- The Time for Truth -

Pilar held her daughter as the young woman grieved the loss of the love of her life. Her own heart seemed heavy in her chest, full of grief, sadness and guilt. As a mother she knew that she had to do something to help her child, but she'd been running for so many years that she didn't know how to stop and face Juanita. If only she'd never gone to visit her childhood friend all those years ago, maybe she could have avoided living in fear all these years and maybe she could help repair the damage done in Ethan and Theresa's relationship.

Theresa pulled away from her and brushed tears off of her cheeks. Pilar had a flashback of when her little girl had been then years old. Her favorite doll had gone missing and Theresa had looked for hours before coming, sobbing, to her mother who had just come home from work. Luckily, Pilar had been able to find the doll in her laundry basket where Theresa had placed it for hide and seek but then had promptly forgotten about it when Luis had offered to take her to the park. She'd felt like a hero when she'd seen the gratitude shining from her daughter's luminous eyes. If there was any was that she could get back to that place, that time, things might have been so much better. But she was a woman who lived in the here and now, and as that woman she knew what she must do. She led Theresa into the bedroom and coaxed her into lying down beside little Ethan on the large bed. Theresa curled up beside her son and tucked one of his small hands into hers. The contact seemed to soothe her as her crying lessened and her eyes started to droop into sleep. "Mama, will you call the mansion and check on Jane? I didn't get a chance to see her this morning."

"Of course Mijho. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Pilar brushed Theresa's hair with her hands as Theresa drifted off to sleep. As her breathing evened out and became deeper, Pilar sighed and stood. She settled a blanket over the two forms and left the room, about to take her first step towards repairing wounds that had started long ago.

An hour and a half later Pilar drove away from the Crane cabin, back down the mountain. She'd called Luis and Miguel and told them to come to the cabin, and to pick up Paloma on their way. She'd given them a brief explanation when they arrived, telling them that a person from her past was looking for them and that they were all in danger. She told them that she would explain more about her past later but that they needed to stay there and support their sister. She knew that Paloma already knew about Little Ethan and his surgery so she planned on asking her to explain it to her brothers. Theresa would tell them the rest when she woke up.

Pilar navigated the roads by rote, thinking about where she could find Ethan. She wasn't food enough to think that she was likely to find him alone, because she knew that Gwen was going to be at his side hoping that he would fall into her arms. Pilar loved her daughter but she felt sorry for Gwen a lot of the time because of her parents, because of her lack of true friends and many other injustices that she had suffered over the years. One of Pilar's hopes was that once this triangle was resolved and there were no more secrets, Gwen would be able to fall in love again with someone who would truly appreciate her.

She pulled into the driveway of the mansion and recognized Ethan's car. Gwen's also. She made her way into the house and first headed upstairs to check on her granddaughter. Little Jane was innocent in all of this and they'd all have to make more of an effort to spend some more time with her. When she stepped into the nursery she frowned at the darkness and moved to turn on the light.

"Please… don't."

A voice spoke out of the darkness and Pilar closed the door. She crossed to where Ethan sat in the rocking chair by a window. Jane was asleep in his arms and he stroked her tiny hand as they rocked. He looked at Pilar's face for a silent moment before turning to look back out the window.

"I guess you heard what happened. I'm not surprised that she phoned you. I amsurprised that she hasn't found me yet and come to beg forgiveness. But hell, what do I know about the woman I thought I loved."

He glanced at Jane to make sure that she hadn't awoken and heard him; Pilar pulled an ottoman up in front of him. She took one of his hands and waited until he looked at her. His eyes were so bleak, so desolate.

"What happened Pilar? I thought that Theresa loved me. How could she do that to me? To us?"

He smiled sadly down at Jane.

"I had so many hopes and dreams for our future. Now what am I going to do?"

She squeezed his hand to make him look at her again.

"Ethan, have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"I want you to listen to me right now. I know that you'll have questions, but I need you to just listen."

He nodded a questioning look already on his face.

"The first thing that you have to know is that there wasn't another man at the Crane cabin with Theresa tonight."

His eyes filled with hope when she said that, and he was quiet so she could continue.

"I was in the other room. With Little Ethan."

She continued talking for a long while, explaining about Little Ethan's operation, simply explaining that he was found to be a donor match. She would save the explanation of his paternity to Theresa. She told him about what had happened in Mexico and how Juanita was looking for her.

"I thought we would be safe here. But someone found out about my secret and is threatening our family."

She nodded at the knowing look that was beginning to dawn in his eyes.

"Gwen and Rebecca somehow found out about my past and they made me, and Theresa, lie about little Ethan being Jonathon's liver donor. They were afraid that if you know that she let little Ethan be the donor it would bring you closer together. Now I know that you think Gwen can do no wrong but – "

"What makes you say that? I know that Gwen has her faults."

She looked at him with a pitying look.

"Ethan, I've known you since you were a baby and since you were little Gwen has been there. You were matched as children and you've grown up together. You're biased."

Ethan leaned his head back against the chair and signed.

"I've really screwed up this time, haven't I?"

Pilar's phone rang in her purse and she rose to answer it before it woke Jane. The little girl opened her eyes while her grandmother was on the phone and Ethan was so focused on her that he didn't' hear Pilar speak rapidly or see her become agitated.

"What do you say baby girl? Should we go find your mama and give her a big kiss?"

Pilar dropped a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to be possible Ethan. She's gone to Mexico."