Chapter Six:
And then there's times you look at me
As though I'm all that you can see
Those times I don't believe it's right
I know it, know it
As the song slowly faded into nothingness, Sheridan and Luis slowed to a stop. The music had sent them off into their own world—a world that they were not yet ready to leave.
Slowly, Luis's head dropped, aiming for the dream that had monopolized his thoughts for the past two years. Sheridan's lips. Her kiss. Sheridan.
Sheridan wanted Luis just as much as he wanted her. She anxiously anticipated the feeling of his lips upon hers—a feeling she had only experienced in her dreams for the last two years.
The space between their lips was quickly diminishing, and Jack wanted nothing more than to jump in between them and split them up. But he also knew that he couldn't do that. He just hoped that she would come to her senses before she did something that she would regret for the rest of her life.
Luis was almost there. Softly, he whispered, "Sheridan," as if it was a forbidden word.
Luis made the final plunge for Sheridan's lips when suddenly her cell phone rang, dissolving the dream world she and Luis had been in.
She quickly pulled away from Luis, and reached for her phone. "Sheridan Crane," she answered.
"Sheridan, I'm afraid that Father has suffered a severe heart attack and is in critical condition. You need to get down here immediately."
"Ok, Julian, I'll be there as soon as I can. I need to say good bye to Ethan and Theresa, but then I'll be right over."
"You shouldn't be at Ethan's wedding anyhow, Sheridan. You know Father would never approve," Julian told her condescendingly.
"Julian," Sheridan replied icily, "Where I go and what I do is no longer any of your business. I am no longer a Crane. I am a Mitchell now. You don't control my life anymore." With that she hung up on Julian, and dropped her cell phone into her purse.
"Sheridan?" Luis asked, his warm hand cupping her pale face. "Sher? Are you ok? Is something wrong?"
"It's Father. He's—he's had a heart attack."
Jack knew that he needed to get involved. Sheridan needed to be crying on his shoulder, not Luis's. "Oh, Sheridan, honey, that's horrible!" Jack sympathized. "We need to get down to Harmony Hospital right away."
Stunned by the news that she had just received, Sheridan reached for Jack. He took her arm and began to lead her out of the hall.
They were almost out when Bella began to cry. Sheridan came out of her shocked state, and asked, "Pilar, could you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Sheridan," Pilar replied.
"Could you watch Bella for me while we're at the hospital? She doesn't need to be hanging around there all day. Please?"
"I would love to, Sheridan."
Sheridan carefully handed Bella to Pilar. "Now, Bella, honey, you be good for Grandma Pilar, ok?"
"Perdón, Sheridan? (Excuse me, Sheridan?)" Pilar asked.
Sheridan realized that she had slipped up. Luis could never know that Bella was his. "Oh, Pilar, I just meant that you were always like a mother to me, so Bella is practically your granddaughter. I'm sure that she'll love you just as much as I do."
"I am sure you're right, Sheridan," Pilar replied. When Sheridan was little, Pilar could always tell when Sheridan was lying. Something was telling her that Sheridan wasn't being completely truthful. Could little Bella be Luis's daughter? Could she have a granddaughter?
~*~*~*~
An hour later, Luis was thinking of Sheridan—as he always was.
He remembered their sensual dance and her instant reaction to his every move. Sometimes, it seemed as if she could read his mind.
He remembered their almost kiss and wished that he had kissed her. Maybe then she'd realize that he was the man for her—not Jackson what's-his-name.
He remembered the phone call that interrupted them, and the scared look on Sheridan's face. He wished with all of his heart that he could take away her pain—all of it, but he couldn't.
He knew that at this moment, there was nowhere he'd rather be than in the hospital, at Sheridan's side. But she didn't want him there. She wanted her husband, the father of her child with her instead.
It had taken all of his strength to keep himself from running after her as she left the reception. He had had to remind himself that she wasn't his. She didn't want to be. And, as much as he hated to admit it, she never would be.
~*~*~*~
Sheridan paced anxiously outside Alistair Crane's room in the ICU. She had thought that her father was one of the healthiest men in the world, but he was in the hospital fighting for his life.
The doctors weren't very optimistic about Alistair's chances. At the moment, he was in a coma, and they doubted that he would ever awake from it.
Sheridan couldn't believe that a man who had held so much power over everyone only hours before was now unable to do anything for himself. His threats froze the blood of anyone who was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end. His punishments were brutal, and his mind was cunning. But now he couldn't even breathe without the help of a respirator.
~*~*~*~
FLASHBACK:
Sheridan returned from her visit to Eve and practically skipped into the cottage. She was pregnant! She knew that Luis would be ecstatic. True, it was a bit early to be having children, but Sheridan knew that he'd make a terrific father.
Whistling happily, she inserted her key into the lock and was surprised to realize that it was unlocked. Carefully, she opened the door, wondering who—or what—she might find inside.
"Sheridan, my beautiful daughter," she heard Alistair's booming voice greet her.
"Hello, Father," Sheridan replied, her good mood effectively dampened.
"Pity your relationship with Luis is over," he told her conversationally.
"Excuse me?" Sheridan asked with disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that you will break up with your Latin lover tonight."
"I will do no such thing, Father! I love him! Why would I break up with him?"
"That's exactly why. You love him, so you will break up with him. If you don't, something may happen to the heroic Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald—and possibly to the little Lopez-Fitzgerald-to-be too."
"You wouldn't!" Sheridan gasped incredulously.
"I have done it successfully in the past, Sheridan, my dear, and I can easily arrange for it to occur again." Alistair gave her a sly smile. "But, of course, if you think that I wouldn't, that's your choice and your risk, my dear."
All the blood drained from Sheridan's face. Her father was going to force her to break up with the only man who has ever truly loved her.
"Tomorrow, Sheridan, you will marry Jackson Theodore Mitchell, VI. He is a nice man whose eye you caught at the Country Club several months ago. He will make a good match for you. The Mitchell Corporations will greatly increase my influence and power in the business circles."
"Father, I don't even know him! How can I marry him?"
"You can, and you will—unless you rather see your dear Luis's obituary in the morning's newspaper. I will see you tomorrow, Sheridan." Alistair slowly walked out of the cottage, leaving Sheridan to curse her life and her luck—and leaving her to plan her break-up with Luis.
END FLASHBACK
~*~*~*~
Sheridan could remember that day as if it was yesterday. It was hard to believe that what had been the most wonderful day of her life had turned into the worst—and all with a simple threat from the man whose life was now hanging by a thread.
She had since stopped pacing, and now clung to Jack as if he was her life support. She needed something stable that could support her—since she knew that she wasn't capable of doing it for herself.
Jack was enjoying this closeness, despite the tragic circumstances that had brought it about. He had known that somewhere, deep down, Sheridan cared for him and loved him. He felt that this proved it. If Luis was absent from her mind, as he must have been in her worried state, she would love him and only him.
This was how he wanted his life—their life to be. Simply him and Sheridan. He loved her, and he knew that she felt the same way. The only question is his mind was whether these feelings would continue to be shown after Alistair's health crisis had passed.
~*~*~*~
Days had passed. Every morning, Sheridan took Bella to the Lopez-Fitzgerald home so that Pilar could care for the granddaughter she didn't know that she had. Since Sheridan knew that Pilar still thought of Bella as her granddaughter and would take good care of her, she was able to spend her time at the hospital guiltlessly.
She was glad that she could be there—not that Father would have been able to tell anyhow—since Julian only stopped in for a few moments each day saying that he "had more pressing matters to attend to." Sheridan couldn't believe that the Crane heir was acting so cavalier about the health of their father.
"Sheridan Crane?" the doctor asked as he approached her.
"Yes, that would be me. How is my father doing, doctor?"
"I'm afraid that I don't have good news. Alistair Crane is slipping deeper and deeper into his coma, and we believe that he will leave us within the hour. I wish I had better news for you Ms. Crane."
"I wish you had better news for me too," Sheridan whispered to herself, collapsing into Jack's waiting arms. As much hell as her father had put her through, she knew that Julian had never cared for her. God only knew what he had in store for her once he gained control of Crane Industries.
