When they are home, the usual New Years Eve celebration for John and Jane Jacks consisted of them making the rounds of several parties given by friends in the area. This year, however, their celebration would be very different. The five members of the Jacks family quickly decided to stay home to celebrate privately, not just the coming New Year but also the coming birth of Jax and Brenda's child. While Brenda and Jane went into the kitchen to see what Astrid could come up with for their dinner, Jax, Jerry and John went into the den.

John poured each of them a drink and after handing Jax and Jerry theirs he picked up his glass and held it up. "A toast," he said proudly. "To the New Year and the changes it will bring. And to the next generation of Jacks men."

Jerry and Jax looked at each other for a second before looking at John. "You know dad, the baby could be a girl," Jax said, the proud new father grin still on his face.

"Trust me son, it'll be a boy," John said confidently. "I was right about Brenda being pregnant and I know I'm right about this!" He looked at his glass for a second before looking back at Jax. "Besides, if it is a girl be prepared for her to be spoiled rotten by her doting grandfather!"

"And her uncle!" Jerry added with a tilt of his glass. He couldn't help chuckling when Jax groaned and covered his face with his hand. He held up his own glass. "To Brenda and the child she's carrying."

"Now THAT I will definitely drink to!" Jax said with a nod as he held his glass out to Jerry. "To Brenda." The three men clinked their glasses together before downing the contents in one gulp. Jax set his glass on the table and looked at Jerry and John. "Now that we have a few minutes alone I think there's something we need to talk about."

"Corinthos," John and Jerry said in unison.

"Exactly," Jax said as he glanced toward the open door. Before saying anything else he walked over and closed the door. He turned and looked back at John and Jerry as he leaned against the closed door. "Where exactly are we in getting him arrested? I don't want him anywhere near my family when we get back." Jax walked back to stand next to Jerry. "Has Lily's father come up with anything we can use to put him away yet?"

Jerry gave his father a quick glance before looking back at Jax. "She hasn't said anything but she was expecting her father to come to Port Charles for the holidays. Maybe he brought some news with him."

"Did Corinthos know Rivera was coming?" Jax asked nervously.

"No, Lily said her father rented a house outside of town and she was going to join him there," Jerry said with a slight shake of his head. "Last time I talked to her, she said Corinthos had men all over town looking for her. She said he even seemed to have backed off on his search for you guys, he was so desperate to find her. She thinks he still believes he can fix things with her before her father finds out.

"According to Ben, they haven't seen any of Corinthos' or Morgan's men around the hotel for at least 4 days. He also said no one has tried to get up to the penthouse in over a week. Obviously they have no idea that Lily is staying there."

While Jerry was talking Jax's mood began to darken and he began to pace. "This is not good Jerry," he said with an obvious trace of anger in his voice. "If Corinthos is that desperate about Lily, what the hell is he going to do when he finds out we're back in Port Charles? Worse yet, what happens when he finds out Brenda is pregnant? There's no way of knowing what he's going to be capable of then! I won't have Brenda exposed to that!" Jax slammed his hand down on the mantle. "I wanted Corinthos gone before we got back to Port Charles. I wanted to be able to tell everyone we know that we're going to have a baby." He looked at John and Jerry, the anger in his eyes now replaced with sadness.

"Why don't you and Brenda stay here a while longer?" John asked. "You know your mother loves having you here. I'm sure now that she's expecting, Brenda is going to want to be closer to mum."

"We can't stay any longer dad," Jax said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Ned and Lois have asked us to be godparents to their daughter. They've already postponed the christening once because of Brenda's illness." Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I can't ask them to postpone it again - or worse yet - ask Brenda to give up being godmother to her best friend's baby." Jax slowly shook his head. "No, we're going back to Port Charles the day after tomorrow as planned." He looked intently at John and Jerry. "I'll convince Brenda we need to keep the baby a secret for now. It's up to you two to find a way to get rid of Corinthos!"

Just as Jax said that the door opened and Jane and Brenda came in laughing. They stopped just inside the door, both feeling the tension in the air. "What's wrong?" Jane asked. "What were you three talking about?"

Jax looked directly at Brenda. "They were talking about Sonny," Brenda said sadly.

"Yes," Jax said as he walked over to Brenda. He loosely wrapped his arms around her. "Dad and Jerry haven't come up with anything to put Sonny away yet so when we go home he's still going to be in our lives."

"I suggested that you two stay here until we can get rid of him," John said as he looked sympathetically at Brenda.

"Absolutely not!" Brenda declared. "We are going home the day after tomorrow." She looked up as Jax for reassurance as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "We have to be there for Brook Lynn's christening. We're her godparents Jax."

Jax cupped the side of Brenda's face. "We're not going to miss the christening, luv," he said with a reassuring smile.

"But?" Brenda asked suspiciously.

"But, I think we should keep our news to ourselves - at least for a little while." He could see the disappointment in Brenda's eyes. "I think it would be safe to tell Ned and Lois and Ruby, of course, but I don't think we should tell anyone else just yet."

"Because of Sonny, right?" Brenda asked softly.

"I'm afraid so," Jax said with a slight nod. "He's pretty close to the edge already looking for us and for Lily. I'm just afraid what he'll do when he finds out we're back in town. I don't want to risk him finding out about the baby too." He tried to give her his most reassuring smile. "Personally, I like the idea of not telling. I love the idea of becoming our own family and I honestly don't think I'm ready to share that feeling with anyone. I want you and me and the baby to have some time to ourselves." When he saw the uncertainty in Brenda's eyes he rested his arms on her shoulders. "I'm serious," he said quickly. "Can you imagine what Lucy is going to do when she finds out? It's not going to be pretty I can promise you that!" he said with a shudder and a chuckle.

Brenda couldn't help chuckling at Jax's remark about Lucy. She tried to picture what Lucy would do but had to admit that Jax was right - it would be a spectacle. "I can't argue with that." She looked up at Jax with a now serious expression. "We can tell Ned, Lois and Ruby though right?" When Jax nodded his head yes, she exhaled slowly. "Okay, the baby stays our secret for now."

Jax pulled her close to give her a hug. "I promise, it won't be for long."

"It better not be," Brenda said as she backed out of his embrace and rested her hands on her abdomen. "This baby is going to make its presence known before we know it."

Jax gently rested his hand on top of Brenda's on her abdomen. "Nothing is going to keep us from enjoying every moment of this pregnancy."

Brenda smiled as she fought to keep the tears filling her eyes from spilling out. "We know that sweetheart," she said softly. "Besides, the most important people in his life already know about him." Brenda looked over at John, Jane and Jerry. "His family is here for him no matter who else knows and he knows that."

"I told you it was a boy," John said with a big grin on his face. "His mother agrees with me!"

Everyone looked at John for a moment before they all burst out laughing. Brenda walked over and wrapped her arms around John's waist. "I guess you and I are going to have to stick together huh grandpa?" she asked with a conspiratorial wink.

John looked down at her for a second before wrapping his arms tightly around her, lifting her off the floor and spinning her around.

"JOHN!" Jane yelled as she, Jax and Jerry all took a step forward. "Put the child down before you make her sick!"

Suddenly realizing what he was doing, John immediately stopped and set Brenda down. "Oh Lord!" he said with a panicked expression. "Are you all right child?" he asked as he cupped the side of Brenda face and lifted it up to see her.

"I'm fine dad," Brenda said with a reassuring smile. She looked over at the others. "I'm not made of glass you know, I'm just pregnant."

"I wasn't thinking of that luv," Jane said with a maternal smile. "I was thinking that you haven't eaten for a while…" As if on cue, Brenda suddenly grabbed John's forearms and closed her eyes to try to stop the world from spinning. "That's what I meant," Jane said calmly.

Jerry and Jax rushed over as John helped Brenda sit down in the nearby chair. "Whew!" she said softly as she leaned back in the chair, her eyes still closed.

"Are you okay, luv?" Jax asked as he gently stroked his thumb across the top of Brenda's hand as he stooped down in front of her.

As soon as she felt the world stop spinning, Brenda slowly opened her eyes. "I'm fine, Jax, really," she said with a smile. "I guess mom was right. Spinning around like that on an empty stomach…" When she saw the guilty look on John's face she smiled up at him. "Don't look so guilty dad, no harm done."

"Are you sure child?" John asked as he stooped down next to Jax and rested his hand on Brenda's knee.

Brenda smiled at him and put her hand on his. "I'm sure dad. All I needed was to sit down for a minute." She looked at Jerry, John and Jax all hovering around her before looking over at Jane. "It's a good thing we're going back to Port Charles soon," she said with a chuckle. "Having Jax hovering for the next 8 months is going to be bad enough. I don't think I could handle all three of them!"

Jane couldn't help laughing as she saw the hurt expressions on all three men's faces. "Don't worry luv, you'll set Jax straight in no time. As for the other two - I'll take care of them!" She almost laughed when she saw the looks that John and Jerry gave her.

Jax looked up at Brenda for a second before standing up and holding out his hands to her. When she took them he gave her a little tug to pull her up from the chair. As soon as she was standing, he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to whisper in her hear. "I'm kind of looking forward to you setting me straight. Can we start tonight?" He leaned the rest of the way down to snuggle his face into the side of her neck.

"Jax!" Brenda hissed. "Stop that!" She gently pushed against his chest to get him to stop nibbling on her neck. When he finally leaned back, she looked up at him, a stern expression on her face but a familiar twinkle in her eye. "You are so bad," she whispered.

"And you love me that way," Jax whispered back as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Oh please!" Jerry said loudly in mock disgust. "Give us a break you two!"

Before anything else could be said there was a slight tap on the door. They all turned to see Astrid standing there. "Dinner is ready," was all she said before turning and walking back to the kitchen.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starved!" Brenda said as she moved away from Jax. She linked her arm with John and looked up at him. "Come on 'gramps', let's get some dinner."

"Your wish is my command my lady," John said with a slight bow to Brenda. He looked over at the rest of the family. "You can join us if you wish," he said before leading Brenda out of the room.

Jerry and Jax looked at each other shook their heads and laughed as they started for the door. They waited on either side of the door for Jane to walk out ahead of them before heading toward the kitchen for dinner.

After lingering over a wonderful last minute dinner, the entire family moved to the living room for coffee and brandy. Everyone except Brenda poured themselves a cup of coffee. After bringing in the coffee service, Astrid came back with a second tray, this one holding a pot of herbal tea. She set the tray on the coffee table next to the first one and left the room. Jane finished pouring the coffee for the others as John poured a cup of tea for Brenda. The family spent the rest of the evening talking about how different next Christmas was going to be with the baby. Surprisingly, Jerry offered to come to Alaska for Christmas next year - on the condition that Jax and Brenda would promise to let Uncle Jerry take the baby for his first sled ride. After a promise that he would be careful, they agreed. Brenda did put her foot down though and refuse to let John and Jax take the baby with them to build the ice houses.

Before anyone realized what time it was Jerry looked over at the mantle clock. "Hey, it's almost midnight," he said as he nodded toward the clock. He got up, walked behind the bar and pulled a bottle out of the cooler. "Just enough time to open this," he said as he started to tear the foil off the top of the bottle.

"Jerry wait!" Jax said as he stepped toward the bar. "Don't open that!" He looked at his parents before looking over at Brenda.

"Don't worry Little Brother," Jerry said with a chuckle as he held up the bottle. "It's sparkling cider."

"Where did you find that?" Brenda asked as she shook her head in disbelief.

"We always keep it on hand for company who prefer not to drink alcohol," John said with a chuckle. "I completely forgot about it. What made you think of it son?"

Jerry continued to open the bottle and poured the cider into the waiting glasses on the bar. "Give me some credit dad - even I know that pregnant women don't drink alcohol. After Jax and Brenda told us about the baby this afternoon I asked Cassie to find a bottle of cider and chill it for tonight." He looked over at Brenda. "There's no way we could have a toast to the New Year without including Brenda. She is, afterall, the reason this family even has a New Year to celebrate." He handed a glass to each of them. He held up his glass and smiled at Brenda. He glanced over at the mantle clock just as it struck twelve. "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!" they all said in unison as they held up their glasses.

Jax leaned over to give Brenda a quick yet very passionate kiss as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "We'll have our own celebration later," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

Brenda looked up at Jax with a knowing smile. "Oh I was hoping you'd say that," she said so softly that Jax hardly heard her. They both grinned broadly at each other before Brenda tightened her arm around Jax and rested her head on his shoulder. As she watched the family - her family- laughing and joking and just enjoying being together, Brenda couldn't help thinking how lucky her child was. He was going to be born into a family that already loved him but more importantly wanted him so much they could hardly wait for him to be born. She set her glass down on the nearby table and rested her hand on her abdomen. This child, HER child, was never going to know the pain and loneliness that she had felt as a child. He was going to have a family. He was going to have two parents, two grandparents and even an uncle who would always be there for him, who would love him no matter what he did.

Jax couldn't help noticing how quiet Brenda had gotten. He tapped his fingers on the side of her hip to get her to look up at him. He felt relieved to see nothing but pure happiness in her eyes. "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

Brenda smiled up at him. "I was thinking about the baby, about how different his life is going to be from mine." She looked over at the rest of their family. "He's going to have a family that loves him and will always be there for him - no matter what."

"Why do you keep saying he? Do you think the baby will be a boy?" Jax asked with a smile.

"Don't you?" Brenda asked as she looked up at Jax for a second before glancing over at John and Jerry. "I think it would probably be a good thing if the first grandchild in this family was a boy. Can you imagine how those two will react if the baby is a girl - the first girl born in this family?"

Jax looked over at his father and brother. "You have a point there," he said with a chuckle. "They're going to go nuts if it's a boy. If it's a girl I cannot imagine what they could be capable of!"

Brenda tightened her arm around Jax's waist. When he looked down at her she gave him a sly smile. "Admit it," she said softly as she tapped her hand on his chest. "You'd like a boy yourself."

Jax looked at her for a few moments before a big smile spread across his face. "Okay, okay, I'll admit it. The idea of having a little boy that I can teach to swim or surf or fly really sounds just about perfect to me."

Suddenly feeling very sad, Brenda let go of Jax and walked over to look out the window. She pulled the curtain aside to watch the snow. Jax glanced over at the rest of his family who had all noticed the sudden change in Brenda. Jane nodded for him to go to Brenda as the rest of the family tried to move as far away as possible to give them more privacy.

Jax walked up behind Brenda and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her abdomen. He leaned his chin on her shoulder and looked out the window with her. "What's wrong?" he whispered in her ear before kissing the side of her neck.

Brenda leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes as she rested her hands on his on her abdomen. "I wonder if that was how my father felt when he found out my mother was pregnant with me. He wanted a son to teach how to run Barrett Industries. Maybe that's why he was so disappointed in me. Maybe it was something as simple as me being a girl." As she felt the tears spill out of her eyes she didn't even try to stop them.

Jax could feel her shaking as she cried. He tightened his arms around her as he leaned his chin down on Brenda's shoulder. "Why don't we go upstairs and talk about this? It's been a pretty long, not to mention busy, day for someone just getting over the flu." He kissed the side of her neck again before lifting his head and looking across the room. "We're going to call it a night," he said calmly to the rest of the family. He wrapped his arm around Brenda and gave her a gentle squeeze before leading her out of the room.

Without saying anything to anyone, Brenda rested her head on Jax's chest and let him walk her over to the stairs. She finally let go of him and walked ahead of him up the stairs and down the hall to their room. As soon as she got in the room she walked right to the window and pulled the curtain aside to look out. She seemed to have completely forgotten Jax was even in the room until he came up behind her and touched her arm. When she felt his hand on her arm, she turned around to look up at him, the tears once again streaming down her face.

Jax could feel his heart break as he saw the abject pain in Brenda's eyes. He struggled to keep the rage that was building in him toward her father AND her sister from showing. Instead, he gently cupped the side of her face. "I'm going to tell you something and I want you to listen carefully, okay?" He waited until she slowly nodded her head. "I don't care if this baby is a boy or a girl. I'll love them just as much either way. Do you want to know why?" He didn't give her a chance to answer before continuing. "Because every time I look at this baby I will know that they are a product of our love. He or she will be a part of us for the rest of our lives and I cannot wait.

"You didn't give me a chance to finish downstairs so I want you to listen to me now. I love the idea of teaching my son to swim or surf or fly, but I'll love teaching my daughter just as much - especially if she's as brave and adventurous as her mother." He gave Brenda a loving smile before continuing. "Besides, if the baby is a girl I cannot wait to take her on a father/daughter shopping spree - especially after her soccer team has just won their championship game." Jax was pleased to see the slight smile on Brenda's lips.

"Do you really mean that Jax? You really don't care if the baby is a girl?" Brenda asked nervously as she tried to wipe away the last of the tears on her cheeks. "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

Jax looked at her for a moment before cupping her face in his hands. He gently brushed his thumbs across her cheekbones. "You know me well enough by now to know that I don't say things I don't mean." He stared into her eyes for a moment as he held her face before suddenly letting go and taking her hand to lead her to the bed. He gently pushed down on her shoulders to get her to sit on the edge of the bed before sitting next to her.

"Brenda, I think you know in your heart that I'm nothing like your father." When Brenda turned to look at him he cupped the side of her face. "I am absolutely over the moon at the prospect of having a baby with you. A little girl with your dark hair and dark eyes who is as smart and beautiful as her mother is the most amazing thing I've ever dared dream."

"Or a little boy with your blond hair and light eyes who is as brilliant and fearless as his father," Brenda said softly as she put her hand on Jax's cheek. She smiled at him lovingly as she realized that he meant every word he was saying. He really would love a little girl or boy equally. "You are going to be an amazing father, Jasper Jacks," she whispered. "Of course, considering the role model you had, how could you not be," she said with a chuckle.

Jax returned her smile before leaning in to kiss her. What started out as a single loving kiss quickly turned passionate and it wasn't long before they were making love for the first time since finding out they were parents.

Afterwards, as they lay tightly wrapped around each other, trying to get back to some sense of reality, Jax began to gently run his fingers up and down Brenda's back. "Are you okay?" he asked nervously as he looked over her head instead of at her. "I mean, I didn't hurt you…"

Brenda slowly lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. "We're fine Jax, really," she said softly with a very satisfied smile. "In fact, I think we may have to do this more often. I have a feeling the baby really likes feeling this fine." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss above his heart. When she looked up she saw that unmistakable twinkle in Jax's eyes. "Already?" she asked with a big smile. When Jax pulled her up so that she was completely on top of him she immediately got her answer. They were soon making love for the second time in a night that would be filled with tender, passionate lovemaking. It was nearly dawn when they finally fell asleep, totally satisfied and totally in love.

It was just after 9:00 when Jax woke up. He looked down to see Brenda sleeping soundly on his chest. He leaned down to place a kiss on top of her head. He couldn't help smiling when she didn't move except to lean forward to kiss his chest, still sound asleep. He gently slid out from under her and pulled the covers snugly around her once he was out of the bed. She stirred slightly when he got up but quickly settled back to sleep. He watched her sleep for a couple of minutes until he was sure she was sleeping soundly before grabbing his clothes and heading into the bathroom.

When he came out twenty minutes later, he was glad to see Brenda was still sleeping. He silently walked across the room to the door. He stopped and looked back at her before quietly opening it and stepping out into the hall. He pulled the door shut behind him and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He was not surprised to see the rest of the family already sitting at the table ready for breakfast.

Jane was the first to notice him. "How's Brenda?" she asked as Jax came over and sat down at the table.

"She's sleeping," Jax said as he poured his coffee. "I thought I'd have a quick breakfast before taking a tray up to her."

"What happened last night?" Jerry asked. "One minute we're all laughing and joking about the baby and the next Little Bit is in tears?" Jerry looked directly at Jax. "Did you say something to upset her?" he asked sternly.

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Not intentionally," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I was saying how I was looking forward to teaching my son how to swim and surf and fly a plane when all of a sudden Brenda seemed to shut down. When I asked her what was wrong she started to cry and wonder if that was why her father hadn't wanted her - because she wasn't a boy."

Jerry looked at John and Jane before looking back at Jax. "What did you say to that?" he asked.

"I'll tell you what he said," Brenda said from the doorway. She walked over and stood behind Jax, resting her hands on his shoulders. "He told me exactly what I needed to hear. He told me that it didn't matter if the baby was a girl because he could still teach her all those things. He also said he could picture himself taking his daughter shopping after watching her team win their championship soccer game." She leaned down to kiss the top of Jax's head and then ruffle his hair. "He's going to be a great dad," she said proudly as she looked over at John. "Of course with you as a role model, dad, how could he not be."

John blushed slightly as he looked down at his coffee cup. When he looked up at Brenda he felt a sharp twinge of guilt. He didn't know how to respond to her praise as his mind raced over the things he had done and was planning to do. He knew that neither Jax nor Brenda would think him a good example for their child if they did know. He silently promised himself that they would never find out what he had done - and with whom - for his family.

"I don't believe it," Jerry said with a chuckle. "John Jacks at a loss for words!" He had known as soon as he had seen the look in his father's eyes what he had been thinking. Wanting to keep Brenda and especially Jax from suspecting anything, he decided to take control of the conversation. He wasn't sure what he saw in John's eyes when he looked at him - anger at being embarrassed or relief at having the subject changed.

"Yes, well," John said as he cleared his throat. "What are you doing down here?" he asked as he looked sternly at Brenda. "You and my grandchild are supposed to be sleeping in this morning."

Brenda ran her fingers through Jax's hair again and waited for him to look up at her. "It's all Jax's fault," she said with a very loving smile at Jax. "I've gotten so used to having him next to me in bed that I don't sleep when he's not there. When I woke up and he wasn't there I figured he'd come down here."

Jax reached back to wrap his arm around Brenda's waist and pull her to his side. "Why don't you go back up to bed? I was just going to bring you a tray."

"If it's okay with you I'd rather stay here," Brenda said with a trace of nervousness. "We're leaving tomorrow so I'd really like to spend as much time with the family as possible."

"If that's what you want," Jax said with a big smile before standing up to pull the chair next to him out for her.

"I hope you know that you are going to be seeing so much of all of us that you may get sick of the site of us," Jane said with a very maternal smile.

"I'm counting on that mom," Brenda said softly as she looked over at Jane. 'I'm going to have so many questions for you that you're going to come to hate the sound of the phone ringing." She reached for Jax's hand before looking back at Jane with tears glistening in her eyes. "Afterall, a girl needs her mother more when she's pregnant than any other time in her life - at least that's what Lois kept telling me when she was pregnant." Brenda smiled at Jane even though there were tears in her eyes.

Jax reached over and squeezed Brenda's hand. When she looked at him he gave her a smile and a wink. Brenda smiled back at him as she wiped at her eyes to clear away the tears. She gave him a slight nod before looking back at the rest of the family. "So, what's for breakfast? I'm starved!" Brenda said. When everyone looked at her uncertainly she looked innocently around the room. "Look, I know it won't be long before I won't be able to look at food in the morning so I'm going to enjoy eating breakfast for as long as I can." The rest of the family all looked at each other for a second as they realized that what she was saying made sense.

"Astrid, quick, breakfast - and LOTS of it!" Jerry called out. "Can't keep the pregnant lady waiting."

"JERRY! Really!" Jane said sternly.

"What?" Jerry asked innocently. "I'm just trying to help!"

Jax turned to look at Brenda. "Are you sure you want this guy anywhere near our child?" he asked in a serious voice as he fought the urge to laugh.

Brenda looked over at Jerry and gave him a wink. "Absolutely! I can't think of anyone better."

Jerry stared at her for a second, not sure how to respond. Finally, he decided that the best thing to do was to make a joke. "Well, that tells me a lot - like you're just as crazy as the rest of us!" He looked at Brenda with a mischievous glint in his eye. "And here I was thinking you were going to be the sane one in this family."

Brenda and Jax just shook their heads and chuckled. Astrid leaned over Jax's shoulder to put the first plate of food on the table. As each plate was put on the table it was passed around. Once everyone's plate was full John held up his glass of orange juice. "I know we probably did enough of this last night but I have just one more toast to make." He waited until everyone picked up their glasses before continuing. "To next year, when five will be six," he said as he smiled at Jax and Brenda. After they all tapped their glasses, they enjoyed the rest of their breakfast, joking and teasing each other.

Both Jax and Brenda woke early the next morning. It was obvious as they finished packing that they were both sorry to be leaving Alaska but also excited about going home to await the birth of their child. Neither said anything until they were closing up their suitcases. "That does it," Brenda said as she rested her hands on her hips. She looked around the bedroom one last time. "I hope we packed everything."

"Don't worry luv," Jax said with a chuckle. "If we did forget something dad will use it as an excuse to come down to Port Charles or to get us to come up here again."

Suddenly serious, Brenda walked over to stand in front of Jax. She rested her hands flat on his chest. "I don't want us to need an excuse to come home, honey. I want us to fly up here as often as we can until I can't fly anymore."

Realizing how important this was to Brenda Jax rested his hands on her upper arms. "We'll fly up as often as you want. And when the doctor won't let you fly anymore we'll ask mum and dad to fly down to Port Charles."

"What about Jerry? We can't let him disappear again."

"You don't have to worry about that luv," Jax said with a chuckle. "If anything, you might want him to disappear!"

"Why?" Brenda asked as she tried to read the expression on Jax's face.

"Because Jerry is going to be living in Port Charles for a while," Jax said with a slightly smug expression. "Apparently there is something - or someone - of interest to him there," he said with a chuckle. The smile slowly faded from his face and was replaced by a more serious expression. "Besides, we're in the middle of a major deal that we are both involved in so he would be staying nearby anyway - at least until the deal is done."

Surprised that Jax would seem so concerned about a business deal, Brenda looked deeply into his eyes. She was even more surprised at what she saw there. In spite of the slight smile on his face she saw a mixture of anger and possibly even hatred - things she had not seen there in a very long time. She could also tell that he was trying, for whatever reason, to conceal these feelings from her. She decided it was best to not mention what she had seen. "Is this your way of telling me that you think Jerry may have feelings for Lily?" she asked.

"Don't you?" Jax asked with a chuckle.

"Jax, she's married - to Sonny!" Brenda said with a touch of surprise in her voice.

"True, but Lily has made it very clear that her marriage is over. Besides, Jerry has never let a little thing like a wedding ring stop him from making a play for a woman he was interested in." Jax smiled at the expression on Brenda's face before leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. He glanced over at the clock on the mantle. "We better get moving if we want to get back to Port Charles tonight," he said as he let go of Brenda and walked over to the bed to get their bags. "I'll take these downstairs while you make one last check to make sure we haven't forgotten anything."

"I'll take those down for you son," John said from the doorway. He walked over to the bed and picked up two of the bags. "I'll send your brother up to get the rest." John looked over at Brenda and smiled. "You just worry about getting your family downstairs. We'll take care of these." Just as he finished Jerry appeared in the doorway. "Perfect timing son. Would you grab those other two bags and take them down to the car?"

"Depends," Jerry said as he rubbed his chin. "Who's are they? If they belong to Brenda I'll be glad to take them down. If they're Junior's he can take them down himself."

"They're mine Jerry," Brenda said as she started toward the bed. "You don't have to trouble yourself though, I'm quite capable of taking my own bags down."

"NO!" all three men said at once, causing Brenda to stop and look back at them.

"Don't you touch those bags!" Jax said firmly. "You know you aren't supposed to lift anything heavy." He looked at Jerry, who immediately walked over and picked up the bags.

Jerry stopped in front of Brenda and looked down at her with a very stern expression. "Don't you ever do that again - even in jest! You have a bigger responsibility than proving I'm a jerk. You have the newest Jacks to take care of."

Brenda was surprised at the intensity of not only Jerry's expression but also his tone of voice. When she looked into his eyes though, she saw only love and concern.

"Jerry!" Jax hissed angrily. "Apologize to my wife!"

"No Jax," Brenda said as she looked over at Jax. "He's right - except for one thing." She looked up at Jerry with a slight smile. "You're not a jerk Jerry, you're just an overprotective big brother." She put her hands on his arms. "Thanks for caring so much. I promise I'll be careful." She leaned up on her toes to kiss Jerry's cheek. She leaned back without letting go of his harms. "Jax tells me you're going to be staying in Port Charles for a while. I hope you'll stay with us."

Jerry looked over the top of Brenda's head and looked at Jax. When he saw Jax slightly shake his head no he barely moved his head to acknowledge that he understood. "Actually, I've already got a suite reserved two floors below you." When he saw the disappointment on Brenda's face, he set down the suitcases and rested his hands on her arms. "You really don't want to live with me Brenda. I'm always on my best behavior when I'm home. Just ask Jax what it's like living with me. Besides, you'll be seeing far too much of me in the next few months anyway." He leaned down to kiss the top of Brenda's head before reaching for the suitcases. "I'll take these downstairs," he said with a smile toward Brenda before turning and walking out of the room, followed closely by John with the rest of the bags.

When they were gone, Brenda walked over to Jax and loosely wrapped her arms around his waist. "What's going on with Jerry?"

"What do you mean?" Jax asked slightly nervously.

Brenda looked away for a second to try to organize what she wanted to say. "The way he reacted to my reaching for the suitcases. I swear I could see fear in his eyes when he thought I might actually pick up those bags."

Relieved to know that was what she meant, Jax smiled reassuringly. "I have to admit, I noticed that too," he said as he gently ran his hands up and down Brenda's arms. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't think even he knows why he did it either." He could see the confusion in Brenda's eyes. "Jerry has never been much for the family thing. I mean, he's always there if he's needed, but he's never been comfortable with the emotional part of family life. He doesn't know how to handle that. Then on top of being with the family for the holidays, he has to handle the news about the baby too. I have a feeling it got him thinking about his own life and what's missing from it."

With a knowing smile Brenda looked up at Jax. "So what you're telling me is that he's going to be like this for the next eight months."

"At least until he comes to grips with being an uncle I'm afraid so," Jax said with a chuckle. "Think you can handle that?"

"Oh I think I can handle him," Brenda said softly as she rested her hands flat on Jax's chest and leaned up to give him a quick kiss. "Besides, I have a feeling he's going to be far too busy to drive me crazy."

"What, what do you mean?" Jax asked nervously.

"Why Lily, of course," Brenda said with a chuckle as she slapped her hands on Jax's chest. "I have a feeling Jerry cares a lot more about Lily that he realizes." Brenda was surprised at the look she saw spreading across Jax's face. "Honey? Is something wrong?" she asked. "Is this because of who Lily is? Her father? Sonny?"

It took a minute for Jax to answer. "Actually, in Jerry's case, those are probably good things - except for Sonny that is." He could tell that Brenda was now even more confused. "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" He couldn't help smiling at the expression on Brenda's face as she slowly shook her head.

"For as long as I can remember, Jerry has always dated a certain type of woman. They were always shallow flighty women who cared more about his bank account than him. Before you ask, of course he knew it. That's why he was attracted to them - no chance of getting involved.

"Lily's nothing like them though. She's probably almost as rich as he is. She's got a strong sense of right and wrong but still manages to understand that not everyone else does and is willing to accept them anyway. She's also quite capable of using whatever or whomever she needs to get what she wants. She doesn't seem to be afraid of much - which is probably one of the biggest attractions for him.

"Does it bother you that he's interest in Lily? After all, she is still married to Sonny."

Brenda let go of Jax and walked over to the window as she thought about what he had just said. She stared out the window for a moment before turning to look at Jax. "I've thought about that a lot since I started to suspect he was developing feelings for Lily."

"What have you decided?"

"I decided that I like the affect she has on him. He likes living life on the edge and so does she, even though you wouldn't know it to look at her. He already knows who her father is and what he does so that's not an issue. The only problem I can see is Sonny." When she saw the uncertain look on Jax's face she quickly continued. "I'm afraid of what Sonny will do when he finds out Jerry has been hiding Lily from him. He's already wound so tight about not being able to find us that he's about to explode. Finding out that Lily is with Jerry and that they have feelings for each other is going to push him right over the edge, making him more dangerous for all of us!"

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He walked over to Brenda and rested his arms on her shoulders. "Don't worry luv, Jerry knows how to take care of himself with people like Sonny." He smiled reassuringly at Brenda. "Besides, after all the misery he's already caused Lily, I doubt her father will let him do anything to interfere with her happiness."

"I hope you're right," Brenda said as she wrapped her arms around Jax's waist. "Lily has really been a true friend to us, even when we didn't know it. Now that she's done with Sonny I want her to find someone to make her as happy as you've made me. I really think Jerry could be that person."

Before Jax could say anything they heard a soft knock on the door. They both turned to look toward the door and saw Jerry standing there. "Eric called from the hanger. There's weather heading this way from the west. Your pilot said if you still plan to leave today you better leave now."

Brenda looked up at Jax for a second before letting go of him and walking over to Jerry. "Are you flying home with us?" she asked as she gave the room one more quick look around to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

Jerry crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. "Ah, no," he said with an obvious touch of nervousness in his voice. "I have a couple of things to take care of in New York before I can come to Port Charles."

Brenda looked over at Jax for a second before looking back at Jerry. "Just don't take too long," she said with a smile as she wagged her finger at him.

"I promise, as soon as I check on a couple of pending deals I'll be knocking on your door," Jerry said before giving Brenda a quick kiss. "Come on, I'll drive you guys to the airstrip." He gave her another quick kiss before letting her go and walking out the door.

Jax came up behind Brenda and rested his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. "Ready?"

Brenda leaned back against him and closed her eyes. "Definitely, let's go home," she said softly.

Jax gave her shoulders a quick squeeze before letting go. He reached for her hand and led her toward the door. When they got downstairs the rest of the family was waiting for them. Jax gave Brenda a quick squeeze before going to get their coats. As he walked away, John came up to Brenda and wrapped his arms around her.

"Now just because you're going home don't you think you're going to be rid of us," he said seriously.

"I'm counting on a lot of visits from both you and mom," Brenda said with a smile. "I want my whole family around as much as possible for every step of this pregnancy." She looked over at Jerry and then back at John. "After all, we're a family so why should Jax be the only one to have to put up with my cravings and mood swings." She couldn't keep from laughing when she saw what she could have sworn was fear in both John and Jerry's eyes.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this," Jane said with a chuckle. "I'm going to make sure we spend a LOT of time in Port Charles dear, you can count on that!"

When he came back into the room with their coats, Jax had no idea what he had walked in on. His mother and Brenda were grinning like a couple of Cheshire cats while his father and brother almost looked frightened. "Okay, so what did I miss?"

John and Jerry looked at him in unison. He was surprised to see Jerry's face cloud over with anger. "Nothing! Let's get you to the airstrip," he said quickly as he rushed past Jax to get his coat on. As soon as he did he went out the door to the waiting SUV.

Even more confused than before, Jax watched him leave. When he turned back he saw Brenda and Jane laughing. Brenda walked up to him and reached for her coat. "Don't worry honey, I'll explain later."

After letting Jax help her with her coat, Brenda turned back to Jane and John. "I'm going to miss you guys so much," she said in a choked voice. She gave Jane and then John a very tight hug before stepping back to wrap her arm around Jax's waist. "We expect to see you guys in Port Charles very soon."

"You can count on that my dear," John said. "We'll be showing up on your doorstep before you know it."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Brenda said with a smile, even though she could feel the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. The sound of the car horn startled all of them.

"Sounds like Jerry is getting impatient," Jax said with a chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. He looked toward the door when he heard it open. "What's up Clay?"

"Jerry said you better get moving if you want to leave today. The airstrip just called and said that storm has picked up speed. If you're going to take off it has to be now."

"Thanks Clay, we'll be right out," Jax said. He reached for Brenda's hand. "Let's go luv."

Brenda gave John and Jane another quick hug before taking Jax's hand. "See you soon," she said with a quick wave before letting Jax lead her to the door. She was surprised when she stepped out onto the porch at the change in the weather. The beautiful sunny morning had turned into a cold, cloudy, windy early afternoon. She pulled her collar up higher on her neck and leaned her head down against the wind as she let Jax lead her quickly down the stairs and into the car.

As they got closer to the airstrip it started to snow. When she looked over at Jax Brenda saw an obvious look of concern on his face. What she wasn't sure about was what was causing that concern - the deteriorating weather or the fact that they were going back to Port Charles and going to have to deal with Sonny for the first time in six weeks. She reached over to gently squeeze his knee. When he turned to look at her she reached for his hand and linked her fingers with his. "Are you worried about the weather?" She paused for a second as her smile faded. "Or is it something else - like Sonny?"

Jax looked over at her for several moments before a slight smile came to his lips. He lifted their joined hands and gently kissed the back of Brenda's. "You know me too well," he said with a smile. He could tell Brenda was not going to let this go until he answered her. "You're right though, I am worried. I'm worried about what's going to happen when we get back to Port Charles. We both know it's not going to take long for Sonny to find out that we're back."

Brenda squeezed Jax's hand. "I've been thinking about that too. And you know what I've decided? We're giving him far too much power over us."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Jerry asked as he turned around in the front seat to look at them.

"I think we should get in his face as soon as we get home and tell him we're back. We should make sure that he knows that our being away had nothing to do with him. That we went away for ourselves, so you could recuperate, and to spend the holidays with our family. We let him know that we are not going to let him control our lives and if he tries he'll wish he hadn't."

Jerry and Jax looked at each other in stunned silence before turning to look at Brenda. "You married yourself some lady Little Brother," Jerry said with a chuckle. "She's a true Jacks - which means this baby of yours is going to be a real challenge - even for you!"

Before Jax had a chance to say anything, the car pulled to a stop in front of the hanger. Jerry jumped out and opened the door for Brenda. Since it was snowing very heavily, the walk to the door was already covered with a substantial amount of snow. Without a thought, Jerry reached in, lifted Brenda out of the car and carried her to the door.

"What did you do that for?" Brenda asked after she was on her feet again inside the hanger. "I'm quite capable of walking in a little bit of snow." She looked over Jerry's shoulder to see Jax walk in carrying their bags. She couldn't help smiling when she saw the expression on his face as he shook his head in disbelief of what Jerry had just done.

The steward came down the steps of the plane at that point. "Mr. Jacks, the pilot said we need to get in the air now if we're going to leave before the weather closes in completely." He walked over to take the bags Jax was holding. "He's completed his pre-flight check so we can leave as soon as you and Mrs. Jacks are aboard." He gave Jax a slight nod of his head before taking the bags up the stairs and into the plane, followed closely by Clay with the rest of the luggage.

Jax held out his hand to Jerry. "Thanks for everything Jer."

Jerry took Jax's hand and pulled him into a hug. "Any time Little Brother," he said before letting go of him. He gave Brenda a big hug as well before taking a step back to look at both of them. "You two better get on the plane. I'll see you in Port Charles in a few days." He nodded toward the waiting plane. "Go on, get going," he said softly.

Brenda gave Jerry another quick kiss before reaching for Jax's hand. "We'll be expecting you in less than one week." She wagged her finger at Jerry. "You better be there!"

Jerry held up both hands in surrender. "I promise, I'll be there within a week!"

"I'm holding you to that. 'Cause if you're not, I'm coming to New York to get you!" Brenda said firmly before giving Jax's hand a gentle squeeze. "Are you ready sweetheart?" she asked sweetly as she smiled at him.

"Lead the way luv," Jax said with a chuckle as he held up their joined hands toward the waiting plane. He looked toward Jerry with a smile. "I guess I'll be seeing you in a few days."

Still staring at Brenda, Jerry slowly shook his head. "I better be there if I know what's good for me!" He couldn't help chuckling though when Brenda turned and stuck her tongue out at him.

Jerry waited until Jax and Brenda climbed the steps into the plane. As soon as they disappeared into the plane, he nodded to Clay to follow them. He knew that Eric was already onboard. The steward reached out to pull the door shut as soon as Clay was aboard. Jerry walked quickly to the doors and pressed the opener button. The huge doors slowly started to slide open as one of the ground crew pulled in front of the plane with a small tractor. He stopped and got off to attach a tow hook to the front landing gear of the plane and returned to the tractor. He slowly accelerated and the plane began to move forward. As soon as the plane was outside the hanger the tractor stopped. As the tow hook was detached the pilot started the engines. When he was ready, he slowly taxied to the freshly plowed runway to take off - which he did without any problem.

Just as the seatbelt light went out, the steward stepped into the cabin. "The pilot has informed me that we have reached our cruising altitude so you and Mrs. Jacks are free to move about the plane. Your lunch will be served in about an hour if that is acceptable.

"Also, your security men asked me to let you know that they have made arrangements for a car to be waiting at the airport in Port Charles. They also said if you have any questions they'll be in the crew cabin." He nodded politely and turned to walk out of the cabin, closing the door behind him.

It wasn't until Paul was gone that Jax realized that he had left a full coffee service on the table next to the couch. "Want some coffee?" he asked as he pointed to the table.

"Sure," Brenda said with a smile as she nodded her head. As Jax handed her a cup fixed exactly as she liked, she stopped. "Do you think it's decaf?"

Jax couldn't help smiling. "Are you kidding? With the way everyone has been hovering around you I suspect that mum, dad AND Jerry hassled poor Paul about no caffeine. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if even Clay and Eric reminded him." He held the cup out to her again and brushed his thumb across Brenda's as she took the cup.

After finishing lunch, Brenda and Jax kicked off their shoes and snuggled closely on the couch. Brenda rested her head against Jax's shoulder as she gently stroked her fingers across his sweater. She sighed as Jax stroked his fingers up and down her arm softly. When she felt herself start to yawn she turned her face into his shoulder, hoping he wouldn't notice - he did.

Jax couldn't miss the yawn Brenda tried to hide. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Hey sleepyhead," he said softly. "Why don't you take advantage of that big, comfy bed we found on the flight up?"

Brenda slowly lifted her head and looked up at Jax with a very sleepy smile. "Only if you come with me," she said softly as she leaned up to kiss him passionately.

Backing away slightly Jax whispered, "That was the idea." He gave her another passionate kiss before tucking his arms around her and standing up with her in his arms. He gave her another quick kiss before carrying her to the bedroom cabin in the tail of the plane. He gently laid Brenda on the bed before going back to close and lock the door. He then walked back to the bed and picked up the bedside intercom. "Paul? My wife and I are not to be disturbed until we're ready to land in Port Charles." He did not wait for an answer before hanging up. He stood silently, looking down at Brenda lying on the bed, thankful yet again for having found her.

Brenda couldn't wait for Jax to lay down with her. She crawled across the bed and got up on her knees in front of him. As he continued to stare at her she slowly slid her jacket down her arms and started to slowly open the buttons of her shirt. After opening the last button she pulled the shirt open and let it slide down her arms. She silently dropped it on the floor with her jacket. She reached up to slide her hands across the front of Jax's sweater before sliding them around to his sides. Without looking away, she slowly started to inch the sweater up and pulled it over his head as he lifted his arms for her.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Jax leaned down and kissed her passionately. As their kisses intensified, he rested one knee on the bed and slowly leaned Brenda back. It only took a moment for them to remove the rest of their clothes and slip under the covers.

After pulling Brenda up on top of him, it was Jax who finally ended the kiss. With one arm wrapped around her, he reached up to push Brenda's hair behind her ear. "I thought you were tired," he said softly as he leaned up to give her another quick kiss.

Brenda smiled as she gently brushed the backs of her fingers across Jax's cheek. "I am tired, tired of waiting to do this," she said as she leaned down to kiss him passionately. As their kisses grew even more passionate she slowly slid her hands up Jax's face and wove her fingers through his hair. She couldn't help squealing when Jax suddenly flipped them over so that she was under him. She laughed softly as she leaned her head back into the pillow to look at him. "I love you Jasper Jacks," she said lovingly.

"I love you Brenda Jacks," Jax said softly as he leaned down to kiss her. One kiss led to another and another until they were passionately making love, oblivious to everything but each other - to pleasing each other - until they collapsed, totally satisfied.

It took several minutes for either one of them to get the strength to move. Brenda felt herself purr as she felt Jax gently run his fingers around her back. She moved slightly so that she could brush her fingers across his chest and sighed. "How do you always manage to do that?" she asked softly with a sigh.

"Do what?" Jax asked without moving.

"Make our lovemaking as amazing as the first time every time we make love," Brenda said as she slowly lifted her head from his chest to look at him. "Really, how do you do it?"

"I guess it has something to do with the fact that I'm making love to the most amazing woman in the world," Jax said with a smile as he leaned up to give her a quick kiss.

Brenda slowly rolled over so that she was lying on her back looking up at the ceiling. She leaned up on her elbows and looked around the cabin. "I can't believe we did this," she said with a loud exhale as she fell back on the bed.

"What? Make love on a plane?" Jax asked as he rolled onto his side to face her and propped his head up on his hand.

"Yes," Brenda said as she turned her head to look at him. "Are you saying you've done this before?" she asked suspiciously. Her suspicions disappeared as soon as she saw the deepening pink in his cheeks.

Jax could tell by the expression on Brenda's face that she had seen the warmth he felt in his cheeks. He looked away from her and slowly ran his hand across his face. He looked back at her and smiled. "Okay, okay, but you seem to already know the answer to your own question." When Brenda continued to stare at him with a smile, he exhaled loudly. "Okay! You're right. It was my first time!" He leaned over to whisper. "I've got a little confession for you. I'm glad it was the first time so I could share it with you." He leaned down to kiss her passionately. When he ended the kiss he leaned back from her with a grin. "You know, I'm not the type that joins clubs but in this case I'm making an exception."

Brenda looked up at him with a confused expression. "What are you talking about? What club?"

Jax looked at her for a second with a twinkle in his eye. "Why the 'Mile High Club' of course," he said as he leaned down to kiss her passionately. One kiss led to another and they were soon making love again. Afterward, they lay snuggled together; Jax's head resting on Brenda's shoulder as he gently brushed his fingers across her abdomen. "I still can't believe that you're carrying our child," he said softly as he leaned forward to kiss the crest of her breast. He lifted his head to look up at her without taking his hand off her abdomen. "This child is the most amazing gift you could have given me." Suddenly serious, he leaned up further. "I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I cannot imagine my life without you - or our child - in it. I swear to you, both of you, that I will do everything in my power to give this child the best life I can." He leaned down to place a quick soft kiss on her forehead.

Brenda smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. She reached up to cup the side of Jax's face. "I know that sweetheart. Our child is going to have the kind of childhood every child should have. After all, he's going to have the only thing a child needs for a perfect life - two parents who love him unconditionally. That's all any child needs. You had that. I didn't, but our child will." She wiped away the tears that had started to flow freely down her cheeks. "You're going to be a great dad. You've already given this baby more than I ever had." She chuckled slightly at the confusion on Jax's face. "You've given him a family. You've given him grandparents and an uncle who love him even though he isn't even born yet. That's more important to a child than any amount of money or materials things. Believe me, I know what I'm saying. I grew up with tons of money but without a family. When I got old enough, I promised myself that when I had a child they would never know that loneliness. Now, thanks to you, I can keep that promise."

Jax didn't know what to say. He felt like his heart would burst from everything that he was feeling. He had never felt so loved in his life. As he looked down at Brenda he could feel his eyes filling with tears. Slowly he brought his hand from its resting place on her abdomen to cup the side of her face and stroke his thumb across her cheekbone.

"I love you my wife," he said softly as he leaned down to softly kiss her lips. When he leaned back he could see in her eyes that she felt the same. He slid back down in the bed to return his head to her shoulder and his hand to her abdomen, protecting the child she carried there.

Brenda tilted her head to kiss the top of his head. "I love you my husband," she said softly as she put her hand on top of his on her abdomen. It wasn't long before they both fell sound asleep, totally satisfied both physically and emotionally.

It took Jax a minute or two to wake up enough to realize that the sound he was hearing was the intercom on the bedside table. He slowly unwrapped himself from around Brenda and rolled over to pick up the phone. "Yes Paul," he said sleepily as he rubbed his hand across his face.

"Sorry to wake you sir, but the pilot has asked me to let you and Mrs. Jacks know that we are about 45 minutes from landing.

"Thanks Paul, we'll be out before then," Jax said with a sigh. He reached over to hand up the phone. He lay on his back for several moments, his arm over his eyes.

"I guess that call means it's time to go back to the real world, huh," Brenda said softly as she rolled over and wrapped herself tightly around Jax.

"I'm afraid so luv," Jax said as he wrapped his arm around her. "The pilot says we've got about 45 minutes."

Brenda groaned as she snuggled closer to Jax. "Okay," she said with a sigh but without making any attempt to let go. They lay wrapped around each other for several minutes before she finally lifted her head. "I guess we better get moving before Paul comes looking for us."

This time it was Jax who sighed as he ran his fingers across her back. "Why don't you go first? I'll get you some fresh clothes."

"Thank you," she said softly before leaning down to give Jax a quick kiss. She then tossed back the covers and crawled out of bed. She quickly walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Jax took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before sitting up and stretching. He reached down next to the bed to pick up his pants. After putting them on he walked over to the closet to get the outfit he had packed for Brenda in their carryon. He smiled when he saw how precisely Paul had hung the outfit, underwear and all, on the hanger. When he reached for his own clothes he saw that Paul had taken the same care with his clothes. Just as he laid their clothes on the bed Brenda came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Do you believe there's a shower in there? It even has hot water! How do they do that on an airplane anyway?" She looked up at Jax with a totally lost expression.

"I have no idea," Jax said with a huge grin. He could not believe how beautiful Brenda looked, so innocent and childlike yet provocative, wrapped in a towel. Realizing things could quickly get out of hand he cleared his throat as he looked at his watch. "We better get moving before Paul comes knocking on the door." He gave her a wink as he grabbed his clothes and headed into the bathroom.

By the time Jax came out Brenda had not only finished dressing but had also packed their clothes into the carryon. He stood in the doorway watching as she brushed her hair until she realized he was there.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked.

"You, I love watching you brush your hair," Jax said as he slowly walked over to her. He gently brushed his hand over her hair, being careful not to mess it up. "Ready?"

"No, but we better go anyway," Brenda said with a sigh. "Come on," she said as she held out her hand.

Jax grabbed the bag off the bed before taking her hand. He let her lead him to the lounge where Paul took the bag from him and put it away. They sat down in the chairs by the windows just as the seatbelt light came on. "Perfect timing," he said with a smile as he reached for Brenda's hand. Brenda returned his smile and gave his hand a squeeze.

They continued to silently hold hands during the rest of their approach and landing in Port Charles. As the plane slowly taxied to the gate Brenda pressed her face to the window to watch the familiar sites of the Port Charles Airport slowly pass by. It wasn't until she felt Jax squeeze her hand that she turned away from the window.

"Where do you want to go first? To see Ned and Lois?" Jax asked as he linked his fingers with hers.

Brenda thought for a moment as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say. "I think we should see Sonny as soon as possible so we can make sure he knows that we're back, we're together and he can't hurt us."

Jax looked at Brenda in stunned silence as he slowly shook his head. "You are something else Brenda Jacks. Only you would think of walking right up to Sonny's door and challenging him in front of his own men!"

"So? What do you say? Are you with me?" Brenda asked confidently.

Before Jax could answer he realized that the plane had come to a stop. He looked up to see Clay and Eric coming toward them from the crew cabin. He unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to reach over to help Brenda but she had already unbuckled hers and was again looking out the window. Jax got up and walked to meet Clay and Eric. "Make sure it's clear. I don't want any surprises when we get off this plane."

"Got it covered Mr. J," Clay said with a slight nod before heading over to the door. As soon as Paul opened it Clay disappeared out the door and down the steps. Eric remained behind, staying close to Jax and Brenda as Paul supervised unloading the luggage and presents they had brought with them.

It took about 10 minutes for everything to be loaded into the waiting van. Brenda had just finished pulling on her gloves when Clay came back into the plane. "All set Mr. J," he said as he brushed a few snowflakes off his shoulders. "We should get moving though, it's starting to look a lot like where we just left - and the people down here don't handle snow nearly as well as they do in Alaska."

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a second before he extended his hand to her. She smiled and took his hand. Jax nodded to Clay who went back to the door and looked around outside as he waited for Jax and Brenda to come up behind him. As soon as they did he started down the stairs with Jax, Brenda and Eric right behind him. They walked straight to the limo waiting near the foot of the steps. As they approached the car Edward opened the door for them. He closed the door as soon as Jax and Brenda were inside. Clay got into the front seat as Edward walked around to get behind the wheel and Eric got into the van with the luggage.

"Where to sir?" Edward asked as he looked up into the rearview mirror.

Jax looked at Brenda for a second. He reached for her hand with a smile when he saw the nervousness in her eyes. "Take us to the Harborview Towers," he said without looking away from Brenda.

Clay and Edward slowly turned to look at each other for a second before Clay turned to look at Jax. "I don't think that's a very good idea sir," he said with an edge to his voice. "From the update I received on the plane, I think it's safe to say that Corinthos is totally out of control. If you and Mrs. J show up at his door it's going to take a lot more than Eric and me to keep him away from you!"

"That's the thing Clay, you and Eric will not be going with us," Jax said calmly. When he saw Clay ready to protest he held up his hand to stop him. "The only way to put an end to this is for us to end it. We want to let him know that we're not running anymore. We want him to know that no matter what he does or tries to do we are not going to let him control us.

"If he's as close to the edge as you say he is, knowing that he can't intimidate us anymore will either push him the rest of the way over the edge so that he'll make a mistake and the police can finally nail him or he'll realize that he's lost and back off."

Clay slowly shook his head as he rubbed his hand across his face. "Does Ben know about this 'plan' of yours Mr. J?"

"No, and you're not going to tell him - at least not until after we talk to Sonny," Jax said firmly, letting Clay know that he was ordering him not to tell.

Clay exhaled loudly as he slowly nodded his head in reluctant surrender. "Okay, okay," he said with another sigh. He looked over at Edward. "Go, before I have a chance to think about this," he said as he nodded toward the windshield. He shook his head slowly before looking back at Jax. "Ben is going to have my head on a platter when he finds out about this." He shook his head slowly and exhaled as he turned and settled back in his seat, his arms crossed in front of him.

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a second before Brenda slid closer and wrapped her arms around him. Neither one of them said anything the entire ride to Sonny's. The closer they got the tighter she held on to him. When the car came to a stop she slowly leaned back and looked up at him.

When he looked into her eyes, Jax couldn't miss the nervousness and even a trace of fear that he saw there. He reached up to brush the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know," he said softly as he smiled reassuringly.

Brenda took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes we do - and you know it," she said softly with a now confident smile. She reached up and took his hand from her cheek and linked her fingers with his.

Jax smiled back and brought her hand up to his lips. He kissed her palm softly and looked up at her without lifting his lips from her hand. He lifted her hand and held it to his cheek. Slowly he put her hand down without letting go. "Let's go," he said as he looked up at Clay.

Clay immediately got out and opened the back door for them. He reached in to help Brenda out as Jax got out on the other side and walked around the back of the car. He reached for Brenda's hand and gave it a squeeze. As they started toward the door Clay stepped behind them. "Where do you think you're going?" Jax asked as they stopped at the front door and turned to look at Clay.

"I may have agreed to this plan of yours but there is NO way I'm letting you two go up there unprotected!" Clay put his hand on Jax's arm as he stepped around to block the door.

Jax and Brenda looked at each other then turned to look back at Clay. "How about we compromise?" Brenda asked. You come upstairs with us but you wait in the hall while we talk to Sonny. That way if something goes wrong and we need your help all we have to do is yell."

Clay looked at Jax, then Brenda then looked away as he exhaled loudly. Finally he looked back at them. "I still don't like it but I guess it's the best I'm going to get," he said with a sigh. Reluctantly, he stepped aside and opened the door. As soon as Jax and Brenda passed, he followed them in and across the lobby to the elevators.

Brenda walked straight to the open elevator, followed by Jax then Clay. As Clay stepped into the elevator she pressed the button for the penthouse level. As the doors closed she slowly reached for Jax's hand as she watched the floor lights move. When she saw the penthouse light come on she squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. As the doors opened she looked at Jax and exhaled. Without letting go of his hand she stepped off the elevator. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they rounded the corner to PH 4. She stopped short when she saw the guard standing at the door. She recognized him as Sonny's regular bodyguard. The only name she could remember hearing was Johnny. She could not remember his last name. "Hello Johnny," she said quietly as she tried to keep her nervousness out of her voice.

"Hello Miss Bar… I mean Mrs. Jacks," Johnny said with a slight nod.

"We'd like to talk to Sonny. Is he available?" Brenda asked in a louder voice as she felt the nervousness start to ease.

Johnny looked at Clay suspiciously. "All of you?" he asked as he looked both Clay and Jax over.

Brenda looked over at Jax and Clay for a second before looking back at Johnny. "No, just Jax and I. You and Clay can wait out here. We'll only be a couple of minutes."

Johnny looked from Brenda to Jax to Clay and back to Brenda. He looked at her for several moments before slowly nodding once. He stepped aside and extended his hand toward the closed door. As Brenda and Jax stepped up to the door, Johnny moved further away, stopping across from Clay. He and Clay continued to watch each other suspiciously.

Brenda took a deep breath as she looked up at Jax. When she saw him smile reassuringly she slowly exhaled and smiled back at him before reaching out to knock firmly on the door.

Sonny was staring into the fire, lost in his memories of his life with Brenda when he heard the knock on the door. Hoping that it would be news about Brenda, he cleared his throat as he turned and walked to the door. Since Johnny had not announced anyone, he opened the door expecting it to see Jason. He was shocked to see Brenda and Jax standing in front of him.

"Hello Sonny, I understand that you've been looking for me," Brenda said calmly as she looked Sonny in the eyes.