Disclaimer: I still don't own a damn thing.

Last Train Home Ch. 7

"He's such a hypocrite!" Jason heard her erupt next to him. They had been sitting on the dock for the last hour and Courtney was still restless. "He can walk out on his own children and not see either of them for close to ten years, but that's okay. I leave for a couple years and it's the ultimate sin," she babbled on. Jason listened and thought her point would be better proven when she was in a sober state of mind. "I guess hypocrisy runs in the family, though. I mean take me for example. Here I am doing the exact same thing that he used to do. The exact same thing that I hate. Drowning my sorrows in booze. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic."

"Your not pathetic. Your just a little upset," Jason tried, but he doubted that she even heard him. Her mind was fixated on the cell phone that was now ringing in her hand.

"OH! I'm ringing! How the hell do I answer this damn thing?" She could barely contain the excitement in her voice as she tried to find a way to open the phone; confusion was evident on her face. He snatched it quickly out of her hands. She tried to reach for it, but lost her balance almost sending her into the water. Jason grabbed her and set her down against the railing before turning his attention to the object in his hand. Carly was all that the caller ID said.

"I'll answer it." He told Courtney before flipping the phone open. "Hello?"

"Oh Jason, I must have dialed your number by accident. I was trying to get in touch with Courtney. You haven't seen her have you? Sonny wants to speak with her." Carly answered.

"No, you dialed the right number."

"I don't get it. Why are you answering Courtney's cell phone?"

"Because, Courtney isn't really in any shape to be doing it herself." He explained.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say that Courtney is a little tipsy."

"She's drunk?" Carly's voice reached a shrillness that Jason had never heard before, but he was sure that dogs all over Port Charles were heading to Penthouse four.

"Yup."

"Well that's just great! What happened?"

"Mike's a jackass," he answered keeping one eye one Courtney who was swaying side to side holding on to the railing for dear life.

"I should have known." Carly grumbled. "Where are you guys? I'll come get her and bring her home."

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"Your being absurd. Courtney is obviously upset. She needs someone to take care of her."

"I completely agree, but she's very adamant about not going to the Penthouse. I don't think she wants Sonny to see her like this," Jason explained. Carly didn't say anything for a while and he knew she was trying to calculate a plan in her head.

"I suppose that she's right. He would probably be pretty upset at her for exposing the boys to their drunken aunt. What are we going to do?"

"We, Carly?" He asked with a bit of anger in his voice. He didn't want to be a part of this situation; he was only here to make sure that she didn't hurt herself. He wasn't there to baby sit her all night and hold her while she cried. That wasn't his job anymore. Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, his mind mocked him.

"Yes, we. Look Jason, I know that she's the last person you want to be taking care of right now, but she needs someone. I can't go, because Sonny will become suspicious and that will only make things harder on all of us. He's close to forgiving her, Jay. I don't want that to be ruined because Mike is a dick." Silence. She had kind of hoped that he would jump in with a plan of his own, but he remained quiet on the other end. "I'm asking you as a friend to take care of her." Carly pleaded.

"What are you going to tell Sonny?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something." She could hear Jason's exasperated sigh on the other end of line and knew that he was relenting.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this for you, no one else," he muttered.

"I know. Just don't be to hard on her." Carly advised before hanging up the phone. Jason slammed the phone shut a look of bewilderment etched onto his face. He had hoped that Carly would think of a different plan, but should of known better. She recognized this as the perfect catalyst in repairing his and Courtney's tattered relationship. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize that Courtney had moved from her position on the dock. A wave of fear came over him as he searched the dark compounds of the waterfront properties. He finally found her wandering along one of the old boathouses.

"What are you doing?" He asked coming up behind her.

"I was just thinking," she murmured as she continued to walk aimlessly. "Do you remember the night of my wedding shower?"

"Yea. Your mom asked to see my bank statement and college diploma." Jason chuckled.

"Yup, but after that. You know at the church. You said that everyone at our wedding didn't matter. It was only going to be me and you making promises to each other…"

"I'm not going to do this, Courtney. That was a long time ago," he immediately cut in before she could reminisce anymore.

"We were happy then, right? What happened? We vowed to love each other forever." She asked, ignoring his previous statement. He wanted to avoid the questions, but he found himself unable to turn away. Her beautiful blue eyes were peering up him; sadness and hurt watered them.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" He choked out.

"I just need to know that I'm not wasting my life being in love with a man that never loved me in the first place." Shock flew through his body. It's must be the booze talking, because it was impossible to believe that she still loved him. He could feel her gaze set intently on him, but he refused to comment; there was no way that he was going to walk willingly into this conversation.

"Come on, your drunk and need sleep," he directed trying to guide her towards his car. He could see the pain in her facial features but convinced himself that he was doing what was best for both of them. She allowed him to help her to the car and carefully put her in the passenger seat. Somewhere between the docks and Harborview Towers, she passed out.


"Hey babe," Courtney awoke to a very chipper Carly standing next to her bed with a bottle of water and aspirin in her hand. A soft groan escaped her lips as she looked at her friend through squinted eyes. She gingerly sat up and immediately had to push down the wave of nausea that crept up her throat. The burning taste of vodka was still in her mouth and she reached desperately for the bottle of water in the other woman's hand.

"I feel like shit," Courtney muttered once she got the water and aspirin down.

"Yea, alcohol will do that to ya," Carly laughed.

"This isn't funny."

"I'm sorry." Carly whispered reaching down to rub the younger woman's back. "Jason mentioned that you were pretty upset. What did Mike say?"

"Oh you know, that I'm an awful child. He never wants to see me again. Something along those lines," Courtney answered trying to make light of the situation, but her eyes told a different story. Carly could see the torment and hurt that burdened her best friends gaze. She wished that there were something she could do to assuage the grief, but knew that it was something that Courtney was going to have to handle on her own.

"He didn't mean it. He was probably just shocked to see you."

"I don't care anymore." The other woman responded in defeat. "I'm sick and tired of trying to please everybody. I can't do it anymore. I'm the one that ends up hurt in the end." Carly nodded as she continued to comfort her friend.

"We told Sonny that you were spending the evening with Emily."

"We?"

"Me and Jason" Worry crept into Courtney's countenance as she thought about her time with Jason the night before. It was pretty blurry. She remembered almost falling into the water and Jason catching her. I just need to know that I'm not wasting my life being in love with a man that never loved me in the first place. The scene from the boathouse flashed in her mind. Her face went pale as she prayed that she didn't really say that to him. There was no way that she declared her undying love to her ex-husband last night, but beneath all the denial she knew that she did.

"How about some breakfast?" Carly interrupted her thought process. A look of disgust came across Courtney's face while the other woman smirked. "Sorry. How about some coffee?" Silence. "Jason and Sonny have already left," she added.

"I'll be down in a minute." Courtney watched Carly get up and head out of her room. She began to busy herself so that she didn't have to think of the embarrassment that sure to appear the next time she saw Jason.


Carly was already seated at the table with a cup of coffee placed in front of her when Courtney made her way into the kitchen. She could feel Carly's stare follow her over to the coffee pot and intently watch everything she did. She knew that the brunette wanted some sort of gossip about what occurred at the waterfront properties last night, but Courtney refused to be forthcoming with that sort of information.

"What?" She finally asked in annoyance. Carly just shrugged her shoulders innocently and pretended to read the newspaper in front of her. A calm silence embedded the room as Courtney took a seat directly in front of her friend. She wanted to talk to her about everything that had happened, but knew Carly would come up with one of her schemes and make things worse. A sharp slam came from the direction of the foyer and before either women could move; Liz bounded into the kitchen.

"What the hell are you doing?" Carly screeched in annoyance. This was her house and she would be damned if Elizabeth Webber was going to cause a raucous in it.

"So, did you have fun last night?" Liz asked Courtney, completely ignoring Carly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't try and play dumb with me. I know that you were with Jason. When are you going to accept the fact that he is mine? You can't just come back and trample all over everybody's life!" Liz ranted.

"Look, Jason was trying to help me, that's all." Courtney replied with a look of fire in her eyes.

"Yeah right."

"It's true. Courtney was having a rough night and I asked Jason to take care of her," Carly interrupted. "And if you come barging into my house again, I swear that I will rip out every hair on your head." Liz backed away slightly, but continued to glare at Courtney.

"Jason may not notice it, but I see what you're trying to do." Liz's tone was low. "Just give it up, Court. He doesn't want you anymore. Your trash and everybody knows it."

"Ok, that's enough! I want you to get the hell out of my home right now!" Carly yelled pointing to the door. Liz spun around on her heel and headed back out to the hallway. Carly let out an exasperated sigh before turning her attention to Courtney. "I hate that woman!" Courtney shrugged her shoulders. She was obviously bewildered by Liz's comments.

"Is she always this paranoid?"

"When it comes to Jason? Yes," Carly replied. Before another word could be spoken the kitchen door flew open again. The two women spun around expecting to see Liz again, but instead Jason entered the room.

"What's up?" He asked surveying the room carefully.

"Tell your psycho girlfriend that she's no longer welcome in my house. I'm not putting up with anymore, Jason," Carly informed him before making her way upstairs. Courtney stood in the center of the room uncomfortable under Jason's scrutinizing watch. She shifted from one foot to another while pushing a piece of hair behind her hair.

"What happened?" He finally asked breaking the prickly silence.

"Liz had a little outburst. No big deal." Courtney lied.

"Oh." He replied, clearly not wanting to know the details of the altercation. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll survive," she murmured. "Thanks for looking after me."

"No problem." Courtney nodded and was about to leave the room when Sonny entered. He looked at Jason and than back to her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked.

"Nope, I was just heading upstairs," Courtney answered, thankful for finding an easy way out.

"Courtney?"

"Yea, Sonny?"

"I was thinking-you know-if you aren't doing anything later, we could get some lunch." He wasn't looking her straight in the eye and that caused Courtney to worry slightly, but she knew that it was obviously important if he was willing to be seen with her in public. After all, she was supposedly a traitor to the Corinthos organization.

"Sure, what time?"

"1:00, at Kellys" Sony replied and a sense of dread came over Courtney. She debated on whether or not to tell her older brother about their father's hatred of her. She wasn't quite sure what his reaction would be and didn't want to chance it. Her brain worked in overhaul to try and think of another restaurant, but nothing else came to mind.

"Sonny, Kellys is so busy around lunchtime; you'll be lucky to get a table. Why don't you guys go to Skye and Luke's new restaurant," Jason jumped in. Sonny eyed him with confusion, but decided to question his best friend on it later.

"Sure. It's right on the center of Main Street, Court." He offered before exiting the kitchen.

"Thanks, Jase." She murmured before going upstairs.