"Jax? Are you okay? Jax?" Monica could not keep herself from smiling. Standing in front of her was ruthless corporate raider and fearless adventurer, Jasper Jacks, looking like he was about to faint or at the very least become ill!

"Hey, mate, say something!" Thomas said as he slapped Jax on the back, finally bringing him back to reality. "That's better. Now answer the good doctor's question." Thomas could not believe the expression on Jax's face. He wished he had a camera to record it to show Brenda.

"What did you just say Monica? Did you say Brenda's pregnant? Are you sure?" Now that he had regained the ability to speak, Jax didn't know where to begin.

"Yes, Jax, Brenda is pregnant, and yes, I'm sure. I did the pregnancy test myself after talking to her about her symptoms. That's why Dr. Meadows is in with her now. She's the top OB/GYN on staff here at GH. Brenda couldn't be in better hands." Now that Jax had come back to reality, Monica wanted to give him as much information as she could.

"Is she okay? Why did she faint? Is that normal?" Jax had a million questions running through his mind. He was happier than he could ever remember being. This was exactly what they had wanted ever since they moved into the house! Suddenly Jax froze. What if something was wrong? He didn't remember Lois ever fainting when she was pregnant - nauseated, yes; sick, yes; hormonal, DEFINITELY - but he could never remember her fainting. He quickly tuned back into what Monica was saying.

"As far as we can tell, she's fine. Most likely she fainted because she hasn't been eating properly the last few days, that's all. Dr. Meadows will be able to tell you guys more when she finishes her exam." Just then the nurse came out of the treatment room and whispered something to Monica. "Jax, you can go in now. Dr. Meadows is finished and would like to talk to both of you." Before Monica even finished talking, Jax was already heading through the doors to be with Brenda, leaving Monica and Thomas standing there looking at each other laughing.

Before anyone in the room even had a chance to notice, Jax had come in and he was sitting on the side of Brenda's bed holding her. "Brenda, are you okay?" he pulled away from her slightly so that he could look at her.

"I'm fine. Did Monica tell you about the baby?" Brenda looked kind of sheepishly at Jax, trying to judge how he felt about the baby. When she saw the smile light up his entire face, she immediately relaxed because it was obvious he was as happy about the baby as she was.

"Yes, she did. How do you feel about it? Are you happy?" He could tell by the expression on her face that that had been a silly question. Brenda looked as happy as he felt.

"Oh, Jax! I didn't know it was possible to be this happy! We're actually going to be a family in a few months! Do you believe it?" Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck again, pulling him close to her. Just then there was a quiet cough from at the foot of Brenda's bed, and they reluctantly pulled away from each other. When Brenda looked up, she saw Dr. Meadows standing there with Brenda's chart in her hands, waiting to talk to them. She pointed behind him so that Jax would turn around to face the doctor when they talked. "Honey, this is Dr. Meadows. I think she wants to talk to us."

Reluctantly, Jax got up from the bed and turned around. As soon as he stood up though, Brenda grabbed his hand, indicating she wanted him to sit next to her while they talked. He sat back down, this time holding Brenda's hand tightly. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Meadows. How's my wife?" he asked as he gently squeezed Brenda's hand.

Dr. Meadows smiled at the sight before her. This was what she liked to see when telling a couple this kind of news. There had been times in the recent past where the couples reaction to the news of a child had not been taken well, sometimes leading to arguments and accusations. This couple in front of her were the kind of people who made her job worthwhile. They both looked totally excited and happy about the impending birth of their child. She knew immediately that this child would want for nothing growing up. She was not thinking of material things (though that would never be a problem considering the parents financial and social status), but in the more important things, like love and support and attention. This was a couple who had thought long and hard about having a child and had made a conscious decision to start a family. Her only concern, although minor, was if they would survive the pregnancy! "Hello, Mr. Jacks, I'm Dr. Meadows. Congratulations!" she said as she extended her hand to him.

Jax released his hold of Brenda's hand and reached out his hand to shake the doctor's. "It's nice to meet you, doctor. Please call me Jax with an 'x;' that's what my friends call me. Is my wife all right? Is it normal for a woman to faint at this stage of her pregnancy?" Brenda had reclaimed his hand as soon as he had released Dr. Meadow's. As he was asking his questions, she reassuringly squeezed his hand, letting him know that she was okay.

"Your wife is fine Jax. All the test results indicate she's in perfect health, and so is your baby. The fact that she fainted is not that unusual for a woman this early in her pregnancy. With the extra demands the fetus puts on her body, added to her not eating properly the last few days, it's a perfectly normal reaction."

Jax reached his arm around Brenda's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to do something about those eating habits, aren't we?" He looked down at her with that twinkle in his eyes that she knew so well; he got it every time he tried to get her to drink one of his awful, protein drinks.

"Don't even think about it, Jax! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean you can make me drink those awful things!! Right, Dr. Meadows?" Brenda looked from Jax to Dr. Meadows for her support.

"I'm not sure what kind of drinks you are referring to, but if it is high in proteins and tasty you might want to reconsider that decision. Brenda, you are bound to be experiencing some nausea in the next couple months, so anything you can keep down that will give you nourishment will only help. However, if they are anything like the protein shakes that my husband makes, that, while beneficial, taste awful, I would recommend against them; they will only add to your nausea." Brenda looked back to Jax with a triumphant expression on her face. She could see his surrender in his eyes, since he had to admit that even though the drink may be good for her, it did taste awful. She could not resist the urge to smile, since she had once again triumphed over those awful drinks.

"Okay, I give in -- no protein shakes! Are there any restrictions on what Brenda can and cannot eat at this point? How about exercise?"

Dr. Meadows was pleased to see a husband so concerned about his wife and child. She got the feeling that this pregnancy would be a smooth one, especially if "dad" had anything to say about it. "Not really. Whatever you feel comfortable eating is fine, Brenda. Just try to stay away from salty things. As your pregnancy progresses, there may be some foods that I'll ask you to cut back on eating, but I can't see anything at this point. As to exercise, I would recommend you keep up your normal routine, with the exception of weight work. I would suggest a lot of walking at this stage. If you are doing an exercise program, let your trainer know about your pregnancy and adjust the routine accordingly as your pregnancy progresses. If you don't have a trainer and are exercising on your own, I would recommend getting one. That way you'll have a more balanced and safer workout for both of you. If you feel at all uncomfortable, stop the exercise and get in touch with me before resuming."

Brenda squeezed Jax's hand with both of hers before looking at Dr. Meadows to ask the next question. "When is the baby due?" she asked quietly, unconsciously crossing her fingers waiting for the answer.

Dr. Meadows referred to the chart before answering; "It looks like you can expect the newest member of your family to put in their appearance somewhere around November 11th." She could see the wheels turning behind Brenda's eyes as she tried to figure out the date of conception. "I know what you are trying to figure out, Brenda. From what I can tell, I'd say that your baby was conceived on or around Valentine's Day." Dr. Meadows was startled by the yelp that came from her patient. Brenda was smiling from ear to ear and nearly bouncing up and down on the bed. She suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around her husband's neck and hugged him to her.

"I knew it, Jax! I told you! I knew we conceived our baby the night we moved into the house! I could just feel it! This makes everything perfect!" Brenda hugged Jax again before pulling away to kiss him. One kiss led to another and another until Dr. Meadows cleared her throat, letting them know she was still in the room. "Oh, sorry, Dr. Meadows" Brenda said sheepishly, as her face turned deepening shades of red with embarrassment.

"That's okay. It's nice to see a couple so happy about this kind of news."

Jax suddenly had a major question for Dr. Meadows that he was not sure how to ask without sounding like a fool. "Uhhh, Dr. Meadows is it okay… I mean is there any reason… Would it hurt the baby if…?" He just couldn't seem to ask the question.

Dr. Meadows had to smile. She knew exactly what he was trying to ask. It was a perfectly normal question from any husband, yet they all seemed to have the same difficulty in asking it. She never understood why. "Jax, I think I know what you are trying to ask, and the answer is yes. I don't see anything in Brenda's test results that would indicate that you two should hold off on marital relations. I would just suggest that you not do anything 'extreme,' but normal relations should not cause any kind of a problem for the next several months, at least." Dr. Meadows could see the color rising in both of their cheeks as she had been talking; obviously this was a couple who enjoyed everything about their relationship. "This is not a subject that you two should be embarrassed about. It's a perfectly logical question to ask. I prefer that a couple ask before going to extremes and then running into trouble. Do you two have any more questions?" she asked as she looked from Brenda to Jax.

Brenda looked at Jax to see if he had any other questions before answering, "I can't think of anything right now. If we think of anything, can I call your office?"

"Of course, now, Jax, if you'll step back out to the waiting room and give Brenda a chance to get dressed, I'll get her discharge instructions together and get her ready to go home." Dr. Meadows started moving toward the curtain to give Jax the hint to leave. "Someone will come get you when she's ready to leave. Do you have your car here? You can pull it around to the non-emergency exit if you'd like, and by then Brenda should be ready to go home."

Jax gave Brenda a quick kiss on the forehead and started to leave, but Brenda pulled him back to the bed. Jax wasn't sure what was wrong, but he sat back down and waited for her to tell him, looking into her eyes to try to figure out what it was. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to make sure you're okay with this. Jax, our lives are going to change soooo much in the next several months. Are you going to be okay with that? I know we talked about this, but now that it's really here, I'm a little scared. What if I screw up, Jax?" Brenda could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Honey, I've never been surer about anything in my life. As to you screwing things up, there isn't a chance of that. Brenda, no one expects you to be perfect -- especially not me. So if you aren't sure about something, ask me, or we'll find someone for you to ask. We'll be fine -- I promise. As to being okay with this, you've made me the happiest man on earth! We're going to have a baby, Brenda! Now why don't you let me get out of here so you can get dressed and we can go home?" With that said, Jax got up, kissed the tip of her nose, and headed out of the cubicle.

When he got back out into the hallway, Jax leaned against the wall for a minute with his eyes closed, trying to digest everything that had happened in the past 15 minutes. He finally opened his eyes when he heard Thomas's voice. "Jax, is everything okay with Brenda?" Jax looked at his friend and saw the concern on his face.

"She's fine, mate. We're going to have a baby!" After finally saying it out loud, Jax felt that huge grin cross his face again. He had a feeling this expression was going to become a permanent fixture on his face from now on. He couldn't resist the urge to hug his friend.

"I know. I was there when Monica told you." Thomas said with a laugh. "What's the plan now?" he asked.

Jax finally realized what Thomas was asking and began to think of practical matters. "Oh, God! Brenda's getting ready to go home, and I sent the car away. I figured they would be keeping her overnight. I need to go call Benton to bring the car over." As Jax grabbed his cellphone out of his pocket and began to dial, Thomas reached over and shut the phone.

"No need for that, little brother. My car is in the parking lot. I'll go get it and take you guys home. Where should I meet you?" Thomas reached in his pocket for his keys as he spoke.

"Dr. Meadows said she'd be released from the non-emergency exit. I think it's on the south side of the building. Just follow the signs in the parking lot, and we'll meet you there. Thanks, Thomas -- I appreciate you being here with us. I can't think of anyone I'd rather be the first to hear this news…"

Thomas quickly realized by the change in expression on Jax's face what or who he was really thinking about. "I understand, Jax. Let's not think about that right now. Let's just get you guys back home. There's plenty of time to talk about things later." Thomas reached over and squeezed Jax's shoulder before heading off to the parking lot.

As Thomas walked away, Jax watched his friend until he was out the doors, thankful to have him in their lives. Once Thomas was out the doors, Jax shook his head to clear it and turned his mind back to the matters at hand: Brenda and their baby. Before his mind had a chance to wrap itself completely around the news, the nurse came out of Brenda's room and told him it was okay for him to go back in. When he walked back in, he was surprised to see Brenda dressed and sitting in a wheelchair.

Noticing his expression, Brenda knew what he was thinking, "This is just some silly hospital policy, Jax. I'm fine. They just have to wheel me to the door -- that's all. As soon as Dr. Meadows gets back with my orders, we can go home. Did you bring the car around?" She reached out for his hand as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.

"I didn't want to let you go when you fainted, so I didn't drive us here. Travis sent a security car to bring us. Thomas has been here with me though, so he went to get his car to drive us home. He should be waiting by the time we're done here." He gave Brenda's hand a gentle squeeze. Remembering she didn't have a coat, Jax immediately took off his topcoat and wrapped it around her. When she tried to protest, he gently put his finger to her lips to silence her. Just then Dr. Meadows came back into the room with a handful of papers.

"I see you're all set to go. Here are some brochures on pregnancy for you to read over, along with a copy of my card. Call my office in a couple of days and set up an appointment for next month for your first checkup. I'll want to see you every month for the next six months. After that I'll want to see you more frequently. If you have any problems or questions between visits, please feel free to call my office or me. I have an excellent staff, who should be able to answer your questions." Dr. Meadows then handed Brenda several prescriptions.

"What are all these for? I thought you said everything was okay with the baby?" Brenda could not keep the fear out of her voice as she looked at the prescriptions. "Are you sure all of this is necessary?"

"Brenda, relax; there is nothing wrong. The prescriptions are perfectly routine. One is for an iron supplement that I want you to take every day. The second is a pre-natal vitamin that I want you to start taking right away. The last one is for the nausea once the morning sickness kicks in. Don't take it unless you really feel you need it though. Most women don't need to take it more than once or twice during the first three months. The nausea should start to subside once you pass the first trimester, so if you can just keep salty crackers next to your bed and try to keep food in your stomach all the time, that should be the best way to control it." Dr. Meadows squeezed Brenda's shoulder gently to reassure her. When Brenda looked up, she gave her a very maternal smile, causing Brenda to relax.

"Lastly, here are your discharge papers. If you'll sign them, you'll be free to head home with your husband." As Brenda signed the papers where Dr. Meadows indicated, she glanced over to where Jax was sitting. He seemed to be watching her very closely.

"Are there any special instructions for tonight, Dr. Meadows?" Jax asked.

"Not really. I'd suggest that you take it easy for the rest of the evening. Maybe take a long hot bath and get to bed early. Be sure you eat some dinner before you go to bed though, or else you won't be feeling very well in the morning. I'd say you could resume your regular lifestyle tomorrow. Just doesn't over do it. Any questions?"

At this point Jax spoke up, "Brenda is in the process of starting up a design business. Is it alright for her to continue, or should we put it on hold for now?" Brenda tried to protest that she had no intention of postponing the business, when Jax indicated she should wait to hear what the doctor had to say.

"I don't see any reason to postpone work. Actually, it might be good for you to keep busy. Just don't overdo it. Your body will tell you what it needs, be it food, rest, exercise, whatever. Just listen to it. If you do, you should have a trouble-free pregnancy.

"Now, why don't the two of you go home and celebrate your good news, and let me get back to treating sick people here. Good luck." Dr. Meadows shook hands with both of them before leaving.

A nurse came in to push Brenda's wheelchair to the discharge door. As they approached, they could see Thomas waiting outside by the car. He had the back door open, waiting for them. Once they were outside the hospital, Brenda started to get up from the chair but was startled when Jax suddenly swept her up in his arms.

"Jax! What are you doing? I'm perfectly capable of walking to the car!" Brenda tried to protest Jax's actions, but it felt so good to be in his arms that she really was only making a halfhearted effort.

"Humor me, Brenda. The doctor said for you to take it easy tonight, and that is exactly what you are going to do. I intend to pamper you this evening like you've never been pampered before, so just sit back and enjoy it. You can go back to being the self-sufficient woman of business tomorrow; tonight you are my wife and the mother of our child, and I intend to follow the doctor's instructions and celebrate!"

With that said, Jax kissed the tip of her nose and got into the back seat with Brenda still in his arms. Thomas closed the door behind them and went around to the other side to get in behind the steering wheel for the drive home. Once they were on the road, he glanced in the mirror to see Brenda and Jax snuggled together, Brenda still sitting in his lap, just enjoying their closeness.

As they pulled up to the driveway Thomas was surprised to see a welcoming committee waiting on the porch. He had called Benton from the hospital to let him know they were all on the way home and to ask Mrs. Kelly to have dinner ready for them. He hadn't expected to also see Travis and a couple of security guards waiting though. Obviously Jax's panic call had given Travis the wrong impression about the cause of the emergency. Thomas decided to take care of the unwanted visitors while Jax and Brenda went inside, so they could tell who they wanted when they were ready to tell them. "Jax, why don't I take you guys in the back door? There seems to be a welcoming committee on the porch, and you guys both look wiped out. Why don't you take Brenda upstairs to your suite, and I'll get rid of the party crashers. Give a holler when you guys are ready, and Benton will bring your dinner up." With that said, Thomas pulled straight into the back drive, leaving everyone on the porch confused. Following Thomas's suggestion, Jax carried Brenda up to their suite for a private evening of celebrating the news they had just received, counting on Thomas to take care of things downstairs - as he knew he always could.