Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Ken Corday and to NBC. I am making no profits by writing this.

A/N: This is a rewrite of the first part in a trilogy. I took down all three stories because I was incredibly unsatisfied with them and I felt I could do better. So here I am trying! =) You should note that this takes place when the teens are still in high school. Philip and Chloe are together, Brady and Marlena don't get along, and JT still lives with the Brady's. I cut out the baby-switch storyline because I didn't want to deal with it. Please let me know what you think!!

Chapter One

Brady Black stood on the balcony that overlooked the living room in the penthouse he lived in with his father, stepmother, and younger half-sister, watching the scene downstairs unfold in front of him. Standing by the coffee table between the two sofas, John and Marlena Black were yelling at each other like the other had committed the worst folly in the world. Brady frowned, knowing he was the cause of their fight, but could not help but feel the resentment in his heart build up against his stepmother.

"Just you wait and see, John. One of these days, I am telling you, something will happen to Belle and you will wish that you had listened to me!" Marlena shrieked.

"Brady is not a threat to Belle! Why can't you see how much he loves her? Or how close the two of them are?" John snapped back, his face red with fury. "You refuse to listen to reason when it comes to my son."

"John, your son has some serious issues and more than once Belle has gotten caught up in them! You are the one who wears blinders on your eyes, not me."

As Marlena turned towards the stairs, Brady quietly slipped back into his bedroom. When he heard the door to her room slam shut, he headed downstairs to talk to his father.

John Black was sitting on the couch holding his head in his hands. The situation between his wife and son was only getting worse. He had hoped that Marlena would see reason, or that Brady would show her that he was not a danger to anybody. But the two felt so antagonistic towards each other that neither wanted to cut the other any slack. Far too often John felt caught in the middle, and he knew his daughter Belle did, too.

"Dad?" Brady's unusually timid voice caught his attention and he looked up to see his son standing in front of him, a huge frown on his face. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure, Brady, sit down." John waited as Brady took a seat on the couch facing him. He inwardly cringed as he realized that Brady had again heard himself and Marlena fighting about him.

"Dad, I think I should move out," Brady stated simply, catching his father off guard. John leaned forward and made to protest but Brady cut him off. "Dad, before you say anything, just listen. Things are not going to get better with Marlena and me as long as we live under the same roof. The tension is just too high, and I need some space from her, Dad. I'm sure she wants space from me, too. The situation is getting worse and you know it. This is really the only solution that has a chance of working at all."

John hesitated, considering his son's words. Brady was 21 now, definitely old enough to be living on his own and taking care of himself. Truth be told, however, John did not want his son to move out. He knew just how bad things were between Brady and Marlena; he feared that if Brady moved out he would never hear from the young man again. He could not face losing his son that way.

"Brady… Listen to me, son, if you just give her a little bit of time I know she will come around." John desperately wanted his son to listen to reason and agree to stay.

"How much time, Dad? A year? Twenty years? I've already waited too long. I'll tell you the truth, Dad, it really hurts hearing all those accusations she makes against me, and I don't know how much longer I can take it."

"Brady, moving out is expensive. Do you realize how much money it will cost you?"

"Dad, I have a job, remember? I work for you at Basic Black! I know you pay me enough money for me to be able to handle living on my own. Money is not an issue here, Dad."

John paused, wondering if he should say what he was thinking. Making up his mind, the older man spoke. "Brady, I'm afraid that if you go, I'll lose you."

Brady leaned forward, and John could see all the love in his eyes shining through. John smiled at him, grateful to see such love because usually Brady wore an emotionless mask.

"Dad," Brady said softly. "Dad, I love you and Belle more than anything in this world. You can't get rid of me that easily." His tone becoming firmer, he continued. "Trust me, you will lose me faster if I stay here."

John nodded hesitantly, finally having to accept that Brady was right. It was best for the entire family for Brady to get his own apartment. Hopefully, Marlena and Brady would be able to put their issues to rest and their family would finally be put back on track.

***

Belle Black sighed with disgust as she entered the Brady Pub, where she was meeting her three closest friends. The three were already there, sitting at a table waiting for her, and two of them, Chloe Lane and Philip Kiriakis, were locking lips. The third member of the party, Shawn Brady, was looking incredibly uncomfortable. Belle knew he would be grateful she was there, and a small smile at the thought played on her lips.

"Get a room already," Belle interrupted the couple as she took a seat between Shawn and Philip. Chloe and Philip parted, looking only slightly embarrassed, and greeted her.

"Guys, I think it's great that you two are so close and everything, but no one wants to see it. Seriously," Belle lectured, only half teasing. Chloe just smiled. Philip and Shawn immediately got into a discussion about their high school football team, so Belle and Chloe went to the bar to order their food.

"So, what is the deal with you and Shawn anyway?" Chloe asked as they were handed their milkshakes.

"What do you mean?" the shorter of the two replied just before sipping her strawberry shake.

Chloe flipped her long brown hair behind her shoulder. "Come on, as if you don't know. There's a definite attraction between the two of you. Even Philip notices it, so it must be obvious to everyone."

Belle turned to look at Shawn, who was at the moment laughing at a joke Philip had just made. She shrugged, turning back to her impatient friend. "I don't know. I definitely like him as more than friends, but I don't know if he feels that way about me. Besides, it would be weird. We've been friends since we were babies!"

Chloe gave her a look like that was no excuse. Belle knew it wasn't. Truth be told, Belle would love it more than anything if Shawn would ask her out. But he didn't seem to reciprocate her interest in him so she had to accept that he just wanted to be friends. She regarded Chloe for a moment, hoping she hadn't just rubbed it in Chloe's face that she, Shawn, and Philip had all known each other their entire lives. Since Chloe had grown up in foster homes, she never had any friends until she came to Salem to live with her mother and step-father. Chloe never exerted any jealousy over the close bond between the three, but Belle also knew Chloe was a little too good at hiding her feelings and wondered if sometimes Chloe felt a little green-eyed.

Belle opened her mouth to start talking again, but Chloe cut her off. "Belle, if you don't do anything you will wonder for the rest of your life what would have happened."

"Don't start in on me about that, Chloe."

"It's a cliché, I know. But it's also true. Don't let him get away. He's a good-looking guy. He walks into a room and he turns heads." Belle had to admit that was true. Shawn was the most sought-after guy in high school, now that Philip had a girlfriend.

"I'm just not sure if I want something more to happen right now. I mean, there's a lot of stuff going on that we both are dealing with, on top of school and everything. My family is a wreck right now, and they need me. I don't think I'm in the position to get into a relationship. I really am fine with us being friends. Really," Belle assured her.

Chloe looked skeptical. "If you say so," she said with a sly smile that told Belle she clearly knew better.

****

Belle was not prepared for the news that awaited her when she got home later that evening. As she walked in the door, her older half-brother sat on the couch looking through what she at first thought was a magazine.

"Hey, Brady," she announced her presence as she shut the door behind her. He looked up, his face somber, and returned the greeting, but she didn't seem to notice his strange mood. Putting her jacket and purse down, she sat down next to him on the couch. "Whatcha reading?"

Brady hesitated, regarding his sister. She was just about the only person in Salem who liked him right now, aside from their father. She was the heart and soul of the Black family; without a doubt she was the one who kept it together. He knew she would feel hurt by the news that he would move out. Would she be afraid of losing him, the same way his father was? Taking a deep breath, Brady realized that no matter how she reacted, he had to tell her.

"This is an apartment guide."

Belle blinked, taken aback. She looked down at the magazine he held in his hands and realized that it was, as Brady had said, an apartment guide. "Why are you looking at apartment guides, Brady?" she asked, already knowing the answer but hoping her brother would be able to provide some other explanation.

"Belle… I'm moving out," he replied softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. He watched her face register shock and then slowly fade into a look of sadness that made Brady feel awful.

"Why? Why are you moving out? When?"

"Belle, you know why I'm moving out. And as for when, whenever I find an apartment I can afford. I'm hoping it won't be too far away from here, but we'll see."

He cringed as he saw the tears start to form in her eyes. "Hey, don't cry Belle. Like I told Dad, you aren't getting rid of me that easily. It's just time, you know? I can't live here forever. I have to move on sometime. Belle, you're my sister, you know I'll always be there."

"You're moving out because of Mom, aren't you?" the bitterness in her tone could not be hidden. The angry teenager forcefully shoved away the tears that had begun rolling down her cheeks.

"That's part of it," Brady admitted, not wanting to admit that it was actually most of it. "This is just something I have to do, Belle. Besides, if things are ever going to straighten out, it has to be soon, and I can't be living here. Your mom and I just press each other's buttons. We rub up against each other. We both need space from each other."

He set the guide down on the table and pulled his sister into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, remembering all the times he had comforted her when she was upset over stupid, minor things. She had always been able to talk to him about anything, and whether he thought so or not, she knew things were going to change drastically now that he was moving out. And it made her mad that her family was being torn apart this way.

Neither Brady nor Belle noticed the figure standing on the stairs watching them with a deep frown on her face. Marlena Evans Black was not a happy woman.

TBC

Another Author's Note: PHEW! I set a 2,000 word limit per chapter for myself, lol. That is very short for some people but for me that is long because I have a bad habit of incredibly short chapters!! So not only have I challenged myself to a re-write but I am challenging myself to write much longer chapters. That isn't always easy, wish me luck lol. As always, if you read this then please review!! I really want to know what you think.