When Everything Changes 11

Chapter 11: Thunderclouds...
 

"Brenda is missing." Jax told Jerry, nervously, the next morning.

"She is?" Jerry asked. "Since when?"

"Last mid-morning." Jax said, with a sigh. "But she was really upset after the
funeral... I'm just worried..."

~~

Alexis sighed as she rolled over; she glared at the ringing phone, willing it
to stop. It didn't and Ned awakened too, rolled over and answered it.

"What do you want?" He grumbled with a sigh. He was up with a start. "What?
No..." His voice reflected horror. Alexis looked up, concerned at the tone of
his voice. His demeanor was about as terrified as one's could get as he
continued. "Is she...?" He paused, takig a breath. "Thank God for that at
least."

~~

"Here's the file on the bomb." V handed it to Jagger.

Jagger looked it over. "They sat there and watched? I was sure it was a
mistake..." He paused. "This changes everything."

"Does it?" She asked, questions in her eyes.

"Pretty much." Jagger started. "It almost eliminates the Jerry Jacks
theory--almost." He put emphasis on that last word. "And I just have a feeling
about this. It's part of something.... *bigger* than just your everyday mob
stuff."

V shrugged. "That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee." She commented.
"But, I think you may be right. We still have to check out all the
possibilities... but there *is* something off about this whole thing."

"There's something off about everything in this town." Jagger commented with a
wry grin.

~~

Bobbie smiled to herself as she noted something on a patient's chart. She had
an odd faraway look on her face, as she wrote. Soon, she was writing on the
desk. Monica saw this and laughed.

"Bobbie?" Monica approached.

"W--what...Monica, hi?" She said flustered. She looked down. "Oh." She spotted
the writing.

"Oh, huh? So, what's gotten into you, hmm? I saw that look on your face. And,
you know, I can't remember the last time I saw you daydreaming."

"Daydreaming?" Bobbie asked, trying to scoff it off. "Yeah, right. When do I
have time to daydream?"

"Oh, we always find time for that." Monica said with s slight smile. "I take
it, life is good?"

"As of now, I don't have *too* many complaints." Bobbie said. "I haven't seen
you too much lately. Do your new duties have you busy?"

"Extremely." Monica said wryly. "Really, you have *no* idea."

~~

Eve munched on a bagel while looking through the classifieds. Chris came in
with a sigh. He grabbed the business section off of the table.

She noticed. "You can read?" she teased.

"Ha ha; your wit *astounds* me." He noted the classifieds. "What are you
looking for?"

"A new apartment." Eve quipped. "With a better roommate, who *appriciates* me
and my wit."

"Aww." Chris patted her shoulder. "I appriciate you."

"I'm looking for a used car."

"You won the Q. What do you need a *used* car for?"

"You know, you're right. Maybe I'll treat myself. Buy a cute little sports car
or something..." She trailed off setting the paper down.

~~

Gina ran into Karen. "Oh!" She excalimed, with a start.

"Gina! Hi." Karen said pleasantly. "It's funny, I talk to you less and we're
in ths same town..." she trailed off thinking.

"But I guess we both know the reason for *that* don't we?" Gina voiced waht
they were both thinking. "Even though, you don't have to avoid me just because
you and Jagger didn't last. We're still friends, aren't we?"

"Yes; of course." Karen said quickly. "In fact, I'm planning a wedding. This
may be a faux pas, I don't know, but once we set a date, I'd like to invite
you. Do you think you would come?"

"I..." Gina nodded. "I think so."

"Good." Karen smiled and then, after some hesitation, reached out to hug her
old friend and ex-sister-in-law.

~~

"Uh huh?" Jax said into his phone. "So you haven't seen her? OK." He hung up
and sighed. Where was Brenda? he wondered.

~~

Jerry was sitting down in the PC Grille, eating breakfast when a woman bumped
into his table.

"Oh." She said quickly, dazed. "I'm sorry...I.."

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes as she spoke. There was a familiar
quality to her. "It's allright." He said. "No harm done, Ms...."

"Barret, but Veronique will do." She said with a smile. "Mr..."

Picking up on the last name she'd given, "Jerry will do." He replied and she
smiled broader. "Would you care to join me?" He decided she may know where
Brenda was.

~~

"What happened?" Alexis asked as Ned put down the phone, acting as though he
were in a daze.

"Brooke... there was an accident." He said, softly. He started to get up and
get dressed. "I have to go to New York. She's in the hospital."

"Oh.." Alexis didn't really know what to say. She got up, grabbed a robe,
wrapping it around herself as she walked to him. She put her hands on his
shoulders; his back was to her. "I'm sorry." She said gently.

He turned around to face her. Something made him lose the dazedness, and
struggle not to break down then. "She might die." He whispered. "I hardly even
know her. I might never get a chance to really know my daughter..."

Alexis, still not knowing what to say, just hugged him. She couldn't promise
him it'd be okay. She couldn't fix anything for him and she wouldn't pretend
that she knew what was going to happen, she could only hold him like he'd held
her that day on the docks after Luke had found out her secret or the day
before the trial had started.

~~

The house was darkened. Some dim sunlight filtering through the window, but
many of the window's were covered with curtains, and it was a cloudy, rainy,
miserable day anyway. A struggle had obviously occured and a body lay on the
floor.

A female, small , dark hair, lay crumpled on the floor. Had her face been
visible many would've recognized her. She was Brenda Barret, lying dead in the
house she'd bought not a year ago.


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