Author's Note: Things have been crazy lately, that's my pathetic excuse for my lack of updating. I guess I could blame it on finals. I had my first two today. Anyways, it's Friday! I hope you all enjoy your weekends! And this next chapter!

Chapter 22- The Things You Need Come Slow

Jason and Courtney had dropped Antonio off at his home before heading over to General Hospital so Courtney could be checked out. Courtney didn't want to do this, but she knew that it was necessary. For her son. Only seven months ago, she'd promised her husband, her doctor, God, and herself that she would protect that little boy growing inside of her with her life. Courtney Morgan wasn't one to break her promises.

"Hey, you seem distracted," Jason said as he snaked his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her close. They were in the elevator, on their way up to floor seven.

"I'm just tired," Courtney said with a wave of her hand, as if to dismiss his worry. No such luck.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Jason asked, rubbing the side of her arm.

"Later," was her reply as she swiftly stepped off the elevator and began to walk purposefully to the desk to ask for Dr. Meadows.

Jason sighed as he followed Courtney to the desk. He placed his hand on the small of her back, just so she would know he was there. He would always be there. She was distant, and it scared him. Courtney hadn't said much since their kiss in the rain. Jason knew that she'd just been put through hell, but he wanted to know what they did to her. Something was off, he just couldn't put his finger on exactly what.

"Jason, Jason?" Courtney pulled him out of his reverie as she waved her hand in front of his face. "Dr. Meadows can squeeze me in right now. So you can just wait out here while I…"

"No, I'm coming with you," Jason was adamant about it. Courtney knew there would be no changing his mind, so she let him take her hand and lead her to the room she'd been in so many times the past year. Courtney said a silent prayer that there was no internal damage from what they'd done to her. Jason didn't need to find any of that out. She could handle it.

The light from the window is fading
You turn on the night
The sound from the avenue's calling you
Open your eyes

"Courtney, Jason," Dr. Meadows acknowledged the familiar faces as they entered the bleak hospital examination room. Courtney found herself releasing her husband's hand and falling into the same old routine. She put on the dressing gown first, took her clothes off once she was covered, and took her place on the exam bench.

It was something about her eyes, Jason decided as he felt her warmth leave him as she went to change. As much as Jason didn't want to push her, he needed to know…

"Alright," Dr. Meadows said as she smoothed to cold gel over Courtney's very round stomach. Jason dragged a chair over to the side of Courtney's table and took his hand within his own, playing with her rings. It was something he tended to do when he was nervous. Courtney took note of it and put her hand to his cheek and offered him a smile.

"Well, your little boy looks just as healthy as ever," Dr. Meadows stated much to the expecting parents' relief. "I'll print out this picture for the two of you to take home, and then I'll come back and perform a checkup on you Courtney." Dr. Meadows said as she smiled and began to clean up the gel and the ultrasound equipment. Soon enough, Jason and Courtney were alone again.

"I knew he was okay," Courtney stated softly as she placed a protective hand over her stomach. Jason placed his left hand on the base of her neck, and his right hand on the side of her face as he pulled his wife in for a kiss. It was short, but extremely sweet. After pulling apart, Jason needed answers to his questions.

"Are you okay?" He decided to start off with.

"Jason, I'm fine. Your son's fine. We're both alive and very happy to be home," Courtney answered as she sat up.

"I know, I know you are Courtney. I- I just… what happened?" He decided that beating around the bush wasn't going to get him anywhere. Especially not with Courtney.

"Sandoval took me from The Loft that night. He brought me to a safe house somewhere. I was upset, scared, alone…"

Realizing that she was actually going to tell him what happened, Jason took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry. If I'd been more cautious…"

"You can't blame yourself okay? We've been through this before. We did it with Alcazar," Courtney cringed at the memory. "Like I was saying, that was when I met Antonio. At first, he wasn't telling me much, but there was something about him that interested me," Courtney trailed off at the look her husband gave her.

"Not a romantic interest," Courtney answered the question that had been running like a broken record through his head. "He seemed like he was haunted. I think he felt bad for me, so I took advantage of that and faked labor pains. It was hard, but I convinced him to take me to my own doctor. He put me in the car, but I guess there must have been a tracking device on it or something because next thing we knew, there was a black car tailing us. They shot out one of our tires, forcing us off the road," Courtney began to breathe heavy as she recalled the moment where she'd thought that she could potentially lose her life, or even worse, her son's.

Jason placed a soothing kiss on her forehead, letting her know that it was okay. She smiled gratefully and continued. "The next thing I knew, I was somewhere else. I'd heard voices. Sandoval's and Tony's. So I pretended to be asleep, passed out still. Tony said the baby was okay, for which I was grateful. But, I didn't think Tony would ever do anything like that," Courtney trailed off and Jason shrugged.

"Tony Jones hates me. He's rash and doesn't think things through. I'm sorry, I would have given anything for it to be me…" Jason was once again cut off by his wife.

"Would you let me finish the story? Because I didn't want to tell you in the first place…"

"I'm sorry, go ahead," Jason smiled at her returning sarcasm. He thought he'd never hear her crack a joke again…

"Anyways, Sandoval was saying some hurtful things. So, my temper got the best of me… and I spit in his face."

Jason looked up from watching their entwined fingers and looked at her. "You spit on him?"

"He didn't like it, he told me I'd pay. I did," Courtney whispered as she looked down at the fabric covering her body. "I had fallen asleep, I'd been so tired Jason…"

"You're tired now," Jason observed as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and let his lips graze her hand. He couldn't stop touching her. The need for closeness was overwhelming him.

"A little," Courtney admitted as Dr. Meadows reentered the room. Courtney was shocked at the perfect timing. She now didn't have to tell Jason what they did to her. Hopefully, he'd forget…

"Jason, I'm going to have you to step outside for a minute…"
"No," Jason protested, "No, I can't leave her."

"It's fine Jason, really. I'm okay. Dr. Meadows is just going to make sure my health's up to par, which I'm sure it is. Then, you know what, I'll even let you carry me out of here. Yes, I'm that tired," Courtney added after as she saw the look of shock on his face.

Jason nodded and reluctantly left the room to wait outside on the floor.

Courtney sighed as she shot her doctor a thank you glance. Jason didn't need to see her bruises. She could deal with them. They were only sore when someone touched them particularly hard anyways…

And when you find
You're spending your time
Wanting for words
That never speak
You tell yourself that the things you need come slow
But inside you just don't know

Sitting outside her room, Jason was thanking God that Courtney and the baby were both home, safe. He'd been so reluctant to leave her side because he was actually afraid that he'd never see her again, that someone would take her. He thought that ridiculous now. He was sitting right outside the door, there was no way someone could sneak in and grab her without him seeing it.

"Thank you," Jason whispered to God as he thought that saying a prayer would be the right thing to do. "Thank you for keeping Courtney and the baby safe when I couldn't. You know, I never ask you for anything. I'm not religious, I don't go to church. So why should you do me any favors? I guess you shouldn't. But, my wife, she's a good person. The best person I've ever known. So, if you could, can you please make it okay for her? Help her, keep her and the baby safe. I didn't think I'd fail, you know? I thought I'd be able to protect them from everything, I couldn't though. So basically, I need you. Help me, please," Jason sighed into his hands as he wiped away a free falling tear.

Hold on to anything
Everything's over and done
Has the fear taken over you?
Tell me, is that what you want to make up your life?

"Courtney, how'd you get these bruises?" Dr. Meadows asked, already knowing the answer. Someone had hit her. Many times.

"It wasn't Jason," Courtney said, immediately protecting her husband from being accused as a wife beater. "He doesn't even know about them."

"Courtney, you need to file a police report…"

"No."

"What are you trying to hide?" Dr. Meadows asked as she wrote out a prescription for a pain killer that wouldn't affect her baby.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I just don't want to talk about it," Courtney said as she put her clothes back on quickly and stepped into her sandals. Dr. Meadows handed her the slip to get her prescription filled. Courtney placed it in her coat pocket, not wanting Jason to see that she had one.

"Whatever you tell me is confidential. You know that," Dr. Meadows said as she wrapped the blood pressure tester around Courtney's upper arm and took her blood pressure.

"I know."

"Courtney," Dr. Meadows began seriously as she took the Velcro patch off her patient's arm, "You need to stop stressing out about whatever it is you're stressing about…"

"I'll be fine. I'm just a little worked up right now," Courtney said as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"I'm going to ask you a serious question Courtney, you need to answer me truthfully," Dr. Meadows said slowly so Courtney would understand every word she said.

"Okay," Courtney replied, knowing what was coming, and not liking it at all.

"Were you raped?"

Time after time
You're falling behind
Hold on to me
Never leave
Forever be what you mean to me right now
Don't you feel better now?

Song Credit goes to the fabulous Rob Thomas for his beautiful song "My My My"