"Hanging On"

Chapter 17

The morning of Jax and Brenda's wedding dawned bright and early. It was a beautiful day and there was not a single cloud in the sky. The weather looked promising for a ceremony of a lifetime.

Brenda awoke alone in the penthouse apartment. Jax had spent the night on a lower floor with his parents in their suite. They were going with all the traditions this year. Jax knew nothing about Brenda's gown and he was not going to see her until she walked down that aisle to him.

Brenda took a long, hot shower, and just as she was pulling on her robe, there was a knock at the door. She opened the door to find Lois and Robin standing before her with huge smiles on their face. They were there to get ready for the wedding. Brenda led them to the bedroom where their dresses were laid out on the bed in garment bags and they began to get dressed.

Two floors down, Jax was up earlier than Brenda. He had seen the sun rise over the city from the picture window in the main room of the suite. It was where John found him when he came out of his room. He tapped Jax on the shoulder and told him it was time to begin getting ready. He was going to go wake Jerry and tell him the same thing.

Jax returned to his room and picked up the bag with his tuxedo in it. He walked into the bathroom and took a shower. For a long time, he stood under the water and closed his eyes. He was thinking about what the wedding was going to be like that day.

Lois and Brenda finished dressing and did their hair. Once they were done, they went into Brenda's bedroom to help her get started. Robin took the dress out of its bag while Lois helped Brenda with her hair. They both helped her put the gown on and arrange it so it wouldn't wrinkle.

The phone rang in the apartment, and Lois answered it. It was the front desk telling her that her limousine was there to pick her up. They all left the apartment quickly and went downstairs to meet it. They were on their way to the ceremony.

Jax finished combing his hair and put on his dress shirt. He was putting his cufflinks through his sleeves when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Jerry walked in already dressed to go. Jax tied his bow tie and slid on his tuxedo jacket. They both walked out into the main room to meet John and Jane.

They all received a similar phone call a moment later and they were on their way downstairs. They knew there was no danger of running into Brenda as she had left fifteen minutes earlier for the ceremony. Now, it was his turn.

Jax stood at the end of the aisle that was draped in a white cover. He stood at the bottom of three stairs leading up to a floral arch where the minister stood waiting. He and Brenda would stand under that arch and repeat their vows to each other in just a few minutes.

The string quartet was playing a piece of classical music when the cue was given. They ended the piece and began to play a pretty piece with a flowing melody. Lois walked from around the corner to join arms with Ned who was standing at the back of the aisle. She was wearing, as Robin would be, a pale purple sleeveless dress that fell to her ankles. Ned was dressed in a tuxedo that was almost identical to Jax's, but it didn't have the tails Jax wore. His bow tie and cummerbund matched the color of Lois's dress. They walked slowly down the aisle and split at the steps to the arch. Robin followed behind her and met Jerry at the back. She carried a bouquet of light purple and white roses woven together. They did the same as Lois and Ned and split at the steps.

The music switched to the traditional wedding march and Brenda appeared at the back of the aisle. She had decided to walk herself down the aisle as a symbol of her independence of all others, but Jax. She wore a white slim-fitting dress that had another layer of elegant lace over it. She did not wear a veil or any other adornments. She carried a beautiful bouquet of white roses arranged in a rose pattern themselves.

When she reached the end of the aisle where Jax stood, she took his arm and he led her up the three steps to the minister. He asked them to face each other and take each other's hands. They did as they were told and Brenda handed her bouquet to Robin.

Before the minister could begin, Jax leaned in an whispered to Brenda, "I told you I'd see the most beautiful woman in the world today." Brenda smiled and grasped his hands tighter.

The minister started the ceremony and after no objections were raised to their marriage, he asked Jax to say his written vows. Jax looked straight into Brenda's eyes and felt as if he was looking into the very depths of her soul.

"Brenda, my love, that is what you are to me. I have never loved anyone in the world as much as I love you. After everything we have been through in the last two months, you have shown me why I asked you to marry me in the first place. Your never ending love for me was shown daily, even when I didn't give it back to you. You wouldn't let me give up and you wouldn't go away. I told you before that I didn't want to marry you until I could see you walk down that aisle. And now that I have, you've taken my breath away. You are my best friend, you are my love, you are my life, you are my soul. I promise from this day forward to love you and honor you until death do us part."

He wiped at the tears running down her face and she smiled. She didn't wait for the minister to cue her to begin.

"Jax, I almost lost you two months ago. I spent the next weeks wondering what I would have done if I had. Now, I know that I will never have to live without you in my life. You have taught me how to be who I am. You have not carried me to where I am, but you have stood by me and walked with me to this point. And for the last two months, it was my turn. I stood by you and I walked with you, even when you refused to walk. We have been through so much already to be together that there is nothing in this world that could keep me from you ever again. You are my best friend, you are my love, you are my life, you are my soul. I promise from this day forward to love you and honor you until death do us part."

The minister asked for the rings and upon giving his blessings to them, he handed Jax Brenda's ring.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love. It is a never ending circle that cannot be broken. As I place it on your finger, I promise to love you the same way, with a never ending love." He slipped her ring on her finger and raised her hand to his lips to kiss the gold band.

Brenda took Jax's ring in her fingers. "I give you this ring as a symbol of our love. It is a never ending circle that cannot be broken. As I place it one your finger, I promise to love you the same way, with a never ending love." She slid it the rest of the way down his finger and raised his hand to her lips to kiss the ring.

The minister look at the gathering of friends and family and pronounced Jax and Brenda husband and wife. Jax swept Brenda off her feet and brought her to him. He kissed her more passionately than ever before.

When they finally broke apart, Brenda took her bouquet from Robin and Jax took her hand in his. They walked back up the aisle as everyone applauded them.

They stopped at the back and Jax pulled her to him for another kiss. The group awarded them with catcalls and whistles and they broke apart laughing. They headed for the alcove where they were going to wait and take the necessary pictures. Lois and Ned, Jerry and Robin, and John and Jane joined them shortly afterwards. Everyone else headed for the reception.

They spent well over forty-five minutes taking the pictures and when they were done with the group photos, everyone except Jax and Brenda left. They remained to take the individual and shots together. They finally finished and headed for the limousine.

The reception was being held in the Port Charles Hotel. The room had been decorated in the same pale purple as the dresses and a light silver color. The party had gotten underway while Jax and Brenda had finished taking their pictures.

The limousine pulled up outside and Jax got out. He went around the other side and offered Brenda his hand to get out. She took it and smiling, they entered the hotel lobby. As they approached the reception, Jax suddenly picked up Brenda in his arms and ran into the room with her.

As they made their entrance, the entire room burst out laughing. Jax and Brenda were laughing as well. Jax put her down and kissed her. Then, they proceeded to mingle through the room.

Everyone finally sat down to dinner and when the champagne was poured, Jerry stood up.

"As the best man, I suppose it is my duty to give this toast. Jax and Brenda, I don't think anyone in this room knows how you finally got here. It's taken you four years and more obstacles than anyone has ever seen. But all that does is prove how much you love each other. If you can make it through all that and still always find your way back to each other, then you must be meant for each other. And since that is the case, I, along with everyone else here, raise my glass to you." He smiled at them and held up his glass as they clinked each other's. Jerry sat down.

The dinner was served and it was soon time to cut the cake. Jax took Brenda's hand and led her out to the middle of the room. The four-layered cake was in front of them and they both took hold of the silver cutting knife. They cut a slice of the cake and put it on a plate. Jax gently lifted a corner off the piece and held it to Brenda's mouth. She took it and smiled at him. She picked up a slightly larger piece of the cake and held it to Jax's mouth. When he moved to take it, she moved her hand slightly and it smeared on his face. She burst out laughing at his look of surprise. He shook a finger at her and then pulled her to him to give her a kiss.

When it was time for the first dance, Jax and Brenda were already in the middle of the dance floor. The band began the song and Jax took Brenda in his arms, his hands locking around her waist. She put her head on his shoulder and her arms around his neck. Their bodies melded together as the love between them was plain to everyone in the room.

We were strangers
Starting out on a journey
Never dreaming
What we'd have to go through
Now here we are
And I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me
I was going to find you
Unexpected
What you did to my heart
When I lost hope
You were there to remind me
This is the start

Life is a road
And I want to keep going
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing
Life is the road
Now and forever
Wonderful journey

Jax held Brenda even closer than she thought was ever possible. He whispered in her ear, "I love you, you know." She smiled and whispered back, "I know."

I'll be there
When the world stops turning
I'll be there
When the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

We were strangers
On a crazy adventure
Never dreaming
How our dreams would come true
Now here we stand
Unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
Now I know my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river I wanna keep going on
Starting out on a journey
Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

Brenda kept hold of Jax when the song ended and whispered, "I love you, too." Jax whispered back, "I know."

They broke apart and the party continued. They danced for another three or four hours. By the time they were getting ready to leave, Brenda felt as if she had danced with every man in the room and Jax with every woman. They left to go up to the penthouse. They were going to change and then leave for their honeymoon. Their bags had been packed since the day before, even though Brenda didn't know where they were headed.

They took the elevator and Brenda leaned into Jax as they went up. When they reached the door tot he apartment, Jax unlocked it and swept Brenda into his arms. He carried her across the threshold and closed the door. He didn't put her down until they reached the bedroom.

Jax placed Brenda on the bed and began to undress. She watched him for a few minutes before she stood up to stop him. Then, she helped him undress and he helped her. Before long, they had forgotten about getting dressed and both wanted to remain undressed for quite awhile.

They finally got up and got ready to leave. Jax had the bags taken down and put in the car and then he and Brenda locked the penthouse doors and stepped on the elevator. When the doors opened, everyone was standing in a line to the doors of the hotel. As Jax and Brenda stepped off the elevator, John and Jane approached each one to give them a hug. Then they ran quickly through the group as everyone threw handfuls of rose petals at them, one of Brenda's twists on the conventional tradition.

They settled in the back seat of the limousine and Brenda looked at Jax. He leaned over to kiss her and she snuggled into his arms. They had finally done it. They were married and had everything they had wanted in the last four years. And they gotten it all just by hanging on.

The End

"At the Beginning"-Richard Marx and Donna Lewis-Anastasia Soundtrack