Sonny was quickly losing what little self-control he still had. "You know EXACTLY who I'm talking about! PRETTY BOY! What's he done with my woman?"

Ned and Lois looked at each other, amazed at how Jax could have predicted Sonny's reaction so accurately. "I have no idea what you're talking about Corinthos!" Ned tried his best to sound concerned. "Has something happened to Lily?"

"VERY FUNNY, Ashton! You know I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about Brenda! Where's he taken her?" Sonny demanded.

"What are you saying, Sonny? Brenda isn’t in her room at Kelly's?" Lois, tried to sound frightened, as she walked up to stand right in Sonny's face. "Are you sure? Have you tried calling her?"

"Of course, I have! All I get is that damn answering machine of hers! I sent Jason over there earlier today to check out her room. He said there's no trace of her. He also said it doesn't look like she ever came back there when she got out of the hospital! I checked out pretty boy's room at the hotel and there's no trace of him either!" Without realizing it, Sonny had just admitted to breaking and entering not only Brenda's room at Kelly's but also the Presidential Suite at the Port Charles Hotel - Quartermaine property! Ned made a mental note to have better locks put on not only Brenda's room at Kelly's but also the penthouse at the PC hotel. He also decided to have both rooms checked for listening devices. First things first though, he intended to have a serious talk with both the manager and the head of security at the hotel to make sure that no one other than Jax or his authorized guests got access to the suite again. He also planned to let Ruby know about Jason’s little excursion into Brenda’s room. He was sure once she knew she’d keep closer watch on him when he was in the diner.

"What makes you think that Jax had anything to do with Brenda's disappearance? It could just be a coincidence. I mean, he could have gone to New York on business or something," Lois said innocently.

"Get serious, Lois! I checked on that, too! That fancy plane of his is still at the airport, and there's no record of him on any of the commercial flights out of here in the last day or so, which only means one thing - wherever he went he didn't want anyone to find him!” Sonny stood angrily staring at both of them. “I can't believe the two of you went along with this! You claim that Brenda is your friend, yet you let her go off to God knows where with a total stranger right after getting out of the hospital! What if she has a relapse? What if she needs medial care? " Sonny slowly shook his head. "I should have followed my instincts and taken her out of the hospital myself to a safe house to recover. Then I'd at least know she was getting 'proper' medical care!"

"Hold it right there, Corinthos! Brenda IS our friend! You know she would not have been released from the hospital if Alan and Tony didn't think she was ready to be on her own!” Ned stared right back at Sonny. “You are right about one thing though. We have no idea where she is! When Jax called, all he said was that she was feeling much better. It never occurred to us that she wasn't here in town! In fact, we were planning on going over to Kelly's to see her in the morning." Ned was glad now that Jax had not told either of them where he was taking Brenda.

"That's right, Sonny! If he has taken her somewhere, you can bet that it was with the full approval of her doctors. Unlike you, Jax would never do anything that would endanger Brenda's health!” Lois rested her clenched fists on her hips.

“Yeah well, my money is on pretty boy taking her someplace ridiculous without ever asking her doctors! I'll play your game though. I'm going up to the main house and get Alan to tell me where she is.” He started to leave, but turned back to face them. “Hear me good, you two. When I find out where he’s taken her, he’s gonna regret it! You have my word on that!” Sonny spun on his heel and walked quickly out of the gatehouse, slamming the door behind him.

Once they were sure he was gone, Lois and Ned both collapsed onto the couch. Ned was the first to say anything. “How did Jax know that Sonny was going to react like that? I know I didn’t expect it.” He looked over at Lois for an answer. When he saw the smile on her face he was confused. “What?”

Lois turned to face him. “I have a feeling that Jax simply put himself in Sonny’s shoes. He figured how he would feel if someone took her away without telling him!” She could see the light finally go on behind Ned’s eyes. It had taken him a while, but he now understood what Lois had already figured out – Jax was in love with Brenda!

A huge smile crossed Ned’s face because he had figured out that while she was still in the hospital that Brenda had fallen for Jax. He had been worried then that Jax didn’t return her feelings. He winked at Lois. “It’s a good thing that he didn’t tell anyone then.” Ned got up and walked over to the desk. “Do you know where his cell phone number went? I think we should let Jax know Sonny is on their trail.” He started opening several of the drawers and shuffling through the papers.

Lois came over and handed him his cell phone. “I programmed it into the speed dial and destroyed the paper. I was afraid that Sonny might try snooping around in here to find out where they went.” She took the phone from his hand and pressed the speed dial number.

It only took two rings for Jax to answer. “Jax here.”

"Jax, it's Ned. How are you guys doing?"

"We're doing great. Do you want to talk to Brenda?" He started to head out to the patio. "I think she's out…"

Before he could give any hint as to where they were, Ned interrupted him. "No! Don't say anything else! It's actually you I wanted to talk to." Ned proceeded to tell Jax about the conversation he and Lois had just had with Sonny. "Did you tell Alan where you guys were going?"

While he had been listening to Ned explain what had been happening in Port Charles, Jax had walked back into his bedroom and closed the door, not wanting Brenda to know what they were talking about. "No, I didn't. In fact he told me point blank that he did not want to know. I think he may have suspected that Sonny would pull something like this. All I told him was that I wanted to take her someplace where she could relax and heal. The only thing he knows is what he suggested, which is that she should go someplace warm."

"Good! That should drive Corinthos nuts!" Ned could not resist the urge to chuckle as he imagined the frustrated expression on Sonny's face. "How's she doing anyway?"

"She's doing great! We were just planning to go for a walk when you called. In fact, she's probably wondering where I am right now. I think we'll probably be back in Port Charles in a few days. If Corinthos gives you guys any more trouble before we get back, give me a call." Just as he was ready to hang up, Jax said, "I'll ask Brenda to give Lois a call when we get back from our walk. Okay?"

"Great! I'll tell Lois to expect her call. Be sure she calls on my cell phone number though. We don't know if he's got our phone tapped." Ned wasn't sure how to say what was on his mind, so he decided to just spit it out. "Jax, thanks for doing this for her. The last thing she needs right now is to have to deal with Corinthos!"

Jax smiled. "I'm glad I could do it. Besides, I'm having as much fun as she is!" Jax closed his phone just as there was a light tap at his door. "Come in," he called.

The door opened slowly and Brenda walked in. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

Jax got up from where he was sitting on the bed and walked over to her. "Everything is fine. That was Ned on the phone. I told him you'd give Lois a call when we got back from our walk."

Brenda's face lit up like a lamp. "Really?" She grabbed his hand and started to pull him toward the door. "Let's get going! I can't wait to talk to her!"

Jax planted his feet to stop her. "Brenda, wait! Let's skip the walk. You've already had a pretty busy day. We can take a walk anytime. You go call Lois now. Ned said they were having some phone trouble so you should call his cell phone number. Do you have it?"

Amazed at his concern for her, Brenda smiled. "Absolutely not!" she said as she slowly shook her head. "You promised me a walk and it's a walk we're taking!" She didn't wait for his answer; she tugged his hand again and nodded toward the door. "What do you say?"

He smiled at her. "When you put it like that, what can I say?" Jax bowed slightly. "Your wish is my command, my lady." He quickly kissed her hand before they headed out the door.

As they got to the bottom of the beach stairs, Brenda automatically wrapped her arm around Jax. Neither of them seemed aware of the need they had both developed to be close to each other. Holding hands or wrapping their arms around each other had become an unconscious act in the last two days. It wasn't until they returned to the foot of the stairs at the end of their walk that she removed her arm, settling instead for holding his hand on the way up the stairs.

When they got back to the patio, Brenda made a direct path to the chaise, where the cordless phone was setting on the table next to it. Realizing that a call on that phone could possibly be traced, Jax quickly grabbed it from her. When he saw her startled expression he handed her his cell phone. "Why don't you use this phone? Remember, I've seen you talk on the phone. You tend to walk as you talk!" He smiled at the confusion on her face. She wasn't sure whether to protest or agree with him. "If you use the cell phone, you can roam anywhere you want without worrying if you're out of range."

Still slightly confused, Brenda quickly stuck her tongue out at him and took the cell phone. "Thanks," she said sarcastically, settling herself comfortably on the chaise. As she started to dial, she saw Jax heading into the house. "Where are you going?"

He turned back to her with a smile. "I thought I'd give you a little privacy for your call. I'll be in the living room. We can have dinner when you're done." He turned back and went through the door.

It was the strangest thing: he had just left and she already missed him! She actually missed him! Brenda couldn't believe she felt this way. She had only known him for a couple of months! How could this be possible? She had promised herself that she was never going to feel like this again! It wasn't until she heard the sound of Lois's voice that her mind stopped racing. "Hello there, girlfriend!" she said brightly.

"BRENDA! How are you? It's so good to hear your voice! Are you having fun?" Lois was thrilled to hear her friend's voice.

"I’m having a wonderful time! Lo, you would not believe this place! Did you know Jax was going to bring me out…" before she had a chance to say where they were Lois interrupted her.

"Brenda, don't tell me where you are! Wait ‘til you get home! Then I want to hear about every detail of what you're doing!" Even though they were on the cell phone, Lois didn't want to take any chances that someone could be listening. "I'm just glad to hear that you're feeling better!"

Lois's insistence on not knowing where she was immediately made Brenda suspicious. "Lois? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I just want to wait until you get home so I can hear all the details!" Lois hoped that Brenda would not press the issue. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep from telling her about Sonny's threats if she did. "How are you feeling? Are you getting enough rest? Do you have any idea when you'll be back?"

"I feel great! Except for these pills Alan still has me taking, it's like the accident never happened! You don't have to worry about me getting enough rest; Jax makes sure I get plenty of rest. And Charles, he's the butler, he makes sure I take my pills when I'm supposed to. Would you believe Jax has even gotten me to eat breakfast?" Brenda had to smile at the memory of their breakfast 'discussion' this morning.

"As to coming home, to tell you the truth, I don't really know when I'll be home! Jax is in charge of the itinerary for this trip, so we're pretty much following his schedule. If I had to guess, I'd say in a few days. He can't stay away from his office forever, regardless of what he says!" Brenda's mind drifted back to her earlier conversation with Jax.

"Sounds to me like we'll be seeing you when we see you!" Lois said with a chuckle. "Have fun, and I'll see you when you get back! Be sure to keep an entire afternoon open as soon as you get back 'cause I want to hear about EVERYTHING you guys are doing! Say ‘hi’ to tall, blond, and handsome for me! Bye bye!" Lois clicked off the phone before Brenda even got a chance to say goodbye.

As she closed the flap on Jax's phone, Brenda couldn’t help but wonder what was going on back in Port Charles that had made Lois so nervous. Suddenly she figured out what was wrong – Sonny! He must have found out that she was gone and stormed over to demand that Lois tell him where she was. She realized now that Jax had told neither Ned nor Lois where they were going, just in case something like this happened! She couldn't resist the urge to shudder when she thought of everything that Sonny was capable of. She decided that now more than ever they HAD to go back to Port Charles! There was no telling what he would do to Jax if he found out where they were!

Jax stood in the doorway watching her. He could tell that something had upset her and figured it probably had something to do with Sonny. He walked quietly out to stand behind her. When she didn’t seem to know he was there, he gently put his hands on her shoulders, which caused her to jump. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” He came around and sat down on the chaise next to hers. He could see the fear in her eyes. “Brenda? What is it? Did something happen back in Port Charles?” He took both of her hands in his as he waited for her to answer.

As tears started to form in the corners of her eyes, she slowly nodded her head. It was harder than she had expected to tell him that they had to go back. “We can’t stay here any longer, Jax. We have to go back to Port Charles right away!”

The intensity of her statement startled Jax. “Why? What’s happened?” He slowly rubbed his thumbs across the tops of her hands. “Are Lois and Ned okay?” Brenda just nodded. “Well, if they’re okay, why do we have to go back so soon?” He was sure he knew the answer, but he wasn't going to let Sonny ruin this trip for her – for EITHER of them. He was just beginning to realize how important being here alone with her had become, and he wasn't ready to go back yet! "This isn't about my being away from work again, is it?" He looked at her with a playful smile. "Because you know we’ve already settled that argument!" He was relieved when he saw her finally smile, as she shook her head. "GOOD! Then it's settled! We're staying!"

Brenda started to say something, but Jax just held up his hand to stop her. He suddenly felt the need to reassure her that no one knew where they were. "No! Listen to me, Brenda: no one knows where we are. A friend of mine owns that plane we flew out on, so there is no record of us leaving Port Charles. Since it was a corporate jet, the pilot didn't have to file a passenger list, so even if someone should want to check, they'd have no way of knowing who was on the plane. The people at the airport don't know me, and you were all covered up with that blanket or snuggled next to me when we were in the corporate lounge. Even if someone were looking for us, there would be no one who could positively identify you as being at the airport. The limo driver, who picked us up at the hospital and brought us to the airport, works for my family and is already back in New York. Besides, even if someone did track him down, he's worked for the family for years and is not about to talk to anyone about us. Even if he did, he doesn’t have anything to tell, other than having taken a lady and me to the airport. He doesn't know where we are now." Jax was relieved to see her starting to relax.

Brenda was starting to feel safe again, when she remembered Jax telling her he had checked with her doctors before bringing her here. "What about Alan and Tony? You said you talked to them before we left. Don't they know where we are? I mean, someone might convince one of them to tell!"

Jax was now convinced that Sonny was the reason for Brenda's fears, and he became more determined than ever that they should stay. "Tony and Alan already had your prescriptions filled before you were discharged so there's no record anywhere. As to where we are, all they know is that I wanted to take you someplace warm and peaceful so you could relax and recuperate. If anyone should ask them, all they could say was that we are probably someplace warm that's anywhere between 4-6 hours flying time from Port Charles. Do you have any idea how many places fit that description?" Jax chuckled as he remembered his conversation with Tony and Alan. "I admit I suggested the warm and peaceful, but they insisted on the 4-6 hour flight limit." Jax smiled at her. "Come on, luv – relax. No one's going to find us, so let's just enjoy the rest of our time here!"

Brenda just sat staring at him for a long time before answering, realizing for the first time since her breakup with Sonny that she actually felt safe! Safe not only from the violence of Sonny's lifestyle, but more importantly, she also felt safe from Sonny! She swung her legs over the side of the chaise, so that she was facing him, and reached over to cup the side of Jax's face with her hand as she smiled. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

Jax took her hand and pulled her over in front of him on his chaise. He had his legs on each side of the chaise when he pulled her over, so she sat in front of him and extended her legs. Once she was comfortable, he brought his legs up on each side of her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist and leaned back taking her with him.

Brenda snuggled back against his chest and sighed. She had no idea how he had done it, but he had managed to relieve all of her fears. She knew now, for reasons she could not explain, that nothing was going to ruin this trip! She had every intention of enjoying herself. They sat silently staring at the sunset until they were interrupted by Charles discreetly clearing his throat to inquire about their dinner plans.

March 18, 1996

3:30 P.M.

The last three days had been a whirlwind of sightseeing and shopping excursions around LA. They had visited all of the regular tourist sights, as well as some places that Brenda had never heard of before. This afternoon had been spent back on Rodeo Drive, where they had started out. Brenda's fears of spending Jax's money on a new wardrobe had long since vanished, as proven by the number of bags he was now carrying. Instead of getting tired, she seemed to be energized by the shopping.

Brenda stopped suddenly in front of a small designer shop, staring at a red pantsuit in the window. When she looked at Jax, he smiled and nodded his head. Brenda did what Jax had come to call the Brenda dance just before heading into the shop. Because of the large number of bags he was carrying, Jax decided to wait outside while she went in to get the suit. It had not taken long for the sales associate to come to the window and remove the suit. She looked over at Jax, who smiled at her and nodded his approval. About ten minutes later, Brenda came out wearing the suit. She handed Jax the bag containing the clothes she had been wearing, as well as a new pair of shoes to go with the suit. She modeled the suit for him when she came out, waiting for his reaction. He smiled broadly at her and applauded as best he could, considering what he was carrying.

As they headed off down the street, Brenda put on the sunglasses that he had given her when they first arrived. "Where to next?" she asked excitedly. She started toward a shoe store, where something in the window had caught her eye.

Jax grabbed her arm. "Hold on! Isn't it about time we took a break? Aren't you getting tired?" He led her over toward a bench, where he set the bags down. "I think it's time we call it quits for today so you can get some rest."

Brenda plunked herself down on the bench next to the packages. The only way Jax could describe her expression was that of a petulant child. It took all of his self-control not to burst out laughing. Hoping to change his mind about going home, Brenda quickly came up with a suggestion. "How about if we take all of this stuff back to the car and then have a cup of coffee someplace. If I'm tired when we finish, we can go back to the house?" She looked expectantly at Jax, hoping he'd agree.

Realizing it was futile to argue, Jax agreed. They walked back to the lot where they had parked the car and put everything into the trunk. Once they were finished, they walked a short distance down the block and stopped at a stand to get some coffee. Not wanting to sit still, Brenda convinced Jax that they should take a leisurely walk through the small park across from the stand as they drank their coffee. He reluctantly agreed when he saw that look of determination in her eyes that he had come to know so well. They walked in silence for a while, just drinking their coffee. By the time they got to the walk along the edge of the small lake, they had finished their coffee. Jax took their cups over to the nearby trash container while Brenda waited for him by the lake.

When he got back, she looked up at him with a big smile. "That was nice. Where to next?"

Jax looked down at her and slowly shook his head in exasperation. "Home! You've had quite enough for today!" He smiled at the expression on her face. "You know I love it when you get that look on your face. It's perfect for the next print ad for Jacks Cosmetics!"

For the first time that she could remember, Brenda was speechless. When she was finally able to speak, she looked up at him and said, "What are you talking about? You know I'm under contract to Deception!"

He slowly ran his thumb under her chin. "I know that. I also know that your contract comes up for renewal in a few weeks, so you are free to negotiate with another company at this point." He could see the confusion in her face.

"That's true, Jax, but I would never leave Lucy! She gave me my start in modeling. If it hadn't been for her taking a chance on me, I’d hate to think what I might be doing now. I'd probably be sitting in some boring college business management class that my sister would have insisted that I take!" Brenda shuddered when she thought about her last argument with Julia about her choice – or rather 'lack' of choice – for her career. It had been the end of their tenuous relationship.

Jax couldn't help chuckling. "I understand your loyalty, luv, but this was actually Lucy's idea." He laughed outloud when he saw the look of complete confusion come across her face. "Let me explain. Lucy came to see you at the hospital a couple of days after your accident, but you were asleep when she got there so she left without talking to you. When she saw me in the hallway coming back to your room, she cornered me with a business proposition concerning Deception." He could see that Brenda was following the story so far.

"She had gotten wind from someone that Edward Quartermaine was planning to sell the company to someone named Katherine Bell, and she wanted to get it first. She handed me a proposal for merging Deception with Jacks Cosmetics. Since one is a perfume company and the other a cosmetics company, it sounded like a good idea. After I read her proposal, I agreed to finance the purchase under the provision that I was not named in the actual purchase. She would purchase the company outright in her name. I would simply finance it through one of my holding companies. Then after the final papers were signed, we would merge the two companies with her as CEO."

Brenda understood now. "Oh, I get it. Lucy steals the company from Katherine, and you make a ton of money!" She laughed at the expression on Jax's face. She thought he looked like a little boy who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar! "That wasn't meant as a criticism, Jax - more like amazement at how these deals fall right into your lap! No wonder you weren't worried about getting back to New York. You're making a fortune in Port Charles!"

She suddenly turned very serious. "Do you really think I can handle being the model for Jacks Cosmetics? Jax, that company sells their products all over the world! Shouldn't you use a more well-known model?"

Jax could see something in her eyes that he had not seen before: insecurity. "Absolutely not, Brenda. You're exactly what we need. I have a feeling that under Lucy's control, the image of Jacks Cosmetics is going to change - drastically!" When he still saw that look, he put his hand up to cup her cheek. He smiled at her and pulled off her sunglasses. "Besides, do you actually think Lucy would let you go? She's as loyal to you as you are to her. She already told me in no uncertain terms that we had to bring you along or she would go elsewhere for the financing." He was relieved when he saw the insecurity quickly disappear. "What do you say? Will you think about it?"

Brenda put her hand on top of his and smiled up at him. "When you put it that way, how can I refuse?" She was startled when Jax pulled her into a hug. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around him to return the hug. They stood wrapped around each other for several minutes, Jax resting his cheek against the top of her head and she resting her ear against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

Finally they pulled apart. "I guess we should head home. It's getting late," Jax said, as he extended his hand to her. "What do you say, Ms. Barrett? Ready to call it a day?"

She had to admit she was getting tired. "Oh, I guess so. I have to admit I am a little tired." With that, she took his hand and they headed slowly back to the parking lot.

They had barely gotten off Rodeo Drive when Brenda found herself fighting to stop a yawn. In no time at all she was snuggling down in the seat, resting her head on Jax's shoulder. Before she knew it, she had fallen sound asleep. Jax glanced over at her and smiled. He felt surprisingly happy at the sight of her sleeping on his shoulder. When he stopped for a light, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He drove the rest of the way home thinking about how everything had changed - at least for him. He was pretty sure Brenda was feeling the same way. What he needed to figure out now was how to tell her!

Brenda was startled when she woke and found that she was no longer in the car. It took a moment for her to realize where she was exactly – in Jax’s arms! She didn’t move at first, feeling remarkably comfortable with his strong arms around her and her head resting on his shoulder. Eventually though she did lift her head to see where they were going. She was surprised to see that he was carrying her out to the patio. “Jax, where are you taking me?” she asked as she looked around. “Put me down! I’m perfectly capable of walking!” Jax smiled at her when he saw that she was finally awake. He ignored her request to be put down though and continued across the patio. When they were next to the smaller of the two side pools Brenda again demanded to be put down. “Jax! Put me down right now!” At just that moment Jax stopped and extended his arms over the pool, giving her the impression he intended to drop her in. “Jax! Don’t you dare!”

“Well, you told me to put you down right now, so I was just doing what you wanted,” he said innocently. He couldn’t help but laugh when he felt her tighten her arms around his neck. He continued carrying her until they got to one of the lounge chairs. He finally set her down at the foot end of the chaise before sitting down next to her, his legs straddling the seat. He reached over and brushed the hair off her face before saying anything. “Is this more what you had in mind?” he asked with a smile.

Unable to say anything, Brenda simply nodded her head. She could not believe what she was feeling. Waking up in his arms like that had stirred up so many feelings that she had promised herself she would never let out again. She didn’t know how to handle them right now. As she looked at his beautiful, smiling face, she realized that she was falling in love with him. How was that possible? After what happened with Sonny, she had promised herself never to let that happen again! But yet she felt so comfortable with Jax, so safe! As she sat silently staring at him, she began to wonder if he felt the same way. After all, he was a man used to having any woman he wanted. Could he be lavishing all of this attention on her just as a ploy to get her to fall for him? She immediately put that thought out of her mind. She knew enough about Jax to know that he was not a user. Whatever the reason he was doing all this for her, he had no ulterior motives. Her problem now was how to find out how he felt about her without letting him know her feelings.

“I want to tell you something,” they both said at once. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Finally Jax took off his sunglasses and said, “You go ahead.”

Taking a deep breath before saying anything, Brenda reached up stroked the side of his face, tilting it down to her. She wanted to be able to see clearly what was in Jax’s eyes as she spoke. She slowly folded her sunglasses in her lap, never looking up as she started to talk. “I just wanted to thank you for everything.” She slowly looked up into his eyes. “I don’t just mean for the wardrobe, although I do have to admit it’s the most amazing amount of money I’ve ever spent on clothes!” She chuckled at the memories of their shopping excursions. “I mean for everything you’ve done – sitting with me in the hospital, flying me out here, letting me stay at your private hideaway! I’ve never had anyone do anything like this for me before! I didn’t know it was possible for someone to make me feel this…” She paused for a moment to pick the right word. “…happy! Jax, you’ve given me something far more valuable than those clothes. You’ve given me back something that I thought I’d lost forever.” She could not believe she was saying these things to him! She also realized that she could not stop herself. “You’ve given me back my peace of mind! I honestly thought it was gone forever!” When she started to feel tears forming in her eyes she stopped talking. She quickly wiped her eyes and smiled. “Sorry about that,” she said with a self-conscious chuckle. She looked up into his eyes. “Your turn. What did you want to say?”

Brenda found herself getting mesmerized. She never noticed the slight smile that came to his lips. She was too busy staring into those beautiful blue eyes. She felt like she could actually see herself in his eyes, and she liked the woman that she saw there. She was brought back to reality when she felt his hands come up and hold her face in his hands.

“It wasn’t that I wanted to say something so much as I wanted to do something.” When he saw the confusion in her eyes, he smiled broadly. “This!” With that he leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth with a passion that Brenda had not expected. One kiss quickly led to another and another, with both of them becoming more lost in what they were doing. Jax’s hands drifted down from the sides of her face to slide slowly down her arms, resting on her hips. His tongue gently brushed the edges of her lips, as their kisses became more intimate.

For her part, Brenda eagerly joined in the kisses. Her hands slid slowly up his arms, until they rested on top of his shoulders. When she felt his tongue caress her lips, she willingly opened them for him, savoring the feel of his tongue on hers. She tightened her arms around his neck, drawing him closer to her as the kisses continued. She could feel her self-control drifting away. She was becoming lost in what they were doing. When she felt his hand caress the side of her breast she suddenly pulled back from him – confused and frightened by what had just happened. “Jax! No!”

Jax leaned back a little and reached up his hand to cup the right side of her face. “Why not, Brenda? Do you know what that was?” He continued without waiting for her to answer. “That was our first kiss – a right proper one, if I do say so myself!” he said with a smile. He could see the fear in her eyes, which made him grow serious again. “Listen to me, Brenda. There is no reason for you to feel frightened by that kiss. That’s all it was – a kiss! Whatever happens next – IF anything happens next – will be totally up to you!” With that said, he turned her around on the chaise so that her back was to him and pulled her back as he slid himself back against the backrest. He brought his legs up on either side of her, as he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel her tension at first, as she refused to lean back against him, but she eventually relaxed as she realized he was telling her the truth: he was not going to push her into anything. “That’s better.” He said as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. They sat in silence for a long time, just staring into the distance. It was obvious to him that Brenda’s mind was racing a mile a minute.

Finally Jax broke the silence. He looked around the side of her face. “Would you like to go for a drive? I’ll put the top down!” He smiled when he saw the slight smile come to her lips. She looked over at him and nodded. Jax slid his left leg down so that she could turn and put her feet on the ground. Once she was standing, he quickly got up and extended his hand to her. “Ready?” he asked with a smile.

Brenda took a deep breath and let it out slowly before reaching for his hand. “Sure, let’s go.” With that, they wrapped their arms around each other and headed through the house and out to the front drive, where Jax had left the car earlier. He grabbed a jacket for himself and one of his sweaters for Brenda, as they walked past the coat rack in the foyer. He threw the coats in the back seat of the car when he opened the door for Brenda.

As promised, before leaving the driveway Jax put the top on the car down. They drove in silence for what seemed like a long time, before Jax finally pulled off to the side of the road. He got out and quickly came around to open the door for Brenda. Since the sun was starting to set already, there was a definite chill in the air, so he helped her put on the sweater he had brought before putting on his jacket. Taking her hand, he led her over to the opposite side of the car and pointed off in the distance. “What do you think?” he asked as he pointed at the city below.

“It’s amazing!” she said as she leaned back against his chest facing away from him. When he wrapped his arm around her shoulders from behind, she reached up and put both of her hands on it. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful.”

Jax smiled softly and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Brenda immediately knew he was not talking about the view. She pulled away from him and walked back toward the car. “Jax, I think we need to talk.” She looked over at him and saw that he had sensed her discomfort. He walked slowly over to where she was standing and lifted her up to sit on the fender of the car, so they could look into each other’s eyes. He moved his hands so they were resting on the fender of the car just outside of her hips.

She slowly ran her hands up and down his arms as she tried to figure out what it was she wanted to say. “I’ve had a wonderful time these last few days, but after what happened this afternoon, I think we should go back to Port Charles.” When she saw that he wanted to say something, she put her hand gently on his mouth. “Wait! Let me finish.” Jax slowly nodded so she took her hand away. “When you kissed me this afternoon, it felt wonderful!” She smiled when she saw the slight blush come to Jax’s cheeks. “But that’s exactly the problem!” She could see the confusion growing in his eyes. “I felt things this afternoon that I had promised myself I was never going to feel again, and it scared me. I’m afraid that if I let something happen between us here in this paradise that when we get back to the real world in Port Charles, it will all fall apart!”

She could see he understood what she was trying to say so she continued, “I’ve loved every minute we’ve spent here, but if I’m going to move forward with my life I have to confront my past. I have to close the door on it. Does that make sense?” she asked with a hint of confusion in her voice.

Jax smiled as he reached up to cup the side of her face. “It makes perfect sense, luv. We’ll go back tomorrow.” The smile left his face as he continued, “I just need you to know that what I said this afternoon holds true; whatever happens next between us, whether it’s just friendship or something more, is totally up to you. For my part I would like us to see what the future holds, but if you’re not ready I’ll wait.” When he saw the small tear run down her cheek, he reached his thumb over and wiped it away. “What’s this about?” he asked soothingly.

Brenda put her hand on top of his. “You are the most amazing man I have ever met, Jasper Jacks! No one has ever given my feelings so much respect before.” Impulsively she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “Thank you for everything. Most of all, thank you for being my friend!” She pulled back from the embrace and smiled at him.

Jax leaned forward and lightly kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re welcome.” He wrapped his arms around her again in another hug, holding her in his arms for several minutes. Finally he backed out of the embrace. Seeing that the sun had now set completely and it was rapidly getting dark he said, “What do you say we head home? If we’re going back to Port Charles tomorrow, I have some travel arrangements to make.” He chuckled as Brenda nodded her agreement. He thought for a moment that he saw a look of sadness in her eyes. It made him wonder if the sadness was because of what she was leaving or because of what she was facing. Either way he made a silent promise to himself that he would be there to face it with her. THIS TIME he was not letting go! He silently lifted her from the fender of the car and set her down. Taking her hand he led her back over to her side of the car and opened the door.

They didn’t say anything the entire way home. As they got back on the road Brenda wrapped both her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder. Leaning his cheek against the top of her head Jax realized that there was no way he could let her go now. Things had definitely changed for him and he was pretty sure they had either already changed or were starting to change for her as well. He understood now what she had said about facing the past and putting it behind her. She was talking about Sonny. For some reason the idea of her confronting Sonny scared him.

March 19, 1996

It had taken the entire trunk and back seat of the convertible to hold all of the things Jax had bought for Brenda. He had joked with Charles as they were loading the car that it might be necessary for Charles to ship some of the things because he was afraid they would overload the plane! Brenda’s response to this good-natured joking was to stick out her tongue at Charles and swat Jax on the arm. As they were leaving, Brenda could not resist the urge to give Charles a hug. “Thank you for everything, Charles. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me while I’ve been here.” Charles simply smiled and opened the car door for her. She hugged him again quickly before getting into the car.

As they drove away, Charles couldn’t help but smile. He was delighted to see how things had changed between the two of them the past few days. He knew Jax well enough to know that he had finally broken down that wall that he had built around his heart. It seemed to him that Ms. Brenda had cracked a few walls of her own as well. He walked slowly back into the house, convinced that the next time he saw his boss and his lady, the staff would only be preparing one bedroom.

Brenda had been very quiet ever since they left Los Angeles. They had left in the same private jet that had brought them there. Because Brenda wanted to get back early enough to visit with Lois, they had left at 8:30 in the morning (LA time). When they were almost an hour into the flight and Brenda had still not said anything, Jax became concerned. He had purposely left her alone with her thoughts, but now when he looked at her all he could see on her face was a mixture of sadness, confusion, and even fear. When he couldn’t take the silence anymore, he came over and sat next to her as she stared out the window.

“A dollar for your thoughts,” he whispered into her ear. She jumped at the sound of his voice. She had been so engrossed in her own world that she had not noticed him sit next to her. “I’m sorry, Brenda! I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He took her hand in his and smiled gently at her.

Returning his smile, Brenda squeezed his hand. “You didn’t frighten me. I was just thinking about going home.”

Jax laughed. “It’s not too late, you know. I can always tell the pilot there’s been a change in plans, and we can go off to someplace magical, like Fiji!” Brenda couldn’t help laughing at the expression on Jax’s face. He looked so much like a little boy trying to get his own way.

“I don’t think so, Jax. That won’t change anything.” Jax could hear the sadness in her voice. “I have to go back to Port Charles and face things, or I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move on with my life.” She sighed deeply and leaned her head over on his shoulder. When Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I think as long as I know you’ll be there, I can do this.” She looked up at him. “You will be there for me, won’t you?”

Seeing the fear in her eyes and the uncertainty in her voice made Jax’s stomach lurch. Whatever had happened to her in the past had certainly left its mark. She was terrified of being abandoned. He squeezed her closer to him and then gently ran his hand up and down her back. “I’ll be there, luv – whenever you need me!” He gently kissed the top of her head as he felt her relax a little in his arms. They stayed like this the rest of the way home. Jax couldn’t help feeling as if Brenda was afraid to let him go.

They touched down at the Port Charles Airport about 3:30 in the afternoon (Port Charles time). The same driver who had dropped them off was waiting outside the corporate lounge as they came off the plane. When he saw them, he came up to them, tipped his hat, and handed Jax the coats he was carrying. As Jax helped her put her coat on, the driver helped the steward from the plane bring all of Brenda’s packages out to the waiting limo. He was just closing the trunk when they came out the door.

Once they were all in the car, the driver looked up in the mirror. “Where to, Mr. Jacks?”

Jax looked at Brenda. “Well? Do you want to go straight to Ned and Lois’s or do you want to stop at Kelly’s first?”

She thought for a moment before answering. “I think I’d like to go to Kelly’s first. We can drop off my stuff, and I can call Lois to let her know we’re home.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Okay?”

Jax wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Whatever you want.” He looked up at the driver. “You heard Ms. Barrett, Edward. Take us to Kelly’s.”

“Very good, sir,” the driver said before he closed the privacy panel. He had learned over the years working for the Jacks family that when one of the young Jacks boys had a lady in the car, he’d prefer his privacy. When they saw the panel going up, both Brenda and Jax burst out laughing. They spent the rest of the ride to Kelly’s snuggled together, watching familiar sights go by. All too quickly the car pulled up in front of Kelly’s. The driver got out and quickly came around to open the door for them. Once they were out, he closed the door and went to start taking Brenda’s packages out of the trunk.

Brenda and Jax stood next to the car for several moments. Finally Brenda took a deep breath and looked up at Jax as she slowly let it out. “I guess we can’t stand out here forever, can we?” Jax slowly shook his head as he reached for her hand. As he squeezed her hand he smiled at her. Brenda easily returned the smile. “Right. Let’s go.” She started toward the door, never letting go of Jax’s hand. When they got to the door, he opened it for her, finally letting go of her hand. He smiled reassuringly at her as she walked past him through the door. The driver, whose hands were full of the bags they had brought back, was right behind them, so even though his hands were full of packages he was able to come through the door without any trouble.

As she and Jax came through the door, Brenda was surprised to hear the distinctive sound of Lois’s voice. She looked over at the counter and saw her sitting there talking to Ruby. Even though her back was to them, Brenda recognized her immediately. She pointed her out to Jax and the two of them headed over to where she was sitting. As they got closer, they could hear part of the conversation.

“Are you sure you haven’t heard anything from Brenda about when she’ll be back, Ruby? I mean it’s been over three days since I talked to her, and I’m getting worried.” Lois’s concern was obvious in her voice.

Ruby was about to answer when she happened to glance up and saw Jax and Brenda approaching them. “Well, if you’re so worried about her, why don’t you tell her yourself!” She nodded her head to let Lois know she should turn around. Just as she was turning around, Brenda could not resist the urge to tease her.

“So you’re worried about me, huh, mom?” she said with a laugh.

At the sound of Brenda’s voice, Lois screamed and jumped off her stool, grabbing Brenda in a tight hug, obviously thrilled to have her home again. “I missed you, girlfriend!” Lois declared as she stepped back and held Brenda at arms length. Looking over at Jax, she swatted his shoulder. “You too, gorgeous!” Quickly turning her attention back to Brenda, she began to look her up and down. “You look fantastic! That tan! I’m jealous!” She hugged Brenda tightly again.

“You do look terrific, Brenda – so much better than the last time I saw you in the hospital.” Ruby smiled at both Jax and Brenda. “Obviously you’ve been taking great care of yourself.”

Brenda smiled at Ruby as she wrapped her arm around Jax’s waist. “It was all Jax’s doing, Ruby. He took such good care of me; it was unbelievable! I almost hated to come home!” She looked up at Jax with a smile. Jax returned her smile and squeezed her closer to him.

“Why don’t I get you something to eat?” Ruby said as she headed toward the kitchen. She was glad to have Brenda home again, but she was even happier about what she had seen the minute Jax and Brenda walked through the door. There had been something on both of their faces that told her more than words ever would. Whatever else had happened on this trip, it was obvious to her that things had changed between them. For the first time that Ruby could remember, Brenda looked happy – truly happy! As she glanced over at them from the passthru, she could see that they seemed to constantly be touching each other – nothing overt, just little things, like brushing a stray lock of hair away or resting a hand on the other’s arm. She couldn’t tell who looked happier, Brenda or Jax. As she went back to work, she made herself a promise to keep an eye on these two. She’d do whatever was necessary to keep Brenda this happy.

“So where have you been? Judging by that tan, I’d say you were someplace warm and sunny!” As Brenda took her coat off Lois noticed Brenda’s new outfit. “Wait a minute! Where did you get these clothes? They’re gorgeous!” She reached over and gently felt the material.

Brenda smiled and looked over at Jax. “The kidnapper here took me on the wildest shopping trip I’ve ever been on! On Rodeo Drive, no less!” she said with a laugh and a wink at Jax.

As Brenda was getting ready to start telling Lois all the details of their trip, the driver came through the door again with the last load of packages. Jax called out to Ruby. “Ruby? Is it okay to leave these here for now?” he said, pointing to the small mountain of bags setting at the foot of the stairs. “I’ll take them up to Brenda’s room in a little while.”

Ruby stuck her head out the door from the kitchen and laughed. “Sure, they’re out of the way there. When I’m done here, I’ll help you two take them upstairs.”

Just as Jax was going to head back to where Brenda and Lois were standing, the driver came up to him and handed him a small pile of messages. Quickly glancing through them, he frowned and let out a long sigh. He walked over and put his arm around Brenda’s shoulders. “I hate to do this, luv, but I have to leave for a little while. Edward just gave me a whole stack of messages, most of them from Lucy Coe begging me to see her as soon as possible.” He looked over at Lois. “Can you stay until I get back?” he asked. Lois nodded that she would stay. “Great! I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He leaned down and gently kissed the top of Brenda’s head. “I won’t be long. If I’m not back in a little while, why don’t you go upstairs and get some rest? I’ll help you unpack all that stuff when I get back.” When he saw Brenda’s exasperated expression, he kissed her again and quickly left.

Brenda leaned close to him for a second before he left. She watched as he walked out the door. This was the first time they had been apart since her accident. He hadn’t been gone five minutes yet and she realized that she already missed him. It wasn’t until Ruby came with their food that she brought her attention back to Lois. When she looked over at Lois, she was surprised by the expression on her friend’s face. “What?” she asked as she took a fork full of her salad.

Lois continued to smile. “That’s what I want to know! What exactly happened between you two while you were away?” Lois sat forward in her chair. “Which reminds me, where exactly did Jax take you?”

Brenda put down her fork and sat back in her chair, as her mind drifted back to her time in Malibu. “Lois, it was amazing! We left Port Charles in this private jet that belongs to a friend of his. You should have seen this plane!” Brenda could see that Lois was not interested in hearing about the plane. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you! He took me to his house in Malibu!” she said triumphantly.

“Malibu!” Lois screamed. “He has a house in Malibu?”

Brenda nodded. She spent the next hour telling Lois about all that went on during the trip. She told her about the house, the walks on the beach at sunset, and even about Jax tricking her into eating a nutritious breakfast. She told her in great detail about their shopping excursions on Rodeo Drive and the sightseeing in and around Los Angeles. She purposely avoided telling her about what had happened yesterday on the patio, since she wasn’t really sure what it meant.

Lois could tell that Brenda was keeping something from her. She leaned forward and put her hand on Brenda’s. “That all sounds really fantastic, girlfriend, but I’m more interested in what you’re not telling me right now.” She looked deep into Brenda’s eyes. “Did something happen between you and Jax?”

Knowing that Lois would not let up until she told her everything, Brenda slowly nodded her head. “He kissed me.” Brenda could see Lois’s face light up like a neon light. “What’s that look for?” she asked.

Lois slammed her hand down on the table. “I knew it! I knew he wouldn’t let me down!” She could see the surprise on Brenda’s face. “What are you so surprised about, Brenda? I knew this was coming ever since the night of your accident! So tell me what happened. Was it romantic? Where did he kiss you? Is he a good kisser? That’s a dumb question; of course, he’s a good kisser!”

Not sure exactly how to explain everything, Brenda decided to just start talking and hope she made some sense. “It happened yesterday afternoon when we got back from our last shopping trip. We were sitting on the lounge chair on the patio when he leaned over, took my face in his hands and kissed me! Just like that!” She could see all of Lois’s questions written on her face, which caused her to laugh out loud. “Actually it was very romantic. He kissed me once and then again, and again. Pretty soon I was kissing him back. I mean REALLY kissing him back!” She looked away from Lois for a minute before continuing, “To answer your question, he’s not a good kisser – he’s a GREAT kisser!” Brenda couldn’t resist the urge to giggle as she thought back to her kisses with Jax. She felt like a teenager talking about her first kiss.

Lois reached over and turned Brenda’s face to her. “What are you not telling me, Brenda?”

Brenda took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “It scared me, Lois. I found myself feeling things for him that I promised myself I would never feel again!” She ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to put her thoughts in order. “When I realized what was happening, I pulled away from him. I thought for sure he’d be mad, but he wasn’t! He told me that from now on whatever happened between us, whether it was just friendship or something more, was totally up to me. He said he hoped it would be something more, but that he wouldn’t force me into anything I wasn’t ready for! Can you believe that? He actually put my feelings first!” Brenda sat slowly shaking her head, still unable to totally understand how Jax had been willing to do that for her. “I’ve never known anyone like him before, Lois.”

Lois knew there was one more detail that Brenda was leaving out. She had a feeling she knew what it was, but she also had the feeling that Brenda needed to say it out loud. “How did you explain pulling away from him if it was such a terrific kiss?”

“Actually, I didn’t say anything at first. After our kiss we just sat there together for a long time. Out of the blue he suggested a drive, and I agreed. He took me for a ride into the mountains. We pulled off on the side of this hill to watch the sunset. He picked me up and sat me on the fender of his car. He didn’t ask me anything; I just started talking. I told him that I loved being in Malibu and that I could very easily give in to what I was feeling, but I was afraid of what would happen when we came back to the real world. I told him I needed to put the past behind me if I was ever going to have a future. He understood, Lois! I think he understood a lot more than I did at the time, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he just promised me that whatever happens now that we’re back here, he’ll support me. Can you believe that?” She looked at Lois for support.

With a smile on her face, Lois nodded her head. “Yeah, I can believe that about Jax.” Getting suddenly very serious, Lois leaned forward and put her hand on Brenda’s arm. “Listen to me, Brenda. The guy is crazy about you, and I get the feeling after hearing about the last day of your trip that you’re crazy about him.” When Brenda started to say something, Lois put her finger to her lips. “Let me finish. I know what Sonny did to you, and I know what you had to do to protect yourself. But it’s time to let all that go. Put Sonny in the past where he belongs! You have a chance for a great future with a terrific guy. Don’t throw that away because of Sonny Corinthos!” She smiled reassuringly at Brenda.

Brenda squeezed Lois’s hand. “I know Lois. I want to do that, but I don’t know if I can!” She looked around the room, realizing that most of the lunch crowd had left. “I… I think I’ll take Jax’s advice and go upstairs to lie down for a while before he gets back. Do you mind?”

Lois could see that Brenda needed some time alone so she agreed. “Of course not! You go get some rest. I think I’m going to sit here for a while. I’m supposed to meet Ned in a little while, so maybe I’ll have another cup of coffee before I go. You go get some rest before Jax gets back.” As Brenda got up to leave, Lois reached up and took her hand. She smiled reassuringly at her friend. “Don’t worry, Brenda. You’ll figure all this out. Just remember that Jax is here for you.” She chuckled softly. “I have a feeling though that he won’t let you forget that.”

Brenda smiled at Lois. “You’re right about that, Lois.” She squeezed Lois’s hand again before starting toward the stairs. As she got to the pile of bags and boxes she stopped and smiled. She started to take some of them upstairs but changed her mind. They could wait until Jax got back. She stood for a minute looking at the bags. Until Jax got back – for the first time in her life she realized that she could actually count on someone! Jax had promised that he would be there for her, and in her heart she knew that he would. As she started up the stairs she realized that what she had to figure out now was how to close the door on the past so that she could look to the future – a future she was sure would include Jax.

After looking at her watch, Lois drank the last sip of her coffee. She took her bill to the counter and paid it. She headed out to meet Ned on the docks as planned. She had only gotten about a block from Kelly’s, when a car pulled up next to her and stopped. She recognized the car immediately. It belonged to Sonny. As she saw the door open she knew what was coming. Sonny quickly got out and stood in front of her.

“Okay, Lois, where is she? I know you’ve heard from her because you haven’t filed a missing person’s report!”

Before Lois had a chance to say anything, she heard a familiar voice from behind her. “Is he bothering you, Lois?” She turned quickly to see both Jax and Ned walking up behind her. Ned put his hands on her shoulders, as Jax walked right up to Sonny and looked down at him. “Hello, Mr. Corinthos. Is there something you wanted from Mrs. Ashton?”

Seeing Jax in front of him left Sonny speechless. His men had been looking all over the country for this man with no results! How had he managed to get back into Port Charles without any of his men knowing about it? More importantly, if Jax was back that meant Brenda was probably back as well. He glared up at Jax. “Well, well, well! If it isn’t the Pretty Boy himself! Do the police know you’re back? After all, last time I checked, kidnapping is still a crime – a federal one at that!” When his remark didn’t seem to get a reaction from Jax, Sonny began to get angry. “Enough is enough! Where’s Brenda? What have you done with her? Tell me – NOW!”