~chapter 26~

Miranda Jamison. Randie Peters. Isabella James. Stacy Smith. Ana Jones. And the list went on. Jerry flipped through the profiles he had pulled out of his carry all. He was sitting at a back table in a Port Charles club called "The Outback".

He smiled to himself. He'd seen the sign as he drove by and for some strange reason, it rememinded him of home. And that's really where he needed to be right now. At least mentally. Until he figured out his next step.

He pulled out the last file and looked at the name. Anastasia Isabella Petranovich. Age...17. Hair color....dark brown. Eyes....brown. Last known location....boarding school, Switzerland. Skills...horseback riding, fluent in 6 different languages, high marks in literature, well versed in the arts. Demeanor....clever, bright, cunning, manipulative, willful, headstrong, royal bearing. Family....none. Nicknames....Bella.

Jerry smiled again. Yep. That was his girl. He'd been tracking Miranda's past for months now. He had to admit she'd been good in covering up her tracks. But tonight, when he had taken the chance and threw out his wilcard by calling her 'Bella', she'd taken the bait. And now, he had her hooked.

As the waitress came to refill his glass, Jerry leaned forward in his chair and let his mind drift back to a place he didn't often like to visit....the past.

It had been 7 years ago. He'd been on a job for his father. It had actually become SOP, standard operating procedure. All he had to do was plant an explosive device in the mine of a competing company and get the heck out of Dodge. But there'd been a complication. Mac Scorpio.

Mac and he known each other for a while now. Had been partners in many ventures. He'd even go so far as to say they were buddies....very good drinking buddies. Even friends. They both had a love for adventure. A recklessness that drove them...propelling them to the nearest, most dangerous parts of the world. And a shared love of beautiful women.

And that's where the complication came in. Because this time, Mac wasn't alone. He had with him a spirited, beautiful 19 year old girl. Her name was Randi Peters.

Her dark brown, luminous eyes captivated Jerry in a heartbeat. And it didn't take long for him to realize he hadn't been the only one. Mac was in love with her. It only took one look at the way Mac looked at her to see the truth. And that should have been enough to keep Jerry away. And it would have been. If she hadn't pursued him.

But she did. Relentlessly. She turned up wherever he was. Asking questions. Making suggestive hints. Touching his arm....his chest...his face. Making body contact whenever possible. He avoided her as much as he could...till one night, she caught him off guard.

He'd been drinking and thinking of Marguerite. In all of his life, Jerry could honestly say she had been the only woman who got close enough to his heart to actually open it up and make him feel. He'd been in love with her. Truly, deeply, uncontrollably in love with her. And he found out she was in love with him too, only to lose her to an epidemic that swept through her village. An epidemic called civil war.

On the night she declared her love for him, they made plans to run away together the next day at noon. But the next day had come too late. There had been an 'execution' of rebel forces the next morning. Marguerite and her family were all killed. Shot through the heart. He'd been away making plans for their escape and hadn't known until he returned to discover his only love covered in her own blood.

From the day he buried her, Jerry never opened his heart again. He armed it so well, that women came and went from his life as quickly as the minutes fly and he didn't even seem to notice. He never let anyone stay long enough for him to care. And when they tried, he'd be the one to keep moving. Running from the pain. Hiding from the lonliness.

Then there were times when he couldn't escape it anymore. And he'd remember every second he and Marguerite had spent together, every word of love they'd ever said. And it was in one of those moments that Randi found him. Alone. Lonely. Hurting. Needing to be held.

He'd never spoke of it to anyone. Not even his family. But when Randi showed up, he just let everything flow like the water of a river that had been dammed up way too long. And she'd understood. Or at least she seemed too. She held him while he shed tears for another. And later, she'd given herself to him in such a way that he actually began to believe that if given the chance, his heart might be able to heal...and feel again.

But that feeling had only lasted till the morning light. When the sun rose, the reality of what they'd done....of what he'd done to one of his best friends....hit him like a ton of bricks. Mac and he had always had a deal to never to go after the other man's girl. Not that Jerry had 'gone after' her or that Randi was Mac's girl, but Mac certainly wouldn't see it that way. He tried to break it off with her, but she was head strong and irresistable and as reckless as he was. And he wanted so much to hold onto that feeling that she'd managed somehow to give back to him.....no matter what it cost him.

They managed to keep their affair hidden for 2 weeks. Two glorious weeks in which Jerry began to see his light at the end of his dark, lonely tunnel when they were together. But when they were apart, all he could feel was guilt. And fear. He was getting in too deep. Not that he was really in love with her...yet, but he actually began to care what would happen to her if he stayed or left. And, for Jerry, that was very dangerous ground for him to be treading on. So he decided to leave. One morning, he just up and left, without so much as a good-bye.

After a month had passed he realized that he hadn't really cared for her after all. He'd been more caught up in the idea of her than anything else. The distance and the time had already begun to erase her from his memory. It had been good for him to leave when he did. He had even begun to look at her realistically and realized that there were many things about her that he didn't even really like.

She was a player. A manipulator, with a thrist for control. The sweet innocence of her face was betrayed by the coldness he often saw in her eyes. She was the typical good little bad girl. The kind that can wrap a man around her finger, use him and then throw him away without a second glance. The kind that uses sex as a weapon...not a gift of love. The kind that will turn a man inside out for her and he wouldn't even care as long as she was on his arm. The kind that women hate and men love. Jerry had breathed a sigh of releif that she was out of his life for good.

Until the day he went home. To Australia. Jax had been put in charge of the mines there and he'd been doing an excellent job. But what was required now, was a bit of playing in the mud. And one thing he and his father didn't want was for Jax to get dirty. So, he'd come to do as much of the job as he could in order to keep Jax clean and out of the line of fire.

That's when he saw her again. And Mac. But things had changed. She was no longer Randi Peters. She was Miranda Jamison. And she was Jax's wife. You could have heard a pin drop all the way over in America when Jax introduced them. He'd never expected to see her again. Especially this soon. Especially as his sister-in-law.

The first chance he got, they arranged a meeting. She swore that she hadn't known Jax and he were brothers and that, for her, this was the real thing. She was really, truly in love. He'd never seen her so afraid. That he could spill the beans to his brother about their affair, terrified her. And convinced Jerry that her feelings for Jax were real. He agreed to let it go, with a warning that he would be watching her.

It hadn't really been for her protection. It had been for his. He hadn't really loved her, so as far as he was concerned the past was the past. But he knew that if Jax found out about their past together, he could very well lose a brother. He'd already lost one person he loved...he couldn't lose another. It would destroy him.

And she actually did seem to love Jax. And Jax was head over heels for her. So, he let things lie. Until the day he found her at the mines. The day the explosion was set. The day he found out the truth about her.

Jerry's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in years. Jerry's dark eyes looked up to meet the suspicious blue eyes of Mac Scorpio.

"Come to blow up the town, Jerry?" Mac asked sarcastically.

Jerry's cocky grin lit up his face. "Nah. I decided a long time ago to leave that to the professionals. So, how *has* the explosion business been lately?" Jerry loved the look on Mac's face. He'd heard about the changes Mac had made in his life and figured the last thing he wanted was to be reminded of the shady past they both shared. Which, of course, made him want to remind him all the more.

Mac pulled the chair out and sat down. "I don't do that anymore, Jerry. I've learned my lesson. Last time, innocent people got hurt."

"Maybe some of those people weren't all that innocent. Did you ever stop to think about that?" Jerry asked suddenly, turning serious. Maybe Mac could help him fit together the last bits of the puzzle.

"What are you talking about?"

"Miranda. Tell me, Mac, what exactly do you know about her? Who was she hiding from? I mean, she *was* running from someone, wasn't she? If not, why the name changes? Why pretend to be your wife?"

"Gee, Jerry, I thought you would know. You were the one that had the affair with her." Mac shot back suddenly.

Jerry looked down at the table. "I didn't think you knew."

"I didn't at the time. It wasn't till later when... Look it doesn't really matter. I don't even know why I brought it up." Mac looked away uncomfortably.

"I do." Jerry looked at Mac, knowing this was long over due. He was also smart enough to know that having the police commissioner as a friend would be a whole lot more beneficial then having him as an enemy. And he had a feeling he'd need all of the friends he could get for the upcoming battle he'd taken on.

"I betrayed you. I went back on our deal. You were in love with her and I knew that....but I went ahead anyway. I'm sorry Mac." Jerry's last words were almost a whisper.

Mac was silent for a moment as he tried to judge Jerry's demeanor. He seemed to really mean what he said, but with Jerry things are rarely what they seem to be. Yes, he'd loved Miranda, but Miranda had never loved him....had never chosen him, and that was a fact that he didn't intend to bring back up. It had been hard enough swallowing it when Miranda married Jax without telling him.

It was in the past....and best to let it go. "Yeah, well, we all make mistakes. People change. I know I have." Mac looked at Jerry pointedly. "Have you?"

Before Jerry could answer, Mac went on. "I guess what I want to know, Jerry, is what exactly are you doing here in Port Charles. Because if you're here to stir up trouble, I'm warning you, I'll take you down....in a heartbeat....and not even feel guilty about it."

Jerry raised his hands in a hold-on-a-minute gesture. "Whoa, there Commish. I'm here strictly on family business. In case you haven't heard, my brother has a son. A son I've never even seen. And a fiance' I've never met, but from what I hear she's quite a beauty. I just came to get acquainted with my brother's new family, that's all. You know, even desperados like me have the occassional urge for familial contact." Jerry said with a wry smile. "I'm not here to cause trouble, Mac. If anything, I'm here to prevent it."

Mac nodded. "Good. Just keep it that way." He stood up and pushed the chair in and leaned down so Jerry got his message loud and clear. "You've seen me in action before. You know what I can do. Don't test me, Jerry. I may have changed, but I haven't forgotten a thing."

Jerry nodded. "Warning taken, Mac. Oh, one more thing. Can we just keep this between us? Jax doesn't know about...."

Mac raised his hand. "I'm not out to hurt Jax...or Brenda. He'll never hear it from me. As far as I'm concerned, it's over and done. Just be sure to watch your step from here on out."

And with that final warning, Mac left Jerry sitting alone, both of them aware that with all of the major players back on stage together, this play was far from being over. In fact, the act was just beginning. ~~~~~~~~~~

Some say she was born without a heart. Others....she had only half a heart, and she wasn't about to give it away. Perhaps that's why Helena adored her so much. Only a person without a heart could appreciate and tolerate another such creature in the world.

She had been christened Alexandra Anastasia Isabella Cassadine. She was called Bella. She was the only child of Nikolas and Anastasia Cassadine. Their pride and joy. And their downfall.

As the niece of Mikos and Helena, Bella spent much time living and traveling with them since the age of 3. In fact, her earliest memories were of Helena coming to tell her bedtime stories of former rulers and the iron hand with which they ruled their country. In the daytime, she'd play under Helena's desk as she barked orders to servants over the phone or in the room.

For some reason, Helena never scared Bella. And it was perhaps for that very same reason that Helena adored her so. For here in the form of this little 3 year old, Helena found her match. She found her protige', her pupil, her future. Helena became obsessed with making Bella into the person she wanted her to be.

Because, Bella wasn't like other children. There was something special about her. Something that caught your attention and wouldn't let go. She was incredibly bright....unordinarily so. She excelled at everything she did. And although she was not in line to take control of the royal family, she certainly had royality flowing through her veins....and showed it every chance she got. There was also a craftiness to her that Helena recognized early on and did her best to nurture and encourage. And a coldness that was unmatched in any other child.

For Helena, she saw Bella as her opportunity. Her chance to live again through the eyes of a younger, more beautiful version of herself. For Bella was beautiful. Her skin was like fine porcelin. Flawless and perfect. She had dark wavy hair that hung in ringlets around her face when it got wet. And her eyes were large and dark brown, framed by long dark eyelashes that fluttered appropriately whenever any gentleman entered the room. Helena saw early on that Bella's eyes were one of her greatest weapons.

So under Helena's tutorage, Bella grew and learned. She was selfish and self-absorbed. She learned to know what she wanted. And to do what was necessary to get it. Including cheating, lying, stealing...even murder. Whatever it took. She taught Bella that men were to be controlled and women were to be intimidated. That her greatest power over a man was sex. And the greatest power over a woman...to take away her man or her child. To never show your heart. The moment you do, you lose. Because to show your heart is to show the emptiness inside. The coldness. The hate.

And Bella flourished. She learned to bring a man to his knees with her eyes, and shoot down a rival woman with her words. She had everything she wanted. People feared her. She had power. Her spoken wishes were given as commands....and obeyed. She was ruler of her world. She couldn't ask for more.

Until the day Helena presented her with a proposition. If Bella would help her get rid of Nikolas and Anastasia, their fortune would be divided between the two of them. And Bella would no longer be dependent on anyone. Bella had hesitated. Kill her own parents? But, what if she got caught? Helena assured her that it could be made to look like an accident and proceeded to outline her plan. Bella's smile was devious as she thought of the millions she could gain. Her hesitation was over. She would do it. Just name the time and place.

Everything went off without a hitch. Her parents buried safely 6 feet under and the bank accounts now registered in her name, Bella sat back contentedly. Until, the police came. And started asking questions. It seemed her parents had been poisoned. Did she have any idea who might have wanted to kill them? No, of course not. Her parents were well loved, she'd responded. Her natural acting skills had been greatly improved by 3 years in the drama club at school.

As soon as the police left, Bella began to panick. Helena had told her to remain calm, but all she could think of was getting away. Going where no one could find her. Helena threatened her. She said that if she didn't get control of herself, Bella would soon join her parents in their freshly dug graves. A shiver ran through her. She'd never felt fear like that before.

So, she'd enlisted Stefan's help....although, at the time, he seemed to think she was blackmailing him. She took her money, changed her name and attempted to leave her life behind her. That's when she'd met Mac Scorpio. Still feeling the chill that Helena's words gave her, she hired Mac to protect her. She made up a story about her past and acted the part of the helpless girl who just needed protection.

She'd never planned the events that meeting him would set off in her life. She knew Mac wanted her, but for some reason she never brought herself to use that against him. Perhaps it was because for the first time in her life that she had a real friend. Someone who really cared. That was only the beginning of the firsts in her life.

And she certainly hadn't planned on Jerry Jacks. The moment she met him, she'd wanted him. And she didn't care how she got him. He was the first man to resist her, which made her want him even more. And for the first time, it really looked like she wouldn't get what she wanted....until that one night. When she'd found him alone on the beach.

He'd been drinking and he looked so sad....so lost. What was wrong? she had asked him. It was such a simple question, but it opened the floodgates of his emotions and he opened up to her like no other person had ever done. Showing her his pain. Showing her his heart. She'd never really made love before. As young as she was, she'd already had her share of men, but in every instance, it had been a case of them giving and her receiving. Them seeking to please her. This was the first time that she actually felt connected to the other person. The first time she wanted to give more than take. And it had been incredible.

As were the next two weeks. Filled with silent flirtations that led to passion-filled nights. For the first time, the smile that lit her face was because she really felt happy. It wasn't a performance. It wasn't a scheme. She was falling in love. Until the day she woke up to find him gone. Gone without a trace. Gone without a word. And for the first time she felt pain...and loss. And hate.

Her world suddenly changed. Where there were blue skies, she saw rain. Where there was laughter, she heard tears. She was consumed with the idea of finding him and paying him back for the pain he caused her. Until she realized that, yes, Jerry had left her, but in their time together he'd given her an incredible gift. One that she could use to her advantage. He'd given her the gift of revenge....because she was pregnant with his child.

Not long after that, she and Mac moved to an new area in Australia. An area where Mac had a job to do for none other than Jerry's younger brother. This couldn't have been more perfect if she'd planned it herself. Here was her opportunity to get Jerry back for leaving her alone and pregnant. It was like a wonderful opportunity dropped right in her lap....but once again, life threw her a curve that she was totally unprepared for. And his name was Jax.

From the second she looked into the depths of his aquamarine eyes, she was mesmerized. She'd never seen anything so beautiful as the smile that lit his face and the sparkle that danced in his eyes. And what was more, he had a heart that just took her breath away. It was open and full of life and love. She was drawn to him instantly and the bond between them was so strong, so sure that she knew what she thought she felt for Jerry had been nothing more than a crush. What she felt for this man...her Jax....this was real love. And it would last forever.

Except for the baby. Except for Jerry. How was she going to explain all of this to Jax? He certainly wouldn't take kindly to her having had an affair with his brother. Or her having his child. And to make matters worse, Jax unexpectedly took her to meet Jerry after they were married. For days she worried. Jerry said he wouldn't, but what if he said something to Jax? What if Jerry found out about the baby and realized it was his? She had to find a way to keep Jax from finding out. She would *not* lose him for anything.

Then one night, all of her worrying ended and her scheming began. Because she overheard a conversation between Jax and Mac. The job Mac was hired for was to blow up the mine of a rival company. Here was her chance to eliminate all of her problems and ensure her future with Jax.

The night and time were set for the explosion. Miranda, as she was now being called, rang Jerry up and told him that she needed to see him right away....at the mines. There was a terrible problem with Jax and only he could solve it.

She met him at the opening of the mine, with a gun in her hand. As soon as he saw her, he knew what she was up to. He had become a problem to her. A difficulty that she needed to dispose of. A wrinkle in the smooth fabric of her and Jax's life. It became painfully clear that she intended to kill him and make it look like he was caught in the explosion. Only she hadn't counted on Jax and Mac changing their plans. Or changing the time....

Miranda's reminiscing was interrupted by Helena's re-entrance into the cabin. "Bella, dear, I really am pleased that you have come. But I sense that something is troubling you. Come. Tell me all about it."

Miranda grabbed her aunt's hand and squeezed it in fear and relief that she had once again found a friend. "It's Jerry. Jerry Jacks. He's in Port Charles." She paused and took a deep breath. "Aunt Helena, he knows who I am." ~~~~~~~~~

Brenda was laying on Jax's bed looking at Jordan's locket when Jax entered the room. Since leaving Jordan, she'd been plagued with questions....and with bits and pieces of memories coming back to her. Some were good memories. Some were confusing. She remember the locket. And how it had her initials on the back. And her mother's face as she told her bedtime stories and sang her song...

"Well, the little guy's tucked in for the night." he informed her as he crawled onto the bed and sat next to her.

Brenda attempted to smile, but failed miserably as a tear trickled down her cheek. Jax reached over and brushed it away. "You want to talk about it?"

Brenda sat up and wiped her eyes in frustration. "I just don't understand. Jax, how did he know my mother's song? And who is the girl in the picture?" She refused to ask the question she most wanted the answer to...was her mother alive all of this time? And was she Jordan's nana?

Jax looked down at his hands with a shake of his head. He still thought there was a lot about Brenda's past that might have been so painful that she'd pushed it to the back of her mind. But, the last thing she needed to hear was that he didn't believe her when she said she'd never had a child. Because it wouldn't be true. He did believe her. At least he believed that she believed it.

"I don't know, sweetie." He let out a sigh. "Everything's gotten so confused. And it just seems that the more we try to figure things out, the more confusing it gets....because we don't have all of the pieces of the puzzle. Not by a long shot."

"Do you ever wish we weren't going through this?" Brenda asked suddenly.

Jax looked up at her. "No. Because if we weren't going through it, that would mean that there'd be no Jordan in our lives. And that just wouldn't be acceptable to me. Not now. Not after knowing the joy he brings us."

He reached over and took her hands in his. "Look, I know the last few days have been hard...unbearable at times. But we *are* going to get through this." His smile lit his face and went straight to her heart. "I have it on the highest authority."

Brenda's face brightened for a moment then darkened again, like the sky when a cloud passes before the sun. "Jax. I have to leave you."

"I know. You'll be going to New York with Lois tomorrow...."

"No, I mean, I need to leave tonight....for London. Then I'll go to New York to be with Lois and finish our plan."

"London? Why?" Jax wasn't sure exactly where this was going, and he wasn't really sure he liked the sounds of it. It reminded him too much of the last time she left. She'd put distance between them before, and he was afraid that's what she was trying to do now.

"Because I need to find the truth. And I think Julia might be the only one who can give it to me." she stated simply, her voice sounding tired and far away.

"What do you mean? What truth are you talking about?"

Brenda looked up at him, unsure of how to explain. "I...I remembered some things." She reached up and put her finger against his lips in an attempt to stop his questions before they began. "I can't...Jax, I can't talk about it right now. I just really need you to trust me on this."

"Brenda, don't do this. Don't shut me out. How are we supposed to deal with this together if you won't tell me what we're up against?" his voice betrayed the hurt he felt.

"Honey, you know I trust you more than anyone in the world. I'll give this to you....I promise. I just need this time to figure it out first. I need to do this part on my own. Will you let me?"

Jax sighed and looked down. How could he deny her such a gently asked request? How could he deny her anything? "Ok. Just promise me, when you have it figured out, you'll..."

"I'll tell you. I promise." she finished for him. "Thank you, my love." Brenda leaned forward and sealed her promise with a kiss. "Now, I guess I'd better get pack." She stroked his cheek. "I'm going to miss you like crazy."

"Not half as much as I'll miss you." Unwilling to let her go just yet, he reached over and pulled her to him. "Hurry back. I need you...more than you'll ever know."

A tear fell down her face and landed on his shoulder as she pulled away and silently kissed his cheek before walking out the door, searching for the truth. The truth of her past.

to be continued.....