Reality Sets In Ch. 19
I disclaim.
~~~
" Okay now a little to the left.no.that was that too far." Chloe leaned against the door jab of her new bedroom, watching Shawn with a cross between annoyance and tolerance.
" Lanie, it's a dresser just pick a spot." Shawn sagged against the oak dresser. She had been experimenting with various locations since they got back from class, but three hours later he was still pushing it around their small bedroom.
"No, it's an armoire, there's a difference, and I want it to be perfect."
" Then YOU move it." He gave her a pointed look, before falling onto the bed, exhausted.
" Ah.have I been working you to hard." She walked over to the bed, and let her hand linger on his bare forearm.
" Yes."
" Well, hard workers are always rewarded." Replacing her hand with her mouth as she sat on the bed, and began kissing her way up his arm.
" You do realize that I'm in no shape to properly enjoys this."
"Just lay back and let me do all the work." Chloe straddled his hips and leaned down for a lingering kiss.
~~
" Apt 6A, Cortland Ave." Brady turned his palm pilot off, and was ready to start his jeep, when the ringing of his cell phone had him reaching into his pocket again. " Brady Black."
" Hey Brady."
" Belle, what's up?"
" Well Phillip and I we're going out to dinner and thought you might like to join us at Tuscany." " There's a certain ex-girlfriend here eating with her brother."
" Chloe?" The prospect of seeing her made his heart speed up, even if it meant he'd have to deal with Jack, but then a brother was easier to handle then a husband." Chloe's there." He heard a sharp intake of breath, and his hopes were dashed.
" NO, it's Taylor." " Brady you need to let that go, now come on and have dinner with us."
" I can't I have something I need to do."
" What are you up to?"
"Nothing." Even as he said it, he prepared himself to tell her the truth, because if nothing else Belle could always tell when he was lying.
" Brady Victor Black."
" I'm going to Shawn's Apartment." " No, excuse me Shawn and Chloe's apartment."
" Brady, no stop this." " I know it hurts.."
"No you don't know Belle, you gave up Shawn because you had feelings for Philip, but I had no other choice." "I know that when I tell Chloe what really happened, she'll give me another chance."
" BRADY, she's married." " True it was a drunken ceremony in Vegas, but they're still married."
" I know what I'm doing Belle."
"Fine, I obviously can't talk you out of this, just promise me you'll be careful."
" I will." Brady hit the end button before starting his car and pulling off of the Wesley's curb, and driving toward Cortland Ave. and his soul mate.
~~
Shawn gave a weak laugh, as he broke the kiss." I have no problem with that."
"Good." Chloe leaned in and stopped inches from his lips, when the bedside phone rung.
" I do have a problem with that." He glared at the offensive piece of technology before picking it up." Yes?"
" Well hello to you too, Shawn Douglas."
Shawn groaned inwardly when the voice of his mother-in-law reached his ears, for some reason she had started calling him Shawn Douglas, probably because Jack told her it annoyed him. He turned to his wife. " Hi Mrs. Wesley, how are you?"
" I'd be better if you called me Nancy like we talked about, now is my daughter home?"
Chloe had started shaking her had, as soon as she learned the identity of the caller.
" Yeah, let me get her for you." He cover the ear piece, and gave her a smug smile." This is payback for the dresser." He said as he handed her the phone and waltzed out of the room.
Chloe quickly covered the earpiece." You'll pay for that Brady." " Hi Mom, how are you?"
" I'm fine now that the riff raft has left."
" What riff raft, what are we in an Archie comic?"
" Don't get smart with me young lady, I meant Brady."
" Brady.Black?"
" Yes, Brady Black, I arrived home and found him on my doorstep. He was not pleased when he learned of your living arrangements. He got angry with us because we "let you" move in with Shawn. As if we had a choice in 'any' of your decisions, but that's not really why I called."
" Then why did you call, Mom?"
"I think Craig is weakening on the Shawn Issue."
" What makes you think that." Her father telling Shawn to call him Craig was the last thing Craig Wesley said to his son-in-law, the rest of the time he had spent just glaring at the younger man.
" Well when Brady questioned why we 'let you' live together, your father said your place was by your husband." " Isn't that great he actually mentioned your marriage, we should capitalize on it, I suggest a nice follow-up dinner."
Chloe furrowed her brow, and looked at the phone in her hand. Someday her mother was just scary. " Yeah, Mom let me check our calendar and I'll get back to you, okay."
" Okay baby, we love you."
" I love guys too, Bye."
" Bye.
Walking into the living room Chloe mentally listed all the things she have to promise to get Shawn to a dinner with her parents." Great news, my Dad seems to be weakening. Brady."
Brady Black stood near Shawn in the middle of her living room, looking the most uncomfortable she had ever seen, which was pretty hard to top considering the last time was when Craig caught them making out in her bedroom. " Hey Chloe."
" Brady, to what do we own this honor?"
Brady's blue eyes gave glanced at Shawn before he answered." You said we'd talk, but I guess you forgot to tell me you were moving." " Look can we talk in private?"
Chloe looked over at Shawn for a reaction, and saw that he was already moving to leave the room, which was a completely Shawn-like move." No, anything you need to say you can say in front of Shawn."
Brady stepped forward and gave her pointed stare" This is about us."
" There is no us, Brady remember 'us' breaking up eleven months ago."
" Chloe they are some things you need to know, before you claim there's no us." Maybe we should sit down?" Brady sat down in the chair in front of him, and openly glared when Shawn choose the next to Chloe on the couch. " It all started about a year ago, Tony DiMera was constantly sniffing around Marlena, and Dad and I started to watch him." Shawn raised an eyebrow and gave a snort of disbelief. " Okay we didn't watch so much as we broke into his home and office searching for stuff."
" Brady." She didn't need to say anymore the look she gave clearly said 'what were you thinking'.
" I knew the dangers, or at least I thought I did." " I working one night when the Devil himself stopped by, just seconds after you left and started talking about how bad things happened to woman that loved my father, and how possible it was for something bad to happen to you." His eyes meet hers, and like so many other times, they spoke with out saying a word.
" You should have told me."
Shawn caught the looks passing between and understood exactly what Brady had done; he was trying to protect the woman he loved from a psychotic mad man that had no problems using an innocent woman. He slowly removed himself from the room making little noise and going unnoticed by the other occupants, as he sat down on his bed and contemplated the outcome of Brady's revelation.
" Diva I."
" NO, No Diva, you should have told me, I didn't need to be protected, I needed to be told the truth." Chloe focused on the lye, focusing on anything else lead to too many questions, that she wasn't ready to answer. " I get that you're trying to be noble, but I should have been given a choice."
Brady moved from his seat to kneel before taking her hand in his." Well now you have one, do you want to be with me, knowing that DiMera's making threats?"
" You're wrong Brady, I don't have that choice." Chloe gently removed his hands from hers and stood, moving toward the center of the room. " You took that choice from me, and you set in motion a whole chain of events that has changed things." " It's almost been a year since we broke up, a lot has happened in that time."
" Like you stopped loving me?" He hung his head not quite strong enough to meet her eyes.
" No, I love you Brady, you're one of my best friends, you know me better then I know myself, but I'm not in love with you anymore." " You broke my heart, and it doesn't matter what the reason you had you still did it, and I've spent months trying to get over it, and I'm finally at peace with what happened." "I."
" Are you in love with Shawn?"
" Yes, I'm in love with Shawn." She had expected the question, but the answered surprised even her, she knew that she was happy with Shawn, and that she loved him his was her friend and her lover, but being in love with him was news to even her." I'm sorry Brady but."
" Yeah, that's okay." Brady quickly stood and brushed past he opening the door, he turned back and gave her a weak smile." Be happy."
" You too." Chloe watched the door close and suddenly noticed that Shawn wasn't there." Damn." She walked into the bedroom, and found him sitting on the bed just at the floor. " Shawn?"
" Brady gone."
" Yeah."
" You leaving?" Shawn finally lifted his head to meet her gaze; his normally smiling eyes were now filled with fear and self-doubt. " I mean know you know why he ended things, you can be together now."
" No, we can't." Sinking onto the bed next to him she picked up his left hand and matched it up with her own." You see I'm married now, and I happen to love my husband very much."
" Brady's your soul mate."
" Yes, Brady knows my soul, because we are very similar people alike in many ways, and with several common interests, but I don't love Brady in that way anymore." " I love you."
" Really?"
" Yeah." Letting his hand drop she took his chin and forced him to look at her in the eyes." I love you, I love you, I love you." Each declaration was punctuated with a kiss.
" Does this mean we get live happily ever after?" He asked the smile back not only in his eyes, but on his face as while.
" In Salem." Chloe shook her the disbelief was evident." Not likely, but we'll try."
" Okay now a little to the left.no.that was that too far." Chloe leaned against the door jab of her new bedroom, watching Shawn with a cross between annoyance and tolerance.
" Lanie, it's a dresser just pick a spot." Shawn sagged against the oak dresser. She had been experimenting with various locations since they got back from class, but three hours later he was still pushing it around their small bedroom.
"No, it's an armoire, there's a difference, and I want it to be perfect."
" Then YOU move it." He gave her a pointed look, before falling onto the bed, exhausted.
" Ah.have I been working you to hard." She walked over to the bed, and let her hand linger on his bare forearm.
" Yes."
" Well, hard workers are always rewarded." Replacing her hand with her mouth as she sat on the bed, and began kissing her way up his arm.
" You do realize that I'm in no shape to properly enjoys this."
"Just lay back and let me do all the work." Chloe straddled his hips and leaned down for a lingering kiss.
~~
" Apt 6A, Cortland Ave." Brady turned his palm pilot off, and was ready to start his jeep, when the ringing of his cell phone had him reaching into his pocket again. " Brady Black."
" Hey Brady."
" Belle, what's up?"
" Well Phillip and I we're going out to dinner and thought you might like to join us at Tuscany." " There's a certain ex-girlfriend here eating with her brother."
" Chloe?" The prospect of seeing her made his heart speed up, even if it meant he'd have to deal with Jack, but then a brother was easier to handle then a husband." Chloe's there." He heard a sharp intake of breath, and his hopes were dashed.
" NO, it's Taylor." " Brady you need to let that go, now come on and have dinner with us."
" I can't I have something I need to do."
" What are you up to?"
"Nothing." Even as he said it, he prepared himself to tell her the truth, because if nothing else Belle could always tell when he was lying.
" Brady Victor Black."
" I'm going to Shawn's Apartment." " No, excuse me Shawn and Chloe's apartment."
" Brady, no stop this." " I know it hurts.."
"No you don't know Belle, you gave up Shawn because you had feelings for Philip, but I had no other choice." "I know that when I tell Chloe what really happened, she'll give me another chance."
" BRADY, she's married." " True it was a drunken ceremony in Vegas, but they're still married."
" I know what I'm doing Belle."
"Fine, I obviously can't talk you out of this, just promise me you'll be careful."
" I will." Brady hit the end button before starting his car and pulling off of the Wesley's curb, and driving toward Cortland Ave. and his soul mate.
~~
Shawn gave a weak laugh, as he broke the kiss." I have no problem with that."
"Good." Chloe leaned in and stopped inches from his lips, when the bedside phone rung.
" I do have a problem with that." He glared at the offensive piece of technology before picking it up." Yes?"
" Well hello to you too, Shawn Douglas."
Shawn groaned inwardly when the voice of his mother-in-law reached his ears, for some reason she had started calling him Shawn Douglas, probably because Jack told her it annoyed him. He turned to his wife. " Hi Mrs. Wesley, how are you?"
" I'd be better if you called me Nancy like we talked about, now is my daughter home?"
Chloe had started shaking her had, as soon as she learned the identity of the caller.
" Yeah, let me get her for you." He cover the ear piece, and gave her a smug smile." This is payback for the dresser." He said as he handed her the phone and waltzed out of the room.
Chloe quickly covered the earpiece." You'll pay for that Brady." " Hi Mom, how are you?"
" I'm fine now that the riff raft has left."
" What riff raft, what are we in an Archie comic?"
" Don't get smart with me young lady, I meant Brady."
" Brady.Black?"
" Yes, Brady Black, I arrived home and found him on my doorstep. He was not pleased when he learned of your living arrangements. He got angry with us because we "let you" move in with Shawn. As if we had a choice in 'any' of your decisions, but that's not really why I called."
" Then why did you call, Mom?"
"I think Craig is weakening on the Shawn Issue."
" What makes you think that." Her father telling Shawn to call him Craig was the last thing Craig Wesley said to his son-in-law, the rest of the time he had spent just glaring at the younger man.
" Well when Brady questioned why we 'let you' live together, your father said your place was by your husband." " Isn't that great he actually mentioned your marriage, we should capitalize on it, I suggest a nice follow-up dinner."
Chloe furrowed her brow, and looked at the phone in her hand. Someday her mother was just scary. " Yeah, Mom let me check our calendar and I'll get back to you, okay."
" Okay baby, we love you."
" I love guys too, Bye."
" Bye.
Walking into the living room Chloe mentally listed all the things she have to promise to get Shawn to a dinner with her parents." Great news, my Dad seems to be weakening. Brady."
Brady Black stood near Shawn in the middle of her living room, looking the most uncomfortable she had ever seen, which was pretty hard to top considering the last time was when Craig caught them making out in her bedroom. " Hey Chloe."
" Brady, to what do we own this honor?"
Brady's blue eyes gave glanced at Shawn before he answered." You said we'd talk, but I guess you forgot to tell me you were moving." " Look can we talk in private?"
Chloe looked over at Shawn for a reaction, and saw that he was already moving to leave the room, which was a completely Shawn-like move." No, anything you need to say you can say in front of Shawn."
Brady stepped forward and gave her pointed stare" This is about us."
" There is no us, Brady remember 'us' breaking up eleven months ago."
" Chloe they are some things you need to know, before you claim there's no us." Maybe we should sit down?" Brady sat down in the chair in front of him, and openly glared when Shawn choose the next to Chloe on the couch. " It all started about a year ago, Tony DiMera was constantly sniffing around Marlena, and Dad and I started to watch him." Shawn raised an eyebrow and gave a snort of disbelief. " Okay we didn't watch so much as we broke into his home and office searching for stuff."
" Brady." She didn't need to say anymore the look she gave clearly said 'what were you thinking'.
" I knew the dangers, or at least I thought I did." " I working one night when the Devil himself stopped by, just seconds after you left and started talking about how bad things happened to woman that loved my father, and how possible it was for something bad to happen to you." His eyes meet hers, and like so many other times, they spoke with out saying a word.
" You should have told me."
Shawn caught the looks passing between and understood exactly what Brady had done; he was trying to protect the woman he loved from a psychotic mad man that had no problems using an innocent woman. He slowly removed himself from the room making little noise and going unnoticed by the other occupants, as he sat down on his bed and contemplated the outcome of Brady's revelation.
" Diva I."
" NO, No Diva, you should have told me, I didn't need to be protected, I needed to be told the truth." Chloe focused on the lye, focusing on anything else lead to too many questions, that she wasn't ready to answer. " I get that you're trying to be noble, but I should have been given a choice."
Brady moved from his seat to kneel before taking her hand in his." Well now you have one, do you want to be with me, knowing that DiMera's making threats?"
" You're wrong Brady, I don't have that choice." Chloe gently removed his hands from hers and stood, moving toward the center of the room. " You took that choice from me, and you set in motion a whole chain of events that has changed things." " It's almost been a year since we broke up, a lot has happened in that time."
" Like you stopped loving me?" He hung his head not quite strong enough to meet her eyes.
" No, I love you Brady, you're one of my best friends, you know me better then I know myself, but I'm not in love with you anymore." " You broke my heart, and it doesn't matter what the reason you had you still did it, and I've spent months trying to get over it, and I'm finally at peace with what happened." "I."
" Are you in love with Shawn?"
" Yes, I'm in love with Shawn." She had expected the question, but the answered surprised even her, she knew that she was happy with Shawn, and that she loved him his was her friend and her lover, but being in love with him was news to even her." I'm sorry Brady but."
" Yeah, that's okay." Brady quickly stood and brushed past he opening the door, he turned back and gave her a weak smile." Be happy."
" You too." Chloe watched the door close and suddenly noticed that Shawn wasn't there." Damn." She walked into the bedroom, and found him sitting on the bed just at the floor. " Shawn?"
" Brady gone."
" Yeah."
" You leaving?" Shawn finally lifted his head to meet her gaze; his normally smiling eyes were now filled with fear and self-doubt. " I mean know you know why he ended things, you can be together now."
" No, we can't." Sinking onto the bed next to him she picked up his left hand and matched it up with her own." You see I'm married now, and I happen to love my husband very much."
" Brady's your soul mate."
" Yes, Brady knows my soul, because we are very similar people alike in many ways, and with several common interests, but I don't love Brady in that way anymore." " I love you."
" Really?"
" Yeah." Letting his hand drop she took his chin and forced him to look at her in the eyes." I love you, I love you, I love you." Each declaration was punctuated with a kiss.
" Does this mean we get live happily ever after?" He asked the smile back not only in his eyes, but on his face as while.
" In Salem." Chloe shook her the disbelief was evident." Not likely, but we'll try."