Ch.11

"Oh honey! I'm ho-ome!" Ethan walked into the mansion. He had just returned from the hospital.

"Ethan, where have you been?" Gwen walked in angry. "You can't just leave me here alone with Little Ethan…he's your son now too you know."

"I'm sorry sweetie," Ethan said, kissing Gwen's cheek. "I just had a client I had to meet with."

Gwen looked at her watch.

"At 9:30 at night?"

"He's a busy worker…this was the only time he could meet me."

"Whatever," she sighed. "I'm just glad you're here now…I need a break from playing with that little brat."

"Where is he?" Ethan asked, trying to control the smile that was dangerously starting to spread across his face. He couldn't wait for Gwen to get what was coming to her.

"He's in his room…go play with him for awhile…I need to find mother." She turned and walked away.

Ethan ran up the stairs to his godson's room.

"Hiya Ethan!" the little boy yelled when he saw him.

"Hey there Kiddo…whatcha doing?"

"Nothing…I was drawing a picture for my mommy." He held up the small paper, still dripping with marker.

"Wow, that's really good," Ethan said, taking it. "I'm sure your mommy is ogoing to love it."

"When am I going to be able to see her?"

Ethan hated hearing the sadness in his voice.

"Soon," he whispered. "You're going to get to see your mommy real soon ok? I just have to take care of some things first."

"Like what?"

Ethan smiled.

"That's not important," he said. "You just worry about finishing that picture…that way it will be all finished for her."

"Ok Ethan!" he yelled. He smiled as he went back to coloring.

Ethan walked out of the room and down the hall to his bedroom.

He never noticed the shadow that hid in the room next door.

Once he was gone, she emerged.

"So Ethan is planning on giving Teresita her son back," she said.

"We'll just see about that."

Back across town, Fox and Teresa had just arrived home. He had convinced her to leave the hospital.

"I'll stay with you," he had told her.

"You promise?"

"With all my heart."

They walked into the dimly lit house, both remembering the events that had last taken place.

Fox could see her shoulders tense up.

"Are you ok?" he asked, gently stroking her hair.

"Yea, I'm ok, " she smiled. "It just feels nice to be here with you…knowing that soon enough my son will be back where he belongs."

He kissed the top of her head.

"I told you everything would be ok," he said smiling. "I mean seriously Resa, you should know by now that I am always right."

She laughed.

"And you're so modest too!" she pinched him.

"Don't fight with me Teresa…I would hate to have to embarrass you with my awesome skills."

"Oh yea? What skills?" she laughed, throwing a pillow at him. He fell back onto the couch.

"That's it!" he yelled trying to get up. Before he could, Teresa piled on top of him, tickling him.

"Stop!" he laughed, trying to catch his breath.

"Not to tough now are ya big guy?" she asked, not giving up.

"Teresa," he wheezed, tears pouring from his eyes from laughing so hard. "I give! I give!"

She stopped tickling him. He took in a deep breath.

"that was unfair." He said.

"Awww, is wittle Foxy mad because he wost to a girl?" she mocked.

He smiled, grabbing her arm.

"Now you're gonna get I-"

He stopped talking.

Teresa looked at him as he became still. She followed his gaze to her arm.

To her scars.

"Fox," she tried to say.

"Shhhhhh," he said soothingly. He reached out his hand, and gently brushed the marks with his fingertips.

Teresa shut her eyes.

"Do you feel that?" he whispered, his eyes never leaving her arm.

"Yes," she mouthed, no sound escaping.

Fox leaned down and kissed it, his lips gently tracing the red outline.

"How bout that?" he murmured in between kisses.

She let out a small whimper.

"Oh Fox," she said, reaching out to him, pulling him in close to her. He wrapped his arms around her tiny frame.

"I knew you could feel me," he said, his eyes shut tight, hands caressing her back.

"I always feel you," she breathed into his ear.

"Always."

The two held each other the rest of the night, eventually lying back and falling asleep on the sofa.

For the first time since little Ethan had been taken away, Teresa slept through the entire night.

She didn't have one nightmare.