She turned back to face her dream man, but found he had already left the bed. She noticed that the bathroom door was partially closed, and she heard the water running and the sounds of a man shaving. She smiled a contented smile and snuggled back down under the covers, remembering the delights of the night before.

"Are you sure you have to go away for three whole weeks, honey?" she asked in a whine. {Maybe if I pout in that cute little way he loves, he’ll reconsider.}

She heard the water run one more time, and then watched as the bathroom door opened. She watched him approach the bed, desire in his eyes, and she lay back against the pillow, her dark hair fanning out behind her against the white satin pillow case. She reached her arms out to him, and he took her into his embrace as he sat on the side of the bed. "Sorry, but you know I have to go, babe. It’s important business."

Brenda pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Can I convince you to stay just a little longer?" She leaned forward and began to kiss him, tracing the outline of his lips with her tongue before placing her hands on the back of his neck and pulling him towards her. Her naked breasts pressed up against his chest, and she heard a groan begin deep inside him as he pushed her back against the pillow.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and as Brenda opened her eyes, she was disappointed not to see the passion she was feeling reflected in his face. "You’re tempting me, Brenda, but you know I’ve got to be in Manhattan at noon." Sonny looked down at his watch. "And since we haven’t had breakfast yet, that won’t leave me much time, since it takes longer getting there from here."

Sonny rose from her bed and went into the bathroom to finish shaving. Brenda sighed in exasperation and got an impish grin on her face. "Can’t we just have breakfast in bed?"

Sonny came out of the bathroom again, drying his face with a small towel. He came to sit next to her on the bed. "Honey, you know there’s nothing I would rather do than stay here in bed with you all day. But I’ve got to be in Manhattan. My business contacts don’t appreciate it if I’m late. You understand, don’t you babe?" He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "Now, why don’t I go downstairs and make breakfast, and you can shower and meet me down there and we’ll eat together. I’ll just call Johnny and tell him to pick me up in an hour." He flicked the towel at her playfully, and she grabbed it from him as he rose and left the room, heading to the kitchen.

She looked at the towel thoughtfully, and then pressed it to her nose, inhaling his scent. Then, after one more stretch and a big sigh, she got out of bed and padded to the bathroom to take her shower alone. It was going to be a long, boring three weeks.

#~#~#~#

He woke with a start, not remembering at first where he was. His hand reached out, and when it met with dried leaves instead of his soft wool blanket, he almost cried out. He shook his head to try to clear the confusion, and then as he looked around, he remembered everything.

When he tried to rise to his feet, every muscle in his body screamed in pain. He hadn’t slept on the ground in years, and it showed. He stretched, and then carefully listened for any noises that might mean someone had seen him. His intense blue eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of life, but the only one he found was a blue jay, squawking angrily at him for invading its territory. Bending at the knees to try to get some feeling back, he started to move. His stomach growled loudly.

{Got to find food and water.}

He began moving through the woods, careful not to disturb any branches or piles of leaves. Nothing that could be used later to trail him. After about 15 minutes, he made his way through the trees to find himself at the edge of a stream. He couldn’t believe his luck in finding water that quickly. {Thanks, Jerry. I knew you would end up being my guardian angel in all of this. Stay with me, big brother. I have a feeling I’m gonna need you.}

He squatted down next to the stream and cupped his hands to drink some of the water. After he did, he splashed the remainder on his face, trying to make himself feel more civilized. Suddenly, his sharp ears picked up the faint noise of dogs barking. His gaze scanned around, but he didn’t see anything yet. Rising to his feet, he stepped into the cold water of the stream. Better to make his way in the water, where he wouldn’t leave a trail of tracks for them to follow.

As he followed the stream, he cast his eyes upward. {Help me out, Jer. I need you now more than ever.}

#~#~#~#

Brenda followed her nose to her kitchen, where Sonny was cooking breakfast for them. She pushed open the swinging door and found him standing at the stove, with the table already set for two.

"Eggs Benedict?" she smiled. "I love the way you cook breakfast, honey."

Sonny brought the frypan over to the table to ladle out some of the eggs on his plate and some on Brenda’s. Crisp bacon was already draining on a paper towel, and golden toast was waiting in the toaster. Brenda picked up her orange juice, and then walked over to the stove where Sonny had replaced the pan. "Everything looks delicious, including you." She kissed him on the cheek and he smiled.

"It’s the least I could do, after our wonderful night last night," he replied, a twinkle in his dark eye. "You were fantastic, babe." He kissed her, but cut it short. "Now, let’s eat."

Brenda sighed again, and then sat down in the chair opposite Sonny. She began to eat some of the eggs, and then reached over to turn on the TV. "Do you mind if I turn the TV on while we eat, honey? I want to hear what the weather’s going to be like in Florida next week. I have to go there to do that photo-shoot for Lucy."

Sonny shrugged his shoulders while he wolfed down the food. "Doesn’t matter to me, babe." He looked up at her. "See, you won’t be so lonely. You’ll have the photo-shoot to keep you busy for a while."

Brenda pouted. "Yeah, but they’re always so much more fun when you come along." She picked a slice of toast out of the toaster, and as she applied butter, she noticed a picture on the TV. A reporter from the Port Charles affiliate was talking, and then the picture switched to show a portrait-style picture of a tall, blonde man in a business suit. "Honey, do you mind if I turn this up? I wonder what it’s about." She reached over for the remote. "Hey – maybe he’s a model and Lucy could sign him to do the shoot with me!" she said, hoping to spark Sonny’s jealousy.

They both watched and listened now as the reporter intoned seriously.

"Repeating that last bulletin, police in the upper New York State area continue to be on the lookout for Jasper Jacks, fugitive from justice." They showed various pictures of him again as the reporter continued. "Choosing not to follow their illustrious father into the world of high finance, both Jerry and Jasper Jacks graduated from Ivy League colleges and joined the World Security Bureau." The picture changed to one of the smiling blonde and an equally handsome, dark-haired man. "Mr. Jacks and his older brother Jerry served as operatives for the WSB for several years, both with impressive careers as government agents. Then, in an unexpected development, Jerry Jacks was killed in an explosion in 1996 while investigating organized crime activities. It was believed by many at that time that his death was the result of a mob hit."

Brenda munched her toast thoughtfully, while Sonny’s dark eyes began to cloud. "Babe, this isn’t about the weather. Why don’t you turn it off and talk to me." But Brenda wouldn’t be swayed from the screen.

"No, honey, I want to hear the rest of this. They said something about this being important to our area."

Sonny made a disgusted noise, but Brenda’s attention was riveted to the TV screen. "Shortly after Jerry Jacks’ death, the governor of New York announced he would be forming a special organized crime task force. Jasper Jacks was given special leave from the WSB to join that force, and until just recently, had distinguished himself with several important arrests. However, at a recent press conference, Port Charles police commissioner Mac Scorpio disclosed findings which indicate that Jasper Jacks himself has significant ties to organized crime, and may have been behind his brother’s murder."

The screen again dissolved to show the blonde-haired, blue-eyed man, smiling beguilingly. Brenda shook her head and looked at Sonny. "Gee, he doesn’t look like a bad guy, does he, honey?"

Sonny stared at the TV with a malevolent gaze. "You just never know, babe."

The reporter continued. "We now join a press conference in progress in Port Charles." The screen faded to show a large assembly of reporters. "Look, honey, it’s Mac!" Brenda exclaimed, still glued to the TV.

"Yeah, it sure is," Sonny said quietly, his face grim. "Are you sure you want to keep watching this?" Brenda shook her head vigorously and stared at the screen as Mac spoke.

"Several officers from the PCPD attempted to confront Mr. Jacks last evening with the evidence we had gathered against him. Mr. Jacks’ partner on the task force, Officer Thomas Kavanaugh, had expressed a desire to speak to Mr. Jacks first about the charges. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a deadly mistake for Officer Kavanaugh. An officer from our own PCPD witnessed Officer Kavanaugh confront Mr. Jacks. At that point, Mr. Jacks pulled his revolver and shot Officer Kavanaugh, mortally wounding him. Despite the officer eyewitness, when we attempted to arrest Mr. Jacks, he protested his innocence, and somehow managed to escape. Mr. Jacks was last seen in the vicinity of the Port Charles metropolitan area."

The scene shifted back to the TV station anchor’s desk and he intoned seriously. "Police commissioner Scorpio confirms that an all points bulletin has been issued for Mr. Jacks, and he urges the public to be on the lookout for him. If you see him, do NOT attempt to apprehend him yourself. This man is considered to be armed and dangerous."

Sonny had taken his plate back to the sink, and he looked back at Brenda seriously. "Maybe this isn’t the best time for you to be living out here all by yourself. Maybe you should move into my penthouse in town while I’m gone."

Brenda giggled. "Awwww, honey, are you worried about me?" Then she looked confused. "I thought you didn’t like it when I lived at the penthouse – I thought you were always worried I was going to find some important papers that you didn’t want me to see."

Sonny came to take her by the shoulders. "Now, babe, it’s not that I didn’t want you to see them. It’s just that I didn’t want them to get lost or anything." He looked around. "But I just feel a little funny with you out here all alone. Especially with your car in the shop."

Brenda waved him off and went into the living room, Sonny following. "I’ll be fine, really I will. I’ve got plenty of supplies. And my car really needed to have that work done on the transmission." She looked at him and pulled him into a loose hug. "And if I really need to get something, like some medicine or extra supplies, I can always just ride Star down to the Wagners’ store at the highway junction. You know how sweet they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came by to check on me while you’re gone."

There was a honk outside, and Sonny looked around. "Well, I do feel better that at least you’ve got a four-legged means of transportation. That nag will be good for something."

"Sonnny," Brenda whined, "you know I love that horse. It’s one of the sweetest things you ever gave me. When I ride her out here, it gives me a sense of peace and tranquility. That’s something I could never get living in the city." She stopped to think for a minute. "Besides, if that guy is half as smart as they say he is, he’s probably gone to Canada by now. Why would he stick around here, where everybody’s looking for him?"

Sonny looked her in the eye, and then he heard the honk again. He went to the front door and opened it, motioning that the large man there should come in. "Go ahead and take my bags out, Johnny. I’ll be there in a few minutes." After he watched the man take his bags out and put his suit coat on, Sonny came back to Brenda.

"You sure you’ll be OK?"

"Positive," she nodded. "I’ve got the phone, and even the computer, for goodness’ sake. I think I’ve even got that old police scanner radio somewhere that you insisted I have. Although I don’t know why – who would want to listen to boring old police calls, anyway?"

"Just the same," Sonny said, holding her in his arms, "I think I’ll have Jason stop by here every few days to make sure you’re OK. I won’t need him with me on this trip, and I think it would make me feel better. And I’ll call you every chance I get."

Brenda looked at him skeptically. "Knowing you, that won’t be too often," she pouted. "But I know, you’re an important man, and your business comes first."

Sonny leaned in to kiss Brenda, whispering into her lips, "Never more than important than you, babe. I love you, Brenda." They kissed passionately for a few more minutes, and then they heard the horn honk once more. He looked into her eyes. "How about if I bring you back something gorgeous from Manhattan – like an engagement ring?"

"Sonny – are you serious?" she exploded, grabbing him to hug him ferociously. "I would LOVE to marry you. Oh honey, I love you so much!" They kissed once more, and then Sonny tapped her on the nose playfully and went to the front door. He turned once more, waved at her, and walked out.

Brenda listened to the car drive away with a dreamy look on her face. She held up her left hand, admiring an imaginary ring on the third finger. "Mrs. Sonny Corinthos," she sighed. But then, as she turned to face the kitchen, her expression turned murderous. "D*mn!! He got away and left me with the dishes AGAIN!" She stomped into the kitchen, leaving the swinging door open in her wake.

#~#~#~#

Jax gazed up at the sun. He glanced down at his watch. Mid-afternoon. He hadn’t had anything to eat now since supper last night, and his stomach was really growling.

{Just the sign of a growing boy, Mum would say.} The thought of his mother sobered him. If he hadn’t been so stubborn and wanted to be a special agent, maybe he would still be living with his parents in Alaska. Maybe Jerry wouldn’t have listened to his tales of adventure as a kid and wouldn’t have wanted to go with him into the WSB. Maybe Jerry would still be alive.

Jax shook off the chills. He couldn’t dwell on the maybe’s. He had to think about the present, and right now, that meant finding food. He hadn’t heard the barking dogs now for quite a while, and that encouraged him. Maybe they had lost his trail after all.

He carefully made his way through the thick brush and was surprised to find himself at the edge of a clearing. What amazed him even more was the appearance of a small cottage. {Wasn’t there a fairy tale like this? Hansel and Gretel? Little Red Riding Hood?} Just as he was about to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, he saw the front door of the cottage open and a young woman came out.

Jax held his breath. She HAD to be a hallucination. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was petite, with dark hair that she had pulled into a ponytail. She had on cut-off denim shorts, showing off her beautiful, tanned legs. Her broadcloth sleeveless shirt was tied up below her breasts, exposing her perfect abs. She had dark eyes and a sexy walk, and Jax wanted her.

{Get a grip, Jax. Got to keep things in perspective. Maybe there’s food in the house. Of course, maybe there’s also a linebacker husband in the house.}

He watched her walk to the barn behind the cottage, and pull open the door. She walked just inside, and he saw her begin talking to a horse that was stabled there.

{Good girl. Talk to the nice horsie. Just long enough for me to sneak in and raid your frig and then sneak out again.} He crept on cat’s feet to the front porch, and making sure the girl was still occupied, went through the open door.

#####

"Hi, Star," Brenda crooned. After Sonny had left and she had cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, she decided that a ride might be good exercise for both her and Star. She hadn’t been able to do much riding lately, with her busy schedule modeling for the perfume company, Deception. This was actually the first time in a month that she had had some solid time to spend at the cottage alone. As much as she enjoyed being with Sonny, there were times when she just wanted to be alone.

The roan horse nickered and nuzzled its head in her arm. "I know what you want, you beggar, you," Brenda giggled. "You want …." She put her hand in her back pocket, and then let out a soft expletive. The horse whinnied, and Brenda smiled. "It’s a good thing Sonny didn’t get me a parrot. He would have a cow if her ever heard some of the expressions I use." She stroked the horse’s nose gently. "I’m sorry I forgot your apple, sweetie. I’ll just run back in the house and get it."

She turned to walk back to the house. How could she have been so forgetful? She never bought that much fresh fruit to begin with, so having fresh apples in the refrigerator should have been a reminder to her right off the bat. When she cleaned up the mess from breakfast and carefully saved the leftovers, she had seen the apples and mentally made a note to take one to Star when she was finished. But then, after choosing her outfit and fixing her hair, she was so anxious to get out to see the horse that it completely slipped her mind. {Well, that’s a problem I can solve easily.}

#####

Jax quietly made his way through the living room. {Probably not a married lady. No guy in his right mind would live in a house that has this much frou-frou stuff in it.} He stopped momentarily to look at a crocheted couch pillow, shook his head in disgust, and then spied the open swinging door to the kitchen. {Bingo.}

He walked into the kitchen, and immediately was drawn to the large refrigerator. As he opened it, his mouth dropped open in shock. {Bloody hell! This house must belong to the Tupperware distributor for Port Charles! All that’s in here are refrigerator dishes with leftovers!} He pulled open the crisper drawer at the bottom, and his search was rewarded with a bag of crisp Jonathan apples. He grabbed one and bit into it hungrily, still crouched in front of the open refrigerator.

#####

Brenda walked back through the open front door of the cottage. She stopped for a second to admire her living room décor once more. It still amazed her that she had been able to furnish the cottage without the advice of Sonny’s decorator. Sonny kept insisting that she have "Charles" give her a hand with it, but she got such a thrill of doing it herself that she steadfastly refused. She ran a hand lovingly over the couch pillow, and then the thought of poor Star, waiting patiently in the stable for her apple, came back to mind.

As she made her way to the kitchen door, she was surprised to see it closed. She was sure she had let it open, to let the soft breezes get in and dry the damp kitchen counters. {Oh, well – guess it must have blown shut while I was outside.}

She pushed the door open, and stopped dead in her tracks. A large man was crouched in front of her refrigerator, munching contentedly. Brenda gasped aloud, drawing his attention to her.

He had blonde wavy hair that fell down across his forehead. When he saw that she had found him, he immediately stood, and she realized that he was a VERY big man. He must have been over six feet tall. He had his hand up to his mouth, the apple still in it, and he chewed quietly in shock as she looked at him. But his eyes drew her gaze. They were a brilliant blue, with just a hint of green. He had on a gray chambray shirt that almost made them look gray. But as they flashed at her, she saw the blue hues of the spectrum reflected there. She put her hand to her mouth as the realization dawned.

"Oh…my…God.." she breathed. "You’re Jasper Jacks!"

To be continued….