For background information:
iChimera: n. an illusion or fabrication of the mind; an unrealizable dream/i
The red convertible sped down the open highway as it passed the New York state border. While the car's driver found the warm August sun to be almost refreshing, his more pampered passenger felt differently.
Reapplying her sun block to her bare arms, Cassie muttered, "I can't believe this is happening to us."
Never taking his eyes off the road, Rex stoically replied, "We're going to get through this Cassie. No matter what happens, you and I will stick together." Those were words the young man truly meant. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, Rex had never abandoned his sister, and he knew he never could. Losing Cassie would be indistinguishable from losing a vital part of himself.
Cassie's crimson red lips formed themselves into a distinctive frown as she pouted, "It was bad enough finding out that Roman Brady was our father . . . but finding out that our own mother didn't even want to meet us - that was way worse."
Rex remained silent as he continued to navigate the late model BMW convertible along the highway. It was really the only thing Rex had allowed himself to keep when he abandoned the role of DiMera heir.
Continuing with her gloomy rant, Cassie said, "Honestly, it is so unfair that when we finally find out who our real mother is, she won't even take the time to meet us. Instead, she sends us off to meet the rest of her family." A look similar to disgust washed over Cassie as she speculated, "I bet these people are going to be total losers, Rex. They'll probably live in some shack in the hills and make us sleep in the barn with the livestock."
"Cassie, enough," Rex sternly reprimanded. "Our imother/i said that her family would be expecting us and that they would make appropriate accommodations. I'm sure everything will be fine."
Feeling a little hurt by Rex's lack of compassion, Cassie muttered, "I still don't see why we couldn't have just stayed in Salem. We already had a life there. Now, we're going to have to start all over. What if people in Port Charles think we're total freaks?"
Rex's voice was much softer as he answered, "They won't. In fact, I bet you will make a ton of new friends when you start classes at PCU." Knowing his sister's weakest area, Rex added, "And, I'm sure all the guys will be fighting over who gets to take you out first."
"You think?" Cassie questioned, optimism beginning to appear in her eyes.
"I know it."
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Gently throwing his fist down on the wet bar, Edward Quartermaine suggested, "I say we lock the door and pretend to have left the country. Surely whatever horrid offspring Tracy brought into the world will just go back to wherever it is they're coming from. I refuse to let a pair of preteen misfits into my home."
Monica sighed dramatically before declaring, "First, Edward, this is my house. Second, from what Tracy said when she called, this boy and girl aren't exactly a pair of junior high students. She made it sound as if they were a little older than Dillon."
"Well, that's just perfect," sarcastically muttered the older man. "They'll probably expect this family to pay for their college education. Well, they've got another thing coming. I refuse to pay for the education of a pair of hoodlums."
"As usual, Grandfather, you're making a fool of yourself," proclaimed Ned as he entered the living room. Sitting down on the sofa by a clearly uncomfortable Emily, Ned continued, "My mother has already abandoned these kids before she even met them. We are not going to do the same. So, listen carefully, Grandfather. I want you to treat the twins like a grandfather should treat his grandchildren - with love and respect."
Joining in the usual Quartermaine banter, Alan added, "After all, what would mother say if she heard you?"
"Alan has a point," Monica acknowledged. "Lila has already said that Tracy's children are to be treated like the rest of the family. She's even instructed Reginald to go ahead and prepare their rooms."
Entering the living area in her typical manner of superiority, Skye took an inquisitive glance around the crowded room. Ned and Emily, the least outlandish of the clan, were seated on the sofa. In nearby chairs, Alan and Monica sat with identical scowls. A.J. was propping himself up aside the fireplace as though the conversation at hand bored him to tears. Meanwhile, Edward was pacing around like a caged animal and young Dillon was perched atop an end table checking his voice messages.
Skye shut the door with unneeded noise to announce her presence. Rather causally she asked, "What's going on in here? Don't tell me it's another family meeting."
"Actually it is," Alan answered.
Skye approached the sofa and sat down in the free space beside Ned. Looking around the room at the people she once considered her family, Skye stated, "I was only out of town on business for a week. What could I have missed?"
With a wry smile, Ned answered, "The emergence of my new brother and sister."
From near the fireplace, A.J. grumbled to himself, "I can already feel my inheritance shrinking."
"Wait, what brother and sister?" Skye helplessly stammered.
Shaking his hand in the air as though he were physically dismissing the subject, Edward said, "None of that matters. We're just going to have to accept that Tracy is yet again unloading her children on this family."
"Gee, thanks for the reminder," muttered Dillon before leaving the room.
"What? What did I say?"
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Mimi Lockhart softly knocked on her best friend's door. Slowly pushing it open, Mimi said, "Belle, are you in here? Your mom let me in."
As discreetly as possible, Belle wiped away her tears. Sitting up on her bed, she said, "Hi, Meems."
A weak smile graced Mimi's lips as she stated, "I ran into Shawn at Dotcom earlier. Are you okay?" Even as the question was leaving her lips, Mimi knew the answer. Between the earlier conversation with Shawn and Belle's hardly concealed tears, Mimi understood the true extent of the situation.
For a moment, Belle considered lying, saying that all was well. Instead she chose to speak the truth. "No, not really. But, I know I will be."
"That's my girl," encouraged Mimi as she plopped down beside Belle. "You want to talk about it?"
"There's really not much to tell. As usual Shawn and I got into some stupid argument. Only, this time, we realized that it should be the last one. It seems like things would be going really great for a few weeks, then everything would just fall apart. I couldn't take it anymore, and it was obvious that Shawn was tired of it, too."
"What was the final argument about?" Mimi recognized that the question was clearly on the invasive side, but she could not stop herself from asking. Shawn had only said that he and Belle were finally giving up because there was really nothing left to fight for - they only had each other to fight iwith/i.
Shaking her head, Belle angrily muttered, "It was so stupid. Shawn had the nerve to accuse me of having feelings for iPhilip/i! Can you believe that? He completely blew up when he found out that I'd known Philip was working with the ISA and didn't tell him. He was even more furious when I told him that I'd helped Philip use him to bring down the smuggling ring."
Stopping just briefly, Belle took a moment to compose herself. Feeling that she had successfully fought back the tears, Belle continued, "Shawn said that I had lied to him and helped Philip because I was falling in love with him."
Her curiosity once again winning over her tact, Mimi bluntly asked, "Are you?"
"No!" Belle exclaimed a little too quickly. "That's not what Philip and I are like. We're friends. That's it."
"I really wish there was something I could do," empathized Mimi. "Especially with everything going on."
Belle's sadness diminished just slightly as her curiosity increased. "What do you mean with everything going on? Is there something I don't know about?"
Though everything within her wanted to gush about the decision she had made, Mimi forced herself to remain somber and supportive of Belle. "It's nothing you should worry about tonight. You've got so much going on."
"Mimi, please don't treat me like I'm going to crumble just because Shawn Brady is no longer my boyfriend. I am capable of taking care of myself, you know. So, tell me the truth, is there something that I haven't been told?"
"Yeah, there is. Something that's going to change my life."
A sense of worry joined the curiosity Belle was already feeling. "Meems, what is going on?"
Unable to control her smile, Mimi announced, "I'm moving halfway across the country!"
"You're iwhat/i?"
"Moving - to New York to be exact."
Fighting against the disbelief that assaulted her, Belle inquired, "Mimi, why would you want to drop out of school and leave Salem?" A sudden clearing of thoughts overtook Belle. "This is about Rex, isn't it?"
Again, Mimi felt herself controlled by her smile. "Belle, I'm totally in love with him. And, he feels that way about me, too."
"You two really got serious over the summer," Belle speculated, pushing her own romantic troubles aside.
"Yeah, we did. But, Belle, you have to understand that I'm not just quitting school and chasing after him. In fact, before I came over, I was on the phone with the admissions office at Port Charles University. You, Belle Black, are looking at its newest transfer student."
"Oh, my God. Meems, you're really serious about this."
"Yep. Even though it means having to take out another student loan, the school's housing office was able to find a free room in one of the dorms."
Pulling her friend into a hug, Belle said, "I am so happy for you. You know exactly what you want in life and exactly where you're going." After a pause Belle added, "I wish I was more like you."
"You wish you were more like me. Puh-leeze! I have always wanted to be more like you." Mimi offered Belle a reassuring smile and silently acknowledged that she had never spoken truer words. For as long as she could remember, she had all but idolized her best friend. Belle Black had set the standard no matter the state of affairs. Glancing at her watch, Mimi realized just how late it was getting. "Are you going to be okay if I head home to start packing?"
"I'll be fine."
Mimi was halfway to the door when she turned around and rushed back to her friend. Pulling Belle into a tight hug, Mimi gushed, "You have always been the most awesome friend a girl could have. I'm going to miss you so much."
Once again, Belle felt tears filling her eyes. In the course of a mere twelve hours, she had lost her boyfriend and her best friend. Yet, Belle was able to see that Shawn needed free of their relationship and Mimi needed free of Salem. Despite her own sadness, Belle understood that both Shawn and Mimi had let go of their pasts so they could fully embrace their futures. It was a step that commanded both her respect and her envy.
In a whisper, Belle replied, "I'm going to miss you, too."
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More than just a minor amount of fury was evident in Nicole's eyes. In her most venomous tone, she spat, "I hate you, Victor."
The older man chose to ignore his wife as he ventured into the dining room for dinner that Thursday evening.
Trailing close behind her husband, Nicole loudly demanded, "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you. I'm warning you, Victor!"
Victor instantly stopped in his tracks. Quickly turning to face Nicole, he roughly grabbed her arm and mocked, "You're warning me? Don't flatter yourself."
Just as suddenly as he took hold of Nicole, Victor released her. As he confidently walked away, Victor asked, "What are you going to do? Try to kill me . . . again?" Upon entering the dining room, Victor calmly sat down at the head of the table. "Honestly, Mrs. Kiriakis, your vain attempts to take my life are becoming rather predictable. This latest fiasco with Larry Welch was surely the most transparent. You must learn to plan these things out better."
"Plan what things out better?" Brady questioned as he entered the room.
Lying as though it was the most natural of actions, Victor answered, "Nicole wanted to completely redecorate the study. However, when she began making her purchases she failed to set a reasonable budget. I was just telling her that it would be far better if she planned these things out before she actually bought anything."
Brady carefully watched Nicole as she sat down across from him at the table. Since he moved into the mansion in mid-summer, Brady had become accustomed to Nicole and Victor's unorthodox behavior around one another. As he silently analyzed Nicole's current conduct, Brady came to the conclusion that his grandfather was lying - yet again.
Guiding the conversation away from his discussion with Nicole, Victor said, "So, Brady, how are things proceeding with Titan's music division?"
There was a clear intent by Brady avoid Victor's expectant gaze. As one of the servants brought out dinner, Brady answered, "Too be honest, it's not going as well as I had planned."
"How so?" Victor implored with little or not interest.
"Well, for starters, I'm barely breaking even. And, I don't expect a real profit any time in the foreseeable future." Sighing with both frustration and regret, Brady admitted, "I'm just not sure if I was really ready to start my own music business. I think I may have jumped in a little too quickly."
Victor stabbed his fork into his steak and responded, "If you don't want the job, Brady, just say so. I'll find someone else to take care of it."
"I don't want to disappoint you, Grandfather. But, yeah, maybe it would be best if I let someone else handle Titan's music division."
Truly unconcerned with Brady's dilemma, Victor answered, "Then, consider it done. We'll just find a position at Titan that you think you'd be better suited for."
Nicole slammed her hands down on the table and exclaimed, "I knew it! You're going to hand over my old job to him!"
"Relax," Brady commanded with a roll of his icy blue eyes. "I don't want your old position at Titan." Turning to his grandfather, Brady continued, "That's just it. I went straight from a job my dad gave me at his company to one you gave me at Titan. I guess I just need to find out what I can accomplish on my own."
"Well, I hope you'll at least agree to stay here at the mansion while you work out all the details."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to have to think it over before agreeing. I'm going to step outside and get some air." With that, Brady left the table without ever having touched his dinner. Like so many others, Brady had to decide where he really wanted his life to be going - and how to get there.
iChimera: n. an illusion or fabrication of the mind; an unrealizable dream/i
The red convertible sped down the open highway as it passed the New York state border. While the car's driver found the warm August sun to be almost refreshing, his more pampered passenger felt differently.
Reapplying her sun block to her bare arms, Cassie muttered, "I can't believe this is happening to us."
Never taking his eyes off the road, Rex stoically replied, "We're going to get through this Cassie. No matter what happens, you and I will stick together." Those were words the young man truly meant. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, Rex had never abandoned his sister, and he knew he never could. Losing Cassie would be indistinguishable from losing a vital part of himself.
Cassie's crimson red lips formed themselves into a distinctive frown as she pouted, "It was bad enough finding out that Roman Brady was our father . . . but finding out that our own mother didn't even want to meet us - that was way worse."
Rex remained silent as he continued to navigate the late model BMW convertible along the highway. It was really the only thing Rex had allowed himself to keep when he abandoned the role of DiMera heir.
Continuing with her gloomy rant, Cassie said, "Honestly, it is so unfair that when we finally find out who our real mother is, she won't even take the time to meet us. Instead, she sends us off to meet the rest of her family." A look similar to disgust washed over Cassie as she speculated, "I bet these people are going to be total losers, Rex. They'll probably live in some shack in the hills and make us sleep in the barn with the livestock."
"Cassie, enough," Rex sternly reprimanded. "Our imother/i said that her family would be expecting us and that they would make appropriate accommodations. I'm sure everything will be fine."
Feeling a little hurt by Rex's lack of compassion, Cassie muttered, "I still don't see why we couldn't have just stayed in Salem. We already had a life there. Now, we're going to have to start all over. What if people in Port Charles think we're total freaks?"
Rex's voice was much softer as he answered, "They won't. In fact, I bet you will make a ton of new friends when you start classes at PCU." Knowing his sister's weakest area, Rex added, "And, I'm sure all the guys will be fighting over who gets to take you out first."
"You think?" Cassie questioned, optimism beginning to appear in her eyes.
"I know it."
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Gently throwing his fist down on the wet bar, Edward Quartermaine suggested, "I say we lock the door and pretend to have left the country. Surely whatever horrid offspring Tracy brought into the world will just go back to wherever it is they're coming from. I refuse to let a pair of preteen misfits into my home."
Monica sighed dramatically before declaring, "First, Edward, this is my house. Second, from what Tracy said when she called, this boy and girl aren't exactly a pair of junior high students. She made it sound as if they were a little older than Dillon."
"Well, that's just perfect," sarcastically muttered the older man. "They'll probably expect this family to pay for their college education. Well, they've got another thing coming. I refuse to pay for the education of a pair of hoodlums."
"As usual, Grandfather, you're making a fool of yourself," proclaimed Ned as he entered the living room. Sitting down on the sofa by a clearly uncomfortable Emily, Ned continued, "My mother has already abandoned these kids before she even met them. We are not going to do the same. So, listen carefully, Grandfather. I want you to treat the twins like a grandfather should treat his grandchildren - with love and respect."
Joining in the usual Quartermaine banter, Alan added, "After all, what would mother say if she heard you?"
"Alan has a point," Monica acknowledged. "Lila has already said that Tracy's children are to be treated like the rest of the family. She's even instructed Reginald to go ahead and prepare their rooms."
Entering the living area in her typical manner of superiority, Skye took an inquisitive glance around the crowded room. Ned and Emily, the least outlandish of the clan, were seated on the sofa. In nearby chairs, Alan and Monica sat with identical scowls. A.J. was propping himself up aside the fireplace as though the conversation at hand bored him to tears. Meanwhile, Edward was pacing around like a caged animal and young Dillon was perched atop an end table checking his voice messages.
Skye shut the door with unneeded noise to announce her presence. Rather causally she asked, "What's going on in here? Don't tell me it's another family meeting."
"Actually it is," Alan answered.
Skye approached the sofa and sat down in the free space beside Ned. Looking around the room at the people she once considered her family, Skye stated, "I was only out of town on business for a week. What could I have missed?"
With a wry smile, Ned answered, "The emergence of my new brother and sister."
From near the fireplace, A.J. grumbled to himself, "I can already feel my inheritance shrinking."
"Wait, what brother and sister?" Skye helplessly stammered.
Shaking his hand in the air as though he were physically dismissing the subject, Edward said, "None of that matters. We're just going to have to accept that Tracy is yet again unloading her children on this family."
"Gee, thanks for the reminder," muttered Dillon before leaving the room.
"What? What did I say?"
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Mimi Lockhart softly knocked on her best friend's door. Slowly pushing it open, Mimi said, "Belle, are you in here? Your mom let me in."
As discreetly as possible, Belle wiped away her tears. Sitting up on her bed, she said, "Hi, Meems."
A weak smile graced Mimi's lips as she stated, "I ran into Shawn at Dotcom earlier. Are you okay?" Even as the question was leaving her lips, Mimi knew the answer. Between the earlier conversation with Shawn and Belle's hardly concealed tears, Mimi understood the true extent of the situation.
For a moment, Belle considered lying, saying that all was well. Instead she chose to speak the truth. "No, not really. But, I know I will be."
"That's my girl," encouraged Mimi as she plopped down beside Belle. "You want to talk about it?"
"There's really not much to tell. As usual Shawn and I got into some stupid argument. Only, this time, we realized that it should be the last one. It seems like things would be going really great for a few weeks, then everything would just fall apart. I couldn't take it anymore, and it was obvious that Shawn was tired of it, too."
"What was the final argument about?" Mimi recognized that the question was clearly on the invasive side, but she could not stop herself from asking. Shawn had only said that he and Belle were finally giving up because there was really nothing left to fight for - they only had each other to fight iwith/i.
Shaking her head, Belle angrily muttered, "It was so stupid. Shawn had the nerve to accuse me of having feelings for iPhilip/i! Can you believe that? He completely blew up when he found out that I'd known Philip was working with the ISA and didn't tell him. He was even more furious when I told him that I'd helped Philip use him to bring down the smuggling ring."
Stopping just briefly, Belle took a moment to compose herself. Feeling that she had successfully fought back the tears, Belle continued, "Shawn said that I had lied to him and helped Philip because I was falling in love with him."
Her curiosity once again winning over her tact, Mimi bluntly asked, "Are you?"
"No!" Belle exclaimed a little too quickly. "That's not what Philip and I are like. We're friends. That's it."
"I really wish there was something I could do," empathized Mimi. "Especially with everything going on."
Belle's sadness diminished just slightly as her curiosity increased. "What do you mean with everything going on? Is there something I don't know about?"
Though everything within her wanted to gush about the decision she had made, Mimi forced herself to remain somber and supportive of Belle. "It's nothing you should worry about tonight. You've got so much going on."
"Mimi, please don't treat me like I'm going to crumble just because Shawn Brady is no longer my boyfriend. I am capable of taking care of myself, you know. So, tell me the truth, is there something that I haven't been told?"
"Yeah, there is. Something that's going to change my life."
A sense of worry joined the curiosity Belle was already feeling. "Meems, what is going on?"
Unable to control her smile, Mimi announced, "I'm moving halfway across the country!"
"You're iwhat/i?"
"Moving - to New York to be exact."
Fighting against the disbelief that assaulted her, Belle inquired, "Mimi, why would you want to drop out of school and leave Salem?" A sudden clearing of thoughts overtook Belle. "This is about Rex, isn't it?"
Again, Mimi felt herself controlled by her smile. "Belle, I'm totally in love with him. And, he feels that way about me, too."
"You two really got serious over the summer," Belle speculated, pushing her own romantic troubles aside.
"Yeah, we did. But, Belle, you have to understand that I'm not just quitting school and chasing after him. In fact, before I came over, I was on the phone with the admissions office at Port Charles University. You, Belle Black, are looking at its newest transfer student."
"Oh, my God. Meems, you're really serious about this."
"Yep. Even though it means having to take out another student loan, the school's housing office was able to find a free room in one of the dorms."
Pulling her friend into a hug, Belle said, "I am so happy for you. You know exactly what you want in life and exactly where you're going." After a pause Belle added, "I wish I was more like you."
"You wish you were more like me. Puh-leeze! I have always wanted to be more like you." Mimi offered Belle a reassuring smile and silently acknowledged that she had never spoken truer words. For as long as she could remember, she had all but idolized her best friend. Belle Black had set the standard no matter the state of affairs. Glancing at her watch, Mimi realized just how late it was getting. "Are you going to be okay if I head home to start packing?"
"I'll be fine."
Mimi was halfway to the door when she turned around and rushed back to her friend. Pulling Belle into a tight hug, Mimi gushed, "You have always been the most awesome friend a girl could have. I'm going to miss you so much."
Once again, Belle felt tears filling her eyes. In the course of a mere twelve hours, she had lost her boyfriend and her best friend. Yet, Belle was able to see that Shawn needed free of their relationship and Mimi needed free of Salem. Despite her own sadness, Belle understood that both Shawn and Mimi had let go of their pasts so they could fully embrace their futures. It was a step that commanded both her respect and her envy.
In a whisper, Belle replied, "I'm going to miss you, too."
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More than just a minor amount of fury was evident in Nicole's eyes. In her most venomous tone, she spat, "I hate you, Victor."
The older man chose to ignore his wife as he ventured into the dining room for dinner that Thursday evening.
Trailing close behind her husband, Nicole loudly demanded, "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you. I'm warning you, Victor!"
Victor instantly stopped in his tracks. Quickly turning to face Nicole, he roughly grabbed her arm and mocked, "You're warning me? Don't flatter yourself."
Just as suddenly as he took hold of Nicole, Victor released her. As he confidently walked away, Victor asked, "What are you going to do? Try to kill me . . . again?" Upon entering the dining room, Victor calmly sat down at the head of the table. "Honestly, Mrs. Kiriakis, your vain attempts to take my life are becoming rather predictable. This latest fiasco with Larry Welch was surely the most transparent. You must learn to plan these things out better."
"Plan what things out better?" Brady questioned as he entered the room.
Lying as though it was the most natural of actions, Victor answered, "Nicole wanted to completely redecorate the study. However, when she began making her purchases she failed to set a reasonable budget. I was just telling her that it would be far better if she planned these things out before she actually bought anything."
Brady carefully watched Nicole as she sat down across from him at the table. Since he moved into the mansion in mid-summer, Brady had become accustomed to Nicole and Victor's unorthodox behavior around one another. As he silently analyzed Nicole's current conduct, Brady came to the conclusion that his grandfather was lying - yet again.
Guiding the conversation away from his discussion with Nicole, Victor said, "So, Brady, how are things proceeding with Titan's music division?"
There was a clear intent by Brady avoid Victor's expectant gaze. As one of the servants brought out dinner, Brady answered, "Too be honest, it's not going as well as I had planned."
"How so?" Victor implored with little or not interest.
"Well, for starters, I'm barely breaking even. And, I don't expect a real profit any time in the foreseeable future." Sighing with both frustration and regret, Brady admitted, "I'm just not sure if I was really ready to start my own music business. I think I may have jumped in a little too quickly."
Victor stabbed his fork into his steak and responded, "If you don't want the job, Brady, just say so. I'll find someone else to take care of it."
"I don't want to disappoint you, Grandfather. But, yeah, maybe it would be best if I let someone else handle Titan's music division."
Truly unconcerned with Brady's dilemma, Victor answered, "Then, consider it done. We'll just find a position at Titan that you think you'd be better suited for."
Nicole slammed her hands down on the table and exclaimed, "I knew it! You're going to hand over my old job to him!"
"Relax," Brady commanded with a roll of his icy blue eyes. "I don't want your old position at Titan." Turning to his grandfather, Brady continued, "That's just it. I went straight from a job my dad gave me at his company to one you gave me at Titan. I guess I just need to find out what I can accomplish on my own."
"Well, I hope you'll at least agree to stay here at the mansion while you work out all the details."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to have to think it over before agreeing. I'm going to step outside and get some air." With that, Brady left the table without ever having touched his dinner. Like so many others, Brady had to decide where he really wanted his life to be going - and how to get there.