"The Arrival"
By Jules
CHAPTER 2
It was a clear, June day as the Jacks family was setting up for an AIDS benefit at their Port Charles mansion. The event was the Fourth Annual General Hospital
Nurses' Ball and it was a fundraiser held to raise money for HIV and AIDS research. The party was being held at the Jacks' mansion because they and their company, Jacks, were underwriting the entire thing.
"Darling, have you seen Jane?" Brenda Jacks asked her husband. "John doesn't know where she is."
"Honey, she's dressing Jessi. She'll be out in a few minutes. Do we have the guest houses ready? All our guests are here."
"Yes, Rose (the maid) will take them there. I have to get change. Can you ask the stage manager to do a sound check?"
"Sure thing. Don't be too long." he said, giving her a quick kiss.
"I won't be." she answered, smiling, and then walked away towards the main house.
***
The first guests to arrive were the Ashtons. They had also brought with them their son, Brian Edward.
"Where is Jessica?" Lois asked. "I thought she would be here."
"She'll be out soon. Brenda is getting changed. Then she'll bring her out."
"You have a beautiful family," Ned said, patting Jax on the back. "Almost as wonderful as mine," he added with a sly grin.
"Maybe better," Jax retorted. "Excuse me. I see my wife. Brenda!" He motioned for her and the rest of the Jacks women to come near.
"Brian, can you say hi to Jessi?" Lois urged.
"Lois, he's only eight-months-old." Ned reminded her.
"The perfect age for a Quartermaine to start speaking" interrupted a voice.
"Hello, Grandfather."
"Hi, Mr. Q."
The rest of the Quartermaine clan arrived, accompanied by Simone, Justus, and Keesha. Then came Lucy, Kevin, Jason, the Scorpios, Katherine, Dara, Garcia, Sonny, the Spencers, Carly, the Joneses, Dr. Dorman, Amanda Barrington and other Port Charles citizens. John, Jerry, and Julia also came out of their guest houses to join in the festivities.
As the children were laid down in their cribs, all the women came over to have a look at them.
"Oh, she's so beautiful," Monica gasped. "And my great-grandson, he is just so handsome."
All the other guests had similar responses. Brenda lifted her daughter out of her crib and said, "Excuse me. She has to be fed." She left with Jax not far behind.
***
Carly and Jason had stopped seeing each other due to the fact that they only seemed to get along under the sheets, and she was looking for a new man. She spotted Jax walking back from the house and remembered who he was. Jasper "Jax" Jacks, the man with millions. She sprang into action.
"So, you're the man who put this whole thing together. You did a great job,"she complimented him.
"Well, I had some help." he replied, grinning.
"I'm sure you did, but you seem like you could've handled it yourself." She gave him a seductive smile. "I'll bet you can handle almost anything."
"He can," Brenda said, walking up to them. She gave her husband a swift peck on the cheek, and he laid a kiss on little Jessi's forehead.
"Hello, Brenda. How's my princess?"
"She's been fed, and now she's on her way to her grandmother. Excuse me." She hurried off to give her daughter to Jane.
"She seems nice," Carly said, with a casual look on her face. "Are you guys friends?"
"I guess you could say that... She's my wife." he said, smiling with admiration.
"Oh... Well, there's Monica, I'd better go, but thanks for inviting me."
With that, she was gone.
"No problem," Jax murmered. "I wonder what that was about..."
"Hi, honey." Brenda walked up to him and gave him a long kiss. "What happened to that woman who was with you?"
"I don't know. She left after I told her you were my wife."
"She did? I'll..." she muttered underneath her breath.
"Don't worry," Jax assured her, putting his arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh..." Brenda cooed. "That's music to my ears." She snuggled closer to him as he led her to their seats with the musical guests.
***
After a couple of brief introductions by Lucy, the Ball began. She talked about the importance of the event and she again mentioned the Names Project AIDS quilt patches that they had borrowed. She reminded them that Stone's panel was also there, and
Robin began to cry. Jason put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
Bobbie and Tony did a skit about working in a hospital and Carly did an acrobatic routine.
When Mariah went up to sing, she dedicated her songs to Jax and Brenda's new baby, Jessica Jane. While she was talking, she said this, "I would like to thank my friend, Jax, for inviting my husband and I to come to this event and we also enjoyed going to his daughter's christening earlier this morning. Please put your hands together to congratulate him on his marriage to Brenda Barrett, and the arrival of their daughter, Jessica Jane Jacks. Don't forget, we also have to thank them for letting us use their beautiful home for this year's Nurses' Ball." A roar of applause was heard echoing all around the stage.
The song "Anytime You Need a Friend" played, and a group of people came
out onto the stage. These people were Thao, Augosto, the Countess, and Paolo. The Jackses let out amazed gasps and rushed up to greet their friends.
"We heard you had a baby and couldn't make it to our annual party. Then we talked to Jerry, and he asked us to come, so here we are!" Thao explained.
"Where is the baby?" the Countess exclaimed.
When a sleeping Jessi was brought out, they all "ooh"ed and "ah"ed as Brenda held the little body in her arms. A table was brought out for the newcomers and they sat down.
Jax introduced them to the crowd and they recieved a hearty welcome.
***
"Now, for our next act," Lucy announced. "We have special guests Boyz II Men singing 'I'll Make Love To You'". The crowd cheered as the group walked onto the stage.
"Before we begin," Wanya stated. "I'd like to give this song out to all the couples here expecially our friends the Jackses and Ashtons. This one's for you."
The Port Charlesinians stood and slow-danced with their dates. Carly got Sonny up out of his chair and led him to the dance floor. When they reached a spot next to the Jacks, Brenda kissed her husband passionately. They stopped swaying to the music and stood there, kissing. Jax wrapped his arms around her waist and she put her's around his neck to pull him closer.
Ned and Lois danced up to them and tried to break them from their trance.
"Brenda? Jax? Come on guys."
Ned stopped her and said, "When in Rome..." Lois was startled when he brought his lips down on hers, and she melted into his embrace.
Other couples like Dara and Justus, Mac and Katherine, AJ and Keesha, Jason and Robin, Julia and Jerry followed their lead and soon, the guests began to leave. In half an hour, the party had totally dismembered and the staff was cleaning the banquet hall. John,
Jane, Jerry, and Julia had gone back to the guest houses and Jessi had been put back to sleep.
***
Brenda and Jax were in bed, talking.
"You know. I think I learned something new tonight." He brushed a loose lock of hair away from her forehead.
"We know how to kiss in public?" Brenda laughed at her own suggestion.
"Something besides that. We know how to throw a party."
"Well, you know, there's nothing to it. All you have to do is use your imagination."
"I know how to use my imagination." he told her.
"You do?" she asked, teasingly.
He gently kissed her and then began to get more aggressive. The kisses became deep and rapid as he eased the nightgown off her shoulders. They made love in that bed, under the skylight, and another baby was conceived.
By Jules
CHAPTER 2
It was a clear, June day as the Jacks family was setting up for an AIDS benefit at their Port Charles mansion. The event was the Fourth Annual General Hospital
Nurses' Ball and it was a fundraiser held to raise money for HIV and AIDS research. The party was being held at the Jacks' mansion because they and their company, Jacks, were underwriting the entire thing.
"Darling, have you seen Jane?" Brenda Jacks asked her husband. "John doesn't know where she is."
"Honey, she's dressing Jessi. She'll be out in a few minutes. Do we have the guest houses ready? All our guests are here."
"Yes, Rose (the maid) will take them there. I have to get change. Can you ask the stage manager to do a sound check?"
"Sure thing. Don't be too long." he said, giving her a quick kiss.
"I won't be." she answered, smiling, and then walked away towards the main house.
***
The first guests to arrive were the Ashtons. They had also brought with them their son, Brian Edward.
"Where is Jessica?" Lois asked. "I thought she would be here."
"She'll be out soon. Brenda is getting changed. Then she'll bring her out."
"You have a beautiful family," Ned said, patting Jax on the back. "Almost as wonderful as mine," he added with a sly grin.
"Maybe better," Jax retorted. "Excuse me. I see my wife. Brenda!" He motioned for her and the rest of the Jacks women to come near.
"Brian, can you say hi to Jessi?" Lois urged.
"Lois, he's only eight-months-old." Ned reminded her.
"The perfect age for a Quartermaine to start speaking" interrupted a voice.
"Hello, Grandfather."
"Hi, Mr. Q."
The rest of the Quartermaine clan arrived, accompanied by Simone, Justus, and Keesha. Then came Lucy, Kevin, Jason, the Scorpios, Katherine, Dara, Garcia, Sonny, the Spencers, Carly, the Joneses, Dr. Dorman, Amanda Barrington and other Port Charles citizens. John, Jerry, and Julia also came out of their guest houses to join in the festivities.
As the children were laid down in their cribs, all the women came over to have a look at them.
"Oh, she's so beautiful," Monica gasped. "And my great-grandson, he is just so handsome."
All the other guests had similar responses. Brenda lifted her daughter out of her crib and said, "Excuse me. She has to be fed." She left with Jax not far behind.
***
Carly and Jason had stopped seeing each other due to the fact that they only seemed to get along under the sheets, and she was looking for a new man. She spotted Jax walking back from the house and remembered who he was. Jasper "Jax" Jacks, the man with millions. She sprang into action.
"So, you're the man who put this whole thing together. You did a great job,"she complimented him.
"Well, I had some help." he replied, grinning.
"I'm sure you did, but you seem like you could've handled it yourself." She gave him a seductive smile. "I'll bet you can handle almost anything."
"He can," Brenda said, walking up to them. She gave her husband a swift peck on the cheek, and he laid a kiss on little Jessi's forehead.
"Hello, Brenda. How's my princess?"
"She's been fed, and now she's on her way to her grandmother. Excuse me." She hurried off to give her daughter to Jane.
"She seems nice," Carly said, with a casual look on her face. "Are you guys friends?"
"I guess you could say that... She's my wife." he said, smiling with admiration.
"Oh... Well, there's Monica, I'd better go, but thanks for inviting me."
With that, she was gone.
"No problem," Jax murmered. "I wonder what that was about..."
"Hi, honey." Brenda walked up to him and gave him a long kiss. "What happened to that woman who was with you?"
"I don't know. She left after I told her you were my wife."
"She did? I'll..." she muttered underneath her breath.
"Don't worry," Jax assured her, putting his arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh..." Brenda cooed. "That's music to my ears." She snuggled closer to him as he led her to their seats with the musical guests.
***
After a couple of brief introductions by Lucy, the Ball began. She talked about the importance of the event and she again mentioned the Names Project AIDS quilt patches that they had borrowed. She reminded them that Stone's panel was also there, and
Robin began to cry. Jason put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
Bobbie and Tony did a skit about working in a hospital and Carly did an acrobatic routine.
When Mariah went up to sing, she dedicated her songs to Jax and Brenda's new baby, Jessica Jane. While she was talking, she said this, "I would like to thank my friend, Jax, for inviting my husband and I to come to this event and we also enjoyed going to his daughter's christening earlier this morning. Please put your hands together to congratulate him on his marriage to Brenda Barrett, and the arrival of their daughter, Jessica Jane Jacks. Don't forget, we also have to thank them for letting us use their beautiful home for this year's Nurses' Ball." A roar of applause was heard echoing all around the stage.
The song "Anytime You Need a Friend" played, and a group of people came
out onto the stage. These people were Thao, Augosto, the Countess, and Paolo. The Jackses let out amazed gasps and rushed up to greet their friends.
"We heard you had a baby and couldn't make it to our annual party. Then we talked to Jerry, and he asked us to come, so here we are!" Thao explained.
"Where is the baby?" the Countess exclaimed.
When a sleeping Jessi was brought out, they all "ooh"ed and "ah"ed as Brenda held the little body in her arms. A table was brought out for the newcomers and they sat down.
Jax introduced them to the crowd and they recieved a hearty welcome.
***
"Now, for our next act," Lucy announced. "We have special guests Boyz II Men singing 'I'll Make Love To You'". The crowd cheered as the group walked onto the stage.
"Before we begin," Wanya stated. "I'd like to give this song out to all the couples here expecially our friends the Jackses and Ashtons. This one's for you."
The Port Charlesinians stood and slow-danced with their dates. Carly got Sonny up out of his chair and led him to the dance floor. When they reached a spot next to the Jacks, Brenda kissed her husband passionately. They stopped swaying to the music and stood there, kissing. Jax wrapped his arms around her waist and she put her's around his neck to pull him closer.
Ned and Lois danced up to them and tried to break them from their trance.
"Brenda? Jax? Come on guys."
Ned stopped her and said, "When in Rome..." Lois was startled when he brought his lips down on hers, and she melted into his embrace.
Other couples like Dara and Justus, Mac and Katherine, AJ and Keesha, Jason and Robin, Julia and Jerry followed their lead and soon, the guests began to leave. In half an hour, the party had totally dismembered and the staff was cleaning the banquet hall. John,
Jane, Jerry, and Julia had gone back to the guest houses and Jessi had been put back to sleep.
***
Brenda and Jax were in bed, talking.
"You know. I think I learned something new tonight." He brushed a loose lock of hair away from her forehead.
"We know how to kiss in public?" Brenda laughed at her own suggestion.
"Something besides that. We know how to throw a party."
"Well, you know, there's nothing to it. All you have to do is use your imagination."
"I know how to use my imagination." he told her.
"You do?" she asked, teasingly.
He gently kissed her and then began to get more aggressive. The kisses became deep and rapid as he eased the nightgown off her shoulders. They made love in that bed, under the skylight, and another baby was conceived.