The past week had finally been one without problems for Jax and Brenda. As Jax had told his mother, Jerry had been released with a hefty fine and a stern warning from the judge to adhere to the letter of the restraining order. Jax had received a transcript of the judge's actions from his lawyer the next day. The nightmares had stopped, and he and Brenda had not spoken of the incident or his mother's visit again. This seemed to be the best course of action for both of them.

Brenda had thrown herself into finishing the house, and Jax had returned to work at the office. Benton and Travis had disassembled Jax's home office to transfer it to the new house. If everything went according to plan, it would be installed today. Brenda had admitted at breakfast that she was looking forward to the office being moved because that meant their time at home would be their private time for the first time since they were married. There would be no late night faxes or phone calls. When she had pressed him, Jax had to admit he was looking forward to the rest of their last week in the penthouse, especially with the home office shut down. On his way into the office this morning, he had decided to make this evening special. He also reminded himself to finalize his plans with Benton and Mrs. Kelly tomorrow for their first night in the house.

As a result of Jerry's unexpected visit, Travis had tightened security at the house. All phone lines and junctions had been swept for bugs. Every room was checked for listening devices or electronic interference equipment. Every installer or delivery person had to produce photo ID from his or her employer in order to gain entry into the house. There had been no further problems, and all the work was progressing as scheduled.

Brenda was totally absorbed in her work. She was dedicated to getting the house completely finished before they moved in, no matter what. As of today, there were very few things left to finish. The only rooms not on her completed list were the master bathroom (still waiting for the towels to be delivered) and the bedroom. The curtains and rugs for the bathroom had arrived earlier this morning and had already been installed. The room looked perfect - better, in fact, than even she had imagined. The only things still missing from the bedroom were the bed linens and the sheer curtains for the French doors to the sitting area. The silk shades for the large windows in the bedroom were going to be installed this afternoon. She had spent half the morning on the phone with the suppliers of the missing materials to get their guarantee they would be received on time.

Matthew and Thomas were both amazed at the dynamo running around in front of them. Matthew couldn't help but mention it to Thomas, "Have you ever seen someone with so much energy in your entire life? I swear, Thomas, some days I'm exhausted just watching her. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone like her in all the houses I've worked on, and I think I can honestly say I probably won't ever again!" Matthew couldn't resist shaking his head as Brenda came walking by, talking away on the cordless phone, oblivious to their presence.

"I know what you mean. I thought I came from a culture where women were expected to work hard, but I don't think any of the women in my village can hold a candle to Brenda. She's non-stop energy.

"Jax once told me that when Brenda makes up her mind about something, nothing stops her -- not logic, or common sense, or simple practicality. If she wants to accomplish something, it'll get accomplished! I had always figured that was just the talk of a man in love, but after watching Brenda these last few weeks, I think I now know what he meant. She's like a dog with a bone. She sticks to it until it's finished. I like that about her. It tells a lot about her character."

Matthew couldn't help but agree, "It's very obvious that her dedication carries over into her love life as well. I've never seen a woman more dedicated to a man, than she is to Jax. Just look at the way she stood by him last week with that whole mess with Jerry, and then Jax's mother showing up at their place. From the little bit she told me, it couldn't have been very pleasant for either of them. When she talked about it, it was obvious her only concern was for how it affected Jax. The two of them will always hold a place in my heart.

"You know, Thomas, I'm going to miss working with Brenda and Jax and even you. This is one house I'll never forget, regardless of how many more I work on. I only hope I get to keep in touch with them. I've come to consider them like my children." Matthew began to feel like he was getting maudlin. "Enough of this, I sound like a dottering, old man here."

"Your secret is safe with me. While we are on the subject of this house, do you think it would be possible for me to get a copy of the research you did for Jax? I've already asked Travis for a copy of his research on the previous owners, but it would help if I could get a copy of what you were able to find on the house."

"Sure, that's no problem. I'll just have my student assistant at the university run off another copy. Why the sudden interest in the history of the house?" Matthew looked at Thomas with a curious expression, as he reached for his cell phone to call his office.

"You're going to think I'm nuts, but remember back to the day we caught Jerry in the house? Well, when I found him in the upstairs hallway, he insisted that he had been talking to a young woman dressed in Victorian clothing and that she had confronted him in the hall outside the master suite, telling him he was not allowed in her bedchamber. Needless to say, when I got to the hall there was no one there but Jerry, and -- now don't think I'm nuts -- but I could have sworn I smelled roses."

Matthew looked up suddenly when he heard Thomas; "Did you say roses?"

"Yes, that wasn't the first time I have smelled them in this house either. The first time you took us up to see the new furniture for the master bedroom, as we were walking out of the bedroom into the sitting room, I had the feeling that someone walked past me going the other way and then the smell of roses. Then again when we were in the suite when the rugs were delivered, and then that day with Jerry in the kitchen. That time even Jax smelled it." Thomas looked over at Matthew, who had been very quiet while he was talking. "What's wrong?"

"It's strange that you mentioned roses. I'm sure Jax and Brenda told you about our phantom furniture movers the first couple weeks we were working here. Well, the day I found the guestroom partially assembled, I could have sworn I smelled roses in the room when I first went in, but the smell went away very quickly, so I just thought it was my imagination."

The detective in Thomas couldn't resist asking a question, "Was that the only time you smelled it?"

"Now that you mention it, no. I noticed it several times in the master suite and a couple of times in the dining room. Come to think of it, the last time I noticed the smell in the dining room I also noticed some of the things had been moved around. I figured Brenda had been rearranging things again, and didn't give it another thought. What do you think all this means, Thomas?" Matthew asked.

"At this point, I'm not sure, but I intend to find out -- and quickly. If Jax and Brenda are moving in here in just four days, I want to make sure there won't be any problems for them." Thomas had made several notes during their conversation that he wanted to follow up on with some of the workmen. "Do you think it would be possible for me to talk to any of the installers or delivery people who have been here on a regular basis? Maybe one of them noticed something that will help explain this?"

"Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. Several of them are here right now. I'll introduce you to them." Matthew led the way out into the foyer, where one of the security people was coordinating things. "Ben, do you know if the people from Stratford Antiques are still here?

"Yes, they are, Mr. Rollins. Benton took them up to the master suite with one more piece of furniture. Why? Is there a problem?" The guards had all been instructed to keep close watch on all delivery personnel. Since the butler was going to be with them the entire time, it had not seemed necessary to send a guard along, as well. He was hoping this wasn't a mistake.

"No problem. Thomas wanted to talk to some of the people who've been in the house on a regular basis, that's all. Thanks for your help." As Matthew and Thomas headed up the stairs, Matthew couldn't help but chuckle, "Boy, those guys are really spooked! Tell me, Thomas. You know Travis a lot better and a lot longer than I do, is their fear of him justified?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure how to answer that. From what I know of him, if you work for him and you follow his orders, he's a great guy to work for. He has a reputation for backing his people in any situation where their actions are questioned, as long as he is sure of them. If he finds out that someone didn't follow orders or acted on their own, then he will cut them loose. In one case, he actually assisted in prosecuting one of his guards for a criminal act. I believe it was his testimony that convicted the man. So I guess that would give his men reason to respect and fear him. Does that answer your question?" Thomas glanced over at Matthew as they reached the top of the stairs and noticed a slight smile on his face, "What?"

"Oh, nothing -- I was just thinking that the man you just described sounds a lot like Jax. It's no wonder they get along so well. They are basically the same person. I guess you fit into that mold as well, don't you?" Matthew never gave Thomas a chance to answer, since, just as they arrived outside the master suite, the Stratford crew came out. "Excuse me, guys, have you got a minute?"

The three delivery people stopped and looked over at the approaching men. "Sure, what's up?" one of them asked.

"The three of you have spent quite a bit of time in this house, haven't you? Mr. Abenela has some questions for you about what you may have noticed. Do you mind answering his questions?"

"No problem, how can we help? Is something wrong?" one of the crew asked.

"No nothing is wrong. I was just wondering, since you've spent quite a bit of time here, if you've noticed anything strange in any of the rooms." Thomas looked at each of the crew as he was speaking.

"I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about, but one day when I was assembling the bar unit in the master suite, I could have sworn that someone was behind me, watching me -- you know, kind of like making sure I was doing it right. Then all of a sudden I was sure I smelled roses, but when I looked behind me, there was no one there and the smell was gone." The man describing the incident shook his head, trying to clear the memory away.

"That's exactly what I'm looking for. What about the two of you? Has either of you experienced anything like that." Thomas waited for one of them to answer.

"Not that I can remember. But I have to admit I've only been working for Stratford for about three months, so I've never actually been alone in any of the rooms. Usually when I'm assigned to a crew, I work with a partner, partly because of my size and partly because I haven't mastered all the techniques of assembling this classic furniture yet." Thomas had watched the woman as she spoke. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that her not encountering any of the strange experiences had more to do with her being a woman than her being with a partner.

"What about you, sir? Anything happen when you were working alone?" he asked the last member of the crew.

"I've been thinking about that. The only thing kind of weird that I remember was on one of the first trips I made here. I think it was when we brought the parlor furniture. I came into the parlor after we had delivered several of the pieces and saw Mrs. Jacks standing by the fireplace. I just figured she was trying to decide where to put the furniture."

"Are you sure it was Mrs. Jacks?" Thomas asked.

"I think so, it sure looked like her, except maybe for the weird dress. Come to think of it, when I talked to her, she acted like she didn't hear me, so I just figured she was busy and turned to leave. When I turned back to ask if there was anything she needed, she was gone and I swear I smelled roses!"

"Thanks, guys. That's what I needed. I appreciate your help." Thomas was sure he knew what was going on in the house now, and it had nothing to do with Jerry or John Jacks, or corporate espionage. He needed to read through the material from Travis and get the research Matthew had promised before he said anything. Without proof he was not about to say anything to anyone, especially Jax. He would think he was bonkers!

Brenda came running down the stairs just as the delivery crew was leaving. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she did a little dance - Jax had come to call it the Brenda dance, since she always did it when she was excited. "Guys, you would not believe how great that room looks! I can't wait for Jax to see it; he's going to love it!" When she finally calmed down a little, she noticed the concerned expressions on both Matthew and Thomas's faces. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all, Brenda, we were just going over the final deliveries with the people from Stratford Antiques and realized that all of the furniture is in place. You actually pulled this off, Brenda. Every room in this house will be finished when you and Jax move in on the 14th." Matthew looked over at Thomas to make sure it was his intention to keep the contents of their previous conversation from Brenda until Thomas finished his research and talked to Jax. When he saw Thomas's slight nod, he knew he had done the right thing. Besides, what would he actually tell her -- they were trying to trace some phantom roses? No, it was better to leave it this way for now. Jax would decide when or if to tell her at all. Matthew had serious doubts about where he saw Thomas heading. Maybe it was the academician in him that looked for logical, as opposed to paranormal, explanations for things. Obviously Thomas's Aboriginal heritage allowed him a more open mind in matters like this. He was interested to see where this would lead.

"Are you ready to leave yet, Brenda?" Thomas asked. "It's almost 5:00. Jax asked me to give him a call to let him know when you were on your way home."

Brenda noticed a slight smile on Thomas's face and knew that he and Jax were plotting something for tonight. She also knew that Thomas was not about to tell her what Jax was planning, so she decided instead to have a little fun with him.

"Well, actually no I'm not. I had thought we'd order in some dinner and stay late tonight, since there is so little time until we actually move in. I thought I'd meet with Benton and go over the schedule for packing and shipping our personal things from the penthouse. That'll probably take until at least 9 or 10:00. If you have plans, you can go ahead. Benton will be here in a little while, and we'll engage the security system while we're here so no one will bother us." It was very difficult for Brenda to keep from bursting out laughing, as she watched Thomas and Matthew begin to fidget. She realized that Matthew was also in on this plan. "Is there a problem?" she asked sweetly.

Matthew and Thomas exchanged a quick glance before Thomas answered, "Uh, uh, no, not at all. I'll just let Jax know we're going to be late, that's all. We don't want him to worry, do we?" Thomas went off toward the kitchen to call Jax. How was he going to get out of this mess without telling Brenda what Jax had planned? Hopefully, Jax would have a suggestion.

When Thomas reached Jax and explained the situation to him, Jax burst out laughing. "Thomas she's on to us, mate! She knows perfectly well that Benton is going out of town for the night. She must have figured out we're up to something and decided to have a little fun with you. I'll take care of it. This will teach you a lesson, old friend. NEVER try to keep a secret from Brenda!" Thomas heard Jax laughing again as he hung up the phone.

At just that moment, Brenda's cell phone rang, "Hello, Brenda Jacks here."

"Jasper Jacks here. You busted us, huh? You have to admit though we made it through most of the day without you suspecting a thing, didn't we?" Jax tried to keep the excitement out of his voice. "Brenda? Are you still there, honey?"

"Well, I guess I'll give you that one, Mr. Jacks. So what's the game plan for tonight anyway? Am I going to like it? Are we going out? Tell me!"

"Sorry, my love. You'll just have to come home and find out. But I do promise you this, you won't soon forget this evening!" Jax's deep, whispery voice gave Brenda chills as he spoke. "Hurry home, luv."

"You can count on it, Jax," Brenda answered.

"I always do," was Jax's reply.

Brenda grabbed Thomas by the hand and headed for the front door. "Matthew, will you lock up? I've got places to go right now. Thomas, hurry up! Jax is waiting, and I don't like to keep him waiting!" Brenda had already started to imagine the things that Jax might have planned, and some of them brought a rosy color to her cheeks, which Thomas couldn't help but notice. He laughed softly and shook his head as they walked to the car. Oh, to be so in love! He was happy that Jax had found a woman like Brenda. For the first time since taking this job, Thomas was looking forward to staying on in Port Charles when this assignment was over. Watching Brenda's face as she was obviously imagining what Jax had planned for them for tonight had helped Thomas make his decision on Travis's job offer. He'd accept it as long as he could be based here in Port Charles, so that Jax and Brenda could remain a part of his life.