Last time: Theresa thought back on her marriage after dropping the kids off at school and heading to the office...(Rating: PG13)

Chapter 3

"Here is the mock proposal of the project for rebuilding the housing district that you wanted." Valerie walked into Theresa's office unaware of her boss's quickly souring mood.

"You're late Valerie! I wanted these on my desk by 10:00!" Theresa snapped.

Taken aback, Valerie looked warily at the clock and saw that it read 10:05. "I'm….sorry?" she apologized though she wasn't really sure why. The papers weren't that late.

Following her assistant's eyes to the clock, Theresa realized how short-tempered she was being and turned back with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be meeting Ethan here this morning since we didn't drive together, and I haven't heard from him yet. I guess I'm a little on edge."

"Ahh." Valerie nodded in acceptance of the offered Olive branch. "Would you like me to hold your calls until Mr. Winthrop gets here? Can I get you a cup of tea?" She was trying to offer Theresa a chance to get herself together without crossing that line between employee and boss.

"Thank you Valerie. Please hold all calls for the morning—no matter what. And don't worry about the tea. I can get it myself." Theresa answered, and Valerie left the office.

Letting out a slow breath, Theresa began to pace. Get a grip Theresa. You practically took that poor girl's head off! Her cup of tea forgotten, she let herself wonder what was going on at the police station. How were Luis and Miguel holding up? And Mama? Maybe she should've called her or gone to the station herself instead of coming to work. And the press—they were going to have a field day with this.

10:30. She'd been at the office for an hour and a half, and still hadn't seen or heard from Ethan. Picking up the phone at her desk, she dialed his cell.

"Hey. This is Ethan. Sorry I missed your call, but if you leave a message and a way for me to get a hold of you, I'll catch ya later."

Voice Mail. What was taking so long? He knew that she'd be waiting very impatiently and would be doing his best to get back to her right away, that was just his way. Something was wrong. There had to be. Always having been one with an active imagination, Theresa started coming up with every possible reason for her husband's tardiness, plausible or not.

Maybe he'd forgotten his cell phone.

Maybe the battery had died.

Maybe he'd locked his keys in the car. With the cell phone.

Maybe the car broke down on the way to the office.

What if he'd been in an accident? He could be hurt!

No, no no! That couldn't be it! She couldn't stand anymore bad news today!

Just as Theresa was working herself into a frenzy, the man in question walked through the door, and sighing in relief she practically jumped into his arms. "Ethan! I was so worried! What took so long?"

Returning the hug warmly and holding her for an extra minute, Ethan explained. "I'm sorry Baby. It was a zoo at the station! Julian didn't waste any time in getting this story to the press. It seems that since he can't beat you with the will, he's going to take you down some other way. This deal with your brothers…he's going to milk it for all its worth."

Stepping back from Ethan slightly, Theresa looked up at him. "Is it really as bad as it sounds?"

Knowing she deserved nothing less than the truth but hating to have to be the one to give it, Ethan looked her dead in the eyes. "Yeah. I'm afraid it is."

Dropping into one of the chairs, Theresa took a deep breath. "How? And don't try to spare me. I need to know everything."

"Well I'm not sure where to start." Ethan sat next to her and frowned in concentration. "Ummm...OK. You remember that Fancy was raped during a stake out on that Peeping Tom case right after her graduation from the Police Academy." Ethan paused, then continued when Theresa nodded. "Well, it seems like she's been having a really hard time, and has been insisting that the rapist was on the Crane estate…in her bedroom even…and that he raped her again."

"Oh no!" Theresa couldn't imagine the devastation of being raped twice.

Ethan looked sober as well. Fancy was his half sister after all. "Yeah. But before that, Luis had promised to stay with her and protect her if the attacker came back. He said he sat with Fancy until she fell asleep, then fell asleep himself on the couch in her room."

Theresa was looking bewildered. "That sounds just like Luis. Always trying to protect the ones he loves. How exactly did this turn into a rape charge?"

"Apparently…and this is something that can only happen in Harmony…Fancy awoke to find the attacker in her room, and well, you know how that ended. But Luis was nowhere to be found. Crane security launched a search for both the rapist and Luis, and found who they thought to be the attacker knocked out cold in the woods on the estate. Not sure how that happened, but anyway. When they turned the man over, it was Luis."

Ethan paused again, waiting for the reaction he knew was coming.

"What?! Even if they found Luis in the woods…unconscious…wearing the clothes that Fancy said the attacker wore, they can't actually believe that Luis is capable of rape! He's a cop right here in Harmony! Has been for several years!" Looking into Ethan's eyes, Theresa's own became fearful. "There's more isn't there?"

Not bothering with a preamble, Ethan continued. "Sheridan and Chris were able to convince Fancy to go to the hospital to have a rape kit done, and they turned up…DNA that matched Luis one hundred percent."

Theresa fought the urge to laugh that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside her. This was crazy! It had to be a joke.

"And, no Honey. This is not a joke." She'd forgotten how easily Ethan could read her, and even if he hadn't spoken the words, his face would have.

Sighing, Theresa nodded. "I know you'd never joke about this. Just wishful thinking I guess. What's the deal with Miguel?"

With a sigh of his own, Ethan began. "Well, it seems that Miguel shot Fox point blank during an argument over Kay." Theresa's face went blank, like she couldn't quite comprehend the words, and he continued. "According to Fox, he was walking downtown minding his own business when Miguel came up to him, started harassing him about how Kay never would truly love Fox, that she really loved him and that he was going to make sure Fox wasn't a threat to them anymore…and shot him. In fact, Eve says that Fox is a very lucky man; he should be dead.

"Miguel says that he and Fox did argue over Kay, but that it took place at the mansion where he admits he went to confront Fox. But he swears that he never was downtown and he never shot Fox. The witnesses that claim to have seen Miguel, and Fox recovering from a gunshot wound…." Ethan trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders, and this time Theresa did laugh.

"You can't seriously believe that Miguel would walk up to someone in broad daylight and shoot him point blank in front of a bunch of people who could identify him, do you?"

"Of course not!" Ethan sounded almost offended at such a thought. "But unfortunately it doesn't really matter what I believe, it only matters what I can prove. And both of your brothers have a lot of evidence pointing in their direction.

I was able to get them out on bail—just barely. The press is already touting "preferential treatment". I'm not going to lie to you. We've got our work cut out for us. Theresa? Theresa Honey? Did you hear me?"

Yeah, she'd heard him. But right now she couldn't focus on his voice. That strong sense that something was going to go terribly wrong had set in. What was it? Why did she feel like her world was spinning out of control? Like she was on a sinking ship, and she and her life were sliding headlong down the deck to the ocean below? She was so deep in thought that she jumped at the touch of Ethan's hand on her arm.

"Hey. You look like you're on another planet right now. Are you all right?" The question sounded silly even to his own ears. Of course she wasn't all right. Who would be after this kind of news?

"Have you ever had a feeling…almost like a vibe or sixth sense about something?" Theresa looked at him, but it was more like she was looking through him, and Ethan spoke carefully trying to gauge her train of thought.

"Like how? Like when something is good or bad?"

"Yeah." Theresa continued to look at but through him, and Ethan began to feel concern. Something was definitely on her mind, and he wasn't sure he liked what she was implying.

"I think something very bad is about to happen. Whatever it is it's going to change our lives forever." Her voice sounded a little frightened, but sure. She really believed what she was saying.

Clearing his throat, Ethan tried to do his best to reassure her. "I know I said that it was going to be hard going trying to clear your brothers' names, but we've got a lot of ground to cover still. They've got a lot of support. Your mother…wow! I saw her today and appreciated all over again how strong she really is. We've got a lot of power and money behind us to do whatever we have to do. So don't give up hope yet."

"It's more than that." Looking at Ethan now, Theresa tried to put into words what she was feeling. "It doesn't have anything to do with Luis and Miguel. Well it does, but not only with them. It's something bigger. Something I can't put my finger on, but I know."

Closing her eyes trying to dispel the feeling, she was met again with the image of sliding down the deck of a sinking ship, the icy water rushing up to greet her, when suddenly a hand grabbed her. Looking down, she saw that Ethan had taken her tiny hand into his large one and was gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"I don't think we should borrow trouble Theresa, but whatever you think is going to happen, whatever you think is going to change our lives, don't worry about it. We'll handle it like we handle everything now…together. We are not going to drown after everything we've been through to get to this point. I promise."

Theresa smiled her thanks as she leaned toward him, and meeting her halfway, he sealed that promise with a kiss.