Jax stood in stunned silence for a moment before walking up to her. “Lily?”

“Hello Jax,” Lily said nervously as she looked around the room.

“Jax?” Jerry asked as he walked up to him. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to our visitor?”

It took a moment for Jax to realize what Jerry had said. “Jerry, I’d like you to meet Lily Corinthos, Sonny’s wife. Lily, this is my brother Jerry Jacks.”

Jerry looked at Lily in stunned silence. He was amazed at how much she looked like Brenda. He was even more surprised to know that she was married to Sonny Corinthos. “Mrs. Corinthos,” he said with a slight nod. “What exactly is it that you know that will help us find Brenda? And why would you be telling Jax, considering how much your husband hates him?” he asked suspiciously.

“Jerry stop!” Jax said firmly. “How are you Lily? I was sorry to hear about what happened to you the night of the Nurses’ Ball. Are you okay?

“I’m fine now Jax, thank you. I’ve been staying with my father in Puerto Rico since I got out of the hospital.”

“If that’s true,” Jerry asked. “What can you possibly know about what happened to Brenda today?”

Lily looked at Jerry as she took a quick deep breath. “If you’ll give me a chance to explain I think you’ll understand,” she said sincerely.

Jerry looked over at Ben with a doubtful expression. “Ben?”

“I think you should hear her out. I’ve already heard what she has to say and I have to tell you, I believe her,” Ben said as he looked at Jax. “Trust me Jax.”

Jax took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “I want to hear what she has to say,” he said as he looked at Jerry. When he saw Jerry reluctantly nod his agreement, Jax turned back to Lily. “Go ahead,” Jax said as he tightened his fingers around Brenda’s necklace again.

“I don’t know if you know who my father is or not, but let’s just say he and Sonny are business associates.” Lily paused for a second. “Ever since Sonny and I were married my father has had his suspicions about him and his relationship with Brenda.”

Jerry started to say something but Jax put his hand up to stop him. “Let her talk Jerry. I’m not surprised to hear that her father was suspicious.” He looked back at Lily. “You had some concerns of your own as I remember, didn’t you?”

“At first yes, but the more I saw you and Brenda together the more I realized that I had nothing to worry about. Brenda was totally committed to you and building a relationship with you,” Lily said with a slight smile. “Sonny, on the other hand, kept manufacturing reasons to confront her. When I would call him on it he always insisted that it was Brenda who was trying to get him back. Then, when she had that horrible accident, I knew the truth, it was Sonny who was trying to get Brenda, not the other way around.

“My husband is not the kind of man to accept rejection. The more obvious it became that Brenda was no longer interested in him, the more obsessed he became with having her.”

“If you knew all of this, why did you stay with him?” Jerry asked.

Lily smiled slightly. “That’s easy - I loved him. When I found out you guys were married I really believed he would get the message and start to work on our marriage. When I saw what he did to Brenda at the Nurses’ Ball though, I finally realized that it was hopeless.” Lily couldn’t keep from sighing. “After watching you and Brenda leave I told Sonny I wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to go home. He wanted me to wait until after Robin’s speech so that he could come with me but I couldn’t stand to be around him any longer. So I insisted on leaving with Frances, my bodyguard.” Her shudder at the memory of what happened next was obvious to everyone.

“When I woke up in the hospital I really expected to see Sonny sitting next to my bed - or at least looking through the window,” she said sadly. “He wasn’t there though. Instead, when I was able to focus my eyes I saw my father sitting next to me, holding my hand and one of Sonny’s men standing outside my door - but no Sonny. My father told me that Sonny had been there the first day or so, yelling at the nurses and doctors to do something but after that he stopped coming.” Lily took a deep breath and looked at Jax. “He thought Sonny was with Brenda instead of me so he had a couple of people keeping an eye on you two.”

Jax looked at Ben. “That explains the second shadow,” he said. When Ben nodded slightly he turned back to Lily. “Go on, please.”

“Before I was even ready to be released from the hospital my father realized that I was right, Brenda was happy with you and had no interest in Sonny. He also found out that Sonny was obsessed with her. So as soon as I was ready to be released, he insisted that I stay with him in Puerto Rico while I recovered. He promised that he would keep an eye on Sonny for me while I was gone so he assigned some men to watch him - and you guys.” When she saw the surprise in Jax’s eyes she explained. “I asked him to do that. I wasn’t sure what Sonny might do to get Brenda back if I wasn’t around and I didn’t want him doing anything that would hurt your relationship.”

“So what does all of this have to do with what happened to Brenda today?” Jerry demanded. “Wait a second! Are you saying your father did this?”

“NO!” Lily said emphatically. “After the first couple of reports my father realized that I was right, that Sonny was up to something when it came to Brenda so he increased his surveillance team to a protection team.” She looked directly at Jax. “He knew that Brenda was totally devoted to you and you to her. He promised me that he would make sure that Sonny didn’t do anything to interfere with that. He also understood that Sonny’s obsession was growing so he told his men that if they saw anything that might be a threat to either one of you they were to report it directly to him.”

“And?” Jerry demanded.

“And they called yesterday. They told my father that something was coming down very soon so I flew back immediately to confront Sonny.” Lily paused to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But by the time my plane landed things were apparently already in motion. Sonny was nowhere to be found. By the time my father’s men realized something was happening it was too late to stop it.”

“Did you know he was going to grab Brenda?” Jax asked quietly as he tightened his hold on the necklace.

“NO! And I still don’t know for sure that he is the one behind this,” Lily said firmly. “By the time my father’s men got here it was too late. They saw a car pulling out of the garage with Brenda struggling in the backseat.”

“Where did they take her?” Jax asked anxiously.

Lily looked nervously at Ben. “We don’t know that yet Jax,” Ben said. “Apparently they’re still on the move. The last report we have looks like they’re heading out of town.”

“If you know where they are why don’t you just stop them?” Jerry demanded.

“Because if we do that, we risk hurting Brenda. You know that Jerry. Our best shot at getting her back safely is to wait until they get to their destination and retrieve her there.” Ben directed his attention to Jax. “I know you’re worried about her Jax, but this is our best shot at keeping her safe.”

Jax didn’t say anything at first. Finally, he looked at Lily. “Is she really okay Lily?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“As far as my father’s men can tell she’s fine,” Lily said as she rested her hand reassuringly on his arm. “They can’t get too close because they don’t want to tip of whoever it is that’s doing this. But when they exchange surveillance positions the departing car drive past them. The last report I got said she looked okay. She was sitting in the backseat, staring out the window, angry as hell.”

Lily looked directly into Jax’s eyes. “I promise you Jax, if it looks like she’s in any kind of trouble they’ll move in and get her out of there.”

“I appreciate that Lily. It’s just that she’s waiting for me to come get her,” Jax said as he exhaled loudly and ran his fingers through his hair.

Jerry rested his hand on Jax’s arm. “We’ll get her back Jax, I swear.”

“Actually, I think you two should stay put for now,” Ben said. When Jax and Jerry both jerked their heads to look at him he explained. “Jax, I want you here in case they contact you. We don’t know for sure that Corinthos is behind this yet. It could be a kidnapping for profit.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Jax yelled. He looked at Jerry for a moment before looking back at Ben. “She’s counting on me to come for her! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” Jax’s fear was obvious in his voice.

“May I say something?” Lily asked nervously.

“Of course Lily, I’m sorry,” Jax said as he took a deep breath and tried to shake off some of his fear.

“My father’s men will let us know as soon as they stop somewhere. I’ve instructed them to call me as soon as they do, that way you can get right to her,” Lily said as reassuringly as she could.

“She makes sense Jax,” Jerry said before looking over at Ben. “In the meantime I’m going to pay Corinthos a little visit.”

“What for?” Ben asked.

“I’m sure I can convince him to tell me where he’s taking Brenda,” Jerry said coldly.

“NO!” Jax and Ben said in unison.

“Why not?” Jerry yelled in frustration.

Ben took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before answering. “Like I said before, we don’t know for sure that Sonny was behind this.” When he saw Jerry start to protest he held up his hand. “All we know for sure is that they were professional muscle. We don’t have any proof that Corinthos hired them.”

“Ben’s right Jerry,” Jax said with a sigh. “As much as I want him to be responsible for this so that I can kill him, there’s still a chance that he had nothing to do with it. The last thing we need is him running off to ‘rescue’ her. Besides, if he is responsible for this, I don’t want to tip him off that we know.” He looked over at Lily. “For now, we’ll do it Ben’s way. Do you mind waiting here with us?”

“Not at all. I want to do anything I can to help,” Lily said as she nodded her head slightly.

“Good, while you three hold down the fort, I’ll find out if there’s someone else after you or Brenda,” Ben said as he turned and started toward the door. “They should have the door fixed in a few minutes,” he said as he nodded toward the men rehanging the door on its hinges. “I’ve got men outside all the doors and in the stairwells if you need anything.”

“Thanks Ben,” Jax said as he sat down on the arm of the couch and ran his fingers through his hair.

As Ben had promised, it took less than fifteen minutes for the workmen to finish repairing the door and leave. Once they were alone, it wasn’t long before Jerry started to pace nervously around the room. He glanced at Jax several times as he paced. He could almost see Jax’s nerves winding tighter as the time passed. His own frustration grew as he realized that there was nothing he could do to help him - at least not until the call came.

They were all so deep in their own thoughts that they jumped when the phone on the desk rang. It took a second for Jax to recognize the sound and get up to answer it. “Hello?” he said tentatively. He listened for a minute, looking over at Jerry with a look of surprise. “She is? Sure, by all means, send her up,” he said before hanging up the phone.

“Who’s coming up?” Jerry asked as he walked closer to Jax.

“Would you believe Miranda?” Jax said with a slight smile. “Do you think it’s just a coincidence that she shows up just after we find out that Brenda’s been taken?”

“Why did you let her come up then?” Jerry asked.

“I want to hear what she has to say,” Jax said calmly. “I also want to find out if she knows whether or not Sonny has taken my wife.”

“Do you really think she’d be foolish enough to come here if she knew he had done it? Or that she would be stupid enough to admit it if he did?” Jerry asked.

“If she thought it would change my mind about her I’m positive she’d sell Sonny out in a heartbeat!” Jax said firmly. Just then there was a knock on the door. “That’ll be Miranda. You and Lily go up to the media room. I need you guys to hear what she has to say when she thinks we’re alone,” Jax whispered to Jerry as he nodded toward the stairs.

“Okay, if that’s how you want to play it,” Jerry whispered reluctantly. When there was another knock on the door he extended his hand toward the stairs. “Mrs. Corinthos?”

Lily looked at Jax. When he gave her a nod and a confident smile she nodded back and walked over to the stairs. She followed Jerry up the stairs and into the media center.

When he was sure Jerry and Lily were out of sight, Jax walked over to the door. He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders as he reached for the doorknob. When he opened the door he was surprised to see the way Miranda was dressed. She had obviously been shopping since their last meeting. She was dressed much more casually but still expensively. Obviously she had realized her mistake at their last meeting and this was her attempt to correct it.

“Hello Miranda,” Jax said coolly. “How did you find out where I live? Or did your friend Sonny tell you?”

“Come on Jax, you’re a public figure whose wife is an international model, even the nurses at the hospital know where you live,” Miranda said with a smile. “May I come in or will your little ‘wifey’ object?”

Jax felt his stomach lurch as he silently stepped aside to let her in. “Please come in,” he said as calmly as he could. “Brenda’s not here right now. But you already knew that didn’t you?”

“Why would you think that?” Miranda asked as she walked past him into the room. She looked slowly around the room to make sure that they were alone. “Nice place,” she said as she looked at some of the furnishing more closely. “This place suits you. The hotel did a very good job decorating it for you.”

“Actually, Brenda decorated it when we got back from our honeymoon,” Jax said proudly. “I’ll be sure to tell her you approve,” he said as he closed the door before walking over to her. “So what brings you to my home? I thought we said all there was to say at our last meeting.”

Miranda couldn’t keep from shuddering at the finality in Jax’s voice. “I know our last talk didn’t go very well, that’s why I stayed away. I wanted to give you a chance to get over the shock of my return - and your father’s illness. How is he by the way? I heard that he was released from the hospital.”

“He’s actually doing better than the doctors expected,” Jax said calmly.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Miranda said with a trace of nervousness in her voice.

“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what are you really doing here?” Jax asked as he looked coldly into her eyes. “Brenda will be home soon, and I’m sure you don’t want to be here when she does.”

“Are you sure she’ll be home soon?” Miranda asked smugly, grateful for the opening Jax had just given her to start planting doubts about his ‘perfect’ wife. “Do you really trust her not to go back to that ex-boyfriend of hers or are you having her followed to make sure she doesn’t?”

“You’ve obviously been talking to Sonny again haven’t you Miranda?” Jax said with a chuckle. “You’re partially right about one thing though, Brenda does have a guard with her when she goes out. They’re there to protect her from Sonny - not to report her meetings with him.”

“I’m sorry Jax, that was a cruel and foolish thing to say,” Miranda said quickly as she tried to figure out a way to change the direction of the conversation. “I’m just very nervous. I want to make things right between us, that’s all.”

“Why is it so important to you that you make things ‘right’ between us, Miranda?” Jax asked as he walked over to the fireplace. He looked at the little yacht for a moment before turning to look back at her, his arms crossed in front of him. “After all, it was your idea to end things between us not mine. Why is it suddenly so important to repair things now?”

“I know Jax, and at the time I truly felt it was the right thing to do. But when Sonny, I mean Mr. Corinthos, showed up at my apartment and told me you were getting married I realized that I couldn’t really let go of you after all.” Miranda walked over to Jax and rested her hands on his forearms. “When he told me what kind of a woman Brenda was, I immediately decided to come with him to stop your wedding - to save you from the biggest mistake of your life. I was sure that if you saw me alive you’d walk away from Brenda, at least long enough for you to see her for what kind of woman she really was.”

Jax stared at her coldly for several moments. “And what type would that be, Miranda?” he asked. “A woman who loves me more that I deserve to be loved, who puts my happiness above her own, who stands by me even when my supposedly dead past publicly humiliates her,” he spat out bitterly. “Tell me Miranda, is that what you wanted me to see in Brenda?”

“Won’t you give me a chance Jax?” Miranda begged. “All I’m asking is that you spend some time with me, with an open mind. I think we owe it to each other to try.” She looked into Jax’s eyes, hoping to see at least some uncertainty, but all she saw was ice. “Will you at least think about it?”

“I won’t promise you anything Miranda. I have more important things on my mind right now,” Jax said as he looked nervously at his watch.

“What can be more important than saving our relationship? Wondering where your wife is and who she’s with?” Miranda asked with a trace of anger in her voice. “If you have so little trust in her maybe you should reconsider this marriage of yours?”

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Jax said icily as he glared at Miranda.

Seeing that Jax was not going to change his mind, Miranda decided not to push him. “Okay Jax, I’ll go,” she said softly. “I don’t want to force you to say something that you’re not ready to say yet - or something that you’ll regret having said later. All I ask is that, when you’re alone, you take some quiet time, away from Brenda, to think about what we had - and could have again if you’d let us.”

“Go away Miranda,” Jax said in a harsh whisper.

Without saying anything else, Miranda walked over to the door and opened it. She turned back to Jax. “Think about what I said Jax, you’ll know I’m right. You belong with me. Let Sonny have Brenda, he’s obsessed with her and I have no doubt that she wants him too.”

“Goodbye Miranda,” Jax said hoarsely.

As soon as Miranda walked out Jax closed and locked the door behind her, leaning his forehead against the jam. He took a deep breath and shuddered as he exhaled. When he finally turned around he saw Jerry and Lily coming down the stairs. “Well? What do you think?” he asked.

“If Sonny did take Brenda, he didn’t tell her,” Jerry said as he walked across the room. “She has no idea that Brenda’s is gone. If she did, she wouldn’t have made the snide remarks. She would have been extremely solicitous to try to earn your trust.”

“Lily?” Jax asked. “What do you think?”

Lily thought for a moment before answering. “I think your brother is right Jax. That woman doesn’t know anything about what happened to Brenda. I do think she has her own agenda though. She would have to if she’s working with my husband.”

“That’s for sure,” Jerry said with a chuckle. “She wants you - and she’s willing to do anything she has to, to get you!”

Before anyone could say anything else they were all startled by the sound of Lily’s cell phone ringing. They all looked at each other for a moment before Lily reached for the phone. Jax and Jerry waited as she listened. When she started looking around for something to write on Jax walked over and grabbed a pad and pen from the desk. When he held them out to her she took the pen and immediately started writing on the pad as he held it.

“Well?” Jerry asked as soon as she ended the call.

“They’ve stopped,” Lily said nervously.

“Where?” Jerry and Jax asked at the same time.

“They’re at a small house about ten miles south of town,” Lily said as she pulled the slip of paper with the information off the pad. “These are the directions,” She said as she folded the paper in half.

“Is Brenda okay?” Jax asked anxiously.

“As far as they can tell she’s fine. She walked into the house on her own, her hands were tied, but she looked okay,” Lily said quickly. “They’re watching the house, waiting for instructions.”

Jerry walked over to the desk and reached for the phone. “I’ll get Ben up here,” he said as he looked over at Jax. “We’ll get her back for you Jax, I swear it.”

“Like hell you will! I'll get her back myself!” Jax said as he grabbed the slip of paper out of Lily’s hand and ran up the stairs.

“JAX!” Jerry yelled as he ran after him. By the time he got to the service entrance Jax was already gone. “Damn!” he said as he slammed his hand against the doorframe.

“Is something wrong Mr. Jacks?” the guard asked innocently. “Your brother just ran out of there like a man possessed.”

“Did he say anything to you about where he was going?” Jerry asked.

“No sir,” the guard said. “All he said was that he was going out and that we should not follow him.”

“Damn!” Jerry said loudly as he slammed his hand against the doorframe again. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “Get on that radio of yours and get Ben up here - NOW!”

“Yes sir,” the guard said nervously. He jumped at the sound of Jerry slamming the door behind him.

Jerry walked back into the living room. “He’s gone,” he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. He looked over at Lily who was standing by the desk. “The damned fool is going to try to get her back by himself. He thinks all of this is his fault,” he said in frustration. “Can you remember the directions to that house?”

“Not necessary,” Lily said with a slight smile. When she saw Jerry start to say something she held out a folded slip of paper. “Here,” she said proudly.

Jerry took the slip she held out to him. When he looked at it he saw that it was a reverse image of the directions. He looked over at Lily and smiled for the first time.

“An old trick I learned from my father,” Lily said with a slight smile of her own. “I know how much Jax loves Brenda. I had a feeling he might do something like this so I pressed a little harder than normal when I wrote down the directions so that I could reverse the image if I need to.”

Jerry’s smile broadened. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “For being the only person here to keep a cool head,” he said as he rested his hand on Lily’s arm. He started to say something else when there was a knock on the door. Before he had a chance to say anything the door opened and Ben walked quickly into the room.

“What the hell’s going on up here?” Ben demanded. “And where the hell did Jax go?”

Jerry walked over to Ben and held up the slip of paper he was holding. “Lily came through. We know where Brenda is.”

Ben took the slip and unfolded it. When he saw the reverse image he immediately looked at Jerry. “Let me guess, Jax took the original and went to get her back himself!”

“Yep,” Jerry said as he slowly nodded his head. “He took off about 10 minutes ago.”

Ben looked at the address again and then at Lily. “What do you know about the area around the house?”

“According to the report I got, the house is about ten miles south of town, on the edge of a thick woods. The only way to get to the house without being seen is through the woods. Any other way would mean crossing about fifty yards of open field.”

“Are your father’s men still watching the house?” Ben asked as he started to pace, trying to form a workable plan.

“Yes,” Lily said with a nod. “They’re waiting for instructions from me.”

Ben and Jerry looked at each other for a moment. “Can you give them a call and ask them to keep an eye out for Jax?” Jerry asked.

“Of course,” Lily said. “Do you want them to stop him if he tries to go after Brenda?”

“Hopefully they won’t have to,” Jerry said as he exhaled loudly. “Hopefully he’ll check things out and then wait for us to get there.” As Jerry looked over at Ben for reassurance he couldn’t help sucking in his breath when he saw the expression on Ben’s face as he slowly shook his head in disagreement.

“You know him better than any of us Jerry. You’ve spent more time with him and Brenda. Do YOU think he’ll wait for us to get there once he knows for sure that Brenda’s in that house?” Ben asked.

“No,” Jerry admitted with a sigh. He looked over at Lily. “Will you ask your people to help him if he doesn’t wait for us?”

Without answering Jerry, Lily immediately made the call. When she ended the call she looked first at Ben then Jerry. “It’s done. They’ll do everything they can to help him free Brenda and keep them both safe if necessary.”

“Thank you,” Jerry said with a sigh before looking over at Ben. “We better get a move on. Jax left here more than ten minutes ago,” he said as he started toward the door. “Who knows? Maybe my little brother will surprise us all and have the good sense to wait for us to get there.”

“I’m coming with you,” Lily said calmly as she walked up to Jerry. “If something should go wrong Brenda might need my help.” When she saw Jerry start to protest she held up her hand, “Don’t even try to stop me Mr. Jacks. Brenda and I were friends long before all this trouble with Sonny.”

“She’s right Jerry,” Ben said as he turned to look at Jerry. “Brenda may need her there. Let’s go. I’ll fill you in on my plans in the car,” he said as he turned and walked to the door. He opened it and turned back to look at Jerry and Lily. Jerry looked at him for a moment before looking back at Lily and extending his arm toward the door. Lily gave him a slight smile and walked quickly across the room and out the door with Jerry and Ben right behind her.

Jax pulled his car off to the side of the road about a half-mile before the woods, deciding to run the rest of the way in order to prevent the men holding Brenda from hearing him. Once he reached the woods he moved as quietly as he could to avoid alerting the men of his presence. When he reached the edge of the woods closest to the house he stopped and looked around. When he was sure that there was no outside lookout, he carefully approached the house and started looking in every window. He worked his way around to the back of the house where he finally found Brenda, locked in one of the bedrooms with her hands tied in front of her.

Before letting Brenda know he was there, Jax looked around the rest of the house to make sure he knew how many men were there and where they were located. When he was convinced it was safe to approach, Jax tapped on the window, just hard enough for Brenda to hear.

As soon as she heard the tapping Brenda looked over at the window. When she saw Jax’s face she ran over to the window and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. She pressed her hands against the glass in frustration as tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Jax!” she said as loud as she dared as she began to cry harder.

“I’m here luv,” Jax said in an attempt to calm her. “Don’t cry. I’ll get you out of there.” He tried lifting the window from the outside but it wouldn’t move. “Do you see a latch of some kind?” he asked as he ran his fingers across the edges of the window. After looking closely around all the edges Brenda slowly shook her head.

Jax looked past her and saw several large pillows on the couch. “Grab one of those pillows and press it as tightly as you can against the window. I’m going to break the glass.” He smiled reassuringly at her when she didn’t move right away. “Go on, get the pillow,” he said with a nod of his head toward the couch.

Brenda finally returned his smile and gave him a quick nod before running over to the couch to grab the largest pillow she could find. When she got back to the window she saw Jax holding a large rock, ready to smash the window.

“It’s almost over luv. Press the pillow against the glass as hard as you can. We need to muffle the sound of the glass breaking,” he said as he held up the rock.

Brenda nodded her head quickly before pressing the pillow as tightly as she could against the glass. Jax drew back his arm and hit the window just hard enough to break the glass. Several pieces of glass fell out as soon as he hit the window. Jax dropped the rock and started pulling additional pieces of glass out of the window. When she felt him pulling at the glass Brenda dropped the pillow and put her hand on his, tears streaming down her cheeks. “How did you find me?” she whispered as she started to help him pull the glass out of the window frame.

“I’ll explain all of that later,” Jax whispered. He reached through the broken window to cover her hands with his. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” he asked as he looked at her closely. When he saw several bruises beginning to form on her face he reached up and gently brushed his fingers across a large one on her left cheek. “Did they do that to you?” he demanded in a harsh whisper.

Brenda reached up her still tied hands and lifted his hand from her face. “At the apartment,” she said as she looked down at her hands. She suddenly looked up at Jax. “How are Erik and the others?”

“They’re going to be okay,” Jax said reassuringly. “They were on the way to the hospital when I left.” He let go of her hands and started to pull more of the glass out of the window. “Let’s get you out of there before someone comes to check on you,” he said as he pulled more glass out. When he had the last of the glass out of the lower pane, Jax took the last large piece of glass in one hand and reached for Brenda’s tied hands with the other. “Come on, let me get rid of that,” he said as he cut into the rope with the sharp glass.

It took several attempts to cut through the rope. As soon as her hands were free Brenda leaned through the window, wrapped her arms around Jax’s neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Jax leaned further into the room as he wrapped his arms around her. After holding her close for several moments with his face pressed against her neck, Jax leaned back and looked up into Brenda’s eyes. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. “Ready to go home?”

“Definitely!” Brenda whispered in a shaky voice as she nodded eagerly.

“Good,” Jax said quietly before looking past her. “Grab that bedcover,” he said as he pointed to the bed. “We need to cover the window frame so you don’t get cut.”

Brenda ran over to the bed and grabbed the bedcover. She bundled it up and brought it back to the window. She and Jax folded it over a few times before spreading it across the bottom edge of the window.

“Ready?” Jax asked. When Brenda took a deep breath and nodded he reached into the room. “Wrap your arms around my neck,” he whispered. Brenda leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her out. As soon as her feet cleared the window, Jax pulled Brenda close to him as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and buried her face in the side of his neck.

With his eyes shut tightly Jax held her close for several moments, grateful to have her back in his arms. He was startled by the sound of rustling in the woods. He looked up and saw three men come out of the woods with their guns drawn. He pulled Brenda close to him as they waited for the men to get closer.

When they got close enough the first man glanced at Brenda before looking at Jax. “Look, we don’t have much time. My name is Miguel Perez. I assume you know who I work for?” he asked. He waited for Jax to nod before continuing. “Is she okay Mr. Jacks?” he asked as he nodded toward Brenda, who had finally released her legs from around Jax’s waist and was now standing wrapped around him. When Jax nodded yes the man signaled the other two men who immediately went to check things out around the house. “We need to get you two out of here before they notice Mrs. Jacks is gone.”

Brenda looked up at Jax with a look of total confusion on her face. She had no idea who these men were but she was sure they were NOT J&J Jacks security men. They looked more like the men who worked for Sonny than the men who worked for Ben. “Jax?” she asked. “Who are these men?”

When he looked down at Brenda Jax could see the growing fear in her eyes. “It’s okay luv,” he whispered reassuringly as he cupped her face in his hands. “They’re friends.” Brenda looked into his eyes for several seconds before she finally smiled back at him as the fear started to fade away.

Just then one of the men came running back and whispered something to Miguel. Before the man even finished talking Miguel looked nervously at the window behind Jax. “We gotta go - now! Someone’s coming!” he said as he waived his gun toward the woods.

Before any of them could move the door to the bedroom Brenda had been in opened. When the guard didn’t see Brenda he quickly looked around the room. When he saw the broken window he yelled to the others. “Damn it! She’s gone!” He ran to the window to see if she was still in the area. He didn’t see her but he did see four men running toward the woods. He figured they must have the Jacks woman. Not eager to have to tell his boss they had lost the Jacks woman, he fired several shots at the retreating men, hoping they would stop and he could get her back.

The other two guards came running around the sides of the house, dropped to one knee and fired several shots at the retreating figures. They didn’t stop firing until the four figures disappeared into the woods. They looked up at the man in the window. “Do we go after ‘em?” one of them asked.

“Yeah, see what you can find,” he said disgustedly. “Maybe we can get a line on who they were from their plates and get the Jacks broad back before the boss finds out.” As the man in the house watched, the two men ran off in the direction that the four men had run. After putting his gun away, he ran his fingers through his hair and leaned against the edge of the wall as he waited for them to get back.

It was almost ten minutes before he saw the two men come out of the woods. He could tell by their expressions that the news was not going to be good. “Well?”

“They got away,” one of the men said. “We hit one of them though. There’s a blood trail that leads all the way through the woods. It stops at some tire tracks about a half-mile down the road. They must have had a car waiting.”

“DAMN!” the man in the window said. “The boss ain’t gonna like this! If the one we hit goes to a hospital we’re through!” he said as he exhaled loudly. “Come on, we better get out of here. If we’re lucky we hit the Jacks guy. That way the boss might not be too ticked about us loosing the woman,” he said quickly. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. “Get moving!. We better get out of here before the cops show up,” he said before turning and walking quickly across the room and out of the house. He got into his car as the other two pulled up in theirs and they drove off in different directions, determined to get as far away from the house as possible as quickly as possible!

As soon as they got to the car, Jax and Brenda got in the back seat as Miguel got in to drive. Once they were headed for the main road Brenda finally relaxed a little and snuggled close to Jax, wrapping her arm around his waist. When he drew in a quick breath and tensed up she pulled away from him enough to look at his face. As soon as she did she knew something was wrong. His eyes were closed, he was sweating and his face was as white as a sheet. “Jax?” she asked as she started to look at him more closely. She saw him flinch when she moved her hand against his side and suddenly realized that her hand felt wet. She slowly lifted her hand from under his coat and drew in her breath when she saw that it was covered with blood. “Oh my God! You’ve been shot!” she said in a frightened whisper.

“Stop the car!” Brenda yelled. “Jax has been shot!”

Miguel stopped the car at the side of the road and got out. He pulled the back door open on Jax’s side and leaned in. “Help me get his jacket off,” he said calmly as he started to pull at Jax’s jacket. Brenda pulled at the other side until they pulled it completed off. When they did, Brenda could see a large red stain on the left side of Jax’s shirt. Miguel pulled the shirt open and gently pressed against Jax’s ribs, slowly working his way around Jax’s side until he found the bullet wound. “Help me lay him down on the seat,” Miguel ordered.

Brenda slid down so that she was kneeling on the floor between the seats and helped Miguel ease Jax down so that he was laying face down on the seat. When she turned his head so that she could see his face she realized that he was unconscious. "Jax? Jax?” she whispered hoarsely as she gently shook him. When he didn’t respond she looked at Miguel. “He needs a doctor, Miguel, NOW!” she said in a frightened voice.

Miguel leaned further into the car to check on Jax. When he finished, he took Jax’s jacket and rolled it into a ball. He pressed it tightly against the bullet wound in Jax’s back. “Keep as much pressure as you can on this. He’s loosing a lot of blood.”

Brenda put both hands on the rolled up jacket and pressed as hard as she could. Miguel gently closed the door and was just about to get in when several cars came speeding toward them and slid to a stop, blocking them on all sides. Miguel reached for his gun as several men jumped out of the cars and came toward them. “Stay down Mrs. Jacks, we’ve got company.”

When she heard the click of Miguel’s gun, Brenda raised her head enough to see who was approaching the car. “WAIT!” she said as she raised up as high as she could without releasing pressure on Jax’s wound. “They’re okay Miguel. That guy on the left is Jax’s brother Jerry.”

Jerry saw Brenda in the backseat and approached the car alone. When the man in the front didn’t make any type of move to stop him, he figured he was one of Lily’s men. As he reached for the door he knew something was wrong. When he opened the door and saw the desperate expression on Brenda’s face as she pressed a bloody jacket against Jax’s back he felt his stomach lurch. “What the...”

“Not now Jerry!” Brenda ordered. “We have to get Jax to the hospital - NOW!”

Miguel turned to look at Jerry. “She’s right Mr. Jacks. Your brother needs a doctor - NOW!”

Jerry took a quick look at Jax before looking at Brenda. When he saw the combination of fear and desperation on her face he squeezed her hand as she continued to hold pressure on Jax’s wound. He reached past her to touch Jax’s shoulder for a moment before backing out and closing the door. “Jax’s hurt!” Jerry yelled to Ben. “Clear these cars out. He needs a hospital - NOW!”

Ben immediately signaled his men to get out of the way. One of the marked security cars pulled in front of the car and turned on its rooftop light as the rest of the security men headed to check out the house. Jerry ran around the back of the car and got in the front seat next to Miguel just as the car started to move.

To Brenda it seemed to take forever to get to General Hospital but in fact it was a very fast trip, thanks to the security escort. When they pulled up to the Emergency Entrance there was a full trauma team waiting for them. Even before the car completely stopped the door was opened and a doctor leaned in to check Jax. When he tried to move Brenda’s hand to examine the wound she wouldn’t move. The doctor looked up at Brenda. “You can let go now Mrs. Jacks, we’ll take it from here.” When Brenda still didn’t move the doctor looked at Jerry and Miguel for help.

Jerry turned further around in the seat and put his hand on Brenda’s arm. “Come on Little Bit, you have to let the doctor do his job.” She looked at him numbly, not moving her hands. “Let go luv,” he said as he gently squeezed her arm. Brenda looked at him for a moment before lifting her hands from Jax’s back so the doctor could examine him. When she did Jerry smiled reassuringly at her as he reached to cup the side of her bruised face for a moment.

As soon as Brenda moved her hands, the doctor lifted the jacket and examined Jax’s wound. He immediately backed out of the car and signaled to the trauma team to get Jax out and into the trauma unit.

When she realized what was happening, Brenda pulled away from Jerry and reached for Jax. Jerry grabbed her to stop her from interferring.

The trauma team slowly slid Jax out of the car and laid him on his side on the gurney. Once Jax was out of the car Jerry and Miguel both got out as well. Miguel followed close behind the gurney as they wheeled Jax into the Trauma Unit. Jerry opened the back door and reached inside to help Brenda out. When she didn’t seem able to move, he reached in and lifted her out of the car. As he carried her into the Emergency Room she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her face against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she did.

Bobbie Spencer had just gotten to the nurses’ station when she saw a man walk through the entrance carrying a woman covered in blood. “Oh God,” she said softly as she got cloer and recognized it was Brenda. “Bring her in here,” she instructed as she opened the door to a treatment room.

Jerry followed her into the treatment room. When he set Brenda down on the gurney she did not release her hold on his neck. He had to reach up and pull her arms down before he could stand up.

“What happened?” Bobbie asked as she started looking for the injury that had caused all the blood.

Realizing what Bobbie was doing, Jerry linked his fingers with Brenda’s right hand and gently brushed her hair from her face. “It’s not her blood, it’s Jax’s.” When Brenda looked up at him sadly he moved another lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind he ear. “He’s in the trauma unit right now,” he said, partly to tell Bobbie and partly to reassure Brenda.

Before Bobbie could ask any questions the rest of the treatment team came in. Jerry looked at Bobbie for a moment before letting go of Brenda’s hand and stepping back from the gurney to let the medical team do their jobs. He stood watching them from just inside the door. When Bobbie noticed him standing there she walked over to him. “We need to examine her and get her cleaned up so you’re going to have to leave.”

“I’m not leaving her alone,” Jerry said firmly.

Bobbie looked over at Brenda for a second before looking back at Jerry. “Look, I have no idea what happened to Brenda - or to Jax for that matter - but I do know that there is nothing you can do for her in here except keep us from helping her.” When she saw that Jerry was not about to move, Bobbie put her hand on his arm. “Brenda’s my friend. I promise you that I won’t leave her alone for a moment. She’ll be safe here with me.” When Jerry still didn’t move Bobbie decided to try a different approach. “Okay, how about this? I promise to stay in the room with Brenda while you go check on Jax. You can have a guard stationed outside the door while you’re gone.” She looked at Jerry with a slight smile. “You know she’s going to want to know how he is.”

It was as if a switch had flipped in Jerry’s head when he heard Bobbie mention Jax. He realized that she was right. He also knew that there was something familiar about this woman that made him trust her. “Who are you?” he asked with a suspicious smile as he tried to figure out if he trusted her enough to leave Brenda with her.

“My name is Bobbie Spencer. I’m the chief surgical nurse here at GH - and a good friend of Brenda and Jax,” Bobbie said as she looked suspiciously at Jerry. She couldn’t help thinking she had met him somewhere before, she just couldn’t place where. “And who would you be?” she asked as she crossed her arms in front of herself.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Jerry Jacks - Jax’s older brother,” Jerry said.

“I thought I recognized you - from the wedding right? You were Jax’s bestman,” Bobbie said as she slowly backed Jerry out of the room.

It took Jerry a minute to realize what had happened. When he did the smile quickly disappeared. “Wait a minute! I’m not leaving Brenda unprotected!”

Bobbie stood her ground in the doorway. “Look, let’s compromise. I promise to stay with Brenda every minute while we treat her and you can put a guard you trust outside the door. When we’re finished I’ll let you know and you can come back and sit with her. By then you should have some news on Jax.” She was surprised at the sadness that suddenly filled Jerry’s eyes. “What happened to Jax that put him in the trauma unit? An accident?”

“He was shot,” Jerry said, his voice trembling as he said the words for the first time. “He was unconscious and bleeding badly when we brought him in.” Jerry took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Oh God!” Bobbie said softly as she covered her mouth with her hand. She stood looking at Jerry for a minute before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly to calm herself. “Go check on Jax. I swear to you that I won’t leave Brenda, even for a moment until you get back.”

Jerry looked at Bobbie for a minute. Finally he nodded. “Okay,” he said with a sigh. “I really do want to check on Jax.” He turned to go but suddenly turned back. “Thanks Bobbie,” he said. He glanced over at Ben who had just come up to the door. “Brenda’s in that room. I want you to put a guard on the door. No one goes in except for hospital personel. Ms. Spencer will clear anyone not already in that room who wants access.”

“Understood,” Ben said as he signaled for Jared and a uniformed security guard to come over. He relayed Jerry’s instructions to them and then signaled them to take their positions on either side of the treatment room door. Once he was satisfied with their positions he turned back to Jerry. “Any news on Jax?”

“I was just going to check on him,” Jerry said. He looked over Ben’s shoulder at the treatment room door just as Bobbie walked through, giving him a quick glimpse of Brenda. "Keep her safe until I get back!" he ordered. When Ben nodded his understanding, Jerry turned and walked quickly across the hall to the trauma unit. He looked around until he saw Lily and Miguel standing outside one of the rooms. “How is he?” he asked as he walked up to them.

“I just got here. No one has come out yet,” Lily said nervously. When she saw Jerry’s expression she put her hand on his arm. “I know the doctor that is treating him Jerry. He’s one of the best trauma surgeons in the country. Jax couldn’t be in better hands.”

Before Jerry could answer he saw the door of the trauma room open. He immediately walked over to the doctor. “How’s my brother?”

The doctor finished his notes on the chart before looking at Jerry. “We’re prepping him for surgery right now,” he said as he handed the chart to the nurse who had followed him into the hall. “The bullet appears to be lodged in the muscle tissue in his left side. The x-rays don’t show any obvious organ damage but I am concerned about the amount of blood he’s still loosing.”

“What are you going to do for him?” Jerry asked nervously.

“We’re going to go in and remove the bullet, isolate the source of the bleeding and repair it,” the doctor said. “All we need is consent for the surgery. Is his wife here yet?”

“She’s a patient in the emergency room right now. She’s being treated for head injuries and shock.” When he saw the doctor’s expression Jerry finished. “She was with my brother when he was shot. In fact, she helped get him here and then just collapsed.”

“I understand,” the doctor said with a nod. “We’ll need you to sign the consent forms then,” he said as he nodded to one of the nurses, who brought over a clipboard. He handed it to Jerry and looked at him when he hesitated. “Look, the longer we wait the more blood your brother is loosing.”

Jerry looked at the doctor for a moment before signing the forms and handing them back to him. “Take care of my little brother, doctor,” Jerry said softly.

“We will,” the doctor said as he turned to go back into the trauma room. Even after the doctor was gone, Jerry kept staring at the door. It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his arm that he finally looked away. He turned and looked at Lily. “Sorry,” he said as he took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about Jerry,” Lily said reassuringly. “What did the doctor say?”

Jerry looked back at the door again. “They had to take him into surgery. The bullet is imbedded in the muscle tissue in his side. They don’t think it damaged anything vital but the doctor is worried about the bleeding,” he said as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He stood like that for several moments before rubbing his hands over his face and then running them through his hair. He looked over at Lily. “I have to tell Brenda,” he said with a sigh. “She needs to know what happening.”

“Miguel and I will stay here and wait for news on Jax,” Lily said with a trce of nervousness in her voice. She looked around slowly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to know that I’m home just yet. If I stay in here there is less chance that one of Sonny’s people will spot me.”

“Ben has men on all the doors. No one will be allowed into the unit except for patients and medical personnel,” Jerry said. He put his hand on Lily’s arm. “Stick close to Miguel until I get back.” He gave Lily a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about me Jerry, I’ll be fine,” Lily said as she put her hand on Jerry’s arm. “Miguel will stay with me. You go be with Brenda.” As Jerry turned to go she squeezed his arm gently. “My prayers are with both of them.” When Jerry smiled his appreciation she let go of his arm and watched him walk away.

Jerry walked quickly out the door and across the hall to the emergency department. As soon as he came through the door he saw several additional Jacks security guards scattered around the room. Jared was standing outside the door of Brenda’s room. “How is she?” Jerry asked as he stopped at the door.

“That nurse, Ms. Spencer, said that she’s going to be okay,” Jared said. He nodded toward the door. “She said Mrs. J is asking for you.”

“She probably wants to know how Jax is doing,” Jerry said as he exhaled loudly.

“How is he?” Jared asked. “He didn’t look so good last time I saw him.”

“He’s in surgery,” Jerry said as he crossed his arms in front of himself and leaned back slightly. Before he could say anything else Bobbie came out of Brenda’s room. “How is she?” Jerry asked as he stood up straight and nodded toward the door.

“Physically she’s going to be fine. Nothing’s broken and those bruises on her face aren’t serious,” Bobbie said quickly.

“But?” Jerry asked.

“There really isn’t a but,” Bobbie said quickly as she rested her hand on Jerry’s arm. “It’s just that she’s working herself up worrying about Jax. How is he?” she asked as she looked up at him.

Jerry closed his eyes for a moment to organize his thoughts. “They took him to surgery a few minutes ago,” he said as he exhaled. “They have to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding.”

“Who’s the surgeon?” Bobbie asked.

“Dr. Felton,” Jerry said as he looked closely at Bobbie to judge her reaction to the doctor’s name. “I was told he’s one of the best trauma surgeons in the country. Is that true?”

“Definitely!” Bobbie said reassuringly. When she saw the concern in Jerry’s eyes she put her hand on his arm. “Tell you what, you go talk to Brenda. Tell her everything that you know about Jax and I’ll go check on how his surgery is going. Okay?”

“Okay, thanks,” Jerry said as he gave her a slight smile. When Bobbie opened the treatment room door he walked past her into the room. He was relieved to see Brenda sitting up on the gurney with her eyes closed, holding an icepack to her cheek. “You look a lot better than you did the last time I saw you,” he said cheerfully as he walked over to her.

“Jerry!” Brenda said as she dropped the icepack and held her arms out to him.

Jerry walked quickly across the room and wrapped his arms tightly around Brenda. “It’s okay Little Bit,” he said reassuringly as he gently ran his hand over her hair. “I’m here now.”

Brenda wrapped her arms around Jerry and held on tight. She felt tears start to run down her cheeks as she tightened her hold on him. Finally, she let go and leaned back against the bed. Jerry handed her the icepack before pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Thanks,” she said as she wiped the tears from her face before putting the ice back on her cheek. “Where’s Jax? Is he okay? I want to see him,” she said eagerly.

Jerry took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You can’t see him right now luv,” he said as he sat on the stool next to her bed and took her hand in both of his. “Jax is in surgery right now.” When he saw the panic in her eyes he gently squeezed her hand. “I talked to the doctor before they started. He said the bullet is embedded in the muscle tissue of his left side. He doesn’t think any vital orgarns were damaged, but they need to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding.” He looked her right in the eyes, “That’s all I know. All we can do right now is wait. Your friend Bobbie went to check on what’s happening in the surgery. She said she’d let us know as soon as she knew anything.”

Brenda closed her eyes and sat silently for several moments as she processed everything Jerry had just said. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized that getting hysterical was not going to help Jax - even though that was exactly what she wanted to do. Instead, she decided to ask some questions of her own. “How did Jax know where to find me? Who were those men who helped us?”

‘Actually, we have an old friend of yours to thank for both,” Jerry said with a chuckle as he slowly rubbed his chin.

“A friend of mine? Who?” Brenda asked.

“Me,” said a voice from the doorway. “At least I hope we’re friends again,” Lily said as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

“Lily?” Brenda asked in surprise.

“Hello Brenda,” Lily said as she walked over to stand next to Jerry. “How are you feeling? Did they hurt you?” she asked as she pointed at the bruises on Brenda’s face.

“I thought you were going to stay over in the trauma unit,” Jerry said as he stood up without letting go of Brenda’s hand. “Where’s Miguel?”

“Miguel,” Brenda asked. “How do you know Miguel?” She looked at Jerry. “He helped Jax rescue me.”

“Shh, I know that luv,” Jerry said as he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Miguel and the other two men who helped rescue you work for my father,” Lily said softly with a trace of nervousness in her voice.

“What?” Brenda asked. “Why would your father’s men help Jax rescue me? Your father hates me!”

Lily looked at Jerry. When she saw him nod slightly she looked back at Brenda. “My father has had men watching you ever since the night I was shot. He wanted to find out for himself if I was really the intended target or you were.”

“What did he find out?” Brenda asked as she leaned back, nervously waiting for Lily’s answer.

“I’m afraid we won’t ever know for sure unless someone, somewhere finds the shooters - alive,” Lily said with a sigh. “He did finally realize though, that you were not a threat to my marriage. He knows it was Sonny who’s obsessed with you. That’s why he kept the watch on you and Jax. When he told me a couple of days ago that Sonny had men watching you 24/7 I asked him to make sure that Sonny’s men didn’t hurt you.”

“Is that how Jax knew what happened to me? How he knew where to look?” Brenda asked.

“Yes,”Lily said with a nod. “Unfortunately, they weren’t able to prevent what happened in the apartment but when they saw you struggling in the backseat of that car they called me and started following you.

“As soon as I heard what happened, I went to see Mr. Johnson and he took me to see Jax and Jerry. When Miguel called with the location of that house, Jax took the information and took off on his own to get you.” Lily stopped to look over at Jerry. “Since Jax had a head start on the rest of us I called Miguel and told him to do whatever he and the others could to help Jax until we got there.” She looked back at Brenda. “None of us anticipated that Jax would get hurt. I’m so sorry for that. I keep thinking I should have done something differently - something more.”

“Don’t say that!” Brenda said as she leaned forward and put her hand on Lily’s arm. “If it wasn’t for you I would still be a prisoner.” She looked up at Jerry. “Do you know who those men were? Who they worked for? Have the police found out why they did this?”

Jerry just shook his head. “Ben and his men caught two of the men at the house and turned them over to Scorpio when his men got there. So far they aren’t saying anything. They haven’t even asked for their lawyers.”

“Well you certainly look better than the last time I saw you,” Bobbie said as she came through the door.

“Bobbie!” Brenda said excitedly. “How’s Jax? Is he okay?”

“He’s going to be fine,” Bobbie said as she got to the foot of Brenda’s bed. “Dr. Felton sent me out to let you know what’s happening.”

“Okay,” Brenda said aprehensively. “Tell me.”

“Well, Dr. Felton removed the bullet without any problem. He wanted me to tell you that there was no damage to any of Jax’s vital organs but the bullet did nick the renal artery, which is what was causing the heavy bleeding. He’s repairing the artery right now. When he finishes that he’ll check everying over one more time and then close. Providing they don’t find any additional damage, the procedure should be finished in about an hour.”

“Will the artery damage cause any problem with his kidney?” Jerry asked as he gently squeezed Brenda’s shoulder.

“Dr. Felton doesn’t think so. He said the tissue texture looked good and the kidney seemed to be functioning normally. They’ll keep an eye on it for the next couple of days but he doesn’t feel that the arterial damage was serious enough to have restricted blood flow to the kidney,” Bobbie said confidently.

“When can I see him Bobbie?” Brenda asked eagerly. “I want to be with him when he wakes up.”

“Once he’s out of surgery he’ll be in recovery for at least a couple of hours,” Bobbie said as she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Why don’t you try to get some rest and I’ll come get you when you can see him? Okay?”

Before answering, Brenda looked up at Jerry. When she saw him smile and nod slightly as he gently squeezed her hand she looked back at Bobbie. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“And I”ll sit right here and make sure she rests,” Jerry said firmly as he sat down next to her. He looked up at Bobbie with an expression that told her he was not leaving Brenda alone.

“Okay,” Bobbie said with a smile as she patted Brenda’s leg. As she turned to leave she finally realized who the woman standing next to Jerry was. “Lily?” she asked. “Oh my goodness. How are you?”

Lily smiled. “Hello Bobbie, I’m feeling very well, thank you.” She looked nervously at Jerry and Brenda. “Now that I know Jax is going to be okay I should be leaving. I’m sure the news of what happened to him has gotten out by now. I don’t want any of Sonny’s people to spot me and tell him I’m back.”

Seeing how concerned they all were about keeping Lily’s presence a secret, Bobbie spoke up. “Why don’t you let me take you out through the employee’s entrance? We’ll take the back hall to the trauma unit and then go through there to the exit.”

“That would be great Bobbie, thank you,” Brenda said. She looked over at Lily. “Thank you for everything you did to help Jax,” she said. When she saw Lily smile slightly and nod, Brenda sat forward. “Is Miguel here?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s outside,” Jerry said. “Do you want to see him?” When Brenda nodded Jerry got up and walked over to the door. He pushed it open and stepped into the hall. “Miguel?” he said softly as he signaled him to come over. “Brenda is asking for you,” he said as he stepped aside to let Miguel into the room.

Miguel walked over to stand at the foot of Brenda’s bed. “How are you Mrs. Jacks?” he asked. He pointed at the large purple bruise on Brenda’s cheek. “Sorry we couldn’t get to you before they had a chance to do that.”

Brenda smiled slightly. “I’m fine,” she said. She took a deep breath and let it out quickly. “I wanted to thank you for everything you did for Jax today,” she said in a shaky voice as she looked down at her hands. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there. I saw all that blood and I just froze!”

Miguel looked down at his feet, feeling slightly embarassed. “I’m glad I could help Mrs. Jacks,” he said uncomfortably. When he finally looked up he smiled at Brenda for a moment before looking at Lily. “We really should be leaving Senora,” he said as he glanced at the door. “I’m afraid we may not be able to keep your return a secret any longer. I saw a couple of your husband’s men out in the waiting room. We’re going to have to walk right past them on the way out.”

“No we won’t,” Lily said as she smiled at Bobbie. “Ms. Spencer is going to take us out the employee’s entrance.” Lily looked back at Brenda. “Miguel is right though. We really should go.” She leaned forward to give Brenda a quick hug. Afterward, she leaned back slightly but still rested her hands on Brenda’s upper arms. “I’ll keep Jax in my prayers.”

“Thank you,” Brenda said softly as she put her hand on Lily’s. “Will you be staying in Port Charles? Is it safe for you to be here?”

“I’ll be fine Brenda. Besides, I’ve been here for several weeks already. Sonny has no idea that I’m here. Whenever he calls, which isn’t often, my father forwards his calls to me here,” Lily said sadly.

“Senora,” Miguel said with a trace of nervousness. “We really need to go.”

“Okay,” Lily said. “How can I reach you?” she asked Brenda. “I’d like to make sure Jax is okay.”

“Why don’t you call me instead?” Bobbie said as she stepped forward. “I can forward your call to Brenda anywhere here in the hospital. That way no one can trace the call if they are logging Jax’s incoming phone calls. It will show up as an inhouse call.” She pulled a piece of paper off the pad on the cart next to Brenda’s bed and quickly wrote something. “Here’s my number,” she said as she handed Lily the slip of paper.

“You certainly think fast Nurse Spencer,” Jerry said as he looked admiringly at Bobbie. “Makes me think that you’ve done this before.”

“Jerry!” Brenda said in exasperation.

“It’s okay Brenda,” Bobbie said with a chuckly as she looked at Jerry. “Let’s just say I’ve led an interesting life.” She looked over at Lily and Miguel. “Come on, let’s get you two out of here.” When Lily nodded, Bobbie walked over to a side door and opened it. “This way,” she said as she extended her arm out the door.

“I’ll talk to you soon,” Lily said to Brenda. She turned to Jerry. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you Jerry Jacks. I hope we can see each other again soon under more pleasant circumstances.”

Jerry walked over and gave Lily a hug. “I hope so too. Thank you for everything you did today.” He turned to Miguel and extended his hand. “I don’t even know what to say to you. I owe you my brother’s life.”

Miguel fidgeted slightly. He cleared his throat nervously before taking Jerry’s hand. “I’m glad I could help. I just wish I could have prevented his shooting,” he said as he shook Jerry’s hand. “I hope your brother is well soon. He’s a good man.” He let go of Jerry’s hand and looked over at Lily. “We better go senora.” When Lily nodded Miguel nodded slightly to Jerry and then to Brenda before walking out the door Bobbie was holding open to check the hallway. He then waited until Lily and Bobbie came out. He let them get slightly ahead of him before closing the door and leaving Jerry and Brenda alone.

The longer they waited for news on Jax the more nervous Jerry and Brenda became. When Bobbie finally came through the door they both turned to look at her. “Well?” Brenda asked nervously. “Is he okay? Can I see him now?” she asked as she squeezed Jerry’s hand.

“He’s fine Brenda,” Bobbie said with a big smile. “Dr. Felton removed the bullet from the muscle tissue in Jax’s side. He also repaired the nick in the renal artery, that was causing the heavy bleeding.” She looked at Jerry for a second before looking back at Brenda. “He said to tell you that Jax was very lucky. He didn’t find any additional trauma when he did his final check.”

Brenda looked up at Jerry and smiled as tears started down her cheeks. She leaned up and wrapped her arms tightly around Jerry’s neck and cried. It took her a while to get enough control of her emotions to lean back. She couldn’t help chuckling in embarrassment as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Sorry,” she said meekly as she looked at Jerry for a moment longer. She then turned her attention back to Bobbie. “Can I see him?” she asked eagerly.

“Normally, you’d have to wait until Jax was out of recovery, but Dr. Felton has made an exception for you. “Besides,” she said with a chuckle. “The first word Jax said when he started coming out of the anesthetic was your name.”

“A huge smile came across Brenda’s face. “What are we waiting for then? Take me to him!” she said as she started to throw off the covers.

“Wait a second!” Bobbie said with a laugh as she pulled the covers back around Brenda.

“What?” Brenda asked as she looked from Bobbie to Jerry and back to Bobbie. “What do I have to wait for?”

Bobbie looked over at Jerry who couldn’t help chuckling as he put hs hand up to his mouth and looked away. “Brenda, you can’t walk around the halls of the hospital dressed like that,” she said with a laugh as she pointed at the hospital gown Brenda was wearing.

“Oh!” Brenda said as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Where are my clothes?”

Bobbie and Jerry looked at each other uncomfortable. “Ah...” Jerry finally said. When Brenda looked at him he shifted his weight from side to side. “They had to be thrown away luv. They were ruined.”

Brenda stared at him. It took a minute but she suddenly remembered that her clothes had been soaked with Jax’s blood from the car ride. She couldn’t help shuddering. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “So what do I wear? I am NOT waiting for someone to bring me clothes from home!”

“I wasn’t going to suggest that,” Bobbie said as she put her hand on Brenda’s leg. Before she could finish there was a knock at the door. Jared poked his head in and nodded for Jerry to come over. He handed something to him and then stepped back into the hall. Bobbie looked back at Brenda as Jerry walked over. “This is what I was going to suggest,” she said as Jerry set what Jared had handed him in Brenda’s lap.

Brenda looked down and smiled when she realized what Jerry had put in her lap was a set of surgical scrubs, complete with shoes. She looked up at Bobbie and smiled. “Thank you,” she said softly before looking over at Jerry. “Do you mind?” she said curtly. Jerry chuckled as he shook his head before turning and walking out the door.

It only took Brenda a couple of minutes to get dressed. When she finished she and Bobbie stepped out into the hall to join Jerry and Jared. Bobbie looked at Brenda and Jerry as they took each other’s hand. “Come on, let’s go see Jax,” she said as she held her arm out toward the nearby elevator. Brenda immediately started toward the elevator, never letting go of Jerry’s hand. The elevator doors opened as soon as Bobbie pressed the up button. When they were all on the elevator, Bobbie pressed the button for the 5th floor.

As the elevator came to a stop Jerry and Jared moved slightly so that when the doors opened they were both standing in front of Brenda. Jerry reached over and put his hand on Bobbie’s arm to signal her to wait. Jared stepped off first and looked around. When he saw Ben he held up his hand to signal they had arrived. Ben immediately walked over to the elevator as Jerry, Brenda and Bobbie got off.

Before saying anything, Ben looked at the ugly bruises on Brenda’s face. “Damn,” he said under his breath. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked as he gently touched the large bruise on her left cheek.

Brenda couldn’t keep from wincing as she smiled at him. “I’m fine Ben, really,” she said as she put her hand on his arm. “Or I will be when I get to see my husband,” she said as she exhaled loudly and looked over at Bobbie.

“Come on,” Bobbie said with a smile as she linked her arm with Brenda’s. Bobbie led her down the hall to the surgical recovery unit. When they reached the door Bobbie put her hand on Brenda’s arm to stop her from going in. “Wait a second. I need to explain a couple of things to you,” Bobbie said.

“Okay,” Brenda said. “What do I need to know?”

“Jax is not completely out of the anesthetic yet, so he may not even know you’re there at first. Just talk to him, let him know you are there. You should also try to get him to open his eyes and focus on you. If you can get him to say something to you that would be great.” Bobbie looked away for a second and took a deep breath before continuing. “Don’t be upset when you see him, Brenda. He’s going to look pale that’s natural because of the amount of blood he’s lost. He’s on oxygen, of course, and he’s getting a blood transfusion to replace the blood he lost before and during the surgery. He’s also propped up slightly on his side to keep the stress off of his wound.” She looked at Brenda seriously. “Any questions before we go in?”

Brenda took a shaky breath and let it out quickly as she shook her head. “I understand,” she said softly. “Can I see him now?” she asked as she looked into Bobbie’s eyes with a trace of fear.

“Sure,” Bobbie said as she smiled reassuringly at her. Bobbie pushed the door open and stood aside so that Brenda could walk past her into the room first.

The nurse standing by Jax’s bed looked up when she saw the door open. When she saw Bobbie she nodded and crooked her fingers to signal Brenda over. When Brenda got next to the bed the nurse smiled at her. “He’s not completely awake yet, so he may not make a lot of sense at first when he talks to you. Just talk to him, let him hear your voice.”

“I understand,” Brenda said softly, without ever taking her eyes off of Jax.

The nurse squeezed Brenda’s arm reassuringly. “He’s going to be fine dear,” she said with a slight smile. “Dr. Felton found nothing unexpected during the procedure. Since your husband is in excellent physical condition, he should make a complete recovery very quickly.” She pushed a stool close to the side of the bed. “Go on, let him know you’re here. I”ll stop back in a few minutes to check on him.”

Brenda stood and sliently looked down at Jax as the nurse quietly walked away. She leaned down to brush a lock of hair away before lightly kissing his forehead. She ran the backs of her fingers lightly across his cheek as she sat down. “Jax,” she said softly. “Wake up sweetheart,” she said as she continued to stroke his cheek. When he didn’t respond she leaned back slightly to look at him.

Jax was lying partially on his right side, propped up by several pillows wedged behind him to keep him off of his back. He was getting oxygen through a nasal canula and had an IV with a unit of blood dripping into his arm. She glanced over at the cardiac monitor next to the bed and sighed with relief as she watched the steady beat of Jax’s heart on the tracing. She could’t help smiling as she looked at the expression on his face. He looked like a little boy, sleeping peacefully in his bed.

After watching him sleep for several moments, Brenda leaned over and rested her chin on her arm on the bed next to Jax’s face. “Honey? Time to wake up sweetheart,” she said softly as she ran her fingers across his cheek again. When Jax still didn’t wake up she leaned further forward and gently kissed his lips.

Jax stirred slightly as Brenda ended the kiss. It took a couple of tries before he was able to open his eyes. He blinked several times to focus them. He couldn’t help smiling as he recognized who was sitting in front of him.

Brenda smiled back at him. “Hey you,” she said softly. She leaned forward to quickly kiss his lips. “How do you feel? Are you in any pain?” she asked as she stroked her fingers across his cheek.

Jax took a shallow breath and licked his lips before answering. “No,” he said so softly that Brenda had to lean closer to hear him. “He closed his eyes again and took deep breath. When he opened his eyes he looked closely at Brenda. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

“I’m fine,” Brenda said with a smile as she leaned forward to give him another quick kiss. “Especially now that you’re awake.”

“What happened?” Jax asked as he tried to move and found that he couldn’t. “The last thing I remember is running away from that damn house and getting into the car.”

Brenda reached to cup the side of his face. “You were shot in the back as we were running for the car. Just after we got into the car you passed out.” She stopped and shuddered as she looked away for a moment. “Miguel and Jerry helped me bring you here to GH. They had to operate to remove the bullet and to repair some damage it did to an artery. She cupped the side of his face and leaned forward with a smile. “But you’re going to be fine. Dr. Felton, he’s the trauma surgeon, said there was no damage to any organs and that you’re going to make a complete recovery.”

Jax nodded his head slightly. Before he could say anything, the nurse walked up behind Brenda. “Oh good, you’re awake,” she said as she looked at the monitors next to the bed. She made note of the readings on Jax’s chart. “How are you feeling Mr. Jacks?”

Jax looked at Brenda with a slight smile. “Fine,” he said softly.

“Are you in any pain?” the nurse asked as she made some additional notes on his chart. When she saw Jax shake his head she marked his response on the chart as well. “Good,” she said with a smile. “The doctor will be in to see you in a little while. After that we’ll be moving you to the ICU.” She saw Jax’s eyes start to close. “Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while until the doctor gets here?”

Jax shook his head slowly. “No, I want to talk to my wife,” he said softly as he tried to force his eyes to stay open.

“I’m not going anywhere sweetheart,” Brenda said in a soothing voice. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.” She reached up and closed his eyes. “Go to sleep,” she said softly before leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. When she leaned back she couldn’t help smiling. Jax was sound asleep with a slight smile on his lips. Brenda just sat watching him sleep for several minutes before she finally rested her head on the bed next to his.

It was almost two hours later when Brenda felt someone gently shake her shoulder. She sat up quickly and rubbed her eyes, wincing when she touched her bruised face. She immediately looked at Jax and sighed in relief when she saw him still sleeping peacefully. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she looked up and saw the nurse. “Mrs. Jacks, this is Dr. Felton. He’s the surgeon who operated on your husband,” she said as she tilted her head toward the man in surgical scrubs standing next to her. “He needs to examine your husband. I’m afraid you’re going to have to step outside for a few minutes.”

Brenda looked at Jax sleeping peacefully and then over at the monitors next to the bed, relieved to hear their steady beeping sound. She looked up at the nurse. “Okay,” she said with a sigh. She stood up slowly and stetched before leaning down to run her fingers through Jax’s hair as she kissed his forehead.

“Brenda,” Jax said softly as he opened his eyes and looked up at her lovingly.

“Hey you,” Brenda said softly with a smile. “How are you feeling?” she asked as she stroked his cheek.

“I’m fine,” Jax said with a wince as he tried to move.

“Why don’t we let me be the judge of that,” Dr. Felton said as he stepped closer to the bed.

Brenda looked up at the doctor for a moment before turning back to look at Jax. “I've got to go for a few minutes so the doctor can examine you.” When Jax reached for her hand to stop her she put her hand on his. “I’m not going far. I’ll be out in the hallway with Jerry. As soon as the doctor is finished I’ll be back - I promise.”

“Okay,” Jax said as he reluctantly let go of her hand. Brenda leaned down and softly kissed his forehead before turning and walking across the room and out the door. Finally able to focus his eyes, Jax couldn’t help smiling as he watched her walk away.

As soon as he saw Brenda come out the door, Jerry walked quickly over to her. “How is he?” Jerry asked as he stopped next to her.

“The doctor’s with him right now,” Brenda said with a sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair. “He’s finally awake and he says he feels okay...”

“But?” Jerry asked.

Brenda looked up at Jerry with a worried expression. “But, when he moved I saw how much pain he was in - even with all the medication they’re giving him.” She couldn’t keep from shuddering at the thought of Jax in pain.

Jerry put his hands on her upper arms and smiled reassuringly at her. “Of course he’s sore Little Bit, he just had major surgery. He’s going to be sore for a while.” He waited until Brenda finally nodded and smiled slightly at him. “Besides, you have a bigger problem than worrying about how much pain he’s in.”

“What’s that?” Brenda asked.

“You’re going to have to figure out how to keep him in this hospital until the doctors say he’s ready to go home,” Jerry said with a chuckle as he saw the confused look on Brenda’s face. “Jax has only been in a hospital once before. He was blindsided playing football when he was about 16 and was knock out cold. When he woke up in the hospital it took mum, dad and me to keep him in bed over night for observation.” The smile suddenly faded from his face. “Seriously luv, as soon as he’s completely awake Jax is going to want to leave. He hates not being able to do what he wants when he wants. You’re going to have to convince him that he has to stay here until the doctors release him.”

Suddenly frightened, Brenda looked up at Jerry. “How do I do that Big Brother? If it took all three of you to keep him in bed for one night when he was a teenager? How do I make the man stay put for a lot longer?”

Jerry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head gently. “You’ll find a way luv - I’m sure of that.” Just then the door to Jax’s room opened and Dr. Felton came out. “Brenda,” Jerry said as he pulled her away and nodded toward the door behind her. “The doctor’s here.”

Brenda immediately let go of Jerry and turned to face Dr. Felton. “How’s Jax?” she asked as she looked at him expectantly.

“Actually, he’s doing better than I had expected. We’re going to move him to Intensive Care for a day or so and then to a private room,” the doctor said confidently. When he saw the fear in Brenda’s eyes he smiled and put his hand on her arm. “He’s going to be fine, Mrs. Jacks - really.”

Brenda leaned back against Jerry and closed her eyes for a second to keep from crying. She couldn’t help sighing in relief when she felt Jerry’s arm wrap gently around her shoulders. She opened her eyes and cleared her throat. “Thank you Dr. Felton,” Brenda said. “When can I take him home?”

Dr. Felton chuckled as he looked at Jerry for a second before looking back at Brenda. “That’s the same question your husband just asked me,” he said as he shook his head. “I’ll tell you what I told him. If he continues to progress as I expect AND he behaves himself, he should be ready to go home in three or four days.” It was the doctor’s turn to be surprised when he saw Brenda lean back against Jerry and close her eyes as a soft groan escaped her lips. “Are you all right Mrs. Jacks?”

Brenda continued to lean against Jerry with her eyes closed for a moment before opening them and looking at Dr. Felton. “I’m fine doctor. I’m just trying to figure out how to convince my husband to stay put and do what he’s told for FOUR DAYS!” She finally pulled away from Jerry and took a few steps away. “Any chance you could keep him drugged the whole time?” she asked seriously as she looked from Dr. Felton to Jerry and back to the doctor.

“Ahh, no I’m afraid not. I don’t believe in over medicating my patients.” Dr. Felton looked seriously at Brenda. “It’s up to you and Mr. Jacks to make sure that your husband takes it easy and follows my instructions, both in the hospital and when you take him home.”

Brenda groaned again and looked at Jerry. When she saw him chuckling she frowned at him. “I don’t know what you’re laughing about. You’re going to help me keep him in line,” she said firmly as she crossed her arms in front of her and looked him right in the eyes. She continued to stare at him as the smile slowly faded from Jerry’s face. Once she was satisfied that Jerry knew she wasn’t kidding, Brenda turned her attention back to Dr. Felton. “Can I see my husband now?”

“They’re moving him up to Intensive Care right now. Why don’t you and Mr. Jacks go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. By the time you finish, your husband should be settled in his room. I”ll leave word with the nurses that you both can see him.” Dr. Felton didn’t wait for Brenda to say anything. He just turned and walked back into the recovery room.

Brenda and Jerry stepped off the elevator about thirty minutes later. They had taken Dr. Felton’s suggestion and gone to the cafeteria but neither one of them had much of an appetite. They stopped at the desk to get directions to Jax’s room. When they got to the room they were both relieved to see Jared standing outside the door.

“Hello Jared,” Brenda said when they got to the door. “How are Erik and the others?”

“They’re all going to be okay Mrs. J. The two uniformed guards are awake and being kept overnight for observation,” he said coolly.

“What about Erik?” Brenda asked, her concern obvious in her voice as she remembered the terrible beating Erik had received when he tried to stop her kidnapping.

“He’s going to be okay too. It’s just going to take a little longer. He has a couple of broken bones and a concussion.” When Jared saw the concern on Brenda’s face he hurried to reassure her. “Don’t worry Mrs. J. He’s going to be fine. He told me to tell you so - and so did his doctor.”

“Where is he?” Jerry asked.

“He’s down on the fourth floor, room 407,” Jared said. “Ben and the Police Commissioner are interviewing him about what happened right now.”

Jerry put his hand on Brenda’s arm. “I’m going to check in with Ben. Tell Jax I’ll see him later.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and walking back toward the elevators.

Brenda watched until Jerry got on the elevator before turning back to Jared. “I want you to do something for me Jared,” she said coldly. “Make sure no one gets into this room except for family members and approved visitors. Medical personnal are to be cleared in advance. I’ll have Dr. Quartermaine give you a list of authorized medical personnel for each shift.”

“Anyone in particular you want kept out?” Jared asked as he took out his notebook.

“Yes,” Brenda said as she leaned against the wall. “The police only see him with prior approval from Dr. Felton and then only if Ben is with them.” She waited while Jared finished making notes. “Under NO circumstances are Sonny Corinthos or Miranda Jamison to be allowed anywhere near Jax! You are to use whatever force is necessary to keep them out - understood?” When Jared looked up from his notes she looked at him coldly. “Don’t worry, I’ll have Ben clear it with hospital security and with the police.” She looked directly into Jared’s eyes. “I DO NOT want anyone near Jax who could upset him!”

“Understood Mrs. J, I’ll make sure all shifts get your orders,” Jared said as he straightened into his protection stance.

“Thank you,” Brenda said as she reached for the doorknob. Jared reached over to open the door for her. Brenda stopped in the doorway and looked at him. “I’m putting you in charge of Jax’s protection, Jared. I will have Jerry pass the order on to Ben. I don’t want ANYONE disturbing him.”

“I got it Mrs. J,” Jared said with a slight nod.

Brenda just smiled, confidant that Jared would keep Jax safe, and walked into Jax’s room as Jared closed the door behind her. She walked over to the side of the bed and looked at the monitors for several moments before sitting down on the stool next to the bed. She linked her fingers with Jax’s as she studied his face. She was glad to see that he was no longer propped on his side but laying on his back with the head of the bed slightly elevated. She was sure that some of the color had returned to his face as she watched him sleeping peacefully.

Jax stirred slightly and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw her. “What a beautiful sight to wake up to,” he said softly as he squeezed her hand. “Are you okay, - really?”

“Me? I’m fine,” Brenda said with a smile as she stood up and leaned over to give him a loving kiss. When she leaned back after the kiss to look at Jax she realized that he was looking at the bruises on her face. “They look worse than they feel - honestly,” she said reassuringly as she leaned down to kiss him again.

“What about the men who kidnapped you?” he asked as he shifted slightly.

“They caught two of them at the house. The police are still looking for the third,” Brenda said calmly, even though she wanted to shudder at the thought of one of those men still being out there. “I hope for his sake that he’s far away from here by now. He’s got the police, Jacks Security and our ‘friends’ from Puerto Rico looking for him - not to mention the people who hired him in the first place.”

Jax was surprised at Brenda’s calmness when she mentioned Puerto Rico. He studied her face for several moments. “I take it you talked to Lily?” he asked.

“Yes, she came to see me in the emergency room. She explained how you knew where to find me and who Miguel and his friends are. She also told me that her father’s men have been keeping an eye on us since the Nurses’ Ball. They were the ones watching Sonny’s men. According to Lily, her father ordered them to make sure no one hurt either you or me,” Brenda said as she shook her head slowly.

“Miguel actually apologized because he wasn’t able to prevent my kidnapping.” Brenda moved to sit on the side of the bed. “Lily told me what you did - that you took off to get me as soon as she got Miguel’s call - without waiting for Ben and his men,” she said with a trace of anger in her voice. “I want your promise that you will NEVER do anything like that again!” She looked directly into his eyes. “Promise me!” she demanded.

Jax looked at her for several moments, trying to read what was in here eyes. Finally, he let out a sigh as he put his hand on her leg. “I promise,” he said reluctantly.

“Thank you,” Brenda said with a smile. All trace of anger disappeared from her eyes and was replaced with a mischevious glint. “Move over,” she said softly as she nodded her head toward the far side of his bed as she smiled.

As he figured out what Brenda wanted to do a smile slowly spread across Jax’s face. Without saying anything he moved over slightly, trying not to wince as Brenda lay down next to him. Since the IV was attached to his left arm, Jax was able to wrap his right arm around her and rest his hand on her hip.

Brenda sighed as she rested her head on Jax’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and gently ran her fingertips across his chest. “I was so afraid I was never going to be able to do this again.” Brenda’s voice cracked as she spoke.

“I”m here luv and I’m not going anywhere,” Jax said as he gently moved his hand around Brenda’s back. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “What do you say we go home?”

“Oh no you don’t!” Brenda said as she leaned back to look at him. “You’re not going anywhere until the doctors say it’s safe for you to leave!” When Jax started to protest, Brenda put her finger on his lips. “Look, I know you hate being here, but you have no choice. I promise I won’t leave you for a minute as long as you are here. Then, when the doctor says it’s okay, I’m going to take you home and take VERY good care of you,” she said as she arched her eyebrow before leaning down to give him a kiss. After ending the kiss, Brenda looked seriously at Jax. “Do I have your promise that you’ll behave and stay here until the doctor says you can go home?”

Jax looked at her for several moments. Finally a smile spread across his face as he pulled her to him. “I promise to follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. After all, I can’t think a better incentive than the promise of your special care to get me healthy quickly.”

Brenda smiled as she leaned down to give Jax a passionate kiss. It wasn’t until she felt Jax wince that she ended the kiss. She immediately pulled away with a look of concern. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay? Should I get a nurse?”

“I’m fine Brenda,” Jax said as he winced again without realizing he was doing it.

“Liar,” Brenda said softly as she cupped the side of his face. “I’m going to get the nurse,” she said as she started to get up.

“Don’t you dare,” Jax said as he pulled her down next to him, wincing again in pain as he moved too quickly. “All I need is to have you close.”

Brenda smiled at him for a moment before snuggling back down against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and gently placed her hand on his chest. “Okay, just for a little while,” she said as she snuggled closer to him, resting her ear above his heart. Before she even realized it, Brenda was sleeping soundly.

Jax gently stroked his fingers around Brenda’s back until he felt her slow steady breathing. He tilted his head slightly and smiled when he saw the peaceful expression on her face as she slept. He kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek on her hair and closing his eyes. As he started to doze off he sighed at how comforting it felt to have Brenda in his arm again, especially after all that had happened.

Jerry got off the elevator and walked quickly down the hall to Jax’s room. He stopped when he got to Jared. “Everything quiet?” he asked as he looked up and down the hall.

“Very,” Jared said calmly. “Mrs. J gave me orders for the protection unit and then went in to your brother’s room.”

Jerry smiled at the image of Brenda giving orders. Somehow though, since it concerned Jax’s safety, he realized that she would do whatever she considered necessary to keep him safe. “Did she give you a visitors list?”

“It was more a list of who doesn’t get in,” Jared said. Corinthos and the Jamison woman are at the top of the list. And the police only get in if the doctor says it’s okay and Ben is with them.” Jared couldn’t help smiling as he continued. “She said we were to use whatever force necessary to keep Corinthos out. She said she would have Ben clear it with hospital security AND the police.”

Jerry was stunned. Brenda had anticipated his orders exactly. “I’ve already told Ben the same thing,” Jerry said as he walked over to look through the window into Jax’s room.

“Any idea who will be on the approved visitors list?” Jared asked as he took out his notebook.

“The family, of course, Ned Ashton and his wife Lois, Lila Quartermain,” Jerry said as he continued to watch Jax and Brenda sleep. “Oh and I think we should include Lily too.”

“Lily?” Jared asked.

“The lady who helped us get Brenda back,” Jerry said. He finally turned to look at Jared. “Put her on the list as Lily Jacks. I’ll make sure she has the correct ID.”

“Who the hell is Lily Jacks?” Miranda demanded as she walked up to them. “Where’s Jax? I want to see him!”

“Lily is someone who is on the approved visitors list,” Jerry said calmly. “You, on the other hand, are not!”

“Why not? I’m his family!” Miranda said as she tried to push past Jared into Jax’s room.

“NO! You gave up the right to call yourself family when you insisted on being dead,” Jerry spat. He nodded toward the window. “Jax’s family is in that room with him right now.”

Miranda walked up to the window, expecting to see Jane and John. She took a step back when she saw Brenda and Jax sleeping soundly, wrapped around each other. She turned and looked at Jerry, her hatred obvious in her eyes.

“She’s his family now Miranda - accept it!” Jerry said coldly. He couldn’t help feeling a sense of satisfaction when he saw her shudder. When she turned to leave he grabbed her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Why do you care?” Miranda asked in a voice that shook with anger. “You just got finished telling me that I’m not a part of this family. Why should I hang around here?”

“Oh I don’t know,” Jerry said with a smile as he nodded behind her. “Maybe because THEY have some questions for you about what happened to Brenda this afternoon AND to Jax!”

Miranda turned and watched as Ben and Mac Scorpio came toward her with two uniformed police officers behind them. “What are you doing here Mac?” she asked innocently.

“Actually, I was hoping to get a statement from Brenda,” Mac said as he stopped in front of her. “But I think that can wait for a bit. I’m glad you’re here. We have some questions for you about what happened to Brenda and to Jax.”

“Me?” Miranda asked, acting as surprised as possible. “What could I possibly tell you about that?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Mac said sternly as he nodded to the two officers, who then stepped around Mac and Ben to stand on each side of Miranda. “Shall we go?” Mac asked as he extended his arm toward the hallway.

Miranda glared at Jerry for a moment, her hatred for him obvious in her eyes. “Fine! Let’s just get this over with!” she said as she walked away with the two officers.

Ben and Mac stayed behind for a moment. “We’re going to have to talk to them too,” Mac said with a slight nod toward the door. “Especially Brenda.”

“I know,” Jerry said with a nod. “Just clear it with the doctors and make sure Ben is with you when you talk to them.”

“Why?” Mac asked as he looked from Ben to Jerry.

“Because that’s the only way you’re going to get into that room,” Jerry said as he pointed toward Jared standing in front of the door to Jax’s room.

“On who’s orders?” Mac demanded. “Yours?”

“On the orders of the person responsible for Jax’s life - BRENDA JACKS!” Jerry said proudly as he glanced over at Jared and saw him nod slightly as he tried not to smile with pride.

Mac looked at Ben for support. “Don’t look at me Commissioner,” Ben said with a chuckle. “I just work for the lady.”

Mac exhaled loudly. “Fine, I’ll check with the doctors and then Ben and I will be back to talk to Jax.” He waited until Ben nodded his agreement before looking back at Jerry. “Is Brenda back at the penthouse? I need to question her about what happened.”

“No, she’s with Jax,” Jerry said as he nodded his head toward the closed door. “And I seriously doubt that she’ll be leaving here until he does either,” he said proudly.

“Fine,” Mac said. He looked back at Ben. “Let’s go. I have some questions for Miranda that have waited long enough.” He nodded to Jerry before turning and starting down the hall.

Ben stayed behind for a moment. He looked at Jerry. “Did she really give those orders or was that just for Scorpio’s benefit?” he asked suspiciously.

Jerry looked at Jared signalling him to answer. “Those orders came directly from Mrs. J, along with a list of people who are not, under any circumstances, to be allowed anywhere near Mr. J,” Jared said officially.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Ben said under his breath as he shook his head. “She really is a Jacks isn’t she?” he asked as he continued to slowly shake his head in disbelief. “The kid did all right,” he mumbled as he gave Jerry an approving smile as he walked past him to catch up with Mac and the others.

“That he has,” Jerry said with a nod. Once Ben was gone, Jerry turned and looked through the window at Jax and Brenda. “And no one is going to come between them!” he said softly but firmly as he continued to stare at them through the window of Jax’s room. “No one.”