XXXI

"What?" Theresa said in shock. "What did you say?"

"This is my daddy!" The little girl replied innocently.

Theresa looked at Fox with incredulity. "You have a child?"

"I~" Fox was speechless. "I never knew about her. I don't even know if she's mine."

"Oh she's yours all right." Angela said angrily as she walked over to Theresa and Fox.

"Who are you?" Theresa asked.

"Belle's mother."

Theresa paled. "I can't believe this."

"Well, believe it." Angela said curtly.

Theresa felt as if the room was spinning about her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Overcome with dizziness, Theresa stumbled a bit on her feet. Dylan helped to steady Theresa. "Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"No," Theresa said weakly before she fainted in Dylan's arms.

"Theresa!" Fox called as he rushed to her side.

A crowd of people began to gather around. "What happened?"

"Is she all right?"

"Stand back!" Fox ordered. "Give her some breathing room."

"Theresa," Dylan said softly while gently patting her cheek. "Theresa?

Theresa opened her eyes slowly. Feeling disoriented, she looked around the room in confusion.

"You fainted." Dylan explained.

"I did?" Theresa said dazed.

"Let's get her into another room." Pilar said hastily as she and Dylan helped Theresa up. Theresa shakily stood on her legs as she leaned on Dylan and her mother for support.

"I'll take her back to a room." Pilar said to Fox.

"I'll come with you." Fox said.

"No." Pilar said gently. "You stay out here and fix this. Besides, I'm not sure if Theresa should see you right now."

"But~" Fox protested.

"Fox." Pilar said gently but firmly.

"Okay," Fox said. "All right, folks, there's nothing to see, go on." Fox said.

Reluctantly, the crowd dispersed and everyone resumed to partying. "What shall I do?" Dylan asked Fox.

"Watch little Belle for me," Fox said. "I've got to talk to Angela alone." Fox stared at Angela suspiciously. "How did you know about all of this?"

"Surprised, hm? Well, I have my sources." Angela replied haughtily.

"Your sources?" Fox scoffed.

"Yeah," Angela snapped. "I am rich you know."

"I know, it's money that bought you those." Fox said pointing towards Angela's bosom. "Hm, and it's probably bought that nose, a face lift, maybe a little tuck here and there around the stomach~"

"How dare you!" Angela said exasperatedly.

"Well it is true isn't it?" Fox asked.

Angela rolled her eyes. "I don't have to take this."

"No, you don't. Fact is, you could walk away any time you wanted to. I sure as hell wouldn't stop you."

"Of all the nerve~"

"You still failed to answer my question." Fox pointed out. "Why are you here?"

"I thought it was about time that you met your daughter." Angela replied crossing her arms.

"My daughter? Why am I not hearing about this until now?" Fox asked suspiciously.

"You skipped town," Angela replied.

"And?" Fox said. "That didn't stop you from coming down here to find me. What stopped you from finding me before?"

Angela appeared flustered. "I-I"

"Just what I thought. You're lying about this whole thing aren't you?" Fox said.

"No, I'm not!" Angela protested. "You are Belle's father. Weeks after we had slept together, I ended up pregnant, and now here I am."

The crowd in the room instantly got quiet. Photographer's began taking photographs. Fox almost felt blinded from the flashes.

"I don't believe you." Fox said in a low tone.

"I have proof." Angela said.

"Sure you do." Fox said sarcastically.

"I'll get you your proof." Angela snapped. "Where's my daughter?" She demanded.

"Right here." Dylan answered.

"Mommy? What's wrong?" Belle asked.

"We're going home." Angela replied. "Let's go."

Fox wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He could not believe that Belle was his child. "This can't be happening." He kept thinking over and over again. "Of all days, it just had to be my wedding day."

~*~

"Angela!" A hushed voice called out in the darkness.

Angela spun around. "Where are you?" She asked.

"Behind the bushes."

Angela peeked around the bushes and found a hidden Julian Crane. "Fox wants proof."

"I heard." Julian said.

"Well? What are we going to do?" Angela said.

"Are you forgetting who I am?" Julian said offended. "I can get DNA results that Fox is the father."

"You had better hurry, because he's already suspicious. He's probably not buying this stunt."

"Of course he would be suspicious." Julian answered. "But as long as we can get those manipulated results, he'll buy it. Theresa won't be married to him, and I won't have any obstacles in having full custody of Ethan Martin."

"I'm hungry." Belle complained.

"Who is her father anyway?" Julian asked. "I'm just curious."

"Her father is back in New York with his wife and three kids." Angela replied bitterly.

"Oh." Julian said.

"Look, just hurry up and get those results. I better get my pay after this is all through." Angela said threateningly.

"You'll get your money. Besides, we can probably make it so that Fox will end up paying child support for Belle."

"Mommy!" Belle complained. "Can we get something to eat?"

"Yes, sweetie, let's go back to the hotel." Angela said.

"My plan's going to work." Julian thought to himself. "Theresa's going to break up with Fox and I'll get custody of her son. I'm brilliant."

~*~



"I can't believe this is happening." Theresa replied tearfully. "Of all the days I could've found out- it just had to be my wedding day."

"I'm so sorry," Pilar said. "Something always seems to happen on wedding days in Harmony." Pilar said.

Theresa frowned. "If you don't mind, mama, I'd like to be alone right now."

"Of course." Pilar said as she kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I'll be outside if you need me."

Theresa sighed as she buried her head in one of the pillows in the room. She felt as if her heart was slowly breaking into a million pieces. "It all felt like a dream," Theresa thought to herself. "And now it's turned into a horrible nightmare." Theresa let the tears fall freely down her cheeks. She became overwhelmed with her emotions. The tears didn't seem to want to stop. Theresa clutched as the pillow she was crying on. She was desperately trying to get rid of the ache she felt inside.
Theresa only looked up when she heard a knock on the door.

"Theresa~" Fox called softly from the door.

"Go away," Theresa replied tearfully.

"No, not until you talk to me." Fox replied.

Theresa gasped as another memory entered her thoughts. "I don't want to talk to you right now." Theresa replied. She felt herself remembering the day Fox had rejected the idea of them becoming a couple. Her heart ached as she relived the disappointment and anger she felt that day. Fox himself was hit with déjà vu. "Please, Theresa" Fox pleaded. "Open the door, let's talk."

Theresa wiped her eyes. "I don't think I can face you," Theresa admitted. "I- I just can't talk to you right now."

Fox leaned his forehead on the doorway. "Theresa, please, I love you." He said.

Theresa looked up and tried to keep more tears from cascading down her cheeks. She put her hand on the doorway and bit her lower lip that was quivering with emotion. "I just can't Fox." She said painfully. "I- can't." She whispered. A sob escaped Theresa's throat as she tried to suppress it with a pillow. Feeling defeated, Fox sank to the ground and leaned back onto the door for support.

"Hey man," Dylan said.

"Hey," Fox said miserably.

"Look, why don't you just let Theresa have a moment to herself?"

Fox thought for a moment. "I- don't want to leave her."

"I know," Dylan said. "But she's not going to open that door anytime soon."

Fox sighed. "I'll be in another room." He said as he got up. "Do me a favor and try to talk to Theresa."

"I'll try." Dylan said. "Theresa?" Dylan asked as he knocked on the door.

"She's in there?" Whitney said as she and Chad came to the door.

"Yeah," Dylan said.

"Here, let me try." Whitney said.

"Theresa, honey, it's Whitney."

"I don't want to see anyone right now." Theresa said.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?" Whitney asked.

"Yeah," Theresa said. "I just want to be alone."

~*~



Theresa and Fox never left their rooms. Eventually, all the wedding guests dispersed. The only people who stayed behind were Pilar, Dylan, Whitney and Chad. They sadly looked at the wedding cake and gifts that remained untouched. Meanwhile Theresa and Fox could not help but think of their wedding vows.

"Theresa,I am so lucky that you are a part of my life. You've been the only one who's ever really understood me. And although I have my faults, you still choose to love me, and it's the greatest feeling in the world." Fox paused as he tried to control his emotions. "I~" Fox's voice quivered. "I love you with every part of my being. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, you complete me. For a long part of my life, I felt that there was something missing. Now that I'm with you, I don't feel that void anymore. You've filled it with your generous love. I am the luckiest man alive, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are taken of. I will be there for you when you are happy. I will be your comfort when you are sad. I will be your confidant, your lover, and your best friend. I will be there for you Theresa, in rain or shine, in sickness and in health. Death shall not part us, for our souls will remain intertwined for all eternity. I love you Theresa. I always will."

"I hurt her again." Fox thought miserably. "I love her with all my heart, yet I still managed to break her heart."

"You are an amazing man. Words cannot express the love that I hold for you. I know that parts of my memory are missing, and it's been a frustrating experience because I want to remember so badly. But somehow you've managed to make me forget about that frustration. You always know how to make me feel better Fox. It's as if you know exactly what I'm feeling or what I'm thinking. I feel [i]connected to you, and it makes me feel loved, and it makes me feel safe. Our souls share one thought while our hears beat as one. I know you will take care of me, and I promise that as your wife I will support you one-hundred percent. I love you with all of my heart. You're right, death will never be able to part us. Our love is too strong. It is so great that it is immeasurable. Our love shall conquer and last throughout all eternity. I love you Nicholas Foxworth Crane, and before our friends, our family, and before God I promise to love you forever.[/i]

Theresa began to cry. "Oh Fox, will our love really conquer this time?"