This Love…
Season 1 Episode 25: Kiss Me at Midnight
Hope lay in Aiden's bed dreaming after their lovemaking.
"Fancy face…"
Hope slowly opened her eyes. She saw Bo standing in front of her. She quickly sat up and looked around. Aiden was gone. There was nothing even around her except white. White was everywhere. She was on a white bed in a white room with no other furniture. Heck, she couldn't even see a door. There was just Bo standing in front of her.
"Bo! You came back!" Hope said. Her heart sank a little. "Are you here to scold me again about choosing Aiden? I'm sorry! I know you wanted Rafe for me, but my heart wants Aiden. I love him, Bo! He really has changed. He was the first man I ever fell in love with after you. I didn't think I'd ever be able to fall in love again, and then Aiden came along and…I fell so hard for him, Bo! I can't just get rid of those feelings I have for him."
Bo shrugged. "The heart wants what it wants!" He grinned.
Hope raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"That wasn't me you saw before in your dream, Hope. It was just your guilty conscious projecting a vision of me into your dreams. You felt guilty for cheating on Rafe—especially after all he did for you—so you envisioned me in your dream, telling you off for it," Bo explained.
"So, is it really you now?" Hope asked.
Bo smirked. "Dreams are one way the dead can communicate with the ones they love. In a dream, it doesn't freak the living out as much." He winked at her and grinned.
Hope grinned back. "You did pick a good man for me, but Bo…"
"Your heart wants someone else," Bo finished for her. "It's okay. After all, Rafe was just a suggestion. Technically, I never told him to marry you. I just wanted him to look out for you. He took it the way he wanted to take it. I mean, yes, I had a feeling he would be your next husband, but I really just wanted to make sure you were safe, and well-taken care of. I know you're perfectly capable of picking out your own man. If it's Aiden, then so be it."
"So, you're not mad?" Hope asked quietly.
Bo waked closer to her. He gently stroked her cheek even though she couldn't feel it. "Fancy Face, if being with Aiden makes you happy, then it makes me happy. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. If Aiden makes you happy, then you have my blessing. Not that you ever needed it. Like I said, you are perfectly capable of picking your own man out. It's your life; not mine or anyone else's for that matter."
"Aiden does make me very happy," Hope whispered. "And I know it's my choice, but your opinion still means a lot to me, as does your acceptance."
"Think if it this way. When I asked Rafe to look out for you, I thought Aiden had tried to kill you and was now dead. I had never even met Aiden or known anything about your relationship with him. Had I known more, it could have just as easily been Aiden I asked to look out for you instead of Rafe. Heck, Aiden being the first man you fell in love with since me says something. Also, you loved him enough to marry him. He obviously made you very happy at one point. And, seeing as your heart keeps leading you back to Aiden, it has to mean he still makes you happy." Bo smiled at her. "Right?" he asked, once again stroking her cheek.
Hope nodded. "Right! He makes me so happy, Bo! Whenever I'm with him I can sense his love for me. It's so strong! And even though I was with Rafe, he never gave up on me even when Rafe and I married and had twins."
"Well, like I said, you have my blessing. I'm not thrilled that Aiden had planned to kill you at one point, but, since his son's life was in danger, and since he ended up still not being able to go through with it, I can forgive him. After all, that's kind of what we're all about up here in Heaven—forgiveness. As long as you're happy, that's all I really care about. Unfortunately, I do have to go now. I love you, Fancy Face. Never forget that," Bo said.
"And I love you, Brady. Always," Hope said, tears in her eyes. "I wish you didn't have to go."
Bo smiled. "We always have your dreams…" He then disappeared in a flash of yellow light.
Hope sighed. She then lay back down in the bed with a smile of contentment.
~*came back to me.*~
Aiden watched as Hope smiled in her sleep. She looked so peaceful and content.
Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open. She then sat up in bed and looked around as if she was unsure of where she was.
In an instant, Aiden worried that she was going to realize what she'd done, change her mind again, and leave him again. However, his worries were soon put to rest as their eyes met and she smiled.
"Good morning, my Love." She moaned, then pulled him in for a tender kiss.
He moaned as well, and hungrily kissed her back. "For a moment there, I was afraid you were going to change your mind," he said to her.
Hope shook her head. "Not this time." She kissed him again, and he hungrily returned her kisses.
When they broke the kiss, he gently stroked her hair. "What made you change your mind the first time, if you don't mind me asking?"
Hope blushed. "It seems silly to me now, but I felt so nervous that I had a dream about Bo. He was scolding me for cheating on Rafe and being with you. He said I couldn't trust you, and that I should be with Rafe after all he's done for me. I know now it was just my guilty conscious playing a trick on me but still… It had really shaken me up. I was only rude to you because I knew it was the only way you'd let me go."
"Oh. I thought you really hated me," Aiden said, looking down at the bed sheets.
Hope shook her head, and gently stroked his cheek, causing him to look at her again. "I could never hate you, Aiden. I love you. Even when I didn't want to admit to it, I loved you. I meant what I said to you before my dream."
Aiden smiled. "Good to know. "I love you too. So much, Hope! I'm sorry for all those nasty looks I gave you and all the nasty things I said to you. I say I'm not going to hurt you, but then I still go on hurting you."
"Well, after the way I had treated you, that was normal. If you forgive me, I'll forgive you," she grinned at him, and wriggled her eyebrows up and down playfully.
He grinned too. "Deal!"
"Good!" Hope said, before pulling him in for even more kissing yet.
"And you know what?" she then added.
"Hm?" Aiden asked, kissing down the side of her neck now. All the kissing had made him hungry for her.
Hope closed her eyes in pleasure. "I just had another dream. This time I really think it was Bo. He said it was."
"And what did he say… Hm?" Aiden asked, trailing his kisses down to her collarbone.
Hope's breathing started to become heavier. Her eyes were still closed. "He said he approves of you, and that I don't need his permission or anyone else's to be with whomever it is I want to be with."
"He's a wise man!" Aiden said.
Hope smiled. "He said that, as long as I'm happy, then so is he."
Aiden ceased his kissing, and looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "And are you happy with me?" he asked.
She gently took his face between her hands. "More than I ever thought possible," she replied.
Aiden's eyes lowered with love for her. He stroked her hair. "Just as I am with you, Baby. You're my dream come true."
"Oh, Aiden," Hope whispered.
They began kissing some more, and soon they were making love again, both so happy to finally be with their true love and soul mate.
~*came back to me.*~
After they had made love, Hope wanted to take a shower, but she realized she hadn't brought anything with her to Aiden's.
"You don't live far from here. How about I go pick you out an outfit from your home and bring it back? I can even stop by the café and get us some chocolate croissants and bacon on the way home," Aiden suggested.
"And some coffee?" Hope asked with a hopeful grin.
"Of course!" Aiden said, grinning back at her.
"Wait until after the shower." Hope pulled him so close, they were body to body. "I want you in there with me," she purred in his ear.
Aiden moaned. "Okay…" There was no way he was saying no now!
He followed her in the shower, and she turned on the water as arm as they could stand it.
They then got in, and she immediately began kissing and nipping down the side of his neck.
"You're sure insatiable this morning…" he said to her with closed eyes. He then opened them and grinned. "Not that I'm complaining…"
"I can't help it! I'm just so happy to finally have you back in my life…back in my bed," she purred, her kisses quickly becoming more passionate. "You always make me feel so good," she murmured in his ear gently licking up it as she did so.
Aiden moaned, and gently pressed her back against the shower wall. "Do you want me to make you feel good again?" he asked, his voice taking on a seductive tone.
Hope took his face between her hands and stared him deep in the eyes. "Do it!"
He moaned, then did just as she asked him too.
Their lovemaking was more forceful and desire-filled this time, but it was exactly what they both needed. Their desire for each other was overpowering.
They lazily kissed afterwards, and then Aiden helped her wash her back and she helped him wash his.
After their shower, Hope turned the water off, and was about to get out, when she had a dizzy spell again.
"Woah! Baby, are you all right?" Aiden asked, catching her before she fell.
Hope put a hand to her forehead. "I'm fine. Sorry. I think it's just a combination of not having eaten, the warm water, and the over exhortation." She turned to Aiden and grinned as she draped her arms over his shoulders. "You really gave me quite the workout."
He grinned too. "Why don't you go lie down? I'll go get your clothes and food," he said.
Hope nodded. "All right. Maybe I better."
Aiden helped her to the bed, then brought her her purse so that she could take out her house keys and hand them to him.
"I won't be long," he said, kissing her cheek before leaving.
"Take your time," Hope replied, laying down with a smile and closing her eyes. Between the warm water and their lovemaking, she was tired again…
~*came back to me.*~
It was now New Years' Eve. There was a party at The Square that night. The town had all pitched in their money and or time to decorate it to resemble Time's Square. There was going to be a ball drop and everything. Of course, the ball drop wasn't going to be as elaborate as the one in Time Square, and there were no musical guests—at least not of the celebrity kind—but it was still due to be a good time.
Hope and Aiden were at the square, helping other Salemites set up for the big night.
Word had now gotten out about Hope having left Rafe for Aiden, and the town was a buzz. Aiden hadn't had any one come up to him to confront him about it, but he knew that was more than likely for Hope's sake. Even so, he'd still get the evil eye from the people closet to Hope whenever he'd see them around. For instance, Steve, who was there with Kayla as they also helped set up, kept giving him the evil eye.
"I think everybody hates me even more than they already did," Aiden said to Hope as they hung some garland over the gates.
Hope looked to where Aiden was looking, and saw the look Steve was giving Aiden. "Don't worry about it. Steve and Kayla are just very protective of me. They also loved Rafe. It's just going to take some getting used to for them."
"I just hope they don't try to turn you against me," Aiden said, thinking about how Meredith's friend Bree kept trying to turn Hope against him when he had first started dating Hope.
"They can try all they want, but it's not going to change my mind about you. Remember what I told you when we first started dating and you were angry because Bree kept trying to get me to break up with you?" Hope asked.
"You said you make up your own mind about people," Aiden answered; remembering it clearly.
Hope nodded. "That's right!" She smiled warmly and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I haven't changed my mind about that."
"Ciara and Shawn probably aren't going to be that happy, and I know you care about their opinions," Aiden said, still worried.
"They both just want me to be happy, and I know that once they see how happy you make me, they will forgive you," Hope said, sounding sure of herself.
"And if they don't?" Aiden asked.
Hope shrugged. "They'll have to get over it! You're not of any danger to them, so it doesn't concern me. Besides, I know they will both come around in time."
"But what if they refuse to talk to you as long as you're still with me? I could never do that to you. If they want me to be gone from you're life, I'm gonna have to be—"
Hope cut him off with a finger to his lips. "No more talk about being gone from my life. You're worrying way too much over something that isn't even going to happen. So just relax, all right? Let's just enjoy the fact that we're going into the New Year together."
Aiden nodded. "All right." He squeezed her hand and they kissed.
"Well, I think we're done here." Hope said, hanging the last of the holly berry-covered garland. Let's go see if Steve and Kayla need help hoisting the mirror ball up on the pole."
"All right," Aiden agreed, though going over to see Steve and Kayla didn't seem like a good idea to him. He could already feel their icy stares.
As they neared, Hope smiled at Kayla. "Hey! Do you guys need any help with that?" Suddenly, she stopped, and reached for Aiden's shoulder to steady herself. She then put a hand to her forehead, looking pale.
Aiden quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Baby? What's wrong?"
Kayla and Steve both rushed over to her. "Did you just have another fainting spell?" Kayla asked her with concern. She put the back of her head to Hope's forehead. "You feel warm."
"How did you know about her other fainting spell?" Aiden asked.
Kayla looked at him funny. "She was with Steve and me at the ball when she nearly passed out from hunger."
He looked at Hope. "Why didn't you tell me you had almost fainted earlier too?"
"Did she have another fainting spell besides the ball and now?" Kayla asked Aiden.
Aiden nodded. "The morning after Christmas—right after we…" He blushed, and trailed off.
Kayla nodded. "I get the picture."
"That's not good. You should have her checked out," Steve said to Kayla.
Hope blushed. "Can you all please stop acting like I'm not right here?"
"Sorry, Baby. We're just worried about you," Aiden said, gently rubbing her back.
Kayla nodded. "I'm going to go take you over to the hospital right now and get you tested."
"Kay, no. I'm fine! We still have a lot of decorating to do to get ready for tonight," Hope protested.
Kayla shook her head. "It won't take long. We have to rule out pneumonia or the flu. There is a lot of illnesses going around this time of year. It's best to catch anything early."
"Kayla, this is really not necessary. I'm fine!" Hope continued to protest.
"Then prove it to me by coming to the hospital with me," Kayla ordered.
Aiden took Hope's hand and kissed it. "Please, Baby, listen to her. I want to make sure you're healthy. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."
Hope sighed. "Fine. But you stay here and help Steve. I have some errands to run after anyway. I'll just meet you at the party tonight."
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Aiden asked her.
Hope nodded. "I'm positive! Stay and help Steve." She turned to Steve. "And Steve? Don't be an ass to him."
Steve held his hands up in defense. "I didn't say nothing."
Hope nodded. "You keep it that way."
Aiden gave Hope a quick kiss, then she left with Kayla.
Aiden looked at Steve. "So, how can I help you?"
"By staying out of my way," Steve grumbled as he took off to work on the ball and poll again.
Aiden sighed. "All right. Hanging the lights on the gate with the garland it is!" He then grabbed a string of nearby unused lights and headed for the gates in the opposite direction as Steve.
~*came back to me*~
The party was in full swing. Hope arrived in a gold dress, looking stunning as ever.
Aiden, clad in a gold suit he felt ridiculous in but bought because Hope got a kick out of it, took her hand and kissed it. "So, it's definitely not pneumonia or the flu?" he asked with concern.
Hope shook her head. "Nope! It's like I told you earlier on the phone, it's just a stomach bug."
"Are you on any medication?" Aiden asked her.
Hope smiled at him and straightened his black tie. "Nothing major." She kissed him softly on the lips, then pat his chest. "Trust me, I'm fine. Let's just get some food, then dance!"
Aiden nodded. He smiled, revealing the dimples he knew Hope loved.
They took hands, and headed to get some food.
~*came back to me.*~
Throughout the evening, Hope and Aiden enjoyed good food and dancing as they celebrated entering the New Year together.
Hope softly scolded Steve for not playing nice with Aiden. Of course, she did it when Aiden was in the bathroom so as not to make Aiden feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, Hope, but I'll never get what you see in that guy. Rafe is a standup guy and even Bo saw it. This isn't right," Steve said.
"Yeah, well I know for a fact that Bo just wants me to be happy. I am incredibly happy with Aiden, and I don't need anyone's permission to be with him. It wouldn't be fair for me to stay with Rafe when my heart is with another man," Hope said.
"Fine. I'll accept it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it!" Steve grumbled.
Kayla smiled weakly at Hope. "We'll try to forgive Aiden. For your sake."
"Speak for yourself!" Steve said with a grunt.
Kayla rolled her eyes, and playfully smacked his chest.
Hope smiled. "Thank you, Kay."
"No problem," Kayla said. "Look, there's Joey and Jenna. Let's go say hi," Kayla then said to Steve, pointing them out as they came in.
"New girlfriend?" Hope asked, an eyebrow raised.
Steve nodded. "We've only met her once before, but I can tell already she's a hell 'a better than Jade! Though that's not saying much."
They then took off to say hello.
Hope smirked.
Aiden came back to her then. "Did you miss me?"
"Mm, so much!" Hope said, placing her hands over his chest and kissing him.
"All right, everybody! It's almost time for the ball to drop. Let us all start the countdown!" Sonny, who was hosting the event called out.
As everyone began to count down from fifty-nine.
Hope took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She had something important to tell Aiden. "Aiden… There's something I need to tell you," she began.
"Huh? It's hard to hear you right now, Baby," Aiden said, leaning in closer to her to hear her better.
"I sort of lied about what is wrong with me," Hope admitted.
Aiden looked at her with worry. She had his full attention now. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She smiled. "Nothing's wrong, really. At least, I hope not."
"Hope, you're scaring me." Aiden gently stroked her hair. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…" the crowd called out.
"Aiden, I'm pregnant." Hope said. "We're going to have a baby."
Aiden's mouth dropped open.
"4 3, 2, 1, Happy New Years!"
"People blew horns in celebration as "Auld Lang Syne" began to play, but Aiden barely noticed. "It's mine?"
Hope nodded. "I'm slightly over a month pregnant, and haven't slept with Rafe since before the twins died in September. It's yours."
Aiden grinned. "I didn't even think that was possible!"
Hope shrugged. "I didn't either! But, I was late to menopause, and started it about six months ago. Kayla said that, though it's rare for a woman my age to have a baby, it's possible—clearly!" Hope placed her hands over her stomach and looked at it before looking back up at Aiden. "I wasn't in menopause for a full year yet, so I was still able to get pregnant. It's what they call a menopause baby."
"So, this is real. It's not a joke. I'm really going to be a daddy again?" Aiden asked, feeling as if he were on cloud nine.
Hope grinned and nodded. "It's not a joke; you're really going to be a daddy again!"
Aiden cried out in joy, and pulled her in for the most passionate kiss yet!
Hope grinned. "I'm so happy to be experiencing this with you! At first I was unsure about having a baby again at this age, but seeing you so happy… Oh, Aiden, there is no one else I'd rather have this baby with than you."
"And there's no one else I'd rather have be the mother to my child than you," he said. "I just can't wait!" He picked her up.
Hope laughed as he lifted her up. "Careful! Baby on board!" she reminded him.
He set her back down. "Sorry. I'm just so excited!"
She grinned as she looked at him with love in her eyes. "Me too! I love you so much, Mr. Jennings."
"And I love you, Baby. Happy New Year, my beautiful Hope," he said to her.
"Happy New Year, My love," she said.
They kissed some more, then headed out hand-in-hand to the dancefloor, both so happy to start and celebrate both the New Year, and this new chapter in their lives.