Posted by Amy on July 09, 2000 at 01:59:04:

Hi, Angels! This is a completely new fanfic that I've started. Before I tell you a little bit about the story, I'd like to dedicate this
chapter to Aleli, since she talked me into starting this story. :-) Now, as for the story, as you'll see, the prologue starts about 20
years ago, when Jax was just a little boy living in Australia. The first chapter picks up at present time, with Jax living in Port
Charles. However, although Brenda will make her appearance in PC very soon, she does not live there now and never has. I
won't be following GH history much in this story. Anyway, you'll see all of this for yourself. Just so you know, I'm planning to
keep this a "short" story, hopefully it'll be just between 10 and 20 chapters long. Let me know what you think. If you like it, I
will continue to post it here...if anyone is interested I will also make a mailing list for the story. I hope you like this! :-) Feedback
is most appreciated.

On with the story!

Prologue~Australia, late 1970's~

"Jane, the children will not starve! I will see to that. Do you really think I'd let my own family go without food for long?" John
Jacks berated his wife one evening after the children had gone to bed. Jane had just told him that for the past three days they
had eaten nothing but a couple of pieces of bread and some peanut butter. Jane knew how hard her husband worked, and she
had been afraid to tell him how close they were to running out of food completely. The last couple of years had been hard, to
put it mildly. Once the boys began to grow and require more nourishment, and then the arrival of the baby, the Jacks' certainly
had their hands full. It wasn't getting any easier surviving in this Australian wilderness...and it didn't look like any improvement
was in sight.
Jane just sighed, and walked out of the room to look in on the children. She fought the tears that filled her eyes, as they so often
did lately, especially since the birth of baby Jessica. Jane looked into the children's' room...only one room for the three of them.
Jerry, already a big boy at eight, and her little Jasper... Jax, he wanted to be called, growing bigger every day at six, shared the
twin bed in the corner. And then there was Jessie, sound asleep in her crib. The Jacks' struggle to survive had really begun one
year before when Jessie was born.
Jane smiled a little as she stroked her baby girl's soft cheek, thinking of how surprised she had been when she learned she was
pregnant again. The news had been quite a surprise, but Jane was thrilled. They all were. The boys and John were excited from
the start. And when the little girl was born, Jane knew she would be spoiled completely by her father and two big brothers.
Maybe even by her mother. Jane had always wanted a little girl. But now they were too poor to spoil her materially, all they
could do was give her all of their love and attention. Jax and Jerry lavished their attention on her constantly, almost always
preferring to play with their baby sister over anyone else.
Jane knew that life was hard now for them, too, but it was hard for anyone else to see that. Jax and Jerry were happy children.
They enjoyed going fishing with their father, and wandering through the nearby woods, as long as they didn't go too far out, as
Jane always told them.
Jax and Jerry were each other's best friends, and they looked out for each other. Although Jerry was older, Jax often found
himself helping his brother out of some tight situations. At six, Jax was quite mature for his age, certainly more so than Jerry, and
Jax was resourceful and intelligent too. John told Jane often that one day Jax would make a great businessman.
Early the next morning, Jax and Jerry played outside the tiny house they had lived in since they were born. They were sitting on
the ground, playing with Jessica. A few minutes later, one of Jax's friends, Thomas, came over asking Jax to come into the
woods with him to help build a new tree house. Jax kissed his baby sister and ran off with his friend after telling Jerry to tell their
mother that he would be home later that afternoon. John and Lady Jane always gave their boys, especially Jax, a lot of
freedom. They knew Jax was careful and would come home as soon as it was dark.
Jerry continued to play quietly with his little sister when he suddenly heard shouting from inside the house. John and Jane's angry
voices carried out to where Jerry was sitting, and his huge brown eyes widened as he heard their words.
"Jane, I've done my best. It's time to move on now," John was saying bitterly.
"Move on? Move on to *what*?" Jane asked in a shocked tone. They had nothing, and certainly nowhere else to go.
"Something...I don't know yet," John sighed in frustration. "I know what I have to do, it's just you and the children I'm worried
about in the meantime."
"What is it you have to do, Love?" Jane asked somewhat softer, her voice trembling slightly. She had a gut feeling what John
was about to tell her, and she knew it wouldn't be good.
By this time Jerry had crept softly up to the door, standing just to the side of it. He could see his parents slightly, but they
couldn't see him. He could hear clearly everything they said.
John raised tearful eyes up to his wife's and spoke quietly, as outside the door, Jerry strained to hear. "I'm going to go away for
awhile, I've heard there might be some...business opportunities in...Alaska."
"ALASKA?" Jane screamed, and Jerry winced, covering his ears. He looked over and saw Jessica, still playing where he had
left her in the grass, looking very frightened as she gazed towards the door.
Jerry ran over to his baby sister and hugged her for a moment. "It's okay, Jessie. You stay right here, I'm gonna go in and tell
Mum and Dad to be a little quieter!"
Jerry ran back to the door, paused to wave back at his little sister, and ran into the house. He closed the door behind him so
Jessie wouldn't hear any more arguing. "What's going on?" He asked his parents.
They were standing there, looking as though they were about to throw punches at any moment!
"We're just discussing some things, son, go out and watch your brother and sister," John said firmly, his eyes still locked angrily
with his wife's.
"No, I wanna know what's going on!" Jerry announced, always the stubborn one.
Jane sighed, and finally glanced over at her son. "Jerry, your father is saying that he is going to go to Alaska for awhile and try
to find us a new home there."
"Yeah, Mum, I *heard* that part, when you screamed it a minute ago and scared poor Jessie have to death!"
"You watch your tone with me, young man!" Jane exclaimed, before staring at her husband again. "Are you serious about this,
John? There's no other way?"
"I've thought it through, Jane. This is the only way...we can survive," John whispered, stepping closer to his wife and putting his
hands on her shoulders, hoping Jerry wouldn't hear any more than he already had.
"What about us? What will we do? Can we afford to live here, alone?" Jane asked, fighting back the sobs that were threatening
to come out.
"From what I can see, it will be close. If things go as I've planned, I should be able to come back for all of you in 4 months, to
go back to Alaska. I just need some time to get us a bigger place to live, and get some work. It'll be easier there, Love.
Anyway, as long as you're careful, you should be able to stay here until I can come back to get you."
"Oh, John! When will you have to leave?" Jane asked tearfully.
"Three weeks." John answered, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. Both of them had long forgotten Jerry, standing
there in the doorway listening. As they talked, he had been standing there hoping that Jane would change his father's mind, that
Dad wouldn't go away for so long, that they wouldn't have to move to some far away place...Alaska. Jerry thought briefly of
how upset Jax would be, he loved it here, with his friends. Jerry's eyes filled with tears, and he ran into his bedroom then and
shut the door. He knew he should tell Jax about this right away, but ever protective of his baby brother, Jerry wanted Jax to
have fun for the rest of this day without knowing what was ahead. Jerry buried his head in the pillow then, and cried at the
thought of leaving his home and everything he loved.
Later that evening, Jerry woke up to find it dark outside his bedroom window. He realized he must have fallen asleep. Just then
his mother burst into the room.
"Jerry!"
"What?" He asked, startled at his mother's frightened tone.
"Where are your brother and sister? I can't find Jax or Jessie anywhere! You were supposed to be watching them! How long
have you been in here? Didn't I tell you to watch them while your father and I were discussing some very important things?"
Jane spoke so frantically, Jerry could barely keep up with her.
Jerry covered his face with his hands for a moment and tried to remember. "I forgot! I was supposed to tell you, Jax went off
with Thomas to build a tree house or something..." Jerry remembered.
Jane sighed. "Okay. And he must've taken Jessie with him? Jax always takes care of his baby sister..that's what happened right,
Jerry?"
Jerry's eyes widened. He smacked his forehead with his hand. "Oh NO! Jax didn't take Jessie! I was watching her in the
yard...and then I heard you and Dad yelling so I came inside..."
"You LEFT her there, Jerry?" Jane exclaimed.
"Just for a second...I was just gonna tell you two to quiet down...and then I heard what you were saying and I got upset, so I
came in here...she- she's in the yard, Mum, playing in the grass with that little bunny she always has."
Jane began to sob uncontrollably. Her baby. Her baby girl was gone. "She's not there, Jerry...she's not there..." Jerry wrapped
his arms around his mom and cried with her. They were standing there together, unable to move, when John came in.
"There's no sign of her, or Jax," he told them worriedly.
"Jax is with Thomas in the woods, but he didn't take Jessie," Jerry whispered in a choked voice.
Jax came inside then, as he always did. Soon after it turned dark, he was always home. He stood there staring at the three of
them, his blonde curls slightly messy, his big blue eyes worried. "What's going on?" He asked them. Even at only six years old,
he always knew when something was really wrong. "Where's Jessie?" He asked, his voice trembling.
John came over and scooped Jax up into his arms, as he hadn't done for quite awhile. "Jessie seems to have disappeared, son,
have you seen her since you went to play with Thomas?" John asked his youngest son gently.
Jax shook his head sadly. That night he cried into his pillow for his baby sister. The baby sister that he loved with all of his heart.
Don't leave me, Jessie! He whispered into the dark room. But in the morning, her crib was still empty, as it would continue to
be, day after day.
In his heart, Jax knew already what it would take the others months to understand, to accept. Jessie was gone. And Jasper
"Jax" Jacks would never be the same.

Chapter 1 - (20 years later)

"Jax, are you available to go to Hong Kong later this week?" Jax's secretary, Addie, asked him over the phone as Jax drove to
the airport for his third trip this week- and it was just Wednesday.
"Hong Kong? Sure, why not. The situation there is too critical to trust Jerry to take care of it. Can you make the arrangements
for me to go there straight from New York?"
"Absolutely Mr. Jacks, is there anything else I can do for you? Notify anyone of your plans? I'm sure Ms. Jameson will want to
know where you've gone off to-" Addie suggested slyly.
"I appreciate your concern, but leave Miranda to me, Addie. I'll be keeping in touch with my father and Jerry throughout the
trip." Jax said goodbye to his secretary and tossed the cell phone aside. He wished Addie hadn't mentioned Miranda. Jax
sighed, wondering why everything had to be so difficult all the time.
Since the disappearance of his baby sister years ago, Jax was no longer the happy-go-lucky, carefree young man he had once
been. Even though he had only been six when she was taken, Jax's life had changed drastically then, and effected how he grew
up. It wasn't like Jax had never been happy again, but it was as though he always carried that sorrow with him, along with the
memory of Jessica. A month after Jessica's disappearance, John decided to go ahead with his plans and he left for Alaska. The
next months were difficult ones for the Jacks family. Not only did they have to deal with the loss of the baby, but it took longer
than John had expected to find success in Alaska. For awhile, the family back in Australia was so poverty-stricken that they
actually had to live in their car. That went on for a couple of months before John could finally come back and take them to their
new home, halfway around the world.
As Jax grew up in Alaska, now with an abundance of money and wealth, prestige, and a family business waiting for him to grow
up and work at, he vowed over and over to never be as poor as his family had been when he was a child. And from the looks
of things, it didn't look like Jax would ever be in danger of being poor. He had grown up to be business smart, and saavy, with
a good head for business. He was successful in all ways, and much more level-headed than his still wild and impetuous older
brother Jerry. Jerry was involved in the business too, of course, but more than not, Jax was helping Jerry out of some problem
or other and handling the most important deals for J&J Jacks of Alaska.
Jax was a definite success in nearly all areas of his life. He was excellent in business, he shared a close relationship with his
parents and Jerry (Jessie's disappearance had just made them all closer), and Jax had an active social life and friends. He was
currently living in Port Charles, New York. In the beginning he had just planned to stay there for a short time, but he had been
there for nearly a year now. It was where he had met his latest fling, a young woman named Miranda Jameson. His relationship
with Miranda had never been too serious though. That was how he liked to keep things. Jax wasn't looking for true love, or a
lasting relationship. He just wanted success...and fun. So far, he was having fun living in Port Charles. He had a few close
friends, like Ned Ashton, and his wife Lois. Ned was the CEO of ELQ, and although Jax would've loved to get his hands on
that company, Ned and he shared a close friendship, and Lois was constantly trying to get him to dump Miranda and find
someone he could fall in love with. Jax was beginning to think Lois was right about Miranda. Lately, Miranda had been hinting
that she wanted more of a committment than he was ready to give her. Sure, Miranda was fun at times, and certainly attractive,
with her short chestnut hair and big green eyes. Somehow though, Jax found he was growing bored with Miranda, as he
seemed to do with everyone eventually. Jax was convinced that he just wasn't meant to find real love. His life was certainly full
enough without it. He was constantly traveling across the globe for work, and spending time with his friends, and occasionally
his family in Alaska at the family compound. No, Jax was sure of it...he didn't have the time, or the desire, to fall in love.
Jax put all thoughts of love out of his mind as he concentrated on some business documents he would need for the deal in New
York City later that day. Jax got on his private jet and closed his eyes as the plane began its short journey. After a short nap,
Jax awoke to find that they were near their arrival. Once at the airport, Jax grabbed his bag and stepped off of the jet and into
the airport. He glanced down at the papers in his hand, checking his hotel reservations, completely oblivious to the crowds of
people around him. He didn't even see the small woman with the long dark hair as he ran right into her, causing both of them to
lose their balance and fall to the floor in a heap.
"I'm so sorry...I wasn't watching where I was going at all...I was just-" Jax began to apologize as he pulled away from the
woman, gathering his papers, when he glanced up at the woman he seemed to drown in her big, velvety brown eyes.
The woman picked up the papers she had dropped, stood up, and their eyes locked once again. They seemed to move
involuntarily towards each other again, and Jax marveled once again at the woman's beauty.
Finally, she spoke, in a surprised, yet kind voice, smiling at him brightly, "Oh...I'd say that's an omen, wouldn't you?"
end chapter 1

Posted by Amy on July 10, 2000 at 22:24:37:

Enjoy, everyone! Let me know if you have any questions or comments about this chapter, or the story in general...I love
feedback! :-) Chapter 3 will be out later in the week. I have started a mailing list for this fic, so anyone who is interested, just
e-mail me or respond here. Please remember that GH history doesn't really apply here. It's pretty self-explanatory, but if you
have questions, feel free to ask. Also, when you see brackets like { }, those indicate the person's thoughts.

-Amy

{Recap: The story began with some insight into Jax's childhood in Australia, particularly that he had a baby sister, Jessica, who
was abducted from the Jacks' home when she was just a year old...the family never found her. The story then fast-forwarded
20 years, Jax is now 26, and he's livng a successful life in Port Charles as a corporate raider. When chapter 1 ended, Jax had
just arrived in New York City for some business, where he ran into (literally), a mysterious woman (even though I'm sure all of
you know who she is already! ).}

Chapter 2
"An...an omen?" Jax stuttered, stepping clumsily away from the raven haired woman. Could she possibly be thinking the same
thing I am? Could she be feeling the same attraction to me that I am to her right now? Jax asked himself these questions as he
stared dumbly at the woman's full red lips. {Geez, snap out of it, Jax! Since when do you let a woman get to you like this?} Jax
chided himself silently. {Since *now*}, Jax answered in his mind.
"Yeah, an omen. Your papers- I noticed that you're staying at the Plaza. That's where I'm staying too, and I don't have a clue
how to get there from here! I suppose I could've asked someone, but I think that it was absolutely *perfect* running into you."
Jax grinned, his deep dimples showing themselves in the corners of his well-chiseled cheeks. "I should've found a better way to
meet you than practically running you down like I did." Jax held out his hand. "I'm Jax Jacks. Nice to meet you." Jax finally
began to regain his charisma as he took the woman's outstretched hand and kissed the back of it gently.
She looked surprised at the feel of his lips on her skin- and felt even more surprised at the electric sensation it sent shooting
throughout her body. "Brenda Barrett."
Jax nodded, still holding her hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Brenda Barrett. How about if we find our hotel now?"
Brenda nodded, and raised her right eyebrow slightly. "Good idea. It might be easier though, if you let go of my hand," she told
him jokingly.
Jax dropped her hand from his quickly, embarrassed. "Let's go."
Jax found his driver easy and quickly enough, but it took them nearly an hour to get to the Plaza from the airport due to the
heavy New York traffic. "Well, what do you think of New York so far?" Jax asked his companion.
"I like it...this is my first time here, but I have heard it's an *amazing* city," Brenda answered, smiling at him again, and as she
did, Jax felt his heart melt all over again.
Brenda, on the other hand, was thinking similar thoughts about Jax. Here she was, riding in a limo with the most gorgeous man
she'd ever seen in her life...and all she could think of to say was that New York must be an amazing city? Over and over again,
throughout the ride, Brenda found herself wanting to reach out to Jax. There was something vulnerable, almost innocent about
him, yet at the same time he exuded a certain strength, and the combination of these things was very appealing. As they talked,
Brenda realized that Jax was not only handsome, but intelligent and successful as well.
"So you run J&J Jacks of Alaska?" Brenda asked, awed.
"Well my father and older brother do help from time to time," Jax answered, those dimples coming out once again. "Although
Jerry can be a bit of a pain rather than a help most of the time," Jax went on ruefully. He went on to tell Brenda about some of
Jerry's escapades, like when his girlfriend left him stranded on a remote island. "Do you have any siblings, Brenda?" Jax asked
curiously. It seemed like he had been talking this whole time...he certainly didn't want to bore the woman.
Brenda smiled. She was anything but bored. She loved hearing Jax talk, in that adorable Australian accent. "Well...I have an
older sister, Julia. But we're not sisters by birth...I was adopted, and I don't even know who my natural parents are," Brenda
told Jax openly. It was the first time she had ever told anyone the truth about herself. Everyone she knew thought that she was
Harlan and Veronica Barrett's daughter by birth.
Jax nodded, gazing into her eyes seriously. "How old were you when you found out?"
Brenda cleared her throat, looking away from Jax's gaze momentarily. "It wasn't until a couple of years ago, when I was 19. I
was about to start college and I needed my birth certificate. My parents wouldn't give it to me and eventually they admitted that
they didn't want me to see it because it wasn't their names on it as my parents."
"I'm sorry. That had to have been a horrible way to find out. So you never got to see who your real parents are?"
Brenda shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "No. Mom and Daddy convinced me that they adopted me because my real
parents didn't want me." Brenda laughed uncomfortably then. "How did we get into this? An hour ago I didn't even know you,
and now I'm telling you all of my secrets!"
"I didn't mean to push you," Jax answered, squeezing her hand gently.
"You didn't. Let's talk about you though. I'll bet your parents wished they had a daughter after raising two boys like you and
Jerry! I bet you two were quite a handful growing up."
Brenda gasped as she watched Jax's face drop, and go white. "Did I say something wrong? What is it, Jax?"
Jax shook his head, letting out a long slow breath. "It's all right. You just took me by surprise. I had a baby sister, Jessica.
When she was just a year old, she was taken from our home in Australia. We never saw her again."
Brenda's eyes widened with surprise. "I'm so sorry, Jax."
Jax smiled sadly. "Yeah, thanks."
Just then the car pulled up in front of the huge luxury hotel.
Brenda gasped. "Wow! This looks awesome."
Jax chuckled. "It's not too bad...I've stayed here a few times."
Jax helped carry Brenda's bags and they went inside and checked in. Surprisingly enough, their suites were right next to each
other.
They took the elevator up to the eighth floor in silence, each realizing how much they'd shared with the other in such a short
time. Brenda had never told anyone about being adopted, and Jax hadn't mentioned Jessica in years...not even with Jerry.
When they reached Brenda's door, she unlocked it and led Jax inside where he placed her bags down on the bed. They stood
there for a moment, each trying to decide what to say next, when they both spoke at once.
"Would you like to-"
"How about if we-"
Brenda laughed. "You go first."
Jax nodded, and took Brenda's hand in his. As he did so, he noticed two things, one, how small and delicate her hand was- it fit
so well inside his own, and two, she wasn't wearing a wedding or engagement ring. He almost blushed at his own thoughts, and
then cleared his throat before speaking. "I'd like to see you again, before I leave New York tomorrow night. Would you like to
have dinner with me tonight?"
Brenda tried not to look to anxious as she answered, but answered a quick "Yes, I'd love to, Jax."
Jax smiled, and squeezed her hand before letting it go. "Great. Would eight o'clock be okay?"
Brenda nodded, feeling the heat where his hand had held hers. "Eight would be perfect," she whispered.
Jax nodded happily. "I'll meet you downstairs at the bar." With that, he left the room before he could do something he was
tempted to do- kiss her.
Inside the room, Brenda did a little happy dance as she searched through her bags for something to wear to dinner with Jax.
She found a short black slip dress, and held it up to herself as she looked in the mirror. {Yes, Jax, meeting you was *definitely*
an omen.}
end chapter 2

Posted by Amy on July 12, 2000 at 00:06:50:

Hey everyone! Here is chapter 3, I hope you like it. :-) Feedback is always welcome, and appreciated. Enjoy!

{{{Angel Hugs}}},
Amy
_______________________________________________________

{Recap: The mysterious woman Jax ran into at the airport was revealed to be none other than...Brenda Barrett! (big surprise,
huh?) Jax and Brenda hit it off right away and each revealed some secrets to the other as they shared a ride to their hotel. Jax
told Brenda about his sister Jessica who was kidnapped when she was a baby, and Brenda revealed to Jax that she is adopted.
Later, at the hotel, Jax asked Brenda to go out to dinner with him that evening, and she happily accepted}

Chapter 3
"Excuse me, Miss, but is this seat taken?" The deep, Australian accented voice in Brenda's ear made her nearly jump out of her
seat. She had been sitting there at a table waiting for him to meet her, but his voice and the feel of his breath on her neck were
giving her chills.
"I thought you'd never get here," Brenda answered, turning in her seat to face him. She hadn't realized how close he was
though, and when she turned, their faces were just inches apart. Brenda couldn't help herself, her eyes fell immediately to Jax's
full, extremely appealing lips.
Jax straightened up quickly, knowing well enough that if he allowed himself to kiss her, he might never want to stop. Already he
felt so connected to her, and since they'd met earlier that day, he had felt an unbelievable desire to be with her.
"My meeting ran longer than I expected it to, were you waiting long?" Jax asked, walking around to sit across from her at the
table.
"Nope, I just got here myself. Was your meeting successful?" Brenda asked.
"Yeah, it was. But I don't want to talk about business...are you enjoying New York so far?"
Brenda smiled. "Yeah, I am. I haven't really been out yet though..."
"You mean you've been in New York for," Jax glanced at his watch, "almost five hours and you haven't been out of this hotel?"
He asked, amazed.
"Hey, I had a very important dinner date to prepare for," Brenda admitted, laughing shyly. Something about Jax made her feel
anxious, excited, and a little shy. There was something in his eyes when he looked at her, she felt like he was looking right into
her very heart and soul.
Jax really looked at her then, at her shining dark hair that fell to her shoulders, and the black dress she wore that left her tanned
shoulders bare and showed off her small, slender frame.
"All that preparation sure paid off," Jax muttered, thinking how beautiful she looked.
"Did you say something, Jax?" Brenda asked, looking confused.
Jax grinned at her, "I said, you look absolutely beautiful. Are you ready to go to dinner?"
"Oh, we're not eating here?"
"Are you kidding? Eat in a hotel when there's a great big city out there, full of good restaurants and places to go?" Jax teased
her, his face lighting up as he talked about the city.
"I guess not. So where are we going?" Brenda asked excitedly.
"C'mon, let's go. You'll know when we get there," Jax said mysteriously, standing up and taking Brenda's hand.
They walked hand in hand out of the hotel and then got in Jax's car.
"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" Brenda asked, turning to face Jax in the car.
"I'll give you a few hints along the way. On one condition."
"What condition is that?" Brenda asked, laughing.
"For every hint I give you, you have to tell me something about yourself."
"You want to know about me?" Brenda asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I do. I want to know *everything* about you," Jax answered flirtatiously, leaning in closer to her.
Brenda giggled. "Well then I think that this condition should go both ways. I want to learn more about you, too, Jax," Brenda's
voice trailed to a whisper.
Their eyes locked then, and neither one could bear to look away. Soon they were both moving closer, closing the gap between
them when the driver's voice interrupted them.
"Mr. Jacks? We're here."
Jax groaned softly and sat back on the seat. "I should've chosen some place further away!" He shook his head and then turned
back to Brenda. "Are you ready for a night out on the town?"
Brenda nodded. "Yes, I am."
Jax led her out of the car then, and they went into a tall, plain-looking brick building.
"Where are we, Jax?" Brenda asked him as they walked up to it, holding hands once again.
"You'll see," was all he would say. When they entered, they went down a couple of flights of stairs and Brenda found herself in
a beautiful room that looked like it had come out of a classic Italian restaurant. There were flowers all around and music was
playing softly. It looked like a regular restaurant, only they and a maitre'd were the only ones in there.
Brenda turned to Jax and smiled questionningly. Jax just squeezed her hand and then turned to the man who had approached
them. "A bottle of your best champagne, to start with," Jax requested. The man nodded and left the room, as Jax led Brenda to
the table that had been set for them.
"This is so beautiful, Jax," Brenda told him, her eyes bright with happiness as Jax gazed at her across the table. "How did you
have time to arrange this...and...why? I mean, we just met earlier today, and you did all of this for me?" Brenda felt so happy,
but she didn't want to get her hopes up. She had never felt like this before, with any man. She had thought she'd been in love
once, but it didn't feel like this...every moment she had spent with Jax so far had been like a gift...and just the way he looked at
her made her feel like the most treasured, loved, woman in the world. But they had just met. You couldn't fall in love that
quickly...could you?
Jax took a sip of the champagne that had just been brought to them before he answered her. "Well, I told you earlier that I
wanted to spend more time with you. I guess I really wanted to show you the best that New York has to offer, and this has
always been one of my favorite places in the city. Plus I figured that it wouldn't be as easy to get to know you better if there
were a lot of people around."
"Wow. I am definitely impressed," Brenda told him, her eyes still lit with excitement.
"Well, be prepared to keep being impressed," Jax answered teasingly.
"Oh, is that a promise?" Brenda teased back. "Are you promising to keep impressing me?"
"Yeah, I am." Jax grinned seductively. "I better get started right away. Would you care to dance, Ms. Barrett?"
"I would love to, Mr. Jacks."
Jax led Brenda out to the center of the room and took her gently in his arms.
Jax smiled down at her as they began to dance to the light music, and he thought how perfectly they fit together. Almost like
together, they completed a puzzle. Jax shook his head in confusion. How could he be thinking these thoughts about her already,
when they had just met? It was unreal, the feelings he was feeling towards her already. He was already dreading the end of the
song, because then he would have to let her out of his arms.
Brenda let herself relax in Jax's arms, as he twirled her around the floor romantically. All of a sudden she couldn't stop smiling,
and she didn't want Jax to ever let her go. When the song ended, the magic wasn't broken, Jax and Brenda stood locked in
each other's arms as if they were in their own separate world.
"So when do I get to learn more about you, Brenda? You already know a lot about me, my work, and my family. I want to
know who you are," Jax told her, running his hands over her hair and marveling at its softness.
"I'm not all that interesting, Jax."
"I don't believe that's true," Jax admitted, holding her even closer. "From what I can see already, you are beautiful, fun, warm,
s-e-xy..."
Brenda laughed, interrupting him. "You think I'm all those things? Anything else?"
Jax smiled. "Well, you're a great dancer...you feel like heaven in my arms...and you're mysterious."
Brenda became serious again. "I'm really not too complicated, Jax. I told you about my parents, and being adopted."
"What else? Where did you grow up?" Jax asked, finally pulling away slightly and leading her back to their table.
"We moved around Europe for most of my childhood. Daddy had to run Barrett Industries, of course, so I spent most of my
time in London. I went to boarding school there, and it was after that, when I was about to start college, that I found out about
the adoption."
"So you came back to the states?" Jax asked, interested.
Brenda nodded, taking a sip of champagne. "Actually, I kind of wandered around Europe for awhile then, trying to decide what
to do. I did a little modeling, just enough to pay the bills."
Jax laughed. "You must be kidding...being Harlan Barrett's daughter, you surely don't need your own money to 'pay the bills'."
Brenda looked serious once again. "But that's just it, Jax. I'm *not* Harlan Barrett's daughter, and I just couldn't keep on living
off of him. You see, when I found out the truth, I did something drastic. I told Mom and Daddy that if they wouldn't tell me who
my real parents were, then I would never see or speak to them again, and I would set out on my own to find my real parents.
And that's what I've been doing for the last two years."
Jax shook his head. "You really amaze me, Brenda Barrett. So what made you come back to the U.S. now?"
"I decided to check out some adoption agencies here- in person. I thought New York might be a good place to start, because
my parents were living here at the time that I was born. So I quit the latest modeling gig I had, said goodbye to the few friends I
had in Paris, where I had been living for the last year, and hopped a plane to New York...where I literally ran into the man of
my dreams." Brenda was shocked to hear herself say that, but Jax didn't seem surprised at all.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For trusting me enough to let me know you a little bit more," Jax answered, gazing deeply into her eyes once again.
They stuck with light topics during dinner then, and found that they had quite a lot in common. They both enjoyed the ocean,
and skiing. Plus Brenda found out that Jax had a fondness for flying- something she had always wanted to learn how to do. By
the time they had eaten dinner and dessert, they were both feeling light-hearted and tired from the long day.
They left the restaurant then, and Jax had their driver take a long, winding way back to the hotel so he could point out to
Brenda some of the best places in New York. They held hands as they walked into the hotel and took the elevator up to their
floor. When they came to Brenda's door, they stood outside it for a moment, each wondering what to do next.
Jax stepped closer to Brenda, and stroked her face gently with his fingertips. "Brenda?" He asked softly.
"Yes?" She whispered back, leaning even closer into his touch.
"You're not....seeing anyone, are you?" Jax asked breathlessly.
Brenda shook her head, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, before bringing her lips just millimeters from Jax's.
"No, are you?" she whispered.
Jax wrapped his arms around her waist. "There's no one else...just you," he answered. The words had barely been spoken
when he gave into the temptation that had been there since the moment he had met her that day. Jax's lips crashed down on
Brenda's in a passionate, fiery kiss.
end ch 3