Scenes from a Roadtrip (Read 8,156 times)

[André DiMera]

Previews

CLAIRE: This is gonna be the best trip ever!

Two and a half years ago...
CIARA & CLAIRE: Whoa!

Ciara and Claire went on a roadtrip...
CLAIRE: It's beautiful!

Across the whole United States.
CIARA: Look at that! That's huge!

This story will tell you some of what happened.
CLAIRE: Ready, Ci?
CIARA: Ready, Bear.

SCENES FROM A ROADTRIP - Starting Monday, July 27.

[Kpatch]

Yes! Looking forward to seeing Claire and Ciara, especially now that they are going to be aged on the show too.

[heroicmuse]

Awesome! Can't wait to see what they get up to!

[fluffysmom]

Thanks for the previews André DiMera. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on the road trip.

[André DiMera]

I'm glad you're all excited for this story. I'm excited for it, as well. Just so you all know, parts of this story will be expansions on chapters from two of my previous stories, Winter/Reflections and Spring Fever. If you wish to, you can reread those two stories to catch up with the timeline. Links have been provided, just click on their names. Enjoy!

[André DiMera]

Chapter 1*

2025

CIARA'S BEDROOM
It was the first day of the new year. Ciara and Claire had been packing for a while. Finally, after putting a third large handful of socks into her suitcase, Ciara held the top of it down and closed the suitcase.
CIARA: There we go. That's the last of it. Thanks again for helping me pack.
CLAIRE: No prob. Thanks for coming with me.
CIARA: I'm looking forward to it. So, where should we go first?
CLAIRE: Who know. As long as we get out of Salem, anywhere is a good place to start.
CIARA: Theo gave me a suggestion about a place to go the other day.
CLAIRE: Really? Where?
CIARA: Wisconsin Dells.
CLAIRE: The Dells? Sounds awesome! We'll start there.
Claire and Ciara hugged.
CLAIRE: This is gonna be the best trip ever!
Ciara picked up a suitcase and Claire picked up another, and the two went downstairs.

OUTSIDE THE BRADY HOUSE
Claire and Ciara, with bags in hand, walked out. They began putting bags in their car. It was a 2012 black cherry Chrysler 300 S. Hope, Bo, Shawn-D, and Belle were there to see them off. The last bag was put into the car. Ciara and Claire hugged everyone one last time.
BELLE: Have fun.
SHAWN-D: Be careful out there, Claire Bear.
CLAIRE: I will, dad.
HOPE: We'll miss you.
CIARA: I'll miss you guys, too.
BO: Be safe. Love you, kid.
CIARA: I love you, too.
BELLE: Well, enjoy the trip.
BO: Make sure you stop every couple hours.
CIARA: Trust me, dad, I'll remember.
SHAWN-D: Call home whenever you get a chance.
HOPE: Oh, and don't forget to have some fun.
CIARA & CLAIRE: We will!
CLAIRE: We love you guys, too!
CIARA: We'll call and send postcards.
The two girls got into the car and started it up. Just as they were about to back up, the a woman stepped behind the car.
WOMAN: Wait! Stop!
Luckily, the car wasn't going very fast. The girls stopped it and got out.
CLAIRE: What the hell do you think you're doing?
WOMAN: Sorry, Claire, but this was the easiest way to get your attention.
CLAIRE: How do you know my name?
WOMAN: I know a lot more than that about you, Claire.
Sensing a familiarity in the voice, Shawn-D and Belle looked both concerned and shocked.
WOMAN: Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to not only see you, but to see your daddy, as well. I haven't seen any of you in a long, long time. Your daddy's still as sexy as ever, though.
SHAWN-D (under his breath): Oh, no. Not again!
CLAIRE: Who are you? How do you know so much about us?
The woman took off her sunglasses and was revealed.
JAN: My name is Jan Spears. As for how I know you so well, well, Claire Bear, I'm your mother.

*NOTE: This chapter is made up of two chapters of Winter/Reflections

[heroicmuse]

Oh boy... this looks like trouble. Great cliffhanger! And great beginning/refresher to this story. Looking forward to what happens next.

[Kpatch]

I remember this now. Thanks for the refresher. It's cute how everyone was being overly protective of the girls. I hope Jan is just being her crazy self and isn't really Claire's mother.

So can we get a visual of who's playing Claire and Ciara? Is it the new actresses who will be playing them onscreen later this year?

[André DiMera]

Excellent question, Kpatch. At the time of writing Winter/Reflections, I had Shailene Woodley as Claire and Charlie Ray as Ciara. I chose these two because, in my opinion, they looked like what I would guess a teenaged Claire and Ciara would. However, now that we have an actress for Claire, in this story and all stories to come, Claire will be portrayed by Olivia Rose Keegan.


As far as I know, we still do not know who will be playing Ciara when she is SORAS'd. So, for now, I'm going to stick with my original plan, and have her played by Charlie Ray.


Once the actress for teen Ciara is announced, I shall be replacing Charlie Ray with the proper actress.

[fluffysmom]

Thanks for the refresher and the actress info André DiMera.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 2*

OUTSIDE THE BRADY HOUSE
Claire was in shock. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do.
SHAWN-D: Girls, get back in the car. Go on your trip. We'll talk about this soon, I promise.
CLAIRE: I...
SHAWN-D: Please. Just go.
Ciara took Claire's hand.
CIARA: Come on. I'll drive.
Slowly, Ciara walked Claire over to the car. Claire sat down in the passenger's seat. Ciara got into the driver's seat. Jan got out of the way, and the car backed out of the driveway.

CAR
For the first half hour or so of the trip, the two girls sat in silence. One thinking about the massive changes in her life, the other thinking of what to say. It was Ciara who finally broke the silence.
CIARA: You okay?
Claire shook her head.
CIARA: That was really weird, what happened right before we left.
CLAIRE: Yeah.
CIARA: Look, Shawn and my parents have told me about Jan Spears before. And, from what I've heard, she's delusional and super crazy.
CLAIRE: What if she's not, though, Ci? What if she really is my mother?
CIARA: I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before, Bear.
CLAIRE: I mean, mom and dad have mentioned Jan Spears, but they never really talk about her all that much.
CIARA: There's a reason for that.
CLAIRE: Okay, what's the reason?
CIARA: Jan's a psycho. You remember Chloe, right?
CLAIRE: Daniel's wife, yeah.
CIARA: Your parents, Chloe, Philip, Mimi and Jan all went to high school together. While Chloe, Philip, and your parents were more or less friends, Jan was the mean girl in high school. Mimi was friends with your mom, but was bullied by Jan into helping her. Those two tortured Chloe during high school. After a while, Mimi got tired of it, and actually became friends with Chloe. Jan had no interest in being friends, though.
CLAIRE: Wow.
CIARA: Then, they went on a class trip to Puerto Rico. Jan got raped by Nicole Walker's father, and became pregnant. Your dad volunteered to take care of the baby, going so far as to claim that the baby was his.
CLAIRE: Why would he do that?
CIARA: Because your dad thought he saw something good in Jan. He was wrong, but still.
CLAIRE: What happened then?
CIARA: One day, Jan tripped down the stairs and lost the baby. Because your dad was still in love with your mom, Jan blamed it on your mom. After a while, everyone found out the truth, and Jan quietly left town. Something in Jan snapped, though. While she was pregnant, she fell madly in love with your dad. And, I do mean madly. She came back a few years later, kidnapped your dad, kept him locked in a cage, and forced him to be her love slave for months on end.
CLAIRE: That's sick!
CIARA: I know. Eventually, he got free and got back with your mom. But, still, Jan was one of the darkest points in Shawn and Belle's history.
CLAIRE: Oh, great.
CIARA: What I'm saying is, you can't trust a word that Jan says. She's a psycho, who gets off on manipulating people so that she can get to your father. Don't believe a word she says until we get concrete proof.
CLAIRE: Okay, I'll try.
Ciara and Claire took each other's hand and squeezed.

*Note: This chapter is partly made up of two chapters of Winter/Reflections, but is also an expansion on said chapters. It includes newly written material for this story.

[heroicmuse]

I love seeing Ciara and Claire relate to each other, and Claire's confusion over this whole thing. Nice way to include the backstory without making it obvious that's what you're doing!

[Kpatch]

Great use of history and a great way to remind everyone what a maniac Jan is/was.

I never really thought about it before, but Ciara is Claire's aunt. I like their nicknames for each other. Ci and Bear.

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad that Ciara was able to explain how crazy and delusional Jan is.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 3*

CAR
Ciara and Claire had been driving for several hours. They were now well into Wisconsin.
CIARA: Hey, do you mind if we stop for a little bit?
CLAIRE: Sure, that's fine. You okay?
CIARA: I'm just a bit tired, that's all.
CLAIRE: There's a Culver's just up the street. You ready for dinner?
CIARA: Sure. You?
CLAIRE: Totally.
They pulled off the road into the Culver's parking lot.

CULVER'S – SAUK CITY, WISCONSIN
The girls had gotten out of the car, taken a bathroom break, ordered their food and were eating.
CLAIRE: Sauk City. Isn't this the original Culver's?
CIARA: I have no idea.
Claire and Ciara looked up at the Culver's billboard, which proclaimed that the one they were currently at was indeed the very first Culver's.
CIARA & CLAIRE: Whoa!
CLAIRE: That's awesome!
CIARA: For sure!
CLAIRE: So, there's a hotel next door to this place. Do you mind staying for the night? We can head up to the Dells tomorrow morning.
CIARA: Fine by me. You're the one who planned this trip.
CLAIRE: I know. But, I want to do stuff that you want to do, too.
CIARA: And, we will. Like I said, it's cool with me if we stay here.
CLAIRE: Cool.
A little while later, the two had finished their food, and were now eating ice cream cones.
CLAIRE: So, do you feel any better?
CIARA: Much. I was more tired than anything. I just needed to get out for a little while and stretch my legs. I'm worried about you, though. How are you?
Claire shrugged.
CLAIRE: Okay, I guess. I just hate not knowing what's going on, if anything is. All of this waiting is driving me crazy!
CIARA: Call your dad. Ask him what's going on.
CLAIRE: Okay. Good idea.
Claire got out her phone and dialed a number.
CLAIRE: Hi, daddy.
Pause.
CLAIRE: The trip's good so far. We're staying in Sauk City, Wisconsin tonight. We just stopped at the first ever Culver's for dinner.
Pause.
CLAIRE: So, how are you guys? Is there any news?
Pause.
CLAIRE: Oh, okay.
Pause.
CLAIRE: Sure. I'll hang on.
Pause.
CLAIRE (to Ciara): He's got the tests back.
CIARA: Cool. How is he?
CLAIRE (to Ciara): Good, just waiting to find out what it says.
Shawn-D came back on the line.
CLAIRE: Yeah, I'm still here.
Pause.
CLAIRE: Cool, what do they say?
Pause.
CLAIRE: Daddy, what's...
Pause.
CLAIRE: Oh, god.
Claire dropped her phone. Acting quickly, Ciara grabbed it before it hit the ground. Claire got up, threw away her trash and walked back to the car. She was in a state of shock. Ciara walked up behind her.
CIARA: Claire? Claire, what's wrong? What did your dad say?
CLAIRE: The test results are in.
CIARA: And?
CLAIRE: My whole life is a lie. The woman I thought was my mother isn't my mother at all. Jan Spears is my mother.
Ciara wrapped her arms around Claire.

*This chapter is partly made up of two chapters from Winter/Reflections. They have been expanded to feature new material written for this story.