Till Death Do Us Part
New beginnings and familiar scenes
Disclaimer: Read this clever distraction while I plan my hostile takeover plan....
A/N: I am soooooo sorry it took so long to get this up. I posted too soon and had to finish planning the storyline before I could post again. Not to mention my worst enemy: writer's block *shivers*. Also, the storyline on the show has changed a lot since I last updated, so here are some revisions. The fire did happen, but as I mentioned before Carly was not with Alcazar. However, she is still having visions, though they are slightly different than the ones on the show (you'll find out about that later). Obviously, Zander wasn't the one to start the fire, nor is he on the run. He is still working for Faith. Oh, and all of Carly's visions are in italics (of my computer decides to hate me and no italics come up, well, I'll figure something out later).Well, please read and review!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Courtney! Courtney!"
His shouts fell upon deaf ears. Zander stared hopelessly at the fallen beauty in his arms, fighting the panic rapidly rising within him. Shaking slightly, he took out his cell phone and dialed 911.
"911, please state the nature of your emergency," came the inappropriately calm and monotonous voice of the operator.
"Yeah my—my friend just collapsed," he said with a quivering voice, wondering how appropriate it was to label Courtney as his friend.
"All right sir, where are you?"
"We—we're at the pier. Hurry!"
"Okay sir, an ambulance will be there in about fifteen minutes. Does your friend have any known health problems?"
Zander's voice seemed to have disappeared. "Fifteen minutes!" he screamed when he finally regained control of his vocal cords. "A person can die in fifteen minutes! Aren't you supposed to get here sooner?"
"Yes, sir, but there was a terrible accident on Route 9 and—"
Contempt dripped from Zander's every word. "You know what? Screw this. I'll take her to GH myself."
Closing his phone, Zander gently picked up Courtney's limp body. "Don't worry," he whispered pointlessly in her ear. "I'll take care of you. You'll be okay. I promise."
As he turned towards his car, Zander was greeted with the last sound he wanted to hear.
"I would think a little before making a promise like that, cupcake."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The wind whipped past the dark figure, pushing against his black leather jacket and cooling the metal of his motorcycle helmet. Around him, the air was disturbed by the roaring of his bike, but he remained oblivious. All of his senses seemed to have failed him except the vision that allows him to stare and the dusty road ahead. Without warning he turned to the right, entering a secluded location unknown to most of the world.
This was Jason's place. He had discovered it years ago, when seeking refuge from the Quartermaines after his accident. Trees and other plants nearly obscured the area from those driving on the road. Grass, not pavement, carpeted the ground. No signs of civilization touched this place, making it appear to be a window to years past. If one walked a small distance, a little brook would be discovered. The gentle trickling of water provided the only sound, save for the occasion cry of a lonely animal. And at night....at night the stars shined bright and clear, as if God had polished the sky.
And know one knew about it but him; not Emily, not Sonny, not even Carly, whom Jason had trusted with some of his most personal secrets. In fact, he had only shared his place with one other person....
Now was not the time to think about that. Jason had come here to forget about her, to forget about all the pain even the mention of her name brought to him. He wanted to forget about the divorce, and her new job, and how her pillow was starting to lose her scent. He wanted to forget about how empty the penthouse was without her, how cold the sheets felt in the morning, and how naked his finger felt without his ring. He wanted to forget that she even existed.
If only it were that simple. Everything reminded him of Courtney. He couldn't go to Kelly's without reminiscing about there first meeting. When he went to the park, he saw her walking Rosie. And whenever it rained, he could feel her lips against his, locked in a forbidden kiss.
Before he realized it, he was standing by the brook. Falling onto the grass, Jason absently ran his fingers through the cold water. With a sudden surge of power, the water splashed his hand, soaking his tender ring finger that now bore no protection from the elements. He had to face it. His marriage was over. Nothing could save it.
~*~*~*~*~*~
*Knock knock*
"I'll get it!" Carly Corinthos yelled to no one in particular. Sonny wasn't even home; he was out on "business" doing God knows what.
Swiftly she opened the door, revealing Max, who was struggling not to drop an enormous bouquet of tropical flowers that he was apparently allergic to.
"Mrs. Corindos...*sniff*, dis just came for....for....for...."
Carly ducked as Max let out a tremendous sneeze.
"You," he finished with a defeated sniffle.
"Oh, um, okay. I'll take them," she said, barely managing to get the rainbow of blossoms to Sonny's desk without collapsing. Whoever sent these had gone way overboard.
"Thanks Max. And, oh wait...." She reached for a few tissues, thought better of it, and handed Max the entire box. "You might need these."
"Danks, Mrs. Corindos," Max replied, loudly blowing his nose as he shut the door.
'I'll have to remember to have Vick pick up all flowers from now on,' she thought as she inspected the plants. They really were spectacular; tropical flowers of every color imaginable bloomed from an ornately woven basket, the sunburst design they created obviously made by a master florist. Smiling, Carly reached for the card, already knowing that bore her husband's name.
~My Dearest Carly,
Some flowers to show how much I love you. I know tropical flowers are your favorite, so I had them imported from the Bahamas. I won't give up on you, Carly. You have my heart forever.
Love,
Lorenzo~
For a moment, Carly could only stare at the paper in her hands, her mouth agape and her eyes bulging.
"That cold-hearted, obsessive, freakish bastard!" she exclaimed, each angry word increasing in volume as she tore the card into tiny shreds. Still clasping the pieces in her hand, Carly flopped onto the couch, and proceeded to massage her suddenly throbbing temples. All at once, her mind separated from reality....
She was in the arms of a faceless stranger holding him close to her body. As she needed the very air around her, she needed to hold him, needed to be held in return. His hold on her was firm, yet gentle, caressing her and comforting her. Comforting her, loving her.... His body was blurry; in fact, everything was out of focus except the acute emotions surging through her. But as his strong hands continued to grip her, she finally saw them clearly. What she saw—or rather, what she didn't see- shocked her to her very core, destroying the unconscious peace that had settled within her. On the man's left hand, there was no ring....
Breathing rapid, shaky breaths, Carly re-entered the world. In one brief movement, she peeled the now-sweaty shreds of paper from her palm, dumping them into the wastebasket. Picking up the bouquet, she walked with amazing ease to the door flung it open, and thrust the plants into the arms of the allergenic Max.
"Do me a favor, Max," she said, forgetting why the guards eyes were red and puffy and he had a clump of used tissues in his hand. "Burn these."
In her distressed state, Carly failed to recognize the anguished look on Max's face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Irritably, Zander turned to face the speaker who prevented him from getting help for Courtney. "Faith, I really don't have time for this right now." Silently he prayed that she would leave it at that, knowing full well that she wouldn't.
"Zander, Zander, Zander," she said in that condescending, grating way that was her trademark. "If you're going to be working with me, you are going to have to learn about a certain thing called a golden opportunity."
Soon Zander realized that his arms were starting to go numb. "Look, you can instruct me on mob lingo later, but right now I have to get Courtney to the hospi—"
"Oh, you're not going anywhere with Mrs. Morgan. Don't you get it?" Slowly Faith circled him as he grunted in his effort to support Courtney's limp body. "The little bunny here is Jason's beloved wife. And Sonny's sweet, sweet baby sister. And do you know what that means, hunny?" Not waiting for the answer she knew Zander would never give, Faith settled for wrapping her arms around his neck and seductively whispering in his ear. "It means, love, that we have leveraged."
Instantly, Zander pulled away. He had known from the beginning that Faith was a ruthless, black hearted snake, but taking advantage of a sick woman with no way to protect herself....Then again, she had killed her own grandmother, so there was really no need for him to be surprised.
"Look, Faith, I'm willing to do a lot for you. I've slept with you, I've risked my life, and I've done every dirty deed that you've asked." As he spoke, his voice becoming louder and more furious with each syllable, Zander began to realize to the full extent the mistake he made in forming an alliance with Faith. "But I'm not going to help you kidnap a person who has always been kind to me, and who could be dying as we speak! So just forget it and let me go!"
Shocked, Faith made one last, almost desperate, attempt to reason with Zander. "But Zander, this is what the job is all about. This is our way to get Sonny's territory—"
"I don't care about the damn territory!" Zander cried, causing Faith to jump back a good foot. "And I don't care about the damn job! Do you hear me Faith? I quit!"
And with a sudden burst of strength, Zander carried Courtney swiftly to his car, laid her down gently, and proceeded to speed toward GH. While balancing the tacks of driving through busy streets and checking the rear- view mirror to make sure his "friend" was still breathing, Zander managed to once again remove his cell phone. This was one call his wish he didn't have to make....
Stunned, Faith simply stared after the car for several minutes. Slowly, however, her sinister grin once again found its home on her face.
"Poor, poor Zander," she muttered to no one but herself. "You should know that no one gets out that easily."
~*~*~*~*~*~
For what had to be several hours—although the abstract concept of time eluded him when here—Jason remained by the brook, separated from the world. When the sound of the night owl echoed through the air, he reluctantly removed himself from his spot on the earth, glancing about one more time before he returned to reality. Just as he was about to exit the haven, though, he heard the unmistakable sound of his cell phone....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ohhh, I am so evil! I still didn't tell you what's wrong with Courtney, now did I? *Evil grin* I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter *even eviler grin* But it WILL NOT take me as long to get chapter 3 up, since it's spring break for me and I already have the story planned out. Please review, because I must say, it was the second review from Dork628 that made me update tonight. I even wrote the part about Carly in gym class because I felt so bad!
New beginnings and familiar scenes
Disclaimer: Read this clever distraction while I plan my hostile takeover plan....
A/N: I am soooooo sorry it took so long to get this up. I posted too soon and had to finish planning the storyline before I could post again. Not to mention my worst enemy: writer's block *shivers*. Also, the storyline on the show has changed a lot since I last updated, so here are some revisions. The fire did happen, but as I mentioned before Carly was not with Alcazar. However, she is still having visions, though they are slightly different than the ones on the show (you'll find out about that later). Obviously, Zander wasn't the one to start the fire, nor is he on the run. He is still working for Faith. Oh, and all of Carly's visions are in italics (of my computer decides to hate me and no italics come up, well, I'll figure something out later).Well, please read and review!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Courtney! Courtney!"
His shouts fell upon deaf ears. Zander stared hopelessly at the fallen beauty in his arms, fighting the panic rapidly rising within him. Shaking slightly, he took out his cell phone and dialed 911.
"911, please state the nature of your emergency," came the inappropriately calm and monotonous voice of the operator.
"Yeah my—my friend just collapsed," he said with a quivering voice, wondering how appropriate it was to label Courtney as his friend.
"All right sir, where are you?"
"We—we're at the pier. Hurry!"
"Okay sir, an ambulance will be there in about fifteen minutes. Does your friend have any known health problems?"
Zander's voice seemed to have disappeared. "Fifteen minutes!" he screamed when he finally regained control of his vocal cords. "A person can die in fifteen minutes! Aren't you supposed to get here sooner?"
"Yes, sir, but there was a terrible accident on Route 9 and—"
Contempt dripped from Zander's every word. "You know what? Screw this. I'll take her to GH myself."
Closing his phone, Zander gently picked up Courtney's limp body. "Don't worry," he whispered pointlessly in her ear. "I'll take care of you. You'll be okay. I promise."
As he turned towards his car, Zander was greeted with the last sound he wanted to hear.
"I would think a little before making a promise like that, cupcake."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The wind whipped past the dark figure, pushing against his black leather jacket and cooling the metal of his motorcycle helmet. Around him, the air was disturbed by the roaring of his bike, but he remained oblivious. All of his senses seemed to have failed him except the vision that allows him to stare and the dusty road ahead. Without warning he turned to the right, entering a secluded location unknown to most of the world.
This was Jason's place. He had discovered it years ago, when seeking refuge from the Quartermaines after his accident. Trees and other plants nearly obscured the area from those driving on the road. Grass, not pavement, carpeted the ground. No signs of civilization touched this place, making it appear to be a window to years past. If one walked a small distance, a little brook would be discovered. The gentle trickling of water provided the only sound, save for the occasion cry of a lonely animal. And at night....at night the stars shined bright and clear, as if God had polished the sky.
And know one knew about it but him; not Emily, not Sonny, not even Carly, whom Jason had trusted with some of his most personal secrets. In fact, he had only shared his place with one other person....
Now was not the time to think about that. Jason had come here to forget about her, to forget about all the pain even the mention of her name brought to him. He wanted to forget about the divorce, and her new job, and how her pillow was starting to lose her scent. He wanted to forget about how empty the penthouse was without her, how cold the sheets felt in the morning, and how naked his finger felt without his ring. He wanted to forget that she even existed.
If only it were that simple. Everything reminded him of Courtney. He couldn't go to Kelly's without reminiscing about there first meeting. When he went to the park, he saw her walking Rosie. And whenever it rained, he could feel her lips against his, locked in a forbidden kiss.
Before he realized it, he was standing by the brook. Falling onto the grass, Jason absently ran his fingers through the cold water. With a sudden surge of power, the water splashed his hand, soaking his tender ring finger that now bore no protection from the elements. He had to face it. His marriage was over. Nothing could save it.
~*~*~*~*~*~
*Knock knock*
"I'll get it!" Carly Corinthos yelled to no one in particular. Sonny wasn't even home; he was out on "business" doing God knows what.
Swiftly she opened the door, revealing Max, who was struggling not to drop an enormous bouquet of tropical flowers that he was apparently allergic to.
"Mrs. Corindos...*sniff*, dis just came for....for....for...."
Carly ducked as Max let out a tremendous sneeze.
"You," he finished with a defeated sniffle.
"Oh, um, okay. I'll take them," she said, barely managing to get the rainbow of blossoms to Sonny's desk without collapsing. Whoever sent these had gone way overboard.
"Thanks Max. And, oh wait...." She reached for a few tissues, thought better of it, and handed Max the entire box. "You might need these."
"Danks, Mrs. Corindos," Max replied, loudly blowing his nose as he shut the door.
'I'll have to remember to have Vick pick up all flowers from now on,' she thought as she inspected the plants. They really were spectacular; tropical flowers of every color imaginable bloomed from an ornately woven basket, the sunburst design they created obviously made by a master florist. Smiling, Carly reached for the card, already knowing that bore her husband's name.
~My Dearest Carly,
Some flowers to show how much I love you. I know tropical flowers are your favorite, so I had them imported from the Bahamas. I won't give up on you, Carly. You have my heart forever.
Love,
Lorenzo~
For a moment, Carly could only stare at the paper in her hands, her mouth agape and her eyes bulging.
"That cold-hearted, obsessive, freakish bastard!" she exclaimed, each angry word increasing in volume as she tore the card into tiny shreds. Still clasping the pieces in her hand, Carly flopped onto the couch, and proceeded to massage her suddenly throbbing temples. All at once, her mind separated from reality....
She was in the arms of a faceless stranger holding him close to her body. As she needed the very air around her, she needed to hold him, needed to be held in return. His hold on her was firm, yet gentle, caressing her and comforting her. Comforting her, loving her.... His body was blurry; in fact, everything was out of focus except the acute emotions surging through her. But as his strong hands continued to grip her, she finally saw them clearly. What she saw—or rather, what she didn't see- shocked her to her very core, destroying the unconscious peace that had settled within her. On the man's left hand, there was no ring....
Breathing rapid, shaky breaths, Carly re-entered the world. In one brief movement, she peeled the now-sweaty shreds of paper from her palm, dumping them into the wastebasket. Picking up the bouquet, she walked with amazing ease to the door flung it open, and thrust the plants into the arms of the allergenic Max.
"Do me a favor, Max," she said, forgetting why the guards eyes were red and puffy and he had a clump of used tissues in his hand. "Burn these."
In her distressed state, Carly failed to recognize the anguished look on Max's face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Irritably, Zander turned to face the speaker who prevented him from getting help for Courtney. "Faith, I really don't have time for this right now." Silently he prayed that she would leave it at that, knowing full well that she wouldn't.
"Zander, Zander, Zander," she said in that condescending, grating way that was her trademark. "If you're going to be working with me, you are going to have to learn about a certain thing called a golden opportunity."
Soon Zander realized that his arms were starting to go numb. "Look, you can instruct me on mob lingo later, but right now I have to get Courtney to the hospi—"
"Oh, you're not going anywhere with Mrs. Morgan. Don't you get it?" Slowly Faith circled him as he grunted in his effort to support Courtney's limp body. "The little bunny here is Jason's beloved wife. And Sonny's sweet, sweet baby sister. And do you know what that means, hunny?" Not waiting for the answer she knew Zander would never give, Faith settled for wrapping her arms around his neck and seductively whispering in his ear. "It means, love, that we have leveraged."
Instantly, Zander pulled away. He had known from the beginning that Faith was a ruthless, black hearted snake, but taking advantage of a sick woman with no way to protect herself....Then again, she had killed her own grandmother, so there was really no need for him to be surprised.
"Look, Faith, I'm willing to do a lot for you. I've slept with you, I've risked my life, and I've done every dirty deed that you've asked." As he spoke, his voice becoming louder and more furious with each syllable, Zander began to realize to the full extent the mistake he made in forming an alliance with Faith. "But I'm not going to help you kidnap a person who has always been kind to me, and who could be dying as we speak! So just forget it and let me go!"
Shocked, Faith made one last, almost desperate, attempt to reason with Zander. "But Zander, this is what the job is all about. This is our way to get Sonny's territory—"
"I don't care about the damn territory!" Zander cried, causing Faith to jump back a good foot. "And I don't care about the damn job! Do you hear me Faith? I quit!"
And with a sudden burst of strength, Zander carried Courtney swiftly to his car, laid her down gently, and proceeded to speed toward GH. While balancing the tacks of driving through busy streets and checking the rear- view mirror to make sure his "friend" was still breathing, Zander managed to once again remove his cell phone. This was one call his wish he didn't have to make....
Stunned, Faith simply stared after the car for several minutes. Slowly, however, her sinister grin once again found its home on her face.
"Poor, poor Zander," she muttered to no one but herself. "You should know that no one gets out that easily."
~*~*~*~*~*~
For what had to be several hours—although the abstract concept of time eluded him when here—Jason remained by the brook, separated from the world. When the sound of the night owl echoed through the air, he reluctantly removed himself from his spot on the earth, glancing about one more time before he returned to reality. Just as he was about to exit the haven, though, he heard the unmistakable sound of his cell phone....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ohhh, I am so evil! I still didn't tell you what's wrong with Courtney, now did I? *Evil grin* I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter *even eviler grin* But it WILL NOT take me as long to get chapter 3 up, since it's spring break for me and I already have the story planned out. Please review, because I must say, it was the second review from Dork628 that made me update tonight. I even wrote the part about Carly in gym class because I felt so bad!