DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters.

Twelve

Brenda and Robin sat with their matching wine glasses on the fifth step going upstairs in the foyer. They had been silent for awhile, trying to hide out the best they could from the crowd of people who kept saying "I'm sorry" and "I miss her so much". Brenda wanted to think about the fun times and laugh about all the crazy things they had done.

At that very moment she was silently wishing the old Jason was back, to remember Emily as a child when she wanted to tag along with all of them in high school.

"You're thinking about high school aren't you?" Robin asked.

Brenda looked over at her friend. "It seems to be all I think about these days."

"I was just thinking about Stone," Robin confessed. "You know I'm slowly starting to realize how easily he doesn't come to mind anymore. The other day I woke up and there was this song playing on the radio that reminded me of him and all of a sudden I couldn't remember the last time I thought about him."

Brenda looked intently at her friend. "At least once a week I think about the look on Sonny's face when he walked in the gatehouse and told me you were HIV positive and how that second in time changed my life forever." Brenda could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. They weren't supposed to be talking about themselves. They were supposed to be talking about Emily.

There was a soft knock on the door and it slowly opened. Brenda was shocked that someone would actually walk into the Quartermaine house after knocking without actually waiting for a response. She wasn't surprised when she saw Carly and two boys, one she knew as Michael, walk in.

"Usually when you knock on someone's door you wait for them to answer instead of just walking right in," Brenda commented before taking a drink of her wine.

Robin sat quietly beside her. This wasn't her fight.

"Aren't you supposed to be off in Europe somewhere bothering other people with your problems?" Carly asked looking around the room for any sign of her husband.

"Europe has been fine without me for quite awhile, thank you very much for asking."

"There you are," Jax said walking out with Ned into the foyer.

Brenda finished off her wine as Jax kissed Carly. They might as well just do it right there on the floor to make her feel even better.

"What are you two doing hiding out here?" Ned asked walking over to Brenda.

"Taking a breather. Talking about Stone," Brenda commented, which didn't go unnoticed by Carly.

"That's my middle name?" Morgan said pulling on Carly's arm.

It was Brenda's turn to be shocked.

"Sonny named Morgan after Stone," Robin told her.

Brenda slowly stood up. "I need some air," she said before handing her glass to Ned and making her way to the door.

"Brenda," Jax said right before she slammed the door in his face.

"You know just because she left and you two are married, does not mean that the past is any different?" Robin said standing up and following Brenda out the door. All she saw was tail lights and dust. Figuring it was a lost cause she walked back inside and closed the door.

"Did she take my car?" Ned asked. Robin just looked at him. "Great."

"Come on, boys, let's go see Monica," Jax said picking up Morgan and leading the way back to the den.