Jax paused briefly outside the entrance to Harrison’s Handy-Mart to take a deep, steadying breath. His heart was racing, his adrenaline pumping, every nerve in his body on red alert as he prepared to face death yet again.

The minute he heard the call on the police scanner in the jeep, he knew he had to take action quickly. Past experience told him that there wasn’t another unit within three minutes of the convenience store. By the time backup arrived, the hostage could very well be dead, along with any number of innocent by-standers that the crazy perps might randomly execute when fleeing the scene. Despite all the sophisticated hostage negotiation exercises and psychological training he had had, Jax knew that the best solution to a situation like this was to strike early and decisively.

Brenda hadn’t even noticed when he got out of the jeep. A quick perusal of the parking lot told Jax that they were the only patrons there in addition to the hapless hostage still inside. He rationalized that with a least three other fully-armed PCPD units due on the scene within five minutes, the Slasher would have to be a total idiot to make a play for Brenda at this point in time.

He kept to the shadows while making his way towards the glass double-doors of the small store. Although he was about to become intimately acquainted with the dirtbags who thought they could rule their little corner of Port Charles with semi-automatic weapons, there was no point to giving them advance warning of his arrival. Jax kept a wary eye on the one suspect, who was holding a sobbing brunette woman, probably about 19 years old, with a sawed-off shotgun jammed beneath her chin.

Spontaneity was the key. As he tried to calm his nerves and appear nonchalant, Jax knew that the one thing that was most effective in neutralizing a situation like this was the element of surprise. And if nothing else, Lieutenant Jasper Jacks was one heck of a surprising guy. He stared down at the pavement, reached in and drew his Magnum from his shoulder holster, took another deep breath, and then put on a burst of speed to rocket through the glass doors of the Handy-Mart.

"EVERYBODY FREEZE!!" Jax held his weapon high over his head, both hands firmly clasping the butt of the pistol, and glanced around the store. "THIS IS A STICK UP!!"

The good news was that the Handy-Mart appeared to be empty, except for the one gunman, his hostage, and Jax. The bad news was that the words were no sooner out of Jax’s mouth than another gunman toting a sawed-off shotgun appeared from between the frozen foods and produce aisles. He stared at Jax as though he had two heads. "WHO THE H*LL ARE YOU?"

Jax rose one eyebrow in apparent disbelief. "I’m the guy who’s knockin’ over this store! Who the h*ll are you?"

"You CAN’T be knockin’ over this store!!" The frozen foods perp leveled his shotgun at Jax’s chest. "I’M the one who’s knockin’ over this store!"

"HEY!!!" The gunman holding the hostage jerked her backwards, pressing the gun more firmly against her neck as he glared at his accomplice. "What the h*ll about me?"

"Oh – sorry." Frozen Foods blinked rapidly a few times, shifted his weight, and put a fierce glare on his face again. "WE’RE the ones knockin’ over this store!"

"Since when??!!" Jax lowered his weapon, hoping that Frozen Foods would do the same. "I’ve been stakin’ this place out for weeks, man! I’ve been *plannin’* this job!"

God was listening. Frozen Foods put one hand on his hip and lowered his shotgun. "Well, we been in and out of this place every day this week, and I ain’t seen you!"

"Would the two of you quit YAMMERIN’????!!!" Hostage Guy jerked the brunette again, drawing a panicked sob from her. It took all of Jax’s intestinal fortitude not to deck him on the spot, but he knew he had to stick to his plan or she wouldn’t live to see the next sunrise. "There’s probably enough cash here for all three of us to split. But if we don’t get down to business, NONE of us will be takin’ home ANYTHING cause the cops will be crawlin’ all over this place!"

{Obviously Hostage Guy is the boss. That’s good. Score another one for the good guys.} Jax hid the shaky breath he took to steady himself. "Yeah – you’re right, Jimmy," Frozen Foods nodded enthusiastically. "Should I still go work on the safe in the back?"

Hostage Guy/Jimmy grimaced. "No, Louie, go see if the new guy here wants some coffee." He waited for a few seconds, but Frozen Foods/Louie still stood rooted to the spot. "OF COURSE YOU SHOULD GO WORK ON THE SAFE!!"

Louie spun to do his master’s bidding and scurried away. {Even better. Now I just have to deal with one at a time…..} Jax turned back to Hostage Guy/Jimmy. "So……who’s that?" he asked, nodding his head towards the brunette.

Jimmy grimaced. "Who do you *think* she is, Crocodile Dundee?" He tightened the arm that was wrapped around her waist, letting it slip up towards her breasts. When she choked back another sob, Jax contemplated how many different ways he would emasculate Jimmy when his time came. Hostage Guy/Jimmy grinned lewdly and caressed her jawline with the shotgun. "*This* is our ticket out of here."

"Her?" Jax’s eyes widened theatrically. "HER?"

"Yeah, her!" Jax was pleased to see just a flash of insecurity in Jimmy’s eyes. "What’s wrong with her?"

"You’re hopin’ to use HER as a shield? HER?" Jax knew his sarcastic half-smile would drive Jimmy nuts. He wasn’t disappointed.

"WHAT THE H*LL IS WRONG WITH HER?"

Jax strolled over to where Jimmy stood with the still-shivering brunette. He looked around them as though he was checking to make sure nobody else was listening in. "Don’t you know who this chick is, man?"

He wished he could have let the brunette in on his plan. Jax wished more than anything that he could just freeze time, take her in his arms, tell her that everything would be alright, and then start God’s clock again. But unfortunately, he had to settle for being grateful for that things had gone so well so far.

Jimmy’s eyebrows drew together slightly in an embarrassed frown. "No. Is she somebody important?"

Jax grunted and snorted sarcastically. "Yeah – you might say that!"

Jimmy tightened his grip on the shotgun. No wait – that’s *good* if she’s somebody important, right? That makes her more valuable!"

Jax’s eyes darted from side to side and then he leaned towards Jimmy. "There are different *kinds* of important, if you know what I mean, man."

"Yeah……" Jimmy nodded, then his face blanked. "No." He suddenly jerked the brunette again as his patience evaporated. "Just tell me who the h*ll the chick is, man!"

Jax shook his head and crossed his arms. "Unless I’m mistaken, *this* is Anthony Moreno’s daughter." Sending up a silent prayer, Jax tried to telegraph a message to the brunette to play along with his scheme.

"Anthony Moreno." Jimmy was non-committal, but then his eyes got as big as saucers. "You mean the *mob* guy, Anthony Moreno?"

"None other." Jax looked the brunette up and down, relieved when he saw her staring at him as though he was her lifeline. "Antonia or Angela or Amelia – one of those girl-type "A" names, just like her old man."

Jimmy thought about it for a minute but then defensively shoved the shotgun against the brunette’s chin again. "So? So she’s old man Moreno’s kid. So what?"

Jax’s eyes narrowed and he leaned towards Jimmy. "So ……..do you know what Moreno’s going to do to you if his baby girl’s got so much as a broken fingernail because of all this?"

Terror flourished in Jimmy’s eyes. "You think?"

"You really want to take the chance of findin’ out?"

Jimmy let go of the brunette so abruptly that she crumbled to the floor. Jax realized that she was probably in shock from the drama. He caught her under the arms and gave her just the slightest hint of a smile and a nod, trying to silently encourage her to keep up the charade just long enough to get out of the store. "You OK, Miss Moreno?"

Her hands were ice cold. "Yyy…….yes," she finally managed to stammer. She gripped Jax’s forearms tightly as he helped her back to a standing position.

{Just keep it together, lady. Hang on. Just fifteen more seconds and you’ll be out of here on the parking lot and Mac and his crew can wipe the floor with these slimeballs.}

"I……..I’m fine." She glanced back over her shoulder at Jimmy and then tears came to her eyes when she smiled her gratitude at Jax. "And the name is Angelica."

"Angelica." Sweat popped out on Jimmy’s forehead while Jax breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, you tell your old man……I mean, Mr. Moreno," Jimmy added with utmost respect, "that I hope he has a nice Thanksgiving." His eyes widened and he held up one finger to the former hostage. "In fact…….hold on one second……."

When Jimmy sprinted off to the next aisle of the store, the brunette swerved back to Jax with fear in her eyes. He just pursed his lips and shook his head once, motioning that she should stay cool. Jimmy returned a split second later bearing a large turkey. "You go on home to your father and tell Mr. Moreno that the turkey’s on me this year!" When the brunette stood silently, Jimmy pressed it into her arms with a broad smile. "Really!!"

Jax gave her another slight nod. Reality finally got through to the brunette and she clutched the turkey to her breast. "Thank you……." She turned back to Jax and he saw the sobs bubbling up from her chest. "Thank you……"

"No problem at all, Miss Moreno." Jax put his arm around her shoulders and hurriedly escorted her towards the front door of the Handy-Mart. "Now you just be sure to go home and tell your father that everything is fine." Her head bobbed up and down as tears freely ran down her cheeks. She was headed through the glass doors when he called after her, "And tell him that Jax said hi, OK?"

Jax waited until the brunette had cleared the glass doors to let out the breath that he was holding. He deliberately stood in Jimmy’s line of sight so that he couldn’t see the brunette stumble into Mac’s waiting arms and collapse to the concrete in hysterical relief. Nor did he see Mac give Jax a solemn thumb’s up.

"Jax, huh?" He turned around at the sound of Jimmy’s voice. "That’s your name?"

"Yep." Jax glanced down at the Magnum in his hand, making sure that he had a full clip and the safety mechanism was released. He strolled amiably towards Jimmy, who had set his shotgun down on the counter and was wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You can call me Jax."

"Well, Jax…..I guess I owe you one." Jimmy shook his head and laughed loudly. "I mighta been wearin’ concrete overshoes before the night was over if it wasn’t for you."

"’Ya know, Jimmy," Jax crooned, putting his arm around Jimmy’s shoulder. "You were wrong earlier tonight……when you told Angelica that the turkey was on you this year."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. The turkey IS you." Jax pressed the business end of his Magnum against Jimmy’s ribs. "Put your hands in the air, friend. You’re under arrest."

He should have known Jimmy would try something stupid. After the years he had spent diffusing tense situations just like this, Jax kept telling himself that maybe this time it would go down quietly. But Jimmy proved to be no different than any of the other idiots he had collared. When he tried to reach for the shotgun on the counter, Jax elbowed Jimmy in the ribs and then applied one swift karate chop to his shoulders, dropping him on the spot.

God really was on Jax’s side that night. Louie waited to re-appear from the back until Jimmy was in dreamland. "Hey, Jimmy……." Jax knew from the tone of his voice that Louie was totally unaware of what had gone on. He crouched in a ready position, both hands firmly gripping the butt of his Magnum. "I finally got the safe open and look what I found……"

"You found more than that……." Louie finally looked up at the sound of Jax’s fierce growl. "FREEZE!! PCPD!!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Bad word, bad word, ba……D*MNIT!!!!!" Brenda finally cut loose with the appropriate expletive when Mac’s waiting SWAT team rushed in and blocked her view of what was happening inside the store. Up until that point, she had been gripping the dashboard of the jeep tightly, watching every move that Jax and the suspects made, wishing with all of her heart that she knew how to read lips so that she would know what was going on.

The first thing she did when she discovered Jax had left her alone in the jeep was pull his door shut and hit the automatic lock button. Her heart started pounding like a bass drum and Brenda thought she was going to hyper-ventilate – until she turned back towards the front and saw where Jax was. As soon as he entered the Handy-Mart, looking like he was just taking a casual evening stroll, all thoughts of her agoraphobia faded. She couldn’t think of anything but him and what the H*LL he was doing!!!

She didn’t realize she was screaming out loud at Jax – screaming to pull his weapon – screaming to get out of there and just forget about the grated Parmesan – until a soft tapping on the car window nearly induced a heart attack. When Brenda turned and saw Blue’s smiling face, she fumbled at the controls on Jax’s side of the jeep until the window rolled down a few inches. "Blue? What’s Jax doing in there? Doesn’t he know he could get himself killed?"

Blue smiled grimly. "Now you know why I call him DD, sweetie." She stared towards the inside of the store. "Dare Devil. Death Defying." She shook her head. "That’s our Lieutenant Jacks. He doesn’t care what it takes to get the job done. Not even if it means putting his own life on the line."

He was a complicated man, this Lieutenant Jasper "D.D." Jacks. Brenda wondered if he really was that brave, or that foolish – or if he was just so despondent after losing his wife that he didn’t care anymore. Maybe – despite all of his accusations that she needed "help" for her fears of the outside world – maybe the lieutenant needed some help as well. But maybe it was a good sign, the way his eyes had sparkled that morning when they were squaring off on the back porch. Maybe she could actually give him a reason to stay alive for another day.

As soon as other officers had arrived on the scene they had thrown up a yellow police line around the store. When Blue and Brenda heard some hushed growling coming from the front line, Blue shook her head. "My master calls. I gotta get back up front with the SWAT team." She peered inside the jeep. "You gonna be OK in there by yourself?"

Brenda nodded and gave Blue a thumb’s up. After explicit instructions to keep the windows and doors of the jeep locked, Blue crept off towards the rest of her police cohorts. Brenda watched the entire scene play out before her. She stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to stifle the sob when Jax put his arm around the hostage to reassure her. Tears ran freely down her cheeks when the hostage came out of the store. When Jax turned back to face the gunmen alone, Brenda’s heart rose in her throat. Then – in the blink of an eye – all h*ll broke loose. Policemen in bullet-proof vests carrying large rifles stormed the front of the store, completely blocking her view of what was going on inside.

It seemed like an eternity before the wall of blue uniforms parted and Jax came loping back towards the jeep. Brenda’s fingers were shaking so badly that she almost couldn’t press the buttons to release the locks. But once she did and Jax flung open the jeep’s door, he barely had time to brace himself before Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life.

"Hey there……." Jax felt her entire body trembling and stroked her hair softly. "It’s all OK now. Shhhhh……." When she pulled back, he gave her a wan smile. "I’m sorry I had to leave you alone like that….." He glanced around the interior of the jeep. "You didn’t chew off an arm or go ballistic and change all the settings on my radio, did you?"

"I should ……..I should……..I should kill you myself!" Brenda punched at his shoulders ineffectually. Then she took a shaky breath and stroked the side of his face with her fingertips. "I don’t know what you said to those gunmen in there, but it must have been something pretty amazing!"

Jax shrugged. "Lucky break." He glanced around as the two would-be robbers were being led to waiting patrol cars. "I know this is tough for you, but can you stand it in here by yourself for just a few more minutes? I just need to sign off on some paperwork for these creeps and then I’ll take you right back to the brownstone."

Brenda’s eyes were full and liquid. "I’ll manage. Just don’t take too long, OK?" As Jax turned to go, she caught hold of his arm. "And Jax?" She smiled at him impishly. "Don’t forget the Parmesan."

Jax laughed heartily, but then he cupped the side of Brenda’s face, his eyes tender and warm. "You know I never would have left you if I thought that you were in danger from the Slasher, don’t you, Brenda?" She gave him the slightest nod. "You’re safe with me," he whispered in a husky voice.

Let me be the one you call

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brenda pressed the "stop" button on the remote control with a loud sigh. "I guess it was more impressive on the big screen, huh?"

"Hey – don’t talk like that!" Jax took another sip of wine and lifted the glass in Brenda’s direction. "This has been a wonderful evening – great food, great movie…….great company……."

Brenda grimaced and rose from the mound of pillows on the floor where she had been sitting. "You don’t have to sugar-coat it, Jax." She picked up Jax’s plate off a low coffee table in front of a huge brick fireplace where they had eaten. "I know that after a big break on a case like you had tonight……." She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. "……a bust, isn’t that what you call it?" He nodded. "Anyway, after you get all the bad guys and nobody gets hurt, I’m sure you usually go out for a big celebration dinner on the town." She stared down self-consciously at the remains of Jax’s steak and potato. "The last thing you probably want to do is spend the evening cooped up in a big old clattletrap of a house with a fraidy cat like me."

Jax stared into his wineglass for a few minutes before looking up into her eyes. "How did it start, Brenda? The agoraphobia, I mean ……" His voice was warm and gentle, encouraging her to let down the guard she had built up for so long. "Did it just happen one day out of the clear blue, or did it sorta build up gradually?"

She sighed and sat back down on the couch, dishes still in her hands. "It was about three years ago now, I think……." Brenda rubbed her cheek on her shoulder. "I guess it was right around the Nurse’s Ball – you know, that thing they have every year to benefit AIDS research?"

Jax nodded. "Our commander’s wife Felicia serves on a couple of the planning committees every year." He laughed softly. "Mac usually can’t wait for the thing to be over just because Felicia drives him nuts with all her worrying."

Brenda’s eyes got a faraway look. "I remember I was going to attend the ball with the man I was dating at the time. Daddy always did like us to put on a visible presence for civic awareness – good for Barrett Industries’ image, you know," she added sarcastically. "Anyway, I had this beautiful designer gown and Sonny was all set to pick me up in the limo……" Her voice trailed off as though she were watching the events in a movie. "…….and I remember staring at my reflection in the mirror and thinking, "You don’t really want to do this, do you?"" She smiled guiltily and shrugged. "I was only going because my father expected it, and Sonny liked being in the spotlight with me……I’ve always hated hypocrites, you know."

"So you didn’t want to go to some black tie phony-baloney shindig." Jax shrugged his shoulders. "That certainly didn’t mean you had to lock yourself behind these four walls for the rest of your life."

Brenda lips thinned as she smiled grimly. "It didn’t start that way, you know?" She set the dishes down on the table and clasped her hands in front of her. "I remember suggesting to Sonny when he came to pick me up that night that we skip the ball and just spend the evening here – watching a video or something in front of the fire. Of course, he wouldn’t think of it." She rose to her feet with a sigh. "So, I sent him on his way to the ball alone and pleaded a splitting headache to daddy the next day."

When she picked up the dishes again and walked towards the hallway, Jax rose to follow her. He clutched the empty wineglasses and half-bottle of wine to assist in clean-up. "I remember I ended up taking off that designer dress, enjoying a long bubble bath, putting on a soft satin bathrobe, and sipping a glass of wine while I watched Humphrey Bogart tell Ingrid Bergman good-bye at the airport." Brenda sighed as she set the dishes in the sink. "It was one of the most wonderful evenings I could remember having for months. Better than any of the fancy places Sonny had taken me to for dinner and dancing."

Jax put the wine back in the refrigerator. "So you had a nice time all by your lonesome. So what?" He closed the door and crossed his arms, leaning one shoulder against the fridge. "Everyone enjoys private time."

Brenda shook her head, her raven ponytail bouncing as she did. "Don’t try to play psychoanalyst with me, Jax. My therapist at GH has been working on me for months and still hasn’t figured out how I got from that modest beginning to this point." She walked back towards Jax and waved a casual hand at the dishes in the sink. "Let’s just forget about these for tonight. Why ruin a perfectly wonderful evening with Brillo and dishpan hands?"

"If you say so." Jax cast one last wary glance at the dishes over his shoulder as they headed back to the living room. "But you know that cheese from the potatoes is going to make one bloody mess by morning……"

{You’re a d*mn hypocrite yourself, Jax! You *know* you’re afraid that if the two of you go back to that living room with nothing to do, you’ll end up taking her in your arms …… and feeling how soft and warm she is…….and looking at those full, sensuous lips of hers……}

Brenda stopped so short that Jax almost ran into her when she looked up at him over her shoulder. "Well, it’s not exactly like I have plans somewhere, is it? I mean, that’s the great part, Jax! I can do *exactly* what I want because I’ve got nowhere to be!"

When you feel all alone

Her breath caught in her chest when she looked into Jax’s eyes. The flickering light from the fireplace lent a golden glow to his tousled blonde hair. Brenda’s head spun with warm, muzzy feelings that might have had something to do with the wine but more likely had to do with the hard, masculine contours of the body pressed against hers. Time seemed to stand still as they stared into each other’s eyes, both wanting so much and yet both afraid to say it.

Brenda finally cleared her throat loudly. "Well…..uh…….I think I’ll call it a night." She rotated her shoulders slightly. "I’m still a little sore from our romp in the snow this morning and that adventure to the convenience store took a lot out of me."

"Yeah – me too." Jax ran his fingers through his hair – not sure whether he was relieved that she had made the decision to postpone taking their relationship any deeper, or disappointed. "I didn’t exactly sleep too well last night."

"Are you sure you want to stay on the couch?" Brenda stopped on the first step and pointed up towards the second floor. "Because it really wouldn’t be too much trouble for me to shake off the dust covers and make up one of the extra bedrooms for you……."

"No……no……." Jax shoved his hands in his pockets. "The sofa is fine. And hopefully tomorrow morning I’ll hear you come down so I won’t mistake you for the Slasher again."

"Yeah." Brenda smiled. "Well…….thanks for this evening, Jax. I haven’t been on a date……..well……" She stared down at the steps and an attractive blush stained her cheeks. "Let’s just say I haven’t spent much time alone with a man in a long time. It was nice."

"Yeah. Nice." There was another twenty seconds of uncomfortable silence. "You just yell out my name if you need anything."

"I will." The smile she gave him sent his blood singing through his veins. "Good night."

"Night."

Let me be the one you call

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"JAAAAXXXXX!!!!!!!"

He was off the couch in less than two seconds, racing up the steps in his bare feet, his weapon drawn and ready. When he got to the top of the stairs, Jax didn’t even think of waiting to knock. He put his shoulder to Brenda’s bedroom and burst in without even breaking stride.

She was in bed, sitting up straight, tears running down her cheeks. When Jax saw her chest heaving and the terror in her eyes, he strode quickly to her bed without a second thought. "Brenda? What’s the matter? Are you OK?"

"I had a dream, Jax." He re-holstered his Magnum with a sigh of relief and sat down on the bed next to her. "I dreamed I was back at the accident." When Jax took her hands in his, they were ice cold and trembling. "I saw the Slasher’s face, Jax."

"Good!" He squeezed her hands and tried to rub some circulation back into them. "That’s good, Brenda! Can you remember anything about him?"

Tears flowed afresh as she shook her head. "No! That’s what’s so scary about it!" She pulled one hand free from his grip and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of it. "As soon as I woke up, his face vanished into thin air! I can’t remember anything!"

Jax took her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. "Don’t cry…….shhhhhh…….this is a good sign, Brenda, don’t you see?" He forced her to look up at him. "Your memory is coming back a little! Pretty soon you’ll probably remember the whole thing and be able to give us a description!"

Brenda’s words came out on little choked sobs. "And then this all…….all will be over……."

"Yes……….over………." The sudden quiet finally forced Jax to notice Brenda’s sleeping attire. He would have bet his last paycheck that she wore long, flannel granny gowns to sleep in. Something any respectable antique dealer would adore. Certainly not something from Victoria’s Secret. Something not exactly white – not exactly brown – something close to the color of her soft, translucent flesh. Something that clung to her full, ripe breasts like a second skin. Something that barely veiled the tenderness that was aching for his touch.

When Brenda realized where Jax’s gaze had strayed, she glanced down herself. Her blush spread to the very object of Jax’s inspection. "Oh……I, uh……..I’m sorry……….."

Jax swallowed hard. He stroked her hair in what he told himself was a fatherly gesture of concern for her well-being. "That’s OK. You were just frightened, and I told you to call me. No prob……."

The sudden resounding crash outside her bedroom window brought another shriek from Brenda and sent her into Jax’s arms again. "JAX!!" She peeked over her shoulder at the window, half expecting to see all the demons from h*ll flying in any minute. "What was that?"

Jax licked his lips and tried to pull her away before she felt his body’s reaction to her peignoir. "Probably nothing. Sounded like it came from the alley." He rubbed her arm with his hand lightly and patted it for reassurance. "Probably just some drunk stumbling down the alley who ran into your trash cans."

"Jax………" He thought his fingers would turn white when she gripped his arm so tightly it cut off his circulation. "I don’t have metal trash cans. I recycle. They’re plastic."

To be continued……..

Music credit: "Crash and Burn" by Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes, from the Savage Garden CD, "Affirmation."