You Belong To Me

Chapter Seven

The rehearsal dinner at Tuscany had just started to break up as many of the guests were starting to filter out. The wedding party and the family had spent the evening dining, drinking and dancing. Since everyone wanted to save their serious, more emotional speeches for the reception, they all shared funny and embarrassing stories about Brady and Chloe. Belle had done a good job of avoiding conversation with Shawn, and was starting to feel better about being home. Shawn left to walk his parents and JT to their car, and left Phillip, Mimi, Belle, Chloe and Brady at the table alone.

Belle eyed her brother suspiciously. "So, have you guys got some big naughty bachelor party planned?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's big and naughty, but yes, we have something planned."

Phillip nodded and pointed towards the door. "As soon as Shawn comes back in, we're out of here. What about you three?"

Mimi grinned wickedly at him. "Oh, we've got plans too, Mr. Kiriakis."

"Mimi... don't tell me you got a male stripper..."

"No, I didn't. I got a female stripper."

Phillip's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Mimi laughed and shook her head. "I'm just kidding, Phil... I didn't get any stripper at all. It's not really Chloe's style."

Chloe wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Definitely not. I don't know, buff guys who choreograph naked dance moves make me want to laugh more than anything. Besides, I've got all the man I need right here." Chloe tapped Brady's leg and winked at him.

"Well, yeah... Brady has a better body than most of those stripper guys anyway," Mimi concurred.

Belle shrank back in her seat and winced. "Ewwwww. Ewww. Eww. Listen, I know that I have to accept the fact that my brother has had... sex. But, I really don't need lurid details about his 'hot bod'. I just ate, Meems. Please don't..."

Brady laughed quietly at his sister. "You are 23 years old and you still can't get over the fact that your big brother is a love machine."

Belle made a face like she was going to vomit and she leaned in to the table clutching her stomach. "Love machine? Oh Brady... stop... yuck..."

Chloe grinned and rubbed his knee innocently. "Yeah, honey... don't exaggerate."

Brady looked hurt for a second, until he started laughing along with the rest of the group. Phillip attempted to continue his previous line of questioning, "So what IS the plan? Or is this a super secret girly plan that we're not allowed to know about?"

Mimi shrugged. "Not really a secret. They're staying at my place tonight, we're going to do some old-fashioned girl talk, and then get our beauty sleep for tomorrow."

Phillip raised one eyebrow curiously, "So... it's a slumber party? Aren't you three a bit old for that?"

Chloe looked at him with complete seriousness. "You are NEVER too old for girl-talk."

"Well, seeing as how I've never been a girl... I guess I wouldn't know."

Shawn came back in and stood by Phillip's chair. "You guys ready to go?"

The guys nodded but Belle put her hand up to stop them. "Hold on... I wanna talk to my brother for a minute."

She stood and pulled Brady aside to talk to him privately. Brady looked at her curiously, "What's up?"

"Everything's fine... It's just, I probably won't get a chance to do this before the ceremony. I just wanted to tell you how happy I am for you. You and Chloe, well, you're pretty much the envy of everyone. You are so lucky to have each other. But, I think you know that already. I just wanted to give you a private congratulations, that's all."

Brady hugged his sister tightly and sighed. "Thanks Belle... I couldn't have asked for a better person to be my sister... And, I pray every day for you to be able to have the same happiness that Chloe and I have together."

Belle plastered on a smile and nodded. "I don't know if it's humanly possible for anyone else but you two to be that deliriously happy. But, you never know..."

"It is possible... And nobody deserves it more than you do."

Belle waved her hand dismissively. "Oh stop it... don't make me cry today, do it tomorrow."

Brady squeezed her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "You got it... I love you, sis."

Belle sighed and squeezed him back. "Love you too..."

They separated from each other and returned to the table. The rest of the group began to stand, and Mimi pointed at Chloe and Brady. "Okay, we're all going to wait in our cars... You two lovebirds say your last goodbyes as single people and then rejoin your appropriate group."

Brady nodded and wrapped an arm around Chloe. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Mimi and Belle walked out first, arm in arm and giggling like little girls all the way. Phillip yelled from behind them, "YOU TWO NEVER CHANGE! You STILL act like you're in junior high when you're together!"

Mimi looked back at Phillip and stuck her tongue out at him. Phillip rolled his eyes and groaned, "Just goes to prove my point, Mimi!"

Mimi turned away from him and laughed as she shouted in reply, "I DON'T CARE! At least I'm not boring like you are..."

Belle laughed and the two friends jogged to the car together, leaving behind a stunned Phillip. He glared at them as they got into Mimi's car, and muttered under his breath, "I'm not boring..."

Shawn grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Not all the time..."
***

Belle and Mimi sat on the living room couch in Mimi's apartment. All three girls had jumped into their pajamas as soon as they arrived. Mimi and Belle were waiting for their toenail polish to dry, and Belle propped her feet up on the table with a sigh.

"Good thing we're not wearing open-toed shoes tomorrow, this shade does not match Chloe's wedding motif."

Mimi nodded and compared her freshly manicured hands to her painted toenails. "Besides, our wild and funky toes don't match our simple, elegant wedding-attired fingernails."

"Ahh yes... these are party toenails." Belle chuckled softly.

Chloe entered from the kitchen, both arms filled with snacks. She threw everything on the coffee table with a groan. "I didn't want us all to have stomach aches tomorrow, so I bought less snacks than our traditional fare."

Belle grabbed a bag of pretzels and opened it. "Well, we promise not to overload ourselves with junk food. We all have dresses that we need to fit in to tomorrow."

Chloe sat in the chair next to the couch with a sigh. "Let's see... we've done facials, manicures, pedicures, kept Belle up on all the latest gossip... and now we have junk food. What's next?"

Mimi pulled the cotton balls out from in between her toes and grinned. "I believe we've reached the 'girl talk' portion of our evening."

Chloe nodded knowingly. "Ahhh, you mean the part where we talk about cute boys and reveal our deepest darkest secrets to each other."

Belle quickly interrupted, "Okay... I'll go first."

Mimi looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Sounds like somebody wants to get something off their chest."

Belle chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I've been trying to decide whether I was going to tell you guys yet, but I might as well. Now, don't freak out, because it's not final... I'm thinking about moving back to Salem, for good."

Mimi squealed with delight and hugged her tightly. Chloe jumped from her chair and hugged Belle too, excitedly replying, "BELLE! That is so great!"

Mimi interjected, "Yeah, Belle... That would be the greatest news ever... you know how much we miss you."

Belle smiled widely. "I know... And, I miss you guys too. That's part of the reason I want to come home. I mean, I loved living in London... but I miss my friends, and my family. Plus, I just feel so guilty all the time. JT grows up more and more every time I see him, and I'm missing all of that. I felt guilty because I couldn't be here 24-7 when my mom was having her breast cancer treatments, or when my dad was in the hospital last year. I mean, they're in good health now, but I need to be here if something does happen again. I've missed everything, and I don't want to do that anymore."

Chloe grinned at her. "Well, they always say you can take the girl out of Salem, but you can't take Salem out of the girl."

"So true, so true..."

Mimi raised her hand and interrupted. "Okay, okay... my turn... And I KNOW I can beat your secret with MINE."

Both girls stared at her with great interest, and Belle motioned for her to continue. "Oh. Well then, PLEASE go ahead."

Mimi paused, then stammered nervously, "I... I think... I'm in love."

Chloe gasped and grinned slyly at her. "Oh Mimi... do tell. Details, please..."

Mimi started to blush, but continued, "Well, he's very handsome, and has a good job, and an education, and he's funny and very sweet... He's a really good friend of mine, and I never noticed it before, but now I just get... little butterflies in my stomach whenever I see him."

Chloe pressed for more information, "Well, who is it? Do we know this Mr. Wonderful?"

Belle nodded, realization spreading across her face. "It's Phillip..."

Mimi sat back in shock. "Whoa... have you been like consulting the tarot cards or something? How did you know?"

Belle grinned at her and shrugged. "Get serious, Meems. I have known you for a million years. I can see the way you look at him. Even though I live thousands of miles away, I'm still pretty damn perceptive."

Chloe sighed softly. "Wow... I'm surprised I didn't figure it out too. Does he know that you have feelings for him?"

Mimi shook her head vehemently. "Oh God no... And he's not going to find out either. I know he doesn't think of me like that."

"You never know... Besides, the best relationships usually start out as friendships. Look at me and Brady..."

Belle flipped her head around and raised one eyebrow at Chloe. "Except that you were ENEMIES first, then friends..."

Chloe nodded wickedly. "Yes, but that's what made it so hot..."

Mimi and Belle burst into giggles, and laughed until their stomachs hurt. Belle looked back at Chloe after she stopped laughing, "That sounded more like something my BROTHER would say. Not you."

"It is. That's what he's told me before, and I still think it sounds kinda silly."

Belle threw an arm around Mimi and smiled. "I, for one, think you should go for it. If Phillip isn't in love with you yet, then he's just stupid and blind and totally undeserving of you."

Mimi sighed softly, "Awwww, thanks Belle..."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with Belle. And, on a different note... I have a secret to end ALL secrets, one that will drive your secrets into the ground and show them who's boss."

Belle laughed and looked at her suspiciously. "Sounds exciting... Go ahead."

Chloe rubbed her hands together nervously and took a deep breath. "Okay, I just found out this morning, and I wasn't sure who to tell first. Normally, I tell Brady everything first, but then I thought... I'd just tell him on the honeymoon, because the last thing he needs is big news before the wedding day. And, then I wasn't going to tell anyone else until I told Brady, but then I thought I can't hold it in that long... I just have to tell someone, and it might as well be my two best friends who I trust to NOT tell Brady before I do."

Mimi stared at her anxiously. "Chloe... stop babbling... just TELL us, already."

Chloe took another deep breath and continued, "I'm pregnant."

Belle squealed with joy and hugged Chloe tightly. "I'm going to be an AUNT! I can't believe it..."

Mimi put her hand on her heart and sighed happily. "Oh wow, Chloe... are you sure?"

Chloe nodded proudly. "Yup, I took five different home pregnancy tests... I just have to confirm it with my doctor, and then it will be official."

Belle hugged her again and smiled as widely as possible. "Now I REALLY need to move back home. I can't let my baby niece or nephew grow up without me."

Mimi stood from the couch and clapped her hands together. "I know we're supposed to be eating light... but this is now OFFICIALLY a celebration. And, I believe this calls for ice cream."

Chloe nodded and winked at her. "Yeah, I think it's okay to break the rules in this case."

Mimi smiled and headed into the kitchen alone. Belle put her head on Chloe's shoulder and sighed. "I'm so happy, Chloe."

"You don't seem happy to me, not lately..."

Belle lifted her head and frowned at her. "I am happy. I'm so happy that you and Brady are going to have this new, wonderful, amazing life together. I'm happy to be moving back home too..."

"But you're still not totally happy..."

Belle shrugged and plastered on her fake smile again. "I will be... someday... don't you worry about me."

Belle sunk into the couch with a sigh. Part of her so badly wanted to tell Chloe what her big secret REALLY was, but the rest of her was too afraid to say it out loud. She couldn't admit that she still had feelings for Shawn, saying it out loud would make it far too real. This kind of reality was something she just wasn't ready to deal with yet.

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