Disclaimer: I don't own Passions or any of its character even though I whish that Fox belongs to me ;).

History setting:

-Bermuda did happen but the marriage was fake. No Little Ethan, it just wouldn't fit in my story. Julian and her agreed that she lived in the mansion though. They are good friends.

-Julian and Eve got married after the truth was revealed. TC, Simone and Liz moved to Chicago.

-Gwen and Ethan are really in love: he decided he wanted to marry her instead of Theresa and Gwen was never pregnant with Sara to begin with.

-Theresa was in love with Fox ever since he came to Harmony. They dated, like on the show, but only Fox's heart was not completely in it.

Other couples will be revealed in due time.

Chapter One: Back then

'And to my wonderful wife, Theresa Banning, I give everything in the Mansion, as well as my parts in Banning Enterprises, the Jaguar, the Mercedes and every dime in my personal accounts. If she sees this tape, I want to say something personal to her. I'd like that everyone in this room leaves us alone for a couple of minutes.

Everyone in the room gasped at his personal request but they obliged, as they saw a grieving Theresa. Fox was the last one to get up, after sending a glance in Theresa's direction. She wasn't paying attention to him and he was too curious to leave the room. After all, she was the woman of his dreams and he had pushed her in his best friend's arms… As a masochist, he was looking at the tape, as if every word of love that Dylan was telling Theresa made him feel better.

'Honey, I know that this is difficult for you to watch me in this tape as I'm laying down under 6 feet of dirt. I'm making this tape even before the project starts because I have a feeling that something bad will come up. Please, know that I loved you very much, so much that right now, my heart breaks saying those things. I wish you could be with me right now, I know that it sounds selfish but you were everything that I ever wanted. When I first saw you in my class, back then, I knew that you were the woman I wanted to spend my life with. Fox was a fool to let you go for her, but his foolishness was my gain. I know that it sounds as if I won a prize by having you but I want you to know that even though we didn't have time to build a long life together, I wouldn't trade places for nothing in this world. I know that this is kind of morbid, but this tape is all I got to tell you that you meant the world to me.

I'm with our unborn child right now. I'm sure that William is waiting for me and we'll be looking for you from here. Theresa, I want you to be happy. Don't waste your life for me. Please, I want you to move on to whoever makes you happy. You're too young and too beautiful to mourn over me. But, I'll always love you, even if it means that I'll have to watch you remarry… I love you Resa, never forget it. I'm sorry for all I've done by wanting to challenge her. At least, the truth will be out by the moment you'll see this tape. I hope that she gets what she deserves, no matter what happens to me… I love you baby.

He blew a kiss in the air and with that being said, the screen went completely black, leaving Theresa all alone and crying harder than she had cried in the past six months. He was more handsome than the last time she saw him. Then, she remembered that the last time she'd seen him was in his coffin, almost blue from the death and cold, cold as if there hadn't been any life in this body. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Gwen, standing there with Fox not so far. Theresa immediately flung herself in her best friend's arms as she was stroking her hair gently.

-I miss him so much that it hurts Gwen. How could I move on with my life knowing that he won't be by my side?

-Shhhht, honey. It will get better, I promise. You'll move on and you'll be happy.

-I don't want to be happy. I know that it's been 6 months and I should be fine by now, at least I should have stopped crying but this tape is a sick idea of him. I hate him for leaving me all alone. I hate him. I hate him… God I love him…

She was banging her fists in Gwen's chest as she was collapsing on the floor. If the scene was somewhat emotional, at this point, every one in the room was silently crying as they watched her sobbing on the floor, as if life wasn't worth the effort anymore.

Fox was in the back of the room, sharing his own tears as he watched the woman he loved more than life itself being torn apart by the death of his best friend. Sure, if it wasn't for Dylan, he would never have known the truth. He was grateful and despite his own guilt for loving her while his best buddy was laying 6 feet under ground, he couldn't help himself. She was locked up in jail for the murder of Dylan Banning and even if he had, at some point of his life, loving her, he couldn't believe that she would have gone this far to keep her secret safe. He played with his tie, feeling suddenly out of place as Theresa was grieving over the loss of her husband. He felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and he met the gaze of his half brother.

-I know how it feels to see her like this. If you want to talk, you can come with me downstairs and we will have a cup of coffee.

-Sure, why not? Anyway, I feel like this isn't my place. Your wife is consoling her right now and there's nothing I can do to make her see that I'm here for her.

As they closed the door behind them, he spotted the first table and sat down. He gave a cup of coffee to his brother, never breaking the intense stare. Fox sure looked like hell at this moment.

-I'm sure that she'll come around eventually. You have to give her time to heal, Fox. She'd been married for two years. I know this doesn't sound long for you but they shared something really special.

As the same look of hurt flashed in his little brother's eyes, he felt a wash of guilt.

-I'm sorry Fox, I shouldn't have said something like that. I know that you love her deeply. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see her move on with you bro, but you have to be honest with yourself. You threw her in his arms in the first place.

-I know… It's just that I didn't think, back then, that Dylan would give her a second look. You know how he was in high school. Always looking for a girl after the other, bedding everything that was able to spread legs… I sound rude but you knew him as well as I did.

-You're right, I've been the first one to protest when you introduced her to him. I would never thought he would have done a complete 180 at her touch.

-It's Theresa to you: she's been able to change me without even realizing it. Why Dylan would have been any different? It's just that I was so blinded by you-know-who. I thought I loved her. I was so wrong. The day I introduced her to Dylan was the first day of my living nightmare…

Thee years and a half before

They had agreed on being friends like they used to before Whitney came into the picture. He had been cruel to her by pushing her aside when he had succeeded in having Whitney in his arms. He had forgotten their friendship; he had even forgotten that she'd been her only friend before she'd introduced him to everyone else. She had been the first one to trust him and the last one too. Now, as he was looking into her eyes, he could feel that she wasn't really happy. He didn't really understand why: after all, he had Whitney and she should be happy for him, no? As she was flipping through a fashion magazine, she looked bored.

-Do you want to come with With and me at the Seascape?

-Oh no, I don't want to interfere. I mean, isn't it your baby's anniversary or something like that?

-Yes, but I told you that I don't want to toss you aside like I did a couple of weeks ago. Plus, you seem bored out of your mind. And you leave for school in 2 weeks and I'll miss you as my friend.. It'll be fun! Come on!

-Okay, but as soon as I feel like an outsider, I leave the restaurant.

-Fair enough! Come on, go get dressed before Whitney complains that you're making us late.

Theresa was already climbing the stairs as he was saying his last sentence. She couldn't contain herself as she rolled her eyes. 'Whitney this, Whitney that. Whitney thinks this Whitney thinks that.' Theresa couldn't help but think to herself as she was putting some make-up.

'You're so acting like Miss Perfect that it annoys me. Fox thinks that you're so wonderful… I see past your games Whitney, I've known you my own life. I know that you have something under your sleeve. One minute you're cold towards him and the next, when you learned that you were his mystery woman all along, you act all nice to him. If I didn't know better, I would think that you're the same gold digger Rebecca was before Julian threw her out on the streets. You're so self-righteous to have Fox in your life while you constantly rub in my face that I have no one in my life. How could I have been your friend all along is beyond me…'

She smiled at her thoughts, praying that somehow, God would send her life saver. Sure, she was in love with Fox and it wasn't even the pit of the iceberg. She had loved him since he jumped on her bed two years ago, when she thought she was really Ms Crane. What a relief it had been to discover that it was fake as well as her pregnancy. A false warning the Dr had told her. Yeah right…. It was a miracle that nothing really happened back then. Still, she had lost Ethan for nothing and it was a good thing that Fox came into the picture at that time. Gwen and she had somewhat agreed on being friends since Gwen knew Theresa was in love with her husband's half brother. She had soon become her best friend since she was the only female friend that she had left and discovered that they had a lot in common. Anyway, Whitney's behavior was getting on everybody's nerves, even Alistair who was now dating her own mother. It had been a surprise to everyone that the old bastard was in love with Pilar but they soon realized that her love changed him for the best. He was more a father to her than her own cheating selfish son of a bitch of a biological father. She heard a soft knock on the door and saw her best friend coming in.

-Oh.. don't you look pretty! I guess that he will fall on his knees when he sees you.

-I'm sure you'll think otherwise, but I swear that I don't care.

Gwen couldn't help but laughed at her best friend's state of denial.

-You're right: I don't believe you for one second. Come one T, you've loved him for what? Like 2 years now?

-I just don't want to steal him away from her. I don't want to make the same mistakes I did with you guys. Ethan and you are made for each other, I was selfish and blind not to see it.

-It's different Theresa. The guy loves you, he's just delusional. I don't even know what he finds interesting in her of all people. He could have the most wonderful person on earth, beside me, and he doesn't even see it.

She laughed at her comment and continued

-You know Gwen, sometimes; I think that I have too much influence on you! You're sounding like me…

-Well, it's a good thing since I love you so much! But I'm right on this one, the moment he sees you with another guy, he will regret ever letting you go.

-We agreed back then that he loved his mystery woman… I was in love with him and he was in love with her, what could I have done anyway?

She was cut short but Whitney screaming at her that they were late because of her, whining and complaining as always. Gwen rolled her eyes, the disgust unmistakable on her features.

-Gosh, I don't know how you handle her sometimes. I know that she's Eve's daughter and that Eve is Julian's wife but Geeze, does she have to live with us? She is SO getting on my nerves, it's not even funny. How do you do it T?

-I pretend! But, remember that there's just 2 weeks left before school starts… And I'll be free.

-Can I come with you? And bring Ethan with us? I mean, he's starting to be really pissed of at her and you know that Ethan isn't the kind of man to get pissed that easily. Anyway, I'm so proud of you that you got accepted! Another future lawyer. It's so kind of Alistair to pay for Harvard!

-He says that I got the potential to run Crane Industries along with Fox and Ethan. Plus, it helps that the man is married to my mom! Never thought it would happen!

-Yeah, tell me about it! I almost had a heart attack when he told everyone, at my wedding no less, that he was in love with your mother… The look on her face was priceless… The look on your real father's face too as he realized he had given her up for nothing… I mean, we all know that Katherine Crane is a deceitful lying whore… Oops, sorry for that slip!

-There's nothing to be sorry about! Mama and Al are better off without them anyway. They're so cute! You should see them…

-Don't worry, I see them every morning when I take my first cup of coffee! What kind of a fucked up family we have…

-Theresa, if you don't come down in the next five seconds, we're leaving without you. It's already too much that you're coming along on OUR baby's special dinner…

Whitney's voice could be heard from 100 meters from them. Gwen couldn't help but wince in loathing.

-Geeze, she's only 2 months pregnant, she shouldn't be partying until its six months or so. Maybe it's because no one wants to throw a baby shower for her! Okay, go before I send Harmony PD! I've got connections you know!

-Okay, I'm going! Let the show begin!

As she was walking down the stairs, she could feel Fox's appreciative look on her. But she also could feel Whitney's glare on her. She had a hard time not to smile at her victory. Sure, she didn't want to break their relationship apart, but she was no fool either. The dress that she'd chosen was revealing enough for every type of imagination. Plus, she had heard Fox complain on the phone with a friend named Dylan that having sex with Whitney was like making love to a spoon. So frigid and so unmoving… Theresa had wanted to laugh at the comment but when she'd heard him say that she was the greatest sex he had even had, she had blushed. And now that she was revealing enough skin for his imagination to travel back to the times when they were making hot and sexy love, she was certainly going to use it against her so-called ex best friend… After all, karma was a bitch!

-Oh, Theresa, a friend of mine is also coming along. Dylan Banning, I think I mentioned him a few times to you