Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Last Train Home Ch. 20:
"Where are we going?" Liz asked trying her best to keep her voice from shaking.
"You'll see." Jason continued to lead the way through the deserted streets of Port Charles.
"You can't kill me, Jase." She pleaded. Her hand instinctively went up to his cheek. "Our relationship wasn't all bad. We had our moments…"
"Stop it." He ordered callously and shied away from her touch. The lump in her throat was growing larger as she took in their surroundings. The water was coming into to view, which meant only one thing: they were heading towards the docks. Great. Just great, Liz thought to herself as they strode closer to a petite dark haired woman.
"I thought you were coming alone?" Sam snarled, but Jason shook it off.
"Don't worry about it McCall." He ordered and pulled Liz closer towards him.
Courtney packed up the rest of her belongings. She signed herself out of General Hospital, despite her doctor's orders. She couldn't sit in that bed anymore and think. The walls were beginning to close in around her and she needed to get out. She wanted to go home, back to where things were normal. Back to where she was just Courtney Matthews, waitress and friend. In Port Charles, she was so much more. A sister, an aunt, a best friend, and more importantly, an ex wife. All those roles were wearing thin and she needed an escape desperately. Jason didn't care whether she stuck around. And while Sonny and Carly did, they weren't enough to hold her down. No, she needed to leave. She couldn't stay here. Port Charles wasn't her place anymore, no matter how much she wished it was.
"Where are you going?" Sonny's voice caught her off guard. She had hoped like hell that she could make her exit quietly, but apparently not.
"Boston," she replied without bothering to turn around.
"Don't you think that you should rest some more? You almost died."
"Yeah, but I didn't." She returned just as she zipped up her suitcase. "And I'm fine."
"Are you?" He looked at her skeptically.
"I will be once I get the hell out of here."
"Is that really going to solve anything?"
"What is this? Twenty question?" Her voice grew tight.
"I just don't see how running away is going to help your cause." He paused for a moment. "It didn't do much the last time or did it?"
"Sonny, this isn't my life anymore. I don't belong here." Courtney tried her best to explain.
"Really?" The dark haired man wondered in return. "Because I could have sworn that you fit right in."
"Don't do this, please." Her tone was pleading, but her brother turned a deaf ear to it.
"Do what, Court?" Silence. "Tell you that everyone that you love and care for is here. Tell you that my sons need their aunt. Carly needs her best friend. And that I need my sister."
"You don't need me." She bit back. "Everything has been going smoothly without me."
"It's always going to come back to Jason isn't it?"
"You're the one that's bringing him up." She returned coldly.
"Because I know that no matter what, it's always about him."
"So what if it is? Maybe I don't want to spend the rest of my life waiting for him to decide what he wants. Is that so wrong, Sonny?" Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.
"No."
"Then please, let me go."
Ric watched the scene carefully. His right hand fell to his cell phone while his left waited patiently on the holster of his gun. He could make out the muffled conversation that Jason and Sam were having and it wasn't looking promising on Liz's end. Why had he let her go? He should have done something more, but what? He was doing everything he could by waiting quietly in the shadows. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Elizabeth was a good person. She saw through all his flaws and loved him for the broken man he was. How did he let that go? How had he let his vendetta against his brother take away the only woman he ever really loved? He never loved Sam. She was just something that he took away from Sonny. A whore that he used to pass the time while he waited for something more. Something better. God, if he could just save Liz from this mess she created, then maybe… Maybe their marriage or relationship could begin again. He would show her everything that he was scared of before. He would make her see that she was the most important thing in the world to him. Yes, he would save her and therefore save himself. It shouldn't be too hard…
Jason snuck a look behind him. Damn it, Lansing had to have picked the worst hiding place on the whole dock. Oh well. He watched Sam carefully. She looked uneasy and her dark eyes kept fluttering towards Elizabeth. Jason didn't like bringing her, but it needed to be done. Both women were waiting for him to speak. He would let the silence linger a little longer. He liked watching them squirm. Liz ran her shaky hand through her hair for what must have been the tenth time in the last minute. Sam teetered from foot to foot. Yeah, these were the people that were suppose to take him down. He had to bite back a laugh.
"So here's how I see it," he began and watched as both women tuned in. "You two wanted to kill me, but fucked it up. Correct?"
"I never wanted to kill you. It was all her." Sam pointed towards Liz, who seemed too scared to respond.
"Don't lie to me." He ordered. "This will go a lot smoother if you would just tell the truth, McCall. Because I'm not buying the bullshit your selling." She didn't say anything, so he continued on. "I want to know how and why. And I want the truth."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sam remained steadfast in her defense. Jason sighed and pulled out the gun from his waistband. He watched Sam try and do the same, but he was too fast. His weapon was at her head, before she had the chance to get a firm grip on her own. Seeing the weakness, Jason swiped it away quickly.
"No more lies, Sam." He breathed slowly. "I can promise you that this isn't filled with blanks." He watched her fidget slightly.
"What's in it for me?" She asked.
"Your life." He returned and watched as her shoulders sunk.
"Fine." She growled in annoyance. "When I saw you at the rehearsal dinner with kung fu Barbie, I knew what had to be done. No one makes a fool of me, especially not an idiot like yourself Morgan. So, I went to Lizzie Webber and she was more than willing to join the festivities. And I'm not sure how she managed to screw it up so royally, but she did."
"Your turn." Jason's eyes searched out Liz, who remained cowered in the corner.
"I already told you everything." She whispered.
"I want to hear it again." He replied lowly and watched as she let out an uneasy sigh.
"Sam told me to hide in the bushes by the patio. She gave me the gun and told me that it was already loaded with blanks. All I needed to do was shoot you in the shoulder and she would give me ten thousands dollars." Liz said that last part and all the color drained from her face.
"You were being paid?"
"Yeah, but I didn't do it for the money." She covered. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt to have you throw me aside for Courtney? Do you have any idea what it's like to know that no matter what you are going to be second best? Hell, I was almost glad when I hit Courtney instead." Jason bit down on his lower lip hard. It took all of his control not to shoot Elizabeth dead in between the eyes. His mind worked over everything he had just heard. Now it was time for a little fun. He held out his gun to Sam, who seemed hesitant to take it.
"Go on," he ordered and watched as she did what she was told. "Now make a decision, because one of you is going to end up in jail. You have the power to decide which one." Sam looked back and forth between Jason and Liz. She cocked the gun and aimed directly at the man's temple. "What's that going to get you, McCall? Killing me? Nothing is going to change, because you know damn well that Sonny will do anything in his power to destroy you."
"I'm not scared of Corinthos." She replied defiantly.
"Well you should be." Jason spun around to see Carly. Her petite hands clutched a small hand gun. "After all, I hear his wife is one crazy bitch."
"Damn it, Carly. What are you doing here?"
"Saving your ass." She replied. "Your welcome by the way."
"Well, this should be fun." Sam laughed. "Now I can take out the three people that I hate most in the world. Too bad Courtney and Sonny aren't here as well. But I guess three out of five ain't bad." She moved the gun from Jason to Elizabeth. "First things first. No one likes a rat, Webber." She was just about to pull the trigger when a shot rang out and the petite brunette fell to the ground.
Everyone turned to see Ric emerge from behind the pole and make his presence known. He didn't say anything as he stood over his fallen girlfriend before reaching for his cell phone.
"I need a bus to the Denmore St. Dock." He spoke smoothly. "We have a young woman with a gunshot wound to the shoulder."
"Nice shot, Ric." Carly was clearly impressed, but the DA just shook his head.
"You'll need to stick around to give statements to the police." He said solemnly.
"Well as long as you're here. I would like to press charges." Jason didn't even bother to hide the grin on his face.
"Against whom?"
"Elizabeth Webber." He answered. "She knowingly entered a plot to try and kill me. I have it all on tape." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tape recorder. "You can't save her this time, Lansing." Ric felt the bile begin to rise in his throat. He looked to Liz and tried to ignore the tears that shone in her doe eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he went around to slide the handcuffs around her petite wrist. Just as he was doing so, another shot rang out. Jason watched as a small silver bullet tore through the air and caught Elizabeth Webber in the chest. He looked to Carly, who seemed just as shocked. They both heard a small cackle and saw Sam still lying on the ground, smoking gun in hand.
"Teach you to double cross me," she croaked out before her eyes slid closed. Better safe than sorry, Carly kicked the gun out of her reach. Screaming sirens signaled the arrival of the PCPD. Before Jason and Carly could get a word in edge wise, they were being handcuffed and thrown into the back of one of the many police cruisers on scene. From their vantage point, they could see Ric holding Liz's hand as the coroner made his analysis.
Sonny strode into the police department. He wasn't too shocked when Jason called and told him of the events. He was kind of surprised to hear that Carly had been involved in the fracas. She never could keep herself out of trouble, no matter how much he tried to protect her. He looked up find his wife and best friend seated in hard plastic seats looking around the station with little interest.
"You guys been released?" He asked and was met with simultaneous nod. "How's Sam?"
"Sam's in the hospital. She's being charged with Elizabeth Webber's murder and attempted murder on Courtney once she's healthy enough to be released." Carly informed him. "I'm sure Ric will do everything short of nailing her to the cross."
"Yeah, probably." Sonny agreed and looked to Jason. "You need a ride home?"
"No thanks. I think I'm going to go and visit Courtney. You know fill her in on what happened." He tried to pretend that he didn't see the look of sadness on Sonny's face.
"Uh…Jase…" He stuttered, which made his best friend even more nervous.
"What's going on?" He tried to keep calm.
"Courtney's gone…"
The busy airport terminal made it difficult for her to move around. She walked slowly, trying desperately not to aggravate any of her injuries. Maybe leaving the hospital wasn't the best idea after all. She considered going back, but decided that she had already made it too far. No, all she had to do was board the plane and after that, it would be smooth sailing. She had almost made it to the gate when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and saw him in all his beauty. God, she was so close.
"Where are you going?" His voice was soft and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Home."
"You are home."
"Please…" She pleaded softly. "I can't do this anymore."
"Then don't." Jason's answer was simple. "You asked me if there would be a place for you in my life if you stayed."
"Yeah and you walked out on me. Just like you always do, Jase." Her tone was bitter.
"Yes."
"What?"
"Yes," his responded firmly. "There will always be a home for you with me."
"What if I don't want it?" She asked hoarsely. "Because to tell you the truth, I don't think things are ever going to change between us. I love you, but you just keeping pushing and pushing…"
"I'm through pushing."
"Are you?" It was more of a statement rather than a question. "Until when? Until I do something you don't like? Until you feel that I'm in danger?"
"I don't know what else to say, Courtney." He held up his hands in exhaustion. "You know how I feel about you and if that isn't enough to make you stay…"
"That's just it! I don't know how you feel about me!" Her voice was rising. "You haven't expressed any feelings to me since I've been back and I---"
"I love you." He cut her off. "I'm sorry if that wasn't clear." Tears were steadily falling down her flushed cheeks and he swiped them away.
"I love you, too." She replied in a tear coated voice.
"So, where does that leave us?" He asked.
"Where it always leaves us." She answered. "Sad and alone."
"You're leaving…"
"I have to, Jase." Courtney tried her best to remain strong. "We may love each other, but we're not meant to be. You deserve a girl that can make you happy."
"You do make me happy."
"But it's not enough…"
"When is it going to be 'enough'?" He was being stubborn, but didn't care.
"Look me up in a couple years…" She whispered and tried to release herself from his embrace.
"I'm going to follow you. I'll do whatever it takes, Courtney."
"Say goodbye, Jason."
"No." He watched her head fall and she shook slightly.
"Please."
"I'm not giving up. Not now. Not ever." His voice was so strong and she envied it.
"I know." She patted his cheek and kissed him ever so softly.
"Then save us the time, Court." He begged, but she was through listening.
"Bye Jason." She whispered before pulling out of his touch and boarding the plane.
THE END
A/N: Bet you never thought I would end it like that, did ya? So this is it. Roll the credits, Last Train Home is O-V-A. Thanks for all the reviews and the insight. I'm sure most won't be happy with the ending, but it can't be sugary sweet fairytales all the time. Maybe if you guys are good, I'll write an epilogue…
