Okay, update! I was (finally) inspired by the Brazen love I've been seeing on the show (most notably, that scene in the hospital: he calls her brave and she says what I've been writing all along in this fiction, "You're just not used to being around brave girls." WOO! Brenda is brilliant. And he didn't dispute it. He knows she's right. So, my Brenda and Jason are just a smidgen further along than Guza's B&J (no, not Ben and Jerry). I like where mine are better.

Again, I apologize for the days between updates (but I am a full-time student, you know) :) And think of it this way: I get inspired by Brazen on the show so if you see something there, I may just have made an update because of it. So if you want more fiction, write to GH and tell them we want more Brazen!!!

Life in Mono

Brenda absently shook her head as she flipped channels with her good arm on the television in the bedroom. Jason set her drink down on the night stand as she spoke.

"I had no idea daytime television could be so bad. From what I gathered in the past thirty five minutes, this guy is with a blonde girl, who I've taken to call Barbie, who is a complete moron."

"Why are you watching it, then?" he remarked.

"I want to see if he'll get with the right girl in the end," she said, simply.

The door knocked and he went to go get it. As Jason opened the door, he found Jax impatiently waiting behind it.

"What do you want."

"I need to talk to Brenda."

Jason had the distinct urge to shut the door in his face and he realized, now, how Sonny must have felt toward the man for the past five or six years. Instead, knowing he couldn't keep Jax from Brenda forever, he opened the door to let him in.

"Make it quick."

"Sure," Jax retorted sarcastically.

Brenda saw Jax appear in the doorway of the bedroom and she turned the television off. "Jax, what are you doing here?"

"I didn't get to talk to you last night when you came home," he smiled warmly, taking a seat on the bed next to her. His eyes studied her injured shoulder again. "Sonny said you were shot. What happened?"

"We got cornered by Luis's men; off the road in some woods; and they were just firing at anything. They happened to hit me."

"And Alcazar?" he treaded carefully.

Brenda's face set in a mask of acceptance. "I shot him. I didn't plan on it. He was just going to kill Jason right in front of me. I couldn't just sit there and let him."

"It's all right," he murmured, just as equally to her as to himself. He took a breath and decided to change the subject. "Guess what. Your cottage is still on the market; I went in and bought it before any potential buyers could take it."

"You bought my cottage?" she smiled.

"It's yours; you should have it," he nodded, taking her hand. "And when you're well enough to move around, you can go home and I'll make you a homemade meal."

Brenda's smile slowed and she warily said, "You'll make me a meal?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "Just the two of us."

" 'The two of us.' What about Skye…?"

His smile faded at the thought of her, his anger still fresh. "Skye has known for a while that you weren't sick. And I have my suspicions that she informed Alcazar you were at that restaurant the night you were shot at."

"Wow," Brenda murmured, unsure how to deal with that. A woman she didn't even know hated her, and would probably like to see her dead. It was hard to understand.

"We're not together anymore," Jax went on. "We're getting a divorce."

When she met his eyes, she knew then what he meant. Knew what he expected of her. And her memories of their past life together were still so vibrant in her mind. But she couldn't say anything and she knew why.

"I'm kind of tired," she reported suddenly and he immediately stood.

"I'm sorry; you should rest then."

He said his polite goodbye and she settled into the pillow at her back. She wasn't dying. It had taken her all night to wrap her mind around it but she knew Jax was thorough and would have made sure he was right before telling her. Living meant she could do anything now; go anywhere, be anything.

And it meant free to be with anyone, she supposed. Jax had just opened the door to himself moments ago but an edge of doubt had crept into her heart when he spoke of them together.

She heard footsteps upstairs and anxiously looked over to the doorway as Jason past. "Jason!" she called to stop him and he slowed, coming back to the door. He waited, a blank expression on his face now, and she wondered when she had figured out that it was a defense mechanism he used to keep himself detached.

It was because of Jason, she realized as to why she was wary with Jax. She loved her cottage but she didn't want to live there alone; she wanted Jason there with her. Of course, that would be a task. Especially since he hated the place. Remembering he hated her cottage, filled with things that were special to her, only made her recollect how he had hated her as well, until only recently. He had taken her away and taken care of her, thinking she was dying and giving his sympathies. But that was gone; she was just Brenda now. And Old Jason hated Just Brenda.

"Never mind," she murmured, noting his impatient expression after she had paused too long. He was gone as quick as that and again, she slumped into her pillows. She was going to live. The world was completely open to her every whim. And she loved a man who hated her.

Brenda glanced at the bedside clock – it was past 11pm and she was tired. She turned the TV off and listened closely for movement. Jason had been downstairs all day; he hadn't stayed with her, he only brought her food and such. The night before, he slept downstairs but she assumed that was because she was in such bad shape when they arrived. She was much better now but he still hadn't appeared. Did he plan to leave his bed for her the whole time?

"Jason?" she called, planning to think up some phony reason to get him upstairs. His footsteps filled the hallway and he appeared in the door.

"What is it?"

"Could I have some more aspirin? My shoulder is starting to hurt again."

He got the bottle and some water, bringing it to her.

"So what are you doing down there?" she casually asked as he handed her the pills.

"Work."

"I guess you're not going to bed anytime soon," she went on. "I mean, you can, if you want. If you want me to move back to the guest room, I can; if I'm in the way. I don't want to take your bed from you."

Jason looked at her for a moment before closing the bottle. "You shouldn't be moving with your shoulder."

"I don't want to be in the way," she said simply.

He took a breath. "You're not."

Leaving the room without another word, Jason returned downstairs. Keep busy with work, he thought to himself. Don't think about her. But he couldn't help it. His mind wandered. She's already dying to get out of your bed, he thought. She'll be moving out soon. Well, it's for the best. If Sonny found out anything about how he felt about Brenda, of all people, there would be trouble. And his friendship with Sonny was the most important thing to him. At least, that's what he thought before he started imagining himself and Brenda in Europe. Or anywhere other than Port Charles. He knew coming back would change things and he had feared she wouldn't care about him once she was back around Sonny and Jax. It seemed his apprehensions had come true. And she would be gone in no time, leaving only these feelings that she had stirred up in her wake.

Days of awkward passing followed in the Morgan penthouse and Brenda's shoulder began to heal. It was strange and quiet in the house, like when she had first moved in but much worse; then they had fought. Now, they hardly spoke.

Brenda sat gingerly upon the couch after a week had passed when there was a gentle knock. She rose and opened the door to find Jax.

"Why are you answering the door?" he asked, immediately.

"Well, hello too," she remarked, letting him in.

"You shouldn't be moving so much."

"It has gotten much better."

"I think you're lying," he replied.

"I think I'm on good painkillers," she smiled and he nodded.

Jason descended the stairs when he had heard voices and saw the two. Jax ignored him and faced Brenda.

"The house is cleared and ready for you to move in," he grinned.

"My cottage?"

"Yeah, we can move you today if you feel up to it."

Brenda paused as Jason seemed to stroll to his desk for some papers, acting as though he were not involved in their conversation.

"Well…" she hesitated, then said clearly enough for him to hear. "I guess there's no reason I shouldn't move…"

Jason didn't budge as he appeared to read over the account book.

She added, with finality, "…is there?"

"No," Jax laughed at the obviousness of it. She smiled politely at him then nodded once.

"Okay."

He turned, heading up the stairs to help her pack and she looked back at Jason only once to see he hadn't so much as glanced her direction. With that, she followed Jax to go pack.

"So Brenda's moving out?" Sonny asked. Jason had retreated to Sonny's place as Jax and Brenda packed her things. He nodded to Sonny silently who observed his good friend.

"I bet you're glad to be rid of her," Sonny murmured absently, pouring himself a drink. Jason didn't answer exactly but Sonny knew his friend hated Brenda and would be happy she was out of his life.

"Everything with Alcazar has been taken care of," Sonny went on, talking business. "Your tracks have been covered; you were never in the islands. If anyone asks, you and your wife were alone, honeymooning in Europe."

Jason sat on the couch, rubbing his temple with his hand. Honeymooning. Europe. It was as if Sonny was deliberately saying things that had real relevance.

Sonny took the seat next to him and sipped his drink. "So. Brenda really shot Alcazar."

"Yeah."

"I'm surprised she pulled the trigger."

Jason gazed off as he thought of it. "She said she couldn't let him kill me."

Sonny's eyes darted over to his friend. "So she did it for you."

He heard the questioning tone in Sonny's voice immediately, knowing the man for so long and able to read him. Jason shrugged noncommittally. "Alcazar had a gun to my head; anyone would shoot at him."

"Not anyone," Sonny looked off. "Not Brenda. Not unless pushed to the edge."

"We were running for our lives," he agreed.

"Or unless it was someone she really cared about," Sonny added. Jason didn't move and Sonny concluded, "She must have been pushed to her breaking point."

Jason released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Sonny didn't suspect anything. Thank God.

"Anyway, Alcazar is cleaned up but we still have to watch for his associates with any possible retaliation."

"I'll have some people monitor any likely suspects," Jason nodded as Sonny stood.

"Well. I'm going to meet with Melis. And cheer up: Brenda will be soon out of your place."

Jason nodded as Sonny left, then, when he was alone, buried his head in his hands with a heavy sigh.

…