Author's Note: theblondeone07: Thank you!

starbright: Thanks a lot. Here's that Journey for ya coming riiiight up!

light*hope: LOL, I appreciate the every-chapter review thing, 'tis nice. Blame the multitude of adjectives on the fantasy stuff I write. You have to come up with ten names for everything so you won't be repetitive :p I hope you manage to get your other story done by your self-imposed deadline, and whenever the next chapter in Golden Child comes out, you know I'll be reading it and thinking it worth the wait because it is! I love that story :)

ghjourneybabe: Hello, I love Journey, too, duh. :p Thanks for the review and for reading :D

Always Rosalind: That's Shamira in a nutshell: a tease. Glad you know me so well ;) I also love Bobbie, and I'm glad to see her around more often. The show is getting back to enjoyable with her, Luke, and Jax back...I can't believe I'm over despising Jax for dumping Brenda at the altar. I thought I was going to hate him forever. Anyway, thanks :)

brittney: There is going to be a LOT of Journey, no worries about that. They are the center of this whole story, with a few side storylines of course. Glad you're looking forward to it and hopefully I can deliver :)

tydavislover: Glad you like it, and you have to buy the movie. I'm not turning into a saleman...woman...whatever. Paramount must love me. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Rory4: Thank you! I have a tendency of mention this a lot...I have a 2-week deadline for each chapter in all the stories I do so people don't have to wait too long. :D

Dawndrina: Cool, I'll have to check your stories out, and I'm so glad you like my writing.

Okay, I'm sort of playing with time a little here...we're pretending that Alcazar#1 has magically recovered from his gunshot wound(s) even though Courtney just read in the paper that he had been shot and had his trial where he pulled in a debt from the government to get off Scott (no pun intended) free. Also, as I said before, Emily has been back in town a month or so and I'm going to say she's with Zander, because Nikolas was still with Gia at this time and it was a different Nikolas :-p Different Gia, too, for that matter, and a different Lucky. I'm getting off track. I do that sometimes. The chapter:

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with General Hospital or ABC, and the dialogue of the S&C belongs to Guza, Pratt, and the writers of ABC. I am making no profit from using this dialogue.

Reflection

Chapter Four ~ Invitations and Orders

Courtney raced down the stairs, her hair, still damp from the shower she'd taken in record time, flying out behind her. Her room was nice, furnished with a dresser, desk, and nightstand, the bed queen-sized and comfy. The only problem with her new residence, besides the lack of a clock, was that the bathroom was a community one. She hadn't gotten up quite early enough to be the first in line for the shower, and now she was horrified she was going to be late for the first day of her trial period. That would make a horrible profession!

She took the last few stairs in a single leap and rushed over to the counter, where Bobbie was refilling the sugar dispensers. "Oh my God, I am so sorry if I'm late," she said, slightly out of breath from her whirlwind of activity.

Bobbie looked up with the warm smile Courtney was learning to expect from her no matter what happened. "Oh, honey, you're not late. We haven't even opened yet. Now, don't worry about it."

"Okay." If Bobbie wasn't going to treat it like a big deal, then she wasn't going to either. "What can I do?"

Bobbie picked up a bunch of tiny yellow flowers that had been lying on the counter and placed them in front of Courtney. "Well, you can start by replacing the flowers in the vases at each table with these."

And so Courtney's workday began. The preparations were easy, and the first batch of customers were awfully cheerful. She didn't have to fake pleasantness at all. The customers seemed to sense that every smile was sincere, and tipped well. She couldn't believe how much she'd made in the first hour. It would have taken an entire shift, possibly a double, to get that much at the other restaurant!

About an hour-and-a-half into the morning rush, a somewhat frazzled looking girl with light brown hair that fell in waves to the center of her back pulled up a stool at the counter. "A cup of coffee, please, to go. Are you new here?"

Courtney glanced up in surprise. No one had asked her that question yet. "Yeah, actually. I'm Courtney. I just started this morning. How did you know?" She took a styrofoam cup from the shelf behind her and began to fill it with the requested beverage.

"Oh, I know all the waitresses here and I hadn't seen you around before. I'm Emily. I used to work here, actually."

"Really?" Courtney said, interested, not feigning interest.

"Yeah. That's how I found out waiting on people definitely wasn't my lot in life. Not that working here was bad or anything," Emily added hastily, realizing how it might have sounded.

Courtney laughed, having understood what she meant without the tacked on explanation. "I totally understand. This isn't a job for everyone, that's for sure." It definitely wasn't one she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing.

"Definitely not," Emily said, accepting her cup with thanks and beginning to stir in her preferred amounts of cream and sugar. "So, are you coming to the ball tonight?" she inquired.

"What ball?" Courtney asked, frowning a little. A ball? As much as she loved fairytales, things like the ball Cinderella attended didn't happen in real life. Not in her real life, anyway.

"The Halloween Costume Ball," Emily explained. "Everyone dresses up and has a really good time. At least that's what I've heard; this is the first year they've done it. It's for charity."

It sounded like a lot of fun. Courtney had always liked dressing up, thought she'd never really had the opportunity to go all-out with it. She liked feeling like was someone else, someone pretty, every once in awhile. Unfortunately... "That sounds like a great cause and everything, but I can't exactly afford it right now."

Emily slapped the cover on her cup. "Oh, that's just why I asked. I have an extra ticket."

Courtney couldn't believe how generous that offer was. What was this girl after? "I couldn't possibly accept that."

"Well, actually, it's my friend Lucky's ticket, but he had to go out of town at the last minute and told me to find someone to give it to. I've been trying all day, and you're the only person I've come across who doesn't have tickets and is actually interested in going."

That sounded believable enough...Lucky came across as a charitable guy. He'd shared his paper with her, after all. She'd love to go, but... "I don't exactly have anything to wear."

Emily waved a hand. "Oh, I'm sure you'll come up with something. And in case you can't, the organizers of the ball have put me in charge of the costumes, and I'll come at seven with the box. You see, if you don't come dressed up, I have to hand you a costume at the door. That way everyone feels equally embarrassed."

"Wow. I don't know what to say. Just, God, thank you so much." Courtney was astounded by the generosity of the people in this town.

"Thank you! I never thought I was going to get rid of that ticket. See you then!" Emily picked up her coffee and waved on her way out the door.

Only a few moments later, the girl from the docks walked in. "Hey, Bobbie. Sorry I'm late," she called over, taking off her coat and hanging it on the rack. Courtney remained frozen in place, just watching the girl. Elizabeth walked around the counter stopped dead in her tracks, finally seeing Courtney standing there. "You," she said, with poorly hidden contempt.

"You," Courtney replied, just as icily.

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth said in the same tone.

"I work here."

Elizabeth held up an index finger. "No, you have that backwards. I work here." She turned the finger around and pointed it at herself.

Courtney shrugged, turning away. "Well, I do now, too, so I guess you're just going to have to get used to it." With that, she grabbed a plate of food and went to deliver it to a customer.

~*~

The rest of the morning was perfectly horrible. Bobbie had to leave—apparently she was a surgical nurse as well as the owner of Kelly's and she was needed for an emergency surgery. Elizabeth didn't say two words to her, communicating only with occasional glares. Courtney was okay with that. She ignored her, because it wasn't really worth her time. The shift was drawing to a close as she went out back to check with the cook about the specials.

Just as she went out back, Jason walked in, doing a quick sweep of the interior to see who was around before going to the counter.

Elizabeth saw him and made a face, grabbing one of the laminated folde. She dropped the menu in front of Jason, not making eye contact. "Here you go. I'll get you some more coffee." She turned around to get the pot, but Jason grabbed her arm.

"Are you—wait, hold on. You're just going to walk by me from now on?" Jason couldn't understand completely why she was being so frosty.

"I'm going to treat you like any other customer—like I barely know you, because I don't. So, what can I get you?" Elizabeth gave him the same quick, insincere smile she flashed all her customers when she took their orders.

"The usual."

"And what would that be?" Even as she asked it, Elizabeth saw Jason's eyes stray from her to Courtney as she came out of the kitchen. "You get it for him." Fuming, she went to attend to another customer out front.

Courtney's eyebrows nearly brushed her hairline as she raised them, but she didn't ask. "What can I get you?"

"Just black coffee."

Courtney pulled a mug off the shelf and the coffeepot from the machine. "Coming right up."

"You work here," he said as she filled the cup nearly to the rim and carefully slid it over to him. It was a statement. It was obvious she was working there, and Courtney had already figured out that Jason Morgan didn't waste time asking questions he already knew the answer to.

Courtney put the pot away and crossed her arms on the counter before her. "Yeah, actually. The owner, Bobbie Spencer, she hired me yesterday. Well, not hired exactly. I'm sort of on a trial basis. But it's good to have a job, you know?"

Jason nodded. He doubted Courtney would have a problem getting a more permanent position at Kelly's; she was a sweet girl who took the time to interact with her customers, hypnotizing them with her smile and her personality. He knew because it was happening to him right now. "How long are you in town?"

Courtney considered for a moment. "Well, I guess it depends on how things go after I find my dad. And that's going to take awhile."

"Maybe I could help you with that."

Courtney looked up in surprise. A total stranger, offering her help. Not a total stranger, she corrected herself. She did know his name. And she could tell by looking at him that he was completely sincere. She couldn't help feeling charmed, if a little cautious. He was involved with the mob, after all. Why was that fact bothering her less and less every second that passed with her looking into his eyes? She flashed a shy smile his way saying, "You know, I might take you up on that," before heading back into the kitchen.

Jason watched her go, admiring the grace with which she moved. He'd never seen anyone move like that, like they were walking on air and had to tread softly so as not to fall through...

"Hey!"

The exclamation was only an inch from Jason's ear. To his credit, he managed not to jump. Maybe because he was getting used to people—or at least this person—screaming right up in his face. He groaned. "Not you."

"Yes, me," Brenda agreed, pulling up the stool next to him without asking his permission or whether or not the seat was already taken—of course it wasn't. Who in their right mind would want to share breakfast with Jason Morgan? Even if they got over the whole enforcer thing, there was that whole conversation thing. Or lack there of. She placed her entwined hands palms-down on the counter. "Do you have a problem with me? What's your problem with me?"

Jason massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on already. "What do you want?"

"Who said I wanted anything? What, I can't try to start a conversation with you?"

No, she just couldn't start a conversation with him without having an ulterior motive. "What do you want?" he repeated, slowly this time, as if he were talking to a three-year-old, except most three-year-olds he liked better than Brenda Barrett.

"You know they're having a Halloween costume ball tonight, you know, for charity?" Brenda continued, ignoring the condescending way in which he spoke to her. He had a problem, she knew he had a problem, and she had a problem with him, too, so they were all even. That didn't mean she couldn't annoy him as much as she wanted to.

"Yeah, I've heard of it. Sonny and Carly are going."

"Are you going?"

"I'm not going with you," Jason said flatly.

Brenda rolled her eyes. "I wasn't asking if you would go with me, I was asking if you were going. So are you going?"

"No, I'm not going."

"Come on, you have to go. Everyone's going."

"I'm not going," Jason said, putting emphasis on each individual word.

"Sonny and Carly are going, you just said so yourself. Don't you think you should go, too? You know, to guard them or something? Isn't that what you live for, guarding Sonny?" Brenda said all of it at her usual one-hundred-miles-an-hour pace. Unlike most people, Jason didn't have to stop and split her syllables into words before responding.

"I am not going, for no other reason than to not be in the same room as you!" Jason finally snapped. It was a quiet snap, so as not to draw attention to their argument, but it was a snap just the same.

"That's nice," Brenda said, not in the least bit hurt. In fact, she was in a better mood knowing she'd irritated him enough to put him into a worse one. But she didn't let on as she picked up her purse and skipped out the door.

~*~

Carly, dressed from head to toe in black with a tall, bent witch's hat perched on top of her head, played with the corners of her short black wig as she came down the stairs. "Now, you know, there's still time. We can come up with a costume for you," she addressed her husband, knowing full well what his answer would be.

"No, no, no. You know what?"

"What?" Carly tilted her head to one side, smirking.

"I don't do mud, I don't cook desserts, and I don't wear costumes. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to escort you to this charity benefit and I'm going to watch you and everybody else make fools of themselves." Sonny kind of laughed at the end of that. This was going to be funny.

Carly pretended to be offended, wiping all traces of a smile off her face. "Okay, you know what, I am so glad that Michael is asleep and he can't hear his father being negative about Halloween. Brat."

The door clicked shut just then. "Why are you calling Sonny a brat?" Jason asked, not sounded particularly interested.

"Because," and Carly went into a long rant about lack of Halloween spirit, which Jason obligingly listened to.

"We should probably get going, Carly," Sonny said, in an attempt to save Jason's ears.

"What about Jason? Aren't you coming?"

"No."

"Oh, come on. You have to come. For me," Carly said, wrapping her arms around Jason from behind. Jason smiled, laughed a little, looked at Sonny with an expression in his eyes that yelled, "Help me!" at the top of its lungs. Sonny smirked, then decided that Jason was his best friend and he probably owed it to him to rescue him...as amusing as it was to watch Carly picking on someone else for a change.

"Carly, leave Jason alone." He said it as if he was speaking to a five-year-old who was picking on her brother.

"You don't think he should go?"

Sonny shrugged. "If Jason doesn't want to go, Jason doesn't want to go."

"You're no fun," Carly said to Jason and then pointed at Sonny. "And neither are you. Just let me grab my bag." She went back upstairs.

Jason sighed. "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, Carly's right. I should go."

Sonny gave him a perfectly blank look at this sudden turnaround.

"Brenda's going, and Alcazar's still around. He's still after her, and as much as I don't like her, this thing is perfect time for him to grab her."

Sonny glanced at the stairs, knowing Carly would go ballistic if she heard them. "You have a point."

Jason nodded resignedly.

He knew exactly what Jason was doing. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know," Jason replied, saying without saying he knew he didn't, but he was going to anyway.

"All right, let's go," Carly said, breezing past them to the door. She turned back when she discovered they weren't following her. "Are you coming or what?"

Sonny and Jason looked at each other, shrugged, and went after her.

"I thought you weren't coming," Carly said suspiciously as they stepped into the elevator.

~*~

P.S. I bet you can't imagine whose going to run into whom at the ball, can you? [face_I'm_not_predictable]