Chapter Two: Brother, Brother, Where Art Thou?

Sometimes it feels like the whole world around you collapses around you. and this is how Courtney felt. Everything her mother had been telling her since she was four had been a lie. Everything about her father were just poison spilling out of her mouth. Suddenly, it felt like Courtney couldn't breathe. She was drowning in a sea of memories. Looking around the room, she willed it to stop, but it wouldn't.

And then it stopped and everything went black.

***Flashback***

IJanine Matthews walked into the double wide with a grocery bag in hand and a jug of milk in the other. Nodding to her small daughter, she smiled, "Hello sweetie."

The blonde girl with pigtails smiled at her mother, "Hello Mommy." Picking herself up from the couch, she walked over to her mother and tugged on her long skirt, "Mommy, when's Daddy coming home?"

Janine looked the little girl sadly. Setting down the keys to her old Caddy and the grocery bag on the kitchen table, she gently took the little girl's hand, "Courtney, come here sweetie. Sit on the couch."

Courtney followed her mom and climbed onto the old, patched orange couch. Looking thoughtfully at her mommy, she asked, "Why are you crying, Mommy?"

Janine eyes spilled over with tears and she quickly wiped them, "There's something that I have to tell you, sweetheart."

Courtney's big blue eyes shined with innocence. Janine couldn't bear to break it to her that her father had left them.

Taking Courtney's small hand, she looked deeply into the girl's eyes, "Honey, Daddy won't be coming home."

Courtney's eyebrows furrowed and her big blue eyes filled with confusion, "Why Mommy? Doesn't he love us anymore?"

Janine wiped another stray tear and shook her head, "No sweetie. You Daddy dies this morning in a car accident."

Courtney didn't understand. How could her father die? He was superman and was as tall as the tallest trees. He even had the power to make her fly. Courtney's blue eyes spilled over with tears, "I don't understand, Mommy. Daddy can't be dead!"

The mother rocked the little girl in her arms, inside it was killing her to watch her daughter to go through this. Kissing the top of her head, she said, "Your daddy loved you very much, sweetie, but the doctors couldn't save him."

Little Courtney pulled away from her mother. Staring her straight in the eyes, she said, "I miss him, Mommy. I love him so much!"

Janine eyes welled up with tears and quickly she pulled Courtney back into a hug rocking her for what seemed like hours as the two cried with each other. I

***End of Flashback***

Jason didn't know what was happening, but the last thing he saw was a beautiful blonde hit the floor hard at the table across from him. Looking up at the older man, he asked, "What the hell did you do to her Mike?"

Mike's eyes widened with concern. Shaking his head, he dropped to the ground whispering, "Honey, wake up, sweetie. Come one, honey. Wake up, sweetheart."

Jason stooped on the ground and suddenly the beauty of this woman lying in front of him took him over. Her golden hair lay around her like a halo and her body was pure heaven. He quickly checked her pulse and nodded to Mike, "Her heart is beating just fine. She probably just got a little dizzy."

Mike looked up at him, "Can you help her, Jason?"

Jason looked at Mike questioningly. Sighing, he waved a strong scented piece of paper under her nose and saw her stir.

Courtney started to smell something awful. Crinkling her nose, she stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She found two amazingly blue eyes looking back at her. Jason Morgan was hovering over her. Was she in heaven?

"Hey, are you okay?" Jason asked her, pushing a lock of her hair out of her face. She had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

"Yeah, I think so," Courtney said, trying to sit up, but quickly grabbed her head in pain.

"No, no, no, you lay back down," Jason instructed her, taking off his leather jacket and putting it under her head. Looking at Mike, he asked, "What were you two doing before she fainted?"

Courtney watched Jason put the jacket under her head and wondered how much sweeter he could get. He barely knew her and was already taking care of her. Oh man, she could definitely fall for him. but then there was Elizabeth.

Mike shook his head and looked at Courtney, "Hey, baby." Jason looked at him confused.

She turned her eyes back to him. She thought. that maybe it had just been all a dream. That she had dreamed that he was alive, but no, it wasn't a dream. It was real. Smiling, she said, "Daddy, is it really you?"

His eyes lit up and he smoothed her hair, "Yes, sweetheart, it really is."

"Daddy?" Jason asked, looking in between the two.

Mike looked at Jason and suddenly guilt flooded his features, "You can't tell Michael about this yet. Let me talk to him."

"You mean Sonny doesn't know about her?" Jason asked, thoroughly confused.

Mike shook his head, "She doesn't know about him either."

Courtney looked at the two talking strangely. "Excuse me!"

The two turned to looked at her.

"Who's Sonny?" Courtney asked.

Jason and Mike exchanged glances and each agreed silently that Mike would answer that question.

"Sonny Corinthos. He's your brother, Courtney," Mike told her.