CHAPTER 25
Reunion
Teresa and Fox stood in the library as Julian walked over to his desk.
"Are there any news?"
"Nothing new. We told the police in Paris to drop the investigation since we know that Ethan left France."
"Do you think he's back in Harmony?"
"Your grandfather has good reason to believe that he is in town."
Julian looked at Teresa who was surprisingly silent. She had moved away from Fox and walked to the couch where their son was sleeping peacefully, holding his favorite toy. He watched her as she sat on the floor and ran her fingers through his blond hair. The child stirred in his sleep, opened his eyes for a moment and went back to sleep.
"I will call his nanny so that she can put him in his bed."
"No, I want to do it."
He nodded.
"It's your old bedroom."
"Thank you, Julian."
She picked up her son and left the library while Julian and Fox watched her.
"She is gone, Father. I would really appreciate it if you can tell me what's going on."
"Alistair gave specific orders concerning Ethan."
Fox looked at him. He understood exactly what he meant.
"Father, you can't let him do this. Ethan is still my half brother, he was once your son. You can't just let Grandfather's goons take him out." "Unfortunately, I don't take the decisions Fox. Alistair does. Besides, if it were you who was out there, he would have sold you out in a second."
Fox was looking at his father. He knew that what he said about Ethan was true. After all, he was raised a Crane and the Cranes were people who did whatever it took to get what they wanted.
"Father, what if Ethan does something desperate like hurt Emma. If he gets desperate, he'll do it."
"I certainly hope it doesn't come to that. After this, you can take Teresa to court and get sole custody of your daughter."
"You must be insane Father, because I will not do that."
"Fox, she is a Crane and has to be raised like one."
"I said no. I love Teresa and I want us to raise Emma together."
"Take it from me, love is for the weak. You are a Crane, act like it."
"I don't care what my last name is. Besides, I think I came to a decision. I want to give up the title of heir of this family."
"You cannot be serious. Why? Because of Teresa? She's not worth it Foxworth."
"She is worth more than you'll ever know. I lost her once because of you, Grandfather and Ethan. I will not lose her again and I will not take her daughter away from her either. And just so you know, I will do everything to give her her son back."
"Thank you Fox."
He turned around and Teresa was standing there.
"I didn't hear you come in."
"Are there any news?"
"Nothing yet."
"I'm really scared."
He wrapped his arms around her.
"I know, I know."
He didn't want to tell her that he was as scared as she was. Then a maid came rushing inside the library. "Mr. Crane, Mr. Crane.."
"What is it?"
"A baby at the door."
"A baby?"
"Yes...."
"Oh my God, Fox. It's Emma, I'm sure it's her."
She ran to the front door with Fox behind her. The baby was asleep inside a cover. She looked at her and burst in tears.
"It's her, it's her."
She picked her up and walked inside the living room. The little girl was still sound asleep. She was followed by Fox, Julian and Ivy. She put her down on the couch making sure not to wake her. Fox knelt beside her and looked at the little face.
"Maybe we should call Dr Russell to make sure that he didn't harm her."
Teresa nodded.
"Honestly fox, you think that your brother would hurt his niece? You are out of your mind. He returned her didn't he?"
Fox looked at his mother.
"You're still here? Your hour is about expired."
"Fox, you don't mean that."
"Yes I do."
He looked at Emma as she stirred in her sleep. She was in Teresa's arms. He looked at the maid who was still standing there.
"Ask Dr Russell to come down here as soon as she can."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
She left the room and he turned to him mother again.
"I will not tell you twice."
He went back to Teresa and sat beside her.
"Would you like to hold her?"
He smiled and nodded. She gave her to him and he felt awkward. He had a nervous laugh.
"You're doing great, Nicholas."
She ran her fingers in his hair and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"She definitely looks like you."
"You think so?"
"Are you kidding me. The blond hair and those lips certainly don't come from me. And the smile is all you."
The maid came back in the room and announced that Dr Russell had arrived.
"What do we have here?"
She looked at Teresa, then Fox, then the baby he was holding.
"Teresa, you're back?"
She hugged her then looked at the baby.
"I'm assuming I'm here because of the little lady?"
Both Fox and Teresa nodded.
"Let me take a look at her."
After 10 minutes that seemed to be an eternity, they finally got some news.
"Well you have a very healthy daughter. She is awake and I think she might want her mommy."
"Thank you Dr Russell."
"See, I told you that Ethan would never hurt her."
Teresa turned to Ivy and walked toward her while Fox picked up the child.
"I don't care Ivy. All I know is that your demented son took my baby away from me. I will never forgive him for that."
"Oh, you think my son needs absolution from you? Please, this is a laugh." "Go to hell. A bitch like you doesn't deserve to live. I hate you and I hate him."
"Come on, Teresa. Let's get out of here."
"I think you're right, Fox. Let's get out of here."
"Nicholas, wait!"
"Mother, I never want you to call me that ever again. Teresa isn't the only one who hates you. I do too."
"Fox, please!"
She grabbed his arm.
"No, let go of me. I don't need a mother now. I have everything I want right here."
Teresa and Fox stood in the library as Julian walked over to his desk.
"Are there any news?"
"Nothing new. We told the police in Paris to drop the investigation since we know that Ethan left France."
"Do you think he's back in Harmony?"
"Your grandfather has good reason to believe that he is in town."
Julian looked at Teresa who was surprisingly silent. She had moved away from Fox and walked to the couch where their son was sleeping peacefully, holding his favorite toy. He watched her as she sat on the floor and ran her fingers through his blond hair. The child stirred in his sleep, opened his eyes for a moment and went back to sleep.
"I will call his nanny so that she can put him in his bed."
"No, I want to do it."
He nodded.
"It's your old bedroom."
"Thank you, Julian."
She picked up her son and left the library while Julian and Fox watched her.
"She is gone, Father. I would really appreciate it if you can tell me what's going on."
"Alistair gave specific orders concerning Ethan."
Fox looked at him. He understood exactly what he meant.
"Father, you can't let him do this. Ethan is still my half brother, he was once your son. You can't just let Grandfather's goons take him out." "Unfortunately, I don't take the decisions Fox. Alistair does. Besides, if it were you who was out there, he would have sold you out in a second."
Fox was looking at his father. He knew that what he said about Ethan was true. After all, he was raised a Crane and the Cranes were people who did whatever it took to get what they wanted.
"Father, what if Ethan does something desperate like hurt Emma. If he gets desperate, he'll do it."
"I certainly hope it doesn't come to that. After this, you can take Teresa to court and get sole custody of your daughter."
"You must be insane Father, because I will not do that."
"Fox, she is a Crane and has to be raised like one."
"I said no. I love Teresa and I want us to raise Emma together."
"Take it from me, love is for the weak. You are a Crane, act like it."
"I don't care what my last name is. Besides, I think I came to a decision. I want to give up the title of heir of this family."
"You cannot be serious. Why? Because of Teresa? She's not worth it Foxworth."
"She is worth more than you'll ever know. I lost her once because of you, Grandfather and Ethan. I will not lose her again and I will not take her daughter away from her either. And just so you know, I will do everything to give her her son back."
"Thank you Fox."
He turned around and Teresa was standing there.
"I didn't hear you come in."
"Are there any news?"
"Nothing yet."
"I'm really scared."
He wrapped his arms around her.
"I know, I know."
He didn't want to tell her that he was as scared as she was. Then a maid came rushing inside the library. "Mr. Crane, Mr. Crane.."
"What is it?"
"A baby at the door."
"A baby?"
"Yes...."
"Oh my God, Fox. It's Emma, I'm sure it's her."
She ran to the front door with Fox behind her. The baby was asleep inside a cover. She looked at her and burst in tears.
"It's her, it's her."
She picked her up and walked inside the living room. The little girl was still sound asleep. She was followed by Fox, Julian and Ivy. She put her down on the couch making sure not to wake her. Fox knelt beside her and looked at the little face.
"Maybe we should call Dr Russell to make sure that he didn't harm her."
Teresa nodded.
"Honestly fox, you think that your brother would hurt his niece? You are out of your mind. He returned her didn't he?"
Fox looked at his mother.
"You're still here? Your hour is about expired."
"Fox, you don't mean that."
"Yes I do."
He looked at Emma as she stirred in her sleep. She was in Teresa's arms. He looked at the maid who was still standing there.
"Ask Dr Russell to come down here as soon as she can."
"Yes, Mr. Crane."
She left the room and he turned to him mother again.
"I will not tell you twice."
He went back to Teresa and sat beside her.
"Would you like to hold her?"
He smiled and nodded. She gave her to him and he felt awkward. He had a nervous laugh.
"You're doing great, Nicholas."
She ran her fingers in his hair and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"She definitely looks like you."
"You think so?"
"Are you kidding me. The blond hair and those lips certainly don't come from me. And the smile is all you."
The maid came back in the room and announced that Dr Russell had arrived.
"What do we have here?"
She looked at Teresa, then Fox, then the baby he was holding.
"Teresa, you're back?"
She hugged her then looked at the baby.
"I'm assuming I'm here because of the little lady?"
Both Fox and Teresa nodded.
"Let me take a look at her."
After 10 minutes that seemed to be an eternity, they finally got some news.
"Well you have a very healthy daughter. She is awake and I think she might want her mommy."
"Thank you Dr Russell."
"See, I told you that Ethan would never hurt her."
Teresa turned to Ivy and walked toward her while Fox picked up the child.
"I don't care Ivy. All I know is that your demented son took my baby away from me. I will never forgive him for that."
"Oh, you think my son needs absolution from you? Please, this is a laugh." "Go to hell. A bitch like you doesn't deserve to live. I hate you and I hate him."
"Come on, Teresa. Let's get out of here."
"I think you're right, Fox. Let's get out of here."
"Nicholas, wait!"
"Mother, I never want you to call me that ever again. Teresa isn't the only one who hates you. I do too."
"Fox, please!"
She grabbed his arm.
"No, let go of me. I don't need a mother now. I have everything I want right here."