Journey Online

Summary: Jason and Courtney finally give in to the love they share. Are they ready for the surprises their journey will lead them to?

1. Jason stepped off the elevator and got ready to open the door to his Penthouse. This had been an exhausting day. Every time he tried to concentrate, all he could think of was her. She filled every one of his thoughts. But, he couldn’t have her, and he knew it. She was married to his brother. Yet, every time he closed his eyes, he pictured her face that night in the rain. Why had he let himself kiss her? He, who was usually so control of things, lost all control that night. When she said she didn’t know what she would do if anything ever happened to him, he just couldn’t resist. They leaned in at the same time, and as their lips met, he felt as if his whole body would explode! But she said she wanted to respect her husband, and he had to respect her wishes.

He sighed heavily, and opened the door. His mind was a million miles away.

His thoughts immediately jerked back to reality. He was surprised to see her sitting on his couch.

“Courtney, what are you doing here? How did you get in here?”

“Marco let me in. I didn’t know where else to go,” she said.

He watched as she placed her head in her hands and started crying. As he reached the couch, he realized this was not the first time tonight she had cried. Her eyes were red and swollen. He hated seeing her like this. He wanted to find whatever or whoever had hurt her, and destroy it. He wanted to reach for her, pull her towards him, and hold her. But he couldn’t, he had to find out what happened.

“Courtney,” he said calmly, sitting next to her, “what happened?”

Her words startled him. He didn’t know how to respond, so he reached to draw her to him. She responded to his touch, melting into his arms as he stroked her hair. She started crying again, and he knew what she needed the most right now was a chance to let it out. He continued to hold her as her weeping eventually subsided.

“Courtney, do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to.”

She looked up at him, immediately lost in his crystal blue eyes. She wanted to stay in his arms forever, and shut the world out completely. How could she tell him what happened? How could she tell him what A.J. did? She pushed away from him, causing the left side of her shirt to fall off her shoulder. She opened her mouth to respond, but Jason cut her off.

“What is this? Where did it come from?”

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. She knew he had seen the cut.

“Courtney,” he said quietly, “answer me, please!”

She looked in his eyes, and saw the concern there. She knew she couldn’t lie. As she let out the breath she had been holding, she closed her eyes and answered him.

Jason froze. He would kill him. He knew A.J. was a selfish man, but to physically hurt his own wife? He hadn’t realized exactly what A.J. was capable of.

“What do you mean ‘A.J’? Courtney, what did he do to you?”

She closed her eyes and pulled completely away from him. He reached for her, but she moved over. He waited for her to speak, not wanting to push her, but wanting her to tell him everything. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

“He found out about the kiss. I don’t know how he knew, probably Coleman, but he found out. I tried to explain to him that it was just an accident; that I loved him, but he went ballistic. He started screaming about how you ruined everything in his life and that he would make you pay this time. I reached for him, to try and calm him down, and he pushed me. I don’t even think he knew what he was doing. As soon as I hit the ground, he came up behind me and started to hit me. He paused for a second, and I thought he was through, but then he kicked me. I screamed, and that seemed to bring him back to his senses. He backed away and started trying to apologize. I ran out of the apartment, and out of the building. I just continued running, no where in particular, I just wanted to get away from him. The next thing I knew, I was here. I couldn’t face Sonny, so I asked Marco to let me in here. I just needed somewhere to go.”

Jason couldn’t believe it. He rubbed his hands over his face. He looked at this broken girl in front of him and wanted to hold her, to erase from her mind everything that had happened to her. But, he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t change what had already happened. They would have to deal with it all, but she would not be alone. He would be with her. And if he had anything to say about it, she would never hurt like this again.

Courtney waited for Jason to respond. She couldn’t finish. How could she tell him the rest; that she came here because this was the only place she felt safe? He was the only man she wanted to be with. Even if A.J. hadn’t found out, she knew she would have to leave him. That kiss was all she thought about. In just those few short moments, she had memorized every feature of his face…

“Courtney?” His voice broke her train of thought. “I know you won’t want to do this, but you need to be checked out. Not only did he hit you, but you said he kicked you as well.”

“Jason, I’m fine,” she replied.

“Maybe,” he said. “But, we need to check. There could be some injury we don’t know about. I know you don’t want to think about this anymore, but I need you to - just for a few more minutes. I need to know where he hit you the most.” He knew she was exhausted, and he didn’t want her to have to think about A.J. any more than she had to. But, he was so worried, he had to make sure that she wasn’t seriously injured.

Slowly, she turned her back to him. He noticed her wincing as she moved, and he knew she really was hurt. As gently as possible, he lifted her shirt. He drew in a sharp breath of air as his eyes took in the sight. She was covered with cuts and bruises. He counted at least 20, and that was only the area he could see. He wanted to find A.J. and make him pay for what he had done. But there would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to focus on the beautiful girl that was in front of him.

Turning his thoughts back to her, he lightly ran his fingers over her back. She shivered, more from the electricity his touch sparked than from the pain her back was feeling. She felt herself leaning into his touch, knowing that nothing would come of it. His fingers continued to trace the damage on her back, and as they went lower, she drew in a sharp breath. He knew he had reached a very sensitive place.

Leaning closer, he noticed a huge bruise starting to form. This must have been the place where he kicked her. Again, he felt the anger rising within him. He would not let A.J. get away with this. He had been Sonny’s enforcer for years, and he had inflicted pain on numerous people, but never had he actually desired to do so. Tonight was different. Not only did he want to hurt A.J.; he wanted to destroy him. As soon as he got Courtney settled, he would begin working on how to do just that.

Gently, he lowered the shirt to cover her back. He placed his hands on her shoulders and drew her back into his chest. Closing his eyes, he sat there for a moment, needing to take a breath before he spoke.

“Courtney,” Jason started quietly. “I want to take you to the hospital.”

“Jaso…”she started to protest, but he quickly cut her off.

“I know you are going to say that you are fine, but I am worried about you. The spot where he kicked you is extremely sensitive, and I saw the way you winced as you turned around. You could have a broken rib, or any number of internal injuries,” he replied.

As he spoke, she started shaking, and this time it wasn’t because of his touch.

“Please don’t make me,” Courtney responded. “I can’t go. If I show up there, the hospital will contact A.J. I can’t face him now. He doesn’t know where I am now, and I want to keep it that way.”

“I know you’re scared, but you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you the entire time, and he won’t be able to get anywhere near you! I swear, he will never touch you again. In fact, if I have anything to say about it, he won’t be able to touch you or anyone else again” He sat there stroking her hair as he spoke.

She glanced up, noticing that his crystal blue eyes had darkened with anger. Knowing the look in his eyes was because of her surprised her. Could it be possible that he cared for her? They hadn’t really talked about what happened that night in the rain. She already knew she wanted him, but she also knew he was her bodyguard - just a job her brother had assigned him to.

Sitting up from his embrace, she turned to face him. She sighed and said, “Jason, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I know you have your own life to worry about. Guarding me is one thing. Having to listen to me cry about my problems is another. If you want, I’ll go.”

He was shocked. Could she really believe she was just a job to him? Didn’t she realize his thoughts had been filled with nothing but her ever since that night in the rain? Slowly he reached out his hand, and caressed the side of her face. She pressed her cheek into his palm.

“I know we haven’t talked much since that night,” he started. “You wanted to respect your marriage to A.J. and I wanted to respect your wishes. You have to know that you are more than just a job to me. You felt it that night, just like I did. Why do you think you ended up here tonight? You said you just started running, and you ended up here. Of course you didn’t want to go see Sonny. In your heart you wanted to be here. I let you walk away that night in the rain, I’m not going to let you walk away now!”

His words shocked her. Never in her life had she heard words as sweet as this. He cared for her, the way she cared for him. As his words sunk in, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She trembled slightly as his other hand reached up to cup her face. Drawing her to him, their lips met in the sweetest kiss she had ever experienced. Their first kiss had been one of desperation; but this one, this one was real.

Breaking their embrace, Jason leaned back. His mouth broke into a mischievous smile as he said; “now, Ms. Matthews, can I escort you to the hospital?”

Thirty minutes later, she was in a room at General Hospital. Even though her whole body ached, her mind didn’t notice. All she could think of was that kiss. In those few moments, he had convinced her that she was more than just a job to him. It wasn’t only in his words; it was the look in his eyes, and the way the world seemed to fade away when his lips were on hers. She had agreed to go to the hospital with him because she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She trusted him with all her heart.

Before they left his penthouse, he had gone across the hall to wake up Sonny and Carly. Sonny would want to be with his sister, so Jason wanted to let him know what was going on. They sent Jason and Courtney ahead, and promised to meet them at the hospital. Now, she heard a knock at the door.

“Courtney?” It was Sonny. “Are you awake? Can I come in?”

“Hey, Sonny!” she replied. “I’m awake. Jason said he went to tell you and Carly. I’m sorry you guys had to come down here.”

Sonny rushed to the side of her bed and embraced her in the biggest hug he had ever given her. She was surprised. He sat down next to her, took her hand, sighed, and let his head hang. Instinctively, she let him sit there for a moment. A minute later he raised his head, and she was surprised to see that his eyes were filled with tears. She was shocked because she had never seen Sonny like this.

“I’ve been so worried about you,” he began. “Jason didn’t tell us what happened. He just came by and told us you were hurt and had come to his penthouse. He was worried about some of your injuries and wanted you to go to the hospital? What happened, Courtney? And, how did you end up at Jason’s”

Courtney took a deep breath, preparing to tell him about A.J.

“A.J. and I were having a fight…”

Jason looked in the window to her room. True to his word, he hadn’t left her yet. When Sonny and Carly arrived, he left the room, so they could talk to each other. It was a good thing he left. He didn’t know if he could keep the concern he felt for Courtney out of his eyes. Sonny would know something was going on. He had nothing to be ashamed of; he knew what he felt for Courtney was real, and he knew she felt the same, but Sonny had to be told, and not now. His initial reaction would probably not be good, and this was not the time or the place to have that conversation.

As he stood there watching Courtney and Sonny, he heard an angry voice. Startled, he turned around to see A.J. screaming at the nurses at the Nurse’s Station. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk towards the commotion.

“What do you mean you can’t give me any information?” A.J. ranted. “She’s my wife. If I want to see her, I can. You can’t keep me away from her! I demand to know what room she is in. And, I want to talk to her doc…”

But he didn’t get to finish his sentence. Jason had just reached the Nurse’s Station, and grabbed A.J. He pinned A.J. up against the wall, holding him with his left hand, and forcing his right forearm against A.J.’s neck.

In a quiet, but forceful voice, Jason told A.J. “I don’t know what you are doing here, but as of this moment, you are leaving.”

“Like hell I am!” A.J. roared. “My wife is here somewhere, and I am not leaving until I see her!”

“Your wife is in here because of you A.J. and there is no way in hell I will let you see her. You have done enough damage to her, and you will not hurt her again.” He leaned closer to A.J. to make sure he would not miss this last part. “I will personally guarantee that you will never touch her again!”

Fear flashed in A.J.’s eyes. He knew what Jason was capable of and by the look in his eyes A.J. knew Jason meant business. A.J. knew that if Jason could have, he would have killed him then. As it was Taggert had rounded the corner. Knowing that he was responsible for Courtney being in the hospital, he indicated to Jason he would leave. He wanted no problems from Taggert.

Coldly, he said to Jason, “this is not over.”

Jason just turned and replied. “I’m counting on it.”

“…And when I got off the elevator I wanted to be by myself. I knew Jason wasn’t home, because I had run into him earlier, so I asked Marco to let me in.” Courtney had just finished telling Sonny what happened.

Just as Sonny was about to respond, the door opened and Monica walked in.

“How is she, Monica?” Sonny asked.

“She’s going to be fine,” Monica replied. “We’ve treated and covered most of the cuts on her back. The only thing I’m concerned about is that area around her ribs. None of them are broken, but they are definitely cracked. You,” she looked at Courtney, “will need to be somewhere where you can rest and not move. I don’t want any kids near you - nothing that can damage your ribs even further.”

Jason had come in while Monica was talking. His eyes asked Courtney the silent question, and she answered with a slight nod of her head.

“She can stay at my place Sonny,” Jason offered. “She would be close enough for you to check on, but this way, she will be someplace quiet, and Michael won’t have to worry about hurting her.”

“Is that okay with you, Courtney?” Sonny asked.

“Sure,” she replied, trying to keep the smile on her face from getting too big. She looked at Jason and their eyes locked. “When can I go?” she asked.

So far, everything was going well. She had been at Jason’s for a week. No one had heard from A.J., and she was beginning to settle into a routine here. Sonny had even been good about giving her time alone. Of course, she wasn’t ever really alone, because Jason was always nearby. She heard a light knock on her bedroom door.

“Breakfast is ready Courtney,” Jason said. She loved the sound of his voice, and hearing it first thing in the morning meant her world was right.

“I’ll be right there,” she replied.

Slowly, and with much care, she drew her robe around her body. She was tired of lying around. Even though she knew all the rest was allowing her body to heal, she was getting fidgety. Maybe she would be able to talk Jason into taking her for a walk today.

“Morning, Jase,” she said as she came down the stairs.

Turning around, he was taken aback by her beauty. She was so beautiful, and she was living here, with him. How in the world had he ever gotten lucky enough to have someone like her in his life? Nothing had happened since the night they left for the hospital, but not a moment had passed when he had not thought about it. Seeing her in a robe, her hair swept up into a ponytail, loose strands framing her face, made him think about that night once again.

“What are we having?” she asked, jerking his mind back to reality.

“Your favorite, pancakes,” he replied with a smile. “Go ahead, sit down. It’s not every day that I get to serve a beautiful lady breakfast.”

Blushing, she headed to the table. Jason quickly returned with a plate of steaming pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup. Courtney was starving. It amazed her how much she wanted to eat lately. It must be all that sitting around - there was nothing else to do. Plus, her body was healing. Didn’t that require extra calories? She laughed quietly to herself.

Hearing her laugh, Jason looked up. “What’s so funny?” he asked. “Surely you’re not laughing at my pancakes. They don’t taste that bad.”

“No, Jase, they’re great. I was just thinking that if you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to gain so much weight that you will eventually have to roll me out of here!”

“Impossible,” he replied, but he joined with her in laughing. He thought to himself, this is the way every morning should be. Sonny had given him some time off so he could help Courtney out, but he knew their time together this way was getting short.

As if she was reading his mind, she suddenly got serious and asked, “how much longer is Sonny going to let you stay here and not work?”

“Probably not much longer,” he answered. “He was over last night, after you went to sleep, asking me about a couple of things. I know we have some problems we need to deal with, and I have a personal one to settle.”

She assumed he was talking about A.J., but she didn’t want to get into it at the moment. She let that pass them by, and for a few minutes they sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Jase,” her voice breaking into his thoughts. “Do you think, I mean would you mind, taking me for a walk today?” She saw him start to shake his head, but she cut him off. “We don’t have to go far, I just need to get out of here. Besides,” she asked coyly, “haven’t I been the perfect patient?”

He laughed; knowing it was senseless to argue with her. “Sure,” he replied. She squealed with delight, and was responded with one of his breathtaking smiles.

“I’ll go get dressed,” she said as she got up from the table.

It was a beautiful day outside, cold, but beautiful nonetheless. They walked silently, arm in arm, taking in the beauty around them. He sighed, thinking there was only one thing more beautiful than this day, and she was walking right beside him. Without saying a word, he took her hand out from around his arm, and laced his fingers with hers. She smiled, and snuggled closer to him.

“Well, isn’t that special?” A.J. said, as he stepped out from behind some bushes.

“Lovely day for a stroll isn’t it?” A.J. sneered. “Two people, out, enjoying the air, walking hand in hand. You know what makes it even more special? Knowing that the two people are my brother and my wife.”

Jason could feel Courtney shaking. He had to get her out of here. As much as he wanted to nail A.J. to a wall, and leave him hanging there, he knew it was something he didn’t want Courtney to see.

“A.J.,” Jason said, as he pushed Courtney behind him, “I’ve already told you that you will never get the chance to hurt Courtney again. Leave now.”

“Well, gee Jason,” A.J. replied. “You may take orders from Sonny, but there is no way I’m taking orders from you. Now step out of the way, so I can talk to my wife.”

“Like hell I will,” Jason started, but Courtney cut him off.

“Wife?” she screamed. “How dare you stand there and call me your wife?” By now she had come from behind Jason, and standing in front of him, he kept a hold of her waist. She drew strength from him. “You beat me A.J. You never loved me. You only married me to get Michael. Deny it all you want, but I know it’s true. Now I’ve seen who you really are. Don’t think I won’t be divorcing you as fast as you can. You know my brother can make it happen, and I intend to make sure that I am no longer Mrs. A.J. Quartermaine as soon as possible!”

She grabbed Jason’s hand and spun around, ready to leave.

“Baby, don’t go,” A.J. pleaded, as he reached out to grab her.

Jason swung around, and as his fist connected with A.J.’s jaw, A.J. fell backward.

“I told you that you would never touch her again. Now get up, and let me show you what it feels like to have a few broken ribs of your own!”

“Jason, don’t.” Courtney broke in, her voice barely above a whisper. Yet it was amazing that he not only heard it, but also responded to it.

He turned around and looked into her eyes. He knew she wasn’t shocked about he and A.J., it was something else. Something was wrong. Immediately, his eyes changed from being filled with anger, to being filled with concern. He reached for her just as she started to collapse.

Falling into his arms, she meekly whispered, “Jason, take me home.”

Stepping off the elevator, with Courtney in his arms, Jason asked Marco to open his door. He carried her into the penthouse and gently laid her onto the couch. Sitting beside her, he whispered her name, trying to stir her. After what seemed like the longest moments of his life, she opened her beautiful eyes, and he got lost in her gaze. Leaning in, he brushed his lips against hers. His hands went to her face, and he gently caressed her face, causing their kiss to deepen in intensity. Finally, they broke away.

Foreheads touching and breathless, he stared into her eyes and said, “Baby, don’t ever scare me like that again. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t ever want to lose you.”

Smiling, she looked into his eyes, and brought her hand to his face. “That’s the first time you’ve called me baby,” she whispered. “I like it.”

“Well then,” he smiled and replied, “it definitely won’t be the last time, Baby.” He brought her hand to his lips, and gently kissed it. Just as he was letting go of her hand, to trail the kisses from her hand to her neck, the door opened.

“Jason,” Sonny yelled, “what’s going on? Marco said you came in carrying Courtney, and she looked like she had passed out. Where is she?”

“Calm down, Sonny,” Jason said as he stood up from the couch. “She’s right here. And, she’s fine. We ran into A.J. earlier on our walk, and he came after her. She stood up to him though. You should have seen her.” His eyes lit up with pride as he remembered. Sonny, thankfully, didn’t notice. He was too busy worrying about Courtney, but Courtney noticed it, and it made her smile.

“You took her for a walk?” Sonny yelled.

“Sonny,” she said, “I’m fine. I asked Jason to go with me. Monica said it would be good for me to get some air when I felt up to it. We hadn’t gone far when we ran into A.J. He didn’t hurt me; he just stressed me out. We were turning to leave when I felt faint. Jason caught me, and I asked him to take me home. I’m fine, I promise. Stop being such a big brother.” She finished that last part with a smile on her face, and punctuated it by playfully throwing one of the couch pillows at him.

“Alright, alright. I’m leaving!” Sonny replied, laughing as he turned around and walked out the door.

“That was close,” Courtney said.

Returning to the couch with a questioning look in his eye, Jason said, “what was close?”

“I was about to do this,” she replied, as she reached for him and gently drew his face to hers. His lips parted in anticipation, and he was well rewarded as their kiss turned from sweet to passionate. After a few minutes, he broke from her embrace to lightly trail kisses down her neck. She murmured his name quietly in his ear, making him want her even more. With all the strength he had in his body, he broke away from her embrace. Pushing a few loose strands of hair from her face, he placed his thumb and forefinger under her chin, and gently tilted her face up to face his. When he gazed into her eyes, he saw everything he knew was in his own. Caressing her face, he bent down towards her, but instead of stopping at her lips, he leaned further around to her ears.

“I love you Courtney Matthews,” he sweetly whispered.

Her heart started doing flip-flops. Had he really said that? Was it possible he really felt what she had been thinking for so long? He was the best thing that ever happened to her. She had wanted to tell him how she really felt about him, but she didn’t want to scare him off. Now, he was saying the words her heart had been saying for weeks.

“Baby, what is it?” he whispered. “Did I say something wrong?”

She hadn’t realized, as she was thinking, that she had started crying. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she replayed his words in her head.

“No,” she replied with a smile. “You said everything just right. How could you know that was exactly what I needed to hear at this time in my life?” Again, she placed her hand against his cheek. He responded to her touch with that smile he seemed to reserve only for her. She continued, “you know I feel the same right?”

“I know,” he said with a smile. “I just want to hear you say it.”

“I love you, Jason Morgan,” she replied as she pulled him into another kiss.

When she kissed him like this it reminded him of that night in the rain; he seemed to lose control. He wanted her; he had no doubt of that. He had been with a number of women in his life, and he had even cared deeply about some, but none of them caused him to feel the way he did when he was with her. She was driving him crazy with her mouth. His hands reached up to cup her face, and then fell to her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. By now, she had brought her other hand up to his face and had started running her fingers through his hair.

Breathlessly, she broke away from their kiss, and she started to rain kisses down his neck. His slight moan made her smile, and she continued kissing his neck until she reached his shirt collar. She brought her hands down from his hair and began to unbutton his top button. By the time she reached his third button, he knew that if he didn’t stop now, he wouldn’t be able to. Again, using all the strength he had, he broke away from her.

“Courtney,” he whispered. “We can’t. We have to stop.”

“Why?” she asked. “I love you, and I know you love me. You can’t deny that you want me as much as I want you.” She punctuated this last part by again caressing his face and reaching her fingers into his hair. His response proved her point. “ See, told ya,” she said, smiling coyly.

“I won’t deny that I want you,” he said, blushing. “But, we need to wait.” He saw her start to protest, so he continued quickly. “You’re right. I do love you, and I won’t deny that I want to be with you, in every way that I can, but not now. Not like this. You need to finalize your divorce with A.J. I want you to be free when we finally do this. I don’t want to ever be the cause of any pain for you, and I know you. I know how sweet your soul is, and if you do this, you will feel as if you have done something wrong. Besides,” he glanced away and took a long breath, “we need to tell Sonny. We owe it to him. I owe it to him to be honest with him.”

As if on cue, just as Courtney was beginning to shake her head in agreement, there was a knock on the door. Before they could say come in, the door opened. It was Carly. Seeing the situation before her eyes made her smile. She knew they were perfect for each other and she hoped that by now, they had finally admitted it.

“Hey!” Carly said. “I’m not interrupting anything am I?”

“No,” Jason replied. “I was just coming over here to check and see if she needed anything.”

‘Right,’ Carly thought with a smile. ‘With your shirt halfway unbuttoned.’ But, she was smart enough not to say anything, for the moment. “I just wanted to come over here and check on my sister-in-law. My husband came in all offended earlier and said she rudely kicked him out,” she said with a smile.

“Not rudely,” Courtney responded, pretending to be hurt. “I just needed to be some peace and quiet.”

Again, Carly chuckled to herself. “Well, I’m here now, so no peace and quiet. Jase, don’t you have something else you could be doing now? We’re getting ready to have girl time, and I don’t think you want to be around,” she said, laughing.

“Fine, fine. I see when I’m not wanted,” he said with a smile. “I guess I could go talk to Sonny.” His eyes sought out Courtney’s. He had to be sure she wanted him to do this. Once he did, there was no going back.

“Yeah, Jason” Courtney said quietly. “Why don’t you go let him know what’s on your mind. And while you’re over there, will you ask my brother what we can do to get my divorce?”

She had answered his question. Now was the time. So, with a smile on his face, and trepidation in his heart, he turned, feeling as if he was about to change his life forever.

“Hey, Sonny!” Jason called, as he walked into their home.

“Yeah,” Sonny replied. “What happened, did you get kicked out too? That’s a shame. Not even welcome in your own home. Is my wife still over there?”

“She sent me away so they could have some ‘girl time’, whatever that is,” responded Jason.

“That,” said Sonny “is usually a time when we should run for cover because it means they’re planning something that will either cost us money, or cause us trouble. Did you get a chance to check on that information I gave you last night?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” answered Jason. “I can get on it whenever you need me to, or I can turn it over to Benny. I know this is something he can handle.”

“Fine by me,” Sonny replied. “Just so long as it gets done. Now, tell me about that jerk I have for a brother-in-law. What did he really do this afternoon?”

Jason sighed, rubbing his temples. “Basically what I told you. He came up on us as we were walking, scared Courtney, and we turned to go. He reached for her, and I lost it. I whipped around and decked him. Then she fainted, and we came back home. No big deal. His days are getting numbered. If I have anything to say about it, he won’t have a chance to touch her again.”

Sonny noticed that Jason was exhibiting emotions he had never really seen before. Maybe he felt like Courtney was a part of his family too, like a sister. Jason was like a brother to him, so of course, it made sense.

“Also,” Jason continued. “Courtney wanted me to ask you what we can do to speed up the divorce. She wants to be, and in my opinion, needs to be rid of him. Can you take care of it?”

“Not a problem,” Sonny answered. “This is one member of my family I would be glad to get rid of.”

“Thanks,” Jason said. How did he continue? How did he tell his boss, his best friend, and the man that was like his brother that he had fallen in love with his sister? Part of him felt like Sonny should be happy. Why wouldn’t he be? Jason protected Sonny and his family almost more than he protected himself sometimes. Wouldn’t he protect the woman he loved even more? But, he sighed, the other part of him knew Sonny wouldn’t want Courtney anywhere near their life. He didn’t know how to start, or what to say.

“Jason,” Sonny yelled, jerking Jason back to reality. “Hey man, where did you go? I was trying to talk to you about A.J., and what we are going to do with him. Then you just disappeared into your thoughts. What’s going on? Is there something about Courtney that you’re not telling me?”

Jason let out a long breath. “Yeah Sonny, there is.” He saw the worry flash across Sonny’s face, and he continued quickly. “I don’t mean it like that. Everything is fine physically. Her cuts are healing well, and she is getting more energy every day. I think even emotionally, she is even starting to heal. I’ve checked in on her at night ever since she has been staying with me, and for the past few nights, she actually seems to have gotten some real rest.” He closed his eyes and thought back to last night. After his meeting with Sonny, he had gone upstairs to check on her. He loved watching her sleep. She was so peaceful, and she was so…

“So, what’s going on with her then?” Sonny demanded to know.

“She’s fallen in love.”

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“So,” Carly started, “you were just getting some ‘peace and quiet’ huh? With Jason’s shirt halfway unbuttoned?” Carly couldn’t resist any longer. She laughed as Courtney blushed and started to stammer some excuse. “Hey, save it. I’ve either heard all the excuses or I’ve given them all myself. What’s really going on with you two? You’ve fallen in love with him haven’t you?”

Courtney smiled. Typical Carly she thought, she always goes straight to the heart of the matter. She and Jason were a lot alike in that way. She sighed said, “yes, I have. Jason’s across the hall telling Sonny now. You know him better than anyone. How do you think he will take this?”

Carly drew in a deep breath. She knew how Sonny would take this. He would fight it tooth and nail. He might even order Jason to end it. But, if they loved each other the way she thought they did, eventually he would come around. It might take him a while, but he would see how right it is for them to be together. She looked at Courtney in the eyes and said, “Do you love him?”

“You know I do,” Courtney responded, exasperated that she had to say this again.

“No.” Carly shook her head. “I mean, do you love him; really love him? Are you willing to accept this life? Willing to live part of the time in fear, part of the time in ecstasy? Can you pretend to be strong every day when what you really want to do is run home and cry? Can you accept that Jason has killed for Sonny, and will probably do it again? I don’t mean to be harsh, but if I’m going to give you the advice I want to go you, I have to be sure. I know you love the Jason you've seen. Can you love the other one as well?

Courtney sat there for a moment, taking in everything Carly had said. She wasn’t shocked at her words as much as she was shocked at the emotion with which she spoke them. Carly had been in this life longer than Courtney had. Courtney fast-forwarded her mind, taking her to what her future would be like when she had been in this as long as Carly had. She brought her eyes up to meet Carly’s. “Yes,” she said. “I can.”

“Good. I knew that would be your response. So, here’s what you do…”

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Sonny’s head jerked up in surprise. “What do you mean, ‘she’s fallen in love’? She hasn’t been around anyone else but A.J., Mike, me, and…you.” Jason saw Sonny’s eyes start to cloud over with shock and anger. “It’s you isn’t it? That’s what you came over here to tell me isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Jason responded.

“What were you thinking? You have to know this can’t happen. She’s young and impressionable, and whatever she thinks she feels, you have to convince her she’s wrong. Whatever is going on with her, you have to end it, now!” Sonny punctuated his last statement by slamming his hand onto the desk.

“Sonny,” Jason began quietly. “She’s not alone in this. I love her. She completes me the way Carly completes you. I need her in my life the way you need Carly in yours. Please, I’m asking you, not as your employee, but as your friend, don’t ask me to do what you’re about to ask me to do.”

“Jason, you know I don’t have a choice. I don’t want my sister anywhere near this life. I want her faraway from here. I want her safe and protected. You can’t offer her that. Jason, you’re my enforcer. You have to take care of things I can’t take care of myself. Let’s just be honest - you kill people. If someone is an obstacle for me, you take a gun, and remove him from my way. People know this, and because they know this, they will always come after you in an effort to get to me. Do you want Courtney in a life like that?”

“Sonny, listen…” Jason started, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“What!” thundered Sonny?

Marco opened the door and Taggert stepped inside. He was holding a warrant in his hand. Taggert stepped forward and said, “Jason Morgan, I have a warrant for your arrest.”

“What’s the charge?” Sonny demanded to know.

“Taggert turned and faced Jason, looking at him in the eye. “Assault and battery of A.J. Quartermaine.”

"What do you mean 'assault and battery'?" Sonny roared. That wasn't battery! It was defense. A.J. went after my sister again, and Jason protected her. It's as simple as that."

By this time, Carly and Courtney had heard the commotion across the hall, and had come out of Jason's Penthouse. They were shocked to see the police there.

"Taggert," Carly yelled. "Why are you in my house bothering my family? You know you have no business here, so get out."

"Sorry Mrs. Corinthos. I can't do that," Taggert replied. "I have a warrant here for Jason's arrest on the charges of assault and battery of A.J. Quartermaine."

Upon hearing that, Courtney forced her way into the room. She glanced at Jason with a worried look on her face, and he reassured her with his eyes that he was fine. Sonny stood there, watching the exchange between the two.

"Mr. Taggert," Courtney started, "I am the only witness to this. I promise you, there was no battery. My soon to be ex-husband came upon Jason and I walking together, proceeded to get angry, and then reached for me. Jason acted the same way anyone would who was trying to protect someone they cared about."

"Mrs. Quartermaine," Taggert responded. Courtney flinched at the 'Mrs. Quartermaine' part. She couldn't wait to be rid of that name. "We know all of this. A.J. told us he had upset you, unintentionally, and then Mr. Morgan jumped in and hit him. He has spoken of nothing but his love for you since he came to the station. He was worried about you and wanted to get you back home. He has quite a sore face."

"Unintentionally?" Sonny broke in. "Did he tell you that this was 'unintentionally' not the first time he had upset his wife?" Courtney eyes flashed with terror as she realized he was about to tell Taggert about the night that A.J. beat her. "Why don't you ask my sister why she is living in this place. Why don't you ask her why she can barely move, and why, when she does, it is painful." Sonny was ranting by now, and stopped, realizing what he was saying. He knew talking about this was Courtney's decision. He looked towards her.

Courtney was shaking, and the longer Sonny went on, the worse she got. Jason was watching this from his position by the desk. He knew how Sonny felt, but at that moment, he didn't care. He just wanted to protect her. He promised her he would, and he would not break a promise to her. Slowly and purposefully, he walked towards her. He wanted to make sure Sonny knew this was deliberate, and that he was doing this because he needed to put Courtney first, not Sonny. When he reached her, she melted into his chest. He held her for a minute, not saying anything, but when he realized everyone was watching them, he knew he had to say something to her. "Courtney," he whispered. "Listen, you don't have to tell him anything you don't want to tell him. Just know that whatever you tell him, I will be right here with you."

She let him hold her for a second longer, then she pulled back, looking into his eyes. She saw the concern there, and the love, and she knew she could face this as long as he was with her. He had promised her he would be, and she knew he would not lie.

She turned, and placed her back against his chest. His hands rested on her shoulders, and as always, she drew her strength from him. She took a deep breath. She knew she had to tell them, and she had to tell them all of it. "About a week ago, A.J. beat me. He cut and bruised my back, and he cracked a few ribs where he kicked me. That's why I've been staying here. But," she paused, "that's not all."

Feeling Jason take a sharp breath behind her, she placed her hand on top of his to reassure him. "This wasn't the first time he's hit me. I have a few marks left of the last few times, and then of course, my back is still covered with cuts from a week ago. My husband doesn't want to get me home because he loves me; he wants to own me. As you can see Mr. Taggert, my marriage has been quite loveless for a while. And," she continued, staring Sonny in the eyes, 'it had nothing to do with anyone else." She wanted to make sure Sonny knew Jason had nothing to do with this. "It had to do with my husband marrying me to get his hands on Michael, and using me to do it."

Jason's grip on her had tightened, and she instinctively knew he was contemplating what he would do to A.J. She watched Sonny and saw the anger and concern flash in his eyes. She knew they were both wondering why she hadn't said anything to either of them. She continued. "I didn't say anything to anyone because I was ashamed that I wasn't strong enough to stand up to him. I felt like part of it was my fault. And," she said quietly, "I was afraid of what you would think of me." She had said that to everyone, but Jason knew she was really addressing him.

Jason was boiling inside. He hated A.J. with her fiber of his being. Not only had he hurt Courtney a week ago, he had been doing it for quite some time. He wanted to kill him, but his first priority was her. He wanted to convince her that this was not her fault, and that this new revelation only made him love her more. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "I love you Courtney." The rest, he decided, he would tell her later. He saw her close her eyes and felt her press her back further into his chest. He knew she understood what he was saying.

Sonny again watched them. He didn't know what to feel. Not believing Jason earlier about them being in love is what made him fight so hard against it. Now, watching them together, watching his sister lean on his best friend, in a way that she could never lean on him made him think maybe he was wrong.

Taggert cleared his throat. "Okay, now that sheds some different light on the situation. We have to decide what to do."

feedback to: journeylove2002@yahoo.com

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"I have to go to the station," Courtney said, "and I have to face A.J." She could sense that Jason was about to protest, so she turned to face him. "Please understand. If I am going to be free of him, completely, like we talked about earlier, I have to do this. He has to know that he has no control over my life any longer."

She heard Sonny come up behind her, and she turned to face him. He looked at Jason, then at Courtney, and said, "fine, but you are not going alone."

She smiled, knowing she could do anything with her family around her. "A.J.'s still at the station, right?" Taggert nodded. "And," she continued, "he's expecting to see Jason come in with handcuffs on, right?" Again, Taggert nodded. "Alright, I have an idea."

"Jason," she turned to face him. "Can you handle being arrested again? I know Taggert won't pretend to do that. If he does it, it will have to be real, and we have to make A.J. believe that he has won this little battle."

"Sure," he grinned. He had an idea of what she was thinking. "Besides, I think this is the only time Taggert has arrested me without some sort of a fight from someone. He'll probably enjoy it.

"Sonny," she continued. "I need you and Carly there also, but stay at a distance from me. A.J. has to think that you guys are there for Jason - to get him out of jail. But," she added, "don't go to far from us."

"I won't. I promise." Sonny laughed. He was pretty amazed at his little sister right about now. She was stronger than he had realized; stronger probably, than she even realized. Everyone seemed pretty shocked by it to; everyone, that is, except Jason. Sonny figured it was because he already knew how strong she was.

Courtney continued. "Mr. Taggert, what do we need to do in order to get these charges dropped?"

Taggert hated to let Jason off the hook, but he was an honest guy, and it irritated him when people tried to twist the law to get what they wanted. It also irritated him that A.J. would beat his own wife and try to get away with it. "Well, I need to get whatever evidence you have that substantiates there was a history of abuse. That will allow us to show that Mr. Morgan here was acting in defense. Then, it wouldn't hurt if we heard A.J. talking to you about anything that happened."

"Wait a minute!" Jason practically yelled. " I will not put her in harms way to protect myself. We can go to the station, and you can get the evidence you need, but I don't want him near her."

"Jase," Courtney broke in, "we already talked about this. I need to do this. Besides, I won't be alone. I will be in the station, surrounded by police officers, and Sonny will be right beside us. You'll be near, in the interrogation room, and I know they don't have to close the door. I'm sure Mr. Taggert here wouldn't mind leaving the door open, and then you can keep an eye on everything." She had glanced at Taggert as she said this, and he was nodding his head yes.

"Fine." Jason said, as he looked at Sonny, with a small amount of desperation in his eyes. "But, Sonny, please don't let anything happen to her."

They stared at each other for a moment, both remembering what had been said earlier. Jason's eyes burned with determination, and Sonny was now convinced that they did love each other. He nodded his head saying, "you know I won't."

"Okay everyone." Taggert broke in. "We need to head down to the station. Jason Morgan," he said, beginning to place the handcuffs around Jason's wrists, "I am placing you under arrest for the assault and battery of A.J. Quartermaine. You have the right to remain silent...."

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Once at the station, Courtney didn't know if she could go through with this. She didn't know if she could face A.J. again, let alone be able to stand up to him. But as she walked in, she looked in the door of the interrogation room, and saw Jason sitting there. Their eyes met, and she reminded herself why she was doing this; she wanted to be free of A.J., once and for all. She saw Jason's eyes cloud over, and a second later, she felt hands around her waist.

"Hey baby." A.J.'s voice sounded ice cold. Courtney could see in Jason's eyes that this was killing him as much as it was disgusting her. A.J. didn't realize who she staring at.

She tried to shake him off. She couldn't seem too much the "perfect wife" because A.J. wouldn't buy it. Above all, she needed him to trust her.

Breaking her gaze with Jason, she turned to face A.J. "What do you want?" She asked angrily.

"Baby, I just want to take you home," he finished saying as Sonny and Carly walked into the Station. They ignored Courtney and A.J. and walked forwarded, asking why Jason had been arrested and demanding that he be released.

Taggert stepped forward. "Mrs. Quartermaine?" Courtney was thankful A.J. didn't see the pained look on her face at the sound of that name. "I need to ask you a few questions. Would you mind stepping into the interrogation room for a few minutes?"

"Not a problem," she responded.

"I'm going with her," A.J. added.

"No," replied Taggert sternly. "I need to question her by myself. Officer, would you please escort Mr. Morgan from the room and begin processing him?"

Taggert and Courtney headed into the interrogation room as Jason was coming out. For a brief second, their eyes met, and Courtney tried to remind him to leave A.J. alone. He nodded is head, as if to agree. It was amazing to her how they could understand each other without having to talk. She heard Carly say his name as he came out, and she knew they were hugging. The door closed behind her.

"Ms. Matthews?" Taggert started. "I can tell by your expression that you like that name better. Now, you've already told me everything. I'll take that as your statement, because I know you don't want to talk about this more than you have to. Is there anything else you need to add?"

She shook her head no; she just wanted to get out of here.

"Okay then. The only other thing I need from you is to see your back, and any other place you think I need to see. I will also have to take some pictures of those areas. Is this okay with you?"

Courtney took a deep breath and nodded her head yes, indicating it was okay. She shifted in her chair and pulled up the back of her shirt. Taggert was taken aback. He'd known A.J. for along time, and knew, he could be a jerk, but he never thought he was capable of this. He took a few pictures.

"Okay, we're almost finished. Is there any other place I need to take a photo of?"

She shook her head, but didn't move. Taggert continued, "I know you're scared, but A.J. is outside. He won't be able to hurt you in here, and you have whole room out there of people who love you as well."

Courtney took a deep breath and unbuttoned the top half of her shirt. Closing her eyes, she moved the top portion of her bra on the left side. Taggert saw A.J.'s initials there. "Did he do this?" he asked.

She shook her head yes. "It wasn't long after he first hit me. He said he wanted to permanently remind me that I belonged to him, and he said that if he carved his initials there, I couldn't forget. He also wanted me to be reminded every time I looked down, or saw my reflection in the mirror." Tears were streaming out of her eyes.

"I don't need to see anything else in here. This definitely gives me enough to go on. When we leave here, and go outside, I will be nearby and listening. Try to get him to say something, anything. I'm not going to hold Jason. Without drawing any attention, I'll have the cuffs taken off of him, and he'll move in if you need help. But, before we go, let me ask you a question Ms. Matthews. Does anyone in else in your family know about this mark?" She knew he was asking about Jason, and she shook her head no. "Courtney," he finished, "you need to tell him."

"I know," she whispered.

They walked out the door, and immediately, A.J. came up to her. He could tell she had been crying.

"What did he ask you?" A.J. demanded to know.

She saw Taggert talking to a cop, and she knew they were releasing Jason. A.J.'s back was to them, so he didn't notice what was going on. Carly came near them, but not too close and she noticed Sonny moving over towards Jason.

"I told him the truth," she responded, glaring at A.J.

"Well, I hope you told him that you're my wife, you love me, and you're coming home, because any other 'truth' I won't accept!"

"After what you did to me, you don't have a choice A.J. Taggert knows everything."

"Taggert knows what? That you are some little slut who has runoff with my brother. Is it my fault that I have to put you in your place every now and then, and remind you of who you really belong to? You are mine Courtney Quartermaine, and if I can't have you, no one ever will. I promise you that."

"That's enough, A.J." Taggert said as he stepped over to them. "I have enough evidence to file charges against you for domestic abuse. I'm placing you under arrest."

As they started to cuff A.J., Carly, who was closest, surrounded Courtney with a huge hug. Jason began to move towards them when he felt a hand restraining him. He turned around.

"Sonny, don't tell me not to," he began. "Not after what she's been through. If you can't deal..." but, Sonny cut him off.

"Jason, I think my sister needs to get away for a while. I made a few calls on the way over here. The limo is outside, the jet is ready, and the house on the island is being stocked as we speak. Everything you need, including some of her clothes is on the jet. There are enough supplies for two weeks, and if she wants to stay longer, have more sent. I've started the paperwork for the divorce. As soon as it's ready, I'll have one of the guys take it out there for her to sign. It should be any day now."

"Sonny, do you know what you are asking me to do? I can't take her there and not be with her, not now, not when she needs me."

"I'm asking you, as a friend, a brother, to take care of my little sister. Help her heal, protect her, and," he looked Jason straight in the eyes so there was no mistake, "love her."

Jason broke out into a huge smile. Rushing over to Courtney, he practically pushed Carly out of the way, grabbed Courtney's hand, and pulled her out of the police station, telling her he had a surprise for her.

Courtney smiled as she stretched, waking up to the smell of the tropical island they were on. She contemplated what they might do this afternoon. True, they were on an island, so there wasn’t all that much to do, but she could certainly think of something. The only problem was Jason. Maybe everything at the station had been too much for him. They hadn’t really touched since they were on the jet.

He stood there in the doorway, watching her, knowing she was somewhere between sleep and wake. She was so beautiful. He still didn’t understand how he had gotten lucky enough for her to come into his life, but he knew he didn’t want to lose her. That was why he had been so careful since they arrived. He knew he lost control when he got too near her, so he had been keeping at a distance. Waiting to be with her was getting harder and harder, but he was determined to continue waiting until she had her divorce. He had called Sonny last night because it had already been a week, and they should have heard something by now. Sonny assured him the divorce was moving as quickly as possible. Still, it couldn’t move fast enough.

He walked into the bedroom. “Courtney, sweetheart?” he called, trying to rouse her. He smiled as she opened her eyes and gazed into his. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Like an angel. Do we really only have one week left?”

“I can always arrange for us to stay longer. You know your wish is my command. Just let me know what you want to do. Supper will be ready soon.” As he stood there, he kept fighting the urge to get in that bed with her and never let her go, but he couldn’t, not yet. He turned to walk out of the room.

“Jason,” her voice drew him back. “What’s going on? Have I done something?”

“You? Of course not. Why would you even think that?”

“Jase, you barely talk to me, hardly even look at me, and you haven’t touched me since we got here. Now please, tell me what I did so that I can fix it. Is it about everything that happened at the station?”

Crossing the room in just about two steps, he reached her. She moved over on the bed, so he could join her. Sitting, he replied. “Baby, are you kidding me? Do you not have any idea how much I want you? I love you. I’ve just been trying to give you space. You went through so much last week, and I was trying to give you time to deal with it. Does that make sense?”

“It does. But, you have to understand something. I can’t ‘deal with it’ as you put it, without you. I need you to help me through this. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to be here, alone, every night? It kills me knowing that you are so close to me, and still so far away. Jason, I love you, but you’re pushing me away.” By the time she finished, she was practically crying. “We haven’t even talked about the station. There’s still some stuff I need to tell you.”

Constantly, she amazed him. He drew her close to him, not wanting to fight the urges he felt in his body. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Slowly and deliberately, he opened her mouth with his tongue. She responded, and as their tongues began their dance, their hands roamed each other’s bodies. What was meant to be a short kiss, deepened. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he protested as she broke away.

“Jason, I want this, but we need to deal with something first. I need you to listen to me. What I am going to tell you is going to anger you to no end, but please, don’t stop me. I need to tell you everything that happened between A.J. and I, and I need to show you something. Can you do that?” He nodded, so she drew a breath, and continued.

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“He started hitting me not long after the accident. I think he knew what was going on at The Oasis, but he never said anything about it. I could see it in his eyes though. I think that’s when I started to realize that he never really loved me. At first, the beatings weren’t that bad, just a bruise here or there. It always amazed me that you two were so different. You realized what I was doing at The Oasis, but when I looked in your eyes, I didn’t see disgust, just compassion. A.J. was a different story. Every time I looked into his eyes, I started to see hatred there. You and I started spending more time together as you walked me home at night, and I started pulling away from A.J. I think he knew why, on some level. After that, the beatings got worse.” She could see him tense up, and knew the question he was thinking. “You never saw any marks on me, because I was good at hiding them, and most of the time, he hit me where it wouldn’t be seen, even in the skimpy outfits I was dancing in. Then one night, he got drunk. I had been asleep on the couch. He came in and woke me up, demanding to know if I was dreaming of him or you. I couldn’t tell him the truth, of course, so I said it was him. He didn’t believe me though. He put his hand in his pocket, and drew out a small metal object. Yelling, he forced me to unbutton my shirt, and then…” she had to stop. How could she continue? She knew this would kill Jason.

True to his word, he didn’t say anything. Not wanting to interrupt, but also wanting her to know he was there for her, he reached out his hand, and took hers in it, quietly lacing their fingers. Without saying a word, she raised her eyes to meet his, and she saw the love there. So, she continued. “The metal object was a pocket knife. By the time I had my shirt unbuttoned, he had it opened. He said he wanted to permanently remind me that I belonged to him, and he said that if he carved his initials on my chest, I couldn't forget. He also wanted me to be reminded of that every time I looked down, or saw my reflection in the mirror.” She was shaking, but she needed to finish. “The rest you know. A week later was the night of our kiss, and then I ended up on your couch.” Not knowing what else to say, she dropped her to chin to her chest, avoiding his eyes.

With gentleness she really hadn’t known he possessed, he reached down and touched her chin with his thumb, and forefinger. He tilted her face upwards so that their eyes connected. She was surprised to see that his eyes were damp. This man, who was always so in control of his emotions, actually had tears in his eyes.

“I wish you had told me sooner,” he softly began, “but, I know why you didn’t. I also wish you had never experienced one moment of this, but than again, it is part of what drew us together. I just want you to know that from now on though, you don’t need to hide anything from me. If we can’t be honest with each other, then we won’t have a very good relationship, and that’s not what I want. Now, are you sure you want to show me this?”

She nodded, and began to unbutton her shirt, stopping where her bra started. Slowly pulling back the fabric on the left side, she revealed to him the secret she had been hiding for so long.

His body ached with anger at the sight of A.J.’s initials there. Once again, thoughts of murder began to fill his head, but, as usual, he wanted to focus on her. A.J. was in jail, where he deserved to be, and Courtney was here with him. He knew it was killing her to show this to him, and he had to convince her that none of what she had told him changed the way he felt about her. Slowly, he reached his hand up to her neck, letting his thumb trail A.J.’s mark. “This doesn’t have to be permanent. He doesn’t own you Courtney, he never did. He just thought he did. This part of your life is over, and I will do everything in my power to keep something like that from happening to you again.”

She knew he would. She trusted Jason with her life. “Jason,” she whispered. “Make love to me.”

“Are you sure? Your divorce isn’t final yet.”

“Only legally, in every other way, I’m free from him. I need this. Please, make me feel loved.”

Taking her in his arms, he again began kissing her. It amazed him how lost he could get in her. He wanted this as much as she did, and they had waited so long. He leaned back onto the bed, pulling her with him.

Just then, there was a knock on the front door.

“Mr. Morgan?” a voice called from the living room. “Mr. Morgan? Ms. Matthews? Are either of you here?”

Courtney sighed, and placed her forehead on his chest. Just like always, they were so close, but something always got in the way. Pushing away from him, she said, “you’d better go see who that is.”

Jason rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. ‘This had better be important,’ he thought. ‘Whoever is in this living room has no idea what they are interrupting.’ He got up from the bed, kissing her hand as he left. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere,” he added with a mischievous smile.

“Hurry,” she whispered as he walked out of the room. Maybe this was some sort of a sign that they shouldn’t be doing this. She loved him, and her body ached to be with him, but maybe the timing wasn’t right. As soon as she thought that though, she realized she was wrong. He had only been gone a few minutes, and already she couldn’t wait for him to get back into bed, and wrap her in his arms.

“Courtney!” Jason yelled from the front room. “You need to come in here.”

“Just get in here! Believe me, you want to see this.”

Sighing, she got up from the bed, and walked to the front room. Benny was standing there with a briefcase. It looked like business to her. “I thought Sonny wasn’t going to make you work while we were here,” she said, pouting.

He smiled. He loved it when she made that face. She knew he would do anything for her when she looked at him like that. “Stop pouting. Besides, Benny isn’t here for me, he’s here for you, and this business won’t take long. He just needs your signature.”

Reaching into the briefcase, Benny pulled out some papers. “These, Ms. Matthews, are your divorce papers. All I need is your signature, and your marriage to Mr. Quartermaine will be over. Mr. Corinthos gave me the order to make sure this is taken care of immediately. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”

Courtney’s eyes were shining, and she was smiling like Jason hadn’t seen her smile in a while. “Benny, with news like that, you can interrupt us anytime!” She grabbed the pen out of Jason’s hand, and signed the document. ‘Finally,’ she thought. ‘Finally, I’m free.’

Benny took the papers from her, placed them back in the briefcase, and said, “that’s all I needed to do. Unless you need anything else, I’ll be going.” They both shook their heads indicating they needed nothing else. As Benny was leaving, he turned back around. “Oh, Mr. Morgan. I’m supposed to tell you that your cell-phone hasn’t been working. Mr. Corinthos tried calling to let you know I was coming. He was concerned that something happened to it.”

“Thanks, Benny” Jason replied, “but nothing is wrong with it. I turned it off. Tell Mr. Corinthos that for the next week, he won’t be able to get in touch with me.” As he finished this last sentence, he turned and looked at Courtney. Lost in each other’s gaze, they didn’t hear Benny leave, and they didn’t hear the dull thud outside as he walked away.

Walking towards Courtney, Jason placed his hands around her waist. “Now, Ms. Matthews, where were we?” And in one swift motion, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.