Author's note: So I don't usually do this, but I'm going to take the time here to shout-out to everyone who has reviewed this. First of all, you all rock, plain and simple. Journey reviewers are the best, it's true…we're all very detailed and fun and so much more than just "update soon!" I'm having so much fun writing Jason in this story and I really do thank you all for having such an open mind when reading it! And while everyone is awesome with their reviews, I have to single out Suzie, Emmalee, and Asia… sure we all tend to ramble once in awhile, but you girls continuously make me smile with your comments and observations, and honestly, each of you are responsible for some of the things that will be happening in the next few chapters… And Asia? Thank youso muchfor putting up with random questions at 2 am such as "What would Faith drink at the bar?" So once again, thank you and happy reading!
This is the obligatory filler chapter… but it's only chapter four you say! Well, I needed a few key things included in here but everything else is filler…trust me, by the sixth chapter things will really take off and everything up until then will be worth the read.
Courtney shivered as she rang the doorbell for the third time. "Come on Carly," she muttered as she shifted from one foot to the other, wishing she had grabbed a coat on her way out into the cool autumn night. Of course, she hadn't planned on visiting Carly at almost two in the morning so it was a miracle in itself she had changed from her pajamas into jeans and a sweater before leaving her own apartment. She raised her hand to ring the doorbell another time when the door swung open and Carly appeared in the doorway with an annoyed look on her face.
"Okay, you know, I love you and all, but pounding on my door in the middle of the night is not one of my favorite things you've done," she griped as she let Courtney in. "Especially since, you know, mobsters are after us and I hear they like to attack in the middle of the night. Which brings me to my next question, what the hell are you doing here?"
Courtney dropped down onto Carly's couch and waited for her to do the same. "I can't take it anymore Carly, he's stalking me and why would he do that unless he knew something and I think it's time we went to the police. We should have gone to the police in the first place."
"And she says it all in one breath." Carly looked impressed for a moment before standing back up and heading into the kitchen. She came back with two glasses and a bottle of vodka and Courtney rolled her eyes at both.
"I don't need a drink Carly, I need my life back! Aren't you tired of this? Aren't you tired of looking over your shoulder at every sound and thinking every day could be the last one you're alive because they could finally figure out we're the ones who killed Bobby." Courtney knew her words didn't matter, Carly was only going to shrug them off and that was another reason she had shown up here tonight. She needed to force Carly to accept her role in this because she didn't know how much more she could handle by herself.
Although she knew better, she truly felt like she was in this alone. AJ was too busy forcing himself to believe that everything was going to be okay to believe her when she told him Jason knew more than he was saying and Carly as always, was off in her own little world, pretending that nothing had happened in the first place. A few more days and Courtney was sure Carly would actually believe nothing was wrong at all.
They were allowed to believe in their fantasies though, because they weren't the ones being sought after, no. Clearly, Courtney was Jason's favorite and he had no trouble admitting it.
That's why she was here at Carly's so late at night and it's why she grudgingly took the liquor-filled glass Carly handed her.
"What happened?" Carly asked, rearranging herself on the couch again. "I take it this has to do with Jason?" She shook her head. "Of course it does, he's all you ever want to talk about anymore."
Courtney stared at her for a moment. "You're kidding right? Carly, the man is here to kill us. He doesn't know it's us he's supposed to kill, but that's what's going to happen, and he's getting closer to the truth."
"And you know this how?"
"He asked me if Bobby ever harassed you or me," she said. "He's asking about the details of him working at the Cellar and why you fired him." She drew her legs up underneath her. "I swear he thinks I know something, he won't leave me alone. He's waiting for me after classes, he's always sitting at my table at the Cellar, I see him everywhere Carly!"
"Sounds like Mr. Mobster has a crush on you."
"Damn it Carly, can you be serious for just one minute here?" Courtney slammed her glass down on the coffee table and glared at her friend. "Jason is this close to knowing we're responsible and I want to go to the police."
"You're crazy! What are the police going to do? They'll charge us with murder and then we'll still be killed anyway." Carly shook her head. "No, absolutely no police, they can't help us. They're not even investigating this case because they're afraid to get in Adella Corinthos' way."
"They can protect us," Courtney argued.
"How? Witness protection?" Carly rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but I think I'd rather take my chances here then end up being Elsie Johnson of Hicktown, Montana. Trust me, the cops can't help us."
"Well we need to do something." Courtney sighed. "I can't take this anymore. I'm scared Carly, and I'm afraid I'm going to say something to Jason that's going to tip him off."
"Then don't let yourself be alone with him Courtney," Carly said logically. "We'll just make sure that it's never just the two of you, AJ should be happy with that. Where is AJ anyway? Why aren't you at his house in the middle of the night?"
"AJ's out of town for the night again," she replied. "He'll be back in the morning. And Carly, I'd love to never have to be alone with Jason again but you don't get it! He knows where I am at all times, he's seriously stalking me."
"I still think he likes you," Carly muttered under her breath. She smiled brightly as Courtney glared at her. "I've got it," she said with a snap of her fingers. "You'll move in here!"
Courtney nearly spit out her drink. "Move in?" she repeated weakly.
"Yes, I don't know why we didn't think of this before, Courtney, if you live with me, then you won't have to worry about Jason coming to see you at your place and we can make sure each other is safe. If we're together all of the time, then neither of us can slip up. This is perfect." Carly smiled satisfactorily as she raised her glass to Courtney. "We'll move you in tomorrow Roomy!"
Courtney attempted to smile as she clinked her glass against Carly's and weakly repeated "Roomy" to her.
In some twisted way it did make sense. They were safer if they were together. On the other hand, they would be together. All the time. And Courtney wasn't sure if their friendship could handle that. She finished the rest of her drink, ignoring the burn as it slid down her throat and smiled again at her new roommate.
So much for constant togetherness. It had only been six days since Courtney had moved in with Carly and she had already grown tired of Carly dragging her everywhere she went or having Carly follow her all over town as well so Courtney had politely told her that she was going to spend some time with her dad at Kelly's and then have him give her a ride home so she wouldn't need Carly to go with her. Carly had happily obliged, saying she had a date anyway.
It was late as she left the diner, telling her dad that she was going to walk back to Carly's instead. It wasn't that far, she reasoned, and in the past few days she had barely seen Jason so she felt safe enough to make the three block trek on her own. The nights were getting cooler as October progressed and Courtney zipped up her coat to ward off the chilly wind. She walked a few steps in the direction of Carly's apartment but remembered she needed to grab a book from her own place so she quickly reversed and headed towards her loft, deciding to take the shortcut across the docks to get there quicker.
She recognized him by the leather jacket before she even heard his voice. Perfect. Of course Jason was on the docks at the exact moment she was. He wasn't alone and he hadn't seen her yet so she stayed where she was on the landing and waited for him to move along. As she stood there she couldn't help but listen in on the conversation below.
"Mrs. Corinthos says you haven't complied with the stipulations of the agreement." Jason circled around the older man and finally came to rest in front of him. "Do you have an explanation?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Morgan, I need a little more time. A few days, a week at the most." Jason was blocking her view of the man but Courtney could tell by the sound of his voice that he was scared. "I promise, by Wednesday I can have the entire debt paid off."
"That's what you said last week. And the week before that, and the week before that." He paused and Courtney poked her head around the corner to look. She was surprised to see the flash of silver as Jason pulled a gun out of his pocket. "It is the order of Adella herself that you make the payment in full tonight or pay with your life, but Sonny Corinthos has stepped in and given you a final extension." She watched in horror as Jason brought the butt of the gun down across the man's head and followed quickly with a punch to the stomach. "Consider this your last reprieve. Sunday night, you're to meet Mr. Corinthos at the Church of Angels and repay him your full debt." He hit him again. "This is your last warning. Get out of here." He pulled the man up to his feet and pushed him down the docks, watching as he staggered away.
Courtney closed her eyes and pressed herself deeper against the brick wall. She had known from the beginning that Jason was an integral part of the Corinthos organization but to see it up close and in person was something she hadn't been prepared for. She held her breath, listening as Jason made a phone call to Sonny and waited for him to leave so she could continue on her way. She accidentally dropped her purse and winced at the dull thud. She stood frozen in her spot, praying he hadn't heard.
He did hear however and turned towards the landing. "Who's there?" he asked harshly as he walked closer. Courtney cringed and weighed her options though she quickly realized it didn't matter if she showed herself or not because he would find her if she didn't. She took a deep breath and stepped out under the streetlamp.
"It's just me," she said softly. She watched as Jason's face softened slightly before hardening again. "Sorry, I was just on my way to the loft," she stammered.
He stared at her for a moment and then beckoned for her to join him on the dock. She wrapped her arms around her waist and walked over to him. They stood there awkwardly for a minute and Courtney had no idea what to say. Was she supposed to bring up what she overheard or was she supposed to pretend she hadn't heard it at all?
"Well come on," Jason said with a jerk of his head. "Let's get you home."
"I'm fine, really," she protested. "It's just a few blocks, you don't have to walk me."
"Sure I do. You shouldn't be out here by yourself. The docks are dangerous at night," he added dryly.
She raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing as they began walking. After a few minutes of silence she finally spoke. "Busy night?"
He shrugged. "Slow actually." He looked at her sideways. "How much did you see?"
"Enough to get me in trouble I'm sure," she answered honestly.
"Forget you saw anything and I'll do the same." She didn't like the way he was speaking to her, it was almost as though he was instructing her on what to do and she wouldn't like the ramifications if she didn't listen.
"So I haven't seen you in a few days," she said conversationally. Anything to change the subject.
"Just because you haven't seen me doesn't mean I'm not around," he replied. "So the move-in with Carly, what's that about?"
His words chilled her. She hadn't spoken to him since she had moved but somehow he still knew. "So what, are you stalking me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.
"Not at all, I just like to know where people are at all times." He winked at her. "So you noticed you hadn't seen me in awhile, could it be you were missing me?"
"No," she scoffed. They reached her building finally and she couldn't have been happier. "Okay, thanks for walking me here," she said, turning to face him. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon enough."
"Count on it." He nodded at her. "Tell Carly I said hi." He turned and walked away, whistling softly.
"Jason?" she called after him. He turned and looked at her and she hesitated before speaking again. "About earlier…"
He nodded again. "I meant what I said Courtney, forget you saw anything." He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away, leaving his words to hang over Courtney as she watched him disappear around the corner.
"You're serious? He actually pistol-whipped the guy?" Carly leaned back against the couch cushions and shook her head. It was the following night and Courtney was finally filling her in on what had happened on the docks. "That's crazy, I bet he looked hot doing it."
"Carly!"
"Okay okay, it is pretty scary," Carly relented. "I mean, we knew he killed people for a living so he probably beats up quite a few too. I don't know what I would have done if I had seen him do that. What did you do?"
"Nothing, I tried to hide and he wouldn't have known I was even there if I wasn't such a klutz and dropped my purse." Courtney closed her eyes and leaned her own head back. "The scariest part was how unaffected he was by it. I mean, he basically beat the crap out of that guy and then shrugged it off."
"I wonder what the guy did," Carly mused.
"No clue, but he obviously owed the Corinthos family money." Courtney shuddered. Now that she knew how they dealt with monetary debts, she had no desire to see how they would deal with anything more extreme than that, especially since she was sure there were probably countless debts owed to the family that were repaid daily in whatever form they saw fit.
"This is crazy," Carly repeated. "We've got to stay on our toes Court, there's no way I want to be on the receiving end of a Jason Morgan meeting on the docks." Both girls looked up as the front door opened slightly and AJ walked in. Carly threw a pillow at him, hitting him square in the chest. "Jesus AJ, announce yourself next time!"
"Sorry," he apologized. "You two look a little tense, is everything okay?" He leaned down and kissed Courtney's cheek before sitting across from the two of them.
"You mean besides the fact we're unknowingly wanted by the mob and Courtney witnessed a Jason Morgan smack down last night?" Carly rolled her eyes. "We're just peachy AJ, absolutely dandy."
"Oh now you're worried?" he shot back. "Funny, because all I've seen you do is make jokes about this entire thing."
"And you leave town all the time," she said snidely. "Hiding much?"
"Both of you stop!" Courtney threw her hands up in the air and sighed. "We can't be fighting with each other," she said. "We need to stick together now and all three of us need to focus on staying on Jason's good side for now." She looked down at her lap as she spoke. "I don't think he's going to be in town much longer anyways, he doesn't seem to be making much progress in this which is great news for us."
"I don't like that you're so close with him Courtney," AJ frowned.
"I'm not," she assured him quickly. "Before tonight I hadn't seen him all week. It's okay, really."
"Well I still want you to stay away from him. Carly's right, neither of you should be alone with him at any point, okay?"
"I promise." Courtney blew a kiss in his direction and smiled at him. Carly agreed as well and the three of them decided to order in pizza rather than go back out again.
As Carly and AJ were arguing over toppings Courtney's cell phone rang from within her pocket and she pulled it out and turned her back to her friends. Unavailable ID. She bit the inside of her cheek and hesitated before answering it. "Hello?"
"Courtney." She was shocked to hear Jason's voice on the other end. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"
"No…" her voice trailed off as she turned back to Carly and AJ who were still arguing and oblivious to her. She walked into the adjacent room and shut the door. "How did you get this number?"
"Easily. Are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Change your plans. I need to see you."
"Jason, it's late. Can't we meet tomorrow?" Her heart was beating so hard she was sure it was about to fly out of her chest.
"I didn't realize ten was late to you. Very well. Tomorrow afternoon after your Psych class." Her skin prickled as he once again revealed how well he knew her schedule. "Meet me at the Pizza Shack at five. Is that out in the open and public enough for you?" She hated how he seemed to read her mind. She also hated how his question wasn't even really a question but more of a demand.
"Five at the Pizza Shack, got it," she said stonily.
"It's a date. Oh and Courtney? Just you, okay? This is really important." He hung up before she could answer and she stared at the phone in her hands for a few seconds before she finally hung it up and took a few breaths to compose herself. She slid the phone back into her pocket and headed back out into the living room with a fake smile plastered on her face.