Chapter Two
New Years Eve, 2011 Horton Town Square Around 11 PM
"Shouldn't you be home in bed?"
Nicole looked up from the cup of hot tea she appeared to be pondering over and smiled. "Brady!" It had been months since she had seen him, one of her oldest and dearest "friends." Although he had most certainly been invited to her and EJ's vow renewal ceremony, he'd been a no-show which was disappointing, but not a surprise.
Nicole patted the empty seat beside her, inviting him to join her on the bench. Brady didn't budge. Nicole's smile soon turned to a frown as she recognized the familiar, disapproving glare he was giving her.
"What the hell are you thinking, Nicole? Let me guess, this time is going to be different, right? EJ's changed, you're the only woman for him, he didn't murder your mother oh and, let's not forget, he's a great dad!"
"Wow, do I detect a note of sarcasm there," Nicole joked with a nervous chuckle, attempting to lighten-up Brady's intense interrogation. Unfortunately, her comment appeared to have the opposite effect of that which she intended.
"How could you be so stupid," he screamed at her, his fist punching some invisible target in the air in anger. Only when he saw the alarmed look on her face did he began to regroup and control his emotions. He finally took a seat next to her on the bench and grabbed a hold of her hand. "I'm sorry. I don't want to upset you. You just have no idea how much I hate that son-of-a-bitch."
"Really? Actually I think you've made it abundantly clear, even before tonight. You do remember that night you tried to kill him, right?"
"I only regret that I wasn't successful."
Nicole stared at him disbelievingly. "Alright, stop it. Look, I know you hate him and quite frankly, I don't need your approval but can you just be happy for me? EJ and I, we're going to be just fine, and so are these little ones." Nicole smiled dreamily as she pressed her hands to her stomach. "Look, Brady, contrary to what you made have heard tonight, these babies are going to be just fine. My doctor actually said she sees no reason why I won't be able to carry them full-term."
"Nice," Brady replied, shaking his head. "I see you're already back under his influence. Let me guess, you two are counting on the sympathy vote to win this election?"
"Oh Brady, come on, you act like you never knew me before EJ came around. I think it's safe to say he learned a trick or two from me."
"You know, you're right cuz I seem to remember after he found out you kidnapped Sydney, he turned right around and kidnapped her from you."
"Oh, come on, she's his daughter. That's not exactly kidnapping."
"He let everyone believe she'd been taken by some random lunatic while he kept her hidden away for himself, away from everyone who loved her, including her mother! How is that not kidnapping?"
"Well he knew Sami was going to do everything possible to keep him out of Sydney's life. Look at all the trouble she went through to keep her a secret to begin with!"
"You just don't get it, do you," Brady said, shaking his head at her sadly, a pained expression in his eyes. "What makes you believe you're going to be any different? Do you think he really values you as a woman, as his wife? All you are to that man is a breeder of DiMera spawn. Do you think for one second when it comes down to you vs him in a battle for those children that you would win? Believe me, he would rip them right out of your arms and never let you see them again, but you want me to be happy for you because you think that now you're going to have the family you always dreamed of?"
Nicole sighed frustratedly. "First of all, no matter what happens between me and EJ, I would never keep them from their father so EJ would have no reason to "fight" me for them."
Brady threw his head back and began laughing maniacally. "You know, I don't know which part of that is funnier. The fact that you refuse to believe EJ would do everything in his power to gain full custody, or that you are in complete denial of exactly how you would react if EJ did something to betray you! Does the whole running away to Chicago thing ring a bell?"
"Well, that was before I knew I was carrying his children! Look, I know that when it comes to protecting myself and my own feelings, I've done lots of stupid, immature, and cowardly things-"
"I didn't say that," Brady interrupted. "I think running away to Chicago, as far away from EJ as possible, was probably the smartest thing you've ever done."
"OK, I can see this is going nowhere," Nicole said, throwing her arms up in surrender before hopping off the bench. "But just so you know, EJ and I are a lot alike in that we would stop at nothing to protect our children and families. Now that EJ and I are having children together, WE are a family. I really don't give a shit that you don't like my husband but, if you ever, EVER do anything to hurt him again, you will find out in a very unpleasant way how the DiMeras, cuz I AM a DiMera, you know, deal with people who fuck with the family."
"Jesus, Nicole, will you listen to yourself? What happened to the Nicole I used to know and love? He's changed you."
"No, EJ hasn't changed me, Brady. The only guilty party are these two little ones," she pressed her hands firmly to her stomach once more as she continued to speak. "I made a promise to them that I am going to give them the kind of family that I always wanted. A mother and father who are completely devoted to making them, and each other happy. Isn't that what you would want for them too? What you would want for me?"
Brady's heart began to ache as he stared down into her pleading, soulful blue eyes...the woman who he not so long ago had hoped he himself could start a new life with, and the woman whom he still very much loved. "Darlin", I do want that for you. More than you'll ever know...or care to believe anyway."
"Then please, just try to be happy for me."
For the first time that night, Brady smiled. He cupped her face in his hands and planted a small peck on her forehead. "I promise I will try."
"Thank you," she said smiling and sighing with relief. "I am really, really happy, you know. I'm really going to be a momma this time."
Brady couldn't resist the urge to lay a hand to her stomach. She smiled and laid a hand on top of his and encouraged him to press down and feel her slight little baby bump.
"We haven't felt any movement just yet but I can't stop touching it. It's like My Strange Addiction."
"When are you due?"
"June eighteenth. I can't believe it's only about five and a half months away."
"There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"
Nicole whipped her head up to investigate the source of the unfamiliar female voice, only to find an equally alien face to go along with it. The woman immediately looped her arm through Brady's and flashed Nicole a sweet, friendly smile.
"You must be Nicole."
"Yeah, hi," Nicole replied looking to Brady for a proper introduction to the pretty, petite blonde woman at his side. The stranger however did not wait for Brady and introduced herself to Nicole.
"Madison James," she extended her hand politely to Nicole for a handshake. "I've heard so much about you."
"I, a...wish I could say the same," Nicole said, shooting Brady a scolding look.
"What? You were in Chicago and you hardly returned my calls!"
Madison giggled watching the exchange between the two. "It's OK, Nicole. Actually, Brady and I haven't known each other that long and up until just recently, it's been strictly professional."
"Professional?"
Brady stepped in to further explain. "Madison is the CEO of Mad World Cosmetics, a recent acquision of Titan's."
"Oh, so is that all I am to you? An aquisition?" Madison could hardly play off her feigned annoyance with him. It was perfectly apparent that she absolutely adored him.
"Don't be ridiculous, my dear," Brady said as he wrapped his arms around Madison from behind and planted a kiss on her cheek right beside her ear. "Mad World was the acquisition, you are one of the perks that came with it."
"He's such a sweet-talker, this one," Madison said, nodding her head back in his direction.
"I'm going to leave you two ladies alone for a moment," Brady said, planting one more kiss on Madison's cheek before releasing her from his embrace. "I see someone I need to run and say hello to."
"OK," the two women said in unison as he trotted off leaving the two of them behind in a moment of awkwardness before Madison was finally the first to speak.
"You know, Brady was really upset tonight finding out about you and EJ. I may not have been to Salem in many years but the DiMera family is pretty notorious worldwide so it's safe for me to say I immediately understood why. Are you ok?"
"Well, thank you for your concern but it's really none of your business."
"I know, and I'm sorry...I'm not trying to be nosy, really but I really like Brady and what concerns him concerns me."
"Well, then I'm happy to know that Brady has found someone who really seems to care about him. I hope you two will be every bit as happy as I am now."
"So you're really happy? This guy isn't forcing you into some kind of relationship or you're not just laying it on for the sake of the children? I think that's where Brady was concerned."
"EJ is not forcing me into anything," Nicole insisted, grabbing her purse from the bench in preparation to depart the scene once and for all. She'd had just about enough of inquisitions about her feeling and motives for the evening. Besides, it was nearing midnight and the only person she wanted to be in the company of as the town rang in the New Year was her husband. "I love him, LOVE him! Why is that so hard for everyone to accept? EJ is the only man I ever have, and ever will, truly love and nothing anyone can say or do is going to change that. I appreciate you going to bat for Brady, but I think he got the message already so why don't you just trot off and find your new little boy toy. I. Love. My. Husband. Your work is done here, miss CEO."
Madison chuckled to herself and watched in a mixture of amusement and awe as Nicole agitatedly stormed away in search of EJ. "It was nice meeting you, Nikki," she said softly to herself in her native British tongue, in contrast to the phony American accent she'd been forced to put on since beginning business negotiations with the Kiriakis clan and ever since arriving in Salem. "You're right, Elvis. She's a gem."