Chapter Three

BRENDA AND SONNY were cruising down the highway in their little red corvette headed for the state line. "So," Brenda asked, smiling at him. "Where do you have a hankering to go, baby?"

Sonny was laying back against the seat enjoying the wind in his hair and watching the scenery pass them by. "Since I have no memory of who I even am." He retorted. "I think I'm the wrong one to ask. Where would you like to go."

"How about somewhere in New England." She suggested. "I think we could find a nice quiet little town we could hide away in there where no one could ever find us." Not even a bloodhound like Jason Morgan.

"Are we trying to hide?" He asked, again suspicious of her. "I wasn't aware of that? Just what else aren't you telling me?"

"Of course we are." She smiled at him, not even flinching an inch. Brenda marveled at how good she was at coming up with these believable lies at a moment's notice when his suspicions were aroused. She wasn't even feeling guilty about telling them, anymore. "It's always been our dream to find a place where we can hide away from the world where it's just the two of us." She added. "And that's what we're looking for. A place where time has forgot straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. And we're going to find it. I just know we are."

"Not to be a wet blanket." He retorted. "But when we find this perfect place, how are we going to afford to pay for it. Just what exactly is it that I do for a living and will I still be able to do it without any memory of how to do it?"

"You're an accountant." She reached over and caressed his cheek. "You're a genius with numbers, baby. And when we find a cheap motel we can stay the night in, we'll see if you've lost your touch or not?"

"An accountant?" He repeated with a look of distaste. "That's so boring. I was sure I'd do something exciting for a living." He looked at himself in the mirror. "Who'd have thunk it. I'm a number's cruncher."

"And the sexiest one there is, too." She promised. "All the women come to you to balance their check books so they can have an excuse to come and drool over you."

He turned a yeah right look on her, not believing that for a moment. "So," Sonny sighed as he digested this new piece of information about himself. "Tell me about us? What is our relationship like and where do we go from here."

"Feel that wind on your face?" She asked, as she floored the gas pedal.

"Yeah." He repeated in confusion.

"That's us." She told him. "We're like the wind together. Uncontrollable and untamable. A force of nature that can't be contained or restrained. Some times just a gentle caress and at other times turbulent, wild and out-of-control."

"Is that good?" He wasn't sure it was. "Or is that bad?"

"Well." She admitted truthfully. "You've never thought it was good. You like to be in control of everything and everyone around you and sometimes you found our love and passion too overwhelming for you to handle." She added. "But I've always reveled in it. Being with you is like being swept up in the eye of a tornado and being spun around and around. I've always found it exhilarating."

* * * * *

JOHNNY ARRIVED AT the hospital with the picture of Sonny and Brenda. "Here it is, Mr. Morgan."

Jason took it from him and hunted down Sonny's doctor. "Doctor." He held out the picture to him. "I need you to take a look at this picture and tell me if this is Mr. and Mrs. Corbin."

"Why?" He looked at him uneasily.

"It's just important that you do." Jason evaded answering his question. "More than you can possibly know."

"This is an old photo." The doctor commented as he studied it. "But I can tell it's them. Yes, this is Mr. and Mrs. Corbin." He handed the picture back to Jason. "They make a stunning couple."

"Doctor." Jason replied. "This man's name is not Michael Corbin, it's Michael Corinthos. And this woman isn't his wife, she's his ex-fiancee." He added, muttering to himself. "I don't understand why Sonny would go along with this lie. What's going on here."

"Mr. Corinthos may not know it's a lie." That doctor informed Jason. "He may believe it to be the truth."

"What are you saying?" Jason wanted to know.

"Mr. Corinthos has total amnesia." He explained. "He has no memory of his life previous to waking up in the hospital." He added. "I believed this woman was his wife, and I explained who she was to him when he regained consciousness. And she went along with it. She never once said she wasn't his wife."

"Thank you, doctor." Jason thanked the doctor and left. Then he gave Johnny his marching orders. "I want you to get our men out there looking for Sonny and Brenda. The doctor says Sonny has amnesia so there's no telling what kind of line of bull she's handed him. God only knows where she's taking him or what she has planned for him." He added to himself, as Johnny walked away to do his bidding. "But maybe Jax knows. He'd better know if he knows what's good for him."

* * * * *

SONNY AND BRENDA entered the room they'd rented at the cheapest motel they could find. They were somewhere in the outskirts of Vermont. The long drive had done nothing to improve Sonny's temper. It had given him a lot of time to think, and some of the stuff his wife had told him just didn't add up. She claimed that all their money had burned up with their car, so just how did she afford another car. She also had money to pay for the room they were now in. He's also noticed that while he was wearing a wedding band, she wasn't. It was time he got some answers. He may have lost him memory, but he wasn't stupid.

"Didn't you say all our money burned up in the car." He suddenly asked. "So how can we afford a new car not to mention this motel room."

"The car isn't new." She told him brushed aside his questions. "And this motel isn't exactly The Ritz. We had some walking around money in your wallet and my purse. That's where it came from. But there isn't very much of it so we'll have to be careful with it. I wouldn't have stopped at all, but since you just got released from the hospital, I thought you'd need a place to get a good night's sleep. Why are you suddenly so suspicious of me." She threw back at him. "Don't you trust me? I'm your wife, after all."

"Are you?" He retorted, grabbing her by the wrist. "If you are, then why aren't you wearing a wedding ring." He held up his own hand. "I'm wearing a wedding band, but you're not. Why not?"

"All right, you caught me." She grabbed her wrist away from him. "The reason I'm not wearing my rings is because I sold them. That's really where the money is coming from. That's how I could afford to buy the car and to rent this motel room." She added as she rubbed her wrist. "Happy now?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Like Brenda had hoped, Sonny felt guilty for having accused her of something when she had sacrificed her wedding rings for them. "Why did you keep it such a big secret."

"I didn't want you to feel guilty." She pulled on his arm to get him to sit on the bed with her, then she caressed his cheek. "Baby, you've got so much to worry about as it is. It must be horrible to wake up with no memory of me or the life we shared together. I didn't want you to worry about money on top of that. So I went out and sold my wedding band and engagement ring so we'd have enough money to tide us over until you get back on your feet."

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I can see by the way you look at me how much you love me. I don't know why I'm acting this or why I'm so suspicious of you." He added. "But it's not just you. I'm suspicious of everyone and everything. Why can't I remember anything. The doctor said it would be a few days and it's been a few days and I still haven't remembered one thing."

"It's okay, baby." She leaned his head on her shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair as she held him. "Anyone in your position would act the same. You woke up in the hospital with no memory and then you were told a woman you don't even remember is your wife. Anyone would act the way you're acting."

"But you've done nothing to make me distrust you." He said feeling even more guilty. "There's no reason why I should be picking apart every you say to see if there's some hidden meaning behind it." He added. "You're my wife, for god's sake. I should trust you."

"Don't worry about it, baby." She laughed. "It's all right. It's just your natural personality shining through. You've always had a hard time trusting people, and memory or no you still do. You've always had a suspicious nature." She added. "I'm used to it. It's part of what makes you you."

"Well," Sonny promised. "It's not going to happen again. You're my wife and that's no way to treat you. From now on I'm not going to question you or mistrust you. You're my wife. If I can't trust you, then who can I trust." He suddenly realized where they were both sitting and jumped up like he'd just been scalded. "There's only one bed in the room. Where are we both going to sleep?"

"Where do you think?" She snuggled up to him. "We're married, baby, so, of course, we'll be sleeping together in the same bed."