I really didn't see too much a reason to include Miguel in some of
the Lopez-Fitzgerald scenes, so when he's not there, we'll just pretend
he's at the Bennett household or something. Now, on to the story!!!
Chapter 5
Theresa blinked as the morning sun shone through her window. She looked around her, not quite recognizing her surroundings. Suddenly, last night's events came rushing back to her and she turned to her left to see Fox sleeping peacefully next to her. Not wanting to wake him, Theresa quietly got out of bed and walked over to the two cribs set up by her bed to check on Jessica and Justin. Noticing the unsteadiness of Pilar's old cribs, Theresa mentally noted that she and Fox would have to go shopping for baby beds. Satisfied that both Jessica and Justin were sleeping peacefully, Theresa grabbed her robe and headed out of her room.
"Good Morning, Mama," Theresa said when she saw Pilar sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Good Morning, mija," Pilar replied as she made room for Theresa on the couch. "How was your sleep?"
"It was okay," Theresa replied as she sat down and laid her head on Pilar's shoulder. "I really missed you, Mama," she said.
"I missed you too, Theresita," Pilar replied. "I still wish you would have come and talked to me about how Ethan treated you instead of just deciding to leave the country."
"I know, Mama. I really shouldn't have left the way I did, but I was so sad and heartbroken and I knew that you would just try to talk me out of it," Theresa replied.
"That doesn't mean that I couldn't have helped you with your pain."
"I know, I know," Theresa said with a sigh. "But despite the way I left or my reasons for leaving, I don't regret it. I can almost guarantee that if I didn't leave, I would still be here moping over Ethan."
"Maybe so, but what if something had happened to you, no one would have known," Pilar said.
"Whitney and Chad would have known, and they would have told you," Theresa insisted.
"Whitney? But she told me that she didn't know where you wen-" Pilar cut herself off when she realized that Whitney had lied. "Of course, I should have known. You and Whitney never keep anything from each other."
"It's not really Whitney's fault-I told her not to tell anyone," Theresa said, wanting to defend Whitney. "I know she really wanted to tell you, especially every time she and Chad came to visit me and returned only to keep the visit a secret."
"Despite the fact that she lied to me, I'm glad that she was able to constantly visit you, at least I know you weren't lonely those first few months you were in Paris," Pilar said.
"Well, I did have Fox, he made sure to keep me company," Theresa said, smiling at thought of Fox.
"Yes, Fox.care to explain how that happen?" Pilar asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not if you're just going to give me a long speech about what a bad person he is and what a big mistake I've made," Theresa replied, quickly preparing to defend Fox.
"No, no, I have no right to do that," Pilar said quickly, wanting to calm Theresa down. "Sure, I have my opinions about Fox, but I know that you wouldn't have married him if you didn't think he was perfect for you."
"Oh, okay," Theresa said, calming down. "I'm sorry, it's just.I know that a lot of people didn't approve of Fox because they formed an unfair opinion of him years ago, and I just don't want anyone telling me how good or bad he is for me."
"Don't worry, mija, you have my full support behind your marriage, although I would have liked to be at the wedding," she hinted.
"I know, I know," Theresa said as she put her head in her hand. "We just really wanted it to be small and private, and inviting you and the rest of the family would have alerted too much attention in Harmony," she said.
"I understand," Pilar replied with a smile. "So, what exactly motivated you and Fox to become a couple-from what I remember, you two were just really good friends," she asked with a curious smile.
"It actually started after we had been living together for four months and I had finally gotten over Ethan."
***********
"Resa, for the hundredth time, could you please not leave your bra, panties, and other undergarments laying around the house!!" Fox yelled from the bathroom as he tripped over another one of Theresa's undershirts.
"Sorry!" Theresa yelled from the living room.
"Sorry," Fox repeated. "I freaking trip and almost bust my ass and all she says is 'sorry'," he muttered as he made his way to the living room. Upon entering, he saw Theresa sitting on the couch dressed in nothing but a bra and a pair of shorts, flipping through the channels.
"What, did you run out of shirts? Because I'm sure there's some laying around the floor of every room in here," he said as he took a seat beside her and handed her the shirt that he tripped over.
"Very funny," Theresa said sarcastically as she slipped on the tank top. "For your information, I planned on going shopping, but I spilled juice on my shirt, so it's currently in the washing machine," she said, not taking her eyes off of the television.
"Why don't you just wear another shirt," he said.
"Because that means I'd have to change my entire outfit, and that takes too much time," she said.
"But washing a shirt and waiting for it to dry doesn't?" he asked, not quite understanding her reasoning.
"Don't you have something to do? Why don't you go hang out with your friend Dylan or something," she said, not appreciating Fox making fun of her.
"Can't-he went to Italy with some chick he met last week," Fox replied.
"So, that girl should expect to wake up alone and with a broken heart by the end of the week, I suppose," Theresa said, knowing how much of a playboy Dylan was with ladies.
"Probably," Fox said with a shrug.
"I don't know why you hang out with him," Theresa said with a roll of her eyes.
"He's a great friend, and for a while, he was the only friend I had. I don't know why you have a problem with him, he's been nothing but nice and respectful towards you," Fox said.
"I know, and I don't have a problem with him, he can be really sweet and funny sometimes. I have a problem with the way he makes girls believe that he cares about them, and then drops them like yesterday's trash," she said.
"It's not like that," Fox said, trying to explain. "Dylan never pretends to want anything more than sex and a good time. He doesn't lead them on and make them believe that he's in love, the girls just prefer to believe that he is."
"It still isn't right, no girl should be left high and dry the way Dylan leaves them."
"And how would you know how Dylan leaves his girls?" Fox asked.
"I've heard the stories he's told you whenever he comes to visit- they're not pretty," she replied.
"So you've been spying on me now?" Fox asked with a smug smile.
"Don't flatter yourself, Fox. I just happened to overhear a few conversations," Theresa replied. ***********
"Wow, this Dylan guy sounds like trouble," Pilar said, interrupting Theresa's story.
"Yeah, I wasn't that fond of his dealings with women when I first met him, but I've gotten over it. He's actually a good guy if you can look past that, and he's one of my best friends-I love him like another brother; but that's not the point of this story," she said.
"Well, hurry up and get to it, I want to know what started the relationship between my daughter and son-in-law," Pilar said, not so patiently.
"I'm getting there," Theresa said. "Now where was I.oh yeah! So anyway, we were talking about Fox's conversations with Dylan."
***********
"Oh you 'just happened to overhear,' yeah sure, I believe that one," he said with smile.
"If you weren't letting me live here rent free, I'd do some damage to you," she said.
"Guess it's a good thing that I'm letting you live here; it's gives me a small amount of power over you," he said, barely containing his laughter at the annoyed expression on Theresa's face.
"You know what, screw the rent," Theresa said before grabbing a pillow off the couch and hitting Fox on the head with it. Fox retaliated by grabbing another pillow and hitting Theresa in the face. Shocked, Theresa didn't have much time to retaliate before Fox hit her in the face again. Not wasting anymore time, Theresa started hurdling all of the pillows at Fox, not giving him a chance to breathe.
"Hey!" Fox yelled, before getting another pillow thrown at him. "Oh that's it!" he yelled as Theresa whacked up upside the head. He made a grab for her, but only grabbed air as Theresa jumped off the couch and made a dash for her room. Not wasting time, Fox quickly followed, reaching her room before she could close and lock the door. Grabbing her, he knocked both of them on her bed, with her on top of him.
"I think you may have left bruises," Fox said in a boyish voice.
"With pillows? Highly unlikely, Nicky," Theresa said with a laugh.
"Nicky?" Fox asked with a smirk.
"Yes, it is your birth name after all and it's cute," she said with a smile. "Besides, since no one calls you by that, I'll be the first and only. It's reserved for me and me only, you let that know to all those girls you decide to date," she said.
"Yes, ma'am," Fox replied with a laugh. It was at that moment that he and Theresa realized that Theresa was still laying on top of him.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Theresa said as she tried to pull herself off of Fox, but Fox wouldn't let her go.
"No! Stay," he said quickly, not wanting to lose the comfort of Theresa's body.
"Why?" Theresa asked.
"Because.because," he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Because you want to do this?" Theresa said before leaning and capturing Fox's lips in a sweet but passionate kiss. Both she and Fox were surprised by her action, but neither wasted time in getting into the kiss. Before either of them knew it, Fox had Theresa pinned on the mattress and was trailing kisses down her jaw line. Theresa reached down and started to take Fox's shirt off when his voice stopped her.
"No, no, we can't do this now," he said.
"What? Why not?" she asked, worried that she had done something wrong.
"Because you deserve better," he stated. "If we're going to be together, we're going to do it like any other couple, complete with dates and everything," he said. Theresa couldn't help but smile at his statement.
"All right, lover boy, when do you want to have this aforementioned date?" she asked with a smile.
"How about tomorrow night? We can go wherever you want," he replied.
"Sounds great," Theresa said with a big smile as Fox climbed off of her.
"Tomorrow it is then," he said as he made himself comfortable next to her. "So what do we do now?" he asked.
"Well, I go shopping," she said, noticing the disappointed look that came across Fox's face. "And you join me," she added, finding joy in the shocked and dismayed expression that now appeared on his face.
"Shopping? No way, I don't do shopping," he said determinedly.
"Well, there's a first time for everything, Nicolas. Now come on," she said as she dragged him out of her bed and started to lead him out of her room.
"Fine, but don't call me Nicolas, it's bad enough that you're calling me Nicky," he said with a pout.
"Oh shut up," Theresa said as she continued to drag him out the house. ***********
"And the rest is pretty much history. We went on the date, then another, and another and we fell in love; five years later and we're married with children," Theresa said as she ended her story.
"That's a very interesting way to fall in love," Pilar said with a smile. "Leave it to you and Fox to start off a relationship with a pillow fight," she said as she laughed at the image.
"I know what you mean," Theresa said as she joined Pilar in the laughter.
"What's so funny?" Fox asked as he entered the living room with Justin in his arms.
"Morning, baby," Theresa said as Fox took a seat beside her. "Mama and I were just laughing at the day that you and I first kissed," Theresa explained.
"Ohh," Fox said with a smile as he remembered that day.
"How was your sleep, Fox," Pilar asked.
"It was great, Pilar," Fox replied.
"Where's Jessica?" Theresa asked.
"She's still sleeping, but Justin was already awake when I woke up," Fox replied.
"Really? I'm surprised he didn't cry to alert me of his awakening," Theresa said as she smoothed Justin's rumpled hair.
"Well that's because he's a big boy and doesn't need to cry, right little guy?" Fox said as he looked Justin. Justin smiled in response. "See, he understands me," Fox said with a proud smile.
"Whatever you say, honey," Theresa said, unable to hide her smile at the site of Fox talking to Justin.
"Can I hold him?" Pilar asked quietly.
"Of course," Fox said as he handed Justin to Pilar. "Don't worry if he cries though, he doesn't really like strangers holding him," he added. As soon as he let go, Justin started to cry.
"It's okay, baby, I'm your grandmother and I'm always going to be here for you," Pilar said, trying to calm Justin down. "I plan to spoil you and your sister for the rest of your lives, and whenever you want to get away from Mommy and Daddy for awhile you and your sister can just come to me," she said. Gradually, Justin stopped crying and eventually gave Pilar one of his adorable giggles.
"Wow," Fox said in amazement. "It took us weeks before he would allow any of our friends to hold him."
"He just needed the special grandma touch," Pilar said as she smiled down at Justin.
"Well, as long as both of you are up, I'm going to take a shower and get ready," Theresa said as she rose from the couch.
"Yeah, you should; Antonio and Luis said they'd stop by this morning to talk to you," Pilar said.
"I bet they did," Theresa muttered. "You might want to leave before they get here," Theresa said, turning to Fox.
"And let you face the wolves alone, never," Fox said, despite the temptation to leave and preserve his life. "I can handle your brothers," he added.
"We'll see," Theresa said with a smile. "Look out for Jessica," she said before turning and heading towards the bathroom and leaving Pilar and Fox and Justin.
"Congratulations," Pilar said finally after a few seconds of silence.
"Excuse me?" Fox asked confused.
"Due to the commotion of last night, I never congratulated you and my daughter on your marriage, so congratulations," Pilar explained.
"Thank you, Pilar," Fox said, surprised that Pilar didn't hate him.
"Anytime, now why don't you watch this little one while I go make breakfast," she said as she handed Justin to Fox.
"No problem," Fox replied before Pilar left. "It's just you and me, buddy, what do you say we go back to sleep," Fox suggested to Justin. Suddenly, a bad smell surrounded him. "Or we could change your diaper, whichever works for you," he said as he carried Justin to Theresa's room to change Justin's diaper.
A few hours later, Fox, Theresa, Jessica, and Justin were sitting in the living room floor playing with a few toys. Pilar had left a little while earlier to run some errands and left the house to the four of them.
"When are your brothers going to arrive," Fox asked as Jessica and Justin entertained themselves with a train set.
"I don't know," Theresa said as the doorbell rang. "There's your answer," she said before getting up to open the door. "Hey guys!" Theresa said with a smile as Antonio, Beth, Luis, and Sheridan entered the house.
"Hi, Theresa," Sheridan and Beth said.
"Hey sis," Luis and Antonio added with a smile as they reached down and gave her a kiss on the cheeks. "Where's Mama?" they asked.
"She went to run some errands," Theresa said as she headed into the living room.
"Oh, you're still here," Luis said rudely when he saw Fox sitting on the floor.
"Yes, Luis, I haven't run out on Theresa like you expect me to," Fox said with a roll of his eyes.
"Don't start," Theresa said to Fox, knowing how defensive he got when someone questioned his motives.
"Theresa, we came to talk with you, alone," Antonio said, putting emphasis on the word 'alone'.
"I suppose that's my cue to leave," Fox said sarcastically as he picked up Jessica and Justin. "Whether you two like it or not, I am married to Theresa and she is the mother of my children, so you guys are stuck with me just like I'm stuck with you-deal with it," he said before heading into the kitchen.
"You didn't have to say it like that," Theresa said with a glare to Antonio. "And why does he have to leave, but Beth and Sheridan, no offense, get to stay?" she asked.
"It's different," Luis started to explain, but Sheridan cut him off.
"You're right, Theresa. Beth and I will be in the kitchen with Fox and the kids," she said before heading to the kitchen with Beth.
"All right, we're alone, go ahead and talk," Theresa said as she took a seat on the couch.
"Care to explain why you married Fox Crane of all the men in the world?" Luis asked.
"No, I don't, I don't ask you to justify your relationships with Beth and Sheridan so you shouldn't ask me to justify mine with Fox," she said.
"Fine, you don't want to talk about that, then we won't. We will, however, talk about this so-called partnership you have with Alistair Crane," Luis said.
"What do you want to know?" Theresa asked with a sigh.
"Why? You know his reputation, why would you get involved with him?"
"Aside from the fact that he's my husband's grandfather, I was interested. How many times in your life do you get to run an entire company with the one you love the way you want? The idea of running an empire with Fox and making our dreams come true was too good of an offer to pass up," she explained.
"What dreams could you possibly have in the Crane Empire?" Antonio asked.
"Fashion, for one thing," Theresa said. "I've been able to work on a Crane fashion line and if it succeeds, it'll be great for the company and I'll be doing something I've always wanted."
"Did you really need Alistair Crane's help?"
"Probably not, but it's always helpful," Theresa said. "I know how you feel about him, but you haven't spent the last five years around him. I know Alistair and I know the way he thinks, and I can handle him. Besides, I've grown on him, although he'd never admit it, and I know that somewhere in there, he does care about me."
"Just promise me you'll be careful around him," Antonio said. "I don't care how well you think you know him, just be careful."
"Fine, if that'll make you both happy, I'll watch my back around him," Theresa said, knowing that Alistair was completely harmless to her.
"Good," they said, finding relief in Theresa's promise.
"Since I'm doing this for you, I'd appreciate it if you two gave Fox a chance," Theresa said. Noticing their impending protests, Theresa kept talking. "You don't know him so you can't judge him in anyway. And if you really knew me, you'd know that I wouldn't be with him unless I knew he was completely worth it."
"But, Theresa-"
"No buts," Theresa said. "He's my husband and he's a part of this family, so accept it."
"Fine," they muttered together.
"Good, now when he comes back in here, you're going to nice to him, okay?"
"Yes," they replied.
"Good," Theresa said as she called Fox back into the room. Sheridan and Beth followed him.
"So, everything okay?" Sheridan asked.
"Yes, we reached as understanding," Theresa said with a smile as she took Jessica from Fox's arms. "So, what are you four doing this afternoon?" she asked them.
"Beth and I were going to go shopping, you're welcome to join us," Sheridan said.
"That's okay, Fox and I were planning on checking out Crane Industries today," Theresa replied.
"Really?" Luis asked curiously.
"Yeah, we just wanted check how everything is run and talk to a few of the employers," Fox explained.
"I see," Beth said. "Well if you want, Sheridan and I can take Jessica and Justin with us," she suggested.
"Oh, you don't have to do that, we can handle them," Theresa said, not wanting Beth and Sheridan to feel obligated.
"No, that's okay," Sheridan said. "I'd love to spend the day with my niece and nephew," she said.
"Me too," Beth added.
"Well if you're sure," Theresa said, wanting to be sure.
"Definitely," Beth said as she took Jessica from Theresa's arm while Sheridan took Justin from Fox.
"All right, I'll go get their things," Theresa said before heading to her room. She returned a few minutes later with a huge baby bag. "Everything you'll need is in here. Jessica is very active so you'll have to keep a good eye on her and Justin doesn't like being around unfamiliar faces for too long so he might be a little fussy. Oh, and-"
"Resa, relax, they'll be fine," Fox said interrupting Theresa as he put his hands on her shoulders. He knew that she hated leaving Jessica and Justin alone with anyone besides their nanny in Paris. It wasn't that she didn't trust them; she just always worried that they wouldn't be able to handle both Jessica and Justin at the same time.
"You're right, I'm sorry," she said to Sheridan and Beth.
"Don't worry, it's completely understandable," Sheridan said. "So, is that it?" she asked as they prepared to leave.
"Yes, if you need anything, mine and Fox's cell phone numbers are in the side of the bag," Theresa said. "Be good for your aunties," she said as she gave Justin and Jessica a kiss on the forehead.
"Daddy will see you two later," Fox said as leaned and also gave them a kiss. "We'll see you later," he said to Sheridan and Beth.
"Okay, bye," they said before leaving the house.
"So, what are you two doing?" Theresa asked as she turned back to Antonio and Luis.
"We've got to get to work," Luis said as they rose from the couch.
"That's right," Theresa said. "I never did get the chance to congratulate you on making the police force," she said as she pulled Antonio into a hug.
"Thank you, how did you know? Alistair?" Antonio asked.
"No, actually Whitney told me. I was so excited when I found out," Theresa replied.
"Whitney, of course. I knew she was lying when she said she didn't know where you were," Luis said.
"I made her promise not to tell anyone," Theresa said.
"And she agreed, I understand. Anyway sis, we've got to get out of here," Luis said. "We'll see you later," he added as he and Antonio bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheeks.
"We'll see you later, Fox," Antonio said as he held his hand out for Fox. Fox shook it and then shook Luis's hand.
"Goodbye," he said.
"Bye," they said before leaving.
"It's just you and me now," Fox said with a smile as he pulled Theresa into his arms.
"So it seems," Theresa said with a smile. "What do you suppose we do about that?" she asked.
"Well I have a few ideas," Fox said before lifting a giggling Theresa in his arms and leading her to her bedroom.
An hour and a half later, Fox and Theresa emerged from her bedroom, fully dressed, and headed to Crane Industries.
"Who did Alistair say we have to speak to at the company?" Theresa asked as Fox began to drive.
"Just the top employers, he said should definitely meet with a few lawyers, accountants, and the Vice President of Crane Industries," Fox replied.
"But Julian's the Vice President, and he practically resigned," Theresa said confused.
"Yeah, I know. But Grandfather said that since there are no other Cranes willing to run the company, and since you and I are going to be co- presidents and CEO's of the company, he had to hire someone else to be vice president," Fox explained.
"Who?"
"I don't know, he said he'd make his decision this morning, so whoever it is, they probably just found out," Fox replied as he parked his jeep.
"I see," Theresa said as she and Fox got out of the jeep and entered the company. "It's going to be so weird working with a whole different group of people," Theresa said as she passed by the various employers of Crane Industries.
"I know what you mean," Fox said. "I'm so used to walking in the building and being greeted by Moet and Elise," Fox said, referring to the two middle-aged women that were his and Theresa's secretaries in Paris.
"All right, so whom are we meeting first?" she asked as she looked at the little list that Fox had in his hand.
"Grandfather said we just meet Michael Anderson, he's supposed to be the best accountant in the company," Fox said as he took Theresa hand and started to lead her to Mr. Anderson's office.
"Alrighty then, let's get started," Theresa said before they knocked on his door.
A few hours later, Fox and Theresa were roaming the halls tiredly. They had spent the last four or five hours meeting and greeting every employer on Alistair's list and they still had one more person left.
"Is it just me, or does no one seem to want us running this company?" Theresa asked as she remembered the hostile looks she had gotten by the majority of the employers they had met.
"No, it's not just you, I noticed it too. I think a lot of them believe that we're just going to ruin the company and leave them jobless," Fox said.
"Probably," Theresa agreed with a roll of her eyes. "We'll show them," she muttered.
"Of course we will," Fox said, smiling with pride at the determined look on Theresa's face.
"Who's the last person we have to meet?" she asked tiredly; she just wanted to go home and be with her children.
"We have to meet the vice president; since Alistair just picked him or her this morning, I have know idea what their name is," Fox replied as they neared the door with the name plate labeled 'Vice President.' He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a muffled voice said from behind the door. Fox turned the knob and entered with Theresa. He stopped dead in his tracks at the person sitting behind the desk.
"You gotta be kidding me," he said loudly.
"Oh, this is just perfect," Theresa muttered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
"Fox, Theresa, it's good to see you," Ethan said as he walked around the desk and came to stand in front of Fox and Theresa.
"You're the new vice president?" Fox asked unbelievably.
"Yes, little brother, I am," Ethan said with a glare. "I guess Alistair just couldn't deny that I was the best man for the job," he added with a smile.
"That, and the fact that he was desperate," Theresa muttered. Before Ethan could comment on her statement, someone breezed into his office.
"Ethan, I found the-" Gwen stopped talking when she noticed Fox and Theresa in the room.
"What are you doing here?" Fox asked tiredly as he rubbed his forehead tiredly. It really didn't matter what reason Gwen had for being there, he was sure he wasn't going to like it.
"Well, Gwen was feeling really idle and bored, and she really wanted something to do during the day, so I hired her as my personal assistant," Ethan explained.
"Wait, so you and Gwen are going to be working here?" Theresa asked, obviously not liking the idea one bit.
"Well, yes," Ethan said. "As vice president, I'll have a lot more work to do, and having a personal assistant will make things much easier," he said.
"So, as vice president, you are most likely going to be working very closely with Theresa and I, right?" Fox asked as he put everything together in his head.
"Yes, that is correct," Ethan confirmed.
"And since Gwen is your personal assistant, she'll most likely be working just as closely with us, am I correct?" Theresa asked as she also tried to process everything.
"Yes, you're right," Ethan confirmed once again.
"So, that basically means that four of us have just become joined at hip," Fox said as he banged his head on the wall.
"Perfect," Theresa groaned as she slumped on to Fox. How the hell were she and Fox supposed to work with the two people that they hated most in the world? With another groan, Theresa slumped even further into Fox with only one thought running through her head. 'I'll get Alistair for this.'
TBC.
Please leave feedback!!!
Chapter 5
Theresa blinked as the morning sun shone through her window. She looked around her, not quite recognizing her surroundings. Suddenly, last night's events came rushing back to her and she turned to her left to see Fox sleeping peacefully next to her. Not wanting to wake him, Theresa quietly got out of bed and walked over to the two cribs set up by her bed to check on Jessica and Justin. Noticing the unsteadiness of Pilar's old cribs, Theresa mentally noted that she and Fox would have to go shopping for baby beds. Satisfied that both Jessica and Justin were sleeping peacefully, Theresa grabbed her robe and headed out of her room.
"Good Morning, Mama," Theresa said when she saw Pilar sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Good Morning, mija," Pilar replied as she made room for Theresa on the couch. "How was your sleep?"
"It was okay," Theresa replied as she sat down and laid her head on Pilar's shoulder. "I really missed you, Mama," she said.
"I missed you too, Theresita," Pilar replied. "I still wish you would have come and talked to me about how Ethan treated you instead of just deciding to leave the country."
"I know, Mama. I really shouldn't have left the way I did, but I was so sad and heartbroken and I knew that you would just try to talk me out of it," Theresa replied.
"That doesn't mean that I couldn't have helped you with your pain."
"I know, I know," Theresa said with a sigh. "But despite the way I left or my reasons for leaving, I don't regret it. I can almost guarantee that if I didn't leave, I would still be here moping over Ethan."
"Maybe so, but what if something had happened to you, no one would have known," Pilar said.
"Whitney and Chad would have known, and they would have told you," Theresa insisted.
"Whitney? But she told me that she didn't know where you wen-" Pilar cut herself off when she realized that Whitney had lied. "Of course, I should have known. You and Whitney never keep anything from each other."
"It's not really Whitney's fault-I told her not to tell anyone," Theresa said, wanting to defend Whitney. "I know she really wanted to tell you, especially every time she and Chad came to visit me and returned only to keep the visit a secret."
"Despite the fact that she lied to me, I'm glad that she was able to constantly visit you, at least I know you weren't lonely those first few months you were in Paris," Pilar said.
"Well, I did have Fox, he made sure to keep me company," Theresa said, smiling at thought of Fox.
"Yes, Fox.care to explain how that happen?" Pilar asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not if you're just going to give me a long speech about what a bad person he is and what a big mistake I've made," Theresa replied, quickly preparing to defend Fox.
"No, no, I have no right to do that," Pilar said quickly, wanting to calm Theresa down. "Sure, I have my opinions about Fox, but I know that you wouldn't have married him if you didn't think he was perfect for you."
"Oh, okay," Theresa said, calming down. "I'm sorry, it's just.I know that a lot of people didn't approve of Fox because they formed an unfair opinion of him years ago, and I just don't want anyone telling me how good or bad he is for me."
"Don't worry, mija, you have my full support behind your marriage, although I would have liked to be at the wedding," she hinted.
"I know, I know," Theresa said as she put her head in her hand. "We just really wanted it to be small and private, and inviting you and the rest of the family would have alerted too much attention in Harmony," she said.
"I understand," Pilar replied with a smile. "So, what exactly motivated you and Fox to become a couple-from what I remember, you two were just really good friends," she asked with a curious smile.
"It actually started after we had been living together for four months and I had finally gotten over Ethan."
***********
"Resa, for the hundredth time, could you please not leave your bra, panties, and other undergarments laying around the house!!" Fox yelled from the bathroom as he tripped over another one of Theresa's undershirts.
"Sorry!" Theresa yelled from the living room.
"Sorry," Fox repeated. "I freaking trip and almost bust my ass and all she says is 'sorry'," he muttered as he made his way to the living room. Upon entering, he saw Theresa sitting on the couch dressed in nothing but a bra and a pair of shorts, flipping through the channels.
"What, did you run out of shirts? Because I'm sure there's some laying around the floor of every room in here," he said as he took a seat beside her and handed her the shirt that he tripped over.
"Very funny," Theresa said sarcastically as she slipped on the tank top. "For your information, I planned on going shopping, but I spilled juice on my shirt, so it's currently in the washing machine," she said, not taking her eyes off of the television.
"Why don't you just wear another shirt," he said.
"Because that means I'd have to change my entire outfit, and that takes too much time," she said.
"But washing a shirt and waiting for it to dry doesn't?" he asked, not quite understanding her reasoning.
"Don't you have something to do? Why don't you go hang out with your friend Dylan or something," she said, not appreciating Fox making fun of her.
"Can't-he went to Italy with some chick he met last week," Fox replied.
"So, that girl should expect to wake up alone and with a broken heart by the end of the week, I suppose," Theresa said, knowing how much of a playboy Dylan was with ladies.
"Probably," Fox said with a shrug.
"I don't know why you hang out with him," Theresa said with a roll of her eyes.
"He's a great friend, and for a while, he was the only friend I had. I don't know why you have a problem with him, he's been nothing but nice and respectful towards you," Fox said.
"I know, and I don't have a problem with him, he can be really sweet and funny sometimes. I have a problem with the way he makes girls believe that he cares about them, and then drops them like yesterday's trash," she said.
"It's not like that," Fox said, trying to explain. "Dylan never pretends to want anything more than sex and a good time. He doesn't lead them on and make them believe that he's in love, the girls just prefer to believe that he is."
"It still isn't right, no girl should be left high and dry the way Dylan leaves them."
"And how would you know how Dylan leaves his girls?" Fox asked.
"I've heard the stories he's told you whenever he comes to visit- they're not pretty," she replied.
"So you've been spying on me now?" Fox asked with a smug smile.
"Don't flatter yourself, Fox. I just happened to overhear a few conversations," Theresa replied. ***********
"Wow, this Dylan guy sounds like trouble," Pilar said, interrupting Theresa's story.
"Yeah, I wasn't that fond of his dealings with women when I first met him, but I've gotten over it. He's actually a good guy if you can look past that, and he's one of my best friends-I love him like another brother; but that's not the point of this story," she said.
"Well, hurry up and get to it, I want to know what started the relationship between my daughter and son-in-law," Pilar said, not so patiently.
"I'm getting there," Theresa said. "Now where was I.oh yeah! So anyway, we were talking about Fox's conversations with Dylan."
***********
"Oh you 'just happened to overhear,' yeah sure, I believe that one," he said with smile.
"If you weren't letting me live here rent free, I'd do some damage to you," she said.
"Guess it's a good thing that I'm letting you live here; it's gives me a small amount of power over you," he said, barely containing his laughter at the annoyed expression on Theresa's face.
"You know what, screw the rent," Theresa said before grabbing a pillow off the couch and hitting Fox on the head with it. Fox retaliated by grabbing another pillow and hitting Theresa in the face. Shocked, Theresa didn't have much time to retaliate before Fox hit her in the face again. Not wasting anymore time, Theresa started hurdling all of the pillows at Fox, not giving him a chance to breathe.
"Hey!" Fox yelled, before getting another pillow thrown at him. "Oh that's it!" he yelled as Theresa whacked up upside the head. He made a grab for her, but only grabbed air as Theresa jumped off the couch and made a dash for her room. Not wasting time, Fox quickly followed, reaching her room before she could close and lock the door. Grabbing her, he knocked both of them on her bed, with her on top of him.
"I think you may have left bruises," Fox said in a boyish voice.
"With pillows? Highly unlikely, Nicky," Theresa said with a laugh.
"Nicky?" Fox asked with a smirk.
"Yes, it is your birth name after all and it's cute," she said with a smile. "Besides, since no one calls you by that, I'll be the first and only. It's reserved for me and me only, you let that know to all those girls you decide to date," she said.
"Yes, ma'am," Fox replied with a laugh. It was at that moment that he and Theresa realized that Theresa was still laying on top of him.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Theresa said as she tried to pull herself off of Fox, but Fox wouldn't let her go.
"No! Stay," he said quickly, not wanting to lose the comfort of Theresa's body.
"Why?" Theresa asked.
"Because.because," he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Because you want to do this?" Theresa said before leaning and capturing Fox's lips in a sweet but passionate kiss. Both she and Fox were surprised by her action, but neither wasted time in getting into the kiss. Before either of them knew it, Fox had Theresa pinned on the mattress and was trailing kisses down her jaw line. Theresa reached down and started to take Fox's shirt off when his voice stopped her.
"No, no, we can't do this now," he said.
"What? Why not?" she asked, worried that she had done something wrong.
"Because you deserve better," he stated. "If we're going to be together, we're going to do it like any other couple, complete with dates and everything," he said. Theresa couldn't help but smile at his statement.
"All right, lover boy, when do you want to have this aforementioned date?" she asked with a smile.
"How about tomorrow night? We can go wherever you want," he replied.
"Sounds great," Theresa said with a big smile as Fox climbed off of her.
"Tomorrow it is then," he said as he made himself comfortable next to her. "So what do we do now?" he asked.
"Well, I go shopping," she said, noticing the disappointed look that came across Fox's face. "And you join me," she added, finding joy in the shocked and dismayed expression that now appeared on his face.
"Shopping? No way, I don't do shopping," he said determinedly.
"Well, there's a first time for everything, Nicolas. Now come on," she said as she dragged him out of her bed and started to lead him out of her room.
"Fine, but don't call me Nicolas, it's bad enough that you're calling me Nicky," he said with a pout.
"Oh shut up," Theresa said as she continued to drag him out the house. ***********
"And the rest is pretty much history. We went on the date, then another, and another and we fell in love; five years later and we're married with children," Theresa said as she ended her story.
"That's a very interesting way to fall in love," Pilar said with a smile. "Leave it to you and Fox to start off a relationship with a pillow fight," she said as she laughed at the image.
"I know what you mean," Theresa said as she joined Pilar in the laughter.
"What's so funny?" Fox asked as he entered the living room with Justin in his arms.
"Morning, baby," Theresa said as Fox took a seat beside her. "Mama and I were just laughing at the day that you and I first kissed," Theresa explained.
"Ohh," Fox said with a smile as he remembered that day.
"How was your sleep, Fox," Pilar asked.
"It was great, Pilar," Fox replied.
"Where's Jessica?" Theresa asked.
"She's still sleeping, but Justin was already awake when I woke up," Fox replied.
"Really? I'm surprised he didn't cry to alert me of his awakening," Theresa said as she smoothed Justin's rumpled hair.
"Well that's because he's a big boy and doesn't need to cry, right little guy?" Fox said as he looked Justin. Justin smiled in response. "See, he understands me," Fox said with a proud smile.
"Whatever you say, honey," Theresa said, unable to hide her smile at the site of Fox talking to Justin.
"Can I hold him?" Pilar asked quietly.
"Of course," Fox said as he handed Justin to Pilar. "Don't worry if he cries though, he doesn't really like strangers holding him," he added. As soon as he let go, Justin started to cry.
"It's okay, baby, I'm your grandmother and I'm always going to be here for you," Pilar said, trying to calm Justin down. "I plan to spoil you and your sister for the rest of your lives, and whenever you want to get away from Mommy and Daddy for awhile you and your sister can just come to me," she said. Gradually, Justin stopped crying and eventually gave Pilar one of his adorable giggles.
"Wow," Fox said in amazement. "It took us weeks before he would allow any of our friends to hold him."
"He just needed the special grandma touch," Pilar said as she smiled down at Justin.
"Well, as long as both of you are up, I'm going to take a shower and get ready," Theresa said as she rose from the couch.
"Yeah, you should; Antonio and Luis said they'd stop by this morning to talk to you," Pilar said.
"I bet they did," Theresa muttered. "You might want to leave before they get here," Theresa said, turning to Fox.
"And let you face the wolves alone, never," Fox said, despite the temptation to leave and preserve his life. "I can handle your brothers," he added.
"We'll see," Theresa said with a smile. "Look out for Jessica," she said before turning and heading towards the bathroom and leaving Pilar and Fox and Justin.
"Congratulations," Pilar said finally after a few seconds of silence.
"Excuse me?" Fox asked confused.
"Due to the commotion of last night, I never congratulated you and my daughter on your marriage, so congratulations," Pilar explained.
"Thank you, Pilar," Fox said, surprised that Pilar didn't hate him.
"Anytime, now why don't you watch this little one while I go make breakfast," she said as she handed Justin to Fox.
"No problem," Fox replied before Pilar left. "It's just you and me, buddy, what do you say we go back to sleep," Fox suggested to Justin. Suddenly, a bad smell surrounded him. "Or we could change your diaper, whichever works for you," he said as he carried Justin to Theresa's room to change Justin's diaper.
A few hours later, Fox, Theresa, Jessica, and Justin were sitting in the living room floor playing with a few toys. Pilar had left a little while earlier to run some errands and left the house to the four of them.
"When are your brothers going to arrive," Fox asked as Jessica and Justin entertained themselves with a train set.
"I don't know," Theresa said as the doorbell rang. "There's your answer," she said before getting up to open the door. "Hey guys!" Theresa said with a smile as Antonio, Beth, Luis, and Sheridan entered the house.
"Hi, Theresa," Sheridan and Beth said.
"Hey sis," Luis and Antonio added with a smile as they reached down and gave her a kiss on the cheeks. "Where's Mama?" they asked.
"She went to run some errands," Theresa said as she headed into the living room.
"Oh, you're still here," Luis said rudely when he saw Fox sitting on the floor.
"Yes, Luis, I haven't run out on Theresa like you expect me to," Fox said with a roll of his eyes.
"Don't start," Theresa said to Fox, knowing how defensive he got when someone questioned his motives.
"Theresa, we came to talk with you, alone," Antonio said, putting emphasis on the word 'alone'.
"I suppose that's my cue to leave," Fox said sarcastically as he picked up Jessica and Justin. "Whether you two like it or not, I am married to Theresa and she is the mother of my children, so you guys are stuck with me just like I'm stuck with you-deal with it," he said before heading into the kitchen.
"You didn't have to say it like that," Theresa said with a glare to Antonio. "And why does he have to leave, but Beth and Sheridan, no offense, get to stay?" she asked.
"It's different," Luis started to explain, but Sheridan cut him off.
"You're right, Theresa. Beth and I will be in the kitchen with Fox and the kids," she said before heading to the kitchen with Beth.
"All right, we're alone, go ahead and talk," Theresa said as she took a seat on the couch.
"Care to explain why you married Fox Crane of all the men in the world?" Luis asked.
"No, I don't, I don't ask you to justify your relationships with Beth and Sheridan so you shouldn't ask me to justify mine with Fox," she said.
"Fine, you don't want to talk about that, then we won't. We will, however, talk about this so-called partnership you have with Alistair Crane," Luis said.
"What do you want to know?" Theresa asked with a sigh.
"Why? You know his reputation, why would you get involved with him?"
"Aside from the fact that he's my husband's grandfather, I was interested. How many times in your life do you get to run an entire company with the one you love the way you want? The idea of running an empire with Fox and making our dreams come true was too good of an offer to pass up," she explained.
"What dreams could you possibly have in the Crane Empire?" Antonio asked.
"Fashion, for one thing," Theresa said. "I've been able to work on a Crane fashion line and if it succeeds, it'll be great for the company and I'll be doing something I've always wanted."
"Did you really need Alistair Crane's help?"
"Probably not, but it's always helpful," Theresa said. "I know how you feel about him, but you haven't spent the last five years around him. I know Alistair and I know the way he thinks, and I can handle him. Besides, I've grown on him, although he'd never admit it, and I know that somewhere in there, he does care about me."
"Just promise me you'll be careful around him," Antonio said. "I don't care how well you think you know him, just be careful."
"Fine, if that'll make you both happy, I'll watch my back around him," Theresa said, knowing that Alistair was completely harmless to her.
"Good," they said, finding relief in Theresa's promise.
"Since I'm doing this for you, I'd appreciate it if you two gave Fox a chance," Theresa said. Noticing their impending protests, Theresa kept talking. "You don't know him so you can't judge him in anyway. And if you really knew me, you'd know that I wouldn't be with him unless I knew he was completely worth it."
"But, Theresa-"
"No buts," Theresa said. "He's my husband and he's a part of this family, so accept it."
"Fine," they muttered together.
"Good, now when he comes back in here, you're going to nice to him, okay?"
"Yes," they replied.
"Good," Theresa said as she called Fox back into the room. Sheridan and Beth followed him.
"So, everything okay?" Sheridan asked.
"Yes, we reached as understanding," Theresa said with a smile as she took Jessica from Fox's arms. "So, what are you four doing this afternoon?" she asked them.
"Beth and I were going to go shopping, you're welcome to join us," Sheridan said.
"That's okay, Fox and I were planning on checking out Crane Industries today," Theresa replied.
"Really?" Luis asked curiously.
"Yeah, we just wanted check how everything is run and talk to a few of the employers," Fox explained.
"I see," Beth said. "Well if you want, Sheridan and I can take Jessica and Justin with us," she suggested.
"Oh, you don't have to do that, we can handle them," Theresa said, not wanting Beth and Sheridan to feel obligated.
"No, that's okay," Sheridan said. "I'd love to spend the day with my niece and nephew," she said.
"Me too," Beth added.
"Well if you're sure," Theresa said, wanting to be sure.
"Definitely," Beth said as she took Jessica from Theresa's arm while Sheridan took Justin from Fox.
"All right, I'll go get their things," Theresa said before heading to her room. She returned a few minutes later with a huge baby bag. "Everything you'll need is in here. Jessica is very active so you'll have to keep a good eye on her and Justin doesn't like being around unfamiliar faces for too long so he might be a little fussy. Oh, and-"
"Resa, relax, they'll be fine," Fox said interrupting Theresa as he put his hands on her shoulders. He knew that she hated leaving Jessica and Justin alone with anyone besides their nanny in Paris. It wasn't that she didn't trust them; she just always worried that they wouldn't be able to handle both Jessica and Justin at the same time.
"You're right, I'm sorry," she said to Sheridan and Beth.
"Don't worry, it's completely understandable," Sheridan said. "So, is that it?" she asked as they prepared to leave.
"Yes, if you need anything, mine and Fox's cell phone numbers are in the side of the bag," Theresa said. "Be good for your aunties," she said as she gave Justin and Jessica a kiss on the forehead.
"Daddy will see you two later," Fox said as leaned and also gave them a kiss. "We'll see you later," he said to Sheridan and Beth.
"Okay, bye," they said before leaving the house.
"So, what are you two doing?" Theresa asked as she turned back to Antonio and Luis.
"We've got to get to work," Luis said as they rose from the couch.
"That's right," Theresa said. "I never did get the chance to congratulate you on making the police force," she said as she pulled Antonio into a hug.
"Thank you, how did you know? Alistair?" Antonio asked.
"No, actually Whitney told me. I was so excited when I found out," Theresa replied.
"Whitney, of course. I knew she was lying when she said she didn't know where you were," Luis said.
"I made her promise not to tell anyone," Theresa said.
"And she agreed, I understand. Anyway sis, we've got to get out of here," Luis said. "We'll see you later," he added as he and Antonio bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheeks.
"We'll see you later, Fox," Antonio said as he held his hand out for Fox. Fox shook it and then shook Luis's hand.
"Goodbye," he said.
"Bye," they said before leaving.
"It's just you and me now," Fox said with a smile as he pulled Theresa into his arms.
"So it seems," Theresa said with a smile. "What do you suppose we do about that?" she asked.
"Well I have a few ideas," Fox said before lifting a giggling Theresa in his arms and leading her to her bedroom.
An hour and a half later, Fox and Theresa emerged from her bedroom, fully dressed, and headed to Crane Industries.
"Who did Alistair say we have to speak to at the company?" Theresa asked as Fox began to drive.
"Just the top employers, he said should definitely meet with a few lawyers, accountants, and the Vice President of Crane Industries," Fox replied.
"But Julian's the Vice President, and he practically resigned," Theresa said confused.
"Yeah, I know. But Grandfather said that since there are no other Cranes willing to run the company, and since you and I are going to be co- presidents and CEO's of the company, he had to hire someone else to be vice president," Fox explained.
"Who?"
"I don't know, he said he'd make his decision this morning, so whoever it is, they probably just found out," Fox replied as he parked his jeep.
"I see," Theresa said as she and Fox got out of the jeep and entered the company. "It's going to be so weird working with a whole different group of people," Theresa said as she passed by the various employers of Crane Industries.
"I know what you mean," Fox said. "I'm so used to walking in the building and being greeted by Moet and Elise," Fox said, referring to the two middle-aged women that were his and Theresa's secretaries in Paris.
"All right, so whom are we meeting first?" she asked as she looked at the little list that Fox had in his hand.
"Grandfather said we just meet Michael Anderson, he's supposed to be the best accountant in the company," Fox said as he took Theresa hand and started to lead her to Mr. Anderson's office.
"Alrighty then, let's get started," Theresa said before they knocked on his door.
A few hours later, Fox and Theresa were roaming the halls tiredly. They had spent the last four or five hours meeting and greeting every employer on Alistair's list and they still had one more person left.
"Is it just me, or does no one seem to want us running this company?" Theresa asked as she remembered the hostile looks she had gotten by the majority of the employers they had met.
"No, it's not just you, I noticed it too. I think a lot of them believe that we're just going to ruin the company and leave them jobless," Fox said.
"Probably," Theresa agreed with a roll of her eyes. "We'll show them," she muttered.
"Of course we will," Fox said, smiling with pride at the determined look on Theresa's face.
"Who's the last person we have to meet?" she asked tiredly; she just wanted to go home and be with her children.
"We have to meet the vice president; since Alistair just picked him or her this morning, I have know idea what their name is," Fox replied as they neared the door with the name plate labeled 'Vice President.' He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a muffled voice said from behind the door. Fox turned the knob and entered with Theresa. He stopped dead in his tracks at the person sitting behind the desk.
"You gotta be kidding me," he said loudly.
"Oh, this is just perfect," Theresa muttered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
"Fox, Theresa, it's good to see you," Ethan said as he walked around the desk and came to stand in front of Fox and Theresa.
"You're the new vice president?" Fox asked unbelievably.
"Yes, little brother, I am," Ethan said with a glare. "I guess Alistair just couldn't deny that I was the best man for the job," he added with a smile.
"That, and the fact that he was desperate," Theresa muttered. Before Ethan could comment on her statement, someone breezed into his office.
"Ethan, I found the-" Gwen stopped talking when she noticed Fox and Theresa in the room.
"What are you doing here?" Fox asked tiredly as he rubbed his forehead tiredly. It really didn't matter what reason Gwen had for being there, he was sure he wasn't going to like it.
"Well, Gwen was feeling really idle and bored, and she really wanted something to do during the day, so I hired her as my personal assistant," Ethan explained.
"Wait, so you and Gwen are going to be working here?" Theresa asked, obviously not liking the idea one bit.
"Well, yes," Ethan said. "As vice president, I'll have a lot more work to do, and having a personal assistant will make things much easier," he said.
"So, as vice president, you are most likely going to be working very closely with Theresa and I, right?" Fox asked as he put everything together in his head.
"Yes, that is correct," Ethan confirmed.
"And since Gwen is your personal assistant, she'll most likely be working just as closely with us, am I correct?" Theresa asked as she also tried to process everything.
"Yes, you're right," Ethan confirmed once again.
"So, that basically means that four of us have just become joined at hip," Fox said as he banged his head on the wall.
"Perfect," Theresa groaned as she slumped on to Fox. How the hell were she and Fox supposed to work with the two people that they hated most in the world? With another groan, Theresa slumped even further into Fox with only one thought running through her head. 'I'll get Alistair for this.'
TBC.
Please leave feedback!!!