The Love that Heals-24

Subj: The Love That Heals part 24
From: PepeTDevil

The Love That Heals part 24

B: ”I’m coming”

Brenda starts opening the door.

B: “Jax did you forget your keys?”

The Brooklyn accent that answers back tells Brenda that she guessed the wrong person.

L: “Well the last time I checked I wasn’t Jax”
B: “Lois”

Brenda embraces Lois in a short hug.

B: “What brings you here?”
L: “I came to check on my bestest friend”

Lois looks around at Brenda’s suit cases.

L: “Going somewhere?”

Brenda’s face lights up.

B: “Yes. We’re going to Alaska to surprise Jax’s parents.”
L: “When?”
B: “This afternoon, when Jax gets back”
L: “I guess this means you made up completely.”
B: “Yes!”
L: “What brought on this trip?”

Brenda laughs.

B: “I woke him up in the middle of the night to tell him I wanted to call his parents. They don’t know I can walk again.”
L: “You woke him up in the middle of the night?”
B: “Yeah.”
L: “Ned would kill me if I did that to him. Was he mad?”
B: “NO, he suggested we fly there today.”
L: “Maybe he just wanted you to go back to sleep.”
B: “I wondered that too, but before he left this morning, he told me to pack for Alaska.”
L: “Where did he go?”
B: “I’m not sure. He only told me that he had a few things he needed to do.”

Brenda shrugs her shoulders.

B: “I guess he’s doing business. When’s Ned coming home?”

Lo looks at her watch.

L: “Today. In about twenty minutes. Bren, I have to go.”

Lo hugs Brenda.

L: “Bye, have a great trip”
B: “Thanks. Enjoy your reunion with Ned.”
L: “I will. Bye.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J: ”Bren, are you almost ready?”
B: “Just a few more minutes. I can’t decide which dress to leave here.”
J: “Bring both.”
B: “I don’t have room.”
J: “Bring it here & I’ll make room.”
B: “Forget it, I made up my mind.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B: “Jax, why is that there?”
J: “So we can eat it.”
B: “I thought we were leaving.”
J: “We are but Addie made this for us. How often do we get a hot home made meal?”
B: “Probably never but don’t we need to get a move on?”
J: “No one knows we’re coming.”
B: “That’s true & the lasagna does look delicious.”

Brenda sits down and places a cloth napkin on her lap; Jax serves the lasagna. He hands Brenda the first plate, which she tries to slide over to him. As he dishes the second plate, he watches Brenda closely.

J: “No, that’s your plate.”
B: “There’s too much, I can’t eat all this.”

Jax gives Brenda a pretend sad look.

J: “I cut that piece especially for you and now you don’t want it.”
B: “I can’t eat all this!”
J: “You don’t have to, just eat some.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B: “Addie is an amazing cook!”
J: “You like it?”
B: “Yeah, it’s delicious.”
J: “She made this especially for you.”
B: “Really? I barely know her.”
J: “I asked her to. She said as long as you make me happy, she’s happy to do stuff for you.”
B: “Maybe I spoke too soon.”
J: “What?”
B: “Jax, there’s something in here, it’s hard.”

Jax pokes his fork around on his plate of food.

J: “My food’s fine. She did tell me to give you that piece. Maybe she put something special in it.”

Jax fights himself to keep a straight face.

J: “Why don’t you see what’s in it?”

Brenda digs for a few seconds.

J: “I meant with your fork.”
B: “My fingers work just fine.”

Brenda digs a bit more.

B: “Ah-ha I got it!”

Brenda pulls out a red box.

B: “Why would Addie give me a - - Jaaaaaaaax. What did you do?”
J: “Why do you think I did something?”
B: “Because there’s a jewelry box in my food & you made sure I got that piece. What is it?”

Jax smiles.

J: “Open it and find out”

Brenda rips the box open as quickly as possible.

B: “Jaaaaaaaaaaax, It’s beautiful. Now I know this is from you.”
J: “Does that glow in your face mean you like it?”
B: “NO.”
J: “No? I can”
B: “I don’t like it, I love it. Jax this is the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen. What’s it for?”

Jax hands Brenda a napkin that she wipes her hands with.

J: “Come with me. Bring the ring.”

Jax kneels in front of Brenda who sits on the couch.

J: “Brenda Barrett will you marry me?”

The expression on Brenda’s face tells Jax that she wants to say yes, but she fights with all her might to restrain herself from yelling, “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”

J: “I’m waiting for an answer.”

B: “I need to ask you something.”
J: “Anything.”
B: “Why do you want to marry me? I mean you just told me you love me yesterday.”
J: That’s because I kept chickening out. I tried to tell you a lot of times but I always stopped before I got it out.”
B: “I’ve loved you for a long time too and I was afraid to tell you. But just because we love each other doesn’t mean we should rush into an engagement.”
J: “No, you’re right. I don’t just want to marry you because I love you. I told you before that you mean the world to me & you do. I can’t see myself living without you. I love waking up with you and if I had my wish, I would never sleep with out you by my side again. Brenda you’re a part of me. You make me do things that I never thought I would do & you showed me parts of myself that I never knew existed. I guess the bottom line is I’m in love with you and I never want to spend another day without you. If you will have me as your husband, I will do everything I can do to make your life as wonderful as you’ve made mine.”
B: “You already have.”
J: “I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow. If you need more time before you commit completely, I understand. I just want to know that you will marry me some day.”
B: “Is that what this is about? Commitment? You need to know that I’m completely committed to you and you’re committed to me?”
J: “No, this is about loving you so much more then I ever thought possible. So much that I don’t want to spend not even one day away from you. If you agree to marry me tonight, our engagement can be one hour or twenty years. It doesn’t matter as long as I can be with you. So what do you say? Will you marry me?”

Once Brenda knows that Jax really has thought about his proposal, she says what she wanted to say when she first realized what Jax was going to ask her.

B: “Yes! I will marry you.”

After a long tender kiss, during which Jax finally moved onto the couch, Jax’s face shows his nervousness.

B: “Is something wrong honey?”
J: “There’s something we need to talk about.”
B: “What?”
J: “Ever since I was old enough to date, my parents, especially Lady Jane, made me promise something.”
B: “If your parents suggested it, it can’t be that bad.”
J: “Sweetie you know I love you right, and I would never do anything to hurt you if I could help it, right?”
B: “Right. What did you promise them? Not our first born.”
J: “No, not our first born. You know my families very wealthy right?”
B: “Yes. Is this about money?”
J: “In a way. I think the suggestion actually came from their lawyers. What I’m trying to say is that I promised my parents I would have a prenuptial agreement before I got married.”

Brenda surprises Jax with a very sweet kiss.

B: “That’s it? Sure I’ll sign a prenupt.”

Brenda smiles and lights up Jax’s face.

B: “I love you Jax and I don’t plan on ever divorcing you so I’ll sign anything you need me to.”
J: “Well in that case,”

Jax reaches for his briefcase,

J: “I had Addie draw up preliminary papers, you can look them over and change anything you want before signing them.”

Once Jax hands Brenda the papers she looks like she’s about to cry. She was willing to sign the papers but the fact that Jax had them prepared the same time he got her ring, hurt her more then she wanted to admit. Once Brenda reads the first few clauses, her hurt goes away while she breaks out in laughter.

B: “Jax, are all the clauses like this?”
J: “Keep reading.”

Jax notices Brenda’s body visibly relax as she reads further and further into the prenuptial agreement that Jax had drawn up.

J: “Do you approve?”
B: “Yeah but can I add a few of my own clauses?”
J: “Yes. Whatever you want. Hey, maybe that should be a cause.”
B: “What should?”
J: “Brenda gets whatever she wants.”
B: “Is this the real deal?”
J: “Yeah, why would you think it’s not?”
B: “It’s not exactly typical and you left out a clause about money.”
J: “No, I didn’t leave out anything. I’m sure my parents wanted it to be all about money, but I don’t. I meant everything I put in there, that’s all I care about.”
b: “I love the hug and kiss clauses.”
J: “Yeah, at least ten hugs and twenty kisses a day. You think you can handle that?”
B: “I might need to increase those numbers before I sign.”
J: “I like the sound of that.”
B: “Is this what had you so worried?”
J: “There’s one more thing.”
B: “Is it as good as this?”

Brenda points to their prenuptial agreement.

J: “No, it’s worse.”
B: “What is it?”
J: “My real name isn’t Jax.”
b: “Please don’t tell me you’re some kind of con artist that has a bunch of alliances.”
J: “No, nothing as exciting as that. Jax is my nickname because the truth is I hate my first name.”
B: “What is it? Jethrough?”
J: “No, it’s Jasper.”
B: “That’s not so bad. I kind of like it. Can I call you Jasper?”
J: “Not if you want to stay on my good side.”
B: “Please.”
J: “Maybe when we’re alone, occasionally.”
B: “Does anyone call you Jasper?”
J: “Only Jerry and Lady Jane , when I’ve done something to really upset or anger her.”
B: “Is that it? You want me to sign a prenupt and you’re real name’s Jasper?”
J: “That’s about it, and I love you.”

Jax and Brenda share a slow, delicious celebratory kiss.

B: “I just thought of something. Since we love each other and want to get married, hopefully soon. Maybe we should wait to, I can’t believe I’m suggesting this.”
J: “Suggesting what?”
B: “That we wait to make love until after we’re married.”
J: “I guess that means you don’t want a twenty year engagement”
B: “Yeah, that’s what it means. So what do you think?”
J: “I think it will be hard, very hard but I think it will make our first time together much more special.”
B: “Now all we have to do is figure out how to live together and not make love.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J: “Watcha reading?”

Jax and Brenda have been flying on his plane for quite some time now and Brenda has hardly said a word. She’s been lost in a book, making Jax a bit jealous of a book for the first time in his life. Jax scoots his head between Brenda and the book and softly kisses Brenda with his tender lips.

B: “Ummmm.”
J: “Do I have your attention now?”
B: “Definitely”
J: “Are you going to tell me what you’re reading or do I have to tickle it out of you?”
B: “Your book.”

Brenda puts down the book.

B: “The one I gave you for Christmas.”

Brenda sees love in Jax’s face.

J: “Thomas’ book?”
B: “Yeah, you didn’t tell me how many childhood memories of yours he put in here.”
J: “I can’t believe he remembered all of them. I didn’t even remember half of them until I started reading.”
B: “Are they all true?”
J: “Yes.”
B: “SO it’s true that you wanted to make love for the first time under a big tree in Australia, a special tree?”

Jax smiles brightly.

J: “I still do. It’s so beautiful there. After we struck it big I convinced Lady Jane to buy that land for me. You’ll love it.”
B: “Did you, I mean”

Jax stops Brenda before she can finish.

J: “No, not yet.”
B: “What do you mean not yet? I thought you wanted your first time to be under the tree.”
J: “I still do.”
B: “Then you’re not a vir”

Jax stops Brenda mid word, by laughing.

J: “No, I’m not that but I’ve never made love before.”
B: “I don’t understand, how could you, you know, and not make love?”
J: “There’s a huge difference between having sex with someone and making love.”
B: “What?”
J: “In order to make love, one must be in love. I’ve never been in love before so I couldn’t make love to any of the women I was with because I didn’t love any of them.”
B: “Is this why you didn’t want to, because you want to make love to me under the tree?”

Jax shakes his head no.

J: “I haven’t gotten that far in the book yet, I didn’t even remember that until you brought it up, just now. Maybe subconsciously that was part of it but I really haven’t been thinking about it.”

Jax glances outside.

J: “We should be there very soon.”
B: “Good, I can’t wait to see Lady Jane’s face when I tell her that not only can I walk, but you finally said you love me AND we’re engaged.”
J: “I finally told you? You weren’t exactly screaming it out to me.”
B: “I didn’t want to scare you off.”
J: “I didn’t want to scare you off either. In case I haven’t told you lately, I love you.”
B: “You have, but I love hearing it.”

Brenda kisses Jax.

B: “I love you too Jasper.”
J: “Hey, hey.”

Brenda mimics Jax’s hey hey’s, then slowly, sweetly kisses her fiancee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J: “MUM, DAD, LADY JANE, ARE YOU HERE?”
B: “JOHN, JANE, I’m ready to pay up.”

Brenda turns to Jax.

B: “Maybe we should have called first. I don’t think they’re here.”

Jax picks up the phone.

J: “Maybe they told Addie where they were going.”
B: “They could have gone out to dinner, or dancing, or a movie.”
J: “It’s almost midnight. They wouldn’t be out this late.”

Brenda goes to Jax and puts her hand on the phone.

B: “Wait, I think I hear something, it sounds like a key in the door.”
J: “I didn’t hear a car.”

Jax and Brenda both turn to see the door opening . Instead of seeing John & Jane, Jax and Brenda see a drunken Jerry stumbling in.

J: “What happened to you?”

Jerry stumbles over to Jax and Brenda and looks right to Brenda.

Jer: “I need to talk to my little brother. Alone!”

Brenda tries to walk away but Jax grabs her hand and pulls her back.

J: “She’s not going anywhere!”
Jer: “I need to talk to you.”
J: “Anything you need to say to me, you can say in front of Brenda.”

Brenda tugs on Jax’s arm.

B: “I don’t mind going into the other room.”

Jax shakes his head no as he turns to face Brenda.

J: “I want you right here next to me. He only gets drunk like this when something’s wrong. If I have to hear bad news, I want you here with me.”

Brenda looks at Jerry.

B: “Sorry, I’m not going anywhere.”
Jer: “Jax what I have to tell you is private, can’t you be away from your girlfriend for two minutes?”
J: “She’s not just my girlfriend, she’s family.”
Jer: “She will never be family.”

Jax holds out Brenda’s hand.

J: “I asked her to marry me.”
B: “And I said yes.”

Jerry rolls his eyes.

Jer: “She’s not family yet.”
J: “What do you need to tell me?”
Jer: “I looked all over and they’re gone.”
J: “They who?”
Jer: “Our parents.”
J: “Are they on a trip?”
Jer: “I’ve been here for hours and there’s no sign of them. I made phone calls for hours, they’re gone.”
J: “What are you doing here? Haven’t you been staying in Port Charles?”
B: “He stopped by when you were out and I told him we were flying here.”
Jer: “I wanted to surprise you.”
J: “Where are their cars and planes?”
Jer: “Everything’s where it’s supposed to be except the new jet dad bought. They must have taken it.”
J: “You staying?”
Jer: “Tonight.”
J: “Did you get their flight plan?”
Jer: “No, I tried but no one knew.”
J: “Is there anything we can do tonight?”
Jer: “No.”
J: “Then we’re going up to bed.”
Jer: “The guest room is fixed for Brenda.”

Jax looks at Brenda.

J: “Thanks but she won’t be sleeping there tonight.”

Brenda looks at Jax and starts walking away.

J: “Sweetie, I’ll be up in a few minutes, okay?”
B: “Okay.”

Jax pulls Bren back and gives her a small kiss.

J: “I love you.”

Jax watches as Brenda goes up the stairs.

J: “Brenda is my guest and you will treat her with respect.”
Jer: “What did I do?”
J: “You ignore her and talk over her as if she’s not here. When you do talk to her, it’s usually to tell her to leave or to put her down.”
Jer: “I’m looking out for my little brother.”
J: “No you’re not. I don’t know why but you’re trying to push Brenda away from me, it won’t work. No matter how hard you try, you won’t make me walk away from Brenda.”
Jer: “I’m not trying to get you to walk away form her, I’m trying to get you to spend some time with your family.”
J: “What do you think I’m doing?”
Jer: “You brought her.”
J: “She’s the one that wanted to see them.”