I do not own Passions.
Chapter 20- Dreams turn into Nighmares
At five o'clock, Theresa left the office, got into her car, and drove home. She had been living with Whitney and Chad in their apartment since her family was evicted. She was still upset that her mother had to live in the Bennett B&B, cleaning rooms for room and board. Miguel was living with Kay and Tabitha, and Luis had moved in with Beth to be closer to little Martin. She missed coming home and having her whole family there. She wished that she could figure out a way to fix this mess she had gotten her whole family into.
Stepping in the door, she gasped at the sight in front of her. "Oh my God." Theresa said out loud. "Is this a dream?" Her son, Little Ethan, was sitting on the living room floor, playing with some building blocks with Whitney and Fox.
The little boy looked up when the door opened. "Mommy!" He cried, leaping from the carpet, and throwing his arms around her. Realizing that this wasn't a dream, Theresa started to cry when she hugged him. "What's wrong, Mommy?" Little Ethan asked her, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Are you sad?"
Theresa wiped them away, and said, "No, sweetheart, I'm not sad. I'm crying because I am so happy to see you. How did Uncle Fox and Aunt Whitney sneak you out of the mansion?" Her question was really directed to the other adults in the room.
Fox shook his head. "We had nothing to do with this." He explained. "Whitney called and said that a social worker had dropped him off, and said that he was being place back with his mother. I think that this is Kate at work. I don't know of anyone else who could pull this off so quickly."
Whitney hugged Theresa. "This is great! You finally have your son back."
"I don't understand." Theresa said, very confused. "Is this some sort of joke?"
"Theresa, I don't think so. I called Child Services when Whitney called me, and everything seems on the up and up." Fox told her.
"You mean, Little Ethan is here to stay?" Theresa asked, the situation finally sinking in. "This is really happening?"
"I think so." Whitney said.
Theresa just hugged Little Ethan. She couldn't believe that she had him back after all this time. Her prayers had been answered.
~*~*~
Meanwhile, Kate was walking around on the streets of Harmony, not really paying attention, when she ran into something. She was about to fall, getting the feeling of déjà vu, she looked up at what she had run into, and of course, it was the last person she wanted to see right now.
"Hank, are you stalking me?" Kate asked him. "Because as a police officer, you should know that stalking is illegal in all fifty states."
"Kate, I just wanted to-"Kate held up her hand, cutting him off.
"I don't want to hear it, Hank." She told him, trying to move past him, but he wouldn't let her go.
"Kate, I need for you to know that I am sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have left you that night. It's just that I saw you with Fox that afternoon. You two looked so close, and I... I shouldn't have just left you."
Kate felt something in her soften towards Hank. "You didn't show up because you saw me with Fox?" She asked. This was her fault. If she had told him who she really was, none of this would be happening. "You thought I was dating Fox?" Kate started to laugh, this situation was so... stupid.
Hank looked puzzled. "What's so funny?" He asked her.
Kate looked up at him. "Fox, the guy you were so jealous of, is my twin brother."
Hank was shocked. He had expected a lot of things to explain what he had seen, but this was not one of them. "Your brother is Fox?" He said, incredulously. Suddenly, he realized what that meant. "And that makes you a..."
Kate nodded. "Yeah, I'm a Crane. I didn't want to tell you. I have been out with a lot of people who just want to date me because of my family. For once I wanted to go out with someone who just wanted to go out with me for me, not for what I have in the bank, or who my family has connections with. I wanted you to like me, and I didn't trust that you would give me a real chance if I told you who I was."
"Kate, I do like you." Hank told her, putting his hand on her cheek. He was relieved when she didn't pull away. "I don't care what your first, last or middle name is, I like you for you." He leaned over and kissed her. He was so glad that this misunderstanding was taken care of.
Kate smiled up at him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I am so happy that this is over." She said. "I was walking around in a pretty bad mood these last two weeks."
Hank smiled and took her hand. "I wasn't very great to be around either."
"I can tell you right now, I was definitely worse. I have the power to make people miserable, and trust me; I really took that power and ran with it." Kate said, ashamed of the way she had acted towards her employees.
"I'm sure you couldn't have been that bad." Hank said, kissing her hand. He missed being around her. He had never been this hung up on anyone before, especially someone he had only gone on one date with.
Kate looked over at him. "I fired a designer." She told him.
"Okay, so you were pretty bad." Hank said. "I guess I can't break up with you then, for the sake of other people's employment."
"Nope, I guess you can't." Kate replied. "So, where do we go from here?" Kate asked him when they reached her car. "We could go back to the mansion and talk or something." Kate said suggestively.
"Or something." Hank said, kissing her. "But only if you want to."
"I was the one who suggested it," She told him, unlocking the door. "Now get in."
When she started the car, she thought of something. "By the way, do you have your handcuffs with you, by any chance?"
~*~*~
Gwen was angry. She was crazed. Last night, her mother had taken away her son, to give him back to that little tramp, Theresa. She had told her that Kate was blackmailing her into giving him up. Then this afternoon, Ethan had called her, and told him that he had lost his job. Kate and Alistair had fired him. He told her that because he wasn't working, that the other child, a little girl they had found, had been given to another couple who had more 'stability'. This was all Kate's fault. And Gwen was going to make her pay.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank were lying on her bed, both utterly exhausted. Kate had never felt so connected to someone before. She snuggled against his chest while Hank stroked her long, silky blonde hair. As far as Kate was concerned, she could stay like this forever.
~*~*~
Theresa was staring at her son, who was sleeping peacefully on her bed in Whitney and Chad's apartment. Her heart was so full, she was afraid it might burst. She had her son with her, he was here, right where he belonged.
Fox came up behind her, and slipped his arms around her waist. She looked up at him, smiling. "I feel like I'm dreaming." She murmured. "I feel like if I close my eyes, all this will disappear."
"Well, you are not dreaming, Theresa." Fox said, turning her around. "This is real, all of it. Your son is really here with you, and he will never be taken from you again. I promise you that." He kissed her, sealing that promise.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank finally emerged from her bedroom, and they were walking down the drive to the garage to Kate's car, when Kate heard someone call her name. They both turned around, and saw Gwen marching across the lawn, a crazed look on her face.
"Kate!" She yelled, getting closer to them. "I want to talk to you!"
When Kate looked into her eyes, she had to admit to herself that she was a bit nervous. Gwen looked livid. She must be angry about Little Ethan. "Who the HELL do you think you are, Kate Crane?" She asked, her eyes fixed on her. "You take away my children, my husband's job? You blackmail my mother, and you expect to get away with it? I'm not going to let you, not this time." She lifted her hand, and Kate was horrified to see she was holding a gun. "I'm going to make you pay for all the pain you have caused me."
"Gwen, you, you don't want to do this. Just calm down, we can talk about this." Kate said, trying to soothe her. Hank tightened his grip on her waist. "Gwen, just put the gun down, and I'll go and get Ethan, or your mother, but you have to put the gun down.
Gwen looked at her like she was crazy. "Why should I listen to you? You have done nothing but hurt me. You have ruined my life. If I don't have any children, Ethan will leave. You took them away from me! You have to pay for what you have done to me!"
"Gwen, no, please, listen to me..." Kate's voice trailed off as she stared into the muzzle of the gun.
BANG!!!
Chapter 20- Dreams turn into Nighmares
At five o'clock, Theresa left the office, got into her car, and drove home. She had been living with Whitney and Chad in their apartment since her family was evicted. She was still upset that her mother had to live in the Bennett B&B, cleaning rooms for room and board. Miguel was living with Kay and Tabitha, and Luis had moved in with Beth to be closer to little Martin. She missed coming home and having her whole family there. She wished that she could figure out a way to fix this mess she had gotten her whole family into.
Stepping in the door, she gasped at the sight in front of her. "Oh my God." Theresa said out loud. "Is this a dream?" Her son, Little Ethan, was sitting on the living room floor, playing with some building blocks with Whitney and Fox.
The little boy looked up when the door opened. "Mommy!" He cried, leaping from the carpet, and throwing his arms around her. Realizing that this wasn't a dream, Theresa started to cry when she hugged him. "What's wrong, Mommy?" Little Ethan asked her, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Are you sad?"
Theresa wiped them away, and said, "No, sweetheart, I'm not sad. I'm crying because I am so happy to see you. How did Uncle Fox and Aunt Whitney sneak you out of the mansion?" Her question was really directed to the other adults in the room.
Fox shook his head. "We had nothing to do with this." He explained. "Whitney called and said that a social worker had dropped him off, and said that he was being place back with his mother. I think that this is Kate at work. I don't know of anyone else who could pull this off so quickly."
Whitney hugged Theresa. "This is great! You finally have your son back."
"I don't understand." Theresa said, very confused. "Is this some sort of joke?"
"Theresa, I don't think so. I called Child Services when Whitney called me, and everything seems on the up and up." Fox told her.
"You mean, Little Ethan is here to stay?" Theresa asked, the situation finally sinking in. "This is really happening?"
"I think so." Whitney said.
Theresa just hugged Little Ethan. She couldn't believe that she had him back after all this time. Her prayers had been answered.
~*~*~
Meanwhile, Kate was walking around on the streets of Harmony, not really paying attention, when she ran into something. She was about to fall, getting the feeling of déjà vu, she looked up at what she had run into, and of course, it was the last person she wanted to see right now.
"Hank, are you stalking me?" Kate asked him. "Because as a police officer, you should know that stalking is illegal in all fifty states."
"Kate, I just wanted to-"Kate held up her hand, cutting him off.
"I don't want to hear it, Hank." She told him, trying to move past him, but he wouldn't let her go.
"Kate, I need for you to know that I am sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have left you that night. It's just that I saw you with Fox that afternoon. You two looked so close, and I... I shouldn't have just left you."
Kate felt something in her soften towards Hank. "You didn't show up because you saw me with Fox?" She asked. This was her fault. If she had told him who she really was, none of this would be happening. "You thought I was dating Fox?" Kate started to laugh, this situation was so... stupid.
Hank looked puzzled. "What's so funny?" He asked her.
Kate looked up at him. "Fox, the guy you were so jealous of, is my twin brother."
Hank was shocked. He had expected a lot of things to explain what he had seen, but this was not one of them. "Your brother is Fox?" He said, incredulously. Suddenly, he realized what that meant. "And that makes you a..."
Kate nodded. "Yeah, I'm a Crane. I didn't want to tell you. I have been out with a lot of people who just want to date me because of my family. For once I wanted to go out with someone who just wanted to go out with me for me, not for what I have in the bank, or who my family has connections with. I wanted you to like me, and I didn't trust that you would give me a real chance if I told you who I was."
"Kate, I do like you." Hank told her, putting his hand on her cheek. He was relieved when she didn't pull away. "I don't care what your first, last or middle name is, I like you for you." He leaned over and kissed her. He was so glad that this misunderstanding was taken care of.
Kate smiled up at him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I am so happy that this is over." She said. "I was walking around in a pretty bad mood these last two weeks."
Hank smiled and took her hand. "I wasn't very great to be around either."
"I can tell you right now, I was definitely worse. I have the power to make people miserable, and trust me; I really took that power and ran with it." Kate said, ashamed of the way she had acted towards her employees.
"I'm sure you couldn't have been that bad." Hank said, kissing her hand. He missed being around her. He had never been this hung up on anyone before, especially someone he had only gone on one date with.
Kate looked over at him. "I fired a designer." She told him.
"Okay, so you were pretty bad." Hank said. "I guess I can't break up with you then, for the sake of other people's employment."
"Nope, I guess you can't." Kate replied. "So, where do we go from here?" Kate asked him when they reached her car. "We could go back to the mansion and talk or something." Kate said suggestively.
"Or something." Hank said, kissing her. "But only if you want to."
"I was the one who suggested it," She told him, unlocking the door. "Now get in."
When she started the car, she thought of something. "By the way, do you have your handcuffs with you, by any chance?"
~*~*~
Gwen was angry. She was crazed. Last night, her mother had taken away her son, to give him back to that little tramp, Theresa. She had told her that Kate was blackmailing her into giving him up. Then this afternoon, Ethan had called her, and told him that he had lost his job. Kate and Alistair had fired him. He told her that because he wasn't working, that the other child, a little girl they had found, had been given to another couple who had more 'stability'. This was all Kate's fault. And Gwen was going to make her pay.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank were lying on her bed, both utterly exhausted. Kate had never felt so connected to someone before. She snuggled against his chest while Hank stroked her long, silky blonde hair. As far as Kate was concerned, she could stay like this forever.
~*~*~
Theresa was staring at her son, who was sleeping peacefully on her bed in Whitney and Chad's apartment. Her heart was so full, she was afraid it might burst. She had her son with her, he was here, right where he belonged.
Fox came up behind her, and slipped his arms around her waist. She looked up at him, smiling. "I feel like I'm dreaming." She murmured. "I feel like if I close my eyes, all this will disappear."
"Well, you are not dreaming, Theresa." Fox said, turning her around. "This is real, all of it. Your son is really here with you, and he will never be taken from you again. I promise you that." He kissed her, sealing that promise.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank finally emerged from her bedroom, and they were walking down the drive to the garage to Kate's car, when Kate heard someone call her name. They both turned around, and saw Gwen marching across the lawn, a crazed look on her face.
"Kate!" She yelled, getting closer to them. "I want to talk to you!"
When Kate looked into her eyes, she had to admit to herself that she was a bit nervous. Gwen looked livid. She must be angry about Little Ethan. "Who the HELL do you think you are, Kate Crane?" She asked, her eyes fixed on her. "You take away my children, my husband's job? You blackmail my mother, and you expect to get away with it? I'm not going to let you, not this time." She lifted her hand, and Kate was horrified to see she was holding a gun. "I'm going to make you pay for all the pain you have caused me."
"Gwen, you, you don't want to do this. Just calm down, we can talk about this." Kate said, trying to soothe her. Hank tightened his grip on her waist. "Gwen, just put the gun down, and I'll go and get Ethan, or your mother, but you have to put the gun down.
Gwen looked at her like she was crazy. "Why should I listen to you? You have done nothing but hurt me. You have ruined my life. If I don't have any children, Ethan will leave. You took them away from me! You have to pay for what you have done to me!"
"Gwen, no, please, listen to me..." Kate's voice trailed off as she stared into the muzzle of the gun.
BANG!!!