Brenda didn't like being in the same room as Carly any more than she had to be. However Luis had wanted her to play nice, assured that Lorenzo had warned the other woman to the same. Still, it did nothing for the iciness the room contained.

Staring across the room at her, Brenda wondered how Lorenzo had managed to convince Carly to be civil. What, exactly, was the smooth South American holding over her head that made her actually stand there without trying to claw her eyes out? But, then again, maybe she just loved Lorenzo and wanted to make him happy. Yeah, right. He had something that he was dangling just out of her reach, and if she didn't play nice long enough for him to have a decent visit with his brother, she would never get it.

Brenda sighed and looked down at her watch. This early morning thing was bad enough, but an early morning spent with Carly Benson was one that had her wishing that time would move faster. She still had a meeting with Alexis ahead of her, and lunch with Sam. Though, lunch with Sam might end up pushed back a little bit. Lois knew that she was in town, which meant that a lecture was in her future. It was a lot easier to put off lunch with Sam McCall than to avoid Lois Cerullo.

She looked at her watch again. Less than three minutes had passed since her mind first started to wander about her day. Time was moving way too slowly, and Brenda was way too uncomfortable. Carly just kept… staring at her. And not just a stare of discomfort. Carly's stare was one of sheer hatred. Brenda knew it well. She'd tossed plenty of her own to both of Sonny's ex-wives.

"Would you stop staring at me?" Brenda rolled her eyes and leaned back against the sofa. "I realize I'm gorgeous, but you don't have to gawk."

"Please." Carly's eyes rolled. "You're so full of yourself. I've seen prettier, and believe me, I'll see prettier when you're gone."

Brenda glared at her and restrained the urge to make a rude hand gesture. She had promised to play nice, and while her words were far from amicable, things could have been worse. Instead of trading barbs, the women could be rolling on the floor or throwing things. Yes, throwing things would have to be the worst that they could do because there were so many breakable things within their reach.

Brenda still couldn't fathom the amount of light that came into the house. She would swear that there were more windows than actual walls in the place. The sun came through the glass and reflected off of the furniture and walls. Though the red was a dark and rich shade, it served only to contrast the brightness of everything else. The house was one big ball of light and positive energy. This house proved the difference between Luis and Lorenzo Alcazar more than anything else ever could.

Luis would never live in a place so light. She thought that he was so comfortable in the penthouse because of its darkness. He was all grumble and mystery. Varying shades of white and tan weren't his speed. Even the yacht was colored with dark browns, mahogany and black. The only lighter areas were those that he didn't spend much time in. Lorenzo was obviously at home in the light. Luis was at home in the dark. Yeah, those brothers were definitely the personification of day and night.

"Why are you here?" Carly sighed and slid down in her chair. Her slender arms fell over the sides. Her legs stretched straight in front of her. "Seriously, Brenda. What is there left for you in Port Charles? With Luis, of all people. Last any of us heard, you hated his guts, and now you're here? Who are you planning to hurt?"

Brenda looked at her and groaned. She supposed she should let her in on the plan. She was a part of it, even if her place in the situation was only at the outcome. Personally, she didn't care one way or another who ended up with custody of the children. A part of her wished that AJ were still alive, because at least then, there would be an alternative where Michael were concerned. But, Carly was the mother of Michael and Morgan, and when Sonny landed in jail, she would get custody.

She'd told Alexis, but that was different. Yes, Alexis would end up with custody, as well, but she was also more directly involved. She was the attorney that would finalize the deals that left Jax nearly penniless. Her hands would be the one that passed the District Attorney the goods that would put Sonny away for a very long time. She ahd to know the intimate details of everything. Carly, on the other hand, only needed to know the surface of the vengeance.

"You can sit there," Carly said, "and stare at me. You can sit in my home because you're with Lorenzo's brother, but the least you can do is tell me where I fit into all of this." Brenda started to speak and Carly said quickly, "And don't tell me that I don't fit into it. Lorenzo already told me enough to pique my curiosity. The only reason I'm talking to you instead of ripping out your hair and telling you to get the hell out of my house is because Lorenzo said that the end would justify the means. So, while you're sitting there with that smug look on your face, you can damn well tell me what the end is."

She could have easily said something snarky in reply. Tear my hair out, will she? Yeah, well, we'll just see. I've been catfighting longer than-- Brenda shook her head. If she let her mind go along those lines, it wouldn't be long before she was unable to keep the thoughts just inside of her head. At any moment, they would come pouring out of her mouth and then they'd have both broken whatever promises they had made to their respective Alcazar.

Brenda sighed and sat up straight. She stared at Carly, then sighed. "Fine," she said. "I'm pretty sure that you're not gonna run off and tell Sonny. You wouldn't really get anything out of it. But, know this, it's neither Luis nor me that thinks you can be trusted with this. Lorenzo is the one that said we should have a little more faith in you. Well, that's what he told Luis, and he told me and…" She shook her head. "You get the point. I don't trust you, and I have no reason to trust you, but for whatever reason, Lorenzo does. Luis trusts his brother, even if he doesn't trust you."

"Would you stop your idiotic babbling and tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Yeah, great going, Carly. That's exactly the way to get me to talk." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ya know, I didn't really want you to get anything out of this, but I couldn't help it. I hold one hell of a grudge, and you get a big chunk of that grudge. But, I can't avoid it. I don't like you, and just because we're both with an Alcazar doesn't mean that I ever will."

Carly's eyes rolled upwards and she grunted. "Preaching to the choir, sister."

"I'm just making things clear, alright? We can both marry into the family, and we will never be family."

"Stop dropping hints, alright? I already know you're marrying Luis. Lorenzo has to be at the wedding, you know, and he talks to me." She grunted. "He talks to me a hell of a lot more than Sonny ever did."

"Sonny talks to nobody." Brenda sighed. "I swear, Lily was perfect for him because he never had to tell her anything. He could tell her everything was alright while somebody shot at her and she wouldn't care."

"Yeah, well, she might have cared if he shot her." Carly's hand drifted to her head, lightly fingering a wound that was long gone. "Accident or not, there are just some things that can't be forgiven. Not in the long run."

The women stared at one another and, though they would never admit it, found an understanding on some level. They had both received their own damages from Sonny and there was no love lost there. Their eyes had finally opened to the man that he truly was, the man that some people would just never see. They didn't know it, but both thought about Jason within seconds of each other, knowing that he'd never understand what they felt. His loyalty was just too strong. Their loyalty, however, had been destroyed.

The understanding descended, and it probably wouldn't come back to the surface. As uncomfortable as the room had been with them staring at one another, it had been more comfortable than when they looked at each other and realized they had more than a similar eye-shape and ex-lovers in common. They would easily go back to hating one another, never voicing the fact that they knew what the other felt and secretly, even to themselves, hoped the other got what they deserved.

"Sonny's going to jail and you're getting your sons back," Brenda said bluntly. She looked down at her watch. Time was still moving way too slowly for her. Whatever Luis and Lorenzo were talking about in other areas of the mansion, they needed to hurry up. "And Courtney's husband is about to end up penniless… or damn near."

Carly was quiet as she stared at Brenda, her eyes wide with shock. Brenda wondered if she were going to start yelling at her, whether it be at Sonny's defense or Courtney's. Her ex-husband and her best friend. But, surprisingly, she started to laugh. Her laugh was loud and boisterous, a sound that was only brought by something truly funny.

"That is rich! Courtney…" She shook her head. "Courtney deserves whatever she gets!" Carly laughed again, then forced herself to calm down. "You know what? I'm going to tell you this just so you won't end up constantly bugging Lorenzo with your mess about not trusting me."

"Uh huh…"

"Courtney, my best friend, Courtney… I forgive her for a lot of things. I forgive her for trying to steal my son after Sonny shot me in the head. I forgive her for not taking responsibility when she jumped over the side of Lorenzo's yacht like an idiot. I even forgive her for dragging me into her mess and getting me to dump her car. What I don't forgive her for is being nowhere in sight when my children were kidnapped. I don't forgive her for not being there to hold my hand when I thought Michael had been killed. And I damn sure don't forgive her condeming me for being with the one man who did hold my hand through it all when she just used the kidnapping as an excuse not to marry Jax. I told that silly twit not to marry him in the first place. She deserves whatever she gets."

Admittedly, Brenda hadn't expected to hear any of that. She didn't really care what had gotten screwed up in Carly and Courtney's friendship. She just wanted to be sure that Carly wouldn't go telling the Karate Kid what was going on. She didn't need Jax getting tipped off. "What about Sonny?"

"He doesn't deserve my boys. Michael isn't even his son." She sat upright, then leaned forward, pressing her elbows into her knees. "As long as no one dies and my boys don't get hurt, I don't care what you do."

"Good." Brenda rolled her head to the side and looked towards the foyer and stairs. There was still no sign of an Alcazar coming any time soon. "No one's gonna die," she said. "We're doing this my way, not Luis's. My way makes them pay for all the pain they've caused. You and Alexis just happen to be the lucky ones. Just like Lorenzo said… the ends justify the means. So, now, you can stop talking to me, I can stop talking to you…"

"And we can get back to our regularly scheduled hatred."

"Exactly." Brenda snorted a laugh, then sighed. "Now, if Luis would just hurry up his business. We've got people to see and lives to destroy."