A/N: waiting...waiting...waiting...waiting...finally Jason got his sense back! wait, no, false alarm he's still with sam. waiting...waiting...waiting...waiting...(while we're waiting, here you go!)

Ch. 9 Bend Not Break

He stood by the wet bar impatiently waiting. Every so often his chocolate gaze went to the door to his home. Finally it opened and he watched his right hand man enter the room.

"What's wrong? You said on the phone it was important."

"Yeah, it is. The trial is the 16th."

"Courtney's" he asked though the answer was obvious.

"Yeah, I was there when Justus called."

"Isn't that a little soon"

"I called Justus on the way over. Baldwin's got the evidence and he's positive he'll get a conviction. As scheming as he was, Ric was an important authority figure and people want his killer put to justice."

"Do something. Find a way to get it delayed until we figure out what to do." he demanded.

"What to do about what" The men turned to see Carly descending the stairs with a now awake Morgan in her arms.

"Carly" her husband began.

"Hmm...let me guess, it's business. Am I in for another 'go upstairs Carly and no eavesdropping.' speech" she asked bouncing the cooing baby on her hip. "Because we never get tired of those. Do we Morgan? No we don't."

"Carly" he started again.

"Fine, I'm going." she turned to head back upstairs.

"Courtney's trial is in a week." Sonny called after her, knowing she would just find out on her own.

"What? Don't just sit there get off your a" she stopped herself hearing her son giggle in her arms. "Just do something."

"I've got people combing over everything. Looking for any detail that can help." Jason explained.

"How long will they take? You said it yourself, a week. That jerk hasn't even been cold that long." she sneered. Sonny turned back to Jason.

"Here's what I want you to do. I want you to get my sister, get on the jet and go. Take her to the island or the other side of the world; I don't care. Just get her out of the country" he ordered his former brother-in-law.

"She won't go. I already tried."

"Try harder" Sonny hollered.

"What do you want me to do? Drag her on the plane" he asked.

"If you have to" he shouted back at him.

"Ok, ok." Carly interjected. " God, you men and your violence. I don't think that'll be necessary. We'll talk to her."

"Damn right we'll talk to her. I'll"

"Stay calm, or I'll go myself." Carly finished before the angry man could say what was on his mind. She handed the baby to his father before picking up the phone and dialing. Tapping her foot, she listened to it ring. Jason thought about telling her that she probably wouldn't answer but decided to just stand quietly and wait. Maybe it would be a different case, once she heard it was Carly calling her.

"I know you're there, so you might as well pick up." Carly began. "If you don't pick up we're just come over there and bang you're door down. Fine, have it your way."

"What are you going to do" Jason asked her after she hung up the phone and took the child back from Sonny.

"What I said I would. We're going over there, and convince her let you help. You stay here." she pointed to Jason, and exited the penthouse. Sonny only gave him a pat on the shoulder before he left himself.

A while later, three of the four Corinthos' were outside the door to Courtney's home. Carly took in Sonny's look of anxiousness and she knew she was going to have to keep him in check. The last thing that would help would be him blowing up and ordering her to do what he wanted. She looked at the bundle of joy sitting lazily in the stroller.

"Alright Morgan. Your big brother is at a friend's house so you're my hook. What you have to do is look drop-dead adorable for your aunt. Can you do that" she looked at the child who just stared back at her with his big brown eyes. "Perfect."

"You better not get my son used to being involved in your plans." Sonny joked.

"Shush. Don't listen to your father." she told the boy.

The man to her side knocked on the hard wood of the door. They waited, and Sonny was about to knock again when he heard the lock click on the other side. As she had before with Jason, she opened only a crack and looked at her visitors.

"Hey." Carly greeted. "You going to let us in or are we going to stand out here all day"

"I really don't feel like a visit right now, Carly." she said opening the door slightly wider.

"Not even for your nephew" she knew it was a weakness of hers, so she used it. Much to her delight, it worked. The door opened and they entered the room. "How long has it been since you've held him, huh"

She announced handing the baby to his aunt, and joining Sonny on the couch. The man had yet to say anything and she assumed that it was better then him screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Wow, you're getting so big" she complimented lifting her nephew into the air. The bright look of recognition that came on his face when he saw her, lifted her mood instantly.

It wasn't too long ago that she was the one that saw him every morning when he woke up and every night before he fell asleep. In that time, they developed a bond, like none she'd ever experienced. It helped ease the pain of losing her child. But it only made it at least ten times worse when it was time for him to go home. The emptiness in her heart heightened. Because she got a first hand view of the what she could have had. Morgan let out a giggle and brought her back to the present.

"He's missed you." Carly said, glad to see her friend happier then she'd been in a long time.

"You're going to break so many hearts." she told him.

"Jason told us what Justus said." Sonny, announced not wanting to beat around the bush any longer. Courtney let out a sigh and set the baby on her lap.

"Justus says a lot of things."

"About the trial." he added.

"What Sonny's trying to say..." Carly began trying to make up for his bluntness. " We think it would be a good idea if you let Jason get you out of here for a while."

"I should have known that's what this was about. I already went through this with Jason."

"We know but it's the best thing right now." Carly tried.

"How is it best? I'd be jumping bail. Which means if I get caught then I'm going straight to jail until the trial."

"True. But if you go, it gives us time to help you."

"Carly, I'm not going ok" Courtney stood up and put Morgan back in his stroller.

"What's wrong with you" Sonny shouted standing up. "Why won't you just accept our help? I won't have my sister spending her life in prison"

"Do you hear yourself? You won't have your sister. It's not about you"

"You were brought into this life because of me. If you'd never met me then this wouldn't have happened."

"God, is it lonely up there on the cross? This isn't about you, or even because of you! You have absolutely nothing to do with this."

"Ok, let's calm down and talk about this." Carly tried to interject.

"There's nothing left to talk about. It's getting late, you should take Morgan home. By the way, using your baby as bait..."she shook her head, and didn't finish the sentence. "I'll get the door for you."

Carly watched her friend walk past them to the door. Before she knew what she was doing, she picked up a nearby vase and brought it down on top of her head. Shattering the pottery, and sending the woman to the floor.

"Sorry honey." she said inhaling sharply at what she'd done. Sonny looked at her in shock.

"What the hell did you do that for" he asked in disbelief and knelt to check on the damage.

"She ok? I didn't hit her too hard, did I" she asked worried.

""She's not bleeding. Are you going to tell me what you were thinking" he questioned.

"Come on. She wasn't going to go, I had to do something." she reasoned.

"What happened to, us men and our violence"

"Shut up. I did what I did and it's a little late to go back now isn't it? Just get the plane ready and I'll call Jason."

He sat in the penthouse and waited. Any other day, in any other case Jason Morgan was a patient man. He could wait for someone to come to him with their problems. He could wait for someone to learn to trust him. But for some reason, he was running up the walls waiting for an update from his two best friends. Come to think of it, he always acted out of character when it came to her. She had that affect on him, and he didn't know why. Yes he did, because he loved her. He still loved her. It was something he thought he could get over. That night, he told her he didn't know her. That he never did. It wasn't true, but he said it. Now he sat alone in their old home and waited. Making the declaration of love to himself, made him weary. If it took him this long to admit it to in his mind, would he ever have the courage to admit it to her?

He heard a soft ring come from his pocket and he twitched in surprise. It took him a second to realize it was his cell phone. Hoping for good news, he opened it and spoke.

"Morgan."

"Hey, it's me." Carly said.

"You talk to her"

"Yeah."

"And" he asked anxiously.

"I think there may be a little dragging involved."