A/N: I started this before the whole "Chloe's illness" thing came up, and don't plan to work it into this fic. Another note... well, these notes are actually edited notes. I decided after years (and I mean years) to revamp this story, repost it, and continue it with the second installment (which in itself, at the time of this revamping, has been finished in written form for at least two years). So if you're reading this, and have NEVER read this before... let me just say now, THIS STORY IN NO WAY HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT DAYS OF OUR LIVES STORYLINE!!! This story was written at least 4 (I'm thinking more like 5) years ago, and even then it didn't follow the normal storyline. Keep that in mind. As most current (and long ago) Days fans know, Brady and Chloe (who are the main focus of this show) got married and haven't even so much as been mentioned in ages. But I suddenly out of the blue decided I really missed this series (and I did promise to continue it...), so I'm starting now.

This story started long ago, honestly as a joke. And then it became ever so much more. With the second installment basically finished... there's no reason why I shouldn't continue. Although frankly, I'm more likely to continue if people actually review this time around. Anyway... as I said, this fic is set WAY in the Day's past. It includes (later on) a character (or rather, a few, but mainly just one) of my own design. Just a few things you need to know before reading. 1) I am a Broe fan to the end. 2) I hate Philip. 3) When I wrote this, Belle was being played by Kirsten Storms and Philip was being played by Jay Kenneth Johnson (and, ironically enough, he is once again!) and Shawn was being played by Jason Cook. So when I write my characters, those people and personas are the way I see them. 4) I swear. Constantly. And without hesitation. I do my best to keep it to a minimum in my writing, but if you don't like swearing... you might want to stay clear of just about ANYTHING I write. 5) This story is VERY violent. Although now a days, you see far worse... after all, I did write this 4-5 years ago. Different times. But still... there's lots of violence, and again, if you don't like that... as much as I'd like you to read and enjoy my story, you're going to want to stop reading now. And finally 6) I no longer have a beta (Liberty! I swear, if you read this and don't e-mail me...). Meaning, I'm likely to be posting things that are full of errors. I'm sorry. I'm doing my best but, I'm only one set of eyes.

I'm going to be honest. I have NO idea exactly what was going on in the main story lines when I wrote this. I'm lucky if I remember things that happened two hours ago. And honestly, I haven't really been watching Days since Kyle and Nadia (Brady and Chloe) left the show. But basically, I think if you've been a life watcher, you'll be able to follow alright. All the teens (well, the old teens... Brady, Chloe, Shawn, Belle, etc) were just that, teens. Still in high school. The newer set of teens (Abby, Chelsea... who doesn't exist in this story, etc) are likely not even mentioned, but if they are... they're little kids, like they were 5ish years ago. At the time of writing, Chloe had not gone through leukemia, and I don't plan to ever include that in this trilogy. She also hadn't gone through the process of finding out Craig is her father... but that DOES NOT happen in my story. You'll see why. I'm not sure exactly where Brady/Chloe/Philip stood, relationship wise. I do know Philip's still trying to woo Chloe back to him after one of their break ups. No one else really matters, honestly. This is mainly a Brady/Chloe/Philip fic. Anything else you need, will be clearly stated as you read... I hope.

That's just about it, I think. Like I said... this story is very old. And it won't make a lot of sense if you didn't watch back then. So in my revamping, I'm going to do my best to make sure everyone (even newer watchers) understands what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure I wrote this so you wouldn't have to be a close follower of storylines to understand anyway. I hope you enjoy, and look for the next installment (Beyond Obsession) to hit soon! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Going Through the Motions

Chloe turned off the television, disgusted with the constant news reports. Everywhere she turned, she was faced with a reminder of Salem's newest problem: a possible serial killer. Three people were dead to date, two separate murders.

First had been Jan Spears, and that monstrosity she unfortunately called a mother. Jan had been drowned in her own bathtub. Judging from the location of Mrs. Spears' body, the police believed Jan's mother must have witnessed the crime, and paid the price with her life. Her body had been found, twisted in an awkward position at the bottom of the stairs in the Spears' home. That was little over 2 weeks ago. Everyone at Salem High still gossiped about Jan, even after the second murder. Chloe figured it was because everyone had found out about Jan's unborn child, making the unofficial death toll 4. Since Shawn still had told noone about Jan being raped by Paul Mendez, Nicole Walker's now dead "father" if he could so be called, thousands of different rumors were being spread around the school.

Next had been Jason Masters. According to the never ending news reports, Jason was last seen alive playing basketball in the school gym with Shawn Brady, Hawk Smithson, and Philip Kiriakis. Hawk was the one to later find Jason, sprawled face first on the floor of the boys' locker room in a pool of his own blood. He had apparently been beaten to death with a hand weight from the weight room. That was less then a week ago. The two murders become a regular circus for the Salem media, ever waiting for another juicy story to follow with their talks of 'Who done it?' 'How are these tragic deaths related?' and 'Who will be next on the killer's list?' Since Jan and Jason were both Seniors at Salem High, not to mention they were once an inseparable item, the Salem P.D. was sure the deaths were somehow related.

To Chloe, however, these murders meant only one thing; it meant that Philip wouldn't leave her the hell alone! After Jan's murder, Chloe heard talk from some of the other students around school that Philip was looking for her, supposedly for a "comforting talk after the lose of an old friend" or some such bull. Then, after Jason's brutal murder, Philip called both her line and Craig and Nancy's line as well as her cell phone non-stop, saying he "needed someone to talk to." Chloe did believe he was legitimately grieving. Though she couldn't for the life of her figure out why anyone would hang out with those two, Philip had grown up along side Jan and Jason, and they had meant a great deal to each other, if only for the sake of childhood memories. It wasn't that Chloe didn't want to be there for Philip. She did want to help him through such an awful time in his life. He was having problems with his parents and Nicole after all, and now, on top of that, someone killed off two of his oldest friends. It was just that Chloe didn't think she could handle the pressure. Even if he was grieving, she knew damn well Philip would try to manipulate her into taking him back. The thing that frightened her most was the fact that, if he asked her, though she knew in her heart she'd never be happy with Philip again, she would take him back. She couldn't bring him anymore pain, even after all the things he'd said and done.

Chloe no longer answered her phone. She felt ridiculous, always letting her machine pick up and telling Belle not to bother calling her cell phone. If Philip called the main phone line, Nancy was always happy to answer the phone and tell him off, but he always kept calling back. He hadn't stopped calling in the week since Jason's death, and Chloe doubted he would until she caved in and talked with him. She felt like a coward, hiding behind her family to avoid confrontation with Philip. But she just couldn't face him. She figured she had no other options.

To make things worse, Chloe hadn't spoken to Brady in over 2 weeks; not since she decided to fly solo for awhile. Chloe hated to admit she needed him so much, but she felt even more lost without having heard from her best friend. Her thoughts were interrupted by the dreaded ringing of the phone. Chloe groaned; Nancy and Craig were out for the evening.

"You know you can't hide forever," Chloe murmured aloud to herself, reluctantly reaching over and grabbing the phone on the table beside the couch and bringing it up to her ear on the 4th ring. "Hello?" Chloe asked, sounding both annoyed and hesitantly nervous.

"My, don't we sound cheerful this wonderful afternoon," came the familiar, cocky voice of one Brady Black.

"Brady!" Chloe exclaimed, her mood immediately lifting. The detachment from her best friend had been getting to her, and she had no idea how good it felt just to hear his voice again.

"That's my name. Expecting someone else?" Brady asked jokingly. He didn't, however, wait for any reply. "So, what's the deal, Diva? I've been calling your line all afternoon, and Belle says you turned your cell phone off."

"Oh, I'm sorry Brady. I've been downstairs since Craig and Nancy left. I didn't hear the phone upstairs, and I haven't gone up to check the machine yet," Chloe replied. She actually hadn't checked it since yesterday morning; she hadn't the energy.

"That doesn't answer the real question at hand here, Diva," Brady commented. Of course, he knew what the problem really was. It was almost too easy to squeeze information out of Belle. Chloe sensed her best friend already knew what was wrong, not to mention she knew his sister couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it.

"Take a wild guess," Chloe replied.

"So, good ole Uncle Phil is bugging you I take it," Brady said dryly, getting right to the point as always. Just like good ole Uncle Phil to take advantage of a tragic situation.

"Ding ding ding ding, that is correct. Tell 'im what he's won Bob!" Chloe replied in her best game show host voice. Brady laughed despite himself.

"Nice to see you haven't lost that wonderful humorous edge of yours, Diva," Brady said.

"Yeah well, you bring out the sarcastic smart ass in me," Chloe stated, a smile crossing her lips. Just hearing Brady's voice seemed to make all her problems melt away.

"Well, don't I feel special. I always assumed you were just born that way," Brady replied.

"Just for that, Black, I'm not inviting you to come over," Chloe teased, feeling almost proud of herself. Brady, as always, countered her move.

"Ah, well then, I guess I'll just have to give Tink the surprise I was going to bring you to cheer you up," Brady stated, knowing Chloe would take the bait.

"Surprise?" Chloe asked, skeptical, but intrigued. Hook, Line, and Sinker. "What kind of surprise?"

"I guess you'll never know, being as how I'm not allowed over. Too bad, I really wanted to do my best to cheer up my best friend in this hectic time of need," Brady said, stressing the "best friend" part. No one would ever know how hard it was for him to use that blasted word!

"How do you always do that? I so hate you, you know that?" Chloe half whined. Ooooh, that Brady Black! He always did that to her. It was impossible for her to say no to him.

"So, does that mean your lifting your unjust decree and letting me come over?" Brady questioned. Chloe could almost feel that sly, arrogant, extremely sexy grin of his.

"Oh, alright. But only because you're sneaky and deceitful!" Chloe replied. "But wait, has that town curfew gone into effect yet?" Since Jason's violent death, there was talk that the Salem P.D. would issue a city-wide curfew. But then again, given the large number of rumors going around, one could never be sure what was true and what wasn't.

"Nah, that was just a rumor. There's no reason to issue a curfew, not yet at least, and I don't think the P.D. will ever get around to it anyway," Brady replied. Neither he nor Chloe really wanted to talk about the recent events that took three lives. Chloe may have hated both Jan and Jason, but she never wanted them dead. Brady noticed Chloe's uneasy pause, and immediately picked up on her fears. "Not to worry, Chloe. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. Besides, you know I'd protect you. I kick major butt, remember?" Chloe smiled slightly, she did indeed remember.

"That you do, Black. That you do," Chloe said. "Anyway, when will you be here?"

"Half an hour. I got something I have to take care of before I get there. C-ya then, Diva," Brady replied.

"C-ya then," Chloe said, hanging up the phone. She smiled to herself, before she noticed what she was wearing. It was Saturday afternoon, and she was still in her pjs! Chloe jumped up, running to her room in over-drive mode. No way in hell was she giving Brady something to tease her relentlessly about...

"Now, just calm down. There's no reason why we can't talk this out, like two rational people," Victor Kiriakis said calmly. Well, as calmly as someone at gunpoint could manage at least. Inside, the flash of metal caused an instant reaction of fear, but on the outside, he would show nothing but the proud Kiriakis stance. "Just put that thing away, it's of no use here."

"You think I won't?" Victor's assailant asked, tilting his head to the side to study the aging man before him.

"I know you won't," Victor challenged.

"Bad assumption, old man," he stated. With that, the younger man squeezed the trigger, sending a warning bullet into a family portrait just to the right of Victor's head. Victor bolted up from his chair, an involuntary reaction the normally bold Victor would never believed he was capable of, and away from the desk. But the steady hand holding the gun remained level with him. Regaining a calm stance, Victor stood next to the fireplace, the central focal point of his personal home office. At that moment, Victor wished to God he hadn't given Henderson the afternoon off, leaving only a cooking maid - who, unknown to Victor, had already "been dealt with." "You see, old man, you wouldn't be the first. And I assure you, you wouldn't be the last."

"You. You killed that girl and her boyfriend?" Victor more stated then asked. The young man before him merely nodded. "But why?"

"What does it really matter. They were insignificant little worms, who didn't deserve to live after the things they'd done. They keep me from getting what I want. You keep me from getting what I want," he sneered.

"And what do you want?" Victor questioned, though he already knew the answer.

"You know damn well what I'm after!" the young man boomed. Victor nodded, studying the now somewhat shaky hand that held the gun.

"Indeed I do. And it's never going to happen, I'll make damn sure of that," Victor stated matter-of-factly, and unfortunately, over-confidently. The amused look on the young man's face faded instantly into one of crazy fury.

"No! Don't say that! You're never going to win this one old man, never!" the younger shouted. Without any real thought, or any hesitance, the ever-more-experienced Salem killer again squeezed the trigger of the borrowed gun. Only this was no warning shot. The bullet blasted the once strong and mighty Victor in the chest. The three remaining shots landed him on the ground in front of the roaring fireplace with two bullets to the chest, one to the abdomen, and one misplaced bullet to the left shoulder. The "Salem Psycho", as people had begun to refer to the obviously disturbed killer as, walked up to the fallen Kiriakis, looking down at him with both disgust and satisfaction. "I always get what I want. Always." With that final note, the young man tossed the gun aside, removing his black gloves and throwing them into the fire. "Well, nice talking to ya Vic, but I got places to go, people to see," he said as if talking to a living, breathing person rather then a bullet-ridden corpse. He turned, walking out the office door, through the large living room, and into the kitchen, where the previously disposed body of maid still lay lifeless on the floor. He stepped over her body, pausing at the kitchen table. "Oooooh, peanut butter!" he squealed with childlike glee, picking up the half-eaten peanut butter and grape jam sandwich. "My favorite!" he muttered, taking a big bite and continuing out the back door with his newly found prized snack. Indeed, he had other important places to be...

"So, how many does this make now?" asked Roman as the second body bag holding the maid's body was zipped up and carted after that of Victor's. It was growing close to midnight now, but even at such a late hour, the media had already gotten hold of the story of the great Kiriakis' demise and found it's way to the third crime scene. Henderson, who had located the bodies nearly an hour ago, was just making his way through the throng of reporters to be escorted to the station for questioning.

"Five, in the last seventeen days," Bo answered grimly. The first two incidents made sense, both targeted victims being Seniors at Salem High. But now, with Victor and an unsuspecting servant dead, the Salem P.D. had even less to go on.

"Cause of death?" asked one of the coroners milling around the body bags about to be put into an awaiting ambulance.

"Looks as if the first blow to the chest cavity, but we'll have to get him in for an autopsy," answered another.

"And the girl?"

"Smothered," was the simple answer. With that, they lifted up the stretcher. Reporters were trying like crazy to get close enough to get good footage of Victor Kiriakis' body being lifted into the ambulance.

"Would you get those people the hell out of here?!" Ordered a severely pissed Roman. Damn all reporters to hell anyway... Roman turned towards a waiting officer who was taking the evidence to an analyst as the other officers started ushering reports off the scene. "Who's it registered to?"

"It's Victor's," answered the young, slightly pudgy new recruit. Roman nodded, waving him off.

"Looks like we have even less to go on then before. Think the deaths are connected?" Roman asked his brother as they made their way through the reporters who were slowly but surely being ushered away.

"I've no doubt, I just don't know what the connection is," Bo answered, obviously in deep though. He never had accepted Victor as his biological father. And he never would. But his death still hit harder then expected. Finding dead bodies never got easier. One just learned to shut down and go through the motions. "I don't think there's any more we can do here. But maybe we have more suspects now to go on."

"Not really. I can imagine Victor has a lot of enemy's," Roman pointed out, reaching his car. They'd leave the clue searching to the lower ranking officers. Bo was half right, there were now a few main suspects. "I think it's time you and I paid Mrs. Roberts a visit."

"You think she could have done this?" Bo asked, getting in next to Roman in the car.

"I honestly don't, but she's a suspect none the less. And that boy of hers, Philip." Roman nearly spat out the name. Never cared for that stuck up little twit. Not to mention, though he would swear his personal dislike of him had nothing to do with it, John Black also came to Roman's mind when he thought of suspects. And that arrogant trouble-making son of his, Brady. Not that Roman's personal dislike of him had anything to do with that assumption either mind you. But Basic Black and Titan were already fierce competitors, and damn it all, it felt good to picture the Black men behind bars! As Roman started the engine, both he and his brother resigned themselves to a hell of a long night of going through the motions...