It was nearly 11:30 p.m. by the time Jerry pulled the dark red Blazer onto Highway 101 and headed south toward Tom Langan's cabin and safety for Brenda. The threesome drove in relative silence - Jerry in the front seat alone, and Brenda and Jax cuddled together in the second seat, clutching each other for dear life. All of them wondering when life for them would ever return to normal again.

Jerry glanced into his rearview mirror as the car drove under an overhead light on the entrance ramp for 101 and glimpsed Jax holding Brenda tightly with his right arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, his left hand intertwined with her right hand, and both of those hands resting gently on Brenda's lower abdomen, over their baby. That brief sight made his heart jump into his throat, as he sadly realized the true scope of his and his dad's duplicity. They had played with fire - and unfortunately, Jax and Brenda and their baby were the ones who had gotten caught in the back draft of that terrible inferno that he and his dad had ignited.

Jerry sighed as he wondered how he and his dad could have been so arrogant to think that they could have kept their dealings with the mob from Jax and the law forever. But they somehow thought they were invincible, and the longer the partnership had gone on undetected, the more their arrogance had grown. But now he could see very clearly the stupidity of their actions, and he wished that he could go back to that first day that his dad had started them all on this slippery slope, and he would have at least tried to talk him out of it. But hindsight was always twenty/twenty, and the reality of the situation was that he had jumped at the chance as quickly as his dad had, so he was just as much at fault as his dad was. And now they all were dealing with the consequences of those bad decisions.

Jerry continued to glance into the rearview mirror from time to time to catch a glimpse of Jax and Brenda as they all rode in silence. Despite the fact that neither Jax nor Brenda had uttered a word to one another since entering the car, Jerry was very aware that they were still communicating. The looks that they gave to one another and the gentle stroking of one by the other - Jerry could almost swear that they could read each other's mind. That simply amazed Jerry, since he had never had that type of relationship with another human being. He had been in lust with countless women, and once he even thought he was close to being "in love" with a woman, but he had never in his life felt close enough to a woman to actually "feel her," as Jax seemed to feel Brenda.

And Jerry knew that their connection was real. How else could one explain Jax's unwavering faith in Brenda having survived the accident, even in the face of overwhelming circumstantial evidence to the contrary? Jax had remained firm in his belief that she had survived. He "knew" Brenda was still out there somewhere, and he had been determined to find her, no matter how much Jerry and the family had tried to dissuade him of that belief. And in the end, Jax had been right, and Brenda was indeed alive.

It was Jax and Brenda's overwhelming love for one another that had apparently kept them connected, even though Brenda had had no conscious knowledge of who she was or who Jax was. And, as he watched them together now, Jerry was acutely aware that their recent separation had only strengthened that bond. Suddenly Jerry realized something: Jax had found something far more precious than enormous wealth and unlimited power - he had found a deep and abiding love that only seemed to grow stronger with time and despite adversity. And for the first time in his life, Jerry was truly envious of Jax.

Brenda rested her head on Jax's chest and sighed, blinking back the tears that had been threatening to spill over onto her cheeks ever since they had begun this journey, nearly an hour before. She couldn't believe what an incredible twenty-four hours she had had. Just the day before she had remembered who she was, and Tom had taken her back home to her little cottage and, more importantly, to Jax. It had felt so good to be back with him, and she had vowed that they would never be separated again, and yet here she was, being taken back to the cabin in which she had spent the last two weeks away from Jax and her life. It just didn't seem fair! Why do I have to do this? she thought angrily.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Jax rubbed his hand slowly across her stomach, smiled down at her, and kissed her forehead softly. The baby, Brenda thought. I'm doing this for our baby. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what their life together would be like once this was all over- she and Jax and the baby, all safe and sound and together back in the cottage. But the image kept fading for her, and that frightened her. Why couldn't she keep that image in her mind? She needed to hold onto that picture to help get her through the next few days or weeks, she reminded herself. But the harder she tried to imagine the baby with them, the more elusive that picture became for her, and suddenly an overwhelming fear gripped her heart: what if she couldn't "see" this baby because this baby was never going to be born? God, no! She tried to push that thought from her mind, but with the combination of the events of the night and her raging hormones and the overpowering fatigue she felt, she couldn't, and soon Brenda succumbed to the tears that had been just below the surface all evening long.

Jax felt Brenda tense as her body was suddenly racked by heart-wrenching sobs. "Brenda," he pulled her closer to him and turned her face up toward his.

"Jax, I'm so afraid..." she began, but she was unable to continue as she was now sobbing uncontrollably.

Jax unbuckled both of their seatbelts and pulled her onto his lap, caressing her with both his hands and his words. "It's okay, sweetie." Jax's voice was soft and gentle, as he tried to soothe her fears away. "It's natural to be afraid, but we're going to do everything we can to keep you and the baby safe." He gently kissed her tear-stained cheeks before she buried her head into his chest to muffle the sound of her continued sobs. "Shh..." he whispered, slowly rocking her in his arms, "It's been a long night, and you're tired. Just let it all out, sweetie...just let it all out..."

Brenda continued to cry, her head buried deep into Jax's strong chest, as he cradled her on his lap. There was so much going through her head now, and she wanted to share it all with Jax because they shared everything, but she was afraid to tell him about her fears for the baby. She didn't want to upset him more than she already had, and she didn't want to worry him with her irrational fears about their baby. He had enough to deal with now, without her adding more to his worries. So she kept quiet as to what had set off her crying jag, but she couldn't erase her fears about the baby from her mind. She wouldn't tell Jax, she decided, but she would do whatever it took to keep this baby safe and alive. And despite the fears that continued to plague her, she eventually succumbed to sheer exhaustion and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep in Jax's strong, comforting arms.

Jax continued to rock Brenda back and forth in his arms long after he felt her body relax and give into a much-needed sleep. This simple act on his part was as comforting to him as it was to her. He needed to feel her in his arms as long as possible now because he knew that despite his earlier, cheerful admonishment to Brenda that their separation would be brief, the reality of the situation was that they could be apart for weeks, possibly even months, if the bureaucracy ground on at its usual snail's pace. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. No! He would move heaven and earth to make sure that this separation was as short as possible. The two weeks he and Brenda had been apart when everyone thought she was dead had been excruciating for him, and he wasn't about to let anything keep them apart now any longer than absolutely necessary, even if it meant that he had to force everyone involved to work around the clock to get this settlement for his family in the works and Marco Leone behind bars where he belonged!

He knew that he couldn't handle a prolonged separation now. Just the previous two weeks without Brenda had seemed like an eternity. He had missed the nights of holding each other as they fell asleep after making love to one another for hours, and then waking up to her gentle, steady breathing beside him. He had missed watching her do simple, everyday things, like brushing her hair, or sorting through the mail, or absently twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers as she chattered away on the phone, or just smiling at him every chance she got. And he had missed even bigger things - like seeing her face when she had found out about their baby and when she had seen the ultrasound of their baby for the first time, and he had missed watching her body go through the changes that were already evident even though she was not quite 3 months pregnant. Would he miss when she heard their baby's heartbeat for the first time, or when she felt their baby move for the first time? No! He shook his head in the darkness and vowed silently to himself that he and Brenda were not going to miss another single milestone, big or small, in their lives - not as long as he still had breath in his body. He looked down at Brenda's sleeping form, drew her closer still to him, and kissed her softly on her cheek. "This is the last time we'll be separated, sweetie, and it won't be for long - I promise that!" he whispered.

Brenda sighed softly in her sleep at Jax's quiet promise to her, and Jerry, who had been listening quietly from the driver's seat, blinked back tears as he realized that every minute of this separation was going to be pure torture for both Jax and Brenda. And, since he loved Jax more than life itself, he knew he would somehow have to make this all go away soon and make everything up to Jax and Brenda both. He wasn't sure how he could do that, but he knew he'd gladly give up his own life if it meant that Jax and Brenda and their baby could live happily and freely together again.

Dan Wilkerson eased the rented, black Jeep Cherokee into the wooded area behind Brenda Barrett's country cottage and looked around for a small clearing where he could safely and unobtrusively park while he went in to pick up his "guest." He finally located the perfect spot - a little space most likely used by teenage lovers out for a night of passion in the car. As he shut the Jeep off, he glanced down at the iridescent green, digital display of the clock on the car's console, which read: 1:15 a.m. "Damn! I should be in a nice, warm bed by now, not out traipsing around in the woods and in the cold!" he swore aloud. But then his mouth twisted into a distorted grin as he began to fantasize once again, "But it won't be long until I'm nice and toasty warm in that bed. And, if all goes well, I won't be in that bed all alone. Of course, Mr. Jacks will no doubt try to decline my invitation for the lovely Ms. Barrett to join me for a few days of fun and games, but then again, that could be nearly as entertaining as what I have planned for Ms. Barrett later on." He pulled his 9-mm out of his pocket, checked to make sure it was loaded, and laughed, "In fact, I kinda hope he does put up a fight. I need a little something to get the old adrenaline pumping tonight!" He then grabbed a flashlight from off the seat and headed across the woods toward the cottage.

The full moon was shining brightly, making the trek through the woods easy even without the use of a flashlight, and Dan walked the short distance through the woods and into the back yard of the cottage in no time. He carefully wound his way around the little garden, making sure to stay on the lawn in order to minimize any footprints. He cautiously approached the house, waiting for any security lights or alarms to go off, but there were none. "Hmmm ... so, Ms. Barrett, you live in the middle of nowhere with no special security precautions? What a trusting soul you must be!" he muttered to himself as his pick easily opened the lock that had secured the back door. He quietly opened the door into the kitchen and carefully looked inside before slowly entering the house. The moonlight streamed freely into the uncurtained windows of the room, giving Dan an excellent view of the room without the need for any other light. He glanced around the room, his eyes finally settling on a partially eaten sandwich and a half-empty glass of milk that was on the counter near the sink. Well, someone's been here, he thought.

He put his flashlight into the inside pocket of his leather jacket and took out his gun, as he slowly opened the swinging door that led to the rest of the house. The bright moonlight streaming through the many windows in the house made navigating the rooms easy, and he quickly surveyed the living room for any signs of the occupants of the house. Seeing no one down there, Dan stealthily headed up the stairs, hugging the wall as he did. He rounded the turn of the stairs and saw two doors in front of him, one open and one closed. He slowly approached the open door and looked inside. It appeared to be an office of some sort, with a desk and a computer near the window. One entire wall of the room was covered with an extensive sound system that appeared to be state-of-the-art. Must be where the little music mogul works, he thought, as he turned to leave.

Slowly, he edged toward the room with the closed door, readying his gun as he did so. Quietly he turned the doorknob and gently pushed it open, aiming the gun steadily in front of him. The door swung open easily to reveal that the room was a bedroom. He carefully inched toward the bed, but as he drew closer he could see that there was no one in the bed or even in the room. The bed linens were rumpled and scattered about, indicating that it had been used, but there was no one there now. He gazed around the room to see the open closet doors and women's clothes scattered about, and a dressing table near the bed looked as though someone had hastily cleared it of its contents, as some articles were knocked over and others were on the floor near the table. "Damn! He's taken her away!" Dan swore aloud as he realized that he had somehow let his prey slip out of his hands, and he began to sweat as he wondered how he was going to explain this to Mr. Leone.

Tom flipped the lights of the cabin on and yelled behind him for Charlie, as he tried to balance the bags of groceries as well as his suitcase and the pouch containing his laptop in his arms. "Come on, boy! We've got a lot of stuff to put away before she gets here," he said to Charlie, as the golden lab finally bounded through the open door of the cabin.

Tom laid the bags containing his clothes and his computer on the floor by the table, and then put the grocery bags down on the kitchen counter near the sink. He pulled out the milk, the cartons of yogurt, the eggs, and the packages of chicken, meat, and fish from the bags, and put them in the refrigerator first, followed by the fresh vegetables. He pulled two large bowls out of the cupboard and put them on the counter with the assortment of fresh fruits in them: oranges, grapefruits, apples, plums, grapes, pears, and bananas. Although he and Emma had never experienced a pregnancy together, Tom had two sisters who had children, and he remembered them talking about the need to eat healthily from the onset of pregnancy - and that included a wide assortment of foods from all the food groups. The last thing he pulled out of the bags were the jar of creamy Jif peanut butter, the Smucker's jam, two loaves of whole wheat bread, and a box of saltines. He laughed as he realized that the only foods he truly knew that Angel liked were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk and saltines. "I guess you and I are going to have an awful lot of food to eat, if Angel objects to the menus I have planned," he laughed as he leaned over and patted Charlie on the head. "But at least we're gonna try to make her eat healthy for that baby's sake, aren't we?"

Tom's face darkened as his thoughts drifted from taking care of Angel to that of keeping her safe. He walked over to his laptop and took it out of its case, plugged it into the phone jack, and turned it on. He had a general knowledge of Marco Leone's operation, but he planned to do a lot more research over the next few days in order to know everything about the man. He needed to know how he operated and who he trusted, and he needed to be able to anticipate Leone's every possible move as it pertained to the Jacks family, and especially Angel.

Tom realized that this time with Angel was going to be far different than the last two weeks he had spent here with her. Then he was on vacation and nursing her back to health - and falling in love with her. Now he had to concentrate on doing his job and keeping her safe, so that she could return to the man who loved her - and whom she loved. That last, little thing tore at his heart, but he was a realistic man, and he knew he had to face that hard fact in order not to be sucked back into that fantasy he had had about him and Angel living happily ever after.

"She's just another assignment," he murmured aloud. "She's going to get every bit of your professional attention, and nothing more, just like any other person you'd be assigned to protect...Yeah, right...she's just another assignment..." He shook his head ruefully. He knew that this was going to be the toughest job he'd ever had because, for the first time in his life, his personal life and his professional life had intersected, and there was no way to separate them. He wasn't just protecting another witness or a victim, he was protecting the woman he loved, and he prayed that he'd have the strength to be able to keep his personal feelings for her from adversely affecting his judgment in this case.

Tom had been working at the computer for about 45 minutes, when Charlie popped his head up and barked, and Tom saw the lights of a car as it pulled up beside the cabin. He glanced down at his watch to see that it was nearly 2 a.m. - exactly 24 hours since Angel had remembered who she was in this very room. When she and Tom had left the cabin a couple of hours after that to return her to Jax and her life, Tom had thought that he'd never again see her here. But fate had intervened and necessitated her return to him and the cabin. He had never put much stock in fate or destiny, but the events of the past couple of weeks had made him wonder if destiny didn't play a part in one's life occasionally. How else could he possibly explain all of this?

He took a deep breath and headed to the door, opening it to see Jax and Brenda stepping onto the porch, and a dark-haired man carrying a suitcase, following closely behind. Jax looked tired and nodded when he saw Tom. "We have to stop meeting like this," Tom offered, extending his hand out to Jax.

"Yeah," Jax smiled wearily, as he shook Tom's extended hand. "Let's hope this is the last time we have to do something like this."

Brenda sighed loudly and burrowed deeper beneath Jax's other arm, trying to avoid being separated from him any sooner than necessary. Tom's gaze returned to her, and he noted the sadness on her face. She had no make-up on, her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her eyes were red and swollen, evidently from crying, but she was still the most beautiful woman Tom had ever seen, and he had to remember to breathe, looking at her. She finally returned his gaze, and tried to smile bravely at him. "Tom..." but that was all she could get out before she started crying again.

"Shh...Sweetie," Jax soothed as Tom stepped aside to allow Jax to guide Brenda inside, settling them both on the couch.

The dark-haired man carrying the suitcase came in behind them. "I'm Jax's brother, the infamous Jerry Jacks," he said, setting Brenda's suitcase down on the floor and extending his right hand out to Tom. "I'm the reason all of this is necessary."

Jax looked sharply up at Jerry, as Jerry and Tom continued to shake hands. Tom smiled at Jerry's candor. "So I understand, Mr. Jacks." This man's reputation for being both frank and disarming was well-deserved, and Tom found himself rather liking him, despite what he knew of Jerry's past illegal activities. "I'm Tom Langan, as you probably already know."

"Tom...Call me, Jerry," Jerry smiled. "After all, you are most likely very well acquainted with the most intimate details of my life anyway."

Tom laughed. "Well, you're right there, Jerry. I have been getting quite the education about the entire Jacks family over the past 36 hours. And I must say that you are definitely the most flamboyant one of the lot."

"Well, Jax there got all the looks and the charm, so I had to be colorful in order not to be lost in his wake." Jerry smirked at Tom.

Jax started to address Jerry's cheekiness, when he noticed how pale Brenda suddenly looked. "Are you okay, sweetie?" he asked leaning over her.

"I'm gonna be sick again!" she murmured as she quickly rose from the couch and raced out of the room, with Jax following closely behind.

Jerry watched Tom's expression as Brenda took off for the bathroom, and he didn't like the emotions that played across Tom's face because they were identical to the ones that Jax displayed: loving concern. Jerry was suddenly suspicious of Tom and his offer to keep Brenda safe. He glanced briefly around the cabin. "Quite the little hideout you have here, Tom. Is this an approved FBI safehouse, or are you merely playing games with Brenda and Jax's lives? Are you hoping to get something out of this for yourself? ... And I don't mean a commendation from the FBI."

Tom turned to face Jerry's suddenly frosty stare. Were his feelings for Angel so apparent that even this man, whom he'd just met, could see them so quickly, he wondered? He hesitated slightly before answering. "My only motive here is to make sure that Brenda and the baby stay safe through all of this mess, which you yourself have admitted is all of your making. This is not an approved FBI safehouse, but it is safe because your cohorts - Marco Leone and his crew - have no knowledge of this place and would have no reason to even suspect that she's here. The locals know me and the agency assumes that I'm still on vacation, so this is the best cover that there could possibly be. In fact, no one in the agency even knows where this place is, except my partner, and he knows not to come here. Even the locals stay away because they know I like my privacy. No one, except you and Jax, will know that she's here, and while she is here, I'll protect her with my life, just as Jax would."

Jerry looked triumphantly at Tom, as if he were an animal that he had finally cornered. "Ah, but Jax is in love with her..."

But before he could finish the sentence, Jax returned to the room. "Jerry did you happen to get some 7-Up or gingerale when you stopped at the store? Brenda really needs something to help settle her stomach." Jax looked at Jerry then at Tom and noticed their somber expressions. "Did I interrupt something here?"

"Not at all," Jerry answered. "We were just discussing Tom's plans for Brenda. I just wanted to make sure that we all had yours and Brenda's best interests at heart. Isn't that right, Tom?" Jerry said, as he looked at Tom and gave him a fixed smile.

Tom steeled his jaw as he stared coolly at Jerry. "Yeah, that's right. He just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page as far as Brenda's safety is concerned." He looked over at Jax and his face softened as he remembered why Jax had returned to the room. "I have some gingerale. I'll get it for you."

Jax raised his eyebrows at Jerry, silently questioning what exactly that it was that he had just walked in on, but Jerry merely shrugged his shoulders and headed toward the front door of the cabin. "I'd better go get those groceries I bought before I forget about them and take them back to Port Charles with us," Jerry said as he exited the cabin.

Tom returned with the glass of gingerale, and handed it to Jax. "Is she okay?" he asked quietly.

Jax nodded. "Yeah, it's just been a long twenty-four hours for her. And combine that with not enough sleep and not enough food and the trip and the pregnancy and our needing to be separated again so soon after being reunited, and the entire situation is wreaking havoc on her body. I hate to say this, but the sooner Jerry and I leave, the better it will probably be for her in the long run."

Tom nodded. "You're probably right. And the sooner you go, the sooner you can get things settled with the agency, and the sooner you two can get back together."

"Yeah," was all Jax said as he headed back into the bedroom to give Brenda the gingerale and the bad news that he was going to have to leave now.

Tom watched as Jax's shoulders slumped at the prospect of saying goodbye to Brenda, and Tom suddenly felt slightly guilty that he was looking forward to this time alone with Angel, while she and Jax were dreading their time apart. His silent reverie was quickly interrupted by the bang of the front door, as Jerry closed it loudly behind him upon returning with the groceries he had brought.

"Where do you want these?" Jerry asked, more for conversation than for instruction, as he put the bag down on the counter near the refrigerator.

"There's fine," Tom answered. "I'll put them away later."

"Jax is back in with Brenda, I see," Jerry said, nodding toward the closed bedroom door.

"Yeah, he's saying goodbye to her," Tom replied evenly.

"Well, then you best be putting those things away now because this could take some time - if you get my drift," Jerry slyly grinned at Tom, insinuating that Jax and Brenda would no doubt be making love one last time before their enforced separation.

Tom more than got Jerry's drift, and he certainly did not like the images that suddenly popped into his head of his Angel with another man in his bed. He took a deep breath and tried to make his face an unreadable mask, as he headed toward the kitchen to put away the things that Jerry had brought. Tom suddenly had the urge to barge into the bedroom and to forcibly eject both Jax and his suddenly not-so-charming brother from his cabin. But, instead, he methodically unpacked the groceries and tried to think of anything but what was most likely happening between Angel and Jax in his bedroom and in his bed.

Jerry smiled triumphantly to himself as he saw the obvious discomfort Tom was in now. He hated to be so harsh with Tom, but it was blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes that Tom looked at Brenda with something more than professional disinterest. The man was obviously in love with her, and since Jax didn't seem to be putting the man in his place, Jerry felt it was his duty to apprise Tom of the situation between Jax and Brenda. Jerry had been the cause of enough trouble for Jax and Brenda. He wasn't going to allow them to be further hurt by Tom's attraction to Brenda, and his possibly trying to act on that attraction.

"Here, sweetie, one gingerale on the rocks," Jax said as he sat down on the bed next to where Brenda was lying with a cold, wet washcloth on her forehead, and handed her the cold glass of pop.

Brenda smiled slightly as she removed the washcloth and sat up in the bed. "Thanks." She took a sip, allowing the cool liquid to slowly hit her rebellious stomach, and hoped that this would finally be the thing to make it settle for the night. The first swallow seemed to hit without incident, so she took a few more sips before finally setting the glass on the pine stand by the bed.

Jax smiled lovingly at her, removing the hair scrunchy that had held up her ponytail, and running his fingers through her thick, lustrous, chestnut brown hair, as he pulled her into his arms and inhaled deeply. Her hair smelled of the tropics. The tropics... I wish we were alone on a tropical island, instead of here, he thought. "Why don't you lie back and try to get some sleep?" Jax asked as he looked down just in time to see Brenda trying to stifle a yawn.

Brenda smiled shyly. "I'm no fun, am I?"

Jax laughed and kissed her softly. "You're just exhausted, and that's understandable. You're sleeping for two, remember? Now, lie back against me. I promise to stay until you fall asleep," he said, easing her body back on the bed, and then spooning his body tightly against hers.

"Sorry that our goodbye can't be more... demonstrative," Brenda sighed, "But between the nausea and the fatigue, I don't think either of us would enjoy it anyway."

"Hey," Jax laughed, "after the long hours we put in together today, I doubt either of us could survive another round."

"True!" Brenda giggled, snuggling closer to him. "That was quite the workout!"

"Of course, if you keep that up, we may just have to try another round, whether you're ready or not!" Jax teased, as her wiggling was definitely causing stirrings deep within him.

"I love you," she whispered, turning her head to smile at him.

He kissed her lips gently, and then pulled her closer into his embrace, as he watched her fight to keep her eyes open. "I love you so much, Brenda," he whispered softly. "I know that this isn't what you wanted to do, but I love you for understanding that this was the safest thing for you and the baby. If there were any other way, I'd take it, but there isn't. I know that you'll be safe here with Tom, and I'll call everyday. We won't be apart for long, I promise that. As soon as the sun's up this morning, Jerry and I are heading down to the police station to deal with the feds, and the minute that deal is ironed out and signed, and Leone and his bunch are in custody, I'll be back to get you. I won't allow us to be apart a minute longer than we have to be. But while we are, I want you to eat right and get plenty of rest. And I don't want you worrying about the family or me. You let me worry about those things. I want you to concentrate on staying strong and healthy and keeping yourself and our baby safe. Do you think you can handle that?"

Jax raised his head to see that Brenda's eyes were firmly shut and her breathing was slow and steady. He smiled, and slowly extricated himself from around her. He kissed her one last time softly on the lips and then placed a gentle kiss on her belly, and then he pulled the quilt up from the foot of the bed to cover her. "I love you both, and I'll miss you both so much," he whispered, blinking back the tears. He turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Tom and Jerry, who had been silently waiting for Jax to return, turned expectantly when they heard the door close. "How is she?" Jerry asked as Jax approached them.

"Tired, but I guess that's to be expected. She's had a helluva day. We all have," Jax sighed. "She's sleeping now, so I guess we'd better get back to Port Charles, and on with the task at hand, namely helping the feds get Leone."

Jerry stood and smiled at Jax. "That's the plan. Now, if the bureau will just cooperate," he said, looking pointedly at Tom.

"From what I've gathered, that is what the bureau has wanted all along," Tom replied. "Taking down your family was just a means to an end, and that end was to shut down Leone and his dangerously corrupt empire."

"Let's hope we can get this all worked out in as short a time as possible," Jax said, as he looked back at the closed bedroom door. "I want my life back as soon as possible." He walked over to Tom and extended his hand. "Thank you for helping us. Please be careful. You have my life in your hands," he said, motioning his head toward the bedroom door.

Tom nodded his understanding. "I'll protect them with my life."

"I know," Jax said quietly, and then he and Jerry turned and walked out to the car and headed back to Port Charles.

Jax and Jerry rode in silence for some time after leaving Brenda at the cabin with Tom, the hum of the Blazer's tires as they rolled along the pavement the only sound filling the vehicle.

"He's in love with her, you know," Jerry finally said, deciding he needed to make Jax aware of Tom's feelings toward Brenda. The air hung heavy with intense silence as Jerry waited for Jax to say something - anything - in response to his statement.

"Yeah, I know," Jax replied softly, after several minutes.

"And you trust him with Brenda?" Jerry asked incredulously, glancing sideways at Jax.

Jax was silent for a few minutes more before he answered, "The fact that he loves her will only make him more protective of her." He paused momentarily. "Besides, it's really not important whether or not I trust Tom because I trust Brenda, and that's all that matters." He smiled at Jerry and then leaned his head back against his headrest and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself the sleep that had eluded him since this trip had begun, several hours before.

Jerry smiled, shook his head, and looked back at the road. What Jax and Brenda had was more solid and special than he had ever suspected. The steadfastness of their love was amazing - almost magical - even to him, a confirmed cynic when it came to love. What they had was truly a miracle, and for the second time in the past several hours, he found himself envious of the true wealth that his brother had found.