Second Chances-Chapter 4

by: Alicia

Inside Kelly's..........

Brenda hurried through the door and raced to the phone. Taking it from Ruby's hand she thanked her then spoke into the reciever "Yello, Brenda here."

"Brenda, Brenda. Where have you been?"

"Lucy, is that you?"

"Yes! Now where have you been? I mean Brenda you have really got to stop rushing off without so much as leaving me a note. I mean when I call and you're not there and no one knows where you are.......what am I supposed to do?..............And Ruby says you raced out the door to go only god knows where with Jax. ..I mean Brend you have really-"

Brenda cut her off "Luce, Luce. Look I'm sorry if I worried you. I should have called you, but since we didn't have anythign scheduled.............I really didn't worry about notifying you that I was taking off for a day with Jax. I mean he adn I used to do that all the time." Sher rushed on before Lucy could interupt, "Besides we both had our cell phones with us at all times................Weeell, almost at all times, I mean we couldn't really take them down the Colorado River with us. But other than that we had them all the time, so if you needed me you only had to call."

"Oh, well I didn't know you were............that you..............I mean that you had your phone with you. I'm sorry I got all bent out of shape you have the right to do whatever you..........Wait a minute, the Colorado River? What do you mean down th eColorado River?"

Only then did Brenda realize what a mistake it was to tell Lucy the details of her's adn Jax 'undull' adventure. "Well, uuuuum. Jax took me to Jackson Hole so that we could go .........um uh............um go down it, in a boat or something."

"Or somethign? Do you mean to tell me you went river rafting?"

"Technically no, we used a two man kayak." A slow smile spread on Brenda's face. She was amused at Lucy's shock. But also Lucy's mention of a raft brought back the memory of how Brenda and Jax spent Valentine's Day. She still couldn't believe how easily she walked into his trap. The minute he told her not to open the incredibly large box in their living room she should have been on her guard. But she had to admit it was a good joke, and she had definitely enjoyed their "Love Boat". Who knew making love in a life raft all night long could be so much fun? Of course Jax was the only man she knew who could pull it off.

"A Kayak? Did you say a kayak?" Brenda was jolted out of her reverie by Lucy's question, however before she respond Lucy continued. "Brenda do you know how dangerous that is? You are the face of Jacks Cosmetics, I need for it and the rest of your body to be intact. It generally helps the photographer if the model is in one piece. Call it crazy but their sort of picky that way."

"Don't worry Lucy, all major body parts are accounted for, I don't even have a scratch. Besides Jax knew what he was doing adnc he would never let anythign happen to me."

"Weeell, I guess if you're alright adn everything. And I do know that Jax wouldn't let you get hurt. But Brenda please be careful, we have that whole new marketing campaign coming up. Which is actually the reason I was trying to find you yesterday. We need to reschedule the photo shoot. Well, actually I already rescheduled it. It's the day after tomorrow so clear your schedule. And Brenda no excuses we have to do it then because Marcus was nice enough toagree to do it.You're just lucky he loves shooting you otherwise we'd be in big trouble. But anyway it doesn't matter because Marcus has agred to do the shoot and you are all intact so everything is absolutely perfect. Just perfect. It is isn't it?"

"Yes, Lucy everything is great and the shoot will go great, adn everythign will be great. But Luce, I gotta run, so I'll talk to you tomorrow to get the rest of the details. So bye."

"Ok, thta sound good. Now if you need anythign just call me. I mean you should be ok, the wardrobe ans everything is already taken care of you just have to show up. And I mean-"

"Lucy, I'm goign to go now. Everythign is under control I'll talk to you later. Goodbye!"

"Oh, well ok Bye!"

"Finally" Brenda gave Ruby a wiry glance, "I love Lucy, but I thought I'd never get her off the phone. Wow how one person can have so much excess energy? Well, I'm goign up to my room. Thanks for holding the phone for me Ruby. I'll see you later."

"Take care Brenda. By the way it's really good ot see you so happy again. Jax just has that effect on you." She gave Brenda a maternal smile and squeezed her hand. "I hope you two can find your way back to each other."

"We will Ruby, we will!" Brenda muttered as she started up the stairs. First thign Bredna did once she reache dher room was reach for the phone to call Lois. Number one she had promised her details, adn two Brenda needed Lois help.

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Meanwhile outside...

"Miranda, don't even try to give me one of your lame excuses" Jax said as he stepped closer to the cluster of boxes Miranda had unsuccessfully darted behind. "I wouldn't believe any excuses anyways, so why don't you just tell me what you're up to."

"Jaaaaaaaaax, Hi. Really I wasn't trying to hide or anything, I was just .........um ..........on my way to Kelly's, and when I rounded the corner I saw you and Brenda. So I just stepped back and was going to wait." Damn! Already this was not going the way she had planned. Now what was she going to say?

"Really? Wait for what Miranda?" Jax was not in the mood fro one of Miranda's little games.

"Well, I was going to wait for you guys to finish your talk or moment or whatever you want to call it. I don't know I just didn't want to interrupt." Jax did not look convinced. "Look Jax you chose who you wanted to be with, I've already acknowledged that. But that doesn't mean I like witnessing it."

He still didn't believe her, but figured he'd go along with her to see if she'd trip herself up. He could tell she was up to something. Miranda had never been a very good liar. "Fine. Look I really don't care now if you'll excuse me?"

"Jax, wait. Um... Before you go there's something I have ............. well see the reason I was coming to Kelly's was because I was looking for you and you weren't at the penthouse so I figured ........... anyways see I need to talk to you." She nervously bit her lower lip. Oh please let him fall for this. Please Lord grant me this and I'll never ask for anything again.........well I'll refrain from asking for a little while Miranda silently prayed.

"You've got two minutes. You had better make it quick." Jax really didn't have time for this today. He had to get back to work and had to check in with Jerry, more like check up on Jerry.

"Ok but this might take longer than two minutes. You see I sort of lost my ............ well lost isn't quite the word........... I misplaced my copy of the divorce papers and when I figured out where I put them.......... I sort of............. well I kind of ............um................ I accidentally set them on fire." Man I suck at lying! Stupid! Stupid!

"You what? Miranda how do accidentally set your divorce papers on fire?" Jax asked with an incredulous look on his face.

Miranda thought back to the night that she and Sonny had toasted their 'unholy alliance'. They had both probably drank a little too much champagne. She still didn't know exactly how or why they had come to the conclusion that burning her divorce papers would solve all their problems. But at the time it had seemed like such a great move. Such a coup. But now, well............. now it just seemed like they were both totally plastered. But Sonny was a surprisingly fun drunk.

"Miranda? Hello, are you still there?" An impatient Jax asked.

"Wha- Oh, OH! The divorce papers. Well you see I had put them in a safe place so that nothing would happen to them. Because I needed to find a pen and you see I was just really busy when the delivery guy brought them to me, so I could sign them just yet. Then when I went to find them they had strangely disappeared. At any rate I finally found them and set them on the bookcase. But somehow I accidentally knocked them into the fireplace, which of course had a fire in it."

"Of Course." Jax chimed.

Startled by the tone in his voice Miranda lost her train of thought, but quickly found it then continued "Well, it was cold and I wanted a fire. You know I like fires. Anyways I was having some wine, I probably had too much. But ......... well I tripped and hit the bookcase and the papers fell in. At any rate thy are gone and my lawyer said I needed to get yours from you."

"I don't have mine Miranda. I signed them the night I received them and then mailed them back." Jax was really losing his patience with her.

Perfect! Miranda thought. "Oh, well then I guess we'll have to go talk to your attorney and then go talk to mine and then see what we have to do."

Jax couldn't help but wonder if she had always been this stupid and he'd just never seen it before? Maybe love really is blind? How can the woman comprehend Shakespeare but not a simple little thing like how to finalize a divorce? "Fine Miranda. I'll talk to m lawyer and then I'll get in touch with you. With any luck we can take care of all of this over the phone."

Now this wasn't exactly what Miranda had planned. Jax was suppose to need her help for this. How was she suppose to 'stick to him like glue' if he refused to spend any time with her. Maybe he really was serious when he told her it was over? No! Jax still loves her. He has too! Doesn't he?

"Well couldn't we just go over and see him right now, or maybe we could go later and do dinner or something?" Miranda stalled.

"Miranda we need to make an appointment with him, and you and I don't 'do dinner'. It is completely over between us."

"I know that but does that also mean we have to fight, and be typical "Ex's"? I thought maybe we could be friends. I mean we were really good friends at one time. Weren't we?" For once Miranda didn't lie. She and Jax had been friends.

"Yes, you're right. We were friends. I'm sorry Miranda, I didn't mean to bite your head off, but I'm really busy. I don't have time to discuss this now so I'll get in touch with Dave. He can tell me what we have to do to clear this all up, then I'll let you know. Ok?"

"Sure." Sonny was not going to be happy, but what was she suppose to do? Jax had an answer for everything. Besides now she couldn't even play on Jax's guilt. The only sympathy he has for her is extended to the woman who used to be his fried, not his ex-wife. And she really didn't like making Jax feel guilty anyways.

"Ok. Great. Well I have got too many things to do and not enough time to do them in so I'll call you when I have some information. Bye." Jax started to leave but then stopped and turned around. "Oh, and Miranda, next time you're going to eavesdrop on me and Brenda you might not want to wear heels. I could hear you a mile away." Jax chuckled to himself and then got in his limo and left.

"Augh! I hate it when he does that!" With that Miranda whipped out her cell phone and hit speed dial. Getting the machine she left a message

"Sonny, it's me. Well Jax fell for the problem with the divorce papers, but he was really suspicious. I couldn't contrive a way to 'stick to him' as you put it so I'm heading home. Call me! It looks like we need to do some more planning. I hope you have better luck with Brenda."

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In Brenda's Room...

"...It was so great Lo. Then after our moonlite walk on the beach he walked me to my room, gave a very passionate kiss then said 'Goodnight'. It was magical Lois, the whole day was like something out of a fairy tale. It was so good to be with him again. We joked Lois. We just joked around like we used to. It was incredible! I had my old Jax back" Brenda finally finished relating every tiny little detail to Lois about her's and Jax 's day together.

"Bren that is so romantic. I'm so happy for ya. You and Jax deserve to be happy, I hope everything works out for you two." Lois excitedly answerd.

"It will. I know it will. I love Jax too much to let him go."

"I know girlfriend I've seen the way you look at him. You get this possessive look in your eyes that just sort of says don't-touch-unless-you-want-to-part-with-an-essential-body-part."

"Yeah, well it took me so long to find him. Besides I fought too hard to get him to ever give him up. Jax is mine. You know Lois before yesterday I was a bit unsure about me and Jax, but now I know that we belong together."

"It took you this long to figure that out?" A very sarcastic Lois asked.

"Nooooooooo. I think somewhere deep inside I always knew that, from the moment we met. It just took the rest of me a little longer to figure that out. Buuuuut, all of me knows that now. And now all of me needs your help." As she sat on her bed Brenda crossed her fingers for good luck like she used to when she was a kid.

"Brend, you know I'd do anything for you. All you got to do is ask. Anytime. Anywhere."

"Lois, you're the best. Actually it's just that Jax always is doing these wonderful things for me and I sort of wanted to do something for him. And I've had a few ideas, but none of them are quite right. I mean, Lo, I have racked my brain and nuda. Maybe you could give me some ideas?"

"You know, you had me scared there for a moment. I thought you were going to ask me to move a mountain or something. Ok. You need a great idea about something you can do for Jax. Do you want to give him something? Or take him somewhere? Or what?"

"I don't know I thin k it's one of those I'll know it when I see it type things."

"Ok. Well you could fly him to some exotic place like where he just took you."

"Yeah, but Jax and I have done the take off to some foreign locale thing before. I want this to be something different. Something new for the both of us."

"You could give him something that reminds you of all the places you've been. You know like how in that movie Bill Pullman gives Sandra Bullock that snow thingie of Florence. Because he knows she wants to go to Florence, and she says that he gave her the world or something like that. Or you know, you could get Jax something that is from James Bond."

"Oh yeah! Jax loves James Bond. I don't know why but he is fascinated with spies. Maybe I should get him a spy-kit?" Brenda and Lois both start giggling at the thought of Jax in a trench coat and dark glasses with his spy-kit strapped to his back.

"Yeah Brend, make sure it has a huge magnifying glass, and don't forget the drinking cup so he can listen in on conversations in the next room." Lois was laughing so hard now that Brenda worried she might hyperventilate.

In between giggles she finally managed to say. "Lois, come on. Be serious, I really have to think of something to do for Jax."

"You could always buy him one of those pens that is really a camera. Or cufflinks that double as deadly weapons. And don't forget the shoes that have suction cups on the bottom so he can walk on walls."

"Loooooooooois, come on I need your help! Now no more James Bond jokes. I mean it." Even though Lois's jokes were really good, Brenda wanted to do something for Jax, and she wanted to do it soon.

"Ok, ok. No more jokes. Well geez Bren what haven't you two done? I mean you don't want to take him anywhere because he's taken you *everywhere*. He's already given you a magic lamp, so there goes the whole genie idea. Although I bet Jax wouldn't mind seeing you dressed up in a slinky little genie outfit. He'd probably enjoy that a lot! But what do you get for the man who has everything?"

"Tell me about it. I can't think of a single thing that he doesn't have that he needs. For that matter anything that he even wants."

"Short of wrapping up the moon and the stars I don't know what you can give him Brend. But with Jax anything you gave him he'd cherish. Besides-"

Lois didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Brenda quickly cut her off "Wait a minute Lois what did you say?"

"I said Jax would cherish anything you gave him." Lois was puzzled by the excited tone in Brenda's voice.

"No, no before that. What did you say before that?"

"Short of wrapping up the moon and the stars-"

"That's it!" Brend exclaims as she begins to dance around her room. "Lois, you are a genius! I know exactly what to do for Jax!"

"Great Brend, glad I could be of help." Lois answered warily.

"Oh, I gotta go, I don't have much time. Lo, I love you thanks. Bye."

"Bye Bren" but Brenda had already hung up the phone, "-da. I have absolutely no clue what just happened." Lois muttered before she walked down the hall to check on Brooke.

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At the Penthouse...

Jax is just finishing his phone call to his lawyer regarding his divorce when he notices a small red light blinking on his briefcase. Damn! This can't be good. Jax silently curses. That light could only mean one thing. Trouble!

"Look Dave, everything sounds simple enough. Why don't take care of all the necessary details and than call me. You can just fax a copy over to Ms. Jamison's lawyer and I'm sure you two can take care of everything. Great. I got to run so just let me know when everything is set up. Ok. Bye." Jax hangs up the phone and runs his hand s through his hair. He glances over at the red light dreading the inevitable.

Jax crosses the room and opens the briefcase Using a code and his key he opens the secret panel. He removes the portable phones from it's hidden console and enters the code. "Echo Echo Bravo Tango Zulu Tango Echo 5". There is a momentary pause then a slight click on the line. There are two messages waiting for him. The first is form Jerry...

"Hey baby brother, where the bloody hell are you. Don't you know the red light means pick up the phone now. Oh well I just thought I'd tell you to watch your back there's some nasty stuff going on in your back yard. Not to mention the Bureau wants you back. Don't be surprised if you receive a call from Templar. You know how to get a hold of me. Enjoy yourself! And keep an eye on your *FRIENDS!"

That didn't make any sense. Jerry would never call Jax on this line unless it was urgent. Even though Jax had retired from the World Search and Rescue Bureau, his superiors chose to see it as more of an extended vacation. If Jerry said Templar was calling it could only mean one thing. Someone was in some serious trouble. And by the way Jerry put an emphasis on the word 'friends' Jax got the distinct feeling he was not going to like it.

Jax pushes some more buttons and the second message plays...

"Jax old boy, this is Templar. I have something that will definitely interest you. Believe me you'll want in on this. It concerns a mutual friend of ours, and a promise that you've yet to keep. I'll be in touch."

"I got a bad feeling about this!"Jax said as he replaced the phone and closed the secret panel.