When Sonny Met Brenda Chapters 101-124

Chapter 101

When Sonny finds Brenda, she is on the docks crying. He approaches her and she turns to face him, with tears streaming down her face.

Brenda: I’m sorry!
Sonny: You had no right to keep this from me!
Brenda: I was scared and felt so alone!
Sonny: You didn’t have to handle it alone. If you would have just told me, I would have been there for you in whatever way you needed.
Brenda: You didn’t even want this child!
Sonny: HOW CAN YOU SAY I DIDN’T WANT THIS CHILD? YOU NEVER ASKED ME! 
Brenda: You told me that you wanted to have children, someday!
Sonny: The first I ever heard of this child was when you told me that you lost it.
Brenda: I didn’t want you to feel trapped or obligated to me just because I’m pregnant.
Sonny: We aren’t strangers Brenda, I asked you to be my wife, and I wanted you to be my future. Do you think that the ring and the land I gave you were all for show? Brenda, I loved you! I told you that I loved you, I showed you time and again, what more did you want?

Impulsively he grabs her and kisses her with every once of strength in his body. The kiss is hot and passionate, but at the same time it is violent. They back towards the bench on the docks. When Sonny feels her legs touch the back of the bench he lowers her onto it and leans his body into of hers. He waits until he feels her relax and give into the kiss, then he pulls away.  When Sonny pulls out of the kiss, Brenda feels a change in him. His body is tense and she can feel the anger pouring from every nerve in his body. He pushes her away from him roughly.

Sonny: We could have been so good, Brenda. I was willing to give everything up for you. I was going to find a way to leave the organization and build a future together. We could of had it all Brenda!
Brenda: We still can, we can be together. If you can leave the organization our dreams can come true!

Brenda has her back to him, standing facing the water. She doesn’t want to look at him and see all of the anger and pain in his eyes. He angrily grips her shoulders and turns her around to face him. When she does turn around she sees pure anger on his face and in his eyes.

Sonny: No, you destroyed all of that! YOU KILLED ALL OF OUR DREAMS WITH YOUR LIES!
Brenda: Sonny, don’t say that we can get past this!
Sonny: I trusted you Brenda, with parts of me that I never trusted anybody else with. I let you into my heart and my soul and this is how you repay my trust? You lied to me in the most horrible way possible. You let me carry around guilt over the death of our child for a whole month. You made me feel like everything that ever went wrong in our relationship was my fault!
Brenda: I was scared! 
Sonny: Scared of me?
Brenda: No, you could never scare me.
Sonny: Then tell me why you told me the most terrible lie of my life? Why did you tear my heart out?
Brenda: I couldn’t let my child grow up in your world.
Sonny: MY WORLD, WHAT IS MY WORLD AS YOU SEE IT?  
Brenda: In your world people get shot at in their own homes and kidnapped from their work. Not to mention, plane loads of people die because, you Sonny, rejected some crime lords’ daughter!
Sonny: You have it all figured out, don’t you? It’s all black and white to you, Brenda! 
Brenda: I know enough to know that I don’t want to share that world.
Sonny: Brenda, you were my world. What you are talking about may be my life. A life that I chose when I was 16, alone, scared and powerless. Those choices kept me alive and made me the man that I’m today. I can’t go back and change the decisions I made. I’m not entirely sure that I would if I had the chance. Those choices kept me alive, but none of it meant anything without you.

A light rain begins to fall.

Brenda: Your not dead Sonny, don’t act like you are.
Sonny: I don’t know how long that is going to be true. I don’t know what is going on with my head, but sometimes I think it could be the end of me. That is why I have been putting off taking the tests. I figure what I don’t know can’t hurt me.

Tears start to form in her eyes.

Brenda: It does hurt though, doesn’t it?
Sonny: Yeah, more than I’m willing to admit.
Brenda: You can tell me, Sonny.

She picks up his hand and gently hold it in hers.

Sonny: Sometimes, it hurts so much that I just want it to stop. I would do anything to make the pain stop.
Brenda: Sonny, now you are scaring me!
Sonny: I don’t mean to scare you sweetheart. I’m just telling you how I feel and trying to let you know what it’s like inside my head. Nothing could make it stop, I’ve tried everything my honor would allow.
Brenda: Haven’t there been any moments in the last month where you haven’t been in pain?
Sonny: I don’t know why, but when I hold you and when I make love with you, it eases the pain.
Brenda: I can’t be your cure, Sonny.
Sonny: I’m not suggesting that you should be, I just know that my head hurts lees when I’m in physical contact with you. You know what? I’m glade that you’re having the baby.
Brenda: You are? I was afraid that you would feel like it would limit your future?
Sonny: Not at all, that way even after I’m gone you’ll always have a part of me with you. Maybe when you look at our child a piece of our love will live on.
Brenda: Sonny, don’t talk like that, you aren’t going to die.
Sonny: It’s okay, I’ve accepted my fate. If I die tomorrow it would have been worth it. Because of you my life was worthwhile, you made everything worth while.

He kisses her tenderly on the forehead, then the lips. It is not a passionate kiss, it is a kiss of sad sweet love. If love can be felt, Brenda is sure that she feels his love for her in that kiss. It feels as if he were transferring his love for her and entrusting her with it like a precious gift. She keeps her eyes shut tightly, against the rain and against the tears that will come spilling out at any moment. Her heart is breaking and she can feel his heart doing the same.

Sonny: Even with everything that has happened, I love you Brenda. I love you with all of my heart and soul. I will until the day that I die, but we can’t be together.

The rain is coming down much faster now. Sonny knows that he has to walk away now, before she opens her eyes. If he has to look into her eyes and see the tears, he’ll lose his nerve and won’t be able to leave.

Brenda: It can’t end this way for us.
Sonny: Good bye Brenda.

He turns and takes a few steps, and then he feels a headache starting. It is the worst that he has ever experienced and he finds it debilitating, it stops him in his tracks. His hands instinctively go to his head and he is unable to remain standing. Brenda has opened her eyes and is watching him leave. She is seeing him through tears and sheets of rain and only when he collapses does she realize that something is wrong. She rushes to his 
side and finds him limp and apparently lifeless. 

Brenda: Sonny? No, this can’t be happening! Somebody do something, help him!
 102

People surround Brenda as she waits for the ambulance to come for Sonny, who is slipping in and out of consciousness. The rain is coming down harder now. Someone is holding an umbrella over her and Sonny and someone else is holding one of her hands while she holds both of Sonny’s hands with her other hand. Brenda doesn’t know how to help him, so she does the best she can. She holds his hands and speaks words of encouragement. 

Brenda: Sonny, you’re going to be okay. The ambulance is on its way, but you need to hold on until then.
Sonny: *Weakly* Brenda?
Brenda: Don’t say anything, you need to save your strength. I love you, I love you so much.

The paramedics have just arrived and they push through the crowd to reach Sonny.

Paramedic: Who can tell me what happened here?
Brenda: I can, at least I think so.
Paramedic: Okay, Ms. Take it nice and slow. Just tell me what you know.
Brenda: We were talking and he turned to leave and collapsed.
Paramedic: Does he have any preexisting condition that could have caused his collapse?
Brenda: He has been having headaches for about a month. In fact, he was supposed to have tests today.
Paramedic: Who is his doctor?
Brenda: Dr. Tony Jones, from General Hospital.
Paramedic: Is he on any medication?
Brenda: No, Dr. Jones prescribed a painkiller, but Sonny wouldn’t take it.
Paramedic: Does he have any allergies?
Brenda: No. He is going to okay, right? 
Paramedic: We won’t know until we get him to the hospital.
Brenda: I’m riding with you!
Paramedic: That’s fine.

They secure Sonny to a stretcher and place an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. As they are carrying him on the stretcher to the ambulance the crowd starts to break up. Sonny raises his hand and indicates that he wants to speak to the paramedic. One of them pulls down the mask and leans in to hear Sonny’s words.

Sonny: *Weakly* I want her to stay.

The paramedic nods his head in understanding. They place the stretcher into the ambulance; Brenda is about to follow when one of the paramedics bars her way.

Paramedic: I’m sorry, but you’ll have to stay here.

Brenda looks bewildered as they close the door cutting her off. Brenda stands there, stunned as the ambulance pulls away. Brenda has never felt such a lack of power in her whole life. She is left alone with the rain falling around her. She can’t believe how selfish Sonny is being. He thinks that he is dying, and instead of letting her be there for him, he has run off like a mortally wounded animal. She is scared beyond words, but at the same time she is angry. Angry at the world for doing these things to them and angry with Sonny for giving up.

Brenda: *Screaming at the top of her lungs* IF YOU WANT TO GIVE UP ON LIFE, SONNY CORINTHOS, FAR BE IT FOR ME TO CARE!

She kicks the bench in despair and takes off walking in some random direction. Up until this point, Joseph has stayed in the background. He called the ambulance and then stepped back, fearing there was little he could do to help Sonny, he concerned himself more with his primary job of watching over Brenda. Now he has to run to catch up with her.

Joseph: I really think that you should let me take you home.
Brenda: I really don’t care what you think!
Joseph: It’s just, if you stay out here you may catch a cold. I don’t think that would be good, considering your condition.
Brenda: *Snapping*  Don’t you dare talk to me about, “my condition!”
Joseph: I’m sorry, Ms. Barrett. I was out of line.
Brenda: I’m the one who should apologize. Sometimes I don’t feel like myself any more.
Joseph: I understand, it’s the harmonies.
Brenda: Harmonies?
Joseph: Yeah, it’s part of the pregnancy, my wife went through it with our first child.
Brenda: I didn’t know that you were married and had a family.
Joseph: I have two daughters.
Brenda: Joseph, what does your family think of what you do?
Joseph: I work for a man that expects trust and loyalty and he asks for no more than he is willing to give.
Brenda: You mean, that there are worst jobs?
Joseph: Much worse.
Brenda: What about the danger, doesn’t it worry them that you could be killed?
Joseph: Any job can be dangerous, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. Sonny knows what he is doing and he does it well. He always thinks everything through carefully, and then he thinks it through again. He never sends us into unnecessary danger and he doesn’t take risks. I trust him with my life.
Brenda: Would you trust him the life of your wife or the lives of your children?
Joseph: Yes I would, and I think that you should give him a chance as well.
Brenda: I’m ready for you to take me home, now.
Joseph: To the apartment?
Brenda: No, take me to the Quartermaine mansion  

Stone paced around the hospital waiting room in agitation. He and Robin were desperately waiting for either Sonny or Brenda to return.

Stone: Where are they?
Robin: I don’t know, maybe this is a good thing and they are talking.
Stone: I just wish that Sonny would hurry back and get those tests over with.
Robin: I hope that he does, now that he knows about the baby he has every reason to want to be healthy.
Stone: Yeah, the baby changes everything.
Robin: I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you. I never agreed with Brenda keeping the truth from Sonny, but she is my friend and I had to honor her wishes.
Stone: It’s okay, I forgive you. I’m just not sure that Sonny will be able to forgive Brenda as easily.
Robin: He has to forgive her. They belong together, now more than ever I believe that to be true.

Brenda had gone numb on the way home. The cold and the fear and the exhaustion had gotten to be too much for her to handle. She was vaguely aware of arriving at the mansion, going up stairs and being helped out of her wet clothes by Emily. After that Brenda had collapsed on her bed and fallen into a fitful sleep.   
Emily was the only one at home when Joseph brought Brenda to the mansion. Emily had done her best to make Brenda comfortable, but she was scared. So she dialed the first speed number on Brenda’s cellular phone. 

At the hospital, Robin was a little surprised when her cellular phone rang.

Robin: Hello?
Emily: Hello, Robin?
Robin: Yes.
Emily: This is Emily Quartermaine.
Robin: I recognized your voice, is something wrong?
Emily: Yes, it’s Brenda. I think that she needs you or somebody and I’m home alone.
Robin: Where is Brenda right now?
Emily: She’s in her bed asleep, but she was in pretty bad shape when Joseph brought her home.
Robin: Hold on Emily, I’ll be right there.
Emily: Okay, like I told you Brenda is asleep, so she should be all right for now.
Robin: Just stay put, you were right to call me.

Robin hangs up the phone with a worried look on her face.

Stone: What’s up?
Robin: I’m not sure, but something happened to Brenda. She is asleep at the Q mansion, but Emily seems worried. I’m going to go over there.
Stone: Any idea what happened to Brenda?
Robin: Emily wasn’t specific.
Stone: Do you think that something happened between Sonny and Brenda?
Robin: I wouldn’t doubt it.
Stone: Sonny would never hurt Brenda or the baby, in fact he would probably put his own life on the line to protect the two of them.
Robin: I know that and it is what scares me. What are you going to do?
Stone: Wait here and see if Sonny comes back for those tests. Maybe he knows what is wrong with Brenda.
Robin: Okay, I’ll call you when I know something.
Stone: Same here.

Robin leaves to for the Q mansion, while Stone sits and waits for Sonny.

Chapter 103
Brenda is sleeping, but it is a fitful sleep. Robin is sitting beside her bed, worried to death about her friend. Brenda opens her eyes and sees Robin sitting beside her bed.

Robin: You’re finally awake.
Brenda: What are you doing here?
Robin: Emily called me, she thought you might need someone to talk to when you woke up.
Brenda: Sonny knows about the baby.
Robin: I know, Stone told me.
Brenda: Did you see Sonny?
Robin: Only when I was going into the hospital. 
Brenda: How was he?
Robin: He looked angry, didn’t he go looking for you?
Brenda: Yes, he found me on the docks and we argued.
Robin: Where did Sonny go after that?
Brenda: What do you mean? You said that you just saw him at the hospital?
Robin: No I didn’t, I saw him before he went after you. he was leaving when I was going in.
Brenda: *Starting to panic* He didn’t go to the hospital after that?
Robin: I don’t think so, Stone and I waited for a while and he never came back. That isn’t unusual for Sonny. You know how he likes to run off on his won when he’s hurt.
Brenda: Robin, Sonny couldn’t run anywhere. The last time I saw him he was in an ambulance. We had a fight on the docks and Sonny collapsed. He wasn’t taken into General Hospital?
Robin: Maybe I left before he got there.
Brenda: The hospital is closer to the docks than here. The ambulance should have been there before Emily called you!

Brenda is almost hysterical by now.

Robin: Okay, Brenda, calm down and I’ll call Stone at the hospital.

Robin goes to the phone and calls the hospital; she then has Stone paged.

Stone: Hello?
Robin: Hi, it’s Robin.
Stone: How is Brenda?
Robin: She is okay, I guess. Is Sonny there?
Stone: No, he never came back.
Robin: Brenda says that he collapsed on the docks and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
Stone: Is she sure?
Robin: Yes.
Stone: He isn’t here.
Robin: Can you double check and call me back?
Stone: Of course.

Robin hangs up the phone.

Brenda: Where’s Sonny?
Robin: Stone doesn’t know, but he’s pretty sure that he isn’t at General Hospital.
Brenda: Where else could he be? Unless, he died on the way to the hospital.

Brenda has started to cry uncontrollably.

Brenda: This is all my fault. If I had just told him about the baby then we never would have fought and he would be all right.
Robin: You don’t know that for sure.

The phone rings, Robin grabs it.

Robin: Hello?
Stone: It’s Stone. Sonny isn’t here.
Robin: Try Mercy and the other hospitals.
Stone: Then as a last resort I’ll try the county morgue.     
Robin: Call me when you hear something.

Robin hangs up the phone and notices that Brenda is struggling to put on her clothes.

Robin: What do you think you’re doing?
Brenda: I have to go find him!
Robin: Stone is making some calls.
Brenda: I have to do something!

She reaches up to button her shirt and feels that the locket that Sonny gave he is not on her neck. The agitation that she felt a minute earlier turns to full fledge panic.

Brenda: Where’s My Locket?
Robin: It must have fallen off when Emily took off you wet clothes.

Brenda starts tearing at the bed covers, desperately looking for the locket. At that moment Emily comes into the room. Brenda’s actions take her by surprise.

Emily: Brenda, what are you doing?
Brenda: I had a locket on, have you seen it?
Robin: Did you notice if it fell off when you were helping her with her wet clothes.
Emily: She wasn’t wearing anything when I helped her take off her wet clothes.
Brenda: That can’t be!
Robin: Are you sure, Emily?
Emily: Positive, you must have lost it earlier.
Brenda: No that can’t be! It can’t be lost; I’ll die if it’s lost!

She starts to sob.

Robin: Brenda, it isn’t the end of the world. It was just a locket.
Brenda: No, It belonged to Sonny’s grandmother. He gave it to me on our first date; it was Sonny’s heart. He gave me his heart and told me to take care of it. I Lost Sonny’s Heart!
Robin: You aren’t making much sense.
Brenda: Nothing Makes Sense Anymore! I lost Sonny’s heart and if he’s alive he’ll never forgive me!

The phone rings and Robin answers it, as Emily tries to comfort Brenda. 

Robin: Thank you Stone.

She hangs up the phone with a solemn look on her face. Brenda stops crying long enough to look up at Robin.

Robin: Stone found Sonny.
Emily: Where?
Robin: He is at Mercy Hospital.
Brenda: I have to go to him.
Robin: I’ll tell Joseph to drive you.
Emily: Is he okay?
Robin: Stone didn’t get any details.

Brenda already has her coat on and is heading out the door.

Robin: I think I had better go with Brenda, she may need some support.
Emily: I think that she probably will need all the support she can get.

Robin rushes out the door after Brenda.

Chapter 104
Stone was doing the exact same thing he had been doing all day; he was pacing the floor of a hospital waiting area. Only this time it wasn’t General Hospital and this time he was really concerned about his friend. Robin rushes in, followed closely by Brenda, who is followed by Joseph.
Robin: How’s Sonny?
Stone: I don’t know, the doctor is in with Sonny now.
Brenda: What have they told you?
Stone: Nothing, because I’m a kid the doctor won’t talk to me. Brenda maybe you can find out something.
Brenda I’ll try.

She goes to the front desk and asks about Sonny.

Robin: I don’t understand why did Sonny have them bring him here?
Stone: Who ever knows what is going through Sonny’s head. He is the most complicated person I know.

Brenda walks back over to Stone and Robin.

Brenda: The doctor is going to talk to us.

A doctor walks over to the group.

Doctor: I’m Doctor Fairbanks, if you’ll follow me to the consultation room. I can update you on Mr. Corinthos case.

The doctor leads them to a small room decorated in soothing tones of light blue and gray. Comfort colors according to modern medicine. It is the type of place that Brenda assumes they take family members when the diagnosis is not good. It’s the kind of room that offers privacy, but it also separates grieving families from the rest of the hospital and prevents their feeling form disrupting the rest of the hospital. For some people such rooms may be comforting, a place of solitude and reflection. To Brenda, the room felt more like a prison. A place of segregation between the world of the living and the world of the dying. She knew how she felt at the moment, Brenda felt trapped in a limbo between wanted to know the diagnosis of Sonny’s condition and not wanted to know what she feared. The doctor has been talking for some time, but Brenda is so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hasn’t heard a word. He has told anyone that was listening that there is an aneurysm that is putting pressure on Sonny’s brain and that he is currently unconscious. 
Doctor: Unless the pressure can be relieved with medication, we will have to perform surgery.
Robin: Would the surgery have a higher chance of success than using the medication.
Doctor: Not necessarily, in fact he could very well die in the operating room.     
Brenda: *Suddenly paying attention* Sonny can’t die, you can’t let him!
Doctor: His chances would be better if he hadn’t waited so long to have the tests run.
Stone: That is just Sonny for you, he is extremely stubborn. When can you start giving him the medication?
Doctor: It is an experimental drug, so someone will have to sign a permission form.
Stone: Brenda, you can do that.
Doctor: *Skeptical* Are you over 21?
Brenda: Yes, do you want to card me?
Doctor: No, I’ll take your word for it.
Brenda: Can you tell me again about this drug. What will it do for Sonny?
Doctor: It should do the same thing as surgery, it should relieve the pressure on his brain.
Brenda: Then he’ll be all right?
Doctor: Given enough time, he should make a full recovery.
Brenda: Wait a minute, how long will it take the drug to work.
Doctor: It should start to work in an hour or so. However, then Mr. Corinthos will need a great deal of rest.
Stone: Well, you’re going to have to knock him unconscious if you expect Sonny to rest.
Doctor: That aspect of his recovery is down the road. Right now I’m more concerned with getting him started on the medication.
Brenda: Just show me where I need to sign?
Doctor: Follow me.

Brenda follows him to the main desk, where she is given a pile of documents to sign. She finally puts her signature on the last release form and hands them to the desk attendant. The desk attendant, in turn, hands them to the doctor. He looks at every one of them to make sure that they are all in order.

Doctor: These seem to be in order. I’ll start the medication immediately.
Brenda: Can I see Sonny?
Doctor: Let me give him the first dose of the drug and then I’ll allow you to see him.
Brenda: Thank you.

The doctor goes to administer the medication and Brenda sinks exhausted into a chair in the waiting room.
Robin and Stone stand beside her.

Robin: Are you okay?
Brenda: I’m tired and I’m worried sick about him. Other than that, I’m fine.
Robin: Do you want me to have Joseph take you home so you can get some rest?
Brenda: No, I have to be here for Sonny.
Robin: The medication could take a while, you need to get some rest.
Brenda: No, I have to stay here and be here when he wakes up.
Robin: Can I at least go get you something to eat from the cafeteria?
Brenda: I’m not hungry.
Robin: Brenda, you have to eat. How else can you keep up your strength? What good could you be to either Sonny or your baby if you’re passed out cold on the floor?
Brenda: When you put it that way, mom, how can I argue.
Robin: You can’t. I’ll be right back.

Robin leaves to go find the cafeteria.

Stone: Do you think you will be okay here alone for a few minutes?
Brenda: Sure, are you going to go with Robin?
Stone: No, I thought that I’d go call Luke and let him know about Sonny.
Brenda: Good idea.
Stone: Also, Sara will be getting out of work soon. I should call her too; she probably wants to be here.
Brenda: *Slightly upset* Do you have to let her know? Sonny isn’t even awake!
Stone: They are friends, Brenda. She should know, besides, I think he might even want her here.
Brenda: Fine, do what ever you think is right!

Stone leaves for the desk to use the phone. As he leaves a paramedic approaches Brenda.

Paramedic: Excuse me, Ms.
Brenda: *Taken off guard* Yes?
Paramedic: You probably don’t recognize me, but I was one of the paramedics that worked on Mr. Corinthos on the docks earlier today.
Brenda: *Angry now* I do remember you! You were one of the men that wouldn’t let me ride in the ambulance to the hospital!
Paramedic: I’m sorry about that, it was at the request of the patient. He said that he wanted you to stay behind. Anyway, you dropped this when you were down there.

He pulls something out of his pocket and places it in Brenda’s hand. Brenda is to overcome with emotion to speak. It is the locket that Sonny gave her, the one that she thought she had lost forever.

Paramedic: I thought that it might be important.
Brenda: *With tears in her eyes *: It is one of the most important things I own and I thought I would never see it again! How did you find it?
Paramedic: I noticed that you dropped it and was about to give it to you, then things got hectic.
Brenda: I don’t know how to thank you?
Paramedic: The look on your face is more than enough thanks. If I were you I would get the latch looked at.
Brenda: Thank you, again.
Paramedic: You’re welcome. I have to go my shift is ending.   

The paramedic leaves; Brenda sits in the chair and clutches the locket tightly in her hand. She turns it over and notices an inscription that she has never seen before. Sonny must have had it inscribed before he gave it to her, but she never looked at the back.

Inscription:  S to B. You’ll always have my heart.
Brenda’s mind drifts back to Valentines Day, when Sonny first took her to the tower and gave her the locket. He had told her that it was his secret place.  
Brenda: I understand now Sonny. I understand everything. You have to be all right. We Have To Be All-Right!
Tears flow freely from her eyes and roll down her cheeks.

Chapter 105
Robin finds Brenda crying when she comes back from the cafeteria. She puts down the tray that she has brought with food for Brenda and rushes to her side.

Robin: What’s wrong, did something happen to Sonny? 
Brenda: No, there hasn’t been any change.
Robin: Will you let Joseph take you home?
Brenda: No, I want to see Sonny.
Robin: Okay, at least eat something.
Brenda: One of the paramedics found my locket.

She holds it up for Robin to see.

Robin: Where?
Brenda: I guess I dropped it on the docks after Sonny collapsed.
Robin: It looks like the catch may be loose. You should get it fixed.
Brenda: I will, but will you help me put it back on for now?
Robin: Are you sure that you don’t want to have it fixed first?
Brenda: I don’t want Sonny to see me with out it. 
Robin: Why is it so important?
Brenda: Because he gave it to me, it is a symbol of everything that we are to each other.

She turns around so that Robin can latch it. She has just finished when the doctor walks up.

Brenda: How is Sonny?
Doctor: He appears to be responding well to the medication. He is breathing on his own, we won’t know anything else until we can run more tests or he regains consciousness.
Brenda: Why can’t you run tests now?
Doctor: We want to make sure he is stable first. You can go in and see him if you would like.
Brenda: Yes, I would like that.
Doctor: He probably would too. The more support he has around him, the faster he will heal.
Robin: Will he know that she is there?
Doctor: The EKG showed strong brain activity. I think he will know that you are there and it is very likely that he will even be able to hear you. 

The doctor shows Brenda to Sonny’s room. She goes into the room and is met with a heart-breaking scene. 
He is hooked up to so many machines and he looks so helpless and vulnerable. She never imagined that she would see him look so helpless, he was always the strongest person she knew.  The only other time that she had seen him like this was after he had been shot. She found him that night in the snow and she had saved his life. She stayed with him and took care of him because she loved him. In fact, it was that night that she first realized how much she loved him.

Brenda: What happened to us Sonny?

She picks up one of his hands and holds it in both of her hands.

Brenda: You know, I thought I had lost the locket tonight and that nearly killed me. I didn’t though; a paramedic found it and gave it back to me. Loosing it and finding it again was like a miracle and it made me think about some things. 

She sits down on a chair beside the bed, and still holding his hand, she continues.

Brenda: It made me realize what is really important. I figured out that it isn’t what you do for a living or that I lied to you about the baby. What is really important is that I love you and I’m carrying your child. 
 
She takes his hand and places it on her stomach.

Brenda: Do you feel that Sonny? There is a life in there, and we created it with our love. I want you to be a part of our child’s life. You have to be okay, because your child and I need you.

She takes his hand and holds it once more.

Brenda: I know that I was wrong to lie to you and make you think that I had miscarried. I had no right to make you miss even a moment of this pregnancy. We created this life together and we both deserve to be a part of it. That is why I’m here, I’m asking you to live to know your child and so that your child can know you. I never knew my mother; she died when I was too small to remember her. I don’t want that to happen to our child. I don’t want to have to tell him or her about what a wonderful man you were. I don’t want our child to live with the emptiness that I felt.  

She lets the tears flow freely down her face. She does not try to stop them or wipe them away.
Instead she feels them and lets gathers strength from her feelings.

Brenda: I know that we have a lot to work out. I betrayed your trust by lying about the baby.  We can get past that because none of it matters. We are all that matters, our love and the family we can become.
I don’t know how we’ll work it out together. Together we can do anything; there is this bond between us that I can’t even explain. I don’t know what would happen if you die, I’d probably die too. But I know that you won’t die, your the strongest man I know and you will get though this. You have to let us help though and I know that will be hard for you, but you can do it. You can do anything that you set your mind to.

She wipes some of the tears from her eyes.

Brenda: I hope you can hear me, I’m not sure that I can say all this again. This is what I feel in my heart Sonny; you’re in my heart. Just be okay, you have to be okay. You have to open your eyes and when you do I’ll be here. The baby and I will be waiting for you Sonny. When I close my eyes and see my future, it’s always with you, Sonny. When you get well enough, I want to marry you. I can’t see myself as anything other than Mrs. Michael Corinthos. All of our dreams are going to come true; we are going to be so happy.

She places her head on his shoulder and cries. Robin comes in the room and sees her like that, with her head on his shoulder, crying.

Robin: Brenda, you need to go home and rest.
Brenda: He hasn’t waked up yet, I have to be here when he does. I just promised I would be here when he woke up.
Robin: The nurse is going to give him a sedative, he’ll sleep through the night.
Brenda: Are you sure?
Robin: I’m positive. He would want you to get some rest. Let Joseph take you home.
Brenda: All right, but I’m coming back first thing in the morning! I want to be here when he wakes up.
Robin: I’ll go tell Joseph that you’re ready to go.

Robin leaves and Brenda reluctantly puts down Sonny’s hand. She leans down and kisses him lightly.

Brenda: I love you Sonny, and I’ll be back tomorrow.

She looks at him one last time and leaves the room. He tries to call out to her, but he can’t form the words. He feels lost in a fog, a thousand-pound fog that is holding him pined to the ground and swallows his words. He wants to tell her that he loves her, that she and their baby mean everything in the world to him. He wants to let her know before the fog completely devours him. He has heard her, every word that she has said and felt every feeling that she has had. He even felt her leave, felt his hand grow cold when she stopped holding it, and felt his heart grow cold when she left the room. Now he feels his mind drifting into a cold dark hell as the sedative the nurse has just administered takes affect.
Brenda is getting in the car, when she feels a wave of cold pass over her.

Chapter 106
Brenda had woken up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. She had asked Pete, whose shift it was to guard her, to take her to the hospital. She went straight to Sonny’s room and found it empty. She panicked and raced to the floor desk. 

Brenda: Where is Mr. Corinthos?
Nurse: He was moved.
Brenda: Where?
Nurse: ICU. He went into cardiac arrest and the doctor felt that it was better to move him to an area where he could be monitored.

Brenda rushes to the elevator, with Pete in tow. They reach the floor where ICU is located and have no trouble finding Sonny. Renaldo is guarding his door.

Renaldo: Mrs. Barrett, what are you doing out at this hour.
Brenda: I couldn’t sleep. I knew something was wrong. What happened?
Renaldo: He went into cardiac arrest right after you left the hospital. The doctors were able to stabilize him, but they had to put him on a respirator and hook him up to a few more machines.
Brenda: How can they hook him up to MORE machines? He was already on so many!
Renaldo: Maybe you should talk to the nurse at the desk.

Brenda goes to the desk and is giving a long string of information and statistics that she doesn’t understand.

Brenda: Can I see him?
Nurse: You can go in, but don’t stay too long. There is a family waiting room if you want to stay the night.
Brenda: Okay, I just want to let him know that I’m here.

Brenda walks into the room and is shocked by how things have changed in a few hours.  Sonny now has tubes in his noise; his being monitored by more machines and has an IV. The room is filled with strange beeping sounds, but he seems to be sleeping. All the machines take up most of the space in the room, leaving her only a standing area on either side of his bed. She reaches over and picks up his hand that doesn’t have the IV in it. His hand is cold and rough, as if the whole composition of his skin has changed.

Brenda: Sonny, it’s Brenda. It isn’t morning yet, almost, but I couldn’t sleep. The nurse says that you had some rough moments, but you made it through. You are going to be just fine. I want you to rest for right now and in the morning you can open you eyes and I’ll be right here. I can’t sleep in your room, but I’ll be here when you wake up, when you open your eyes. What I wouldn’t give at this moment to see those beautiful eyes of yours, but I’ll see them soon enough. I love you so much.

She leans over and kisses him lightly on the forehead. She is so afraid of hurting him. He looks so fragile.

Brenda: I’m going to go now. Renaldo is right outside your door and Pete is with me. I’ll see you in the morning.

She kisses him once more and goes to the waiting area. There are chairs that recline and couches big enough to stretch out on and sleep. There are people. Some people have obviously been there for a while. They have pillows and blankets and personal belongings. It reminds Brenda of a rescue center that she once had to stay in during the spring break from hell. She had been vacationing in Hawaii. She had been vacationing when a hurricane struck the island she was on. The hotel had been evacuated and she had spent the rest of her break in a school basement with about a hundred scared tourists. In times like that there is a sense of closeness that develops between people. Brenda sensed that the minute she walked into the room. Some people were sleeping uneasily; still others couldn’t sleep at all. It was as if everyone in the room was anticipating the worst and expecting to hear it at any moment. Brenda sits on one of the couches, feeling alone and scared. She isn’t sure what to do. A woman comes over to her and tells her that she can get a blanket and pillow at the front desk. Brenda does so and leans against the pillow and pulls the blanket up around her. She to falls into an uneasy sleep. Pete sits up watching her the entire night. She wakes the next morning when someone touches her on the shoulder. She opens her eyes and sees Robin standing over her. The waiting room is as quiet as a tomb. Everyone is asleep. Brenda and Robin go out into the hall where they can talk.

Robin: Did you stay here all night?
Brenda: Yes, I couldn’t sleep at home.
Robin: And you could sleep in there?
Brenda: Yeah, some how just being close to Sonny helped.
Robin; They moved him.
Brenda: Again, is that good?
Robin: It’s great! He opened his eyes this morning. He seems to be doing really good.
Brenda: Why didn’t they tell me. Someone should have been there!
Robin: Sara was.
Brenda: What? I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE NOT HER! HE OPENED HIS EYES FOR HER?  
Robin: Calm down, Brenda! He didn’t open his eyes for her, she just happened to be there.
Brenda: I don’t believe it. Can I see him? Or has little miss perfect worn him out for the morning?
Robin: Sara is in there now, but I’m sure you can see him. You just cant’s go in there yelling! Getting upset is bad for you, it’s bad for the baby and it’s bad for Sonny.
Brenda: Okay, fine. I just don’t like her, that’s all.
Robin: Okay, calm down and I’ll take you too his room.

Brenda follows Robin to Sonny’s room. Renaldo stops her outside the room.

Brenda: May I see him?
Renaldo: Wait here, Ms. Barrett. Ms. West is in with him right now.

He goes into the room and in a few minutes he comes back out.

Renaldo: *Looking guilty* I’m sorry, he doesn’t want to see you.
Brenda: I don’t understand?
Renaldo: That is what he told me to tell you.

Joseph has relieved Pete as Brenda’s guard and now he gives Renaldo a dirty look.

Renaldo: It isn’t my fault.
Brenda: I know that it’s not. I don’t blame you Renaldo and neither does Joseph.
Joseph: *Not convinced* Whatever you say Ms. Barrett! 

He glares at Renaldo once more. Sara coming out of Sonny’s room breaks the tension between the two men. She gives Brenda a dirty look.

Sara: What are you doing here? He doesn’t want to see you!
Brenda: Only because you poisoned his mind against me. 
Sara: I didn’t have to do any such thing! The doctor wants Sonny to avoid any stress. He is a smart enough man to know that you cause stress in his life.
Brenda: You’re right, Sonny is smart. It’s going to take him no time at all to see you for who you really are. You’re nothing but an opportunistic tramp.
Sara: I’m the opportunist? You little slut. That baby you’re carrying is probably not even Sonny’s!

With that she turns and goes back into Sonny’s room, leaving Brenda nearly in tears.

Joseph: Are you all right?
Brenda: Yes, I’m not going to let her get to me.

She starts to walk off proudly, but she only gets a few steps before she doubles over from a sharp pain in her abdomen. Both Joseph and Renaldo rush to her side as tears stream down her face.

Joseph: Ms. Barrett can you hear me?
Renaldo: Brenda? Are you okay?

She is in so much pain that she can’t even talk.

Joseph: I’m going to go get a doctor!

He runs off and Renaldo holds Brenda’s hand. She is finally able to talk.

Brenda: Please help me. I can’t loose my baby.

She grips Renaldo’s hand harder as the pain increases.

In his room, Sonny stops speaking in mid sentence as a feeling of intense cold pain races through his body.

Sara: Sonny, what’s wrong? Do you need me to call the nurse?
Sonny: You have to find Brenda!
Sara: She was just here, she couldn’t have gone far. I thought you didn’t want to see her?
Sonny: Find Her Now!

Sara is a little surprised at his urgent tone, but she leaves the room as he has requested. Renaldo is not at his post and Brenda is nowhere in site. She figures that she should at least pretend to look for her. So she heads to the cafeteria, the opposite direction from the emergency room where Brenda has just been taken. In his room, Sonny’s heart is racing to an alarming rate and he has broken out in a cold sweat. 

107
Stone walks into Sonny’s room and finds Sara still hanging all over him. Without even looking at her.

Stone: Sonny, we need to talk.
Sonny: Sure, what’s on your mind?
Stone: It’s personal.

He indicates Sara.

Sonny: Can you give me and Stone some time alone.
Sara: Sure, I’ll go call Luke and tell him that I can’t come in tonight.

Stone gives Sonny a look.

Stone: Aren’t Tuesday nights real busy at the club?
Sonny: Yeah they are. You had better just go to work.
Sara: Are you sure that you’ll be all right here alone.
Stone: He’ll be fine, he isn’t alone.
Sara: I’ll call you later, Sonny.    

Stone glares at her as she leaves.

Sonny: You don’t like her, do you?
Stone: She’s a good waitress, which’s about as much as I care about her.
Sonny: She’s my friend, but you didn’t come here to discuss her. Something happened to Brenda, I want to know what?
Stone: How’d you know. Did Renaldo tell you?
Sonny: Nobody had to tell me, now what is it?

In the emergency room Brenda is lying on an examining table and Robin is standing next to her. Brenda is looking at an ultrasound image.

Brenda: That is so amazing! Can you believe that is really a picture of my baby?
Robin: It’s pretty cool, all right. I’ll bet it would lift Sonny’s sprits to see it.
Brenda: Oh please, the way he’s acting he’ll be lucky if I let him see a photo of the baby after it’s born!
Robin: Tell me you aren’t on that kick again?
Brenda: What kick?
Robin: The one where you actually believe that you can keep this baby away from Sonny!
Brenda: It is no less than he deserves!
Robin: Brenda!
Brenda: Don’t start with me! I stood at his bedside and poured out my heart to him. I held his hand and willed him to live with every ounce of strength that I had in me. I told him that I loved him and would stand by him no matter what, we could be a family. So, what does he do? He waits until Sara is by his side and opens his eyes. 
Robin: So this is about Sara?
Brenda: This is about me giving my all to him and then being told that he doesn’t even want to see me!
Robin: Did Sonny tell you this?
Brenda: No, he is such a coward that he won’t even say it to my face! He had Renaldo tell me and then he had Sara block my entrance to his room. She accused me of lying about Sonny being the father of this child!
Robin: Brenda, Sara is going to use any means that she can to come between you and Sonny. 
Brenda: As far as I’m concerned she can have him! 
Robin: You don’t mean that. I’ve never seen you give up on a fight when it was something that you really wanted. I think that you still want Sonny.
Brenda: Of course I do, he’s the father of my child and the man that I love. But how can I fight Sara when doing so puts the health of my child at risk?
Robin: You have to start by talking to Sonny and reaching some kind of peace with him. As long as you and Sonny are fighting, half of Sara’s job is done for her. You have to remember that you already have something of Sonny’s that Sara never will.
Brenda: At the rate she’s going, Sara could have his baby as well.
Robin: I doubt that, besides I talking about something else.
Brenda: *Skeptical* What?
Robin: You have Sonny’s heart.
Brenda: Then why won’t he see me? 
Robin: Maybe he’s having a bad reaction to his medication.
Brenda: Yeah right!
  
In Sonny’s room, Stone is glaring at him again.

Stone: Please tell me that you’re having a bad reaction to your medication!
Sonny: My medication is fine.
Stone: Than I guess you’re just an insensitive jerk!
Sonny: What did I do now?
Stone: If you don’t know than I feel really sorry for you!
Sonny: Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with Brenda or not?  
Stone: You’re what’s wrong with Brenda! For some god-forsaken reason, she loves you! She’s in the emergency room right now!

A look of panic crosses his face.

Sonny: What happened?
Stone: Sara did. She had a fight with Brenda in the hall. Did you tell Sara to keep Brenda out of your room?
Sonny: The doctor told me to avoid stress. I might have mentioned that Brenda is a potential source of stress.
Stone: Sara took you seriously. Brenda wanted to see you and Sara tried to stop her. Sara accused Brenda of all kinds of things and Brenda ended up collapsing in the hall.
Sonny: Sara didn’t say anything about seeing Brenda. Did Brenda tell you about this? 
Stone: Brenda didn’t have to tell me, Renaldo and Joseph saw the whole thing.
Sonny: Why would Sara want to fight with Brenda?
Stone: Are you blind? Sara wants you! She uses any opportunity that she can to antagonize Brenda. Now that she knows that Brenda is having your child it’s only going to get worse.
Sonny: Brenda shouldn’t have lied to me about the baby.
Stone: That’s in the past. The point was she got scared and tried to protect herself the only way she knew how. 
Sonny: I trusted her completely, how can I get that back?
Stone: You’re going to have to work at it. The first time we met, I lied to you about not stealing your car stereo. 
Sonny: That was different.
Stone: No, it was exactly the same. I was scared too, just like Brenda. You forgave me for lying to you about that. You took me in and we became a family, and I haven’t lied to you since that night. You have the power of forgiveness inside of you. Forgive Brenda!
Sonny: I don’t know if I can.
Stone: She was here all last night holding your hand and begging you to live. We made her go home and she came back, she loves you.
Sonny: I know, I heard every word that she said.
Stone: Can you tell me that it didn’t make a difference?
Sonny: Of course she made a difference. Before she got here I was stuck in this deep dark hole. I felt like I was drowning and she pulled me out. Her voice and touch gave me something to focus on. She saved my life.
Stone: Then work things out with her.
Sonny: I’m not sure how, it seems that we have gone too far off the path.
Stone: Let me give you something to help you out.

He hands Sonny a copy of the ultrasound image.

Sonny: What’s this?
Stone: That’s an ultrasound image of your child.
Sonny: Where’d you get it?
Stone: Brenda had it done in the emergency room. This is why you need to work things out with Brenda.
Sonny: There are just so many things that she doesn’t understand.

Sonny has not noticed that she is standing in the doorway to his room.
Brenda: Like what Sonny? If I don’t understand things, than help me to understand. 
Sonny looks up and gives her a sad smile.
Chapter 108
    
Brenda stands in the door to Sonny’s room, not really sure whether to go in or not. 

Stone: I’m going to go and give you guys some time to talk.

He passes Brenda on the way out.

Stone: Are you going to be okay?
Brenda: Yeah, I’ll be fine.
Stone: *To Sonny* Talk to her.

Brenda stands in the doorway, still not sure if Sonny is going to throw her out or what is going to happen.

Sonny: You look frightened.
Brenda: I’m waiting for you to call Renaldo in and have him kick me out.
Sonny: I wouldn’t do that. I’m sorry about earlier. I want you in here; no actually I need you in here.
Brenda: Than I’m not scared, I’m relieved. What have the doctors told you?
Sonny: That they gave me an experimental drug, instead of performing surgery. The drug seems to be working miracles. I have to keep taking it for about a month, then get tested again.
Brenda: I’m glad you’re going to all right, Sonny.
Sonny: Thanks to you.
Brenda: All I did was sign the release for them to give you the medication.
Sonny: No, you did more than that Brenda. You stayed with me; you gave me something to hold onto. Your words and love were what pulled me though.
Brenda: You knew I was here, you heard me?
Sonny: Every word that was formed by those beautiful lips of yours.
Brenda: I meant every word that I said.
Sonny: I know you did.
Brenda: So what do we do now?
Sonny: We have a lot of problems, sweetheart.
Brenda: I know we do, but I think we can work through them, together. I was so scared that you were going to die and our child was not going to grow up knowing its father.
Sonny: I thought the same thing for awhile.
Brenda: Is that why you came here to, Mercy hospital, instead of going to General Hospital?
Sonny: I though I was going to die, Brenda. The pain was so bad, that I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t make the people that I love watch me die.
Brenda: When you left me standing on the docks and wouldn’t let me go with you in the ambulance, it made me angry. You left me standing in the rain and I was powerless to stop you. You were the one being carried away on the stretcher yet; you still had power over me. You were making the decision for both of us and I felt like you were being horribly selfish.
Sonny: Maybe I was being selfish, but I thought I was protecting you and saving you from pain.
Brenda: You were in pain, Sonny, which was all that mattered to me. When you love someone, you want to share every aspect of life with that person. Not just the good parts, you want to be a part of everything.
Sonny: Even when it might mean watching that person’s life slip away.
Brenda: I love you and if you’re in pain or in trouble I want to be here for you.
Sonny: I didn’t know you felt that strongly about it.
Brenda: Well; now you know. The first thing that I need from you is a promise that you will never do anything like this again. Sonny, if you’re hurt don’t slink off like a wounded animal   
Sonny: All right, I promise.
Brenda: Good, I’m glad that is settled. Now I understand why you didn’t want to see me. 
Sonny: True, I didn’t want you to see me weak and vulnerable, but there is more to it than that.
Brenda: What?
Sonny: Brenda, you lied to me about the baby. I’m not sure I can easily forgive you for that.
Brenda: You know why I lied, I was scared.
Sonny: Brenda, you should have trusted me as much as I trusted you. I opened up to you and shared things with you that I haven’t expressed to anybody in my whole life. 
Brenda: I never broke any of your confidences. I respected every feeling that you every shared with me.
Sonny: I know you did, but you didn’t respect me.
Brenda: How can you say that? I love you.
Sonny: I know you do, but you did let me carry around the guilt of believing that I was responsible for our child’s death.
Brenda: I wasn’t even sure that you would want this baby.
Sonny: How could you even think for a moment that I wouldn’t want this child.
Brenda: I didn’t want you to feel obligated to us.
Sonny: Brenda, you know that my father left me when I was a child?
Brenda: Yes, you told me. You thought it was your fault that he left.
Sonny: That was a horrible burden to have to grow up with. How could you ever think that I would do that to any child of mine? I won’t let my child grow up without a father. 
Brenda: *With tears in her eyes.* I know that now.
Sonny: Do you really?
Brenda* Nods her head* I’ll never doubt it again.
Sonny: Also, I don’t want you to ever have to wonder if I only want to be with you because of the baby.
Brenda: Sonny, that’s okay.
Sonny: No it’s not. I do love you and I would want you even if you weren’t having my child.
Brenda:  Sonny, if I’ve hurt you so bad. How are we going to get through this? How can we build a life and family for our child if you don’t trust me?
Sonny: I don’t know. Stone is convinced that I have the power of forgiveness in me. I’ve never really had to forgive anybody for anything before. I guess time will tell, we are going to have to move slowly.
Brenda: Okay, I can do that. I can give you as much time as you need. I think we kind of rushed our relationship at the start. This could be good for us. We can step back and really get to know each other.
Sonny: I appreciate that, only you have to let me be a part of this pregnancy. That means you can’t run off to New York or London or any places like that.
Brenda: Okay, I can do that. My next doctors’ appointment is in 3 weeks. You can come if you’d like.
Sonny: I’d really like that. Will they do another one of those ultrasound things?
Brenda: Probably, how did you find out about that?
Sonny: Stone brought me a copy of the picture.

Sonny indicates the ultrasound image that is lying on the table. Brenda picks it up and looks at it.

Brenda: I should probably be mad at him for giving it to you behind my back.
Sonny: So did they tell you what you were looking at. Because I can’t make heads or tails of that picture.
Brenda: Sonny, our child doesn’t have a tail!
Sonny: Actually, I’m pretty sure that at some point it the development of the fetus, it does have a tail.
Brenda: Than it will be the most beautiful tail ever created.
Sonny: No doubt about that. This will be the most beautiful baby ever created.
Brenda: Why, because it has me as its mother and you as its father? 
Sonny: having beautiful parents doesn’t hurt, but I was thinking more because our love created it. But I still can’t figure out that ultrasound image.  
Brenda: They explained it all to me when they were doing the ultrasound, but this doesn’t look like what I saw on the screen.
Sonny: We really are responsible for that beautiful life?
Brenda: We sure are. I’m not really sure how we got to be so lucky though?
Sonny: Come here and I’ll show you.

Brenda leans closer to him and he kisses her long and passionately on the lips.

Sonny: *Pulling away* That’s how we did it. When two people love each other as much as we do, something really great can’t help but come out of it.
Brenda: Sonny, are we going to be all right?
Sonny: We’re going to try.
Brenda: If we are going to work on getting our relationship back on track, there is something I need for you to do. 
Sonny: All you have to do is ask.
Brenda: You need to define your relationship with Sara.
Sonny: I’ve told you, she and I are just friends. You are the only woman that I desire; you’re the one in my heart and in my soul. I don’t want her; I never did and never could.
Brenda: I believe you, but she wants you, Sonny, not just as a friend either.
Sonny: I’ll talk to her.
Brenda: Okay. I know you’ll do the right thing, because you’re an honorable man.
Sonny: I don’t know about that, what kind of honorable man goes after a young girl, the way I went after you?
Brenda: You’re right, it was more like passion that drew us together.
Sonny: Oh yeah. Lust brought us together, but love has kept us around.
Brenda: Yeah, your love is the basic element of my world.
Sonny: Your love is the best part of my world.
Brenda: That’s going to see us through this and I really believe that we are going to come out stronger.
Sonny: It going to take time, it isn’t going to happen all at once.
Brenda: I know that, but I can wait as long as it takes. For now though, I think you need to get some rest.
Sonny: Could you stay with me for awhile?
Brenda: I think my schedule is free for a couple of more hours.
Sonny: As long as I’m not keeping you from anything?
Brenda: Not really.
Sonny: As long as you’re staying, do you think that you could maybe get a little closer?

Brenda inches a little closer to his bed.

Brenda: How’s this?
Sonny: A little closer.

They exchange the kind of hot look that only these two can produce as she sits on the edge of the hospital bed. She reaches out and takes his hand. Her touch warms his whole body. At the same time, being so close to him sends chills through Brenda’s body. 

Brenda: Is this close enough?
Sonny: Almost.

Sonny takes her hand and moves it to his lips, where he kisses it. They exchange more hot looks.
 
Brenda: Oh, I see what you want.
She wraps her arms around him and leans her head lovingly against his.

Sonny: That’s perfect.

He falls asleep in her embrace and it seems like, at least for the moment, all is right with the world.
Chapter 109
Sonny is finishing breakfast in his hospital room when Luke breezes in, carrying a newspaper.

Sonny: Hey, what’s up?
Luke: Apparently you are. Barbara Jean tells me that you are about ready to blow out of this place?
Sonny: Can’t be too soon for me.
Luke: I can second that, partner.
Sonny: Is the club falling apart without me?
Luke: Well, the books need to be done. That isn’t what I’m talking about though.

He hands Sonny the newspaper that has the following headline.

*Police Commissioner Sean Donley Resigns*

Sonny: When did this happen?
Luke: Yesterday, but read on it gets better.

Newspaper: As his final duty, the Ex commissioner has arrested reputed crime lord, Hernando Rivera.
Sonny: Man, I’m out cold for less than a day and the whole place falls apart? How’d Donley get Rivera?
Luke: Building permit violation.
Sonny: You’ve got to be kidding?
Luke: Not at all. Rivera was trying to open a club and didn’t get the proper permits.
Sonny: Has Donley lost his mind? How long does he think that’ll hold Rivera?
Luke: I think that he knows it won’t hold him for long. Sean doesn’t care, he’s leaving.
Sonny: He wants to go out with a bang.
Luke: Wouldn’t you?
Sonny: I guess, still this is the day we’ve been waiting for.
Luke: It’s also the day we’ve been dreading. 
Sonny: Any idea who the next police commissioner is going be?
Luke: None, chaos is going to reign for the time being.
Sonny: Rivera is going to take advantage of the chaos. He is going to make his move soon.
Luke: No doubt about that. What do we do?
Sonny: Batten down the hatches and wait.
Luke: I hate waiting!
Sonny: Same here, but I don’t think we are going to have to wait too long.
Luke: I’m thinking about having Laura leave town again.
Sonny: You’re so lucky that she listens to you. I wish I could say the same thing about Brenda.
Luke: I thought that you and the perfume girl had called it quits?
Sonny: We never really did. Besides, now with the baby on the way we are bound to each other again.
Luke: She lied to you about that for how long?
Sonny: Since the attack in the shower.
Luke: You can forgive her, just like that?
Sonny: I don’t know if I can ever forgive her. Stone thinks that I can, but I do know that I love her. I also love the child that she is carrying. The two of them are the most important people in my life.
Luke: It’s your funeral.

Sonny looks up and sees Brenda standing in the doorway to his room. He smiles at her, and Luke turns around.

Sonny: Hi, sweetheart.
Brenda: Hi, I’m not interrupting anything am I?
Sonny: Not at all.
Luke: I was just on my way out.
Brenda: I can come back later.
Luke: No, really I need to get back to the club. I’ll leave the newspaper.
Sonny: Thanks Luke.
Luke: No problem, I’ll call you later.

Brenda watches Luke leave the room.

Sonny: How long were you standing there?
Brenda: Long enough to hear Luke say that I would be your funeral.
Sonny: Luke and I disagree on a lot of points, that is one of them.
Brenda: I also heard you say that the baby and me are the most important things in the world to you. 
Sonny: Now, that is the gospel true.
Brenda: You look like your feeling better.
Sonny: I am feeling fantastic.
Brenda: You look good.
Sonny: Well you do too. No, change that. You look absolutely radiant. They say that happens to women when they’re pregnant. I never believed it until now.
Brenda: Are you just saying that out of habit, or do you believe it?
Sonny: I believe it with all my heart. You always had a radiant beauty, but now you positively glow.
Brenda: You aren’t just trying to make me feel better about being pregnant?
Sonny: I noticed before you even told me about the baby. I just couldn’t figure it out before. Why do you doubt that you’re beautiful? 
Brenda: I’m worried about what this baby might do to my body. Sonny, I’m going to gain weight.
Sonny: I know you will, that’s a healthy part of being pregnant, sweetheart.
Brenda: You don’t understand, when I was young I was fat and I wasn’t very happy.
Sonny: Baby, you’re pregnant. You’re not getting fat; you’re having a child.
Brenda: My father called me Chubs when I was a girl.
Sonny: Come here Brenda.

He holds his arms out to her and she welcomes his embrace.

Sonny: The way your father treated you when you were a child was wrong.
Brenda: *Tears building in her eyes* I was fat and he didn’t love me.
Sonny: I still don’t believe that you were anything except beautiful when you were a child. They way your father treated you had nothing to do with you personally. You’re father had a problem, maybe more than one. They were his problems not yours.
Brenda: Julia was so thin and so beautiful. He loved her, not me.  What if I get fat and you don’t love me?
Sonny: *Tightening his embrace on her* Sweetheart, don’t even think that. I will never stop loving you or think that you are no longer beautiful. Everyday you become more and more beautiful in my eyes. Every time that you smile or get one step closer to one of your goals, I see your beauty come spilling out. I’m always discovering something new about you that makes you more beautiful. The fact that you are the mother of my child, that makes you the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing will ever change that.
Brenda: What about other people?
Sonny: Nobody else matters. As long as I know you’re beautiful and you know you’re beautiful.
Brenda: Yes, but………
Sonny: There are no buts about it. What brought this on, baby?
Brenda: I’m having a meeting with Lucy today to tell her that I’m pregnant.
Sonny: I see, you’re a little nervous about her reaction?
Brenda: I’m scared silly! Sonny, I make my living by looking pretty. What is this pregnancy going to do to my image?
Sonny: I think your self-image is the most important thing that you need to worry about. If you have a good self-image the rest will fall into place. Aside from gaining a little weight, do you really think this baby is going to make you feel ugly?
Brenda: No, how could it. Having this baby is a wonderful thing. It could never make me feel ugly.
Sonny: I hope not. Now, does your modeling contract have a no pregnancy clause in it?
Brenda: I’ve never worried about it before, but I don’t think so. One of the cosmetics models just came back from maternity leave.
Sonny: Lucy doesn’t seem like the type of person to put that kind of provision in a contract anyway. I really don’t think that you have a thing in the world to worry about.  I love you and Lucy loves you. You have got it made!
Brenda: I still worry about leaving Lucy high and dry during some of the add campaigns. There are a couple that are going to take place right before I have the baby. Does that make me a bad mother?    
Sonny: Not at all. It means that you care about Deception, your job, and your boss. That doesn’t make you a bad mother, it makes you a professional! Now if you leave our baby alone at home while you go off for a power lunch, that is a whole other story.
Brenda: Sonny! I’m not ever going to leave our child’s side after it is born.
Sonny: Well, see now I have a problem with that. You have to leave its side, otherwise how can we spend time alone?
Brenda: Does that mean that you have forgiven me for lying about the baby and are ready to get on with our life together.
Sonny: *Gets very serious* I’m trying Brenda, I just need some time.
Brenda: *Pulling out of his arms* I know you’re trying. Do you think that we will ever again want the same things at the same time?
Sonny: We already do, we both want what’s best for our child. We’re working on the rest.
Brenda: Speaking of work, I’m going to be late for my meeting. Wish me luck?
Sonny: That goes without saying, but I have feeling that everything is going to be just fine between you and Lucy.
Brenda: I’ll stop by later and check on you.
Sonny: I hope you will, but you may not find me here.
Brenda: Oh really, are you going to be out running a marathon or something?
Sonny: Not any time soon, but the doctor’s think I’m well enough to go home.
Brenda: Then I’ll look for you at home.
Sonny: See ya later, Brenda.

She leans over and gives him a quick kiss.

Brenda: I’ll see you, Sonny.

 He follows her with his eyes as she walks out. When she is gone he reaches over and picks up the phone and dials a number. A mystery person picks up the other end.

Sonny: It’s Sonny. In case you haven’t heard, the police commissioner resigned and is leaving town. I think that it’s time for us to make a move. 
   
Brenda had forgotten a folder in the room and was walking back in when she heard Sonny on the phone. His conversation seemed ominous and it causes her buried fears to resurface. He sees her just as he is putting the phone down.

Sonny: *Smiling* Back so soon?   
Brenda: *Trying to seem calm* I forgot a file that I need for my meeting. Who was that on the phone?
Sonny: What?
Brenda: You were just talking on the phone when I walked in.
Sonny: I was just calling time and temperature to set my watch.
Brenda: Oh, I see.  I have to go.
Sonny: Okay, good luck. I’ll see you later?
Brenda: Yeah, whatever, Sonny!

She left and felt tears and anger build up inside her. He had just lied to her, again! She knew it was a lie and this time she had seen it in his eyes. It would never happen again, now that she knew what to look for. He would never get away with lying to her again.

Chapter 110
Robin is sitting at a table in Luke’s club, waiting for Brenda. Robin is sitting facing the door and waves to Brenda as she walks in.

Brenda: Hi!
Robin: So, how was it?
Brenda: I finished my last test in record time. I am officially finished with school for the semester!
Robin: I think that calls for a celebration!
Brenda looks around the club.

Robin: Sonny isn’t here.
Brenda: How’s he doing?
Robin: Better, of course you would know that if you bothered to call him or go see him.
Brenda: He can’t draw me in again.
Robin: I thought things were going really well between the two of you.
Brenda: Things were going great. I found out that he wants the baby. I overheard him say that the baby and I were the most important people in his life.
Robin: Than what happened?
Brenda: He lied to me, again!
Robin: What are you talking about?
Brenda: I overheard him making some kind of business deal in the hospital and when I asked him about it he lied to me.
Robin: Maybe he had a really good reason for lying.
Brenda: There are no good reasons for lying!
Robin: Your right, but maybe you misunderstood?
Brenda: I don’t think so! I heard him tell someone that now that the police commissioner is out of the way, it’s time for them to make their move. 
Robin: That does sound ominous. Speaking of the police commissioner. My Uncle Mac has to go out of town again this weekend and Sean and Tiffany already moved out of the penthouse. Do you think that the Q’s would mind if I stayed with you?  
Brenda: There is so much confusion in that house, they probably wouldn’t even notice. Would you mind if Emily joined us for our Friday night pizza and video ritual?
Robin: Not at all.
Brenda: Okay, it’s settled then. If I’m feeling nice, I may even let you flirt with Jason.
Robin: Oh, please! Jason is so above me. I don’t think that he even noticed when I had that gigantic crush on him!
Brenda: Oh, there are ways to get guys to notice you.
Robin: Jason thinks of me as a little sister or something. Besides I love Stone, so Jason is out of the question even if he did notice me.
Brenda: Wait, back up! What was that about Stone?
Robin: * I’m in love with him.
Brenda: No way! When did this happen? 
Robin: I think that it has been happening for some time. It just dawned on me last week though.
Brenda: You’re just now telling me this important news?
Robin: Well, you’ve been kind of busy with the baby and worrying about Sonny and all.
Brenda: I haven’t been the best big sister lately, have I?
Robin: I totally understand.
Brenda: Let’s see if Luke will bring us some sparkling cider so we can celebrate! Then we can talk and catch up.
Robin goes to the bar.

Luke: What can I get you, darlen?
Robin: Two glasses of sparkling cider!
Luke: For you, anything you want that’s legal. But the perfume girl is another question!
Robin: What did Brenda do to make you so peeved?
Luke: She cost me my best waitress!
Robin: *Puzzled* Sara?
Luke: Yeah, Brenda insisted that Sonny talk to her and after he did, she quit!
Robin: Sara left?
Luke: For all I know she left town!

He pours two glasses of sparkling cider.

Robin: How is that Brenda’s fault?
Luke: Because, if Sonny didn’t love her so much, he wouldn’t be willing to do anything for her.

Luke gives Robin a quick wink and hands her the two glasses. After she turns to go back to the table, he goes to the back steps to Sonny’s apartment. He knocks on the door.

Sonny: It’s open!
Luke: Where are your guys?
Sonny: There around.
Luke: How are you feeling?
Sonny: Better and better each day.
Luke: Do you feel up to looking over the books.
Sonny: *Reluctantly* Only if I have to! But does it have to be right now? 
Luke: It might not be a bad idea. There is a certain perfume girl in the club right now and she might not be there later.
Sonny: Brenda is down stairs?
Luke: She’s meeting with Robin.
Sonny: *Smiling* Why didn’t you say so?

Sonny is out of the apartment in a flash and down the stairs that lead to the club.

Luke: I think he’s feeling better!  
   
Down in the club, Robin has just brought the cider to her and Brenda’s table.

Robin: Guess what Luke just told me?
Brenda: I haven’t got a clue!
Robin: Sara quit her job here, he thinks she may have even left town!
Brenda: No way! What happened, did she have to return to her coffin or something?
Robin: *Laughing* Luke says that Sonny talked to her and then she left.
Brenda: I told Sonny that she wanted more than friendship from him and that he would have to talk to her before our relationship could progress. I guess he told her that they could never be what she wanted.
Robin: I think that is so sweet!
Brenda: What?
Robin: The idea that Sonny would do that for you.
Brenda: What am I supposed to do fall at his feet just because he sent away the “other woman?”
Robin: Sara never was any competition for you. You’re the only one that Sonny wants. I think that it just shows his dedication to you is all!
Brenda: I never doubted his dedication! Things are just so complicated.

Her voice tails off as Sonny walks in to the club. He looks so at easy and so good. The medication that he is taking must be doing wonders. He looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Their eyes lock for a split second, during which they share a look of pain and longing and stubbornness.

Robin: Sonny just walked in, didn’t he?
Brenda: What would make you say that?
Robin: You just got this look in your eyes that only happens when Sonny is in the room.

Brenda has averted her eyes, but Sonny continues to stare at her. She looks up and gives him a quick look, then realizes that he is watching her and looks back at Robin. Something Robin says makes Brenda smile and Sonny feels like the whole world just got a little brighter. He loves to see her smile; it makes the world a better place for a few seconds.

Luke: Are you going to go talk to her, or just ogle her with your eyes?
Sonny: I’ve tried to call her all week. She won’t return my phone calls. 
Luke: So?
Sonny: If she wants to talk to me, she knows where I’m to be found. Now where are the books?

Luke piles the ledgers on a near by table. Sonny sits in a chair so that he is facing Brenda and starts working on the books.

Robin: What’s he doing now?   
Brenda: *Watching Sonny with a dreamy look in her eyes.* What’s who doing?
Robin: *Exasperated* Sonny! 
Brenda: Oh, I think he’s doing the books.
Robin: Why don’t you go over there and see if you can help him.
Brenda: Robin, I can’t!

Lucy walks in the door. She waves to Brenda and then makes a beeline for Luke and the bar.

Robin: What did Lucy say when you told her about the baby?
Brenda: She was ecstatic! She doesn’t think that it will conflict with any of the major campaigns. She says that she has wanted to try out some special shots with different lighting and just showing off parts of my face and hands. This gives her a reason to experiment. She is so supportive.

Sonny and Brenda are exchanging extremely hot looks. Lucy is leaning on the bar and watching them.

Lucy: Those two want each other so much.
Luke: Yeah, if those looks between them get any hotter, I’m going to have to crank up the air conditioning.

Brenda: Luke!

He walks over to her table.

Luke: Yes?  
Brenda: My ice keeps melting.
Luke: I wonder why?

He picks up her glass and takes it back to the bar. Sonny is sitting at a table with the club records in front of him. He can’t concentrate; he can’t keep his eyes off of her. Luke passes by his table and sees him staring longingly at Brenda. Sonny looks up as he passes.

Sonny: Is it getting warmer in here?
Luke: It depends on where you’re sitting. The air between you and Brenda seems to be a few degrees warmer than the rest of the room.  Tell me this, do you want me to close early or do you want me to dim the lights and you can satisfy your longing for Ms. Barrett right here and now?
Sonny: I don’t want Brenda.
Luke: I used to think that you were a better liar. Why don’t you just go talk to her?
Sonny: I told you, I’ve left messages all week for her. She hasn’t returned one of my calls! The worst part is, I don’t know why she’s avoiding me!

Luke walks back over to Lucy.

Lucy: What is wrong with them? When two people want to be together as much as those two want to be together it’s almost criminal for them to be apart.
Luke: They’re two of the most stubborn people that I know.
Lucy: They need help and I’m the one to give it to them!
Luke: What are you up to?
Lucy: Part of the Nurses Ball involves life performances. I want Sonny and Brenda to perform.
Luke: Sonny won’t go for it! The only performance that he is interested in doing with Brenda involves a bed!
Lucy: Luke! The Nurses Ball is a family show. 
Luke: you won’t get Sonny to agree to this.
Lucy: There is no harm in asking! 
Luke: Wait, Luce, don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do!

She takes off to Sonny’s table. He looks up as she sits down  

Sonny: Can I help you Lucy?
Lucy: You are the only one that can!
Sonny: Oh, really?
Lucy: Have you heard about the Nurses Ball?
Sonny: I’ve seen some fliers up around town. Isn’t it to raise money for the AIDS program at General Hospital?
Lucy: Yes it is. I’m in charge of the fundraising event.
Sonny: That’s a worthy cause, whatever I can do to help, just let me know.
Lucy: I am so glad that you said that! You see, this is the first annual Nurses Ball. Can you say that?
Sonny: What?
Lucy: Can you say that something is the First and the Annual?
Sonny: I think that you just did.
Lucy: Anyway, it has to be a success or else it won’t be an annual anything!
Sonny: Calm down Lucy! I just said that I would help. How much do you need?
Lucy: No, I don’t want your money!
Sonny: You don’t? Than I’m confused.
Lucy: Well, I do want your money, but I want more. You see, part of the ball involves talent.
Sonny: You want me to be a part of a talent show? 
Lucy: You won’t be the only one, several of Port Charles finest citizens are taking part.
Sonny: I don’t have any talents that I can stake any claims to can not be performed in public.
Lucy: Please, please! I’m just asking you to do a little dance!
Sonny: I Don’t Dance!
Lucy: It’s just a little Tango. Can’t you do a Tango?
Sonny: That is actually one dance I can do. But I can’t tango alone.
Lucy: Don’t worry, you’ll have a partner!
Sonny: Who?
Lucy: Brenda!
Sonny: Have you asked her about this?
Lucy: I figured I would start to work on you first.
Sonny: Brenda isn’t even speaking to me, there is no way that she is going to agree!
Lucy: If she’s willing, are you willing?
Sonny: I don’t know.
Lucy: Will you at least think about it?
Sonny: Go talk to Brenda!
Lucy: I’m on my way

Lucy goes over to Brenda’s table and sits down.

Brenda: Hi Lucy!
Lucy: Hello, have I told you lately that you are my favorite Deception Perfume model?
Brenda: Last time I checked, I was your only one.
Lucy: True, but I bet your just dying to know what Sonny and I were talking about!
Brenda: Why should I care what Sonny talks about with anyone?
Lucy: Maybe because you are absolutely crazy in love with him!
Brenda: All right, you made your point. What were you talking about?
Lucy: Sonny has agreed to do a Tango as part of the Nurses Ball entertainment!
Brenda: Sonny is going to dance in public?
Lucy: He sure is!
Brenda: *With skepticism* With who? 
Lucy: With you!
Brenda: Sonny agreed to dance with me?
Lucy: I can’t see him dancing with anybody else. You two make an extremely hot couple.
Brenda: You do realize that by the time of the Nurses Ball, I’ll be 3 months pregnant! 
Lucy: Do you think that it could harm the baby?
Brenda: I don’t think so, but how sexy do you think I’ll be when I’m 3 months pregnant?
Sonny has walked up behind Brenda without her noticing. Now he leans over and whispers in her ear.
Sonny: I think you’ll be even sexier than you are right this moment, which is saying a lot!
She looks up at him and smiles. He gives her a very hot look, one that makes her feel extremely weak. 
Lucy: Good, than it’s settled. Now we need to start rehearsals as soon as possible.
Luke: Why not start right away!
Lucy: Great idea!
Luke: You can use the back room!
Lucy: You guys didn’t have plans for this afternoon did you?
Brenda: I guess not.

Sonny just shrugs.
Lucy: Good!

She gathers them up and herds them towards the back room.
Chapter 111
Brenda: Wow! I’ve never been back here.
Luke: You mean to tell me that you and Sonny never did It on the pool table?
Brenda: *Very embarrassed* No.
Luke: What a loss. I’d wait until after the baby is born now, the pool table can be murder on your back!
Sonny: *Angry* What do you want on your tombstone, Spencer? 

Sonny actually looks like he might punch Luke.

Luke: Just trying to liven up your love life.
Sonny: I don’t need any help from you!
Lucy: Okay, boys go to your separate corners.

Sonny is still glaring at Luke and Brenda is staring to think that she has made a mistake by agreeing to any of this. She shifts uncomfortable from one foot to the other and wrings her hands in nervous anticipation. Not because of what Luke said, more because she is nervous about being in the same room with Sonny, having to look into his eyes, feeling his arms around her body and feeling his breath on her neck.
Brenda tries to shake such thoughts from her mind, and fails. She can hardly stop thinking about him and wanting him when she isn’t in the same room with him, when he is standing right there she finds it almost impossible to not want him.

Brenda: You know what? I think this was all a really bad idea.
Sonny: Look what you’ve done now, Spencer! You’re going to make her run off.
Lucy: Nobody is going anywhere, because we have to get in a rehearsal. Right Brenda?
Brenda: *With sarcasm in her voice* Whatever you say, boss! 
Lucy: That’s right, I’m your boss. I’m the one who will decide if you get 1 month of maternity leave or 3.
Sonny: Hey, I don’t think I like you holding my child ransom!
Lucy: Just be extra, extra nice to me then! Now Luke, you may comment or your own love life or even mine, but Brenda’s is off limits!
Luke: Why am I here?
Lucy: Because you are the best dancer I know and I want your opinion on these two!
Luke: Flattery will get you everywhere!
Sonny: You want my opinion on Brenda? Because I have one, she is the most perfect creature to ever walk, no make that glide, across the earth.
Lucy: Very nice. Now can you dance or do you just know how to spout off poetry?
Sonny: Where’s the music?  

Luke turns on the music, which Sonny feels is much to fast.

Sonny: Do you want us to do a tango or salsa?
Luke: Particular.
Sonny: I’m a perfectionist. 

He winks at Brenda, while Luke looks for different music.

Lucy: Okay, while Luke tries to find music to please Sonny, lets work on your form.
Brenda: *Looking Sonny up and down * There is nothing wrong with his form.
Sonny: Thank you sweetheart.
Brenda: It’s my form that you should be worried about. By June, I’ll be three months pregnant. I’ll be a blimp that will have to be lifted onto the stage with a crane!
Lucy: Brenda that is so far from the truth! You will hardly even be showing by June!
Brenda: I don’t know, I’m already having trouble fitting in my clothes!    
Lucy: That is a good thing, because it gives you an excuse to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe!
Sonny: Then won’t she just have to go shopping again in a couple of months?
Lucy: That’s the beauty of it all! Okay, Sonny take one of Brenda’s hand and wrap your other arm.
Sonny: No problem.

Sonny takes on of Brenda’s hands and wraps his other arm around her, pulling her tightly against his body.   

Luke: I think that I found the music you’re looking for, Partner. 
Brenda: *Whispering to Sonny* I don’t think I can do this.
Sonny: You can do anything, baby.
Brenda: I’ve never danced a tango.
Sonny: Just follow my lead.

Luke puts on the music and Sonny and Brenda start to dance. As they do, Sonny pulls her tightly into his embrace and can feel her heart rate accelerate. He isn’t sure whether she is feeling fear or excitement, but he doesn’t really care. The fact that he can affect her in any way makes him feel exhilarated.   Brenda feels like she is floating on air. She is so thrilled to be in his arms that she is almost giddy. At the same time, she is terrified of those feeling and where they might lead. Right now she could completely lose control and give into her desire for Sonny, but she isn’t sure that would be the best thing to do, in the long run. Still, feeling his body next to hers, hearing his heart beat and his breath rising in his chest, is making her want him so badly. Not being able to do anything about her passion for him is driving her crazy. Lucy notices that Sonny and Brenda are completely absorbed in each other. She tugs on Luke’s sleeve and motions for him to follow her back into the main part of the club.

Luke: Now what?
Lucy: We leave them alone and let nature take it’s course.

Sonny and Brenda are still dancing, completely unaware that they are now very much alone.

Brenda: Are you wearing new cologne?
Sonny: Yes, do you like it?
Brenda: Yes, it’s nice.
Sonny: Thanks, it’s called, ”Wild by Nature.”

She doesn’t have to see his face to know that he has a gleam in his eyes. The music stops and they become aware that they are alone. They are still in each other’s arms, neither one wanting to let the other go. 
 
Brenda: Where did Lucy and Luke go?
Sonny: Maybe they wanted to give us some privacy.
Brenda: Why it’s just a simple dance.
Sonny: Nothing is simple when it happens between us.
Brenda: True.

She pulls back from him a little.

Brenda: Do you think that we were set up?
Sonny: Why would you think that?
Brenda: I think that Lucy on purposely threw us into each others arms, thinking that it would result in us giving into our passion for each other!
Sonny: So you admit that you want me?
Brenda: Of course I want you that goes without saying.
Sonny: I thought it was just me. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself.
Brenda: What are you talking about?
Sonny: Come here and I’ll show you.

He takes her face in his hands and proceeds to give her a slow smoldering kiss. When Brenda starts to respond he lifts her up onto the pool table and starts to make love to her. Brenda is completely caught up in the moment, until she realizes what is happening. Then she pushes him away.

Brenda: *Out of breath* This won’t work.
Sonny: Your right, this pool table idea is not all it’s cracked up to be, let’s go upstairs.

He lifts her off of the table.

Brenda: No, we can’t do that either.
Sonny: I don’t understand, do you want to go somewhere else?
Brenda: No, we have problems Sonny. Problems that can’t be solved with sex.
Sonny: Okay, just tell me what you need. Whatever you want, I’ll do it.
Brenda: Your willing to do anything to have sex with me?
Sonny: I don’t want to have sex with you, Brenda!
Brenda: You could have fooled me!
Sonny: I thought you understood by now, I don’t want something physical. I can get that on any street corner in this town. I want something more form you. When we make love, I experience something more than I ever imagined was possible. You fulfill me on an emotional level that I never knew existed before.
Brenda: You claim that you want to make love to me?
Sonny: More than anything, I want to make love to you.
Brenda: Sonny, you don’t make love to a woman on a pool table in the back room of a club.
Sonny: I remember a time when you would take me any time and any place you could get me!
Brenda: Maybe my needs have changed.
Sonny: Okay, tell me what do you need?

She takes his hands in hers.

Brenda: I need for us to talk, we need to figure some things out. Until we do, making love would only complicate things. 

He nods his head and tries to understand what she is saying.
 
Brenda: Can we do that?
Sonny: I guess, if that is what you need. I love, Brenda.
Brenda: You keep saying that.
Sonny: Because it’s the truth, it isn’t going to change.
Brenda: You understand why I need to do this?
Sonny: No, but I’ll respect your wishes.
A beeper goes off on Sonny’s wrist.
Sonny: Damn!
Brenda: What is it?
Sonny: It’s the reminder for me to take my medication. It won’t stop beeping until I do, I hate technology!
Brenda: I think it is the best thing ever invented. I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t take your medication otherwise!
Sonny: Will you come upstairs with me and wait for me to take the pills?
Brenda: I can’t go upstairs with you. Everybody would think that we were going to…
Sonny: Heaven forbid, that we would actually do that!
Brenda: I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea.
Sonny: Okay, will you wait here for me? 
Brenda: I think you need some time to cool off a bit, besides, I have some things to do.
Sonny: What about our talk?
Brenda: I don’t think that you could keep your mind off other things, do you?
Sonny: Probably not.
Brenda: Then we should wait.
Sonny: Please, not to long!
Brenda: You are so cute when you’re desperate.
Sonny: Believe me, I’m desperate! Have dinner with me tonight?
Brenda: It’s too soon. We would probably end up underneath the table.
Sonny: Would that be a crime?
Brenda: Sonny.
Sonny: Tomorrow?
Brenda: I’ll let you know.
She gives him a quick kiss and leaves. He watches her go and his heart almost breaks. He wants so badly to work things out with her, and be a family together with their child. He just doesn’t know what else he can do. He knows that she is right about talking. They need to talk so badly, but she won’t slow down long enough. Reluctantly, he goes upstairs to take his medication.
Chapter 112
The next morning Brenda walks into the Outback with a completely new attitude on life. 
She sees Robin seated at a table going over the day’s menus.

Brenda: I have found the man of my dreams!
Robin: *Looking up from the menu* Did you and Sonny figure your relationship out?
Brenda: What makes you thin that this has anything to do with Sonny, because it doesn’t.
Robin: Just tell me what you’re talking about, because I it’s too early in the morning for me to play games!
Brenda: Last night after I left the club I went to the penthouse at Harbor View Towers.
Robin: Sean and Tiffany’s penthouse?
Brenda: Not anymore, they moved out and I thought I would be able to get a peak at it between owners.
Robin: I hope that satisfied your curiosity!
Brenda: It did in a way, but it already has a new owner and he’s having it redecorated.
Robin: Who is the new owner?
Robin: I have no idea, but he has impeccable taste. It was like seeing something out of one of my dreams. The minute I walked into the place, I knew how I would want it decorated and that is how the new owner is decorating it. He must be the man of my dreams!
Robin: Some times your lack of logic amazes even me, Brenda!
Brenda: Well, it doesn’t matter what you think. I’m having dinner with him tonight!
Robin: With whom, Brenda?
Brenda: With the man, who owns the penthouse, haven’t you been listening to me?
Robin: You aren’t making any sense. You’re having dinner with a person that you’ve never met just because you like the way the person’s house is decorated? How do you even know that the person is a man or that they want to have dinner with you.
Brenda: Because I met one of his employees, the butler I think, he told me that his boss had seen me walk into the penthouse, thought I was beautiful and wanted to have dinner with me!
Robin: That doesn’t seem suspicious to you?
Brenda: No, why do you think that it is so impossible to believe that a handsome stranger would want to have dinner with me?
Robin: You don’t know that he is handsome, you’ve never met him.
Brenda: His taste in interior decorating is impeccable and his butler is gorgeous. Gorgeous people tend to surround themselves with equally beautiful things. 
Robin: That makes you sound so shallow Brenda, and you’re not shallow by nature. Something else must be going on here.
Brenda: Why are you making such a big deal out of me going out to dinner with someone?
Robin: Because it’s dangerous and stupid! 
Brenda: I don’t have to sit here and be insulted!
Robin: Oh wait, I get it. This is about Sonny!
Brenda: Everything that I do is not directly linked to Sonny Corinthos!
Robin: But this obviously is. Let me guess what it is. You’re not trying to make Sonny jealous, now that Sara is gone; there’s no need for that. You’re not trying to get back at him for anything either, I give up!
Brenda: It’s easier! Sometimes it is so hard to love Sonny!
Robin: Anything worth doing is going to take some work.
Brenda: I know, but I would just like to spend one night having dinner with someone who admires me.
Robin: How are you going to explain this to Joseph?
Brenda: What do you mean?
Robin: He or one of the other guys follows you around almost all the time. Whoever is watching you tonight is going to tell Sonny what you were doing.
Brenda: I’m not breaking the law! I’m just having dinner with some guy, It’s harmless! 
Robin: I still don’t like it, but I don’t have time to argue with you or I’m going to be late for school!
Brenda: Are you still planning on staying with me this weekend?
Robin: If it is okay with the Q’s.
Brenda: They don’t mind.
Robin: Okay, then I’ll come over tonight.
Brenda: What time?
Robin: I have to work, but I get off at 7:00. Will you be home?
Brenda: I don’t know. I’m supposed to go to the penthouse at 6:00.
Robin: Please be home Brenda, otherwise I’ll have to go over there and drag you out myself!
Brenda: You wouldn’t dare!

Robin stands up and starts putting her books in her backpack.

Robin: I have to go, promise me you’ll be safe, promise me you’ll be smart.
Brenda: I’ll be okay.

Brenda watches her leave and than looks at her watch. She almost decides to go to the club and see is Sonny is around. She bites her lip and then decides against it.

Sonny paces around the police department prisoner visitation room. Sonny hated this place, he hated all aspects of the institution of the Police Department, but he especially hated the visitation room. Normally, there were two ways to visit prisoners. Either you were allowed into the cell area or you saw them in this room. Sonny understood the difference all to well. If they wanted to listen in, maybe even tape the conversation, they sent you to the visitation room. The only difference was that Sonny was going to have to watch what he said. Garcia would be looking to get more information for his case against Rivera, but he would also be happy to get anything on Sonny. Sonny watches as the door opens, takes a deep breath and prepares to face the devil.

Garcia: *Escorting Rivera* Well, well, well! If it isn’t my favorite jailbird.
Sonny: How you doing, detective? I hear you aren’t doing to well. 
Garcia: Is that a threat?
Sonny: Let me finish. I hear that you’re a little depressed since you were passed over for the job of police commissioner. So tell me, what’s it like to work for ex Officer Rick Johnson?

Sonny gives him and evil grin.

Garcia: You are nothing but a two-bit thug, Corinthos! You’re on your way down!
Sonny: *Smiling* Is that a threat, detective?
Garcia: That is a promise! You’re even off to a good start, visiting your boss in jail.
Sonny: *Innocently* Mr. Rivera isn’t my boss. I’m just here as a public service to the business community. I know that Mr. Rivera is new in town and may not understand our local codes. I figured I could give him some advice on operating a LEGAL business in Port Charles.
Garcia: Yeah right, remember that your conversation in this visiting room is subject to normal recording procedures. This is done for your protection; this room is also being monitored by video surveillance.
Have a nice visit!

Sonny gives him another wicked grin

Sonny: It’s a waste of tape, detective.
Garcia: Knock on the door when you’re ready to leave.

Garcia leaves Rivera and Sonny to stare at each other for a long time.

Sonny: So how’s the food?
Rivera: You are an arrogant fool! You are lucky that you are still alive, you insult me and you insult my daughter!
Sonny: I should be the one who feels insulted. You sent your daughter to seduce me! What did you think that would gain? Did you really think that you could buy my loyalty with your daughter’s body? That is more than an insult, and more than disgusting, that is sick and twisted! I would never use my child like that.
Rivera: Oh yes, you do have a child on the way, don’t you? You know, the world is such a dangerous place. You are a very brave man, bringing a new life into the world is risky.
Sonny: Was that a threat? I hope you got that on tape, Garcia! The man just threatened my child!
Rivera: I didn’t mean it as a threat. It was simply an educated observation. I have been around a lot longer than you have. I have done more and seen more; perhaps some of it has hardened me. Some of the things that you may consider twisted and sick, I may see in a completely different light.
Sonny: Okay, not that was an obvious threat! Which is kind of ironic since I can leave this room today and go home and you can’t.  
Rivera: Do you know why I’m here?
Sonny: Yes, because there are rules and you broke them.

They both knew that the rules that Sonny was talking about, were the rules of territoriality. Port Charles was Franks Smith’s territory. By moving in on that territory, Rivera had broken a code of ethics. In order to protect his interests and those of his boss, Sonny had called in some favors owed to him by city employees who cited Rivera for permit violations. Nature had taken its course and the police department was given the chance to arrest Rivera.

Rivera: *Laughing* My boy, you are a fool!    
Sonny: I don’t like to be insulted.
Rivera: If you believe that I’m here because you called in some favors, you are beyond my sympathy!
Sonny: I’ll bite, why do you think you’re here?
Rivera: I’m here because I want to be. I never do anything or go anywhere that does not serve my purpose. I am in this jail because I wish to be, and when I decide otherwise, I will be out of here before you can blink both eyes.  Think about that the next time that you make plans for the future.
Sonny: I think this visit is over. You may get out of here and you may not. If you do, YOU keep this in mind. We aren’t in San Juan, we’re in Port Charles and you have no power here. You are playing on my playground now, so you follow my rules or you don’t play. If you choose to stay here and you bend the rules, You Are Beyond My Sympathy!

Sonny knocks on the door and the guard opens it. Without another word to Rivera, Sonny turns his back on the man and leaves. Realizing that by doing so, he is breaching etiquette. Even if Rivera is his sworn enemy, Sonny should still respect Rivera’s rank and position enough to give the man a proper farewell. During the exchange between the two men Sonny had managed to keep his voice and stare cold and even. Now, after the door between them closes, he realizes that his heart is racing a million miles an hour. He wipes beads of sweat off of his forehead and almost collapses into a nearby chair. Realizing that the guard and Rivera will be passing right by him in a few minutes, Sonny does not take a very long rest. He leaves almost immediately.  He walks back into the main booking area, deep in thought. Brenda is walking in at the same time that he is walking out. Joseph follows her. Sonny is so deep in thought that he doesn’t see her until he runs into her.

Brenda: Sonny!

He looks up at her and smiles. He can’t help himself, every time that he sees her she looks more beautiful. 

Sonny: Hello gorgeous! 
Brenda: Do I even want to know what you’re doing here?
Sonny: Probably not.
Brenda: You look tired, was Garcia harassing you again?
Sonny: No, in this insistence I was on the outside looking in. But it’s a long story and I don’t want to bore you. What are you doing here?
Brenda: Speeding ticket.
Sonny: How fast?
Brenda: *Sounding guilty*  85 in a 25 mile per hour zone! 
Sonny: Brenda! I know that you have a fast car and all, but it isn’t safe for a pregnant woman to be driving that fast!
Brenda: I got the ticket before I knew that I was pregnant.
Sonny: *Teasing* Maybe you should take the bus until after you have the baby!
Brenda: Buses aren’t safe either, you squeeze a bunch of people in there during rush hour and I promise you it isn’t a pretty sight!
Sonny: I guess I could always drive you wherever you need to go. Or you could let Joseph drive you.
Brenda: He won’t drive my car, he’s afraid he might get a dent in it or some dirt on it or something.
Sonny: That sounds like Joseph all right. So are you going to pay the fine?
Brenda: Not on your life! Do you know what the fine would be for going 60 miles over the speed limit?
Sonny: No, I can imagine that it is a lot.
Brenda: Right, so I’m going to contest the ticket.
Sonny: On what grounds?
Brenda: On the grounds of the kind of car I drive.
Sonny: I don’t follow you.
Brenda: I drive a Red Porsche, how am I supposed to drive like a grandmother in a car like that?
Sonny: *Laughing* I see you’re point, but I still think that I should take your car keys until after the baby is born.

Brenda gives him a disappointed look. She takes off her long coat and lays it on a chair and she sits on the chair. She is wearing a fitted, short, red dress that Sonny feels perfectly showcases her beautiful body. 

Sonny: Well, you’ll have no problem getting off without paying the ticket if you go in there looking that good and get a male judge!

He gives her a sizzling look, which infuriates her.

Brenda: *Angry* Sonny, are you trying to be degrading?
Sonny: *Honestly taken off guard* Brenda, I was trying to complement you. 
Brenda: You were implying that I was trying to get out of paying this ticket by using my body!
Sonny: Honestly, Brenda, I meant that you pose beauty, charm, poise and intelligence. I believe that you will successfully contest this ticket because of all those qualities.
Brenda: Oh, I’m sorry that I jumped to conclusions.
Sonny: No problem, you can make it up to me by having dinner with me.
Brenda: Sonny!
Sonny: I’m not asking for a life time commitment. At least not now, all I’m suggesting is that we have something to eat and we talk. What do you say, can I cook for you tonight?
Brenda: I have plans for tonight.
Sonny: With whom?
Brenda: It’s Friday night, Sonny.
Sonny: Oh right your pizza night with Robin.
Brenda: I’ll call you next week, okay?
Sonny: *Disappointed* Whatever you want Brenda, I’m playing by your rules.

He gives her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Sonny: Good luck with the ticket.
Brenda: Thank you.

He turns quickly to leave, before she can see how hurt he really is. She knows anyway, they always know when the other person is in pain. She hates having to lie to him and push him away. But she doesn’t know what else to do. She is scared, she suspects that he was at the jail visiting Rivera. She just doesn’t know why. She is scared to let him get too close, scared that he will hurt her again. She can’t stand the thought of him breaking her heart again, so she chooses to break his. Sonny knows that she is lying about spending tonight with Robin. He knows how she looks when she lies and it almost kills him to think that she is lying right now. He wishes she would tell him what is really going on, he should confront her. He too is afraid, afraid that if he pushes her to hard, he’ll lose her for good. He is to close to being free to allow that to happen. He knows that the day of reasoning with Rivera is close. After he gets rid of Rivera he will be free to have the life he has always dreamed of, a life, home and family with Brenda. Until that time, he can’t push her to hard or he risks loosing her forever.   

Chapter 113
After visiting Rivera, Sonny was exhausted. Seeing Brenda had lifted his spirits, but even the love of his life could only improve his disposition so much. He is sitting on the couch in his apartment when Pete sticks his head into the room.

Pete: Miss Scorpio to see you, boss.
Sonny: Great! Let her in.

Robin bounds in the door and Sonny feels a little more uplifted.

Robin: Hello
Sonny: Hi, sweetie, shouldn’t you be in school?
Robin: I have work-study from 12:00
Sonny: Okay, if you came to see Stone, he’s doing errands for the club.
Robin: That’s fine, I came to see you.
Sonny: Should I be worried?
Robin: I think that you should be very worried!
Sonny: Is something wrong with Stone?
Robin: No, it’s not that at all.
Sonny: Than what’s this about?
Robin: It’s about Brenda, and before you jump to conclusions, there is nothing wrong with the baby.
Sonny: What’s wrong?
Robin: Brenda went to Sean and Tiffany’s old penthouse and decided that the new owner is the man of her dreams.
Sonny: I thought I was the man of her dreams, what happened?
Robin: Well, she decided that you are too difficult to love and the owner of the penthouse has great decorating taste.
Sonny: *Sarcastically* That makes perfect sense!
Robin: She is having dinner with him tonight.
Sonny: Brenda is a big girl, what do you expect me to do about it?
Robin: You have to stop her! She hasn’t even met this man, he could be anybody.
Sonny: Why would I want to stop her from having dinner?
Robin: She doesn’t know who this man is. It could be dangerous!
Sonny: I doubt that, it’s probably just some young kid who has a crush on the Deception Perfume Girl.
Robin: This man owns the penthouse and is having it redecorated!
Sonny: Okay, so he’s a rich kid! This can only be good for Brenda and my relationship. She’ll spend the evening with this guy and realize that true love doesn’t come in the form of a fancy penthouse. 
Robin: You aren’t worried that Brenda will convince herself that she is in love with this guy and you’ll lose her forever?
Sonny: I don’t think that will ever happen, but if I did lose her, I’d just have to win her back. That might even be kind of fun!
Robin: Sonny this is serious!
Sonny: I’m being serious. I trust the love that Brenda and I share, we are meant for each other. Nothing or no one can every come between us.
Robin: What about death?
Sonny: What about it?
Robin: Brenda could be in real danger, what if the man that she is meeting is Rivera?
Sonny: It’s not Rivera. I just saw him this morning; he’s in jail where he belongs. I’ve also been keeping track of his men since they came to town, none of them has made any kind of move lately that would put Brenda in any kind of danger, Rivera is not behind this! 

Robin thinks for a minute.

Robin: What about Jax? He could have bought the penthouse just to sweep Brenda off her feet 
Sonny: *Laughing* Jaxy Boy? He is far too comfortable being a Quartermaine leech. 
Robin: Your not worried about this, are you?
Sonny: Not really.
Robin: Wait a minute, I just figured it out. It’s you isn’t it, Sonny?
Sonny: Brenda will be fine!
Robin: Brenda is going to be furious with you! That penthouse is on the 11th floor; I wouldn’t stand to close to a window, because Brenda is liable to push you out!

Sonny shrugs his shoulders in an innocent gesture.

Sonny: Maybe so.

Later that evening, Brenda arrives at the penthouse and find that door unlocked. She cautiously opens the door and looks in. Lights are on, but there is no one in sight. She walks in and looks around. The room is empty; no furniture fills the room and no drapery block the view out the huge window. Brenda walks over to the window and looks down at a small park. If she tires hard enough she can see her future out that window. She can see herself standing at the window and watching her child play in the park below. In her mind she sees a winters day, maybe a year or two in the future. Her child is bundled up against the winter wind and cold. It turns and waves at her, raising a gloved hand. The child’s cheeks are a rosy color from the cold, there is a man playing with the child. The only thing is that she can’t make out are the features of the man. It might be Sonny, but she isn’t positive.

Brenda: *Thinking to herself* I remember a time when you were the only man I saw in my future, Sonny, what happened?

Her thoughts are interrupted by a voice behind her.

Voice: Good evening Ms. Barrett.

She turns to see the man that she met the day before.

Brenda: I feel like I’m at a disadvantage because I don’t recall your name.
Voice: My name is incidental, but you may call me William. 
Brenda: Okay, then William if you see a man Lurking around in the hall, that is just my friend Joseph.
William: Thank you for telling me, I might have had him removed. My boss, and your host, will join you shortly. In the meantime, can I get you anything?
Brenda: No, I’m fine.
William: There is something for you in the master bedroom. If it pleases you, my boss would like for you to wear it. There are also towels and bath products in the master bathroom if you need to freshen up.
Brenda: I don’t think I’ll be needing them, I have an aversion to strange bathrooms.   
William: I understand, but perhaps you will look at the dress.
Brenda: A dress, why not? I think I can find my way to the master bedroom. 
  
Brenda walks to the master bedroom and opens the door and turns on the light. The bedroom is decorated in the same dark wood as the rest of the penthouse. 

Brenda: Very classy.

 There is no bed or any other furniture in the room, except for a chair. Draped over the chair is probably one of the most beautiful dresses Brenda has ever seen. It has a dark blue strapless top and a long full taffeta skirt that drops from a high umpire waist. The skirt spreads out in swirling bands of dark blue, green and gold. It reminds Brenda of the feathers of a peacock. There are two boxes on the floor beside the dress. One contains a pair of low heel shoes to match the dress and the other box contains hose and other under clothes that go with the dress. Brenda excitedly looks at the label on the dress; she isn’t surprised at what she finds.

Brenda: A Paris original. My host not only has taste; he has resources as well.

The whole situation is creating a feeling of giddiness in Brenda. She can’t remember the last time that she felt so wanted or exhilarated. With eagerness, she picks up the dress. As she does a single rose tumbles to the ground. She hadn’t noticed it before because it was the same color green as the dress and is tipped in gold, it matches the dress perfectly. She picks it up and a smile crosses her lips. The smile quickly fades as she recalls a similar rose, a light blue rose tipped with silver. Actually, 21 blue rose tipped in silver that Sonny sent to her on her 21 birthday. 

Brenda: It can’t be Sonny!

She quickly picks up the dress; it smells like Sonny’s cologne. There are too many things that point to Sonny for it to be coincidence. Suddenly all the excitement that she felt a minute earlier evaporates. In its place are feelings of anger, disappointment and confusion. She doesn’t understand why he would go to this much trouble just to get her to have dinner with him. 
   
Brenda: Sonny, why did you have to go and ruin my fantasy?

Her first instinct is to sit on the floor and cry. Then she gets a better idea; she takes her cell phone out of her purse and speed dials Emily Quartermaine’s number.

Emily: Hello? Oh hi Brenda.
Brenda: Em, do you have a piece of paper handy?
Emily: Sure, I’m doing my homework, I have one right here.
Brenda: Wait a minute, it’s Friday night, why are you doing your homework?
Emily: I have nothing better to do.
Brenda: We need to get you a life, girl. Anyway, need your help, can I count on you?
Emily: Sure, anything is better than what I’m doing right now.
Brenda: Good, I need you to bring me some things to penthouse 4 in harbor view towers. Write this down okay?

Emily writes down the things that Brenda needs, some are a bit embarrassing to her.

Emily:  I’m just a kid, Brenda, where am I supposed to find some of this stuff?
Brenda: I don’t know. Check Monica’s room, maybe her and Alan like to role-play or something.
Emily: Oh that is gross!
Brenda: You’re right, I’m sorry, I have no right to ask you to do this.
Emily: I want to help you Brenda.

Robin walks by in the hall.

Emily: Wait Robin just walked by, I’ll get her to help.
Brenda: Good idea.

Emily walks over to the guestroom and finds Robin hanging up some clothes in the closet.

Emily: Brenda is on the phone and I think she needs your help.
Robin: Is she sick or in trouble?
Emily: I don’t think so, just come talk to her.

Robin follows Emily to her room and Emily shows her Brenda’s list. Robin almost passes out when she reads it.

Robin: Brenda what’s going on. Why do you want all that stuff?
Brenda: Sonny is the owner of the penthouse!
Robin: I know he is.
Brenda: *Perturbed* How long have you known and when did you plan on telling me?
Robin: Well I was pretty sure this afternoon. I went to see Sonny and he didn’t confirm that he was the owner, but he didn’t really deny it either.
Brenda: With Sonny, not denying something is pretty much a confirmation.
Robin: How do you feel about this?
Brenda: I’m mad as hell! I know that I probably don’t have any reason to feel mad, but I do.
Robin: It kind of spoiled your fairy tale, “man of your dreams.”
Brenda: All I wanted was to be appreciated and desired.
Robin: The fact that Sonny would go to this much trouble tells me that he feels those things for you.
Brenda: Why do you always take his side?
Robin: I don’t want to take sides, but I do want you guys to work things out.
Brenda: Maybe we will, but first Sonny has to learn that he can’t go behind my back and manipulate my feelings. Are you going to help me by bringing those things on that list?
Robin: Why do you want this stuff?
Brenda: Sonny doesn’t know that I know he is the man I’m having dinner with. I figure leaving that stuff lying around the house; it will worry him a little.
Robin: Brenda, you’re the mother of his child, this is more likely to make him go ballistic than anything else!
Brenda: Serves him right! How soon can you get here?
Robin: I’m not sure, it could take a while to get some of this stuff.
Brenda: Get what you can and get here as fast as you can. I’m not sure how long we have before Sonny arrives.
Robin: I hope you know what you’re doing.
Brenda: *With a heavy sigh* Yeah me too.

Chapter 114

Sonny stands just inside the door to the penthouse holding a vase of flowers which he places on a built in shelve by the door, then he adjusting his bow tie in a mirror hanging on the wall. He was wearing an Armani tuxedo and had his hair slicked back and he looks drop dead gorgeous. He looks around the penthouse and noticed that the living room is empty. On the balcony he can see the table set with crystal and china. He walks out onto the balcony and stands for a moment, enjoying the early summer night air.  He suddenly realizes why he chose the penthouse, it was the balcony. Sure he hadn’t missed the irony of living in the home of the former police commissioner. And Robin had told Stone how much Brenda loved this place. All of those things were major factors, but the selling point had been the balcony. It reminded him of the porch on the Spencer house. Both were removed from the world and both had a safe feel about them. As if they were the perfect refuge form an unmistakably harsh world. He stands there for a while savoring a feelings of peace that the moment brings.

Up in the master bedroom Emily and Robin are helping Brenda finish up with her plan.

Robin: Are you sure you don’t want us to stay here in case it isn’t Sonny who is meeting you for dinner?
Brenda: What are you two going to do, hide in the mythical secret room.
Robin: It isn’t a myth! Half my family, real and adopted, have lived in this place at one time or another! I know this place better than anyone else. I know a dozen places that Emily and I could hide.
Brenda: I’ll be fine, it is Sonny that bought this place. I just know it is.
Robin: You had better hope so, nobody else would let you get away with teasing him!
Emily: Oh, I would like to thank you Brenda for ruining my childhood by making me go through my parent’s drawers!
Robin: I personally am really curious as to what Allen and Monica need handcuffs for?
Emily: I’m not!
Robin: If you’re sure that you are going to be okay, we’re going to go.
Brenda: I’ll be fine. Here, leave a trail of clothes down the hall as you leave.
Emily: This is so strange!
Robin: She’s right, Brenda!
Brenda: *Ignoring her* Bye guys, thanks for all your help.

Robin and Emily walk down the hall.

Emily: I guess I don’t understand normal relationships.
Robin: Believe me, there is hardly anything “normal” about Sonny and Brenda.
Emily: They really seem to love each other though. 
Robin: They do love each other. They are passionate about each other. In fact, passion pretty much sums them up. Either they are passionately fighting or passionately making up. 

As they are walking down the hall, Robin is randomly dropping clothes.

Emily: Why exactly is Brenda having you do this?
Robin: It’s supposed to be seductively suggestive.
Emily: Suggestive of what?
Robin: That at the end of the clothes, Brenda is waiting for a romantic liaison.  
Emily: Oh, that! But she isn’t.
Robin: It’s supposed to be a sort of tease.
Emily: Does it work?
Robin: With some guys better than with others. Oh my gosh! I’m probably telling you more than a girl your age needs to know.
Emily: Probably, but do you think it will work on Sonny.
Robin: If he just thinks about it in terms of him and Brenda, yeah it will work. If he stops and thinks about the fact that Brenda shouldn’t know that’s it him, it will probably scare him half to death.
Emily: I get it, the thought that Brenda would tease a stranger is probably pretty scary.
Robin: That’s what Brenda is hoping. Down deep inside Brenda wants to work things out with him.
Emily: Than why doesn’t she just tell him that instead of playing all of these games?
Robin: Because Sonny and Brenda are working towards the same goal of getting back together, but they are just taking the long route to get there. They enjoy playing games with each other and fighting. They love to fight more than any two people that I know do! 

Emily rounds the corner and is about to go down the stairs when she spots Sonny on the balcony. She stops dead in her tracks.

Emily: Oh my gosh! Is that Sonny on the balcony?

Robin looks around the corner.

Robin: Thank God, it is Sonny. Now I can stop worrying about what Brenda is getting herself into!
Emily: How are we going to explain to him why we’re here? If he see us, we are in trouble!
Robin: He isn’t going to see us. We are going to walk out quietly and casually.
Emily: You go first!
Robin: No, we’ll go together.

They quickly make a beeline for the front door. Joseph is a little surprised when they come darting out, but he quickly regains his composure. Sonny didn’t even notice that they were in the living room, he was so deep in thought about Brenda and their future. Tonight had to be perfect, other wise, chances were that he would loose Brenda forever. The table was set, but the only food that was on it was a basket of bread. He looks back at the living room, wondering where Brenda is. He pulls himself away from the balcony and walks back into the living room. He looks up at the stairs and notices that some of Brenda’s clothes are lying on the steps.

Sonny: I wonder why I didn’t notice those before?

He walks up the stairs and starts picking up her clothes. They smell like her perfume, the scent is almost intoxicating. He heads towards the master bedroom, following a trail of clothing. The garments get more and more skimpy the closer he gets to the bedroom. Some of them he hasn’t ever seen before, strange underclothes that he didn’t even know that Brenda owned. At the door to the bedroom is a pair of handcuffs. He can’t help but wonder what Brenda, the mother of his child, is up too. 

Sonny: *Thinking to himself* She can’t know that I’m the one that invited her for dinner. What could she be thinking, doesn’t she know how dangerous this game is?      
 
He opens the door to the master bedroom expecting to find Brenda. However, he finds the room empty except for a satin comforter and satin sheets spread out on the floor. The thought crosses his mind that Brenda actually intended to seduce her dinner companion. He feels jealousy, and fear griping his insides. Maybe it was already to late; maybe he had already lost Brenda. He stood in the middle of the room feeling completely lost and alone. He could see light coming from the master bath, but he couldn’t make his legs move towards the light. 
	Brenda stood in the master bathroom waiting for him to make a move. She knew he was in the bedroom, she could feel him on the other side of the slightly open door. She knew that he could feel her too and she didn’t understand why he didn’t come to her. She was about to go out and face him, when the door to the bath area swung open. Sonny looked in and saw the room softly lit by candlelight. The bathtub was full of bubbles, but he still didn’t see Brenda. He steps into the bathroom and she steps up behind him.

Brenda: Sonny Corinthos it’s about time that you showed up!

He turns to look at her and his breath catches in his chest. She is wearing the dress that he left for her and has her hair pulled back, she looks absolutely divine. She has her hands on her hips and is giving him a very determined look. He knows that she is upset with him, other wise he would have a hard time preventing himself from grabbing her and kissing her passionately with all his might.

Brenda: I can’t believe that you planned all of this! You manipulated my feelings and emotions, which I might add, are very fragile to begin with because I’m pregnant! You know all of this and yet you staged this whole thing! You can be such a class A jerk sometimes!

 In that moment, he finds all of the things that he loves best about her have surfaced. She is fiery and passionate and doesn’t let him get away with anything. She is his equal in a way that no other person on the planet can even come close to matching. He loves and wants her more than he has ever wanted anything else in his life. He just stands there watching her, a smile starting to spread across his face.

Brenda: Aren’t you going to say something? Aren’t you going to try to maneuver your way out of this one?
Sonny: *Shrugging his shoulders* What can I say Brenda? In this case, I’m guilty as charged. You’re right everything that you said is the truth. I couldn’t put it better myself.
Brenda: Oh, is that all that you have to say?
Sonny: Well, I guess I could add that you take my breath away. You look absolutely beautiful in that dress, you look absolutely beautiful period.
Brenda: Thank you, but I still would like to hear you defend yourself. You tricked me into coming here tonight!
Sonny: I did it because you kept trying to avoid having dinner with me. I did it because I love you and want you and me and the baby to be a family together. I did it because I just plain want you back! I want you back right now, I Want You Here And Now Brenda!
Brenda: Oh, you are so infuriating!

He moves towards her and she pushes him away, causing him to loose his balance and land in the bubble bath. 

Brenda: There, maybe that will cool you off!

She turns on her heel and leaves the bathroom. Sonny pulls himself out of the tub and follows her, dripping wet.

Sonny: That’s real mature Brenda! 
Brenda: You’re dripping all over the carpet!
Sonny: It’s going to be replaced with hardwood anyway.
Brenda: Oak?
Sonny: You can decide, after all this is going to be your home as well as Stone’s and mine.
Brenda: You’re assuming that I want to live here with you!
Sonny: I was decorating a nursery for the baby, perhaps you would like one of your own!

He is following her down the hall

Brenda: What is that supposed to mean?
Sonny: Sometimes you can be such a baby, Brenda!
Brenda: Insulting me is not going to convince me to live with you. Wait a minute did you say that you decorated a nursery for the baby?

Sonny stops in front of a door.

Sonny: I started it, I really thought that you would want to help though.

He opens the door and flicks on the light.

Sonny: Why don’t you go check it out. I’m going to stay out here though because I don’t want to ruin the carpet in that room.

Brenda walks in and sees a room that has been painted in soothing pastels. On one wall is a mural of a forest scene. There is a heavy chest of drawers and a matching crib. She couldn’t have imagined a more perfect nursery. Tears start to form in her eyes when she thinks about all the effort that Sonny has put into their child’s first room.   
 
Sonny: You don’t like it?
Brenda: *Wiping away tears* No. 

She didn’t like it; she loved it, just like she loved him. It also made her realize how much he loved her and their child.

Sonny: *Disappointed*  We can change it, if you don’t like the crib or the mural. We can get all new stuff.
Brenda: No, Sonny It’s perfect. I don’t want to change a thing. 
Sonny: Well, you’re going to have to add some things. It really is a work in progress, kind of like us. 
Brenda: *Running her hand across the headboard* When did you decide to buy this?
Sonny: The crib or the penthouse?
Brenda: The penthouse?
Sonny: Spending all that time in the hospital gave me time to think. Stone and I were already starting to feel a little cramped in the apartment, and when I found out you were still pregnant I knew that we were going to have to move. The apartment will be too small once the baby is born; besides, I don’t want my kid being raised over a bar. Robin had told me that you liked this place, so when I heard that Donley had left I called Stone up and told him it was time for us to make a move.

In that moment Brenda could have kicked herself. She feels all of the anger and fear that she has been holding onto for so long evaporates.

Brenda: I over heard you that day in the hospital, but when I went back in and asked you about it you lied.
Sonny: I wanted it to be a surprise.
Brenda: I though you were talking about something else.
Sonny: What?
Brenda: I don’t know, territory or something!
Sonny: Brenda, how could you think that? You and this baby are the most important things in my life. I bought this place so that we could be a family.
Brenda: You want us to be a family. I was so afraid that you would never forgive me for lying to you about the baby.
Sonny: It wasn’t easy, but I realized that I could either waste the rest of my days being angry about something that you did out of fear or I could forgive you and we could move on.

Brenda: You bought this so that we could all live together and be a family? What if I really didn’t want to live here with you just yet?
Sonny: Is that what you’re saying?
Brenda: Not necessarily, but just suppose you hadn’t been so convincing?
Sonny: Well, there are enough bedrooms for you to be able to have your own room if that was what you wanted. But if you really didn’t want Stone and me to live here, I guess I could have given the place to you.
Brenda: You would have done that?
Sonny: Yeah, I would do anything that you want. Give you all the room that you want. At least I would know where you were and I’d be able to keep an eye on you.

Sonny regrets adding that last part the instant it slips from his lips. Brenda stiffens in his arms and pulls out of his embrace. She looks him square in the eyes.

Brenda: What was that last part? Now you need to keep an eye on me?
Sonny: I didn’t mean it that way, sweetheart.

Brenda turns and runs down the stairs, Sonny chases after her. She heads for the door, but Sonny beats her there and leans against it blocking her exit.

Brenda: Let me out!
Sonny: No, we have a few things to settle and we haven’t eaten dinner yet.
Brenda: How can I have dinner with a man that has no respect for me?
Sonny: That isn’t true, Brenda, I have all the respect for you in the world. You are smart, capable and more than able to take care of yourself. I had no right to suggest otherwise.
Brenda: That’s the truth. You can be insensitive sometimes!
Sonny: I’ll admit to that, if you’ll admit to being a brat sometimes.
Brenda: Now I’m a brat?

She picks up the vase of flowers and starts throwing them at Sonny.

Sonny: *Ducking her bombardment of petals and stems.* Brenda, sweetie, what are you doing?
Brenda: Being a brat! 
Sonny: You don’t have to demonstrate, I don’t care. I love you despite your flaws!
Brenda: I’ll show you what it’s like to love a brat!

Sonny ducks as the vase comes flying at him. Brenda heads out to the balcony. There is a knock on the door and Sonny opens it just enough to see Joseph.

Joseph: Everything all right boss?
Sonny: Yeah, Brenda is just a little emotional right now.
Joseph: Harmonies, but don’t worry it will only last the first 9 months or so.
Sonny: *Sarcastically* Oh, that’s no problem than.
Joseph: If you need anything let me know.
Sonny: How about a good stiff drink?

He closes the door and follows Brenda out to the balcony. She is looking around for more objects to throw.
She finds a breadbasket on the table and starts pelting Sonny with rolls.

Sonny: Brenda, just calm down and we’ll talk about this.

Sonny didn’t even know what they had to talk about, but he knew he had to calm her down. 

Brenda: I don’t want to talk. Where does it get us, we just talk and talk and talk and nothing ever changes?

Maybe she was right, maybe she needed to throw things at him and get it out of her system.

Sonny: Okay, just be careful with the table, it is set with my grandmother’s china.
Brenda: *Picking up a cup and saucer* You mean this?

She holds it over the edge of the balcony.

Sonny: Brenda, put the saucer and cup down, that set means a lot to me.
Brenda: How much? Enough for you to make me some promises?
Sonny: Sure, what ever you want.
Brenda: I don’t want you to lie to me ever again or keep things from me or protect me without my knowledge!
Sonny: Okay, that’s fair enough. Now put the cup and saucer down.
Brenda: They really mean that much to you?
Sonny: Yes they do.
Brenda: *Looking at him with tears in her eyes* Do they mean more to you than I do?

He shakes his head sadly and is about to answer when he notices that she has stepped very close to the edge of the balcony. There is a wall, but it is very low and she is standing right over it. She looks up at him with very sad eyes and looses her balance and topples over the low wall. Sonny lungs for her and grabs her just before she falls. They are both out of breath; all they can do is stand there in each other’s arms. The cup and saucer had slipped from her hands and lands with a crash on the balcony floor, shattering into a hundred pieces.

Sonny: Are you okay?
Brenda: *Nodding her head* Yes, I’m sorry about the cup and saucer.
Sonny: The important thing is that you’re okay.
Brenda: You saved my life.

She looks over the edge on the balcony and feels herself getting sick, then she bursts out crying.

Sonny: It’s okay. You’re okay; everything is going to be okay.
Brenda: What if you hadn’t been that close to me, I’d be dead right now!
Sonny: I would never let anything like happen to you. I’m going to take care of this right now.

He sits here down on one of the chairs and kisses her lightly on the forehead, and then he takes out his cellular phone and dials a number.

Sonny: Hello? This is Corinthos, I want someone out here in the morning to install safety rails on the balconies and put child resistant locks on all the doors. 

He hangs up the phone, and gets a far away look in his eyes.

Sonny: There is just so much to think about when your having a baby there is so much to learn.
Brenda: There is, but I think it will be easier if we learn it together.
Sonny: *Looking up at her.* I would like that. Brenda?
Brenda: Yes?
Sonny: When did you know that I was the one that invited you here tonight?
Brenda: When I got to the bedroom and found the green and gold rose, it reminded me of the ones that you gave me for my birthday. 
Sonny: Oh, so what did you expect to find when you came here tonight?
Brenda: A man that adored me, I was looking for the man of my dreams. 

Sonny is surprised that she would even think that. He always thought that Brenda was the man of her dreams.

Sonny: I’m sorry to disappoint you. Brenda I’m going to give you a choice right now. You can either stay here with me, live here as a family or you can walk away. I insist on being a part of our child’s life no matter what. It’s just our relationship that will be different.

Brenda: You could never disappoint me. 
Sonny: I’m still going to let you decide. Do you want to stay and work at making a life together? Because if you do, you’ll get all of this.

He indicates the living room.

Brenda: *Teasing* Will you at least throw in some furniture to sweeten the deal.
Sonny: Of course, we can’t sit on the floor! More importantly, I’ll throw this in.

He pulls her to him and kisses her passionately.

Brenda: That could be a deal clincher, but I need a little more than just passion.

Sonny: How about this?

He pulls her into a tight protective embrace.

Brenda: How long do I have to consider this offer?
Sonny: Of course you have as long as you need, but I would like to have an answer tonight.
Brenda: Tonight?
Sonny: I have waited pretty patiently for a long time now and I’m not traditionally a patient man.
Brenda: I’ve been very proud of you, Sonny. You have been a model of self-control.
Sonny: We both have, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. I want you and need you so much Brenda. So what is it going to be, a life with me, or will you take what’s behind door number two?

He indicates the front door to the penthouse.

Brenda: You deserve an answer and I’m going to give you one right now.   

Chapter 115
 
Brenda: I came here looking for a great love and I found what I was looking for. In fact, I never lost it, I can’t find the man of my dreams in the decor a penthouse, I have to find him in my heart.
Sonny: Do you really truly believe that it’s me?
Brenda: What do you think? 
Sonny: I don’t know you were pretty mad at me a few minutes ago.
Brenda: That’s just because I don’t like being treated like a child, but you are the man of my dreams. On some level I think I knew that you owned this place all along.
Sonny: That may be true, but it was still dangerous for you to come here alone tonight. Promise me that you won’t ever do anything like this again.
Brenda: I came here tonight looking for something and I found you. You are the love of my life; I don’t ever have to doubt that again.
Sonny: I’m glad, because something could have happened to you tonight. I would just die if anything ever happened to you or our child, Brenda.
Brenda: You don’t ever have to worry about that.
 
Sonny opens his arms to her and she falls into them. He embraces her so tightly that she feels like he may never let go, then again, she never wants him to let go.    

Sonny: I’m sorry that I’m a little wet.
Brenda: I don’t care. We have wasted so much time fighting and running away from each other. I don’t want to do that any more.
Sonny: Me neither, I don’t want to waste anymore time.

He takes her face in his hands and kisses her tenderly. When they pull away they both have smiles on their faces. 

Brenda: I love you so much and I want us to be a family.
Sonny: In that case, I have something that I think belongs to you.

He reaches in his shirt pocket and pulls out the engagement ring that he had given her before her birthday party. He takes her hand and kisses it and then places the ring back on her finger, where it belongs.

Brenda: *With tears in her eyes.* I never thought I would wear this ring again.
Sonny: I have to admit that even I had my doubts, but it belongs on your finger, Brenda.
Brenda: How long have you been carrying it around in your front pocket?
Sonny: Since the day that you took it off. I wanted to have it close to my heart at all times.
Brenda: Weren’t you afraid that you might loose it?
Sonny: The thought never crossed my mind. 
 
He takes her and they walk hand and hand back into the living room.

Sonny bends down at the fireplace and starts to build a fire.

Brenda: What are you doing?
Sonny: I’m still wet and I don’t have a change of clothes, so I thought I would build a fire and dry off.
Brenda: I have a better idea, why don’t we just start our own fire?

She pulls him into her and delivers the most smoldering kiss Sonny can remember ever receiving. She slips the his damp jacket off his shoulders and runs her hands across his shoulders and down his back, never once breaking their intense kiss.

Sonny: *Pulling back* Wait! Are you sure about this?
Brenda: Sonny do you remember what this means?

She kisses him with more hunger and passion than before. She starts unbuttoning his shirt.

Sonny: How could I forget? 

They kiss passionately as Brenda slides his shirt off of his shoulders.

Brenda: What about the mess?
Sonny: Leave it, we can clean up later.

They continue to kiss. He picks her up, and kissing her all the way, carries her to the master bedroom. Removing her clothes, he gently places her on the comforter. She runs her hands though his hair, down his back and back around to his cheat and arms. He touch is so hot that it nearly burns his skin. They kiss again and as their mouths fuse together in hot passion, their bodies begin to do the same. They remain wrapped in each other’s arms hours later, after they have connected in a way that neither of them could have ever dreamed possible. Brenda feels safe in his arms as if the outside world does not even exist, much less that it can harm her in any way. He makes her feel so beautiful and loved. It was a feeling that she never wants to end.  Sonny feels the woman that he loves in his arms and can hear here heart beating.  He now knows beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is the woman that he wants to be with. He can't really explain it, even to himself, he just knows that the feeling is right, he is almost overwhelmed with feelings of peace, love and happiness. Brenda leans over and kisses him lightly.

Sonny: What was that for?
Brenda: For being so wonderful and making me realize how lucky I am to have you in my life.
Sonny: Ditto sweetheart.
Brenda: *Laughing* Is that all you have to say?
Sonny: What can I say, for the most part I’m a man of few words.
Brenda: You were doing okay with words earlier this evening.
Sonny: I can talk when I have to, but mainly I prefer actions.

He leans over her and kisses her wildly.

Brenda: I think I can live with that.
Sonny: Can you really? Do you really think we can make it?
Brenda: Shut up and kiss me!

She pulls him to her and he obliges her command.  Things are turning passionate when Sonny suddenly pulls away.
Brenda: What’s wrong honey?
Sonny: What time is it?
Brenda: 9:00.
Sonny: Oh, boy. We were supposed to have eaten dinner an hour ago.
Brenda: We were busy.
Sonny: *Smiling at the memory* Yeah, but the food in the oven on warm.
Brenda: Are you suggesting that we go have dinner now? 
Sonny: Not necessarily, but I at least should go turn the oven off. It would be a shame if we burned the place down before we even furnished it.
Brenda: You go turn the oven off and I’ll wait for you here, but I’m not budging.
Sonny: Your going to have to budge baby.
Brenda: Says who?
Sonny: Says me.
Brenda: Why?
Sonny: Because you’re going to have to get up and put on your dress and then go find my clothes. Because your dress is right over there and my clothes are who knows where and I can’t walk around the house naked looking for them.
Brenda: Oh, I see. You’ve lost your clothes?
Sonny: You helped, if my memory serves me correctly.
Brenda: So without your clothes you are kind of stuck her in this room?
Sonny: Kind of.
Brenda: Then I guess your going to have to stay here forever and be my love slave!

She gives him a seductive smile.

Sonny: As wonderful as that sounds, I’m afraid that the house would burn down around us!
Brenda: All right, you win.

She grabs her dress and slips it on and then gets up and leaves the room.

Sonny: Sweetheart why don’t you turn the oven off while you’re up?
Brenda: *Calling from the hall* I found your pants!

She throws them into him and continues walking down the hall. She descends the stairs and is surprised to see Jason Quartermaine waiting in the living room.

Jason: Hello Brenda.
Brenda: Hi Jason.

Brenda looks around the room at the mess of broken flowers and glass and all of the rolls that she had thrown at Sonny. She also sees his shirt and tux jacket lying in a pile by the fireplace. Brenda scoops them up. The whole site must be terribly strange to Jason. 

Jason: Is Sonny here?
Brenda: He’s upstairs.
Jason: The guards told me I could wait down here, I didn’t mean to intrude.
Brenda: *Slightly embarrassed* It’s okay. Sonny and I are getting married.

Sonny comes down the stairs, just in time to see a disappointed look cross Jason’s face. He looks up at Sonny, then down at Brenda’s hand that she is holding out to show him her engagement ring.

Jason: Congratulations, to both of you.
Sonny: Thanks, that means a lot.

Brenda hands him his shirt, which he puts on and starts buttoning.

Brenda: Thanks Jason. Can you keep this to yourself though? 
Jason: I take it you haven’t told the family yet?
Brenda: I’m trying to work up my nerve to face them.
Sonny: We’re going to do it together.
Brenda: *A little surprised, then smiling* Yeah, I guess we will.
Jason: Can we talk somewhere, Sonny?
Brenda: I’ll just go check on the oven.
Sonny: Thanks sweetheart.

He gives her a quick kiss and watches her leave. He notices that Jason is doing the same.

Jason: Are you really going to marry her?
Sonny: As soon as possible.

He notices Jason’s face has a mix of worry and disappointment written all over it.

Sonny: I love her, Jason.
Jason: I don’t doubt it.
Sonny: She’s also the mother of my child.
Jason: *Flustered* Than I guess double congratulations are in order.
Sonny: Your disappointed.
Jason: Brenda being out of circulation is a disappointment for the entire male population of the state.
Sonny: Can I ask you a personal question?
Jason: Sure.
Sonny: Did you ever really feel like you had a chance with Brenda?
Jason: Not a chance! But I know that some other members of my family did. You aren’t very popular with my family right now.
Sonny: I know that, and your family is important to Brenda. Is there anything I can do to get on their good side?
Jason: *Laughing* That could take years!
Sonny: I want to at least come to some understanding with your family, for Brenda’s sake and for the sake of our child.
Jason: I have one idea.
Sonny: Let’s hear it.
Jason: I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on corporate law and I think I’ve figured out a way to get some of the stock back from Damian Smith, Jasper Jacks and Hernando Rivera.
Sonny: Whoa, I thought I told you that I would take care of Rivera? He’s dangerous!
Jason: I know all that, but you said that I could be in on it!
Sonny: True, but so far there still isn’t any IT to be in on.
Jason: Then I’m going to keep looking for legal loopholes. One way or another I’m going to get the interlopers out of ELQ. When I do, there is going to be a few pieces of stock up for grabs. Is that something that would interest you?
Sonny: What are you suggesting?
Jason: You’ve been a real help to me, Sonny. I don’t want that to go without being rewarded, so I’m offering you a seat on the ELQ board when all of this is finished. 
Sonny: I’m not really the board room type, but it might have its advantages. Wouldn’t it hurt rather than help my relationship with your family though?
Jason: They might be upset at first, especially grandfather, but I think I could persuade him to accept you. All I would have to do is mention the name Mary Am Ward and I think he would be willing to support your inclusion on the board.
Sonny: Blackmailing your own grandfather? 
Jason: It’s the Quartermaine way.
Sonny: I’ll tell you what, lets concentrate on cleaning up this Rivera mess. Then, if you still want to discuss giving me some stock, we’ll talk about it then.
Jason: It’s a deal. Meantime, I brought you copies of some of the documents that I’ve found. I would really appreciate it if you would look them over when you get a free moment.
Sonny: Sure, when I get a free moment. Jason, try and relax. This is all going to be over soon.
Jason: For the sake of my sanity, I hope you’re right!
Sonny: Yours and mine both!
Jason: Tell Brenda, good night for me.
Sonny: Let me see you out.

They walk to the door.

Jason: Sonny, take good care of Brenda.
Sonny: I intend to.

Brenda comes out of the kitchen carrying a bowl.

Brenda: What did Jason want?
Sonny: Get this, he wants to let me have stock in ELQ.
Brenda: Oh, Sonny Corinthos ELQ Board member! I kind of like the sound of that.
Sonny: It could have some advantages. What do you have there, sweetheart?

Brenda looks down at the bowl.

Brenda: I don’t know, I just kind of threw some of the food in a bowl and called it dinner.  
Sonny: Brenda How Could You!
Brenda: *Starts to get tears in her eyes* Did I do something wrong? Is this about the bowl? I know that it’s part of the set of your grandmother’s china, you must be pretty upset about me dropping the cup and saucer.
Sonny: Baby, how can I get you to believe me. The cup and saucer don’t really mean a thing to me. They are just material objects and are meaningless next to you. However, I do tend to get upset when the gourmet meal that I spent all day carefully cooking is thrown together in a bowl and called “dinner.”
Brenda: *Smiling* You spent all day cooking for tonight?
Sonny: I wanted the evening to be perfect.
Brenda: I think that it turned out to be pretty perfect.

He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her.

Sonny: So do I.
Brenda: If it makes you feel any better, whatever you cooked is really good.
Sonny: Even eaten in a bowl almost 2 hours late?
Brenda: Some things are better late than never. The only thing missing is ketchup.
Sonny: What did you say?
Brenda: This needs some ketchup, do we have any?

Sonny takes the bowl from her and puts it on the floor.

Sonny: I don’t think I even own any!
Brenda: Honey I’m pregnant and I have been craving ketchup lately. So we’re going to have to get some.
Sonny: I’ll try to remember to get some the next time I go shopping.
Brenda: Get a lot and get it soon!
Sonny: Like right now?
Brenda: *Giving him an almost pleading look.* Could you?
Sonny: You want me to send Joseph out right now to get you ketchup so you can put it on my gourmet dinner?
Brenda: I would be very grateful.
Sonny: How grateful?  
Brenda: *Inching very close to him* Very, very grateful.

She gives him a long passionate kiss and runs her hands across his shoulders and down his back.

Sonny: Hold that thought!

He goes to the door to send Joseph to the store then he goes back to Brenda. He wraps his arms around her and they kiss passionately.  
 Chapter 116
Brenda stands facing a full length mirror in the master bedroom at the penthouse. Sonny stands off to the side for a few seconds, admiring her reflection in the mirror. Then he walks up behind Brenda and wraps his arms around her. She turns around and gives him a slow hot kiss. When she pulls back they both have smiles on their faces. She turns back to the mirror. She turns from side to side and looks at herself from several angles.

Brenda: Do you think that I’m starting to look fat?

Sonny takes a step back from her and checks her out from head to toe. He thinks she looks beautiful.
He moves closer to her and kisses madly, only this time he reaches up and unzips the back of her dress.  

Brenda: What do you think your doing?
Sonny: You asked me if I thought you were getting fat.
Brenda: And that makes it all right for you to undress me?
Sonny: *Smiling* I’m just trying to get a closer look. 
Brenda: You didn’t answer my question.
Sonny: *Taking a deep breath* You look beautiful. You are beautiful!

He kisses her neck and then moves back to her mouth. Brenda sighs, but not from pleasure. She sighs and then pushes him away.

Brenda: We really don’t have time for this.
Sonny: The Quartermaine's can wait a few minutes.
Brenda: It will be something to look forward to at the end of the night.
Sonny: I’m not sure I can wait till the end of night.
Brenda: Sonny there was a whole month when we weren’t together and you waited just fine. One evening is not going to kill you.
Sonny: seeing you in that earth shatteringly gorgeous dress weakens my resistance.  
Brenda: You are just going to have to control yourself, Lila gets upset if dinner is held up and I want to talk to the family before we eat. I promise you that if you think that this dress is earth shattering, just wait until we get home tonight.
Sonny: I love that!
Brenda: What?
Sonny: you just called this place “home.”
Brenda: This is our home, at least until you build our dream house on my land.
Sonny: I wasn’t sure that you thought of this place as your home yet. You still have a room at the Q’s.
Brenda: Sonny, wherever you and our child are at is going to be my home from now on. As for my room at the Quartermaine Mansion, I suspect that all of that will change after tonight when I tell them that we are getting married and starting a family.
Sonny: They do know that you’re bringing me to dinner, right?
Brenda: Yes, I told Lila and she is expecting you.
Sonny: They just don’t know about the bomb your going to drop?
Brenda: Telling the Q’s that I’m having your child and that we are going to get married is not a bomb.
Sonny: They aren’t going to be too happy though.
Brenda: It doesn’t matter, I’m happy. Things could get rough though, you know that you don’t have to be here tonight. If you’re not feeling up to it, I understand.
Sonny: I’ll be fine, I know this isn’t going to be easy. I want to be there for you to night.
Brenda: This is going to be hard, the Q’s are like my family. I want them to be happy for me. 
Sonny: That’s why I’m going to be right by your side. They have no clue what is going on?
Brenda: Not unless they have figured out that I’m pregnant. Allan and Monica are doctors after all. 
Sonny: Brenda, sweetheart, you aren’t even showing yet.
Brenda: *Looking at herself in the mirror* Are you sure? I think I’m starting to look pregnant.
Sonny: Only to those in the know. I knew that there was something different about you even before I knew you were having my baby, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
Brenda: What do you mean different? *Panicking* You mean people can just look at me and tell?
Sonny: They can tell that your different, at least I can. It has nothing to do with gaining weight or showing. It isn’t something on the outside; it’s something that comes from inside you. I can tell that you see yourself differently and that comes through on the outside. Am I making any kind of sense?
Brenda: Yeah, I think you are making a lot of sense. I need to know; do you see me differently now?
Sonny: How could I not?
Brenda: I knew it, I’m not desirable anymore! 
Sonny: Sweetheart, nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s just that now when I look at you I see my lover, my best friend, and the beautiful very desirable mother of my child. To top it off you are going to be my wife real soon and I can finally share it all with the whole world! You mean so much more to me at this moment than words can even express.  
Brenda: You know, for a guy that claims not to be very good with words, you sure can make a girl feel loved.
Sonny: Like I told you before, I can pick and choose them when I have to. I’m glad that you feel loved baby, that is all I’ve ever wanted for you. I still prefer actions to words though and if we don’t get out of here soon I’m going to be tempted to show you what I mean by Action! Then we won’t get out of here at all
Brenda: I’m just about ready, I just need to finish up my hair. First, I want you to tell me where you disappeared to this afternoon.
Sonny: Can’t a guy have any secrets?
Brenda: None. Now tell me!
Sonny: I went to the doctor.
Brenda: Have you been having headaches again?
Sonny: no, but it’s been a month since I started taking the medication and the doctor wanted to check my progress.
Brenda: I can’t believe that it’s been a whole month!
Sonny: Yep, it sure has.
Brenda: Why didn’t you tell me?
Sonny: You were having too much fun picking out wallpaper and I didn’t want to worry you.
Brenda: Sonny, we’re partners now. We do those kinds of things together, remember? 
Sonny: If it helps any I was thinking about you the whole time, especially during the MRI
Brenda: You underwent a MRI alone?
Sonny: Stone went in with me. You couldn’t have been in there with me anyway because of the radiation.
Brenda: How did you get through it without getting claustrophobic?
Sonny: I had something this time around that I didn’t have a month ago.
Brenda: What’s that?
Sonny: Hope for a future with you and our child. When I was trapped in that machine I focused on our future together and that got me through the procedure and I passed the tests, Brenda!
Brenda: Do you mean what I think you mean?
Sonny: The medication is working great and I’m going to be just fine!
Brenda: I can’t imagine how relieved I am to hear that.

She hugs him tightly.

Sonny: Probably about as relieved as I am. I don’t want to hurt you, but there was a time when I thought I was going to die.
Brenda: *A few tears flow from her eyes* I know, when you collapsed on the docks and wouldn’t let me go with you to the hospital. I knew then that you thought you were going to die and you didn’t want me to have to see it happen.
Sonny: You know, right before that happened I really believed that we were over and maybe I even wanted to die. 
Brenda: Sonny, don’t say that.
Sonny: it’s the truth, I had messed everything up so badly and I didn’t want to have to live without you.
Brenda: You would have survived.
Sonny: But I never would have been happy, but now I am happy. I love you and our child and I have never been so grateful to be alive!

He impulsively grabs her and kisses her and swings her around in his arms.

Brenda: You’re going to make me dizzy!
Sonny: I feel like I could take on the whole world right now and win hands down!
Brenda: Even the Quartermaine's?
Sonny: Bring them on!
Brenda: I think I should go finish my hair first.

Sonny’s cellular phone rings.

Sonny: I’ll take care of this while you finish up.
Brenda: You don’t know how much it means to me that you are going to be there when I talk to the Q’s.
Sonny: That’s the way it’s going to be from now on, I’m not ever going to leave your side.
Brenda: *On her way into the bathroom* I love you, now answer that call and then turn that thing off.
Sonny: Yes dear.

Sonny answers the phone.

Sonny: Hello? Corinthos here.

His blood turns cold when he hears the voice of Frank Smith at the other end

Frank: Do you know who this is?
Sonny: Yes sir.
Frank: Good I need to see you tonight! I’ll give you some coordinates and you leave immediately!

It wasn’t a request, it was an order. The mere idea nearly made Sonny’s blood boil. He had almost missed Brenda’s birthday party because of Frank Smith. It had scared Brenda so dad that she had decided not to tell him that she was pregnant right away.  Sonny had just made her a promise that he would be by her side tonight, job or no job there was no way in hell that he was going to leave her and rush off to meet Frank Smith. Smith had taken too much from Sonny, who was by nature a very loyal person. Enough was enough, the reign of Frank Smith had to end and there was only one man foolish enough to take on the task.

Frank: Are you there Corinthos?
Sonny: Yes sir, but I’m afraid that I can’t leave Port Charles this evening.
Frank: Are you becoming insubordinate? 
Sonny: No sir, there are things here that I can’t leave.
Frank: Is the power going to your head? You don’t make your own decisions, you follow my orders.
Sonny: I’m aware of that, but the Rivera situation requires my attention.
Frank: I wasn’t aware that the situation had changed.
Sonny: I believe that is why you have me here, to be your eyes and ears.
Frank: You really feel that the situation is that serious?
Sonny: Rivera is waiting for any kind of opening to make his move.
Frank: I need to get a very sensitive message to you though.
Sonny: I could send a representative.
Frank: It would have to be some one that you trust implicitly.
Sonny: I know just the man.
Frank: Write down these numbers.

Sonny takes a piece of paper and writes down a set of coordinates. Then hangs up the phone. He turns right around and calls Luke Spencer.

Luke: Hello?
Sonny: Spencer, it’s me. I’m going to give you a set of numbers, memorize them and use them.

He reads off some numbers to Luke.

Luke: These sound like coordinates.
Sonny: They might be.
Luke: You found Frank Smith!
Sonny: You didn’t get these numbers from me, okay?
Luke: Right, I love you man! I owe you big time.
Sonny: Yes you do, just don’t mess this up.
Luke: I won’t!
Sonny: I have everything riding on you not messing this up!
Luke: Everything is going to be cool.
Sonny: Do you want back up? I can send a man or two with you. 
Luke: Not on your life! This is between me and the bastard who stole 15 years of my life!
Sonny: Be careful!
Luke: Always, and I mean it Corinthos, I owe you big.
Sonny: This is the only way either of us will ever have any peace.
Luke: I’ve got to go, I have plans to make.

Sonny hangs up the phone and walks over to a small bedside table. He opens a drawer and pulls out his gun. He checks it, and then is about to places it inside his jacket when Brenda walks back into the room. She stands there shocked at what he is about to do.

Brenda: What do you think your doing with that gun?
Sonny: You don’t expect me to go to dinner unarmed?
S: I most certainly do! Sonny this isn’t a turf war or any other business meeting. You can’t go into the Quartermaine mansion and pack a weapon. It isn’t necessary and it’s down right rude.
Sonny: These people don’t like me, and they don’t play by the same rules that I play by.
Brenda: They aren’t going to shoot you.
Sonny: Going into any situation unarmed is a weakness, and I don’t like to be weak. 
Brenda: I know you don’t, but do you trust me?
Sonny: Yes, you know I do.
Brenda: Then please, leave the gun here. 

Sonny reluctantly places the gun on the dresser. 

Brenda: It will be all right.
Sonny: I hope you’re right.
Brenda: I am right. This is your last chance to back out, and send me on my own.
Sonny: Not a chance, I’m here for the long haul. 
Brenda: Have I told you how much I love you?
Sonny: A time or two. Let’s get this show on the road. The quicker we go, the sooner we’ll come back!

They walk out the bedroom door hand in hand. Sonny takes one last reluctant look at the gun on the dresser and turns off the light.

The scene at the Port Charles Police Station is chaotic. Officer Rick Johnson approaches detective Garcia who is sitting with his head in his hands.

Garcia: Unless you have found Rivera, I don’t want to hear it.
Rick: No sir, he has evaded capture so far.
Garcia: How did this happen?
Rick: Well sir, two men dressed as US Marshals approached the jail with orders to transfer the prisoner and by the time we realized that they weren’t authentic, the prisoner had escaped.
Garcia: I know what happened! I meant why did it have to happen now when we are between police commissioners?
Rick: I might be out of line, but that was probably Mr. Rivera’s intention to get us when we are in flux.
Garcia: You are really starting to bug me! Go find me Sonny Corinthos! I’ll bet he knows where Rivera is!
Rick: We tried to contact Mr. Corinthos on his cellular phone, there was no answer.
Garcia: I didn’t say to call him, I said to go bring him in! While you’re at it, find Luke Spencer as well. 
Rick: Yes sir!

Officer Rick leaves Garcia to his own misery and goes to find some one beneath him to yell at. Finding nobody to fit that description, he sets out to find Sonny and Luke. Meanwhile an evil lurks in the streets of Port Charles. A crazed man on a mission of revenge, a man that wants only to gain power. He passes by the Harbor View towers, looks up to a balcony on the 11th floor, and seeing no light in the windows continues on his evil way. He passes the Port Charles library without even glancing at the brightly-lit 4th floor reading room window. If he had looked up he would have seen a figure looking down on him with interest. Instead he continues, his destination is as mysterious as the forces that will drive him to commit murder that very night.   

Chapter 117
Hernando Rivera waited patiently in the bushes surrounding the Quartermaine mansion. It had been so easy to slip past the guards at the front gate; it didn’t even seem sporting. He knew that if he waited long enough he would get his chance to inflict the most painful kind of revenge on his archenemy, Sonny Corinthos. At first all he wanted was a tiny slice of the territory that Corinthos ran for Frank Smith. However, the high and mighty attitude that Corinthos had insisted on adopting had started to grate on Rivera’s nerves. No Drugs and no prostitutes whoever heard of running an organization in that manner?  Corinthos had insulted all that Rivera believed in, more to the point the young upstart had rejected Rivera’s daughter! There was only so much that a man such as Hernando Rivera could take. He could kill Corinthos, but that would be too kind. He wanted to hurt Sonny Corinthos in the most horrible way possible; Rivera planned to kill the lover of Corinthos and their unborn child. All he had to do was wait until the time was right, when the woman was alone and he could get a good clean shot. Not knowing the danger that she is in, Brenda steps out onto the balcony leading off of the Living room. Rivera raises his gun and takes a moment to long to relish the feelings of revenge. Jasper Jacks walks up behind her, for the moment, saving her life.

Jax: Brender, Reginald told me you were here.
Brenda: Good old Reggie. What can I do for you Jax?
Jax: I just wanted to congratulate you about the baby. 
Brenda: How did you know about that?
Jax: Ned told me.
Brenda: I asked him not to say anything to anyone, but it’s going to all come out tonight.
Jax: Ned doesn’t keep anything from me.
Brenda: I know that you have been blackmailing Ned about his double life.
Jax: Why should I deny that, it has gotten me what I want so far.
Brenda: Everything except me.
Jax: That could still change. Listen, I want you to know that if you need a father for your child I would be willing to marry you and raise it as my own.
Brenda: That is an amazing offer, Jax. I don’t know what to say?
Jax: Say yes, and we’ll do it tonight. 
Brenda: That doesn’t sound very romantic.
Jax: What does it matter? I can offer a life of safety and luxury for you and your child.
Brenda: It is a kind offer and if you had made it about a month ago, I might have accepted.
Jax: I’m offering it now, tonight only.
Brenda: Then I have to say no. Jax my baby already has a father. I love Sonny and he loves this baby and me. We are going to get married and raise it together. That is why I’m here tonight to tell the whole family
Jax: You deserve better Brenda. Answer me this one question though. Did I ever have a chance with you?
Brenda: We might have gotten together for awhile. Like I said, if you had asked me to marry you a month ago when I had lost hope about a future with Sonny, I would probably be your wife right now.
Jax: Are you saying this just to torture me, you don’t think that you and I could have been happy?
Brenda: Not at all, we probably would have been happy. Maybe even happier than Sonny and I are at times.
Jax: You agree, I could have made you happier than Corinthos!
Brenda: That isn’t what I said at all Jax. Sonny makes me so happy most of the time and yet, we also know how to make each other so unhappy. That is because Sonny and I know each other so well and love each other so much.
Jax: Why would you want to stay with a guy that knows exactly how to hurt you?
Brenda: Because happiness is fleeting and true love endures forever. If I had married you, I would have always wanted Sonny. I could have even fallen in love with you, and I still would have wanted Sonny.
Jax: I don’t understand that, is he an addition or something?
Brenda: No, it isn’t like that at all. No matter whom Sonny and I are with at a particular moment in time, it is just temporary. We are always on a journey that can only end when we are in each other’s arms. That is just a fact, no matter who else is in our lives, our love is too strong. We will always end up together. Have you ever felt that way about anyone, Jax?
Jax: Yeah, actually I have. I felt those feelings for my wife Miranda.
Brenda: What happened?
Jax: They tell me she died.
Brenda: You don’t believe it?
Jax: It never felt true. You probably think that I’m in denial, but I always believed that I would know for sure when she died.
Brenda: I believe you. I can always feel when Sonny is in pain and I know that I would feel it if he died.
Jax: I just have a feeling that she is out there somewhere.
Brenda: Why didn’t you look for her?
Jax: I convinced myself that I didn’t have time. Really, I guess it’s easier to imagine that she is still alive than to go out and look for her and find out for sure that she is dead.
Brenda: You should learn for sure, at least then you would have peace of mind.
Jax: I guess so. Anyway, if Corinthos is so dedicated to you and your child, where is he tonight?
Brenda: He’s here, Lila and Emily took him out to show him the rose garden.
Jax: I guess Lila has accepted him then, she doesn’t show her roses to just anyone.
Brenda: Lila and Emily are not the ones that I’m worried about accepting Sonny.
Jax: I’m sure that everything will be fine in the end.
Brenda: I hope so.
Jax: I don’t think that I need to stick around while you and Corinthos announce your engagement. I have some calls to make.      
Brenda: are you going to look for Miranda?
Jax: I’m going to give it a try.
Brenda: I think I’ll go in and sit down, I’m a little tired.
Jax: I’ll walk you.

Rivera almost curses out loud as he watches them walk back into the house together. 

Rivera: It is going to be a long night.

Sonny walks into the living room, just as Jax is walking out.

Jax: Hello, Corinthos.
Sonny: Jasper.
Brenda: I’ll see you Jax.
Jax: Good bye Brender.

Jax leaves and Sonny walks over to Brenda.

Sonny: What did Jax want?
Brenda: He offered to marry me on the spot and raise our child as his own.   
Sonny: I’ll kill him!
Brenda: Sonny, you don’t have to do that. I told him that my baby already had a father and that I was very in love with that man.
Sonny: You did?
Brenda: I did, Sonny there might have been a time when I could have married Jax.
Sonny: That is my fault.
Brenda: It isn’t anybody’s fault, there was a time when I thought that we were over for good.
Sonny: We will never be over, our love is eternal.
Brenda: That’s what I told Jax. Even if I had married him, there would have come a day when I would have had to walk out on him to be with you. I would have continued to want you and love you with all my heart. 
Sonny: I’m so glad that we finally realized that we are meant to be together.
Brenda: I’m glad we both realized it at the same time for once.
Sonny: You think Jax is going to leave you alone for once?
Brenda: He’ll have to after we are married. Besides I think that Jax understands our love a little better now.
Sonny: Why is that?
Brenda: It turns out that he in crazy in love with a woman named Miranda.
Sonny: Why aren’t they together?
Brenda: She is supposed to be dead, but Jax doesn’t believe it. He is going to try and look for her.
Sonny: Good for him.
Brenda: I always knew you were a romantic at heart.
Sonny: Only when it comes to you baby, but it will keep Jax occupied and away from you.
Brenda: You have a lot of contacts, you could probably help him.
Sonny: Why would I want to help Candy Boy with anything?
Brenda: Because he is kind of my friend and I have asked you to help and it will keep him busy. 
Sonny: I’ll think about it.
Brenda: I love you.
Sonny: I love you too.
    
She leans into kiss him and notices that he has something behind his back.

Brenda: Sonny, what do you have in your hands?

Sonny brings out one of the most beautiful roses that Brenda has ever seen. She reacts completely different from what he expected though. She panics! 
 
Brenda: Oh my gosh! Is that from one of Lila’s rose bushes?
Sonny: Yes, it is from her prized tea rose bush. That is the only bush that is blooming.
Brenda: Lila doesn’t let anyone touch her roses, she is going to be so mad. I wanted her to like you and you had to go and steal her roses!
Sonny: Sweetheart, calm down. You know that you are so cute when you get excited?
Brenda: Sonny do not try and flatter me!
Sonny:  I didn’t steal this rose, she let me pick it.
Brenda: *Not believing him* Lila let you pick one of her prize roses?
Sonny: Yep, I told her that it reminded me of you. It is strong, yet delicate and it was the most beautiful one on the bush. She told me to give it to you.
Brenda: *Teasing*  So the rose is really from Lila and not you? 
Sonny: *Offended* Wait a minute, I’m the one who saw it first, I choose it!
Brenda* Wrapping her arms around him* Are you sure the rose didn’t pick you?

She kisses him passionately. Sonny realizes that she isn’t talking about roses anymore.

Sonny: Maybe it did pick me, who cares? The important thing is that we ended up together.

They kiss again.

Brenda: So it well with Lila and Emily?
Sonny: It went really well. I had to tell her that we are getting married though.
Brenda: I guess it’s good that she knows before everybody else.
Sonny: She started grilling me about my intentions towards you.
Brenda: Lila grilled you about us?
Sonny: *Smiling*  Well it was mainly Emily.
Brenda: Oh, I see. What did they think about us?
Sonny: They seemed to be happy for you.

He hands her the rose.
 
Brenda: It’s beautiful, Sonny, I’ll have Reginald put it in water for me.
Sonny: Don’t call him just yet.
Brenda: Why not? The rest of the family will be in here soon.    
Sonny: I know, but I just want to have you to myself for a few more minutes. Call it the calm before the storm.
Brenda: What do you intend to do with these few minutes?
Sonny: Just hold you and relish in the fact that I am the luckiest man alive.

He wraps her arms around her and holds her close to him. They kiss passionately. Outside, Rivera’s blood boils as he watches their blissful scene through the window. Inside the living room, Sonny and Brenda are so absorbed in each other that they don’t notice that the door has opened and Lois is standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. 

Lois: Oh please, would you two get a room?

Brenda pulls out of Sonny’s arms.

Brenda: Lois! What are you doing here?

Chapter 118
Brenda pulled out of Sonny ‘s embrace and hugged Lois.

Brenda: Lois I can’t believe that you’re here!
Lois: Looks like I got here just in time to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life!
Sonny: Here we go! Come on lets hear it! What did I do this time?
Lois: Lets see, you seduced her, you sent her away, you let her get shot at, then you abandoned her when she told you that she was carrying your child!
Sonny: Brenda, did I seduce you?
Brenda: Not really, I pretty much seduced you, and Lois he sent me away to protect me.
Sonny: Plus she got shot when she came back.
Lois: But you didn’t stay with her when you found out that she was pregnant. That is inexcusable!
Sonny: I did the best that I could, considering that she kept the pregnancy from me for over a month and allowed me to believe that she had miscarried our child.
Lois: When did this happen?
Brenda: I got scared after the shooting and told Sonny I had lost the baby.
Lois: Bren, how could you?
Sonny: She was scared, Cerullo, let it go, I have!
Lois: Really?
Brenda: Yeah it was a stupid thing to do, but Sonny and I have gotten past it.
Lois: You look happy, Corinthos.
Sonny: I am happy, I have everything that I have ever dreamed about when I look at Brenda.
Brenda: We love each other Lois, we are going to be together.
Sonny: Her and our child are my heart and souls desire.  
Brenda: I want you to be happy for us too, Lois. I love you and Sonny and I don’t want people that I love fighting. So do you think that you two could just call a truce?
Sonny: Lois and I have been fighting for years, but I guess I can get along with her if it makes you happy.
Lois: All right, I can tell that you are really in love with him. So I guess I can put aside our differences.
Brenda: Does that mean that you’re happy for us?
Lois: I’m ecstatic! Come here you two!

She hugs them both  

Lois: You know, Corinthos, you don’t deserve her and you better not ever make her cry!
Sonny: I know, or you’ll come after me with your entire wrath, right?
Lois: You hardly have even met my wrath.
Sonny: Don’t worry, I’m going to spend the rest of my days making sure that Brenda never sheds a tear.
Brenda: I’m so glad you are here tonight, Lo. We need all the support we can get.
Lois: Why, what’s going on.
Brenda: I haven’t exactly told the Q’s about Sonny and my engagement.
Sonny: Or that she is pregnant with my child.
Brenda: That’s why we are here tonight, to tell them together.
Lois: Sonny is going to stand up here in front of the Quartermaine’s and tell them that he is your future.
Brenda: Yes, isn’t he wonderful for insisting on doing this with me?
Lois: I think he is kind of stupid. Do you have a death wish or something? 
Sonny: Not funny, Lois!
Lois: Sorry, maybe that hit a little to close to home, but come on, the Q’s are going to eat you alive.
Brenda: Maybe when they see how supportive he is; they will understand why I love him.
Lois: Bren, I’ve known you for a while and I’ve known Sonny forever, but even I don’t understand why you love him sometimes.  
Sonny: Hey, I thought we had a truce!
Lois: I was just explaining that the Q’s are going to have a hard time accepting you.
Sonny: Yeah, we know that.
Lois: One good thing though. You’re announcement will soften them up for the one that Eddy and I are planning on making.
Brenda: You two have an announcement? Lois, are you pregnant?
Lois: Oh my gosh! No, I’m not pregnant; my family would kill me!
Sonny: True, so what is your grand announcement anyway?
Lois: I guess it’s okay to tell you two, after all it really kind of concerns you and L&B.
Sonny: Just tell us!
Lois: Eddy is resigning from ELQ to devote all his energy to his singing career!

Brenda looks shocked and Sonny bursts out laughing.

Sonny: You mean that Ned is going to give up being the CEO of a corporation, to be a rock and roll star?
Brenda: Wait a minute, his family doesn’t even know that he is Eddy Maine.
Lois: He is going to tell them tonight, at the board meeting.
Sonny: You think that I’m going to get eaten alive? I’m only going to be the appetizer to your Eddy Maine course! 
Brenda: That is not funny! 
Sonny: I thought that it was.
Brenda: Maybe we should wait and tell them about our plans some other time.
Sonny: No, I don’t want to wait. I want to share our news with the whole world.
Brenda: It is all a bit too much though.
Sonny:  Lois why don’t you and Ned spring your little surprise on them at some other time?
Lois: It has to be at tonight’s meeting because Eddy’s CEO contract is up for renewal.

Before they can discuss the situation any more, the library doors open and the family starts to stream into the room. In true Quartermaine fashion they are all bickering.

Monica: I’m sorry Allen, but I have to agree that the HMO proposal warrants closer review.
Allan: I don’t think that the hospital should even consider it.
Edward: Will you both please stop your babbling about the hospital. Tonight is a very important board meeting. I demand your full concentration!

He stops when he looks up and sees Brenda and Lois sitting on the couch.

Edward: oh my, to what do we owe the honor of the presence of you two lovely ladies?
Lois: Good evening Mr. Q.
Edward: It is not that you are here my dear Lois Mare.
Lois: Thank you.
Edward: Hello, Brenda.
Brenda: Hello Edward, Monica, and Alan.

Edward hadn’t noticed Sonny until now.

Edward: Oh MY God! Who let him in here?
Sonny: It’s a pleasure to see you too, Mr. Quartermaine. You have such a nice home with so many fine collectibles.
Edward: I’m searching your pockets and then throwing you out!
Sonny: *Looking at Brenda* I told you this wasn’t going to work.
Brenda: Yes it is going to work. Edward, Sonny is my guest and you will treat him with respect or I’m moving out!

Brenda had basically been living with Sonny for the last week, so moving out was an empty threat. 

Edward: Brenda, my dear you deserve so much better, you deserve the best.
Brenda: You’re right Edward, I do deserve the best man in the world.
Edward: We agree, can I have Reginald throw him out now?
Brenda: No you may not. I’ve found the best man in the world; his name is Sonny Corinthos!

Edward had been nodding his head in agreement until Brenda got to the last part. He looks up just in time to see Sonny sit on the arm of the couch and Brenda put her arm protectively on his arm.

Brenda: In fact, as soon as A.J. and Ned get here, Sonny and I have an announcement to make.
Sonny: So while we wait we should all sit back and socialize.

Sonny gives Edward a wicked grin. Brenda scoots closer to Lois on the couch so that Sonny can slip off of the arm and onto the couch. He does so, and slips his arm around Brenda’s shoulders and watches Edward cringe.

Sonny: *Whispering to Brenda* I wish we were alone right now, in the penthouse, in some stage or another of undress.
Brenda: That gives us something to look forward to later tonight.
Sonny: I am more than looking forward to it.

They all sit facing each other with out saying a word for several minutes. Allan stands up and pours himself a drink. Lois finally can’t stand the silence anymore.

Lois: L&B is really taking off.

Everyone turns and looks at her.

Allan: What is L&B?
Monica: It’s their record company, don’t you ever listen to anything that Brenda has to say?
Allan: Of course I do, Monica. I must not have been present when it was discussed.
Monica: She has only been talking about it for months! Did you find backing for it Brenda?
Edward: You need money to start your little business?
Brenda: We needed money at first.
Edward: How much do you need?
Lois: It’s okay Mr. Q, we found an investor.
Edward: Who?

Sonny gives him another wide smile.

Edward: Oh for Peat’s sake! The man is a gangster, a criminal. The government will seize your company long before you get a chance to run it into the ground!

Sonny stands up angrily.

Sonny: Did you just indicate that L&B is going to fail?
Edward: Of course it is going to fail, two women are setting it up! How could it possibly succeed?
Lois: Excuse Me, do you mean to say that only men can run a successful business?
Edward: Not even all men can do it!
Sonny: I don’t care what you think or say about me, but I want you to apologize to both Brenda and Lois!
Edward: I will not apologize for speaking the truth in my own house!
Monica: It’s my house, Edward!
Brenda: Sonny it’s okay for Edward to have his own option.
Sonny: He’s wrong though. Both Lois and Brenda were brought up in the business world. Lois is better with numbers than any man I’ve ever met and Brenda is creative and smart. Anything that they team up together to do can not help but be a success!
Edward: They are women, what do they possibly know about the business world?
Monica: If I ever hear you say anything like that in front of Emily, you will be sleeping in an alley!
Lila: *Who has just come in* If I ever hear him talk that way again he will be sleeping alone in an alley!
Edward: It was just an option.
Lila: I’ll have you know that while you were ship wrecked on that island, I ran ELQ just fine. I also ran Pickle Lila just fine without you as well!  
Brenda: What is Pickle Lila?
Lila: It was a company that I set up to sell pickle relish the last time that Monica threw us out of the house.
Lois: You ran your own company?
Lila: I most certainly did, and I had a tidy little profit as well! 
Lois: Way to go Mrs. Q!
Lila: Not only can it be done, it can be fun as well. If you girls need any help or tax advice let me know.
Brenda: Thank you, Lila.
Edward: All I was trying to say is that dirty money has the power to destroy a young company.

He glares at Sonny; Brenda reaches over and gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. She gives him a loving look, which he returns.

Sonny: I agree completely, I plan to help Brenda and Lois protect L&B as best we can.
Allan: What about talent? You have to have singers to have a record company.
Sonny: Are you volunteering?

Brenda gives him a gentle nudge.

Edward: That is nonsense, a Quartermaine in show business would be unthinkable.

 Brenda notices that Lois turns an ashen white.
 
Monica: Do tell us about your talent?
Brenda: We have several names lined up, but I think Lois plans on addressing that later.

Before anymore questions can be addressed, Ned and A.J. come into the room.

Ned: Sorry, junior, you are running the hotel into the ground. There is no way I’m going to ask grandfather to give you more power at ELQ!
A.J. It doesn’t matter, when I point you how badly you have been running ELQ, I’ll get all the power that I want and then some!     
Ned: You’ll only drink away the profits!
Monica: Ned, A.J., we have guests.

They look around the room.

A.J. Hello Lois, you look extremely lovely tonight. You look okay too Brenda.
Lois/Brenda: Thank you, I think.
Ned: Hello Brenda, Lois.

Sonny clears his throat and both men glare at him. Brenda stands up and lets Ned sit beside Lois. Both Sonny and Ned look at each other and then Sonny stands up to follow Brenda. A.J. takes his place and rests his arm on the back of the couch, close to Lois.

Brenda: I guess everybody is here.
Monica: Jason isn’t here.
Allan: He is studying at the library. He is going to make a very fine doctor someday.

Allan beams with pride and then gives A.J. a disappointed look. A.J. rolls his eyes and tries to put his arm around Lois. Ned slaps his cousins roaming appendage.

A.J. Where is Emily?
Monica: She is doing her homework.
Ned: What about Jax?
Sonny: Jax already knows our news, so does Emily and Jason.
Brenda: As I said before, everyone is here that needs to be, so Sonny and I have an announcement to make.
Allan: Is he dying?
Brenda: Why would Sonny be dying?
Allan: He was in the hospital about a month ago.
Brenda: Yes he was, but he is fully recovered.
Allan: How unfortunate for all of us.
Sonny: Would you all stop thinking about yourselves for a few minutes and listen to Brenda?
Edward: Unless it is bad news about you, we probably don’t want to hear it!
Sonny: I thought you people cared about Brenda, I know she cares about you.
A.J. We do care about Brenda, but we don’t like you, Sonny.
Sonny: No, A.J. what you like has been aged longer than I have.
Ned: So true, maybe you aren’t that bad after all Sonny.
A.J. Shut up Ned!
Ned: Make me Junior!

Brenda gets a look of despair in her eyes and they start to fill with tears.

Sonny: I could care less what you people think of me, and I know that you all have bad listening skills, but would you all shut up and listen to Brenda!   

The room quietness down and all eyes are focused on Brenda.

Brenda: I… I don’t think I can do this.

She runs from the room. Sonny moves to follow her, but Lois stops him.

Lois: I’ll go.
Sonny: You want to leave me in this room with all the hungry loins?
Lois: Lets both goes!

They follow Brenda out into the hall, where they find her in tears.

Lois: Sweetie, are you okay?
Brenda: No, why are they making this so difficult.
Lois: From what I’ve seen, that is the way that the Q’s always act.
Sonny: Plus, they don’t like me very much. Maybe it would help if I wasn’t there when you told them.
Brenda: No, Sonny I need you there.
Sonny: Then that’s where I will be. I love you Brenda and I’m never going to leave your side.
Brenda: Not even when I go into labor and start yelling at you, and telling you I hate you?
Sonny: It wouldn’t be the first time. I know that you never meant it before, so I’m going to be there especially when you go into labor and start yelling at me! 
Brenda: we’ll see about that.

He picks up one of her hands and holds it tightly in his own hand. Then he kisses her gently on the cheek. 

Sonny: You can do this, baby.
Brenda: We can do it together.
Lois: But you just have to do it! Don’t be polite, just go in there and jump in the middle of them and say it!
Sonny: She’s right, those people in there don’t stop bickering long enough to listen to a speech!
Lois: We will both be right by your side.
Sonny: Yep, I’ll be on one side and Cerullo will be on the other.
Brenda: *Kissing Sonny* I love you. *Turning to Lois.* I love you both.
Sonny: You love more, right?
Lois: Get off of it Sonny, she says she loves us both.
Brenda: Come on, before I loose my nerve.

Brenda takes a deep breath and holding both Lois and Sonny’s hands, she walks back into the room.
The room is filled with the sounds of bickering, but somehow she lets her voice be heard.

Brenda: Sonny and I are in love and we are getting married!

Everybody in the room turns and looks at her.

Sonny: Now that we have your attention, you also need to know that this beautiful woman is also going to give birth to my child in about 5 months. 

The room becomes deathly silent. Outside, Hernado Rivera has been watching the scene through the window. The room has been in constant motion for the last 30 minutes and he has found it impossible to get a clean shot at either Sonny or Brenda. He makes a brash decision; he is going to have to go into the house. It is the only way he will be able to carry out his plan of revenge. Time was running out, the more time he waited the better the chance was that he would be recaptured by the police. He hears footsteps behind him and turns to see the last person he would suspect, his daughter.

Rivera: Leelee, what are you doing here?
Lily: I know what you are planning on doing, I’ve come to stop you.
Rivera: Go home daughter, I must have my revenge on Sonny Corinthos.
Lily: You can’t kill him Papa.
Rivera: Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t?
Lily: I’m in love with him!
Rivera: You hardly know him, and he dishonored you.
Lily: I have been hiding in this city for the last several months, during which I have watched him closely.
Rivera: Are you sure that you are in love with him?
Lily: Yes, he reminds me of you. I just know that I could have the relationship with him that the law forbids me to have with you.
Rivera: He would make a perfect successor to my empire.
Lily: Then you will spare his life.
Rivera: If I do, I will still have to kill the whore that he claims to love.
Lily: I can be my wedding present.
Rivera: Wait here, you can watch her die through the window.
Lily: Thank you Papa.
Rivera: You know that I can not refuse you my dear, once Brenda Barrett is dead, Sonny Corinthos will feel the same way that I do. You must be ready to move in and claim his heart.

Rivera blends into the shadows and disappears into the night. 
   
 
Chapter 119
Sonny is starting to feel awkward standing up in front of the room while the Q clan stared daggers at him. He could only imagine how Brenda was feeling.

Sonny: Come on, get it all out. Now is your big chance.

Suddenly they all talk at once 

Edward: My god! The devil is spawning!
Allan: Your pregnant with His Child! What were you thinking, Brenda?
A.J. What is wrong, was the prison pen pal exchange all filled up?
Ned: *To Lois* Did you know about this?
Lois: Only since about a minute ago.
Edward: I am so glad that Lila was spared hearing this horrid news!
Sonny: Actually, your lovely wife gave me a tour of her rose garden and gave us her blessing as well.
Edward: I knew that the woman was loosing her mind!
Allan: You will not talk about my mother in that way.

Reginald sticks his head in the door.

Reginald: Sir, you have a visitor.
Edward: It will have to wait.
Reginald: I’m afraid that is not possible.

Reginald walks into the room, followed closely by Rivera, who has a gun pointed at Reginald. Sonny’s hand instantly goes for his gun, until he remembers that Brenda insisted that he leave it in the penthouse.
He knew that she would get him killed sooner or later. It looked like today was going to be that day.

Rivera: I hope I’m not late for the board meeting?
Edward: We weren’t expecting you.
Rivera: I always say that one should be ready for the unexpected.
Edward: The meeting probably won’t start for a while. We have some family business to finish.
Rivera: What a coincidence, I also have business to finish.
Allan: Who do you think you are, coming in here and holding a gun on my butler?
Sonny: Dr. Q, meet the Godfather.
Allan: What is that supposed to mean?
Rivera: Ignore him, he’ll be dead in a few moments anyway. I’m Hernando Rivera, businessman and ELQ board member, with 30 percent interest.

Allan does some quick math.

Allan: That is the second largest interest in the company! 
Ned: Grandfather, how could you?
Edward: Look who’s talking! I was not the one that allowed Damian Smith and Jasper Jacks in the front door.
A.J.: For once I agree with Ned. How did this happen?
Rivera: Edward has a secret and I just took advantage of the information.
Allan: If you think my father only has one secret, you have a lot to learn.
Rivera: This secret could destroy him.
Monica: We’ve heard that one before.
Rivera: *Angry* he fathered a child out of wedlock!
Allan: We know all about it.
Monica: We’ve heard the story.
A.J.: That’s old news.
Edward: You promised to keep that to yourself.
Rivera: It doesn’t mater, everyone here is going to die anyway.
Allan: Now wait a minute, maybe we can make a deal. 
Edward: You want money? Power? Just name your price.
Rivera: I have everything that I want, except for one thing!
Edward: Name it and it’s yours, as long as you let my family and myself live.
Rivera: I want Sonny Corinthos Dead!

Brenda looks at Sonny with fear in her eyes. He holds on to her arm protectively.

Brenda: Sonny?
Sonny: It’s okay sweetheart. It’s going to be okay. This is between you and me Rivera. Let everyone else go
Edward: You heard the man, let us go and you can have your revenge on Corinthos.
Allan: You heard father, we won’t stand in your way. We hate Sonny as much as you do.
Brenda: I don’t believe you two!
Rivera: I can’t leave witnesses!
Edward: We have really short memories.

Just then the door opens and Emily walks in.

Emily: Grandmother sent me to call all of you for dinner.
Rivera: Dinner will be late.
Emily: *Noticing the gun* Oh my gosh!
Rivera: Get over there with the rest of the group.

Emily walks slowly over to rest of the family. Sonny looks up at a mirror on the wall behind Rivera. For a split second he sees the reflection of someone in the hall. He gets a puzzled look on his face. Then the reflection is gone, and he wonders if he saw anybody at all.

Emily: I don’t know who you think you are, but you won’t get away with this.
Rivera: Are you going to stop me little girl?
Emily: They are other people in this house you know.
Rivera: I saw Jasper Jacks leave the house over an hour ago. I don’t think he’ll be back.
Emily: There is my brother Jason, he’ll save us.
AJ: Not even I would buy that one Em.
Allan: Yes, thank goodness that Jason has been spared this horrible ordeal at least someone will survive.
A.J. *Sarcastic* Oh yes, the Quartermaine's will live on! They just won’t have a spine.
Allan: Don’t you dare talk about your brother that way!
Emily: Why do you hate Jason so much?
A.J.: Why not, what has he ever done to earn my respect?  Since we are all going to die anyway? There is a thing or two that I would like to say to you Dad!
Sonny: Nobody has to die, we can work this out Rivera. 
Rivera: YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE HERE!

He waves the gun around in the air and points it at Emily.

Rivera: Sit Down, or I’ll kill you First.

Emily starts to cry, but obeys Rivera’s order. She sits on the couch between Lois and A.J. A.J tries to put his arm around her put she pulls away from him and leans on Lois, who strokes her hair. 

Rivera: Stop crying, you’re detracting me from the job at hand.

This only makes Emily cry harder.

Brenda: She’s only a child and you’re frightening her.
Rivera: Stop crying, or I swear I will shoot you!
Emily: My boyfriend is Lucky Spencer, his father is Luke Spencer. They won’t let you get away with killing all of us!
Sonny: She is right, Luke will avenge these deaths.
Rivera: Spencer isn’t even in town right now. The word out on the streets is that he went after Frank Smith. If that is true, he is probably dead right now
Sonny: Let the women go, Rivera!
Rivera: You are so noble, Corinthos. You are willing to sacrifice yourself for people who could care less about you?
Sonny: Your willing to kill innocent people just to get your revenge on me? What a waste of energy!
Rivera: Why do you care about these people, not one of them would do the same for you.
Brenda: I would give my life for Sonny, I know that he would do the same thing for me.
Rivera: You poor delusion cursed child, You think that Sonny Corinthos really cares about you?
Brenda: He loves me.
Rivera: He loves power and position. Those are the only things that he desires, I offered them to him and at the time he rejected them. He rejected the only things that I held dear, for that he must pay!

Rivera aims the gun at Brenda, which causes Sonny to instinctively stop in front of her.

Rivera: Interesting, maybe he does care about you. I’m not sure which of you I pity more.
Sonny: Don’t pity me, because she loves me as much as I love her. If you kill me, I’ll die knowing that.
Rivera: She is a beautiful woman and you are a passionate man. That probably makes for an explosive combination in the bedroom. What happens when you’re over active libido is no longer enough?
Brenda: Sonny and my relationship is not just about sex.
A.J: You could have fooled me!
Ned: Shut up junior!
Brenda: We love each other in a way that you could never understand. Nobody in this room can understand it, except maybe Lois and Ned.

All the Quartermaine's look at Lois and Ned with surprised looks on their faces.

A.J: I should have guessed that you two were involved! Why does Ned always get everything?
Edward: Is this true, Ned?
Ned: Yes Lois and I are in love!
Allan: When were you going to tell the family?
Ned: Now is not the time to discuss this.
Monica: Now maybe the Only time to discuss this.
Rivera: Be quiet! 

He turns back to Sonny.

Rivera: I’m actually doing you a favor by killing you.
Sonny: *Sarcastically* I’m so grateful.
Rivera: This way you die with honor, before she wakes up some morning and realizes who you really are.
Brenda: I know the real Sonny, which’s the man that I love. 
Rivera: No, you see some lost tortured soul that you think you can save, in reality he is a heartless hood. 
Edward: That is what I’ve been trying to tell her.
Monica: Edward, you are agreeing with the maniac holding a gun on us?
Edward: The man is right, Monica.
Emily: Grandfather, Sonny is not heartless. He loves Brenda and their…………

Emily was about to say “their child” but one look from Sonny tells her that would be a mistake. Rivera seems to have missed the communication between them and continues.

Rivera: He may have a few people fooled, but he is nothing more than a two bit player and he never will be anything else, because he missed his opportunity to play in the big leagues.

Sonny looks at Brenda and realizes that Rivera is right, he has given up any chance at having real power. He has given it up for her and their child and he would do it again for them in a heartbeat. She is looking at him with love and trust in her eyes and he knows that she knows what he has given up so that they can be together. They don’t even need words to know what the other person is thinking and feeling. They join hands and communicate that way as well.

Sonny: Playing on your team is one experience I don’t think I’ll miss.
Rivera: You could have had all the power in the world.
Sonny: I already have that when I’m with Brenda. Let me get this straight, you are holding a room full of people hostage and plan on killing them all because I refused to be your successor?
Rivera: You also rejected my daughter!
Sonny: You mean Lily, the daughter that you sent to seduce me?
Brenda: What kind of a father turns his daughter into a whore?

Lily had sneaked up onto the balcony to get a better look when her father killed Brenda. When she hears her name she enters the room through the terrace doors. 

Lily: What did you just say?
Brenda: I said that Lily Rivera is a whore!
Sonny: Brenda, that is Lily Rivera.

Brenda looks the woman over from head to toe and can’t believe what she sees. She isn’t really even that pretty. This was the woman that Rivera thought would seal a partnership between him and Sonny?

Rivera: Leelee, I thought I told you to wait outside and stay out of sight.
Lily: What is taking so long? Kill the woman so that I Sonny and I can be together!
Brenda: Wait a minute! Are you really stupid enough to think that if your father kills me, you can have Sonny?
Lily: Of course he’ll love me, no man can resist me. Kill her or give me the gun and I’ll do it!
Lois: You obviously don’t know Sonny very well. He is a one-woman man, and that woman is Brenda.
Lily: He’ll get over her as soon as my father gives him the power he deserves.
Ned: Lois, maybe you shouldn’t argue with her.
Lois: No Eddie, I should because she is so wrong. When Sonny met Brenda the rest of the female population of the world lost out. That is what we in Bensonhurst call the end of the story!
A.J. Did she just call you Eddie?
Ned: Not now junior!
Brenda: Lois is right, I have Sonny’s heart and I’m going to take it to the grave with me! He could never love someone like you, who is a pitiful excuse of a woman, even for a whore! 
Sonny: Brenda, baby? I love the way that your defending me, but it probably isn’t a good idea to call a woman a whore when her father is holding a gun.
Brenda: If he is going to kill me he had better get on with it before I call her worse things than that.
Lily: Are you stupid or just suicidal?
Sonny: Do not talk to Brenda that way!
Brenda: No, it’s okay. I’m not afraid to die, you see I’ve experienced something so wonderful is the last 6 months that it could all end right here right now and I would die happy.
Lily: You are a fool.
Brenda: That maybe, but I’m a fooled that has been loved. You see, I know that Sonny loves me and that makes my life complete. If I were to die right now, I might miss out on some things like holding our first child and growing old with him, but it wouldn’t matter.
Sonny: She’s right I feel the same way. She has made my life worth living; I could die now and feel complete. Since there is no way on earth you are going to get to kill us both, it might as well be me.
Rivera: As you wish.

He aims the gun at Sonny.

Lily: No! You promised that he would be mine!
Rivera: I’m sorry daughter, but the man has no respect for me!
Lily: I want him! You have always given me every other man that I wanted!
Rivera: He isn’t like every other man he has a strong will and a mind of his own.
Lily: *Pleading* I can break his will and make him into the man that you want him to be, let me try!

Brenda can’t believe what she is hearing; they are two of the most miserable people she has ever met. She wishes that she had a gun and she would shoot them both and put them out of their misery.

Rivera: I would never be able to trust him, I would always fear for my life and your safety.
 
 Because Emily left the door to the hall open, Sonny can see the hall reflected in the mirror. Again, he sees a reflection in the mirror, this time there is no mistake in his mind.

Rivera: I’m not a brutal man, I’ll give you time to say your last prayers, Corinthos. You have 30 seconds.
Brenda: I love you, Sonny.
Sonny: I love you with all my heart.

He turns to her and gives Brenda a passionate kiss. If he only had 30 seconds to live, he was going to live them to the fullest. 

Rivera: Time’s up!

Sonny steps back from Brenda and faces Rivera after he sees the pain in his lover’s eyes. She is trying to be brave, but it is beyond any bodies capacity to be brave under such conditions. 

Lily: No!

The gun is fired and the sound of the shoot echoes throughout the whole house and disappears into the night. 

Chapter 120
Lila Quartermaine was sitting in the kitchen when the shots rang out. 
Beside her sat Officer Rick Johnson and another police officer. Garcia 
had followed Lily to the Quartermaine property and he had the mansion 
under surveillance. He was hoping that his officers could quietly enter 
The house in order to prevent a hostage crises. 

Lila: I heard a gun shot.
Officer Rick: Maybe she is right, Ryan, go check it out. I’ll stay here.  

Officer Ryan reluctantly leaves the safety of the kitchen and ventures 
out into the hall. In the study, everything happens at once in a chaotic 
fashion. Lily is hit by the built meant for Sonny, Rivera falls to the 
ground stuck by a shot fired from an unknown source. Sonny looks up at 
the mirror just in time to see who fired the shot. The terrace doors 
crash open as the police storm the room. There is so much yelling, 
crying and other noise that Sonny can hardly think. Garcia had led the 
charge through the terrace doors and he instinctively rushes to where 
Lily has fallen. Monica and Allan rush to Lily and her father.

Garcia: Call an ambulance!
A.J: I’m on that.
Allan: It’s too late, she’s gone.
Monica: So is Rivera.
Garcia: Seal off this room! Nobody gets in or out until I find out what 
happened here.

An officer closes the door leading to the hall, just then there is a 
knock on that same door. Everyone looks at each with confused 
expressions on their faces. The officer opens the door and finds officer 
Ryan standing in the hall.

Ryan: We heard a shot and it has Mrs. Quartermaine concerned.
Edward: Lila must be beside herself, I have to go reassure her that the 
family is okay.
Garcia: Nobody leaves this room until I get some answers!
Ryan: What should I tell her?
Garcia: Tell her that everybody is safe we have the situation under 
control.
Ryan: Yes sir.
Garcia: Put a guard in the hall as well.
Ryan: I’ll get right on it.

Sonny rushes to Brenda and they embrace tightly, both too ecstatic for 
words to find the other safe.

Sonny: Are you all right?
Brenda: I’m fine, how about you?
Sonny: Yeah, I’m great as a matter of fact. Anybody else hurt?

Everybody else is fine; the only causalities were Lily and her father. 
Sonny leads Brenda to the couch, where she embraces Lois and Emily. A 
Police officer has closed the door leading to the hall again and is 
standing in front of it. Sonny keeps eyeing the door like he desperately 
wants out into the hall.

Garcia: Is there something out there that you need Corinthos?
Sonny: Just fresh air. I’m claustrophobic and I don’t like my exit being 
blocked.
Garcia: The terrace doors are wide open, there is more fresh air in here 
than out in that hall.
Sonny: I don’t like being made to feel like a prisoner.

Brenda puts her hand on his shoulder in a reassuring way.

Garcia: Tell me something, Sonny boy. Why is it that every time that 
something bad happens you’re always at the scene of the crime?
Sonny: Luck?
Garcia: I don’t think so! Search Mr. Corinthos!

Two officers search Sonny and he can see the disappointment on Garcia’s 
face when they don’t find a weapon.

Sonny: Was that necessary? 
Garcia: Yes, two people were killed here tonight and until I find out 
what happened everyone is a suspect!
Sonny: *Sarcastic* I feel so violated!
Garcia: Every one is going to be searched.
Officer: Even the women?
Garcia: I suppose that isn’t necessary.
Lois: Thank goodness for small wonders. 

As the rest of the men are searched, Sonny sits down beside Brenda, but 
his eyes still drift to the door. Yelling and the sounds of a scuffle 
can be heard out in the hall.

Garcia: What is going on out there?

The police officer steps aside to allow Garcia out into the hall. Garcia 
opens the door and finds Jax and Damian Smith arguing with another 
Officer. 

Jax: Excuse me! I live here I have a right to know what’s going on!
Damian: I was supposed to attend a board meeting here. What has 
happened?
Garcia: I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out.

In the confusion Sonny has slipped into the hall and picked up an object 
up from a potted plant and placed it in his inside jacket pocket.

Jax: What is going on here, Corinthos?

Garcia turns around to see Sonny in the hallway.

Garcia: Get Back In The Study Now!
Sonny: Yes sir!

Sonny goes back in an innocently sits alone on a chair.

Damian: We saw hoards of police cars when we drove up, was someone hurt?
Garcia: Two people were shot dead here this evening.   
Jax: Is Brender okay?
Garcia: Who?
Jax: I demand to be allowed in that study!

He pushes his way past the police and almost passes out when he sees the 
two bodies.
Sonny just rolls his eyes at Jax.

Sonny: *To Garcia: Aren’t you going to frisk Candy Boy?

Garcia just glares at him.

Damian: What happened?
Garcia: I’m trying to figure that out myself. Did the two of you just 
get here?
Jax: *Who looks like he is going to be sick* Less than 5 minutes ago.
Damian: I guess the board meeting is canceled?
Ned: I think we will need to reschedule.
Garcia: You better come into the study as well, Mr. Smith. I may need to 
speak to you as well.

Damian takes a seat near Sonny.

Garcia: For the last time, what happened here tonight.
Edward: That gun-welding maniac invaded my house!
Monica: My house.
Garcia: What is that?
Monica: It’s my house, Allan gave it to me as a wedding present.
Garcia: *Impatient* I don’t think that it matters who’s house it is. 
A.J: Rivera came in here and starting threatening to shoot everyone, then 
his daughter came in after him.
Brenda: Rivera was going to kill us all, starting with Sonny. When he 
fired the gun, Lily stepped in front of the built.
Monica: She probably died instantly.
Garcia: Are you a coroner?
Monica: No, but there is very little blood.

Sonny notices that Garcia can hardly look at Lily.

Garcia: Rivera shot and killed his daughter?
Edward: Yes, he was a mad man!
Garcia: Who killed Rivera?
Edward: Well, I don’t know.
Garcia: Everyone in the room has been searched for weapons, none seem to 
be present.
Edward: You didn’t check the women.
Monica: Thank you so much, Edward!
Garcia: Ladies please empty your purses. That is the only place a 
weapon could be concealed.

The women all open their purses, which contain the usual, cosmetics, 
keys, and money.
Emily’s contains bubble gum, a virtual pet and an enduro condom that she 
had been keeping for her friend Sara, which A.J picks up to investigate.

Emily: *As innocent as possible* How did that get there?
Monica: I think we need to have a talk young lady!

Emily just rolls her eyes and flops down in a chair in an over dramatic 
fashion.
Garcia ignores the theatrics and continues.
 
Garcia:  Rivera fired One shot in this room, where did the other 
shot come from?
Emily: *Absent-minded* The hall.

Sonny sits up and pays attention, could it be that she had seen 
something.

Sonny: Did you see someone in the hall, Emily?
Emily: I couldn’t see out into the hall from where I was.
Garcia: You did see something, though?
Emily: I saw a flash from the hall, I guess it could have been a gun 
shot.

Allan haphazardly turns Rivera’s body over.

Allan: The built entered him from that side.
Garcia: Kindly refrain from touching the body Dr. Quartermaine. It needs 
to be photographed.
Allan: Sorry.
Garcia: If the shot was fired from the hall, who could have been out 
there
Monica: Even Reginald was in here with us.
Reginald: The butler did not do it!
Garcia: Mr. Smith and Mr. Jacks, when exactly did the two of you arrive?
Jax: Ask your officers, they detained us at the foot of the driveway for 
nearly a half an hour.
Garcia: I’ll check on your story.
Sonny: I wouldn’t put it past Jax to shoot Rivera and then try and pin 
it on me!
Jax: That is a lie, he is the career criminal not me!
Garcia: *Ignores their accusations* Was there anyone else in the house?
A.J: Only grandmother, surly you don’t think that she shot Rivera?
Garcia: I had two officers with her at the time. 
Monica: That is all the people that could have been in the house.
Garcia: I suppose that one of my men could have been the shooter.
Sonny: You’re just full of answers, aren’t you detective?
Garcia: That information will come out. Right now I want to know what 
Rivera was doing here?
Edward: He was probably after that hoodlum, Sonny Corinthos.
Garcia: What exactly was your relationship with Rivera, Sonny?
Sonny: I didn’t have a relationship with him or his daughter.

He added the last part to see how it affected Garcia. It made him 
flinch, which Sonny found interesting. He made a mental note to find out 
what the connection was between Garcia and Lily. 

Garcia: Do you deny that a little over a week ago, you visited with 
Rivera in jail?
Sonny: I visited him. I don’t deny that, but I don’t think it is a 
crime.
Garcia: would you like to tell us what that visit was about?
Sonny: I don’t think that is necessary, you have a tape of that visit. 
Why not just check the tape?
Garcia: I’ll do that. 

He turns to Edward.

Garcia: What exactly was the extent of your relationship with the 
deceased?
Edward: I would never have any kind of relationship with a criminal!
Garcia: That is interesting, because when we were checking on Rivera’s 
assets, we discovered that he had a 30 percent interest in ELQ! Would 
you like to change your story?
Edward: No, you must be mistaken about him owning interest in ELQ!
Garcia: That is one fact I am sure of.

There is more noise and confusion in the hall.

Garcia: What now?

He opens the door and sees Jason Quartermaine in the hall.

Jason: What is going on here? I saw an ambulance out front!
Edward: At last, these bodies are threatening to satin my Persian rugs!
Jason: Bodies, what happened.

Emily pushes past the guards and runs into Jason’s arms.

Emily: It was horrible! He came in with a gun and started shooting!
Jason: Who?
Emily: Jason, you’re shaking.
Jason: That’s you Emily. Who has been shot?
Edward: Only Rivera and his daughter.
Jason: Is everybody else all right.
Garcia: See for yourself. I think you had better come on in here son, 
nobody is going anywhere soon.

Jason walks into the room and lets out a sigh of relief to see all of 
his family safe. Garcia closes the door again.
Garcia: Let’s take this from the top. 
Monica: How long is this going to take? I have an early shift at the 
hospital tomorrow.
Garcia: Nobody is going anywhere until I have all the facts.
Sonny: We are going to be here forever! 

Everybody shifts nervously in his or her seats, people stand up and switch 
seats. Allan pours himself a drink, and A.J looks like he would like to 
do the same. Damian acts extremely nervous, but no more so then usual. 
Jax and Sonny exchange dirty looks. Sonny gets up and moves beside 
Brenda, who rests her head against him. Jason is still holding on to 
Emily, as is Lois. Ned is pacing back and forth and resenting the fact 
that he isn’t in control of the situation. Edward looks guilty and 
Monica just looks tired. Garcia looks the group over and decides that 
anyone of them could be responsible for this whole mess.  
Chapter 121
It takes detective Garcia over two hours to question everyone and decide that he has learned everything there is to learn from the group. He lets them go, with the usual warnings to stay in town and make themselves available for future questioning. The police seal off the study, so most of the Quartermaines simply move to the library, Sonny makes a beeline for front door. Once outside he leans against the door and lets out a deep sigh. He leans there for what seems like a small eternity until the front door opens and makes him jump, until he realizes that it’s Brenda.

Brenda: Hey, sorry to startle you.
Sonny: I guess tonight got to me more than I thought. Are you okay, baby?
Brenda: Yeah and the Q’s don’t seem to be phased at all.
Sonny: I get the feeling that death is an everyday occurrence for this bunch.
Brenda: Yeah, for everybody except Emily. I think I’m going to stay with her for a while.
Sonny: You probably should do that. Where is Lois going to stay tonight?
Brenda: Probably with Ned.
Sonny: Maybe you should plan on staying with them, it might be kind of late when Emily gets to sleep.
Brenda: If it’s too late, I still have my room in the mansion. Is there some reason why you don’t want me at the penthouse tonight?
Sonny: I just don’t like the idea of you driving alone late at night.

He is lying, she is certain of that fact. Brenda just wonders why he would lie to her now. 

Brenda: I’ll be fine Sonny. I want to spend tonight in your arms, unless that is too much to ask?
Sonny: Not at all, I’m just thinking of your comfort and safety.
Brenda: I don’t think this will be a very comfortable place tonight anyway.
Sonny: Because of the shootings?
Brenda: The shootings and the fact that when I left the library, Ned was just about to tell the family all about Eddie Maine.
Sonny; Doesn’t he think that his family has had enough for one night?
Brenda: I guess he feels that one more shock isn’t going to matter that much.
Sonny: You never know, that one shock may be what sends a person over the edge.
Brenda: Are you talking about the Q’s?
Sonny: Who else would I be talking about?
Brenda: Maybe yourself?
Sonny: I told you I was fine Brenda.
Brenda: Good, I’m glad to hear that you’re fine, Sonny, I’ll be home later.
Sonny: Fine with me.
Brenda: Will you wait for me?
Sonny: What do you mean?
Brenda: Will you wait up for me, because I have a surprise for you.
Sonny: *Grinning* A surprise?
Brenda: Yeah, I think you’re really going to like it.
Sonny: What is this surprise?
Brenda: *Laughing* It’s a surprise.

Impulsively he kisses her fiercely, pressing his body against hers tightly, in a move that should have probably been considered to indecent to perform in public. He couldn’t help himself; he didn’t know many women that had her zest for life. Most people he knew, male or female, would not have made it through an event like they had just experienced. He was greatly moved by the fact that she not only made it though, but also made it though in strong emotional health. It made him love her all the more deeply and it also made him want to protect her all the more strongly. He had to feel her in his arms at that moment, had to feel her heart beat against him and the slight bulge in her stomach where she carried their unborn child.

Brenda: *Breathless* I think we really should continue this when I get home tonight.
Sonny: Yeah that would be nice. Right now I want you to know something. Brenda, I love you with all of my heart. No matter what happens, I never want you to doubt my love.
Brenda: I could never doubt that you love me, what is this all about?
Sonny: I just want you to know that you are the only woman that will ever be in my heart.
Brenda: Is this about Lily Rivera?
Sonny: Why would you even be thinking about her, or think that I am?
Brenda: She saved your life.
Sonny: My life wasn’t hers to save.
Brenda; She stepped in front of a built and gave her life for yours.
Sonny: She didn’t trust me enough to figure I could save myself.
Brenda: Could you have?
Sonny: I wasn’t about to let Rivera shoot me down in front of all those people, where would the honor be in dying that way?
Brenda: Honor means a lot to you, doesn’t it?
Sonny: Besides you and our child, honor is about all I have left. Rivera and his daughter had no honor; that’s how they lived and that’s how they died.
Brenda: You don’t have any respect for Lily, even after she is dead?
Sonny: She didn’t have any respect for herself. Your right Brenda, she was nothing but a whore and she didn’t understand me at all. She thought that I was some prize that her father could win for her.
Brenda: She did seem convinced that she could have you, if she could only get rid of me.
Sonny: It never would have happened, I never could have loved her because I would have been to sick in the heart over loosing you and I would have had less respect for them than I do at this moment.
Brenda: You really hate Lily and her father?
Sonny: I never had any respect for them, especially Rivera.  
Brenda: Is that why you are protecting his killer?
Sonny: What do you mean, sweetheart?
Brenda: I felt a gun in your pocket, Sonny.
Sonny: Brenda, you want to say it a little louder? I think some of the police missed your announcement.
Brenda: I also know that you left your gun in the penthouse, so where did you get that one in your pocket?
Sonny: We’ll talk about this later.
Brenda: Do you promise that we will?
Sonny: You have my word! It just isn’t something I can talk about right now.
Brenda: Okay, I understand.
Sonny: *Surprised* You do?
Brenda: Yes I do, in fact it is one of the things that makes me love you.
Sonny: What’s that?
Brenda: You protect people, Sonny that is a very admirable quality.
Sonny: That makes you love me?
Brenda: That and your dimples.
Sonny: *Flashing her a smile* So your not mad at me?
Brenda: How could I be mad at you and still want you so much.
Sonny: Exactly how much is that?
Brenda: * She gives him a smoldering look* Wait up until I get home and I’ll show you.
Sonny: It’s a date.
Brenda: I’d better go back in there before the family kills each other.
Sonny: I have to go too, because otherwise I’ll stand here and kiss you all night.
Brenda: What would be wrong with that?
Sonny: We have things to do.
Brenda: Lila wants to have an engagement tea for me next week, do you mind?
Sonny: Do I have to be at this tea?
Brenda: You’re welcome to come, but you don’t have to be there.
Sonny: If I don’t have to come, I think it’s a great idea.
    
He gives her another quick kiss and then disappears down the path that leads to the main gate. She watches him until he is swallowed up by the darkness and then turns to go back into the house. It takes Sonny very little time to cover the distance between the Q’s and the docks. In fact, it always surprises him how little space actually separates the high society neighborhood of Port Charles and the blue-collar area of the docks. However, the physical distance had nothing to do with the social distance. The two places belonged to different worlds. One was a world of fancy parties, engagement teas and board meetings. The other was a world of darkness. This was his world, and in a sense, he knew that Brenda belonged to the other world. Sonny stands on the edge of the dock and pulls the gun out of his pocket. This is the first time he has gotten a good look at the gun. He almost laughs out loud when he sees the type of gun.

Sonny: A German Luger? Leave it to a Quartermaine.

He tosses the gun into the water and sits down on a bench. He rubs his forehead and tries to think about the future, but he is too tired and falls asleep on the bench and starts to dream. 

Chapter 122
Stone has just finished his shift at the club and is headed up to his room. As he passes the master bedroom, he notices that the light is on. He walks in the door and sees Sonny frantic and throwing clothes and other objects into a carry on bag.

Stone: What’s up?
Sonny: I’m leaving Port Charles.
Stone: For how long?
Sonny: For good.
Stone: What happened?
Sonny: Rivera held the Q household hostage and tried to shoot me.
Stone: Was everyone okay?
Sonny: Everyone that counts.
Stone: Where is Rivera?
Sonny: He’s dead and so is his daughter.
Stone: Did you do it, is that why you’re running?
Sonny: No. Somebody else killed Rivera; I didn’t even have a gun on me. Brenda insisted that I leave it here. My biggest enemy in the world shows up to kill me and I can’t even defend myself.
Stone: Rivera is dead, that’s all that matters.
Sonny: Is it really the most important thing in the world? 
Stone: The people that you love are safe now.
Sonny: What happens when the next Rivera comes along, or someone shows up at my door to avenge his death?
Stone: You’ll have your gun next time.
Sonny: I have a child on the way, I can’t take that kind of risk anymore.
Stone: Hire more guards and do whatever it takes to protect them.
Sonny: That’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’m leaving.
Stone is Brenda going with you?
Sonny: No, she needs to finish up her pregnancy here.
Stone: What about me?
Sonny: I’ll get settled and then send for you. If you want to come fine, if not I’ll make sure you’re taken care of for as long as you want.
Stone: You mean you’ll send for me and Brenda and the baby?
Sonny: No, just you. I’m not sending for Brenda, I’m setting her free.
Stone: You’re walking out on her and the baby?
Sonny: I have to, she won’t be safe until I’m out of her life.
Stone: What am I supposed to say to her?
Sonny: You won’t have to say anything. When I don’t come back for her, she should get the idea.
Stone: She’ll want to look for you.
Sonny: You have to convince her not to come after me. Tell her that it’s best for the baby.
Stone: Nobody tells Brenda to do anything.
Sonny: * Smiling* True, she is the most beautifully stubborn woman on earth.
Stone: Have you stopped loving her? 
Sonny: No, that’s why I have to go. I had a dream while I was on the docks.
Stone: A dream about Brenda?
Sonny: She was in a room surrounded by people. All of a sudden there was gunfire and I ran to her. By the time I got there, she was dead and our child was dead.
Stone: It was just a dream.
Sonny: It was more than that.
Stone: At least wait until the morning.
Sonny: I can’t wait, Brenda is at the Quartermaine’s. She’ll be back by morning and I have to be cone before she gets back.
   
Stones turns around and walks out of the room. 

Sonny: *Calling to him* Hey, where are you going?
Stone: I’m going to go find Brenda.

Sonny goes back to packing. After a few minutes he is aware that someone else in the room. He speaks to them without looking up. 

Sonny: I knew that you would come here, eventually.
Jason: I didn’t know where else to go.
Sonny: Have things kind of settled down at your house?
Jason: A little, everyone is mad at Ned now. 
Sonny: I can imagine, how’s Lois?
Jason: She’s actually pretty good now that Ned is leaving ELQ to become a singer. Did you know about his double life?
Sonny: Yeah, sorry that I couldn’t say anything about it. It wasn’t my secret to share.
Jason: No problem. That is what I like about you. You are loyal.
Sonny: Funny, Brenda told me something similar earlier this evening.
Jason: If so many people say it, than it must be true. Is Ned any good?
Sonny: I’ve never seen him in action. Lois and Brenda think he is good enough to build L&B around.
Jason: It’s really kind of ironic. Ned was always grandfather’s main choice to lead ELQ 
Sonny: That proves you can’t choose a person’s path for them.
Jason: I guess it is a Quartermaine male trait, my dad thought he had my future figured out.
Sonny: Are you okay, do you want a drink or something?
Jason: I’m fine.
Sonny: You’re shaking like a leaf, kid.
Jason: It isn’t every day that my family is held at gunpoint by a member of the board.
Sonny: Rivera is gone now.
Jason: *distant* Yeah.
Sonny: Don’t worry about the gun. It’s in the bottom of the river. Nobody will ever know.
Jason: To bad, it was the prize of grandfather’s collection.
Sonny: I guess you just grabbed what ever was handy?
Jason: Something like that. How did you know?
Sonny: I caught your reflection in the mirror. The first time I thought I was seeing things.
Jason: I had been at the library studying up on corporate law. I knew that I was going to have to make some move at the board meeting tonight. After I got what I needed, I went to the gatehouse to look over some of Ned’s ELQ records.
Sonny: I was wondering how you got onto the property with out the police seeing you.
Jason: I probably got there right before the police and right after Rivera.
Sonny: Garcia followed Lily, he knew she would lead him to her father.
Jason: When the police showed up, I got worried so I went in the side door of the house.
Sonny: That must have been the first time I saw you.
Jason: I was scared, I didn’t know what to do. I figured the police would take care of it so I decided to do nothing, until Rivera was about to shoot you. He told you he was giving you 30 seconds.
Sonny: I saw you a second time and knew I had to give you as much time as possible.
Jason: That was when you kissed Brenda. I knew that Rivera wouldn’t shoot a man while he was kissing his lover goodbye.
Sonny: I hoped the same thing, aside from the fact that I’ll take any excuse to kiss Brenda.
Jason: I can’t believe that you had that much faith in me.
Sonny: You were my only hope. I thought you would get the police.
Jason: I didn’t think about that at all. A man was in my home with a gun aimed at my family. The only thought I had was to counter Rivera in a like way. I ran to the library and grabbed the first gun I saw. 
Sonny: I German Luger?
Jason: It got results. How did you end up with the gun?
Sonny: After the shooting, during the confusion, I slipped out and pocketed it. Then I took it and dumped in the river.
Jason: Thank you, I owe you everything.
Sonny: New, we’re friends and I take care of my friends.
Jason: Will there be an investigation?
Sonny: The police aren’t smart enough to figure out what happened. Garcia will report that one of his officers shot Rivera. That is the easiest explanation and the best end for a sticky problem.
Jason: When the report comes back and it states that the built came from a luger?
Sonny: That should be interesting to watch him try and explain. The point is kid; nobody is going to link you to the shooting. 
Jason: They didn’t even want to question me at all.
Sonny: That’s the kind of break that a squeaky clean image will get you. 
Jason: I feel different.
Sonny: You are different, but that isn’t a bad thing necessarily. So you killed a man that was holding a gun on your family. It was self-defense, it’s not like you have to go and make a career out of it.
Jason: I have to have some type of career.
Sonny: You’re going to be a doctor.
Jason: I can’t do that now, not after taking a man’s life.
Sonny: Why not, a little blood on the hands has never stopped Allan. Look at the Ray Conway situation.
Jason: I’m not Allan.
Sonny: What are you going to do now, become a hired gun?
Jason: Are you offering me a job?
Sonny: No that isn’t what you want.
Jason: You’re right.
Sonny: You could be come a lawyer. You have a pretty good head on you shoulders and you understand the criminal mind. Heck you come from a family of criminals; I bet your family has committed every crime in the book at one time or another.
Jason: If you include all the stunts that Tracy has pulled your probably right about that.
Sonny: I would hire you as my lawyer any day.
Jason: Maybe someday I will do that. For now, I’m going into the second bloodiest career field in town.
Sonny: I thought you couldn’t be a doctor anymore?
Jason: I mean the business world. Ned resigned as CEO of ELQ and gave me his interests, he said that he would prefer that I had them and not A.J. When Ned left, Damian left as well and I got his shares.
Sonny: I’m not surprised I guess he is going for the territorial gold. He always wanted to be Frank Smith.
Jason: I’m hoping you can help me get my hands on Rivera’s?
Sonny: Consider it done. I also have some information on a certain Miranda Jameson that Jax would probably give his shares in exchange for.
Jason: I hadn’t counted on Jax’s shares, but the more the merrier!
Sonny: Are you going to be CEO?
Jason: No, I’m restructuring the company and making the board egalitarian.
Sonny: You still have to have a leader, even if it is only a figurehead.
Jason: I was hopping you would accept the job.
Sonny: I’m not really the board member type.
Jason: I promised you stock in ELQ when all was said and done.
Sonny: I told you I would think about it. Jason, you need someone who is around.
Jason: I need someone that I can learn from. I’ve read a lot in books the last few months and I can learn more on the job, but I need a good teacher. 
Sonny: It should be someone besides me, I’m not CEO material.
Jason: Fine, then I’ll make grandmother the CEO.

Sonny thinks back to Edward’s comments earlier in the evening.

Sonny: Becha the old man will love that!
Jason: His opinion doesn’t matter. He almost lost the company; he won’t have any power anymore.
Sonny: He is your grandfather.
Jason: I can’t trust him. I need to be surrounded by people I can trust. Will you at least serve on the board?
Sonny: I’m not going to be here Jason. I told you earlier I’m leaving!
Jason: What about Brenda? She’ll hate you Sonny.
Sonny: She’ll get over it, and she’ll live. She might not if I stay.
Jason: I wouldn’t be so sure that Brenda would live. She loves you with all her heart.
Sonny: I know.
Jason: What about your child?
Sonny: This is killing me, Jason.
Jason: Than don’t go! So you had a bad dream, we are all likely to have bad dreams tonight.
Sonny: It was more than a dream, it was like I was seeing the future.
Jason: How can you do this? You stood right here a week ago and told me that you loved her.
Sonny: I have to go.

Brenda steps out of the elevator and walks up to the penthouse door. She realizes that she forgot something important in the glove box of the car. She had gone to the doctor earlier in the day and had an ultrasound test run. She had put the picture in the glove box, planning on showing it to Sonny after they had dinner with the Q’s. It was a particularly important one because it showed the sex of their child. She hopes that Sonny will be as excited as she is when he sees the first official picture of their son. She hopes that Sonny is still awake, if not she would have to wake him up. She was too excited about this to wait until the morning and show him She turns back around and gets back on the elevator and pushes the button for the garage. Sonny picks up his suitcase and walks out of the bedroom.

Jason: You aren’t going to even tell Brenda goodbye? 
Sonny: It’s for the best. 
Jason: No it isn’t for the best.

Sonny closes the door to the penthouse and walks to the elevator and pushes the down button.

Sonny: Take care of yourself Jason.
Jason: *Sarcastically* I’d say the same to you, but that seems to be your priority anyway!
Sonny: I’m doing this for Brenda and our child.
Jason: *Disappointed* I’m taking the stairs.

Sonny watches him leave and then pushes the button for the elevator again.

Chapter 123
The elevator door opens and Sonny is about to step in, at exactly the moment that Brenda is stepping out. The come face to face and Brenda notices his bag. He doesn’t say anything; it is almost like he is trying to pretend that she isn’t there. Finally, it is Brenda who speaks first.

Brenda: You’re leaving me?

Sonny continues to ignore her, he won’t even look at her. He steps into the elevator and is about to push the down button; she follows him just as the doors close.

Brenda: You want to answer me? Are you leaving me?

When she still doesn’t get an answer, she pushes the emergency button and the elevator jerks to a stop.

Sonny: Why’d you stop the elevator? You know I’m claustrophobic.

He isn’t angry, there is more of coldness in his voice than any kind of anger.

Brenda: Damn It Sonny! Why are you walking out on me?

She can see panic etched on his face. He is scared, but so is she. She tries to reach out to him, to help him the way that she helped him when he was in the jail cell. He pulls away from her as if she is his greatest enemy, as if her touch would be a prison in of its self. The fact that he won’t allow her to comfort him cuts her heart to ribbons.

Brenda: *Softly* I’m sorry, about the elevator but I had to get your attention some way. It was all I could think of to do to stop you.
Sonny: Did Stone call you?
Brenda: No, I was on my way up here anyway. You still haven’t answered my question.
Sonny: Right now I just want out of the tin box before you use up all the air!

Sonny pushes the button again and the elevator moves a foot or two and then stops again. Sonny runs his hand through his hair and gives her a desperate look.

Sonny: Great, Brenda! This is just great, we’re stuck!
Brenda: I’ll just call the front desk and they’ll get us out.

She picks up the phone and starts talking to someone. Sonny can hardly hear what she is saying, the air is starting to grow hot and his vision is starting to turn blurry. He takes his jacket off and starts to pace. He didn’t want to have to see Brenda before he left, much less like this. She was going to have questions and now he wasn’t going to have any choice, he was going to have to answer to her.

Brenda: Maintenance will be down in a few minutes to let us out.

She sits down on the floor of the elevator to wait. She looks up at him, but he still refuses to look at her. Tears start to form in her eyes.

Sonny: Of all the dumb things that you’ve done Brenda, this really takes the cake!
Brenda: I said that I was sorry, but you’re trying to run out on me and I don’t even know why! Can you please forgive me; I really need to know that you can forgive me?
Sonny: For trapping me in an elevator?
Brenda: No, for whatever I did to make you think you have to leave me.

He finally looks down at her and sees tears streaming down her face. For a moment he stops thinking about his claustrophobia and concentrates on her. He leans down to her and brushes her tears away.

Sonny: *Almost whispering* You didn’t do anything, you are perfect, Brenda.

She holds her hands out to him so that he will help her stand up. He does so and now they are at eye level. 

Brenda: Then why are you leaving?
Sonny: Because you are perfect and you deserve a perfect life.
Brenda: I thought I had the perfect life. I live in a perfect home, I’m carrying the perfect child, and I have the perfect job. Lucy is going to so much trouble to make sure that I can still work through my pregnancy.
Sonny: You do have the perfect life, Brenda. The only thing that makes it less perfect is my world and myself.
Brenda: I thought that you loved me? You told me so tonight, or was that a lie.
Sonny: I do love you Brenda, it was the one lie I never told.
Brenda: We both told lies, I kept the baby from you and I was wrong. 
Sonny: You were scared, and you had every right to feel that way.
Brenda: I thought we had gotten past the fact that I lied to you about the baby, I thought that you forgave me for that and trusted me again?
Sonny: I did forgive you, actually I never held it against you. I understand why you did it and feel like there was nothing to forgive; I never stopped trusting you.
Brenda: Then I don’t understand what I did to make you want to leave?
Sonny: You didn’t do anything. It’s my entire fault, it’s my life and we won’t ever be able to get away from it. Tonight was just a preview of what our future will be like if I stay.  
Brenda: Had you decided this when you left the Quartermaine’s?
Sonny: No, I decided it on the docks after I left you. You’re too good for me Brenda.
Brenda: That’s not true, of all the men in the world, you’re the one that I want. I choose you, Sonny.
Sonny: You made a mistake, but I’m trying to save you from having to live with that mistake.
Brenda: *Tears flow from her eyes once more* Don’t say that, don’t ever say that our love is a mistake.
Sonny: That isn’t what I mean. I could never believe that what we shared was a mistake. Our love is the best thing that ever happened to me and it is probably the strongest thing I’ll ever feel, but it is not realistic to think that we can have a future together. That is the pain that I’m trying to save you from.
Brenda: What is this horrible event that you think is in our future that you have to save me from?
Sonny: Death, if you stay with me you will die prematurely! I would rather live without you than let that happen, I would rather let my heart and soul die than watch your life wasted before my eyes.
Brenda: I had no idea you were this tortured.
Sonny: What can I say, there are things about me that even our love can’t fix.
Brenda: I know that you’ve been through a lot Sonny and you don’t really know what to do with love.
Sonny: I haven’t had a lot of experience in that department, but I know that I love you and have to protect you and our child. You are the first woman that I’ve ever loved, Brenda, but I don’t deserve you.
Brenda: Yeah you do.
Sonny: Why?
Brenda: Because I say so, I can’t think of any other reason except that and the fact that I love you. My love and the love that our child will have for you should be enough to convince you that you deserve us.
Sonny: I’m a mobster Brenda!
Brenda: I don’t care what you do for a living. I care about how you treat me; the men haven’t treated me very well in my life. You changed that; you proved that I’m worthy of being loved.
Sonny: You are more than worthy of any mans love and I do love you, but that won’t protect the two of you from men like Rivera. 
Brenda: Rivera is dead, he can’t hurt us.
Sonny: There will be others, I can’t protect you from them all it would take all my energy.
Brenda: You can’t protect me at all if you aren’t with me. What if I’m driving our son home from school one day and I’m driving too fast. You know that I drive to fast, you always have to remind me to slow down.
Sonny: Just don’t drive too fast.
Brenda: If you aren’t here to remind me, we could get in a car wreak and die or son could run away from home and end up living on the streets.
Sonny: Why would our child run away from home?
Brenda: Because if you aren’t here and a part of our lives I’ll end up being a terrible mother.
Sonny: You’ll be a fantastic mother, with or with out my help.
Brenda: If you stay with me I might still be a horrible mother, but if you go I’m sure I will.
Sonny: I can’t imagine you as anything but a perfect mother.
Brenda: I’ll miss you all the days of my life and our son is going to look just like you. Every time that I look at him I’ll be reminded of what I’ve lost. I won’t mean to take it out on him, but I will. Sonny, you always say that I make you a better person, and that our love is the best part of your life.
Sonny: It’s true, you make me move out of the shadows, Brenda. You make me see the world differently.
Brenda: You do the same for me, you make me a better person. Before I met you I was selfish, all I thought about was myself. You made me stop and think about someone besides myself; then you gave me the greatest thing in the world. You helped create our child and gave me one of the best reasons in the world to put someone besides myself first. 
Sonny: See, you already are the greatest mother in the world. The two of you will be so much better off without me.
Brenda: How can you say that a son could be better off without his father? Were you better off because your father left you? 
Sonny: It isn’t the same.
Brenda: It is exactly the same, you can walk out on me if you really want and I can’t stop you. You’ll do it while I’m asleep or off at work, I can’t watch you all the time. If you want to leave, your going to go, but before you go, take a good look at yourself! In 20 years our son is not just going to look like you and probably act like you, if you leave us now, he is going to be you!
Sonny: Why do you keep saying that I’m doing this to our son? We could have a girl.
Brenda: That was the surprise that I wanted to share with you. I had another ultrasound done and found out that we are having a boy! So now you know that you are walking out on our son and me!
Sonny: Were having a boy?
Brenda: That’s what I said. I have the picture in my purse to prove it.
Sonny: *Wiping tears out of his eyes* Can I see the picture?
Brenda: What difference does it make?
Sonny: Please, Brenda.

She pulls the picture out of her purse and hands it to Sonny. He looks at it with complete wonderment and reverence. 

Sonny: This is really our son?
Brenda: Yes it is, now may I please have it back?
Sonny: He is so perfect, how could I have had anything to do with creating something that perfect?
Brenda: It started with our love, but trust had a lot to do with it as well.
Sonny: What do you mean by trust.
Brenda: I love you Sonny, but I had to have a lot of trust in you before I would let you make love to me unprotected on a Hawaiian beach. The minute we hit the sand I knew that there was a chance that I could conceive a child. 
Sonny: You were actually thinking about becoming pregnant when we were in the middle of making love?
Brenda: It wasn’t my main focus, but the thought went though my mind.
Sonny: I’m amazed that you could think of anything that practical at a time like that. I just have to look at you an all rational thought kind of disappears; I’m glad one of us continues to think.
Brenda: Maybe because I’m the one that is going to have to carry the child, the thought is always at the back of my mind. Anyway, the point is that I trusted you to be here if I did become pregnant. If you walk away, I’ll loose all faith in you and you can’t ever come back. there won’t be anything left for you to come back to.
Sonny: How could I have ever even thought about leaving you and this perfect child we have created?
Brenda: You were scared, I understand that feeling.
Sonny: I’m still scared. I’ve had some pretty lousy male role models in my life. What if I’m a bad father?
Brenda: If you don’t stick around, you’ll never get the chance to be a wonderful father.
Sonny: Do you really think that I’ll be a wonderful father?
Brenda: Yes I do, I’ve seen what you’ve done with Stone. 
Sonny: I’m so scared that I’ll do something wrong with this child and he’ll hate me.
Brenda: I know what you mean. The idea of being responsible for a new life scares me as well. 
Sonny: How are we going to raise our son?
Brenda: I don’t know, I guess it is going to be a hands-on learning experience. I do know that we have a much better chance at raising a smart, healthy and well-rounded child if we tackle the task together.
Sonny: It’s not going to be easy.
Brenda: No, it’s going to be the most difficult thing that we have ever done. We both have some growing up to do, Sonny. We aren’t ever going to be perfect, but we are going to have to try and be better people.
Sonny: I think you are pretty close to being perfect, but maybe it’s because you are the love of my life.
Brenda: I think you are biased. I’m not perfect and I’m going to have to try and change some things.
Sonny: What could you possibly change?
Brenda: For one thing, I’m going to have to stop thinking that the world revolves around me.   
Sonny: My world does revolve around you.

He takes a stand of her hair and wraps it around his finger.

Brenda: You’re not helping! Besides, I’m not the only one that is going to have to change. Sonny you can’t run off every time that you get a little scared. You have to talk to me and let me help you work through things. I love you and I would be devastated if I lost you, you can’t break my heart like that.  
Sonny: I’ll try and be more open with you. All of these feelings are new to me and sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much I love you and want to protect you.
Brenda: I love you too, but if you try to leave me again you won’t have to worry about men like Rivera. 
Sonny: Because I’ll be in hiding?
Brenda: No, because they won’t have a chance to kill you. I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself!
Sonny: Sweetheart, those are your harmonies talking, right?
Brenda: I wouldn’t count on that to save your sorry skin. Just don’t leave me and everything will be fine! 
Sonny: Do you know how cute you are when you stand up to me and put me in my place?
Brenda: You think I’m cute when I’m bossy?
Sonny: Only when you’re right about me. I’ve always known that you were strong and independent and that makes you incredibly sexy.
Brenda: I’m 5 months pregnant, I hardly think of myself as being sexy at all.
Sonny: You are extremely sexy, why don’t I show you how much you turn me on?
 
Sonny wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a very deep, erotic kiss. The kind of kiss that sets her whole body on fire and leaves her gasping for breath and wanting more. They are headed towards the elevator floor when the emergency phone rings. Sonny had gotten so wrapped up in what was happening with Brenda that he had completely forgotten that they were stuck in an elevator. He picks up the phone and listens to the maintenance guy on the other end. He hangs up the phone a few minutes later and the elevator starts moving.

Sonny: They got it fixed.
Brenda: So I noticed, are we going up or down?
Sonny: Neither!

He pushes the emergency button and the car stops with a dramatic jerk. Brenda raises her brows in a questioning manner. She is about to protest when Sonny hushes her with a smoldering kiss.





Chapter 124

 The phone rings and Sonny picks it up and listens to maintenance on the other end.

Sonny: *Speaking in a miffed fashion Into the phone* 45 minutes? Just make sure it is really fixed this time!
Brenda: What’s going on, we were moving weren’t we?
Sonny: *Giving her a wicked smile* They thought they had it fixed, I guess they were wrong.
Brenda: I’m sure it had nothing to do with you pushing the emergency button!
Sonny: I doubt it had anything at all to do with me pushing the emergency button! Now, weren’t we in the middle of something?

He gives her a very hot look, which much to his surprise makes her blush.

Brenda: Here?
Sonny: We have 45 minutes, and you do trust me, don’t you?
Brenda: With every fiber of my body, heart and soul.
Sonny: Good, then you won’t regret it.

He takes her face tenderly in his hands and kisses her long and deep. He lowers her body gently to the floor and continues to kiss her madly. His warm mouth coasts over her neck and throat until he feels her body shudder from pleasure. His mouth returns to her soft lips and their kiss becomes deeper. She is frantically unbuttoning his shirt, causing several of the buttons to drop to the floor. Meanwhile, Sonny reaches around and starts to unzip her dress with equal enthusiasm. Her whole body begins to ache for his touch and his mouth on her neck and shoulders promises not to disappoint her in the slightest. He starts to slip her dress off of her body. Then, much to their mutual disappointment, the elevator starts to move again.

Brenda: Is the elevator moving?
Sonny: I think so, I could be wrong. 
Brenda: Has it been 45 minutes?
Sonny: Not unless that was an extremely long kiss.
Brenda: *Sighing* I guess it’s true that you can’t depend on maintenance men to keep on schedule.
Sonny: I think that we should finish this up in the penthouse.
Brenda: Unless you want to push the emergency button again?
Sonny: They might not get us out again.

He stands up and then helps her to stand up as well. She tries to reach the zipper on her dress, but can’t exactly reach.

Brenda: Could you give me a hand with the zipper?

He kisses her back and shoulders.

Sonny: What zipper?
Brenda: Sonny!
Sonny: Okay, but it almost seems like a waste of energy, I’m just going to have to unzip it again.
Brenda: I can’t very well walk up the hall with my dress unzipped!
Sonny: Who’s going to notice?
Brenda: Whomever you have at the door, for one.
Sonny: Your right, the last thing I want is for on of my men to see your beautiful back, turn around.

Brenda turns around and Sonny lifts up her hair to zip the dress, but instead he starts to kiss the length of her spine again. It feels wonderful to her, but he isn’t getting the job done that she asked him to do.

Brenda: Sonny, I asked you to do a simple enough thing. Is it so hard to zip my dress?
Sonny: When you have such a beautiful back, it is nearly impossible, this could take a while.

He continues to kiss her, which makes her smile until she notices that the elevator has almost reached the top floor.

Brenda: Hurry, we’re almost to the 11th floor. Zip the dress! 
Sonny: I can’t, the zipper is broke.
Brenda: Are you serious?
Sonny: I wasn’t being very careful when I unzipped it.
Brenda: What am I going to do? This could be extremely embarrassing and it is all going to be your fault!
Sonny: Why is it my fault?
Brenda: Because you couldn’t control yourself!

Sonny looks down at his shirt.

Sonny: I seem to be missing a few buttons on my shirt, Brenda.
Brenda: *Smiling* Maybe you weren’t the only one a little out of control. What are we supposed to do?  
Sonny: Just stay close to me.

He wraps his arms around her so that he is embracing her from the back. In the process he manages to cover up her broken zipper and the part of his shirt that is missing buttons.

Brenda: What about your bag?
Sonny: No problem.

He manages to pick up the bag and still hold her in his arms. The elevator doors open on the 11th floor and they step out into the hall and find Stone and Robin waiting for them, all four are surprised.

Robin: Brenda, are you all right?
Brenda: *Looking up at Sonny* I’m better than all right.
Stone: *To Sonny* Can I assume this means your travel plans have changed?
Sonny: You most certainly can, my friend.
Robin: Are you sure that you’re all right? 
Brenda: Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow.
Robin: Okay.

Sonny and Brenda walk into the penthouse and close the door. Outside, Robin and Stone exchange helpless looks. 

Robin: The looked fine to me. Whatever the situation was, everything seems to be back to normal now.
Stone: That looked normal to you?
Robin: As normal as Sonny and Brenda get.  
Stone: I guess you’re right. I don’t know if I’ll ever figure those two out or understand their relationship.
Robin: They seem to have it figured out and that is all that is important. We should probably give them some time alone.
Stone: You’re right. So what do you want to do?
Robin: I don’t care as long as I’m with you and my Uncle Mac isn’t around.
Stone: That means we don’t go to the Outback, we could go to Luke’s.
Robin: I’m under age.
Stone: I know the owners.
Robin: There is a coffeehouse around the corner that I’ve been wanting to try.
Stone: *Frowning* A coffeehouse?
Robin: It will be fun.
Stone: Okay, then we’ll go hang out at Luke’s and listen to this new band that he hired.
Robin: It’s a date.

They head for the elevator. In the penthouse, Sonny is leaning against the door.

Sonny: They’re leaving.
Brenda: Are you sure?
Sonny: Yeah, they just got on the elevator.
Brenda: I hope that they didn’t think we were rude.
Sonny: They’re smart kids, I think that they realized that we wanted to be alone. Now where were we?

He starts to kiss her again; they back towards the couch as he kisses her neck. He lowers her to the couch gently.  He hungers for her touch, while Brenda discovers that she is just plain hungry. She pulls away from him and gives him the most intense look he has ever seen.

Brenda: Do you know what I really want right now?
Sonny: The same thing that I want?
Brenda: *Smiling* Yes, but first I want something to eat.
Sonny: You want to eat?
Brenda: Please, we didn’t get to eat at the Quartermaine’s and I came straight here and I have to admit that I’m starved.
Sonny: You would rather eat than make love?
Brenda: I am eating for two and our son is starting to complain. You’re not upset are you?
Sonny: Not at all, if my baby wants to eat then you’re going to eat like a queen.
Brenda: Whatever is in the fridge is fine. It doesn’t have to be a banquet.
Sonny: *Smiling* Right, as long as it has ketchup?
Brenda: You’re catching on. Make sure it has a lot of ketchup.

He leans over and gives her a passionate kiss.

Sonny: *He gives her a seductive look* Don’t forget about dessert.
Brenda: Oh, I’m looking forward to it.

He flashes her a dimpled smile.

Sonny: Okay then, I’ll be right back.
Brenda: I’ll be waiting.       

Brenda leans back on the couch. She has been running on adrenaline for the last several hours. Now that she has clamed down she finds that she can hardly stay wake. After a few minutes she looses the battle to keep her eyes open and drifts into a peaceful sleep. Sonny is in the kitchen warming up some left over pasta when the phone rings. He picks it up quickly, eager to get rid of whoever is on the other line so that he can get back to Brenda. It turns out that his midnight caller is Luke.
 
Sonny: Hello?
Luke: Corinthos, you are not an easy man to get a hold of.
Sonny: Luke, is everything all right?
Luke: Better than that, Frank Smith is dead.

Sonny lets out a sigh of relief.

Sonny: What a coincidence, so is Hernando Rivera.
Luke: That puts you in an interesting position.
Sonny: I guess it does.
Luke: You have the chance to gain a lot of power my friend.
Sonny: I don’t think we should be discussing this right now.
Luke: I agree, but I think we need to get together and talk.   
Sonny: Where are you now?
Luke: Out of town, but on my way back. When can we get together?
Sonny: Tomorrow morning at the earliest. 
Luke: Sounds like a plan.

Luke hangs up and Sonny carries a bowl of pasta back into the living room for Brenda. He finds her sound asleep, but he knows that she’ll wake up in a few hours and still be hungry. He places the bowel on the dinning room table, walks over to the couch and gently lifts Brenda’s sleeping form into his arms. He takes on last look at the small black bag that he has left just inside the door and carries Brenda up to their bedroom. He places her on the bed and changes her out of her dress and into a nightgown. Then he goes into the bathroom and changes for bed as well, all the while pondering how great his life is at this moment in time. He comes back and sits on the edge of the bed and watches Brenda sleep. Her rhythmic breathing causes her chest to rise and fall in a pattern that is both poetically beautiful and tantalizing. He still wants her right then and there, but he also knows that she needs her rest. There is plenty of time for them to make love to each other over and over until the end of time. She opens her eyes. She could feel him near her, even though she was almost asleep. She wanted to make sure that he really was there and hadn’t left her. She sees him sitting on the side of the bed and is finally able to relax.

Brenda: *Half asleep* What are you looking at?
Sonny: The most beautiful woman in the world. I love you.
Brenda: *Smiling* I know.

She closes her eyes and drifts back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that Sonny is going to be right beside her the next time she opens her eyes.  Instead of waking her he pulls the covers around her and then wraps her body tightly in his arm. She snuggles against him and he gently rests his hands on her pregnant stomach, feeling the life and love that grows there. He rests his head against her neck, listens to her breathing while he breaths in her scent. He allows the closeness of her body to affect all his senses as he too drifts into a peaceful sleep. 
  

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