Fairy Tale-34&35

by: Belle

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Peaking into the den from the kitchen doorway, Juliet smiled happily when she saw that Jax and Kieron were deeply involved in conversation while Ned made a phone call. "The coast is clear!" she announced. Whirling around, she winked at Lois who was pouring coffee for the three woman and then grinned at Brenda, who was sitting at the maple kitchen table, looking through some papers about a new L&B client. "Okay - now spill."

"Spill what?" Brenda asked innocently, not looking up from her papers, and trying to ignore the looks Juliet and Lois were giving her. "Now what do you guys think about having an Idol Rich tour in January?"

"Spill what?" Lois echoed, ignoring Brenda’s question, hitting her hand on the table, and sitting back in her chair. She looked over at Juliet and shook her head. "Bren - don’t even start with us. After all the hell you have put Jules and I through about the should I or shouldn’t I tell Jax, and what do I do about my not-so-fake engagement, I think we at least deserve some tidbits."

"TIDBITS!" Juliet cried. "Uh-uh…I don’t think so - I want details and I mean, minute by minute play by plays…." She smiled, and arched a slender eyebrow. "And don’t let the fact that Jax is my brother deter you from telling us the good stuff. So…..Brenda - girlfriend, future sister-in-law…it’s time to tell all.." Juliet leaned across the table at the same time Lois did, and they were both holding onto her wrists and looking at her intently. "you told him didn’t you?"

Brenda looked back and forth between her best friends eager faces, and smiled noncommittally, "Maybe." Juliet and Lois both tightened their grips on her wrists, and she began to squeal from pain. "Okay, okay, okay!" she cried, biting her lip and closing her eyes. "YES! Yes I told him and I’ll give you all the details, if you’ll only let go of my arms and sit back so I can stop feeling claustrophobic."

Somewhat satisfied, they let go of her arms, and sat back in their chairs. "Thank you." Brenda sighed, taking a sip of her coffee and smiling. Running her hands along her neck, and pushing her braids off her shoulders, she took a deep breath. "Okay…. I told Jax that I love him."

"And….." Lois murmured, moving her hands for Brenda to continue and hurry up.

"And - he said he loves me too." Brenda smiled and got up from the table to get some cereal out of the cupboard. Turning around, she took the a box of Frosted Flakes out, and held them up to her friends, who were once again glaring at her and not looking pleased in the least. "Frosted Flakes anyone?"

Standing up, Juliet crossed the room and took the Frosted Flakes out of Brenda’s hands. Holding the box behind her back, she tilted her head. "That’s it? ‘And he said he loves me too?’ Well - OBVIOUSLY! Lois and I already knew that! You were the only one who had any question about my brother’s feelings. What are you saying? Over dinner last night you said, "I love you.", Jax said "I love you too." And then you continued eating your pizza? If that’s all that happened, you and Jax aren’t living up to my romance novel expectations."

"You are being unfair Bren." Lois chimed in, blocking the refrigerator door so that Brenda couldn’t get any milk for her cereal. "Jules and I want the whole story - where it happened, why it happened, what you both said, and…." She grinned and raised an eyebrow. "what happened AFTERWARDS…." Her voice trailed off suggestively.

Brenda rolled her eyes and laughed. They were too much. The problem was she couldn’t blame them for wanting all the details, especially after the endless hours she’d spent debating with them whether or not to tell Jax about her feelings, but she wasn’t sure if she could tell them about Troy, and Gretchen and the entire situation with Sonny. "I’d better talk to Jax about it first." She realized. Stalling, she took both her friends hands and led them back to the table. "Okay…..well…." she began, smiling at the two of them. "it all started with a charm I found while cleaning out the closet…."

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"Okay…. So I’m trying to understand this." Kieron said slowly, sitting back and looking at Jax. "You want me to be your best man so you can marry Sleeping Beauty in there…" he gestured towards the kitchen. "BUT you also want me to find a place to hide your new wife and sister for some unknown reason meaning that your honeymoon is going to missing some essential parts." He laughed. "Or should I say *one* essential part - the bride."

"True….." Jax murmured. "BUT - maybe if someone wasn’t so *impatient*" he glared at Kieron, and laughed. "you’d have the entire story."

"You’re right, you’re right." Kieron agreed. "Go on…."

Jax then went on to explain the entire situation with Troy and Gretchen; including the truth about his and Brenda’s original "deal" and fake engagement, and his plan to send Juliet and Brenda away for a little while until Troy was behind bars and he knew they were safe.

"That asshole!" Kieron cried, pacing around the room. His usually friendly blue eyes were flashing with rage. Images of Juliet and Brenda being hurt were running through his mind, and he was quickly getting as worked up as Jax about the entire situation. "Does this amature really think he can get away with this?" Kieron asked quietly. He turned and looked at Jax, tilting his head slightly and raising a cocky eyebrow. "I mean - does he have *any* clue who he’s dealing with?"

Jax sighed. "Kier - I’m sure he doesn’t…. but that doesn’t matter because all of that is *over*…. It’s part of our past." It took Jax a moment to realize that Kieron wasn’t paying any attention to what he was saying. Instead - he was dialing a number on his cell phone and tapping his foot impatiently against the hard wood floor. "What are you doing?" Jax asked slowly, getting off the couch and crossing the room to stand across from his best friend. When Kieron didn’t answer, Jax glared at him. "WHO are you calling?"

"Jerry." Kieron replied innocently, his hand over the receiver, Kieron spoke in a serious tone. "Listen - you know as well as I do that Jerry can take care of this problem in a heart beat. He’s the best, and despite your protests about how it’s our past - I know you want to be with Brenda, and I want to be with Juliet, so I’m going to the fastest solution." He stared Jax right in the eyes. "And that solution is Jerry."

"What’s the problem guys? It’s obviously serious because if Jerry Jacks is your solution something must be very wrong."

Kieron and Jax whirled around to see Ned, watching them curiously, and obviously waiting for an explanation.

A Fairy Tale Chapter 35

"So you were cleaning out the closet when you found that little charm - huh Bren?" Juliet teased, raising a slender eyebrow and grinning at her friend who was sitting on Jax’s lap on the couch across from her and Kieron.

Lois glanced back and forth between Juliet and Brenda and laughed. "Yeah Bren - I want to know why Jules and I got the boring cleaning out the closet story instead of this exciting, practically a soap opera story with villains, running from the mob, true love and destiny." She feigned a pout and leaned her head against Ned’s shoulder. "I don’t know about Juliet, but - I’m hurt."

Brenda sighed and rolled her eyes. It was almost 10 a.m. and Jax had just finished explaining the entire Troy/Gretchen disaster to Ned, Kieron, Juliet and Lois. Initially, the conversation had been incredibly emotional because Juliet had started crying from guilt about Troy and how he had almost kept Jax and Brenda from being together. However, Jax, Brenda and Kieron had all convinced her that there was nothing she could have done to prevent what happened, and Jax had filled them in on his plan for Brenda and Juliet to get away for a while until Troy and Gretchen were taken care of and the women were safe. Ned had volunteered a ski cabin he had in the mountains, and Lois had also announced that she was going to stay with her two best girl friends until everything was over. The heavy discussion had subsided, and now the six friends were back to joking around with one another, and having fun for the time being.

Wrapping an arm around Jax’s shoulders, Brenda leaned forward and look seriously at her two best girl friends. "I am sorry I didn’t tell you both everything. I wasn’t sure if it was safe for the two of you to know, and I wanted to check with Jax before I said anything. Besides Jules …" she laughed and tilted her head. "If you remember - I tried to avoid telling you guys, but you insulted Jax’s romantic nature."

"Excuse me?" Jax said, glaring at his sister and shaking his head. "My little sister was questioning *what*?" he spoke in a low voice, jokingly attempting to intimidate her.

Juliet rolled her eyes and shook her blond head. "Oh Jax give it up. I don’t find you scary in the least. I didn’t 10 years ago, and I don’t now." Kieron snickered and Juliet turned around on his lap to face him, raising a slender eyebrow. "I don’t know what you’re laughing about Mr. I claim I’m romantic but I haven’t bought flowers or taken my girlfriend to dinner in a week and a half."

Ned and Jax grinned at each other. "Someone’s in trouble…." Ned teased. "You’d better go call the florist now Kier."

"And maybe you should go with him." Lois hinted, teasing Ned, and tilting her head to face him next to her on the arm chair.

Ned sighed. "Okay boys…I think we have a call to make." he announced sighing and getting off the couch. Kieron nodded and gave Juliet a kiss on the cheek. Jax didn’t move a muscle.

"Jax! Buddy - what are you doing? Do you want to be in the dog house?" Kieron held out his hands and looked at Jax questioningly. Jax just smiled confidently and glanced at his watch.

"Gentlemen - " he said, a lopsided grin on his face and his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "All I can say is - watch and stand in awe."

"Watch and stand in awe?" Ned repeated. "What the hell is he talking about?" he asked Kieron.

Before Kieron could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Oh god." Kieron moaned, looking over at Jax who was grinning as Brenda tilted her head, and looked at him with love and amazement shining in her eyes. She shook her head slightly and leaned back - her arms still entwined around his neck. "Why don’t you go get that?" he said softly to her - nodding his head in the direction of the door.

"Honey…. what did you do?" she asked quietly.

"Why don’t you go see for yourself." He suggested, refusing to let anything out.

Brenda sighed and kissed him sensually on the lips. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked as she got off his lap.

Jax caught her hand before she walked away and pulled her back to him. "I’m sure I’ll think of something later." He whispered in her ear.

"I’m looking forward to it." She whispered back, giggling and doing her little Brenda dance to the door.

On the couch, Lois and Juliet were both sitting with their arms crossed over their chests, glaring at Ned and Kieron who were both shooting daggers at Jax. Jax was oblivious to their nasty looks because he was watching the door for Brenda’s reaction.

Opening the door, Brenda gasped. Standing in the hallway were over 10 delivery boys all carrying crates of fresh flowers in pots. "We have a delivery for a Ms. Brenda Barrett. Is she here now?"

Brenda was still completely flustered by the amount and array of flowers in the hallway. "I…uh… I’m Brenda Barrett." She managed to say. Turning around, she looked at Jax with wide eyes as if to say, "You are too much but I love you for it." Opening the door so that they could get the crates through, she invited them in. "Umm…. Where are you doing to put all of this?" she asked, dancing around and watching all the men bring in crate after crate from the hallway.

"Well Mr. Jacks told us he wanted a garden in the winter so that’s what we brought." One of the men said factually. "Where would you like us to put these sir?"

"In the glassed-in porch right out that door." Jax instructed, pointing in the direction of the door. Examining the crates of roses, lilies, orchids, snapdragons, gardenias, callililies, and chrysanthemums, Jax looked suddenly concerned. "Excuse me - I thought I asked for tulips of every color - but especially pink tulips."

"We have a truck load waiting outside to be unloaded sir. We could fill this entire penthouse with pale pink tulips."

Jax nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Excellent." He clapped his hands together, and looked over at Brenda who’s eyes were filled with tears.

"Pink tulips?" she whispered.

"Your very own garden." Jax replied, taking her hands in his and kissing them tenderly. "So that you can pick your own flowers whenever you want."

"How do I ever begin to say thank you?" Brenda asked, gazing up at him. "What can I give you to show you how much I appreciate all of this?"

Jax smiled. "Just the look on your face is enough and your love is the greatest gift in the world." Tears of happiness began to flow down Brenda’s cheeks, and Jax’s opened his arms. "Come here." He whispered looking into her eyes and smiling just for her.

Brenda rushed into Jax’s arms, and kissed him passionately - completely unaware of the rest of the world and the fact that Juliet, Lois, Ned and Kieron were still in the room. As Jax and Brenda embraced, Lois and Juliet turned from watching the romantic display of kisses and flowers, and cast their eyes on Ned and Kieron, who were both looking very annoyed and extremely jealous that Jax had once again outdone them in the romance department.

"Why do I even try?" Kieron sighed, shaking his head at Ned.

Juliet raised a slender eyebrow and tried to frown. "You don’t." she said simply. Kieron’s mouth dropped open and he was about to make up an excuse, but Juliet covered his mouth with her hand and opened her eyes wide. "Don’t even try to make up an excuse sweetheart….just come up with something better."

"Better than a moonlit garden in the winter?" He asked pitifully.

"No one ever said it was going to be easy." Juliet teased. "But you’re a smart boy - I’m sure you can come up with something."

Ned was still shocked, and Lois wasn’t looking so pleased. "Where does he come up with this stuff?" He moaned.

Kieron shook his head as if to say, "I have no clue."

"He’s good." Lois praised. "REALLY good - and you boys should listen, watch, learn, take detailed notes, and if all else fails - kiss up to Jax and get him to plan a romantic surprise for Juliet and I so that you two can regain your romantic worth."

"That’s not funny!" Ned cried.

"You know…." Kieron murmured, turning to Ned. "I think he watches those cheesy soap operas that are on in the afternoon. In fact - now that I think about it. I’m sure of it! That must be where he gets it. First yoga, now soap operas - what has Brenda done to him?"

Juliet and Lois looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"What are you two laughing so hard about?" Brenda asked, walking over to where the four of them were standing with Jax behind her - his arms wrapped around her waist, and his head resting on hers.

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Kieron was trying to explain Jax’s romantic surprises for you by saying that he watches soap operas." She giggled, and, seeing Kieron’s hurt expression, reached over, and kissed him quickly on the lips, wrapping her arms around him, and snuggling into his arms. "and I was about to tell him that although I tease him, I still love him despite the absence of flowers in our apartment. Besides…" she grinned and laughed. "he’ll make it up to me tonight when he has to take a bubble bath."

Kieron blushed and ignored the snickers coming from Ned and Jax. "Time for a bubble bath Kier - Mr. Fuzzy Peach…. Once again." Ned teased. Kieron shot him a look and Brenda, Juliet and Lois laughed.

Ned whispered something in Lois’ ear, and she smiled, and kissed him.

The fun was interrupted by an abrupt knocking on the door, and the whiny voice of a woman. "Jaaaaaxxxxxx….. where are you? Open the door!!! I’ve been waiting for you to call me all morning….."

"Who is making that horrific noise?" Ned asked, wrinkling his nose. Kieron shook his head, and Juliet and Lois covered their ears. Brenda just looked at Jax. Completely calm. A knowing and suddenly accepting look in her dark eyes.

"It’s her isn’t it?" she asked.

"Yes." Jax answered, shaking his head and sighing. Closing his eyes for a moment, he bit his lip - a disgusted expression on his face. "It’s Gretchen."

"Juliet…move over….you’re hogging all the room and I want to see!!" Brenda whined.

"Ouch! My foot!! Someone stepped on my foot!"

"It was Brenda. I told her to take off those platform shoes before the three of us crammed into this closet." Lois whispered.

"Brenda!" Juliet cried softly.

"Okay - I’m taking them off now. Will the two of you just be quiet for thirty seconds so I can see and actually hear what this witch is saying to the man I love?"

Lois and Juliet both quieted down and crowded around Brenda as they all tried to peak through the cracks in the door and into the den where Gretchen, Jax, Ned and Kieron were sitting. They had been in the closet for ten minutes - but it already felt like a life time. After hearing that Gretchen was at the door, Brenda had refused to go upstairs and leave Jax to Gretchen by himself. So Jax had compromised by proposing that Juliet, Lois and Brenda hide in the walk-in closet in the den where he would ask Gretchen to come and talk with him. Much to Brenda’s relief, Ned and Kieron had volunteered to stay and work on business while Jax and Gretchen visited in the den so that they wouldn’t be left completely alone in the house.

"She’s absolutely disgusting." Lois observed, wrinkling her nose and looking sourly at the tall blond woman dressed in an outrageously loud fuchia and black unitard.

Juliet pushed Lois softly. "What is she doing? I want to see!" pushing her face against the door, she grimaced. "Oh god…. Does she have to sit that close to him?"

Brenda’s bit her lip. The scene before her was killing her, and it took every ounce of self control that she had to not open the door, and drag Jax away from Gretchen and her roaming hands. At the moment, Gretchen was sitting so close to Jax on the couch that she was practically on his lap. Poor Jax kept inching away from her, and Gretchen kept inching closer. Jax was crammed up against the arm of the couch, and pretty soon he was going to fall off. Brenda gasped as she saw Gretchen talking animatedly, and put her hand on Jax’s thigh.

"Jax …. honey bunny -" she was cooing. "I saw all those flowers out in the living room and on the porch. They are simply delicious! You shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble for me…" she giggled. "but of course -" she flipped her golden hair and smiled. "I’m worth it." Gretchen leaned across Jax, and smiled up into his face, batting her eyes and running her hands through his hair.

Brenda’s dark eyes narrowed, and she began to take deep breaths - trying to control the temptation to rip her hands out of Jax’s hair and throw the woman out the window. Juliet and Lois looked at each other nervously.

"Bren…. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea." Lois whispered, wrapping her arms around her best friend and looking at her sympathetically. "Why don’t we go sit down in the back of the closet and have some girl chat."

Brenda shook her head without taking her eyes away from the cracks in the door. "I want to watch." She said defiantly. "And will you two please be quiet so I can hear what Jax is saying."

Jax removed Gretchen’s arms from around his neck, and got off the couch, walking across the room to sit next to "Actually Gretchen - those flowers aren’t for you. I bought them for Brenda before she left town with Sonny." He smiled and glanced towards the door. Somehow through the cracks, his sparkling blue eyes met Brenda’s dark ones and he stared into them. "I wanted to create a garden fit for a princess for her - the princess of my heart."

Brenda smiled happily and Jax could see the love in her eyes. He smiled for a spilt second back at her, and then turned back in Gretchen’s direction - putting a feigned look of sadness on his handsome face.

Gretchen wrinkled her nose. "Well isn’t that sweet." She said sarcastically. "Too bad the two of you are over forever and it’s time for us to start planning out wedding."

Too bad you and your brother are going to be toast. Jax thought to himself. Outloud, he gave her a fake smile. "I can hardly wait." He said dryly.

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In the living room, Kieron closed his cellular phone, and turned to Ned, a proud grin on his face. "Jerry’s on his way." He announced. "And I put in a call to Anthony at the WSB. All I can say is Troy Montgomery’s days are numbered." He raised an eyebrow and gave Ned a lopsided smile. Rubbing his hands together he laughed. "Ladies and gentlemen - let the games begin."