A/N Hello everyone, huge apologies for the lateness of this. But there is Journey hints in this chapter. :D

Thanks to all Reviewers!

Dedication: To Angel1178 for her lovely review. :D

Disclaimer: I own nada. :P

"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear, Courtney, happy birthday to you." Several voices chorused as one.

The blonde now seventeen year old girl leant over the cake and attempted to blow out all eighteen candles (seventeen and one good for luck), in one breath, she only succeeded in blowing out around ten causing mocking jeers that she could do better than that.

The girl rolled her eyes and blew out the rest of the candles on the second attempt.

Courtney, Sonny, Jason, Robin, Carly, and Patrick were all gathered at Sonny's apartment to celebrate the teenager's seventeenth birthday. It had been two weeks since Robin had been grounded so Patrick had been over a lot lately on their supervised dates. Thus, Courtney had gotten a chance to know her best friend's new boyfriend and found that she more than approved, he was definitely a good fit for Robin. Plus, Patrick lightened up the mood considerably.

"So, not to seem rude or anything, but where are my presents?" Courtney asked while Robin took over cutting and passing out the cake.

"You'll get your presents after cake," Sonny answered rolling his eyes at her impatience.

"Fine," Courtney replied in mock irritation although the effect was rather ruined by her grin.

After finishing with cake everyone went to get their presents from where they had been piled up in the corner. Carly was the first to bestow her present on Courtney which turned out to be a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure from her favorite nail salon. Sonny went next and presented his sister with a fairly large wrapped box, which when opened turned out to be a new laptop.

Courtney had taken to complaining loudly about how slow her computer was whenever her brother was in earshot, apparently her oh-so-subtle complaints had been listened to.

"Thanks Sonny," She stood up and enveloped her older brother in a hug.

"You're welcome."

"My turn," Robin interrupted the brother-sister moment to shove a brightly wrapped box at her friend. Courtney opened it up to find a leather-bound edition of all Jane Austen's novels. Courtney owned paperback copies of all the books but the spines were broken and they bore unmistakable signs of having been dropped in water several times.

Courtney thanked her friend for the present and was handed another gift this time by Patrick.

"I wasn't entirely sure what you would like," He admitted. "But I asked Robin about it and she said that you were complaining about needing to buy new makeup or whatever, and as I wasn't going to pick that out, I got you a gift card."

"Thanks, Patrick," Courtney replied with a laugh.

"You're welcome," Patrick replied.

"Here," Jason said unceremoniously shoving a small box at her, with the lack of ritual that only he could pull off.

Courtney accepted the gift and took off the lid, and peered inside, "It's beautiful," She whispered looking at the necklace nestled on a small cushion, it was a simple diamond pendant on a white gold chain but it was exactly what she would have picked out for herself. "It's also too much,"

"It's your birthstone." Jason pointed out.

"It's a diamond," Courtney protested.

"Don't worry about it." Jason replied quietly.

"Thank you." Courtney said finally. "Why don't you put it on me?" she requested taking the necklace out of the box and holding it out to the other blond.

"I'm no good with these clasps." Jason protested halfheartedly.

"Liar," Robin replied affectionately. "You help me all the time."

Jason chose not to respond as he did much of the time when he didn't know what to say. Instead he gestured for Courtney to hold her hair out of the way and he clasped the necklace into place. "Happy Birthday, Courtney." He whispered as he stepped back.

"Not to put a damper on the party or anything, but I actually have to be going," Patrick announced. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Courtney."

"Thanks, Patrick." Courtney replied automatically.

"I'll walk you out," Robin offered getting to her feet. Jason glanced over at the two of them and seemed to be on the verge of protesting or worse threatening to follow them, Courtney reached over and put a restraining hand on his arm.

Jason glanced down at the blonde teenager and seemed to soften because he just waved Robin and Patrick out the door.

"That was nice of you," Courtney complimented.

Jason shrugged in reply. Courtney rolled her eyes at his typical lack of reply. She could almost hold an entire conversation with him without him ever saying a word, she wasn't sure if that was sad or not, she chose not to contemplate it further and instead decided to start setting up her new laptop which really more consisted of her turning it on and shoving it at Jason with the vague order for him to make it go. Jason rolled his eyes but complied.

Sonny said he was going to take Carly home, which knowing them, would probably mean he wouldn't return for hours and so Jason and Courtney were left to spend the rest of her birthday relatively alone, at least until Robin eventually returned, from what would probably be the longest trip to walk Patrick out of the building ever in the history of the world.

A/N Review! Update should be next Wednesday! After next week though I will be configuring a new schedule, as I will be starting school on the 4th which means I will have less time to update.