Chapter 3

It was a nice Saturday afternoon. Brenda had wanted to go on a walk but decided against it remembering what an issue it is to go out on her own. Lately her and Jason were actually getting along. Of course this was only because they were staying out of each other's way. He went to work or whatever it is he did all day. She stayed home and read magazines or watched television only leaving the penthouse when she needed air with a guard. Of course. Always with a guard. Even though they hadn't heard from Alcazar in days Jason wouldn't let up on security. It was tight as ever. And Brenda was slowly getting used to having a shadow everywhere she went.

That morning Brenda was laying on the couch reading the latest fashion and gossip magazines Jason had brought her the night before at her request. She needed some kind of connection to the outside world and the magazines informed her of the latest trends and who was dating who in Hollywood. She was flipping through the gossip columns when Jason got home. He got home everyday and found her laying on the couch reading magazines. "Must be nice," he thought. Laying around all day without a care in the world.

"Hey," he said closing the door behind him.

She looked up from her magazine with an annoyed look on her face.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"Am I interrupting anything? I'm sorry if my coming home conflicts with your busy schedule," he said sarcastically.

"Was that supposed to be funny?"

"No," he said hanging his jacket in the closet. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Reading some gossip. Do you know who just got married?"

He sat on the couch next to her and turned on the telvision low.

"I never understood why people are facinated with the lives of others. Who actually chooses to be famous? You loose all your privacy."

"Yeah well..." she said flipping another page of her magazine. She stopped at one page and her eyes opened wide in shock. There on page 14 was a picture of Jason and her just outside the building. The picture was taken of them walking out and the caption underneath read NEWLYWEDS, FORMER MODEL BRENDA BARETT -MORGAN AND ALLEGED MOBSTER JASON MORGAN, OUTSIDE THEIR PENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN PORT CHARLES. There was a rather large piece next to it on Brenda's past loves and her supposed death and reappearance in Port Charles four years later. It went on to give the history of Jason and and his past brushes with the law.

Brenda sat up not knowing what to do. She felt her stomach turning and she thought she'd vomit.

"Oh my god," she said slowly.

"What? Who else tied the knot?" he said mockingly.

She looked up from the magazine, nervously, not knowing what his reaction would be to this. "We did." She handed him the magazine opened to the page of their picture. He looked at it closely. He slowly picked up the remote and turned off the television. He closed the magazine and began to rub his eyes in frustration.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" she finally asked.

"What do you want me to say? I just hope this is a one time thing. The last thing I... we need is any kind of publicity."

"You think?"she asked desperately.

"Think what?"he responded, finally looking up at her.

"That its a one time thing. Cause I don't want my illness to be made public knowledge."

"It won't."

"When I had the... when I was in the hopital it made the news...on television."

"Don't worry. Nothing on you or your illness will be made public. I'll take care of it."

"That's what Jax said. He paid off the press and it still spread."

"This isn't good. Not now." He got up and began to pace around the living room.

Hearing him worry made her even more nervous. She set those feelings aside and tried to calm him down.

"You know what, you're probably right. This probably is a one time thing. I mean we aren't a news worthy couple. Plus no one reads this old rag."

"That better be the case."

"Or else what?" she said starting to get the impression he blamed her for this. "This isn't my fault."

"I didn't say it was. But one has to wonder could it be the fact that you faked your own death that suddenly made us a target for the press."

"What are you talking about? I didn't fake my own death. I was in an accident and dissapeared for while. Its not my fault everyone thought I was dead. And you should talk. You helped Sonny fake his death."

"Which I wouldn't have had to do if Alcazar hadn't tried to kill Sonny because of you. Come to think of it, you are to blame."

"Will you just calm down! You're boring little life will not make news! No one wants to see you brooding!"

"For your own safety I hope thats true!"

Just then there was a knock on the door. Brenda, being the closest to the door, ran to it with Jason right behind her. She opened it to find Carly standing across from her.

"Hi," Carly said.

"Hi. Jason its for you," Brenda said and walked back to the couch.

"Hey Carly. What did you need?" Jason said inviting her in.

Carly sensed the tension in the room so she decided to get right to the point.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your yelling but I just wanted you to know that I just saw you guys on T.V."

"What do you mean you saw us on T.V.?" Brenda asked now interested in what Carly had to say.

"I mean that there was a piece on both of you. On the television," Carly said trying to make it clear to them.

"About what?" Jason asked ready to flip out.

"Well they were talking about how former model Brenda Barett-Morgan faked her death and reappeared coincidently the night Sonny reappeared days after he faked his death. They're calling it one of this years shocking moments."

"Great. First the magazine and now this." Jason said beginnig to pace again.

"Magazine?" Carly asked.

"Its a tiny piece on this weeks PC local rag," Brenda quickly responded.

"Its hardly tiny," Jason countered.

"Oh. Well there was another one a few weeks ago. I just didn't want to alarm you and Sonny. I know how you guys get about this stuff"

"What did it say?"Jason asked. His patience was wearing thin.

"It was about the two of you getting married."

"What the hell is going on. Why are we all of a sudden the next Ben and Jen." Brenda exclaimed.

"Somethings up. Someone must have set all this up."Jason said.

"Do you really think someone is behind this. It could just be because Brenda is a famous former model and she faked her death."

"Why didn't I see this coming? You blame me too," Brenda yelled

"Are you kidding me? None of this would have ever happened if you would have just stayed missing." Carly responded

"Oh, I am so sick of this crap. It is not my fault Alcazar is crazy. All I did was trust him. I am the victim here."

"Yeah thats why he tried to kill Sonny and not you. Why don't just do us all a favor and go back to him."

"Shut up! Both of you! Both of you sit," Jason said pointing at the couch.

They both did as he said and sat at opposites of the couch.

"That's better. You think both of you can be quiet so I think for a minute."

The door was wide open when Sonny came in.

"Hey. What are you guys in a time out?" Sonny asked seeing Carly and Brenda sitting quietly on the couch. He never knew either women to be quiet.

They both rolled there eyes at him. "Okay. I'll get back to you two. Listen Jason, there's a photographer outside hidden in the bushes. I need us to stay inside till I know why he's there."

Both Brenda and Carly took a deep breath in frustration. Jason followed, shaking his head.

"Whats going on? None of you have spoken a word since I got here."

"Brenda and I found an article and a picture of us in a magazine today. Carly found another last week. And Brenda faking her death was listed as one the most shocking moments this year on a local show. I think someone is behind all this publicity."

"The photographer?"Sonny questioned.

"Yeah that too."

"This has to be a set up. Someone must have gotten this ball rolling. But why?"

"Well if we're constantly being followed and everything we do is documented its harder for us to conduct business as usual."

"There's no way of controlling the press. And as your wife, Brenda really shouldn't be in the public eye. It makes her more of a target. Dammit. This has to be Alcazar. We got to call..." Sonny suddenly became aware he was about to speak business in front of Carly and Brenda and stopped. Jason and Sonny turned to find Brenda and Carly still sitting slouched on the couch.

"Brenda, welcome to the 'don't ask, don't tell' portion of the evening." Carly said.

"Just as well," Brenda said standing up from the couch. "Just because they are talking about my life, what little I have left, doesn't mean I should be included in the conversation. If you'll excuse me." She made her way quickly up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well guess that's my cue too," Carly said passing Jason and Sonny on her way out.

"You don't have to go," Sonny called after her as he heard the door of his own apartment slammed shut.

"Wow. You cleared the room. You need to tell me how you did that"

Brenda lay on her bed, her head throbbing with confusion. Things were spiralling out of control. She couldn't control Alcazar. She couldn't control the media. And she sure couldn't control her illness and its effects that she so recently began to experience. Her headaches were now replaced with dizziness and naseau. She was feeling tired and weak all the time. She had stoped worrying about Alcazar in the last few days since there hadn't been any sign of him. She really thought he had given up and left Port Charles. But now with this new media development and Jason and Sonny's reaction to it, she wasn't so sure. Her name would be dragged through the mud again. "Flaky and mentally unstable former model marries alleged mobster in her last days as her fatal illness claims her sanity and ultimately her life." This was all too much for her to handle. She put a pillow over head hoping to silence all the voices in her head. Then she remembered the bottle of pills and the instant relief they offered. She opened the bottle desperately and swallowed the pills dry.