A Tale Of Two Babies ...(Continued)

Chapter 22:

Sheridan stood with Luis in front of the small headstone that read 'Baby Crane' and she watched his reaction. She had a hard time persuading him to even come to the cemetery with her. When she had arrived home the night before she had sent the Bennett girls home and checked on the babies. They were sleeping like angels and she stood for a long time watching them sleep as silent tears coursed down her face.

She went to bed alone, lying there waiting for Luis to come home, praying he would come home at all. Finally she heard the Jeep pull into the drive and she let out a sigh of relief. She listened as he moved around downstairs and then she heard him come up and go into the babies room. Her heart thudded as she heard his footsteps approach their bedroom, then it sank when he walked by the door and she heard the spare room door close. That's where he spent the night. This morning he had been cold and quiet with her... although he was trying had to behave normally around Justin and Jenny. Now, here at the grave, he was cold again.

"This doesn't prove anything Sheridan. This could be any baby's grave." Luis' voice was heavy with a combination of restrained anger and pain. Sheridan sighed. "It's my baby's grave Luis. I stood right here and watched her be buried." She turned to Luis, touching his sleeve and waiting until he looked at her. "Luis... you know me. You know I could never lie about something like this. I don't understand how those tests came back positive Luis... I really don't. All I know is our baby died. I am certain of it." It was all Luis could do to look into those pleading eyes and then walk away, but he did just that. He walked through the cemetery, not looking back at her, knowing if he did he wouldn't be able to keep walking.

Sheridan stood outside Bethany's hospital room, knowing that Bethany didn't want to see her. The hospital security would throw her out if Bethany demanded it, but Sheridan knew she had to at least try. She pushed open the door and peeked inside. Bethany was sleeping, at least her eyes were closed. When Sheridan stepped into the room Bethany opened her eyes and for just a moment Sheridan saw a flicker of happiness in Bethany's eyes. Then they clouded over and a quiet, cool voice said, "What are YOU doing here?"

Sheridan advanced farther into the room. "We need to talk Bethany. I know you don't want to see me but I want to see you. I love you Bethany." "You don't love me... you lie! How can you look into your own daughters eyes and lie through your teeth?" Bethany willed herself not to cry, but her eyes were burning and a tear slipped out. She swiped it furiously. "Get out of here. I don't need a mother anyway. I spent the first 14 years without really having one. I can live the rest of my life without one."

Sheridan was crying too, but she didn't bother trying to wipe them dry. "Well I can't live my life without you. Bethany, I don't understand these results. You have to believe that my baby died at birth. All these years I have lived with the pain of losing her. I wish more than anything in the world that you were my daughter, but you aren't. You can't be." "Then what about the test? Luis... Daddy... said it was definite!" "I don't know Bethany. I was shocked too. It has to be a mistake." Sheridan really couldn't explain it.

"Just go away. Please, I don't want you here." Bethany closed her eyes and didn't open them until she heard Sheridan leave. She wished it was a mistake... as much as she was glad to be their daughter she wished it was a mistake and that Sheridan was telling the truth. Sheridan lying to her was simply the most painful thing in her life. Luis walked along the wharf, stopping to lean against the railing and peer down into the murky water. He thought about Sheridan. If someone had asked him last week he would've sworn on his life that she wouldn't lie to him. Not about anything important anyway.

He could see her standing there, her eyes pleading, almost as though she really believed what she was saying. Luis' breath caught in his throat. ...as though she BELIEVED what she was saying... Luis swore under his breath as he realized what was going on. It was so obvious now. They had been overlooking the truth from the beginning and now he knew... all he needed was the proof.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 23:

Sheridan was making herself a cup of coffee when she heard the front door slam. "Sheridan!" Luis' loud voice startled her and she spilled the coffee all over the counter. He was yelling and he didn't sound happy. "I'm in the kitchen Luis." She called to him in a weary voice. She was feeling depressed and drained enough after her visit to Bethany. She really didn't feel like going another ten rounds with Luis. He appeared in the doorway, out of breath and looking as though he had run all the way home. "Sheridan... I have to talk to you..." "Luis, I'm really not up to it right now. There's nothing more I can say." She finished wiping up the coffee, slung the cloth into the sink and brushed by Luis, striding down the hall to the den.

Luis trailed behind her. "No Sheridan, but there is plenty that I have to say." Sheridan didn't want to hear any more about how she'd broken his trust. She knew the truth and if he couldn't trust her then there was nothing she could do about it. "Luis, I'm not going to dignify your accusations any further by continuing to defend myself." She turned to face him, her blue eyes flashing angrily. "And I shouldn't have to defend myself! Especially not to you!" "I know." Luis said softly. "What?" Sheridan was confused. Her eyes changed from furious to curious. Luis ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "I've been thinking Sheridan... and I believe you. I don't believe it's the truth, but I believe that you aren't lying." "What are you talking about Luis?"

"Sheridan, when you gave birth to our baby was she alive? Did she cry?" Sheridan had no idea why he was asking but she nodded. "Yes." A tear rolled down her face. "She cried... very strong and loud. I wanted to hold her then... I begged, but the doctor just gave her to the nurse and the woman took her away." "Then what?" Luis prompted gently. "Then the doctor told me to calm down. He said the nurse would bring her back as soon as she was examined. The nurse came back and our baby was wrapped in a pink fuzzy blanket. The nurse looked at me sadly and said she was sorry, but the baby had died." Sheridan's eyes streamed with tears and she took a ragged breath.

"Then the nurse handed me the blanket and I uncovered her little face... she was so beautiful Luis. She was all pink and soft... oh God Luis..." Luis took Sheridan into his arms and held her close. "I'm so sorry Honey... I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Sheridan looked up at him and said tremulously, "Luis... you believe me now? You believe our baby is dead?" "I believe your story Honey, but our baby is lying in a bed in Harmony hospital right now. Where was our baby born Sheridan?" Luis looked at her anxiously. "Boston. Father wanted to keep everything a big secret." "Come on. Let's see if Grace or the girls can baby-sit. We are going to Boston." Luis hauled Sheridan from the room, a confused look on her face. Boston?

Sheridan and Luis stood impatiently near the front desk in the largest hospital in Boston. Luis shifted from foot to foot as they waited for the nurse to return with Sheridan's medical file. "Are you sure there is something in this file that can prove Bethany is my baby?" Sheridan asked. "Not that Bethany is our baby, that's already been proven. I hope there's something in here that will prove to you that your baby is alive." "Isn't that the same thing?" "Not in your heart honey." Luis turned as the nurse returned and handed Sheridan her file. They took the folder and moved to the waiting area where they could sit.

Sheridan opened the cover and they perused the papers until they found one concerning the birth. Sheridan scanned the page, coming to the section with the information on the infants release. She gasped out loud, her heart lurching. In the space where she expected an explanation of the baby's death she saw three words that made her blood run cold. "Released for adoption" and there beside the words was a reasonable facsimile of her signature. "But... the baby I held..." "Was another poor child Sheridan. The way I see it, Ivy's child died and Alistair found a way to keep the Crane blood, your baby, in the family and avoid the scandal at the same time."

Sheridan murmured softly, "My family stole my baby.... our baby. Oh God, Bethany is really my baby... my daughter... Oh Luis!" Sheridan flung herself happily into Luis' arms and he held her close. "We have to go to her Luis! I have to make her understand what happened. You'll tell her right? That I wasn't lying to her? She trusts you... you can make her understand!" Luis smiled at her. "Yes Honey, I'll make her understand." He kissed her gently. "I'll make our daughter understand." Luis pulled her close again and as he did his face changed, from happy to furious. 'And after that,' he thought, ' I will go to those damn Cranes and make them pay for messing with peoples lives this way...'

To Be Continued...

Chapter 24:

Bethany looked up as the couple walked into her room. "What is she doing here?" She asked Luis. She watched as they exchanged a glance. Luis moved to the bed and took Bethany's hand in his two large ones. "Bethany, we found something out today. Sheridan didn't lie about her baby Bethany. She was told her baby died and she was even given a dead baby to hold... you were stolen from her. She didn't know Bethany, she really didn't." Sheridan stepped forward and addressed the confused looking teen. "Sweetie... I always wished you were my daughter, but I truly believed she was dead. Your Grandfather stole you... to replace the baby that Ivy had lost."

Bethany looked from one to the other, uncertain what to believe. She wanted to believe this was the truth and forget it ever happened. She wanted to just move ahead to her new life with Luis and Sheridan as her parents, but she wasn't sure if she believed the story or not. Perhaps Sheridan was lying now. Perhaps she had decided she could put up with having Bethany as a daughter if it was necessary in order to have Luis back. "You believe her?" She asked Luis, looking deep into his eyes for the truth. "Yes Bethany. We started putting the pieces together and we uncovered the truth. They told Sheridan you were dead and took you for themselves." Sheridan moved close to the bed, looking at Bethany with damp, pleading eyes. "Bethany... you have to understand... I never lied to you, not knowingly.

I love you and I have never purposely told you a lie. All my life I wished and pretended you were mine. I knew we were special... that we had an amazing bond. Now I finally understand why. You're my daughter... my real daughter..." Her voice broke and she started to cry. "Please forgive me Bethany...I didn't know... I didn't..." Bethany was crying too now. "Please don't cry. Don't cry Auntie... Mommy... don't cry. I love you..." Bethany knew that Sheridan was telling the truth. "Oh Sweetie..." Sheridan bent and carefully hugged her daughter. Bethany's good arm snaked tightly around her neck and squeezed tightly. When Sheridan pulled back Bethany looked at her parents with worried eyes. "Does this mean I can stay with you? You aren't going to send me back to boarding school are you? Please let me stay!"

Luis took her hand again. "Kiddo, legally you belong to Ivy and Julian. We're going to fix that, I promise, but until then I'm not sure we can stop them from sending you back to Europe." "You mean they can just take me away? They stole me once and they can do it again?" Bethany asked indignantly. "They can never steal you again Sweetie." Sheridan said, smiling. "You are ours and we will never stop until you are with us where you belong, I promise." Sheridan placed her hand on top of Luis' and Bethany's and they all smiled at each other.

**A year later**

Sheridan and Luis stood at the edge of the lawn and looked out over the friends and family that had gathered at their picnic. The past year had changed a lot of things in the town of Harmony, especially after the Cranes were charged and convicted for kidnapping and fraud, among the many other crimes that were dredged up during the following investigation. Ivy had turned states evidence, spilling all the secrets she knew about her husband and father-in-law in exchange for immunity. She was now in the process of remarrying to some shifty politician in a neighboring county.

Bethany was now officially Sheridan and Luis' daughter, in every way. She was permanently enrolled in Harmony High and she had never been happier. She was sitting on a blanket near the pool Luis had surprised Bethany with on her birthday. Beside her was her best friend Jess and little Jenny. The three year old was lying on her back with a pair of sunglasses perched on her tiny nose, doing her best to imitate her big sister. Justin was toddling around from guest to guest, being his usual charming self. Luis slid an arm around Sheridan and smiled down at her. "Happy?" Sheridan grinned. "I couldn't be happier Luis. My world is perfect. I have the perfect husband, four beautiful children..."

"Four?" Luis interrupted, raising his brow. Sheridan took Luis' hand, placing it on her flat stomach. "I'm sure this one will be as beautiful as it's brother and sisters are." Luis smiled, his face nearly splitting in two. "Really? You're pregnant?" Sheridan nodded, squealing in delight as Luis swooped her up and swung her around in a circle, to the amusement of the people filling the back yard. Luis grinned and said loudly, "Congratulate me everybody! I'm going to be a daddy again!" Everyone clapped and congratulated them both as Sheridan serenely smiled and rubbed her stomach, wondering if she should tell everybody her secret. No, she would wait. They would find out soon enough that the future would be a tale of two babies rather than one.

THE END