Chapter 10: Family Ties

Brady breezed quickly passed the officers milling about the Salem P.D. and went straight to Roman's office, bursting through the door without bothering to knock. He clutched the delicate item in his hands tightly, eyes ablaze with burning fury as he approached his father.

"Son! What is it, what happened?" John inquired, quickly noting the pure anguish Brady made no effort to hide.

"Look," Brady said, pushing the small silvery item into John's hands. John surveyed the charm bracelet, brow knitted in deep concentration. Hadn't he seen it somewhere before? "It's Chloe's," Brady answered as if reading his father's mind. John nodded, recognizing the bracelet as one given to Chloe by Belle just recently. Belle had mentioned a few times that since she gave Chloe her bracelet, she hadn't taken it off, even in sleep. Roman stepped forward, reaching for the delicate jewelry.

"Where did you find this Brady?" Roman demanded.

"The barn. I don't know how I ended up there, but when I got there, I found a still lit lantern, a blanket, and this bracelet. I know Philip and Chloe were there, but... I must have just missed them," Brady answered, obviously disgusted at himself for not finding the place sooner. John nodded, coming to his own silent conclusion: Brady had been led to the barn by his strong connection to Chloe. "I found fresh tire tracks, but they couldn't possibly have belonged to Philip's car. They led away from the barn, back into the woods, but Philip's car was still parked outside. I've spent the last 2 hours following the tracks, but... well, I quickly came to a fork in the road. One way I knew lead back to Salem, so I went straight. Unfortunately, it circled around and lead me back to Salem as well."

"Where did going the other route take you?" Roman asked.

"A private airport," Brady replied through clenched teeth. As much as he would have liked to say it wouldn't have mattered if he'd taken that road first or not, Brady felt completely responsible now for Chloe's disappearance because he didn't take the right road. He should have stopped thinking with his head and let his heart lead him to her! John let out a deep sigh, keeping his own rising anger in check.

"DiMera," John stated. Brady balled his fists tightly, slumping down in a chair against the wall.

"I failed her, Dad. I didn't get to her in time. I was too late. The airport was completely deserted, there wasn't a person, or a plane in sight. If only I had gotten there sooner..." Brady said, sounding more helpless and lost then John had ever seen him before.

"Brady, it's not your..."

"Why, Dad? Why did this have to happen? What would that... what would DiMera want with Chloe?"

"I don't know son, I just don't know," John answered in morbid honesty. John Black was perhaps the one man that could read DiMera's every move better then anyone else who'd had the misfortune of crossing paths with the infamous man. But even John couldn't understand what DiMera would want with Philip and Chloe. He was almost certain Stefano had nothing to do with Philip's killing spree. DiMera took more pleasure in torturing the people of Salem then he did in seeing them killed. But there had to be something he was missing...

"Brady, we need to get to that airport. Maybe there's someone there, or a clue as to where they're going," Roman stated, picking up his keys. Brady stood, his expression grim and void of all hope.

"I'll take you there, but it won't do any good. DiMera's no fool, he wouldn't leave anyone there. Or even if he did, they wouldn't talk," Brady stated sadly. John put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder, wishing there was something, anything he could do to keep his already emotionally scared son from suffering because of Stefano DiMera.

"We have to try, son, we have to try." Brady nodded, following his father, Roman, and Bo out the door. For Chloe, he'd follow ever single lead to the ends of the earth...

Chloe gazed longingly out the window of Stefano's private jet unable to stand another moment more of watching Philip sleep. Philip lay curled up on the plush leather couch, sleeping as soundly as a baby, a peaceful, calm expression on his boyish face. The mere sight made Chloe's skin crawl. After all Philip had done, not to mention what he had planned to do to her, it wasn't right for him to be so serene and so... at peace! Philip deserved to be tormented for the pain he had caused the people he once claimed to care for. Despite all he'd done, Philip had fallen asleep almost immediately after they arrived. Stefano had taken the key to the handcuffs from him, freeing Chloe from her bindings after they had taken off with a promise to explain everything in the morning before he retreated to the front of the jet, leaving Chloe alone with a burning desire to seek out a pillow and smother Philip in his unrightfully peaceful sleep.

"It baffles you doesn't it?" The question caught Chloe so off guard she literally jumped, whipping around to face the entrance to the front of the jet. "How on earth can that young boy sleep so peacefully and at ease after all he's done? Isn't that what you're thinking of my dear?"

"The mere thought disgusts me," Chloe answered coldly. Stefano was once a man she held in high respect for his appreciation of classical music and opera. She found it so hard to believe that this man could truly be as evil as she had heard, until she saw for herself the devastating repercussions of Stefano's devious actions on the people Chloe cared for. Hope Brady, a woman Chloe truly admired for her amazing strength, had suffered so much because of the man who stood before her. Stefano grinned, walking up to the blissfully sleeping Philip.

"Quite astounding, isn't it Ms. Lane? Little Kiriakis here has been reeking divine havoc on the citizens of Salem for weeks now, and yet he feels no remorse what so ever for any of it! He'll make a fine addition to my family," Stefano stated, an underlying note of sarcasm lacing his regal voice that few would have caught. Chloe picked up on it quickly, for reasons she couldn't quite wrap her mind around, setting up a little straighter as a sudden feeling of apprehension washed over her.

"You didn't come back to Salem because of Philip." It was a statement, not a question. Stefano laughed, quite pleased with her statement.

"Very observant my dear. Very observant indeed. Of course I would not make such a secretive return for a common psychotic such as young Philip. No, no, I came for a much more valuable prize. Philip just made my goal much easier to obtain," Stefano stated.

"But... if you didn't want him..." Chloe started, rather dreading the answers she was demanding.

"Perhaps I will tell you the whole story tonight. I had wished to let you rest up before I revealed the true motives behind my return, but you do not look as if you could rest any tonight, what with all you've been through."

"Don't play games with me, Stefano. I don't like lies, and I do not appreciate being played for a fool," Chloe stated dryly, glaring at Stefano as he seated himself on the couch at Philip's feet. Philip remained undisturbed as Stefano chuckled, obviously enjoying his little game.

"Ah, so brave and honest young one. So like your mother when she was not much older then you are now," Stefano said, silently calculating Chloe's reaction. Chloe looked stunned, staring at the man before her in utter disbelief.

"What... what do you know about my mother" Chloe asked quietly.

"Quite a charming girl, that Nancy. A true gem. True, she had a very unruly and unpredictable father, but I would imagine your mother takes more after her own mother," Stefano replied. Chloe shook off her growing dread, hiding her true fear behind a cold glare.

"Can we get to the point?"

"Ah ha, just as impatient as she was!" Stefano chuckled. He then became very serious, leaning forward in his seat a bit. "As you wish, my dear. Let me start from the beginning. You see, many years ago, I teamed up with a rather tenacious but brilliant man for a business transaction. The man was in a bind. Legal matters I need not discuss. All you need to know is, I was in very close relations with his father before him, who was also a great businessman, and I felt that I owed it to him to help his son with his burdens," Stefano said. "But, back to the point at hand. You see, this associate of mine had a lovely young daughter, not much older then yourself. It was in the best interest of my current campaign that I should have a child with this woman. You needn't know why, you'll learn all that in due time. As it turned out, this delightful young woman, whom I've heard was none to pleased with her father's decisions, gave birth to two beautiful girls. Identical twin babies, can you imagine! As you can surely tell, I was delighted. But you see, the girl's father would only allow me to take one daughter with me. Our deal was after all one child. If I had known that the mother would put the other twin up for adoption, I would have insisted I take both with me. But, Stefano DiMera always keeps his word. I had no choice but to separate my beautiful twin daughters, taking the first born with me to be raised in Europe. She was my shining star, a way for me to make up for all the time lost with my other children. But, I've always felt a longing for the daughter I was forced to leave behind, who was never allowed to embrace me as her father," Stefano paused dramatically, building suspense and letting everything slowly sink in.

"So, as a DiMera always does, I took action. It took me quite some time to find my precious long lost daughter. Had she not returned to her birth mother not 2 years ago, I may have never found her. Those social workers can be quite unscrupulous. Ah, but when I heard her voice, so equally moving as that of her twin, I knew. I knew I had found her. She would hide her stunning looks which perfectly matched her sister's behind hideously large clothing. But you can't fool Stefano DiMera. The moment I heard her sing a piece of my favorite opera, she confirmed what I already knew in my heart to be true," Stefano again paused, a gleam in his eyes as Chloe's cold stare gave way to dawning horror. Stefano stood, walking slowly over to the dark red curtains separating the lush compartments of his jet. "Unfortunately my dear, due to pressing matters at the time, I was unable to concentrate on my estranged daughter. Family matters, and times of crisis and all that. But now, I'm finally able to reunite my twin daughters and bring them both in under my care. Would you like to know their identities?" Stefano asked coyly, knowing he'd draw back the curtain no matter Chloe's answer. When Chloe refused to answer, Stefano took it upon himself to reveal his little surprise. "Victoria my dear, would you come here?" Stefano called into the next compartment, stepping to the side and holding the curtain open with one hand. Promptly, a young dark haired woman stood up from her seat and gracefully walked to the open curtain. Victoria stood in the doorway, her long dark wavy hair flowing gracefully over her shoulder. She was dressed in black leather pants and a black full-lengthed shirt, her ensemble fitting snugly to show off every luscious curve of her body. Chloe took no note of any of this. To Chloe, it was like looking in a mirror. From her height, to her stunning hair, to the tip of her toes, Victoria was an exact replica of Chloe. The only difference, aside from their current clothing of choice, was the way Victoria held herself with such dignity. But upon further study, Chloe noted the biggest difference of all: her eyes. Though they were the same gorgeous color, Victoria's eyes held no liveliness. They were dull, clouding what might have been the only window to the soul that lay within the stunning body. To anyone else, she would appear to be utterly bored with life. But even in her shock, Chloe, and Chloe alone, could see through those dull eyes to reveal what they really held; a deep pain that no one that young an age should ever have to deal with. "Chloe, I'd like you to met your twin sister, Victoria DiMera," Stefano said bluntly, allowing the curtain to fall back in to place while he stepped up behind his daughter, placing his hands proudly on her shoulders. Victoria smiled fondly at her twin sister, although the simple smile sent many mixed emotion.

"You... You're my..." Chloe attempted to question Stefano.

"Your father, Chloe dear. I am your father," Stefano finished. At this point, Victoria stepped forward towards her sister, the fond smile being left behind to reveal a very emotionless expression on her lovely face.

"I'm honored to finally meet you. I've missed you, sister," Victoria said sincerely. She knew from the moment she was born that she was a twin, that half of her felt as if it were missing the moment she left her sister's side. Their father had never made any effort to try to deny her suspicions that she was in fact a twin. Victoria had spent her whole life ignoring the longing to be whole again, ignoring the empty feeling inside the life she had been dealt with gave her. Chloe shuddered, both at the sincere, yet cold tone, and at the fact that Victoria not only looked exactly like her, but sounded like her as well.

"We both have, my dear daughter. But now, we wish to welcome you into the DiMera family. We wish to make you the true DiMera you were born to be," Stefano said. Chloe turned away, looking out the window of the jet again.

"I will never be a DiMera," Chloe said firmly, yet hesitantly. Victoria drew back slightly, not allowing any emotion to cross her face. After all, that was what she had been raised to do. Either don't feel, or hide it well so no one can use it against you. Stefano nodded as if he'd expected such a reply.

"You were a DiMera from the moment you took your first breathe. You will learn to except me as your father. Believe me, you will learn," Stefano stated. He motioned for Victoria to step back, gesturing for her to follow him. "Come Victoria, young Philip will wake soon. Your sister shall have enough company with him until we reach our new home," Stefano said before disappearing behind the curtain. But Victoria stayed, kneeling down beside Chloe, who was turned with her back facing her.

"It's not so bad," Victoria said softly, perhaps showing the first true emotion since Stefano had revealed her to Chloe. Chloe turned slowly to face her sister, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. "I don't know you very well yet, but I want to. I've waited my whole life to be reunited with you, my other half so to speak. But... Father is going to be in your life as well, weather you except him or not. Please, please don't fight him Chloe. There is nothing he won't do for his family, but he'll make your life a living hell if you defy him," Victoria stated. She reached up, gently wiping the tear tracks from her twin's face with her thumb before she stood, the cold expression she had been raised to show at all times returning to mask her true feelings. "You are strong, dear sister. I can already tell that much. My whole life, I've felt your presence even though we've never met. And I knew. I knew what strength you had. But not even the two of us combined could take on Stefano and come out without paying the ultimate price. Protect yourself, sister. You have so much left to lose," Victoria stated, before she too disappeared behind the curtain. Chloe watched her go, processing her sister's words. Indeed, Chloe had much more to lose then her sister did now... the very light that still shone so brightly in her eyes...

Nancy trailed her finger lightly along the bandage on Craig's forehead. Similar bandages circled his waist. The bookcase had caused mostly bruising, but also two broken ribs.

"Oh, Craig!" Nancy wailed. She'd been crying non stop since she woke up in the hospital, crying out and demanding to see her daughter. It was just now sinking in that Chloe wasn't coming back. Craig tenderly wrapped his arm around Nancy's shoulder, wincing slightly as pain shot throughout his entire body. He had insisted that he was fine, saying that his place was at the police department, helping in any way he could to find Chloe. Truth was, his whole body was on fire from the pain, and he'd long since vowed to make Philip feel 100 times worse as soon as he found him.

"I know sweetie, I know," Craig soothed. It was then he noticed Roman, followed by Bo, John, and then Brady. As Brady passed their seats, Craig stood, taking him by the shoulders to stop him. "Brady, what's going on?" Craig demanded. Brady shook his head, disengaging himself from Craig's grasp.

"Not now Dr. Wesley, we need to get back to the airport."

"Airport? But the Kiriakis jet has been secured!" Nancy exclaimed.

"Not the Kiriakis jet," Brady said hesitantly. "We're... we're looking for DiMera now, he's been spotted in Salem," Brady finished. Nancy blanched, growing white as a sheet. Brady was about to question her on it when John called to him

"Brady, come on. Let's go!" John called.

"I'll find her, I swear it," Brady promised before quickly retreating. Nancy sank back down into her seat, burying her head in her hands.

"Nancy?" Craig questioned worriedly.

"He's come for her Craig! He's finally come back to take her from me too!" Nancy wailed. Craig painfully kneeled in front of her, taking her hands to comfort his wife.

"Who's come for who Nancy?" Craig asked calmly.

"Chloe! He's come for Chloe!" Nancy cried, burying her face in Craig's chest.

"Who? Nancy, do you know if someone is helping Philip? Is it Chloe's father?" Craig demanded, no longer so calm. Nancy nodded weakly. "Nancy, Nancy look at me." Craig said, forcing his sobbing wife to look at him. "Who is Chloe's father Nancy? Maybe we can find Chloe if we know. Who is he Nancy?"

"Stefano DiMera," Nancy whispered. Craig grew almost as pale as his tearful wife as Nancy began to quickly tell him relatively the same story as Stefano had told Chloe, only from her troubled point of view...