The Journey is Over
A General Hospital fan-fiction
Chapter Five
When he left the penthouse, Jason had no destination in mind. After taking a ride on his bike to clear his head, he found himself at Kelly's. Big mistake. The first person he saw when he walked in was Courtney. Luckily, he also saw Elizabeth.
Elizabeth saw Jason's face change when he spotted Courtney. She hoped to prevent a scene between the soon-to-be exes so she waved him over to a table in her station.
"Hello Elizabeth," he said, as he took a seat. "How are you feeling?"
She smiled weakly. "Oh, I'm hanging in there," she said, with a laugh. "Mostly, I only feel sick in the morning, thank goodness." She pulled her order pad out of her pocket. "What can I get you?"
"Just a bowl of chili, cornbread and a cup of coffee, black."
"Coming right up."
As he was waiting for his food, Mike walked in. He saw Courtney at the counter with a sad look on her face and then he spotted Jason. Immediately he jumped to the conclusion that they were fighting. He walked over to Jason's table.
"Hey Jason," Mike greeted, "mind if I join you?"
Jason looked up him. "Not now, Mike."
"Wow, you're sounding more and more like Sonny, you know that?" Mike said, sarcastically.
Jason shook his head and stood up. "I'm out of here," he said, "Elizabeth, I'm sorry, cancel my order."
"Sure, Jason, see you later."
Mike wasn't as accepting of Jason's departure as Elizabeth. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded. "I want to talk to you. Why is Courtney upset all the time? What did you do?"
Jason stiffened. He turned around and looked at Mike. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Mike, so drop it."
Courtney was watching as Mike confronted Jason. Judging from his expression, she knew he was at the boiling point so she came around the counter and stepped between the two men. "Daddy, come sit at the counter."
Mike and Jason continued to glare at each other. "Jason, just go, okay?"
"Yeah, I'll leave you to talk with your father," he remarked before he turned and walked out of the diner.
As he left, Mike and Courtney sat down at the counter. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, sweetheart," Mike sympathized, "it just made me so mad seeing Jason sitting across the room and you looking so sad."
Courtney smiled. "I know, daddy, I appreciate it." She paused. "Have you talked to Sonny lately?"
"Sonny? No, not a word," Mike answered. "Why?"
"No reason," she said. She knew she had to tell Mike the truth that she wasn't his daughter but she couldn't do it now. It was too soon after she lost Jason. She needed someone on her side right now.
Mike could see the pain on Courtney's face. "Sweetheart, I can see you want to talk. Tell me what's wrong."
Courtney's eyes shined with unshed tears. "Oh daddy! My life is falling apart!" she sobbed, as he took her in his arms.
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Jason walked into Jake's bar. It was a place he felt comfortable, where no one would bother him, where he could sit in peace.
Jake was tending bar when she spotted Jason. She filled a mug with beer on tap and had it waiting for him when Jason approached the bar.
"Thanks Jake," he said as he took a seat. He took a long draw and almost drained the mug.
"Whoa, slow down there," Jake warned him, "looks like you've had a rough day."
Jason shrugged. "You got any rooms available?"
Jake raised her eyebrows. "What about that penthouse of yours? What happened, Sonny kicked you out?" She chuckled.
Jason didn't respond immediately. Finally, he admitted, "Courtney's living there so I'm moving out."
Jake looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Jason. I thought you two were good together."
Jason shrugged again. "Yeah, I thought so too, turns out I was wrong." He drained his glass and stood up. "So, about that room?"
"Oh yeah," Jake snapped back to reality. She retrieved a key from the cash register and handed it to Jason. "Room 15 is all ready. You're welcome to it. You've always been my best tenant."
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Courtney and Mike returned to the penthouse. With a deep sigh, Courtney sat on the couch. Mike joined her. "Honey, what's wrong?" he urged, "whatever it is, just tell me. Maybe I can help."
Before Courtney could answer, there was a knock on the door. Courtney reluctantly opened the door.
Carly barged in. "Sonny and I just had a huge fight and it's all your fault!" she exclaimed. She stopped when she saw Mike. She looked over at Courtney. "Did you tell him yet?"
Courtney shook her head. Mike was suspicious now. He stood up. "Tell me what?" he demanded, "what's going on here?"
Carly stared at Courtney. When she didn't reply, Carly warned her, "If you don't tell him, I will."
Courtney's eyes narrowed. "You only look out for yourself, don't you, Carly?" she accused, "I thought you were my friend."
"That was before you lied to me and everyone else!"
"I didn't lie to you!" Courtney insisted, "You were the only one who knew!"
"Not all of it," Carly reminded her. "You conveniently left out the most important bit of information."
Mike could see their argument could quickly escalate and then he'd never find out what it was really about. He stepped between the two women. "Okay, both of you calm down," he told them. "Let's all sit down and talk this out."
When they were seated, with Mike and Courtney on the sofa and Carly on the recliner, Mike began, "okay, now someone tell me, calmly, what's going on? What are you fighting about? And why are you so upset, Courtney?"
"I'll tell you, Mike," Sonny said from the open door. The three of them swiveled to face Sonny as he approached them. "You deserve to know."
Before he could utter a word, Courtney shot up. "NO!" she yelled. "I'll tell him. It's about time I stopped lying and I'm going to start now." She started pacing. Mike watched her move like a cat, not standing in one spot too long. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it out-right." She exhaled slowly. "I'm not who you think I am, Dad," she continued, "I'm not your daughter. In fact, Courtney isn't my real name."
Mike's eyes widened and he gasped. Suddenly, he gripped his left arm as pain shot through it. His face went flush and he started sweating profusely.
As he slumped back on the sofa, Sonny rushed to his side. "Call 911! He's having a heart attack!" In shock, Carly and Courtney stood motionless, mouths agape.
To be continued…
(Aha! Another cliffhanger! LOL. Don't worry, I promise to update soon. Don't forget to review!)