This is where the Sunset Beach crossover really comes into play: Ben Evans and Meg Cummings are (were?) Sunset Beach's equivalent of Luis and Sheridan (although personally, I preferred Casey, Meg's best friend, and Sara, Meg's sister, as my favorite couple. =D Maybe I'll go watch some tapes now). Ben (and his evil twin brother, Derek) was originally from England. Okay. Read on.
Love Will Find a Way
Chapter 6
Ted and Sheridan rushed to the flat, where they found the source of the screaming. "Mother, what's the matter?"
Ted's mother, Victoria, said, "Look, Ted, your brother is back!" Just then a figure stepped into view. "...Ben?"
"Yes, Ted, it's me."
"Ben!" Ted rushed to hug his little brother. "Where's Derek?"
"You... you don't want to know." The woman with Ben got an instant sad look. "Oh! Everyone, this is my wife, Meg."
"Hi, everyone." Meg stepped forward shyly.
"Welcome to our family, Meg," Victoria said warmly. She went forward to hug her new daughter-in-law.
"Mother, I didn't know you were still alive," Ben said.
"Well, I was sick. That's when Derek left, to go find you. He said he was going to come get you and bring you back. Where is he? Do you know?"
"He's dead, Mother." Ted and Victoria gasped. Sheridan was just standing there, watching this whole family scene, and it reminded her of the Lopez-Fitzgeralds. She started to cry again.
"Sheridan, what's the matter?" Ted asked, suddenly turning. He went to hug her.
"Nothing... It's just..."
"You never told me what you were doing here in the first place."
"Sheridan?" Ben asked.
"Ben, yes. It's me." She smiled through her tears. "I'm happy for you. You've got a wonderful woman here. Meg, I know you'll be happy. You chose well."
Meg smiled. "Thank you... Sheridan, is it?"
"Yes. Sheridan Crane."
"Sheridan, why are you crying?"
"It's a long story, I'll tell you. Just as soon as... May I use your phone?" she asked.
"Certainly," Victoria said.
Sheridan walked over to the phone and tapped out a number.
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"Ethan Crane."
"Ethan, it's me."
"Sheridan?" Luis looked up at the sound of her name.
"Yes, it's me, Ethan."
"Where are you?"
"Safe and sound, with Ted and Victoria."
"Evans?"
"Yes. But... don't go looking for me."
"We have to, Sheridan! Neither of us can stand not having you in our lives."
"We?"
"Yes." He looked over at Luis. "Do you want to talk to her?"
Luis nodded. "Please?"
"Okay. Sheridan, there's someone here who wants to talk to you."
"Who is it?"
Ethan handed the phone to Luis. "Sheridan?"
"Luis?"
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Are you? You must have found out about... well, you know."
"I did." Sheridan sucked in her breath. "Luis, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to do it, I swear."
"Let's not talk about it right now, Sheridan. I need to see you, face to face. There's something I have to say to you."
"No, Luis. Don't go looking for me."
"I have to, Sheridan. I have to."
"Please, don't. If you really love me, don't."
"Sheridan--" There was a click. "No, Sheridan, I can't. I have to find you," he said to the dead phone.
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Sheridan walked back to the foursome. "What was that all about?" Victoria said. She noticed that Sheridan looked more upset than she was before.
"I... I don't want to talk about it right now," Sheridan said softly. //Oh, if only Luis was here...//
"Well, okay. We'll be here if you need us. I'm going to get your room ready." Victoria stood up and left.
"Ben, I need your help on something," Ted said, "now that you're here. Come with me." Ted led Ben out of the house. Now it was just Sheridan and Meg.
"Sheridan, what's the matter? Is it... a man?"
Sheridan looked up. "How... how did you know?"
"I've been through it many, many times. You know, Ben and I were supposed to be married a long time ago. But... well, it's a long story. I know that look. You're hurting over love."
"I am, Meg. And... I don't really know you, but I think that's a good thing."
"If you want to let it out, you can tell me," Meg offered.
"Okay," Sheridan agreed. "It's a long story."
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"Luis?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you don't like my family, but... I was wondering, since you want to find Sheridan as much as I do, would you be willing to work together?" Ethan proposed.
"Um..." [Mama was right about Sheridan, and about Papa, so... maybe she's right about Ethan.] "I'll give it a shot, Crane, but if you give me even a bit of trouble, I'm going solo."
"Deal." Ethan extended his hand, and Luis took it, warily, and shook it. [Maybe Mama was right.]
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"Let me get this straight. You killed someone years ago, which led to you being used by all the men you dated, but when you found Luis... was that his name?"
"Yes."
"You fell for him... and he fell for you... but the man you killed was his father?"
"Yeah. He hates my family for that. Now that he knows I did it... well... Meg, I don't know what to do," Sheridan confessed. She cried again.
"Let me just tell you this, Sheridan. If he really loves you, like really loves you, and you love him, you'll get through it. Trust me; I've been through it. Many times."
"Thank you, Meg. You're a good person." Meg leaned over and hugged Sheridan. "Anytime."
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"Okay, then, Ethan. Where did you say she was staying?"
"With Ted and Victoria Evans. They're business partners with the Cranes, and great friends to us. Sheridan even went out with Ted. But that was a while ago."
"Where do they live?"
"Last time I checked, they lived in Paris, but you can never tell where they're going to be. They move around a lot. Ted's little twin brothers actually moved here to the States."
"Oh. So... do you know how to track them down?"
"I could ask my father..."
"No! Don't let that bastard get involved."
"You know what, Luis? You're right. I can see why Sheridan likes... loves... whatever, I can see why she cares about you so much. My father is a bastard."
Luis was shocked. [Mama was right!]
"I hate my father. All he cares about is the money, the power, he doesn't care about people. He is just... Well, I think you know what I mean."
"I certainly do."
"Well, then, we're going to have to track her down ourselves." Ethan dialed a number on his cell phone. "Uh-huh... thanks... Okay, bye."
"What was that all about?" Luis asked.
"Luis, start packing. We're going to Europe!"