Ethan and Fox eyed each other warily as they sized each other up in the Crane hallway. The recognizable smirk upon Fox's face always managed to brush Ethan the wrong way. Ever since childhood, Ethan had always despised his younger half-brother Fox. While growing up, Fox had never allowed the opportunity to jeer at his older half-brother to slip from his fingers. Ethan had always resented the names he had been called and the fights Fox had picked with him. Feeling as though he had something to prove and appear as tough as Fox, Ethan put up a flimsy façade of false bravado. However after a time, the false show of valor eventually wore down to a child sobbing and sputtering for his mother's comfort. When Fox's visits to Harmony became almost nonexistent, Ethan breathed sighs of relief. The less he had to deal with Fox, the better he would feel.

To Ethan's dismay, Fox returned to Harmony for an extended stay after gambling away Crane money and being expelled from another boarding school. Ethan could not help but notice how close Fox and Theresa became despite their odd first meeting. Jealousy consumed Ethan's senses as the green aura of envy entrapped Ethan in an inescapable bind. His mind told him that marrying Gwen Hotchkiss was the right thing to do while his heart kept reprimanding him for not choosing the woman he loved the most.

Ethan watched from the sidelines as Fox and Theresa became best friends. When they became a couple, Ethan's suppressed jealousy distracted him from his own wife. Ethan repeatedly tried to assure Gwen that he loved her and that he was dedicated to their marriage. However, Ethan's words sounded like a well-rehearsed script. There was no true sincerity behind the dialogue, and Ethan would continue on his path of denial and live with the consequences of his actions.

"What's wrong Eth?" Fox asked with the smirk crossing his features. "Did Gwen kick you out of the room again?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Grow up, Fox." He said obviously irritated. "I have more important things to do," Ethan said in a low menacing move. "So move out of my way."

"More important things?" Fox scoffed. "Other than obeying every command Gwen makes what else could be more important to you?"

"I need to check on my son." Ethan said through clenched teeth. "So move."

Fox's brown eyes flashed in anger. "Your son?" He said disbelievingly. "You bastard. Ethan Martin isn't your son."

"According to the courts he is." Ethan argued. "Besides, he is my godson, and I need to check on him." Fox held out his arm to stop Ethan.

"What the hell is your problem?" Ethan asked angrily as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"You better get one thing straight." Fox said as he gripped Ethan's shirt. "Custody of that child belongs to Theresa and you know it."

Ethan averted his eyes knowing that Fox was right. However there was nothing he felt he could do to convince Gwen to consider returning custody to the rightful owner. For the meantime, Ethan resolved to be the best father figure to his namesake.

Fox loosened his grip on Ethan's shirt. "You know, sometimes I think you're only holding on to that child not because of Gwen but because you're trying to find some mean of being close to Theresa."

"That's not true." Ethan said quietly.

"It isn't Ethan? From where I'm standing all I've ever seen you done is reel Theresa in only to throw her out heartbroken, and I'm not going to allow you to use Ethan Martin to continue to hurt her. You pretended to support Theresa, but then you turned your back on her and sided with Rebecca and Gwen." Fox pushed Ethan back as he tried to contain his suppressed fury towards his half-brother. His sudden push knocked Ethan to the ground. As he looked up, Ethan was met with glowering eyes. "I know you still love her Ethan." Fox said in a low voice. "You probably wish it were her that you're making love to when you're with Gwen. Well, let me tell you something. Theresa's not yours any longer."

Ethan narrowed his eyes as he stood up. "Theresa's heart belonged to me first. She's never going to forget that love she and I share."

"Shared, Ethan. Shared is the word you're looking for. You're married. Theresa's heart may have belonged to you in the past, but that isn't the case any longer."

"I beg to differ." Ethan said laughing bitterly. "She still loves me, and you have to live with the idea that I had her first."

As Ethan and Fox had their battle of proving who possessed the most masculinity, they were unaware of the individual who was a witness to their conversation. Theresa had woken again for the second time to find that Fox was no longer beside her. Wondering where he had gone off to, Theresa decided to find him. The minute she stepped outside of Fox's bedroom dressed in the clothes she wore the night before, she heard Ethan and Fox's exchanges. Disbelief settled over her as she listened.

"You may have had her first," Fox said. "But I've got her now." He said smirking. "In fact, I had her last night." As soon as Ethan was ready to wipe the smirk off of Fox's face, Theresa walked up to them with crossed arms and a furious disposition.

"How dare you." She said shaking her head at the two men. "How dare you." She repeated again directing her statement to Fox as tears began filling her eyes.

"Theresa," Fox entreated. "I'm"

"Don't." Theresa cut him off with her icy words. "Don't even say it because I am too upset with you to hear anything you have to say."

Fox closed his mouth immediately and regretted every word that had flowed out of his mouth with the purpose of infuriating Ethan.

"Ethan, you were a big part of my life once, but things have changed tremendously. You chose to marry Gwen, and I made the foolish mistake of pining over you even though you were married. I thought that maybe if I waited that you would come back to me, but I'm not waiting anymore. I deserve better than that. If you do still love me, you better get over it quickly because I can assure you that there won't be a day that I'll ever return the love." Theresa said turning away. "Then you came in, Fox." Theresa said softly as she wiped away tears. "You showed me that I could move on and that I could love another man, but now, after hearing you bragging about having me? You're acting just like all the other Crane men. You're living up to their reputation, and other than being extremely hurt, I'm disappointed. Fox, you're better than that, but you just stooped to the lowest level possible. You know, if you ask me, you both lost." Theresa walked away quickly leaving behind two speechless men.

"I've got to go," Ethan murmured as he left Fox with his troubling thoughts. I am such an idiot. Fox reprimanded himself harshly. I've got to make this up to Theresa. I've got to make her see that I'm not like the Crane men.