"Alright," Noah Bennett turned from his seat in the passenger's side of
Theresa's car to face Paloma in the back, "what gives little one? In all
the years I've known you, you haven't been one that's taken a breath of air
before speaking again. What's with the silence?"
"Noah's right, Mana." Theresa chimed in as she stared at a grinning Paloma through her rear-view mirror. "What gives? Something tells me that you're not telling me something."
"It's nothing really," Paloma hid her smile and turned to face out the window. "It's just that I ran into an old 'friend' of mine while I was upstairs putting your son to sleep."
"A friend?" Theresa eased her foot onto the brakes and turned to face her little sister. "In the CRANE house? What kind of FRIEND do you have living under my roof?"
"Remember Nicky Crane?"
"Nicky?" Noah's mind searched through his memory and his eyes suddenly beamed when the sight of a tall, skinny, blonde boy popped into this mind.
"You mean, Fox?"
"No, Nicky." Paloma shivered when she heard the name 'Fox', "But, I suppose some people call him 'Fox', though I don't see why."
"It's cause he's SLY." Theresa laughed and continued the drive toward her mother's house.
"Please Resa," Paloma rolled her brown eyes, "To SOME he may look sly, but I know that deep down inside he's a goober waiting to come out."
"Fox Crane, has no 'goober' in his body, Mana." Theresa laughed at her younger sister. She reminded her of herself not too long ago. "What are you up to anyway?"
"What ever do you mean?" Paloma asked and batted her eyelashes toward the two in the front of the car.
"You're always up to something, Kiddo."
"I'm a reformed woman, Noah Bennett."
"And, I'm a Crane." Theresa shot back. "Oh, wait. I am!"
The car erupted with laughter as the three continued their way toward the Lopez-Fitzgerald home. Paloma cleverly changed the subject to how things were going in everyone's lives, one subject that Theresa didn't hesitate to divulge in.
************************************************************************
"WOW!" Noah cried as he stepped out of Theresa's car and onto the hospital parking lot. She had been explaining the last four years to the missing Harmony relatives from their drive to her mothers house, as they entered the home to pick up the rest of her family, on the way to the hospital, and she finished the last four sentences in one big breath before stepping out onto the snow covered parking lot of Harmony General Hospital.
"I," Paloma started as she walked around to link arms with Miguel. "I, just don't know what to say! Is this all true, Guelito?"
"I'm afraid that what Theresa said really happened." Miguel ran a hand through his thick hair and looked down into the disbelieving eyes of his younger sister.
"Zombies, evil spells, green smoke, Resa dying, Sheridan Crane getting amnesia, falling in love with Antonio, but not remembering Luis, then all this with Antonio, Ethan proposing then not proposing, taking it back, people falling down elevator shafts, getting stuck in caves, in blocks of ice!" Noah's mind reeled at all that had been said, "You'd think we were in some kind of cheesy Soap Opera or something!"
"Only in Harmony." Luis shook his head and laughed. All that had happened in the past few years brought a look of puzzlement to his face.
"Yeah." Paloma sighed. "I'm at a loss for words with this one."
"That's a first." Pilar smiled at her youngest daughter.
"Mama!" Her children all chimed at the same time.
"Well, it IS a known fact that your Mana loves to talk." Pilar walked over to her youngest and embraced her as they walked.
"I'm not ashamed to admit it." Paloma beamed.
"That's the first step to recovery, Kiddo." Noah joked.
"Yeah, yeah."
The Lopez-Fitzgeralds along with Noah Bennett and his Uncle Hank, who followed in his car behind them, entered the hospital and headed straight to the admitting desk. As soon as they inquired about Antonio's whereabouts, they were greeted by Dr. Eve Russell who was working on some charts in the other room.
"Ah," Eve smiled as she saw Antonio's family, "Just the people I wanted to see!"
"Eve," Pilar walked up to the doctor with hope in her eyes, "Please tell me that there is good news on my son?"
"Pilar, kids," Eve started, "There is good news and there is bad."
"We'll take the good news first." Miguel sighed.
"Well, the good news is, that Antonio didn't have to be transferred to a room upstairs."
"Why not, Dr. Russell?" Noah stepped out from behind his Uncle Hank.
"Noah Bennett?" Eve's eyes lit up when she saw the face of the young man. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Ma'am it is." He smiled and walked forward to give her a hug. "So, Dr. Russell, why was Antonio not admitted?"
"Because, well, after that little scare last night, he seems to be doing remarkably well." The weight on her chest lifted as she saw smiles grace the faces of everyone in the room. "Myself, and my colleagues, got together and decided that he was well enough to be released. That is of course under ONE condition."
"What is it, Doc?" Luis spoke up.
"That he be given his medication ON TIME when we release him." Eve replaced her smile with a serious face, "It's critical that he take his medication precisely when it is scheduled for him to do so."
"We will make sure he does, Dr. Russell." Theresa nodded. "We promise."
"Very well, then."
"Dr. Russell," Paloma gulped, "the bad news?"
"Yes, the bad news." Eve raised her brow. "The bad news is that well, Antonio is requesting one thing, and one thing only from his family."
"Anything, Eve." Pilar clenched her hands together.
"Antonio requested that he move back into his mother's home, and that a fiesta be thrown for his improvement in health!" Eve laughed.
The entire room laughed along with the doctor, and Pilar sighed in relief.
"Doc, you had us all scared there for a minute." Luis laughed, "Don't do it again."
"Luis, I'm so sorry, but Antonio asked me to say that." Eve shrugged her shoulders.
"I did." Antonio's voice piped up as he entered the room, with Sheridan by his side, where his family was congregated. "Sounds like we're missing out on something, honey."
"Yes, it looks like it too." Sheridan eyed Luis and gave him a loving smile.
She led Antonio toward his mother who then wrapped her arms around her eldest son. Sheridan stepped back and felt a hand tap her shoulder.
"Sheridan?"
"Yes?" She turned around and came face to face with a young woman who looked awfully familiar. Her eyes held a certain look in them that she placed in an instant. They were Luis' eyes.
"I'm Paloma." The young woman nodded. "I've been wanting to meet you ever since Luis first spoke of you."
"Paloma?" Sheridan smiled and took the younger woman in her arms. "It's so good to finally meet you!"
"You too," Paloma swallowed as she looked in the direction of where Luis was standing. The look on his face was both sad and hopeful. She had heard all of Luis and Sheridan's relationship mishaps from Theresa, and was so contented when she finally laid eyes on the beautiful older woman who had captured Luis' heart. "I'm so sorry that you are in this situation."
"Please, don't be." Sheridan shook her head as the two separated. "I'm just so blessed that Luis is so understanding and that Antonio loves me so much."
"They are two very rare men." Paloma smiled. "I love them both very much, and it's very obvious that you do as well."
"I do, Paloma." Sheridan sighed. "It's just that I love Luis as my true love. And I love Antonio as the man who saved my life, my friend."
"I want you to know," Paloma started, "That no matter what, I will always believe in you and Luis. I know that Antonio loves you, BUT I believe that in time, if God chooses to allow him to live a long life, that he will find a woman who loves him as much as he loves her. Antonio has a lot of love inside him, Sheridan."
"I know he does." Sheridan placed an arm around Paloma's shoulders. "And I thank you so much for your words. I can already tell that you and I will become good friends in a little amount of time."
The pair parted as Theresa led Antonio toward them. She took Paloma's hand and placed it on Antonio's arm.
"Tonio?" Paloma sighed, "It's so good to see you feeling better."
"Mana," Antonio wrapped his arms around his little sister with a smile. "thank you for coming. For being here with me, for me, for our family."
"You know that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Paloma let a small tear escape her eyes as she smiled at her brother's face.
Pilar gathered all of her children around her and broke down in tears.
"My mijos," She cried, "my babies, you are all here. Home, where you belong."
The five siblings all wrapped their arms around one another and let the emotions flow freely. Paloma looked into the eyes of each of her family, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like a true part of her family. She allowed the hope in her heart to grow, and pushed a piece of the bitterness aside as she held her brothers, her sister, and her mother in her embrace.
"I love you, mijos," Pilar looked up into each of her children's faces, but paused as her eyes met those of her youngest before going on, "I love each of you, all of you with ALL my heart."
************************************************************************
*A/N* This is the conclusion of my SUPER long chapter. I will be updating again in the next couple days. Stay tuned to see more of Paloma/Fox, Theresa/Noah, Luis/Sheridan, and the Lopez-Fitzgerald's fiesta for Antonio's homecoming! Hope you enjoyed, and thank you all for the wonderful reviews! WG
"Noah's right, Mana." Theresa chimed in as she stared at a grinning Paloma through her rear-view mirror. "What gives? Something tells me that you're not telling me something."
"It's nothing really," Paloma hid her smile and turned to face out the window. "It's just that I ran into an old 'friend' of mine while I was upstairs putting your son to sleep."
"A friend?" Theresa eased her foot onto the brakes and turned to face her little sister. "In the CRANE house? What kind of FRIEND do you have living under my roof?"
"Remember Nicky Crane?"
"Nicky?" Noah's mind searched through his memory and his eyes suddenly beamed when the sight of a tall, skinny, blonde boy popped into this mind.
"You mean, Fox?"
"No, Nicky." Paloma shivered when she heard the name 'Fox', "But, I suppose some people call him 'Fox', though I don't see why."
"It's cause he's SLY." Theresa laughed and continued the drive toward her mother's house.
"Please Resa," Paloma rolled her brown eyes, "To SOME he may look sly, but I know that deep down inside he's a goober waiting to come out."
"Fox Crane, has no 'goober' in his body, Mana." Theresa laughed at her younger sister. She reminded her of herself not too long ago. "What are you up to anyway?"
"What ever do you mean?" Paloma asked and batted her eyelashes toward the two in the front of the car.
"You're always up to something, Kiddo."
"I'm a reformed woman, Noah Bennett."
"And, I'm a Crane." Theresa shot back. "Oh, wait. I am!"
The car erupted with laughter as the three continued their way toward the Lopez-Fitzgerald home. Paloma cleverly changed the subject to how things were going in everyone's lives, one subject that Theresa didn't hesitate to divulge in.
************************************************************************
"WOW!" Noah cried as he stepped out of Theresa's car and onto the hospital parking lot. She had been explaining the last four years to the missing Harmony relatives from their drive to her mothers house, as they entered the home to pick up the rest of her family, on the way to the hospital, and she finished the last four sentences in one big breath before stepping out onto the snow covered parking lot of Harmony General Hospital.
"I," Paloma started as she walked around to link arms with Miguel. "I, just don't know what to say! Is this all true, Guelito?"
"I'm afraid that what Theresa said really happened." Miguel ran a hand through his thick hair and looked down into the disbelieving eyes of his younger sister.
"Zombies, evil spells, green smoke, Resa dying, Sheridan Crane getting amnesia, falling in love with Antonio, but not remembering Luis, then all this with Antonio, Ethan proposing then not proposing, taking it back, people falling down elevator shafts, getting stuck in caves, in blocks of ice!" Noah's mind reeled at all that had been said, "You'd think we were in some kind of cheesy Soap Opera or something!"
"Only in Harmony." Luis shook his head and laughed. All that had happened in the past few years brought a look of puzzlement to his face.
"Yeah." Paloma sighed. "I'm at a loss for words with this one."
"That's a first." Pilar smiled at her youngest daughter.
"Mama!" Her children all chimed at the same time.
"Well, it IS a known fact that your Mana loves to talk." Pilar walked over to her youngest and embraced her as they walked.
"I'm not ashamed to admit it." Paloma beamed.
"That's the first step to recovery, Kiddo." Noah joked.
"Yeah, yeah."
The Lopez-Fitzgeralds along with Noah Bennett and his Uncle Hank, who followed in his car behind them, entered the hospital and headed straight to the admitting desk. As soon as they inquired about Antonio's whereabouts, they were greeted by Dr. Eve Russell who was working on some charts in the other room.
"Ah," Eve smiled as she saw Antonio's family, "Just the people I wanted to see!"
"Eve," Pilar walked up to the doctor with hope in her eyes, "Please tell me that there is good news on my son?"
"Pilar, kids," Eve started, "There is good news and there is bad."
"We'll take the good news first." Miguel sighed.
"Well, the good news is, that Antonio didn't have to be transferred to a room upstairs."
"Why not, Dr. Russell?" Noah stepped out from behind his Uncle Hank.
"Noah Bennett?" Eve's eyes lit up when she saw the face of the young man. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Ma'am it is." He smiled and walked forward to give her a hug. "So, Dr. Russell, why was Antonio not admitted?"
"Because, well, after that little scare last night, he seems to be doing remarkably well." The weight on her chest lifted as she saw smiles grace the faces of everyone in the room. "Myself, and my colleagues, got together and decided that he was well enough to be released. That is of course under ONE condition."
"What is it, Doc?" Luis spoke up.
"That he be given his medication ON TIME when we release him." Eve replaced her smile with a serious face, "It's critical that he take his medication precisely when it is scheduled for him to do so."
"We will make sure he does, Dr. Russell." Theresa nodded. "We promise."
"Very well, then."
"Dr. Russell," Paloma gulped, "the bad news?"
"Yes, the bad news." Eve raised her brow. "The bad news is that well, Antonio is requesting one thing, and one thing only from his family."
"Anything, Eve." Pilar clenched her hands together.
"Antonio requested that he move back into his mother's home, and that a fiesta be thrown for his improvement in health!" Eve laughed.
The entire room laughed along with the doctor, and Pilar sighed in relief.
"Doc, you had us all scared there for a minute." Luis laughed, "Don't do it again."
"Luis, I'm so sorry, but Antonio asked me to say that." Eve shrugged her shoulders.
"I did." Antonio's voice piped up as he entered the room, with Sheridan by his side, where his family was congregated. "Sounds like we're missing out on something, honey."
"Yes, it looks like it too." Sheridan eyed Luis and gave him a loving smile.
She led Antonio toward his mother who then wrapped her arms around her eldest son. Sheridan stepped back and felt a hand tap her shoulder.
"Sheridan?"
"Yes?" She turned around and came face to face with a young woman who looked awfully familiar. Her eyes held a certain look in them that she placed in an instant. They were Luis' eyes.
"I'm Paloma." The young woman nodded. "I've been wanting to meet you ever since Luis first spoke of you."
"Paloma?" Sheridan smiled and took the younger woman in her arms. "It's so good to finally meet you!"
"You too," Paloma swallowed as she looked in the direction of where Luis was standing. The look on his face was both sad and hopeful. She had heard all of Luis and Sheridan's relationship mishaps from Theresa, and was so contented when she finally laid eyes on the beautiful older woman who had captured Luis' heart. "I'm so sorry that you are in this situation."
"Please, don't be." Sheridan shook her head as the two separated. "I'm just so blessed that Luis is so understanding and that Antonio loves me so much."
"They are two very rare men." Paloma smiled. "I love them both very much, and it's very obvious that you do as well."
"I do, Paloma." Sheridan sighed. "It's just that I love Luis as my true love. And I love Antonio as the man who saved my life, my friend."
"I want you to know," Paloma started, "That no matter what, I will always believe in you and Luis. I know that Antonio loves you, BUT I believe that in time, if God chooses to allow him to live a long life, that he will find a woman who loves him as much as he loves her. Antonio has a lot of love inside him, Sheridan."
"I know he does." Sheridan placed an arm around Paloma's shoulders. "And I thank you so much for your words. I can already tell that you and I will become good friends in a little amount of time."
The pair parted as Theresa led Antonio toward them. She took Paloma's hand and placed it on Antonio's arm.
"Tonio?" Paloma sighed, "It's so good to see you feeling better."
"Mana," Antonio wrapped his arms around his little sister with a smile. "thank you for coming. For being here with me, for me, for our family."
"You know that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Paloma let a small tear escape her eyes as she smiled at her brother's face.
Pilar gathered all of her children around her and broke down in tears.
"My mijos," She cried, "my babies, you are all here. Home, where you belong."
The five siblings all wrapped their arms around one another and let the emotions flow freely. Paloma looked into the eyes of each of her family, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like a true part of her family. She allowed the hope in her heart to grow, and pushed a piece of the bitterness aside as she held her brothers, her sister, and her mother in her embrace.
"I love you, mijos," Pilar looked up into each of her children's faces, but paused as her eyes met those of her youngest before going on, "I love each of you, all of you with ALL my heart."
************************************************************************
*A/N* This is the conclusion of my SUPER long chapter. I will be updating again in the next couple days. Stay tuned to see more of Paloma/Fox, Theresa/Noah, Luis/Sheridan, and the Lopez-Fitzgerald's fiesta for Antonio's homecoming! Hope you enjoyed, and thank you all for the wonderful reviews! WG