Intrigue & Passion Chapter 2

by: Susan

Jax leaned his head back against the chair he was sitting in, closed his eyes and sighed. He had just come off a long assignment and wanted to do nothing but sleep, but he had gotten an emergency call from Johnny about a new case that he needed The Phoenix's help on.

Taking a deep breath Jax opened one eye. There was a familiar sent in Johnny's waiting room. A scent that he knew, that brought him back to a night four years ago that he tried to forget.

"Brenda. " He whispered her name.

Why couldn't he forget her? She had broken his heart but he couldn't get her out of his head. After four years of flings and short relationships with beautiful women, Jax still couldn't find anyone who stirred the same feelings in him that Brenda Barrett had brought to life. Dimly Jax heard the speaker on Debbie's phone crackle and he looked up.

"Johnny's ready for you Jax. "

Flashing her a smile Jax pulled open the door and walked into the inner office. A familiar voice whispered his name in shock. Johnny got up and shut the door. And Jax stood perfectly still.

Brenda backed away from Johnny's desk. One hand over her mouth, the other over her heart. Shaking her head she kept moving until she felt the wall behind her. She needed to be strong. Jax was The Phoenix? But…

Johnny watched the reactions of both his top agents. Jax was The Phoenix yes, but everyone in the agency was now referring to the former Mrs. Jacks as Pandora, because whenever she got to work on a case it opened right up and all hell would break loose. But now, both of them were stunned.

"Please, " he motioned to the two seats in front of his desk. "Sit down both of you. I realize that this is quite a shock, but since you are both my best agents I need you to team up on an incredibly volatile case. "

"No…"

Brenda was the first to speak. She turned to Johnny, unaware of the tears forming in her eyes. Feeling the pain of what she had done to Jax like it was fresh. Like she had just told him about Sonny.

"No? Brenda I'm afraid there is no room for the answer of no in this instance. The head of the agency himself has ordered that the two of you work together on this case. It is a matter of national security. Now please sit down. "

Defeated and drained Brenda sank into the chair and ran her left hand through her hair.

Jax watched her. Brenda was Pandora? It wasn't possible. Something flashed in the light and he searched for the source. Finding it stunned him. There, were he had placed them four years ago were the engagement ring and wedding band he had given her. She still wore them?

Noticing what Jax was staring at Brenda moved her hand and pulled her feet onto the chair, hugging them to herself and resting her chin on her knees. She knew he had seen the rings. She wore them to remind herself of what she had thrown away, of what she had done to him. She just couldn't take them off. She hoped he didn't ask her to.

"Jax? "

Johnny pointed to the chair next to Brenda and smiled as Jax sat in it, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"What do you need us for Johnny? "

Jax would find out why Brenda had joined the WSB later, from Johnny, he couldn't be alone with her just now. All he could do was get through this meeting and get out of here, go home and sleep. He was feeling like a cut someone had poured lemon juice into and he wasn't enjoying it.

"Well, we have a problem in Port Charles, NY. A town you're both acquainted with. Apparently the local mob boss there has just decided to get into something a little more lucrative. "

Johnny watched their reactions, then continued.

"He now deals in illegal arms. "

After handing both agents files Johnny stood up and walked over to the window.

Brenda flipped quickly through the file and tried to ignore Jax's sharp breath when he read the name on the top of it. She had been waiting for a chance to bring Sonny down ever since she had learned what he had done to her, how he had set her up. Smiling she threw back her head and laughed.

Jax's head snapped up when he heard Brenda's laugh. It wasn't the light, bubbly laugh that had greeted him so many times. Instead it had an edge to it. He didn't know why but it made him uncomfortable. What had happened to his Brenda?

"Johnny. "

He turned to face Brenda. She was actually rubbing her hands together with glee.

"Yes Brenda. "

Sitting behind his desk again, Johnny waited for her answer.

"Count me in. I've been waiting for a chance to nail this bastard. "

Intrigue & Passion Chapter 3

Jax stood up after Brenda had walked out of the office. She hadn't said a word to him or looked at him after he had agreed to participate in the case against Sonny. Just the thought of the man made Jax furious.

Johnny watched Jax pace as he put files away. Brenda had left minutes before and had all but skipped out of the office.

"Well, I assume you have some questions for me Jax. Why don't we just get this over with. "

Turning from the window Jax ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"You knew who she was when she joined the agency didn't you Johnny? "

"I did. We always do background checks on our prospective agents. "

"How could you let her join? "

Jax started to pace again.

"Excuse me? "

"This is dangerous work Johnny. Not something bored models do when they screw up their lives. "

"Jax sit down. "

He pulled Brenda's file out of his desk drawer.

"She wasn't just some bored model Jax. Your ex-wife joined the agency because of a personal vendetta. She wanted to get Sonny Corinthos back for everything he had done to her. "

"Did he hurt her? "

"Physically, no, but emotionally she was dragged through the ringers. I tell you what Jax. "

Pulling a box out of the file cabinet behind him Johnny sighed. He knew he really shouldn't do what he was about to do, but hell, he was the acting director of the agency and he would do what he could to make sure this case was completed.

"You have questions about Brenda. I know you haven't seen or spoken to each other in four years, and I know the wounds are still fresh. "

"Johnny…"

"There are still unresolved feelings between the two of you Jax, and before you work on this case together you're going to have to work them out. "

"It's not possible. "

Still trying to mentally examine everything he had just learned Jax didn't think he could handle anymore. Especially not if it meant being alone with Brenda. Even after everything he had still felt an intense pull towards her. He didn't want that. He didn't need that.

"It is Jax. "

Johnny handed the box to Jax.

"Here are all the psychiatric evaluations that were done on Brenda while she was going through training, as well as some of her interviews. It's all documented on tape. Take it home Jax. Listen to it. Then make your decision. "

He was holding her in the palm of his hand. All her thoughts and feelings would be on these tapes. Jax knew he had to listen to them, and he knew how personal the evaluations were going to be. This wasn't going to be easy.

He looked at Johnny.

"I don't have a choice do I? "

"No. " Johnny shook his head. "No you don't. "

Jax grabbed the files and the box of tapes and stood up.

"Is that all then? "

"Yup. Oh, Jax. "

He stopped with his hand on the door.

"Brenda's number is in the file. She's living in Brooklyn now, with the Cerullo family. She just moved in with them. Give her a call…when your done. "

Jax nodded and walked out the door. This was definitely not going to be a fun case.

Brenda stood in her bedroom at the Cerullo's. Closing her eyes she tried to memorize everything about the Jax she had seen today. Music wafted up from the kitchen and Brenda smiled. Lois and her mom were downstairs baking, but neither of them had said anything to her when she walked into the house. It was good because she need some time to get herself under control again. The music lulled her to sleep and brought her back to the night when she had told Jax about Sonny.

Annie Lennox's song "Little Bird" is playing.

"I look up to the little bird

That glides across the sky

He sings the clearest melody

It makes me want to cry

It makes me want to sit right down and cry, cry, cry

I walk along the city streets

So dark with rage and fear

And I…

I wish that I could be that bird

And fly away from here "

"JAX!!!!" Brenda screamed his name and crumpled to the floor as the door slammed and silence hung over the Penthouse like a fog, choking her. He hadn't said anything to her. He hadn't even looked at her. "NOBODY LEAVES JAX!!! OH GOD, DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" She had crumpled to the floor then, the heart wrenching sobs tearing her apart, until all she could do was rock on the floor and whisper his name, hoping he would come back. But he hadn't. He hadn't.

"But my, my I feel so low

My, my where do I go?

My, my what do I know?

My, my we reap what we sow

They always said you knew best

But this little bird's fallen out of that nest now

I've got a feeling that it might have been blessed

So I've got to put these wings to test"

She missed him desperately. Sometimes, if she closed her eyes and tried hard enough she could still feel his arms around her, could still hear his breathing, and feel the warmth of his love. It was the only time she ever felt warm. Until today.

"For I am just a troubled soul

Who's weighed…

Give me the strength to carry on

Til I can lay this burden down

Give me the strength to lay this burden down, down, down, yea

Give me the strength to lay it down.

Brenda knew she still loved Jax. Had known it before he had left her. It was why she felt she had to tell him about what had happened between she and Sonny in the cave. But she hadn't been completely prepared for watching his reaction. She had watched as the love in his eyes had disappeared and watched it replaced by a cold wall, It was still there when she had seen him today, and to know she had done that to him made her feel worse. Tears streamed down her face as she slept. Memories of happier times with Jax trying to fill the hole in her heart but not succeeding.

"But my, my I feel so low

My, my where do I go?

My, my what do I know?

My, my we reap what we sow

They always said that you knew best

But this little bird's fallen out of that nest now

I've got a feeling that it might have been blest

So I've just got to put this wings to test. "

She would bring Sonny down. For herself and for Jax, and then she knew, they would walk away from each other, and the pain would begin again. But, now, she would live with the knowledge that he would be with her again, if only for a little while.

Across town Jax sat on his sofa. A tape deck in front of him and files spread everywhere. Rubbing his face with his hands he picked up the first of the tapes and listened as Brenda's shaking voice filled the silence in the room. It was going to be a long, hard night.