Author's Note: I had no intention of updating this so soon. But I got flamed in both my fics. I am seriously messed up. I get a flame, it makes me wanna write. Which is not to say nice reviews don't make me want to write, it's just flames make me want to write right away because they make me want to prove myself, or rather that I like to write so no amount of criticism can make me stop :p I am weird. Anyway...to you reviews!

starbright; Yeah, it was short, wasn't it? Certainly too short for the two-week wait, lol, but glad you like. I'm going to try to take things slow for Journey, but there will be moments :) Thanks for reading!

Always Rosalind: NaNoing sounds hard! 10,000 is pretty good, especially if it's an original work. Those are hard. Glad you liked that line. Your review made me realize my idiot misspelling. And I thought I'd edited the chapter [face_annoyed] Oh well...thanks for reading! Always good to hear from you :D

abc: The show stinks for the most part at the moment, but I have faith. Journey is the couple of year so I believe things will work out for them! I'm hoping the Fab4 will all be happy, or at least together, for Christmas! *crosses fingers* Thanks so much for reading!

Samara: [face_blush] Favorite? That's quite a compliment. I'm really glad you like, especially Jason going after her! Thanks so much!

light*hope: I know. I need to replace that chapter with the right word. I confused myself, reading Always review and figuring out I had misspelled, not her, lol! Amazing how long a review you left for such a minute chapter :p Not that I'm complaining! :D Love your idea, that sounds great. Courtney dancing her sorrows away...I really like. You do have to see the movie, it rocks. I read GC...awesome job and thanks so much for the update! I love who you've made Kristina!

theblondeone07: Glad you liked, and was this soon? It is in my book, lol!

Journey4eva: Glad you like, not to repeat what I said above, thanks for reading!

karen: This is a Journey fic because I love Journey. But I have to thank you for not telling me my writing sucks and just saying you hate the story. I can respect that! It's an improvement over the usual flame, a nice one. Almost as nice as not getting any at all, but I accept that that's next to impossible, lol

ItalianchiKE: Oh, thank you. Aw...that was sweet of you to review, too ;) Hope you think this is sweet as well!

Reflection

Chapter Eight ~ Just You

Courtney was aware she'd been clinging to this stranger for way too long. She hastily pulled back, wiping away her tears and laughing nervously. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm a weak and pathetic little girl." She glanced at Jason as she said it, and saw him shake his head with a soft expression in his eyes.

"You're not weak."

Courtney blinked in surprised, but couldn't help the shy smile as she quietly asked, "How would you know?"

"You lived through your dad dying, even if he didn't really. You're living through losing your mom and you're moving on with your life. You're not bitter. You haven't let it wreck you. You're not going to let this either. You'll make it through this."

His words filled Courtney with much needed warmth. The best part? He meant it. She could tell. His voice was so honest, so sincere. What was it about this Jason Morgan? A few words from him could make the world almost seem like an okay place, where everything wasn't fair but the good balanced out the bad.

She didn't know how to thank him, so she went to a safe topic...sort of. "All those people in there are waiting for me," she said, gesturing toward the police station.

"They can wait," Jason replied. All the mattered right now was her being okay. She needed to be okay herself before she could try to make things word with them.

"I just...I don't know if I can deal with this. I knew my dad was alive, but I have this whole family. And I keep asking myself, did my mom know? Did she lie to me about them, too? Why would she do this?" She search Jason's eyes, as if she thought she could find the answers to the questions that plagued her in them.

"I'm sure she had her reasons."

Courtney nodded, look at her hands. "Yeah, so am I. She had a reason for everything."

A silence that was oddly far from uncomfortable stretched between them, until Courtney broke it. "So, um, what can you tell me about my family? I mean, I know you know them. I read the papers. I watch the news. I know you work for--" she paused for a moment "--for my brother."

He didn't deny it. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know if my dad abandoned me," Courtney replied.

"I wish I knew because you need to know, but I don't."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have asked that, anyway." She looked back up at the police station, standing up as she did so, hugging herself against the cold. "I guess I should go back inside. It's just--I don't know what to say to them."

Jason stood up, too. "If you need some time or some space or whatever, you need to tell them that."

Courtney nodded. "You're right. I just...I don't think I can do it alone."

"Would you like me to come with you?"

She turned to him, brushing her hair away from her face. "Yeah. I mean, it's not big deal if you don't..."

Seeing she was trying to cover up how much she needed a friend right now, Jason shook his head. "No, it's okay."

Relief washed over her. She knew she couldn't do this alone. Jason put a hand on her back briefly as they started up the stairs. She liked the feeling that she was being watched out for, and not only by herself.

~*~

Courtney got the feeling that while she'd been gone, a heated argument had been taking place, but as soon as she entered the room, Jason at her side, silently supporting her, there was silence. Everyone just looked at her, either trying to figure out what to say or giving her time to gather her thoughts. Maybe both. Who knows? She didn't. And how could she? She really didn't know any of these people. Did she want to? There was something she was going to need to find out.

"Look, I'm sorry I ran out," she said, figuring that was a good a way to start as any. She felt childish for running away instead of facing what she needed to deal with sooner or later.

"You don't have to apologize," Sonny said quietly. He was looking her over. He had a sister, one who he should have watched grow up and seen almost everyday, but he hadn't. Now she was already all grown up. Did that matter to her? Would she give him a chance to get to know her like he should have known her all along?

Courtney looked right back at him. She could hardly believe they were related. They looked nothing alike. She took a deep breath and let it out, looking from Sonny to Carly to Mike, but not quite meeting Mike's eyes. "The thing is, this is a lot to take in. I have this whole family I didn't know about. I think I need some time to think about it, to figure out what I want. I think I want to get to know you, but right now I'm just so confused. I need some space to sort everything out."

Sonny nodded. "I understand."

Courtney let out an inward sigh of relief. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

Carly stepped forward, offered a hand. "Welcome to Port Charles," she offered tentatively.

Courtney shook it, and in turn shook her brother's hand, and her father's. She still didn't look at Mike, even as he told her she'd sure turned out beautiful. She knew she needed to get out of there before she started crying again.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys around then, huh?" she said a nervous laugh.

"I'll walk you home."

Courtney was surprised by Jason's suggestion...or was it a suggestion? "No, really, Jason. That's not necessary."

"I think it's a good idea," Sonny offered quietly.

Courtney wondered if he was always this quiet, when he wasn't yelling at Mike, that was. That would be weird. She'd probably talk his ear off. "You don't have to.," she told Jason, hoping it didn't show how much she wished he would. "You've done enough for me."

"I want to," Jason replied, sincerely as ever.

If he really wanted to, who was she to argue? She smiled. "Okay."

~*~

When they arrived outside Kelly's after a silent but nonetheless enjoyable walk, Courtney was wearing Jason's jacket. He'd offered it to her as soon as he noticed her shivering. She hadn't wanted to accept it, but he insisted, saying he wasn't cold. She didn't know whether or not to believe him, but she agreed to wear it. Now she held it out to him with a shy smile.

"Do you lend your jacket to every girl you meet?" she asked.

"No, just you."

Courtney felt that warmth spread through her and a smile spread across her face. She unlocked Kelly's front door, and, before she closed it, she wished him goodnight.

"Goodnight," he replied.

She watched him until he disappeared from sight, and then she went up to bed, feeling oddly light. Right now, all the problems in her life didn't seem as real as the reality of that walk home and Jason's softly spoken words.

~*~

P.S. Hope you like that chapter. It was one of the ones I lost, but managed to rewrite. All I really needed was the "No, just you" line, and I remembered that at least :D