Chapter 2

"Mike would you please she's not going to calm down if you keep yelling." Jason said firmly as he walked away from Mike with his daughter.

"Well I wouldn't calm down either if I had a hitman as a father." Mike screamed as he once again reached for the baby.

"Father?" Sonny said as the commotion stopped and the only thing heard was Katie's screams.Jason and Mike looked up to find Sonny. Neither had noticed him enter the penthouse.

Great now I have more explaining to do then I had hoped for. Jason thought as he turned away from Mike. "Sonny..."

Both Mike and Jason stopped what hey were doing as Sonny walked over to Jason.

"Jason where the hell did you get a baby at?" Sonny asked as he sat on the couch in front of the baby.

Jason sighed. He didn't know how to explain his situation. It would be hard enough to tell them that Katie was his and Courtney's but... added to that was the little fact that Courtney had basically abandoned the baby on his doorstep at 3 am in the morning. "Sonny, Mike this is Katie...she is your granddaughter..." he said toward Mike then toward Sonny, so he could get a better look at her. "And your niece."

"What?" Sonny asked totally confused, as he stared at the screaming child in Jason's arms. "You...How..." he was totally speechless.

Jason sighed and grabbed the letter that Courtney had written him and handed it to Sonny. "Here read it." he then grabbed a pile of pictures and handed them to Mike. "Here" he then walked to the kitchen with Katie and her diaper bag hoping that once he got done tending to Katie that they would both have calmed down and maybe understand so he wouldn't have to explain.

10 minutes later

Jason reentered the living room after changing Katie's diaper. Much to his surprise he found both Mike and Sonny sitting on the couch in total silence looking through the pictures that Courtney had left.

Sonny turned when he heard Jason's footsteps behind him. He had to admit that it was going to take some getting used to. "We need to find her." was all he said before he got up and walked towards him.

"Yea I was planning on it." he said as he looked down at his daughter. She was asleep now and still sucking at the bottle. He was defiantly getting attached to her. He loved her so much already.

"Can I hold her" it was more of a demand than a question. As Jason nodded and handed the baby off his smile widened. He had always been a sucker for kids but the simple prospect of his sister having a child, that he was an uncle, it was just to be truthful... a little exciting. "She's beautiful." he said, his voice barley above a whisper.

"Yea I know." Jason replied looking past Sonny at Mike who was still sitting on the couch looking through the pile of pictures and papers. "Is he Ok?" he asked, nodding toward Mike.

Sonny turned and looked in his father's direction. "Yea he...I don't know he's just a little in shock I guess." he then took the baby and walked towards his father. "Mike." Mike looked up he had tears in his eyes. His heart truly went out to him, it was hard enough knowing that you sister abandoned her baby even after never sharing word of her pregnancy, he couldn't imagine knowing that about his daughter. "Do you wanna hold her."

Mike nodded as Sonny placed the baby in his arms. "She's beautiful" he managed before the tears in his eyes broke lose.

Sonny and Jason went back in the kitchen and left Mike and Katie alone for a second. "There's something wrong I know Courtney wouldn't just leave her child like this." Sonny started.

"I know I just...I don't know what to do, obviously something is wrong for her to believe that she can't take care of her own child anymore, but at the same time when or if we find her, I don't wanna see her do something she'll regret or something drastic that would hurt herself or Katie." Jason sighed he was confused and it wasn't helping any that now he had Katie that had just as suddenly had she came, she had wormed her way deep inside his heart.

"I get what you saying...believe me I understand but still it's not safe for her to be out there by herself...we have enemies who would do anything to get their hands on her...my guess would be she has no more and that might have led up to this drastic decision. I mean if we leave her and let her be hoping that she'll come back... we might as well through her to the sharks." Sonny finished knowing he had gotten his point across. "Listen I got to go I'll stop by later."

"Yea" Jason said as Sonny left. He pulled himself up to sitting on the counter. Just yesterday he had no responsibility, or family. All he had was his job. Now he had a daughter and was a single father.

Jason grabbed the diaper and the carrier and rode the elevator down to his black Dodge Durango. After carefully strapping Katie in he got in and drove to off.

Courtney sat in her car parked outside the lift. She had tears streaming down her face. She hated herself. Already she was missing Katie. "It's for the best." She told herself once again. Then she saw Jason drive by in his black Dodge Durango. She decided to follow him just to see how he and Katie were holding up. Making sure to stay just close enough but still far enough back. As Jason pulled into a parking spot and headed for the back doors she quickly pulled into a parking spot on the opposite side of the road. She watched as he proceeded to take the carrier and the diaper bag out of the back. She let out a small laugh at the sight of big bad Jason Morgan in his leather coat holding a baby carrier with a diaper bag slung over his shoulder. She had to admit it was going to be the talk of the town for a while. Unfortunately her moment of contentment ended as she saw Elizabeth approach Jason and start playing with Katie. She found it slightly amusing when Katie started to cry. It took all the self control in her to not run up and push Elizabeth away from her daughter. But it wasn't her family anymore she had just given them up. She started up her car and drove off as tears started to rack through her body again. She needed to get away. So she was going back. When she drove by the 'Welcome to Atlantic City' sign she had no idea what her future held.

Jason tried for the third time to get away from Elizabeth because she was scaring Katie with her baby talk, and to be truthful she was scaring him to. "Liz really I got to go." he said as politely as he could.

"Ok well I'll see you guys later.' she said as she stood up and put her hand on his chest "and I meant It when I told you to call me if you ever need any help with her."

"Uh yea thanks" he said quickly as he made his way further into the department store. When he approached the woman at the counter he politely asked her if Emily was working. She smiled courteously and told him that she was back in the baby section. He thanked her and headed back..

"Yes ma'am we do have theese blankets in green but I highly suggest buying this one..." she picked up a different blanket and showed the lady "because it's cheaper and more durable." Emily explained to the older woman.

"Ok thank you very much" the woman said before taking the second blanket.

"Excuse me Ms. But do you offer babysitting services?" Jason asked in a very deep voice.

"Excuse me" she asked confused as she whipped around "Jase" she squealed as she gave him a hug "how are you..." she asked as Katie started to cry again. "And who is this?" she asked as she knelt down to the screaming baby.

"I'm good ...and...this...is..." he unbuckled Katie and picked her up out of the carrier . "Your niece Katie Marie Morgan." he smiled as he handed his baby sister his baby girl.

She look up at him her eyes wide with confusion. "My niece?" she asked taken aback as far as she knew brother didn't even have a girlfriend and she didn't know how else he would have just oh so suddenly become a father. "Jase...correct me if I'm wrong but...when I talked to you yesterday...I wasn't an aunt."

He laughed "well technically you were but we didn't know." when he received another blank look he decided to elaborate on that statement "well apparently when I broke up with Courtney she was two months pregnant...seven months later here she is."

"Wait Courtney...as in Sonny's sister...as in the one you still love and have been moping around here depressed forever."

"Yea that would be the one."he said slightly embarrassed.

"Oh wow...so where is she and when do I get to meet her?" she asked as she lightly bounced Katie who was starting to settle down.

"Here" he said handing her a bottle "I don't know where she is...Katie...umm well at 3 am this morning she left Katie on my doorstep with a diaper bag and a note basically...basically the note said that she loved me and Katie but she couldn't take care of or be what either of us needed her to be."

"Oh my gosh. How could any she leave something this cute..."she said more Katie than to Jason. "Jase I don't mean to be a doubting Thomas here or anything but honestly how do you know she's yours...I mean I'm sure she's totally trustworthy and all but..."

"Em" he sighed putting his hands on his hips. "What does it matter? I mean really I could go and have a paternity test done , but what good would it do...if it comes up negative am I supposed to just hand her over to an adoption agency or foster care...I mean honestly, mine or not, Courtney left her with me for a reason she obviously trust me." he paused catching his breath from his rant. "What if I did...give her up...how am I ...if Courtney came back looking for her...how would I explain to her I gave her daughter away?"

"Your right...your absolutely right Jase and I'm sorry I didn't think of it that way." she apologized. "Besides she's got your eyes." she laughed

"Really you think so?" he asked curiously as he moved closer to see. "Yea, yea she does." he smiled "we'll we better get going got a few more stops to make." he said as he put Katie back in her carrier and fastened the restraints.

As he started to walk away Emily giggled "hey Jase" he turned back to see Emily waving the bottle in the air "forgetting something"

he shook his head in defeat "yea...remeber I'm new at this."

She laughed "right...oh and by the way those babysitting services are free" she smiled

"Thanks Em, Bye" as he left.

It had defiantly been a few years. She couldn't help but wonder why she had come back. There is nothing here for her. But home is home. Well at least I know that I can get a job and a place to stay here. She thought as she entered the casino. Looking around she noticed that it hadn't changed much in the past three years.

"Courtney?"

She jumped as she turned to see Jackson. Jackson was one of the many body guards for the casino. He was also one of her many well mentors when she was growing up. Since her mother was always off working or getting drunk she often befriended the other workers in the casino. "Jackson" she squealed.

"Hey what have you been up to short stop." he asked half joking as he hugged her tightly.

She sighed Jackson was like a father figure when she was growing up. His body guard appearance intimidated most of the guys who followed her around in highschool. "Not to much" Except I've been married , stripped, stalked, divorced, dated my ex husbands brother, gotten pregnant, had a baby, and abandoned her. She smiled "What have you been doing."

"Oh you know a little of this a little of that." he smiled warmly. "What brings you back to good ole' Atlantic City? I thought for sure once you got out you'd stay as far away as possible.."

"Yea well I guess I just missed you to much to stay away any longer." she laughed "Can you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Sure what ever you need short stop." he smiled. He laughed she was the closest thing to a daughter he had and he genuinely loved her as if she were his daughter.

"I need a job and a place to stay." she said as she drew back just a little more for a dramatic effect than anything.

"Well you certainly beat around the bush don't ya." he laughed as she smiled "Well you still remember how to deal blackjack, I hope"

"Of course." she smiled "I learned from the best didn't I."

He laughed "well I don't mean to brag but you most certainly did. I happen to know there's an opening for a blackjack dealer. And as for a place to stay I have an extra room."

She squealed. "Thank you thank you thank you." she said as she jumped into his arms and pulled him into a tight hug.