Chapter 33: Part I: Moving On
Mimi finished getting ready, sitting down afterwards on her bed with a smile, thinking back to a couple of nights ago...
"I was jealous."
"Me too Meems."
Then he smiled at her, oh that wonderful smile of his and closed the door to the car. She remembered sitting there, thinking of him.resting her head against where he had been sitting, still able to feel the warmth from when he had been there.
She sighed and closed her eyes, thinking back to when they had been dancing together.his hands on her back, making her skin tingle.
Then when she woke to the feel of him touching her cheek, stroking it so gently, looking up into his eyes, seeing in them something new.something special. They had come so close.
Poor Belle apologized later that night when they had gone up to her bedroom. (She was spending the night.) But Mimi let it go. For some reason it hadn't upset her that much.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that Philip and her were going out of town today, together. Maybe that's why she was smiling so much, not even one bit sleepy, even though it was very early.
She heard something like a car and looked out the window, seeing what she wanted to see.
She grabbed her stuff and ran down the steps to meet him.
****
He got into his new car, not his dad's car, but his car.
Wow! That was definitely something to be excited about, but that wasn't the only thing bringing a grin to his face.
He was so looking forward to the day ahead, not caring one iota that it was so early.
They always had so much fun together. The way she looked the other night.so sophisticated, but still with that unique personality of hers.one moment almost wild.the next soft and quiet.almost shy. He was starting to see a side to her that he never even knew existed.
Holding her in his arms.feeling her head against his chest, it had surprised him. It had surprised him how it made him feel.
He liked it.a lot, and then waking up in the car to find her in his arms. He had stopped thinking completely, so into.wanting to.how close they had come, only to be interrupted, yet again.
But today they would get to be together and it was exciting.anything could happen, he thought as he pulled into her driveway.
Mimi ran out of the house and raised her eyebrows.
"So the king of Salem High finally has his own chariot."
Philip laughed. "My chariot, yeah.so what do you think?"
He gestured to his new Mazda Tribute mini SUV.
Mimi smiled at the new car in appreciation. It was a dark shade of blue and it was definitely very nice.
"I bet you got all the perks with it too."
"Of course." He started listing some of the features. "Power sunroof, leather seats, six-disc in-dash CD changer-"
Mimi laughed. "Okay, okay Phil, enough! I'm just surprised you didn't get a fancy red sports car."
"Nah, I wanted something I could take skiing and on road trips like this one. It's just what I wanted."
Mimi looked at him questioningly. "But I thought it was a surprise."
"It was. But my dad pretty much knew what I wanted before. I had definitely hinted about it enough.though not as much lately. I had pretty much given up on my dad getting me a new car. Then Christmas morning comes and he and my mother, who came over for the day, led me outside, making me close my eyes. I open them and."
He gestured with his hands. "TAH-DAH!"
Mimi smiled. "Well, I 'm happy for you Phil."
"Thanks Meems." He looked at her, noticing her attire. She was wearing navy blue jeans, a patterned sweater that matched, along with a blue coat and boots. Her hair was hanging down loose with its natural waves.
"You look good."
Mimi smiled up at him, a little surprised. "Thanks."
She liked how he looked too, wearing brown jeans, a matching dark sweater, his boots, and a black coat, his hair back to the way he normally wore it.
"You do too."
"Thanks." He held out his hand for her. "Ready?"
"Yeah." She placed her hand in his.
Philip grinned.
"Boston, here we come!"
****
"Meems, how about some tunes?" Philip looked over at her as he drove.
"Yeah, okay." She smiled over at him. Even though they hadn't been talking that much, she still felt so comfortable with him. It was a companionable silence.
"There's CDs already in the player. Just pick the one you want."
Mimi looked at her choices and turned on the CD player.
The sounds of Gorrillaz "Clint Eastwood" started coming out of the speakers.
Philip grinned over at Mimi. "Good choice. And it's pretty new too- a Christmas present."
"From who?"
"Shawn."
Philip started moving to the music a little, as much as you could while driving.
.
Mimi giggled, thinking he looked kind of funny.
"I like it too."
Philip started singing along to the song.
{I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on}
Mimi joined in with him on the second verse, then they attempted the rap, laughing when they got the words wrong.
{Yeah.ha ha!
Finally someone let me out of my cage
Now, time for me is nothing cos I'm counting no age
Now I couldn't be there
Now you shouldn't be scared
I'm good at repairs
And I'm under each snare
Intangible.}
{Picture you getting' down in a picture tube
Like you lit the fuse
You think it's fictional
Mystical? Maybe
Spiritual
Hearable
What appears to you is a clearer view cos you're too crazy.}
{Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead
No squealing, remember}
They whispered the last part.both spontaneously.just like in the song.
{That it's all in your head}
{I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag.}
They continued on, carefree and happy.
****
She woke up early, something she usually did. She had always been a light sleeper and had suffered from bouts of insomnia since she was a child. She hadn't had it as much lately, but now, now that something had been weighing on her mind.
She had started getting it again.
She remembered when she had first told him about her insomnia, that night of the wedding, when he taught her how to ice skate. He had been so gentle and kind with her, but.
It had just never felt quite right.
****
They were just getting into Boston. It looked like it might be a beautiful day, sun out, though there were some dark clouds overhead too in some spots. There was snow all over the ground, except where it had been plowed away, showing the fullness of the winter season.
Philip started driving down the streets of the city.
"Okay Miss, where to first?"
Mimi replied completely in character, like she was some rich old lady.
"To Cambridge, driver."
Philip laughed. "Yes Ma'am."
****
He was the first boy who ever really noticed her.
Who wanted to know what was behind the dark glasses and black clothes. When she had met him, she had been full of so much anger and he was just like all the others.
Or was he? He made fun of her, making up the name ghoul girl, taunting her, but somehow, somehow she knew he was different. He was hiding something.
Then one night on the docks he showed her another side of himself.a kind caring side, but he ruined it, ruined it by making it clear, he was embarrassed by it, embarrassed by the fact that he liked her.
What would his friends think?
****
"Philip, wow! Look, it's Harvard." Mimi pointed to the university as they got out of his new car.
Philip laughed at her enthusiasm. "Well, you said you wanted to see it."
They began to walk through the campus, heading towards Harvard Yard. They walked by Hollis Hall, learning that it had been used as barracks by George Washington's troops during the American Revolution. Philip smiled as Mimi started snapping pictures of the building.
Then they headed towards Massachusetts Hall, walking through the campus grounds that were covered with snow.
"Look Philip, it says it's the oldest of the buildings, built in 1720." Mimi spoke excitedly, at it again with her camera, taking pictures of Massachusetts Hall.
He reached for her gloved hand with his gloved hand when she was done, thinking she looked adorable, once again with her blue snow cap on, the same one she had worn on Christmas eve.
"Come on Miss History Buff; let me show you Harvard Yard."
She looked at him with indignation. "Are you making fun of me?"
Philip laughed. "No, just teasing. Come on."
They started walking hand in hand towards the Yard.
Mimi looked around happily. "Philip, look how cool. And haven't they shown this place like in a ton of movies?"
"Yeah, I think so." He smiled at her, watching as she once again started taking pictures.
"You've been to Boston before, haven't you?" She asked as she paused for a minute from taking pictures.
"Yeah, a couple of times. But I don't think I've ever had as much fun as now."
She stopped completely, now focusing her eyes on him. "Why?"
"Because I can see you're enjoying it so much and I enjoy being with you."
"I like being with you too Philip."
****
But then the last blast came and he started treating her differently.
He made her feel like a princess. He gave her all his attention and complimented her constantly. He was so patient with her and so attentive to her.
Then he kissed her: her first kiss. It was so wonderful.
But the true reason why he asked her to the last blast came out. It was all a lie.
She had been a bet.
She ran away and met her destiny: the one she was fated to meet.
****
Philip and Mimi walked through Harvard Square, the shopping and restaurant district of Cambridge. They had just eaten at one of the restaurants and now they were looking at all of the sights and stopping off at some of the stores. They watched the street performers and of course Mimi continued to take pictures.
"So where to next, my lady?" Philip asked as they headed back towards the car.
"I don't know. You pick the place this time."
"Okay."
****
But she forgave him, the first time of more to come. And she pretended that meeting the strange blond haired guy who insulted her singing meant nothing to her. Though she would be haunted by the memory.
She was back with her guy and everything was going to be just perfect.
Or would it be?
The first signs of jealously started to appear and she started to keep things to herself.
****
Mimi looked up and then looked back at Philip as they stood outside of a very tall building.
"What is this place?"
"John Hancock Tower. It's the tallest building in New England and it has an amazing view."
They headed into the building, up to the 60th floor. Once there, they went to the observatory.
Mimi looked out at the incredible view.
"Philip, you can see Boston and New England! Oh, and look, I bet that's Salem." She pointed downward.
"Glad you're enjoying it Meems."
He watched her with a smile as she appreciated the view of the Charles River.
Next, they headed towards the North End of Boston. They got out of the car and walked by Paul Revere House.
"This is the house where-"
Mimi finished for Philip excitedly.
"The midnight ride! This is where he started from."
"Yep" Philip chuckled as she started taking more pictures.
"You sure you're going to have enough film Meems?" He asked her lightly.
"I have tons of rolls with me. I always come prepared." Mimi showed him her well stocked supply.
Philip laughed again. "I can see that."
Then he took her hand again and they strolled through the streets together. They walked by the waterfront wharves, looking at the gorgeous architecture, including Griffin's Wharf once the sight of the Boston Tea Party.
****
At Bo and Hope's Christmas wedding he declared his love and wrote her a poem that touched her, but earlier she sang with a man dressed as Zorro. To her surprise, he sang opera too.
The Coronation came and he needed her more than ever. His world was crumbling. His parent's marriage was over and he caught his mother with another man. Then there was the massacre and she comforted him after his father's death. He was so secretive, but his pain was apparent too.
Finally, she could be there for somebody. She could be the giver of comfort. She grew to care for him more and more as the secrets continued.
****
Philip and Mimi were now sitting near The Public Garden, a recreational park area, enjoying lunch. They had just visited Massachusetts State House, Granary Burying Ground ( a resting place for some of the revolutionary heroes) and walked around Downtown Crossing, another shopping district. Philip had especially enjoyed that since they found a bookstore called Brattle Book Shop. In there Philip found a book for his Dad. He started looking through it after they finished their lunches, still drinking the coffees they had ordered.
Mimi smiled over at him. "You're really into that book."
"My Dad's going to go nuts over it. I just know that. He used to have this book Mimi."
"What happened to it?" Mimi asked him with interest.
They were sitting down on a bench, next to each other, surrounded by the snowy ground.
"He lost it, in the fire, like a lot of things that mattered to him. He even lost some pictures of family members, you know his parents and other relatives, pictures from Greece."
"But he didn't lose them all?"
"No, thankfully some of the stuff he kept at Titan, family albums and some of his most favorite books and family mementos."
Philip gestured towards the book. "This book is one of his favorites. It's out of print and it's not easy to find at all."
Mimi looked at the book curiously. "Yeah and it was expensive too."
Philip nodded his head.
"But it was worth it. What did you say it's about again?"
"Greek mythology. It tells all about the Olympians, the heroes of Ancient Greece, the mythical places in the Odyssey and the Iliad, the mythical monsters, the Demi Gods, great pictures too, really good quality, even though the book is so old, oh, and the Titans."
"Wait, the Titans? Isn't that the name of your Dad's company?"
Philip smiled. "Yeah, why do you think he named it that?"
Mimi was enjoying talking to Philip about this. There were so many sides to him that she never even knew about.
"Does it have a special meaning?"
"Oh yeah. Uranus, which means sky and Gaia, which means Earth.you see they had twelve children and those children were called the Titans. I can't remember all of their names, but some were Oceanus, Phoebe, Hyperion, Mnemosyne, which means memory, isn't that cool? And-"
He stopped abruptly. "Oh man, I'm probably boring you."
Mimi smiled at him encouragingly as he looked at her a little sheepishly.
"No, no, you're not boring me. I've just, I've never known any of this about you. How do you know all of this?"
He smiled again. "My Dad, like I said, he used to tell me stories about it all when I was a kid and I just.I've always been fascinated by it. So I started to read up on it as much as I could on my own. Not what you expect out of a dumb jock huh?"
Mimi reached for his hand, stopping him.
"Don't you dare say that Philip Kiriakis. You're a lot smarter than some of those so-called brains. And I'm so glad you shared this with me."
"Me too Meems. I really don't talk about it that much with anyone. I guess I feel like the majority of Salem High wouldn't understand it, but it's just, it's getting so easy for me to talk to you."
Mimi looked down a little shyly, then looked up at him again. "So what about Poseidon? Anything interesting about him?"
"Oh yeah. He was the brother of Zeus and he actually created the first horse. Here let me show you a picture of him."
Philip opened the book and came to a picture of Poseidon, a picture of a statue.
"That's him?" Mimi looked at the picture.
"Yeah."
"He actually does kind of look like your horse a little."
Philip laughed.
****
She knew he was keeping something from her, but she also knew that it was something he couldn't talk to her about. They came back to Salem, more together than ever.
Then that rainy night came, a night of a torrid rain storm. He came to her, after an argument with his mother. She comforted him again and he comforted her, for she had also had an argument with her mother, a woman that felt like a stranger to her.
They ran through the pouring rain.
To unite with one another, in the most intimate way.
****
It was late afternoon and the clouds in the sky were getting more numerous as it started to get dark. Mimi walked with Philip and stopped to watch some young kids playing in the snow in another park area.
She shivered from the cold, but shivered even a little more as she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.
"Sorry." He whispered near her ear, but didn't let go.
She smiled, now more than happy to have his arms around her.
"No, you just startled me a little. You're good at surprising people Philip."
He chuckled, his arms wrapped around her waist, the side of his face touching hers. "You didn't seem to think that when I surprised you on the island with that black lagoon thing. You seemed annoyed."
"Cause you were trying to scare me."
The wind, that had been building some during the day moaned.
Mimi shook a little in response.
"It's just the wind Mimi." Philip responded with a smile, enjoying holding her.
"I know that. Philip?"
"Hmmm?"
"Thanks for coming with me today and showing me Boston."
"Thanks for wanting me to be the one to come with you."
She teased.
"Well actually, it wasn't you. It was the car. I used you today completely as a means of transportation."
Philip laughed. She had such a great sense of humor. It was fun kidding around with her.
"You're bad."
Mimi smiled. "I know. I'm sorry. What can I say? You had a new car and I couldn't pass up the chance. Sorry if I burst your ego."
"Well considering I'm supposed to be an egomaniac, I'll probably live."
Mimi laughed. "I'm so glad we did this."
"Me too."
He let go of her, somewhat reluctantly. She missed the warmth of being in his arms right away. But it was getting late and they needed to start heading back, so they walked back to the car, hand in hand, as it started to snow.
****
She wasn't ready and he simply held her, but then the nightmare began.
His father was alive. He lied to her. The rape accusation happened, because she was in shock and her mother wouldn't leave her alone. She had to be examined to protect him, to keep him from going to prison. His house burned down, but he still wanted to be with her.
Then he had to leave town and she battled with the mysterious man form the pier.
Now that she knew who he really was. It began, their curious relationship. He wouldn't let her get away with anything. She had finally found someone.
Someone she could identify with.
****
They were on their way back to Salem now and Mimi was getting a little concerned. It was very dark, it was starting to snow pretty hard, the winds were strong, and the road conditions were starting to look a little hazardous.
"Philip, it's snowing a lot harder. Maybe we should stop or something." She looked at him worriedly.
"No, we'll be okay. Just keep an eye out for the highway signs, alright? We don't want to get lost."
"Okay."
****
Their strange relationship grew, even after her boyfriend came back, her now increasingly jealous boyfriend. He was stifling her with his possessiveness.
Then the Last Blast came again, another year.
And it was a nightmare. She was exposed to the whole school and her boyfriend, the one she thought would stand by her forever, turned on her. He broke her heart. She avoided him at all costs as he learned the truth and apologized yet again. But this time.
This time he hurt her too much. He didn't trust her and she couldn't trust him.
Her sparring partner became her most trusted friend and then she started to feel more for him as he began to feel more for her.
But then the island emergency began. They found everyone, but him. Where was he? He couldn't be.
He couldn't be. They found him, near death. She prayed for him to live and thankfully he did, but she knew, knew it was over for them. She had moved on.
And now he was.
With one of her worst enemies.
****
Philip looked out the front window, at the heavy snow that was falling as he drove. He looked to the sides, seeing nothing but trees, forests and forests of trees. They must have somehow passed up the sign to the main highway and now they were.
"Oh my gosh Philip, we're lost, aren't we?" Mimi asked, frantic.
"No, no. we just have to find the way back to the main highway. We must have passed the sign for it."
****
And now it had become a bone of contention between her and Brady. He thought she was being selfish.
She had seen Philip with Mimi one day, laughing together, and she had gotten upset. Brady told her she had no right to be.
Flashback:
"I just can't believe that he would get together with her, after everything she did to me. How could he do that Brady?"
"Look, I know you don't like Mimi and I understand why, but what? You don't think Philip has a right to be happy? I mean what's wrong with him moving on and living his life? Why should that affect you?"
"Because it's her. She's just such a loser."
"Maybe to you, but maybe not to him. Certainly not to Belle and you're still friends with her."
"But Philip and I were going out and it was because of her that we had so many of the problems we did."
"Some of them Chloe, but not all of them. You guys caused your own problems. It just wasn't meant to be. And now we're together so why can't you just let it go? Be happy for him? You know Chloe, I don't even think this is that much about Mimi. I think this would be happening no matter who he started going out with. You don't want him to be with anybody."
"That's not true Brady."
"Oh come on. You're talking to me, remember? I know you, because we are a lot alike. And I know first love, because I've went through it before. You never told him, did you Chloe? You never told him that you loved him?"
She answered quietly and sadly.
"No, I never did and I.I."
"You wish you did."
"Yes."
End of Flashback.
She had always wanted to love him as much as he loved her, but she just couldn't. She was afraid. So she was, what normal people would call, cold at times and she held back.
But Brady didn't let her get away with that. He encouraged her to be herself, to be happy with who she was, and to open up. And when Philip was in the hospital he told her she would have to choose, but no matter what her choice, he would be her friend. She chose Brady, somehow just knowing she would be able to love him completely, unlike with Philip. But still.
He had been her first love and he never knew.
She never told him.
*****
They were lost. There was no question about it and the snow was making it nearly impossible to see, but even though he was searching for it, Philip could see no sign of shelter, nothing at all. They couldn't drive in this much longer, especially with the strong winds.
He spoke urgently, but did his best to sound calm. The last thing he needed now was for Mimi to get paranoid. "Mimi, listen to me. If you see anything, a cabin, anything at all that can be shelter, let me know."
"What if we don't find anything soon?" Mimi was getting very scared.
"Then we're going to have to park and stay in here for the night."
"We'll freeze or we'll be buried in the snow!!"
Oh-oh. She was getting paranoid.
"We'll be okay. Now just-"
Wait, was that a cabin he saw down there?
"Mimi, look down the-"
There was the sound of tires screeching, a crashing noise, a scream and then silence.
Chapter 33, Part II: Fear
The snow continued to fall down relentlessly as the strong gales of wind blew. The SUV was near the side of the road, now facing the forest. The driver side window was shattered. Snow was coming into the car through it. The occupants inside were deathly still as the wind continued to howl and the blizzard grew even stronger.
****
Chloe looked out at the stormy night. What a snowstorm, and on New Year's eve!
It was a good thing Brady had come over early. Now she wouldn't have to worry about him. But now she was also going to have to talk to him and this wasn't going to be easy.
****
Shawn kissed his girlfriend, glad that they were in the comfort and safety of his house. No way was he letting her go home until this storm let up and if it didn't.
Well, his mom had already told Belle that she should stay.
Shawn could definitely get behind that. Of course, not much would happen with his parents around. But at least they could ring in the new year together.
****
Victor Kiriakis was concerned. Earlier Philip had left with a friend.uh, that girl Mimi, right, Mimi Lockhart, and now the snowstorm that had seemed to come out of nowhere was getting pretty fierce, yet no sign of Philip.
He called the Lockhart house.
****
Mrs. Lockhart hung up the phone after talking to Mr. Kiriakis. She looked at her husband with concern.
Where could they be? Were they safe?
****
There was a tree branch on the ground near the SUV. There was glass on the seat, where the occupants lay, unmoving, one lying on top of the other.
****
"Brady, I need to talk to you." Chloe looked at Brady who was sitting next to her on the downstairs sofa.
"Okay."
"This isn't exactly easy for me to say, but you were right. I haven't wanted to accept that Philip is moving on with his life. And I .I need to talk to him. It's time to let go.completely. He has every right to be happy and I want that for him. Even if it is with someone.someone, you need to understand I will never get along with."
Brady smiled at her. "I know Chloe.I know that you and Mimi will never get along. But it's the right thing for you to do, to talk to Philip. Because then we can be happy too."
"We are happy Brady. I love being with you."
"I know Chloe, but you'll see.this will make things even better, for all of us."
Brady reached for her, kissing her as she savored the feeling.
****
"Shawn, I wonder if Mimi and Philip are together." Belle spoke to her boyfriend excitedly from the sofa they were sitting down on, snuggled up against each other.
"I kiss you and you want to talk about other people?"
"Oh Shawn, I just.I want Mimi to be happy and Philip too. He went through the whole breakup and she hasn't been able to go to any school events.it's been a hard time for both of them."
"I know and one of the things I love about you is how much you think about others. You're a good person Belle." Shawn smiled at his girlfriend warmly.
"Oh Shawn, I love you."
Belle kissed Shawn lovingly and they both stopped thinking about others.at least for the time being.
****
"I want a search party sent out. Victor he is my baby!"
Kate Roberts couldn't believe it. Her son was in danger again. But she would be strong. She had to be. She would not lose him.
"Kate, I already arranged for it. They started a search, but they said it's going to be rough because of the storm."
"Oh Victor, he has to be alright."
Victor Kiriakis went over to his ex-wife. "He will be Kate. He will be."
****
The Lockhart family waited for word.
Hoping for good news.
****
Inside the SUV, one of the occupants started to move.
****
"The water's coming in more! We have to find a way out!"
"Belle, it's going to be okay.we're going to find a way out of here."
"You guys.look, an opening.we can crawl through here and see where it leads."
He led the way through the tunnel and after crawling through it for a while they came out, out to the perilous sea. Up ahead they could see an island.
"Look you guys, an island."
"We're going to have to swim to it."
"Shawn, I don't know if I can swim that far."
"You can do it Belle, Philip and I will help you."
They started to swim. And somehow he lost them.
"SHAWN! BELLE! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?"
The waves were crashing over his head. The tide was getting stronger and there were sharp jagged rocks everywhere. He continued to try to swim, but it was so hard.
It was such a struggle. It was hard to navigate through the water. It kept going over his head. He hit his side hard on something.
"OHHH!"
A searing pain went through his body. Then he hit his head and everything went black.
(He continued to dream.)
****
She slowly started to wake up, feeling something on top of her. She tried to move out from underneath it, feeling shaky, but otherwise alright. She looked around at her surroundings.
The smashed window.
The glass everywhere.
The person lying on the seat.
It was what had been on top of her.
It was.it was.
"PHILIP!"
He lay there, motionless, on the seat, bleeding on the side of his head, not hearing her scream.
****
He was in pain, but he could make it.
He had to stay awake.
He had to get to the shore.
Which now looked to be horribly far away. His side hurt and his head hurt, but he was determined and so he forgot his pain.
Finally he made it to the island and he collapsed. The world went black.
Again.
He succumbed to the darkness.
(He continued to dream.)
****
She looked down at the still figure.
"Oh no, Philip wake up, please wake up! Philip!"
She looked down at him, terrified.
What if he didn't wake up?
NO. NO. NO.
She needed him. He was her dear friend. She reached down, touching the side of his face gently, with shaking hands. Tears started falling down her face as she pleaded with him.
"Please Philip, please you have to be okay.I need you to be alright."
The tears fell from her eyes onto his still body.
"Philly please."
Chapter 33 Part III: Survival
With aching slowness his eyes opened to a strange world. He tried to move, feeling agonizing pain, his body aching.
Lethargically, he began to take in his surroundings.
Sand.trees.and water.
Ocean water everywhere.
Wait, weren't..
Shawn, Belle.
Where were they? They were with him, right? They were swimming for the shore and then.
OH, his head ached.
He couldn't remember. His side burned; he hurt everywhere. He crawled on his hands and knees and after they gave out, on his stomach, feeling the unrelenting sun bearing down on him. He needed to get away from it. He needed.
Everything went black once again.
(He continued to dream.)
****
"Philly please."
Mimi's hands continued to shake as she reached out to Philip, sobbing. She pushed his hair away from the front of his face, bending down to look at it, his golden lashes closed over his eyes as he continued to lie quietly and ever so still on the car seat, but at least she could tell he was breathing. As she gently pushed his hair away from his face, she noticed the cut on the side of his forehead. She gasped and reached inside her backpack for a tissue. Then she placed it on his head, a little bit relieved that the cut didn't seem to be bleeding that much.
But why wasn't he waking up?
Mimi looked all around her, noticing the glass from the window, on the seat, on the floor, even a tiny bit on her clothes. She brushed it away, noticing that there was even more on Philip. She brushed it off him too, carefully, looking up at the broken window, the snow coming through it, falling on Philip. She reached for his coat in the backseat and placed it on him, covering him with it. Then she put her own coat on, the open SUV already starting to get tremendously cold inside.
Mimi moved down on the seat, putting her face closer to Philip's, rubbing his back that she had covered with his coat, hoping to help keep him warm. Then she spoke to him, her voice filled with emotion and anxiety.
"Oh Philip.remember that time we were little and you scared me with that spider, that dumb rubber spider."
She babbled on anxiously.
"Along with all the other stupid things you used to scare me with: like the rubber snakes, crazy Halloween masks, not to mention all the times you snuck up on me.well, anyway, that day, I still remember how nice you were to me when I fell.giving me that goofy puppy dog look and you even bought me ice cream, remember? Oh Philly, please, please wake up.I'm scared and I need you to tease me or make me laugh or"
Her voice broke off chokingly as she lay her head near his, still stroking his hair.
"I can't lose you.I just can't."
****
He'd wake up for short periods, no knowledge of how much time had passed. He tried to eat, but it just made him sick, sick and unable to move. He started to feel fear, deep fear.
He was going to die.
Then voices.
A strange room.
Faces.
Familiar faces.
Her face, crying. She was crying for him. His angel was there, but things had changed forever and she was no longer his.
He changed.
His family was there: his mom, his dad, his friends: Chloe of course, Shawn and Belle when they got better, Brady (family or friend or foe: he couldn't decide) and later Mimi.
Mimi?
Her voice?
Was that her voice?
Calling to him?
He heard the sound, like of a wind tunnel and it was raining.
No, it wasn't rain.the drops were salty.
It was tears, someone crying.
Mimi?
****
Mimi continued to stroke his hair, feeling.
He was starting to move! She sat up abruptly.
"Philip, that's it; open your eyes!"
She watched anxiously as he slowly started to move his head and finally began to open his eyes.
Philip woke up disoriented, feeling like he was trying to fight his way out of a long tunnel.
He had been dreaming.
He tried to remember what happened. Slowly it came back to him. They were driving on the road, fighting their way down it as the snow storm grew worse. Then he saw it, a tree, the branch coming down, he swerved, trying to avoid it hitting them, and as Mimi screamed he pushed her down with him on the seat, shielding her body with his as the window shattered all around them. Then everything went black.
Wait.
MIMI, was she okay?!
"No, no Philip, you better stay down. You might have hit your head."
Mimi tried to push Philip back down on the seat as he started to very slowly sit up.
"No, I'm okay. I didn't hit my head."
His voice was sluggish as he struggled to sit up again.
"It's okay. You don't have to worry. I'm alright."
He sat up, finally looking at her. Then he touched her face with concern.
"What about you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all?" He looked at her, still with that concerned expression, making sure that she was uninjured.
She gently moved his hand away from her face.
"I'm fine, but you, you have a cut on your forehead. Are you sure that you didn't hit it.your head?" She touched the side of his face with worry.
Philip tried to smile at her encouragingly, already starting to feel better and his voice returning to normal.
"Yeah, I can feel it some, but it's just from the glass, it's not that bad I don't think. And no, I didn't hit my head. Believe me, I've hit it enough times to know how that feels." He joked lightly.
"I can't believe you're joking." Mimi shivered.
Philip concentrated on the car, not answering right away.
The temperature was starting to go way down in the SUV with the broken window.
"Yeah."
Philip finally said as he reached for his coat, putting it on.
It was freezing!!
He studied the broken window, seeing the branch on the ground near the SUV. If he hadn't swerved, that branch, it could have come into the car and then.
Well they would be a lot worse off than they were right now. He looked in front of him, seeing the forest, the endless forest and the snow pounding on the ground and around them. It wasn't just any old snow storm. It was a full-fledged blizzard and they were sitting right in the middle of it with very little to-
There was a jarring sound as another branch came down.
"PHILIP!" Mimi screamed.
He reached for her, holding her tightly as the branch came crashing down onto the ground.
"Shhh.it's alright. It just hit the ground. We're safe, but."
He held her in his arms, feeling her body shaking with fear.
"But what?" Mimi shakily asked as she clung to him.
"I don't think we should stay here. The wind is making those branches come down and I'm afraid one of them could still hit the car. Also, it's freezing in here with that window crashed open and it's definitely not going to get better."
"Can we try to leave, you know drive away?"
"It's not exactly the best driving conditions and it wouldn't matter anyway. I already tried to start the car. It won't work and neither will the heater or anything else. Mimi, we have to leave the car."
Mimi looked up at him in shock. "No way! We can't! There's a blizzard out there!"
Philip looked down at her, hoping he could get her to listen to him. He needed her to stay calm.
"Listen to me, okay." He reached out, touching her face, getting her to look at him. "I saw a cabin before the branch came down that hit the car. We can find it and then we can be safe and warm."
His teeth were starting to chatter from the freezing cold.
She was scared out of her mind. Was he crazy? They couldn't go out in that storm!
"And what if we don't find it.what if we freeze to death?!"
Philip grabbed her face, making her look at him. They couldn't do this. They had to start moving or they were going to.no, he couldn't think that way. They would make it.
"LOOK AT ME, we will be okay, but you need to be strong okay? You can't panic. I need your help. If we can't find the cabin, we will come back here and stay in the car. But I know I saw it and I know we can find it. We can do this alright, but only if we work together. Meems, I need you to be brave."
She looked up at him shakily, her teeth chattering. "I'll try. I promise."
"Okay." He let go of her face, turning away from her terrified eyes. He knew she was trying to be brave and he couldn't blame her for being scared. He was too, but he knew he had to be the strong one. If he showed any fear, she might lose it.
"Okay, bundle up, put your scarf on, your gloves, everything.and cover your face as much as you can, okay? Do everything you can so you don't get frostbite."
"Okay."
They started to make their clothing as secure as they could, to keep them as warm as they could. Both wrapped their scarves around their faces and helped each other button up their coats to the top. Philip noticed that Mimi was wearing thin knit gloves and started to get concerned.
"Meems, are those the only gloves you have?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm just afraid they're not going to keep you warm for that long. Maybe you should wear mine."
"No, what about you? I'll be okay."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Now let me make sure you're dressed warm enough."
She reached out, wrapping the scarf more around his face. "There."
Philip smiled. "Thanks. Now let me help you out too." He reached for her scarf, wrapping it around her face more. Then he touched her face gently.
"There, ready?"
"Yeah I guess." She shakily replied.
Philip looked at her disapprovingly.
She spoke this time with more certainty.
"Yes."
"Good. Now, let's see, there's a lot of glass still on my side. We need to go out on your side, but I think I should probably go first; it's going to be really windy. I'm going to have to climb over you some, okay?"
"Okay."
He climbed over her and then opened the door, right away being hit by the strong winds and the biting snow. He started to have second thoughts, but the sight of another large ominous looking tree branch coming down took away any doubt. They had to find somewhere safer. He just hoped they'd be able to find the cabin.
"Come on Mimi, your turn, just hold onto me okay while we're out here because it's really windy and cold."
Mimi nodded her head, shakily coming out, the minute she was outside feeling the bitter cold and the fierce wind. Philip held onto her, feeling her clinging to him. The wind blew at them without remorse, the snow pelting them mercilessly. This was going to be a struggle. He hoped they were both up for it.
Near the road was a small hill that led to the forest. Philip and Mimi started to make their way down it. Mimi stumbled and fell. Philip reached for her, helping her up and they continued down. When they got down to solid ground, Philip started looking around, seeing nothing, but the trees and the blinding snow falling from the sky.
Philip yelled, the only way to be heard over the sounds of the wind howling.
"Mimi, look for the cabin, alright! If you see anything, let me know!"
"Okay!" She called back, freezing and petrified.
Philip kept his arm securely around her as they stumbled through the snow, having a hard time staying up, as the strong winds seemed set on blowing them down. Every time he felt her falling, he wrapped his other arm around her too, holding her close to him.
Another tree branch came down near them, Philip just catching sight of it in time. He yelled out to her.
"Get down!"
He pushed her down, covering her body with his. The branch hit the ground, a couple of feet from them. Philip sat up, holding onto Mimi.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded her head, her eyes full of fear.
Philip reached out for her face. "I know you're scared, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe, all right?"
Mimi looked up at him, terrified, cold and miserable, but his eyes, full of warmth and courage, gave her hope.
"All right and I'll be brave, I will Philip!"
Philip finished getting up off the snowy ground with her in his arms, but quickly smiled down at her. "I know you will!"
They continued.
****
Mrs. Lockhart stared out the window, thinking of when they had been homeless. Mimi had been more concerned about her friends finding out than about her safety. She used to leave sometimes in the night.and she had no idea where she was. She worried about her terribly, but she also had to take care of Connor. He was so sick, but she would stay up, praying that her daughter was safe.
Now, as she looked outside the window, at the terrifying blizzard she prayed, she prayed that they would both be kept safe.
Please, let them come home, safe and sound.
****
They had been wandering through the forests of trees for a while now and had still found nothing. Both of their teeth were chattering non-stop as their bodies grew ever so much colder, chilling them to the bone.
Mimi didn't tell Philip but her hands ached.
In fact, much of her body was starting to hurt from the frigid temperature. She looked around as they struggled through the horrifying wind and bitter snow falling.
"Philip, I-I-can't--do--this--I'm--s-so c--ccold!"
Philip looked down at her; her face looked like it was starting to suffer from the cold, oh no, what if she was getting frostbite?! He knew his own muscles were starting to ache and the cold harsh winds were making him want to just give up, but, no, they couldn't. At least he could keep her safe.
He reached for her, holding her tightly in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her back and sides vigorously. He could feel her body shaking uncontrollably and knew he was shaking quite a bit too. Those tree branches seemed to not be coming down as much. Maybe they should just go back to the car.
"Mimi, listen to me okay, we're going to go back to the car! I can't find the cabin and we can't stay out in this! We'll just keep each other warm in there okay!" His body shook from the cold as his teeth chattered.
"Okay."
Philip didn't like that. Her voice sounded weak and she was so quiet, but her body was still shaking. They had to go back before she got any weaker.
Yeah, that's what they would do.
They would go back to the car and keep each other warm.
****
Oh, what a horrible storm, she thought as she gazed out the window of the Kiriakis Mansion.
"Oh please, let my baby be all right."
Kate Roberts felt so hopeless. Her youngest son might be out in that storm and there was nothing she could do.
Nothing but hope and pray. She did that, closing her eyes, praying for her son to return home safely.
"I've already lost a part of Lucas. Please, don't take him away from me too. Please."
****
"Philip where is it? Where's the hill where we came from?"
Mimi looked around desperately seeing only trees and snow, one last bit of strength coming to her as terror rushed through her freezing body. Oh no. They were lost, but this time they were outside with no shelter, no nothing. Mimi sunk to the ground in horror.
"Oh no, we're going to die! WE'RE GOING TO FREEZE TO DEATH PHILIP! OH! I'M SO COLD!"
Philip rushed over to her, holding her in his arms, but angry and frustrated too. They couldn't do this. He reached for her face, forcing her to look at him.
"LISTEN TO ME. This is going to get us nowhere do you understand? Mimi, you have to stay strong."
She started crying, frightened to the core. They were going to die.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so cold and I- I can't do this anymore."
"Mimi come on, you can't stay on the ground. It's freezing!" he helped her up off the ground holding her. Concern filling his eyes, he kept moving, terribly worried though because even with that outburst he could feel her getting weaker.
****
Chloe Lane looked out into the night, putting her hand against the window, remembering a night similar to this one, but it was raining instead and when she touched her hand to the window so did he, just appearing on her porch, like magic.
But that was in the past. Now she was moving on happily with someone, someone who made her complete. Oh, Philip definitely had tried, but it just wasn't meant to be.
But she knew, never, never would she stop caring about him, about his safety and well being. That would last forever she thought, as she felt thankful, ever so thankful that he survived the island.
Thankful that wherever he was now, whoever he was with, he was safe.
Brady came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and she sighed, knowing she was where she belonged.
****
Philip felt her fall again.
He got down on the ground next to her, holding her up once again.
"Come on Meems, time to get up."
She spoke weakly her strength now almost all gone, abandoning her weary body. She couldn't do this anymore. She just couldn't.she had nothing left in her and she was just too cold.too too cold.
"I can't.you.go.leave.I .can't."
"Yes you can. There's no way I'm leaving you."
He picked her up once again and started to trudge on, but after a bit he stopped and held her tightly in his arms. She felt so limp now, even with the shivering of her body, and it scared him. He had to protect her. He couldn't let anything happen. Hearing her attempt to speak, he moved his head back.
She looked up at him, her face now looking like it was accepting the worse.
"We're n-not going t-t-to m-make it are we? We're g-g-going to d-die?"
He looked down at her as she spoke now with no panic, just a deadly calmness, cold acceptance.
"No Meems, I swear I won't let that happen. I'm going to protect you."
But as Philip looked around at the miles and miles of forest land, the snow that continued to pound down on them and hear the moaning wind, he began to fear himself.
What were they going to do? How were they going to survive this?
He held onto her tightly, feeling her body shaking against his own shaking body.
It seemed now.
Their only hope was each other.
Mimi finished getting ready, sitting down afterwards on her bed with a smile, thinking back to a couple of nights ago...
"I was jealous."
"Me too Meems."
Then he smiled at her, oh that wonderful smile of his and closed the door to the car. She remembered sitting there, thinking of him.resting her head against where he had been sitting, still able to feel the warmth from when he had been there.
She sighed and closed her eyes, thinking back to when they had been dancing together.his hands on her back, making her skin tingle.
Then when she woke to the feel of him touching her cheek, stroking it so gently, looking up into his eyes, seeing in them something new.something special. They had come so close.
Poor Belle apologized later that night when they had gone up to her bedroom. (She was spending the night.) But Mimi let it go. For some reason it hadn't upset her that much.
Maybe it had to do with the fact that Philip and her were going out of town today, together. Maybe that's why she was smiling so much, not even one bit sleepy, even though it was very early.
She heard something like a car and looked out the window, seeing what she wanted to see.
She grabbed her stuff and ran down the steps to meet him.
****
He got into his new car, not his dad's car, but his car.
Wow! That was definitely something to be excited about, but that wasn't the only thing bringing a grin to his face.
He was so looking forward to the day ahead, not caring one iota that it was so early.
They always had so much fun together. The way she looked the other night.so sophisticated, but still with that unique personality of hers.one moment almost wild.the next soft and quiet.almost shy. He was starting to see a side to her that he never even knew existed.
Holding her in his arms.feeling her head against his chest, it had surprised him. It had surprised him how it made him feel.
He liked it.a lot, and then waking up in the car to find her in his arms. He had stopped thinking completely, so into.wanting to.how close they had come, only to be interrupted, yet again.
But today they would get to be together and it was exciting.anything could happen, he thought as he pulled into her driveway.
Mimi ran out of the house and raised her eyebrows.
"So the king of Salem High finally has his own chariot."
Philip laughed. "My chariot, yeah.so what do you think?"
He gestured to his new Mazda Tribute mini SUV.
Mimi smiled at the new car in appreciation. It was a dark shade of blue and it was definitely very nice.
"I bet you got all the perks with it too."
"Of course." He started listing some of the features. "Power sunroof, leather seats, six-disc in-dash CD changer-"
Mimi laughed. "Okay, okay Phil, enough! I'm just surprised you didn't get a fancy red sports car."
"Nah, I wanted something I could take skiing and on road trips like this one. It's just what I wanted."
Mimi looked at him questioningly. "But I thought it was a surprise."
"It was. But my dad pretty much knew what I wanted before. I had definitely hinted about it enough.though not as much lately. I had pretty much given up on my dad getting me a new car. Then Christmas morning comes and he and my mother, who came over for the day, led me outside, making me close my eyes. I open them and."
He gestured with his hands. "TAH-DAH!"
Mimi smiled. "Well, I 'm happy for you Phil."
"Thanks Meems." He looked at her, noticing her attire. She was wearing navy blue jeans, a patterned sweater that matched, along with a blue coat and boots. Her hair was hanging down loose with its natural waves.
"You look good."
Mimi smiled up at him, a little surprised. "Thanks."
She liked how he looked too, wearing brown jeans, a matching dark sweater, his boots, and a black coat, his hair back to the way he normally wore it.
"You do too."
"Thanks." He held out his hand for her. "Ready?"
"Yeah." She placed her hand in his.
Philip grinned.
"Boston, here we come!"
****
"Meems, how about some tunes?" Philip looked over at her as he drove.
"Yeah, okay." She smiled over at him. Even though they hadn't been talking that much, she still felt so comfortable with him. It was a companionable silence.
"There's CDs already in the player. Just pick the one you want."
Mimi looked at her choices and turned on the CD player.
The sounds of Gorrillaz "Clint Eastwood" started coming out of the speakers.
Philip grinned over at Mimi. "Good choice. And it's pretty new too- a Christmas present."
"From who?"
"Shawn."
Philip started moving to the music a little, as much as you could while driving.
.
Mimi giggled, thinking he looked kind of funny.
"I like it too."
Philip started singing along to the song.
{I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long
The future is coming on}
Mimi joined in with him on the second verse, then they attempted the rap, laughing when they got the words wrong.
{Yeah.ha ha!
Finally someone let me out of my cage
Now, time for me is nothing cos I'm counting no age
Now I couldn't be there
Now you shouldn't be scared
I'm good at repairs
And I'm under each snare
Intangible.}
{Picture you getting' down in a picture tube
Like you lit the fuse
You think it's fictional
Mystical? Maybe
Spiritual
Hearable
What appears to you is a clearer view cos you're too crazy.}
{Feelings, sensations that you thought were dead
No squealing, remember}
They whispered the last part.both spontaneously.just like in the song.
{That it's all in your head}
{I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad
I got sunshine in a bag.}
They continued on, carefree and happy.
****
She woke up early, something she usually did. She had always been a light sleeper and had suffered from bouts of insomnia since she was a child. She hadn't had it as much lately, but now, now that something had been weighing on her mind.
She had started getting it again.
She remembered when she had first told him about her insomnia, that night of the wedding, when he taught her how to ice skate. He had been so gentle and kind with her, but.
It had just never felt quite right.
****
They were just getting into Boston. It looked like it might be a beautiful day, sun out, though there were some dark clouds overhead too in some spots. There was snow all over the ground, except where it had been plowed away, showing the fullness of the winter season.
Philip started driving down the streets of the city.
"Okay Miss, where to first?"
Mimi replied completely in character, like she was some rich old lady.
"To Cambridge, driver."
Philip laughed. "Yes Ma'am."
****
He was the first boy who ever really noticed her.
Who wanted to know what was behind the dark glasses and black clothes. When she had met him, she had been full of so much anger and he was just like all the others.
Or was he? He made fun of her, making up the name ghoul girl, taunting her, but somehow, somehow she knew he was different. He was hiding something.
Then one night on the docks he showed her another side of himself.a kind caring side, but he ruined it, ruined it by making it clear, he was embarrassed by it, embarrassed by the fact that he liked her.
What would his friends think?
****
"Philip, wow! Look, it's Harvard." Mimi pointed to the university as they got out of his new car.
Philip laughed at her enthusiasm. "Well, you said you wanted to see it."
They began to walk through the campus, heading towards Harvard Yard. They walked by Hollis Hall, learning that it had been used as barracks by George Washington's troops during the American Revolution. Philip smiled as Mimi started snapping pictures of the building.
Then they headed towards Massachusetts Hall, walking through the campus grounds that were covered with snow.
"Look Philip, it says it's the oldest of the buildings, built in 1720." Mimi spoke excitedly, at it again with her camera, taking pictures of Massachusetts Hall.
He reached for her gloved hand with his gloved hand when she was done, thinking she looked adorable, once again with her blue snow cap on, the same one she had worn on Christmas eve.
"Come on Miss History Buff; let me show you Harvard Yard."
She looked at him with indignation. "Are you making fun of me?"
Philip laughed. "No, just teasing. Come on."
They started walking hand in hand towards the Yard.
Mimi looked around happily. "Philip, look how cool. And haven't they shown this place like in a ton of movies?"
"Yeah, I think so." He smiled at her, watching as she once again started taking pictures.
"You've been to Boston before, haven't you?" She asked as she paused for a minute from taking pictures.
"Yeah, a couple of times. But I don't think I've ever had as much fun as now."
She stopped completely, now focusing her eyes on him. "Why?"
"Because I can see you're enjoying it so much and I enjoy being with you."
"I like being with you too Philip."
****
But then the last blast came and he started treating her differently.
He made her feel like a princess. He gave her all his attention and complimented her constantly. He was so patient with her and so attentive to her.
Then he kissed her: her first kiss. It was so wonderful.
But the true reason why he asked her to the last blast came out. It was all a lie.
She had been a bet.
She ran away and met her destiny: the one she was fated to meet.
****
Philip and Mimi walked through Harvard Square, the shopping and restaurant district of Cambridge. They had just eaten at one of the restaurants and now they were looking at all of the sights and stopping off at some of the stores. They watched the street performers and of course Mimi continued to take pictures.
"So where to next, my lady?" Philip asked as they headed back towards the car.
"I don't know. You pick the place this time."
"Okay."
****
But she forgave him, the first time of more to come. And she pretended that meeting the strange blond haired guy who insulted her singing meant nothing to her. Though she would be haunted by the memory.
She was back with her guy and everything was going to be just perfect.
Or would it be?
The first signs of jealously started to appear and she started to keep things to herself.
****
Mimi looked up and then looked back at Philip as they stood outside of a very tall building.
"What is this place?"
"John Hancock Tower. It's the tallest building in New England and it has an amazing view."
They headed into the building, up to the 60th floor. Once there, they went to the observatory.
Mimi looked out at the incredible view.
"Philip, you can see Boston and New England! Oh, and look, I bet that's Salem." She pointed downward.
"Glad you're enjoying it Meems."
He watched her with a smile as she appreciated the view of the Charles River.
Next, they headed towards the North End of Boston. They got out of the car and walked by Paul Revere House.
"This is the house where-"
Mimi finished for Philip excitedly.
"The midnight ride! This is where he started from."
"Yep" Philip chuckled as she started taking more pictures.
"You sure you're going to have enough film Meems?" He asked her lightly.
"I have tons of rolls with me. I always come prepared." Mimi showed him her well stocked supply.
Philip laughed again. "I can see that."
Then he took her hand again and they strolled through the streets together. They walked by the waterfront wharves, looking at the gorgeous architecture, including Griffin's Wharf once the sight of the Boston Tea Party.
****
At Bo and Hope's Christmas wedding he declared his love and wrote her a poem that touched her, but earlier she sang with a man dressed as Zorro. To her surprise, he sang opera too.
The Coronation came and he needed her more than ever. His world was crumbling. His parent's marriage was over and he caught his mother with another man. Then there was the massacre and she comforted him after his father's death. He was so secretive, but his pain was apparent too.
Finally, she could be there for somebody. She could be the giver of comfort. She grew to care for him more and more as the secrets continued.
****
Philip and Mimi were now sitting near The Public Garden, a recreational park area, enjoying lunch. They had just visited Massachusetts State House, Granary Burying Ground ( a resting place for some of the revolutionary heroes) and walked around Downtown Crossing, another shopping district. Philip had especially enjoyed that since they found a bookstore called Brattle Book Shop. In there Philip found a book for his Dad. He started looking through it after they finished their lunches, still drinking the coffees they had ordered.
Mimi smiled over at him. "You're really into that book."
"My Dad's going to go nuts over it. I just know that. He used to have this book Mimi."
"What happened to it?" Mimi asked him with interest.
They were sitting down on a bench, next to each other, surrounded by the snowy ground.
"He lost it, in the fire, like a lot of things that mattered to him. He even lost some pictures of family members, you know his parents and other relatives, pictures from Greece."
"But he didn't lose them all?"
"No, thankfully some of the stuff he kept at Titan, family albums and some of his most favorite books and family mementos."
Philip gestured towards the book. "This book is one of his favorites. It's out of print and it's not easy to find at all."
Mimi looked at the book curiously. "Yeah and it was expensive too."
Philip nodded his head.
"But it was worth it. What did you say it's about again?"
"Greek mythology. It tells all about the Olympians, the heroes of Ancient Greece, the mythical places in the Odyssey and the Iliad, the mythical monsters, the Demi Gods, great pictures too, really good quality, even though the book is so old, oh, and the Titans."
"Wait, the Titans? Isn't that the name of your Dad's company?"
Philip smiled. "Yeah, why do you think he named it that?"
Mimi was enjoying talking to Philip about this. There were so many sides to him that she never even knew about.
"Does it have a special meaning?"
"Oh yeah. Uranus, which means sky and Gaia, which means Earth.you see they had twelve children and those children were called the Titans. I can't remember all of their names, but some were Oceanus, Phoebe, Hyperion, Mnemosyne, which means memory, isn't that cool? And-"
He stopped abruptly. "Oh man, I'm probably boring you."
Mimi smiled at him encouragingly as he looked at her a little sheepishly.
"No, no, you're not boring me. I've just, I've never known any of this about you. How do you know all of this?"
He smiled again. "My Dad, like I said, he used to tell me stories about it all when I was a kid and I just.I've always been fascinated by it. So I started to read up on it as much as I could on my own. Not what you expect out of a dumb jock huh?"
Mimi reached for his hand, stopping him.
"Don't you dare say that Philip Kiriakis. You're a lot smarter than some of those so-called brains. And I'm so glad you shared this with me."
"Me too Meems. I really don't talk about it that much with anyone. I guess I feel like the majority of Salem High wouldn't understand it, but it's just, it's getting so easy for me to talk to you."
Mimi looked down a little shyly, then looked up at him again. "So what about Poseidon? Anything interesting about him?"
"Oh yeah. He was the brother of Zeus and he actually created the first horse. Here let me show you a picture of him."
Philip opened the book and came to a picture of Poseidon, a picture of a statue.
"That's him?" Mimi looked at the picture.
"Yeah."
"He actually does kind of look like your horse a little."
Philip laughed.
****
She knew he was keeping something from her, but she also knew that it was something he couldn't talk to her about. They came back to Salem, more together than ever.
Then that rainy night came, a night of a torrid rain storm. He came to her, after an argument with his mother. She comforted him again and he comforted her, for she had also had an argument with her mother, a woman that felt like a stranger to her.
They ran through the pouring rain.
To unite with one another, in the most intimate way.
****
It was late afternoon and the clouds in the sky were getting more numerous as it started to get dark. Mimi walked with Philip and stopped to watch some young kids playing in the snow in another park area.
She shivered from the cold, but shivered even a little more as she felt his arms wrap around her from behind.
"Sorry." He whispered near her ear, but didn't let go.
She smiled, now more than happy to have his arms around her.
"No, you just startled me a little. You're good at surprising people Philip."
He chuckled, his arms wrapped around her waist, the side of his face touching hers. "You didn't seem to think that when I surprised you on the island with that black lagoon thing. You seemed annoyed."
"Cause you were trying to scare me."
The wind, that had been building some during the day moaned.
Mimi shook a little in response.
"It's just the wind Mimi." Philip responded with a smile, enjoying holding her.
"I know that. Philip?"
"Hmmm?"
"Thanks for coming with me today and showing me Boston."
"Thanks for wanting me to be the one to come with you."
She teased.
"Well actually, it wasn't you. It was the car. I used you today completely as a means of transportation."
Philip laughed. She had such a great sense of humor. It was fun kidding around with her.
"You're bad."
Mimi smiled. "I know. I'm sorry. What can I say? You had a new car and I couldn't pass up the chance. Sorry if I burst your ego."
"Well considering I'm supposed to be an egomaniac, I'll probably live."
Mimi laughed. "I'm so glad we did this."
"Me too."
He let go of her, somewhat reluctantly. She missed the warmth of being in his arms right away. But it was getting late and they needed to start heading back, so they walked back to the car, hand in hand, as it started to snow.
****
She wasn't ready and he simply held her, but then the nightmare began.
His father was alive. He lied to her. The rape accusation happened, because she was in shock and her mother wouldn't leave her alone. She had to be examined to protect him, to keep him from going to prison. His house burned down, but he still wanted to be with her.
Then he had to leave town and she battled with the mysterious man form the pier.
Now that she knew who he really was. It began, their curious relationship. He wouldn't let her get away with anything. She had finally found someone.
Someone she could identify with.
****
They were on their way back to Salem now and Mimi was getting a little concerned. It was very dark, it was starting to snow pretty hard, the winds were strong, and the road conditions were starting to look a little hazardous.
"Philip, it's snowing a lot harder. Maybe we should stop or something." She looked at him worriedly.
"No, we'll be okay. Just keep an eye out for the highway signs, alright? We don't want to get lost."
"Okay."
****
Their strange relationship grew, even after her boyfriend came back, her now increasingly jealous boyfriend. He was stifling her with his possessiveness.
Then the Last Blast came again, another year.
And it was a nightmare. She was exposed to the whole school and her boyfriend, the one she thought would stand by her forever, turned on her. He broke her heart. She avoided him at all costs as he learned the truth and apologized yet again. But this time.
This time he hurt her too much. He didn't trust her and she couldn't trust him.
Her sparring partner became her most trusted friend and then she started to feel more for him as he began to feel more for her.
But then the island emergency began. They found everyone, but him. Where was he? He couldn't be.
He couldn't be. They found him, near death. She prayed for him to live and thankfully he did, but she knew, knew it was over for them. She had moved on.
And now he was.
With one of her worst enemies.
****
Philip looked out the front window, at the heavy snow that was falling as he drove. He looked to the sides, seeing nothing but trees, forests and forests of trees. They must have somehow passed up the sign to the main highway and now they were.
"Oh my gosh Philip, we're lost, aren't we?" Mimi asked, frantic.
"No, no. we just have to find the way back to the main highway. We must have passed the sign for it."
****
And now it had become a bone of contention between her and Brady. He thought she was being selfish.
She had seen Philip with Mimi one day, laughing together, and she had gotten upset. Brady told her she had no right to be.
Flashback:
"I just can't believe that he would get together with her, after everything she did to me. How could he do that Brady?"
"Look, I know you don't like Mimi and I understand why, but what? You don't think Philip has a right to be happy? I mean what's wrong with him moving on and living his life? Why should that affect you?"
"Because it's her. She's just such a loser."
"Maybe to you, but maybe not to him. Certainly not to Belle and you're still friends with her."
"But Philip and I were going out and it was because of her that we had so many of the problems we did."
"Some of them Chloe, but not all of them. You guys caused your own problems. It just wasn't meant to be. And now we're together so why can't you just let it go? Be happy for him? You know Chloe, I don't even think this is that much about Mimi. I think this would be happening no matter who he started going out with. You don't want him to be with anybody."
"That's not true Brady."
"Oh come on. You're talking to me, remember? I know you, because we are a lot alike. And I know first love, because I've went through it before. You never told him, did you Chloe? You never told him that you loved him?"
She answered quietly and sadly.
"No, I never did and I.I."
"You wish you did."
"Yes."
End of Flashback.
She had always wanted to love him as much as he loved her, but she just couldn't. She was afraid. So she was, what normal people would call, cold at times and she held back.
But Brady didn't let her get away with that. He encouraged her to be herself, to be happy with who she was, and to open up. And when Philip was in the hospital he told her she would have to choose, but no matter what her choice, he would be her friend. She chose Brady, somehow just knowing she would be able to love him completely, unlike with Philip. But still.
He had been her first love and he never knew.
She never told him.
*****
They were lost. There was no question about it and the snow was making it nearly impossible to see, but even though he was searching for it, Philip could see no sign of shelter, nothing at all. They couldn't drive in this much longer, especially with the strong winds.
He spoke urgently, but did his best to sound calm. The last thing he needed now was for Mimi to get paranoid. "Mimi, listen to me. If you see anything, a cabin, anything at all that can be shelter, let me know."
"What if we don't find anything soon?" Mimi was getting very scared.
"Then we're going to have to park and stay in here for the night."
"We'll freeze or we'll be buried in the snow!!"
Oh-oh. She was getting paranoid.
"We'll be okay. Now just-"
Wait, was that a cabin he saw down there?
"Mimi, look down the-"
There was the sound of tires screeching, a crashing noise, a scream and then silence.
Chapter 33, Part II: Fear
The snow continued to fall down relentlessly as the strong gales of wind blew. The SUV was near the side of the road, now facing the forest. The driver side window was shattered. Snow was coming into the car through it. The occupants inside were deathly still as the wind continued to howl and the blizzard grew even stronger.
****
Chloe looked out at the stormy night. What a snowstorm, and on New Year's eve!
It was a good thing Brady had come over early. Now she wouldn't have to worry about him. But now she was also going to have to talk to him and this wasn't going to be easy.
****
Shawn kissed his girlfriend, glad that they were in the comfort and safety of his house. No way was he letting her go home until this storm let up and if it didn't.
Well, his mom had already told Belle that she should stay.
Shawn could definitely get behind that. Of course, not much would happen with his parents around. But at least they could ring in the new year together.
****
Victor Kiriakis was concerned. Earlier Philip had left with a friend.uh, that girl Mimi, right, Mimi Lockhart, and now the snowstorm that had seemed to come out of nowhere was getting pretty fierce, yet no sign of Philip.
He called the Lockhart house.
****
Mrs. Lockhart hung up the phone after talking to Mr. Kiriakis. She looked at her husband with concern.
Where could they be? Were they safe?
****
There was a tree branch on the ground near the SUV. There was glass on the seat, where the occupants lay, unmoving, one lying on top of the other.
****
"Brady, I need to talk to you." Chloe looked at Brady who was sitting next to her on the downstairs sofa.
"Okay."
"This isn't exactly easy for me to say, but you were right. I haven't wanted to accept that Philip is moving on with his life. And I .I need to talk to him. It's time to let go.completely. He has every right to be happy and I want that for him. Even if it is with someone.someone, you need to understand I will never get along with."
Brady smiled at her. "I know Chloe.I know that you and Mimi will never get along. But it's the right thing for you to do, to talk to Philip. Because then we can be happy too."
"We are happy Brady. I love being with you."
"I know Chloe, but you'll see.this will make things even better, for all of us."
Brady reached for her, kissing her as she savored the feeling.
****
"Shawn, I wonder if Mimi and Philip are together." Belle spoke to her boyfriend excitedly from the sofa they were sitting down on, snuggled up against each other.
"I kiss you and you want to talk about other people?"
"Oh Shawn, I just.I want Mimi to be happy and Philip too. He went through the whole breakup and she hasn't been able to go to any school events.it's been a hard time for both of them."
"I know and one of the things I love about you is how much you think about others. You're a good person Belle." Shawn smiled at his girlfriend warmly.
"Oh Shawn, I love you."
Belle kissed Shawn lovingly and they both stopped thinking about others.at least for the time being.
****
"I want a search party sent out. Victor he is my baby!"
Kate Roberts couldn't believe it. Her son was in danger again. But she would be strong. She had to be. She would not lose him.
"Kate, I already arranged for it. They started a search, but they said it's going to be rough because of the storm."
"Oh Victor, he has to be alright."
Victor Kiriakis went over to his ex-wife. "He will be Kate. He will be."
****
The Lockhart family waited for word.
Hoping for good news.
****
Inside the SUV, one of the occupants started to move.
****
"The water's coming in more! We have to find a way out!"
"Belle, it's going to be okay.we're going to find a way out of here."
"You guys.look, an opening.we can crawl through here and see where it leads."
He led the way through the tunnel and after crawling through it for a while they came out, out to the perilous sea. Up ahead they could see an island.
"Look you guys, an island."
"We're going to have to swim to it."
"Shawn, I don't know if I can swim that far."
"You can do it Belle, Philip and I will help you."
They started to swim. And somehow he lost them.
"SHAWN! BELLE! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?"
The waves were crashing over his head. The tide was getting stronger and there were sharp jagged rocks everywhere. He continued to try to swim, but it was so hard.
It was such a struggle. It was hard to navigate through the water. It kept going over his head. He hit his side hard on something.
"OHHH!"
A searing pain went through his body. Then he hit his head and everything went black.
(He continued to dream.)
****
She slowly started to wake up, feeling something on top of her. She tried to move out from underneath it, feeling shaky, but otherwise alright. She looked around at her surroundings.
The smashed window.
The glass everywhere.
The person lying on the seat.
It was what had been on top of her.
It was.it was.
"PHILIP!"
He lay there, motionless, on the seat, bleeding on the side of his head, not hearing her scream.
****
He was in pain, but he could make it.
He had to stay awake.
He had to get to the shore.
Which now looked to be horribly far away. His side hurt and his head hurt, but he was determined and so he forgot his pain.
Finally he made it to the island and he collapsed. The world went black.
Again.
He succumbed to the darkness.
(He continued to dream.)
****
She looked down at the still figure.
"Oh no, Philip wake up, please wake up! Philip!"
She looked down at him, terrified.
What if he didn't wake up?
NO. NO. NO.
She needed him. He was her dear friend. She reached down, touching the side of his face gently, with shaking hands. Tears started falling down her face as she pleaded with him.
"Please Philip, please you have to be okay.I need you to be alright."
The tears fell from her eyes onto his still body.
"Philly please."
Chapter 33 Part III: Survival
With aching slowness his eyes opened to a strange world. He tried to move, feeling agonizing pain, his body aching.
Lethargically, he began to take in his surroundings.
Sand.trees.and water.
Ocean water everywhere.
Wait, weren't..
Shawn, Belle.
Where were they? They were with him, right? They were swimming for the shore and then.
OH, his head ached.
He couldn't remember. His side burned; he hurt everywhere. He crawled on his hands and knees and after they gave out, on his stomach, feeling the unrelenting sun bearing down on him. He needed to get away from it. He needed.
Everything went black once again.
(He continued to dream.)
****
"Philly please."
Mimi's hands continued to shake as she reached out to Philip, sobbing. She pushed his hair away from the front of his face, bending down to look at it, his golden lashes closed over his eyes as he continued to lie quietly and ever so still on the car seat, but at least she could tell he was breathing. As she gently pushed his hair away from his face, she noticed the cut on the side of his forehead. She gasped and reached inside her backpack for a tissue. Then she placed it on his head, a little bit relieved that the cut didn't seem to be bleeding that much.
But why wasn't he waking up?
Mimi looked all around her, noticing the glass from the window, on the seat, on the floor, even a tiny bit on her clothes. She brushed it away, noticing that there was even more on Philip. She brushed it off him too, carefully, looking up at the broken window, the snow coming through it, falling on Philip. She reached for his coat in the backseat and placed it on him, covering him with it. Then she put her own coat on, the open SUV already starting to get tremendously cold inside.
Mimi moved down on the seat, putting her face closer to Philip's, rubbing his back that she had covered with his coat, hoping to help keep him warm. Then she spoke to him, her voice filled with emotion and anxiety.
"Oh Philip.remember that time we were little and you scared me with that spider, that dumb rubber spider."
She babbled on anxiously.
"Along with all the other stupid things you used to scare me with: like the rubber snakes, crazy Halloween masks, not to mention all the times you snuck up on me.well, anyway, that day, I still remember how nice you were to me when I fell.giving me that goofy puppy dog look and you even bought me ice cream, remember? Oh Philly, please, please wake up.I'm scared and I need you to tease me or make me laugh or"
Her voice broke off chokingly as she lay her head near his, still stroking his hair.
"I can't lose you.I just can't."
****
He'd wake up for short periods, no knowledge of how much time had passed. He tried to eat, but it just made him sick, sick and unable to move. He started to feel fear, deep fear.
He was going to die.
Then voices.
A strange room.
Faces.
Familiar faces.
Her face, crying. She was crying for him. His angel was there, but things had changed forever and she was no longer his.
He changed.
His family was there: his mom, his dad, his friends: Chloe of course, Shawn and Belle when they got better, Brady (family or friend or foe: he couldn't decide) and later Mimi.
Mimi?
Her voice?
Was that her voice?
Calling to him?
He heard the sound, like of a wind tunnel and it was raining.
No, it wasn't rain.the drops were salty.
It was tears, someone crying.
Mimi?
****
Mimi continued to stroke his hair, feeling.
He was starting to move! She sat up abruptly.
"Philip, that's it; open your eyes!"
She watched anxiously as he slowly started to move his head and finally began to open his eyes.
Philip woke up disoriented, feeling like he was trying to fight his way out of a long tunnel.
He had been dreaming.
He tried to remember what happened. Slowly it came back to him. They were driving on the road, fighting their way down it as the snow storm grew worse. Then he saw it, a tree, the branch coming down, he swerved, trying to avoid it hitting them, and as Mimi screamed he pushed her down with him on the seat, shielding her body with his as the window shattered all around them. Then everything went black.
Wait.
MIMI, was she okay?!
"No, no Philip, you better stay down. You might have hit your head."
Mimi tried to push Philip back down on the seat as he started to very slowly sit up.
"No, I'm okay. I didn't hit my head."
His voice was sluggish as he struggled to sit up again.
"It's okay. You don't have to worry. I'm alright."
He sat up, finally looking at her. Then he touched her face with concern.
"What about you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all?" He looked at her, still with that concerned expression, making sure that she was uninjured.
She gently moved his hand away from her face.
"I'm fine, but you, you have a cut on your forehead. Are you sure that you didn't hit it.your head?" She touched the side of his face with worry.
Philip tried to smile at her encouragingly, already starting to feel better and his voice returning to normal.
"Yeah, I can feel it some, but it's just from the glass, it's not that bad I don't think. And no, I didn't hit my head. Believe me, I've hit it enough times to know how that feels." He joked lightly.
"I can't believe you're joking." Mimi shivered.
Philip concentrated on the car, not answering right away.
The temperature was starting to go way down in the SUV with the broken window.
"Yeah."
Philip finally said as he reached for his coat, putting it on.
It was freezing!!
He studied the broken window, seeing the branch on the ground near the SUV. If he hadn't swerved, that branch, it could have come into the car and then.
Well they would be a lot worse off than they were right now. He looked in front of him, seeing the forest, the endless forest and the snow pounding on the ground and around them. It wasn't just any old snow storm. It was a full-fledged blizzard and they were sitting right in the middle of it with very little to-
There was a jarring sound as another branch came down.
"PHILIP!" Mimi screamed.
He reached for her, holding her tightly as the branch came crashing down onto the ground.
"Shhh.it's alright. It just hit the ground. We're safe, but."
He held her in his arms, feeling her body shaking with fear.
"But what?" Mimi shakily asked as she clung to him.
"I don't think we should stay here. The wind is making those branches come down and I'm afraid one of them could still hit the car. Also, it's freezing in here with that window crashed open and it's definitely not going to get better."
"Can we try to leave, you know drive away?"
"It's not exactly the best driving conditions and it wouldn't matter anyway. I already tried to start the car. It won't work and neither will the heater or anything else. Mimi, we have to leave the car."
Mimi looked up at him in shock. "No way! We can't! There's a blizzard out there!"
Philip looked down at her, hoping he could get her to listen to him. He needed her to stay calm.
"Listen to me, okay." He reached out, touching her face, getting her to look at him. "I saw a cabin before the branch came down that hit the car. We can find it and then we can be safe and warm."
His teeth were starting to chatter from the freezing cold.
She was scared out of her mind. Was he crazy? They couldn't go out in that storm!
"And what if we don't find it.what if we freeze to death?!"
Philip grabbed her face, making her look at him. They couldn't do this. They had to start moving or they were going to.no, he couldn't think that way. They would make it.
"LOOK AT ME, we will be okay, but you need to be strong okay? You can't panic. I need your help. If we can't find the cabin, we will come back here and stay in the car. But I know I saw it and I know we can find it. We can do this alright, but only if we work together. Meems, I need you to be brave."
She looked up at him shakily, her teeth chattering. "I'll try. I promise."
"Okay." He let go of her face, turning away from her terrified eyes. He knew she was trying to be brave and he couldn't blame her for being scared. He was too, but he knew he had to be the strong one. If he showed any fear, she might lose it.
"Okay, bundle up, put your scarf on, your gloves, everything.and cover your face as much as you can, okay? Do everything you can so you don't get frostbite."
"Okay."
They started to make their clothing as secure as they could, to keep them as warm as they could. Both wrapped their scarves around their faces and helped each other button up their coats to the top. Philip noticed that Mimi was wearing thin knit gloves and started to get concerned.
"Meems, are those the only gloves you have?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm just afraid they're not going to keep you warm for that long. Maybe you should wear mine."
"No, what about you? I'll be okay."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Now let me make sure you're dressed warm enough."
She reached out, wrapping the scarf more around his face. "There."
Philip smiled. "Thanks. Now let me help you out too." He reached for her scarf, wrapping it around her face more. Then he touched her face gently.
"There, ready?"
"Yeah I guess." She shakily replied.
Philip looked at her disapprovingly.
She spoke this time with more certainty.
"Yes."
"Good. Now, let's see, there's a lot of glass still on my side. We need to go out on your side, but I think I should probably go first; it's going to be really windy. I'm going to have to climb over you some, okay?"
"Okay."
He climbed over her and then opened the door, right away being hit by the strong winds and the biting snow. He started to have second thoughts, but the sight of another large ominous looking tree branch coming down took away any doubt. They had to find somewhere safer. He just hoped they'd be able to find the cabin.
"Come on Mimi, your turn, just hold onto me okay while we're out here because it's really windy and cold."
Mimi nodded her head, shakily coming out, the minute she was outside feeling the bitter cold and the fierce wind. Philip held onto her, feeling her clinging to him. The wind blew at them without remorse, the snow pelting them mercilessly. This was going to be a struggle. He hoped they were both up for it.
Near the road was a small hill that led to the forest. Philip and Mimi started to make their way down it. Mimi stumbled and fell. Philip reached for her, helping her up and they continued down. When they got down to solid ground, Philip started looking around, seeing nothing, but the trees and the blinding snow falling from the sky.
Philip yelled, the only way to be heard over the sounds of the wind howling.
"Mimi, look for the cabin, alright! If you see anything, let me know!"
"Okay!" She called back, freezing and petrified.
Philip kept his arm securely around her as they stumbled through the snow, having a hard time staying up, as the strong winds seemed set on blowing them down. Every time he felt her falling, he wrapped his other arm around her too, holding her close to him.
Another tree branch came down near them, Philip just catching sight of it in time. He yelled out to her.
"Get down!"
He pushed her down, covering her body with his. The branch hit the ground, a couple of feet from them. Philip sat up, holding onto Mimi.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded her head, her eyes full of fear.
Philip reached out for her face. "I know you're scared, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe, all right?"
Mimi looked up at him, terrified, cold and miserable, but his eyes, full of warmth and courage, gave her hope.
"All right and I'll be brave, I will Philip!"
Philip finished getting up off the snowy ground with her in his arms, but quickly smiled down at her. "I know you will!"
They continued.
****
Mrs. Lockhart stared out the window, thinking of when they had been homeless. Mimi had been more concerned about her friends finding out than about her safety. She used to leave sometimes in the night.and she had no idea where she was. She worried about her terribly, but she also had to take care of Connor. He was so sick, but she would stay up, praying that her daughter was safe.
Now, as she looked outside the window, at the terrifying blizzard she prayed, she prayed that they would both be kept safe.
Please, let them come home, safe and sound.
****
They had been wandering through the forests of trees for a while now and had still found nothing. Both of their teeth were chattering non-stop as their bodies grew ever so much colder, chilling them to the bone.
Mimi didn't tell Philip but her hands ached.
In fact, much of her body was starting to hurt from the frigid temperature. She looked around as they struggled through the horrifying wind and bitter snow falling.
"Philip, I-I-can't--do--this--I'm--s-so c--ccold!"
Philip looked down at her; her face looked like it was starting to suffer from the cold, oh no, what if she was getting frostbite?! He knew his own muscles were starting to ache and the cold harsh winds were making him want to just give up, but, no, they couldn't. At least he could keep her safe.
He reached for her, holding her tightly in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her back and sides vigorously. He could feel her body shaking uncontrollably and knew he was shaking quite a bit too. Those tree branches seemed to not be coming down as much. Maybe they should just go back to the car.
"Mimi, listen to me okay, we're going to go back to the car! I can't find the cabin and we can't stay out in this! We'll just keep each other warm in there okay!" His body shook from the cold as his teeth chattered.
"Okay."
Philip didn't like that. Her voice sounded weak and she was so quiet, but her body was still shaking. They had to go back before she got any weaker.
Yeah, that's what they would do.
They would go back to the car and keep each other warm.
****
Oh, what a horrible storm, she thought as she gazed out the window of the Kiriakis Mansion.
"Oh please, let my baby be all right."
Kate Roberts felt so hopeless. Her youngest son might be out in that storm and there was nothing she could do.
Nothing but hope and pray. She did that, closing her eyes, praying for her son to return home safely.
"I've already lost a part of Lucas. Please, don't take him away from me too. Please."
****
"Philip where is it? Where's the hill where we came from?"
Mimi looked around desperately seeing only trees and snow, one last bit of strength coming to her as terror rushed through her freezing body. Oh no. They were lost, but this time they were outside with no shelter, no nothing. Mimi sunk to the ground in horror.
"Oh no, we're going to die! WE'RE GOING TO FREEZE TO DEATH PHILIP! OH! I'M SO COLD!"
Philip rushed over to her, holding her in his arms, but angry and frustrated too. They couldn't do this. He reached for her face, forcing her to look at him.
"LISTEN TO ME. This is going to get us nowhere do you understand? Mimi, you have to stay strong."
She started crying, frightened to the core. They were going to die.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so cold and I- I can't do this anymore."
"Mimi come on, you can't stay on the ground. It's freezing!" he helped her up off the ground holding her. Concern filling his eyes, he kept moving, terribly worried though because even with that outburst he could feel her getting weaker.
****
Chloe Lane looked out into the night, putting her hand against the window, remembering a night similar to this one, but it was raining instead and when she touched her hand to the window so did he, just appearing on her porch, like magic.
But that was in the past. Now she was moving on happily with someone, someone who made her complete. Oh, Philip definitely had tried, but it just wasn't meant to be.
But she knew, never, never would she stop caring about him, about his safety and well being. That would last forever she thought, as she felt thankful, ever so thankful that he survived the island.
Thankful that wherever he was now, whoever he was with, he was safe.
Brady came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and she sighed, knowing she was where she belonged.
****
Philip felt her fall again.
He got down on the ground next to her, holding her up once again.
"Come on Meems, time to get up."
She spoke weakly her strength now almost all gone, abandoning her weary body. She couldn't do this anymore. She just couldn't.she had nothing left in her and she was just too cold.too too cold.
"I can't.you.go.leave.I .can't."
"Yes you can. There's no way I'm leaving you."
He picked her up once again and started to trudge on, but after a bit he stopped and held her tightly in his arms. She felt so limp now, even with the shivering of her body, and it scared him. He had to protect her. He couldn't let anything happen. Hearing her attempt to speak, he moved his head back.
She looked up at him, her face now looking like it was accepting the worse.
"We're n-not going t-t-to m-make it are we? We're g-g-going to d-die?"
He looked down at her as she spoke now with no panic, just a deadly calmness, cold acceptance.
"No Meems, I swear I won't let that happen. I'm going to protect you."
But as Philip looked around at the miles and miles of forest land, the snow that continued to pound down on them and hear the moaning wind, he began to fear himself.
What were they going to do? How were they going to survive this?
He held onto her tightly, feeling her body shaking against his own shaking body.
It seemed now.
Their only hope was each other.