You Belong To Me

Chapter Eight

(The Reception)

Belle had survived being in close proximity to Shawn so far, but the night was not over yet. Dinner had been served, and the guests were starting to mingle as they waited for Brady and Chloe to have their first dance. Belle stood in the corner alone and sipped her champagne slowly. Kevin Lambert spotted her and came over to chat.

"Hey Kev... long time, no see."

"No kidding... you look great, Belle."

Belle blushed slightly and smiled. "Thank you... you do too."

Kevin grinned proudly and pointed towards his eyes. "Laser eye surgery... works wonders."

"I heard you invented some computer thing that's probably going to make you a billionaire."

Kevin shrugged bashfully. "I don't know about billionaire, but I'm pretty proud of it."

"Well, I always knew you were the most likely to succeed from the class of 2002. You've already achieved more in 5 years than most of us will ever do."

"Thanks Belle... that's sweet of you to say. But, you graduated from Oxford, that's a really prestigious university."

Belle nodded slightly. "Yeah... But, I took a year off so I was way behind everyone else. You worked on all your inventions while you were in school, Susan worked at Basic Black through college and when she graduated my dad made her an executive. I'm pretty impressed with both of you..."

Kevin smiled politely. "Well, I'm still jealous of you... Chloe told me all about your travel adventures. I haven't gone much of anywhere really, just here in the states..."

Belle winked at him and smiled. "Well, now that you're the next Bill Gates... only WAY WAY cuter... You'll have plenty of opportunity to travel."

Mimi walked up and gave Kevin a quick hug. "Hey Kevin, I'm so glad you came."

Kevin hugged her back and smiled. "Me too... It's kind of like a high school reunion."

Mimi nodded in agreement and grinned. "Only without all the people we hated in high school."

Belle grinned. "And that's the bonus..."

All three turned their attentions towards the dance floor when they heard the lead singer in the band speak up. "Alright, everybody... now that you're stomachs are full, it's time for the moment that you've ALL been waiting for. Our bride and groom are about to dance together for the first time as husband and wife. So please welcome to the dance floor, Mr. and Mrs. Brady Black."

The guests clapped and cheered as Brady led Chloe to the dance floor. Their chosen song began and they danced closely together as everyone watched. Belle sighed softly and Mimi elbowed her in the ribs and spoke quietly, "Weird. If you would have told me 7 years ago, when Chloe first came to Salem, that she would end up being one of my best friends and married to your brother... I would have put you in an institution."

Belle laughed and nodded. "Yeah, no kidding. I remember when we used to think that she was going to marry Phillip. Boy, times have changed since then."

"Right, and we thought you were going to marry Shawn."

Belle turned her head to glare at Mimi with both eyebrows raised. Mimi cringed and stammered nervously, "I meant... wooo, boy, you're right... times HAVE changed. Oh, those crazy crazy times... how they like to change."

Belle laughed and rolled her eyes. "It's okay, Meems... I can't ignore the past."

Kevin nodded and interjected, "Even if you might want to... you're stuck with it."

"Exactly..."

"Belle, I was curious... Where are they going for their honeymoon?"

Belle replied, "Oh, all over the place. Greece and Italy mostly, but the best part is Brady is renting a private boat so they can sail around the Greek isles together. Chloe doesn't know it yet though."

Mimi grinned and spoke up, "And she's just going to LOVE it. They've never been to Greece, and well, Chloe just loves Italy. I think it's an opera thing, you know how those two are."

Kevin nodded. "Impressive..."

The three of them watched in silence until the song ended. The singer spoke to the crowd again, "Congratulations to the bride and groom... and to the rest of you, we hope that's the last time we see that dance floor empty for the rest of the night. Now, we'd like the bride and groom to dance with their parents, and the wedding party, please join us on the floor as well."

Kevin nudged them both towards the floor as he stayed behind. "Save a dance for me later..."

Belle and Mimi walked to the dance floor as Belle muttered under her breath, "Oh gee, my favorite part."

Belle silently prayed that Phillip would dance with her, so she could avoid the situation altogether. Unfortunately, as soon as they hit the floor Phillip grabbed Mimi around the waist, dragging her off to the other side of the dance floor.

Belle could hear Phillip shouting, "Come on, Lockhart... Show me what you've got!"

Mimi laughed in his face and shouted back, "Just try and keep up, Kiriakis!"

Belle laughed at both of them and crossed her arms. She felt a warm hand touch her elbow and she whirled around to face Shawn. "You know, Belle... as maid of honor, it is your duty to dance with the best man. Whether you like it or not."

"Shawn... It's not legal and binding or anything. The nuptials police aren't going to bust in and take me away if I don't..."

Shawn looked at her pleadingly, a look that she could never resist. "Please... I don't have anyone else to dance with, so don't make me look like a fool."

Belle looked around the dance floor and nodded. "Alright... fine."

Shawn clasped her hand gently and put his other arm around her waist as she put her other hand on his shoulder. Although it felt like the beginnings of a very awkward situation, Belle felt perfectly safe and comfortable with Shawn that close to her. She thought to herself that this would be survivable as long as he didn't smile at her. One glance at his smile would probably turn her into a puddle at this point.

Shawn spoke softly to her, "So really, Belle... how have you been?"

"Alright, glad to be finished with school... ready to be back at home."

Shawn looked at her in surprise. "You're coming home for good?"

Belle nodded slightly. "Yeah, I think so. It's not official yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm here to stay."

"That's great news... I'm really glad to hear that."

"You are?"

"Of course I am. I know how happy it will make Brady, Chloe and your parents. And JT too..."

Belle shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I guess so." But what she was really wondering was if Shawn was happy about it too.

There was a silence between them for a minute as they danced together. Belle looked up at him and stared into his chocolate brown eyes. They were still warm and gorgeous, more so than they had ever been when they were younger. She had never forgotten what his eyes or his smile looked like, and had thought of them a thousand times over the past 5 years. Shawn smiled sweetly at her, and Belle felt her insides begin to melt.

She looked downward and away from his gaze as she thought to herself, "Why? Why are you letting him do this to you?"

Shawn lifted her chin gently with his index finger, forcing her to look into his eyes again. He softly whispered, "Belle..."

"Shawn..."

"What happened to us, Belle? Really... what happened?"

Belle looked away painfully. "You already know."

"You left..."

Belle shook her head and looked back at him. "No, you left first. Not in the physical sense, but you were gone three months before I got on that plane."

Shawn had pain in his eyes, and Belle couldn't help but notice. He replied sadly, "But, I came back. You never did."

"I didn't think I had anything to come back for. I got a great opportunity and I took it. I didn't see a reason to come back."

Shawn wrinkled his face up in despair. "So I wasn't a good enough reason to come home?"

Belle sighed in frustration. "Geez, Shawn... where should I start? You practically ignored me for three months, you didn't even bother to say goodbye to me when I left... I wrote you letters, sent you souvenirs, left messages on your machine all the time... and I never heard anything from you. I pretty much figured that you didn't care if I came back or not. If you had given me any indication that you REALLY needed me, I wouldn't have ever left in the first place. I tried so hard to get through to you, and you acted like my efforts weren't important at all. I just didn't feel like you needed me, and that's why I stayed away."

"I'm sorry... I did need you. I don't know how I got through it without you, really. Brady, Chloe, Mimi, Phillip... they all helped, but I really did need you."

Belle felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, but she fought them away. "I'm sorry too, Shawn. If I had thought for a second that you wanted me here, I would have been here. But, you wouldn't even speak to me, so how was I supposed to know?"

Shawn shrugged in confusion. "I... I don't know... I acted like an idiot, I realize that. In fact, your brother told me so on a daily basis for the first year and a half after you left. But, I never thought that you would go away and stay gone for five years."

"Neither did I. Sometimes life is funny that way."

"Listen... I have a lot of regrets about the way things transpired between us. But, more than anything I regret the fact that we aren't friends anymore. You were my best friend for my entire life, and when you left... I didn't just lose my girlfriend, I lost the best friend I have ever had."

Belle nodded in understanding. "I know... Me too. I love my the friends that I have, but none of them have ever been able to replace you."

Shawn nodded in agreement. "Then, promise me something. Promise me that we'll at least TRY and be friends again. I miss my best friend Belle and all the silly, stupid things she used to make me do. I know that we have a lot of things to discuss before the air between us is completely clear. And, this isn't the time or place for it. I just want to know if there's a chance for us to be friends again."

Shawn smiled again and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face. It was a movement he had done many times before, and it still made Belle's heart beat just a little faster. Belle sighed softly and tilted her head to look into his eyes again. Friends, he wanted to be friends. She wasn't sure if she could be around him without wanting to hold and kiss him, but she knew she had to try. Having Shawn as a friend was better than not having him at all. She nodded and hugged him tightly. His strong arms wrapped around her and she wished they could stay like that forever.

"I promise, Shawn... we'll try. I've missed you too, you know."

Shawn squeezed her tighter, and for a brief second, it almost felt like old times again. The song ended and they separated form each other, both smiling just a little more than they were when the song started. Brady strode over and put his arms around both of their shoulders.

He grinned as he looked between them and spoke, "Hey, I think it's my turn to dance with the second most beautiful woman in the room tonight."

Shawn looked at him warily. "I sincerely hope you aren't talking about me."

Brady laughed loudly and shook his head. "No, buddy... I'm talking about my sister. Hand her over."

Shawn backed away and grinned. "She's all yours..."

Shawn walked away as Brady and Belle started to dance with each other. Belle smiled at her brother and spoke first, "I saw you dancing with my mom. Have I told you lately how happy I am that you two are close now?"

Brady nodded and replied, "Only a million times."

"Hmm... Well, then... Have I told you how happy I am for you and Chloe?"

"About two million times... Why don't you tell me if YOU are happy?"

Belle rolled her eyes and sighed. "I AM happy, Brady. Why does everyone keep asking me if I'm 'okay'? I'm very happy. In fact, I'm moving back to Salem and that makes me very happy."

Brady smiled widely and kissed her on the forehead. "Well, that is fantastic news and I'm totally thrilled that you're coming home. But..."

"But what? Don't say 'but'... there is no 'but' here."

"But... you're not happy. I can see it in your eyes, and I can tell it just by the way that you say, 'I'm fine' or 'I'm so happy' all the time."

Belle shook her head and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. And if you didn't, then you wouldn't have looked away from me. I know there's something wrong, and I know that it has nothing to do with work or school or anything like that. But, it has everything to do with Shawn."

Belle looked back at him and rolled her eyes. "Brady, please don't..."

"No, no, no. I have to say something. I saw the way you looked at him during that dance... I know what's going on. You still love him, don't you?"

"Brady, no, no... It's not like that."

Brady raised one eyebrow at her in true Black family fashion. "Don't lie to me. You can lie to everyone else, and you can lie to yourself... But, I KNOW you. I'm your brother, and I've known you your entire life. I ALWAYS know when you're lying to me."

Belle sighed and looked downward. "You're right, I've been lying to myself for a long time... I'm just afraid to say it loud."

"You don't have to be afraid of saying anything to me, you know that."

Belle nodded knowingly. "I know... And, you are right... I do still love him. But, what does it matter?"

Brady looked at her curiously. "What does it matter? It matters a lot. Maybe he still loves you too."

"I doubt it, Brady. He got over me a long time ago... You told me yourself that he stopped talking about our relationship years ago. He's had relationships with other women. He's over me, and I should get over him too."

"That doesn't mean he's over you. You've been in relationships too... but they haven't lasted... Why is that?"

Belle sighed sadly and shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Because none of them have ever compared to Shawn. That's why. Don't you think he might feel the same way?"

"I don't really know. He said he wants to be friends... but what does that mean?"

"It means that the two of you need to get to know each other again. You're both different people, and you've grown up and changed over the past 5 years. You need to reconnect with each other before you know if you're going to be more than friends."

The song ended, but brother and sister did not separate. Their conversation was not over just yet. Belle laid her head on his chest and sighed. "When did you get to be so wise?"

Brady grinned and hugged her tightly. "I learned it from you, actually."

Belle lifted her head and rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. Look at me... I'm a mess."

"No, you're not... It's just that being wise comes with a price. You're not able to see things that are right in front of you in your own life, but you can see what's wrong with everyone else. Chloe couldn't see how much I loved her, until you opened up her eyes. So, really all of this tonight... it's because of you."

Belle chuckled and nodded. "Well, you're welcome. I just thought I was doing it as a service though. I saw two people who belonged together, and were deeply in love with each other. I couldn't just sit around and NOT do something. I had to make sure that Chloe knew what she was too afraid to admit to herself. She loved you, and you loved her."

Brady wrapped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled. "Exactly what I'm trying to do for you, little sis. You love Shawn, and you always have. He loves you too... He hasn't told me so, but I can see the way he acts when someone mentions your name, and I saw the way he looked at you tonight. You two love each other, and you belong together. And, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens... as soon as I get back from my honeymoon."

Belle grinned and shook her head. "Well, you sound awfully optimistic... but you're going to have to do a lot of work to convince me."

"And, I will. You have to believe me when I say that everything will work out. I've never lied to you before when I've said that everything is going to be fine, and I'm not going to start now."

Belle smiled at him. "And that's why I love you. You always know how to make me feel just a little bit better."

Brady kissed the top of her head and smiled back. "Ditto... now go out there and have as much fun as legally possible tonight."

Belle grinned and started to walk away. "You got it."

Belle smiled as she walked away and thought to herself, "Thank God for Brady... He always knows exactly what to say."
***

(Later after much dancing and merriment.)

Shawn tapped the microphone with one hand, his glass of champagne in the other. He cleared his throat and tried to get the attention of the guests in the reception hall. "Hello... Can I have everyone's attention please? This is the part where I, as the best man, have to give the big wedding toast. But, uhm... I've never been the best at making speeches, so I didn't prepare anything. That was probably a stupid move, I know. So, I'm just going to go with whatever comes to mind, and hope that I don't embarrass myself."

Shawn looked at Brady and Chloe and smiled. "So, here it is... Thank you. I went through a lot of hard times a few years ago, and it was because of you two that I fought my way back. I lost myself, but you both knew how to find me. So, thank you for saving me. And, on behalf of everyone in here who hasn't found their one great, storybook love yet... you inspire us all. Your love gives the rest of us hope that we can find the same. Thank you for that too. You are both truly blessed... Congratulations"

Belle fought back tears as she stood on the stage with Shawn. Shawn turned to her, he too was filled with emotion, he handed her the microphone and stepped aside. Belle smiled weakly at Shawn and then turned to the bride and groom. "I know that usually the best man is the only one who does this toast, but we're changing tradition this time. It's a very very special day for me too. I get to stand here surrounded by the people I love most in the world and watch my brother and my best friend celebrate their love. Nothing is more amazing than that. As Brady's sister, it was part of my job to make sure he found a woman who was good enough for him, and there is no other woman in this entire universe more perfect for him than Chloe. The funny thing is, I feel like I had the same duty as Chloe's best friend. To make sure she found someone who deserved her, and I know that she did. I don't know what else to say, because I think Shawn summed it up best. You inspire us, you astound us, you give us hope, and we are all so grateful to be able to share in the love that you have found with each other. Congratulations."

Belle and Shawn raised their glasses, and the rest of the guests followed. Their friends and family toasted Brady and Chloe, and Belle sipped her champagne along with them. She then yelled into the microphone, "Now, go eat some cake!"

The crowd began to disperse and headed towards the cake to watch Brady and Chloe perform their ceremonial cake cutting. Shawn helped Belle off of the stage and smiled at her. She smiled back and spoke softly, "What you said, Shawn... it was beautiful..."

"It was the truth..."

Belle nodded and they headed off together towards the cake table.

***

(Post cake eating and more merriment!)

Chloe had gathered all of the single woman in a bunch, including Mimi and Belle. She grinned excitedly at all of them. "I can't believe I'm so thrilled to be doing something I used to think was so dopey... but here we go."

Chloe had her bouquet all ready to toss and Belle looked at her with her arms crossed, as a show of dissention. "Just don't throw it to me, Chloe. I don't want it."

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "Hey, I can't control it. Fate and destiny decides where the bouquet drops."

Belle rolled her eyes and motioned for her to go ahead. Chloe turned around with her back towards the single women. She paused, and all the girls except for Belle held their arms out in hopes to catch it. Chloe tossed it over her shoulder and the white flowers ran smack dab into Belle's head. Belle groaned as it fell into her arms. The other girls laughed at first, the sight of the maid of the honor being smacked in the head with the bouquet was quite hilarious. Their laughter turned into cheers and congratulations as Belle laid the now smashed bouquet on to the nearest table. Chloe and Mimi came running up and hugged her tightly.

Chloe picked a stray petal out of her hair and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, Belle... I didn't mean to hit you with the bouquet."

Belle shrugged it off. "No big deal. It's my fault for not paying attention. Besides, you can always sell the wedding video to one of those funniest home video type of shows. I'm going to run to the bathroom and pick all of the flora out of my hair and my dress."

Mimi pouted slightly. "But you'll miss the garter toss..."

"That's okay... I'll live. And, I will be right back."

Belle swiftly made her way to the empty ladies room and stood in front of the mirror. She had pieces of Chloe's bouquet scattered through her upswept hairstyle and she begin picking them out very carefully. Belle sighed at her own reflection, as she had done so many times in the past few days. But, now it was with a renewed sense of hope. In less than a week, she would return to London, tie up her affairs there, pack her things and come home to Salem for good. She knew she was just about to start a new chapter in her life, and her conversation with Brady had given her a small inkling of hope that it would include Shawn.

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