Hey kiddos :) I'm working through finals at university right now so I am writing, they're just shorter chapters, leading up to the more important ones. :D But I'm still here, I promise. I would tell you if I decided not to write anymore; I hate when stories just stop one day without notice. I wouldn't do that to you all. ;)

Thank you dearly for all the great feedback! Please keep it coming (and tell me if you'd like to see more Sonny/Jax or if you want strictly Brazen. I'm a go for all the Brenda ships, honestly; I love all the boys who love Bren. So drop me a note as to what you prefer! :D)

What You Wish For

The days past slowly as Brenda struggled to find things to occupy her time. She knew Sonny was working on finding Alcazar but with his best bait in hiding, it would take a bit longer. She was ready to simply go back and be the bait that they needed but Jason had convinced her to wait: that they would take the necessary action when the time was right.

She sighed as she climbed into the other side of the bed, the usual routine, and nuzzled into the pillow on her side. Jason lay, in his dark tank top, as he breathed evenly but she knew he was still awake; he wouldn't go to sleep until he believed she was.

She looked out, past him, to the window at the foreign, tropical environment.

"When I get home, the first thing I'm going to get is a cappuccino."

Jason's head turned to face her and she smiled at the thought of the coffee.

"Then, maybe start looking for a job."

He watched her with interest; it was the first reference to the future she had made to him that didn't involve her institutionalization. She seemed to notice it as well as she laughed at herself.

"Do you realize I haven't talked about my illness at all since we've been here?"

"Yes," he noted. He had noticed. "Maybe it's good for you here; it takes your mind off of your problems."

"Maybe it would be a lot better with cable TV," she remarked and he faced the ceiling. "No, you're right, Jason. Being away from Port Charles and the people that I spent so long trying to avoid does keep my mind off the reason I was trying to avoid them."

He glanced at her as she was gazing aimlessly at the sheet in her hand, lost in her thoughts. She faced him with a smile. "Who knew going away with you would make me feel better?"

Brenda watched him return her steady gaze that bordered on staring.

"Anyway," she broke suddenly, turning back to peer at the sheet. "Maybe we should just take off and roam around Europe. There's this amazing beach near Cannes…"

"Do I look like I'm going to lounge around on the beach?" he remarked.

"Yeah, I forgot. It would take an act of Congress to get you to take your shirt off in public."

He snickered at her barb as he watched the ceiling fan again.

"What do you want to do?" she sincerely asked, watching him closely. "…after this is over with."

"I don't know," he murmured.

She glanced at her fingers wrapping in the sheets. "You want to stay in Port Charles, don't you? You want to be near Sonny."

Jason opened his mouth to respond but paused. She took the moment to go on.

"It's okay," she shrugged. "I know Port Charles is home to you and you probably have people there you care about. I don't want to take you away from someone…"

She trailed at the end. Why had she never considered that Jason was giving up someone special to devote himself to her in her remaining time? She had always considered him heartless but she knew, now, why women cared for him. And that he genuinely cared for them in return.

"No," he answered, facing her and taking her by surprise. "I mean, yes, there are people I care about… Sonny. Carly. But I wouldn't be leaving anyone special. If you need to go, we'll go."

Brenda stared in awe at his complete dedication to her. And by the warmth in his eyes, she could see it was not about keeping her away from Sonny anymore. It was something else.

Again, she had to lighten the air as she began to speak. "I could show you this great place I found in Florence; they have the most delicious calzone."

Jason smiled and closed his eyes to sleep again. If someone had told him five or six years ago that he would be looking forward to roaming Europe with Brenda, he would have laughed at them. Yet here he was, almost excited about the idea. When this was finally over.

His thoughts slowed when he realized that he was looking forward to Alcazar being gone so he and Brenda could get on with their lives. It was the thought of "their" lives, insinuating their life together, that worried him most.

Jason lay feeling completely at ease; it was a strange feeling. Usually he awoke abruptly, hearing a faint noise, or from some uneasy dream. But now he was calm and felt rested, warm and safe.

His conscious mind started to come to him slowly – he didn't want to wake up, really – but the light from the window refused to be ignored. Something small moved along his stomach; across his skin; and he forced his eyes to open. He was greeted with the sight of why he was so warm: Brenda laid upon him halfway, as though cuddling a large pillow, her head resting on his chest and her arm draped across his middle. That slight touch, he realized at the same time, was her hand; in her sleep, it had wormed beneath his tank to the warmth of his skin.

Jason carefully kept his breathing slow so not to wake her but he couldn't tear his gaze from the sight of her peacefully holding him – no: clinging to him. They had fallen asleep apart but found their way together during the night and he couldn't remember the last time he slept so well.

He noted, then, that his own arm was holding her to him just as securely as she held him.

He had to get out of this. Quick. She was so soft against him and he was foolishly thinking about that smoldering kiss that happened only days ago. He wished he could feel her hands over more of him. Wished she would run her hand up his side, touching every inch of him. But this was Brenda. He couldn't even fathom of ever acting on any of these desires that he had been having for far too long.

Jason began to try to slide away, but he hadn't moved two inches when her head raised swiftly; she was still jumpy and probably would always be with Alcazar on the loose.

Brenda woke from her blissfully deep sleep and the scene seeped into her mind quickly. Jason was there; she was halfway on top of Jason. He was watching her, cautiously, when she woke. Her hand was under his shirt: his skin was hot beneath the pads of her fingers.

Brenda slowly looked up into his eyes, trying not to feel his hard chest rising and falling or how soothed her body had been next to his. His crystal blue eyes were watching her with uncertainty. Even though in their heads they knew this was a problem, their bodies were more than comfortable and fit perfectly together. The fact that they both felt so right against one another was not lost on either of them.

"Sorry," she murmured, moving away as soon as she realized she had stared a while too long.

He let her go and felt the instant loss of her. And he knew it hadn't been just physical.

"It's okay," he murmured as he sat up. "I'm going to go, uh…" He tried to think of a quick excuse but she already knew it was an escape and welcomed it from the awkwardness.

"Yeah," she agreed without delay.

"Okay," he stated then immediately exited.

Sonny turned when he heard the sound of his front door knock. He strolled over and carefully opened it to find Jax impatiently waiting.

"Where's Brenda?"

"Don't worry about it," Sonny answered simply.

"You better tell me where the hell she is-"

"Somewhere safe," he interrupted.

"With you lackey, Jason?" Jax accused. Sonny gave him his patented blank stare. "I heard about the shooting at that restaurant," Jax went on. "Brenda's in danger and you have her somewhere. I need to get to her."

Sonny sighed with boredom. "You know what, Jax, you could help Brenda by staying out of it."

"You do not get to decide what is best for Brenda. You can't keep her hidden from me."

"Is that what I'm doing?" Sonny murmured.

"Tell me where she is," Jax growled.

"You would only compromise her safety. Stay out of it."

"I'm going to find her," he promised.

"Sure. You could do that. And you might as well lead Alcazar right to her."

"Alcazar has gone underground, hasn't he? What's your plan, keep Brenda hidden away where only you and your lackey can get to her forever?"

Sonny paused before starting. "I don't have to explain anything to you. If Brenda wanted you to know something, she would have told you."

"Yeah, unless you shipped her off before she had the chance."

"What do you think: that I'm holding her hostage?" Sonny nearly laughed.

"No, I think you're having your cake and eating it too. I think you're married but you're keeping Brenda nearby for your own self-indulgent fantasies."

"And you're here why?" he remarked. "You're going to stand there and ask me to believe that your desire to get to Brenda has nothing to do with you still loving her?"

Jax snickered. "Mine and Brenda's relationship is none of your concern."

"No, but I bet it's your wife's concern," Sonny added. Jax shook his head at the endless arguments he could have with this man whom he hated more than any other.

"I'm going to give you one last chance. And know that I have to get to Brenda to tell her something that's going to change the rest of her life."

"Maybe you should tell me first."

"Maybe it's none of your business," he snapped.

Sonny shrugged and reached for the door to shut it. Jax's free hand that did not lean on the cane stopped the door.

"Alcazar paid off the doctors. They were lying to her: she's not dying."

Sonny froze and glared at his most bitter rival as Jax's words sank in.

Jason glanced up from the tiny game he played on his cell phone to see Brenda silently weaving three strings together.

"What are you doing?"

"Curing cancer. Can't you tell?" she remarked as she continued braiding the pieces. He puffed in response, going back to his game. "Are you this talkative with all your wives?"

Jason made a bored face to her before she exhaled at her own boredom. "Seriously: what do you talk about with your… friends? Do you have friends? Girlfriends. Whatever."

"Stuff."

" 'Stuff'. Stuff like, world peace? Or more like 'What do you think of my white horse, Cinderella?'."

Again he gave her an annoyed glance and she settled back into the sofa. "I just wonder what you talk about after you rescue those girls. Do their moony eyes at you fill the time or are you forced to actually speak about something?"

"Could you stop talking about them?" he pleaded.

"I'm just saying. Have you ever thought about being with a girl who wasn't a damsel in distress? Someone who didn't need to be rescued or need your help?"

"You need my help," he pointed out.

"That's different," she dismissed. "We have a partnership. I don't idolize you; I know you too well."

He nodded absently as he tried to pay attention to the game.

"The thing with those relationships," she went on, "is they don't last."

"Because you've been in so many," he sarcastically retorted.

"I've seen enough. And yours have gone so well," she remarked with equal sarcasm as he cast a look at her. "The minute you stop playing hero, what's left?"

"I do my job. I don't stand around and decide one day to like someone. It just happens while doing my job. And I know those girls paint me out as something I'm not." He paused, before going on, a bit softer. "But sometimes it's good because I don't go through the things I do loving it all the time. Sometimes I need someone to look at me and not see a killer."

"But wouldn't it be better to just find someone who knows who you are, who knows what you do and just accepts it? Not someone who believes that illusion: who has some schoolgirl fantasy. But someone who you wouldn't have to be ashamed of yourself in front of."

"Yeah, that would be great. Have anyone in mind?" he said sarcastically and she sighed at the dead end. "Not that you're one to talk on successful relationships," he muttered, facing his game again.

"I resent that. I've had successful relationships," she disputed. Jason nearly snorted in disbelief and her mouth fell open then offered as example, "Jax."

"Yeah, too bad you were in love with Sonny the entire time you were with him," he remarked.

"I was n-" she stopped herself from arguing. "We were happy," she concluded. "That makes it a successful relationship."

"I don't understand why you don't just go for him now," he faced her, expectantly.

"He's married."

"You still love him, though," he carried on then added, "For some reason. Hell, you still love Sonny."

She shook her head at his statements. "If you were with someone that made you happy and you wanted to be with them, then Robin came back to town, could you honestly say that you would not still love her?"

Jason didn't answer verbally; his silence was enough of a response.

"Like you said," she stated, "You don't wake up one day and decide to start loving someone. Well, you can't decide not to love them anymore either. You just… keep going. And hope there's someone else out there who is looking for something again too."

There was a calm silence through the room as they sat motionless. The harsh sound of the power failing rang through the house, suddenly, as Brenda jumped and they were cloaked in darkness.

Waiting only a moment, she whispered, "What happened?"

Jason peered at the windows, his eyes darting to each one as he quietly responded, "Someone cut our power."

He set the cell phone down, silently standing and reaching for his gun on the side table. He motioned with a nod for her to follow him to the wall next to the front door and he made sure she was plastered against its side. She watched him, waiting for further instruction and he held a finger to his lips. His gun was raised and in position as he waited to hear anyone other than themselves approaching or moving in the house.

The jolting cry of the cell phone pierced the silence as Jason and Brenda jerked with surprise. Jason watched the hallway from the bedroom as the phone went on. The front door slammed open suddenly, a man with a gun drawn rushing in. Jason grabbed him at his shoulders, pulling him down to fiercely connect with his knee shoving into the man's stomach. Brenda watched the man tumble to the ground as Jason checked the area outside, gun aimed and ready. He was betting this was the man from the front and there would be more coming from the other sides.

"Come on," he whispered to her and hurried out the front door towards the surrounding woods.

They moved into the wooded area but only after the other men spotted their escape. Brenda ducked with surprise as they ran when the sound of shots coming at them filled the air. Jason fired back to fend off their pursuit and the two kept on through the woods, rushing until they couldn't hear the men following anymore.

***

Sonny slowly set the phone down and Jax looked at him, expectantly.

"What?" he asked.

"Jason's not picking up," Sonny murmured.

"Something's wrong," Jax insisted and Sonny knew that he may just be right. Jason would never leave his phone unattended, especially not when he hiding out it was the only way to contact Sonny.

Something was wrong.

…