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Chapter Twenty-Two

(Day Eight)

Brady and Chloe's flight had touched down at the Salem airport around 11 in the morning. They loaded their luggage into a cab outside and drove off towards the Wesley house. The cab pulled up into the driveway, and Brady got out to help carry Chloe's suitcase up the porch steps. They stood in front of the door and faced each other.

Brady clasped her uninjured hand and gave her a weak smile. "Here we are... you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

Chloe nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm sure. I need to do this alone, but thank you anyway."

"It's been a long week, hasn't it?"

Chloe chuckled softly. "The longest ever."

Brady pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. "Please call me as soon as you get 'the talk' over with, okay?"

Chloe looked into his eyes and nodded. "Of course, as soon as I can... I promise."

Brady smiled at her and the two of them stayed there in silence looking into each other's eyes. He gently brushed her face with his hand, and tried to speak. "Chloe... I..."

"What?"

"I..."

Brady paused again and instead of finishing his sentence he leaned in and kissed her deeply. They broke off at the same time and Chloe sighed. "I'll talk to you soon, Brady."

Brady nodded and kissed her on the forehead quickly before walking away from her. She watched him go, and when the cab was out of sight, she turned towards the door and took a deep breath in. Once she felt that she had the courage needed, she turned the knob and walked inside, throwing her suitcase aside and closing the door behind her. She quietly stepped into the living room and looked around for signs of life, but the house looked empty.

Chloe tentatively called out to the seemingly empty house, "NANCY! ARE YOU HOME?"

She heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, and Nancy stepped out with a look of complete shock on her face.

"Chloe? What are you doing home from Puerto Rico? What happened to your wrist? Are you okay?"

Chloe motioned for her to stop with her hand. "Nancy, please, slow down. I will explain everything, I promise. But, for that to happen... I need Craig to be here, and I need you both to sit down."

Nancy stared at Chloe with her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and turned back towards the kitchen. "Craig! Please come out here, you're not going to believe this."

Craig stepped out of the kitchen and looked at Chloe in surprise. "Chloe. You're supposed to be in Puerto Rico. What the hell is going on?"

Chloe sighed and bit her lip nervously. "Please, just come over here and sit down, and I'll explain everything. I swear."

Nancy and Craig looked at each other for a moment, before looking back at Chloe. She gave them a pleading look, and they took spots next to each other on the couch as Chloe sat in a chair next across from them. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Okay... when you hear what I am about to say, neither of you are going to be happy. In fact, you'll both be very upset with me. And, I'm okay with that. I have lied to you, and I deserve to be punished for it. I am willing to accept your anger and do whatever you want to make it up to you. I am so sorry for what I have done. I regret lying to you both, but I don't regret the reasons behind it. Alright?"

Nancy nodded silently, but Craig replied, "Okay, tell us what you have to tell us then."

Chloe nodded and paused nervously. "I didn't go to Puerto Rico. I was planning on it, but... something more important came up."

Nancy looked at her in disbelief. "Something so important that you had to lie to us?"

"Yes, definitely. Nancy, if I had told you what I was really going to do, you would have locked me in my room for the next 10 years. I left here, because I got a lead... on my biological father."

Chloe thought she saw a mix of fear and anger filling Nancy's eyes as the last two words escaped her mouth. Chloe continued speaking before Nancy could interrupt, "I lied to you, and I'm sorry. But, I went to Boston where I was born. And then... I went to Newport. And, my wrist isn't important; it's going to be fine. I'm going to be fine."

"Chloe, you are 17 years old. You can't just go running all over the country like that by yourself. How did you afford to do that anyway?"

Chloe cringed slightly, "I didn't do it alone."

"Oh. Let me guess... Brady Black went with you?"

Chloe nodded silently as Nancy continued, "Well, that figures. He is 19 years old, Chloe, and we could have him arrested for taking a minor across the state line. Did you ever think of that?"

"Yes, of course we did. But, I couldn't do it by myself. And, you should thank Brady. He protected me when I needed it. And he took care of me."

Nancy shook her head angrily, "Right, I should thank him. I assume he paid for this little adventure too. And what did you need protection from? You're grown up enough to lie to us, then you're grown enough up to take care of yourself, aren't you?"

"No, Nancy... You don't understand. Brady was there for me, without conditions, and without questioning me or making me feel even worse than I already felt. I needed him, and he was there. And if you're worried about something 'naughty' happening between us, you have nothing to worry about. Nothing happened. He's a gentleman, and I'm a lot smarter than that anyway."

Nancy was too angry to speak, and Craig seemed to be in a permanent state of silent shock.

Chloe sighed softly and continued, "I'm sorry. I am very sorry. I don't know how many times I'll have to say it, but I'll keep saying it until everything is okay. But... stay here. I have something to show you."

Chloe stood up and grabbed her backpack from the hallway as quickly as possible. She sat back down and pulled Nancy's diaries from inside and handed them to her.

"I think these belong to you..."

Nancy looked up at her. "Chloe... why did you do this? Where did you find these?"

"I had to, Nancy. You gave me no other choice. You wouldn't tell me anything, and I needed to find out for myself. I got sick of the lies and the secrets. I had to travel a lot, and meet a lot of people to get my answers, but I'm glad I did. I met the woman who was there when I was born, and I saw the house you grew up in, and I know everything I need to know now. I know EVERYTHING."

Nancy shook her head in confusion. "You're GLAD? If you know everything, I wouldn't expect you to be too happy about it."

"Yes, I am. You have kept these secrets way too long. It's time to come clean. You should have told Craig a long time ago. I know that you did what you thought was right, but I think you need to end all of this now. Tell him, Nancy. It's better if he hears it from you, not from me."

Nancy shook her head and raised her voice, "Chloe. I can't believe you!"

"I'm sorry. I really really am. But, the truth always comes out, no matter how hard you try to hide it. You HAVE to tell him. He has a right to know."

Craig interrupted loudly, "Well, I wish somebody would tell me SOMETHING. I'm a little lost here." He turned to Nancy and looked into her eyes, "Nancy, honey, please... whatever the truth is, I will still love you. You can tell me now. I think Chloe is right, I'm sick of the secrets too."

Nancy sighed and looked downward for a moment, before looking back at Craig. "Alright... fine. I... I don't even know how to put this into words. You'd think after 17 years of holding it in, I'd be able to say it but, apparently not."

Nancy paused to nervously wet her dry lips, and continued, "Craig... Chloe's father raped me. It wasn't consensual at all, not even in the slightest. I never told you, because I knew it would hurt you and your family to find out the truth. When you went away to school, your stepfather was trying to get closer to me and I was too afraid to tell you. I tried to tell my father, but he didn't care, it didn't matter. And, when you came back for Thanksgiving that year... Remember the night we went sailing on your family's boat? Just you and me?"

Craig smiled at the memory and nodded, as Nancy wiped the tears off of her face. "I came home that night, and my father was asleep. So, I went upstairs to my room. He was there waiting for me. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't... he was too strong. And, I... I was so scared."

Nancy broke into sobs and Craig pulled her into his arms and reassuringly stroked her hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, it would have destroyed your family... and I couldn't do that to you or your mother. Besides, I tried to, but my father wouldn't let me tell anyone. Not even you."

"But, you could have told me even now or through all these years that we've been together, but you never did. Why did it have to take Chloe finding this out for you to tell me?"

"I don't know. It just seemed like the natural progression of things. You tell one lie and once you let it go this long, you almost forget what the truth really is. I'm sorry, Craig. I never meant for it to end up this way. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but I didn't know how you would feel. I just can't lose you, and that's what I was afraid of.

Craig pulled away from her and nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Nancy. How can I be mad at you? You were young and naive then, and you had pressure on you from every side. I can't be mad at you for something that you did 17 years ago. The pain that you have been going through keeping this inside is much worse than anything I could do to hurt you."

"You don't hate me?"

"No, of course not. I wish you had told me all those years ago, but I couldn't hate you. In a million years, and no matter what you do, I would never hate you. I love you too much to EVER hate you."

Nancy smiled weakly and nodded. "I wish I had told you too. I wish I could change everything."

Chloe interrupted, "Everything?"

"No, not everything. I don't regret having you. I do love you, Chloe. Maybe you don't believe that, but..."

"No, I believe you. And... I love you too, Nancy."

Nancy gave her a surprised look. "What? Is this some kind of a dream?"

Chloe smiled and shook her head, "Believe it or not, but that's how I really feel. A lot of things have changed now that I know the truth. Now I know for sure that you didn't just take me into your home to relieve your guilt, you did it because you love me. It's all in the diaries, Nancy... and the letter. Thank you for the letter."

Nancy sighed and wiped another tear off of her face. "You found my letter?"

"Yes, I did. And, I hope that as mad at me as you might be right now, that our relationship can change for the better. I love you, and I'm ready to get to know you. And, I forgive you for everything... You need to forgive yourself too. You did what you had to do, and I don't want to hate you anymore. I need my mother."

Nancy rose from the couch to embrace her daughter. "I need you too, Chloe. I am so sorry for everything I've done. I have never stopped loving you, and I never wanted to lie to you, I just wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to know what a horrible person your father was."

Chloe nodded as Nancy sat back down on the couch. "I know... and it's okay. I'm really glad that I know the truth. I needed closure. I think you do too."

Nancy looked at her curiously, "Closure?"

"Yeah... I learned a lot about myself this week, and I'm starting to learn why I am the way I am. But, I also learned some other things. That none of this really matters."

Craig gave her a confused glance, "Nothing matters? What are you talking about?"

"Okay... one good example. It doesn't matter to me anymore where I came from, or how I was conceived, or whose DNA I have in my body. I have spent all of my life looking for my mother and my father. I went 1100 miles away to find my father. But, once I found him, I didn't care anymore. That man was not my father... I may share his DNA or his blood type, but he's not my father. A father is someone who loves you, and I drove all the way to Newport to find out that my father is right here in Salem. Craig, you are my father. You are the one who loves me like a father does, and I love you too. I don't need Sam Lennox, because I have you."

Chloe stood from her chair and joined her parents on the couch, hugging Craig tightly. He spoke to her softly, "I'm so glad you said that. I used to say that I never wanted children, but since you came here... I regret ever saying that. I think you are an amazing person, Chloe, and I am so glad that I can call you my daughter. And all of a sudden, you seem so grown up now. When did that happen?"

Chloe smiled at him. "About three days ago... But, I'm not completely grown up yet. That's why I still need my parents."

Nancy interjected, "I'm really surprised at you, Chloe. I thought after all the fighting we've done, that you'd only hate me more after you found out the truth."

Chloe shook her head vehemently, "No, I don't. I couldn't do that. I learned what is true in my life while I was gone. Things that I never noticed before. Love, real love, is always true, isn't it? I mean, look at the two of you. It doesn't matter that Nancy lied to you, Craig. You still love her."

Craig nodded, "Always."

"And, it wouldn't matter to you, Nancy, if the situation was reversed. You love Craig, and you always will. It doesn't matter that I get mad at you, or you get mad at me, because at the end of the day we still love each other. That's what I learned. Once you truly love someone, you never stop."

Nancy sighed and looked at Chloe curiously. "I don't even know what to say, Chloe..."

"You don't have to say anything. I just want us to be a family now. I can't promise everything will be perfect from now on, but I hope things can be better. No more lies, that's all I want."

Nancy nodded in agreement. "I promise we'll work on it, I promise. You know, you seem like a different daughter than the one I had last week."

"I am different. It's been a really... interesting week."

"Chloe, I am mad at you. You lied to Craig and me, and you ran away from home basically. But... what you did was important, and probably the right thing to do. I'm sorry for letting it come to this, I should have told you the truth. And, as mad as I may be... I'm proud of you."

Chloe smiled widely at her mother, "You are?"

"Of course I am. You are such a strong, intelligent young woman, Chloe... and I've always been proud of you. I know that I had nothing to do with how well you've turned out, but that doesn't mean I'm not proud."

"Thank you, Nancy..." Chloe paused and a sly smile crept across her face. "Does that mean that I'm not in trouble?"

Craig interjected before Nancy had a chance to speak up, "Oh no no no, Miss Chloe. I can't speak for your mother, but this little stunt you pulled will not happen again. You can be sure of that."

Nancy nodded in agreement. "That's right. You said you would take whatever punishment we wanted to give you."

Chloe cringed and looked at her parents hopefully. "And how harsh is it going to be?"

Craig and Nancy looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously. Nancy replied, "I don't know. You're going to have to give us a little time to think up something REALLY good."

Chloe frowned slightly, "Well, I deserve it. I know. So... I'm guessing I should just 'go to my room' until the verdict is in."

Craig and Nancy nodded in unison. Chloe smiled at them and hugged them both tightly before heading out of the living room. She grabbed her suitcase with her left hand and dragged it upstairs to her room. She was glad to be back in the comfort of her home, but she just hoped that Nancy and Craig would let her out of the house long enough to give Brady a proper thank you for everything he had done for her.

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