First things first: I'm so very sorry. There wasn't really a way for me to tell you guys that my computer had been in the shop or I was (am?) becoming royally pissed at GH and the way they're treating Brazen, etc. Lost a little faith for a moment. But I always promise anyone who reads my fics that I will tell you if I have decided to leave it. I will never just let it go without a word. Besides, it was Christmas; that was one good explanation, right? Well. Back to work.

I think it was SG saying, "Where are you?" that made me feel so guilty, I got right on the update right away. Thanks for the kick in the pants. :) And oh, good God, who wrote that "UPDATE" post?? Are you insane?! LOL. Okay, on with the stuff.

I Don't Like Mondays

Brenda's eyes fluttered open and the blinding white hit her senses. Her entire body felt sore; well, from what little she could feel. The rest, she couldn't make out. Maybe it was numb? Was she paralyzed?

She carefully turned her head on the pillow, seeing she was lying in a bed; there were white curtains surrounding it; and she found Jason suddenly catch sight of the movement. He was sitting next to the bed and he looked incredibly concerned yet relieved.

"Where am I?" she grated out, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

"We're in a small hospital, still in the islands. It was too risky to fly out."

Her brow furrowed, trying to piece everything together. "What happened?"

Jason paused. "You don't remember?"

It rushed into her like a flood and she slowly met his eyes. "We were running from Luis and his men. I got shot. And Luis… I kil-"

"You shouldn't talk right now," he murmured in calming tones.

"He was going to kill you."

"But he didn't," he noted. "You saved me."

"I kil-"

"Brenda," he stopped her again. "It's all right."

"Did you make sure? Did you check the body?" she went on, the worry in her heart starting again. Jason calmly nodded, holding her hand in his.

"I made sure."

Her eyes slid shut with relief. When she opened them again, she was gazing ahead. "So I did it."

Jason was close, his voice lowered so no one else could hear. "It was self-defense."

She nodded, though more to confirm to herself that explanation.

"Can we go home now?" she quietly requested.

"Yeah," he slowly replied. "We'll go home."

Jason and Brenda stood in the elevator as it headed up to the penthouse, her arm slung and bandaged heavily. She was on pain killers, those which would soon make her drowsy, but she insisted on getting home, not taking his advice for a wheelchair or assistance.

"I guess you've told Sonny," she stated out of nowhere and he glanced at her.

"About…" He nearly said 'us', but stopped himself. He didn't even know if there was an 'us' with them.

"About Luis," she remarked as though it were obvious.

"Yeah, I had to. Why wouldn't I?" he calmly disputed.

"So he knows everything."

Again, he wasn't sure what 'everything' meant to her. He was about to ask but the elevator doors opened and she exited.

They entered the apartment and the empty place actually made her feel better; it was familiar and that was comforting.

"You should go lie down," Jason suggested.

Brenda paused, her head slightly swirling, but knowing she wanted to speak with him about it as soon as possible.

"Jason, I don't know what you think happened out there," she started and he felt the reality of her rejection sink into him.

"Don't worry about it, Brenda-"

"No, I am," she interrupted. "I want to be straight between us before anything or anyone else comes around."

"You don't have to explain anything," he answered swiftly.

"Shut up, for a second, would you?" she retorted, trying to sound firm but her voice was weak because her head was killing her. She feared it was the beginning of her illness and knew she would have to deal with these kinds of mind-numbing headaches for the rest of her days so she pushed on through it.

Brenda met his eyes as he watched her, the reluctant look in them obvious that he did not want to hear what she wanted to say. But she quietly went on anyway.

"I am so glad we went there," she said. "Because I wouldn't have discovered that I can't go through all of this without you."

There was a swift door knock and it opened as the two turned to see Sonny enter.

"Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Jason answered, perfectly normal. As though he hadn't just heard her declare the exact opposite of what he expected.

Brenda made the smallest motions of a nod as Sonny inspected her – knowing she had killed Luis herself. He worried about that; he knew what damage taking a life could do to some people.

"Are you sure? You look tired," Sonny gently went on, hardly noticing Jason.

"I am," she admitted. "I was about to go lie down."

"Yeah, you should."

The door swung open to their surprise and Jax entered without invitation, already calling Brenda's name. Relief swept over him when he saw her and approached, making Jason and Sonny step aside. He examined her arm.

"What happened?"

"I'm all right," she insisted.

"Brenda."

"Everything's okay. Luis is gone."

Jax watched her eyes and they were solemn. He knew she was telling the truth, by whatever means she had.

He pushed that aside, wanting only to make her happy and take the sadness from her gaze. With a smile, he said, "I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"I spoke to Dr.Reinmar. I got him to admit he falsely diagnosed you. Alcazar was paying him off to lie to you. I've checked the records – your tests are all negative. You're not sick."

"Jax…" she started with disbelief.

"I swear it, Brenda; I have the tests. You can look at them yourself. You're not dying."

Brenda could have sworn she stopped breathing. She looked from Jax's ecstatic expression to Sonny who watched for a reaction – he obviously knew – and finally to Jason who was just as surprised as she but who watched her also with curiosity.

The thought of being healthy swam through her mind and it filled with a mix of emotions. Her head, which already whirled from the medication, made her waver and she sat back onto the arm of the couch with a plop. Jason, Sonny and Jax had moved when her eyes had drifted shut and she lost balance but the closest reached her first. Jason's arms steadied her when she sat upon the couch arm and her foggy eyes found his.

"Jason," she murmured. "I need to lay down."

His immediate reaction was to pick her up to take her to the bed but he hesitated when he thought of Sonny there. But the sight of Brenda swaying, her lids half closed and the weight of what she had just learned taking so much toll on her, overrode his concern for Sonny's observations.

Jason picked her up easily and ascended the stairs with her softly lying against him.

Jax convinced himself not to go with her but watching Jason holding her so closely, made him angry. He whirled on Sonny, taking his anger out on the best target. "What happened to her shoulder?"

Sonny sighed a little, never liking to talk to the guy, but finding it a bit cruel to keep this level of important information from him.

"She was shot," he answered simply.

"Shot??"

"One of Alcazar's men."

"And where is Alcazar?"

"Dead."

Jax slowed. "I take it, then, that Jason finished the job."

Sonny met Jax's glare before carefully reporting, "Brenda shot Alcazar."

Jax glanced up at the empty stairs, thinking of the small woman. He knew Alcazar had stolen so much of her life, lied to her and tortured her. And he knew he would have killed the man if he had had the chance as well.

Without another word, Jax left the penthouse, vowing that he'd return tomorrow.

The living room stood silently and Sonny's own gaze turned towards the stairs, wondering why Jason took so long. What was he doing with Brenda? He dismissed those thoughts with a shake of the head and left as well.

Jason laid the cover over her body as he kneeled next to it. Brenda took his hand. "I'll feel better tomorrow," she promised him and herself. He nodded and her hand squeezed his. He smiled slightly as her eyes shut and his hand smoothed her face clear. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly, then turning the bedside light off.

Standing, he remembered only then that Brenda was not sick; she was not dying; and the world was open to her now. Before, she had gone to him because she needed him to take care of her and she couldn't do it alone. Now, as soon as her wound healed, she would need no one. And if she did decide she needed someone, there was always Sonny and Jax.

Worry filled him, even as he fought it. But he knew that Brenda being able to live was a completely new ball game in their relationship or soon to be lack thereof.

…