Truth

Chapter 1:

~THERESA~
"Please, Ethan, you have to understand why I did it...." "You want me to understand why you did it? You have been lying to me since the first day we met, Theresa. Even after I have given you countless times to come clean with me about your feelings for me! Gwen was right! You've been in love with me this whole time!" "Ethan, please, just give me another chance to-" "To what, Theresa? To lie to me? I don't ever want anything to do with you! I hate you!" Just then I wake up from my horrible nightmare with an impulse to tell Ethan the truth. I have to--before it's too late. I get out of bed and get dressed as fast as I can. I pick up the phone and dial Ethan's number. "Hi, Ethan, it's Theresa. I need to talk to you right away. Ok, I'll meet you there in a half hour. Bye." I hang up the phone and prepare to meet fate...

~KAY~
I look out the window and see Miguel walking towards my door. I knew he wouldn't forget about our breakfast! Miguel has taken me to breakfast every year on my birthday since we have been old enough to go out by ourselves. "Good morning, Miguel, how are---" "Hi, Kay, is Charity here?" "Yeah, I'll get her." I feel like I've just been hit in the gut. I can't believe he forgot my birthday. Why is this happening to me? Miguel used to come over to see me. Now all he cares about is Charity. "Charity, Miguel's here to see you." I yell up the stairs. "Miguel, hi!" "Hi, Charity." Now he's hugging her. Those two make me sick! I can't take it anymore! "If you two will excuse me, I have a breakfast to go to." I say as I walk out of the house and slam the door.....

~IVY~
"Where is it?! I have to find it!" "Looking for this, darling?" As I look up I see Julian holding my locket that Sam gave me right in front of my face. "Julian, give it back to me! You know that I don't like when you take that from me!" "I know, that's why I took it. I found it odd that you would hold such a piece of junk so dear to your heart, so I decided to take it to see what you were really hiding. And imagine my surprise when I popped your locket open only a find the picture of Chief Bennett inside." He knows. Oh my God! I just stand there at a loss for words. Suddenly my voice comes back to me. "Julian, please give me the locket." Just then he throws it against the wall and breaks it into two pieces. I run over to pick it up and suddenly I'm stopped when Julian jerks my arm. "Now you listen to me, you little slut! I will not have you sleeping around with the petty commonfolk! You will not ruin this family! You will pay for this!" Just then he hits me and I fall to the ground. He leaves the room and I gather my composure and pick up the locket. I look into the mirror and notice my eye starting to swell. I decide that I need some fresh air and I take a walk and end up at the beach....

~SHERIDAN~
I am jolted out of my sleepy slumber by someone knocking on my door. "Coming, Just a minute." I say as I head towards the door. I open it up to see Hank standing there. "Hank, what are you doing here?" "Well, Sheridan, I just thought that I would bring you a little breakfast and I needed to talk to you about something." "Thanks, that was sweet. What do you want to talk to me about?" I feel bad. Hank is such a great guy, but I just don't feel anything for him. "Can I come in?" "Oh, yeah, sorry. Come on in. I'm gonna go get dressed, I'll be right out. Make yourself at home." I head into my bedroom, change clothes, and go into my living room. "So, Hank, what's up?" "I wanted to talk to you about Luis." "Luis? What about?" "Are you in love with him?" "WHAT?! In love with Luis? What would make you think that?" "Come on, Sheridan. The way you look at him and the way you're always there for him...it's just a feeling I have." "Well, Hank, your feeling's wrong. I'm NOT in love with Luis!" Am I? "Fine, Sheridan, if you say so. Anyways, I gotta get going, talk to you later." "Bye, Hank, thanks for the breakfast." Hank leaves and I close the door behind him. The nerve of him to ask me if I'm in love with Luis! I mean, even if I was, he could never love me. Could he? I look at my watch and realize that it's getting late and I better be headed to the Youth Center....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 2:

~ETHAN~
After I hang up with Theresa, I get dressed and head to park where I said I'd meet her. She sounded kind of funny on the phone, I hope she's ok. I see her pacing back and forth and I approach her. "Theresa, what did you want to see me about?" "Ethan. I'm sorry if I woke you up this morning. It's just that what I have to tell you is very important." "It's ok, Theresa. You didn't wake me up. But you're starting to worry me. What do you need to talk to me about that's so important?" "Well, Ethan, for the first time, I'm going to be completely honest with you about my feelings." "Feelings?" I ask, puzzled. "My feelings for you."

~MIGUEL~
I wonder what Kay's problem is. She looked really upset. I'll have to ask her later. Just then, Jessica comes down the stairs. "Hey Jessica." "Hey, Miguel. Why aren't you with Kay?" "Huh? Why would I be with Kay? I came here to see Charity." "Oh, so you guys aren't doing that breakfast thing anymore? I thought that's where Kay said she was going." "Breakfast thing?" just then it hits me. "Oh no! I can't believe I forgot!" "What's the matter Miguel?" Charity asked me. "It's Kay's birthday. Every year I take her to breakfast on her birthday, just the two of us. That's why she was so upset. I have to find her. I'll see you later Charity." "Bye, Miguel." I head out the door in search for Kay....

~SAM~
I love patroling the beach. It's so peaceful this time of day. Watching the waves roll in and hitting the sand. I walk up and down the shore when I see a woman sitting in the sand with her head down. She looks like she's crying. I have to go see if she's ok. I walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder. "Mamn, are you o--" Just then I see the face of the person that I'm trying to comfort. "Ivy, what are you doing here?" Just then I see her eye. "Who did that to your eye? What the hell happened?" "Sam, hi. Nothing happened to me. I, umm, ran into a door. I'm so clumsy these days." "You can't lie to me. There's no way you did that by running into a door. Tell me the truth." "Look, Sam, I don't have to tell you anything! You asked me to stay out of your life, so why don't you just stay the hell out of mine!" She puts her head down but I can still see the tears in her eyes. "I have to go now." She walks off so quickly that I don't have time to stop her. I won't push her right now, but I will get to the bottom of this....

~LUIS~
I arrive at the Youth Center and head into my office. I can't stop thinking about her. Her beautiful blonde hair, perfect body, piercing blue eyes---What am I thinking?! I need to snap out of this. But I can't. Maybe I'm falling for her...Yeah right!!! Besides, even if I was, we're from two different worlds and she could never love me. Could she? Just then I hear a door shut and I leave my office to see who's there. "Sheridan. What are you doing here? You don't have to come in today." "I know, Luis. You've been through a lot in the past week and I wanted to come down here to help you." What a wonderful peron she is. I can't believe I ever thought that she was cold and callous like her brother and father. "Thanks, Sheridan. That means a lot to me." I smile at her and she smiles back. "Well, the Youth Center doesn't open for the kids for another hour, so do you wanna sit and, um, talk?" I don't know why I just said that. I hope I didn't come off as a desperate idiot. "Sure, Luis. What do you want to talk about?" "I don't know. Why don't we go into my office." "Ok." I follow her into my office and we sit down to talk....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 3:

~THERESA~
"You're feelings for me? What are you talking about Theresa?" Ethan asks me. "I don't know how to tell you this Ethan. It's hard for me--" "Theresa, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." "Ethan, I'm in love with you. Gwen has been right since the beginning. I never had a boyfriend. It's always been you. I have loved you since before we met. When I finally met you it was like a dream come true. I was going to tell you then, but then I got so nervous around you and spilt things on you and you thought I was stalking you. I never was though. And all those incidents where I ended up in your arms, those were accidents, too. I never meant to drive a wedge between you and Gwen and I never meant to hurt her. I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. I know that you hate me now and probably want nothing to do with me ever again. I'll give your mother my notice today so you'll never have to see me again." I blurt it all out with hardly taking a breath. Ethan stands there in shock. I can't wait around to hear what he'll say to me, so I take off running and i don't look back....

~KAY~
I walk on the docks and look at the water. I wish I could just die right now. It feels like I already have. What's the use of living if I can't have Miguel. Not only does he not want me as a girlfriend, but he doesn't want me as a friend either. I hear footsteps behind me and I'm afraid to turn around to see who's there. "Kay. I thought I'd find you here." I turn around and see Miguel standing right there. "Miguel, what are you doing here?" I say, trying to wipe the tears from eyes. "I am so sorry, Kay, can you ever forgive me?" "Forgive you? Forgive you for what? For caring more about Charity than me or for forgetting my birthday?" "I don't care more about Charity than--" "Save it, Miguel. Yes you do. I've had to sit here and take it ever since Charity came to town. You and I used to be inseparable. But now, we don't even know each other. I'm not going to forgive you Miguel. You have hurt me one too many times. As far as I'm concerned, our friendship is over." I say, as I walk past him and leave him there. As soon as I'm a safe distance away from him, I start to cry uncontrollably....

~IVY~
Great. Now Sam is nosing around. If he finds out that Julian knows about the two of us, everything could be ruined. He can't find out the truth about Ethan. I walk towards the pier and I see a young girl crying. I go up to her. "Dear, are you alright?" She looks up at me and I recognize her as Sam's daughter. "Yes, I'm fine. You're Mrs. Crane." "Yes, I am. And you're Kay Bennett." "How did you know my name?" "Your mother showed me a picture of you." "Oh." "Are you sure you're ok? You look very upset. I'm great at keeping secrets." "Well, it's just that my best friend doesn't care about me anymore. Today's my birthday and every year he takes out to breakfast to celebrate. He forgot because he's too caught up with my cousin." "You're in love with him aren't you?" "Yes. How did you know that?" "I can see the hurt in your eyes. Why don't you let me take you to breakfast and we can talk a little more about it?" "You would do that for me?" "Of course. Come on." "Thank you so much." She gets up and we head to the Book Cafe for breakfast....

~SHERIDAN~
"So, Luis. How are you doing?" "I'm doing better, Sheridan. At first it was really hard believing that my father's death wasn't my fault. Seeing the pain in momma's eyes killed me. And watching Theresa blame herself was too much to handle. But I know in my heart that I did the right thing in saving your life. I couldn't live with myself if you would have died." He is such a kind and thoughtful man. Any woman would be lucky to have him. I just wish that could be me. "Thank you again, Luis. You saved my life, twice now. I will never forget that and one of these days I'm going to pay you back for it." "Sheridan, you don't owe me anything. Just knowing that you're ok is all the thanks I need." Just then we look into each other's eyes and we are suddenly drawn toward each other into a passionate kiss.....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 4:

~ETHAN~
I watch Theresa run off and I want to run after her, but I can't seem to move my legs. I am in complete shock after what she said. Gwen was right. But surprisingly, I don't care. Theresa loves me. She doesn't have a boyfriend. I am very relieved by that and I don't know why. I don't know what to do next. I just know that the thought of never seeing Theresa again seems unbearable. I have to find her before she quits her job with my mother. What am I thinking?! Why am I so worried about Theresa? It's almost as if I'm in love with her. That's crazy! I walk in the opposite direction of where Theresa ran off when I feel this horrible pain in my heart. And then I realize it. I'm in love with Theresa and I need to find her...

~MIGUEL~
I wander around on the docks thinking about what Kay said to me. How can she think I don't care about her and end our friendship? I don't treat Charity better, do I? Maybe I do. I have to change her mind somehow. I decide to go to the Book Cafe to get something to drink to help me thing better....

~SAM~
I can't stop thinking about Ivy and her black eye. Did Julian do that to her? I know she didn't run into a door. If Julian hurt her, I'll kill him. I don't understand how she stays with him. He's cold and ruthless. I don't see any love between them. Not anything like the way Ivy and I were. I wish I knew the real reason she left me. I don't think she left me because she loved Julian. Whatever the truth is, I'm going to find out. Another officer arrives on the beach to patrol and I'm off duty. I decide that I need to get some coffee and I head to the Book Cafe......

~LUIS~
Our kiss turns more passionate with each second that passes. "Sheridan---I've wanted you----for so long." I say in between kisses. "I've wanted you, too, Luis." We break away from the kiss and look into each other's eyes. "Sheridan-" "Yes, Luis." "I--" Suddenly my cell phone rings. Talk about bad timing. "Lopez-Fitzgerald. Theresa, what's up? Are you ok? Why are you asking me, isn't momma home? Oh. Yeah, it should be ok. What did they say? Ok, thanks Theresa. By the way, are you sure you're ok? Alright. Talk to you later and have fun." "What was that all about?" "Oh, Theresa was just making sure it was ok that she stay the night at her friend, Whitney's tonight. She also told me that the station called for me and they need me to come in." "Ok, I'll see you later then. Bye Luis." "Bye Sheridan." I want nothing more than to kiss her again and tell her I love her, but I don't. I will definately tell her later...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 5:

~THERESA~
After I hang up with Luis, I go over to Whitney's. I can't believe I told Ethan the truth. He probably hates me now. I knock on Whitney's door and she answers. "Theresa, I can't believe you told him. Come on in." "Whitney, he just stood there in shock. It's over. Ethan and I will never be together." I start to cry and Whitney hugs me. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such a great friend. We sit on the couch and I just sit there crying....

~KAY~
Mrs. Crane and I arrive at the Book Cafe and we sit at a table. I look up at Mrs. Crane. She's such a kind and generous person. For the first time I feel like I can trust someone and they'll understand me. I wonder what happened to her eye. "Kay, what would you like to eat? You can pick anything you want, it's on me." "You don't have to do this for me, Mrs. Crane." "I know I don't, but I want to. Besides, it's your birthday and you deserve breakfast. I may not be your best friend, but I'm a good listener." "So am I. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your eye?" "Oh, I, was half asleep and I ran into a door." "Oh. You should probably put some ice on it cause it looks like it's swelling." I don't think she really ran into a door, but it's not my business............

~IVY~
"Ice is probably a good idea. I'll do that as soon as I get home. Now, why don't you tell me about this best friend of yours that you're in love with." "Ok. Miguel and I have been best friends since we were little kids. We've done everything together. But then Charity came along and she's all everyone cares about. I feel like I've lost my best friend and my family. Especially my mom. Charity's more important to her than me." Poor Kay. I don't know how anyone could treat her so harshly. I didn't expect Grace to treat her daughter like that. "Kay, I'm sure your mom and your dad love you with all their heart." I say, trying to reassure her. "I have no doubt that my dad loves me. He at least tries to understand me. But my mom doesn't care. Charity and Jessica are whats important to her." As I continue talking to Kay, I hear the door open and see Sam walk in. I hope he's not mad that I'm having breakfast with his daughter.....

~SHERIDAN~
After Luis leaves, my cell phone rings. "Hello." "Ethan, how are you? What? She's in love with you?! What did you say to her? You WHAT??!! Are you sure? I can't believe that you're in love with her. Actually, I was with Luis when she called him. She's staying the night at her friend, Whitney's house. Ok, good luck. Bye." I can't believe that Ethan is in love with Theresa. Luis is NOT going to take that well and neither is Gwen. I still can't believe that Luis and I kissed. It was so magical and I want nothing more than to be with him. Maybe I'll invite him to my place tonight.............

To Be Continued...

Chapter 6:

~ETHAN~
I head over to Whitney's house so I can tell Theresa how I feel. I go up to the door and knock. After a few moments, Whitney answers... "Ethan, what are you doing here?" "Whitney, I know Theresa's here. Can I talk to her?" "I don't know if that's a good idea right now--" "Please. I won't hurt her. I promise." "Alright, come on in." Whitney leads me into her house and I see Theresa sitting on the couch crying. "Theresa-" "Ethan, what are you doing here?" "I need to talk to you---about my feelings..........."

~MIGUEL~
As I enter the Book Cafe, I'm surprised to see Kay there and even more surprised to see her eating breakfast with Ivy Crane. I want to go over to her, but I don't want to upset her. She starts to cry and Mrs. Crane puts her arm around her. She's probably crying because of me. I really hurt her. I move a little closer to hear what they're saying. "I love Miguel so much! But he hates me!" I can't believe it. Kay's in love with me....

~SAM~
As i walk into the Book Cafe I notice Ivy. When I get a little closer, I notice that she's sitting there with my daughter. Kay looks really upset about something. She starts crying and Ivy puts her arm around her. I have to go see what's going on. I go up to the table. "Kay, honey, what's the matter?" "Dad. Nothing's the matter." "Kay, you can't fool me. You're crying, sweetie. Please tell me." "I don't really want to talk about it." "You need to talk about it. It's not god to keep things inside." "I'm not keeping them inside. I told Mrs. Crane." I look at Ivy and then at Kay. I can't believe my daughter opened up to someone. She won't open up to anyone. The last person I expected it to be was Ivy. "By the way, sweetie, happy birthday." "Thanks, dad. I'm gonna get going now. I have to meet Simone. Thank you so much, Mrs. Crane. For the breakfast and for the shoulder to cry on. You're the kindest person I've ever met, and the most understanding." "Thank you, Kay. You have yourself a good birthday and if you ever need to talk about anything, day or night, you have my number and don't hesitate to call me." "Thanks. Bye Mrs. Crane. Bye dad." "Bye sweetie. I'll see you later." I say, as I kiss her on the forehead and she leaves. "Thank you, Ivy. My daughter doesn't open up to anyone. I'm glad that you were there for her." "Your daughter is very special." "I know. Ivy, can we talk?" "About what, Sam?" "Not in here, let's go outside....."

~LUIS~
I arrive at the station and finish the paperwork they needed me to do. I can't believe I kissed Sheridan Crane. I want nothing more than to find her and finish that wonderful kiss we started. The ringing of my cell phone interrupts my thougths... "Lopez-Fitzgerald. Hey, Sheridan. No, I'm not doing anything later. Really? That sounds like it would be really great. Ok. I'll see you later. Bye." Yes! I'm going to Sheridan's house! I can't wait to see her again and hold her again....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 7:

~THERESA~
"Your feelings, Ethan?" I just look up at him completely confused as to why he's here. "Yes, Theresa." He sits on the couch next to me. "First of all, Theresa, I could never hate you. You kept your feelings from me because you were afraid--" "Yes, Ethan, I was afraid that you would hate me. But then when papa died because I had asked fate to help me, I knew that I couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt. That's why I had to tell you." "Theresa, your father's death was NOT your fault. Just because you asked fate to intervene doesn't mean anything. His death was his fault. I have to be honest with you about something Theresa." "What is it, Ethan." Oh no, I hope nothing's wrong. "Theresa, when you left today in the park, I wanted to follow you because I realized something." "Why would you want to follow me and what did you realize?" I say, completely confused. "I wanted to follow you because I can't live without you and I realized that I'm in love with you." I look at him and I can tell in his eyes that he means it. Ethan Crane is in love with ME! "You-you love me?" "Yes I do, Theresa. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone. I realized it when you were going to leave me. I can't imagine my life without you in it." Just then Ethan pulls me into a kiss, our first kiss.......

~KAY~
I walk out of the Book Cafe and stand outside. I'm glad I got to talk to Mrs. Crane. She is the only person that understands me. I wonder what's going on with her and my dad. It was something about the way they looked at each other-- "Kay. I need to talk to you." Oh no. I know that voice. I turn around and sure enough Miguel is standing there. "Miguel, I have nothing else to say to you." "I heard what you said inside." "What do you mean 'what I said?' Heard what?" "I heard you tell Mrs. Crane that you love me." Oh God. He was in there. I can't face this right now. "Miguel, I don't really want to talk about this right now I'm already having a lousy birthday." "We need to talk about this right now. Why didn't you ever tell me?" "When did I get a chance to tell you? Every time I ask to speak to you alone you tell me that you and Charity have no secrets from each other." "I am so sorry Kay. I have been a jerk lately and you don't deserve it." "Jessica seems to think I deserve it. Maybe I do." "Jessica knows about this? Well Jessica's wrong." "Yes she knows and so does Simone. They both think I'm crazy for loving you. You can't control who you fall in love with." Maybe I am crazy to think Miguel could ever love me. "Kay, why don't we go for a walk and we can talk about this.................."

~IVY~
I follow Sam outside of the Book Cafe. "Ok, Sam. What did you need to talk to me about?" "Your eye." "Jeez, Sam. Not again." He just won't let it rest. "Ivy, we're going to talk about this." "Why do you care anyways?" "Did Julian do this to you?" Great. He knows. I try to avoid his eyes and I put my head down. "He did, didn't he? That's why you can't look into my eyes." "Yes he did it! Are you happy now?" "Why the hell did he hit you?" "You don't want to know, believe me." "Oh yes I do want to know and you're not leaving here until you tell me." "Julian hit me after he found this." I say, opening my hand so he can see the locket he gave me inside. "He took it and opened it and saw your picture inside. When I asked him to give it back to me, he threw it against the wall. I went to pick it up and he grabbed my arm and hit me." "Julian knows about you and me? That bastard. He can't hit you and get away with it. I won't let him." "Sam, going after Julian won't do any good. He could ruin your life. He'll tell Grace and your kids about us." "No he won't, because I'm going to. And I'm not letting you go back to that house with that monster." "Why are you so worried about me? I thought you didn't care." "I thought that, too. But I was wrong. When I saw you this morning with that black eye and I figured Julian did it, I couldn't stand the thought of another man laying a hand on you. Even if it wasn't meant to hurt you. Can I ask you something else, Ivy?" "Sure, Sam. Anything." "Why did you really leave me.................................................."

~SHERIDAN~
After I hang up with Luis I change clothes and get ready for him to come over. Tonight I'm going to tell him that I love him and nothing is going to stop me. The doorbell rings and go to the door to answer it. "Luis, you made it." "Hey Sheridan. I missed you." He missed me!!! YES!!! I smile at him and he smiles back. "I missed you, too, Luis. Why don't we go sit down." "Great cause-" "I need to talk to you about something." We say, in unison. "Ok, Luis. You go first." We sit on the couch and he turns towards me. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier--our kiss." "Oh, that. Do you think it was a mistake?" Luis just looks up at me without talking..............................................

To Be Continued...

Chapter 8:

~ETHAN~
It feels so right kissing Theresa and holding her in my arms. She's like an angel--my angel. Theresa breaks the kiss... "Ethan I--" "Shhh." I say as I continue our kiss. "Why don't we go for a walk?" "I'd like that a lot Ethan." We get up from the couch and I take her hand in mine. "Before we go, I need to say something." "What is is, Theresa?" I say, worried. "I love you, Ethan Crane. You are the most kind and caring man that I have ever met. It feels so good to say that!" "I love hearing it. And I love you Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald." She smiles at me and I kiss her on the lips. We walk out of the house. "You two have fun!" Whitney yells from the door. I had forgotten that she was even there. Theresa and I walk, hand in hand, down the street. We head towards the park and I kiss her again. This time, it's Gwen who breaks our kiss.........

~MIGUEL~
Kay and I walk down by the pier and she stops. "I can't do this, Miguel." "Do what, Kay?" "I can't talk to you about this. About the way I feel....knowing that you don't feel the same way and that you love Charity." Tears start to roll down her cheeks and I take my hand and wipe them off. I don't know why, but for the first time, I see Kay as a woman, and not as 'one of the guys'. I've never seen her vulnerable before and I've never seen her cry. Not even if she scraped her knee when we were little. I don't know why I'm feeling this way, but I have a strong impulse to kiss her. So I do. I pull her into a passionate kiss and she doesn't pull away. As we kiss, it all becomes clear to me. I love Kay. And not just as a friend...................

~SAM~
"What do you mean, Sam? I told you years ago that it was because of Julian. I was in love with him." She won't look into my eyes. I can tell she's lying. "Ivy. I know you're lying to me. I need to know the truth. Please." "Beleive me, Sam, if I told you the truth a lot of lives could be ruined." What is she talking about? I am so confused. "Tell me, Ivy. I NEED to know. How could lives be ruined?" "Why do you need to know so bad?" "I don't know why. but I do. Just tell me. If you ever loved me, you would." That oughta do it! "Ok, Sam. I'll tell you everything.............................................."

~LUIS~
"No, Sheridan. I don't think it was a mistake." I can see the look of relief on her face. "Good. I don't think it was either." "There's more Sheridan. I'm in love with you." She just stares at me in shock. I hope I didn't say too much. "I should go now." I get up to leave but she stops me. "Don't you dare go Luis. I'm in love with you, too." At that she grabs me and pulls me into another kiss. Our kiss turns more heated and we sit on the couch. Before we know it, I'm picking her up in my arms and carrying her into the bedroom. One thing leads to another and we make pasionate love to each other. Even though it's not dark yet, we fall asleep entwined in each other's arms. I hear the bedroom door open and Sheridan and I both look up to see Julian standing there........

To Be Continued...

Chapter 9:

~THERESA~
Oh my God! Gwen is going to KILL me! "How could you Ethan! You son of a bitch!" At that she slaps Ethan across the face and then grabs me. "I knew you wanted him you little bitch!" Gwen shakes me and then Ethan pulls her off of me. "Gwen. That's enough. Theresa, will you excuse me for a minute? Gwen and I need to talk." "Sure Ethan." "Don't go far Theresa." "Ok." I walk away from Ethan and Gwen and I can hear them arguing. "What the hell were you doing with Theresa?" "Gwen, I'm in love with her........................."

~KAY~
I can't believe this is happening. Miguel is kissing ME and it's not a dream. Suddenly he pulls away from me. "Kay. I need to tell you something." "What is it, Miguel?" "I think I'm falling for you." I am at a complete loss for words. Miguel is falling for me. "What? You're falling for me?" I say, unsure if I heard him right. "Yes Kay. I don't know what it is, but today I'm seeing you for who you really are. I can't believe that you've been here in front of me this whole time and I have been too blind to really notice you." "What about Charity? I thought you were in love with her." "I'm not in love with Charity. I thought I was up until I kissed you. That kiss was right. I can feel it in my heart that we are right for each other." Miguel pulls me into another kiss. We are so caught up in each other that we don't see Charity, Reese, Jessica, and Simone watching us..........

~IVY~
"Where do I begin?" I mumble to myself. "How about at the beginning." Sam says to me. "Ok. You and I were together. We were so in love and I thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. And then everything happened so quickly." "What happened so quickly?" "I got pregnant." Sam looks at me like he had just been stabbed in the heart. "What happened to the baby, Ivy?" "I'm getting to that. I was on the phone with the doctor and he told me. I didn't realize that my mother was listening on the other line. When I got off the phone she confronted me. She demanded to know who the father was and she told me that I had to get an abortion." "Oh my God. You killed our baby." "No, Sam. Let me finish. I told her that I wouldn't do it. That made her even more upset. Then she gave me a choice. I could get an abortion and stay with you, or I could marry Julian Crane and pass the child off as his. I couldn't kill our baby. He was a sign of our undying love and I would never be able to live with myself. My mother told me that we had to act quick. She and Alistair arranged for my wedding to Julian. She made me promise to never tell you why I was leaving you or she would make our baby pay. So I promised her." Sam stands there for a few seconds at a loss for words. Then he breaks the silence... "You're not telling me something, Ivy. What happened to our baby?" I have to tell him the truth. "Our little boy grew up nicely. He's just finished law school and he's moved back here. Our son is Ethan..............................."

~SHERIDAN~
I am in complete shock to see Julian standing there. He looks completely pissed off. "What the hell are you doing to my sister?!" "He's not doing anything to me, Julian. I'm a big girl and I can make my own choices. Luis and I are in love." "Love? Ha!" Julian spat. "You don't know what love is, dear sister. You and that slut wife of mine think you can sleep around with the disgusting gold diggers in this town!" What is he talking about? What did Ivy do? "Julian, who I'm with is none of your business. I love Luis. How much money he has or how much money I have isn't important. He doesn't want me for my money." "That's right, Crane. I love your sister with all my heart. If she didn't even have a penny, that wouldn't change anything." "I refuse to believe that. Sheridan, you and Ivy are going to pay for what you did. Excuse me, I have a phone call to make." With that Julian dials a number and begins to talk. "Hello, father. It's Julian. We seem to have a few major problems which require your presence. Their names are Ivy, Sheridan, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, and Sam Bennett. Ok, see you soon......................."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 10:

~ETHAN~
Gwen just stood there and then she started to laugh. "In love with her, Ethan? That's a good one. How could anyone love that pathetic housekeeper's daughter?!" "It's quite simple, Gwen. She's kind and considerate and absolutely beautiful...." I almost get lost in my thoughts about Theresa then notice Gwen staring at me. "Look, Gwen, I never meant to hurt you. I didn't even know that I was in love with her until earlier today." "That's because you don't love her, Ethan. You love ME!" "I don't love you, Gwen. I know that it's hard to hear that, but I have to be honest with you." I can see the pain in her eyes and I feel really bad. But I can't lie to her. It would hurt her even more. "You BASTARD!!! This whole time you've been telling me that there was nothing going on with Theresa. But now it's all clear to me. You've been sleeping with her this whole time! You're not going to get away with this and neither is that little slut!!!!" Gwen storms off, out of my life forever. I have to go find Theresa before Gwen does.................

~MIGUEL~
Kay and I break from our kiss and I look into her eyes. That's when I see Charity, Reese, Simone, and Jessica standing there. "Oh my God. Charity, Reese--I--I--I can't lie to you guys. The reason that Kay and I were kissing is because we have feelings for each other. I don't want to hurt either of you, but it's the truth." "Miguel, how could you?!" Charity says as she runs off. I want to make sure she's ok, but I think she needs time to cool off. I turn to Reese. "Reese, I-" "Save it Miguel." Reese runs off in Charity's direction......

~SAM~
Did I just hear Ivy correctly? Ethan is my son. Oh my God. "Ethan is our son?" I ask her, just to make sure. "Yes, Sam. I have wanted to tell you for so long, but I couldn't risk Ethan's life." "I completely understand, Ivy." At that moment, all the love I once had for Ivy returns with a huge impact. I grab her and kiss her with more passion than ever. She kisses me back and at that moment I realize that there is no turning back. I have to be with her, I have to have her. "I love you so much, Ivy. I've never stopped." "I love you, too, Sam. More than life itself." We stop kissing when we hear footsteps approaching. "Mother, Chief Bennett, have either of you seen Theresa?" That's my son. I still can't believe it. My son with Ivy... "No, I haven't seen her. Why? Is she ok, Ethan?" "Yes, mother. I have to go. I'll explain later. Bye mother. Bye Chief Bennett." "Bye Ethan." "He's grown up so nicely, Ivy. You've done a great job." "It's a shame that I had to send him to boarding school all his life. I couldn't allow Julian influencing him and turning him into a cold-hearted Crane. I wish we could have raised him together, Sam." "Me, too. We have to make up for lost time, Ivy. You and I have lost years together and we're not going to lose another second. I need you right now, Ivy." "I need you, too, Sam." Ivy and I get into my car and we drive to a hotel. It's kind of tacky, but we can't go to the Crane mansion and definately not to my house. I go inside and get a room. Once inside, I start kissing her. "Make love to me, Sam." I obide by her wishes and Ivy and I make love like we never have before. As we lay together, both mine and Ivy's cell phones ring....

~LUIS~
After Julian hangs up with Alistair, he storms out of the room and slams the door. "Sheridan, are you okay?" I ask her, worried. "I don't know, Luis. My father's coming home." I look at her and I can see the pain in her eyes. She looks like a scared child. "Do you regret what we did?" I hesitantly ask, hoping the answer is no. "Of course not, Luis. I meant what I said. I love you. He's not going to change that and neither is my father." "Can I ask you something?" "Sure." "When Julian was on the phone, what did he mean when he said Sam and Ivy were a problem?" "I have no idea. Whatever the reason, I think we should warn them." "You're right. Why don't you call Ivy and I'll call Sam using my cell phone." "Ok." She picks up the phone and I grab my cell and we call Sam and Ivy.....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 11:

~THERESA~
I wonder what's going on with Ethan and Gwen. I can't take it much longer. I wander onto the pier and look into the water. I look at the reflection and see Gwen in it. I turn around. "Gwen. What are you doing here?" "YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!! You ruined everything!" She grabs me around the throat and begins choking me. I grab at her to try and get her off me, but she throws me on the ground and pins me down. I get out of her grasp for a brief moment, but she takes me and slams my head down and everything goes black.....

~KAY~
"Miguel, maybe you should go talk to Charity. She looked really upset." I know that I usually act cold towards her, but I know what she's going through and she is my cousin. "Why don't you come with me. We can explain it to them together." I smile at him. He's wanted to be with me all along. I look over at Jessica and Simone who are still standing there. There mouths are open in shock. Miguel and I head over in the direction of where Charity and Reese went. After about 10 minutes of looking for them, we find them. And boy, were we in for the surprise of our lives......

~IVY~
Sam and I get out of bed and we grab our cell phones. "Ivy Crane speaking. Sheridan, how are you, dear? What? Oh dear, God, no! Are you sure that's what he said? Ok, thank you. Call me if you hear anything else. Bye." Sam and I hang up our phones about the same time. "I have some bad news." we both say in unison. "That was Sheridan." I tell him. "And that was Luis. What are we going to do? Alistair will destroy everyone." "I know, Sam. I don't know what we should do. We need to find Ethan." "Well, we last saw him on the pier. Maybe he's around there. Let's get dressed and we can go find him." Sam and I put our clothes on and we head towards the pier...........

~SHERIDAN~
After Luis and I hang up with Sam and Ivy, we get dressed. "So did Sam know what Julian meant by calling him a problem?" "He said no, but I think he's hiding something." "Are you hungry, Luis?" "Yeah I am, actually. Why don't we head to the Book Cafe and get something to eat?" "Sounds good." I say, as I walk up to him and kiss him. "I love you, Luis." "I love you too, Sheridan." We walk out of my cottage and we head for the Book Cafe....

To Be Continued...

Chapter 12:

~ETHAN~
I get a bad feeling in my gut and I head back towards the pier. As I get a little closer, I see Gwen kneeling over someone. "Oh my God, Gwen. What the hell are you doing?!" I can't believe that Gwen attacked Theresa. I head towards her and pull her off Theresa. "What did you do to her? She's unconscious!" I push Gwen aside and kneel by Theresa. "Listen to me, Theresa. You have to wake up." Just then I see Gwen run off and my mother and Chief Bennett approaching. "Ethan, what happened to Theresa?" "Mother, Gwen knocked her unconcious." "Why on earth would she do that?" "Because I'm in love with Theresa. I told Gwen and she flipped out." "I'm going to put an APB out on her." Chief Bennett says as he picks up his cell phone..................

~MIGUEL~
Kay and I are in complete shock as to what we see. Charity and Reese are kissing. "Kay, why don't we leave them alone?" I whisper to her. "Sounds good Miguel. Let's go back towards he pier." "Ok." As Kay and I are approaching the pier, we see Chief Bennett, Mrs. Crane, and Ethan gathered around someone. When I get a little closer, I see that it's Theresa..............................

~SAM~
"Ok, all units will be looking for her." I say as I try to reassure Ethan. "Thanks, Chief Bennett." "Sam, what the hell happened to Theresa?" I turn around to see Luis and Sheridan standing there. "Gwen Hotchkiss knocked her unconcious. I put an APB out on her." "Gwen did this? Ethan, why?" "When I told her the truth about Theresa, she flipped out." "What do you mean 'the truth about Theresa?'" Luis asked Ethan. I have a feeling that this is going to get ugly... "Luis, what's going on?" Now I see Miguel and Kay standing there.....

~LUIS~
"Miguel. Gwen Hotchkiss knocked her out." "Why would she do that?" "I don't know." I look down at Theresa and she starts to wake up. "Ethan......" Why would she say his name? I thought she was over him. "Theresa. It's going to be ok. Why don't we take you to the hospital to check you out?" Ethan asks her. "I'm fine, really." "I won't take no for an answer." "Well, ok then." "Take care of her, Crane." I say to him. "I will, Luis. I promise." "Kay, Miguel, why don't you two go do something. And whatever you do, stay out of Gwen's way." Sam says to them. "Okay, dad. I'll see you later. Bye Mrs. Crane." "Bye, dear." "Ivy, why don't we go with Ethan and Theresa to the hospital?" "Good idea, Sam. Ethan, let's get Theresa into the car." With that Sam, Ivy, Ethan, and Theresa leave for the hospital. "Well, Sheridan. Why don't we get something to eat and we can think of what to do about Alistair....."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 13:

~THERESA~
We arrive at the hospital and we go inside. I see Dr. Russell and Ethan goes up to her. "Dr. Russell, Theresa hit her head. She may have a concusion." "Ok, I'll take a look at her. Come with me, Theresa." I follow Dr. Russell into one of the exam rooms. "So what happened, Theresa?" "Gwen Hotchkiss attacked me." "Why would she do that? Did you tell Sam?" "Yeah. He put an APB out on her." "Theresa, can I ask you a question?" "Sure Dr. Russell." "What is Sam doing here with Ivy Crane?" "I don't know. When I woke up, they were both standing there together." "Oh, ok. Well, Theresa. Why don't we do some x-rays to make sure that you're ok........."

~KAY~
After Miguel and I leave the pier we decide to take a walk. "I hope your sister's ok, Miguel." "I think she'll be ok. I wonder what Ethan Crane was doing with her. I'm surprised Luis let her go with him." "Me too. Why does Luis hate the Cranes so much?" "I don't know exactly why." "It seems to me like he's getting over it though. Did you see the way he was looking at Sheridan?" "Yeah, I did. There's definately something going on between them." "You know what, Miguel. This is turning out to be a pretty good birthday." Miguel turns to me and kisses me again......

~IVY~
Ethan, Sam, and I sit out in the waiting room. "Ethan, what happened that made you realize that you loved Theresa?" I ask him. "Theresa called me this morning and said she needed to talk to me about something. I met her at the park and she told me that she loved me and then ran off. Her leaving me made me realize that I couldn't live without her. I went to find her and I told her how I felt." I look at Sam. "Sam, should we tell him the truth?" "The truth about what?" Ethan asked me. "I think it's time..................."

~SHERIDAN~
Luis and I arrive at the Book Cafe and sit at a table. "What do you think we should do about Alistair?" I ask him. "I don't know, Sheridan. How much harm do you think he can do?" "He's Alistair Crane. He can do a lot of dammage to a lot of people............."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 14:

~ETHAN~
"Time for what? Mother, what aren't you telling me?" "I don't know how else to say it, but Julian is not your father." What did she just say? My father is not my father. How can that be and what does Sam Bennett have to do with this? "I don't understand mother. How can he not be my father? And if he's not, then who is?" "I'm getting to that, darling. I was pregnant with you when I was forced to marry Julian. Your grandmother wanted me to get an abortion if I wanted to stay with your real father. I refused to do it so she said I had to marry Julian if I wanted to keep you." I can't believe my ears. How can my grandmother be so cruel? My mother must really love me if she sacrificed her happiness to be able to keep me. "I don't know what to say, mother. Except, who's my father." My mother looks over at Chief Bennett and then he opens his mouth to speak. "I am....."

~MIGUEL~
I can't believe how happy I am with Kay in my arms. I wonder how I lived without her in this way for so long. "Why don't we go get something to eat." "I'm not really that hungry, Miguel." "Neither am I. But I owe you your breakfast. We can't start breaking traditions, now can we?" "I guess your right. Where do you want to go?" "Come with me." She nods and I take her hand. We go to my house and I tell her to stay in the living room. "Now, Kay. I'm going to be back in about a half hour. I don't want you to leave this room for anything, understand?" "Ok, Miguel, but why--" "Shh. You'll find out soon enough. Now stay here." She sits on the couch and I leave through the kitchen to prepare my surprise for her.......

~SAM~
There I said it. Ethan just stares at me and then at Ivy. I wish he would just say something. "You're my father? Mother, you and Chief Bennett were, well, you know?" "Yes, Ethan. I just told Sam the truth today. I have wanted to tell you for so long, but I couldn't risk Julian finding out." "What's different about today, mother?" "Years ago Sam gave me this locket. Julian found it and found Sam's picture inside. Sheridan told me that he already told Alistair and he's on his way home." "But he doesn't know about me?" "No. But he may found out now that he knows about me and Sam." "Ethan, I know that you're probably very confused right now and don't know what to think, but I am your father and if you ever need anything or anyone, I'll always be here for you." I say, hoping that he won't hate me and that he will accept me as his father. "Chief Benn--Dad. I couldn't be happier knowing that you are my father. I've always thought of you as a kind man and very devoted to your daughters. I am proud to be your son." With that, I pull Ivy and Ethan into a hug............

~LUIS~
I look at Sheridan and think about what she just said. I won't let Alistair hurt her. It's obvious that he's hurt her in the past. "How long do you think it will take Alistair to return home?" I ask her. "I don't know, Luis. Tomorrow, the next day, who knows." "I don't know about you, Sheridan Crane, but I'm getting sleepy." "I think I could use a nap, too, Officer." She says as she kisses me. "What do you say we go back to your place and 'take a nap'?" "I think that's a good idea. We need all our strength in order to deal with my father. Let's go." We pay our bill and head back to her cottage and 'take a nap'. We are lying in bed when we hear a knock at the door. "I'll be right back, Officer." "Don't be gone too long, beautiful." Shortly after she leaves, I hear the door open and Sheridan gasp...................

To Be Continued...

Chapter 15:

~THERESA~
As Dr. Russell takes me out into the waiting room, we see Ehan, Mrs. Crane, and Chief Bennett in a hug. What is going on with them? "That's kind of odd." Dr. Russell says. "Yes it is." They break their embrace, but Chief Bennett and Mrs. Crane are still holding onto each other tightly. Ethan sees me and walks towards me. "Theresa, I was so worried about you." He says as he pulls me into a hug. Chief Bennett and Mrs. Crane immediately stop holding each other when they see Dr. Russell staring at them. "Eve, how is she?" Mrs. Crane asks her. "Theresa is suffering from a minor concussion. Nothing that a lot of rest and some IBProfen can't fix. "I'm so glad that you're ok, Theresa. Ethan told us about the two of you. I couldn't be happier." Mrs. Crane says as she pulls me into a hug. I can't believe that she is ok with me and Ethan being together. "Why don't the four of us get something to eat........"

~KAY~
After about a half hour, Miguel comes back into the living room. "Are you ready, Kay?" "Very ready." "First, I have to put this on you." He holds up a blindfold and puts it on me before I can protest. He leads me out of the room. "Are we almost there, Miguel?" "Just be patient." "Ok, we're here. Now I'm going to take off the blindfold." He takes it off and I can't believe my eyes. He set up candles in his backyard and has a blanket layed out on the floor. "Oh, Miguel. It's so beautiful!" "Wait, there's more. Have a seat." He goes back inside but comes right back out carrying a tray. "For you, milady." "Miguel! You made me my favorite breakfast." I stare at the tray that has a plate filled with eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, and a glass of orange juice. "You are so sweet. I am so lucky to have you, Miguel." "No, Kay. It's me who's lucky to have you. When think that my stupidity today could have made me lose you, it breaks my heart. I never want to be without you." Then he hands me a dozen roses and feeds me a spoonful of eggs......

~IVY~
Sam, Ethan, Theresa, and I arrive at the Lobster Shack and we get a table. "Sam, what are we going to do about Alistair?" "I don't know, Ivy, but if he finds out about Ethan, all hell will break loose." "He's not going to be too happy when he finds out about Theresa and Ethan either." "I don't care what he thinks, mother. I love Theresa and we're going to be together." "And you two should be together. Love is something that can't be denied." I say, as Sam and I look into each other's eyes. "Mother, father, are you two back together?" Ethan asks as he points to me and Sam. "Yes we are, Ethan. Your mother and I love each other like you and Theresa do. We're not going to let anyone stand in our way." I kiss Sam on the cheek and then notice Theresa staring at us with a look of confusion on her face. "Theresa, you're probably completely confused about what we're talking about. The shortened version is that Sam is Ethan's father and Sam and I are together again. Ethan can tell you the rest later." "Wow. I am very happy for you guys. You look so cute together." "Thanks, Theresa." Just then Sam kisses me again and Grace and Eve walk in.....

~SHERIDAN~
"Father. What are you doing here?" I can't believe he's here. Just then, Luis runs out of the bedroom in his boxers. "Sheridan, are you alright, honey?" Luis pauses as he sees my father standing there. "You must be Alistair Crane." "Yes, I am. And you must be the gold-digger that's sleeping with my daughter." "That was uncalled for, father. You don't know anything about Luis." "I know that he's a cop with no money." "Money is not important, father. Love is. And Luis and I love each other." "Love? You don't love him and he doesn't love you. No one could ever love such a pathetic girl like you. I told you before that no one will ever love you and I meant that." I stand there taking in what my father said to me and I try not to cry. How can he be so cruel to me. "Listen to me, Mr. Crane. I don't care what you say. I love your daughter more than life itself and I'm not going to let you hurt her." "You're not going to let me hurt her? Ha! You have no power. I could destroy you at any time I want to. Listen to me, Sheridan. If you choose to stay with this pathetic cop, you will not be allowed to have anything to do with this family again." "You can't be serious." "I am very serious." "Ok, then." "Good, I knew you'd see things my way." "I'll have my stuff out of here as soon as possible." "What? You're choosing to stay with the cop?" "Yes, I am, father. I love him. Now get out of here. You make me sick." I push him out of my house and collapse in Luis' arms, crying..........................

To Be Continued...

Chapter 16:

~ETHAN~
As my mother and father kiss, I look at Theresa. "Would you like to dance, Theresa?" "I would love to, Ethan." I take her hand and lead her to the dance floor. Holding her in my arms is the most natural feeling "I love you, Theresa." "I love you, too, Ethan Crane. Or should I call you Ethan Bennett now?" "You can call me whatever you want. I still can't believe that Sam Bennett is my father. I can tell that he can make my mother happy." "I think he's already making her happy. I've never really seen her smile. But when I see her look at your father, that's all I see is her smiling." "I know. I want you and I to always look like that. I never want to have a marriage like my mother and my fath--Julian." "Marriage? You think someday we'll get married?" "I don't think it, Theresa. I know it. You and I will get married someday. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner the better." "I would want nothing more than to marry you, Ethan." "Good. Cause that's what I intend to do.............."

~MIGUEL~
"You are the best, Miguel. Thank you so much for everything." "The night is not over yet." I say as I pull a small box out. "Here you go, open it." "You didn't have to this." She opens it. "Oh my God, Miguel. It's absolutely beautiful!" "It's a promise ring." I say as I take it out of the box and put it on her finger. "My father gave it to my mother when they first started dating. My mother gave it to me and told me to give it to the girl that I knew I would be with forever. That girl is you, Kay." "Miguel, this is the most thoughtful gift that anyone has ever given to me. Thank you so much." She grabs me and kisses me. "Come on, let's get going." "Where are we going now, Miguel?" "You'll see." I say as I blow out the candles and lead her out of the backyard.....

~SAM~
"I love you, Ivy." I say as I break our kiss. "I love you, too, Sam." She pulls me into another kiss. "Look at Ethan and Theresa. They look so perfect together." "Just like we do." "May I have this dance, beautiful?" I say as I stand up and put my hand out for her to take. "Of course you can." As we walk towards the dance floor, we bump right into Grace and Eve. "Sam! What the hell are you doing?" "Oh God. Grace. I can explain--" "Explain! I just saw you kissing Ivy Crane and tell her that you love her! How can you explain that? There's no mistletoe this time!" Ethan and Theresa walk back towards the table when they hear the commotion. "Mom, Dad. What's going on?" Ethan says as he approaches. "Mrs. Bennett. Hello." "Dad? What the hell is he talking about, Sam?" "Grace, Ethan is my son with Ivy." "What!? So that means you and Ivy were involved?" "Yes, Grace. I never meant to hurt you. But the truth is, I'm in love with Ivy. I never stopped." "So our marriage has meant nothing to you? Our children?" "Our marriage has been great, but I can't deny my own heart. And as far as our chilren are concerned, I love our children more than anything." "Fine Sam. You want to be with Ivy, be with her!" Grace says as she and Eve walk out. "You can go after her if you want to, Sam." "I don't want to. I want to be here with you......"

~LUIS~
"Sheridan, are you ok?" I ask her, very concerned. "I'll be fine, Luis. As long as I have you. Promise me you'll never leave me." "Come with me, Sheridan." "Where are we going?" "You'll see." I say as I lead her out of the house. We drive until we reach our destination and we get out. "Luis, what are we doing at the church?" "Stop being so impatient. Let's go inside." She follows me inside and we walk up to the altar. "Now listen to me, Sheridan. I am promising you, in front God, that I will NEVER leave you." Then I get down on one knee. "Sheridan Crane, will you marry me?"

To Be Continued...

Chapter 17:

~THERESA~
"Why don't we go for a walk, Ethan?" "I'd like that a lot. Let me get your coat." "Mrs. Crane, Chief Bennett, I just wanted to thank both of you for dinner and for everything you've done for me. And I want to wish you all the happiness in the world." "Thank you, Theresa. We know that you will make our son happy." "Ready to go Theresa?" "Sure am." "Bye. You two have been great today. I'm happy that you're my parents." "And we're happy that you're our son. Bye." Ethan and I walk out of the resturant. "It's so beautiful outside." "Not nearly as beautiful as you are." "You are the most most thoughtful man that I have ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." "And I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

~KAY~
"What are we doing at the beach, Miguel?" "I wanted to take you here so we can watch the sun set together." "Oh, Miguel. That is so thoughtful. Look how beautiful it is. The waves hitting the shore. It's absolutely amazing." "Kay, can we make a pact?" "What kind of pact?" "That at least once a week, no matter how busy we get, we'll come and watch the sun set together." "That is so sweet. I would love to do that. Just being with you makes everything worthwhile." "I feel the same way." Miguel and I sit in the sand and cuddle up close to each other. I know that today is the beginning of the rest of my life.

~IVY~
"Well, Sam, where would you like to go?" "I'll go anywhere. As long as it's with you." "What do you say we go back to that hotel that we never checked out of." "I think I like that idea. Let's get going." We pay the check and head over to the hotel. "Let's order some champagne and strawberries." Sam says as we enter the room. "I like that idea." He grabs me from behind and nibbles on my ear. "Mmmmm. I love you." After about 10 minutes, the champagne and strawberris arrive. "For you, my love." I take a bite from Sam's strawberry and then kiss him. "What do you say we take a bath?" I go into the bathroom and run a bubble bath. Sam and I get in. "This feels so right being in your arms. I want to be with you like this forever." "Ivy, after our divorces are final, will you marry me?" "Oh, Sam! Yes I will marry you!" After we take our bath, we go into the bedroom and make love for hours. I know in my heart that we will be happy for the rest of our lives.

~SHERIDAN~ I am at a complete loss for words. I can't believe how lucky I am to find Luis. "You want to marry me?" "More than anything, Sheridan." "Yes, Luis! Of course I'll marry you!!!!" I look into his eyes and he stands up and kisses me. "I don't have a ring for you yet, but I'll get one as soon as I can." "Luis, you don't have to get me a ring. Being with you is all I need." "I know I don't have to. But I want to." "Why don't we go back to my cottage and celebrate." "Sounds like a plan. Let's go." Luis and I get back into his car and drive back to my cottage. We go inside and make passionate love to each other and we fall asleep by the fire. I know in my heart that we will be together forever.

Follow up on Theresa and Ethan:
Theresa and Ethan get married 3 years after this story.
They have 1 son, Anthony. And two daughters: Nicole and Ashlee.

Follow up on Kay and Miguel:
Kay and Miguel get married 5 years after this story.
They have 3 sons: Mark, Michael, and Jake. And 1 daughter, Gillian.

Follow up on Sam and Ivy:
Sam and Ivy get married 1 year after this story on Christmas day. They have a daughter together, Elizabeth.

Follow up on Sheridan and Luis:
Sheridan and Luis get married the summer after this story takes place.
They have 2 sons: David and Robert. And 2 daughters: Mariana and Liliana.

THE END