Rain On Me

Chapter Ten

Conflicting emotions ran through Pilar as she followed Dr. Angelou down the hall to her sons room. Luis had come through his surgery with flying colors, both bullets miraculously missing any major organs or arteries. They had lodged in two of his ribs, preventing them from exiting his body and hitting Sheridan earlier, and though it would cause him pain for a time to come, he would make a full recovery. She was obviously thrilled to learn he would be all right, but she was not looking forward to his reaction when he learned that Sheridan was likely moments away from giving birth to their first child.

The poor girl had cried and screamed for Luis the entire way to the delivery room, the events of the day combined with the impending birth finally pushing her to her breaking point. At first she had flat out refused to move from her spot, citing that if she was going to have the baby, it would be done right there as she was not leaving until she knew Luis was okay. Her tune had quickly changed however, as an intense contraction had ripped through her body and she was soon being wheeled toward the delivery room, tears streaming down her face.

"Right in here," Dr. Angelou's voice interrupted her thoughts and her gaze snapped over to him.

Reaching for the door handle, she smiled toward the doctor. "Thank you."

He nodded and left her to visit her son alone. Raising her eyes to the heavens, she said a short prayer of thanks before stepping into the room.

The constant beep of the heart monitor reassured her that he was indeed alive and she wiped away a stray tear as she approached the bed. His eyes were closed as she came to a stop beside him, though they fluttered open when she reached for his hand. A hazy smile appeared on his lips and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Mama."

"Mijo. Thank God you're all right."

"Of course I'm all right. It's going to take more than few silly bullets to take me down." A look of confusion dawned on his face then as he struggled to sit up. "Mama, where's Sheridan?"

Pilar sighed. "Promise me you'll stay calm, Mijo."

"Did something happen to her?" Luis' voice was drenched in fear. "Mama, tell me!"

"Luis," She began timidly, already not liking the look in his eyes. "Sheridan is... she's in the delivery room. Her water broke about an hour ago."

Before she had even gotten all the words out, Luis was already fighting to get out of bed, determination written on the lines of his face.

"Mijo," Pilar attempted to stop him, but he was not to be deterred as he got to unsteady feet.

"I have to get to her, there's no way in hell I'm going to miss this."

"Luis you just gout out of surgery -"

"She needs me!" He waved away her concern. "After everything that happened tonight, I'm not going to let her go through this alone." Emotion poured from his dark eyes as his gaze met his mothers. "They already took experiencing this pregnancy together from us, it'll be over my dead body they take the birth too."

The pain in his voice convinced Pilar and she nodded in understanding. "I know, Mijo. But please, sit while I go find the doctor. You shouldn't be wandering around the hospital right after surgery."

His wince was his agreement as he slowly and reluctantly sat back down on the bed. "Hurry, Mama. If the doctor isn't here in a few minutes, I'm going to find her myself."

"I'll be right back," She promised, kissing his forehead with motherly love. Once she was gone, a loud moan of agony bolted past Luis' lips and his eyes closed in pain. He'd gladly suffer through if it meant getting to Sheridan's side as soon as possible. He couldn't believe she was in labor, if not having already given birth to their baby. With all she'd been through in the past twenty-four hours, enduring an event they so hopefully planned on experiencing together had to be the last thing she needed to go through alone. And it was something he would never forgive himself for if he missed it.

Deciding he'd waited too long for the doctor already, he summoned up what little strength he had left and got to his feet. Grimacing as he plucked the IV from his arm, he moved slowly, yet with a stead fast resolve to get to the woman he loved.

Just before he reached the door, it opened and a nurse stepped in front of him. Disapproval danced across her stern face and she gave him a hard look.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"I have to get -"

"Back in bed," She interrupted, taking his arm and turning him around. He abruptly pulled from her grasp and shook his head.

"No, I have to get to Sheridan. She -"

"Sir, you just got out of surgery, you have to stay in bed so you can heal," She reprimanded impatiently.

"I don't give a damn!" Luis bellowed, his temper getting the better of him. "I'm not going to miss -"

"What's going on here?" A third voice inquired and the two turned to find Eve and Pilar entering the room.

"Dr. Russell, I found Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald about to leave his room and he refuses to get back in bed," The nurse explained.

"I have to get to Sheridan," Luis countered, his eyes pleading with his doctor. "Please, Eve, I can't miss this."

"I know," Eve smiled gently, patting his arm. Turning to the nurse, she made a request. "Evelyn, please go get me a wheelchair. We must get Luis down to the delivery room."

"But Doctor -"

"Evelyn, it's all right," Eve assured her and the nurse nodded, scurrying past them. When she'd left, the doctor gave Luis a disapproving look. "I really should insist you stay put, but I hear Sheridan is really giving them hell down there and she couldn't probably use you."

Luis smirked at the image of his refined heiress screeching like a banshee at the hospital staff. No one knew from experience better than he just how well she could give it.

"Thanks, Eve."

Just as Eve finished reattaching his IV drip, the nurse returned with the wheelchair. Both women gently helped him into the chair and he exchanged a look with his mother as Eve pushed him past, toward where he would soon meet his firstborn child.

Tears rolled down Sheridan's cheeks in waves, though she refused to let anyone close enough to comfort her. There was only one person she wanted beside her but he wasn't there. Pain tore through her heart and abdomen simultaneously and she let out an anguished cry that had all those around her wincing.

Then suddenly she was enveloped in warmth and she looked up in surprise. A pair of rich cocoa eyes smiled down at her and she gripped the hand that came up to brush away her tears.

"Luis?" She whispered, unsure if he was really there of if she was hallucinating.

"What, you didn't think I was going to miss this, did you?" His soothing voice teased as he leaned over to brush a kiss to her temple.

Shifting so she could see him better, her fingers reached out to trail over his familiar features. "It is you, you're really here."

"I'm here," Luis grasped her hand in his. "I was afraid I was going to be too late."

"But you made it," Sheridan smiled after another contraction passed through. Concern washed over her features when she saw his IV and she sat up slightly. "Oh God, Luis are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He insisted, urging her to lay back. "Nothing some time and a little TLC won't cure."

"Are you sure? You were bleeding so much ..."

"I'm fine," He repeated, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry about me, we have a baby to think about."

"Our baby," She murmured, one hand wandering down to touch her stomach. A smile spread across her face when his hand followed the same path to cover hers.

"Our baby. The first of many."

Sheridan groaned at his words, but couldn't help but grin at the way his eyes sparkled back at her. "Half a dozen?"

"As many as you want," Luis replied, lacing their fingers together before he lifted her hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. "It's a new beginning for us."

"The beginning of forever," She whispered, a smile playing with her lips. "Our own family."

His breath tickled her ear as he murmured his next promise. "And as soon as we're both on our feet again, we'll make it official."

"Are you all right?" Fox asked, coming up behind Theresa. She turned at the sound of his voice and offered a weak smile.

"I'm just worried about my brother and Sheridan. They both have to be okay."

"Hey, they will be," He said gently, wrapping an arm around her petite shoulders. "And pretty soon you're going to be an aunt and I'll have a new cousin... and they'll finally be able to be together without anyone interfering."

"They love each other so much," Theresa smiled. "Soul mates."

An indefinable look passed over Fox's face then and she eyed him curiously.

"Fox, is something wrong?"

Staring into her big brown eyes, Fox felt a sudden surge rush through him and he couldn't bring himself to respond verbally. Instead his arm encircled her waist and he pulled her closer to him. As their bodies came into close contact with one another, he lowered his head to capture her lips in the sweetest kiss she'd ever experienced.

Resting his forehead against hers when they parted, he smirked. "You know Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, I think I just might be in love with you."

The largest grin known to man slipped across her face then and she held his face between her hands, pecking his lips before responding. "That's good, because I think I might love you too."

"Oh yeah?" He inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Yep," She giggled just before his mouth descended to hers once again.

"He's perfect," Sheridan happily sniffled, her azure eyes enraptured by the tiny bundle currently cuddled close in his fathers arms.

"Of course he is, he's ours," Luis joked, joy filling every corner of his smiling expression. The baby cooed in his slumber as Luis traced his tiny features with the tip of his finger. "Our son."

"Our son," She repeated, her expression mirroring his. "I can't believe he's finally here."

"Safe and healthy," He spoke, leaning over to brush her lips with a faint kiss, but Sheridan was having none of it. Her free hand curled around his neck, urging his mouth closer, more intimately, as they came together in an explosive kiss, finally releasing all the extreme emotions that the day had brought.

"Ahem." A clearly amused voice interrupted from the doorway and they broke apart to find Eve smiling at them.

With a sheepish grin, Luis coughed and sat up a bit more. "Eve."

Entering, her eyes sparkled with mirth. "Well, I'm glad to see the shooting didn't seem to leave any lasting effects," She cracked, her smile growing as she glanced down at the sleeping newborn. Turning her attention to Sheridan, she asked, "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Tired. Blissfully happy," Sheridan replied with an impossibly large smile of her own.

"Any pain?"

"I'm a little sore," She admitted, "But not too bad."

"That'll pass," Eve informed her knowingly. "Well, I just came in to let you know you've got half the town out there, chomping at the bit to meet this little guy. Are you feeling up to any visitors?"

Luis and Sheridan exchanged a look before he nodded. "Send the masses in."

"All right, but I'm going to have to insist they don't stay too long. It's been a big day and you both need your rest." Eve told them, her tone authoritative.

Sheridan's gaze drifted over to Luis and she nodded. "She's right, you need to get some rest, Luis."

"I'm not leaving you," Luis adamantly refused, to which Eve chuckled.

"I'll tell you what, once everyone clears out, if you promise to get some sleep, I'll have them bring in another bed for you."

Glancing over at Sheridan, who was now holding the baby close, a sweet serene look of peace on her face, he sighed. It was better than nothing and he quickly agreed. "Okay, I guess I can live with that."

"Good," Eve smiled. "Now why don't I go get your family?"

At their nod, she left them alone with their son.

A pair of critical green eyes watched with a half smile as the doctor, Eve, she though she'd heard Luis' sister call her, lead the Lopez-Fitzgerald family down the hall to meet the new addition. After they'd disappeared, her gaze drifted over to the regal form of Julian Crane and her smile turned into a sneer. Her dear big brother, who despite his sudden change of face, had ruined nearly as many lives as their father. She couldn't wait to see his reaction to what was about to happen.

Slipping unnoticed from the molded plastic chair, Rachel moved with determined strides to where a row of payphones hung on the wall. Locating the correct amount of change, she waited for the familiar voice to pick up on the other end.

"Hey, it's me. I'm at the hospital. He's fine, she had the baby. Yeah, it's time. Okay, see you soon."

Hanging up, her eyes sought out those closest to the Lopez-Fitzgerald and Crane families and she shook her head. Tonight was bound to be an explosion those affected would never recover from.

"You get some rest now," Pilar firmly commanded of her son and Sheridan as she reluctantly returned her grandson to his mothers waiting rams. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll make sure he gets some sleep," Sheridan promised, shooting an impish grin in Luis' direction. All he could do was shake his head.

"I'll sleep, all right? Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Stubborn as always I see, huh HPD?"

At the newcomers comment, all looked up as Rachel entered the room, a second figured coming in behind her. Luis' brow furrowed when he placed the man as Ryan, the one that had been at Rachel's apartment the night he'd found out about the imposter. Why did he suddenly feel as though things were going to take another twist?

Sheridan must've sensed it too, as her hand secretly reached for his and she exhaled quietly once he held it securely.

"Hey, Rach."

"I'm glad you're okay," Rachel smiled, patting his head affectionately before she caught sight of the beautiful being in her sisters arms. Gasping, she reached out to touch her nephews hand. "Oh my, he's beautiful! He looks just like his father."

"Doesn't he though?" Sheridan laughed, but Luis shook his head.

"Hate to burst your bubbles, but this kid looks like his mother."

"He does not," Sheridan argued. "Face it, Luis, he's all you."

"Nope," He held steady. "All I see when I look at him is you. It's all you, Babe."

Rachel rolled her eyes in amusement as she watched them banter back and forth. Gazing up, her eyes met those of her guest and they shared a smile. Glancing back at Sheridan, she sighed inwardly. God knew the woman had been through enough tonight and she hated to bring any more pain to these people but it was time.

Clearing her throat, she stood, her eyes sweeping past the other occupants of the room to where he stood in the doorway. He caught her look and nodded, moving further in the room and closing the door behind him.

"I know you've all been through a lot tonight and I hate to add any more stress to your lives, but there's a lot that you need to know."

"Rachel?" Luis questioned, his dark eyes pinning on her. What was she up to?"

She turned, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Luis, but I haven't been completely honest with you. If you all will just have a seat, you'll understand in a minute."

Laying her son down in the bed set up beside hers, Sheridan curled in beside Luis, clutching his hand as they awaited whatever was about to be thrown at them. Her gut was telling her her life was about be turned upside again and she trembled slightly with trepidation.

Once everyone was seated, the strange man joined Rachel in the center of the room, his hands in his pockets. His gaze traveled from each of the Lopez-Fitzgerald's and a sad smile played on his lips. Rachel let out a pent up breath before beginning.

"I guess I'll go first. Sheridan," She spoke softly to the sister she barely knew. The other woman's blue eyes filled with surprise at being singled out. "What I have to save affects you the most and I hope to God you can forgive me for deceiving you."

Sheridan's mind went into overdrive then, unable to come up with anything that could prompt such a reaction from her newfound friend. "I'm sure whatever it is, we can fix it. It can't be that bad."

"I hope you still feel that way when I'm done," She sighed, her eyes filling with tears. "My story goes back to before I was born. My parents didn't have a conventional marriage, my mother was my fathers second choice of a wife and he treated her as such everyday they were married. The night I was conceived was the night my mother planned on leaving my father. Her plan was set, all she had to do was get her daughter out of the house and away from the vicious bastard she was married to." Rachel paused then, lifting her watery eyes to a pair that watched her every move. "That little girl was you, Sheridan and that woman was Katherine, our mother. I'm your sister."

The silence that filled the room was palpable, all so still you could hear a pin drop and Sheridan was left staring at Rachel in complete disbelief.

Her initial disbelief then turned to confusion, which gave way to anger and she shook her head, her blue eyes flashing.

"No, you're lying. I don't know who you think you are or what you're trying to pull, but it's not going to work."

Rachel's eyes softened, her stature somewhat defeated and her hurt obvious. "I can understand why you'd think that, but I'm not. I have nothing to gain by lying, Sheridan. I would give anything for that evil bastard not to be my father, but unfortunately he is. I am your sister."

Luis' gaze darted from the woman he loved to the one who had become an integral part of his life in such a short span of time, his brown furrowed. He'd felt an unexplainable connection to Rachel from the moment they had met and as he studied each of them, he finally understood why. That connection had been there because she was part of Sheridan, her sister, though he couldn't quite believe it himself.

"No," Sheridan was shaking her head again. "No, that's impossible. My mother died when I was a little girl, there's no way she could've had another child."

"She didn't die," Rachel gently informed her. "I was conceived the night she left, the night she was forced to leave. She didn't die, Sheridan."

Sheridan seemed to become disoriented at her words as the tears began sliding down her cheeks. "No. My mother loved me, she wouldn't have left me! She died, she had to, she wouldn't have abandoned me!"

Rachel made a move to comfort her but was stopped by Luis' abrupt shake of the head. He instead took on the role, gathering her in his arms and murmuring soft words of reassurance as she quietly sobbed. After a few minutes she finally calmed down enough to pull back after receiving a loving kiss on the forehead from the man beside her.

"If... if what you're saying is true and my mother really didn't die, then she must still be alive. Is she? Is my mother really alive?"

All eyes were on Rachel and she fidgeted nervously under their scrutiny. Meeting Sheridan's eyes, she shook her head. "No, she's not. She was killed a few years ago. Alistair killed her."

A muffled cry escaped Sheridan as one hand come up to cover her mouth. Tears slid noiselessly down her cheeks in torrents as she trembled uncontrollably.

"Oh God no!"

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Rachel reached for her hand.

"I'm so sorry. I wish it wasn't true. I wish to God it wasn't."

"H-how?" Sheridan asked. "How did he do it?"

"Sweetheart, maybe we should wait until tomorrow. You've been through enough tonight," Luis cut in, concern for her well-being apparent in his dark eyes, but she immediately refused.

"No, I need to know. How did it happen?"

Tears filled Rachel's eyes as she recounted the tragic day. "Growing up, w e never settled down in one place because he had threatened her that night, that if he ever found her, he would kill her and she refused to let anything happen to me. About seven years ago we were living just outside of Vancouver when he finally tracked her down. I don't know exactly what happened, just that when I came home from school that day, I found her laying in a pool of blood. She was still alive and at the hospital, she told me everything. She told me about Alistair, about you and Julian and everything she had done to try and get you out of that house. She made me promise to one day find you and tell you how much she loved you and how sorry she was that she failed you. She died a few hours later."

Sheridan seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment as the truth sank in. Her father had taken so much from her, the chance to have a sister and her mother included. Slowly she sat forward, one hand reached toward her newfound sister. Rachel reading accepted her hand and before either could blink, the two women had come together in a long overdue, much needed embrace.

Watching the reunion with tears in her eyes, Pilar stood, urging Theresa to follow her. Not wanting to interrupt the emotional moment, she kissed her sons head, whispering, "We're going to go, Mijo. I'll see you later."

Luis nodded. "All right. Thanks for being here, Mama, Resa."

"Try and get some rest," Pilar instructed him as his sister leaned over to hug him and kiss his cheek.

"We'll see," He quipped, watching them leave. As the two reached the door, Rachel's friend called out, effectively stopping them dead in their tracks.

"Mama, wait."

Two years later

"Brayden!" Sheridan called to her wayward two year old son as the rambunctious child took off across the sandy beach to where his Uncle Antonio and Aunt Rachel were staring towards them. Her son seemed to have not heard her as he didn't pause even momentarily before he launched himself at his uncle.

"Oh, he's okay," Luis teased, wrapping his arms around his wife's slightly swollen middle from behind. She sighed tiredly and leaned into him.

"He listens about as well as you do."

"Watch it Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald," He warned, his voice low and seductive. "Or I just may have to make you pay for that comment later."

"Mmm, I'm counting on it," Sheridan smiled, turning in his arms. They shared a sweet kiss before the squeal of the nine-month-old son Joshua interrupted them.

"Ma!"

Laughing, she moved out of her husbands grasp and made her way over to where Pilar sat with her youngest grandson. Rachel joined them moments later and the two sisters quickly engaged in the latest family news while they watched their husbands goof around with Brayden in the sand.

To say that the family had been shocked to learn Rachel's friend was actually the real Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald would be an understatement. He had explained that day at the hospital that Julian and Alistair had forced him out of Harmony after he'd witnessed the devastating murder of Martin Fitzgerald. He hadn't gone far however, just the next town over where he'd lived all this time, keeping tabs on his family while he tried to gather enough information to bring the Crane Empire to its knees.

He had met Rachel while tailing his brother one night, much to Luis' surprise, and the two had hit it off immediately. Once he'd confessed to her who he really was, she also informed him of her true identity and the two agreed to team up to finally bring about justice. They had never gotten the change though, as Sheridan had been the one to take her father down, leaving him in a coma for nearly three months before he passed away from a severe heart attack.

It had taken awhile for Luis to get over his initial anger after learning both his brother and Rachel had known about the imposter, but eventually he'd come to forgive them and the two men were now as close as any two brothers could be. As for the imposter, that might've been the biggest shock of them all.

It turned out the he was in fact Luis' older brother, one no one in the Lopez-Fitzgerald family had known about, except Pilar and later, Antonio. After being confronted by Antonio, she had tearfully broken down and admitted that the man was her son, the product of an unwelcome encounter with a member of the household staff while she worked at the Winthrop home. Being a devout Catholic, she couldn't bring herself to have an abortion, nor could she face keeping the child and ultimately ending up giving him up. Alistair had played on the mans resentment toward his birth mother and his half siblings who had known the love of their mother to get him to do his bidding. It was a twist that had left the family confused and angry, but they had all ultimately grown closer because of it.

The sudden sprinkle of water startled Sheridan out of her thoughts and she looked up to find her son standing before her in his little swim trunks, his little hand in a bucket of water. Not far away Luis stood, watching, a bemused expression on his handsome face and a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Oh you're going to pay for that," She vowed, her words directed at her husband. She had no doubt that it was only with his prompting that Brayden had dared to come to her with the intention of wetting her.

Luis grinned as he watched her advance on him, a determined look on her beautiful face. "You looked hot."

"So do you," Sheridan smiled coyly just before she poured the entire bucket of cold ocean-water over his smirking head.

Before she could dart away, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against his dripping wet torso. She couldn't help but smile and did the only thing there was to do: kiss him with all her might, all while plotting her revenge.

As he released her lips, though not his hold on her, her gaze traveled out to the ocean where the sky was beginning to cloud over.

It was going to rain, but that was just fine by her. Because much like their lives, after each storm, the sun would shine again.


The End!