June 4, 1999

12:30 P.M.

It was a warm June day in Port Charles. Brenda and Benton were going over the lunch plans, discussing the possibility of moving their lunch with Lady Jane out to the patio, when they heard a car in the driveway. Not expecting anyone for at least another half-hour, Brenda got up to look out the window. She was surprised and delighted to see Jax getting out of his car. She quickly went to the back door to let him in. "What are you doing here so early?" she asked with a huge smile on her face, as she reached up to kiss him.

Jax looked at her with a pout on his face. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave and come back again later?" he asked as he started to turn back out the door to leave. The obvious twinkle in his eyes belied the frown on his mouth.

Brenda wrapped her arms tightly around him. "You'd better not! I'm just surprised you were able to get away early, that's all!" She released her hold on him and led him into the kitchen, where she and Benton had been talking. "Actually I'm glad you're here! You can help us make a decision about lunch." She was surprised by the look of fear she saw on Jax's face.

"Oh, no! Not that!" Jax suddenly burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, luv. I couldn't resist. What can I do to help?"

Brenda gave him a hard punch in the shoulder. "Very funny!" She couldn't resist the urge to chuckle herself. "Can we get serious for a minute here? I want this lunch to go perfectly!" She looked up at him, trying to look stern, but unable to keep from smiling at him.

Looking like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Jax put his head down and shuffled his foot. "Yes, ma'am. Seriously though, Brenda, I'll really try this time. I promise!" He looked up at her doing his best to be serious. He could tell that she was nervous about this lunch. "Really Brenda, I want to help. What did you want my opinion on?"

She quickly realized that he was trying to be serious, so she figured she had better take advantage of it. "Well, since it's such a beautiful day, I was thinking of moving the lunch out onto the patio. What do you think?"

Jax thought for a minute before answering. He wasn't sure how to tell her without hurting her feelings. "Umm, do you really think that would be a good idea?"

Brenda was surprised by his answer. Jax loved to sit out on the patio, so his opposition to lunch out there surprised her. "Why wouldn't it?"

"I know you want everything to be perfect for this lunch with Lady Jane, luv, but I think until we have more of a plan in place, we might want to keep our activities together a little more discreet." Jax looked deep into Brenda's eyes, hoping not to see hurt feelings. He was glad when he saw a slight smile cross her lips.

"You're probably right, Jax. I guess all of us sitting around in the open backyard isn't a good idea just yet." She turned to Benton, "I guess you'd better set up lunch in the dining room like we originally planned, Benton." He nodded and immediately headed into the dining room to set up the table. She then focused her attention on Jax, "By the way, Jax, you did arrange for someone to pick your mother up, didn't you?" Brenda had suddenly switched back into planning mode.

"Of course, I did. In fact, I was thinking we could ask the driver to join us for lunch, okay?" The smile on Jax's face would have made it very easy for Brenda to figure out who was picking Lady Jane up, if she hadn't already known.

"Well, that all depends…" Brenda smiled mischievously at Jax, "on whether or not Thomas likes cashew chicken salad and iced tea." Brenda could not control the urge to laugh any longer, especially when she saw the surprised look on Jax's face.

Jax wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her close. "You sneak! You knew all along that Thomas was picking Lady Jane up, didn't you?" He bent down and kissed her softly on the tip of her nose.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Pretty much. When you said that you had the perfect person in mind and that they were sitting right in front of you at the time, I figured it was either Travis or Thomas. Since Travis doesn't know anything about our little 'plan,' I figured it had to be Thomas. That's why I had Benton set the table for four." Brenda put her head down on his chest, and they just stood there for a minute. She eventually pulled away from his embrace, "Why don't we go into the parlor to wait for them. I think we're just in the way in here." She looked around the kitchen at Mrs. Kelly and Benton trying to get the last minute details finished for their lunch. Jax winked at her and took her hand, leading her out the door and toward the parlor.

Jax and Brenda spent the next half-hour finalizing the plans for their shopping trip to New York. They had decided to leave as soon as Jax could get home from work this afternoon, and stay over until Monday evening. . Jax had arranged for his private plane to be waiting for them at the Port Charles airport so they could leave when they were ready, without having to rush. Unbeknownst to Brenda, Jax had made arrangements with Rebecca to have an entire line of maternity clothes from her shop on Rodeo Drive waiting for them in New York. He had talked to her just after he and Brenda had returned from Malibu, in order to give her time to get the clothes Brenda would like in her size. Rebecca had called him just this morning to let him know that the clothes had all arrived and would be waiting, along with Brenda's favorite fitter, at the hotel in New York. All he needed to do was call the suite that Jax had reserved for them when Brenda was ready to see the clothes. He had also arranged for private visits to several of the top designers' showrooms on Saturday to see what they had in the way of maternity clothes.

He and Brenda planned to have a private evening in their suite on Friday night. They had also decided to spend the evening on the town on Saturday - dinner, the theater, and a hansom cab ride in Central Park, provided Brenda could stay awake for it. The rest of the weekend they decided to just play by ear. Jax figured that at least part of the time would probably be needed for fittings of Brenda's clothes. He was surprised to find that for some reason he was actually looking forward to watching her fittings.

1:20 P.M.

Jax and Brenda heard the car pull up at the same time. They both got up to meet their guest at the door. Jax looked out the window and saw Lady Jane and Thomas coming up the front stairs. Jax opened the door for them as they approached. "Hello, mum. How are you?" Jax held the door open wide to let Lady Jane and Thomas enter. Brenda reached to embrace Jane as she came in. She also embraced Thomas.

"I'm fine, Jax. I'm glad you were able to be here today. When I talked to Brenda yesterday she wasn't sure you would be able to make it." Jane was thrilled to see the way Jax and Brenda were so comfortable with each other in her presence. As they stood talking, Jane couldn't help but notice that they constantly touched each other, either holding hands or wrapping their arms around each other.

After a tour of the house, the four of them settled down to lunch at the large table in the dining room. Thomas was amazed at the ease with which this family had seemed to reunite. The playful teasing seemed the same and Jane's interest in the baby and Brenda's health was definitely genuine. Unfortunately, HE was not ready to accept any member of the family - even Jane - back into Jax and Brenda's lives just yet. There were too many unanswered questions, especially now with the attack on Jacks International that was going on. He had to admit, though, that Jane did seem very sincere in her efforts at reconciliation. He hoped that his doubts would be put to rest by the end of the afternoon.

As they were finishing their coffee, Jane suddenly became very quiet. Her eyes were downcast and she seemed preoccupied. Both Brenda and Jax noticed, but it was Jax who spoke up. "What's up, mum? You look like you have something on your mind." He reached over and touched his mother's hand in a reassuring gesture.

Jane took a deep breath before answering. The expression on her face when she finally looked up into her son's face was one of abject misery. "There is something, dear. I've been debating with myself ever since I got here about whether or not to tell you. After the kindness both you and Brenda have shown me, I don't think I have any choice anymore - not if I want this reunion to work." Jane could actually feel tears forming in her eyes over what she was about to do. For all of his life, Jane had kept the family secrets from Jax, for his own good, she had told herself. Now she was going to betray family secrets for his good!

"Take your time, Jane. Whatever it is you need to say we'll listen when you're ready." Brenda smiled at Jane as she spoke. Brenda quickly suspected what Jane was debating telling them. It warmed her heart to know that Jane was willing to do this to protect Jax this time FROM the family, instead of FOR the family.

"Thank you, dear. I really appreciate that." Jane took another deep breath and looked deeply into her son's eyes. "Jax, I know you've got some problems at the office. When Brenda called to invite me to this lunch she mentioned that you might not be able to be here because things were hectic at the office. Even without her telling me that little bit, I already knew. I'm sure you probably suspect that your father and brother are behind the attempt to ruin you. Well…" Jane paused for a minute. "I'm afraid you're right!" Jax was surprised when he saw tears start down his mother's cheeks. "I didn't want to believe it when they told me what you had overheard after our first meeting, Thomas! But this morning I overheard John and Jerry talking about how they had almost succeeded in destroying that subsidiary you needed the first time, and they were sure that a second attempt would be successful. They were laughing about the fact that as soon as that company was gone, your whole conglomerate would crumble and that would put a serious strain on your company in general. They were making bets about how long it would take you to come to them for help!" Jane stopped again, this time to wipe away the tears that had been falling down her face.

"I know, mum. I suspected it was them from the start. I've got Travis working on getting the proof right now. The problem is that even if I do find it, there is nothing I can do about it! They haven't done anything illegal. All they did was make an attempt to purchase a company. That's not illegal! Under the terms of their probation they are prohibited from purchasing stock in a company, but they aren't prohibited from purchasing or attempting to purchase a company outright!" Jax smiled reassuringly at his mother. "Hopefully, just letting them know that I'm on to them will stop them from trying again." He knew it wouldn't stop them, but it seemed important to him to reassure not only his mother, but Brenda as well.

The tears had finally stopped running down Jane's cheeks. She was relieved to know that John and Jerry had not damaged her new relationship with Jax. She honestly believed that he did not blame her for their actions. She managed a slight smile. "Jax, I just needed you to know about what they were doing. I didn't want you to find out from someone else and think that I was helping them again! I wouldn't do that! I swear!" She looked pleadingly, first at Jax and then Brenda. What she saw in both their faces went a long way to reassure her. They believed she was not involved. She was even more surprised when she looked at Thomas and saw that he believed her as well. She had been well aware of Thomas's suspicions about her from the start. She understood them. He was being the protective 'big brother' to Jax that he had always been, and now to Brenda, as well. The brother she had always thought Jerry was to him. Boy, had she been wrong about that one!

Jax got up and came around behind his mother. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders while she was still sitting in her chair. "Mum, I can only guess how hard that was for you to do. You've spent your entire married life keeping their secrets from me and to now be willing to warn me about them had to have been a tough decision to make. I thank you for that." He squeezed her again and went back to sit down.

Jane smiled at her son. "Thank you for that, Jax. Okay, what can I do to help? Do you want me to find out what they plan to do next?"

Jane was startled by the quick response she got from everyone at the table when they all answered together "NO!"

"I don't understand. Why not, Jax? They still plan to go after you!"

Brenda looked at Jax for his support before she answered for them. Jax nodded slightly for her to go ahead. "We know that, Jane, but that's not Jax's way of doing business. None of us at this table want you to spy on John and Jerry. That's their way, not ours. Just the fact that you were willing to tell Jax about their attempt means more to both of us than you'll ever know!" Brenda looked pleadingly into Jane's eyes. "Jane, you're Jax's mother, not a corporate spy. We asked you back into our lives for the sake of our child and ourselves, not what you could tell us about their business tactics! Let's just keep it that way. Okay?" She smiled at Jane and then turned to Jax. "Right, honey?"

"Definitely!" Jax smiled at his mother. "Now, before I have to head back to the office, I think there is one more thing we need to settle. What are you going to tell John and Jerry about our attempt to reconcile? I know they've been asking questions about when our next meeting would be, so we need to come up with a plan."

Thomas was the first to speak up. "If I may make a suggestion? I think that it would be a good idea to let them believe that Jane's only contact with the two of you is in public places. It might not be a good idea to let them know that she's coming to the house." Thomas saw the disappointed look cross Jane's face. "Don't get me wrong, Jane. I don't want you to stop coming here. I just think that it would be a good idea to let John and Jerry think that you are still walking on shaky ground with Jax and Brenda, and that all of your meetings, even though civil, have not left them comfortable enough to invite you to their home. That way they won't be tempted to try to pump you for information about Jax or his business."

"Thomas is probably right, mum. You're welcome here any time you want, but we'll start to schedule very public meetings so they don't figure out where we stand. That way if they decide to eavesdrop on us, they'll only hear what we want them to hear, not things that are none of their business. Okay?"

"I guess you're right. I just hate having to play these games just to be able to see my own son and his family. I wish I could just tell them to stay out of your lives and know that they would. Unfortunately, we all know they are not about to do that!" Jane sighed dejectedly. She looked at her watch and then at the people sitting around her. "I hate to break this up, but I really should be going. I didn't leave any kind of a message at home, and I don't want them asking too many questions."

Jax also looked at his watch. "You're right about the time, mum. I have to get back to the office. Tell you what: how about if I give you a call at the house early next week to set up a lunch at a restaurant?"

"I'll be waiting to hear from you, Jax. I'll also make a point of making sure they know you called." Jane smiled slightly at Jax.

They all got up from the table and headed toward the foyer. As they got to the front door, Jane turned back to give Brenda and Jax a hug. "Thank you so much for today! I don't know how to tell you how much it meant to me." She smiled at both of them before she turned to go out the door that Thomas was holding open. She turned back one more time before leaving. "Thank you for what you said about getting information. I would gladly have gotten it for you, you know, but it pleases me no end that you don't want it. That is the way I had hoped you would do business." She smiled at them again before heading out the door. Thomas waved goodbye to both Jax and Brenda and walked out after her, closing the door behind him.

Jax and Brenda both went into the parlor to watch out the window as they drove away. Jax looked down at his watch again. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "If I'm going to get back here at a reasonable hour for us to get to New York tonight I'd better get going. Are you all packed?" He smiled down at her.

Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck before answering, "Actually, I am. I figured since the purpose of the trip is to buy my maternity clothes, I didn't need to pack too much, especially since most of my clothes don't fit very comfortably anymore anyway. I figured I'd just take a few things. I did pack your things though. We can leave as soon as you get back this afternoon." Brenda stood up on her toes to kiss his chin before snuggling close to him.

Jax sighed, "If we keep this up, I'll never get to the office! Come on, Brenda. I need to go!" He squeezed her one last time before breaking the embrace. "I should be back here no later than 5:00. I had Allison arrange a late check-in for us at the hotel so there won't be any problem when we get there." Jax and Brenda headed toward the front door, still wrapped around each other. They kissed several more times before Jax finally left and Brenda headed upstairs to make sure everything was ready for their trip.

After hearing Brenda heading up the stairs, Everett came out of the shadows. He walked slowly around the library stopping finally to stare out the window. He had to admit he had been surprised yesterday when he had heard Brenda invite Jax's mother to the house. He had not expected his plan to move this quickly. When he had seen the interaction between the three of them earlier when they had come into the library, he felt there was a strong bond between all of them. This was a good sign. The stronger and more comfortable the bond between mother and son became the sooner she would be able to convince him to bring the others back; Everett was sure of that.

As he stood staring out the window Everett couldn't help thinking that there was something about the reunion that bothered him. He got a very distinct feeling that there was something wrong here. It was going to take a lot of close observation to figure it out, but he had a very distinct feeling that it was going to be a lot harder to bring the father and brother back into Jax's life than it had been the mother. Having overheard Jax and Brenda talking about going to New York City tonight, Everett knew he would have the entire weekend to think about this situation. He could only hope that Jax would not neglect anything important to take this trip. Everett's mind was racing a mile a minute as he faded back into the shadows, trying to sort out the events and people in this game.

Plaza Hotel, New York City

8:00 P.M.

The bellhop showed Jax and Brenda into the Presidential Suite, taking their luggage into the bedroom. When he was finished, Jax tipped him generously and closed the door behind him when he left. When he turned back into the room, he saw Brenda standing by the wall of windows, staring at the New York skyline. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, snuggling his chin down into the side of her neck. He kissed her softly on the side of the neck. She reached up her hand and stroked the side of his face. "What was that for?" she asked softly.

"No particular reason. You just looked so inviting standing here like this that I couldn't resist." Jax lifted his head and looked more closely at Brenda. He realized that she looked troubled. "Brenda, is something wrong? Are you feeling okay?" He turned her slowly in his arms so that she was facing him. "Tell me, what is it?" He gently held the side of her face in his hand as he waited for her to answer.

Brenda leaned her face into his hand more tightly before answering. "I'm fine, really! Just a little tired, I guess. You have to admit today has been quite a day. First lunch with your mom, and now this trip. I guess I'm just a little more tired than I thought, that's all. Honest!"

Jax looked deep into Brenda's eyes and decided to accept what she said. "Tell you what then: how about we call it an early night? You can go take a nice, hot bath, and I'll call room service to bring up our dinner. That way you can just relax tonight. After all, we do have a busy day tomorrow. What do you say?" Jax looked down at her with a smile on his face.

Brenda slowly returned his smile. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse? Actually, I have to admit that sounds like a great idea. Do you want to join me in the bath?" The twinkle in Brenda's eyes helped to relieve much of Jax's concern for her. Obviously she was just tired, as she had said.

"I don't think so. That would kind of defeat the purpose of the relaxing bath, don't you think?" Jax chuckled softly as he released her from his embrace and turned her toward the bedroom. "Go, take your bath! I'll order dinner and let you know when it gets here. Okay?"

Brenda turned back to smile at him as she started toward the bedroom. "Okay. I won't be too long, I promise. Oh, and Jax, don't order anything heavy for dinner. I don't have much of an appetite tonight." She turned around and headed into the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Jax's concerns for Brenda's health returned as soon as she left the room. This was not like her. He would admit she did look tired when he had gotten home to pick her up, but he had thought the nap on the plane would have helped. The Brenda that had just gone into the bedroom had seemed so sad. As he walked to the phone to order their dinner, he decided that once dinner was done he would ask what was bothering her, and he would NOT let the issue drop until he got an answer!

When Jax called room service to order dinner he asked that it be sent up in about an hour. By the time dinner arrived, Brenda had still not come out of the bathroom. This worried Jax. When Brenda said she would not be long, she usually wasn't - especially when she didn't have to do her hair or makeup. Once he had signed for dinner and tipped the waiter, Jax headed into the bedroom to see what was keeping Brenda.

She was not anywhere in the bedroom, so he headed to the closed bathroom door and tapped lightly. "Brenda, dinner is here." There was no answer. Jax knocked again, a little harder this time. "Brenda? Honey, are you okay?" There was still no answer. Jax slowly opened the door to see Brenda still in the tub, her eyes closed. He quickly knelt beside the tub and touched the side of her face. She awoke with a start.

"Jax! What are you doing here? Did you change your mind about joining me?" She smiled up at him. The smile quickly left her face when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Jax, what's wrong?" She reached up to touch the side of his face.

Jax gently ran his fingers across the top of her hair. "I should be the one asking you that. Are you okay?"

"Sure, why do you ask?" It wasn't until Brenda glanced down at the bathwater that she realized that all of the bubbles were gone and she also realized that the water had gotten cold. She shivered slightly. "Oh, my God! I must have fallen asleep! How long have I been in here?" She suddenly started to get out of the tub. Jax stood up with her and reached over to get her robe for her and hold it open. He reached for the heavy terrycloth robe the hotel had furnished that hung on the back of the door, instead of the pretty silk robe Brenda had brought in with her. She was obviously chilled from the cold bathwater. Brenda started to protest even as she slipped the warm robe on and let Jax pull the belt tight around her. "No, Jax, I wanted to wear the other one!"

Jax pulled her close to him and briskly rubbed his hands up and down her back in an effort to warm her. "I don't think so, luv. You're chilled to the bone from that cold water. Tell you what: why don't you go climb into bed, and I'll bring dinner in there for us? That way you can get warmed up again."

"I'm fine, Jax - really. We don't have to do that! I want us to have dinner by the window, so we can look out at the skyline. Please!!" Brenda looked up at Jax with an expression she knew he would not be able to resist.

When he looked down at her, all he could do was smile. How was he supposed to resist her when she looked at him like that? "Oh, I guess so! You don't play fair, you know! How can I say no to you when you look like that?" Jax kissed the tip of her nose before releasing her from his embrace. At least she had stopped shivering. "Are you sure you're warm enough?" Brenda nodded that she was.

As they walked back into the sitting area Brenda turned and smiled reassuringly at him. "I'm fine, Jax. I was just more tired than I thought, that's all. I shouldn't have let myself fall asleep in the tub; I know better. It was just so peaceful and relaxing that I couldn't help it. I'm fine now - really!"

Jax held Brenda's chair for her, and as he pushed it in, he bent down to kiss the side of her neck. She reached up to stroke the side of his face as he did. They stayed like that for a moment before Jax went to sit in his own chair. There was very little conversation during their dinner. Jax spent most of his time watching Brenda, as she seemed to be deep in thought throughout the meal. When they finished eating, Jax leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table. He reached over and rubbed the top of Brenda's hand with his thumb. She looked up at him as he did.

"What do you say we go sit on the couch?" Jax got up and held out a hand to Brenda. She smiled and got up slowly, taking his hand. Jax led her over to the couch. When they got there he sat down close to the arm and pulled one of the pillows into his lap. He held out his arms to her to lie down across his lap. She quickly did as he asked. When she was comfortably resting across his lap, Jax began to gently stroke her hair. "Feeling better now, luv?" he asked.

Brenda sighed softly before answering, "Um-hum - definitely!" Brenda could tell Jax was worried about her. She looked up at him. "Jax, I'm fine - really! I guess I'm just a lot more tired than I had thought, that's all. Honest!" She smiled up at him, hoping to see him relax, but no such luck. "Jax?"

Jax continued to stroke her hair. "I wish you had told me how tired you were. We could have postponed this trip until you were feeling better. I don't want you overdoing it, Brenda!" Brenda wasn't sure if the look on Jax's face was one of concern or displeasure.

She smiled up at him again and reached up to stroke the side of his face. "I'm afraid that's not exactly true, honey. With everything happening at the office, when would you have been able to get away for an entire weekend again? Besides, we both know that more and more of my clothes are getting too uncomfortable to wear already. No, this was the best weekend to do this. Really!" She was glad to see Jax beginning to relax. "I'm just sorry that I scared you earlier. I didn't mean to fall asleep in the tub. It was just so warm and soothing that I just kind of drifted off - kind of like I feel right now." Brenda smiled at him weakly and slowly closed her eyes. In what seemed like only seconds, Jax heard the slow, steady rhythm of Brenda's breathing, telling him that she had drifted off to sleep.

They remained on the couch for nearly an hour before Jax decided it was time Brenda was in bed. He slowly lifted her to him, pushing the pillow to the floor. He gently lifted her into his arms to get up from the couch. As soon as she felt the warmth of his body next to hers Brenda snuggled close to him, making getting up and carrying her to the bedroom much less difficult. The maid had already turned down the bed, so it was a simple task for Jax to lay her on the bed and gently remove her robe. He covered her quickly so she would not get chilled again. He could not tell how long he just stood beside the bed, watching as she slept. It amazed him that even in her sleep she reached over to his side of the bed searching for him. When she didn't feel him there she seemed to become agitated to the point of waking up again. Not wanting that, Jax quickly undressed and got in next to his sleeping wife. As soon as she felt him next to her she snuggled close to him and settled back to a peaceful sleep, wrapped in his arms. It wasn't long before Jax felt himself drifting off as well.

Saturday got off to a relatively late start. Jax had awakened about 8:30 to find Brenda still sound asleep wrapped around him. He just lay there for a while, enjoying the feel of her naked body against his. He gently stroked his fingers up and down her back, being careful not to wake her in doing so.

After a while he decided the only way to avoid the growing desire to wake her was to get out of bed. He gently extricated himself from her embrace and eased himself out of the bed. He went into the bathroom to wash up and put on the other hotel-furnished robe that was hanging on the back of the door. He figured that when Brenda woke up, she would need the one that was on the foot of the bed.

When he was finished Jax quietly opened the door and went back into the bedroom. Brenda had not moved. He very quietly went into the sitting room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He called down to room service to have them send up a pot of coffee, some juice, and the morning papers. He decided to settle down to read the papers until Brenda was ready to get up on her own.

Not long after Jax left the bed, Brenda began to toss and turn. She started mumbling incoherently and tossing more violently, until she finally sat up screaming Jax's name. He came running back into the bedroom and immediately sat next to her on the bed, taking her in his arms, gently stroking her back, as he tried to calm her down. "Brenda? Luv, what's wrong?" He gently lifted her face to his. When he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks he kissed her gently.

Brenda was now fully awake. She realized that Jax was there, holding her in his arms, kissing her face. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and started to cry again. He just held her. Pulling her up into his lap, he continued to stroke her back and her hair as he whispered soothing words in her ear. Eventually she calmed down enough to look up at his face. She sniffled once or twice and forced herself to smile slightly at his worried expression. "Sorry about that! Whew! That was some nightmare!" She was trying to make light of her nightmare, but it was obvious to Jax that whatever the dream, it had truly terrified her.

"Can you tell me what it was about?" he asked. While Brenda took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure so she could tell him her dream, he reached over for her robe and helped her put it around herself. She refused to get up from his lap or release her hold of him, apparently needing to feel him close to her so he just held her.

When she was ready to talk, she leaned back slightly from him so she could see his face. The worry was obvious. She reached up to gently stroke the side of his face before she tried to answer his question. "I don't really remember too much of it. I know you were in it… and Everett… oh, and so were Jerry and John! All I remember for sure is the feeling that you were in horrible danger, but I didn't know from where or whom or how to help you!" Brenda felt the fear returning as she talked about the dream, and snuggled closely to Jax again.

He continued to hold her and stroke her back until he felt her begin to relax again. "Well, it was just a dream, luv. I'm fine and so are you. Right?" He reached up and lifted her chin, kissing her gently on the mouth. "Are you ready to get up or do you want to go back to sleep for a while?" Brenda immediately pulled back from him and vehemently shook her head 'no.' "Okay, then what do you say to some breakfast? We've got a busy day, you know!" He kissed her again, this time on the tip of her nose.

She smiled at him again and snuggled back against his chest. After sitting together not saying anything for several minutes, Brenda took a deep breath and got off Jax's lap. She sat cross-legged on the bed next to him, pulling her robe tight around herself and tying the belt. She ran her fingers quickly through her hair to try to smooth it out before she said anything. She had been avoiding looking Jax in the face ever since she had crawled off his lap. Now she looked up at him. "Jax, I'm really sorry about what happened! I just don't understand it. I've had bad dreams before, but NOTHING like that! I wish I could just remember what happened…" Jax could see she was becoming agitated again.

He reached forward and gently stroked the side of her face with his finger. "It's okay, luv - really! Why don't we just chalk it up to your pregnancy or maybe those 'raging hormones' and move on, okay? When you're ready you'll remember the details." The smile Jax gave her could have melted the iceberg that sank the Titanic. "Now what do you say to that breakfast?" Jax glanced over at the bedside clock. "It's nearly 11:00, and we've got places to go and people to see!" He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose before getting off the bed. "Come on, you go get washed and dressed, while I call room service." He held out a hand to her to help her up from the bed.

Once she was up she started toward the bathroom door. She turned and came back to him. "Now I know why I love you so much. Thank you." She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek. She gently cupped the side of his face for a moment before heading back to the bathroom. Even after she had closed the door and he heard the shower running, Jax still stood staring at the closed door. He had not seen Brenda this scared by a dream in a long time, and he didn't like it! He wasn't sure how much of it was caused by the goings on in the house and how much of it was his family, but whatever the cause, he swore to put an end to it quickly!

By the time Brenda came out of the bathroom, their breakfast had arrived. Jax was glad to see that Brenda's appetite had returned with gusto. She ate everything on her plate and part of his. He didn't care though as he could tell that all traces of the nightmare and its aftermath had disappeared. The woman sitting across from him at the breakfast table was the Brenda he loved: a little girl talking a mile a minute about their planned shopping excursion.

They spent the next few hours visiting the major design studios on Seventh Avenue. As soon as they saw Jax and Brenda come in they had devoted all their attention to Brenda and her wardrobe needs. Jax had been very disappointed at the small number of maternity fashions available from Brenda's favorite designers. There had been very little for her to choose from and he could tell just by looking at her that Brenda was not having a good time. She had only managed to find a couple of outfits that would be comfortable, mostly unstructured dresses, most likely from the regular design line, and they both knew that as the baby grew even those outfits would no longer work. After about three disappointing hours, Jax had suggested they go back to the suite to rest and regroup.

Once they were back at the suite Brenda plopped down on the sofa, feeling depressed and looking like a lost little girl. Jax came and sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "I'm sorry things didn't go very well, luv. I had no idea that stylish women were not supposed to get pregnant," he said with a chuckle. He had been gently running his hand up and down her arm as he was talking.

Brenda couldn't resist the urge to laugh a little herself before she swatted him lightly on the chest. "That's not funny! Besides, we still haven't solved my wardrobe problem, Jax! What am I supposed to do for clothes? Not to mention underwear!"

Jax had continued to rub his hand on her arm. "Well, are you up for a few suggestions? Serious ones, I mean!" He tilted his head to look down at her without releasing his hold on her shoulders.

Brenda looked up into his face and saw that he was not joking this time. "Sure, try me."

Jax put both hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "How about if we have some lunch and then we can look at one last collection? What do you say?" The silly smile on Jax's face was enough to convince her.

"I guess so. I have to admit I am hungry. I can't think of anywhere that we haven't already been though, Jax. Is this last shop far? Remember we're supposed to go to the theater tonight - IF I can find a dress to wear, that is!" The disappointment had returned to Brenda's face.

Jax smiled. "Actually, the shop is pretty far, but we don't have to go there. They're coming to us as soon as you're ready. Why don't you call for lunch, and I'll go in the other room and make the arrangements for you to see the clothes?" Jax stood up and kissed the top of Brenda's head. He handed her the cordless phone from the table and headed into the bedroom to call Rebecca's suite to arrange to have the clothes brought up.

While they were finishing their lunch, there was a knock at the door. Jax smiled at Brenda before he got up to answer it. "Ready for some more shopping?" He reached over and swung a piece of her hair across her face. She reached up to stop him but too late. She ended up pushing the hair back behind her ear. When Jax opened the door he smiled in surprise at their guests. Rebecca had decided to come to New York herself with the clothes and the fitter. "Brenda, how's this for personal service?" Jax said as he opened the door wide so that Brenda could see Rebecca and the rack of clothes that she had brought. Behind Rebecca came one of her fitters, Rachel, pushing another cart full of boxes of lingerie and accessories. Brenda let out a scream of delight as she ran over to hug Rebecca.

"Rebecca! I should have known it was you Jax was talking about! Now I KNOW I'll find some clothes!" Brenda hugged Rebecca again before running over to Jax and jumping on him to give him a 'Brenda hug.' She jumped back down just as quickly and went over to the rack of clothes. "Come on, let's get started! I have a theater date tonight and can honestly say I have nothing to wear!" Brenda started thumbing through the clothes on the rack, loving each outfit she saw more than the one before. Over the next two hours Brenda tried on every outfit on the rack - some of them twice. Afterwards, she stood in front of the rack, trying to decide. "Jax, you should NEVER have done this!" she declared.

Jax was surprised by the cross tone of her voice. He had wanted to please her, not make her angry. "Why? What's wrong? Don't you like them?" Jax found that hard to believe, considering the fun she had just had trying everything on.

"That's just the problem! I love them all! I can't make up my mind on which ones to get!" Jax couldn't resist the urge to smile when he saw the true frustration on Brenda's face.

"Is that all? I have a simple solution to that problem. Rebecca, she'll take them all!" Jax had suspected ever since they got back from their disappointing shopping excursion that this would happen.

Brenda was stunned. There were so many beautiful outfits, all of which would fit her comfortably for the entire length of her pregnancy, regardless of how big the baby got! "Jax! You can't be serious! I'll never wear all these clothes!"

Jax chuckled again. "Of course, you will, luv! Rebecca, could you arrange for these things to be sent to the house when the alterations are finished?"

"Sure, Jax. I'll send the appropriate lingerie for them as well. Brenda, how would this be for the theater tonight?" Rebecca held up a beautiful, deep purple gown with a scoop neckline that revealed just the appropriate amount of cleavage. It had an adjustable self-belt in the back that Brenda could tighten for these earlier stages of her pregnancy and loosen substantially in order to continue to wear the gown for formal events closer to her due date. "I also brought along the lingerie for it, as well as a pair of shoes in your size." Rebecca smiled warmly at Brenda.

Brenda suddenly realized what was going on. "You rats! Both of you!" she said with a smile and look of mock indignation. "How long have you two been planning this?" She crossed her arms in front of her and firmly planted her feet in the carpet, looking first at Jax and then at Rebecca.

Jax was the first to answer. "I cannot tell a lie, Brenda. I called Rebecca right after we got back from Malibu. I realized when we were there that you always found just what you wanted at her shop, so I called her up and told her what you needed. She's been putting together this collection for you ever since. She was the one who thought of the lingerie and accessories, though." Jax smiled proudly over at Rebecca. "Thanks for that, luv. So what do you think, Brenda?" Jax looked expectantly at his wife, waiting for her acceptance or rejection of the clothes. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

Brenda quickly wiped the tears away before answering, "When you say things like that how can I say 'no?" Of course, I'll take them!" She ran over to Jax and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" She pulled back from him again and sniffled, "If we're going to make the theater this evening, I need to get started getting dressed." She looked over at Rebecca and the purple gown she was still holding. "You're right as usual, Rebecca. That gown is perfect for tonight. Is there anything we need to do to it before I can wear it?"

Rebecca reached over to the cart and picked up a couple of boxes, which she handed to Brenda. "I don't think so, but I'll tell you what - Why don't you go ahead and shower and put everything on. If you find that something needs to be adjusted, just give us a call. Rachel will come up and fix it for you. Okay?" Rebecca handed the gown to Jax so she could give Brenda a hug. Brenda hugged her back tightly.

"Thank you!" Brenda looked into Rebecca's face before continuing, "I don't just mean for the clothes or making the trip out here to bring them to me. Thank you for being a friend and caring about me. That means more to me than I can say." She squeezed Rebecca again quickly and then pulled away. "Now I better get started or we're never going to make the theater!" She laughed again before she took the boxes Rebecca had given her and headed for the bedroom, leaving Jax standing there with the two women.

"Thanks from me as well, Rebecca. You should have seen her before you got here. She was so depressed but as soon as she saw you, her whole face lit up. Thank you for doing that for my wife." Jax hugged Rebecca in nearly as tight a grasp as Brenda had.

"Jax, thanks aren't necessary. I enjoy doing things for Brenda. I love to see her face when she finds exactly what she's looking for, even before she knows she was looking for it!" Rebecca started toward the door. "As to assembling this wardrobe for her - actually, it was fun. I've never done a maternity collection before, and it gave me something to think about. You have no idea how much trouble I had finding these clothes. I was thinking on the flight out here that maybe I should open a maternity section in my shop - providing I can find the designers and the room for it in the shop!" Rebecca chuckled as she started through the door. Rachel had already gone ahead, with the clothes that needed alterations, to ring for the elevator.

Jax touched Rebecca's arm before she was out the door. "That's not going to be a problem, Rebecca. You find the designers, starting with those you used for Brenda, and put them under contract. I'll provide the bigger shop and the funding for the expansion." Jax held up his hand to stop Rebecca's protest before it even got started. "I won't take 'no' for an answer on this! Anyone who can bring Brenda the kind of happiness you did today has my undying gratitude! If I can return the kindness by helping you expand your business, then it's the least I can do. Call my office when you get back to LA, and we'll discuss the final arrangements."

Rebecca was dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say. Just then the elevator doors opened and she stepped in after Rachel, holding the doors with her hand. "I don't know what to say, Jax. Thank you seems inadequate, but it's all I can think of, except to promise you that you won't be sorry and that I'll pay you back every penny you invest with me!" She released the doors and quickly shook his hand before they closed. As the elevator was going down to her floor, Rebecca caught herself doing what had always been referred to by Jax as the Brenda dance in the elevator, as she was unable to contain her excitement.

Jax stood for a few moments, staring at the closed elevator doors before turning to go back into the suite. He could hear that the shower was no longer running, so he headed into the bedroom to start getting ready for their evening on the town.

It was almost 1:00 A.M. when they got back to the suite. The evening could only be described as perfect. Dinner had been delicious, the show beautiful, and the hansom cab ride in Central Park the perfect capper to a perfect evening. After changing into their nightclothes, Brenda and Jax were lying snuggled together in their bed; both of them tired, but too excited to sleep. "Did you have fun today, Brenda?" Jax asked, as he softly caressed Brenda's back.

She looked up at him from her normal sleeping position to place her chin in her crossed hands on his chest. "I had a wonderful day, Jax; thank you." She leaned her head down to place several kisses on his bare chest. She started to slowly trace lines softly back and forth across his stomach with the tip of her index finger, each line slightly lower than the last, until Jax suddenly reached for her hand to stop her. She looked up at him when he did that, the passion obvious in her eyes.

"Well, Mrs. Jacks, unless you intend to finish what you're starting, I suggest that you just snuggle down and go to sleep. Otherwise… I won't be responsible for what happens next!" When Jax saw the passion in her eyes, he knew immediately that the evening was not yet over.

Brenda smiled seductively up at him before answering, "That's what I was counting on, Mr. Jacks." Brenda leaned down and kissed his chest again. Jax quickly rolled them over so that Brenda was now beneath him and began a slow trail of light kisses along the side of her face and down her neck. It wasn't long before they were passionately making love. Afterwards, they lay wrapped around each other, not talking, just trying to regain their sense of reality. They both soon realized that their desire for each other had not yet been satisfied. It was nearly dawn before they were finally completely exhausted from making love and fell asleep together, confident that neither of them would be plagued by nightmares. There would only be pleasant dreams for both of them: of love and family and the child that would be here soon.