III.

There's something 'bout the way you looked at me
Made me think for a moment that maybe we were meant to be
Living life separately
And it's strange how things change
But not me wanting you so desperately.

Why can't I ignore it?
I keep giving in when I should know better
'Cuz there was something 'bout the way you looked at me
And it's strange how things how things change
But not me wanting you so desperately…

"Theresa," Fox said waving his hand in front of her eyes.

"Oh." Theresa said a little startled. She had found herself concentrating on the words of the song that played in the restaurant. "I'm sorry, Fox. I guess I got a little distracted." "It's strange how things change, but not me wanting you so desperately." The words circled in her thoughts.

"Are you okay with the whole arrangement?" Fox asked concerned. "We can share a room, but we don't necessarily have to share the bed. I can sleep on the floor."

"I'm fine, Fox." Theresa lied. "I'm not fine." She thought to herself. "What happens if things get too physical between Fox and me?" She thought worriedly. "I don't want it to ruin me and Fox's friendship. However, Theresa didn't think it seemed fair to have Fox sleep on the floor. "I don't want you to have to sleep on the floor, Fox. It's your room anyhow. You should sleep in your own bed."

"I don't mind. I'll do whatever you want Theresa." Fox said as he reached over to give Theresa's hand a small squeeze. Theresa was somewhat comforted. She silently chided herself for being worried about sharing a room with Fox. "Fox is my friend. Nothing will get out of hand. I was just overreacting," Theresa thought to herself. She looked up and smiled at Fox, feeling much better about the situation.

"There's the Theresa I know and love." Fox said smiling back. "You had me worried for a minute there. You looked like maybe you were going to faint or something."

"I'm okay now." Theresa said taking a deep breath.

"Well, do you want to get out of here? We can go back to apartment if you want." Fox suggested.

"I don't want to go to the apartment just yet." Theresa said quietly.

"Oh." Fox said. "Well is there anywhere else you'd like to go?"

"Let's go for a walk on the beach. It's so nice tonight."

"All right." Fox said standing up and offering his hand to help Theresa. "Let's go for a walk."

~*~



"Where did Theresa and Fox run off to?" Chad asked Whitney while they were sitting in the living room.

"They went out to dinner." Whitney said smiling. "Isn't it wonderful?" She sighed happily.

"What's wonderful? Them going out to dinner?" Chad said.

"Oh you know what I meant." Whitney said nudging Chad in the ribs. "It's so wonderful that Theresa and Fox are a couple."

"Yes, and it's a relief." Gwen said coming into the room with Ethan by her side. "I don't have to worry so much about Theresa going after my husband."

"Gwen." Ethan said exasperated.

"What? It's true Ethan. Look, I'm sorry that I keep bringing it up, but it's true. She's always been after you. Now that she's with Fox, I hope that she gives up that notion that you and she were meant to be together. In fact, I hope Fox sweeps her off her feet. Maybe they'll end up married." Gwen said smiling as she remembered her daydream. "Ethan and I can live happily ever after with our child." Gwen thought contented. "As long as Fox is with Theresa, I won't have to worry about her anymore." She said aloud.

"I still believe Theresa can do better than Fox." Ethan said grumpily.

"Ethan!" Whitney and Gwen said at the same time.

"Theresa should move on, but Fox isn't the best choice. Trust me, I know what my half-brother is capable of, and I don't want him to play his games with Theresa."

"Theresa can take care of herself." Gwen said folding her arms.

"Yeah, and she seems to really be in love with Fox. Leave her alone, Ethan. Fox isn't that bad."

"Whatever." Ethan said dismissing her statement. "I still think Fox is going to end up breaking her heart."

"Well I hope you're wrong." Gwen said. "The longer she and Fox are together, the better the possibility of them staying a couple." She thought.

"I hope I am wrong too, because I'd hate to have to say 'I told you so.'" Ethan said. However, Ethan couldn't let go of the feeling that he'd end up comforting a heart-broken Theresa. "I still love you, Theresa." Ethan thought to himself. "You can't move on with Fox. I'm going to make sure that it doesn't happen." "Look," Ethan said aloud. "I need some air, so I'm going to take a walk out on the beach."

"I'll go with you." Gwen offered.

"No, you stay here. I want you to get some rest. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay." Gwen said. "Bye honey." Gwen kissed Ethan on the cheek before Ethan hurriedly left the apartment.

~*~

Theresa and Fox walked side by side. Theresa took off her shoes and held them in her hands as she listened to the lapping of the waves on the shore. She breathed in the ocean scent as the breeze playfully tousled her hair. Fox took a sidelong glance at Theresa. "She's so beautiful." He thought to himself.

Feeling Fox's gaze upon her, Theresa stopped and looked at him. Fox was a handsome man. He was tall in stature with a muscular frame, and he had gorgeous brown eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. Fox's looks weren't his only asset. Theresa thought he was a wonderful person despite all those who vilified his name. "They're all wrong." Theresa said in a voice a little above a whisper.

"What's that?" Fox said. The breeze caught his unbuttoned shirt and revealed his toned chest and stomach. Theresa caught herself staring.

"They're all so wrong about you." Theresa said pausing slightly. "Ethan, your family, everyone else who's said horrible things about you- they're all wrong."

"Well, they never really gave me a chance to prove them wrong." Fox said in a sad tone. Theresa's heart went out to him. She was angry at those who had always put him down.

"Anyhow," Fox said. "I don't care about them or what they think of me." Fox picked up a stone and threw it into the ocean.

"Fox." Theresa said as she settled down on the sand.

"Yeah?" Fox asked wondering what thoughts harbored Theresa's mind.

"Did you really want to kiss me all those times back in Harmony?"

"Where did this come from?" Fox asked surprised.

"I don't know. I was just wondering." Theresa said as she drew shapes in the sand.

"Well," Fox said sitting beside her. "Yes. Remember how close we would be? Our faces would be inches apart. All one of us had to do was lean in and our lips would touch. Sometimes I wanted to lean in and kiss you."

"Why didn't you?" Theresa asked.

"Mainly because at first I believed you were supposedly married to my father. Then, after your whole marriage turned out to be a fraud, and you ended up single, I thought about asking you out. But, Ethan still has your heart." Fox said sadly. "Then, I fell in love with someone else, and I just never got to kiss you until you and I decided to pretend to be a couple."

"I see." Theresa said quietly.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so in love with Ethan, I would've pursued you. Come to think of it, you and I could've been a real couple by now." Fox glanced over and noticed Theresa was drawing a heart in the sand. "Hmph. Isn't that something?" Fox thought to himself. Theresa smiled as she thought of the possibility of her really being Fox's girlfriend. She traced the outline of the heart dozens of times.

I used to get away with so much
Now I can't get away
I even thought that it was simple
To say the things I wanted to say
And you told me
Everything I wanted to hear.

"Is that music I hear?" Fox said.

"Yeah." Theresa said looking around to find out where the music source was coming from.

I'm finding my way back to you
And everything I used to be
And waiting is all that I can do
Until you find your way back to me.

"Where's it coming from?" Fox wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Theresa said. She stood up and peered into the darkness.

What if I said what I was thinking?
What if that says too much?
When everybody's got a reason
I feel like giving up

"It's coming from over there." Theresa pointed. The moonlight revealed a couple dancing closely. Theresa saw another figure walking, but she couldn't distinguish who it was.

"Oh." Fox said. "We should do that again sometime." He said nodding in the other couple's direction.

Theresa smiled remembering the night she danced with Fox at The Marina. She hadn't remembered having so much fun in her life. "Yeah, that'd be really nice. Maybe we can go dancing sometime soon." She said.

"Why not now?" Fox said getting up and brushing the sand off his pants. "Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald, may I have this dance?"

As soon as Theresa took his hand, another song began playing. It was the song she remembered dancing to at The Marina.

I would die for you
I would die for you
I've been dying just to feel you by my side
To know that you're mine.

I will cry for you
I will cry for you
I will wash away your pain with all my tears
And drown your fear.

Fox tightened his hold on Theresa as she pressed herself against him. They swayed to the beat of the music finding themselves getting lost in the moment.

I will pray for you
I will pray for you
I will sell my soul for something pure and true
Someone like you

See your face everyplace that I'm walking
Hear your voice every time I'm talking

Theresa gazed into Fox's eyes. Fox looked down into her eyes and found himself leaning in closer. Their foreheads bumped slightly against each other as their noses playfully nudged against one another. Theresa looked up and closed her eyes. Fox leaned in slowly and planted his lips on hers. Theresa and Fox found themselves giving into passion as they slowly made their way down into the sand. They rolled in the sand as the radiating heat from their bodies escaped into the cool ocean air. Fox moved gently on top of her as he moved down to kiss her neck. Theresa's mind raced, but her thoughts were jumbled. "Fox," Theresa whispered. Fox found Theresa's lips again. Fox's body was ignited with yearning as Theresa's hands wandered his body.

Theresa pulled off Fox's shirt and moved on top of him. She made a trail of kisses down his chest. Fox moaned in excitement.

"What the HELL is going on?" Ethan yelled angrily as he came up towards the couple. Flustered, Theresa got off of Fox and looked away.

"Damnit Ethan!" Fox said. "What does it look like? I'm spending time with my girlfriend, thank you very much." Fox snapped.

"Theresa, I am shocked. Your behavior is unacceptable. First, it's dirty-dancing, and now it's making love on the beach. What's gotten into you Theresa?" Ethan yelled.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Fox said protectively. "You have no right to speak to her that way."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do." Ethan said menacingly.

"Ethan stop it!" Theresa said. "You just need to leave Fox and me alone."

"The hell I will. Theresa, you haven't been yourself lately. Ever since you and Fox have been together, I've noticed a change in you. You're acting like one of his floozies."

"You take that back." Theresa said standing up. "I can't believe you."

"It's true Theresa." Ethan said. "I mean look at you now. You two were about to make love right here where anyone could've seen you."

"We made love on the beach before too ya know." Theresa said quietly. The statement immediately prompted Ethan into silence. He looked away.

"Besides, Ethan. I love Fox, okay? I can do whatever the hell I please because I love him. I honestly don't care what you think. So, I'd appreciate it if you would leave us alone."

"Theresa, you can't possibly mean that! You love me! You don't love Fox!"

"You heard her, Ethan." Fox said. "She loves me. Get over it. Let's go Theresa." Fox said. Theresa picked up her shoes and put her arms around Fox's waist. Fox and Theresa walked off leaving a furious Ethan behind.

Ethan kicked at the sand angrily. "This isn't over." He said aloud.