the way across the ocean in Spain!” Carly said, “He needed a vacation.”

“Oh,” Michael said, a little disappointed. He had hoped to see his Uncle Jason that night.

~*~

Jason and Courtney enjoyed their morning together, and this time, Courtney cooked breakfast. Jason watched her prepare the meal, a goofy smile on his face. Noticing a smudge of flour on her nose, he leaned over the countertop to wipe it off. Courtney laughed as she felt his finger brush her skin and Jason just smiled at her. His eyes were so full of love, and it was driving Courtney crazy. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. They walked to the couch and sat down, Jason’s arms still wrapped around Courtney. “I always feel safe with you,” she whispered in his ear as they cuddled.

Jason’s cell phone rang for the second time that morning as he sat and talked with Courtney. He hoped that it wasn’t Carly again, wanting to get more dirt on the female who had answered his phone earlier. Still managing to hold Courtney, Jason answered his cell.

“Hello?”

“Jason,” the voice on the other side of the line said with concern, “It’s Sonny.” Courtney played with Jason’s fingers, unaware of the seriousness of the call.

“You remember the shooter I told you about? She showed up at Carly’s club the other night,” Sonny began.

“She?”

“Yes, it was woman. Ric got confirmation on the shooter’s identity minutes before she walked in the door,” Sonny explained, “I haven’t been able to find out who hired her, but I know she has a connection with AJ.”

Courtney watched as Jason’s eyes became cold, so different from when they had been in the kitchen only a few moments earlier. “Who is it?” Courtney whispered.

Jason mouthed, “Sonny,” making sure that Sonny didn’t hear either of them.

“Do you need me back?” Jason asked and then immediately regretted doing so. He already knew what Sonny’s response would be.

“Carly and Michael need you here. We need your protection, Jason,” Sonny faltered, “It’s driving me crazy, thinking about what might happen to them.”

As Jason listened to Sonny’s words, his face fell. Courtney watched him as his expression changed, and the light in his eyes went out. She squeezed his hand and let him know that she was there, and that she would do anything to keep him happy.

“I’ll come back, Sonny. Keep Carly and Michael safe while I’m on my way back,” Jason replied. His mind was filled with a million thoughts, but most of all, would Courtney return to Port Charles with him? He wanted her to, he needed her to, but she had just started her life over in a new place. He wasn’t a part of her life anymore, or was he? He tortured himself with thoughts of her, remembering the amazing night that they had spent together, and of all the passionate kisses they had shared. She would always be a part of him, but how could he deny her a new life? What she wanted was far more important than any of his selfish needs.

Neither Jason nor Courtney said anything after Sonny’s phone call, but they both knew what had to be done. Jason held Courtney, tears streaming down her face. She loved the way that he comforted her, the way that he didn’t have to say anything for her to know what he was feeling. They understood each other even without words.

Jason broke the silence first, whispering, “I have to go back.” Courtney nodded and looked into his eyes, needing comfort, but only finding more pain. His eyes, normally blue, had turned a shade of gray and were full of tears. Courtney had only seen his eyes look at her that way once before, the day that she had left him. The day that their hearts had broken into a million pieces.

“How can we do this again?” Courtney thought in desperation, “Why does love have to hurt so much?”

“Courtney,” Jason started, “I want what you want, even if it means being without you.”

“I know,” she replied, her voice full of emotion. “I want to be with you Jason, more then you could ever know. But if Sonny needs you, having me come back to you right now just isn’t right.” She began to cry then, knowing how much being without him was going to hurt. “Sonny needs you right now, more than I need you. I love you, I love you so much, but our love, it shouldn’t hurt Sonny, or anybody.”

“I understand,” Jason managed to say, trying to keep himself from breaking down. He had never felt so much for someone and leaving her was going to be harder than anything he had ever done before. He loved her with all of his heart, but he understood. “I love you so much.” He kissed her, communicating his feelings through the kiss. He told her how much he was going to miss her, how wonderful and beautiful she was. In return, she told him how much she loved him and how he had always been there for her. They pulled away, resting their foreheads together, capturing the memories of their short time together. Courtney lifted her head from Jason’s shoulder and got off the couch. She helped him to gather his things together, not saying a word as she did so. She knew that this was the right thing for both of them, it had to be.

~*~

Courtney and Jason arrived at the airport, their silence still not broken. Words didn’t matter as much as their feelings for each other did.

Jason quickly found the gate that would take him back to Sonny and Port Charles. He held Courtney’s hand as they sat together, waiting for the boarding call. Jason knew that this was it, this was the time when he was supposed to walk away from the woman that he loved and go back to the family that he needed to take care of. He brought her lips to his in a final kiss, a kiss that said goodbye better than the words themselves. Courtney savored the feeling of his lips against hers, knowing that it might be the last time she ever kissed him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close to her, unable to let go.

“Final boarding call for all passengers. Please board the plane immediately.”

Jason pulled himself away from her, and stared into her eyes for the final time, “I will always love you.”

“You will always be the man that I love,” Courtney told him, her heart breaking for both of them. “I’ll miss you so much.”

“I need you,” Jason said softly as he brushed his fingers through her hair, “I don’t know how to live my life without you in it.”

“My heart will always belong to you, no matter how far apart we are. Promise me that you’ll take care of Sonny, Carly and Michael. Promise me that you’ll be happy.”

“I promise, but only if you will also be happy.”

“I will,” she said, her eyes sparkling with tears, “I’ll always be happy for what we shared.”

“So will I,” Jason replied as he hugged her again.

“Goodbye,” Courtney said as Jason held onto her hand as he walked away. Finally, she let her hand fall to her side as he turned away from her.

Looking back one last time as he walked through the gate, Jason spoke softly, “Goodbye.” Even if she couldn’t hear his words, he knew that she would understand. When no one else did, she always understood him.

~*~

Part II:

~*~

Courtney entered her hotel room and looked around at her surroundings, only seeing images of Jason in her mind. “Stop it Courtney,” she chided herself, “It is better for everybody if you’re not with him.”

“Oh my god. Sweetie are you ok?” Gabby said to Courtney as she came out of the bathroom and noticed the pained expression on Courtney’s face.

“Yea,” Courtney sighed, “I’ll be ok, just like last time.”

“If you want to talk, I’m here for you, ok?”

Courtney smiled at her friend who always knew the right thing to say. “Um. Jason left.” Courtney, her eyes filling with unshed tears, watched the reaction on Gabby’s face.

“What? Left Barcelona?” Gabby asked with a look of puzzlement.

“He was needed in Port Charles. More than I need him,” Courtney tried to explain as she wiped her eyes.

Gabby hugged Courtney, not saying anything, for she didn’t know what to say. Courtney felt the tears that she had fought to hold back begin to come as she held onto Gabby, letting her emotions overcome her. Gabby stroked her friend’s hair, hoping to be of some comfort. She held the embrace for what seemed an eternity until Courtney pulled away, slightly embarrassed.

“Thank you,” Courtney said. “You have no idea how much I needed that.”

~*~

Carly sat with Sonny and Michael at their table, eating the dinner that Sonny had prepared for them. She noticed that Sonny seemed a little distracted during dinner because he was barely paying attention to Michael.

“You make sure you eat all of those vegetables,” Carly told her son. Carly glanced over at her husband who was staring intently at the door, as if he was waiting for something or someone.

“Sonny?” she asked quietly while Michael was absorbed in playing with his food, “Is everything alright?”

“Yea,” Sonny replied absentmindedly. He glanced down at his watch and realized the time, 10 after 8. He needed to be going. Sonny stood up from the table and walked over to Carly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back tonight, ok?”

Carly looked slightly confused, but she gave her husband a hug, reassuring him that she would be waiting for him whenever he came back. Carly held onto Sonny, communicating her unconditional love for him. Lost in her own thoughts, Carly didn’t hear the door open behind her.

“Mommy said I wouldn’t see you for a while!” Michael yelled with a huge smile on his face as he ran to the figure who had just entered the penthouse.

“Well, buddy, I’m here now,” Jason said as he bent down to give Michael a high-five, “And I am glad to see you too.”

At the sound of Jason’s voice, Carly quickly turned toward the door, shocked at what she was seeing. “Jason! I don’t understand, why are you back?”

Jason glanced up at Carly, and then stood back up, uneager to explain his reasons. “Well, you know, I was away long enough.”

“It was only three days.”

“Yea, I know. But-”

“Good to see you Jason,” Sonny said as he approached his best friend, glad that Jason had made it back safely. Something always seemed to go wrong whenever Jason flew over water.

“I need to put Michael to bed and then, we’ll talk,” Carly assured her husband and her best friend with raised eyebrows.

“Aw, Mommy,” Michael pleaded, “Don’t make me go to bed now.”

“You’ll get to see Jason tomorrow. I promise, ok?”

“Alright.”

Carly headed up the stairs, Michael following close behind her.

Once Sonny was sure that Carly and Michael were out of earshot, he began speaking to Jason. “There hasn’t been any new activity in the business since I called, but we still have no information on who hired the shooter.”

“I’ll get on it right away,” Jason responded, rubbing his hands on his face.

“Look, Jason. Carly thinks that I’m not taking care of myself. She knows that something is going on and she’s scared,” Sonny told Jason. “I need you to assure her that everything is fine. I know she’ll listen to you.”

“Is everything really fine?” Jason asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“With you here, yes.”

Jason motioned towards the stairs with eyes, letting Sonny know that Carly was coming back down.

“Jason, Michael wants you to read him a story,” Carly said with a smile, “He’s really missed you.”

“Ok. Sure.” Jason headed to Michael’s room, realizing that he too had missed Michael. After all, Jason had been Michael’s father for the first year of his life, and Jason loved him very much. There was something about the thought of Michael that made him smile, even though Michael wasn’t his own child.

~*~

“Oh no, you are not getting away from me,” Carly said as she followed Jason down the stairs. Sonny had already left while Jason was putting Michael to sleep, and Carly wasn’t going to let Jason get away too.

“What do you want?” he asked with an exasperated look.

“To know about her.”

“What are you talking about?” Jason knew perfectly well as to what she was referring.

“You know, the girl,” Carly said with a mischievous smile.

“Will you ever learn to stay out of my private life?” Jason asked as he rolled his eyes.

“Well, you certainly didn’t have a hard time leaving her behind.”

“Why do you always assume that you know everything?”

“Because I know you, and you don’t look like hell like you did before you left for Barcelona.”

“Don’t pretend like you know what happened because you don’t,” Jason said as he began to get a little angry. Why couldn’t Carly just leave him alone?

“Well, what I do know is that you hopped into bed with some girl to try and get over Courtney.”

Jason stared at Carly, slightly surprised at her response. “I didn’t sleep with just some-some girl!”

“Don’t start lying to me now, Jason.”

“Why don’t you focus on your own life for once? Instead of trying to run mine.”

Carly watched Jason closely as he prepared to leave the penthouse. She knew enough about him to know that he wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t telling her the complete truth either.

“Oh my god,” she gasped as the meaning behind Jason’s words hit her. Jason turned to look at Carly’s face, her expression telling him what he was afraid of. She knew exactly who it had been.

Carly gaped at Jason as he left, trying to comprehend the thoughts that were filling her mind. It couldn’t be, could it?

~*~

“Sonny?” Jason walked into the warehouse a week after he had returned to Port Charles.

“Yea?” Sonny said.

“I’ve got a lead on the shooter. Faith Roscoe hired her.”

“Faith?” Sonny asked in disbelief, “Where did she get the money?”

“AJ.” Jason said with disgust. His own brother was trying to bring him down.

Sonny looked at Jason, his eyes full of hatred. “I need you to take care of Faith.”

Jason nodded as he mentally planned how he was going to kill Faith. “I’ll be on that.”

~*~

Carly picked up her phone and dialed Courtney’s number in California, hoping that Courtney was back from Barcelona. They needed to talk.

“Hello?” Gabby said as she answered the phone.

“Hey, Courtney! It’s Carly.”

“Hold on, this is Court’s roommate, Gabby.”

“Oh, right,” Carly said with a laugh.

“Carly?” Courtney said into the phone when Gabby handed it over. She couldn’t help but remember the last time she had heard Carly’s voice on the phone.

“Hey! So how was your trip?” Carly asked.

“Uh, it was really great. Wait, how did you know I was gone?” Courtney asked in puzzlement.

“I got the message on your machine.”

“Oh, yea. So how’s everything in Port Charles?”

“Everyone is doing fine. Sonny, Mike, Michael, and Jason.” Carly said with a smirk, glad that she had been able to bring his name into the conversation. “So did you meet anyone in Barcelona?” Carly needed to know if her suspicions were right and she hoped to get information out of Courtney.

“Well, um,” Courtney said, unsure of how to answer Carly’s direct question, especially after Carly had brought Jason into the conversation. Did she know? “I didn’t really meet anyone new.”

Carly took note of the way that Courtney was answering her questions. The same way Jason had, not lying, but not telling the truth. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Courtney answered more of Carly’s questions about Barcelona with simple answers, eager to get off the subject. If Carly suspected anything, she would never hear the end of it.

“How’s your new apartment?”

Courtney breathed a sigh of relief, glad to change the subject. “It’s really nice. Not too expensive and it’s great sharing the apartment with someone that I know.”

“It was really great talking to you!” Carly said, “but Michael’s calling me so I had better go. Glad to get the update on Barcelona and know that you’re doing well.”

“Yea, good to talk to you too.”

“If you need anything, call,” Carly reminded her friend.

“Yea, of course. Bye Carly!”

Courtney hung up the phone and rolled her eyes at Gabby. “She wanted to know about Barcelona, mostly if I had met any guys.”

Gabby laughed, wondering if she’d ever get to meet Carly. She certainly seemed like an interesting person.

~*~

A/N: I was writing this down during Spanish class today because I was really bored and I suddenly had some random inspiration. It wasn’t until the end of the bell that I realized that the boy who sits next to me is named Jason! If he caught a glimpse of what I was writing, I really hope he didn’t think that I was writing about him, especially with some of the stuff in this chapter. :-) Anyway, my next chapter might not come out for a while because I’m going on vacation, but I will try to update ASAP.

Chapter 7:

Carly was busy working in her club, taking the inventory of the shipment. She looked up from the small table when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She turned her head, her eyes scanning the man standing in front of her.

“I thought I told you to leave me alone,” Carly threatened, “I don’t want to deal with you.” She glared at the dark-haired man, motioning him out.

“Carly, you need me,” Ric said.

“I’ve done fine for 2 months. If you don’t leave my club right now, I’ll have you thrown out.”

“Do you want me to work for you? Or do you want me to tell Sonny about a certain night we spent together?” he asked, his eyes flashing with anger.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Ric chuckled, assuming that he had the upper hand.

“You seem to be forgetting that once you tell Sonny how you raped me, you’ll be a dead man,” Carly said with an evil smile.

“Rape? I seem to recall you begging me to take you to bed,” Ric answered, trying to keep his cool.

“I was drunk and you took advantage of me. What do you think will happen when I tell Sonny about that night?”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“Merely suggesting that you get out of my life. Or I may just kill you myself.” Carly smirked to herself with satisfaction as a brief look of fear crossed Ric’s face. She loved being the one in control.

~*~

Gabby returned to her home after work, surprised to find the apartment silent after she closed the door. Courtney had been sick for a few days and was supposed to be resting. Gabby flipped the lights and realized that there was a note on the table.

“Christian called about half an hour ago. He said to call him on his cell. I’ll be back by six, I just had to pick up a few things at the store. Don’t worry, I’m feeling a lot better today -Courtney”

Gabby smiled at the thought of Christian. They had kept in touch since leaving Barcelona, but merely as good friends. Gabby dialed Christian’s cell although she was surprised that he had called during the day when he knew she would be working.

“Hello?” He answered from his home in Miami.

“Hey, Christian. It’s Gabby. Courtney said you called?”

“Yea, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be gone for a few days in case you call me at home and don’t get an answer.”

“Oh, ok. Where are you going?”

“New York City,” he replied.

“Oh fun!” Gabby said excitedly. New York City was one of her favorite places in the world. “So I guess you’ll call when you get back?”

“Yea. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Have fun!” Gabby reminded him before hanging up.

Courtney returned to the apartment a few minutes after Gabby began to prepare dinner for that night. Courtney set her purse on the table, along with the bag of grocery’s and other items that she had bought.

“Hey, glad you’re feeling better,” Gabby told Courtney.

“Yea, me too!” Courtney said with a smile, “I should be back at work tomorrow.”

“Don’t push yourself.”

“You sound like my brother,” Courtney said, rolling her eyes.

“I just want to make sure that you’re going to be ok!”

“I will, really, I’m fine.”

~*~

Jason walked into Kelly’s, searching for Carly. “Have you seen Carly?” he asked Liz, who was working.

Liz glanced up at him, her heart skipping a beat. “Um, she’s down in the club. Atleast she was earlier.”

“Ok,” Jason replied.

“Wait! Jason,” Liz called after him.

“Yea?” he said turning back towards the brunette.

“I was wondering if, you know, maybe we could talk sometime,” she asked.

Jason looked at her, his eyes showing nothing for her. “Liz, it’s over. It’s been over.”

“I know, yea, I understand,” she said, although she didn’t. Hadn’t Courtney left months ago? Maybe he really didn’t want anything to do with her. Had he ever really loved her in the first place?

“Liz, I never meant to hurt you,” Jason said, sensing the painful expression on Liz’s face. “You’re the only who walked away from me.”

“People make mistakes,” Liz tried to explain.

“I need to go.”

“Alright,” Liz tried to say calmly, “I just want to be friends. Jason, you need to move on.”

“What are you talking about?” he questioned, slightly raising his voice, “This isn’t about Courtney!”

“I don’t expect you to come running back to me, Jason. I just wanted to know if maybe we could work on being friends.”

Jason looked at her again, and her standing there alone. Liz recognized the look in his eyes. They were cold and unwelcome, the way they were when he was in enforcer-mode.

Jason walked out of Kelly’s and into the fresh air. He walked down to the docks, forgetting why he’d even gone to Kelly’s in the first place. He knew that he had never loved Liz the way that he had loved Courtney. The way that he still loved Courtney. Courtney put the sparkle in his eye and the smile on his face. She was everything to him.

“Jason! It’s been two months since you’ve seen her,” he thought, angry at himself. “Why are you allowing yourself to think about her-to bring back painful memories.” As stood sorting out his thoughts, it began to rain. Jason hardly noticed as the drops became heavier, drenching him as though he’d been dunked in a swimming pool.

***Flashback***

***End Flashback***

~*~

Courtney reached out to touch his face, not believing that he was there, standing next to her. She had just taken Rosie for a walk in the park, just as she did every normal day. Only this time, he had shown up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him with a shy smile.

He didn’t respond, but stared into her blue eyes. “I love you,” he whispered. Courtney brought her face closer to his, about to get lost in his kiss.

Courtney woke up in bed from the same dream she had been having for several nights in a row. Her pillow was soaked with the tears that had come earlier as she had remembered their first kiss in the rain. She couldn’t do this anymore. She was going to go back to him, no matter how dangerous it was for her.

~*~

Carly sat in Kelly’s sipping her coffee, awaiting the arrival of Jason. As she sat looking over a few things for the club, Ric walked in. She hadn’t seen him since the confrontation a few days earlier. She watched as he seemed to be approaching her table.

“What the hell do you want?” she hissed.

“I live here. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Oh,” Carly said with a smirk, “Coming by to see Elizabeth, were we? You certainly do deserve her.”

“Actually,” Ric tried to reply.

Carly turned her head, ignoring him. “Jason!” she called, glad that she could finally be rid of Ric, as Jason walked in the door. “I’m happy that you made it.”

“Goodbye, Carly,” Ric said, eyeing Jason’s suspicious glance.

Carly glared at Ric, refusing to speak to him.

“I thought Carly fired you,” Jason said, warning Ric to get out of Carly’s life.

“I did. And now he’s leaving,” Carly stated, hoping that her hint was clear enough to get through Ric’s thick skull.

“What did he want?” Jason questioned after Ric left.

“Oh, you know, his job. Except he came up with a lame excuse about being in Kelly’s to find Liz.”

“Right.”

“Ok, so. What I needed to ask you was-” Carly’s cell phone rang before she could finish her statement. She looked down at the caller ID and was surprised to see a familiar number. “Jason, I need to get this. After all the times that I have to wait for you or Sonny to get off the phone, can you do me a favor and wait?”

“I’ll be right here.”

Carly answered her ringing phone as she walked out of Kelly’s. “Courtney?”

“Carly, I need to see you. Soon, ok?” Courtney said with urgency.

“What are you talking about? I can’t come to California tonight,” Carly said with a confused look.

“You don’t need to,” Courtney said quietly, “I’m in Port Charles right now.”

“Oh my god!” Carly said as her eyes grew wide. “What-what? Are you serious?”

Jason watched Carly through the window. Whoever it was had just told her something that even Carly hadn’t seen coming.

“Yes. Carly, you can’t tell anyone that I’m here. Not Mike, not Sonny, and especially not Jason.”

“Ok, yea. Courtney, are you sure?”

“Please promise me, Carly. You can’t tell anyone. We need to talk first, and then I’ll see. If you do tell someone, I’ll be on the first plane back to California.”

“Alright! So do you want to meet tonight, tomorrow? Where?”

“How about tomorrow. We can’t do Kelly’s, there’s too much of a risk of someone seeing me and recognizing me.”

“If that witch Elizabeth Webber saw you, all of Port Charles would know in two days,” Carly said with resentment.

Courtney sighed, she couldn’t believe that she was doing this. But she had to talk to Carly. Courtney couldn’t do this alone. “What about just meeting at the pier. We can decide where to go then, maybe walk around the park?”

“Ok, sweetie. Are you going to be all right tonight? Do you need me to sneak you into the penthouse,” Carly joked.

Courtney laughed a little before responding. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got a room at the Port Charles Hotel. I just hope that I don’t run into anyone.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to see Jason?”

“I can’t, Carly! Not now! You promised not to clue him in. No hints, nothing.”

“Ok, I understand. You have no idea how hard this is going to be.”

“Come on Carly, you can do it,” Courtney encouraged her good friend, “I’ll see you tomorrow around four?”

“Bye.”

Jason watched Carly’s expressions throughout the conversation with interest. She threw her hands up in the air after putting her phone away, a serious look on her face. It was obvious to Jason that she was confused about something.

“Hey, sorry about that,” Carly said as she returned to her seat in Kelly’s.

“No problem. Looked like an important call,” Jason teased.

“Yea, well,” Carly stopped herself from saying more. She knew Jason could read her as well as she could him, but she had promised Courtney. “Just some stuff with the club.”

“Are you sure something isn’t bothering you?” Jason asked with concern because of the torn look on Carly’s face. She wanted to tell him, but she knew better than to do so.

“No,” Carly lied. She hated lying to Jason, but it was the only way. Courtney would never forgive her if she told him.

“You sure?” Jason knew something wasn’t right. Carly rarely lied to him anymore if she could help it. Whatever it was, Jason sensed that it was important and that he needed to take care of it.

~*~

Gabby looked around at the unfamiliar place. She wasn’t sure where she was or what exactly she was doing there. The events of the past few days blurred inside of her head.

***Flashback***

***End Flashback***

Gabby stood looking out across the body of water she had never seen before. Attempting to sort her thoughts out, Gabby studied the stars that were glittering in the sky. She turned at the sound of hushed voices, realizing that the sources of the voices probably didn’t realize that there was someone else there. She began to walk away, but caught a brief glimpse of the face that belonged to one of the voices. She gasped, unable to take in what she had just seen. “What is he doing here?” she thought, “Then again, what the hell am I doing here?”

~*~

A/N: Thought I wasn’t going to be able to get this up today, but the packing can wait because I love Journey! (and those of who have given me positive feedback)

TIMELINE REMINDER: It has been a little over 3 months since Courtney left Port Charles, and 2 and half months since she was in Barcelona.

Chapter 8:

Gabby hid herself in the shadows, although she wasn’t quite sure why. She couldn’t see the face of the other man, but she had seen enough. The voices grew quieter, so she was unable to discern their words. Gabby saw the man that she had recognized walk away, and decided to follow him. She couldn’t understand why he was in here, but her curiosity got to her. “I hope I can find my way back,” Gabby thought. She walked quickly along the streets, trying to keep him in sight without looking conspicuous. The small town that she walked through had a cozy feel to it, much different from the city that she called home in California. She hurried along, her heart beating wildly as she went. She began to notice that the scenery had changed to a slightly busier part of town. She walked into the hotel and watched as he got on the elevator and she decided to go no further. She would find out what room he was in and find some way to talk to him tomorrow.

“Could you give me a room number for someone staying here?”

“Sure, what’s the name?”

~*~

Courtney walked through the park, alone. It was only one of the many places that she had missed so much. She looked up into the dark sky, thinking back to the times she had spent in the park with Carly, Michael and Rosie. Michael was such a sweet boy and she had missed the way that he called her “Aunt Courtney” and how much he loved to play with Rosie. Courtney headed out of the park, ready to return to the hotel.

“Courtney?” a voice asked with surprised from behind her. Courtney continued walking and quickly headed down the street, hoping that the person who had spoken to her would think that they had made a mistake.

She rounded a corner and waited, knowing that the person following her wouldn’t have been able to see change directions. She looked out from her hiding place, and caught sight of the dark-haired man. “Of all the people,” Courtney thought angrily, “I let Ric see me.”

~*~

Ric chuckled to himself, knowing that he had scared Courtney when he had called out to her in the park. It was obvious that she didn’t want anyone knowing that she was in town. “And nobody will,” he told himself. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed a number that he had grown familiar with in the past months.

“Everything ready? She’s staying at the Port Charles Hotel, I followed her there,” Ric told the person on the other side of the conversation. Receiving an answer, Ric hung up, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.

~*~

Courtney had returned to her room without incident. She couldn’t keep doing this hiding from everyone that she loved. “Carly will know what to do,” she thought. Courtney began to rehearse the words she was going to say when she met with Carly the next day. She could do this. Carly would understand, she would be on her side. A knock at the door surprised Courtney. Who could it be? She opened the door slowly, unprepared for who she was going to find standing there. Her expression was one of confusion and complete shock as she realized who it was. What was he doing here?

“Come in,” she said nervously. “If you don’t mind me asking, why are you here? How did you know I was here?”

“Just agree to meet me tomorrow afternoon and I’ll explain everything.”

“I can’t. I’m meeting someone,” Courtney tried to explain, although she was growing slightly suspicious. What was going on?

“Then you cancel. I promise that you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

“Ok,” Courtney gulped, detecting a hint of anger in his eyes, “Where?”

“I’ll pick you up.”

Courtney lay down on the bed, after he left. Something about his request didn’t seem right, but Courtney had agreed to meet him. “Besides,” she convinced herself, “He’s harmless and I know how to take care of myself.” Courtney reached onto the small table near the bed and grabbed her phone.

“Um, it’s Courtney,” she said when Carly picked up.

“Is anything wrong? Do you still need to see me tomorrow?” Carly asked. She couldn’t take all this waiting!

“I can’t see you tomorrow,” Courtney said regretfully. Her voice was shaking uncontrollably because she was scared of what the man who had paid a visit earlier might tell her. She didn’t understand what this was all about, but she would find out soon enough.

“Are you sure?” Carly asked with disappointment.

“Yea. I’ll-I’ll call you tomorrow night, ok?” Courtney said quickly, eager to end the conversation.

“How about dinner tomorrow night?” Carly asked.

“I’m sure you and Sonny already have plans.”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it. Please?”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Courtney said, hanging up before Carly could reply.

“What is going on?” Carly thought. Courtney sounded afraid of something. Carly knew that things were not right with her sister-in-law, who was in desperate need of some help.

~*~

The next afternoon, Gabby found the room where he was staying. This was it, she’d confront him and demand to know what he was doing. Why had he lied to her? She knocked on the door, ready to lash out at him. When she received no answer, Gabby began to pound on the door, yelling, “I know you’re in there!” The door never opened. Defeated, Gabby left the hall and went to her own room, promising herself that she would return in a few hours.

~*~

“What am I doing?” Courtney thought desperately as she answered the door. She had a very bad feeling about this meeting, but she brushed it off.

“Can’t we just talk right here?” Courtney demanded when she opened the door.

“No,” he replied, “Come on.”

“I’m not going then,” Courtney said.

“Ok, fine. But don’t expect this to be the last time you hear from me.”

“Whatever, just go away!” Courtney didn’t know why she was saying these things to him, it wasn’t like her. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet, it seemed as though something horrible was about to happen. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She needed to stay out of harm’s way.

~*~

Gabby looked up from where she had been sitting in the hotel restaurant for more than an hour. “It must be 9 by now,” she whispered to herself. It was time to pay another visit to the man who had refused to open his door earlier. She got onto the elevator and rode the eight floors up. Stepping out of the elevator, she spotted a dark figure walking down the hall towards the stairs. It looked like she wasn’t going to have to force him to come out, he already was.

Gabby was interested in finding out where he was doing, what he was doing. “It’s not my business,” she thought, but she couldn’t help herself. She had to find out what he was up to. Something inside of her convinced her that this was not just a coincidence. There was a reason that they were both there in the little town, even if she didn’t know what it was.

~*~

Carly sat in the penthouse, waiting for Sonny to come home and pondering Courtney’s words from the day before. Was she okay? Carly wondered what in the world Courtney was doing in town. Whatever it was, it was serious. As she sat, the feeling inside of her kept getting worse. Jumping up suddenly, Carly reached for the phone. Courtney needed to tell her what was going on. Carly listened to the phone continue to ring. “Come on, Courtney. Pick up!” Carly slammed the phone, yelling, “Why won’t she pick up?” just as Jason walked in. She hadn’t heard the door open as she yelled those last words.

“I can’t tell Jason, I can’t tell Jason,” she repeated to herself, unaware of his presence in the room.

“Can’t tell me what?” Jason asked. Carly whipped around, her eyes growing wide. Had he really heard her?

“Nothing.”

“Are you sure? You’ve looked upset since I saw you in Kelly’s.”

“I’m fine,” Carly said, though she knew her words weren’t convincing.

“Carly, you need to tell me what is going on,” Jason told her.

“I cant!” Carl cried in frustration, “I just-”

“Carly,” Jason interrupted. “I can help you. Whatever it is that you did, you need to tell me.”

“Jason, I didn’t do anything!” Carly defended herself. She wanted, rather needed, to tell him so badly. “Just leave it alone. You’re always telling me to butt out.” Carly could feel her eyes begin to fill with tears, as she thought about Courtney.

“Ok,” Jason said, putting his hands up, “I’ll listen when you want to tell me.”

“If I tell you,” Carly corrected him, brushing away her tears. “I want to tell you.” She looked at him, his face showing concern. The way it always looked whenever he saw her begin to cry. “I want to tell you,” she repeated softly, “But I promised.”

~*~

Gabby followed him out of the hotel into the darkness of the night. Where she was going, she didn’t know, but she followed. Her brain was filled with a thousand different scenarios. “Maybe I’m just overreacting,” she tried to convince herself, but she knew that there was something more. The longer she walked, the more uncomfortable she began to feel. “Nobody knows I’m here,” she said quietly, “And if anything happens to me...” She didn’t finish her words, afraid of the endless possibilities of what might happen. “No, I’ll be fine.” The man wasn’t hard to follow, and he didn’t seem to suspect that anything unusual was happening. Gabby noticed that she was approaching a series of small buildings on the outskirts of town, and the man she was following was about to enter one. The entrance to what looked like a warehouse was only dimly lit, but Gabby couldn’t take the chance of anyone seeing her, so she hid in the darkness, waiting. The man disappeared into the building, which remained dark and uninviting.

“I can turn back now,” Gabby thought, but something stopped her from returning to the hotel. She needed to go inside that building, there was something that she needed to find.

~*~

Carly watched her son sleeping peacefully from the doorway. Sonny hadn’t returned, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She went into the bedroom and put on a robe, and then settled herself into bed. Sleep wasn’t coming as easily as she had thought because something else was bothering her. The feeling that she had tried to brush off all day kept returning, and it was as strong as ever. “I have to tell Jason,” Carly admitted silently, “Right now.”

~*~

Gabby waited for several minutes outside of the building, making sure that no one was around. She opened the door, and stepped inside. She could barely pick out the objects in the room because it was so dark, but from what she could see, it was all one big room, which was full of boxes and crates. Where had he gone? Her eyes surveyed the room and noticed a staircase along the back wall. She walked slowly towards the staircase, convincing herself that she needed to be here. Before she could get to the stairs and see what was back there, she had to walk around a row of large crates. After walking past the last crate, Gabby stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at the figure who lay crumpled on the floor. No words would come to her mouth, no scream to her lips, as her heart stopped beating. No thoughts came to her mind, all she could see were images of the body on the ground.

~*~

Jason was on the verge of falling asleep when a pounding on the door caused him to jump out of bed. He could faintly hear someone yelling his name, “Jason!” as he hurried down to answer the door. As he ran down the stairs, he recognized the voice. Jason didn’t get a chance to open the door before Carly burst in.

“Carly! Is everything ok?” he asked, trying to calm her down.

“You need to help me. I don’t know, I just have this awful feeling like something bad just happened.”

“Carly, calm down,” Jason said, wondering what she was talking about.

“I can’t calm down, Jason!” Carly screamed, “If something happens to Courtney, it’s going to be my fault!”

~*~

Gabby became hysterical, tears streaming down her face. She ran to the body on the floor, hoping that she was still alive. “Come on,” Gabby pleaded, “You’re going to make it.” By some miracle, the thought to call 911 entered Gabby’s mind. Whipping out her cell phone, she dialed those three numbers: 9-1-1.

“I need an ambulance!” she screamed through the darkness.

“Ma’am, where are you?” the operator asked.

“I don’t know! I’m in a warehouse and it’s all dark. I don’t remember how I got here.”

“Everything’s going to be ok. We’ll try to trace your call. I just need you to stay on the line and tell me what’s wrong. The most important thing you can do is stay calm.”

“I-I found her here. Lying on the floor. Just right here. At the bottom of the steps.”

“Is she breathing?”

“I think so. Yes.”

“Is she unconscious?”

“Yes. Please, can’t you help me?” Gabby cried.

“Just hold on, we’ll send someone right over.”

Gabby stayed on the line while she cradled the woman’s head in her arms. “Come on,” Gabby whispered, “Don’t leave me. You’re going to be ok.” Gabby brushed tears from her face, hoping to control her sobs, “I’m so sorry, Courtney. I’m so sorry.”

~*~

A/N: The earliest that I’ll have Chapter 9 up is Thursday.