Disclaimer: The following fiction is loosely based on characters currently owned and operated by the producers and writers of NBC-TV's Days of Our Lives. I claim no affiliation. Gratuitous entertainment purposes only.
Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter 16
by Fidomom
Brady got out of the jeep and walked around the front of it to open Chloe's door and help her out of the vehicle. They resumed holding hands and approached the front porch of the Wesley's home. Brady stopped suddenly and squeezed Chloe's hand. She turned to look at him.
"Brady?"
"Chloe, I ... I'm so nervous about this. Not as nervous as telling you I love you that first time but nervous nonetheless. Things in there could get ugly. Our folks know that for weeks now you and I have not even been on speaking terms. Now, tonight, suddenly from their perspective, we're going to ask them to believe and accept that we are actually in love? They may really hit the roof when we go one better and tell them not only that but that we're engaged too. I think we need to prepare ourselves a little better than oh we'll just be honest and we'll make them see that we mean it, you know?"
Chloe frowned with worry and sadness,
"How Brady? How can we prepare ourselves when we don't know how they'll react?"
Brady smiled slightly,
"We can't prepare ourselves in terms of THEIR reactions. It's not possible. What I meant was prepare ourselves and plan our own reactions. If there is one thing I've learned since coming home from college is that anger alienates parental units. Whatever they say or do Chloe the minute we get angry at them they'll be completely against us and our plans for the future. Guaranteed. You and I are not exactly known for keeping cool heads, so I'm just concerned that our parents will set us off and what is supposed to be a happy announcement will turn into a screaming match. We have to figure out together how to avoid that outcome."
Chloe wrapped her arms around his middle and lay her ear against his shoulder,
"You're right, Brady. How are we going to avoid that?"
Brady held himself away a little and tilted her chin up,
"Hey, we're a team aren't we? If either of us sees the other starting to lose it we could help each other out. I know that if I start feeling angry one smile from you will interrupt it long enough for me to maintain composure. What will distract you from losing your cool?"
She looked up at him and a smile grew across her face as his idea grew on her,
"A smile huh? Hmmm. What would distract me long enough to stay in control? I guess some sort of physical contact with you. A hand squeeze? Rubbing my back? Putting your arm around me? Yeah. I think anything like that would do it. You help me feel strong inside and you calm me down just like music does- unless it's you who has upset me that is!"
Brady chuckled,
"Well, I'm not planning to be the one who upsets you tonight. That's the last thing I wanna do. So touch huh? Can't say I'm surprised really. You are a very sensual woman. I guess now that we have a plan we better go do this."
Chloe blushed slightly at his compliment, then nodded her head,
"Yeah. I still have to wake them up without giving Nancy a panic attack! Wish me luck."
He gave her a quick squeeze,
"Don't need luck, we've got each other and we are going to face our families together. I've got your back Chloe just remember that okay?"
Chloe's face became determined, she stood up straighter, took a deep breath and nodded once at him,
"Right! Got it! Come on, Brady! It's time for Craig and Nancy to start getting used to the idea that you are their future son-in-law!"
Brady's nervousness was back,
"I'm right behind you Diva."
Chloe unlocked the door and ushered Brady inside as quietly as possible.
"Brady would you mind putting on some tea? We should try to make this as pleasant as we can. Oh also if your folks show up before Nancy and Craig come down could you let them in before they have a chance to knock?"
He smiled, nodded and headed for the kitchen.
Chloe trudged quietly up the stairs and stopped in front of her parents' bedroom door. She took a deep breath and knocked gently.
Nancy sat up startled,
"Chloe? Is that you sweetheart?"
"Yeah, Mom it's me. Listen I need for you and Craig to come downstairs. Don't panic okay? There is no emergency but I do need to talk to you both and no it can't wait until tomorrow. I'll wait downstairs for you."
Nancy shook Craig's shoulder,
"Craig! Craig wake-up!"
Craig blinked rapidly in confusion,
"Nancy, what the ...? What's going on?"
"It's Chloe, Craig ..."
Craig sighed and rubbed his face ready to roll over and go back to sleep,
"Nancy, Chloe is fine. Please can we just go back to sleep?"
"No we cannot! Craig Wesley you listen to me! Chloe was just at our bedroom door asking for us to meet her downstairs. She said she wants to talk to us."
Craig grimaced,
"What? Now? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Nancy got out of bed and put her robe on,
"Apparently not. She made it sound important."
There was another knock on their door. Nancy went over and cracked it open.
"Chloe, what is this about sweetheart?"
Chloe studiously ignored the question,
"I forgot to mention we have guests, you might want to get dressed before coming down. See you downstairs."
Nancy tried in vain to halt her daughters hasty retreat,
"Chloe, wait! Hmmm."
Nancy closed the door and issued an order,
"Get dressed Craig. It seems we will be having guests and she won't say who or what this is all about. Oh my God Craig! What if she was brought home by the police? What if there are policemen downstairs and Chloe is in trouble with the law?"
Craig rolled his eyes and got out of bed in search of clothes,
"Nancy, I highly doubt it. Someone would have phoned us. She is a minor. Let's just get dressed and go downstairs to find out what's going on, okay sweetie?"
Nancy wrung her hands together as she tried to imagine what could possibly be awaiting them downstairs,
"Oh Craig I have a bad feeling about this!"
Craig smiled and winked at his wife,
"Then I feel much better already because when you have a bad feeling about something you are usually way off base!"
Nancy glared at him, hit him with a pillow and dressed. Nancy and Craig descended the stairs together and entered the living room to find Chloe pouring tea for six. Brady, John and Marlena looked up as they entered the room. Nancy glared at Brady, smiled tightly at Marlena, barely glanced at John and focussed her gaze on Chloe.
"Chloe that is not the outfit we agreed on!"
Chloe's back was up immediately and she opened her mouth to argue but paused when she felt Brady's hand on her arm. She looked down at it and then into his eyes. She nodded once and he removed his hand.
"I poured you both some tea. Come sit with us."
Nancy and Craig saw the exchange between Brady and Chloe. Nancy saw it as Brady trying to control her daughter. Craig saw it as an act borne of love and he was relieved they were no longer denying it. He felt himself relax a little. John also noticed the exchange and almost chuckled he was so impressed by them both. Marlena sat poised and waiting wondering only vaguely what was going on. All she knew was that the sooner the kids told them all what was going on the sooner she could be back at home in bed being loved by her husband. Marlena smiled warmly at Brady and Chloe.
"So we're all here and I'm very curious why you've asked us to be here. Why don't you tell us what this is about?"
Chloe set her tea down on the table in front of her, and took a deep breath,
"Okay. First of all I know it's late and I'm really sorry that this couldn't wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow will be filled with ringing telephones and all manner of other distractions. Besides there's no way I could sleep without us telling you. So to end the suspense we want to tell you all that Brady and I are in love and we are engaged. We'd like to be married before I go to Juilliard. I'll be leaving for New York in about two months, so this has got to happen fast and we need all the help we can get to pull it off."
Craig reached for Nancy's hand as he and the other four people in the room turned their eyes to her, awaiting her reaction to the bluntly delivered announcement.
To be continued ...
Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter 16
by Fidomom
Brady got out of the jeep and walked around the front of it to open Chloe's door and help her out of the vehicle. They resumed holding hands and approached the front porch of the Wesley's home. Brady stopped suddenly and squeezed Chloe's hand. She turned to look at him.
"Brady?"
"Chloe, I ... I'm so nervous about this. Not as nervous as telling you I love you that first time but nervous nonetheless. Things in there could get ugly. Our folks know that for weeks now you and I have not even been on speaking terms. Now, tonight, suddenly from their perspective, we're going to ask them to believe and accept that we are actually in love? They may really hit the roof when we go one better and tell them not only that but that we're engaged too. I think we need to prepare ourselves a little better than oh we'll just be honest and we'll make them see that we mean it, you know?"
Chloe frowned with worry and sadness,
"How Brady? How can we prepare ourselves when we don't know how they'll react?"
Brady smiled slightly,
"We can't prepare ourselves in terms of THEIR reactions. It's not possible. What I meant was prepare ourselves and plan our own reactions. If there is one thing I've learned since coming home from college is that anger alienates parental units. Whatever they say or do Chloe the minute we get angry at them they'll be completely against us and our plans for the future. Guaranteed. You and I are not exactly known for keeping cool heads, so I'm just concerned that our parents will set us off and what is supposed to be a happy announcement will turn into a screaming match. We have to figure out together how to avoid that outcome."
Chloe wrapped her arms around his middle and lay her ear against his shoulder,
"You're right, Brady. How are we going to avoid that?"
Brady held himself away a little and tilted her chin up,
"Hey, we're a team aren't we? If either of us sees the other starting to lose it we could help each other out. I know that if I start feeling angry one smile from you will interrupt it long enough for me to maintain composure. What will distract you from losing your cool?"
She looked up at him and a smile grew across her face as his idea grew on her,
"A smile huh? Hmmm. What would distract me long enough to stay in control? I guess some sort of physical contact with you. A hand squeeze? Rubbing my back? Putting your arm around me? Yeah. I think anything like that would do it. You help me feel strong inside and you calm me down just like music does- unless it's you who has upset me that is!"
Brady chuckled,
"Well, I'm not planning to be the one who upsets you tonight. That's the last thing I wanna do. So touch huh? Can't say I'm surprised really. You are a very sensual woman. I guess now that we have a plan we better go do this."
Chloe blushed slightly at his compliment, then nodded her head,
"Yeah. I still have to wake them up without giving Nancy a panic attack! Wish me luck."
He gave her a quick squeeze,
"Don't need luck, we've got each other and we are going to face our families together. I've got your back Chloe just remember that okay?"
Chloe's face became determined, she stood up straighter, took a deep breath and nodded once at him,
"Right! Got it! Come on, Brady! It's time for Craig and Nancy to start getting used to the idea that you are their future son-in-law!"
Brady's nervousness was back,
"I'm right behind you Diva."
Chloe unlocked the door and ushered Brady inside as quietly as possible.
"Brady would you mind putting on some tea? We should try to make this as pleasant as we can. Oh also if your folks show up before Nancy and Craig come down could you let them in before they have a chance to knock?"
He smiled, nodded and headed for the kitchen.
Chloe trudged quietly up the stairs and stopped in front of her parents' bedroom door. She took a deep breath and knocked gently.
Nancy sat up startled,
"Chloe? Is that you sweetheart?"
"Yeah, Mom it's me. Listen I need for you and Craig to come downstairs. Don't panic okay? There is no emergency but I do need to talk to you both and no it can't wait until tomorrow. I'll wait downstairs for you."
Nancy shook Craig's shoulder,
"Craig! Craig wake-up!"
Craig blinked rapidly in confusion,
"Nancy, what the ...? What's going on?"
"It's Chloe, Craig ..."
Craig sighed and rubbed his face ready to roll over and go back to sleep,
"Nancy, Chloe is fine. Please can we just go back to sleep?"
"No we cannot! Craig Wesley you listen to me! Chloe was just at our bedroom door asking for us to meet her downstairs. She said she wants to talk to us."
Craig grimaced,
"What? Now? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Nancy got out of bed and put her robe on,
"Apparently not. She made it sound important."
There was another knock on their door. Nancy went over and cracked it open.
"Chloe, what is this about sweetheart?"
Chloe studiously ignored the question,
"I forgot to mention we have guests, you might want to get dressed before coming down. See you downstairs."
Nancy tried in vain to halt her daughters hasty retreat,
"Chloe, wait! Hmmm."
Nancy closed the door and issued an order,
"Get dressed Craig. It seems we will be having guests and she won't say who or what this is all about. Oh my God Craig! What if she was brought home by the police? What if there are policemen downstairs and Chloe is in trouble with the law?"
Craig rolled his eyes and got out of bed in search of clothes,
"Nancy, I highly doubt it. Someone would have phoned us. She is a minor. Let's just get dressed and go downstairs to find out what's going on, okay sweetie?"
Nancy wrung her hands together as she tried to imagine what could possibly be awaiting them downstairs,
"Oh Craig I have a bad feeling about this!"
Craig smiled and winked at his wife,
"Then I feel much better already because when you have a bad feeling about something you are usually way off base!"
Nancy glared at him, hit him with a pillow and dressed. Nancy and Craig descended the stairs together and entered the living room to find Chloe pouring tea for six. Brady, John and Marlena looked up as they entered the room. Nancy glared at Brady, smiled tightly at Marlena, barely glanced at John and focussed her gaze on Chloe.
"Chloe that is not the outfit we agreed on!"
Chloe's back was up immediately and she opened her mouth to argue but paused when she felt Brady's hand on her arm. She looked down at it and then into his eyes. She nodded once and he removed his hand.
"I poured you both some tea. Come sit with us."
Nancy and Craig saw the exchange between Brady and Chloe. Nancy saw it as Brady trying to control her daughter. Craig saw it as an act borne of love and he was relieved they were no longer denying it. He felt himself relax a little. John also noticed the exchange and almost chuckled he was so impressed by them both. Marlena sat poised and waiting wondering only vaguely what was going on. All she knew was that the sooner the kids told them all what was going on the sooner she could be back at home in bed being loved by her husband. Marlena smiled warmly at Brady and Chloe.
"So we're all here and I'm very curious why you've asked us to be here. Why don't you tell us what this is about?"
Chloe set her tea down on the table in front of her, and took a deep breath,
"Okay. First of all I know it's late and I'm really sorry that this couldn't wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow will be filled with ringing telephones and all manner of other distractions. Besides there's no way I could sleep without us telling you. So to end the suspense we want to tell you all that Brady and I are in love and we are engaged. We'd like to be married before I go to Juilliard. I'll be leaving for New York in about two months, so this has got to happen fast and we need all the help we can get to pull it off."
Craig reached for Nancy's hand as he and the other four people in the room turned their eyes to her, awaiting her reaction to the bluntly delivered announcement.
To be continued ...