Jo bounced excitedly up and down on Lea’s knee as they sat in the great room. "Tell me more, Aunt Lea! *Then* what did my daddy do?"

Lea’s eyes twinkled as she cuddled the little girl closer to her. "Well, even though the whole rest of the room was busy working on the test, your daddy crawled up onto his desk, flapped his arms, and clucked like a chicken!"

"I may have howled at a few beautiful women in my day, but I have *never* clucked like a chicken, Lea!" Jax was blushing as he walked into the room, carrying a large silver tray with coffee cups.

Lea took one of the cups from the tray and wagged a finger at Jax. "Now, shorty, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Professor Toner’s Art History class already?"

Realization dawned and Jax groaned. "Oh, please....." He went to the sideboard and set down the tray before taking a cup himself. "Why do you have to have such an excellent memory when it comes to my most embarrassing experiences in college?" He took a sip of the coffee, reaching for the cream as he muttered, "I always *did* hate required courses!"

"What does daddy mean about quired cores and why did he cluck like a chicken?" Jo asked. She glanced up at Jax, who rose an eyebrow at her hand that was reaching for a mint on the tray.

"Young lady, I think maybe you’d better hold off on the mints until after your Mum serves Jaz’s birthday cake." Jo’s hand froze in place over the mints and she stuck out her lower lip as she reluctantly turned around and marched back over to the couch.

"Well, Cookie," Lea teased as she pulled Jo onto her lap again, "when you go to college, everybody takes classes about what they want to be when they grow up. I took lots of classes about being a governor, and your daddy took lots of classes about....." She paused and gave Jax an innocent look. "....exactly what *did* you take classes about, Shorty?"

"Counting beans," Jax replied sarcastically, recalling his favorite Economics professor referring to all accountants as "bean counters."

"Anyway," Lea continued, "the school we attended said that everyone had to take some special courses, just so they had a good foundation to start with. Like when you’re building a house with your blocks and you build the bottom with the strongest blocks." Jo nodded enthusiastically.

"So, one of the classes we both had to take was a course about the History of Art. The teacher was a little unusual," Lea shot Jax a naughty smile, "and so when he gave us a big test the one day, before he passed out the papers, he told us to be sure to read *all* the instructions before we started writing."

"And did my daddy do that?"

"Not really, Cookie," Lea giggled. "The very first thing on the test said to read ALL the questions before doing anything else. Well, some of the questions said to howl like a dog, or get up on your desk and cluck like a chicken."

"So my daddy did the right thing!" Jo looked proudly at her father, but he only grimaced.

"No, munchkin, I didn’t. If I had read ALL the questions, I would have read the very last one that said to IGNORE all of the other questions and just put my name at the top and turn in my paper." Jax shook his head. "But -- like a true Jacks -- I had to be the first one to finish and I just plowed in, not following instructions."

"What did you do, Aunt Lea? Did you do what you were ‘posed to do?"

"Of *course* I did, sweetheart," Lea replied smugly as Jax groaned. "I just put my name at the top of the paper and marched right past your father as he was laying an egg on the desk."

"Oh, please, Peaches -- not right after we just ate!" Jax continued to hold his stomach and groan as he sank into his favorite chair, only to have his daughter run to jump into his waiting lap.

"Why do you call Aunt Lea "Peaches", daddy?" Jo put her arms around Jax’s neck, furtively reaching for behind him for the tempting mints.

"Because all she would eat when she was a baby was peaches, Jo," Jax answered. He narrowed one eye and pulled her away from his shoulder. "Like maybe we should start calling you Minty!"

Jo frowned at being foiled again, but then she turned innocent eyes on her father. "Then why does Aunt Lea call you Shorty? Is that cause you’re short?"

Jax sputtered and tried to control his laughter but Lea managed to speak first. "No, Cookie. There’s absolutely *nothing* short about your father!"

Jo looked back and forth between the two adults who seemed to have lost their minds and were laughing uncontrollably. But before either one of them needed to explain it, there was a commotion in the hallway. Lea rose from the couch and just as she got to the doorway of the great room, Jaz went toddling by, chortling happily as he did.

"Whoa, there, you little hoodlum, you!" Lea scooped him up by the seat of his pants and pulled him into her arms. "You look like you’re on the run from the mommy police!"

In answer to her comment, Jax and Lea heard Brenda’s voice farther down the hall. "Jasper Jacks, Junior -- when I find you you’re in trouble -- birthday or no birthday!!"

"Uh-oh, sounds like you’re in *big* trouble," Lea said, rolling her eyes as she carried him back into the great room and his daddy. "And from the looks of those sticky fingers, it probably has something to do with your birthday cake!"

Jax rose from his chair and came over to take Jaz from Lea. "Oh, boy....I think Aunt Lea’s right, son." He leaned down to take one chubby hand and sucked the fingers into his mouth, smacking his lips loudly and making Jaz crow with delight. "Yep. That’s Louise’s butter-cream frosting for sure." He tipped his head to the side and tried to look serious. "I’d say this means an extended visit to the time-out chair for you, if your mother has anything to say about it."

"Aha!" Lea laughed. "And so, we find out with four days to go that Candidate Jacks isn’t as tough on crime as he promised?"

"Depends on the crime!" Jax replied, bobbing his head trying to catch Jaz’s other hand and suck the icing from it, too. All of them were laughing heartily when they noticed Brenda, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"I should have known he would come to his soft-hearted father," she said in mock cynicism. "Do you know what *your* son did to his beautiful birthday cake?"

"I have a feeling it’s nothing good," Jax quipped, trying not to laugh too loudly. Lea bit her cheek to stifle her grin, and Jaz just clapped his hands together, spraying bits of cake and icing all over his father.

"He just decided to sample some of it before the rest of us, that’s all," Brenda replied, walking slowly to stand eye-to-eye with her son in Jax’s arms. "And since he knows that forks and spoons are still a no-no if Mommy’s not around, he just reached up and grabbed a hunk of cake out of the center with his hands!"

"I always did say that God made fingers before She made forks and spoons!" Grandma Josie’s voice interrupted Brenda’s indictment of the birthday boy and she entered the great room. She walked over to Jax and took one of Jaz’s sticky hands. "How ‘ya doin’ there, snicklebritches?"

"I think he’s deliberately trying to act more like a two-year-old than a one-year-old on his birthday," Brenda sighed, giving Josie a kiss on the cheek. She took Jaz from Jax, carefully avoiding the toddler’s flailing arms. "First, he decided this morning that now that he’s a year old, he didn’t need a morning nap anymore."

"Ahhhh.....so his energy level isn’t related to sugar or caffeine!" Lea giggled.

"Nope. He’s just high on life," Brenda muttered, barely ducking Jaz’s hand as he reached for her hair. Josie went over to give Lea a kiss and a hug as Brenda shook her head and put Jaz back down on the floor. "I’m glad you could make it for cake and coffee, Grandma," Brenda said, giving Jaz a stern glance. "Or I guess I should say -- what’s *left* of the cake."

"Just how bad *is* the damage?" Josie asked, grinning at Jo. She took a mint from the bowl on the tray and tossed it to her namesake before Brenda could object.

"Well...." Brenda sighed, watching as Jo put the mint in her mouth triumphantly, "it used to say "Happy 1st Birthday, Jaz" but now it just looks like "Happy 1st Bumflluz, zzzzz"."

Everyone was laughing so hard, including the birthday boy, that Louise had to knock twice on the door to the great room before she was heard. Jax finally saw her and nodded in her direction. "Excuse me, sir, but Miss Forsythe is here to see you."

Jax gave Brenda a questioning look, but she just threw up her hands. "Go ahead -- bring her on. Might as well let Jaz have a friend at the party who’s the same emotional age."

Lea and Grandma Josie traded quiet sentiments about Kimberly as Louise left and a few seconds later, Kimberly breezed into the room. "Greetings, all!" she called. She stopped short at the sight of everyone in their good clothing. "Oh -- I’m sorry, Jasper! Did I interrupt something?"

"Would you leave if we said you did?" Josie quipped under her breath, and Lea had to turn the other way so Kimberly wouldn’t see her laugh.

"Come on in, Kimberly," Jax said with an indulgent wave. "We were just having a belated Christmas celebration since Harlan had to leave us so abruptly and combining it with Jaz’s first birthday party."

"Ohhhh...." She glanced down at the toddler, who was swaying on his feet. He started walking towards her with a slobbery grin. "Has he been fed yet?" Kimberly asked, moving behind the couch and out of his grasp.

Brenda grabbed him as he went by and Jaz squealed in delight as she swung him up into the air. "He’s eaten *more* than his share, Kimberly," she groaned. Brenda glanced back over her shoulder at Jax. "I’m just going to take him upstairs and see if I can get some of this icing off his hands before he does any damage to the wallpaper."

Jax nodded and Brenda left as Kimberly moved to the center of the room. "Well, as I said, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I just *had* to come over and see if you were watching the television."

"Why would we be watching TV?" Jax asked Kimberly as she moved towards the set and began fiddling with the controls.

She waved a hand in the air behind her and then finally straightened up as a news program came into view. "Ssshhhh.....just watch," she ordered, moving back to the couch and waving for everyone to sit down.

"So, with the election just days away to fill the vacant seat in the House, who’s ahead in the polls?" The image of the anchor woman faded to a publicity shot of a smiling Jax, standing by his helicopter. "Most political pundits agree that the runaway favorite to win is newcomer, Jasper Jacks."

There was a loud round of cheering and fist-pumping in the room, but then Kimberly shushed them all and motioned back to the set. "Mr. and Mrs. Jacks live in a section of old Port Charles with their two children, Jo and Jasper, Jr." A short biography of Jax followed, tracing his family’s history and how they had come to Port Charles.

"Now," Kimberly whispered with barely-restrained excitement, "here’s the good part."

"Mr. Jacks has been a media darling ever since he masterminded a heroic rescue early in the campaign. However, a plan to interview Mr. Jacks extensively during the Christmas holidays had to be scratched due to a serious illness in his wife’s family." The picture dissolved again to show the anchor in a tight shot. "We were fortunate enough, however, to have Mr. Jacks’ political consultant, Kimberly Forsythe, agree to do an extended interview with us to fill the void."

Kimberly practically glowed in the dark. "Isn’t that great? I managed to wangle a short spot that they would have given Jasper to a 35 minute interview about my input into the campaign!"

Josie sank lower in the couch next to Lea. "I have to watch this dreck for another half hour?" Lea just rolled her eyes and nodded, and Josie shook her head. "Wow -- I haven’t had this much fun since the crash of ‘29."

The entire room fell silent as the interview went on...and on....and on. Finally -- mercifully -- it was over. Kimberly jumped up from the couch and turned off the television. "Wasn’t that terrific?" She clasped her hands to her heaving bosom.

Josie leaned over to Lea. "Do you think she has to hold onto it like that cause she’s afraid it’s going to crack off?" Lea put her hand over her mouth and Josie just mumbled something that was thankfully unintelligible.

Brenda walked back into the room just as Kimberly had turned off the television. "I’m sorry about that -- did I miss something important?"

Lea put her hand on Josie’s thigh and held her down. "It was a political feature on Jax’s campaign, kiddo," Lea said with a tight smile. "I’m sure that Kimberly has a tape of it you can watch later." She rose from the couch. "Why don’t I come out to the kitchen with you and help serve the birthday cake?"

Brenda nodded with a slight frown, still wondering why Josie was having a sudden coughing fit. "Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on the cake, Brenda," Kimberly gushed. She grabbed her fox coat and threw it over her arm nonchalantly. "I promised some people at the television station I would stop in -- I think they want to ask me to be their full-time political commentator! Isn’t that just too too? I’d be here in Port Charles full time!"

Josie took a deep breath but before she could say anything, Kimberly stopped as she stood next to Lea and Brenda. "Oh, my" she said, putting her hand to her forehead, "I’m just having the most wonderful brainstorm!"

Josie rose and went to stand next to Jax. "Wouldn’t she have to have a brain first?" she muttered, and Jax put his arm around her and gave her a pointed hug.

Kimberly moved to stand between Lea and Brenda. "Look at us -- the three women in Jasper’s life.....doesn’t it just scream at you?" Jax shrugged and shook his head, so Kimberly went on. "You know .....just like that program in the 70’s?" She giggled and put her arms out to pull Lea to her one side and Brenda to the other. "Instead of Charlie’s Angels, we’re Jax’s Angels!"

Lea sputtered. "Oh, Kimberly, I don’t know about that....."

"Oh, no, it’s just perfect, don’t you see?" Kimberly pointed first at Brenda, then herself. "Brenda is the brunette, I’m the blonde...." She turned to Lea and paused before continuing. ".....and Lea’s ......well, Lea’s the....whatever color that’s supposed to be!"

A dark flush began to work its way up Lea’s neck towards her face but Kimberly just whirled around and stormed out of the room, waving good-bye to everyone on the way. Lea finally found her voice as Brenda wrapped her arms around her own waist to control her laughter. "She.......I......what does she......." She pointed at the open doorway, and then turned to Jax. "Did she just.......where does she get off......"

Brenda patted her on the back. "Welcome to my world, Lea. Now you know what I’ve been putting up with for the past two months." She rubbed Lea’s arm supportively. "Why don’t you go sit down? I can handle the cake by myself." Brenda was still smiling as she went back towards the dining room and Jaz’s ruined cake.

"Geeeeeezzzzz, Jax," Lea moaned, going over to sit by Josie on the couch. "I never would have asked you to run for the office if I had known that that....." She glanced over at Jo, who was happily eyeing more mints. "....witch would have dropped into your life as a result."

Jax suddenly turned around and spotted Jo. "Young lady! Do you want to join your brother in the time-out chair?" As he turned to talk to his daughter about the wisdom of defying her mother’s orders, Josie patted Lea on the arm.

"You know, Peaches," she whispered, "I think you may be just the person I need to help me in a little campaign of my own."

"Really?" Josie gave Lea a naughty wink and Lea smiled wisely. "Ahhhh, and what kind of campaign would that be?"

"Welllll, why don’t I explain it all to you over some cake and coffee?" She rose from the couch, as did Lea, and linked her arm through the governor’s. "But I can tell you this much," she whispered as they moved towards the door. "I think you’ll be *very* pleased with the outcome if we manage to pull it off."

"I’m really sorry about this, Bren," Jax said into the cell phone as he drove with the other hand. "But I forgot I need to have Angie fax these agreements to Hong Kong before I speak at that wingding tonight."

Brenda smiled into her cell phone. "It’s OK, Jax, really." She glanced up at Jo, who was charming Reese into more mints from the PC Hotel kitchen – as usual. "Paul’s here with the kids and I. We’re just going to check out everything for the post-election party and then he can take us home. I’ll just see you there."

Jax nodded. "James is with Angie and I. I promise we’ll just drop Angie off after we’re finished and I’ll be home in time for dinner with everyone." He maneuvered the Jaguar into a parking space in front of the J&J Jacks tower and Angie jumped out, already opening her purse for her after-hours access card.

Jax gave James a quick wave and then turned back to the cell phone. "I love you, Brenda."

"Love you, too," she replied, and then they both ended the connection.

Jax put his cell phone in his jacket pocket and got out of the car. He strode up to the lobby doors just as Angie pulled her access card out of her purse triumphantly. "Aha! See – I *told* you I could find it."

"Ladies first," Jax said, bowing slightly at the waist. The threesome entered the lobby of the building and walked briskly to the express elevators to the top set of floors.

Jax, Angie and James got off the elevator. "Seems odd -- so quiet," Jax said in a hushed voice.

"Now that’s a typical boss talking," Angie laughed. "It’s obvious who puts in the most time around here -- *and* gets paid the least for it!" Jax shook his head and groaned in fake pain as they got to the double doors of the suite. Angie inserted her pass card in the keypad, waited until a green light shone, punched in her security code, and they were rewarded with a click as the locks disengaged.

"Come on, let’s get this done as quickly as possible," Jax said. "I promised Brenda I would be home for supper, and I’ve got that speech to make tonight."

Angie moved to her desk after switching on the fax machine and her PC. "Isn’t it a little last-minute -- speaking tonight?" James asked as he watched her begin to print a file. "Won’t most of the voters probably already have their minds made up?"

Jax sighed. "Seems like they would. But, this is some kind of gala re-dedication of a theater downtown. They spent a lot of money renovating the thing like an old-time movie house. Lots of gold leaf and red velvet curtains, I think." Angie handed Jax the first printed page and he looked over it briefly, then nodded to her and she went to the fax machine. "But, it’s all part of bringing life back to the docks area, and that’s something I’ve been promoting throughout the campaign, so Kimberly thought it would be a good idea."

Angie came back to Jax. "You know -- I think *you’ve* got the most recent version of page 3 on the PC in your office. If you give me the keys, I’ll go download it while the other pages are printing from my machine." Jax reached to his inside pocket and pulled out a small keyring, tossing it through the air to her with a smile. He watched as she caught it with one hand and spun around to head for his office.

"You would really be lost without her, wouldn’t you?" James watched her retreating figure with appreciation that had an entirely different motivation than Jax’s.

"Absu-dam-tively, as Grandma would say," Jax muttered, "but don’t let Angie here you say that. She’ll demand even more when it comes to her annual performance bonus." He gave James a wink. "But something tells me that your interest in Miss Angie isn’t purely for her secretarial skills."

James gave Jax an equally naughty wink. "Actually, there’s nothing *pure* about it at all!" They both laughed and then their eyes widened as they heard Angie swear loudly.

"Angie! What was that you just said?" Jax called, rising from his perch on the corner of her desk. She repeated the word, even louder and with more emphasis. "As Jo would say -- Naughty waughty potty mouth!" He laughed aloud as he began walking towards his office. "What seems to be the problem?" He placed his hands above him on the doorjamb of his office, bracing his weight and leaning lazily.

"It’s your printer, Jax," Angie called. James sat on the side of her desk as he watched Jax. "It’s jammed and I can’t get it to print...."

Jax turned back to James and gave him a conspiratorial wink. "What was it you were just saying about Angie being so capable, James?" He looked back into his office and began to walk inside. "Here -- why don’t you let the machine’s lord and master take a loo....."

He never finished his sentence. The sound of the explosion and the flash of fire coming from Jax’s office was the last thing that James heard and saw before he was knocked unconscious.

*~*~*~*

Brenda had pulled Jo away from Reese and his supply of mints as Jaz ran towards the rollaround luggage carts. "Paul!" Brenda screeched as the two children were going in opposite directions.

"Whoa there, cowboy!" Paul laughed as he scooped Jaz up. Brenda made Jo thank Reese one more time and then the two adults managed to herd the children out of the hotel lobby and towards Paul’s waiting car. They hadn’t driven far when traffic became unbearably congested.

"I’m going to switch on the radio," Paul said tersely. "Something must be causing this back-up." Brenda nodded but then suddenly she gripped Paul’s arm and her knuckles turned white.

"Paul, look!" she whispered frantically. She pointed out the window and he just shrugged. "That smoke -- it’s coming from the building where Jax’s office is!"

"Don’t panic, Brenda," Paul said in a cool tone. "Let me try to get in touch with James first." The car had come to a complete stop as Paul whipped out a small communications device. He repeated hailed James, but when the only answer he got was static, Brenda’s hand began to shake visibly.

"I’m walking there," she said, putting her hand on the car door. "It’s only a few blocks. You stay here with the children."

Paul immediately hit the "lock" button on the control panel of the car before she could make her escape. "James would skin me alive if I let you get separated from us, Brenda." He looked around. "There’s a cop standing back there. Let me flash my badge at him and maybe he can get us through to the scene faster."

Brenda nodded with tears in her eyes. It just couldn’t be Jax. Not after all they had been through.

*~*~*~*

James slowly came to in the smoky ruins of Angie’s outer office. He shook his head briefly, and then rose from under some papers and pens that had slid off the desk onto his back. "JAX!!! ANGIE!!!!" All he got for a response was some sparks and more smoke coming from the direction of Jax’s office.

James got to his feet as quickly as he could and retrieved his handkerchief from his back pocket. He placed it over his mouth to filter out some of the smoke. "JAX!! ANGIE!!" he called again. Making his way towards the doorway where he had last seen Jax, he was relieved when he heard a moan and a blonde head emerged from behind a collapsed door.

"James? Is that you?" Jax coughed and spat, pushing at the door with all his might.

"It’s me, Jax," James answered, making his way to the door and pulling it away from Jax. "Are you hurt?"

"I’m not sure, but I don’t think so," Jax replied in a shaken voice. He rotated his head from side to side but when he tried to lift his arm, he winced in pain. "Maybe a few bruised ribs."

James took his handkerchief away from his mouth and wiped at Jax’s forehead. "You’ve got a nasty cut there, boss. I think you’ll need a few stitches."

Both men blanched and ducked as another loud "pop" came from Jax’s office. There was another puff of smoke and Jax waved his arms to try to clear the air so that they could see. "ANGIE! IT’S JAX!! ARE YOU OK IN THERE?"

Jax was ready to rush into the office but James grabbed him around the waist. "Let me -- I’ve got more training in this than you do." Jax nodded reluctantly and James covered his mouth and nose with his handkerchief again.

"ANGIE! IT’S JAMES!" James pushed debris and a fallen door aside as he delicately made his way into the office. Jax followed him, ducking when a ceiling panel fell 5 feet to his left. James called Angie’s name again, and both men froze when they heard a distinctive high-pitched moan.

"There -- behind the desk," Jax pointed as he coughed once. "That’s where she was before the explosion -- at the printer." Both men moved slowly through the rubble, pushing broken glass and light fixtures aside to clear a path. As they got closer to where Jax’s desk had been, the moaning got louder.

"Hold on, Angie! We’re coming!" James pushed the remains of an upholstered chair out of the way and ground zero came into view. Whatever had caused the explosion had blown a huge hole in the window behind Jax’s desk. The computer desk and printer were no longer distinguishable.

"ANGIE!!" Jax shouted her name one more time. He reached out to lean on the half of his desk that was still in its place, skewed at a crazy angle. But as soon as he put his weight on the desk to balance himself, he heard a familiar voice.

"Geez, Jax, is *this* what you consider normal overtime?"

Jax shouted to James, who had been trying to sift through the debris on the other side of the room. "I’ve got her! She’s over here!" As James made his way to where Jax was, Jax got down on his hands and knees and found Angie, lying on the floor. "Angie!" As soon as he got near enough, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed.

"Jax! Oh, my God, Jax! What happened?" She was shaking and covered with black soot and debris.

Jax hugged her to him tightly. "I don’t know, Angel, but we’ve got to get you out of here. If this wasn’t strictly a mechanical problem....."

Angie pulled back from his embrace. "You mean....someone deliberately planted something in here? To try to kill you?"

James finally appeared behind Jax. "Let’s speculate about the who and why later." Suddenly, there was another loud pop and sparks rose from what used to be Jax’s PC in the corner. James ducked and Jax shielded Angie with his body. When they both came up, James was grim. "We need to get out of here -- now. This whole place is still liable to blow."

Jax nodded, but then his eyes widened. "James -- we’ve got a problem." He pointed at the remnant of his desk. "A big problem."

Jax’s desk, a custom-made piece of mahogany furniture with steel reinforcements, had split in two pieces with the force of the explosion. Part of it had disappeared completely, but the bulk of the desk had been up-ended to stand like a cabinet. Jax’s nod drew James’ eyes to where that heavy piece of furniture rested. It was firmly planted across Angie’s legs.

To be continued.....

Author’s note: When I was working with the real Kimberly, one day our boss took the unit typist, Kimberly and myself out to lunch. That was when she actually *did* make the comment comparing the three of us to "Charlie’s Angels."