Chapter 40:

Quit Acting So Foolish

"Ethan, I'll be going.", Theresa told him, looking over Rachel who stood not even 2 feet from her.

"Okay, see you.", Ethan replied and Theresa walked out.

"Well, you seem awfully happy and boy, aren't you brave. Little Samantha is right outside and here you are meeting up with your sissy in- law, to plan a little tryst.", Rachel smirked.

"Sorry to disappoint you sister, but, I am not in any mood for your sarcastic, full of yourself, cocky, smart ass attitude, I just woke up from a comma in which I was in for a numerous amount of days, so if you came here to pester me take yourself somewhere else, because I am in no mood for your accusations and I don't feel like becoming the object of gossip in which you start.", Ethan told her.

"I am not here to collect gossip or to start rumors, I am here about your little sister, our little sister, Kathelina.", she told him, getting his full attention. "Good, you chose to listen."

Ethan forced a smile to his lips. "Go on, you have my attention, which I am sure you realize."

"Dylan died earlier, which I don't know if you know.", she replied, he nodded.

"I heard and I am deeply sorry for all their loses.", he replied.

"I'm sure Fox and Kathelina would be honored and one point to you for sucking up, big bro. You always were good at that, now weren't you?", Rachel smiled at him, then went on. "It's not about Dylan, not really, you see Kathelina has befriended, his brother…."

"Daniel?", Ethan asked, he was starting to wonder just why this whole town seemed mesmerized by him.

"Yeah, I see Theresa told you about it.", Rachel asked.

"Not all that much.", Ethan replied.

"Well, he is trouble and I don't want him around Kathelina.", Rachel replied.

"What are you going to do forbid her from speaking to him?", Ethan asked.

"Yeah, I tried but, she told me that I hadn't got any right to.", Rachel fumed.

Ethan laughed. "Ain't that the truth? I mean, I'm sure if you, Fox or Kat came to me telling me who I can and can not talk to, I'd basically tell you where you where to get off at."

"Yeah, well, it's different, Ethan he is trouble…", Rachel began.

"Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Rachel most people say the same about you, I mean, you lie, deceive, manipulate, con and if there is trouble then you'll find it.", Ethan told her.

"It's different with him. I have never did drugs and part- well I do party but, I don't do it every night and I don't get teenage girls drunk so I can take them to bed. Ethan, he is evil…", Rachel began.

"He could have changed.", Ethan replied.

"No, he is a snake in the grass, he is just waiting for some defenseless girl to come along so he can get a piece. He uses girls like some doormat, once he wipes his feet so to speak he treads on.", Rachel replied.

"Kathelina, is a smart girl, she ain't going to let some man walk all over her.", Ethan told her. "Kat, is a strong girl, and she will never lay down with a man just, because he wants her to."

"He will manipulate her, make her promises that he will be there for her and will say that he cares but, in reality, he just wants to get a piece. He will say anything, will wait for as long as it takes if he is interested in taking that person to bed.", Rachel replied.

"What do you want to do? Take and burning him at the stake? Rock him to death? Rach, ya can't do anything to get him away from her, if he likes her and she likes him then, they are going to spend time together.", Ethan replied.

"That's where you are wrong. I think that if I dig up enough dirt on him, I mean some heavy stuff that I can turn Kathelina…", Rachel began.

"You plan on turning Kat against him, making her despise him?", Ethan asked.

"Exactly, and you were once a lawyer, could you…", Rachel began.

"I won't help you. I refuse, Rach, I have did my share of meddling in peoples lives.", Ethan told her.

"Ethan, please. Don't you love Kathelina?", she asked.

"I do love her, but, I am not going to try and control her, I know that you - and a lot of other people think that love equals control, but it doesn't. Just because, you love someone you don't have to control them.", he told her.

"Alistair?", she asked. "Is that who you were talking about?"

"Exactly, he feels that he needs to control you, Fox, Kat, Julian, Sheridan, everybody that is in his family.", Ethan told her, she nodded in agreement. "I don't want you to have the same beliefs, I know you love Kathelina, but, please don't try to tell her whom she can like do no manipulate her into hating Daniel, she likes him and if he is trouble she'll find that out."

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Daniel sighed, he couldn't sleep, it was nights like tonight that he found it impossible to close his eyes, to many things keep him awake, to many people, who had gone on.

He watched her sleep, she seemed so calm, she was in peace. He knew that losing Dylan was like hell on earth for her, he watched as she rolled over and closer to him.

"Daniel?", she asked, he knew she was terrified just by the sound of her voice.

"I'm here, I'm right here.", he told her.

"I - I thought, I dreamed you were dead, that - that you died and I was trying to tell them that you weren't but, everyone keep telling me you where and….", she began to sob.

"Hey, hey, hey, I ain't going to leave you okay.", he told her.

"If you don't stop doing the things you do I am afraid you will. Daniel, I can't lose you…make love to me, please. I am ready to. I - I want to. I - I have a feeling that this is what I am suppose to do.", she told him, he looked at her, he didn't know what to do, he felt her kiss his neck and place her hand on his bare chest.

"Kathelina, you are…", he let out a moan this woman, was driving him crazy, she began to ply kisses down his chest, then he watched as her soft lips came crashing on his hard dry ones. He knew he couldn't handle this, he had to respond, he wanted to and she made it freaking impossible for him to resist her, he quickly jerked her to her feet and sweep her up in his arms. He knew that this was wrong, but, he couldn't help himself. He lay her on the bed and began to hungrily kiss her lips, then he quickly and furiously plied kiss down her neck, he quickly moved the thin baby tee that she had on off her skinny, peptic body, he couldn't believe how hot she was making him, he had never lost his cool with anyone, he never had this animal like desire for no one, he admired her body for a few brief seconds, she was by far the most beautiful woman that he had ever saw and in a few short seconds he would have every last inch of her, he quickly diverted his attentions to satisfying her, this was what she wanted after all. He began to kiss down her neck, past her collar bone, down to the fabric of her bra, he cupped her breast in his hands, he couldn't believe that this was real, he had never in his wildest dreams thought that she would ever be here with him like this her hot breath against his neck, her eyes like hot coals piercing through his soul, and her body, responding to him in everyway. He ran his index finger over her nipple that was covered by the black lacy fabric of her Victoria Secret bra, he felt her nipple that was hard, grow ever harder, he knew that she was liking this by the way she was breathing, he wanted to make her moan, groan, he wanted to show her pleasures that she never knew he could give her, show her things, let her teach him things. He laughed to himself, what was there that he could be taught.

"What?", she asked, he noticed how nervous she got. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, beauty. Nothing, I was…are you sure that this is what you want?", he asked.

She looked at him, then it dawned on her just what she was doing, what was about to happen. "Daniel, I'm sorry but…", she began, she grabbed her shirt from the floor and covered breast with it. "I - this isn't right."

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay.", he told her. "I am the one who should be sorry, I know that you are hurting and I shouldn't have behaved like a teenage boy who's hormones were raging, I should have behaved like an adult, a responsible adult who knew you were hurting and weren't thinking clearly. Kat, I am no friend if I was…"

"Daniel.", she grabbed his hand stopping him. "I- I caught you off guard. You're just human, and like any other man you did what you thought was what I wanted. I didn't say stop and I wasn't about to, till you asked me if this is what I wanted."

"It wasn't what you wanted. Kat, I took advantage of you. Baby, I would have took you to bed, you know what I - I am what Rachel calls me. I am a rapist, I mean, look at what just happened, I had you shirtless within minutes of you telling me to make love to you. I was kissing you're neck, thinking about making you moan, my heart was pounding, my…", he began.

"Daniel, you did as you were told. I mean, I begged you to make love to me, I am as much to blame for this as you are, and I am sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on.", she told him. "And, that's exactly what I've been doing, kissing you the other night, asking you to stay here with me, clinging to you like some whore, and now to night, telling you to make love to me."

"Baby, you aren't leading me on. You are hurt over Dylan and you aren't thinking clearly.", he told her. "And, I am to blame for this. I didn't even think about what you went through, or just what I was doing, I was like a dog in heat."

"Daniel, I won't let you take responsibility, I am to blame not, you. I am the one in the blame. I - you are a man I am a woman, and anybody in their right state of mind knows that if a woman asks a man to bone her then, he will…", she began.

"Especially if they look half as sexy as you.", he added.

"See my point exactly, I am to blame, I - I am a whore. I am just like Rachel, no I am worse. I…", she began, he pulled her to him and kissed her, she pulled back and looked at him shocked.

"No, you are not and the reason I kissed you was to shut you up, you know you have the biggest mouth in the world especially when you are cursing at yourself for something that isn't your fought.", he told her, he watched as she placed her hand to her lips.

"Who told you that you could kiss me, you - you jerk. God, just because, I am a woman doesn't mean that you have the right to fondle, kiss, rub on, and fuck me when ever you want.", she huffed.

"But, that's what you asked me to do.", he told her, he loved seeing her get pissed, but, he knew exactly how far to push, he knew when to quit, when to stop.

"I told you that, was me being foolish.", she told him.

"I thought that you were being a whore, just like Rachel? If you are like Rachel, then…", he leaned forward taking her lips with his. She pulled back and giggled. "What kind of game are you playing, Daniel?"

He laughed, "None, I - we both are responsible for what happened earlier and either you admit that or…"

"Or what?", she asked.

"You'll be sorry.", he told her.

"Bring it on.", she challenged.

"Oh hell no you didn't just say that.", he replied.

"I'm afraid I did.", she told him, he looked down at her. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as she awaited what he had planned for her, she watched as he leaned in and began to tickle her, causing to laugh uncontrollably.

"Stop. Daniel, please stop it.", she told him, in-between fits of giggles. "Stop it, please."

"Not till you agree that we share equal responsibility in what just happened."

"Okay, I agree we both are to blame.", she told him and he let her go.

"Good girl.", he replied, smiling down at her.

"What do you think I am, some dog? Good girl, uh, you are getting on my last nerve.", she huffed.

"Get over it, you've been getting on my nerves. But, hey, I'm learning to manage.", he laughed at her as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to bed.", she told him, she lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, she felt angry at herself, Dylan had just died not even, 12 hours ago, and here she was laughing and caring on with his brother.

"What's wrong?", he asked, as he lay down beside her.

"You.", she replied. "You act like you could careless that he is dead. You feel all over me, play around and I do to. I joke and carry on and I feel so bad, so angry at myself. He loved me and if I felt anything at all for him I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't…", she began to sob, he pulled her to him. "Shh, I know you love him, everyone knows that. And, this right here, tonight doesn't change that, okay. I love Dylan as do you.", he told her.

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"Drake?", Janet asked, he held the photograph that she had gave him earlier in his hand. He seemed to be amazed by it, like if he studied the picture long enough that he would remember his past, but, that was just that, he couldn't remember his past. He couldn't never know the truth, about whom he was, where he lived, who he had loved. No, he could never and would never. "Drake, honey, is there something a matter?"

He was silent, which wasn't good. "Drake?"

"Janet…", he turned to her.

"What's the matter?", she asked.

"This - This place, this life. This …", he began. "This isn't my life."

"I know it seems that way now but…", she began.

"This can not be my life.", he said more of to himself, them to her, he studied the photograph more. Things just didn't add up. This place wasn't home to him, she wasn't home to him. Even after they had consummated their supposed love, she didn't seem like the woman he loved, yea, there was heat between them, like animals who couldn't get enough, but not love, he didn't love her. No - No, he shook his head this was his life, this was his home, she was the woman he loved, she had to be, why else would she say that?

"This is your life, here with me. Drake, we were so happy. Can't you tell by the photograph?", she asked.

"Is there more besides this one?", he asked.

"Yes, honey there was but, the fire, the fire took them away.", she lied, there was no other pictures, nor was there a fire.

"Our wedding picture?", he asked.

"Among other things, we need to get married again and quick.", she replied.

"Why so sudden?", he asked.

"I just love you so much and well, you do not remember our last wedding and well I want you to know just how beautiful it was and well, I'll recreate it, I'll make new memories for you, you won't want to remember, because you will be having to much fun to even think about it."

He looked at her a moment, taking in all that she said, something in the way she acted and talked was off.

"Now, let's get back to bed, we must rise early in the morning.", she took his hand and walked towards the bed.

He stopped and took his hand way from her. "I'll be back later, I am going out for a walk to clear my head."

"This late?", she asked, she knew he could get loss or worse stumble upon something that would spark a memory.

"Yeah, I want to look over my home, our home.", he smiled at her and then exited the room, it was hot so he could go shirtless with out worries of freezing to death.

"Tiziman…", he began. "Just what are you made of? What makes you tick?", he asked, the same little city. And, all he got was the sound of an owl hooting in the midnight. He laughed to himself, then started to walk down the small little road, he didn't know where it lead to but, he knew that he would be able to find his way back up to Dracula's castle, his home.

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"Theresa?", Sam asked, causing Theresa to turn to her. "Is everything okay?", she noticed that Theresa seemed upset.

"Yeah, well not really, I've just got a lot on my mind, with Dylan's funeral and the kids and Ethan and Daniel and Kat, it's just…I'm kind of under a lot of stress."

"Oh, but, Ethan's okay, right? I mean, I don't mean to sound selfish and all that, but he is okay?", she asked.

"For now, all depends on how much venom's fangs poccess.", she replied.

"Rachel? God, does she ever go away?", Sam asked aloud.

"I have asked question a million times and I finally came to a conclusion….", Theresa began. "She is the devil, sent to torture us all."

"Yeah, well what is it now that has Rachel in Ethan's room?", Sam asked.

"I have no clue and I really don't think I want to know.", Theresa replied. "Besides, Rachel is the least of my worries."

"What do you mean?", Sam asked.

"Just that Daniel is - well, I don't trust him. I know that I tell Fox that I do, and to give him a chance, but, really I think he is a snake in the grass."

"He is, he isn't what Kat or Gwen sees him for her, he is a liar and a con artist, he will make up all this shit to make you feel sorry for him but, it's all a lie. I mean, yeah, some of it may be true, but, he is only after one thing and let me tell you, it isn't love or romance.", Sam told her.

"Why do you know so much about him?", Theresa asked.

"I - Theresa…we don't get along and if this is some kind of way to…", Sam began.

"I'm not out to hurt you, actually I could careless about hurting you. I have my husband back and you apparently love Ethan.", Theresa replied, Sam looked at her. "I ain't trying to make friends with you, hell we'll probably never break bread at the Thanksgiving table."

Sam looked at her and gave her a forced smile. "So, what do you want? And, why do I get the feeling that I ain't going to like it?"

"Actually, I want to know just what kind of connection you have Daniel, because you sound worse that Rachel, and yea, she knows him quite well."

"I - he was one of my many customers, see I had a certain list of them my A list, that I would let take me to be, you know. It worked like this if they flashed me over 5 thousand dollars for favors they got it no questions asked, wham bam thank you ma'am."

"Okay, so Daniel was on that A list?", Theresa asked.

"No, he and I were different, it start out like the others I mean, he paid me a few thousand, I gave him what he asked for, but, then he started buying me gifts, I mean fancy gifts, rings, clothes, designer clothes, things that I never dreamed I'd see, especially on me. I mean, the closest thing I had to that was a fake diamond ring that belong to my mother. He started calling the house, he tracked down my number, he stopped by the house numerous times a week, he took me out, not like the out I was use to he would take me to the finest dinner, the theaters, he gave me the royal treatment.", Sam told her.

"What happened, I mean if this guy did all that? Why in the heck did he stop?", Theresa asked.

"He was engaged.", Sam told her.

"What?", Theresa asked, engaged? He was engaged?

"He was engaged to an Ashley Holiday, she was a rich Betty Crocker, I'm sure you could find info on her, she was a beauty queen, long blonde hair, beautiful brown, doe eyes. She was every man's idea of a bride.", Sam told her.

"Okay, so what happened to her? Is she still his wife?", Theresa asked.

"No, she died in a plane crash, going to Europe with her lover.", Sam told her.

"Okay. She had a lover, did he?", Theresa asked.

"Me. I was his lover, he ended it after her death, he was so upset, he blamed me, he blamed himself, he - she was pregnant.", Sam told her.

"Oh My God.", Theresa gashed. "By him?"

"I don't know, he never said. He buried and the child and never said a word he never even mentioned them to his mother or father after they buried her, it was like they never existed.", Sam told her, she was leaving out an important of the story, the part that Daniel and her had swore to never talk about, his father's involvement in her death and the baby's.

Flashback

"Baby, what's the matter?", she asked, as she walked up to him, they had just finished making love for the ump- teenth, and the phone rung interrupting them.

"She's dead.", he told her in complete shock.

"Who is?", she asked.

"Ashley, her plane went down in over the Atlantic.", he replied.

"Oh My God.", she gashed. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am sure. That was the coast guard, they found her body off the coast of Norway.", he replied.

"My God, Daniel. I'm so sorr…", she began.

"No you're not. Sam, you knew about her and yet, you spread your legs to me each and every night.", he screamed at her.

"Daniel, you said that you didn't love her, you said that…", she began.

"Damn it Sam, I know what I said and I know what I have done. My actions cost me my wife, her life.", he replied, his voice was angry, he was upset she could tell.

"No, Daniel, she…", she began.

"Get out, you whore get out of my sight, you are the reason she died. I should have been with her, she hated marring me, she hated this life and I made it no easier on her. I forced her to have an affair, I was suppose to be her husband, forsaking all others. That's what the vows read, but, no I placed you above her. I placed you some cheap whore in front of her, she was a decent human being and deserved to live more than me or you.", he told her, he throw her her clothes. "Get out, This is not where I need to be. I don't need to be sticking it to some whore, while my wife is on some plane being flew back to Wisconsin."

She quickly got dressed and headed to the door, she gave him one last look and then jotted off down the street.

End Of Flashback

Daniel sighed it was nights like tonight that bought about her memory, his wife, his two timing, whore of a wife, she had been having an affair with his best friend and her limo driver and even his father, he remembered the day she died so vividly. Being with Sam, getting the call, having the feeling of guilt, but, now he saw it for what it was, the marriage was a marriage of convenience for his father, his father had fixed it where Ashley was easy access, gave him a reason to be at the house at all ours of the day. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, remembering the baby. He would never know just who's baby Ashley had been caring, was it his or was it someone else's, had she knew and if so what had she planned to do? Passes it off on him or tell him the truth? Would they had divorced or would he had keep her for the baby's sake, because he felt obligated to her? His thoughts ran to the woman that lay fast asleep beside him. She was a good person, he knew that she would never betray the man she married, that she would be faithful, he smiled to himself, anybody that would cheat on her would be insane. She had everything a man could ask for, she was caring, she showed more compassion to him then Ashley ever did.

Flashback

"What is your freaking problem? You mope around this house all day, you leave me here at night to occupy some whore's hotel room. Daniel, I am young and vibrate, I can have any man I want and I am here with you.", Ashley huffed.

"Well you do, so why are you complaining?", he asked.

"What?", she asked.

"I saw you with father last night, so you don't have to deny it and really I do not care.", he told her. "Oh and Hennery isn't going to be with you for long, Sharon is the woman that has his heart, baby you're just a joke, a way for him to piss me off."

"You bastard…", she exclaimed.

"What? Surprised, I have my ways and the rubbers are in the waste basket, and they don't belong to me. Because, you are an ice princess when it comes to your husband. But, I really mustn't fret because, Lord knows what STDs you carry, hell every man, including the UPS man gets a piece of you…"

"Well no wonder look who my husband is.", she told him, her eyes glaring at him over her sun glasses. "It is hard to be pleased when you come up a few inches short."

Daniel glared at her, he hated her, he wanted to divorce her so bad, but knew he couldn't. "Really?", he pulled her to him taking her lips with his, kissing her with a closed hard mouth. He couldn't deny the fact that when they made love that it was full of raw emotion, he felt her tare at the buttons of his shirt.

"I hate you, you know that.", she told him.

"Feelings are mural.", he told her, throwing on the bed.

End of Flashback

He watched Kathelina as she sleep, he never wanted her to experience that type of relationship, he never wanted her to hate someone so much, that you could hardly breath. He remembered the whole relationship, and how physical they sometimes got, all the hitting and the breaking things. He had meet his match when it came to the strong powered Ashley Holiday.

Spoilers for Chapter 41:

The Funeral Starts, and a secret is exposed, about whom?

Kathelina questions her feelings about Daniel.

Theresa and Fox rekindle.

Gwen presence puts a drift between Daniel and Kat.