The bright, late April sunshine warmed his back and lifted his spirits as Jasper "Jax" Jacks stepped out of the Georgetown University Law Library after hours spent hunched over law books, studying for finals. The air seemed electric, charged with possibilities, as his father would say, and he felt suddenly very alive. Must be from too many hours in the stacks, he told himself, trying to make sense of this excitement that was permeating his body suddenly. That or the fact that graduation was merely weeks away and he would finally be stepping into the real world and out of the safe confines of academe. Probably a bit of both, he finally decided. But he wouldn't be graduating - at least not top of his class - if he didn't ace his upcoming exams.

"Hey, don't forget to give me back those notes before tomorrow," Jax reminded his best friend, Eric Lawrence, as they headed out of Georgetown University's law library.

"What are you so worried about?" Eric stuffed the borrowed notes into the briefcase that he was struggling to carry, as it weighed heavily on his shoulders from the many books jammed inside of it. "Classes are almost over, and you're practically guaranteed to pull another 'A.'"

"Graduation or not, my grades aren't guaranteed," was Jax's good-natured response. "Just make sure you give me enough time to study tomorrow night. I plan on acing that last exam."

"What's new about that?" scoffed Mike Malloy, the third member of their unofficial triumvirate. He, as usual, had lagged behind a few steps in order to view the young women studying in the library. Mike was an aspiring womanizer, as his friends liked to call him. "You haven't failed a single test, quiz, or essay since we started kindergarten, Jax."

Jax, Eric, and Mike had been close friends since their childhood in an exclusive enclave on Long Island, New York, and where they, as favored sons of prominent families, were raised to become the future titans of the world. While all of them were born into privilege and were handsome, smart, and athletic, Jax seemed to be the most favored of them all. It was a fact that had been accepted by Mike and Eric years ago. Their friend somehow seemed to deserve all of the attention and accolades heaped upon him constantly. At age twenty-five, he was primed and ready to step into the life that his father had been preparing for him since his childhood.

Despite being recognized for being outstanding at nearly everything, Jax was not spoiled by all of the praise. "My golden boy," was how John and Jane Jacks referred to him, and in almost every sense of the word, it was true. Jax stood 6'2" tall, with golden-blonde hair and aquamarine blue eyes. An avid sportsman, his muscular, tanned body reflected his active lifestyle, and he was also blessed with a keen intellect to add to his already considerable physical gifts. Although he was supremely confident, he was never arrogant; in fact, he was congenial, friendly, and generous to a fault. As a result, Jax had sailed through what was, to him, a perfect life; always surpassing the high expectations his family anticipated for him. His older brother, Jerry, often joked that Jax should be sickening, being so nearly perfection personified, but to his credit, Jax had never developed an ego and was remarkably down-to-earth. He looked at life as a wonderful adventure to be experienced and could always be found in high spirits.

The three friends had attended school together all of their lives, so it was a natural decision for them all to attend Georgetown University Law School in Washington, DC, together. As usual, Jax had sailed through law school at the top of his class, with Eric a close second and Mike preferring to pass each class by the skin of his teeth. With their last semester as students drawing to a close, the young men were filled with relief at their graduation, and had been celebrating a little more than usual.

The whole campus, in fact, seemed to radiate excitement as the school prepared for the numerous graduation ceremonies coming in the next few weeks, and students milled about throughout the courtyard, chattering and relaxing in the warm, April sunshine. It was an unusually warm day for this time of year, with a bright blue, cloudless sky floating overhead.

"You know why I rarely fail, Mike? It's because I believe in preparation. You really ought to try it sometime!" Jax remarked easily, giving his friend a congenial punch in the arm as the group finally reached the bottom of the library steps and began walking across the crowded oval. Jax inhaled the fresh spring air deeply. "I think I'm going to head out for that run, after all," he referred to his daily five-mile jog. "Do you guys feel like coming?"

"I'll pass," Eric said quickly. "We're probably going to head over to Malarkey's," he told Jax as they walked among their fellow students, enjoying the warm rays of the spring sunshine.

"Yeah," Mike echoed Eric's reply. "All this studying makes me thirsty."

Eric and Jax shot a look of disbelief at each other before turning to gaze at Mike. "*All* this studying?" Eric repeated. "All what studying? You were barely paying attention in there!"

Ready to defend himself, Mike began to respond, but was interrupted by a loud, piercing, female voice, echoing throughout Georgetown's sprawling campus over a loudspeaker. "We cannot, in all good conscience, allow these kinds of underhanded corporate dealings to continue!"

What is *that*?" Mike began scanning the campus to see what event was currently going on.

"I think it's coming from over there, by the student union," Jax told him. "Let's see what's going on." The three men began walking over to the crowd that was gathering a short distance away in front of the large building. The crowd was rapidly growing, but their height made viewing the female speaking into the microphone easy. The moment Jax saw her, his eyes were strangely riveted to her.

She was small -- almost tiny -- with a slim figure; a petite brunette with long, gleaming, black hair that was haphazardly pulled into a ponytail atop her head. She was dressed in a pair of tight, faded, almost white blue jeans, and a tight white T-shirt that barely covered her midriff, and she was speaking loud enough to be heard in West Virginia.

"It may seem like it won't affect you, but as soon as college is over, these same corporations are the ones we will all be fighting to gain positions in! Please, stop and sign the petition. Read the literature that we're passing out to all of you. The only way we can fight these corporations that are robbing our parents, and *us,* of what is owed to us, is to band together! We need to stop these raiders from dismantling corporations, draining them of their assets, and turning life-long employees out without their pensions, insurance, or hope for a future!"

"Oh, for God's sake, *shut up!*" an annoyed Mike said. "It's a shame, someone as hot as that has a mouth like that."

"Shhhh," Jax told him, his eyes once again glued to the young woman who was passionately shouting more of her rhetoric into the microphone. "What is she talking about?"

Just then, one of the volunteers that seemed to be working with her passed by and thrust some pamphlets into Jax's hand. Glancing down, he examined them more closely. "Is she kidding?" he asked in disbelief.

Eric and Mike crowded around their friend to see what he was talking about. Jax had been handed several pamphlets that condemned corporations, who, according to the student group, were guilty of raiding companies, stripping them of their assets, thereby leaving that company's employees with no jobs or benefits. One of the companies listed in bold, red print was J & J Jacks International.

Eric grabbed one of the pamphlets to get a closer look. "Hey, don't feel bad, Jax, my dad's company is in here, too," he pointed to the name, Lawrence Industries, which was located right underneath the name of Jax's father's company.

"Well, I'm really hurt," Mike complained sarcastically. "My family's company wasn't important enough to make the list."

Eric and Jax ignored Mike as they continued perusing the pamphlets. "Some people are just never satisfied," Eric commented, shaking his head. "I mean, it's not a crime that we trade and buy companies. Accusing us of stripping them is a bit over-dramatic." He crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it onto the ground, as an irritated volunteer observed his actions and rolled her eyes in his direction. "Come on, guys, let's get out of here."

"No, wait!" Mike protested. "I want to get another look at the loudmouthed babe. She's gorgeous!"

Jax couldn't stop his eyes from turning back to gaze at her again. She *was* loud, but she was gorgeous, too, he thought, as his eyes slid over her shapely figure, which was displayed attractively in the tight clothing she wore. She was moving back and forth in front of the group of people listening to her, an animated spark plug of energy. As she spoke, Jax observed that her eyes were flashing and she made wide, expansive gestures to accentuate her speech. It was obvious to him that she believed in her topic completely.

A harsh elbow to his side rudely interrupted his fascination with the girl. "Hey!" he shouted out at Eric, the guilty culprit.

"You're not supposed to be looking," he teased Jax, wagging a finger in front of Jax's face. "Remember Elizabeth ... You know, your fiancée? She wouldn't appreciate you checking out someone else."

Mike laughed at Eric's antics. "Leave him alone, Mike. He's not married yet -- and besides, there's nothing wrong with a little fun while your girlfriend's not around," he said, a wicked grin on his face. "And that is just the kind of girl I'd like to have around for a fling. You don't know her; she doesn't know you; no strings; no complications." He slung an arm over Jax's shoulders. "Want me to try and set something up for ya?"

Jax shook his head, appalled at his friends' comments. "You guys are disgusting, you know that?" He was joking, but a part of him was sick of hearing his friends talk about women that way. They didn't even know that girl, and yet they were assuming that she was easy, and would gladly fall into bed with any one of them, just for the fun of it. His mind quickly jumped to Elizabeth, "Speaking of Elizabeth, I need to go call her before I head out for my run. Are you guys heading back to the house?"

The three men shared a townhouse in the fashionable Georgetown area. "We're heading over to Malarkey's now. Why don't you come by after your run?" Eric asked Jax.

"Yeah, we'll still be there," Mike said, as they finally turned away from the crowd and began walking to their cars in the nearby parking lot.

"I might," Jax said absentmindedly, his mind already on his pending phone call. He had promised Elizabeth that he would call her this afternoon, and the day was almost over. If he didn't want to hear her complain, he needed to get moving. "If you don't see me, I'll catch up with you at home," he tossed over his shoulder, as he climbed into his shiny, black Grand Cherokee Jeep.

"OK, dude, but try to come party, all right? Mike did his horrible surfer dude imitation and flashed him the peace sign, and Jax shook his head at his crazy friend, then zoomed off into the city.

"Hello?" a soft voice purred into the receiver.

"Elizabeth, it's me," Jax said. "Sorry I'm late calling -- I was in the library all day."

"That's all right, Jax. I've been waiting for you to call! I had a question about china patterns..." Elizabeth began excitedly describing the different patterns she had looked at today, and Jax, as patient as ever, did his best to listen carefully.

Elizabeth Barnes and Jax had been a couple for as long as he could remember. Her family and his were very close; their parents vacationed together each summer, golfed together on weekends, and celebrated all holidays together. Jax, Jerry, and Elizabeth were practically siblings, and for years that was exactly how Jax thought of Elizabeth -- as a sister. Over the years, however, things had slowly changed. First he escorted her to a Homecoming dance, then they went to a movie here, a party there, and before he knew it, he had a girlfriend. After a few years, an engagement had seemed like the natural thing to do.

Despite the fact that he hadn't actually pursued the relationship, he was ... What was the word? ... comfortable with Elizabeth, and their families had been so pleased at their relationship that he had quickly gotten used to it. Besides, he did like Elizabeth -- of course, she was a little too concerned with appearances, and sometimes he felt a little bored with how predictable things were with them, but overall she was a nice person. Occasionally he did wish that there was a little more passion between the two of them, but he supposed that passion was not always the most important thing in a relationship. They belonged together -- everyone thought so -- and spending his life with someone else was not something he ever thought about.

"So, what do you think?" Elizabeth asked him, having finished discussing the different plates she liked. "Which one?"

"Uh, I don't know, " Jax returned his mind to the present and tried to recall what she had said. "I think you should choose. I mean, your taste is excellent. I don't know very much about those things, you know that."

"Jax," Elizabeth pouted through the telephone. "We're supposed to do this together! You're not even pretending to be interested."

Jax immediately tried to console her. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth ... I think once my exams are over and I finally get that degree in my hand, I'll be able to help you out more, okay?"

"Darling, I'm so excited about the graduation! You'll finally be back here, where we can see each other every day! And once you start working in Manhattan, we'll be able to have lunch together and look for a place of our own in the city. It's going to be positively wonderful!" Elizabeth still lived on Long Island at her family home, waiting for Jax to finish school. She wasn't interested in a career; she was happy to let her life revolve around Jax.

"Yes," Jax agreed amiably, although not fully believing it himself, "we're going to have a wonderful life together, Elizabeth."

"Now remember, when you come home next month, Daddy is throwing that engagement party for us," Elizabeth reminded him. "Everyone is going to be there -- between your mother and mine, I think most of New York's society will be here to wish us well!"

Jax's parents were highly influential members of society, as were Elizabeth parents. Her father, Donald Barnes, was a former Congressman, and was involved in several business deals with Jax's father, among others. It was no secret that John Jacks, along with Elizabeth father, had serious plans for Jax to someday enter the political fray, and both families expected Jax to practice law for a few years at Barnes's old law firm in the city before throwing his hat into the ring, so to speak. In fact, the presidency itself was not out of their realm of possibilities.

"I'm looking forward to it," Jax said absentmindedly, as he began searching through his clothes for a pair of sweats to wear on his run. "Listen, Elizabeth, I've got to go ... I need to get to work on that mock trial I'm defending next week." He didn't like to lie, but if he didn't cut Elizabeth conversations short, they tended to go on for hours.

"Already?" Disappointment was evident in her voice. "But you just called..."

"Yeah, but I'll call you tomorrow," he promised. "Why don't you call Mum and ask her about the china?"

She brightened. "Good idea! Maybe she'll want to drop by Macy's tomorrow to look at some of them, and afterwards, we can have lunch," she mused. "I'll give her a call now, darling."

"All right, then," Jax wound up the conversation. "I'll speak with you tomorrow." They said their good-byes, and he quickly hung up the phone, his mind already elsewhere.

Outside, Jax started on his usual course throughout the downtown neighborhood. As he wound through the streets, he found his mind drifting back to the feisty, young woman he had encountered today. He wondered how it felt to be so consumed with something, to believe in something so passionately and intensely that it would make someone take up a fight against some major corporations.

She really has it out for my family, he chuckled to himself, as he deftly skirted a young girl walking her dog down the sidewalk. He sprinted down a steep hill and remembered the determination in her voice as she pleaded for the students to read through the information they were distributing. She certainly felt that she knew all about his family's company -- but he was sure she was mistaken on some of her complaints. His father was definitely a cutthroat businessman, that was certain, but he wasn't cold-hearted. There was no way he would participate in the mercenary practices she had outlined.

Irritated that his thoughts were focused on the woman outside the student union, he tried to turn his mind to Elizabeth and their wedding. He supposed he was happy that they were getting married, but he couldn't seem to get as excited as she was about the event. It was probably because he was busy finishing up school, and concentrating on beginning his new job, he reflected. Once the madness of finals was over, and he had finished packing up the townhouse, he would at last be able to put all of his attention on his fiancée. It was simply all the distractions in his life that prevented him from getting caught up in the wedding preparation.

Yes, that was it.

Relieved at his conclusion about his conflicting feelings regarding Elizabeth, he increased the pace of his run, wiping out all thoughts except the wind running through his hair and the pumping of his muscles.

Malarkey's, the small downtown bar that had become an unofficial hangout for Jax and his friends, was packed. It seemed everyone was celebrating the beginning of spring and the coming end of the school year, and the young men and women were able to temporarily forget about their pending exams and have some fun.

Jax strolled in the door and scanned the room for Mike and Eric, quickly finding them comfortably settled in a booth near the pool tables. He began making his way over to them, stopping every couple of feet to say hello to people he knew. Jax genuinely enjoyed socializing; it wasn't something he did in order to further his father's plans for him, although Mike and Eric constantly accused him of that very thing.

After catching up with some of his former teammates from the school's soccer team, he finally made his way over to his friends. "If it isn't my dim-witted friends," he greeted them playfully as he slid into the booth next to Mike.

"Well, well, well," Mike drawled. "If it isn't Georgetown's answer to Bruce Jenner," he returned the insult, looking Jax up and down. "How was the run?"

"Good," Jax answered. After his punishing run, he had settled down to study, but was still having trouble concentrating. And the reason he was having trouble concentrating was because of the girl -- the female protester that he had glimpsed earlier in the day. She was on his mind, and no matter what he tried to focus on, she popped back up again and again. His study session was effectively over for tonight. With nothing else left to do, he had decided to join the guys for a couple of beers, and now he wanted to push the girl out of his mind, and just goof off. "Hey, pour me a glass, will you?"

Eric poured Jax a mug of beer from the pitcher sitting in the center of the table, then slid it over to him. Jax expertly caught it, and downed half of the mug in one swallow. Eric was impressed, and even Mike did a double take.

"Whoa! Who are you, and what did you do with my friend?" Mike quipped.

Jax gave his friends a wicked grin. "I'm just relaxing, Mike. I'm tired of studying, tired of thinking. I just want to hang out tonight."

"Fine with me," Eric told him. "It's about time you got out and had some fun - you know, this might be one of the last times we can have a boys' night out together before your wedding."

Mike chimed in. "Yeah, he's right, Jax. Once Elizabeth gets you back on Long Island, your party days are *over!*" He refilled Jax's glass.

Jax suppressed the urge to frown when Elizabeth name was mentioned. He didn't know what was coming over him today, but for the first time in his life, he wanted to forget that he was engaged to Elizabeth - to pretend for awhile that he wasn't tied down to someone with whom he had little in common.

But he and Elizabeth had *everything* in common! Family background … They had spent ever holiday, summer and school break together since birth…. They liked the same things…. Well, if he was being honest with himself, he had to amend that thought. *She* had made all the decisions about their social engagements, and *she* had planned the wedding without consulting Jax on a single decision…. And really, if he thought about it, they *didn't* like the same things. Jax was just so easygoing, that he could deal with anything she decided on.

The more he thought about Elizabeth tonight, the more confused he became, so Jax became determined to clear his head and just not think. He leaned into the table to join a conversation that Eric and some guys from their torte law class, and soon was engrossed in the kind of inane conversations that often happened in Malarkey's. The guys were trading jokes and insults, and having a good time, and didn't notice that Mike had wandered over to the table next to theirs. He had spotted the young woman from earlier today -- the same woman that had been on Jax's mind for the last few hours.

Brenda had adjourned to Malarkey's with her friend, Janet, another member of the student group she was involved in, and they were also winding down after their busy day at the rally. Brenda was listening to Janet as she vented about her problems with her boyfriend, when Mike interrupted the conversation by leaning over and tapping her lightly on her shoulder. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I wondered if I could buy you a drink?"

Startled, Brenda jumped and turned to quickly look over her shoulder. The guy was young, well dressed in khakis and a Rugby shirt, and fairly handsome, with curly, brown hair and green eyes. She recognized him as a law student - she had seen him from time to time around the campus, but never paid much attention to him. He ran with a different crowd - a group of rich, affluent men and women. Although he seemed nice, he was definitely not her type.

"Thanks anyway, but I'm fine," she said politely yet firmly. Considering the conversation over, she turned her attention back to Janet.

Mike persisted, sure that he could change her mind. "Oh, come on, I won't bite," he gave her an amiable smile that he had perfected over the years. "I've been sitting over here with my friends, trying to get enough courage to come over and introduce myself - the least you can do is allow me to have one drink with you."

Brenda had never been into playing games, and she decided to just be straight with him - it was usually the best way for her to get rid of unwanted suitors. "Listen, I appreciate the offer, but, like I said already, I'm not interested. So, if you don't mind...?" She gestured for him to return to where he had been sitting.

Mike was rarely, if ever, turned down, because he could always charm a girl into giving in to him. He did not take rejection well, and so he increased his efforts. "Hey, give me a chance. I promise you won't be sorry. What're you drinking? And your friend, too. Why don't I get you another?" He smiled at Janet, who was not impressed.

"I *said,*" Brenda's voice began to rise with frustration, "that I'm not interested. Now would you *please* go *away?*" Her voice grew louder with each word, and it carried over to the next booth, attracting Jax's attention. He broke away from his conversation to walk over and see what Mike was up to, and was astonished to see the girl from earlier in the day, the one he had been thinking about since that afternoon.

"Mike, what's going on here?" he stood next to his friend as he smiled and made direct eye contact with the dark-haired girl. She appeared to be aggravated. Once again, he was struck by how beautiful she was, and he was chagrined with himself that he, an engaged man, was having such a strong reaction to another woman besides Elizabeth.

"I was telling your friend that I don't want him to buy me a drink, and that I'm not interested. Maybe you could help him find his way back to your table," Brenda addressed her words to Jax, hoping that maybe this man's friend wouldn't be so hardheaded.

Mike, embarrassed at being turned down in front of his friend no less, lost his friendly demeanor and began to show signs of anger. "There's no need to get upset. I heard you, and I'll leave you alone. I suppose I should have recognized that you were a little uptight," he remarked with a derisive look at Brenda as he turned away.

Brenda froze in her seat. His casual insult had hit a mark with her, for despite being twenty-two, she had yet to be involved in a serious relationship. There had just never seemed to be time for one: the bulk of her teen-aged years were spent studying, dealing with the absence of her mother, and taking care of her father. Once she arrived at college, her studies seemed to dominate all of her time, and when her father committed suicide, all thoughts of romance had vanished -- something that had not gone unnoticed by the young men on campus.

Brenda was approached almost daily by men who wanted to get to know her, each of whom she quickly rejected, quickly earning her the label of "Ice Queen" by most of the male population at Georgetown. Although she knew what was occasionally whispered behind her back, this was the first time anyone had spoken it so callously to her face -- and it hurt.

Although Brenda wanted nothing more than to toss a glass of beer right into the oaf's face, she decided that there was no use getting caught up in some argument with him; she would simply leave, and that would effectively end the discussion. Standing, she explained to Janet, "Sorry, Jan, but I've got to get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow." Brushing past the obnoxious boor and his friend, she started to walk towards the exit quickly but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

"Wha--?" Brenda began to protest, but was cut off mid-sentence as Mike's lips clamped down onto hers. His arms swiftly encircled her waist, holding her practically immobile.

Jax was astounded that Mike would do such an outrageous thing, and he reached over and pulled him off the struggling woman, shaking him a little. In shock and appalled at what he had just seen, he called him on his conduct at once. "Mike! What the hell is wrong with you? Apologize to her!" Furious, he turned to Brenda, intending to attempt to apologize for Mike's outrageous remark, but the grim, angry look on her face silenced him.

She favored Mike with a murderous glare. Fleetingly, she thought of letting the guy know just how painful it was to be kicked in the groin ... but she didn't want to create more of a spectacle than Mike already had, so without another word, she turned and stormed outside into the night air.

Inside the bar, Jax's face was just as flushed as Brenda's, but only from the anger consuming him. "Are you crazy?" he shouted at Mike, who had taken his seat and was sipping his beer as if nothing had happened. "You do *not* treat women like that! Aren't you going to go follow her, and apologize?"

"Jax! Calm down, man," Eric intervened and tried to defuse the situation. "So Mike was a little out of line -- Don't make a federal case out of it. We've all had a little to drink. --Okay? She's gone. We don't even know who she is, and we'll probably never even see her again, anyway. It's over and don with now. Come on and sit back down with us."

Jax felt as if he were a character in some bad movie. Had his friends forgotten their manners -- lost all common decency? "No, I'm not sitting back down with you!" he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't care how much he's had to drink, I can't believe you're not angry with him yourself, Eric. What he did was absolutely inexcusable!"

His friends regarded him as if his face had turned green. "Come on, Jax," Eric said slowly, "what Mike did really wasn't all that bad. Why does it matter so much to you that he apologizes? It's not like you even *know* her!"

Eric was right; he *didn't* know her. But he was upset, and it did matter to him. Jax had glimpsed the look on her face when Mike had uttered his unfeeling remark, and for a moment she had looked as if she had been struck across the face, not to mention how violated she must have felt when Mike put his hands on her. For the first time in his life, he was ashamed to say that he called these two men his friends. Jax had been raised to always treat a lady with respect, and never, even in his wildest dreams, would he think of treating one in such a cavalier manner as Mike just had.

Especially this one. He was inexplicably drawn to her, and he had no idea why. All he knew was that from the moment he laid eyes on her today, she had never been far from his thoughts. And that was why, if Mike wouldn't do it, that he would apologize to her. He knew that an apology from him wouldn't mean much, but he had to follow her and at least try to apologize to her.

Before he wasted too much time thinking about what he was doing, Jax walked away from his friends without another word and headed towards the door where she had disappeared. He had no reasonable explanation as to why he was doing this, but something in him couldn't let her just walk out of there, angry and possibly hurting. He needed to see her again to try to make things right, despite everything rational that advised him to sit right back down in his booth.

Outside, Brenda charged down the street, muttering to herself as she tried to calm down. She was just so *sick* of the rich jerks, with their elitist attitudes, who seemed to be everywhere in this town and thought they were God's gift to women. Thank heaven there were only a few weeks left before graduation -- Once she got her degree, she was getting away from this place, for good. The only problem was ... she still wasn't sure exactly where she was going to go or what she would do when she got there.

Brenda had been raised as an only child in upstate New York, in a small, waterfront town named Port Charles. Her early childhood had been happy -- her mother and father adored her, and life had been carefree. But when she was five, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and died within months, leaving Brenda to be raised by her father. Even that hadn't been so bad. Brenda's father had been director of personnel at Langley Electronics, and although he worked hard, there had always been time for his little girl. Their relationship had remained close throughout her teenage years, with father and daughter behaving like best friends. Harlan Barrett was determined that Brenda lack for nothing, and he worked tirelessly so that Brenda could attend private schools and receive the best education available.

After graduating from high school with honors, Brenda moved to Washington, DC, to attend college. She made it a priority to keep in close contact with her father, and assumed that there were no secrets hidden from her. She soon learned that that was not at all the case, when she received a shocking phone call midway through her sophomore year at Georgetown University. Her father had kept some very important things hidden from her - most importantly, the fact that he was "let go" from his 25-year position at his firm after the firm was bought by another company and then downsized. He tried to find another job, but companies weren't interested in hiring an older man when someone younger could be hired for almost half his salary. Even worse, the pension and stock options he had counted on for retirement were stripped from him when the company's new owners took over and he was laid off. Harlan sank into a deep depression, one that made him feel as if there was no way out -- and so he had taken his own life when Brenda was nineteen.

Heartbroken and shocked, Brenda returned to Port Charles to arrange his funeral, and packed up what was left in the home in which she had been raised - almost everything they had owned had to be sold to clear the debts her father had left behind. After saying one last good-bye to her parents at their gravesides, she had returned to Georgetown and thrown herself into her studies. A few months later, she became involved in an activist group that helped her raise awareness to fight against what had happened to her father -- She never wanted another human being to have to go through that again. Fighting against the companies that used and abused their employees had become her passion -- that, along with her writing. Writing was the one thing she found solace in; the one place she could pour her heart out. Brenda's dream was to write professionally, but with no job lined up, she needed to find something to pay her bills fast -- and that meant writing was not her first priority at this point.

Sighing, she stared ahead blankly as her pace gradually slowed. She was getting tired of constantly struggling against one thing or another. Sometimes she just wanted a shoulder to lean on, someone to count on.

Jax, who had raced out of the bar and was forced to run to catch up with her, was grateful that she had finally stopped her speed walking. "Hey," he panted, trying to catch his breath from his sprinting.

Brenda turned to see one of the guys from the bar walking beside her, breathing heavily. This is all I need, she thought to herself. She really didn't need any more hassles tonight. "I thought I told you guys to leave me alone," she said angrily, as she began walking faster again.

Now that he had caught up with her, Jax was at a loss as to what to do. For the first time in his life, he felt awkward and unsure of what to say. "I'm not here to bother you. I wanted to apologize for Mike's -- he's my friend from the bar -- I wanted to apologize for his behavior."

Brenda barely listened to him. None of these guys were ever sincere. "Yeah, well, *he* should be sorry," was her only comment as she continued moving forward.

"Really. I know he should be the one out here, apologizing, but ... I just wanted you to know that I don't condone what he did, and I let him know that before I came out here." He wanted her to turn and look at him, to at least try and understand that he was sincere. It was important to him that she accept his apology, or to at least listen to him.

Brenda moved past a few pedestrians, not missing a step. "If I were you, I wouldn't even admit that I knew a creep like that, much less that he was my friend."

His earlier five-mile run had taken more out of Jax then he had realized, and he was having trouble keeping pace with her. "I ... you're right about him..." He stopped and bent over, attempting to catch his breath. "Can you please stop for a minute?"

Although she wanted to leave him gasping for air there on the street, Brenda stopped and finally looked at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, at once both concerned at the way he was bent over and annoyed at herself for even caring anything about him.

Grateful for the brief respite, Jax regained his composure and straightened to his full height. "Yes, I'm fine," he answered. "Now, I know you don't want to listen to anything I have to say, and I don't blame you for that, but it's important to me that you know how sorry I am about what happened back there, and how embarrassed I am about it." He looked sincerely into her face as he spoke, and suddenly found himself speechless. She was more beautiful than he remembered, and unexpectedly he found his palms were sweaty, and his stomach was filled with a swarm of butterflies.

Brenda was taken aback at how sincere he appeared to be ... and she finally took a good look at him. She had to admit that he was handsome. He was tall, and blonde, and ... well, he was gorgeous: cleft in his chin; crystal blue eyes; soft voice, with a just a hint of an accent.... He could be the poster boy for The Perfect Male. That didn't change her initial opinion of him, however -- Anyone who hung out with that guy in the bar couldn't be *too* nice. But she had to give him points for coming out here and chasing her down, just to apologize for something he hadn't even done. And so she relented -- a little. "Okay, I accept your apology," she said, and smiled a little so that he would stop looking quite so tense.

"Thank you," Jax breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes did not move from her face… He simply couldn't stop looking at her, even though he had no idea what else to say.

Unconsciously, Brenda raised a hand to rub the side of her face, wondering if perhaps she had a smudge on her cheek. He was staring at her so strangely ... as if he wanted something from her. After a few moments of silence, she said awkwardly, "Well, I'm going to head home now. Thanks again for the apology." Turning, she started her journey home again, more slowly this time.

"Wait!" Jax reached out and touched her shoulder, as she began to walk away.

She stopped at the touch of his hand -- it felt hot, like it could burn through her clothing. Slowly she turned to look at him.

Suddenly, Jax was reminded of the feeling he had earlier today, as he left the law library. He had felt energized, as if each breath of air infused him with electricity. He had realized then that the day seemed open to all sorts of possibilities, and he wondered if one of those possibilities was getting better acquainted with her? He needed her to stop, to stay and talk with him. He suddenly wanted to know everything about her.

"I ... I saw you earlier, outside the student union today," he said, unable to think of anything else to say to grab her attention.

"Yes?" Her voice had a touch of impatience, as she was ready to call this nightmare of an evening officially over and go home -- and yet her legs did not move to carry her away from him.

"And I was impressed with your speech ... how deeply committed you are to your cause," Jax complimented her. "I admire people who know what they want and are willing to fight for it." He hoped he was gaining her attention, but he really did mean what he was saying.

"Really?" she asked him, a little skeptically.

"Well ... yes, I was," Jax answered honestly, his eyes pleading silently for her to stay.

"If you're interested, or if you *really* want to find out more about what we do, then you can drop by our offices. We're on the second floor in the student union." Brenda studied him more closely, trying to figure out if he were really interested in the group, or if he were merely using this as an excuse to talk to her.

"Uh, okay," Jax said, still searching for something more to say. "So, maybe I'll see you in there, then?"

"Maybe," Brenda answer was noncommittal, as it began to dawn on her that he was purposely holding her up. "Maybe you will." Her eyes were still locked to his. "Goodnight."

As she began walking away from him again, Jax was gripped with a fear that he wouldn't see her again, but he had no idea how to handle the situation. He was *engaged,* for God's sake! He had absolutely no business feeling this way about another woman, let alone one he barely knew. And yet he did ... and he was helpless to stop himself from pursuing her.

"Wait!" he called out desperately, jogging to her as she halted at the sound of his voice.

Brenda wasn't surprised at all that he called for her to stop. In fact, she was rather glad that he had called after her, but she said nothing.

"It's late, and the streets aren't exactly safe this time of night. You shouldn't walk alone." Jax was speaking nervously, unsure of exactly what he was saying. "Can I walk you home?"

His earnest expression touched her, surprisingly. He wasn't the type of guy she should even attempt to start a relationship with -- He was probably the very antithesis of all that she stood for. She should politely thank him and say 'no,' and continue going home before something happened that she would surely regret. But she didn't. Instead, she searched his eyes once more, not really knowing what she hoped to find. But what she saw was sincerity ... and yearning… and someone she wanted to know better… Giving Jax a tentative smile, she replied, "I think I'd like that…"