Chapter 1

"That's it Brenda! Baby you're so hot, you're fogging up me lens!" Brenda couldn't help but giggle at the British photographer's comments. She appreciated all the stroking of her ego, since she'd been out of the modeling game for five years. She felt incredibly fortunate to be taken on by a firm in Paris, who quickly found work for her in London. So she left the comfortable Paris apartment that she shared with her good friend Robin Scorpio, and went to England for a few weeks. At first, Brenda was reluctant to leave Robin, with whom she had only recently been reunited. Robin was so overjoyed that her friend, her big sister, was alive, that she encouraged Brenda to live life to the fullest, as she tried to do even living with HIV. Robin was finishing up medial school in Paris, and was incredibly busy herself, so Brenda took the job.

"Gus, you're such a flirt!" Brenda cheerfully retorted. He smiled, "who wouldn't be with you sweetheart?" His choice of words immediately made her think of Sonny Corinthos, and her stomach clenched. Not that she needed an excuse to think of him; she did it all the time. She missed him like crazy, but hoped he was happy in his life…although she didn't know how he could be married to that shrew Carly. She shook the thoughts from her head, and tried to concentrate on posing for the camera. "Why don't you make your final change while I reload?" Gus suggested. Brenda went to do just that. As Gus took out the completed roll of film, the door to the studio opened. He looked up to see who had come in. "Oh, Roddy." Roddy Murdock, Gus' friend, nodded his head in response. "I'm not through yet bloke," Gus informed him. "Cool, I'll just hang," Roddy replied. Gus snickered at his friend's use of American slang; Roddy was a full-blown American-phile. He was also a whole lot of trouble, and associated with a lot of shady characters. But Gus and Roddy had roomed together in boarding school as boys, and had remained friends ever since.

Brenda emerged in her last outfit, which was a pair of low-slung, black leather pants, black boots, and a black leather tube top. Gus restrained the urge to whistle, but Roddy didn't even bother holding back. Brenda smiled, but didn't really pay attention to the man who had whistled at her. "Bloody hell!" Roddy exclaimed under his breath to Gus. "Step back man, I need some room," Gus replied. Roddy backed up till he was leaning against the back wall of the studio, his eyes never leaving Brenda. She was the hottest thing he'd ever seen.

The rest of the shoot went smoothly, despite Brenda feeling uncomfortable under Roddy's constant gaze. "You're a professional," she told herself; "just ignore him." After they'd finished, Brenda went to change back into her street clothes, and Roddy assailed Gus with questions about her. "Who is she? Why didn't you tell me about her?" "I've never seen her before today," Gus replied, "she a model from Paris; but she's American." Roddy was full of nervous excitement. "I'm going to ask her out, right now!" Gus shook his head, "tosser, she'll never go out with you!" Roddy got angry and told him, "yes she will!" Brenda came out, and quickly walked past the men. "Bye Gus!" she said as she passed. Roddy followed her to the door. "Wait!" Brenda stopped and turned around. "Whatever it is, I'm not interested," she calmly informed him. He smiled at her, flashing his one gold tooth in the front of his mouth. "Aw come on; you don't even know what I was going to say." Brenda sighed, "OK, what?" "Let me take you out. I promise; I'll give you the time of your life!" Brenda rolled her eyes, "you obviously know nothing about my life," she said, thinking of all the adventure and passion she had with Sonny. No one could ever come close to giving her that…certainly not this piece of trash. "I know a lot of people," Roddy informed her; "connected people. I can take you anywhere you want to go; get you anything you want." "Oh really?" Brenda replied. "You think you're connected, huh?" Roddy nodded his head, "yes I am." "Do you know Sonny Corinthos?" Brenda challenged. Roddy couldn't help but swallow; "um, I've heard of him…certainly." "Well good. Sonny is a very, very good friend of mine, and he wouldn't like to hear that you were bothering me. So let's just pretend we never had this conversation, OK?" With that, she turned and left. Roddy stood there, fuming mad. Gus walked over to him. "She dust you off?" he asked. Roddy nodded his head, "yeah. But I'm not through yet." Brenda mentioning Sonny's name didn't exactly have the desired effect on him. At first he was intimidated, but then he realized that a golden opportunity just fell into his lap. He opened the door, and followed her outside.

Later that night…

Sonny was finally beginning to relax. The truth about Ric was out, and now that Sonny knew Ric was all about a personal vendetta, and not business, he knew how to handle whatever came up with him. Carly's pregnancy was going well, and it looked like he was finally going to get to hold a child of his own. But Sonny knew never to take anything for granted, and he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And drop it did. His cell phone rang, and he took it out of his suit jacket and answered it. "Yeah?" "Mr. Corinthos, its Greg." "What?" "I have a call for you on the other line; they won't give me a name, but they say that they have Brenda Barrett and want to speak with you." Sonny heart dropped into his gut. Someone grabbed Brenda? But who? And why? "Connect me!" Sonny ordered gruffly. He heard the click, and then some static. "Who is this?" he demanded. "That's not important Mr. Corinthos. What's important is that I have someone that means a lot to you, and I want five million dollars in exchange for her." "Put her on the damn phone!" Sonny yelled. Carly had come down the stairs when she heard Sonny yelling. She stood quietly and listened, trying to figure out what was going on. After some rustling, Sonny heard Brenda's voice and almost passed out with relief. "Sonny?" "Brenda? Jesus Brenda! What happened?" "I don't know he just…" Roddy grabbed the phone back from her, "that's enough Corinthos! You know she's alive, now I want my money!" "Where are you?" Sonny asked, noting the man's British accent. Roddy laughed, "you think I'm telling you that? Get the money together, and I'll call you again." With that, he hung up. "Sonny, what's going on?" Carly asked. Sonny waved her off, "shhhh!" He stayed on the line until Greg came back on. "Tell me you traced that call Greg; tell me now!" "Yes sir I did. He was calling from London. I'm trying to get the address now." "Get the plane ready," Sonny ordered; "I'm leaving in an hour." He hung up the phone. "Where do you think you're going?!" Carly yelled. "Brenda's in some stupid crisis and you're running after her…again?" Sonny stared at her, and yelled back, "Brenda's been kidnapped. And you're damn right I'm going after her!"

It had taken Brenda a few moments to realize what was happening. At first, she thought she was being mugged. Then she thought it was a random rapist. "Calm down love!" Roddy said as he dragged her out of the alley where Gus' studio was located. As soon as she heard his voice, she knew it was that skeevy guy who hit on her in the studio. She started fighting as hard as she could to get free, and screamed at the top of her lungs. But he had his large hand over her mouth, and his other arm was lifting her off the ground and carrying her to his car. "You models always weigh nothing," he joked. He had to move his hand from her mouth when they reached the car, in order to open the door, and Brenda screamed again. But since they were at the end of the alley, and not on a main street, no one seemed to hear. Roddy threw her into the back seat, and managed to find a piece of rope amongst the junk littering the back of his car with which to tie her hands together. Brenda was still fighting, but she was no match for his strength. When he was satisfied she was restrained enough, he slammed the back door and locked it, and then jumped into the driver's seat. "Hang on darling!" he yelled, and sped off.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me again!" Carly wailed. "I'm carrying your baby Sonny!" Sonny tried to calm down. "I know you are. But I have to do this. Brenda was snatched because of me, and I have to save her!" "Send Jason!" Carly suggested. Always the master of timing, Jason had opened the door and entered with Courtney. "Send Jason where?" he asked; "what's going on Sonny?" Sonny turned to him, "Brenda's been kidnapped in London. I just got a ransom call." "I'll go," Jason stated. Courtney opened her mouth to object, but Sonny cut her off. "I didn't ask you to go Jason. You're going to stay here and look after my family…I'm going." Courtney smiled, grateful Sonny wasn't agreeing with Jason. Jason pulled Sonny aside. "Is this a good idea?" Sonny looked him in the eyes; he knew what Jason was asking. "She's important to me Jason; she always will be. Brenda is part of my life…not yours. I'm going, and that's final." Jason took a step back and nodded his head. There was no point in arguing about it. He knew Sonny still loved Brenda, he'd known it all along. And no one, not him, not Carly, not even the yet-to-be-born baby, was going to keep Sonny from going to London. "Let me know if I can help…from here," Jason said. "Thanks man, I will," Sonny replied. They stepped back over to the women, who had been arguing amongst themselves. Carly was insisting that Jason had to go in Sonny's place, and Courtney was insisting just the opposite. "Jason, Courtney…Carly and I need to be alone." Jason took Courtney's arm and pulled her out of the penthouse. She left, shooting Sonny a parting look of thanks. Sonny took a deep breath and let it out, and then he turned back to face his wife. She glared at him, "if you go, I won't be here when you return." Sonny didn't reply. Instead, he shook his head and headed for the stairs to pack his bag.

Back in London, Brenda looked around the dingy building she was being held in. Roddy had tied her feet together as well, and she was sitting uncomfortably on a wooden chair. "Exactly what makes you think Sonny Corinthos is going to give you five million dollars for me?" Roddy smiled at her, "oh love, I'm sure he thinks you're worth it. You were his lover, weren't you?" An image of Sonny making love to her flashed through her mind. "What makes you say that?" Roddy laughed, "any man would want to be your lover; I'm sure he was no different. Oh, he'll pay." "No he won't," Brenda thought to herself. "He'll hunt you down and kill you…and who knows what that'll mean for Sonny?"

Chapter 3

It was mid-day by the time Sonny, Johnny and Max arrived in London. Sonny had hoped to have an address that matched the traced phone call, but Greg had reluctantly informed his boss that the call had been made from a cell phone and they couldn't pinpoint the exact location. "Damn it!" Sonny yelled into his cell phone during the flight. Johnny looked at him with concern, "no address?" Sonny shook his head. He thought over all the rest of the information that Greg had acquired for him. Brenda was living in Paris, but had gone to London for a photo shoot. They knew which hotel she was staying in, and they knew the address of the photographer's studio. When the plane landed, the men left the airport and got into the limousine that was waiting for them. "Where to Mr. Corinthos?" Max asked, wanting to inform the driver. "Let's go see that photographer," Sonny replied. Max relayed the address, and the car took off.

Brenda awoke after an uncomfortable night on a dirty mattress. She had successfully persuaded Roddy to untie her and let her lie down, and she was very happily surprised that he didn't want to lie down with her. Roddy certainly did want to, but decided to focus on the five million dollars he was hoping to get for her safe return. He knew enough about Sonny Corinthos that he was reluctant to harm her in any way, but was careful to ensure that Brenda didn't know that. He had showed her his gun, and told her that if she tried anything funny, he'd use it. "What time is it?" Brenda asked sleepily. Roddy grinned at her, his gold tooth reflecting the sunlight that was coming in through a broken window. "It's time to make another call," he informed her. He dialed the Corinthos/Morgan warehouse, and got Greg, who had been ordered under penalty of death to wait in the office for the phone to ring. Greg quickly patched the call through to Sonny's cell phone, and he answered it in the limo, just as the car was passing the warehouse where Brenda was being held.

"Yeah?"
"Have you gotten the money together Corinthos?"
"We're working on it. Let me talk to Brenda."
Roddy waved Brenda over to the phone.
"Sonny?"
When he heard her voice Sonny got a very strong feeling that she wasn't far away.
"Hi sweetheart. Are you all right?"
"Yeah. Please get me away from this guy…"
Roddy grabbed the phone back in time to hear Sonny reply "you bet I will."
"Isn't that touching? Now listen to me, I want the money wired to a Swiss bank account. I'll call back in four hours with the account number."
"I might need more time," Sonny said, hoping to stall him until they found Brenda.
"Sorry man, that's all the time you get…and the lady too."
Sonny became enraged. "You listen to me…bloke. You touch one hair on her head and I'll hunt you down and rip you to shreds. You hear me?!"
The only response was a click as the call was ended.

Sonny threw his phone down in disgust and ran his hands over his face. "We're almost there Sonny," Johnny informed him. "Good," Sonny replied, hoping the photographer was there. "He's gonna tell us who has Brenda, and where he took her," he told his men; "one way or another."

Chapter 4

Inside the studio, Gus was preparing to go into the darkroom to develop Brenda's pictures. He was concerned about what Roddy had done when he followed Brenda out the day before; he knew Roddy got carried away sometimes. But mostly Gus was trying to ignore the bad feeling he had in his gut. He headed for the darkroom, but stopped in his tracks and turned around at the sound of the studio door opening. He didn't recognize the men who had entered, but something told him they weren't there for his photographic services. "May I help you gentlemen?" Sonny motioned for Johnny to lock the door behind them, which he did. Then he indicated that Max should go stand behind the photographer, which he did. Gus started shaking. Without even knowing what this was about, he knew it had something to do with Roddy. Sonny stared at the man, and spoke slowly. "You're Gus Travis?" Gus nodded his head. "Yesterday, you had a model in here by the name of Brenda Barrett." Gus felt sick, but managed to reply, "yes." "She's been kidnapped. Who took her, and where?" Although Gus knew the answer to one of those questions, he choked out a question of his own. "Wh…who are you? FBI?" Sonny couldn't help but smile, and Max let out a chuckle. "You wish," Sonny replied. "I'm Sonny Corinthos, and I'm your worst nightmare if you don't tell me what I want to know." Gus had no doubt of it, and told him, "his name is Roddy Murdock, but I have no idea where he took her." Sonny glanced at Johnny. "Johnny, take Mr. Travis out to the car. He's going to give us a tour of the city."

While Gus led Sonny and his men to Roddy's flat, Brenda was strategizing her next move. She knew Sonny well enough to know he wasn't in Port Charles gathering five million dollars together. No, he was in London looking for her; she knew it in her heart, and could feel it in her gut. And she had a feeling that she wasn't going to get out of this alive unless Sonny did find her…unless... She looked around the building where Roddy was holding her. It looked like a small warehouse, and she assumed they weren't on the ground floor. That ruled out leaving through a window. "Maybe I can distract him and get out the door?" Brenda mused. Her plotting was interrupted by Roddy informing her, "OK love…let's go." Brenda looked at him with a start; "what? Where?" Roddy smiled, "somewhere other than here." "Shit!" Brenda exclaimed. Roddy laughed, "you didn't think I was going to sit here and wait for you Mr. Corinthos to find us…did you?" Brenda cocked her head at him, "well, I was hoping." Roddy laughed again, this time louder; he really liked this girl. "Come on' now," he coaxed her. Brenda stood and started walking towards him, but then stopped when Roddy's phone rang.

"Yeah?"
"Roddy, Gus here."
"Oh hey man; what's shaking?"
"Oh, just wondering where you are. What happened with Brenda last night?"

Sonny watched and listened intently as Gus spoke on the phone. After finding nothing in Roddy's apartment to help them, including Roddy, they dragged Gus back to the limo and Sonny told him to make the call. Gus listened for anything that could help them find his friend and Sonny Corinthos' woman. He listened real hard, considering that Max was holding a gun to his temple.

"Tosser, it was brilliant!" Roddy told him. "We had a grand time…and it's still going."
"Really?" Gus questioned; "you had a good time with her?" He warily looked at Sonny as he relayed what Roddy had said. Sonny's jaw clenched, but otherwise he gave no outward reaction. Inside, he was a boiling sea of rage. "If that bastard touched her," he thought, "I'll cut him apart, piece by piece…slowly."

"So you're with her today too then?" Gus asked.
"That's right…why all the questions?" Roddy was suspicious.
"No reason. So where are you taking her?"
"On a little road trip; later man," Roddy hung up. He stared at Brenda, knowing that Sonny was in town and that he had Gus. "Let's go."

Gus hung up the phone still looking at Sonny. "Well, where is he?" Sonny demanded. "He wouldn't say. He just said he was with her." Sonny glanced at Max, who cocked his gun. Then he stared back into Gus' eyes. "Where would he take her? And you better think hard before you tell me you don't know."

Chapter 5

Roddy took Brenda out to his car, and then headed out of the city. Brenda started to panic. She knew the further away from London they went, the harder it would be for Sonny to find her. She decided to take a chance, and when Roddy slowed down to make a turn, Brenda popped open the door lock, and jumped out. "Bloody hell!" Roddy exclaimed, slamming on the breaks, turning off the engine, and getting out after her. Brenda's ankle twisted as she hit the pavement, but she righted herself and kept running. Roddy chased her for three blocks, but then stopped cold when he saw two Bobbies up ahead. Brenda ran right to them, and Roddy turned and high tailed it back to his car. By the time Brenda reached them, he was out of sight. One of the policemen caught her as she fell against him. She looked up at him, out of breath and said, "I was kidnapped."

Back in the limo, Gus was begging Sonny not to kill him. "I swear to you, I've told you everything I know! I don't know where he took her!" "Well then," Sonny dryly replied, "I have no further use for you." He was about to give Max the sign to pull the trigger. He was so angry that he wanted somebody's blood to spill. But then, his cell phone rang. Sonny hastily picked it up from the floor of the limo, where he had tossed it down earlier.

"Listen to me you bastard…."
"Sonny!"
"Brenda? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I got away."
Sonny felt the tears of joy filling his eyes, but he held them back. "Where are you?"
Brenda told him which police station she was at, and Sonny told her he'd be there as fast as possible.

He hung up and looked at his men; his relief evident on his face. "She got away boss?" Max asked. "Yeah. The cops have her." He paused and looked at Gus, who was crying with relief himself; then continued, "let's go make a trade."

Roddy drove like a maniac. He didn't have a plan, he just knew he had to get as far away from Sonny Corinthos as he could. Sonny, Gus, Johnny and Max hurried into the police station. When Brenda saw him, she jumped out of her seat, and hobbled towards him on her injured ankle. Sonny took her in his arms and held her tightly. "Thank God you're OK," he whispered in her ear. "I'm OK," Brenda whispered back; "now."

Later, after Brenda gave the police as much information as she had, they left Gus there and headed out. "Let's get you to a hospital," Sonny said. Brenda shook her head, "no. I don't need one." Sonny stopped and faced her. His chest ached as he said in a low voice, "but, he hurt you…we need to have you checked out." Brenda saw the pain in his eyes, and quickly realized what he thought had happened. "Oh no, he didn't! He didn't touch me like that." Sonny closed his eyes with relief and then opened them again; "are you sure?" Brenda smiled, "yes, I'm sure. I'm fine, except I twisted my ankle when I jumped out of the car. But I don't think I need a doctor for that." Sonny gathered her into his arms again, and kissed the top of her head. Then he said, "how about I take you home?" Brenda nodded and they started once again to walk to the car. Then Brenda stopped. "Robin! Sonny does she know?" Sonny shook his head, "I doubt it. I came right here. She probably didn't know anything was wrong." Brenda was relieved. "Well let's get home then, before she reads about it in the paper."

Chapter 6

As they rode to hotel to pack up Brenda's things, Sonny held her small hand tightly in his. He didn't want to let go…ever. Brenda sat quietly, with a slight smile playing on her lips. There was so much she wanted to say to Sonny, but it would have to wait until they were really alone. Max was riding up front with the driver, but Johnny was sitting across from them in the back of the limo. He tried to avert his eyes by staring out the darkly tinted window, but he couldn't help but look at Brenda every once in a while. Johnny knew what all this meant; Sonny's marriage was in serious trouble. Once they reached the hotel, Sonny instructed the men to wait with the car, and he helped Brenda upstairs to her room. He fought the urge to kiss the hell out of her once they were inside. Instead, he hugged her again. Brenda let out a soft moan as they embraced, that nearly made him fall to his knees. She pulled back slightly and looked in his eyes. "You're doing well," she told him. Sonny narrowed his eyes in a questioning look. "I know this is hard for you Sonny. You're trying not to kiss me." Sonny's face broke into a deep, dimpled smile, and he replied, "you know me too well." Brenda shook her head, "nope, not too well; just well." She stepped away from him and started folding her clothes, standing with her weight off her sore ankle. Sonny noticed this and quickly pulled a chair over for her. "Here, sit down. I'll bring you everything to fold." The truth was he wanted something to do. He felt like he was losing his mind being so close to Brenda and not being able to kiss her, to make love to her. "What's stopping you?" he asked himself. He knew the answer…Carly. He had made promises to her, promises he wanted to be able to keep. But now, he knew he couldn't keep them.

"Can I ask you something?" Brenda interrupted his thoughts. "Sure." "If you thought he raped me, why didn't you tell the cops that?" Sonny stared at her, and replied, "I wouldn't have involved the cops at all…but you know that." "Sonny, they'll handle it. They'll find him." Sonny shook his head, "not good enough." Brenda got nervous; "what's that supposed to mean?" "It means I'm not relying on the cops to find that disgusting piece of filth. And I'm certainly not relying on them to punish him." "Sonny…what are you going to do?" Brenda asked with trepidation. She didn't really care what Sonny did to Roddy; but she did care that whatever it was would end up hurting Sonny…and taking him away from her for good. "I'll help you finish packing," was Sonny's only reply.

Back in Port Charles, Jason had his hands full. Carly was in a full blown panic, and he had to stop her several times from getting on a plane to London herself. "I'm not letting that witch take him from me!" she wailed in his arms. "Carly," Jason replied, "he's coming back to you." "Are you sure?" Carly sniffled. As he'd done more times lately than he cared to acknowledge, Jason lied and answered, "I'm sure."

Chapter 7

While Brenda was finishing up her packing, Sonny took one suitcase down to the lobby, and out to the car. At this stage in his life, he was past lugging luggage, but he used it as an excuse to speak to his men without Brenda hearing. Max hurried over and took the bag from his boss. Sonny addressed both he and Johnny. "Johnny, you're with me. Max, you're staying here. You keep looking for that bastard. Talk to his friends, associates…whomever. See if we have a connection with the cops here, and find out what they know. Call Jason for reinforcements if you need them. And when you find him…you call me." Max acknowledged his orders with a nod of the head, handed the suitcase to Johnny, and then turned and headed down the street. Johnny put the bag in the limo trunk, and then followed Sonny upstairs to get the rest. When they got to the room, Brenda was waiting, ready to go. Sonny gave her a dimpled smile, and Brenda smiled back. "Let's go!" he said, putting out his hand. Brenda took it, and they walked out, with Johnny and the remaining luggage following behind.

It wasn't until they were on the plane to Paris that Brenda noticed someone was missing. "Where's that guy?" she asked Sonny. "What guy?" "The other guy that was with us…I think his name is Max?" "Oh, yeah Max. He's staying in London." "Why?" "Because I told him to." Brenda sighed; she was used to Sonny's dodges and could recognize one a mile away. "I know that, but why did you tell him to stay? Is he looking for Roddy?" Sonny stared into her eyes, and replied truthfully, "yes." "Can you just let it go?" Brenda asked, her voice getting louder. "Why would you ask me that?" Sonny asked back, louder than her. "He kidnapped you Brenda. He would have killed you…or…I can't let it go!" "Even if I'm asking you to?" "Why does it matter?" Sonny asked, exasperated. "Because I don't want you to get hurt, or arrested for hurting him!" Sonny softened at her concern. "I appreciate that sweetheart. But what he did to you was because of me, I can't just let that go. Besides…he needs to pay for even touching you." Sonny's eyes grew black with that last statement, and Brenda shuddered at the rage she knew lay behind them. She decided to drop the subject for now, but brought up an even more dangerous one. "How did Carly take it when you came after me?" "Oh shit!" Sonny exclaimed. He hadn't even thought about Carly in hours. "I should call her!" "And tell her what?" Brenda wondered. "That you found me, and you're going home to her?" Sonny studied her face, and saw that she was hoping that wasn't the case. "I have to go home to her Brenda…and settle things." Brenda turned away from him, and fought back the tears; she was losing him once again. "Well, I'm sure she'll understand, and you guys will be fine." Sonny reached out and gently turned her face back to him. "I mean, we have to settle things with the kids…Michael and the new baby. Set up shared custody and all." Brenda couldn't quite believe her ears, and shakily asked, "you're ending your marriage?" "Baby," Sonny replied, "my marriage was over as soon as I saw you again. I just couldn't admit it, to her, you, or myself. I love you Brenda; I always have and I always will. I can't pretend that it's gone, when it's all I want." Brenda's eyes filled with tears, and she told him, "that's all I want too Sonny. You." Sonny leaned forward and their lips met in a gentle kiss.

Chapter 8

When they arrived at the Paris apartment, Robin was shocked to see Brenda's companion. "Sonny?" "Hey Robin," Sonny quietly greeted her. He wasn't sure how she'd react to seeing him again after their friendship had fallen apart. "Hey yourself!" Robin replied, and walked over to hug him. Sonny held her tightly, and felt a weight fall off his shoulders. Brenda watched and smiled. "Can I get one of those?" she asked her friend. Robin broke away from Sonny, and gave Brenda a hug. Then she pulled back and asked, "so…am I supposed to pretend this is normal, seeing you two together like this?" Sonny laughed, "since when is anything about us normal Robin?" Robin laughed too, "good point." "It's a long story Robin," Brenda informed her. "OK." Sonny reluctantly interjected, "I gotta go." Robin looked back to him, "but you just got here!" "I know, next time it'll be for longer, I promise." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Robin was totally confused, but knew Brenda would explain it all to her. She excused herself to let them say goodbye in private. "Well, I'll give you guys some privacy." She left, and Sonny and Brenda turned to each other. "I'll be back as soon as I can," Sonny told Brenda; "I'll be back to bring you home." "Home? You mean Port Charles? Sonny, I don't know…" Sonny got sad, "I can't leave there. I have my children, my business…I can't. Are you saying you don't want to be with me there?" Brenda gathered him into her arms, "oh baby, I'll be with you anywhere." Sonny sighed with relief, and then took her mouth into a fierce kiss. He meant it to be brief, but it went on and on. Neither wanted to end it; Sonny's tongue plunged into Brenda's mouth, and tangled with hers. His arms wrapped tightly around her body, and his hands caressed her back, aching to move lower. Brenda felt his arousal against her, and wanted to push him to the floor. Somehow, they both resisted, knowing they couldn't really be together until Sonny was free. Finally, Sonny pulled away from her, breathing heavily. "I'll call you as soon as I can," he whispered. Brenda nodded her head, and touched her swollen lips with her fingers. Sonny walked to the door and opened it, then turned and stared back at Brenda one more time. "I love you, you know," he told her. "I love you Sonny," Brenda whispered in reply. He turned, and left, closing the door behind him. Brenda stood quietly, swaying slightly from the emotion and passion she was feeling. She felt a presence behind her, and turned to find Robin standing there. Her friend looked at her with wide eyes and asked, "what the hell are you doing?!"

As Sonny and Johnny rode to the airport in the limo, Sonny called Carly. He wasn't too surprised when Jason answered.

"Yeah?"
"It's me. Have you been there the whole time?"
"Yeah, Carly's been going crazy."
"But she's still there?"
"Yeah, she's still here. So what happened?"
"I found Brenda…well actually she got away from the pig, but that's a long story. I just took her back to Paris, and I'm headed to the airport."
"And what happens now?" Jason asked.
"That's between me and my wife Jason," Sonny replied. "Put her on the phone."
Carly had come downstairs when she heard the phone ring. Jason turned and handed it to her. "It's Sonny."
Carly took the phone with a shaking hand. "Sonny."
"Hi. I'm on my way back."
"You're actually coming back? Oh wait, I know, the business…"
"Carly. I'm coming back to talk to you. We have to do this."
Carly took a deep breath and let it out. Sobbing, she replied, "I know Sonny; I know."

Chapter 9

Brenda looked at Robin, "don't yell at me!" "I'm sorry, it's just…what's going on with you and Sonny?" Brenda took Robin's hand, and led her over to the sofa. They sat down, and Brenda told her the story of her kidnapping and why Sonny had come to her. Robin listened with wide eyes, and when Brenda finished she commented, "you must have been terrified." "I was, and I wasn't. I knew Sonny would come for me." "But you got away on your own!" Robin reminded her. Brenda nodded, "yeah I did. But I got myself into the mess too. I thought using Sonny's name would scare the guy off, but it did just the opposite." "So now the police are looking for him?" "Yeah…but they're not the only ones." "Sonny?" Robin asked, already knowing the answer. She knew her old friend well enough to know he wasn't about to let this go. "He left a man in London Robin. He's going to hunt Roddy down…and kill him." Robin shrugged, "well, it'd be better for the police to handle it, but if Sonny finds him first…" "I'm afraid for him Robin. It's just like before. He'll do something, and he'll end up getting hurt by it." "Sonny knows what he's doing," Robin said; "at least about that stuff." "Meaning?" Brenda questioned. "Meaning, I'm not so sure he knows what he's doing where you're concerned. And I'm not so sure you know either." Brenda smiled, "the only thing I know, the only thing I've ever known for sure, is that Sonny and I belong together."

It was quite late when Sonny opened the door to PH4 and walked inside. He was surprised to see Carly waiting up for him. "It's late…why aren't you asleep?" he asked. She looked at him with red-rimmed eyes; "I knew I couldn't sleep." Sonny put his bag down and walked over to join her on the couch. Carly studied his face, and then stated, "you still love her, don't you?" "Yes." "And all this time…what, you were lying to me?" Sonny shook his head, "nope. I was lying to myself. I truly believed what I felt for you, what we had, was strong enough to survive anything. But the reality is you and I would have never been together if I hadn't thought Brenda was dead. And when I saw her alive again…well…I was fighting as hard as I could to resist it…her." Carly nodded her head; she knew from the moment she'd found out Brenda was alive that it was just a matter of time before she lost Sonny. "And you can't fight it anymore," she stated. "I don't want to fight it anymore," Sonny replied; "I'm sorry." "What about our children? Michael, the new baby?" "I'll always be there for our sons, and I'll always provide for them. But I won't have them living a lie…it's not right for anyone. I'll contact a lawyer in the morning, and we'll work out a settlement and custody arrangements." Carly thought about going for full custody, but then thought better of it. It was bad enough her marriage was falling apart, she didn't need Sonny as an enemy.

Roddy, who had most definitely made Sonny his enemy, was no longer in London, or England for that matter. He had taken the train to Paris, and was trying to plan his next move. He knew that both Scotland Yard, and Sonny Corinthos were after him. If he hadn't been in such a panic, he might have remembered that Brenda Barrett lived in Paris. But he didn't.

Chapter 10

It was a week later when Sonny returned to Paris. He had called Brenda to let her know his divorce from Carly was in the works, and Brenda was thrilled. She still had Robin warning her about getting involved with Sonny again, even though Robin said she loved Sonny too. She was just worried about Brenda getting back into "the life." When Sonny arrived, Brenda was at her modeling agency, settling things up with them. They hooked her up with an agency in New York City, so she could continue to model after moving back to America. Robin greeted Sonny with a hug and a smile. Sonny was relieved at the reception. "I wasn't sure you'd be happy to see me again," he told her. Robin felt badly. She led him over to the sofa, and they sat down. "Sonny, I'm sorry for how things have been with us. I never wanted the choices I made, or the choices you made, to come between us." Sonny nodded his head, "yeah. Well I promised Stone I'd always take care of you, and I haven't done that." "I didn't let you," Robin quickly replied. "Can we just go from here?" Sonny asked hopefully. Robin smiled, "I'd like that. I've missed you." Sonny's eyes welled up, "I've missed you too sweetheart." Robin leaned in for a hug, and Sonny enveloped her in his strong arms. They stayed like that for a minute, and then Robin pulled back and said, "and now, you're going to leave and take my best friend away from me!" Sonny smiled, "yeah, sorry about that…but it can't be helped." "That's what Brenda tells me too," Robin answered, "I guess I'll have to accept that." Sonny narrowed his eyes, "is it that hard to accept?" Robin giggled, "no! I was joking!" Sonny relaxed, "OK good. You had me worried there." Then Robin got serious. "But I am worried Sonny; about Brenda, and you, and her dealing with your business again." Sonny felt a chill wash over him. He hadn't even thought about what would happen after Brenda returned with him to Port Charles. He looked Robin in the eyes. "All I can say is that I'm going to be as honest with Brenda as I can. In the past, our problems have come from us lying to each other about things." "I just hope that's enough…" Robin started to respond, but Brenda bounded into the apartment, and Sonny jumped up. "Sonny!" she squealed, and launched herself into his arms. "Oh sweetheart…I've missed you," he groaned, hugging her tightly. Robin sat back and watched, and couldn't help but feel elated that her two friends had found each other again. No matter what else happened, she knew they were both where they belonged.

The threesome spent the afternoon and evening together, enjoying a leisurely dinner at a highly-rated restaurant in Paris. Brenda was sad, knowing she'd be leaving Robin behind the next day. But then, she'd look at Sonny, and she knew her happiness lay with him. She didn't intend to ever be separated from him again. Late that night, after the ladies had gone to sleep, Sonny returned to his hotel suite with his guard Johnny by his side. Sonny and Brenda both felt uncomfortable sharing a bed, and the inevitable passion that would ensue, with Robin in the next room. So they agreed to wait until their first night together back in Port Charles. "Max called, boss," Johnny informed him. "And?" "And it looks like Roddy might be in Paris." "Here? What is he an idiot?" Johnny shrugged, "looks like it." Sonny thought it over…he had a decision to make. Leave in the morning with Brenda as planned, or remain in Paris long enough to hunt Roddy Murdock down, and kill him. Could he give up on getting revenge to start his new life with Brenda?

Chapter 11

Johnny stood quietly waiting for Sonny's instructions. Sonny pondered the situation for a while, and then ordered, "tell Max to fill Scotland Yard in on what we know. Then have him come to Paris, and make sure that bastard gets apprehended." Johnny was shocked at Sonny's decision, since he'd been wanting to kill Roddy all along. His confusion must have registered on his face, because Sonny snapped at him. "What? Is there a problem Johnny?" Johnny quickly replied, "no sir. No problem at all."

The next morning, after a tearful goodbye with Robin, Sonny, Brenda and Johnny boarded Sonny's private jet for the ride home. When they were at cruising altitude, Johnny excused himself from the cabin in order to give the boss and his lady some privacy. Then, Sonny's phone rang. It was Max. "Boss, they got him." "Good." "Uh, they say Ms. Barrett will need to come back for the trial, but they're not sure when that'll be." "Right," Sonny replied. "You want me to stay here still?" Max asked. Sonny looked at Brenda. He had been entertaining the thought of having Max arrange an "accident" for Roddy in jail while he was awaiting trial, but he knew Brenda wouldn't like that at all. So instead he answered, "no, you can come home." He hung up, and looked at Brenda again, who was now looking at him. "Who was that?" "Max." Brenda got nervous. "Did he find Roddy?" "Not exactly." "What does that mean?" "It means, he tracked Roddy down, but then gave the police the information. He's in custody now." Brenda was stunned. "But I thought…" "I know," Sonny replied. "But I knew you didn't want me to do anything to the guy, and I didn't want anything interfering with us going home together." Brenda started to cry, "you did that for me?" Sonny leaned over and kissed her, "yes. I'll do anything for you baby. But…I can't change who I am, and what I do…my business…you know that right?" Brenda nodded her head. "Yes. And I accept that Sonny. But the fact that you gave up getting revenge on this guy…that's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me." Sonny smiled, "well, I'll have to work on that. I have some other amazing things in mind for you." Brenda laughed, "well I sure hope so!"

Brenda was surprised when they ended up in a suite at the Port Charles Hotel. "Why are we here?" she asked. "I gave the penthouse to Carly & the boys. I didn't want to uproot Michael again. Besides, I wanted you & I to start fresh somewhere. That place has too many memories." Brenda nodded her head, "of Lily." "Yeah, and you. I remember how it was the night before our wedding…the night before I left you." Sonny felt like crying just thinking about it. He couldn't help but wonder, as he'd had many times, how different everything would have been if he hadn't left that day. Brenda shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't beat yourself up for that. You did what you thought was best; you left to save me, and you did. Believe me; I know now how hard that was for you." It was Sonny's turn to nod. "Yeah, I guess you do." Brenda continued, "at least I knew you were alive. I let you think I was dead…for years. I'm sorry." Sonny took her into his arms. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is you're alive, and we're together. And neither of us is going to mess it up this time."

Chapter 12 (NC 17)

Sonny couldn't believe how nervous he was. "It's excitement, that's all," he silently told himself. But he knew he was lying. He was sitting in an arm chair, sipping a brandy, waiting for Brenda to emerge from the bathroom. The thought that he'd soon be making love to her was making him a nervous wreck. It might have helped him to know Brenda was taking extra long in the bathroom for the very same reason. She kept looking at herself in the mirror…wanting to look perfect for him. "What if it's not the same?" she wondered. Before, it was a natural as breathing…how they knew to pleasure each other. They would reach that state of rapture every time, effortlessly. But it has been years now since they've done anything more than kiss, and they both had changed so much. Brenda was much more jaded than she'd ever been in her life, and Sonny was much harder. She knew her "death" had done that to him, and she felt awful about it. Would he still make love to her in that gentle but strong way he always did? She was about to find out.

She took one last deep breath, and opened the door. Sonny put his glass down and looked up at her. He almost stopped breathing when he saw she was completely nude. He realized he must have been sitting with his mouth hanging open, because Brenda laughed and said, "don't look so shocked Sonny. You've seen me naked before." Sonny closed his mouth and stood up. "It's been a while," he choked out with a gravelly voice. Brenda's smile faded, "yes, it has. Do you think…" Sonny walked over to her; "I don't know. I guess we'll find out." He bent his knees and picked her up in his arms. Brenda could feel how strong they were and made a mental note to ask him what he'd been doing to get so buff…but much later. Sonny laid her out on the bed, then immediately covered her body with his, which was still clothed. He stared into her eyes. "I love you Brenda." Brenda's eyes got teary, "I love you too Sonny. Now, make love to me." Sonny flashed a dimpled grin, and then captured her mouth with his. Brenda moaned as he kissed her deeply, snaking her fingers through his slicked back curls. When Sonny moved from her mouth to her neck, she commented, "I'm going to have those curls out, and wild, very soon." Sonny chuckled, and sucked on her neck. He wanted to leave his mark on her…the first of many. Brenda knew what he was doing, and didn't mind at all. But she also wanted him to keep moving south. She was aching to feel his mouth on her. "Sonny, please…" Sonny groaned; he had the same goal in mind. After suckling on each breast for a few moments, he scooted down between her legs, which he bent back towards her chest and spread apart with his hands. Brenda shuddered in anticipation. "You might not like me saying this, but…" "What?" Sonny asked, momentarily looking up. "No one does it like you baby." He looked up again. "Does what? This?" He lowered his head, and tasted her. "Yes…that!" Brenda said breathlessly, reaching down to keep working on his curls. Sonny didn't like what she had said at all. The fact that other men had gone down on her since they'd been together, made him see red. But he quelled his anger, and concentrated on living up to the title Brenda had just bestowed on him. He did such a good job, that Brenda repeated herself about five times. "Ooh…Sonny…you're the best! Ahhhhhhhh!"

Chapter 13 (NC 17)

After Brenda came down from the extreme high Sonny sent her on, she decided to take control of the situation. Sonny, now naked himself, had moved back up the length of her body and was lying next to her, pressing his extreme hardness against her, some of his wild curls hanging over his forehead. He was trying to take it slow and let her enjoy herself, but it was getting very difficult. He wanted to be inside of her something fierce. Brenda knew it, and wanted the same thing. She maneuvered him onto his back, and climbed on top of him. "Now it's my turn," she announced with a smile. "I'm about to burst here," Sonny warned. Brenda laughed, and guided him inside of her. She lowered herself down…slowly…allowing herself time to accommodate him. "I swear," she panted, "you're even bigger than before." Sonny smiled, "I doubt it, but maybe I'm just the biggest you've ever had too." He didn't know how he was joking about such a thing, but he needed to hear her response. Brenda leaned forward and sucked on his lips. Then she replied, "there's no contest there baby! You're the biggest, and the best. I've missed this so much."

Sonny relaxed at her words, and tried to put the thoughts of the other men she'd been with out of his mind. Brenda started riding him, her hands on his chest, her eyes closed, and her head hung back. "Look at me," Sonny softly commanded. Brenda lifted her head and opened her eyes. She stared into his and felt herself slipping into a pool of pure pleasure. His eyes alone could do that to her, but what was going on between her legs wasn't hurting the situation at all. Sonny could feel her losing control of her limbs, and quickly pulled her to his chest, and rolled them over in one swift movement. He then moved her arms to above her head, and intertwined his fingers with hers. He lowered his mouth onto hers, plunged his tongue in. Holding himself up on his knees and elbows, he began stroking deeply…and hard. Brenda moaned into his mouth with every stroke, which served to cause Sonny to move faster. He was hanging onto the edge by a thread, and wanted to release into her worse than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. Brenda wrapped her legs around his waist, and when he momentarily stopped kissing her, urged him on. "Give it to me Sonny. Oh God it's so good. I want to feel you cum inside me." Sonny erupted with a loud groan; "unh Brenda!" Everything went black for him, except for the stars exploding in front of his eyes. Almost on auto pilot, he kept stroking as he orgasmed, and soon, Brenda careened over the edge after him. "Sonny!!!!" Sonny collapsed down on top of her, and finally released his grip on her hands. She moved her arms down and started rubbing up and down his back. Sonny groaned again, "God that feels good." Brenda almost purred with contentment…and with the knowledge that even after all the years, they hadn't lost a beat.

Chapter 14

Sonny & Brenda spent the next several days in their suite, and mostly in bed. Neither wanted to open the door and let the real world into their newly-found Nirvana. But, Brenda had a meeting with the modeling agency in NYC, and Sonny had a divorce to finalize, and a business to run. So, they said a bittersweet goodbye, and Brenda headed off, with the bodyguard Sonny insisted upon. She had started to argue with him, but quickly realized there was no point…he would just have her followed anyway. She couldn't actually disagree about the necessity; the unpleasant experience of being kidnapped was still fresh in her mind. Sonny, was downright paranoid about her safety, and would have gone to Manhattan with her if he didn't have so much to attend to at home. It wasn't long after she left, that he got something else that needed his attention. Max knocked on the door, and Sonny could tell it was serious before his guard even opened his mouth. "What happened?" Sonny asked. "Murdock escaped police custody," "What?! From Scotland Yard?" Max nodded his head. "Damn it!" Sonny yelled. Then he started pacing and muttering to himself, "that's what happens when you rely on the damn cops to handle something." "Sir?" Max questioned, wondering what his next assignment was going to be. He had a pretty good idea. Sonny walked back over to him and simply said, "you know what to do. Call me when you've got him." Max nodded again, turned, and left. Sonny walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink, despite the fact that it was only 11 AM. Now, he felt he had no choice; when Max found Roddy Murdock, Sonny would go and confront him…and then avenge the woman he loved.

Sonny was still deep in thought an hour later when there was another knock on the door. He got up and opened it, and found Jason. Jason looked at him nervously, and asked, "can I come in?" Sonny stepped aside to let him enter, wondering what he was on edge about. "What's going on Jason?" Jason turned to face him, "you tell me. It seems I'm out of the loop. Did I do something to make you loose confidence in me?" Sonny realized he hadn't told Jason any of the details of Brenda's ordeal, or about the current situation with Murdock. He replied, "Jason, you and Carly are good friends. I didn't want to put you in the middle here." Jason shook his head, "that's not it. Something's different." Sonny paused, and then responded, "yeah. Something is different. When you first came to work for me you knew what was expected of you…and who was in charge. Then we also became friends, which has been great. But somewhere along the way, you've forgotten that I'm still the boss. You seem to think you can tell me what to do, especially about my personal life, and, that you can make decisions for me. Well…you can't. And I didn't want you interfering with me and Brenda. So…I haven't told you what's going on." Jason was floored. If he ever stopped to examine things, he would have realized Sonny was 100% correct…but he'd never even thought about it. But now, he did, and he thought about all the times he had interfered in Sonny's life, and told him what to do. "You mean like marrying Brenda," he stated flatly. Sonny nodded his head, "yeah. Exactly like that. I know I told you I appreciated it at the time, but honestly, I didn't. I was furious. I kept wondering what was really going on between you two." "Nothing!" Jason quickly replied; "I mean, we became friends, I think, but that's it." Sonny looked him in the eyes, "do you swear?" "Yes Sonny!" Sonny relaxed a bit; "good." "Sonny, I would never betray you like that," Jason added. "I know how much you love Brenda…I knew it then. That's why I married her, I guess, so you wouldn't have to make a choice between her and Carly." "But I should have made the choice Jason…and you should have allowed things to play out the way they were supposed to. Because, here we are…exactly where we would have been then."

Chapter 15

When Brenda phoned Sonny that evening, he told her, "I've got some good news, and some bad news…which do you want first?" Brenda got nervous, and replied, "the good news. Then maybe I can handle the bad news better." "OK. The good news is Carly & I signed the divorce and custody papers today. Everything's settled." Brenda let out a sigh, "that is good news. Now…what's the bad?" "Murdock escaped from police custody in London. From now on, I'm handling this my way." Brenda was silent. The news that Roddy had escaped wasn't nearly as disturbing as the rest of what Sonny said. "I know you don't like it, but I don't have a choice now," he added. "You do have a choice Sonny. You can let the police find him again." Sonny laughed, "again? They didn't find him the first time, my men did. Obviously, the cops in London are no more competent than the PCPD." "Just let it go Sonny…please!" Brenda begged. "Don't ask me to do that!" Sonny yelled into the phone. "I can't just leave him out there…he could come after you again!" Brenda sensed room for compromise, and offered, "OK. And if he does, you have me protected and your men will catch him. And then, if that happens, I swear Sonny, I won't interfere." She was quite confident that even Roddy wasn't dumb enough to go anywhere near her again. Sonny didn't bite, "I'm sorry…I can't take that chance. Besides, I have to let it be known what happens to someone who tries to get at me through you, or others will try." Brenda could see his point, but was still deathly afraid that he'd get caught killing Roddy, and that would be the end. She gave it one last try, "Sonny, please don't do it." Sonny put his hand on his forehead and reluctantly replied, "I'm sorry sweetheart. Now, I need you to trust me, and stay out of this." Knowing she couldn't promise him that, Brenda hung up the phone.

When she returned to Port Charles the next day, Sonny was gone. She questioned her bodyguard about where he was, but the man was as silent as the grave. Not convinced she'd get anything more useful from Jason, she went to see him none-the-less. "I don't know where he went Brenda." "Don't lie to me Jason, of course you know!" Jason shook his head, "no, I honestly don't. Sonny hasn't told me anything. He doesn't want me involved in this." Brenda looked at him quizzically; "did you guys have a fight?" Jason shrugged, "he doesn't trust me when it comes to you. He thinks I'll interfere like I did before…and I can't say I blame him for thinking that. I've acted out of line a lot of times Brenda, but especially when I married you." "But I asked you to," Brenda offered. "Sonny doesn't care. He thinks I was disloyal. He actually thought something had happened between us." Brenda crinkled up her nose, "ewwwwwww!" Jason laughed, "yeah, well that's what I tried to tell him. But he was so jealous, it took him a while to believe me." "He was jealous? You mean now, when you guys talked?" "No, I mean then, when it happened. He said he was furious that I had made a decision like that for him, and that if I hadn't, you two would have ended up right where you are now." Brenda melted at the thought of Sonny saying that. "He did? He said that?" "Yeah. And I know he's right. You two belong together." Brenda walked over to give Jason a hug, "thank you!" Jason stopped her in her tracks. "Oh no, the last thing I need is for Sonny to walk in and see you hugging me. Do me a favor, stand over there!" He pointed to the other side of the room. Brenda burst out laughing, and stepped back from him. She'd never known Jason to be paranoid like that. Sonny must have really put a scare into him about her. That made her smile. "What?" Jason asked, from the other side of the room where he had moved. "Nothing," Brenda replied, "I was just thinking about Sonny." Then, she remembered the purpose of her visit to Jason. "Oh yeah, so about Sonny…where do you think he went?" Jason stood silent, staring at her. "I know, I know, you couldn't tell me even if you knew. But if I guess, will you tell me I'm right?" Jason said nothing, but his silence seemed to indicate he would. "He went after that guy, right?" Jason again, said nothing, which Brenda took as a "yes." "Somewhere in Europe, right?" Again, silence. Jason really didn't know, but he had assumed that Sonny went back to Europe because they had a lead on Murdock. Then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oh my God…Robin!"

Chapter 16

Sonny left Port Charles the second he got word there was a lead on Murdock. On the plane, he got a call that Roddy was spotted in Paris again, and he started to get very nervous. Sonny knew how guys like Murdock thought…he'd dealt with plenty of them. On the run from the cops and the mob, the only way out was to make a deal to get oneself out of the country, and the continent. Sonny also knew Murdock wasn't going to deal with the cops; that left him. But he had no leverage to use against Sonny, unless he could get at Brenda again…which he couldn't…or someone or something else that Sonny cared about. Sonny put two and two together, and came up with a sickening conclusion. Robin was a sitting duck, and Murdock probably already had her.

Sonny's worst fears were confirmed upon arriving at Robin's apartment. She was gone, and there was a note. "Mr. Corinthos, I have Brenda's friend. All I want is to get out of the country…alive. I'll be in touch." "Damn it!" Sonny screamed, knocking over the first piece of furniture in sight. Max and Johnny stood silently by. Johnny had a soft spot for Robin, and was quite upset over the latest development, but he couldn't show it. They both gave Sonny some time to calm down, and when he did, he told them he had a new plan. Meanwhile, Brenda was on her way to Paris, with her bodyguard in tow. The man tried to talk her out of going, but she told him, "unless you're planning to tie me up somewhere, which I'm sure your boss would just love, I'm going!" He knew his boss most certainly wouldn't love that at all, so he helped Brenda make the flight arrangements.

On the other side of the city, Roddy Murdock held Robin Scorpio at gunpoint in a seedy warehouse. Robin knew without even asking that this was the same man who had kidnapped Brenda, and she prayed she'd quickly find a way out too. Luckily, she was able to convince Roddy that she needed to take her HIV medication with her. Roddy was quite uncomfortable upon hearing that his victim was HIV positive…to his way of thinking, that meant she had AIDS. He wanted this over as soon as possible. Robin didn't bother correcting his false assumption…which she could read in his eyes. She figured it might be in her favor if he thought he was at risk from just being around her.

Chapter 17

Brenda's first stop was the flat she shared with Robin, but all she found was a broken chair…and no Robin. But she had a strong feeling Sonny had already come and gone, and it gave her comfort to know he was hot on the trail. She contemplated calling the police, but then thought better of it. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason Sonny got caught killing a man. Sonny and his men were driving around Paris, waiting for Roddy's call, and hoping to see something that would help them track him down. All they saw were plenty of Paris police cars prowling around, looking for the escapee. Finally, Sonny's phone rang. "You've got to be the dumbest guy alive," Sonny said, knowing it was Roddy on the other end. "Probably," Roddy replied; "but all I want now is to stay that way. We can make a clean trade, the girl in exchange for a ride on your private jet to the Caribbean." Sonny hesitated, but only for effect. He had already planned to agree to fly Roddy out of the country, and then…

"Well?" Roddy nervously interjected. "I'm thinking about it," Sonny snapped, "just shut up." Roddy did as told; impressed that Sonny was so cool and authoritative under pressure. If things had been different, he would have loved to work for the guy. After making him sweat for a few more moments, Sonny finally answered, "fine. It's a deal. But first, I want to speak with Robin. And I swear, if she so much as tells me she has a hangnail, you're done." Roddy handed the phone to Robin. "Sonny?" "Sweetheart, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" "No, I'm fine Sonny." "What about your meds? Did you miss any?" Sonny asked with his heart in his stomach. "No," Robin was glad to be able to reply. "I took them with me. He didn't want an AIDS patient to get sick on him." Sonny was confused, "a what? But you don't have…Oh, I get it. Say no more. Like I said to him earlier, he's not too bright." Robin stifled a laugh. "I love you Sonny." "I love you too Robin. Now put Einstein back on the phone." Robin handed the phone back to Roddy, who took it reluctantly, holding it away from his face as he spoke into it. Sonny told him, "now, here's what you need to do…"

Brenda was despondent, and angry at herself. "Why did I come here? I can't do anything…I don't know anything!" Her guard was sympathetic, but knew the boss would cut his heart out if he gave Brenda any information on what was going on. Not that he knew much, but he knew more than she did. Brenda sat down in the apartment and tried to think. "OK, why would Roddy have taken Robin? He already knows Sonny is after him, and the cops…it doesn't make any sense…unless…" She looked at her guard. "I know you can't tell me anything." "That's right ma'am." "But can you tell me hypothetically…if someone was on the run from Sonny, would grabbing someone else close to Sonny give them an advantage? Would it help them make a deal to save themselves?" The guard shuffled nervously, and then replied, "hypothetically? Yes." Brenda smiled, she was making progress. "OK, OK, good. So…if he had leverage, what would he ask for? Probably a way out of Paris, right?" The guard didn't reply, and Brenda assumed this was just like her conversation with Jason. Silence was affirmation. "So…he'd want a way out of the country, so the cops couldn't get him, and so Sonny would agree to let him go far away." Again, silence. "The airport! That has to be where they're all headed! Let's go!"

On the ride to the airport, Brenda was proud of herself, but also concerned. She knew full well Sonny wasn't going to let Roddy just ride off into the sunset…not after kidnapping two people that were close to him. She didn't know what she would find there, or how she would deal with it.

Chapter 18

Sonny men had arranged for the hanger where his private jet was docked to be vacant of all airport personnel. When he, Max and Johnny arrived, Roddy and Robin were waiting there, with Roddy still holding his gun on Robin. Sonny walked over to them and ordered, "you need to put that down…now!" Seeing how there were two men with their guns trained on him, Roddy didn't argue, and put his gun on the ground, and kicked it towards Sonny. He realized his plan was foolish and his goose was cooked. There was no way Sonny Corinthos was going to fly him anywhere. Robin walked away from Roddy, and into Sonny's arms. "Are you sure you're OK?" "Yes Sonny, I'm fine." Sonny looked at Johnny. "Take her outside." "Sonny, what are you going to do?" Robin nervously asked. "Never you mind," Sonny replied, staring at Roddy, who was sweating under his gaze. Max moved over and took hold of him, and Johnny started to lead Robin away. "Wait!" Robin cried; "Sonny, don't do this!" Sonny approached Roddy, who thought he was surely about to die. Sonny hit him with a strong right...just a taste of what he was hoping to do to the man while he still had time. Max held Roddy up, certain the boss would want to get at least a few more shots in.

"Sonny!" Everyone turned at the sound of Brenda's voice. Robin ran to her, and they embraced. "Brenda? Shit!" Sonny declared. Roddy was standing, barely, his jaw throbbing, staring at Brenda and remembering how this all started because he was so captivated by her beauty. Max tightened his grip on the man's arms. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sonny asked Brenda. "I had to come Sonny…don't be mad at me!" "Don't be mad at you? You can never just leave a thing alone, can you?!" Sonny yelled. "Don't fight!" Robin yelled back. It took a moment for any of them to realize they now had company. "Everybody freeze!" a French Policeman said in stilted English. Brenda started to panic, this was her worst nightmare come true…except for the fact that Sonny wasn't standing over Roddy's dead body with a gun in his hand. She was thankful for small favors. She turned to the cops, and started to say, "OK…this is not what you think."

Sonny cut her off. "Right on time officers; there's your man," he added, pointing at Murdock. The officer approached him first. "Mr. Corinthos? Thank you for your assistance." "You're welcome," Sonny replied. "But do me a favor, OK? Don't let it get around." The policeman laughed, and then went over to arrest Roddy, who was already being cuffed by two other officers. Brenda stood stunned, realizing Sonny had set the whole thing up and called the police himself. Once again, she saw the depth of Sonny's feelings for her, and commitment to her, and she was moved beyond words. As the police led Murdock past Sonny, he told them to wait for a moment. He looked Roddy in the eyes and said, "it's obvious you're dumber than a pile of rocks, but is there a possibility you've learned not to mess with me…or mine…ever again?" Roddy nodded his head, "yes. You'll never hear from me again. And thanks, for not killing me." Sonny didn't reply, and motioned for the cops to take him away. Max couldn't help but comment, "it doesn't hurt that he'll be up the river for the next fifty years. Otherwise, he might try something again. Man that guy is an idiot." Johnny, Robin and Brenda laughed, but Sonny didn't. He wasn't sure if he could ever make Brenda understand what it cost him to let Roddy live; the damage to his pride, his reputation. But he also knew the flip side and what it would have cost him if he killed the man; how it would have diminished him in Brenda's eyes. And it wasn't worth the cost.

Epilogue

Sonny, Brenda, Max and Brenda's guard left for Port Charles, after seeing Robin home and leaving Johnny with her. She didn't even argue. She'd always liked Johnny, and it was comforting to have someone looking out for her. On the plane, Brenda asked the guards if they could give her and Sonny some privacy, which they did after a nod from the boss. "Are you still mad at me?" Brenda tentatively asked. "Yes," Sonny replied. "I don't know why you can't stay out of something when I ask you to. Don't you trust me?" Brenda nodded her head, "yes. I trust you. Probably a lot more now than I did when this whole thing started. And I know that sounds bad, but what I mean is that I didn't always trust you to not put yourself in jeopardy because of business, or revenge. And I'm sorry about that. I'll never doubt your judgment again. I know you brought the cops in, again, because I asked you too. You just keep showing me how much you love me, and I haven't done the same for you. But I will, I swear." Sonny smiled, and brushed the hair from her eyes. "You don't have to do anything sweetheart, except trust that I know what I'm doing, and that everything I do…I do with us in mind. I plan on us being together forever, and I swear, I won't take any chances with that." Brenda unbuckled her seat belt, and crawled into his lap, so she could kiss him properly. "Mmmm…not a good idea Brenda," Sonny admonished in between kisses. "We're not exactly alone up here." "Yes we are," Brenda replied, breathlessly. "They won't come in until you tell them to. Besides, we have a past wrong to right you know." Sonny looked at her with a cocked eyebrow, "we do?" "Yes. Remember when we went to Washington, D.C.?" Sonny laughed, "you mean the flight when we both wanted to rip each others clothes off, but neither wanted to make the first move?" Brenda giggled, "yeah, that's the one!" Sonny started unbuttoning her blouse. "Oh yeah, we definitely need to right that wrong."

In the adjoining ante-cabin, Max and Brenda's guard tried to remain composed and professional as the moans and groans coming from the cabin increased in volume. And they certainly had no intention of returning until the boss told them too. The last thing either of them wanted was to walk in on the bosses' woman in any state of undress…they both valued their eyeballs too much. "Oh God Sonny, I can't stand it!" Brenda cried, as she rode furiously up and down on Sonny, who was buried deeply inside her. "I need more! I need it now!" "Well hell baby," Sonny thought, "you're taking it all already!" Moments later, Brenda broke with a scream that had the guards shifting uncomfortably in their seats. "Sonny!!!!" She collapsed forward onto him, and Sonny grabbed a hold of her tight ass and started thrusting up from underneath. Brenda whimpered with pleasure with every stroke. Sonny exploded inside of her, and let out a loud groan. Brenda moved around on his lap to prolong the sensations, and Sonny almost jumped out of his skin. "Baby, baby…You've got to stop!" Brenda looked him the eyes and smiled. "Never Sonny…I'll never stop."

THE END