Chapter 12: Numb

Courtney tucked her legs beneath her and settled deeper into the wooden deck chair. She could hear Jason clattering in the kitchen, in search of some breakfast, please let it be something already cooked, Courtney thought with a chuckle, imagining the disaster Jason had been the last time he attempted to whip something up. Smiling widely at the memory, she refocused her eyes on the strip of beach in front of her. The sun was high in the sky, creating a sparkling reflection against the crystal blue waves, crashing lightly onto the shore. Pulling her sunglasses on, Courtney wrapped Jason's t-shirt tighter around her body, loving the way the smell of his cologne enveloped her. The private island was the piece of perfection and purity Jason could give his wife, considering the tainted life he led. Standing in the kitchen doorway, he had a clear view of his angel, curled up like a cat, the sun streaming onto her golden hair, making it practically glow. For a moment, he felt she was untouchable, too beautiful for his blood covered hands to ever caress, but then she turned, stretching her hand out and waiting for him to take it. He placed a kiss on her palm, letting her pull him to sit in the open space beside her. Settling in they sat in silence, neither daring to break the peaceful serenity that had become of their supposed 'divorce trip'. Courtney rested her head on his shoulder, spooning her body further into his arms, as if trying to meld their forms into one.

" So what do you want to do today?" Jason smiled when her only response was a groan, burying her head deeper into the crook of his neck.

" Can't we just stay like this forever?"

" I wish, but eventually were going to have to get up"

" Just a little longer" Courtney whined her eyes drifting closed to absorb the warm breeze traveling through her hair.

" Whatever you want Mrs. Morgan" He stated, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled lazily " I missed that" Jason pulled back slightly looking into her eyes, love mirroring his own shining in them.

"What?" He asked innocently, while his hand found its way into her silky blonde locks.

"Being called Mrs. Morgan, silly" The playful tone in her voice caused him to pull her closer.

" I missed calling you that too," He admitted honestly, placing his cheek against the top of her head and savoring the feel of her body within his arms once again.

Brenda felt her body go numb from the unforgiving wind that whipped snow at her from all directions. She grew quiet, waiting while the ambulance made its way through the parking lot. Still kneeling by Carly's side, the brunette felt herself being pushed back into a crowd of people, gathering to see the source of all the commotion. Kevin had made his way to the scene, noticing how Brenda barely register the paramedic's voice, trying to break through her haze.

"Ma'am did you see how she fell?" The medic gently prodded, Brenda's eyes never leaving the men crowded around Carly's unconscious form, trying to stop the bleeding and lift her onto a stretcher.

" I… she… we were just walking… when" She took a shaky breath, trying to stop the tears from continuing their path down her cheeks, her hands trembling while she tried to explain what had happened, her whole body beginning to shake near the end. Kevin seemed frozen, thinking towards Carly's once very conscious form, dishing out insults less then fifteen minutes earlier. Seeing Brenda's distress pulled him from his thoughts, knowing that she needed support before she collapsed under the pressure.

"Maybe you should take a seat," The medic offered, when he finally took in the brunettes highly agitated state. She only shook her head, turning towards Kevin with mild trepidation, her bottom lip trembling, as she once again tried to hold in the fearful sobs that threatened to escape.

"What happened?" He inquired, having only heard a part of Brenda's rendition to the paramedic, he abandoned his question when she stumbled into his arms, nearly passing out, as dizziness fought to take her over. Cradling her body to his side, Kevin watched while they finally positioned Carly into the ambulance, paramedics motioning the pair to follow them to the hospital.

Courtney laughed at Jason, while he tried to fix his ocean-drenched hair, now lying flat against his skull.

" How much gel do you use to keep your hair up? Courtney inquired, catching the towel he flung at her, with a roll of his baby blues.

"I'm going to take a quick shower" She nodded, watching him walk to stand in front of her.

"Jason…. No… Jason put me down," Courtney giggled, trying to wiggle her way out of his hold, with no luck.

Finally putting her down, he addressed the frazzled blonde's distrustful gaze " I said I was taking a shower, didn't say I was taking it alone" Jason captured her lips in a sweet kiss, swallowing her protests.

Kevin paced the waiting room floor, the dull sound of his shoes scratching against the tile, echoing through the quiet area. He cast a quick glance in Brenda's direction, immediately regretting it. Every time he looked at her red puffy eyes and ghostly pale shaking form, he wanted to help her, but she had already made it clear that he could not.

Brenda focused on gazing at the floor, trying not to let her almond colored orbs travel back to the blood caked onto her clothes. Carly's blood, Brenda thought, her breath coming out ragged, with the weight the revelation dropped onto her chest. She began to rub her knuckles, trying desperately to scrape the blood from her palms and clothes. Tears made hot paths down her cheeks, her hands wiping at them furiously, before returning to scrubbing her hands clean. Kevin could see the little composure she had worked up start to fade, her relentless rubbing doing nothing but turn her skin redder. He could not resist crouching at her side, his hand slowly cupping her cheek, hoping to pull her from the spell she seemed to be under. Brenda's motions slowly ceased, her cloudy coffee eyes, registering his presence.

"Please don't," She whispered quietly, causing Kevin to lean in to hear her words at all. He pulled back; watching while Brenda drew her knees up to her chest, cocooning her body from his intense stare. Sighing, he rose, finally realizing the man quickly approaching the room, seemingly on the warpath.

" What the hell did you do?" The harsh words and cold unfeeling gaze drew Brenda from her protective position and into the eyes of her one time lover.

"Sonny?"

Courtney let the breeze ruffle her light blue summer dress, enjoying the momentary cool gusts between the slowly growing unbearable humidity. Jason slid his arms around her waist, inhaling the scent of her peach shampoo with a small smile. Her hands slipped along his arms, coming to rest on top of his, all while watching the horizon slowly change. Neither wanted to address the reality of the situation, it wouldn't always be this easy to be together, especially when unanswered questions still hung in the air. With ease, Courtney disentangled herself from his embrace, her bare feet padding down the patio steps and onto the scorching sand. She did not flinch at the temperature change; she just kept walking to the edge of the rolling sea, waiting patiently until Jason followed. Her arms wrapping around herself, in an attempt to ward of the chill that leaving Jason's hold seemed to cause.

Courtney could sense his presence without having to look sideways " I left because you pushed me away, in a way I though it was what you wanted" Laughing bitterly, she knelt to pick up a handful of sand, enthralled by the way it slipped through her fingers with ease, piling onto the ground as if it had never left. She wished more then anything it could be the same for her that everything would be so easy to just get back, as easy as it was to find Jason again.

"Court…"

"No I need to tell you that I never stopped missing you, I mean it's weird loving Kevin seemed so easy" She paused, noting the sudden dark glint that invaded Jason's eyes at her ex-fiancées' name.

" I don't want to hear this," He stated, catching Courtney off guard, he always listened no matter what she had to say. Sighing, her feet sunk deeper into the sand, her hands reaching for his tentatively, before entwining their fingers.

He seemed to focus on the way their hands fit together, instead of looking into her eyes while she spoke " The reason it was so easy to love Kevin was because it wasn't real" She smiled when he finally glanced up beneath his furrowed brow.

" It wasn't real because I never stopped loving you, I pledged my life to making us work and I couldn't run from the truth, I belong with you" Jason's eyes seemed to briefly water before his lips spread into a small smile. His hand slipping from beneath hers, to cup her cheek, while the pad of his thumb caressed the soft flesh.

" I'm not letting you go anywhere," He stated possessively, his arms tightening around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Courtney's pulse quickened with the words he nearly growled out, her heart beating erratically within her chest. Through ragged breaths, she reached up to run her hand up his arm, resting it against his heart.

" I love you Jason"

"I love you too" They stood for a few moments their bodies touching and lips centimeters apart, before finally giving in and melting into a passionate kiss. 

Pulling away her eyes sparkling in the sun's dying rays she took his hand " Lets go inside"

"Sonny?" Brenda managed to choke out, her eyes round as saucers at the accusation. No fire lit up her eyes, there was no drive to fight with, she only let her head fall back onto her knees, wanting no more then to just sink into the charcoal floor.

Kevin grabbed the man's arm dragging him to the side, his eyes on Brenda's shaking form the whole time.

" Brenda had nothing to do with what happened. Carly fell and hit her head" Kevin saw a brief look of guilt invade the mobsters eyes, before they became void once again.

"How is she?" His voice wavered, barely contained tears taking hold of his deep chocolate brown eyes.

"We don't know" Kevin could see Sonny begin to unravel under the stress, his uncertain words doing nothing to help the situation. Sonny sunk into a chair, letting his head fall into his hands, his whole body screaming to lash out a something, someone, but there was no one to blame and nothing he could do but let the inevitable waiting process begin.

Kevin surveyed the hospital his hands balling into fists, as he tried to figure out exactly where Courtney could be and how to reach her.

Kneeling at Brenda's side, he saw her head lift a little; moist toffee eyes barely visible beneath a mass of curls that fell over her forehead.

"You have to tell me where Courtney is" Her hesitation surprised him, making the obvious realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"She's with Jason isn't she?" He could feel the anger within him begin to boil, his face a mask of fury, one he needed to hide before Brenda misinterpreted it.

Taking a deep breathe he took hold of one of her ice cold hands " You have help me find a way to tell her about Carly" A moment passed by before she nodded, like an unsure child ready to walk off with a stranger.

Courtney and Jason stood at the foot of their bed, savoring the tastes and feel of each other. Pushing Jason into a sitting position, Courtney stood between the v of his legs, turning to allow him access to the zipper of her dress. Slipping it from her body, he threw it onto the ground, whipping her around. Smiling she dipped her head down to capture his lips in a quick kiss, his hand reaching for the strap of her black bra. She pulled back before he could, her eyes glinting in the moonlight, knowing very well that she was being a tease.

"Your not as naked as me, its not fair" She observed, pouting slightly, he watched her lower lip jut out, seeing the opportunity, he pulled her down for another kiss, his teeth grazing the exposed flesh. She moaned into his mouth, her feeling of control slowly slipping, as her hands found their way to his shirt, tugging it forcefully up his chest, and over his head. Courtney slowly pushed him back, a feral gleam entering her desire clouded baby blues. She hung above him for a few moments, his eyes falling to her heaving chest. Jason could not help but be in awe of her beauty, even with her blonde blond hair tangled around his fingers and swollen lips, she looked like an angel. Her flushed cheeks reddened further under his gaze " your beautiful" He whispered, slowly lowering her for another kiss, while his free hand worked around to her back trying to unclasp her bra. Courtney broke free of the embrace, her eyes darting around the room wildly, leaving Jason to watch her in confusion. She stood up suddenly, leaving him alone on the bed, his head lolling back onto a plush pillow trying to see what his wife was doing. Courtney was rifling through the villa like a mad woman, in search of something obviously important.

"Court…"

"Do you hear that?" She stopped in the center of the room; Jason's eyes focused solely on her half naked body, ivory skin lit by the silver shadow of the moon.

She snapped her fingers drawing his attention "Uh… what did you say?" He inquired, rather sheepishly.

Courtney smirked knowingly, her hands resting on her hips while she tried to listen intently to her surroundings "Jason it's ringing… I hear ringing"

She began to once again tear the place apart, trying to follow the sound to its source, " You could help" Courtney commented, to Jason who showed no signs of moving until she began to glare. Rising he ploughed through a few cabinets, trying to strain his ears to hear what she had, but nothing but the faint sounds of the waves hit his ears.

"Court maybe your hearing things…" He fell silent after another stern look, her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

"I know what I heard, maybe your just deaf" Courtney mumbled, a thought finally striking her. Jason could only hang back and watch while his wife ran to the pile of bags that had been delivered a few days before, her hands immediately ripping objects from within.

Her hand flew into the air victoriously "Hah" she cried, flipping the cell phone open.

"Hello?"

"Kevin?" Courtney could feel her heart plummet at the sound of the familiar voice, Jason's eyes hardening, while they gazed forward to where she stood.

"Where are you?" She asked, turning her back on Jason in hopes of not feeling so uncomfortable. A few moments passed, leaving Jason to only watch his wife nod, barely speaking a word the entire conversation; his anger ebbing away when she finally turned, her eyes clouding in tears, which began to slip from their watery prison.

He could not even tell when the phone call was over, Courtney's hands still clutching the phone so tightly her knuckles began to turn white, as did her face, which had lost any tinge of color it had. Jason crossed the room within seconds, seeing the cell slip from her grip, Courtney's eyes barely registering the crash it made as it hit the ground. His hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her face upwards, in hopes of getting her to explain what had happened.

"Courtney please tell me" He swallowed his own tears, at the sight of her broken state.

"It's Carly" She tried to catch her breath, but her lungs felt like they had deflated, Jason's strong arms the only thing keeping her from falling " Carly is in the hospital, it's serious Jason" He nodded, running a hand through his hair and urging her to sit before her legs could give way completely.

" We have to get to her" Courtney felt her vision blur with tears, Jason seemingly fading away into a liquid outline.

"We will get to her, I promise" He brushed away her tears with the pad of his thumb, forcing himself to think clearly and not let his emotions overwhelm him. He wanted so desperately to hold Courtney in his arms and stop her sobs, but he knew they needed to get off the island and quickly. Scooping up the fallen phone he dialed the pilot, gripping Courtney's hand tightly, to keep her from allowing herself to sink too far into her own mind, knowing the things she could craft up, to work herself into a more agitated state.

"Yea I need a plane…"

I have not been getting many reviews so I am not sure if many people are reading, or whether I should continue or not. Please review if you want me to write more.