This starts when Theresa is pregnant with 'Gwen' and Ethan's babies. For the cast list go to my author page and follow the link to my webpage.
LOEGPSLOEGPSLOEGPS
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald's room," a southern accented voice said to the clerk at the Harmony Hospital's front desk.
"Are you family?"
"I'm Dr. Harley Jekyll. If you check, I'm sure you'll find out that Dr. Russell is expecting me."
"Dr. Jekyll? Are you kidding?"
"No, I'm not." Harley rolled her eyes. "Look, can you just call- Eve!" Harley spotted the other woman.
"Dr. Jekyll? I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
"I caught an earlier flight. I understand you have a patient for me?"
"Yes. Her name is Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald. It's a complicated case."
"So you said," Harley adjusted the strap of her bag. "Well, I would like to meet her. What floor is she on?"
"Second floor, room two-fourteen. Watch out for Mrs. Winthrop."
"I will," Harley promised. She got in the elevator and pulled out her cell. "Sin? It's me. I'm here. You know what to do right? And Robbie? Good. See you soon." Harley hung up and walked out onto the second floor when the elevator arrived. She followed the signs to room two-fourteen and knocked before entering.
Theresa was in bed with a man and a woman hovering over her.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"I'm Theresa," the woman in bed said. "You must be Dr. Jekyll. Dr. Russell told me you were coming."
"Well, she didn't tell us," the blonde woman said folding her arms. "And your name is Dr. Jekyll?"
"Dr. Harley Jekyll. I'm from Louisiana. I'm an OB/GYN specializing in in-vitro pregnancies and multiple births."
"I see. Well, I'm Gwen Winthrop and this is my husband Ethan."
"It's nice to meet you both. Do you mind if I examine Theresa? I like to do an initial exam on my patients when I first meet them?"
"Of course not," Ethan said. "A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Jekyll."
"Please, call me Harley," the red head smiled at Ethan.
"Ethan. We'll leave you two alone now."
"We'll be right outside when you're done," Ethan ushered an unhappy Gwen out of the room.
Harley shut the door and pulled the curtains. Then she turned to Theresa. "It's amazing to me how easily a Southern accent manipulates a Yankee man. If the Confederacy had tried that during the Civil War, the North might not have won." She smiled at Theresa, "You're a good little actress. How are you bébé?"
"Pregnant with twins," Theresa said. "God, I'm glad to see you. I'm sorry to drag you into this." Theresa had the grace to look embarrassed for a minute.
"Oh bébé please! What good is it knowing an OB if you cannot call on her for emergencies? Now, we need to get you out of here."
"How?"
"Well, Sin is outside and she is about to distract Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop," Harley smiled.
"Why do I think I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that?" Theresa asked rhetorically.
"Because you would. Here, let me help you look less like a patient."
HR
"Oh my God, I am so sorry," Ethan heard after finding himself covered in water, gravy, and jello.
He immediately squelched the urge to laugh at Theresa for spilling liquid on him again when he realized the woman was not Theresa.
"Are you alright? Please tell me you're not a doctor or I will just go and turn in my security badge right now."
He smiled. "I'm not a doctor, and I'm not a patient, which might be even worse. Just promise to be more careful. Don't want to make a mess for someone to slip on."
"Right. Is there anything I can do? I could pay to have your clothes dry-cleaned. I could get you some scrubs and get you out of that mess."
Ethan stepped back. "Why don't you get a nurse or a janitor to tell us where the mop is?" He suggested instead, darting a glance at his wife.
"The supply closet is over there. I have a lot of accidents when I'm nervous and since it's my first day, I knew I'd be nervous so I found the supply closet first thing."
"Good idea." Ethan said, trying not to be sarcastic.
Gwen had no such reservations.
"Maybe you should run along and get those mops. I'm sure you'll need them," Gwen said snottily.
Sin Sawyer gritted her teeth. Winthrop wasn't playing the game.
"I'm sorry. Can I help you?" Sin asked, feigning ignorance of the possessive way Gwen stood by Ethan.
"My wife is just a little worried about something else." Ethan said. "Honey, I'll go down to the car for my set of spare clothes. You can stay here while Ms.," He looked a question to Sin.
"Smith and it's Miss."
"Cleans up." Ethan gave her a confused look.
"Alright," Gwen watched Ethan go with a smile before turning back to Sin with a territorial look. "Look, Miss Smith, I have dealt with schemers before so believe me when I say I am willing to go to the mat to keep your hooks out of my husband. Back off."
Sin tried not to roll her eyes. No wonder Theresa had gone after Ethan. If she had more time, Sin might do it herself, just to take Gwen down a peg or two.
"Ma'am. Your husband is obviously a devoted man. It's not as if a mere servant or working class girl could ever take him away from a girl he says he loves."
Gwen's head snapped back and her nostrils flared, but she had the sense to turn on her heel and walk to the nearest ladies room without making a reply.
Sin walked towards Theresa's room, knocked twice and walked away.
She hoped Gwen slipped in the mess on the floor.
HR
"I can't believe you got it rebuilt. It's beautiful," Theresa said as she settled into the back seat of the car reconstructed from plans her great-great-great grandfather had left behind.
"It's a little flashy." Sin grinned. "But I like it."
"So, how easy was it to piss off Gwen?"
"Too." Sin grinned. "Still very satisfying though."
"And I have another surprise for you," Harley said as she pulled over to the side of the road near a wooded area.
"What?" Theresa looked out the window and then she gasped. "Oh my God. Little Ethan." Theresa grabbed her baby and hugged him so hard she almost squeezed the life out of his little body.
"Didn't think you'd want to go far without him. So I had Robbie go in."
Roberta Skinner smiled as she made her appearance. "Having a cat burglar in the gang does come in handy."
"They'll think he's been kidnapped." Theresa loosened her grip slightly as the blonde boy protested.
"No, they won't. At least not until we're in international waters," Robbie said. "See Rebecca thinks the nanny has him, the nanny thinks Gwen has him, and Gwen thinks Rebecca has him."
"Clever." Theresa sighed, and kissed her son's cheek. "Mommy missed you so much." She informed him. "So much."
"Missed you," he smiled. "Robbie fun."
"Why thank you. We should get going. The boat will be surfacing soon."
"Is that done by the original plans too?" Theresa asked eagerly.
"As a matter of fact it is," Robbie said, getting in front with Harley. "Heard from Erin. She'll meet us at the dock in Iceland."
Theresa grinned and held onto her son as the car sped away. "Did anyone mention this to my brother?"
"I couldn't find him," Sin said rolling her eyes. "Word is that he took off after some blonde."
"Charity." Theresa nodded. "His one true love."
"Well Maman always said that while there are some things that are a crock, true love is not," Harley said. "Luck to Miguel. Anyone hear from Liam?"
"I called him last week." Sin said nonchalantly, pulling out a nail file.
"And?"
"He's gonna meet us in Ireland. We'll stay at his ranch until you give birth. What about Quartermaine?"
"Emily's having issues of her own." Theresa said, as she tried to keep Ethan occupied with finger motions to "the itsy bitsy spider."
"I heard," Harley said. "But she did say she and her fiancé would try to join us. Robbie, did you get a chance to find anything else out when you were in the Crane Mansion?"
"I found the family tree. Julian had it taped to the bottom of Rebecca's bed."
"Because no one else hides under there?" Theresa snorted indelicately.
"No, I think Julian hides under his own bed," Robbie giggled. "We'll look at it more carefully on the ship."
"Thank you." Theresa looked to each woman in the car. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you."
"No problem. But, Theresa, I was thinking. I think there's enough cause to do an amnio on you. I'll do the actual procedure and perform the chemistry part of it."
"I'll watch Ethan," Robbie volunteered.
"And I'll hold your hand," Sin said.
"What do you mean?" Theresa felt herself get a little panicky.
"Bébé, you were sleeping with Fox and Ethan when you were implanted with Gwen's egg. Then when you thought you lost it, you slept with Ethan and then Fox. There is a chance that one of those babies is Ethan's and one is Fox's."
Theresa covered her son's ears. "Can this conversation wait till the baby's asleep?"
"Absolutely. Look, we're here," Harley pulled up to the docks. "The boat will be surfacing in a few moments."
"Boat?" Ethan perked up. "Big boat?"
"A very big boat little one," Harley smiled. "But it also travels under water."
The little boy grinned at the idea of such an adventure.
HR
"What do you mean she's gone?" Gwen Hotchkiss asked a nurse.
"She may have gone to a rest room." The trapped employee looked like a deer in the headlights.
"She has a bathroom in her room."
"Perhaps she wanted more towels. Ma'am, I have twenty beds on this floor that I need to check. I suggest going to Miss Lopez Fitzgerald's room yourself to look for a note."
Gwen huffed and went into Theresa's room. She looked on the bed, the serving tray, the nightstand and even crouched down to peek under the bed. No note.
"Gwen?"
"Ethan, she's gone."
The man buttoned the cuffs of his new shirt. "Are you sure?"
"Am I sure? Look around you. Nothing of hers is left."
"Gwen, calm down. Maybe she was moved to another room. That new doctor may want her in a different wing of the hospital."
"Then why don't any of the nurses or doctors know where she is?" Gwen asked. "Ethan, no one knows where she is."
"Well, let's call Dr. Russell. She knows this doctor and she probably has a cell phone number for her."
"If that little bitch is doing this on purpose, I'll wring her stupid neck," Gwen threatened as she followed Ethan out of the hospital room.
hr
"Mommy! Boat!" Little Ethan pointed as the boat surfaced.
"No, sweetie. Not just a boat," Theresa looked at the gleaming white ship. "Home."