The time since he had come home from the hospital had passed quickly for Jax. He had been following Dr. White's orders to the letter: getting plenty of rest; staying off the stairs most of the time; and totally forgetting about the office. He had been surprised though that no one had called to give him a progress report on things. Since he was feeling much better today he decided to give his secretary a call later to see how things were going.

Brenda had been busy as well. She had been working with Matthew most of the mornings, finishing details on the bedrooms of the house they were working on. Matthew had located most of the furniture pieces they needed, so now Brenda was getting together a list of suppliers and samples for the linens to finish the rooms. Matthew had insisted that she take it easy (Probably, she figured, at Jax's instigation.) with things for a while since they really couldn't do anything until the furniture arrived in about three weeks.

After having lunch together, Jax and Brenda had decided to relax in the parlor for a while. Brenda had quickly dozed off on the sofa leaving Jax to finish the morning papers. After about forty-five minutes there was a knock at the door. Since he was on his way to the library anyway, Jax called out to Benton that he would answer it. To his surprise when he opened the door his secretary was standing there. "Allison, what are you doing here? Is there a problem?"

"Not at all, Mr. Jacks. I had some errands to run in this area, so I thought I'd drop off the daily report for Mrs. Jacks." She handed Jax the envelope she was carrying. "How are you feeling?" When she saw the confused expression on Jax's face, she realized that she had just made a major mistake. Jax didn't know that his wife was getting the daily reports!

"I'm feeling much better, Allison -- thanks for asking. Will you come in for a minute? I need to talk to you about something." Jax held the door open further to allow her to come in. She slowly walked into the foyer, not exactly sure how she was going to explain what was going on. "Will you follow me please? I don't want to disturb Brenda; she's sleeping in the parlor." Jax led the way back to the library and closed the doors behind them.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Jacks?" Allison was suddenly very nervous. She could not read the expression on Jax's face, so she wasn't sure if she was in trouble or not.

"I'm not sure Allison. It depends on how you answer my questions." Jax indicated that she should take a seat in front of the desk. They spent the next forty-five minutes behind the closed library doors with Allison explaining all that Brenda had been up to since Jax's accident. When Allison finished her explanation, Jax leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the arms and his fingers tented in front of his face. This explained a lot of things. No wonder Brenda was so exhausted in the evenings; she had been handling his business concerns as well as her own. It also explained why there had been no calls from his staff, even after he had called to tell them they could call him at home if there were any problems. His problem now was what did he do next? First thing he needed to do was put a stop to Brenda overdoing things like this.

"Relax, Allison, no one is any trouble over this. When you get back to the office, would you let everyone know that I appreciate how everyone has worked together during my absence? I also appreciate how they have worked with my wife as well, but effective immediately there will be no more reports to Mrs. Jacks. If a problem comes up that cannot be handled by the people in the office they are to call me -- NOT Mrs. Jacks. Is that understood?"

The slight smile on Jax's face made his secretary relax immediately. "Yes, sir, I'll tell them. I hope you aren't angry about this, Mr. Jacks. We thought we were doing the right thing by helping Mrs. Jacks."

"No, I'm not angry, Allison. I understand that my wife can be very persuasive when she wants to be, sometimes at her own expense. For the time being, continue to prepare the daily reports and have them brought over. Just make sure they are addressed to me in the future and not Mrs. Jacks. Okay?"

"Certainly, Mr. Jacks. Is there anything else you need while I'm here?" Now that she knew her job was not at risk she was much more at ease.

Jax thought for a minute before answering. "Now that you mention it there are a couple of things I need for you to do for me. I need you to keep them confidential, especially from Mrs. Jacks, understood?"

Taking out the notepad that she had started to carry soon after she started working for Jax, Allison looked over at him, "Of course, Mr. Jacks. What do you need me to do?" She sat down to take notes on what he needed her to do.

After giving Allison instructions for several things that he needed her to arrange for next week, Jax walked Allison out into the foyer. Just as they got to the front door, Brenda came out of the parlor, having finally awakened from her nap.

"Jax, where did you disappear to?" she called out. Just as she got into the foyer she looked up to see Jax and Allison standing at the door. At first the significance of Allison's being there didn't register with Brenda. When it did she grabbed the doorframe, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. "Allison, how nice to see you. Is something wrong?" She looked at Allison as she stood in front of Jax, pleading with her eyes for Allison not to say anything. Brenda quickly realized though that it was too late; Jax already knew.

"No, nothing at all, Mrs. Jacks." Allison smiled at Brenda, letting her know Jax was not angry, at least at the staff, about what he had found out.

After he showed Allison out the door, Jax turned to face Brenda, who had not moved a muscle. "I think we need to talk about a few things, don't you?" Jax walked toward Brenda, took her hand in his, and led her into the parlor. Once the two of them were seated next to each other on the sofa Jax looked down to where he held her hand in both of his for a minute before speaking. "Brenda, I appreciate what you've been doing for me, I really do, but…"

Before he could finish Brenda interrupted him. "Please don't be angry, Jax! I was just trying to help! I know you trust your staff or they wouldn't be working for you, but I also know how you like to keep tabs on everything going on. That was all I was doing!" Tears were starting to form in her eyes.

Jax saw the tears and pulled her close to him. "I'm not mad at you, Brenda. I know you just wanted to help, and I appreciate that more than I can tell you. But you know you shouldn't have done this. You've got enough to do with your design business, not to mention your pregnancy AND the way you've been fussing over me! I trust the people who work for me. I told Allison that they should still keep sending the daily reports, but that I'll be reading them instead of you. You have officially retired as acting CEO of Jacks International." Jax squeezed her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. They sat like that for quite a while, just wrapped around each other enjoying being together and not needing to say anything.

After a few minutes, Jax backed away a little bit and looked down at her. "Did Thomas know you were doing this?" He could not imagine Thomas letting her overdo like this, especially after all she had been through emotionally since the accident.

"He found out the day you came home from the hospital and told me I had to quit. He said if he found out I was still doing your job and mine, he would tell you everything. I kind of promised him I wouldn't do it any more." She looked at him sheepishly before continuing, "I didn't exactly lie to him, Jax. I DID stop taking an active part in decision making; all I've continued to do is get the daily reports. HONEST!!" The tears started to form again.

"It's okay, honey. Really! I'm just surprised he kept your secret. I know how protective he is of you." Jax smiled at her again. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose.

"He WAS kind of angry with me when he found out. He told me I was overdoing it. He even went so far as to ask Matthew to take on some of my responsibilities at the project so I could get more rest. Don't tell him I broke my promise to him, okay?"

"I won't tell him. Brenda you need to take it easy! It's no wonder you've been so exhausted lately. You know Dr. Meadows told you the baby is going to be draining more and more of your energy as your pregnancy progresses." He looked at her with his concern evident in his eyes as he spoke. "I'm serious about this, Brenda! You've been running around here, waiting on me hand and foot, and I want that to stop! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself now. Really!" He looked her square in the face; his jaw set in a very determined expression that left no question of his meaning.

With tears forming in her eyes, Brenda looked into his eyes. "I promise Jax. I was just trying to help! I didn't mean for you to get upset!! Can you forgive me?" The tears started to flow freely. She couldn't believe how hard she was crying. Worse still, she could not make them stop either!

When Jax saw the tears running down her face, he pulled her close to him and held her tightly, not saying anything for a while. He realized this must be the result of the unbalanced hormones that Dr. Meadows had warned them about because of her pregnancy. As her tears started to dampen his shirt, he gently rubbed his hand in circles on her back, trying to calm her. "Brenda, it's okay. I'm not upset. Really! I'm just worried about you, that's all. I love you, Brenda! You mean more to me than anything in the world, especially the business!"

As Jax continued to rub her back, Brenda began to calm down. Soon all that was left of her tears was a rather large, damp spot on the front of Jax's shirt and a case of the hiccups. Brenda slowly looked up at Jax, her face red with embarrassment. "I love you, too, Jax. I was so scared when you fell and so relieved when Dr. White said you were going to be okay if you followed his instructions. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get any pressure from the office, that's all. I promise from now on that you can run Jacks International!" For the first time since seeing Allison in the foyer, Brenda smiled. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked with a devious smile on her face.

"Sure. What is it?" He noticed the look and decided he'd better be prepared for anything.

"I'm kind of glad you caught me. I didn't like keeping a secret from you, especially after we promised no more secrets." She hugged him tightly before finishing her thought. "Besides, I was starting to enjoy running the company" She said the last part with a chuckle, causing Jax to quickly move his hands from their comforting circles on her back to a surprise tickle attack. Brenda quickly broke into uncontrolled laughter as they rolled around on the sofa tickling each other. Eventually they cuddled up together on the sofa and dozed off, the emotional upsets of the afternoon quickly forgotten.

10:00 P.M.

After their nap Jax and Brenda had an early dinner and headed up to their suite, calling it an early night. They sat for a while together on the sofa by the fire listening to music. When Brenda started to yawn about 9:30, they decided to call it a night. After changing into their nightclothes, they snuggled up together in their bed, not saying anything, just enjoying the silence and being together.

After a while, Brenda decided it was time to tell Jax about Madeline. She realized this afternoon when she had told Jax about her involvement in his business that she was keeping yet another secret. She could no longer do it. Even if Jax thought she was crazy, he had a right to know what she knew about Madeline and Everett.

"Honey? Are you asleep?" she propped herself on her crossed hands as she looked up into Jax's face.

"No, I was just enjoying the feel of you next to me. Why? Is something wrong?" He glanced down at her, wondering what had suddenly disturbed her enough to move out of his embrace.

"I want to talk to you about something, and you have to promise to hear me out before you say anything. Okay?" She looked up at him with a look that told Jax that she really needed to hear his promise.

"Sure, I'll listen. What is it?" he asked as he pulled himself up against the headboard. Brenda sat next to him, her legs crossed and her hands on her knees.

She took a deep breath before beginning her story. "Jax, remember back before we moved into the house, how the furniture kept getting assembled and arranged during the night? We never did find out why, did we?"

"No, we didn't. Thomas has a theory about that but nothing concrete. Why?" She had definitely gotten his attention now.

"Well, I recently found out how that happened. Remember when Matthew was telling us about the people who built this house, the Stanhopes? Remember that he said that Madeline Stanhope died here when she was very young?" She looked at Jax for his answer.

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, it was Madeline who arranged the furniture." She held her breath, waiting for Jax to burst out laughing. But he didn't; in fact he just looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Now this is the part you have to hear me out on. I know she did because I've talked to her." She held her breath again, waiting for his reaction. When none came, she was surprised. "Jax, did you hear what I said?"

"Yes, I heard you, Brenda. When did you see her?" The calm tone of his voice confused Brenda. He was listening intently to what she was telling him, almost as if he believed her!

"I've seen her a couple of times actually. The first was right before we found out about the baby. I was alone in our sitting room, and suddenly she was there. We actually talked for a while. She helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I saw her a couple of times after that, too. Oh, she also told me she was the woman Jerry saw in the hallway that day when he was caught trespassing." Brenda was beginning to wonder why Jax was not reacting to what she was saying.

"Have you seen her since my accident?" The wheels in Jax's brain were spinning in overdrive right now. Everything she was telling him only supported what Thomas had already said.

"Yes, twice. The first time was right after you fell. Jax, she tried to help you. She tried to stop your fall, but she couldn't. The best she could do was to slow you down to hopefully lessen your injuries. When Dr. White said he was surprised you weren't more severely injured that was why." Brenda couldn't take Jax's silence any more. "Jax, what are you thinking? Do you think I'm crazy?" She looked deeply into Jax's eyes as she waited for his answer, surprised to find no trace of laughter there.

"No, Brenda, I don't think you are crazy; in fact, just the opposite."

"Wait a minute -- why did you ask me if I had seen Madeline since your accident?"

"Well, the day I came home, when Thomas and I came upstairs while you made your phone calls, he told me something Benton had seen the night of the accident. He told me when Benton looked up at you standing at the top of the stairs, he was sure there was a woman standing next to you with her arm around your shoulders. He told Thomas that he looked over at me on the floor and then back up at you, but by then you were standing alone. He figured he must have been seeing things because of the stress."

Brenda could not believe what Jax had just told her. She was not the only person to have seen Madeline! She suddenly felt more confident in herself to tell him the rest of the story.

"Have you seen her since?" Jax had a reason for asking but didn't let Brenda know what it was.

"As a matter of fact, I have. It was the first night you were home from the hospital. After you fell asleep and Thomas left, I was standing by the window in the sitting room. When I turned around, she was standing there. She told me something, Jax, that I found really hard to believe." Suddenly Brenda was not sure she wanted to continue with this part of the story.

"What was it, Brenda? I promise I'll listen no matter what you tell me." Jax reached over and took her hand in both of his. He brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed it. "Go ahead, tell me."

"Okay, here goes. She told me that it was her husband who pushed you down the stairs!" Brenda stopped and looked at Jax.

"Her husband? Everett? Why would he push me down the stairs?" Jax didn't see how the pieces of this puzzle fit.

"Well, actually he wasn't trying to push YOU down the stairs. He was trying to push ME down."

"YOU! WHY?" Jax couldn't believe what she was saying. Why would anyone -- even a ghost -- want to harm Brenda?

"Well, according to Madeline, he didn't mean to causes me serious injury; maybe a sprained ankle or something like that. He just wanted me out of the way for a while. He figured that if something happened to me -- especially now, because of the baby -- you'd make peace with your family! He figured if you did that then you'd decide to spend more time on business, since I'd have family to look after me, not just you!"

Jax found himself becoming more and more angry at what she was saying. "Why would you being hurt make me make peace with my family? That doesn't make any sense!" Jax was confused by what she was saying, but for some reason he didn't doubt her words either.

"Madeline said he figured if something happened, you'd realize how important family is and decide it was time to let your family back into our lives, for the baby's sake. Then once there was family around, you'd see you had more time to devote to Jacks International. According to Madeline, he's obsessed with putting business before everything, and he thinks you don't have your priorities straight since you're willing to walk away from your work to spend time with me." She said the last part with a smile, this time bringing his fingers up to her lips for a kiss.

"How did Madeline know all of this? Has she talked to him? Couldn't she have stopped him?" Jax was now concerned for Brenda's safety. If Everett's ghost did mean her harm, how was he to keep her safe?

"Apparently she can't be in the same room with him. At least not yet! She told me the first time she knew he was here was when she saw him in the library. That was how she found out he wasn't the man she had loved. For some reason she couldn't go into the library when he was there, but she can when he's not. She said the only time she's seen him out of that room was the night of your accident."

Jax just sat listening to Brenda's story. "What happened at the top of the stairs that night?" His voice was very calm, but Brenda could see the wheels turning in his brain.

Brenda took a deep breath before starting her story. "Madeline said she tried to warn you…"

Before Brenda could continue Jax interrupted her "I heard her! Really, Brenda, I did! I heard her. When we were just about to go down the stairs, I heard a woman's voice behind me telling me to keep you safe. It was when I turned around to see where the voice had come from that I felt a push and lost my balance."

Brenda was shocked by what Jax had just said. He had not said anything to her about a voice. At least now she knew that Madeline was telling her the truth. "Jax, are you sure about that?" she asked, wanting to make sure of what she had just heard.

"I'm positive! It was the same voice I heard the night before in a dream, giving me the same warning. Was it Madeline?"

"I think so. She told me she had tried to warn you, but it was too late to stop Everett. She was the one who put you in Everett's way. She told me she figured that since you were so much bigger than I was that Everett wouldn't be able to hurt you. She didn't realize that you already had one foot off the stair when she got you between Everett and me. She told me how horrible she felt when she saw you falling. That's why she tried to ease your fall."

Jax looked up at Brenda and suddenly realized how upset she had again become. "Brenda, it's okay now. I'm okay and you're safe. I promise you nothing is going to happen to you or our child!" Jax held out his arms to her, and she quickly snuggled into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him.

"That's what Madeline told me. She said she will make sure that we are all safe whenever we are in this house. She promised that no one would hurt any of us! For some reason I believe her Jax." Brenda tightened her hold on him as she spoke.

Jax looked down at her, snuggled up to his side, and caught sight of a quick yawn. He glanced over her head at the bedside table and noticed that it was nearly midnight. "I believe you, Brenda. Now why don't we table this discussion for the night? It's getting late, and we could both use some sleep. Why don't we talk about the rest of this tomorrow morning? I have some things to tell you as well."

Brenda didn't hear the last part of what he was saying. She had already started to doze off, so the best response she could muster was a deep breath and a nod of her head against his chest. She kissed him softly on the chest and let herself drift off to sleep, wrapped in her husband's protective embrace.

Jax couldn't resist the smile that crossed his face. He bent his head down and gently kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer in his embrace. As he started to drift off to sleep himself, he thought about what Brenda had just told him and what Thomas had told him the day he came home from the hospital. Maybe Thomas should be here tomorrow when they finished this discussion, he decided as he drifted off himself.

Jax had awakened before Brenda in the morning. He gently eased out of her embrace to get gently out of bed without waking her. As he stood next to the bed, putting on his robe, he looked down at his sleeping wife. He made a promise to himself that no one -- real or spirit -- would harm her or the child she carried. He quietly left the room to call Thomas from the sitting room.

Not long after Jax had left their bed, Brenda woke up. She looked around for him and when she didn't see him or hear him in the bathroom, she slowly sat up. She couldn't resist the urge to smile when she saw her morning tea and toast waiting for her. She also realized that the baby was cooperating this morning. She didn't feel sick - YET! Before getting out of bed though, she took several bites of her toast and a sip of her tea. When she still didn't hear Jax moving around, she got up and put on her robe. Just as she was heading for the door to the sitting room, she heard Jax's voice. He was obviously just finishing a phone call, so she decided to give him some privacy. She went to get washed instead.

When she came out, she was surprised to see Jax sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. "Hey, you, how are you this morning?" she asked as she came up to him. She bent down to kiss him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Much better now that you're here. How about you? Is our daughter behaving this morning?" Jax gently ran his hand across Brenda's abdomen as he spoke about their child. He leaned forward and whispered to the child that she carried, "Hello, little one. How are you this morning?" Jax opened the button on Brenda's nightshirt and placed a gentle kiss on her abdomen. "Can you do your old dad a favor this morning? Would you mind not giving mom any trouble today? She and I need to talk to Uncle Thomas about some things, and it would help a lot if you would take a nap while we talk. Okay?" Jax kissed her abdomen again then rested his cheek against her skin.

Tears came to Brenda's eyes as she looked down at her husband speak so lovingly to their child. She gently rubbed her hand across the top of his head as he spoke. When he finished his conversation, she reached for his face with both of her hands, turning it up to her. She bent down to kiss him fully on the lips.

When they broke away from their kiss, Jax looked up and saw the tears running down her cheeks. He raised a finger to wipe away the tears before speaking. "What's this all about? Is something wrong?"

"You just keep amazing me, that's all. Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Brenda leaned down and kissed him again. As one kiss led to another and another, Jax pulled her down to sit next to him. Brenda eventually broke the kiss to catch her breath. "WOW! If that kiss is any indication of how you're feeling, I'd say you are DEFINITELY feeling better!" Brenda was obviously flustered by the intensity of the kiss.

Jax couldn't resist the urge to laugh softly. They had not yet resumed their physical relationship. Today was the first time he had actually felt ready, but he decided to wait the extra few days until they were in Malibu. That would make it all the more enjoyable. It would also give him the incentive he would need to follow Dr. White's instructions so he would be allowed to go!

Jax wrapped his arm around Brenda's shoulders and pulled her close to him. He looked over at her with a big smile on his face. "You're right, I do feel better every day. Before you know it, I'll be as good as new!" he said to her with a wink. "Now, what do you say we get dressed? I invited Thomas to join us for breakfast. I'd like him here when I tell you a few things that I know about what's been going on here. Okay?" He stood up and held out his hand to her to help her up from the bed.

"Okay with me. I'd like Thomas to hear about Madeline as well. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I think we should tell him everything. Come on; let's get dressed. He'll be here in a little while." Jax went into the bathroom to shower and shave, while Brenda went into the closet to get her clothes.

It only took them a short time to get ready. They were sitting in the breakfast room reading the morning papers when Thomas arrived. After kissing Brenda and giving Jax a hearty squeeze of his shoulder, Thomas sat down to join them for breakfast. "To what do I owe the honor of this breakfast invitation?" Thomas asked as he looked from Jax to Brenda and back to Jax again.

"Well, actually there is this story that Brenda has to tell that I thought you should hear. She told me most of it last night, Thomas, and I promise you it'll explain a lot of things that have been going on around here, including my 'accident!'" By the expression on his face, Jax could tell that he had definitely piqued Thomas's curiosity. "I thought that would get your attention!" he said rather triumphantly.

"That you have, mate. So what's this story you have to tell, Brenda?" Thomas shifted his attention from Jax to Brenda. Brenda began to retell the story of her meetings with Madeline Stanhope, from her first encounter just before they found out about the baby, up to her last meeting the night Jax had returned from the hospital. Thomas did not interrupt her once during her story. After she finished, no one said a word. They all continued eating the remainder of their breakfasts, each obviously lost in thought about what had just been said. When they had all finished eating and Benton had cleared the dishes, the three of them still sat around the table with their coffee.

Finally, Jax broke the silence. "Well, what do you think, Thomas?" he asked as he looked from Brenda to Thomas.

"Well, I guess I would have to say it makes perfect sense to me. Really! I've been suspecting something like this ever since the first time you guys found the furniture moved. That's why I asked for copies of Matthew's research on the house and Travis's background checks on the previous owners. Something didn't seem right to me, but I just couldn't put my finger on it." Thomas got up from the table and started pacing around the room, eventually stopping to stare out the window. "I guess I can tell you guys now that I sent copies of those reports to my grandfather. He took them to the elder's council, and he called me the night after your accident with their findings."

Now it was Jax's turn to be intrigued. "What did they come up with?"

"Actually, what Brenda just told us is pretty close to what they came up with. I mean the details are not there, but they did feel that the house was inhabited by several spirits: one, a woman, who is very protective and loving; and another, a man, who is very driven, almost to the point of obsession. They seem to think that the voice you heard the night before your accident and then just before you fell was the woman, probably the original resident of the house, trying to warn you of the actions of her husband."

Brenda was amazed at what Thomas was saying. It matched almost exactly what Madeline had told her about Everett! "Thomas, how could they know all of that?"

"I can't explain it, Brenda. Jax can tell you there is no way to understand the wisdom of the Aboriginal elders. There are certain members each generation that have the gift of 'sight.' They can see things and know things that regular people cannot. My grandfather took the reports I sent him to the elder's council, and this was what they came up with."

It was Jax's turn now. "The question now is how do we protect Brenda from the ghost of Everett? Even Madeline admitted that she couldn't stop him when he tried to push her on the stairs! If she couldn't stop him, how can we?" The strain was obvious in Jax's voice. He was worried about his wife and unborn child.

Thomas hoped that what he was about to say would comfort his friends, at least for now. "Brenda, didn't Madeline say that she would keep all of you safe when you were here in the house?"

"Yes, she did. But if she can't get near to Everett, how can she do that?" Brenda also was now concerned, but her concern was for Jax, not herself, since he had already experienced Everett's work first hand. "Do you have any suggestions on how we can help her, Thomas?"

"Actually I do, but it involves something you guys may not be ready to do." Thomas did not like what he was about to suggest. But when he added what Brenda told him of her conversations with Madeline Stanhope to what his grandfather told him from the elders, there really didn't seem to be much choice "I think you should call a truce with Jax's family. Let them back into your lives."

"Thomas, are you NUTS!!!" Jax yelled as he jumped up from his chair. "Why would I want any of them anywhere near Brenda? Aren't we in enough danger from the ghosts without compounding it with my crooked family?" Jax's anger was bordering on hysteria. He could not believe Thomas would suggest anything like this! "What are you thinking?"

Brenda didn't like seeing Jax like this. Dr. White had ordered him not to get upset, and here he was, angrier than she had ever seen him. This had to stop. "Jax, stop it!" she yelled as she stood up and walked over to him. "You can't get upset like this, and you know it! Now sit down and calm down. Let's hear what Thomas has to say before we go overreacting. Okay?" She had come up to him and wrapped her arms around his arm, edging him back to his chair.

He looked down at her and saw the concern and fear in her eyes. He put his hand on her arm and slowly sat back down. "Okay, I'll listen. I'm sorry I scared you, Brenda. I'm all right, really. Okay, Thomas, let's hear your reasons for suggesting this truce." Brenda came up behind Jax's chair and put her hands on each of his shoulders. Jax reached his right hand up to his left shoulder to cover her hand with his as he listened to Thomas.

Thomas spent the next several minutes explaining his plan and the logic behind his thinking to them. Both Jax and Brenda listened without interrupting him. When he finished he looked at both of them. "Well, what do you guys think?"

Jax was the first to break the silence. "Do we really have much choice? But tell me, do we have to welcome them all back right away? Can't we start off slowly?"

Both Thomas and Brenda were confused by Jax's question. "What do you mean by slowly, Jax?" Thomas asked.

"Well, how about if we start with my mother, and if that goes okay, we'll see about letting the others back in?" Jax seemed pretty determined to keep his father and brother as far away from Brenda for as long as possible.

"I guess that would work just as well. It would at least present the image of reuniting your family. That way Everett will lay off until he sees what happens. I think that will probably work. Tell you what: I'll have my grandfather check with the elders about your plan, and, Brenda, if you see Madeline any time soon, why don't you see what she thinks of the idea?"

"Just one question" Jax said. "How soon do we have to issue this olive branch?" Jax looked to Thomas for an answer.

"Probably the sooner the better -- why?" Thomas could tell by the look on his friend's face when he looked at him that Jax had big things planned, probably involving Brenda and travel, if he knew Jax.

"No reason. I was just wondering if we could wait -- saaaay about ten days?" He looked at Thomas with a smile and a conspiratorial look that was easy for his friend to read.

"I don't see why not. I mean let's be logical. It's going to take a few days to get my grandfather's counsel. By the time I reach him and he can meet with the elders and then report back to me, it could take several days. Brenda, how often do you see Madeline?" Thomas and Jax both focused their attention on a very confused Brenda.

"I don't think I can say. I've only seen here a few times, and every time it's been her idea, so I guess I'd have to wait for her to come to me. Why? What difference does it make when we do this?" Brenda looked at both of the men in front of her, waiting for an answer from one of them.

Jax was the first to answer. "None at all. I was just thinking that I'd like to stretch my time alone with my wife and child as long as possible -- that's all. Don't you agree, Thomas?" He looked to his friend for support.

Thomas was sure now that Jax had something special planned, even though he had not told him. He was sure it would involve Jax taking Brenda somewhere that he could pamper her and love her. Who was he to interfere with that? "Makes sense to me, Brenda. Why don't both of you guys not worry about any of this until I hear back from my grandfather? In the meantime just enjoy your time together. Before you know it, Jax will be going back to work, and not so long from now there will be another member to this family, so that it'll never again be just the two of you. Enjoy it while you can, and don't worry about any of this! That's an order!" Thomas looked at both of his friends when he said that.

"Now, on that note, I'm going to go to my real job. You remember that term don't you, Jax?" All three of them burst out laughing at Thomas's last remark.

"Very funny, mate!" Jax grabbed his friend by the shoulder and pushed him toward the door. Brenda followed close behind.

As the three of them stood in the foyer talking, Madeline came from the shadows where she had been standing. She knew what Jax was planning for Brenda next week, and she intended to make sure that nothing interfered with those plans. She vowed to do whatever was necessary to keep them safe until they could put their friend's plan into action. She also intended to help them in any way she could with that plan. Right now, she realized that meant not making her presence known to Brenda until they returned to the house. As she heard the front door close and the sound of laughter coming back toward the room, she quickly faded into the shadows to keep watch on her precious charges.