Jax held his breath. It was almost over. Almost official. The waiting and praying was almost a thing of the past, and he and Brenda could LEGALLY begin their lives as man and wife.

When a low rumble of laughter went through the congregation behind him, Jax turned to the minister with a start. "I’m sorry, reverend – what did you say?"

"I said that you can kiss your bride, Doctor Jacks," the minister chuckled. "Unless you’re *already* past considering yourself a newlywed!"

Jax covered his nervousness, laughing merrily with the friends and family gathered to witness the "re-wedding." He looked down lovingly into Brenda’s eyes, cupping her face in his hands. "I don’t think I’ll *ever* stop wondering how I was lucky enough to convince this extraordinary woman to become my wife….."

A collective sigh went up from the crowd as Jax seized Brenda’s lips in a tender kiss. Reverend Castelli beamed at the young couple. "Well, since the good doctor here has done his duty and kissed his wife, I suppose all that’s left for me is to say…….Ladies and gentlemen, would you please join me in congratulating……. Dr. and Mrs. Jasper Jacks!"

As Jax and Brenda turned to face the small congregation, a rainbow created by the stained glass windows seemed the perfect backdrop to the happy couple. Brenda’s winter white full length suit provided a stark contrast to her raven curls, which she had swept back off her face with mother-of-pearl combs. The princess-lined jacket fastened with a long row of covered buttons at the front. A sculpted neckline was the perfect showcase for the antique emerald necklace that her parents had presented to her. The suit’s slim skirt was accented with a slit in the front that extended from the hem to her right mid-thigh.

Lois was a beautiful matron of honor in an emerald green formal suit similar to Brenda’s. Her slim skirt lacked the dramatic slit, allowing a small kick pleat at the back for ease of movement. She carried a modest bouquet of green miniature mums and ivy with stephanotis accents. Brenda’s larger bouquet overflowed with white roses, while small green spider mums provided contrast.

The happy couple slowly made their way down the center aisle of the chapel, with Jax stopping occasionally to introduce Brenda to various colleagues. Jane and John Jacks had arrived almost a week before the ceremony, taking a suite on the same floor as Harlan and Veronica at the Ritz Carlton. They had become fast friends with the Barretts, and Brenda had found her wedding ensemble while bonding with Jane on a shopping trip.

The entourage quickly departed the hospital grounds and adjourned by car to a private dining room at the hotel, where Harlan and Veronica insisted on hosting a small wedding "reception." As Brenda winced slightly, shifting from one foot to the other in the receiving line, Jax leaned down to her with a smile. "Having second thoughts about marrying me this time around, Mrs. Jacks?"

She returned his smile slyly, shaking her head. "Not on your life, Mr. Jacks," Brenda replied. Their lips met again in a quick kiss. "I’d marry you over and over and over again……anytime, anywhere." Then she sighed and leaned forward to crane her neck at the group of guests that continued to stream into the room. "I just think that the next time we do this, I’ll get more comfortable shoes!"

"BREN-DA-UH!!" The three-syllable greeting from the door of the banquet room momentarily made Brenda forget about the pain in her feet. Before she could say a word, Lucky Spencer nearly tackled her, pulling her into a bear hug and twirling her around in the air.

"Lucky, put the poor woman DOWN!!" Reggie hissed, shaking his head in disgust. He and Nicholas stood framed in the doorway, watching their poker companion with something akin to maternal disapproval. "You’re supposed to *kiss* the bride," he scolded, arms akimbo, "not turn her into a human pinwheel!!"

"Oh………sorry!!" Lucky returned Brenda to her place at Jax’s side, a little winded but none the worse for wear. He blushed sheepishly. "I’m just so happy!" Brenda patted his arm understandingly but Lucky went on. "I mean, after the ways things were goin’ there for a while, I never thought I’d see the day that our Brenda would finally become a married woman!!"

Nicholas clutched Reggie’s arm in panic as Brenda’s eyes widened slightly. "But I already WAS a married woman, Lucky," she said, shaking her head and smiling through her confusion at his exuberance. "And today was just for show……."

"Of COURSE it was!" Nicholas boomed, wrapping an arm around Lucky’s shoulders and squeezing hard. He hoped that Lucky would get the message and keep his mouth shut for the duration of the evening. "But I’m sure that Lucky just meant that now you’re an OFFICIALLY married woman, in the eyes of the church and all……."

"Yeah, right! That’s……that’s what I meant!" Lucky nodded, finally realizing that he had almost spilled the beans – again. "I just said that because in my old neighborhood, it ain’t official until God does the pronouncin’, not Elvis!"

A round of relieved laughter came from Jax, Lois and Ned. "Lucky was probably just nervous, being around all these formal wedding rituals," Reggie crooned. He was so busy eyeing one of the ushers lustily that he missed Lucky’s frown at his comment.

"Now, now…..that *ain’t* necessarily so!" Lucky protested, pulling indignantly at the corners of the vest of his single good suit. "I been to LOTS of different kinds of weddins’ in my time…….with lots of different ritchels, or whatever you call ‘em!" When Reggie crossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief, Lucky pointed a finger in accusation. "Like if this was one of them Ital-i-ano weddins’, I’d be the first one in line for some of those special cookies they pass around instead of the weddin’ cake!"

"The wedding cookies!" Lois exclaimed. She moved farther down the receiving line to join in on the conversation. "My grandma made a TON of those when I got married to my Nedly here," she added, slipping an arm around his waist and patting his chest lovingly. "And as much as I love my dear sweet grandma and I ADORE her cookies, I nearly took ‘em out in the streets and PAID people to eat them so there wouldn’t be any left!"

"Why wouldn’t you want any left?" Jax asked, re-adjusting his tie nervously. He was inwardly counting the hours and minutes until the day’s festivities would be over and he could forget about the last few months of deception.

"Because it’s one of them ritchels, don’t ‘ya know?" Lucky pointed out sagely. "The number of cookies left after everybody’s finished eatin’ is the number of kids that the bride and groom are gonna have!" He puffed out his chest with pride as Lois applauded his knowledge of the custom. "And then there’s the whole Polish thing about payin’ to dance with the bride….."

"They *pay* to dance with the bride?" Brenda’s eyes were round with curiosity.

"Yep. Them Polish brides even have special little satin purses to put all the cash in when the male-type guests ante up." Being the center of attention was bringing a sparkle to Lucky’s eye. "And then there’s the Greek thing about the guests tappin’ the sides of their wine glasses so the bride and groom will kiss."

"Why would they tap the side of the wine glass?" Reggie had almost succeeded in snagging Lucky’s arm to drag him away when Brenda asked the question and they were caught. He prayed mightily that Lucky wouldn’t say something soon in his trip around the world that would let the cat out of the bag and ruin Brenda’s wedding day.

"Because it’s a sign the wine isn’t sweet enough." Lucky smiled smugly. "So the bride and groom hafta kiss to make it sweeter."

"Wow, Lucky……." Jax shook his head in amazement. "I never knew you were so knowledgeable about international wedding customs."

"Yep. That’s me." Lucky raised his right hand to brush his knuckles on his chest and blow on his fingernails. "A real Neapolitan kinda guy."

"I think you mean COSMOPOLITAN, Lucky!" Reggie growled, finally linking his arm through Lucky’s. "You’re a man of the world so you’re a *cosmopolitan* kind of man."

"Naw…….." Lucky frowned even as Reggie tried to drag him over towards the food table. "That’s not the right word either." He was still objecting and pointing a finger in Reggie’s face as the duo left the receiving line in peace. "That’s the name for that girlie cocktail they all drink on that cable show with Sarah Jessica Raphael!"

Brenda was still wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes when Jax took her hand. "I believe I hear the music starting, Mrs. Jacks." His blue eyes shone with love for her. "Would you care to dance with me?"

"For the rest of my life, Dr. Jacks," she replied. Brenda handed her bouquet to Lois and then glided smoothly to the small dance floor in the center of the banquet room as the music swirled around them.

I’ll be loving you, always

Jax lifted his head to look down into his new bride’s radiant face. "Happy, Mrs. Jacks?"

She closed her eyes blissfully. "Happier than I ever thought I could be, Doctor Jacks." Then Brenda laughed softly and shook her head. "If you had told me six months ago that I would be getting married today – and be *happy* about it – I would have said that you were CRAZY!!"

Jax lowered his lips to brush against Brenda’s sexily. "I’m only crazy about you, Brenda. Always."

Days may not be fair, always

When Jax led Brenda to the head table after their dance was over, Jane Jacks was clasping her hands to her chest with tears in her eyes. "Oh, darling!" she cried, "that was SO sweet of you!!"

"You did well, son!" John Jacks exclaimed heartily, clapping Jax on the back. "The two of you looked absolutely stunning out there on the dance floor!" He chuckled and tipped his head towards his wife, who was still sniffling. "Got herself over there to blubbering and nearly got misty myself about it, actually!"

Brenda adjusted her skirt as she took a seat next to Jax at the table. "The two of you are crying just because Jax and I looked romantic out on the dance floor?"

"Well, the two of you DO look like a perfect match," Jane replied, wiping at her eyes again delicately with the back of her fingers. "But that *song*……..for the two of you to dance to that song…….." She sighed. "Well, it just gave me the chills!"

Jax chuckled softly, which made Brenda turn to him. "Why would that song be so special?"

"It was Jax’s grandparents’ favorite song," John explained, taking his glass of champagne after the waiter filled it. "My father used to tell me how the jukebox at their wedding reception broke and it was the only song it could play, over and over and over again!" Everyone at the head table now was smiling and nodding in understanding. "It turns out it wasn’t really a tragedy because after that, it became "their" song!"

"Really?" Brenda’s smile grew tighter and one eyebrow arched slightly. "Always, hmmmmm?" When Harlan Barrett got Jax’s attention by asking him a question about his investment portfolio, she turned towards Jane and lowered her voice. "You know, Jax never talks much about his grandmother and grandfather," she crooned sweetly. "Was he close to them?"

"Oh, YES, dear!" Jane replied confidentially. Although they had only met days earlier, both of Jax’s parents had taken a genuine liking to their new daughter-in-law. She put her head close to Brenda’s. "Jax’s grandmother *doted* on him ……nearly spoiled the darling boy *rotten* before she passed away!"

Brenda shook her head and pursed her lips. "Awwww…..it’s a shame I never got to know her." She tipped her head to the side innocently. "What was his grandmother’s name?"

"My mother’s name was Josephine, dear," John replied. "Although everyone called her "Jo" for short. And my father’s name was Jonathan."

"And I’ll bet everyone called him Jon!" The hollowness in Brenda’s laugh was drowned out by the other noise in the banquet room.

"Absolutely!!" John leaned closer to Brenda. "We have quite a thing for "J" names in this family, Brenda……hope you don’t mind!"

"Not at all, John," she replied, turning towards Jax with fire in her eyes. "It certainly explains a LOT."

*!*!*!*!*!*

"Brenda?"

Jax glanced up at the shut bathroom door for the third time in the past fifteen minutes. He twirled the champagne bottle once more in the silver-plated bucket that stood next to their bed. "Are you sure you’re OK in there?"

"I’m FINE, honey," Brenda replied sweetly from behind the closed door. "I just want to make sure that I look PERFECT for our wedding night, that’s all!"

Jax sat back down with a long sigh. "Well don’t be too much longer, OK, sweetie?" He looked at the clock on the nightstand. "It’s been a long day, and although they’re letting me come in late tomorrow, I *do* have to be there on time to supervise rounds."

Long before their "re-wedding," Jax and Brenda had come to the conclusion that neither of their busy schedules would allow time for a "re-honeymoon." Lucy was adamant about needing the first draft for Brenda’s new book just two days after the re-wedding, and when Monica Quartermaine was summoned to speak at an exclusive symposium in Seattle, the hospital couldn’t afford to be without the services of another surgeon. Allowances had been made so that Jax could "sleep in" the day after the nuptials, with him coming on duty at 1 in the afternoon. But, the first night that actually found them as man and wife – LEGAL man and wife – would be spent as usual, in their bedroom in what used to be Jax’s condo.

When the knob on the bathroom door rattled, Jax shed his quilted satin robe and dove beneath the covers. He couldn’t believe that this perfect woman – his WIFE now, legally – could make him as amorous and nervous as a teenage schoolboy. Smoothing the covers over his lap, Jax folded his hands and smiled brightly at the door. "You know, Brenda, there’s nothing to be nervous about tonight. I mean, it’s not like we haven’t done this before….."

"I know, Jax. But still, it’s our wedding night, and I want it to be soooooo amazing…….." The husky drawl in her voice drifting through the door sent a shiver of anticipation though parts of Jax that the blanket covered.

"But making love with you is *always* amazing, sweetie!" Jax thought he would jump out of his skin if he had to wait much longer. Brenda had been smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary all evening at the reception. When they returned to the condominium, she had insisted that he close his eyes while she dug something out of a still-unpacked box from her own place. Then, she had disappeared into the bathroom with a sexy giggle that sent his imagination reeling.

"OK, Jax…….." When Jax saw the light go out under the bathroom door, reveille sounded south of his waistline and his body rose to attention. "I think I’m just about ready, honey," Brenda whispered. "Are YOU ready for me?"

"Ohhhhhhh, yeah…….." Jax swallowed hard and rubbed his sweaty hands on the blanket to dry them. "I’m SOOOOOO ready……."

"Then here I come……." The door to the bathroom opened slowly…..VERY slowly……and Brenda finally emerged to stand framed in the doorway. She put one hand sexily on her hip and used the other hand to pick up a rose from the dresser and place it between her teeth. Her dark curls cascaded over her shoulders and her feet were bare. "Well, honey……..what do you think?"

Jax blinked rapidly. Several times. Then he rubbed his eyes and opened them again, as if trying to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming. But he wasn’t. It was his beautiful Brenda standing in the doorway – his beautiful WIFE – wearing a white flannel nightgown with little pink rosebuds. It buttoned to somewhere just beneath her chin, had sleeves that went well past her wrists, and was full enough that she could have fit two more women inside with her. More than two women. An entire CLOWN CAR full of women.

"Well, honey?" Brenda took the rose out of her teeth and sashayed towards the bed. At least, Jax THOUGHT she was sashaying. Beneath that nightgown, he wasn’t even sure she still had hips. She stopped at the foot of the bed and struck another pose that – in anything less voluminous than a pup tent – would have been sexy. "Don’t you think I look enticing?"

"Ummmm……" Jax racked his brain. {What kind of game is she playing? Is she going to strip off that thing, yell "SURPRISE!" and jump buck naked into the bed with me? Or does she REALLY think that I would think something that frumpy is sexy?} He decided that after the past few weeks, honesty would be the best policy. "Well, sweetie," he began tactfully, "actually I think that nightgown looks more like something my *grandmother* would wear!"

"Really??!!" Brenda tipped her head to the side, her eyes wide with innocence, feigning shock. "Your grandmother?"

"Yeah!" Jax grinned in relief. He sat back in the bed, crossed his arms, and then pointed towards the nightgown. "I mean, all the little old grandmas who come to the hospital wear nightgowns like that."

"Well, I guess that makes sense then." Brenda sat down on the bed next to Jax’s feet. "It’s only right that I’m wearing a nightgown like your grandma……" She held up her left hand to face Jax. "………since I’m already wearing her WEDDING RING!!!"

{Ohhhhhhhhh, cr@p………..}

"My grandma’s……..her wedding ring?" Jax tried to laugh casually, but he knew it came out flatter than a deflated balloon. "What makes you think that, sweetie?"

"Oh, I don’t know, *honey*," Brenda replied, acid creeping into her voice. She rose from the bed slowly and slipped the ring off her finger. "Maybe because of this nifty little inscription on the inside!"

"Oooops……." Jax covered his eyes with his hand.

"You’re d@mn right, oops!" Brenda stomped one bare foot and then held the right up high to see it better in the dim lighting. "Jo and Jon, Always," she read sarcastically.

He chewed on his lower lip. "How long have you known about the inscription?"

"I caught my ring on the clasp of my emerald necklace the other night when I was getting ready for bed," she grimaced. "When I was checking the ring to make sure I hadn’t scratched it, I found the inscription. I probably *never* would have realized what it meant if it hadn’t been for that little dance we had at the reception tonight, HONEY!!!"

Jax slid from beneath the covers and reached for his robe as Brenda spun and started pacing in front of the dresser. "Now, sweetie……"

She held up the ring again as she paused to look daggers at him. "Don’t you SWEETIE, me!! You LIED to me about the ring being from a pawn shop, Jax!" Brenda suddenly took a deep breath, slid the ring back on her finger, and then crossed her arms. "So, exactly WHY did you lie about the ring?"

"I……..uh……." Jax stared down at the floor.

Brenda’s eyes widened. "Did you lie to me about something ELSE too, Jax?"

"Bloody h*ll……." He ran his fingers through his hair and then reached out to her – physically and emotionally. "I was going to tell you so many times before tonight, Brenda, but then I thought since we were getting married anyway, I wouldn’t have to……."

"Wouldn’t have to …… what?"

Jax took a deep breath. "Brenda……. We weren’t really legally married until today."

Roman candles went off in her eyes. "We weren’t……" She closed her eyes, shook her head to try to clear it, and then opened them again to fix Jax in her stare with a frown. "Then what happened in Las Vegas?"

"I just……..I had to do *something*, Brenda!" Jax reached out for her again but she pulled her arm from his grasp, the full sleeve of her flannel nightgown flapping as she did. "You were so bloody afraid of getting married, and yet I KNEW we would be perfect together – and we HAVE been!"

"So…….." She started walking slowly back and forth again. "So all this time we really HAVEN’T been married?"

"No." Jax sat back down on the bed, his shoulders drooping with the weight of his guilt. "I’ve been trying to think of a gentle way to tell you ever since we got back." When Brenda remained as still as a statue, her arms crossed, her bare foot tapping impatiently, he knew that she wanted *all* the gruesome details. "Lucky spiked your drink that night at the poker game, Brenda. But Nicholas really DID have a friend with a private jet, so that part was the truth!" Her chin jutted farther and farther out as the scheme unraveled before her. "Lucky wanted me to just find a JP and marry you and get it over with, but Lois thought it might not be legal afterward if you were inebriated, so she helped think up the plan to just *tell* you that we were married."

"So Lucky and Lois have been in on this whole thing since the beginning??!!" Brenda’s eyes were huge with anger. "They knew the truth and didn’t tell me?"

"And Reggie and Nicholas, of course." Jax nodded. "And then Lois told Ned."

"So basically EVERYONE knew about it except me??!!"

"Not my parents, or your parents!" Jax rushed to add. "And not anyone at the hospital or any of your author friends."

"And just WHEN were you planning on letting ME in on the little secret, dear HUSBAND?" Brenda chewed on her lower lip to contain her rage. "Or were you just going to sweep that little tidbit under the rug for the rest of our lives?"

"I wanted to tell you, Brenda!" Jax rose again but Brenda turned away from him, sighing obscenities. He suddenly straightened and walked over to her, grasping her arm firmly, brooking no denial. "D*mn it, Brenda, I LOVE you!! And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and have children with you, and get old and lumpy with you!" Jax gestured broadly with his left hand while holding onto Brenda for dear life with his right. "But you were just being so bloody stubborn about it and I KNEW I had to do something or I’d lose you!"

"You wouldn’t have lost me….." Brenda seemed to shrink a little in the face of Jax’s firm declarations of love. "Waiting a little while -- until I felt more comfortable about marrying you -- that wouldn’t have changed the way we felt about each other……."

"But why wait? What for?" Jax ran his fingers through his already unkempt hair. "We were already in love. And you should have known by now that I’m not the type of man who gives up easily on something he believes in. And I believe in US." He shrugged his shoulders and played with his fingers nervously. "So I just figured that I the solution was to show you that being married could be painless. And if that involved lying to you for a while, then……"

"Then the end justified the means?" The chill in Brenda’s voice spoke volumes.

"I take it you don’t agree with my rationalization." Jax’s face was grim with remorse.

Brenda sighed and closed her eyes, grimacing. "I don’t know WHAT I believe anymore, Jax." She opened them and looked around her, obviously confused. "I just know I need some time to think about this all."

When she abruptly spun and went into the bathroom again, slamming the door behind her, Jax followed. "Brenda?" He waited, then knocked on the door when he got no answer from inside. "What do you mean?"

The door opened slowly about thirty seconds later. Brenda held her rumpled flannel nightgown in her hands and was dressed in some old tattered jeans and a sweatshirt. "I have to get out of here tonight, Jax. To think."

He caught his breath at her statement. "Where will you go?"

"I don’t know. To Lois and Ned’s maybe……" She paused and laughed sarcastically. "Although they’re not exactly on my "friends-I-can-trust" list, either." When she went to move past him and he refused to get out of her way, she put her hand on his chest to stop his objections. "I’m not saying that I don’t want to be married to you, Jax. I just………I just need to sort it all out in my mind – the lies and the tricks and everything. OK?"

Jax’s eyes flared with something – part anger, part fear, part regret. Then he slowly stepped to the side out of her way. "OK. Just remember……" He swallowed hard. "Just remember that I love you, and I’ll never stop loving you for the rest of my life."

She smiled again and he caught sight of a tear rolling down her cheek. "I know, Jax. And I love you, too. That’s what makes it so hard."

Jax waited until he heard the sound of the front door closing to collapse onto the bed. {She’s probably gone back to her condo to think. Note to yourself, Jax – sell that d*mn condo as soon as possible.} Although he was beyond distraught, the combined effects of long hours at the hospital and the alcohol consumed at the wedding reception soon sent Jax into a troubled sleep.

*#*#*#*#*

"Jax?" Brenda peered into the inky darkness of the condo. "Are you home?"

It had been two days since their "re-wedding." Brenda spent that first night in her own condo, racking her brain, trying to decide whether she should be mad at Jax or not for lying to her. She had visited Lois early the next morning and promptly received a tongue-lashing for being so "dumb and pig-headed" about the "feelins’ that were written all over her face." When she went back to their condo in search of her husband – her LEGAL husband, now – she found him on the way out the door to the hospital.

A tragic accident at a chemical plant that made the news headlines was a major fly in the reunion ointment for Dr. and Mrs. Jacks. Jax barely had time to give Brenda quick kiss and tell her he wasn’t sure when he’d be home. Later that night, Andrea had called to inform Brenda that Jax was still tied up handling the trauma patients from the explosion. The following morning, right after Brenda called the hospital to find Jax still "unavailable until further notice," Lucy called. An hour later, Brenda found herself haggling over cover art and titles at her publisher’s offices.

It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon when Brenda finally returned to Jax’s condo. When it was empty and dark, she went to the kitchen and was about to call the hospital when she saw the note propped against the toaster on the table –

Brenda’s heart pounded painfully in her chest. She still didn’t know whether to hug him or throttle him. But she could almost hear the weariness in his voice, just reading his note. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, then grabbed her purse and car keys, and tore out of the condo like a tornado.

She managed to find a spot in the busy parking lot for the Emergency Room at Cedars. When Brenda glanced into the rear-view mirror and saw her bloodshot eyes and rumpled hair, she quickly pulled some dark glasses and a scarf out of her purse. Lucy had made some comment that morning about Jax keeping her in bed but not letting her get any sleep. As she wrapped the scarf around her head and got out of her car, Brenda fondly wished Lucy had been right.

The ER waiting room was packed when Brenda slipped inside. She caught sight of Amy at the front desk and lowered her face to avoid being recognized. Some empty chairs off to the right seemed to provide as good a place as any to wait until her busy husband passed by on his way between patients.

"Amy?" Brenda’s ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. "Have you got an admit chart on Missy Perkins around here anywhere?"

"Missy Perkins?" Amy frowned at Dr. Jean Cichon. "I don’t think I remember a patient named Missy Perkins….."

"She’s one of Dr. Jacks’ cases," Jean responded patiently. "The little girl who was brought in here last night by chopper. You know – the one from that multiple car wreck on the PCH."

Amy’s eyes widened. "Oh, THAT one!" She slapped a hand down on the reception desk and leaned closer to Jean. "But I heard that she died in the OR last night!"

"You don’t know the HALF of it, Amy!" Jean shook her head ruefully.

"No – but I’d *like* to!" Amy’s eyes sizzled with excitement at prospective gossip. "Does that have something to do with the rumor that Dr. Quartermaine almost had Dr. Jacks arrested for trespassing?"

Brenda swore softly under her breath when a passerby blocked her view of the desk. She ducked her head and moved to a chair closer to the conversation. Jean was laughing softly and making notes in a chart when Brenda picked up on the conversation again.

"……..thought I’d seen it all, but I swear……Jasper Jacks has nerves of steel and a head as hard as Gibraltar!" Jean finished what she was writing and closed the chart. "Amy, I’ve assisted at a lot of surgeries in my day, but I don’t think I’ve EVER seen a doctor work as hard to bring a patient back as Jax did last night!"

"So THAT’S the case that they were talking about in the cafeteria at lunch today!" Amy breathed softly.

Jean lowered her voice, requiring Brenda to strain even harder to hear the details. "That poor little girl flatlined twice on the operating table. She shook her head and sighed. "I know *I* didn’t hold out much hope for her, and that’s when Dr. Quartermaine told Jax to call it."

Brenda knew enough from writing her medical/historical romance that Jean was referring to "calling" the time of death. "But Jax wouldn’t do it?"

"Nope. He just kept muttering something about never breaking his promises." Jean chuckled softly. "AND yelling at all of us to "move our bloody b*tts and help him do his job!" That’s when Alan threatened to have Jax physically removed from the hospital premises if he didn’t give up on resuscitating the little girl."

At that moment, Brenda heard the low rumble of Jax’s voice. She turned to see him walking towards the ER reception desk, his arm around the shoulders of a woman. He was still wearing his surgical scrubs, the sterile face mask hanging loosely around his neck. A large perspiration stain ringed the neckline of the scrub jacket. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was rumpled and still damp at the temples – and Brenda thought she had never seen anyone look as wonderful in her entire life.

"Thanks again for staying with me and Missy in the recovery room, Dr. Jacks." When the woman tried to move away from Jax, her legs wobbled and she almost collapsed to the floor.

"Amy!" Jax’s shout was unnecessary as the young nurse was already at the woman’s side. "Why don’t you take Mrs. Perkins on up to Pediatric ICU so she can get some rest and wait for her daughter to come up from Recovery?" he said gently. "And then go down to the cafeteria and get her something to eat – on me." He smiled at the woman warmly. "She’s probably about ready to pass out from hunger here."

Tears started running down the woman’s cheeks – not for the first time that day, Brenda suspected. "How will I EVER thank you for saving my little girl, Doctor?" the woman asked, her voice choked with emotion. She squeezed Jax’s hands reverently.

"I promised you that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, Mrs. Perkins," Jax replied firmly. "And once I make up my mind to do something, it takes nothing short of a California earthquake to stop me!!"

Brenda watched silently as Amy led the rejoicing mother away from the reception. Jax turned back to the desk to check on his other messages. "I gotta tell you, Jax," Jean whistled, "that was some impressive sewing you did up there today in the OR."

Jax smiled wryly as he quickly scanned a stack of pink message slips. "I think the father in me took over there for a while, Jean. I just knew how *I* would feel if anything ever happened to RJ or Ellie and the doctors didn’t give 110% trying to save them."

"Yeah," Jean laughed, "well, if there’s anyone around here who ALWAYS gives his 110% to something he believes in, it’s YOU, Jax!" She shook her head as Jax blushed faintly at the praise. "You are one STUBBORN Aussie, you know that?"

Nurse Jessie Moore suddenly came up to the hub to join them. "I know you’ve been at it all day Jax, but have you got time to check in on Dr. Davis?" She laughed softly. "I know he’s an just intern, but he’s trying to draw blood in curtain 3 and I think he’s gone deep enough in the patient’s arm to strike oil!"

Jax nodded. "After that surgery this morning, drawing blood will be a *pleasure*, Jessie!" He called over his shoulder to Jean as he left the desk. "After I take care of this, I’ll be in the lounge if anybody needs me."

Jean gave him a thumb’s up and watched as he disappeared down the hall with Jessie. She caught her breath and put her hand to her chest when she turned back and Brenda appeared before her. "Brenda!!" She glanced in the direction Jax had gone. "You just missed Jax! He went……"

"I *know* where he went, Jean." Brenda caught Jean’s hands in mid-air and held them tightly. "I’ve been sitting over there eavesdropping for a little while now."

"But……"

As Jean sputtered, Andrea joined her at the desk. "Brenda!" Her smile lit the room. "Are you here to make up with Jax?"

"Make up?" Jean frowned. "Did you two have a fight again?"

"Let’s just say that our wedding night wasn’t exactly what Jax – or I – expected," Brenda replied with a grimace. She leaned closer over the desk. "But I think I’ve got my head on straight now, and I need your help….." She gave them a feline smile. "……BOTH of you…….."

#####

"Doctor Jacks!!"

Jax was just exiting the trauma room when Andrea met him excitedly in the hall. "What is it, Andrea?" he sighed. "Cause I was just on my way to the lounge….."

"No, Dr. Jacks!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. She grabbed for his sleeve and pulled him towards the main desk. "You’re needed for an emergency, STAT!"

"Can’t Alan handle it?" Jax had already broken into a trot, pacing Andrea as they went past the main desk. Jessie Moore watched them go by with a smug smile and gave Andrea a furtive thumb’s up after she passed. When they turned left to go down a hallway, Jax pointed over his shoulder. "Because I thought I saw Dr. Quartermaine come on duty in the ER a few minutes ago….."

"Doctor Jacks!" Jax stopped in his tracks and looked up. Jean was about 20 feet in front of him, circling her arm frantically. "We need you NOW!!" Jax turned towards Andrea, but she had disappeared. "HURRY, Jax!"

He frowned, but then put on a burst of speed as Jean took off running in front of him. "Jean!" He paused for a moment and looked around in confusion. "Where did Andrea go? And where the bloody h*ll are we……."

"Come on, Jax! Down here!" Jean was still a good 25 feet in front of him, motioning for him to join her. "It’s an emergency!"

He growled another string of obscenities but then put his head down and sprinted in Jean’s direction. Just as he was about to catch up to her, she turned again and then yet again. Jax thought she had completely disappeared into thin air when a petite figure in surgical scrubs appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Doctor Jacks!!" She had on her surgical mask and her hair was completely hidden beneath a sterile bonnet. "Down here!! STAT!!!"

"This had better be d*mn bloody well good!!" Jax snarled. He strode angrily towards the gowned nurse, who had once again vanished behind the door to her right. Without even looking where he was going, Jax yanked open the door, went inside the room, and then heard it click shut ominously behind him – and lock from the outside.

And then the lights went out in the small storage room, sending it into pitch blackness.

"Hello?" Jax froze, his eyes wide. "What’s going on…….?"

"DON’T MOVE."

Jax felt the stirrings of panic when the husky whisper filtered through the darkness. "Who are you?"

"DON’T TALK."

Jax snorted softly. "I’m getting the bloody h*ll out of h……."

"I SAID …. DON’T MOVE!!!"

Jax yelped softly when he felt something blunt pressed against his ribs. "Look," he choked, wishing he had taken his own advice and eaten more carrots to be able to see in the dark. "I don’t know what you want, but I don’t have any money……"

"I don’t want money." Jax relaxed a little when he felt the pressure from the blunt object ease. "I just want the truth."

"The……" He swallowed hard. "The truth about what?"

"Everything." Brenda lit a small flashlight – which had just been pressed against Jax’s ribs – and shone it on her face, pulling down the surgical mask to reveal it. "The truth about everything for the rest of our lives."

Jax’s breaths came in jerky spasms. "Brenda? Is that you?"

She walked towards him slowly. "You hurt me, Jax. A lot." Brenda set the flashlight down on a large box of sterile dressings in the storage room she had staked out for their rendezvous/reconciliation. "I never *knew* something could get to me that much."

"I didn’t mean to hurt you, Brenda," Jax whispered tenderly. "I only knew that I had to do something – anything – to stop you from getting away from me."

"I know." She smiled and laughed a little. "And I think I know now that you’re the kind of man who doesn’t exactly give up easily when he sets his mind to something."

He gave her a wicked smile and put his hands on her waist to pull her closer. "So……..does that mean that you’re forgiving me, Mrs. Jacks?"

"It means that if you EVER lie to me again, Doctor Jasper Jacks," she said seriously, bracing her hands on his chest, "I’m going to have to take DRASTIC measures!!"

The shiver he felt race down her spine when he kissed the soft spot at the side of her neck lifted his spirits. And other parts of him. "What KIND of drastic measures would you be thinking of, Mrs. Jacks?"

"VERY drastic measures, Dr. Jacks." Brenda pulled away long enough to yank the surgical scrub jacket over the top of her head. Then she came back into Jax’s embrace, pressing her breasts against the hard plane of his muscled chest. "Maybe drastic enough to change you from singing bass to sop….."

She never finished her threat. Jax deftly undid the front fastener of Brenda’s bra while he lowered his lips to hers, exquisitely re-acquainting himself with familiar territory. When he finally broke the kiss, she was as breathless and aroused as he was. "And exactly HOW would you go about changing my voice like that, Brenda?" he growled, his hands and fingers drawing a new series of moans and groans from her.

"Well, I’d just……" Brenda slipped her hands between them and inside the drawstring waist of his scrub trousers. "I’d just have to take the matter in hand, don’t you think, honey?" She suddenly froze, her hands clasping victory. "Jax? Are you?" She backed away from him to pull back and peer inside his scrubs. "Jax!! You’re not wearing any……"

He chuckled softly. "No, I’m not."

Brenda was still in a state of shock. "But you’re not……" She felt around a little more, a smile crossing her face as she explored him. "You don’t have on any underwear under these scrubs!!"

"Of course not!" Jax pulled her back into his arms. "Everything has to be completely sterile for the OR, so we’re not allowed to wear anything under our scrubs."

"Really?" Brenda settled back into his embrace with a feline smile. "Now I KNOW I did the right thing – marrying a surgeon!!" She managed to free one hand long enough to swipe at the flashlight, knocking it off the box and sending the room into complete darkness once again.

Outside the storage room, three nurses watched the lights go out under the door. They straightened up, smiled, and then started to walk back towards the reception desk of the ER. As they were about to turn the corner, Jean glanced back at the door of the storage room where they had posted a large sign, embellished with Mrs. Jasper Jacks’ signature at the bottom:

Do Not Disturb

The Doctor is In – and Out – And In – And Out………

Music credits: "Always," music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, sung by Frank Sinatra on the album, "Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session" (1960)

"Bad Case of Lovin’ You (Doctor, Doctor)," by John Moon Martin, sung by Robert Palmer on the album, "Secrets"