Chapter 5
Somewhere in one of the mid-eastern states.
Charity shuffled a bit in the back seat of Fox's jeep before finally opening her eyes. She looked at the clock and saw that it read 9:33 am. She then looked toward the mirror and noticed that Theresa was watching her.
"Well it's about time you woke up. I was getting a little bored with Fox here. He's kind of grumpy when he goes too long without sleep," Theresa said with amusement in her voice.
"Ha ha, very funny. You try going this long without any sleep and see how you act," Fox replied. Theresa laughed and turned her attention back to Charity.
"So Charity, how are you feeling this morning, you didn't look too good last night when we picked you up," Theresa said with concern in her voice.
"I'm okay I guess. Well as good as can be expected," Charity replied looking out the window.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Fox asks. "Theresa tells me that I'm an awesome listener and I'm sure it'd help you feel better if you talked about it," he continued. Charity turned her gaze away from the window and back to Fox and Theresa before she hesitantly started to talk.
"Well I really don't know how to feel. It hurts so much when I think about what Miguel and Kay did together. I mean, I thought I could trust them with anything, but I stupidly let my naive ness effect me and got my heart broken. One part of me wants to just curl up in a ball and cry, while the other part just wants to hurt Miguel and Kay the same way the hurt me, only twice as much," Charity glanced at Theresa to make sure that she wasn't offending her, at Theresa's nod, she continued. "The day that I left I just realized that no matter how much I try to forgive Miguel and take him back, Kay would always be there and I'd always have to fight for him. I just can't spend my whole life watching my back in fear that my own cousin might take away my boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that Aunt Grace and Uncle Sam blame me because Miguel loves me too much to propose to Kay. As if it's my fault Kay couldn't get him to propose even after he got her pregnant!" Charity ended with anger.
"Wow, someone's really pissed off," Fox said, enjoying watching Charity the Saint get angry for once in her life.
"You're damn right I am! I'm tired of being sweet and nice to everyone when no one returns the favor when I'm in pain. I'm through with Miguel, Kay, her schemes, and Harmony in general. I refuse to ever become as vulnerable as I was when I was with Miguel. From this moment on, a new Charity is born.a stronger Charity!" replied Charity.
"It'd be nice to see you grow a backbone," Fox replied with amusement. Charity smiled at Fox through the car mirror before turning her gaze to Theresa.
"So what about you Theresa? Why were you leaving Harmony? I mean I know that watching Ethan and Gwen has been hard for you but I got the impression, no offense, that you weren't going to give up on Ethan any time soon."
"Well you were right, I hadn't planned on giving up on Ethan anytime soon. Yesterday I had just signed the divorce papers with Julian and I had hoped that Ethan and I would be able to finally be together, like we were supposed to," Theresa replied looking out the window, not noticing the hurt expression that crossed Fox's face at her last statement, Charity however did. "Anyway as I was saying it all happened yesterday night."
*Flashback*
Theresa jumped into Ethan's arms as soon as he walked into her room. Surprised by her actions, Ethan held her for a second before letting reality sink in and let go of Theresa. "What was that for Theresa?" he asked "My divorce with Julian is officially final. Now all you have to do is divorce Gwen and you and I can be together!" Theresa replied with excitement. "Divorce Gwen? You know I can't do that Theresa. She and I have a baby on the way, I can't just leave her for you." Fear entered Theresa's eyes. "But- but I thought you loved me, I thought that once my divorce with Julian was final, you and I would be able to get married" "I'm sorry Theresa but I can't just leave Gwen. She loves me and has been nothing but honest with me since we have been together," Ethan replied. "And I don't love you? Is that what you're saying Ethan?" Theresa asked angrily. "I have given up everything for you. I gave up my pride, my dreams, and my heart for you. Hell, I even went to Bermuda hoping that Julian would adopt you, just to make you happy!" "Yeah and looked how well that turned out Theresa!" Ethan replied, just as angrily. "Not only did you marry Julian, but you slept with him! God knows it's a miracle that you didn't get pregnant.unless you're hiding the fact that you secretly had an abortion." "How dare you! How dare you even accuse me of something like murder! Do you honestly think I'd kill my own flesh and blood?" Theresa asked fire blazing in her eyes. "Honestly Theresa, I don't know what to think of you anymore. At one point in my life, I would have been able to say that you were the one person that I loved and respected more than anyone in this world. But now, I don't even know if I want to be around you. You've hurt me and lied to me so many times that I sometimes wish I never even met you!" Ethan yelled, regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth. Theresa's eyes widened at Ethan's last admission and tears filled her eyes. She looked into Ethan's eyes and saw that although he regretted the way he said the words, he still meant each and every single one of them. She wiped her eyes and finally looked up at Ethan. "If that's the way you feel then fine. Go be with you wife, go and get the perfect life that has always been handed to you on a silver platter," Theresa said coldly. Ethan looked up at Theresa, surprised by how steel her voice was. "Theresa, I- I" Ethan started. "Just go!" Theresa yelled. She walked to the room door and held it open for Ethan. As Ethan walked past her and out the door Theresa's next words stopped him. "I must admit Ethan, I find it rather funny how Gwen suddenly discovers she's pregnant with your baby right when Julian and I were working on our divorce papers and I was on my way to being a single woman once again," then she slammed the door in his face leaving him stunned and confused. Theresa walked back to her bed and sat for fifteen minutes before finally coming to a conclusion. She quickly wrote a letter to her mother and then took out her luggages and started packing.
*End Flashback*
"And the rest is history I guess. Fox heard me packing and came into my room. Eventually he decided to tag along, so here we are," Theresa finished. Charity, who was now laying down on the back seat of the jeep, rose quickly and indignantly.
"Who the hell does he think he is?" she asked. "How dare he even think of accusing you of killing your own child?!"
"Yeah, well, he was hurt and angry, so I can't blame him entirely, I have done some awful things to him," Theresa replied.
"Yeah but all of those things were completely unintentional, even so that still doesn't give him the right to accuse you of murder," Fox replied. "The bastard is lucky I wasn't there to hear him insult you like that, I would have kicked his ass," he added.
"Aww, well aren't you the bestest friend ever," Theresa teased as she grabbed Fox's cheeks. "Either way, it doesn't matter, Ethan's in Harmony and I'm here on my way to California. I guess we just weren't meant to be," she ended with a touch of sadness in her voice.
"Don't worry Resa you'll find love again and this time it'll be with someone who deserves your love and will love you despite your faults. Who knows, you may meet this guy sooner than you think," Charity said, glancing at Fox as she finished her statement.
Knowing what Charity was getting at Fox quickly changed the subject. "So does anyone want to stop for snacks or something? I saw a sign that said the next rest stop was about five miles from here, you guys interested?" he asked
"Sure" "Sure" Theresa and Charity replied.
"Alright we should be there in about thirty minutes," Fox said (I have no idea how many minutes it takes to drive 5 miles) before turning back to the road and allowing Theresa and Charity to carry on their own conversation about the latest episode of Dawson's Creek.
The Bennett Household.
"So she just left?" Miguel asked still shocked at what Jessica had just told him. He couldn't believe that the love of his life was gone and he would never see her again. "Did she tell you where she was going or how to contact her?"
"No she didn't, and even if she did, I wouldn't tell you," Jessica said watching the shocked look that came across Miguel's face. Jessica actually felt bad for what Miguel was going through; no doubt Charity's departure was breaking his heart. However, as much as Jessica felt bad for him, she knew that he needed to know how much he really hurt Charity and that this was not something a few flowers and gifts could get rid of.
"Don't look so surprised Miguel," Jessica said. "You deserve all the pain that you're going through after what you and Kay did to her. God, how could you be so stupid! You swear that you love Charity with all your heart but the instant you guys start to have problems, you run and sleep with Kay. Not only that, but you get her pregnant! As far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve Charity and you never will," she said. Jessica walked past Miguel and headed upstairs. Not watching where she was going, she accidentally bumped into Kay.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Kay said.
"Go to hell!" Jessica yelled as she slammed her room door shut.
Kay sighed and headed to the living to talk to Miguel. 'Screw what Jessica thinks, I will get Miguel to love me, it's only a matter of time now that Charity is gone' she thought. However as she walked into the living room and saw Miguel staring at a picture of him and Charity with tears in his eyes, she wasn't so certain anymore.
In the parking lot of a convenience store.
Fox and Theresa sat in the jeep waiting for Charity to return with food. As they waited, Fox couldn't help but stare at Theresa as she gazed out the window. 'God she's beautiful' Fox thought. Since Fox had first meant Theresa, he had felt an unbelievable attraction to her. At first he tried to write it off as lust, then he tried to convince himself that the only reason he wanted her was because he knew he couldn't have her, and finally he had to admit to himself that he was falling deeply and madly in love with Theresa and there was nothing he could do about it, even Charity was starting to notice. But his feelings for Theresa didn't matter because she was in love with someone else. 'Ethan.' Just the thought of him made Fox want to hurl. Ethan was always everyone's favorite and he was just considered second best. Ethan got the good grades, the love and approval of his mom and his dad, the admiration of any and everyone in the whole freaking world and all Fox got was a birthday card every year in the mail. Hell, Ethan even got the one thing Fox really wanted, Theresa. He got her unconditional love and support, and he deserved absolutely none of it. Just thinking about it made him angry. Fox was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that Theresa had been trying to get his attention.
"FOX!!" Theresa yelled, knocking Fox out of his reverie. "Are you okay? I have been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes," Theresa said, concern evident in her voice and her eyes
"God, I'm sorry, I guess I'm just tired from the lack of sleep," Fox lied. Theresa looked at Fox, clearly not believing him, but letting it slide, figuring he would tell her when he was ready. She stared at him for a few seconds before taking his hand in hers and turning to him.
"Fox, I want to thank you for all that you've done for me."
"I haven't done anything Theresa, I wanted out of Harmony just as much as you did," Fox replied
"I know you did, but I also know that the only reason you finally decided to leave was so that I wouldn't be alone on this trip. You have been an amazing friend throughout this entire ordeal with Ethan and I and have stood by me regardless of what I did. And now! Now you're going all the across country just to keep me safe, I just don't think I could thank you enough for all that you've done for me," Theresa said as she gazed into Fox's eyes and noticed for the first time how easy it was to get lost in them.
Fox stared at Theresa, surprised that she had been so open and honest with him. He gazed into her deep brown eyes before finally replying.
"You don't have to thank me for anything. You should know by now that I'd go to the North Pole if it meant keeping safe and secured. Anyway, did you honestly think I let you runoff by yourself where any creep could hurt you at anytime? Uh uh, sorry Resa, but you're stuck with me, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
Theresa smiled at Fox, not all minding that Fox would be staying with her for a long time. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before resituating herself back in her seat. Before Fox could comment on Theresa's kiss, Charity walked back into the jeep with bags full of junk food.
"This should keep our bellies full for a few hours," Charity said before looking up and noticing the way that Fox was looking at Theresa. "Am I interrupting something? 'Cuz I could just come back in a few minutes," she said
"No, no, you're not interrupting anything, Fox and I were just finishing our conversation, so what did you bring us?" Theresa asked reaching for one of the bags Charity brought in.
"Everything from honey buns to powdered donuts, to everything in between. Take your pick," replied Charity.
As Fox and Theresa looked through the bags, Charity sat back and asked,
"Hey, I was wondering, what are we going to do once we reach California? I mean have some money that I took from my savings account before I left, but I doubt it'll be enough for all three of us to live off of."
"Well I have some money also, but now that you mention it, it'll only last for so long," Theresa replied.
"Ladies, are you forgetting that you're traveling with moi, Nicolas Foxworth Crane? As long as I'm around money will never be a problem, I'll just charge it to my dad's account" Fox said with a smirk.
"If it were anyone but Julian, I'd feel bad, but I think it'd do Julian some good to share his wealth," Theresa replied with a smile tugging on her lips.
"Well with that said, I'm going back to sleep, you two have fun, but not too much, I am still in the back seat," Charity teased. Fox laughed at Charity's teasing while Theresa sat back and wondered why Charity's suggestion seemed so appealing to her.
TBC
Next Chapter: Theresa and Charity both make phone calls to Harmony, who do they call? Keep reading to find out that and more!
Somewhere in one of the mid-eastern states.
Charity shuffled a bit in the back seat of Fox's jeep before finally opening her eyes. She looked at the clock and saw that it read 9:33 am. She then looked toward the mirror and noticed that Theresa was watching her.
"Well it's about time you woke up. I was getting a little bored with Fox here. He's kind of grumpy when he goes too long without sleep," Theresa said with amusement in her voice.
"Ha ha, very funny. You try going this long without any sleep and see how you act," Fox replied. Theresa laughed and turned her attention back to Charity.
"So Charity, how are you feeling this morning, you didn't look too good last night when we picked you up," Theresa said with concern in her voice.
"I'm okay I guess. Well as good as can be expected," Charity replied looking out the window.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Fox asks. "Theresa tells me that I'm an awesome listener and I'm sure it'd help you feel better if you talked about it," he continued. Charity turned her gaze away from the window and back to Fox and Theresa before she hesitantly started to talk.
"Well I really don't know how to feel. It hurts so much when I think about what Miguel and Kay did together. I mean, I thought I could trust them with anything, but I stupidly let my naive ness effect me and got my heart broken. One part of me wants to just curl up in a ball and cry, while the other part just wants to hurt Miguel and Kay the same way the hurt me, only twice as much," Charity glanced at Theresa to make sure that she wasn't offending her, at Theresa's nod, she continued. "The day that I left I just realized that no matter how much I try to forgive Miguel and take him back, Kay would always be there and I'd always have to fight for him. I just can't spend my whole life watching my back in fear that my own cousin might take away my boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that Aunt Grace and Uncle Sam blame me because Miguel loves me too much to propose to Kay. As if it's my fault Kay couldn't get him to propose even after he got her pregnant!" Charity ended with anger.
"Wow, someone's really pissed off," Fox said, enjoying watching Charity the Saint get angry for once in her life.
"You're damn right I am! I'm tired of being sweet and nice to everyone when no one returns the favor when I'm in pain. I'm through with Miguel, Kay, her schemes, and Harmony in general. I refuse to ever become as vulnerable as I was when I was with Miguel. From this moment on, a new Charity is born.a stronger Charity!" replied Charity.
"It'd be nice to see you grow a backbone," Fox replied with amusement. Charity smiled at Fox through the car mirror before turning her gaze to Theresa.
"So what about you Theresa? Why were you leaving Harmony? I mean I know that watching Ethan and Gwen has been hard for you but I got the impression, no offense, that you weren't going to give up on Ethan any time soon."
"Well you were right, I hadn't planned on giving up on Ethan anytime soon. Yesterday I had just signed the divorce papers with Julian and I had hoped that Ethan and I would be able to finally be together, like we were supposed to," Theresa replied looking out the window, not noticing the hurt expression that crossed Fox's face at her last statement, Charity however did. "Anyway as I was saying it all happened yesterday night."
*Flashback*
Theresa jumped into Ethan's arms as soon as he walked into her room. Surprised by her actions, Ethan held her for a second before letting reality sink in and let go of Theresa. "What was that for Theresa?" he asked "My divorce with Julian is officially final. Now all you have to do is divorce Gwen and you and I can be together!" Theresa replied with excitement. "Divorce Gwen? You know I can't do that Theresa. She and I have a baby on the way, I can't just leave her for you." Fear entered Theresa's eyes. "But- but I thought you loved me, I thought that once my divorce with Julian was final, you and I would be able to get married" "I'm sorry Theresa but I can't just leave Gwen. She loves me and has been nothing but honest with me since we have been together," Ethan replied. "And I don't love you? Is that what you're saying Ethan?" Theresa asked angrily. "I have given up everything for you. I gave up my pride, my dreams, and my heart for you. Hell, I even went to Bermuda hoping that Julian would adopt you, just to make you happy!" "Yeah and looked how well that turned out Theresa!" Ethan replied, just as angrily. "Not only did you marry Julian, but you slept with him! God knows it's a miracle that you didn't get pregnant.unless you're hiding the fact that you secretly had an abortion." "How dare you! How dare you even accuse me of something like murder! Do you honestly think I'd kill my own flesh and blood?" Theresa asked fire blazing in her eyes. "Honestly Theresa, I don't know what to think of you anymore. At one point in my life, I would have been able to say that you were the one person that I loved and respected more than anyone in this world. But now, I don't even know if I want to be around you. You've hurt me and lied to me so many times that I sometimes wish I never even met you!" Ethan yelled, regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth. Theresa's eyes widened at Ethan's last admission and tears filled her eyes. She looked into Ethan's eyes and saw that although he regretted the way he said the words, he still meant each and every single one of them. She wiped her eyes and finally looked up at Ethan. "If that's the way you feel then fine. Go be with you wife, go and get the perfect life that has always been handed to you on a silver platter," Theresa said coldly. Ethan looked up at Theresa, surprised by how steel her voice was. "Theresa, I- I" Ethan started. "Just go!" Theresa yelled. She walked to the room door and held it open for Ethan. As Ethan walked past her and out the door Theresa's next words stopped him. "I must admit Ethan, I find it rather funny how Gwen suddenly discovers she's pregnant with your baby right when Julian and I were working on our divorce papers and I was on my way to being a single woman once again," then she slammed the door in his face leaving him stunned and confused. Theresa walked back to her bed and sat for fifteen minutes before finally coming to a conclusion. She quickly wrote a letter to her mother and then took out her luggages and started packing.
*End Flashback*
"And the rest is history I guess. Fox heard me packing and came into my room. Eventually he decided to tag along, so here we are," Theresa finished. Charity, who was now laying down on the back seat of the jeep, rose quickly and indignantly.
"Who the hell does he think he is?" she asked. "How dare he even think of accusing you of killing your own child?!"
"Yeah, well, he was hurt and angry, so I can't blame him entirely, I have done some awful things to him," Theresa replied.
"Yeah but all of those things were completely unintentional, even so that still doesn't give him the right to accuse you of murder," Fox replied. "The bastard is lucky I wasn't there to hear him insult you like that, I would have kicked his ass," he added.
"Aww, well aren't you the bestest friend ever," Theresa teased as she grabbed Fox's cheeks. "Either way, it doesn't matter, Ethan's in Harmony and I'm here on my way to California. I guess we just weren't meant to be," she ended with a touch of sadness in her voice.
"Don't worry Resa you'll find love again and this time it'll be with someone who deserves your love and will love you despite your faults. Who knows, you may meet this guy sooner than you think," Charity said, glancing at Fox as she finished her statement.
Knowing what Charity was getting at Fox quickly changed the subject. "So does anyone want to stop for snacks or something? I saw a sign that said the next rest stop was about five miles from here, you guys interested?" he asked
"Sure" "Sure" Theresa and Charity replied.
"Alright we should be there in about thirty minutes," Fox said (I have no idea how many minutes it takes to drive 5 miles) before turning back to the road and allowing Theresa and Charity to carry on their own conversation about the latest episode of Dawson's Creek.
The Bennett Household.
"So she just left?" Miguel asked still shocked at what Jessica had just told him. He couldn't believe that the love of his life was gone and he would never see her again. "Did she tell you where she was going or how to contact her?"
"No she didn't, and even if she did, I wouldn't tell you," Jessica said watching the shocked look that came across Miguel's face. Jessica actually felt bad for what Miguel was going through; no doubt Charity's departure was breaking his heart. However, as much as Jessica felt bad for him, she knew that he needed to know how much he really hurt Charity and that this was not something a few flowers and gifts could get rid of.
"Don't look so surprised Miguel," Jessica said. "You deserve all the pain that you're going through after what you and Kay did to her. God, how could you be so stupid! You swear that you love Charity with all your heart but the instant you guys start to have problems, you run and sleep with Kay. Not only that, but you get her pregnant! As far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve Charity and you never will," she said. Jessica walked past Miguel and headed upstairs. Not watching where she was going, she accidentally bumped into Kay.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Kay said.
"Go to hell!" Jessica yelled as she slammed her room door shut.
Kay sighed and headed to the living to talk to Miguel. 'Screw what Jessica thinks, I will get Miguel to love me, it's only a matter of time now that Charity is gone' she thought. However as she walked into the living room and saw Miguel staring at a picture of him and Charity with tears in his eyes, she wasn't so certain anymore.
In the parking lot of a convenience store.
Fox and Theresa sat in the jeep waiting for Charity to return with food. As they waited, Fox couldn't help but stare at Theresa as she gazed out the window. 'God she's beautiful' Fox thought. Since Fox had first meant Theresa, he had felt an unbelievable attraction to her. At first he tried to write it off as lust, then he tried to convince himself that the only reason he wanted her was because he knew he couldn't have her, and finally he had to admit to himself that he was falling deeply and madly in love with Theresa and there was nothing he could do about it, even Charity was starting to notice. But his feelings for Theresa didn't matter because she was in love with someone else. 'Ethan.' Just the thought of him made Fox want to hurl. Ethan was always everyone's favorite and he was just considered second best. Ethan got the good grades, the love and approval of his mom and his dad, the admiration of any and everyone in the whole freaking world and all Fox got was a birthday card every year in the mail. Hell, Ethan even got the one thing Fox really wanted, Theresa. He got her unconditional love and support, and he deserved absolutely none of it. Just thinking about it made him angry. Fox was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that Theresa had been trying to get his attention.
"FOX!!" Theresa yelled, knocking Fox out of his reverie. "Are you okay? I have been trying to get your attention for the past three minutes," Theresa said, concern evident in her voice and her eyes
"God, I'm sorry, I guess I'm just tired from the lack of sleep," Fox lied. Theresa looked at Fox, clearly not believing him, but letting it slide, figuring he would tell her when he was ready. She stared at him for a few seconds before taking his hand in hers and turning to him.
"Fox, I want to thank you for all that you've done for me."
"I haven't done anything Theresa, I wanted out of Harmony just as much as you did," Fox replied
"I know you did, but I also know that the only reason you finally decided to leave was so that I wouldn't be alone on this trip. You have been an amazing friend throughout this entire ordeal with Ethan and I and have stood by me regardless of what I did. And now! Now you're going all the across country just to keep me safe, I just don't think I could thank you enough for all that you've done for me," Theresa said as she gazed into Fox's eyes and noticed for the first time how easy it was to get lost in them.
Fox stared at Theresa, surprised that she had been so open and honest with him. He gazed into her deep brown eyes before finally replying.
"You don't have to thank me for anything. You should know by now that I'd go to the North Pole if it meant keeping safe and secured. Anyway, did you honestly think I let you runoff by yourself where any creep could hurt you at anytime? Uh uh, sorry Resa, but you're stuck with me, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
Theresa smiled at Fox, not all minding that Fox would be staying with her for a long time. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before resituating herself back in her seat. Before Fox could comment on Theresa's kiss, Charity walked back into the jeep with bags full of junk food.
"This should keep our bellies full for a few hours," Charity said before looking up and noticing the way that Fox was looking at Theresa. "Am I interrupting something? 'Cuz I could just come back in a few minutes," she said
"No, no, you're not interrupting anything, Fox and I were just finishing our conversation, so what did you bring us?" Theresa asked reaching for one of the bags Charity brought in.
"Everything from honey buns to powdered donuts, to everything in between. Take your pick," replied Charity.
As Fox and Theresa looked through the bags, Charity sat back and asked,
"Hey, I was wondering, what are we going to do once we reach California? I mean have some money that I took from my savings account before I left, but I doubt it'll be enough for all three of us to live off of."
"Well I have some money also, but now that you mention it, it'll only last for so long," Theresa replied.
"Ladies, are you forgetting that you're traveling with moi, Nicolas Foxworth Crane? As long as I'm around money will never be a problem, I'll just charge it to my dad's account" Fox said with a smirk.
"If it were anyone but Julian, I'd feel bad, but I think it'd do Julian some good to share his wealth," Theresa replied with a smile tugging on her lips.
"Well with that said, I'm going back to sleep, you two have fun, but not too much, I am still in the back seat," Charity teased. Fox laughed at Charity's teasing while Theresa sat back and wondered why Charity's suggestion seemed so appealing to her.
TBC
Next Chapter: Theresa and Charity both make phone calls to Harmony, who do they call? Keep reading to find out that and more!