Chapter 2

Jasper Jax ran furiously through the airport in Rome clutching a bag as he raced to reach the terminal for the Flight to Port Charles.

He didn’t have time to be devastated that Brenda ditched him. Time was of the essence. If he could only reach her before she made her way into town and into society once again!

He glanced at this watch and silently cursed himself for not keeping a better eye on her.

Was it selfish to keep Brenda to himself? Arguably. But her life had been cut tragically short, and had been one of such turmoil, chaos and danger. The miracle was HE had the power to prevent her from making the same mistakes she had made before.

The minute Brenda walked into Port Charles, she would be out of Jax’s grasp…. permanently.

As he ran he threw his bag on the metal detector belt and impatiently waited in line to be body scanned.

Then he heard the screech of the detector.

''What’s the problem?'' he asked impatiently.

A short Italian security guard began to open his bag over Jax’s objections. Then Jax nearly collapsed at what he saw.

The guard slowly pulled out from a small side pocket what appeared to be a bad of cocaine.

''That is not mine!'' Jax argued.

To his dismay, Jax was handcuffed and arrested. He was flabbergasted. He had never done a drug in his life! His chances of catching Brenda now gone.

And in all the chaos and turmoil, Jax was able to comprehend that Brenda had set him up to be caught.

Brenda Barrett sat back comfortably in her first class international flight to the states. She casually flipped through a Milan fashion magazine but then grew bored, and instead stared out the window to the sun and clouds that surrounded her.

She sighed in relief. Jax would be caught by now. It was a pity she had to set him up like that. For Jax was indeed a good man who had helped her tremendously. But he meant nothing to her. As for being her husband, it was earth shattering and repugnant to her. For all she knew he could be lying and working for the Count. Besides, he had money and influence, and he could get himself out of the this mess. But not in time to prevent her from returning to the life she had once led. And how dare he try to withhold her from that!

She knew this much was true: She had a family…..and she loved Sonny Corinthos.

She closed her eyes and a smile formed over her lips. She could almost feel him. The feel of his smooth suits and satin tie against her body as they danced. She had visions of riding in a limo with him, his dark eyes hypnotized and enticed her, as he dared her to slide over and embrace him. He was haunted looking and unforgettable. His voice. My god, she could almost remember his voice.

She knew that her friends and family objected to her seeing him, but after what she had gone through recently, what did it matter?

Right now, it was as if the face of Sonny was driving her home. Back to civilization. Back to where his arms could wrap around her. He was calling her.

She swallowed and whispered gently out the window ''I’m coming Sonny''.

Sonny lay on his prison bed motionless. Hours turned into days, days into weeks. He wasn't counting. He was just waiting for word on whether he would make bail or not.

His only visitors had been his father and his lawyer.

Alexis was determined to get him out on bail

''For Gods sake Sonny, you didn't kill him, your wife did!'' she had chastised ''I know you don't care, but I am going to get you out of this prison cell''.

When Sonny dreamt, he dreamt of Carly. Her golden hair glazed in sunlight. Her wide and joyful smile. He remembered their crazy early days, the maniacal fights and games. The cruelty they laid on each other. He wasn't proud, but at least it was something. Something to pass the time.

Sometimes he would rehash in his mind their dialogue. Amazingly, he could remember it all. But this time, he fixed it. For every vulgarity he called her, he replaced it with words of tenderness. For every physical fight they had, he replaced it with embraces. At times he could barely breathe when he thought about her. The way she looked at night in bed with the moonlight pouring in from the window. How glowing she had been carrying their now lost child.

Would he ever love like this again? He doubted it. And he didn't want to. A life in prison with memories of only her would be enough to sustain him.

There were also the nightmares.

Mostly about the women he had lost and the horrifying days that followed. Somehow it seemed appropriate that he suffer from these memories. They were part of the reasons why he was here to begin with. It was poetic justice in fact.

And then came the day when he heard a voice that shook him from his sleep. His initial reaction was that it was a hallucination, a haunted vision none too unfamiliar to him.

She stood outside his cell, with her arms clutching the bars, her face leaning in, with pleading dark eyes.

Her hair cascaded around her shoulders. She wore a pink dress.

As he focused his eyes he saw who it was.

He slowly rose out of bed, telling himself that it was just an illusion. That it couldn't possibly be her.

''Sonny'' she said softly again.

Tears welled in his eyes.

It wasn't an illusion.

Jason Morgan toweled himself off and made his way to the beach blanket from the ocean. Michael's new nanny was reading a book and Michael sound asleep under an umbrella.

''Someone's camped out for the day'' he laughed.

His nanny replied in Spanish that Michael needed a good nap, that he hadn't slept well the night before.

''Yeah, well. I think he misses his mother'' Jason said as he glanced up to Carly's cabana.

''If you will excuse me'' he said as he walked up towards her cabana.

Jason had been making slow progress with Carly. She was spending time in the afternoon with Michael, giving him baths and talking walks with him. But other than that she slept all day and spoke to no one.

So he was surprised to see her dressed in a blue bikini and straw hat as she met him outside the cabana.

''Hey'' Jason laughed ''am I seeing things or are you giving the beach a chance after all?''

Carly put down her lounge chair and poured herself a glass of lemonade.

''I'm done with being depressed'' she said simply ''Sonny Corinthos is not worth it''.

Jason blinked ''Okay. Well, I'm glad your feeling better''

''You know Jason'' she began, as she hopped up to sit on the Cabanas brick patio wall, ''Here I am missing a man that basically treated me like I was a piece of property, to just give away to anyone. I sat here for weeks imaging a way to possibly love and be devoted to him while he is in prison. A way to escape back home and confess to my crimes. But you know what the problem is Jason? He doesn't WANT me! I bet he and Alexis Davis are engaged right now. You didn't happen to see any divorce papers arrive did you? Because if so - send them my way, I’ll sign them!''

Jason looked at her as if she had two heads. ''Carly, Sonny loves you, not Alexis. And he has every intention..''

''I don't care WHAT his intentions are - I know Sonny well enough. He dumped me like he DUMPED Brenda Barrett, and you know what Jason? I am NOT going to let him destroy me. I am not going to crumble into a ball and have a nervous breakdown like SHE did. I am stronger than that. And I will get over this. I am tired of being in a dark room all day wondering what I could have done different. Sonny betrayed me because he promised he would never leave me. And I fell for it. You know….this whole thing was about the baby we lost. He was in it for that, and that ONLY. And there I was trying to play him back then but the whole time he played me. Well good for him. But I am through! I have seen the last of Sonny. I'm tired of being at his mercy.''

''Carly….don’t diminish what you two had.'' Jason advised.

''I'm not!'' she protested ''I just see now what I didn't see before''

Jason shook his head impatiently. He would never be able to get through to her.

Carly looked content as she sat back and let the sun graze on her. It wasn't happiness or content that had invaded her body. Jason knew well that she was still petrified and hurting.

But he did recognize the determination and survival skill in her. And for that, he was grateful.

''I’ll tell you what'' he began ''what do you say we spend the day swimming with Michael and tonight I will take you out''.

Carly smiled widely and looked around her at the surroundings.

''You mean…. there are places to go on this island?''

Jason nodded with a smile.

''Like, clubs? Dancing?'' she asked delightfully.

Carly considered for a moment and then hopped down from the wall.

''Okay Jason. You got yourself a date''


	Chapter 2 Jasper Jax ran furiously through the airport in Rome clutching a bag as he raced to reach the terminal for the Flight to Port Charles. He didn’t have time to be devastated that Brenda ditched him. Time was of the essence. If he could only reach her before she made her way into town and into society once again! He glanced at this watch and silently cursed himself for not keeping a better eye on her. Was it selfish to keep Brenda to himself? Arguably. But her life had been cut tragically short, and had been one of such turmoil, chaos and danger. The miracle was HE had the power to prevent her from making the same mistakes she had made before. The minute Brenda walked into Port Charles, she would be out of Jax’s grasp…. permanently. As he ran he threw his bag on the metal detector belt and impatiently waited in line to be body scanned. Then he heard the screech of the detector. ''What’s the problem?'' he asked impatiently. A short Italian security guard began to open his bag over Jax’s objections. Then Jax nearly collapsed at what he saw. The guard slowly pulled out from a small side pocket what appeared to be a bad of cocaine. ''That is not mine!'' Jax argued. To his dismay, Jax was handcuffed and arrested. He was flabbergasted. He had never done a drug in his life! His chances of catching Brenda now gone. And in all the chaos and turmoil, Jax was able to comprehend that Brenda had set him up to be caught. It was all over. # Brenda Barrett sat back comfortably in her first class international flight to the states. She casually flipped through a Milan fashion magazine but then grew bored, and instead stared out the window to the sun and clouds that surrounded her. She sighed in relief. Jax would be caught by now. It was a pity she had to set him up like that. For Jax was indeed a good man who had helped her tremendously. But he meant nothing to her. As for being her husband, it was earth shattering and repugnant to her. For all she knew he could be lying and working for the Count. Besides, he had money and influence, and he could get himself out of the this mess. But not in time to prevent her from returning to the life she had once led. And how dare he try to withhold her from that! She knew this much was true: She had a family…..and she loved Sonny Corinthos. She closed her eyes and a smile formed over her lips. She could almost feel him. The feel of his smooth suits and satin tie against her body as they danced. She had visions of riding in a limo with him, his dark eyes hypnotized and enticed her, as he dared her to slide over and embrace him. He was haunted looking and unforgettable. His voice. My god, she could almost remember his voice. She knew that her friends and family objected to her seeing him, but after what she had gone through recently, what did it matter? Right now, it was as if the face of Sonny was driving her home. Back to civilization. Back to where his arms could wrap around her. He was calling her. She swallowed and whispered gently out the window ''I’m coming Sonny''. # Sonny lay on his prison bed motionless. Hours turned into days, days into weeks. He wasn't counting. He was just waiting for word on whether he would make bail or not. His only visitors had been his father and his lawyer. Alexis was determined to get him out on bail ''For Gods sake Sonny, you didn't kill him, your wife did!'' she had chastised ''I know you don't care, but I am going to get you out of this prison cell''. When Sonny dreamt, he dreamt of Carly. Her golden hair glazed in sunlight. Her wide and joyful smile. He remembered their crazy early days, the maniacal fights and games. The cruelty they laid on each other. He wasn't proud, but at least it was something. Something to pass the time. Sometimes he would rehash in his mind their dialogue. Amazingly, he could remember it all. But this time, he fixed it. For every vulgarity he called her, he replaced it with words of tenderness. For every physical fight they had, he replaced it with embraces. At times he could barely breathe when he thought about her. The way she looked at night in bed with the moonlight pouring in from the window. How glowing she had been carrying their now lost child. Would he ever love like this again? He doubted it. And he didn't want to. A life in prison with memories of only her would be enough to sustain him. There were also the nightmares. Mostly about the women he had lost and the horrifying days that followed. Somehow it seemed appropriate that he suffer from these memories. They were part of the reasons why he was here to begin with. It was poetic justice in fact. And then came the day when he heard a voice that shook him from his sleep. His initial reaction was that it was a hallucination, a haunted vision none too unfamiliar to him. She stood outside his cell, with her arms clutching the bars, her face leaning in, with pleading dark eyes. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders. She wore a pink dress. As he focused his eyes he saw who it was. He slowly rose out of bed, telling himself that it was just an illusion. That it couldn't possibly be her. ''Sonny'' she said softly again. Tears welled in his eyes. It wasn't an illusion. She was real. # Jason Morgan toweled himself off and made his way to the beach blanket from the ocean. Michael's new nanny was reading a book and Michael sound asleep under an umbrella. ''Someone's camped out for the day'' he laughed. His nanny replied in Spanish that Michael needed a good nap, that he hadn't slept well the night before. ''Yeah, well. I think he misses his mother'' Jason said as he glanced up to Carly's cabana. ''If you will excuse me'' he said as he walked up towards her cabana. Jason had been making slow progress with Carly. She was spending time in the afternoon with Michael, giving him baths and talking walks with him. But other than that she slept all day and spoke to no one. So he was surprised to see her dressed in a blue bikini and straw hat as she met him outside the cabana. ''Hey'' Jason laughed ''am I seeing things or are you giving the beach a chance after all?'' Carly put down her lounge chair and poured herself a glass of lemonade. ''I'm done with being depressed'' she said simply ''Sonny Corinthos is not worth it''. Jason blinked ''Okay. Well, I'm glad your feeling better'' ''You know Jason'' she began, as she hopped up to sit on the Cabanas brick patio wall, ''Here I am missing a man that basically treated me like I was a piece of property, to just give away to anyone. I sat here for weeks imaging a way to possibly love and be devoted to him while he is in prison. A way to escape back home and confess to my crimes. But you know what the problem is Jason? He doesn't WANT me! I bet he and Alexis Davis are engaged right now. You didn't happen to see any divorce papers arrive did you? Because if so - send them my way, I’ll sign them!'' Jason looked at her as if she had two heads. ''Carly, Sonny loves you, not Alexis. And he has every intention..'' ''I don't care WHAT his intentions are - I know Sonny well enough. He dumped me like he DUMPED Brenda Barrett, and you know what Jason? I am NOT going to let him destroy me. I am not going to crumble into a ball and have a nervous breakdown like SHE did. I am stronger than that. And I will get over this. I am tired of being in a dark room all day wondering what I could have done different. Sonny betrayed me because he promised he would never leave me. And I fell for it. You know….this whole thing was about the baby we lost. He was in it for that, and that ONLY. And there I was trying to play him back then but the whole time he played me. Well good for him. But I am through! I have seen the last of Sonny. I'm tired of being at his mercy.'' ''Carly….don’t diminish what you two had.'' Jason advised. ''I'm not!'' she protested ''I just see now what I didn't see before'' Jason shook his head impatiently. He would never be able to get through to her. Carly looked content as she sat back and let the sun graze on her. It wasn't happiness or content that had invaded her body. Jason knew well that she was still petrified and hurting. But he did recognize the determination and survival skill in her. And for that, he was grateful. ''I’ll tell you what'' he began ''what do you say we spend the day swimming with Michael and tonight I will take you out''. Carly smiled widely and looked around her at the surroundings. ''You mean…. there are places to go on this island?'' Jason nodded with a smile. ''Like, clubs? Dancing?'' she asked delightfully. ''Yup'' he said. Carly considered for a moment and then hopped down from the wall. ''Okay Jason. You got yourself a date'' BACK NEXT