Entering the elevator Jason watched as the doors closed, his mind playing over the events that had just unfolded before him, his search for Zander had been an easy one, once Elizabeth called asking for his help. When Jason had shown up at Kelly's he'd found a cold, wet, shaken and conveniently amnesiac Zander Smith.
Jason still didn't get what people saw in the punk, it was obvious that whatever had happened, that Zander had been meant for dead, leading Jason to assume the kid had worn out his welcome with the new entity in town Alkazar. Jason couldn't help but wish they'd finished the job… but quickly shook that thought loose, because even if he didn't care for the guy, a lot of people did, and Liz was one of them.
Jason had other things to worry about as well, he'd called Sonny at least a dozen times and still there was no answer, and no answer from the guard on duty… something wasn't sitting right in his gut. After a quick call to Benny to check up on it, he'd also called Max and few other guys to make sure Carly and Michael were being well protected, and now he found himself here, turning to the one person Sonny wanted protected more than life itself… Alexis.
Stepping off the elevator, he approached Johnny with a nod of the head, "Johnny."
"Jason."
"I'm here to see Alexis, she home?"
"She's home… but I'm not sure if this is the right time, not after everything that's happened."
Jason studied the man before him, a man that had remained quiet and unassuming all the years he'd worked for Sonny, it was clear though that he had as much invested in this as anyone, he cared for Alexis like they all did, she'd helped protect them for years with her legal precision, she'd been they're protector.
Jason cocked his head to the side, " I wouldn't be here if it weren't important… I know she's been snooping around Johnny… and so does Sonny."Johnny knew what he was saying was the truth and if he didn't know any better things had gone from bad to worse, " Are we going to work together, or against each other?""Can I assume your going to keep this between us?" Jason asked.
"I keep secrets, Mr. Morgan, " Johnny said cryptically, " something you should be very grateful for."
"What are you getting at?" Jason said studying the mans face.
"It always amazed me the way Sonny trusted you with everything in his life, even his wife considering the history between the two of you, but it wasn't any of my business until the day Carly busted in on her own funeral… then it got personal."
"How does that become personal to you, Johnny?" Jason asked irritated.
"Because the woman in there, " Johnny pointed behind him, " has stood by Sonny more than Carly ever did, or ever will… do you know that she risked her own life to bring Carly home to him… even though she loved him… she gave him what she thought he wanted… Carly."
"Alexis is ... or I mean was Sonny's attorney, that's her job."
"I didn't know risking a broken heart was in her job description, " Johnny shot back sarcastically, "you weren't around… I almost forgot." Johnny shook his head; " if you had been around then you would've seen the connection… she protected him for his worst enemy, himself… I think you know what I'm talking about.""When he shuts everyone out."
"That's right, and you also know, he orders people away, and everyone does just that," Johnny explained, then added, " but, not Ms. Davis.""He let her see that side of him?" Jason asked in disbelief.
"She wouldn't have it any other way, he yelled, he threatened, he ordered and she stood up to him… and he let her. Sonny held onto her for strength," Johnny reflected.
In all the years he'd known Sonny; the man had always pushed away the people he cared about in fear they'd see his weakness.
"Okay, so she stood up to him, that's admirable of Alexis, but Sonny loves Carly, why else would be go back to her?"
"Guilt," Johnny, " something you should know a great deal about."
"Sonny told me himself, he doesn't love Alexis, and he said it point blank, "Jason argued," what are you trying to get at?
"I know, I heard Carly and you that day in the penthouse, her big confession why she stayed away… and you, well lets just say I expected more out of you… I couldn't believe you'd keep something like that from Sonny, and you can thank yourself for the way things are now… if you'd told him the truth, things wouldn't have turned out this way.""So let me get this straight," Jason said annoyed, " you knew that Carly faked her death, and that I'd kept her secret out of my loyalty to her and my concern for my two best friends and you what…suddenly lost your voice… if you knew about it, why didn't you say anything?"
"It wasn't my secret to tell Jason, "Johnny replied, " It was yours alone, you saw what the lies were doing to Sonny, you knew he was torn up about something… and you did nothing.""I thought it was about Carly, that it was guilt over the past, " Jason nodded, " I knew he had something on his mind…"
"Make that someone else, "Johnny stated, "you don't even get what they meant to each other do you?"
"I know Sonny cares for Alexis as a friend." Jason said.
"Whatever you say Jase, " Johnny rolled his eyes, " your to wrapped up on the Carly bandwagon to see what's staring you right in the face."
"Watch your mouth Johnny."
"Do you even get what Carly did… that she played with people's lives just to get what she wanted, and your okay with that?"
"Listen Johnny, Sonny and Alexis spent one night together, they were lonely, they had to much to drink, whatever… and it went to far."
"Let me guess, Carly sold you that bill of goods?" Johnny asked, defensively.
"Carly, said that Alexis plied Sonny with liquor and had her way with him, "Jason really couldn't imagine Alexis being the come hither type, but Carly was adamant in her description.
"That's more Carly's forte isn't it?"
"I said watch what you say about her." Jason warned.
"Fine, but your going to hear the truth, because I doubt Sonny told you and right now I don't care about anything, but setting the record straight.""I'm listening."
"That night, I was off duty, but I'd forgotten my coat at Ms. Davis's earlier, Kristina had invited me over to the penthouse for herbal tea," Johnny blushed and then continued," anyway I was on my way back to the elevators in the lobby because I'd left my coat upstairs, and I ran into Benny and Max on their way out, they said very little, just that Sonny was trying to remedy a situation that had gotten out of control… Well, I knew it had to be about AJ, because Sonny and Alexis had just gotten back from the wedding, and Alexis was very concerned over Sonny's calm façade and for good reason… as I got off the elevator, I walked toward Ms. Davis's penthouse, when I suddenly heard voices coming from Sonny's penthouse, it was Ms. Davis crying and pleading, my first instinct was they were in danger, I drew my weapon and silently approached the door and then I heard her…I head Ms. Davis begging Sonny not to go through with it… not to go through with the hit."
Jason took a moment before he grasped the reality of what Johnny had just revealed," He ordered a hit on AJ."
"That's right."
"Alexis was able to stop him?" Jason murmured, "Sonny doesn't back down to idle threats, she must've had something to hang over his head, some kind of leverage to use against him… but what?"
"His heart."
Sonny tried forcing his eyes open to no avail, his head was swimming and his chest burned, someone had been inside the penthouse and found away to get to him. He tried focusing his mind, anything that might trigger suspicion, but what hadn't been suspicious in his life of late? All he knew right now was that he'd been set up in the worst possible way, someone had used his crumbling emotional state against him and the face of Luis Alkazar flashed before his eyes. The picture Jason had shown him earlier.
The voices though far away snapped Sonny's attention away from figuring Alkazar's angle, he tried harder to open his eyes, finally his left lid opened, it was dark only a shard of fading sunlight cast through the small port window, he was on a boat, he felt the gentle rock of the boat against the lapping water. Sonny scrambled to get up, only to fall back due to the restraints and weakness, he was bound by his hands and feet… he suddenly felt caged, his breathing became shallow.
"Stay with me Sonny, stay with me."
He'd finally snapped, she appeared before him again, this time wearing the dress she'd worn that night in Puerto Rico, a Gardenia tucked behind her ear.
"Aren't I a bit overdressed considering the current surroundings… we're along ways from Puerto Rico, " the apparition teased, and then asked, " Are you okay?"
Such a simple question caused Sonny to shake, he hadn't been right for quite awhile now but he vowed if he made it out of this mess, he'd do everything in his power to change that.
"Silly question, of course your not okay… but don't worry your secret is safe with me."
Secret's, so many secrets shared between friends, and she'd exposed his out of anger, out of hatred, and no matter how much it had cost him, he knew it was her right to say those things to him. Apart of him had died that day knowing she'd no longer consider him… her anything.
"Anger makes people say and do things they live to regret, you know in your heart that what she said was out of grief… not hatred Sonny."
The click of the door and the gentle footsteps walking toward him, caused him to pull back to see who the shadowed figure was, he could see that it was a woman, when she reached out to touch him he reared back, but she continued to move her hand toward his forehead, using the back of her hand she felt his temperature.
"Where am I?" the question was barely audible, his throat dry from the lack of hydration.
The woman backed away, he watched walk toward the door, "rest Sonny."
His eyes were open then and his senses that voice; he would never forget that voice, "Brenda?"
"Shhhh," She shushed him, "you're going to need all your strength."
"How's it possible?"
"Anything's possible Sonny," Brenda whispered, approaching him again, "you've been in and out of consciousness for over four hours now… you have to save up your strength, let me get you some water."
Sonny accepted the water as Brenda helped him, he glanced to the other side of the room, Alexis still standing they're watching over him, "Alexis."
"You've been calling out her name quite a bit, is she someone special to you?"
Sonny was at a loss for words, he wasn't sure if he was in between heaven or hell, but he imagined Heaven, because two of the most important women in his life were with him now, yet the thought of impending death was quickly nixed, he had to stay alive to protect Alexis.
"Who's Alkazar to you?"
Brenda hesitated, after so many years she still felt so connected to Sonny, there would always be a strong sense of love, but things had changed dramatically for both of them, "He saved me all those years ago, and now… well, now he's seeking to destroy the two most important people in my life."
"He's going after Jax too?" Sonny asked, he didn't even need an answer, " does he know?"
"No, but he does sense something's wrong."
"He's seen you?"
"Nobody knows but you… and Zander Smith."
"Zander knows!" Sonny growled, " that kid…"
"Shhh, don't speak loudly, if they find me here it won't be pretty."
Sonny's eyes had yet to focus in on her face, as if knowing what he was thinking she flicked on the small lamp next to him, for the next few moments they did nothing but memorize every line, every smile, every inch of the others face.
"Your even more beautiful than I remember, "Sonny said softly, his eyes tearing.
Brenda reached down to untie his restraints, " you've still got the charm, but I think there's something different about you."
Once his arms were free, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace, they stayed like that for what seemed like hours, before parting.
"I blamed myself for you death… when I wasn't blaming candyboy," Sonny admitted, rubbing his bottom lip he added, "all these years I've wished things had ended differently."
"Things happen for a reason Sonny, "Brenda replied, "Are you happy with Carly?"
Sonny hesitated momentarily," Zander filled you in I guess?"
"He just said that what you and Carly have, well it's true love and she makes you the happiest you've ever been."
"He said that huh? Sonny, suddenly felt guilt wash over him, in all this time he hadn't given one though to Carly.
"I see doubt in your eyes Sonny," Brenda said, "tell me about Alexis."
Shutting his eyes, he tried blocking out the memory of a beautiful laughing face that night, the moonlight of Puerto Rico dancing around them, her in his arms where he imagined he'd like her to be for the rest of their days.
"She's no one in particular," Sonny lied, " she was my attorney, that's all."
Brenda smiled wryly, "in other words…she means the world to you."
Sonny shrugged, " I killed her sister."
"Luis killed her sister not you, " shaking her head, she pushed her hair away from her face, "still the same Sonny, so quick to blame yourself."
"I've done some horrific things, Bren." Sonny replied.
"Yes, yes you have, "Brenda agreed nodding, "but I always saw the good in you, tell me something does Alexis see it too?"
"If she did… well it's gone now, "Sonny said regretfully.
"She'll find it in you again," Brenda reassured him, "I always did… now, do you think your feeling strong enough for a prison break?"
Swinging his legs of the bed, he smiled " What's the plan?"
Creeping toward the door, Brenda peered out, "the coast is clear, come on."
Jumping up, Sonny placed a hand on the wall to balance himself, his equilibrium still off, approaching the door he turned once more and saw Alexis, her eyes full of worry, " be careful Sonny… I worry about you."
The last thing he remembered was the muffled cry of Brenda and the sharp sting of a needle entering his neck, before everything went black again.