Her hand shaking so badly that Skye was in danger of dropping the proffered treasure in her hands, she only let out the breath she didn't realize that she had been holding inside when she felt Jax's warm hands come up to cover hers.

"Hey," he said. Concern shone in his eyes as he bent towards Skye. The shaking of her hand had suddenly seemed to spread throughout her entire body as he looked at her in concern. "Hey, it's okay, Skye."

Shaking her head, fresh tears came to Skye's eyes as she struggled for breath. Trying to talk, the tears just seemed to flow more freely as the shaking became even worse. Trembling from head to foot, Skye's head turned down as she tried to hide her emotional outburst from Jax.

As if it were almost a natural instinct, Jax moved closer to her and pulled her into a hug. His arms protectively around her, the familiar feeling of being safe in his embrace was too much for Skye. She continued to shake and sob for sometime. How long she remained in his embrace was as good a guess for anybody as neither Jax nor Skye knew or cared. When, at last, the tears stopped and Skye's shaking subsided to slight tremors, Jax raised Skye's face to his own.

Smiling at her, he asked, "Hey there."

Gasping for breath as she forced the dry sobs back, she mumbled, "I'm... I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Jax asked patiently.

Sniffling, Skye said, "Crying."

"Crying?" Jax asked.

Reluctantly pulling away from him, Skye's hand came up as she wiped the back of her hand against her mouth. "Yeah."

"Whatever for?"

"I hate when people see me cry," Skye said softly. "I just can't stand it."

"Why?" Jax asked, still confused.

Shrugging, Skye said, "I don't know. I just don't like it when people see me..."

"Reacting to a tragic situation like any normal human-being would?" Jax finished for her.

Hesitating, Skye nodded at last. Jax shrugged as he said, "Well, you shouldn't feel that way. A person can't be strong all the time, you know."

"I am, normally," Skye said. "At least I was before my... my husband was killed," she said as she extended her hand to Jax as she said. "Here."

His eyes narrowing once more, Jax said, "What's that?"

Shaking her head, Skye pushed her hand forward into Jax's. Taking a breath, her decision made, she whispered so faintly that Jax had to strain to hear her voice. "Here. Take it."

Withdrawing her still shaking hand, she watched as Jax took the chain with the locket and two wedding bands on it. He raised his eyes in askance of her and was about to speak when a ringing from his coat pocket suddenly interrupted the pair.

Sighing, Jax raised one hand at Skye as the other reached into his pocket for his cell phone. "Just one second, okay?"

Still clutching the necklace in one hand, Jax hit the 'receive' button on the phone and said, "This is Jax."

"Jax, it's me," came the response.

Sighing, Jax glanced at his wristwatch. "Hey."

"Where are you? V. said you would be here by now."

"I'm nearby. Give me ten minutes, and I'll be there," Jax said.

"All right," came the reluctant reply. "I'll be here waiting."

Nodding, Jax clicked the phone off and put it back in his pocket. Looking at Skye, he narrowed his eyes as he said, "Skye, I really hate to do this, but I've got to leave for a little bit. Do you think you'll be okay here for a little while by yourself? I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

Forcing a smile onto her lips, Skye said, "Sure. I, ahh... I want to lay down anyway. A nap might do me some good."

Nodding, Jax smiled as he absentmindedly placed the chain in his pocket and said, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll be back before you know it."

And with that, Jax was gone. Skye felt as if a knot was tightening in her stomach, but she ignored it. All that mattered is that he was alive, and she was with him. Aside from that, Skye could handle anything. Going forward to lay down, Skye pulled the blue chemise blanket tight around her and let sleep claim her.

Meanwhile, by the time that Jax had made it too his penthouse, and gone inside, he immediately felt a sense of guilt sweep over him. Candles were burning about the living room, wicks burned so low that Jax knew that had been light for hours. A beautiful dinner was set out on a table, the settings just for two. And sitting curled up on the couch in a gorgeous white ankle-length cotton gown was Brenda.

When he entered, she put down the Nancy Drew book she had been reading and smiled at him.

"Hey."

Moving forward, Jax said, "Brenda, I am so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Brenda said.

"No," Jax said. "You went to all this trouble, and I wasted the evening..."

Holding up her book with a smile, Brenda said, "No, it wasn't a complete waste." She then paused before she added, "You hungry?"

Nodding, Jax said, "Yeah, starved."

"Good. Food should still be warm if you want to eat," Brenda said as she stood up.

Smiling, Jax reached for her hand and pulled her gently towards the table. Pulling out the chair for her, Jax gently pushed it in before he went to sit down across from her. The next hour and a half passed by so quickly that for a time Jax forgot all about Skye in Brenda's company. Only when dinner was over, and Brenda stood up and came towards him, did Jax remember the woman with shocking red hair and such a deep, burning pain that it was almost destroying her.

Pulling him into an embrace, Brenda reached up with her hands and locked them behind his head. Her lips came in for a light kiss, as Jax smiled somewhat at the unexpected move.

"Hey," he said. "What are you up to?"

Shrugging, Brenda said, "I thought I might let you make being late this evening up to me?"

Dipping her head in for a second kiss, Brenda's eyes narrowed as Jax pulled away and he said, "I thought that we agreed we were going to take things slow, Brenda. Just be friends."

Sighing, Brenda said, "Friends kiss, Jax."

Raising an eyebrow, Jax said, "Yeah, they do. But not like that, and we both know that you don't want to stop at the kissing stage."

A sly grin spreading across her face, Brenda moved toward him again as she said, "So?"

Shaking his head, Jax said, "So, that's not going to hack the mission, Brenda."

Anger suddenly flaring in her eyes, Brenda said quietly, "Why not?"

Jax matter-of-factly replied, "Because I don't want to rush things with you. Not after what's happened. Not after..."

"Sonny," Brenda said as she crossed her arms. "This is all about Sonny, isn't it?"

"No, Brenda. This is about us - you and me," Jax said.

In the span of the next ten minutes, Jax wasn't sure what happened. When he tried to explain to Brenda why he didn't want to rush things with her... that he wanted to take things slowly so they didn't make any mistakes, all hell broke loose. Her nostrils flaring, Brenda charged into a huge argument with Jax. While he let most of what she said roll off of him, when she had accused him of brushing her off because he didn't want Sonny's "sloppy seconds" Jax lost his temper. Both said things that they regretted, but in the end when Brenda started to throw a glass vase at his head, Jax knew it was time to leave.

Escaping the penthouse, Jax wasn't sure where to go. And, then, before he realized where he was heading, Jax found himself back at Skye's suite. Opening the door quietly, Jax suddenly charged in when he heard Skye screaming.

Running into the bedroom, Skye was thrashing about the bed. Sweat pouring off her forehead, she was alternately screaming and crying all over again.

"Skye!" Jax cried loudly as he ran to her.

Moving forward so that he grabbed her to stop her from hurting herself, once more Jax pulled her into his strong embrace. Hugging her tight, Jax began to caress the back of his head as he said, "Skye. Skye, sweetie. Wake-up."

"Jax?" came a weak confused voice at last.

"I'm here."

"Oh, Jax. I'm so afraid."

"It's just a bad dream, sweetie. Shush, it's okay. I'm here."

"I was afraid I'd lost you, Jax."

"I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," Jax said softly as he continued to hold Skye safe and sound.