Chapter Sixty Nine

Maybe it’s intuition

But some things you just don’t question

Jason looked at Courtney inquisitively, hands running down her arms, which were still relatively dry since she hadn’t gone under yet. Depends on me? What does that mean? It couldn’t be anything her past, really, because he and Sonny had done a very thorough background check on her soon after she’d arrived in Port Charles, after a meeting. This left him without any clue of what it would be, only spiking his curiosity. “Okay, well, do you just want to tell me and get it over with, or are you going to make me guess?”

Courtney shook her head, a small smile on her closed lips, apprehensive about telling him about the dream. It wasn’t a big deal, but she knew that it would sound a little odd, since it did to her when she really thought about it. But, she wanted to tell him, because she believed that she’d had that dream for a reason, even if she would never know what it was.

But some things you just don’t question

“I’ll tell you, but you might want to call Shadybrook to have me committed when I’m through.” She chuckled at the statement as even more confusion washed over her husband’s face.

“How about you just tell me?”

The blonde nodded and took his strong hands in hers as she stood in front of him, facing him, in the water. Their hands brushed along the surface of the glassy liquid before she spoke. “I had a dream about you.”

Jason chuckled and released of his hands from the grasp of hers and brushed two knuckles along the skin of her cheek tenderly. “That’s it? Well, I’m not going to send you to Shadybrook, since I’ve had more than one dream about you.” But it all started with one, he thought inwardly. Maybe I should tell her.

Immediately, the image of the dream of him staring deeply into her blue eyes flashed across his mind, and it hit him that they were in almost exactly the same position and situation they’d been in his dream.

Like in your eyes

I see my future in an instant

“No, this one I had a week before I moved, the night before my grandmother told me she wanted me to take over as president for the company in Port Charles.”

“Really?” he asked, tilting his head in curiosity. Why do I feel I know what she’s going to say?

“Yes, this beach, the ocean, swimming with you reminded me of it….”

*~*

The sun was shining brightly and the ocean water glistened like millions of diamonds spread across the earth. The sky was clear, not a cloud to be seen as seagulls called to each other, flying here and there above the beach.

There were only two people, a man and a woman, lovers, in the water or even on the beach. Just the two of them in their own little world, basking in each other’s presence. The blue eyes man held the woman around her waist; his strong arms making her feel safe and secure. It was almost as if she could conquer the world, all she needed was him standing by her side. The feel of his rock hard stomach and chest against her bare back made her skin burn with desire.

He looked down at the beautiful woman in his arms, her blond hair glistening like the water under the sun, her eyes the color of the sky, a color that matched his own. Her beauty mesmerized him and it was only made more spectacular by her sweet personality shining through with every smile, with every look in her eyes. She was more than he could ever ask for, more than he had ever expected or wanted to expect.

Slowly, she turned to face him, his hands now at her sides as she did so. The sensation of his rough, strong fingers gliding over the smooth wet surface of her skin sent a wave of tingling up her spine. They looked deep into each other’s eyes before he whispered three magical words, “ I love you.”

He could see the smile spread across her face as she whispered back to him, in a voice that was meant for angels, “I love you, too.” Before either of them knew it, their mouths had captured the other’s in a breathtaking kiss filled with desire and adoration. It deepened by the second, as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, clinging to him as if she’d die if she let go. His arms held her tighter around her waist, never wanting her to leave. Slowly, he knelt down in the water, stilling hanging onto their kiss and swept her fully into his arms…

*~*

As she told him the details of the dream she’d had that night, about him and her in an ocean before they’d even met, both of them could see each piece of it in their own mind’s eye.

And there it goes

I think I’ve found my best friend

His eyes squinted as he thought about it, how they’d both shared the exact same dream at the same time. How is that possible, when we never knew that one another existed? It was all a big puzzle to him, sort of like those weird stories you hear on late night television shows, and he didn’t want to sit down and analyze it. It had been a special dream before, but this only increased that opinion for him

There’s just no rhyme or reason

Only the sense of completion

“And then, I saw you at the docks when you were beating on the wall, and I knew that you were real, not just in the dream.”

Courtney bit her bottom lip and looked down at the water, taking the hand that still held his and gliding it through it again. She wasn’t sure how he would react, but then again, she didn’t know how she expected him too. Not angry, obviously, but definitely mildly freaked out, at least a little bit. I mean, who has a dream that they know their husband or wife a week before they find out they exist?

“Did you recognize me from your dream when you first saw me?” he asked, voice level, revealing nothing of how he felt about it or that he’d experienced what she did.

*~*

Carefully, she lifted her head to look him in the face and ask what was wrong. As blue met blue, two worlds exploded in the atmosphere, a catalyst to the universe as two hearts bonded together, refusing to let go.

*~*

And in your eyes

I see the missing pieces

I’m searching for

She shook her head. “No, not until I saw your eyes when I stopped you.” She paused for a moment. “So when am I going to be committed?”

He shook his head and laughed. If she’s going to be going, then I’m going to have to go, too. “You’re not crazy, and I don’t think you are, but if you were, then I would be too. Because I had the exact same dream on the exact same night.”

Courtney looked at him disbelievingly. How could we have had the same dream? “You did?”

I think I’ve found my way home

Jason’s blue orbs sparkled and he smiled in response before bringing her hand to his lips. “Yes, I did. And I woke up the next morning thinking about it and the woman in it, wondering where it’d come from because I’d never had a dream life that before. And…” He stopped, now not sure if he wanted to say what he’d been close to telling her, as it was his turn to wonder what she would think about his ‘reaction’ to it.

“And what?” Courtney asked quietly, curious as to what he’d almost said.

I know it might sound more than a little crazy

But I believe

A deep sigh escaped his lips. Might as well tell her, we’re married and I love her. “It stirred feelings inside of me, deep feelings, that I’d never felt before, not with anyone. The emotions that I felt in that dream came to life pretty much as soon as I woke up that morning. I fell in love with you, even when I thought you were just a woman from a dream, someone who was never real, who I thought would never exist.”

The blonde smiled at his admission. The same thing happened to both of us, we just didn’t know it. She realeased his hand and moved closer so she could wrap her arms around his neck again. “And then you saw me at the docks that night, right?”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and nodded, leaning his forehead against hers, feeling completely wide open and vulnerable once again. This was something he only felt with her, and he was just starting to really get used to it.

“I felt the same way, Jason. It was scary, though, because I’d never been with anyone before and I found you after waiting-“

Jason kissed the top of her head, then near her temple, and finally her soft lips. “I know. We have something special, out love, and our dream. I don’t know what it means or how we had the exact same one on the same night, but it’s ours.”

“You know what I think it means?” she asked coyly, running her hand through his short brown hair, water droplets slipping under her fingers.

“What?”

“We’re mean to be together.”

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

Jason ran his hand through her still dry hair and down her body until it landed on her slim waist. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

He touched his lips to hers as his other hand slipped down under the water to her thigh, resting a few inches above the back of her knee, his body leaning closer into hers until they touched. A devilish grin spread across his face as he held her, still kissing her and pushing her gently backwards into the water, breaking their lock as she went under. Still in his grasp, Courtney surfaced and wiped the salt water from her face.

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

“That was-“

He stopped her sentence by kissing her again, tasting the ocean on her lips as his tongue grazed over them before she allowed him into her mouth. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Jason lifted her out of the water so she could wrap her lean legs around his stomach and her arms instantly went around his neck as he played with her. He leaned her body back so she touched the water, but didn’t let go of her this time. She giggled as he continued to nip and kiss at her lips and neck, and he carried her back towards the sand and the much more shallow water…

A thousand angels dance around you

I am complete now that I’ve found you

Song Credits: I knew I loved you by Savage Garden

-----

Chapter Seventy

The Morgans stayed on the island for their honeymoon for two weeks before deciding to go back home to Port Charles. They returned to see that nothing had changed while they were away, not that they’ expected it to. The summer season was winding down to give way to autumn, although the night they returned was pretty warm for that time.

As soon as they reached the airport, he took Courtney’s cell phone out of his pocket and turned it on for the fire time since they’d left for their wedding and honeymoon. Pressing the button that would tell him who had called, if anyone, he saw a couple of numbers pop up.

“Carly called, and so did Mandy and Perry. Looks like Max did, too.” He told her as he opened the rear door to the SUV they’d left at the airport. He took both suitcases and Courtney’s smaller carry on bag and threw them in the back before handing her the phone. “

“She probably call to see where I was or find out where you were-“

“And Max most likely called to see where I am for Sonny. He probably found out that we left and wanted to know where we were. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a thousand calls on my phone when we get back to the loft.”

The blond stepped into the passenger seat as Jason got in on the driver’s side before checking her voicemail to see what her best friend’s message was.

~*~

Samantha stood on the back deck of Lorenzo’s lake house, looking through the tall trees and down to the water. Her arms were crossed over her chest, loose strands of her hair hanging across her face and over her eyes. Footsteps behind her tread carefully, and her chocolate eyes rolled back into her head. The man might as well be my father, not my…lover. IF that was what he was, besides a friend of her sister and herself. “Don’t even start, Lorenzo. You can go right back down to Costa Rica again and protect you compound, I’m not interested in what you think right now.”

The steel eyed man walked to the railing and placed his hands on it, leaning over slightly.  He had returned the day before, when the rebels began to move in the opposite direction of his prison-like home. His people down there could keep their eyes on the compound alone for a little while, as long as the fighting didn’t start moving back. “You’re not interested in what I think right now? When did you ever care, unless you’re between the sheets of my bed?”

“I told you not to start with me?”

“Since when do I ever listen to anyone, Sam, especially you? We both know we do whatever the hell we want, despite the snarky remarks from the opposite party. And, I didn’t start anything with you, even though I think you might as well kill yourself after that stunt, I just asked when you were interested in what I thought, besides the obvious instances?”

Sam rolled her eyes at him again. He thinks I wouldn’t catch that sly remark thrown in there. Or maybe he wanted me to, just to piss me off. “Why should I kill myself now? Because I dared to take the kind of chance you were and are never man enough to take?”

Lorenzo sucked in through his mouth, acting as if he’d been punched in the stomach by her words before chuckling. “Whoa, low blow, even for you. No, not because you dared to take a chance, but because you know that when Morgan finds out, he will have orders to find and kill you. And, he is one man you can’t hide from. Hell, he might not even worry about getting the boss’ permission; he may just hunt you down and shoot you then worry about Sonny later.” He paused momentarily. “How’d you get Corinthos’ cell phone number anyway?”

“Took the chance that it would be the same as it was when I worked for him and it was. He hasn’t changed it. So, I told him that I was ready and willing to talk it out with him.”

“Obviously, he isn’t too bright if he believed it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I told him I’d meet him on the Elmstreet pier. He showed up, I hid in the shadows, and you know the rest.”

He did. She’d shot her former employer and ran just as Marco came out of hiding, a cell phone already in his hand as he called for help. “Did you intend to kill him?”

She nodded her head yes. She had. She didn’t want to worry about going after his family, she just wanted him to pay, and the easiest way for that was if he died. “Yes, I did.”

Chapter Seventy One

Courtney pressed the cell phone to her ear as Carly’s voicemail started to play. “Jason, we’ve got to get to General Hospital,” she told him as the message finished.

“What? What happened?”

“Sonny’s been shot.”

~*~

Carly paced the floor of the waiting room, her nerves almost ready to break. Where the hell is the doctor, she nearly screamed aloud. Patience had never been a strong suit, but times like this were when the world liked to test that almost non-existent attribute.

The boys were at Bobbie’s, she didn’t know where Jason and Courtney were and she hadn’t known since the day her husband had fired his best friend. Neither of their cell phones were being answered, Courtney’s wasn’t even on. She’d left a voicemail an hour ago, as soon as she’d gotten to the hospital and talked to a nurse, just in case they did check the phone. Where did they go and why have they been gone so long? Ugh, that isn’t something to worry about right now. Maybe it is, if Jason doesn’t get back here soon, Sonny’s going to be in a loft of trouble. I told him to hire him back but he doesn’t listen to me and now she went ahead and shot him. Where is that doctor!

The dark blonde turned around angrily just as the doctor approached her. The chocolate eyes were blazing and she knew she looked lethal. About damn time, she thought.

“Mrs. Corinthos?” he asked tentatively, wanting to make sure that he had the right woman.

“Yes, is my husband okay? How is he?”

“He came out of surgery about a half hour ago, we were able to remove the bullet from his shoulder without any problems. It didn’t splinter off as some can once they hit the flesh, so that was good. He’s being moved into his own room from recovery right now so you should be able to see him once he gets settled. Mr. Corinthos will probably be out for a little while longer, though, because of the anesthesia.”

Carly looked at the doctor through squinted eyes. “He was shot in the shoulder?”

The man nodded. “Yes, it wasn’t a serious injury. A nurse will be out to tell you when you can go back to his room.”

The doctor walked away while Carly stood there confused, watching his retreating back. Shot in the shoulder? I’m going to kill Marco, he made it sound like it was life threatening. She rolled her eyes and turned to sit in one of the chairs in the waiting area when her two best friends rushed through the hospital doors. “Jason, Courtney,” she said, and the two walked over to her. “Where the hell have you guys been for the past two weeks and why haven’t you been answering your cell phones?”

Jason wasn’t in the mood for her game of twenty questions, at least if she was the one who was going to be doing the asking. He needed to know how his boss was doing and the details surrounding his getting shot, and he would prefer them sooner rather than later. “We were on the island, getting married and having our honeymoon. Now, is Sonny okay? Where’s Marco and Max? What did the doctor say?”

Carly’s mind barely wrapped itself around his first sentence. “You two got married?”

“Carly, never mind that, where’s Sonny and what’s his condition?” Courtney asked as Jason walked over to the nurse’s station, not in the mood to ask the woman anything again right now.

Chapter Seventy Two

The dark blonde shook her head in disbelief that her two best friends had been gone for the past two weeks because they had gotten married. And, they’d been on the island the entire time. She pushed it to the back of her mind, knowing that this really wasn’t the time to talk about it. “Okay, yeah, I’m sorry. He’s out of surgery, he was shot in the shoulder. The bullet didn’t fragment when it hit him but he’s still unconscious and will be for a little while. They were moving him to his room a couple minutes ago.”

Courtney allowed a sigh of relief and gave her a hug. “Well, that’s good news. At least the wound isn’t serious.”

Carly nodded in return as Jason made his way back to the two of them, having just been told the same thing by one of the nurses. He was slightly calmer, knowing that Sonny would be okay and that he wasn’t badly injured, but he didn’t like that it had happened at all. It shouldn’t have and it most likely wouldn’t have if he hadn’t fired me. Instantly, he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

“Okay, the nurse told me what happened. Where was Marco and Max when he was shot?” He paused as Marco walked into the waiting room. “Never mind”

“Jason, glad you’re back.” Marco said as he approached his boss.

“How’d this happen? I want to know every little detail right now.” Jason tossed a look at Carly and Courtney before grabbing a hold of the guard’s jacket sleeve and leading him down to the lobby on the first floor.

As they walked back through the doors, Carly looked back at Courtney and placed her hands on her hips, clearly showing her irritation now. “Now, that the men are on it and can take care of whatever it is, what the hell is this about you and Jason getting married?”

~*~

As soon as Jason and Marco reached the lobby, they found a secluded corner away from the front desk and the few people in the room. The spiky haired man’s eyes were steel blue and cold, ready to get back to work. We need to get to the bottom of this and quick. All of his instincts were screaming and telling him that Sam wasn’t going to wait long before something happened again, and it drove him to stop her, even if Sonny had said he wanted to work on it alone. He knew that now his boss would want him back, so he was going to get a head start on it before he woke up. “I want to hear everything that’s been going on in the past two weeks; what he’s been doing, who he’s been talking to , if he’s met anyone, everything. Talk, don’t stop.”

Marco sighed deeply before revealing the details. “He found out that you and Courtney had left so he wanted me to call and try to find you. It didn’t take long to discover that you’d left the cell phone at the loft. He wasn’t too happy about that but had Max and I stop trying eventually. When Carly found out he’d fired you, she told him to hire you back, but he refused until the current situation was resolved, so she and the boys moved out.” Damn you, Carly, you know better than that. “They went to Bobbie’s and Sonny had guards put on them immediately. He started calling around, checking sources about Sam’s location, if anyone had seen her or knew where she was staying. We couldn’t get anything and we didn’t see her for those two weeks, although Sonny was sure that she was wandering around town somewhere. Then, earlier, he got a phone call on his cell and it was her. She wanted to meet him on the Elmstreet pier, saying that she was ready and willing to talk it out with him. He agreed to the meeting and he and I left for the docks. When we got there, she hadn’t shown up yet so he told me to stay back. So I did, I kept out of sight and five minutes later, I heard the gunshot and Sonny grabbed his shoulder and stumbled. He lay on the ground as I called an ambulance and then Mrs. Corinthos.”

Jason nodded as his brain absorbed the information. It was clear that Sam had been the one who had shot Sonny, but he couldn’t tell whether she had meant to injure him or if it had just been a missed shot and she was really aiming for his chest. If that’s the case, I’m having trouble thinking that she’s as good of a shot as Sonny says she is.

“I want men at Bobbie’s, outside every entrance into the brownstone, two on the roof and three others at the windows. There needs to be somebody outside the door of Sonny’s room and someone on Carly. I know you already said he put people on this, but get Croix on her, she seems to be okay with him, and Max is to be on Courtney. This woman is serious and her determination to get any one of them seems to increase every time she screws up. I don’t want her to get the chance to get it right.”

The guard nodded and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to make the necessary calls as Jason headed back upstairs to the two women.