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| Chapter Seven | |||||
| Belle sent her daughter off to school, acting as though everything were fine in the world of the Bradys. But, she apparently hadn't done a good enough job of pretending nothing was wrong, for when she answered the door she was surprised to see her brother and sister-in-law on her doorstep. | |||||
| "Okay Tink you wanna tell me what's up? You look like hell." Brady said as he walked past his sister into the house. Mimi followed him sighing. | |||||
| "Subtlety thy name is not Brady. Geez, could you at least let us get into the house before you start, Brady." Mimi closed the door and looked at her best friend. She had to admit Belle did look bad. She was still in her robe and her eyes were slightly discolored like she had been crying. And her long blonde hair was in complete disarray. To put it lightly Belle was a complete mess. | |||||
| "What are you guys doing here?" Belle asked them. | |||||
| "Serena told me that something was wrong when I dropped Racquel off at school. She said that she was worried about you." Mimi said as she looked around the living room. Something bad had obviously happened last night. | |||||
| "Look I appreciate you guys coming over. But you really didn't need to I am fine. So why don't you guys just go." She sat down on the couch and ran her hands through thru her tangled hair. | |||||
| Brady looked at Mimi who shrugged her shoulders. "Look, Tink what's wrong did you and Shawn ... where's Shawn?" Belle looked up at Brady and almost immediately her eyes filled with tears. "Belle, tell me did something happen to Shawn?" Brady kneeled down in front of her, grasping her upper arms. "Belle." | |||||
| "I don't know. After the fight we had he left and never came back last night. I have no idea where he is." She answered looking down at her hands as Brady pulled her into his arms. She was so broken up that she didn't hear the shuffling the little feet of her daughter. | |||||
| "Momma, 'An's crying." Iris said as she came from the upstairs. She saw her aunt and uncle and got excited but it quickly deflected when she saw her mom in Brady's arms. He was holding her mother as she cried. She ran over to her. "Momma cry?" She placed her small hand on Belle's robed covered leg. Belle looked up at her young daughter's concern and broke down bawling even more on Brady's shoulder. | |||||
| "Belle, I'll go get Ian. Whatever happened we'll figure it out." Mimi said putting her hand on Belle's shoulder in a comforting pat before she turned to go up the stairs to get Ian. Overhead she and Brady shared a private look to say that he would take care of his sister. | |||||
| Belle unraveled herself from Brady's arms and reached down to pick up her daughter. As Iris sat on her mother's lap she gently wiped the tears from Belle's face. "Momma sad. I make better." The two-year old leaned up and kissed Belle's cheek. "All better?" She asked. | |||||
| Belle wiped her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'm better. Thank you for making Mommy feel better." She kissed Iris on her forehead and smiled thinking of how the roles were reversed. Her two-year old daughter was trying to make her feel better. But her smile faltered a little. Mimi came down the stairs carrying a happy Ian into the room. | |||||
| "He just needed to be changed. Is everything alright?" She asked looking at Brady who nodded. But then turned to look at Belle as she hugged her daughter. | |||||
| Brady knew he needed to find out what happened and he also knew that she would say nothing while Iris was there. Especially since it had to do with Shawn. "Iris are you hungry?" Brady asked. The little girl looked up at her uncle surprised but nodded. "Well I bet that Ian's ready for breakfast too. So how about you let ole Uncle Brady fix you something to eat?" He asked again as he stood and held out his hand for her to take. | |||||
| This time Iris looked at her mother for approval, "Baby, you should go on and eat breakfast I'll be okay. Now go ahead." Belle placed the two-year old on her feet and propped her to take Brady's hand. | |||||
| "Okay Momma." Iris took her uncle's free hand. Since his other was busy holding Ian to his body (Mimi had handed him to Brady while they were waiting on Iris to come to him). | |||||
| With both children in his grasp he headed to the kitchen stopping once to lean down to Mimi give her a supposed kiss. "Get her to tell you what happened." He whispered before continuing on his trek toward the kitchen. | |||||
| After he left Mimi tried to think of the best way to get Belle to open her. But, before she could implement her plan Belle spoke up. | |||||
| "Look, Mimi it's nice that you and Brady came here. And I really appreciate it. But, I don't really need you guys here anymore. I am fine." She said standing up and wrapping her arms around herself. | |||||
| "Belle, I've known you for years. You are one of my best and oldest friends so I know when you aren't fine. So please don't lie to me. I'd like to think that after all we'd been through you could tell me what happened." | |||||
| "I ... I can't not yet, I need to pull myself together. Look I'll just go take a shower and get dressed." | |||||
| "Belle, you can't run away from whatever happened. You can't put it past me after of we've been through too much together I mean hello, the last blast, the island, Kevin. " | |||||
| "I know, I know and I'm not trying to run away from or blow you off." Mimi looked at her dubiously. "Seriously, Mimi I just want to get dressed. I'll do that then I will tell you what happened. I know you won't leave until I do. Okay?" Mimi nodded. "Good I'll be back in twenty minutes." Belle went off upstairs to her bedroom. | |||||
| After watching her leave Mimi walked into the kitchen where Brady was watching the children as they fed themselves cereal. "I thought that you were going to fix them breakfast." | |||||
| "I did. They're eating cereal." Brady answered his wife as she arched her brow incredulously. "Well I did. What's wrong with cereal, it's packed with nutrients the kids need. It's healthy...why are we even talking about this? So did you get Tink to spill it or what? Did she tell you what happened?" Brady asked her as he helped Ian bring the spoon to his mouth. Although, it wasn't really necessary because Ian hadn't been really using the spoon to feed himself, he used his hands instead. | |||||
| "No she wanted to take a shower first." Mimi watched the children eat. After a few moments of silence she looked at Brady and saw that he was watching her as he helped Ian to feed himself. "What, is something wrong?" | |||||
| "No." | |||||
| "Then why were you staring at me?" | |||||
| "I just noticed the look in your eyes. That's all." He picked up the empty bowl that Ian had just ate out of and placed it in the sink. While Mimi grabbed a wet cloth towel and proceeded to clean both Ian and Iris' face and hands. | |||||
| "What look?" She asked pointedly not focusing upon Brady's face instead giving extra inspection to Ian's little face. | |||||
| "The one you get whenever you see children. The look you had before you got pregnant with Spencer. Like you want another child." Brady responded. Mimi looked up at him and was a little quiet. | |||||
| "Brady, I love having your children. But I think that three children are just enough for me. I guess the reason I get that look is because I remember how much I liked being pregnant. You know how we were when Conrad and Racquel were this little. I'm just getting reminiscence in my old age." Her eyes softened slightly as she spoke of past memories of their children. | |||||
| "Hey, I think the three rugrats we have are enough," he held his hands in a surrendering motion. "I just thought that you wanted to have another one. So we could have a brood like Chloe and Philip." | |||||
| "Don't even joke about that." | |||||
| "I'm just saying that I would be totally willing to do my part. Although ..." he paused as he looked her up and down then making a tsking sound with his teeth. "It might take longer now considering your age." Mimi hit him in the arm as he laughed. | |||||
| He was still laughing when a fresh and showered Belle entered the kitchen. "What are you laughing about?" | |||||
| "Nothing. Just something my darling wife said." Brady's laughter stopped when he looked over at his sister. Although she had cleaned up some and fixed her hair, her eyes still reflected some of the sadness within her. | |||||
| "Momma can I go play?" Iris asked from her high chair. Belle's gaze shot to her child and she nodded. But, before she could reach her to take her out of the chair, Brady lifted the toddler out of her high chair. She ran out of the room and into living room leaving only the adults and Ian. | |||||
| "I should go watch her." Belle said looking toward the doorway. | |||||
| "Belle, she will be fine for a few minutes for you to at least tell us what's wrong. Besides, this whole house has been child proofed. Tell us Belle and maybe we can help." Brady remarked from his spot leaning against the counter and Mimi standing off to the side. | |||||
| "Yeah Belle just tell us what happened." | |||||
| "Okay," she sighed. "I will but I don't know where to start any other then to tell you this except to come out and say it. So I'll just say it," she took a deep breath. "JT is our brother, our biological brother" She looked up and saw no real change in Brady's facial expression. "You already knew didn't you?" Brady didn't respond. "Answer me, Brady did you know?" | |||||
| Brady looked at Mimi and she gave him a 'you know you better answer look.' So he did what he had to do. "Yes, I knew. We both did." Belle glanced at Mimi. | |||||
| "Belle, I couldn't say anything. You know that if I could have I would have told you that. But, I couldn't. We all decided that if you and Shawn didn't know it would be better." | |||||
| "All, who is this all? Where do you guys get the right to decide if Shawn and I should know about JT? It's not your right. You had no business deciding it for me." | |||||
| "Belle calm down." Brady said but she interrupted him. | |||||
| "No I won't calm down. If everyone hadn't decided for Shawn and I whether we should know. We did have that right. And if you all weren't concerned about trying to protect us than he wouldn't have left me." | |||||
| "What?" Mimi asked. | |||||
| "Yes, because of you guys keeping secrets Shawn left me, I don't know where he is and I blame you guys for this. You've destroyed my family." Belle walked over, picked up Ian and left the kitchen in a hurry leaving Brady and Mimi in a deafening silence. | |||||
| Neither Brady nor Mimi knew what to say. "So tell me Brady how are we supposed to fix this?" Mimi asked him. Brady shrugged his shoulders and hugged his wife. | |||||
| "I don't know. I just don't know." | |||||
| *~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~* | |||||
| Philip and Shawn were at the Kiriakis Manor discussing Philip's planned trip. | |||||
| "I didn't know you were going out of town." Shawn said as he drank his coffee. | |||||
| "Yeah well I just found out about it myself." Philip eyed Shawn cautiously unable to believe that noting was wrong. "So what happened last night? What did you have a fight with Belle or something?" | |||||
| "Philip I don't really feel like talking about it." Shawn answered. | |||||
| "Shawn, just tell me what happened you know I'm going to find out anyway. Look whatever it is maybe I can help." | |||||
| "Philip you can't help. This is something I need to deal with on my own. Besides, it doesn't really concern you. Nothing that you need to worry about. Believe me." Shawn sat at the table looking as if he might jet any minute. | |||||
| "Shawn, I'm family. Anything that concerns you concerns me. Man, you should know that by now considering our past history and all. Seriously, you can tell me, I want to know. What is it Shawn? What's going on?" | |||||
| "Fine, you want to know, I'll tell you what's bothering me. My brother is not only mine. He's Belle's too. JT is Belle's biological brother because John is his father. And Belle knew this but, you know what she said nothing. She didn't even tell me." Shawn said completely shocking Philip. He hadn't expected Shawn to say that. "She knew and she never said a word to me." | |||||
| "Shawn I don't know what to say. Are you sure, man? Who told you this, maybe you misheard it?" Philip asked hopefully. | |||||
| "I heard it from my own mother, only she didn't know that I was there. It doesn't matter how I found out. The point is that I heard it and the first thing I did was go home to tell my wife to find that she already knew." | |||||
| "So that's why you came here last night," Philip said thinking out loud. "Look, I'm sure once you've had sometime both you and Belle will be fine. But, until then you are welcome to stay here while I'm gone." Shawn nodded in response. | |||||
| "Where are you going? I don't remember hearing anything about this trip at our meeting?" Shawn carefully switching the subject off of him, not going unnoticed by Philip. But, he answered the question anyway | |||||
| "It's not business. It's personal. I just told Chloe it was business so she wouldn't ask any questions." | |||||
| "It's about Jarod isn't it? You are going to find something out about him and you don't want Chloe to find out." Philip didn't answer but Shawn knew it was true. "Well where are you going?" | |||||
| "I'm going to Italy, alright. But, you can't tell Chloe. She can't know; at least not until I get back. So you have to promise me you won't say anything to her, Shawn. Promise me." Philip said to Shawn waiting for his promise agreement. | |||||
| "So the investigator found something then." Philip nodded slightly. "And you want to check it out before you tell her." Again Philip nodded. "Alright, look I won't say anything to Chloe." | |||||
| "Good, thanks man." | |||||
| "Cause I going with you." Shawn said after thinking for a few minutes. | |||||
| "Shawn you can't go with me. Now, is not the time for you to run away from your family problems. Man you know you can't leave Belle. Not like this." Philip said knowing he had to try to talk Shawn out of leaving with him. | |||||
| Shawn pushed a hand thru his hair irately. "Look Phillip I am not running from my problems with Belle. I know that I need to talk to her about this. But, I am not ready yet. I need time I need to get away. Just for a while. That's all. Besides, you know you can't do this alone. You need my help, you know you do." His hand moved from his hair to back on the table. He looked into Philip's eyes pleading for them to understand. | |||||
| "Fine, look Shawn I won't tell you what to do. It's your choice, your decision. But, I am going to Italy and I am going to find out if Jarod is my son." | |||||
| "You're right this is my decision and I've made it. So when are we going to leave?" | |||||
| "Right after I make a phone call. Probably around two." Philip responded. | |||||
| "Alright then, I'll be back. I have something I need to do." Shawn said getting up from the table. He walked out of the dining room just as Philip picked up his cell phone to dial a number. | |||||
| *~*~*~*~*~@~*~*~*~*~* | |||||
| "Look Brady, Mimi I think I just need some time to myself. Besides I just ... I need to come to some conclusion on my own. And as much as I love you guys. Your being here isn't helping me." Belle said to her brother and sister-in-law, now composed and holding her son. "Look, I'm sure you need to go to work or something." | |||||
| "Belle, --" Mimi started to say as Brady's cell phone rang. Mimi looked at her husband crossly as he answered it. | |||||
| "Meems it's probably work, I have to answer it." He walked off to the side and answered the phone. | |||||
| "As I was saying, Belle we don't consider being here for you a problem. Plus, I think we should talk about this." Brady walked back over to them closing his cell phone. Mimi just looked at him. | |||||
| "Hey, that was something I need to do for work. I need to go. You gonna be okay Tink?" Brady nodded to his sister. | |||||
| "And since when does work become more important then this?" Mimi asked Brady as she crossed her arms over her chest. | |||||
| "Mimi, it's alright. I'll be fine Brady. Go ahead and leave." Belle said soothing Ian's blonde hair while he grasped the necklace around her neck and played with the penchant on the end of it. | |||||
| "Alright then I'll take off. I'll only be a little while. See you at home later." He leaned down and kissed Mimi on the mouth. Then he left the house the door slamming in his wake. | |||||
| "I wonder where he ran off to." Mimi said aloud watching his departing back. | |||||
| On to Chapter Eight | |||||
| Back to Secrets of the Heart | |||||