The Final Test

by:Sydney

~Chapter 11~

Jax closed his eyes willing himself not to believe what he had just seen. Brenda was kissing Sonny. No, he *had* to have been mistaken. There had to be an explanation. Or had she really left him again? Did she still love Sonny? Had he been wrong to trust his heart again and believe in her with no doubts?

Jax swallowed hard and forced himself to look once more. Yes, Sonny was definitely kissing Brenda.....but Brenda wasn't....she was....

In the next instant, all of Jax fears and questions were answered. With one swift move, Brenda reached inside Sonny's jacket and pulled out a gun while pushing him firmly away from her.

A smile spread over Jax's face as Brenda wiped her mouth, trying to rid herself of the memory of Sonny's kisses.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sonny asked incredulously.

With the freedom to speak her mind once more, Brenda's pent-up anger and disgust became apparent with every word she spoke.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting the heck out of here and going home...where I belong. Tell me, Sonny, have you always been this slow and I'm just now noticing it or has this obvious stupidity developed over the last sixth months?"

Sonny looked into her eyes and for the first time he was afraid. She had the gun trained on his heart and there was no fear or regret in her eyes. Her hand was steady. She was deadly serious and very much in control. She would shot him if necessary. If he could keep her talking, maybe he could turn the situation around.

"Look, Brenda, we're both adults here. If you have something to say, just say it. You don't need a gun to get me to listen."

Brenda laughed. "I don't? Well, you could've fooled me. You see, Sonny, I tried talking to you on the docks. All I wanted to do was make it perfectly clear to you that there's no place in my life for you anymore. That I love Jax. That I plan on having a future with him. I tried to do the mature, decent thing and say good-bye to you face to face."

"But you wouldn't listen....instead you kidnap me and bring me here to 'set up house'. There was once a time that I thought the strength of your love was to what extent you tried to keep me away from other men...and that was real love. I don't believe that anymore. Now I think it's just plain sick."

"*Real* love doesn't try to destroy and tear down and hurt. *Real* love held my hand while I was in a mental ward having a break down. Real love sat by my bedside for hours on end just so I wouldn't be alone. Real love helped me to heal. And when I was strong enough to stand on my own, real love let me go so I could find my own way. *Jax* is what real love is. And I thank God every day that I finally learned the difference."

"I didn't want it to come to this, Sonny, but you've given me no other choice. Maybe it's my fault for not remembering that you only speak two languages....sex and violence. Since sex is something you'll *never* in a million years experience with me again, it seems my only option is violence."

"So, now that I have your full attention, let me explain things to you one more time. I do *not* love you. I love Jax. He is my future. You are my past. Give me your car keys. NOW!"

Sonny tossed his keys to Brenda.

"Now, I'm leaving and you're staying here. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because of what we shared in the past that I will hesitate to shoot you or turn you over to the cops if you even think about coming near me or Jax again. Do you understand?"

Sonny nodded although, inside, he knew there was no way he was going to let Brenda walk out of his life again and back into Jax's arms. If he couldn't have Brenda...no one would.

Brenda slowly made her way to the door and reached to unlock it. As she did, she glanced away from Sonny for a split second, but it was all the time Sonny needed.

He swiftly pulled another gun from the other side of his coat. It was the Berretta that he'd found on Brenda earlier....and now it would be the means to save his life...or end Brenda's. Brenda turned back to him to see her own gun leveled at her.

Brenda and Sonny stood face to face, eye to eye, gun to gun, both determined to walk away alive.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jax and Mac had been watching and listening to what was transpiring inside the cabin. Jax from the window. Mac from the door. Neither had made a move to interrupt because it looked like Brenda had everything under control and would be walking out of the door to safety in a matter of seconds.

But with the appearance of a second gun, Jax took action immediately.

"Mac, they both have guns pointing at each other. Get in there before this turns into a blood bath." Jax hissed as he moved from the safety of the bushes.

Mac nodded his acknowledgement to Jax. "Stay here, Jax. I mean it." Then he turned to Taggart. He held up 3 fingers, indicating that on the count of three they would enter the cabin. Taggart nodded.

One, two, three.

Taggart threw the door open, momentarily catching Brenda and Sonny off guard as he and Mac rushed into the cabin. Both of their guns were aimed at Sonny.

Brenda was the first to regain control. "It's about time you guys got here." she stated, relief expressed in every word.

"You set me up!" Sonny yelled at Brenda. "You set me up to be sent back to jail."

"No, Sonny. I was protecting myself. If anyone set you up it was yourself. All of this could have been over and done with at the docks but you insisted on not letting me go. This time you are the only one to blame."

Sonny shook his head in disbelief. "After all that we've been through. You know, I thought you learned after wearing the wire. But I guess you never really learned the meaning of trust and loyalty, did you? You've betrayed me over and over again. And I'm not the only one. You betrayed him here tonight. I wonder what he would think of what you were willing to do. Maybe you should ask him next time you see him." choosing his words to hit the mark that his bullet couldn't reach.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" Jax stated as he eased into the room with V following close behind.

"Jax!" Brenda exclaimed, millions of emotions flowing through her. She was surprised to see him, ecstatic that he hadn't left Port Charles after all, afraid of what he might have seen.

"Jax! I told you to stay outside!" Mac growled.

"I couldn't. You were taking too long." Jax stated simply as his eyes locked with Brenda's.

"What are you doing here?" Brenda asked quietly, not fully sure that he wasn't a dream.

"I came to take you home." Jax's tone and look were more of an unspoken promise of the future.

Sonny spoke up for the first time. "Well, now that you're here, Prettyboy, why don't you stay? We were just talking about Brenda's lack of loyalty and how no matter how much you want to, you just can't trust her."

Jax shot Sonny a look that could stop a man cold in his tracks. "Maybe *you* can't trust her. But I'd lay my heart and life in her hands in a heartbeat and know they were safe."

Brenda's heart melted at Jax's words. Had he really found the strength to trust her again? She looked in his eyes and knew something had changed. Something that had been there before was missing. It was the fear that she'd put in his eyes. It was no longer there. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened between the time he left her at the cottage and now, but she was definitely going to find out as soon as this mess with Sonny was over.

Mac decided the end the chit-chat and get on to the job at hand. "Alright, Sonny. We don't want this to get ugly. Why don't you put the gun down, and come quietly to the station with us?"

"For what? To rot in a jail cell for the next 20 years?"

"At least that long, if I have anything to say about it." Jax interjected.

"Oh, really, Jaxyboy. And what would you say if I just pulled the trigger right now? End your little fairy-tale reunion with Brenda? How would that make you feel knowing you're responsible for another woman's death?" Sonny started waving the gun at Brenda, and Jax took a step forward as if to stop him when suddenly Sonny pivoted to face Jax.

Brenda's eyes widened in horror. "NO! Sonny, not Jax! Please don't hurt him!"

Brenda's exclamation just served to give Sonny more leverage over her. "Why not? I'm getting sent to prison anyway. Why not at least get sent for something I enjoyed? Killing Jax and knowing the pain you'd be in would actually be *worth* going to jail for." Sonny said as he cocked the gun.

"Sonny, I'm warning you. Put the gun down." Brenda's voice was low and deadly.

Sonny glanced at her sideways as a self-satisfied smirk spread over his face. As his finger began to pull the trigger, a shot rang out followed by the cry of a man in pain.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Ms. Barrett, are you ok?" V asked as she handed a shaking Brenda a glass of water. "Is there anything else you need?"

Brenda carressed Jax's face and smiled. "No, I have all I need right here. Thanks."

V smiled. It was time for her to help Detective Taggart tend to Sonny's wound caused by Brenda's expert marksmanship and to arrest him for kidnapping and attempted murder. Leaving the two lovers alone to step into a world where just the two of them existed, she went in search of Mac and Taggart.

"So, tell me, how exactly did you learn to shoot a gun like that?" Jax asked Brenda, holding onto her hands like he was holding onto a life line.

"Well, after the shooting at the docks, while you were in the hospital, I went and bought a gun and started taking shooting lessons. I knew I wanted to take care of you at home and to do that, I'd need to be able to protect you as well. So, I learned to shoot." Brenda said with a grin.

"Well, when you decided to do things, you certainly make sure you do them well." Jax grinned back. "I can't believe you hit Sonny's hand right on target at the perfect time....just as he was ready to shoot. One more second and I would have been a goner."

Brenda got this cute little when-you're-good-you're-good look on her face then she grew serious. "I would never let that happen." Then trying to lighten her tone, she asked, "Hey, how did you get here anyway? I called the hotel and Pete said that you'd left Port Charles...for an indefinite period of time?"

Jax looked down at their hands entwined together. "I was going to leave. But then I opened your package and read your journals." He swallowed hard and looked in her eyes. "Brenda, I've been so wrong about so many things...."

Brenda interrupted him by putting her finger to his lips. "So have I, honey. So have I. Let's not talk about this here. Let's wait till we get home, ok? All I care about it that you are safe and you're still here."

Brenda took a deep breath trying to gain the courage to broach the subject that had been on her mind since Jax's arrival. "You know, after seeing me with Sonny tonight, you could have easily believed I'd betrayed you again and walked away. I want you to know, Jax...I didn't want...the only reason I let him..."

Brenda was struggling with the words that she so desperately wanted to say. She wanted more than anything for him to know and understand that kissing Sonny was the last thing she had wanted to do, but it was the only way she knew to get to him. She shivered involuntarily at the memory of Sonny's hands on her body and his kisses on her lips.

Jax reached up and touched her face. "You had to do it, sweetie. I know that. I really do understand." Jax tried to blink back the tears, but a single tear escaped to fall down his face. Brenda reached up and wiped it away. Gazing into his eyes, she took his face in her small hands and pulled him into a kiss that was full of promise and devotion. Love and commitment. Passion and fire.

V walked into the cabin to let Jax and Brenda know that Sonny was secured and they were ready to go.

V stopped short. "Wow!"

"What?" Mac asked coming up behind her.

She just smiled. "There it is. The kiss that goes on for days."

Even Mac had to admit that he felt like he was witnessing something so intimate and perfect and pure as the love that flowed between the two. "Hey, you two. I hate to break this up, but uh, we're ready. It's time to take you home."

Brenda and Jax reluctantly broke their kiss. Brenda just smiled at Jax, love shining in her eyes. "Home isn't a location, Mac. It's a state of the heart. And I've already found my home."

Jax swallowed hard and whispered. "Me too."

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brenda must have fallen asleep during the car ride because the next thing she remembered was Jax gently laying her on her bed back at the cottage. She looked up at him as he turned to go get her a blanket.

She reached out and grabbed his arm as he turned around to look at her. She shook her head slightly. "Please don't go. I need....I need to hear your heartbeat." she whispered. "Can you please just hold me?"

A smile lit Jax's face. "I thought you'd never ask." he said as he climbed into bed next to her. She immediately snuggled up next to him and put her head on his chest so she could hear his heart.

She smiled and sighed contentedly. "Amazing. Simply amazing."

"Yes, you are." Jax whispered as his arms pulled her closer. But she didn't hear. She'd already drifted into a wonderful world where dreams of her and Jax and their future began to overtake her.

to be continued.....