Author's Rantings: Remember way back when, when the show first started and Tabitha was playing fortune-teller and told Theresa she'd be the future Mrs. Crane? We assumed at the time that this meant she was going to marry Ethan, but we later found out that Ethan is really a Winthrop, not a Crane. Then, when Theresa married Julian, that seemed to satisfy the prediction, except for now we know that Theresa never really married Julian so she technically wasn't Mrs. Crane. So that leaves...Fox. Unless the writers are counting her marriage to Julian as being Mrs. Crane or just aren't playing the continuity game (as they always should), this realization makes me very, very happy. Now, on with the story.
I love my reviewers. :)
Redrum
Theresa was awaken the next morning by the sound of muffled shouts and pounding on her door. It could only mean one thing: Luis had found out.
" Theresa! Theresa, open this door right now!"
Half-falling out of bed, Theresa scrambled to her feet and ran over to Little Ethan's bassinet. Luis might be willing to kill her, but he'd never lay a finger on his beloved nephew.
Holding Little Ethan as a human shield, Theresa shakily called out, " O-okay, Luis, I'm coming," as she made her way to the door. Hastily, she opened it and retreated back into her room. Luis stormed in after her, with Sheridan close behind. Theresa eyed him warily. " Luis– Luis, calm down. I can explain– "
" Explain?" Luis thundered. " How are you going to explain carrying on with another Crane?"
Sheridan placed a placating hand on his arm. " Luis, hear her out. I'm sure she has a logical explanation for this."
Sheridan and Luis turned to her expectantly. Theresa let out a nervous laugh. " Well, um, I'm, uh, I'm in love."
Luis shook his head. " No! No, Theresa! I won't let you do this to yourself again. Fox is bad news– a mini-Julian in the waiting. Do you really want to put yourself and Little Ethan through that again?"
" It's my life," Theresa insisted, " and you know I'd never let any harm come to Little Ethan. Besides, not all the Cranes are alike. Look at Sheridan."
Sheridan shook her head. " Sorry, Theresa, but I have to agree with Luis on this. Fox is bad news. He's taking advantage of you."
Luis clenched his fists. " I'm not going to let that little punk get away with this," he fumed, storming out of the room.
Theresa glared at Sheridan. " You're going to let Luis kill Fox because you're still holding a grudge over a bunch of stupid dolls?"
Sheridan shifted indignantly. " This isn't about those dolls– which were priceless, by the way. I'm over that. And besides, Luis wouldn't kill Fox." Theresa met her gaze pointedly. Sheridan frowned. " Maybe we should go after him..."
***
As he was grabbed by his shirt and pulled out of bed, Fox couldn't help but reflect that perhaps Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald had something of an anger management problem.
Luis slammed him roughly against the bedroom wall. " What are you doing with my baby sister?" he demanded.
" Watch the shirt, bro," Fox returned coolly, " It costs more than your life."
" Wrong answer." Luis informed him, slamming Fox so that the corner of his desk was jabbed into his lower back. " Now get talking, Crane. What are you doing with Theresa?"
Fox didn't know why he liked to provoke people so, but he couldn't help it; hostility was his addiction. " The real question is what *aren't* we doing? Your baby sister isn't as innocent as you'd like to believe."
Pure rage flashed through Luis's eyes. " You low-down, no-good, worthless– "
Fox rolled his eyes. " If you're going to insult me, at least think of something clever. You people make me sick. It's like you've never even seen a thesaurus."
Just then, Sheridan and Theresa raced into the room, frantic with worry. Fox mock-saluted them. " Ladies."
Theresa forced herself between Fox and Luis, shielding her pretend-lover's body with her own. * Now this is much more pleasant*, Fox reflected, smiling smugly at Theresa's big brother.
" Luis, you have got to calm down," Theresa intoned her brother.
" Yeah," Fox joined in, " did you run out of meds or something, Luis?"
Theresa flashed him a look. " Not helping, Fox."
Sheridan took Luis's arm. " Luis– LUIS. Listen to me. This is Theresa's life. She can make her own decisions."
" No, she can't." Luis argued. " Not when they're this stupid. She needs me to take care of her."
And then Theresa lost it.
" No, I don't, Luis." she snapped, her eyes flashing. " I'm not a baby! I'm not even a girl anymore! I can make my own decisions. And if they're bad, then I'll get hurt, but I'll pick myself back up and move on. Fox isn't going to hurt me by taking advantage of me, because I want to be taken advantage of. For once, I just want to live without having a purpose or a reason. This is my life, Luis, so back off."
She and Luis stared at each other, chests heaving, nostrils flared. *That Lopez-Fitzgerald temper*, Fox marveled, and couldn't help but see how beautiful Theresa was when she was angry.
" Fine," Luis said finally. " But don't blame me when he breaks your heart."
He turned and stormed out of the room. Sheridan ran after him. " Luis..."
Fox watched their exchange with distaste. " That was fairly predictable," he commented.
Theresa turned to him. " Sorry about all of that. Are you all right?"
" Peachy keen." Fox returned lightly. " My back is killing me, though..."
" Did Luis hurt you?" Theresa inquired worriedly. She lifted up the back of his shirt and began examining the spot.
The feeling of her fingers against his skin was just a bit too much for him to handle. He pulled away. " Just a scratch. I'll be fine."
Theresa sighed, looking defeated. Fox frowned at her. " What's with the frown, lover?"
She turned her dark eyes up to him dolefully. " This whole plan just seems like an awful lot of trouble. First, Whitney and me, and now you and Luis. Are you sure that it's worth it?"
Fox took her by the arms. " You aren't getting cold feet on me, are you?"
Theresa shook her head. " I just want to make sure that you still want to do this. It could get dangerous."
Fox grinned. " I'm danger-man. I live for that sort of thing. Now, let me see that smile of yours, gorgeous."
She offered him a small smile. " Okay. But only if you're sure."
" I'm sure." he returned, flopping down on the bed. " Now tell me, what are you doing tomorrow?"
Theresa looked at him suspiciously. " Why?"
" Because," Fox explained, " according to the little story we gave Ethan, our three month anniversary is tomorrow, and it would only be logical if we spent it together."
" The whole day?" Theresa asked in surprise.
Fox smiled. " It's what people in love do. Crazy, I know. Besides, we can go to a few strategic spots where Whitney and Prince Ethan will be sure to see us and fume with envy."
" You're brilliant." Theresa complimented. " I mean that. Truly twisted and evil. It's a date."
Outwardly, Fox was smiling, though he couldn't shake the nagging worry at the back of his mind. An entire day alone with Theresa, pretending to be in love? That could truly be a dangerous thing...
I love my reviewers. :)
Redrum
Theresa was awaken the next morning by the sound of muffled shouts and pounding on her door. It could only mean one thing: Luis had found out.
" Theresa! Theresa, open this door right now!"
Half-falling out of bed, Theresa scrambled to her feet and ran over to Little Ethan's bassinet. Luis might be willing to kill her, but he'd never lay a finger on his beloved nephew.
Holding Little Ethan as a human shield, Theresa shakily called out, " O-okay, Luis, I'm coming," as she made her way to the door. Hastily, she opened it and retreated back into her room. Luis stormed in after her, with Sheridan close behind. Theresa eyed him warily. " Luis– Luis, calm down. I can explain– "
" Explain?" Luis thundered. " How are you going to explain carrying on with another Crane?"
Sheridan placed a placating hand on his arm. " Luis, hear her out. I'm sure she has a logical explanation for this."
Sheridan and Luis turned to her expectantly. Theresa let out a nervous laugh. " Well, um, I'm, uh, I'm in love."
Luis shook his head. " No! No, Theresa! I won't let you do this to yourself again. Fox is bad news– a mini-Julian in the waiting. Do you really want to put yourself and Little Ethan through that again?"
" It's my life," Theresa insisted, " and you know I'd never let any harm come to Little Ethan. Besides, not all the Cranes are alike. Look at Sheridan."
Sheridan shook her head. " Sorry, Theresa, but I have to agree with Luis on this. Fox is bad news. He's taking advantage of you."
Luis clenched his fists. " I'm not going to let that little punk get away with this," he fumed, storming out of the room.
Theresa glared at Sheridan. " You're going to let Luis kill Fox because you're still holding a grudge over a bunch of stupid dolls?"
Sheridan shifted indignantly. " This isn't about those dolls– which were priceless, by the way. I'm over that. And besides, Luis wouldn't kill Fox." Theresa met her gaze pointedly. Sheridan frowned. " Maybe we should go after him..."
***
As he was grabbed by his shirt and pulled out of bed, Fox couldn't help but reflect that perhaps Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald had something of an anger management problem.
Luis slammed him roughly against the bedroom wall. " What are you doing with my baby sister?" he demanded.
" Watch the shirt, bro," Fox returned coolly, " It costs more than your life."
" Wrong answer." Luis informed him, slamming Fox so that the corner of his desk was jabbed into his lower back. " Now get talking, Crane. What are you doing with Theresa?"
Fox didn't know why he liked to provoke people so, but he couldn't help it; hostility was his addiction. " The real question is what *aren't* we doing? Your baby sister isn't as innocent as you'd like to believe."
Pure rage flashed through Luis's eyes. " You low-down, no-good, worthless– "
Fox rolled his eyes. " If you're going to insult me, at least think of something clever. You people make me sick. It's like you've never even seen a thesaurus."
Just then, Sheridan and Theresa raced into the room, frantic with worry. Fox mock-saluted them. " Ladies."
Theresa forced herself between Fox and Luis, shielding her pretend-lover's body with her own. * Now this is much more pleasant*, Fox reflected, smiling smugly at Theresa's big brother.
" Luis, you have got to calm down," Theresa intoned her brother.
" Yeah," Fox joined in, " did you run out of meds or something, Luis?"
Theresa flashed him a look. " Not helping, Fox."
Sheridan took Luis's arm. " Luis– LUIS. Listen to me. This is Theresa's life. She can make her own decisions."
" No, she can't." Luis argued. " Not when they're this stupid. She needs me to take care of her."
And then Theresa lost it.
" No, I don't, Luis." she snapped, her eyes flashing. " I'm not a baby! I'm not even a girl anymore! I can make my own decisions. And if they're bad, then I'll get hurt, but I'll pick myself back up and move on. Fox isn't going to hurt me by taking advantage of me, because I want to be taken advantage of. For once, I just want to live without having a purpose or a reason. This is my life, Luis, so back off."
She and Luis stared at each other, chests heaving, nostrils flared. *That Lopez-Fitzgerald temper*, Fox marveled, and couldn't help but see how beautiful Theresa was when she was angry.
" Fine," Luis said finally. " But don't blame me when he breaks your heart."
He turned and stormed out of the room. Sheridan ran after him. " Luis..."
Fox watched their exchange with distaste. " That was fairly predictable," he commented.
Theresa turned to him. " Sorry about all of that. Are you all right?"
" Peachy keen." Fox returned lightly. " My back is killing me, though..."
" Did Luis hurt you?" Theresa inquired worriedly. She lifted up the back of his shirt and began examining the spot.
The feeling of her fingers against his skin was just a bit too much for him to handle. He pulled away. " Just a scratch. I'll be fine."
Theresa sighed, looking defeated. Fox frowned at her. " What's with the frown, lover?"
She turned her dark eyes up to him dolefully. " This whole plan just seems like an awful lot of trouble. First, Whitney and me, and now you and Luis. Are you sure that it's worth it?"
Fox took her by the arms. " You aren't getting cold feet on me, are you?"
Theresa shook her head. " I just want to make sure that you still want to do this. It could get dangerous."
Fox grinned. " I'm danger-man. I live for that sort of thing. Now, let me see that smile of yours, gorgeous."
She offered him a small smile. " Okay. But only if you're sure."
" I'm sure." he returned, flopping down on the bed. " Now tell me, what are you doing tomorrow?"
Theresa looked at him suspiciously. " Why?"
" Because," Fox explained, " according to the little story we gave Ethan, our three month anniversary is tomorrow, and it would only be logical if we spent it together."
" The whole day?" Theresa asked in surprise.
Fox smiled. " It's what people in love do. Crazy, I know. Besides, we can go to a few strategic spots where Whitney and Prince Ethan will be sure to see us and fume with envy."
" You're brilliant." Theresa complimented. " I mean that. Truly twisted and evil. It's a date."
Outwardly, Fox was smiling, though he couldn't shake the nagging worry at the back of his mind. An entire day alone with Theresa, pretending to be in love? That could truly be a dangerous thing...
