Miranda couldn’t help feeling nervous as she followed Mac into the interrogation room at the Port Charles Police Station. She could not imagine why he wanted to talk to her about what had happened to Jax’s wife.

“Have a seat Miranda,” Mac said as he pointed to a chair at the table in front of her. He walked over to a small table in the corner before coming back to sit across from her at the table. He set a small cassette recorder on the table between them and turned it on. “This is the initial interview with Miranda Jamison in connection with the kidnapping of Brenda Jacks and the subsequent shooting of Jasper Jacks. Present at this interview are Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio, Lt. Marcus Taggert of the Port Charles Police Department and Mr. Ben Johnson, Director of Security for J&J Jacks International.”

Mac looked directly at Miranda. “Miranda, do you wish to have an attorney present before we begin any questioning?”

“No, I don’t need an attorney. I don’t have anything to hide. I haven’t done anything,” Miranda said with a slight waiver in her voice.

“Good, then this shouldn’t take long,” Mac said coldly as he leaned back in his chair and looked over at Ben and Taggert who were leaning against the table in the corner of the room.

“I don’t understand what you think I can tell you about any of this. I don’t even know that woman! And as to what happened to Jax - I LOVE HIM! You know that Mac. Why would I be involved with anything that would hurt him? I was engaged to the man for God’s sake!”

“That’s exactly why we wanted to talk to you Ms. Jamison,” Taggert said as he walked over to the table. “You initially came to Port Charles with the intention of stopping Mr. Jacks’ wedding. You have also made several remarks, in front of reliable witnesses, stating your displeasure at his decision to remain with his wife once he was aware of your continued existence. Am I correct?” he asked calmly as he leaned his hands on the table and looked at her.

Miranda turned and looked contemptuously at Ben. It was obvious that he was the one who had told the police about her comments to Jax and Brenda. She glared at him for another moment or so before looking back at Mac and Taggert.

“Come on Mac, you know me,” Miranda said as she looked directly at Mac. “You, of all people, should know that I would never do anything like this!”

“I THOUGHT I knew that about you, Miranda,” Mac said as he looked directly into her eyes. “But the Miranda that I knew would never have let the people who cared about her think that she was dead for six years,” he said coldly.

Shaken by the coldness in Mac’s voice, Miranda shuddered as she looked from Mac to Ben and then to Taggert. “I still don’t see how any of you could think I was involved in this,” she said defiantly. “How would I know what to do? Where would I get the men to pull it off?”

“Maybe from your ‘date’ for the Jacks wedding,” Taggert said with a sneer.

“My date?” Miranda asked, totally confused. “What date? I didn’t have a. . .” Suddenly realizing he meant Sonny, she glared at him. “I barely know Mr. Corinthos. I had no idea when he came to see me in Manila what he had planned. I never realized what an awful man he was until we walked into Jax'’ wedding!" She looked at Mac with her most pitiful expression. "Mac, I would never purposely do anything like that, especially to Jax! You must believe that!” she said as she got up and walked over to the window to the squad room. She stood watching the activity out there, her back turned to Mac and the others, as she stalled for time.

Miranda watched as two men in handcuffs were brought into the squad room. She was startled when one of the men locked eyes with her and sneered at her before turning his back to her to talk to the uniformed officer holding his arm. Something about the way the man kept glancing at her as he talked to the officer made her very uncomfortable. She quickly turned her back to the window and walked back to sit down at the table.

Mac looked at Miranda for a minute as he tried to decide whether or not he believed her. Before he could decide there was a knock at the door. He looked up and saw a uniformed officer standing there. He nodded to Taggert to find out what the officer wanted.

Taggert gave Mac a slight nod as he got up and walked over to the door. He opened it far enough for the officer to lean in and speak to him without being overheard. As the officer finished Taggert turned and looked at the back of Miranda’s head. When he was finished Taggert nodded curtly and closed the door. He stared at Miranda for a moment before looking over her shoulder and locking eyes with Mac. He nodded for Mac to come over.

Without saying anything to Miranda, Mac got up and walked over to find out what Taggert wanted. After listening to what he had to say, Mac signaled Ben to join them. After Taggert repeated what he had just told Mac, the three men looked at Miranda for a second before going back to their places. Mac sat down opposite Miranda and tented his fingers in front of his chin. “You might want to reconsider that attorney, Miranda,” he said as he looked at her over his fingers.

“Why?” Miranda asked. She felt a sudden chill when she was the cold expression on all of their faces.

“Because a witness has just identified you as being involved in the planning and execution of the kidnapping of Brenda Jacks,” Mac said coldly. “I suggest that we postpone this interview until you can obtain counsel.” He looked over at Ben and Taggert and nodded toward the door. He stood up and looked at Miranda. “This is going to be a very long night Miranda. I suggest that you call an attorney. You really do need one,” he said as he turned off the tape recorder.

Miranda stared at Mac for a moment, stunned by what he had just said. Finally she stood up and slowly smoothed the front of her clothes. “Fine,” she said in a shaky voice as she picked up her purse. “I’ll be back after I have arranged for an attorney.”

“I’m afraid you misunderstood me Miranda. You cannot leave. You can use that phone to call your attorney but you are NOT leaving! If you don’t have an attorney here in the States, I can get you a listing of the local criminal attorneys.”

Miranda silently stared at him for several moments, unable to believe what was suddenly happening to her. Not wanting to let Mac know how scared she was, she squared her shoulders and cleared her throat. “That won’t be necessary Commissioner,” she said as calmly as she could. “I’ll arrange for my own attorney.”

“Don’t take too long, Miranda. We’ve got a lot of questions that need answers - NOW!” Mac said as he looked at her coldly. He gave her a slight polite nod and turned to walk out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Once she was alone, Miranda rested her hands on the back of the chair she had been sitting in. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths in an attempt to settle her queasy stomach. When she finally got her stomach settled, she opened her eyes and reached for the phone. She quickly dialed a number and waited impatiently for an answer. “Sonny? What the hell did you do?” she demanded.

“What are you talking about Miranda?” Sonny said in a calm voice as a smirk spread across his face.

“I’m down at the police station! They say that they have a witness who can connect me to Brenda’s kidnapping!” Miranda could feel her control slipping so she took a deep breath before continuing.

“What do you expect me to do about that?” Sonny asked calmly.

“I expect you to get me a very good attorney who cannot be traced to you or any of your associates,” Miranda said in a calm voice. “If you don’t I just might have to tell them about our little ‘arrangement’. After all, that rather substantial deposit you made to my account in Manila should keep me going for quite some time when this is all over.”

Sonny squeezed his fingers around the phone in an attempt to control his anger. “Keep your mouth shut! I’ll have someone there in twenty minutes,” he hissed. He slammed down the phone without giving Miranda a chance to say anything else.

Miranda gently hung up the phone. With her back turned to the door and window she couldn’t help smiling with satisfaction as she held onto the chairback in front of her. This was going better than she had expected. As soon as Sonny’s lawyer got her released she was going to find out exactly what Sonny was up to and how much he would be willing to pay her to keep silent. She also needed to know how her own plans for Jax would be affected by his desperate attempts to get that little tramp away from Jax.

It was just after six in the morning when Jax woke up. He vaguely remembered the nurse coming in a few times during the night to check on him. When the nurse had wanted to wake Brenda and send her home, he had not only convinced her to let her sleep but he had also convinced her to bring another blanket to cover her. Now that he was awake he realized how much he had needed to have Brenda in his arms last night. He felt a strange sense of relief at the feel of Brenda’s breath on the side of his neck. He glanced up when he saw the door open and the nurse walk in.

“Good morning Mr. Jacks,” she said as she walked closer to the bed. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly when she saw that Brenda was still sleeping.

“Not bad, all things considered,” Jax said quietly.

“Are you in any pain?” the nurse asked as she made note of the monitor readings on Jax’s chart.

“Only when I try to move,” Jax said with a wince as he shifted slightly. When Brenda started to stir he gently rubbed his hand around her back until she settled down again.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to wake your wife,” the nurse said softly as she nodded toward Brenda. “The doctor will be here soon to examine you.”

Jax leaned down to kiss the top of Brenda’s head. “I’ll wake her,” he said as he looked up at the nurse without moving away from Brenda.

The nurse nodded with an understanding smile before turning to leave. Once she was gone, Jax reached up to tap the bridge of Brenda’s nose. When she stirred slightly but didn’t open her eyes, he tapped her nose again. When she finally opened one eye to look at him he smiled. “Good morning sleepy head,” he said softly with a smile.

Brenda looked up at him with a smile. “Good morning,” she said softly before leaning forward to kiss the side of Jax’s neck. “What time is it?” she asked as she stretched against him.

“It’s a little after 6:00 am,” Jax said softly as he tilted his head to look at her. He was surprised to see how swollen Brenda’s face was. Her left eye was partially shut and that side of her face was an extremely dark shade of purple. He had to force himself to stay calm so that the monitors would not let Brenda know how upsetting her bruises were to him.

“You’re kidding,” Brenda groaned as she rested her forehead against the side of his chest. “Why did you wake me so early? It’s not even light yet?” she asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

“The nurse was just in here. She said the doctor would be here soon so I’m afraid you’re going to have to get up.” Even as he told her that she had to get up he couldn’t resist stroking her back. He reached up to touch the largest bruise on her left cheek. “I’m so sorry I let this happen,” he said softly when she winced as he touched the bruise again.

“It’s not your fault Jax,” she said as she leaned up to give him a quick kiss before getting out of the bed and walking over to look out the window, her back turned toward him. “The truth is, all of this is my fault,” she said without looking back at him.

“How do you figure that?” Jax asked as the tried to sit forward but groaned in pain as he fell back against the pillow.

Brenda spun around when she heard the groan. “Jax? What’s wrong? Should I get the nurse?” she asked as she ran back to the bed.

Jax winced as he tried to get more comfortable but finally gave up when he realized that it just wasn’t possible. “Nothing’s wrong luv, honestly,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Don’t bother the nurse. She’ll be back in here soon enough.”

“If you’re okay why did you groan?” Brenda asked as she came back to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I groaned because I moved too fast, that’s all,” Jax said as he patted his hand on Brenda’s knee. “Now tell me why you think any part of what happened is your fault.”

Brenda took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Take your pick of reasons, Jax. I got involved with Sonny in the first place. I got Erik and the others hurt because I tried to fight off the kidnappers instead of hitting the panic button.” She looked at Jax with tears in her eyes. “You never would have been hurt if I’d done what I was supposed to do,” she said in a shaky voice as the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“Brenda,” Jax said soothingly as he linked his fingers with hers. “You are not responsible for any of this. Your relationship with Sonny ended a long time ago. You had no way of knowing that he wouldn’t let you go.

“As for Clay and the others,” he said as he shifted a little still trying to get more comfortable. “It’s their job to put their lives on the line to protect you. I saw the penthouse. I don’t believe that you hitting the panic button a minute or two earlier would have prevented what happened to those men.” Jax tightened his hold on her hand. “As for what happened to me,” he said as he reached forward to wipe away the tears. “You are NOT responsible for what happened to me - I AM! If I had waited for Ben and the security team like I should have, it probably wouldn’t have happened. I’m just grateful that if one of us had to be hurt because of my impatience it was me and not you.” He reached forward and cupped her face with his hands, pulling her close to him. “I couldn’t have stood that Brenda,” he said softly as he leaned slightly forward and kissed her passionately.

Their kiss ended just as Dr. Felton and a nurse came through the door. “Well it’s obvious you’re feeling better,” he said with a smile as he walked into the room. “Mrs. Jacks,” he said as he looked over at her. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked as he looked at Brenda’s face.

“I’m fine, doctor,” Brenda said as she looked at Jax for a moment before looking back at the doctor. “Like I keep telling my husband, I look a lot worse than I feel,” she said as she looked back at Jax with a reassuring smile.

“I’ll take your word for that. Do you mind?” Dr. Felton asked as he pointed at Brenda’s bruises.

“Not at all,” Brenda said as she looked at Jax again. “Maybe then my husband will stop worrying about me and concentrate on getting better himself!” Brenda stood up and tilted her head so that Dr. Felton could examine her face. She winced a couple of times as he pressed against her bruises. When he was finished she looked over at Jax for a moment and then looked back at Dr. Felton. “Well? What’s the verdict?”

“I think you are a very lucky young woman. Considering the extent of the bruising I don’t think there is any serious injury to your face or your bone structure. The facial bruises should heal quickly. From what I can tell it doesn’t appear that you’ve suffered any nerve damage. I’d have to see the x-rays to be sure, but I doubt there are any broken bones either.” He looked over at Jax. “All things considered, I’d have to agree with your wife. Her physical injuries look worse than they actually are. She should make a complete recovery, probably very quickly.”

“See!” Brenda said as she leaned over to give Jax a quick kiss.

“Now, I’d like to make sure that your husband is doing equally as well,” Dr. Felton said as he crossed his arms in front of himself.

“Oh, okay, sure,” Brenda said with a sigh. She looked over at Jax. “I’ll be back when Dr. Felton is finished,” she said as she leaned over to give him a quick kiss. She stroked her fingers across his cheek a couple of times before she gave him another quick kiss and walked out without saying anything more.

As soon as she got out in the hall Brenda leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She stayed like that until she heard someone call her name. When she opened her eyes she was surprised to see Jerry standing in front of her, his hand on her arm. “Jerry? What are you doing here so early?”

Jerry studied her face for a moment before a smile spread across his face as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “What do you mean early? It’s almost seven!” He looked at her suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you’ve turned my little brother into a late riser so soon?”

“Yeah, sure,” Brenda said with a laugh. “Other than the day after our wedding I don’t think he’s slept later than 6:00 am the entire time we’ve been married!” she said as she shook her head. “Even today, with all that medication he’s on, he still woke up before dawn.” Brenda looked up at Jerry, her concern for Jax obvious in her eyes.

Seeing how worried she was, Jerry decided to change the subject. He hooked his finger under her chin and turned her face to look at her bruises. “Good Lord,” he said softly as he pressed his finger against the large bruise on her cheek, causing her to wince. “Sorry,” he said quickly as he pulled his hand away.

“Don’t worry about it,” Brenda said as she took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

“Have you had a follow up exam since you were in the ER?” he asked as he put his hand on her arm.

“As a matter of fact I have. Dr. Felton just checked me out before I left Jax’s room,” Brenda said. She turned and looked at the closed door for a minute before looking back at Jerry. “Why did I have to leave? Why couldn’t I be with Jax while Dr. Felton examined him? What are they keeping from me Jerry?” she asked as tears started to glisten in her eyes and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “Something’s wrong,” she said softly as she started to chew her lower lip. "I have to go back in there!”

“Brenda wait!” Jerry said as he grabbed her arm to stop her. “Listen to me,” he said as he turned her to face him. “Jax is fine. If there were any kind of a problem they would tell you. You know that. This is just hospital procedure. They always ask the family to leave when they examine a patient.”

Brenda looked up at Jerry. When she looked into his eyes she believed he was telling her the truth. She ran her fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “Sorry,” she said softly as she leaned back against the wall again without opening her eyes. When she did finally open them she saw Jerry standing there with his arms open to her. She immediately walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could as she started to cry.

“Hey, it’s okay Little Bit,” Jerry said soothingly as he stroked Brenda’s hair. “You don’t have to apologize for worrying about Jax. You’ve been through a lot in the past 24 hours. I’d be more inclined to be worried if you weren’t upset.” He leaned down and rested his cheek on top of her head as she continued to cry.

“Mrs. Jacks,” Dr. Felton said as he came out the door of Jax’s room.

Brenda immediately pulled away from Jerry and turned to look at Dr. Felton, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she did. “How’s my husband?”

“He’s doing remarkably well, all things considered,” Dr. Felton said as he glanced down at Jax’s chart. “I’ve discontinued the blood transfusions and we’ll be getting him up a little later to sit in a chair for a while. If he handles that well we’ll move him to a private room tomorrow.” The doctor made a few more notes on Jax’s chart before closing the cover.

“Can I go back in?” Brenda asked.

“Not right now, the nurse is changing his dressings,” Dr. Felton said. “Why don’t you take some time for yourself? Take a walk. Get some fresh air.” He put his hand on Brenda’s arm. “You aren’t going to do your husband any good if you collapse. From what I’ve been told you’ve been through quite an ordeal yourself. You need some time to heal and let things settle. Give yourself that time.”

“I’m fine - really. All I care about right now is Jax,” Brenda said firmly.

“So do I, that’s why I’m saying this to you,” Dr. Felton said seriously. “Your husband need to focus all of his energy on his recovery. He doesn’t need the added stress of worrying about you.”

Dr. Felton’s bluntness startled Jerry. He was ready to call him on it when he looked over at Brenda and realized that the doctor was right. She looked exhausted. “I’ll make sure she takes care of herself, doctor,” Jerry said as he wrapped his arm around Brenda’s shoulders and pulled her close.

“I’ll hold you to that Mr. Jacks,” Dr. Felton said as he looked directly at Jerry. “Your brother needs to take life very easy for a while - no work, no worries and most importantly NO stress!”

“I understand Dr. Felton,” Jerry said as he turned Brenda’s face to him. “I’ll take care of them - BOTH of them!” he said softly but firmly with a trace of a smile.

Dr. Felton looked at Jerry for a moment. “Good,” he said with a slight nod to Brenda before turning and walking down the hall to the nurse’s station.

“Come on, Little Bit,” Jerry said with a slight smile. “Let’s go for that walk.”

Brenda looked at the closed door of Jax’s room for a moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly. Finally she looked up at Jerry,” Okay,” she said reluctantly. “Not too long though, I don’t want to leave Jax alone for too long.”

“He won’t be alone, luv,” Jerry said as he nodded toward the door. “Jared will keep an eye on who goes in and the nurses will be checking in on him all the time. Dr. Felton is right, you need to relax a little or Jax is going to start worrying about you.”

“I guess you’re right,” Brenda said with a sigh as she leaned against him. “How about we go out on the sunroom terrace and watch the sun finish coming up?”

“Sounds good to me,” Jerry said as he grabbed his jacket from the nearby chair and wrapped it around her. He couldn’t help smiling at how big the jacket looked and how tiny she seemed in it. “Come on,” he said softly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and started down the hall with her.

Brenda and Jerry came back about twenty minutes later. He had not been able to convince Brenda to lie down and relax, but Jerry thought that the fresh air had definitely done her some good. She looked much more relaxed.

“Is it okay to go in?” Brenda asked Clay when they got to the door.

“Sure,” Jared said with a slight nod. “The nurse left a few minutes ago. She said that it was okay for you to go in when you got back. She also said that she’ll be bringing you and Mr. J some breakfast in a little while.”

“Thanks Jared,” Brenda said. She looked up at Jerry. “Why don’t you come in with me? You haven’t seen him since he came out of surgery.”

Jerry looked nervously at his watch before answering. “I’d like to but I, uh, have to pickup mum and dad at the airport in a little while.”

Brenda turned Jerry’s face toward her. “What’s wrong Jerry? Why don’t you want to see him?”

Jerry immediately turned away from her. “Nothing’s wrong Brenda. I have to pick up mum and dad, that’s all. I’ll see Jax when I bring them back.”

“You’ll see Jax NOW!” Brenda said firmly as she linked her arm with his.

Jerry looked at Brenda for a moment. He finally realized that she was not going to take no for an answer and since the last thing she needed right now was stress he decided to go along. “Okay, Little Bit,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go.”

Brenda smiled and nodded without letting go of his arm. Jared reached over to open the door for them without waiting to be asked. Brenda looked into Jerry’s eyes and tilted her head toward the open door. When Jerry smiled back at her, Brenda chuckled and the two of them walked into Jax’s room.

Brenda walked over to the side of the bed and reached to brush a lock of hair from Jax’s forehead. As soon as he felt her hand on his face, Jax opened his eyes. “Hey you,” Brenda said with a smile as she leaned down to kiss his forehead. Before she could straighten up Jax reached behind her head and held her face close so that he could kiss her passionately. When he finally ended the kiss, Brenda straightened up, obviously flustered, her face red with embarrassment. “Well someone’s obviously feeling better,” she said with a chuckle as she stroked his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

Jax and Brenda continued to stare at each other. It wasn’t until she heard Jerry clear his throat that Brenda remembered that he was even in the room. She looked over at Jerry as the color deepened on her face. “Oh God Jerry! I’m so sorry,” she said as she looked back at Jax with an exasperated expression. “Your brother’s here to see you,” she said in a voice tinged with embarrassment as she started to fidget nervously.

Jax couldn’t keep from chuckling at her reaction. He looked over at Jerry, who was still standing by the door. “It’s about time you showed up!” Jax said as he shifted over to the side of his bed and pulled Brenda down next to him.

“Hey! Don’t blame me!” Jerry said with a laugh. “Little Bit here has been the only one the doctors would let in here.” He walked closer to the bed and stood just next to the foot. “You look a lot better than the last time I saw you little brother. How are you feeling?”

Jax winced when he moved. “I’m fine,” he said as he exhaled slowly and rested his hand on Brenda’s back. “I just wish the doctors would realize that and let me out of here!”

“You are not going anywhere until Dr. Felton says you can!” Brenda said firmly as she turned to look at Jax. “Remember, you haven’t even gotten out of bed yet. You’re going to stay put and do what the doctors tell you - or you can forget about that ‘tender loving care’ I promised you when you get home!”

Jax looked at her for a moment and realized how serious she was. “Okay, okay, I’ll stay put,” he finally said with a sigh. He continued to look at Brenda until he saw her start to relax again. He reached up and started to rub his hand gently around her back, which caused her to relax even more and turn around to look at Jerry again. She closed her eyes for a moment and leaned closer to Jax as he continued to stroke her back.

“Anything new on who did this?” Jax asked as he looked over at Jerry without taking his hand away from Brenda’s back.

“I talked to Ben a little while ago,” Jerry said as he rested his hands on the foot of the bed. “He said the two guys they caught identified one of the people who hired them.”

Brenda and Jax looked up at Jerry at the same moment. “Was it Corinthos?” Jax asked. Brenda and Jerry turned and looked at the monitor next to the bed when they heard the rate of the beeps suddenly accelerate.

“Calm down Jax,” Jerry said quickly as he looked at Brenda. When he saw the uncertainty in her eyes, he stepped closer to the bed. “It’s not Corinthos! I swear!” he said quickly but firmly. He stared at Jax until he heard the monitor slow down to a normal rate. He glanced at Brenda for a second before looking back at Jax. “I need you to promise me that you’re not going to get upset again when I tell you who it is.”

“Oh my God,” Brenda said under her breath as she covered her mouth with her hand and looked up at Jerry with a knowing look. When she saw Jerry nod his head slightly she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm her stomach. She took another deep breath and exhaled loudly. She got off the bed but stood close. She put her hand on Jax’s arm. “It’s Miranda,” she said in a shaky voice as she looked over at the monitor, expecting it to go off again. When nothing happened she looked back at Jax. He was lying back with his eyes closed. “Jax? Honey? Are you okay?”

Jax nodded his head without opening his eyes. “I’m fine.” When he finally opened his eyes and looked up at Brenda he could see how worried she was. “Really, I’m fine. This doesn’t surprise me.”

Brenda looked at him in surprise. “It doesn’t?” she asked.

“No, it doesn’t,” he said calmly as he reached for Brenda’s hand. “Think about it. We all know that she’s been working with Sonny since before she got here. It stands to reason that if anything went wrong with their scheme he’d make sure she took the fall.”

“Are you saying that you don’t think she had anything to do with what happened?” Jerry asked, ready to argue if Jax said yes.

“Of course she’s part of it,” Jax said as he started to sit up. He leaned back again with a wince when he saw the stern expression on Brenda’s face. “She’s in this mess way too deep not to have been involved. I just don’t think she was involved in what happened to Brenda.” He looked seriously at Jerry. “Miranda is a schemer and a liar. She knows how to twist things to her advantage - to do the maximum amount of damage with the fewest words. But she’s no kidnapper. No, I think she was as unaware that this was coming as we were.”

Jerry looked at both Jax and Brenda for a minute as he thought over what Jax had just said. Finally, he realized that Jax was right, for all of her faults Miranda was not capable of planning something like this. He knew as soon as he looked into Jax’s eyes that they both suspected the same person - Sonny Corinthos! “You may be right Jax,” Jerry admitted as he rubbed his chin. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Damn! I’ve got to get moving. Mum and dad’s plane will be landing in about an hour! I told them I’d meet them at the airport.”

Jax sat forward without thinking. “Aah,” he hissed as the pain shot through his side. Brenda immediately jumped up and stood next to the bed. She pushed him back against the pillows and gently brushed her fingers across his cheek to soothe him. “How the hell did they find out?” he asked, obviously still in pain from moving too quickly.

“I called them as soon as we brought you here. I wanted to be the one to tell them before they heard about their daughter-in-law being kidnapped and their youngest son being shot from some damn reporter!” Jerry said firmly. He glanced up at the clock again. “I have to go,” he said as he turned to leave. When he got to the door he stopped and turned back to look at Jax, “We’ll talk about this when I get back.”

“Wait a minute Jerry!” Jax yelled. “You had no business telling them about this! Dad’s just getting over a heart attack! Why the hell did you have to get them all worked up about this?” Jax said angrily. His anger only increased as he watched Jerry turn and walk out without saying anything more. He stared at the door for several moments before covering his face with his hands. “Damn,” he said softly as he ran his fingers through his hair. When he opened his eyes he looked over at Brenda. He was surprised to see her blank expression. “Brenda? What’s wrong luv?”

Brenda didn’t answer, she just stared at him. When she started to tremble Jax reached for her hand and pulled her closer to the bed. “What is it luv?” he asked softly as he squeezed her hand. When Brenda still didn’t answer, Jax grabbed the call button and pressed it several times. A moment later when two nurses came rushing into the room Jax dropped the button and pointed to Brenda. “Something’s wrong with my wife,” he said anxiously.

The nurses immediately went to Brenda. When they saw the blank expression and her trembling they looked at each other. “Mrs. Jacks?” one nurse asked as she took Brenda’s pulse while the other nurse went back to the nurse’s station to make a call. When she didn’t get a response, the nurse gently shook Brenda’s arm. “Mrs. Jacks?” she asked again. Brenda still didn’t respond, but tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Dr. Felton came in with the nurse. “Mrs. Jacks?” he asked as he gently turned Brenda to face him. When she didn’t answer he put his hands on her upper arms and shook her gently. “Mrs. Jacks?” Finally, she looked up at him and then over at Jax. She started to say something but suddenly closed her eyes as the color drained out of her face. Dr. Felton tightened his hold on her as she collapsed to lower her slowly to the floor.

“BRENDA!” Jax screamed as he tried to get out of bed. “Ahh!” he hissed and fell back against the pillows. Unlike before though, this time the pain didn’t stop when he leaned back. If anything, it got worse. He didn’t care. All he cared about was what was happening with Brenda. He grew increasingly frustrated because his inability to move made it impossible to see what was happening with Brenda on the floor. He looked up when he heard the door open. Jared came in followed by two orderlies with a gurney. The three men gently lifted her off the floor and laid her on the gurney.

“Take her down to the ER,” Dr. Felton said. He looked over at one of the ICU nurses. “Go with her. Have them start a work up. I’ll be down as soon as I check on my patient.” The nurse nodded her understanding and signaled the orderlies to leave.

“Jared, go with her,” Jax said as he looked at Brenda with a frightened expression. The pain in his side throbbed again as he tried to move.

“What about you? I can’t leave you unprotected,” Jared said uncertainly.

“He won’t be,” Ben said from the open door. When Jared looked over at him Ben nodded toward the hallway. “Go with Brenda. I’ll stay here with Jax until we can get you some backup.”

“Yes sir,” Jared said as he nodded for the orderlies to get moving. The orderlies looked over at Dr. Felton. When he nodded to them they pushed the gurney out the door with Jared and the nurse following them.

Before the door was even closed Dr. Felton walked over to the side of Jax’s bed. “Now, shall we take a look at you?” he asked as he looked at Jax. When he saw the perspiration on Jax’s face and his pale coloring he stepped closer to the bed and looked up at the monitors. He glanced at the nurse before looking back at Jax. “Are you in any pain Mr. Jacks?”

“Actually, it hurts like hell,” Jax said as he took a quick breath and exhaled slowly. “What’s wrong with Brenda?”

“Your wife is in good hands,” Dr. Felton said as he quickly glanced over Jax’s chart. When he was finished he handed the chart back to the nurse. “As soon as I’m satisfied that you didn’t do yourself any harm trying to help your wife, I’ll head down to the ER to handle her care. Okay?”

Jax closed his eyes and nodded. “Thank you,” he said softly. “What do you need from me?”

“For now I just need you to relax. You aren’t going to do your wife any good if you have a relapse,” Dr. Felton said firmly. “Now let me take a look at your incision,” he said as he reached over to help Jax role onto his side. The nurse removed the dressing so that Dr. Felton could examine the wound. When he was finished, she redressed the wound and helped Jax roll onto his back.

Dr. Felton made several notes in Jax’s chart before handing it back to the nurse. “Well, you don’t seem to have done yourself any harm but I’m ordering some tests to make sure. I’m also going to order a temporary increase in your pain medication until this subsides. It may make you drowsy but I think sleep is the best thing for you right now. By the time you finish with the tests and get some rest we’ll hopefully have some news about your wife.” He nodded to the nurse who injected the pain medication into Jax’s IV. “I’ll check in on you later,” he said before turning and walking out the door without giving Jax a chance to say anything.

By the time Jax got back to his room from the tests Dr. Felton had ordered he was very drowsy. The medication was quickly putting him to sleep. It took Jerry, John and the nurse to get him into bed.

When Jax woke up he was surprised to see his mother sitting next to his bed. “Mum?” he asked softly as he blinked several times to try to clear his vision. He looked around the room to see his father and brother but he did not see Brenda. It took a moment for him to remember what had happened. He looked at his mother and then his father. He could see their concern for him on their faces. He then looked over at Jerry who was standing by the window. “Brenda?” he asked as he looked into his brother’s eyes.

“No news yet,” Jerry said with a trace of frustration in his voice. “When we got here the nurse told us what happened. She said Dr. Felton would...” He stopped when the door opened. Everyone in the room turned to watch as the doctor walked in.

“Good, you’re awake,” Dr. Felton said as he walked over to the side of the bed. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he looked over at the monitors. “How’s the pain?”

“It’s much better,” Jax said with a slight wince as he shifted in bed. “You were right about the sleep. I do feel much better.” He looked down at his hands for a moment before looking back at the doctor. “How’s my wife?”

“She’s sleeping peacefully,” Dr. Felton said calmly.

“What happened to her? Why did she just freeze like that?” Jax asked.

“Before I can tell you that I need to ask you and your brother a question,” Dr. Felton said as he looked from Jax to Jerry. “Was there any type of an argument between you two earlier? Before you left?”

Jerry and Jax looked at each other. “I wouldn’t call it an argument,” Jerry said nervously. “Jax and I had a few harsh words but I wouldn’t call it an argument,” Jerry said as he looked from Jax to the doctor. “Why? Do you think our disagreement caused Brenda to collapse?” Jerry asked as he walked closer to the bed. He didn’t stop until he was standing right next to the bed. “How is that possible? She’s seen us argue before - a lot worse than this.”

“The degree of the disagreement didn’t matter. It was just one too many things for her to deal with, that’s all,” Dr. Felton said as he glanced at John and Jane before looking back at Jax. “I talked with one of your guards, Jared I think his name was. He has apparently been with Brenda since she returned. From what he told me, she went through a lot more abuse than she told anyone, including the doctor who treated her in the ER. It appears that she just told everyone what they needed to hear so that they would release her to be with you. She just held everything inside and used up what energy she had left keeping up a brave front. One harsh word was all it took to break that fragile front.”

“What exactly is wrong with Brenda?” Jax asked nervously. “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’s going to be fine,” Dr. Felton said. “I’ve heavily sedated her and admitted her for observation. She’ll sleep for the next several hours - probably through the night. When she wakes up we’ll run some more tests but I think she should be okay with some sleep.”

“I want to see her. I want to be with her when she wakes up,” Jax said as he tried to get out of bed. He stopped when Jerry grabbed his shoulder and held him down. Dr. Felton held up his hand. “Please! I need to be sure she’s okay. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

“I’ll sit with her son,” Jane said reassuringly. “You stay in bed where you belong!” Jane looked at Jax sternly to let him know that she meant what she said. When she was sure he would do as he was told, Jane looked at Dr. Felton. “I’d like to see my daughter-in-law now,” she said firmly.

John looked at Jerry. “Is there someone on Brenda?”

“Jared went with her,” Jax said softly. “Ben said he would arrange for backup for him as well as a replacement for outside.”

“Erik is outside,” Jerry said to Jax.

“Good,” John said with a slight nod. “I’m not about to rely on the locals to keep you two safe.”

Jane gave Jax a quick kiss on the forehead before walking over to stand in front of Dr. Felton. “My daughter-in-law?” she asked as she crossed her arms in front of herself.

“The nurse at the desk will give you directions,” Dr. Felton said as he looked over at the nurse who had come into the room with him. “Call the nurses’ station on two and let them know Mrs. Jacks is cleared to sit with her daughter-in-law.” The nurse nodded and walked out of the room to make the call.

Jane walked back to the side of Jax’s bed. “I won’t leave her alone for a moment dear,” Jane said as she patted his arm. “You rest and take care of yourself. I’ll take care of Brenda.” She gave him another quick kiss before turning and walking out the door.

After waiting for Jane to leave, Dr. Felton turned his attention back to Jax. “I know you’re worried about your wife Jax so I’ll make a deal with you. If you stay put in that bed and try to get some rest, I’ll consider letting you visit Brenda for a little while later tonight.”

“Anything you say,” Jax said with a nod. “I just want to see my wife!”

“Good,” Dr. Felton said with a nod. “I’ll be back later.” He looked at Jerry and John. “He needs to rest.”

“I’ll make sure he does doctor,” John said firmly as he gave Jax a stern look.

“Fine,” Dr. Felton said before turning to leave. When he got to the door he turned and looked back at Jax. “She really is going to be okay Jax. She just needs some rest.” He waited until Jax nodded before leaving.

Just as the nurse was leaving with Jax’s dinner tray Dr. Felton came through the door carrying Jax’s chart. He glanced at the tray as the nurse walked past. “Not hungry?” he asked as he looked back at Jax.

“Not really,” Jax said with a sigh. “Whatever it was you shot me up with made my mouth feel like cotton.”

‘I’m afraid that’s an occasional side affect of that medication,” Dr. Felton said with a slight smile as he looked over Jax’s chart. “The good news is that the rest you got seems to have counteracted your overdoing it this morning.”

“Does that mean I can see Brenda?” Jax asked as he shifted slightly in bed.

Dr. Felton looked at the chart and then over at the monitors next to the bed. “I think it’ll be okay for a short visit.” He smiled at Jax. “I’ll have the nurse bring in a wheelchair to take you to Brenda’s room.” The smile quickly faded from his face. “I’m telling you right now. The nurse will decide when it’s time for you to come back. If you give her an argument I will NOT let you out of this room again until we move you to your own room! Understood?”

“Understood,” Jax said as he held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll agree to anything as long as I can see Brenda.”

Without answering, Dr. Felton walked over and opened the door. A nurse came in pushing a wheelchair. She pushed the chair next to the bed and locked the brakes. She disconnected the monitor leads before unhooking the IV bag from the stand at the head of the bed and lying it on the bed. When she reached to pull the covers down to help Jax out of bed, Jerry put his hand on her arm. “I’ll do that,” he said as he stepped next to the bed. The nurse looked at him for a second before looking over at Dr. Felton. When he nodded slightly she stepped aside. “Okay, little brother,” Jerry said as he pulled the covers the rest of the way back and helped Jax sit up. He slowly slid Jax’s legs around so that they were hanging over the side of the bed. He waited a minute when he saw Jax take several quick breaths. “You okay?” he asked as he leaned down and looked Jax in the eyes.

Jax took another breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said softly. “Let’s do this.”

“Let me do the work,” Jerry said as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Jax just below his armpits. When he started to lift him, Jax rested his arms on top of Jerry's shoulders and tried to help as much as he could as Jerry stood him on his feet, waiting for a second before turning him around and slowly lowering him into the wheelchair.

As soon as Jax was in the chair the nurse stepped up again. She picked up the IV bag from the bed and hung it on the pole on the back of the chair. She then took the fresh blanket she had brought with the chair and wrapped it around Jax’s legs. When she saw the perspiration on Jax’s forehead she reached for his wrist to take his pulse. “Are you okay Mr. Jacks? Do you want to wait?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Jax said as he exhaled loudly. “That was just a little more work than I was expecting, that’s all.”

“Tell me about it!” Jerry said with a grunt. “You’ve gotten a lot heavier than the last time I pulled you out of bed!”

Jax looked at Jerry with a frown. “That’s because the last time I was only ten! Can we go now?” he asked as he looked up at the nurse.

She looked at him for a moment, saw that his color was returning and his breathing was back to normal. “Sure,” she said with a smile. She unlocked the brake on the wheelchair and looked over at Jerry. “Would you care to do the honors?”

“Sure,” Jerry said as he stepped behind the chair.

John walked over and opened the door. “I’ll wait here for you, son,” he said as Jerry stopped the chair in the doorway. “Give Brenda my love if she wakes,” he said as he squeezed Jax’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I will dad, thanks,” Jax said as he looked up at John and put his hand on top of his fathers. “Let’s go,” he said as he put his hand down and looked straight ahead. Jerry glanced over at Dr. Felton who nodded his approval before pushing the chair out the door.

It only took about five minutes for them to get to Brenda’s room but to Jax it seemed like forever. When they got to Brenda’s room Jared pushed the door open for them. “It’s good to see you out of bed Mr. J,” he said softly as he stepped into the room to hold the door open enough for the wheelchair.

“Thanks Jared,” Jax said as Jerry pushed him into the room.

As soon as the door had opened Jane turned to look. When she saw Jax she stood up and pushed her chair away from the side of the bed so Jerry could push the wheelchair close.

“We’ll leave you two alone for a while,” Jane said with a smile as she patted Jax’s shoulder. She leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “Jerry and I will be outside if you need anything.” When Jax looked up at her with a slight smile and nodded, she patted his shoulder again and walked toward the open door, signaling Jerry and the nurse to follow her.

Once they were alone, Jax reached for Brenda’s hand and linked her fingers with his. He winced as he leaned forward to kiss the tips of her fingers. “Hey you,” he said softly as he held her hand against his cheek. He looked up at her face. “Just wanted to let you know I’m okay and right here with you.” He gently moved her hand against his cheek. “You sleep now. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He kissed her hand again and rested his cheek against it as he looked up at her face to watch her sleep.

Jerry and the nurse came back into the room about an hour later. When he saw the nurse start toward Jax, Jerry put his hand on her arm to stop her. When she looked up at him and started to say something, he slowly shook his head and pointed at himself to let her know that he would get Jax. She started to object but when she saw the determined look on Jerry’s face she reluctantly agreed.

After a slight nod of thanks to the nurse, Jerry quietly walked up and stood behind Jax. He stood silently looking at Brenda sleeping peacefully for several moments before looking down at Jax. He could tell by his posture that Jax was not only exhausted but he was also in pain. Jerry reached forward to gently squeeze both of Jax’s shoulders. When Jax turned to look up at him, Jerry was surprised at just how tired he looked. “Time for you to get some rest Little Brother,” he said softly but firmly.

“I’m fine Jerry,” Jax said with a wince as he shifted slightly in the wheelchair. “I don’t want to leave her. I promised I’d be here when she wakes up.”

Jerry looked over at the nurse. “She’s going to sleep until morning Mr. Jacks,” she said softly as she walked up to Jax and Jerry. She pointed at the IV next to Brenda’s bed. “Dr. Felton gave orders for her to be sedated for at least twenty-four hours. She won’t be waking up until some time tomorrow.” She put her hand on Jax’s arm. “You need to get some rest. I promise you can come back before she wakes up tomorrow.”

Jax started to protest when he felt Jerry tap his shoulder several times to get him to look up at him. “You gave Dr. Felton your word that you would leave when the nurse told you.”

Jax closed his eyes and leaned back in the wheelchair. The color drained from his face and he gritted his teeth. He took several deep breaths before opening his eyes. “Maybe you’re right,” Jax said through gritted teeth. “I don’t feel too good right now.”

Jerry came around and stooped next to the chair. When he saw how pale Jax was and the beads of perspiration on his forehead he put his hand on his arm. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed. Mum will sit with Brenda.”

Jax exhaled slowly and nodded. He looked over at Brenda as he gently rested his hand on top of her. “Sleep well luv,” he said softly. “I’ll see you later.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. He set her hand back down and looked up at Jerry. “Let’s go Big Brother,” he said with a sigh as he closed his eyes.

Jerry slowly pushed the chair out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. After pushing the button for the elevator he turned to look at Jax. He couldn’t help thinking how pale he looked. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked as he put his hand on Jax’s arm. “When Jax didn’t answer right away he looked over at the nurse.

“Mr. Jacks? Is something wrong?” she asked as she reached for his wrist to take his pulse.

“I’m okay,” Jax said with a sigh. “I think I just overdid it a little. My back hurts like hell.”

When the elevator doors opened Jerry slowly pushed Jax inside. As soon as the nurse stepped in he pushed the button and the doors closed. It only took a minute to get to Jax’s floor but it seemed like forever to Jerry. When the doors opened he immediately pushed Jax out and down the hall to his room. Erik held the door open so he could push Jax into the room. He stopped the chair right next to the bed and set the brake.

The nurse helped Jax lay back as Jerry lifted his legs. “How’s that?” Jerry asked as he pulled the covers up around Jax.

“Better,” Jax said as he exhaled slowly. “The pain in my back seems to be easing up a little.”

“Dr. Felton left orders for a pain killer when you got back,” the nurse said as she injected the medication into Jax’s IV. “You should start feeling better very soon.” When she saw Jax try to stifle a yawn she smiled. “It’ll probably make you sleep for a while as well so don’t fight it.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Jax said as he closed his eyes. He opened them again and looked at Jerry. “Brenda’s not alone. Right?” he asked sleepily.

“No, of course not,” Jerry said as he put his hand on Jax’s arm. “Mum is sitting with her and Jared is on her door. You get some rest. Someone will be with Brenda at all times until you can go back to her room, don’t worry.” He couldn’t help chuckling when he looked at Jax’s face. It only took a second for him to realize that Jax was already asleep and had probably not heard a single thing he had said. He patted Jax’s arm again and quietly walked out of the room.

As soon as Jerry stepped into the hall, John came up to him. “How’s the boy?”

“He’s wiped out,” Jerry said as he leaned against the wall and ran his fingers through his hair. “The nurse gave him something for the pain in his back and it knocked him out. He’ll probably sleep for a few hours.”

“Good, that’ll keep the police away for a while longer,” John said as he exhaled loudly. “Do you have any idea who did this to them?”

“Scorpio’s okay dad. He really wants to help,” Jerry said as he looked over at his father. “Ben said he’s pulled out all the stops to find out who did this. Hell, he even brought Miranda in for questioning.” Jerry looked directly at his father for his reaction.

MIRANDA!” John yelled, then looked around when he remembered where he was. “I knew she was greedy but I never suspected she would do this!”

“No one else does either,” Jerry said as he walked over to his father.

“What are you saying? Scorpio has no idea what he’s doing?” John demanded with a touch of frustration in his voice.

“She’s being set up for this. Mac knows it as well as Ben and I do,” Jerry said with a slight smirk. “Oh she’s a big part of all this but neither Jax nor I think she was any part of the kidnapping or what followed.” Jerry glanced back at Jax through the window to make sure he was still sleeping before looking back at his father. “The men who did this were pros. There’s no way Miranda would know where or how to recruit that kind of ‘professional’ talent.”

“Corinthos,” John hissed as he walked over to the window to watch Jax sleep. “Any way to prove it?” he asked without looking at Jerry.

As he was starting to answer, Jerry heard the elevator doors open. He glanced over and smiled when he saw who got off. “There just might be dad. There just might be.”

John turned to look at Jerry. When he saw the smile on his son’s face he turned further around to see who he was looking at. “Hello,” he said softly as he watched a beautiful young woman walk toward them, accompanied by a young man who was obviously a bodyguard.

“Hello Jerry. How’s Jax?” Lily asked as she and Miguel came up to him.

“He’s doing better. The doctor is probably going to move him out of ICU tomorrow,” Jerry said. “How are you Miguel?” he asked as he extended his hand.

“Very well Mr. Jacks, thanks,” Miguel said as he shook Jerry’s hand.

“Ah, Jerry?” John said as he cleared his throat and tilted his head toward Lily.

“Oh, sorry dad,” Jerry said as he cleared his throat. “Dad, I’d like you to meet the woman who helped us get Brenda back, Lily Corinthos. And this is Miguel, he helped me get Jax to the hospital after he was shot.”

John started to extend his hand to Lily but stopped when he realized what Jerry had said her name was. “Did you say Corinthos?” he asked as he looked at Jerry.

“Yes, Lily is the wife of Sonny Corinthos as well as being a good friend of Brenda’s - and ours,” Jerry said with a smile but in a firm tone of voice. “Lily helped us find out where Brenda was being held. Then, when Jax took off on his own to get her, she had Miguel and his men help him.” When he saw the confused look on his father’s face, Jerry glanced at Lily for a second. She smiled and nodded slightly. “Lily’s father, Hernando Rivera, is a ‘business associate’ of her husband. Miguel works for him.”

John looked at Lily. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, Mrs. Corinthos,” he said coolly, “But why would you want to help my son find Brenda? I’ve heard of your father and how he does business. Why would he help find Brenda? After all, your husband hates Jax!”

“Brenda and I were friends before I married Sonny,” Lily said calmly. “I’ll admit, when we were first married I had my suspicions about Brenda and Sonny, especially when he kept telling me that she wouldn’t leave him alone.” Lily looked past Jerry to look at a sleeping Jax and smiled slightly. “Once I saw her with Jax though, I quickly realized I was wrong and started having my doubts about what my husband had been telling me.

“The night of Brenda’s accident I got all the proof I needed,” Lily said sadly. “When she was in the Trauma Unit, Brenda kept calling for Jax but Sonny forced his way into her room, nearly killing her in the process. I knew that night that Brenda was not the problem in my marriage - my husband was!”

“What Lily didn’t tell you, dad, is that she saved Brenda’s life that night by pushing her out of the direct path of the car. Because Lily pushed her, Brenda was only hit a glancing blow by the car instead of head on. As a result Lily received a broken wrist and thankfully, Brenda survived.” When he saw the surprised look on Lily’s face Jerry smiled at her. “Jax told me.”

Lily smiled back at him before turning to John. “Anyway, my father finally understood that I was right about Brenda and Jax after I was shot.” She stopped when she saw the stunned expression on John’s face. “My father, and his advisors, think Brenda and Jax were the intended targets that night. Actually, they think that Jax was the target.”

“WHAT?” Jerry and John demanded in unison. “Why would they think that?”

“There were several reasons. First of all was the picture of Jax and Brenda found in the shooters’ abandoned car. Add to that the fact that Brenda and Jax left the Nurses’ Ball just minutes before I left with one of my guards, who bears a strong physical resemblance to Jax. Someone seeing us drive by in a moving cab could very easily mistake us for Jax and Brenda. From what the police report said, the reason they came after us instead of Jax and Brenda was because Brenda had pulled Jax down out of view of the windows just before they pulled away from the hotel. All the men saw was a woman alone leaving the hotel. When Frances and I pulled away they thought we were them.”

“If what you’re saying is true, why would your father help Jax and Brenda? If it was me I’d hold them responsible for hurting my child - even if they didn’t pull the trigger!” John said suspiciously.

“He did - at first,” Lily said. “But as I recovered I explained what had happened before the shooting and convinced him that they were as much victims in this as I was. He immediately changed the men he had assigned to them to protection units instead of observation units and they’ve been guarding them ever since - even now.”

“It that’s true why didn’t they keep Brenda from being grabbed in the first place?” John demanded, not sure why he was beginning to believe what Lily was saying.

“I can answer that,” Miguel said calmly. “We had men in the lobby and on the street. We figured that your people would keep them safe in their own home and in the garage.” He looked at John coldly. “As soon as we saw the car pull out of the garage with Mrs. Jacks struggling in the backseat we followed. When they stopped at that house I called Miss Lily.” He looked over at Jerry for a second before looking back at John. “The rest you know.”

“Do you think it would be okay if I went in to see Jax for a minute?” Lily asked before John had a chance to say anything else.

“He’s asleep right now,” Jerry said as he looked into Jax’s room. “He’s had a rough afternoon,” he said without looking back.

“Of course, I understand,” Lily said. “How’s Brenda?”

John and Jerry looked at each other when they both realized that Lily already knew what had happened to Brenda. “She’s sleeping. The doctor thinks it’s the best thing for her.”

Lily nodded her head. “How’s Jax taking it?” she asked softly.

“He’s worried,” Jerry said as he looked at Lily. “The doctor let him visit her earlier but I think he may have stayed too long. He was exhausted when we brought him back, not to mention being in a lot of pain. They gave him something for the pain and he’s been sleeping ever since.” He looked back at Jax. “It’s all my fault, you know. I got into an argument with Jax this morning and then just walked out without paying any attention to the damage I had done. I didn’t even know what had happened to Brenda until I got back with our parents this afternoon,” he said in a shaky voice. He slowly turned to look at Lily. “The doctor thinks she’s been through a lot more than she told any of us. I guess the disagreement was just more than she could handle and she just shut down.”

“What did the doctor say?” Lily asked as she rested her hand on Jerry’s arm.

Jerry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “He thinks she’ll be okay after she gets some rest. That’s why he sedated her. He doesn’t expect her to wake up until morning. My mum is sitting with her just in case she does wake up.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Lily asked with a slight smile. “You look like you could use a break.”

“I’m fine,” Jerry said as he put his hand on Lily’s for a moment and looked into her eyes.

Lily looked over at John for a moment. “Look, your dad is here in case Jax needs anything. Why don’t you let Miguel and I take you to get something to eat and a little fresh air?” She could see Jerry was going to refuse so she squeezed his arm. “You need a break. You aren’t going to do anyone any good if you keel over as well.”

Jerry looked at John. “Dad?”

“Go ahead son. I’ll be here if Jax needs anything,” John said before turning to Lily. “Thank you Mrs. Corinthos.” He took a quick breath before continuing. “Please accept my apology for my rudeness earlier.”

“Nothing to apologize for Mr. Jacks,” Lily said with a smile. “I totally understand. I would probably feel the same way if I was in your position, especially considering my husband’s actions lately.” Lily turned to look at Jerry. “Ready?”

Jerry looked in at Jax for a second before answering. “Okay, for a few minutes.” He looked over at John. I’ve got my phone if they need anything.”

“They’ll be fine son,” John said with a smile. He looked at Lily. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome Mr. Jacks. I’m glad to do what I can. Brenda is my friend. I’ll do anything I can to help her and Jax.” She looked at Miguel. When he nodded slightly at her she looked back at John. “So will my father. He’s got his people working on getting to the bottom of all of this. Miguel will keep Jerry posted on what they find.” Without giving John a chance to say anything, she put her hand on Jerry’s arm. “Let’s go.” When Jerry nodded and extended his arm, Lily gave John a slight nod and turned to walk away with Jerry and Miguel right behind her.

The elevator doors opened just as they walked up. Jerry was surprised to see Mac Scorpio get off, along with what looked like one of his detectives and two uniformed officers. “Hello Mac,” Jerry said coolly.

Mac looked from Jerry to Lily to Miguel and back to Jerry. “Hello Jerry, long time no see.” He glanced at Lily again for a second, his confusion at her being with Jerry obvious on his face. “How’s Jax?”

“He’s improving - slowly,” Jerry said. “Dad’s with him.” He looked directly at Mac. “He’s sleeping right now. He had a really rough afternoon so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t disturb him.”

“No problem. It’s actually Brenda I need to talk to anyway. Is she with Jax?” Mac was surprised at the change in both Jerry and Lily’s expressions. “What? Isn’t she here?”

“Brenda was admitted earlier today, Commissioner,” Lily said as she squeezed Jerry’s arm. “She collapsed in Jax’s room and the doctor has her under heavy sedation, probably until morning.” She looked at Lt. Taggert, the detective with Mac. “I would have thought your men would have told you that as soon as it happened.”

Mac immediately directed his attention to Lily. “Why exactly are you here Mrs. Corinthos? I would have thought being around Brenda and the Jacks family would be the last place you’d want to be.” Mac glanced at Taggert for a moment before looking back at Lily. “By the way, when exactly did you get back to Port Charles? Was it before or after Brenda’s kidnapping?” he asked suspiciously.

“You don’t want to go there Mac,” Jerry said as he gave Mac an angry look. “Lily has been a friend to all of us throughout this entire ordeal. She’s been more help to us then I can begin to tell you, so I’d hate for ‘someone’ to find out that she’s been in Port Charles for a while - let alone helping us!”

Mac immediately understood what Jerry meant. “I have no intention of telling anyone she’s here. I’m just trying to figure out who did this and why.” Just then the elevator doors opened again. Mac looked at Lily. “There won’t be any mention of you being here in any of our reports. I will make sure that none of my men discuss what was said here with anyone.” He smiled slightly as he nodded to Taggert to head down the hall. Once he was out of earshot Mac leaned toward Lily. “I hope your father isn’t planning to do anything about what happened to Jax and Brenda. I would hate to see your homecoming ruined by your father being arrested.”

“My father and I will do whatever is necessary to get to the bottom of this and make sure that it doesn’t happen again! He will make sure that whoever did this is brought to justice - whoever they are!” Lily said calmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking Jerry out for some fresh air and some dinner.” Without giving Mac a chance to say anything, Lily linked her arm with Jerry and they turned and walked into the waiting elevator as Miguel held the doors open.

After the elevator doors closed, Mac continued to stare at them. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what Lily had meant. Every theory he came up with was worse than the one before. Finally, he shuddered slightly when he realized that if he didn’t arrest the people responsible for what had happened to Jax and Brenda, Port Charles was going to be the sight of a gang war the likes of which had not been seen in forty years! What he couldn’t figure out though, was why Hernando Rivera would risk a war with his son-in-law for Jax and Brenda. It had to be more than a favor to his daughter.

“Damn,” Mac said under his breath when he realized the answer to his unspoken question. “Taggert! Let’s go!” he said before walking over to press the elevator button. When the doors opened he quickly stepped in and turned around as Taggert and the two officers got in. He couldn’t talk to Jax or Brenda but there was still one person who could give him information and she was going to tell him everything she knew. When it came to stopping a mob war he would do whatever was necessary to stop it - even send Miranda to prison!