~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Three
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Four Weeks Later)
Chloe fastened the tiny diamond earrings and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her long hair was swept up neatly, leaving her shoulders bare underneath the thin spaghetti straps. She had chosen a deep burgundy dress that seemed to made for her. It hit right above her knee and clinged tightly to her figure, accentuating every curve. It was formal, but still simple and comfortable.
She made sure everything was in it's proper place and slowly made her way downstairs. Brady was standing near Wesley's playpen but turned to watch her when he heard the sound of her strappy burgundy heels on the stairs.
"Wow... Diva... Just when I think you can't get any more beautiful..."
Chloe stepped lightly off the last step and smiled at him. "Oh stop... You're looking pretty dapper yourself, Mr. Black."
Brady winked at her and tugged at his black bow tie with a grin. Chloe walked closer to him and gave him a loving kiss on the mouth, trying not to smear her lipstick all over him. She buttoned his black tux jacket for him and gave him a sly wink.
"You look good in a tux. Of course... You look good in jeans, in sweat pants, in a suit, in your pajamas... But you look the best in nothing at all..."
Brady looked at her in mock shame. "Mrs. Black... Talking like this in front of our son? You should be ashamed of yourself..."
Chloe laughed sultrily and ran her fingers lightly through his hair as she gave him another brief kiss. "He can't hear us, Brady... I just wanted to give you a little teaser for what happens after the party."
"Oh. So, how long do we have to stay at this thing anyway? Do we even have to go at all?"
Chloe laughed and walked away from him, bending over to pull Wesley out of the playpen. "Your sister only has one engagement party in her life... at least I hope so... We have to be there and we have to stay there for a long time."
Brady nodded with an exasperated sigh. "I know. I'd just... Well, your teaser sounds a lot better than mingling with Salem's elite at the Penthouse Grill. But, I wouldn't miss my baby sister's engagement party for the world."
Chloe nodded and grabbed Wesley's diaper bag off the couch, pausing to look at her son with a serious look. "Please, Wes... If you love your mommy -- do not drool, pee, spit up or make a mess on me until after the party. Okay?"
Wesley had no response except to laugh and lay his head down on his mother's shoulder. Chloe smoothed his hair down with her fingers and looked back towards her husband. "I can't believe it. Can you? Shawn and Belle... Engaged. Wow."
"Can't believe it? Please... Those two practically had the marriage license signed before they graduated kindergarten. Where's the surprise in that?"
"I know. I just thought they were going to wait until they were out of college. This is sooner than I expected."
Brady opened the loft door for her and shut it behind them as they walked into the hallway. "They're just trying to catch up to us..."
Chloe chuckled as they stepped on the elevator and began recapping the game plan for the evening. "So, we're heading to my sister's house where the babysitter will watch Abby and Wes. And then..."
"My father is sending a limo to pick up Jack, Jennifer and us."
"Well, that's very kind of him."
Brady shrugged and hit the button for the ground floor. "Well, it's a special night and my father decided to spare no expense. I'm the brother of the bride, so my group gets a limo."
Chloe grinned and shifted Wes to her other side. "Snazzy..."
She leaned against the wall and Brady watched her as she smiled at their son. The past four weeks had gone by smoothly and quickly, with not one single mention of Phillip or the day of the funeral. Brady had observed his wife closely, waiting for her to tell him the truth, but all he saw was a completely blissful woman, as if nothing had ever happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Penthouse Grill)
Chloe and Brady arrived arm in arm, with Jennifer and Jack Devereaux beside them. They first greeted John and Marlena and then dispersed into the crowd to mingle with the other guests. Brady and Chloe found Belle right away and gave her congratulatory hugs. Belle was positively glowing, and had been since Shawn's proposal less than a week ago.
"Hey, you guys... You two look so great."
Brady smiled sweetly at his sister and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "And you look absolutely beautiful, Tink..."
"You know, when I'm a married woman you're going to have to stop calling me Tink."
Brady shook his head vehemently. "No way. Not going to happen. No matter how grown up you think you are, you will always be my baby sister."
Belle rolled her eyes at him and then turned to smile at Chloe. "So, Chloe... Are you SURE you're not upset that Mimi is going to be my maid of honor?"
Chloe waved her hand dismissively and shook her head. "Of course I'm not upset. Don't make me tell you that again. You and Mimi made a pact when you were 7 years old, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm perfectly happy being a bridesmaid. By the way, where is your lucky groom?"
"Uhm, I believe he's..." Belle searched the crowd with her eyes and pointed at a table in the corner. "He's right there. With your grandmother and Greta."
Chloe looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Shawn on one side of Alice Horton and Greta on her other side. She put her hand on Brady's arm and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm going to go over there... I want to say hi to my grandma."
Brady nodded and smiled at her. "Go right ahead... I'll be over in a bit."
He watched her walk away, staying quiet as he watched her greet Shawn, Alice and Greta from afar. Brady sighed softly and looked at his sister as she absentmindedly rubbed her index finger over the edge of her glass.
"Tink... Does Chloe seem... okay? Do you think she's okay?"
Belle looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows creasing together. "Uhm, yeah. She seems happier than ever. Don't you think so?"
Brady shrugged as his gaze shifted back to Chloe on the other side of the restaurant. "I guess. I just -- She still hasn't said anything about the funeral. She hasn't said anything to you yet, has she?"
"Nope. Still as quiet as a mouse."
"You are one of her best friends, Belle... Why won't she tell you?"
Belle sighed and laid a reassuring hand on her brother's arm. "I may be one of her best friends, but YOU are her *best* friend, you are everything to her. If she hasn't told you, she won't tell anybody. I don't think she's told Greta or Jennifer either. So..."
Brady looked back at Belle and ran his tongue over his teeth as thought about Chloe's secrecy. "But why? I just want to know why she would go after what she said about feeling nothing. And, more importantly, why would she lie to me about it?"
"Maybe she doesn't know why. Sometimes people do things and don't even understand why they did them. I'm sure if she could even begin to understand her reasons, she'd tell you, Brady. I know she would..."
Brady frowned and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder. "I wish I could be sure that you're right about that, Tink... I really do."
~*~
Chloe was enjoying a simple conversation with her grandmother and Shawn, but all the while she was watching Greta out of the corner of her eye. She could tell something was wrong with the princess, something that she desperately wanted to talk about. Greta was usually a chatterbox, but she was suddenly quiet and had been shifting in her seat nervously.
Chloe gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek and then excused herself to the restroom, motioning for Greta to follow her. She sauntered into the ladies' room and checked to make sure all the stalls were empty as Greta came in behind her. Chloe leaned up against one of the stalls and crossed her arms over her chest, staring Greta down intently.
"So Greta, what's on your mind?"
Greta put one hand on the counter near the sink and sighed heavily. "How could you tell?"
Chloe chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "How could I tell? You practically have a flashing neon sign over your head that says, 'I'm hiding something'. So, what is it?"
"I -- I got another letter."
"When?"
Greta swallowed the lump in her throat and fished in her purse for a folded up piece of paper, handing it over to Chloe as she replied. "This morning... I came back from my morning run and... It was... It was sitting on my kitchen counter."
Chloe unfolded the note and read the words out loud. "The time is now. The truth will be known."
Chloe folded the note back up and stared at Greta in shock. "It was on your kitchen counter? Jesus Christ, Greta... That means somebody was in your house. You can't stay there anymore. You come stay with me and Brady, or Jennifer or Hope... Just don't go back there tonight. Please. We'll leave here after the party together, we'll go to your house with Brady to get your things and you can come stay with us."
Greta shook her head slowly not wanting to listen to Chloe's words. "I can't, Chloe. I can't... You're the only one who knows what's going on. You're the only one who knows the truth. If I make a big deal out of this, then everyone will know."
"And if you *don't* make a big deal out of this? Everyone will find out the truth anyway, and your life will be in danger."
"What does it matter? I'm not safe anywhere. Not at your house, or Jenn's or Hope's."
Chloe groaned in frustration and put her hands on her hips. "This has been going on for three months, since you came back to Salem. And, I kept it a secret because you asked me to as your friend. But, I don't know if I can do that anymore. I can't lie, especially when it puts your life in danger. If we tell Brady, John, Bo... SOMEBODY... They will protect you, I promise."
Chloe's voice had risen to a more frantic, slightly angry volume, and Greta sensed her friend's fear. But, Greta had her own fears about what would happen when the truth did come out. She held back her tears and absentmindedly tucked a stray piece of brown hair back into her upswept do.
"Chloe... I'm -- I'm afraid too. I am... But, I'm more afraid of what will happen if everyone finds out."
"You shouldn't be. Your friends will always love you, Greta, no matter what. You should be more afraid of what *he* is going to do to you."
Greta was about to reply when the bathroom door swung open and Jennifer entered with a surprised smile. "Hey you two... Is everything okay?"
Chloe swiftly hid the note behind her back and nodded, plastering on her best phony smile. "Yeah. Everything's just fine... Greta and I were just..."
Chloe faltered but Greta picked up right where she left off. "Talking about taking a trip to the lake. You know, it's almost summer now, and I think it would be really good for everyone. Brady, Chloe and Wes. Me, you, Jack and Abby, Hope, Bo, Zack, Shawn, Belle -- the whole brood. We can get a few cabins and spend a weekend up there. What do you think?"
Jennifer nodded but narrowed her eyes suspiciously, the investigative reporter in her was always looking for something else. She smiled and continued nodding in reply. "Sounds like a great idea. We haven't had one of those big family weekends in a quite a while. We'll just have to figure out what weekend to go."
Chloe nodded and smiled uneasily at her sister, throwing a sideways glance to Greta that showed her frustration with the continuation of the lie. "Yeah. That's what we were discussing when you came in. We just have to find two days where everybody is available to get out there."
"So... That's all that's going on?"
Greta laughed and rolled her eyes at Jennifer. "Stop being so suspicious, Jenn. You're off the clock, remember?"
Jennifer looked between both of them before going to the mirror to reapply her lipstick and adjust her hair. She wanted more than anything to trust her younger sister and her friend, Greta, but something was definitely off.
Chloe went to the mirror and made similar adjustments to her own appearance. She slyly slipped the mysterious note back to Greta before all three women left the bathroom and returned to the party.
~*~
(Later)
John Black playfully slapped his son on the back, nearly causing Brady to spill his drink on the floor. He snickered loudly and Brady just rolled his eyes as usual. "Hey son..."
"Dad... I see you still haven't figured out a way to greet me without physical abuse."
John laughed at him and grinned in reply. "No, I haven't. So, are you enjoying the party?"
Brady nodded, briefly pausing to wave at Chloe who was chatting excitedly with Belle and Mimi. They were probably discussing the plans for the wedding that would take place at the end of the summer. He turned back to his father and smiled in appreciation.
"Yeah, I am. You really went all out. The limo was definitely a nice touch. Thank you for that."
"Only the best for my little IzzyB's engagement party. You know, especially since we didn't get to throw a party for you and Chloe."
Brady chuckled and nudged his dad in the arm with his elbow. "That's because we got married two minutes after we got engaged. You aren't the only one who complained about that, you know. Nancy went nuts because she didn't get to have a huge fancy wedding for her daughter."
John shrugged slightly and replied. "Well, maybe you can still have the huge fancy wedding that Nancy wants. Just for show."
"Only if Chloe wanted to. I'm happy with the one we had. Having a big wedding after a small intimate wedding... I don't know... It's like going to a prom even though you graduated high school four years before that."
John nodded in understanding, but his attention was diverted by Marlena waving at him from across the room. He slapped his son on the back again and Brady guarded his drink carefully as John bid him goodbye. "I have to go give my toast... See ya, kid."
Brady watched as John, Marlena, Bo and Hope went to the front of the room to get everybody's attention. As Bo and Hope were toasting their son and future daughter-in-law, Jennifer had slid into the spot next to Brady, recently vacated by John.
"Brady... Something's going on."
Brady whipped his head around to look at her curiously. "Going on with who? Or what?"
"Greta and Chloe. They're hiding something. And whatever it is... It's not good."
"Are you saying that as Chloe's sister or as editor-in-chief of the Spectator?"
Jennifer sighed softly and crossed her arms. "Both. My instincts as a reporter tells me that there is something suspicious going on. My instincts as a sister and a friend tells me that they need to be protected from whatever it is that they're hiding."
Brady nodded in agreement and decided to go stand by his wife during the speeches from the parents. He looked at Jennifer, trying to reassure her before he walked away. "I think you're right, Jenn. And, I'm gonna do everything I can to protect them both."
Brady made his way through the crowd of family and friends until he reached Chloe's side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, giving her a kiss on the lips before he whispered in her ear.
"I love you, Chloe..."
Chloe smiled in surprise, wondering what caused Brady's sudden display of affection. "I love you too, Brady..."
She sighed softly and leaned into his chest as they both turned to watch the bride and groom's parents give their speeches. John stepped up to the microphone and Marlena joked that his champagne glass was empty before he even began his toast. He shrugged nonchalantly and asked a nearby waiter for a refill. The waiter quickly obliged, filling John's glass to the top and John went to begin his toast.
"First off, I'd like to thank you all for being here tonight. It's always a wonderful thing when we can come together to celebrate something so happy. I think Hope said it best when she said that Shawn and Belle were always meant to be together. There's no doubt in my mind that from the very beginning of their lives, they were put on this earth for each other. And, there is no other young man who I would trust with my daughter. Congratulations to you both, may God bless you with a full and happy life. And, I can only hope that you will have even one tenth of the happiness I have with my wife and children."
John raised his glass as did the rest of the crowd. "To Shawn and Belle..."
The party guests toasted to the happy couple and began sipping their champagne happily. Before John could even lift his glass to his lips, his hand began trembling and the glass slipped out of his hand, shattering on the floor below him.
Marlena put her hand on his arm and looked at him with concern as his entire body began to shake slightly. Brady let go of Chloe and they both slid through the crowd as all eyes turned towards John and a silence fell across the room.
John slid to the floor as they reached him, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Marlena laid him down on the floor and he started going into an even more violent seizure. Chloe searched the crowd frantically and began yelling for her stepfather Craig, who was already making his way towards them from the back of the restaurant.
"CRAIG! GET OVER HERE! WE NEED A DOCTOR!"
Belle looked on in fear as she and Shawn came to stand next to Brady. Brady began shouting for someone to call 911, and they observed as Marlena and Craig began checking John's vitals, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
Belle's hand was over her mouth, thick tears already welling up in her eyes. "Oh my God... What's happening?"
Brady was just afraid as his little sister, but he hid his feelings, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and squeezing her tightly. "I don't know, Tink... I don't know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fade to Black - Cue Hourglass: [i]Doo-dooo-dooo-do-dooo... Do-do-do-do-do-do-doooo...[/i] (That's the Days of Our Lives Theme if you couldn't tell...)
Man, I love those cliffhangers.
Chapter Three
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Four Weeks Later)
Chloe fastened the tiny diamond earrings and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her long hair was swept up neatly, leaving her shoulders bare underneath the thin spaghetti straps. She had chosen a deep burgundy dress that seemed to made for her. It hit right above her knee and clinged tightly to her figure, accentuating every curve. It was formal, but still simple and comfortable.
She made sure everything was in it's proper place and slowly made her way downstairs. Brady was standing near Wesley's playpen but turned to watch her when he heard the sound of her strappy burgundy heels on the stairs.
"Wow... Diva... Just when I think you can't get any more beautiful..."
Chloe stepped lightly off the last step and smiled at him. "Oh stop... You're looking pretty dapper yourself, Mr. Black."
Brady winked at her and tugged at his black bow tie with a grin. Chloe walked closer to him and gave him a loving kiss on the mouth, trying not to smear her lipstick all over him. She buttoned his black tux jacket for him and gave him a sly wink.
"You look good in a tux. Of course... You look good in jeans, in sweat pants, in a suit, in your pajamas... But you look the best in nothing at all..."
Brady looked at her in mock shame. "Mrs. Black... Talking like this in front of our son? You should be ashamed of yourself..."
Chloe laughed sultrily and ran her fingers lightly through his hair as she gave him another brief kiss. "He can't hear us, Brady... I just wanted to give you a little teaser for what happens after the party."
"Oh. So, how long do we have to stay at this thing anyway? Do we even have to go at all?"
Chloe laughed and walked away from him, bending over to pull Wesley out of the playpen. "Your sister only has one engagement party in her life... at least I hope so... We have to be there and we have to stay there for a long time."
Brady nodded with an exasperated sigh. "I know. I'd just... Well, your teaser sounds a lot better than mingling with Salem's elite at the Penthouse Grill. But, I wouldn't miss my baby sister's engagement party for the world."
Chloe nodded and grabbed Wesley's diaper bag off the couch, pausing to look at her son with a serious look. "Please, Wes... If you love your mommy -- do not drool, pee, spit up or make a mess on me until after the party. Okay?"
Wesley had no response except to laugh and lay his head down on his mother's shoulder. Chloe smoothed his hair down with her fingers and looked back towards her husband. "I can't believe it. Can you? Shawn and Belle... Engaged. Wow."
"Can't believe it? Please... Those two practically had the marriage license signed before they graduated kindergarten. Where's the surprise in that?"
"I know. I just thought they were going to wait until they were out of college. This is sooner than I expected."
Brady opened the loft door for her and shut it behind them as they walked into the hallway. "They're just trying to catch up to us..."
Chloe chuckled as they stepped on the elevator and began recapping the game plan for the evening. "So, we're heading to my sister's house where the babysitter will watch Abby and Wes. And then..."
"My father is sending a limo to pick up Jack, Jennifer and us."
"Well, that's very kind of him."
Brady shrugged and hit the button for the ground floor. "Well, it's a special night and my father decided to spare no expense. I'm the brother of the bride, so my group gets a limo."
Chloe grinned and shifted Wes to her other side. "Snazzy..."
She leaned against the wall and Brady watched her as she smiled at their son. The past four weeks had gone by smoothly and quickly, with not one single mention of Phillip or the day of the funeral. Brady had observed his wife closely, waiting for her to tell him the truth, but all he saw was a completely blissful woman, as if nothing had ever happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Penthouse Grill)
Chloe and Brady arrived arm in arm, with Jennifer and Jack Devereaux beside them. They first greeted John and Marlena and then dispersed into the crowd to mingle with the other guests. Brady and Chloe found Belle right away and gave her congratulatory hugs. Belle was positively glowing, and had been since Shawn's proposal less than a week ago.
"Hey, you guys... You two look so great."
Brady smiled sweetly at his sister and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "And you look absolutely beautiful, Tink..."
"You know, when I'm a married woman you're going to have to stop calling me Tink."
Brady shook his head vehemently. "No way. Not going to happen. No matter how grown up you think you are, you will always be my baby sister."
Belle rolled her eyes at him and then turned to smile at Chloe. "So, Chloe... Are you SURE you're not upset that Mimi is going to be my maid of honor?"
Chloe waved her hand dismissively and shook her head. "Of course I'm not upset. Don't make me tell you that again. You and Mimi made a pact when you were 7 years old, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm perfectly happy being a bridesmaid. By the way, where is your lucky groom?"
"Uhm, I believe he's..." Belle searched the crowd with her eyes and pointed at a table in the corner. "He's right there. With your grandmother and Greta."
Chloe looked in the direction she was pointing and saw Shawn on one side of Alice Horton and Greta on her other side. She put her hand on Brady's arm and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm going to go over there... I want to say hi to my grandma."
Brady nodded and smiled at her. "Go right ahead... I'll be over in a bit."
He watched her walk away, staying quiet as he watched her greet Shawn, Alice and Greta from afar. Brady sighed softly and looked at his sister as she absentmindedly rubbed her index finger over the edge of her glass.
"Tink... Does Chloe seem... okay? Do you think she's okay?"
Belle looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows creasing together. "Uhm, yeah. She seems happier than ever. Don't you think so?"
Brady shrugged as his gaze shifted back to Chloe on the other side of the restaurant. "I guess. I just -- She still hasn't said anything about the funeral. She hasn't said anything to you yet, has she?"
"Nope. Still as quiet as a mouse."
"You are one of her best friends, Belle... Why won't she tell you?"
Belle sighed and laid a reassuring hand on her brother's arm. "I may be one of her best friends, but YOU are her *best* friend, you are everything to her. If she hasn't told you, she won't tell anybody. I don't think she's told Greta or Jennifer either. So..."
Brady looked back at Belle and ran his tongue over his teeth as thought about Chloe's secrecy. "But why? I just want to know why she would go after what she said about feeling nothing. And, more importantly, why would she lie to me about it?"
"Maybe she doesn't know why. Sometimes people do things and don't even understand why they did them. I'm sure if she could even begin to understand her reasons, she'd tell you, Brady. I know she would..."
Brady frowned and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder. "I wish I could be sure that you're right about that, Tink... I really do."
~*~
Chloe was enjoying a simple conversation with her grandmother and Shawn, but all the while she was watching Greta out of the corner of her eye. She could tell something was wrong with the princess, something that she desperately wanted to talk about. Greta was usually a chatterbox, but she was suddenly quiet and had been shifting in her seat nervously.
Chloe gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek and then excused herself to the restroom, motioning for Greta to follow her. She sauntered into the ladies' room and checked to make sure all the stalls were empty as Greta came in behind her. Chloe leaned up against one of the stalls and crossed her arms over her chest, staring Greta down intently.
"So Greta, what's on your mind?"
Greta put one hand on the counter near the sink and sighed heavily. "How could you tell?"
Chloe chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "How could I tell? You practically have a flashing neon sign over your head that says, 'I'm hiding something'. So, what is it?"
"I -- I got another letter."
"When?"
Greta swallowed the lump in her throat and fished in her purse for a folded up piece of paper, handing it over to Chloe as she replied. "This morning... I came back from my morning run and... It was... It was sitting on my kitchen counter."
Chloe unfolded the note and read the words out loud. "The time is now. The truth will be known."
Chloe folded the note back up and stared at Greta in shock. "It was on your kitchen counter? Jesus Christ, Greta... That means somebody was in your house. You can't stay there anymore. You come stay with me and Brady, or Jennifer or Hope... Just don't go back there tonight. Please. We'll leave here after the party together, we'll go to your house with Brady to get your things and you can come stay with us."
Greta shook her head slowly not wanting to listen to Chloe's words. "I can't, Chloe. I can't... You're the only one who knows what's going on. You're the only one who knows the truth. If I make a big deal out of this, then everyone will know."
"And if you *don't* make a big deal out of this? Everyone will find out the truth anyway, and your life will be in danger."
"What does it matter? I'm not safe anywhere. Not at your house, or Jenn's or Hope's."
Chloe groaned in frustration and put her hands on her hips. "This has been going on for three months, since you came back to Salem. And, I kept it a secret because you asked me to as your friend. But, I don't know if I can do that anymore. I can't lie, especially when it puts your life in danger. If we tell Brady, John, Bo... SOMEBODY... They will protect you, I promise."
Chloe's voice had risen to a more frantic, slightly angry volume, and Greta sensed her friend's fear. But, Greta had her own fears about what would happen when the truth did come out. She held back her tears and absentmindedly tucked a stray piece of brown hair back into her upswept do.
"Chloe... I'm -- I'm afraid too. I am... But, I'm more afraid of what will happen if everyone finds out."
"You shouldn't be. Your friends will always love you, Greta, no matter what. You should be more afraid of what *he* is going to do to you."
Greta was about to reply when the bathroom door swung open and Jennifer entered with a surprised smile. "Hey you two... Is everything okay?"
Chloe swiftly hid the note behind her back and nodded, plastering on her best phony smile. "Yeah. Everything's just fine... Greta and I were just..."
Chloe faltered but Greta picked up right where she left off. "Talking about taking a trip to the lake. You know, it's almost summer now, and I think it would be really good for everyone. Brady, Chloe and Wes. Me, you, Jack and Abby, Hope, Bo, Zack, Shawn, Belle -- the whole brood. We can get a few cabins and spend a weekend up there. What do you think?"
Jennifer nodded but narrowed her eyes suspiciously, the investigative reporter in her was always looking for something else. She smiled and continued nodding in reply. "Sounds like a great idea. We haven't had one of those big family weekends in a quite a while. We'll just have to figure out what weekend to go."
Chloe nodded and smiled uneasily at her sister, throwing a sideways glance to Greta that showed her frustration with the continuation of the lie. "Yeah. That's what we were discussing when you came in. We just have to find two days where everybody is available to get out there."
"So... That's all that's going on?"
Greta laughed and rolled her eyes at Jennifer. "Stop being so suspicious, Jenn. You're off the clock, remember?"
Jennifer looked between both of them before going to the mirror to reapply her lipstick and adjust her hair. She wanted more than anything to trust her younger sister and her friend, Greta, but something was definitely off.
Chloe went to the mirror and made similar adjustments to her own appearance. She slyly slipped the mysterious note back to Greta before all three women left the bathroom and returned to the party.
~*~
(Later)
John Black playfully slapped his son on the back, nearly causing Brady to spill his drink on the floor. He snickered loudly and Brady just rolled his eyes as usual. "Hey son..."
"Dad... I see you still haven't figured out a way to greet me without physical abuse."
John laughed at him and grinned in reply. "No, I haven't. So, are you enjoying the party?"
Brady nodded, briefly pausing to wave at Chloe who was chatting excitedly with Belle and Mimi. They were probably discussing the plans for the wedding that would take place at the end of the summer. He turned back to his father and smiled in appreciation.
"Yeah, I am. You really went all out. The limo was definitely a nice touch. Thank you for that."
"Only the best for my little IzzyB's engagement party. You know, especially since we didn't get to throw a party for you and Chloe."
Brady chuckled and nudged his dad in the arm with his elbow. "That's because we got married two minutes after we got engaged. You aren't the only one who complained about that, you know. Nancy went nuts because she didn't get to have a huge fancy wedding for her daughter."
John shrugged slightly and replied. "Well, maybe you can still have the huge fancy wedding that Nancy wants. Just for show."
"Only if Chloe wanted to. I'm happy with the one we had. Having a big wedding after a small intimate wedding... I don't know... It's like going to a prom even though you graduated high school four years before that."
John nodded in understanding, but his attention was diverted by Marlena waving at him from across the room. He slapped his son on the back again and Brady guarded his drink carefully as John bid him goodbye. "I have to go give my toast... See ya, kid."
Brady watched as John, Marlena, Bo and Hope went to the front of the room to get everybody's attention. As Bo and Hope were toasting their son and future daughter-in-law, Jennifer had slid into the spot next to Brady, recently vacated by John.
"Brady... Something's going on."
Brady whipped his head around to look at her curiously. "Going on with who? Or what?"
"Greta and Chloe. They're hiding something. And whatever it is... It's not good."
"Are you saying that as Chloe's sister or as editor-in-chief of the Spectator?"
Jennifer sighed softly and crossed her arms. "Both. My instincts as a reporter tells me that there is something suspicious going on. My instincts as a sister and a friend tells me that they need to be protected from whatever it is that they're hiding."
Brady nodded in agreement and decided to go stand by his wife during the speeches from the parents. He looked at Jennifer, trying to reassure her before he walked away. "I think you're right, Jenn. And, I'm gonna do everything I can to protect them both."
Brady made his way through the crowd of family and friends until he reached Chloe's side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, giving her a kiss on the lips before he whispered in her ear.
"I love you, Chloe..."
Chloe smiled in surprise, wondering what caused Brady's sudden display of affection. "I love you too, Brady..."
She sighed softly and leaned into his chest as they both turned to watch the bride and groom's parents give their speeches. John stepped up to the microphone and Marlena joked that his champagne glass was empty before he even began his toast. He shrugged nonchalantly and asked a nearby waiter for a refill. The waiter quickly obliged, filling John's glass to the top and John went to begin his toast.
"First off, I'd like to thank you all for being here tonight. It's always a wonderful thing when we can come together to celebrate something so happy. I think Hope said it best when she said that Shawn and Belle were always meant to be together. There's no doubt in my mind that from the very beginning of their lives, they were put on this earth for each other. And, there is no other young man who I would trust with my daughter. Congratulations to you both, may God bless you with a full and happy life. And, I can only hope that you will have even one tenth of the happiness I have with my wife and children."
John raised his glass as did the rest of the crowd. "To Shawn and Belle..."
The party guests toasted to the happy couple and began sipping their champagne happily. Before John could even lift his glass to his lips, his hand began trembling and the glass slipped out of his hand, shattering on the floor below him.
Marlena put her hand on his arm and looked at him with concern as his entire body began to shake slightly. Brady let go of Chloe and they both slid through the crowd as all eyes turned towards John and a silence fell across the room.
John slid to the floor as they reached him, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Marlena laid him down on the floor and he started going into an even more violent seizure. Chloe searched the crowd frantically and began yelling for her stepfather Craig, who was already making his way towards them from the back of the restaurant.
"CRAIG! GET OVER HERE! WE NEED A DOCTOR!"
Belle looked on in fear as she and Shawn came to stand next to Brady. Brady began shouting for someone to call 911, and they observed as Marlena and Craig began checking John's vitals, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
Belle's hand was over her mouth, thick tears already welling up in her eyes. "Oh my God... What's happening?"
Brady was just afraid as his little sister, but he hid his feelings, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and squeezing her tightly. "I don't know, Tink... I don't know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fade to Black - Cue Hourglass: [i]Doo-dooo-dooo-do-dooo... Do-do-do-do-do-do-doooo...[/i] (That's the Days of Our Lives Theme if you couldn't tell...)
Man, I love those cliffhangers.