Author's Note:

This is the last story of The Storm Series. This story was written in 2002 and finished in the summer of 2003. It picks up one year after Against All Odds ended. It is completely and totally self-edited so there will be some typos/etc. I apologize in advance for them! In this story, Brady and Chloe are getting ready to celebrate their first anniversary together. It is rated M for language and also for adult situations.

Chapter One

The warm June sun beamed cheerfully through the canopy of leaves, casting Salem Park with its bright glow. The start of summer had finally hit the small town of Salem, and there were many people at the park. Runners, walkers, women showing off their new summer outfits, children playing in the park; all were enjoying the picture perfect early summer day in Salem.

"Oh, this is so beautiful!" Belle gushed out happily, leisurely pushing her sleeping daughter in her stroller. She turned her face up to the sun and smiled in rapture, cherishing the feel of the warm rays illuminating her face.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her eternally perky best friend and sister-in-law. "It certainly is, Belle," she answered, stepping out of the way of a runner who just barely managed to run by Belle, Chloe and the stroller without hitting them. "Hey, watch it!" Chloe yelled angrily to the runner, who kept on going without acknowledging her annoyed order.

Belle opened her eyes from her contemplation of the sun's rays, granting her friend a glare after the sudden interruption. "You know, Chloe, we are kinda in the way here," she informed her sarcastically, glancing down at the sidewalk. Then, after pointedly ignoring the sharp look from Chloe, she turned her friend towards a nearby bench. "Let's have a seat."

Chloe was still glaring after the rude runner, her hands on her hips, and tossed her long hair in remembered irritation. "Fine," she eventually bit out with narrowed eyes, reluctantly following Belle's suggestion.

Belle settled herself on the park bench, making sure that Alicia, her one and a half year old daughter, was safely out of the damaging rays of the sun. She flipped up the top of the stroller securely and pushed Alicia near her side of the bench, completely entrenched in the shade. Then, Belle turned to Chloe with a smile, knowing the exact subject that would pull Chloe out of her annoyance with the runner. "It's so hard to believe that today is your anniversary, Chloe!"

The thought of being married to Brady for a year reduced Chloe's simmering anger, just like Bell had predicted, and brought out a large wistful smile that reached the depths of her sapphire eyes. "A year," she breathed out softly after leaning back on the bench, contemplating the past year with Brady. A year filled with laughter, sparring, passion, and, most importantly, love.

After a few moments of silence, Belle waved her hand impatiently in front of Chloe, who had taken on an uncharacteristic dreamy, far-away look, a testament to her happiness. "Hello? Chloe? Are you in there?" she asked indignantly, breaking into Chloe's thoughts.

Shaking herself out of her vivid daydream, a daydream involving herself and Brady in a series of very intimate positions, Chloe blushed revealingly. "Of course, Belle," she said with an effort. "So, what did you have in mind for me today? You called earlier."

"I merely wanted to enjoy this gorgeous day with you. And, of course, find out what, exactly, your plans are for this exciting evening. I mean, this is your first anniversary! What do you and Brady have planned?" Belle leaned in closer, eagerly awaiting her friend's response.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Chloe answered, mimicking Belle's perkiness with a grin. Then, after Belle got that militant gleam in her eye that clearly showed her unequivocal demand for gossip, she explained warmly, "Brady's handling everything. He wanted to plan our celebration for tonight. All I know is that he wanted to pick me up at Nancy and Craig's house around seven o'clock this evening. Other than that, I'm completely clueless about what he has planned."

With a short laugh, Belle announced cheerfully, "Well, knowing my big brother, I'm certain that it is going to be fabulous! I mean, the two of you had to go through soooo much to get to this point. Finding out who your father is, leaving for three years, coming back to bring DiMera down, then reconciling with Brady before your father had you kidnapped before your wedding...I mean, Chloe, that was a lot of obstacles you had to overcome."

A dark cloud slowly crossed Chloe's face at the remembered pain, pain that could be attributed at the hands of one single solitary person: Stefano DiMera. "I am just grateful, Belle, that all of the memories my father stole from me have finally returned. It was such a slow process, I didn't think I would ever get them all back."

"But you did!" Belle chirped out excitedly, her eyes shining merrily. "Brady was so totally happy when he told me about your memories. You know, how you remembered the first time you two met on the pier? Even though you didn't really like each other all that much, that was still an important meeting."

"We recognized our souls," Chloe added, her eyes deepening with the intense first meeting between them. "And we've come such a long way since then. First enemies, then best friends, then two people in love. And, after a lot of horrendous acts perpetrated against us by my father, we are now husband and wife."

Belle was about to respond when she recognized a man sauntering through the park that she knew not that far away from their spot. Standing up from the bench, ignoring Chloe for the moment, she called to him loudly and waved him over. "Ohhhh," Belle breathed out slowly, watching him approach them. "Let me look at the baby."

Ethan smiled a greeting at Chloe before he gently took the blanket off of his three-month old's son face. "I'm lucky," he announced to them while both Belle and Chloe were admiring the baby. "Greta had to go into work for a little bit this afternoon. Something about a new project..."

"Yeah," Chloe responded to her brother-in-law, smiling when baby Troy held on tightly to her finger. She cooed into his face before pressing a tender kiss on her nephew's cheek. "It's that new line of clothing that Basic Black is creating. Brady and Greta are both working on it today, finalizing it before the company starts creating the actual clothes. Pretty exciting, especially since Greta has designed many of the women's evening clothes."

"She's excited about it. She loves working on Notorious but I think she's found another talent," Ethan admitted with a lop-sided grin, obviously very proud of his wife. "Since Greta had to go in to work unexpectedly, I get this little guy all to myself."

"He is so precious," Belle breathed out appreciatively, laughing when Troy opened his dark cobalt blue eyes and gazed into hers intently. "Absolutely beautiful."

"I prefer the term handsome, myself," Ethan said dryly before he grinned his gratitude. "Thanks, ladies. Well, if you'll excuse me, we have to get going. It's almost time for this little one's nap." With a wink and a grin, Ethan and his little bundle of joy were gone.

Watching Ethan leave with his son, Chloe confided to Belle, her words coming out haltingly, "Sometimes, Belle, I find it hard to believe that everything has worked out so well for me. And for Greta, too. I mean, our father is such a cruel, uncaring person who has shown no remorse for the havoc he has caused. Not only in our lives, but also in the lives of people that we love. I can't fathom why he has not tried to interfere in our lives again."

After checking on her sleeping daughter, Belle walked up to her friend and promptly placed a comforting arm around Chloe's shoulders. Her hands framed Chloe's averted face and forced her friend to meet her gaze levelly. "Probably because he has realized that nothing can come between the connection you share with my brother. Look at how many times he has tried. And failed. He's just given up."

"Most of the time I believe that, Belle. But sometimes I can't help but feel that these are halycon days, that they will end when my father starts some new, despicable plan to destroy my life," Chloe answered with a fatalistic shrug, biting her bottom lip nervously at her dark admissions. Stefano DiMera was a living, breathing nightmare for her, one that she was afraid who could come back to wreak more havoc in her life at any time. "I try to tell myself that it won't happen, that it can't happen..."

"You're right!" Belle interrupted fiercely, placing her hands on her hips and facing Chloe with a determined glare. "Your father is long gone, Chloe! He will never show his face in Salem again. And, even if he does, there are always those charges that are still waiting for him. You know, kidnapping, theft, murder, attempted murder?"

With a small sigh, Chloe admitted to Belle the reason for her continued fear, "All those charges were dropped, Belle, believe it or not. About six months ago, in fact. Not too many people know about it, though. Only me, Brady, your parents, Greta and, of course, Ethan. It seems that Martie Pierce, the victim, decided against prosecuting Stefano, Lexie or Rolf. Ethan told Brady and I that he suspects she was either paid off or intimidated in some way. Whichever, it doesn't matter. Stefano is able to come out of hiding and Rolf and Lexie were freed months ago."

Belle gasped with shock as a shiver coursed up Belle's spine, the information bringing remembered terror. Then, with a shake of her head and a return of her natural optimism, she determinedly declared, "Well, if Stefano and his evil entourage were to come back to Salem, we would all know right away. Plus there'd be so many people, Chloe, standing by you. Brady, me, Shawn, my mom and dad, Hope and Bo, Greta and Ethan...the list could go on and on. Which, of course, leads me straight back to my earlier hypothesis. Stefano will never come back to Salem. You're safe here."

Chloe stared into the imploring eyes in front of her. Shaking off the impending feeling of doom that always overcame her at the mere mention or thought of her father, Chloe forced a lighthearted grin to her face. "You are exactly right, Belle!"

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Belle answered with a return to cheerfulness. "Now, you have a wonderful, romantic evening ahead of you, Chloe Black! Let's get you home so you can get ready for it."

Chloe nodded her agreement. Together, the two women exited the park, the stroller in between them. But Chloe still couldn't shake the oppressive feeling that the thought of her father always brought her. At the end of the sidewalk, she turned and glanced over her shoulder, heaving an inward sigh of relief when she couldn't see anything. "Just a nightmare," she whispered to herself before following Belle to her car.