Author's Note: Hello, Angels.... I hope all is well with everyone. Well, I told my husband that we are going to have a baby. His reaction was very surprising and
funny!! First, he picked me up and swung me around kissed me and then he went to sleep. I knew he had jetlag, but this was ridiculous.....Anyway, it wasn't until
nighttime in the bed that reality hit him; he jumped up and screamed, "I'm gonna be a daddy!" He did this a 1:00AM!! Gee, Angels, I don't know what to expect
when the baby comes!! LOL...Sorry for talking so much!! On with the story....let me know what you think. Enjoy!!!

Darling here we are again
Right about now, there is a need
To tell you how I'm feeling
I am so grateful, to have a man like you
Who knows what to do and
Makes me feel like a woman should

When I close my eyes
I break down and cry
Its something bout the way you love me
The thought of your kiss
My heart can't resist
Its all about the way you love me

Never thought that I would find
So much peace of mind
In every moment that I share with you
Sometimes I don't know why
We fell so deep in love
But then it all comes back to me because

When I'm with you
I feel so good
No one loves me
Like you do

Jacks Mansion Sanfrancisco 2:00PM(The Nursery)
************************************************************

"Brenda, the nursery looks so beautiful; the colors are so bright. What made you choose yellow and lavender?"

"Well, it was going to be some ugly color that Jax and Jerry chose, but I wanted something that said, fun, excitement, and laughter!"

"You did a great job! Besides, you never send a man to do a woman's job especially if it involves the birth of your first child."
(Brenda laughed at Lois)

"Lois, could you help me get out of this chair."

"Girlfriend, it looks like you're ten months pregnant! Holy teledo!!"

"Tell me something I don't know."
(Brenda grabbed Lois's hand as she got up out of the rocking chair. She placed the teddy bear in the crib and looked outside the window at the garden. Lois came
behind her and placed her hand on Brenda's shoulder.)

"You miss Jax, don't ya?"

"You know me so well."

"Honey, I'm your best friend.....you can't hide anything from me. So, when is he coming back from Portcharles?"

"He's coming back tonight; around ten."

"So, why are you worried; you have a couple of hours to spare before he gets home."

"Thats not what is bothering me."

"Tell me, what is."

"Jax is there trying to find a drug that could cure me from this gene illness and possibly save me from death after I give birth to our child."

"So, whats wrong? It's not a bad thing that he wants to protect the woman he loves; to save her from an early death."

"No, its not, but, the person he is dealing with is very bad."

"And you know this because......"

"I overheard his conversation with Jerry."

"Oh, man!! Brenda...."

"Just listen to me! THey were talking about going against Helena Cassadine. Jerry mentioned that only three options were possible. One: sleep with Helena, Two:
steal the drugs, Three: murder Helena!"

"Well, I hope Jax didn't sleep with Helena; just thinking about it makes my skin crawl."

"Jax didn't, but Jerry did."

"Oh, my God!! THat man is never going to be the same. Ya know hes gonna need therapy."

"Go ahead and make jokes. Jax's life could be in danger. Thanks for your help."
(Lois pointed her long finger nail at Brenda and she had her other hand on her hips.)

"You want my help, well sit down and listen. I think you are being selfish. First, you leave Jax for five months and you moved your things in my small apartment.
Intruding on me and my daughter, who by the needs her space. Then, Robin and I have to listen to your mood swings at the office. Not only that, but you don't even
trust your husband enough that you start listening to his phone conversations. You claim that his life is in danger, but you know thats really not true. As long as Jerry
is there Jax won't have any harm done to him. How can you have so little faith in him. This is the same man who saved you from countless dangers! He you saved
from the cave, your mental breakdown, and that plane crash with Jason!! What makes you think he can't save you now? And if stealing drugs or murdering Helena
is the only way to keep you alive then I'm all for it!! I'll help Jax do it if its necessary."

(Lois had tears in her eyes and Brenda looked shocked because Lois never spoke to her like that before.)

"I'm sorry Lois. I mean what if Jax doesn't get the drug or what if he does and then the drug doesn't work. Either way he would think that he failed me; that he
couldn't save me."

"It doesn't matter because I believe that a higher power won't let you die knowing that your baby would be motherless and that Jax would be all alone."

"Are you saying leave this in God's hands?"

"Thats exactly what i'm saying."

"I love you, Lois. You have always been more than just a friend to me."

"Honey, we are sistas!!"
(THe two women embraced one another for a hug, but it was short lived because the ground shook violently and things began to move.)

"Oh, my God!! Lois the ground is shaking."

"It's an earthquake!"

The women held on to eachother for dear life, but they fell on the floor; the ground still shaking.

"Brenda!! Watch out for the bookshelf!!"

THose were the last words Lois spoke, the lamp fell on her head and she saw blackness......meanwhile Brenda was unconcious a few feet away bleeding from the
abdomen.

To Be Continued............

Song Credit: Shanice- "When I close my eyes."
end chapter 5

Posted by LaQuana Nicole Davis on July 16, 2000 at 10:00:42:

Author's Note: Hello, Angels!! Well Today is my first doctor's visit....I'm alittle nervous so please pray for me! Anyway my hubby is thrilled about the baby; he
keeps talking to my tummy instead of me!! LOL.....I suppose thats a good thing because most fathers are too busy to talk to their children. OK, Enjoy the story and
let me know what you think!!

She saw nothing but blackness; no light. She couldn't remember a thing.......only the ground moving and her screaming before the bookshelf fell on.......

"Brenda!"
(Lois focused her eyes in the dark; touching her head she realized that she was bleeding. She crawled towards Brenda trying to lift the shelf, but it was too heavy.
Next, she felt for a pulse. Thank God it was there, but she noticed that Brenda was bleeding from her abdomen. She held her and kissed her forehead.

"Sweetie, please don't do this to me, don't leave us!! You have to fight!! Do you hear me? Please don't give up!"
(Lois was crying openly; tears spilling down her cheeks on Brenda's face. It was then that Lois heard a noise at the door.)

"Is anyone there? Please answer me! Look, if you are here to hurt us then go away because we are already hurt!"
(There was silence and then the door crashed open with a young dark-haired woman who callapsed on the floor.)

"Oh, my God Robin!"
(Lois rushed over towards her.)
"How did you get here?"

"I drove here. Remember, me, you, and Brenda were suppose to have lunch together and go shopping for more baby stuff."

"Yeah, that was the plan.....Robin you're hurt and bleeding from the shoulder. Let me grab some baby towels and wrap it around you.
(Robin grabbed Lois's hand.)

"No, I can't let you do that!"

"Look, Robin, I don't care about you having the virus.....You are my friend and you need my help. Besides, I need you to help me get that shelf off of Brenda. Then,
we have to get to a phone."

"How? All the phone lines are dead. My cell phone is in the car."

"Then, we just have to get it."

"Thats a bad idea."

"Why?"

"Because, the stairs are very unstable, especially the banister; the earthquake started while I was walking up the driveway, then I heard you scream Brenda's name
so I ran up the stairs, but the earthquake was so powerful that it knocked me over the banister and I blacked out."

"That had to be around two o' clock. Right now its seven."

"That means all of us were unconcious for about four hours; maybe more. It took me one hour to get up here. Ouch!!
(Lois tied the towels around her shoulder tightly.)

"Sorry, Robin, but they have to be tight so the bleeding can stop."

"I know.....I'm studying to be a doctor, remember?"
(They both smiled.)

"Can you stand by yourself?"

"I think so."
(Robin carefully stood up on her own.)

"Ok, we have to get this shelf off her. You think you could stand the pain?"

"I'm gonna have to..... we can't let Brenda die."

"Alright, when I count to three we lift it up and throw it to the side."

"Ok."

"One......two.......three!"
(They threw the shelf in the corner landing it against the wall. It was at that moment that Brenda eyes fluttered open and she moaned.)

"Lois, shes awake!"

"Brenda, sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"I'm cold, and disorientated. What happened?"
(Brenda tried to sit up.)

"Look, don't try to move; you're bleeding."

"Oh, my God! The baby!"

"Don't worry Brenda, me and Lois are gonna make sure nothing happens to you or the baby."

"Robin is right, besides I think the bleeding has stopped."

"I know you guys won't let anything happen to me or the baby; I'm just so scared for all of us."
(Brenda had tears in her eyes.)

"Everything is going to be fine as soon as we get to a phone."

"Lois, I told you its too dangerous! THe stairs can callapse at any given moment."

"Then, what the hell are we gonna do? We all need medical attention."

"I don't know," said Robin quietly.
(Brenda started to sit up and grabbed Robin's hand to stand up.)

"What are you doing? You need to lie down."

"I think I laid down enough, besides I'm in labor."

"What?!!"
(Lois was histerical at this point.)

"Brenda, this is not good. You're only six months," Robin said.

"Actually, I started my seventh month today."

"Oh, like that makes it better!"

"Lois, calm down. Technically, it is better. THe fetus can survive outside the womb after six months."

"Well, I'm fresh out ideas. We can't go to the phone, we can't stay here. Shes in labor, your shoulder is dislocated, and I think i'm loosing my mind because a lamp
hit me on the head!"
(They all were silent each wondering how they would survive; Brenda was the first to speak.)

"I suggest we all go down there together. THe way I see it is that if we wait we will die a slow death. If we go then we all have a fighting chance to live. Either we die
all together or we live to tell this story to our great-grandchildren. The point is to stay together."

"She's right," Robin said softly.

"Ok, let's do it!"
(Lois hugged both women at the sametime. THey all took one anothers hands and walked slowly towards the hall where the steps were. There they stood, not
breathing, but only sensing that these stairs determinded life or death for each of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J&J Jacks Jet-8:30PM
*************************

"Well, we did it!!"

"I never doubted us for a second."

"I can't wait to tell Brenda about the drug, and about the pharmacutical company that plans to do intensive research for the gene illness."

"You miss her, don't you."

"Yeah, I do. But things are going to be great now; I expect that the Jacks clan is going to live a long healthy, happy life!"

(Jerry handed Jax his brandy.)

"I would like to toast my brother, Jax. To love, happiness, and life!!"

(Jax raises his glass.)

"To life!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were only half way down the stairs, but they were making progress, taking each step slowly and carefully.

"We are going to make it guys!"

"Yes, we are Brenda."
(Lois held her hand tightly.)

"Just a few more steps," Robin smiled.

(When they finally reached the bottom they hugged and breathed a sigh of relief.)

"I'm going to get the phone, You and Brenda stay right in the foyer and don't move."

(Lois went outside to Robin's car and got the cell phone; she dialed 911.)

Operator: "Hello, 911."

"My name is Lois Ashton, and i'm at 103 willow road at the Jacks mansion. My friend Brenda Jacks is in premature labor and my other friend Robin Scorpio
dislocated her shoulder. I have an head injury. Please send help right away!"

Operator: "Ok, just sit tight. THere will be someone there in two hours."

"Two hours! We can't wait that long!"

Operator: "I'm sorry, but we have emergencies all over the city.
(The operator then hung up.)

"Oh, this is just great!! We were better off dead!"

(Lois threw the cell phone back in the car and went back into the house.)

"So when are they coming?"

"They said in about two hours."

"Two hours! Brenda can't wait that long, she is having the baby now."

"I know; where is she?"

"Shes sitting on the sofa. What are we going to do?"

"There is only one thing to do."

"And what is that?"

"We are going to drive your car to the hospital."

"Are you sure you want to take that chance? There could be after shocks."

(Robin and Lois were interrupted by Brenda's screams of pain; Lois looked at Robin nervously.)

"We have no other choice."

TO BE CONTINUED.................
emd chapter six

Posted by LaQuana Nicole Davis on July 17, 2000 at 18:04:54:

Author's Note: Well, this continues my adaptation of Howard Fast's "The Leagacy." If you ever have a chance to read his novel, please do. Its basically about a
family who tries to deal with all types of obstacles such as: Love, drugs, natural disaters, and death. What I have done was to make Jax and Brenda deal with all
those things, but i've added twists and my own originality to it. So, hopefully you now have some background on this story. Enjoy!! Oh, special hugs to: Arleen,
Kermit, Amy, Jen, Marti, Shirley, KathyW, Cheri, Lindsay, Aleli, SidneyL, Lissie, Janis, VictoriaL, and MollyS. If I missed any names please know that i'm sorry.
Ok, on with the story!! LOL!!!

Count on me through thick and thin
A friendship that will never end
When you are weak, I will be strong
Helping you to carry on
Call on me, I will be there
Don't be afraid
Please believe me when I say
Count on

I can see its hurting you
I can feel the pain
It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain, oh
I know sometimes it seem as if
It's never gonna end
But you'll get through it
Just don't give in cause you can

Count on me through thick and thin
A friendship that will never end
When you are weak, I will be strong
Helping you to carry on
Call on me, I will be there
Don't be afraid
Please believe me when I say
Count on, you can count me

(Oh, yes you can)

I know sometimes it seems as if
we're standing all alone
But we'll get through it
Cause love won't let us fall

THere's a place inside of all of us
Where our faith in love begins
You should reach to find the truth in love
The answers there within, oh
I know that life can make you feel
Its much harder than it really is
But we'll get through it
Just don't give in

"We have no other choice, Robin."
(Brenda's screams were getting louder)

"Fine, I'll get Brenda and help her to the car, my keys are on the floor next to the shattered vase."

(Robin rushed to Brenda's side in the living room; she grabbed her hand and wrapped her other free arm around Brenda's waist.)

"I'm so scared; what if I loose the baby?"

"Brenda, don't think that way...... we all have made it this far; giving up is not an option."

"Just promise me one thing."

"What."

"You and Lois have to look after Jax and the baby if I die."

"Stop talking that way; no one is going to die!"

"Just promise.........Oh, God I feel another contraction!"

"Come on Brenda, just get in the car."

"Not until you promise."
(Brenda looked into Robin's watery brown eyes; pleading with her to understand.)

"I promise."

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you."
(Brenda then sat down in the back seat with her eyes close; Lois came outside with the keys, and other stuff in her hand.)

"I thought we may need these things, especially the bottled water."

"Good thinking, I'll put the blankets and pillows in the backseat with Brenda."
(Robin had tears rolling down her cheeks; Lois pulled her to the side of the car.)

"Whats the matter?
(Her heart was filled with fear and concern.)

"Its Brenda."

"Well, whats wrong?"

"She's talking about death.......she wants us to promise her that if she dies that we will look after Jax and the baby."

"Did you promise her that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because we are her friends......we owe it to her to make sure that we keep our promise."

"Thats a promise that I intend to break because no one is going to die; not ever!!"

"Lois.......please you must understand."

"Understand what?!! The only thing that I'm concern about is getting all of us medical attention, and recieving a clean bill of health. And after that I think all of us
should move back to the eastcoast because if California is going to have an earthquake then I rather be on the other side of the country."

(Robin smiled.)
"I guess you're right about that."

"Yes, I am.......come on let's go. We don't have anytime to waste."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J&J JACKS PLANE 9:30PM
*******************************

Pilot: "Mr. Jacks we should be landing in about 15 mins."

"Thanks, Mr. Hale."

"Jax, did you call Brenda yet?"

"No. She's probably sleep.......I told her not to wait up for me. Why?"

"Well, I think you should call because Sanfrancisco just had an earthquake that measured 8.7 on the scale about 2:10PM."

"What!"

"Yeah, I just heard it on the radio."

"Oh, my God! What if........."

"Don't think negative, just call the house."

"Ok, while I do that you call Lois and Robin."
(Jax dialed home and the line was dead, he threw the phone across the other side of the plane.)

"Calm down Jax!"

"What if something happened to her?!!"

"Stop it! We are going to find out what happened. Ok. I promise you that everything is going to be fine. Just sit tight."

"I'm going to call the control tower, to tell them we want a private helicopter waiting for us at the airport."

Jerry watched Jax dial the number in horror; his hands were shaking and he looked terrified. Jerry only hoped that everything would be ok. But for the first time in
his life, he wasn't sure; he was having doubts that this situation wouln't have a good outcome. He could only wait and be patient. The only problem was that patience
was not his strongest quality............
 

Lois was driving very slow, she wanted to be careful because of the after shocks, but mainly because Brenda was in labor.

"How is she doing back there?"

"Better than expected, but the baby is coming now! hand me another blanket."

(Lois tossed the blanket to Robin while Brenda was panting and moaning. Robin put the blanket over her and propped her head up with pillows.)

"Ok, Brenda, I need you to open your legs and bear down. Can you do that?"

"I think so."

"Give me a big push!"

"Uugggggggggggggggg............Uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........"

"Thats good! I see the head; I need at least two more pushes."

"I can't, I'm too weak."
(Brenda looked so tired, her teeth were chattering and she was sweating.)

"Come on Brenda, you can do it. Just two more pushes."

"Auhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

"Alright, rest for a mintue. Lois, pass me the bottled water; I need to cool down Brenda's head and neck."

(Robin put water on Brenda's forehead and neck while Lois was talking to Brenda.)

"You are doing just great! When I had Brooklyn it was a piece of cake. Ofcourse I had drugs to help with the pain, but you are doing wonderful because there is no
way in this lifetime that I'm having natural childbirth!!"
(Everyone laughed including Brenda.)

"Alright, Brenda one more push.......one......two......three.......push!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"

(There was a small cry that could be heard only in the car. Robin covered the baby immediately.)

"What is it?" Brenda asked.

(Robin smiled before she answered.)
"Its a girl."

"Way to go, Brenda! You just extended our girl power in the family!"
(Lois laughed; Brenda smiled and reached out for her small baby girl.)

"Oh, sweetie you are so beautiful. You look just like your daddy and.........Oh, I feel another contraction!!"

(Lois pulled to the side of the road and turned her body around to face Brenda and Robin.)

"Thats impossible."

(Robin handed the baby to Lois, and opened Brenda's legs once again. What she saw shocked her. She looked at Lois and then to Brenda.)

"Oh, its possible, Lois because I see another head."

TO BE CONTINUED........................

Song Credit: Whitney Houston and Cece Wians, "Count on Me."
end chapter 7