Ned pulled up to the emergency entrance of General Hospital just as the ambulance carrying Brenda and Lily came to a stop. Before he could even say anything, both Jax and Lois were already getting out of the car. Ned waited until they were both out before quickly pulling the car over to a vacant parking space. As Ned pulled away, Lois grabbed Jax's hand and squeezed it tightly. They both ran over to the back of the ambulance. Just as they got there, the medic came around to the back, opened the door and helped Lily out. He slowly lowered her into the wheelchair being held by one of the trauma nurses before turning his attention back to the squad to help his partner remove the stretcher Brenda was on.

It was obvious to both Jax and Lois that Brenda had not yet regained consciousness. As the medics wheeled the stretcher past them, Lois wrapped her arm tightly around Jax's waist for support. She wasn't sure exactly who was supporting whom though when she felt him trembling. They followed right behind the stretcher as it went through the automatic doors to the trauma unit. Once inside, a nurse prevented them from coming into the treatment room. "You people will have to wait out here!" she said in a tone that was meant to stop them.

"Oh, no! I'm not leaving her alone!" Jax stared down at the nurse with a growing fury. "Someone just tried to kill that woman, and I'm not about to let them try it again!" He started toward the doors again, ready to force his way in, if necessary, when he felt someone grab his arm. He spun around quickly, ready for an argument. He was surprised to see that the hands on his arm belonged to Lois.

"Jax, she'll be okay with them. Honest! Just let them do their jobs. This is one of the finest trauma centers in the country." Lois was relieved when she saw Ned approaching them. "Come on, let's sit down over there. I'm sure they'll let us know as soon as they can." She gently squeezed his arm. When she saw Jax relax slightly and slowly nod his head, she turned her attention back to the nurse, conscious of the fact that Jax showed no intention of moving from the door of the treatment room.

"Ms. Barrett is a patient of Dr. Alan Quartermaine. Would you please have someone contact him immediately?" The nurse made a note on her clipboard and turned to go into the treatment room just as Ned came up to them. Lois pulled him off to the side, away from Jax.

"What's happening?" he asked Lois. When he saw Jax, his heart immediately started pounding. "Lois, what's wrong with Brenda?" He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "Is it bad?"

Lois shuddered and then wrapped her arms around Ned for a hug before answering, "We don't know anything yet. They just took her into the treatment room." She looked over at Jax, who was leaning against the wall outside the doors to the treatment room Brenda was in, trying to see what was going on. When she saw the expression on his face, she turned back to Ned.

"Honey, maybe you should go talk to Jax. He's pretty upset about all of this." She nodded in Jax's direction. Ned looked over at him and was startled at his appearance. This was not the calm, fun loving Jax he had gotten to know over the past couple of weeks. The man standing in front of him looked more like a scared little boy. He looked back at Lois to say something, but she spoke before he got a chance, "He doesn't think this was an accident! He thinks someone tried to kill Brenda!"

Ned hugged her quickly and went over to talk to Jax. When he got next to him, he just stood next to him for a minute before saying anything, both men looking through the window of the treatment room door, trying to get a look at Brenda. Finally he placed his hand on Jax's arm to get his attention. When Jax looked over at him, he was surprised at the look in Jax's eyes. He couldn't tell exactly what he saw. It seemed to be a combination of anger and determination with a very large dose of fear thrown in.

"Come on, Jax. Let's get out of the way. We can take a seat on that bench over there." He nodded toward a long bench on the opposite side of the hallway. "We'll still be able to see everyone who goes in or out of there." Reluctantly Jax allowed Ned to lead him over to the bench. He slowly collapsed onto the bench and leaned his head back against the wall. Before sitting down with him, Ned looked around for Lois. He found her talking to the admitting nurse, probably giving her Brenda's personal information.

Jax could not believe this was happening. He had just realized tonight how much he was enjoying the time he was spending with Brenda. She was so very different from the women he had been dating, especially lately. When he had been waiting at Kelly's for her to come down earlier, he had realized that she was the first truly open woman he had ever met - what you saw is what you got! In spite of her fame as a model, she was a real person. She did not play games like the other models he had dated. When he saw her come down the stairs in that black satin gown, he had felt his heart skip a beat. As he was helping her with her wrap he realized that he was not ready to walk away from her like he usually did after a couple of weeks. He had decided to stay here in Port Charles for a while to see what would happen. He was going to tell her about his plan to stick around when he brought her home from the fundraiser tonight. Sitting in a hospital trauma center in the middle of the night was definitely NOT what he had in mind to finish off the evening!

Ned had wanted to give Jax some space, so he stood off to the side of the bench, but the longer he waited, the more disturbed he became by what Lois had said about Jax's feeling concerning the accident. Finally he couldn't keep quiet any longer. He walked over and sat down next to him. "Jax, what did you mean before when you told the nurse that someone tried to kill Brenda? What makes you think that?"

Jax slowly sat up and opened his eyes, glad for the interruption. "Think about it, Ned. We were all standing much closer to the drive than she was. If it was just an out-of-control car or a drunk driver, wouldn't we have been a more likely target?" He looked directly at Ned before continuing, "Add to that the darkly tinted windows on the car and its lack of a license plate, and the only logical conclusion is that someone was aiming for Brenda - and only Brenda!" Jax was relieved when he saw Ned acknowledge the logic of his conclusion. "The only question now is who was behind it and are they going to try again?" Jax leaned back against the wall again, his eyes drifting over to the door of Brenda's treatment room.

Before Ned had a chance to answer Jax, he saw Alan approaching. He got up and walked quickly over to him. "Alan, have you heard anything on Brenda's condition? No one has said anything to us!"

"All I know is that she's still unconscious. I've called Tony Jones in for a neurological consult, and I'm heading in to see her myself right now. I'll be out as soon as I can to let you know." Alan started toward the door when he caught sight of Jax sitting on the bench. "What's he doing here?" he asked with a trace of anger in his voice.

Ned looked over and saw that Alan was looking at Jax. "He was with Brenda tonight." Just then Lois came over and sat down next to Jax. She put her hand on his forearm and smiled reassuringly at him. She leaned over and said something to him that Ned couldn't hear but it seemed to help Jax because he saw him smile slightly.

He then turned his attention back to Alan. "The truth is the four of us were at the Ward House Fund Raiser together. The accident happened while we were waiting for the valet to bring our cars up." Anticipating Alan's next remark Ned held up his hand to cut him off. "Brenda and Jax have been seeing each other since Lois brought him to Port Charles." Knowing that Alan was about to make a very serious mistake concerning Jax, Ned felt compelled to stop him. With a stern expression on his face, he looked directly into Alan's eyes. "I haven't seen Brenda smile or heard her laugh so much in a very long time, so don't even think of trying to do anything to keep the two of them apart! For whatever reason, he seems to be making her happy and I intend to see that he continues to do so for as long as SHE wants! Before you think you'll get Edward involved in this, let me tell you I intend to tell grandfather the same thing! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" He glanced over at Jax and Lois again before telling Alan about Jax's suspicions.

"One more thing, Alan. Could you have a guard posted on this door and on the door of Brenda's room when she's admitted?" Alan was surprised by Ned's request and was about to say something when Ned held up his hand. "Don't ask me any questions right now. Just trust me when I tell you that there is a possibility that what happened tonight might not have been an accident, and I don't want to take a chance on someone trying again!"

While Ned and Alan were talking, Sonny came rushing through the door from the emergency room. He strode directly up to Alan. "Where is she?" he demanded.

With a contemptuous look on his face, Alan answered his question, "Your wife is in treatment room two, back in the emergency department."

"I'm not talking about her! Where's Brenda?" Sonny demanded as he tried to push past them and open the trauma room door.

At the sound of Sonny's voice, Jax looked up. He started to lunge toward him when he felt Lois grip his arm. He looked back at her and the expression on his face changed from one of rage to a slight smile and a nod of acknowledgement. He gently patted her arm and then got up slowly to walk over to where Sonny was talking to Ned and Alan. "What are you doing here, Mr. Corrinthos? I understand that your wife is being treated in the emergency room, not here!" He made no effort to keep the contempt he felt for Sonny out of his voice.

Sonny spun on his heel and glared at Jax. "This has nothing to do with you, pretty boy! Stay out of it! I'm here to see Brenda!"

Seeing the anger building in Jax, Alan stepped in. He signaled for the security guard that was standing by the door to come over. "Would you please escort Mr. Corrinthos here back over to the ER? His wife is being treated in exam room two over there." He looked directly at Sonny as he continued. "There's no one in here that concerns him!" Alan, Ned and Jax now stood together to block Sonny's entrance into the trauma room.

Sonny glared at the three of them. "You'll regret this - all of you! She needs to know that I'm here for her, and I'm damn well going to make sure that she does!" Sonny pulled his arm free from the guard. "Don't touch me! I'm going!" Sonny turned and left the trauma unit, followed closely by the guard. No one noticed that the guard did not return after escorting Sonny out.

Once Sonny was gone, Alan immediately went in to check on Brenda. While he had been talking to Ned, he had seen Tony Jones go in, so he was anxious to hear what Tony had to say.

Ned and Jax continued to stand outside the room, looking through the window as the medical personal worked around Brenda on the gurney. Neither of them could get a clear view of her to tell if she was conscious yet or not. Lois came up to join them, wrapping an arm around each of them as they waited in silence. Finally they saw both Alan and Tony coming toward the door. They backed away enough for them to open the door to come into the hallway.

Lois barely gave them a chance to get out the door before she started asking questions, "How is she, Alan? Is she conscious? Can I see her?"

Alan held up his hand to stop her. "Wait a second, Lois! Let me answer your questions one at a time. Let's go over there out of the way." He led the group over to the bench Lois had been sitting on, so that there was open access to the trauma room. "Right now she's stable, but we're still monitoring her very closely. She's drifting in and out of consciousness, which is to be expected at this point. We've ordered several tests, including an MRI, so we should know more soon." He could see that his answers were doing little to relieve their concerns. He turned to Tony to hopefully give them the answers they were looking for.

Tony took the briefing from there: "From what I can tell, Brenda has suffered a concussion; how severe, we don't know yet. There doesn't appear to be any outward indication of a skull fracture, and the fact that she is drifting in and out and is able to recognize people is a good sign. She has some severe abdominal tenderness that we are following up on, but her neurological functions seem to be normal." Since he knew both Ned and Lois, he turned his attention to Jax. "I take it you're Jax?" He waited for Jax to acknowledge him. "When she's conscious, she's been asking for you. If you'd like, I can have the nurse come get you the next time she awakes."

"Yes! Please!" Jax could feel himself relax a little for the first time since all of this had started. "Thank you, Dr. Jones." Tony and Alan continued to answer their questions for several more minutes. The more answers they got, the more at ease they all became.

While they had been standing off to the side with their backs to both the trauma room door and the door to the emergency room, Sonny's bodyguard had stuck his head through the door to check things out. When he saw them occupied with their backs to the door, he reported back to Sonny that it was clear to go in to see Brenda. Sonny slowly opened the ER door and looked around. He saw the group of them standing off to the side talking. He took the opportunity to sneak past them and into the trauma room.

The medical personnel in the room paid little attention to the visitor. Since both of the patient's attending physicians were in the hallway, it was safe to assume that this man had their permission to be in the room. The nurse closest to Brenda figured this man must be the Jax she kept asking for, so she stepped off to the side to give them a little privacy.

Brenda slowly started to open her eyes when she felt someone stroking the side of her cheek. "Jax?" she said as she tried to focus her eyes.

"Forget about him, babe - it's me! I'm here now. I'll take care of you."

Brenda's eyes shot open. "Sonny! Get away from me! You did this to me! Jax! Jax!" The sound of Brenda's screaming brought the entire medical staff to her side. When Sonny refused to leave, two of the residents grabbed him and were dragging him out of the room when Jax and Ned came bursting through the door. Jax rushed over to Brenda, as Ned held the door open for the doctors to drag Sonny out.

The nurses were trying unsuccessfully to calm Brenda down. She was becoming more and more agitated, calling Jax's name. He came up beside her and took her hand in his. He softly stroked her hair as he spoke to her in a hushed voice. "Shhh... I'm here, Brenda. He's gone; I promise!" Jax was relieved when she looked up at him and seemed to recognize him. "That's it, luv. Just relax, okay?" He continued to gently stroke the side of her hair as she finally started to calm down, even managing a slight smile for him.

Suddenly Jax noticed a distant expression come across Brenda's face, and just as her eyes closed, the alarm on the heart monitor began to sound. Alan and Tony came rushing back into the room. "Jax, you'll have to leave - NOW!" Alan said. He nodded for Ned to come get Jax. "Move!"

Jax moved numbly out of the way, refusing to completely leave the room. He stood back by the door as the doctors and nurses worked frantically to revive Brenda. When he felt a hand on his arm, he looked away from Brenda to see Ned standing next to him. "Come on, Jax. We're in the way here. Let's wait outside." He gently squeezed Jax's shoulder and nodded toward the door.

Slowly Jax followed him out the door. As soon as he was on the other side, he turned back immediately to watch through the window.

At the first sounds of the commotion in the trauma room, two Port Charles police officers had come bursting through the door, just in time to see the residents dragging Sonny into the hallway. They had immediately taken charge of him, putting him in handcuffs, and were currently dragging him out of the trauma center.

When he realized that this was as far as Jax intended to go, Ned looked around for Lois. As soon as she saw them come out, she came up to them. Ned leaned over and whispered to her, "Stay with him. I'm going to make sure they take care of Corrinthos!" He kissed her quickly on the cheek and headed through the door to the emergency room, leaving Jax and Lois to keep watch over Brenda.

Just as Ned came through the door, Lt. Taggert, the detective in charge of the accident investigation, came into the ER. As soon as Ned saw him, he went over and explained who and what he had seen at the club. He also told him of their suspicions about it not having been an accident. As the detective was writing down his statement, Ned kept looking over at Sonny, who was still struggling to get loose. He finished his statement by telling him what Brenda had been screaming when Sonny had sneaked into the trauma room. In a voice loud enough for Sonny to hear, he finished his statement by saying, "Right after Mr. Corrinthos was dragged from the room, Miss Barrett went into cardiac arrest! The doctors are working now to try to revive her."

Sonny stopped struggling when he heard that. Suddenly he tried to pull free again. "Let me go! I have to get in there! She needs me!" The officers tightened their hold of him as Ned walked over. "Call off your dogs, Ashton! I need to get in there! Brenda needs to know I'm there for her!" He continued to struggle with the officers.

Ned slowly shook his head. "You've got that wrong, Corrinthos! You're the reason she's in there! She doesn't need you! She doesn't want you in there with her!" Ned suddenly realized that Lily was sitting in a wheelchair right behind Sonny and had heard everything he had just said. "The lady who needs you is sitting right behind you." He nodded toward Lily. "Take care of your wife and leave Brenda alone! Jax is who she wants now, and he is perfectly capable of taking care of her!" With that said, Ned spun on his heel and headed back into the trauma unit, leaving Sonny standing there with the detective, desperately trying to figure out how to explain things to Lily.

As Ned came through the door, he saw Alan and Tony come out of Brenda's room. He rushed over to hear what they had to say. When Alan saw them, he smiled slightly. "We got her back, and she seems to have a steady rhythm now." He could see all three of Brenda's friends let out the breath they had each been holding. "There doesn't appear to be any permanent damage from Sonny's visit." He looked directly at Jax before continuing, "She's asking for you. Why don't you go sit with her for a while? I think it'll be good for her." He patted Jax softly on the arm and opened the door for him. He nodded to the medical staff that Jax was to be permitted to stay, so they moved off a little to give them privacy but still monitor Brenda's condition.

As soon as he came through the door, Jax went straight over and sat next to Brenda. He took her hand in his and gently stroked her cheek. She stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes. It was obvious she was relieved to see him sitting there. When she opened her eyes, Jax couldn't resist the urge to smile at her. "Hey there! Welcome back!" He lifted her hand and gently kissed it. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he held her hand against his cheek.

"I'm not really sure. I feel really out of it." Brenda slowly closed her eyes again for a minute. When she opened them Jax could see fear in them. "Jax! Sonny was here! I saw him..." The nurses looked up when the monitor indicated her increased heart rate.

Jax looked up as well. "Shh... I know, luv. Take it easy. He won't bother you anymore. I promise!" He gently stroked the side of her face. "Why don't you close your eyes and try to get some rest?"

At the reassuring tone of Jax's voice, Brenda immediately calmed down, allowing the nurses to return to their work. "You'll stay here with me?" she asked.

Jax nodded at her with a soft smile on his face. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you wake up - promise!" He reached over and gently closed her eyes with his fingers. "Get some rest!" It wasn't long before Jax realized that she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep, never releasing her hold on his hand. Jax continued to softly stroke her hair as she slept. Every once in a while, one of the nurses would come over to check Brenda's vital signs and suggest that since she was sleeping soundly that he go take a break, but he refused. He had promised her he would stay and he intended to keep that promise. Eventually Jax put his head down next to hers and fell asleep as well.

Jax woke suddenly when he felt someone shake his shoulder. He looked up to see Alan standing next to him. "What's wrong? Is Brenda okay?" He looked quickly over at her and was relieved to see her still sleeping peacefully.

"Brenda's stable now, so we're going to move her up to Intensive Care. Why don't you take a break while we move her? You can see her in the morning, when she's settled in the unit." When he saw Jax start to protest, Alan held up his hand. "I know you promised her you'd be here when she wakes up, but we have to run some additional tests. I'm pretty sure she won't even remember the promise, Jax."

Jax realized he wasn't ready to let go of Brenda, so he quickly came up with a compromise. "How about if I go upstairs with her, and if she doesn't wake up by the time you have her settled, I'll leave? For a little while!" He looked expectantly at Alan. "I want her to know that she doesn't have to worry about Sonny; that I'll keep my promise to keep him away from her."

When Alan saw Jax's sincere concern for Brenda, he realized that Edward had been wrong about this young man. Regardless of his business reputation, it was obvious to Alan how much Jax cared about Brenda - probably more than either Jax or Brenda even realized. "Okay, you can come upstairs with us, but as soon as she's in her room, you leave so we can run our test!

Jax smiled. "Agreed! Thanks, Alan." Just then the orderlies came to move Brenda upstairs. Jax walked along side the gurney as they headed toward the elevator, never letting go of Brenda's hand. As they were waiting, he looked around for Ned and Lois. When he saw them standing by the nurse's station, he waved to them. Before either of them had a chance to say anything, the elevator doors opened and Jax, Brenda and the hospital personnel immediately got on, leaving Ned and Lois standing there, looking at the closed doors.

Brenda woke up again just before they got off the elevator. She could feel someone holding her hand, and when she turned to see who it was, she smiled when she realized it was Jax. He had kept his promise to stay with her. She gently squeezed his hand to let him know she was awake. When he looked down at her, her smile deepened. "You stayed!"

Jax quickly returned her smile. "I told you I would." He reached over and brushed a lock of her hair from her forehead. "How are you feeling?" Before she had a chance to answer the elevator doors opened and they headed out. Jax could tell that Brenda was getting frightened by not knowing where she was being taken. As soon as she was settled in her bed in the Intensive Care Unit, he sat down next to her. "I made a deal with Alan so I can't stay too much longer. They've moved you up to the Intensive Care Unit for a while, at least until your test results come back. You gave us all quite a scare, you know!" He gently stroked the side of her face.

"I don't remember much. I remember waking up in the trauma unit and asking for you." Suddenly her eyes were filled with fear again. "Jax, was Sonny there? Did he come to see me?" The nurses looked up when they saw her heart rate accelerate.

"It's okay, luv. You're safe now," Jax said reassuringly. "Yes, Sonny was here, but he's gone now. The police took him away, so you can relax. I've made sure that he can't come anywhere near you again." He glanced over toward the window where a hospital security officer was stationed. "Alan has arranged for a guard to be at your door at all times while you're here. Anyone wanting in will have to be on his list of approved visitors, so if there is anyone you don't want to see, just let me know."

He was relieved to see the smile come to her face. Alan chose that moment to come through the door. When Jax saw him, he nodded quickly and then turned back to Brenda. "Looks like I have to leave for a while." When he saw the disappointment on her face, he gently squeezed her hand. "I won't be far. Alan needs to do some more tests, and I promised him that if he'd let me come up here and stay with you until you woke up, I'd leave and let them do the tests. I'll be here when they're done."

Jax smiled reassuringly at her and reluctantly let go of her hand. As he headed toward the door, he stopped to talk to Alan. "How is she doing?"

Alan looked quickly at Brenda's chart before answering. "From what I see here, she's doing pretty well." He looked up at Jax before continuing, "Why don't you get some rest? We'll be taking her down for an MRI and some additional x-rays, so you won't be able to see her for a while."

Jax looked back at Brenda before answering. "I think I'll head over to the hotel to get changed, but I'll be right back." His attention quickly turned back to Alan. "Will there be any problem getting in to see her?"

Alan shook his head. "Not at all. You seem to be a quieting influence on her, and right now the quieter she stays the better she'll be. I'll leave word with the nurses that you can be here anytime and stay as long as you want, as long as Brenda gets plenty of rest and follows the nurses' instructions." Alan turned to follow Jax out as he finally started to leave Brenda's room. Alan put a hand on Jax's arm to stop him. "One more thing, Jax." When Jax turned, he saw a very serious expression on Alan's face and it made Jax nervous. "I just wanted to thank you for what you are doing for Brenda. It's obvious that she feels safe with you. She's like a daughter to me, so her safety and her happiness are very important to me." A slight hint of color came to Alan's cheeks as he continued, "I also want to apologize for the way my family acted toward you. It's obvious that we let my father's prejudices color our judgement. Seeing you here with Brenda, I realize that Ned was right about you."

Before Jax had a chance to respond, the orderlies came to take Brenda for her tests. Jax held the door open for them and smiled at her as she was wheeled out. When he saw the guard remain at the door, he looked to Alan. "Isn't he going with her?"

"It's really not necessary. I'll be with her the whole time. Besides, no one but authorized personnel can get anywhere near the x-ray department. He'll stay here to make sure that no unwanted visitors are waiting when we get back." As Alan and Jax walked out of the room, Alan reached for the guard's clipboard. "If it will put your mind to rest, why don't you take a look at the authorized visitors list." He handed Jax the board. "As you can see, as long as she's here in Intensive Care the only visitors, I've allowed are you, Ned and Lois. When we move her to a private room, I'll sit down with you and Ned and we'll increase the list - A LITTLE!"

"When do you think that will be?" Jax asked.

"It depends on what these tests reveal. I'll probably keep her here in ICU for about 48 hours, just as a precaution. If she remains stable and the tests don't reveal any surprises, I think we'll be able to move her then. Now, why don't you go home for a while? If we get done before you get back, I promise I'll stay with her." He softly pushed Jax out the door with a smile. As they got to the elevator the doors opened. The orderly pushed Brenda's gurney in and Alan followed her.

Jax stood waiting until the doors closed before he pressed the button for the next elevator. As the doors opened, he nearly walked into Ned and Lois as they were getting off. "I'm glad you guys are here," he said, as they all walked back toward the ICU. "Alan just took Brenda down for some more tests. They won't be back for a while. Can you guys stay here until I get back? I thought I'd go back to the hotel and get cleaned up."

"Sure Jax, go ahead. We'll stay. How is she?" Ned asked, as they walked into the ICU waiting area.

"She's awake and seems to be doing okay. Alan said she's stable, which is good at this point." Jax looked over at the guard. "Alan has assigned a guard to her room at all times, and only those people on the authorized visitors list can get in to see her." When he saw the unspoken question on both their faces, he smiled and nodded his head. "For as long as she's in ICU, her only authorized visitors are the three of us. When they're ready to move her to a private room, Alan said he'd talk to us about expanding the list a little." Jax looked quickly at his watch and got up. "I better get going if I'm going to be back by the time she gets back."

When Jax stepped off the elevator about an hour later, he saw Ned and Lois still sitting in the waiting area. He was relieved that he had gotten back before Brenda. He walked quickly over to where they were sitting. As he got closer, he could see that Lois had fallen asleep and was leaning her head against Ned's shoulder. "Is she back yet?" he asked quietly.

Ned slowly shook his head. "I talked to the nurse a few minutes ago, and she said it would probably be another half hour or so." When he saw the carrier of paper cups Jax was holding he smiled. "Is that coffee?"

With a chuckle, Jax extended the carrier to him. "Yeah, I figured we could use it, so I asked room service to make us some decent coffee, not the stuff that comes out of the machines around here." Ned slowly leaned forward to take one of the cups. Jax set the carrier down on the table in front of them and took a seat next to Lois. To Ned's surprise he gently wrapped his arm around Lois's shoulders and moved her over to lean against him. "Why don't you stretch your legs a little? I'll stay here with Lois."

Ned slowly stood up and stretched. "Thanks, I could use the exercise. I won't go far." Ned walked slowly down the hallway sipping his coffee. He returned about ten minutes later looking more relaxed.

It was another forty-five minutes before the elevator doors opened and Alan stepped out, followed by the orderlies pushing the gurney carrying Brenda. When he saw the three of them in the waiting area, he came over to talk to them, while the orderlies continued to return Brenda to her room. When he saw Alan getting off the elevator, Ned gently shook Lois to wake her. By the time Alan got to the waiting area, all three of them were eagerly awaiting any news on Brenda's condition.

Alan came over and sat down with them before saying anything. "Brenda is doing pretty well, all things considered. She's conscious and alert. She knows who she is and where she is. She doesn't remember much about what happened to her, but that is to be expected at this point. Tony Jones is reviewing the head scan right now, but I can tell you that the abdominal MRI showed some internal bleeding as well as two hairline fractures of her right hip."

Lois was the first to say anything. "Is she going to have to have surgery?"

Alan looked at Brenda's chart and thought for a moment. "At this point, no. We're going to monitor her here in the ICU for a while, and then we'll see. If the bleeding subsides, as we think it will, she won't need surgery. As to the hip, I had an orthopedic consult with Dr. Morris, and she believes that the fractures are not severe enough to require any surgery. She recommended that Brenda take it easy for the next several weeks, and if she develops any further discomfort after that, she'll see her again to reevaluate the injuries."

"So she's going to be okay, right?" Ned asked expectantly.

"Depending upon what, if anything, Tony finds in the head scan, yes, it looks like she should make a full recovery. It'll take a while and she's going to be very sore for quite a long time, especially with this cold, damp weather here in Port Charles, but I'd say she should be fine." He turned his attention to Jax. "She's asking for you. When I told her I saw the three of you waiting here when we got off the elevator, she told me she knew you would be. She finally seems to be relaxing for the first time tonight."

Lois looked first at Jax and then at Alan. "Can I see her? I just want to make sure she's okay - not that I don't believe you, Alan - I just need to make sure!"

"Why don't you guys go in and see her? I'll make a couple of phone calls while I wait." Jax nodded toward Brenda's room. "Go ahead. I'm sure she needs to see both of you. I'll wait out here until you're done." He turned his attention to Alan. "If that's okay with you, Alan?"

"Just keep the visit short. Brenda needs as much rest as possible at this point. She's on some pretty heavy medications, so don't be surprised if she drifts off while you're visiting." As Ned and Lois headed into Brenda's room, Alan shifted his attention back to Jax. "I know I gave you a hard time about visiting her, but if you don't mind, I think it might be a good idea if you stayed with her for the rest of the night. She seems to think that Corrinthos is going to try to get in again, and she trusts your promise that you'll keep him away from her. She'll probably rest better knowing that you're here."

Jax smiled slowly at him. "Alan, I have no intention of leaving here until she tells me to." They shook hands quickly. "Thanks for everything you're doing for her. Is there anything she needs?"

Alan smiled, "Just plenty of rest and peace of mind. At this point, I think you're about the only one that can guarantee her both of those." Alan turned and started to walk away. He stopped and turned back to look at Jax. He stood, watching him talking on his cell phone for several minutes, paying close attention to his every movement, trying to find anything that would give him a better understanding of this young man. Finally he turned and walked away without saying anything more.

Just as Jax was finishing his last phone call, Ned and Lois came out of Brenda's room. They came over to where Jax was standing. "Well? How is she?" Jax asked.

Lois smiled at him. "She seems to be okay. I mean, she's kind of spacey from all the medication they gave her, but I think she's okay." She looked over at Ned before continuing, "She told us to go home and get some rest. Then she fell asleep while we were talking." Lois wrapped her arm around Ned. "Why don't we do what she said? Why don't we all go back to the gatehouse and get some rest? We can come back and see her in the morning." She looked from Ned to Jax.

"You guys go ahead. I promised Alan I'd stay with Brenda tonight. He said she was worried that Corrinthos might come back, and Alan wants her to stay as calm as possible. He seems to think that my staying with her will help her, so I told him I would." Jax put a hand on Lois's shoulder. "You guys go on home. You look exhausted." With that said, Jax leaned over and kissed Lois on the cheek. He gave Ned a gentle slap on the shoulder as he walked past him and into Brenda's room.

Ned and Lois watched through the window as Jax sat down on the stool next to Brenda's bed and took her hand in his. They stood watching for several minutes as Jax slowly reached over and stroked the side of Brenda's face while never letting go of her hand. Finally Lois leaned her head on Ned's shoulder and they turned and walked away, confident that Brenda was in good hands.

6:45 A.M.

Brenda slowly opened her eyes. The brightness of the overhead lights bothered her eyes, so it took a minute or two for them to adjust. When she was finally able to see clearly, she looked around the room. When she turned to her right, what she saw there brought a smile to her face: Jax was sitting in the chair next to her bed, sound asleep. Apparently one of the nurses had come in during the night and covered him with a blanket. With several locks of his hair drooping onto his forehead Brenda couldn't help thinking how much he looked like a little boy. While Brenda was watching him sleep, she hadn't noticed the nurse come in to check on her.

"Good morning! I'm glad to see you're awake," the nurse said, as she came over to the side of Brenda's bed and began taking her vital signs. When she saw the smile on Brenda's face, she looked over to where Brenda's attention was focused. She couldn't resist the urge to smile herself. "He's been here all night, holding your hand," she said. "We finally convinced him to relax in that chair about 5:30 this morning. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep though, after we convinced him that you were sleeping peacefully."

Brenda finally looked away from Jax and at the nurse. "Do you know why he stayed?" She vaguely remembered him promising to stay with her, but she wasn't sure if that had been reality - no one had ever made that kind of promise to her before - or a dream.

The nurse was surprised by Brenda's question. "I asked him that about 4:00 this morning, when I was trying to get him to go get some rest. He said he stayed because he promised you he would. He also said that he told Dr. Quartermaine that he would stay since his presence seemed to calm you. How are you feeling? Any pain?" The nurse began making note of Brenda's vital signs in her chart. She waited for an answer to her question, so she could indicate it in the chart as well.

"Not really, I still feel a little out of it though. Would it be okay if you raised the bed a little? I hate laying flat on my back like this." Brenda looked up at the nurse as she finished making note of Brenda's remarks in the chart. After looking over the physician's notes she set the chart down, reached for the remote control for the bed, and started to raise it. She raised Brenda's head level to about a thirty-degree angle. "That's much better, thanks," Brenda said.

At the sound of the bed being raised, Jax opened his eyes. It took a few seconds for him to remember where he was, but as soon as he did he immediately looked over at Brenda, surprised to see her awake. "Hey there, what are you doing awake?" he asked with a smile. He slowly got up from the chair and came over to sit on the stool next to the bed.

"I should be the one asking you that! The nurse tells me you didn't get to sleep until just a little while ago. Why didn't you go home and get some decent sleep?" Jax could see in her eyes that regardless of what she said, she was glad he had stayed.

"Don't you remember? When I saw you after..." Jax shuddered slightly at the memory of Brenda's crisis last night. "I promised you when you were in the trauma unit that I wouldn't leave. Besides, I told Alan I'd stay with you. He seemed to think you'd sleep easier if I was here." He reached over and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "How are you?" he asked with a slight smile.

Brenda returned his smile the best she could. "Considering that everything after we walked out of Luke's last night is pretty much a blur and that I hurt in places I didn't even know I had, I have to admit I don't feel too bad." She looked him up and down. "You, on the other hand, have DEFINITELY looked better!" She laughed softly but stopped immediately when she was hit with a stabbing pain in her ribs.

Jax noticed her grimace. "Are you okay? Should I get the nurse back in here?" Jax started to get up from the stool, but stopped when he felt Brenda's hand on his arm.

"No, Jax, I'm fine - really! It just hurts when I laugh, that's all." Brenda made another attempt at a smile. "Why don't you go back to the hotel and get some decent sleep? I'll be okay here... alone." She hoped that the sudden attack of fear she felt had not been obvious in her voice.

Jax had noticed the fear return to Brenda's voice. He knew immediately what she was afraid of. "I think I'll stick around for a while, at least until Alan comes by to check on you. After all, I did promise him I'd stay, and I wouldn't want him to think that I wasn't a man of my word." He winked quickly at Brenda. "Besides, Ned and Lois said they'd be back this morning. It seems that 'someone' fell asleep during their visit last night!" He tapped her lightly on the nose.

Relieved that he was staying but not exactly sure why, Brenda returned his smile. "Weeell... I guess I can put up with you for a little longer." Brenda reached for Jax's hand and suddenly got very serious. "Jax, thank you for last night. I don't remember a lot about what happened, but I do remember Sonny..." She shuddered and tightened her hold on Jax's hand.

"It's okay, Brenda. He's gone now. He won't come near you again." He reached over and softly caressed the side of her face, pushing her hair back at the same time. He was surprised to see the deep purple bruise that had formed overnight on her cheek and up almost to her hairline on the right side of her face. No wonder Dr. Jones was so sure she had a concussion. She must have landed pretty hard on the side of her face. "I promised you last night that he would not come near you again, and I meant it!"

Jax took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing, "Do you remember anything he said to you last night?" He could see the panic starting to build in her eyes. "Never mind! Forget I even mentioned him!" He desperately wanted to get her mind off of Sonny, but could see that it wasn't working. He was surprised though to see the panic in her eyes suddenly start to subside. "Are you okay?"

Brenda reached over and held his hand in both of hers. "I'm okay, Jax, thanks to you. All I remember about when Sonny was in my room was waking up and calling for you. The nurses must have thought he was you because they seemed to back away from us, like they wanted to give us some privacy." Brenda took a long, slow breath before continuing, "Anyway, when I felt someone touch the side of my face, I thought it was you, so I called your name. Suddenly I heard his voice telling me to forget about you - that he was going to take care of me!" She looked up at Jax. "At that moment, I was so scared that all I could think to do was scream for you."

When he felt her shudder at the memory, he bent down and kissed her softly on the forehead. "That was when Ned and I came rushing into your room. Just as we got there, two of the residents were dragging him out. I have to tell you, Brenda, it took every ounce of strength I had left not to beat him to a pulp right there!" He looked deeply into her eyes. "The only reason I didn't was because I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said with that gentle, little boy smile she was finding herself getting very used to. "Anyway, the residents turned him over to the PCPD, who handcuffed him and took him over to the ER. Ned told me that the last he saw of Sonny he was trying to explain things to his wife!"

Before she had a chance to respond Brenda yawned. "Sorry about that. I don't know what's with me. I just woke up, and I feel like I haven't slept for a week!"

Jax smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll be right here when you wake up." Without saying anything Brenda just nodded, closed her eyes, and was asleep again almost immediately. Jax sat next to her for a while. Once he was sure she was sleeping soundly, he went back over to the chair and closed his eyes.

A few minutes after leaving Brenda's room, the nurse noticed a man getting off the elevator. She recognized him from the description she had been given by security as Sonny Corrinthos. She immediately let the guard on Brenda's door know. The guard glanced into Brenda's room and saw both Brenda and Jax sound asleep. He turned his attention back to the approaching figure as he radioed for backup in the ICU. By the time Sonny reached the nurses' desk, two additional guards were approaching from the stairway. The guard on Brenda's door had positioned himself in the center of the door to prevent anyone entering the room.

Sonny was so intent on seeing Brenda that he had not noticed the two security guards walking behind him. When he got to the nurses' station, he impatiently tapped on the counter to get the nurse's attention. When she looked up at him, he could see that she recognized him. Confident that this would pave the way for him to get what he wanted, he smiled broadly at her. "I'm here to see Brenda Barrett. Where is her room?"

"I'm sorry, sir. The patients in ICU have very restricted visiting hours. You'll have to come back later." She turned her attention back to the chart she was reading.

Surprised by her brush-off, Sonny pressed the issue. "Don't you know who I am? Your silly visiting rules don't apply to me. Now tell me where her room is!" Sonny could feel the anger starting to build.

The nurse slowly stood up and looked him right in the eyes. "I know exactly who you are, Mr. Corinthos, and it doesn't mean a thing in this unit. Ms. Barrett is a critically injured patient under my care, and she will be given the full advantage of this unit and its rules." The nurse glanced over at the security officers, who were standing off to the side behind him, before she continued, "As a result of the ongoing police investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Barrett's injuries, her visitors are being severely restricted. Since your name does not appear on her approved visitors list, Mr. Corinthos, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She signaled for the guards to approach. "These gentlemen will escort you to the elevator. Please do not attempt to see Ms. Barrett again while she is a patient in this unit." With that said, the nurse sat back down and returned to her reading.

Sonny was stunned by her attitude. When he felt the guards behind him, he knew it was hopeless to try to see Brenda. He figured that her visitors were probably being restricted to just Ned, Lois, and maybe the Quartermaines anyway. As he was turning to leave he glanced up and was shocked by what he saw. In the room directly behind the nurse's station, he saw Brenda sleeping. What he could not believe was who he saw sleeping in the chair next to her bed - PRETTY BOY!

Sonny held up his hand to the guards who were approaching him. "Wait a second; I need to ask one more question." He turned his attention back to the nurse sitting in front of him. "If her visitors are being restricted, what is HE doing in there?" Sonny pointed over the nurse's shoulder at Jax.

Without even looking up from her work, the nurse answered, "Mr. Jacks is on the approved visitors list. Dr. Quartermaine left orders for him to be allowed to spend as much time as possible with Ms. Barrett." She looked up coldly at Sonny. "Apparently, Ms. Barrett is in fear for her life at the possibility of a return visit from YOU!! She requested that Mr. Jacks remain with her, and Dr. Quartermaine agreed." Looking back down at the chart in front of her, she continued, "Now, if you don't mind, this conversation is over!" She looked up at the guards. "Officers, Mr. Corinthos is ready to leave now." The security officers came up close behind him, one of them putting a hand on Sonny's shoulder.

Sonny took one last look into Brenda's room before turning and storming off toward the elevators. Now, more than ever, he decided he was going to destroy this punk! Who did he think he was? NOBODY moved in on his woman - especially not this pretty boy! Sonny was so deeply involved in planning Jax's destruction that he didn't notice when the elevator doors opened. As a result he walked right into Ned and Lois.

"What the hell are you doing here, Corinthos?" Ned asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see Brenda." Sonny turned his attention to Lois as he continued, "I thought you were Brenda's friend! How could you let that punk anywhere near her?" Before Lois could respond, Sonny started again, "You know as well as I do that she and I belong together! Why on earth would you let that punk try to make time with my woman?"

Ned had heard just about all he could take. He started for Sonny, but Lois held him back. She planted herself right in his face before answering him. "You want to know something, Sonny? I used to think people were misjudging you. I don't mean about your work. I know how you make your money, and that's not what I'm talking about. I knew that the Sonny Corrinthos that I grew up with was nothing like the monster people kept telling me about. He would never do the cruel things that people said he did!" The coldness in Lois's voice sent a chill down Sonny's spine. "But you know what, Sonny? I was wrong! You are that evil! What happened last night only proves it!"

Sonny tried to respond, but Lois shook her head to stop him. "Let me finish! You treated Brenda like dirt when you broke it off with her, and you continued to torment her until she was afraid to go out of the house. Don't deny it, Sonny; we both know it's true!" She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I brought Jax to Port Charles, I had no idea anything would develop between them. When I arranged for them to meet, I didn't expect anything to come of it, except that maybe they'd both have some fun. But you know what? Something did happen between them. I haven't seen Brenda this happy and this relaxed in a long time! You are not going to ruin that for her! Just because you are a miserable man, don't try to make her miserable as well! She's paid her dues for having loved you, and she's ready to move on. Why don't you do the same?"

Lois reached for Sonny's arm before continuing, "Leave them alone, Sonny! Go home to your wife, and let Brenda get on with her life! Maybe it'll be with Jax and maybe it won't. One thing I do know is that it WON'T be with you!"

When Lois finished, Ned signaled for the guards to take Sonny away. As they led him onto the elevator, he kept yelling that Brenda belonged to him now and forever, and anyone who got in the way of that would have to pay! As the elevator doors closed on him, Lois couldn't help but shudder. She hugged Ned for a long time until she calmed down enough to go see Brenda. When they turned to go into the ICU, they were both surprised to see Jax standing in the doorway smiling. He had obviously heard everything Lois had said.

Since Brenda was still asleep, Jax stayed in the waiting area talking with Ned and Lois for a while. Finally, after making sure they would both stay until Brenda woke, Jax excused himself to go get some coffee and make some phone calls. He returned to the ICU about an hour later and was surprised at what he saw. As he approached Brenda's room, he saw that the door was open and the guard was standing off to the side. As he got to the doorway, he couldn't believe his eyes: Brenda was no longer asleep in the bed. Instead she was sitting in the chair, talking with Ned and Lois. He was amazed at the difference in her. She was still very pale and he was sure the bruises on her face were even darker than before, but her attitude was different. She was smiling as she talked to Ned and Lois.

It wasn't until he stepped the rest of the way into the room that he realized that Alan Quartermaine was also there. In fact it was Alan who first noticed him. "Jax, I'm glad you're back. What do you think of our patient here?" He smiled paternally at Brenda as he spoke. "Quite a change, don't you think?"

Jax walked over to Brenda's chair and stooped down. He put his hand on top of hers and smiled at her before answering, "Amazing!" Directing his full attention to Brenda he asked, "How are you feeling?"

Brenda returned his smile. "Well, I still hurt in places I didn't even know I had, but I think I feel better." She looked up at Alan and winked. "In fact, I'm feeling so good that I think I'll take a little walk." She could feel her smile grow as she saw the shocked expression come across Jax's face. "Want to come along?" she asked innocently.

Jax looked quickly over at Alan. "Are you sure about this?" When Alan nodded his approval, Jax turned his attention back to Brenda. "Okay, how far are you planning to walk?" he asked nervously.

Brenda couldn't keep herself from laughing at the expression on Jax's face. As soon as she did though she grabbed at her ribs. "Ouch! It still hurts to laugh!" She could see the concern on Jax's face for her, and she found herself comforted by it. "Well, actually I was thinking of a kind of long walk, like from this chair to the door and back!" She looked innocently up at Jax.

Realizing that he was being put on, Jax joined in on the fun. "Oh, I guess I could manage that long of a walk." He winked over at Alan. "You might have to give me a little help coming back though. I'm not sure I'm up to THAT long of a walk."

"Sounds fair to me!"

Jax stood up and held out his arm for her. "Madam" was all he said. Brenda put both hands on his arm and tried to pull herself up. When he saw how much pain she was in, trying to stand on her own this way, Jax reached under her arms and slowly lifted her to a standing position. Once he was sure she was stable on her feet, he slowly pulled his arms away. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Brenda smiled weakly at him. "Yeah, I'm fine." She tried to take a step on her own, but quickly grabbed hold of Jax's arm. "On second thought, I think I might need a little help." Jax quickly stood next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tucking his hand under her arm at her waist. They took slow steps until they reached the door. When they got there, Brenda turned to come back. She took one step and stopped. She leaned back against Jax, totally exhausted. "I don't think I can make it back to the chair." Jax immediately picked her up and carried her back, not to the chair but to the bed. He gently laid her down and Lois pulled the covers up over her as Jax stepped back.

"I think that's enough activity for today. Why don't you try to get some rest now?" Alan looked directly at Brenda's visitors as he spoke. Lois quickly leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, as did Ned.

Jax seemed reluctant to leave, but a direct stare from Alan told him that this time the order included him as well. He came over and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. When he saw the concern in her eyes that he was leaving, he smiled gently at her. "I won't be far. You get some rest, and I'll come back and see you when you wake up." He kissed her again and slowly lowered the head of her bed a little.

Alan held the door open for them to leave. Once they were all out in the waiting area, Lois was the first to say anything. "Alan, is she really doing okay? I mean, she didn't even have the energy to walk to the door and back!" Lois's concern for Brenda was obvious in her voice.

Alan smiled reassuringly at all of them. "She's doing remarkably well. To be honest with you, I didn't think she'd make it to the chair, let alone walk to the door this soon!" He looked at the notes the nurses had made in Brenda's chart and his own observations before continuing, "I think it will be safe to move her to a private room later today - providing she doesn't have any setbacks from her walk."

Alan kept his promise. Brenda was moved to a private room late that afternoon. The guard remained at her door after the move. Once she was settled in her room, Alan, Jax, Ned, and Lois discussed her visitors' list with her, making sure to include those people she wanted to see and exclude those she did not. Lois was surprised when Brenda had asked that her friend Robin Scorpio be excluded from visiting her. She decided to ask her about it when she came back later to visit. When Brenda's dinner arrived, they all left, promising to be back after they ate.

Once they finished dinner - this time at the Floating Rib, a restaurant directly across the street from the hospital, instead of the hospital cafeteria - they headed back to the hospital. When his cell phone rang as they were walking into the lobby Jax told the others to go ahead without him. He asked that they tell Brenda he'd be up as soon as he finished his call.

Ned and Lois were shocked when they walked into Brenda's room. There were at least a dozen exotic flower arrangements spread around the room! "Jeez! Where did all of these come from?" Lois asked as she looked around the room.

Brenda smiled at her. "They're all from Jax! They're from all over the world, Lois! Look at the cards!" She handed Lois a stack of the little cards that had been attached to each arrangement or plant. "I can't believe he did all of this!" Neither could Ned or Lois.

Before they had a chance to say anything about the flowers, Ned's cell phone rang. "Excuse me," he said, as he headed out the door to answer the call.

Once they were alone, Lois sat on the stool next to Brenda's bed and started fidgeting with the edge of her covers. After a minute of trying to figure out how to ask, she decided to just charge ahead with her question. "Why didn't you put Robin on your visitors list, Brenda? I thought you guys were friends?"

Brenda had been expecting this question ever since this afternoon. "I had to, Lois. She's always talking about Sonny, and I couldn't take that right now. I know that the major reason she'd come to see me would be to report back to Sonny. I'm positive she'd try to convince me that I'm all wrong about him and that I should take him back on any terms!" Brenda took a slow breath before continuing, " Don't get me wrong: I love her like a little sister, but she has a big blind spot when it comes to him."

Lois was shocked by Brenda's answer. It was suddenly obvious that something had changed - for the better, in her opinion - about Brenda's feelings about Sonny. She couldn't help but wonder if Jax had anything to do with this change of heart? "Do you really think she'd do that, Bren - spy on you for him?"

A kind of sadness came across Brenda's face. "I'm afraid that she would. I don't think she'd see it as spying though. She loves him Lois, and she wants him to be happy. Unfortunately for me, he's convinced her that I'm the only thing that can make him happy!"

"And you don't see it that way anymore?" Lois asked.

Brenda thought for a minute before answering, "Now that I can look back on our relationship, Lois, I don't think I ever was."

Brenda continued to make a rapid recovery over the next several days. In addition to her physical recovery, her spirits continued to improve as well. Lois was convinced this was because of the tremendous amount of attention that Jax was paying to her. Everyone knew she was feeling better when she started complaining about the hospital food, especially the dinners. As a result, there were repeated notes in her chart about her failure to eat her meals. It got to the point that Alan had to tell her that if she didn't start eating, he was not going to be able to release her. Reluctantly she agreed to try harder.

When dinner came that night she had to admit that it smelled much better than any of the meals she had received. When she lifted the cover off her plate, she was surprised to see several take-out containers of Chinese food. As she was starting to reach for her call button, she was startled by the sound of Jax's voice, "Please tell me you like Chinese food!"

When Brenda looked over at the door, what she saw took her breath away: Jax, leaning against the doorframe with his ankles crossed, holding a box full of take-out food cartons in his hands. "Actually, I love Chinese food! How did you know?"

He smiled as he walked the rest of the way into her room. "Just a hunch!" He set the box down on the chair next to the bed. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I ordered a little bit of everything. Are you game?" he asked, as he started opening cartons. When she smiled and nodded her approval, he reached for a pair of chopsticks and handed them to her. "Hope you can handle these; the restaurant doesn't have forks."

"I've never tried them, but I'm willing to give them a try!" After a few instructions from Jax and several dropped mouthfuls of food, Brenda mastered the chopsticks. They spent the next hour sampling every one of the containers. Neither of them noticed that the hallway door had been left open. Several people walking past looked into the room and smiled at the sound of their laughter.

Even the guard was amused by their antics, especially when Jax started feeding her. Seeing that she was in good hands, the guard took the opportunity to take a restroom break. He didn't figure to be gone more than 2 or 3 minutes.

Sonny had been watching the guard from the corner of the hallway. When he saw him leave, he knew his chance had come. He walked quickly down the hall to Brenda's room. What he saw through the open door stopped him in his tracks: Jax was sitting on the side of Brenda's bed, feeding her Chinese food! Both of them were laughing and totally oblivious of their surroundings. Sonny stood watching them for several minutes, feeling his anger and his hatred of Jax building. It wasn't until he heard the men's room door open that he walked back down the hallway. He turned the corner just before the guard returned.

As he waited for the elevator, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He waited impatiently for the party on the other end to pick up. When they finally did he only said one sentence. "Meet me at the penthouse; I've got a job for you!" He hit the 'end' button just as the elevator doors opened. This punk was going down - whatever it took! As the elevator doors closed, Sonny realized that he had never hated anyone as much as he hated Jasper Jacks!

March 13, 1996

Brenda had been in the hospital a total of eleven days. By the time Alan had told her last night that he was releasing her, she was about ready to climb the walls. Jax had promised to take her home in a limo, but so far he hadn't shown up and she was more than ready to go! Finally when it got to be almost 11:00, she decided she couldn't wait any longer. She called Alan and asked him to come discharge her. Then she asked one of the nurses to call a cab for her. She would give Jax a call when she got home. He was probably tied up trying to salvage some business deal that he had neglected while spending so much time with her.

Her thoughts were disrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," she called out, hoping it was Jax. She was disappointed to see Amy Vining, one of her nurses, come in pushing a wheelchair. "Oh, hi, Amy!" she said, unable to keep her disappointment out of her voice. Noticing the chair, "What's that for?"

"It's for you. Hospital rules say that all patients being discharged have to be wheeled out by a staff member." Amy pushed the chair forward a little. "If you're as anxious to get out of here as I think, why don't you just get in the chair and I'll wheel you out?"

Reluctantly, Brenda got into the chair. As Amy turned the chair back toward the door, Brenda took one last look around the room at all of the flowers. "You won't forget your promise to distribute these around the hospital, will you?" Brenda asked sadly. "I'd hate for all of these beautiful flowers to go to waste."

"I won't forget, Brenda. All I have to say is that Mr. Jacks of yours sure must really be rich! I looked some of those flowers up, and they only grow in one place in the entire world!" Amy said as she pushed Brenda's wheelchair toward the elevators.

Brenda didn't answer. She just nodded slowly. She had never thought about how rich Jax was - it didn't really matter. He was her friend: a friend who, until today, had never broken a promise to her. Brenda's thoughts were pleasantly interrupted by the sound of a very familiar voice.

"And where do you think you're going, Ms. Barrett?" Jax asked, as he came up next to her.

"I'm going home, Mr. Jacks - remember?" Brenda said with a smile. She could not believe how happy she was to see him. She just wasn't sure why.

"I know that part! My question is how were you planning to get there without me? I seem to remember a certain promise about a big, shiny black limo..." Jax stooped down next to her chair, the smile on his face saying far more than he even realized.

"I have a taxi waiting in front of the hospital. I figured you got tied up trying to salvage some business deal that you had neglected. I was going to call you when I got home." Brenda got very serious. "I know you have a business to run, Jax. I also know you've been neglecting that business because of me." She reached over and put her hand on top of his on the arm of the chair. "Thank you for that."

Jax didn't know what to say, so he just cleared his throat and smiled. He stood up again and looked over at Amy. "Would it be okay if I wheel her out?" he asked.

Amy slowly shook her head. "Hospital rules say she has to be accompanied by a responsible staff member." When she saw the look of disappointment come across not just Jax's face, but also Brenda's, she quickly gave in. "Okay! Go!" She covered her eyes. "Just leave the chair in the lobby. I'll send someone down for it on the next elevator!"

Jax and Brenda smiled at each other. Jax got behind the chair and started pushing it toward the elevator. Without even having to push the button, the doors opened just as they got there, causing them both to laugh.

As they crossed the lobby, Brenda noticed a man in uniform approaching them. He met them about halfway across the lobby and handed Jax a cashmere blanket. "What's that for?" Brenda asked.

Jax just smiled at her. "Haven't you looked out the window? It's been snowing like mad all day, not to mention the fact that it's only about 15 degrees!" Just before they got to the doors, Jax stopped pushing the chair. "Can you stand up?" he asked as he held out his hands to help her. Once she was standing he wrapped the blanket around her and lifted her into his arms. When he saw the confused look on her face, he laughed. "In case you didn't notice, when Lois brought your clothes, she forgot to bring you a warm coat or boots! The last thing you need right now is to catch a cold!" He pulled her closer to him before continuing, "Just snuggle down, and I'll carry you to the car." Before Brenda had a chance to answer, Jax started out the doors. The driver had already gone out and was holding the back door of the limo open for them. Jax gently set her in the car and made sure that the blanket was wrapped securely around her before closing the door. He walked around to the other side and got in as the driver closed the door after him.

As they slowly pulled out into traffic Jax again fussed with the blanket. "Are you warm enough? Do you need anything?"

Brenda smiled at him. "Jax, I'm not a baby! You don't have to fuss over me. I'm okay! Really!" Brenda glanced over Jax's shoulder at the buildings going by. "Jax, we missed the turn!"

Jax smiled sheepishly. "Why, Brenda, what do you mean?"

"We were supposed to turn at that corner back there!" She looked up and saw the silly grin on his face. "Where are we going, Jax? Where are you taking me?" She pulled slightly away from him and turned in the seat to face him. She crossed her arms defiantly as she waited for his answer.

Jax's smile got even bigger. "Why, Miss Barrett, isn't it obvious? You're being kidnapped!" Jax laughed out loud at the expression on her face. "So just sit back, relax and enjoy yourself!" He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

Brenda tried to pull away from him, but he was holding her too tightly. She looked up at him and tried to protest, but he put his finger to her lips to stop her. Finally she gave up and relaxed against him, putting her head on his shoulder. It didn't take long for her to realize that being kidnapped by Jax could mean all kinds of things - so she might as well do as he had said and enjoy herself. After all, this was a man who was willing to fly all the way to Ireland for an oyster dinner! Anything was possible! One thing she found herself feeling sure of though, whatever he had planned, it would be fun - probably more fun that she had had in a very long time!