This fan fiction came to be after watching this year's Last Blast. It was a disappointment on so many levels, so I decided to write what I wished would have happened.So here it is. The following fan fiction contains characters owned by the writers and producers of Days of Our Lives. This fan fiction is purely for entertainment purposes.

The Last Dance

The set-up: After Belle discovers that her friends have set her up, she calls Brady to have him pick her up. While she's waiting, she has her talk with Shawn. Brady arrives and Mimi senses that he will cause trouble for Shawn and Belle, so she recruits some help.

Phillip: So Chloe, you've forgiven me. Does that mean you're giving me another chance?

Mimi walked over to Phillip and Chloe.

Mimi: Excuse me… sorry to interrupt… but Chloe, can I speak to you, privately?

Ch: (uncomfortable) Um… sure. Excuse me, Phillip.

Mimi led Chloe away.

Ch: (relieved) Thank you for interrupting us.

Mi: (perplexed) What?

Ch: (sighing) Never mind. So … what's up?

Mi: (pointing to the door) That!

Brady was in the doorway, looking over the crowd, trying to find Belle.

Ch: (whispering) What is he doing here?

Mi: (anxious) I don't know. Maybe Belle called him when she discovered our scheme.

Ch: Well, we've got to get him out of here before he ruins everything.

M: That was my thought too. (looking at her) Go to him.

Ch: (shocked) What?

Mi: Go over to Brady. Distract him.

Ch: (nervous) No way.

Mi: (exasperated) I can't believe you. You're willing to undo everything we've done to get Shawn and Belle together? Talk about selfish…

Ch: (defensive) I am not being selfish. You seem to forget a certain person: Phillip. He would throw a fit if he saw me with Brady.

Mi: (dismissive) He's seen you two together hundreds of times. He should be used to it by now. Anyway, I'll just remind him why we all are here tonight: TO GET BELLE AND SHAWN BACK TOGETHER!

Ch: (rolling her eyes) I'd like to hear that conversation.

Mi: (gently pushing her) Well, you won't because you'll be taking care of Brady. Now go!

Ch: (resigned) Fine. (looking at Phillip) Good luck with him.

Mi: Likewise, with Brady.

Chloe made her way through the crowd and stood in front of Brady.

Ch: Hey, Brady.

Brady smiled as he eyed Chloe.

Br: Wow! You look fantastic.

Ch: (blushing) Thanks.

There was an awkward silence.

Br: Hey, that speech you gave at graduation was great.

Ch: (smiling) Thank you.

Brady began to look through the crowd for Belle.

Ch: (grabbing his arm) You're being rude. Checking out girls while talking to me.

Br: (looking at her) I'm not. I'm just looking for Belle. She needed a ride home and…

Ch: (pretending to pout) So, you didn't come to see my dress?

Br: (eying the crowd) No. (looking at her) But I'm glad I did. It's not so much the dress, but the woman in it.

Ch: (hitting him with her purse) Stop it.

Br: (intense) Do you really want me to?

Chloe's smile faded.

Ch: (grabbing his arm) Come on. Lets go somewhere and talk.

Br: Okay, but I don't have much time.

Ch: (sadly, under her breath) Neither do I.

Chloe led Brady out of the gymnasium.

Ph: (furious) Why did you do it, Mimi?!

Mi: (frustrated) Look, we, meaning, you, need to keep your priorities straight. We are here to get our two best friends back together.

Ph: I know, but…

Mi: (firmly) No buts. Whatever 'inroad' you were making with Chloe, can keep.

Ph: (anxious) But Chloe, with Brady…

Mi: (frustrated) Stop it. NOTHING IS GOING ON BETWEEN BRADY AND CHLOE! Now, chill!

Phillip attempted to follow them, but Mimi restrained him. Brady and Chloe walked through the school parking lot. He was growing more concerned over her melancholy demeanor. When he stopped walking, she continued to walk ahead of him. He cleared his throat, but she kept walking.

Br: Excuse me, Diva, but I thought we were going for a walk.

Ch: (distracted) We are.

Br: I've stopped walking.

Chloe stopped and turned around.

Ch: (trying to laugh) I'm sorry, Brady. (walking toward him) I have some things on my mind.

Br: (concerned) Like what?

Ch: (sighing) It's not a topic to be discussed at a dance.

Br: We're not in a dance. We're in a parking lot. But most importantly, we're alone. So come on, talk to me.

Brady extended his hand and she took it. He led her to his Jeep. They climbed in, sat in the front seats and stared at each other.

Br: So… are you going to talk or not?

Ch: (sighing) Brady, there is so much I need to say… to you… (looking at the school) and to the others. (looking at him and smiling) I'm glad to see you.

Br: (quietly) Me too.

Chloe began to shiver. Brady reached into the back seat and grabbed his leather jacket.

Br: (placing the jacket on her shoulders) There you go. I wouldn't want you to get sick.

Chloe looked up at Brady with tear-rimmed eyes.

Br: (concerned) Hey, hey. What's wrong?

Ch: (turning away) Nothing, Brady. I just don't want this night to end.

Br: (leaning back in his seat) Funny, I thought that you couldn't wait to be free of Salem High.

Ch: (wiping away tears) That was true, a few days ago, but everything's changed.

Br: What has changed? (turning her face to his) Tell me, Chloe, what has changed?

Ch: (taking a deep breath) I have. (covering) I'm just… sentimental. (looking at the school) Well, I better go back.

Br: (concerned) Okay. I'll walk back with you.

Brady got out of the Jeep and helped her out. She placed an arm around his waist as they walked toward the school. As they entered the school, he felt her body tense up.

Br: (pulling her aside) Chloe, are you sure you're okay?

Ch: (trying to smile) We'll talk about this later, okay?

Br: (frustrated) Okay. Fine. I need to find my sister, anyway.

Brady walked toward the gymnasium as Chloe followed him. She stood next to him, watching nervously as he surveyed the crowd. As Brady looked at the left side of the gym, Mimi began to wave at Chloe. She looked in the direction that Mimi was pointing to and saw Belle and Shawn sharing a last dance. She smiled and looked at Mimi, who gave Chloe an enthusiastic 'okay' sign. Brady saw Mimi and Chloe's exchange and looked down at Chloe.

Br: Why did Mimi give us the 'okay' sign?

Ch: (stunned) What?

Brady glared at Chloe as he took a few steps onto the dance floor. He saw Belle, in Shawn's arms.

Br: (turning to Chloe) What the hell…

Ch: Calm down, Brady.

Br: (furious) No! You know how much he hurt Belle… (thinking) Wait a minute… that whole 'let's talk' was crap! You orchestrated this?

Chloe remained silent.

Br: (fuming) Well, I'm putting a stop to it.

Ch: (grabbing his arm) No, you're not, Brady. You are going to leave them alone.

Br: Or what, Chloe? You're going to end our friendship? Oh, I think our friendship is over!

Ch: (hurt) Why, because I want Belle and Shawn to be together?

Br: No, because you arranged it so my sister would experience the same pain you've put yourself through. You're seasoning her to be romantic masochist, just like you. But the worst thing was… you used our friendship, my concern for you, to lure me away. Under the guise of a personal crisis, you lured me away from someone who needed me more. (hurt) I've forgiven many things, but I won't forgive you for this. (teeth clenched) Now let me go.

Ch: (letting him go) Fine. You want to make a scene? Go ahead. Go ahead, act like an idiotic high schooler. Hell, you won't stick out. This dance has been uneventful, so go ahead. Beat up Shawn, humiliate Belle, berate me, ruin the dance for everyone, but the bottom line is… you can't stop life!

Chloe became dizzy. She slowly walked to the refreshment table and steadied herself. She could feel Brady standing behind her.

Ch: (voice cracking) I didn't lie about needing to tell you something

Brady turned her around and studied her tear-stained face.

Br: (scared) Chloe, the last time, tell me what's wrong.

Ch: (resting her head on his chest) I'm sick, Brady. So very sick.

Br: (desperate) What's the matter with you? Please tell me.

Ch: (crying) I thought that graduation, this dance, getting Shawn and Belle back together would take my mind off of it, but it didn't work. (panicked) I don't know what I'm going to do, Brady. Nothing will make me forget this, not even you.

Brady backed away from her. She looked up, seeing the devastation in his eyes. She slowly backed away from him, bumping into a dancing couple. When she thought she couldn't take anymore of the hurt in his eyes, something else flashed across them, something that she didn't recognize. As quickly as that flash in his eyes, Brady grabbed her by the arms, with such force, his jacket fell from her shoulders, and pulled her into a kiss. They relaxed into it, finding solace in it. Then the solace and peace they've found turned into a clawing desperation. She dropped her purse and tried to pull his lips closer to hers. The desperation evolved into an unrequited passion that was finally freed. While solace, peace, desperation, and passion are essential to life, so was oxygen. So the passionate desperate kisses dissolved into tender, nurturing kisses of mutual gratitude. Chloe and Brady released each other, staring at the other's tear-stained, bewildered face. Neither one noticed the crowd watching them, or the ensuing hoots and hollers. And Chloe definitely didn't notice Phillip approaching Brady as she was going in for another kiss. The sound of Phillip tackling Brady, knocking both Phillip and Brady over the refreshment table, shocked Chloe out of her trance. The sounds of the breaking glass, the cat-calling of the crowd, and her screams filled her head.

Ch: (screaming) Oh, God! Phillip, leave him alone.

Phillip and Brady were rolling on the floor, pummeling each other. Belle and Shawn tried to pull Brady off of Phillip, but Brady wouldn't stop. Mr. Woods finally grabbed Brady as Shawn tried to restrain Phillip.

Ph: (snarling) You son-of-a-bitch! Keep your fucking hands off my girl!

Brady lunged at Phillip, but Mr. Woods' strength and Belle's whispered words stopped him. He looked over at a paralyzed Chloe and attempted to walk over to her.

Br: (looking at Mr. Woods) I'm okay, Mr. Woods. Please, let me go.

Mr. Woods reluctantly released him. Brady began to walk toward Chloe, which fueled Phillip to knock Shawn down and go after Brady again. Mr. Woods grabbed Phillip and restrained him.

Mr. Woods: (calmly) We are not going to have any more problems, are we, Phillip?

Ph: But Brady…

Mr. Woods: (through clenched teeth) I said WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS, ARE WE, MR. KIRIAKIS?

Ph: Alright, alright.

Mr. Woods: (calmly) Since you two nearly ruined the last dance of the night, I suggest you two leave here, quietly and without incident. Do you understand?

Phillip nodded as he watched Brady standing in front of Chloe.

Mr. Woods: Mr. Black, do you understand?

Br: (turning around) Yes, I do.

Mr. Woods: Mr. Black, since you aren't a student here, I suggest you leave first.

Br: (looking at Chloe) Okay.

Belle: (moving through the crowd) Brady… wait. I'm coming with you.

Br: (wrung out) Okay. (looking at Chloe) Do you need a ride home?

Ph: (agitated) I'm her ride home!

Shawn: (calmly) I brought her here. I'll take her home.

Be: (looking at Shawn) Thank you. (grabbing Brady's arm) Come on. Let's go home. (pausing) Oh, I need my wrap.

Belle ran out of the gymnasium.

Mr. Woods: (to the crowd) Well, at least we're getting back to the basics. Guys brawling over a girl, instead of animal mutilation and exploitation…

The crowd laughed nervously.

Mr. Woods: Tonight, I hoped that this dance would be the beginning of a new trend for Last Blast. Kids actually dancing, having fun, and the dance, not ending prematurely. So, as soon as Mr. Black and Mr. Kiriakis are off the premises, you all will have your last dance, on your last day, at Salem High.

The crowd cheered and clapped. Belle came back with her wrap and went over to Shawn.

Be: I'm sorry about our last dance…

Sh: (smiling) Because of our friends, it won't be.

Shawn kissed Belle's cheek. She smiled as she walked away, but her smile faded as she looked at a paralyzed Chloe, standing next to the toppled refreshment table. Belle went to her.

Be: (quietly) Chloe, are you alright?

Chloe looked down at Belle's concerned face, gave her a slight smile, and collapsed. The gymnasium filled with screams and gasps as Belle kneeled next to her and as Brady and Phillip rushed over to her. Mimi covered her mouth and pressed her face into Kevin's chest.

Mr. Woods: Someone, call an ambulance!