Disclaimer: Me = poor, no sue. Days of Our Lives and their characters are the property of others.
A/N: It's been like a million years since I've updated this fan fiction. I stopped watching DOOL about the same time I stopped updating this fic, so don't expect anything that's happened in the last couple of years to appear. I probably won't finish this fic as originally planned, but I may add more chapters that I already have finished or mostly finished to try and wrap things up.
Chapter 14: Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes
At two o'clock in the morning, Chloe was awoken when she fell off a dinning room chair. She absently rubbed her eyes as she tried to clear her disoriented mind. Her rump was sore from her fall, and the light above the table was blinding her. She struggled to get up and squinted her eyes as she looked around the room.
She hazily remember leaving the hospital and taking the bus home. Then, Jules had stopped her in the club for a quick conversation, but Chloe didn't remember what they'd talked about. She had come up the stairs, turned on the lights, saw the mail on the table, and then... she must have fallen asleep. Good God, she thought, Jules is going to have to buy a whole filing cabinet to house my blackmail file. There was no doubt in Chloe's mind that Jules had captured her most recent slip on film. The woman seemed to have a sixth sense for anytime Chloe was in a situation even the least bit embarrassing.
The muffled sound of a bass beat permeated the floorboards. Chloe checked her watch and stretched awkwardly. The Wednesday night dance party was still going strong, but the club would be closing in an hour. She sunk back down into the chair she had previously vacated, and decided to finish the task she had started over five hours ago.
"Junk, junk, junk, bill, junk," she murmured shuffling through the huge stack of mail piled on the table. Chloe hadn't bothered to sort the mail in days, not since she began her shift in the oncology ward. Excited to finally be working in the specialty where she would soon be focusing her attention, she had been putting in extra long hours. Unfortunately, that had meant less time with Brady.
After their heart to heart conversation a few weeks ago, Chloe and Brady's relationship had continued on smashingly. He seemed to have an endless supply of original activities and fun surprises for her. Brady always managed to appear just at the moment she needed a break, and he never protested when she would get called away. There were countless surprise luncheons, movie nights, and dinners out around town. Chloe was in heaven.
She reluctantly turned her mind from daydreaming as a little yellow envelope captured her attention. Playful stickers of zoo animals covered both the front and the back. She smiled at the familiar return address. Opening the envelope gingerly, she removed a little card shaped like the biblical ark. "You're invited," she read, "to a baby shower for Isabella Brady on Sunday the fifteenth of September at the home of Shawn and Isabella Brady." Chloe swung her eyes over to her poor graffiti-covered calendar. She sighed with relief that the Sunday of Belle's shower was marked as a day off. Hopefully, they hadn't planned the party around her work schedule, but Chloe suspected otherwise.
Below the printed invitation was a handwritten note from Belle that read, "Chloe, I wanted to ask Jules and Max to come, but I didn't know if they would feel comfortable. Please bring them with you if you think they would enjoy the shower." Chloe laughed. She couldn't help it. Jules not enjoy a baby shower, impossible. Jules went absolutely insane for showers, baby or otherwise. As for Max, he went wherever Jules led. Chloe made a mental note to extend Belle's invitation tomorrow.
Stifling a tremendous yawn, Chloe turned off the lights and shuffled into her bedroom. She checked her alarm clock to ensure it was set for 5am. Kicking off her shoes, she collapsed on the bed. A smile spread across her face at the blissful thought of another two and a half hours of sleep.
On the day of the baby shower, Jules, Max, and Chloe all piled into Max's red Honda. Jules had toned down her look significantly for the party. She wore a light pink sweater, a calf-length baby blue skirt, and a pair of glittery platform sneakers. Shockingly, she had returned her hair to its natural shade of dark brown for the party even though she had it styled in pigtails adorned with miniature baby bottles. Max had followed Jules' lead and worn a rather conservative pair of khaki pants and his most low-key Hawaiian shirt. Chloe had chosen for herself a comfortable pair of shorts and a muted green shirt. She had also brought a cute little straw hat in case they were outdoors.
It was a warm and sunny early fall afternoon, so the trio had the windows down and the music up as they careened through the streets of Salem. All three of the occupants were bobbing their heads in unison to the rhythm of Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and The Waves. Chloe, Max, and Jules sang along with the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The girls howled with delight every time Max accelerated around a curve in the road.
"There it is," Chloe cried with delight as she spotted a mailbox adorned with balloons. Cars filled Belle and Shawn's driveway and lined their street. In a single swift and smooth move, Max pulled to the side of the road behind a black SUV and slammed on the breaks. Chloe lurched forward at their sudden stop and quickly readjusted her hat. "We're here!" she cheered.
"In one piece," Jules chimed.
Max's expression didn't dim as he said smugly, "What did I tell you ladies? Man, machine, and the road...a perfect trio."
"Unless that machine is an air conditioner," Chloe quipped as she slid out of the back seat.
"Or a dishwasher," Jules added slamming the passenger side door.
"Or a smoke detector," Chloe remembered as she pulled her large, brightly wrapped gift from the trunk.
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Max interrupted. "Please, you could bruise my ego."
Jules leveled Max with a straight-faced glare as she pulled out her gifts from the trunk. "Max," she moaned playfully, "There isn't a baseball bat in the entire world big enough to bruise your ego."
Max's face split in a giant grin as he wrapped an arm around each of his companions' waists, and they started strolling up the front walk together. "Ladies," he sighed dramatically, "You are correct, but please remember that some men are not as gallant and strong as myself."
Chloe and Jules simultaneously dissolved into giggles. Jules gingerly pushed the doorbell four times quickly and squealed with delight at chimes.
The door swung open to reveal a sophisticatedly dressed Marlena. She took one look at the trio's identical devilish grins and said, "Why do I have the sudden urge to run away?"
"Dr. Evans," Chloe greeted cheerfully while fobbing her gift off on Max and reaching forward to hug Marlena.
"Welcome Chloe," Marlena smiled. As soon Chloe withdrew, Jules dumped her gifts on Max as well and leapt forward into Marlena's arms.
"Thank you so much for inviting us," she cried with delight.
"You're welcome," Marlena uttered awkwardly. She was obviously surprised at being engulfed in an amazingly strong hug by the tiny woman. As Jules withdrew, Marlena directed, "You can place the gifts in the living room, just down the hall to the right. There's a buffet set up in the dinning room to the left, and I think everyone is pretty much outside in the back yard." Max shot Marlena a charming smile and a wink as he followed the girls down hall. Marlena shut the door and smiled at their retreating backs. She felt a little bit like she'd been knocked down by a strong wind.
Chloe immerged through the patio doors onto Belle and Shawn's deck balancing a paper plate from the buffet and a glass of punch in her hand. She scanned the grounds hastily but stopped when she saw Brady bounding across the lawn towards her.
"Hi," he said grabbing her plate from her. "I saved room at your parents' table."
"Hey Brady-wady, aren't you going to carry my plate too?" Jules piped in from behind her.
Brady's eyes widened as he surveyed the massive mound of food Jules had piled on her plate. The poor thing nearly buckled under the weight. "Sorry Jules," he muttered, "I left the forklift at home."
Jules chuckled and let an unladylike snort escape. Max then appeared behind her with his very own mound of food and made playful snorting sounds at her. "Stop it you two," Chloe reprimanded. She hooked her arm in Brady's and said, "Lead the way."
Brady escorted them through the huge crowd of people who were gathered to help celebrate. The entire Horton and Brady clans seemed to have made an appearance along with a multitude of familiar faces from around Salem. Brady led them to a large picnic table located under the shade of an oak tree where her parents were seated next to each other.
Craig and Nancy brightened immediately when they saw Brady leading the trio towards them. Max slid in beside Nancy, wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and gifted her with his most flirtatious wink-smile combination. "Mrs. Wesley," he said, "How is my favorite radio personality in the entire United States?"
Nancy girlishly giggled. "Just fine Max, you little charmer."
"Fancy Nancy!" Jules beamed brightly plopping down across from Max.
"Ms. Archer," Nancy replied with a phony air of superiority, but she could hide her smile.
"It look like you've been forgotten again Dad," Chloe commented settling herself elegantly across from Craig at the end of the bench.
"Not surprising with my two stunningly beautiful ladies around," Craig stated proudly sending a wink in her direction.
"What about me, Chief-Mr.-Dr.-Wesley-Sir?" Jules demanded. Craig's nickname originated from the first time Jules had met Chloe's parents. Desperate to impress them, Jules had become flustered while trying to determine the proper way to address the prestigious doctor.
"Of course, you too Jules," Craig added.
The only space left open for Brady was between Jules and Chloe. "Ah," he remarked smartly while sitting down, "A rose between two thorns." His cheekiness earned him respective slaps from both sides.
"Watch you're plate, Brady," Craig cautioned candidly.
Chloe smiled ruefully as Brady waved him off and became engrossed in the conversation. Unfortunately for him, the meaning of Craig's warning didn't strike Brady until after Jules had emptied her plate. Chloe watched his confusion grow as his food began mysteriously disappearing. Finally, he caught Jules red-handed stuffing melon balls off his plate into her mouth. "You could just go in and get more," he suggested.
"What?" she mumbled innocently though her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's.
Brady groaned and shoved his plate towards Jules, which she accepted graciously. Then he turned and nabbed a radish off Chloe's plate.
"Hey," Chloe protested. She leaned back to glare at Jules as she sneakily reached across the table to pluck a cube of cheddar cheese off Craig's plate. She scolded her friend, "See what you've started?"
The entire table erupted in laughter. The conversations continued onward as food moved randomly from one plate to another.
After they had stolen their fill, Brady and Chloe excused themselves from the table to go do the meet and greet. A table filled with Salem High alumni was the first place where they paused. Kevin, Susan, Jason, Penelope, and a few other familiar faces Chloe couldn't match with names were all crammed around a small table.
Kevin immediately stood and embraced Chloe, an action the shy Kevin Lambert she remembered never would have done. His dark hair was disheveled and a few days growth of beard obscured his jaw. A stylish pair of gold-rimmed spectacles had replaced the old clunky glasses he favored in high school. His slightly wrinkled dress pants and partially untucked shirt completed his messy appearance. He had the look of someone who had been too preoccupied to clean up for the party.
"How are you doing?" Chloe asked politely.
"I'm fine," he replied, "Swamped at work."
Chloe searched her mind, but she couldn't recall what Kevin did for a living. She didn't even remember where he had gone after graduating. "Oh," she sighed, "Where are you now?"
"I've been working for the Salem PD crime lab for a few years now," he replied.
"I didn't know you were interested in forensic science," she commented.
"I wasn't," he admitted, "While I was in college, I took a part time job as a crime-scene technician. I've been doing it ever since. When I finished my master's degree, I heard that the Salem PD was undergoing a major reorganization and renovation of their lab facilities. Both Susan and I were hired at that time."
Chloe shot a surprised look at the woman seated across from Kevin. Susan had slimmed down a bit from what Chloe remembered. Her hair, make-up, and cloths were all stylish and well manicured. Her neat appearance was the exact opposite of Kevin's. "You both work in the police crime lab?" Chloe asked incredulously.
"Yeah although we took different paths to reach there," Susan smiled revealing perfectly straight, even teeth, "Kev was into chemistry, and my focus throughout school was microbiology. My specialty is DNA analysis. The job at the Salem PD was the first one I was offered after graduation, but I've grown to really love the field."
From the looks Susan was exchanging with Kevin, Chloe thought that forensic science wasn't the only thing she had grown to love.
"Chloe," Brady interrupted, "I see Belle waving at us. We should head over there."
"Of course," Chloe agreed. Brady and Chloe detached themselves from the table and began migrating over towards the center of the party. Family and friends stopped them several times along the way, but they only paused long enough to exchange a few pleasantries.
Belle was seated beside Shawn on an otherwise empty table, but discarded napkins and cups hinted that the chairs had been recently occupied. Belle's middle had grown even larger during the last months of her pregnancy, but she still appeared as delicate and beautiful as ever. Today she was wearing flattering baby-doll style pink sundress with a yellow rose corsage pinned to one strap. On top of her head was a homemade tiara, and around her neck was a white feather boa. As her eyes caught sight of Brady and Chloe, she smiled and waved for them to sit down.
"Chloe," Belle exclaimed, "I saw you come out of the house, but Brady whisked you away before I could say hello."
"What she means," Shawn quipped, "is that she didn't want to get out of the chair." A killer glance from Belle stayed his tongue.
"What's with the dust and feathers, Tink?" Brady asked brushing some of the glitter that had come loose from her crown off her shoulder.
Belle looked at her brother with a beaming smile. "Shawn thought I needed a little pizzazz to help me stick out in the crowd. Since I shot down his proposal for a 'Wide Load' sign, he and Little V came up with this idea."
"It's cute," Chloe commented smiling at the unevenly cut crown. "Don't let Jules see it, or she'll try to steal it."
Belle's eyes brightened. "Jules and Max made it?"
"Yeah," Chloe replied, "Jules loves parties, especially baby showers. She and Max are keeping my parents company."
"I'm glad they're here," Belle sighed. Chloe got an uneasy feeling as Belle leaned back, placed a nurturing hand on her stomach, and let her eyes dart between Brady and Chloe. "I see that you two seemed to have worked things out nicely."
Chloe blushed. She smiled shyly, but her eyes sparkled brightly. There were not enough words in the English language to sum up how wonderful the past few weeks had been. "It's been wonderful," she sighed.
Chloe's eyes widened with alarm as Belle burst into tears. She shot a questioning look towards Shawn.
Shawn pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Belle. "Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly ignoring his wife tears, "You aren't the first person to make her cry today. That honor belongs to Oscar the Grouch."
"What?" Brady blurted.
"She got all upset when Oscar told Telly to scram," Shawn replied wrapping a comforting arm around Belle.
"He's just so mean," Belle sobbed.
"Then she cried when the toast got stuck in the toaster," Shawn explained.
"It might have burned," Belle hiccupped.
"Next, she started crying along with Little V when he refused to take his bath," Shawn continued.
"He was so upset," Belle moaned.
"Honestly," Shawn sighed, "She's worse than a malfunctioning sprinkler system. It's been this way for the past month."
"Man I pity you," Brady uttered sympathetically. "How do you make her stop?"
Belle wailed louder, and Chloe elbowed Brady firmly in the ribcage. As he grunted in pain, Belle's tears dissolved into laughter. "Well that worked," Chloe said smugly.
"Ow," Brady muttered, but he smiled at his sister's change in mood.
Before the conversation could continue, John came up behind them and placed a hand on Belle's shoulder. "Honey, your mother thinks its time for you to open gifts." Catching a glimpse of his daughter's tear stained face, he asked, "Oscar strikes again?"
The quartet just laughed in response. Brady and Shawn helped Belle to stand, and they made their way inside the house.
Belle and Shawn's house was large, but it didn't take long for the family room to fill up with people as everyone crammed to get a good view. Chloe chuckled as she saw a determined Jules and a confused Max push their way towards the front of the crowd.
Chloe sat next to Brady on the love seat. His arm was wrapped casually around her waist, and the plush seat cushions made their hips naturally dip to touch one another. All was right with the world. Chloe leaned her head on his shoulder and laughed with delight at Little V's enthusiasm.
Little V sat eagerly at his mother's feet greedily eyeing the mountain of presents in front of her. Belle barely had time to grab the card off the gifts and read the name signed before Little V tore into them. Mostly, he seemed to be disappointed with large of amounts of baby clothes and other baby paraphernalia, but a few of the toys held his interest for a while. Suddenly, his eyes widened when they fell upon two packages wrapped in zebra print paper and neon green ribbon.
"Those are from Max and Jules," Chloe whispered into Brady's ear.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he murmured back.
Little V tore into the first large rectangular package. He pulled it open and held it up for his mother to examine. Belle's face clouded with confusion as she gazed into box. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, "Shawn give me a hand."
Together, Belle and Shawn unfurled a baby quilt. It was a pleasing mix of pastel blocks and prominent squares featuring cartoon jungle animals. The border was a delightful yellow fabric with a childish pattern of elephants and palm trees. The guests oohed and awed appropriately. "It's beautiful," Belle cooed looking over towards Jules, "Where did you find it? I looked all over for a quilt to match the our nursery theme."
In eight years of knowing her, Chloe had never seen Jules blush. She was amazed to see her friend's cheeks turn red. "I made it," she admitted.
"You made this," Belle gasped her eyes filling with tears, "How did you know? When did you have time?"
"After the baby is born," Jules continued awkwardly ignoring Belle's questions, "I'll embroider the baby's name and birth date on the center square."
Tears began flowing freely down Belle's cheeks, and Shawn released a weary sigh and withdrew a clean tissue from his pocket for his wife. His voice full of emotion he said, "Thank you Jules and Max."
"You're welcome," Max replied smiling as if he was responsible for the work of art.
"Jules quilts?" Brady inquired in Chloe's ear.
"Yes," Chloe replied with a nod of her head, "and knits as well."
"That was something I wouldn't guess," Brady commented.
"Not many people do," Chloe whispered.
Annoyed with his mother's preoccupation with the quilt, Little V gave Belle's dress a tug. "Another one, Mommy," he cried holding up the smaller zebra striped package.
Belle smiled through her tears as she read the tag on the gift. "That one is for you, Little V."
Clearly not trusting his mother, Victor raised his eyes to his father. "Baby's present," he declared.
"Belle and Shawn had a long talk with Little V today about how all the presents were for the baby," Brady explained when he recognized Chloe's bemused look.
Shawn made a careful inspection of the package and said, "No Little V, that's yours."
Victor squealed with delight and shredded the wrapping paper. He struggled a moment with box before pulling out a bright red and yellow dump truck. "Say thank you to Jules and Max," Belle reminded him pointing towards the couple. The toddler waddled over to them and planted big wet kisses on their cheeks. Jules clearly loved the attention, but Max was a bit hesitant.
"I don't think anything is going to top Jules' gift," Brady remarked absently to Chloe.
"We'll see," she murmured slyly.
"Why? What did you get them?" he prodded.
"You'll just have to wait," she smiled.
With the help of his father, Little V pulled Chloe's large gift to his mother's feet. As a family, they pulled the paper down to reveal a wicker basket full of baby things. There was a toy that flashed lights and played Mozart, a super-soft stuffed giraffe and elephant, a toy police car for Little V, and a slim wrapped package. "What's this?" Belle asked raising her eyes to Chloe.
"Open it and see, silly," Chloe playfully answered.
Belle carefully slid her fingers under the wrapping paper and unfolded it to expose a homemade CD. She giggled when she saw the cover. "Music to Tame the Savage Beast," it read above of an Anne Geddes photo of a baby dressed in a lion suit. When she flipped open the CD case to read the inside cover, she started to tear up again.
"What is it?" a voice that might have belonged to John called from the back of the room.
Shawn pulled the CD from his distraught wife. He read the insert and smiled before holding it up for the crowd to see. "It's a CD of lullabies as sung by our friend Chloe Wesley," he explained.
There was a smattering of applause, and it was Chloe's turn to blush. "Hopefully it won't give the baby nightmares," she joked.
As the crowd's attention returned to the gift opening, Brady leaned his head towards Chloe. "You two are making me look like an untalented schmuck with your gifts."
Chloe patted his knee reassuringly. "Why? What did you get them?" she asked
"I hired a company to custom build a playground in their back yard," he whispered in reply.
"With swings and slides and monkey bars?" she demanded excitedly.
"With all the trimmings," he laughed. "Do you want one too?"
Chloe's eyes sparkled with mischief as she pictured a playground on the roof of Fantabulous. Strangely, it wouldn't seem out of place there. "I think I'll pass," she sighed.
"Don't look so down," Brady ordered, "Maybe Little V and the baby will let you play on theirs."
Chloe, Jules, and Max stayed at the shower long after the other guests had left. They had lingered to help Belle and Shawn clean up. Chloe was just finishing putting the last of the dishes in dishwasher when Belle poked her head into the kitchen. "Chloe could you come into the living room for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure," Chloe replied shooting a confirming glance to Jules.
"Max and I can finish up in here," Jules automatically offered.
Chloe felt a shiver of apprehension as she followed Belle into the family room. Brady, John, Marlena, Hope, Bo, Zack, and Shawn had fixed upon her with eager eyes. Chloe laughed anxiously as she sat down next to Brady. He shot her a reassuring grin and caught her fidgeting hands in his. Chloe's trepidation grew as the expressions of those around them softened to the point of being mushy.
"Chloe," Belle began, "Shawn and I have a very important question to ask you?"
"Okay," she answered hesitantly.
"We'd like you to be the Godmother to our new baby," Shawn announced with a smile.
"Are you serious?" Chloe gasped sending shocked looks around the room.
"Yes, you silly goose," Belle giggled. "We want you and Brady to be the baby's Godparents."
Chloe's eyes darted quickly to Brady, but she couldn't read his hooded expression. With a smile, she jumped up and walked over to embrace Belle and Shawn. "I would be honored," she whispered passionately. Her declaration caused Belle to burst into tears yet again. Chloe just laughed as she hugged her friend and clumsily wiped away her own tears.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this touching moment," Jules hesitantly announced from the back of the room, "but I think Max broke your dishwasher."
Laughter echoed through the house.
A/N: It's been like a million years since I've updated this fan fiction. I stopped watching DOOL about the same time I stopped updating this fic, so don't expect anything that's happened in the last couple of years to appear. I probably won't finish this fic as originally planned, but I may add more chapters that I already have finished or mostly finished to try and wrap things up.
Chapter 14: Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes
At two o'clock in the morning, Chloe was awoken when she fell off a dinning room chair. She absently rubbed her eyes as she tried to clear her disoriented mind. Her rump was sore from her fall, and the light above the table was blinding her. She struggled to get up and squinted her eyes as she looked around the room.
She hazily remember leaving the hospital and taking the bus home. Then, Jules had stopped her in the club for a quick conversation, but Chloe didn't remember what they'd talked about. She had come up the stairs, turned on the lights, saw the mail on the table, and then... she must have fallen asleep. Good God, she thought, Jules is going to have to buy a whole filing cabinet to house my blackmail file. There was no doubt in Chloe's mind that Jules had captured her most recent slip on film. The woman seemed to have a sixth sense for anytime Chloe was in a situation even the least bit embarrassing.
The muffled sound of a bass beat permeated the floorboards. Chloe checked her watch and stretched awkwardly. The Wednesday night dance party was still going strong, but the club would be closing in an hour. She sunk back down into the chair she had previously vacated, and decided to finish the task she had started over five hours ago.
"Junk, junk, junk, bill, junk," she murmured shuffling through the huge stack of mail piled on the table. Chloe hadn't bothered to sort the mail in days, not since she began her shift in the oncology ward. Excited to finally be working in the specialty where she would soon be focusing her attention, she had been putting in extra long hours. Unfortunately, that had meant less time with Brady.
After their heart to heart conversation a few weeks ago, Chloe and Brady's relationship had continued on smashingly. He seemed to have an endless supply of original activities and fun surprises for her. Brady always managed to appear just at the moment she needed a break, and he never protested when she would get called away. There were countless surprise luncheons, movie nights, and dinners out around town. Chloe was in heaven.
She reluctantly turned her mind from daydreaming as a little yellow envelope captured her attention. Playful stickers of zoo animals covered both the front and the back. She smiled at the familiar return address. Opening the envelope gingerly, she removed a little card shaped like the biblical ark. "You're invited," she read, "to a baby shower for Isabella Brady on Sunday the fifteenth of September at the home of Shawn and Isabella Brady." Chloe swung her eyes over to her poor graffiti-covered calendar. She sighed with relief that the Sunday of Belle's shower was marked as a day off. Hopefully, they hadn't planned the party around her work schedule, but Chloe suspected otherwise.
Below the printed invitation was a handwritten note from Belle that read, "Chloe, I wanted to ask Jules and Max to come, but I didn't know if they would feel comfortable. Please bring them with you if you think they would enjoy the shower." Chloe laughed. She couldn't help it. Jules not enjoy a baby shower, impossible. Jules went absolutely insane for showers, baby or otherwise. As for Max, he went wherever Jules led. Chloe made a mental note to extend Belle's invitation tomorrow.
Stifling a tremendous yawn, Chloe turned off the lights and shuffled into her bedroom. She checked her alarm clock to ensure it was set for 5am. Kicking off her shoes, she collapsed on the bed. A smile spread across her face at the blissful thought of another two and a half hours of sleep.
On the day of the baby shower, Jules, Max, and Chloe all piled into Max's red Honda. Jules had toned down her look significantly for the party. She wore a light pink sweater, a calf-length baby blue skirt, and a pair of glittery platform sneakers. Shockingly, she had returned her hair to its natural shade of dark brown for the party even though she had it styled in pigtails adorned with miniature baby bottles. Max had followed Jules' lead and worn a rather conservative pair of khaki pants and his most low-key Hawaiian shirt. Chloe had chosen for herself a comfortable pair of shorts and a muted green shirt. She had also brought a cute little straw hat in case they were outdoors.
It was a warm and sunny early fall afternoon, so the trio had the windows down and the music up as they careened through the streets of Salem. All three of the occupants were bobbing their heads in unison to the rhythm of Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and The Waves. Chloe, Max, and Jules sang along with the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The girls howled with delight every time Max accelerated around a curve in the road.
"There it is," Chloe cried with delight as she spotted a mailbox adorned with balloons. Cars filled Belle and Shawn's driveway and lined their street. In a single swift and smooth move, Max pulled to the side of the road behind a black SUV and slammed on the breaks. Chloe lurched forward at their sudden stop and quickly readjusted her hat. "We're here!" she cheered.
"In one piece," Jules chimed.
Max's expression didn't dim as he said smugly, "What did I tell you ladies? Man, machine, and the road...a perfect trio."
"Unless that machine is an air conditioner," Chloe quipped as she slid out of the back seat.
"Or a dishwasher," Jules added slamming the passenger side door.
"Or a smoke detector," Chloe remembered as she pulled her large, brightly wrapped gift from the trunk.
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Max interrupted. "Please, you could bruise my ego."
Jules leveled Max with a straight-faced glare as she pulled out her gifts from the trunk. "Max," she moaned playfully, "There isn't a baseball bat in the entire world big enough to bruise your ego."
Max's face split in a giant grin as he wrapped an arm around each of his companions' waists, and they started strolling up the front walk together. "Ladies," he sighed dramatically, "You are correct, but please remember that some men are not as gallant and strong as myself."
Chloe and Jules simultaneously dissolved into giggles. Jules gingerly pushed the doorbell four times quickly and squealed with delight at chimes.
The door swung open to reveal a sophisticatedly dressed Marlena. She took one look at the trio's identical devilish grins and said, "Why do I have the sudden urge to run away?"
"Dr. Evans," Chloe greeted cheerfully while fobbing her gift off on Max and reaching forward to hug Marlena.
"Welcome Chloe," Marlena smiled. As soon Chloe withdrew, Jules dumped her gifts on Max as well and leapt forward into Marlena's arms.
"Thank you so much for inviting us," she cried with delight.
"You're welcome," Marlena uttered awkwardly. She was obviously surprised at being engulfed in an amazingly strong hug by the tiny woman. As Jules withdrew, Marlena directed, "You can place the gifts in the living room, just down the hall to the right. There's a buffet set up in the dinning room to the left, and I think everyone is pretty much outside in the back yard." Max shot Marlena a charming smile and a wink as he followed the girls down hall. Marlena shut the door and smiled at their retreating backs. She felt a little bit like she'd been knocked down by a strong wind.
Chloe immerged through the patio doors onto Belle and Shawn's deck balancing a paper plate from the buffet and a glass of punch in her hand. She scanned the grounds hastily but stopped when she saw Brady bounding across the lawn towards her.
"Hi," he said grabbing her plate from her. "I saved room at your parents' table."
"Hey Brady-wady, aren't you going to carry my plate too?" Jules piped in from behind her.
Brady's eyes widened as he surveyed the massive mound of food Jules had piled on her plate. The poor thing nearly buckled under the weight. "Sorry Jules," he muttered, "I left the forklift at home."
Jules chuckled and let an unladylike snort escape. Max then appeared behind her with his very own mound of food and made playful snorting sounds at her. "Stop it you two," Chloe reprimanded. She hooked her arm in Brady's and said, "Lead the way."
Brady escorted them through the huge crowd of people who were gathered to help celebrate. The entire Horton and Brady clans seemed to have made an appearance along with a multitude of familiar faces from around Salem. Brady led them to a large picnic table located under the shade of an oak tree where her parents were seated next to each other.
Craig and Nancy brightened immediately when they saw Brady leading the trio towards them. Max slid in beside Nancy, wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and gifted her with his most flirtatious wink-smile combination. "Mrs. Wesley," he said, "How is my favorite radio personality in the entire United States?"
Nancy girlishly giggled. "Just fine Max, you little charmer."
"Fancy Nancy!" Jules beamed brightly plopping down across from Max.
"Ms. Archer," Nancy replied with a phony air of superiority, but she could hide her smile.
"It look like you've been forgotten again Dad," Chloe commented settling herself elegantly across from Craig at the end of the bench.
"Not surprising with my two stunningly beautiful ladies around," Craig stated proudly sending a wink in her direction.
"What about me, Chief-Mr.-Dr.-Wesley-Sir?" Jules demanded. Craig's nickname originated from the first time Jules had met Chloe's parents. Desperate to impress them, Jules had become flustered while trying to determine the proper way to address the prestigious doctor.
"Of course, you too Jules," Craig added.
The only space left open for Brady was between Jules and Chloe. "Ah," he remarked smartly while sitting down, "A rose between two thorns." His cheekiness earned him respective slaps from both sides.
"Watch you're plate, Brady," Craig cautioned candidly.
Chloe smiled ruefully as Brady waved him off and became engrossed in the conversation. Unfortunately for him, the meaning of Craig's warning didn't strike Brady until after Jules had emptied her plate. Chloe watched his confusion grow as his food began mysteriously disappearing. Finally, he caught Jules red-handed stuffing melon balls off his plate into her mouth. "You could just go in and get more," he suggested.
"What?" she mumbled innocently though her cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk's.
Brady groaned and shoved his plate towards Jules, which she accepted graciously. Then he turned and nabbed a radish off Chloe's plate.
"Hey," Chloe protested. She leaned back to glare at Jules as she sneakily reached across the table to pluck a cube of cheddar cheese off Craig's plate. She scolded her friend, "See what you've started?"
The entire table erupted in laughter. The conversations continued onward as food moved randomly from one plate to another.
After they had stolen their fill, Brady and Chloe excused themselves from the table to go do the meet and greet. A table filled with Salem High alumni was the first place where they paused. Kevin, Susan, Jason, Penelope, and a few other familiar faces Chloe couldn't match with names were all crammed around a small table.
Kevin immediately stood and embraced Chloe, an action the shy Kevin Lambert she remembered never would have done. His dark hair was disheveled and a few days growth of beard obscured his jaw. A stylish pair of gold-rimmed spectacles had replaced the old clunky glasses he favored in high school. His slightly wrinkled dress pants and partially untucked shirt completed his messy appearance. He had the look of someone who had been too preoccupied to clean up for the party.
"How are you doing?" Chloe asked politely.
"I'm fine," he replied, "Swamped at work."
Chloe searched her mind, but she couldn't recall what Kevin did for a living. She didn't even remember where he had gone after graduating. "Oh," she sighed, "Where are you now?"
"I've been working for the Salem PD crime lab for a few years now," he replied.
"I didn't know you were interested in forensic science," she commented.
"I wasn't," he admitted, "While I was in college, I took a part time job as a crime-scene technician. I've been doing it ever since. When I finished my master's degree, I heard that the Salem PD was undergoing a major reorganization and renovation of their lab facilities. Both Susan and I were hired at that time."
Chloe shot a surprised look at the woman seated across from Kevin. Susan had slimmed down a bit from what Chloe remembered. Her hair, make-up, and cloths were all stylish and well manicured. Her neat appearance was the exact opposite of Kevin's. "You both work in the police crime lab?" Chloe asked incredulously.
"Yeah although we took different paths to reach there," Susan smiled revealing perfectly straight, even teeth, "Kev was into chemistry, and my focus throughout school was microbiology. My specialty is DNA analysis. The job at the Salem PD was the first one I was offered after graduation, but I've grown to really love the field."
From the looks Susan was exchanging with Kevin, Chloe thought that forensic science wasn't the only thing she had grown to love.
"Chloe," Brady interrupted, "I see Belle waving at us. We should head over there."
"Of course," Chloe agreed. Brady and Chloe detached themselves from the table and began migrating over towards the center of the party. Family and friends stopped them several times along the way, but they only paused long enough to exchange a few pleasantries.
Belle was seated beside Shawn on an otherwise empty table, but discarded napkins and cups hinted that the chairs had been recently occupied. Belle's middle had grown even larger during the last months of her pregnancy, but she still appeared as delicate and beautiful as ever. Today she was wearing flattering baby-doll style pink sundress with a yellow rose corsage pinned to one strap. On top of her head was a homemade tiara, and around her neck was a white feather boa. As her eyes caught sight of Brady and Chloe, she smiled and waved for them to sit down.
"Chloe," Belle exclaimed, "I saw you come out of the house, but Brady whisked you away before I could say hello."
"What she means," Shawn quipped, "is that she didn't want to get out of the chair." A killer glance from Belle stayed his tongue.
"What's with the dust and feathers, Tink?" Brady asked brushing some of the glitter that had come loose from her crown off her shoulder.
Belle looked at her brother with a beaming smile. "Shawn thought I needed a little pizzazz to help me stick out in the crowd. Since I shot down his proposal for a 'Wide Load' sign, he and Little V came up with this idea."
"It's cute," Chloe commented smiling at the unevenly cut crown. "Don't let Jules see it, or she'll try to steal it."
Belle's eyes brightened. "Jules and Max made it?"
"Yeah," Chloe replied, "Jules loves parties, especially baby showers. She and Max are keeping my parents company."
"I'm glad they're here," Belle sighed. Chloe got an uneasy feeling as Belle leaned back, placed a nurturing hand on her stomach, and let her eyes dart between Brady and Chloe. "I see that you two seemed to have worked things out nicely."
Chloe blushed. She smiled shyly, but her eyes sparkled brightly. There were not enough words in the English language to sum up how wonderful the past few weeks had been. "It's been wonderful," she sighed.
Chloe's eyes widened with alarm as Belle burst into tears. She shot a questioning look towards Shawn.
Shawn pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Belle. "Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly ignoring his wife tears, "You aren't the first person to make her cry today. That honor belongs to Oscar the Grouch."
"What?" Brady blurted.
"She got all upset when Oscar told Telly to scram," Shawn replied wrapping a comforting arm around Belle.
"He's just so mean," Belle sobbed.
"Then she cried when the toast got stuck in the toaster," Shawn explained.
"It might have burned," Belle hiccupped.
"Next, she started crying along with Little V when he refused to take his bath," Shawn continued.
"He was so upset," Belle moaned.
"Honestly," Shawn sighed, "She's worse than a malfunctioning sprinkler system. It's been this way for the past month."
"Man I pity you," Brady uttered sympathetically. "How do you make her stop?"
Belle wailed louder, and Chloe elbowed Brady firmly in the ribcage. As he grunted in pain, Belle's tears dissolved into laughter. "Well that worked," Chloe said smugly.
"Ow," Brady muttered, but he smiled at his sister's change in mood.
Before the conversation could continue, John came up behind them and placed a hand on Belle's shoulder. "Honey, your mother thinks its time for you to open gifts." Catching a glimpse of his daughter's tear stained face, he asked, "Oscar strikes again?"
The quartet just laughed in response. Brady and Shawn helped Belle to stand, and they made their way inside the house.
Belle and Shawn's house was large, but it didn't take long for the family room to fill up with people as everyone crammed to get a good view. Chloe chuckled as she saw a determined Jules and a confused Max push their way towards the front of the crowd.
Chloe sat next to Brady on the love seat. His arm was wrapped casually around her waist, and the plush seat cushions made their hips naturally dip to touch one another. All was right with the world. Chloe leaned her head on his shoulder and laughed with delight at Little V's enthusiasm.
Little V sat eagerly at his mother's feet greedily eyeing the mountain of presents in front of her. Belle barely had time to grab the card off the gifts and read the name signed before Little V tore into them. Mostly, he seemed to be disappointed with large of amounts of baby clothes and other baby paraphernalia, but a few of the toys held his interest for a while. Suddenly, his eyes widened when they fell upon two packages wrapped in zebra print paper and neon green ribbon.
"Those are from Max and Jules," Chloe whispered into Brady's ear.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he murmured back.
Little V tore into the first large rectangular package. He pulled it open and held it up for his mother to examine. Belle's face clouded with confusion as she gazed into box. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, "Shawn give me a hand."
Together, Belle and Shawn unfurled a baby quilt. It was a pleasing mix of pastel blocks and prominent squares featuring cartoon jungle animals. The border was a delightful yellow fabric with a childish pattern of elephants and palm trees. The guests oohed and awed appropriately. "It's beautiful," Belle cooed looking over towards Jules, "Where did you find it? I looked all over for a quilt to match the our nursery theme."
In eight years of knowing her, Chloe had never seen Jules blush. She was amazed to see her friend's cheeks turn red. "I made it," she admitted.
"You made this," Belle gasped her eyes filling with tears, "How did you know? When did you have time?"
"After the baby is born," Jules continued awkwardly ignoring Belle's questions, "I'll embroider the baby's name and birth date on the center square."
Tears began flowing freely down Belle's cheeks, and Shawn released a weary sigh and withdrew a clean tissue from his pocket for his wife. His voice full of emotion he said, "Thank you Jules and Max."
"You're welcome," Max replied smiling as if he was responsible for the work of art.
"Jules quilts?" Brady inquired in Chloe's ear.
"Yes," Chloe replied with a nod of her head, "and knits as well."
"That was something I wouldn't guess," Brady commented.
"Not many people do," Chloe whispered.
Annoyed with his mother's preoccupation with the quilt, Little V gave Belle's dress a tug. "Another one, Mommy," he cried holding up the smaller zebra striped package.
Belle smiled through her tears as she read the tag on the gift. "That one is for you, Little V."
Clearly not trusting his mother, Victor raised his eyes to his father. "Baby's present," he declared.
"Belle and Shawn had a long talk with Little V today about how all the presents were for the baby," Brady explained when he recognized Chloe's bemused look.
Shawn made a careful inspection of the package and said, "No Little V, that's yours."
Victor squealed with delight and shredded the wrapping paper. He struggled a moment with box before pulling out a bright red and yellow dump truck. "Say thank you to Jules and Max," Belle reminded him pointing towards the couple. The toddler waddled over to them and planted big wet kisses on their cheeks. Jules clearly loved the attention, but Max was a bit hesitant.
"I don't think anything is going to top Jules' gift," Brady remarked absently to Chloe.
"We'll see," she murmured slyly.
"Why? What did you get them?" he prodded.
"You'll just have to wait," she smiled.
With the help of his father, Little V pulled Chloe's large gift to his mother's feet. As a family, they pulled the paper down to reveal a wicker basket full of baby things. There was a toy that flashed lights and played Mozart, a super-soft stuffed giraffe and elephant, a toy police car for Little V, and a slim wrapped package. "What's this?" Belle asked raising her eyes to Chloe.
"Open it and see, silly," Chloe playfully answered.
Belle carefully slid her fingers under the wrapping paper and unfolded it to expose a homemade CD. She giggled when she saw the cover. "Music to Tame the Savage Beast," it read above of an Anne Geddes photo of a baby dressed in a lion suit. When she flipped open the CD case to read the inside cover, she started to tear up again.
"What is it?" a voice that might have belonged to John called from the back of the room.
Shawn pulled the CD from his distraught wife. He read the insert and smiled before holding it up for the crowd to see. "It's a CD of lullabies as sung by our friend Chloe Wesley," he explained.
There was a smattering of applause, and it was Chloe's turn to blush. "Hopefully it won't give the baby nightmares," she joked.
As the crowd's attention returned to the gift opening, Brady leaned his head towards Chloe. "You two are making me look like an untalented schmuck with your gifts."
Chloe patted his knee reassuringly. "Why? What did you get them?" she asked
"I hired a company to custom build a playground in their back yard," he whispered in reply.
"With swings and slides and monkey bars?" she demanded excitedly.
"With all the trimmings," he laughed. "Do you want one too?"
Chloe's eyes sparkled with mischief as she pictured a playground on the roof of Fantabulous. Strangely, it wouldn't seem out of place there. "I think I'll pass," she sighed.
"Don't look so down," Brady ordered, "Maybe Little V and the baby will let you play on theirs."
Chloe, Jules, and Max stayed at the shower long after the other guests had left. They had lingered to help Belle and Shawn clean up. Chloe was just finishing putting the last of the dishes in dishwasher when Belle poked her head into the kitchen. "Chloe could you come into the living room for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure," Chloe replied shooting a confirming glance to Jules.
"Max and I can finish up in here," Jules automatically offered.
Chloe felt a shiver of apprehension as she followed Belle into the family room. Brady, John, Marlena, Hope, Bo, Zack, and Shawn had fixed upon her with eager eyes. Chloe laughed anxiously as she sat down next to Brady. He shot her a reassuring grin and caught her fidgeting hands in his. Chloe's trepidation grew as the expressions of those around them softened to the point of being mushy.
"Chloe," Belle began, "Shawn and I have a very important question to ask you?"
"Okay," she answered hesitantly.
"We'd like you to be the Godmother to our new baby," Shawn announced with a smile.
"Are you serious?" Chloe gasped sending shocked looks around the room.
"Yes, you silly goose," Belle giggled. "We want you and Brady to be the baby's Godparents."
Chloe's eyes darted quickly to Brady, but she couldn't read his hooded expression. With a smile, she jumped up and walked over to embrace Belle and Shawn. "I would be honored," she whispered passionately. Her declaration caused Belle to burst into tears yet again. Chloe just laughed as she hugged her friend and clumsily wiped away her own tears.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this touching moment," Jules hesitantly announced from the back of the room, "but I think Max broke your dishwasher."
Laughter echoed through the house.