Chapter 5



Whitney Russell wakes up in the arms of her lover, Fox Crane.

Whitney- "Morning."

Fox- "Morning."

Whitney- "How long have you been up?"

Fox- "Mmmm, about fifteen minutes."

Whitney- "Doing what?"

Fox- "Looking at you."

Whitney smiles.

Fox- "Whitney, I have something that I want to ask you."

Whitney- "Sure anything."

Fox reaches under the covers. He pulls out a little, black, velvet box."

Whitney's eyes widen.

Fox- "Whitney Russell…I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I never thought that I could love someone this much. Whitney, you are everything that I could possibly want. I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life trying to show you how much I love you. Whitney, I guess what I'm trying to say is, will you marry me?"

Whitney- "Yes, of course, yes."

Tears start to flow from her eyes.

Fox- "Yeah?"

Whitney- "Yeah."

Fox slips the massive six-carat prince cut diamond on her finger. They kiss.

Fox- "Maybe we should get up and tell everyone."

Whitney- "Not just yet. "

Fox- "Well, what did you have in mind."

Whitney- "Oh, I don't know. A little bit of this." Whitney leans over and kisses him, very hungrily.



After Whitney and Fox shower together, they get out and walk into the kitchen, hand-in-hand.

Eve and Julian are at the table. Eve has her arms wrapped around Julian's neck, sitting on his lap.

Whitney- "Mom…"

Fox- "Dad…"

Whitney- "We have something to tell you."

Julian- "What is it son?"

Fox- "We're getting married."

Eve- "So soon?"

Whitney- "We didn't want to wait."

Julian- "You are finally growing up, huh, son?"

Fox- "Yes father, I believe I am."

Eve- "Well come here!" She holds her arms open, and gets up from her husband's lap.

They all hug each other.

At the Lopez-Fitzgerald house.



Theresa dropped Little Ethan off at Luis and Sheridan's. Sheridan was going to take Martin and Little Ethan to the park. Theresa would have gone with, but she wasn't in the mood to sit out in the cold.

Theresa sat alone in her house, blanket wrapped around her body, remote in hand, flipping through the channels, noticing that only the news and daily talk shows were on.

There was a knock at the door.

Theresa- "Now who is that? Mama's at work, Sheridan wouldn't drop off Little Ethan until about noon. Maybe it's a package. Oh, but what if it's Ethan? Oh, God! I don't want to deal with him. I'll just tell him to go away."

Another knock. Theresa lifts herself from the sofa.

A voice- "Theresa, I know you're in there. Open up!"

Theresa- "Whitney…?"

Theresa opens the door to see her best friend standing before her.

Whitney- "What took you so long?"

Theresa- "Sorry. What's up?"

Whitney let herself in, Theresa shut the door.

Whitney- "You will never believe what happened to me this morning."

Theresa- "You were driving, hit some old lady, and she beat you up."

Whitney- "What?"

Theresa- "Never mind. What happened?"

Whitney- "Let's just say, I got the shock of my life."

Theresa- "Why, what happened?"

Whitney lifted her left ring finger so that Theresa could see it.

Whitney- "Notice anything different?"

Theresa- "He didn't!"

Whitney- "He did!"

Theresa- "I didn't think he had the balls to do something this daring."

Whitney- "Wait a minute, you knew?"

Theresa- "Whoops."

Whitney- "When did he tell you?"

Theresa- "About a week ago."

Whitney- "Well, can you believe it? I'm engaged!"

Theresa- "I know! Oh my God!"

Whitney- "You know what this means."

Theresa- "I'm going to me a maid of honor."

Whitney- "Of course, but this means we are going to have to go shopping! YES!"

Theresa- "Oh, yes! I love shopping. I saw this amazing dress that would be perfect for the bridesmaids at Bloomingdale's!"

Whitney- "I can't believe it. I am going to get my dream wedding!"

Theresa- "It's your wedding. Duh! It doesn't matter if you were marrying the poorest man in the world, a woman still deserves her dream wedding."

Whitney- "Oh, and Little Ethan can be the ring barer."

Theresa- "Oh, he'll look so cute!"

Whitney- "Come on, let's go shopping."

Theresa- "I can't."

Whitney- "Why not?"

Theresa- "I have to wait until Little Ethan gets back from the park."

Whitney- "Who did he go with?"

Theresa- "Sheridan. I didn't feel like going."

Whitney- "Why?"

Theresa- "Just wasn't in the mood."

Whitney- "Okay, what happened?"

Theresa- "Nothing."

Whitney- "Don't lie. I am your best friend. You know you can't lie to me."

Theresa- "Fine, Ethan was at the tree last night."

Whitney- "Why?"

Theresa- "I don't know."

Whitney- "So, what happened?"

Theresa- "He talked to me. And it opened this floodgate of feelings. I shouldn't feel like this Whitney. I fell in love with him all over again."

Whitney- "Oh, Theresa. I thought that you were over him."

Theresa- "So did I. And then we got to talking. He and I were laughing at things that we did in the past."

Whitney- "Well that must have been nice."

Theresa looks at her friend in confusion.

Whitney- "Well, I'm just saying, it must have been nice that it wasn't awkward between you two."

Theresa- "I don't want to love him anymore, Whit. Do you know what kind of pain he has caused me? It took me over two months to get over him. And now that I am, he comes back into my life and sucks me back in."

Whitney- "You have to be strong."

Theresa- "How?"

Whitney- "I don't know. Get away from him."

Theresa- "How? We live in the same miniscule town. We are bound to bump into each other every time and again."

Whitney- "Well, maybe you should leave town for a couple of months. Just to be sure that he is out of your heart."

Theresa- "Well, I don't want to leave Little Ethan."

Whitney- "Who said you have to? Take him with. Where ever you go."

Theresa- "You know Whit, that is a pretty good idea. I was even thinking of going down to visit Paloma. Maybe I can stay with her. But that will mean that I will miss your wedding."

Whitney- "Oh no you wont. Leave after."

Theresa- "Well, what if I see him before then? Weddings take forever to plan."

Whitney- "This one won't"

Theresa- "How is that possible? I mean you are marrying a Crane. You have all the money in the world disposable to you. You can buy the most expensive things, and reserve the most expensive places. This will take forever."

Whitney- "No, I have you. And you are awesome at this. Remember when you did Ethan and Gwen's wedding? Everything you did was amazing."

Theresa- "You really think so?"

Whitney- "Yeah. So then it's all set then. We will have the wedding in a month."

Theresa- "Okay, just keep Ethan away from me for a month and I should be fine. I'll call Paloma to see if I can come down in a month."

Whitney- "Okay. Well sorry, honey. I have to go. I have to go see my man."

Theresa- "Okay, you go do that. Tell him I said hi."

Whitney- "Will do. Bye, Sweetie."

Theresa- "Bye."

Whitney walks out of the home. Leaving Theresa even more depressed than she already was.

At the Winthrop home

The doorbell rings and Ethan goes to answer it.

Ethan opens the door.

Ethan- "Fox? What are you doing here?"

Fox- "Nice to see you too half-bro."

Ethan- "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you. Come on in."

Fox- "So, where's the misses?"

Ethan- "She hasn't come home yet."

Fox- "Where did she go?"

Ethan- "For a walk."

Fox- "Well good. Because there is something that I have to tell you."

Ethan- "Fox… What did you do?"

Fox- "Why is that the first question that people ask me?"

Ethan- "Because usually, you have done something."

Fox- "Oh, well there is something that I have to tell you."

Ethan- "What?"

Fox- "I'm engaged."

Ethan- "To what?"

Fox glares at him.

Ethan- "Whitney….?"

Fox smiles and nods his head.

Ethan- "Wow! I didn't think you had it in you."

Fox- "Yeah well, what can I say? Whitney changed me."

Ethan- "I see that."

Fox- "Well, you know that love thing. Once it hits you, there is no going back."

Ethan- "Yeah, I know."

Fox- "Do you?"

Ethan- "What's that supposed to mean?"

Fox- "Ethan…. Come on man. You are married to a woman and completely head-over-heals in love with another. How can you sit there and say that you understand how with love there is no going back? You fell in a passionate love with Theresa, and then you went back with Gwen. So I would say, that you don't understand how love really works."

Ethan- "Hey! I have loved very deeply in my life. I know what love can do to a man. I am a victim of it."

Fox- "Yeah, you have loved deeply. But are you in it right now….?" Ethan looks away from his brother. "Look man, I didn't come here to give you a lecture about Theresa and Gwen, I can to ask you something."

Ethan- "And what is that?"

Fox- "Well, I am getting married. And usually when a man gets married he has a best man. I guess what I am trying to say is… will you be my best man?"

Ethan- "Really?" Fox nods. "Sure, of course."

Fox smiles. They get up and hug each other.

Fox- "Thanks man. Listen, I wish I could stay, but I can't. I am supposed to meet Whitney for lunch at the Book Café. My best to Gwen."

Ethan- "Bye." Fox leaves.

About five minutes after Fox leaves, Gwen walks in the door.

Ethan- "Hi, honey."

Gwen- "Hi." She walks over to the bar.

Ethan- "Sweetheart, I think we should talk."

Gwen- "Not right now, honey. I want to watch the news."

Ethan- "Gwen, I think the news can wait. This is important."

Gwen- "So is the news."

Ethan- "There is a news program every hour."

Gwen- "Not now." Gwen's voice becomes more desperate.

Ethan- "Okay."

They both sit on the couch and watch the first few minutes of the news together.

Ethan- "Oh, Fox dropped by."

Gwen- "What'd he want?"

Ethan- "He's getting married."

Gwen- "To Whitney?"

Ethan- "He wants me to be his best man."

Gwen- "Isn't that nice. What about Whitney? Does she have a maid of honor?"

Ethan- "I'm pretty sure it'll be Theresa. They are best friends."

Gwen- "Oh, of course. Then Ethan, you can't be his best man. And we are not going to the wedding."

Ethan- "Why?"

Gwen- "Because of Theresa. Ethan, you promised me on Sarah's casket that you would stay away from Theresa. Now, are you going to break that promise?"

Ethan- "No, but Gwen, I am not going to see Theresa. I am going because Fox asked me to be his best man. This is his wedding. And I think we should honor his wishes. Which means I think we should go no matter who is going to be there."

Gwen- "But of course you want to go see Theresa."

Ethan- "No, I just want to go and support my brother on the most important day of his life."

Gwen- "Half-brother."

Ethan- "Gwen, don't make this a bigger issue. We will just stay for the ceremony if you'd prefer."

Gwen- "Fine."

Ethan- "We can leave right after. I won't even talk to her."

Gwen- "I said fine. I have to make a phone call. Excuse me."



Gwen goes into the bedroom and shuts the door. She dials. The phone on the other line rings. "Hello?" "Hello, Hank. It's Gwen." "Gwen, Hi. What's up?" "Nothing, can I come over?" "Sure. Give me ten minutes." "Okay. Bye." "Bye."

Gwen walks back out of the bedroom.

Gwen- "I'm going over to Sheridan's. I'll be back."

Ethan- "How long will you be gone?"

Gwen- "I don't know. I might stay too late, I might spend the night. So if I don't come home tonight, don't worry. Bye honey." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek.

Ethan- "Bye."