The club pulsated with the heartbeat-like rhythm of the dance music. The place was packed with dancing bodies, and that was the way Jason Masters liked it - even if his wasn't one of them.

From his place behind the bar, Jason casually watched as many of his old high school chums rocked their bodies to the music that seemed to blare from every direction. Among the crowd was his own impudent fiancee. He'd already noticed the way she was attempting to upset him by throwing herself at every drunk guy in the place. He wondered if she honestly thought he cared.

Jason was merely waiting for the evening to be over before he finally ended his wretched relationship with Jan. He knew that she was using him and probably always had been. For Jan, Jason was little more than a warm body that could take her out on weekends and give her a feeling of inferiority over the other tramps in town. Then again, Jason was well aware that he'd also been using her. Despite her seductive prowess and delicious curves, Jan was nothing but a replacement for a love never explored.

Jason was only partially focused on pouring drinks as he kept his eyes locked on the club's entrance. Since the party had started, Jason had been waiting for Mimi's arrival. He knew that she would eventually have to make an appearance. After all, Belle was not only Mimi's best friend, but her sister-in-law as well.

In the far corner of the room, Mimi's arrogant husband was having a lively conversation with the d.j. he'd hired for Philip and Belle's anniversary bash. Jason had a feeling that he was glad he wasn't in the poor guy's shoes, because Brady looked mad enough to literally spit nails.

Jason had never understood what exactly it was that Mimi saw in Brady Black. Sure, he was handsome and wealthy, but Jason knew that Mimi was attracted to things deeper than looks and money. Jason accepted that Brady was far from being a demon, but he also knew that he was equally far from being the sweet and caring husband he appeared to be. Somehow, Jason knew that he would find a way to lure Mimi away from Brady, consequences now deemed inconsequential.

Philip and Belle were located in the very center of the room, surrounded by a crowd of their closest friends. Well, they probably weren't their closest friends, but Jason had never spent too much time dwelling on insignificant details. He did not really care who Mr. and Mrs. Kiriakis associated with in their free time. He was no longer a member of their privileged circle and found no need to worry about their impertinent relationships.

Jason tore his gaze away from the couple and began to once again stare at the door. Taking a peek at his watch, Jason released an unhappy sigh. He'd been watching that set of doors for nearly two hours, and he wasn't sure if he had the patience to wait much longer.

As he poured a few of the patrons their favorite drinks, Jason pondered just why he was so very anxious to see Mimi. He'd spent most of the day telling himself that he should just let their one night together go and forget it happened. However, Jason's heart simply couldn't forget the way Mimi's bare skin had felt against his own or how perfect their bodies seemed to fit together.

~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~

Chloe rummaged through the hideously untidy storage closet. Always the meticulous person, Chloe could not believe how disorderly she'd allowed the closet to become. Of course, Chloe knew the reason why she had purposely ignored the closet. It was the same reason that she had not so much as opened the door to it in the two years since she'd moved into the apartment. Chloe had a fear of things that could not be forgotten.

Pushing aside various boxes, Chloe continued her search for the desired object. It had been a Christmas gift from Craig the year after she left Salem. Though it had arrived a few days before Christmas, Craig had called in advance and made her promise to not open it until Christmas morning.

Chloe remembered that morning better than any since her departure from Salem. She actually rose from bed at six o'clock in the morning just to open that package. When she had, tears flowed from her eyes, down her cheeks, and fell silently to the floor as she grasped the present against her chest.

That very same day, Chloe had boxed it up along with most of the other things that reminded her of Salem and put them in the darkest recesses of her closet. When she had moved, the boxes had simply been transferred from one closet to the other.

Chloe's heart nearly stopped beating when she found the hidden gift. Slowly, she ran her fingers over the front of it, forcing back new tears.

Gaining the courage to face her past, Chloe stood and carried the item into the living room with her. Taking a seat in a plush chair by the window, Chloe turned on the lamp beside her, allowing a warm glow to brighten the dreary room and vanquish it of much of its darkness.

For a moment, Chloe could do nothing more than just stare at the photo album resting on her lap. She knew that once she opened it, she would be allowing the past to escape. It had been more than four years since she had bid farewell to Salem, now it was time to remind herself of the place and the people she knew there.

Chloe read aloud the words that graced the cover of the silver album, "Friendship, the only tie that will truly bind."

Chloe felt certain that she didn't possess the strength to look at every page and every photo. Hoping to save herself just a little pain, Chloe decided she would merely flip through the book. She knew that the entire album was in chronological order thanks to Craig's attention to detail. Opening the cover, Chloe prayed that she would be looking at photographs and not reliving a life that she should be forgetting.

A warm smiled graced Chloe's lips as she opened the album and, by chance, found herself staring at a photograph that commemorated the event that singlehandedly changed the course of her life. It had been taken in the early summer of 2000. Chloe would never forget the night that she and Philip would fondly recall as their first date. The Last Blast had been Chloe's chance at revealing herself to a world that didn't try nor want to understand her. And, when Chloe had revealed herself, it had been in a stunning red dress that caught the attention of every guy in the room. Looking at the photograph of herself and Philip, Chloe felt more tears building in her eyes as she remembered how wonderful he had been to her that night, and on so many that would follow.

Flipping through the pages of the album, Chloe next came to a stop on a page containing two photographs from another special night. It had been her Senior Prom, and it proved itself another unforgettable evening. The photo at the top was a copy from a shot taken by Belle's father, who had chaperoned for part of the evening. It showcased Jason, Mimi, Belle, Shawn, Philip, and Chloe in their formal wear just after the first dance. The picture below it was taken later that night by a professional photographer.

Everyone had been shocked when the King and Queen were announced. When Chloe's name had been called as the Queen, the teenagers had assumed that her popular boyfriend Philip Kiriakis was the King. However, Philip's egotistical nature had proven his downfall that evening after a group of the less popular teens had overheard him bragging about how he was going to be King and he was just waiting for his crown. Because of that casual remark, Philip had lost just enough votes to lose the battle for Prom King. With no more than a six vote lead, Shawn Brady had won.

Looking at the photograph of herself posed with Shawn, Chloe knew that he was the reason that she was spending her Friday night weeping over a bunch of old photographs. If only she hadn't seen him in New York City, she might have been able to prolong her desire to reconnect with the past.

Turning the pages again, Chloe arrived at the photos taken during Senior trip. Her favorite photo was in the middle of the page. It had been taken late at night when the group was on the bus making the return trip from Florida. On the left in the very back seat, Shawn and Belle were curled up in each other's arms fast asleep. In the seat in front of them, Mimi was also sleeping, her head turned in a uncomfortable position between the window and the back of the seat. Across from Shawn and Belle, Jan had also lost the battle with sleep and laid against Jason's shoulder. In front of them, Chloe and Philip were in a similar position, only Philip was the one asleep.

Chloe smiled as she recalled the conversation that she and Jason had shared while their friends peacefully slept. It had started when Jason became increasingly bored with Jan snoozing on top of him and started playing with Chloe's hair. When Chloe had turned to tell him to stop bothering, she had been greeted with a warm smile and an istant conversation. It had started with a few comments about he trip, but by the time they were back in Salem, Jason and Chloe had quietly discussed nearly every topic under the sun. After that night, the two shared a silent understanding. And, while the rest of the gang always wondered what had changed between them, Jason and Chloe kept their late night talk to themselves. It became yet another secret.

Hurriedly flipping to a new page with more old memories, Chloe came across a photo taken less than a month after the trip. It was the same seven teens, only they were dressed in their caps and gowns following graduation. On the far left was Jan, her lips curled into an almost genuine smile. Beside her stood Jason, with Mimi on his other side. Next was Philip. As was so often the case at that time, his hand was grasping Chloe's in a tender way. Belle was at Chloe's side, and Shawn stood behind the two girls, an arm casually draped over each one's shoulder.

Chloe's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the next photograph she turned to. It had been taken just a few short weeks after graduation. The entire gang was gathered at the Kiriakis Mansion to have a pool party in honor of Shawn and Brady. Both young men were leaving Salem to pursue their educations out-of-state. Brady was heading to Los Angeles, and Shawn had chose to go to Kings Point, New York where the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy was located.

In the photo, Jan, Jason, Mimi, Philip, Shawn, and Belle were sitting on the edge of the pool, their legs dangling into the water and Jason's hand making bunny ears behind Mimi's head. Chloe was behind Philip, her arms wrapped around his neck and her chin resting on his shoulder. Their cheeks were touching, and Chloe could still remember the feel of his skin against hers. She knew it was something she couldn't forget if she tried. In the background, Brady was standing solemnly. It was apparent that his attention was directed at Chloe and not the camera.

Forcing her hands to move to a page much farther back in the album, Chloe was transported more than a year into the future. The photograph had been taken approximately two months after Brady came home from L.A. The two of them were standing in the foyer of the Wesley house as Craig insisted upon documenting their first official date. He assured them that it was a Kodak moment.

Slamming the book shut, Chloe bitterly thought that within four months of the photograph being taken, she had removed herself from Brady's life. Soon after, she had left Salem and never returned.

~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~

Shawn stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants as he stared at the front of the club, a feeling of trepidation coursing through his very veins. Despite the warm night air, Shawn felt himself shiver against a cold not from the outside, but one that generated deep inside him.

He had spent the entire day lounging around his parents' home and reacquainting himself with his own younger brother. At first, the young boy had remained silent and distanced himself from his older brother. However, when Shawn began telling embellished stories about his time in the West Indies, Isaac became an intent listener. Later, Isaac showed his older brother his comic book collection and asked Shawn to play with him and his remote control cars.

By late afternoon, Isaac had grown tired of playing with his toys and taken a nap, and Shawn had grown tired of his parents both evading his questions and demanded answers. He knew that he might not like the changes, but Shawn detested having his mother and father try to protect him from the inevitable.

Eventually, Hope had told her son a few of the details that he was craving to hear. She informed him that Belle had moved on with her life, as had all his other high school pals. However, Shawn became increasingly suspicious when his mother didn't mention how Belle had moved on with her life.

It had been much later in the evening when Shawn had stumbled upon the letter to his parents from Belle. He had been searching through the desk in search of a box of crayons for his artistic younger brother when he'd been drawn to the simple white envelope and the feminine handwriting on the front of it. He instantly recognized the elaborate uppercase letter in his parents last name. Belle had the most beautiful, distinguished handwriting, and the B with its large loops and curling ends was easily recognized as hers.

Opening the letter without hesitation, Shawn quickly read over it before anyone entered the room. It was simple and straightforward, telling Bo and Hope that the party would be held at Star Lane and that she hoped they would be able to attend.

Shawn didn't know what the party was for, and he didn't believe it mattered. As long as Belle was there, Shawn knew he would have to find a way to make an appearance. Of course, first he had to find the club itself without asking his parents. And, he had.

Moving within a few feet of the entrance, Shawn felt a small pang of guilt for deceiving his parents and seeking out the club without their knowledge. However, Shawn was on a mission to reclaim his past, and he couldn't allow anyone, including his parents, to interfere.

~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~ * * ~

While carrying a bottle to the counter, Jason's attention was captured by the opening of the door. Since most of the guests had arrived long ago, he was fully expecting to see Mimi. However, the bottle in Jason's hand fell crashing to the floor as he saw just who came through the door.

Jason took in Shawn Brady's dark pants and fitting green shirt, topped with that old familiar leather jacket. Shawn was most certainly dressed for a party. Jason understood that Shawn was a good guy, but wondered what good could possibly come from his return.

Taking a quick peek at Philip and Belle, who were oblivious to their old pal's arrival, Jason broke out a smile and contemplated if he was really against Shawn bringing a little life back to the dull existence of Salem. No, Jason Masters could definitely live with Shawn spicing things up a little and causing a disturbance for the sickeningly sweet couple in the room's center.

The broken bottle forgotten, Jason watched in complete fascination as Belle made her way to the bar and so did the impetuous Mr. Brady. Just as Belle reached the bar, a tender hand came to rest on her shoulder. When she turned expecting to see her husband, she was shocked to find her first love.

As the music changed to a softer, more romantic ballad, Shawn smiled and asked, "May I have this dance?"