Theresa laid on the floor unconscious in her empty house, not showing any signs of life. Off in another world was she, a world where pain never existed. Theresa found herself reaching for a door, where it lead she did not know. Every step she took forward she could feel the distance between her and the door becoming even greater. It was almost as though she was trying to beat the impossible. As she was about to give up in despair, the door slowly opened and much to her surprise she could see Fox playing with a boy and a girl, who were about the age of teenagers. After watching for a few minutes it hit Theresa who these children were...they were her babies. Slowly Theresa tried grasping for them, but the door just slammed shut in her face leaving her in tears. She knew all too well was this was foreshadowing.

"Theresa," she softly heard from a distance.

"Whose there?" she asked as tears began to fill her eyes. A part of her was now feeling like she was nothing but a disappointment to her children. 'I'm nothing, but a failure,' she thought to herself. "A pathetic failure," she finally said out loud.

"You are anything but, child," a gentle looking woman said as she mysteriously appeared from nothing.

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" There were so many questions Theresa longed to ask, but she needed to know those first of all.

"Don't be bothered asking those questions, child. I was sent to you to try and make you see your wrong ways. Don't be frightened," she said noticing that Theresa had some concern as to who she really was. "I am not here to hurt you, only here to help."

"No one can help me," she said hopelessly. "I'm a failure as a mother, as a wife, and most of all as a daughter. I can't seem to do anything right. I've let my children down. They need a mother who is stable mentally. Right now, that's not me," she explained as the tears streaming down in red cheeks rapidly.

"Please, do not cry. Everything can be okay. It's up to you though. You need to get your revenge, child. There is one person, one person only responsible for your pain right now. Do onto him what he has done to you."

"I don't want him to suffer. I can't hurt him, no matter what he's done to me," she said a little surprised that such a kind, gentle looking woman would suggest such a thing.

"Exactly, my dear child. He doesn't want that to happen to you either. Both of you are so stubborn that neither of you can see what is right before your eyes. Forgive him. Though it may be hard to do, you will see in time that it was the right thing to do. You don't have much time left together. Do the right thing," the mysterious woman said as she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.

"What do you mean not enough time left?" she cried out, hoping desperately for an answer. Theresa knew that sentence could mean a number of different things. Was she going to die? Was Fox going to die? What was going to happen? "Dear God, won't someone tell me what that's suppose to mean?"

center/center

Fox had jumped into his car and followed Theresa back home. He saw her enter his old home franticly, tears streaming down her red cheeks. For a minute Fox sat in his car wondering why he even ran after her. They were divorced now and he had no claim to her, so why should he be chasing after her still? Fox turned the engine off though and made his way to the front door. He put all thoughts about turning around and going home aside. He was there and he didn't plan on leaving until he spoke to her. He rang the bell once, but he received no answer.

'Does she know it's me?' he thought.

A cold crisp wind swept through the town, causing Fox to grab a hold of the collar of his coat and bring it together to escape his neck and chest from the harsh wind that was passing through. Fox had thought it to be a passing wind, but it seemed to linger around the estate as though it was some kind of a haunting wind.

Fox looked around and wondered. Strange things always happened in Harmony, could he possibly be the next victim? He brushed away his foolish thoughts and continued to ring the doorbell. But still...no answer. Growing very impatient, Fox searched for his key to the house...it was nowhere to be find.

'Dammit! I must have left it at the mansion...'

By that time Fox was pounding furiously on the door, demanding that she answer and face him. "Open the damn door, Theresa!" It didn't matter though how much he pounded on the door or shouted, no one inside there was about to answer. Fox had had enough. Stepping back, Fox ran forward trying to break the door open. After doing so about three times, the door broke open. "Dammit, Theresa!" he shouted as he made his way inside, almost losing his balance and falling down in the process. Quickly though Fox saw Theresa's lifeless body laying there on the floor. For that moment Fox had forgotten that he and Theresa were divorced, he had forgotten that she no longer loved him, he had forgotten about everything that had happened up until that moment. No jealousy, no anger, no contempt towards her was left in his body and soul. He rushed to her side and checked for a pulse. He found one, but it was very weak. "Hold on, Theresa," he whispered to her as brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes, "It's going to be okay."

Fox wanted to believe himself, he wanted to believe that she would be okay, but he wasn't a doctor and it didn't take a doctor to see that she was in bad shape. "God help her," he cried out looking above as though God would magically appear and save her.

center/center

A weak and groggy Theresa woke up later that night in Harmony hospital. She had no recollection of how she got there or why she was even there. All she knew at that moment was that her head was spinning and she was all alone in room hooked up to every machine that she possibly could be. As Theresa tried reaching for the nurse's call button, she realized that she was tied down. She could not move. Now more frightened Theresa screamed wildly for someone to come and help her.

"Calm down, Miss," the young and perhaps somewhat inexperienced nurse said as she entered the room. She looked at Theresa and felt sorry for her. She more so pitied her. Theresa was not much older than her and it made her wonder how one so young could end up there like that. The nurse just shook her head and turned off the call button.

"Why...why am I tied down?" she asked franticly. "What's going on? Why am I here?"

A look of concern suddenly appeared across the nurse's face. "You don't remember anything that happened earlier today?"

Theresa tried concentrating hard thinking back to the beginning of her day. She remembered Whitney had come over and that she had gone shopping and..."I remember getting very upset," she recalled slowly.

"Is there anything else you remember?" She asked slowly and patiently, not wanting to pressure Theresa into remembering. She was given exact orders to be as delicate as possible with this patient.

Theresa bit her lower lip and concentrated hard, but things seemed like a blur. "I...I remember arguing with my ex husband and taking off, but I don't remember anything else," she said breaking down in tears.

"It's okay," she told her, "it's normal for that to happen in situations like yours."

Theresa stopped crying and looked directly up at the nurse as though she had said something wrong. "Situations like mine? What exactly are you saying? What happened to me?"

"I'll go get the doctor. Maybe she can explain it better to you," she said leaving the room abruptly.

Theresa tried to wait patiently for the doctor, but it was no use. It was impossible for her to stay still, but seeing as how she was in restrains she had no choice. She didn't let the restrains stop her from trying to break free. She tried squirming her way out of them, but it was no use. She was a prisoner and for a moment she remembered the time she felt as though she was his prisoner.

Theresa had been busy the previous week picking out a dress and getting ready for an important banquet that was being held in Fox's honor. Fox, or the rather the Cranes, had placed a large donation to a nearby children's hospital in his name and to show how much they appreciated it they were going to dedicate the new wing, which they were building with the money donated, to Fox. Theresa was both very excited and proud. She of course had no idea that Fox didn't make the donation, and in fact he would have not made one on his own.

Fox had been called into the office for an emergency meeting the night of the banquet. For the past few weeks Fox had been called in for emergency meetings and business trips, of course always leaving Theresa behind. Though Theresa understood Fox's urgency to be there, she didn't always like it. She had her own mixed feelings on what was really going on, but Fox always said that they were handling a very important business deal and Fox was the key player, which required his constant presence.

"Miss Theresa," Emma, they're maid, said knocking on Theresa's bedroom door, "you look very elegant this evening. I'm sure Mr. Crane won't be able to keep you at his side tonight."

"Thank you, Emma," she said smiling back with such sincerity. It had taken Theresa hours to get ready, but it seemed worth it as she stood before her mirror looking on with delight. "Oh I almost forgot my gloves," she said turning around to see Emma standing behind her with the gloves already in her hands. "Thank you," she said as she slowly slide them up to her elbows. Theresa took her place before her mirror once again as she placed her hands before her, one over the other, and turned to the side.

"It fits perfectly," Emma said admiringly. Emma looked up to Theresa. One day she hoped to be just as beautiful and intelligent as her.

Theresa just smiled kindly as she stood admiring her beautiful white gown that Whitney had helped her make. Theresa searched for a dress everywhere, but none seemed to fit her the right way. They all fit her petite figure, but they just didn't seem to say "Theresa."

Theresa remained standing before the mirror, but her attention quickly shot elsewhere as she heard Fox's car drive up in their driveway. Picking up the bottom of her dress so she wouldn't fall, Theresa rushed over and peaked out the window. What appeared to be a very angry and stressed out Fox stepped out from his car and headed in through the main entrance. Theresa rushed down the stairs, anxiously wanting to show off her dress to him.

Theresa stood at the bottom of the stairs before Fox, turning around so he could see every inch of her beautiful dress. "Fox, I'm so glad you came home when you did," she said trying placing a kiss on his cheek, but failing as usual as he turned his face away.. "You...you need to change for the banquet. It's almost time to leave and..."

Fox looked at Theresa as though she was crazy. "Whoever gave you the idea that you're coming with me?"

"Well, Fox, we're engaged. I just thought that..."

"You just thought what? Huh? That just because I have somewhere to go, you're going to come with me? No, Theresa," he said shaking his head and index finger at her. "I'll tell you when and where to be if and when I need you. Do you understand?" Theresa remained silent as the single tear drop rolled down her cheek. "Do you understand me? Shall I say it in Spanish for you?" He said becoming louder and more agitated with her.

"Yes," she said turning her head away from him he tried kissing her cheek this time.

Fox just chuckled and shook his head. He didn't have time to play with her games. "Now go upstairs and take off that ridiculous looking dress."

"I made this ridiculous looking dress!" She cried out as her temper seemed to reach it's peak. "You wouldn't know that though because you never pay attention to me. You treat me as a child, Fox. If this is how it's going to be, then I want nothing to do with you," she shot at him like venom.

"What did you say?" he asked not believing his own ears.

"You heard me," she said as her tears began to dry. "I won't and I don't have to repeat myself in your presence and in no one's in fact."

Fox gave a little laugh this time as he moved closer to her. "Think you're so damn smart?" he said before striking her in the face. Theresa fell to the ground, but she did not cry. She could feel the side of her face pounding and though it hurt she still did not cry.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you crying?" he asked mockingly.

"I won't ever shed a tear for you," she said as she stared the beast in his eyes with determination and confidence.

"Come here," he said beginning to drag her by her legs up the stairs. Theresa cried and screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He was just being ignorant. Fox dragged Theresa all the way to her room, where he threw her on the bed and began ripping apart her dress. Theresa broke down in tears, but she wasn't going back on her word. She didn't cry because he hurt her or that he was treating her lower than dirt. Instead she cried because he tore apart her dress. Yes, it was only a dress, but she put her whole heart into that dress and when he destroyed it, he destroyed the love she once had for him. Never again could she ever love him the same.

As Theresa wiped a tear from her eye she vowed once again, "Never, Fox. Never."