Jax watched as Keesha continued to just stare at him silently. She finally opened her mouth to speak, and then quickly shut it once more. She stared at him a moment longer and then stated simply. "I love you."

"And I love you." Jax answered, waiting, hoping that a butwasn't to follow.

He looked as Keesha dropped, kneeling in front of him. She tossed the roses on the ground and pulled a startled Jax to her, repeating over and over that she loved him in between kisses.

Jax wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, closing the remaining space between them. He kissed her deeply as he laid her down in front of the fire, resting on top of her. "Is that a yes?" he asked huskily against her lips.

In answer, Keesha kissed him one last time, slowly. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Yes." she whispered, tears of joy filling her eyes. She watched as Jax gently slipped the ring on her finger. When he finished, she looked back up, meeting his eyes once more. "I love you..." she repeated again, kissing Jax gently as her hands started to unbutton his shirt.

The Next Day in Keesha's office

"Oh...look at that" Hilary let out a low whistle as she admired Keesha's engagement ring. "Have you two set a date?"

"Not yet." Keesha continued to grin. Her and Jax had gotten...distracted...over near the fireplace before any plans had been made.

"Wow...I can't believe you actually are getting married." "Me either..."

"That makes three of us."

Keesha looked up at the sound of the deep Australian accent. "Mr. Jacks." she answered simply to John. "Jax is at lunch..."

"I am well aware of that." he walked in. "Excuse us." he said to Hilary.

Hilary glanced over at Keesha, leaving as Keesha nodded. Hilary closed the door, looking at her watch and hoping that Jerry would be there to pick her up soon.

"You're marrying my son." "Yes."

"You do realize that will only happen over my dead body."

"If you so desire."

"You're a clever one, I will give you that." he sat down in the chair across from Keesha's desk. "And your hold on Jax is quite strong. But, you see, he already thinks that he hates me, so really I can get away with doing anything now. It won't jepordize the relationship we have left." "You have none left." Keesha reminded him simply. "You ruined that the day you went so far as to have me held against my will, physically hurt Jax only to kidnap him and hold him against his will...for however long you planned to do so. And on his birthday of all ironies. You make me sick, I don't know how you manage to live with yourself, and I have no idea how Jax put up with you for as long as he did. I used to wish that you would just bend and reach out to Jax, but at this point, if I saw it-I would do my very best to pull him away, so fast, your head would spin..." "Listen to me!"

"No. You listen. I don't hate many people. It's a complete waste of emotion. But anyone who hurts Jax, I despise. And as for you...I only put up with you at all out of respect for Jax, but no more. I no longer have to sit here and let you try and bully me. Jax would be quite happy if I told you exactly where to go, and how you should get there, however, since I am in such a wonderful mood I refuse to let you ruin...I'll say simply that you should get the hell out of my office before I call security."

John leaned forward, his eyes flashing with anger. "You *will* not marry Jax."

"Watch me." Keesha answered, her tone deep. "Now for the last time, get the hell out of my office."

John jumped up from the chair, lunging forward, part of him landing on Keesha's desk.

Keesha leaned back in shock, but managed to hold her ground, maintaing eye contact as she picked up her phone.

"Get out!" Jerry pulled John away from Keesha's desk. Keesha hung up the phone and stood.

"Where have you been!" John barked at Jerry. "Your mother..."

"Get OUT!" Jerry repeated. "Leave her alone, leave us all alone!"

"Excuse me..." Jax pushed his way past Hilary as she stood frozen in the doorway. "What in the hell are you doing here?!" Jax looked over and closed the door once more.

John looked back and forth between his sons. "I've had it with both of you!"

"Then get out." Jerry stated for the third time. Keesha watched as Jax drew nearer and she ran from behind her desk, managing get between Jax and John.

"Don't. It's not worth it." she whispered as she looked up at Jax.

Jax broke eye contact with his father, glancing down at Keesha. "If you ever come near her again..." he growled at his father.

John shook his head at Jax, looking over at Jerry. "Call your mother, she misses you." he ordered and left the office.

Jerry watched him leave, slamming the door behind him. "Are you okay?" he asked in unison with Jax.

"Okay..." Keesha laughed slightly. "I don't need two people on some sort of protective kick, okay."

Jax smiled softly. He looked over at Jerry.

"I know...get out..."

"No, you can stay." Jax replied.

"Really."

"Why not?"

"Yes, why not?" Keesha agreed.

Jerry cleared his throat. "Actually I'm having lunch with Hilary...but...maybe we could have dinner?"

"I'm having dinner with my Mom." Keesha decided on the spot. "Why don't you two go on without me?" she looked over at Jax.

Jax took a deep breath. "Sounds fine."

"Great." Jerry agreed.

"Okay. And don't be late...."

"I'll be late if I damn well want to be late, and don't order Japanese either..." Jerry complained as he walked out of Keesha's office, smiling at Jax's laughter.

Spring Turned to Summer. Summer Turned To Fall

Jax left Anders Enterprises full time to go back to J&J Jacks and work with Jerry on other projects. Keesha remained at AE.

November 2-Jax's and Keesha's Wedding Day

"Why do you have your phone with you?" Hilary searched through Keesha's bag for her ringing phone in the dressing room.

"Because our new boss isn't as understanding as Jax. And my vacation doesn't start until our wedding, in exactly...45 minutes." she snatched the phone. "Yes?"

Hilary stood behind Keesha, continuing to work on the buttons of her wedding gown. "What?" Hilary watched as Keesha dropped the phone.

"I have to go..."

"WHAT?! Go where!"

"Go and find Jax for me..."

"You can't see Jax on your wedding day..."

"There isn't going to be a wedding!" Keesha snapped.

"Do you think Mum will make it." Jax looked over at Jerry.

"Honestly. No." Jerry stood from his stool. "But she wants to be here."

"Lot of good that does me..." he walked over to the pounding knock on the door of his room. "Yes Hilary..."

"I need to see you...outside..."

Jax left the room, closing the door. "What's wrong?"

"Keesha needs to see you now."

"Oh no way. She can't see me now, that's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress, especially on the day of the wedding...Hilary..."

"I don't think...you need to see her Jax." Hilary finished quietly. Jax stared at her for a moment, and then with a nod headed down the hall.

"What do you mean there isn't going to be a wedding!" Jerry snapped as Jax finally finished speaking. "Has she lost her mind?!"

"Look, all I need for you to do is go out there with me so I can apologize to everyone who's come."

"Why doesn't she do it since she's calling it off...."

"She's gone."

"Gone?! Where?!"

"I don't know, she just said that she was sorry and that she had to go. She offerered to do it herself, but I could see she was in a rush." Jax answered quietly.

"Well when is she coming back?!"

"I don't know."

"Well is she coming back?"

"Of course." Jax prayed.

The police officers looked at Keesha strangely as she ran into the precinct, still wearing her wedding gown. "I'm here to see about my mother...Tiffany Morrison is her maiden name. She may be under Ward, or..." she struggled to remember her step-father's name. "Alexanders..." "Yes...the murder suspect..." the commissioner breezed past her. "Would you like to come into the interrogation room, and I'll fill you in..."

Early Evening

"Are you sure you are okay?" Mrs. Sellers got up from Jax's sofa as Chantel stood near the door.

"I'm fine. Keesha will be back and she'll explain all of this." Jax looked at his watch. It had been 6 hours now....

"I'm sure she will." Mrs. Sellers kissed him on the cheek. "And you need to be more sure yourself." she whispered to him knowingly. "Keesha will be back, and things will be fine."

"We have to be going."

"Of course....I am really sorry about the inconvience..."

"Nonsense..." Mrs. Sellers smiled. "Call tomorrow okay."

Jax managed a smile, watching as they left, closing the door behind them. He sighed deeply, his smile fading as he walked over to the couch, looking at his watch again.

Keesha leaned up against the banister of the stairs outside of the police station. Nothing made sense...none of this made any sense. But it all had to be true...her mother admitted to her that it was true.

"Murder Momma?! I don't understand..."

"Of course you don't understand...I was just...so angry Keesha...."

"But Daddy died of a heart attack..."

Tiffany shook her head at Keesha. "I posioned him, and your step father paid the coroner to have that fact hidden...."

"I don't understand...."

"Your father found out about me and your step-father..." "Wait...I thought...you met Mason after Daddy died...I don't..." Keesha's confusion continued to grow.

"I met Mason right after you went off to college...your father found out and he...he threatened to tell you and...."

"About your affair? You killed him because of that?!"

"No...because...I raised you Keesha...you were my baby...."

"Wait...what?" Keesha stared at her mother. "What are you..."

Tiffany groaned. It was all going to come out anyway. Part of her plea bargain, that was going to get her only five years in a minumum security prision for the crime-a deal her mystery lawyer had come up with...was that she had to confess to the whole thing, including.. "I'm not your mother, Baby. Not biologically..."

Keesha froze. "What?"

"Your father cheated on me all the time...and once he got someone pregnant...and when she had her, he took custody, and....I raised her...I raised you. And he was threatening to tell you that you weren't my child...after everything I had done for you...I raised you..."

Keesha walked into the condominum, heading immediately for the balcony outside. She shut the sliding door quietly behind her, walking over to the railing.

Keesha shook her head, pushing her wind blown hair back away from her face.

Now what?

"Keesha?" Jax came up slowly behind her. "It's almost midnight...where have you..."

"My mother is not my mother, she killed my father...so now she's going to jail." Keesha replied as she continued looking out at the night sky.

"What...I don't..."

"My father cheated on my mother, and some other woman had me. He took me and he and my mother raised me. My mother later cheated on my father with the man who was to become my stepfather, and my father found out. He threatened to tell me that I wasn't hers, and so she posioned him. My step father paid to keep the coroner quiet, but obviously not enough, because someone found out and now she's going to jail for it. Is that clear enough?"

"Keesha..." Jax took off the tuxedo jacket he still wore. "It's freezing, why don't you come inside?" he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. He rubbed her arms gently.

"I don't know..." she pushed her hair back again.

The only mother she ever knew was going to jail, for killing her father, who Keesha obviously didn't know at all...

How was she supposed to just go back to living her life now...she didn't even know who she was...she didn't know the people around her.

She didn't know anything at all.

"Keesha....please...let's go inside."

"You can feel free to go on without me."

"I will never go anywhere without you." Jax promised. He lowered his hands, wrapping them around her waist.

Keesha turned around, burying her face against his chest as he tightened his hold on her.

"I love you..." he said.

And as his words reached her ears, Keesha opened her eyes. She pulled his hands from her body and stepped away, leaving Jax alone on the balcony.

"All she'll get is 5 years in a minimum security." Tiffany's lawyer spoke into the telephone. "The prosecutions office doesn't want to be bothered really, it was years ago, and she's older, and still has problems walking...it would be a nightmare case..."

"Just like I said Aren't you glad you took such an easy case." John answered into the phone. "You know, my son didn't get married today." he smiled to himself.

"Jax...please..." Keesha sat down on the edge of the bed. She closed her eyes as Jax stood in the doorway of their bedroom. "Just leave me alone."

"I can't do that. And you don't want me to do that..."

"Don't tell me what I want!" she snapped, resting her head in her hands.

"Fine." Keesha felt Jax breeze past her, and a moment later he had climbed in, kneeling behind her. "Then you tell me what you want."

"I want you to leave me alone."

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Why?" he repeated, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Because you're confused, and you don't know what to do or how to think..."

"Yes..." Keesha whispered.

"Honey...then how is my leaving you alone going to help that?"

"Because...I don't even know who I am...I don't know anything...." she finally turned around, looking at him for the first time since she had come back home.

"And my leaving you alone right now will...what? Make every part of your life just as confusing?"

Keesha shook her head, looking down.

"Keesha, sweetheart...there are things that are not confusing...there are things that you do know." Jax reached out gingerly, tilting Keesha's face up to look into her eyes. "I love you Keesha, and you love me...I know that you know that. You cannot doubt that. So don't push me away now, not when you need me the most. When you need us the most." he finished, searching her eyes.

Hoping that she understood.