The Melaswen Paradox (Read 329,682 times)

[heroicmuse]

I hope Ciara is all right!

What a sad story. Tommy was really just trying to do the right thing.

Great chapter André DiMera.

[Kpatch]

I can't believe Gina shot Ciara! Wow.

[mae00]

Boy, Tommy really got himself into a mess there. I'm glad that he was able to get himself out of it before getting in so deep that he couldn't get out of it.

John and especially Steve sure seem awful calm after Ciara being shot. I would have expected Steve to be a little more upset.

[tghca]

If Tommy went to prison for 20 years in the 80s then that would bring us to the early 2000s at least so then what was he doing in the time frame of the 2000s to now present day that he could have come back to Salem but chose not to?

Him missing his father's funeral would make sense since he was in prison in the 90s but surely he could have made it to his brother Mickey's funeral in 2009 or even to his mother's funeral in 2010 but didn't

Tommy feeling ashamed and feeling like he didn't belong in his own family I guess makes sense especially after everything he went through

Hope just shot her own daughter...but it isn't Hope...this is Princess Gina...Hope has no idea what she is doing she is being brainwashed...she's being programmed into being Gina again and Andre I am sure probably wiped out Hope's memories of being herself and he probably has those memories on a DVD disk of some kind or on a flash drive

So Hope has no memories of her life or her loved ones because she thinks she's someone else so her going after Ciara makes sense

Aiden is just lucky he wasn't the one shot

John and Steve are acting awfully calm after Ciara was just shot

[André DiMera]

Chapter 609

SALEM UNIVERSITY
ALANIS: Maddox and I have been best friends since...forever. We first met when we were in kindergarten. He was the only boy I didn’t think was “yucky” at the time. And to him, I was the only girl who didn’t have “cooties”. We became best friends quickly, and were practically inseparable. I grew to love him. And, in his own way, he grew to love me, too. Then, we hit puberty. That was a rough time for me. That was when I started getting these feelings, of either being so happy that my thoughts are racing constantly, or being really, really down. But Maddox stood by me, even when things got really dark. He always made me feel like everything might be okay, even when I didn’t really think it would. He’s good at that, talking to people. Helping them feel okay. So, like I said, I fell in love with him. Only, he couldn’t love me back. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, he’s told me that he does. He just can’t. He says he doesn’t feel that way about anyone. But, he would sometimes let me hold his hand or hug him. He even lets me pretend I’m his girlfriend sometimes. We never get intimate, or anything, but it’s nice. It sounds stupid, but it kinda makes me feel better.
CLAIRE: That’s not stupid. It sounds kind of sweet, in a way.
ALANIS: Well, there you go. That’s me and Maddox.
Alanis looked down again.
CLAIRE: Have you ever thought about maybe talking to someone about your feelings?
ALANIS: I talk to Mads about them all the time. And, I just told you everything.
CLAIRE: That’s not exactly what I meant.
ALANIS: I know. And yeah, I’ve tried. My parents put me through all kinds of therapy when I was a kid. But all the therapists wanted to do was put me on some pill that made me feel like a zombie. Then I wasn’t ever happy or sad, I just sort of existed, and I don’t wanna go through that again.
CLAIRE: I see.
ALANIS: So, this is me.
There was a knock on the door, and then Chase walked in.
CHASE: Hey.
CLAIRE: Hey. This kinda isn’t a great time.
CHASE: You’re telling me.
CLAIRE: What?
CHASE: We need to get to the hospital, ASAP. Ciara’s...she’s been hurt.
CLAIRE: Oh my gosh! Is she okay?
CHASE: I have no idea. My dad, John and Steve are on their way to the hospital.
Claire put a hand on Alanis’ shoulder.
CLAIRE: I’ll be right back.
ALANIS: It’s fine. Go be with your friend. I’m fine.
Claire could tell that Alanis was lying. She squeezed her shoulder and walked out of the room with Chase.
CLAIRE: Do you know Maddox’s number?
CHASE: Yeah, he gave it to me a couple weeks after we moved in. Why?
CLAIRE: I was right that something was wrong with Alanis, but it wasn’t anything like I thought. Long story short, she’s not doing so great, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone right now.
CHASE: I’ll text him. And then we need to go.
Chase got out his phone and sent a message.
CLAIRE: Chase, you mentioned Aiden, Ciara, Grandpa John and Uncle Steve. What about Grandma Hope?
CHASE: I don’t know. Dad didn’t mention Hope. He said he would explain later.
A minute later, Maddox walked up.
MADDOX: You guys are lucky that I was a few hallways down. What’s going on?
CLAIRE: It’s Alanis. She and I just had a long talk about...things. Look, I need to go because my cousin’s been in an accident, but I don’t want her to be alone, because-
MADDOX: Let me guess, the switch flipped.
CLAIRE: If that’s what you wanna call it, sure.
MADDOX: I’ll take care of it.
Maddox went into the room, sat down next to Alanis and put an arm around her, while Chase and Claire walked down the hallway.
CLAIRE: Now, what’s going on with Ciara?
CHASE: According to my Dad, she’s been shot.
CLAIRE: What? By who? Does Grandma Hope know?
CHASE: That’s the bit that confuses me. My Dad didn’t mention Hope being there when it happened, but as he was hanging up, I heard him say something about someone looking like Hope.
Claire took a deep breath.
CLAIRE: I really hope she’s okay!
CHASE: She will be, I’m sure of it.
Chase put his arm around Claire as they walked down the hall.

HORTON CENTER
ERIC: You’re sure?
GRETA: As sure as I can be, without seeing Hope for myself.
Eric sighed.
ERIC: I knew she wasn’t herself at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I thought maybe it was because she was missing Grandma Caroline.
GRETA: You lost your grandmother? Eric, I’m so sorry. Caroline was so sweet to me whenever I came into the Brady Pub.
ERIC: I appreciate you saying that. Thank you. So, going back to your father-
GRETA: It’s not important.
ERIC: It is, though. Greta, if you know who your father is, and he’s in Salem...he is in Salem, right?
GRETA: He is. But, I think that the more important thing right now is Hope, and getting her snapped out of this delusion of being my mother for once and for all. It’s bad enough that Stefano stole so much of my mother and Hope’s lives without him doing it again.
ERIC: I agree. Except, it can’t be Stefano who brainwashed Hope this time. He died nearly three years ago.
GRETA: He’s gone? Thank god! Sorry, I know you used to be a priest. I hope you don’t mind that I won’t exactly be shedding any tears over Stefano DiMera’s death.
ERIC: I don’t blame you. Though I believe that all life is sacred, there are some things people do that even I think are unforgivable, and I know that Stefano has done his fair share of them.
GRETA: So if it wasn’t Stefano who brainwashed Hope, who was it?

[Kpatch]

Greta figured it out. I'm glad someone did!

[heroicmuse]

I'm glad the truth is out about Alanis. And that Claire told Maddox. Alanis needs to see a psychiatrist and get on a lower dose of medication that won't make her feel like a zombie.

I hope Ciara will be okay. I wonder if Greta has a plan and what it is.

Great chapter André DiMera

[mae00]

I'm so glad that Alanis opened up to Claire about things. And that Maddox was close by so that Claire could go to the hospital without additional worry.

I'm starting to think that Greta's father is John. So glad that she figured it out. And if they can't put 2 & 2 together to get Andre, then I'm gonna need them to quit drinking the Salem water.

[tghca]

Alanis is bipolar and bipolar disorder is a really serious disorder. Of course it can be treated but I am glad that you at least are making us aware of it by giving the character bipolar because it adds a whole other layer a depth to the character if you will. With her being bipolar she not only has to take medication for the rest of her life but also if she even goes off of her meds even once she could be subject to a breakdown or even lash out in other ways by violently going after people or even taking it out on herself too. I mean it is a serious disorder and I actually know a lot of people who have it. I even see it everyday in my line of work working in hospitals.

I too think Greta's father is John. If it is then that means Greta is Brady and Belle's half-sister hell she would also be Paul's half-sister too especially if you make her John's daughter. I wonder how Marlena would feel about Greta being John's? In essence Greta and Eric would be related especially if John turns out to be her father because John and Marlena being married they would be step-brother and step-sister.

However, Greta's father could also be Stefano which wouldn't be surprising either. I mean given how many children Stefano has already (Renee, Megan, Andre, Tony, Peter, Kristen, Lexie, Benjy, EJ, Chad) it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Stefano to have Greta as a daughter but then that would mean Stefano he would have had to have been with the real Gina way back when which he was. However, Stefano he was also with Hope too considering Hope's missing years way back in the 90s we still don't even know what happened back then. I mean Stefano for all we know he could have raped Hope...could you imagine? That means if Greta is John and Hope's could you imagine? That means Greta she would be a Horton.

[André DiMera]

Chapter 610

MARTIN MANSION
JULIE: Uncle Tommy, you did not fail Grandma and Grandpa.
TOMMY: I appreciate you saying that.
MARIE: It’s the truth. Tommy, there was never any question how much Mom and Dad loved you. And if they were here, I’m sure they’d tell you that, no matter how long it took, they’re proud of you for doing the right thing. You’ve more than paid for your mistakes, and I’m sure they knew that.
Tommy nodded. Bill coughed.
BILL: I can’t believe how wrong I was. I’m sorry about those accusations I made.
TOMMY: That’s all right. At least now it’s all out in the open.
JULIE: Do Addie and Sandy know?
TOMMY: Addie was told when I first joined her and Scotty. Sandy and I still don’t see eye to eye on very much, but I did reach out to her after I got out. Other than Mom and Dad, Addie, Sandy and my late wife Helen were the only ones who knew.
DOUG: I understand.
BILL: Well, at least we’re all together again.
TOMMY: Indeed. You know, being back together is something I’ve thought about since Victor brought me back to Salem. I’m just sorry that it took so long.
MARIE: Well, that couldn’t be helped. Like Bill said, at least we’re all together now.
BILL: I just had a thought. I have a large amount of time off coming, and the hospital in Africa just recently changed their policy so that if I don’t take it, it will all go away at the end of the year. I know it’s just become January, but I have an idea for how I can take a few weeks off and have all of us together again.
MARIE: What’s your idea?
BILL: It’s been so long since we had everyone together. I don’t just mean the remaining three of us kids, I mean everybody. What if, this summer, over the week of the Fourth of July, we have a family reunion?
Tommy stood up,
TOMMY: I like it. I haven’t seen half of the family in such a long time.
MARIE: Neither have I. That’s a wonderful idea, Bill!
JULIE: Let’s do it, then. Let’s put together a Horton family reunion!

HORTON CENTER
ERIC: The answer to that one should be obvious.
GRETA: Should it?
ERIC: Yep. It’s André.
GRETA: André?
ERIC: Stefano’s favorite nephew, or son, depending on the month. One of Stefano’s greatest followers. Years ago, he had André get plastic surgery to look exactly like Stefano’s son, Tony, and commit unspeakable acts in his name.
GRETA: I see. Well, then, it looks like we’ll have to deal with this André. Does Hope still live in the same place?
ERIC: She does, yes.
GRETA: Good. Well, this isn’t exactly how I intended to spend the first night of the new year.
ERIC: Me either. It is good to see you, though, Greta.
GRETA: You too.

DANIEL & NICOLE’S APARTMENT
Daniel handed Nicole a cup of tea and sat down next to her.
NICOLE: Thanks.
DANIEL: You’re welcome. Happy New Year.
NICOLE: Happy New Year to you, too.
DANIEL: So, I’ve been thinking lately. About us.
NICOLE: A sentence that never bodes well.
Daniel and Nicole chuckled.
DANIEL: No, I’m serious, though. I know we were putting it off because of the situation with Dante and Green, but now that that’s all over, and it’s a new year...well, what do you say we start the new year off right?

SALEM UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Chase and Claire walked into the main floor. Aiden stood when he saw them coming.
CHASE: Dad!
AIDEN: Chase, Claire.
Aiden hugged Chase.
CLAIRE: Aiden, what’s going on? Chase said Ciara was shot.
AIDEN: She was. I don’t know much about her condition, but Kayla and Scotty are working on her.
CHASE: Do you know who shot her?
AIDEN: I do.
CLAIRE: Who is it, then?
AIDEN: It is...difficult to explain.
CHASE: How so?
Aiden sighed. He, Chase and Claire sat down.
AIDEN: I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Hope hasn’t exactly been herself lately.
CLAIRE: Yeah, but I figured that was just because of Grandma Caroline’s death. It’s been hard on all of us.
AIDEN: It wasn’t exactly that. I don’t know exactly how or when, but sometime between Caroline’s funeral and Halloween, André DiMera too Hope and brainwashed her to believe that she was a member of the European royalty named Princess Gina.
Chase and Claire gasped.
CLAIRE: My Dad mentioned her to me once. He said she looked just like Grandma.
AIDEN: She does. That’s why it was so easy for André to make her think she was this woman. Stefano had done so before.
CHASE: So, how do we fix this?
AIDEN: I have no idea. Hopefully, Steve and John will have an idea.
Trix ran in.
CLAIRE: Trix.
TRIX: Where’s Ciara? Is she okay? What happened?
CLAIRE: Hey, it’s okay. She got shot in the side. She’s being looked at by Aunt Kayla and Scotty. They should be out in a little bit.
TRIX: I hope so! I don’t know what I’d do without her.
CLAIRE: Don’t think like that. I’m sure Ciara will be fine.
Trix sighed. Claire put an arm around her. A few minutes later, Kayla came into the waiting room. Aiden, Claire, Chase and Trix stood up.
AIDEN: Dr. Johnson.
CLAIRE: What did you find out about Ciara?

CAR
John and Steve were following the second ambulance, the one which had Princess Gina in it, as it made its way to the hospital.
STEVE: Can’t believe we didn’t see this before.
JOHN: We saw what we wanted to see. Besides, we all know how good André is at covering his tracks. Aiden and Jennifer were the only ones who caught on quickly.
STEVE: I dunno, partner. But, I’ll tell you this, Ciara better be okay. If anything happens to her or Hope, I honestly don’t know what I’ll do to DiMera.
JOHN: You and me both, partner.

[heroicmuse]

I hope the news about Ciara is good. This whole thing has got to be a shock for everyone!

The family reunion sounds great! Looking forward to that next summer.

Great chapter André DiMera.

[mae00]

I'm sure Ciara is fine, but I'm just as nervous about the news as the others.

I can just see Steve gripping the steering wheel and talking through gritted teeth. Andre better watch out no matter the outcome. I don't think that Steve will very forgiving either way.

[tghca]

I mean it is not like Hope will remember shooting her own daughter because she's being brainwashed...she's been programmed to be someone else and it is not like they can reverse it either when it comes to this mind control because all of Hope's memories are gone...she can't remember anyone or anything because Andre wiped her memories and he went to a great deal to cover his tracks so it isn't like Aiden and the others will be able to reverse it either

Andre probably has Hope's memories stored on said flash drive and that is probably locked up in a safe deposit box somewhere...obviously not in Salem but it could be anywhere in the world

Ciara I think will end up in a coma because she was shot at close range

I actually thought Trix was a guy at first but didn't know Ciara was in a lesbian relationship not that there's anything wrong with that...or is Ciara bisexual? I started reading not all that long ago

A Horton family reunion...it makes me wonder who will be able to make it? I mean there's Melissa, Sarah, Melanie, Parker, Nathan, Julie & Hope's brother Steven, Steven's son Spencer, Doug's son Dougie, Mike, Jeremy but he's a fugitive on the run so that is problematic, Jessica & Joshua, Sandy and if she has any kids or grandchildren but then there's Eli too

[André DiMera]

Glad you’re enjoying the story, tghca! Ciara is bi and Trix is her girlfriend. They’ve been together a little over a year now.

Also, Eli doesn’t exist in this story. I started writing this around the time of the 50th anniversary, so before he was around. And I chose not to add him.

[tghca]

Thanks for clearing that up