A/N: I am so proud of you all. I got my twenty reviews. Keep it up guys, 'cause I'm not going to update anymore until I get my twenty meaningful reviews. "Update soon" does not count, and I didn't count one of the reviews this time because that was all I got. Anyway, I wasn't going to update so soon but I went on a binge and wrote about three chapters today. I wrote the chapter with the big reveal. I think it's going to shock some people. I handled it in a rather crafty matter. Now just what is the big reveal? Keep reading and reviewing to find out.
Seth Cohen's girlfriend- I had no idea that was your name! I love that name, so much. Anyway, I am very sorry that I dissapointed you. Maxie is hurting and she's taking it out on everyone.As I'm sure you know, that's what teenage girls do! Lol. Hopefully I can redeem myself with this chapter.
Vicki316- I was going for perfection! I'm glad you like it so much!
MelindaM- Thanks for the compliments. I have thought about journalism, but I'm not good at the investigative part of that. Who knows though, I start looking at colleges next weekend, so I'll keep in mind which one's have good writing programs! Oh, and BTW, I looove the hitting and crying thing.
TwoBrokenToCry- That's hot. I love that phrase. Glad you liked it.
brittany- Brittany! I told you I needed more than an "upate" to count it as a review! So I couldn't count yours as one of my twenty. Thanks for dropping a line anyway, but give me a little more next time so I can count you.
kaceekittykat- Homework is totally evil. Unfortunetly, "it's against my religion" often is not a good enough excuse for my teachers. Occasionally, you get a dumb one who lets it slide, but usually not. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
anon14- You thought that was my big thing? Nope, it's something bigger. Something much bigger...
emmalee05- I do love me some cliffhangers! It keeps people hooked and pisses them off all at the same time. Glad I got you waiting eagerly!
Jen- Thanks! I'm so happy to be one of your favorites. It's a major ego boost.
CherryJ- I love when people check everyday! It makes me so happy. I feel loved. Or at least my story does.
brucasbrathangrl- "OMG BEST FIC EVER AND IT JUST GETS BETTER!" : that's the quote of the day. Hell, the week. That was the biggest ego boost of the bunch. I am glad you like it so much. If I was a movie, and I was picking quotes from newspapers and what not to advertise with, I would totally pick yours, if you were a newspaper, and...well, you get what I mean.
Lauren- I know my limits, lol! I got my twenty, well, twenty-one, reviews in less than two days! Don't worry, I wouldn't pick a crazy number and leave you all hanging.
middiegurl08- I am so thrilled that you were able to picture it. I love to be descriptive so people know exactly what's going on in my head.
Tina- It's an awesome song. I love Dashboard. They bum me out a little, but they're a great, moody band. I'm glad you also like the descriptive writing!
Britchic- I just read your 97 reviews. I was laughing the whole time. And wondering what a footballer was. It's my American ways. I was thinking some well built, beautiful guys, and lo and behold, I was right. Yummy, I'd be distracted too. Now, by football, do you mean soccer? Cause that would be too cool. Anyway, mysoginistic means to have a sexist or almost neanderthal point of view against women. I loved your reviews, don't worry.
Meam- Hope I updated quick enough for you!
Trinity- I love yelling too, especially if it's all emotional and angsty!
Christine- What's your idea? Email it to me if you can at Cookiecrazyy85. I'm at yahoo. I don't want you to post it yet in a review 'cause I don't want you putting ideas in people's heads if your right! If you get it, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you! And maybe a few after that! Lol.
AnAngelofAStar- I'm spoiling you guys with all this kissing!
Nell- I'm glad I've turned you into a Jexie fan! They are an amazing couple.
CCnJexie4ever- I'm glad you reviewed, because you actually made twenty only because I didn't count one (too short)! So everyone can thank you for the update!
Chapter 8- Choices
"Jason, wait! Please let me explain!" said Maxie, holding up her hands to prevent him from saying anything.
"Explain!" asked Jason incredulously. "I think it's pretty self explanatory. You know Beaudry, you're pretty lucky Sonny isn't here to see this. Or you'd be shot dead right at this spot" growled Jason menacingly.
"Jason, stop a second. Please" begged Maxie. "Jesse and I are falling for each other. We have serious feelings for one another. Please understand that"
"No. No. This can't happen. It can't" said Jason, shaking his head back and forth.
"Mr. Morgan, please. With all due respect, Maxie is an adult with the freedom to make her own decisions" interjected Jesse.
"With all due respect? You're making out with my baby sister and you're saying that you're trying to be respectful! Maxie is not an adult in any way, shape or form. Her sister and I are basically still taking care of her. There was a reason why she had a guard Beaudry, and it's obviously not for the reason you thought" snapped Jason.
"That's not fair!" Maxie protested. "Jesse has been a great guard. And we didn't know we were going to fall for each other! It just happened. Please Jason, please" Maxie begged.
"I can't hear this anymore! Come on, we need to go back to the penthouses. We need to let Sonny deal with this…accordingly" said Jason
"I am not going to let my pigheaded brother shoot Jesse. You said it yourself, it's what he'd do" scoffed Maxie as she protectively stood in front of Jesse although Sonny was there right at that moment.
"Maxie, Sonny is not going to shoot Jesse. He's going to yell a lot, but in the end he'll point out why this can not happen" said Jason. "Now come on, let's go"
"What the hell is wrong with you Jason? You are such a hypocrite! You've been in my shoes. You've been in my position! Remember my sister, your wife! The one who was told she couldn't be with you and fought for you? That was the right decision in the end. You are happily married and in love. You're expecting your first kid! It all worked out"
"Maxie, this is totally different!" snapped Jason.
"How?" she asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Jesse is a guard. He doesn't have the right protection for you. Courtney is safe because I have the connections, and the ability to protect her. I have the resources. Jesse doesn't have any of that"
"That is one lame-ass excuse Jason!" yelled Maxie.
"Enough of this! Come on Maxie, Jesse, we are going! Right now!" said Jason.
Maxie and Jesse exchanged a glance and they knew that it was best for them to just do what Jason said and follow him home. Slipping her hand into his, Maxie gave Jesse a reassuring hand squeeze before they started walking back to the Harborview Towers, where their fate awaited them. Neither said a word the whole trip back, as all three contemplated just what Sonny's reaction would be.
Jason knocked on the door before opening it without waiting for a response.
"Hey man, what is it?" asked Sonny as he looked up and saw Jason's angry face.
"Your sister has something to tell you" said Jason tensely.
"She's usually only my sister when she did something wrong. So what happened?" asked Sonny.
"Nothing happened Sonny. I just made a decision for my own and Jason didn't agree with it" said Maxie.
"And what would this decision be?" asked Sonny as his eyes narrowed at her.
"I decided to stop hiding my feelings. I'm falling for Jesse and he's falling for me. End of story" she said as she folded her arms over her chest.
Sonny let out a little laugh and looked back and forth from the three of them as though he thought that it was some sort of prank.
"Is this one of your jokes that I just don't get?" asked Sonny as he kept laughing.
"Nope, I'm completely serious. K, this was fun, bye. Let's go Jesse" said Maxie as she took Jesse's hand and attempted to leave the room.
"MAXIE MATTHEWS! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING THIS ROOM" bellowed Sonny.
"And we're staying" said Jesse as he and Maxie slowly turned around.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? NO, I'M SORRY, YOU OBVIOUSLY WEREN'T THINKING. AND YOU BEAUDRY! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HER GUARD. YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING WITH MY LITTLE SISTER!" yelled Sonny as he reached for his gun and pointed it at Jesse.
"Whoa! Sonny, put down the gun!" said Maxie as she threw herself in front of Jesse.
"Sonny, shooting him is not the answer" said Jason rationally.
"He's dead. You don't sleep with my sister and get away with it" said Sonny as he cocked the gun. "Maxie, move!"
"Are you crazy?" she asked. "I am not moving. And Jesse didn't sleep with me. We just kissed. And we have feelings for each other. Not everyone reacts to romantic feelings by jumping into bed!"
"I am not discussing this anymore. This is between Beaudry and me now" growled Sonny as he kept his gun held high.
"Jason, a little intervention may be helpful right about now" said Maxie with a sigh as she looked towards her brother.
"Sonny, come on. Put the gun down. You can't shoot first and ask questions later in this situation. Especially because Maxie is here. Do you really want her to see that?" asked Jason.
"Fine" said Sonny lowering the gun. "You get to keep your life for now Beaudry, but don't think you've received a permanent pardon"
"Look, Sonny, let's talk calmly and rationally about this" said Maxie. "Let's all be adults"
"Fine, we'll talk. Calm and rational. I am calmly and rationally telling you that this can not happen. Absolutely not. End of story. Maxie, go home. Jesse, we're not done here" said Sonny as he walked over to the wet bar and poured himself a drink.
"Sonny, stop being an asshat!" screeched Maxie.
"Not the best way to show maturity" whispered Jesse in her ear.
"You wanna help me out here?" she whispered back sarcastically.
"Fine" he whispered at her. "Mr. Corinthos, please just give us a chance to explain" said Jesse to Sonny who looked at him like he wanted to wring his little neck. "Maxie and I have fallen for each other. We are extremely attracted to one another and we want to have a relationship. Don't you think that you should give us a chance? I mean, Courtney's relationship with a man in the organization worked out just fine, don't you think?" he asked.
"First of all, it's Mrs. Morgan" sneered Sonny. "And second of all, that was in no way the same as this"
"Yes it was!" interjected Maxie.
"Jason is my best friend. He's basically a brother to me. I may have not wanted to admit it at the time, but he was in the ideal position to protect my sister. He was the perfect match for her. You on the other hand, you are some gun for hire. I don't know you, I don't like you, and quite frankly, as of now, I don't trust you" said Sonny. "So, this is nothing like the relationship between my sister and Jason. This is you, some punk kid who thinks he's mister big shot, getting involved with my innocent, corruptible sister"
"Sonny! I am not a kid. I am not innocent, and I am not corruptible! Hell, I'm not even a virgin!"
"Uncomfortable territory" mumbled Jason as he watched Sonny's face turn nine shades of purple.
"The point is, I am not living under your tyranny anymore! I'll move out, I'll get a job! I can support myself, and I am done bending at your every whim! You are supposed to be my brother, not my slave driver. You don't control me. You can watch over me, but you can't take over my life!" Maxie yelled, a stray tear making its way down her cheek.
"Maxie, you can not move out. You move out, and you're at risk!" yelled Sonny.
"Sonny, I walk down the hallway and I'm at risk! I'm done with this. I am done living my life in a bubble. I want to experience the world! I want to experience life!"
"And you think it'll be any easier when you're dating a man with a license to kill?"
"I'm willing to take my chances. I just want a second to be able to experience happiness, and normal people things, like love and relationships" she said in a soft voice with an exasperated sigh.
"Maxie, I can not let this happen! You want to play it this way, than fine! Jesse, you're fired. Get the hell out of my sight!" yelled Sonny.
"Fine, we'll live away from you. We'll lead our own lives"
"No, wait. Maxie, hold on a second before you go sacrificing my job!" snapped Jesse.
"What!" she asked incredulously.
"Mr. Corinthos, please, I need this job. It's important to me. Please, don't fire me" begged Jesse.
"What?" repeated Maxie as even Sonny and Jason looked confused.
"It's your choice Jesse, my sister or your job" said Sonny, repeating his all so famous ultimatum.
"Than, I'm sorry Maxie, but it's my job" said Jesse as he looked down at his feet.
"What?" repeated Maxie yet again as she stood there in shock.
"Mr. Corinthos, please just give me a minute to talk to her" said Jesse.
"Fine, you have a minute" said Sonny as he looked down at his watch as though to time their minute.
"Come on" said Jesse, taking her by the hand and pulling her out into the hallway.
"What the hell was that in there?" asked Maxie in disbelief. "Oh wait a second, I get it. You want to sneak around behind my brother's back. Keep your job, and the girl. Look, Jesse, I don't want to sneak around all the time and…"
"Just listen for a moment Maxie, please" begged Jesse.
"Fine, I'm listening" she said softly.
"My job is extremely important. I need to keep it" said Jesse.
"So you are choosing your job over me" scoffed Maxie.
"I'm sorry. But I can't sacrifice everything I worked for just for some fleeting relationship. You're hot Maxie, and you're great. But I need to think in terms of the long run here" said Jesse.
"You're lying" she said as she began to cry. "I can see it in your eyes. You are lying right to my face. What aren't you telling me?" she asked.
"I'm not not telling you anything. Just please accept the fact that my job is the most important thing to me. I need to keep it. I can't just give up like this"
"But you can give up on our relationship like this? Jesse, there are so many different jobs that you can have. You can do anything with your life. But a relationship like ours only comes around once in a lifetime. We have a connection, and I know that you feel it too. What are you doing? Why are you pushing me away?" she asked.
"You'll be safer. It's for your own good, and for mine" said Jesse. "I need this job, and you need to keep safe"
"No. Why are you doing this?" she begged, the tears cascading down her cheeks rapidly.
"Come on Maxie, don't make this any harder. Please don't cry" he begged.
"Please don't cry? Why is it that you always ask me that Jesse! Why is it that you are always making me cry? Maybe you're right Jesse, maybe we are better off apart" she hissed.
"Maybe we are" agreed Jesse indifferently, although his heart was screaming 'no'. His broken, crumbled heart. He didn't want to walk away from her. But he had to. He had to because there was too much at stake. His secret was just too important to protect.
"Fine" said Maxie in a barely audible voice as she walked away. "Oh, and one more thing Jesse" she said as she added extra venom to his name.
Turning around, Maxie strode back over to him. She looked him straight in the eye, and for a moment, Jesse was certain that she was going to kiss him. He braced himself for the kiss, preparing himself for the last time he would ever get to cherish the feeling of her sweet lips on his. He closed his eyes, expecting to feel her lips, but instead, he felt her hand swipe across his cheek. He winced at her slap, the sound of it still echoing in the hallway, his cheek beginning to feel numb at how hard she had hit him. He grabbed his cheek without even thinking and looked straight into her eyes.
"Go to hell" she sneered at him before walking away.
Jesse watched her disappear into her penthouse before he reared back and punched the wall with all his might.
"So you chose your job" said Jason as he walked out into the hallway, leaning against the door frame and looked at the man standing before him.
He chuckled slightly when he saw the handprint that was still on his face.
"You're job over Sonny's sister" said Jason as he stood up straight. "Take it from someone who knows; you made the wrong choice" said Jason as he walked away, entering his penthouse and leaving Jesse alone with his thoughts.
"Dammit!" yelled Jesse as he punched the wall one more time.
A/N: I know I pissed some people off with that one. Review and let me know what you thought of it. Remember, twenty good 'uns or no update!