A/N: Let's talk suckage people. I am getting very few reviews on this story compared to every other story I have. That's a problem. I haven't written for this story in weeks, and I only have up until chapter 13 written so it could be months until I update. I am being completely serious when I say that I am not updating until I get over 15 reviews. I wasn't going to update this until I got it, but then I realized it was a slow time for reviews for all my stories, and I probably just posted at a bad time and it kinda got lost. So, here's an update. But I am putting my foot down.
Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I am glad you like them both! Yes,Jason can be an idiot. But he just wasn't thinking totally clearly.
middiegurl08- I'm glad you loved it. There was a lot of love in that review, literally!
LoLo28- Jason is the self-sacrificing type. He puts a lot of emphasis on family!
kaleymc- If you couldn't tell, I try to undress this guy as much as humanly possible. I think someone should write an AU story where he's part of a nudist colony, hmmm... j/k, lol!
emmalee05- You got your wish. Here's a longer chapter (I think). Are my chapter's too short? They're generally 4 pages on Word, but I'm never sure what's considered long and short.
Elvira- I do love the angst! And you know it. Yay! Someone actually remembers my love for it. Torturing the characters is just fun. What can I say, I'm a sadist.
anon14- Glad you're liking it all!
ImJustKidding89- Revenge will come in due time! In the meantime, keep reading!
luvthemorgans- Boys suck. I hope you worked out your troubles, but believe me, I'm going through some of my own. Have I mentioned that boys suck? Anyway, I feel honored that you would review even when grounded, and even at odd hours of the late night/early morning. And I've been watching some old stuff online and what not and Jason used to be a multifaceted character with real emotions, before they destroyed him. Steve used to be an incredible actor, and now he just seems bored all the time. (Can't blame him, the story lines suck). So I'm using the old Jason in my story!And BTW, to quote Dirty Dancing, when I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. You win with the loves!
SuzieQ8487- You make me laugh. Glad you got to catch up. Thank god someone thought my title last chapter was clever! I love play on words and puns!
sexyt- There is always more than meets the eye, remember that!
Chapter 9- Escape Artists
Courtney awoke the next morning a bit lazily, keeping her eyes closed as she stretched out. She had gotten a peaceful night's sleep, not once disturbed by Meg's cries. Courtney's eyes flew open as she began to panic. Why hadn't she been awoken by the sounds of her daughter's cries? She sat up in bed and quickly looked around, her heart falling back into place as she found her daughter, remembering the events of the night before. Meg was cuddled in Jason's arms as he sat in the rocking chair, feeding her the morning bottle. Courtney brushed her hair behind her ear before getting up and walking over to the two of them. As soon as Jason heard the rustling of her getting out of the bed, he looked up at her and smiled. She walked over to the two of them and perched herself on the armrest of the chair, looking down at her baby and husband. She planted a sweet kiss on his lips before inspecting the bruises and cuts on his face and bare chest. They had already browned and she knew that they would continue to yellow for the next few days to come before disappearing all together. Running her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, she let out a deep sigh before trying to begin the necessary conversation.
"We need to get out of here" said Jason, beginning the conversation she had been trying to initiate.
"Yes, we do. But how?" she asked.
"I dunno" said Jason. "And dammit, I wish I had the answers!" he exclaimed, causing Meg to whimper in his arms. "Shh, I'm sorry Meggie" he said as he lifted the girl up to his chest and held her in a tighter position so that he could rub her back.
He felt her grab at his shoulder, feeling the tiny fingers on his bare skin. Courtney removed herself from the armrest and went and sat on Jason's lap, putting her weight on the opposite side as Meg. Jason wrapped his arm around her tightly as he held the two people in the world who mattered the most to him as closely as he could, unwilling to let go, afraid that if he did, it would all just be a dream and he'd be alone again.
"I've learned from my mistakes. It's hard to get out from the inside. We need outside intervention. We need Sonny" said Courtney softly.
"So you think it's best if we just sit here and wait to be rescued?"
"I just mean that without communication, we don't know what he's planning. And considering he's the one in the better position with the better resources right now, it's best if we let him handle it instead of risking ruining any fantastic plans" said Courtney.
"Alright" he said.
"Really?" she questioned, surprised that he agreed with her.
"Yeah, I think you're right. We probably would just be interfering with whatever Sonny's planning" said Jason as he gave Courtney a soft kiss on her lips.
"Mmm, I'm going to go shower" she said as she got up and walked into the small bathroom, closing the door as she did.
Jason got up as well and opened the dresser drawers before finding stuff for Meg. He changed her diaper and then dressed her. By the time he was done with that, Courtney was all showered. She emerged from the bathroom in just a towel and proceeded to get dressed right in front of him, leaving him with a moment to marvel at the sight of her naked body before she covered herself up again. Jason took his shower and then put his jeans and raggedy t-shirt back on, finding that he was lacking the changes of clothes that Courtney and Meg had at their disposal. When he came back out into the main room, he found Courtney and Meg sitting on a blanket on the floor, playing with some toys. Crouching down beside them, he played as well, forgetting for a moment that they were being held as bargaining chips, and instead feeling like they were any other family enjoying a quiet moment at home.
But the moment was ruined as the door was slammed open and their kidnapper walked in. Courtney and Jason stood up in a flash with Meg safely tucked in Courtney's arms as she stood behind Jason who was using his body as a shield.
"And how are the Morgan's doing this morning?" he asked with a sneer.
"What the hell do you want?" Jason asked in his cold enforcer voice.
"You forget Mr. Morgan, that you are guests in my house. You need to learn some manners. Maybe Vince and Ray here can teach you some" he said motioning to the two burly guards at his side whose mouths contorted into sick smiles.
"No, please" said Courtney, throwing herself in front of Jason. "Please, haven't you put him through enough" she begged as Jason tried unsuccessfully to pull her back.
"Mrs. Morgan, why don't you calm down a little bit" said the man as he suddenly reached out his arms and grabbed her, pulling both her and Meg close to her body.
Jason lunged at the man but Vince caught him before he could do anything. Jason was still weak from his beating from the night before and Vince was able to easily restrain him, despite his fighting to get to Courtney. Ray grabbed Courtney from the man but the kidnapper held on tightly to Meg. Ray held Courtney with one arm and grabbed on to her hair with his other.
"She's pretty boss" said Ray, looking straight into Jason's furious eyes.
"Yes, she is" the boss agreed as he adjusted the squirming baby in his arms.
"Stop it! Let her and Meg go" Jason demanded. "We had a deal. You need to honor it" he said coldly.
"Deals are overrated" said the man with a laugh as he walked over to Courtney. "She is pretty" he agreed again as he brushed back some of her hair, despite that Courtney pulled sharply and quickly from his touch. "Come on baby, don't you want to be with a real man" said the kidnapper in a terrifying low voice.
"Get the hell away from her!" Jason yelled at the same time that Courtney yelled "get the hell away from me!"
"I don't like to be told what to do" snapped the man as he reared back and hit Courtney hard across the face.
That was the breaking point for Jason. His strength came back to him and he pulled himself from Vince's grasp and lunged at the kidnapper. Vince grabbed him back before he could do anything else and slammed him hard against the wall. Jason groaned as his already bruised body became riddled with more bruises.
"You better hope that Corinthos gives me what I want" sneered the man as he motioned to the guards to release the Morgan family.
Courtney was thrown to the ground, as was Jason; but luckily, the man had enough decency to gently place baby Meg down. Jason immediately crawled over to Meg and took her in his arms before going over to Courtney and taking her in his arms as well.
"Are you ok?" he asked her, burying his head in her hair.
"I'm fine" she said, one hand flying to her cheek.
"Let me see it" he said, pulling her hand back and staring at the bruise that was beginning to form as anger seared within him over the fact that the terrible man had inflicted such physical pain on his wife.
Jason fingered the bruise and sighed before handing Meg to her and walking into the kitchen to get some ice from the freezer. He sat back down on the floor next to them and tenderly put the ice on Courtney's cheek, holding it where he saw the bruise forming.
"That's it. This has gone too far. I'm not waiting for Sonny anymore. I am getting us out of here today" said Jason as he held his wife and daughter in his arms.
Sonny sighed as he took a deep breath, throwing the file he was handed down hard on the desk, listening as the wooden piece of furniture trembled and rattled. He sat down in the chair and put his head in his hands before getting up to pour himself a drink. He found out just who it was who had his family and he wasn't happy. The man's name was Milo Fredricks. He was an up and coming mobster whose passion was money and nothing else. He didn't believe in family, or love, or having any one of any importance in his life. If it wasn't worth money, he didn't want it. He was ruthless and brutal, and he lived for bloodshed. He was the perfect mobster, and the worst kind of enemy. Sonny knew that his family was in more danger than they could ever imagine. He knew that he needed to get Jason, Courtney, and Meg out of there.
Jason was thinking the same thing as the wheels in his head started turning. He and Courtney had formulated a plan to get them out of there, and while Jason was hesitant of getting Courtney involved, she assured him that he didn't have much of a choice. Now it was time. They couldn't wait for Sonny anymore. It was now or never. Live or die. And Jason wasn't about to let anyone hurt his family anymore.
Courtney's eyes met Jason's and he nodded at her as she raised her fist to the door, knocking loudly.
"You knocked?" called a guard from the outside of the door.
"Ah, yeah. We have a problem. The toilet's clogged" she said.
"Have your husband fix it" the man called back from through the door.
"We don't have a plunger" she stated matter-of-factually.
"Not my problem lady" said the guard.
"Alright fine. But it's really starting to smell, and the stench is spreading. I suspect it'll come out to the hallway soon" she said.
There was no answer and as she and Jason listened they heard the other guards arguing over who was going to fix it while the other ones got to move to less smelly ground. Finally, the guard returned and yelled through the door that he would bring them a plunger. They heard footsteps and then it got quiet. The guards had cleared out of the hallway. Courtney grabbed Meg tightly in her arms, begging the little girl to keep quiet. Jason stood in position by the door, the heavy chair in his hands, raised above his head.
"Who knew bathroom habits would save out lives?" asked Courtney with a grin that her husband returned with a twinkle in his eyes.
Finally, sounds were heard as the guard returned and unlocked the door, about to walk in with the plunger. As soon as the door opened, Jason slammed the chair down on the man's head, knocking him down to the ground. Jason hit him one more time with the chair and the man fell unconscious. Jason dropped the chair and grabbed the guard's keys and gun, motioning to Courtney to follow him. He slipped the keys onto his belt loop and held the gun tightly in his hand, taking Courtney's hand with his other. The two left the room and found themselves in a dull concrete hallway, which was now completely devoid of guards. Following Jason down the hall, Courtney clutched Meg tightly to her, hoping that the little baby she had grown to love so much would not have to see anything that she shouldn't have to.
Jason stopped short as he saw a guard standing in the adjacent hallway that he and Courtney were about to enter. Pressing her against the wall, he raised one finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. Then, he rounded the corner and approached the guard from behind. Courtney covered Meg's eyes and ears just as a loud 'crack' was heard. Jason appeared again and once again retrieved her hand, leading her down the hallway and over the unconscious guard on the floor. They did this for a while, miraculously being caught by no one. Finally, they made it into what they assumed was the main room of the house. Looking past the sparsely furnished room, they saw a heavily guarded front door. Jason pressed Courtney against the wall once again and motioned for her to cover both her eyes and Meg's. Courtney did as he asked and Jason rounded the corner. This time though, a crack wasn't heard. The sound of a gun was. She felt Jason roughly grab her hand and pull her to the front door. They stepped over the four very bloody guards and Jason used the key's he had taken from the guard to unlock the door. They both got a breath of fresh air as they began to run into the dense woods that surrounded the house.
Jason was half pulling her as they continued to run, never pausing once. They could hear Fredricks' guards perusing them as they continued to run. The guards were gaining on them and Jason was beginning to worry. Courtney was getting tired and he wasn't sure how much longer they would be able to hold up. Seeing a big tree with thick leaves, he motioned up. Courtney's eyes grew wide.
"It's the only way" Jason whispered as he took Meg from her arms.
He helped her up the tree and waited as she got adjusted one of the largest branches. He passed Meg up to her and climbed up as well, making it just in time as the guards closed in on them, all very confused as to where their prisoners had disappeared to.
Jason was holding Meg with one hand covering her mouth just in case she let a little gurgle or coo escape. He had his other arm wrapped around Courtney who was also holding on to Meg in fear that the little baby would fall out of the tree and to her death. Finally, the guards dispersed, leaving the Morgan family in silence.
"We need to make a run for it" Jason whispered.
"Is it safe?" Courtney asked.
"Do you trust me?" he asked her with a cocky smile.
"Always" she answered with a smile of her own.
"Alright, good. Here's the plan. You take Meg and just run like hell. Look there" he said pointing past the trees. "It looks like there's a town. That's your goal. Get there and find a phone. Try not to let anyone see you. Call Sonny. He'll know what to do" said Jason.
"And what about you?" she asked as she put one hand on his face.
Jason leaned into her touch as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. He loved her so much, and he couldn't imagine his life without her. Bending down, he planted a kiss on her lips.
"I'm going to have your back. I need to make sure there are no more guards left here. I need to make sure you and Meg have a safe path to that town"
"Jason, I don't like this" she said.
"Don't worry. I'll meet you there" he said. "Just be careful. For both yourself and Meg" he told her.
"Alright, I love you so much" she said as she tried to stop herself from crying.
"I love you too" he said as he kissed her once more.
He checked that the coast was clear as he hopped down from the tree before holding out his arms to help her and Meg.
"Run" he whispered to her as he gave her one last kiss before kissing Meg as well.
She looked at him sadly before doing as he said and running into the woods. Jason pulled out the gun and started walking through the woods to make sure that they had a safe pathway out.
Courtney ran until her legs were crying out from the pain. But she dared not stop.
"Hello Mrs. Morgan" came Milo Fredricks' sick voice as he stared at her, a gun trained at both her and Meg.
"No" Courtney whispered.
"Your little escape act caused us all some trouble" he said. "Where's your husband?"
"He's dead" she said, hoping that Milo would believe her and leave Jason alone.
"I doubt that" he said. "I would have seen the body"
Jason heard the voices and he maneuvered his body through the woods in an attempt to get behind Milo. Milo was taunting his wife, but Jason knew that he had to control his anger at the moment. He needed to just focus on doing it right and getting them out of harms way. Jason aimed him gun and cocked it, ready to shoot the man.
A single shot rang out and Milo turned around just in time to see his man standing behind Jason Morgan, his gun raised and still smoking. Jason crumbled to the ground as the bullet entered his body, moans and groans wracking him
"JASON!" Courtney cried out as she made a beeline towards her husband.
Milo went to grab at her but he was stopped as a bullet pierced his arm. Looking down, he saw Jason lying on the ground, the blood pouring from him, but the gun still raised and pointed at Milo.
"You bastard" said Milo as he kicked Jason in the face and wretched the gun from his hand.
"Run" Jason mouthed to Courtney.
She was frozen. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay there and save her husband. But he wanted her to run and save her life and the life of her baby. Deciding she needed to do what was in Meg's best interests, she ran like the wind, the baby in her arms, never looking back at Jason's nearly lifeless body that lied on the floor of the woods. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but it was what Jason had demanded of her. Now, all she needed to do was get to the town, get to Sonny, and then save Jason's life. That was, if he would last long enough for her to save him.
A/N: What did I do? You're not going to know until I get my over 15 reviews.
And also, keep in mind about this kidnapper guy, things are always more complicated than they seem...