Chapter 14
Courtney sat at a small table in a donor bank and looked through different donor profiles. She had narrowed the list of donors to males of Western European decent, who had blonde hair and blue eyes and were between 5'8" and 6'2". She was also able to choose a male who had the same blood type as Jason. Courtney had been watching soap operas for too long to let a little thing like different blood types foil her plans. In her mind, she had covered all the bases. This child was going to be as close to Jason's as it could be. Courtney had found the man of her dreams. Donor ID 1839482 was going to father her child.
"I would like to… um use this donor, please", Courtney said to the nurse who was working the desk. How, does this work exactly?"
"Well, we will send the sperm to your doctor, you do have a doctor, don't you?" the nurse asked.
"Yes, Dr. Ashley Patel in Lake Charles".
"We'll send the specimen to her and then you will set up an appointment. Have her contact us and give us the date of the appointment so that we'll know an approximate time to send the specimen".
"Thank you so very much", Courtney said as she took her leave. As soon as she was in her car, she flipped open her cell phone and made a call to her partner.
"What do you want Courtney", Ric asked.
"I just 'purchased' little Jason or Lila Morgan", Courtney said proudly.
"Eww, I know that this procedure is perfectly normal but the thought is just a little much for me", Ric said with a shudder.
"Whatever, Ric. Did you set up the appointment with the doctor?"
"Yes, I did. She should be calling you sometime soon. On to more pressing matters", Ric said attempting to change the subject. "Have you spoken with Sonny in my regards?"
"I have but he just doesn't want to talk about you. This is going to take some time. Sonny really hates you", Courtney lied almost sincerely. She hadn't spoken to Sonny about Ric and she didn't plan on helping the brother reconcile.
"Well, keep trying. Tell him that I'm done with my vendetta against him. Tell him that I'm helping you with some sort of project. I don't know, just tell him something that makes me look better", Ric pleaded. He had a feeling that Courtney was not keeping up her end of he bargain. He was going to have to keep a better watch on her and if need be he would let her know that her paternity secret was only safe if he also got what he wanted out of this agreement.
"Yeah, Ric, I will. With me telling him great things about you he will have no choice but to let you into his life", Courtney said as she drove down the highway back to Port Charles and Jason.
"By the way, Jason turned himself in this morning. He is sitting in a cell at the PCPD as we speak".
"WHAT? Why? Ric, I told you Jason can not stay in jail. You have to drop the charges".
"He tried to kill me. Do you really think I would just let this go? My plan is to get back Elizabeth and take Jason's place in our brother's life. Maybe we didn't discuss this as in depth as we should have. I want Jason out of my life. I want my family"
"Ric, that isn't going work. I… we can't get into this right now. We need to stick with the plan that we have and then worry about all the rest of that later", Courtney said hoping that he would drop the subject once and for all.
"No, Courtney, that just isn't going to work for me. Jason Morgan is going to pay. You can have him; you can have the perfect little family. But I want you to remember that the only reason I agreed to help you was because you promised to help me get closer to Sonny. Now, if I'm not mistaken, you seem to be going back on the original agreement. Now, Courtney, you must think that I'm an idiot. I, assuredly, am not stupid and I will play the fool for no one. Courtney, if you attempt to double cross me, I will make your whole family pay", and with that Ric ended the conversation.
Courtney huffed and threw her cell phone into the passenger seat. She didn't have time to argue with Ric. She needed to get to Jason; she would be there for him in his time of need. Courtney headed to the police station in hopes of showing up and being Jason's savior. She had no idea that her brother and her ex-boyfriend had reconciled and that the last thing that Jason needed was help from Courtney.
Elizabeth's Studio
Emily had left for the Quartermaine mansion a couple of hours before. Elizabeth was looking around her small studio and wondering how her life had changed completely in a few days. And then changed again in a few more days. It felt as if someone had piled two years worth of living in a week. She was exhausted and didn't know what to do to make herself feel better. She was worried about Jason, but she knew that the only thing that she could do to help would be to take care of herself. 'Jason may not be around to save me in the future', she thought to herself. The thought tore her heart in two. What would she do without Jason? These last few months without him had been bad enough but if Scott Baldwin had anything to do with it, she would be living without Jason for years. Elizabeth knew what she had to do. She was going to, for once; take her destiny into her own hands.
Ric's Hospital Room
Elizabeth looked through the window and saw the man that she had been looking for. He still looked horrible. The bruises were looking worse than they had that night. The night that Jason had beat Ric unconscious. Elizabeth shuddered and pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She opened the door and entered Ric's room. He had been resting with his eyes closed; when he heard the door, he opened his one good eye.
Ric saw Elizabeth lingering hesitantly at the door. He smiled, as best he could. "Elizabeth, please come in. I was hoping that you would come by for a visit".
She tried to smile, she really did but her mouth wouldn't form even the most unbelievable of smiles. "Hey, Ric, how are you doing? Stupid, stupid, stupid question, Webber", Elizabeth said shaking her head.
Ric laughed and then winced at the pain. "Don't worry about it. It's a natural question. Actually, I am feeling a little better. Some of the pain has subsided. Or at least the pain meds are working".
"That's good, really good. I'm really sorry that this happened to you. Jason shouldn't have attacked you", Elizabeth said.
Ric smiled at Elizabeth's comments and thought that she had come to her senses. "I'm so glad to hear you say that, Elizabeth. I thought that you would come in here and defend Jason Morgan".
"What he did was wrong but he didn't mean to hurt you. He was dealing with a lot. He had just had a fight with Sonny and found out that Courtney was pregnant and he didn't even have the chance to tell me, himself, that Courtney was pregnant. You took the… the control out of his hands at a time that he had absolutely no control at all. Jason really didn't mean for that to happen", Elizabeth stated.
Ric sighed and looked at the ceiling, unable to look into Elizabeth's hopeful eyes. She couldn't actually be here to ask the one thing of him that he couldn't give. "Elizabeth, don't… don't ask me that …", Ric started.
"Ric, I … I know that I shouldn't be here. I know that I shouldn't ask this of you. But I love Jason and these last few months have been … I've been lost without him. He shouldn't have done what he did to me but I can't lose him", the first tear fell then and once she had started she couldn't stop them.
Ric watched her as she cried silently. He cursed himself. He cursed Jason Morgan but most of all he cursed Sonny Corinthos for bringing him to this damned town and for his having met Elizabeth Webber. He loved her and normally he wouldn't be able to refuse anything that she asked but he was unable to let Jason Morgan off the hook.
"I can't, Elizabeth. You know that I would do anything for you but Jason has to know that he can't go around beating the hell out of people without repercussions", Ric tried to explain.
Elizabeth nodded that she understood his argument. "I guess, I understand. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to change your mind. Thank you for your time. I know that you'll get better and be better than new in no time", she said with her first genuine smile of the day.
Ric loved to see her smile. She was so beautiful. "Elizabeth, I know that I've made you upset with what I said today. I'm really sorry about your new relationship with Jason already being put on hold. I just want you to know, if you need anything at all; you can come to me. I'll be here for you, Elizabeth".
Elizabeth smiled again; this one was a little less genuine and a little sadder. "I appreciate the offer, Ric. Thank you".
Ric watched as she left the room. 'Why is it that all the women in this town fall all over themselves for that brain dead thug?' Ric thought to himself. He couldn't decide whether he had made the right decision. Jason needed to pay but Ric was hurting himself and Elizabeth with his current decision not to let Jason off the hook. 'Would she be more accepting of me if I dropped the charges? Would that even matter? Was it possible that letting Jason out jail would be his way of getting back with Elizabeth?' the thoughts were swirling through his head and he didn't know what to do.
PCPD
Jason was sitting in a jail cell. It wasn't the first time that he had been in jail and with his given profession; it most likely wouldn't be the last. Jason laid his head back on the cot, closed his eyes and thought about Elizabeth. A few days ago, he had woken up in her arms after making love for the first time. Jason had waited years to finally be able to claim Elizabeth Webber as his own. And he had that night; he claimed her over and over again until they were spent and sleeping in each other's arms. 'Maybe that wasn't the best thing to think about while sitting alone in a cell', Jason thought to himself. He quickly sat up when he heard the doors open and footsteps coming down the hallway.
"Morgan, you may hate your family but those crazies sure do love you", said the guard.
Jason looked up confused. 'My family?' He didn't argue just followed the officer back to the main office of the PCPD. When he arrived, he saw just what the officer had been speaking of. Edward and Alan Quartermaine were standing with the mayor of Port Charles. And from where Jason was, standing it looked as if they were having a very pleasant conversation.
"Jason, my boy. Now I know that you don't want anything from us but once Justus and Emily came home and told your grandmother that you were here; she wouldn't rest until you were released", Edward stated to his grandson.
"We've pulled some strings to have you released but we did this for purely selfish reasons. You are my son and I … we don't want to lose you anymore than we already have".
Jason looked back and forth between his father and his grandfather. "I … I didn't ask for your help"
Alan lowered his head in disappointment at his son's statement. He had hoped that Jason would have been more receptive. After all, Elizabeth Webber had made it seem that she would be bringing Jason home. Obviously, she hadn't passed on her ideas of family to Jason.
"Why you ungrateful little…", Edward began.
"I didn't ask for it, but thank you for it", Jason said holding out a hand to his father and then his grandfather to shake.
The Quartermaine men couldn't believe the sight before them. Was Jason really making peace with them? It didn't matter either way; they would take whatever part of him they could get. If it meant this small gesture was the end, then they would take it and be grateful for it.
Jason thought about calling Sonny to come pick him up but then he had another idea. He wanted to walk and enjoy the fresh night air. It was going to feel good to be outside in the cool Port Charles air. And then again, it was going to feel very good to get Elizabeth on the back of his bike for a long ride to nowhere.