If this chapter seems a bit off, just remember, it was hard to write.[[[[[[The accident]]]]]]
Courtney hummed along with the song on the radio. It felt good to be able to help AJ and his friends. Though she had never thought that Carly Cor-- correction, Carly Spencer, would ever be included in that group of friends. She smiled to herself as she drove down the road. Then again, she had never thought that AJ and Carly could put their differences behind them and become friends. But they had. And she had seen it with her own two eyes. They had their own ulterior motives for burying the hatchet, and not in each others heads. AJ had reached out of a sense of extreme guilt. The first 24 hrs after the abduction had been the most painful time in her life and it had dawned on her that that feeling utter helplessness, that heart wrenching feeling of powerlessness was something that AJ lived with on a daily basis since his rights had been stripped from him.
AJ had reached out because he felt helpless at knowing so little about his son that he just wanted to hear about him and help in what little way he could if possible.
Courtney could still picture that fateful day as she and AJ had been at home when a knock came at the door.
She opened the door. �Oh, Carly�� she greeted uneasily. She almost said something really nasty but upon closer inspection she could see that Carly was disheveled and her cheeks her tearstained. �Are you okay?�
�I� I need to talk to AJ.� She said as tears streamed down her cheeks unbidden.
�AJ! Sweetie! You have a visitor!� She called out over her shoulder. �Would you like to come in?� She asked opening the door wider. �It�s kinda chilly out there��
�Did you say something�� AJ�s voice trailed off as he saw Carly looking as though she had seen someone shoot her favorite pony. He paled, �C-Carly�� he couldn�t even ask. �Is� Are��
�He�s gone.� She blurted out with a sob.
His face lost all color as he strode toward her, pulled her into the apartment, slammed the door shut and pulled her over to the living room. �What happened?� He asked calmly though he felt like his world had just been ripped in two.
�I�I�� She sobbed. �I turned my back for two seconds� and� and�� her knees buckled and AJ caught her and pulled her to the couch.
�When?� He asked shakily.
�Yes�yesterday�I looked everywhere� so did Leticia� and� and�� she broke off into sobs once more. Her heart was shattered. Her son was gone. And in her mind, no one was to blame but herself.
�Do the cops know?� Courtney offered.
She nodded.
�What does Sonny say?� AJ asked hesitantly.
Her head shot up as she remember what Sonny had said. �Please, tell me you have an alibi. Please.� She begged.
�Yesterday?� She needed, her heart skipped a beat. �I was at work on the docks all day. And me and the guys went to Kelly�s for lunch with the boss. I�ve got plenty of witnesses that I was there until dark and then my boss brought me home.� Carly let out a deep breath as Courtney sat down heavily. She couldn�t even imagine what Sonny thought, how he was going to react or what he was going to do.
�Thank God!� she whispered, her hand going to her heart. She tentatively met his intense eyes. �You need to get your friends together. Where ever you go you can NOT be alone.� Her breathing was irractic as though she were about to have a panic attack.
AJ turned to Courtney. �Could you get her a cup of water?� He asked keeping one eye on Carly. He couldn�t lose it right now, not with Carly about to lose it herself.
�Okay,� Courtney said and then jogged off.
�Carly�Carly� I need you to breathe, okay?� He gripped her fore arms and looked her dead in the eye. �Carly? Listen to me. This is AJ. Okay, I need you to calm down.� But her breathing was growing more shallow by the second and she looked as though on the verge of a panic attack.
"Carly? Carly?!� He asked as he shook her a little. But nothing seemed to work. As Courtney walked back into the room was shaking her hard and screaming �CARLY! SNAP OUT OF IT!� And out of no where slapped her, but not with his full force, because if he had he would have knocked her out. He had been working for Azora on the docks for a while and was getting stronger as he worked.
Courtney gasped, dropping the glass. Carly held her cheek, it was reddened, but it wouldn�t bruise thankfully.
�I�m sorry,� he offered sheepishly, as she looked at him murderously.
�No, that�s okay� I think I needed that actually.� She whispered back, pausing. �I�m sorry, I just� since� I�ve been panicking� I mean� my son� he�s out there� and�� she got up and walked away from him. She couldn�t stand to look at him. It was too painful. She knew what she was feeling couldn�t be tithe of what he had felt of hour of everyday for the last 5-6 years. AJ saw her guilt and quickly confronted her. �Carly. You can�t really think you CAUSED this can you?�
She whirled around. �NO! I think that this pain that I feel is nothing compared to the pain I�ve inflicted on you for the last six years, that�s what I think!� She spat before going off in search of Courtney. She needed that water and to get away from AJ.
The snow was coming down in blanket, causing Courtney to go slower. She looked at her watch and noticed that it was extremely late. She hoped that Reggie hadn�t left without her. Especially if Leticia was still in hysterics over hearing what had been done to Michael. Courtney shook her head sadly. Thinking to herself. Who wouldn�t be in hysterics over what had been done to Michael. AJ and Carly were putting on strong fronts, even if they were showing how upset they were she could tell that there was so much more pain inside.
She turned her wipers on fast so that she could see out her window as she drove slowly down the high way. She was a safe driver, always making sure to be both alert and aware. And luckily not many drivers were out so she didn�t have to be too defensive.
She turned up the music a little more and began to hum to the song. It was one of her and AJ�s favorites. �Angel� by Sarah McLachlan.
Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
She was paying attention to the road as the car on the opposite side of the highway began to swerve. The driver, who at the late hour, was beginning to fall asleep lost control of his vehicle, and when he woke up with a start he over corrected, sending his car speeding over the grassy median and straight into opposing traffic.
there's always one reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Courtney didn�t have any time to react as the car hit her vehicle dead on, but at a slight angle. The impact sent her vehicle flying into the air. When it came to rest all that could be heard in the cold unforgiving night was the sound of the most beautiful song she had ever heard�
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
And the blaring sound of her horn.
in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
Courtney walked dazed and confused door a bright hallway until she got to a door that opened by itself. She walked in looking around her, taking in her surrounding when she gasped.
Kristina turned to her, smiling. �Hi Courtney.� She whispered. �Welcome. . .�
TBC...