Chapter 2

"What a mess!" Bo Brady sighs, pushing his hands through his hair.

He thinks over the last month-or-so. It started quite well, Hope loved his surprise. They renewed their vows, and re-did their first wedding, carriage and all... She loved it. He can still remember the way her eyes shown that day. He came clean about the evidence he was with-holding, and she understood. She was mad, but she understood. then Hollingsworth turned up alive, Ava took off, their was an investigation launched on him about the evidence, which was all still handleable. Then came the kicker. Dimera, Stefano awake and well, with revenge on his mind. And he managed to get himself out of jail-time, yet again. And that is why everything is a mess.

"You sure you want to do this partner? What about the good fight and taking on Dimera..."

"That's just it, Bo." Abe interrupts. "I'm not getting anywhere. In fact, I am starting to think I, we, never will. We do everything by the book, and he still manages to get off. Every single time!" Abe slams his fist into his desk for affect.

Bo shakes his head, looking doubtful. His brother, Roman Brady sits forward, wearing the same expression.

"And seeing as you two won't budge on taking over my position, I have contacted the mayor with my final recommendation." Abe sits forward, and pulls on his jacket as he stands up. "He'll be making the announcement in a about an hour. I want to get home to Lexie, so I can watch it on TV..."

As he walks out the door the two brothers shake their heads again.


"Hope Williams Brady." her name keeps repeating in her head... Then she realize that she has been staring into the camera like an idiot, and tries to look normal. The camera moves on, and someone shouts "Cut!", and then every one is around her.

"Congratulations!"

"You go girl!"

"Good goin'!"

Everyone's voices mingle into one big tidal wave. And all she wants is to get away.....


"Hope turned down the position but she wants me to apply." Bo Brady is sitting at the precinct, sharing a pizza with Roman.

"So go for it....Oh, this is good." Roman reaches over for another piece.

"I don't know. Maybe I should give it a shot... I didn't want to at first, but maybe it'll be the only way to put a stop to Dimera...."


John Black walks down the stairs of the Dimera mansion. His mansion. And he will do anything to keep it that way. He thinks back to his earlier conversation with Stefano where he hasn't gotten any where. And this thing with Blondie is also eating at his mind. Now the damn woman wants a divorce. He was willing to give it a shot, and he told her so, but she's not budging. He doesn't quite understand why he feels so set against the divorce. Maybe because it means he is part of them. Them being every one that has rejected him, just because he isn't like the old John. Well, damn them all then, if they won't accept him for who he is, then they can all go... But then, if he gives her the divorce, Stefano has won. Perhaps only a battle, he can still win the war, but he refuses to accept even a lost battle.

As he reaches the foot of the stairs, he hears voices.

"I promised Marlena she will never have John again, and that is a small price to pay for what she did to me!" Stefano's voice booms, then turns more proud.

"But that will change, right Rolf? We have the key to keep John away from Marlena, and there is nothing any one can do. Plus! Haa-ha! It will wreak havoc on those damn Brady's as well." John frowns, so that is the plan! Blondie can go stick those divorce papers where the sun don't shine, in fact, maybe he should organize a date. Yes. Somewhere where Stefano is sure to catch wind of it.

"Have you taken our lovely lady home Rolf?"

"She is safely home, Sir."

Damn that Rolf! John grimaces. He hates having lost his own servant to Stefano.

"Oh Rolf! This plan will so work. Our lovely lady will spend all her time on getting John to remember her - and that after I told her expressly to stay away from him! Haa-ha! She has no idea she'll be playing straight into my hands. And at the same time I get absolute power of the whole damn police force as well!"

John frowns and turns back towards the stairs. What Lady could Stefano be talking of? What is he up to? He himself will just have to guard himself when there is any woman around and concentrate on getting his relationship with Blondie back on track - or at least, let it seem back on track. He stops dead in his tracks as an image of two slick naked bodies tumbling in bliss hits him. It couldn't be? Could it? Would Stefano chance it, again?


Bo Brady walks into his house, shrugging off his jacket and closing the door.

"Hope?!" the house is silent.

"Where can she be?" he mutters under his breath. The whole day he has been trying to reach her. She left the precinct that morning, saying she wants to follow up a lead on the Trent-killing, and just said, it's probably a long shot, but she's going to chance it. The rest of the day he kept calling her cellphone and getting voice mail. Lexie hadn't seen her, neither did Marlena. Chelsea was suppose to meet her for lunch – no doubt wanting a woman's advice on her twisted love life, but Hope never showed.

"Hope?!" he decides to check up stairs, but has an eary feeling that something is wrong. He cannot sense her presence in the house. He rounds the bedroom door and stops dead in his tracks. Hope is..sleeping. She's out like a light, at 8pm. He goes over to check if she has a fever, but she feels quite normal. He feels her stirring, then her eyes open slightly, blurred with sleep.

"Fancy face, 're you all right?"

She puts her hand to her forehead, and smiles slightly.

"Yes." swallows, "I'm all right. I just had a terrible migraine so I took some tablets and came to lie down."

"You feelin' any better."

"Actually, no, not really. Why don't you just let me sleep it off?"

"Okay, Fancy face. Where's Ciara?"

"At Caroline's. I asked her if Ciara could spend the night..."

"Okay, go back to sleep. I'll join you later."

At the door he turns.

"I love you Fancy face."

In the darkness he sees a slight smile at his words.


"Why didn't you wake me?" Hope calls rushing downstairs and past Bo standing at the foot of it.

"Thought I'd give you a little extra time, seeing as you don't need to get Ciara ready as well."

Hope storms past picking up her bag, then rushes back to the other side to get her jacket she threw over the back of a chair when she came downstairs.

'That's not for you to decide."

Bo throws his hands up in the air.

"Well, sorry."

"I have an urgent meeting at eight which I cannot mis." Hope announces before opening the door.

"Love ya!" Bo calls after her.

Hope turns back, rushes over to him, drops a quick kiss on his lips, then rushes out, calling. "Love you, too."over her shoulder.

Bo has a bewildered look on his face as he stares after her.

"Oh-kay.. Good thing she hadn't taken that Commissioner job, then she'd have had to rush off every morning to some meeting." He throws back his head, and downs his coffee.


Hope steps out of the car, and looks up to see the Mayor ordering his coffee. She breezes over and sits down.

"Ah! Mrs. Brady. Sorry I had to make it so early, when you phoned yesterday, I knew my day was booked so I figured I'll slip you in over morning coffee."

"It's no problem." she looks up as the waiter arrives with his coffee. "Tea, not too strong, with some lemon, please and hot milk." she orders, smiling at the waiter and staring after him as he leaves, deep in thought, thinking over the reason she is sitting at a table in a coffee shop, meeting the Mayor at a time she would normally still be having breakfast with Bo and Ciara.

"I take it you have taken my proposal in to some consideration. It is still on the table."

She turns her attention back to him, and smiles as she sits back, surveying him.

"Yes. Yes, I have, and I have decided that I shall take the position after all."

"Great! You have made me a very happy man. May I ask what changed your mind."

"One man can be particularly persuasive." she smiles, a smile not quite reaching her eyes. An image of Stefano Dimera in her mind.

"Well, thank him for me, will you?" he says as he raises his coffee in a salute, before downing the rest.

"Perhaps one day I shall...'

He smiles, holds out his hand, she takes it and they shake on it.

"Welcome aboard Mrs. Brady, I am very pleased we had this meeting."

"Thank you." She watches him until his car disappears around the corner, then she sits back to enjoy her tea, feeling satisfied.


"The case has been re-opened." Roman Brady states.

"Why?" Bo Brady asks. "Things have been sorted now..."

"Stefano I think... He must've pulled some strings and got the Hollingsworth case re-opened as a kidnapping case."

"So, you think this is Stefano's way of getting rid of John so he can have his damn empire back."

"What else?"

They both look up as Hope enters.

"What did I miss?" she sits down and crosses her legs.

"State is re-opening the Hollingsworth case – as a kidnapping case against John."

"But that was settled?" Hope looks alarmed.

"Yeah, but Dimera must've re-opened it, trying to oust John and get his empire back."

"We've already drawn straws, and seeing as ours is the same length, the short one must be left for you. You get to tell John the bad news." Roman states, lying with a straight face.

"Ha-ha-ha, there is no straws. But I'll go... If I'm not back in two hours send out the search party – I have a feeling the messenger may just get shot today."


Hope rings the doorbell at the Dimera mansion, feeling a bit apprehensive.

The door swings open and Rolf appears. She pushes past him, putting her bag down in the foyer on the small round table, then turns, announcing.

"I need to see John."

Rolf shrugs as he closes the door.

"He isn't here." Rolf says as he closes the door. "And no I don't know where he is." He answers her before she can ask the next question.

"In here, Rolf!" Stefano calls.

Hope roles her eyes at Rolf who shrugs and goes through to the drawing room. After a couple of seconds, she picks up her bag and follows him, leaving it on the sofa.

"Rolf I need you to find me these books – they're somewhere in the old library."

Rolf looks at the list, then questioningly at Stefano.

"They're for the twins, not for me." Stefano explains a little impatiently.

As Rolf leaves, Hope speaks up.

"Playing the doting Grandpa, Steffi?"

"And actually enjoying it." he answers, closing the file in front of him as he stands up. "So what brings you here so early?"

"I need to see John."

"John? What for?" Stefano swings around, faking anger.

"You tell me, you re-opened the case against him, did you not?" she walks up to him until they are just inches from one another, as she pushes her chin out challengingly.

"Oh, Official police business, is it, Gina, or just an excuse to see him?"

She roles her eyes at him, the puts her hands on his lapels.

"Oh Steffi, you really do have a one track mind." she turns away from him and pours herself a drink. "Actually no, Bo and Roman sent me, the dutiful, hardened cop."

"But not for much longer, right?" Stefano pours himself a drink as well.

"No, I'll be Commissioner by the end of the week."

"So you took the job like I told you."

"Off course." she moves over and puts her hands on his chest again, looking up from under her eyelashes. "Oh, Steffi, we didn't part on very good terms, the last time you brought me back.. I'll follow all your orders this time. I won't repeat the same mistakes again." she pouts as she looks up at him.

"All my orders?"

"Yes, all of them."

"And yet you are here to see John,"

She drops her hands and walks a slight distance away before facing him again.

"Won't you ever trust me again?"

"After that damn fiasco with John and later with my Renet?"

"So why did you bring me back then?"she challenges, looking hurt.

"Because I have a use for you, and you'd do well to bear that in mind Gina."

"And when you have no further use, back comes Hopey-Dopey?!" she looks outraged at the idea.

Stefano walks over to her and puts his finger underneath her chin, lifting her face just enough to look her straight in the eye.

"Just make sure that you stay useful to me, and we'll get along just fine, huh? Come, " he swings her around, takes the glass from her hand and starts marching her to the door. As they pass the couch he scoops up her bag and hands it to her. Then gives her a kiss on each cheek. "You still have to play the dutiful cop until you receive supreme power..."

As Gina leave and Stefano retires to his chair, John Black retreats back into the garden from the open terras doors. Gina! He should've known after the last conversation her overheard. He just never thought Stefano would risk bringing her back. He thinks back to what Sami told him, and later Hope, when he gave her no choice but to fess up. Then a lone memory hits him again. Her soft body as he picks her up and places her on the bed, the way she feels beneath him as their limbs tangle with one another, the adrenalin coursing through his veins as the tumble around, their lips locked with passion, the feel of her lips and hair as she teases him, having taken the top position, overpowering his senses.... He shakes his head to make it go away. In all the months he has had one memory. Why couldn't it have been something nonthreatening, or boring, something that wouldn't create such a temptation? Just watching her mannerisms and hearing that articulate accent... He must avoid her at all costs. Stefano will not win, not this time. It is time for him to set up that date with Blondie.

On the other side of the house Gina breaths a sigh of relief. An excuse to see John, Stefano had said. Not in the least. She just wanted the first meeting to get over and done with. This new John unnerves her completely, she's afraid he might see right through her... And if he had such an unnerving affect on Hope, what will his affect be on her?

She shakes her head, willing the anxious feeling away. She's off the hook, for now. Rather rush back to Hope's boring little life at the precinct, it might be boring, but it's safe. Bo and Roman is a lot easier to face, or to fool. After all, she has done it once before...