Diabolique
Rated R
Chapter 5: Backdraft
"That was obvious. Would you have ever told me?"
"I don't know."
"It was for my own good, right?"
"For mine. I knew that if I told you, you would want nothing to do with me...and you proved me right."
Waking up from the repeated scene from last night, Theresa threw the comforter off, and stood up stretching. Pushing the drapes away from the picture window, she looked on the sunrise that signaled a new day had begun.
And it will only get beeter Theresa thought happily, thinking of the two reasons down the hall.
Looking in the bathroom mirror, Theresa was annoyed at the puffiness of her eyes, a clear indication of her sleepless night. Mentally blaming the person resposible, she began her morning routine, taking a quick shower and within fifteen, fully dressed to start the day. Walking down the hall, she first peeped into Jacen's room to check to see if he was awake. Going over to the crib, she looked down on the peacefully sleeping toddler. Brushing back his soft fine hair, she couldn't help but see his father's features prominently displayed for all the world the to see. Even Alistair recognized the uncanny resemblance. Giving the small boy a kiss, she quitely left the room and entered the one across the hall.
Seeing the covers halfway on the sleeping figure, the young mother smiled and walked over to the bed, bringing up the covers and gently placing them around her other son. Just as she did with Jacen, Theresa brushed the honey-gold bangs from Little Ethan's face, allowing a tear to fall. She couldn't believe that her son was finally back where he belonged. With a small kiss on his chubby cheek, she left the room just as quielty as she entered.
Going back to her room, she grabbed the baby monitor and made her way to the kitchen, following the scent of the fresh coffee that Lisette must have made before she left to run errands. Pouring a steaming cup, she walked over to the couch and picked up the finance projection she wanted to read last night before a persistent enemy decided to barge in.
Shaking those thoughts out of her head, she picked up the folder and tried to concentrate on the report as best as she could, but couldn't get the image of blond hair and fierce brown eyes kept getting in the way. Realizing that it was pointless to even bother, Theresa put the folder back down and picked up the phone instead, hoping that her mother would be a welcoming distraction.
"Mama, it's Theresa. I wanted to know if you and everyone wanted to join us at Boomers this afternoon. I promised Ethan that I would take him and I think that this would be a good time for all of us to get together."
"That would be good. Maybe we should invite-"
"No Mama. I want JUST FAMILY there. Please!" she cut in, hoping that her mother would abide by her wishes.
"I will tell Luis, Sheridan, and Paloma. I am sure that they will be there as well. There are a few surprises that we have for you," Pilar gushed, thinking of the nephew that Theresa had yet to meet.
Thinking of her own little 'surprise', Theresa smiled. "That's great. I'll meet you at the entrance around 5pm. Tell Luis, Loma, and Sheridan I can't wait to see them. Love you, Mama."
No sooner than she hung up the phone, it rang. "Hello?"
"I trust everything went as planned last night?"
Thinking of the destruction she leveled at the Crane Mansion last night, she grinned. "Of course."
"Good girl." Looking at a small frame on the corner of his desk, AListair's mouth turned slightly upwards, thinking of the child that reminded him so much of his heir apprarent. "How is my great-grandson?"
"Jacen is doing well. I was afraid that Ethan might resent Jacen, but it seems that he has taken the role of protector very well," she grinned, thinking of her sons first meeting last night.
Clearing his throat, Alistair brusquely asked, "Are you ready to set the next part in motion?"
"Most definitely."
"I have heard from my sources that Gwen and Ethan have put in a motion to overturn the custody agreement and will serve papers to you within two days."
Looking down at her perfectly manicured nails, Theresa muttered, "I'm surprised that it's going to take that long. I would have figured Gwen would have tried to kill me in my sleep last night."
"Don't worry. Its already been taken care of, however are you prepared to do what we agreed upon?"
"I'll have to be."
"Make sure that you do. I'll be in touch."
"Nice talking to you too," she muttered, used to Alistair's abrupt behavior by now.
"Mommy?"
Turning in the direction of the sleep-heavy voice, she smiled as Ethan made his way over to her. "Hey baby." Picking him up, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "How are you this morning?"
"Good. Can I play with Jace for awhile?"
Knowing that Jacen wouldn't be up for a while, she suggested, "How about we go see if he's awake and then we can all go down the park for a bit after breakfast?"
Nodding in agreement, Ethan continued, "Can we go to grandma's after? I want to show her my new brother."
"How about we save Jacen as a surprise for when we go to Boomers? That way, you and I can introduce him to everyone at the same time." and hopefully Mama and Luis won't kill me in a public place, she thought, already dreading the reactions of her overprotective mother brother, not to mention the rest of the family.
Loving surprises himself, Ethan knew that his abuela would love it. "Okay."
Finding his wife in the newly vacant nursery, Ethan looked in and watched as Gwen threw anotehr sirt into one of the suitcases littering the bed. Theresa had sent over a moving service and they would deliver Little Ethan's things. On one hand he was relived that there wouldn't be a full-blown confrontation between the two women, but he was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see Theresa and get a chance to explain everything...
And to tell her how much he still loved her and wanted her in his life in any capacity she was willing to give him.
Walking over to the solemn woman, he grabbed the shaking hands that were trying to fold a shirt. "Gwen. Please talk to me."
Wrenching her hands from his grasp, she went back to her previous task. "Unless you can tell me how we can get our son back, there isn't anything to say."
"Gwen-"
Slamming the suitcase shut, Gwen turned blazing eyes on her husband. "Dammit Ethan! She hasn't even been back for a full twenty-four hours and already you step up to defend her. Need I remind you that she just took away the little boy we've raised for the past two years as well as kill the other two children we were supposed to have!"
"You know that isn't true, Gwen. Besides, I'd always maintained that Little Ethan should have been with Theresa ever since your mother set her vendetta against Theresa in motion," he replied evenly, knowing that he had just opened Pandora's box.
Not believing that Ethan once again rationalized Theresa's atrocious behavior, Gwen hissed, "So, are you saying that this is all my fault?"
"No, but I just wish that you and your mother would just let things go. No matter what you do to Theresa or her family, it will not bring back Sarah."
"How dare you-"
"You know what? I DO! I mean, just look were all this cost us, cost you?" Ethan seethed, fed up with his wife's reasoning for everything she did to Theresa.
"This is all that bitch's fault! Why in the hell couldn't she just stay DEAD?!"
"And why can't you just let go?!" Ethan wearily pleaded, once again wishing that he wasn't so damn noble and had followed his heart all those years ago.
Turning an icy glare to the frustrated man before her, she crossed the room and opened the door. Before she walked out, she slowly shook her heard and growled, "Fu(k you, Ethan. Just fu(k you!"
Too late, I've already done a spectacular job myself, Ethan thought, wincing as he heard the sound of the door slamming shut.
Theresa, Jacen, Ethan Martin, and Lisette were enjoying themselves in the park, making smiles appear wheneever someone caught a glimpse of the laughing, happy group.
"Mama, can we get some ice cream?"
Focusing on her oldest son, she considered his question as she looked down at her watch. "I don't know honey. It's getting close to lunchtime."
"Pretty please? I bet Jacen wants some too, don't you Jace?" Ethan asked his brother, already having coached the little boy.
Taking his cue from the older boy, Jacen gave Theresa a bright smile and started jumping up and down. "Icweam! Icweam!"
Hearing laughter behind her, Theresa turned to see a giggling Lisette. "Looks like the double team has started already, huh T?"
Looking at the two happy faces in front of her, she nodded and laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Kneeling down in front of her sons, she asked, "What kind do you want?"
"Vanilla," came the prompt answer from Ethan Martin, with Jacen chanting, "V'nilla too."
"Alright, three Vanilla cones." Turning back to her au pair she asked, Can I get you anything?"
"Chocolate Mint. I think I'm going to need all the sugar I can get keeping up with those two."
Nodding in agreement, Theresa called out to her sons, "Be right back."
Walking the short distance to the ice cream stand, she quickly moved up the line. "What can I get you, Miss?"
Just as she was about to order, she heard a familiar and unwelcome voice call her name.
"Theresa."
Excusing herself from the line, she slowly walked over to the nervous woman standing a few feet away. Wanting to unnerve her even more, she gave the up and coming tennis star a thorough once over.
"Ms. Russell."
Still baffled at the formal greeting her best friend was using, Whitney huffed, "Why are you being this way? What happened to my best friend?"
"As I told your annoying lover, your best friend died two years ago. Now, if you'll excuse me-"
Quickly blocking Theresa way, Whitney muttered, "No, I don't because you're not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell I ever did to you. And what the hell are you talking about my 'annoying lover'?"
"You could say that your true colors finally came through." Giving the other woman a look that made Whitney extremly anxious, Theresa continued, "I know about you and Nicholas."
"What are you talking about? Is this about what happened at the Inn all those years ago?" Whitney snapped, not believing that Theresa would hold what happened when her and Chad arrived at the Inn a few years ago. As far as Whitney was concerned, Theresa had not really gotten angry in the first place, so where was all this attitude coming from?
"Actually it's about what happened at the Crane mansion almost a year ago," Theresa shot back, enjoying the wind go out of Little Miss Righteous' sails.
FLASHBACK
"Hello Theresa, how are you today?"
Sitting in the chair in front of his mahoghany desk, Theresa sighed, "Alistair, you demanded that I come here, so please cut the samll talk. Now tell me what you want.
"Fine, I was just trying to turn over a new leaf and be polite."
"Well, don't. You being nice to me is putting me on edge."
"Sit down and get comfortable."
"What is this all about?"
"I think I'll just let you watch," he smirked, pressing a button on the remote he was holding. Soon the television in front of her was full of images and sounds that she'd never think that she would see.
Fox and Whitney.
In bed.
Making love.
Even though she knew about Fox's feelings for her best friend, she couldn't believe that in million years that Whitney would return them and betray Chad. Then again, after what she had learned about Julian and the 'good doctor', she shouldn't really be surprised.
Keeping the traitorous tears at bay, she snapped at the Crane patriarch,"And what does this disgusting display have to do with me?"
"You don't strike me as a dumb girl, Theresa. I know that this is killing you inside."
"I've known about Fox's feelings towards Whitney ever since the fall. " I just never thought she would actually fall for him, she added, trying to block out the moans emanating from the speakers.
Blowing a stream of smoke into the air, the old man continued, "However, this doesn't have to do with your feelings for my wayward grandson. This is about stopping history before it repeats itself."
"Again what does this have to do with me?" Theresa asked gruffly. Knowing that he had her full attention, Alistair went on to explain the history between Eve and Julian and all the things that Eve and Julian had done in order to keep their past together from being revealed.
After hearing the narrative, Theresa sat there in shock, not believing all the lies and misunderstanding that those two had created, allowing others to wreak havoc all over Harmony so that their secret would be kept secret.
Even at the cost of loosing her son.
Seeing the dangerous gleam in the other man's eyes, Theresa knew that he had a plan for her to carry out. "What do you want me to do Alistair?"
Flicking ash off the end of his expensive Cuban cigar, Alistair promptly replied, "Destroy them and leave nothing standing."
"Believe me, not even ashes will remain after I'm done," Theresa vowed, waiting for the day she would be able to exact the ultimate revenge on everyone that hurt her.
Everyone.
END FLASHBACK
"W-what? How?"
"None of that concerns you. I just wanted to put you on notice." Then giving a bitter laugh, she added, "I find it really ironic that you harped on and on about your mother and how she was such a whore to be sneaking around with Julian behind your father's back. Yet you had no qualms about doing the same to Chad."
"No Theresa, you don't understand-"
"I understand enough."
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing to you directly."
"What does that mean?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't emulate my mother so much. You just might get the same treatment she will get in a few days."
"Theresa? What are you talking about? What are you going to do?"
"I no longer answer to you. I just hope that
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than to converse with a backstabber like you."
Grabbing her arm, Whitney stopped Theresa cold. "We're not finished yet."
"Yes we are. Now I would suggest you take your hands off me before I take them off myself"
"Is that a threat?"
"More of a warning. Right now, the only thing that is preventing me from kicking your ass is the fact my son is a few yards away." Then leaning in closer, she whispered to the shaking woman, "But remember, that he always won't be around. Goodbye Ms. Russell."
Staring at the back of the person that used to be her best friend, Whitney quickly dug into her purse for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she frantically dialed a familiar number and waited for the other person to pick up.
"Hello," a gruff voice answered, putting Whitney even more on edge.
"We have to talk about Theresa. She knows. SHE KNOWS!"
"First, calm down. Second, I already know that. She told me that she overheard me admitting my feelings for you," the person sighed, remembering the 'heated discussion' that had happened between him and the newly returned Lopez-Fitzgerald.
"NO NO NO! I'm talking about that night at the mansion. You know when we-"
Not wanting to revisit that night, the man quickly jumped in. "I'll be at the Book Cafe in ten minutes."
Making her way out of the park, Whitney tried to hold back the fear that threatened to engulf her. "See you then."
Pressing the end button, Fox could only sit down heavily on his bed and wonder if he would ever stop paying for what happened two years ago.
Knowing Theresa, not a chance in hell.
tbc.......