The Road Not Taken
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Chapter Seventeen

"I asked Carly to move out of the Penthouse."

Brenda froze at the words. She was in Jason and Robin's living room, while they were out with the kids. She whirled around to look at Sonny.

"Does that mean...?" She asked hesitantly, barely able to believe it.

He'd asked Carly to leave, it must mean... He chose her!

"I've never been able to walk away from you." Sonny confessed, moving towards her and putting his hands on her face. "I try, but... I always come back, because you're in my blood."

"You're in mine too." Brenda told him, tears in her eyes. "Forever."

Sonny nodded and leaned down to kiss her passionately. "How long will Jason and Robin be gone?" Sonny asked when they broke apart.

"Long enough." Brenda told him, holding out her hand to her husband. Her husband! It felt so good to think those words and to know that they're time apart was over.

Sonny took her hand and then pulled her towards him again for another passionate kiss and then, when it was done he allowed Brenda to lead him up the stairs.

Once they were in her room, they shut the door and just looked at each other for a long moment and then, slowly, they began to undress one another, savouring every second. Every touch, every caress was precious.

"You're so beautiful." Sonny whispered as he stripped her of her last piece of clothing. "Even more than I remember."

"Ditto." Brenda whispered, running her hands over Sonny's naked body.

"I've dreamed of this." She whispered, as he lowered her to the bed.

"You haunted my dreams every night since you left." Sonny told her, trailing kisses down her body.

After that there were no words spoken for a while as they got reacquainted with each other's bodies. Brenda drank in every kiss, every caress, barely able to believe that it was real. But it was, and finally, she and Sonny tumbled towards oblivion together, screaming out one another's names as they clung together.

"I love you." Sonny whispered when they finally broke apart.

"I love you too." Brenda whispered, running her hands all over his body.

"We need to replace you're wedding ring." Sonny commented, looking at her bare hand.

"Luis... He threw it out." Brenda told him. "At least I think he did. It was gone when I woke up after the accident."

"Mine's in a box, I've never been able to throw it out." Sonny told her and for the first time she saw that his hand was also bare, the ring that Carly had given him had been removed.

"I'm sorry about your mother's ring." Brenda said softly.

"Its okay." Sonny told her. "You're more precious than any ring. Maybe we should get new rings, for both of us?"

Brenda smiled. "I like that."

The old rings, the old vows were precious, but...

"We could renew our vows." Sonny said, wrapping his arms around her, as if reading her thoughts. "As soon as we can tell people you're back, make it a big celebration, of your life and our new life."

Brenda liked the sound of that. Their wedding would always be precious to her and in her heart the vows had never been broken, but they had been apart and well, maybe a fresh start wasn't a bad idea.

"I'd like that." She told him. "A fresh start for our second chance."

Brenda snuggled in Sonny's arms and wondered if life could get any more perfect. She was back in Port Charles, back with Sonny and her daughter and they were about to start their new life together.

Yes, she was still sick, still dying, but... At least, she'd be able to spend whatever time she had left with the people she loved most. That was something. In fact, right then it felt like everything.