Jax opened his eyes the next morning before his alarm had a chance to go off. It was official. He was back in his normal routine, getting up early to get a good start on the day. It was still dark outside as he slid out of Brenda's embrace and got up. He slipped on a pair of running pants and an oversized sweatshirt. Testing his foot carefully, he pulled on his running shoes and left the apartment for an early morning jog. He made a circular path through Central Park and took the time to enjoy the very crisp, very cold November morning.

Brenda slowly opened her eyes when she became aware that her arm was across a cold portion of the bed. A portion of the bed that should have been warm and occupied. She raised her head and looked for Jax, but found only a note he left on the bedside table. "Brenda, went for a run. Back in about an hour. Love, Jax," she read aloud. She smiled, but it quickly turned to a frown when she realized he shouldn't be out running if he was still healing. However, she knew there was no telling him that and he was already gone anyway. She got up from the bed and pulled on her silk robe, heading into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Finding that Jax had already set it up for her, she smiled again and pressed start on the machine.

The front door closed louder than Jax had wanted it to. He cringed, but then realized Brenda was no longer asleep as he could smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen.

"Jax?" Brenda called. She appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"Who else?" he answered. He crossed the foyer quickly to give her a good morning kiss.

Brenda had watched his walk carefully to make sure he hadn't done anything to himself. "How was your run?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"It was fine," he answered somewhat curtly as he walked around her into the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee and wrapped his hands around the steaming mug.

"Is it really cold outside?" she asked as she poured her own cup of coffee.

Jax gave her a wary smile. "Brenda, we have less than four hours together and you're asking me about the weather?"

"And what else would like me to be asking you about?"

"Well…" he trailed off, flashing her a sexy smile. But just as she moved to help him finish that thought, he laughed. "Actually, you're right, though. I have to get dressed. Ned needs me in the office this morning." His tone was regretful as he had thought he'd be able to spend the morning at home with her.

"Why?"

"I need to go in and sign a contract for him. It needs to close as soon as possible."

"I didn't hear the phone ring, how do you know this?" She still had her arms wrapped around her waist where she had been standing when he pulled away slightly. Her arms brushed something on his waistband and she laughed. She picked it up and held it out in front of her. "You," she teased, "are the only person I know who would go running with his pager."

Jax kissed her quickly on the lips before he took his pager back from her and moved toward the door. "Yes, but that's exactly how I know things like Ned needs me in the office as soon as possible."

Jax went into the bedroom and showered quickly. He dressed almost as quickly in a pair of beige pants and matching suit jacket. He was tying his burgundy and beige tie when Brenda came into the bedroom.

"Am I going to see you again before we leave?" she asked as she came up behind him while he stood in front of the mirror.

"I think so," he responded. "I shouldn't be too long at the office. I only need to sign the papers and catch up on a little work for now. Everything else has been transferred to my Port Charles office for later on tonight or tomorrow. If you'd like, we can fly back together." He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the top of her head quickly.

She shook her head against his chest. "No, I don't think that's a very good idea. We both told Sonny and Miranda we weren't here together. I think it would look really odd for us to show up back in town together, don't you? Besides, I still have to go back to my apartment and get my things packed up that I still have there. Then, I need to check in at the agency before I can go home."

Jax sighed. He'd wanted to spend more time with her before they left, but he supposed that wasn't possible. "So, it looks like this is it because I really have to get going here." He tightened his embrace around her.

Brenda looked up at him and smiled. He bent his head slowly and kissed her softly. As the realization that this might be their last kiss for a long time finally hit them, the kiss deepened into something much more. It became a sorrowful, but promising goodbye and a reinforcement of the promises they'd made just the night before. When Jax pulled back from her, he slid his forefinger under the chain around her neck and lifted the charm so that it glinted in the light. He kissed it lightly and smiled at her.

"I love you," he whispered. "No matter what happens, remember that."

"And you remember that I love you," she whispered back, making the same promise. He kissed her again before releasing her reluctantly. She followed him out to the front door as he grabbed his coat and briefcase. One last time, he bent his head to her lips and kissed her tenderly before he slowly closed the door and left the apartment. It would be a long time before she felt his lips against hers again, she thought with a sigh. And there was no telling what might happen before then.

Four hours later, Jax was seated in his private jet as the plane circled to land at the Port Charles airport. As soon as it touched down and stopped at the gate, he was off the plane and headed for the waiting car to go back to his home. It wasn't until he got halfway to the house that he realized he hadn't called ahead to warn Miranda that he was coming home. Well, it was too late now.

Jax walked in the front door of the mansion located in one of the expensive neighborhoods of the city. The house had not been his idea to purchase, but it was what Miranda had wanted and he didn't want to argue with her. He didn't care where they lived as long as they had a home somewhere. He would have been just as happy staying at the Port Charles hotel. The front entryway was huge and opened up into the entire house. He felt like he was walking into a crypt when he opened the door. Everything was quiet and calm, almost cold.

Almost immediately, though, Mrs. Whitter appeared in the doorway leading from the kitchen. "Ah, Mr. Jacks, good afternoon," she greeted him with a polite smile. "I didn't realize you were coming home today."

"Hello, Mrs. Whitter," he responded cordially. "Is my wife here?"

The housekeeper looked a little nervous at the mention of Miranda. "I don't believe so, Mr. Jacks," she said quickly.

Too quickly, Jax thought. Miranda was here, all right. It was just a matter of what she was doing and he didn't care to know. He put on an obliging smile and said, "Well, when she returns, will you tell her I'm in my office upstairs? I need to speak with her."

"Yes, sir, I'll tell her." The woman disappeared quickly before Jax could ask any other questions of her.

Jax shook his head and went up the steps in the front hall slowly. He had two offices, one upstairs and one downstairs, but when he wasn't working with anyone else, he preferred to use the one upstairs that was adjacent to his bedroom. His rooms were located on the opposite side of the mansion from Miranda's, as he had wanted it. She could come and go as she pleased without bothering him that way and he could care less. She had done so even before she moved to her rooms, but now it was easier for Jax not to be reminded of her every time he stepped out of his room.

He sat down at his expansive mahogany desk and opened his briefcase. It had been several weeks since he had last been in the house because of his business in London and his stop in New York. The room was none the worse for wear, he noticed. Mrs. Whitter did her job well. The darkly paneled room was spotless and not one thing was out of order. Even his computer screen was wiped free of dust. The desk was fronted by two black leather chairs and bookcases lined the walls all the way around the room. The single bank of windows in the room looked out onto the gardens in the backyard. Right now, everything was covered in a light dusting of snow from the previous night outside.

Brenda had been right, he mused. It was prettier to see the snow here than it was in the city. He stopped what he was in the process of doing and got up to look out the window. He took the time to appreciate what it was that Brenda seemed to love about the outdoors in winter. She had always loved winter more than any other season of the year. She loved the holiday times and loved decorating for them. She used to be an avid skier, but they hadn't been anywhere for years now. He wondered briefly if she still skied at all. As he gazed out the window, lost in thought, he wondered if he would be able to spend Christmas with her this year.

Jax was standing in front of the windows with his arms crossed in front of him, looking outside, when Miranda opened the door. She saw he was lost in thought over something and knocked lightly on the door out of respect.

Jax didn't react except to say in an unemotional tone, "Miranda." He waited a few more moments until he was sure she would be in the room and standing near his desk before he turned from the windows. He walked slowly back to his desk and stood behind it until she sat in one of the chairs in front of him. He studied her for a moment. She looked almost nervous about something, she kept licking her lips and fidgeting with her hands. "Did you just get back, I presume?"

She blinked unexpectedly. "Back from where?"

"Wherever it was you were. Mrs. Whitter informed me you were out when I got in. I assume that's who told you I was looking for you?"

She nodded quickly in agreement. "Yes, I did just get back and I came right up to see what you wanted as soon as she told me."

She was already lying to him, he thought. She'd agreed too quickly for him to believe she was ever out of the house in the first place. And secondly, he knew she never would have come right up to see him. She would have taken her grand old time, making him wait for her. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair.

"How was your trip?" Miranda asked conversationally. "You look well."

She must really be trying to hide something, he realized. She never asked him about his business trips. Or maybe it wasn't the business end she was asking about. "It was fine," he responded casually. "And I am fine."

"Are you?"

"Meaning what, exactly?"

"Meaning when I spoke to you in New York you said you'd injured your foot. Are you all right now?"

He unconsciously flexed his foot under the desk. "Like I said, I'm fine."

"And how are Ned and Lois doing?"

He knew she couldn't possibly really care, but he answered anyway. "They're fine, too."

She couldn't resist. "And how's Brenda?" She said it almost cattily.

A dark cloud passed over Jax's face in response to her mentioning Brenda. "I think I told you on the phone that I did not go to New York to see Brenda. I was there on business with Ned, right up until I was out of commission for a few days."

"Well, you had to have had someone to take care of you, didn't you? I'm sure Ned didn't play nursemaid to you all week long."

"Miranda, why do you care? And what does it matter anyway? It's none of your business who I interact with or who I spend time with when I am out of town. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, last time I checked." Okay, well, that wasn't exactly true based on what had actually happened, but there was no need to tell Miranda that he had needed Brenda as much as he had in the past week. He was tired of the small talk anyway. "You know this is not why I asked you to come up here."

She knew that. She actually had an idea of what he wanted, but she didn't want to give him the chance to say it. "Okay, then why did you ask me up here?"

"You asked me for a divorce, remember? And I want to know if you're actually going to follow through with that."

She looked somewhat relieved to hear his response. She nodded. "Yes, I do. My lawyers are drawing up papers as we speak. They'll be sent to you as soon as I approve them."

"So, in other words, soon, right?" he clarified, leaving no room for argument in the question.

"Yes, as soon as possible."

"Good," Jax said. He sat forward and put his elbows on the desk, resting his hands under his chin for a moment. Then, he lifted his head and said, "That brings me to my second reason for asking you up here, then."

"Which is?" she asked cautiously.

"You will have exactly one month to move your belongings out of this house and into another place of residence."

Outrage immediately sprang to her face. "Jax! You can't be serious! This is my home, I live here! You cannot kick me out of my own home."

Jax regarded her calmly. "Miranda, this is my home and it is my decision. Now, had you waited long enough for the divorce to come naturally, the circumstances may be different, but since you didn't, it is my choice. I want you out of here as soon as possible."

"Jax, is this because of that bi--"

"Miranda, don't say anything you're going to regret or I'll make it tonight instead of a month," he interrupted quietly.

She closed her mouth and sat in the chair in stony silence for a few moments. "You know, don't you?" she asked curiously.

"Know what?" he responded with no reaction, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

In that one instant, she had her answer. He did know and that was why he was doing this. But why was he being so calm about it all? Was there more to it? There had been that comment he'd made to her over the phone. "I just have one more question for you. I wanted to ask you something about what you said on the phone when I called you in New York one day, to clarify my understanding of your thinking."

"What is it?" he asked warily. He wanted her to leave now, to go start looking for a new place to live, to get out of his sight forever, but she wasn't going anywhere just yet apparently.

"Well, it was something to the effect that unlike me, you don't have extramarital affairs. I want to know what you meant by that. Do you suspect me of having an affair on you?" She tried to look innocent and offended by the mere suggestion of such a thing.

Jax honestly didn't remember saying that to her. After all, he had just done the exact same thing in New York with Brenda. He must have said it before anything happened between them, he realized. And that meant it was sometime when he had been under the effects of the painkillers. Probably during that conversation he'd had that Ned had had to tell him about. He choose his words carefully. "I do not suspect you of having an affair, Miranda." He knew she was, but he didn't say that. "When I said that to you, I believe I had just taken the painkillers I was prescribed." He said it without any hint of apology in his voice. He didn't want to sound sorry for suspecting her because the truth was, he really didn't suspect her. He was absolutely positive she was having the affair.

She seemed to accept that answer and rose to her feet. Jax remained seated behind his desk. "You'll be getting those papers soon, Jax," Miranda said as she walked toward the door.

"See that I do," he responded coolly just as she closed the door behind her. He turned to his computer to get some of his work done.

Brenda walked in the house and was met with the sounds of music coming from the den off to her right. "Hello?" she called out. No one answered her and she followed the sounds into the room.

Robin Scorpio was listening to a CD on the stereo and taking notes on the band as she listened. Robin was like a little sister to Brenda and they had known each other pretty much for the better part of their lives. She was twenty-one years old and lived in the same house with Brenda and Sonny while she attended Port Charles University. Sometimes when Lois wanted a fresh opinion, she would send a sample of the music to Robin and ask her to listen to it for her. Apparently, that was what Robin was doing right now. She only did it when she was sure Sonny wouldn't be home.

"Robin?" Brenda said as she walked in the room.

Robin looked up immediately and jumped up from the chair to give Brenda a hug. "Hey! I didn't know you were coming home today! I thought you'd be in New York awhile longer."

"No, I didn't need to stay and there are a few things I've got going on here to take care of. Is Sonny around?" She didn't really want to see him, but if they were going to use him for the purposes of their plan, she needed to start the plan in motion as soon as possible.

Robin shook her head. "Didn't he tell you? He went on a business trip a couple days ago and he won't be back for a few more days yet."

Brenda did remember now that she thought about it. He had told her he would be in Baltimore. She thought he'd be back by now, though. She nodded. "That's right, he did tell me."

Robin pulled Brenda's hand to get her to sit down next to her. "So, how was New York? How are Ned and Lois?"

Brenda told Robin all about the modeling shoots she'd taken care of and getting together with Ned and Lois a couple times. She left out that Jax had joined them until she was sure how Robin would accept it. Robin had always wanted her to be with Sonny. He was like a big brother to Robin and he took care of her, much to her uncle's chagrin. Robin didn't know the extent of the problems Brenda had with him, but she had a vague idea.

Brenda was about to go upstairs when Robin casually mentioned, "I talked to Ned yesterday."

"Oh yeah? What'd he say?" This couldn't be good.

"He was telling me that he met up with Jax a few times while he was in New York." Robin loved Jax, too. She had known him for years, longer than Sonny, since Brenda introduced them during her college days. Sometimes she even wished Brenda could have found happiness with Jax. That was whenever she noticed that Brenda was upset or unhappy in her marriage. "Did you happen to see him, too?"

Brenda was caught. She wasn't sure if she should say anything, but then again, Robin might understand and she could have another confidante in the whole situation. She nodded in response to Robin's question. "I saw him once or twice while we were there."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Robin, you know why. It's because of Sonny. If he knew--"

"I wouldn't tell Sonny if you didn't want me to, you know that."

"Oh, I know, it's just I couldn't take any chances right now. Sonny's always been so jealous of Jax and I told him I wasn't meeting with Jax at all while I was there. If he knew I did, he would also know I lied to him."

"So, then, how is Jax?"

Brenda grinned excitedly. "He's great! We always have a great time together, you know. He had a little mishap while we were there, though." She told Robin about Jax's injury and how she'd stuck around to take care of him during it all. Still being cautious, she didn't tell Robin the full extent of her caregiving.

After a few more minutes of chatting, Brenda went upstairs to put her things away from her trip. She still shared a bedroom with Sonny, but they hadn't willingly shared the bed in over a year. It always seemed as if one of them was away while the other was there. If Brenda wasn't on a modeling shoot, Sonny was on a business trip and vice versa. There had been very few nights when they'd had to sleep side by side and inevitably, one of them would get up to do work in the middle of the night. She didn't know why they didn't just get the divorce or at least separate rooms and get it over with. Actually, she did know why. For appearance's sake.

As she put her clothes away, Brenda kept glancing at the phone on the bedside table, wanting more than anything for it to ring and for it to be Jax calling her to tell her he loved her. If he didn't call, she was going to call him, she told herself.

Jax still hadn't called by the time she finished putting her clothes away and had cleaned up from her trip. She wondered what he was doing right now. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she dialed his private office line in his house, knowing if he were there, he'd pick up right away. She got his voice mail telling her he was either away from his desk or on another call and if she wanted to leave a message, he'd get back to her right away. "Hey, Jax, it's me. I was just calling to say hello and that I'm back. Robin's here with me, so I'm not alone. Give me a call when you get a chance." She was purposely vague, knowing that Miranda had beeped into his messages at least once before. She avoided any semblance of emotion other than friendship in her message.

When she hung up, she decided to try and take a short nap before dinner with Robin. She lay down on the bed, still fully-clothed, and closed her eyes. She thought back to the night before with Jax and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

"So then you can transfer the funds as I specified?" Jax asked his account over the phone. He was setting up the preliminary funding for the company they were going to be using. "Thanks very much." He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. The sun had gone down a long time ago across the backyard. He'd been in his office for the rest of the afternoon and into the early night. He'd skipped dinner to catch up on everything he'd been letting go. Already, he'd talked to Ned twice about contracts or proposals he'd come across. And the worst part was he still had more work to do before he was going to stop for the night.

He got up and walked around the office a few times, stretching his legs. He'd long since removed his jacket and tie, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. Now, he built a fire in the fireplace and watched it burn for a few moments. Glancing out the window, he saw that it was beginning to snow again. It made him think of Brenda for the first time in a few hours.

It was funny, he used to go full days without thinking about her or missing her, but now, he was surprised if he made it more than a minute without some thought of her filling his mind. He'd been so busy straightening out business for the last few hours that he hadn't had time to think about anything else. If he hadn't been on the phone, he'd been on his computer or reading a contract. But now he thought of only Brenda as all other thoughts left his mind.

He wondered what she was doing right now. He wanted to call her, but he didn't want to risk it. He chided himself for being silly and thinking it would matter. It wasn't like he hadn't called her house before. They were best friends, after all. Sonny knew that and he would just have to deal with it. He was just afraid he might give something away in his voice that made Sonny suspicious. He decided to wait a while longer to make the call. She was probably busy anyway.

Jax sat back down at his desk and picked up the phone once again. He heard a beep in his ear indicate he had voice mail and then noticed the light on the base of the phone was lit to indicate the same thing. He listened to the messages in quick succession, but he paused when he heard Brenda's voice come across the line. "Hey, Jax, it's me. I was just calling to say hello and that I'm back. Robin's here with me, so I'm not alone. Give me a call when you get a chance." He smiled at how ironic it was that he had just been thinking about calling her. He thought about her message for a moment. Robin was there so she wasn't alone? He wondered why she'd told him that. Robin was almost always there. But as he thought about it, he realized she had been trying to be cryptic in case someone else had gotten the message before he did. She was telling him that Sonny wasn't there, maybe that he wasn't in town.

He grinned at her forethought and depressed the connection. Quickly, he dialed the private line in her home, the one that rang only in her bedroom and the studies, both hers and Sonny's. The phone rang a few times before he finally heard someone pick it up.

"Hello?" a sleep-filled voice answered.

Jax smiled again. "Don't tell me I woke you up," he teased her.

Brenda's eyes flew open at the sound of his voice. She sat up quickly and held the receiver a little tighter. "Hey, I was waiting for you to call!"

"And you fell asleep waiting? Aww, that's so cute," he continued to tease.

"I wasn't asleep!" she tried to protest futilely, but knew she failed. "Okay, I wasn't completely asleep," she laughed.

Jax leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on his desk casually, crossing his legs at his ankles. "So how's my beautiful girl?"

His voice took on a softer quality and Brenda could practically hear him smiling through the phone line. "I'm fine." She took note of the time finally. "You must have been busy all day. Have you been working?"

"Yeah, I just got your message right before I called. I'm sorry it took so long, but yes, I was working. Actually, I still am. I just took a little break to call you."

As much as she loved hearing his voice right now, she longed to see him and touch him. "I wish I was with you right now," she said softly. She didn't want anyone to hear her just in case they happened to be passing by. When Sonny called the house, he didn't usually call this line, so she had to be careful what other people might hear her say.

Jax ran his free hand through his hair. "So do I, beautiful," he said as softly. "So do I."

"You know, Sonny's not here right now. He 's out of town for a few more days yet. We could meet somewhere, and, you know…" she trailed off to imply what they would be doing if they did meet.

He shook his head. "I can't. As much as I would love that, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Oh, Jax, why not?" she pleaded. "I want to see you."

"And I want to see you, sweetheart, but I can't. Not tonight. I have too much work to catch up on still. Plus, Miranda's here in the house." He sighed.

"How about if I sneak into your bedroom late at night?" she teased mischievously.

He laughed. "Now wouldn't that be a sight to behold? But I'd never forgive myself when you broke a leg trying to get to the second floor balcony of my room."

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed reluctantly. "Besides, someone would probably see me. And knowing my luck, it would be Miranda." The name stuck on her tongue before she said it.

"With any luck, that won't be for long," Jax said.

"Oh? Why not?"

"I told her she had one month to move out as of today."

"Why'd you give her so long?" Brenda asked sarcastically.

Jax filled her in on the whole story, including the part where Miranda asked him if he suspected her of an affair and how he answered her. He talked to Brenda for nearly an hour before he realized it. "Brenda," he began reluctantly, "I've really got to go. I've still got a lot of work to do before I go into the office tomorrow."

"I understand, Jax. I'm so glad you called, though." She smiled wistfully, wishing again that she was seeing him that night. Maybe she could do something about that, she wondered.

"Me too," he responded. "I'll call you again tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, tomorrow," she said vaguely, already coming up with a plan to see him. She hoped it would work and that he would let it work.

"I love you," he said softly, keeping his voice lower than usual in case anyone happened by.

"I love you, too," she replied. After saying goodbye, she hung up the phone slowly. Now, she was going to see him if it was the last thing she did.

Jax hung up the phone and sat still for a minute. He had almost heard the wheels turning in Brenda's head. He knew she was up to something. He put his feet back on the floor and got up from the desk once more. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink, carrying it with him back to his seat. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his dress shirt. He sat down once more and resigned himself to work through the majority of the night. His mind drifted back to Brenda for a moment and he wondered again what she was going to do. And he hoped she wouldn't get caught.