Chapter 66

[NOTE: Initially I had no intention of continuing this story after Bo and Carly's wedding but I wanted this to be Olivia's story as well because I wanted her personal life to somewhat mirror Carly's pre-Bo's past . Bringing EJ DiMera in the mix was also unplanned but the story's gone too far to drop him entirely. Hence, to make the EJavia/Nathan story arc less controversial, I have SORASED Olivia Brady and Tamara Carver a bit . From now on, both characters are 18 years old.]

'What the hell are you saying?' Bo shouted, really angry now. 'What do you mean by that? Ciara is…'

'She's not.' Julie's eyes filled with tears; her voice trembling. 'I… I can explain…'

'What did you do; exactly what did you do?' Bo snarled, moving forward menacingly but Carly pulled him back while Doug and Hope barred his way.

By now Caroline, Marlena, Roman, Steve, John and Kayla were out in the hall as well.

'What's going on?' Caroline demanded. Maggie was inside consoling Ciara who was freaking out at the sound of Bo's raised voice. The younger members of the family were with Olivia, far away from the commotion.

Even in the midst of his anger, Bo didn't want Ciara eavesdropping on the disturbing conversation so he strode down the hall, with everyone following him.

'Bo, you need to calm down…' Doug began.

Bo gave him a murderous glare. 'Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I want Julie to tell me exactly what she meant by what she just said!'

All eyes turned to Julie who was crying softly, Hope supporting her, blinking back her own tears.

'Bo, what…' Kayla began.

'I'm waiting Julie!' Bo snapped, not heeding his sister.

'Bo!' Doug fired back angrily, keeping a protective arm on his wife.

'Will somebody explain what the hell's going on?' Roman exclaimed.

'Ciara isn't my daughter, or so Julie claims.' Bo said, keeping a steely eye on Julie. 'And I'm waiting for her explanation.'

The others were too stunned to ask any questions; instead they shifted their attention on Julie. Wiping her eyes with a Kleenex, Julie finally spoke.

'Bo, the first thing you have to believe; neither Hope nor Doug knew about this.' She sniffled. 'Before the DNA test results were released to you, I gained access to them and…' she gulped, ' you weren't a match.'

Caroline gasped. 'Oh my God!'

'You altered the results, didn't you?' Bo's voice was shaking. 'How could you do such a thing, how could you play God with our lives like that?'

Hope shook her head, devastation on her face.

'To protect you both; to save your marriage!' Julie cried desperately. 'You'd reconciled, I couldn't allow you to fall apart again! Bo, Hope…. I'm so sorry, it was for the best intentions, I swear!'

'Did you honestly think that they will never find out?' Caroline asked, finally finding her voice at last; appalled by what she just heard. 'Whatever your intentions, it was a terrible thing to do!'

'Caroline's right.' Carly added, angry as well. 'Terrible and illegal; you tampered with a paternity test conducted by this hospital, you allowed Bo and Hope to live a lie for years!'

'You lot lay off Julie, she did it for love and family, and I hardly think you of all people has the right to judge her Caroline!' Doug said defensively.

'No Bo… please, please!' Hope pleaded frantically as Bo made to punch out her father, barring his way. Roman and Steve pulled him back.

'I'm sorry!' Julie said again. 'But if I had to do it all over again I would! Hope's my family, I was prepared to do anything to protect her, to save her marriage.'

' Yeah you would, wouldn't you?' Bo said harshly. 'Hope needs other people to salvage her marriage for her because she sure as hell didn't bother making an effort to save it; first thing she did after we lost our son; she ran to Lockhart! First thing she did after we got Ciara back, she left me! Exactly what did you plan to do next to "salvage" our marriage again, just what?'

Hope couldn't say anything, she was now weeping. With one last glare at his ex-in-laws, Bo strode away, ignoring everyone calling his name. Carly hurried after him.

'Honey, wait!' she caught up with him, taking hold of his arm. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about this.' She whispered, rubbing his unshaven cheek.

Bo squeezed his eyes shut, willing not to cry. The little girl he loved so much wasn't his; but Patrick Lockhart's all along.

'Bo, listen to me.' Carly pleaded. 'Ciara is still your daughter and you are still her father; the same father who's always been there for her. Don't let this change your love for her, please.'

Bo shook his head, removing her hand from his cheek and planted a kiss on it. 'I need to be by myself for a while, princess. Completely alone.'

'Sure.' she whispered, tears falling down her cheeks as her husband walked away; feeling his pain and wishing she could do something to quash it.

::::::::::::::::::::

Tamara, Olivia's best friend, was home with the flu so Lexie had instructed Abe to break the news to her.

'The surgery was successful Tam,' Lexie assured her over the phone. 'Yes, so you need to get better soon and come over to see her, okay? Right… see you at home.'

EJ was in Lexie's office, waiting for Olivia's family to leave so he could be with her alone.

'You need to get some rest, you've been here for hours.' Lexie chastised.

Her brother shook his head. 'I want to see her. How's Ciara?'

'Resting but she's fretting over her sister, poor thing.' Sister, she thought sadly. In a blink of an eye, Olivia and Ciara weren't sisters anymore. How was Ciara going to react when she found out? It was going to break her heart.

'Are you okay?' Lexie asked, pulling herself together.

'I'm fine. I just keep thinking of that moment when that car crashed into Olivia's… my God Lexie, if she'd died…'

Lexie moved to sit next to him, slipping her hand into his. EJ's eyes were red and damp. Abe and majority of Salem never saw her brother the way she saw him and she wished they could see him right now. Nothing could come out of what he felt for Olivia but she finally saw that EJ's love for her was more than a passing fancy.

'She's not going to die, honey.' She assured him. 'Her head injury's not life threatening and the surgery….'

'I know but I've never been so scared in my whole life!' EJ said emotionally. 'Just seeing her there bleeding and injured and wondering if she would make it at all. I never thought it was possible to care about somebody this much. With Sami, I loved her but… it was more about taming her, possessing her at all costs. I look at Olivia and all I want to do is hold her in my arms, bind myself to her forever. She's my light, Lexie. I love her so much it hurts. If I ever lost her, I would want to die.'

Lexie squeezed his hand tighter. 'Even if she gives you a chance; you do realise what you're both going to face? There are some things the Bradys can never get past; Bo will not allow it, I've told you already. And you said it yourself, this isn't about possessing her so I know you aren't going to force Olivia to choose between you and her family. She doesn't deserve it.'

'No, she doesn't.' EJ agreed, quietly. 'I can't do that to her.' He laughed mirthlessly. 'Who would have thought bad EJ DiMera would find himself in a Catch-22 situation like this?'

Lexie had no words to cheer her brother. Just like she had no words to console her best friend who was right now suffering over a terrible mistake she'd made in the past. But that's what the past does to people; it binds its time then make them pay for it.

'I'll go check if you can see Olivia now.' She said, getting up.

:::::::::::::::

Kayla sent Carly home to get some rest and the family urged her to go. Carly wondered if she would find Bo at home, she clearly recalled how he'd left town after she was stabbed at the lighthouse. Of all the things to happen in one day, she and Bo trying to make a baby, almost losing the babies they already had and Bo finding out one of his darling daughters wasn't even his.

Before she and Bo finally became a couple years ago, Carly always kept a mental image of Hope Brady in her mind; as a beautiful, saintly, larger than life woman, with the way Bo had grieved for her, very deeply. Hearing about their turbulent marriage over the years had shocked her but not as much as this bombshell; Hope cheating on Bo. It was still too hard to digest.

Bo wasn't in their bedroom nor in the living room but she found an open album full of photos of Ciara as a baby, on her first birthday and shots of her with Bo, smiling in his arms on the couch. Staring at it sadly, she noticed the French windows were open. Since he wasn't at the pool either, her best bet was he was taking a walk on the beach. And sure enough she found him, sitting on a log and staring at Phoebe digging up the sand. He turned as she approached him and without a word, held out a hand to her which she took and pulled her to sit next to him. Carly hugged him tightly, relieved he wasn't going to shut her out like she feared.

'How you holding up, sailor?' she asked quietly.

'Hanging in there.' Was the equally quiet reply. 'Or trying to. I still can't believe I've spent years loving another man's child. A man I even hate.'

'You told me you and Hope fell apart after Zach's death but I didn't know… I never thought Hope would actually cheat on you, not for a minute.'

'It was awful.' Bo said bitterly. 'I wanted to kill that son of a bitch and she kept defending him for a while. But I wanted to move forward, you were the one who taught me how important that was. And I loved her enough to make that effort. We were so happy after Ciara was born, we were a family again. Then everything fell apart.'

'It wasn't your fault it fell apart.' Carly reminded him. 'Just like it wasn't your fault you lost Zach. Hope obviously regretted what she did, which helped you forgive her and move on. No one can ever say you didn't try Bo, I know you enough to know that you did your best. You were a wonderful husband to her and a wonderful father to your children. And listen to me now; being a parent is measured by love, not blood. I love Shawn D and Ciara like they're mine, just like Shawn loved you, far more than Victor ever could! Blood or not, you are Ciara's father; you, not that guy.'

She touched his face. 'No one's infallible, even me.' She pressed a hand to his mouth when she sensed he was going to protest. 'But that's neither here nor there; what's important is Ciara. If you can consider yourself Shawn Brady's son then she's your little girl. Yes or No?'

The slow but firm nod assured Carly her words had sunk in. 'I love Ciara,' he admitted. 'I still do; it's not her fault after all and I can't imagine not loving her the way I do now. Hell, I delivered her. She's a part of me, forever. What's happened happened. And out of the pain of the past, I found you again.' He cupped her face and kissed her emotionally. 'Thank you princess; for coming back from the dead.'

He kissed her again and Carly responded in turn, holding him close. They spent the night lying in each other's arms; Bo drawing comfort and strength from his wife and Carly giving all her love and loyalty to her husband.

:::::::::::::

Meanwhile, EJ was at Olivia's bedside, stroking the bruised face with the back of his hand. Her hair was covered by a sterile drape, a tube under her nose, the broken leg covered in Plaster and she was hooked to a monitor.

'Five minutes.' Lexie had informed him before letting him in.

'Wake up soon, Olivia.' He told her softly. 'Because there are so many things I want to tell you; above anything else, how much I love you. You are a special gift and I never, ever want to be without you.'

:::::::::::::::::::

Bo forbade Maggie to call Nathan from Baltimore when she tentatively suggested it. 'If he really loved my daughter he would've been here when she really needed him.' He told her coldly.

Maggie shook her head. 'Bo I know you're angry with everything's that happened and I'm sorry; I never meant to tear them apart like that. We still love you, can't you find it in your heart to forgive Hope and Julie.'

'I forgave Hope when it happened, remember? It wasn't easy but I did, because I loved her. But don't expect me to forgive Julie so soon and don't even try justifying Nathan's actions to me; I don't want him around her ever again.'

Maggie bit her lip. Bo had more than enough right to be angry and bitter. God knows so many things got heaped on him over years but somehow they'd gotten past it. With all her heart she wished Alice wasn't dead; she would definitely know what to do right now.

Bo later related to Carly the conversation he'd had with Maggie and while she felt perhaps they should give Nathan another chance, she kept her opinions to herself. Bo was touchier than ever about Olivia and Ciara and she didn't want to upset him. Three weeks have passed since the accident and Olivia was slowly healing; she was unconscious for four whole days and everyone lavished all her attention on her as soon as she came out of the coma, especially a very tearful and grateful Ciara. No one mentioned the shadow hovering over them, Ciara's paternity, but they were able to show Bo their love and support, which he was very grateful for.

Hope apologized on Julie's behalf and begged Bo and the family to forgive her but that was yet to happen despite their share of drama and bombshells. Bo still had no idea how he and Hope were going to tell Ciara the truth; Carly advised them to do so before she found out accidently. But they couldn't do it, at least not just yet.

Olivia of course was told and Bo was moved by her response. 'It doesn't change anything, Dad. Ciara's my sister, no matter what.'

Her car of course was a write-off and Phillip, Brady and Will good naturedly insisted that she shipped a Mercedes over this time. After the disastrous party at Victor's, Olivia had sold the bike he'd given her so until she got a new car, she had no means of transportation, unless she borrowed Carly or Bo's car.

Hope cornered Carly at her office. 'I suppose you think I'm a bad person.' she said bluntly.

'I wasn't here when it happened and I'm not in the habit of standing in judgment of people.' Carly replied quietly. 'And I'm not in the position to judge my husband's ex. That won't speak well of me. It's not even important anymore; we have to focus on Ciara and how you'll eventually tell her.'

Since the recent bombshell, Hope had felt more ashamed at how she'd behaved towards Carly, marvelling at how anyone could be so compassionate. And Bo too, she couldn't believe he'd given her some loyalty by not telling Carly about her affair with Patrick.

'I don't know when we will, if ever.' She admitted.

'You should.' Carly advised. 'There's already been enough secrets in this family.' And right now she was harbouring one herself.

'I keep thinking about all the things I did wrong; I always hated doing that. And… I have to finally accept that I was the one who broke our marriage, nobody- it was all me.' Hope grimaced. 'And all of a sudden, I feel more grownup than I've ever been. And far too late in the day.'

'Again, no judgment Hope. But now's the time to practice moving forward, it's the healthiest thing to do.'

Hope nodded. If she'd done that after Ciara was rescued, she and Bo would still be together and she wouldn't be having this conversation with the new Mrs Brady.

'Thanks.' She now said gruffly. 'I'll see you later.'

'Sure.' Carly pressed a hand to her forehead as soon as the door closed behind her. Of all the lousy timing but she couldn't hold what she was hiding any longer.

'Princess?' she jumped, sliding off her desk as Bo entered. 'You okay? You look preoccupied.'

'No, I'm okay.'

'I ran into Hope, did she say something to you?'

'No she didn't; we're still in a truce. Why should she lay anything on me since I didn't do anything. I still can't believe Julie did what she did to both of you.'

Bo waved his hand. 'I don't want to talk about Julie, please.' He encircled her waist under the white coat. 'All I want is to focus what I have now.' Leaning over, he nuzzled her neck, moving up to capture her lips with his so for a while there was no talking.

'How do you feel?' Carly asked after breaking the kiss.

'Much better. And you're right. Being a parent is measured by love, not blood. Ciara's more precious to me now.'

'I love you for saying that.' Carly touched his face with both hands. 'And she's mine too because she's yours, she'll always be yours.'

'I know. And I love you for supporting me like this. I don't know how to begin to thank you.'

'Like you ever have to thank me for being there for you, like you've been for me.' She ducked her head shyly at the look in his eyes. Sometimes he overwhelmed her, looking at her that way. It was now time to reveal her secret; the secret not even Olivia knew about, yet.

'I have a confession to make, I've been hiding it for days now actually.'

'What?' he asked worriedly.

'I'm pregnant.' Was the quiet response.

For a minute Bo stared at her. Then he held her face and kissed her; a heated, heartfelt kiss that left her breathless. They needed no words to express their intense joy; the kiss and several more kisses spoke far more than words ever could.