"Sonny! You scared me!" Lucy said as she tried to pull her arm out of his grasp. The harder she pulled the tighter he squeezed. "You're hurting me!" she said loud enough to get the attention of the people near them.

"Shut up Lucy! You're making a spectacle of yourself!" Sonny hissed as he tightened his grip on her arm some more. He quickly looked around the lobby to find a more private place to continue their conversation. He suddenly pulled her over to a corner near the elevator where he finally released his hold on her arm.

"Thank you," Lucy said as she rubbed her arm where Sonny had been squeezing it. "Now, would you mind telling me what you are talking about?" Lucy demanded as she continued to rub her arm, positive that a large bruise was probably already forming.

"Where the hell do you get off trying to hire Brenda away from Deception? I made a deal with Katherine for her to stay and you go behind my back to announce a deal that I didn't approve! You should have come to me with your offer before you arranged that spectacle in there. I could have told you that Brenda wasn't available!" Sonny's voice started to rise as his self-control started to slip. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly to regain his control. "Now you are going to have to schedule another press conference to announce that due to a last minute contract difficulty Brenda will NOT be signing with you. Tomorrow I'll have Katherine issue a statement announcing the return of Brenda Barrett as the Face of Deception."

Lucy could not keep from laughing. "What on earth are you talking about? You have NOTHING to say about where Brenda works! In case you haven't noticed Sonny, Brenda's her own person now. No one speaks for her - especially NOT you!" Lucy said as she spun on her heel and started to walk away.

"Hold it!" Sonny yelled as he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him again, oblivious of everyone in the lobby watching them. "Brenda belongs to ME! I speak for her! I think for her!" Sonny slowly shook his head as he leered at her. "I thought you, of all people, understood that, Lucy," he hissed as his eyes began to glaze over in rage and his grip tightened on her arm.

Unbeknownst to either Lucy or Sonny, their conversation had attracted the attention of one of the Jacks security guards. After calling the penthouse to inform Jax of what was going on in the lobby, he eased closer to where Sonny and Lucy were standing. When he was sure that Sonny could not see him, he signaled Lucy to let her know that he was there if she needed him.

With a slight nod of acknowledgement, Lucy jerked her arm out of Sonny's grasp. "You really believe that don't you Sonny?" she asked sadly.

"Of course I do! Why shouldn't I? It's the truth! Brenda belongs to me and she always will!" Sonny declared with a smirk.

"Brenda doesn't belong to anyone but herself Corrinthos," Jax said calmly as he walked up behind Sonny. "Are you okay Lucy?" he asked as he extended his hand to her. Sonny slowly turned to face Jax, his hatred obvious on his face.

"I'm okay Jax. Thanks for coming down." Lucy took Jax's extended hand and stepped around Sonny to stand next to Jax, never letting go of his hand. "Sonny seems to think that Brenda is not capable of making her own career decisions. He wants me to announce that she will not be signing with Jacks Cosmetics so that Katherine can announce that Brenda Barrett will be returning as the Face of Deception." Now that Jax was there, Lucy no longer felt frightened.

"Good God Sonny! You can't even get her name right!" Jax said with a disgusted chuckle. He leaned forward and poked Sonny in the chest, attracting the attention of Sonny's two bodyguards who were standing nearby. "My wife's name is Jacks, Brenda Jacks. SHE has chosen to use that name - personally and professionally. She will be using that name when she starts appearing in the Jacks Cosmetics advertising in the fall."

Jax signaled to one of his guards who was standing nearby. "Lucy, Eric will drive you to your office. I'm sure Dennis is getting pretty desperate by now." Jax said as he smiled reassuringly at her.

Lucy looked up at Jax, her relief obvious on her face as she returned his smile. "Oh my gosh! You're right! He's probably pulling his hair out by now!" Lucy said as she leaned up to kiss Jax on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered softly before leaning back. Looking at Sonny for a moment, Lucy slowly shook her head and then turned and started walking away. Eric walked slightly behind her, listening for any sound of movement by one of Sonny's bodyguards, as they crossed the lobby and walked out the doors to the waiting security car.

Neither Jax nor Sonny said anything as they watched Lucy walk away. Once she was gone, the two men stood silently looking at each other for a long time. "Leave her out of this Sonny," Jax said quietly as he stared into Sonny's eyes.

Sonny leered at Jax for a moment before signaling to his bodyguards that he was ready to leave. "Fine by me Pretty Boy. All you have to do is realize that Brenda belongs to me and there won't be a 'this' for Lucy to be involved in." With that he turned and walked away with one guard in front and one behind him.

Jax stood silently watching Sonny walk away from him. Once he was gone, Jax took a deep breath and let it out quickly. He shook his head slowly as if to clear his mind before running his fingers through his hair. He then turned and walked toward the elevators to go up to the penthouse. Neither he nor the guards with him paid any attention to the man sitting near the front door, talking on a cell phone. The man continued talking until he saw the elevator doors close behind Jax. When he finished his conversation he closed the phone and settled back into his chair to wait and watch the goings-on around him.

As soon as Jax came through the door Brenda could see that he was upset. She put down the L&B file that she was reading and walked over to him. "What's wrong honey?" she asked as she reached up to caress his cheek. "You left in such a hurry after that phone call that I figured it had something to do with - Sonny."

With a sigh, Jax rested his arms on top of Brenda's shoulders. "The call was from Eric down in the lobby. It seems Sonny was not happy about Lucy's announcement that you had signed with Jacks Cosmetics instead of Deception. He cornered her in the lobby and 'ordered' her to announce that you had decided not to sign with her so that Katherine could announce that Brenda Barrett was returning as the Face of Deception." When Jax saw the scared look on Brenda's face he gently reached up to stroke her hair. "She's fine luv. By the time I got downstairs she was letting Sonny know, in no uncertain terms, what she thought about his orders!" Jax said with a chuckle.

"Are you sure she's okay? Where is she?" Brenda asked with a trace of fear in her voice.

"I'm sure she's fine luv. She on her way back to her office. I had Eric drive her over just to be sure she wasn't bothered again." When he saw Brenda start to relax slightly, Jax decided to tell her the rest. "I asked Sonny to leave Lucy out of all of this," he said quietly as he stroked her hair again.

"What did he sat to that?" Brenda asked. When Jax looked away she reached up and turned his face back to her. "Tell me. Remember, no secrets," she said with a reassuring smile.

Jax returned her smile. "He said all I had to do was realize that you still belonged to him and there wouldn't be anything for Lucy to be involved in. Then he turned and just walked away - calm as you please."

Brenda shuddered when she heard what Sonny had said. "Jax maybe…"

"Don't even think that Brenda! There is nothing Corrinthos can do or say that could get me to leave you." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't forget - nobody leaves."

With tears in her eyes, Brenda smiled up at him. Without saying anything she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. She rested her cheek against his chest as she felt the tears begin to spill out of her eyes. "Thank you," she said softly as she snuggled closer to him. When she realized that her tears were causing a rather large wet spot on the front of Jax's shirt she leaned back slightly to look up at him. She smiled as she brushed the wet spot. "Sorry about that," she said with a sniffle.

Jax glanced down at the spot on his shirt before smiling at her. "It's no big deal. I'll dry." He wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs before holding her face in both of his hands. "Come on, let's forget about all of this and have some lunch. I'm starved!" he said as he looked expectantly into Brenda's eyes.

Brenda smiled as she put her hands on top of his on her cheeks. "I like the sound of that," she said with a slight smile. "Thanks."

"Good! Why don't you have something sent up from the Grill while I go change my shirt?" Jax said as he gave her a wink.

"Okay," she said as she squeezed his hands. She leaned up to give him a quick kiss before letting go of his hands and picking up the cordless phone that was setting on the desk to order their lunch. Jax stood watching her for a minute before starting toward the stairs to change his shirt.

When she finished ordering their lunch, Brenda sat back down on the couch to finish the file she had been reading. She finished just as Jax came back from the bedroom. "You look comfortable," she said with a smile as she watched him come down the stairs. He had replaced his wet dress shirt with a royal blue polo shirt that she had bought for him on their New York shopping trip before going to Alaska. He had also changed into a pair of khaki pants and was no longer wearing any socks or shoes.

Jax walked over to the couch and took the file out of her hand. "Why don't you go change into something more comfortable before our lunch gets here?" He dropped the file onto the coffee table and extended his hand. "Go on, get comfortable so we can relax this afternoon," he said with a smile.

Brenda took his hand as she stood up. "Are you telling me that you can stay home all afternoon?" she asked as she softly rubbed her hands up and down his chest.

"I'm yours for the rest of the day if you can put up with me," Jax said as he wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I can put up with you alright - trust me!" Brenda said with a smile as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I do trust you," Jax said softly. Suddenly he swatted her butt and rested his hands on the sides of her hips. "Go on, get changed! Lunch will be here in a few minutes."

Brenda had jumped when he swatted her. She looked up at him with a slightly shocked expression on her face. "Hey!" she said as she rubbed where he had swatted.

"Get going!" he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he nodded toward the stairs.

"Okay, I'm going. You just wait though. I'm going to get you for that!" Brenda said as she lightly slapped his chest.

"I'm counting on that," Jax said with a wink. He nodded toward the stairs as he took his hands off of her hips. "Hurry up and change," he said before turning her toward the stairs. He watched her walk quickly across the room and nearly run up the stairs. He continued to watch her until she disappeared into the bedroom. When she was gone he stepped over to the fireplace and gently ran his finger across the hull of the little yacht, his mind drifting off to what he would like to do the rest of the afternoon with Brenda. He couldn't help smiling at what he was thinking.

After finishing their lunch Jax and Brenda lay snuggled together on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Most of the time they didn't say anything. They just enjoyed the feel of being together. Eventually Jax reached over and picked up the file Brenda had been reading when he first come back from the lobby. "Is this a new artist you and Lois are interested in?" he asked.

Brenda lifted her head from his shoulder to see what he was holding. When she saw the file she snuggled back down and gave him a kiss on the side of his neck before answering. "No, actually, those are the arrangements for Ned's concert at the Outback tomorrow night. I was reading over some last minute changes that Lois had made."

Jax was startled when Brenda suddenly sat up and looked down at him with both of her hands resting on his chest. "I just had a great idea! Why don't you come to the show with me tomorrow?" She looked excitedly at him, waiting for his answer.

"Are you asking me out on a date Mrs. Jacks?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Thinking for a moment, Brenda smiled slowly. "Yes I am Mr. Jacks," she said softly as she rubbed her hand on his chest. "What do you say? Are you interested?" she asked.

Jax reached up to caress Brenda's cheek. "You bet I am," he said with a wink as he reached behind her neck and pulled her down to him for a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended Brenda snuggled back against his side, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.

"Lois and I have to be at the club about 3:00 to supervise the setup and rehearsal. If you can get away, you could meet me there about 6:00 so we can have dinner before the show. Okay?" Brenda asked as she played with the buttons on his shirt, slipping her fingers inside the open neck to brush them across his chest.

"I think I can manage that. I should be finished with my afternoon meeting in plenty of time," Jax said as he stroked the back of her hair. "I might even surprise you and show up early," he said with a chuckle.

"I'd like that," Brenda said softly before leaning forward to kiss the portion of his chest that was exposed by his open shirt. She then snuggled closer, rested her head back on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist.

The rest of the afternoon was spent together on the couch. After ordering in dinner, which they ate by candlelight, they went to bed early to watch one of Brenda's favorite old movies. They didn't actually see much of the movie since as soon as they were snuggled together in bed they found themselves more interested in each other than the movie. By the time they got around to paying attention to the movie, the closing credits were already running. When they realized that they had missed the entire movie, they both laughed out loud and turned off the TV so that they could go back to doing what had proven to be much more fun than the movie.

July 1, 1996
The Outback
3:15 P.M.

Jax was walking up to the front door of the Outback when he heard someone call out his name. He was surprised and angry to see Tracy Quartermaine walking quickly toward him. "What are you doing here Tracy?" he asked curtly.

"I could tell you I was desperate to see you…" Tracy said with a leer as she gently brushed her hand across Jax's chest.

"Give me a break!" Jax said with a distinct tone of disgust in his voice as he roughly grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his chest. "Why are you REALLY here?" he asked coldly.

Tracy pulled her hand from his grip. "Okay, I'm actually looking for my son. You haven't seen him have you?" she asked as she looked around.

"He's probably inside with the rest of the band," Jax said sarcastically.

"Not that son - my four year old! Oh well, his nanny will find him. That's what I pay her for," Tracy said offhandedly.

"My, my, what a concerned mother you are Tracy," Jax said with a disgusted chuckle. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

Ignoring Jax's remark, Tracy leered at him again. "What brings you here at this hour? It's my understanding that this club doesn't open for a couple of hours yet." Tracy pointed a finger at Jax as she continued to leer. "I know - you're looking for that tacky little wife of yours. What's the matter Jax? Don't you trust her out of your sight? Not that I can blame you though, considering what I know about her. I'd be glad to tell you…" Tracy said with an evil chuckle. "Is she the reason you've turned my family's hotel into you own private fortress? Trying to keep her locked in?"

Jax just shook his head slowly before looking at her. "You're pathetic Tracy. Do you know that?" he asked disgustedly. "You are partly right though. I AM looking for my wife. We have a 'date' for Ned's show tonight." He couldn't help smiling when he saw Tracy flinch at the mention of Ned's concert. "You're wrong about the rest though. I trust my wife completely. As to the increased security at the hotel - it has nothing to do with keeping Brenda in. As you well know, the guards are there to keep unwanted visitors away from her!" Jax said seriously.

"By unwanted visitors you wouldn't happen to mean Sonny Corrinthos would you?" Tracy asked smugly.

"Why would you mention him?" Jax asked with a trace of nervousness in his voice.

"I saw the way he was looking at her the other night at the board meeting. Oh she acted like she wasn't interested but I could tell that she was enjoying every minute of his attention." She looked at Jax more intensely. "You're jealous aren't you?" Tracy said with a chuckle. "You're worried that she'll run off with him!" Tracy reached up to push a stray lock of hair off of Jax's forehead. "I know that little conniver better than you do Jax. Get rid of her. Let Corrinthos have her. He's more her type anyway - a lowlife."

Jax glared at Tracy as he suddenly grabbed her hand. "Watch it Tracy" he hissed. "You're getting awfully close to that line I warned you about." His eyes had turned steely gray for a moment before they quickly faded to blue again. "As to my being jealous of Corrinthos? I've got Brenda in my arms, in my penthouse, in my bed and she's happy! I seriously doubt I have anything to be jealous about - especially where Corrinthos is concerned. You'd know that if you knew Brenda half as well as you claim you do."

Before Tracy could respond, Jax turned and walked the rest of the way to the door. Just as he opened it there was a flash of light and a small explosion before the lights went out. As he rushed through the door the lights in the club came back on. He was surprised and angry to see Sonny lying on top of Brenda on the steps. As he stepped closer he could see Brenda struggling to push Sonny off of her. "Get off of her Corrinthos!" Jax yelled as he grabbed Sonny by the back of his jacket and threw him on the floor at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sonny yelled. "You should be thanking me! I was protecting her!"

Jax just glared at him for a moment before stooping down next to Brenda. He brushed her hair behind her ear as she looked up at him. The fright in her eyes made his stomach lurch. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "What happened? I had just opened the door when I saw a flash of light and heard an explosion of some kind."

Brenda sat up and silently looked at him as she ran one hand through her hair and rested her other hand on his knee. "I'm not really sure what happened. I saw Sonny come in and had just gotten up to him to ask what he was doing here when I heard Lois scream and then Sonny grabbed me, pushed me down on the steps and then he laid down on top of me. The next thing I remember is the lights going out and then back on again. As soon as the lights came on I started trying to push him off but he wouldn't move." She shuddered at the memory of Sonny on top of her. "Then you came in and here we are," she said with a slight, grateful smile.

"Want to try getting up?" Jax asked with a reassuring smile as he stood up and extended both of his hands to her.

"You bet," Brenda said as she reached up and took his hands. As soon as she was standing, she wrapped both arms tightly around Jax's waist. She shuddered slightly when she glanced over and saw Sonny getting up from the floor. As soon as she felt Jax tighten his arms around her, the memory of Sonny's body on top of hers disappeared. "This is much better," she said with a sigh as she snuggled closer and closed her eyes. It wasn't until she heard Lois scream that she opened them again.

Both Jax and Brenda looked over to where Lois, Ned and the rest of the band members were standing. Unable to see what was going on from where they were standing, they wrapped an arm around each other and started over to join the crowd. As they got closer they could hear what Lois was saying. Before either of them could comment Tracy came rushing past them and pushed her way through the group surrounding Lois.

"Look what he did to my sound board!" Lois screamed. "It's ruined! What are we going to do for the show tonight? We have to have this board working by tonight or there won't be a show!" Lois suddenly turned to face the person responsible for the destruction of the sound board. "You little brat! What did you think you were doing putting ice cream on my sound board?" she demanded as she reached for Tracy's younger son, Dylan.

"Keep your hands off of him you low life bimbo!" Tracy screamed as she grabbed Dylan and pulled him close to her. She knelt down and kissed his forehead before inspecting him from head to toe. "Are you okay darling? Did the nasty woman hurt you?" Tracy cooed to her son.

Everyone in the room was stunned by Tracy's outburst. Even Sonny was so angry with her that he was speechless. Jax let go of Brenda and started to take a step toward Tracy but stopped when he felt Brenda grab his arm. When he looked down at her questioningly she shook her head slightly before nodding toward Ned, letting him know that she wanted him to let Ned handle his mother. Jax put his hand on top of hers and smiled at her to let her know that he understood what she wanted. When Sonny started toward Tracy, Jax grabbed his arm as he came past. Sonny stopped and glared at him. "Let Ned handle her," Jax said calmly.

Sonny glared at him for a moment, before he finally decided that regardless of what he thought about Jax, he knew that Jax considered Lois a friend and she felt the same way about her. He nodded grudgingly as he pulled his arm away from Jax and waited to see what Ned would do about Tracy.

Suddenly realizing that the room had grown silent, Tracy looked around and saw that everyone was staring at her. "What are you all staring at? Haven't any of you ever seen a concerned mother before?" she asked as she continued to look around. As her eyes scanned the room she couldn't keep from shuddering at the coldness in every person's eyes.

Ned suddenly signaled to the nanny who was standing near the door. "Would you please take Dylan home Miss Prescott?" Ned said. He lifted Dylan's face to look at him. "When you get him home give him a bath and keep him in his room until I get there. He's wearing more of that ice cream that his mother bought him than he actually ate." The nanny immediately took Dylan's hand and started out of the club, not waiting for confirmation of Ned's orders from her employer. The expression on Ned's face, not to mention those of everyone else in the room, was more than she wanted to deal with. She quickly walked out the door with her charge, leaving Tracy alone to face the consequences of both Dylan's and her own actions.

Ned walked up to his mother and stared at her coldly. "Now 'mother' it's your turn," he said calmly.

"What on earth are you talking dear? Is something wrong?" she asked in her most innocent voice, which made everyone groan.

Ned grabbed Lois when she started to lunge at Tracy. "First of all 'mother' - and I use that term loosely, my friend Danny here is going to make some calls to get us a new sound board and he's going to have the bill sent to you." When Tracy started to protest Ned just glared at her and she backed off. "Next, and most importantly you will apologize right here, right now, in front of everyone to my wife."

"For what?" Tracy demanded.

Sonny started toward Tracy again but stopped when Lois held up her hand behind Ned's back to stop him. When she looked at him he nodded slightly to her and stopped where he was.

Ned stared coldly at Tracy. "You really don't want to go there mother," he hissed as he stared right through her.

"Okay fine," Tracy said disgustedly. "Sorry Laura," she said offhandedly without even looking at Lois. When she turned to leave she was surprised to see everyone still staring at her. She suddenly realized that she was going to have to give her daughter-in-law a real apology if she expected to get out of the club. She finally looked at Lois. "I apologize Lois. My remarks were uncalled for. I was just worried about my son."

"I can understand that Mother Ashton. I'm sure I'll be just as protective of our daughter after she's born." Since Lois knew that everyone else in the room already knew about her pregnancy, she couldn't help gloating at the stunned expression on Tracy's face. "Are you okay Mother Ashton? You look a little pale?" she said with a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

"What do you mean your daughter? Are you trying to tell me that you're…? That you're…" Tracy couldn't bring herself to even say the word.

"I think the word you're looking for is pregnant Mother," Ned said triumphantly. "Congratulations! You're going to be a grandmother!"

Ned and Lois had expected an unfavorable reaction from Tracy. They had not expected what was about to hit them - no one could have!

Tracy just looked at Lois for a moment and then back at Ned. "You idiot! How on earth could you let this happen? How could you have been so careless?" Tracy screamed. She started shaking her head as she gave Lois a look of absolute fury. "This is NOT acceptable! You cannot corrupt the family lineage in this way! You will simply have to do something about this - IMMEDIATELY!"

Lois flinched at the fury of Tracy's tirade. Ned wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him for a moment. He looked over at Brenda and silently pleaded with her to come help Lois. Brenda looked up at Jax for a moment and saw him nod toward Lois before she walked quickly over to her.

"Why don't you and I get out of here for a while?" Brenda asked as she rested her hand gently on Lois' arm. When she saw the absolute fury in Lois' eyes she leaned a little closer and smiled reassuringly. "Come on, let Jax and me take you to Kelly's for something sinfully fattening."

"NO! I want to stay here!" Lois declared, her voice trembling with a combination of fury and hurt, as she shook her head.

Realizing that nothing she said was going to be any more persuasive, Brenda looked at Jax for a suggestion. As soon as he saw Brenda's face, Jax walked over to Lois and gently turned her to face him. "Listen to me Lois," he said softly as he gently ran his hands up and down her arms. "You and that baby you're carrying don't need to listen to Tracy's babbling. Come on," he said with a smile and a wink, "Let's get out of here and go eat something gooey," he said as he arched his eyebrow and nodded toward the door.

Lois looked at Ned uncertainly. When he smiled and nodded at her she looked back at Jax. "Okay," she said softly as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think I could go for a piece of Ruby's banana cream pie."

"With extra whipped cream," Brenda said with a big smile.

"You got it," Jax said with a chuckle. "Ready ladies?" he asked as he extended one hand to Brenda and the other to Lois. Brenda took his hand immediately but it took Lois a moment to reach out and grasp his hand, finally giving him a slight smile. Jax nodded to Brenda to lead the way before looking back at Ned. "I'll take good care of her mate."

"I know," Ned said. "Thanks." He turned to Lois and rubbed the backs of his fingers on her cheek. "I'll meet you at Kelly's as soon as I finish with things here."

Lois looked contemptuously at Tracy for a moment before looking at Ned. "I'll be waiting." Lois started to walk away with Jax and Brenda when she stopped and looked back. "Dave, when you call for the new sound board be sure you order the best they have available. Money is no object!" she said with a smirk at Tracy. When everyone smiled and nodded their agreement Lois squeezed Jax's hand. When he looked down at her she smiled, "Okay let's go lover. I suddenly have a craving for a huge piece of Ruby's banana cream pie - maybe even two!" With that she smiled at Brenda who led them to the door.

As they passed Sonny he looked up into Jax's eyes. "You done good Pretty Boy," he mumbled under his breath. "Keep an eye on her." Jax just ignored him and kept walking across the room and out the door, still holding both Brenda's and Lois' hands.

Once they were gone, everyone turned to look at Tracy. Ned stepped directly in front of his mother and grabbed her arm. "You and I need to talk - in private!" he hissed as he dragged her away from the group. As the others dispersed to finish setting up what they could until the new sound board arrived, Sonny stood silently by the bar, watching the conversation going on between Ned and Tracy. When they finished and Tracy stormed out of the club Sonny stared at Ned for several moments before silently leaving as well.

When Ned walked into Kelly's he was delighted to hear the sound of Lois' laughter. When he looked around the room he couldn't keep from smiling when he saw Ruby standing next to Brenda, Jax and Lois who were sitting at a table in the corner laughing. The guards protecting Jax and Brenda, who were sitting nearby, were even smiling. As Ned walked toward the table Lois happened to look up and see him approaching them.

"Nedley!" Lois screamed as she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well you certainly look like you're having a good time," Ned said with a chuckle as he held the chair for Lois to sit back down before sitting down himself. "What are you guys talking about anyway? I could hear you laughing as soon as I came in the door!" he said as he looked expectantly at each of them, waiting for one of them to answer. Ruby just put her hands up and shook her head before walking away to go back to work.

"Jax was telling us a story about when he was a kid in Alaska," Lois said with a giggle. "You wouldn't believe the kind of trouble he and his brother used to get into!" she declared with a big smile. When Ned looked questioningly at Jax he had to laugh when Jax just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Lois suddenly got very serious as she put her hand on Ned's arm. "What about your mother?" she asked.

Ned took a deep breath and let it out quickly. "She will not be giving us any more trouble. Oh, before I forget, Danny got us a new sound board. It's already installed at the club and working great."

"I hope it was the most expensive one he could find," Brenda said disgustedly.

"Don't worry, it was!" Ned declared - which made everyone laugh. The four friends sat laughing and talking for another hour before heading back to the Outback for a final setup and sound check before the club opened. When everything was set up they had dinner together at a corner table, protected from unwanted interruptions by Jax and Brenda's guards.

The concert was a huge success. Everyone in the room was dancing and singing along with the band. After their third encore, Ned held up his hand to quiet the crowd. When the room finally settled down, Ned held out his hand to bring Lois up to the microphone where she announced that this show had been the opening date of a two-week tour. The room erupted in applause, led by Jax and Brenda.

After the show ended the audience started to slowly drift out of the club until the only ones left were the waiters, Jax, Brenda, Lois and Ned's band. The band members were busy taking down their equipment and packing it into the van for the trip to their next show. Lois took advantage of this time to go over some last minute details that Brenda would have to take care of for L&B while she and Ned were gone.

When the last of the equipment was loaded, Lois and Brenda started out the door with Jax and Ned close behind. Lois was still giving Brenda suggestions on how to handle things when Brenda stopped and put her hand on Lois' arm. "I get it Lois! I really can handle things while you're gone! Besides, if I get into any trouble I've got the world's most brilliant business expert to go to," she said with a wink at Jax. Jax just shrugged and looked downward, which made everyone laugh.

"Okay! Okay! I get your point! You'll be just fine without me!" Lois said with a sigh. She looked over at Ned. "We better get on the road. The van's packed and the guys are ready to roll." She reached out her arms and wrapped them around Brenda.

"You guys have a good time," Brenda said when she leaned back from Lois' embrace. "And don't worry about anything..."

"Or anyone!" Jax added.

"Or anyone," Brenda repeated with a wink at Jax.

"Okay, okay," Lois said. She walked over to give Jax a hug while Ned hugged Brenda." You guys take care while we're gone," Lois said seriously. "Keep an eye on her Jax," Lois said very quietly as she hugged him again. "I know how Brenda thinks - and she's going to want to hurt Tracy for what she did today."

Jax looked down at her. "Don't worry Lois, I'll take care of Tracy," he said softly with a smile on his face but the coldness in his eyes made Lois draw in a quick breath. "Be careful Jax. She's a mean viscous person."

"I'll be fine luv," Jax said with a reassuring smile. "Besides, I've got Brenda to ride shotgun for me," he said with a chuckle. "From what I've seen when the two of them are in the same room, I don't have anything to worry about."

Lois laughed and rested her forehead against his chest for a moment. "You may be right," she said. "Oh! Brenda!" she yelled as she suddenly pulled away from Jax. "I just thought of something else!" Lois quickly walked over to Brenda, linked her arm with hers and walked off toward the van, talking a mile a minute as she did.

"Thanks for what you did for my wife this afternoon Jax," Ned said as he extended his hand to Jax. "I owe you - big time!"

"You don't owe me Ned. Lois is my friend. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have Brenda in my life," Jax said as he looked into Ned's eyes. "No one hurts my friends! It's as simple as that. I don't have that many people that I consider friends so I'm very protective of those who are."

Ned realized that Jax meant what he was saying. "I appreciate that, thanks." He extended his hand again. "Take care - both of you!" When Jax smiled and nodded, Ned let go of his hand and walked over to Lois and Brenda. He put his hands on Lois' shoulders as he stood behind her. "We better go," he said.

Lois smiled at Ned. Before she could say anything they were all startled by the sound of Tracy's voice. "Ned stop! You can't do this! You can't leave ELQ unprotected like this!"

"Come on! Let's go!" Ned said with a chuckle as he took Lois by the hand and led her quickly toward the van before Tracy could get close to them, leaving Jax and Brenda standing there with their arms around each other.

After waiting for Ned and Lois to drive away, Jax and Brenda turned to go back into the club. Brenda needed to get her purse and her files from the bar and make sure that no one in the band had left anything behind. She walked past Tracy a few steps ahead of Jax, glaring at her as she passed.

As Jax started to walk past without saying anything, Tracy put her hand on his arm. When he stopped and glared at her, Tracy couldn't help shuddering. "We should talk. This is the perfect opportunity for us to step up our plan. With Ned away from the office the company is vulnerable."

Jax lifted her hand off of his arm. "What plan Tracy? Any plans we may have had are over. You are now on your own," he said coldly.

"What are you talking about? Why?" Tracy demanded nervously.

"I warned you the other day that you were treading a very fine line when it came to this deal. Did you listen to me? Of course not! You crossed that line big time today," he said as the coldness in his eyes intensified. "So you're on your own from this point on. I wash my hands of you!"

"You can't do that! I've got a fortune invested in this takeover! You can't do this on your own! You NEED me!" Tracy hissed at him.

With a cold smile Jax slowly shook his head at her. "You overestimate your value in this venture Tracy. I'll do just fine without you - should I decide to continue, that is. In fact, I'll probably do better without you!" He started to walk away when Tracy grabbed his arm again.

"What do you think your little wifey would think of you if she found out that you are targeting ELQ?" Tracy asked with a leer. "I can arrange for her to find out you know."

"I'm not worried Tracy," Jax said with a leer of his own. "Besides, what makes you think that she doesn't already know?" Jax asked with a chuckle. He gave her a wink before turning and walking away from her.

Tracy couldn't help shuddering at the thought of Brenda already knowing about the takeover attempt. At first she thought that Jax was bluffing about Brenda knowing, but the longer she thought about it the more worried she got. She knew Brenda well enough to know that she would not let Jax keep secrets from her. She looked at the open door that Jax had just walked through for a moment before turning and slowly walking back to her car. She had too much invested in this takeover to walk away now. No, she decided, with or without Jax she was taking ELQ away from her father - NOW! She got into the car convinced that she would succeed - no matter what it cost.

July 4, 1996
8:15 A.M.

Jax woke with a start when he realized that he was alone in bed. He sat up quickly and looked around the room for some sign of Brenda. When he didn't see her, he got up and grabbed his robe off of the chair next to the bed. He put it on as he walked across the room and out the door.

As Jax reached the head of the stairs Brenda came across the living room, carrying a plate of sliced melon. "Good morning," she said brightly with a big smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, until I realized that I was alone in the bed," he said as he started down the stairs with an expression on his face that he hoped looked stern. "I don't like waking up without you in the bed beside me. What are you doing up so early anyway? It's a holiday," he said as he loosely tied the belt of his robe.

Brenda held the plate of melon that she was carrying out in front of her. "I wanted to surprise you with a 'home made' breakfast," she said proudly. "I'll have you know that I sliced every bit of this melon with my own two hands!" With a smile and a wink she reached for his hand and led him toward the couch. After gently pushing Jax down so that he was sitting on the couch, she sat down on the table in front of him and fed him a slice of the melon.

"Umm, that's good," Jax said as he chewed the melon before leaning forward to kiss Brenda's lips. When he ended the kiss, he leaned his forearms on his legs and looked into her eyes without leaning back. "Have you got anything planned for today?" he asked.

After offering him another slice of melon Brenda set the plate down on the table next to her and reached up to wipe a spot of juice from Jax's chin. "Actually, I didn't have anything special planned," she said. "I thought we'd spend the day relaxing alone here and then maybe go to the park tonight to watch the fireworks. Why? What did you have in mind?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh I have all kinds of things in my mind when it comes to you," Jax said with a wink. He quickly leaned back when Brenda took a playful swing at him. "Okay, okay," he said with a chuckle. "I thought we could have a picnic out by the lake this afternoon after we..." he started to rub his hands gently up and down Brenda's arms as he talked.

"After we what?" Brenda asked as she started to fidget like a nervous little girl.

"After we take a hot air balloon ride!" Jax said quickly as Brenda lunged at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pushing him back against the couch. "Oof! " he grunted as she nearly knocked the air out of his lungs.

Brenda straddled his legs with her knees as she kissed a path up the side of his neck and across his cheek until she got to his mouth where she lingered in a long passionate kiss. When she finally ended the kiss to breathe, Brenda sat back on Jax's knees as she softly ran the backs of her fingers up and down his bare chest where it showed through his open robe. "How did you know I've always wanted to fly in a hot air balloon?" she asked softly, as she became more and more aggressive in stroking his chest.

Not sure how much longer he could endure her caresses, Jax grabbed both of her wrists to stop her. "Ah," he said as he cleared his throat and arched his eyebrow to let her know that she had better stop what she was doing or things would soon be out of either of their control. "No one told me," he said when she smiled and simply rested her hands on his chest. "I just knew it was something I wanted to do with you," he said with a smile as he tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger.

Still straddling Jax's legs, Brenda leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped loosely around him. They sat like that for several minutes before Brenda leaned back again. "You have no idea how glad I am that I get to take my first balloon ride with you," she said as she slowly grew serious. "I wish I had been able to share a lot more firsts with you. Especially..."

Jax reached up and put his finger on her lips. "Shh, don't," he said softly. "That's not important to me Brenda," he said with a reassuring smile. "The only thing that matters is what we share from now on." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Now why don't we try the rest of this 'home made' breakfast of yours?" he asked with a wink.

Brenda smiled back at him as she put her hand on his. She brought it away from her face and softly kissed his palm. "You continue to amaze me. Do you know that?" she asked with a trace of wonder in her voice. When she saw the color start to rise in Jax's cheeks, Brenda chuckled and reached up to stroke his cheek. When he smiled at her she leaned forward to give him a quick kiss before getting off of him and extending her hand. "Come on, let's have breakfast in the kitchen like normal people," she said with a smile as she pulled on his hand.

Jax smiled at her as he stood up without letting go of her hand. As soon as he was on his feet he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. "One thing we can never be accused of being is 'normal'," he said softly before leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Come on, lets go eat a 'normal' breakfast," he said with a broad smile as he wrapped his arm around her and led her toward the kitchen to share Brenda's first attempt at preparing a meal since they had been married.

After finishing what had turned out to be a very good breakfast, Jax and Brenda quickly showered and dressed. As soon as they were both ready they headed out the door and, along with two guards, left for a day of adventure, fun and romance.

Edward had the car waiting in front of the hotel to drive them to the edge of town where their balloon was waiting. Over the objections of the guards, Jax and Brenda took off on their adventure, leaving the guards and the trouble they represented behind. The only concessions that Jax had made to security were that the balloon's pilot was also an armed protection officer and that he had permitted Ben to give him a stun gun, which he had hidden in the picnic basket at their destination.

As soon as they were airborne, Brenda stood at the edge of the basket watching the world pass below them. Jax stood off to one side a little behind her so that he could watch her face. He could not get over how much she looked like a little girl. It wasn't long before he stepped behind her, wrapping both of his arms around her shoulders when he did.

As Jax wrapped his arms around her, Brenda leaned back against his chest and placed both of her hands on his arms. They spent the rest of the flight in pretty much this same position, not wanting to be apart if they saw something interesting.

It was the middle of the afternoon before they finally set down for lunch. Brenda couldn't help chuckling when Jax lifted her out of the balloon's basket and led her over to a shaded area on the edge of the meadow. Spread out under a huge tree was an old fashioned picnic - right down to the red plaid blanket.

They spent almost two hours lingering over lunch before Brenda lay down with her head in Jax's lap and dozed off. She woke with a start when she heard a loud noise. When she sat up and looked around she was surprised to see that the hot air balloon they had arrived in was gone and that it had been replaced by a large silver helicopter. "What's going on?" she asked Jax when she turned back to face him. "Is something wrong? Do we have to go back?"

Jax smiled reassuringly at her as he leaned forward to quickly kiss the tip of her nose. "Nothing's wrong. It's just time to get started on the next leg of our adventure." With that, he stood up and held his hands out to help her up. "Are you ready?" he asked, almost as if he was challenging her.

Not really sure what he meant, Brenda reached up and took his hands. "As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything," she said with a smile as she stood up. Before he realized what she was doing, Brenda started running across the meadow toward the helicopter. "What are you waiting for slowpoke?" she called back at him with a laugh.

A stunned Jax looked at her running away from him for a moment before he began running after her. When he was close enough, he grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around several times as he did. He didn't put her down again until they reached the helicopter.

As they got close, the co-pilot got out and opened the door so that Jax could set Brenda down on the back seat. As soon as she sat down she slid over to make room for Jax to get in next to her. Once they were both inside the co-pilot closed and latched the door before climbing back in next to the pilot. Jax reached over to help Brenda with her seatbelt as the pilots started the helicopter. Before they took off, Brenda reached over and put her hand on Jax's knee. Jax put his hand on top of hers and gave it a gently squeeze just as they lifted off.

They had only been in the air a short time when Brenda realized that they were not going back the same way they had come. "This isn't the way we came Jax," she said as she continued to look out the window, trying to figure out where they were going. "We really should be heading back to town if we want to get a good spot to watch the fireworks tonight." When she looked at Jax and saw the expression on his face she knew immediately that he was up to something. "You're up to something. I know that look," she said with a suspicious smile.

Jax returned her smile and tapped her nose with his finger. "You were the one who said we were going to the park in Port Charles to watch the fireworks - not me!" he said with a wink.

Brenda looked at him curiously. "So where do you suggest we watch them?" she asked.

"Oh I thought it would be nice to have a late supper and watch them from the penthouse of the J&J Jacks Building in New York City." Jax couldn't keep from laughing when he saw the shocked expression on Brenda's face "What do you think?"

"I think I like the way you think," she said with a big smile before leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "I like your plans much better than mine." She leaned over and rested her forehead against his for a moment before leaning back to look at him again. "Somehow my 'home made' breakfast doesn't seem like enough now. Not compared to everything you've done for me today," Brenda said with a trace of regret in her voice.

Jax gently ran his finger across her cheek. "That's not true luv. Knowing that you got up early to make breakfast means more to me than I can tell you." He waived his hand around the cabin of the helicopter as he continued. "Everything I've given you today was done by someone I hired - even the picnic was catered. What you did was all done by you for me." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "It's gonna take me a while to figure out how to repay you for that," he said as he looked up at her without lifting his face from her hand.

Brenda could feel tears starting to form in her eyes as she listened to him. She sniffled a couple of times to stop them before they started to spill down her cheeks. When she was finally sure she was not going to cry, she looked into his eyes and smiled. "You just did," was all she said before pushing a lock of hair off of his forehead and placing a gentle kiss in its place.

It was nearly 6:00 when they landed at the heliport in New York City. When the co-pilot opened the door for them both Jax and Brenda were surprised to see a couple of familiar faces waiting for them. Clay and Eric, two of the Jacks Security guards assigned to their protection unit, walked up to the helicopter as Jax got out. "What are you two doing here? Don't you know it's a holiday?" Jax asked with a smile before turning back to lift Brenda out of the helicopter.

"We know that sir," Clay said to Jax after a smile and a quick nod to Brenda. "But when Ben told us that you guys were planning this trip we offered to come along to make sure your weren't - interrupted."

"Shouldn't you two be spending the holiday with your families?" Brenda asked as she stepped next to Jax, her arm automatically wrapping around his waist.

"Actually, that's why we volunteered," Eric answered. "Neither one of us has any family in this area so we figured we'd offer to cover you guys so that everyone with families who wasn't on duty would be able to spend the holiday with them."

"Well in that case, thank you - both of you," Jax said. He glanced at his watch for a moment before giving Brenda a quick squeeze. "We better get going. With this being a holiday there probably isn't much traffic but you never know in this town." When Brenda looked up at him with a smile and a slight nod, he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "Okay guys, let's go," Jax said with a chuckle as he nodded to the guards.

When they got down to the street level the guards escorted them to a waiting car. As Jax had expected there was very little traffic so they arrived at the J&J Jacks Building in about twenty minutes.

As soon as their car came to a stop in front of the building, Clay jumped out and looked around for a moment before opening the door for Jax. After getting out, Jax reached back in to help Brenda out. Before she even had a chance to get a good look at the building Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her quickly inside.

Clay waived to the guard as he led them across the lobby to the bank of elevators. He inserted his access card to summon the private elevator for them. When the doors opened he looked inside quickly before nodding to them to get in. Once they were in the elevator, Clay inserted his access card into the control panel. The doors immediately closed and the elevator started moving.

It took a few minutes for the elevator to reach the penthouse level. Just before the doors opened Clay stepped in front of Jax and Brenda. When the doors opened he stepped out into the living room and quickly looked around before nodding to Jax that it was clear for them to get off.

As they stepped off the elevator they were greeted by a distinguished looking man wearing a dark suit. "Good evening Mr. Jacks, it's good to have you with us again."

"Thank you Paul, it's good to see you again," Jax said with a broad smile. "Paul, I'd like you to meet my wife. Brenda, this is Paul Alcott. He takes care of the penthouse for us."

"Hello Paul, it's nice to meet you," Brenda said as she extended her hand. "I really appreciate you doing all of this for us, especially on a holiday."

"It's my pleasure Mrs. Jacks. I was delighted when Mr. Jacks called and said you would be spending the holiday here. If there is anything that you need please let me know," Paul said politely as he shook her hand.

"Did everything we discussed arrive as planned?" Jax asked as he looked around.

"Yes sir. Everything is exactly as you requested," Paul said with a smile. "Do you or Mrs. Jacks require anything at the moment?"

Jax looked at Brenda before answering. "No we're fine for now Paul, thank you."

"Very good sir. If you'll excuse me then, I'll check on the preparations for your dinner. If you or Mrs. Jacks need anything just ring," Paul said with a slight bow to both of them.

"I'll leave you guys as well," Clay said. "If you need me I'll be in back with Paul." When he saw the glances that Jax and Brenda exchanged he cleared his throat. "Ah right, in that case I'll see you two in the morning." Clay smiled at them before following Paul to the service area of the apartment.

When they were alone Jax and Brenda looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. When he was able to speak again Jax looked at Brenda, "Would you like a tour of the place Mrs. Jacks?" he asked with a smile as he extended his hand to her.

"If you're the tour guide definitely," Brenda said with a broad smile as she took his hand in hers. "Lead on."

Jax led her on a tour of all the rooms in the penthouse. They went through the living room to the glass walled dining room where the table was already set for their dinner. From the dining room they went into the den and then started down the hall to the bedrooms. The last room Jax showed her was his bedroom, the room they would share whenever they were in New York City.

Brenda was amazed by every room in the penthouse but none more so than the bedroom. She slowly walked around, looking at everything until here eyes drifted upward to the skylight above the bed. "Jax, this is the most beautiful room I've ever seen," she said in awe.

"I'm glad you like it. I thought we'd stay here tonight and then fly back tomorrow morning." Jax was surprised when he saw the expression change on Brenda's face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I wish you would have said something before we left Port Charles so I could have packed us a change of clothes."

"Why don't you look in the closet? I think you'll probably find something to wear," Jax said with a smile as he nodded toward the closet door.

Brenda looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was up to. When she couldn't figure it out she just shrugged and walked over to the closet. When she opened the door she was not surprised to see a variety of clothes for Jax. What she had not expected to see were the women's clothes that took up almost half the closet. She pulled out a light gray silk pantsuit that looked familiar. When she looked at the designer's label she knew why. This was the same designer that she had bought most of the clothes from for their trip to meet Jax's parents. She remembered having tried on this suit and deciding against it because it didn't seem appropriate for the trip.

With the outfit still in her hand, Brenda turned to look at Jax. "When did you have time to do this?" she asked in amazement.

"Actually, I ordered them right after we got back from Alaska. I asked Ellise to pick a few of the outfits that you had liked when we were in the shop, make them up for you and deliver them here. I figured you would need them when we came to New York. She is also going to send some outfits from the fall and winter collection for you to select from when they are ready. They'll probably come in handy when you come to New York to do promotion for Jacks Cosmetics." Jax said as he walked toward her.

"I can't stay here without you Jax. This is your corporate apartment!" Brenda said as she took a quick look at the rest of the clothes in the closet.

"You most definitely can stay here when you're in New York for Jacks Cosmetics! This apartment is for everyone in the family to use whenever they are in town. That's why it has so many bedrooms. One is for mum and dad, one is for Jerry, one is ours and the others are guestrooms for friends or business associates. Besides," he said as he eased behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You'll have a lot more privacy here with Paul to take care of you than in a hotel - not to mention more security." Jax leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. "How about a shower before dinner?" he asked suggestively as he nuzzled her neck again.

Brenda tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. "Ummm," she said with a sigh. "I'd like that - if you'll joint me that is," she said as she looked up at him with an inviting smile.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said with a smile against her neck. After kissing his way up her neck to her ear, Jax swept her up into his arms and carried her into the bathroom.

He set her down on her feet next to the huge stall shower. As he reached in to turn on the water Brenda started to unbutton his shirt, placing a kiss on his chest as she opened each button. It didn't take long for them to undress each other and step into the shower. As the hot water sprayed over them they soon gave in to their desire for each other and began to passionately make love.

When they finally got out of the shower, Jax gently wrapped a large bath blanket around Brenda before wrapping a towel around his own waist. After giving her one more kiss he went into the bedroom to dress as she started to dry her hair. He was just buttoning his shirt when she came out of the bathroom, her still damp hair hanging loose on her shoulders and the towel wrapped tightly around her. She walked over to the closet and took out a burgundy satin lounging outfit. She laid the outfit on the bed and began to look around uncomfortably.

"In the top drawer," Jax said with a slight smile as he pointed at the dresser. Brenda walked over and opened the drawer he had indicated. Inside she found everything she would need to finish dressing. In fact, there was everything she would need to match any outfit she could have selected from the closet.

After taking what she needed out of the dresser, Brenda picked up the suit and started toward the bathroom. "I'll be out in a minute," she said as she stood up on her toes to give Jax a kiss.

"You don't have to. I'll wait for you in the living room." When he saw a look of disappointment come across her face he reached up to rub the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "Hey, if I stay in here you might never get dressed," he said softly. He stared silently into her eyes for several moments. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known," he said softly as he cupped her face in his hands. He bent forward to give her a passionate kiss. "I'll be waiting," he said before giving her another quick kiss and walking out.

Brenda stood silently watching as Jax walked away from her. Even after he was gone she continued to stare at the closed door. She finally took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she shook her head in attempt to clear the fog from her mind that his words and his kisses had caused. After clearing her throat she picked up her underwear from the bed and headed into the bathroom to get dressed for dinner.

Jax was surprised when he heard the bedroom door open. He glanced at his watch and saw that it had only taken twenty minutes for Brenda to finish dressing. He got up from the couch and walked over to meet her at the end of the hallway. It wasn't until Brenda was almost in front of him that Jax realized that he had not bothered to breathe as he watched her approach him.

"You look amazing," he said as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Did you find everything you needed?"

"Definitely," she said with a slight blush at his compliment. "You know, I think I could get used to living like this."

"That's the plan," Jax said with a smile as he looked into her eyes. He gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "I want to give you everything your heart desires."

Brenda reached up and put her hands on his chest. "I have everything I want right here," she said as she tapped her hands. "Don't get me wrong - I like the penthouses and designer clothes and everything, but none of that would mean anything to me if I didn't have you." Before Jax could respond Brenda took a deep breath and let it out quickly. "Whew! Enough with all this serious talk." She looked up at him with a slight smile. "Come on, it's a holiday - let's have some fun."

Shaken by what Brenda had just said, Jax stood staring at her for a moment. "Sounds like a good idea to me," he finally said as he slowly returned her smile. After leaning down to kiss her, he leaned his forehead against hers. They were still standing like that when they were startled by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Without backing away from each other they both turned in the direction of the sound.

"What is it Paul?" Jax asked as he reluctantly leaned away from Brenda and turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt sir. You asked me to let you know when it was time for the fireworks display to begin." Paul glanced at his watch. "They should be starting in a few minutes so I've taken the liberty of setting dinner out for you."

"Thank you Paul. We'll be right there," Jax said. Paul nodded to them and left as quietly as he had come in.

Brenda wrapped her arm around Jax's waist. "Come on, let's eat. I'm starving!"

Jax couldn't help chuckling at the expression on her face. "Well in that case, let's go! I can't have you passing out from hunger just as the fireworks get started." He squeezed her closer to him as they walked toward the dining room. They stopped in the doorway and stared at the changes Paul had made in the room.

The lights in the room had been turned off and several small candles had been lit in the center of the table. The chairs were arranged so that they could both see the fireworks from all sides of the room. Jax finally tightened his arm around Brenda a little and led her over to the table. He pulled her chair out for her before sitting down next to her.

Paul, who had been waiting for them when they came in, poured their wine before serving their dinner. As soon as everything was in place to his satisfaction on the table, he left them alone, closing the doors behind him when he left. They had only taken a few bites when they were startled by the first explosion. They were so involved in watching what was going on in the sky that the show was over before they finished eating.

"That was amazing! I'm so glad you suggested coming to New York instead of staying in Port Charles," Brenda said as she leaned over to kiss Jax's cheek. "Thank you."

This time it was Jax who leaned over to kiss her. "You're welcome," he said as he started nuzzling the side of her neck. "It's been a pretty busy day. What do you say we call it a night?" he asked as he slowly drew his tongue up the side of her neck.

When she felt his tongue on her neck Brenda shuddered slightly. She rested her cheek against the top of his head as he continued to kiss and lick her neck. "I say that's a great idea," she said huskily as she reached up to stroke his cheek.

Jax put his hand on top of hers on his cheek and smiled at her. He turned to kiss her palm before standing. He pulled out Brenda's chair and took her hand. They wrapped their arms around each other, Brenda resting her head against his shoulder as they walked out of the dining room and headed toward the bedroom.

Brenda couldn't believe what she saw when Jax opened the door for her. The lights were off but the room was aglow with the light of dozens of small candles scattered around the room. As her eyes drifted around the room she saw that while they had been eating Paul had turned down the bed for them. Her eyes lingered on the reflection of the flickering candlelight on the ivory satin sheets. She was so lost in her visions of what would soon take place in that bed that she jumped when Jax wrapped his arms around her.

"Sorry," Jax said softly as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Don't be," Brenda said with a sigh as she leaned back against his chest, pulling his arms more tightly around her. "This is perfect," she sighed as she closed her eyes.

"I'm glad you like the apartment," Jax said as he kissed the top of her head.

Brenda slowly turned within the circle of his arms. "I wasn't talking about the apartment," she said as she ran her hands gently up and down his arms. "I was talking about this, being in your arms," she said as she rested her hands on his upper arms.

"Oh that," Jax said with a silly grin as he tightened his arms slightly.

"Yes that," Brenda said with a matching grin. As she continued to silently look into his eyes she began to unbutton his shirt. "Now, didn't we come in here to go to bed?" she asked innocently as she played with the open edges of his shirt.

Jax smiled as he gently ran his index finger down her throat into the valley between her breasts and back up again. "We did, didn't we," he said softly as he reached for one of the ties on the front of her top. He slowly untied the first, then the second and so on until her top was completely open. He gently pushed it off of her shoulders and down her arms, letting it fall to the floor without ever taking his eyes off of hers.

As Jax was opening the ties on her top, Brenda had finished unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it out of his pants. After Jax removed her top she pulled his shirt off of him and dropped it on the floor as well. She reached her hands up and wove her fingers into the back of his hair, pulling his face to hers for a kiss.

As their kisses became more intimate, Jax slid his hands down her back and gently caressed her bottom as he pulled her closer. He ran his tongue across her lips, inviting her to open them to him. As their tongues danced in and out Brenda moaned softly and tightened her arms around his neck to pull herself up and wrap her legs around his waist without breaking their kiss.

Holding her close to him, Jax carried Brenda to the bed. He rested one knee on the bed and slowly leaned forward to gently lay her down beneath him. Finally ending their kiss to breathe, Jax looked down at her and saw her eyes clouded with desire for him. He gently brushed her hair back from her face as he stared into her eyes. "God I love you," he said softly.

Brenda smiled up at him. "I know," was all she said as she pulled his face to hers and began kissing him. They slowly removed each others remaining clothes without ever breaking their kiss. As their need for each other took control they began to make love with a passion that neither one of them had ever experienced with anyone else until they both surrendered any sense of reality they had to their passion.

Afterward, they lay snuggled together in what had become their normal sleeping position. Jax was laying on his back with Brenda snuggled close to him. With Jax's arms wrapped around her, Brenda rested her ear on his chest, just above his heart, and draped her leg over his, resting it between his.

Jax began to gently stroke his fingers in circles around Brenda's bare back. "You were amazing," he said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

After leaning down to kiss his chest and slowly brush her tongue across his nipple, Brenda snuggled back into his embrace. "If I was," she said with a smile he could feel against his chest, "It was because you inspire me." Brenda lifted her head to look at him. "You're everything I ever wanted in a husband. You complete me. You make me feel safe." She slowly crawled the rest of the way on top of him, her knees straddling his hips. "I know that I can trust you to never hurt me. That means more to me than I can ever tell you." She leaned forward and began to kiss him passionately.

It was only a moment before Jax rolled them over so that she was beneath him and they were making love again. As usually happened, they reached their climax at the same moment. Jax collapsed on top of her totally spent. It took several moments for him to muster enough strength to roll off of her. When he did he wrapped his arms tightly around Brenda to bring her close to him. Before drifting off to sleep Brenda leaned forward to place a single, gentle kiss above his heart. "I love you Jax," she murmured as she snuggled closer.

Jax was just dozing off when he heard Brenda declare her love for him. He lifted his head and turned to try to look at her face. "What did you just say?" he asked softly as he pushed the hair back from her face.

Brenda shifted slightly against him as she pulled his arm around her more tightly. "I love you Jax," she said with a sigh as she looked up at him for an instant before closing her eyes again.

Unable to believe how amazing it felt to finally hear Brenda say those words, Jax fell back against the pillows. When Brenda stirred at his movement he gently stroked her hair until he was sure that she was sleeping soundly. He tightened his arms around his beautiful wife and closed his eyes. It seemed like forever before he finally felt himself drifting off to sleep.

A few hours later Brenda slowly woke up when she felt Jax moving around in his sleep. It took her a minute to wake up enough to realize that he was having a bad dream. Just as she reached up to stroke his cheek to try to soothe him, he suddenly called out her name and sat up. "I'm right here Jax," she said soothingly. "Are you okay?" she asked as she sat up and wrapped her arms around him, leaning forward to place several soft kisses on his chest.

Jax ran his fingers through his hair as he took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh before wrapping his left arm tightly around Brenda. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you," he said as he kissed the top of her head before leaning back against the pillow, taking her with him.

"Can you remember what you were dreaming about?" Brenda asked, her concern for him obvious in her voice.

It wasn't until Brenda asked that Jax realized that he couldn't remember anything about the dream, just that it had scared him. "I don't have any idea what it was about, just that it scared me," he said as he tightened his arms around her. "Go back to sleep luv, I'm sorry I woke you."

Brenda lifted her head off his shoulder and looked up at him. She could tell that he was struggling to remember the dream without success. She gently ran her fingers across his chest before wrapping herself tightly around him. "Don't worry about it honey. Nothing can hurt us as long as we face things together," she said as she leaned forward to kiss his chest.

Jax tightened his arms around her. "You know that I love you more than life itself don't you?" he asked seriously.

Brenda lifted her head again and looked at him. When she saw the concern on his face she smiled at him reassuringly. "I know that you do. I love you too." She leaned forward to kiss him. "Do you think you can go back to sleep now?" she asked as she snuggled close to him again.

"As long as I have you in my arms I can," he said as he rested his cheek on the top of her head and gently ran his fingers around her back. He let out a big sigh as he settled into the pillows and wrapped his arms snuggly around her. It wasn't long before he could tell that she had fallen asleep by the sound of her slow steady breathing. He sighed again as he closed his eyes.

Now that Brenda had told him that she loved him, Jax realized that he was vulnerable to Tracy's threats. He knew there was only one way to prevent Tracy from hurting Brenda - he had to tell her about their former arrangement before Tracy had a chance. He gently rested his cheek on top of Brenda's head as he closed his eyes. He eventually drifted off to sleep after trying to figure out how to explain everything to her about his partnership with Tracy. It wasn't going to be easy and he knew she would be upset but he also knew now that they loved each other and that they would find their way through this.