Masquerade 17-19

Chapter 17

Ned, Lois, Brooke, Sonny and Brenda had only been on Coney Island for a couple of hours, but Brenda was already exhausted. They had ridden the Cyclone four times, eating pounds of cotton candy, won more midway prizes than Brenda had ever dreamed possible and spent what seemed like hours at the batting cages. Brenda wasn’t sure which way was up and which way was down, but she knew that she couldn’t take another step.  She collapsed on a bench on top of several large stuffed animals that Ned and Sonny had won for Brooke.  Sonny walks up to the bench, carrying a large, stuffed, white, bear in his arms.

Brenda: *Groaning* Can we go home yet?
Sonny: We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, are you wimping out already?
Brenda: No, but I want to do more than three things. Did we have to ride the Cyclone 4 times?
Sonny: Well, I have to admit that by the 3rd I had more than enough.
Brenda: So it isn’t just me?
Sonny: No, it’s actually my hand that had enough. 
Brenda: What does that mean.
Sonny: By the 3rd time you had squeezed it so hard I thought it was going to fall off.
Brenda: Is that why you wouldn’t sit with me on the Himalaya?
Sonny: No, that time I decided to let you scream in my ear!

He flashes her an almost diabolical grin. Her opportunity to respond is cut short by the approach of Ned, Lois and Brooke. Ned and Lois each have there arms full of stuffed animals, which they pile on the bench beside Brenda.

Lois: So, what are we going to do next?
Brooke: The Cyclone again!

Brenda groans.

Ned: I don’t think we need to do the Cyclone, again.

Brooke pouts.

Ned: Do you Sonny?

Ned looks to Sonny for support and he suddenly realizes why Ned wanted him along.

Sonny: Naw, there is a law against riding a roller coaster more than 4 times.
Ned: We wouldn’t want to break the law.
Sonny: Actually, Brenda wants to call it a day.
Lois: Ah come on Bren, we haven’t done half the rides!
Brenda: I didn’t say that I wanted to call it a day. I just need to catch my breath for a minute.

Brenda sits on the bench for about 30 seconds, before pulling herself up to a standing position.

Brenda: Okay, I’m better now.
Lois: Good, than lets go ride the Wonder Wheel!
Ned: Great idea, a change of pace might do us all some good.
Brenda: What’s the Wonder Wheel? Or dare I ask?
Sonny: It’s a Ferris wheel. 
Brenda: Okay, how bad can that be? Lead the way.
Brooke: You have to close your eyes.
Brenda: Why?
Lois: It is a rule that Brooke Lynne made up for first time riders on the Wonder Wheel.
Brenda: This is just a Ferris wheel, right? 
Ned: Trust me, it is nothing out of the ordinary.
Brenda: I mean the cars don’t go flying off into the air or anything?
Sonny: Not as long as I’ve been coming here.
Lois: Brooke, I don’t think you should make your godmother close her eyes if you she doesn’t want to.

Brooke gives Brenda a look that indicates the only way she will ever think Brenda is cool is if she follows the rules of the game.

Brenda: If it is the rule, I can close my eyes. First, I want to know that I have a guide.
Ned: Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you Brenda.
Brenda: Someone that won’t bump me into walls, or let me step in gum!
Lois: Come on Bren, I’ll lead you to the Wonder Wheel.

Brenda closes her eyes and reaches out her hand to Lois. Her friend leads her to a wooden, rickety Ferris wheel, that looks like it is being held together by sheer will. Sonny had forgotten just how scary it possibly looked to those who were seeing it for the first time. He isn’t sure how Brooke came up with her eyes closed rule, but it made a lot of sense.

Lois: Okay, we’re here.
Brenda: Can I open my eyes?
Brooke: No way, not till you get to the top.
Brenda: How Am I supposed to do that?   
Lois: Don’t worry, I’ll ride with you.

Lois takes her hand and starts to walk up to the Ferris wheel, but Brooke stops her with a look of disappointment.

Lois: What now, honey.
Brooke: Mama, I want to ride the Wonder Wheel with you and daddy.
Lois: Okay, right after I ride with Brenda.
Brooke: I want to ride now!
Lois: Okay, here are your choices, you can ride with Brenda and me, or with your dad.

Brooke gives her a pout. Sonny can’t help but notice what a little manipulator the girl is, but in this case it might work to his advantage.

Sonny: I could always ride with Brenda.
Brenda: No!
Sonny: Why, because you might just have to trust me for two seconds?
Brenda: I don’t know if I would trust you to tie my shoes at the moment.
Sonny: Well, at the moment, you aren’t wearing shoes that lace. 
Brenda: That is beside the point.
Sonny: Come on sweetheart, I’m not asking you to walk across hot coals. 
Brenda: Not this week, at least, but if I give you an inch, Sonny who knows what will come my way.
Sonny: It’s a Ferris Wheel Brenda, not a blood oath.
Ned: Why are you making so much out of this, Bren? 
Brenda: You know what? It isn’t worth arguing about. Let’s just get this over with.
Lois: Does that mean you’ll ride with Sonny.
Brenda: I feel total set up, but I guess I’ll ride with Sonny.
Sonny: Who do you think set you up, a little girl?
Brenda: Yeah, I don’t even want to know what you paid her, Sonny.

A grin spreads across Sonny’s face, that Brenda doesn’t have to see, she instinctively knows that it is present.   

Brenda: Wipe that grin off of your face!
Sonny: Lois, will you hold this for me?

He hands Lois the oversized stuffed bear.

Sonny: Give me your hand Brenda.

When she doesn’t reach out for him, he wraps one arm around her waist instead. When he has a firm grip on her, he whispers in her ear.

Sonny: You are going to have to trust me and relax.

Brenda has to remind herself to breath, with him so close she almost feels weak. Lois notices the affect that he is having on Brenda, even before Sonny notices.

Lois: Oh boy, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.
Ned: Too late.

Sonny is carefully leading Brenda, step by step, to the Wonder Wheel. Their steps are so in sync and their movement is so fluid it is almost as if they are physically connected. Sonny feels Brenda relax in his arms, but her heart rate is pulsing. There is no doubt in his mind that his embrace is affecting her in dramatic ways. Probably ways that are similar to the way that she is affecting him, he allows a small smile to spread across his face. 

Brenda: Stop enjoying this so much.
Sonny: What makes you think I’m enjoying this?
Brenda: Your breath changes when you’re enjoying yourself.
Sonny: Kind of like the way that your heart rate increases when you are excited.
Brenda: *Lying* Being held by you doesn’t excite me, Sonny.
Sonny: I guess it must be the anticipation of riding the Wonder Wheel, then.
Brenda: *Sarcastic* Yeah, I’m sure that is enough to give most people a coronary.
Sonny: Step up.

He leads her up the ramp to the Ferris wheel car.

Brenda: Where are Lois and Ned?
Sonny: They are right behind us.

The ride attendant opens the door to the car and Sonny helps Brenda in and she sits down. Sonny slips some money to the attendant, so that he will stop their car at the top. Brenda and Sonny were not fully aware of what had just happened between them. On the surface, Sonny had walked her to the Ferris wheel however, in that simple act, an almost intimate act of trust had taken place. They had connected on a level that was deeper than either of them fully realized. 

Sonny: That wasn’t so bad, was it, sweetheart.
Brenda: No it wasn’t, now can I open my eyes?
Sonny: Almost.

Their car is almost to the top, when it gets there, it stops.

Sonny: Now you may open your eyes.

Brenda slowly opens her eyes, when she does she is amazed by what she sees. From the top of the Wonder Wheel, as far as the eye can see is the most beautiful, crystal clear water Brenda has ever seen.

Brenda: It is beautiful.
Sonny: Yeah, I had forgotten how amazing the view was from up here.
Brenda: I guess I know why they call it the Wonder Wheel.
Sonny: *Laughing* I guess that might be a part of the reason.
Brenda: That is what Brooke wanted me to see, this view?
Sonny: Leave it to a child to find something truly wonderful in an amusement park.   
Brenda: It is so peaceful up here, how long can we stay?
Sonny: As long as you would like to stay.

There is a slight breeze and Sonny notices that Brenda is shivering, another opportunity that he can’t bear to pass up.

Sonny: Are you cold? 
Brenda: Just a little.

In a move that takes him back to high school, Sonny carefully puts his arms around Brenda.
He is about to remark how nice things are, when his cell phone rings.

Sonny: *Perturbed* Hello?
Hannah: Hi honey, we just got to the hotel in Geneva.
Sonny: You are in Geneva already?
Hannah: I flew on the Concord, remember?
Sonny: What hotel are you staying at, in case I need to reach you.

Panic floods Hannah, she can’t give Sonny the number of the fertility clinic Lopez has checked her into. 

Hannah: I can give you the number of this hotel, but I’ll be moving tomorrow.
Sonny: Why are you moving already?
Hannah: My photo schedule has me moving around a lot. Sometimes, I’m staying in little country inns.
Sonny: Some of them probably don’t even have a phone.
Hannah: I hadn’t thought of that, it might be hard for you to reach me.
Sonny: Can I reach you on your cell phone?

Sonny was making this almost too easy for her.

Hannah: That is a brilliant idea, baby. Call me on my cell phone. I have to go get ready for test shots.
Sonny: Okay, don’t work too hard.
Hannah: I won’t, I miss you all ready.
Sonny: *Reluctantly* Yeah, same here.
Hannah: I’ll call you later tonight.
Sonny: Talk to you later, babe.

Sonny hangs up the phone, Brenda feels sick at her stomach.

Chapter 18


Sonny: Hannah is in Switzerland on a photo shoot.

It was almost as if he were trying to make excuses. He didn’t need to tell Brenda who he was talking with, she knew by his end of the conversation. It made Brenda feel so stupid because she really thought that she and Sonny were making some sort of progress. Hannah was thousands of miles away and yet, she had still managed to spoil a moment between Brenda and Sonny. What made Brenda even angrier was that is all felt bitterly familiar. She couldn’t help but compare what had just happened to all the times when her and Sonny were having a good time, enjoying each others company, only to have Lily walk up and ruin everything.  She didn’t want to ride that merry go round again, ever!

Brenda: I want to get off now!
Sonny: Are you sick or something?
Brenda: I just want down, okay?
Sonny: Sure.

He gives some kind of sign to the ride operator and they start to move. Their car gets back around to the bottom and the operator opens the door to there compartment. Brenda is about to hastily get out, when she notices that Sonny’s arm is still around her body. She forcefully removes his arm from around her body, and being on the verge of a panic attack, she quickly puts as much distance between the two of them as she possible can manage. Lois is right behind her, while Ned gives Sonny a disapproving look and hands him back his stuffed bear.

Ned: What happened?
Sonny: I’m not sure I know exactly, I think Brenda might be sick.

Sonny was pretty sure he knew what had upset Brenda, he just didn’t know what to do about the situation. 
Hannah was the last person in the world he wanted to hear from when he was up there with Brenda. It had happened though, and probably the best thing he could do for Brenda now was to give her space.
Lois walks over to her friend and places a consoling arm around her shoulder. Brooke Lynne watches the grown up shenanigans from a nearby bench, where she is also busy devouring her 3rd hot dog of the day.

Lois: Are you okay?
Brenda: I fell like I’m stuck in a time trap, doomed to repeat the same history with Sonny over and over!
Lois: I don’t know what happened up there, but if you are aware of it, I don’t think you’ll repeat anything.
Brenda: It is so easy to get caught up in my feelings for Sonny.
Lois: Is that what happened on the Wonder Wheel?
Brenda: Yes, but that isn’t the problem, Hannah is the problem.
Lois: How did she come up?
Brenda: She called Sonny, there I was back, obsessing over a married man and his wife keeps interrupting  
Lois: Bren, Sonny isn’t married to Hannah.
Brenda: It doesn’t matter, he isn’t committed to me either. Sonny needs to get off the fence.
Lois: I don’t know if Sonny is to the point that he is even on the fence, but I’m sorry it upset you, sweetie.
Brenda: Thank you, that means a lot, just knowing you care means everything.
Lois: Do you want to go home?
Brenda: Would you mind if we left?
Lois: Not one bit, Brooke is starting to act a little spoiled anyway. 
Brenda: Will you go tell the guys?
Lois: Sure, we can go back to my house and Maw can make us dinner before we fly back to PC.
Brenda: That sounds really nice.

Lois walks over to the guys.

Ned: Is Brenda all right?
Lois: Yeah, she’ll be great after she has a good meal. What do you say, lets call it a day?
Ned: Fine with me.
Sonny: What about the giant slide.
Lois: You can do it next time, so you want to have dinner with us, Sonny?
Sonny: I’m invited?
Lois: Sure, you know at the Cerullo’s, the more the merrier.

Sonny takes a look at Brenda and decides against subjecting her to his presence anymore than is necessary.

Sonny: I don’t think so, maybe next time.
Ned: You could always fly back with us in the jet.
Sonny: I’ll just fly back commercial. Anyway, I have things to do.
Ned: Such as? 
Sonny: Jason has been trying to get me to go over the books at the warehouse, I guess I can do that.
Ned: Can we at least give you a ride to the airport?
Sonny: It really is out of your way, I’ll take a cab.

Brenda walks over in time to hear the last statement, and she actually finds that she is disappointed to hear that Sonny is leaving. For the most part, she really enjoyed his company and had a good time.

Brenda: Your leaving?
Sonny: Yeah, I have work to do back home.

Lois gives Sonny a hug, squashing the stuffed bear in the process, which Sonny then looks at in his arms.

Sonny: I feel kind of silly getting on a plane with this thing and it really doesn’t go with the penthouse.
Ned: Well, please don’t give it to Brooke, after today she has a brand new zoo.
Sonny: I was thinking that maybe, Brenda might want to keep it safe for me.

Brenda isn’t sure whether Sonny really doesn’t want the bear or if he is trying to make up for hurting her feelings.
Brenda: You should probably keep it to give to Hannah.
Sonny: She really isn’t the stuffed animal type.
Brenda resists the urge to make a snide comment about him thinking that She was the type who liked stuffed animals. In the first place, no one had ever given her one before so she really didn’t have anything with which to make a comparison. In the second place, if Sonny was trying to make up for something that wasn’t really his fault, why should she hurt his feelings by refusing the peace offering. She takes the bear from his hands.
Brenda: If you change your mind and want it back, just let me know, okay?
Sonny: I know where you live, if I want the bear back, Brenda.
A couple of awkward seconds follow, where Sonny and Brenda don’t know how to say good bye. Finally, Brenda leans over and gives him quick kiss on the cheek.
Brenda: Thank you, for the bear.
Sonny: Today, wasn’t too bad.
Ned: Thanks for coming along and evening the gender distribution a little more in my favor.
Sonny: No problem, I’ll see you at the board meeting.
Ned: Right.
Ned gives Brenda a quick glance, if she was going to tell Sonny that she was buying into ELQ, now would be the time. She doesn’t make a move in that direction, so Ned and Lois both silently agree that it isn’t their place. Sonny walks over to Brooke Lynne and tells her good bye, privately. Then he waves to the other three and disappears into the crowd.

Ned: Sonny Corinthos, a man of many extremes.
Lois and Brenda both agree to themselves that Ned’s statement is the gospel truth.   

      
Chapter 19
Brenda and Lois were walking along the docks. Brenda wanted Ned to drop her off there so she could walk home to Kelly’s, but Lois wouldn’t let her walk alone in the dark. Ned would have gone with them, but Brooke had fallen asleep in the back seat of the car and he wanted to get her back to the gate house.
Brenda and Lois are talking and don’t notice that they are being closely followed by Faison’s assassin.

Lois: I wish you had gone back to the gate house with us, instead of insisting on walking in the dark.
Brenda: Don’t tell me you are afraid to walk in the dark?
Lois: Kind of, especially with nothing to protect us except that bear.

Lois indicates the giant, stuffed, bear that Brenda is holding. The bear that Sonny won and then insisted that Brenda  take home with her.

Brenda: I don’t know, I think that "Honey" looks pretty ferocious.
Lois: You named the bear?
Brenda: Of course, because is my honey bear.    
Lois: Oh, please! You didn’t even want that bear, Sonny had to force you to take the thing!
Brenda: Of course I wanted the bear, I just didn’t want to seem too eager.
Lois: Gosh, Brenda, you don’t think that Sonny noticed how eager you were today?
Brenda: I hope not, things were going pretty well until the She-Devil called, and I freaked.
Lois: You have more emotional ups and downs and twists than the Cyclone! 

Lois stops in front of the bench and sits down.

Brenda: Why are we stopping?
Lois: Because you ware me out, Bren!
Brenda: We haven’t gone that far.

Brenda sits beside her and puts the bear on her lap. There tail pulls out a cell phone and dials his employer.

Faison: Hello?
Assassin: Ms. Barrett is on the docks.
Faison: Is she alone?
Assassin: A woman is with her, the one that talks too much.
Faison: Does that present a problem?
Assassin: Not really, I can shoot the other one from where I’m standing and then give Barrett the elixir.
Faison: No, that would raise suspicions. Ms. Barrett has to die like the others. 
Assassin: What about the other one?
Faison: Incapacitate her, but don’t kill her. Remember, the elixir is for the chosen few.  
Assassin: I have two doses.
Faison: You know what the second vial is for?
Assassin: *Reluctant* Yes, so that I may join the chosen.
Faison: You would not want to deprive yourself of that reward? 
Assassin: *Mechanically* No.
Faison: Take care of the other women, and take Barrett someplace private.
Assassin: There are a lot of warehouses around.
Faison: Take her to one of them, but make sure her body is found after she is dead.

Faison hangs up the phone, abruptly. He had trouble dealing with the religious fanatics Lopez had created. Faison was not always sure he could trust them, but they did have one advantage over conventional assassins. They didn’t mind being sent to perform a task, and then. "dying for the cause." Which meant that it saved Faison the trouble of having to track them down and kill them later.

Brenda and Lois continued to sit on the bench for several minutes.

Brenda: Why are we just siting here?
Lois: We can go in a minute, I need to think.
Brenda: You were the one that didn’t want to stay out here.
Lois: I know, but I just need to hear you explain what you plan to do about Sonny?
Brenda: Why does that require you to think? Sonny is my problem.
Lois: Yeah, but I just know that you are going to drag me into it. You know I love you both, right?
 
Before Brenda can answer, the assassin walks past the bench, then turns and walks up to Lois.

Man: Do you have the time?

Lois takes her eyes of the man to look at her watch and Brenda isn’t really paying attention. Next thing you know, the man has slugged Lois across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground. Brenda stands up quickly, caught off guard by this mad mans actions, the bear falls from her lap and lands beside Lois.

Brenda: *Shocked* Are you crazy?

The man grabs Brenda roughly by the arm and places a hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. He roughly drags her into a warehouse, not noticing the sign above the door, proclaiming they had just entered the property of  "C and M Coffee Imports." Sonny had been in the office for the last several hours trying to balance the books. He found it impossible to concentrate, all he could think about was the trip to Coney Island. It had felt good to spend time with Brenda, Lois and Ned but Sonny was sure that Brenda had ended up being angry about Hannah. He didn’t know what to do about it though, after all, he couldn’t pretend that his life had ended a year ago when Brenda was presumed to have died. Even though he still had very deep, real, feeling for Brenda, he also cared about Hannah. 
The crazed man drags Brenda to the back of the dark warehouse and throws her down on a pallet loaded with coffee bags. He pins her body down with one hand so that she is facing him. Brenda’s eyes grow wide with fear. All around her alternating shadows and light create sinister illusions in the semi dark room.  

Brenda: Are you going to kill me?
Man: No, but you are going to die, you must die as the other chosen ones died.
Brenda: I don’t under stand?
Man: You are the chosen equal of Juan Marco Chavez.
Brenda: I don’t even know who Chavez is, how can I be his equal?

The man, not paying any attention to Brenda, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small vial of liquid.

Man: Drink this, now!
Brenda: What is I?
Man: The elixir of death, the promise of rebirth. Drink it and join Chavez as his queen! 

Brenda didn’t know much about Chavez, he was the man she woke up next to when she regained her memory and he was the leader of a strange cult; more than anything she knew, Chavez was dead.  

Brenda: He is dead, I don’t want to join him at anything!
Man: You are his choice as an equal.

The man tries to get to force Brenda to drink the poison, but she refuses.

Brenda: No!
She kicks him hard until she hears one of his knee caps crack. He winches in pain, and loses his grip on her, giving her a chance to escape from his grasp. The vial of liquid crashes to the floor, its contents streaked across the concrete. Brenda runs through the warehouse towards the office, where she can see a light is on.

Man: Get back here you insubordinate witch! 

Sonny had thought he heard voices, but had dismissed it as his over active imagination. He had heard that last part, loud and clear. He angrily stands up to investigate and runs into Brenda as she is running into the office. At first he is glad to see her, but his joy quickly fades as he realizes that she is terrified. Brenda runs straight into Sonny’s arms and shuts her eyes. She had never been as glad to see him as she was in that moment. 

Sonny: What’s wrong sweetheart?

He looks behind her and realizes what has her so frightened as a crazed man barrels through the door way, waving a vial of liquid in the air and screaming at the top of his lungs. Sonny meets the mad mans eyes with a cold, crazed look of his own. 

Sonny: You are trespassing on private property and you had better have a damn good reason why!
Man: This is between me and the lady.

Sonny is holding Brenda protectively, but she still won’t look at the intruder. She clung to Sonny tighter than she had ever clung to him before.  

Sonny: Now she is a lady? funny because a few minutes ago I thought I heard you call her something else.
Man: She is a whore and a bitch, but she is my business.
Sonny: I don’t think so, nobody talks to a woman like that in my presence and live to tell about it.

Sonny reaches past the man and closes the door, which automatically locks. The man has a look of self satisfied glee on his face that sends chills down Brenda’s spine. It makes Sonny absolutely lived to see the bastard smiling.  On the other hand, Sonny has a look of unadulterated anger on his face that frightens Brenda as well.

Brenda: *Pleading to Sonny* He isn’t worth it. 
Sonny: Sit down, sweetheart, I’m going to teach this guy some manners.
Man: You can’t destroy me, my destiny lies along a higher plane than you can even imagine.
Brenda: Sonny, he is crazy.

Sonny doesn’t seem to be aware that she is in the room. He is rolling up his sleeves and seems to be running on an adrenaline rush.

Sonny: We’ll see how high you can go, buddy.

Sonny grabs the man by the collar and slams him up against the wall. Brenda closes her eyes, trying to clock out what is happening. The man smiles at Sonny once more and swallows the contents of the vial. He immediately falls to the ground, deathly still. Brenda hears the thud as the man’s body hits the floor. She opens her eyes and is shocked to see Sonny standing over the lifeless form of the intruder.

Brenda: What did you do?
Sonny: Nothing, he drank that liquid and passed out cold, I barely touched his body.

Brenda walks over to the body and feels for a pulse, when she doesn’t find one, she looks up at Sonny, mystified.

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