Memories

Chapter 1:

luis laid on his bed just staring at the ceiling. he had not slept at all. how could he sleep when the memories of what had happened the week before were so heavy on his mind. 'why is sheridan so angry with me' he thought. luis was trying to come up with something, anything to help him understand why sheridan was acting like she was. luis remember the night he had kissed her on the wharf. kissing her had proved to be an excellent cover, but that wasn't the reason he did it. luis wanted to kiss her, he had wanted to do that for a long time. a smile came to luis' face as he thought about their talk on the phone and how they both admitted to enjoying the kiss. 'i thought we were finally getting somewhere after that talk. what could have possibly happened from the time i hung up the phone until the time that sheridan hit me at the youth center?' luis' heart sank as he thought of the day that sheridan had walked into the youth center and hit him for a reason he is still trying to discover.*flashback* luis was reviewing the estimates on putting air conditioning in his house when he heard a noise come from just outside his office. he turned to see sheridan walking towards the door. "hey you. did you get my message? i know it was kind of late, but...." "i got your message alright. i got it loud and clear." sheridan said to him with a tone in her voice that luis had not heard in quite some time. a tone he certainly did not miss hearing. "and now i have a message for you, luis. and i don't want you to misunderstand it." sheridan's eyes were filled with rage as she spoke to him. confused, luis just stared back, not understanding why sheridan was so angry. before luis could even say a word to her, he was hit with the awful truth, along with sheridan's hand. it was now perfectly clear that sheridan's anger was directed at him. "what the hell was that for?" luis yelled at her. he hated raising his voice to sheridan but she had just hit him and he had no clue why. "don't act like you don't know!" she yelled back, anger and rage showing in her eyes. "if it's about me calling you so late last night, i'm sorry. i just wanted to see you one more time. don't worry, i'll never call you that late again." "oh please. you think i'm mad because you called me that late? i cannot believe you!" "sheridan, if you're not mad about that then could you please tell me why you are so upset because i really do not know." luis voice was beginning to sound shakey. "i never want to see you again!" sheridan screamed at him. now luis was not only confused but he was beginning to get angry too. "i deserve some kind of explanation. you just come in here, hit me and then won't even tell me why. i would apologize if i knew what it was that has you so upset." "stop pretending, i'm sick of being used and having people take advantage of me. it's going to stop right now." with that, sheridan turned and left the youth center.*back to reality* slowly, luis sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes. he was exhausted but he could not sleep not matter how hard he tried. he got up and walked to the bathroom to get a shower. while showering, his mind began to wonder to the other events that had occured last week.*flashback* all the kids began to arrive at the youth center for the party luis had planned for sheridan. he still couldn't believe that she was finished with her community service. actually, she had finished two weeks ago, but since luis had lied about how many hours sheridan had, she thought she had just finished them. 'i still can't believe that i lied to sheridan about her hours. i couldn't help it, i would have missed seeing her here everyday.' luis was so deep in thought that he didn't notice his brother walk into the office. "luis. LUIS! yo bro, snap out of it." miguel shouted causing luis to jump out of his chair. "oh sorry bro, i didn't see you come in. is everyone here yet?" "yeah everyone's here. well except for the guest of honor. do you have any idea where sheridan is? it thought she would have been here by now." "well i'm not sure she is even coming" luis said with a sadness in his voice. "she is upset with me for some reason and she won't tell me why." "sheridan? upset with you? never." miguel said sarcastically. with that, he began to laugh but quickly stopped when he saw that luis didn't find his joke to be very funny. "miguel, stop it. i am really worried. i have never seen sheridan so angry at me. and the fact that she won't talk to me about it makes it even worse. if i knew why she was mad... wait! i think i just figured it out. i have to go find sheridan. tell everyone to start the party and to have fun until i get back." luis ran out of his office and headed for the front door of the youth center. he had to find sheridan, to tell her was sorry for lying to her. luis was in such a rush when he opened the door that he didn't even see her until it was too late. he run into her with a force so hard that it knocked her to the ground. "first you lie to me, then you try to kill me. god, what did i ever do to you?" sheridan still had the anger in her voice that made luis want toscream. "sheridan, i'm so sorry. please let me help you up." "no thanks, i can get up by myself. where were you rushing off to in such a hurry? were you going to find someone else who's life you could destroy?" "listen, i've been thinking and i know why you are so upset with me." "really einstein? you finally figured it out?" "sheridan, will you please just listen to me for a minute. i'm really sorry for lying to you but i just wanted you to stay longer. i would have missed you too much. please don't be mad at me. how did you find out anyway?" "find out what? i do not know what you are talking about." "how did you find out that i lied about your hours here?""you what?" "um, i said that you still had twenty hours when you really only had three. you have been finished with your community service for a few weeks. you caught me, i confess. i just couldn't bare to see you go. am i really that awful of a person?" luis smiled thinking that sheridan would have been as happy as he was to have spent that extra time together. sheridan answered that question quickly enough with another hit, this one ten times harder than the last. "you are unbelieveable!" sheridan walked away leaving luis more confused than he had been just five minutes earlier.*back to reality* luis finished getting dressed and made his way down to the kitchen to find something to eat. besides not being able to sleep, he had also lost his appetite. pilar was at the stove when he entered the room. luis sat down at the table and ran his hand through his hair. "are you hungry? would you like me to fix you something?" she sat a cup of coffee in front of him. he just stared at it. "no mama, i can't eat. i can't eat, i can't sleep. i can't do anything but think about sheridan. has she told you why she hates me all of a sudden?" "no luis, i'm sorry. i am as confused about this as everyone else is. she still won't talk to you?" "no matter what i do or say, she refuses to talk to me. i just don't understand it. i thought maybe things were going to change when i gave her that plaque at her party. she really seemed to calm down a bit when i read my speech. but then she went back to giving me the cold shoulder."*flashback* luis was afraid to go near sheridan during the party. after all, the last two times he spoke to her, she hit him. that was something he did not want to experience again. the time came when luis had planned to present sheridan with the special plaque he had made and to read his speech to her. luis was beginning to have doubts about reading his speech but before he could tell chad to forget it, it was too late. chad announced that luis had a special presentation for the guest of honor. slowly, luis walked over to chad who handed him a microphone and the plaque. "i wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight and i especially wanted to thank sheridan because she has been a great addition to the youth center. she has not only helped to raise funds to keep the center going, been an excellent coach to the girls basketball team, help with all the dances and parties, but she has been a wonderful friend to all the kids here. i know she will be greatly missed by everyone." 'especially by me' he thought. everyone applauded as luis walked over to sheridan and handed her the plaque. she read the inscription to herself. 'to sheridan, thanks for being a friend. we will miss you.' sheridan couldn't help but cry at the words. she would miss them all too. a group of the kids gathered around her and gave her a big hug causing sheridan to cry harder.*back to reality* luis still sat at the table just staring at the cup of coffee his mother had given him. steam no longer rose from the cup as it had been sitting there for a half hour. pilar returned to the kitchen and saw that her son had not moved since she left the room. "luis, i have to leave for work now. are you going to be ok? i can call in sick if you want me to stay and talk." "that's ok, mama. i'll be fine. i'm just glad sam gave me a few days off. i would be no help at work right now and he knows it. you better go before you are late. we don't want the cranes to hate you at much as sheridan hates me." "i hate to see you like this, luis. you're right though, i will be late if i don't leave now. i will call later to check on you. i love you son." "thanks mama, i love you too." pilar kissed him on the cheek before heading out the door. luis got up and walked to the living room. he just stood in the middle of the room for a moment before he sat down on the couch. 'god, why is this happening. why does sheridan have to hate me. why won't she tell me what is wrong, what i have done. maybe i can fix it if i only knew.' luis slowly laid down on the couch. 'maybe i can finally get some sleep.' he laid there for a while realizing that he was not going to sleep. not until he understood why sheridan hated him so. his mind began to wonder again to the party.*flashback* luis watched at the kids all hugged sheridan. he wanted to be the one hugging her but he knew that was not possible. she hated him, he knew it. kay broke away from the group and went over to chad. "ok chad, it's time." with that, chad knew what he had to do. "attention everyone. miss kay bennett has requested a special song for me to play. it seems kay has been practicing the tango and wants to take this opportunity to show off her newfound skills. but she needs a partner so i want my boy miguel to dance with her since i hear he knows the tango as well. kay also requested that harmony's best tango couple join her on the floor. so luis and sheridan, get out here.""no way" sheridan shouted. kay ran over to sheridan. "come on sheridan, please. if it wasn't for you and luis, i never would have learned to tango. you have to. please do this one last thing for me. please please." kay continued to beg as luis walked over to them. "come on sheridan, you don't want to disappoint our student do you?" luis pulled her aside. "i know you hate me and i'm not to happy with you right now for hitting me but can't we do this one thing for her. she really has been practicing hard." "fine, i'll do it." sheridan finally said with anger in her voice. "great!" shouted kay. she rushed over and pulled miguel away from charity. (surprisingly she didn't need to surgically removed charity from miguel'sside) the two couples made their way to the center of the floor while everyone else gave them room to dance. beth and hank stood by one another, green with envy. the music started and the couples began to dance. no one really paid much attention to miguel and kay, except for charity would was actually showing signs that she was a little jealous of the way her cousin was dancing with miguel. the others could not take their eyes off of sheridan and luis, who could not take their eyes off of each other. but the looks they were giving each other were unlike the last time they danced, and people noticed. "my god" said simone, "it looks like they want to kill each other." as the music ended, everyone just stared at luis and sheridan stood facing each other, anger and rage in their eyes. suddenly sheridan turned and ran from the gym, and from luis.*back to reality* luis jumped then he heard the phone ring. 'great, who could that be.'"hello." "luis, i had to call you when i found out." "mama, what's wrong? found out what?""it's sheridan. she is leaving." "what do you mean leaving? mama, where is she going?" "she is moving back to paris, son. she is leaving for the airport in an hour. i wanted to call you sooner but she begged me...." luis didn't even care that he had just hung up on his mother. he had no time to waste. he needed to get to the cottage and stop sheridan. he couldn't let her leave without telling her. he had to tell her that he loved her.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2:

*crane mansion* "well father, it looks like our plan finally work." julian let out a chuckle as he sat behind his desk sipping a glass of brandy. big surprise. "julian, i must say, i am proud of you. you actually did something right." alistar's voice sounded sarcastic. julian rolled his eyes and silently mocked his father's voice. "don't think i did not hear that son." "but how..... oh nevermind. you never cease to amaze me, father. the things you know and how you know them, i will never understand." "let's just be grateful that sheridan is leaving harmony forever and we no longer have to worry about officer lopez-fitzgerald ever finding out the truth about what we did to his father. you are sure you have destroyed all the evidence, son?" "uh, yes father of course. i'm not that irresponsible." julian smiled as he opened his desk drawer and removed the mask of luis' face that the imposter had wore to fool sheridan. 'what harm can come of keeping this work of art' julian thought. 'i'll just lock it in the safe and no one will ever know. when i see it, i can think back to how brilliant this plan was and how easy it was to trick sheridan into believe luis was using her.' "good son, we can finally relax now that this nonsense with sheridan and luis is over." "yes father, goodbye." julian went to his safe and attempted to open it but he had forgotten the combination. 'maybe i shouldn't drink three glasses of brandy before noon anymore.' julian stood staring at the safe trying to remember the combination when ivy entered the room. "julian! i cannot believe what i just heard!" ivy walked towards her husband as she shouted at him. "uh, ivy. how long have you been there?" julian was getting extremely nervous now knowing that he had been caught. "long enough to know what you and alistar have done. you are so heartless, both of you. why did you have to break sheridan's heart? she deserved some happiness, to find someone who would love her for who she was and not for her money. and you tried to take that away from her by hiring someone to pose as luis. well i'm not going to let you get away with this. i will not allow sheridan's life to be destroyed like mine was when i married you." ivy turned and started walking from the room when she felt julian's hand grab her wrist. she turned back to face him. julian was holding on to her wrist so tightly that it began to hurt. ivy saw that his other hand was hidden behind his back. "i cannot let you do that, ivy. father would kill me if he knew i failed him again." julian brought his left hand from his back to reveal the gun he had grabbed from his desk. "someone is going to die over this. and it certainly will not be me." ivy had never seen this kind of angry in julian's eyes. she attempted again to break from julian's grip but it was no use. ivy closed her eyes and waited for what was about to happen.*luis' car* as he drove to sheridan's cottage, luis tried to think of something to say when he saw her. 'this may be my last chance' he thought. 'no matter what happens, i am not letting her walk out of my life without telling her how i feel.' the snow was falling heavier now. luis was amazed at the amount of snow that had hit harmony over the past few days. he had never seen this much snow. he remember his mother telling him about the intense snow storms that had hit harmony when she was a child. 'i guess i'm experiencing it first hand.' luis thought. his mind went back to sheridan. a single tear left his brown eyes and slowly rolled down he check. he didn't bother to wipe it away. there would be more, many more. 'before this day is over, i will tell sheridan that i love her.' he thought as he pulled into the crane driveway. *sheridan's cottage* sheridan sat on her bed surrounded by her suitcases. she had just finished packing and needed a break. she had barely slept since the night he heard luis talking on his cell phone about how he was just using her to get back at the cranes.*flashback* sheridan thought she would surprise luis on the wharf. it had been such a wonderful night. the kiss, the chat they had on the dock. the talk on the phone later that night. sheridan finally thought she and luis could have a future together. she smiled as she spotted him. he had his back to her and was talking on his cell phone. sheridan decided to sneak up on him. "sheridan crane? oh i intended to use the very rich miss sheridan crane for my own means." luis snickered. sheridan stopped dead in her tracks. had she just heard what she thought she heard? no, luis would never use her. she must have misunderstood him. she continued to listen waiting for luis say he was only kidding. but what she heard shocked her even more. luis continued to say how he was only dating sheridan as a way to find out what had happened to his father. "i'm going to have fun using their spoiled princess." sheridan's heart broke as she listened to luis say these awful things about her. 'how could he do this to me. after i opened up to him on more the one occasion about men using me. he acted like he cared. i thought he was different.'*back to reality* "when will you ever learn" she said outloud. "when!" sheridan picked up the clothes she had left out. she looked at the time. 'i better hurry. i have to be at the airport in a half hour.' she headed to the bathroom to change, but not before turning on her radio and turning the volume up.*outsided the cottage* luis stood staring at the door. he had been there for ten minutes but he had yet to knock. 'come on luis, you can do it. this is your last chance. make it count.'he knocked once.nothing.he knocked again, only louder.still nothing. "what the hell" he said to himself. "she already hates me, what harm will it do."he slowly turned the doorknob and sighed with relief when he realized it was unlocked. he walked in and discovered the reason sheridan had not heard him knocking. luis heard the music blasting from her room. he made his way to the couch and sat down. and waited.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3:

*sheridan's bedroom* sheridan walked from the bathroom and put the pajamas she had just taken off in her suitcase. 'there, that is everything. well i guess there really is no reason for me to still be here. time to go, sheridan. you can do this. there is no reason for you to stay in harmony. no reason at all.' sheridan wiped the tears away that where beginning to fall from her eyes. this had been an ongoing action for the past week. she thought that after crying nonstop for days that she would have stopped by now but the tears only came more often.*flashback* sheridan ran into her cottage and collapsed on the couch. she buried her head in the pillow and just cried like she had never cried before. 'why is this happening to me, again. i really thought luis was different, that he was someone who would love me for me. i thought i found the man of my dreams, the man who i would love forever.' the man she would love forever? that thought hit sheridan like a ton of bricks. she loved him. at that moment, she realized it was true. no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she just couldn't. but how could she love someone so much who hurt her so deeply. "no sheridan, you HATe him. do you hear me, HATE him" she said outloud as she sat up on the couch. "just remember all the horrible things he said about you on the phone, how he was going to love using you for his own reasons. he is just like all the other men you have ever dated. he is auser!" "be strong, forget him." but she knew it was useless. she would never forget him. sheridan walked to the table to get a tissue when the phone rang causing her to jump. 'don't pick it up sheridan, it might be HIM.' after 3 rings, the answering maching picked up. (despite the fact that sheridan had threw the machine, not once, but twice last week, the machine was still working fine.) "hi, i'm not here. leave a message." her voice sounded alive, happy. unlike how she was feeling at the moment. "sheridan......." his voice was soft and sad. it was obvious that he had been crying. "sheridan, please i know you are there. why did you ran out like that? it was your party and you just left. everyone is asking me why you are so upset and i wish i could tell them. but i don't even know. please, pick up the phone. sheridan...... i'm sorry."that was the last time she heard his voice. *back to reality* the sound of the newsflash on the radio brought sheridan back to reality. "this just in. there have been reports of heavy snowfall in the area. an avalanche warning is in effect, especially for locations closest to the mountains. (for storyline purposes, the crane estate is closest to the mountains.) everyone should take shelter." sheridan turned off the radio when she heard the phone ring. "hello, yes this is miss crane..... i see..... well do you have any idea when the flights will resume. i really need to leave harmony today...... i understand...... thank you." "great, looks like i'm stuck here for at least another day.' she headed for the living room not knowing who was waiting there for her.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 4:

*crane mansion* ivy struggled to open her eyes. she placed her hand on her forehead and let out a moan. looking at her blood covered hand, she remembered what hadhappened. *flashback* julian held a gun to his wife as ivy struggled to break free from his grasp. she managed to get away from julian only to have him push her down onto the couch."julian, you are hurting me. please stop!" "i cannot let you talk to sheridan. you will ruin everything. i'm sorry i have to do this to you ivy, but you know better than to disobey father and me." his voice was filled with rage. ivy began to shake with fear. would he really shoot her? she knew he hated her, but enough to kill? she would soon find out. julian aimed the gun at ivy's head. when he saw the look of panic in her eyes, he knew he couldn't kill her. instead he pulled his hand back from her head only to swing at her with the gun and knock her unconscious. *back to reality*"i guess i should be thankful that he didn't shot me." "yes, you should be." his voice startled her. ivy tried to sit up on the couch but quickly stopped when she felt the dizziness hit. "don't even think about going anywhere. you move again and i will shoot you. that's a promise."*book cafe* "hi pilar, what can i get you?" beth said with a smile. she had been in a pleasant mood ever since the night of sheridan's party. the night she watched, along with everyone else, as sheridan ran away from luis, never to look back. 'he's finally going to be mine.' "yes, i'll have a coffee, black with no sugar and a plain donut." pilar couldn't help notice beth's cheery mood lately. pilar wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that sheridan was so angry with luis and refused to speak to him. the newsflash on the radio startled both women and the report of the avalanche warning was read over the air. "everyone is advised to take shelter until further notice. harmony p.d. has set up a temporary shelter at the youth center. anyone in the area should seek shelter there immediately." "wow, this must be serious" beth looked nervously around the room as people gathered their things and headed out the door. "pilar could you help me fill these thermoses up with coffee and we can take all this food over. who knows how long we will be there." the women worked quickly and headed out the door to the youth center. *youth center* a large crowd of people had already taken shelter in the gym. miguel and chad were in the storage room getting blankets and pillows and whatever else they could find to make everyone more comfortable. kay and simone, along with charity and reese brought a box of candles from the basement. reese found an old radio and went to luis' office to search for batteries. sam and grace where talking with eve, tc, whitney, and theresa when pilar and beth entered the gym. "this is really scary. i hope ethan is okay. the crane mansion is close to the mountains. i hope he gets out in time." theresa's eyes showed fear as she thought of the man she loved. "i'm sure he'll be fine, theresa. gwen is probably with him." theresa shot a look of disgust at her best friend. whitney hated to see theresa so worked up over ethan. "i'm sorry sweetie, i didn't mean to upset you." "i know whitney, it's just that i am worried about him, and about sheridan. i hope everyone is ok." "theresa, i'm so glad you are here." pilar was relived to find at least one of her children at the center. "where are your brothers?" "miguel is getting blankets in the storage room. mama, luis is not here. i called the house and there was no answer. sam said he wasn't working today so he should have been at home, right?" theresa's voice was shakey as she worried about where her brother could be. "oh i had almost forgotten. i called luis about an hour ago and told him that sheridan was leaving harmony. he hung up on me before i finished talking to him. he probably raced over to the cottage to try to stop her." pilar relaxed a bit now that she knew where her other son was. "but mama!" theresa began crying. "what's wrong theresita? what has you so upset?" "if luis is at the mansion, he is in danger! the crane's live the closest to the mountains. if there is an avalanche....." theresa couldn't even finish her sentence. she hugged her mother and sobbed into her shoulder. the newsflash on the radio had everyone's full attention. "there has been a report of an avalanche near the crane mansion. as snow continues to fall, all harmony residents are advised to seek immediate shelter. the safest place at this point is the youth center." ethan and gwen walked into the gym and immediately, ethan saw theresa and pilar crying. "theresa looks upset, i have to see what is wrong." ethan began walking away from gwen who ran after her fiance'."is everything ok?" theresa smiled when she saw ethan. "everything is going to be ok now" she said. "where is sheridan and my brother? surely you all came here together from the mansion." "no, theresa. we are the only ones. i couldn't find father or mother, i assumed they had left. i called sheridan's cottage and there was no answer so she must had gone to the airport.""no!" theresa collapsed into ethan's arms. *sheridan's cottage* sheridan headed towards her living room. 'i should probably get out of the cottage incase there is an avalanche. it's not safe for me to be here.' she grabbed her coat and walk into the living room. sheridan could not believe her eyes when she spotted him sitting on the couch, on her couch. "what the hell are you doing here!" she obviously surprised him because he jumped up upon hearing her voice. "sheridan, i need to talk to you. please can you give me five minutes of your time. mama told me you were leaving the country but i couldn't let you go without telling yhou." luis' face was stained from his tears, as was sheridan's. "i don't care what you have to say. didn't i tell you i never wanted to see you again?" she walked over to the phone by the window. "i am calling the police, because you, officer, are trepassing." she picked up the phone then quickly put it back on the receiver. "what is it sheridan?" "there is no dail tone, the phone lines are down. i heard a report of an avala...." sheridan stopped speaking when she heard the sounds. a rumbling, thunderous sound that she was unfamiliar with. the look in her eyes told luis that she was terrified at what was happening outside. "sheridan!" luis shouted at her as he ran towards the window and pulled her away pushing her to the floor and covering her with his body. less than a second later, the snow hit, shattering the glass where sheridan had been standing.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 5:

*sheridan's cottage*the room was quiet. too quiet for luis' liking. he slowly stood up shaking the snow off his coat. sheridan was lying on the floor in front of him. he had pushed her out of the way just in time. 'if i would have waited one second longer, that window would have shattered on her'he looked at the area on the wall that had been covered with glass a few moments earlier. now all he could see was snow. luis bent down to help sheridan up when he realized she was not moving. "sheridan?" luis shook her gently. when she failed to respond, he began to worry. he shook her with more force and shouted her name. "sheridan! sheridan, wake up!" she let out a soft moan as she slowly rolled over. it was now apparent to luis why she failed to get up sooner. sheridan had a large cut on her forehead and blood was beginning to run down her face. "what, what happened?" she seemed dazed not certain of the events that had just occurred. she let out a loud shriek as she touched the wound on herhead. "don't touch it, you don't want to get it infected." luis picked sheridan up and carried her to the couch. she laid back, her head now throbbing from the pain. "in the bathroom.." she started to say. he was gone before she could even finish. he returned quickly and sat beside her. with a wet cloth, he wiped away the blood that had stained her face. as he began to clean her wound, he thought back to the night when sheridan had done the same for him.*flashback* (i don't remember this scene too well so i'm making it up, sorry) luis sat at his kitchen table as sheridan slowly cleaned the gash on his head. he was so angry at her for hitting him with a bottle. if it wasn't for her, he would have nailed that mugger. but no, she had to get in his way yet again and mess things up. he winced as the medication stung his skin. sheridan leaned in closer and softly blew on the cut to ease the pain. the feel of her breath on his skin caused him to shiver.her perfume. that was all he could smell. it over took his body, his thoughts. 'what is wrong with me? this woman cannot be having that effect on me. no way, not her. not sheridan crane.' he looked up to see sheridan smiling at him. "there, all better, officer." *back to reality* sheridan pushed luis' hand away from her. she saw the smile he had on his face and was confused as to what he could possibly be so happy about. "thanks but no thanks, officer. i can clean my own cut if you don't mind." sheridan snapped at him. she pulled the cloth from luis' hand that he had been using to clean her cut. she poured some medication on the cloth and touched it to her forehead. luis sat there, watching her, waiting for her reaction. a few seconds after sheridan had placed the cloth on her wound, she let out a painful cry. luis was trying hard not to laugh. "owww!" she cried. "it stings!" "oh, didn't i mention that?" he could no longer hold back the laughter. this only made sheridan more angry. "it's not funny! how long is it going to burn?" tears started running down her face, a sign that she was in extreme pain. "well, blowing on it usually stops the stinging. and since you don't want my help, good luck in doing it yourself." luis smiled at her as he stood up and started to walk away from the couch."luis, wait!""yes?" "god, i can't believe i'm asking YOU for help but could you please stop the stinging. i can't stand it anymore." the tears were still coming and her pain was apparent in her voice. "of course i will help. don't you know by now that i would do anything for you?" luis sat back down on the couch and slowly moved closer to sheridan. he gently blew on her cut causing the sting to stop. sheridan's face seemed to relax as she felt his breath on her."well? do i get a thank you?" "no, you don't. it's your fault i have this gash on my head. it's the least you could do to stop the stinging." "my fault? well i'm so sorry that i knocked you to the ground but if i would have left you by the window, you might be dead right now.""i wish i was dead."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 6:

*youth center* the kids all sat in a circle in the center of the gym floor. miguel and theresa held onto each other, praying for their brother's safety. charity sat across from miguel, holding his hand. "i wish i was the one holding miguel's hand." kay whispered (wait kay doesn't whisper when she talks, how people don't hear her i'll never know). "kay, will you get over it. he loves charity and that's that." "but she is looney toons and when miguel wakes up he will realize he is too old for cartoons. then he'll be mine, all mine." simone rolled her eyes at her best friend. "how can you be thinking about yourself at a time like this? half the town is buried under snow, we could be stuck in here for hours, days. miguel's brother is missing and all you are worried about is when miguel will be yours. i'll tell you when. NEVER!" simone was so disgusted with kay at the moment that she got up and walked away, leaving her best friend in shock. "what's wrong with simone?" miguel heard the arguement, not what was actually said (he pulled an ethan), but he had heard them fighting. "oh, uh... she is just upset about the whole situation. like everyone is. miguel, i hope luis is okay. can i sit and pray with you too, please?" "sure kay, thanks." kay sat down beside miguel and placed her hand on top of miguel's."oh no." charity had a distressed look on her face. 'oh goody, here we go. the nutcase is going to have a vision.' kay wanted to smile but she didn't want miguel to notice. "charity, what's wrong? do you see something?" miguel pulled his hand away from kay and held both of charity's hands as she continued to see things. "it's awful miguel, so awful.""tell me what you see charity, please." "i see.....i see your brother. and sheridan. they are in danger, terrible danger."pilar heard charity's cries and ran over to see what was wrong. "mama, charity says she sees luis and sheridan and they are in danger." "no, not luis. god please, no." pilar collapsed on the floor and hugged her children as they all comforted each other.*sheridan's cottage* "would you stop staring at me." luis was still in shock over what he had just heard sheridan say. he couldn't help but stare at her."don't say things like that, sheridan." "why not, it's true. i wish i was dead. at least then, i wouldn't be trapped in here with you!" sheridan turned away from him. she couldn't hold the tears back anymore and she didn't want him to see. but he had seen. he slowly took her hand in his and turned her back around to face him. she could see the sadness in his eyes. 'why does he look like he just lost his best friend? what i said couldn't possibly have hurt his feelings in any way. he doesn't care about me, he used me. i heard him say it on the wharf.'"sheridan, would you please tell me." "tell you what?""tell me what i did to you. i need to know." 'why is he still acting like he doesn't know.'*flashback* "i thought he was different, ethan. i really did. how could i have been so wrong." sheridan sat on her couch crying as her nephew tried to comfort her. "sheridan, i don't understand it either. luis never seemed the type to use anyone. are you sure you heard him correctly?" ethan hated seeing his aunt so upset. 'she must really care about luis for her to be in this much pain.' "yes ethan. i could hear him perfectly fine. he was laughing and said how he was finally getting back at the cranes by using me, their spoiled princess. how could i have let this happen to me again. i was such a fool." *back to reality* "i don't want to talk about this right now." sheridan shivered. the temperature had dropped drastically in the past few minutes. "fine." luis noticed her shivers. "it really has gotten cold in here." "well we have lost power. and with no power, no heat. all we have is the fire and...." "and with the broken window, the heat from the fire will never keep us warm." he finished her thought. "i should board up that window, and the other one before it breaks. i don't suppose you have a hammer and some nails lying around, do you?" "actually, in the closet over there. i was hanging pictures a few weeks ago." luis chuckled at the thought of sheridan with a hammer. "something funny, officer? oh i get it. you can't imagine a spoiled princess like me using a hammer, right?" sheridan's voice told luis that the anger she had shown towards him the past week was still there. "that's not it, it's just that i.... oh just forget it." luis wasn't in the mood for an arguement right now. it was getting colder by the minute so he had to get to work.he went to the closet and found the hammer and nails. her voice startled him, he wasn't expecting her to speak to him again sosoon. "i think you should use the closet door to cover the window. it shouldn't be too hard to get off the hinges." sheridan sat on the couch with her back to him, hugging her knees to her chest.'i was thinking the same exact thing.' "there is another closet in the kitchen. you can use that door for the other window.""thanks for the suggestion, i wasn't sure what i was going to use. i appreciate your help." he smiled at her as he got to work. after a few minutes, luis had boarded the windows up. in the meantime, sheridan threw some logs in the fireplace. the cottage was getting warm. she went to her room and returned carrying a few sweatshirts and blankets in case it got cold again. she gathered as many candles as she could find and lit them, placing them all around the cottage living room. she sat down on the couch and wrapped one of the blankets around herself. her head was still pounding from when luis has knocked her down while saying her life. 'why did he save me, again? he hates me yet he has saved my life three times. i just don't understand him.' sheridan didn't notice that luis had sat down on the opposite site of the couch. she was too deep in thought that she didn't notice him staring at her. "what?""tell me what you are thinking about. please."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 7:

*sheridan's cottage*

sheridan sat on one end of the couch, while luis sat on the other end facingher. "why should i tell you anything? you mean nothing to me and i mean nothing to you so why would you care what i'm thinking or feeling?" sheridan tried her hardest to sound angry but she was failing miserably. "you don't know what i feel, sheridan. i....." luis was trying to hold back the tears but it was difficult. "i think i know pretty well what you feel luis, don't bother pretending you care about me. i'm not going to be fooled by you again." sheridan couldn't stand him looking at her any longer so she got up and walked over to the fireplace.

despite the heat coming from the fire, sheridan suddenly got goosebumps as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. she jumped when he tightly grabbed a hold of her arms. she didn't expect him to be so rough or for his voice to be so angry."damnit sheridan, tell me what you mean." "just leave me alone. it doesn't matter anymore. nothing matters. nothing ever mattered." since her back was to him, he couldn't see the tears running down her face, but he knew she was crying. he could hear it in her voice. "all you need to know is that i hate you, okay? does that make it all clear now?" sheridan had just lied to luis. she didn't hate him, she never could. but she didn't want him to know how much he had hurt her. luis let go of sheridan and slowly walked back towards the couch. her words had hurt him more the anything. he wished she would have just hit him again because at least that would not have been as painful. 'how can she say nothing ever mattered, we never mattered? was i foolish to believe sheridan and i, we could have a future together? i should have never let myself fall in love with her, with a crane.'

*flashback*

luis was sitting in his car outside the youth center. he had just returned from the station after finishing the paperwork on the drug dealer he busted the night before. 'i'm finally going to make detective. this has been my dream for so long. my life has been going so great lately, mostly because of sheridan.' luis looked down at the card he had just bought for her. he took it out of the envelop. the front had a picture of a little boy and girl on bicycles. they had hit each others bikes and were leaning in kissing one another. luis smiled when he saw the picture. he opened the card. inside it said "so glad we ran into each other."luis picked up a pen and underneath it he wrote..... "if we would not have run into each other, then you would not be in my life right now. and right now, i cannot imagine my life without you in it. we may have had some rough times in the past, but all that matters now is that we trust each other and we care for each other. i hope you know how much you mean to me and that i will always be here for you." and without thinking, he signed the card 'love, luis'. luis put down the pen and stared at the card. he was surprised by what he had just written to sheridan. 'did i just sign that card 'love, luis'?' then it hit him, he did love her. he had all along. he just had not realized it until that moment.

*back to reality*

'i was such a fool to let myself care about that woman.' luis knew what has going to happen next. he tried so hard to stop himself but it was useless. a single tear began to roll down his face. but it wasn't alone for long. more tears began falling from his eyes faster than he had expected. he stood up and walked over to the table by the window. he couldn't bare for sheridan to see him crying. he didn't want her to know how much she had hurt him.sheridan was still staring into the fire. she heard him get up and walk towards the window. "what's wrong?" she surprised herself by asking him that. 'damnit sheridan, why did you ask that. now he is going to think you care, and you do.' luis did not turn around, instead he pretended to be checking the board on the window. "uh..oh...nothing. i.....it's just, i.....i thought i could feel cold air coming in. just wanted to check." sheridan noticed his voice sounded odd, almost as if he were crying. "luis..." sheridan started to walk towards him but stopped herself. "are you ok?" "like you care, sheridan. just leave me alone okay?" sheridan was positive now that he was crying. but why? he continued to speak, saying the same words to her that she had said only moments before to him. "it doesn't matter, nothing matters. nothing ever mattered. isn't that right? all you need to know is that i hate you too, got it?" that was the hardest thing he had ever said. he had just lied to sheridan. sheridan felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. his words hurt her more than he could possibly know. sheridan turned and ran into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. she climbed in her bed and pulled the covers over her head. she wanted to die. her life couldn't get any worse. luis hated her. and she hated herself.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 8:

*sheridan's cottage*

sheridan shivered, it was freezing in her room. she must have knocked the covers off her bed while she slept. looking at her watch, she saw that it was 4:30 a.m. the events that had occurred had slipped her mind. sheridan tried to turn on the lamp that was by her bed but when it didn't work, she remembered what had happened a few hours ago. there had been an avalanche. she was trapped in her cottage. she was trapped with him. sheridan went into the bathroom and lit a candle. she looked at herself in the mirror. and she was disgusted by what she saw.

it wasn't her blood shot eyes that sickened her. it wasn't even the nasty cut on her forehead that made her stomach turn. what made her sick was her own reflection. the reflection of a woman who had just hurt the person she loved most in the world by saying she hated him. 'what have i done? i know luis hurt me beyond anything by saying he was using me but how could i be so cruel as to hurt him. i did't want revenge. i didn't want him to feel the same pain i feel. despite what he has done to me, i should not have told him i hated him. i should apologize, but it won't matter. he hates me and i deserve it.'

tears once again left sheridan's eyes as she continued to stare at herself in the mirror. she placed a clean bandage on her forehead then blew out the candle before leaving the bathroom. sheridan's stomach began to growl. she realized it had been hours, maybe even days, since she had eaten anything. 'there has to be something in the kitchen to eat. crackers, chips, anything with do right now.' she was a little hesitant to leave her room because she couldn't bare to face luis. she slowly opened the door and was surprised by the silence.

'he must be sleeping.' she half smiled when she realized she could make her way to the kitchen without having to look at him, or talk to him. as soon as she stepped into the room, she got chills. it was even colder in the living room than it had been in her room. she saw that the fire had all but died out in the fireplace which was why it was freezing in the cottage. she threw a few logs on to get the fire going again. luckily, the logs caught fire. sheridan crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to warm herself up.

his voice startled her. but he wasn't talking to her. he was dreaming. "no....no....sheridan, watch out!" 'he must be dreaming about when he saved my life here last night. when he pushed me out of the way before the window shattered. but why is he dreaming of me when he hates me.'

sheridan noticed that luis' blanket was on the floor. 'he must knock his covers off while he sleeps, just like i do.' sheridan smiled when she thought about how similar she and luis really were. she picked the blanket up and gently covered him. as she did this, luis seemed to relax in his sleep, almost as if the bad dream he was having hadended. sheridan knelt down at the end of the couch and gently ran her hand through his hair. she was careful not to wake him up. this seemed familiar to her. then, she remembered on new year's when luis had fallen asleep on her couch after saving her life at the seascape.

*flashback*

sheridan walked into the living room and heard luis talking in his sleep. 'no papa, no. don't do it, no...." sheridan knelt down at the end of the couch and gently ran her hand through his hair. "you saved my life last night, luis. i'll never forget that." sheridan smiled thinking how wonderful luis was. she was still shocked that he had saved her life over his father's.

*back to reality*

"i really am glad you saved my life again last night luis. i'm sorry for the awful things i said to you. i was just trying to hurt you because you hurt me by using me to get at my family. it was wrong for me to say nothing ever mattered. i was lying. everything mattered. we mattered." she gently ran her hand over his face then softly kissed the top of his head. a single tear left her eye and rolled down her face. before standing up, she leaned in and whispered "i love you, luis." she starting walking towards the kitchen when she noticed his coat lying on the floor. since she was still rather cold, she picked up his coat and put it on. she took a deep breath, breathing in the smell from his coat. his smell. she felt so warm and safe. she then went into the kitchen.

luis slowly opened his eyes and whispered "i love you too." sheridan lit a few candles then looked through the cabinets before finding something to eat. putting her hands in the coat pockets, she sat down at the kitchen table. she left something in the right pocket and took it out. it was all crumpled up into a ball.'i wonder what this is....'

To Be Continued...

Chapter 9:

*Youth Center*

Most of Harmony's residents were still taking shelter in the gym of the youth center. The avalanche only hit near the Crane estate, so everyone else was safe. A few of the children were playing in a corner, laughing and having fun. Some adults sat playing cards. Others comforted each other, praying that their missing loved ones were alive. "Everything is going to be ok, Theresa. Sheridan and Luis are fine, I just know it." Ethan tried to calm down an emotional Theresa as she cried onto his shoulder.

He wanted her to believe everything would be alright. He wanted to believe it himself. Gwen sat on the floor beside Ethan. Though she felt bad for Theresa and her family, she was not too happy with the way Ethan was behaving. 'Theresa has her mother and brother to comfort her. Why must Ethan be the one she is hanging on to. I knew that girl had a thing for him.' "Ethan, I really think Theresa should be with Pilar and her brother at a time like this. Why is it that everytime Theresa needs help, you are always....."

"Gwen, not now please. Can't you see how upset and frightened she is? She is worried about her brother and I am worried about my aunt. Theresa doesn't need to deal with you accusing her of trying to steal me away from you." "Fine! I'll just leave you two to comfort each other." With that, Gwen stood up and stormed out of the gym.Hank and Beth were sitting in Luis' office. Beth was sitting at Luis' desk crying. Hank paced back and forth throwing his hands in the air as he spoke.

"I can't believe this is happening. I thought those two were finally going to stay away from each other and then what happens?? They get trapped together. Who knows what they are doing right now." "Shut up, Hank. I don't even want to think about that. Are you even worried at all that Sheridan and Luis might be... dead." The thought of Luis being dead make Beth cry harder. "Even if they are dead, they are still together. This makes me so angry! I actually lost to him! Dead or alive, Luis got what he wanted. He is with Sheridan." "Got what he wanted? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Luis is in love with her.""How do you know? Did he tell you?" "No, but he did tell me he thought Sheridan was the one." Hank rolled his eyes as he thought about the day Luis confessed he had feelings for Sheridan.

*Flashback*

Hank wondered how Luis was going to get the money to make repairs to his house. "I thought maybe your new fat pockets had something to do with Sheridan." "Hank, you know I'm not one to take money from a woman." Luis was rather annoyed that his best friend would even think such a thing. "Yes I know, which is why you and Sheridan could never have a future." Hank smiled thinking there was no way Luis and Sheridan would ever be together. "I wanted to talk to you about that Hank...." Luis said nervously. He had to tell Hank that he wanted a future with Sheridan but he was afraid of how Hank would react.

Luis knew Hank wanted Sheridan for himself and hated to lose, but Luis wasn't about to give up on Sheridan. He couldn't. "The other reason I was late getting back was because I stopped to get this for Sheridan." Luis held up the card that he had bought. "You bought Sheridan a card? Why?" Hank didn't want to hear the answer. "Because I like her, and I think she likes me." Luis was relieved to finally say it to someone. But he had not admitted the whole truth. He didn't just like Sheridan. He loved her. But he wasn't about to tell Hank that. "What are you saying Luis?" "I'm saying that I think Sheridan might be the one." "Are you serious?"

*Back to reality*

"Oh this is just wonderful! Thanks for telling me NOW! Why didn't you tell me this before, like when you found out!" Beth was no longer crying. She was too furious at Hank to cry. She wanted to hit him. Beth... Beth, calm down. We may have nothing to worry about, remember? Last I knew, Sheridan hated Luis and told him she never wanted to see him again. Let's just think about the positive until we know anything for sure. We may be getting upset over nothing." Hank had a funny thought. He chuckled. Beth looked at him with a confused face.

"What is so funny, dare I ask?" "Well we both know that Sheridan and Luis have tempers. What if being trapped together is too much for them and one of them ends up killing the other. Since we both know Luis would never hurt a woman, Sheridan would probably kill him. Ha, then she'd be mine and Luis would be out of the picture." "You are crazy Hank. How would Sheridan killing Luis be a good thing?" "I would finally win! That's how." Hank sat down on the couch with a huge grin on his face.

Beth put her head on the desk and began crying again. Back in the gym, Sam had everyone's attention. "I have good news. The avalanche warning is officially over. We have seen the worst of it. Soon rescue teams will begin searching for anyone believed to be missing. At this time, everyone is asked to remain here until an officer tells you it is safe to return home." Sam walked over to Pilar who had not stopped crying since she heard Luis was probably trapped with Sheridan. Miguel was holding his mother's hand.

"Pilar, I have some good news." Pilar's face lit up and she squeezed her son's hand tighter. Theresa came rushing over to hear the news. "Have you found Luis? Please God, let my son be alive." "No, we haven't found him but we have found his car. Rescue teams are at the Crane estate and reported seeing a police car in the driveway. We believe he and Sheridan are still in the cottage. It may take hours, possibly even a few days to get to them."

"What makes you so sure they are still in the cottage. What if they had left before the avalanche hit and....." She couldn't even bring herself to say it. Just the thought of her son being dead was too much to bear. "We can see smoke coming from the cottage chimney which means someone is still inside. Don't give up hope, Pilar. We will find Luis." Pilar hugged her two children and together they prayed that they would find Luis.

Sheridan's cottage....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 10:

*Sheridan's Cottage*

Luis rolled over on the couch in an attempt to get more comfortable. He had been lying in an awkward position so his back was hurting. But the pain did not seemed to phase him.He had a smile on his face. The woman he loved had just told him what he had been longing to hear. She loved him too. His smile grew as he heard her words echoing in his mind.

"I love you, Luis." "I love you, Luis." He had dreamt hundreds of times of hearing Sheridan say those exact words to him. Only this time, he was wide awake. It wasn't a dream. Sheridan really did love him. But almost as quickly as the smile came to his face, it was gone. Luis was confused. More confused than ever. Only a week earlier, Sheridan had slapped him at the youth center and said she never wanted to see him again.

*Flashback*

Sheridan screamed at Luis after slapping him across the face. "I deserve some kind of explanation. You just come in here, hit me and then won't even tell me why. I would apologize if I knew what it was that has you so upset." "Stop pretending, I'm sick of being used and having people take advantage of me. It's going to stop right now." Sheridan walked away leaving Luis confused.

*Back to reality*

Luis stood up and walked to the fireplace. He picked up a few logs and threw them in. 'Stop pretending? Stop pretending what? I don't get it. And she said she was sick of being used. What is Sheridan talking about?' he walked back to the couch and laid down covering himself with a blanket. 'And just a few minutes ago, when she thought I was sleeping she said I had hurt her by using her to get to her family. Does she seriously think I would do such a thing? Maybe she really is crazy.'

*Flashback*

Luis walked into his office and slammed the door shut behind him. "That woman is crazy!" He walked over to his desk and saw the envelope lying there. He picked it up and traced over her name with his fingers. "And I was crazy to fall in love with her." His face turned angry as he crumpled the envelope up and stuck it in his coat pocket.

*Back to reality*

'There has to be more to it. I am missing something, but what. I wouldn't be surprised it her brother and father were involved in this somehow. I just need to think and figure out what it could be.' Luis yawned. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He still had not slept. The whole time Sheridan was in her room, he was awake. He had just laid on the couch staring at the ceiling.

A few times he thought about going into her room and apologizing for saying he hated her but he just couldn't do it. He had hurt Sheridan so bad and was sure that she hated him for what he said.He couldn't face her. But now he knew what she really felt for him and it certainly wasn't hate. Now that he knew she loved him, he could get some sleep. He would concentrate on Julian and Alistair later.

Right now he just wanted to close his eyes and dream of Sheridan. Sheridan sat at the kitchen table looking at something she had just pulled out of Luis' coat pocket. It was all crumpled up into a ball. She slowly straightened it out to discover that it was an envelope. With her name written on it. "What is this?" Sheridan was confused. She ripped it open and pulled out the card that was inside.

A small smile came to her tear stained face as she looked at the picture of the little boy and girl on the front. "Why would Luis buy me a card? I just don't understand him. One minute he is sweet, kind, generous and thoughtful. The next he is cruel and heartless. It's almost as if there are two of him." Sheridan opened the card and began to read it out loud. "So glad we ran into each other." Sheridan let out a small chuckle as she thought of the second time she ran into Luis.

*Flashback*

Luis was furious that some maniac had just hit his new police car on the side the road. "You smashed my new car! What the hell is the matter with..." He saw her. That woman. Sheridan Crane. "...you again. I don't believe that you smashed up my new car!" "Well, you had it parked practically in the middle of the street!" God this man drove her crazy."Oh, you're blaming me for what you did?" "It wasn't my fault!"

*Back to reality*

"I wish I never would have ran into him." Although she said it, she didn't mean it. She saw that Luis had written something to her in the card. She began to read it out loud.

"If we would not have run into each other, then you would not be in my life right now. And right now, I cannot imagine my life without you in it. We may have had some rough times in the past, but all that matters now is that we trust each other and we care for each other. I hope you know how much you mean to me and that I will always be here for you." The more she read, the harder it was for her to get the words out. Tears were running down her face so fast that she could barely wipe them away before more came.

She had just read the most thoughtful and caring thing she had ever read. Then she saw it.His named signed at the bottom of the card. But it wasn't just his name. He had written another word before it. The word love. "Love?" Sheridan's face lit up. Was it true? Did Luis love her?

"That's can't be, Sheridan. He used you. He doesn't love you because you are a Crane. Luis hates the Cranes. All of them." More tears continued to roll down her face. Sheridan sat at the table staring at the card. She read it over and over again.

"I just don't understand how Luis could write something so sweet to me when he is so cruel. How can the Luis I heard talk about using me, be the same Luis who would write this? Sheridan wiped the tears from her eyes. Then it hit her. She remembered a thought she had had a few minutes earlier. 'It's almost as if there are two of him.'"Two of him?"

To Be Continued...