Jason's Office, the Main Penthouse
"Is this some sort of joke?" Connery asks, incredulous.
"Most of these
Operations are vital to the WSB maintaining good relations with
our
South American "associates." You're kidding, right?"
he inquires,
incredulous.
"Does he LOOK like he's kidding, James?" Jerry seethes
his voice
terse. He also has a copy of the files his boss is skimming; and
while
no fan of the "shady dealings" the WSB oftentimes
engages in, like
Connery, he can't believe the proposal.
"Sorry." Connery closes the file, tossing it to the
carpeted floor next
to his chair. "Not possible. Not even REMOTELY possible,"
he shakes
his head.
"You MAY want to reconsider your stance, Director,"
Dara intones
cryptically.
"Did he stutter, Dara?" Jerry snarls, shooting Dara a
heated gaze. "No.
His answer's NO."
"Was I talking to you?" as Dara arches her brow, her
voice rising
slightly. Calm down, baby. Too much at stake for you to let Jerry
get
a rise out of you. She turns her attention to Jason her voice now
tightly controlled. "Perhaps you should inform them about
the renegade
faction of Moreno's soldiers "
"Naw," he replies, shaking his head. He makes no
attempt to mask his
delight at the flustered responses of Connery and Jerry. "You
tell
'em."
"RENEGADES?!" Connery bellows.
"FACTIONS?!" Jerry rages.
"Are you two done throwing your hissy fits?" Dara asks,
rising from her
seat. "Good. Now, Director," as she makes her way
towards him, "I
suggest you rethink your position on Jason's offer." She
pauses,
pointing a finger in Jerry's direction, never breaking her gaze
with
Connery. "Don't EVEN think about butting in, Jerry!"
Seconds later, a
disgruntled Jerry returns to his seat, muttering the entire way.
"As I
was saying before, although Jason has taken control of Moreno's
territory, there remains a small group of his men who aren't
willing to
cooperate, and these men have been trying to stir up unrest
within other
Organizations--especially those that were once tight with Moreno.
So far, none of the other Organizations have taken them up on
their
offer. They know better. They may be ticked about Jason coming in
and
totally revamping the way they've done business - squashing their
drug
trade, the prostitution.... - but they're NOT stupid. And stupid
is
exactly what someone in a rival Organization would have to be to
take
on Jason after what happened to Moreno." Dara shrugs. "But,
then
again, these "renegades" aren't exactly known for their
brains like the
pitbulls they are they're big, vicious and loyal. They just MAY
be
crazy enough to try and take on Jason. not because they'd win but
because of Moreno."
"VERY big on loyalty," Jason concurs, rising from
behind his desk,
coming to rest next to Dara.
"Yeah, nothing like honor among thieves, eh, Morgan?"
Jerry sneers.
"Didn't Dara tell you to shut up?!" Jason barks, then
without missing a
beat, returns his attention to Connery. "Now, while I'm sure
these men
knew nothing of Moreno's involvement with the WSB, if they WERE
to find
out " Jason taunts, offering up a knowing smile. "Well,
let's just say,
they would NOT be pleased to know that once their man Moreno was
thrown
in jail, the folks at the Bureau didn't so much as lift a FINGER
to help
him out. You guys scraped him from off the bottom of your shoes
like he
was day-old dung. Yep," as he shakes his head mockingly,
"they're a
REAL loyal bunch. And if they were--say, given a bit of info on
some
Bureau Operations down in say, COLUMBIA " Jason lets out a
low whistle,
offering up a derisive laugh. "Well, they'd be out for
blood, Connery.
No doubt about it but it wouldn't be mine."
"You wouldn't," as Connery rises, all the while eying
Jason.
"Dara, do I bluff?" Jason continues to return Connery's
stare, never
blinking.
"Believe he's bluffing if you like, Connery. Hell," she
snorts, "he
might even lead 'em there himself!"
"All right," as Connery slowly returns to his seat.
"James! You're not actually gonna give in to the Pup's
demands?!"
Jerry looks at Connery like he's just sprouted a third eye.
"I cannot
BELIEVE this!"
" Sit down, Jerry," Connery replies evenly. "I
think Dara's right. I
need to reconsider my stance."
"Smart move," Jason answers his flat unblinking stare
still focused on
Connery.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later
While Jason and Jerry hammer out the finer points of Jason's
terms, Dara
and Jerry stand on opposite sides of the room, staring daggers at
each
other. Finally tiring of being under Jerry's intense gaze, Dara
crosses
the room, heading for the wet bar. Seeing her headed in his
direction,
Jerry quickly ambles over to the bar.
"Nice necklace," Jerry nods. "A gift from Pup?"
he sneers.
"What of it?" she challenges, eyes flashing.
"Nothing!" as Jerry raises his hands in mock surrender.
"I was just
gonna say, I never took him to have a sense of humor." Dara
looks at
Jerry quizzically. "The stone in the choker it's a form of
chrysoberyl--Tiger's Eye."
"And?" Dara shrugs, absently taking a step back--the
more distance
between her and Jerry, the better as far as she's concerned.
"The POINT
of this lesson in Gemology?"
"It represents protection from the Government."
"Well...I always thought Jason had a pretty wry sense of
humor," Dara
smiles, absently stroking the stone. "You want one?" as
she pours
herself a drink. Jerry shakes his head.
"Bourbon?" he comments, arching his brow. "Since
when did you become a
drinker?"
Tossing back the drink, Dara shoots Jerry a venomous look. "Since
when
is it any of your business?" she replies, wincing as the
fiery liquid
glides down her throat.
"Still as brash as ever, I see," he laughs. "Nice
to see SOME things
never change."
"See, that's where you're wrong, Jer." as she slams the
glass down.
Jason and Connery never so much as break their concentration.
"Things
HAVE changed," as she turns to walk away.
"I think not," he counters quietly. Taking her by the
arm he attempts
to turn her to face him. "What in the hell are you doing
here, Dara?
What's happened to you?"
"Let go, Jerry." Dara struggles to keep her voice even.
It's all she
can do not to lose it right then and there. She's amazed that
after all
this time, his touch can still do that to her. "I said let
GO!" she
hisses, her back to Jerry.
"Not until you give me some answers!" he hisses back.
"Okay, so you
needed to stay alive I can buy that. But backing Morgan--sticking
it to
the Bureau? That's not like you. This," He waves his hand
around the
room, referring to the new world she inhabits, "THIS isn't
you, Dara."
He pauses, turning Dara so that she's looking right at him.
"This isn't
MY Dara," he says softly.
Looking into Jerry's dark brown eyes, Dara nearly comes undone.
Upon
hearing him call her "my Dara," her heart all but stops.
Get a GRIP,
woman! This is not the time. This is NOT the place! Calling upon
every ounce of self-control she has, Dara slowly disengages
herself from
Jerry's grip. Clearing her throat, she steels herself. "I'm
not "YOUR
Dara", Jerry. I haven't been for a long time. I'm certainly
not the
Dara that gave 10 years of her life to the Bureau. THAT Dara died
the
day they planted a bomb in a car at the Courthouse, a bomb meant
for
me. Take a good long look, Jerry. What you see? This is what and
who
I am NOW. You say this stone represents protection? Well, that's
what
Jason offered me. No, he doesn't have the Government's seal of
approval
with regards to what he does, but he sure is a helluva lot more
loyal
than the Bureau. Jason was there for me when I called and every
day
since then.
"So, this is your life now?"
"This is my life," she nods. "I make no apologies
for it. I ask for no
one's approval. The sooner you understand and accept that, the
better
off we'll both be."
"Okay. That's the way you want it? Fine."
"That's the way it is," as she walks away.
"Yeah, Dara. Believe that all you want," he says
softly, watching her
cross the room. "You talk about sealing your fate with that
phone
call? Just remember who you called FIRST, luv!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The final stages of Negotiations
"Nope," as Jason shakes his head. "I thought I
made it clear, Connery?
Cross that "associate" off the list of Operations I'll
be dealing with.
I want no part of prostitution not even a hint of it."
"Is that so, Pup is that so?" Jerry sneers.
"The name's Morgan," Jason replies, his voice tinged
with warning.
"Well, PUP according to our sources, you have an inordinate
number of
ladies here at your Penthouse. Many of them with some rather
loose
reputations if you know what I mean?" he winks. "Kind
of a perfect
setup for a brothel, if you ask me..."
Dara's jaw tightens. Her eyes ablaze, she rises, making a beeline
for
Jerry. Hands on her hips, she stares him down. "Now I just
KNOW you're
not insinuating Jason has the women here hooking for him? I'm
hoping
for your sake that little comment is due to you hitting the sauce
a
little too much over the last hour," Dara threatens.
"You think I'm drunk, luv?" Jerry laughs. "I'm as
sober as a judge!"
He steps closer, then bends down to whisper in her ear,
deliberately
allowing his lips to graze her ear. "What's wrong, Dara?
Tonight not
your night to warm Pup's bed? Hell, at least with me, you never
had to
wait in line!"
"I'm warning you, Jerry..."
"So, tell me, Pup," as he looks across the way at Jason.
"It's gettin'
kinda late--did you and Dara already "take care of business"...or
will
that take place after this meeting is over?"
"Connery, muzzle him or I will!" Jason rises from his
chair.
Connery, flushed with anger merely shakes his head, scowling at
Jerry.
Giving a mirthless laugh, he realizes he was hoping for too much
that
Jerry and Dara could be in the same room and it not turn nasty.
"Dammit, Jerry! Just shut up, would you? You are NOT helping
here!"
"Shut up?" Jerry repeats, laughing. "Oh, I'm JUST
getting started," as
he whirls Dara around.
"Wrong, baby. You're finished!" Seconds later, Dara
swiftly rams her
knee into Jerry's groin, sending him crumpling to the floor,
groaning in
agony and uttering a few curse words she didn't even know existed.
"Jeezus, Dara!" Connery gasps. "You trying to kill
the man?!" as he
gets in between them, Dara still towering over Jerry.
"He's lucky I didn't do it TWICE!"
Still doubled over, Jerry slowly rises to his feet, with
assistance from
Connery. "Yep. No doubt about, mate...she still loves me!"
he cracks.
"In your dreams!" she snorts.
"You okay?" Jason asks, gently leading her away.
"Yeah," Dara replies, exhaling deeply, staring daggers
in Jerry's
direction. Damn. She hated it when she let Jerry push her buttons.
The question was WHY was he trying to make her lose it?
"Okay, Connery. Your boy acts up one more time, he's outta
here!"
"Everything's under control," Connery reassures Jason.
"Isn't that
right, Jerry?" Silence. "RIGHT, Jerry?"
"Yeah, RIGHT," Jerry groans, his hands absently darting
to his crotch.
His stomach is now in knots. But not from the pain of Dara's blow.
Locking eyes with her, he realizes he's probably blown any chance
of a
possible reconciliation with Dara--but it was something he had to
do.
Having Dara in the room is a liability, as far as Jerry is
concerned.
Thus, he was doing his best to fluster her--to make her upset
enough to
leave. Unfortunately, his best wasn't good enough, he muses. For
not
only is she sticking around, but if he can still read her right,
the
look in her eyes tells him she's going to make him pay for those
comments.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason casts a glance over at Dara.
He couldn't help but notice as they crossed the room, the sway of
her
hips was a bit more pronounced then usual. And when she stood
next to
him, he distinctly felt her breast brush against him.
"So, he wants to know if you got it like that?!" she'd
muttered. "Well,
I'll show him JUST how you got it!" she spat.
Yep. No doubt about it, Jason surmises. Jacks had tried to ruffle
Dara's feathers, and she was gonna retaliate. She's really
playing
things up for Jacks, that's for sure. Only Jerry isn't the only
one her
actions are having an effect on. Smiling, Jason finds himself
more
anxious than ever to have the meeting over with. Maybe he's
imagining
things, he tells himself, but Dara seems just a wee bit "tense,"
he
chuckles silently. Another shower is in order, perhaps...
Connery's voice brings Jason's attention back to the matter at
hand.
"...and with us having agreed on the Bureau Operations that
will be
used, I do believe this..."partnership," as he clears
his throat, "will
be advantageous to both parties involved."
"Well, speaking of 'parties involved,' Connery," Jason
begins. "There's
one other thing that I insist upon." He holds up his hand to
silence
Connery's forthcoming protest. "I'll be straight with you,
Connery--yeah, you're working with me. Hell, you don't have a
CHOICE,
when you think about it. But I do give you points for grace under
pressure. Still, the fact remains, I don't trust you. Pure and
simple." He pauses. "And neither does Dara."
"Is that true, Dara?" Connery asks.
"Let him finish, James," Dara replies somberly moving
to stand beside
Jason her strong had moving to brush against the desk drawer as
her
casted arm rests along the back of Jason's chair.
"Dara will be pivotal in my dealings with the WSB,"
Jason continues. "I
can't have her on edge, constantly on the lookout--second
guessing you,
wondering if the contacts we're working with are on the up and up.
So,
here's the deal: You step down, I choose your successor, and on
this
end *I* call all the shots. Take it or leave it."
Jerry bolts out of his seat in a flash, heading straight for
Jason...only to be stopped short by the gun Dara has aimed at him.
The
pistol she'd pulled from the desk drawer in anticipation of his
move.
Jerry recognizes the determined look in her eyes. And he knows
her well
enough to realize, love him or hate him, she'll shoot him if need
be. He
turns, kicking over his chair to release his frustration.
"Just who in the HELL do you think you are, Morgan?! Do you
think you
can just waltz in and take over the World Security Bureau?!"
Jerry
offers up a contemptuous laugh. "Such visions of grandeur,
Pup, are
what will get you killed!"
"You gonna be the one to do it, Jacks?" Jason answers
coolly. "Does the
Bureau mean so much to you? Huh? You, who spent the last--HOW
many years
drinking yourself into oblivion in some outback watering hole? I
don't
THINK so! Now sit down and shut up!" he roars. "These
negotiations
don't concern you." He pauses. "Not yet anyway."
Jason turns to face
Connery. "So--do we have a deal? This is the ONLY way you're
going to
come out of this even SEMI-clean. This is your ONLY chance to get
out
with your name and freedom intact."
Connery remains seated, the color drained from his face. He knew
something was up when Dara had not responded to his question, and
instead had told him to hear Jason out. Something's gone wrong,
he
tells himself. REALLY wrong.
"James, what the hell is going on?!" Jerry barks, all
but reeling from
his boss/friend's reaction.
"L-L-Listen, Jerry," Connery stammers, finally finding
his voice.
"Bringing you into this was a mistake. I'm sorry." He
turns to Jason,
searching the young man's eyes. They give away nothing, yet
Connery's
gut tells him, whatever Jason knows will not be divulged in
Jerry's
presence. He'd grant him that courtesy. "I'll step down,
Morgan.
Immediately. But there's no guarantee on the successor being who
you
want it to be. No guarantee that you'll have any control. This is
my
mess, and whoever replaces me may be fine with airing the dirty
laundry
and using me as a scapegoat. You won't have any control over
them," he
warns.
"I understand that," Jason nods. "But if I can't
have control, then I
want to be damn sure whoever takes over for you is clean. Someone
who
can be trusted..."
Dara slowly began to rise to her feet, her heart in her throat.
No, she
tells herself. He's NOT gonna go there. He won't do that to him.
To
ME. "Jason..."
"Someone who can't be bought. Someone like you, Jacks."
Jerry looked from Dara, to Connery, then to Jason. "WHAT THE
HELL ARE
YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT?!"
"Jason...can I have a word with you, please--just for a
second?" Dara
asked, her eyes boring into Jason. "WHAT are you doing?"
she hisses, as
they huddle in the corner.
"I'm making sure I don't get stabbed in the back. Which is
exactly what
will happen if CONNERY is still in charge. Or have you forgotten
HE was
the one who gave the order to whack you...not to mention he sent
those
goons here, not even caring if V got taken out in the process?"
"No," Dara replies evenly. "I HAVEN'T." She
takes a deep breath,
placing her hand lightly on Jason's arm. "The entire time
I've been
here, Jason...have I ever asked you for anything--EVER?"
Jason shakes
his head. "Well, I'm asking now. If my loyalty to you -
which I think
I've proven is real - if it means anything to you, I ask you to
do this
one thing for me--don't put Jerry as Connery's successor. You've
seen
what having that kind of power does to someone, what it did to
Connery--and believe it or not, he WAS a good man. I don't want
to see
the same thing happen to Jerry." Her voice became barely
audible. "I
don't think I could take it if he wound up like Connery."
Quickly
recovering, she adds, "Besides, the last thing either of us
needs is to
be working side by side. I'm...I'm just not ready for that. And
you
said so yourself that you needed me focused..."
"Do you still love him?"
"Wh-wh-what?" she laughed. "Puhleeze!"
"You didn't answer my question."
"Why should I," she replies sullenly. "You
obviously seem to think you
already know the answer."
Jason merely smiles, nodding his head as he turns to walks away.
"And
so do you, Dara," he says softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~
Leaning against his desk, arms crossed, Jason eyes Jerry who's
now
pacing back and forth, cracking his knuckles. "So, Jacks.
What's your
answer?"
"Go to HELL!" Jerry spits, still pacing.
"Not the answer I'm looking for," he smiles. "Tell
me something.
Satisfy my curiosity. Why don't you like me, Jacks?"
Stunned by the question, Jerry blinks, trying to collect his
thoughts.
He was expecting some smartass retort from Jason. Not that. As if
anything Morgan does makes sense, he muses. Hell, NONE of what's
going
on tonight made any sense: Dara, standing there holding a gun on
him
because she was loyal to a punk mobster... Connery's capitulation
to
Morgan's whims, and agreeing to step down as head of the Bureau...
and
now Pup wants to know why I don't like him?! "What the hell
kind of
question is that, Morgan? Are you afraid I won't come over and
ask you
play? Afraid you won't get picked for the team?" Jerry
sneers.
"Answer the question."
"Fine." Jerry has stopped pacing, and is standing
directly in front of
Jason, their faces but inches apart. "I don't like you
because you're a
pompous, arrogant, small time punk that thinks he can handle the
bigs. I
don't like you because you feel that you're above the law. And I
don't
like you because you've turned the only woman I've ever loved
into
someone just like you!"
"Not bad answers," Jason nods. "Okay, you'll do."
Jason steps away from
Jerry, taking a seat behind his desk.
"What is THAT supposed to mean?"
"Connery, I don't care how you do it, just make sure that
Jacks here is
your replacement. Dara?" There's no response, as she's still
reeling
from Jerry's outburst. "Dara!"
"Uh...yeah. What do you need me to do?" as she shakes
herself out of
her revelry.
"Later on, I'll need you to get with Connery. I want him to
give you
access to everything he has regarding these Operations. Even
though
Jacks will be running the show, I still consider you my eyes and
ears
when it comes to what goes down inside the WSB."
"I don't believe this!" Jerry exclaims as he runs his
hand across his
eyes. "Am I the ONLY ONE in this room who's SANE?! This HAS
to be a
nightmare!" He turns to Connery, his eyes narrowed. "What
haven't you
told me, James?"
Jason cuts in before Jerry gets his answer, "That can wait.
You need
not concern yourself with the finer points of my terms. You can
go
now."
"I can "GO"?!" Jerry repeats. "You're
dismissing me?" he asks,
incredulous. "Look, I don't recall agreeing to your "terms"!
In fact,
let me tell you right here, right now...no. Wait a minute. Not
just,
no...HELL NO!" as Jerry slams his palms down on Jason's desk.
"If your
"TERMS" are that Connery steps down and I replace him,
the it looks like
we have ourselves a bit of a stalemate, Pup" he replies
defiantly.
"I'll repeat myself one last time, Jacks," Jason
replies slowly.
"Leave."
Jerry doesn't budge. It's only when Connery taps him lightly on
the
shoulder that he breaks the steely gaze he has fixed upon Jason.
"Go
on, Jerry. It's all right. Leave. For me, okay?"
Jerry slowly backs away from the desk. As he looks at Connery, he
gets
a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He's seen that look on
Connery's face one other time, when he told him his daughter was
dead.
And now, for some reason, Jerry got the feeling that Connery,
too, was
dead.
"Fine. I'm outta here!" as he turns to leave.
"Make sure you don't leave town anytime soon, Jacks,"
Jason replies.
Jerry pauses in the doorway, shaking his head as he gives a
bitter
laugh. "Oh, I'm not going ANYWHERE until I get some answers."
He looks
to Dara, then Connery, then back to Dara. "You can best
BELIEVE that!"
as he storms from the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Guess hanging on to this key came in handy for more than
just a
memento" V thinks wistfully as she unlocks the door to the
penthouse.
She closes the door and leans back against it taking it all in,
everywhere her eyes land brings on another memory. Pushing
herself off
the door, V walks the perimeter of the living room, turning on a
small
table lamp, picking up a picture here and a figurine there. She
heads to
the couch and takes a seat, picking up a pillow and bringing it
up to
her face, V closes her eyes and inhales deeply
taking in his scent.
"Okay V. Get a grip!" she thinks to herself. "This
is NOT what this
visit is about. Damn! Why can't I be over him!" She gets her
answer very
quickly as she spots a picture of her and Jax from Malibu. V
recalls
that day...Brenda had broken his heart. Again. Worried about him,
V had
headed out to Malibu to make sure he was all right. Jax may have
been
dealing with heartbreak but it was one of the happiest days of
her life.
The picture was taken when they were both a little giddy from
champagne.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on V's mood, she wasn't
giddy
enough to take advantage of his need. She didn't sleep with him,
a
decision that at any given time she regretted. She knew it would
have
been about Brenda and not about making love to her and yet, it
was her
one chance and..."Damn her! Hell! Damn him! This is getting
me
nowhere...it was a mistake to come here to confront Jerry. I'm
too
distracted here." she says aloud. As she gathers her purse
and jacket in
preparation to leave she hears the key in the door. Looking in
that
direction, V sees Jerry coming through the door. "Oh well
here goes
nothin'" she thinks.
Jerry turns on the lights, "V! Well, well, well, if it isn't
my very
favorite mad bomber!"
V smiles wryly, "Well, well, well, if it isn't my very
favorite
demolition's instructor. What brings you town, Jerry?"
Jerry rushes forward and scoops V up in a big bear hug. "Oh,
like you
have to ask?" He realizes that V isn't responding to the hug.
In fact,
she's stiffened up. Curious, Jerry holds V at arm's length and
took a
good look at her, "Okay Ardanowski. Out with it. Why are you
waiting for
me here alone in the dark hmmm? I thought it was my brother who'd
won
your heart," he teases.
V's face darkens even further, "Jer...let's not go there
okay? There's
nothing between Jax and me. Never has been."
"Sorry V. I just sort of figured you would've done something
about it by
now. The Midget Model is finally history and my brother is
playing the
field these days..."
"Stop! Okay? I didn't come here to talk about Jax!"
"Well then, kitten, why are you here? And more to the point,
why are you
angry with me? What's with the cold shoulder?"
"I'm not angry with you, Jerry... yet."
"Yeah? Then why did you stiffen up when I hugged you? Why
are you
looking at me the way you used to look at Munson?"
V's eyes narrow, "Munson? What do you know about Munson,
Jerry?"
Confusion's written all over Jerry's face, "Nothing V, I
just remember
the way you used to look at him. You loathed and distrusted him.
It
showed in the way you looked at him and now, I see you looking at
me the
same way. What's changed V? What did I do?"
"Jer, tell me what happened at the meeting. I need to know
what Connery
and Morgan worked out. What I do next depends on what you tell me."
"So, you knew about the meeting. Why am I not surprised?"
Jerry gives a
low chuckle "You should have seen Connery's face V...it was
priceless!
He fingered you for the leak you know."
V nods but insists on an answer to her questions. "Jer, what
happened.
What was the outcome? I need to know. I need you to tell me
everything,
and most of all, I need you to tell me about Connery."
"Won't Dara fill you in? Or is she loyal only to Morgan now?"
he replies
bitterly.
"If you have to ask that question then you don't understand
what Dara is
doing, and you don't know everything that's going on, Jerry. What
did
Connery tell you about all this, about Moreno? How did he rope
you into
coming here and getting involved?"
Jerry looks at V quizzically, "I owe him. That's why I'm
here. I owe him
big and he chose this as my payback. A one shot deal."
V couldn't help but wonder at the choice of words, "One
shot? Are you
paying him back by killing Morgan?"
Jerry's eyes narrow, "Kill Morgan? No. Not that I wouldn't
mind taking
that pompous, arrogant sonuvabitch down a few notches. He
believes he
can control the WSB!" All a once, realization set in, "Oh
God V! Not
you! That's why you're so standoffish, isn't it? You're working
for the
pup too! "
V shakes her head, "No Jerry, I don't work for Jason but
I've worked for
worse. In fact, I kind of like Jason. Loyalty means something to
him,
and he takes care of his own. As for him controlling the WSB?
Well, he
believes that for a good reason, Jerry. Not only does he have
Dara's
information but there is also a few more dirty little secrets
that Jason
developed on his own. They have the potential to blow Connery
right out
of the water and the bureau with him. So I gotta ask you again,
Jer...why were you brought into this? Are you or Connery planning
to
take Jason out?" V asks fiercely.
Jerry looks at his former student. "She always was a feisty
one" he
thinks, " What an idiot my brother is for letting this one
slip through
his fingers for the sake of the model." Jerry searches V's
eyes, "You
know something V, out with it!"
V shakes her head, "Not until you tell me why you're here.
What does
Connery need from you that he was willing to cash in a favor? Are
you
here to take out Morgan?"
"V, you know Connery doesn't operate like that! And, more to
the point,
you know I don't work that way. I am an agent-- NOT an assassin.
No
matter how much that smarmy pip-squeak pisses me off I wouldn't
kill
him. Not unless he was a major threat to world security which
he's not.
He's just a common mob thug that got lucky."
"Yeah Jer, but he does represent a threat to Bureau security
and not to
burst your bubble or anything-- Connery DOES work like that. Why
don't
you ask him about Munson's latest assignment. I think you'll find
his
answer rather disconcerting."
"V, what in the bloody hell are you talking about?"
Jerry demands, "I
don't give a rat's arse about the bureau. I'm here because I owe
Connery. That's all. He asked me along to show strength against
Morgan.
When this is all over, I'm going back to the outback to continue
drinking myself into oblivion."
V weighs all that Jerry had said and decides that he's on the up
and up.
"Jerry, there's a lot about Connery you don't know. He
ordered a hit on
Morgan and if I'd been trained by anyone other than you, Jason,
Dara and
I would all have been blown to smithereens the other night along
with
about a half dozen innocent people and an infant. Connery sent in
Munson
so I hope you understand why I'm a little on the cautious side
about
your sudden appearance." V filled Jerry in on the whole deal
with
Moreno. When she's finished, they both sit quietly for a moment.
V is
the first to break to silence, "Kind of feels like you've
been kicked in
the gut huh? I'm done, Jer; I'm leaving the bureau. Once Connery
realizes I know everything I'll become a loose end. He'll
probably come
after me but I can't do this anymore. The cost is too high."
"I don't think he'll be in a position to do anything else, V.
You're
clear. After what you've told me, maybe my time to disappear back
into
the outback hasn't arrived yet. Someone needs to keep an eye on
things
and with you and Dara gone-- Damn it! I guess the pup is going to
get
his way. I might be the best one for the job."
"Maybe you better tell me about the meeting, Jerry."
Jerry nods and fills V in.
"Jerry, where's Connery now?"
"I don't know, V. I left him at Morgan's penthouse and from
the look of
things, I'm not so sure Connery will be alive for 24 more hours."
At the
look on her face he quickly adds, "Not because of either
Jason or Dara
but I DO know him, and I don't think he could live with himself
now.
Before he was caught, he could go on and pretend these things
didn't
happen, and weren't happening but the people he cares most about
found
out about his dirty
deeds. The shame'd be more than he could bear."
V runs her hands through her hair and lets out a huge sigh,
"I wish I
could say I felt sorry him but I don't. How could he have let
this
happen?"
"I don't know, kitten, I don't know. What I do know is it
looks like
I'll be in charge now whether I want to be or not and I promise
you, V,
I won't let this happen again. I will NOT let the WSB become a
weapon
for Morgan's use! V, since it'll be me in charge, would you
consider
staying? I'm going to have my hands full and I'd like to have
someone I
trust watching my back"
V shakes her head, "I'm sorry. I can't. My life is such a
mess right
now. I don't think I could do it. I'll stay on for just a little
longer
to help you clean house but then I have to go. Please try to
understand."
"Is it Jax?"
"Yes, and no. What I feel for Jax, well, let's just say that
a good
agent needs to be focused, and needs to keep their priorities
straight.
I can't do it, Jerry, I've had a taste of loving someone and I
want that
in my life. Maybe not Jax of course. He doesn't even know I'm
alive but
I'm not giving up hope that there's someone out there for me and
that
I'm going to want to love and be loved without looking over my
shoulder,
or holding my breath waiting for my next assignment. I don't want
a
relationship that is based on a lie and that is all I have been
doing
since I hit Port Charles. I want children and having a WSB agent
for a
mother does not exactly fit in with a nice steadfast family life."
"Yes but V, Anna did it!"
"And look where it got her. Look at Robin."
Jerry threw his hands up, "Okay, you win. You got me on that
one"
V gives Jerry a wry smile. "Stay in touch okay?"
She wipes a tear away as she gathers her things and heads for the
door.
"V?"
She turns around.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, Jerry. I just don't know. Maybe paint, maybe
talk to Jax
about getting Dog and Bird published, making it a series, or
maybe I'll
take a friend up on her offer of going into business with her."
"And what business might that be?"
V giggles a little, "V. Ardanowski, P.I. at your service"
"Well now kitten, that kinda has a nice ring to it don't ya
think?"
"Yeah, it does. Only problem is I can't seem to say it with
straight
face. It sounds like a movie with Kathleen Turner. Look, I better
get
back. You be careful with Jason okay? I don't want anything
happening to
you."
Jerry just stands there watching her leave, "Goodbye kitten"
he says
softly.
*************************************************
As V leaves the Port Charles Hotel she feels a wave of sadness
wash over
her. Memories of Jax flooded her thoughts and by the time she
reaches
the garage her eyes fill with tears. "NO!" she thought,
"I will NOT go
through this again! Damn! I thought I was over him!" V
fights a brave
battle against those tears but as soon as she entered the privacy
of her
car she surrenders and the tears flow unchecked down her face.
After a
short time she composes herself, takes out her cell phone and
punches in
the now familiar number.
"Hi Alexis, it's V. Look, I don't want anyone to worry or
anything so
could you let Carly or Jason know I decided to stay at my
apartment
tonight?", V dabs at a stray tear that had escaped. "No,
no...nothing's
wrong. I just have a few things to do there. I'll be back in the
morning. Jason has the number and my cell phone number if he
needs me.
Okay, thanks Alexis". V snaps her phone shut and let's out a
heavy sigh
of relief that it was Alexis that had answered the phone and not
Brenda.
Brenda's the last person V wants to deal with right now. She
starts her
car and heads home.
As she opens her door V's immediately comforted by the familiar
scent. A
little musty smelling true, but it smelled like home nonetheless.
She
turns on the lights and opens the windows to air the place out.
There's
a light coat of dust over everything. Had she really been gone
that
long? She thought back to all that had happened. It had actually
been
kind of fun until Munson dropped his bombshell. That was the
turning
point. Everything had gone
downhill from there. Feeling tense and out of sorts, V rubs her
neck as
she heads into the bathroom. On her way she stops at her vanity
selecting a bath oil bead from the aroma therapy collection she
had. Jax
had given it to her awhile back when she'd put in some major
overtime
hours. He'd said that she needed to relax. V smiled at the memory
and
sighed, he was always doing little things like that. Well, he
used to
anyway until Brenda turned up in his life again. The frown on V's
face
deepens, "Best not to go there", she thinks. She looks
in the mirror and
speaks to the image looking back at her, " Get a grip and
stop feeling
sorry for yourself, Ardanowski! Life isn't a fairy tale and
sometimes
prince charming really is a toad" V rolls her eyes, then
steps over to
the tub and drew herself a bath. While the water was running V
busied
herself with lighting some candles, pouring a glass of wine and
selecting a CD to listen to. A short time later she slips into
the
steaming water, wine in easy reach and leaning back, lets the
tension
she feels slip away. Feeling a little like Dorothy having just
gotten
home from Oz, she leaned and back, thought "there's no place
like home"
and let out a little giggle.
V did a lot of thinking during that bath and by the time she was
finished and drying off she'd reached a very important decision.
It was
time to come home for real. Not just for the night. Her work was
done.
She'd found Robin, she'd seen that Robin was okay and now it was
time to
go. Besides, with all these feeling about Jax all stirred up
again it
probably wasn't a great idea to be rooming with Brenda. Even
though
Brenda had changed, with all the memories flooding back, V
couldn't help
but harbor a little resentment toward her. "Nope, rooming
with Brenda
would NOT be a great idea right about now" V determined.
With those
thoughts floating through her head, V climbed into bed and turned
out
the light.
*************************************
Having had a restless night, V gets up early the next morning and
heads
over to Penthouse. Thinking she'd be the only one stirring at
that hour
she's surprised and somewhat annoyed to find Brenda of all people
perched on a chair at the dining room table sipping on some
coffee and
looking downright perky.
"Hi V! Oooo, must have been a rough night, you look like
hell!" she
teases, with an ear to ear grin on her face, "Hey, let me
get you some
coffee. Where were you last night? I think something went down
next
door, but whatever it was it must have worked out okay cuz I had
the
most FABULOUS evening with Rinaldo! I can't WAIT to tell you
about it!"
Brenda jumps up and headed into the kitchen to fix V her coffee.
V,
flabbergasted just stands there momentarily and watched the
whirlwind
that's Brenda. What had gotten into that girl? And then her words
caught
up to V..."Rinaldo? You were with Rinaldo last night? But
what about..."
"Dara?" Brenda finished the question. "Long story.
But don't worry. Dara
is cool with it all. "She handed V her coffee.
V's heart sank even further if that was at all possible. Maybe
Brenda
hadn't changed. Maybe what happened to her with Jax was happening
to
Dara with Rinaldo. "What is it with Brenda anyway? What do
they all see
in her?" V thinks to herself.
"...so what do you think? Can we, V?" Brenda asks.
V realizes she'd been thinking so hard on this that she'd missed
Brenda's question, "Hmmm? What was that, Brenda?"
"Can we get in a work out this morning? I'm just feeling so...so,
energized!"
"I'll bet." V mutters under her breath. "Look,
Brenda, I don't think
it's such a good idea right now. I'm not in a great mood and I
need to
talk to Jason."
"Please, please, please V! C'mon, it'll be fun! and it'll
get you going.
Looks like you could use a little energizing yourself. C'mon,
please?"
she pleaded.
"Brenda, you really don't want to spar with me right now..."
"No. I'm refuse to take no for an answer. Look, a good
workout will help
you work through whatever is bothering you."
"Yeah Bren but little do you know that it's YOU that's
bothering me!" V
thought. "Okay Brenda, you win but don't say I didn't warn
you!"
***********************************************
A short time later V and Brenda are up on the roof starting the
session
with a series of Yoga exercises and stretches. When both are
warmed up V
takes Brenda through the basic movements, taught her a new move
and soon
enough it was time to spar. V shows Brenda no mercy. Time and
time
again, Brenda finds herself on the receiving end of a punch or a
kick
and time and time again she's knocked on her butt. Finally Brenda
had
had enough.
"HEY! Go a little easier would ya? What the hell is wrong
with you this
morning, V! Something has obviously got you upset, you're taking
it out
on me and I don't appreciate it! Now, why do you want to hurt me
so
badly?"
V, slightly out of breath stopped and looked at Brenda standing
there,
hands on hips, her eyes filled with a combination of fire, hurt
and
confusion and jaw set. "Would you believe PMS?" V
quipped matching
Brenda's body language. Brenda's eyes widened in disbelief,
"You're
gonna stand there and joke about this, V? You've been coming at
me like
I was your personal body bag! Geeze, you almost re-broke my nose!
Again! No. This felt personal and I want...no, I demand to know
what's
going on."
V runs her fingers through her hair and looks at Brenda. "No
doubt about
it", V thinks, "Brenda has certainly changed."
"Look, Brenda, no offense but it's nothing you'd ever begin
to
understand. I don't even understand it. You're right, I was mad
at you
but I had no right t o be. I'm sorry. Maybe we better call it a
day
huh?" V turns and picks up her towel and water bottle
preparing to
escape but to no avail...
"So? Who's the guy, V and what does it have to do with me?"
V turns to
Brenda, "Who said anything about a guy?" "Gotta be"
Brenda responds,
"You have all the symptoms. Now what makes you so sure that
I wouldn't
understand huh? Cuz let me tell you something girlfriend, when it
comes
to unrequited love all I can say is been there, done that, bought
the
t-shirt. With all the gossip you've heard about me I'm surprised
you
didn't hear all about Jagger. So out with it V...who's the guy?"
V just
stands there trying to compose herself.
"It's Jax isn't it?" Brenda questions softly. V,
overcome by all that
had been going on in her life nodded as the tears fell from her
eyes
slowly at first then more and more quickly as V lost her tenuous
hold on
her emotions. Brenda walked over to her friend and held her as
she let
out all of her sadness and loss. "I'm so sorry, V. I guess I
can't blame
you for taking it out on me. If it weren't for that stupid
breakdown of
mine you'd be with him now."
V composes herself and squeezes Brenda's hand and wipes her tears
away,
"No, don't blame yourself. I've thought long and hard on
this and I've
decided it wouldn't have happened anyway. I'm just not his type."
"True, you're not needy, you don't need to be taken care of.
But YOU are
exactly what he needs. Ya know, I always figured that once I was
out of
the picture he'd turn to you. What happened?"
V gave a wry smile, "He did Brenda but I sent him away. I
didn't want
him to be with me while he was thinking of you and pretending I
was you.
You see, it was right after he received that video you sent him.
That
tore him up at first and he turned to me for comfort. Turning him
away
was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do, but I
didn't
want to be the rebound relationship. He's been playing the jet
set
playboy ever since. One thing has changed though, he is
definitely over
you now, Brenda. But he's also built a wall around his heart that
is
impregnable. His heart has been hardened so that no one can get
in and
after my rejection, he's cordial but that's about it."
Brenda's eyes widen. She'd wanted to hurt him with that video but
she
had wanted to hurt him so that he would move on, not shut himself
off.
"Oh V...I am so sorry. If I'd known..."
V cuts her off, "You probably would have done the same
thing, Brenda. I
understand. It's not like you had it easy either. I guess I just
had
some lingering resentment toward you because it's easier when you
have
someone to blame. In the meantime, I have to put Jax out of my
mind. I
have more pressing issues to deal with right now and
unfortunately,
even more unpleasant."
"Yeah? Like what?" Brenda asks with a glint in her eye.
V laughs, "Always ready for some excitement eh, Brenda?"
V is quiet for
a minute or two trying to decide just how much to tell Brenda.
"I'm
leaving today. I'm going home. I have to make some career
decisions and
my reason for being here is all taken care of now."
"Tired of the WSB?"
V's eyes nearly pop out of her head, "What did you just say?"
Brenda grinned impishly, "I said..."
V cuts her off, "I know what you said! Now, how did you find
out? And
who else have you told!"
"Oh! Don't worry V, it wasn't anything you did or said. None
of the
others know except for anyone that you may have told. Look, I'm a
snoop.
You'd never really explained your connection to Sonny and why he
was
e-mailing you so I poked around your laptop a little. Anyway, I
ran
across his emails and he more or less had spelled out that he
knew you
were...ya know."
"Brenda, my email, in fact everything is password protected
on that
laptop. How in the world did you break the code?"
"Jax. See, I just put myself in your shoes and I just kept
punching in
passwords. I tried passwords pertaining to cop type things, since
you're
a cop, then I figured you'd worked for Jax and I'd always figured
that
you had a crush on him so Jax was the key...I got lucky with
Adonis"
Brenda grins.
"In more ways than one" V mutters under her breath.
"Looks like I need
to be a lot more careful! Okay, so you got me. I am WSB but not
for much
longer. I'm quitting."
Brenda regards V for a moment, "What will you do V? Will
just the PCPD
be enough for you?
V shrugs, "I don't know. I need to think about my next move.
I have
other options to consider besides the PCPD. There's Dog and Bird
for one
thing."
"Yeah", Brenda replies slowly, "but are you really
ready to work so
closely with Jax again?"
"I've thought about that too and to be honest, I don't think
so. At
least not while he's on this playboy kick. I just don't think I'm
ready
to see the parade of beautiful but vacuous women ya know? There
is one
other option though. One where I don't have to give up law
enforcement
totally. I'd be able to have the excitement of the WSB or at
least the
PCPD but not have the departmental procedure hassles."
"Yeah? so what will you do? Become a bounty hunter? A
mercenary?"
Brenda teases.
V smiled, "Close. A P.I.. Felicia offered me a partnership.
I'm thinking
of buying Mac out."
Brenda giggles.
"What? What are you laughing at? It's not THAT funny!"
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."
"What's so funny about my being P.I.?"
"Nothing V...that wasn't what I was laughing at."
"Well then?"
"I just pictured the sign on the door...V & Flea
Detective Agency, Inc."
V starts to laugh too, "Flea? where did you come up with
that one?
Never mind...I don't want to know" V grins. "Anyway,
the sign for the
door is a moot point right now. I still need to come up with the
cash",
she sighed.
"How much?"
"Huh?"
"V, I can help. Remember that little weasel of a business
manager that
ripped me off? Well, he was found and my money along with him.
Now...how
much do you Ned?"
"Brenda, that's awfully sweet of you and everything but I
can't take
your money"
"Why not? Look, how much can it possibly be?"
"$5,000 more is all I need but Brenda, I can go to the bank
and get a
business loan."
Brenda laughed, "Five grand? That's it? Geeze, the way you
were acting
I was expecting a much higher figure! Look, V...why pay the bank
interest on it? I'll GIVE you the money. Consider it payment for
my
Martial Arts training okay?"
"I haven't even come near teaching you $5,000 worth!"
"Well then, I guess you'll just have to continue until I'm a
black belt
or until the money us used up whichever comes first. Consider it
payment
in advance."
"I don't know, Brenda. Like I said, I'm going back home
tonight. I won't
be here to train with you every morning which means you'll have
to
venture outside of here." Brenda didn't say anything for a
minute but
then, very quietly she asked, "V, do you really have to go?"
"Yeah Bren, I do. It's time."
Brenda smiled sadly, "I understand. I'm gonna miss you
though. I know
that when push comes to shove everyone here backs each other up
but
let's face it, none of the others like me very much. V, you're
just
about the only friend I've got."
"Hey, there's Robin..."
Brenda gives a snort of disgust, "Yeah, right. Robin. I
gotta tell ya V,
I don't know if it's because I've changed or if she has but she
is
soooooo annoying these days!"
"Well, she's been through a lot."
"Now V...don't even try to defend her...she's annoying and
you know it!"
Brenda gasps "That's it! That's why your going...to get away
from her!
I'm on to you now!" she teases.
V shrugs, "Guilty as charged!" When V sees the look on
Brenda's face,
"Brenda, I'm just kidding! I told you why I'm leaving.
Really!"
"Yeah, riiiight V, whatever you say"
V groans, "C'mon. We're done here."
Just before they reach the doorway Brenda stops. "V? Listen.
About
Jax...I really am sorry. Listen, what Jax thinks he wants is
someone
that is dependent on him, someone needy. Someone like I USED to
be. What
he doesn't realize is that is exactly what he DOESN'T need. He
needs you
V. And deep down, I think he loves you."
"Yeah, but as long as he doesn't KNOW that he loves me and
he doesn't
THINK that he wants an independent woman with a mind of her own...",
Brenda winces, "Oh! Brenda I'm sorry... I didn't mean to
imply that
you..." Brenda cuts her off, "It's okay V. You're right
and I was such a
sorry case. Now, you were saying?" V continues, "Well,
as long as he
doesn't think he wants to be with someone like me, what's the
point?
There's nothing I can do about it"
"Fine, but I'm NOT going to let this drop!"
Brenda and V head inside to clean up.