Chapter 20
Pilar walked into Theresa's room the next morning and saw her sleeping peacefully on her bed. She watched her for a few seconds before reaching over and shaking her awake.
"Theresita, mija, wake up," she said in a soft voice.
"Ten more minutes, Mama," Theresa replied groggily before bringing her blanket over her head and falling asleep again.
"Theresa, you've got to get up. You're getting married today," Pilar said. At the sound of the word 'married,' Theresa threw her blanket to the floor and jumped out of bed.
"Oh my God! The wedding! I've got to go! Where's the limo? And my dress? I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed as she rushed around her room.
"Mija, relax," Pilar said, grabbing Theresa in her arms to prevent her from walking.
"Mama, I don't have time!" she exclaimed.
"Everything is taken care of. Charity came over earlier and picked up your dress. She went to drop it at the church and she, along with Samantha and Vicky, went to pick up Whitney. They'll all be arriving here, in the limo, in a couple of minutes," she explained.
"Really?" Theresa asked, finally calming down.
"Yes. Now, why don't you go take a shower while I make breakfast for you and your bridesmaids, okay?" she asked.
"Okay," Theresa replied with a smile. "Thanks Mama," she said reaching to hug her mother.
"No problem, now hurry up and shower, you've got a busy day ahead of you," she said before leaving the room. Theresa took a few more calming breaths before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.
Meanwhile.
"Fox, Fox, wake up," Brady said trying to wake up Fox.
"Five more minutes, Resa," Fox mumbled
"Well, I've been called a lot of things, but Resa isn't one of them," Brady replied with a laugh. He tried to shake Fox awake again, but realized it wasn't working. Coming to a decision, Brady picked up a pillow from the bed and hit Fox hard on the head.
"Ow!" Fox exclaimed, jumping up and rubbing his head. "What the hell was that for?" he asked Brady angrily.
"I was just trying to wake you up," Brady said innocently, trying, in vain, to hide his smile. "Anyway, now that you're awake, hurry up and get ready. You've got a wedding to attend," he said. Fox's glare turned into a smile when Brady mentioned the wedding.
"Yes, you're getting married, now please stop making that goofy face," Brady said referring to the childish smile that came across Fox's face.
"Shut up," Fox replied before getting out of bed. "Are we picking Chad up, or is he meeting us here?" he asked Brady.
"He said he'd meet us here because he had to come by anyway," Brady replied.
"For what?" Fox asked confused.
"I'm not sure, I didn't bother asking. Anyway, hurry up and get ready, I'm going to go check on Julian and Alistair," he said.
"All right," Fox replied before walking into his bathroom.
Ethan woke to the sound of someone humming softly. He looked around, confused about his surroundings. He looked at the picture frame in his hand and suddenly, yesterday night's events came rushing back to him. Turning around, Ethan saw Chad walk out of his room.
"Hey, Ethan you're up. I was just about to wake you myself," Chad said as he headed toward Ethan.
"I want to thank you for letting me stay here for the night," Ethan said as he rose from the couch and put the frame in its original position.
"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for," Chad replied as he put his jacket on.
"Where are you going?" Ethan asked as he saw Chad put on his boots.
"I kind of have to be at the Crane mansion, for the wedding," he said softly, not wanting to add to Ethan's pain.
"Oh, yeah, the wedding," Ethan said mournfully.
"Yeah, I told Brady I'd meet them over there since I have to drop you off anyway," he explained.
"I see," Ethan replied.
"Are you going the wedding?" Chad asked quietly.
"Gwen and I weren't exactly on the guest list," Ethan replied bitterly.
"Well you could always go to the reception. It's in a hall at the country club; Fox told me that everyone is invited to that."
"I don't think he had us in mind when he said that," Ethan replied.
"Well you never know. I doubt they'll let your presence spoil their day. They probably won't even care if you and Gwen are there," Chad said as he grabbed his keys.
"Well, we'll see," Ethan replied.
"All right, come on, let's go. I'm already a little late," he said as he headed to the door. Ethan grabbed his jacket and followed Chad out of the room grudgingly.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the mansion. Upon entering the mansion, they were greeted with the sight of Gwen.
"Ethan! Where have you been? I was so worried," she said as she heading to him and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm sure you were," Ethan said sarcastically as he lightly pushed Gwen away from him.
"Thank you for bringing him back safely," Gwen said to Chad, ignoring Ethan's sarcastic remark.
"No problem, Gwen," Chad replied. At that moment, Brady and Fox came down the stairs.
"Hey, Chad," Brady said, heading over to him.
"Hey guys," Chad said shaking hands with Brady and Fox. "Sorry I'm a little late, I overslept," he said.
"Don't worry about it. We were just about to eat breakfast anyway," Fox replied. He looked at Ethan and saw that he was still dressed in the same clothes from yesterday.
"Where were you last night?" he asked curiously.
"Out," Ethan snapped, not bothering to explain further.
"Fine by me," Fox replied, seeing that Ethan was really pissed off. "Anyway, come on Chad, you can join us for breakfast," he said as he headed out of the room, soon followed by Brady and Chad.
"Ethan, where were you?" Gwen asked once everyone had left the foyer.
"None of your business," he replied.
"I'm your wife, I have a right to know where you were the last few hours," she replied rudely.
"I don't give a damn about your rights," he said scornfully. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and hopefully sleep this day away," he said heading toward the staircase.
"We're going to Fox and Theresa's wedding reception," Gwen said, surprising Ethan.
"Excuse me?" Ethan asked.
"You heard me. We're going to that reception, and that's final," she replied. A shocked expression came across Ethan's face. "Oh don't look so surprised, Ethan. You and I both know that if I didn't want to go, you'd find some way to sneak out and go to the reception. I'm just saving you the trouble."
"Why?" Ethan asked confused.
"For me. Maybe after you see Theresa and Fox happily married, you'll realize that you two are over and that I'm your wife," Gwen replied sternly. "Now be ready early, because I don't want to be late. I want to slip in almost completely unnoticeably. We'll stay for a little while, and then we're gone. And if I see you go anywhere near Theresa without me around, I'll tell Fox in a heartbeat."
"Is that a threat?" Ethan asked.
"No, it's a promise. See, I sat up in bed all last night wondering where you were. Naturally, I figured out that you were most likely at Theresa's house. And after making that not-so-shocking realization, I came to my own resolution: I'm sick of this, Ethan."
"Sick of what?" he asked, annoyed by Gwen's attitude.
"I'm sick of always playing second best to Theresa. Ever since she entered our lives, I have constantly had to try to live up to her in one way or another, and I'm tired of it! I am your wife-"
"Not by choice!" Ethan exclaimed, interrupting Gwen. He saw a look of hurt come across her face briefly before it was replaced by steel.
"Yes, I know you married me out of obligation, Ethan. You've made that painfully obvious," she said. "And I know that the way I got you to marry me was low and selfish, but you still stood there in front of the priest and promised to love and cherish me forever. And after hearing all of the things I've done to get you back, you still haven't asked for a divorce."
"As a favor to you," Ethan pointed out.
"Yeah, well you haven't done me any favors," Gwen replied. "Call me crazy, but staying married to someone while it is unbelievably obvious that you'd rather be with someone else, is not what I call a favor! When we got married, you promised to love me till death do us part. And I may not have your love, but I'll be damned if I don't have your respect. I have been by your side since we were children, and I've continued to stand by you even when I knew that your mind was constantly on Theresa. Yes, I made a few mistakes, but it doesn't overshadow all the things I have done for you."
"Done for me? What the hell have you ever done for me, besides lie?" Ethan yelled.
"I have loved you unconditionally, despite all the times you bounced back between Theresa and I!" Gwen exclaimed. "Unlike Theresa, I didn't give up on you. I didn't just decide that you weren't worth it and move on to your brother. I stood by, waiting, because I knew you were worth it. Did Theresa do that for you?" she asked.
"I'm not having this conversation," Ethan said, not wanting to answer Gwen's question.
"Of course you're not! Because that would mean, you'd have to finally admit that I'm all you have. That's the only reason why you haven't divorced me yet; you know that you wouldn't be able to survive without having someone by your side always telling you what to do and how to live. And if you were honest with yourself, you'd admit that that's the reason Theresa left you in the first place. You didn't know what you wanted and you still don't."
"And I suppose you know what's best for me?" he asked sarcastically.
"No, I don't. But I know what's best for me, and that's someone who doesn't make it his mission in life to make me feel like dirt. Believe it or not, I did and still do love you, Ethan. And I'm willing to stay your wife, even if there is no intimacy between us because, like you, I also don't know how I would live my life without always having you by my side. But if you persist on ignoring and insulting me, I will find a way."
"So, what's this? Some kind of ultimatum?" he asked, not liking either choice.
"That's up to you to decide," Gwen said calmly. "Now, I've got some things to do and I've already wasted too much time. When I get back, we'll get ready and head over to the country club," she said in a voice that left no room for argument. She gathered her purse and coat and headed for the door. "Think about what I said," she said before turning around and leaving Ethan to stand on the staircase pondering her words.
"We're here," Samantha yelled as they entered the Lopez-Fitzgerald home.
"Must you be so loud?" Vicky asked with a roll of her eyes.
"Whatever," Samantha said with a roll of her eyes.
"You're all here!" Theresa exclaimed as she came into the living room. "You have no idea how freaked out I was this morning. And while I was in the shower, I went through 101 things that could go wrong today."
"Well they were completely pointless, because this wedding happening no matter what. I've made sure of that," Charity said with a smile.
"Let's hope you're right," Theresa said with a smile.
"Of course she is," Whitney said. "Now come on, we have a lot to do, starting with feeding me," she said. Everyone laughed at her comment.
"All right, Mama made us all breakfast, let's go," Theresa said, leading them to the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" Whitney asked Theresa once everyone was in the kitchen.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Theresa asked confused.
"I talked to Chad this morning, and he told me that Ethan stopped by really late last night," Whitney explained.
"How did Chad know?" Theresa asked.
"Apparently, he knew Ethan would be at your house since he wasn't at home, so he came by and saw him by your window."
"Oh, I see."
"Yeah, so are you okay?" she asked with a concerned expression.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. I dealt with Ethan and threatened to have him arrested if he ever came near me again," she said with a smile. Whitney laughed at her comment.
"I can't believe how different you are from the lovesick Theresa who would have given her life for Ethan," Whitney said.
"People change," Theresa said with a shrug.
"Obviously. Look at you! You're about to get married!" she said excitedly. "I remember when we were kids and you would always say you were going to have the biggest wedding ever. Back then I thought you were the craziest girl ever, I never thought you'd actually make it happen."
"You know me Whit, I always make my dreams come true," Theresa replied with a smile.
"No doubt about that," Whitney replied with a small smile.
"Is everything okay?" Theresa asked seeing that Whitney had something else on her mind.
"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just so weird," she said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I know this is supposed to be a happy occasion, and I'm so happy for you, but I can't help but remember that it'll only be a matter of time before you're back in California and I'm without my best friend all over again," she said sadly.
"Aw, Whitney, don't think like that," Theresa said as a few tears slid down her face. "I'll only be a phone call away and you know I'll be visiting as often as possible. Not to mention that you can stop by any time you want. Once Chad's record label gets going, he'll be in and out of California every other week, and you can be with him."
"You're right, I don't know why I'm letting this get to me so much," Whitney said as she wiped a few tears from her eyes.
"Because things are changing. It seems like just yesterday, you and I were sitting on this couch watching cartoons and playing with dolls," Theresa replied as she remember her childhood times with Whitney. "You really are the best friend anyone could ask for, you know that right?" she said to Whitney.
"Thanks, but I have to disagree. I'd say you're the best," Whitney replied with a smile.
"You'll always be my sister, Whit."
"And you'll always be mine, Resa."
"All right, enough with the tears! God knows I'm going to shed a lot of them during the wedding. Come on, we've got a homemade breakfast waiting for us!" she said as she hugged Whitney one more time and dragged her into the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, the girls had finished eating and were preparing to head over to the church.
"Okay, now are you sure we have everything?" Theresa asked for the third time.
"Yes!" everyone exclaimed exasperatingly.
"I just want to be sure," Theresa replied sheepishly.
"Theresa, don't worry," Charity said. "We took care of everything. All you have to worry about is getting there and being ready on time."
"All right, all right. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just nervous," she replied.
"Don't worry about, it's natural," Whitney said. "Now come on, we still have to do your hair and makeup," she said.
"Okay, let's go!" Theresa said walking out of the house and to the limo, followed closely by everyone else.
Arriving at the church twenty minutes later, the ladies were greeted with the site of Sheridan and Beth.
"What are you guys doing here so early?" Theresa asked them.
"We came to help. We knew that taking care of four bridesmaids and a bride would be too much for Pilar," Sheridan replied.
"Thanks, that'll be very helpful," Pilar replied.
"Well, let's head over to the dressing room and get started," Theresa said before the ladies entered the dressing room and started to prepare.
The next few hours consisted of all the ladies running around trying to get ready. Hairsprays were being sprayed, makeup was being done, and a whole lot of confusion was going around. They had finally gotten ready and Theresa had just slipped into her wedding dress when Jessica came in.
"Wow, you guys look so pretty," she gushed. "Especially you, Theresa, you look beautiful," she said as she went over to hug her.
"Thank you, Jessica," Theresa said, unable to stop smiling. "Are most of the guests here yet?" she asked.
"Yeah, that place is packed! I cannot believe how many famous people you guys know. Everywhere I look, I see another celebrity," she said excitedly.
"Well, I'm glad you like them," Theresa replied.
"And not to mention the reporters and camera crew outside the church. Every freaking television network has a reporter out there," she added.
"None of them have gotten in, right?" Charity asked.
"No, a few have tried, but the security men are making sure that the only camera crew in there is the reporter that you gave a specific invitation to," Jessica replied.
"All right then, so everything is set?" Theresa asked in confirmation.
"Pretty much. Father Lonnigan said he's ready to start whenever you and Fox are ready," she replied.
"Thanks for the update," Theresa said. "Would you mind checking to see if Fox is ready?" she asked Charity.
"No problem, Sammy, Vicky, and I were heading over there anyway," Charity replied.
"Thanks," Theresa said.
"You're welcome, we'll see you at the start of the altar," she said, hugging Theresa one last time before leaving with Samantha and Vicky to Fox's dressing room.
Knock Knock
"Come in," Fox said as he continued to fix his tie.
"Well, look at you, don't you look nice in a tuxedo?" Charity said as they entered the room.
"Well, I do try," Fox joked. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.
"We wanted to spend a few minutes with our older brother before he became a married man," Vicky replied.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm still wondering if this is the same guy that considered sex with different women, a hobby," Samantha joked.
"What can I say, Theresa does that to me," Fox said with a smile.
"We can tell," Vicky said. "God, it's going to be so weird to look at you as a married man now. You've always been such a carefree, single, on-the-prowl kind of guy," she said.
"Am I sensing a sentimental scene coming up?" Fox asked.
"No, don't get too excited. We just came to kind of say goodbye to the crazy guy that we've grown up with," Samantha said.
"If you think married life is going to change me tremendously, you're sadly mistaken. I'll still be there to grill everyone of your boyfriend's and I'll still embarrass you if I feel the need to," Fox said to Vicky and Sammy. Charity laughed at his comment. "And don't think you're off the hook, either," he said turning to Charity. "I'll be watching you even more now that you're going to be living with Brady," he said with a smile.
"I'm sure you will," Charity said with a smile of her own.
"I love you girls so much. I couldn't ask for better sisters," he said seriously.
"And we couldn't ask for a better brother," Vicky said. "Congratulations, Nicky," she said, using her childhood nickname for him.
"I swear, you three are the only people I would allow to call me Nicky. I hate that name," he said.
"That's why we call you it," Samantha said with a smile.
"So, big brother, are you ready to get married?" Charity asked.
"I'm more than ready," Fox said with a smile.
"All right then, we'll go tell Theresa so that this wedding can finally start," Samantha said as she, Vicky, and Charity hugged Fox one last time before heading back to Theresa's room.
Fox turned back to the mirror and fixed his suit one last time. He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at how far he had come in life since he first arrived in Harmony all those years ago.
"Hey, Fox, come on, I got to get you out there," Brady said from the doorway.
"All right, I'll be right there," Fox replied. He checked himself over one last time in the mirror before heading toward the door. "Today is the day all your dreams come true," he said to himself as he left the room.
"He's ready, Resa," Charity said from the doorway.
"All right, thanks, I'll see you at the start of the altar," she said as she put her veil on.
"This is it, Mama," she said, turning to Pilar.
"Yes, it is. Congratulations, mija, you've really grown up," Pilar said.
"Thank you, Mama. All right, come on, I've got a groom waiting for me!" she said as she headed out of the door. She arrived at the altar way and was greeted with the site of her entire bridal party and Luis.
"Hey, little sis, you ready?" Luis asked.
"Definitely," Theresa said with a huge smile. "I want to thank you again for giving me away, Luis. You've always been like a father to me," she said.
"Don't bother thanking me, I consider it an honor. I'm proud of you, Resa," he said.
"Thank you, Luis. I've always wanted to make you proud," she replied.
"All right, all right, we're going to start the music now," a choir singer said. "Everybody line up."
"Here we go," Theresa said to herself as the first chord resonated in the church filled with hundreds of people.
Fox stood at the altar, anxiously waiting for Theresa to appear. He watched as the flower girl, Theresa's little cousin Maria, and the ring bearer, Fox's distant cousin Jake, made their way down the isle. Next, he saw Brady and Charity proceed down the isle, arm in arm. Victoria and Alistair and then Samantha and Julian followed them. Finally Whitney and Chad closed off the wedding train.
As soon as Chad and Whitney had taken the positions, the wedding march started to play. Everyone stood up and turned around, wanting to see Theresa. After a few seconds, Theresa emerged at the end of the altar with Luis by her side. Fox felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of Theresa. She looked absolutely stunning, and he wasn't the only one that thought so. There were gasps heard all around the church at Theresa's appearance; but Fox heard none of them. He was focused on Theresa, and only Theresa. He watched as she continued to make her way toward him, a huge smile plastered on her face. When she reached him, Fox couldn't help but openly gaze at Theresa. He almost forgot that there were people in the room. The sound of Theresa's voice knocked him out of his reverie.
"You look very handsome," she whispered.
"You look amazing," Fox replied, still amazed by her.
"Thank you," she replied softly. "Now, let's get married," she said, turning to Father Lonnigan. Father Lonnigan smiled at both of them before starting the ceremony.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Theresa Lopez- Fitzgerald and Nicolas Foxworth Crane."he started.
The ceremony went by somewhat quickly and before anyone knew it, Theresa and Fox were about to recite their vows to one another.
"Theresa, why don't you go first," Father Lonnigan said.
"All right," Theresa said, turning to stare at Fox. "Fox, from the day I met you, I knew you were going to be like no one I'd ever known before. You sat there while I told you all of my hopes and dreams and you never once laughed at me or made me feel like they were unconquerable. In my toughest time, you dropped everything and followed me across country just to keep me safe and protected. No one has ever done anything that extreme for me. Since the two of us have been together, you have made me feel like I could do anything in the world. You stand by me and support me in everything I do and I can't thank you enough. You are my true love, my future husband, my confidant, and my best friend. And I love you so much for everything you have done for me. I am honored to be standing up here with you right now and I promise to be an amazing wife. I promise to love and support you for all the days of my life."
Fox could barely hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes at Theresa's words. To see her say those words with nothing but love reflected in her eyes made him feel like he had just died and gone to heaven. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.
"Fox, it's your turn," Father Lonnigan said. Fox smiled at Theresa and took her hand in his before reciting his vows.
"Wow, Resa, that was amazing," he started. "You and I both know that I never thought I'd make it here. Just the idea of falling in love was like a joke to me. But you've made me believe in things I never thought I'd believe in. Being with you has made me have more faith in myself and in our relationship. Words really can't express how much I love you. I love your laugh, your smile, your frown, your eyes; God, I love every little thing about you. Just the thought of being able to spend the rest of my life with you, brings me more joy than you or anyone else will ever know. And every morning I wake up, I thank God for bringing you into my life and allowing me to love you. I am still amazed and overjoyed that out of all the men in the world, I'll have the privilege of calling you my wife. You are my best friend, my rock, and my one and only love and I swear to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I really do love you."
By this moment, Theresa, and many other women in the church, had tears welling up in their eyes. Theresa looked into Fox's eyes and could tell that he was trying hard not to cry. She reached up and wiped the single tear that slipped down his face. Fox in turn put his hand on Theresa's face and wiped the tears that were falling down her face.
"May I have the rings please?" Father Lonnigan asked hesitantly, not wanting to interrupt the special moment between Fox and Theresa. Fox and Theresa turned to Brady and Charity to retrieve their gold, diamond studded wedding bands.
"Fox, slip the ring on Theresa's finger." Fox did as he said. "Now, repeat after me, 'With this ring.'"
"With this ring,"
"I seal my vow."
"I seal my vow."
"Now, Theresa, slip the ring on Fox's finger and repeat after me. 'With this ring.'"
"With this ring,"
"I seal my vow."
"I seal my vow."
"By the power vested in me by the St. Margaret Mary's Church, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."
Fox stared at Theresa with a large grin on his face before leaning down and capturing her lips in a sweet, but passionate kiss. Neither one of them heard the loud clapping and cheering going on around them; they were consumed by each other. After almost a minute, they finally pulled away and turned to their guests.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. And Mrs. Nicolas Foxworth Crane," Father Lonnigan said, receiving louder cheers and claps from the audience.
Fox and Theresa smiled broadly at their guests before slowly making their way down the isle, followed by the wedding train. Once they were in the main entrance of the church, Fox and Theresa were attacked with hugs from everyone that was in the wedding.
"Congratulations guys!!" Charity said excitedly as she pulled Theresa into a tight hug. "We're officially sisters!"
"Thanks Charity!" Theresa said just as excited as Charity and everyone around her. They continued to exchange hugs until Pilar came back to greet them.
"Oh, Theresita, my baby, you're looked so beautiful out there," she said, not bothering to hide the tears that were falling down her face. "Congratulations, mija. May you both have nothing but love and happiness in your marriage," she said as she reached over and pulled Fox into a hug.
"Thank you, Pilar," Fox replied.
"All right, guys, we have to get to the Country Club to make sure that everything is set up," Brady said, trying to make sure everything was on schedule.
"He's right," Chad said. "We should start piling into the limo. You two have your own private limo, right?" he asked Fox and Theresa.
"Yes, so we'll be meeting you guys there," Theresa replied.
"All right, well Brady and I will go let the guests know that we're heading to the Country Club so that they can all start heading over there," Charity said.
"Okay, we'll see you there," Theresa said before reaching to hug everyone one more time before she and Fox left the church.
Half an hour later, everyone was sitting and talking in a large, spacious hall at the Country Club, awaiting the arrival of Fox and Theresa.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming, for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Nicolas Crane," the DJ said. Everyone stood and started clapping as Fox and Theresa entered the hall and made their way over to their table.
"Thank you all very much," Fox said into the microphone. "It feels great to have so many loved ones around us as we celebrate this joyous occasion. Please, dance, eat, and enjoy yourselves," he said before handing the microphone back to the DJ.
"Well, you heard the groom, he said enjoy yourselves, so I'll help you with a few upbeat songs," the DJ said as he put in a CD.
"May I have this dance, Mrs. Crane?" Fox asked Theresa.
"Yes you may," Theresa said with a smile as Fox led her to the dance floor.
"I love you," Theresa said as they danced.
"And I love you," Fox said before leaning down to kiss Theresa as he pulled her tighter to him.
Meanwhile.
"You see that, Ethan? You'll never be able to come between that," Gwen said from her seat next to Ethan. They were seated in the far corner, so that no one would notice them, but they still had a perfect view of Fox and Theresa.
"Shut up," Ethan said to Gwen.
"I heard a few people talking. They said Theresa's vows to Fox were unbelievably touching and sweet. They said that you could feel the love she felt for him in her words," Gwen taunted.
"I said shut up," Ethan said.
"I'm just trying to help you realize that it's finally over. After years and years of participating in the Ethan/Theresa drama, it's finally come to end," Gwen said.
"I'm aware of that, Gwen," Ethan said irritably.
"Good, now maybe you'll finally accept me as your wife," Gwen said.
"You still purposely ruined my life by sending that tabloid to the newspaper, don't think I'll accept you that easily," he said coldly.
"Will you ever let that go?" Gwen asked exasperatingly.
"No, because whether you realize it or not, it hurt, and you didn't give any regards as to how I would feel. You were just too consumed with making Theresa take the wrap for it," he said angrily.
"I know, and I've already apologized for the hurt it caused you - but I won't do it again. We talked about this Ethan, and it's time you made your choice. Now do you still want to stay married with me or will I be receiving divorce papers in the mail?" she asked.
"I don't love you Gwen, and sometimes, I can downright hate you when I think of how you cost me Theresa," Ethan replied.
"I see," Gwen said, as she gathered her belongings and prepared to leave.
"But, you were right. I've always had someone in my life that supported me fully, whether I was right or wrong. And as much as I hate to admit it, I really don't know how to live with out someone always there by my side, making me feel like I'm somebody," Ethan said.
"What are you saying?" Gwen asked.
"I'm saying that you shouldn't expect to see any divorce papers," Ethan said reluctantly. "As much as you piss me off, I know that you're the only who is willing to put up with me. But don't get any ideas; there will be absolutely no intimacy between us. Just the sight of you can repulse me," he added.
"If this is going to work, you're going to have to respect me. I won't stand for your hurtful comments and rude insults," Gwen said firmly.
"Whatever, there's no point anyway, your heart is as cold as ice," he said with a roll of his eyes. Gwen involuntarily flinched at Ethan's words. Was this really what she wanted for the rest of her life? She looked back to the dance floor to see Fox lovingly caressing Theresa's cheeks with a bright smile on his face. Turning to Ethan, her husband, she saw him glaring coldly at Fox as he sipped his brandy.
"Why the hell are you looking at me like that?" Ethan asked rudely, noticing that Gwen was staring at him.
"No reason," Gwen said. 'Just wondering when my life became such a living hell.'
"They look great together, don't they?" Julian said as he took a seat by a lonely Ivy.
"Who?" Ivy asked.
"Fox and Theresa. Don't try to hide it, I saw you watching them," Julian said.
"I was just wondering how many lies Theresa told to get Fox to walk down that isle," Ivy lied.
"Stop acting, Ivy. You and I both know that Theresa didn't have to lie or manipulate Fox in any way. You know that she truly loves him and that she's perfect for him, so stop pretending to hate her guts. You know you were wrong, so admit it," Julian said with a roll of his eyes.
"You think that just because you realized your mistakes a little quicker than me, that you're better? Well you're not. Incase you forgot, you were just as cold and ruthless as me," Ivy said harshly.
"And yet, I have the forgiveness of all my children. What do you have?" he asked. Ivy stayed silent. "Exactly, you have nothing. And you still don't get the point. You and I being cold and ruthless wasn't even the main problem with our children. They knew we were Cranes and that it was natural for us to be cruel, it was our attitude toward them that caused a rift between all of us. You focused all of your attention on Ethan and I simply didn't care about any of them. That's the real problem, Ivy, and you still couldn't figure it out. Just because you feel bad and shed a few tears doesn't necessarily mean that you've learned a lesson from any of this," he said as he got up and prepared to walk away.
"Julian, wait!" Ivy said, grabbing his arm.
"What is it, Ivy?" he asked, with an annoyed expression.
"Did you really have to beg Fox to invite me to the wedding?" she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.
"Yes, I did," he said dryly.
"Oh," Ivy said deflated. "Well, thank you," she said softly.
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for publicity. This is one of the biggest weddings in the country, it would have looked bad on the Crane family if the groom's mother wasn't even invited to the wedding," Julian said unemotionally.
"Is that the only reason Fox agreed to let me come?" she asked sadly.
"Yes, Ivy, it is. I don't know why you're asking, you already know the answers deep down in your heart," Julian said before walking away and leaving Ivy alone, once again.
"I'm going to get a drink, you want something?" Brady asked Charity.
"No, that's okay," Charity said before Brady walked away.
"Charity, hi," Miguel said coming up from behind Charity. Charity turned around and saw Miguel standing there with a beautiful, slim girl. She was redheaded and she looked to be the same age as Charity.
"Hi, Miguel, how are you?" Charity asked nicely as she reached over to give him a hug.
"Good, the wedding was really beautiful. You all looked lovely," he said.
"Thank you," Charity said, glancing at the girl by Miguel's side that still hadn't said a word. Miguel, noticing Charity's glance, introduced the girl.
"Charity, I'd like you to meet Emily. Emily, this is Charity," he said.
"It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you," Emily said softly as she held her hand out to Charity.
"It's nice to meet you too," Charity said with a smile as she shook Emily's hand.
"Miguel was right, you all looked so beautiful out there," Emily said.
"Thank you, that's very nice of you," Charity replied. "So, how long have you and Miguel known each other?" Charity asked curiously.
"About a year. We had the same English class in college and we've been friends ever since," Emily replied. "I really wanted to come to this wedding because I've heard so much about it, and he agreed to bring me," she added.
"Well, that was very nice of him," Charity replied.
"Well, he's a great guy," Emily said.
"Yes, he is," Charity agreed.
"I'm going to go to get a drink, so I'll be right back," Emily said to Miguel. "It was really nice to finally meet you, Miguel talks very highly of you. Hopefully we'll get to talk later," she said.
"Sure, that sounds great," Charity replied before Emily walked away. Once she was out of earshot, Charity turned back to Miguel to see him looking rather nervous.
"I hope you don't mind me bringing her," he said uncomfortably.
"No, of course not. You and her have every right to be here," Charity replied. "She's really pretty," she added.
"Yeah, and she's a really nice girl. We're just friends right now, but who knows what'll happen in the future," he said.
"Well, good for you. I wish you two the best," she said with a smile.
"Thanks, that means a lot to me," Miguel said.
Charity turned to look around at all the guests in the room. She turned to a corner of the hall and saw Kay glaring coldly at the back of Emily's head. She couldn't help but smile at the deadly look on Kay's face.
"So, what does Kay think of your new friend," she asked with a smirk.
"Judging by the glare she's been giving Emily all day, I'd say that she's not too fond of her," Miguel joked.
"I'm not surprised," Charity said with a laugh. "You better tell Emily to watch out; Kay can be downright evil when it comes to getting you in her clutches," she said.
"Don't worry, I told Emily all about Kay - she doesn't seem to care," he replied. "Even if she did, it wouldn't matter. I've made it clear to Kay that there will never be anything between us," he added.
"Somehow, I don't think that will stop her," Charity said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well she can try whatever she wants. I'm not going to stop dating because of her. She'll only be hurting herself if she continues to hold out hope that I'll come running to her," he replied.
"How philosophical of you," Charity commented lightly.
"Well, I was in her position not too long ago. It took a while, but I finally realized that loving someone who doesn't love you is pointless and painful," he said.
"With a little help from me of course," Charity joked.
"Yes, with your help of course," he replied with a smile. From the corner of his eyes, Miguel could see Brady standing against the wall. "Hey, I think Brady might like his girlfriend back," he said pointing to Brady.
"I think he might," Charity replied.
"When are you two heading back to California?" he asked sadly.
"In two days," Charity replied. "We have to finish packing tomorrow and Vicky and Samantha wanted to spend one more day at home with our dad," she added.
"If you have time, maybe you can stop by and visit me tomorrow before you leave," he suggested.
"I'd love to," she said before hugging Miguel. "I'll talk to you later," she said before walking over to Brady.
"Everything okay?" Brady asked once Charity reached him.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Charity replied as Brady wrapped his arms around her. They both turned their attention to the dance floor where Fox and Theresa were dancing once again.
"That's going to be us someday," Brady said softly.
"What?" Charity asked, surprised by his comment.
"Relax, I don't mean now. But someday, someday soon, you and I will be married. And I'll make sure it's the best day of your life," he said. Charity looked at Brady and smiled at the love shining in his eyes.
"It will be, as long as you're there with me," Charity replied lovingly.
"Come on, let's go dance," Brady as another slow song started to play.
"Okay," Charity said as she slipped her hand in Brady's and followed him on to the dance floor.
"God, I love you so much," Fox said to Theresa as they danced to a slow song.
"I love you too. Today was so magical. The wedding was so unbelievably beautiful, better than any of the dreams I've had," Theresa replied.
"Good, I just want to make all your dreams come true, Resa," Fox said as he pulled Theresa closer to him.
"Well, you have, more than you'll ever know," she said as she put her head on his shoulder. "I still can't believe we finally made it to this moment," she added.
"I know, who would have thought that out of all the men and women in the world for both of us, you and I would end up together," he said lightly.
"Maybe it was our destiny all along," Theresa suggested.
"Yeah, maybe Fate hadn't given up on us after all," he said.
"Whatever it was, I thank God for it," she said.
"Me too," Fox replied as Brady and Charity came up next to them and started dancing.
"Are you guys having a good time?" Theresa asked them.
"Yeah, we're having a wonderful time, everyone is," Charity replied.
"That's good," Theresa replied. "So you guys will be leaving Harmony in two days right?" she asked.
"Yeah, Vicky and Sammy wanted to spend another day here," Brady replied.
"I see," Fox replied. "Take care of them while I'm gone," he said to Brady.
"I will," Brady replied.
"First of all, you guys will be on your honeymoon for two weeks only and secondly, I don't need someone to take care of me," Charity said confidently.
"Yeah, sure," Brady said with a laugh. Fox and Theresa soon joined in.
"Whatever," Charity said with a fake pout before joining in on the laughter.
Theresa looked around the hall at all of her friends and family. She, who had been hated by almost everyone when she originally left Harmony, was now surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of loved ones. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed since she left Harmony.
She looked around the dance floor to see Antonio and Beth dancing and whispering into each other's ears. At a far table she saw Sheridan sitting on Luis's lap and they were both laughing happily. Across the room, Theresa saw Miguel talking and laughing with Emily. Theresa looked behind Fox to see her mother and Julian dancing and talking softly to one another. Turning to her side, she saw Charity lay her head on Brady's shoulder as she succumbed to the soft sound of the music. She watched as Brady wrapped his arm around Charity's waist, bringing her closer to him. Finally she looked up at Fox to find him staring at her intently.
"We're pretty lucky, aren't we?" he asked with a smile. Theresa simply smiled and reached up to hug Fox.
"Yes, we definitely are."
The End
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Look out for the Epilogue!!!
Pilar walked into Theresa's room the next morning and saw her sleeping peacefully on her bed. She watched her for a few seconds before reaching over and shaking her awake.
"Theresita, mija, wake up," she said in a soft voice.
"Ten more minutes, Mama," Theresa replied groggily before bringing her blanket over her head and falling asleep again.
"Theresa, you've got to get up. You're getting married today," Pilar said. At the sound of the word 'married,' Theresa threw her blanket to the floor and jumped out of bed.
"Oh my God! The wedding! I've got to go! Where's the limo? And my dress? I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed as she rushed around her room.
"Mija, relax," Pilar said, grabbing Theresa in her arms to prevent her from walking.
"Mama, I don't have time!" she exclaimed.
"Everything is taken care of. Charity came over earlier and picked up your dress. She went to drop it at the church and she, along with Samantha and Vicky, went to pick up Whitney. They'll all be arriving here, in the limo, in a couple of minutes," she explained.
"Really?" Theresa asked, finally calming down.
"Yes. Now, why don't you go take a shower while I make breakfast for you and your bridesmaids, okay?" she asked.
"Okay," Theresa replied with a smile. "Thanks Mama," she said reaching to hug her mother.
"No problem, now hurry up and shower, you've got a busy day ahead of you," she said before leaving the room. Theresa took a few more calming breaths before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.
Meanwhile.
"Fox, Fox, wake up," Brady said trying to wake up Fox.
"Five more minutes, Resa," Fox mumbled
"Well, I've been called a lot of things, but Resa isn't one of them," Brady replied with a laugh. He tried to shake Fox awake again, but realized it wasn't working. Coming to a decision, Brady picked up a pillow from the bed and hit Fox hard on the head.
"Ow!" Fox exclaimed, jumping up and rubbing his head. "What the hell was that for?" he asked Brady angrily.
"I was just trying to wake you up," Brady said innocently, trying, in vain, to hide his smile. "Anyway, now that you're awake, hurry up and get ready. You've got a wedding to attend," he said. Fox's glare turned into a smile when Brady mentioned the wedding.
"Yes, you're getting married, now please stop making that goofy face," Brady said referring to the childish smile that came across Fox's face.
"Shut up," Fox replied before getting out of bed. "Are we picking Chad up, or is he meeting us here?" he asked Brady.
"He said he'd meet us here because he had to come by anyway," Brady replied.
"For what?" Fox asked confused.
"I'm not sure, I didn't bother asking. Anyway, hurry up and get ready, I'm going to go check on Julian and Alistair," he said.
"All right," Fox replied before walking into his bathroom.
Ethan woke to the sound of someone humming softly. He looked around, confused about his surroundings. He looked at the picture frame in his hand and suddenly, yesterday night's events came rushing back to him. Turning around, Ethan saw Chad walk out of his room.
"Hey, Ethan you're up. I was just about to wake you myself," Chad said as he headed toward Ethan.
"I want to thank you for letting me stay here for the night," Ethan said as he rose from the couch and put the frame in its original position.
"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for," Chad replied as he put his jacket on.
"Where are you going?" Ethan asked as he saw Chad put on his boots.
"I kind of have to be at the Crane mansion, for the wedding," he said softly, not wanting to add to Ethan's pain.
"Oh, yeah, the wedding," Ethan said mournfully.
"Yeah, I told Brady I'd meet them over there since I have to drop you off anyway," he explained.
"I see," Ethan replied.
"Are you going the wedding?" Chad asked quietly.
"Gwen and I weren't exactly on the guest list," Ethan replied bitterly.
"Well you could always go to the reception. It's in a hall at the country club; Fox told me that everyone is invited to that."
"I don't think he had us in mind when he said that," Ethan replied.
"Well you never know. I doubt they'll let your presence spoil their day. They probably won't even care if you and Gwen are there," Chad said as he grabbed his keys.
"Well, we'll see," Ethan replied.
"All right, come on, let's go. I'm already a little late," he said as he headed to the door. Ethan grabbed his jacket and followed Chad out of the room grudgingly.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the mansion. Upon entering the mansion, they were greeted with the sight of Gwen.
"Ethan! Where have you been? I was so worried," she said as she heading to him and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm sure you were," Ethan said sarcastically as he lightly pushed Gwen away from him.
"Thank you for bringing him back safely," Gwen said to Chad, ignoring Ethan's sarcastic remark.
"No problem, Gwen," Chad replied. At that moment, Brady and Fox came down the stairs.
"Hey, Chad," Brady said, heading over to him.
"Hey guys," Chad said shaking hands with Brady and Fox. "Sorry I'm a little late, I overslept," he said.
"Don't worry about it. We were just about to eat breakfast anyway," Fox replied. He looked at Ethan and saw that he was still dressed in the same clothes from yesterday.
"Where were you last night?" he asked curiously.
"Out," Ethan snapped, not bothering to explain further.
"Fine by me," Fox replied, seeing that Ethan was really pissed off. "Anyway, come on Chad, you can join us for breakfast," he said as he headed out of the room, soon followed by Brady and Chad.
"Ethan, where were you?" Gwen asked once everyone had left the foyer.
"None of your business," he replied.
"I'm your wife, I have a right to know where you were the last few hours," she replied rudely.
"I don't give a damn about your rights," he said scornfully. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and hopefully sleep this day away," he said heading toward the staircase.
"We're going to Fox and Theresa's wedding reception," Gwen said, surprising Ethan.
"Excuse me?" Ethan asked.
"You heard me. We're going to that reception, and that's final," she replied. A shocked expression came across Ethan's face. "Oh don't look so surprised, Ethan. You and I both know that if I didn't want to go, you'd find some way to sneak out and go to the reception. I'm just saving you the trouble."
"Why?" Ethan asked confused.
"For me. Maybe after you see Theresa and Fox happily married, you'll realize that you two are over and that I'm your wife," Gwen replied sternly. "Now be ready early, because I don't want to be late. I want to slip in almost completely unnoticeably. We'll stay for a little while, and then we're gone. And if I see you go anywhere near Theresa without me around, I'll tell Fox in a heartbeat."
"Is that a threat?" Ethan asked.
"No, it's a promise. See, I sat up in bed all last night wondering where you were. Naturally, I figured out that you were most likely at Theresa's house. And after making that not-so-shocking realization, I came to my own resolution: I'm sick of this, Ethan."
"Sick of what?" he asked, annoyed by Gwen's attitude.
"I'm sick of always playing second best to Theresa. Ever since she entered our lives, I have constantly had to try to live up to her in one way or another, and I'm tired of it! I am your wife-"
"Not by choice!" Ethan exclaimed, interrupting Gwen. He saw a look of hurt come across her face briefly before it was replaced by steel.
"Yes, I know you married me out of obligation, Ethan. You've made that painfully obvious," she said. "And I know that the way I got you to marry me was low and selfish, but you still stood there in front of the priest and promised to love and cherish me forever. And after hearing all of the things I've done to get you back, you still haven't asked for a divorce."
"As a favor to you," Ethan pointed out.
"Yeah, well you haven't done me any favors," Gwen replied. "Call me crazy, but staying married to someone while it is unbelievably obvious that you'd rather be with someone else, is not what I call a favor! When we got married, you promised to love me till death do us part. And I may not have your love, but I'll be damned if I don't have your respect. I have been by your side since we were children, and I've continued to stand by you even when I knew that your mind was constantly on Theresa. Yes, I made a few mistakes, but it doesn't overshadow all the things I have done for you."
"Done for me? What the hell have you ever done for me, besides lie?" Ethan yelled.
"I have loved you unconditionally, despite all the times you bounced back between Theresa and I!" Gwen exclaimed. "Unlike Theresa, I didn't give up on you. I didn't just decide that you weren't worth it and move on to your brother. I stood by, waiting, because I knew you were worth it. Did Theresa do that for you?" she asked.
"I'm not having this conversation," Ethan said, not wanting to answer Gwen's question.
"Of course you're not! Because that would mean, you'd have to finally admit that I'm all you have. That's the only reason why you haven't divorced me yet; you know that you wouldn't be able to survive without having someone by your side always telling you what to do and how to live. And if you were honest with yourself, you'd admit that that's the reason Theresa left you in the first place. You didn't know what you wanted and you still don't."
"And I suppose you know what's best for me?" he asked sarcastically.
"No, I don't. But I know what's best for me, and that's someone who doesn't make it his mission in life to make me feel like dirt. Believe it or not, I did and still do love you, Ethan. And I'm willing to stay your wife, even if there is no intimacy between us because, like you, I also don't know how I would live my life without always having you by my side. But if you persist on ignoring and insulting me, I will find a way."
"So, what's this? Some kind of ultimatum?" he asked, not liking either choice.
"That's up to you to decide," Gwen said calmly. "Now, I've got some things to do and I've already wasted too much time. When I get back, we'll get ready and head over to the country club," she said in a voice that left no room for argument. She gathered her purse and coat and headed for the door. "Think about what I said," she said before turning around and leaving Ethan to stand on the staircase pondering her words.
"We're here," Samantha yelled as they entered the Lopez-Fitzgerald home.
"Must you be so loud?" Vicky asked with a roll of her eyes.
"Whatever," Samantha said with a roll of her eyes.
"You're all here!" Theresa exclaimed as she came into the living room. "You have no idea how freaked out I was this morning. And while I was in the shower, I went through 101 things that could go wrong today."
"Well they were completely pointless, because this wedding happening no matter what. I've made sure of that," Charity said with a smile.
"Let's hope you're right," Theresa said with a smile.
"Of course she is," Whitney said. "Now come on, we have a lot to do, starting with feeding me," she said. Everyone laughed at her comment.
"All right, Mama made us all breakfast, let's go," Theresa said, leading them to the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" Whitney asked Theresa once everyone was in the kitchen.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Theresa asked confused.
"I talked to Chad this morning, and he told me that Ethan stopped by really late last night," Whitney explained.
"How did Chad know?" Theresa asked.
"Apparently, he knew Ethan would be at your house since he wasn't at home, so he came by and saw him by your window."
"Oh, I see."
"Yeah, so are you okay?" she asked with a concerned expression.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. I dealt with Ethan and threatened to have him arrested if he ever came near me again," she said with a smile. Whitney laughed at her comment.
"I can't believe how different you are from the lovesick Theresa who would have given her life for Ethan," Whitney said.
"People change," Theresa said with a shrug.
"Obviously. Look at you! You're about to get married!" she said excitedly. "I remember when we were kids and you would always say you were going to have the biggest wedding ever. Back then I thought you were the craziest girl ever, I never thought you'd actually make it happen."
"You know me Whit, I always make my dreams come true," Theresa replied with a smile.
"No doubt about that," Whitney replied with a small smile.
"Is everything okay?" Theresa asked seeing that Whitney had something else on her mind.
"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just so weird," she said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I know this is supposed to be a happy occasion, and I'm so happy for you, but I can't help but remember that it'll only be a matter of time before you're back in California and I'm without my best friend all over again," she said sadly.
"Aw, Whitney, don't think like that," Theresa said as a few tears slid down her face. "I'll only be a phone call away and you know I'll be visiting as often as possible. Not to mention that you can stop by any time you want. Once Chad's record label gets going, he'll be in and out of California every other week, and you can be with him."
"You're right, I don't know why I'm letting this get to me so much," Whitney said as she wiped a few tears from her eyes.
"Because things are changing. It seems like just yesterday, you and I were sitting on this couch watching cartoons and playing with dolls," Theresa replied as she remember her childhood times with Whitney. "You really are the best friend anyone could ask for, you know that right?" she said to Whitney.
"Thanks, but I have to disagree. I'd say you're the best," Whitney replied with a smile.
"You'll always be my sister, Whit."
"And you'll always be mine, Resa."
"All right, enough with the tears! God knows I'm going to shed a lot of them during the wedding. Come on, we've got a homemade breakfast waiting for us!" she said as she hugged Whitney one more time and dragged her into the kitchen.
Thirty minutes later, the girls had finished eating and were preparing to head over to the church.
"Okay, now are you sure we have everything?" Theresa asked for the third time.
"Yes!" everyone exclaimed exasperatingly.
"I just want to be sure," Theresa replied sheepishly.
"Theresa, don't worry," Charity said. "We took care of everything. All you have to worry about is getting there and being ready on time."
"All right, all right. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just nervous," she replied.
"Don't worry about, it's natural," Whitney said. "Now come on, we still have to do your hair and makeup," she said.
"Okay, let's go!" Theresa said walking out of the house and to the limo, followed closely by everyone else.
Arriving at the church twenty minutes later, the ladies were greeted with the site of Sheridan and Beth.
"What are you guys doing here so early?" Theresa asked them.
"We came to help. We knew that taking care of four bridesmaids and a bride would be too much for Pilar," Sheridan replied.
"Thanks, that'll be very helpful," Pilar replied.
"Well, let's head over to the dressing room and get started," Theresa said before the ladies entered the dressing room and started to prepare.
The next few hours consisted of all the ladies running around trying to get ready. Hairsprays were being sprayed, makeup was being done, and a whole lot of confusion was going around. They had finally gotten ready and Theresa had just slipped into her wedding dress when Jessica came in.
"Wow, you guys look so pretty," she gushed. "Especially you, Theresa, you look beautiful," she said as she went over to hug her.
"Thank you, Jessica," Theresa said, unable to stop smiling. "Are most of the guests here yet?" she asked.
"Yeah, that place is packed! I cannot believe how many famous people you guys know. Everywhere I look, I see another celebrity," she said excitedly.
"Well, I'm glad you like them," Theresa replied.
"And not to mention the reporters and camera crew outside the church. Every freaking television network has a reporter out there," she added.
"None of them have gotten in, right?" Charity asked.
"No, a few have tried, but the security men are making sure that the only camera crew in there is the reporter that you gave a specific invitation to," Jessica replied.
"All right then, so everything is set?" Theresa asked in confirmation.
"Pretty much. Father Lonnigan said he's ready to start whenever you and Fox are ready," she replied.
"Thanks for the update," Theresa said. "Would you mind checking to see if Fox is ready?" she asked Charity.
"No problem, Sammy, Vicky, and I were heading over there anyway," Charity replied.
"Thanks," Theresa said.
"You're welcome, we'll see you at the start of the altar," she said, hugging Theresa one last time before leaving with Samantha and Vicky to Fox's dressing room.
Knock Knock
"Come in," Fox said as he continued to fix his tie.
"Well, look at you, don't you look nice in a tuxedo?" Charity said as they entered the room.
"Well, I do try," Fox joked. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.
"We wanted to spend a few minutes with our older brother before he became a married man," Vicky replied.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm still wondering if this is the same guy that considered sex with different women, a hobby," Samantha joked.
"What can I say, Theresa does that to me," Fox said with a smile.
"We can tell," Vicky said. "God, it's going to be so weird to look at you as a married man now. You've always been such a carefree, single, on-the-prowl kind of guy," she said.
"Am I sensing a sentimental scene coming up?" Fox asked.
"No, don't get too excited. We just came to kind of say goodbye to the crazy guy that we've grown up with," Samantha said.
"If you think married life is going to change me tremendously, you're sadly mistaken. I'll still be there to grill everyone of your boyfriend's and I'll still embarrass you if I feel the need to," Fox said to Vicky and Sammy. Charity laughed at his comment. "And don't think you're off the hook, either," he said turning to Charity. "I'll be watching you even more now that you're going to be living with Brady," he said with a smile.
"I'm sure you will," Charity said with a smile of her own.
"I love you girls so much. I couldn't ask for better sisters," he said seriously.
"And we couldn't ask for a better brother," Vicky said. "Congratulations, Nicky," she said, using her childhood nickname for him.
"I swear, you three are the only people I would allow to call me Nicky. I hate that name," he said.
"That's why we call you it," Samantha said with a smile.
"So, big brother, are you ready to get married?" Charity asked.
"I'm more than ready," Fox said with a smile.
"All right then, we'll go tell Theresa so that this wedding can finally start," Samantha said as she, Vicky, and Charity hugged Fox one last time before heading back to Theresa's room.
Fox turned back to the mirror and fixed his suit one last time. He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile at how far he had come in life since he first arrived in Harmony all those years ago.
"Hey, Fox, come on, I got to get you out there," Brady said from the doorway.
"All right, I'll be right there," Fox replied. He checked himself over one last time in the mirror before heading toward the door. "Today is the day all your dreams come true," he said to himself as he left the room.
"He's ready, Resa," Charity said from the doorway.
"All right, thanks, I'll see you at the start of the altar," she said as she put her veil on.
"This is it, Mama," she said, turning to Pilar.
"Yes, it is. Congratulations, mija, you've really grown up," Pilar said.
"Thank you, Mama. All right, come on, I've got a groom waiting for me!" she said as she headed out of the door. She arrived at the altar way and was greeted with the site of her entire bridal party and Luis.
"Hey, little sis, you ready?" Luis asked.
"Definitely," Theresa said with a huge smile. "I want to thank you again for giving me away, Luis. You've always been like a father to me," she said.
"Don't bother thanking me, I consider it an honor. I'm proud of you, Resa," he said.
"Thank you, Luis. I've always wanted to make you proud," she replied.
"All right, all right, we're going to start the music now," a choir singer said. "Everybody line up."
"Here we go," Theresa said to herself as the first chord resonated in the church filled with hundreds of people.
Fox stood at the altar, anxiously waiting for Theresa to appear. He watched as the flower girl, Theresa's little cousin Maria, and the ring bearer, Fox's distant cousin Jake, made their way down the isle. Next, he saw Brady and Charity proceed down the isle, arm in arm. Victoria and Alistair and then Samantha and Julian followed them. Finally Whitney and Chad closed off the wedding train.
As soon as Chad and Whitney had taken the positions, the wedding march started to play. Everyone stood up and turned around, wanting to see Theresa. After a few seconds, Theresa emerged at the end of the altar with Luis by her side. Fox felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of Theresa. She looked absolutely stunning, and he wasn't the only one that thought so. There were gasps heard all around the church at Theresa's appearance; but Fox heard none of them. He was focused on Theresa, and only Theresa. He watched as she continued to make her way toward him, a huge smile plastered on her face. When she reached him, Fox couldn't help but openly gaze at Theresa. He almost forgot that there were people in the room. The sound of Theresa's voice knocked him out of his reverie.
"You look very handsome," she whispered.
"You look amazing," Fox replied, still amazed by her.
"Thank you," she replied softly. "Now, let's get married," she said, turning to Father Lonnigan. Father Lonnigan smiled at both of them before starting the ceremony.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Theresa Lopez- Fitzgerald and Nicolas Foxworth Crane."he started.
The ceremony went by somewhat quickly and before anyone knew it, Theresa and Fox were about to recite their vows to one another.
"Theresa, why don't you go first," Father Lonnigan said.
"All right," Theresa said, turning to stare at Fox. "Fox, from the day I met you, I knew you were going to be like no one I'd ever known before. You sat there while I told you all of my hopes and dreams and you never once laughed at me or made me feel like they were unconquerable. In my toughest time, you dropped everything and followed me across country just to keep me safe and protected. No one has ever done anything that extreme for me. Since the two of us have been together, you have made me feel like I could do anything in the world. You stand by me and support me in everything I do and I can't thank you enough. You are my true love, my future husband, my confidant, and my best friend. And I love you so much for everything you have done for me. I am honored to be standing up here with you right now and I promise to be an amazing wife. I promise to love and support you for all the days of my life."
Fox could barely hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes at Theresa's words. To see her say those words with nothing but love reflected in her eyes made him feel like he had just died and gone to heaven. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.
"Fox, it's your turn," Father Lonnigan said. Fox smiled at Theresa and took her hand in his before reciting his vows.
"Wow, Resa, that was amazing," he started. "You and I both know that I never thought I'd make it here. Just the idea of falling in love was like a joke to me. But you've made me believe in things I never thought I'd believe in. Being with you has made me have more faith in myself and in our relationship. Words really can't express how much I love you. I love your laugh, your smile, your frown, your eyes; God, I love every little thing about you. Just the thought of being able to spend the rest of my life with you, brings me more joy than you or anyone else will ever know. And every morning I wake up, I thank God for bringing you into my life and allowing me to love you. I am still amazed and overjoyed that out of all the men in the world, I'll have the privilege of calling you my wife. You are my best friend, my rock, and my one and only love and I swear to spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I really do love you."
By this moment, Theresa, and many other women in the church, had tears welling up in their eyes. Theresa looked into Fox's eyes and could tell that he was trying hard not to cry. She reached up and wiped the single tear that slipped down his face. Fox in turn put his hand on Theresa's face and wiped the tears that were falling down her face.
"May I have the rings please?" Father Lonnigan asked hesitantly, not wanting to interrupt the special moment between Fox and Theresa. Fox and Theresa turned to Brady and Charity to retrieve their gold, diamond studded wedding bands.
"Fox, slip the ring on Theresa's finger." Fox did as he said. "Now, repeat after me, 'With this ring.'"
"With this ring,"
"I seal my vow."
"I seal my vow."
"Now, Theresa, slip the ring on Fox's finger and repeat after me. 'With this ring.'"
"With this ring,"
"I seal my vow."
"I seal my vow."
"By the power vested in me by the St. Margaret Mary's Church, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."
Fox stared at Theresa with a large grin on his face before leaning down and capturing her lips in a sweet, but passionate kiss. Neither one of them heard the loud clapping and cheering going on around them; they were consumed by each other. After almost a minute, they finally pulled away and turned to their guests.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. And Mrs. Nicolas Foxworth Crane," Father Lonnigan said, receiving louder cheers and claps from the audience.
Fox and Theresa smiled broadly at their guests before slowly making their way down the isle, followed by the wedding train. Once they were in the main entrance of the church, Fox and Theresa were attacked with hugs from everyone that was in the wedding.
"Congratulations guys!!" Charity said excitedly as she pulled Theresa into a tight hug. "We're officially sisters!"
"Thanks Charity!" Theresa said just as excited as Charity and everyone around her. They continued to exchange hugs until Pilar came back to greet them.
"Oh, Theresita, my baby, you're looked so beautiful out there," she said, not bothering to hide the tears that were falling down her face. "Congratulations, mija. May you both have nothing but love and happiness in your marriage," she said as she reached over and pulled Fox into a hug.
"Thank you, Pilar," Fox replied.
"All right, guys, we have to get to the Country Club to make sure that everything is set up," Brady said, trying to make sure everything was on schedule.
"He's right," Chad said. "We should start piling into the limo. You two have your own private limo, right?" he asked Fox and Theresa.
"Yes, so we'll be meeting you guys there," Theresa replied.
"All right, well Brady and I will go let the guests know that we're heading to the Country Club so that they can all start heading over there," Charity said.
"Okay, we'll see you there," Theresa said before reaching to hug everyone one more time before she and Fox left the church.
Half an hour later, everyone was sitting and talking in a large, spacious hall at the Country Club, awaiting the arrival of Fox and Theresa.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming, for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Nicolas Crane," the DJ said. Everyone stood and started clapping as Fox and Theresa entered the hall and made their way over to their table.
"Thank you all very much," Fox said into the microphone. "It feels great to have so many loved ones around us as we celebrate this joyous occasion. Please, dance, eat, and enjoy yourselves," he said before handing the microphone back to the DJ.
"Well, you heard the groom, he said enjoy yourselves, so I'll help you with a few upbeat songs," the DJ said as he put in a CD.
"May I have this dance, Mrs. Crane?" Fox asked Theresa.
"Yes you may," Theresa said with a smile as Fox led her to the dance floor.
"I love you," Theresa said as they danced.
"And I love you," Fox said before leaning down to kiss Theresa as he pulled her tighter to him.
Meanwhile.
"You see that, Ethan? You'll never be able to come between that," Gwen said from her seat next to Ethan. They were seated in the far corner, so that no one would notice them, but they still had a perfect view of Fox and Theresa.
"Shut up," Ethan said to Gwen.
"I heard a few people talking. They said Theresa's vows to Fox were unbelievably touching and sweet. They said that you could feel the love she felt for him in her words," Gwen taunted.
"I said shut up," Ethan said.
"I'm just trying to help you realize that it's finally over. After years and years of participating in the Ethan/Theresa drama, it's finally come to end," Gwen said.
"I'm aware of that, Gwen," Ethan said irritably.
"Good, now maybe you'll finally accept me as your wife," Gwen said.
"You still purposely ruined my life by sending that tabloid to the newspaper, don't think I'll accept you that easily," he said coldly.
"Will you ever let that go?" Gwen asked exasperatingly.
"No, because whether you realize it or not, it hurt, and you didn't give any regards as to how I would feel. You were just too consumed with making Theresa take the wrap for it," he said angrily.
"I know, and I've already apologized for the hurt it caused you - but I won't do it again. We talked about this Ethan, and it's time you made your choice. Now do you still want to stay married with me or will I be receiving divorce papers in the mail?" she asked.
"I don't love you Gwen, and sometimes, I can downright hate you when I think of how you cost me Theresa," Ethan replied.
"I see," Gwen said, as she gathered her belongings and prepared to leave.
"But, you were right. I've always had someone in my life that supported me fully, whether I was right or wrong. And as much as I hate to admit it, I really don't know how to live with out someone always there by my side, making me feel like I'm somebody," Ethan said.
"What are you saying?" Gwen asked.
"I'm saying that you shouldn't expect to see any divorce papers," Ethan said reluctantly. "As much as you piss me off, I know that you're the only who is willing to put up with me. But don't get any ideas; there will be absolutely no intimacy between us. Just the sight of you can repulse me," he added.
"If this is going to work, you're going to have to respect me. I won't stand for your hurtful comments and rude insults," Gwen said firmly.
"Whatever, there's no point anyway, your heart is as cold as ice," he said with a roll of his eyes. Gwen involuntarily flinched at Ethan's words. Was this really what she wanted for the rest of her life? She looked back to the dance floor to see Fox lovingly caressing Theresa's cheeks with a bright smile on his face. Turning to Ethan, her husband, she saw him glaring coldly at Fox as he sipped his brandy.
"Why the hell are you looking at me like that?" Ethan asked rudely, noticing that Gwen was staring at him.
"No reason," Gwen said. 'Just wondering when my life became such a living hell.'
"They look great together, don't they?" Julian said as he took a seat by a lonely Ivy.
"Who?" Ivy asked.
"Fox and Theresa. Don't try to hide it, I saw you watching them," Julian said.
"I was just wondering how many lies Theresa told to get Fox to walk down that isle," Ivy lied.
"Stop acting, Ivy. You and I both know that Theresa didn't have to lie or manipulate Fox in any way. You know that she truly loves him and that she's perfect for him, so stop pretending to hate her guts. You know you were wrong, so admit it," Julian said with a roll of his eyes.
"You think that just because you realized your mistakes a little quicker than me, that you're better? Well you're not. Incase you forgot, you were just as cold and ruthless as me," Ivy said harshly.
"And yet, I have the forgiveness of all my children. What do you have?" he asked. Ivy stayed silent. "Exactly, you have nothing. And you still don't get the point. You and I being cold and ruthless wasn't even the main problem with our children. They knew we were Cranes and that it was natural for us to be cruel, it was our attitude toward them that caused a rift between all of us. You focused all of your attention on Ethan and I simply didn't care about any of them. That's the real problem, Ivy, and you still couldn't figure it out. Just because you feel bad and shed a few tears doesn't necessarily mean that you've learned a lesson from any of this," he said as he got up and prepared to walk away.
"Julian, wait!" Ivy said, grabbing his arm.
"What is it, Ivy?" he asked, with an annoyed expression.
"Did you really have to beg Fox to invite me to the wedding?" she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.
"Yes, I did," he said dryly.
"Oh," Ivy said deflated. "Well, thank you," she said softly.
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for publicity. This is one of the biggest weddings in the country, it would have looked bad on the Crane family if the groom's mother wasn't even invited to the wedding," Julian said unemotionally.
"Is that the only reason Fox agreed to let me come?" she asked sadly.
"Yes, Ivy, it is. I don't know why you're asking, you already know the answers deep down in your heart," Julian said before walking away and leaving Ivy alone, once again.
"I'm going to get a drink, you want something?" Brady asked Charity.
"No, that's okay," Charity said before Brady walked away.
"Charity, hi," Miguel said coming up from behind Charity. Charity turned around and saw Miguel standing there with a beautiful, slim girl. She was redheaded and she looked to be the same age as Charity.
"Hi, Miguel, how are you?" Charity asked nicely as she reached over to give him a hug.
"Good, the wedding was really beautiful. You all looked lovely," he said.
"Thank you," Charity said, glancing at the girl by Miguel's side that still hadn't said a word. Miguel, noticing Charity's glance, introduced the girl.
"Charity, I'd like you to meet Emily. Emily, this is Charity," he said.
"It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you," Emily said softly as she held her hand out to Charity.
"It's nice to meet you too," Charity said with a smile as she shook Emily's hand.
"Miguel was right, you all looked so beautiful out there," Emily said.
"Thank you, that's very nice of you," Charity replied. "So, how long have you and Miguel known each other?" Charity asked curiously.
"About a year. We had the same English class in college and we've been friends ever since," Emily replied. "I really wanted to come to this wedding because I've heard so much about it, and he agreed to bring me," she added.
"Well, that was very nice of him," Charity replied.
"Well, he's a great guy," Emily said.
"Yes, he is," Charity agreed.
"I'm going to go to get a drink, so I'll be right back," Emily said to Miguel. "It was really nice to finally meet you, Miguel talks very highly of you. Hopefully we'll get to talk later," she said.
"Sure, that sounds great," Charity replied before Emily walked away. Once she was out of earshot, Charity turned back to Miguel to see him looking rather nervous.
"I hope you don't mind me bringing her," he said uncomfortably.
"No, of course not. You and her have every right to be here," Charity replied. "She's really pretty," she added.
"Yeah, and she's a really nice girl. We're just friends right now, but who knows what'll happen in the future," he said.
"Well, good for you. I wish you two the best," she said with a smile.
"Thanks, that means a lot to me," Miguel said.
Charity turned to look around at all the guests in the room. She turned to a corner of the hall and saw Kay glaring coldly at the back of Emily's head. She couldn't help but smile at the deadly look on Kay's face.
"So, what does Kay think of your new friend," she asked with a smirk.
"Judging by the glare she's been giving Emily all day, I'd say that she's not too fond of her," Miguel joked.
"I'm not surprised," Charity said with a laugh. "You better tell Emily to watch out; Kay can be downright evil when it comes to getting you in her clutches," she said.
"Don't worry, I told Emily all about Kay - she doesn't seem to care," he replied. "Even if she did, it wouldn't matter. I've made it clear to Kay that there will never be anything between us," he added.
"Somehow, I don't think that will stop her," Charity said sarcastically.
"Yeah, well she can try whatever she wants. I'm not going to stop dating because of her. She'll only be hurting herself if she continues to hold out hope that I'll come running to her," he replied.
"How philosophical of you," Charity commented lightly.
"Well, I was in her position not too long ago. It took a while, but I finally realized that loving someone who doesn't love you is pointless and painful," he said.
"With a little help from me of course," Charity joked.
"Yes, with your help of course," he replied with a smile. From the corner of his eyes, Miguel could see Brady standing against the wall. "Hey, I think Brady might like his girlfriend back," he said pointing to Brady.
"I think he might," Charity replied.
"When are you two heading back to California?" he asked sadly.
"In two days," Charity replied. "We have to finish packing tomorrow and Vicky and Samantha wanted to spend one more day at home with our dad," she added.
"If you have time, maybe you can stop by and visit me tomorrow before you leave," he suggested.
"I'd love to," she said before hugging Miguel. "I'll talk to you later," she said before walking over to Brady.
"Everything okay?" Brady asked once Charity reached him.
"Yeah, everything's fine," Charity replied as Brady wrapped his arms around her. They both turned their attention to the dance floor where Fox and Theresa were dancing once again.
"That's going to be us someday," Brady said softly.
"What?" Charity asked, surprised by his comment.
"Relax, I don't mean now. But someday, someday soon, you and I will be married. And I'll make sure it's the best day of your life," he said. Charity looked at Brady and smiled at the love shining in his eyes.
"It will be, as long as you're there with me," Charity replied lovingly.
"Come on, let's go dance," Brady as another slow song started to play.
"Okay," Charity said as she slipped her hand in Brady's and followed him on to the dance floor.
"God, I love you so much," Fox said to Theresa as they danced to a slow song.
"I love you too. Today was so magical. The wedding was so unbelievably beautiful, better than any of the dreams I've had," Theresa replied.
"Good, I just want to make all your dreams come true, Resa," Fox said as he pulled Theresa closer to him.
"Well, you have, more than you'll ever know," she said as she put her head on his shoulder. "I still can't believe we finally made it to this moment," she added.
"I know, who would have thought that out of all the men and women in the world for both of us, you and I would end up together," he said lightly.
"Maybe it was our destiny all along," Theresa suggested.
"Yeah, maybe Fate hadn't given up on us after all," he said.
"Whatever it was, I thank God for it," she said.
"Me too," Fox replied as Brady and Charity came up next to them and started dancing.
"Are you guys having a good time?" Theresa asked them.
"Yeah, we're having a wonderful time, everyone is," Charity replied.
"That's good," Theresa replied. "So you guys will be leaving Harmony in two days right?" she asked.
"Yeah, Vicky and Sammy wanted to spend another day here," Brady replied.
"I see," Fox replied. "Take care of them while I'm gone," he said to Brady.
"I will," Brady replied.
"First of all, you guys will be on your honeymoon for two weeks only and secondly, I don't need someone to take care of me," Charity said confidently.
"Yeah, sure," Brady said with a laugh. Fox and Theresa soon joined in.
"Whatever," Charity said with a fake pout before joining in on the laughter.
Theresa looked around the hall at all of her friends and family. She, who had been hated by almost everyone when she originally left Harmony, was now surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of loved ones. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed since she left Harmony.
She looked around the dance floor to see Antonio and Beth dancing and whispering into each other's ears. At a far table she saw Sheridan sitting on Luis's lap and they were both laughing happily. Across the room, Theresa saw Miguel talking and laughing with Emily. Theresa looked behind Fox to see her mother and Julian dancing and talking softly to one another. Turning to her side, she saw Charity lay her head on Brady's shoulder as she succumbed to the soft sound of the music. She watched as Brady wrapped his arm around Charity's waist, bringing her closer to him. Finally she looked up at Fox to find him staring at her intently.
"We're pretty lucky, aren't we?" he asked with a smile. Theresa simply smiled and reached up to hug Fox.
"Yes, we definitely are."
The End
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Look out for the Epilogue!!!