Stolen Years (Read 27,770 times)

[melly]

Ohhhhh Philip. I hope you know what you're doing, dude...this could go badly, badly wrong. What will Nancy's reaction be? And does Philip know that she's in Salem yet?

[fluffysmom]

Melanie, Chloe and Philip in the same house could get very interesting.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 20


Philip was so relieved that he had Melanie on board to help take care of Parker when he’s released. The doctors were expecting to send him home within the week. Philip told Melanie to order whatever medical equipment she needed to get Parker back on his feet. He was over the moon with excitement at the idea of finally having his son living under the same roof with both his parents again. The roof itself may not be ideal, but it was a step in the right direction for sure.

He entered his security code, went through the open wrought iron gates and turned the wheel of the car as he drove up the winding road to the top of the hill, his final stop before going home to Chloe.

“Come in Philip. Your father said you’d be here shortly. Can I get you anything?”

“Thanks, no Henderson.”

Philip walked into the Kiriakis living room.

“Philip, I got your text that you were on your way.” Victor greeted him with a hug. “It’s good to see you. I miss having you under my roof.”

Philip knit his brow, half-expecting a sarcastic barb to come his way next -- expecting his father to say he misses having Philip to kick around -- but none did.

“Thanks Dad. You said there was a package for me from the Department of Defense. I’m kind of anxious to see it.”

Victor walked over to the wall safe, pressed a few keys, and opened the door. He took out a small box, about 5” by 5” and handed it to Philip.

Philip took a seat on the sofa and placed the box on the coffee table in front of him. He reached inside his pocket and used his Swiss Army knife to break the seals on the package. There was a letter inside. He unfolded the letter and read it. Then he set it aside and dug through the box. Slowly, he pulled out a long chain. Dangling from the end of the chain was one of his dog tags, the one that Chloe engraved last year with the words “I love you Philip.” This was the dog tag Philip took from around his neck and pressed into Chloe’s hand the second time he visited her at The Oaks. The other one, the one that said “I love you Chloe” was the one she Fedexed to him at the condo. He took it with him when he left Chicago this morning and he now had both of them in his possession.

“Your dog tags? You’re not dead,” Victor observed.

“Dog tag, singular,” Philip corrected. He picked up the letter that accompanied it and read it out loud. “Dear Lieutenant Kiriakis, This dog tag was found by an employee of The Oaks of Salem. Miss Luisa Ramirez sent it to our Department, hoping we would be able to return it to its owner. Please telephone the number below to confirm your receipt. Or, if you have died, please call and let us know so we can update our records. Sincerely, Sergeant Curtis Mayfield, Administrative Office, Department of Defense.”

“So you lost it on one of your clandestine visits to The Oaks to see Chloe?”

Philip shook his head no. “I wouldn’t call it clandestine, Dad,” he said calmly and quietly. “I needed to see her. I needed her to see me. ... I gave this dog tag to her hoping it would help her remember.” Philip put the chain around his neck and lifted the tag in his hand to read the inscription. “It was one of the souvenirs ... of our friendship, and our love. I gave her one and kept the other.”

“How touching," Victor said sarcastically. "Just where is Chloe these days? Bellevue? Rikers Island?” Philip glared at his father. “By your silence, I presume you’re telling me that you’re not telling me. Not even me, your most trusted ally.”

Philip rubbed his forehead. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Dad. It’s just that the fewer people who know where we are, the better. I’m reachable. You can call me on my cell, just like you’ve been doing.”

Victor nodded. “Perhaps we should change to a safer subject. … I hear Kate has left the country. Justin tells me he’s working on locating her. Funny, I assumed she’d mellow with age, just like I have.”

Philip shook his head no. “Maybe if we ordered a lobotomy or some electroshock treatments, maybe then she’d mellow. Once we find her, Dad....”

“Yes?”

Philip looked at his father. “If I ever come face to face with her again, I don’t know. I just might kill her. ... But....”

“But?”

Philip’s shoulders slumped. “She’s my mother.”

“So what,” Victor said matter-of-factly. “Lizzie Borden was a mother too.”

Philip scowled. “Really? ... Whatever. We’re not talking about Lizzie Borden. We’re talking about Kate Roberts. And frankly, it’s sometimes hard for me to reconcile that the woman who raised me, who I loved, would do something so heinous.”

“That’s Kate for you. Always full of surprises. But, enough about Kate. Tell me, where will my grandson stay when he’s released from the hospital?”

“With me, of course.”

Victor eyed Philip skeptically. “How will I be able to see him if I can’t visit you?”

Philip chuckled and shook his head. “When he’s well enough, I’ll bring him here for a visit. Happy now?”

Victor pursed his lips. “Not happy, but you’re not giving me a choice, so ....”

“How’s Maggie?” Philip changed the subject. “...I mean, since she found out she’s not related to Parker by blood?”

“Ah. She’s disappointed of course, but as long as we get to keep Parker in the family, we can deal with it. ... God help us if he ever turns out to be a Dimera.”

Philip laughed loudly. “No chance.” Then he turned serious again. “What about Daniel? How’s he doing?”

“Exactly the way you’d expect.”

Philip shook his head. “What a mess.” He rose to his feet and placed the letter from the Defense Department in his pants pocket.

“Leaving so soon? I was hoping you’d stay for supper.”

Philip looked at his wrist watch. “Sorry Dad, I can’t. It’s getting late and I’ve been out of town for a couple days. I’m anxious to get back to Chloe.”

“I understand,” Victor said. “Well, not really. It’s hard to fathom why anyone gives a damn about that sl--.” Philip’s angry stare caused Victor to back down. “Do as you must. Just be cautious, son.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

[MrsM]

Wow. Victor bit his tongue concerning Chloe. Has hell frozen over??

[melly]

Oh, good old Victor. At least he's supportive of Philip.

Love the letter from DoD--if you've died, please call to let us know. Perfect!

So Justin's looking for Kate....hope he finds her soon! I think we all want her to have to answer for what she's done!

[fluffysmom]

LOL at if you died please contact us.

This is classic Victor. I can envision the entire conversation. I'm not a bit surprised Kate has left the country.

[Kpatch]

Thanks a million for reading and commenting everyone. As a reward, tune in Saturday for a bonus chapter featuring Nancy and Craig!

[melly]

NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG! NANCY AND CRAIG!

You know, I like Nancy and Craig.

[Kpatch]

Chapter 20b


As he drove to his meeting, Craig wished that he didn’t have to be away from home tonight of all nights -- Nancy’s first night back in Salem. A fellow doctor who was a good friend found out Craig was in Salem and he called his cell, asking Craig to join a health care team that was puzzled about a child’s symptoms. He thought about Parker and he couldn’t say no, but at the time he agreed to consult, he didn’t know that Nancy would be coming or that Philip would be returning from an out-of-town trip, a recipe for potentially the perfect storm.

Craig worried about what would happen between Nancy and Philip without him there to play referee. He had promised Philip that he’d keep Nancy in check, but the woman was completely inflexible. Once she had her mind made up, there was no changing it, no matter what. Funny that Philip was just as stubborn as Nancy. Philip wouldn’t give up on Chloe, not this time.

Throughout their marriage, Craig and Nancy were typically on the same page about most issues that arose. But once in a while when they disagreed, oooh it got ugly. As crazy as he was about his wife, her stubborn streak sometimes drove him to distraction. Craig learned that he had to be the one to back down in order to keep the peace, because Nancy never would.

But she was wrong about Philip. Her ideas about him were set in stone years ago and would never change. Craig, on the other hand, felt like he understood Philip. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he liked the guy, but he got him.

Still, it was hard to get past the fact that Philip threw Chloe and Parker out of his life when he thought Parker wasn’t his. It was obvious he regretted that move, and deep-down, Craig felt a little sorry for him. Philip clearly loved Chloe and would do anything for her, and Craig figured that made him Chloe’s best chance at recovering. Craig was well aware that Philip's motives weren't completely unselfish, he wanted her back. Philip was a good father to Parker, but as a husband, he'd failed miserably so far. Craig firmly believed that Daniel was a better choice for Chloe than Philip, but he also knew that the heart wants what the heart wants, and if Philip could make Chloe happy, then that's all that mattered. 

But Craig couldn’t make Nancy see that. No, she viewed Philip as the enemy, which is the reason Craig chose to keep her in the dark about Kate’s involvement in Chloe’s condition. Nancy would go ballistic, and considering her age and risk factors, he feared for her blood pressure.

Even without all the facts, her tirade started almost as soon as she walked through the door this afternoon....

~~~~~~~

Craig greeted Nancy at the front door with a long wet kiss. “Oh baby, until this minute, I didn’t even realize how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too, sweetheart. New York is a lonely city without you.” Moving out of his embrace, Nancy looked around the living room. “Where’s Chloe? Upstairs?”

“In her old bedroom,” Craig nodded. “What’s wrong?”

Nancy pursed her lips. “Why didn’t you pick me up at the airport like we planned? You know how much I hate taking taxis. Those drivers are so lecherous.”

“I know, and I’m sorry about that, sweetheart,” Craig said sincerely. “But Philip won’t be home until later tonight, and I couldn’t leave Chloe alone.”

“Home??” Nancy latched onto the word. “What do you mean Philip won’t be home?”

Craig looked away. “Um. I mean he’s not here.” He picked up Nancy’s suitcase and moved it closer to the staircase. “He had to go out of town.”

“Just so we’re clear,” she sneered, “this is not Philip’s home.”

“Of course. You’re right, Nancy, but I told you, he’s staying here.”

“You mean he was staying here,” Nancy emphasized. “He’s not needed anymore now that I’m home. Call him and tell him not to come back.”

Craig chuckled mildly. “I can’t do that, sweetheart. I mean, I can try, but I know Philip and he’s determined to stay by Chloe’s side while she recovers.”

“Ha! He didn’t stay by her side before, now did he? Why should he stay with her now? He’s the whole reason my baby's in this condition. He kicked her and Parker to the curb as soon as he found out that my grandson doesn’t have a drop of Kiriakis blue blood in him. And now he wants her back?? Now that he has some trumped-up proof that Parker is his?? That is unacceptable. Chloe belongs with Daniel and we both know it! Philip's an elitist phony and I don’t want my daughter having anything to do with him, even if Parker is his son, and I’m still not convinced he is. I want to see a DNA report.”

“Sweetheart, sweetheart, take a breath.” Craig put his arms around Nancy. “The most important thing right now is seeing our daughter and grandson healthy, right?” He leaned away and touched Nancy’s chin. “Well?” Nancy reluctantly nodded. “That’s more like it. Look, sweetheart, I know how you feel about Philip, but there’s no denying that he’s devoting all his time and energy to helping Chloe and ....”

Nancy backed away from Craig and scowled at her husband. “What’s going on here? Is he your new best friend? I don’t want that man devoting any time and energy to Chloe. Is that understood?”

Craig smiled wryly and sighed. “Nancy, I don’t want to argue with you. You just got home. Look, go upstairs. Go see Chloe. Unpack. Relax. We’ll talk more about this later.” Craig looked at his watch. “I’ve been asked to consult on a case with a group of doctors tonight...”

“Tonight??”

“I know. I wish it wasn’t tonight, but it’s the only time all the doctors on the health care team can meet, and now that you’re here, you can stay with Chloe while I’m out.” He put his arms around Nancy again. “Look, honey, we’ll have plenty of time together while you’re here, and I don’t want to waste any of it fighting about Philip, okay?”

[MrsM]

Hahahahaha!! Love Nancy and Craig together!!!

[fluffysmom]

Kpatch - you captured Nancy and Craig perfectly. Nancy's reactions are spot on. I agree that Nancy and Philip are both stubborn. I wish they could find common ground. But I don't see that happening.

[melly]

Yayayayayayayayayayay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's nice to see these two together again! I have always loved the way they play off each other and the way their personalities complement each other.

What an awesome start to the weekend!

Ps. Watch out, Philip!

[wendylou]

Kind of funny that Nancy thinks Phillip is an elitist. She's pretty snooty herself. I'm afraid Phillip is going to have a much harder time getting close to Chloe now that Nancy is around.

[gapeach]

Thanks for the bonus chapter. Monday is going to full of fireworks!!

[Kpatch]

Chapter 21


Finally home. Philip was emotionally exhausted by the time he arrived at the front door to Craig’s house. There was only one thing that would bring energy back into his tired psyche and that was holding Chloe in his arms. He couldn’t wait to see her, knowing she was just on the other side of the door.

He put the key in the lock of the door to Craig’s house and turned it. He twisted the knob, but the door didn’t move. Hmmm. Key fits in the lock. Why isn’t the door opening? Someone must have latched the deadbolt. That’s a good idea. Extra security, he thought.

He rang the bell. “Hello. It’s me.” Philip listened and waited for an answer. He heard voices inside but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He knocked on the door and he thought he heard someone saying, “Serves him right.”

Finally he heard the door being unlocked. But instead of a friendly homecoming, he was hit with what looked like a twisted version of Back to the Future. Nancy Wesley opened the door and blocked his way. He could see Brady sitting on the sofa with his arms around Chloe as if they were born that way, two peas in an old comfy pod.

The sight made Philip sick. He was gone for all of two days. Chloe practically begged him not to go. Hell, she was ready to make love to him before he put the brakes on, and now here she was, lying in Brady’s arms looking like she’d never been happier. What the hell happened?

“What do you want?” Nancy crossed her arms across her chest and looked at Philip with disdain.

Philip inched around her to get into the house. “Nice to see you Nancy,” he lied. “Where’s Craig?”

“He’s out, not that my husband's whereabouts are any of your business. I repeat. What are you doing here?”

Philip looked over at Brady and Chloe. It was like a train wreck that he couldn’t avert his eyes from. “Last time I checked, I live here,” he said defiantly.

Nancy scoffed. “Uh uh. I don’t think so. Have you been drinking?”

Brady got up from the couch. “Come on, Nancy, give him a break.” Brady gestured toward the sofa. “We’re watching Sound of Music. Want to join us?”

Philip looked over at Chloe. “Have some popcorn,” she said smiling, holding up a bowl.

No, not “Back to the Future.” More like “Twilight Zone” meets “Leave it to Beaver,” Philip thought to himself. Gone two fricking days and Brady slides right in and steals his place. Again. The sinking feeling was all too familiar.

He shook his head no to the popcorn. “Um. No. Thanks, but ...” He couldn’t stand being in this room another minute. He felt physically ill. “I’m gonna go upstairs and change my clothes.” He looked back toward the front door. “I have some boxes in the car ...” He looked at Nancy and decided she would lock him out again if he went to the car to get the boxes he brought back from Chicago. “Nevermind. I’ll get them tomorrow.”

“We ordered a couple pizzas for dinner,” Brady said, friendly as could be. “You’re welcome to eat with us.”

Note to self, must buy stock in Dominos Pizza. That’s all anyone eats around here. As Philip ascended the stairs, he looked back at Brady and Chloe, once again nestled together on the sofa. “No thanks,” Philip answered. “I lost my appetite.”