I do not own Passions.
Author's Note- Sorry for the delay, I have been dealing with midterms all week, so I haven't had a chance to really sit down and write another chapter. I wanted to take a quick second to thank ASPIRING ACTRESS and anon021 for their comments, they really meant a lot. Now, on with the story!
Chapter 23- It's not over yet
Gwen Winthrop sat in the cold, drab cell at the police station. She was still astonished that Kate was alive. Once she pulled the trigger, she had gone back into the mansion. She hadn't surveyed the damage she had inflicted, she had been so sure that she had killed Kate.
"Why don't people understand that I had to do what I did?" Gwen whispered to the empty cell. "Why don't people understand that Kate deserved to die? She was making my life Hell; I had to make her sorry for taking my children!"
Gwen's eyes filled with tears. "Now Ethan is going to go back to Theresa, and forget all about me!" She slammed her fist on the bench she was sitting on. "I can't let that happen! I need to get out of here!"
~*~*~
Kate was going to take the day off from work to stay with Hank, but he had objected immediately. "You can't just stay here all night and day." He had told her. "I'm going to be fine, you need to go." She had relented, but had promised to return as soon as she could.
The work day had dragged on and on, the clocks seemed to be going backwards at times. Finally, it was five o'clock, and she flew out of the building like a bat out of hell. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything all day, her mind had been with Hank, and now, she would be too.
Stopping at the florist a few minutes from the hospital, she picked out a nice arrangement of flowers for his room. Kate thought they would brighten up his room a bit while he was there.
When she walked into the room, she realized that she had not been the only one to have thought so. There were dozens of bouquets, cards and balloons crammed into the small space. Raising an eyebrow, she removed a vase full of red roses from the table next to the bed, replacing it with her own flowers.
"How are you doing?" She asked Hank, after she kissed him. She pulled the little card off of one of the bouquets, reading it to herself. She raised an eyebrow when she finished, for it was obviously form an old girlfriend, named Pam.
"Bored." Hank responded, noticing her expression. He had been getting visitors all day, mostly women whom he had previously dated, if you could call it that. "They said that I will be here for at least a week, maybe more."
Kate wasn't listening anymore. She had plucked another little envelope off a potted orchid, from a girl named Debbi, which read much like Pam's card had. "I see you have made quite a few 'friends' in this town." Kate said, removing another card from Joy.
Hank grinned. "Are you jealous?" He asked her, enjoying himself immensely as he watched her walk around his room, growing more and more jealous as she read each card.
"No," Kate said, not very convincingly. "I am astonished at what some people will put on a card, however. Some of these things... well, lets just say that I have no intention of letting Lanah anywhere near you."
"Oh, really? And how do you plan on doing that?" He asked her as she sat on the edge of his bed. Kate smiled at him, and leaned over him, kissing him very softly on the lips.
"A few things do come to mind." She said seductively, running her fingers lightly over his chest. "But first, I think I need to make some more room in here." She pressed the little button on the side of his bed. A nurse walked in a few minutes later.
"Hi, we would like for you to have some of these flowers given to some of the other patients." Kate instructed. "There are just so many, I'm sure they could help to brighten up someone else's stay in this place."
The nurse nodded, and within ten minutes, three volunteers had removed many of the arrangements from the room. "That's much better." Kate said, returning to her perch on his bedside. "Now, where were we?"
"Right about here." Hank smiled, as Kate leaned in to kiss him once more.
~*~*~
"Pookie, I will not let my Gwennie rot in some jail cell for another second!" Rebecca screeched. She had been trying to get Julian to have Gwen released from police custody all day. "She shouldn't be there!"
Julian looked at her with disgust. "Are you joking?" He asked her, gulping down his scotch. "She shot at my daughter, and she would have killed her, if it that cop hadn't saved her!"
"She was upset. She lost little Ethan, and she was a bit angry." Rebecca huffed, frustrated that she wasn't getting her way.
"A bit angry?" Julian shot back, filling his glass with more scotch. "If that was a bit angry, I would hate to see her furious!"
"Julian, if you don't get her out of jail, I will tell everyone about you and Eve!" Rebecca threatened.
Julian looked at her. "Don't you dare!" He hissed, furious at her suggestion. "Alright, I will see what I can do, but I can't make any promises, after all, your daughter did attempt to murder mine."
Rebecca smiled, she had won. "Don't try, Pookie, do. I want my Gwennie out of there immediately. She needs to be here with her family, with her husband. We have to make sure that Terrorcita doesn't steal Ethan away from her." She swept out of the room, closing the door with a slam.
Julian sighed, and sank down into his desk chair. He knew it was wrong to do this, but he had no choice. He had to protect Eve.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank were still making out an hour later when Sam knocked on the door. "Hey!" Hank greeted his brother as he walked into the room. Then he noticed the grim expression he had on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked his brother, getting worried.
Sam looked at the couple, not sure of how to tell them. "I have some bad news. We were forced to let Gwen Winthrop out of jail. Insufficient evidence."
Kate looked at him, her eyes horrified at the news. "How is that possible? You have two eyewitnesses. How did this happen?"
Sam hung his head. "All I know, is that I got a call this afternoon, and I was told to let her go, that the statements you two made were no longer enough to hold her."
"What am I going to do? What if she comes after me again?" Kate asked.
"I don't know. My hands are tied." Sam told her. "I wish there was something I could do."
Hank squeezed Kate's hand. "There has to be something we can do. What about a restraining order?" He asked his brother.
Sam looked hopeful. "That could work, but we can't do anything until the morning. The courthouse has been closed for hours."
Kate jumped up. She pulled her purse off the chair in the corner, and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed quickly, and listened to the rings. Finally someone answered. "Grandfather, I need a judge to issue me an order of protection. Someone got Gwen Winthrop out of jail."
~*~*~
Julian was still drowning his sorrows in his study when Alistair Crane strode in. "Julian, why was Gwen Winthrop released from jail today? I didn't think even you were that much of an imbecile!"
Julian sat up in his chair slowly. "Father, you don't understand the whole story." He slurred, trying to stand. "Rebecca is my wife, and she wanted her daughter out of jail, and she wouldn't take no for an answer, and she threatened Eve, what was I supposed to do?" He asked his father before slumping back down in his chair, putting his head down.
Alistair slammed his fist against the desk. Julian winced, and looked up. Through bleary eyes, he saw the fury in his father's face. "Damn it, Julian, you let an insane woman who nearly killed my granddaughter out of prison because of that whore that you are still hung up on?!?! I knew I should have taken care of her long ago."
Julian slowly got to his unsteady feet. "Now you listen here, father- "He began.
"Julian, if anything happens to Kate, I will personally make sure that you and your precious Dr. Eve pay dearly. So if I were you, I would make sure that I took every precaution to ensure her safety."
Julian was still trying to respond when the door slammed for the second time that night.
~*~*~
Alistair arrived at the hospital at midnight. When he entered Hank Bennett's hospital room, Kate rushed over to him. He could tell she was trying to contain her panic. "Grandfather, why was Gwen released from jail? How could this have happened?" She asked, fear in her eyes.
"Not to worry, my dear. I am taking care of the situation." Alistair reassured her. "As we speak, a restraining order is being issued for Gwen. She will not be permitted back on the estate, or on any other Crane properties."
"But Grandfather, I don't understand why she was released." Kate repeated.
"That was your father's doing." Alistair grimaced. "I trust by now you have found out about his little secret? That is why this is happening. He was stupid enough to let someone find his weakness, and now he is being controlled by them."
"Are you telling me that my father did this to me?" Kate looked astonished. "This has to be a mistake, this can't be true!"
"I'm afraid that it is, my dear." He stated simply. "I must go now. Do not worry. I am taking care of this problem myself. If Gwen harms you in any way, she will pay dearly, as will your father."
She watched him walk down the hall, and reentered the hospital room. Hank looked at her. "What's going on?" He asked her. "What did he say?"
Kate sighed and sat down on the bed. "Grandfather told me he is taking care of everything, but I don't know." She told him. Hank took her hand. "I still don't feel very safe with her walking around, even if she isn't allowed anywhere near me, the mansion, or any other property that my family owns."
Hank kissed her. "Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you." She smiled weakly.
"I know, but I'm still scared." She confessed. "I can't believe my father was responsible for this nightmare continuing."
Hank looked at her, a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about?"
"My father ordered that Gwen be released." She explained.
Author's Note- Sorry for the delay, I have been dealing with midterms all week, so I haven't had a chance to really sit down and write another chapter. I wanted to take a quick second to thank ASPIRING ACTRESS and anon021 for their comments, they really meant a lot. Now, on with the story!
Chapter 23- It's not over yet
Gwen Winthrop sat in the cold, drab cell at the police station. She was still astonished that Kate was alive. Once she pulled the trigger, she had gone back into the mansion. She hadn't surveyed the damage she had inflicted, she had been so sure that she had killed Kate.
"Why don't people understand that I had to do what I did?" Gwen whispered to the empty cell. "Why don't people understand that Kate deserved to die? She was making my life Hell; I had to make her sorry for taking my children!"
Gwen's eyes filled with tears. "Now Ethan is going to go back to Theresa, and forget all about me!" She slammed her fist on the bench she was sitting on. "I can't let that happen! I need to get out of here!"
~*~*~
Kate was going to take the day off from work to stay with Hank, but he had objected immediately. "You can't just stay here all night and day." He had told her. "I'm going to be fine, you need to go." She had relented, but had promised to return as soon as she could.
The work day had dragged on and on, the clocks seemed to be going backwards at times. Finally, it was five o'clock, and she flew out of the building like a bat out of hell. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything all day, her mind had been with Hank, and now, she would be too.
Stopping at the florist a few minutes from the hospital, she picked out a nice arrangement of flowers for his room. Kate thought they would brighten up his room a bit while he was there.
When she walked into the room, she realized that she had not been the only one to have thought so. There were dozens of bouquets, cards and balloons crammed into the small space. Raising an eyebrow, she removed a vase full of red roses from the table next to the bed, replacing it with her own flowers.
"How are you doing?" She asked Hank, after she kissed him. She pulled the little card off of one of the bouquets, reading it to herself. She raised an eyebrow when she finished, for it was obviously form an old girlfriend, named Pam.
"Bored." Hank responded, noticing her expression. He had been getting visitors all day, mostly women whom he had previously dated, if you could call it that. "They said that I will be here for at least a week, maybe more."
Kate wasn't listening anymore. She had plucked another little envelope off a potted orchid, from a girl named Debbi, which read much like Pam's card had. "I see you have made quite a few 'friends' in this town." Kate said, removing another card from Joy.
Hank grinned. "Are you jealous?" He asked her, enjoying himself immensely as he watched her walk around his room, growing more and more jealous as she read each card.
"No," Kate said, not very convincingly. "I am astonished at what some people will put on a card, however. Some of these things... well, lets just say that I have no intention of letting Lanah anywhere near you."
"Oh, really? And how do you plan on doing that?" He asked her as she sat on the edge of his bed. Kate smiled at him, and leaned over him, kissing him very softly on the lips.
"A few things do come to mind." She said seductively, running her fingers lightly over his chest. "But first, I think I need to make some more room in here." She pressed the little button on the side of his bed. A nurse walked in a few minutes later.
"Hi, we would like for you to have some of these flowers given to some of the other patients." Kate instructed. "There are just so many, I'm sure they could help to brighten up someone else's stay in this place."
The nurse nodded, and within ten minutes, three volunteers had removed many of the arrangements from the room. "That's much better." Kate said, returning to her perch on his bedside. "Now, where were we?"
"Right about here." Hank smiled, as Kate leaned in to kiss him once more.
~*~*~
"Pookie, I will not let my Gwennie rot in some jail cell for another second!" Rebecca screeched. She had been trying to get Julian to have Gwen released from police custody all day. "She shouldn't be there!"
Julian looked at her with disgust. "Are you joking?" He asked her, gulping down his scotch. "She shot at my daughter, and she would have killed her, if it that cop hadn't saved her!"
"She was upset. She lost little Ethan, and she was a bit angry." Rebecca huffed, frustrated that she wasn't getting her way.
"A bit angry?" Julian shot back, filling his glass with more scotch. "If that was a bit angry, I would hate to see her furious!"
"Julian, if you don't get her out of jail, I will tell everyone about you and Eve!" Rebecca threatened.
Julian looked at her. "Don't you dare!" He hissed, furious at her suggestion. "Alright, I will see what I can do, but I can't make any promises, after all, your daughter did attempt to murder mine."
Rebecca smiled, she had won. "Don't try, Pookie, do. I want my Gwennie out of there immediately. She needs to be here with her family, with her husband. We have to make sure that Terrorcita doesn't steal Ethan away from her." She swept out of the room, closing the door with a slam.
Julian sighed, and sank down into his desk chair. He knew it was wrong to do this, but he had no choice. He had to protect Eve.
~*~*~
Kate and Hank were still making out an hour later when Sam knocked on the door. "Hey!" Hank greeted his brother as he walked into the room. Then he noticed the grim expression he had on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked his brother, getting worried.
Sam looked at the couple, not sure of how to tell them. "I have some bad news. We were forced to let Gwen Winthrop out of jail. Insufficient evidence."
Kate looked at him, her eyes horrified at the news. "How is that possible? You have two eyewitnesses. How did this happen?"
Sam hung his head. "All I know, is that I got a call this afternoon, and I was told to let her go, that the statements you two made were no longer enough to hold her."
"What am I going to do? What if she comes after me again?" Kate asked.
"I don't know. My hands are tied." Sam told her. "I wish there was something I could do."
Hank squeezed Kate's hand. "There has to be something we can do. What about a restraining order?" He asked his brother.
Sam looked hopeful. "That could work, but we can't do anything until the morning. The courthouse has been closed for hours."
Kate jumped up. She pulled her purse off the chair in the corner, and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed quickly, and listened to the rings. Finally someone answered. "Grandfather, I need a judge to issue me an order of protection. Someone got Gwen Winthrop out of jail."
~*~*~
Julian was still drowning his sorrows in his study when Alistair Crane strode in. "Julian, why was Gwen Winthrop released from jail today? I didn't think even you were that much of an imbecile!"
Julian sat up in his chair slowly. "Father, you don't understand the whole story." He slurred, trying to stand. "Rebecca is my wife, and she wanted her daughter out of jail, and she wouldn't take no for an answer, and she threatened Eve, what was I supposed to do?" He asked his father before slumping back down in his chair, putting his head down.
Alistair slammed his fist against the desk. Julian winced, and looked up. Through bleary eyes, he saw the fury in his father's face. "Damn it, Julian, you let an insane woman who nearly killed my granddaughter out of prison because of that whore that you are still hung up on?!?! I knew I should have taken care of her long ago."
Julian slowly got to his unsteady feet. "Now you listen here, father- "He began.
"Julian, if anything happens to Kate, I will personally make sure that you and your precious Dr. Eve pay dearly. So if I were you, I would make sure that I took every precaution to ensure her safety."
Julian was still trying to respond when the door slammed for the second time that night.
~*~*~
Alistair arrived at the hospital at midnight. When he entered Hank Bennett's hospital room, Kate rushed over to him. He could tell she was trying to contain her panic. "Grandfather, why was Gwen released from jail? How could this have happened?" She asked, fear in her eyes.
"Not to worry, my dear. I am taking care of the situation." Alistair reassured her. "As we speak, a restraining order is being issued for Gwen. She will not be permitted back on the estate, or on any other Crane properties."
"But Grandfather, I don't understand why she was released." Kate repeated.
"That was your father's doing." Alistair grimaced. "I trust by now you have found out about his little secret? That is why this is happening. He was stupid enough to let someone find his weakness, and now he is being controlled by them."
"Are you telling me that my father did this to me?" Kate looked astonished. "This has to be a mistake, this can't be true!"
"I'm afraid that it is, my dear." He stated simply. "I must go now. Do not worry. I am taking care of this problem myself. If Gwen harms you in any way, she will pay dearly, as will your father."
She watched him walk down the hall, and reentered the hospital room. Hank looked at her. "What's going on?" He asked her. "What did he say?"
Kate sighed and sat down on the bed. "Grandfather told me he is taking care of everything, but I don't know." She told him. Hank took her hand. "I still don't feel very safe with her walking around, even if she isn't allowed anywhere near me, the mansion, or any other property that my family owns."
Hank kissed her. "Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you." She smiled weakly.
"I know, but I'm still scared." She confessed. "I can't believe my father was responsible for this nightmare continuing."
Hank looked at her, a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about?"
"My father ordered that Gwen be released." She explained.