It was raining.
Which is strange because it hardly ever rained in Harmony.
Another strange thing about it was that, it was on this day that the clouds chose to break open and pour down upon the town of Harmony.
So many things were going on, so many lives were subjected to ruin.
It was strange when the rain started.
Luis was talking angerly with Hank about Alistair being in Harmony, when he looked out his window to see it raining.
"Well that's weird." Luis said to himself, and Hank.
"What?" Hank asked, alittle confused.
Luis turned from the window of the Police Station and asked Hank, "Wasn't it sunny and bright a second ago?"
"Yeah," Hank said, "Why?"
"Well it's raining now." Luis answered.
Hank threw Luis a puzzled glance and shorty chortled as he said, "What? No way."
Luis walked back to his desk and said, "Eh man see for yourself," and he pointed toward the window.
Hank walked over, expecting to see what he saw when he first walked from his car to the Police Station. Instead he saw exactly what Luis had said.
The sky was black and the rain was pouring.
"You gotta be kiddin me! There wasn't a cloud in the sky a second ago." Hank said. Then he turned to Luis and said, "Uh-oh!" and ran to the door.
Before he ran out Luis called, "Hey wait! What is it? What's wrong?!"
Hank yelled loudly as he ran out into the rain, "I left my car windows down!!"
"Ha," Luis laughed to himself, "What a goof."
For a moment he tried to focus on his paperwork, but his mind kept wandering back to Sheridan and Alistair.
It just didn't make sense to him. A million questions flooded his mind.
'Why was Alistair back in Harmony after all this time? Had he found out that Julian and Rebecca's plan had failed and so now he has come back to lanuch another scheme?'
As confindate as Luis was that his and Sheridan's love could withstand anything, he decided he was better safe than sorry. No telling what Alistair was capable of doing, what with Sheridan at such a voneralbe state and all.
He picked up his telephone and dialed the numbers to the cottage. He knew them by heart. He knew Sheridan by heart. That's how he knew how much Sheridan really did yearn for Alistair's love and acceptance.
****
"Oh Sheridan, I knew you'd come around." Alistair said, hiding satisfaction that his plan had worked. So far, anyway. But all will happen in due course. Now all he had to do was pull on a few more emotions and next thing you know, Sheridan will be on a plane to Paris or Europe or where ever.
"I just didn't know if I could-" Sheridan broke off into tears.
'Takes after her mother.' Alistair thought, 'Heh, I didn't go to her funeral either.'
There was a ring of the phone.
"Oh," Sheirdan said, "I'll get it. It's probably Luis."
"No Sheridan!" Alistair said quickly, almost too quickly. 'Carefully Alistair, this is tricky business.' he thought devously to himself.
"I want to be with you now," He lied again, "Luis will understand. He does love you, right."
"Yes of course he does," Sheridan said as the phone rang again, "But I'm sure he'd want me to answer if he called. He'll wonder where I am."
"Sheridan," Alistair coaxed her away from the phone, "I want to get to know you better. Try and make up for lost time."
Sheridan was still very unsure about the whole situation.
Never the less, what her father said made sense, or at least, that what she fooled herself into thinking. Sheridan was willing to do anything just as long as her father didn't take back his loving words.
So she let the phone ring.
And ring.
And ring.
****
Luis hung up his phone.
"That's weird." he said to himself, "Why wouldn't Sheridan answer her phone? Did she go out or something?"
Luis didn't care, he wanted to go to the cottage.
It wasn't just the fact that she didn't answer the phone. His cop instict was flaring up.
So without another word he left, he followed his heart.
He was so preoccupied while he was driving that he could barely keep his eyes on the road.
But his determination to figure out exactly what was going on was focus enough to get him to the cottage.
He got out of his car and run up to the cottage door.
He looked in the window, the draps were closed.
So Luis opened the door and walked in.
****
Chad wipped his eyes before he faced Theresa and Ethan.
It was at this moment Whitney came out of the room and saw Theresa, Ethan, and Chad all with their backs to the room, Theresa and Ethan talking around Chad. Whitney couldn't help but listen in.
"Chad," Theresa said as she rubbed her hand on his shoulders, "Whitney just doesn't want to hurt Simone right now-"
"No." Chad said, "Look, I am going to go down to the cafiteria for awhile."
Just before he walked away Theresa asked, "Do you want us to tell Whitney where you are?"
"She wouldn't ask." Chad said.
Then Whitney watched him walk away.
Ethan and Theresa turned around to see Whitney.
"Whitney," Theresa said, "What did you say to Simone in there?"
"Yeah, whatever it was it really got Chad upset." Ethan said.
Whitney was just about to say something but she heard a weak sorta voice from behide her say, "Whitney? Where'd you go?"
Whitney quickly walked back into Simone's room.
****
Chad wasn't planning on going to the cafiteria. Food was one of the last things on his mind.
Instead he wrote 2 letters in a nearby waiting room.
The first was to Simone:
*Dear Simone,
I am sorry I could not stay here in Harmony, but all I do here is mess up people lives and make mistakes. One mistake, I am sorry to say, is at your expense. I never meant to cause you any pain, that's why I put off telling you the truth until it was to late. Well now I guess I should tell you that, I am in love with Whitney. I never wanted to hurt and I never meant to make you think that I had feelings for you. But one thing I know is that you are smart, beautiful, and will have all the boys in Harmony after you. I am only a crush and you will be over me shortly. I am just not your type, Simone.
I need to leave this town. Whitney promised you that she'd never see me again, and I know that whenever Whitney makes up her mind about something, no one can change it. Goodbye Simone, God Bless you, From Chad.*
He went over it many times to make sure it was just the way he wanted it.
Then he had to write the hardest letter of all. To Whitney.
*Dear Whitney,
I love you, but I think you've made it clear that you don't love me. And even if you did it wouldn't matter because you won't let you and me become anything. But that doesn't matter now. I realize that all I ever cause her in Harmony is pain. I can't stay any longer because I know that every corner I turn around, I'll see you there. And every movie I see, I'll see your face in the screen. Every song I hear I'll be thinking of you. And right now I am just trying to fool myself into believing that if I leave and go some place else then none of those things will happen. But deep in my heart I know they will, because I love you Whitney, and it's real. We coulda had something beautiful, but I guess the love of your sister was more than that. I guess I understand, but it's harder since I really don't know the love of family but I know that you have a smart head on your shoulders and that you know what's best, and I trust your decison. Even though it hurts. Goodbye Whitney, I love you always, Chad Harris *
Chad folded each with a tear.
He had to think of a way to give them to each of them, but he really didn't know if he could look at them again.
He went back in the hall by Simone's room and looked. Whitney was talking with Theresa and Ethan just around the corner and Simone was, of course, in her room.
Chad quietly and quickly sneaked into Simone's room. She was sleeping, just as he thought, so he put it in her hand so she'd have it when she woke up.
As for Whitney's, he set it on the chair that was sitting right next to Simone's room, right where Whitney would sit.
He sneaked back out of the room and down the hall, for the last time.
****
"Hey you guys," Whitney said, "Something's on my chair." Whitney said as she unfolded the peice of paper and started to read.
Then, as Theresa and Ethan peered over her shoulder and started to read, she said, "Oh my God..."
Without another word she ran down the hall, in search of Chad.
****
"Luis!" Sheridan exclaimed as she stood up from the couch when Luis came in, "Why aren't you at work?"
Alistair slowly stood, and for a moment his mind went blank.
Only for a moment.
"Alistair." Luis said solemnly, "Sheridan I called and when you didn't answer I was worried. I heard Alistair was in Harmony." It took all of Luis's strength not to floor Alistair right then and there.
"Yes, I am in Harmony Luis," Alistair said, "Ovisously. And I have also come to see my daughter, Sheridan. I have finally realized the error of my ways-"
"-I can't believe this." Luis interuppted, "You'll stop at nothing will you?"
Alistair tried again to speak, "I assure you I have no idea what you are-"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Luis said, "I'm talking about Sheridan and me."
"Luis really," Sheridan said, walking over to her finace, "Alistair explained everything. How he really loves me..." Sheridan looked at her father adoringly.
"Sheridan," Luis said, trying to let her see what was really going on, "Don't you see, he's just uses your emotions to get to you. To manipulate you-"
"No no!" Sheridna broke in, stepping back from Luis, "My father loves me. He was just too heart broken over my mother's death and-"
"Sheridan, when we all thought you were dead this man didn't even come to your own funeral. His own daughters funeral." Luis tried again.
"He said that he was mourning in private. He couldn't take it and didn't wamna break down in public!" Sheridan shot back.
"Do you hear yourself Sheridan? Do you hear what you're saying?" Luis said, "This man is reasponsible for my father's disappearance. Huh, did he say anything about that?"
Alistair didn't say anything.
"That's what I thought." Luis said, "Sheridan, don't you remember?"
"-You don't have to remind me." Sheridan broke in. She stood by Luis again and held his arm, "I just had a moment of weakness. Alistair, their is no way you can be for real about this. After all the years, all my letters you probably never read when I was away at boarding school, all the lonely nights I had full of nightmares when you were never there, no. No more. People like you never change."
Alistair's positer straighted and his voice became normal and toneless, almost like it was dead, "People like you never change either Sheridan. Sadly."
Then he slowly walked out, but before he left he turned and said to them, "I'd reconsider your marriage if I were you Sheridan."
"Well if you're me, then you are in love with Luis," Sheridan said smartly, "And last time I checked you hated Luis, so I guess you're not me."
Alistair just walked out. Without a word.
Without a word.
"Sheridan." Luis said, comfortingly has he wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"I can't believe Alistair was really starting to play with my emotions, and it was starting to work." Sheridan said, sobbing.
"It's okay Sheridan," Luis said, "It's not your fault that you yearn for your father's love. It's normal."
Sheridan nodded.
"You know, I didn't grow up with a father either." Luis said, "But I did have a loving family, and that's just what we are going to have."
"That's just what I want." Sheridan said, "And I'll never let myself be that vauerable again."
After a few more mintutes of comforting and consoling, Luis said, "So I am on my lunch break, you wanna get something to eat?"
Sheridan wirled around and said, "Oh my gosh! It's noon?!?"
"Yeah, Sheridan, what's wrong?" Luis asked, concerned.
Sheridna grabbed her purse and headed for the door as she said, "Theresa and I have our last fitting for our wedding dress in five mintutes!"
Luis laughed as he said, "Wait up, I'll drive you there."
"Alright, you can drive me there but you can't see my dress, that's bad luck." Sheridan said.
"But I thought it was only bad luck if I saw you before the wedding?" Luis said.
"Well you see me, you see the dress. Same basic idea!" Sheridan said, laughing.
On the way there Sheridan and Luis talked.
Luis said, "Look Sheridan, I'm worried, I'm not sure what Alistair and Julian are going to do next." The tone in Luis's voice said it all for Sheridan.
"You don't think they'd go as far as to...kill...do you?" Sheridan asked worried.
"I don't want to worry you but I think that they can, and would, if they tried every other alterternitive." Luis said, "And I think it's safe to say that they've tried every trick in the book to break us up."
"So they may have tried every other alterternitive." Sheridan finished.
Luis nodded.
Then a song on the radio caught both of their ears. To top it all off they both reached over to turn up the volume on the radio, they laughed as their hands bumpped into one another's. Sheridan turned up the radio.
Their song was on. "I imagine your hand on mine, and it takes my breath away, I imagine..." You know the one.
And at that moment everything was okay.
At that moment.
****
Whitney raced down the hall in search of Chad. When she got to the end she looked left and right, no sign of Chad. But she did see her mother. She tried to appear collected and calm as she walked toward her mom.
"Hey mom," Whitney said, voice quivering slightly, "Have you seen Chad, anywhere?"
"Well no honey," Eve said, "We just got make from the cafiteria and we didn't see him."
Then, without another word, she ran out of the hospital.
She looked down both ways of the street. She decided just to get in her car and go home, because Chad had to of gone there to get his things. Maybe even he was still walking there.
Or may he just left.
Whitney didn't want to think about that. She didn't even know what she was doing. Why was she chasing him? She didn't want to break her promise to Simone anyway.
But she just couldn't let Chad leave. She couldn't.
One thing she didn't understand was why it was raining. Last she checked it was sunny. Well, she didn't have time to stop and check the weather.
She didn't see Chad on the road anywhere. So she assumed that he must be at the house, and if he wasn't at the house, then she would have to think the unthinkable.
She was remembering the last time Chad was going to leave. She remembered the only reason he stayed was for teh DNA test, and for her.
So she couldn't blame Chad for leaving, he got the DNA results back, and she had all but dismissed him.
She had to tell him the truth, that she loved him and that she didn't want him to leave. That she'd tell Simone the truth.
She got out of her car and ran into the house.
When she got into the front door she yelled, "Chad? Chad?"
No answer.
She was about to come out of the kitchen when she heard the front door slam.
She ran over through the living room and opened the door to see Chad, running in the rain.
"Chad!" She yelled.
He stopped, knowing she had heard him slam the door. He carried his suitcase and turned to face Whitney, who was running toward him, getting soaken wet along the way.
Chad didn't look her in the eyes as he asked, "Whitney, what are you doin here?"
"What do you think I'm doing here Chad?" Whitney said in return.
There was a moment where no one spoke.
All they heard was the rain pouring, hitting the sidewalk.
"I'm gonna do it." Whitney said.
"Do what?" Chad asked, even though he already knew.
"Tell Simone that I lied to her about there being nothing between us." She said, "And that I can't keep the promise I made to her."
Chad didn't say anything.
Whitney didn't knwo what else to say, so she threw her arms around him and whispered, "Please don't go."
They kissed passionately and proved that actions really do speak louder than words.
**THE NEXT DAY**
"Julian!" Alistair yelled, "Get in here this instant!"
"What, what is it father?" Julian asked as he ran into the library.
"Listen to this." Alistair instructed. He was refering to the bug that he had planted in Sheridan's cottage, "Maybe my manipulated worked after all."
They both listened carefully.
"Luis I can't believe you are being so self-centered about this!" Sheridan yelled at Luis.
"I'm not being self-centered!" Luis said, "Alistair is trying to get us to break up so that I won't find ou the truth about my father!"
"Is that all you care about Luis?" Sheridan asked.
"No, I love you Sheridan you know that," Luis said, "But you can't let yourself be vaunerable when it comes to Alistair."
"But he's my father!" Sheridan yelled.
"How can you even call him your father after all he's put you through?" Luis exclaimed the question.
"Because he has changed!" Sheridan yelled back.
"People like Alistair don't change, Sheridan!" Luis tried.
"Well if you think that way then maybe you should leave!" Sheridan said.
"Fine!" Luis said, "If that's what you want, fine, I'll leave!"
Then they heard the slam of a door.
Alistair smiled slyly at Julian, as he turned off the bug.
****
Sheridan waited for a second in the cottage before she opened the front door-quietly-and went outside where Luis was waiting.
"Hey!" Luis said, "I think we did it!"
"Really?" Sheridan asked, "You think it worked?"
"Are you kidding?" Luis said, "Yeah, of course it worked! Julian and Alistair under-estimated us once and it usually takes a Crane at least 4 failures before they catch on."
"Yeah," Sheridan answered, "I mean, look how many times they've tried to break us up?"
"Were still together!" Luis answered.
"And we'll always be together." Sheridan added.
They kissed passionately before Luis said as they started walking down the sidewalk, "Okay, so now it's time for the second part of our plan."
"Alright," Sheridan said.
"Here's the mike." Luis said, "Now Sam and I will be outside the Manison and we got a couple of cops down at the station and they will able to hear everything that's going on and will be recording it for the record. As soon as they hear something that's evidance against Julian and Alistair, they'll call us and give us the go ahead." Luis explained.
Sheridan nodded, "I think we can actually do this.
Luis laughed shortly and said, "You know, for the Cranes they are not that hard to outsmart."
"Yeah," Sheridan answered, "I mean, they though that we didn't know that they'd have the cottage bugged? I mean, how stupid do they think we are?"
"Apparently very stupid." Luis said, "I'm just glad we got all the lines right."
Sheirdan laughed and said, "That 'how can you call him your father?' thing was a nice touch."
"Thank you very much." Luis answered, "And my I say that your acting was very good."
Sheridan smiled.
"Okay, so you ready to be bad, Sheridan Crane?" Luis said, putting his hands around her waist.
Sheridan put her arms around him and said, "Oh yeah, when we're through with the, Alistair and Julian won't know what hit'em."
****
Sheridan walked into the Crane Manison and into the library, "Oh father!" She said, "Luis...." She pretended to cry alittle and sob.
"It's alright Sheridan, honey." Alistair said, "No more."
After awhile longer of talking and stuff, Sheridan took the mike from her pocket and sneakaly set in on top of a book in the bookself. Then she said, "All Luis cares about is his father. He's Hell-bent on finding out what happened."
"Yes," Alistair said, darkly, "He is."
Sheridan moved to the other side of the library and put her hand on the doorknob and said, "I just wonder what it is he is so bent on finding out."
With that she left, knowing that Julian and Alistair were bound to talk about what did happen to Martin Fitzgareld.
****
Julian took a gasping breath and said, "I think we did it!"
"For once Julian I think you might be right." Alistair answered, "But we can't take any chances."
"If Luis ever did find out," Julian said, "that we had to-uh-eliminate, his father-"
"-Kill Julian." Alistair interuppted, "Just say it already, baby."
Julian threw his father an insulted glance and said, "Well if he ever did find out that his father knew too much, and we had to-" he accented this, "KILL him, that would be the end of us."
Then, suddenly, the door was knocked down and Sam and Luis came and and Luis said, "Completely correct Julian."
"Freeze!" Sam yelled.
There was struggle but after a mintute, both Julian and Alistair were in cuffs.
****
When it was all over, and the guys were put away, Luis and Sheridan were at the cottage. Then Sheridan said, "Luis, I've made a desicen."
"And what might that be?" Luis asked, kissing her hand.
She smiled and said, "It's about the Crane Empire."
Luis nodded somberly.
"I'm going to give it to Julian and Ivy's oldest." Sheridan answered, "I want to have a normal life, and have a normal family. The last thing I want to do is run the Crane Empire."
Luis smiled brightly and said, "I was hoping that's what you'd want. Although, it is to bad that it's not going to be run by a woman, now that would make Alistair and Julian turn in their cell blocks." Luis chuckled.
"Hey," Sheridan said smiling, "Did I say that Ivy's oldest was a man?"
Luis laughed and said, "God, I love you Sheridan."
"I love you too Luis." Sheridan said.
They kissed passionately and then Luis went into the kitchen and came back out with 2 glasses and a bottle of wine and said, "It's celebration time."
He poured the first glass and was about to pour the second when Sheridan said, "No wait. I can't have one."
"Why not?" Luis asked, confused.
"Well," Sheridan repiled, "It's not safe."
Luis smirked and said, "Sheridan it's just wine."
"Yes," Sheirdan repiled, wondering when Luis would catch on to what she was trying to say, "And it's really not safe for both of us."
Luis was really getting confused, "So now it's not safe for me either?"
"When I said 'us' I wasn't talking about you and me." Sheridan said.
Luis threw her a very confused glance and said, "Okay, you've offically lost me."
"Luis," Sheridan said, a glowing smile spreading across her face, "There's something I should tell you..."
The End
Which is strange because it hardly ever rained in Harmony.
Another strange thing about it was that, it was on this day that the clouds chose to break open and pour down upon the town of Harmony.
So many things were going on, so many lives were subjected to ruin.
It was strange when the rain started.
Luis was talking angerly with Hank about Alistair being in Harmony, when he looked out his window to see it raining.
"Well that's weird." Luis said to himself, and Hank.
"What?" Hank asked, alittle confused.
Luis turned from the window of the Police Station and asked Hank, "Wasn't it sunny and bright a second ago?"
"Yeah," Hank said, "Why?"
"Well it's raining now." Luis answered.
Hank threw Luis a puzzled glance and shorty chortled as he said, "What? No way."
Luis walked back to his desk and said, "Eh man see for yourself," and he pointed toward the window.
Hank walked over, expecting to see what he saw when he first walked from his car to the Police Station. Instead he saw exactly what Luis had said.
The sky was black and the rain was pouring.
"You gotta be kiddin me! There wasn't a cloud in the sky a second ago." Hank said. Then he turned to Luis and said, "Uh-oh!" and ran to the door.
Before he ran out Luis called, "Hey wait! What is it? What's wrong?!"
Hank yelled loudly as he ran out into the rain, "I left my car windows down!!"
"Ha," Luis laughed to himself, "What a goof."
For a moment he tried to focus on his paperwork, but his mind kept wandering back to Sheridan and Alistair.
It just didn't make sense to him. A million questions flooded his mind.
'Why was Alistair back in Harmony after all this time? Had he found out that Julian and Rebecca's plan had failed and so now he has come back to lanuch another scheme?'
As confindate as Luis was that his and Sheridan's love could withstand anything, he decided he was better safe than sorry. No telling what Alistair was capable of doing, what with Sheridan at such a voneralbe state and all.
He picked up his telephone and dialed the numbers to the cottage. He knew them by heart. He knew Sheridan by heart. That's how he knew how much Sheridan really did yearn for Alistair's love and acceptance.
****
"Oh Sheridan, I knew you'd come around." Alistair said, hiding satisfaction that his plan had worked. So far, anyway. But all will happen in due course. Now all he had to do was pull on a few more emotions and next thing you know, Sheridan will be on a plane to Paris or Europe or where ever.
"I just didn't know if I could-" Sheridan broke off into tears.
'Takes after her mother.' Alistair thought, 'Heh, I didn't go to her funeral either.'
There was a ring of the phone.
"Oh," Sheirdan said, "I'll get it. It's probably Luis."
"No Sheridan!" Alistair said quickly, almost too quickly. 'Carefully Alistair, this is tricky business.' he thought devously to himself.
"I want to be with you now," He lied again, "Luis will understand. He does love you, right."
"Yes of course he does," Sheridan said as the phone rang again, "But I'm sure he'd want me to answer if he called. He'll wonder where I am."
"Sheridan," Alistair coaxed her away from the phone, "I want to get to know you better. Try and make up for lost time."
Sheridan was still very unsure about the whole situation.
Never the less, what her father said made sense, or at least, that what she fooled herself into thinking. Sheridan was willing to do anything just as long as her father didn't take back his loving words.
So she let the phone ring.
And ring.
And ring.
****
Luis hung up his phone.
"That's weird." he said to himself, "Why wouldn't Sheridan answer her phone? Did she go out or something?"
Luis didn't care, he wanted to go to the cottage.
It wasn't just the fact that she didn't answer the phone. His cop instict was flaring up.
So without another word he left, he followed his heart.
He was so preoccupied while he was driving that he could barely keep his eyes on the road.
But his determination to figure out exactly what was going on was focus enough to get him to the cottage.
He got out of his car and run up to the cottage door.
He looked in the window, the draps were closed.
So Luis opened the door and walked in.
****
Chad wipped his eyes before he faced Theresa and Ethan.
It was at this moment Whitney came out of the room and saw Theresa, Ethan, and Chad all with their backs to the room, Theresa and Ethan talking around Chad. Whitney couldn't help but listen in.
"Chad," Theresa said as she rubbed her hand on his shoulders, "Whitney just doesn't want to hurt Simone right now-"
"No." Chad said, "Look, I am going to go down to the cafiteria for awhile."
Just before he walked away Theresa asked, "Do you want us to tell Whitney where you are?"
"She wouldn't ask." Chad said.
Then Whitney watched him walk away.
Ethan and Theresa turned around to see Whitney.
"Whitney," Theresa said, "What did you say to Simone in there?"
"Yeah, whatever it was it really got Chad upset." Ethan said.
Whitney was just about to say something but she heard a weak sorta voice from behide her say, "Whitney? Where'd you go?"
Whitney quickly walked back into Simone's room.
****
Chad wasn't planning on going to the cafiteria. Food was one of the last things on his mind.
Instead he wrote 2 letters in a nearby waiting room.
The first was to Simone:
*Dear Simone,
I am sorry I could not stay here in Harmony, but all I do here is mess up people lives and make mistakes. One mistake, I am sorry to say, is at your expense. I never meant to cause you any pain, that's why I put off telling you the truth until it was to late. Well now I guess I should tell you that, I am in love with Whitney. I never wanted to hurt and I never meant to make you think that I had feelings for you. But one thing I know is that you are smart, beautiful, and will have all the boys in Harmony after you. I am only a crush and you will be over me shortly. I am just not your type, Simone.
I need to leave this town. Whitney promised you that she'd never see me again, and I know that whenever Whitney makes up her mind about something, no one can change it. Goodbye Simone, God Bless you, From Chad.*
He went over it many times to make sure it was just the way he wanted it.
Then he had to write the hardest letter of all. To Whitney.
*Dear Whitney,
I love you, but I think you've made it clear that you don't love me. And even if you did it wouldn't matter because you won't let you and me become anything. But that doesn't matter now. I realize that all I ever cause her in Harmony is pain. I can't stay any longer because I know that every corner I turn around, I'll see you there. And every movie I see, I'll see your face in the screen. Every song I hear I'll be thinking of you. And right now I am just trying to fool myself into believing that if I leave and go some place else then none of those things will happen. But deep in my heart I know they will, because I love you Whitney, and it's real. We coulda had something beautiful, but I guess the love of your sister was more than that. I guess I understand, but it's harder since I really don't know the love of family but I know that you have a smart head on your shoulders and that you know what's best, and I trust your decison. Even though it hurts. Goodbye Whitney, I love you always, Chad Harris *
Chad folded each with a tear.
He had to think of a way to give them to each of them, but he really didn't know if he could look at them again.
He went back in the hall by Simone's room and looked. Whitney was talking with Theresa and Ethan just around the corner and Simone was, of course, in her room.
Chad quietly and quickly sneaked into Simone's room. She was sleeping, just as he thought, so he put it in her hand so she'd have it when she woke up.
As for Whitney's, he set it on the chair that was sitting right next to Simone's room, right where Whitney would sit.
He sneaked back out of the room and down the hall, for the last time.
****
"Hey you guys," Whitney said, "Something's on my chair." Whitney said as she unfolded the peice of paper and started to read.
Then, as Theresa and Ethan peered over her shoulder and started to read, she said, "Oh my God..."
Without another word she ran down the hall, in search of Chad.
****
"Luis!" Sheridan exclaimed as she stood up from the couch when Luis came in, "Why aren't you at work?"
Alistair slowly stood, and for a moment his mind went blank.
Only for a moment.
"Alistair." Luis said solemnly, "Sheridan I called and when you didn't answer I was worried. I heard Alistair was in Harmony." It took all of Luis's strength not to floor Alistair right then and there.
"Yes, I am in Harmony Luis," Alistair said, "Ovisously. And I have also come to see my daughter, Sheridan. I have finally realized the error of my ways-"
"-I can't believe this." Luis interuppted, "You'll stop at nothing will you?"
Alistair tried again to speak, "I assure you I have no idea what you are-"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Luis said, "I'm talking about Sheridan and me."
"Luis really," Sheridan said, walking over to her finace, "Alistair explained everything. How he really loves me..." Sheridan looked at her father adoringly.
"Sheridan," Luis said, trying to let her see what was really going on, "Don't you see, he's just uses your emotions to get to you. To manipulate you-"
"No no!" Sheridna broke in, stepping back from Luis, "My father loves me. He was just too heart broken over my mother's death and-"
"Sheridan, when we all thought you were dead this man didn't even come to your own funeral. His own daughters funeral." Luis tried again.
"He said that he was mourning in private. He couldn't take it and didn't wamna break down in public!" Sheridan shot back.
"Do you hear yourself Sheridan? Do you hear what you're saying?" Luis said, "This man is reasponsible for my father's disappearance. Huh, did he say anything about that?"
Alistair didn't say anything.
"That's what I thought." Luis said, "Sheridan, don't you remember?"
"-You don't have to remind me." Sheridan broke in. She stood by Luis again and held his arm, "I just had a moment of weakness. Alistair, their is no way you can be for real about this. After all the years, all my letters you probably never read when I was away at boarding school, all the lonely nights I had full of nightmares when you were never there, no. No more. People like you never change."
Alistair's positer straighted and his voice became normal and toneless, almost like it was dead, "People like you never change either Sheridan. Sadly."
Then he slowly walked out, but before he left he turned and said to them, "I'd reconsider your marriage if I were you Sheridan."
"Well if you're me, then you are in love with Luis," Sheridan said smartly, "And last time I checked you hated Luis, so I guess you're not me."
Alistair just walked out. Without a word.
Without a word.
"Sheridan." Luis said, comfortingly has he wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"I can't believe Alistair was really starting to play with my emotions, and it was starting to work." Sheridan said, sobbing.
"It's okay Sheridan," Luis said, "It's not your fault that you yearn for your father's love. It's normal."
Sheridan nodded.
"You know, I didn't grow up with a father either." Luis said, "But I did have a loving family, and that's just what we are going to have."
"That's just what I want." Sheridan said, "And I'll never let myself be that vauerable again."
After a few more mintutes of comforting and consoling, Luis said, "So I am on my lunch break, you wanna get something to eat?"
Sheridan wirled around and said, "Oh my gosh! It's noon?!?"
"Yeah, Sheridan, what's wrong?" Luis asked, concerned.
Sheridna grabbed her purse and headed for the door as she said, "Theresa and I have our last fitting for our wedding dress in five mintutes!"
Luis laughed as he said, "Wait up, I'll drive you there."
"Alright, you can drive me there but you can't see my dress, that's bad luck." Sheridan said.
"But I thought it was only bad luck if I saw you before the wedding?" Luis said.
"Well you see me, you see the dress. Same basic idea!" Sheridan said, laughing.
On the way there Sheridan and Luis talked.
Luis said, "Look Sheridan, I'm worried, I'm not sure what Alistair and Julian are going to do next." The tone in Luis's voice said it all for Sheridan.
"You don't think they'd go as far as to...kill...do you?" Sheridan asked worried.
"I don't want to worry you but I think that they can, and would, if they tried every other alterternitive." Luis said, "And I think it's safe to say that they've tried every trick in the book to break us up."
"So they may have tried every other alterternitive." Sheridan finished.
Luis nodded.
Then a song on the radio caught both of their ears. To top it all off they both reached over to turn up the volume on the radio, they laughed as their hands bumpped into one another's. Sheridan turned up the radio.
Their song was on. "I imagine your hand on mine, and it takes my breath away, I imagine..." You know the one.
And at that moment everything was okay.
At that moment.
****
Whitney raced down the hall in search of Chad. When she got to the end she looked left and right, no sign of Chad. But she did see her mother. She tried to appear collected and calm as she walked toward her mom.
"Hey mom," Whitney said, voice quivering slightly, "Have you seen Chad, anywhere?"
"Well no honey," Eve said, "We just got make from the cafiteria and we didn't see him."
Then, without another word, she ran out of the hospital.
She looked down both ways of the street. She decided just to get in her car and go home, because Chad had to of gone there to get his things. Maybe even he was still walking there.
Or may he just left.
Whitney didn't want to think about that. She didn't even know what she was doing. Why was she chasing him? She didn't want to break her promise to Simone anyway.
But she just couldn't let Chad leave. She couldn't.
One thing she didn't understand was why it was raining. Last she checked it was sunny. Well, she didn't have time to stop and check the weather.
She didn't see Chad on the road anywhere. So she assumed that he must be at the house, and if he wasn't at the house, then she would have to think the unthinkable.
She was remembering the last time Chad was going to leave. She remembered the only reason he stayed was for teh DNA test, and for her.
So she couldn't blame Chad for leaving, he got the DNA results back, and she had all but dismissed him.
She had to tell him the truth, that she loved him and that she didn't want him to leave. That she'd tell Simone the truth.
She got out of her car and ran into the house.
When she got into the front door she yelled, "Chad? Chad?"
No answer.
She was about to come out of the kitchen when she heard the front door slam.
She ran over through the living room and opened the door to see Chad, running in the rain.
"Chad!" She yelled.
He stopped, knowing she had heard him slam the door. He carried his suitcase and turned to face Whitney, who was running toward him, getting soaken wet along the way.
Chad didn't look her in the eyes as he asked, "Whitney, what are you doin here?"
"What do you think I'm doing here Chad?" Whitney said in return.
There was a moment where no one spoke.
All they heard was the rain pouring, hitting the sidewalk.
"I'm gonna do it." Whitney said.
"Do what?" Chad asked, even though he already knew.
"Tell Simone that I lied to her about there being nothing between us." She said, "And that I can't keep the promise I made to her."
Chad didn't say anything.
Whitney didn't knwo what else to say, so she threw her arms around him and whispered, "Please don't go."
They kissed passionately and proved that actions really do speak louder than words.
**THE NEXT DAY**
"Julian!" Alistair yelled, "Get in here this instant!"
"What, what is it father?" Julian asked as he ran into the library.
"Listen to this." Alistair instructed. He was refering to the bug that he had planted in Sheridan's cottage, "Maybe my manipulated worked after all."
They both listened carefully.
"Luis I can't believe you are being so self-centered about this!" Sheridan yelled at Luis.
"I'm not being self-centered!" Luis said, "Alistair is trying to get us to break up so that I won't find ou the truth about my father!"
"Is that all you care about Luis?" Sheridan asked.
"No, I love you Sheridan you know that," Luis said, "But you can't let yourself be vaunerable when it comes to Alistair."
"But he's my father!" Sheridan yelled.
"How can you even call him your father after all he's put you through?" Luis exclaimed the question.
"Because he has changed!" Sheridan yelled back.
"People like Alistair don't change, Sheridan!" Luis tried.
"Well if you think that way then maybe you should leave!" Sheridan said.
"Fine!" Luis said, "If that's what you want, fine, I'll leave!"
Then they heard the slam of a door.
Alistair smiled slyly at Julian, as he turned off the bug.
****
Sheridan waited for a second in the cottage before she opened the front door-quietly-and went outside where Luis was waiting.
"Hey!" Luis said, "I think we did it!"
"Really?" Sheridan asked, "You think it worked?"
"Are you kidding?" Luis said, "Yeah, of course it worked! Julian and Alistair under-estimated us once and it usually takes a Crane at least 4 failures before they catch on."
"Yeah," Sheridan answered, "I mean, look how many times they've tried to break us up?"
"Were still together!" Luis answered.
"And we'll always be together." Sheridan added.
They kissed passionately before Luis said as they started walking down the sidewalk, "Okay, so now it's time for the second part of our plan."
"Alright," Sheridan said.
"Here's the mike." Luis said, "Now Sam and I will be outside the Manison and we got a couple of cops down at the station and they will able to hear everything that's going on and will be recording it for the record. As soon as they hear something that's evidance against Julian and Alistair, they'll call us and give us the go ahead." Luis explained.
Sheridan nodded, "I think we can actually do this.
Luis laughed shortly and said, "You know, for the Cranes they are not that hard to outsmart."
"Yeah," Sheridan answered, "I mean, they though that we didn't know that they'd have the cottage bugged? I mean, how stupid do they think we are?"
"Apparently very stupid." Luis said, "I'm just glad we got all the lines right."
Sheirdan laughed and said, "That 'how can you call him your father?' thing was a nice touch."
"Thank you very much." Luis answered, "And my I say that your acting was very good."
Sheridan smiled.
"Okay, so you ready to be bad, Sheridan Crane?" Luis said, putting his hands around her waist.
Sheridan put her arms around him and said, "Oh yeah, when we're through with the, Alistair and Julian won't know what hit'em."
****
Sheridan walked into the Crane Manison and into the library, "Oh father!" She said, "Luis...." She pretended to cry alittle and sob.
"It's alright Sheridan, honey." Alistair said, "No more."
After awhile longer of talking and stuff, Sheridan took the mike from her pocket and sneakaly set in on top of a book in the bookself. Then she said, "All Luis cares about is his father. He's Hell-bent on finding out what happened."
"Yes," Alistair said, darkly, "He is."
Sheridan moved to the other side of the library and put her hand on the doorknob and said, "I just wonder what it is he is so bent on finding out."
With that she left, knowing that Julian and Alistair were bound to talk about what did happen to Martin Fitzgareld.
****
Julian took a gasping breath and said, "I think we did it!"
"For once Julian I think you might be right." Alistair answered, "But we can't take any chances."
"If Luis ever did find out," Julian said, "that we had to-uh-eliminate, his father-"
"-Kill Julian." Alistair interuppted, "Just say it already, baby."
Julian threw his father an insulted glance and said, "Well if he ever did find out that his father knew too much, and we had to-" he accented this, "KILL him, that would be the end of us."
Then, suddenly, the door was knocked down and Sam and Luis came and and Luis said, "Completely correct Julian."
"Freeze!" Sam yelled.
There was struggle but after a mintute, both Julian and Alistair were in cuffs.
****
When it was all over, and the guys were put away, Luis and Sheridan were at the cottage. Then Sheridan said, "Luis, I've made a desicen."
"And what might that be?" Luis asked, kissing her hand.
She smiled and said, "It's about the Crane Empire."
Luis nodded somberly.
"I'm going to give it to Julian and Ivy's oldest." Sheridan answered, "I want to have a normal life, and have a normal family. The last thing I want to do is run the Crane Empire."
Luis smiled brightly and said, "I was hoping that's what you'd want. Although, it is to bad that it's not going to be run by a woman, now that would make Alistair and Julian turn in their cell blocks." Luis chuckled.
"Hey," Sheridan said smiling, "Did I say that Ivy's oldest was a man?"
Luis laughed and said, "God, I love you Sheridan."
"I love you too Luis." Sheridan said.
They kissed passionately and then Luis went into the kitchen and came back out with 2 glasses and a bottle of wine and said, "It's celebration time."
He poured the first glass and was about to pour the second when Sheridan said, "No wait. I can't have one."
"Why not?" Luis asked, confused.
"Well," Sheridan repiled, "It's not safe."
Luis smirked and said, "Sheridan it's just wine."
"Yes," Sheirdan repiled, wondering when Luis would catch on to what she was trying to say, "And it's really not safe for both of us."
Luis was really getting confused, "So now it's not safe for me either?"
"When I said 'us' I wasn't talking about you and me." Sheridan said.
Luis threw her a very confused glance and said, "Okay, you've offically lost me."
"Luis," Sheridan said, a glowing smile spreading across her face, "There's something I should tell you..."
The End
