*Letting Go* Chapter 29

by Shani

Jason was out of jail. How could the judge throw everything out. All of that work, all of that evidence, inadmissable. Dara was appealing, but she had told Jax she beleived politics were behind it. That meant the chances of getting him back in jail were slim.
A female voice brought Jax out of his thoughts.
"Can you finish zipping me up?" V asked.
Jax got out of the chair and zipped V's dress.
"So what do you think?" V twirled around in her dress.
"You look beautiful." Jax replied honeslty with a smile. "Tonight's the night. Are you ready?"
"I can't beleive I'm getting married." V grinned from ear to ear. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too. Brenda will be sorry she missed it."
"It was a spur of the moment thing. Alex just asked me 2 days ago. Jax?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you happy?"
"I am very happy....why are you looking at me like that?"
"I thought you and Brenda were getting married in London."
"Change of plans." Jax shrugged his shoulders. "We have plenty of time. I have things I have to deal with first...stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. I'm MORE than fine. I am HAPPY." Jax hugged V tightly.
V rested her head on Jax's chest. Brenda had better not hurt him again. Because Jax would forgive her. But she wouldn't.
There was a knock on the door and Jax let go. "I've got it." he said and walked over.

Brenda zipped up her bag and headed downstairs. "Julia?" she called.
Julia came out of the kitchen. "Are you getting ready to go?"
"Yeah. Justus called. Jax has an important dinner tomorrow night and if I'm on the 3:00 plane I'll get back in time to sleep for a few hours, get ready and go."
"Meeting with who?"
Brenda turned around and looked at the woman who spoke.
"Oh I'm sorry. Where are my manners." Julia walked over. "Alexis Davis, this is my sister Brenda Barrett. Brenda-Alexis."
"I know Alexis." Brenda stated. "She...she dates Ned."
"How is Jax?" Alexis asked.
"He's fine."
"Julia, it was nice talking with you. Brenda, can I offer you a ride to the airport?"
"I have a car."
"Oh, let me walk you down then."
"Sure." Brenda said with a fake smile. She walked over to Julia and hugged her. "I love you."
"I love you too. Be careful."
Brenda grabbed her bag and left with Alexis. As soon as the door closed she looked at her. "What do you want?"
"I wonder why Jax didn't call you and tell you about the dinner."
Brenda had actually asked Justus that same question. Justus had said that Jax would be in meetings all day.
"What do you want."
Alexis continued. "Did you hear about your friend...Arden..."
"Ardenowski. What about her?"
"She was supposed to get married a few days ago. It fell through."
Brenda looked at her.
"It seems that her fiance came home and found her in bed with...someone else. V followed him downstairs into the Ouback, wearing nothing but a sheet wrapped around her, screaming after him. Yelling that she was sorry. But I guess Alex didn't forgive her. He transferred out of the Port Charles Police Department the next day. I had seen them together. They had seemed so in love. I never would have thought she would cheat on hom."
"Neither did I." Brenda mumbled to herself.
"Who would she be willing to cheat on her fiance for....so, how's Jax."
Brenda looked up sharply. Alexis smiled at her. "I bet that you're glad that Sonny's dead." she said quickly changing the subject.

Jax waited for Brenda at the gate. But she didn't show and he started to panic. "Calm down." he said to himself and called Julia.
"Hello?"
"Has Brenda left yet?"
"A while ago. She should be in Port Charles by now. Is there anything wrong?!"
"No..."Jax lied. "I was hoping she'd be late. I'm running a little late and I'm not at the airport yet. If she calls, tell her I'll be there soon okay?"
Julia breathed deeply. "Okay."
Jax hung up the phone and called Justus. "Have you heard from Brenda?" there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around. "Never mind. I'll see you tonight."
"You're waiting for Brenda? That's odd."
"What's so odd?"
"I saw her with Sonny Corinthos. Holding hands and kissing. I went up and talked to her for a while. She was on her way to Rio she said." Alexis pointed to her assistant and he picked up her bags. "We'll be seeing you tonight?"
Jax nodded.
"Good." she said and walked off.

While Dara, Nikolas, Sarah, Alexis and Ned sat in the living room, Jax headed upstairs with Stefan and Justus.
"Jasper." Stefan began, "I hope there is no ill will between us, surrounding Mishka."
"What happened between you and Mir...Mishka had nothing to do with me and Miranda. But I would like to thank your family for returning her medallion to me. I've put in in an appropiate place. It must have been hard for you...knowing what it's for."
Stefan looked at Justus.
"He already knows. You know what they say, tell your lawyer everything."
Justus laughed. "That's why I love working for him. He beleives everything I tell him."
Stefan smiled and then looked back at Jax. "What the medallion is for?"
"Sure. Mira...Mishka told me that it's like a key. That out together it opens something..." Jax tried to think
Stefan smiled again. "Yes. It opens a box. A family heirloom that passes from one head to another. I gave it to Mishka, and when she died, I needed it so that Nikolas could give the contents to Sarah. That being accomplished, we thought it was best that you have it. Since she wanted you to"
Jax nodded. "Thank you. And like I said, it's in an appropiate place."

Jax stood on the dock at Windemere and looked out into the fog. "What did you do?"
Jax turned and stared at Jerry. "Why are you here?"
"Don't you realize that they're using you?"
"Why should they be different from you?"
"I have NEVER used you." Jerry came up and stared into Jax's eyes.
"Lied. Used. Same difference. Either way I have no use for you. Excuse me, I think I'll go see what's keeping my friends." He started to walk up the stairs.
"They're trying to pull us apart. Don't let them..."
Jax turned around and came back downstairs. "No *you* tore us apart. Put the blame where it belongs. Now, like I said. I have no use for you. Leave me alone."
"When you get mad does your brain malfunction? You run off to marry *Brenda*. You start hanging out with the Cassadines. These people don't care anything about you! Jax, you've got to listen to me..."
Jax turned when he heard footsteps. Dara and Justus had left Windemere. "What I do with my life is my business." Jax said quietly. "I don't care what you think, I don't need your approval. I tried to do this nicely, but obviously that didn't work. So let me explain this to you. The only words out of your mouth to me should concern business. That's it. I don't want any advice, I don't want any small talk. I don't want any apologies..."
"I have nothing to apologize for."
"You honestly beleive that?" Jax was stunned.
Justus held Dara back. "Let's wait."
"Everything I do..." Jerry continued.
"I know. You do for me. Learn a new tune."
"It's true."
"Fine. I don't want to hear your rationalizations...is that better? So let's review. If it doesn't concern business, don't talk to me. About *anything*. Ever."
"What's this about? You hate me now...over MIRANDA?"
"Miranda was the last straw. But I don't hate you. Hate is an emotion I reserve for a few special people. You mean nothing to me." Jax turned and looked at Dara and Justus. "Ready?"
Dara and Justus walked over. "Justus, you've met Jerry. Dara Jensen, this is my...business partner. Jerry."
Dara smiled and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Jerry shook Dara's hand. "Likewise."
The shuttle came to take them back to the mainland. Justus helped Dara in and followed. Jax looked at Jerry. "*Now* do you understand?"
Jerry looked at Jax. Jax smiled. "Are you hurting? Good. Now you know how I felt everytime I found out you lied to me." Jax got into the shuttle and it pulled off.

Jax finished pouring the champagne. Justus laughed. "The medallion was a *key* Where'd you get that kind of stuff."
"I made it up." Jax shrugged.
"Pretty good...hey..."
"Don't worry. I swept the limo for bugs myself. It's clean."
"So how did you know about the medallion?"
"Brenda figured it out actually. She said it was bothering her that Nikolas went through all that trouble to get it back and then they just gave it to me. Then I started to get information on my...on Jerry. It just added up-they thought I knew something about that stupid medallion-so I figure make something up, and they'll leave us alone."
"So where is it?"
"I tossed it in London." Jax laughed. "Appropiate enough." he finished his champagne.
"Jax." Justus asked seriously. "What about Jerry?"
"What about him? I don't care why the Cassadines did it. They did me a favor."
"You know the last time I talked to Granny Mae, we had had an argument. I never saw her alive again."
"Thank you voice of reason" Jax sighed.
"I'm serious."
"I'm sorry. But she loved you."
"Jax, your brother loves you...he may be warped..."
"Understatment."
"But he loves you."
"Like the Q's love you? Family is more than blood. In fact blood basically means nothing. You can tell who loves you by their actions. And if their actions keep hurting you...and they keep doing them despite the fact that they know it hurts you...for whatever reason...they don't really love you, do they?"
Justus sighed. "I give." he opened the door and got out of the car. "See you tomorrow." he said and closed the door.
Jax pressed the intercom button. "Go home." he said to the driver.
"Thank you Mr. Jacks."
Jax laid back in his seat and thought about going inside. He wondered where Brenda was. He knew she wasn't with Sonny-Sonny was dead. And he remembered the talk they had when he flew back to London and told her. He had wanted her to come back to Port Charles then, but she said she wasn't ready and she needed some time alone.
Jax wondered if time alone meant he wouldn't see her again. He picked up his phone and called V. "Hello?"
"Hi."
"Stop checking up on me. I'm fine."
"I'm not checking up on you...okay I am. But how are you really?"
"I've been better. But I'll be okay. I made my bed, I can lie in it. I shoudl have known better. But I just couldn't say no to Marcus. I couldn't"
"Maybe that should tell you something." Jax stated quietly. "Is it weird working with Taggert now?"
"No....I'm sleepy, can we talk about this another time?"
"Sure. Call me if you need me okay?"
"Bye." V hung up.
Jax figured he had waited long enough to go upstairs. He opened the door and got out.
"I was wondering when you'd come out of there. I was starting to think you were having a party."
Jax ran over to Brenda. He picked her up and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry I missed the party. I missed the plane."
Jax didn't say anything. He out her down and stroked her hair. Bending down, he kissed her passionately.
Brenda returned his kiss. "I told you I'd come back." she mumbled against his lips.
And for the first time in their relationship he actually fully beleived her.

Shani