CHAPTER 8
Tapes
There was a scream, then a loud noise was heard.
"What the hell was that?"
"I don't know."
Ethan got up and left the living room. Soon after, he was followed by Gwen, Ivy and Rebecca. Nothing had prepared them for the spectacle before them.
*****
"I don't know about this, Fox."
"Teresa, we have to find that tape."
Teresa sat next to Fox on her bed and looked at him.
"I know but it seems pretty risky."
He looked back at her.
"Maybe, but the Teresa I know is fearless. She takes risks."
"I've changed Fox. I'm not what I used to be. I have a son to think about."
"What about your dream of finally been a family with Ethan?"
She forced a smile upon her face.
"Yes, I do."
"And I want my mother, Rebecca and Gwen to get what's coming to them."
She nodded at him and looked down at her hands, suddenly interested in her manicure.
"What's wrong Teresa?"
"Nothing."
He frowned, knowing that she was keeping something from him. He didn't pursue it further.
"Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Fox."
She was so nervous she was shaking. He got up and pulled her up with him. He took her in his arms in an effort to comfort her.
Teresa leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes while she wrapped her arms around his waist. She couldn't understand how it felt so right to be around Fox and to be in his arms. She sighed and remained still not wanting to break the moment. Fox was the one who did instead.
"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
She nodded and gave him a weak smile. He saw the worry in her eyes.
"Hey, trust me. Everything will run smoothly. Think of the big picture."
She nodded and left the room leaving the door slightly open behind her. He watched her walk down the hall and disappear. He sat back on the bed and heavy sigh came through his lips.
"If having Ethan makes her happy, then all I can do is help her get him back."
*****
"Oh my God, Teresa!"
She was lying at the bottom of the stairs that led to the first floor of the mansion. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. Ethan knelt before her and brushed her hair from her face.
"She must have fallen down the stairs."
"Is she dead?"
Ivy and Rebecca were looking at Teresa with smiles on their faces.
"No, Mother. She is alive. She is just unconscious."
"One can only hope, besides Ivy the girl has more lives than a cat."
"Rebecca!"
*****
Fox was in his mother bedroom when he heard the crashing noise in the stairs.
"Perfect. Teresa must be playing her role right about now."
He looked through the drawers and took all the videotapes he could put his hands on. He handed them to a maid who was waiting.
"Put them in my room where I told you. I'm going to Father's room. Make sure no one finds me there."
The maid nodded.
"Yes Mr. Crane."
Fox walked out his mother's bedroom and made his way in his father's love shack. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the ropes coming down from the ceiling. He opened one of the drawers.
"This must belong to Rebecca."
He looked through the costumes that had become legendary in the mansion. He could help but have a smile come across his face. He repressed the giggle that was forming in his throat. "Oh, Father.what have you gotten yourself into?"
He kept searching for tapes and came across quiet a few. He picked all of them up and made his way to his bedroom where he dropped them off with the other ones. He left his room and locked his door behind him. He left from the servants' entrance and made his way back to the mansion through the main door. He pushed it open and saw Ethan leaning over Teresa trying to wake her. Gwen, Rebecca and his mother were standing over her like vultures.
"What happened?"
They all looked at him.
"Teresa fell down the stairs."
Fox was kneeling next to Teresa.
"Teresa, Teresa.open your eyes."
She stirred a little, then her eyes flickered open.
"Are you alright?"
She looked at Ethan who had just asked the question.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the mansion, you took a tumble down the stairs."
She sat up with Ethan's help, then turned to Fox.
"Help me upstairs, please."
"Sure."
He picked her up in his arms and made his way to the top of the stairs while Ethan watched on feeling betrayed.
*****
Fox kept Teresa in his arms. He walked all the way to her bedroom and then put her down. He smiled at her.
"You little actress, you!"
She smiled back at him.
"So.tell me!"
"I took all the tapes out but I don't know if the tape of Ethan shooting Julian is in there."
She sat down and rubbed her leg.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course I am. That idea of the potato sack taking a tumble down the stairs was great!"
"I know, I'm a genius!"
She took off her shoes and walked up to him. She stood on her toes and put her arms around his neck smilingly. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Do you know how much you mean to me, Fox?"
He shook his head.
"Next to my son, you are the most important person in my life."
He just smiled at her wanting this moment to never end. Once the witches were exposed, Teresa would be back in Ethan's arms and he would have nothing left but the memory of this wonderful afternoon when he held her in his arms and wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
There was a scream, then a loud noise was heard.
"What the hell was that?"
"I don't know."
Ethan got up and left the living room. Soon after, he was followed by Gwen, Ivy and Rebecca. Nothing had prepared them for the spectacle before them.
*****
"I don't know about this, Fox."
"Teresa, we have to find that tape."
Teresa sat next to Fox on her bed and looked at him.
"I know but it seems pretty risky."
He looked back at her.
"Maybe, but the Teresa I know is fearless. She takes risks."
"I've changed Fox. I'm not what I used to be. I have a son to think about."
"What about your dream of finally been a family with Ethan?"
She forced a smile upon her face.
"Yes, I do."
"And I want my mother, Rebecca and Gwen to get what's coming to them."
She nodded at him and looked down at her hands, suddenly interested in her manicure.
"What's wrong Teresa?"
"Nothing."
He frowned, knowing that she was keeping something from him. He didn't pursue it further.
"Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Fox."
She was so nervous she was shaking. He got up and pulled her up with him. He took her in his arms in an effort to comfort her.
Teresa leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes while she wrapped her arms around his waist. She couldn't understand how it felt so right to be around Fox and to be in his arms. She sighed and remained still not wanting to break the moment. Fox was the one who did instead.
"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
She nodded and gave him a weak smile. He saw the worry in her eyes.
"Hey, trust me. Everything will run smoothly. Think of the big picture."
She nodded and left the room leaving the door slightly open behind her. He watched her walk down the hall and disappear. He sat back on the bed and heavy sigh came through his lips.
"If having Ethan makes her happy, then all I can do is help her get him back."
*****
"Oh my God, Teresa!"
She was lying at the bottom of the stairs that led to the first floor of the mansion. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. Ethan knelt before her and brushed her hair from her face.
"She must have fallen down the stairs."
"Is she dead?"
Ivy and Rebecca were looking at Teresa with smiles on their faces.
"No, Mother. She is alive. She is just unconscious."
"One can only hope, besides Ivy the girl has more lives than a cat."
"Rebecca!"
*****
Fox was in his mother bedroom when he heard the crashing noise in the stairs.
"Perfect. Teresa must be playing her role right about now."
He looked through the drawers and took all the videotapes he could put his hands on. He handed them to a maid who was waiting.
"Put them in my room where I told you. I'm going to Father's room. Make sure no one finds me there."
The maid nodded.
"Yes Mr. Crane."
Fox walked out his mother's bedroom and made his way in his father's love shack. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the ropes coming down from the ceiling. He opened one of the drawers.
"This must belong to Rebecca."
He looked through the costumes that had become legendary in the mansion. He could help but have a smile come across his face. He repressed the giggle that was forming in his throat. "Oh, Father.what have you gotten yourself into?"
He kept searching for tapes and came across quiet a few. He picked all of them up and made his way to his bedroom where he dropped them off with the other ones. He left his room and locked his door behind him. He left from the servants' entrance and made his way back to the mansion through the main door. He pushed it open and saw Ethan leaning over Teresa trying to wake her. Gwen, Rebecca and his mother were standing over her like vultures.
"What happened?"
They all looked at him.
"Teresa fell down the stairs."
Fox was kneeling next to Teresa.
"Teresa, Teresa.open your eyes."
She stirred a little, then her eyes flickered open.
"Are you alright?"
She looked at Ethan who had just asked the question.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the mansion, you took a tumble down the stairs."
She sat up with Ethan's help, then turned to Fox.
"Help me upstairs, please."
"Sure."
He picked her up in his arms and made his way to the top of the stairs while Ethan watched on feeling betrayed.
*****
Fox kept Teresa in his arms. He walked all the way to her bedroom and then put her down. He smiled at her.
"You little actress, you!"
She smiled back at him.
"So.tell me!"
"I took all the tapes out but I don't know if the tape of Ethan shooting Julian is in there."
She sat down and rubbed her leg.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course I am. That idea of the potato sack taking a tumble down the stairs was great!"
"I know, I'm a genius!"
She took off her shoes and walked up to him. She stood on her toes and put her arms around his neck smilingly. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Do you know how much you mean to me, Fox?"
He shook his head.
"Next to my son, you are the most important person in my life."
He just smiled at her wanting this moment to never end. Once the witches were exposed, Teresa would be back in Ethan's arms and he would have nothing left but the memory of this wonderful afternoon when he held her in his arms and wanted nothing more than to kiss her.
