"Ned, did you really hear everything I just said?" Lois's face reflected the panic she was feeling.

Ned was leaning against the doorjamb and almost laughing at her reaction. "Yes, I did, but why does that matter? And why is Brenda keeping a secret?" He thought back to what he'd heard her say. "Wait a minute, Lois, did you say Brenda is in love with Jax?"

Knowing he had heard everything and there was no point in denying it, Lois nodded. "She always has been."

"This is great! Don't you see it?" His face was lit up with excitement.

Lois was confused. "See what?"

"Jax told me yesterday that he's still in love with Brenda!"

Her mouth dropped open. "You're serious, aren't you? Please don't even be joking about this." At his enthusiastic nod, her smile deepened. "Then, the reason they're not acting on their feelings-"

"Is because they're both married to different people," Ned finished for her. "But neither of them is happy."

"Yeah, but they don't know that yet." Lois motioned to Ned to sit next to her on the couch. She told him everything she knew then. When she was done, it was Ned's turn to tell her what he knew. Together, the two began to plot their next moves to urge Jax and Brenda together.

Brenda had gone to check on Jax. She opened the door slowly and quietly, only far enough for her to slip inside and close it again. The room was very dim, but lit enough for her to see clearly.

Jax was under the covers on the bed and sound asleep. His head was thrown into his arm as if to block out the light. The look of pain had finally vanished from his face. Now, looking extremely peaceful, Jax slept on. His foot was still up on the pillows at the end of the bed and she slipped the ice pack back onto it. He reacted involuntarily to her touch, moving his head slightly, but still he did not wake up.

Brenda began to move silently about the room, cleaning up. His pants from their dinner, his clothes from the day before, they were all still on the floor. After she tidied it, she sat for a minute in the chair that was in the corner of the room. All she did was watch him sleep, as she could for hours, his chest rising and falling evenly. Her thoughts swirled around everything Lois had told her about his marriage and everything she felt for him.

"Brenda?" a voice whispered softly.

Ned was standing in the doorway. When she looked up, he came through and closed the door again. He crossed the room and kneeled next to her in the chair. "He's asleep?" She nodded. "How is he doing?" Brenda shrugged her shoulders. "Is he in pain now?"

"I don't think so, but he's been asleep for almost another hour and a half. Hopefully, at least the headache will be gone when he wakes up."

"You know he's not going to want to stay here if it is."

"I know, but he's going to have to. We'll make him. Maybe we should hope it's not gone then," she grinned.

"There's no forcing him to do anything. If he feels up to it, he'll get up, with or without our approval. It might as well be with."

Brenda nodded reluctantly. "I suppose you're right."

"Right about what? Me?" The voice came across softly and he still sounded tired.

Brenda got up quickly and went to his bed. "Jax, I'm sorry. Did we wake you?" She looked contrite in between throwing stern looks at Ned.

"Yeah, but that's okay. I've been asleep too long anyway. What time is it?" He put his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up.

"It's almost noon," Ned replied. "How are you feeling?"

Good question. "Like hell." There was now a dull ache in the back of his head.

"Is your headache gone?"

"Not quite." He tried to sit up slowly and propped himself against the headboard.

Brenda sat down on the edge of the bed. "What about your foot? Does it hurt at all?"

Jax moved it from side to side slowly. He winced slightly. "Only when I move it. Brenda do me a favor, please?" His voice was strained a little bit.

"What?"

"Can I have a minute alone with Ned?"

"Of course. I'll be out with Lois." She got up and left the room quickly.

Jax closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and sighed deeply. "Ned, I don't know what I'm doing or how I'm going to get through this."

Ned was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"This time with Brenda. Do you know she's spending next week here with me?"

Ned's eyes got wide and he began to smile. "What? How did that happen?"

Jax opened his eyes and gazed at Ned warily. "It's not funny, you know. I think sometime last night, which I don't really remember all that well-she told you what happened, right?" Ned nodded. "I guess sometime then I asked her to stay with me."

"Why'd you do that?" Ned laughed.

"Stop laughing at me. I don't know. I don't really remember doing it, but I know I did. Do you have any idea what those pain pills do to me? I wasn't exactly thinking clearly."

"So tell her she can't stay after all."

"How? How do I do that without her suspecting the real reason behind it? She'll know it's because I don't think I can control myself with her. But I have to, Ned. Our friendship depends on me controlling my emotions."

"Why does it have to?" Ned asked innocently "Why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"How can I? She's married-"

"Not happily."

"She's still married, and for that matter, so am I. I know they have problems, but she loves him, right?" Ned didn't answer him. "Right, Ned?" Still no answer and the look on his face was telling Jax what he was asking. "Ned, what are you trying not to tell me? Brenda doesn't love Sonny?" Finally, Ned nodded slightly. "But she's married to him!"

"So, you're married to Miranda. Do you love her?" The look on Jax's face answered that question for him. "Then, isn't it possible Brenda is doing the same thing?"

"But she would have told me."

"Did you tell her?"

"Ned, stop it. There's no comparison. Miranda and I got married for completely different reasons. Brenda wouldn't have married Sonny if she didn't love him. I know that."

"Maybe not. Maybe she thought she loved him because she couldn't have you at the time."

Jax's jaw dropped. "What? Ned! She got married TWO years after we broke up! I was-"

"Already married, remember?"

Jax closed his mouth. He had to think. It couldn't be possible. Brenda had sworn there was nothing left of her feelings for him, as he had to her, though his words weren't completely true. Maybe hers hadn't been either, then. "Oh God, Ned. How did everything get so screwed up?"

"What do you mean?"

"The night Brenda and I broke up, we said some things. Things we could never forgive the other for saying. That's what we, then, at least. After I married Miranda, I realized that I had forgiven Brenda. I always did. Ned, I still loved her, even when I was saying my vows to Miranda. But then I had a wife, and Brenda had never forgiven me."

"How do you know she didn't?"

"Ned, don't say that. If that's true..." his voice broke and he took a deep breath. "If that's true, then I'm the one that did this to us. I always was. I'm responsible for ALL of it, me, Miranda, Brenda, everything."

"Jax, listen to me. You both broke up. You both fought with each other. You both screwed up. Neither one of you is singularly responsible for any of it. And that doesn't change the fact that you love her, does it?" Jax shook his head. "Then do something about it."

"I can't. She's married," Jax repeated again.

"We just got through discussing that one. Uh-huh, that won't work anymore. Give me another reason I can shoot down." Ned smiled slightly.

"Ned," Jax warned. "Fine, here's one. I can't make the first mistake in my own marriage. Do you realize what that would entitle Miranda to when we divorce?"

"Jax, you have an answer for everything, don't you?" Ned shook his head and put his hand on the doorknob. "You take chances and risks every day in business. For once in your life, take a risk for love. Tell her, Jax, tell her you love her." He opened the door and walked out, flipping the light switch on as he went out.

"Ned!" Jax yelled. He pulled a pillow over his eyes and lay back down. So many thoughts were running through his mind now. If she loved me then, could she still love me now? Is it possible? Can we really be together? Should I tell her? Should I wait for her to tell me? There were so many questions he couldn't even begin to answer.

Throwing the pillow down on the bed, Jax groaned with frustration. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his crutches and headed for the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he put his crutches against the wall. He shaved quickly and then started the shower. Slowly, he sat on the bench next to the shower stall and removed his pajama pants and boxer shorts. Carefully, he reached down and eased open the velcro straps on his splint to slide it off. Finally, he hopped the two steps to the shower on his right leg and stood under the water.

Fifteen minutes later, Jax was still thinking about Brenda when he turned off the water. He hopped out and grabbed for his crutches. Steadying himself against one, he wrapped a large green towel around his waist. He picked up his splint and went back to the bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, he looked from his foot to the splint in his hand. I can't do this to myself this time. I'll never get it done. But he knew he had to get it on his foot before he even tried to get dressed.

Jax went to the door and opened it. He called to get Ned's attention. The last thing he needed was to be dressed only in a towel and have to get Brenda's help for something. If there was tension before, there definitely would be then.

Ned appeared in the doorway to Jax's office. "Yes, Jax?"

"Give me a hand, will you?" He turned around and went back into his room as Ned followed behind and closed the door again.

"What do you need?"

"Your help." He sat on the bed and asked Ned to help him get the splint on his foot.

Ned took it in his hands and grabbed Jax's heel. As he fit the splint around the foot, Jax flinched away. "Careful, Ned!" he yelped. He could feel Ned trying to be more gentle. It wasn't working. Jax clenched his jaw and gripped the side of the bed tightly. Before Ned could get the second strap velcroed, Jax had had enough. He pulled his foot away and out of Ned's reach. "What are you trying to do to me?!"

"What? Jax, quit being such a child!" Ned laughed. He reached for Jax's foot again, but Jax held firm.

"No, Ned, you are not going to touch me. You'll probably end up killing me!" Jax smiled as he joked, but he was not going to let Ned near his foot again.

There was a knock on the door and Brenda stuck her head in. "What is going on in here? Or should I ask?" She noticed Jax in his state of undress and immediately wished she had waited.

"Ned's trying to torture me in here, that's all. Brenda, come here," he relented. She came to stand in front of him. "Help me, please." He put his foot back down on the floor. "And kick Ned out, too."

Brenda turned to him and Ned laughed as he stood up to leave. He closed the door again when he left.

Brenda was trying to concentrate solely on helping Jax. She tried not to look at his tanned chest or bare stomach. She kept her eyes on his foot and her task. She undid everything Ned had done and gently put the splint on correctly. Jax flinched twice, but was otherwise still. When she was finished she looked up to see him with his eyes closed and he was biting on his lower lip.

Jax took a deep breath and opened his eyes when he heard her stand up. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "I swear Ned was trying to cause me more pain."

Brenda laughed and visibly relaxed. "Probably. Do you need anything else?"

"Actually," he began, "yes. Can you grab me a pair of jeans and a shirt to put on, please?"

She went into his closet and pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans and an oversized black button-down shirt. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed when she returned. She placed his clothes next to him and left the room with a backward smile at him.

Jax got dressed slowly to give himself time to think. His mind had gone back to the possibility that Brenda might still love him. Eventually, he left the room and ventured into his office where the other three were gathered. Brenda and Lois were watching a soap opera and Ned was humorously giving the plots while Brenda and Lois told him to shush.

Ned got up from Jax's chair to allow him to sit down. Jax took his seat and looked up at the two women. He decided to let them watch in peace, since Ned was already pestering them enough. Turning to his computer, he turned it on for it to boot up. He and Ned began to talk quietly about one of their companies.

Jax checked his e-mail immediately. There were seven new messages, one from the private investigator. He opened that one first, with Ned reading it over his shoulder. At the same time, they both swore sharply.

Brenda and Lois whirled around at their exclamation, surprised at the sudden outburst. Jax now had his head in his hands, muttering to himself while Ned read and re-read the message several times to make sure of what he was seeing. "What? What happened?" Brenda asked anxiously.

Ned looked up briefly and said, "Nothing, don't worry about it, Brenda." He turned back to the message.

"Jax..." she implored.

"What?" he looked up with a dazed expression. "Brenda, he's right, don't worry about it. It has nothing to do with you." He dropped his head back into his hands, trying to figure out what to do. How can I say it has nothing to do with her? It has EVERYTHING to do with her!