Samsonlove- You don't have to worry about not reviewing, school is important, I get this. Plus, it's easy for me to write a story, since I'm invested in what I'm writing instead of being forced to write it like you were with the paper. You know, the more 'canon' tag for Jason and Sam is Jasam, but, more power to you. You're right, Courtney has been placed through the character assassination machine. Worry not, my story will keep the integrity of Courtney Matthews Morgan instead of forcing her into some horrible version that doesn't even remind people of the character that she once was. I'm glad that you're enjoying, since you're also the only one reviewing. It makes me sad.

Story-

Morgan Household-

Courtney walked through the house, picking up things that were left here and there. True, she could have just as easily hired a maid to do everything that she needed, but Courtney hated to be the type of person who couldn't depend on herself. She had done it for such a long time, ever since she could remember. Like her big brother, Courtney didn't have an ideal childhood. Like Sonny, Courtney found herself in a mess because of the fact that her father was not anywhere when she needed him to be around. Unlike Sonny, however, Courtney didn't allow it to make her incredibly bitter. Yes, she wished that she had her father around when she needed him, but she also understood that it was in the past, and, while it hurt, she couldn't focus on it. Sonny did, and because of that focus Courtney knew that Sonny and Mike would never really be close. They could be together without trying to kill each other, they might even share a hug, but they would never have the relationship that most father's had with their sons, and vice-versa.

Besides, cleaning up around the house gave Courtney Morgan something that she could do. Being the wife of Jason meant that she didn't need to work anymore. Courtney, on some level, enjoyed that, enjoyed knowing that she no longer had to worry about living from paycheck to paycheck, where she could actually have things that she would see the rich people who ran around Atlantic City wearing, and she wouldn't have to buy some cheap knockoff. The little girl who wanted nothing more than a beautiful diamond necklace had that, and everything else that she could ever dream for, but, in the end, Courtney found that the things that she had brought her a feeling of complete emptiness. It was good at one moment, but at the next she realized that it was pointless and stupid. Who cared how much jewelry she had? It didn't matter to her. Shiny wasn't all that great. The people around her… they were what made her life special.

The woman picked up a textbook from the couch. Dillon had left it during the night. She smiled as she looked inside, seeing the little messages that he wrote to someone, presumably Georgie. His book was littered with things like that. She remembered doing the same thing for the people that she thought she cared about. Remembered writing her name each time she thought she had found 'the one,' in her notebook. Courtney Andrews, Courtney Myers, Courtney Green. None of them felt nearly as important to her as Courtney Morgan. But that was because she hadn't realized that Jason was someone that she would always love, throughout it all. The other people that she thought she loved she quickly broke it off with when something didn't go the way that she expected. People thought that she had her expectations too high when she was in school, but the truth was she just wasn't finding what she was looking for. She never even found it with AJ, only when she was with Jason did she find something that she needed, something that made her feel complete. Courtney sincerely hoped that Dillon had found that with Georgie. Courtney thought that Georgie was a nice girl, very smart, and good for Dillon. It would have been so easy for Dillon to fall off into the abyss of his family, but he had someone who he could look to for help, for strength, in Georgie. Maybe he didn't appreciate it, but Courtney did, and Jason might have as well.

The man in question walked into the room from outside shortly after Courtney began her activities. Jason tried to sound as quiet as possible, and he was good at making it seem like he wasn't around, probably the best person in Port Charles at being the silent one. He watched his wife as she walked around, looking at things, putting them back in place if they weren't to her liking. Courtney wasn't like anyone that he had ever known, and it was that aspect of Courtney that had endeared Courtney to Jason. People thought that he was just with Courtney because he wanted to pay his brother back for everything that Jason had lost because of AJ and his mistakes, but they were wrong. Jason was with Courtney because Jason really wanted to be with her. And AJ was beside the point. As far as Jason was concerned, AJ causing him to have that accident was probably one of the best things to ever happen to him. It freed him from an eternity of being trapped under an image that he would try to uphold. One that would eventually kill him from the inside.

It was useless to point out that Courtney did not need to do anything that she was doing. Jason had lost that fight long ago, and he didn't hold it against Courtney in the least. If she wanted to be the one who cleaned up their house, then so be it. Unless he saw her cleaning up Dillon's room. That was where he drew the line. Dillon may have lived with them, but that was it. Courtney wasn't his maid, and Jason wasn't… whatever he was supposed to be.

Courtney turned around and saw her husband staring at her with his impossibly blue eyes. She gasped and took a step back. A moment was taken to recover and she placed a hand on her chest, "Sorry, Jason. You startled me. Why didn't you say anything when you came in?"

"Maybe I wanted to watch you think that you were alone for a little while…" Jason replied as he took a few steps forward. "Sometimes I think that I take you for granted, the fact that you're here, with me, when you could be with someone else who could give you more than I could ever hope to give you."

Courtney shook her head, "You give me everything that I would ever want from someone, Jason. I don't need to be with anyone else, and I don't want to be with anyone else. I'm just glad that you think I'm worth keeping around…"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You know why, Jason. You're always afraid of pushing people away too much because of what you do for my brother. You're afraid of being forced to close a part of yourself off to everyone, even me, and, even though you don't want to act like it, it does scare you."

"How do you know it scares me?"

"Because the greatest thing that you are is a lover, Jason. And I don't just mean that in the physical sense… I mean, when you love someone, you love them so much that it hurts to even think for a second that something is going to go wrong, that one day you'll wake up and be alone, that the people you care about won't be there for you anymore. People might think that you're unfeeling, uncaring, but those people are idiots who don't know the person who you really are. I'm not blind, I can see those things."

Jason wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "That's why I love you, because of the way that you see me, the way that you force me to deal with things that even I try and stay away from. You keep me honest. I can never thank you enough for that."

"You know… I was thinking that we could surprise Michael and Morgan later today, take them to go see the animals in the zoo or something. They got a new Panda, and an Ocelot, and a bunch of other animals, too. The boys, they love animals… and they love spending time with you. And I know how much it makes you feel good being around them, too."

"Courtney…"

She sighed, "Don't say no, Jason. Please. You've been in one of your moods lately, and I know that you won't tell me about them, but I want to help keep you from falling into it too deeply. And I also know that Michael was upset about something yesterday, Carly told me last night… and it would make him feel better. Please, Jason… I just want to spend some time with my family."

"All right…"

"Really?"

Jason nodded, "I could never make someone that means so much to me sad." The worst part was, for Jason at least, that each time he spent a day with his family, he was fully aware that there was a chance that it could be his last. That he could be gone the next morning, or worse, they could.

Park-

Sonny picked a neutral location to meet the person who he had called. He had to, they both had places where meeting would just be too suspicious. The last thing that Sonny needed was more suspicion on him, especially with John Durant around. Sonny didn't get much sleep, he was always worried about what John Durant was going to do, if he could do anything. He may have put up a very brave face, but the thought of Durant ruining everything that he had worked his entire life for? That scared Sonny, a lot.

"Have to admit, when you called me… I wasn't as surprised as I should have been."

"Then maybe I shouldn't have called you. Maybe you had something to do with it."

"I've given up my agenda against you, big brother, you know that."

"Cut the crap, Ric, I called you here for a reason."

"Would it be a fair assumption to make that the reason I'm here involves someone with the initials J and D?"

"You didn't graduate from that fancy law school for nothing."

Ric was a little amused, for all the wrong reasons. "I can't believe it, the high and mighty Sonny Corinthos… afraid of a little lawyer."

"You know… this was a bad idea."

"Wait, Sonny," Ric called. "I promise I won't make fun of you anymore… it's just… I wasn't expecting this."

"You think I like being like this, Ric?" Sonny asked somewhat bitterly. "I get rid of people that get in my way… except for you."

"I'm special."

"You're my little brother, it isn't a fact that I enjoy admitting, but that doesn't make it any less true. Plus, you helped save my son's life when he could have died…"

"So, why did you call me here, Sonny?"

"I need your help."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the man growled. "I hate asking for help, Ric, especially yours, but I need someone on the inside, someone who can help me make a move against Durant in case he tries to do something against me."

"Sonny, I could lose my job…"

"You shouldn't even have that job. How many other District Attorney's are kidnappers?"

"I want Durant gone just as much as you do. He thinks that I am involved with you… and he won't believe that I'm not, even if I am not. So, what's the point of fighting some stereotype if not doing it won't help me…"

"Why do you want him gone?"

"He's an upstart, Sonny. He thinks that he's god gift to the universe…"

"Sounds like someone else I know. Someone I'm looking at."

"Look, I won't pretend that I wasn't bad, but, even at my worst, I wasn't even a fraction as self-absorbed as Durant is. I want him gone because he wants to take my job. I like this job, Sonny, I like the way it makes me feel like I can redeem myself in some small way."

"He's attacking your nephew…"

"I know…"

"What do you mean, you know?"

Ric looked at Sonny for a moment before he turned his head away slightly. "John's been around since three days ago… and the first thing he did was tell me that I'm being fooled by my nephew. That he's not really the person that he claims to be, that he's trying to destroy everyone around him, just for you."

"But you don't believe him, right?" Sonny wondered. "You don't really think that I would use one of my children in my business? Ric, you know me better than that, you know that I would do anything to keep my children safe… why would I compromise their safety like that?"

"Maybe you're not the one who is making the choice, Sonny. Maybe he's doing it to impress you, endear himself to you."

"Listen to me, Ric… he isn't doing anything. I would know if he was. I have people watching him all the time… I have to."

"What?" Ric was surprised that Sonny had people spying on his own son. "Why do you have people watching him?"

"It doesn't matter…" Sonny didn't want Ric to know the truth. "I'm giving you this chance to get into my life, little brother, something that you've always wanted, something you've told me time and time again that you wish you had. You're getting a chance to help me protect my family, your family. Don't screw it up."