A/N: Once again, thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favs. I'm glad my readers are enjoying the story so far... especially Brenda's reaction to Jerry :D. Don't worry, this is not a "friendship" story between our pair, I did list this as a romance... I just like to slowly build things.
Edit: 12-02-18
Musical Inspiration:
Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
My Prerogative - Brittney Spears
Time To Say Goodbye
.~*~.
Chapter 4
Celebrate Good Times
On a runway in Venezuela— Carly, Brenda, Jerry, and Tom sat on a plane that was being delayed due to weather. The group was eager to get back to the states so they could be present for Jason's trial. After taking her pills, Brenda went to sleep hoping it would pass the time on the flight. When she awoke a few hours later, she found out they didn't get in the air until after 2 am. With the timing, they were going to have to go straight to the courthouse when they landed.
.~*~.
Later, in the courtroom, Jason sat back and watched Diane do battle with the witness on the stand. Now that she had her chance to question the gardener, she was doing a good job at catching him in little lies. When his attorney finished, Ric took a turn to redirect and try to save the original testimony. After Lansing sat back down, a courier entered the courtroom to give Diane a manila envelope. Jason watched her whisper back and forth to the man before addressing the judge.
Diane stood. "Your Honor, I would like to present new evidence."
Judge Dean looked up from his own papers. "What kind of new evidence?"
"Proof that Lorenzo Alcazar is alive."
Just outside the courtroom door, Jerry was showing the guard a fake FBI badge. He was able to pressure the man into allowing the trio to enter. The three of them staggered through the door and sat down a few rows behind Jason. The group was just in time to see the lawyers arguing over letting the new evidence in. Diane asked that all charges be dropped and the judge called a recess to go over the new information in his chambers.
Brenda eyed Jason as he turned around to look at them. She nudged Carly. "Err, he looks like he's fuming. I think I will let you talk to him first."
"Wuss," Carly groaned out before getting up and running over to Jason. Brenda watched the two of them and saw Jason talking with his hands forcefully. Yup, he pissed, she thought. She noticed he was staring at her intensely and waving her over. Carly sat back down as Brenda was getting up and making her way over to him. "Good luck," Carly grumbled out.
"How mad are you?" Brenda asked him with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Livid, but actually more relieved you're safe. What were you thinking? I expect this from Carly but not you Brenda," he reprimanded her.
"If the situations were reversed, wouldn't you have done the same for me?"
"Brenda," Jason sighed.
She leaned in a little closer. "Just answer the question, Jase."
"Fine, yes. I would have done anything to get you out of this," he admitted in a defeated tone.
Brenda smiled and touched his face. "Good to know, now, let's hope this works."
They heard the bailiff announcing Judge Dean so Brenda went back to her seat. When the judge came in he deemed that the evidence was admissible, however, the charges were still valid so the trial would continue. Carly jumped up spouting that it was ridiculous when they had proof right in front of them that Alcazar was alive. Brenda saw an opportunity and took it.
"I agree," Brenda proclaimed as she stood up. "You can see I am the woman in the photos with Alcazar. I was there when those photos were taken." She used her words very carefully. The judge began to bang his gavel.
Ric jumped out of his seat. "Your Honor, these are closed proceedings. None of these women were even sworn in."
"Who are these women?" the judge asked.
Diane stood up and gestured to Carly. "This is Carly Corinthos Jacks and she will be testifying as a character witness for the defense." She then pointed to Brenda. "And this, Your Honor, is Brenda Barrett, my client's wife."
Ric interrupted. "Excuse me, Your Honor, but it is a well-known fact that Mr. Morgan and Ms. Barrett had their marriage annulled in 2003. That being a fact, I would like to subpoena Miss Barrett regarding her part in these photographs."
The judge looked toward Diane. "Is that true? Have your client and Miss Barrett had their marriage annulled?"
"They attempted to in 2003, Your Honor, but during my client's divorce to Courtney Matthews, it came to light that the paperwork was never filed properly, thereby making his marriage to Miss Matthews invalid. Jason Morgan and Brenda Barrett never found the time to rectify the situation making them still married to one another."
"Counselors, approach the bench," the judge demanded. Diane and Ric took their position in front of him talking in hushed tones.
Jerry leaned his head in the middle of Carly and Brenda. "You sly minx, that was bloody brilliant."
Carly squeezed Brenda's leg. "You have been married this whole time?" she whispered forcefully.
"Yes, it was the last ace I was holding to get Jason out of this," she whispered back while Carly looked confused. "Look, I just stated in front of the jury that I was there with a very much alive Lorenzo Alcazar. It just created a whole lot of doubt in their mind. Ric can't refute anything I said because I am Jason's wife and can't testify against him."
When the lawyers came back to the tables, Diane looked visibly pleased. She entered the files on the bank transfers Lorenzo initiated a few days ago into evidence. Then she entered the photos of Brenda and Lorenzo that were also time stamped as being taken a few days ago. The judge said the jury would be receiving copies of everything. This made Lansing argue about not being able to verify it first, but the judge shot him down and closed the proceedings until tomorrow.
Diane smiled and turned to Jason. "You better take that wife of yours on an expensive vacation. I believe she just saved your hide." She patted his back then packed up her briefcase.
Jason turned to look at the two women who risked so much just to make sure he was free. They both were grinning ear to ear as they walked over.
"You two are never to try anything crazy like this again. Do you understand me?" He gave them a serious look.
They both nodded at the same time. "Yes, hubby," Brenda replied with a smirk.
"Yes, best friend," Carly chimed in, making both girls laugh.
Jason shook his head. He gave each of them a hug and was lead back to his cell.
Carly watched Brenda walk over to the window in the room and followed behind. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, I was just thinking," Brenda looked up toward the top of the windowsill, "I really hope Spinelli knows it would be very wise to clean up any mess he made on my couch before I get back to the penthouse."
Carly snickered before both of them exited the courtroom. The rest of the day went on pretty slow. By the evening, news had spread like wildfire that Brenda and Jason were actually still married. Spinelli let Brenda know it was all over the TV and internet. She was getting calls non-stop and her publicist was already in the works on making a statement. Since the marriage was now common knowledge, the model decided she would be in court tomorrow. Planning for an early morning, she headed to bed and caught up on the sleep she missed.
.~*~.
When Brenda's morning began, she quickly laid out her outfit for the day. Wanting to look serious for court, she settled on a green shift dress from Roland Mouret. She prepared breakfast before getting ready. When Brenda came down the stairs, Spinelli was already stuffing his mouth full of food.
"Venus looks lovely today," Spinelli managed to get out between bites.
"Thanks, Spin," Brenda replied as she grabbed her purse. She heard the front door open and looked up to see Carly. "Hey," she greeted the blonde. "I am just on my way to the courthouse. There is French Toast in the warmer so help yourself. Spinelli can show you where everything is."
"Give Jason my support," Carly echoed out as she made her way to the kitchen.
When Brenda entered the courtroom she took a seat directly behind Diane and Jason. She wanted to make sure the jury saw someone backing him up.
Brenda leaned up to Jason's ear. "Smile for the camera, your friends want you to know they are with you," she whispered as she moved her eyes towards the window. The model heard Diane mumble something about 'not hearing that', making Jason grin.
Ric recalled Sam back to the witness stand. "Great, more food to clean up," Brenda murmured. If they get syrup on her TV she was going to kill them.
Watching as Jason's ex-girlfriend took the stand, the glare she was giving off to Jason and herself was hateful. Brenda guessed she wasn't too thrilled to find out she was living with a married man. Despite what anger Sam may have felt, she didn't add anything else to her testimony. Ric's aggravation was at an all-time high.
Next, Diane called a series of witness all to say that there was no body of Lorenzo Alcazar. She even showed that the PCPD and Lansing have quite the vendetta against Jason. After all the testimony was over, Diane and Ric gave their closing arguments. The jury was sent away to decide Jason's fate.
Brenda hugged him before he was lead back to his cell. She asked Diane if she wanted to go get something to eat with her. The model figured it was a good idea to stay close to her in case the news came in. They went off together and had a late lunch.
The pair were in a boutique browsing around and talking about labels when the call came. "The verdict is in," Diane said putting a blouse back on the rack.
"So soon, is that a good sign?" Brenda asked.
"It can be," she replied before they both left in the limo.
Both ladies were already back in the courtroom when the guard brought Jason up. Brenda smiled at him for encouragement. After the jury was seated, the judge was given the verdict to look at briefly before handing it back to the bailiff. Jason was asked to rise. Brenda stood also and placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt her heartbeat speed up as the jury foreman began to read the paper.
"In the matter of the people of the state of New York versus Jason Morgan, we the jury find the defendant— not guilty, for the crime of murder in the first degree."
The brunette let out the breath she was holding and slid down into her chair. Jason beamed at her before Diane pulled him into a hug and firmly shook his hand.
Brenda saw the mayor chew out Ric before leaving the courtroom. Deciding to gloat, she made her way over to the attorney. "I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of me being married to Jason wouldn't help him this time. I guess that came back and bite you in the ass, didn't it." She finished with a wry grin.
Ric left in a huff and Brenda could hear all the media calling her name from the door. It all tuned out when she felt herself being turned around and lifted up in the air. She giggled while Jason swung her around and gripped tightly with a hug. With his arms wrapped around her, he nuzzled his face into her neck. "I don't how I can ever repay you for this. It was stupid of you to do, but I will be forever grateful to have you by my side."
Brenda pulled back and smiled at him while he tucked her hair behind her ear. "Just keep yourself safe and we're even," she responded as she looked into his eyes and caressed his cheek. Jason kissed her forehead and took her hand as they walked into the huddle of cameras.
Once outside, Brenda let go so he could be next to Diane when she commented on the trial. A moment later, she saw Elizabeth run to Jason and hug him. When they were through, Diane went back to addressing the media.
.~*~.
Jason and Brenda took the limo to the coffee shop and he helped her out of the vehicle. "Why are you so jumpy?" he asked her.
"Jason, you just got acquitted of murder, I am ecstatic!" she bounced along with him as he chuckled.
When they entered the office Sonny walked over to Jason to shake his hand and congratulate him. When the mob boss glanced over to Brenda, he stood a little straighter. "Did anyone ever tell you that your wife is a knockout?" Sonny nudged Jason while giving her one of his famous dimpled grins. She rolled her eyes and Jason tensed. "So, about you two and an annulment," Sonny began, but the topic halted at the sight of Carly walking through the door with Spinelli.
Carly ran over to Jason and hugged him fiercely. The enforcer conveyed his thanks for all her help, which made the blonde teary-eyed. Next on her list, Carly made her way over to Brenda. Both girls began to hug, jumping up and down in excitement.
"It's so illogical, yet it I can't look away," Jason made a perplexed look while watching the girls. He still was not use to the idea of the two of them getting along.
Sonny put his hand under his chin. "I know what you mean, Man, I'm waiting for red rivers and plagues to break out. But at the same time, it's kinda hot to watch."
Jason narrowed his eyes at Sonny and gave him a deathly look. Sonny responded with holding up his hands in defense. When Spinelli joined in with the girls bouncing, the guys put a stop to it.
Carly calmed down and turned to the group. "I say we celebrate. Let's all go for drinks."
"Oh," Brenda raised her hand, "that's a great idea, count me in."
"Sorry, Ladies," Sonny started as he sat behind his desk, "Jason and I have things to catch up on."
The women began to pout. "You both go and have fun," Jason told them before sitting across from Sonny. Carly let out a huff and Brenda waved goodbye as they left through the door. Spinelli followed them out.
.~*~.
Seeing that Lulu was not there yet, the hacker sat down in front of his computer. Stories of Jason's acquittal were popping up all over the news feeds. He watched the footage from the courthouse in amazement. How had he not noticed this before?
"Hey, Spinelli." Lulu waved as she walked by and sat down at the counter. He rushed to gather up his laptop and went to sit beside her. Spinelli began to discuss his latest findings with her. He was so wrapped up in the 'Blonde One' that he never noticed the 'Maternal One' stepping through the door.
.~*~.
Elizabeth entered Kelly's with Emily to meet Lucky and Nikolas for dinner. The tension was still high with Lucky and his anger regarding the news that came out in court. Due to her testifying, he now knew that she and Jason had slept together last year. Thankfully, he still didn't know that Jake was Jason's son.
The four sat at a table together and began to chat. Elizabeth was getting sick of Lucky's snide comments to her and it was making dinner very awkward for her friends. Deciding to give him some space, she stood with the intent to say hello to Lucky's sister. As she walked over, she briefly overheard Spinelli and Lulu's conversation.
"Beautiful Blonde One, the Jackal can tell. Stone Cold is in love but does not see it with his own eyes."
Elizabeth became nervous. Was it that obvious to everyone that Jason and she loved each other?
"See, look for yourself." Spinelli pointed at the TV. Elizabeth hurried behind them expecting to find the footage from court of her hugging Jason, instead— it was of Jason intimately embracing Brenda before they left the courtroom. Elizabeth's heart dropped.
"Wow." Lulu stared with her mouth open. "I've never seen Jason act like that. He's looking at her like she's the sun and the moon."
"The Jackal was correct in his assessment?" Spinelli beamed. Lulu nodded her head in agreement. The footage was now showing Brenda and Jason walking out hand and hand. On screen, Elizabeth ran up and hugged him. "Stone Cold's eyes never leave Venus even when otherwise occupied." He pointed again.
Lucky happened to walk up behind the pair just in time to view the TV and see Elizabeth in Jason's arms at the courthouse. Turning to his wife, he shook his head. "Just can't stay away can you?" Lucky gave Liz a look of disgust before departing.
Elizabeth stood there dumbfounded. It was just one blow after the next with her husband.
"The Jackal will now take his leave and check to make sure the Double V's are not getting into trouble," Spinelli said as if he was trying to remove himelf from the awkward situation.
"Who are the double V's?" Lulu asked.
"That would be the Valkyrie and Venus. They have become quite the duo as of late," he replied.
"Whoa, are you telling me Carly and Brenda are friends now?" Lulu asked in surprise while Elizabeth tried to eavesdrop.
"Your assumption would be correct, Blonde One. Good day." Spinelli nodded before leaving Kelly's.
Elizabeth frowned. Carly and Brenda, friends?
.~*~.
Later that evening, at the coffee shop office, Jason began to rub his eyes not realizing it had gotten so late. He and Sonny had gone over most of the business dealings that Jason missed while in jail. They discussed Jake some more but when Sonny tried to bring up Brenda, Jason would steer the conversation elsewhere. His boss was drinking scotch when his phone started to vibrate on the table. He picked it up to look at it and took a sip from his glass. A half a second later, Sonny spit his drink all over his desk.
Jason jumped up. "What the hell, Sonny?" he yelled, shaking his arms free of any alcohol that got on him. Sonny didn't reply, he just stared at the picture before showing it to Jason. The enforcer began to rub his face. "Let's go get them."
He left the office with his boss following behind.
"I'm making this my new wallpaper," Sonny laughed out.
.~*~.
Sonny and Jason walked into Jakes together.
"Mr. Sir, Stone Cold, thank you for making haste. The Double V's are out of control," Spinelli sped out.
They looked over to see Carly and Brenda taking shots with a bunch of other women. Two of the girls in the group had little veils on their heads. When Brenda caught sight of the newest arrivals, she waved them over.
"Look, there's my husband," she told the group as she pointed at Jason, "Jase, this is Marcy and Gemma. They are getting married." Brenda picked up another shot. "To marriage!" she yelled and all the girls yelled the same in unison before taking their shots.
"Brenda, Carly, we are leaving, now," Jason demanded.
"No, Jase, we have more shots to do— right, girls. To body shots!" Brenda bellowed.
"To body shots!" the rest of them shouted.
Jason was not going to argue with her. He picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. "Sonny, you want to get Carly?" he asked annoyed as Sonny just stood there amused.
"Hey, hey now, Jase, I need my phone." Brenda wiggled into his back. Jason handed the phone to her hoping it would keep her quiet.
Carly stood up. "I can walk myself, thank you very much." When she took a step she stumbled and Sonny caught her. Carly and Sonny both turned their heads when they heard the song 'Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd' playing very loudly behind Jason's back. Jason rubbed his forehead and let out a groan.
"Ohhhhh— I love this song!" Carly belted out as she began to sing causing Brenda to join her. Sonny and Jason just shook their heads as they took the girls out to the limo. Once inside the Cuban kept his hand over his face to stop from laughing.
"Lord, I can't change— won't you fly freeeeee bird. Yeah!" the girls sang out while Carly took Brenda's leg and pretended to play it like a guitar.
"You're free, Jase," Brenda bopped her head to the music. "A free bird."
Sonny tried taking his phone out but Jason kept stopping him from recording any of this. The girl's guards sat there with their heads in their hands while Spinelli couldn't keep the dreamy smile off his face. When they pulled up to Harborview Towers, Spinelli and Tom, got out first. Jason picked Brenda up bridal style and took her upstairs. Entering her penthouse, Jason took in all the new decor as he carried his drunk friend to her room. The place definitely had a Brenda feel to it now. He laid her down on the bed and she looked up at him. "I don't think I feel so good."
"I can't imagine why," Jason smirked, "I'm going down to get you a few water bottles," he let her know before leaving the room. Going downstairs, he noticed her guard Tom putting an envelope on the kitchen table.
"What's that?" Jason asked him with a point of his finger.
Tom sighed. "It's my resignation Mr. Morgan, but I will stay on until Francis finds a replacement."
Jason crossed his arms and stared at him. "Any particular reason you are resigning?"
"Mr. Morgan, I enjoyed having Miss Barrett as a charge while she lived in Italy. I understand the danger of her status and was fine with that. To be frank, Sir, when she and Mrs. Jacks get together, they create chaos and with all due respect— they drive me crazy." With a nod, Tom left the penthouse.
Jason rubbed his neck and let out a sigh. He grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and went back to Brenda's room. He found the bed empty but saw the light from beneath the door of the bathroom.
He gave the door a quick knock. "You okay, Bren?"
"No, I'm dying," she moaned out.
Jason let out a little chuckle, "I'm coming in." He found her next to the toilet laying on the floor. He squatted down next to her and rubbed the top of her head. "You can't stay on the floor all night."
"Yes I can— the cold tiles feel so nice. Besides," she pointed to the toilet, "easy access. Although, I don't think there is anything left in my stomach."
"Come on." Jason gently helped her up.
Brenda stood in front of the sink and brushed her teeth. After, he handed her pajamas and turned around while she slipped on the tank and shorts. She sat on her bed and Jason made her drink a whole bottle of water. He put the extra one on her nightstand.
"Are you staying or going home?" she asked.
"I thought I would stay to check on you."
"Thanks." She smiled. "You can stay here. Spinelli has stuff all over the guest bedroom. There are sweatpants for you in the bottom right drawer," Brenda said, laying back and pulling the blanket up around her.
Jason changed and got into bed. Both of them fell asleep fast.
.~*~.
In the morning, Jason went downstairs and started a pot of coffee. He was walking out of the kitchen when he saw a very disheveled Carly walking through the front door. With one hand on her head and the other on a brown bag, she sat down at the dining room table.
"Carly, this is Brenda's place, you can't just come waltzing in," he reprimanded her.
The hungover blonde waved her hand, dismissing him, before placing her head down on the table. "She doesn't care," she grunted out.
"She's right, I really don't care," Brenda agreed walking toward the kitchen. "When you live alone for so long you begin to enjoy company."
"Why are you in the same clothes?" Jason asked Carly before he sat down at the table.
The blonde lifted her head up. "Aren't you observant," she said with a snort, "I stayed at the Greystone since the kids were there anyway." His friend looked him over and arched her brow. "And why are you in hardly any clothes, I feel so crappy right now, I can't even ogle you properly."
"I stayed here to check on Brenda— she was in the bathroom most of the night."
"Ugh, I was hugging my own bowl last night too. I'm never drinking again," Carly declared and laid her head back down.
Brenda brought out a tray of coffees and put them on the table for everyone. When she finished, she seated herself and looked to be in the same state as her past rival. Jason sat there amused before bringing his attention to Brenda. "You know, if you don't like living alone, my offer still stands. Sam's gone now— you can move in with me."
"After you defiled my pink room with Elizabeth? I'll pass, thanks." Brenda crinkled her nose as Jason scowled.
Carly chuckled. "I don't blame you. That room needs about 10 gallons of bleach and a sprinkler system," she commented making Brenda laugh.
Spinelli came bolting through the door and stopped at the table.
"Sorry, Spin, I didn't make breakfast," Brenda said, shrugging her shoulders.
"I owed you breakfast so I brought bagels." Carly pushed the brown bag towards her. "By the way, I have to keep myself occupied while Jerry tries to bring Jax back so I am throwing you a party," she informed Jason.
The enforcer shook his head. "No, no parties, Carly."
"Please, Jase, it's either this or I do something crazy," she begged.
Jason stayed quiet for a moment then sighed. "Fine."
Carly did a little clap and the four of them ate breakfast. After they were finished, Carly went home to shower and change.
.~*~.
Carly's first stop was the printers. She picked out a lovely design for her invitations and paid extra to have them done on the spot. She decided that she would hand deliver all of them to keep her mind occupied. She would begin at General Hospital.
Walking up to the nurse's station, Carly was happy to find the three exact people she was looking for. The blonde handed an invitation to Epiphany and Emily. "I am throwing a party for Jason at the Metro Court. Of course feel free to bring a date."
She then rolled her eyes and handed one to Robin who looked shocked. "Yeah, you get one too— although I have no idea why he still bothers with you."
The corner of Robin's mouth lifted in humor. "I ask myself the same question about you."
Ignoring the self-righteous doctor, Carly noticed Elizabeth watching them from the corner. The blonde grinned knowing this opportunity was to good to pass up. She walked over to the mousy nurse who was pretending to check out a chart. The blonde stood right in front of her and looked through the invitations.
"Nope, none here for you," Carly told her while shifting them to her other hand, "it's probably for the best you weren't invited though. No one wants to see you panting after Jason, especially your husband. Now that Jason has his wife back in town, I doubt he'd give you the time of day anyway."
Elizabeth scoffed before putting her hands on her hips. "You seem to forget that me and Jason are friends, Carly."
Carly snorted. "Yeah, some friend you turned out to be. I didn't see you fighting to help Jason out during this whole ordeal. Do you know who did? Me and his wife," she said, smiling maliciously.
"Oh, you mean the wife that he didn't know he still had and who's been gone all this time?" Elizabeth asked with annoyance.
Carly laughed. "That's where you're wrong. Jason knew— they knew for all these years, yet neither of them took the 5 minutes to sign the papers. I wonder why that is?" Carly touched her chin thoughtfully. "To me, that sounds like two people holding on to each other. I also bet you didn't know that since Brenda left Port Charles, Jason frequently went to visit her. But, do you know what I think is the most ironic thing?" Carly asked, inching closer to the nurse. "The fact that the night you two spent together was in Brenda's room. It makes you want to ask yourself who he was really thinking about while he was with you— doesn't it?" With a victorious glint in her eyes, Carly walked away.
For the rest of her time at the hospital, the blonde was in a good mood. She handed out some more invitations and made her way to the elevator. When the doors opened, she found Sam alone. With a sly smile, she entered.
"Don't bother Carly. I don't want to listen to anything you have to say," Sam blew out while looking up at the numbers.
Carly chuckled. "You know, Sam, maybe if you had listened to what I had to say the last time we were in an elevator together, you wouldn't be where you are now." She crossed her arms and continued. "As I recall, I had warned you that you were a Brenda substitute for Sonny and Jax. I told you that Brenda would come back like she always does. You may resemble her, but in their eyes, you'll always be the knockoff version. The thing I find funny though, is that— never in a million years would I have thought that you were a placeholder for Jason as well. All this time, he stayed married to her even when he was with you. If that's not a substitute, I don't know what is," Carly finished her speech as she heard the elevator ding.
Sam's anger showed on her face. "Maybe you should take your own advice and worry about Jax," she spit out.
Carly shook her head. "Nope, don't need to. He's over that and into blondes now." With a spiteful wave, Carly left.
'Best day ever' she thought to herself as she left the hospital with a spring her step.
After a quick visit to the Quartermaines, Carly went to the coffee shop. When she walked into the office, she saw Sonny straightening a picture on the wall. She stood behind him and her eyes widened. "What the hell is that?" she yelled out.
"What— that?" Sonny waved his hand at the picture while he stood back to admire it. "Well, from the looks of it, I would say that—" he pointed to it and tilted his head to the side, "is a picture of Brenda giggling and licking salt off your cheek, while you're laughing and groping her."
"I know what it is Sonny, why is it on your wall?" she asked, irritated.
Sonny laughed and continued to stare at it. "Because it is one hell of a picture. It makes me wonder what came after it was taken."
Carly rolled her eyes. "Don't be a pig. Nothing happened, it was a stupid drunken dare done as a joke."
Sonny shrugged his shoulders. "Not in my head." He laughed again before he sitting down.
"You need to take that down." She pointed at him.
"Hm, I'll think about it— for now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He grinned and crossed his hands behind his head.
Carly blew out a breath and sat down. "I wanted to thank you for not going through with any of my advances last night. I was drunk and not in my right frame of mind. I love my husband and I would have felt horrible if something had happened between you and I."
Sonny smiled. "Your welcome. I would never take advantage of you like that. Next time you'll be sober." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Sonny." she sighed, "there won't be a next time."
"With me and you, Baby, there will always be a next time."
.~*~.
Over at Brenda's penthouse, Spinelli was sitting on the couch when a tall man in a suit peeked through the door. "Hi, is Brenda busy?" he asked.
"Venus is in her office working," the hacker said, shifting in his seat to get a better glance at the man. "What would your name be guest?"
"I'm Francis, don't worry, Kid, she's expecting me." He walked towards her office door and gave it a small knock.
"Come in," he heard before entering. Brenda looked up and smiled. She was on the phone so she put up one finger for him to give her a moment. Francis nodded and took a seat in front of her desk.
"Okay, so tell him I would be happy to do the print line for his campaign. Just make sure that other than the shoot and some interviews, I want my schedule clear next month. The only thing I want to concentrate on is fashion week," Brenda paused, "Well, see what type of interview her people are expecting. I'm not going into details about Jason's trial. Call me back with more info. Bye, Gina."
Brenda hung up and ran around the desk to give Francis a hug. He gave her a laugh. "It's good to see you, Bren."
"You too, I'm glad you could make it, Franny." She grinned before sitting back down.
"So," Francis began as he unbuttoned his jacket, "I heard you broke Tom."
Brenda scoffed. "Yeah, I got the letter this morning."
"Well, I have some guys I have been training who are really good, I'll pick out someone to replace him."
Brenda rested her elbows in her desk and crossed her hands. "I have been thinking since being back here, I want to add more men to my security. I also want you to come here and be the head of it."
"How many guys are you talking about— you already have two who rotate," he asked.
"I want 4 with 2 on rotation and all 4 available at request with you," she stated in a serious tone.
Franny gave her a confused look. "That's a little overkill, don't you think?"
"No, I don't." She stood and began to pace. "Look, when I was in Italy, it was just me I had to worry about. I'm home now and everyone I care about is here. I want to be able to see and be with them without worrying about their safety. I want to know that when I am with them, they and their kids are protected."
"Okay, I get it," he blew out, "Whelp, it looks like I'm moving back to Port Charles."
Brenda jumped up and down, happy, before giving him a hug.
.~*~.
Later that evening, Jason came off the elevator with a bag. He looked over to Brenda's penthouse and became cautious when he saw two new faces. "Who are you?" he asked the men standing beyond her door.
"Mr. Morgan, my name is Bryan and this is Phil," he nodded to the other guard, "We are Mrs. Morgan's new detail that Francis hired. She informed us that you can always go right in." He then opened the door.
Jason still eyed them suspiciously when he walked into the penthouse. "Brenda," he called out.
"In the kitchen," he heard her yell from beyond the wall. Jason walked into the kitchen and caught her standing over the stove. "You hungry?" she asked, "I'm making chicken quesadillas."
"Yeah, actually, I'm starving," he said leaning over and stealing a piece of chicken, "I saw the new guards, I had planned on taking care of that for you. It surprised me to see two of them."
"I convinced Franny to come back to Port Charles and be head of my security, I also had him up my detail."
"Let me get this straight, you," he pointed at her, "voluntarily asked for more guards?"
"Why is that so hard to believe? It's not just me I have to worry about anymore, I want the people around me protected," she explained and continued to cut up vegetables for the salsa.
"That's just really responsible of you," he said, unable to suppress the surprise in his tone. Though he was glad she took the initiative, he wondered if the recent events surrounding Jake had anything to do with her decision. It was hard worrying for the safety of those you care about.
"I know Brenda grew up— who would've thunk it?" she giggled out.
Jason smiled. "Come here, I want to show you something." Brenda wiped her hands and walked over to the table with him. "I got you a lock box, go get your gun." He took it out of the bag and placed it on the table.
Brenda left the room and came back with her purse. "God, I miss being able to buy clutches," she said, taking her gun out and placing in on the table.
Jason used the key to open the box and put the gun inside. "Now, see this, Bren, it's called a key." He dangled the keys in front of her. "We use this to open the box, not scissors."
"Har, har," she feigned laughter while he chuckled and put the box up in her closet. "Thank you. Now, come on and help me finish cooking." She took his hand and dragged him into the kitchen.
After dinner, they were lounging on the couch. "That was really good, thanks for dinner," Jason said to her, "I still can't believe you cook."
"I had to learn— plus, it's healthier than ordering out and I always make a lot because I know someone will end up eating it."
"Yeah, I am surprised Spinelli didn't come running in. It seems like he's here for every meal," Jason said, yawning as he began to take his boots off.
"I think he's hanging out at Kelly's tonight. I hope it's with Georgie." Brenda smiled thoughtfully. "I really like her," she said and stared up at the ceiling in thought. "Hey, Jase, what are you going to do about your situation?"
Jason scooted back into the couch and put his feet on the coffee table. "Which situation might that be?"
"Don't be cute, the Elizabeth and Jake situation," she answered, laying back and putting her feet in his lap.
"There is nothing I can do about that," he mumbled out, closing his eyes.
Brenda sighed. "There is a lot you can do about that. You're not going to prison anymore, you can claim your son."
"I told you this, Bren, it's not safe and I rather he be raised in a loving family."
"Well, you know how I feel about the safety issue. But I have say, I was speaking to Spinelli— he was telling me that Lucky and Elizabeth are fighting like crazy. That doesn't sound too loving to me," Brenda pointed out before closing her own eyes. "Let me ask you this— if it were up to you, would you be with Elizabeth? Are you in love with her?"
Jason was quiet for a moment before answering. "I don't know."
"Well," Brenda replied in a sleepy tone, "take the time to think about it. As far as Jake, even without Liz, it would be better for him to have you in his life. You are missing out on so much with him and you'll never get this time back." With a yawn, Brenda dozed off.
Jason lazily opened his eyes and watched her. He thought about what she had said till he drifted off into his own slumber.
Sneak Peek: Brazen spends time with Michael and Morgan, A visitor comes to town, Jason realizes something. Fav/Follow/Review!
