"Chloe what the hell were you thinking!" Lexi whispered sharply as soon as the door was shut. "Just because you're pregnant with another mans baby doesn't mean you have to end your life."

She debated lying but was too drained, "Well I'm not dead am I?"

"I have to do a sonogram." Lexi sighed, "We need to make sure everything is okay with the baby."

"Dr. Jonas said that it was okay."

"Just because there is a heartbeat doesn't mean everything is okay." she pulled a cart over that had a sonogram machine on it.

Chloe laid back and tried to think of something else but her eyes flew open when she heard the heartbeat. Lexi had a very satisfied look on her face, "amazing isn't it?"

"Its so strong…and fast, is that normal"

Lexi nodded and then pointed to the machine, "See that? The thing that looks like a jellybean with a blinking light in the middle?"

"That's my baby?" Chloe smiled excited. It was the first time she'd referred to the baby as anything other than it.

"uh huh."

"Is everything okay?" Chloe asked worried this time.

Lexi smiled and winked, "always was."

"What but you said--"

"Sometimes it isn't real until you see it. I've had a baby, so believe me I know the power of an ultrasound."

"Thank you." Chloe said wiping her eyes.

"Take care of that baby." Lexi said with a knowing look.

"You saved two lives today Dr. Carver." Chloe said with a smile.

"It's my job."

"As my doctor or my friend?"

"Can't it be both." Lexi said as she left.

"Phone." Lucas came into the guest room with the cordless. Chloe was still staying at Lucas's house and keeping up the pretence of a relationship but the notion of telling everyone the baby was Lucas's was still felt wrong.

"Thanks." Chloe took it from him.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked for the seventh time in the past hour.

"I'm really fine Lucas." She laughed, "Go watch TV or something."

"Just let me know if--"

"I will, no go…Be gone." she joked waving him out. When he'd left she put the phone to her ear, "hello?"

"Chloe!" Belle's excited voice came bubbling out the receiver.

"Belle? How are you? Where are you?" she asked smiling so big her cheeks hurt.

"Salem!"

Chloe's smile faded and she felt nauseous. Belle was back in Salem, it was going to be torture seeing him Philip in love. It was hard enough seeing him with Stephanie and that was just 'fun' to him…what she'd been to him only a few months ago. A silent tear fell down her cheek.

"Chloe? Are you there?"

"Yeah." Chloe quickly wiped the tear, "I'm just surprised…I didn't…That's great!"

"Meet me at the pub, I have to tell you something in person." she said rushed.

"Okay, yeah…I'll be there in like 5 minutes?" she asked still numb.

"Great! Hurry!" Belle squealed and then hung up.

Chloe came into the pub and was immediately assaulted by Belle. The hug almost knocked the air out of her. "Hey." Chloe hugged back suddenly feeling relieved at her best friends return.

"I'm pregnant." Belle blurted as soon as she stepped back.

"That's great!" Chloe hugged her again.

"We decided that we'd come back to Salem until I have the baby." Belle explained.

"Shawn is being so cute." she pointed, "I think he's even more excited than me."

Chloe turned to where Belle was looking. Shawn was excitedly talking to everyone around him. Which included Philip, who they'd caught staring at Belle. He quickly went back to playing with Claire.

"I told Shawn that this might not be the best idea…do you think it will be terribly hard on Philip?"

The pain of that sentence hit Chloe harder than she thought and she felt sick. "Excuse me." she said running into the bathroom and throwing up.

"Chloe, Oh my God." Belle ran after her, "Please tell me the cancer isn't back?"

Chloe actually laughed when she came out of the stall but stopped when she saw Belle crying, "No I'm fine." she assured Belle and rinsed her mouth.

"Are you sure? People who are fine don't just go around throwing up."

"Don't say anything," Chloe lowered her voice, "It's morning sickness."

"Y…You mean…you're pregnant too?!"

"Shh…I haven't really announced it yet." Chloe whispered.

"This is perfect." Belle whispered excitedly, "Have you told Lucas yet?"

"Yeah. Speaking of, you have to go say hi to him." Chloe quickly changed the subject before the questions got more specific and she'd have to lie. "I gotta get some air."

"Okay, come back though. We have so much to catch up on!" Belle said walking Chloe to the door.

"Make up a good excuse for me?" Chloe asked.

"Migraine?"

"Short and simple. I love it." Chloe hugged Belle one more time and then left the pub.

She got in the car and drove, she didn't know where she was driving she just had to drive, to get away. She kept her mind busy by going through the Phantom of the Opera and had almost gotten to the last act when 'I need you' by Leann Rimes came on.

"Dammit!" she swore pulling over and turning off the car. It was their song. Her and Philip had danced to it at The Last Blast. The nauseous feeling came back and she got out of the car and breathed in the cold air.

She was outside of the city, out in the woods. She saw a dirt road and realized where she was. She shook her head in disbelief and followed the road to a small clearing. There it was the tree. She was standing in the spot where she first realized beyond a shadow of a doubt she loved Philip.

Almost mechanically she walked to it and pushed off the snow. It was still there. She traced the heart and then the P&C 4ever that was carved into it.

"You know this tree has been here fifty, maybe a hundred years" she could picture the 16 year old Philip standing in front of her, "So it should at least last that much longer. So in a hundred years people can look at that tree and know how much I loved you."

They were both so pure, untouched by the ugliness in the world. So much had happened to them since and now they were so different. He was so sure they'd be together forever and she was the one who doubted. Now here she was 9 years later still in love with him and he detested her. He had reason, she'd broken his heart and he'd never forgiven her for that.

She let herself cry. She had been holding it in for so long, letting a mere tear escape now and then but she was always afraid someone would see her cry. See her so weak and open, that was when she could be hurt the most.

She heard rustling and jumped. Lucas must've followed her. She quickly wiped her eyes.

"Damn it's cold out here." Philip came through the woods.

"Philip." she said surprised. He raised an eyebrow, "hey this time being surprised is valid, we aren't in town we are in the woods."

"Fair enough, I'll let it slide. Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Would it matter if I said no."

"Probably not." he said truthfully.

"Did you follow me?" she asked curiously.

"Don't flatter yourself, I was on my way out of town and I saw your car on the side of the road. Thought you tried to off yourself again."

"Same old Philip things get hard and you leave town."

He glared at her, "Sorry I can't be as mature as my brother."

"You can't be as mature as anyone in this town." she shot back.

"Does putting me down make you feel better about yourself Chloe? It isn't enough that you leave me for Brady and then come back only to leave me for my brother?"

"You were the one who was into Morgan first and don't project Belle leaving you on me. You got over me a long time ago."

He closed the distance between them in seconds, the anger in his eyes scaring her. He grabbed her arm, "I never got over you Chloe." he growled, "and I never will."

"Philip, you're scaring me."

"Good." he said and then kissed her. It started angry and fierce but melted into a very sweet, soft kiss.

They were both breathing hard when their lips parted. "You're freezing." Philip rubbed her icy arms.

"I'm fine." her voice was uneven.

"No you're not, your shivering." he took off his coat and put it around her and then pulled her into his arms. "You know what I was thinking when I was following you." he said his voice light.

"I knew it." she said more happy than mad.

"I'm sixteen years old and I have the best boyfriend in the world!"

She leaned back, "Oh my God, I'd forgotten about that." she said embarrassed.

"I know you aren't happy with Lucas." he said, "You wouldn't have come here if you weren't. You're lonely and scared and sad…I know you Chloe, you can't hide that from me."

"Why are you saying all of this?" she stepped out of his arms her guard going back up, "Are you trying to make Belle jealous?"

"Belle? No, she's happy with Shawn and they're gonna have a baby, I couldn't make her jealous if I tried."

"Stephanie then? Are you mad at your father? Or Lucas? What's your game Kiriakis?"

"Seeing Belle and Shawn…I want that with you, I always have and I always will."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Why can't you ever just accept that." he said frustrated and then laughed at the look Chloe gave him. "Look I know I keep making mistake after mistake, but that's what we do Chloe. I screw up and you get mad, you always win the argument because lets face it I'm always wrong, and you forgive me." he touched her cheek, "You're my girl."

A tear fell, "always." she whispered hoarsely before his lips met hers. "Wait." she pulled back.

"What?"

"Philip, I…" she searched his eyes. She could only see love, the pure unadulterated love that she used to see every day. "You really mean it don't you?"

"Unquestionably." he looked at her as if she were insane.

"Let me just clarify. You are choosing me…only me."

"Forever if that's okay." he flashed his cute dimples.

"You really wanna leave your whole playboy carefree lifestyle?"

"It isn't as fulfilling as I made it out to be." he joked and then turned serious, "That isn't me Chloe and you know it. You know me more than anyone. You know what it was."

"A defense." it was suddenly clear, "You were afraid I didn't love you…but what made you realize I did?"

He sighed, "I've been stalking you." he admitted.

"What?"

"I've been terrified since the pier that you were going to do something stupid again. I feel…an obsessive over protectiveness when it comes to you. I was watching you and I interrupted you when you started crying…I hate seeing you said."

"So you pissed me off?"

"You're cute when you're angry." he shrugged. "So what do you say Lane?"

"What do I say?"

"About the whole forever thing going back into effect?" he motioned towards the tree.

"Philip, I'm pregnant." she said and he froze.

"Oh." he let his arms drop, "I should get you back to Lucas." he turned and started walking off.

"No." She ran after him, "wait."

"Chloe, I've been through this before, lets just forget about this."

"No Philip I want--" she suddenly felt dizzy.

"Now you do." he interrupted her.

"No Philip--" she started to feel a dull pain from her abdomen.

"Chloe!" he said angrily cutting her off again making her jump which intensified the pain, but she ignored it so she could explain but he cut her off the second she opened her mouth. "Belle loved me too but a kid changes everything. You are going to have a tie with Lucas forever and eventually you'll leave me so--Chloe? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine I just feel kinda sick." the pain shot through her entire body and she gasped and fainted.