Chapter 44:
It's Only Just Begun
"Come here my little precious baby...", Paloma swept the little girl up in her arms.
"You're a good mother, you know that?", Ethan asked.
"Ethan, wow, you scared me.", Paloma told him, turning to him. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long.", he replied.
"Like her little dressy, Theresa gave it to her, she bought it for her little girl?", she asked.
"Theresa, is really going through a lot right now, I could never even imagine what she must be feeling right now, but, thank God that she has Fox to stand by her.", Ethan told her.
"Yeah, and celebrating the holidays must be hell for her.", Paloma replied.
"Speaking of which, I was thinking, since you don't know the Crane's too well and the Lopez - Fitzgerald's aren't to pleased with our little marriage, why don't we stay here and celebrate Thanksgiving here, with just us and Natasha?", he suggested.
"So, you're going to cook?", she asked.
"Well, actually, I was going to call down to the Lobster Shack and get us food to go.", he told her.
"Oh, I thought you were going to cook for me.", she smiled.
"I originally planned to do just that, but it's more complicating then I thought, but one day, once I figure it out. I'm reading up on it...", he told her.
"What book, How to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for dummies?", she asked.
"Yep.", Ethan smirked. "Maybe I'll have it mastered by next year?"
She giggled. "Okay, whatever."
He smiled at her. "I'm liking this Thanksgiving already, no fussing, no fighting, no burned food."
"Yeah, you know this is really my first Thanksgiving too. I never ever celebrated Thanksgiving in Mexico.", she told him.
"You're kidding me, you never had turkey, or mash potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie...", Ethan began.
"No, I haven't.", Paloma told him.
"Then this is going to be double the pleasure.", he told her.
"Yeah, you know I think that it would be fun if Fox and Theresa came over to celebrate with us, I haven't gotten to see her much since we were married.", she told him.
"Well, if you want we could drive over to the mansion after we're done here, I want to start a trend, I want to start a family trend, the three of us spending every Thanksgiving together as a family, I never really got an old fashioned family Thanksgiving.", he told her.
"Sounds good to me.", she told him.
"You know we're going to have to plan for your birthday party.", Ethan told her.
"It isn't till next month, why do you want to start planning for the party now?", Paloma asked.
"Do you remember the promise that I made you?", Ethan asked.
"That we would make love on my eighteenth birthday?", Paloma asked.
"If you wanted to.", Ethan added.
Paloma nodded. "Ethan do you, do you like me, do you like living with me. Or is it just a pity..."
"Paloma, this is not pity, this is comfortable, I like you, I like our home, and I love our little girl. I wouldn't trade her for anything, I wouldn't trade being her father for any amount of money.", Ethan told her.
"Thank you, Natasha is so lucky to have you in her life, and so am I.", Paloma told him.
"No I am the lucky one.", Ethan told her, she smiled up at him.
"Okay, enough chit chat, I'm going to go get our Thanksgiving dinner, would you mind if I take Natasha with me? I want to spend sometime with my daughter.", Ethan asked.
"Sure, I'll just set the table and get everything ready.", Paloma told him.
"Theresa, are you sure you want to go through with this dinner at the mansion or ...", Fox began.
"Of course, we have to. My daughter is dead and we have to move on. Isn't that what you told Whitney? That I would have to move on?", Theresa asked.
"Theresa, please. Don't try fighting me, we need each other more than anything right now.", Fox told her.
"Fox, how can you be so calm about this? Our daughter is dead, she'll never know how much we loved her and Ethan Martin, I want to give him a brother or sister.", Theresa told him.
"What are you saying? Theresa, do you want us to have another baby?", Fox asked.
"Yea, can we? Fox, I want to have a baby, maybe it can help me?", Theresa told her.
"Theresa, you can't have a baby to replace another. And, right now it's too soon for you to try to get pregnant, not only will it be emotionally harmful, but your body can't handle it. Our baby if it had lived would have only been 3 months old. Theresa, give it a few months, a year. Give us both time to grieve, to heal a little.", Fox told her.
"You didn't want our baby did you? You're glad she died, you're glad that you don't have nothing that binds you to me, well there's Ethan but, that's totally different, because he is use to not having his father around and...", Theresa began.
"Theresa, I did want that little girl, I still do and believe me if I could I'd bring her back to us and Ethan Martin is my son, I spent so much time away from him and Theresa, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and in time we will have children, we'll have as many as you want.', Fox told her. "But, we have to wait for awhile."
"Okay, thank you. Fox, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you in my life. I love you, I love you with all my heart and I want to spend Thanksgiving at the mansion, so that my son can spend this Thanksgiving with his whole family.", Theresa told him.
knock
knock
knock
"Ethan, that was...", Paloma began, swinging the door open.
"Paloma, long time no see.", Josh told her, forcing his way in the small apartment.
"What are you doing here? You're not wanted here.", Paloma told him.
"I came to get my daughter, Natasha I think is the name you and that no dick husband of yours named her.", Josh told her.
"Natasha, is nothing to you.", Paloma told him.
"Oh, but, yes she is. She is mine. She is my daughter, not Ethan's and I will not let you take her from me. She deserves to know her father.", Josh told her.
"She knows her father and yes you maybe her biological father, but Ethan he is her father, he is the one staying up all night with her when she is sick, he is the one who changes her diapers, the one who will be there when she says her first words, he will be there when she takes her first steps, when she go to her first day to school, when she graduates, when she starts collage and he will be the one who gives her away to her husband, on her wedding day.", Paloma replied.
"Do you think that Ethan will commit to you? He'll get sick of you, then what? You're going to try and trap him by using a child that isn't even his? Or better yet, are you gonna get yourself impregnated so that you can hold him?", Josh asked.
"Ethan will never leave me, he says that he is happy with me and Tasha...and, we will be a family. Look, look at this, he went to get the food and I am decorating, we're going to spend Thanksgiving here.", Paloma told him.
"You're pathetic.", Josh laughed. "Look at you, you're actually believing what your saying, but I hate to tell you, Ethan will never love you. He loves Theresa, your sister and when the opportunity arises he will leave you and run back to her, he will choose her just like your mother did. Face it, you're second best."
"You're lying. Ethan doesn't love Theresa, and besides, Theresa loves Fox. He isn't about to let no one come between them, not even Ethan. Ethan maybe his brother but...", Paloma began.
"Love knows no limits.", Josh told her.
"What do you know about love? You're heartless and incapable of such emotion.", Paloma told him.
"You listen to me, and you listen good. You are going to give me my little girl. And, you're going to do it now, or else.", Josh told her.
"Or else what? I'm not scared of you. And, you know if you lay one hand on me, Ethan will have you arrested and you will regret ever laying a finger on me or Tasha.", Paloma told him.
"Paloma...", Ethan began. "What are you doing here?", his eyes fixated on Josh.
"I'm here to see my...", Josh began, his eyes laying on the sleeping girl. "Natasha, My God she's even more beautiful then I imagined."
"Get away from her.", Paloma exclaimed.
"Paloma, I want to hold my baby.", Josh told her.
"She's not your baby, she's mine. Mine and Ethan's.", Paloma told him.
"Paloma, here take her. Take her to the bedroom and I'll be in there in a few.", Ethan told her.
"You can't keep her from me forever. What are you going to do when she finds out that your not her father? Are you going to tell her the truth that, you and Paloma ran him off? Or are you going to just lie to her all of her life about how big of a whore her mother is?", Josh asked.
"If you wanted to be apart of her life why didn't you come here earlier or stood by Paloma during the pregnancy. Why did you try to convince her to get an abortion? And, if you care for your daughter at all then you would quit bad mouthing her mother. Paloma is a good mother. ", Ethan asked.
"What does all that matter? She is still my daughter and...", Josh began.
"Would you quit thinking about yourself? Think about that little girl in there, she is happy here. Paloma and I are the only family she knows. So I - how much do you want to just disappear?", Ethan asked, he knew that money talk and everyone, no matter what had a price.
"How much do I want? What do you think, that you can buy me?", Josh asked.
"Yeah, could you use a quarter of a million dollars?", Ethan asked.
"Are you serious?", Josh asked.
"Yes, but once I pay you, you mustn't never come back, and you will forget Tasha and leave her here with us. And, you will stop harassing Paloma and I.", Ethan told him.
"I'm no fool, you're not a Crane, how could you possibly pay me.", Josh asked.
"I'm still Ivy Winthrop's son, and one of the most successful lawyers in all of New England.", he told him.
"Okay, you got a deal.", Josh told him.
"Good, now leave...", Ethan began.
"Uh - un, not without at least a small payment of my money.", Josh told him.
"Here is 500 dollars now, go back home and call me tonight at my office and I will arrange for the rest of your money to be wired to you.", Ethan told him. "Now go.", he opened the door and watched as he walked out the door.
"Is he...", Paloma began, she nervously made her way to him.
"He's gone.", Ethan told her, he stepped towards her, then without hesitation wrapped his arms around her.
"Ethan, I can't lose my baby.", she told him, she began to sob.
"You won't...I promise you Paloma, I promise you that you're not going to lose her, Josh will never take her, and I think he's out of the picture anyways.", he told her, he kissed her forehead, he had to do whatever necessary to keep Paloma happy and to keep Natasha.
"Why do you sound so confident? Ethan, what happened between you and Josh, what did you say to him. I know Josh and he isn't that easy to get off your back.", Paloma told him.
"Paloma, don't worry about it, I have it took care of. I will always take care of you and Tasha, because that's what I swore to do the day I married you.", Ethan told her.
"Thank you, but Ethan, be careful. Whatever you do watch your back around Josh.", Paloma told him. "I couldn't handle losing you too, Natasha need you and I - I need you.", for the first time she wondered what having his lips on hers would be like, she'd only been kissed by one man and that was Josh, and then it hadn't really been a kiss not, the kisses that a man and a woman who were in love experienced.
"Paloma...", he began, it was then she realized what she had been doing she'd been starring at his lips.
"Ethan, I - I want to kiss you.", she tried her best to sound mature and not like some immature school girl, she had, had a daughter after all.
Ethan laughed lightly, he'd just realized why she seemed in a daze.
"Why are you laughing?", she asked, she bit her lip nervously,
"Nothing, I just...", he finally decided that words shouldn't be used instead he pulled her to him and took her lips with his own, he could tell she was nervous, from the way her hands roamed his body as if looking for the proper place to go, he simply placed his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, he gently began to nibble on her bottom lip.
She pulled back. "I - Ethan, I...", she began, she couldn't seem to find no words, instead she caught his lips again with her own, this time she didn't hold back she gave him all she had, all the passion she could muster and among all this, she forgot how scared she was, the only thing on her mind was him.
Ethan pulled back, breathless. "How was that for kissing me?"
"Great.", she smiled.
"Good.", he smiled down at her.
"Awesome.", she replied, her eyes never left his.
"Wonderful.", he replied.
"Earth shattering.", she replied.
"Gorgeous.", he replied, then his lips came crashing down on hers again.
"Oh My God, who let the trash in?", Rebecca asked, walking through the door, her eyes feel on Theresa.
"Now I know this was a bad ideal.", Julian mumbled.
"Rebecca, since father doesn't have the balls to tell you, then I will, either quiet bad mouthing the mother of my children, or get out.", Fox told her. "Theresa, has been through enough as it is and you're crap is not expectable."
"What about what she did to Gwennie, well I guess the lord saw that justice was served...", Rebecca began.
"Don't you ever - ever, talk about my daughter's death in that tone again, or I will make sure that you will pay, you think that my father's money is gonna protect you, you're dead wrong.", Fox told her, he wrapped his arms around Theresa and kissed the top of her head lightly.
"Fox, why did you have to sell out, like you did? You're a very handsome young man and the youngest heir to the Crane fortune, you could have any woman you wanted but, you had to settle for the hired help.", Rebecca told him.
"Rebecca, I am tired of you always sticking your nose in my business, you wouldn't leave me and Ethan alone, you said because of your daughter, and that made sense then, but what is your excuse now, and don't even try to tell me that you care about Fox's welfare, cause you don't give a damn about him,", Theresa told her.
"Mother would you cool it? Why is it that you want stay stuck in a time warp, Theresa has moved on with her life, so has Ethan and I will too. It has done none of us any good. I'm not saying that Theresa and I are gonna all at once become buddies or that we ever will, all I'm saying is let's try to get along, let's try to have this Thanksgiving dinner, without the fighting, I have my daughter to worry about and Theresa has her son, the kids shouldn't be exposed to such morbiness from their parents.", Gwen told her.
"Thanks, Gwen. I know that took a lot out of you to say and you're right.", Theresa told her.
"Yeah, well I also invited my sister and one of my sortie sister's to have dinner with us and I don't want Hailey to be drug in the middle of this never-ending battle, it should have ended years ago.", Gwen told her, she was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "Speaking of Hailey, there she is now.", Gwen exclaimed, then got to her feet in pursuit of the door.
"Are you sure you want to stay here, you know it isn't too late to leave, we could go over to Pilar's or just go back to the apartment and...", Fox began.
"No, I'm staying. We're family like it or not, Gwen is your step sister and Little Ethan's aunt, so we're gonna have to get alone.", Theresa replied.
"Gwendolyn, it's so nice to see you again, how long has it been? 5, 6 years?", Hailey asked, she'd secretly always despised her sister, their mother Rebecca had always favored Gwen over her.
"Hailey, I'm just so happy to see you, we've lost so much time together.", Gwen told her.
"Yes we have.", she turned to Rebecca. "Mother..."
"Hailey, look at you, you're absolutely beautiful.", Rebecca exclaimed.
"No need sucking up mother, you've gotten what you want I came to this Thanksgiving dinner.", Hailey told her,
Rebecca's eyes sat on the woman beside her. "Who is your friend?"
"Oh, sorry mother, Gwen, this is Audrey Banning, Audrey this is my mother Rebecca and sister Gwen.", Hailey introduced the ladies.
Paloma pulled back giggling.
"What are you laughing about?", Ethan asked.
"Nothing.", she replied, she ran her hand along the buttons of his shirt.
"Girl, what kind of game are you trying to play?", he asked, he took her hand in his and began to kiss on it.
"None, I just - well, I guess this is really the first time, I've really thought of us as a couple, I mean we never really acted like it and...", she began.
"Is this a good thing or a bad?", he asked.
"Good.", she replied. "But, I just couldn't help but, think of - well, I - my birthday and your promise and...I, that was what I kept thinking about and well it was just weird."
Ethan raised his eyebrow in a questioned look. "Okay.", he chuckled.
"Sorry if that was so stupid, I - I'm so not acting mature right now. I'm acting as if I need been with a man.", she told him.
"That's okay, and you're not acting immature.", he told her.
"Good, cause I don't want to, I mean, I am your wife and you want a woman not some little girl and...", she began.
"Paloma, you don't need to pretend to be something you aren't with me.", he told her. "I like you the way you are, you should know that by now."
"I do, it's just...Ethan, you've had your share of women and I - Josh is the only man I've ever been with, hell to a minute ago, he was the only man I'd ever kissed. I just don't want to disappoint you or not give you enough of what you need.", Paloma told him.
"Paloma, don't worry about that, okay. I could careless that your not all that experienced, and you could never not be good enough for me, so don't worry about satisfying me or trying to be good enough.", he told her. "You make me happy and that's good enough for me."
"What about sex?", she asked.
"What about, it?", he asked.
"Well, don't you want a woman who can satisfy your needs?", she asked.
"Yeah, I do but, I don't want that to be all you think about. Paloma I've like the past few months and I don't want sex to ruin that.", he told her.
"I - don't all men want sex, isn't that all men think about?", she asked.
"I don't know, about all men, but, that isn't all I think about. Paloma, I want more in a wife then, a good lay. I want someone I can talk to, someone who I can lean on, someone that loves me, as ever bit as I love her.", he told her, she simply looked at him. "Paloma, I want our relationship to be not only based on sex, but friendship, loyalty, trust and understanding."
"What about love?", she asked. "Where does love fit into the picture, or does it?"
"Are you trying to ask if I love you?", he asked.
"Not exactly, but do you?", she asked. "Do you love me?"
"I hope you don't mind me bring my daughter to Thanksgiving dinner, Mrs. Crane?", Audrey asked, walking behind, Hailey, Gwen and Rebecca into the large dinning room.
"No, that is find. I'll have Phyllis bring in a high chair for her.", Rebecca told her.
"What is her name, she is such a beautiful little girl.", Gwen patted the little girl on the top of her head.
"Siena Nichole.", Audrey replied.
"Oh, she is such a doll, isn't she mother?", Gwen asked.
"Yes, but, she doesn't really resemble you, Audrey. She looks like - I don't know. But, her nose looks awfully familiar.", Rebecca replied.
"She looks so much like her father.", Audrey replied. "she took hardly any of my features."
The four women made their way to the table. "Everyone this is my sister, Hailey and my sortie sister -", Gwen replied.
"Audrey, OH MY GOD, what are you doing here?", Fox asked, he felt as if a rocked had fallen down on top of him.
Spoilers for Chapter 45:
Fox questions Audrey about why she is there, and feels drawn to Siena; Theresa also feels drawn to Siena.
Hailey starts to wonder how Fox and Audrey know each other?
Ethan admits that he has feeling for Paloma, but also admits that he still harbors feelings for one of his ex.
Gwen decides that she wants Ethan still and her and Rebecca sit up a plan that would tare Ethan out of Paloma's arms forever.
Josh isn't done with Paloma or Ethan, and makes a packed with the devil to take them down.