Matters of the Heart
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I only stake claim on the plot. JER owns the rights to the characters and situations from Passions. Enough said.
Summary: Starting over is much easier said than done, and like always, Theresa finds herself learning it the hard way. Only this time, she's not alone. This time she has Fox. Sequel to A Change of Heart.
Author's Note: To those who have been WAITING for this story, I'm so sorry it took so long! Between school, family, work, life, and a side trip to see relatives on the OTHER side of the States, I'm surprised that I managed to even find the time to get this finished! Thank you for reviewing, thanks for waiting, and enjoy! (A quick note to Lydia, the whole time machine bit was from my cousin. His older brothers were fighting, and he missed it. Five minutes later and he's trying to turn back time. ^_^)
Happy reading!
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Matters of the Heart
A million thoughts raced through Theresa's mind. And not a single one of them told her that it was wrong. On the contrary, they were exactly the opposite.
It felt so right. But that didn't make it right either.
So Theresa pushed Fox away, breaking off the kiss, somewhat reluctantly, and backed up into the door. "No Fox, we can't."
"Can't what?" He asked her huskily, his breath hot against her neck.
She fought the sudden urge to shiver. "Anything. It's not right." She said, echoing her thoughts.
"But letting Ethan push you around by holding custody over you is?" Fox moved further away, his eyebrows raised. "Resa, you deserve better."
"Yeah, I do. But what I deserve, want, or need has nothing to do with it. Right now, Martin is the only person that I'm worried about."
"And what about yourself?"
"What about me?" Theresa sighed exasperatedly. "Fox, whatever happened between the two of us just now was pure lust."
"Maybe on your part." He muttered darkly. "Theresa." He leaned forward to touch her arm, but she backed up further into the door. Fox made a noncommittal sound, much like a growl, under his breath. "What is the matter with you? You act like we haven't kissed before!"
He was right. They had kissed before, but never like that. There was the kiss on Valentine's Day, where Fox had jokingly said that he didn't get a single Valentine, (Both she and Whitney had kissed him on the cheek.) and the one on Christmas Eve. (They were standing under mistletoe, and Chad had coerced them into doing it. Only because Theresa had caught him and Ethan standing underneath it earlier.)
"I know that but." Now the doorknob was digging into her back, and Theresa's hands reached behind, grasping onto its smooth, round surface. ". but, I have to go!" It turned easily in her hands and she fled down the hallway, disappearing down the stairs.
======================
Twenty minutes later
Panting and sweating profusely, Theresa slammed the front door shut and threw herself into the nearest chair. Whatever had possessed her to run from Fox's apartment to her mother's house was gone. Well, except for the massive cramp in her side.
And as for the way she had acted earlier, the words 'major screw-up' came to mind.
Not that she blamed herself. As if breaking up with Ethan wasn't bad enough, throw in custody issues, and problems with her business and you have a picture worthy of any abstract art museum worth their salt.
But she had to admit; the whole situation could've been better. Looking back on it, Theresa knew that she should've left Ethan a long time ago. She had only stayed out of comfort and convenience, simply veiled behind her son's welfare. But now that the situation was out of control, Theresa just didn't know what to do.
The front door opened, the sound of laughter floating through. "Stop it Uncle Miguel!" Martin yelped. "Do I look like a Tickle-Me-Elmo to you?"
"You did dress up as Elmo last Halloween, Martin." Giggle. "And every time somebody reached towards your tummy, you started laughing and jumping up and down." The voices got louder, and Theresa sat up quickly, running her fingers through her hair and wiping away tears that she didn't realize she had cried. "Oh, hi Theresa!" Charity flashed her a bright smile. "I didn't think you'd be back so early."
Miguel turned. "Hey." He said, surprised. "I went to get the rug rat here, and we decided to wait for you here instead."
"Thanks." She replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Mama!" Martin flung himself at her. "Make him stop tickling me!" He pointed at Miguel. "He's been doing it ever since we left the park."
Smile. "Miguel." She said in her best Pilar sounding voice. "Quit bothering your nephew!"
He stomped his foot on the floor. "Aww, man. You're no fun sis."
"Hah!" Martin triumphantly stuck his tongue out at his uncle. "My mama told you off." He said in a singsong voice.
"Don't get me started on you little guy." Theresa said, looking at her son. "Now what do you say to your soon-to-be-Auntie Charity for taking you everywhere today?"
"Thanks?"
Charity laughed again. "Good enough."
Miguel stole a quick glance at his sister and fiancée before turning back to his nephew. "Hey Martin, what do you say me and you go in the backyard and play some soccer?"
He shrugged and slid out of his mother's lap. "Sure. Just as long as you don't cheat."
"Cheat? How can I cheat? It's soccer!"
Miguel and Martin continued to 'argue' out the door. Charity merely shook her head and smiled. "They've been like that all day." She said.
"All day? They're like that all the time." Theresa looked around the room aimlessly, before settling on staring out the window.
Charity sat down on the sofa opposite Theresa. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked curiously.
"Talk about what?"
She shrugged. "Oh you know. the weather. your latest designs. Fox?"
Theresa turned away from the window, Charity's last comment finally catching her attention. "Fox?" She laughed nervously. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"Well I don't know. You tell me, since you were so eager to bring him up." When Theresa turned back to the window, Charity sighed. "Miguel told me how the two of you interacted with each other at the Book Café earlier."
"Oh great." She retorted acerbically. "As if Luis and Antonio weren't enough to deal with, now I have to."
"Miguel doesn't want to see you get hurt all over again. You've always looked out for him, so now he wants to repay the favor." Charity moved closer, sitting directly opposite Theresa. "It's obvious that you have some feelings for the guy. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so quiet all of a sudden."
Theresa glanced at her warily. "You didn't have one of your premonitions about me, did you?"
She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I only get premonitions about bad stuff. But a happy premonition would be nice once in awhile." Charity trailed off and gave her a look. "Don't change the subject, Theresa."
"I wasn't trying to. I guess I do have some feelings for Fox, but I can't sort them out. My mind is already a mess with what's going on now."
Charity nodded her head sympathetically. "Completely understandable."
Theresa let out a frustrated groan and continued as if Charity had never said anything. "I just wish I knew how to define where I stand with Fox. But as it is, it's just a bunch of gibberish."
"We are just talking now right?"
Nod. "Yeah."
She smiled serenely. "Well," Charity said, "Who said that it had to be coherent?"
======================
Later that evening
Theresa tucked the blanket around Martin and brushed his hair out of his face, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Good night sweetie." She whispered, closing the door behind her.
Not surprisingly, the second his head hit the pillow, Martin went to sleep right away. She made a mental note to thank Miguel and Charity again tomorrow. And on another note, her stomach started to growl. To be honest, she hadn't eaten all day and now it was catching up to her. Theresa walked downstairs towards the kitchen to make herself something to eat.
Halfway though her sandwich, the doorbell rang. Theresa glanced at the clock. It was 10:47. Whoever was at the door had to be out of their minds to visit now. The doorbell rang again and she hurried to answer it, not wanting for Martin to wake up. "I'm coming!" She said. Opening the door just enough to see who was outside, Theresa's eyes widened and she slammed the door shut. "Go away!"
"Theresa, I just want to talk to you. I'm not leaving until you hear me out. I'll stand out here forever if I have to."
She paused, debating the situation. "Okay. I'm listening, Fox." She finally replied.
"I don't know why you're so reluctant about taking a chance with me, and I'm not going to try to figure it out either. But what I do know is that what really matters is the fact that I would never treat you like Ethan did. I'm not saying that just because I can't stand the guy." Theresa smiled. "But I'm saying it because it's the truth. Resa, we've been friends for the longest time, and you know that I would never lie to you. All I'm asking for is one chance."
"And what happens if I don't give you that chance?" Theresa flinched as she said it. She knew that it would hurt him, but she just had to know. "What if I decide to go back to Ethan and never give you a second thought?"
"Then you're obviously under estimating your value as a person. You're worth so much more than what you put yourself through. Does my half- brother really mean that much to you if you're so willing to go crawling back to him? I'm not him, Theresa. And I never will be."
Oops. She knew she struck a nerve when Fox referred to Ethan as his half- brother. "I was only speaking rhetorically, Fox. "
"As was I." He sighed. "If a real relationship with me isn't what you want, then I won't pursue it. I just had to know how you felt."
Before she knew it, her hand was shaking and she was opening the door again, only this time, she moved aside. "What if," Theresa said, "I asked you to come inside? Would that answer your question?"
A small smile spread across Fox's face. "Actions do speak louder than words."
======================
Two months later.
Theresa glanced at Fox warily and then at the folder she was holding. "I don't know." She said, fixing her gaze at the folder's contents.
Fox drummed his fingers on the desktop impatiently. "Hand it over Theresa. You already said that you'd let me take care of it."
"But."
He shook his head. "No buts." Fox simply reached over the desk and plucked the folder from her hands. "I'm taking care of this, and that's final."
"Hey! I changed my mind. A person is allowed to change their minds about big decisions like this!"
"Theresa." He said calmly. "We've discussed this already, and agreed on it last night. Being the VP of Crane Industries, I have access to resources that would help your case." Theresa reached for the folder again, but Fox kept it out of reach. "You know, I was under the impression that you wanted to keep your son."
Her hands fell to her sides, defeated. "I do want to keep him. But I don't want to stand on the sidelines and watch somebody else take over. He's my son, and I refuse to be a spectator in all of this."
"Theresa, if you're determined to help, then by all means, do it. Nothing is stopping you. But Resa, you have to realize that you can't do everything. Contrary to your own personal belief, you're not superwoman." Fox reached over and held her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "If you want to keep your son, then let someone who knows what they're doing take over for once."
"Fine. But that doesn't mean that I'm not happy about it."
A grin played at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah that's true. You won't like it until after you win."
Theresa let go of Fox's hand and promptly hit him on the shoulder. "It's not like that and you know it!"
He laughed. "Theresa, wanting to win custody is something that you can openly admit to."
"You know what I meant by that." She sighed. "So what's your secret weapon that you've been going on and on about?"
Fox feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't even start, Fox. I get enough of that from Martin. That's almost as bad as the time he told me he didn't eat any cookies when he had crumbs all over his face."
"I plead the fifth?" He tried. Theresa glared at him and he sighed. "You're not going to like it."
She scoffed. "Oh please. It's going to get Ethan to drop the whole custody ordeal, and you think that I'm going to hate it?"
"I know you're going to hate it. As much as I love you, I kinda love the fact that I'm living right now more." Fox glanced at his watch and practically fell out of his chair. "Um, aren't you late for work Theresa?"
"Oh that. I thought I told you that I said today was an off day for me?" Theresa shrugged. "Benefit of owning a small business and only having three employees I guess."
"An off day. Why don't you take Martin to the park or something? It's a perfect day and."
"He's at daycare." She eyed him suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to get rid of me."
He opened his mouth to protest but the intercom buzzed, cutting him off. "Mr. Crane, your 10:30 is here. Shall I send her in?"
"Give me five minutes." Fox clicked the intercom off and looked at Theresa. "Um."
"I wish you had just said that you had a meeting. I would have understood." She put on her coat and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you later then?"
The doors to Fox's office opened, and a tall blonde walked in. "I went to all this trouble to meet you and your secretary tells me I have to wait? I honestly don't think so Fox. That's never a good thing in business. We should have just discussed this over the phone instead of." She stopped once she saw Theresa. "This isn't what you think." She said immediately.
Fox stood, offering Theresa his seat. "I guess I can skip the introductions, huh?" He grinned half-heartedly.
She shot him another glare, one that made his grin vanish, and sat down. "Introduce, please."
"Theresa, meet Gwen Hotchkiss, the secret weapon."
======================
Theresa was fuming. Oh what she wouldn't give for a blunt or sharp object, preferably the latter. "No." She said her voice as cold as ice. "Not over my dead body."
"Resa, this is the best option we have. If we go to court, there's no telling what could happen. We don't know what Ethan has up his sleeve and we really shouldn't put anything past him either."
"Fine, then we'll go to court. It's been awhile since I've had a fairly decent argument with him anyways."
"This isn't what it's about, Theresa." Gwen told her. "I know you hate him. And I know you hate me too, but now really isn't the time to try to settle the score. I'm only here because Fox thinks I can help. And trust me, I want to. I really do."
She rolled her eyes. "Said the person who tried to kill me with a baseball bat."
"Theresa." Fox said warningly.
"What? You honestly expect me to suddenly trust Gwen?"
"Why shouldn't you?"
"Where should I start?" Theresa asked, crossing her arms across her chest. "With all that's been said and done between us, there's not a snowflake's chance in."
Fox held up his hand. "That's enough Theresa. Despite your history with Gwen, even you have to admit that this is the only alternative we have, without having to go to court. All I'm suggesting is that Gwen talks to Ethan about dropping this whole custody ordeal."
"And that's it." Gwen added. "I swear that there's no ulterior motive for me either."
He nodded in agreement. "Do you think you can agree to letting her do that much?"
Theresa made a face, her expression turning sour. "I'll agree to it, but that doesn't mean that I trust her."
Gwen stood up. "It's not about trust. It's about having faith, and believing in it." Nodding at Fox, she turned and left the office.
Once the doors were closed, Fox felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. And he knew that Theresa was glaring at him right then. 'That's not a good sign.' He thought.
"I cannot believe you, Nicholas!"
'And I was right.' Despite the fact that they had only been together for a little less than a month, Fox knew that Theresa tended to use full names when she wasn't happy. Or in his case, his first name. And if that didn't give it away, her tone of voice sure did. "Theresa."
"I knew letting you take over Martin's custody case for me was a bad idea!"
Fox's eyebrow arched. "A bad idea? Well excuse me; I was just trying to help. I thought avoiding the whole court scenario was the general goal."
"Of all people, you went to Gwen Hotchkiss? God, were you even thinking?" She shouted, jumping out of the chair.
"Was I thinking? Let's see. I was thinking about you having to do though that whole ordeal. I was thinking about how much my brother would get a kick out of watching you suffer. And I was thinking about Martin having to get up in front of an entire courtroom and tell complete strangers who he loves more. So yeah, I was thinking!" He shouted back loudly, making Theresa jump.
The intercom on his desk went off. "Mr. Crane? Is everything all right? I heard."
Fox leaned across the desk and punched at a button. "Rita, take the rest of the day off. And tell the others in the office that as well." Sighing, he looked up, his eyes finally meeting Theresa's.
"When I opened my door to you, I not only let you into my heart, but I gave you a chance." She said quietly, looking him straight in the eyes. "And you just blew it." Theresa calmly picked up the folder containing Martin's custody papers and walked past him, leaving the office.
As she left, Fox didn't even bother to hold his breath. He knew that she wouldn't be there waiting for him to apologize.
As if he would.
As a general rule, Cranes don't apologize. Ever. That's what PR people and personal assistants were for. Fox had been taught that since before he could walk.
But that just wasn't the case. Fox wasn't going to apologize for the mere fact that he knew he wasn't wrong. Asking Gwen for her help was risky and he knew that. Either she would agree or refuse to help, but Theresa's response would stay the same. Anger didn't even begin to cover her mood. And frustration wasn't even close to how he was feeling.
'Our first fight.' Fox smiled at the thought of having a bunch of relationship firsts with Theresa and then frowned. 'Idiot. First fights aren't something to be proud about. Especially since you really don't have a clue as to what exactly happened.'
A million thoughts swirled around in Fox's mind and he clutched the desk for support, his equilibrium lost. Angrily, he flung out his arm, clearing off his desk in one sweep. Papers flew everywhere and everything else was scattered all over.
He heard the sound of glass breaking, and without even looking, Fox knew that it was the picture frame holding Theresa's picture. "Damn it." He muttered, half-heartedly kicking the picture away. "What the hell am I going to do?"
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That afternoon.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid! You just had to sabotage the one good thing in your life, didn't you? If anything, you were the one who blew it.' Theresa sighed. Who needs Jiminy Cricket, when you have a conscious like hers?
'And as if wrecking your own life wasn't bad enough, how do you think this is gonna effect Martin?' Her conscious added, rubbing salt into the wound.
Theresa felt faint and extremely nauseous. "Oh, how am I going to explain this to him?" She thought to herself. 'He'll never understand. Much less forgive me."
In the past two months, Fox and Martin had bonded faster than superglue. Given more time, and that bond would even rival Martin's bond with his father.
Forget feeling nervous, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald was absolutely scared out of her wits. And about her own son, no less.
She heard the door open, closely followed by the pitter-patter of a child's running. "Mama! I'm home!"
Speak of the devil.
"Look at the painting I drew in art class!" Martin exclaimed, rummaging through his school-bag. We had to draw our families, so I drew everybody, Mama. But I couldn't fit them all so Miss Jaden had to give me another piece of paper." He made a face, his tiny face wrinkled with frustration. "I can't find it."
"Well, let's try checking your backpack again, okay? Maybe it's just hiding from you." Theresa suggested calmly.
"Or maybe someone was just to eager to show it off that he left it in the car." She looked up and saw Gwen leaning against the doorframe, holding out a scroll of paper to Martin. "You should always remember to put everything into your bag before you get out Martin."
"Thanks!" Martin took the pictures from her and proceeded to display them on the refrigerator. "Come look Mama. See, there's you and there's daddy, and then."
"Sweetheart, go play outside. Mama wants to talk Gwen for a minute. You can show me and everybody else your picture after dinner, okay?" Once he left, Theresa faced Gwen, for the second time that day. "What do you want now?" She asked, bitterly.
"Nothing. Ethan just asked me if I could pick up Martin from daycare for him. And so I did. And I talked to Fox again. He told me."
"About what happened?" Shrug. "No big deal. I gave the relationship a try and it didn't work out."
Gwen laughed. "Look, I know we've never been all that close, but I know you Theresa. When you were chasing after Ethan, you never gave up that easily. Well to be honest, you didn't give up. At least, up until recently, that is." She paused for a second and continued. "Anyways, the point that I'm trying to make here is that you're not the type to throw in the towel and wave a white flag. Fox may have royally pissed you off my asking for my help, but his heart was in the right place."
"Cranes don't have hearts."
"There are always exceptions to the rules. Like this one for instance. Ethan's always been stubborn, once he sets his mind to something, then that's the end of it. But in this case, he's changed his point of view."
Gwen held out another piece of paper towards her. "Granted, these papers won't be official until tomorrow, but I still thought that you'd like to see them now."
Theresa glanced at the papers and gasped. "Oh God, I don't even know what to say. Thank."
She held up her hand. "Don't thank me. I'm just the messenger." She waved and headed towards the door.
"But if you didn't do it, then who did?"
Gwen smiled. "Oh you know the answer to that question." She left, leaving an extremely confused Theresa alone.
'Idiot.' Her conscious told her. 'You blew it like the US did Hiroshima.' Theresa grimaced. "Damn it. What have I done?"
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A/N: Yeah, before you start to flame me, there's just one tiny little fact I'd like to add. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, and you won't hear her swan song until AFTER the third (and last!) short story, Where the Heart Belongs.
I know that there wasn't enough Therox (Is there even such a thing as TOO much Therox?), but that was just simply for plot reasons. The next story will all be about our favorite couple, so please be patient. I promise you won't regret waiting.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I only stake claim on the plot. JER owns the rights to the characters and situations from Passions. Enough said.
Summary: Starting over is much easier said than done, and like always, Theresa finds herself learning it the hard way. Only this time, she's not alone. This time she has Fox. Sequel to A Change of Heart.
Author's Note: To those who have been WAITING for this story, I'm so sorry it took so long! Between school, family, work, life, and a side trip to see relatives on the OTHER side of the States, I'm surprised that I managed to even find the time to get this finished! Thank you for reviewing, thanks for waiting, and enjoy! (A quick note to Lydia, the whole time machine bit was from my cousin. His older brothers were fighting, and he missed it. Five minutes later and he's trying to turn back time. ^_^)
Happy reading!
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Matters of the Heart
A million thoughts raced through Theresa's mind. And not a single one of them told her that it was wrong. On the contrary, they were exactly the opposite.
It felt so right. But that didn't make it right either.
So Theresa pushed Fox away, breaking off the kiss, somewhat reluctantly, and backed up into the door. "No Fox, we can't."
"Can't what?" He asked her huskily, his breath hot against her neck.
She fought the sudden urge to shiver. "Anything. It's not right." She said, echoing her thoughts.
"But letting Ethan push you around by holding custody over you is?" Fox moved further away, his eyebrows raised. "Resa, you deserve better."
"Yeah, I do. But what I deserve, want, or need has nothing to do with it. Right now, Martin is the only person that I'm worried about."
"And what about yourself?"
"What about me?" Theresa sighed exasperatedly. "Fox, whatever happened between the two of us just now was pure lust."
"Maybe on your part." He muttered darkly. "Theresa." He leaned forward to touch her arm, but she backed up further into the door. Fox made a noncommittal sound, much like a growl, under his breath. "What is the matter with you? You act like we haven't kissed before!"
He was right. They had kissed before, but never like that. There was the kiss on Valentine's Day, where Fox had jokingly said that he didn't get a single Valentine, (Both she and Whitney had kissed him on the cheek.) and the one on Christmas Eve. (They were standing under mistletoe, and Chad had coerced them into doing it. Only because Theresa had caught him and Ethan standing underneath it earlier.)
"I know that but." Now the doorknob was digging into her back, and Theresa's hands reached behind, grasping onto its smooth, round surface. ". but, I have to go!" It turned easily in her hands and she fled down the hallway, disappearing down the stairs.
======================
Twenty minutes later
Panting and sweating profusely, Theresa slammed the front door shut and threw herself into the nearest chair. Whatever had possessed her to run from Fox's apartment to her mother's house was gone. Well, except for the massive cramp in her side.
And as for the way she had acted earlier, the words 'major screw-up' came to mind.
Not that she blamed herself. As if breaking up with Ethan wasn't bad enough, throw in custody issues, and problems with her business and you have a picture worthy of any abstract art museum worth their salt.
But she had to admit; the whole situation could've been better. Looking back on it, Theresa knew that she should've left Ethan a long time ago. She had only stayed out of comfort and convenience, simply veiled behind her son's welfare. But now that the situation was out of control, Theresa just didn't know what to do.
The front door opened, the sound of laughter floating through. "Stop it Uncle Miguel!" Martin yelped. "Do I look like a Tickle-Me-Elmo to you?"
"You did dress up as Elmo last Halloween, Martin." Giggle. "And every time somebody reached towards your tummy, you started laughing and jumping up and down." The voices got louder, and Theresa sat up quickly, running her fingers through her hair and wiping away tears that she didn't realize she had cried. "Oh, hi Theresa!" Charity flashed her a bright smile. "I didn't think you'd be back so early."
Miguel turned. "Hey." He said, surprised. "I went to get the rug rat here, and we decided to wait for you here instead."
"Thanks." She replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Mama!" Martin flung himself at her. "Make him stop tickling me!" He pointed at Miguel. "He's been doing it ever since we left the park."
Smile. "Miguel." She said in her best Pilar sounding voice. "Quit bothering your nephew!"
He stomped his foot on the floor. "Aww, man. You're no fun sis."
"Hah!" Martin triumphantly stuck his tongue out at his uncle. "My mama told you off." He said in a singsong voice.
"Don't get me started on you little guy." Theresa said, looking at her son. "Now what do you say to your soon-to-be-Auntie Charity for taking you everywhere today?"
"Thanks?"
Charity laughed again. "Good enough."
Miguel stole a quick glance at his sister and fiancée before turning back to his nephew. "Hey Martin, what do you say me and you go in the backyard and play some soccer?"
He shrugged and slid out of his mother's lap. "Sure. Just as long as you don't cheat."
"Cheat? How can I cheat? It's soccer!"
Miguel and Martin continued to 'argue' out the door. Charity merely shook her head and smiled. "They've been like that all day." She said.
"All day? They're like that all the time." Theresa looked around the room aimlessly, before settling on staring out the window.
Charity sat down on the sofa opposite Theresa. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked curiously.
"Talk about what?"
She shrugged. "Oh you know. the weather. your latest designs. Fox?"
Theresa turned away from the window, Charity's last comment finally catching her attention. "Fox?" She laughed nervously. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"Well I don't know. You tell me, since you were so eager to bring him up." When Theresa turned back to the window, Charity sighed. "Miguel told me how the two of you interacted with each other at the Book Café earlier."
"Oh great." She retorted acerbically. "As if Luis and Antonio weren't enough to deal with, now I have to."
"Miguel doesn't want to see you get hurt all over again. You've always looked out for him, so now he wants to repay the favor." Charity moved closer, sitting directly opposite Theresa. "It's obvious that you have some feelings for the guy. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so quiet all of a sudden."
Theresa glanced at her warily. "You didn't have one of your premonitions about me, did you?"
She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I only get premonitions about bad stuff. But a happy premonition would be nice once in awhile." Charity trailed off and gave her a look. "Don't change the subject, Theresa."
"I wasn't trying to. I guess I do have some feelings for Fox, but I can't sort them out. My mind is already a mess with what's going on now."
Charity nodded her head sympathetically. "Completely understandable."
Theresa let out a frustrated groan and continued as if Charity had never said anything. "I just wish I knew how to define where I stand with Fox. But as it is, it's just a bunch of gibberish."
"We are just talking now right?"
Nod. "Yeah."
She smiled serenely. "Well," Charity said, "Who said that it had to be coherent?"
======================
Later that evening
Theresa tucked the blanket around Martin and brushed his hair out of his face, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Good night sweetie." She whispered, closing the door behind her.
Not surprisingly, the second his head hit the pillow, Martin went to sleep right away. She made a mental note to thank Miguel and Charity again tomorrow. And on another note, her stomach started to growl. To be honest, she hadn't eaten all day and now it was catching up to her. Theresa walked downstairs towards the kitchen to make herself something to eat.
Halfway though her sandwich, the doorbell rang. Theresa glanced at the clock. It was 10:47. Whoever was at the door had to be out of their minds to visit now. The doorbell rang again and she hurried to answer it, not wanting for Martin to wake up. "I'm coming!" She said. Opening the door just enough to see who was outside, Theresa's eyes widened and she slammed the door shut. "Go away!"
"Theresa, I just want to talk to you. I'm not leaving until you hear me out. I'll stand out here forever if I have to."
She paused, debating the situation. "Okay. I'm listening, Fox." She finally replied.
"I don't know why you're so reluctant about taking a chance with me, and I'm not going to try to figure it out either. But what I do know is that what really matters is the fact that I would never treat you like Ethan did. I'm not saying that just because I can't stand the guy." Theresa smiled. "But I'm saying it because it's the truth. Resa, we've been friends for the longest time, and you know that I would never lie to you. All I'm asking for is one chance."
"And what happens if I don't give you that chance?" Theresa flinched as she said it. She knew that it would hurt him, but she just had to know. "What if I decide to go back to Ethan and never give you a second thought?"
"Then you're obviously under estimating your value as a person. You're worth so much more than what you put yourself through. Does my half- brother really mean that much to you if you're so willing to go crawling back to him? I'm not him, Theresa. And I never will be."
Oops. She knew she struck a nerve when Fox referred to Ethan as his half- brother. "I was only speaking rhetorically, Fox. "
"As was I." He sighed. "If a real relationship with me isn't what you want, then I won't pursue it. I just had to know how you felt."
Before she knew it, her hand was shaking and she was opening the door again, only this time, she moved aside. "What if," Theresa said, "I asked you to come inside? Would that answer your question?"
A small smile spread across Fox's face. "Actions do speak louder than words."
======================
Two months later.
Theresa glanced at Fox warily and then at the folder she was holding. "I don't know." She said, fixing her gaze at the folder's contents.
Fox drummed his fingers on the desktop impatiently. "Hand it over Theresa. You already said that you'd let me take care of it."
"But."
He shook his head. "No buts." Fox simply reached over the desk and plucked the folder from her hands. "I'm taking care of this, and that's final."
"Hey! I changed my mind. A person is allowed to change their minds about big decisions like this!"
"Theresa." He said calmly. "We've discussed this already, and agreed on it last night. Being the VP of Crane Industries, I have access to resources that would help your case." Theresa reached for the folder again, but Fox kept it out of reach. "You know, I was under the impression that you wanted to keep your son."
Her hands fell to her sides, defeated. "I do want to keep him. But I don't want to stand on the sidelines and watch somebody else take over. He's my son, and I refuse to be a spectator in all of this."
"Theresa, if you're determined to help, then by all means, do it. Nothing is stopping you. But Resa, you have to realize that you can't do everything. Contrary to your own personal belief, you're not superwoman." Fox reached over and held her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "If you want to keep your son, then let someone who knows what they're doing take over for once."
"Fine. But that doesn't mean that I'm not happy about it."
A grin played at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah that's true. You won't like it until after you win."
Theresa let go of Fox's hand and promptly hit him on the shoulder. "It's not like that and you know it!"
He laughed. "Theresa, wanting to win custody is something that you can openly admit to."
"You know what I meant by that." She sighed. "So what's your secret weapon that you've been going on and on about?"
Fox feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't even start, Fox. I get enough of that from Martin. That's almost as bad as the time he told me he didn't eat any cookies when he had crumbs all over his face."
"I plead the fifth?" He tried. Theresa glared at him and he sighed. "You're not going to like it."
She scoffed. "Oh please. It's going to get Ethan to drop the whole custody ordeal, and you think that I'm going to hate it?"
"I know you're going to hate it. As much as I love you, I kinda love the fact that I'm living right now more." Fox glanced at his watch and practically fell out of his chair. "Um, aren't you late for work Theresa?"
"Oh that. I thought I told you that I said today was an off day for me?" Theresa shrugged. "Benefit of owning a small business and only having three employees I guess."
"An off day. Why don't you take Martin to the park or something? It's a perfect day and."
"He's at daycare." She eyed him suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to get rid of me."
He opened his mouth to protest but the intercom buzzed, cutting him off. "Mr. Crane, your 10:30 is here. Shall I send her in?"
"Give me five minutes." Fox clicked the intercom off and looked at Theresa. "Um."
"I wish you had just said that you had a meeting. I would have understood." She put on her coat and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you later then?"
The doors to Fox's office opened, and a tall blonde walked in. "I went to all this trouble to meet you and your secretary tells me I have to wait? I honestly don't think so Fox. That's never a good thing in business. We should have just discussed this over the phone instead of." She stopped once she saw Theresa. "This isn't what you think." She said immediately.
Fox stood, offering Theresa his seat. "I guess I can skip the introductions, huh?" He grinned half-heartedly.
She shot him another glare, one that made his grin vanish, and sat down. "Introduce, please."
"Theresa, meet Gwen Hotchkiss, the secret weapon."
======================
Theresa was fuming. Oh what she wouldn't give for a blunt or sharp object, preferably the latter. "No." She said her voice as cold as ice. "Not over my dead body."
"Resa, this is the best option we have. If we go to court, there's no telling what could happen. We don't know what Ethan has up his sleeve and we really shouldn't put anything past him either."
"Fine, then we'll go to court. It's been awhile since I've had a fairly decent argument with him anyways."
"This isn't what it's about, Theresa." Gwen told her. "I know you hate him. And I know you hate me too, but now really isn't the time to try to settle the score. I'm only here because Fox thinks I can help. And trust me, I want to. I really do."
She rolled her eyes. "Said the person who tried to kill me with a baseball bat."
"Theresa." Fox said warningly.
"What? You honestly expect me to suddenly trust Gwen?"
"Why shouldn't you?"
"Where should I start?" Theresa asked, crossing her arms across her chest. "With all that's been said and done between us, there's not a snowflake's chance in."
Fox held up his hand. "That's enough Theresa. Despite your history with Gwen, even you have to admit that this is the only alternative we have, without having to go to court. All I'm suggesting is that Gwen talks to Ethan about dropping this whole custody ordeal."
"And that's it." Gwen added. "I swear that there's no ulterior motive for me either."
He nodded in agreement. "Do you think you can agree to letting her do that much?"
Theresa made a face, her expression turning sour. "I'll agree to it, but that doesn't mean that I trust her."
Gwen stood up. "It's not about trust. It's about having faith, and believing in it." Nodding at Fox, she turned and left the office.
Once the doors were closed, Fox felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. And he knew that Theresa was glaring at him right then. 'That's not a good sign.' He thought.
"I cannot believe you, Nicholas!"
'And I was right.' Despite the fact that they had only been together for a little less than a month, Fox knew that Theresa tended to use full names when she wasn't happy. Or in his case, his first name. And if that didn't give it away, her tone of voice sure did. "Theresa."
"I knew letting you take over Martin's custody case for me was a bad idea!"
Fox's eyebrow arched. "A bad idea? Well excuse me; I was just trying to help. I thought avoiding the whole court scenario was the general goal."
"Of all people, you went to Gwen Hotchkiss? God, were you even thinking?" She shouted, jumping out of the chair.
"Was I thinking? Let's see. I was thinking about you having to do though that whole ordeal. I was thinking about how much my brother would get a kick out of watching you suffer. And I was thinking about Martin having to get up in front of an entire courtroom and tell complete strangers who he loves more. So yeah, I was thinking!" He shouted back loudly, making Theresa jump.
The intercom on his desk went off. "Mr. Crane? Is everything all right? I heard."
Fox leaned across the desk and punched at a button. "Rita, take the rest of the day off. And tell the others in the office that as well." Sighing, he looked up, his eyes finally meeting Theresa's.
"When I opened my door to you, I not only let you into my heart, but I gave you a chance." She said quietly, looking him straight in the eyes. "And you just blew it." Theresa calmly picked up the folder containing Martin's custody papers and walked past him, leaving the office.
As she left, Fox didn't even bother to hold his breath. He knew that she wouldn't be there waiting for him to apologize.
As if he would.
As a general rule, Cranes don't apologize. Ever. That's what PR people and personal assistants were for. Fox had been taught that since before he could walk.
But that just wasn't the case. Fox wasn't going to apologize for the mere fact that he knew he wasn't wrong. Asking Gwen for her help was risky and he knew that. Either she would agree or refuse to help, but Theresa's response would stay the same. Anger didn't even begin to cover her mood. And frustration wasn't even close to how he was feeling.
'Our first fight.' Fox smiled at the thought of having a bunch of relationship firsts with Theresa and then frowned. 'Idiot. First fights aren't something to be proud about. Especially since you really don't have a clue as to what exactly happened.'
A million thoughts swirled around in Fox's mind and he clutched the desk for support, his equilibrium lost. Angrily, he flung out his arm, clearing off his desk in one sweep. Papers flew everywhere and everything else was scattered all over.
He heard the sound of glass breaking, and without even looking, Fox knew that it was the picture frame holding Theresa's picture. "Damn it." He muttered, half-heartedly kicking the picture away. "What the hell am I going to do?"
======================
That afternoon.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid! You just had to sabotage the one good thing in your life, didn't you? If anything, you were the one who blew it.' Theresa sighed. Who needs Jiminy Cricket, when you have a conscious like hers?
'And as if wrecking your own life wasn't bad enough, how do you think this is gonna effect Martin?' Her conscious added, rubbing salt into the wound.
Theresa felt faint and extremely nauseous. "Oh, how am I going to explain this to him?" She thought to herself. 'He'll never understand. Much less forgive me."
In the past two months, Fox and Martin had bonded faster than superglue. Given more time, and that bond would even rival Martin's bond with his father.
Forget feeling nervous, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald was absolutely scared out of her wits. And about her own son, no less.
She heard the door open, closely followed by the pitter-patter of a child's running. "Mama! I'm home!"
Speak of the devil.
"Look at the painting I drew in art class!" Martin exclaimed, rummaging through his school-bag. We had to draw our families, so I drew everybody, Mama. But I couldn't fit them all so Miss Jaden had to give me another piece of paper." He made a face, his tiny face wrinkled with frustration. "I can't find it."
"Well, let's try checking your backpack again, okay? Maybe it's just hiding from you." Theresa suggested calmly.
"Or maybe someone was just to eager to show it off that he left it in the car." She looked up and saw Gwen leaning against the doorframe, holding out a scroll of paper to Martin. "You should always remember to put everything into your bag before you get out Martin."
"Thanks!" Martin took the pictures from her and proceeded to display them on the refrigerator. "Come look Mama. See, there's you and there's daddy, and then."
"Sweetheart, go play outside. Mama wants to talk Gwen for a minute. You can show me and everybody else your picture after dinner, okay?" Once he left, Theresa faced Gwen, for the second time that day. "What do you want now?" She asked, bitterly.
"Nothing. Ethan just asked me if I could pick up Martin from daycare for him. And so I did. And I talked to Fox again. He told me."
"About what happened?" Shrug. "No big deal. I gave the relationship a try and it didn't work out."
Gwen laughed. "Look, I know we've never been all that close, but I know you Theresa. When you were chasing after Ethan, you never gave up that easily. Well to be honest, you didn't give up. At least, up until recently, that is." She paused for a second and continued. "Anyways, the point that I'm trying to make here is that you're not the type to throw in the towel and wave a white flag. Fox may have royally pissed you off my asking for my help, but his heart was in the right place."
"Cranes don't have hearts."
"There are always exceptions to the rules. Like this one for instance. Ethan's always been stubborn, once he sets his mind to something, then that's the end of it. But in this case, he's changed his point of view."
Gwen held out another piece of paper towards her. "Granted, these papers won't be official until tomorrow, but I still thought that you'd like to see them now."
Theresa glanced at the papers and gasped. "Oh God, I don't even know what to say. Thank."
She held up her hand. "Don't thank me. I'm just the messenger." She waved and headed towards the door.
"But if you didn't do it, then who did?"
Gwen smiled. "Oh you know the answer to that question." She left, leaving an extremely confused Theresa alone.
'Idiot.' Her conscious told her. 'You blew it like the US did Hiroshima.' Theresa grimaced. "Damn it. What have I done?"
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A/N: Yeah, before you start to flame me, there's just one tiny little fact I'd like to add. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, and you won't hear her swan song until AFTER the third (and last!) short story, Where the Heart Belongs.
I know that there wasn't enough Therox (Is there even such a thing as TOO much Therox?), but that was just simply for plot reasons. The next story will all be about our favorite couple, so please be patient. I promise you won't regret waiting.