Sonny was stunned to see Brenda standing in front of him. Seeing her made him realize that he had been so preoccupied with finding his wife and repairing his marriage that he had let the search for Brenda slide. Now seeing her standing in front of him even more beautiful than he remembered, all the memories of their time together came flooding back to him. He was so delighted to see her that he didn't even see Jax standing behind her.

"It certainly took you long enough to come to your senses," Sonny said as he reached to grab Brenda's arm. He finally realized that Brenda was not alone when he felt a large man's hand knock his hand away before he could touch her. He looked past Brenda to see Jax standing there. He could see the hatred in Jax's eyes as he pulled Brenda back from the door a little. "What the hell are you doing here Pretty Boy? Trying some pathetic effort to get her to change her mind?

Jax couldn't keep from laughing out loud as he slowly wrapped his arm around Brenda's shoulders and gently pulled her back against his chest. "You are so off base Corinthos. I couldn't be happier that Brenda came here."

Seeing the slight smile on Brenda's face as she rested her hands on Jax's arm had caused a knot to start forming in Sonny's stomach. As he listened to Jax's cryptic statement about being happy that she was there he had no idea what was going on. "Okay, so what the hell are you doing here then?" he asked as he glared at Brenda.

"We just came by to let you know that we're back. We had a wonderful vacation while Jax recuperated from the shooting and then spent the holidays with our family. We're back in Port Charles to stay so you can call off the men you have searching for us," Brenda said calmly. "I'm sure it must be getting expensive, what with having to keep bailing them out for trespassing." She stared smugly at Sonny for several moments. "That's all we came to say." She tilted her head to look up at Jax. "Are you ready to go home sweetheart?" she asked as she smiled sweetly at him.

"Whenever you're ready luv," Jax said softly as he smiled at her for a moment before leaning down to give Brenda a quick kiss. He took his arm from around her shoulders and reached for her hand, linking his fingers with hers before looking at Sonny. "My wife and I are leaving now. We just wanted to let you know we are home so that you can call off the men you have looking for us." His eyes suddenly filled with anger. "If you don't keep you men away from my wife and our home I'll be forced to keep them away!" he said through gritted teeth. "

Brenda was surprised not only by what Jax had just said but by the tone of his voice as he said it. She looked up at him and squeezed his hand to get him to look at her. When he looked down a moment later the absolute hatred she saw in his eyes made her shudder. "Jax?" she asked softly.

All the hatred he was feeling immediately disappeared when Jax saw the look in Brenda's eyes. "It's okay luv. Let's go home." He gave her a loving smile and gently squeezed her hand. Without looking at Sonny again he led Brenda away from the door.

Clay pressed the elevator call button as soon as he saw Jax and Brenda turn away from the door. He gave Johnny a curt nod before stepping aside to let Jax and Brenda walk past. As the elevator doors opened he glanced back toward the penthouse to make sure that the bodyguard would not try to stop them. When he looked past him he was surprised to see Sonny just staring at them as they walked away. As soon as Jax and Brenda stepped into the elevator he turned to watch Sonny and the guard as he backed into the elevator. He pressed the lobby button and waited just inside for the doors to close before finally relaxing.

As she watched the doors close, Brenda collapsed into Jax. When she felt his arms tighten around her she slowly looked up at him without lifting her head from his chest. "I cannot believe I just did that," she said softly in a shaky voice.

Jax leaned down to kiss the top of her head as he rubbed his hands reassuringly around her back. "You were amazing," he whispered proudly. "I have never been prouder of you."

"I can't imagine why you would say that. I was scared to death and I'm sure Sonny could tell. That's why he didn't say anything. He knew I was bluffing," Brenda said with a sigh as she shuddered at the memory. She snuggled her head back into Jax's chest and tightened her arms around him. She didn't move again until the elevator came to a stop. She waited until the doors opened and Clay stepped into the lobby and looked around before inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly. When he turned back and nodded, she finally released her hold on Jax and took a step back. She looked up at him for a second before linking her fingers with his and walking out of the elevator with him.

Without looking back, they walked across the lobby and outside where Edward was waiting with the car door open for them. Brenda got in the back with Jax right behind her while Clay watched closely for any sign of Sonny's men. He glanced over to make sure that Jax and Brenda were safely in the car before walking quickly over and getting in the front seat next to Edward. He took another quick look around before nodding to Edward to leave.

Even before the car could start Brenda slid up close to Jax and wrapped herself tightly around him. When he wrapped his arms around her he was surprised to feel her trembling. He gently stroked her hair and leaned down to softly kiss the top of her head. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Brenda shuddered before slowly nodding her head, never lifting it from Jax's chest. "Yeah, I think so," she said softly. Slowly she lifted her head to look at him. "I can't help thinking that this was a really bad idea."

"Why do you say that? Sonny was stunned to see you stand up to him," Jax said proudly.

"That's my point," Brenda said with a sigh. "Nobody stands up to Sonny, at least not for long."

Jax smiled lovingly at her as he cupped the side of her face. "You just did and I can't tell you how proud I am of you." When he still saw the uncertainty in her eyes he linked his fingers with hers and looked down at their joined hands for a second before looking back at her. "I tell you what. We'll meet with Ben and let him know what happened. If he thinks it was a mistake to confront Sonny we'll leave Port Charles until Sonny has been taken care of. We can go back to Alaska if you want or we can go to Kronos. You do own it you know. It might be a good time for you to see exactly what you won from Teo."

As she continued to stare at Jax a smile spread across Brenda's face. "You'd do that for me? You'd just walk away from your business for as long as necessary? From your life?"

"Of course. I'd have everything I could possibly want," he said softly with a reassuring smile. "I'd have you and our baby. What else is there?"

Brenda stared at Jax for several moments before she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she shook her head. "No, we're staying right here with our friends. If we leave that means that Sonny wins and I'll be damned if I let that happen!" she said firmly. "We can tell Ben what we did but if he wants us to leave again he can just forget it, we're staying!"

Jax fought to keep the tears of pride he felt forming in his eyes from spilling out as he smiled at Brenda. "That's what I wanted to hear," he said softly as he leaned in to kiss her. After a quick kiss he gently pulled her head back to his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. Neither one of them said anything the rest of the way home.

When the limo pulled to a stop inside the hotel garage, Clay jumped out and held his hand on the back door window to signal Jax and Brenda to stay inside. He looked slowly around the garage until he locked eyes with Eric who was standing by the elevator. When he saw Eric nod he reached down to open the car door. Jax and then Brenda got out and walked the short distance to the elevator with Clay right behind them. As soon as they were in the elevator Eric stepped in with them. "You two go up to the penthouse with Eric. I'm going to help Edward make sure all of your things get upstairs." He nodded to Eric to insert the penthouse key in the control panel. As soon as he did the doors closed and the elevator started upward.

As the elevator approached the penthouse level, Eric stepped up to stand in the center of the doors before they opened. When he saw the penthouse light come on he tensed noticeably and waited for the doors to open. As soon as the doors opened he took one step forward to stand in the open doorway. He looked at both ends of the hall and got a nod from the guards posted there before looking at the guard posted outside the penthouse door. When he got a nod from him as well he turned to Jax. "All clear Mr. J," he said as he stepped aside to let Jax and Brenda off the elevator.

Jax linked his fingers with Brenda and stepped out of the elevator. He glanced at the guards in the hall and was surprised when he didn't recognize any of them - except the guard on the door. Before he could say anything the door opened and Ben stepped out. "I understand you two have had a VERY busy drive home," he said curtly as he stepped aside and extended his arm into the apartment.

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a moment. Brenda exhaled slowly before walking ahead of Jax into the apartment. She couldn't help smiling when she saw Lily standing by the fireplace where there was a roaring fire burning. "Lily! I was hoping you'd be here!" she said excitedly as she quickly walked over and hugged her.

A smiling Jax looked over at Ben. When he saw the obvious anger on Ben's face, the smile quickly disappeared. It was replaced by his own stern expression which let Ben know that he was not to mention their detour to Sonny's in front of Lily. "I didn't recognize the men in the hall. Did you hire additional men?" he asked softly as he leaned closer to Ben.

"That's because they aren't my men," Ben said softly. "They work for Miss Rivera's father," he said as he nodded slightly toward Lily. When he saw the confused expression on Jax's face he continued. "It made sense to have them here while Miss Rivera was staying in the penthouse. They are all men who have been her protection team since she was a child. She knows them and more importantly they know her. They can read her moods. They are also familiar with a lot more of the men who work for Corinthos than we are." He could see that Jax still wasn't convinced. "Trust me Jax; I've been working with these guys for a while now. They know their jobs and they are unquestionably loyal. They would die protecting Miss Rivera or anyone else in their charge."

Jax glanced over to the fireplace to watch Brenda and Lily talking and laughing like close friends. As he continued to watch them he realized that Ben was right. "You're right," Jax said softly as he nodded his head. "Any chance they'll agree to protect Brenda as well?"

"It's already been set up. Now that Rivera knows that Brenda had no part in everything that went down with Corinthos and that his daughter considers both of you her friends he's offered as many men as I want and I've accepted.

"Knowing how much Brenda dislikes protection, I think the best thing to do is keep Clay and Eric as her up close guards and use Rivera's men as her peripheral team. They can spot Corinthos' men or his contract workers and give Clay or Eric sufficient warning to keep Brenda out of harms way."

"Sounds good to me but are Clay and Eric going to be able to work with Rivera's men? They've been with us the entire time we've been gone. Are they going to be willing to trust strangers around Brenda?" Jax asked as he glanced at Brenda for a second before looking back at Ben.

"Won't be a problem," Ben said confidently. "They've already worked together for some time."

"They have? When?" Jax asked.

"In California," Ben said calmly, knowing what Jax's reaction was going to be. "Before you blow a gasket, they do NOT know about the house. Clay and Eric are the only ones who know. Rivera's men didn't arrive until after you guys were settled at the house. They were only at LAX, the private airstrips and working their contacts around LA, keeping an eye out for any of Corinthos' men. They never asked and we never volunteered your location."

"Hey you two," Brenda said before Jax could say anything. "No business talk; we just got home."

Jax gave Ben a look that made it clear that their conversation was not over before walking over to Brenda and Lily. He wrapped his arm around Brenda before leaning over to give Lily a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hello Lily," he said as he leaned back. "I hope you had a good holiday."

"It was the best I can remember since I was a child actually," Lily said with a big smile. "My father rented a beautiful cottage outside of town and we spent the whole time he was here together. There were absolutely no interruptions for business or anything else. It was just the two of us. I can't remember the last time I've seen him so relaxed." A slightly sad look came into her eyes. "I really hated it when he had to leave." She sighed sadly before shaking her entire body as if to throw off the sadness. "The good news is that he rented the cottage for an extended lease so I'm going to be staying there - at least until we can stop Sonny."

"Speaking of Corinthos," Ben said sternly, ignoring Jax's warning. "One of you two want to explain your little visit to him this afternoon?" He walked closer and crossed his arms, his feet planted firmly and a very displeased expression on his face. He ignored the furious expression on Jax's face as he waited for an answer.

"There's nothing to explain really," Brenda said calmly. "We just wanted Sonny to know that we were back and that our trip had nothing to do with him or his crazy obsession. We told him that we went away so that Jax could recuperate from the shooting. Then we told him that we spent a wonderful holiday with our family before coming home to get on with our lives. After that we left, no argument, no yelling, nothing. We just left him standing there with his mouth open." Brenda looked up lovingly at Jax for a second before looking back at Ben. "You see, Sonny's not used to someone standing up to him - especially not a woman." She looked over and Lily and smiled proudly. "I don't think he knows how to deal with the fact that both Lily and I have walked away from him without looking back."

"You actually did that?" Lily asked in a stunned voice. "You got right up in his face?" When Brenda nodded, Lily reached for her hand and led her to the couch. "You have to tell me everything."

"There really isn't much to tell. The entire thing was over in a couple of minutes," Brenda said with a chuckle. She could see that Lily wasn't going to let this go. "Okay, okay," she said with another chuckle. "Well, we went to the penthouse as soon as we got in town. I knocked on the door and waited for Sonny to answer. When he opened the door he was certainly surprised to see me. He assumed I was there to go back to him. He didn't even realize that Jax was there until he pushed Sonny's hand away when he tried to grab my arm. He accused Jax of trying one last time to get me to stay with him." Brenda shuddered slightly at the memory before looking up at Jax who was still standing by the fireplace. She smiled slightly when she saw the pride on his face.

"What did you say?" Lily asked as she looked up at Jax.

Jax chuckled before walking over to sit next to Brenda. "Not much, I just told him that I couldn't be happier about Brenda being there - which really confused him."

"Before he had a chance to say anything nasty to Jax I told him that we'd gone away so that Jax could recuperate from the shooting and then we spent the holidays with OUR family. I also told him we were home to stay and that he should call of his men. I even joked that it must be getting pretty expensive having to keep bailing his men out of jail for trespassing."

"What did Sonny say to that?" Lily asked, obviously surprised but also very proud of her friend.

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a second and smiled. "Actually, he didn't say anything," Brenda said. "We just turned and left." As she thought back to what Jax had said to Sonny as they were leaving the smile quickly disappeared. "What did you mean when you told Sonny that he better call off his men or you'd take care of them?" she asked softly but with a very concerned tone to her voice, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear.

Jax gave her a reassuring smile. "It was no big deal luv. All I meant was that if he didn't call off his men we'd have them arrested and charged with stalking." He looked up at Ben who was obviously interested in Jax's answer to Brenda's question. "If I read the information you sent me Ben, that's a felony in New York State punishable by mandatory imprisonment if convicted."

Ben smiled proudly at Jax. "Minimum sentence, if convicted, is 3˝ to 9 years. Very good son," he said proudly. "Very good."

"Does that mean you forgive us for not checking with you first?" Brenda asked sweetly as she looked up innocently at Ben.

"No, but I guess I'll get over it," Ben said with a very paternal smile. When he looked at Jax it changed to a very stern expression. "Just don't you ever do something like this again without checking with me!" He leaned over to gently squeeze Brenda's shoulder. "On that note I'll leave you alone to get settle in. I'll talk to you two tomorrow," he said with a slight nod. "Good night and sleep well."

"Good night Ben, thank you for all of your help," Lily said as she stood up to walk him to the door.

"There's nothing to thank me for child," Ben said when they got to the door. "I'll see you in the morning and we'll take you out to the cottage." He looked at her for a second. "Are you really sure you want to live that far out of town?"

"I'm positive Ben," Lily said with a nod. "You've seen the cottage. It's the most peaceful place I've ever seen. Even my father liked it there. Why else do you think he took a long term lease? He loved it as much as I do, not to mention that it's isolated enough for him to come for visits." She leaned her head against the open door. "The cottage is the first place I've ever lived since I left home that is safe for him to visit whenever he wants."

Ben looked at her for several moments. "That's important to you isn't it - having your father come to visit you often?"

"Sure," Lily said wistfully. "I treasure the time I get to spend with him, I always have," she said with a sigh. She could tell Ben was fighting the urge to ask his next question, a question she had already anticipated. "I'm not a fool Ben. I know what my father does, what kind of a man he is," she said with a touch of sadness. "But that's not the man he is with me. To me he's a loving gentle father." A single tear slowly trickled down her cheek. "He always kept his business away from my mother and me - at least until Sonny that is."

Ben could see that Lily was not eager to continue this conversation. He smiled at her again and patted her arm. "Don't worry about that now child. Sonny won't be a problem for much longer." He gave her arm another pat before walking out into the hall. He nodded to the guard on the door before looking each way down the hallway. When he got a nod from each guard he stepped into the elevator and inserted the card before pushing the button for the seventh floor where he had his command office. He wanted to look over the latest reports on Corinthos before calling it a night.

Lily closed the door as soon as Ben stepped out into the hallway. She stood with her forehead against the door for several moments to get her emotions under control. Once she did she took a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning and walking back to Brenda and Jax. "I hope you guys don't mind having a guest your first night home. I wanted to move to the cottage before you got back but…"

"Don't," Jax said in a soft but firm voice as he gently patted Lily's knee. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you want." He looked at Brenda for a second and saw her nod her agreement.

"Do you really have to leave tomorrow?" Brenda asked. "I would really like to spend some time with you now that Sonny's no longer between us. We used to be good friends before he started playing us against each other. I'd like to see if we can get that back." She could see in Lily's face that she was starting to weaken. "Please, stay with us for a few more days. We won't be home until late tomorrow but after that you and I can spend lots of time together. Jax has to finally go back to work so I'll be here all alone if you don't stay."

Jax could see the uncertainty in Lily's face. He could also see how much Brenda really wanted her to stay. "I'd really appreciate it if you would stay a little longer, Lily," he said as he looked at Brenda and smiled. "Brenda's right, I do have to get back to the office. If you'll stay a few days you can get Brenda caught up on what's been going on in Port Charles while we've been away. You'll also help her get used to being back here again."

"Don't you have to get back to work yourself?" Lily asked as she looked at Brenda.

Brenda smiled and slowly shook her head. "Not for a while no. Lucy doesn't need me back at Jacks Cosmetics for another shoot until some time in late February and Lois hired a temp to help her with L&B so I don't have to rush back there either. So, what do you say? Will you stay?"

Lily looked from Brenda to Jax and back to Brenda, still not sure what to say. Finally, seeing the expression on both their faces, she smiled. "If it means so much of course I'll stay," she finally said. "But only for a couple of days. I really want to get settled in the cottage."

Brenda and Jax both smiled. "Good, I'm glad that's settled," Brenda said. When she relaxed back into the couch she found herself struggling to keep from yawning as the stress of the day caught up with her. Eventually she lost the struggle and put her hand up to cover her yawn.

Lily and Jax had both noticed. It was Lily who stood first. "If you don't mind, I think I'll call it a night. I'd like to call my father to let him know that I'll be staying here a few days longer." Before she left she stopped by the fireplace and looked at Jax and Brenda. "Thanks for everything you've done for me. When Jerry suggested that I stay here I couldn't believe you'd agree. After all the terrible things Sonny has done to you I couldn't believe you'd be willing to hide me."

Jax stood up close to Lily. "We both know you had nothing to do with any of that. You were just as much a victim as Brenda was. We both know that. We were glad to be able to help."

"I'm not sure if you want to hear this, but my father is also very grateful. He asked me to apologize to you for him. He wanted me to tell you that he misjudged you both when this all started and he is very sorry for that.

"He also asked me to tell you that he is doing everything he can to get the proof that will stand up in court to take Sonny down."

Brenda and Jax looked at each other for a second before Brenda stood up and rested her hand on Lily's arm. "Please tell your father he has nothing to apologize for. He was just a father looking out for his child. We can understand that." She looked at Jax for a second then looked back at Lily. "We should be thanking him for everything he has done and is doing to help us."

Lily could see in her eyes how tired Brenda was. "I'll tell him, thanks. If you'll excuse me I'm going to my room to call him. I'll see you both in the morning. If I didn't say it before welcome home." With that she put a hand on each of their arms before walking past and going up the stairs to the guest room.

After Lily was gone, Brenda wrapped her arms loosely around Jax's waist. "What do you say we call it a night too?"

Jax could see how tired she was. "Sounds like a good idea to me," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around her. He held her for several moments before stepping away. "Come on, let's get you two to bed," he said softly as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and patted her abdomen with his other hand. He tightened his arm around her shoulders and headed toward the stairs.

When they got to the bedroom and turned on the lights they were surprised and delighted to see several vases of fresh flowers spread around the room. Brenda slowly looked around the room before looking up at Jax. "Did you do this?" she asked softly with tears in her eyes.

Jax looked down at her and slowly shook his head. "I wish I could take the credit but no, they're not from me." As he looked around he noticed a small white card in the arrangement on the nearby dresser. "There's a card in that one," he said as he tilted his head toward the arrangement.

Brenda quickly walked down the stairs and over to the dresser. She pulled the small envelope out of the arrangement and pulled the card out. A big smile spread across her face as she read the message. When she finished she looked up at Jax who was slowly coming down the stairs. "They're from mom and dad," she said softly. "It says, 'Just wanted to make your homecoming more pleasant. Love Mom and Dad.'" She reached over and pulled one of the flowers out of the arrangement. "That was so sweet of them," she said as she held the flower to her nose.

Seeing that Brenda's eyes were filling with tears, Jax reached out his arms to her. She immediately stepped into his embrace and wrapped herself around him, snuggling her face into his chest. When she finally looked up at him there were tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh great, I'm not even pregnant enough for morning sickness and the hormones are acting up already," she said with an embarrassed chuckle as she wiped the tears away. "Are you sure you want to stick around for the next eight months? It could be hazardous to your health."

Jax looked down at her with a loving smile as he wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm positive. There is no place in the world that I'd rather be. I don't want to miss one thing about this pregnancy so it looks like you're stuck with me for the next eight months and the eighty or ninety years after that."

The tears finally stopped as Brenda returned his smile. "I have a feeling you may regret saying that, especially in about six months or so when I'm as big as an elephant," she said with a chuckle. Suddenly she yawned, not even trying to hide it.

"Why don't we call it a night?" Jax asked softly. "We can worry about the luggage tomorrow."

Wrapping her arms around Jax again, Brenda rested her forehead on his chest. "You won't get an argument from me," she said with another yawn. She suddenly looked up at him. "Oh my God! We forgot to call Ned and Lois to let them know we're back!"

"Nothing to worry about luv," Jax said with a smile. "I called Ned right before we left for the airport this morning. I told him we were on the way home and that we'd meet them at the gatehouse tomorrow in plenty of time for the christening."

Brenda rested her hands flat on his chest and smiled up at him. "That's one of the reasons I love you so much," she said softly. "You always manage to do what needs to be done before I even think of it." As she tried to stifle another yawn she leaned her forehead against his chest for a moment. "I'm actually kind of glad I don't have to call Lois tonight." She tightened her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest. "I don't think I could stay awake long enough to tell her everything about the trip."

Jax tightened his arms around her and rested his cheek on top of her head. "Are you sure you really want to tell her 'EVERYTHING; about the trip?"

Brenda jerked her head back and looked up at him. "You haven't changed your mind have you? We can still tell them about the baby, right?"

"Of course we'll tell them about the baby," Jax said reassuringly as he cupped the side of her face. "I wasn't talking about that."

"Then what were you talking about?" Brenda asked. When she saw a familiar twinkle in his eye she drew in a breath. "Jasper Jacks! You are so bad!" she said with an embarrassed chuckle.

"What?" Jax asked innocently. "You said you wanted to tell Lois everything we did. I was just wondering if you were going to tell her about how you got…"

Her cheeks now deep pink with embarrassment, Brenda slowly shook her head. "Of course I'm not going to tell her THAT part silly," she said with a chuckle. "Afterall, there are some things that I only want to share with you, like how and where our son was conceived." She leaned up on her toes to kiss him on the lips. "I'm going to go get ready for bed. I won't be long," she said as she leaned up to give him another quick kiss before letting go and walking over to the bathroom.

Once he saw the bathroom door close and heard the water turn on, Jax opened the bedroom door and walked back out into the hallway. He went into the kitchen and walked to the service entrance. He checked to make sure the door was locked and the alarm was engaged before turning off the light and closing the door behind him. He then went out into the living room. He opened the front door. When the guard turned to look at him he glanced both ways in the hall to make sure the guards were there. "We're heading to bed so unless the place is on fire no one comes in until morning."

"Yes sir," the door guard said with a slight nod. "I'll let Ben know that you and Mrs. Jacks have retired." He nodded slightly toward the open door. "Please be sure to secure the lock and engage the alarm before you retire sir."

Jax couldn't help being impressed by the guard's professionalism. He had known when Ben had showed him the man's file that his experience in the military was exactly what would be needed to keep Brenda safe but now that he had met the man he was even more impressed. For a man his age he had the edge that would be necessary to keep Corinthos and his men away from Brenda. As he stepped back into the penthouse and turned the lock he made a mental note to talk to Ben about the possibility of adding him to Brenda's permanent security team. He pressed the buttons on the control pad to engage the alarm before slowly walking across the room and up the stairs. When he got to the end of the hall he reached over and turned off the lights. He stood in the dark staring out the window and wondered what was waiting for them now that they were back in Port Charles. He quickly decided that no matter what it was, they would get through it because he and Brenda had each other and that was all either of them would ever need. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning to head down the hall.

As he walked past the guest room he could no longer see the light at the bottom edge of the door so he knew Lily had finished her call to her father and gone to sleep. As he stood in the darkened hall looking at the door he was glad that Lily had agreed to stay. For the first time he admitted to himself that he actually liked the idea of Brenda and Lily spending time together, of them being friends. Even though he had accepted it a long time ago, he knew that the one part of Brenda's life that he would never be able to understand was her time with Sonny. Lily had lived that same life, not to mention having grown up in it with her father. She could relate to the things Brenda had tried to explain to him. He looked at Lily's door for a moment longer before turning to walk the rest of the way to their bedroom. Maybe having Lily here for the next few days to talk about those things would not only strengthen their friendship but help Brenda finally close the door on that part of her life.

Once he was in the bedroom he closed the door and turned off all the lights except the one on the bedside table. He got undressed and had just gotten into bed when he saw the bathroom door open. As Brenda walked toward the bed he lifted the covers so she could crawl in next to him.

"I thought I heard the door. Did you go out for something?" she asked as he pulled the covers tightly around her as she snuggled close to him.

"I just went to check the doors and let the guards know that we were all calling it a night and didn't want to be disturbed," Jax said softly before leaning down to kiss the top of Brenda's head. "It sure feels good to be in our own bed again doesn't it?" When Brenda didn't answer he tilted his head to look down at her. He couldn't help smiling when he saw that she had already fallen asleep. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head again before reaching over to turn off the light. As he slid down a little further in the bed he felt Brenda roll into her favorite sleeping position. She was almost completely on top of him, her ear just above his heart with her hand resting on his chest and her leg on top of his. He sighed contently as he slid his arm under the covers and wrapped it loosely around her. After giving her one more soft kiss he closed his eyes and quickly felt himself drifting off to sleep.

Jax was not surprised when he woke in the morning to see that Brenda had hardly moved at all during the night. If anything, she had tightened her hold on him. He gently stroked his hand across her back as he glanced over at the clock on the bedside table.

"What time is it?" Brenda asked as she stirred slightly but didn't open her eyes.

"It's a little after nine," Jax said as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"We should get up," Brenda said as she opened her eyes and started to slowly draw circles on Jax's chest, obviously not eager to move. "We have to meet Ned and Lois at the gatehouse."

"We've still got some time. We don't have to be there until noon," Jax said softly. "I'm not ready to get up yet if it means I have to let go of you."

Brenda smiled and sighed as she leaned down to kiss his chest. "It is nice to sleep in our own bed again isn't it?"

Jax couldn't resist smiling at her when she looked up at him. "And just how would you know? You spent the entire night on top of me!"

"True, but you were in our bed so by being on top of you I was in our bed too," Brenda said calmly. She slowly slid off of him and stretched before snuggling close to him again. "Ah, it's just as wonderful as I remembered."

Jax began to play with the ends of her hair. "I'm glad Lily agreed to stay for a few days."

Brenda lifted her head to look up at him. She had been surprised by the suddenly serious tone of his voice. "Why?"

"Well, maybe by talking to her you'll finally be able to put that part of your life behind you," Jax said as he looked into her eyes.

"What, what do you mean?" Brenda asked with a slight tremble in her voice. "Sonny isn't a part of my life anymore. You know that," she said as she pulled away and lay back against her pillow.

This time it was Jax who rolled onto his side to face her and propped his head up on his hand. "I do know that luv," he said softly as he reached over to gently brush the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "I also know that there are things that happened while you were with him that you can't or won't talk about with me." He could see her start to protest so he put his finger on her lips to stop her. "I'm not angry about that luv. I'm just worried about you. I'm hoping that since you and Lily have both lived in that life you'll be able to talk to her about whatever it was that hurt you so you can let it go."

Brenda looked up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. She reached up to pull his hand over so she could kiss the palm. After she did she linked her fingers with his and stared at their joined hands. "You know, you really amaze me sometimes," she said softly without looking away from their hands.

"Why's that?" Jax asked with a soft chuckle.

"Because you think I'm keeping something from you and you still love me," Brenda said in a trembling voice. "I've never met anyone but you who would not demand to know everything that went on when I was with Sonny."

Jax rolled further over so that he was looking down at her. "I need you to listen to me Brenda. I would never demand anything of you. If you ever want to tell me what it is I will always listen but if that time never comes that's okay too. I just want you to be able to talk to someone. Lily seemed like the perfect person. If you don't feel comfortable telling her you don't have to."

Brenda smiled up at Jax. "This is exactly why I wanted her to stay. I was hoping to talk to her about Sonny." She reached her hand up behind Jax's head and pulled him down to her, kissing him passionately.

Jax was the one to finally end the kiss. "Wow," he said softly as he smiled down at her and gently brushed a lock of hair off her forehead.

"You liked that huh?" Brenda asked with a twinkle in her eyes. When Jax nodded with a big smile she pulled him back down to her. "Good, because there's a lot more where that came from," she said invitingly. She leaned up to kiss him and pulled him down with her.

As things grew more passionate, Jax suddenly pulled back. "As much as I hate to say this one of us has to," he said as he exhaled loudly. "We can't do this right now." When he saw Brenda's confused expression he gently brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "We really don't have time for this now. You know we have never been able to make love quickly. We enjoy it too much," he said with a chuckle when he saw the shocked expression on Brenda's face.

Reluctantly, he gave Brenda a quick kiss before rolling off of her. "We really should get moving. You need to have something to eat before we go to Ned and Lois's," he said with a sigh. "Besides, we still have to go through all that stuff we brought home and sort out their Christmas gifts."

Brenda sat up immediately and now looked down at Jax. "I completely forgot about that!" She glanced over at the clock next to the bed. "Do we even have enough time?"

Jax leaned up on his elbows and looked over at the clock. "I think so. Ben was going to have everything brought up for us first thing this morning. It's probably waiting for us as we speak."

Before he had a chance to say anything else Brenda jumped out of bed. "Get moving will you!" she said when she was already half way across the room. As Jax got out of bed laughing she started toward the door. "Hurry up and get dressed. I'll meet you out there." Without giving him a chance to answer she ran the rest of the way across the room and up the three steps to the door. Before opening it she turned back to him. "What are you waiting for? Get dressed!" she ordered before opening the door and walking out into the hall.

As she approached the guest room she wasn't surprised to see the door open. Afterall, up until her marriage to Sonny Lily had been a school teacher. She was used to getting up early. As she got closer to the kitchen she could swear she smelled coffee brewing. She stopped in the doorway when she couldn't believe what she saw. Lily was standing in front of the stove making breakfast! The smells of frying bacon and fresh brewed coffee were wafting over her as she stepped into the room, causing her stomach to growl. "Oh is that how that works?" she said in amazement as she saw Lily adjust the setting on the electric waffle iron. "I wondered what that dial was for."

Lily looked over at her and smiled. "Good morning," she said brightly as she took the last of the bacon out of the pan. "I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and made breakfast."

"Are you kidding?" Brenda asked as she accepted the cup of fresh coffee that Lily had poured for her. "Other than warming up leftovers or making coffee we rarely set foot in here!"

"I hope you don't mind but the coffee is decaf. Regular coffee bothers my stomach," Lily said almost apologetically. Before Brenda could answer they were both startled by the sound of Jax's voice.

"What is that amazing smell?" he asked as he came through the door and stopped between them. He gave both of them a quick kiss on the cheek before looking at the food waiting on the stove.

"Lily made breakfast for us," Brenda said as she handed Jax his coffee. "From scratch!" When she saw the questioning look in Jax's eyes she mouthed the word decaf which caused him to nod slightly and smile.

Lily looked from Jax to Brenda and back again. "It's nothing special. I just scrambled some eggs, fried some bacon and made some berry muffins," she said matter-of-factly.

Brenda and Jax looked at each other in shock before both turning to look at Lily. "You made muffins? From scratch?" Jax asked in disbelief.

This time it was Lily who was surprised. "Yes, why?"

Jax and Brenda looked at each other in disbelief again before they both started to chuckle. "Let's just say that the only muffins in this house have been the ones sent up by room service," Brenda said with another chuckle.

"What do you say we enjoy this amazing breakfast before it gets cold?" Jax asked. "What can we do to help?"

"Nothing, everything is ready," Lily said as she handed Jax the plate of bacon. "I hope you don't mind that I set the table here in the kitchen."

"Not at all," Brenda said as she took the plate of scrambled eggs from the stove. "We've enjoyed many wonderful meals at the kitchen table over the holidays," she said with a loving smile as she looked over at Jax.

"Where did you spend Christmas anyway?" Lily asked as she put the last of the food on the table and then sat down in the chair Jax held out for her.

"Didn't Jerry tell you?" Brenda asked as she gave Jax a quick slightly nervous glance.

This time it was Lily who seemed a little nervous. "Ah no, all he said was that he was with the family and he was having the best Christmas he could remember. He did say that he was freezing his butt off though," she said with a chuckle. Lily shook her head slightly as she chuckled again. "I got the distinct feeling that wherever you guys were it was definitely NOT the Caribbean!"

"Not even close," Brenda said with a chuckle. "He was right about one thing though. It was the best Christmas ever." After looking over at Jax with a slight smile she looked at the food on the table. "Let's eat," she said excitedly as she reached for the plate of bacon. She took a couple of slices and passed it to Lily. They spent the rest of the meal joking about Lily's cooking skills and Brenda's lack of them.

Once breakfast was over Jax and Brenda insisted on cleaning up the dishes. When they finished they went out to the media center where Ben had stacked the boxes and suitcases from the trip. It only took Brenda a few minutes to find everything she had bought for Ned, Lois and Brook Lynn. She also pulled out a small beautifully wrapped package that had no tag on it. When she found everything she wanted to take with them, she and Jax stacked those packages on the couch and left the rest where they were to finish going through them later. Brenda kept the small package with her when she went into the bedroom to shower and dress for the christening.

While she was gone Jax went into the study to check his messages and call Addie to get an update on things in the office. He also wanted to let her know that he would be coming back to the office tomorrow. He asked her to set up a meeting with Jerry for the following day since he would be in Port Charles by then. When he finished on the phone he took the messages he had written down and the notes he had made while talking to Addie and put them in the lap drawer of his desk. He locked the drawer and left the study.

He was surprised when he walked into the bedroom to see Brenda was almost ready to go. "Wow, that was quick," he said as he walked over to stand behind her. "You look fantastic," he said softly before leaning down to gently kiss the side of her neck. "There's only one problem though."

Brenda spun around in the circle of his arms. "What?" she asked as she looked nervously up at him.

Jax smiled down at her. "You're so beautiful that no one is going to be looking at Brook Lynn." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss before letting go and walking into the bathroom to shower and shave. When he came out he was not surprised to see that Brenda was no longer in the room. He couldn't help smiling though when he saw that she had neatly laid out his clothes on the bed for him. He glanced at the clock for a second before quickly dressing and heading out to the living room. He stopped just before getting to the living room though when he heard Brenda and Lily's voices.

"Brenda, you and Jax shouldn't have done this? It's beautiful!" Lily said excitedly.

"It's the least we could do after all the help you've given both of us," Brenda said honestly. "If it hadn't been for you and your father I don't know what would have happened when Sonny kidnapped me." She couldn't keep from shuddering at the memories that brought back.

"All I did was call my father and ask for his help. He's the one who sent his men to find you," Lily said honestly.

"That's just it. If you hadn't convinced him that I was totally in love with Jax and had no interest in getting Sonny back, he never would have helped. I can never thank you enough for that." Brenda took a slow deep breath and let it out in a shaky exhale. "I owe you and your father more than I can ever repay?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked totally confused.

"If your father's men hadn't been there when Jax came to get me I could have lost him." Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I couldn't have survived that," she said softly as her voice cracked again.

"I'm ready when you are," Jax said as he walked into the room looking at his cuffs ad he adjusted them. He didn't want Brenda to know that he had been listening. He stopped and finally looked up at them. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't," Brenda said quickly as she sniffled and wiped her cheeks to make sure no tears had escaped. "I just gave Lily her Christmas gift."

"And I was just telling her that it was not necessary," Lily said as she opened the box in her hand again. "It's the most beautiful crucifix I've ever seen." She looked from Jax to Brenda. "How did you know I wanted one?"

"I remembered that when we were friends before all of this mess you always wore one. But after the Nurse's Ball I noticed that you weren't wearing it anymore." Brenda took a quick breath. "I figured that something must have happened to it that night so when I was out doing some Christmas shopping and I saw this in the window of a jewelry store I knew it was perfect for you."

Lily slowly pulled the necklace out of its velvet box. Her hands shook noticeable as she held it up, admiring how the diamond cross sparkled in the sun. "It's perfect," she said softly.

"Would you like me to put it on for you?" Jax asked as he stepped closer and held out his hand.

"Sure," Lily said with a smile as she handed it to him. When he took the necklace she turned her back to him and lifted her hair out of the way. As soon as it was hooked she let down her hair and walked over to the mirror. "It's perfect," she said again in a very soft voice, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of happiness.

Jax, who had stepped next to Brenda, wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he watched Lily for several moments. When he looked down at Brenda he smiled at the childlike expression on her face. It was obvious to him that this was exactly the reaction she was hoping for when she had bought Lily the crucifix. Reluctantly, he looked away from Brenda and glanced at the clock on the wall. He squeezed her shoulders to get her attention. "We better get moving if we don't want to be late," he said with a slight nod toward the clock.

Brenda glanced over at the clock. "Oh wow, you're right," she said quickly. "I'll be ready in a second. Will you get the coats while I get my jacket and bag?" she asked as she started toward the bedroom. She stopped when Lily put her hand on her arm.

"Thank you again," she said softly as she gently brushed the fingers of her other hand across the crucifix. "This means more to me than I can tell you."

Brenda smiled at her and rested her hand on Lily's "You're very welcome," she said softly with a smile. She gently squeezed Lily's hand for a second before letting go and heading back to the bedroom.

When Brenda came back out of the bedroom Lily was gone and Jax was standing by the couch with his topcoat on, holding her coat. "Sorry I took so long," she said as she came down the steps.

"No problem," Jax said as he held her coat for her to put on. "Clay already took the gifts down to the car and Eric is waiting in the hall for us."

"Do we really have to take them with us to the baptism?" Brenda asked sadly as she buttoned her coat.

"Don't worry luv," Jax said reassuringly. "I've already talked to Ben about that. Eric and Clay will stay out of the way at the chapel and at the Quartermaines'. The rest of the men will stay outside - both at the chapel and at the Quartermaines'. No one but Ned will even know they are there."

Brenda looked up at him suspiciously. "Really? What about Lois? She's no fool Jax. She's going to notice Clay and Eric at the party - no matter how well they try to blend in." She put her hand on his arm. "I don't want anything to ruin this day for her or Ned."

Jax smiled reassuringly again and patted her hand. "Don't worry luv. Ned already told her about Clay and Eric. She's fine with them being there. As far as the rest of the Q's are concerned, they'll just be invited guests."

After looking into his eyes for several moments to be sure, a smile slowly spread across Brenda's face. "I don't know why I was worried. You always make everything perfect," she said softly as she leaned up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "We better go," she said without backing away.

"Right," Jax said reluctantly as he let her back away. He let go of her and took a step back so she could walk past him to the door. When she got to the door she waited for him to open it for her. As he reached for the door knob he leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips before leaning back and opening the door.

As the door opened all of the guards in the hall turned to look. After Brenda and Jax stepped into the hall, the door guard reached back to pull the door shut. Eric was standing by the open elevator doors. Jax stopped and turned to the guard on the door as Brenda stepped into the elevator. "Please tell Mrs. Corinthos that we've gone and probably won't be back until late tonight. Tell her we'll see her in the morning."

"Yes sir, I'll give her the message," the guard said with a slight nod of respect.

Brenda was waiting in the open doorway of the elevator. When she saw Jax coming toward her she stepped to the side so he could get in. As soon as Jax stepped into the elevator Eric slid the key card into the slot and the doors quickly closed. He immediately pressed the button for the garage and the car started downward.

As the elevator neared the garage level Eric stepped to the center of the doors and waited for them to open. He tensed slightly as the light for the garage level came on and the doors opened. He relaxed when he saw Clay nod all clear from his position next to the limo, which was parked about 20 feet from the elevator. He turned sideways in the open doors to let Jax and Brenda walk past.

Clay opened the car door as he saw them step out of the elevator. He closed the door as soon as they were inside the limo and got in the front seat next to Edward. He gave Edward a slight nod to signal him to go. The limo started moving and one unmarked security car pulled in front and one behind them. When the cars pulled out into the street no one seemed to notice. Because of the five star status of the Port Charles Hotel, there was nothing unusual about a limo pulling out of the underground parking garage - it happened several times a day.

However, the occupants of one car did notice the limo pull out. The two men inside looked closely at the license plate before pulling out into traffic. They tried to get as close as they could without being spotted but were continually kept back by the erratic driving of the car that had come out of the garage behind the limo. The man driving couldn't help wondering if he was doing it on purpose. If Mr. Morgan had not assured them that the Jacks would not have any security with them he would have thought that car was a security chase car.

When the cars approached the Quartermaine estate the first car continued past the front gate and turned into the nearby street. The limo pulled into the Quartermaine drive and the third car pulled into the drive across the street. The car with Sonny's men in it passed the estate and turned into the same drive across the street as the chase car, planning to turn around and park at a discreet distance to wait for the Jacks limo to come out again. Unfortunately for them, as soon as they pulled into the drive the car was surrounded by several heavily armed men. They were arrested as soon as they stepped out of the car and taken to jail to be charged with criminal harassment and felony stalking.

Totally unaware of what had happened out in the street, Jax and Brenda got out of the limo as soon as it came to a stop near the gatehouse. Before they were halfway down the walk the front door flew open and Lois came running out, her arms open wide. When Brenda saw her she ran the rest of the way with her arms open as well. The two women wrapped their arms around each other, both crying and laughing at the same time.

Ned and Jax shook hands warmly and stood off to the side watching their wives. It was Ned who finally spoke up. "I hate to break this up you two, but we need to get up to the main house. Grandfather is probably pacing the front walk waiting for us."

Lois and Brenda reluctantly let go of each other and carefully wiped the tears from their cheeks to keep from messing up their makeup. Lois reached for Brenda's hand. "Come meet your godchild," she said proudly as she pulled Brenda toward the door. Neither one of them even glanced at Jax and Ned as they walked past.

After watching them walk into the house, Ned and Jax looked at each other and chuckled. "Come on, she's your godchild too," Ned said proudly as he patted Jax on the back.

"I can't wait," Jax said with a big smile. He started toward the front door with Ned's hand still on his shoulder. He stopped short when he got to the open doorway. He was amazed at the sight in front of him. He had to remind himself to even breathe as he watched Brenda holding little Brook Lynn. "You look like a natural," he said with a big smile as he walked over to her. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and reached to gently brush the backs of the fingers of his other hand across Brook Lynn's cheek.

Brenda looked up at him expectantly. When she saw the proud look in his eyes as he watched Brook Lynn sleep in her arms she could tell he was imagining it was their child she was holding. "It'll be our turn soon enough honey," she said softly as she leaned against his chest.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lois said suspiciously as she looked from Jax to Brenda. "I heard that. Is there something you two want to tell us?" she asked as she crossed her arms across her chest and started to tap her foot.

Ned looked at Lois for a second and then walked over to stand next to her before looking at Jax and Brenda. As soon as he did he had a feeling he knew. "You two are pregnant aren't you?" he said matter-of-factly.

Brenda and Jax looked at each other before looking innocently at their friends. "Yep," Brenda said as she nodded her head and started to giggle.

Lois and Ned looked at each other in shock before turning to look at Jax. When they saw the goofy grin on his face as he nodded his head, they knew they had heard right. Lois's mouth fell open as she slowly turned to Brenda. When she saw the big grin on Brenda's face Lois covered her mouth tightly with her hand to keep her squeal from waking Brook Lynn. Ned extended his hand to Jax. "Congratulations dad," he said with a soft chuckle as he shook Jax's hand. At the same time Lois wrapped her arms around Brenda to give her a hug. She quickly let go though when Brook Lynn whimpered at being squeezed between the two women.

Seeing how excited Lois was and knowing how close Ned and Brenda were, Jax cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention without waking the baby. "Ah, there is one thing," he said hesitantly. "Until we resolve things with Sonny Brenda and I are not going to tell anyone about the baby except for you - and Ruby of course," he added quickly when he saw the expression on Brenda's face.

Ned and Lois looked at each other for a moment before looking back. "You don't really think he'd do anything to harm the baby do you? I mean, I know he's been giving you guys a rough time but I know him and one thing that has not changed is that he loves kids. You should have seen him when we were growing up with the little kids in the neighborhood." She could see on Brenda's face that she really did fear what Sonny would do. "I'm so sorry sweetie," Lois said as she ran her hand up and down Brenda's arm. "This should be the happiest time of your life. You should be able to shout it from the rooftops not keep it a secret." Brenda's smiled as she rested her hand on Lois's arm. "We are happy Lois, happier that I can even tell you." She turned to look at Jax. "Besides, except for Ruby we've told the only people who matter. We told mom and dad, Jerry and now we've told you guys. As soon as we tell Ruby everyone who matters will know. Our family are the only people who need to know at this point."

"What did Julia say when you told her? Is she excited about being an aunt?" Lois asked excitedly.

The smile disappeared from Brenda's face as she looked up at Jax. "There's really no reason to tell Julia about the baby," he said coldly as he tightened his arm around Brenda's shoulders. He had felt her tense up at the mention of Julia's name. "Isn't it about time we took this little one up to the main house? We don't want her to be late for her big day."

Ned could tell that neither Jax nor Brenda wanted to talk about Julia anymore. He decided to let it go for today but promised himself that he would talk to Jax about it later. If Julia had done something to upset Brenda this badly he wanted to know about it.

"You're right. It is getting late," Ned said as he looked over at the clock. "I'll get the baby's car seat. We might as well all go in your car since it's right outside the door." With that he turned and walked out to the kitchen. He came back a minute later carrying the seat. "Come on dad," he said with a chuckle as he held the seat out to Jax. "You're going to be doing this yourself soon enough so you might as well learn now." When Jax took the seat he picked up his coat from the back of the couch and put it on. "Why don't you two get the guest of honor ready while we do this?" As soon as he had his coat on he opened the door and extended his arm out. "Let's go godfather," he said firmly but with a smile. Jax looked back at Brenda and shrugged before walking out in front of Ned, who closed the door behind them.

"What do you say we give this little lady a fresh diaper before we go?" Lois asked as she held her arms out to take the baby from Brenda.

"Would you mind if I do it?" Brenda asked as she held Brook Lynn a little closer.

"Sure, it's time you learn how," Lois said with a chuckle. "Come on." She wrapped her arm around Brenda and led her toward the stairs. As she let Brenda go up in front of her she couldn't help wondering about Brenda's reaction when she had asked about Julia. She could tell that something had happened while Brenda and Jax had been away. She made a mental note to talk to Brenda the next time they were alone to find out what it was.

It only took a couple of minutes for Brenda and Lois to get Brook Lynn changed and bundled up. They came out the door, Lois carrying the baby and Brenda carrying the diaper bag just as Jax and Ned were walking back to the house. When they met up Jax took the diaper bag and wrapped his other arm around Brenda's shoulders. The four of them walked back to the car together. As they approached Clay opened the door for them. Lois got in followed by Ned. Jax and Brenda waited until they had buckled Brook Lynn into her car seat before getting in. As soon as they were all in, Clay closed the door and got in the front seat. Edward then drove them the rest of the way up the drive to the main house.

As predicted, Edward was pacing back and forth on the front walk when they drove up. "It's about time you people got here!" he said angrily when Ned rolled down the window. "Well you're here now so get out of that car and let's get going. The family cars are ready." He reached to open the door.

"We'll meet you at the chapel grandfather," Ned said as he held on to the window opening to keep the door closed. "The baby is sleeping and I don't want to wake her." With that he rolled up the window and they drove off, leaving Edward standing there.

After the baptism ceremony everyone returned to the Quartermaine house for the party. As Jax had promised, there was no sign of the security people. When Brook Lynn started to get fussy, Lois decided it was time to take her home and let her sleep in her own bed. She told the rest of the family to go on with the party but that she and Ned were going to take the guest of honor home. Jax and Brenda decided to go back to the gatehouse with them. While Reginald got the adults coats, Lois bundled Brook Lynn up and put her in her seat. As soon as they had their coats on they all said a quick goodbye to Lila and headed for the front door. Eric had already gone outside and was standing by the waiting limo. He opened the door for them as they approached. Once they were inside he closed the door and got in front next to Edward. He gave Edward a nod and they headed down the drive.

While the family was out front saying goodbye, Clay took the opportunity to check in with the guards patrolling the grounds before walking down to the gatehouse. By the time he got there the limo was empty except for Edward and Eric. He stopped at the car to get a quick report before taking a walk around the gatehouse to make sure everything was okay. When he was satisfied he went back to the car to wait and Eric went back to the escort car parked in the street.

Inside the gatehouse Brenda and Lois had taken Brook Lynn up to the nursery. After Brenda changed her and got her into her sleepers Lois nursed her until she fell asleep. After putting her in her crib, Lois and Brenda wrapped their arms around each other and stood silently watching her sleep. Finally, Lois gave Brenda a squeeze and nodded toward the door. When Brenda nodded her understanding and started toward the door, Lois reached into the crib to make sure that Brook Lynn was covered before grabbing the baby monitor off the table and turning on the nightlight. She looked back at the crib again when she got to the door before flipping off the light and closing the door.

When Brenda and Lois came downstairs they almost walked into Jax and Ned coming through the front door carrying the gifts from the limo. "Ooh presents!" Lois squealed as she set the baby monitor on the table behind the couch.

Jax and Ned stopped for a second to look at their wives. They both looked like a couple of little girls on Christmas morning. They both chuckled as they walked over to set the packages on the coffee table. Jax held out his hand to Brenda to get her to come stand by him. As soon as she did the two of them sat down on the edge of the hearth to watch their friends open their presents.

Lois eagerly sorted the presents into three piled - Ned's, hers and Brook Lynn's (the largest). While she was doing that Ned went into the kitchen to get their gifts for Jax and Brenda.

After all the gifts were opened the four friends sat around the fire that was blazing in the fireplace. Ned and Lois sat cuddled together on the couch while Jax and Brenda sat on the floor near the fire, Brenda sitting between Jax's legs leaning back against his chest with her arms resting on his legs which were bent up at the knees and his hands on her shoulders.

"This is nice," Brenda said with a sigh as she closed her eyes and gently ran her hands across Jax's knees.

"Who'd of ever thought the four of us would end up like this?" Ned asked with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Jax asked innocently. "Just because I came to Port Charles to steal a subsidiary from ELQ, not to mention your wife…"

"JAX!" Brenda said in exasperation as she leaned forward and turned to look at him.

"That's exactly what I meant," Ned said with a laugh - which caused Lois to turn and look at him. "What?" he asked when he saw the expression on her face.

"You guys have no sense of karma," Lois said as she shook her head. "It was destiny for Jax to come into our lives when he did. That's why Edward stole L&B from us - so I would go to New York and meet Jax. If that hadn't happened I know one person in this room who would not have found the peace they have now," she said as she looked directly at Brenda.

"Make that two people," Jax said softly as he wrapped his arm around Brenda and pulled her back against his chest. When Brenda turned her head to look up at him he leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

Ned and Lois smiled as they watched. Seeing Brenda this happy, while surprising to Ned that it was with Jax, thrilled both of them. The four of them spent the next few hours talking about each of their holiday celebrations and munching on the food that Lois had insisted on fixing. Even Brook Lynn had cooperated by sleeping straight through.

About 10:30 Lois looked over to say something to Brenda and smiled when she realized that she had fallen asleep. Lois looked up at Jax and pointed for him to look down at Brenda. When he saw that she was asleep he smiled and leaned down to gently kiss her. She stirred slightly but didn't wake up.

"I guess it's time to go home," Jax whispered. "She looks so peaceful though. I hate to wake her."

"I doubt you will," Lois said with a wistful smile. "I remember when I was first pregnant. Once I fell asleep NOTHING woke me." She suddenly got up from the couch and turned to look at Ned. "Honey, go tell the driver that they're ready to leave." She looked over at Jax. "Can you get up from there with her in your arms?" she asked softly.

Jax glanced down at Brenda. "Not a problem," he said softly as he shifted Brenda around so that she was lying across his lap. She immediately snuggled her head against his neck and wrapped one arm around his ribs.

As Jax was getting up Lois opened the closet and pulled out a down throw that she tucked tightly around Brenda as Jax held her. "That should keep her warm," she said as she stepped back and looked at Brenda in Jax's arms. When she did she realized that Jax was not wearing his coat. She grabbed his coat off the back of the couch and gently slid it up the arm under Brenda's knees and brought it around behind him. Jax shifted Brenda slightly so that he could slide his other arm into the coat that Lois was holding for him. Just as he finished Ned walked through the door with Clay. Seeing that Jax had his arms full, Ned collected all of Jax and Brenda's gifts and waited for Jax to walk past him with Brenda before following them out to the car. While Jax settled Brenda into the back seat Edward helped Ned put the boxes in the trunk. Just as they were about to close the trunk Lois came rushing out with Brenda's coat and purse. Edward put them in the trunk and closed it as quietly as possible before getting behind the wheel. Clay looked around one more time before getting in next to Edward and nodding for him to leave.

As they watched the car pull away, Lois wrapped her arm around Ned's waist and rested her head against his shoulder. "Are they ever going to be able to live without guards?" she asked sadly.

"I'm sure they will," Ned said confidently as he watched the limo disappear out the gate. "I know Sonny was once your friend, but you are going to have to accept that it won't be until Sonny and probably Jason are in jail that they'll be able to live a normal life - at least as normal of a life as billionaires can live." He gave Lois a gentle squeeze and turned to walk into the gatehouse with her.

Jax held Brenda close all the way back to the hotel. She stirred a couple of times but never woke up. When the car came to a stop in the hotel garage Clay jumped out and opened the door for Jax, who got out and then leaned back in to scoop Brenda into his arms and lift her out. As soon as he stood up Brenda snuggled against his shoulder and sighed. He stood still for a minute to see if she would wake up. When she didn't he smiled at Clay for a second before walking into the nearby open elevator. Clay stepped in after him and inserted the penthouse lock card. As soon as he did the doors closed and the elevator started up toward the penthouse.

When the elevator doors opened, Clay stepped out and looked around before nodding to the guard on the door who immediately opened it so Jax could walk right into the penthouse. He stopped just inside and turned to the guard. "We're in for the night so no interruptions."

"Yes sir," the guard said softly with a polite nod. He reached in to pull the door shut. When he didn't hear Jax turn the lock he inserted his key and locked it from the outside before resuming his position in front of the door.

Brenda woke with a start when she heard what sounded like the shower running. She sat up and blinked several times before looking around. As she slowly realized that she was in her own bed and that the sun was starting to shine through the blinds above the bed, she became even more confused. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the floor with Jax at Ned and Lois's house. "Jax?" she called out when she heard the water turn off.

A couple of minutes later Jax came out of the bathroom wearing his heavy white terrycloth robe and drying his hair with a towel. "Hey, what are you doing up? I thought you'd sleep a while longer," he said as he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge next to her. He leaned over to give her a quick kiss. "Did you sleep well?" he asked as he leaned back and continued to dry his hair.

"I must have," Brenda said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "The last thing I remember is sitting with you at Ned and Lois's." She lifted her arm that was hidden under his blue satin pajama top. "I assume you're responsible for this."

Jax smiled as she raised her arm higher to get the extra fabric to fall back enough to expose her hand. "Guilty," he said with a chuckle as he adjusted the collar of the shirt for her. "I figured I'd be less likely to wake you this way than trying to put your own on."

Brenda pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them through the covers. "I fell asleep at the gatehouse didn't I?" she asked as she leaned her forehead against her knees.

"Yep," Jax said softly as he reached to lift her face. "I was going to wake you but Lois wouldn't let me. She said you needed your rest; so we wrapped you in a blanket and I brought you home." He smiled as he brushed her hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing up so early?" Brenda asked as she glanced over at the clock. "It's not even 7:30 yet."

Jax smiled as he stroked her hair. "I'm going back to work today. I figure that even with everything that dad and Jerry have taken care of for me my desk is probably buried so I wanted to get an early start." He was a little surprised when he saw her face cloud over with sadness. "What's wrong? You knew I was going back to work today."

"I know," Brenda said with a sigh as she reached to link her fingers with his. "It's just that I've had you all to myself for so long, I don't want that to end. After all, it has been almost three months since we've spent an entire day apart."

Jax couldn't resist smiling at her as he continued to stroke her hair. "I know luv," he said reassuringly. "I promise I'll be home as early as I can. In the mean time, why don't you try to get a little more sleep?"

Brenda shook her head. "Absolutely not!" she said firmly. "I want to have breakfast with you before you go," she said as she went to lift the covers. When Jax didn't move she stopped. "Come on, go finish dressing. I'll put the coffee on and heat up some of those delicious muffins Lily made yesterday." When Jax still didn't move she nodded toward the bathroom door. "Go on, get dressed," she said firmly.

Jax smiled at her a moment longer before he leaned forward to give her a quick kiss. "Yes Ma'am," he said softly before getting up and walking back to the bathroom. When he came back out he was dressed and grabbed his suit coat from the chair as he headed up the stairs and out the door. As he walked down the hall he glanced at the still closed guestroom door and couldn't help wondering if the usually early riser Lily was purposely giving them some private breakfast time.

Brenda was pouring their coffee when Jax walked into the kitchen. She had already set the table and he could smell the muffins warming in the oven. He stood in the doorway for a minute or so watching her. It wasn't until she looked over at him that he finally said anything. He walked over and wrapped his arms loosely around her. "You know, I could really get used to mornings like this," he said with a sigh. "Too bad it can't last."

"Why can't it last?" Brenda asked as she rested her hands flat on his chest and looked up at him.

"Well for one thing, you're going back to work soon so you'll be rushing out of here for fittings and such," Jax said matter-of-factly. "And then there's also the fact that you are getting close to that point in your pregnancy where you are probably not going to be very interested in the smell let alone the taste of breakfast."

It took Brenda a second to realize what he was talking about. She looked up at him with an exasperated expression. "Very funny!" She pulled out of his arms and reached over to pick up their coffee mugs. "Here, drink your coffee," she said as she held a mug out to him. "I'll get the muffins." With that she turned and walked over to the wall oven and pulled the tray of muffins out. She tapped the top of each to make sure it was warm before putting them in the small basket Lily had used. She put the basket on the table and then sat down next to Jax.

Neither one of them said much as they ate. It was Jax who finally broke the silence when he finished eating. "Well, I guess I can't put it off any longer. I'm sure Addie is already wondering where I am." He glanced at his watch as he got up. "It's not too bad though, I should be able to make it to the office by 9:00." He could see the disappointment on Brenda's face so he held out his hand to her. When she took it he gently pulled her to her feet and pulled her close to him as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You know, I think I got spoiled being with you all the time."

"Why can't you just work from here?" Brenda asked without lifting her forehead from his chest.

Jax smiled. "Think about it, luv. If I worked from here Addie would have to work here as would a couple of secretaries. Add to that the fact that I would be working a lot longer hours…"

Brenda lifted her head from his chest and put her finger on his lips to stop him. "Okay, okay, I get it," she said with a slightly sad smile. She glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. "I guess I have to let you go," she said with a sigh as she leaned back from him. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door." She pulled out of his arms and linked her hand with his. She slowly led him out to the living room where she picked up his topcoat from the couch and held it up for him to put on.

After sliding his arms into the coat Jax turned to look at Brenda as he picked up his briefcase from the couch and rested his free hand on her hip. "You going to be okay?" he asked when she looked up at him.

"I'm going to be fine," Brenda said with a somewhat less than believable smile. "I think I'm going to spend the day with Lily if she's not busy. I'd really like us to work on rebuilding our friendship."

Jax smiled at her, knowing what she also wanted was to talk about Sonny. "I think that's a very good idea. Just don't get so involved talking that you forget to have lunch."

"You don't have to worry about that," Brenda said as she brushed her hands across his chest. "I remember what happens when I don't," she said with a sigh.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Jax said softly as he leaned down to give her a quick but passionate kiss. When he leaned back from the kiss he cupped the side of her face. "I'll be home for an early dinner," he said softly. Reluctantly he let go of her face and reached for her hand to lead her to the door with him. When he got to the door he let go of her hand and reached for the knob. After opening the door he turned back to her. "I'll be home as early as I can," he said with a smile before walking out the door. He walked to the elevator and turned to face her as Jared, the head of the protection team assigned to him, inserted the key card. He gave her a quick wave as the elevator doors closed. Once they started moving he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Damn, he thought, he really hadn't expected leaving to be this hard. This meeting with Jerry had better be worth all of this!

Jax had been working more than two hours before he finally felt like he was making a dent in the pile of reports on his desk. He looked up from the report he was reading when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he said as he watched the door to see who came in.

"Excuse me sir," Addie said as she walked into the office. "You have a large number of phone messages."

Jax was surprised to see the stack of pink slips Addie was carrying. "I only want the newest messages, Addie. I presume the older calls have been taken care of."

Addie looked down at the messages in her hand before looking back at Jax uncomfortably. "Oh they were sir. Your father and Jerry handled them daily. These are just from yesterday." She held out the messages to him.

"All of these? Are you sure?" Jax asked as he slowly reached to take the messages out of her hand.

"Yes sir," Addie said firmly. "Miss Barrett has called twenty-two times since yesterday. She was very adamant about speaking to you as soon as you returned to the office."

Jax froze at the mention of Julia's name. He couldn't help wondering if she had figured out what he was doing to Barrett Industries. If that was the case though, she would have contacted Jerry when she couldn't reach him. Since Jerry had not mentioned any problems with the takeover he decided the calls were more likely pleas for help. He fought the urge to smile triumphantly. "Did Miss Barrett say what was so urgent?" Jax asked as he tried to sound disinterested.

Addie got the feeling that Jax already knew the answer to his own question. "No sir, she wouldn't say. She just said it was urgent and that she speak to you personally as soon as you returned to the office." She stepped back a little from the desk. "Should I get her on the phone for you?"

"And who would her be - my beautiful sister-in-law?" Jerry asked as he leaned against the door frame and crossed one ankle in front of the other. "Or is there some 'other' woman I should know about?"

Jax smiled like a cheshire cat when he looked up at Jerry and held up the stack of message slips. "Actually, it's the other Barrett sister," he said as he waved the messages. "It seems Julia has left 22 messages for me since yesterday insisting that I call as soon as I get into the office."

"How strange," Jerry said smugly. "Any idea what the problem is?"

Jax looked at Addie before answering. When she slowly shook her head he looked back at Jerry. "Haven't a clue," he said with a shrug. "I guess I probably should call her back. Afterall, she is Brenda's sister," he said with a trace of bitterness. He looked up at Addie who was still standing next to his desk. "Thanks Addie, I'll call her myself."

Addie gave him a polite nod. "Of course sir," she said before turning to leave. She gave Jerry a smile and a polite nod as she walked past him.

As soon as she left Jerry closed the door and walked the rest of the way into the office and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Jax's desk. "So what do you really think Julia wants?" he asked as he brought his leg up to rest his ankle on his other knee.

"You'd know better than I would," Jax said as he leaned back in his chair. "Where are we with the Barrett Industries project?"

Jerry smiled as he tented his fingers in front of his face. "As of this morning we have either purchased or destroyed all corporate subsidiaries of Barrett Industries. We have also purchased all privately owned stock from four of the board members. We currently have offers out to three more for their total block of shares."

"Where is the money coming from? There's no way to trace it to us is there?" Jax asked as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his desk. "What are you smiling about?" he asked when he saw the grin spreading across Jerry's face.

"Oh nothing," Jerry said smugly. When he saw the growing anger in Jax's eyes he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward himself. "Actually I'm quite proud of how we've managed this. If Julia or any of the people still working for her should try to trace the funds the trail ends at an investment bank in London."

Jax looked at him suspiciously. "That won't stop her. She'll want to know where they got the funds."

This time Jerry chuckled before answering. "That's the beauty of this. If she presses, and we both know she will, all she'll find is that the funds are coming from the trust division of her own bank!"

Jax sat back and stared at Jerry in disbelief. "So you're telling me that…"

"I'm telling you that the trustee assigned to manage Brenda's trustfund is a Jacks employee." He could see the disbelief growing on Jax's face.

"Look, the way old Harlan Barrett set up Brenda's trustfund gave the trustee assigned by the bank total control of the funds. When Julia, as executrix of the estate, cut off distribution of the funds to Brenda the trustfund started building rapidly." He could see that Jax was already figuring out where he was headed. "As a result, he had already started to test the market by investing a small portion of the funds in some very safe stocks - which resulted in a noticeable profit for the trust."

"When we needed a secure place to make the purchases, we came up with the idea of using the trust department of a bank since most trusts allow the trustee investment authority." Jerry leaned back in his chair. "I figured why not use Julia's own bank."

Now it was Jax who tented his fingers as he thought about what Jerry had said. "So what are you saying?" He slowly leaned forward as he realized what Jerry meant. "Tell me you didn't use Brenda's trustfund."

"Of course we did, along with nine other trusts in the department" Jerry said proudly. He could see Jax didn't like the idea. "Listen little brother, it seemed only fair. The money in that trust rightfully belongs to Brenda anyway. This way we are using her money to give her back not only those funds but also her father's company." He could see that Jax wasn't convinced. "There is no way for the funds to be traced beyond the trust - either to us or more importantly to Brenda."

"How can it NOT be traced to Brenda?" Jax demanded.

"Think about it. How can they trace it to her?" Jerry asked. "Julia cut Brenda off from any contact with the trust or its representatives over two years ago. Besides, you yourself told me that Julia has seriously misjudged Brenda. She still thinks of her as a flighty teenager who has no common sense. We both know her opinion of Brenda's choice of a career in modeling. It would never occur to her that Brenda would be behind this kind of a raid on Barrett Industries." Jerry stopped when he saw the anger slowly disappear from Jax's eyes as he processed what Jerry had said.

"How are you getting the funds into the trust?" Jax asked as he leaned back in his chair, suddenly interested in hearing more.

"That was the trickiest part," Jerry said with a loud exhale. "We made the initial purchases with the existing funds in the trust. Then once the sale was approved the trustee sold the companies, in tact, to our holding company at a grossly inflated price so that gave us the capital in the trust. From that point on the funds were easy to work through the trust."

"What about the holding company? Can't she trace that?" Jax asked.

"That's the beauty of this. Ownership of that holding company can only be traced to another holding company whose ownership can be traced to another holding company which in turn is owned by a privately owned corporation whose ownership does not have to be registered since there is no marketable stock." Jerry crossed his legs before continuing. "Well? What do you think?" he asked eagerly.

Jax didn't say anything right away. He sat with his fingers tented in front of his mouth, slowly tapping his fingers together. Finally he put his hands flat on his desk. "I think it's time I gave my 'dear' sister-in-law a call and see what she so desperately wants to talk to me about." He couldn't resist giving Jerry a smug smile.

Jerry returned the smile. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

Jax reached for the top message on the stack Addie had left. He looked at the callback number for a second and then looked over at Jerry. "My, my, it seems dear Julia is in New York City instead of London. Wonder if that means she's trying to raise bailout capital?"

"That's a very good question," Jerry said as he stood up. "Why don't I just check with some of our friends in the New York banking community while you talk to her?"

"You better come back as soon as you finish though," Jax said as he reached for the phone. "I'm not too sure how much of her I can tolerate," he spat out bitterly.

"I'll be right back. Why don't you put her on speaker phone so I can hear what she has to say?" Jerry said before heading toward the door. Before opening it he turned and looked back at Jax. "I understand how you feel about her little brother. God knows I want to make her pay for what she did to Little Bit but don't let HER know that!"

Jax looked at him coldly. "You don't have to worry Jerry. I have no intention of giving her any hint of what we are doing." The cold hatred he felt for Julia was obvious in his voice.

Jerry stared at him for a minute. He could not remember the last time he had seen Jax like this. He understood the reasons behind it but couldn't help wondering if he would be able to deal with the fallout when it was over. "I'll be right back," he said as he opened the door.

As soon as he saw Jerry close the door Jax picked up the message with Julia's phone number and stared at it for a second. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before reaching for the phone and dialing the number Julia had left. He only had to wait two rings for the phone to be answered.

"Barrett Industries, Miss Barrett's office," a curt female voice said.

"Jasper Jacks returning Miss Barrett's call," Jax responded in an equally curt voice.

"Yes Mr. Jacks, Miss Barrett has been trying to reach you for several days. Please hold on while I let her know you're on the line," the woman said quickly before putting Jax on hold.

Jax took a deep breath and exhaled loudly as he waited for Julia. He kept telling himself to keep calm and not let her know how much he hated her. He couldn't resist smiling though as he imagined how scared she was at the thought of loosing her company, her world. He could hardly wait to be able to confront her - to take Barrett Industries away from her and give it to Brenda (if she wanted it). He was finally drawn back by the sound of a woman's voice.

"Mr. Jacks, Miss Barrett asked if she can call you back in a few minutes. She's in a very important meeting that she cannot leave."

Jax rolled his eyes. "Tell Miss Barrett that I have a very tight schedule today. If she doesn't get back to me in the next fifteen minutes I won't be able to take her call." He didn't give the woman a chance to say anything before hanging up.

"That was fast," Jerry said as he came through the door. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing! It seems Miss Barrett is in a meeting that she cannot leave to take my call," Jax said bitterly as he looked up at Jerry.

"I'm not surprised," Jerry said as he came in and closed the door behind him.

"Why? What did you find out?" Jax asked as he got up and walked over to the small conference table to get some coffee.

"According to my source, Julia's meeting with the chairman of the corporate loan department of Chase Manhattan Bank." Jerry paused as he walked over to the table to pour himself some coffee. "She has requested - and been granted - a short extension on a rather substantial restructuring loan she received using her shares in Barrett Industries as the collateral."

Jax looked up at him with a shocked expression. "All of her shares?" When Jerry nodded yes Jax set down his cup. "How long is the extension?"

Jerry smiled like the cat that ate the canary. "Only 90 days. She has to make a substantial payment at that time or default on the loan."

Before saying anything Jax leaned back against the credenza. "When was the payment originally due?" he asked as he slowly rubbed his chin.

Seeing the wheels turning in his brother's mind Jerry couldn't help smiling. "The initial payment was due on the 7th."

A big smile spread across Jax's face. "That's tomorrow," he said calmly as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Tell me, what would happen if the loan board at Chase should change their minds about the extension?" he asked innocently.

Unable to resist, Jerry gave him an evil grin. "In that case Julia would have to come up with a huge amount of money overnight because the bank would call her loan in full."

"And…" Jax said.

"And she definitely does NOT have the money so the entire block of stock becomes the property of the bank to be disposed of as they see fit."

Before Jax could say anything in response they were both startled by the sound of his phone ringing. He looked at Jerry for a second before reaching to pick up the extension on the credenza. "Jax here," he said coolly.

"JAX! Finally!" Julia said excitedly. "I've been trying to reach you for days! Why haven't you called me back?" she demanded.

"I haven't called you back because I just returned to the office this morning," Jax said coolly as he tried to control his temper. "Hold on a second while I put you on speaker phone. I'm in the middle of something and I need to get a report." He didn't give her a chance to object before putting her on hold and walking back to his desk to put her on the speaker phone. He pressed the speaker button as he sat down. "Are you still there?" he asked as distractedly as he could.

"Of course I'm still here Jax," Julia said nervously. "I need to talk to you about something very important."

"Really? What would that be?" Jax asked as he gave Jerry a smug smile.

"I know Brenda has managed to keep you out of the office for months with her little trips," she said with a trace of disgust in her voice. "But I hope you have at least kept in touch with your staff to find out what I've been dealing with."

When he saw the fury building in Jax's eyes again Jerry walked silently over and rested his hand on Jax's shoulder giving it a firm squeeze. He gave Jax a warning look when he turned his head to look up at him. When he finally saw some of the anger fade from Jax's eyes he nodded toward the phone for him to continue.

"What exactly HAVE you been dealing with Julia?" Jax asked in as concerned a voice as he could muster.

"Someone has been raiding Barrett Industries for months now!" she said quickly. "I've done everything I know to find out who it is but I'm not having any luck."

Jax looked at Jerry and smiled. "What have you been able to find out?"

"Well, we tracked the stock purchases to the London Savings and Trust Bank. Seems several of the trust officers have started investing in the stock market recently. They're buying low and selling high in quick succession. Even the trustee of the Barrett trust is doing it." She waited for a response from Jax before continuing. When she didn't get one she continued. "We did find out that all the trusts are selling to the same company - a holding company based in London."

Jerry gave Jax's shoulder another squeeze to remind him to keep calm. He looked up at Jerry for a second and nodded slightly to let him know he was okay. "How bad have they hit you?" he asked with the appropriate amount of concern in his voice.

Julia paused for a minute, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Pretty bad actually," she said with a sigh. "They either control or have purchased outright most of our subsidiaries as well as several of our suppliers." She took another deep breath. "I'll be honest with you Jax. The only thing I am sure about are the Barrett shares. Those are owned exclusively by the board members so I think at this point my company is okay."

Jax looked at Jerry again. This time he didn't look away when he answered. "Your company?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"Yes my…" Julia stopped as soon as she realized her mistake. "Mine and Brenda's of course. I'm sorry, I sometimes forget that Brenda is part owner of the company. She never had a head for business so I've had to run the company on my own since daddy died."

Jax froze for a moment, his absolute hatred of Julia obvious in his eyes. He took a deep breath and let it out silently to calm himself before saying anything. "What is it you need from me Julia?" he asked as calmly as he could. There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Julia?" Jax asked, afraid he had given something away.

"I'm here Jax," Julia said slowly. I'm not exactly sure how to ask this."

"Just ask Julia," Jax said reassuringly. "We ARE family after all." He continued to look at Jerry, the hatred still glowing in his eyes.

"Well there is something - two things actually," Julia said nervously.

"Tell me," Jax said, still looking at Jerry but slightly less angry.

"Okay," she said with a loud exhale. "First of all I need your help finding out who's doing this to my company. The closest my people have been able to get is the name of the holding company. They haven't even been able to find out who owns it."

Jax couldn't keep from letting out a slight chuckle as he shook his head. "I can't promise you anything Julia, but I'll have my people check on it. Fax me what you have on the company and I'll see what we can do." Jax and Jerry both chuckled silently at the sound of Julia's obvious sigh of relief. "Now, what was the second thing you needed?" he asked calmly.

Julia didn't say anything as she tried to figure out the best way to ask. Finally, she took a deep breath and let it out quickly. "I have some papers that need Brenda's signature and as you know, in spite of all my efforts, we're not on very good terms right now."

Jerry and Jax looked at each other in stunned silence. It was Jerry who finally realized that Julia was waiting for Jax to say something. He nodded toward the phone on the desk. "What type of papers, Julia?" Jax asked.

Again there was a silence before Julia responded. "I have to ask you to keep this to yourself Jax. You cannot tell anyone, not even Brenda." She took another breath and exhaled slowly before continuing. "Things are not good. We've had a really sharp cut in our working capital because of all this trouble so I've been forced to take out a leverage loan to get the money we need to get past this rough spot."

Jerry could see the anger and hatred return to Jax's eyes. He slowly pressed both of his hands down in the air in an attempt to signal Jax to keep it together. It wasn't until Jax slowly nodded his understanding that he realized he had been holding his breath and released it.

"I'm sorry to hear that but I don't understand what Brenda has to do with it," Jax said as calmly as he could.

"It's simple Jax. The bank is demanding her signature on the loan papers!" The tone of her voice made it clear that Julia was very uncomfortable telling him this. "They insisted on seeing the corporate ownership papers for Barrett Industries before granting the loan. When they reviewed them they saw that even though she chose to relinquish her voting rights and profit sharing on paper she still owns half of the family shares so they are insisting on her signature on the loan papers."

Jax looked at Jerry triumphantly as they both realized what was happening. "If that's the case Julia, how did you get the loan approved without her signature?" he asked before leaning back in his chair and tenting his fingers in front of his chin in an attempt to control his excitement.

"Ah, well I told them that she was unreachable because the two of you were out of the country." She stopped for a second before finishing. "I told them that you two were unreachable for security reasons because of the attempt on your life so they tentatively approved the loan with the provision that Brenda sign the papers as soon as she returned."

"I see," Jax said coolly, not even trying to hide his feelings anymore. "Why don't you let me talk to Brenda about this? I'll call you tomorrow if she's willing to sign them."

"There's no if about it Jax!" Julia said sharply. "She WILL sign those papers! She has no option. I will NOT have her jeopardize my company because she's feeling spiteful. A messenger will bring the papers to the penthouse tonight and wait for her to sign them. I want to get them to the bank tomorrow and get back to London right after to get things moving at the office." She hung up without saying goodbye or giving Jax a chance to say anything.

Jax and Jerry stared at each other in stunned silence until Jax slowly reached to disengage the speaker phone. When he did he left his hand on the phone and looked down at it. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before looking up at Jerry. "Take her down - NOW!" he said coldly.

"Consider it done," Jerry said in an equally cold voice. He sat down on the edge of the desk. "I think the fastest and most destructive route would be to have Ben get word to Chase Manhattan that Brenda was never out of the country - that she could have easily been reached at any time if Julia had just called the office."

"How long will it take before we know?" Jax asked.

"About as long as it takes for them to confirm that you and Brenda were reachable at the time Julia said you weren't." Jerry got up and started toward the door. He stopped half way there and turned back to Jax. "By the end of the week Barrett Industries will be yours and Julia will be out and most likely looking at criminal charges, probably fraud. She'll be ruined - no company, no money and most importantly she won't be able to get a job anywhere." Jerry looked at Jax for several more moments. "It still doesn't seem like enough for what she did to Little Bit but it will have to do - for now."

By the cold tone in Jerry's voice and the absolute hatred in his eyes, Jax could tell that Jerry was getting almost as much satisfaction out of destroying Julia as he was. "You won't get an argument from me," he said as he leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers again. "Let me know when it's done. I want to be prepared for Julia's frantic phone call."

"What are you going to do about Julia's messenger tonight?" Jerry asked with an evil glint in his eye.

Jax stopped tapping his fingers together and looked over the top of them at Jerry. "I promised my wife a private evening at home and that's what she's going to get." He couldn't resist smiling. "Just Brenda, Lily, me and you - no interruptions for phone calls or visitors allowed."

"ME!" Jerry said in a surprised tone. "Why me? Wouldn't you rather be alone with Brenda?" He started back toward where Jax was sitting. "Why don't I take Lily to my place for dinner so you two can be alone?"

"Not a chance Jerry," Jax said firmly as he got up and walked over to him. "I promised Brenda I would bring you over as soon as you got in town. I never break promises to Brenda so you're coming."

"Okay, okay," Jerry said as he held up his hands in surrender. "I'm going to my office to call Ben and get him moving on this. Give me a call when you're ready to leave."

"Will do. I plan to leave here no later than 4:00. If you're going to need more time than that let me know," Jax said as he walked Jerry to the door. Just as he reached to open it he was startled by a knock on the door. He looked over at Jerry who shrugged at him before opening the door. He was surprised not only to see Ben standing in front of him but to see the cat that ate the canary grin on his face. "Ben? What's up?" he asked tentatively.

"We've got him! We've got Corinthos!" Ben said excitedly as he strode into Jax's office. As Ben walked past, Jerry and Jax looked at each other in total confusion.

On the other side of town at PH 4 of the Harborview Towers, Sonny was staring out the terrace doors at the Port Charles skyline. His mind raced over a variety of things. First on the list was finding Lily. He had just gotten off the phone with her father who was demanding to know if he had found her yet. Next was his need to destroy Jax so that he could get Brenda back under his control AND in his bed. He jumped slightly when he heard the front door open. He was surprised to see Benny walk quickly into the room holding a file with a big grin on his face. "What's up Benny?"

"We've got him boss," Benny said excitedly. "We've got Jacks!"