Hey y'all. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. And since you asked for it, here it is! The continuation of Unconditionally. Hope you enjoy it. I forgot to mention this in the first chap, so here is my disclaimer for the rest of the story: I don't own it. If I did, E/T would be happily married right now, and Gwen would be miserable. Thank you, have a nice day. ;)

Unconditionally-Chapter 2

He was going to do it. He could do it. He had to do it. However, entering he and Gwen's bedroom, Ethan's heart sank at finding his wife packing excitedly. The resolve he'd felt about his decision just moments before began to waiver.

You knew this wasn't going to be easy. He reminded himself. In the long run, this is what's best for everyone. It's time to stop taking the easy way out, Winthrop.

"Gwen." he called, gathering up his courage for the conversation that was about to occur.

Abandoning her mad rush of packing, Gwen threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.

"This is all so wonderful, Ethan." She enthused, pulling away, smiling. "It almost seems too good to be true. I mean, you, Jane and I together in India. A real family! No Theresa to interfere. She can't hurt me anymore. Can't try to take you away again. I can finally have some peace!"

In fact, she found herself scared to believe it was actually happening. All the years of fighting Theresa, doing everything it took to come out on top, to keep Ethan with her, and she'd finally won. She had Theresa's "true love", she had Theresa's baby, and in a matter of days she would be home free. No more tabloid to haunt her, no more Theresa trying to destroy her and the happiness she deserved. It was so amazing Gwen couldn't help but let a smug smile rest on her lips.

"Gwen, we need to talk."

At his words, and the seriousness of how he spoke them, her smile faltered.

"Well, whatever it is, you can tell me while I'm packing." She responded, forcing the concern out of her voice, resuming placing clothes and other possessions in suitcases. Don't panic. It's probably nothing. She thought nervously. Ethan loves you. He's moving to India for you. Just keep calm.

"You know, you need to start packing too."

Walking over to her, Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her movements and turning her to face him.

"It's about our move." he told her, looking her in the eyes.

"What about India? It's going to be beautiful."

"There's not going to be an India. Not for us." Ethan responded, sighing as he sank down on the bed. "I haven't been fair, Gwen."

"Fair to whom? To Theresa? Honey, I know you try to see the good in everyone, and that for some reason unfathomable to me, you still care about her feelings, but we've been more than fair to her. She's brought everything that has happened on herself. And why won't there be an India?"

"I wasn't just talking about Theresa, although we both know that I haven't been fair to her. I was talking about us. About you and I and our marriage. I meant that I haven't been fair to you or to myself. But I'm going to change that now."

"I'm happy with the way things are. I don't feel that you've been unfair to me at all. And I don't want anything to change." Gwen replied coldly. "I want us to do what we said we were going to do. Move to India and start over. That's what I want. That's what you promised me we were going to do. I don't see why anything has to change."

Her words hit him with the sharpness of a bucket of ice water being thrown in his face. He looked at his wife as if seeing her for the first time in a long time. What he saw disturbed and saddened him. Her once beautiful face, full of life and charm, had become a contorted mask of bitterness and contempt. There was none of the warmth he'd once seen in her eyes. He realized again that he was making the right decision.

"You may not want to hear this, Gwen, but not everything is about you."

"Of course it isn't. It's about poor, mistreated, misunderstood Saint Theresa!"

"No! God, I wish you'd listen to me. Just hear what I am saying! This isn't about Theresa!" Ethan took a deep, calming breath. "This is about me. For once I'm thinking about what I want, as well as what's best for everyone else."

"Oh, now you're an expert on what's best for everyone else! Isn't that great! And just so we can be clear, what do you want? Because the way you've been going back and forth on that issue, I'm kind of confused!"

"I'm not an expert. But I know that we can't go on living this way. We all deserve better than this." He answered calmly, doing his best to keep control of his turbulent emotions. Angry as he was, he refused to get into a shouting match. It wasn't going to help anything. "Gwen, you deserve someone who can focus on you, and you alone. Someone who looks at you and sees only you, and how beautiful you are to him. I'm sorry, but that person is not me. I wish it were." Ethan paused, knowing once he said the words there was no going back. Gwen would be completely devastated. But he was ready, he realized, and was surprised to discover that while he hated having to hurt her, he felt little guilt for the words that were about to escape his lips. It felt good to finally be completely honest not only with Gwen, but with himself. Looking his wife in the eyes, he continued.

"You asked me what I want? Well, as much as I never expected to say these words…I want a divorce, Gwen."

What little color remained in her face disappeared at his statement. She had expected them, but expecting didn't make it hurt any less. She refused to cry, however. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down. Forcing back the tears that threatened, she channeled the pain she felt into a ball of white-hot rage. If he was going to hurt her…she was going to hurt him.

While he'd known Gwen had a temper, and that she could be violent when angry, Ethan hadn't been prepared for the sudden fierce crack of her hand slamming into his cheek.

"You lying scumbag!" she roared, her face distorted by rage. "You promised me! After Sarah died, you swore you wouldn't leave me again! You promised on Sarah's grave! And now you tell me that it meant nothing!"

"Of course it meant something. I wanted us to work, Gwen. I thought if I pushed myself enough, and ignored what my heart was telling me, that I could make myself be the man you wanted and needed. I thought I could go back to being the man I was before this whole mess started. But I can't. I can't be the man you need. And I'm sorry about that. But it's just not right for us to keep acting like things can go back to the way they were."

"Sure you did. You're a liar, Ethan! I can't believe I trusted you. I thought you loved me. But you never got over her. It'll always be Theresa for you." The calm of Gwen's voice belied the hatred and anger encompassed in her eyes. "Why couldn't you just forget her!" she exploded.

"Because you just don't forget something like she and I shared!" Ethan answered, his frustration taking over. "I couldn't just turn off my feelings like a faucet! Maybe you could, but I can't!" Taking a deep breath, he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to end like this. It's late, and people are trying to rest. Us yelling at each other like this isn't going to solve anything." He rose up from the bed. "I'll sleep in one of the guest rooms tonight. Tomorrow I'll work on finding a place to stay." With that he quietly walked out the door.

Grabbing a vase by the bedside, Gwen threw it at the door as it eased shut, taking a strange senseof comfort at the sound of shattering glass.

"You'll pay for this Ethan! If you think I'm going to make it that easy on you, you've got another thing coming!"

I'm not about to let you ride off into the sunset with Theresa. You think you can just waltz in here, tell me you want a divorce, and that's it? Not a chance. It'll be cold day in hell before that happens, Ethan. Just you wait and see.