February 11, 1996
New York City

Jax was bored! He had just completed his latest acquisition for J&J Jacks of Alaska, his family's company, and had not yet checked the reports that his assistant, Addie, had put on his desk earlier about several new prospects. As a distraction, he had picked up one of the airguns for the shooting gallery in his office and had just begun trying to top his latest high score, when he was distracted by a commotion in his outer office. Before Jax even had a chance to turn toward the door, it burst open and a chattering human dynamo came rushing into his office – followed by his assistant.

When the intruder saw Jax standing at the shooting gallery, she came to a sudden stop, causing Addie to run into her. Jax was amazed at the woman standing in front of him. She was petite with raven hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. As he slowly started looking lower, his eyes were immediately drawn to her hands. She had the most amazing fingernails he had ever seen. His spirits took a sudden dive, though, when he saw the huge diamond of her engagement ring and the sparkle of the wedding ring attached to it.

Addie was the first to speak, "I'm sorry, Mr. Jacks! I tried to stop her! I told her you were busy and that she needed to make an appointment, but she just charged in here! I'll call security and have her removed!" Addie immediately walked over to Jax's desk and started to reach for the phone when she saw Jax hold up his hand and shake his head ‘no.’

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Addie. I don't think Mrs..." Jax paused to find out the name of the woman standing in front of him.

"Ashton – Lois Cerillo-Ashton!" Both Jax and Addie were startled by her thick, Brooklyn accent.

"... Mrs. Ashton is any type of threat. Are you, Lois Cerillo-Ashton?" Jax smiled his most charming smile. She was exactly what he needed right now – a distraction! "I think you can go, Addie. I'll call you if I need anything." Jax indicated that Addie should leave him alone with his visitor, which she reluctantly did, after one last disapproving look at the young woman who seemed to be overwhelmed by her surroundings.

Once they were alone, Jax came over and sat down at his desk. He motioned for his visitor to take a seat in one of the large, leather chairs that faced the desk. Lois seemed to ignore his request at first. She was amazed at what she saw around her. This didn't look like any office she had ever been in! There were more toys and games than pieces of office equipment. She was beginning to have second thoughts about this idea. She was brought back to reality at the sound of Jax discreetly clearing his throat. She looked over and saw him motioning her toward one of the chairs in front of his desk. She quickly walked over and sat down facing him. Jax tented his fingers in front of his chin for a moment before he spoke. "Ashton? Are you any relation to Ned Ashton of ELQ International?"

Jax's spirits once again took a plunge when he saw her eyes light up at the mention of Ned Ashton's name. "Why… yes, I am. I'm his wife! Do you know my Ned?" Lois was pleased that Jax knew Ned. That might make this easier to present. She was disappointed at Jax's answer.

"Only by reputation, I'm afraid. I've never actually done business with him – yet!" Jax paused for a minute. "Why are you here, Lois Cerillo-Ashton? Since your husband is CEO of one of the largest companies in the world, isn't this like visiting the enemy camp? Or is that the plan?" Jax asked with a slight smirk on his face.

Lois fidgeted in her chair for a minute before reaching into the large totebag she was carrying and pulling out a file. "Actually ELQ is the reason I'm here!" Lois stopped and took a deep breath before continuing, "My best friend and I own – or I should say we used to own – a small record company called L&B Records." Jax nodded his head to let Lois know he had heard of the company. "Well, about two weeks ago Ned's grandfather, Edward Quartermaine, tricked both of us out of the company, and how he's attempting to destroy it!"

Jax could see by the expression on her face that this not only had hurt Lois, but had also infuriated her! He quickly realized that infuriating Lois Cerillo-Ashton was not something you would want to do – at least, not if you wanted to continue living! He also suddenly knew why she was sitting in his office. She wanted her company back! The wheels immediately started turning in Jax's brain. This might be exactly what he needed. This just might provide the opportunity that he and the rest of his family had been looking for – a way into ELQ! "Why come to me?" he asked innocently. "Why not just ask your husband to simply let you continue to run L&B Records?"

Lois jumped out of her chair and started pacing around the office. "I don't want Ned to let me run L&B Records! I WANT IT BACK!!!" Lois was immediately embarrassed by her outburst. "Sorry about that. To answer your question about why I'm here, it's actually very simple. I have a business proposition for you." Lois walked back to the desk and handed Jax the folder she had been holding. She spent the next hour making a perfectly organized presentation of her proposition to Jax, who sat silently making notes on the papers in front of him. At the end of her presentation she sat back down and looked expectantly at him. "Well? What do you say? Are you interested?"

Jax looked up from the notes he had been making and smiled. "I might be, especially considering the profit I stand to make on a 48-hour investment. One question though, who suggested you bring this deal to me? I'm positive it wasn't your husband, so who is my benefactor?" Jax did not even try to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

This time it was Lois's turn to smile. "Actually, Ned doesn't know anything about this. Considering what I'm proposing, I didn't want to put him in a compromising position. I went to a friend of mine and asked him for the name of the most ruthless corporate raider he knew, and yours was the first name out of his mouth." A look of discomfort came over Lois's face as she continued, "He also told me not to do business with you. He said you couldn't be trusted. Is that true, Jax?"

Jax laughed out loud at her question. Considering the fact that ELQ – and obviously L&B Records – were based in Port Charles, New York, Jax knew immediately who the friend was that Lois was talking about. "How is Mac Scorpio these days? He's obviously not in jail, since you came here to see me anyway!"

Lois was startled that Jax had figured out who referred him to her so quickly. She was even more surprised by his crack about Mac not being in jail. Obviously these two had a history that was probably NOT very pleasant. "He's fine. He runs a club in Port Charles called the Outback. Several of L&B's acts have performed there." Lois suddenly found herself becoming uncomfortable with the way Jax was looking at her. She felt the urge to get this conversation – and Jax's attention – back to the subject at hand. "So what do you say? Are you interested in the deal or not?" Lois looked nervously at Jax for an answer.

"Before I give you an answer, I have some questions." For the next two hours they worked on the specifics of the deal. After finally agreeing on all the conditions and specifications to make it an ironclad deal, Jax called Addie into the office to prepare the contracts for them. After Addie got the specifics of the contracts, she left to review them with the attorneys and to have the contracts prepared. Jax got up from his chair and walked around to the front of the desk. He extended his hand to Lois. "Why don't we go get some lunch while Addie has the contracts drawn up? Then when we get back we can look them over and sign them before we make the rest of our plans."

Lois had to admit she was hungry. "Okay, I could use some lunch." Lois pulled her hand from his grasp before she continued, "One thing though: once we sign the contracts, how long will it take to get my company back? I don't want this to be a long, drawn-out process!"

Jax smiled and shook his head slowly. “That will depend on Edward Quartermaine. I can provide my part of the deal within 24 hours. How long it will take for Edward to come around to our way of thinking is another story." A mischievous twinkle lit up Jax's eyes. "Are you in a hurry to get rid of me or something?"

Temporarily ignoring Jax's last remark, Lois looked him in the eyes. "Can't we give Edward a deadline or something? I know the old coot! He'll stall for as much time as he can, so he can find a way to cut us off at the knees!" Lois had immediately seen the twinkle in Jax's eyes. "Actually, to answer your last question, I AM in a hurry to get rid of you! One thing you need to know up front buster – I LOVE MY HUSBAND! I have no intention of doing anything to hurt or embarrass him EVER! The sooner you understand that, the better for all of us! As far as I'm concerned, the sooner we finish this deal, the better! Do I make myself clear?" She suddenly felt very uncomfortable when she saw the look in Jax's eyes. He was looking at her like a prospective acquisition – no, as more of a challenge. She now realized she had made a very serious mistake by telling him she wasn't interested in him.

"I just love a challenge, Lois Cerillo-Ashton! Let's go eat!" Jax again grabbed Lois's hand, and this time pulled her not only out of her chair, but also started leading her toward the door. On the way out, they stopped at Addie's desk long enough for him to tell her where they were going and to tell her to call him when the contracts were ready for their signatures.

Three hours later they were again sitting in Jax's office. They had both read and signed all copies of the contract in the appropriate places. In addition, Jax had already put his part of the deal in motion, securing a promise of completion by noon the next day. After handing Lois her copy of their contract, along with the one prepared for Edward Quartermaine's portion of the deal, Jax leaned back in his chair. "So, partner, what's our next move?" He could not resist the urge to smile at her obvious discomfort.

Thinking quickly, Lois got up from her chair and placed the files Jax had given her into her bag. "I think we should head to Port Charles. It's getting kind of late and I don't want Ned to worry about me. Besides, I want to confront Edward first thing in the morning." Lois reached for the phone on Jax's desk. "I'll make arrangements for you to stay at the Port Charles hotel tonight." Before she could lift the handset, Jax put his hand on hers to stop her.

"You don't have to do that, luv. Addie is very good at getting me last minute accommodations," Jax said, with what was obviously a great deal of pride in his employee.

Lois slowly shook her head. "I think it's better that I do it. ELQ owns the hotel, and the last thing we want is for Edward to find out you're in Port Charles from some desk clerk! See, if I make the arrangements, we won't need to give anyone your name. I'll just reserve the suite for a business associate of L&B Records. Besides, the manager likes me. He won't say anything – even to the family— if I ask him not to." Lois's pride in her accomplishments was obvious in her voice as well.

Jax thought about what Lois had just said about keeping his presence in Port Charles under wraps, and he had to admit it made sense. If their plan was going to work, surprise was an essential element. He slowly released his grip on her hand. "When you put it that way, it makes sense to me. We don't want to tip off old Eddy to our plans, do we?" He winked at her as she lifted the headset and placed her call, trying to ignore his obvious attempt at flirtation.

8:30 P.M.
Presidential Suite, Port Charles Hotel

Jax had flown them up to Port Charles in a private plane, owned by one of the subsidiaries of J&J Jacks. When he had filed his flight plan, he had registered it under one of several corporate pilots' names he used when traveling on covert business deals. Once they had arrived in Port Charles, he had made arrangements under the same company and pilot's names for the plane's maintenance and hangar facility. Lois had arranged for a car from the hotel to meet them at the private plane terminal and take them to the hotel.

She had been surprised when she had asked Jax as they were leaving his office if he needed to stop home and pack a back. Jax had simply smiled at her and opened the door to what was obviously a closet. He pulled out a bag – already packed – and smiled at her, as he opened the door to his office for them to head out. "I always keep a bag here. I never know when I'm going to need to fly off somewhere for something." He said with a smile and a wink.

Lois had been surprised to find out he was planning to fly them to Port Charles. She had never flown in the cockpit of a plane before, and the idea was rather unsettling to her. Thankfully for her, it had been an uneventful flight, and they had arrived at Port Charles Airport without any problems.

Since Lois had made the hotel reservation in the name of L&B Records, it was not necessary for Jax to check in at the desk. In fact, Lois had not even permitted him to stop at the desk. She had gone over to pick up the key for him – just to make sure no one would recognize him and tell Edward.

While Jax had unpacked the bag he had brought, Lois had called Ned to let him know she would be home soon. She also told him that she had checked a guest into the Presidential Suite of the Port Charles Hotel, and she would appreciate it if he made sure that his grandfather did not bother her guest. When Ned had tried to push her on the identity of her guest, she had refused to tell him anything, only telling him that he would understand everything tomorrow. As she was saying goodbye to Ned, Jax returned to the living room.

"Was that your husband you were talking to?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, it was. I told him I'd be home in a little while." When she saw the disappointed expression on Jax's face, she couldn't resist the urge to smile. "I told you this was strictly a business deal, Mr. Jacks!" she said rather emphatically.

Jax slowly returned her smile. "I guess if that's the best I can look forward to, I'll have to accept it. I was kind of hoping you'd join me for dinner though..."

Lois slowly shook her head. "I don't think that is such a great idea. I've already ordered dinner for you though. I hope you like seafood.."

"That's fine. I'm not very picky when it comes to eating alone. Seafood will be fine." Lois could see Jax's mind kick into gear as he stood there. "What time do you want me to meet you tomorrow? I should have my end of this deal in place some time late tonight, so we can move to the next step whenever you're ready."

Lois was amazed that Jax could switch gears so quickly. He obviously was a man who did not waste time on lost causes; something she found herself appreciating. "How about if I have a driver pick you up about 9:00? Edward usually doesn't leave for the office until about 10:00 so that will give us plenty of time to spring it on him."

Jax walked over to the desk and opened his briefcase. He pulled out his dayplanner. "That should work fine. I have a conference call at 12:45 though. I'll call Addie and have her reschedule it. I have a feeling Edward is not going to react too well to our little 'business proposition,'" Jax said with a chuckle.

Before Lois could answer, there was a knock at the door. "That must be your dinner and my cue to leave." Lois reached for her coat, but Jax was a step ahead of her. When she started to protest, he simply held the coat open for her to put on, not saying anything. Feeling rather embarrassed for overreacting, all Lois could think of to say was: "Thanks, Jax." There was a second knock on the door.

Jax reached to open the door and the waiter brought the room service cart into the living room. "Where would you like me to set up your dinner, sir?" Jax pointed over to the small table by the window. "Very good, sir." The waiter quickly went about his business, setting the table with Jax's dinner.

Lois went over to check the meal before leaving and made a few quiet suggestions to the waiter, who quickly made the changes that she suggested. When she was satisfied, she dismissed the waiter and she walked back over to Jax, who was by the open door. As she was leaving, she turned back to him, "Thanks, Jax."

Jax smiled down at her. "Why are you thanking me? I stand to make a hefty profit on a VERY short-term investment. I should be thanking you, Lois."

Lois swatted him on the arm. "You know that's not what I meant! Thank you for understanding about..." she didn't know how to finish.

Jax knew immediately what she was trying to say. "That's okay, Lois. I know when to walk away. You can't blame a guy for trying though!" The twinkle in Jax's eyes made Lois smile.

"Are all Australians as direct as you are?" she said with a chuckle. "I mean, I've only known two – you and Mac Scorpio – and both of you seem to say exactly what's on your mind." Lois was surprised to see the smile suddenly leave Jax's face. "Did I say something wrong?"

Jax slowly shook his head. "No, not really. It's just been a long time since I've been compared to Mac Scorpio, and I'm not sure I like it." When he saw the puzzled look on Lois's face, Jax figured he had better explain. "Mac and I had some 'trouble' back in Australia, and we didn't exactly part as friends, if you know what I mean. That's why I was so surprised when you told me Mac had mentioned me to you. I guess his warning to stay away from me didn't register, huh?"

Lois smiled. "I like to make up my own mind about people. All I needed to know from him was who was the best corporate raider around. The rest was up to me."

Jax leaned back against the open door. "So, how did I do?"

Lois thought for a minute before answering, "Well, I'd say very well! Once we got past the 'personal' stuff, that is. You listened to my proposal and knew a good deal when you heard it. You also had the capital available to put the deal together quickly, which is VERY important to me." Lois paused again and looked directly into his eyes before continuing, "I also think – regardless of Mac's warning – that you will honor the letter of this deal."

Jax had to smile at her last statement. "You think I'll stand by the deal, huh? What makes you say that? I'm sure you know my reputation for double-crossing my partners. What makes you think this deal will be different?"

This time it was Lois's turn to smile. "I pride myself on my ability to read people, Jax. I trust you to stand by your word. I hope you don't prove me wrong!"

"I guess time will tell, won't it?" Jax leaned down and placed a discreet kiss on her cheek.

"I guess it will. I'll see you in the morning, Jax. The driver will bring you to the gatehouse at the Quartermaine estate, which's where Ned and I live. I'll make sure he's up at the house before you get there. No need to involve him in this until the last minute. See ya!" Lois impulsively stood up on her toes and returned Jax's kiss, than turned and stepped into the elevator that was waiting.

Jax stood for a minute, staring at the closed elevator doors, trying to think of the last time he had met someone like Lois Cerullo-Ashton, and he came to the conclusion that there WAS no one like her! He stepped back into the suite and closed the door. She had been right about one thing though: he had no intention of double-crossing her in this deal. He couldn't shake the feeling that meeting Lois would in some way change the remainder of his life. He suddenly realized how hungry he was, so he went over to see what Lois had ordered for his dinner. He was surprised to see some of his favorite foods. As he sat down to eat, he realized that this it was going to be a REALLY interesting meeting tomorrow. He chuckled to himself as he raised his glass to toast his reflection in the window: let the games begin!

9:45 A.M.
Quartermaine Gatehouse

As soon as Ned left for the main house, Lois started looking for Jax's car. She didn't have to wait long before she saw it. She quickly threw on her coat and walked out to the drive to meet him. "Good morning, Jax. Did you sleep well?" she asked, as he got out of the car. She was trying her best to cover her nervousness, but she could see by his face that she wasn't doing a very good job of it.

As soon as Jax was out of the car, it sped away. The driver had been instructed to park the car out of sight of the main house and wait for Mrs. Ashton's signal to return. Jax walked over to Lois and gave her a kiss on top of her head. "Relax, Lois; everything is going to work out the way you want." His smile was ALMOST enough to convince her he was right.

Lois just looked up at his calm demeanor. "I wish I could be as calm as you are about this, Jax. This is my whole future we're playing with here! If this doesn't work, all I'll have succeeded in doing is making Edward even angrier at me than he already is!"

Jax was intrigued. "What exactly did you do to provoke the old goat anyway?"

Lois blushed slightly. "To tell you the truth, I'm not exactly sure. I think it's because Ned has been working with me at my record company a lot. Maybe the old guy thinks I'm taking too much of his time, so that he might be neglecting something at ELQ."

Jax quirked his eyebrow. "Have you been?" he asked with a chuckle.

Lois swatted him on the arm. "NO!!!" She quickly glanced at her watch. "YIKES! We better get up to the main house!" As they started walking toward the house, Jax placed his hand on the small of her back. She was surprised by his action, but also strangely comforted. She realized that she suddenly was not so nervous about what they were about to do. She looked up at him briefly as they walked. "Is everything in place on your end?" she asked.

He looked down at her with a smile. "Yep. I heard from my people right before I left the hotel. Everything is in place, and all the papers are signed and recorded." Seeing her start to relax a little, Jax moved his hand to her shoulder and stopped walking. "Listen to me, Lois. You were right yesterday when you said I wouldn't double-cross you on this deal. I know how much it means to you. I'm willing to do my part as agreed and nothing more."

"Thanks, Jax. I needed to hear that. I want you to know that regardless of how this goes today, in a strange way I'm glad Edward did this to me and my partner." Jax was surprised by what she had said. When he attempted to say something, Lois held up her hand to stop him. "Hear me out. If he hadn't, I never would have met you, and I would have missed the opportunity to make my first real friend in this crazy world of big business!" She quickly stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She laughed as she reached up to wipe her lipstick off his cheek. "Oops!! Wouldn't do for Ned to see that!" she chuckled, as they started walking again.

As they walked up the front walk, they could hear the sound of raised voices in the living room. Lois's steps faltered slightly, as her nervousness returned. Seeing her concern, Jax placed his hand on her back again and smiled. Lois reached for the front doorknob, took a deep breath and opened the door. When they were in the foyer, Jax helped her take her coat off, and she pointed at the chair near the door, indicating he should put their coats on it. They walked up to the closed living room doors and stopped. Lois took another deep breath and looked up at Jax for reassurance. He simply smiled at her and winked. That was all she needed. She returned his smile and opened the doors.

Lois was startled to hear the anger in Edward's voice as he berated Ned. "You're the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world! How could you have let this happen? You knew how essential that company was to us! How could you let it get away?" Without giving Ned a chance to respond, Edward continued, "I should have known you weren’t capable of doing this job! I have a good mind to take control of the company myself! At least then we wouldn't have to worry about being run into the ground by incompetence!"

Lois had listened to about all she could stand. "Hold it, Eddy!" she yelled. Everyone was startled by the sound of her voice, and they all turned to look at Lois, standing in the doorway with an extremely handsome stranger. Lois looked around the room at the family gathered there before she and Jax came the rest of the way into the room. "What gives you the right to talk to Ned that way in front of the entire family? He busts his butt for that company, while the rest of you go about your lives and reap the benefits of his hard work!" She looked directly at each family member as she spoke, causing Alan and Monica to look down and Lila to smile.

Lois had planted her feet firmly in the expensive carpet as she spoke. Jax was very impressed with her protectiveness toward her husband. It also caused a very brief stab of pain, as a sudden flash of memory hit him. He quickly brought his mind back to the present, pushing the memory back where it belonged.

Ned came over to Lois and kissed her. "Thanks, Lois. I appreciate your support, but I can handle this myself." There was a distinct lack of confidence in his voice, as he tried to reassure her though. He looked over at the man standing next to his wife. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew him from somewhere. "There is an acquisition crisis at ELQ that I'm trying to fix right now."

Lois smiled at his last statement. "I know!" She smiled at the startled expression on Ned's face. As she looked around at the other family members, she had to fight to control the urge to laugh out loud at the shock on all of their faces.

Edward finally broke the stunned silence. "What exactly do you mean, you know, young lady?"

Lois looked back at Jax, who nodded slightly and winked, indicating she should continue. "You are upset because ELQ was trying to purchase Yagi Pharmaceuticals and someone beat you to it, right?" She couldn't resist the urge to smirk triumphantly at Edward, as she waited for his reaction.

"How did you know that?" Edward thundered, startling everyone else in the room with the sound of his voice.

Lois looked back at Jax again and then walked directly in front of Edward. "I know that because I BOUGHT IT! Well, actually my partner here and I bought it!" She turned and looked at Jax, who chuckled. He could see how much she was now enjoying this. Making this deal with Lois was DEFINITELY what he needed in his life right now, he realized!

When Lois turned back to look at the others in the room, she was greeted by stunned silence. "Well? Isn't anyone going to say anything?" she asked.

Ned was the first to speak. "Lois, what are you talking about? How could you and..." Ned turned to face Jax for the first time. "Who are you anyway?"

This time it was Jax's turn to speak, "As Lois said, I'm her partner in the acquisition of Yagi Pharmaceuticals. If you're asking my name, that's Jasper Jacks." The smug expression on Jax's face caused Lois to laugh. This was going better than she had hoped it would.

"JASPER JACKS!!" Ned yelled, before turning to Lois. "Are you crazy, Lois? You went into a business deal with the biggest cutthroat in the business community today! What were you thinking?"

Ned's reaction infuriated Lois. "I know exactly who my partner is!" she declared. "He's someone I trust!" She looked over at Jax and smiled, as he rolled his eyes. "Are you going to hear me out, or do Jax and I leave and just sit back and enjoy the profits from the resale of Yagi?" Jax was impressed by Lois's nerve. She really did know how to play this game! Lois grabbed Jax's arm, and they turned to leave.

"Wait!" Edward bellowed. "What do you mean, the resale of Yagi? Are you telling us you’re willing to sell the company?"

Lois returned her attention to Edward. "Of course, we're willing to sell the company! That's the reason we bought it!"

Edward looked smugly at Ned and then Lois, as an idea obviously came to him. "Why should we buy it? After all, Lois, you are a member of this family! All we have to do is incorporate it into ELQ!" His expression quickly changed when he saw Lois shaking her head. "What?"

"Jax, would you care to explain it to him?" Lois smiled at Jax at she spoke.

"I'd be happy to, partner. It works like this, Edward. Lois and I entered into a limited partnership agreement to purchase Yagi. LJ Limited is the sole owner of the company. Since LJ Limited is NOT a subsidiary of your company, or any other company for that matter, you cannot simply absorb Yagi into ELQ! It's as simple as that! If you want it, you're going to have to buy it from us! And on our terms, I might add!" Jax winked at Lois as he finished.

Edward couldn't control himself enough to say a coherent sentence. Sensing that, Ned spoke up, "What exactly are your terms, Jax? Something outrageous, no doubt!" Ned's disgust for this entire situation was obvious in the tone of his voice, as well as the look on his face. He was shocked when Lois answered his question, instead of Jax.

"Actually it's very simple, honey. ELQ will pay us $28 million and the transfer of full ownership of L&B Records to us, LJ Limited! It's as simple as that!" Lois looked up at Jax. "Did I leave anything out?"

Jax smiled. "Actually, you did leave one thing out." Jax leaned over and whispered something in Lois's ear that made her nod her head. "There is a time limit on this offer. You have twenty-four hours to give us your answer. If we don't hear from you, we will sell Yagi to the highest bidder." Jax looked at Lois. "Shall we go?" he asked, as he held out his arm for her.

Finally getting himself under control, Edward roared, "HOLD IT, YOU TWO!" He walked over to the doorway, where Jax and Lois were standing. "Just where do you think you're going? We haven't finished yet!"

"We've said all we came to say, Edward. It's up to you and the board of ELQ here. If you want Yagi, you will meet our terms. If not, then we'll sell it to the highest bidder – simple as that!" Lois looked Edward right in the eyes, meeting his cold stare with one of her own.

Ned had never seen her like this, and he wasn't sure he liked what he was seeing. Obviously Edward's treachery in stealing L&B Records from her had made Lois do this. Why else would ownership of the company have been included in the purchase price? What he didn't understand, though, was why Jasper Jacks was involved. How did she even know a cutthroat like him? Sensing that things were going from bad to worse, Ned tried to intervene between his wife and grandfather. "Why don't we talk about this? Maybe we can come to some kind of resolution that will make everyone involved happy." He eased himself between Edward and Lois as he spoke.

Lois finally shifted her attention from Edward to Ned. "There's nothing to talk about, Ned. We've stated our terms. Either you meet them, or we take Yagi elsewhere! Right, Jax?" She now shifted her gaze to Jax, who had been conspicuously silent during all of this.

"Whatever you say, partner. This is, after all, your deal." Jax again held out his arm to Lois. As she reached for it, Edward bellowed again.

"WAIT! How dare you do this! I should have you arrested, Lois! You and that criminal partner of yours!" Edward was surprised at Lois's reaction. She spun quickly around and marched up in front of him.

"Now you've done it, old man! You no longer have twenty-four hours!" She glanced at her watch and then over at Jax, who nodded slightly to let her know the deal was hers to change. "You now have ONE HOUR, Edward! Take it or leave it!" Lois spun back around again, and this time she grabbed Jax's arm and started leading him out of the room. When they reached the doorway, she turned around one last time. "Oh, about your threat to arrest us: you just try it! If you do, I'll be forced to tell the authorities about your little 'swindle' to take L&B away from us. By the time I'm finished, you'll be the one in jail, not us! Remember, Edward – one hour! The clock's ticking!" Lois and Jax went out the door, slamming it closed behind them.

Once they were alone in the foyer, Lois collapsed into Jax's arms. "I cannot believe I did that! We're doomed! There's no way he's going to meet those terms! Why did I have to get mad and cut his time? He's not the kind to respond to blackmail! I knew that!" Lois kept mumbling into Jax's chest. Finally he grabbed both of her upper arms and held her back from him slightly.

"You were amazing in there, Lois!! Don't fall apart on me now! Did you see the expressions on their faces? They weren't blaming you for all of this, they were blaming him!"

Jax's smile seemed to have a calming influence on Lois, as she sniffled a couple of times before answering him. "Do you really think so? You don't think I pushed him too hard?" Lois suddenly remembered what Edward had said about having them arrested, and a look of panic crossed her face. "Oh, God! Jax, what if he does go to the authorities? What if he has us arrested?"

Jax gently slid his hands up and down her arms. "Relax, Lois. There's nothing for us to be arrested for. ELQ had been very public in the desire to purchase Yagi. We simply beat them to the deal, that's all! There's nothing illegal about that! Besides, if anyone should be worried about being arrested, it should be Edward. From what you've told me about how he acquired L&B Records from you and your partner, it sounds like he would have a lot a explaining to do to the authorities, not to mention the SEC!"

Lois finally started to calm down. Everything Jax was saying made sense. There had been several articles in Forbes and Money magazines about ELQ's interest in Yagi. There was no way to prove that Lois, being a family member, gave them any advantage in the deal, especially since it was well-known that she was not a member of the ELQ board, nor did she have any business connection with the company.

By the time Jax and Lois got back to the gatehouse, Lois had calmed down. All that was left was the excitement about the deal that was pending.

Once they were inside the gatehouse Lois turned to Jax, "What do you think, Jax? Think he'll cave?" Lois chewed on her lower lip and started tapping her fingertips together, as she nervously paced around the room.

Jax had never seen anyone with so much pent-up energy. She was like a caged animal waiting to get loose. When he got tired just watching her pace, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down next to him on the couch. "Will you PLEASE sit down!" he said with a laugh. "You're making me nervous watching you! To answer your question, yes, I think he'll cave. What choice does he have? He has to have Yagi to shore up his pharmaceutical division, and the price we're asking, while high, is a fair one. Of course, he may get a little picky when it comes to L&B, but when he realizes that if he refuses to part with it, there is no deal, he'll give in."

Lois leaned back against the couch, finally starting to calm down again. "I'll take your word for that. I don't know how you can do this all the time! I'm about to crawl out of my skin!"

Just then there was a knock at the door. Jax and Lois looked at each other and then at their watches. It had been just about an hour since they had left the main house. Lois got up slowly and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she walked over to open the door.

Standing on the other side was the Quartermaine family butler, Reginald. "Ms. Lois, the family would like you and Mr. Jacks to return to the house." Lois could tell by the satisfied expression on Reginald's face that she had won. She had always known that Reginald would love to see Edward taken down a peg or two, and she had provided the entertainment he had been waiting for.

"Thanks, Reggie. We'll be right up." Lois gave him a wink and a smile before closing the door. When she turned back to Jax, she couldn't hide her excitement. "We did it, Jax! He's caved!" Lois ran over to Jax and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight that he thought she would cut off his air supply.

Once Jax was able to pry her from around his neck, he smiled down at her. "Just don't let him see you like this." Jax warned. "He might change his mind and decide to take his chances, if he thinks you're overconfident." Jax reached for Lois's coat and helped her put it on. He then grabbed his own coat and opened the door for her. "Shall we go, partner?" Lois went out the door, followed closely by Jax, who closed the door securely behind them. By the time they walked back to the house, Lois was the picture of a professional businesswoman. There was no trace of the emotional woman Jax had seen in the gatehouse.

Lois didn't bother to knock when they reached the house. She simply opened the door, and they walked in. The doors to the living room were open, so she and Jax walked as far as the doorway and waited until someone noticed them. Lila was the first to see them.

"Lois, my dear. Won't you and Mr. Jacks please come in?" Lois and Jax came over to stand by Lila's wheelchair. Lila held up her hand to Jax. "I'm Lila Quartermaine, Mr. Jacks. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jax took her hand and shook it gently, before bending over to place a gentle kiss on the top. "The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Quartermaine."

When Edward couldn't stand any more of the pleasantries being exchanged, he came over to the friendly trio. "Could we just get on with this, please?"

Lois looked straight at Edward. "Of course, Edward. The ball is in your court. What is your answer?" She stood in front of Jax with her feet firmly planted in the carpeting and her arms crossed in front of her.

Edward smiled paternally as he tried one last time to sweet-talk Lois. "My dear, there is really no need for all of this hostility. I'm sure we can work this out within the family. After all, there really is no need to involve 'outsiders' in a family disagreement." Edward looked coldly at Jax. "Especially disreputable ones like this! Why don't you and I go into the library and discuss this in private? I'm sure we can reach some kind of compromise. How about if I reinstate you as president of that little company of yours? That way you can continue to run it, and you can turn Yagi over to the family. What do you say?" Edward reached for Lois's arm in an attempt to lead her toward the library.

Lois angrily pulled her arm away from him. "You don't get it do you, Edward? I don't want to RUN L&B for YOU. I WANT IT BACK!" She looked back at Jax before she spoke again, "Come on, Jax! We'll go back to the gatehouse and put the word out that Yagi is back on the market. I'm sure we can realize a hefty profit on the deal!" Lois linked her arm in Jax's, and they turned to leave.

"WAIT!" Ned called out. He walked over to his grandfather. "Obviously, Grandfather, you have once again underestimated my wife." Ned looked at Lois with what could best be described as admiration. "She is NOT bluffing! She will put Yagi on the open market! Is that what you want?" He stood defiantly before his grandfather, waiting for his answer.

Edward slowly shook his head and smiled. "You really think she would double-cross this family like that, Ned? I think you are the one who underestimates her. I know Lois. I know that family is the most important thing in the world to her, so I know that she has no intention of selling Yagi to anyone! Do you, my dear?" Edward turned and looked at Lois with his most condescending smile. "Now come on back in here, and we'll sign the papers for you to turn Yagi over to ELQ." Edward held out his arm, indicating Lois should come back into the room. "And you…" he said to Jax. "...are free to leave whenever you want – preferably NOW! You are no longer needed here!"

Jax had been trying to keep from laughing in Edward's face, but it had become a losing battle. When he couldn't control himself anymore, he tried to keep his laughter at least short. "You don't get it, do you, old man? I am not a shill! I didn't come all the way from New York for your amusement! My partnership with Lois Cerillo-Ashton is very real! Even if Lois were swayed by your flattery, I am not! She doesn't have the authority to turn Yagi over to you, as I don't have the authority to sell it outright without her approval!" Jax looked down at Lila and smiled before continuing, "So unless you have an answer to the proposal that Lois gave you, this meeting is over!" This time it was Jax who offered his arm to Lois, who smiled at him, and started out of the room. They had made it to the front door, and just as Jax was reaching to open it, Ned came running out of the living room.

"Lois, wait!" He came up to them. "Why are you doing this? I'm not trying to talk you out of it – honestly! I just need to know why."

Lois looked up at Jax, who nodded and stepped back slightly to give her some privacy with her husband. "It's really very simple, Ned. Your grandfather took something away from me that was very precious – L&B Records. He did it out of spite because he thought you were spending too much time with me. I decided that the only way he would take me and my feelings seriously was if I played his game. I knew from the articles in Forbes and Money that ELQ was interested in Yagi, so I decided to take it away from him. I asked Mac for the name of the most ruthless corporate raider he knew of, and that's how I connected with Jax here." Lois tilted her head toward Jax and smiled. "I have to tell you, it's been a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

Lois looked over at Jax and than nodded toward the door, letting him know she was ready to leave. "You can tell your grandfather that he was wrong about me. Jax and I have every intention of selling Yagi today! Whether it's to ELQ or on the open market doesn't matter to me. If Edward is willing to accept our terms, we're ready to sign it over to him as soon as the finances are in place and the ownership transfer for L&B is ready. If he refuses, I'm sure my share of the profits from the sale will be enough for us to start a new record company. Right, Jax?"

"Oh, I'd say that you should have more than enough for you and your partner to start up a rather substantial size company. Why don't we go down to the gatehouse, so I can put the company on the market and we can figure out profit division." Jax winked at Lois as he opened the door. Lois smiled at Ned before she turned and walked out, with Jax following right behind.

They had barely closed the door when Edward came storming out. "ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! I agree to your terms!" Lois and Jax didn't turn around at first. They looked at each other, both with a triumphant smile, as they discreetly shook hands on their success.

Lois and Jax walked slowly back into the house. Edward slammed the door after them when they came back into the foyer. "Let's get this over with! What do I have to sign for you thieves?" Edward's contempt was obvious in the tone of his voice.

Jax and Lois smiled at each other before coming back into the living room. The rest of the Quartermaine family was still in the room, most of them seemed to be in shock. No one had ever challenged Edward in the way that Lois just had and won! After sitting down next to Ned on the couch, Jax opened his briefcase and took out the file containing the contracts he and Lois had already signed. He handed the file to Lois and closed his case again. Lois opened the file and quickly read over the contracts, nodded slightly, closed the file and handed it to Ned. "Here you go, Ned. The terms are exactly as I explained earlier. All we need is Edward's and your signatures in the appropriate places, and that's it. As soon as you hand us a check for the agreed upon amount and the ownership papers for L&B Records, we turn over ownership to Yagi Pharmaceuticals. It's as simple as that!"

Ned had been reading the contracts while Lois was talking. He had to agree that everything Lois had said was spelled out exactly in the contracts: the cash purchase figure for Yagi Pharmaceuticals, as well as the requirement of transfer of ownership of L&B Records back to Lois and her partner. There were no hidden clauses or backdoors. When he finished reading, he began to think he might have misjudged this Jasper Jacks. There was nothing in these contracts that allowed him any room to double-cross Lois. It was a plain, straightforward business deal, with no loopholes.

Ned handed the file to Edward. "Everything is in order, Grandfather. We might as well sign them and get it over with before Lois or her partner change their minds." Ned began searching his pockets for a pen. When he couldn't find one, he looked up and started to say something, when he was surprised to see a solid gold, Monte Blanc pen in Lois's hand, just waiting for him to take it. Ned smiled at Lois as he took the pen and signed all copies of the contract. He then got up and walked over to Edward and handed him the folder and pen.

Just as Edward took the folder, he grabbed at his chest and collapsed onto the chair, letting the folder and pen fall to the floor. Everyone jumped to their feet and came rushing over to the stricken Edward. Jax reached in his pocket for his cell phone to call 911. Lois reached over and closed the phone. "There's no need for that, Jax. Old Eddy here is fine! Right, Monica?" Lois looked over at Monica Quartermaine, who was in the process of examining Edward, before looking back at a very confused Jax. "Monica is a doctor, just like her husband, Alan. In fact, Monica is a cardiac surgeon, so if anyone would know if something is wrong with Eddy, it'd be her." Lois turned back to Monica. "So what's the verdict, Monica?"

Monica had quickly finished her examination. "There's nothing wrong with the old coot! Stop playing possum, Edward, and sign the damn contract, or I'll admit you to GH on a strict cardiac diet and ban all visitors, including Lila!"

Edward immediately perked up. He grabbed the file, that Jax had picked up from the floor, and the pen, and reluctantly signed all copies of the contract. As he handed the folder back to Jax, he couldn't help mumbling something about the disloyalty of his family. He started to put Jax's pen in his pocket, when Lois held out her hand to him, wiggling her fingers. Edward bowed his head and sheepishly handed her the pen.

"Thank you, Eddy! You have twenty-four hours to present us with the check for the full amount of the purchase. If you fail to present us the check, the company immediately goes up for bid to anyone interested – EXCEPT ELQ!" Lois gave Ned a quick kiss and walked over next to Jax. "I'll see you at home later, Nedley! Come on, Jax; let's go!" Lois linked her arm with Jax's, and the two of them walked out of the room, leaving the stunned Quartermaine family behind.

Neither Jax nor Lois said anything until they were back at the gatehouse. Once they were inside, neither one of them could control their excitement. Lois jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jax's neck, and he lifted her off the ground and spun her around several times before putting her back down. Once they had settled down a little, Jax looked down at Lois. "I had a feeling when you walked into my office that you were going to be good for me!"

Lois was startled by Jax's comment. She suddenly became concerned that he was expecting more from this deal than a substantial financial profit. "Ah... Jax, you do remember I'm a happily married woman, don't you?" Lois didn't even try to keep the concern, not only from her voice, but also from her face.

Jax chuckled and gently caressed the side of her face. "I know that, Lois. I didn't mean anything like what you're thinking. I just meant that things had gotten kind of boring in my life until you came through my door. Coming here to Port Charles and doing this deal with you has been the shot in the arm that I needed. I have to thank you for that!" Jax leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Friends?" he asked.

Lois could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. She put her hand on top of Jax's and looked up into his eyes. She could see that he was telling her the truth. He really wasn't expecting anything more from this deal than a huge financial profit and her friendship. She could see no reason on earth to refuse him. "Friends" was all she said. Just then Ned came through the door and immediately misinterpreted what was going on in front of him.

"Excuse me! If you two will just call the main house and let me know when it's safe for me to come into my own home, I'd appreciate it!" He turned to leave, but Lois ran over to him and dragged him back into the room.

"Get in here, you idiot! There's nothing going on here! Jax and I just realized that we got an extra bonus from this deal – we became friends! That's all!" Lois looked Ned right in the eyes as she spoke and could tell that he believed her. "Jax, are you ready to head back to the hotel? I'll call for the car." She looked over at Jax, hoping he would take the hint, which he did.

"I'll see you two in the morning." Jax leaned over and gave Lois a quick kiss on the cheek and then turned and extended his hand to Ned. "Considering the circumstances, Ned, I have to say it's been a pleasure meeting you."

Ned took his hand and shook it. "Sorry I can't say the same." Ned let go of Jax's hand and opened the door for him. Ned followed Jax out the door, closing it behind him. "Jax!" he called. "Wait a minute!" Ned quickly caught up to Jax. "I just wanted to thank you for helping Lois. I'm not really sure why my grandfather did this to them, but I have to admit I appreciate you helping them get their company back!"

Jax smiled as he answered. "No thanks necessary, Ned. I thoroughly enjoyed this deal! It was a pleasure helping Lois out, in addition to making a LOT of money!"

The small smile that had been on Ned's face quickly disappeared. "I figured you were making a profit. Where does L&B fit into your deal with Lois?"

Just then Lois came out of the house. "I can answer that one Ned. I get L&B back in its entirety as my broker's fee. Since Jax put up 100% of the funding, he gets to keep the financial profit and I get my company back with no strings!" Lois looked triumphantly over at Jax. "Right, partner?"

Jax smiled back at her. "Right!" Just then the driver from the hotel honked the car horn. "There's my car. I'll see you two in the morning." He looked over to Lois. "You'll call me when Edward has the check ready?"

Lois returned Jax's smile. "Of course! Thanks again, Jax, from me and my partner."

Jax turned and walked to the waiting car. He looked back once and saw Lois wave to him. He returned the wave just before getting into the car.

February 13, 1996
2:45 P.M.

Jax had arrived at the gatehouse about thirty minutes after Lois’s call. She was again waiting alone for him to arrive. When the hotel car drove up the driveway Lois came out to meet him. They walked up the rest of the way to the main house together. Once there, Reginald showed them into the living room, where both Ned and Edward were waiting. Neither Jax nor Lois bothered to remove their coats. There was no reason to anticipate a long meeting. After all, the only thing left to do was sign the transfer of ownership papers for L&B and receive ELQ’s check for the full amount of the purchase price. The final transfer papers for Yagi would not be signed until the check was cleared through the bank, a standard business practice that would only take a few days.

When they walked into the room, both Ned and Edward looked up – Ned with a welcoming smile and Edward with a sour frown. Lois was the first to break the silence. “Hello, Eddy! I’m glad to see you intend to stand by your word.”

Edward wasn’t sure if he should be angry or proud of his grandson’s wife. She had, after all, bested him at his own game, for which he was immensely proud of her. On the other hand, she had sought out one of the most ruthless corporate raiders to do it and actually brought him into the family home! For that he was not sure he would ever forgive her. Finally in response to her greeting, Edward managed a growl and a quick nod of his head. He immediately walked over to the desk and pulled out the file that Jax and Lois had left with him yesterday. “Here’s your blood money! Take it and leave my house!”

Lois walked over and took the file from him, trying her best to keep her hands from shaking. She handed the file to Jax for him to review the contents, as well as verify the amount of the check. While Jax was reading the contracts, Lois looked over at Ned, who winked at her to let her know that he approved of what she was doing.

Jax suddenly looked up from the file. “Lois, I think you need to see this.” He handed Lois the papers pertaining to L&B Records. “I think we have a deal breaker here.” As Lois started to read the contract, Jax could not stop himself from glaring angrily at Edward, something that Ned immediately picked up on.

“What did you do now, Grandfather?” Ned asked as he spun around to face Edward. “If you’ve screwed up this deal, so help me I’ll get you removed as Chairman!” Ned turned to Lois when he heard her sudden intake of air. “What is it, Lois?”

Lois could not believe what she was reading. Never had anyone tried something this underhanded to her! She was so angry she could not bring herself to answer Ned’s question. Instead, she looked over to Jax to answer for her.

Before answering, Jax came over to stand next to Lois. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder before looking back to where Ned and Edward were standing. “It seems your grandfather tried to put one over on us. By the look on your face I take it you have not seen the transfer papers for L&B?” Jax looked exclusively at Ned, who was slowly shaking his head. He had a bad feeling about this, and it obviously showed on his face. “Good! I’m glad to know that you didn’t have a hand in doing this to Lois.”

Ned was becoming more upset, as he saw Lois standing next to Jax, shaking like a leaf, with a look that he would have called hatred on her face, if it weren’t for the fact he knew Lois was not capable of hatred. “Jax, I swear to you when I had those papers prepared yesterday, they were a straightforward transfer of ownership from ELQ back to Lois and her partner! What did he change?”

“Well, it seems HE made a slight adjustment in the ownership. According to these papers, if Lois signs them, she is only receiving control of 49% of L&B Records. Edward has transferred the remaining 51% to a holding company, with an option to exert major sales privileges at any time.” When Jax saw the look on Ned’s face, he had to force himself not to smile. “Basically what he’s done is set this up so that he can come in at any time and sell the company out from under them for whatever amount he chooses, and they would not see one cent of the purchase price!” Jax firmly squeezed Lois’s shoulder. “I think it’s time for us to head back to the gatehouse, partner, and make those calls. I personally know of at least four companies with an interest in purchasing Yagi at a price much higher than we would have gotten from ELQ.”

Lois looked up at him and nodded her head. She quickly wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks, as she turned back to face Edward. “You, old man, are the poorest excuse for a human being I have ever met! You have no qualms about screwing your own family, do you?” Lois sniffled once and then stood up straight as she turned to face Jax. “Come on, partner. Let’s go make some money!” Jax and Lois walked out of the room, followed closely by Ned.

When they reached the front door, Ned reached for Lois’s arm, but she pulled away. “I swear to you, Lois, I didn’t know anything about this!” Lois looked deeply into Ned’s eyes and realized he was telling the truth. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, before walking out the door. Before Jax could leave, Ned grabbed his arm. “Hold off on making those calls, please! Let me talk to him and the rest of the family. I’m sure we can fix this!”

Jax pulled his arm away from Ned. “You’ve got one hour, Ned! If we don’t hear from you then, we’ll sell to the highest bidder!” Jax walked quickly away from the house, so he could catch up with Lois. He put his arm around her shoulders, as they walked the rest of the way to the gatehouse in silence.

Exactly forty-five minutes later, there was a knock at the gatehouse door. Jax got up to answer it, since Lois was still too upset. Standing in front of him was a very happy Reginald. “Mr. Jacks, you and Mrs. Lois are requested to return to the main house.” He winked at Lois as he continued, “It’s time for the old goat to eat some humble pie!”

Jax and Lois took their time walking back to the house. Lois needed the time to regain her composure. There was no way she was going to give Edward the satisfaction of knowing exactly how badly he had upset her. When they finally returned to the living room, the entire family was gathered, including Lila. Ned came over and kissed Lois and lovingly wrapped his arm around her waist. He was surprised when she seemed to tense at his touch. Taking her hint, he slowly removed his arm.

“Mr. Jacks, I want to apologize for my husband’s actions today. He can, at times, be an absolute ass!” Lila glared at Edward, who sheepishly hung his head. She then turned her attention to Lois, holding out her hand to Lois, who took it willingly. “Lois, my dear, I just wanted to let you know that none of us, especially Ned, had any idea that Edward was going to do this to you and Mr. Jacks. I hope you will be able to find it in your heart to accept my apology on behalf of the remainder of my family for his actions.” Lois bent down and hugged Lila for what seemed like a long time. She felt comforted by Lila’s touch and by her words.

Jax turned his attention to Ned. “Okay, Ned, you called this meeting. What’s up?”

Ned walked over to the desk and picked up the file that was sitting there. “These are the original ownership transfer papers for L&B that I prepared.” He opened the folder and handed it to Jax. “As you can see, they have now been signed in the appropriate places by the ELQ representatives. I’d appreciate it if you would look them over carefully and make sure they are acceptable.” Ned turned and glared at Edward one more time before shifting his attention to his wife. “I have no idea how to tell you how sorry I am for what he tried to do to you, Lois. Can you ever forgive me?”

Lois managed a slight smile for him and a nod of her head. “I understand, Ned. He went behind your back the same way he did when he took the company in the first place.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “Now do you understand why I went to Jax for help with this deal? Who else would have caught that clause in the contract?”

Jax finished reading the papers and looked up when he heard what Lois said. “Hey, wait a minute! Should I be offended by that remark?” He smiled at Lois before handing her the file. “Everything is as it should be this time, Lois. They’re okay to sign.” He took out his gold pen and handed it to Lois, “Would you like to sign first, or should I?”

Lois eagerly took the pen from him and signed all the copies in the appropriate places. When she was finished, Jax did the same. As he was putting his pen back in his pocket, Ned handed him the check for the purchase of Yagi Pharmaceuticals. Jax looked at it closely before putting it in the folder and putting that in his briefcase. He extended his hand to Ned. “Thank you. I can’t say it’s been a pleasure doing business with ELQ, but I will say it has been an experience!” Jax looked over at Lois. “Are you ready to leave, Lois? What do you say we celebrate?” Jax winked conspiratorially at her as he spoke.

Lois slowly shook her head. “I’m definitely ready to leave, but I don’t feel much like celebrating. Would you mind just walking me back to the gatehouse? I really feel like being alone for a while.” She looked sadly at Ned, who was starting to come with them. “Do you mind, honey? I’d rather you stay here for a while. I have some serious thinking to do.”

Ned did not like the tone of her words nor the deep sadness in her voice, but when he glanced at his grandmother, he realized that she agreed with Lois. He gently touched the side of her face. “Sure, you go ahead. I’ll be down in a couple of hours.” Ned then turned his attention to Jax. “Thanks again, Jax, for protecting my wife from my family.”

Jax nodded to him and put his arm protectively around Lois’s shoulders. The two of them walked slowly back to the gatehouse. When they got there, Jax called the hotel to send a car for him. While they waited, Jax and Lois sat in the living room without saying anything. When they heard the horn from the car, Jax got up and put his coat on. “Are you sure you want to be alone, Lois? I’ll be glad to stay and just sit here if you want.”

When she looked up at him, she was surprised to see the concern for her on his face. She realized that she was very glad she had met Jasper Jacks. He really was a friend. She sighed deeply, “No, Jax, I’ll be fine. You go ahead back to the hotel. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want.” Jax leaned over and kissed the top of her head and hugged her. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be staying for a couple more days; at least, until the check clears.”

Lois had to chuckle at his last statement. Her amusement was quickly replaced with sadness, when she realized how true his words might be. Considering what he had already done, she didn’t think it was beyond Edward to mess up the check for the purchase of Yagi, too. “That’s probably not a bad idea. Thanks for everything, Jax. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She stood up on her toes and kissed him softly on his cheek. Jax turned and walked to the waiting car, leaving Lois standing alone. She was still standing there as his car drove out of the driveway.

February 14, 1996

Ned decided to go into the office late today. Both he and Lois had chosen not to join the family for breakfast at the main house. When Reginald had called, he had simply told him that he and Lois were having breakfast alone. Lila had called back a short while later to make sure everything was all right. After assuring his grandmother that they were both okay, he promised that Lois would call her later in the morning.

Just as they were sitting down to breakfast, there was a knock at the door. Ned reluctantly got up to answer it; sure that it was some member of his family trying to convince them to join the others for breakfast. He was surprised to see a messenger, holding a small package. “Can I help you?” Ned asked.

“I have a package here for a Lois Cerillo-Ashton. Is she here?” The messenger tried to look around Ned into the room. “She has to sign for it.”

Ned turned to Lois with a shrug. She came over to them and signed the delivery sheet, where the messenger indicated. He gave her a copy of the receipt, tipped his hat and left. Lois walked slowly back to the table, trying to figure out what was in the package. She finally gave up and ripped it open. She was surprised when she found a small, black velvet box inside the mailing box. When she lifted out the velvet box, she saw a small gift card. She slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the card. As she read the card, a huge smile came to her face.

Ned came and sat down next to her. His curiosity got the better of him. “So who’s it from?” He had not seen Lois smile in several days, so whatever the card said and whomever it was from it was obviously something that she enjoyed.

Lois looked over at Ned. “It’s from Jax.” She pulled the card out of the envelope again. “It says, ‘Just my way of saying thank you. The check cleared! L&B is yours free and clear. Thanks, Jax. P.S. I hope you enjoy your gift. The color reminded me of your eyes.’” Lois slowly opened the velvet box. When she saw what was inside, she slammed it shut, a look of pure shock on her face.

“Lois, what is it?” Ned asked as he reached for the box. Lois let him take it out of her hands. When he slowly opened the lid, he could not believe what he saw. It was the most beautiful, blue topaz pendant, surrounded by perfectly matched diamonds and hung on a platinum chain. He slowly closed the lid and looked over at his wife. “Why did he do this?” Ned asked.

Lois just shrugged. “I have no idea. Probably because he knew how upset I was yesterday by what Edward did. He probably just wanted to cheer me up.” Lois took the box back from Ned. “I can’t keep this, Ned; it must have cost a fortune!” She slowly shook her head as she continued to stare at the necklace. “I’ll take it back to him this afternoon and explain.”

Before Ned had a chance to answer, the front door burst open and Lois’s business partner and best friend, Brenda Barrett, came rushing into the room. “Hi, guys! Well? Did it work? Do we have the company back? Tell me! I want details!!” She stood looking from Lois to Ned, waiting for an answer. Suddenly both Ned and Lois had the same idea.

Lois came over and put her arm around Brenda’s shoulders. “Girlfriend, I’ll tell you the whole story, but give me a minute. Ned needs to get off to work, then we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you everything that happened!”

Ned was confused. He had planned to spend the entire morning at home with Lois; now, here she was, throwing him out. As Lois helped him on with his coat, she whispered in his ear, “I think I found a way to send the necklace back and help a friend – maybe even two. She kissed Ned’s cheek and winked at him as he left.

As confused as he was, Ned suddenly realized what Lois had in mind. “Are you sure about this, Lois? I mean you just met him! Are you so sure we can trust him with her?” he whispered back to her.

She smiled, “I’m sure; trust me! Now go to work!” Lois shoved Ned out the door and slammed it behind him. She then spent the next two hours giving Brenda all the details about her meeting with Jax and what had happened with the Quartermaines. She finished the story by showing her the card and handing her the necklace box. As Brenda slowly opened the box, Lois couldn’t keep from laughing at the expression on Brenda’s face. “That was pretty much my reaction, too!” she said.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to keep it?” Brenda could not help but admire the necklace; after all, it was exquisite! “It does match your eyes, Lois…” Brenda started to say, but when she looked up and saw Lois’s face she stopped. “What?”

“Of course, I’m not going to keep it!” Lois paused for a moment for affect. “Hey, Brenda? Would you mind doing me a big favor?” She gave Brenda her most pitiful look. “Would you mind taking that back to Jax for me?”

Brenda was startled by Lois’s request. “What! Why me? I don’t even know the man!” She got up and started pacing around the living room, suddenly coming to a stop when an idea came into her head. “On second thought, I’ll be glad to take it. It’ll give me a chance to thank Mr. Jacks for getting L&B back from Edward for us. Okay, give it here! Now, where’s he staying?”

Lois was surprised by Brenda’s sudden enthusiasm. She wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing. I guess they’d soon find out. She told Brenda where Jax was staying and gave her the necklace box. “Just tell him thanks for me, but that I can’t accept something like this, okay?”

Brenda didn’t seem to be listening as she started walking out the door. Apparently the sound of Lois’s voice finally got through because she stopped and turned back. “Oh, sure. I’ll tell him.”

After Brenda was gone Lois stood staring out the window for a long time. Something told her that Jax was exactly what Brenda needed in her life right now. She needed someone to show her some fun, and if there was ever someone who knew how to have fun, it was Jax! Yes, this had great possibilities. Who knows – maybe Jax will be the one to show Brenda what love is supposed to be. God knows she wouldn’t believe anything she or Ned had tried to tell her.

Jax was waiting to hear from Lois. He had called the messenger service an hour ago and gotten confirmation that the necklace had been delivered. He couldn’t imagine what was taking so long for her to call. The longer he waited, the more frustrated he was getting. He needed something to take his mind off of this. Luckily for him, he had sent for his pinball game. It had arrived late last night, so he decided to take some of his anxiety out on the machine. Before he realized it he was caught up in the bells and whistles that sounded at his ever-growing score.

His concentration was broken by a persistent knocking at the door. Without even looking up, he called out, “Come in!” He continued until he finished the round before turning to see who had come in. He could not believe the vision standing in front of him! She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and when she smiled, the whole room seemed to light up. “Well, hello!” he said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He walked closer to the woman standing in his doorway. Suddenly his mind shifted back to Lois. If she had anything to do with this vision standing in his living room, he would have to remember to buy her earrings to match that necklace. He was more certain than ever that meeting Lois that day in his office was DEFINITELY a sign of great things to come!