Hello, lovely's! Here is a one-shot for you, from me. I hope you enjoy. I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story nor do I own "Passions". The majority if not of these events will take place at the Crane mansion. This is not really set around any specific time considering the fact I plan to move around the show timelines. There will be a little bashing of a few characters. You have been warned. Anyway, the Pairings featured are mainly Theresa/Fox but there will be brief mentions of Theresa/Ethan. Also, there will be mentions of Gwen/Ethan.-MadHatterHelsing
Inside one of the many offices inside the Crane mansion, a feminine voice could be heard speaking, at first this voice started off as a barely there flabbergasted whisper "You love me?" but soon it quickly grew to an outraged shout. "YOU LOVE ME?", "SO NOW YOU LOVE ME?". The voice held evident amazement and disbelief, not only at the person before her but the words that just got done assaulting both her ears and heavily mistreated heart both by her own actions as well as others. Snorting Theresa pushed her padded office chair back from the large brown desk. Standing swiftly she made her way around the desk to stand in front of the offender. "Ethan you need to leave my office." standing there in front of Ethan she was the picture of calm and collected, not resembling the same girl who had an outburst just a second ago.
Ethan stood before watching Theresa... a strong, determined, resilient woman who had chased him for the longest time and he turned her down. Multiple times he had turned her down but she had always been there until recently. She had started this thing with Fox, his half-brother. They were just about always around each other, if you were looking for Fox he was with Therese and if you were looking for Theresa she would be with Fox. And when they weren't around each other they knew where the other was. It at away at him the way stray animals ate abandoned food, ravenous and quickly. Everything about the two of them together bothered and ate at him.
After moments of silence, Theresa blew air harshly out through her nose. "You don't get to love me now." she paused looking past him her eyes coming to rest upon the tacky gag gift portrait of dogs and cats playing poker. "Not when I found someone I trust and love, someone I can be me with..." with a shake of her head she took a step away moving to sit in a chair against the far side of the wall. "You don't get to love me when I decide I deserve better and decided not to follow you around...to not hang on you every word." her voice held a little malice before reverting back to it previous calm tone.
Unannounced to both Theresa and Ethan another listened in on their "conversation". Outside the office door, Fox hesitated the briefest second before placing his ear against the tan office door. A squeak was heard as Fox's right foot came into contact with a loose floor board, jerking back Fox looked around quickly, worried that someone was coming. Upon hearing the squeak again he looked around once more before finding the culprit not be the board under his right foot. Adjusting his standing position he breathed a sigh of relief before resuming his position against the office door, hoping to be able to hear more of the current conversation that was taking place.
Inside the office, Ethan stood there gaping, regarding Theresa with hurt filled eyes. "No Theresa" he moved toward her but before he could get any closer she raised her right leg as a means to keep him from coming closer. She gave a soft shake of her head before lowering it back down to cross over her left leg. "I love you, not for the reasons you mentioned but because you love me" he tried to step forward again but she immediately started to raise her leg again only stopping when he came in contact with her foot. "Your clever, resilient, beautiful..." he was quickly cut off by a quick shove to the stomach.
Standing she regarded him with calculating eyes, watching as he grasped the spot where her boot had just been. "Why is it the only time you seem to want me is when I pay you no mind" moving forward she began to circle his prone form. "Why when I start to move on do you suddenly decide it's the right time to love me?" she circled him and waited, watching him like a predator would its prey, just waiting to pounce. Ethan stood there trying to follow her movements, turning his head this and that way. To be honest, he was a bit unnerved by her at this current moment, true she had been angry at him before but this...this felt different. "THERESA" he reached out grabbing her by the arms causing her to stop in front of him. Glancing down at his hands she looked up her brown eyes meeting his blue ones. Arching a single brow she made a pointed look at his hands, shoving out of his grip she moved away.
Closing his eyes he grabbed at his forehead roughly rubbing it with his right hand while his other hand rested on his hip. "Theresa I...I...why are you being so difficult?" His patience was beginning to run thin. "Why can't you just be with me and be happy?" dropping both hands to slap roughly against black khaki covered thighs. "You finally get me, I get you and I'm not seeing your problem" His voice was full of annoyance and confusion and only grew more irritated the more she didn't respond. "I mean dammit, Theresa, Here I am ready to be with you and you say no." He turned from her for a few seconds before turning back to regard her carefully. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Leaning against the bookshelf in her office she watched and waited as he went through his little spiel. "Ethan I just don't want to be with you" reaching up she pinched the bridge of her nose "I will always have love for you but I don't, can't be with you", she could feel a headache coming on as she watched the vein on his neck twitch. "I have Fox now, he's trustworthy and he won't hurt me...I mean at least not on purpose." Pushing off from the bookshelf she walked toward him, stopping once she stood in front of him. "You got what you wanted, me to leave you alone and I am and besides you have Gwen." She reached down taking his hands into her own "Go find Gwen, be happy and well pretend this conversation never happened."
Outside the office Fox still remained listening intently, no one could see it but Fox was currently glowing like a proud mother at their kid's soccer game after they score the winning goal. He was very proud of Theresa for finally standing up to Ethan and giving him a peace of her mind. He knew why Ethan wanted her now, not only because she was a brilliant woman but she was no longer longing for him. Ethan wasn't slick, Fox was on to him. There was no way if he had any say that Ethan was gonna have his cake and eat it too. He was so tempted to just bust into the office, kicks Ethan's ass, grab Theresa and make a sweet escape. But he wouldn't for now at least, he knew Theresa could handle herself and wouldn't intervene unless necessary.
Back inside the office, Ethan felt his blood boil "Trust him? Ha! you know nothing about him. He will hurt you." he insisted as he moved to lean against her desk. "were not talking about Gwen. We're talking about you and me." he persisted trying to keep the conversation at the current issue at hand, which was her not wanting to be with him but his half-brother Fox. It wasn't that he hated Fox, he just wasn't right for Theresa. He used women and once he got what he wanted he was gone like the wind beside he wanted Theresa which was another reason for not liking him. "Theresa why can't you see that I want what's best for you?" He remained leaning against the desk, resisting his urge to go to her again but he knew she would just move away. "He's not a family guy...think of the baby." trying to persuade her he began bringing up the baby and what it would mean with her dating Fox.
Theresa stood there silent while he ranted, she had already done a lot of thinking of how Fox would figure into her and her babies life. She had worried that when this...this thing has started with her and Fox the baby would possibly defer him but Fox had simply told her one day during a random conversation that he knew if he wanted to be with her that the baby was a part of the deal and he was completely okay with that. He had even shown on many different occasions that he had no issue helping with her baby. Holding her hand up she stopped his rant "Who I have around MY child is none of your concern" Walking toward him she stopped in front of him "He makes me happy, he's good with little Ethan and I..." she paused turning from him "I love him..." Nodding to herself she walked a few paces away before turning to face Ethan. "I don't know when it happened but it did and I love him." Raking a hand through her dark brown locks, she let out sort of hysterical laugh before sobering. "I don't even know if he loves me but I'm gonna tell him and just go from there."
Outside the office, Fox had been listening very intently to the conversation going on inside the office. He couldn't hold the little-awed gasp that escaped his lips on hearing Theresa's confession of love. He was definitely glad he hadn't given into his urge to burst into the office if he had he wouldn't have heard her confession. her confession...was a new matter altogether, Sure he suspected that she had some feelings toward him more than friendship, hence them dating, but love. Love was a very strong thing but there was also the matter of whether or not she was in love with him. Anyone can love someone but it's a completely different thing to be in love with someone. The sound of glass breaking drew Fox from his current thoughts. He had missed quite a bit of the conversation during his musing.
Back inside the office, Ethan had just knocked over a vase in rage. "So you're telling me, you and he faked a relationship but it turned real?" he demanded loudly enough for anyone in the hallway to hear him, which was lucky for him because Fox was just about to burst in and open up a can of whoop-a**. He rubbed at his forehead forcefully before crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Why do you always play with my emotions?" he damned shaking his head he dropped his arms to hang at his side. "Forget it we'll just add it to the list of discretions we have both made against each other." Theresa had flinched at the smashing of the face but otherwise showed no outward reaction to Ethan's outburst. "I didn't do it to play with your emotions" she turned from him "What about Gwen? Despite my feelings toward her in the past, it wouldn't be fair to her or Fox." Turning back she made her way over to him grasping his much larger hand in her small ones. "Maybe we could be friends but anything else I can't...I won't" she stood there trying to judge the new emotion in his blue eyes.
Ethan paused briefly before reacting "Now you suddenly care about Gwen?" looking down at their joined hands he questioned her. This was definitely not the same Theresa he had known for many years. "I'm not saying I don't love Gwen but right now I want you." He removed his hands from her grip only to take her small hands into his reversing their position. Shaking her head at him she sighed. "I know I've done things...messed up things to Gwen but I just...not anymore" Snatching her hands out of his grip she mad her way over to the door turning the doorknob. "I'm going to go find Fox and you need to go to Gwen and just fix whatever is wrong and just be happy."
Outside the door, Fox turned and was about to make his escape upon seeing the doorknob turn but his escape was interrupted as he turned he came face to face with the face of a teary-eyed Gwen. Minding the people behind the door he asked quietly "Gwen? how long have you been here?" When he turned around the last thing he had expected to see was anyone let alone Gwen. He glanced back at the door behind him to make sure both that no one had heard him and that it wasn't gonna open. Even though he didn't particularly care about Gwen, seeing a woman cry just bothered him.
Ushering her away from the office door and down the hallway so that if Ethan and Theresa came out of the office it wouldn't look like they had just been eavesdropping. Rubbing her eyes roughly and with a small sniffle, she allowed herself to be herded down the hall. "I was there for a while", "I saw you standing there and then I heard Ethan so I decided to listen and I just yeah" she finished lamely as she waved her hand around in a gauge sort of motion but Fox understood what he meant and nodded at her to show his understanding. "You gonna be okay?" he questioned upon receiving a nod they both turned to look at the door as they heard it opening. Looking back at each other they parted ways going to different spots in the house.
Alrighty then. So that's the rewrite of chapter one and I shall be working on chapter two and my other stories but it may be awhile but hopefully not too long. I am a full-time student so it will take a bit of an update but I will update. Please leave a review and any suggestions for future chapters.