Thank you for reading and reviewing my story. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and enjoy this chapter even more. I know I enjoy every moment I type a word on here. As you all know I do not own Passions, or have any association with NBC or it's characters. Keep up the reviews and I hope you enjoy reading.

Chapter Two: Fate Brought Us Together…Fate Can Take Us Apart

She didn't sleep at all that night, more than that, she couldn't sleep at all that night. It hurt to much to think about Ethan only steps away in another room, while she had to stay in her room with her husband. It wasn't Jared's fault, he was just the middle man in all this. He had no idea what really led to their marriage. He loved her, and that's all she knew, and she would have to be content in knowing that. She felt guilty though. She felt the guilt deep down in her soul because it was one sided and could never be returned the way it should be.

Theresa sighed as she walked the halls, like a phantom. No matter how one sided the love of her sham marriage she would keep the air that Jared, Little Ethan, Jane, and her were one large happy family. And this new baby, he or she would grow up with parents that loved and cherished him or her, she would be sure of that. Maybe, even after awhile Ethan would not hate her so much and want to be friends again. They had both been friends, great friends, before life stepped in and ripped everything apart.

As she walked past Janes door, Theresa stopped as she heard mumbling. If that creature was in her baby girls room she would kill the bastard herself. Slowly she kept to the door, planning on surprising the intruder, that's when she realized who spoke. It wasn't the blackmailer, it was Ethan. She opened the door slowly so she could just peek in, and hear better, and she saw Ethan standing over the sleeping baby's crib, arms folded and resting on the rail.

"You know baby girl. You look more and more like your Mama everyday. I see I'm going the have to have a bat near the door when you become a teenager to keep those boys away from you, Princess. You know, I met your Mama again when she was seventeen. We were friends when we were little then Julian and your Grandmother sent me to boarding school. And I will admit, I forgot her. But then when I met her again, and got to know her, something inside me stirred, something I really hadn't felt before, and it hasn't stopped since, not even when I was married to Gwen. Theresa she always brought out the side of me I hid while I was a Crane, she brought out the regular person that I was afraid of showing. And I thank her everyday for that because if it wasn't for her, I would be just like Allistar and Julian, and I wouldn't be a very good Daddy to you. Sometimes I even wonder why she chose me…" Ethan sighed and smiled at his sleeping daughter. Even as his heart broke a million times he tried to smile for a little girl that didn't even notice and he would do the same for little Ethan also. He would hold up his pretenses while the children were around then break when he was alone. Alone, that word echoed in his mind. You are alone now and will be forever.

"Sometimes the smallest of miracles are the greatest. And you my daughter, are the greatest joy I could have. Atleast I will have you when all of this is over, to remember the love your Mother and I share."

Theresa didn't even know what to say, and part of her didn't want to say anything. Then she moved around the corner as Ethan made his way out of their daughters room, and headed towards Little Ethan's. Did he do this every night? Check on both the children? Talk to them while they slept. She could understand with Jane, she was his. Even though Little Ethan was to he didn't know that, he still thought he was Julian's.

"Hey sport, sorry that I haven't been here in awhile to talk to you. I know as you always look forward to our little chats while your sleeping." Ethan said forcing a chuckle. He just wasn't in the mood to laugh right now.

"You know I love you like my own. I always wished you were mine, I still do. I used to imagine that if I loved you enough you would just magically become my son, but I realize I don't have to love you anymore than I already do, because to me you are mine. I thought that after all this mess was over your Mom and I would get married and I could make it legal. I know that Julian would put up a fight, just because he's selfish, but in the end I would win out, and you would have the last name of Winthrop instead of Crane. It doesn't look like that's going to happen now. I will also admit that everytime I see you with Jared, my blood boils with envy, because I see you love him just as much as you love me. More so now because he is your step father now. I loathe that man. He has everything I wanted, everything I hoped for. And I'm left just watching from the outfield."

"When your older you will go through heartache and relationship problems. I just pray that nothing happens to you like it has to your mother and I. I hope this curse Harmony has on us all skips you and your sister, along with all the other young ones. You don't deserve to know how a heart breaks when you learn that after all your fighting and praying in the end you still loose out on the one thing you want. I wanted a family with your mother, and I came close, so close we could almost taste it several times. But each time fate brought us together, it tore us apart again. Sometimes I think this is how it was always supposed to be. A rocky merry-go-round, things just keep happening the same way with it never stopping."

Finally Ethan just sat and looked at the young boy and watched him sleep in innocence. 'I wont let what has happened to Theresa and I, happen to these children. I will die trying to stop it. They atleast deserve to be happy as Theresa and I did.' He smoothed Little Ethan's hair away from his forehead and leaned down a gave him a kiss, like a father would a son, Theresa thought. She had to talk to him, she had to tell him the truth about Little Ethan. Even if they couldn't be together, atleast he would have both his children to love and support. Atleast he would have his son and his daughter. She moved into the shadows as he stepped out and slowly closed the doors so not to wake the sleeping boy. When he began to move off towards his bedroom, she laid her hand on his shoulder, and he stilled.

"Ethan, we have to talk." Theresa said in little more than a whisper. He turned to look down at her and he saw the misery in her eyes. He nodded his head and without a word began walking to his room. So if they were going to talk he would make sure it was somewhere private, somewhere tempting. Why did it seem God, always tempted her? She followed him anyways, and shut the door behind her then looked at him as he sat on the bed and began to undress.

"Do you think that's appropiate Ethan, I mean I'm in the room."

"Its not like you haven't seen my naked body before, Theresa." He sneered not looking at her. But out of his guilt for being cruel he stepped into the bathroom to change. When he came back out was in a plaid pair of pajama pants.

"May I ask you how long you were standing in the hall."

Theresa looked down at the floor then back up to him. How could she tell him she had intruded upon two very private, very personel conversations. They were with sleeping children, yes, but they had still been personel, and were not meant to be intruded upon. She decided to tell him the truth all of it. He might not like it, but it was the truth none-the-less.

"I accidently stumbled upon you talking to Jane first. I heard mumbling and I thought at first it was the blackmailer. I was going to sneak up on him and kill the bastard if he was anywhere near her or Little Ethan. Then when I got closer I began to hear your voice better and I knew it was you. So I listened. I admit it, I spied in on you talking to our daughter, then when you went to Little Ethan I had to hear what you had to say to him also. I was curious. I'm sorry for snooping." He didn't say anything at first. He didn't know where to begin. She had heard everything.

"I meant every word I said Theresa."

"I know and that's what I came here to talk to you about. There is something I have to tell you. Something that could cause me to loose everything, but I have to let you know, the secret the blackmailer has over me."

"Theresa, what do you mean. You say that it could cost you everything, but what could be so bad that it would do that?"

"It isn't that bad, most of it is good. But I will loose Crane, and I will loose the money and power and the ability to help my brothers. Because it's a secret the blackmailer doesn't want you to know."

"Then he wont know, I know. I will keep it a secret, just tell me."

"You wont be able to keep it a secret."

"Yes I will. Theresa you didn't believe I could help your brothers, believe me on this."

She stressed about how to say it, what words to say. Then she decided fast and clean like ripping off a bandage. It would sting at first, but the pain would ease away fast.

"Little Ethan is actually your son."

"What?"

"He is your son, Ethan. I found out in Rome. I was going to tell you I swear, but then, I thought that if I did you would take him away again. I couldn't risk loosing my son again when I already lost my daughter. Then I was going to tell you when I was fed up with everything at Crane. That's when the blackmailer came, and my brothers were sentenced. I couldn't tell you because Little Ethan is the hier, and if he was yours he would no longer be hier. I would loose everything I had to help my brothers. Then I was going to tell you after I got my brothers out of prison, then everything happened at once, and now I can't afford to loose the money or power."

He didn't say anything, couldn't say anything…he had a son. He had a son and it was a little boy that he loved more than anything. Yet he hadn't been in his life the way a father should be. He had been kept from that pleasure of raising and watching his child grow and mature. He didn't know whether or not to be furious or extatic. He went with the latter, he already had so much to be upset about, learning that you had a son with the woman you truly loved shouldn't be one of them. With that thought he pulled her close, kissed her forhead, and said two words she didn't think she would hear from him.

"Thank you?" Looking up she was astonished.

"For what?"

"For giving me the two most perfect children."