June 17, 1996

Jax and Brenda spent the week following their return to Port Charles enjoying an extended honeymoon. The only time they bothered to even leave the penthouse was to go to dinner either at The Grill or at The Terrace Restaurant. Because of the increased security that Jax had requested they were not disturbed by unwanted visitors either.

They spent long nights making love, sometimes until dawn. They spent their mornings snuggled together in bed eating long leisurely breakfasts, which usually finished with them making love again. When they finally did manage to get out of bed Jax went into his den to follow up on some of the messages and mail that had accumulated while they had been away. To Brenda's amazement he even completed a very lucrative business deal simply by making a couple of phone calls.

While Jax was working in the den Brenda and Lois worked in the living room. Lois had insisted on working at the penthouse so that Brenda would be free to spend as much time as possible with Jax. She brought over everything they had been working on before Brenda had left as well as everything she had completed while Brenda had been gone. It took them almost three days just to catch up on everything because of their short workdays.

In addition to her meetings with Lois about L&B business Brenda had met several times with the designer of her gown for the upcoming Nurse's Ball. Jax had surprised her one morning when he had insisted that they get up and dressed before breakfast instead of their usual breakfast in bed. It wasn't until they were finishing their coffee that Jax finally explained why. He pulled a small envelope from under his plate and slid it across the table to her.

"What's this?" Brenda asked as she reached for the envelope.

"Open it," he said with a smile.

Brenda picked up the envelope and slowly opened it. Inside was the business card of one of the designers they had visited during their New York shopping trip. She looked over at Jax with a look of total confusion on her face.

He couldn't help chuckling when he saw her expression. He reached over and caressed her cheek. "I thought you might want a new dress for the Nurse's Ball since it's going to be our first 'public' appearance." Jax pointed to the card she was holding. "I saw how much you liked his clothes when we were in New York so I arranged for him to come up to Port Charles this morning with some sketches for you to look at." He glanced down at his watch. "In fact, he should be here any minute."

To say Brenda was stunned would have been an understatement. She jumped up from her chair and plopped herself down in Jax's lap. After giving him several kisses she leaned back and looked at him. "You're amazing, you know that?" she said as she wiped her lipstick from his face. "I was planning to ask you if you had time this afternoon to go to Wyndom's with me to pick out a dress."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Brenda looked excitedly at Jax who simply smiled at her and nodded toward the door. "You better get that. You don't want to keep your designer waiting."

Brenda leaned forward to kiss him one more time before getting up and almost running to the door. What she saw when she opened the door surprised her. Not only was the designer standing there but most of his staff was there as well. She opened the door wider to let them all in. When she turned to look at Jax he was nowhere to be seen.

The next two hours were spent going over the various sketches the designer had prepared. They finally agreed on a new design that combined the features that Brenda liked in three different existing sketches. Once the new design was approved it took very little time to decide on the type of fabric to be used as well as the color. After taking all the necessary measurements and getting Brenda's authorization on the design the entire group just picked up and left, before Brenda even had a chance to say thank you.

From that day until today there had been daily meetings and then as the dress started to come together fittings. Brenda was waiting for them in the living room when Jax came down the stairs so involved in a report he was reading that he didn't even realize that she was sitting on the couch.

"Hey you," Brenda said as she got up and walked over to him.

"Hey yourself," Jax said as he looked over at her with a trace of embarrassment at not having noticed her. "What are you up to this afternoon?" he asked as he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"Rebecca is coming over this afternoon with my gown for the Nurse's Ball. She wants me to try it on one more time." Brenda wasn't sure what to make of the expression on Jax's face. "What?" she asked.

Jax smiled at her. "Oh, I was just trying to decide when to give you a gift I've been saving for you." He knew that would definitely get her attention. He had learned very early in their relationship that Brenda loved presents. It didn't matter what the gift; she just loved getting presents. He had seen her react the same whether it was an outfit from Rodeo Drive or a box of mint cookies from the hotel kitchen tied with a ribbon. She was just thrilled at the idea that someone would think enough of her to give her a gift!

"That's not fair Jax! You know how I am about presents!" she said as she slapped his chest and looked up at him with her best pouting little girl expression.

With a chuckle Jax leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose before letting her go and walking over to the desk. He set the report he had been reading down on the desk as he opened one of the side drawers and took out two boxes. As he walked back to Brenda he concealed the smaller box in one of his hands as he handed her the larger one. "Here you go," he said with a slight smile.

Brenda nervously looked down at the box Jax had handed her. She was stunned to see Tiffany and Co. embossed on the lid. She looked over at Jax who was now sitting on the table in front of her. "Jax, what have you done?" she asked nervously.

"Go on, open it," he said as he tapped the lid of the box.

When she saw her hands shaking as she opened the lid of the box Brenda suddenly realized how excited she was. She slowly opened the lid and drew in a deep breath when she saw what was inside. "Oh my God Jax, they're beautiful," she said so softly that he could hardly hear her. Her hand shook even harder as she lifted one of the diamond hair combs from the box. She looked lovingly at it as she gently rubbed her thumb across it.

With tears in her eyes she looked at Jax. "Why? These must have cost a fortune," she said as she gently set the comb back in its box.

"Now Brenda, since you've known me when has the cost of something ever been a consideration?" he asked with a chuckle. "As to why that's easy. You've taken care of all the details about your gown for the Nurse's Ball as well as everything you would need to go with it like your shoes, purse, whatever. I felt like I needed to contribute something to your outfit. Since you had covered everything else I decided I would take care of your jewelry. I know you well enough to know that you would never buy anything for yourself so I bought you these." He reached forward and ran his finger across one of the combs. "Since I don't even know the color of your dress let alone what it looks like I figured diamond hair combs were the only possible choice." He reached up to caress her cheek. "So, do you like them?" he asked softly as he smiled at her.

"I love them Jax! Thank you!" she said as she leaned forward to kiss him. "They'll be perfect with my dress!"

"Good, I'm glad," Jax said as he leaned forward for another kiss. While he was kissing her he set the smaller box that he had been hiding on top of the combs.

Brenda pulled back from him as soon as she heard the sound of the second box dropping on the combs. She couldn't believe he had bought something more. "No Jax, this is too much!" she insisted as she picked up the small box and held it out to him.

Jax just smiled at her as he wrapped her fingers up around the box. "There is no such thing as too much when it comes to you luv," he said softly as he nodded toward the box in her hand. "Go on, open it."

Uncertain at first about what to do she finally smiled at him as she slowly opened the box. She could not believe what she saw - a pair of small diamond teardrop earrings that perfectly matched the combs. She looked over at Jax, a shocked expression on her face. "Jax, they're perfect," she said as tears started to spill down her cheeks.

"As soon as I saw them I knew they were made for you. They're small and perfect - just like you," he said with a little boy smile. When he saw the tears running down her cheeks he reached up to cup her face in his hands, his thumbs wiping her tears away. "Hey, what are these for? I thought they'd make you happy. Don't you like them?"

Brenda smiled through her tears. "Oh Jax, that's not it, I LOVE them!" she sniffled as she reached up to pull one of his hands from her face. She held it, linking their fingers, "I just can't believe you did this for me, that's all."

Jax smiled as he tapped the tip of her nose with his finger before bringing his hand down to wrap around their joined hands. He looked down at them for a moment and then at the diamonds in her lap. When he looked up at her his smile got wider. "You better believe it luv because there's a lot more where these came from!" When he saw her start to protest he put his finger to her lips. "Don't worry, not every thing will be this extreme," he said as he ran his thumb across her hand. "I just love seeing your face when you open a gift so I intend to keep right on giving them to you!" he declared.

Pulling her hand from his grasp Brenda reached behind his neck to pull him to her. After kissing him passionately she rested her forehead against his for a moment. When she finally leaned back she reached up to brush the backs of her fingers across his cheek. "Well in that case I guess I'll have to accept them won't I?" she asked with a smile before leaning forward to kiss him again. This time they were only able to share a brief kiss before they were interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. "That'll be Rebecca," Brenda said as she again rested her forehead against his for a moment before giving him one more quick kiss.

"Oh nuts! Just when things were getting interesting…" Jax said with a sexy smile. He had to laugh out loud when he saw the shocked expression on Brenda's face. He leaned in for another quick kiss. "Okay, okay, you go answer the door. I'll put these away before I make some calls." When Brenda smiled at him as she got up Jax reached for her hand to stop her. "Let me know when you're finished. I think we should spend the rest of the afternoon together. After all, Mrs. Jacks, we are still on our honeymoon you know," he said with 'that' twinkle in his eyes as he kissed her hand.

"Oh I like the way you think Mr. Jacks," Brenda said with the same twinkle in her eyes. "You've got yourself a date." She took his face in both of her hands and leaned down to give him a very passionate kiss. Just then there was another knock at the door. Brenda backed away a little to look into his eyes, "Remember where we were," she said seductively before kissing his nose and walking toward the door.

"You can count on it," Jax said with a smile as he watched for a moment as she walked away from him. He picked up the jewelry boxes and headed up the stairs to the den. When he got to the top of the stairs he stopped to look back at her. He smiled when she looked up at him with a seductive smile before turning to open the door. Jax headed down the hall to the den as Brenda opened the front door.

After locking Brenda's diamonds in the safe Jax sat down at his desk to finish the work he had started earlier. He had been working for almost an hour before he realized that he needed the report that he had left in the living room. He glanced over at the clock on his desk as he slowly let out a deep breath, hoping Brenda was finished with her fitting so he could get the report. He wanted to finish his work as quickly as possible so he would be free to spend the rest of the day with his wife.

Just as he turned his chair to get up Jax noticed the door start to open. He sat silently as the door opened wider and Brenda stepped into the room. He couldn't help smiling as she walked toward him. In place of the silk pants outfit she had been wearing earlier she was now wearing one of his shirts and, he suspected, not much else. As she got closer he could see that she was carrying the report he needed. When she got in front of him she smiled invitingly at him as she crawled into his lap, her knees straddling his hips. She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck as she sat down facing him. "Nice shirt," he said as he reached up to pull out the clip holding her hair up. He ran his fingers through her hair to spread it out on her shoulders.

"Thanks, I thought you might like it." She shifted a little in his lap as she brought the hand holding the report from around his neck. "I thought you might need this," she said innocently as she held up the report before setting it on the desk behind him.

"I need this a lot more," he said softly as he reached his hand behind her neck and gently pulled her to him for a very passionate kiss. One kiss quickly led to another and another as he tightened his arms around her.

Brenda eagerly responded to his kisses. When she felt his tongue stroke across her lips she quickly opened them to allow him in. She ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head as she tried to pull him even closer to her. As their kisses intensified she brought her hands forward to tightly hold his face. When she finally broke the kiss to breathe she looked into his eyes as she caressed his cheek with the backs of her fingers. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," she asked with a very seductive smile as she continued to stroke his cheek.

Jax returned her smile as he reached up to push a lock of hair behind her ear before cupping the side of her face for a moment with his hand. "You can disturb me like this anytime you want," he said as he leaned forward slightly to rest his cheek against her breast, wrapping his arms more tightly around her. When Brenda rested her cheek on top of his head and began to softly stroke his hair he leaned back far enough to look into her eyes.

As they continued to gaze silently at each other Jax reached up and started to unbutton her shirt. When he opened the last button he slowly pulled the open edges of the shirt apart, leaning forward to gently place a kiss on the top of her right breast as he did. Several more kisses followed until he reached her already hardened nipple. After stroking his tongue across her nipple he slowly kissed a path across her chest to her left breast where he did the same thing. He reached his hand up to caress her right breast as soon as his lips left it which caused Brenda to moan softly at the sensations he was causing in her.

Brenda quickly pulled her shirt completely off as Jax was lavishing his attention on her breasts. As soon as she did she laced her fingers through the hair at the back of his head to pull him closer and causing him to take more of her breast into his mouth. She could feel her desire for him taking control, especially when she felt his arousal rub against her. When she couldn't stand it any longer she pulled his lips from her breast and turned his face up to her. She could see in his passion clouded eyes that his desire for her was as intense as hers was for him. She leaned down to kiss him passionately. "Make love to me Jax - please," she said in a husky voice.

Jax smiled up at her as he stood up with his hands on her butt, holding her close against him. Brenda wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned her head in to kiss a path up the side of his neck. They never made it to the bedroom. By the time they reached the couch Brenda's kisses had reached his lips and their passion took control, causing Jax to kneel on the couch and gently lay her down beneath him.

As soon as her back touched the couch Brenda released her hold on his neck and brought her legs from around his waist. She reached up and started to unbutton his shirt as he looked down at her and gently stroked her cheek. When she undid the last button she slowly slid the shirt down his arms and dropped it on the floor. She gently slid her hands up his chest until she reached his neck. When she did she pulled him down to her and began to kiss him - first with short sweet kisses, which quickly turned into long lingering passionate ones. As their kisses intensified any clothes either of them were still wearing were quickly removed.

They made love for the remainder of the afternoon without ever leaving the den. When they were both exhausted they fell asleep in each other's arms on the couch. Jax woke about 6:00 and carried Brenda to their bed without her ever waking. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers up over her. As soon as she was on the bed Brenda rolled onto her side to rest her hand on his pillow. Jax couldn't keep from smiling as he stood next to the bed watching her. When she started to stir as if she might be waking up he stooped down and gently stroked her hair until she settled down again.

When he was sure she was sleeping soundly he got up, grabbed his robe from the chair next to the bed and headed into the bathroom. After a quick shower he came back into the bedroom to check on her. When he saw that she was still sleeping soundly he smiled and stood watching her for several minutes before heading out of the room to make the arrangements for their evening, quietly closing the door behind him.

A short time later Brenda woke up suddenly. It took a few moments for her eyes to focus because of the darkness in the room. When she finally could see she realized that not only was she alone but she was no longer in the den. Instead she was in their bedroom. She sat up to call out for Jax when she noticed a note on his pillow beneath a single pink rose. She held the rose to her cheek as she read the note.

My Love,

     This evening is going to be my way of thanking you for an amazing afternoon. Just follow the roses to your first surprise. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Love,
Jax

She held the rose to her lips for a moment before gently kissing it as she jumped out of bed. Without bothering to put on her robe she started picking up the roses on the floor. By the time she reached the last rose she realized she was standing at the bathroom door. When she opened the door she was stunned by what she saw. The room was lit by a dozen thick white candles. As she looked around she immediately saw the tub was filled with a very inviting bubble bath. She smiled as she picked up the clip that was sitting on the edge of the bathtub and secured her hair. As she stepped into the tub she couldn't help wondering what the rest of the evening was going to be like if Jax had taken this much care in preparing her bath?

After a long leisurely bath Brenda got out of the tub and dried off. She found her cream colored silk robe folded neatly on the bench beneath the towel. She put it on before taking the clip out and running her brush through her hair several times. Once she was satisfied with her appearance she picked up the roses and opened the door. She was surprised to see that even though the bedroom lights were not on she could see quite clearly. It only took her a moment to realize that the room was actually lighted by dozens of candles that were spread throughout the room. When she turned toward the door to go look for Jax she was startled by what she saw in front of her.

There was a small table set up in front of the fireplace; a silver wine bucket with a bottle of champagne in it was sitting on a stand next to the table. But it was the sight of Jax that had taken her breath away. He was standing behind one of the chairs wearing the blue silk robe she had bought for him during their New York shopping trip. The flickering light from the candles cast an amazing glow on his golden hair. He smiled at her as he extended one of the glasses of champagne he was holding to her.

With her roses clutched in her arm Brenda smiled as she walked the short distance to him. She could feel herself start to blush as she reached for the glass. No longer able to look at him she looked down at her glass. "Why are you looking at me like that Jax?" she asked, her embarrassment obvious.

Jax lifted her chin with the side of his finger. "Because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he said softly as he smiled at her. He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "A toast," he said as he held his glass slightly in front of him. "To my beautiful wife. " His smile seemed to spread as he tapped his glass against hers.

After taking a sip of wine Brenda looked up at him. She reached out her glass, "My turn," she said softly. "To my amazing husband," was all she said. There were tears in her eyes as she tapped her glass against his. "Please don't ever stop surprising me." She had barely taken a sip of her wine when Jax reached for her glass. "What?"

With a smile he gently caressed the side of her face. His smile slowly faded as he cupped her cheek. "You don't ever have to worry about that luv. I promise." He set their glasses down so that he could hold her face between his hands. He leaned down to kiss her passionately without letting go of her face. When he finally broke the kiss he smiled at her again as he gently stroked his thumbs across her cheeks. "Let's eat. I don't know about you but I'm starved!"

Brenda returned his smile and put her hands on top of his before slowly nodding her agreement. Jax bent down to give her a quick kiss before letting go of her face and stepping back to pull out her chair. As Brenda sat down he slowly pushed her chair in for her. Once she was comfortable he walked around to his chair and sat down. When he looked over at her he saw her staring at him. This time it was his turn to be embarrassed at being watched. He picked up the bottle of champagne to refill their glasses. "Go ahead, get started," he said as he pointed the bottle toward the covered plate in front of her.

Finally forcing herself to look away from Jax's face Brenda lifted the silver cover from her plate, expecting to fine some exotic meal. Instead, to her surprise, she found one of her favorite dinners from Kelly's. She looked over at Jax in shock. When she saw the smile on his face she became even more confused.

Jax couldn't help chuckling as he watched her. "Happy two week anniversary Mrs. Jacks," he said softly as he looked into her eyes. He laughed out loud when the saw her confusion intensify. "Well actually it's been two weeks and two days but it's close enough."

Everything slowly began to fall into place for Brenda when he had said that. Remembering the date she realized that they had been married on June 1st - which was two weeks and two days ago! When she looked down at her plate again it dawned on her that this was the same meal she had ordered at Kelly's the night of their first 'official' date. She reached over and lifted the cover from Jax's plate, positive of what she would find. Since Jax had let her order for both of them that night she knew she would find the same meal on his plate as was on hers - which she did. She put the lid down and reached for his hand.

"How on earth did you arrange all of this? The roses, the bath, the candles and especially this dinner?" she asked with a big smile. "Better question might be WHEN did you arrange it? As I recall we were rather 'busy' all afternoon," she said with a wink as she squeezed his hand.

"You forget, you did fall asleep for a while," he said with a very satisfied smile. He ducked back when she tried to hit him. "Seriously though, it wasn't hard. When I woke up and found you were still sleeping I brought you in here and tucked you in bed. When I was sure you were asleep I went back to the den and made some calls to order what I needed." He smiled and reached for her hand again. "After that it was easy. By the time I took a shower room service was here with the roses, champagne and the table set-up." Jax chuckled as he remembered the waiter's face as he brought in the table, fully set but with no food. "I think they have decided though that I'm some kind of a nut for ordering a formal table setting but no food." When he saw Brenda smile he continued. "Anyway, just as the waiter was leaving Ruby got here with dinner. While she was getting dinner set up I looked in on you. I saw you starting to stir so I figured you'd be up soon. While Ruby finished I started your bath. While the tub was filling I lit the candles. When I came out I saw that you were almost awake so I left the trail of roses and the note before sneaking out. Then while you were in the tub I brought the table in here. The rest you know," he said with a very satisfied smile.

Brenda lifted his hand to her lips and kissed the tops of his fingers. "Why did you do all of this?" she asked, suddenly very serious. "I read your note but I don't really know what you meant by it. I didn't do anything this afternoon except interrupt your work - AGAIN!" She held his hand up to her face before she continued. "You really confuse me Jax. Ever since we met I've done nothing but interfere with your work." When she saw him start to protest she put her finger to his lips to stop him.

"You know I'm right Jax. You spent all that time at the hospital with me when I had my accident, then even more time when you took me to Malibu. You and I both know that you almost lost that company in Thailand because you were spending time with me and not tending to your business." She looked away from him before she continued. "Even on the yacht I wouldn't let you work. Every time I saw you on the phone I knew you were working but I interrupted you anyway. Now here you are 'rewarding' me for interrupting you again this afternoon! I just don't get it!"

Jax could see how upset she was. "I'm not trying to confuse you luv," he said softly as he turned her face back to him and caressed her cheek. "I just have a different way of doing business than other men you've know, that's all." He looked into her eyes before continuing, "Remember when we were in Malibu I explained how we work at J&J Jacks?" He waited until she nodded. "So you know I wasn't neglecting my work to be with you at the hospital or in Malibu right?" Again he waited for her to nod before continuing.

"As for the Thailand deal," he said with a sudden exhale. "That deal was shaky from the start. It had nothing to do with my being available or not. The only reason I even had to go at all was because dad couldn't find Jerry. See Jerry handles all of our negotiations in the Far East - regardless of whose deal it happens to be. Unfortunately, by the time dad realized that Jerry was nowhere to be found the deal was a total mess so I had to go."

He could see Brenda starting to relax as he spoke so he continued. "The only reason I even called into the office while we were on the yacht was because I didn't want anyone to get suspicious about what we were doing. I wanted my parents to be the first ones we told about our marriage so I figured if I called Addie no one would get curious. Besides, it was our honeymoon. I had no right to be making business calls in the first place." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I guess that means that I should be apologizing to you doesn't it?" He was relieved when he saw a big smile on her face as she put her hand on top of his.

"Now about this afternoon - I hate to disappoint you but you didn't interrupt me at all. I was just getting up to come look for you when you opened the door. After all, you did promise to spend the rest of the afternoon with me didn't you?" Jax arched his eyebrow, which caused Brenda to chuckle. He caressed the side of her face one more time before pointing to her plate. "Enough talk! Let's eat before the food gets cold!"

They sat eating their dinner in silence, spending most of their time looking at each other and not at their food. When they were finished Jax picked up the remote control and pointed it at the stereo. As soon as he pushed the button soft music started to play. Brenda smiled when she recognized it as the same song that they had danced to on their wedding night. Jax reached out his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"

Brenda smiled as she took his had, "Of course."

They got up without letting go of each other's hands. Jax led her over to the open area near the foot of the bed before wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. Brenda reached up to link her fingers behind his neck as she snuggled up to him, the side of her face pressed against his bare chest at the opening of his robe. They danced like this for several minutes, Jax slowly running his hands up and down her back and Brenda bringing her hands down to caress his chest.

As though it had been planned they both stopped and looked into each other's eyes. Without breaking eye contact Brenda reached down and untied Jax's robe. She slowly ran her hands up his bare chest as she reached up to push it off his shoulders and down his arms. When she was finished she stood in front him with her arms at her sides, waiting for him to make the next move. It only took a moment for Jax to untie her robe and push it off of her.

He looked down at her for several moments before wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to kiss her. As their kisses intensified he slid his hands down over her bottom to the backs of her thighs so he could lift her. When he lifted her Brenda wrapped her legs around his waist and tightened her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair as their passionate kisses continued. Without breaking the kiss Jax carried her to the bed and knelt on one knee as he laid her down. He silently looked down at her until she held up her arms to him. As soon as she did that he leaned down, allowing Brenda to pull him into her embrace. It wasn't long before they were making love for the first of what promised to be many times that night. In fact, the first streaks of dawn were peaking through the blinds above the bed when they finally fell asleep. They had both given and received love until they were totally satisfied. When they finally fell asleep they were in their favorite position - wrapped tightly around each other, Brenda's ear resting on Jax's chest just above his heart and her leg resting between his as his hands rested on her back and cupping her bottom.

June 21, 1996

The last three days had been a very private time for Jax and Brenda. They had spent almost every moment together. Neither one of them accepted any calls or visitors. The mail was piled up on the desk unopened. Instead they took the time to get to know more about one another and to make plans for the coming summer.

It wasn't until about 4:00 in the afternoon that either one of them even noticed the time. They were snuggled together on the couch, Brenda sitting between Jax's outstretched legs, her head leaning back against his chest and his arms resting in her lap. She turned his wrist so she could see his watch and let out a slight groan.

"What?" Jax asked as he tightened his arms around her and leaned his chin on her shoulder.

"It's getting late. I have to start getting ready for the Nurse's Ball," Brenda said without the slightest hint of moving from his embrace.

"We don't have to leave for at least three hours Brenda!" Jax said as he looked at his watch. "Besides, it's just downstairs in the ballroom so it's not like we have to worry about getting stuck in traffic or anything," he said as he tightened his arms around her.

"I know Jax but I have to do my hair - which will take me forever - and my makeup has to be perfect so it's going to me take some time," she said with an obvious trace of nervousness in her voice as she finally tried to get up.

Sensing how nervous she had become Jax released his arms from around her and let her get up. When she was standing next to the couch he reached for her hand. "Why are you so nervous about how you look tonight?" he asked as he sat up without letting go of her hand. "You always look gorgeous whenever we go out and it never takes you more than an hour to get ready."

Brenda sat down on the table facing him. "This is different Jax. This is our first public appearance as a married couple and I want everything to be right." She looked into his eyes as she held both of his hands in hers. "Does that make any sense to you?" she asked.

Jax smiled at her as he squeezed her hands, suddenly realizing that they were trembling. "Sure it does luv. Tell you what, while you go take your shower and wash your hair I'll get your combs and earrings out of the safe so you'll have them when you do your hair. Okay?" he asked with an innocent smile on his face.

If she hadn't been so nervous Brenda might have been suspicious of the expression on Jax's face but since she was preoccupied she missed it. "Sounds good to me." She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. "Thanks," was the last thing she said before running up the stairs.

As soon as Jax heard the bedroom door close he got up and walked over to the phone on the desk. He pressed the button for the front desk and waited for someone to answer. "Hello Jessica? This is Mr. Jacks. Have my guests arrived yet?" He listened for a minute. "Good, send them right up would you? Thanks." He hung up the phone and couldn't resist the urge to smile as he imagined Brenda's reaction to his surprise.

Brenda came out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later, expecting to find the hair combs and earrings on the dresser. When they weren't anywhere to be found she figured Jax had gotten tied up on a business call and hadn't had a chance to get them yet. After a quick look at the clock she decided to go get them herself.

She stopped for a minute outside the door to the den, not wanting to interrupt Jax if he was in the middle of a business call. Finally she decided that she really needed to start getting dressed and to do that she needed the combs so she took a deep breath and let it out quickly before tapping lightly on the door.

"Come on in luv," Jax called.

"I don't mean to interrupt Jax but I really need…" Brenda was stunned when she saw who was with Jax.

"You're not interrupting luv, we have been waiting for you to join us," Jax said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I thought you might like a little help getting ready for tonight so I called Lucy the other day for a few suggestions." He extended his free arm toward the others in the room. "These were her suggestions. She said that you liked working with them at your shoots so I gave them each a call and here they are," Jax said as he led Brenda over to his desk where the hairdresser and makeup artist Lucy had recommended had set everything up.

After pushing a still stunned Brenda into the chair Jax reached into the desk drawer and pulled out the Tiffany's boxes. "You'll probably be needing these," he said with a smile as he set the boxes on the desk. He leaned down to whisper in Brenda's ear, "Your gown is in the closet as well as your shoes. Do you need anything else before I go?" he asked as he quickly kissed the side of her neck.

Brenda turned in her chair to look up at him with tears in her eyes. "I have everything I need," she said so softly he was the only one who heard her words. She reached up to pull his face to her for a kiss. When she finally let him go she lightly slapped his chest. "You better get going or I'll never be ready on time!"

Jax leaned close to give her one more quick kiss. "I'll be waiting for you in the living room when you're ready," he said. "Take your time and relax." He kissed her again before standing up.

"She's all yours," he said to the others. He winked at Brenda before heading out the door, closing it behind him to give Brenda the privacy he knew she wanted to get ready.

6:45 P.M.

As promised Jax was sitting in the living room when he heard the door to the den open. Jax stood up when he saw the hairdresser and makeup artist come down the hall. He knew Brenda would be right behind them. Without anyone saying anything Jax walked over to the door to open it for them. As they left they each smiled and gave Jax a slight nod, which he returned.

After closing the door he looked at his watch. Realizing it was getting late he turned toward the stairs to call up to Brenda. When he looked up at the landing he was stunned by what he saw. Standing there was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen - BRENDA! He smiled when he saw her fidgeting nervously. He could tell that she had not realized he was looking at her, which gave him a few moments to admire her.

She was wearing a very simple long red silk crepe gown. It was sleeveless with a high neckline in front. Her hair was a cascade of curls held back from her face with the diamond combs he had given her. With her hair back it was easy to see the earrings that she was wearing. When she finally realized that he was looking at her she smiled nervously before doing a slow turn so that he could see the back of her gown. The simplicity of the front carried over to the back, which scooped down below her waist. The back of the a-line skirt drifted smoothly to the floor, forming a slight fishtail at the hemline.

After giving Jax a moment, Brenda looked over her shoulder for his reaction. When she saw the expression on his face she thought he didn't like her dress and she could feel her insecurities threatening to return. She had started back down the hall when she heard him call out to her, "Where are you going?"

Brenda stopped and looked back nervously at him. "To change my dress," she said sadly, since she really loved this dress.

Jax quickly came up the steps to stand next to her. "Why on earth would you want to do that?" he asked incredulously.

"Because you don't like this one," she said with a trace of confusion in her voice.

"Why would you think that?" Jax asked as he gently ran his hands up and down her arms. "I've never seen anyone look more beautiful than you do right now," he said as he leaned forward to kiss her gently.

"Really?" Brenda asked as her excitement, not to mention her confidence about the evening, returned. "I… I wasn't sure when I saw the look on your face."

Jax smiled as he again ran his hands up and down her arms. "What you saw was shock not disapproval Brenda." He rested his hands on her shoulders. "You took my breath away when I saw you. I could not believe a woman could look so beautiful until I actually saw you standing here." When he saw tears in her eyes he reached up to hold her face in his hands. "Now don't do that, you'll ruin all of Beth's hard work," he said with a chuckle that brought a smile to Brenda's face. "That's better." He leaned his forehead against hers for a moment before taking her hand and leading her down the stairs.

He led her over to the coffee table where an open bottle of champagne was waiting for them. Jax held out an empty glass to her. When she reached for it he held her hand for a moment before looking into her eyes. "Looks to me like you're still missing something," he said with a wink. Releasing his hold on her wrist, Jax reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out his last surprise - a diamond bracelet that perfectly matched the combs and earrings! "There, that's perfect," he said after fastening the bracelet as he bent down to kiss her hand.

Jax couldn't resist smiling as he watched Brenda looking at the bracelet on her wrist. She seemed to be almost hypnotized as she watched the light reflect off the perfectly cut stones. He finally looked away to pour their champagne. When he looked up again he was surprised to see Brenda staring at him.

She took the glass he was holding out to her without looking away from his face. "Thank you," was all she said as she tapped her glass against his. After taking a sip of her wine Brenda walked over to the mantle and ran her finger gently across the hull of the little yacht. As she took another sip of wine she felt the last of her nervousness fade away. She couldn't help smiling as she looked at the new bracelet on her wrist and then over at the man who had given her not only the bracelet but so much more.

After standing and admiring his wife for several minutes Jax glanced down at his watch. He set his glass on the table and walked up behind her. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to kiss the side of her neck.

Brenda leaned back against him as she put her glass on the mantle next to the yacht. She put her hands on top of his, "As long as you're with me I am," she said as she turned her head to look up at him.

Jax smiled at her as he leaned down to kiss her on the lips. "You can always count on that luv," he said very softly as he looked into her eyes for several moments. Reluctantly he finally gave her a quick squeeze before releasing his arms from around her. "We better get going," he said with a slight smile as he held out his hand to her.

She took a quick deep breath. "Okay," she said with a nervous smile. Brenda walked quickly over to the table behind the couch. "Can you put these in your pocket for me or would you rather I take a bag?" she asked as she picked up the few personal items she had brought downstairs with her.

"I'll take them for you. No sense in you carrying a bag when you could be carrying this," he said with a wink as he pulled a small perfect white rose from behind his back.

"Oh Jax, it's beautiful! Thank you," Brenda said with a sigh as she handed him her things and took the rose. She held it to her nose to smell if for a moment before looking up at him with a smile. "It's perfect - just like you." She reached up to gently caress his cheek several times.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by Brenda's compliment Jax cleared his throat as he reached around her to pull her close to his side. "Let's go," he said as he led her toward the door, stopping at the desk to pick up their invitation and his keys before opening the door for her.

Brenda pushed the button for the elevator as Jax locked the door. As they stood waiting with their arms around each other Jax couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen tonight that would have a major affect on their lives. Before he had a chance to say anything to Brenda the doors opened and they stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed he decided not to say anything to her. He didn't want to make her any more nervous than she already was.

GENERAL HOSPITAL NURSE'S BALL
Port Charles Hotel Versailles Room

The crowd that turned out each year for the annual General Hospital Nurse's Ball was a diverse one. Some of the most affluent citizens of Port Charles mingled comfortably with factory workers. Everyone in the room was there for the same reason - to find a cure for AIDS.

As each guest entered the room they were announced and a souvenir photo was taken of them before they were shown to their table. The society reporters and photographers from most of the major newspapers in the region were assembled in the lobby to record everyone who attended. As would be expected, different guests created different reactions from the reporters. When the entire Quartermaine family arrived together everyone surged forward to get pictures or quotes for their columns. The arrival of various members of the General Hospital Board of Directors received the same reaction. When Mac Scorpio arrived with his niece Robin and his date Katherine Bell there was very little press interest, which seemed to bother Ms. Bell.

When the elevator doors opened Jax and Brenda stepped into the crowded lobby to wait their turn to enter the Ball. Jax had hoped to make an inconspicuous entrance but as soon as they stepped up to the doorway camera flashes immediately started to go off. Jax and Brenda both smiled uncomfortably for them as Jax handed over their invitation to the greeter.

"Thank you sir. May I have the name please?" he asked politely as he turned the invitation over to write down the name.

Jax smiled at Brenda for a moment as she nervously linked her arm with his and gave him a slight nod. He patted her hand before looking back at the man. "Jacks, Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Jacks," he said loudly enough for everyone around them to hear.

The greeter quickly wrote the name on the invitation before turning to face the crowded ballroom. He reached for his microphone to announce them. "Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Jacks" was barely out of his mouth when the reporters and photographers came rushing at them, everyone asking questions and taking pictures at the same time.

Jax and Brenda did their best to ignore the questions as they let the photographers take several pictures. When a waiter came to show them to their table Jax signaled for the security guards to clear away the press. They held each other's hands tightly as they walked across the room. A wave of murmurs followed them as they walked. Most of the people in the room knew Brenda, either personally or from her work for Deception but most knew nothing about her new husband. His photo was seldom in the papers so little was known about him other than his reputation for ruthlessness in business and his intense desire for his privacy.

Brenda couldn't wait to get to the table. She could feel herself start to tremble before they were halfway across the room. Even when Jax squeezed her hand she continued to tremble. When she saw Ned and Lois sitting at the table next to them she couldn't help smiling. Finally a friendly face she thought. When they got to the table Ned and Lois as well as the rest of the Quartermaines stood up to greet them. Brenda tightly wrapped her arms around Lois, partly in friendship and partly for reassurance. When she released Lois Brenda noticed Jax and Ned shaking hands. She gave Ned a quick hug before turning to greet the rest of the Quartermaine family. She made a point of leading Jax over to talk to Lila before anyone else.

"Good evening Lila," Brenda said with a nervous smile as she leaned over to kiss Lila's cheek. She never let go of Jax's hand the entire time.

"Good evening my dear," Lila said as she reached out for Jax's hand. When he took her hand she looked up at both of them. "Congratulations to both of you. I think this is absolutely wonderful news!" She turned her gaze directly at Jax. "I hope you two will be as happy for the rest of your lives as you look tonight."

"Thank you Lila. I intend to make sure of it!" Jax said as he winked at Brenda before leaning down to kiss Lila's cheek. When he stood back up he squeezed Brenda's hand. "Ready?"

"You bet," she said with a smile. After accepting the congratulations of the rest of the Quartermaines, including a reluctant hug from Edward, Brenda led Jax back to their table. It wasn't until they were both sitting down that she finally set down the rose she had been carrying and released Jax's hand. As she sipped the glass of champagne that Jax had poured for her she looked around at the people milling around. When Brenda locked eyes with Robin she smiled at her. The expression on Robin's face surprised her though. She was certain she saw fear written across it, which meant only one thing - Sonny was planning on coming tonight!

When Jax glanced over at Brenda he saw her staring across the room, the smile slowly fading from her face. It wasn't hard to figure out why when he saw who she was looking at. As soon as he saw the expression on Robin's face he knew what Brenda was thinking - Sonny was coming to the Ball. He reached over and put his hand on hers to reassure her.

As soon as she felt his hand, Brenda looked at Jax. She could see in his eyes that he knew what she was thinking. Feeling his hand on hers though gave Brenda a sense of comfort. By looking in his eyes she knew he would stand by her no matter what Sonny did or tried to do tonight. She smiled nervously at him as she put her other hand on top of his. When he returned her smile she leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder.

While they were sitting snuggled together Lucy Coe came out on stage to start the festivities. After a long round of applause she held up her hand to quiet the crowd. "Thank you, thank you, and welcome to the General Hospital Nurse's Ball. We'll be serving dinner in a few moments but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank a few very special benefactors.

"As you can imagine an event of this size is very expensive to put on. Even with the generous donations and discounts we have received it still takes almost half of every dollar donated to meet our expenses." This statement caused a murmur to cross the room like a wave. Lucy held up her hand again to get everyone's attention. "This year, however, I am delighted to tell you that a benefactor has stepped forward to cover all of our expenses! This means that 100% of every dollar donated tonight will go to the Stone Cates Aids Unit!"

A thunderous round of applause burst out before she even finished speaking. Lucy again held up her hand to quiet the crowd. "I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce our benefactor. Actually, I should say benefactors - Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Jacks! Jax, Brenda please stand up." This time Lucy led the applause as Jax and Brenda slowly stood up to acknowledge the applause.

Since she had no idea that Jax had done this Brenda looked at him with a shocked expression for a moment. He winked at her as he stood up, pulling her chair out for her to stand with him. They nodded around the room to acknowledge the applause before sitting back down. When they did Lois reached over to squeeze Brenda's arm and Ned patted Jax on the back of the shoulder.

As the applause started to die down Brenda leaned over to whisper into Jax's ear. "Why did you do this Jax? You've only been in Port Charles a short time - and you never knew Stone?"

Jax smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I'll tell you later luv."

Lucy held up her hand to quiet the room. She smiled as she looked over toward the doorway. "I have only one more announcement before we eat," she said with a broad smile as soft laughter rippled across the room. "Our other major benefactor has just arrived." Everyone turned toward the doorway to see who Lucy was talking about.

Jax could feel Brenda tense up when they looked over to see Sonny and Lily standing there. He tightened his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder without ever looking away from the door. He gently kissed the top of her head. "He can't hurt us luv if we don't let him," he whispered to her as he rested his cheek on top of her head.

"As most of you know, Sonny donated the initial funding for the creation of the Stone Cates Aids Unit here at General Hospital and has been very generous in supporting it ever since then. Well this year Sonny and Lily have been incredibly generous. They have offered to fund the construction of an entire new wing for General Hospital that will house the Aids unit. This will allow us to expand all of the current services plus open a research facility that we hope will attract some of the top scientists in the country!" The room erupted in loud applause - even Jax and Brenda applauded.

When the room started to quiet down Lucy spoke up again. "On behalf of General Hospital and the patients of the Stone Cates Aids Unit I want to thank Sonny and Lily Corrinthos as well as Jax and Brenda Jacks for their unprecedented support of this event! What you've done tonight will benefit hundreds of people in the months to come. So again, thank you and God bless you all!"

Everyone in the room was so caught up in the announcements and the applause that no one noticed the expression on Sonny's face. Even Lily was so wrapped up in everything that she didn't notice. It wasn't until he roughly grabbed her arm that she looked at him. When she did she couldn't help shuddering at what she saw. He was staring at Jax and Brenda with his jaws clenched so tightly together that his chin was quivering. The fury that she saw in his eyes sent a chill up her spine.

"Sonny, lets sit down," Lily said softly. When he didn't seem to have heard her she squeezed his arm. "Sonny?" She was not prepared for his reaction when he turned to face her.

"What?" he hissed at her.

"We should sit down now. Everyone is staring at us," she said softly.

"Not yet! I have a stop to make first!" he said as he grabbed her arm, practically pulling her with him as he headed toward Jax and Brenda.

"Sonny stop!" Lily declared as she stopped, pulling her arm out of his grip and rubbing it where he had been squeezing it. This time it was Sonny who was surprised by the expression on her face. He could actually see the intensity of her anger in her eyes. "Look, before you make a scene in front of all these people I want you to think about something. My father loves me very much."

The fury suddenly melted from Sonny's eyes and was replaced with confusion. "What does that have to do with this? I know that your father loves you."

"I just wanted to remind you of that before you go storming over to cause a scene with Brenda and her husband." The cold edge to her voice not only surprised Sonny but Lily as well.

He looked quickly over at Brenda before looking back at Lily. "I get your message," he said with a phony smile. He offered Lily his arm, "Besides, this can wait for a better time," he said with a smirk as he took one more glance at Jax and Brenda. He then signaled the waiter to show them to their table.

When she had seen on the guest list that both Jax and Brenda and Sonny and Lily would be attending Lucy made sure they were seated on opposite sides of the room. She also made sure they were out of the line of sight of each other as well. She didn't want Sonny causing any kind of trouble to embarrass Brenda, Jax OR Lily!

Thanks to Lucy's planning the dinner portion of the evening went off without a problem. As the waiters were clearing away the last of the dishes Lucy once again took the stage to scattered applause. "Thank you," she said with a satisfied smile. "Now that we've all enjoyed that wonderful dinner it's time for the next part of the evening to begin." She waited for the applause to end. "Our first performer is a member of the Quartermaine family. In addition to being the head of a major corporation he has another life that not all of you may be aware of. Ladies and gentlemen, Ned Ashton - AKA - Eddie Maine!"

Ned came out to join Lucy at the center of the stage, nodding in acknowledgement of the applause. He took the microphone Lucy held out to him before she left the stage. "Before I sing this song I think a little background might be helpful." He said as he looked directly at Lois with a big smile. "This song was originally sung on the old 'I Love Lucy' television show back in the 1950's. The song was used for the same purpose that night as it is tonight." He nodded to the band to start playing as everyone in the audience looked at each other to try to figure out what he meant.

As the band played the introduction to the song Brenda and Jax looked at each other before looking over at Lois. Anyone looking at her could see that she was excited about something. When Brenda touched her arm to get her attention Lois simply shrugged her shoulders and nodded toward the stage as Ned began to sing.

He had only sung the first couple of lines of the song when Brenda figured out the meaning. She leaned over to whisper to Jax just as Ned got to the refrain of the song, which confirmed what Brenda had just figured out - Lois was pregnant!

As soon as Ned sang, "She's having my baby," everyone in the room understood and applauded. For the rest of the song as Ned and the dancers, dressed as VERY pregnant women, did their routine a spotlight was also focused on Lois. When he got to the last verse of the song Ned jumped off the stage and got down on one knee in front of Lois. At the end of the song Ned and Lois exchanged a kiss as the crowd, especially the Quartermaine family, applauded loudly.

Ned stood up to acknowledge the applause, pulling Lois up to stand with him. He quickly handed the microphone back to Lucy before rejoining the family at the table. When he got back he saw Brenda and Lois hugging each other and Jax stooping next to her chair.

Jax stood up and extended his hand to Ned. "Congratulations mate!" he said with a huge smile. "I know you're going to be a great dad."

"Thanks Jax," Ned said as he shook Jax's hand before sitting down with Lois. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him to kiss her cheek.

Brenda leaned back against Jax after gently slapping Lois's arm. "How could you keep a secret like this from your best friend?" she demanded with a smile. "When are you do? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

Lois laughed as she leaned over to talk to Brenda since the show was still going on. "We didn't tell anyone. We wanted to wait until I passed my first trimester before saying anything. Luckily I didn't start to show until a few days ago so no one was suspicious," she said as she rested her hand on her abdomen. "I'm feeling pretty good now that the morning sickness has stopped!" She winked over at Ned before continuing. "Dr. Meadows figures the baby is due around Thanksgiving so we've still got a long way to go."

Lucy came back on stage again when the song ended. As the applause died down she started speaking. "Thank you. We're going to take a little break in the entertainment right now to get things set up for the next part of the show. I hope you will all take advantage of this time to check out the items available at the silent auction set up in the lobby. Remember, all the money raised here goes to the aids unit so please be generous!" With that she quickly walked off stage and the lights in the room came on.

As soon as the lights came on a waiter came up to Jax and handed him a message. After reading it he folded it up and let out a loud sigh. "Damn," he said softly.

"What wrong?" Brenda asked as she put her hand on top of his arm on the table.

"There's a crisis at our office in Toronto that won't wait. I have to fly up there tonight. The jet is waiting at the airport for me." A smile suddenly came across his mouth. "Want to come along? We'll be back in the morning?" he asked as he arched his eyebrow at her.

Brenda thought for a moment before answering. "Ooh. . . I'd love to but I promised Robin that I'd be here for her speech. She's been really nervous about it." She reached up to caress his cheek. "I'm sorry,"

Jax smiled at her as he put his hand on hers. "Don't be sorry, I understand. You're a true friend Brenda Barrett-Jacks."

"Are you leaving right now?" Brenda asked, slightly embarrassed by the way Jax was still looking at her.

"I have to get some papers from the penthouse first," he said as he finally released her hand.

"Let me walk you to the elevator. Will you stop back here before you leave?" Brenda asked sadly as she reached for his hand.

"Only if you promise to walk out to the car with me." Jax winked at her then wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they headed toward the door.

After walking Jax to the elevator and waiting for the doors to close Brenda slowly walked back into the ballroom. She stopped a waiter to get a glass of champagne before starting back to her table. She had just taken a sip when she heard a voice that she had been hoping to avoid.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the new Mrs. Pretty Boy!" Sonny said sarcastically. "What's the matter? Is your new husband bored with you already? Couldn't even stand to spend one evening with you in public I guess!" When Brenda still didn't turn around Sonny grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. He was surprised not to see abject fear in her eyes. Instead he saw anger.

"Don't even bother Sonny, it isn't going to work!" Brenda said, as she looked him right in the eyes. "There is nothing you can say that I want to hear so if you'll excuse me I have to meet my husband!" Brenda pulled her arm from his grip and turned to walk away. She was startled when he grabbed her arm again and literally spun her around to face him. Unable to control her anger any longer Brenda threw her glass of champagne in his face which startled him so much that he released his hold on her arm. She turned and walked quickly out of the ballroom without looking back.

By the time Sonny had wiped the champagne off of his face Brenda was no where to be seen. He stormed over to the table where she and Jax had been sitting but all he found there was a small white rose. He picked it up and crushed it in his hand. He looked slowly around the room in an attempt to find her. When he didn't see her he turned to go look for her. He was startled to suddenly find Robin standing right in front of him.

"Quite a surprise wasn't it - their marriage I mean. I'm still trying to figure it out," Robin said calmly as she looked at Sonny. She picked up a napkin from the edge of the bar and blotted the champagne from his jacket. "There, good as new. Why don't you go back to Lily? I have to go get ready for my speech." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I have to admit that I'm really scared," she said as she looked nervously at him.

Sonny's anger seemed to fade immediately as he saw the fear in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hug. "You're going to be great," he said with a confident smile as he looked down at her. "Come on, let's go." Robin smiled weakly as she looked up at him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked back toward his table with her. When they got to the table Sonny put his hands on her upper arms and kissed the top of Robin's head. "Go on now, you're going to be great!" He squeezed her arms gently to reassure her before letting her go.

Robin smiled up at him. "Thank you," she said as she looked from Sonny to Lily, who gave her a reassuring smile. "Both of you! I'll be okay now." She took a deep breath and smiled at them again before turning to walk backstage to get ready.

Sonny sat down next to Lily. "She's an amazing kid," he said as he watched Robin walk away from them. He still had not bothered to even look at Lily. If he had he would have realized that she had seen everything that had happened with Brenda.

Lily hadn't been the only person Sonny failed to notice. A waiter was standing off to the side watching everything that had happened with Brenda, Robin and Lily. When he saw the hurt look on Lily's face he pulled out a cell phone. After pressing a speed dial number he only said two words. "Do it!" before closing the phone with a satisfied smile as he walked past the guests to wait outside to watch for what he knew was coming.

As soon as she was sure Sonny had not followed her Brenda stopped and leaned against a wall. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try to calm herself down.

Jax was still wearing his tux when he got off the elevator but he was now carrying his briefcase. He started around the corner toward the ballroom to find Brenda. He was delighted to see her waiting for him in the hallway. It wasn't until he got closer that he saw how upset she was. He walked quickly over to her. "Brenda?" he asked as he touched her arm. "What's wrong luv?"

As soon as she heard his voice Brenda opened here eyes and looked up at him. When she saw the concern for her on his face she smiled sadly at him. "Jax," she said softly as she wrapped her arms tightly around him and rested her cheek against his chest. She felt him wrap one arm around her and rest his cheek on top of her head for a moment before letting her go and tilting her face up to him.

"Are you okay? What did Sonny do to you?" he asked as he quickly looked around for Sonny before looking back at Brenda.

Brenda felt herself smile as she looked at him. "I'm fine now that you're here. Sonny didn't do anything to me. I wouldn't let him!" she said proudly as a slight blush came to her cheeks. "Actually I did something to him. I threw a glass of champagne in his face and walked away from him!"

Jax couldn't help smiling. "Good for you," he said as he tapped the bridge of her nose. "Any chance you've changed your mind about coming to Toronto with me?" he asked with a quick arch of his eyebrow.

With a twinkle in her eyes Brenda tapped her finger on the side of her face for a moment. "Actually… I'd love to go with you! I'm sure Robin will understand," she said as she wrapped her arm around his waist. After wrapping his arm around her shoulders Jax leaned down to kiss her before they headed for the door, still holding each other.

After Robin had walked away from their table neither Lily nor Sonny said anything for several minutes. Finally Lily broke the silence. "I'm not feeling very well Sonny, I think I'm going to call it a night." When she saw Sonny start to protest she put her hand on his arm. "I know you promised Robin that you'd be here for her speech and I really think you should be so I want you to stay. I'll take a cab home. Frances can come with me so you don't have to worry." She could see the protest fading from Sonny's face.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? Just until Robin's speech is over? We can leave right after," he said as he really looked at her for the first time since his run in with Brenda. He quickly realized why Lily really wanted to leave early. She had seen what had happened with Brenda! "Lily, about before - with Brenda…"

Lily put her hand on Sonny's arm. "Not now Sonny. This is my first day home from visiting my father and I'm very tired. We can talk about everything tomorrow, okay?" she asked with a slightly sad smile.

Sonny looked deeply into her eyes. He smiled reassuringly at her. "Sure, whatever you want. I'm just glad you're home." He gently squeezed her arm. "Come on, I'll put you in a cab," he said as he stood up and extended his hand to her. When Lily took his hand and stood up Sonny signaled for her bodyguard Frances to follow them out.

As they came out the front door of the hotel Jax signaled the doorman to get them a cab. Almost immediately one pulled up and the doorman opened the door for them to get in. Before the cab even pulled away Brenda pulled Jax down so that he was laying face up in her lap. She gently stroked the side of his face as she looked silently down at him. They stayed like this as the cab pulled into the street.

The driver of the car parked across the street started it when the cab pulled out of the driveway. He started to put the car in gear when his companion put his hand on his arm. "Hold it, there's only one person in that cab. We're looking for a couple - a dark haired woman and light haired man." The driver nodded as he relaxed to wait for another car.

Sonny and Lily came out the door just after the cab carrying Jax and Brenda pulled away. Frances went to the doorman to get a cab while Sonny and Lily waited by the door. "I won't be late," Sonny said. "As soon as Robin's speech is over I'm out of here."

Lily smiled at him. "I'll wait up for you." Just then the cab pulled up in front of them. The doorman opened the door for Lily. She turned to Sonny. "I love you Sonny," she said softly as she leaned up to kiss him.

"I love you too," he said as he returned her kiss. He helped her into the cab before turning to Frances. "You stay with her until I get home."

"Yes sir," Frances said with a slight nod. He walked around to the other side of the cab and got in. As the cab pulled away Lily looked out at Sonny one last time and gave him a slight wave. Before he could return it the cab was gone.

The two men in the car had been watching each private car and cab that came out of the Port Charles Hotel driveway. Finally they saw a cab pull out into the rode with two people in the back. When the driver turned on his headlights as the cab pulled into traffic the two men could see that the occupants were a dark haired woman and a light haired man. These must be the marks they were waiting for. The passenger signaled for the driver to follow the cab. This was going to be one of the easiest hits they had ever pulled off. They were both counting their pay as they followed the cab, waiting for a chance to make the hit!