The Melaswen Paradox (Read 329,425 times)

[André DiMera]

Chapter 544

HOPE & AIDEN’S HOUSE
Ciara, Claire (whose guitar was strapped to her back), Chase and Trix walked into the backyard. Several people were already there.
CIARA: Hi, everyone!
Hope walked over to Ciara and hugged her.
HOPE: Welcome home, sweetheart.
CIARA: Thanks.
HOPE: Good to see you, Trix.
TRIX: You too, Mrs. Jennings.
HOPE: Claire, Chase, welcome back home.
CLAIRE: Thanks, Grandma.
CHASE: Good to see you, too, Hope.
Hope hugged Claire and Chase.
STEVE: So, how’s fatherhood treatin’, Maximilian?
MAX: It’s going really great! I mean, sure, there are challenges, but I love getting to spend as much time as I can with little Isaac.
SHAWN-D: So, where’s my little nephew?
CHELSEA: He’s being passed back and forth between his grandmothers. You’ll probably see him with either Mom, Hope, Grandma or Julie. .
SHAWN-D: That’s good. How’re you doing, Chels?
CHELSEA: I’m good. I’m glad Belle and Hope were able to help put all this together. I know little Isaac is just turning a year old and probably doesn’t know exactly what’s going on, but I hope he has a good birthday.
SHAWN-D: I’m sure he is.
CHELSEA: I just...I wish Dad got to meet him, you know?
SHAWN-D: I know. So do I. But, Dad is always with us.
Shawn-D and Chelsea hugged.
STEVE: Been meaning to ask, little dude, how’s your sis doing?
Max sighed.
MAX: She’s okay, I guess. Marlena says she’s making progress, and I’ve been up a few times to see her. At least last time, she recognized me.
STEVE: Well, that’s a good start. Believe me, it takes a long time for that stuff to come back after what DiMera did to her. I know that better than anyone.
Max nodded.
CLAIRE: Isaac is so adorable!
CIARA: He is, yeah. Hey, don’t you occasionally babysit him?
CLAIRE: I did during the summer when Max and Chelsea wanted a night out. But, since school started, I haven’t really been able to. I hope to again soon, though.
CIARA: That’d be good.
Stephanie walked into the backyard.
STEPHANIE: Sorry I’m late.
CHELSEA: Steph!
STEPHANIE: Chels!
Stephanie and Chelsea ran to each other and hugged.
CHELSEA: You didn’t tell me you were coming!
STEPHANIE: Well, I wanted it to be a surprise. But, come on, as if I would miss my favorite nephew/godson’s first birthday.
CHELSEA: I’m glad you came!
MAX: We’ll bring him back in a minute, I promise, Chelsea just wants us to make an announcement.
BILLIE: All right, if you insist.
Billie handed Isaac over to Max. Isaac cooed happily.
MAX: Come on, little dude. You, me and Mommy are gonna say hi to some people.
Chelsea and Max, holding Isaac, went to the front of the yard.
MAX: Can we have everyone’s attention, please?
Everyone turned to look at Max and Chelsea.
CHELSEA: We just want to thank you all so much for coming today. It means a lot to us that you all came to celebrate little Isaac’s first birthday.
MAX: And now, it’s time for that old birthday tradition. Claire, if you could give us a note to start off, please?
Claire played a few notes on her guitar, then the entire backyard rang out in a chorus of “Happy Birthday”. Afterwards, everyone clapped.
CHELSEA: Hey, big guy. Mommy and Daddy and everyone else love you so much!
MAX: Happy birthday, little dude!
Max and Chelsea kissed Isaac.

[heroicmuse]

So far this is a really nice party. Can't wait to see more of it.

Great chapter André DiMera

[Kpatch]

Nice to see everyone. I've always loved Steve's relationship with Max.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 545

HOPE & AIDEN’S HOUSE
Theo walked over to Chelsea, who was holding Isaac. .
THEO: Hello, Chelsea.
CHELSEA: Theo! Hey, buddy! How’re you doing?
THEO: I am good. How are you?
CHELSEA: I’m great! I’m glad you came to the party.
THEO: I hope Isaac has a good birthday.
CHELSEA: He is. Did you want to hold him?
THEO: No thank you.
CHELSEA: Okay. Hey, little guy. This is your Uncle Theo.
THEO: I am not Isaac’s uncle.
CHELSEA: No, I know. Not biologically, anyway. But, you’re one of my friends, and I’ve known you since you were little. And as long as we’re in town, even if you aren’t his biological uncle, I’d like it if Isaac thought of you as one. Would it be okay with you if little Isaac called you his uncle even though you aren’t?
Theo thought for a moment.
THEO: That would be fine.
CHELSEA: Thank you, Theo.
THEO: I would like to give you a hug, but I do not want to squish Isaac.
CHELSEA: That’s okay. Come over on this side.
Chelsea moved Isaac over to one of her arms and hugged Theo with the other.
DAVID: I was always more of a Honda guy, myself.
STEVE: Well, those are good machines, if you know how to work ‘em. You still ride?
DAVID: Nah. After that last accident, it kind of put me off. Besides, if I even thought about it, Julie’d kill me.
STEVE: I gotcha.
DAVID: What about you?
STEVE: Yeah, I ride from time to time. The P.I. business keeps me pretty busy, though. Plus, I like spending time with Kay.
David nodded.
DAVID: Makes sense.
STEPHANIE: Have I mentioned how adorable my godson is? Obviously, he gets it from me.
CHELSEA: Obviously.
Stephanie and Chelsea laughed.
STEPHANIE: So, how’s Max?
CHELSEA: Max is good. We’re enjoying parenthood, and helping Grandma Caroline run the Pub.
STEPHANIE: Awesome.
CHELSEA: So what about you?
STEPHANIE: What do you mean?
CHELSEA: You know. Any guys I should know about?
STEPHANIE: None worth mentioning. I keep thinking one’s it, but then something happens.
CHELSEA: I’m sure you’ll find the right one, Steph. When it’s the right time.
STEPHANIE: I know. Believe me, I’m not in any hurry.
Max and Frankie hugged.
MAX: Glad you made it out, bro.
FRANKIE: Of course! I wouldn’t miss my neephew’s first birthday. When Chels called and said you guys were throwing him a party, I knew I had to come.
MAX: I’m glad you did.
CHELSEA: You know, little guy, you’re named after two very important people. Two of great guys.
HOPE: He is, indeed.
Chelsea looked up. Hope put an arm around her.
HOPE: How’re you doing, honey?
CHELSEA: I’m good. I’m so glad everyone’s here for little Isaac’s first birthday! Well, almost everyone.
Hope nodded.
HOPE: Hey, you know they loved you so much. And I have no doubt that Bo and Zack are looking out for you and little Isaac, and all of us, and they’re smiling at their beautiful family.
CHELSEA: Thanks, Hope. I needed to hear that.
Hope and Chelsea hugged.

[heroicmuse]

I love all these family reunion and family interactions. This part6 is amazing so far.

I like that you captured Theo's autism so well.

Great chapter@andredimera

[Kpatch]

I was hoping we'd see Frankie!

[André DiMera]

Chapter 546

HOPE & AIDEN’S HOUSE
Claire and Chase sat under a tree, playing with Isaac. Joey walked over.
JOEY: Hey, guys.
CHASE: Hey, dude.
CLAIRE: Hi.
Joey watched as Claire and Chase continued to play with Isaac.
JOEY: You’re really good with him.
CLAIRE: Thanks. I love kids.
CHASE: So do I.
JOEY: Kids are cool. Except when you get blackmailed into saying one’s yours.
CHASE: Well, thankfully, you got away from that situation.
CLAIRE: Yeah. You ever hear from Jade anymore?
JOEY: Nope. Last time I heard from her was a few days after graduation. She claimed she was leaving town. Haven’t seen her since then, so I assume she did.
CHASE: Gotcha.
JOEY: You guys ever think about having kids?
CLAIRE: Nope. I mean, not yet. We’ve only just started college, after all. We’re nowhere near ready for parenthood.
CHASE: Exactly.
JOEY: Yeah, that makes sense.
Aiden came up to Hope and gave her a hug.
HOPE: Hello there, Mr. Jennings.
Hope and Aiden kissed.
AIDEN: I must say, Commissioner Brady, you have outdone yourself. This is a fantastic party.
HOPE: Well, I can’t take all the credit. Belle and Chelsea did a lot of the work.
AIDEN: Yeah, but I can tell where some of your handiwork has been graced upon this event.
HOPE: I’m just glad Chelsea and Max are happy, and that their son is healthy and happy. And that I have the most amazing man in the world by my side.
AIDEN: Well, isn’t that a coincidence, because I am happy to have the strongest, smartest, most amazing woman by my side.
Hope and Aiden kissed again.
SCOTTY: So, just out of curiosity, what’s this big announcement you’ve got planned?
Kayla smiled.
KAYLA: Nice try, Scotty. You’re not the first, and I’m sure you won’t be the last person to try and get the details out of me. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
SCOTTY: Well, can’t blame me for trying.
Scotty and Kayla chuckled.
KAYLA: How’s your father?
SCOTTY: Dad’s good. He’s actually enjoying staying in Salem, and he and Grandma are mostly getting along. He’s actually at the party. I saw him earlier talking to Steve.
KAYLA: That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.
Jennifer walked over to the cooler, where Frankie was getting a soda.
JENNIFER: Frankie.
FRANKIE: Jennifer, hi. How are you?
JENNIFER: Good. I’m good. You?
FRANKIE: Good. Good to see you.
JENNIFER: You too.
FRANKIE: How are the kids?
JENNIFER: Oh, they’re great. Abigail and Chad are over there playing with Thomas and Isaac, and J.J. and Paige are with Claire and Chase practicing music. What about you, though? How’s D.C.?
FRANKIE: It’s really good. I love working out there. Still, it’s nice to get home for a few days, catch up with everybody. You look like you’re doing well.
JENNIFER: Thank you, so do you.
Ciara walked over and handed a water bottle to Trix
TRIX: Cheers.
CIARA: No problem. So, how’re you liking the party so far?
TRIX: It’s nice. Your family’s awesome, you know? I love that they get together for holidays and birthdays and stuff like that.
CIARA: Yeah, they’re pretty cool.
Steve walked over to the girls.
CIARA: Speaking of cool…
STEVE: Hey, Doodlebug. Koala Girl.
TRIX: Doodlebug?
CIARA: It’s nickname I’ve had since I was a baby. I’ll explain later. Hey, Uncle Steve.
TRIX: Hi.
STEVE: How’s college life for you, ladies?
TRIX: Pretty good, so far.
STEVE: Excellent. Glad to hear that. Say, Koala Girl, do you mind if I borrow your lady love for a few minutes?
TRIX: Sure, that’s fine.
STEVE: Cool.
Ciara followed Steve.
CIARA: So, Uncle Steve, where’re we going?
STEVE: You’ll see in a minute. I’ve got a surprise for you.
CIARA: A surprise?
STEVE: Don’t worry, I think you’ll like it.

BAYVIEW SANITARIUM
PHILIP: Wow. That, uh, that wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.
MELANIE: You didn’t like it?
PHILIP: No, I did. I just...do you remember anything about our past?
MELANIE: I remember that you saved me. You got me away from the DiMera’s, and finally made me see that André isn’t my father.
PHILIP: Yeah, but before that, I mean. Do you have any memory of us besides that?
Melanie shrugged.
MELANIE: Occasionally, I get little flashes of memory. It’s nowhere near a complete picture, though. I do have a few memories. Apparently when you first showed up at the DiMera Mansion looking like Peter Blake, that wasn’t the first time I threw muffins at you.
Philip chuckled slightly.
PHILIP: No, it wasn’t.
MELANIE: I don’t remember the context of that, though. It’s like I get these little pieces of a puzzle, but half of them are missing.
PHILIP: Gotcha.
Marlena’s phone went off.
MARLENA: Excuse me, I have another patient to check on here. Will you two be okay if I’m gone for a few minutes?
Melanie’s eyes narrowed.
MELANIE: I’m not a child. I can be trusted with a guy around.
MARLENA: That’s not at all what I meant.
PHILIP: I’m sure we’ll be fine, Marlena.
MARLENA: All right, then. I’ll be back.
Marlena walked out of the room. Melanie sighed.
MELANIE: Sorry about that. I just get so frustrated not being able to remember my life. My real life, I mean. The one that André DiMera stole from me.
PHILIP: I’m sure. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like. I wish there was some way I could help you.
MELANIE: Maybe there is.
PHILIP: What do you mean?
MELANIE: Well, like I said, I keep getting flashes of memory, but they don’t always add up. Maybe if I started describing a few of them, you could help me out on what they mean. What the context for that memory is.
PHILIP: Well, I only knew you for a few years, but I’ll do my best.
MELANIE: The thing is, I can tell you’re someone important to me. Don’t ask me how, I just have this feeling. This feeling like somehow, we’re right.
PHILIP: I see.
MELANIE: So, in one of my memories, you’re wearing a really fancy suit, and I’m wearing a gorgeous white dress. And we’re not, like, in a church or anything, but it’s a really fancy room, and there’s a lot of people there.
PHILIP: Go on.
MELANIE: What I’m trying to get at is, is the reason I get this feeling that you’re so important to me that...are we married?

[heroicmuse]

Interesting that Melanie has a fragmented memory of her wedding to Philip. I'm curious as to where this is going.

I wonder what Steve's surprise for Ciara is.

Good to see Frankie. Wonder what he's been up to in DC that he isn't saying.

I hope that Claire and Chase use protection if they have sex since they know they're not ready to have kids.

Great chapter André DiMera

[Kpatch]

No Mel, you're not, but you were.

Wonder what Kayla's big announcement is.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 547

BAYVIEW SANITARIUM
PHILIP: Wow. Hard question.
MELANIE: Shouldn’t be that hard.
PHILIP: We were married, but now, we’re not.
MELANIE: Oh.
Melanie sighed.
MELANIE: Why aren’t we married anymore?
Philip’s phone buzzed. He looked at it.
PHILIP: My god. I...I’ve gotta go.
MELANIE: Is everything okay?
PHILIP: I really need to go. Melanie, I’m sorry. I’ll explain everything later, I promise.
Philip gave Melanie’s hand a squeeze and walked out.
MELANIE: Oh, okay then…
Melanie laid back down on her bed.

BEHIND THE BRADY PUB
Ciara and Steve walked behind the Pub.
CIARA: Um, Uncle Steve, what are we doing out here?
STEVE: Hold your horses there, Doodlebug. All will be revealed in a minute.
They walked another minute or so, until they came to a shed.
STEVE: Well, here we are.
CIARA: It’s a shed.
Steve chuckled slightly.
STEVE: Nothin’ gets passed you, does it, ‘bug? Stand right there for a second.
Steve walked over to the shed.
STEVE: As I’m sure you know, me and your dad were brothers, in more than one sense. He’s one of the best guys I ever knew. Well, when we knew his time was gettin’ close to the end, he pulled me aside one day and asked me for a favor. I kept this baby since then. Meant to give it to you when you graduated, but it wasn’t quite ready yet. I had to do some work on it to get it in good enough shape for you.
Steve opened the door of the shed. He and Ciara walked inside.
STEVE: Like, I said, this was your dad’s. I held onto it for a while. Well, now it’s yours.
Steve pulled a sheet off of an object in the middle of the shed, revealing Bo’s motorcycle.

SALEM UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
The next morning, most of the staff of the hospital had gathered in one of the meeting rooms. Kayla stood at one end of the room. She cleared her throat, and everyone quieted down.
KAYLA: Thank you. Thank you all for coming. It’s so good to see you all here this morning. Now, I know we all have patients to attend to, so I’ll make this as brief as possible. As you all know, the holidays are coming up. And, with them, comes the time for fundraising. Well, after speaking with Father Louis, he and I have agreed on a way to help. University Hospital is teaming up with St. Luke’s, and we are putting on a Halloween masquerade dance. The proceeds, made mostly by tickets, or by donations, will be distributed evenly between the food pantry, the homeless shelter, and the Horton Center. The dance will be on Halloween night, and it is open to the public, so you’re all able to bring your significant other or a date. Remember, though, this is a masquerade dance, so make sure to bring your favorite mask.
DAVID (thinking): A Halloween dance, huh? Maybe this is my chance to finally work up to asking Carly out.

[heroicmuse]

Ooh... a Halloween dance! This should be fun. I hope David doesn't mistake someone else for Carly under the mask. LOL

YAY! Awesome surprise, much better than what's been done with that bike on the show.

I wonder who called Philip.

Great chapter André DiMera! Will there be previews?

[Kpatch]

Philip was literally saved by the bell, or buzzing phone.

The fundraiser sounds like fun!

Is "doodlebug" what Bo called Ciara?

[André DiMera]

Thanks for reading and commenting, everyone!

---

Next week...

Ciara gets to experience her present from Steve.
CIARA: This is so awesome!

But first, Steve lays down some ground rules.
STEVE: Sound cool?

Meanwhile, has Hope made any progress in finding Emmy and Jade's aunt?
HOPE: What've you got for me?

And who called Philip?
PHILIP: What the hell are you doing here?

All this and more next week on THE MELASWEN PARADOX!

[heroicmuse]

I'm so excited to see Ciara ride the bike. I assume Steve is laying down some safety rules which I hope she will follow.

I wonder what Hope will find out about the search for Emmy. And I really want to know who called Philip!

Thanks for the previews André DiMera.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 548

SALEM UNIVERSITY
Ciara sat at a table in the cafeteria. Trix walked up and sat across from her.
TRIX: Hey.
CIARA: Morning.
Trix and Ciara kissed.
TRIX: How’d you sleep?
CIARA: Okay. But I’d have rather been with you.
TRIX: I know. So would I. But, we both agreed that we had to be a bit more careful so we don’t have a repeat of the other morning.
CIARA: Yeah, I know.
TRIX: So, you never ended up telling me what happened last night.
CIARA: What do you mean?
TRIX: Well, you were at the party most of the night, then your uncle pulled you aside, and by the time you got back, I had to go back to the dorms.
CIARA: Oh, that. Well...

SHED - FLASHBACK
Steve pulled a sheet off of an object in the middle of the shed, revealing Bo’s old motorcycle.
STEVE: Ta da!
Ciara gasped.
CIARA: Is...is this what I think it is?
STEVE: You better believe it. This baby used to belong to your dad. Before he passed, he told me to give it to you when you were old enough to drive.
CIARA: This is so cool!
STEVE: I’m glad you like it.
CIARA: Can we try it out now?
Steve chuckled.
STEVE: Whoa, now. Hold your horses, ‘bug. Before we just jump on and ride like the wind, we gotta go over a few ground rules.
Ciara sighed.
CIARA: Of course. Okay, let’s hear it.
STEVE: First off, you gotta have a license for this puppy.
CIARA: I already have my driver’s license, Uncle Steve.
STEVE: That’s nice, but you’ve gotta get your motorcycle license. A couple years ago, the state put in some laws saying anyone’s got a motorcycle, they need a special license to drive it. Second, I don’t want you trying to do any fancy tricks with this thing until you’ve been riding for a good long while. It looks fun on TV, but in real life, it’s a whole different ball game. Third, once you do have your license, you can drive as much as you want, but, and I talked to your mama about this so there’s no point in asking her, we’d prefer if you didn’t drive anyone under 18, just so everyone’s an adult. Also, wear your helmet. I know it’s not a 100 percent guarantee that you’ll be safe in an accident, but your mama and I would feel better if you were wearing it. Now, until you do have your license, I’ll be teaching you how to ride. That sound good?
CIARA: Sure. As long as I’m eventually able to drive it, I’ll do whatever I need.
STEVE: All right, then.
Steve picked up a helmet and handed it to Ciara.
STEVE: You ready to test this baby out?
CIARA: Ready!
STEVE: Hop on, then.
Ciara smiled and put her helmet on as Steve put his on. Steve got on first and gestured for Ciara to get on.
STEVE: Put your arms around my waist.
Ciara put her arms around Steve. Steve started up the bike. A chill went down Ciara’s back at the purr of the engine.
STEVE: Hold on tight, Doodlebug.
A moment later, the motorcycle roared into life and started off. As she and Steve rose down the Salem country roads, Ciara couldn’t help but feel like someone else was with them. She thought she could almost hear a familiar song, though it sounded slightly different now.
CLICK HERE to listen to it.