"What seems to be the problem, Jax? Maybe I can help." There standing in front of him was Everett Stanhope.
Jax didn't answer Everett's question. He just stood there, staring. Jax had not been sure what to expect if the plan he and Thomas had concocted worked. He had seen all of the photographs of Everett that Matthew had collected when he researched the house, but they had all been taken during the time he lived here. He knew that Everett had lived another twenty years after leaving the house, which meant that he was at least in his late forties when he died. The man standing in front of him couldn't have been more than 27 or 28 years old -the same age Everett was when he lived in the house!
"Jax, is something wrong?" Everett's question brought Jax back to reality. He slowly shook his head in response. "Good, now how can I help you with this problem?" He walked closer to the desk as he waited for Jax to answer him.
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Jax asked, trying to sound angry at the intrusion. He hoped he would be able to pull this off. If Everett found out what they were planning before he and Thomas had everything in place, he couldn't guarantee what might happen. Nothing good - he was sure of that! He quickly decided that following Thomas's original suggestion of acting like he knew nothing of the existence of any 'spirit' in the house was the best way to go. There was something about the expression on Everett's face that gave Jax the distinct impression that he was being tested, a test he damn well better pass if he wanted to put an end to Brenda's nightmares!
Everett smiled smugly at him. "You really don't know who I am?"
Jax walked back over and sat down in his chair behind the desk before answering. He looked directly at Everett with a stern expression as he looked him up and down before answering. "Well, I will admit you do look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" His words were chopped to let Everett know that he was not pleased with the interruption.
"You could say that! You are, after all, living in my house!" Everett chuckled at the shocked expression on Jax's face.
"What are you talking about? The man who built this house died nearly a hundred years ago!" Jax hoped he wasn't overdoing it. Everett didn't say anything; he just nodded his head in agreement. Now was Jax's chance. He slowly shook his head before looking directly at Everett. "So you're telling me that you're a ghost, right?"
Everett smiled again. "I guess you could call me that! I prefer to call myself the original owner of Stanhope Manor. Now, are we going to stand here talking about haunted houses or shall we get down to the problem at hand? What is it about this merger that seems to be giving you so much trouble?" He walked over and stood next to the chair Jax was sitting in. He picked up the files and started looking over the information in each one of them, comparing the figures contained in them and then handing them back to Jax. Jax crossed his fingers under his desk, hoping that he and Thomas had hidden the phony problem far enough in the files that it would take Everett long enough to find that it would look like a legitimate mistake and not a setup.
After comparing the files for more than an hour and asking Jax a series of pertinent questions, Everett eventually found the error and pointed it out to Jax. As he finished explaining how to correct the error, they both stopped suddenly at the sound of Brenda's voice as she approached the library doors. Jax quickly looked up from the file Everett was showing him to look at the still closed doors. When he looked back to the spot where Everett had been standing, he was relieved to find that he had disappeared. Just as he slowly let out the breath he found himself holding, Brenda came through the doors.
"That's it! You've had enough time in here! You are through for tonight!" She came over to stand beside him; her hands perched on her hips, her left foot tapping impatiently. "You told me you'd only be a little while, and you've been in here for more than two hours!"
Jax looked sheepishly up at her. "Sorry, I didn't realize I had been in here so long." A smile slowly crossed his face as he looked at her. "Your timing couldn't have been better though. I just finished what I was working on!" Jax gestured to the various files spread across the top of his desk. "I was just getting ready to wrap things up and come upstairs."
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug, looking over the top of her head to make sure that there was no trace of Everett. Jax released her and turned back to the files on his desk. He quickly closed them up, put them in his briefcase and locked it. He wrapped one arm around Brenda's shoulders and picked up the case with his free hand. "What do you say we call it a night?" He smiled down at her as they started toward the door. He glanced back quickly when he took his arm from around her shoulders and turned back in to turn off the lights. He thought he saw a movement in the shadows by the fireplace but he wasn't sure. A slight smile crossed his face as he closed the doors. Things had actually gone much better than he had anticipated. He made a mental note to make sure to give Thomas all of the details when he got to the office tomorrow.
Jax continued to bring work home from the office for the next several days. He could sense Everett's presence in the room, always hidden in the shadows, watching, but for some reason he chose not put in another appearance. Jax and Thomas had discussed every detail of the night that Everett put in his appearance. Thomas had then passed the information on to his grandfather. For now the elders advised letting Everett take the lead. As long as he had made the initial contact, they were certain that he would do nothing to harm Brenda or anyone else in the house. His goal was Jax, not harming Brenda. She was simply a means to an end. They felt it was best not to put pressure on Everett or he might feel challenged and that could be trouble if they weren't prepared for him. Since Brenda had no idea what they were doing, she was perfectly at ease in the house, which is what Jax and Thomas were mainly concerned with.
Jax had been hoping to see Madeline to let her know what progress they had made, but she had not put in an appearance since before the night of his 'meeting' with Everett. He knew she was around because of her promise to keep an eye on Brenda, so he figured she would eventually say something to him. If she didn't contact him soon though, he was going to have to find a way to talk to her. They would need her help as soon as they had all the details worked out with Thomas's grandfather about challenging Everett.
Brenda, in the mean time, had put the finishing touches on the nursery. She, too, had been hoping that Madeline would put in an appearance since she wanted her opinion of the finished room. Since there had been no 'late night' rearrangement of furniture, she guessed that Madeline approved.
She had also been working with Matthew and Katie to get as much of the show house finished as possible. She had an appointment with Dr. Meadows coming up on September 10th and she was pretty sure the doctor was going to tell her to stop working since the baby was growing so much lately. She had burst into tears earlier in the week when she realized that some of her maternity clothes had already gotten too tight for her to wear even though she still had two months until her due date. The only way Jax had been able to cheer her up was with a surprise visit from Rebecca, who brought several new outfits from the maternity boutique. He had called Rebecca and described Brenda's problem to her. She, in turn, had contacted the designers of the outfits Brenda was no longer able to wear and they had redesigned the outfits with a fuller cut and had them made up for her in just a few days. She was now most likely going to be able to wear her favorite outfits until the baby was born.
September 10, 1999
As always, Jax got home from the office about 11:30 to pick Brenda up for her appointment with Dr. Meadows. He noticed that she was very quiet on the ride to General Hospital. She seemed to be nervous about the appointment, but when he asked her, she insisted that nothing was wrong.
Surprisingly, they didn't have to wait when they got to the office since the patient before Brenda had cancelled her appointment. While Brenda was getting dressed after her exam, the receptionist asked Jax to come into the doctor's office. He was sitting talking to Dr. Meadows when Brenda came in from the exam room. When Jax looked up at her he could see that she was upset about something. He immediately got up and went over to her. "What's wrong, luv?" Instead of answering Brenda burst into tears and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Suddenly frightened, Jax gently stroked her back trying to calm her down. He looked over the top of her head at Dr. Meadows. "What's wrong, Dr. Meadows?"
The doctor smiled slightly. "Nothings wrong - exactly! Why don't you two sit down and we'll talk about it." Dr. Meadows held her hand out toward the couch, indicating that they should take a seat there. With Brenda's file in her hand, she came over and turned one of the chairs to face the couch and sat down. Jax pulled Brenda back slightly and reached up to wipe the tears from her face. As he wiped away the tears, he smiled softly at her. He took her hand and led her to the couch.
As soon as she was seated, Jax sat next to her and wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Okay, what's wrong?" He looked directly at Dr. Meadows, knowing that she would be able to tell him what he needed to know much easier than Brenda would.
Dr. Meadows smiled softly at both of them. "As I said there really is nothing wrong. I think the reason that Brenda is so upset is that when I finished the examination I told her that I would prefer that you two discontinue your physical relationship until after the baby is born."
As soon as Dr. Meadows repeated what she had told Brenda earlier, Jax could feel Brenda collapse against him and start to cry again. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders as well, pulling her up close to him in a hug. He gently rubbed his hand up and down her back in an attempt to calm her down, but it didn't seem to be working. He looked over the top of her head directly at Dr. Meadows. "Isn't it a little early still to be suggesting this? I remember reading in some of that literature that you gave us that providing we were careful, it would be possible to safely have an intimate relationship up until the last month of the pregnancy. Brenda is just starting her eighth month. Is there something that you haven't told us?" Jax's concern was obvious in his voice. Seeing Brenda this upset by the idea of not being able to make love for a while didn't make any sense. She had known all along that the time would come when they would have to refrain for the sake of not only the baby but Brenda's comfort as well.
"No, not at all, Jax. Brenda is doing beautifully. Her weight gain is relatively close to what I had expected, and all the tests indicate that both she and the baby are thriving at this point in the pregnancy." Dr. Meadows could see the confusion on Jax's face, so she smiled at him before she continued, "Remember when we first confirmed that Brenda was pregnant? I told you then that because of Brenda's petite frame and your substantially larger frame there might be the possibility that the baby would be quite large for her to carry, so that things would not go exactly as the book says?" She waited for Jax to answer her. She was relieved to see that Brenda was finally starting to calm down as she heard them talking.
"Yes, I remember that. Is that what this is all about? The size of the baby?" Jax could feel himself start to relax - a little!
"Exactly! Because of Brenda's small frame and the rather substantial size of the baby, I think it would be better for both of them to keep things as stable as possible for the remainder of the pregnancy. This does not mean that I anticipate any problems. I just think it might be a good idea for her to start taking things easier, that's all." Dr. Meadows slowly closed Brenda's file as she spoke.
By now Brenda had stopped crying and was listening to what Dr. Meadows was saying. "So the baby is okay? Really?" she asked between sniffles. Jax reached into his pocket and handed her his handkerchief. She discreetly blew her nose before looking up, first at Jax and then at the doctor. Jax tipped her head onto his shoulder and laid his cheek against her hair. Brenda immediately felt a calmness come over her.
"Brenda, you saw the ultrasound and heard the baby's heartbeat. Everything is fine with both of you. I just want to keep it that way." Dr. Meadows sat back in her chair with her elbows on the arms and her fingers tented in front of her chin. "I also want you to stop work. I'd like you to start taking longer naps in the afternoon and get as much rest as possible." She opened Brenda's file and again quickly looked through the pages. "The way that the newest member of the Jacks family is growing, I wouldn't be surprised if you deliver this baby a little ahead of schedule."
Both Brenda and Jax tensed up. Brenda could feel the color draining from her face. "Won't that be bad for the baby? I mean I'm only just starting my eighth month. I've got two more months to go!" Her panic was becoming evident in her voice, and for once Jax didn't feel able to help her because he was feeling just as panicked.
Dr. Meadows smiled reassuringly at both of them. "Well, of course the longer you carry the baby the better, but I can tell you that, considering the size your baby has already grown to, I don't anticipate any problems if he or she should decide to put in an early appearance. Of course, I'd like to postpone that appearance as long as possible, which is why I'm suggesting that you put your physical relationship on hold and that you get more rest."
Brenda and Jax looked at each other. Jax smiled warmly at her before he answered the doctors unspoken question. "We'll gladly do as you suggest, Dr. Meadows. I'll make sure that Brenda gets plenty of rest from now on!" Jax leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip of Brenda's nose, which made her giggle.
"Good! I want to see you again in two weeks, and we'll see how things are going. Okay?" Dr. Meadows looked directly at Brenda for an answer.
"Okay," she said softly, still holding tightly to Jax.
They stopped at the reception desk on the way out to schedule Brenda's next appointment. As they were waiting for the elevator, Jax could tell that Brenda was still upset about their talk with Dr. Meadows. Once they were alone in the car, he turned to her before starting it. "What's wrong, luv? Is it what the doctor said about making love?"
Brenda slowly nodded her head. Jax could see tears starting to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jax! This isn't fair to you!"
Jax reached over and softly stroked the side of her face. "Don't say that, Brenda! We're both in this together, remember? I have to admit that it isn't going to be easy holding you in our bed every night and not being able to make love to you. But if it comes to a choice between your health and that of our baby and me satisfying my..." Jax reached over and gently caressed Brenda's abdomen. "Well, there is no contest! You two are the most important things in the world to me!" He leaned over and kissed her full on the mouth. "I can survive until the baby's born! Honest!" The last part was said with a definite chuckle.
Brenda placed her hand on top of his on her abdomen. She looked up at him and smiled for the first time since coming out of the exam room. "You're amazing, you know that?" She leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Would you mind if we skipped going out to lunch? I'm exhausted!"
Jax reached over and buckled Brenda's seat belt before answering. "Of course not. Why don't I take you home and put you to bed? I'll ask Mrs. Kelly to make us something light, and we can eat in the bedroom so you can take a nap when we finish. How does that sound?" He was surprised when he saw that Brenda was already starting to doze. He started the car and before they were out of the parking garage, he looked over and saw that Brenda had already fallen asleep. As they were driving home, he used the car phone to call ahead to the house. Benton and Mrs. Kelly were more than willing to have everything ready when they got home.
It had not taken very long for them to get home from GH. Once he had parked the car in the drive, Jax reached over and gently woke Brenda. He came around and opened her door. Just as they got out of the car, it started to rain. They came quickly up the front walk and stairs. When they got to the top of the steps, Brenda turned and looked around at the rain, not saying anything. When Jax felt Brenda shiver slightly, he pulled her close to him and headed into the house.
As soon as they were inside Jax insisted that Brenda go right up and change out of her damp clothes and get into bed. She had to admit she was too tired to argue with him. By the time they got up to their suite, the rain had intensified from a gentle rain to a full-fledged storm. They were surprised when they came into the sitting area to find that Benton had laid a fire, not only in the sitting room, but also in the bedroom. Brenda got out of her damp clothes and into her nightgown before getting into bed. By the time she came out of the bathroom their lunch had arrived. Jax helped Brenda get comfortable in bed before bringing their lunch over. They didn't say much during the meal, but then neither one of them felt the need to say much. Each knew how the other felt without words.
When they finished eating, Jax took the dishes away and put them in the sitting room. By the time he came back, he could see that Brenda was starting to doze off again. He lay down on his side of the bed and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her. It didn't take long before he could feel her slow, steady breathing, as she slept peacefully in his arms. He held her close to him until he was sure she was sleeping soundly and then gently unwrapped himself from her embrace. He slid gently off the bed and pulled the covers up around Brenda. As soon as she felt his absence she wrapped her arms around his pillow and settled back to sleep. Jax stood watching her sleep for a very long time. Once he was sure she wasn't going to wake up, he quietly left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could hear if she needed anything.
Jax picked up the phone and asked Benton to bring him a fresh pot of coffee. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. Jax went over and opened it for Benton to come in. He placed the fresh coffee service on the table in front of the couch and picked up the lunch dishes. Jax instructed him that neither he nor Brenda was to be disturbed for any reason for the rest of the afternoon. He told him that he had turned the phones off in their suite and that he had left his cell phone on the table in the foyer. Benton nodded his understanding of the instructions.
After Benton left, Jax softly closed the hallway doors, poured himself a cup of coffee and walked over to the window to watch it rain. He didn't know how long he had been standing there when he heard her voice behind him. "There's something magical about a rain storm isn't there, Jax?" He turned to see Madeline standing just behind him. "So tell me, what's bothering you?"
He smiled at her. Madeline always seemed to know when something was bothering one of them, almost as well as his mother did. He walked over to the bedroom doors and looked in at Brenda. When he saw that she was still sleeping soundly, he pulled the doors closed the rest of the way. He was glad for this opportunity to talk to Madeline and he didn't want to take a chance on Brenda hearing what he needed to tell her.
"Actually, I'm glad to see you. I've been hoping to talk to you for the last few days. I have some news on our efforts to get Everett to show himself."
Madeline nodded slowly. "I figured you did. I could sense that something was different. Tell me what happened." Jax spent the next twenty minutes relating the details of his encounter with Everett in the library.
When he finished telling her what had happened and what Thomas had learned from his grandfather, he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. "What I need to know from you is if you are still willing to help us. I want to end the stress that Everett is putting on all of us as soon as possible!"
Madeline could tell that there was something that Jax had not yet told her; something that had nothing to do with Everett. She looked directly at Jax as she asked, "There's something else, isn't there? What haven't you told me, Jax?"
Jax sighed deeply. "We had an appointment with Brenda's doctor this morning, and she told us that Brenda needs to keep calm and get as much rest as possible from now on, otherwise she could have the baby early!" Jax shuddered slightly at the thought. Madeline reached over and softly patted his arm. Jax continued, "That's why I want to put an end to this whole Everett thing as soon as possible. Will you help me?"
"Of course I will, Jax. What do you want me to do?" Madeline could see how concerned Jax was for both Brenda and the baby, and she intended to do whatever was necessary to keep her promise to keep them all safe.
"Until Everett shows himself again there really isn't anything we can do. I'd just like you to keep an eye out. When you 'sense' his presence, you could try to enter the library. That would give you the chance to try to reason with him. If you aren't able to then we'll know we'll have to figure out another way of getting rid of him!"
Madeline got up and walked to the window before saying anything. "You know, there is one other way of removing him from the house that wouldn't involve confronting him," she said, as she stared out at the pouring rain. Jax looked up at her, waiting for her to finish. Without turning back to him she continued, "You could simply remove the furniture from the library! Since he came into this house with the furniture, it's safe to assume that he would leave with it as well." She was confident that this was probably the safest way of getting Everett out of the house. Madeline slowly turned back toward Jax to see his reaction to her idea.
Jax slowly shook his head. "We thought of that. When Thomas told his grandfather and the elders our idea, they didn't think that would work. In fact, they thought it might make things worse! They think that - yes, he used the furniture as his way back into the house and he used that bookshelf as a way to get upstairs the night of my accident - but they think that even if we took the furniture out, he would stay. He's home, and it appears he wants to stay here! Taking the furniture away would probably only make him angry, and that is the LAST thing we want to do right now!" Jax slowly ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
Madeline came back over to the couch where Jax was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Okay, what do we do to finish this?" When Jax looked up at her, she smiled at him reassuringly.
"Well, until Everett puts in another appearance, there really isn't anything we can do. I've been bringing work home every night, and I'm sure he's been watching me but he hasn't come out again. Until he does, there isn't anything we can do." Jax put his hand on top of Madeline's on his shoulder. "Just keep an eye out. As soon as you get a sense of him being out, try to make contact with him. If it happens to be when I'm not around, then let me know as soon as possible what happens."
Madeline could tell there was something else. "What?"
Jax fell back against the couch before answering. "Brenda doesn't know anything about this plan of ours. She was having those horrible nightmares that night, and I couldn't stand the thought of that happening again. If she knew we were doing this, she would be very upset - which is the last thing she needs right now!"
Madeline knew what he was asking. "Of course, Jax, I won't say anything to her. Hopefully, we'll be able to clear all of this up quickly so that the two of you will be able to enjoy the rest of the time before your baby comes." She smiled at him, and for the first time since they had started this conversation, Jax returned the smile.
Jax got up to check on Brenda. When he turned back to say something to Madeline, she was gone. He quietly opened the bedroom doors and walked over to the bed. He looked down at Brenda as she slept peacefully. He kicked off his shoes and gently got into bed next to her. As soon as she felt his body next to hers, she immediately wrapped herself around him as best she could.
Jax didn't know how long he lay there with her before he felt her start to stir. He softly brushed the hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. When she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, he couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Hey there, sleepy head, how are you feeling?" He bent down and lightly kissed her forehead.
Brenda sighed softly and snuggled deeper into his arms. "I feel great." She slowly pulled back a little so she could look up at him. "What are you doing home? Is it that late already?"
Jax smiled again. "Actually it's only about 4:30. I decided not to go back to the office this afternoon, so I called Allison and told her to fax me any messages that were important. As far as I know, everything is going smoothly because no one has called."
Brenda snuggled back down into his arms. "Good I like waking up in your arms like this. What have you been doing all afternoon? I know you haven't been holding me while I slept!" She started to draw small circles on Jax's chest with her index finger.
Jax reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. "Actually, I haven't done much of anything. I talked to Madeline for a little bit and then came back in to watch you sleep."
Brenda sat up when she heard him mention Madeline. "You talked to Madeline? What did she have to say? Does she like the nursery?"
Jax had to think fast so as not to let Brenda know about his plan to rid them of Everett. "She never mentioned it actually, so I guess that means she approves. I'm sure she would have said something if she saw a problem with it. Besides, since none of the furniture has been moved and she didn't say anything, I guess you can assume you got her seal of approval on it." He reached over and pulled her back down into his arms. "She did mention something that got me thinking though."
Brenda turned her head slightly so she could look up at Jax. "What was that?"
"She reminded me that we don't have all that much time left for just the two of us, so I was thinking..."
Brenda pulled back and sat up, facing him with a smile. "Yes..."
Jax sat up as well. "I was thinking that I should make it a point from now on to come home every day sometime in the afternoon so we can do 'things' together. You know, just the two of us." He looked at Brenda with the little boy face that she loved so much; the one he used when he wanted something.
"What about your work? You can't just leave things hanging in the office every day so we can go to the zoo or something, you know!"
"I already figured that out. My idea is that since Dr. Meadows said you should be taking more naps and taking it easy, I'd just bring some of my work home. I can handle it when you are resting or after you go to bed." Jax looked expectantly at her for an answer. "Well...?"
She smiled at him. She was about to say yes, when a sudden chill came over her. Jax could see the drastic change in her mood and reached to touch her arm. "Jax, no, you can't do that! You can't bring that much work home!"
Jax knew immediately what she was thinking about - Everett! "You don't have to worry about Everett, Brenda. Remember? Madeline promised that nothing would happen to either one of us because of him." He pulled her into his arms again and held her for a long time before saying anything. "So, what do you say? Can we go out and play in the afternoon?"
As she lay snuggled close to him, Brenda could feel the chuckle he had been trying to stifle. How was she supposed to resist him when he said things like that? She looked up at him and softly caressed the side of his face. "How can I say no to a request like that?" she said with a smile. She suddenly turned serious. "Just promise me that you won't do anything to upset Everett! There is something about him that really scares me."
Jax leaned down and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I promise, no confrontations with Everett. Besides, I'm sure that Madeline will be able to reason with him when she gets the chance."
Brenda smiled, "When you put it that way, how can I say no? Okay, we can go out and play in the afternoon!" She leaned up and kissed him passionately. When Jax realized where they were heading, he reluctantly broke the kiss. "What's wrong?" Brenda asked.
"Did you forget what Dr. Meadows told us earlier? We have to hold off on... until after the baby is born." When Brenda heard the sadness in Jax's voice, she felt guilty about what she had been trying to start. Jax could see tears starting to form in her eyes as he pulled her to a sitting position in front of him. He reached forward and wiped away the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks. "It's okay, luv. Really!" He kissed her quickly on the tip of the nose. "Tell you what, why don't you go take a nice, hot shower and relax, and I'll call Benton and have him bring our dinner up here? That way we can just spend the rest of the evening together." Brenda smiled slightly and nodded her agreement. Jax got out of bed and helped Brenda up. When he heard the water turn on in the shower, he headed into the sitting room to call Benton about their dinner and check for any messages.
Once Jax left the room, Madeline came out of her place in the shadows. She had a feeling things were not going to go as smoothly as Jax had promised Brenda. Things were coming to a head; she could feel it. It wouldn't be long before she would be able to talk to her beloved Everett again and HOPEFULLY put an end to the fear that Brenda had of him. When she heard the water turn off she quickly moved back into the shadows. She needed to prepare what she would say to Everett to convince him that these young people were perfect for each other just the way they were. She was beginning to get an idea that might just work to help convince Everett. Her mind was racing as she faded away. If she wasn't able to directly contact Everett the next time he came out, she wanted to have this plan completely developed so she could tell Jax. There was a way to convince Everett to leave them alone - all they had to do was make it possible for her to talk to him!