You Belong To Me

Chapter Nine

Belle and Mimi stood in the lobby of the building where the Black penthouse was located. Belle impatiently pressed the button to call the elevator, as Mimi bemusedly looked on.

"You know, Belle... Hitting the button over and over is not going to make the elevator get here any faster."

Belle stood back and shrugged. "I know, I know... Patience is not a virtue that I've learned yet."

"So, when are you going back to London?"

"Mmmm... Three days. It's official and everything. I'm gonna go back, pack up my stuff, get out of my apartment and I'll be back here in a week."

Mimi smiled happily at her. "Cool... Then what are you going to do?"

The elevator arrived and both girls stepped inside. Belle pressed the button for her parents' floor and turned back to Mimi. "Good question, Meems. I hope I can get a teaching job at one of the schools around here. And, I need to find a place to live."

Mimi's eyes widened and she clasped Belle's hands excitedly. "Belle, you should TOTALLY move in with me. I've had that big apartment to myself since Chloe moved in with Brady, and you would be the BEST roommate ever."

Belle laughed and hugged Mimi tightly. "Okay, okay... sounds like fun."

Mimi stepped away from her and clapped her hands together gleefully. "You bet it's going to be fun. Just you and me... two single girls on the prowl."

Belle grinned at her. "On the prowl? I don't know about that, Meems... I've never been the prowling type."

"That's right, I forget... The guys just come to YOU, you don't have to look for them. Well, either way... it's going to be a blast."

Belle nodded in agreement and smiled. "You bet."

The two of them waited in a happy silence until the elevator stopped and the door opened on their floor. They got out of the elevator and stood outside the door to the penthouse.

Mimi inquired curiously, "So what do you think happy couple is up to right now?"

"Brady and Chloe?" Belle paused to think about it and shrugged. "I don't know... Probably on their private sailboat romancing their way around the Mediterranean."

"Lucky them. Do you think she's told him about the bambina yet?"

Belle put her key in the lock and began to turn it. "Oh yeah, Chloe could barely contain herself already... She probably told him as soon as they got there."

Mimi smiled wistfully. "Man, I wish I could have been there to see the look on his face when he found out."

Belle turned the knob and the door and nodded. "No kidding, I hope she at least turned the video camera on..."

Belle and Mimi laughed out loud as they entered the penthouse. But, their laughing ceased as soon as they saw the sight in front of them. John was holding Marlena tightly, and she was sobbing heavily into his chest. He had tears running down his face as well, but seemed to be holding back his true emotions. Belle and Mimi stopped dead in their tracks at the sight. Belle felt fear begin to creep in from her toes up to her head.

"Mom... Dad... What's going on?"

Marlena turned around and wiped the tears off her face. "Belle... we were just about to call your cell phone. Thank God you're home."

Belle's eyes widened and her heart began pounding in her chest. "What? What's wrong?"

John looked downward in despair. "Isabella, you need to sit down for this."

Belle looked fearfully at Mimi. Mimi looked almost as worried as Belle was feeling, but she placed her hand on Belle's arm and led her towards the couch. The two of them sat down and Marlena sat in the chair closest to her daughter, with John standing behind her.

Marlena placed a hand on Belle's knee and tried to speak through her tears. "Oh, Belle... my baby girl..."

"Mom, you're scaring me. Tell me what's going on... please. Is it JT? Is it Grandma or Grandpa Evans?"

John shook his head. "No, Belle... it's... Brady and Chloe."

Belle began to shake her head in denial and her tears began to fall instantly. "What happened?"

"A fisherman found their boat. It was washed up on this little abandoned island... They weren't on it."

Mimi was crying as well and clutched Belle's arm for dear life. Her voice wavered as she asked, "But, they're going to be okay, right? They got off the boat... and they're fine?"

Marlena shook her head sadly. "They haven't found them. They searched up and down the island and couldn't find a single trace of them. They're presumed..." Marlena choked on the words in her throat, but continued, "They're presumed dead, Belle."

Belle choked back a sob. "NO... They're just making an assumption. They're not dead, they just need... to look further."

Mimi wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulder and looked up at John. "She's right... how would they know? They could have gotten off the boat and went to another island."

John sighed and sat on the other side of Belle. "It looked like someone lost a lot of blood on the boat, they figured that they were overtaken, robbed and murdered... thrown overboard before the boat washed up on the island."

Belle laid her head on his chest and sobbed loudly. "Daddy... no... It can't be. We can't lose Brady..."

John held her closely and lightly stroked her hair to comfort her. "I know, baby... It doesn't seem real."

Belle squeezed her eyes shut and felt the world closing in on her. Everything around her seemed to be moving slower, and she kept crying in her father's arms. Images and memories of Brady and Chloe began to run through her mind. She wouldn't believe the words that had just been spoken to her, not until there was more proof. Belle could not accept that two such amazing people would be taken from this world so soon. She rocked back and forth in her father's arms, and heard the muffled voices around her. Voices that seemed a million miles away at this moment.

Mimi sniffled as she spoke, "Do Chloe's parents know yet?"

Marlena replied, "Yes, they're on their way over here as we speak. Both of them are so devastated. Mimi, would you mind calling Shawn and Phillip? I'm going to make some tea; maybe it will calm everybody's nerves... Then again, probably not... But at least it will give me something to do."

"Yeah, I'll call them. I don't want them to hear this on the news first."

Belle heard sounds around her but paid no attention to them. Marlena moved in to the kitchen and Mimi went to the phone to break the bad news to Shawn and Phillip. John and Belle sat together in quiet grief, until she heard her mother's voice in front of her.

"Belle... sweetie... I made some tea. You should have some."

Belle shook her head and pushed the cup away. "No, I don't need any."

Belle sighed softly and put her head back down. She heard a ringing throughout the house and voices started talking behind her. John kissed her on the forehead and whispered to her, "Izzy, I have to get up and talk to the Wesleys."

Belle nodded weakly and let him stand up and walk away. She scooted over and laid her head on the armrest, her hot tears dripping on the pale yellow couch fabric. Mimi moved closer to her and rubbed her arm comfortingly. "I can't believe it either, Belle..."

Belle spoke softly, her voice somewhat hoarse. "That's because it's not true... It can't be true."

"I called Phillip and Shawn... they should be here any second now."

"Good... we need them."

Belle left her head on the armrest and did not move a muscle until she heard the doorbell rang again. Phillip rounded the couch and kneeled on the floor beside her. "Belle... I came as soon as Mimi called. I can't believe it."

Belle lifted her head slowly; it felt like it weighed about a thousand pounds. She looked at Phillip sadly and nodded. "It's not true. I know they're okay. They have to be."

Phillip pulled her into his arms and nodded. "If they're out there, they'll come home. If anybody can take care of themselves, it's those two."

Belle pulled back and nodded, getting her first view of a room slowly filling with people who now owned broken hearts. Nancy and Craig were standing and drinking tea while talking with Belle's parents. Their despair clearly shown in all of their movements, and all of their words. Belle looked back at Phillip and continued nodding. "I hope you're right, Phillip."

Belle heard the front door open and turned her head to look. Shawn rushed in and spoke to the room, "I'm sorry I didn't ring the doorbell... I just wasn't thinking."

Belle stood and rushed around the couch to where he stood. She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with heartache and sadness. Shawn wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He softly whispered into her ear, "Oh God, Belle... I don't even know what to say."

Belle laid her head on his chest, seeking solace in his embrace. Shawn had always made her feel safe, strong and ready to take on the world. Belle was beginning to feel better, although nothing could completely erase what she had been feeling since she heard the news. Belle's voice wavered as she replied, "You don't have to say anything. You're here... that's all I need."

Belle had thrown caution to the wind, at this point she could really care less if Shawn knew how much she needed him. She didn't want to let go of him and he led her back to the couch with his arms still wrapped around her. They sat down together, and Belle curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder. Shawn kept one arm wrapped around her tightly. Any awkwardness or bad blood between them was completely washed away. They were now just two people who needed the safety and strength of each other, just like the Shawn and Belle who had spent years together as best friends.

Belle looked around the room slowly. Mimi and Phillip were on the couch beside her, her parents and the Wesleys were on the other chairs and couches, holding hands with their respective spouses. There was a strange silence, filled with a lot of sadness and confusion throughout the group.

Belle finally broke the silence with a question, "So what do we do next? What happens now?"

John breathed in deeply and spoke with a hint of anger in his voice. "I'm going to Greece. I'm going to find the people who did this, and make sure they get punished."

"Dad... Brady and Chloe are alive. We have to find them and bring them home first."

"Belle, it doesn't look good... They told me that it would be almost impossible for them to have survived in those waters, especially if they were injured."

Belle looked at Shawn, a look of determination and resolve on her face. Shawn looked at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, and nodded for her to go ahead. She turned back to her father and spoke clearly and strongly, "Dad, we can't give up hope. This is Brady and Chloe we're talking about. They wouldn't give up on any of us, and I am NOT going to give up on them. When we were all in that pit in Puerto Rico, I didn't think we were going to make it. I wanted to give up, but Brady saved us. He never gave up, and he saved our lives."

Shawn nodded and continued, "She's right... Brady would never let anything happen to Chloe. Both of them are strong, and smart and will take care of each other. They have to be somewhere out there. And, they're waiting for us to find them."

Belle continued and looked pleadingly at her father, "Dad, please... I know that you're just trying to keep us from having false hope, but this is not false hope. Brady is your flesh and blood, and he's mine too... You know in your heart that he's okay, and so do I. Don't give up on him."

Nancy nodded in agreement and wiped a few tears from her face. "She's right, John. Chloe is my daughter, my baby, and I know that she's out there somewhere. They need us... they could be hurt, or scared or worse..."

John looked downward sadly, unable to form words. Marlena squeezed his hand tightly and spoke softly, "Then we'll all go. We'll find them, and we'll bring them home."

Marlena looked at John hopefully and he nodded in reply. "Alright, I'll call my pilot, tell him to get the jet ready... I just don't want you kids to put yourselves in danger. I don't want any more tragedy to come out of this."

"Dad... we're not kids anymore. Besides, we've had prior experience with deserted islands. Shawn is a trained police officer, and a sailor. We know what we're doing."

Mimi nodded and piped up, "Plus, we always say NO to the big danger. We just want to help Brady and Chloe."

Phillip continued, "Besides, I owe it to them... They both saved my life once, and I need to repay the favor."

John nodded and checked his watch. "Okay, it's two o'clock now... Everybody go pack your things and meet back here at six. The jet should be ready by then, we'll head to the airport from here."

The group began to stand from their seats, Nancy and Craig came over to where Shawn and Belle were standing, still holding on to each other. Nancy hugged Belle tightly and smiled weakly at her. "Thank you, Belle, for speaking up... My daughter is so lucky to have you all as her friends."

"Not as lucky as we are to have her."

Nancy and Craig exited together, and Shawn turned to Belle. "I need to go home and pack real quick, but I'll be right back here as soon as I'm done."

Belle shook her head. "What if I told you that I didn't want you to leave me?"

Shawn sighed and hugged her tightly. "Then, I wouldn't. I'd just wear the same clothes for the entire trip."

Belle smiled slightly. "That's very sweet of you... but, uhm... why don't you come upstairs with me for a minute before you go... I need to talk to you."

Shawn nodded, and Belle looked at Phillip and Mimi. "You guys too... come with me."

Belle and Shawn went upstairs to her room hand in hand, with Phillip and Mimi following. She quietly shut the door behind them and sat on her bed. She paused nervously, and then spoke, "Listen... I have to tell you guys something. Mimi already knows, and I didn't want to say it in front of all of the parents, that's why I brought you up here."

Shawn furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What is it, Belle?"

Belle rubbed her hands together nervously and sighed. "It's Chloe... The night before the wedding, she confided in Mimi and I. She's pregnant. She just found out that day, and she was planning on telling Brady as soon as they got to Greece."

Phillip ran a hand through his blonde hair and sighed. "Oh my God... That changes everything."

Mimi nodded in agreement, "Now you know why she was so adamant about not giving up on them, because she knows..."

Phillip finished her sentence, "That Brady would do anything to protect Chloe and his child."

Belle nodded and looked downward. "That's why I have hope. After the shock wore off, it just hit me. Even if Brady had to risk his own life, I KNOW that Chloe is out there somewhere." Belle felt the tears coming again and her voice broke up as she continued, "Even if Brady is dead, I know it's because he saved Chloe and the baby. My brother has always been a hero, and I know this time is no exception."

Phillip asked quietly, "Why don't you want anyone else to know about the baby?"

"Because... If Chloe and Brady don't make it, then I'd just rather them not know that they lost their grandchild too. It would be hard enough on them to lose their children, but to know about the baby... it just makes it worse. I don't know if keeping it from them is the right thing to do or not, but it somehow makes sense."

Shawn sat on the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around Belle's shoulder. "Well, we're not going to lose that niece or nephew of yours, and we're not going to lose Brady and Chloe either. They're both out there, and we're going to bring them home. We'll get a boat, and we'll search every inch of those islands until we find them. No matter what it takes, okay?"

Belle nodded and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "I know. I believe you.""

Shawn looked towards Phillip and asked, "Hey, Phil... Can you do me a favor?"

Phillip nodded in agreement, "What is it, man?"

Shawn dug in his jeans pocket and tossed his keys to Phillip. "Can you go over to my place and pack some necessities for me? I'd like to stay here with Belle."

"Yeah, absolutely..."

Belle looked at Shawn and smiled. "Shawn, you don't have to stay. I appreciate it, but you don't have to."

Shawn caressed her hand gently and smiled back at her. "I said I wouldn't you leave you, and I'm not going to."

Belle nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude at Shawn's strength and loyalty. "Thank you Shawn..."

Mimi hugged them both tightly and sighed. "I'm going to go pack now, and I'll be right back. Everything IS going to work out, Belle."

"Thanks Meems. I don't know what I'd do without you... Without all of you."

Phillip came over and hugged her too. "Well, you don't have to even think about that, because we're always going to be here."

Belle smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks Phillip..."

Phillip put a hand on Mimi's shoulder and motioned towards the door. "You ready, Lockhart."

Mimi nodded. "Yeah, let's get this show on the road." Mimi followed Phillip out the door and left Shawn and Belle in silence.

Shawn looked at Belle proudly. "Belle... you are so strong."

"No, not really... I try to be, and that's the best I can do. But, I'm not always strong. I wasn't strong tonight, not until you got here."

Shawn raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Me? What does your strength have to do with me?"

Belle shrugged. "I don't know. It's hard to explain. But, when they first told me... I lost my mind. Then, when you came in... It reminded me of something."

"Reminded you of what?"

"Of the past... It reminded me of how strong you've always been, and how you were always there to tell me that everything was going to be okay. And how... After we found out about JT... When you needed me the most, the one time you just didn't have the strength to deal with all of the world's problems, that I gave up too quickly. I wasn't strong enough for the both of us and I should have been. I have spent the last five years trying to forgive myself for that. And, when I saw you walk in... I remembered what I learned in the past five years... That you NEVER give up on someone you love."

Belle took a moment to regain her composure. Tears flowed freely, even though she had assumed that her tear ducts had dried up already. She sniffled loudly and continued on, "I gave up on you, even though I loved you more than anything... and I promised myself that I would NEVER give up on love again. I love Brady and Chloe more than I can tell you, and I will not accept anything but having them back here, alive and kicking. I won't give up again."

Shawn looked at her sadly and nodded. He pulled her close to him and stroked her hair gently. "Belle, don't blame yourself for what happened with us. It takes two people to screw up a relationship. I had just as much to do with it as you did."

Belle smiled at him. "But we're friends now, and that's what matters. I need your friendship... more than ever. We are friends, right?"

Shawn nodded slowly. "Belle, we've always been friends. I never stopped caring for you. We were just friends who didn't talk for a very long time."

"And why is that? Why couldn't we talk to each other?"

Shawn shrugged and looked away from her. "I don't know."

Belle figured he did know why, and that's why he couldn't look at her when she asked him. She had her own reasons, as stupid as they might have sounded now, for not talking to Shawn. Deep down, she had a burning desire to compare his reasons with her own. This was most certainly not the time for that exploration, and Belle pushed the thought out of her head for the time being. She hugged Shawn tightly and then stood from the bed.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. We've got more important things to deal with, right?"

Shawn nodded in agreement. "Right... Like packing your stuff."

Belle sighed and hefted her suitcase on to the bed. "The good news is I've been living out of my suitcase all week anyway... so this should go quickly."

Shawn stood and headed towards the door. "I'm going to see if there's any more of that tea left... Would you like something?"

Belle nodded and smiled. "Yes, please... a cup of tea or coffee is fine. Anything with caffeine is fine at this point."

Shawn grinned as he walked out the door. "You got it."

Belle was left alone in her room and she sighed deeply. She had spent the past five years dealing with all of life's little curveballs without Shawn in her life. Being apart from him had taught her how to be more independent and much stronger than she used to be. Although, she had other people to rely on, she no longer had the safety zone of her relationship with Shawn. Belle had grown to be stronger and wiser, but now that Shawn was back in her life, even for a moment, she wondered if she would ever be able to be without him again.

Belle groaned in frustration and brushed her hair off her face. She quickly got to work, throwing her dressier clothes out of the way and packing her more comfortable, outdoorsy clothing. Brady would always teaser her because she always packed enough clothes for a two month trip, even when she was staying only a week. But, in this case, she was glad for it.

She stepped towards the closet and grabbed a pair of sneakers and a pair of hiking boots, but paused when she saw the dark blue box in the corner. Belle pulled the box out of the closet and laid it on the bed next to her suitcase. She tossed her shoes in with her clothes and sat down on the bed with a sigh.

Shawn entered, holding two steaming mugs and handed one of them to her. She smiled gratefully and took a quick sip. "Thanks..."

Shawn looked at her open suitcase and then looked back at her. "You're not finished packing already, are you?"

Belle shrugged. "Just about. All I had to do was toss aside the clothes I won't be needing, and throw in the shoes. I figured that sundresses and cute strappy sandals are not sensible for a rescue mission."

Shawn shook his head and chuckled. "No, definitely not. What's in the box?"

Belle took another sip of her tea and sat it on the nightstand beside her. "I was just about to find out. It was just kinda stuck there in the closet."

Belle lifted the lid and pulled out the first thing on top of the pile. She took a breath in and put a hand on her chest, trying to prevent the tears that were inevitable. She looked up at Shawn and smiled. "It's the pictures I left behind when I moved. My mom never sent them to me in London, and I just forgot they were back here. Look..."

Shawn sat beside her and looked at the picture with a smile. "It's senior year... at the Last Blast."

Belle nodded. "Yup, you and me together... Phillip and Chloe when they were still a couple... And remember, Brady took Mimi? It's all six of us together..."

"That's right... Mimi and Kevin had broken up and Mimi didn't want to go without a date. But, Brady refused to let her act miserable about being single and miss out on her senior prom. He took her and made sure she had a great time too. "

Belle sniffled quietly. "That's my brother. Everybody's hero. That night was just perfect... Even though Brady was madly in love with Chloe, and she was torn between him and Phillip... Everybody put their problems aside for just one night, and had fun."

Shawn nodded in agreement. "I know, I'll never forget it... So, what else is in here?"

"I don't know... let's see..." Belle and Shawn sifted through the pictures together, passing them back and forth between each other. "There must be about a thousand pictures from the Last Blast in here. Oh wait... Puerto Rico... you know, before all the bad stuff happened."

"Well... It was a beautiful place... It's just too bad that it all turned out the way it did."

Belle pulled a picture out of the Puerto Rico pile and shook her head. "But... there was one thing that made it all worthwhile."

She showed him the picture and Shawn smiled widely. It was a photo that Belle had taken of Shawn and his Great-Grandma with the ruby back in her hand. "You're right, Belle, that did make it all worthwhile."

Shawn paused and the laid the photo down. He stared at Belle for a moment, and then asked. "So, why didn't you take these with you when you moved?"

Belle shrugged. "I don't know... Couldn't take everything, right?"

"But to leave one box behind... Wait... it was because of me. These are all pictures from when the year that we were a couple. From Puerto Rico to Last Blast and everything in between. Did I hurt you that badly that you couldn't bear to take these memories with you?"

"Shawn, we hurt each other, remember? This isn't about you. It's not like I didn't take ANY pictures of you with me."

"Then why didn't you take these?"

Belle looked away and picked up her mug, sipping her tea slowly as she paused. "I don't think this is the right time to talk about it."

Shawn sighed and put the pictures back in the box. "You're right... I'm sorry. We have more important things to focus on right now."

Belle stood and nodded in agreement. "Yup, like formulating some sort of plan. We can't just go blazing through there half-cocked and praying for the best. We need to learn more about the isles and the terrain and all that."

Shawn nodded in agreement. "Well, you're the one with the prestigious college education. How should we start?"

Belle paused to think. They had made Brady's old room into a home office, and Belle pointed in that direction. "Computer in the office... The internet is usually chock full of information. Once you get past all the crap that's out there."

"Good idea... I'm going to make a few phone calls first though. I've got to let my parents know what's going on, and make a few other calls before we leave."

"No problem. You can go ahead and use the phone in here. I'll be in the office when you're done." Belle smiled at him briefly and headed to Brady's old bedroom by herself. She sat in the chair and turned on the computer, staring off into space as she waited for it to boot up.
***
(Approximately 6 o'clock.)

The eight travelers had reassembled in the Black's living room at the designated time, now weighed down by their luggage. John hung the phone up and looked around the room.

"Alright, I talked to the pilot... By the time we get to the airport and load up all of the luggage, they'll be ready to go. Has everybody made all the phone calls they need to make?"

The group nodded and Phillip replied, "I uhh... called my dad, John. He left for Japan on business yesterday, but he said he'd meet us in Greece if we need him. I told him I'd call him as soon as I knew exactly where we were going to be."

"Good, besides being Brady's grandfather... Victor has a lot more connections in that part of the world than I do."

Phillip nodded in agreement. "It's the Kiriakis name. You should never leave home without it."

Marlena looked towards Shawn and asked, "Did you speak to your parents, Shawn?"

"Yeah, they said if we needed them to just call. Both of them want to help somehow, but I told them that there are probably already too many cooks in the kitchen on this one. So, they're going to pray for Brady and Chloe, so are Gran, Jack, Jennifer, Mickey, Maggie... the whole family really."

Marlena smiled gratefully at him. "That's the best possible way for them to help right now anyway. We need all the strength and prayers we can get."

Belle interrupted and grabbed her mother's hand. "Then we should pray right now... Before we leave."

"Of course, sweetie... Do you want to do it?"

Belle nodded and the rest of the group stood in a circle and clasped hands. They all bowed their heads and Belle took a deep breath before she began, "God... we thank you for all the blessings you have given us in our lives, and although we don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth, we are asking for one more. Please give Brady and Chloe the strength to survive what you have given them. They are strong already, but they need you to watch over them more than they ever have before. Please guide the rest of us with your love, and your light, so that we can find them and bring them home safely. Our hope and our faith is all we have right now, please lead us in the right direction and give us the strength to do what we must... Amen."

The group spoke a quiet 'amen' and let go of each other's hands. Shawn put his arm around Belle's shoulder again and squeezed tightly. John looked around and clapped his hands together. "Alright, does everybody have everything they need?"

The travelers picked up their bags and nodded as they walked towards the door. As Shawn led Belle towards the elevator, she made another silent prayer to herself. "God, please watch over my niece or nephew... Take care of all three of them, wherever they are."

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