Epilogue: The Day When Dreaming Begins
Chloe was wrapped in the darkness that surrounded her. She felt strangely safe and warm. The last thing she recalled was looking up in to the eyes of Brady, the young handsome Bohemian writer that she had fallen in love with. Chloe remembered telling him that she would always be with him, as his tears mingled with her own and then there was nothingness. Now she could hear a voice softly singing from somewhere beyond her, a voice that sounded familiar.
((( The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love...
And be loved in return... )))
She could hear Brady speak to her, but he no longer sounded upset or scared. "Chloe... Chloooooeeee... Wake up. Chloe, wake up."
Chloe opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the light above her. She was still wrapped in Brady's arms, but no longer were they backstage at the Moulin Rouge. She wasn't in her costume, and neither was he. He was still young and handsome, but he as not a penniless writer and she was not a courtesan.
She lifted her head from his chest and looked around. They were on the couch in Brady's loft, no longer in turn of the century Paris, but in Salem, 2002. She looked back at Brady and shook her head in confusion.
"Oh my God... Brady... I... I..."
Brady grinned at her and brushed his hand through her hair. "Glad you've decided to join me for the movie. Just in time too."
Chloe looked towards his television set and saw the closing credits of "Moulin Rouge" flashing by. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with surprise. "Brady... I had the strangest dream."
"Yes, Dorothy... But, now you're safe back in Kansas with your Auntie Em, and the Wicked Witch is dead."
Chloe rolled her eyes and playfully smacked his arm. "Gee, thanks... Very funny, TOTO."
"Are you calling me a DOG?"
"Well, if the flea collar fits..."
Chloe sat up and smoothed down her wrinkled shirt. Brady laughed at her and began barking quietly at her. Chloe giggled and put her hand over his mouth to shut him up.
"Shush... Listen to me... I dreamt that I was..."
"A dancer at the Moulin Rouge? And Ewan McGregor fell in love with you?"
Chloe leaned back against the couch and shook her head. It was all so vivid in her memory, unlike any dream she could remember having. It wasn't just as if she was watching the action, it was as if she was living it. "No, not Ewan McGregor..."
Brady wrinkled up his forehead in confusion. "Then who?"
Chloe didn't want to answer him, didn't want tell him that she had dreamt about falling in love with him, so she rapidly diverted his question. "Brady... Start the movie over."
"Start it over? I just watched a two and a half hour movie while you slept, and you want me to start it over and watch it again? Are you insane?"
"I... I want to watch it this time. I promise I won't fall asleep."
Brady grabbed the remote off the table and looked at her suspiciously. "Chloe... You've seen this movie about a thousand times, and you want to watch it again?"
Chloe nodded and looked at him pleadingly. "Yes. That *is* what I said. Please start it over."
Brady rolled his eyes and started the movie over from the beginning. "Boy, spend a couple months in a hospital, getting waited on hand and foot and you really do start to turn into a Diva."
Chloe smiled victoriously and put her head back on his shoulder. Brady really didn't want to watch the movie again, and she knew it, he just didn't want her to leave and go home yet. She sighed softly and settled in as John Leguizamo's character Toulouse began singing the opening song.
((( There was a boy
A very strange, enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he...
And then one day
One magic day
He passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me...
'The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love...and be loved in return' )))
Brady wrapped his arm around her shoulder and looked at her curiously. "Chloe... I'm really surprised at how much you've been watching this movie lately."
"Why? It's one of my favorites. Ever since you took me to see it at Salem Place last summer..."
"I know that... But, with you being sick, and the girl dying at the end. It's kind of depressing, isn't it?"
Chloe paused to think about it, having experienced in her dreams, she had a different outlook on it than she did before. "It is very tragic, that's true. But, it's also kind of inspiring too."
Brady frowned slightly and questioned her response. "Inspiring?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? I mean, the love that Christian and Satine share... It's so powerful and amazing and beautiful. Most people search their entire lifetimes and never find that kind of love. But, Christian and Satine found it, and even though she dies in the end... It's the kind of love that will be remembered forever, it lives for all time."
Chloe lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, as she continued. "I mean... Have you ever... You know... Been in love like that?"
Brady stared into her eyes, and Chloe felt her skin start to tingle. He looked like he was at a loss for words, and there was a long pause before he stammered out a reply. "I... I don't know. Does it count if it's unrequited love?"
"Uhm, nope. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love..."
"And be loved in return. Yeah, yeah, I know... So, I guess my answer is no. What about you? Is my uncle Phil your Ewan McGregor, and you are his Nicole Kidman?"
Chloe laughed and shook her head. "If you're calling me a prostitute with consumption, then no. And, if you think Phillip is the great love of my life, my soul mate, my destiny... Then, absolutely not."
Brady sat back in surprise. "Are you saying that you're not in love with Phillip anymore?"
"That's pretty much the gist of it. I've tried, God knows I have, but I just can't be with Phillip. It doesn't work, and to tell you the truth, I don't think it ever did. I will always have a special place in my heart for him, but it's over, completely and finally over. I want something more..."
"You want a love like Christian and Satine? Powerful and deep, the kind of love that overcomes all obstacles, and survives even when death takes you from the earth."
Chloe smiled and nodded. She didn't say it out loud, but she knew what she wanted. She wanted Brady, she had always wanted Brady. Even before her mind knew it, her heart knew that he was the one for her. "Don't you think I deserve that? Don't you think we all do?"
Brady nodded in agreement and kissed her on the forehead. "I think we all deserve that, Diva."
"I don't think it's asking too much. Before I die, I want to experience what true love has to offer me."
"Well, it's good that you have plenty of time for that. You're in remission from your leukemia, and we found you a bone marrow match... You've got a long long time to find your true love."
Chloe nodded and sighed softly, turning away from him to watch the movie. She knew that Brady loved her, his sister had even accidentally let it slip out to her the other day. Brady had told Belle that he loved her, but had still been unable to admit it to her. Of course, she wasn't exactly forthcoming with her feelings about him either. But, they were always there, in every smile exchanged between the two of them, and even the slightest of touches.
They watched the movie in silence for quite awhile until they came upon the scene where the Duke first meets Satine. As the characters on screen were telling the Duke about 'Spectacular, Spectacular', Brady was chuckling softly and Chloe turned her head to look at him curiously. "What are you laughing at?"
"That damn Duke... It's like, he's too much of a buffoon to be truly evil, and he's too evil for you to feel any sympathy towards him. He's just a... a putz."
Chloe pictured Phillip in her head, as he had been in her dreams, the bumbling psychopathic Duke and nodded in agreement, stifling her own laughter. "Good point..."
They watched as Christian returned to see Satine, as they discussed love together on top of the Elephant. Chloe's heart was pounding faster for some reason, and she was possessed by a sudden desire to do something she had never done before. She moved closer to Brady and laid her hand over his heart, causing him to turn and lock eyes with her.
"Brady... I have to ask you something."
Brady nodded and she continued with her query. "Do you believe in love?"
"Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"
Chloe took a deep breath in and continued. "Do you think that love is worth it? Worth all of the obstacles, the pain, the heartache that may or may not come, is it worth fighting for... Is love worth everything?"
Brady was nearly breathless as he stared into her blue eyes, he hardly knew what to say, wondering where this was all leading. "Chloe... I... Yes, I do. If it's real and true, then love is worth everything."
Chloe nodded and continued, the air between turning into a field of electricity. "And... Love, real and true love, it's worth risking everything... taking chances? Isn't it?"
"Yes, I guess so... What are you trying to get at?"
Chloe smiled lovingly at him. "I think it's time we start taking some chances."
Brady didn't have a chance to respond, because Chloe leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. She had dreamt of this moment before, but the real thing was even better than she could have imagined it. The kiss deepened and Brady gently trailed his fingers up her bare arm, pulling her closer to him. Onscreen, the two lovers were about to do the same, giving each other the first kiss of true love.
((( How wonderful life is now you're in the world... )))
Brady's kiss made her heart soar, and she felt like she could have sprouted wings and flown off into the sky at that very moment. She finally broke away from him and smiled.
"You see, Brady... I learned, because of being sick and everything... Life is too short for me to not be sitting here and kissing you... and telling you that I love you."
Brady looked stunned. "You love me?"
"I... I do. I have since I don't know when. It took way too long for us to get here, I realize that. But, now, all of a sudden... I had to tell you. I didn't want to waste another minute. I love you, Brady, and I know in my heart that you feel the same."
Brady smiled and gently brushed her cheek with the tips of her fingers. "I do. And, I have for a very long time. I love you too, Chloe..."
"Come what may?"
Brady grinned and nodded, returning her quote from the movie with his own. "Until the end of time..."
Chloe smiled back at him and leaned forward for another kiss, one that reached right down to her soul. She had everything she had dreamt of, a true love to last for all time. It was her own story about love, but this one would have a happy ending.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, like I said from the beginning, this was a pretty risky idea for me to do, and I want to thank all of you who have supported me from Chapter One until the end. So, a huge thank you to the following people: Mariana, Scarlett, Silent Typewriter, Ponderer86, JennaBrady, Silly79, Rosine20, oceanstar21, BroeBlack, Beaglelover, and Xrystal
Thank you ALL so so so much for your support and for reading. And thanks to all of those who read, but may not have commented, or if I missed your name. I needed all the support I possibly could get on this one, and you guys came through as you always do.
I disclaim, therefore I am.
I do not own Brady, Chloe or Phillip. However, if Ken Corday and the Days writing staff is looking for someone to take over ownership, then I would gladly oblige. (Especially if I get to write off Phillip or at least make him *likable*.)
I most definitely do not own "Moulin Rouge". I wish I did. I stole the brilliance of writer/director/producer Baz Luhrmann and co-writer Craig Pearce. I wish I could lay claim to the beauty of the story, but I can't. I wish I could lay claim to writing those lyrics, but I can't. That belongs to a ton of songwriters who I will not mention.
If you have seen Moulin Rouge, I apologize for not being as good as the movie. If you have not seen it, I suggest you rent the movie because it's MUCH better than anything I've *ever* written and probably ever will write. It's a movie that some people hate and some people love. I happen to love it, which is good, considering how many frickin' times I had to watch it to write this story.
I'm still mapping out another new Broe story, while continuing my Mason fic, but God only knows when I'll be ready to write it... Hopefully sooner than later.
Thanks again to everyone for everything!
-Hope Grace-
Chloe was wrapped in the darkness that surrounded her. She felt strangely safe and warm. The last thing she recalled was looking up in to the eyes of Brady, the young handsome Bohemian writer that she had fallen in love with. Chloe remembered telling him that she would always be with him, as his tears mingled with her own and then there was nothingness. Now she could hear a voice softly singing from somewhere beyond her, a voice that sounded familiar.
((( The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love...
And be loved in return... )))
She could hear Brady speak to her, but he no longer sounded upset or scared. "Chloe... Chloooooeeee... Wake up. Chloe, wake up."
Chloe opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the light above her. She was still wrapped in Brady's arms, but no longer were they backstage at the Moulin Rouge. She wasn't in her costume, and neither was he. He was still young and handsome, but he as not a penniless writer and she was not a courtesan.
She lifted her head from his chest and looked around. They were on the couch in Brady's loft, no longer in turn of the century Paris, but in Salem, 2002. She looked back at Brady and shook her head in confusion.
"Oh my God... Brady... I... I..."
Brady grinned at her and brushed his hand through her hair. "Glad you've decided to join me for the movie. Just in time too."
Chloe looked towards his television set and saw the closing credits of "Moulin Rouge" flashing by. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with surprise. "Brady... I had the strangest dream."
"Yes, Dorothy... But, now you're safe back in Kansas with your Auntie Em, and the Wicked Witch is dead."
Chloe rolled her eyes and playfully smacked his arm. "Gee, thanks... Very funny, TOTO."
"Are you calling me a DOG?"
"Well, if the flea collar fits..."
Chloe sat up and smoothed down her wrinkled shirt. Brady laughed at her and began barking quietly at her. Chloe giggled and put her hand over his mouth to shut him up.
"Shush... Listen to me... I dreamt that I was..."
"A dancer at the Moulin Rouge? And Ewan McGregor fell in love with you?"
Chloe leaned back against the couch and shook her head. It was all so vivid in her memory, unlike any dream she could remember having. It wasn't just as if she was watching the action, it was as if she was living it. "No, not Ewan McGregor..."
Brady wrinkled up his forehead in confusion. "Then who?"
Chloe didn't want to answer him, didn't want tell him that she had dreamt about falling in love with him, so she rapidly diverted his question. "Brady... Start the movie over."
"Start it over? I just watched a two and a half hour movie while you slept, and you want me to start it over and watch it again? Are you insane?"
"I... I want to watch it this time. I promise I won't fall asleep."
Brady grabbed the remote off the table and looked at her suspiciously. "Chloe... You've seen this movie about a thousand times, and you want to watch it again?"
Chloe nodded and looked at him pleadingly. "Yes. That *is* what I said. Please start it over."
Brady rolled his eyes and started the movie over from the beginning. "Boy, spend a couple months in a hospital, getting waited on hand and foot and you really do start to turn into a Diva."
Chloe smiled victoriously and put her head back on his shoulder. Brady really didn't want to watch the movie again, and she knew it, he just didn't want her to leave and go home yet. She sighed softly and settled in as John Leguizamo's character Toulouse began singing the opening song.
((( There was a boy
A very strange, enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he...
And then one day
One magic day
He passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me...
'The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love...and be loved in return' )))
Brady wrapped his arm around her shoulder and looked at her curiously. "Chloe... I'm really surprised at how much you've been watching this movie lately."
"Why? It's one of my favorites. Ever since you took me to see it at Salem Place last summer..."
"I know that... But, with you being sick, and the girl dying at the end. It's kind of depressing, isn't it?"
Chloe paused to think about it, having experienced in her dreams, she had a different outlook on it than she did before. "It is very tragic, that's true. But, it's also kind of inspiring too."
Brady frowned slightly and questioned her response. "Inspiring?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? I mean, the love that Christian and Satine share... It's so powerful and amazing and beautiful. Most people search their entire lifetimes and never find that kind of love. But, Christian and Satine found it, and even though she dies in the end... It's the kind of love that will be remembered forever, it lives for all time."
Chloe lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him, as she continued. "I mean... Have you ever... You know... Been in love like that?"
Brady stared into her eyes, and Chloe felt her skin start to tingle. He looked like he was at a loss for words, and there was a long pause before he stammered out a reply. "I... I don't know. Does it count if it's unrequited love?"
"Uhm, nope. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love..."
"And be loved in return. Yeah, yeah, I know... So, I guess my answer is no. What about you? Is my uncle Phil your Ewan McGregor, and you are his Nicole Kidman?"
Chloe laughed and shook her head. "If you're calling me a prostitute with consumption, then no. And, if you think Phillip is the great love of my life, my soul mate, my destiny... Then, absolutely not."
Brady sat back in surprise. "Are you saying that you're not in love with Phillip anymore?"
"That's pretty much the gist of it. I've tried, God knows I have, but I just can't be with Phillip. It doesn't work, and to tell you the truth, I don't think it ever did. I will always have a special place in my heart for him, but it's over, completely and finally over. I want something more..."
"You want a love like Christian and Satine? Powerful and deep, the kind of love that overcomes all obstacles, and survives even when death takes you from the earth."
Chloe smiled and nodded. She didn't say it out loud, but she knew what she wanted. She wanted Brady, she had always wanted Brady. Even before her mind knew it, her heart knew that he was the one for her. "Don't you think I deserve that? Don't you think we all do?"
Brady nodded in agreement and kissed her on the forehead. "I think we all deserve that, Diva."
"I don't think it's asking too much. Before I die, I want to experience what true love has to offer me."
"Well, it's good that you have plenty of time for that. You're in remission from your leukemia, and we found you a bone marrow match... You've got a long long time to find your true love."
Chloe nodded and sighed softly, turning away from him to watch the movie. She knew that Brady loved her, his sister had even accidentally let it slip out to her the other day. Brady had told Belle that he loved her, but had still been unable to admit it to her. Of course, she wasn't exactly forthcoming with her feelings about him either. But, they were always there, in every smile exchanged between the two of them, and even the slightest of touches.
They watched the movie in silence for quite awhile until they came upon the scene where the Duke first meets Satine. As the characters on screen were telling the Duke about 'Spectacular, Spectacular', Brady was chuckling softly and Chloe turned her head to look at him curiously. "What are you laughing at?"
"That damn Duke... It's like, he's too much of a buffoon to be truly evil, and he's too evil for you to feel any sympathy towards him. He's just a... a putz."
Chloe pictured Phillip in her head, as he had been in her dreams, the bumbling psychopathic Duke and nodded in agreement, stifling her own laughter. "Good point..."
They watched as Christian returned to see Satine, as they discussed love together on top of the Elephant. Chloe's heart was pounding faster for some reason, and she was possessed by a sudden desire to do something she had never done before. She moved closer to Brady and laid her hand over his heart, causing him to turn and lock eyes with her.
"Brady... I have to ask you something."
Brady nodded and she continued with her query. "Do you believe in love?"
"Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"
Chloe took a deep breath in and continued. "Do you think that love is worth it? Worth all of the obstacles, the pain, the heartache that may or may not come, is it worth fighting for... Is love worth everything?"
Brady was nearly breathless as he stared into her blue eyes, he hardly knew what to say, wondering where this was all leading. "Chloe... I... Yes, I do. If it's real and true, then love is worth everything."
Chloe nodded and continued, the air between turning into a field of electricity. "And... Love, real and true love, it's worth risking everything... taking chances? Isn't it?"
"Yes, I guess so... What are you trying to get at?"
Chloe smiled lovingly at him. "I think it's time we start taking some chances."
Brady didn't have a chance to respond, because Chloe leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. She had dreamt of this moment before, but the real thing was even better than she could have imagined it. The kiss deepened and Brady gently trailed his fingers up her bare arm, pulling her closer to him. Onscreen, the two lovers were about to do the same, giving each other the first kiss of true love.
((( How wonderful life is now you're in the world... )))
Brady's kiss made her heart soar, and she felt like she could have sprouted wings and flown off into the sky at that very moment. She finally broke away from him and smiled.
"You see, Brady... I learned, because of being sick and everything... Life is too short for me to not be sitting here and kissing you... and telling you that I love you."
Brady looked stunned. "You love me?"
"I... I do. I have since I don't know when. It took way too long for us to get here, I realize that. But, now, all of a sudden... I had to tell you. I didn't want to waste another minute. I love you, Brady, and I know in my heart that you feel the same."
Brady smiled and gently brushed her cheek with the tips of her fingers. "I do. And, I have for a very long time. I love you too, Chloe..."
"Come what may?"
Brady grinned and nodded, returning her quote from the movie with his own. "Until the end of time..."
Chloe smiled back at him and leaned forward for another kiss, one that reached right down to her soul. She had everything she had dreamt of, a true love to last for all time. It was her own story about love, but this one would have a happy ending.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, like I said from the beginning, this was a pretty risky idea for me to do, and I want to thank all of you who have supported me from Chapter One until the end. So, a huge thank you to the following people: Mariana, Scarlett, Silent Typewriter, Ponderer86, JennaBrady, Silly79, Rosine20, oceanstar21, BroeBlack, Beaglelover, and Xrystal
Thank you ALL so so so much for your support and for reading. And thanks to all of those who read, but may not have commented, or if I missed your name. I needed all the support I possibly could get on this one, and you guys came through as you always do.
I disclaim, therefore I am.
I do not own Brady, Chloe or Phillip. However, if Ken Corday and the Days writing staff is looking for someone to take over ownership, then I would gladly oblige. (Especially if I get to write off Phillip or at least make him *likable*.)
I most definitely do not own "Moulin Rouge". I wish I did. I stole the brilliance of writer/director/producer Baz Luhrmann and co-writer Craig Pearce. I wish I could lay claim to the beauty of the story, but I can't. I wish I could lay claim to writing those lyrics, but I can't. That belongs to a ton of songwriters who I will not mention.
If you have seen Moulin Rouge, I apologize for not being as good as the movie. If you have not seen it, I suggest you rent the movie because it's MUCH better than anything I've *ever* written and probably ever will write. It's a movie that some people hate and some people love. I happen to love it, which is good, considering how many frickin' times I had to watch it to write this story.
I'm still mapping out another new Broe story, while continuing my Mason fic, but God only knows when I'll be ready to write it... Hopefully sooner than later.
Thanks again to everyone for everything!
-Hope Grace-