Author's Note: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter but real life interfered with getting it out. I hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter Forty-Five – Strained Relationships

Chloe watched her son doing his homework from the doorway of his room. His pencil was poised in the air as he studiously read his life science book and took an occasional note. The last few weeks have been extremely hard on him since he had been placed on suspension; he had to do double the homework to get himself back with the rest of his class when he returned to school. Add to that his punishment and self-imposed estrangement from his father and life was becoming all the more complicated. She had tried to ease the tension between Jarod and Philip but found that nothing she seemed to do or say seemed to help.

The normally boisterous Kiriakis family had fallen apart as if Jarod were a stepchild and Philip his evil stepfather. While, Philip seemed to prefer to let Jarod vent out of all his anger and annoyances over time — Chloe wanted it over and done with as soon as possible. Ironically enough the only thing her husband and son tended to agree upon these days was keeping her at home relaxing in order to prepare for the baby's eventual arrive a little more than a month away. It was because of that one common bond that Chloe absolutely refused to wait for their issues to remain any longer.

[KNOCK-KNOCK] Chloe knocked on the open door to her son's room thereby making her presence known before she waddled in. "Are you busy sweetie?"

Jarod turned away from his desk as he placed his pencil in the book. "Not really, I'm just doing some extra reading for class."

Chloe smiled. "You sound just like me when I was in high school. I used to do that to." He nodded. "Could we talk for a minute?"

"Sure, did you want to sit down somewhere?" He rose from his seat to direct her toward his bed to sit down.

"No, I'm fine. I want to stand; I've been sitting down all day." She answered rubbing the enlarged swell of her stomach.

He sat back down. "So … what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked although, he already figured the conversation was bound to be about his father and that darn dance again.

"Your Dad and this grudge you seem to have against him."

"Mom," Jarod sighed, this was beginning to get annoying. Over the past three weeks since his suspension they had discussed this situation to death as far as he was concerned there really was nothing left to be said.

"Look, Jarod I know that you're very angry with your father about what happened to me at that dance. And believe when I say that I completely understand where your anger is coming from. What your father believed about me was horrible almost as bad as the actual pictures were …" She stopped unable to finish as she thought about how violated she felt when the pictures of her naked were flashed all over the screen at the dance. "An embarrassment. But, it was a long time ago — I've come to terms with it and while I fully admit it wasn't easy, I've come to realize its part of what shaped me."

"So you just forgave him and forgot it as if it never happened?"

"I forgave your father a long time ago. But, I never forgot, not for one moment. You don't forget something like that Jarod but you also don't let it rule you. I think you are looking at this entire situation with only two sides – black or white – when its not. It wasn't that I either forgave your father or I didn't. The world is full of gray areas and this just happens to be one of them when you'll learn that it takes a lot more to forgive someone than it does to just push them out of your life. You can't even begin to understand what I went through in forgiving your father. And until you're ready to really find out what it's like, to become an adult and understand that sometimes people who love you can hurt you just as easily, I'll be waiting." Chloe calmly waddled out of his room without another word.

Jarod sat back, shaking his head as he watched her go. This was definitely not the way he'd expected things to go. It was not the start to the Saturday that he'd been hoping for, especially since he still had to go out with one of his parents so that they could drop him by Conrad's. Particularly since, his mother was now apparently anger with him; this did bode well for his plans, not well at all. He turned to finish reading his life science book with Dominic walked in.

"Hey, do you know what's up with Mom? She looked upset a couple of minutes ago."

"It's my fault; she wanted to talk to me about Dad." He frowned slightly. "It didn't go well."

"No kidding Sherlock," Ariana said as she also made her way instead the room. "So what did you say to Mom?"

"I-look it's none of your business. Why don't the two of you go off somewhere, I have work to do." He turned back to desk hoping that his siblings would take the hint and leave.

"Why don't you stop acting like a brat and stop being mean to Mom and Daddy."

"Ana, you don't know what our so-called Dad did, he— you know what I don't want to get into this with so why don't you go. Just go, I don't care."

"What do you mean we don't know what Dad did?" Dominic asked his interest suddenly peeked. "Did Dad do something to Mom?"

"Look, it's not what you're thinking but yeah he did something." As soon as those words can out of his mouth he knew that ultimately he was going to regret them.

"What did he do?" Ana asked her curiosity overtaking her as she sat down on the bed.

Figuring that they would probably pester him until he told them, Jarod rose and closed his door so that no one who happens to pass the doorway would overhear him. "Okay so what I'm about to tell you can't go beyond this room. If Mom finds out I told you then she'll be even more upset at me then she already is."

"Just tell us." Dominic ordered taking a seat beside his sister on the bed.

"Remember when I asked about that website, operagirl.net?"

Frowning for a moment as if thinking about it, Dominic nodded. "Yeah, you said it was some kind of opera site right?"

"Yeah, that's what I told you but that's not what it was."

"What was it?"

"It was a site where someone put naked pictures of Mom up and charged people to see them."

"What?" Ariana and Dominic yelled together.

Jarod grimaced raising his hand to tell them to keep it down. "Jeez, do you want Mom to come in here? It wasn't a real site."

"She went downstairs. What do you mean it wasn't a real site? And why did Mom put photos of herself online?" Ariana asked her voice softened.

"First of all, I said that someone else put the pictures of Mom on the website. Second of all, they tricked Mom into taking a shower with a camera in the bathroom. And then they put it on a website to get even with her for something. You see it was all a big trick that someone played on Mom because they didn't like her. So they took the pictures and set up a website called operagirl.net. Then at the end of the year dance the person slipped an advertisement for the website onto to slides they had going and it popped on a big screen for everyone in the school to see."

Ariana was decidedly outraged. "Oh poor Mom."

"I can't believe someone would do something like that."

"Well believe it; it was in the paper and everything. Conrad and I read all about." Jarod acknowledge leaning back against his door.

"Wait a minute you said Dad did something – he didn't make that website did he?"

"Of course not."

"Then, I don't understand. What did he do that was so bad?"

"You know how Mom and Dad were dating when they were in high school right?"

"Duh!" Dominic exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes, Jarod continued as if his younger brother had said nothing at all. "So Dad took Mom to the dance but he didn't leave with her. In fact he left her there by herself. Our Dad isn't so great, when the pictures flashed up on the screen; he thought she put the photos up herself that she was selling herself online for money."

Biting her lip, Ariana slowly rose from the bed, "That's not true. Daddy wouldn't think that, he knows Mom and … and he just wouldn't."

"No, Ana it's true. You can ask Mom. Dad didn't trust her, he was her boyfriend, he was supposed to love her but he didn't trust her. When she needed him the most he wasn't there."

"Wait a minute are you sure you have all the facts right. Maybe Dad had a reason why he acted the wait he did."

"Ana, you're not listening he didn't have a reason not to trust her he just didn't. Dad isn't the person you think he is. Don't you see, if he couldn't trust Mom then he probably doesn't trust her now. I bet he doesn't even think that Mom's pregnant with his baby."

Ariana put both hands on him and pushed him out of her way as she pulled open the door. "You're wrong about Daddy Jarod and I'm not going to stay here and listen to you bad mouth him anymore." She ran out of the room.

"Jeez Jarod, did you have to do that?" Dominic asked before he ran out after his twin.

Jarod watched as his siblings left his room. Shutting the door again, he returned to his bed and lay back on it.

Chloe walked into the kitchen annoyed and angry. She couldn't believe her son was so pigheaded. He wasn't even willing to listen to reason. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't accept that although the operagirl.net scandal had hurt her deeply and ultimately was the cause the initial relationship with Philip ending — she had worked through all her anger and was able to forgive him long ago. Before they got married or even considered starting another relationship. It seemed that no matter what she or Philip said nothing seemed to waylay him.

As she poured herself a glass of white grape juice she felt the baby give her a well placed kick in the ribs. Placing her hand over the spot she sighed. "Let's just hope you aren't as stubborn as your Dad or older brother." She muttered before taking a sip from her glass of juice. She put the glass back in the sink turning to go sequester herself in the library thinking that some soothing instrumentals would be just what she needed to relax herself.

After entering the library she changed her mind about the music and settled down on the couch in front of the warming fire and fell into a peaceful sleep. And that was how Philip found her when he entered the room. His wife was stretched out on the leather couch before the fireplace. Her long sable hair feathered about the soft features of her rounded body swelled with their child. He quietly closed the door and picked up the afghan cover off the back of the couch and placed it over her resting form. As he tucked the knitted afghan around her as she woke up, her eyes opening to stare up at him.

"Hey, what time is it?" Chloe asked with a sleep ruffled voice. She eased into a sitting position with the knitted quilt falling to her lap.

Philip glanced at his watch. "It's just a quarter after two. How long have you been down here?"

"I don't know since noon." She yawned and stretched.

"Well, why don't you go up and take a nap. I'll just be gone for a while today. I'm going to meet with Brady over some security issues."

"Could you do me a huge favor and take Jarod when you go? She asked leaning back against the couch as she stared into the warm glow of the fire.

"Sure, I take it he's still in his mood." Philip replied with more a statement than a question.

"He's your son, of course he is. You two really know how to hold grudges. It's a wonder you get anything done without obsessing over the little things."

Philip moved to join his wife on the couch shifting her legs to up place them on his lap. "I'm going to assume from the tone of your voice that you tried to talk to him again and he shut you down."

"You shouldn't assume it makes an ass out of you and me." She quipped but nodded ascent as she tilted her head back so that it was resting back against the couch and closed her eyes. "It was a complete waste of time. He didn't want to hear anything at all from me. It's been three weeks since he was suspended and all he seems to want to do is mope around the house giving everyone the silent treatment. I don't know about you but I for one am tired of it."

"I'm not exactly happy about it myself but, I do understand that he just needs —,"

"Time! Yes, I know that Philip." She sighed opening her eyes, she turned gaze at him. "But, it doesn't make it any easier on anyone and I'm at my wits end with him. It's like he thinks that I never thought about my decision to marry after what happened. Like I just forgave you and skipped off into happily ever after – which we both know never happened. It took me a lot of therapy and time to move past what happened. I don't sugarcoat it I also don't dwell on it either. And I don't like to seem as if I didn't spend enough of my life obsessing over this minute detail about my life. It's as if he doesn't respect me or my decisions and I don't appreciate it nor will I tolerate it any longer."

"Chloe I know what hard time you had. I know after that, you couldn't go blindly into anything with me, not when we got back together, not when we got married. We talked about it then and after we got married so I understand where you're coming from. But, I also understand what its like when you feel like the whole world has turned against you and nothing is like you thought it would or should be. The one person who you think you can trust isn't so trustworthy after all. I'm not saying we should let him get away with everything you should cut him some slack and give him some time. But, I'll talk to him about this myself to see if it does any good."

"Fine, you go ahead and take a shot at him. I'm all for seeing him get out of his funk. When are you leaving?"

Philip looked at his watch and realized how late it was getting. "I'll leave as soon as I get a chance to talk to our son. So I should probably be gone in about twenty minutes." He answered. "As a matter of fact, let me go get Jarod." He lifted her legs off his lap and placed on the couch as he rose to leave. Chloe grabbed his arm as he passed her.

"One more thing Philip, I know you guys are planning a surprise baby shower for me but — don't. I don't mind the party aspect; I just don't think we need gifts. So tell my Mom and Belle to open the registry and everything but I want it all to go to charity."

He nodded as she released his arm. "When did you figure it out?"

"You're kidding right?" Piercing his blue eyes with a sideways glance she waved a hand in the air in exasperation. "Philip, you've been mysteriously late for three days and Mom hasn't called to give me her usual 'I hope you're resting because when the baby gets here' – blah, blah, blah speech for a week. Believe me; it wasn't that hard to figure out."

"I told them you would." Philip sighed as he moved out the doorway to let his daughter walk in.

"Well, you know me so well. Call me when you get there." He nodded.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm dropping Jarod off at Uncle Brady's house did you want to go with him and see Rocky?"

Ariana shook her head. "I-I don't want to go anywhere with Jarod. I wanna stay home with Mommy."

Philip glanced up a Chloe noting the concern on her face. He kneeled down to make eye contact with the little girl. "Are you okay?" Ariana nodded. "Alright, then I'll see you and your Mom later." Cupping her face in his palms he kissed her cheek then rose to go on his way. Normally, he would try to get more out of her as to what was bothering but he figured leaving her with her mother would do that anyway.

After Philip had gone Chloe motioned for Ariana to join her on the couch before the fire. Her daughter came and sat down next to her mother without saying a word, she simply stared into the fire.

"Ana, is there something wrong? You know if there was you could tell me. You could tell me anything." Chloe stroked her daughter's long brown hair as the child settled again her.

Ariana bit her lip thinking about what had happened with Jarod earlier. She thought over everything that had been said between them, she had defended her father relentlessly because he was her Daddy and he couldn't be all those things that Jarod had said. She knew that in her head … she couldn't help but wonder if even apart of it was true. "Is it true Momma … about Daddy and that dance?"

Chloe tilted her daughter's head up so she could see into the young girl's eyes. "Where did you hear about that?"

"From Jarod. He said that Daddy didn't trust you, that he turned his back on you, when you needed him most. He said that we shouldn't trust Daddy because he doesn't trust us."

"He's partly right because in a way your Dad didn't trust me and he made a mistake by not trusting me. But, you know what baby, do you honestly think I would be with your Daddy if I didn't believe he was trustworthy. If I didn't love him enough to forgive him?"

"I-I don't know Mama, I guess not. I just don't understand why it happened."

Chloe nodded. As she plucked a strand of her daughter's hair off her face. "Well, when I was a teenager I was … different. I was stubborn, willful – your grandmother would call me feisty. Your father and I were oil and water at first, with different experiences and different lives before we'd met. Once we started dating things changed some for the better and some for the worse." Running her hand through Ariana's hair she gazed into the fire.

"The other kids at the school couldn't understand how I went from being a nobody who your Dad made fun of to being his girlfriend. Some people took it harder and didn't want me brought into their group. So they did very cruel thinking like sticking a rat in my locker, putting signs on my back and even going as far as setting up a series of events so I would have pictures of me taken while I showered at school. Later at end of the school year they posted the pictures of me on a website and made it look like I had done it myself to make money. The people who did this wanted to humiliate me, to embarrass me … to hurt me in a way that no one else would."

"But, Daddy hurt you worse." Ariana responded.

"Yes, he did. He didn't trust me and that hurt most of all. But, that experience taught me a very important lesson, Ana. It taught me that people you love are human too. And often make mistakes even if they don't intend to. Your brother is having his first lesson with that right now, but like me and your father, he's stubborn. Honey I don't want you to worry about what happened to me. Your Dad has changed; we both have, it's all a part of growing up. In time he'll realize having gone through what we did made us much stronger as a couple and now we have you, your brothers, Jessie, and soon a new child to love and cherish because of it."

Chloe hugged Ariana close for a moment, then moved back enough to tip up her chin. "Feel better now?" Ariana nodded feeling calmer now that her mother had talked to her. "Good then how about you, Jessie, Dominic and I have a trilogy day since your Dad and Jarod are gone." Immediately her daughter perked up.

"Can I pick the series?" Ariana inquired slyly thinking of the one series her mother and father absolutely refused to let her watch until she was older, The Godfather.

"Yes, you can but there are two conditions, it has to be on everyone will agree on and rated PG, i.e. no Star Wars: Attack of the Clones again."

"Aww, Mom."

"Darling we've seen that movie a thousand times. And I don't know about your brother and sister but I'm Jedied out. So while you think about your choices I want you to get Jessie and you brother, while I pop the popcorn okay." Chloe ordered as she rose from the couch with the help of Ariana and the two headed out of the library together.

Philip had dropped Jarod off at the Black household and left nearly an hour before. And true to their promise he and Conrad had gotten down to business immediately and went about putting the final touches on their family studies project. They worked diligently from the moment Jarod arrived working over two hours before finally taking a much needed break from their work. They headed into the Black kitchen for a quick snack.

"So did you make up with your Dad yet?"

"No, of course not." Jarod frowned drinking from his coke. "What gave you that idea?"

"Well he did drop you off."

"Yeah, only because my mom was resting and he was the only other available option. For goodness sake the car ride was absolutely miserable; we didn't even talk to each other. It had to be the most uncomfortable ride ever."

"Aren't you just exaggerating a bit, man, I mean it couldn't be that bad."

"Oh believe me it was and now that the twins know it's bound to get even worse."

"You told the twins?"

"Not intentionally if that's what you're thinking. It just kind of happened. Anyway, Dominic saw reason and agreed with me although, he still thinks I should get over it and 'Ana just thinks I've got no reason to be angry at all."

"Well, she does have a point. Dude, seriously, you're mad at your Dad for something he did like two decades ago, before you were even born." Conrad said as he popped another chip into his mouth contemplatively.

"Oh that's rich coming from you, Con-man." Jarod snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means it's like the pot calling the kettle black. Here you are telling me, I should just let everything that happened to my mom go and stop being mad at my Dad when you're doing the exact same thing to your mom."

"It's not the exact same thing. What happened with my mom didn't happen ten years ago, it happened like three months ago. The situation is completely different."

"Honestly Conrad, think about it, you've really got no reason to be upset with your mom. She told your Dad what happened with that Jason guy and she did pay her debt to society for what she did to my mom in high school. My Dad on the other hand, did nothing—,"

"You don't know that." Conrad interrupted popping a chip into his mouth.

"Look, maybe it would be better if we didn't talk about this considering that we're never going to agree, so let's just agree to disagree."

"Fine." Then there was silence as neither boy talked to one another eating their chips and drinking their sodas.

"Did you see Lord of the Rings on TV last night?"

"What! When did it come on, I can't believe I missed it."

"It was on the Sci-fi channel yesterday, man I can't believe you missed it."

"Me either. So was it as good as the first one?"

"Better, way better." Conrad added grinning.

And like that the previous argument between the two boys was forgotten as they moved onto the more interesting topic of the movie.

Elsewhere in Salem … the Brady household

Belle was searching for her purse. She was attempting to leave the house for a baby shower meeting with Nancy, Mimi and Philip. Spotting her purse on the table she grabbed it as she headed to the kitchen to get her keys.

"Are you sure you can handle everything JT? Shawn was supposed to be back by now."

"Belle relax I can baby sit, it's not as if I've never done it before. Besides, I'm not going anywhere I can take care of the munchkins until Shawn gets back."

"I know, its just that I … that is we didn't ask you to move in with us just to get our own personal babysitter. "

JT grinned sheepishly. "Belle, really its okay. I know that. But, if it would really make you feel better we can set some sort of guidelines for while I'm living here when you get back and Shawn's home." He suggested as he put more carrot sticks on Ian's plate.

Belle nodded already liking the idea of making guidelines. She flipped her hair out from under her leather coat and buttoned it up. Taking a look at her wrist she saw how late it was. "Oh jeez, I'm really late. So Serena and Iris are upstairs playing. They already had lunch and when he's done you can put him down for nap. Now, I really have to go." Leaning down to kiss baby Ian's cheek she stole a carrot stick from the tray. "Bye baby be good for you Uncle JT." Belle said before turning to leave the room.

"Bye." Ian said waving to his mother's departing back as she went through the door before turning his attention to his uncle as he chewed on a carrot stick. Taking the half-eaten carrot stick out of his mouth he offered it to JT.

Smiling at Ian, JT took the carrot stick. "Thanks, kiddo. Now what are we going to do until your Dad gets home?"

Ian simply giggled as though JT had said something funny and offered him another carrot stick, this time uneaten.

Belle arrived at the Brady Pub to see everyone else already seated with beverages on the table.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late. Shawn didn't get back in time and I had to have JT watch the kids." She said taking off her coat and placing it on the back of her chair waving Philip away as she sat down. "So what did I miss?"

"Nothing, I just got here myself." Philip answered returning to his seat. He flagged the waitress down nearby to let her know the final person of their party had arrived.

"Hi Mrs. Brady what can I get for you?"

"Just a glass of water please Sara." The waitress nodded and left to get the beverage.

"Before we get started you should probably know that Chloe knows." All three women pierced Philip with at scathing look. "Hey don't look at me like that, I didn't tell her."

"Are you implying that one of us did Philip?" Nancy questioned pointedly.

"Well it wasn't me." Mimi protested.

"Or me."

He held up his hands in protest. "I didn't say that anyone told her. I said that she knew we were playing a baby shower for her. Anyway, she wanted me to give you a message." He paused as Belle's glass of water was brought to the table.

"Thanks."

"So what did she say?"

"She doesn't want a baby shower."

"What?"

"That's simply unacceptable. Everything's already been planned out."

"Let me finish, since she figured that this one was already planned out and set, she suggested that all of the gifts go to a charity since we all of the things we need for the baby."

"So she doesn't want to keep any of the gifts at all?"

"Nope, not a one. Everything goes to charity."

"We can still have the baby shower then all we need to do is find a charity to donate the gifts to. All-in-all it's not really a bad idea."

"But is it really doable?" Belle chimed in.

"I think so. But, if we can't find a charity or something we could always donate the gifts to an unplanned parenthood facility, a domestic violence shelter or somewhere else. In fact, I'll have my secretary look into some different options." A sudden ringing started as Philip's cell phone began to ring. Pulling it out of his jacket he flipped it open and answered, "Kiriakis." Rising from his seat he gestured that he would be to the side and left to talk to the person on his phone.

"Well, it does sound like a good idea to me Nancy. I think if we rearrange a few things it could work well." Belle declared figuring all things they'd need to do to get ready in her head.

"I agree." Mimi added.

"All right then lets get our plans in order and give Chloe the best charity baby shower this town has ever seen." Nancy amended taking out her planner/notebook and a pen to jot down any new idea they come up with.

Later that night after Belle and Shawn had both returned from putting Ian and Iris to bed they headed down to the living room where their younger brother awaited them. They were going to discuss the rules or guidelines they were planning to make for the duration of his stay in their home. The idea was to ensure that his stay with his brother and sister would give him both the freedom and guidance he wasn't getting at his home with his mother and Bo.

JT was sitting on the couch reading a copy of the Invisible Man for his advanced English class. "So are you ready to tell me the rules?" He asked putting the book down as his brother and sister approached.

"Yep, that's exactly what we're planning to do. Why are you so anxious to get this over with?"

"I'm not anxious, I just figured that the two of you needed your rest considering …"

"Considering what?" Belle asked her brow arched suspiciously in question.

"You know, you guys are kind of old and need your rest." JT deadpanned to which he received a hit upside his head by both Belle and Shawn. "Hey."

"I guess we're not too old for that are we baby brother. Now can we get serious?"

"Yes, of course we can. So mi hermanos what are the rules to live by. Is there going to be some sort of list or something?" JT requested rubbing his head where he had been hit.

"No, there is no list only three things you need to remember. One, we did not want you to move in because we wanted a live in babysitter. That's not why you're here."

JT raised his hand in offense. "Belle, I know that. But, today there were extenuating circumstances and I didn't mind, really. It's cool."

"And I know that you know that I know that, I only wanted to ensure you know that I don't expect you to be our babysitter."

"Okay and I got that but, if you need me to for whatever reason, I'm completely okay with watching the munchkins."

As Bellle was going to protest Shawn stopped her covering her mouth. "And we'll take you up on that offer."

She pulled his hand away. "Shawn, we don't want to take advantage of JT."

"You aren't."

"Well, if you're sure."

"I'm sure." He nodded in agreement. "What's rule number 2?"

"The second rule is that school is important. Which means that we fully expect you to keep up with your assignments and due dates until you can return to school permanently. And we want you to do well so if you need help just ask us and we'll do everything we can to get it for you."

"That sounds fair. So what's the last rule?"

"Okay now your last rule is for nothing but fun, it's your curfew."

"I have a curfew?" He questioned surprised.

"Belle and I decided that since we aren't with Mom and Dad and we don't want you barricaded in the house. So you have a curfew the only thing we expect is that you tell us where you're going and with whom. Therefore, on weekdays you can stay out until as late as 11 o'clock and weekends until midnight. By the way we are willing to negotiate the time in the event that there's something you want to do and you need a later time. The only thing we ask is that you tell us beforehand. What do you think?"

"What do I think? I think it's great."

"Already, tell shake on it." Shawn suggested offering his hand to his brother. JT reached out and shook his hand promptly starting a new placement with Shawn and Belle's family.

Please tell me what you think good or bad, feedback is always appreciated.