Title: Where I Belong

Author: Jaimie

Feedback: JaimieLH@aol.com

Rating: PG13-NC17

Category: Long, WIP

Type: Romance

Summary:Courtney Matthews never felt like she belonged

her entire life. Will a life changing trip to Port

Charles to locate her father finally take her where

she belongs?

Prologue

© 2003

“Courtney!” she heard him call her from down the hall.

She rolled her eyes, releasing an aggravated sigh. For

the last five years since her mother passed away, she

had been living with her Uncle Vincent. To tell you

the truth, she didn’t even think they were blood

relatives at all. All she knew was for the last years

of her mother’s life he had always taken care of both

of them. She never had a close relationship with her

mother, and she could barely remember her father. Now

at 22, Courtney was anxious to get out on her own and

to figure out just what she wanted to do with her

life. Most of all she wanted to try to find her

father. Her uncle had always been kind to her and she

was thankful that he had sheltered her after her

mother passed, but every time she mentioned finding

her father he would get eerily quiet and simply tell

her to leave it alone. He always seemed to think he

knew what was best for her, but Courtney knew better.

She rolled off her bed and made her way down the hall

to the study. Vincent sat behind his large maple desk,

his reading glasses on the tip of his nose as he

flipped through one of his many business reports. His

hazel eyes looked up at her with affection when she

entered. “Ah, there you are. Please sit down.”

“Is something wrong?” she asked nervously.

“Nothing’s wrong Courtney. I just wanted to talk to

you for a minute. I know you’ve always been curious

about your family, your father in particular.” he

sighed. “You know how I feel about this. I would like

nothing better than for you to give up on this quest

and just get on with your life. However, I also know

you would never be really happy or fulfilled if you

don’t have all your questions answered.”

“So….what does that mean?”

Vincent sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes wearily. “I

know where your father is. Well, I know what city he

is in. I don’t know his exact address, but you’re a

smart girl. I’m sure you’ll find a way to find him.”

“I don’t even know his name.”

“Mike…Mike Corbin. He lives in Port Charles, New

York.”

Courtney couldn’t help the smile that formed on her

lips, “Port Charles…” Her heart began to race with

excitement, “I don’t know how to thank you Uncle

Vincent. This means so much to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Just knowing how happy

you are is thanks enough.” He opened his desk drawer

and pulled something out. He hesitated for a moment

before he handed it to her. “I’ve booked you on the

10am plane tomorrow morning.”

Her hands shook as she took the ticket from him, “I

can’t believe you’re doing this for me.”

“I’ve never been very good with words Courtney, but I

do love you. You’re the closest thing to a daughter I

will ever have. I just want you to be happy.”

She jumped up from her chair and gave him a big hug,

“Thank you Uncle Vincent. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” he cleared his throat self

consciously. “You better go get packed.” He smiled as

he watched her walk away staring down at the ticket he

just presented her with. “I hope I did the right

thing.” he whispered sadly.

~*~*~*~

The next morning Courtney woke early, unable to sleep

she was so excited. She had packed her things the

night before, so she didn’t have to worry about

anything when she woke. Her Uncle Vincent didn’t ride

with her to the airport, deciding to say goodbye to

her at the house. He held her tight against his chest

.

“Call me if you need anything, anything at all okay.”

“I promise. Thank you so much for this.” she smiled up

at him, tears threatening to fall.

“I just want you to find your happiness Courtney. You

need to decide for yourself where you belong in this

world. Once you figure that out the rest will come.”

“I’ll call you when I get in.”

“Okay. Take care sweetie.” he handed her a manila

envelope. “Don’t open this until you are on the

plane.”

“What is this?” she looked down at the envelope before

taking it from his hands.

“Just a little something I want you to have.” He

hugged her once more, “Be happy Courtney.”

It was harder than she imagined it would be to walk

away from him. He was the only father figure she had

ever had, and it saddened her to know how it hurt him

that she was leaving. This was just something she had

to do. Once she was settled on the plane, she took out

the envelope Vincent had given her as she left. When

she opened it she found 10,000 in cash, a picture, and

a letter. She quickly tucked the money away in her

purse before opening the letter with shaking hands.

Courtney,

Please don’t be upset about the money. I just wanted

to make sure you had enough money with you to get a

good place to stay until you get settled in Port

Charles. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need

more money or even if you just need to talk. I know we

were never really close, but I do love you so much.

You’re the only daughter I’ve ever known and I just

want you to be happy. Enclosed is a picture of your

father that your mother kept all these years. I know

it’s old, but I thought it might help you find him.

Good luck Courtney and remember you will always have a

home with me.

Love,

Uncle Vincent

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she read the letter.

After all these years she had never known how much she

meant to him. She tucked the letter away and looked at

the picture. It was a picture of her father and her

mother holding a small baby. She assumed it was her.

She stared down at the picture, memorizing every

feature of her father’s face. Courtney could see where

she got her smile. She didn’t know how long she stared

at the picture before she finally put it away. A long

sigh escaped her lips as she stared out the plane

window, wondering what she was going to find once she

landed in Port Charles. Something inside her told her

she was going to find what she had been looking for

her entire life. She was finally going to find

happiness.

Chapter One

© 2003

After an hour layover in Philadelphia, Courtney had

finally arrived in Port Charles. She quickly got her

bags and caught a taxi, but she really didn’t know

where to have the driver take her.

“I’m new in town. Do you know where I could go to find

a fairly cheap but good place to stay?”

“Sure. I know just where to take you.” he smiled

politely as he pulled away from the curb. Courtney

simply sat back and looked around the city. It was

already late fall, the leaves had already turned and

fell from the trees, scattering the orange, red, and

brown leaves everywhere. They passed by the park and a

smile spread across her beautiful face as she watched

the children playing in the leaves and their parents

watching from benches nearby. Before she knew it, they

pulled up in front of a café. She stared up at it

confused.

“I thought you were taking me somewhere I could rent a

room.”

“This is Kelly’s. They rent rooms above the

restaurant. The owner is really great and you might

even be able to get a job as a waitress here.”

“Oh, thanks then.” she smiled, paying the driver and

giving him a tip before turning around to look up at

Kelly’s once more. Courtney picked up her bags and

headed inside. The place was pretty busy when she

walked in. She noticed a pretty red head up at the

counter and figured she was as good a person to ask as

any. She smiled shyly. “Hi. I was wondering who I

could speak with about possibly renting a room here.”

Bobbie smiled at her, “You’re looking at her

sweetheart. I’m Bobbie Spencer.” She held out her hand

and Courtney immediately took it with a grateful

smile.

“I’m Courtney Matthews.”

“What brings you to town?”

“I’m looking for…a new start.” she said, not wanting

to tell anyone why she was in town just yet.

“Well, Port Charles is a nice city. I’m sure you’ll be

happy here.”

“I hope so.” she smiled. “Do you know of a place

that’s hiring?”

“Have you ever been a waitress?”

“No,” she blushed answering honestly. “I’ve actually

never had a job in my life.”

“Oh, well, if you’re interested you could work here

for me. I have a good group of girls that work here

and the customers are nice.”

“Really? That’s so nice of you to offer.”

“You seem like a really sweet girl. Why don’t I show

you your room upstairs and you can start working

tomorrow if you’d like.”

“Sounds good.” Courtney smiled as she followed Bobbie

upstairs. The room was small, but cozy. There was one

double bed in the middle of the room, a small desk in

front of the window, a five drawer dresser, a small

closet, a nightstand with a small lamp on top, a mini

refrigerator in one corner of the room, and a very

small bathroom.

“I know it’s not much, but you have basically

everything you need.”

“No, it’s great. Thank you so much Ms. Spencer. I

really appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”

“Please call me Bobbie, and don’t mention it. I’m glad

to help you.”

“So, what time do I show up tomorrow?”

“How about 7am? You can work the breakfast shift with

Penny. She’s a real sweetheart and she’ll show you the

ropes.”

“I’ll be there. Thanks again.”

“You’re quite welcome. Welcome to Port Charles

Courtney.” she smiled, leaving her alone to get

settled. Courtney immediately went to work putting her

things away, trying to make her little room feel a

little more like home. Once she had unpacked, she

called Uncle Vincent to let him know she was okay and

she had a place to stay and already had a job.

Courtney walked over to the window looking down on

Port Charles. A smile spread across her face, she

finally felt like she was home.

Chapter Two

© 2003

When Courtney woke the next morning, she quickly

showered and dressed before heading downstairs to

start her first day at Kelly’s. She was introduced to

Penny and took an instant liking to her. Penny showed

her around and taught her the ropes. It actually

turned out to be pretty easy to catch on. She was half

way through the breakfast shift when she noticed a

tall, thin, dark blonde walk through the door. She

took a seat at the counter and Courtney approached

her.

“Good morning. What can I get you?” she smiled.

“Coffee, black.” she replied looking around the

restaurant as Courtney poured her coffee. She looked

back up at her, her brown eyes observing her with a

smile, “You’re new here aren’t you?”

“Actually I just arrived in town yesterday. Bobbie

gave me a room upstairs and a job. She’s been so great

to me so far.” she smiled, somehow finding it easy to

talk to this woman sitting in front of her.

“Well welcome to Port Charles. I’m Carly Corinthos.”

she extended her hand to Courtney who happily accepted

it.

“Thank you so much. I’m Courtney Matthews.”

“I was actually looking for Bobbie. Is she here?”

“No I haven’t seen her. Do you have a message for her

in case she comes in?”

“Yeah, just tell her to give her daughter a call

okay.” she smiled as she watched the realization of

who Carly was grace her face. “What brings you here

anyway?”

“Just looking to start over, looking to find someplace

to really belong.”

There was just something about this girl she liked

immediately, “I hope you find it. Well, I must be

going. I need to meet my son at the park. It was nice

meeting you Courtney.”

“Nice to meet you too.” she smiled.

“Oh, and by the way. Have you met Elizabeth yet?”

She thought for a moment, “Um I don’t think so.”

“I’m just giving you fair warning to watch your back

with that one. Trust me I know from experience. She

may act all nice and sweet at first, but she’s always

got ulterior motives. She hurt someone I love very

much and I just would hate to see her get her claws

into you too.”

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll remember that.”

“Good.” she smiled. “See you later Courtney.”

“Bye Carly.” she smiled as she watched Carly head out

towards the park, happy to find yet another friend in

this new city. By the end of her first day at work,

Courtney was exhausted. She made her way upstairs,

took another shower, and headed to bed early. The next

day she was scheduled to work the morning shift again,

but instead of Penny she had to work with Elizabeth.

From the moment she met her she could somehow sense

what Carly had told her about her. She simply smiled

and was polite, not wanting to let on that she had

already been warned to watch her back around her, and

much to her relief Elizabeth didn’t push conversation

on her. Courtney sighed in relief when she saw Carly

walk in again. She smiled as she sat down at a table

and Carly waved to her. Courtney grabbed the coffee

and immediately headed to her table.

“Hi Carly.”

“Hey Courtney.” she looked over at the counter to see

Elizabeth there wiping it off. “I see you had to work

with Elizabeth today.”

Courtney rolled her eyes, “Yeah lucky me. I can

definitely see what you were talking about. Something

is very strange about her.”

“Good, I’m glad you see it too. I didn’t want to sound

like some crazy woman when I warned you about her.”

she laughed.

“Oh no. I’m glad you told me. I’d like to know who I

can trust and who I should watch out for. To be honest

I never had many friends growing up. I’ve led a very

sheltered life. This is the first time I’ve ever been

on my own. It’s nice to know I have someone I can

trust.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” she smiled. They continued idle

chit chat when a strange man approached the table and

took a seat across from Carly. Courtney looked down at

him, completely mesmerized. He looked up at her, his

face completely blank. Carly looked back and forth

between them with a smirk on her pretty face. “Hi

Jase. Courtney this is my best friend Jason, Jason

this is Courtney. She’s new in town.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Courtney smiled.

Jason returned her smile, “Nice to meet you.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“Just coffee thanks.” Courtney poured his coffee,

fighting hard to keep her hands from trembling too

much.

“I’ll leave you two alone. Let me know if you need

anything.” She smiled as she headed back to the

counter. Carly continued to stare at Jason with that

same smirk on her face.

“What?” he asked, knowing the wheels were turning in

her mind.

“Oh, nothing. I just saw the look that passed between

you and the pretty new girl in town. She’s a

sweetheart, you should go for it.”

Jason looked at her confused, “I don’t know what

you’re talking about. I said hello to the girl that’s

all.”

“You’re going to sit there and tell me that you don’t

find her attractive.”

“Come on Carly. Don’t start this okay.”

“What? I’m your friend Jason. I just want to see you

happy.”

“Well, thank you very much for your concern, but I’m

doing just fine.”

“You and Elizabeth have been over for a long time now.

I haven’t seen you even attempt to date since her.

What’s up with that?”

“Look Carly. I just don’t need to be with someone in

order to be happy.”

“What does it take for you to be happy Jason? I know

you aren’t.”

“How do you know that? I’m perfectly happy doing what

I do and going home to an empty penthouse. That’s just

who I am.”

“No it’s not and you know it.” Carly continued to

argue with him.

“Look, neither one of us are going to agree on this.

Let’s just drop the subject.”

“Fine, we’re supposed to meet Michael and Leticia at

the park anyway.” Carly frowned, knowing she didn’t

get through to her best friend. Courtney had been

watching them intently since she went back to the

counter. Elizabeth had been watching her as well, none

too happy to see the look that had passed between her

former boyfriend and this new girl in town. She walked

over to her with a smile.

“You and Carly looked pretty friendly together.”

“Yeah, she’s been really nice to me so far.”

“Be careful with her and who she is with. They’re

nothing but trouble, especially Jason.” she looked

over at them once more before looking back at

Courtney. “I know by personal experience how you can

get hurt by being too close to him.” Courtney simply

gave her a small smile and went back to making more

coffee. Elizabeth tried to act sincere, but Courtney

still wasn’t buying her act. Her heart began to race

wildly in her chest as Jason approached the counter.

He opened his wallet and handed her a twenty dollar

bill. She took it with a smile.

“Let me get your change.” Jason touched her arm just

barely, stopping her in her tracks and sending a jolt

through both their bodies. She looked up into his blue

eyes, feeling herself getting lost in their depths. He

gave her a small smile.

“I don’t need change.”

“But….you gave me a twenty. Your bill was only $3.50.”

she argued.

“Keep the change for your tip. See you around.” he

said as he turned and followed Carly out of Kelly’s.

Courtney continued to stare off into space for a

moment after they left. She couldn’t help but smile to

herself, remembering the way she felt when he looked

at her. Courtney finally snapped out of her trance and

turned to find Elizabeth staring at her with a look

that could kill. Courtney chose to ignore her and went

to the kitchen to pick up a customer’s order. For the

rest of the day she thought of nothing but Jason.

Chapter Three

© 2003

Her first week in Port Charles went rather well. She

hadn’t gotten a chance to look for her father yet, but

she figured it would be best to wait until she got

more familiar with the town and it’s people. There

were a total of three people she really trusted so far

and they were Bobbie, Carly, and Jason. Although they

hadn’t had a real opportunity to talk yet, there was

something about him, something in his eyes that simply

told her he was true. Courtney was taking a walk in

the park after her shift one night and ran into Jason.

“Hi.” she smiled shyly.

“Hi, you’re out pretty late.”

“I wasn’t tired after my shift, so I figured I’d take

a walk.”

“By yourself?”

Courtney eyed him strangely, “Well yeah. I’m new in

town remember? I don’t really have any friends here.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. You just need to be

careful walking alone at night.”

Courtney smiled, “Well I’m not alone now.”

A small smile tugged at Jason’s lips, “That’s very

true.”

“So…you and Carly are friends?”

He nodded slowly, “I’ve known her for a long time. I

actually work for her husband. They’re my best

friends.”

“That’s nice. Gosh, I can barely recall ever having a

friend like that.”

“You don’t have a best friend?”

“My mom kind of kept me sheltered through most of my

life. I had friends at school, but I didn’t have much

of a social life.”

“I don’t mean to be nosy, but why was your mother so

strict?”

“I guess she just wanted to keep me safe. I was only

14 when we went to stay with Uncle Vincent. When my

mom died, he took care of me. This is my first time

I’ve been on my own.”

“How do you like it so far?”

Courtney’s eyes lit up, “It’s been great. I’ve got a

job, my own apartment, and…” she glanced up at Jason

with a smile. “I’ve been lucky enough to have met some

really wonderful people.”

Jason returned her smile, “Carly really likes you. You

seem like you’re a really good person.”

“Why thank you,” she blushed. “So do you.”

He laughed softly, “You really don’t know me.”

“Should I be afraid to be around you?” she looked up

into his eyes, daring him to look away.

“Maybe you should,” he whispered as they stopped in

front of Kelly’s.

“I think I’ll take my chances,” she smiled softly,

reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight

Jason. Thanks for walking me home.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight Courtney.” he stood there

and watched her until she was safely inside. Jason

didn’t understand the feelings he felt when her lips

brushed across his cheek. He barely knew her, yet

there was just something about her that he was drawn

to. Maybe it was the way her eyes seemed to see right

into his soul, maybe it was her simple beauty, maybe

it was her infectious smile, he wasn’t sure. Jason

sighed heavily as he headed back to his cold, lonely

apartment

Courtney watched from her apartment window as he

slowly walked away. Jason was very much a man cloaked

in mystery. It was a mystery she very much wanted to

get to the bottom of. She could feel the blush that

crept into her cheeks at the mere thought of him.

Never in her life had a man had this kind of effect on

her so soon. Pretty much all of her life she only had

one real boyfriend. .Christian was her first

everything. They really did care for each other, but

it wasn’t long before her mother put a stop to their

relationship. She told Courtney she didn’t want her to

make the same mistakes she had made. That excuse might

sound reasonable to an adult, but when you’re talking

to a 16 year old who thought she was in love, it just

sounded totally unreasonable. Looking back on it now

she knew that Christian really was not the love of her

life like she once thought he was. Now as she watched

Jason walk away, part of her couldn’t help but wonder

if there was more to her coming to Port Charles than

finding her father. Maybe fate has more in store fro

her after all. Once Jason was out of sight, she

quickly got ready for bed. Her eyes drifted shut as

sleep took over, her thought were filled with Jason.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Courtney slept in the next morning, knowing she had

the day off. When she finally pulled herself out of

bed, she took a quick shower, and decided to grab a

late breakfast downstairs. She took a seat at a table

near the counter. As she looked over the menu, someone

approached her table.

“Sitting down on the job?”

She looked up and smile, “For your information, today

is my day off.”

“Mind if I join you?” Jason asked.

Courtney felt her heart flutter, “Sure.”

“Have you ordered already?”

“Nope. I was just deciding. What are you going to

have?”

“Coffee.”

“Do you ever eat?” she laughed softly.

“Of course I do. I’m just not a big breakfast eater.”

“You do know it’s the most important meal of the day.”

A smile tugged at his lips, “I’ve heard about that.”

“Well, there’s no way I’m going to eat breakfast if

you don’t.”

“Don’t let me stop you.”

“I won’t. That’s why you’re going to eat breakfast

with me.”

“I am?”

“Yep,” she smiled up at Penny when she approached.

“Morning Penny.”

“Hey guys. What can I get you?” she asked as she

poured the coffee.

“I’ll take the French toast with sausage and Mr.

Morgan will have the same.”

Penny looked back and forth between Courtney and

Jason, confusion on her face. “Are you sure.”

“Yes we’re sure. Thanks Penny.” Courtney smiled. Penny

walked away shaking her head. Jason simply stared at

Courtney, shock written all over his face. “What’s the

matter Jason?”

“I can’t believe you just ordered me breakfast.”

“Well, you should start your day off with a good

breakfast.”

“you are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

Courtney took a sip of her coffee, “I hope that’s a

good thing.”

Jason smiled, “It’s a very good thing.”

Elizabeth watched them from behind the counter, a

stern look on her face. She saw Penny put in an order

for two plates of French toast.

“Is Courtney really hungry or something? She ordered

two plates of food.”

“No, one is for Jason.”

“What? Jason never eats breakfast.”

“Well, apparently he is today.”

Elizabeth felt her blood pressure rising. She was so

angry she could hardly breathe. Courtney had only been

here for a week and she was already making moves

towards Jason. Granted Elizabeth did break up with

him, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to move on.

He’s supposed to pine for her. Their separation was

supposed to make the heart grow fonder. Now this other

woman comes waltzing in like she owns the place and

next thing you know Elizabeth doesn’t exist anymore.

She mentally shook herself and turned her attention

back to her customers. Courtney saw Elizabeth out the

corner of her eye and was reminded of the warning she

gave her. She took a deep breath.

“Jason can I ask you a question?”

“Okay.”

“The other day Elizabeth warned mea bout you. She said

she knew from personal experience that people around

you get hurt. Were you two and item?”

Jason sighed. He knew this would come up sooner or

later. “Briefly. We were on and off for a while, but

ultimately she ended it for good. It’s for the best.

We weren’t right for each other.”

“Why? I mean I don’t mean to be nosy.”

“No, it’s okay. I told her from the beginning that

there were things that I would not be able to talk

about or discuss with her. If I was out late or gone

all night she couldn’t ask me what when or why. That’s

the way it had to be. I really don’t know what

happened, but she ended up cheating on me with one of

my worst enemies. I tried to look past it and give us

another chance, but in the end she couldn’t deal with

the way I live so she ended it for good.”

“I’m sorry if it’s painful for you.” she whispered.

“Don’t be.” he smiled. “I wasn’t in love or anything.

To tell you the truth I was relieved. She can

get….annoying. I’m just glad I never slept with

her…..” The words spilled from his lips before he

could think about what he was saying. A slight blush

crept into his cheeks, “I can’t believe I just said

that.”

Courtney laughed, “Don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe

with me. And for the record, I think she’s a fool.”

“Thank you, but like I said, you really don’t know me

Courtney.”

“You don’t know me either but you seem to think I’m a

nice person. Why can’t I say the same thing about

you?”

“Well, I appreciate it.” he smiled. They enjoyed their

light conversation during their breakfast. Just as

Courtney had instructed, Jason ate everything on his

plate which pleased her very much. Jason couldn’t

believe that something so simple had made her so

happy. The more he talked to her, the more he was

attracted to her. If he was smart, he would stop it

right now before anything really started. Something

inside him simply knew that he wouldn’t be able to

stay away no matter how much he may want to.

Chapter Four

© 2003

As the weeks passed, Courtney was spending more and

more time with both Carly and Jason. She decided to

put the search for her father on hold for just a

little while longer, enjoying her time with Carly and

Jason too much to give it up. She was just finishing

the breakfast rush at Kelly’s when Carly came in.

“Hey Court.”

“Hi Carly,” she smiled, getting ready to pour her her

usual cup of coffee. Carly held up her hand for her to

stop. She looked at her confused, “Is something

wrong?”

“No. Everything is perfect.” she grinned.

“Something’s got you all happy. What’s going on?”

“I’m pregnant.” Courtney squealed happily, rushing

from behind the counter to give her a hug.

“I’m so happy for you. I know how much you wanted a

baby.”

“Sonny and I are just so excited. We want you to come

over for dinner tonight to celebrate. I think it’s

about time you met my husband.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your moment Carly.”

“Oh please. We want to share our happiness with our

two best friends.”

“So Jason will be there?”

Carly laughed as she saw her eyes light up, “Of

course. Does that clinch the deal?”

“He’s not the reason I’m going, but I admit it’s a

nice bonus.”

“He likes you Courtney. You’re the first person I’ve

seen him open up to in a really long time.”

“Yeah, unfortunately Elizabeth was the last one.” she

frowned.

“Listen to me okay. Jason never let Elizabeth into his

heart. He couldn’t because deep down he knew what she

really was. Please don’t let her try to tell you they

had this big romance and they were the great loves of

their lives. They were the complete opposite.”

“I haven’t talked to her about Jason and I don’t want

to. I know she hates the fact that he and I are

friends.”

“She hates everyone except herself. Don’t let her get

to you.”

“I just ignore her. We really don’t have much to say

to each other.”

“Good. No, come to our penthouse tonight around

seven.”

“Okay, the Riverview Towers right?”

“You got it. We’re in Penthouse 4.” She gave her a

quick hug. “See you later.”

“Bye Carly,” she laughed softly as she walked away.

For the rest of her shift, she couldn’t stop smiling,

knowing she’d be seeing Jason again soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Courtney stood in front of the mirror, staring at her

reflection. She wanted to look good tonight. After

all, this would be the first time she meets Sonny and

of course Jason would be there. She chose a black

wrap-around dress that fell just above her knees and

hugged all of her curves. Her hair was down with a

small section pulled up on one side with a butterfly

clip. She looked gorgeous. Once she was satisfied with

her appearance, she grabbed her purse and coat then

headed to Carly’s. She stepped out of the elevator and

looked around, not really sure which way to go. She

recognized Max and headed towards him.

“Hi Max,” she smiled.

“Good evening Ms. Matthews.”

“Please call me Courtney.” As they walked for a

moment, Jason walked out of his penthouse. He stopped

the moment he heard her voice, his heart beating

faster in his chest. Something about her always seemed

to draw him to her. Over the last few weeks, he had

found himself spending more and more time with her.

The more time he spent with her the more time he

wanted to see her. Even when he was alone at home or

at work, his thoughts always seemed to drift back to

her. Courtney could feel a pair of eyes on her. Her

body tingled and her heart began to race. She knew

instantly it was Jason that was watching her. She

turned to him with her 1,000 watt smile.

“Hi Jason.”

He smiled sheepishly knowing he’d been caught, “Hey.

You just getting here?”

“Yeah. I was just about to go in.”

“Must be my lucky day. So was I.” They walked into the

penthouse and Jason helped her out of her coat.

“Carly, Sonny?” he called out. Carly descended the

stairs an instant smile on her face.

“Hey guys. Courtney you look great.” she gave her a

quick hug.

“Thanks. Thank you for having me over. I have to admit

I was getting pretty tired of eating at Kelly’s all

the time.”

“You’re in for a treat tonight then. My husband is an

amazing cook.”

“Oh, you’re not cooking?”

“Carly cook?” Jason laughed. “Do you want to live

through the night?”

“Hey!” Carly frowned. “I’m standing right here you

know.”

“Come on. You know you can’t cook.”

“Well, that may be true but you still don’t have to

say it like that.”

“Hey, what’s going on in here? Is Carly trying to

convince you she’s a good cook? If she is don’t

believe a word she says.” Sonny said as he emerged

from the kitchen, a smile on his face. He reached out

his hand for Courtney to shake. “I’m Sonny Corinthos.”

Courtney didn’t know how to explain it, but the moment

she saw him she felt as though she’d already known him

for years. She put a smile on her face and shook her

head, “Hi. I’m Courtney Matthews. It’s nice to finally

meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Carly and

Jason.”

Sonny looked into her eyes and somehow he could see a

part of himself inside her. He didn’t know how to

explain it but somehow there was a connection to her

and he knew he wanted to find out all he could about

this woman in front of him. “So this is the famous

Courtney that Carly and Jason are always talking

about?”

Courtney blushed, “Really?”

“You’re right Jason. She is beautiful.” Jason’s eyes

widened. He couldn’t believe Sonny just said that in

front of her. He never thought Sonny would repeat what

he told him in confidence. Courtney looked up at him

with a smile.

“Why thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Sonny smiled. “I hope you like

Italian.”

“I love it.”

“Great. Why don’t you help me finish dinner? Are you

good in the kitchen?”

“I’m a good cook actually.”

Sonny placed his hand on the small of her back and led

her towards the kitchen. He looked back over his

shoulder, “Bye guys.”

Carly and Jason looked at each other in shock, “What

just happened?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen Sonny take to someone

so fast.”

“Neither have I.”

“Should we be worried?”

“I don’t think so. Sonny’s on cloud nine right now.

Nothing is bothering him today, besides he knows how

much we like Courtney so I’m sure he trusts our

judgment.”

“Maybe.”

“Ahhh, the ever skeptical Jason.” she chuckled.

“So….you told Sonny Courtney was beautiful?”

Jason sighed heavily, “Yes. I swear I never thought

Sonny would say something that I told him in

confidence.”

“Lighten up Jason. Why haven’t you asked that girl out

on a date yet? I know you like her and she likes you.”

“Don’t start Carly.”

“Come on Jason. She’s a wonderful girl and I know you

care about her.”

“That’s just it Carly. I do care about her, that’s why

she doesn’t need to be involved with me. My life is

too dangerous.”

“Look at me and Sonny. His life is just as dangerous

as yours but he has a family. Why don’t you think you

deserve the same?”

“Let’s not get into this please.”

“You know when you find someone you can love you can

fight all you want but you won’t win. How can you

fight the inevitable?” Jason looked at her with a

blank expression on his face, but inside he knew she

was right. Carly heard laughter before she even

entered the kitchen. When she walked in she saw Sonny

and Courtney standing by the stove talking and

laughing like they had known each other for years.

“Hey. Is it about ready? The baby is tired of smelling

it. She’s ready to eat!”

“She? You already know it’s a girl?” Sonny laughed.

“Well, no, but I don’t want to call the baby and ‘it’

do you?”

He chuckled, “I suppose not. Dinner is ready. Courtney

and I was just about to bring it out.” Once Courtney

and Sonny sat all the food on the table, they all sat

down to enjoy their time together. They felt like a

real family for the first time in a long time and for

once Courtney felt as if she might have found where

she belonged after all.

Chapter Five

© 2003

“As much as I hate to break this up, I need to get

going. I have to work the early shift tomorrow.”

Courtney sighed heavily as she stood to leave. “Thank

you so much for having me over. Dinner was fantastic

Sonny.”

He smiled, “Thank you Courtney. I’m so glad you came

over. It was nice to finally meet you.”

“Same here.” Courtney hugged Carly. “I’ll see you

later.”

“Thanks for coming Courtney.” She smiled over at

Jason, “Why don’t you walk her back to Kelly’s?”

Courtney’s eyes grew large, “No, that’s really not

necessary.”

“He wants to.” Sonny grinned as he wrapped his arms

around Carly’s waist. For the second time that night

Jason blushed.

“Are you sure?” Courtney asked, her eyes meeting his.

He smiled down at her.

“Of course. Are you ready?”

“Yeah, bye guys.”

“See you later.” Carly waved as they walked out the

door together. “They make such a cute couple don’t you

think?”

“You like anyone who isn’t Elizabeth.” he teased.

“Well, that’s true, but Courtney would be really good

for him.”

“I think so too. I just don’t know if he’ll do

anything about it.”

“He will if I have anything to say about it.”

Sonny groaned, “Please don’t start with your

matchmaking schemes.”

“I’ll just give him a little push in the right

direction.”

“You keep your pushing and you’ll push him right over

a cliff.”

Carly’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him, “You think

you’re funny don’t you?” Sonny smiled sexily as he

pulled her in for a kiss.

“ You know you love me.”

“I must, otherwise I wouldn’t put up with you.” They

cuddled on the couch while Sonny sipped his brandy.

“Do you really like Courtney?”

“I really do. I don’t know how to explain it, but I

felt an instant connection to her. It was kind of like

we’d met before but I know we haven’t.” he shrugged.

“It was just strange.”

“You did seem to click immediately. I’m glad you

really like her ‘cause I really love having her

around.”

“I could definitely see having her as a part of our

family. She just fits.”

“Have I told you today how much I love you?” she

grinned up at him.

“No, but you could show me.” he grinned down at her.

They climbed the stairs to their bedroom and proceeded

to show each other how much they meant to each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They began their walk to Kelly’s in silence. All Jason

could think about was the beautiful woman walking

beside him. He wanted so badly to pull her into his

arms and kiss her, but he refrained. Courtney was

definitely aware of his closeness. She could

practically feel the heart radiating between their

bodies. Courtney didn’t have much experience with men,

but she knew what it felt like to want someone so

badly your body ached for their touch That’s what she

felt when she was around Jason. She felt the ached

down in her most private area, her body yearning for

the touch that only he could give her. Without

warning, Jason pulled her against his chest, crushing

his lips to hers. Courtney was shocked at first, but

she immediately responded, snaking her arms around his

neck pulling him even closer to her welcoming body.

His tongue traced the outline of her lips asking for

entrance, which was immediately granted. Their tongues

dance together in perfect rhythm as Jason let his

hands roam her body. She moaned against his lips as

his other hand found it’s home on her firm backside.

Courtney’s body was on fire. If she didn’t have him

soon, she knew he would go crazy. “Courtney…” he

moaned against her lips as her small hands rubbed his

growing erection. “Courtney….Courtney….Courtney…” he

got louder and louder. He placed his hand on her arm,

and suddenly she was brought out of her daydream. “Are

you okay?”

“Yeah,” she blushed slightly. “I guess I just got lost

in thought. Were you saying something?”

“I was just apologizing if the things Sonny said made

you uncomfortable earlier tonight.”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?”

He looked away for a moment, “I don’t know.

“If it makes you feel any better I think you’re

beautiful too.” she shocked herself as the words came

out her mouth. She was relieved when Jason smiled.

“Beautiful?”

“Yeah, you are. You’re beautiful inside and out.”

Jason was taken aback by her kind words. No one had

ever said anything like that to him before. He had

never med anyone quite like Courtney. No one ever made

him feel special and appreciated until she walked into

his life. Much to his surprise, he loved the way she

made him feel. “Thank you,” he said so softly she

could barely hear him. She smiled up at him, giving

his hand an affectionate squeeze. They didn’t let go

of each other’s hand until they reached Kelly’s. Jason

was disappointed that their time together was up, but

he was please to notice Courtney’s disappointment as

well.

“I guess this is goodnight. Thank you for walking me

home Jason.”

“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure believe me.” he

smiled down at her. They stood there for a moment just

looking at each other.

“Well, goodnight Jason.” Courtney turned to leave, but

Jason stopped her.

“Courtney…” she turned towards him with questioning

eyes. Jason took a deep breath as he leaned closer and

closer to her until their lips met in a soft, gentle

kiss. Courtney felt her knees go weak, so she leaned

her body closer to Jason for support. The kiss wasn’t

full of passion like the one from her fantasy, but it

spoke volumes to her. He poured his heart and soul

into this kiss and it was ten times better than the

one in her fantasy. They never wanted to let each

other go. Jason was the first to pull away, his hand

gently caressing her cheek. “What is it about you that

makes it so hard to say goodnight?”

Courtney smiled at the sweetness of his words, “I wish

I knew the answer to that. I don’t want to let you go

either.” They kissed again for a moment.

“I have to go or I’ll never leave.”

“I wouldn’t argue.” Jason chuckled softly as he

breathed in the scent of her, memorizing it.

“As much as I’d love to stay with you, I think for

right now it would be best if I went back to my own

place. Things are going so well I don’t want to rush

things and mess our relationship up before it’s really

started.”

“So does that mean we’re in a relationship?” she asked

with a happy smile.

A small smile tugged at his lips, “It means I’d like

to be, that is if you’re interested.”

“Oh, I’m interested.” she reached up to kiss him

again. “When will I see you again?”

“I’ll stop in tomorrow morning.”

“Then I better get upstairs and go to sleep quick. The

faster the morning gets here, the faster I’ll get to

see you again.” She kissed him once more, then pulled

him close for a hug. “Sweet dreams Jason.”

“I think you’ve given me plenty to dream about.” he

whispered in her ear. “Goodnight Courtney.” He

reluctantly let her go, watching her until the

ascended the stairs to her room. As he headed back to

his penthouse, he couldn’t stop the smile that spread

across his face. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was

that an angel like Courtney came into his life,

probably just in time to save him from himself.