The Final Test-6

by:Sydney

Angel hugs,

Sydney

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Again, thanks to everyone for the feedback! You guys are the best!!! Hope you enjoy!!

~Chapter 6~

The phone call came at just the right moment. Jax felt that if he didn't leave soon, he would suffocate. He grabbed his bags, looked at the penthouse for the last time and closed the door.

His mind was a million miles away. He kept thinking about the events of the past few months and the conversation he had with Brenda tonight. The pain in her eyes and the tears running down her face when she said she would let him go kept haunting him.

The elevator door opened and Jax exited quickly, wanting to escape the memories. The sooner he was gone from Port Charles, the better. As he rounded the corner, he ran right into Pete.

"Oh. Excuse me. I didn't see you." Jax apologized as he began to walk away.

"Mr. Jacks. You were just the person I was looking for."

"Oh?" Jax asked curtly. He was obviously in a hurry and didn't want any delays.

"Yes, sir. I have a delivery for you...from Ms. Barrett." Pete explained as he held out the package Brenda left earlier.

Jax made no move to take it. His mind was in a whirl. He had already made the decision to leave Port Charles and never look back. Leaving was going to be hard enough, and taking that package could complicate things. Give him ties to a place he wanted to forget or maybe even make him hope for a reason to stay.

Pete had been watching Jax. His inner struggle was evident on his face. "Mr. Jacks?" Pete interrupted his thoughts. "The package?"

"Uh, right." Jax sighed. "Pete, I'd like for you to return the package to Ms. Barrett for me." Jax said, his decision finally made, he made a move to walk away.

Pete had seen Brenda and Jax together several times. He didn't know the details of their relationship or where things stood, but he did know one thing by watching them...they were as in love as a couple of people could get. It was like watching two halves of a whole person when they were together. They were always so in sinc. Their eyes shown with love and their faces just beamed when they were together. No matter what their problems, they deserved to be happy. And being together did just that. And this had seemed so important to her. He might get in trouble for this, but hey, true love was worth a risk.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jacks." Pete took a step toward Jax. "With all due respect, sir, it is my job to deliver this to you. It was very important to Ms. Barrett that it went directly from my hands to yours. That's exactly what she said. What you do with it after that is, of course, up to you. I just don't want to lose my job for not doing as requested." Pete stated, exaggerating the last sentence.

Jax looked at him with complete understanding. He knew Pete wouldn't be fired for returning the package to Brenda. But she had obviously made it clear to Pete that it was important to get it to him, the least he could do was take it.

Jax reached out and took the package from Pete. He stuffed it in the pocket of his overnight bag with no intention of looking at it again. "Very well, Pete. Consider your job saved." Jax said with a wry smile. Just then a bellhop approached Jax.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jacks. Your car is waiting to take you to the airport now."

Jax nodded to him. "Thank you." He turned to Pete and said good-bye.

Jax climbed in the car and plopped his bag on the seat beside him as the car turned in the direction of the airport. He looked out the window at the passing buildings that he had grown to know so well. For the first time in a while he realized that this really *had* become his home....because of Brenda. His eyes strayed to the pocket of his bag.

He knew he shouldn't look at it, but he really wanted to know what she had left for him. On the other hand, he was afraid of what might be inside. Jax chuckled to himself. <What is the bloody matter with you? You're afraid of a little box now? Nothing could be *that* bad.> Besides, he was on his way to the airport. What harm could it do to look at it?

He opened the box and looked inside to find 2 books with an envelope sitting on top. He recognized the envelope immediately. It was from the stationary he had given her as a gift for their first Christmas together.

He had it specially made with the initials of her name at the time...Brenda Barrett Jacks. He had wanted so much to reassure her that legal or not, *she* was his wife....*she* was his choice, not Miranda, and that they would make it through the whole ordeal together. She had been so touched by the gift that she'd cried and said that she had never loved her name more than when she was called 'Brenda Jacks' because it was then that she felt she belonged somewhere with someone.

He smiled at the memory and blinked back the tears that had begun to form and read the note inside.

"My dearest Jax,

Letting you go tonight was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I know it was necessary. You need to find your own way back home to me.

I want you to know that I heard every word you said tonight and I know the pain I've caused you. I'm more sorry than words could ever express. And if I were to live a hundred years loving you with every beat of my heart, I could never hope to be able to make up for the pain I've caused you...the only man that could really make me happy.

All I can do is hope that the enclosed books might help you to understand why I made the choices I did in the past. And having understood them, you might be able to find the strength to believe in my love again.

I will never give up or stop believing in us. I know when you're ready to trust my heart again, you'll find your way back home, where I will be waiting for you. I love you.

Brenda"

Jax wiped away the tear that had fallen down his face. He put the note back in the envelope and picked up the books. He wasn't sure what they were...until he opened the cover of the book on top. He stared in disbelief at the words on the page before him....

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Sonny Corinthos hung up the phone with a self-satisfied look on his face. He knew she would call. She had never been able to resist him for very long. Although, he had to admit, she didn't sound very friendly. Then again, she was sure to be angry at the way he left her at the altar. But she'd been angry with him before. Hell, she'd even hated him before, but he'd always found a way to bring her around. Tonight would be no different.

Seeing Brenda and Jax tonight had made him realize a few things. He realized just how much he had missed her. She was more beautiful than he remembered...and just as stubborn. Her fighting spirit had always ingnited a fire in him. And tonight he had never wanted her more.

But he also saw how she had stood up for Jax. Time and all they had been through together had created a bond between them that seemed pretty strong. They seemed to be able to read each other's thoughts just by looking into each other's eyes. Then again, they had been married once and had a strong bond between them then and he had eventually been able to save Brenda from that debacle.

Although, if truth be told, he couldn't swear that their bond had ever really been severed completely. There were times when Brenda and Sonny had been together that she seemed so distant. It was like she would close herself off in a world where Sonny could never reach her. In those moments she was both happy and sad...lonely yet complete. There was a look of longing and regret in her eyes that he couldn't understand. He had never been able to get over the feeling that in those moments she was thinking of Jax and their life together.

She never said as much. In fact, she never mentioned his name. Which made Sonny even more unsure about her feelings for Jax. But he knew Brenda, and he knew how blind she could be about Jax. He was every woman's dream of what Prince Charming would be. He had shown her a good time. He'd said the pretty words she'd always wanted to hear and showered her with gifts she'd never had before, so naturally she believed she was in love with him.

But Sonny knew better. Jax was no better than Sonny. He would lie and steal and bend the rules just to make a deal. Brenda was a possession to Jax. Her beauty made her desirable as an ornament on his arm. Worst of all, Jax had never really understood Brenda. That's why Brenda had turned to drugs....to deal with the pain of her life with Jax.....and without Sonny. Somewhere along the way she'd lost a sense of who she was.

So it had been left up to Sonny to bring her back to the truth. To bring her back to herself. It was because of Sonny and his love that she was able to kick the drug habit that she had formed to run away from the truth of who she really loved. And his persistance finally brought her back home.

And tonight he was going to save her again. Save her from being hurt by those trying to kill Jax. And save her from her own weaknesses....her own blindness. She may be resistant at first, but he would be able to make her see that Jax could only bring her pain. And he knew now that Jax wasn't secure in her love by the way he had reacted tonight. And that was a fact he could and would use to gain Brenda's confidence again. And he *would* win her back, because Sonny and she had a connection, a bond, a love that would never be broken.

He looked at his watch. He still had plenty of time before meeting Brenda. He picked up the phone and made a phone call.

"Yes. It's Sonny. Make the arrangements I told you. It will all be over with tonight."

He poured himself a drink, leaned back and dreamed of his future with Brenda.

to be continued.....