"When I see you there, I'm so aware
Of how lucky I am, baby.
Cause I don't deserve, I don't come close,
to understanding, baby,
the logic of your kind of trust, it amazes me,
That someone like you would care enough
to just believe."

     Brenda put baby Nathan down for the night, with Jax standing over her shoulder. She turned and kissed Isabella goodnight in her crib as well, and then, holding Jax's hand, headed to Joshua's room. He was sitting up, playing video games.

     "We never should have bought him that thing," Brenda said softly. "Now he'll never get to sleep."

     "Sure he will," Jax said, sitting on the floor beside his son and taking up the second pair of controls. "I'm going to beat you this time, son."

     "Not a chance, Dad," Joshua said. Brenda smiled as she closed the door on their racous laughter, and the beeping and music of the video game. She sighed as she leaned back against the door and held a hand over her heart.

     "Thank You, God," she said softly. "For giving me back my family, and for giving us the strength to get through this."

     "I'll say 'Amen' to that," Jax said, suddenly putting his arms around her. She turned into his embrace and kissed him deeply. He carried her into their bedroom and laid her down on the bed, and held her, their bodies spooning one another. "What are you thinking about?" Jax asked, running his fingers through Brenda's hair and kissing her neck, which was distracting her, and making her a little sleepy.

     "I was just thinking about how much stronger you are than me," Brenda sighed.

"Your faith in me, it pulls me through,
When there's nothing around to hold on to.
When I fall, when I'm weak,
All the strength that I need is your faith, baby,
Your faith in me."

     "I don't know if I agree with that one, love. Your strength is beyond even your own comprehension."

     "But look at everything you've had to put up with," Brenda said. "I mean, I left you for Sonny more than once, and I broke your heart more than once." She paused. "And I know--I know that it's killing you to know that Isabella--well, that she isn't yours."

     "She is mine, Brenda, in every way that counts. Besides, you've had to deal with a lot more than I have."

     "No," Brenda said, shaking her head, "Everything else, Joshua, Isabella, the baby, this illness, Nathan, everything else we have gone through together. Jax, I don't know if I'd be strong enough to stay with you through everything that I put you through if our situations were reversed. But they never would be, would they? Cause you're--you're just the most perfect person that I know."

"Even when you're gone, I get along,
Cause our love is real, baby.
It's like salvation to my soul,
Cause that's how it feels, baby.
It's a sacred thing that I keep close, to carry on.
And I know that I will be all right, in your healing arms."

     "What are you trying to say, Brenda? Because if you're going to lay here in our bed, where all of our children have been conceived, and tell me that you're not as good a person--sweetheart that's just not true. If I really believed that, I wouldn't be here, and neither would my children. I love you, and I love them, ALL of them, and there's just no way that I'm ever going to lose any of you, ever again."

     "I love you so much," Brenda said, rolling over and kissing him. "You're so good to me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. You are my heart, Jasper Jacks, and I will love you all the days of my life. I promise you."

     "Promises," Jax smirked softly. Brenda raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

     "What are you talking about?"

"Your faith in me, it pulls me through,
When there's nothing around to hold on to.
When I fall, when I'm weak,
All the strength that I need is your faith, baby,
Your faith in me.
You make me feel I can walk on water.
I can reach above the stars.
And nothing comes against me, safe within your arms."

     "Don't you remember when we got married?" Jax asked. "It was our wedding night, and we were in bed, and we were both on cloud nine after making incredible love, and you looked over at me, and you said, 'Promise me something.' And I tried to guess what it was, and I promised you sunbursts and marble halls. And you said, 'Promise me you'll always love me'."

     "And you've kept that promise," Brenda said.

     "Yes, but I didn't get you the sunbursts and marble halls," Jax said, stroking her face.

     "Oh baby," she said softly, "I don't want sunbursts, or marble halls. I just want you."

"Your faith in me, it pulls me through,
When there's nothing around to hold on to.
When I fall when I'm weak,
All the strength that I need
Is your faith, baby, your faith in me,
When I fall, baby,
When I'm weak, baby,
All I need, baby,
All I need is your faith in me.
When I fall, baby,
When I'm weak, baby,
All I need baby, is your faith in me.
Your faith in me."

     The next morning, Jax and Brenda lay in one another's arms, thinking about the night of passion they had just experienced together. He never failed to drive her to unimaginable heights, and she always gave as good as she got. As she glanced over at a still sleeping Jax, she smiled to herself, thinking as Lois would say, that she gave him quite a workout. Just then, the phone rang. Brenda got up quickly to answer it, not wanting to wake Jax.

     "Hello?" she said.

     "Brenda, it's Alexis."

     "Alexis, Hi, um, do you have any idea what time it is?"

     "Yes, I'm sorry for calling so early, but can you be in my office by nine this morning?"

     "Sure, why? Is something wrong?"

     "Well you brought Isabella in for her check up last week, didn't you?"

     "Yes," Brenda said warily.

     "And you had several tests run, just as precautions, because of everything with Joshua, right?"

     "Right," Brenda said, her knees growing weak. "Oh God, Alexis, what is it this time? I don't think I can take another--"

     "No, no, it's nothing like that. I just need you to come in, and bring Isabella. I think that we need to have a talk that's long overdue."

     "A talk? About what?" In the back of her mind, Brenda always knew that Alexis was angry with her for what had happened with Isabella and how badly she had hurt Jax. Alexis had probably kept her mouth shut until now, and was ready to lay into Brenda now that things were finally good in her life again. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Alexis had to say.

     "Brenda, are you still there?"

     "Yeah, I'm here," Brenda said. "So Belle isn't sick, is she?"

     "No, she's in perfect health, but something was brought to my attention this morning, and I really think that you should be the one to see this--and Brenda, you should probably come alone."

     "Oh--uh, all right, I'll be there shortly." Brenda hung up the phone and looked back at Jax. He was sleeping comfortably, so she showered and dressed quickly and scribbled a note for him, and then got Isabella ready and rushed out.

     When she got to Alexis' office, Alexis was waiting for them, sitting calmly at her desk. Brenda sat and looked at her expectantly. "Well?" she asked. "Tell me what the trouble is."

     "If I'm right, there is no trouble," Alexis said. "But first, how are you doing? How's the fatigue, is it any better?"

     "It's 100 times better than it was. I still get a little winded chasing after Joshua, but you know my babies, they keep me young. I'm still taking my medicine regularly, and you know Jax, he's always hovering." Brenda smiled weakly, as Alexis thumbed through a file folder on her desk. It was Isabella's, Brenda could see that much. Isabella bounced on Brenda's lap, babbling away and trying to get out of Brenda's lap. Brenda struggled to hold her. "Alexis, please, whatever it is, will you just tell me?"

     "Fine," Alexis said. "When the test results came back on Isabella, they didn't match her results from before. When she was tested to see if she was a match for Joshua."

     "But--but they didn't do a test to see if she matched Joshua," Brenda said. "I thought they did a paternity test--DNA."

     "That is exactly what they did," Alexis said. "And that's what they did this time as well, and I'm telling you, Brenda, she didn't match."

     "You--you mean she didn't match with Sonny," Brenda said slowly.

     "That's right," Alexis said. "And we already had Jax's DNA on file, we checked and ran the test three times, Brenda. Isabella isn't Sonny Corinthos' baby. She's Jax's."

     "Oh my God," Brenda said, putting a hand to her mouth and allowing hot tears to fall down her face. "That is NOT what I was expecting to hear," she said, beaming.

     "What'd you think I was going to tell you?" Alexis asked.

     "Oh, I had psyched myself up for this horrible news, but to find out that Jax--oh this is the best news!" Brenda stood and held a hand out to Alexis to squeeze it. Isabella was getting so big, Brenda could barely get to Alexis. "I have to go, may I have a copy of the test?"

     "Take it, it's yours," Alexis said. "I'm glad things worked out for you," she said.

     "Thanks in large part to you," Brenda said. "I know that this entire situation wasn't easy for you, and I want to thank you for being there for Jax, and for our family--and for me most of all. You've been a good friend, Alexis. A great friend."

     "Hey now," Alexis said. "You just take care of that baby of yours. All of them."

     "I will," Brenda said. "And thank you."

"Ask if this love, runs deep in me,
And you won't find a deeper love,
In any heart.
You could say you couldn't live one day without me,
You could say all of your thoughts are about me.
You could think no other love could be as strong, but
You'd be wrong.
You'd be wrong."

     When Brenda got back home, she was surprised to find the house quiet. She thought that Nathan would be screaming for Jax by now, and that Jax would be trying to divide his attention between his two sons, as he always was. She was ready to play referee, but she didn't have to. She came upstairs with Isabella in her arms and the test results poking out of her purse. She thought she smelled candles burning, but she hadn't stopped in the kitchen. She put Isabella down and then turned to check on Nathan, who was sleeping soundly. Jax appeared in the doorway just then, carrying a bouquet of her favorite pink tulips.

"If you say that you love me, more than anybody,
Than anyone's ever been loved before,
As much as you love me,
Baby, I'll still love you,
Baby, I'll still love you more.
I'll still love you more."

     "How on earth did you get them all to sleep?" she asked, her heart soaring just at the sight of him.

     "Not all of them are asleep," Jax said. "Josh is next door playing a friend. So that means we have the afternoon to ourselves."

     "Oh really?" Brenda asked, coming into his outstretched arms. "The flowers are beautiful, thank you," she said, giggling as he nibbled on her neck. "How'd you get Nathan and Isabella to sleep?"

     "I simply explained to them that it was a matter of a crucial importance that their parents have some time together to be alone. Plus, while you were gone, I woke them up and played with them until they tired themselves out again."

     "Very ingenious of you," Brenda said, smiling. "I'm so glad that you did that, but I have some news for you, so your romantic parade is going to have to wait just a few minutes."

"Ask me just what I'd do for you,
And I'll tell you I would do anything.
Ask if this heart beats true for you,
And I'll show you a truer heart could never be.
You could say there's not a star that you won't bring me.
You could say there'll be no day that you won't need me.
You could think no other love could last as long, but,
You'd be wrong.
You'd be wrong.
If you say that you love me, more than anybody,
Than anyone's ever been loved before.
As much as you love me,
Baby I'll still love you,
Baby I'll still love you more."

     "Uh-oh," Jax said, pulling her downstairs. "Don't tell me that this champagne, and candles, and lovely omelets that I prepared are going to go to waste, are you?"

     "They most certainly are not," Brenda said, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I just have something really important to tell you first." Jax was ignoring Brenda and focusing on her lips, not that she minded. He began to trail kisses down her throat and slipped her coat off her shoulders. She slapped him playfully on the bottom before wrapping her arms around his neck. "You better stop that now, that's how we got the first one," she giggled.

     "You want to try for another?" Jax asked. Brenda pulled back from him and smiled.

     "Not unless you want to carry the baby this time. Jax, seriously, I have news. Alexis called me this morning and asked me to come in, because something was amiss in Isabella's test results."

     "She's all right, isn't she?" Jax asked, taking Brenda by the shoulders.

     "Yes, yes, she's more than fine, she's perfect," Brenda said, as Jax pulled her into an embrace. Brenda was crying now, sobbing actually. "She's more than perfect, Jax, she's more than healthy. She's yours." Brenda felt Jax's arms freeze.

     "What did you say?" Jax asked, tears on his voice.

     "I said she's yours, baby. She's your daughter."

     "No, it's--it can't be, I saw the results myself." Brenda shook her head and was laughing.

     "No, no, the tests were wrong, someone in the lab made a mistake, or Sonny had someone switch them, I don't know--all I know is that she's YOUR daughter, Jax."

     "You have proof?" Jax asked as Brenda reached into her purse and pulled out the DNA results. He snatched them from her and she clasped her hands together and grinned up at him in anticipation as he read the results. She waited until she thought his eyes were finding the bottom of the results, and she whispered,

     "99.999% guarantee, YOU, Jasper Jacks,--"

     "Am the father of Isabella Ja--Oh Brenda!" Jax picked her up and spun her around, sending her musical laughter throughout their home. "I can't believe it."

     "Believe it, baby, she's all ours, all ours." Jax held Brenda's face in his hands and kissed her deeply. She moaned and pressed her body against him.

     "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Brenda asked.

     "As much as I love you," Jax said.

     "Oh, baby, at least that much. I love you, Jax. I love you so much."

     "I love you too, Brenda. I love you too."

"And for every kiss I'll kiss you back 100 times.
And for everything you do, I'll just do more.
And for all the love you give, I'll give you so much back, you'll see,
Got so much love for you inside.
If you say that you love me, more than anybody,
Than anyone's ever been loved before.
No matter how much you love me,
Baby I'll still love you,
Baby I'll still love you more.
I'll still love you more."

The End

Music Credits: "Your Faith In Me" by Jessica Simpson from her CD, Sweet Kisses, written by D. DeViller, S. Hossein, and T. Lacy and "I'll Still Love You More" by Trisha Yearwood, from her CD, Where Your Road Leads, written by Diane Warren.