A/N: It is 1:00 am and I am writing this, so it may not be posted tonight (or this morning really) if my parents come down and yell at me to go to bed and I don't have time to finish. But I got my 15 reviews and I had my b-day party tonight, and I am in such a good mood that I wanted to post.
Now, I am not thrilled with this chapter, but I did what needs to be done. I tried to do it all jumpy-like like they do on the show sometimes. It's served its purpose, and I promise you that later chapters will be much better. So please at least lie to me in the reviews.
And remember, for this story Baldwin and Taggert are still around. Just 'cause I miss them. I know, that sounds weird. But I loved to hate them.
Woops, I heard someone coming, but it was just my sister. She's home from fall break and she came down to say goodnight. Alright, enough of the play by play, I know you all really don't care, lol.
Oh, and sorry to dissapoint, but Meg's mother is an OC, although you all suggested some great ideas of who could be her mother.
Seth Cohen's girlfriend- Thank god you had everything written down at least. I would have died if you lost that story! I love it, and I can't wait until you update it.
caseybutler70- Glad you like it, thanks for reviewing!
SuzieQ8487- I am so glad I was able to shock you! And I am also glad you had so many great quotes from the chapter, lol. Thanks for catching up with the reviews, I'm happy you took the time to review both chapters, not just the new one.
Pureevil230- Thanks for reviewing, I hope this update is quick enough for you!
lec- You reviewed chapter 12, but I decided to thank you anyway, lol. I love when I get people emotional enough to cry, lol.
luvthemorgans- And she still has typos, lol! And don't make fun, I almost always proofread my reviews. They are just as important as the actual update. And I thought that story was funny, I literally laughed out loud, and a lot.
emmalee05- linner should be a word, I certainly use it enough. And get made fun of because I use it, just like Courtney. See, we relate, lol.
Serena- I loved your AJ comment, it was so funny. And I'm glad you like my stories. I think you're the only one who read both Unexplainable Love and this one, so if I steal lines from the other, pretend like I didn't, 'cause you're the only one who would know, lol.
britchic- I have no idea what happened with your reviews. So, I am thanking you for reviewing, and saying congratulations and/or good luck on the football/coach thing, but I'm not sure if that's right. So confused!
middiegurl08- Here's my confession. I hate soaps. I think they are so stupid and ridiculous. But for some reason, I am drawn to GH. I can't even explain it, 'cause it's not that good anymore. But I fell in love with Jason when I first started watching which was during the "Sonny says no to Journey" phase. And even though I took an extended break from the show, I couldn't keep away, and I came back a full blown fan. So, I try to write my stories as soap-less as possible. I know, I'm weird.
kaleymc- I thought someone needed to hit Lucky, and Jason always gets to hit everyone, so it was Courtney's turn, lol.
LoLogirl28- Lucky did deserve to get hit, I agree. And as for AJ, he's a big big big jerk, but we all knew that already, didn't we.
anon14- As the angst queen, I must answer your question with a resounding "no". Courtney and Jason will never catch a break in my stories. I just love to torture them.
samantha- Glad I'm able to keep you in suspense and interested!
Nell- Yes, I am only sixteen. But I'm glad you thought I was older, lol. I'm really short and baby faced (and not to mention basically flat chested), so everyone thinks I'm eleven or twelve all the time, and it gets really annoying. At least in fanfiction I can seem 16 or older.
Starlet- Yes, it was a very convienient time for Meg's mom to reappear in the picture. But that was on purpose, and not only by me. You'll see what I mean when you read the chapter. Things are never as black and white as they seem.
Chapter 14- The Custody Battle
It had been a week and a half since Meg's mother had returned and claimed her baby. But Courtney and Jason weren't giving up. On the basis that Paula Richards, Meg's mother, had abandoned her, and that Courtney and Jason were her foster parents for as long as they were, the two took her to court, hoping to win the custody battle against her. There was no way that they were just going to surrender their baby. They had seen Meg only once since she was taken away from them, not for lack of trying. Paula was holding her, but that didn't stop Meg from crying out and reaching for the two of them. She just kept saying 'Ma' and 'Da' over and over again, breaking the Morgans' hearts. Paula had looked uncomfortable, but not in the least tired or worn. In fact, she looked like a new person from the pictures they had seen of her. She had a new haircut, new clothes, and what could only be described as a new and fake attitude. Automatically, Jason and Courtney knew what had brought on such a drastic change. Two letters- A and J.
The day of the custody battle had finally begun. All three parents in question had undergone evaluations. Dr. Winters had questioned them all, and now it was up to a judge to review her evaluations, review testimonies, and make a ruling.
Courtney and Jason arrived at the courthouse twenty minutes early with Carly and Sonny. The Corinthos' attempted to keep Jason and Courtney calm, but the two were obviously on edge. Courtney kept fidgeting with her hair and Jason was playing with his wedding ring.
"Come on, you two need to keep it together" said Carly.
"It's in the bag. You will get custody of Meg. You have Justus on your side. He has gotten us both out of more tough spots than we can count. If anyone can do this, he can. Plus, there are two of you" said Sonny.
"Once again math saves the day" said Courtney bitterly.
"You know what I mean" said Sonny as he scowled at her. "You two provide a stable home. A mother and a father. You've never abandoned her before, and you were the best parents she has ever had in her whole entire life. You two are shoo-ins for this"
"Sonny, the courts aren't about to take a child away from her biological mother. Especially if that mother is now rolling in the dough and is completely together, which Paula is apparently now" said Jason
"Yeah, thanks to the Quartermaine fortune" scoffed Carly
"We are not going to let AJ get away with this. Don't worry, you two will get your baby back" said Sonny as he walked away to go talk to Justus.
"I'm going with him" said Jason as he followed Sonny.
"If it helps, Justus is sleeping with Dr. Winters" whispered Carly in Courtney's ear, causing Courtney to let out a little giggle.
"Has it been confirmed?" Courtney asked with one eyebrow raised.
"Gossip meter says…" said Carly as she looked over at Dr. Winters who was giggling a little as Justus made eye contact with her, "…hell yes"
Paula finally walked into the room, hardly minutes before the hearing was scheduled to begin.
"How's Meg?" asked Courtney as she immediately stormed over to her.
"She's fine. She's with a nanny. Not like its any of your concern. The judge isn't even here yet, you don't have to play the part of concerned mommy yet Blondie, you can save it" sneered Paula.
"Unlike some people, I don't use children as pawns, and I'm not playing. I am actually concerned about that little girl, while it's obvious that you aren't" hissed Courtney.
"Don't waste your breath" said Jason as he gently pulled Courtney back from Paula. "She's not worth it"
"How do you live with yourself?" asked Courtney to Paula as she ignored Jason. "You know that you are depriving your daughter of having a good, stable life. How do you sleep at night?"
"Easily. My bed's covered in Egyptian cotton sheets" said Paula with a laugh as she took her seat next to her equally impressive lawyer, a man named Walter Green.
"That woman is insufferable" said Carly as everyone filed into their seats.
"That woman is going to destroy the life of her child" said Sonny as he and Courtney sat down.
The first witness up on the stands was Dr. Winters, ready to give her full accounts and deductions from the evaluations. She started with Paula.
"Ms. Richards admitted that she suffered from a minor and temporary mental lapse, which was the reasoning for abandoning her baby in the first place. But, after evaluation, I can determine that she seems to have regained her composure completely. Of course, she is subject to having another lapse, and this is something that would have to be monitored. She is the baby's biological mother, so she does have an attachment with the girl that no other woman in the world can have. But Mrs. Morgan is an extremely fit parent as well. She had no problems in her evaluation that would deter me from putting a child in her custody. Mr. Morgan however, was a different story. I have seen that he is susceptible to angry, sometimes violent outbursts, although they have to be strongly provoked, and from what I can tell, he would never lay a hand on an innocent party such as a child…"
Dr. Winters continued on, discussing the benefits and negatives of each parent. It was almost too much for Courtney to bear. She couldn't believe that her daughter was what was at stake here. She wasn't sure if she wanted to believe it.
Finally, it was time for other witnesses to come up and tell their side of the stories.
"Mrs. Corinthos, in your opinion, how did Courtney and Jason make Meg comfortable in her surroundings?" asked Justus.
"Courtney and Jason bought her things of course. But it wasn't just that. It was obvious that she was scared and uncertain in her new surroundings, and Courtney and Jason just had a way of calming down. They knew how to hold her, and how to comfort her and her tears. They love her, and she loves them. It seemed that she had been deprived of attention before Court and Jase got her. It was as though no one ever really held her or sang to her until the two of them came around"
"Dr. Quartermaine, how do you feel that your son handled fatherhood?" asked Justus to Monica.
"Oh, Jason is a great father. He just has a way with kids. He raised my grandson Michael for the first year of his life and I had never seen a happier child than that little boy. He always knows how to take care of children. Meg included. Meg just loves him. He always knew what she needed, whether it was her diaper changed, a bottle, or just to be held and loved. And he always gave it to her" said Monica.
"What happened when you and your daughter found Meg Mr. Corbin?" asked Justus.
"I didn't know what to do at first. But Courtney, she kinda just snapped into action once she got over the initial shock. She took her to the police station, hoping they could do something to find her mother."
"And then what happened at the police station officer Spencer?" asked Justus.
"I told her that she needed to surrender Meg to the PCPD until we could find her mother. But Courtney knew, from her foundation, that she would be bounced around and what not, and she wouldn't get a stable life until her mother was found, and maybe not even then. So she begged me to let her take her home with her. And I agreed, and I later got permission from Mac, although it wasn't outright"
"And what made you think Courtney would be a fit mother?"
"She's just so good with kids. I've seen her with her nephews, and I've seen her down at the station doing work for her foundation. Kids are her passion, and she knows how to take care of them. She just wants to help them, and her love for this one was obvious. If you ask me, there is no parent better fit to raise Meg than Courtney"
"And what about Jason?" asked Justus.
"He's a great Dad. And he obviously loves Meg. He deserves to get her back" said Lucky truthfully as he looked straight into Courtney and Jason's eyes.
"Thank you" Courtney mouthed at Lucky who gave her a half smile in return.
The court adjourned for a break before Walter Green began his proceedings.
"Lucky!" called Courtney as she found him in the courtroom.
"Hey Courtney" said Lucky wearily as he turned around.
"Why'd you say what you said?" she asked him.
"Because, it was the truth. After meeting this Paula woman, I know that you and Jason are the best parents for Meg. Look, I was scared for her when she was kidnapped. No innocent child should have to go through that. But I can see now that you would never let anything happen to her. I can see that you are the best options for parents for her. No one else. Just you and Jason. I want to make amends for what happened. For what I did. I can't help but feel like this all my fault" said Lucky.
"Probably because it is" said Jason as he walked up behind Courtney.
"Jason! It is not your fault Lucky. Either way, Paula would have showed up and claimed custody. You're helping us really by testifying in our favor. We really appreciate it" Courtney told him.
"If there's anything else I can do…" started Lucky.
"Thanks, we think we're ok" said Jason tersely as Lucky nodded and walked away.
"Be nice" Courtney warned.
"I am being nice" said Jason as Courtney walked away, shaking her head as she did. "What?" he called after her as she attempted to hide the smile that was on her face from him. "See, you're not mad" said Jason with a cocky grin as he followed her back to their seats.
"Dr. Quartermaine, what reasons do you have to believe that Meg is not safe with Mr. and Mrs. Morgan and would be better off with her biological mother?" asked Walter.
"Jason is a known criminal. He is Sonny Corinthos' hit man, and his danger touches everyone. It has hurt his wife and other members of his family so many times, that I can't even list the occasions on my fingers. He can't protect this child, he can only hurt her. No one in their right mind should give him a baby. And as for his wife, she's hardly any better. She's flighty. She sees something better than what she has and she goes for it. There's no telling how long this sham of a marriage will last" said Allen haughtily.
"What a bastard" whispered Carly to Sonny as she looked over at Courtney and Jason who were both sitting there, holding hands, and throwing daggers at Allen with their eyes.
"Mr. Quartermaine, what happened that day in the park? The first day that you met Meg?"
"I was just enjoying the nice weather when my criminal brother spotted me and accused me of getting too close to his wife and Meg. I had no intentions of bothering them, and Jason just jumped on my back about it. He threatened to kill me if I came near either of them ever again. He grabbed me by the neck and then he eventually released me, and I just got out of there as quickly as possible" said AJ.
"So you would say you're brother is prone to violent outbursts?" asked Walter.
"Definitely. He has attacked me numerous times. See, he was in an accident a few years back. It messed with his head. He doesn't handle emotions correctly. He just uses violence. He's damaged your honor, and I worry about the safety of that little girl" said AJ as he looked up at the judge.
"Objection!" said Justus as he jumped up. "That day in the park did not happen in the way that Mr.Quatermaine believes it did, nor would my client ever hurt that little girl!"
"Mr. Ward, sit down" ordered the judge as he eyes narrowed.
"DA Baldwin, tell us about Jason Morgan" said Walter Green.
"Mr. Morgan has a history of being dragged into the PCPD. Assault, murder, attempted murder, it's all there. He is a violent man, who kills people for a living. Of course, none of the charges ever stick. Sonny Corinthos always finds a way to bail him out"
"Detective Taggert, how do you feel about Mr. Morgan as a parent?" asked Walter.
"As an officer of the law, I must say that it scares me. Morgan is violent, dangerous man. For an innocent baby to be under his care is frightening. His crimes have shaken Port Charles for years. Giving him custody of a child is the worst thing a person could possibly do"
"So what now?" asked Courtney.
"Now we wait. The judge should have a verdict soon" said Jason as he took her hand in his.
"What if Paula wins? She can't get custody Jase! Meg won't be safe or happy" said Courtney.
"We will figure this out" said Jason. "We won't let our daughter suffer. We will find a way to make sure she gets everything she needs"
"Courtney, Jason. The judge has reached a verdict" said Justus as he stepped outside to find them.
"Here we go" said Courtney.
"Here we go" repeated Jason as they both took deep breaths and walked back in.
A/N: As I am sure you can all tell by the time that this being posted, I did not get to post it before I went to bed. I was too tired. I stopped in the middle and went to sleep. So, I posted it as soon as I woke up, which was now. Cut me some slack, I'm a teenager, we sleep late. Especially when we go to bed at 1:30 in the morning.
As I'm sure you can all tell, I gave Lucky a chance to redeem himself. I think he handled it rather well. So we can all stop hating the guy now.
I'm going for 15 reviews again, I know you can all do it!