Chapter Thirteen

Chloe stood posed at the entrance to the balcony as the door slid closed behind. First, she spotted Brady, who was still talking with his grandfather. Then, she searched out Mrs. Brady. She was standing next to Greta. The two of them seemed to be having an intense discussion. Then, Hope and Greta both glanced at Chloe. Chloe gave them a small smile as Greta looked at her with obvious warmth. They waved to Chloe and she responded. Then, the two friends continued their discussion as they walked into the crowd.

Chloe walked down the two steps and accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, excuse me," she said to the back of a girl.

The girl whirled around and said, "Oh, my, god, Chloe!"

The guy with the girl turned around, also (only at a more dignified rate). "Chloe, I haven't seen you here all night." He gave Chloe a genuine grin.

Chloe smiled slightly back. "I was out on the balcony, getting some fresh air, Phillip." She raised her eyebrow as the girl standing with Phillip not so subtly linked arms with him. "Mimi," she said, "you look wonderful." She was completely happy for Phillip, who had started "seeing" Mimi. They weren't an official couple yet, but, if Mimi had anything to say about it…

Mimi was always taken aback when Chloe was kind to her. A lot of the old feud between them had dissipated over time. "Thanks, Chloe. You look killer yourself."

Phillip held onto Mimi as he said, "If you're looking for Brady, he's still with my father. They're over by the entrance." It amazed Phillip now that the "great love" he claimed to have for Chloe had disappeared. He realized now that he had loved the Chloe he wanted her to be, not the genuine Chloe she was. It had been a hard realization, the death of dreams is always hard, but he was officially over Chloe and ready to move on with his life.

"I'll run into him eventually," Chloe responded. She was still unsure how to act around Phillip, even though Phillip was completely fine with her relationship with Brady. This was a new Phillip and Chloe wished him all of the best in the world.

"So," Mimi said, still with her arm hooked with Phillip's. She would continue to see Chloe as "competition" until Phillip admitted any feelings he had for her. Mimi knew that it was ludicrous to feel that way, but, then, love sometimes made people think, and do, crazy things. "We just saw Shawn and Belle. Shawn didn't look too happy to be here."

"Yeah," Phillip agreed. "He's going through a really tough time right now with his family. It's a good thing he's got Belle."

"I know," Chloe said. "Shawn needs time. The person I feel the worst about is his mother. She could use all the support she can get right now."

Mimi said, "We saw you two talking out on the balcony. What were you talking about?"

Chloe gestured with her arms in the air. "Mainly about the party," she lied. She felt bad about discussing Mrs. Brady's affairs with anyone. They were private and belonged only to her. "It was cold out there, though, so we came back in."

Just then, the music started up again. Phillip turned to Mimi and asked, "Would you care to dance, Meems?"

She giggled and said, "Of course." They started to walk to the dance floor and Mimi called over her shoulder, "See ya later, Chloe!" Phillip nodded a good-bye at Chloe, too.

Chloe measured her feelings as she watched Phillip and Mimi enter the dance floor together. She felt nothing but friendship for Phillip, and, surprisingly, for Mimi, too. Chloe reflected that she didn't have any romantic feelings left for Phillip at all. She was very happy for the two of them.

She turned around to survey the party that was going on. Couples danced on the crowded dance floor. She noticed John and Marlena slow dancing together, unaware of any audience around them. They are still so in love, Chloe thought, even after all of the horrible things that have happened to them. They are truly soulmates. Then, her eyes sought Hope Brady, who was talking with Greta and the new doctor, Colin Murphy. She felt a sadness well up in her as she recalled their conversation on the balcony. It's so sad that Mr. and Mrs. Brady have separated and that their family has been shattered. And all because of the manipulation of one evil man. I hope nothing will ever tear Brady and me apart like it did to Shawn's parents.

Chloe saw a livid fury cross Hope Brady's face as she glanced towards the door. Hope made a move to leave her friends, but Greta stopped her. She tried to calm Hope down. Chloe glanced curiously in the direction that Hope was looking and saw Lexi Carver, Hope's ex-best friend, enter the room, alone. Lexi had lost a lot in the baby switch thing, too. Although she had been found completely innocent of knowing that the baby's were switched, she had lost her husband, her son, and her best friend.

"This could get very interesting," she heard a voice say behind her.

"Salem always is," Chloe responded as Brady came up behind her and put his arms around her. Chloe leaned back into his arms. "Do you think she is really innocent?"

Brady shook his head. "It's been my family's belief that anyone related to Stefano in any way is never "really" innocent. Like father, like daughter, that type of stuff. He corrupts everyone who he supposedly loves. Look at Kristen, Peter, Lexi,… The list could go on and on. He's evil, Chloe, and it runs in his family. I hope he never shows his face in Salem again."

Chloe shivered, so Brady wrapped his arms tighter against her. "I only met him once, in Europe," she said to Brady. "He was with Dr. Carver and asked me to sing him some opera, so I did. I remember that it made him cry."

"Really?" Brady asked. He hadn't heard this before. "That's surprising. I didn't realize that monsters could show real feelings." Then Brady sighed as he nuzzled Chloe's neck. "My father has been trying to get Stefano DiMera for years. He has wreaked such havoc in his life. First he brainwashed him into being his soldier, then DiMera made him think he was Roman Brady, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! The man is a dangerous, cold monster."

"I've never heard that before, about you're father, I mean," Chloe clarified when Brady glanced quizzically at her.

"Believe me, it really happened. DiMera has nearly ruined my father's life so many times, but Dad has always been able to piece it back together." Brady watched his father, who was kissing Marlena under the mistletoe. "He's messed with Marlena and most of the Brady's, too. DiMera's pure evil."

Chloe shivered again. The portrait Brady painted of DiMera frightened her. "Do you think he'll ever come back to Salem and try to disrupt your father's life again?" she asked in concern for Brady and his family.

"My father and I make an excellent team, Diva. We could prevent him from doing any damage." He turned Chloe in his arms. "But enough unpleasant talk. Let's enjoy this party!"

Brady led Chloe onto the dance floor. She couldn't resist one last look at Lexi Carver, who was glaring daggers at Hope Brady. Her heart went out to Hope as she processed what Brady had told her about Lexi and her father. Like father, like daughter, she mused as she stepped into the circle of Brady's arms.

Nearby, the man in the shadows watched his daughter dance with the son of his most hated enemy. Stefano laughed as he said, "I'm going to claim you soon, Chloe, and your sister, too. I will teach both of you how to become true DiMeras. It's almost show time!"