1:15 P.M.

They were nearly an hour late in starting their shopping excursion. Once Brenda had recovered from her bout of morning sickness, they had enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on the terrace followed by a 'water conservation' shower together. The shower had very quickly turned into a repeat of their overpowering lovemaking of last night, which was then followed by a second shower, this time alone, in order to get ready for the trip to Rodeo Drive.

Jax pulled the Bentley up in front of the first of the stores they were planning to visit on Rodeo Drive. The valet came up to open Brenda's door for her and extended his hand to help her out of the car. He then came around to open the door for Jax and jumped in behind the wheel after Jax got out. He carefully pulled the car into the lot near the shop and parked it.

Once the valet had taken charge of the car, Brenda and Jax headed into the shop. As soon as they came through the door, the manager came up to greet them. "Hello, Mrs. Jacks; Mr. Jacks. It's good to see you again." The manager extended her hand first to Brenda, then to Jax. "How can we help you today?" she asked.

"As my secretary explained on the phone, we made this trip rather suddenly so my wife is in need of a 'few' additional outfits. Do you have ready the items my secretary discussed with you?" Jax looked directly at the manager as he spoke, leaving no room for misunderstanding in his tone.

"Of course, Mr. Jacks, everything has been assembled as you asked. If you will come with me, Mrs. Jacks, we'll get started." She indicated that Jax should take a seat on the nearby sofa, while she and Brenda went into the private fitting room.

Over the next hour, Brenda tried on ten different outfits - dresses, slacks, shorts, rompers - all of them looking absolutely perfect on her. In the end she purchased only two of them, both dresses and their matching accessories. It was pretty much the same thing at each of the stores they visited. She tried on several outfits and usually purchased no more than two or three. Jax was beginning to wonder if she was really enjoying herself on this trip. By the time they got to the first of the men's shops they planned to visit, Brenda's self control - something she had always been lacking when it came to shopping - was concerning Jax. As they were heading into the shop, he decided that when they stopped for lunch he would ask what was bothering her.

As soon as they got into the men's shop, however, Jax's fears were put to rest. Brenda was her old self again, when it came to buying clothes for him. She critiqued every outfit he tried on. She bought nearly every one of them. By the time they left the first of the men's shops, Jax was not sure he would ever need to buy clothes again.

They decided to take a break for lunch about 4:00. As they sat at the patio table waiting for their lunch to arrive, Jax couldn't stop staring at Brenda. "What are you staring at, Jax?" Brenda asked as she started to reach in her purse for a mirror. "Is there something on my face?"

Jax stopped her before she got the mirror out. "No, I just love looking at you, that's all. Are you getting tired?" He took her hand in his and kissed the tips of her fingers. "Do you want to call it a day?"

"NO!!! Absolutely not! I'm having a wonderful time. Why do you ask?" She looked him in the eyes, trying to figure out whether the question had come from concern about the baby or something else.

"Well, you don't seem to be enjoying this trip as much as I had hoped you would, that's all. Are you feeling okay? Is the baby giving you trouble?" The concern was obvious in his voice and in his eyes as he spoke.

Brenda could not resist the urge to smile. "I'm fine, Jax. Your son is being very cooperative today. I'm having a wonderful time. I always do when I'm with you, don't you know that?" She squeezed his hand in hers as she spoke. "What makes you think I'm not having a good time?"

"Well… You haven't bought very much, which is usually a sure sign you're not feeling well…" He never got a chance to finish what he was saying because Brenda burst out laughing.

"This is a first! You're worried because I'm NOT spending tons of money! Usually it's the other way around!" She looked into Jax's face and smiled at him again. "Honey, I told you yesterday that I didn't want to buy a lot of things because of the baby. I thought I'd buy things that I can take home with us. Since it's still pretty early in the season in Port Charles there are not a lot of things here in California that will work there, that's all. Don't think because I haven't maxed out the credit cards that I'm not having fun! I am! Especially when I'm shopping for you!" Brenda suddenly became very quiet and a sad expression came across her face.

"Brenda, what is it?" Jax asked.

"I was just thinking about how unfair it was that the government took all of our personal belongings when they took the house. I know we got the household goods back when I bought the house at auction, but we still lost all of our personal belongings: our clothes and things. I just don't think it was fair for them to take your things because of what your father and brother did, that's all." She rubbed her thumb gently across the top of his hand as she spoke.

"It's okay, Brenda - really! After all, it was my idea, you remember. I agreed to give up everything connected with J&J Jacks of Alaska in exchange for…" Jax could not bring himself to finish what he would rather forget. He shook his head slightly to clear the bad memories. "Anyway, why don't we forget about that and think about the present? What do you want to do after lunch?" The smile returned quickly to his face as he looked expectantly at her. "More shopping for you? Believe me, we've gotten more than enough stuff for me. I won't wear all of this stuff during this trip, that's for sure!"

"Okay, maybe one more shop will be okay. You know where I'd really like to go, Jax?" Her eyes lit up with the shopping fire that Jax loved to see. He knew where she wanted to go and had already planned on them going there.

"I think so. How about a stop at Rebecca's next?" Jax chuckled as he saw the smile come across her face, followed by a sitting down version of her happy dance.

"You read my mind! Can we really go there?"

"Of course we can! What would a shopping trip to Rodeo Drive. be without a stop at Rebecca's? I had Allison call her before we came out. She's expecting us this afternoon, so why don't we finish our lunch and head over there?" He smiled at her just as their meals arrived. He couldn't resist the urge to laugh out loud as he saw her attack her lunch. "Slow down, Brenda! Rebecca's isn't going anywhere!"

Between mouthfuls, Brenda answered, "I know that, Jax! I hadn't realized how hungry I was until the food got here, that's all!" She resumed eating immediately.

In no time at all they had finished their lunch and were strolling down the block to Rebecca's shop. As they entered the door the owner, Rebecca Bennett, came to greet them. "Hello, Brenda! Jax! It's wonderful to see you again! How have you been?" She extended her hand to Brenda and then Jax as she spoke. "I have everything ready for you, Brenda. Why don't you head into your dressing room and try on one of the outfits there? Betsy will help you change." Brenda gave Jax a quick kiss and followed the young woman into her private dressing room. As she walked away, a smile came to Jax's face when he realized that the joy of shopping had returned to Brenda's face. He also knew that they would be leaving a great deal of money in the shop when they left, and he was delighted!

Before Brenda returned wearing the first outfit, Jax leaned over to speak quietly to Rebecca. "Do you have what I asked for ready?" He looked at her with the twinkle in his eye that Rebecca had come to recognize. Whenever Jax and Brenda came into her shop, Jax always bought something special for her as a surprise. Rebecca often wondered what Brenda's reaction was when she opened her surprise, since she always bought so much for herself when she came in. If Brenda's pleasure in shopping was any indication, her joy at his surprises must have been something to see.

"Yes, I do, Jax. It's all wrapped and waiting. As soon as Brenda finishes shopping, we'll bring it out with the rest of the packages. I'll make sure you know which one is her surprise." She spoke softly to Jax, finishing just as Brenda came out, wearing the first outfit.

"What do you think, Jax?" Brenda asked as she spun around in front of him. "Do you like it?"

Jax just smiled and nodded his head. He loved seeing Brenda like this, excited almost to the point of being childlike. After Brenda headed back into the dressing room to try the next outfit, Jax's mind drifted back to the stories of her childhood that Brenda had told him when they were first together. He could not imagine any father treating a child with the contempt that Harlan Barrett had treated Brenda. He had made it a point to make sure that she never felt that way again. From that time until the present, he had always made a point of bringing her presents or buying her surprises every time the opportunity presented itself. He loved to watch her face light up as she opened her packages. It was a trait that he desperately hoped their daughter would inherit.

Jax was pulled from his thoughts when Brenda came out in her second outfit. Each outfit that Brenda came out in was more attractive than the last. By the time she had tried on all of the items that Rebecca had selected for her and returned to Jax dressed in her own clothes again, Rebecca was already preparing the bill. Of the twelve outfits she had tried on, Brenda had purchased ten, plus their accessories. She had also purchased appropriate lingerie for not only the outfits she purchased here, but for the ones she had purchased at the other shops as well. Brenda and Jax finally left the shop carrying as many of the packages as they could, including Brenda's surprise. Rebecca arranged for the remaining items to be delivered to the house tomorrow morning.

As they walked slowly back to the car carrying their packages, Brenda leaned her head against Jax's shoulder, "Thank you" she said softly.

"For what?" Jax asked, rather confused. "I didn't do anything." Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulder, trying not to hit her with the bags he was carrying.

"For today, for all these clothes, and most of all for loving me the way you do. Jax, this has been the best day I've had in a long time. I don't think I've felt this relaxed since your accident. Speaking of which, how are you doing? Getting tired?" She looked up at him as they walked, her concern obvious in her eyes.

"Not at all! I'm fine, Brenda. You're right though about today. I don't remember when was the last time I had so much fun spending money!" He could not resist the urge to tease her. Before she had a chance to respond, they were back at the parking lot. The valet brought their car up and helped Jax put the rest of the packages inside. The trunk was already full so their new bags had to go in the back seat.

As they got in the car and started the drive home, Brenda snuggled close to Jax in the front seat, resting her head on his shoulder. She very quickly started to drift off to sleep. In spite of her valiant efforts, she was soon sleeping soundly against his shoulder. When Jax realized she had fallen asleep, he took great care in his driving so as not to stop suddenly or turn too quickly and wake her up. When they reached the house, she was still sleeping soundly. Charles came out to open the doors for them. Jax signaled him not to say anything and pointed at Brenda sleeping against his shoulder. He gently moved her over so that he could get out of the car without waking her. Jax came around to the passenger door, opening it as quietly as he could, and lifted Brenda into his arms, carrying her into the house. When Charles saw her still sleeping in Jax's arms, he went ahead of Jax to open the door for him and led the way into the bedroom, opening the doors and turning down the covers so that Jax could lay her on the bed. As soon as she sensed the bed beneath her, Brenda rolled over onto her side and snuggled close to Jax's pillow. Jax gently removed her shoes and pulled the covers up over her. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as she slept, and quietly left the room, closing the doors behind him.

Once he was back in the living room, he saw that Charles and the others had brought the day's purchases into the house. All he could do was shake his head in amazement when he realized how many things they had actually bought. "Charles, could you have these things hung in our closets for us? And please be sure that Brenda isn't disturbed. Use the hallway door to the dressing room; I've already closed the door to the bedroom, so you shouldn't have a problem."

"Of course, Mr. Jacks. What about this one?" Having worked for Jax for so long and seen how he treated his wife, Charles immediately recognized Brenda's 'special' gift.

Jax took the package that Charles was holding. "Not that one, Charles. I'll take care of that one myself - thanks." Jax walked into the living room, carrying the package over to the credenza and putting it in the top drawer. He sat down on the couch to relax, finally realizing how tired he was as well. He called to Charles as he was leaving the room. "Charles, would you make sure that I'm awake in an hour? I want to be the one to wake Brenda."

"Certainly, Mr. Jacks." Charles quietly left Jax alone in the living room. He returned to the foyer to help with the unpacking of their employers' purchases.

Charles didn't have to wake Jax after all. He had only dozed off for a short time and woke feeling refreshed. He looked at his watch and realized that it was nearly 8:00, time for Brenda to get up to have some dinner. He slowly got up from the couch and ran his fingers through his hair to put it back in place. As he walked into the bedroom, he saw that Brenda was still sleeping. He quietly walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. He gently ran his hand over her hair and then ran the backs of his fingers across the side of her cheek. She stirred slightly but did not wake up. Jax smiled as he bent down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," he said softly. Brenda slowly opened one eye and looked up at him. She focused her eyes slowly to see his smiling face before her.

"Hey you, how long have I been asleep?" She slowly sat up in bed, looking around. "Boy, I must really have been tired. I don't remember getting home, much less coming in here."

Jax could not resist the urge to smile at her reaction. "Well, I guess we kind of overdid it a little this afternoon. You were so exhausted when we finally got in the car that you were asleep by the time we left Rodeo Drive." Jax looked at his watch before continuing, "You've been asleep for about two hours. Are you about ready for some dinner?" he asked as he gently cupped the side of her face with his hand.

Brenda leaned her cheek more tightly into his hand, "I sure am. I'm starved!" Jax got up and pulled the covers back for her. He held out his hand to help her up from the bed. She quickly took his hand and got up, wrapping her arms around his ribs. They walked out of the bedroom like that; Brenda not even bothering to put her shoes back on.

There wasn't much talking during dinner. Both of them were too hungry to say much about their day. Once dessert had been served they both started to unwind. Brenda finally pushed her plate away, "Whew! I can't believe I ate so much!" she said with a laugh. "Why did you let me eat so much, Jax?" She took a quick swat at his arms as she asked.

He quickly dodged her hand and started laughing, "ME! What did I have to say about how much you ate! Besides, you didn't eat all that much, considering you're eating for two now, you know." The smile that lit up his eyes was the only thing that saved him from a flying hand again. "Are you ready for some coffee in the living room?" He got up from the table and walked over to her chair. He pulled the chair back for her as she stood up.

"Sure. Can we have it on the terrace though? It's such a beautiful night that I'd like to sit out there for a while."

"Your wish is my command, my lady. This is, after all, your vacation. If you want coffee on the terrace, that's what we'll have. As they headed toward the living room, they saw Charles bringing the coffee in from the kitchen. "Charles, Brenda has decided she'd rather have coffee on the terrace. Would you mind setting it up out there for us? We'll be out in a minute."

"Of course, Mr. Jacks. It'll be ready whenever you are. Do you want me to light the fire out there for you?" Charles looked to Jax for an answer.

"Yes, I think so. Okay with you, Brenda?" He looked over to her for an answer.

"Sure."

As Charles headed outside, Jax held Brenda back in the living room. "Before we go outside, I have something for you." He walked over to the credenza and pulled out the beautifully wrapped box he had gotten from Rebecca earlier. He walked back to Brenda and handed her the box.

"Jax! When did you do this? We were together the entire day!" Brenda stood staring at the box in her hands for several moments. She sat down on the couch and began ripping the paper off like a child with a birthday present. When she opened the lid, she found a beautiful, lavender satin nightgown and coat. She set the box on the couch beside her and gently pulled the gown from the box. It was a very simple gown with thin straps and a square neckline. The coat was the same material and very similar in style. It did not have a belt or closures, it simply hung open. When she stood up holding it, she realized that the gown was totally unstructured, almost tent like in shape. She walked over to the mirror on the wall and held it up in front of her.

Jax walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it, Jax! Where did you find it?" She set the gown down on the credenza and turned in his embrace so she could look at him.

"I had Rebecca find it for me. I figured you would like something… ahhh… feminine that you could wear during any stage of your pregnancy. If you like it, I'll call her tomorrow and have her send the other four that she found for you. They are all similar in style, but in different colors and fabrics. What do you think?" He looked into her eyes, trying to judge her reaction to the gown. It was obvious from the style that he had been thinking of when the baby started to show, and he didn't want her to feel hurt that he was planning on her getting bigger.

Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She reached one hand up to cradle the side of his face. "I think it's perfect, and so are you! You always know exactly what I need. I know why you bought this, Jax. It won't be long before most of my things will be too small, and I know from shopping for Lois that most maternity gowns are very…maternal in design. You've managed to find some that are going to be comfortable and still be feminine. I love you for this. Thank you!" She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips.

"What do you say we go have our coffee on the terrace? Maybe you can model your new gown for me afterwards…" The twinkle in Jax's eyes made Brenda chuckle. She nodded her agreement and brought the gown back to put with the coat in the box. She started to head toward the bedroom when Jax grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked as he pulled her close to him.

"I thought I'd take this into the bedroom for later. I'll only be a second." She started to pull out of his embrace but he held her tight.

"Don't worry about that. Charles will take it in for you. Come on let's go out and enjoy the evening for a while." Jax turned to go out to the terrace with his arm securely wrapped around her waist. As they passed Charles on the terrace, Jax stopped to talk to him. "Charles, there's a box on the couch in the living room; would you please take it into our bedroom for Brenda?" Unbeknownst to Brenda, Jax gave him a conspiratorial wink over her head.

"Of course, Mr. Jacks, I'll be glad to." Charles tipped his head slightly in acknowledgement of the wink and headed back into the house.

As Brenda sat down outside, she glanced up into the living room and saw Charles pick up the box containing her gown and head into the bedroom. She was slightly surprised though when she saw him close the door behind himself. She quickly forgot about it though as Jax handed her a cup of coffee. She took one sip and wrinkled her nose, DECAF! She hated decaf coffee but it was all she was allowed to drink since she found out she was pregnant.

Jax couldn't keep from smiling at the expression on Brenda's face. He knew how much she disliked decaffeinated coffee, but he also knew how important the child she was carrying was to her. It never ceased to amaze him how protective she was of their child, even if it meant doing something she disliked, like this. He made a promise to himself that as soon as she was able that he would make sure she had the finest coffee in the world available for her, in as great a quantity as she wanted.

They sat together on the terrace, watching the stars for a long time. After finishing their coffee, they had moved to sit on the chaise together - Jax in back, and Brenda leaning against his chest. They sat in silence for a long time, just wrapped in their thoughts and each other's arms. After a while, Jax felt Brenda shiver. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her and leaned in to rest his head in the nook of her neck.

"Are you getting cold?" he asked as he raised one hand to stroke the side of her hair.

"A little; maybe we should go in." She leaned her head into the caress of his hand as she spoke.

Jax slowly crawled out from behind Brenda and stood next to the chaise, looking down at her. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asked as he bent down to pick her up.

"Jax! What are you doing? I'm perfectly capable of walking." She attempted to protest, but quickly realized that she very much liked being in his arms, and snuggled close to him. "Well…if you insist…" They both laughed as he carried her toward their bedroom. It wasn't until Jax set her down that Brenda realized what he had done to the bedroom. The lights were turned off, and there was a fire burning in the fireplace. There were lighted candles all around the room, whose flames danced in the breeze from the open doors. As she looked around the room, she saw that the bed had been turned down and her new gown and coat were laid out.

While Brenda had been looking around the room, Jax quietly closed the terrace doors part way, allowing only a small breeze to enter the room. He stood silently by them, watching Brenda's face as she looked around the room. He truly loved everything about this woman and intended to show her how much for the rest of their lives. He walked slowly over to where she stood. When he took her in his arms, he was surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Suddenly very concerned, he took hold of both of her upper arms "Brenda, is something wrong? Do you feel okay?"

Brenda reached up to wipe away her tears as she looked up at him. "I'm fine, Jax, really. I just can't get over you. You are supposed to be recovering from your accident while we are out here, and instead you are going out of your way to pamper me like this. It doesn't seem fair. You do so much for me, and I don't feel like I do nearly enough for you." She wrapped her arms snuggly around his ribs, and he quickly felt his shirt becoming damp from the tears she was again shedding.

He reached both hands up to lift her face to his. He bent down and kissed her gently on the lips before saying anything to her. "You are the silly one, you know that. What do you mean you don't do enough for me? Brenda, you do more for me in any one day than I will ever be able to explain to you. For the past couple weeks you've been spending all of your time taking care of me by making sure I followed Dr. White's orders about getting rest and what I could and could not do around the house. Heck, for a while you even took over my responsibilities at Jacks International on top of that. To top it all off, you've done me the great honor of carrying my child. There is no way I will ever be able to show you how much all that means to me." He kissed her again, more passionately this time.

"The reason I brought you out here for this trip was to try to show you how much you mean to me and to try to give us both a chance to just enjoy each other and not worry about anything or anyone else. Do you think we can do that?" He looked deeply into her eyes as he spoke, letting her know that he meant everything that he was saying.

"You bet we can!" She quickly wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "Why don't you give me a few minutes to take a shower and put on my new gown for you? Then we can see where the rest of the evening leads." She stood up on her toes to give him a very passionate kiss and then headed off toward the bathroom, grabbing the gown off the bed as she went.

Not long after she stepped under the shower, Brenda felt Jax's hands slip around her waist from behind. He pulled her close to him and kissed her softly along the side of her neck. Brenda easily lay back into his arms to enjoy herself, as she felt his hands slowly move from around her waist up to her breasts. As he cupped her breasts in his hands and caressed her nipples with his fingers, Brenda let out a soft moan of pleasure. He continued his attentions until the peaks of her breasts became hard and her moans grew louder. She suddenly turned around in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. He slowly lifted her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist and began to kiss him passionately.

Without breaking the kiss, Jax slowly moved them backward in the shower until Brenda felt the wall behind her back. Finally, the need to breathe forced them to break the kiss. Brenda wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck as he began a trail of kisses along the side of her neck. As Jax continued the trail of kisses along her neck and over across her collarbone, Brenda could not wait any longer. With all the self-control she had left, Brenda pulled his face from her shoulder so she could see his face. When he looked up and saw the need in Brenda's face, he knew what she wanted. Before Brenda had a chance to say anything, Jax made them one. They made love with the same passion that they had the night before. By the time they reached their climax, the water had started to cool down, even if they had not. Without breaking their connection Jax carried Brenda to their bed, where they continued to make love for the rest of the night. They had finally exhausted themselves just as the first light of dawn was coming through the window.

As they lay wrapped around each other beneath the sheet, Brenda glanced up and saw the dawn approach. She lifted her head slightly from Jax's chest and looked up into his face. "It's nearly dawn, Jax! Do you realize that this is the second night in a row we've made love for the entire night?" She kissed his chest softly before returning her head to its resting-place above his heart.

"Are you complaining?" Jax asked as he gently rubbed his hand in circle on her back, beneath the sheet.

"Not at all. I'm just wondering how long you'll be able to keep up this pace, that's all!" Brenda began tracing circles of her own on Jax's stomach.

"I wouldn't worry about me if I were you, Mrs. Jacks. After all, I had two weeks to rest up before we got here. I think you should be more concerned about whether or not you can keep up with me!" Jax couldn't resist the urge to chuckle as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. It wasn't long before he felt her slow, steady breathing, letting him know she had fallen asleep. As he looked down at her sleeping form, he saw her new gown and coat on the floor next to the bed, waiting to be worn another night. He lay wrapped in his love for her long enough to see the sun break the horizon, before he, too, fell asleep - a sleep filled with wonderful dreams of the life they would live and the children they would have.

It was well past noon when Jax finally woke up. Brenda was still sleeping soundly, with her head on his chest, her arm around his ribs, and her leg across his, just as they had fallen asleep. As he gently ran his fingers up and down her back, Brenda slowly opened her eyes. She very carefully lifted her head from his chest and could not contain the smile that spread across it when she realized that this morning was off to a good start: the baby was behaving. Of course, she quickly realized that the poor thing was probably so exhausted from the long nights that he was just catching up on his sleep this morning. She looked up into Jax's eyes and was surprised by the look she saw there.

"Good morning, my husband," she said softly as she scooted up his body to kiss him on the lips.

"Hmm… good morning to you, wife. I take it that my daughter is being nice to you this morning?" he asked with a large smile on his face.

"Why do you always do that, Jax? Do you want our baby to be a girl?" She had meant to ask him several times about his always referring to the baby as a girl, but until now she'd never had the opportunity. "I thought men always wanted their firstborn to be a boy, to carry on the family name and all." Brenda rested her chin on her hands on his chest, waiting for his answer.

"That's not always true, Brenda. It doesn't matter to me if the baby is a girl or a boy. Either way, this child will be the product of our love for each other, and every time I look into his or her face I'll see a part of you and a part of me that will go on forever." He kissed her waiting lips before he continued. "I will admit though that I would like it if it did turn out to be a girl. I can just imagine a little version of you, but with my eyes. She would be smart and spirited and determined and beautiful. Everything her mother is." Jax wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her back down to his chest.

As she lay there snuggled in his embrace, Brenda began running her hand across his abdomen. "I kind of hope the baby is a boy. I can just see a little Jax running around the house with your blond hair and beautiful eyes. Can't you just see him, Jax? He'll be strong and smart and self-assured, just like his father." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his abdomen where her hand had been. They lay together like that for a while, neither of them saying anything, but each lost in their thoughts about what the other had said and visions of the child that Brenda was carrying.

April 26, 1999

10:30 P.M.

The past ten days had gone quickly for Jax and Brenda. Their days had been filled with mornings devoted to long, slow lovemaking, followed by long, afternoon walks on the beach or trips into town for sightseeing and even a little more shopping. Their evenings had all been pretty much the same: dinner on the terrace to watch the sunset, followed by long conversations while cuddled by the fire about their lives and the child they were expecting, and ending with them making slow, passionate love to each other long into the night. At dinner tonight they had decided to go back to Port Charles tomorrow. They could not put off their return any longer. There were problems to be faced there, and no matter how much they were enjoying their life here in Malibu, it was not solving anything by hiding here. It was time to set things straight in their home and in their lives. Tomorrow, they decided, would be the beginning of their united front against whomever or whatever was threatening them at home. They knew that nothing could harm them as long as they faced it together.

After dinner on the terrace, Jax and Brenda had decided to pass on having their coffee and snuggle by the living room fireplace. Instead they had gone to bed early, and after making love once again, they lay snuggled together in bed, making plans for the trip home. All the activity of the past ten days had quickly caught up with them though. As they lay in bed, it wasn't long before they both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, exhausted but also extremely happy.

April 27, 1999

11:45 A.M.

Brenda was making one last check with Charles to be sure those new clothes she planned to take back to Port Charles had all been put into the car and the rest would be closed up in the closets. Jax called the airport to make sure the plane was ready and that the pilot had filed the flight plan back to Port Charles. When he finished, he hung up the phone and went in search of Brenda. He found her talking to the staff in the kitchen. "We need to get going, honey."

As Brenda came over to his side and wrapped her arm around him, Jax felt it necessary to say something. "I just want to thank all of you for your help these past ten days. I especially want to thank you for coming back to work for us. I know all of you were hurt by what happened last fall, and I know it wasn't easy for you to give up jobs in other homes to come back to work for Brenda and me. It means a lot to both of us that every one of you chose to come back here without question. Neither Brenda nor I will ever forget what you have done for us. The amount of time you all must have put in to get the house ready for us is something for which I will always be in your debt. If there is ever anything that we can do for you, please let us know and it will be yours." Jax squeezed Brenda closer to him and looked down at her. He saw the tears in her eyes that had formed while he had been talking. He smiled at her again and led her out of the house. The staff followed them to the front step and watched them get into the car. As Charles drove them down the drive, the entire staff stood on the step to wave them off. Brenda turned back in the car to watch them until they pulled down the drive too far to see the house anymore.

Once they were on the way to the airport, Brenda snuggled down under Jax's arm, letting the tears she had been holding back flow down her cheeks. This had been a perfect trip with the perfect man to the perfect house. She decided she was ready now to face whatever awaited them in Port Charles. Before she even realized it, she had dozed off again. She didn't awaken until they were already in the air on the way back to Port Charles.

When she finally woke up, she slowly stretched her arms and looked around herself. It was then that she realized that they were already on the plane and in the air. "Jax? How long have I been asleep?" She looked over at him as he sat in the chair opposite her.

"Oh, I'd say for about three hours. We should be arriving in Port Charles in about ninety minutes. Are you hungry?" Jax came over and sat next to her on the couch and stroked her hair gently.

"Yeah, I think I am hungry. Why did you let me sleep so long? It can't have been much fun for you to sit and watch me sleep for most of the flight." She snuggled closer to him and looked up into his face for his answer.

"Oh, I managed to keep myself occupied. I called the house and talked to Benton. I asked him to have someone pick us up at the airport. He said Thomas was planning on picking us up, so I told him to make sure he brought an extra van to bring all our stuff home, too." He couldn't resist the urge to tease her about her shopping, even though she had not bought all THAT much this trip. He tickled her quickly before she could pull away as well.

"Very funny! I'll get you for that later! Right now I really am hungry, Jax. What's to eat?" She started to get up, but he pulled her back down.

"You stay put! I'll get it for you." Jax tapped her lightly on the tip of the nose as he got up to get their lunch from the small galley.

As they were finishing their meal, Brenda could see a change in Jax's face. There was something serious he wanted to discuss with her. She had a pretty good idea what it was, and she had to admit she was not looking forward to it. She reached over and cupped the side of his face with her hand. "What's on your mind, Jax? I know something is bothering you, so why don't you just tell me?"

Jax put his hand over hers on his cheek. "You're right, there is something we need to discuss." He took a deep breath before continuing. "We need to make some plans with Thomas before we get back to the house about how we are going to handle this Everett problem. I will not let you be at risk in your own home! When I talked to Thomas earlier, he said he had some information from his grandfather he wanted to discuss with us. Do you feel up to having a meeting with him before we go home? I know you're exhausted, but do you think you can manage it?" The concern for her well being was obvious in his eyes.

Brenda leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'm fine, Jax. Of course we can meet with Thomas before we go home. I want to resolve this situation as soon as possible. I refuse to allow you to be put in any further danger because of Everett or me or anyone!" She wrapped her arms tightly around him and lay her head against his shoulder. Jax leaned back on the couch and just held her like that until the pilot's voice came on the speaker, telling them they were approaching Port Charles and needed to put on their seatbelts.

As the plane began its final approach, Jax held Brenda's hand tightly in both of his. He leaned over and kissed her deeply as the plane came to a complete stop at the gate. When the pilot came out to open the door for them, Jax unbuckled their belts and stood up, extending his hand to Brenda. They walked to the door of the plane, holding hands, determined to meet whatever challenge lay ahead of them and defeat it, just as they had everything else that had tried to hurt or separate them in the past. Nothing was going to hurt either one of them ever again in that way, they had promised each other - and neither of them was going to break that promise!