A/N: Alright, and here it is. We are in the homestretch. I just started another story so I really want to finish this one. I have up to chapter 22 written and I am going to only make it a few more chapters after that. Once I have it all, I'm just going to post it all at once. This story has kind of become a hassle, and the reviews have been few and far between. I do however want to finish it the right way. I am not going to put in everything I planned, but I am going to finish what I started. I could technically end it after this chapter and just do an epilogue, but I wrote another part and I want to share it with you guys. So I'll finish that part and then it'll be done. So reviews would be nice, but no threats this time.

And BTW, Lenny is just the name of a random guard. I made it up 'cause I needed an extra guy and couldn't think of a name off the top of my head of someone who worked for Sonny.

Chapter 17- Love Hurts

"That is not taking it easy" Serena reprimanded Jason as he attempted to lift her up in his arms as they walked back into the penthouse.

"Uh-oh. Am I being a naughty boy? Do I need a spanking?" he asked her playfully, raising one eye brow.

"Cute Jase. Real cute" she said as she brushed past him and walked into the kitchen. "Sit!" she commanded from the kitchen, and he did as she said. "Here" she said, walking out of the kitchen and passing him a glass of water.

"The one word sentences aren't really working for me" he joked, earning himself a death glare.

"I know you're not still mad at me for something I did a week ago" he said, kissing her neck.

"I am mad. I am so mad that I don't plan on letting you touch me for the next three months. And after that…then…you…I…what the hell was I saying?" she asked as she became distracted by his kisses.

"I love you more than life itself" he told her.

"I know you do, and that scares me" she said, resting her forehead on his.

He ran his hands through her hair and she sweetly kissed his lips, forgetting about any anger that she had at him. She hugged him tight and to her surprise, she finally let it all out. He felt his t-shirt beginning to get wet and he pulled her back and looked at her. She had tears running non-stop down her cheeks. She put her head in her hands and started sobbing, hiccupping as she did.

"Hey, it's ok. Come here" he said, holding her in his arms.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing as he rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. With each hiccup, her whole body shook, and he feared for a second that she was going to break a rib or something.

"Here" he said softly, holding the glass of water she had brought him to her lips so she could drink it.

She finally calmed down and he asked her what had happened. What was wrong?

"It's just this whole ordeal. I was so scared when Kemen told me you got shot. And than I had that dream, and it was just too much. I thought you were safe, and then you got hurt again. And when you passed out at Roscoe's safe house, I thought I had lost you for good"

"You will never lose me for… did you say Roscoe? Did you find out that it was Faith's house?"

"Maybe" she answered, looking down, "but Jase, focus on your sobbing girlfriend a second"

"Right, sorry" he said, trying to push business aside and just focus on holding her.

But, as usual, they were interrupted. By Sonny.

"Serena, can I speak with you for a second?" asked Sonny, barging right in.

"Ah...yeah" she answered, brushing the tears from her face.

"You ok?" Jason heard Sonny as her as they walked into the hall.

'Great' he thought. 'Now they won't even discuss business in front of me. Talk about role-reversal'.

A few minutes later Serena walked back into the penthouse, sans Sonny. She wordlessly opened the front closet and took out the lock box. Opening it, she retrieved the gun, but Jason got up and took it from her before she could load it.

"What are you doing?" he asked her

"Working" she answered as she grabbed a hair tie off of her wrist and put her hair up in a secure ponytail.

"Are you going to take care of Faith?" he asked.

"Why does it matter Jason?" she asked impatiently.

"Because it's suicide. Faith is virtually indestructible. One of her guards will kill you first. And we both don't need bullet wounds right now. One of us getting shot was enough"

"Jason, I'll take my chances"

"No, you won't" he ordered.

"I wont?" she questioned, searing with anger. "Last time I checked, you didn't order me around like one of your employees or one of these little guard guys that shake in their shoes every time they see you. I make my own decisions, I make my own choices. You don't pick for me. And you certainly do not own me" she said, her brown eyes cold as she looked at him.

He looked at her with matching cold eyes as she grabbed the gun from him. She turned to walk out, but he grabbed her wrist of the hand that held the gun. He pulled her back, holding and pulling her a little too forcefully. She glared at him in anger, and before he knew it, his cheek was stinging from her slap. He let go of her and grabbed his cheek in pain. She had a hard hit, and the force of it had turned his whole head, causing his neck to crack in the process. He rubbed his sore cheek with one hand and his sore neck with the other. They just stood there, glaring at each other. Her eyes seemed to be filled with dread and disbelief. She couldn't believe that she had just hit him. She had hit him hard enough to bruise.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. "Let me see it" she said, trying to gently remove his hand from his cheek and inspect the damage she had caused him.

He flinched away from her touch.

"Just go away" he told her coldly.

"Jason, please"

"GO!" he yelled at her and she fled from the penthouse, gun in hand, tears stinging at her eyes.

He slammed the door behind her and went into the kitchen to get some ice for his still throbbing cheek.

Meanwhile, Serena sat in the hall, leaning against the door to her penthouse, swiping at the tears that were falling. She couldn't believe that she had hit him. It was never ok to hit the man you love, especially when you love that man with all of your heart. Jason had just confessed to her that he loved her more than life, and she had just hit him. She felt terrible. She wanted to go back in there and get down on her knees and beg at his feet for forgiveness. She hated how coldly he had looked at her when he yelled at her to go. Frustrated, she stood up and barged into Sonny's penthouse.

"I can't do it" she yelled. "I won't. Sonny, do you have any idea what the hell I just did because of this!" she yelled.

"Shh, calm down. Come here and talk to me" he said, leading her to the couch. "What happened now?"

"Jason saw me go for the gun and he immediately knew what I was doing. He told me it was suicide, and that I shouldn't do it. Then, he ordered me not to and I just lost it on him. I yelled, he yelled, he grabbed me to stop me from walking out, and then I turned around and slapped him. Hard. Right across the face. His neck cracked and everything. I mean, it's definitely going to bruise. I hit him Sonny!"

"Calm down, you lost it, it's no big deal"

"As if he hasn't been through enough pain already, I'm just adding to it. We've never had a fight before you know" she said.

"Never?" he questioned.

"Never. I mean, there was that day that I thought he was going to break up with me, but that was more of a misunderstanding than a fight" she responded.

"Come on" he said, pulling her up by the hand.

"Where are we going?" she questioned, but he ignored her and led her across the hall.

Meanwhile, Jason sat on the couch, icing his cheek. It hurt to fight with her, both emotionally and, as he now learned, physically. He knew that he had grabbed her too hard, but she didn't have to hit him. The little devil on his shoulder kept reminding him that if she loved him, she wouldn't have hit him.

The door flew open and a livid Sonny barged in, dragging Serena behind him. When she saw that he was holding ice on his cheek, she looked down. She really had hurt him.

"Serena tells me you two are having your first ever fight" said Sonny, sitting her down on the couch.

"Yeah, so" mumbled Jason.

"Let me see it" said Serena softly, lifting the ice off his cheek to look at the forming bruise. It was already turning black and blue. She gingerly touched it, and he closed his eyes for a second as he felt her hand on his skin. She kissed the wound, letting her lips linger on his skin.

"I am so sorry" she whispered.

"Me too" said Jason, taking her hand in his.

Sonny looked confused at how quickly that had just happened.

"Well my work here is done" he said, congratulating himself on putting them back together so easily.

Once they both heard the door close, signaling Sonny's exit, they turned so they were looking into each other's eyes.

"I lost it. I just snapped and I didn't mean to hit you. I just kind of reacted" she said

"I know. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that"

"I guess this has just all been hard on us. You getting shot, and being in the hospital. I guess it just made us both realize that we're not invincible. That we can end up losing each other" she said as her forehead rested against his.

"Yeah" he said, lifting one hand to caress her cheek.

"I never want to lose you" she said.

"And I never want to lose you either" said Jason as he held her tightly to him.

"I love you so much" she murmured into his chest.

He couldn't imagine how he had gotten so lucky. Even with their fight, he still felt blessed to have her. That he had ever doubted her love for him was crazy.

"I love you too" he whispered to her.

"But what are we going to do about Faith?" she asked him

"I don't know. But I'll call some of the guys together tomorrow and we'll talk about it"

"And by we you mean…"

"Me, you, and others"

"Good" she said smiling at him.

"And what do you plan to do until then?" she asked him

"Maybe give you some bruises of your own" he said, lowering his mouth so that he was sucking hard on her neck.

She moaned in pleasure as she allowed his teeth to bite into her. She straddled him and she lifted off his t-shirt. He pulled off her top and tossed it on to the floor. She unzipped his pants, and he pulled off her panties from underneath her too-short skirt. This was how it was supposed to be.

Serena sat perched on Jason's desk at the warehouse. Jason was sitting in the chair, and Francis, Max, Marco, and Lenny were standing around. Max was on the phone with Sonny, trying to sort out some details. He took the call and left the office, leaving the others to sit around waiting. Not a word was shared. The only sound was of Lenny's chewing on nicotine gum in an effort to quit smoking. Every now and then he popped the gum. Jason rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on.

"Pop" Lenny's gum went yet again.

"I SWEAR TO GOD, POP THAT GUM ONE MORE TIME LENNY AND I AM GOING TO POP YOU!" yelled Serena, finally losing it.

Everyone stared at her and a small smile crept to Jason's lips.

"Sorry, anger spasms" she said with a small smile, wishing everyone would stop looking at her.

Finally Max walked back in and Jason began the meeting. It was decided that Faith would be warned, but her life would be spared this once. A quick shot to the leg or arm would do the trick. Of course, that brought on yelling on everyone's part about who's going to do it and how it would go down.

"Alright, alright. One at a time. Serena, you talk first" said Jason.

"Why does she get to talk first" complained Marco.

"'Cause I'm sleeping with the boss-man" said Serena with a flirty smile and a flip of her hair.

"That's obvious" mumbled Max, prompting Serena to grab her neck and cover one of the many hickey's Jason had placed on her body only the night before.

"Hey" warned Jason. No one insulted his girl and got away with it.

"Sorry boss" said Max.

"Alright, here's the deal. I am doing it, end of story. It's personal at this point. I dealt with Herena, I got hurt. I want payback. One of her guards shot Jason. That's about as personal as it gets" she said.

"And why not let Jason do it?" questioned Francis. "It's personal for him too"

"Thanks for standing up for me, but I'm not in perfect form right now" said Jason, and they all knew he was referring to his recent bullet wounds.

"Look, why let Serena do it. I mean, she's a wom..." Lenny said, stopping before he said something that would get himself in trouble.

But he had already said too much. Serena had him pinned against the wall in a matter of a second, her elbow on his neck holding him in place.

"What were you saying?" she asked.

"Jason" croaked Lenny.

"Hey man, you're on your own. I wouldn't want to endure Serena's wrath" said Jason with a smile.

"You already have" said Max with a chuckle and a smile, motioning to Jason's cheek.

Both Serena and Jason glared at him.

"I really don't know how to keep my mouth shut today" said Max.

Jason smirked and told Serena to let Lenny down before she killed him. Sighing, she did so and threw her hair back behind her shoulders. It was decided, Serena would do it. Max and Marco would be back up, and Francis and Lenny would be in charge of providing her with an escape route. She ordered the men around, directing them in the plan. Once she was done, she left the office, throwing her hair behind her once more.

"Jason, you are so whipped" joked Marco, making a little whip noise and motion with his hand.

"You're telling me" he said with his lovesick smile on. "Did you happen to catch my role in that plan?" he asked

"Nope" said Marco

"Exactly" said Jason, following Serena out, causing the other men to laugh.

A/N: You know the drill.