Jane continued to look over her husband’s shoulder at the two people standing on the opposite side of the library. She was relieved to know that Jax had succeeded in getting the two spirits in the room at the same time. At the same time she couldn’t help but wonder if there was going to be a high price to be paid for this victory. Only time would tell and she was terrified to think of what could be happening at the hospital right now. Her heart told her to go straight to General Hospital but her brain told her to try to finish what Jax had started. If Brenda was indeed having the baby today, the last thing she or Jax needed was to come home to the fear that had started this whole mess!

She pulled slowly out of her husband’s embrace and wiped the tears from her face. She looked first at her husband and then her older son. “Did you come to any kind of an understanding?” she asked as she looked directly at her husband. “Is there going to be peace in this family now?” She was disappointed when John could not bring himself to look her in the eye. Already knowing the answer, she turned to Jerry in the hope that she was wrong. “Well? Answer me!”

All Jerry could do was look at the floor. It was very hard for him to disappoint his mother. He had done it too many times in the past and was not looking forward to doing it again today. Finally, when he couldn’t think of a way to defend his own actions, he did what he always did – he went on the attack. He looked his mother straight in the eye before answering her. “I don’t know what you want me to say, mum! If you’re asking if everything is love and kisses between us again, the answer is no – Brenda saw to that AGAIN!” He looked over at his father for his support and was surprised to see the anger in his face. “What?”

“Boy, do you have any idea what just happened here? Doesn’t it bother you in the least that your brother just rushed out of here with his pregnant wife in his arms?” John was having a hard time controlling his building anger. Realizing the truth of what had been said, he looked over at Lady Jane. “I’ve done a fine job on him haven’t I, Lady?”

"Wait a minute! I'm not the villain in this piece!" Jerry looked directly at his father, his own anger evident in his eyes. "Of course it bothered me to see Jax carrying her out of here! All I'm saying is that once again Jax has put Brenda and her needs above his business responsibilities and his family, that's all! Isn't that what you were just saying?"

As the Jacks family was discussing what had just happened, Madeline walked slowly over to her husband. "Hello, Everett, I've missed you."

Finally able to speak, Everett reached over and touched his wife's face. "Madeline, you're the one I've felt trying to get in here!" he declared softly. "I didn't know."

"I know, Everett. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Madeline could once again feel the love she had felt for her husband. Remembering what had just happened and her promise to Jax and Brenda, she suddenly grew very serious. "Everett, you have to stop this. You cannot keep harassing Jax like this."

"I'm not harassing him, Madeline. I just see so much potential in him. I'm sure all he needs is the proper guidance, and he'll get his priorities straight." Everett looked over at John and Jerry. "Now that he's realized the need to work with his family again, I foresee a bright future for him," he said smugly.

Madeline slowly shook her head, trying desperately to keep from crying. "Everett, what happened to you? You were never like this when I knew you! You always had time for your family, especially the children!"

"I learned my lesson when I lost you. I learned that in the long run, all you have to rely on is your work! People come and go in your life, but if you nurture it, your work will always be there, always needing you."

When he heard that statement, John turned his attention back to the ghosts. "That's bull!" he shouted. He walked over to where Madeline and Everett were standing. "I don't know who you are or why you're dressed like that, but I will tell you something - NOTHING is more important than your family!"

Everett was shocked by John's statement. "What are you saying? I thought you shared my understanding of the work ethic!" He looked over at Jerry. "Your son certainly seems to. I just assumed he learned it from you! I guess I was wrong!"

This time it was Jerry who spoke up. "Now THAT'S where you're wrong! I DID learn my work ethic from my father! And that ethic is that regardless of how big a deal is your family ALWAYS comes first!" He looked directly at his mother before continuing, surprised at the anger he was feeling. "It's just that in this case we don't consider Brenda family! How could we after all the trouble she has caused for us?"

Jane had been shocked by Jerry's answer. "Jerry! What are you saying?" She was even more surprised when she realized that John had remained silent. Turning her attention to her husband, she could see that he agreed with Jerry. "John? Is that what you think? That Brenda is not a part of this family?"

John did not answer her immediately. Finally, with a touch of sadness in his voice he answered, "I'm afraid he's right, luv." When he saw his wife's expression, John suddenly felt a new resolve. "Look at the facts. She's the reason this family was almost destroyed! When she found out about our former business associates, she could have come to us and let us explain but instead she took the information to the authorities and nearly wiped us all out - including her own husband! I don't call that being a member of this family!"

Jane could not believe what she was hearing. She didn't even try to stop the tears that had begun streaming down her cheeks. She simply stood there; too numb to even move, let alone say anything. When John reached out to her, she pulled away, not wanting his hands anywhere near her. When she finally found her voice, she let the anger she was feeling explode at her husband. "You really believe that, don't you?" When she saw John nod, she laughed. "I hate to disillusion you, John Jacks, but Brenda was not the one who discovered your 'special' friends! It was Jax. He was the one who took the information to the authorities - NOT BRENDA! She didn't know anything about it until he told her. She didn't want him to do it because of what might happen to him, but HE convinced her that he had to turn you two in. He didn't want to take any chances with her safety or mine!"

John was stunned. He had never considered that Jax had been the one to turn them in. "Are you sure about this? Who told you, Brenda?" The hatred was evident in his voice when he said her name.

Jane slowly shook her head. "No, Jax told me. When we first started putting our relationship back together we promised each other that there would be no more secrets, no more lies. He told me at one of our first lunches." After all the years that they had been together she had learned to read her husband and could tell what he was thinking. "Just so you know, Brenda was not there when he told me. It was before he had decided it was 'safe' to let me near his family. He told me he felt I had a right to know the entire story about what had happened so that if I didn't want to have anything to do with him we could end it right there."

Suddenly feeling a new sense of peace, Jane stood up straighter and wiped the tears from her face. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go to the hospital. I have a daughter who may be in trouble and I want – no, I NEED - to be there for her!" Jane turned quickly on her heel and walked out of the library. When she got to the foyer, she turned toward the dining room door. "Benton?" she called. When she saw Benton coming toward the door. "Benton, I need to get to the hospital. Jax and Thomas took Brenda in the limo, so I have no way of getting there. Would you mind driving me?"

"Of course not, Mrs. Jacks. I'll bring the car around the front." Benton quickly turned and headed back toward the kitchen to get the keys and bring the car around.

"Thank you, Benton," Jane called out as she started toward the front door. She suddenly felt the urge for some fresh air. It wasn't until she heard John call her name that she stopped. "What do you want, John? I'm in a hurry!"

"You can't leave like this, Jane. I'll drive you and we can talk on the way." John was walking toward her when she held up her hand to stop him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to drive me, John. Right now I don't want anything to do with either one of you! Why don't the two of you go to your office and plot some big business coup? I'm sure it'll be more interesting to you than sitting around a hospital with your son waiting for news about your grandchild!" Just then they heard the sound of the car horn. "If you'll excuse me, my ride is ready!" Jane didn't make any attempt to hide her contempt for her husband, as she turned and walked out the door without saying anything to Jerry.

As John came back into the library, he saw Jerry on the phone, looking through the papers on Jax's desk. "Right, Ben, see what Jacks International has pending right now and see what it will take to undercut them. Yeah, I know what happened last time, but trust me, Jax is too preoccupied right now to even notice the deals going sour." He looked up when he saw his father come back in the room. "Yeah, right. Call me back when you get the information. You can reach me on my cell phone." Jerry hung up the phone and continued looking through the papers on the desk. "Where's, mum?" he asked.

"Never mind that. What are you doing?" John was now standing right in front of Jax's desk watching his son.

"I figured that Jax would be so preoccupied with Brenda that now is the perfect time to do a little raiding. I've got Ben checking into what he's got open so we can see what is available for us to steal." John was surprised to see how much his older son was enjoying the idea of damaging Jax's business. His thoughts must have been obvious on his face because Jerry looked up at him. "What's wrong, dad? Don't tell me you weren't thinking of doing the same thing, especially after what mum said about Jax being the one who turned us in to the feds!"

Before John could say anything, he and Jerry were startled by the sound of the doors slamming shut. When they looked over toward the door, they saw the stranger in the old-fashioned clothes standing there. "STOP!" he shouted. "What is wrong with you two? You can't seriously be thinking of taking advantage of this situation to damage Jax's company!" He looked over at Madeline before continuing. He then walked directly in front of John. "You're his father, for God's sake! You should be at that hospital with him right now! Not standing here, trying to figure out how to raid his company!"

Madeline could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. She had somehow known this would happen. She knew that something would convince Everett to change his attitude toward Jax and Brenda. She would have preferred that it be something less serious than Brenda's collapse, but, then again, maybe it had taken that to show Everett what he was doing. Rather than interfere, she decided to stand back and let Everett handle things. Besides, if things went wrong she could always step in and help.

“Now that I have a clearer picture of you and your son, I can understand why Jax did what he did. You don’t have the slightest idea what constitutes a family. If you did, we wouldn’t be having this discussion – you’d be on your way to that hospital!” Everett suddenly began to realize what he was saying. He looked quickly over at his wife and smiled before continuing, “After I lost my wife, I shut myself off from everyone and everything in my life. I turned my children over to a series of nannies so I wouldn’t have to deal with them. Slowly I found that total involvement in my business life made the pain of dealing with my personal life go away. It wasn’t long before I made my work my WHOLE life!” Everett walked over to Jerry before continuing, “But what I heard here today from your mother has made me rethink some of my choices. Jax realized it when he decided to turn you in to the authorities. Your mother is right. Business is NOT the one and only thing in life! Oh, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a big part of it, but it’s not everything! Family is the primary focus of your life. If you two can't understand that I feel very sorry for you, but I will NOT let you use Jax's love for his wife and unborn child as a way to destroy him!”

Everett then walked over to stand behind Jax’s desk. “If you two think I’m going to stand here and let the two of you loot Jax’s company while he’s doing what a MAN is supposed to do, you are in for a rude awakening! There will be no undercutting of his company! There will be no deal making! Is that clear?” Everett directed his look first at John and then at Jerry.

John was the first to speak. “He’s right, Jerry! Call Ben back and tell him to forget going after Jacks International.” When Jerry started to protest, he held up his hand to silence him. “Don’t argue with me! You heard what I said! Call him – NOW!”

Shaking his head in disbelief, Jerry pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Hello, Ben? Forget those orders I just gave you! That’s right! Forget going after Jacks International! Why?” Jerry looked over at his father. “Because my father said so, that’s why!” With that said, Jerry hit the ‘end’ button on his phone and put it back in his pocket. "Are you happy?"

John looked over at Everett. "I don't know who you are, but thank you. I've been so angry about things for so long, especially where Jax and Brenda were concerned, I lost track of what is really important." He held out his hand to Everett who accepted it and shook it. "Thanks for the reality check." He then turned his attention to Jerry. "I'm heading over to General Hospital to be with my family. If you don't think you can be there, then go back to the office and wait for me." John turned and started toward the doors. He stopped just before opening the doors and turned back to Jerry. "Remember what I said: leave Jacks International alone! Your brother has enough to deal with right now, worrying about Brenda and the baby! He doesn't need you complicating his business!"

Just as John started to open the doors, Jerry called out: "Wait, dad! I think I'll go with you." When he saw the confused expression on his father's face, he couldn't resist the urge to smile. "You aren't the only one capable of changing his mind, you know! I can't guarantee he'll be too happy to see either one of us, but I guess you're right. Right now we need to be there for Jax - AND BRENDA! The rest of this can wait until he's thinking clearly again." He walked over to stand next to his father. "I have a feeling there are a LOT of things we need to talk about."

John smiled at Jerry. "I think you're right. Let's go." With that, John opened the doors and John and Jerry quickly walked out of the house.

Once they were gone and Everett and Madeline were left alone, they found themselves trying to think of something to say to each other. Finally Madeline broke the uncomfortable silence. "Why did you do that, Everett? Talk to them like that, I mean?"

Everett walked over and looked out the window. "I'm not really sure. Maybe it was what Jax's mother said about her family. I guess it reminded me of what my life was like when you were in it, and I found myself understanding Jax's attitude much more clearly."

Madeline walked over to stand next to her husband. "Does this mean you are going to leave them alone to live their lives the way they want?" Madeline hoped that her concern was not evident in her voice.

When Everett saw the concern in her eyes, he smiled softly. "Is that what you want me to do?" When he saw her nod, he reached up and caressed the side of her face. "Well, then that is what I will do! Jax and Brenda are free to live their lives however they want without any advice from me - unless they ask for it!" He couldn't resist chuckling at that last remark or the expression it provoked on Madeline's face. Everett was delighted when he saw the broad smile on her face but became concerned when it quickly changed to a look of deep concern. "What's wrong, dear? What are you worried about?"

"I was just thinking about Brenda and the way she looked when Jax carried her out of here. You didn't see her, Everett! She looked so scared! And so did Jax! Oh, Everett, she and the baby HAVE GOT to be okay! They just have to!" Madeline reached over and squeezed Everett's arm. She could feel the tears running down her cheeks. "Now that there is a chance for peace in their family, nothing can happen to ruin it - NOTHING!" Madeline was relieved to feel Everett wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her close to him. When she looked up at him, she saw a reassuring smile on his lips.

"I'm sure everything is going to be okay for both of them, dear. From what I know about Jax and the little I know about Brenda, they will not allow it to be any other way." He softly stroked her hair as he spoke. "I know the child is coming a little early, but we have to believe that with all of the advances in medicine since our time, that the child we be born successfully." Everett removed his arm from her shoulders and took her hand in his. "Why don't we just wait and see what happens? I'm sure someone will call to let everyone here know. In the meantime, why don't you and I spend some time catching up on our lives? You can tell me what's been happening in this house while I've been away." With that, Madeline and Everett walked slowly toward the shadows of the fireplace and faded away.

General Hospital Emergency Room

The limousine carrying Brenda, Jax and Thomas pulled up to the ambulance entrance of General Hospital. Thomas immediately jumped out and ran into the hospital to get help. He was back almost immediately followed by the hospital personnel with a gurney. Thomas leaned into the car. He saw that Brenda was still sitting in Jax's lap with her head snuggly under his chin and her arms wrapped around him. He could see the fear in both of their faces. "Hand her to me, Jax. I'll be careful, I promise!"

Brenda lifted her head from Jax's shoulder and looked at him. He could see that she did not want him to let her go but he also knew that it would be uncomfortable, maybe even painful for Brenda if he got out of the car with her in his arms. "It's okay, luv; let Thomas take you. I'll be right behind you." He smiled softly and reached up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Just then she grimaced as another contraction hit. This was the third since they had left the house. Jax held her in his arms until it passed. He looked over his shoulder at Thomas, unable to keep his fear out of his eyes any longer. "Come on, luv, let's get you inside so Dr. Meadows can have a look at you." He nodded his head toward Thomas, who reached in and lifted Brenda out of Jax's lap.

Thomas was surprised at how tiny she suddenly seemed, even swollen with child as she was. He couldn't help thinking that she looked like a very frightened little girl. He held her close to him for a moment, not sure who he was trying to reassure, Brenda or himself, before turning to lay her down on the waiting gurney. By the time he finished laying her down, Jax was out of the car and standing beside her. He took her hand in his and held it tightly as they walked through the doors to the emergency room.

Dr. Meadows was waiting for them just inside the doors. As soon as she had received Jax’s call from the car, she had headed down to make sure everything was ready when Brenda got there. Seeing how frightened Brenda looked, she smiled reassuringly at her and squeezed her arm. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “Are you having any contractions?” When Brenda nodded her head, she asked, “Do you know how far apart they are?” When Brenda shook her head ‘no,’ she looked up at Jax. “Did you time them?”

“Not exactly,” he said. “I do know she had three of them during the time it took us to get here though.” Jax looked quickly at his watch. “I guess that would make them about five minutes apart.” Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, Brenda again grimaced as another contraction hit. Jax looked at his watch. “It’s only been four minutes since the last one!” Jax turned his attention to Dr. Meadows. “Are they going to be okay? It’s too soon, isn’t it? I mean the baby isn’t due for another six weeks!”

Dr. Meadows put a reassuring hand on Jax’s arm. “It’s not unheard of for a first baby to come early, Jax. Why don’t I take Brenda into the exam room and check things out?” With that, she lifted her hand from his arm and signaled the orderly to push the gurney into the waiting exam room. When Jax started to walk along, Dr. Meadows put her hand on his arm again, this time to stop him from coming along. “You’ll have to wait out here for a few minutes, Jax. I’ll have someone come out and get you as soon as I’ve finished my exam.” She gently squeezed his arm in an attempt to reassure him. “It’s going to be okay – really!”

Reluctantly, Jax nodded his agreement and stayed in the hallway as Brenda was wheeled into the exam room. He stood staring at the door for what seemed like an eternity, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, he saw that Thomas was standing next to him. “They wouldn’t let me go in with her,” was all he said, in a voice so soft that Thomas could hardly hear him.

Thomas gave Jax’s arm a squeeze. “I know, mate.” He looked around quickly to find somewhere for Jax to sit down. When he saw the bench on the opposite side of the hall, he nodded toward it. “Why don’t we take a seat over there? That way you can keep an eye on the door, so you’ll be able to see the doctor as soon as she comes out.” Jax slowly looked over in the direction Thomas had indicated before he nodded his head once and allowed Thomas to lead him over to the bench.

As soon as he sat down, he put his hands over his face for a moment before running them through his hair. When he looked over at Thomas, he didn’t try to hide the fear in his eyes. "It's too early, Thomas! The baby isn't due for another six weeks!" He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes before he continued, "I should have never let her leave the house this morning! I knew something was wrong, but I let her go anyway! If anything happens to either one of them…"

"Jax, don't! You couldn't have known this was going to happen. I'm sure even Brenda had no idea this was coming!" Thomas reached over and gave Jax's arm a reassuring squeeze. "Besides, Dr. Meadows didn't seem overly concerned about this, did she?" He waited for a response from Jax. When he didn't say anything Thomas asked again. "Did she, Jax?" Finally Jax shook his head, acknowledging that he had heard the question. "Okay, so if she's waiting to see what her examination reveals, why don't you do the same?"

Jax opened his eyes and turned to look at Thomas before answering. "I guess you're right. Why look for trouble? I mean, this could be a false alarm, after all. I read in one of the pamphlets that Dr. Meadows gave us that it is possible to have false labor start without warning and stop just as quickly." He made a valiant attempt at a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem." Thomas leaned back against the wall in much the same manner as Jax. He had a feeling they were not going to have to wait long for information from Brenda's doctor. He just hoped it would be good news.

Jax and Thomas sat in silence, waiting for word from the examination room on Brenda and the baby. It seemed to Jax that they had been sitting there for hours, when he glanced down at his watch and saw that only fifteen minutes had passed. He got up and started to slowly pace the hallway in frustration. He had only made two or three passes up and down the hall, when he saw the door to the examination room open and Dr. Meadows come out. He walked quickly back to where she was standing before asking, "How is she, Dr. Meadows?" Thomas came over to stand with him before the doctor had a chance to answer.

She smiled reassuringly at Jax. "Brenda is doing as well as can be expected, Jax. She has definitely started into labor…"

Before she had a chance to answer, Jax interrupted her. "But it's too early! She's not due for another six weeks!"

"I realize that, Jax but I have to tell you that for the last couple of visits I have suspected Brenda might deliver early." Dr. Meadows was doing her best to try to explain things to Jax, but she could see his concern for his family. She extended her arm toward the bench Jax and Thomas had just been sitting on. "Why don't we sit down out of the way so I can explain?" When he felt Thomas's hand on his back, Jax reluctantly walked back over to the bench and sat down with Dr. Meadows.

“Did you discover something wrong that made you suspect the baby might come early?” Jax asked.

"Not at all. Brenda and the baby have checked out perfectly every time. No, I was basing my suspicion on the rate that the baby was developing." She turned to more fully face Jax before continuing, "Remember back when Brenda was so upset that she needed to start wearing maternity clothes so early? I told you both then that I expected the baby to be large." She waited to allow Jax to remember the conversation. When she saw by the expression on his face that he remembered, she continued, "Well, the little one has proven me correct. I would guess that even now, six weeks before due date, that this baby is going to turn out to be close to the size of a full-term baby, possibly 6 pounds! That would mean if Brenda carried the baby to term it could be close to 9 pounds. For a woman Brenda's size that would be an extremely large baby!" She could see that Jax understood what she was telling him, and he seemed to relax.

"So what happens next?" Jax asked, his attention once again focused on the examination room door.

"Well, we'll take her up to the labor suite and get her settled. As soon as she's comfortable, you can come up and join her." Dr. Meadows said.

“After that we’ll wait and see how things progress. At this point I don’t anticipate any problems. She is starting to dilate, which is good, so why don’t we just take things one step at a time?” Dr. Meadows smiled at Jax, which went a long way to reassuring him.

"I appreciate your candor. Do you have any idea when she’ll deliver the baby? I hate the idea of her suffering.” Jax could feel a lurch in his stomach as he thought of what Brenda must be feeling.

“I understand, Jax. It shouldn’t be too long. Her labor seems to be progressing very quickly. We should know better in the next hour or so.” Dr. Meadows slowly stood up and looked down at Jax. “Why don’t you go in and see her? She could use your reassurance right about now. I’ll leave instructions that you can stay with her until we take her upstairs.” She smiled briefly at him and turned to walk away.

“Dr. Meadows?” Jax called after her. When she turned around, he smiled at her “Thanks.” She returned his smile and then walked away down the hall. Jax looked back at Thomas and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don’t think I can do this, mate. How do I reassure Brenda when I’m so scared myself?”

Thomas looked up at Jax. “You’ll do it because you love her – that’s how. Listen, Jax, she doesn’t need you to do anything but be there for her, don’t you know that by now? She knows you cannot make everything better – even though you may want to!” He got up and put his hand on Jax’s arm. “Just let her know you love her and you’re there for her; that’s all she needs right now.” Thomas started to chuckle. “Besides, when this is all over she’s going to make you pay BIG TIME!” Jax couldn’t resist laughing as he nodded his agreement with what Thomas had just said. Just then the nurse came out and told Jax he could see Brenda now. Jax immediately followed her into the examination room, leaving Thomas alone in the hallway.

As soon as he was through the door, Jax went straight to Brenda’s side. A huge smile came to Brenda’s face when she saw him walk in, almost like just seeing him gave her the strength to keep going. It only took a moment for Jax to cross the room and sit down on the stool next to her bed. He immediately took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. "Hey, you. How are you doing?"

Before Brenda could answer, she grimaced with another contraction. She tightly squeezed Jax's hand until the contraction passed. As soon as it passed, she took a deep breath and exhaled quickly. "Better now that you're here." Brenda made a feeble attempt at a smile. "Looks like the little one was in a hurry to make an entrance, doesn't it?"

Jax smiled at her. "It sure looks like it." He gently caressed her arm. "Did Dr. Meadows talk to you about what's going on yet?" he asked.

Brenda slowly nodded her head. "Yes, she said I was definitely in labor and that she expects the baby to be born today!" Brenda reached over and took Jax’s hand. She could tell by the expression on Jax's face that Dr. Meadows had already explained things to him. Before she said anything else, she could feel tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry,” she said so quietly that Jax could hardly hear her.

"What for?" Jax asked. "You didn't do anything wrong!" He gently stroked the side of her face just as another contraction started. He quickly took hold of her hand and held it in both of his until the contraction passed. "Okay?" He waited until he saw her nod. "Dr. Meadows told me that she had suspected for the past few visits to her office that you might deliver early because of the rate the baby was developing. It had nothing to do with anything you did or didn't do! Honestly!" Jax again stroked her cheek until he saw a slight smile on her lips.

Before either one of them had a chance to say anything else, Dr. Meadows came back into the room. "How are you doing Brenda? Any more contractions?" She opened Brenda's chart to look at the nurses’ notes.

Brenda nodded her head, "Two since Jax came in."

Dr. Meadows looked over at the fetal monitor next to Brenda’s bed and made some notes on Brenda’s chart. “Well, it looks like things are moving along pretty well here. Why don’t we move you up to the labor suite?” She turned her attention to Jax. “The admitting nurse stopped me on the way in. She needs to get some information from you about Brenda. Why don’t you go out and talk to her and then come up to the maternity floor? I’m sure we should have Brenda settled by the time you get up there.” She saw the way Jax and Brenda looked at each other. It was obvious that he didn’t want to leave his wife and she didn’t want him to go. “I promise, Jax, I won’t leave her until you get up there. She’ll be fine.”

Dr. Meadows put a reassuring hand on Jax’s arm. He still didn’t move. Before anything else was said, Brenda felt another contraction building. She quickly grabbed Jax’s hand and held on tightly until it passed. Dr. Meadows made note of the time and the severity of the contraction on Brenda’s chart.

Reluctantly, Jax let go of Brenda's hand so she could be wheeled out of the examination room. As she was being pushed out the door, Thomas walked over and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. Jax looked over the top of Brenda's head at him. "I'll be right back," was all he said as he walked to the elevator beside the gurney. Once Brenda was on the elevator, a nurse came up to him and directed him to the admitting area. Jax signaled Thomas to come join him while he answered the admitting nurse's questions. It seemed to Jax that it took forever but in truth it only took about ten minutes.

As Jax and Thomas were waiting at the elevator, Jane came up to them. "How's Brenda?" she asked.

"They've taken her up to the labor room. It looks like the baby is going to put in an early appearance." Just then the elevator doors opened and Jax allowed his mother to get on before he and Thomas stepped on. “It shouldn’t be too long before we have some idea when this little one is going to put in an appearance.” She could see the concern in Jax's eyes.

She put her hand on his arm. "It's going to be okay, son. I'm sure of it." She was relieved to see the slight smile on his face. "What?"

"I'm just glad you're here, that's all." Jax wrapped his arms around his mother in a tight hug, as the elevator doors opened. Jax walked up to the nurses’ station. "My name is Jacks. My wife, Brenda, was just brought up from the ER."

The nurse looked at her patient listings. "Yes, Mr. Jacks. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to her." She looked over and saw Thomas and Jane. "I'm afraid you're the only one I can allow in to see your wife. Your family can wait in the waiting area through that door." She pointed to a door behind Thomas.

Jax went over to let Thomas and his mother know what was going on and then rejoined the nurse. "Can I see my wife now?" She smiled and led him to a room near the end of the hallway.

"This is her room." The nurse pulled Brenda's chart from the holder on the door and looked at it quickly. "You can go right in. I'm sure Dr. Meadows will be in to check on her shortly. You're wife's labor is moving very quickly, so it shouldn't be too long." She smiled at Jax as she opened the door for him.

The first thing Jax noticed as he walked through the door was the soft beeping sound. He walked quickly over to Brenda and looked at the monitor next to the bed. Brenda smiled when she saw him and held out her open arms to him. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped her in his arms. When he pulled back from her, he gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "How are you doing?"

Brenda leaned forward and rested her forehead against his chest. "Better, now that you're here." Just then another contraction started, causing her to quickly lay back on the bed holding both of Jax's hands, trying to remember her breathing instructions. When the contraction finally passed, she let go of Jax's hands. "Boy, that was a rough one!" She smiled when Jax reached over with a damp cloth to gently wipe the sweat from her face. "I guess we should have signed up for that earlier Lamaze class. At least then I'd know what I'm doing!"

Jax chuckled. "True, we didn't exactly cover a lot of breathing instructions in the one class we've attended, did we?" He reached over and cupped the side of her face. "You're doing great, even without the classes, luv."

Putting her hand on top of his, Brenda returned his smile. "That's only because the nurses here are really great teachers. They gave me a crash course in controlled breathing before you got here."

The next half-hour passed quickly. Brenda had several more contractions, each one a little more severe than the last. Each time Jax held her hands and encouraged her breathing. When they passed, he gently wiped her face with the cloth. The nurse came in several times to check her, making notes in her chart each time. Finally, Dr. Meadows came in. She looked first at the monitor next to Brenda's bed and then at her chart. "How's it going, Brenda?" she asked.

"I guess you should tell me that, Dr. Meadows. Each time I have a contraction, it hurts a little more and lasts a little longer. Is that normal?" Brenda was beginning to get a little worried. There had not been much information in the booklets she and Jax had read about what to expect with premature deliveries. One thing she was sure of was that this baby was going to be born today.

Before answering, Dr. Meadows looked through the last couple pages of Brenda's chart. "Yes, actually that's a good sign. That means the baby is trying to move into position to be born."

Jax immediately caught her use of the word 'trying' and looked from Brenda to Dr. Meadows. "What do you mean ‘trying’? Are you saying the baby is having some trouble?" He forced himself to sound calm. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Brenda.

“No, not at all. You have to remember this little one is putting in their appearance a little early so it may take a little effort to get into position, that’s all. I don’t anticipate any problems.” She gave Brenda’s arm a reassuring pat as she spoke. “I need to check how you’re dilating. This may hurt a little. Why don’t you focus on your husband until I finish?” she said with a smile. Brenda did as Dr. Meadows suggested and only flinched a little. “All done,” was all she said as she made a note in Brenda’s chart. She looked over at Jax and Brenda with a smile. “Well, it seems you’ve already dilated about seven centimeters, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.”

The ultrasound technician came in just then with the equipment. Dr. Meadows pulled up the front of Brenda's hospital gown to expose her abdomen. The technician put the gel on Brenda's abdomen and began to slowly guide the handset around, giving Dr. Meadows a clear picture of what was going on with the baby. During the entire procedure, neither Jax nor Brenda said anything. They just continued to hold hands. When another contraction started during the procedure, Jax tightly held Brenda's hand and encouraged her to do her breathing. Dr. Meadows seemed very intent as she watched the ultrasound during the contraction. It took about ten minutes to finish the ultrasound, during which time Brenda had three contractions, each slightly stronger than the last.

When the technician was finished, she wiped the gel from Brenda's abdomen and pulled her gown back down and her covers up to her waist. She quickly packed up her equipment and left the room. Dr. Meadows had not said anything to Jax or Brenda during the entire procedure. She had been intently watching the screen and making notes in Brenda's chart. Now that the technician had finished, she turned her attention to her patient.

"It looks like my suspicions were correct. Even this early you seem to have a rather large baby.” She looked at the ultrasound print the technician had given her. “By this I’d say probably about 5 or 6 pounds.” She could see the tears forming in Brenda's eyes as she clung tightly to Jax's hand. Dr. Meadows put a reassuring hand on Brenda's arm. "This is a good thing, Brenda. If you had carried this baby to term, it probably would have been too large for you to deliver naturally.” She looked at the print again. “At this point, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to have a perfectly normal delivery.” She smiled again at both Jax and Brenda.

Jax sat on the edge of the bed next to Brenda. Before he had a chance to ask his question another contraction started. Once it had passed and he could see that Brenda was okay, he turned his attention to Dr. Meadows. "When do you anticipate the baby putting in an appearance?”

“Judging by my exam and what I’ve just seen on the ultrasound, I’d say the newest member of the Jacks family should be putting in an appearance in the next couple of hours, maybe sooner.” Dr. Meadows grew serious again. “Try to relax, Brenda, and just go with the contractions. If you do, it’ll be a lot easier.” She closed the lid on Brenda’s chart. “I’ll leave you two alone for now. I’ll stop back in a little while to check on you. In the meantime, Jax, see what you can do to get her to relax.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Dr. Meadows,” Jax said with a smile. “Thanks.”

He gave Brenda a mischievous grin. "You know, of course, that we need to have a very serious discussion before this baby is born, don't you?"

Brenda had no idea what Jax was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we never did decide on a name for this little one! We kept thinking we had all this time to decide." Jax couldn't help laughing when he saw the expression on Brenda's face.

"I cannot believe you're bringing this up now!" Another contraction started, ending Brenda's train of thought. When it passed, she looked up at Jax. "Any suggestions?" she asked, as she took a couple of deep breaths. They spent the next half-hour discussing possible names before finally coming up with the perfect name for their child. For some reason it has been very simple to select a name for a boy, but they had a great deal of difficulty agreeing on a middle name if the baby was a girl. Finally, they found one they both liked. Now, all they had to do was wait for the baby to put in an appearance. At the rate Brenda was having contractions, they were both beginning to think that it wouldn’t be long!

It was only a couple of minutes later when Jax saw the door to Brenda's room open and the nurse come in. "Well, how are you doing, Mrs. Jacks?” she asked, as she came over to the bed to examine Brenda. “My goodness, you certainly are moving quickly!” She noted her findings on Brenda’s chart. I think it’s about time for us to move you to the delivery room. I’ll ask Dr. Meadows to stop in and check you first, just to make sure.” When she saw a look of fear building in Brenda’s eyes, she reached over and patted her leg. “Don’t worry, dear, it’s going to be fine.” She looked over at Jax and then back at Brenda, “You’re going to do great. How can you not, with a great coach like this?” she said with a smile. She lightly patted Jax’s arm before turning to leave.

Dr. Meadows came in a minute or so later, just as Brenda was having another contraction. “Well, the nurse tells me you’re about ready to deliver this little one. Do you mind if I check?” She waited for Brenda to nod before reaching under the sheet. “She’s right, Brenda, you’re completely dilated and definitely ready to deliver. Neither Jax nor Brenda had noticed the nurse come back into the room. “Jax, why don’t you go with Mrs. Burton? She’ll show you where you can change and then bring you to the delivery room. In the meantime, we’ll get Brenda prepped and moved over.” She patted Brenda’s leg. “It won’t be long now, Brenda. In a few minutes you’ll be holding your baby in your arms for the first time.” She smiled at both of them as she turned to walk out.

“Mr. Jacks? If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you where to change.” Mrs. Burton saw Jax’s reluctance to leave his wife. “She’ll be fine, Mr. Jacks. She’s going to be so busy for the next few minutes, she won’t even miss you! Now come on! You want to be there when the baby puts in their appearance, don’t you?” She smiled at Jax, letting him know she was teasing him.

Jax returned her smile before leaning down to kiss Brenda once more on the forehead. “I’ll see you in a couple minutes, luv. Try not to start without me!” He chuckled, as he ducked away from Brenda’s swing. He followed Mrs. Burton to the door, turning at the last minute to give Brenda a wink.

It only took Jax a couple minutes to change into his scrubs and put the paper booties over his shoes. As they got to the delivery room door, Mrs. Burton handed him a paper cap that he thought looked like Brenda’s shower cap. She helped him put on a sterile gown and a mask before opening the delivery room door. “Good luck, Mr. Jacks.” After a short pause she finished, “And congratulations!” She smiled at him before indicating he should go on in.

There was a nurse waiting for him just inside the delivery room who showed him where to stand next to Brenda. She had already been prepped and was lying on the delivery table. As soon as she saw him she reached out to him. He quickly took her hand and kissed it through the mask. Their private moment was interrupted by the sound of Dr. Meadows’ voice. “Okay, Brenda, the next time you feel a contraction start, I want you to let us know and then I want you to push as hard as you can.” She shifted her attention to Jax. “When she says she feels a contraction starting, I want you to lift her up as far as you can. It’ll help her to push. When the contraction passes, lay her back down.” She saw Jax nod his understanding.

Just then Brenda felt a contraction starting. “Here comes one,” she said. As soon as she said that, Jax did as Dr Meadows had instructed and lifted Brenda so she was almost sitting upright. He could see by the expression on Brenda’s face that she was pushing as hard as she could. As the contraction started to ease, he lowered her back down and wiped the perspiration from her face.

“That was great, Brenda,” Dr. Meadows said. “A couple more like that and this baby should be out.”

Just then Brenda felt another contraction starting. “Here comes another one!” she yelled. Jax again lifted her so she could push. As the contraction passed, Jax eased her back down again. As he was wiping her face again, she looked up at him. “You owe me BIG TIME for this, buster!”

Jax couldn’t keep himself from laughing. “I know! Thomas already told me that, and I agreed with him!” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I can’t wait to figure out how to begin paying you back!” he whispered, so only she could hear him.

Before she could say anything, another contraction started. “Here we go again!” she yelled. Jax lifted her again as she pushed. As the contraction passed, he eased her down one more time.

“Brenda, the baby is crowning so I don’t want you to push with the next contraction, just let it go. After that, when I tell you to push, do it with everything you’ve got! Okay?” Dr. Meadows looked up at Brenda. As she was watching Brenda’s face, she could see the next contraction starting. “Okay now, don’t push, Brenda; just let it go. That’s it. That’s it.” As the contraction started to ease, she looked up at Brenda again. “Okay, on the next one, I want you to push as hard as you can!”

It seemed like the next contraction started almost as soon as the last one had ended. Brenda grabbed Jax’s hand as he lifted her, and she pushed as hard as she could. As the contraction ended and he started to ease her back down, another one began so he lifted her back up again.

“Okay, Brenda, the baby’s head is out! Now, I want you to push one more time as hard as you can!” Dr. Meadows issued several orders to the nurses clustered at the other end of the table with her. The room was suddenly filled with the sound of a baby’s cry. “Congratulations, Brenda! You’ve got a son!” Dr. Meadows said, as she held up the squirming infant for his parents to see. “Jax, would you like to come cut the cord?”

Jax looked down at Brenda and saw that he wasn’t the only one crying. He quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and kissed her several times before walking over to Dr. Meadows. He took the scissors the nurse handed him and cut the cord where she indicated. Dr. Meadows then placed his son in his arms and he walked slowly back to Brenda, never taking his eyes off the child in his arms. He laid him gently on her chest and then lifted her slightly so she could see him better. With one arm under Brenda, he softly stroked his son’s back with his free hand, all the while tears were flowing freely down his cheeks.

Brenda leaned forward and softly kissed her son’s cheek. “Hello, little one. I’m your mom.” She looked over at Jax, smiling despite the tears running down her cheeks. She nodded her head toward Jax. “And this amazing man here is your dad. I hope you grow up to be just like him.” She kissed the baby’s cheek again.

The nurse came over and picked up the sleeping infant. “Why don’t I just take him over there and get him cleaned up and weighed?” When she saw the reluctance on both of his parent’s faces, she smiled. “Dad, if you’d like to come along and watch, I think that could be arranged.” She looked at Jax as she picked up the baby from Brenda’s chest.

Brenda looked up at Jax and smiled. “Go ahead. I’m not going anywhere.” Jax slowly eased her back down on the table and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before following the nurse over to the other side of the delivery room. She very quickly weighed and measured him before washing him up. He weighed in at a comfortable 6 pounds 5 ounces and measured 20 inches long. There was a pediatrician waiting to check him as well, since he was premature. He very quickly gave the baby a clean bill of health and gave him back to the nurse to dress. When she finished, she handed Jax his son again to hold for a minute before taking him to the nursery until Brenda was settled in her room. She promised to bring him to them as soon as Brenda was ready.

Dr. Meadows was just finishing up when Jax walked back over to Brenda and took her hand. He leaned down and kissed her cheek again. “He’s perfect! Even the pediatrician said so!”

“Okay, Brenda, we’re all finished. How are you feeling?” Dr. Meadows asked.

Brenda smiled a huge smile at Dr. Meadows. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this exhausted, but other than that I’m fine.” She reached over and stroked Jax’s arm. “When can I hold my son again?”

Dr. Meadows chuckled. “Let’s get you settled in your room first, okay?” She turned to Jax. “Do you have family in the waiting area?” she asked. When Jax nodded she continued, “Well, why don’t you go give them the news? Then you can bring them back to meet the newest member of your family, if you want.” She looked up at the clock on the wall. “Why don’t you give us about 10 minutes or so to get Brenda settled and checked out? Then you can bring them to her room.” She looked at Brenda’s chart. “She’ll be in 517. It’s just down the hall, on the left.” She squeezed Brenda’s shoulder. “You did a great job, mom!” She then went back to make some additional notes on Brenda’s chart.

“You go ahead, Jax. I’m sure your mom and Thomas must be climbing the walls by now.” Brenda smiled at Jax and nodded toward the door that he should go.

Jax pulled off his mask before leaning down. He kissed her on the lips and whispered, “Thank you. I don’t think I’ll ever stop saying that!” He smiled, kissed her again, and finally got up to leave. He stopped at the door and turned to look back at her. He suddenly realized for the first time since all this had started that he would never be able to tell Brenda how much he loved her. He promised himself that he would spend the rest of his life trying though!

When he walked into the waiting area, Jax was surprised to see who all was waiting. In addition to his mother and Thomas, John and Jerry had also come in. "What are you two doing here?" he asked his father.

"Hello, son. How's Brenda?" Jax could see the sincerity of his father's question in his eyes.

"That's what I came out to tell, mum. He walked over to where his mother was standing with Thomas. He took her hand in both of his.

"What's wrong, Jax? Is it Brenda? The baby?" Jane wasn’t sure what to make of him. Usually she could read her youngest son like a book, but she was totally clueless right now.

"It seems that the baby…” Jax stopped at that point.

“That the baby what, damn it!” Thomas nearly shouted in frustration.

Jax burst into a huge grin. “It seems that the baby is a BOY!” Jax leaned over and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before walking over and accepting a bear hug from Thomas. He then walked over to where is father and brother were standing.

"What made you decide to come down?" Jax asked his father.

"Where else would I be? After all, this is my first grandchild, you know." John smiled over at his wife. When he saw the expression on Jax's face, John realized he needed to explain why he and Jerry were there. "Actually, it has a lot to do with those two friends of yours at the house. I think their names were Madeline and Everett." John was surprised to see the shocked expression on Jax's face.

"You talked to them?" Jax asked, surprised that Madeline and Everett had stayed around after he and Brenda had left. "What did they say?"

John chuckled, "Actually, it was what Everett said that made me think. He let me know in no uncertain terms just exactly what was important in life - you and Brenda and this child!" Jax was stunned to hear what his father was saying. This did not sound like Everett! "I don't know where you met the man or why he dresses the way he does, but I have to tell you he is very protective of you - AND BRENDA! He made sure that Jerry and I both understood that he would not stand for either one of us doing anything to undermine you because you were tied up here. He made it clear to us that you were doing exactly what you were supposed to be doing and that if we had half a brain we would be here with you!" John wrapped his arms around his son “Congratulations, son!”

Jax could not believe what he was hearing. He looked over at Thomas, who had heard everything that John had just said. All Thomas could do was shrug. Obviously Madeline had said something to change Everett's mind about things. Jax decided to take his father at his word and turned his attention to his brother. "Is that how you feel as well, Jerry?"

Jerry didn't say anything at first; obviously trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I think so. Look, Jax, I know things have been pretty bad between us the last year or so. I also know I blamed Brenda for most of what went wrong." He could see anger starting to build in his little brother, so he quickly continued, "Let me finish before you say anything, okay?" He looked directly at Jax and waited for him to nod his agreement. "I found out today from mum that I was wrong. Brenda was not the cause of the trouble between us - I guess that I was! I think it was just easier to blame her. That way I didn't have to take responsibility for my actions and I could justify anything I did to get you back in the family and away from her." Jerry looked Jax in the eyes. "Can you forgive me for that?"

Jax wasn't sure whether or not to believe Jerry. After all, what could Everett have said that caused such a complete turn-around? "I'm not sure, Jerry. I have to talk to Brenda about all of this. I can't promise you anything until then. After all, I'm not the only one you hurt, you know."

Jerry could understand Jax's reluctance to accept his apology. "I understand. How about we call a truce for now? At least until you can talk to Brenda about all of this?"

"That I can agree to," Jax said. He was surprised when Jerry enveloped him in a giant hug. "What was that for?" he asked.

"For not throwing me out of here on my butt!" Everyone laughed at Jerry's remark. “It’s also to thank you for making me an uncle – Daddy!” Everyone laughed again.

Jane finally broke into the laughter. “So, tell me: how is Brenda? How big is the baby? How much does he weigh?”

Jax sat down for a minute and took a deep breath. “Brenda’s fine – a little tired, but great otherwise. The baby weighed in at a hefty 6 pounds 5 ounces and is 20 inches long. Dr. Meadows told us she had suspected that Brenda might deliver early because of the rate the baby was growing. If she had carried him to term, he might have weighed around 9 pounds!” As Jax said that, he saw Jane flinch at the thought a delivering a child that size.

“So when do we get to see the newest member of the Jacks clan?” Thomas asked.

Jax chuckled, “How about right now?” He got up and led the group down the hall to a private room. He knocked softly on the door and went inside. He came back out a minute later. “Come on in,” he said as he held the door open wide for them.

Jane was first, followed by Thomas, and then John and Jerry. Brenda was shocked to see them. She looked up at Jax, who just smiled. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he said so softly that only Brenda heard him.

Jane walked right over to the side of the bed and gave Brenda a kiss and a hug. Thomas did the same, but John and Jerry stood off to the side, not sure whether they should be there. It was Brenda who finally broke the silence. “Don’t you want to see your grandson, John?” she asked with a very proud smile. “He looks just like his father!” It was only then that John and Jerry came closer, so that family now circled the bed.

Jane gently touched the baby’s cheek. “He’s beautiful, luv. He does look just like his dad. What are you going to name him?”

Brenda and Jax looked at each other and smiled. They turned back to look at the entire family before Jax answered her. “We’ve decided to name him Joshua Thomas Jacks. We’re going to call him ‘JT,’” Jax said very proudly, as looked directly at Thomas. He was surprised to see tears in his friend’s eyes. “Sorry we had to reverse the names mate but you know that JJ initial thing and all. We didn’t think you’d mind if we reversed your first and middle names. Okay?”

When Thomas finally found his voice, he reached down to softly touch the baby’s hand. “Of course! But are you sure you want to name him after me? Shouldn’t you name him after someone in the family?” He looked from Brenda to Jax, both of whom were smiling at him.

“You are his family, Thomas. You’re his godfather, after all. Besides, I can’t think of a better, stronger, prouder name for our son. Can you, mom?” Brenda asked as she looked up at Jane.

With tears in her eyes and a smile on her, lips Jane put her hand on Thomas’s arm. “I think it’s a perfect name, don’t you, John?” Jane looked over at her husband.

“Perfect,” was all John said.

Just then the nurse came in. “I’m sorry to break this up, but it’s time for the little one to eat. You can all come back in the morning.” She had spoken very sweetly but with a tone in her voice that let everyone know she meant what she was saying, especially since she was standing, holding the door open for them to leave.

Jane immediately bent down and kissed both Brenda and JT. “I’ll see you both tomorrow, luv. Rest well.” She looked over the bed at Jax. “You, too! I’ll see you ALL in the morning.”

Thomas was the next to leave. He bent down and kissed JT on the forehead before kissing Brenda. “Thank you – both of you.” When Thomas looked over at Jax, he extended his hand, which Jax quickly took and squeezed tightly in both of his. When he felt tears in his eyes again, Thomas let go of Jax’s hand and quickly walked out.

John and Jerry came closer to the bed, giving them their first good look at the newest member of the Jacks family. John looked down at his grandson and smiled. “You’re a very lucky boy, JT. You’ve got yourself a great set of parents! You always pay attention to what your mum and dad tell you. If you listen to your dad and your Uncle Thomas, you’ll grow up to be the kind of man they are. There isn’t better in the world!” He leaned down and kissed his grandson. He looked over at Brenda. “Thank you, daughter,” was all he said, as he kissed her on the forehead and turned to leave.

Jerry was the last. He stood next to the bed and looked down at his nephew for a moment before looking at Brenda and Jax. “You two did great. He’s beautiful.” He turned to leave but stopped and looked back at them. “You named him well, Jax. It’s a proud name carried by a good man. JT will grow up proud to carry it.” Without saying anything else, Jerry quickly walked out into the hallway where his parents were waiting, leaving both Jax and Brenda speechless and with tears in their eyes.

“You can stay if you’d like, Mr. Jacks,” the nurse said to Jax, when she realized he was getting ready to leave. “I think your wife might appreciate your support.”

Jax looked down at Brenda, who smiled up at him and nodded her head. “I’d love to stay – thanks.”

“Good – I’ll be back in a minute.” The nurse opened the door and walked out very quickly.

“I should call the house and let Benton and Mrs. Kelly know what’s going on, don’t you think?” Jax asked Brenda. When she nodded her agreement, he picked up the phone and called the house. “Hello, Benton? Yes, everything is fine. We have a son! Yes, he’s fine and so is Brenda. What? Oh, he weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. We named him Joshua Thomas. We’re going to call him JT. I’m not sure when they’ll be home. That’s up to the doctor. I should be home, at least for a little while, later this evening. Would you please let Mrs. Kelly know? Oh, would you also call my office and let them know I won’t be in for a few days. Yes, you can tell them why. Okay, I’ll talk to you when I get home. What was that? I will, thank you.” Jax slowly put the phone down. “Benton says congratulations and that he and Mrs. Kelly will have the nursery ready when JT is ready to come home.”

Jax looked down at his wife and child and couldn’t help feeling that things in his life were just about perfect. He had a wife he adored, a son who was healthy and strong even if he was premature, a good relationship with his mother again and even a tentative truce with his father and brother! How much more perfect could things be? Suddenly he knew when Brenda smiled up at him as the nurse came back in to help her start nursing her son.

Benton called Mrs. Kelly out into the parlor and told her everything Jax had said about the baby. He then poured them each a glass of wine and they toasted the newest member of the family, before heading back into the kitchen to have their dinner.

Madeline and Everett had been standing in the shadows of the parlor fireplace as Benton had been filling Mrs. Kelly in. Once they were alone in the parlor, they both came out of the shadows. Everett wrapped his arms around Madeline. “I told you everything would be all right, didn’t I?” He smiled when he saw the tears in Madeline’s eyes. “Hey, what are these for? I thought you would be happy that Jax and Brenda have a son.”

“I am, Everett. These are tears of joy. I cannot imagine things being any better than they are right now. I have you back in my life, Brenda is okay, she and Jax have a son, plus it seemed like there might actually be a chance for peace in Jax’s family when his father and brother left here this afternoon. I’d say this is the perfect ending, wouldn’t you?”

Everett smiled down at her and kissed her gently. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked toward the stairway, slowly fading away as they went up the stairs, together again in the home that had been built out of their love and was now filled with the love of a new family. Madeline was right – things were perfect!

The End