The Ex Factor

Bulovka Hospital-Prague

Luis in the waiting room, silent, as he had been for the past thirty minutes. Across from him, Ethan sat with Sarah curled up in his arms. sleeping. On the other side of him sat Kieran. Next to Luis, Paloma tapped her foot on the floor. All five of them had small wounds cleaned up, stitched and bandaged by the hospital staff, but none of them had serious enough injuries to be admitted. So all they could was sit, and wait, as they had been the past several hours. Theresa, Gwen, Jared, and Fancy had been taken off for examination and evaluation.

It looked as though they all would be OK...except Fancy. There had been no word on her for quite a while. The waiting was agonizing, but the hospital was swamped, so Luis tried to keep a rein on his temper. Most of the badly hurt from Jesenik had been brought here. He thought back to the devastation of Jesenik that they'd seen firsthand as the ambulance was taking them away. The village streets had looked like a war zone, with screaming, crying locals, the dead being laid out on the side of the road...families, wailing in despair as they searched through the rubble for their loved ones. He shook his head, remembering. "I don't ever want to see something like that again." He murmured out loud. No one needed to ask what he was talking about.

Soft footsteps sounded behind them, and then a shy figure walked into their midst.

"Rina!" Ethan looked at the young woman, startled. "I'm glad to see you're OK. How did you get here?" He nodded at the seat on the other side of him. "How is your family?"

Rina sat down and Paloma, Luis, and Kieran leaned forward as she spoke softly.

"They are good." She gave them a small smile. "We were very lucky. None of the homes were...how do you say it? Bombed? But the cafe...the stores...the doctor's..." she shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "It all fell. So many people were lost. And those that worked in the manor...many escaped, but many died too. Even I never thought that Claude Moreau would go there far. I wish-"

Kieran gave a tiny, almost imperceptible shake of his head, warning her to stop before she revealed her role in Claude's death. He knew what she wished-that she had gone ahead and killed Claude before he had time to set off the bombs. God forgive him, but he wished he had let her.

"Any way, the town was evacuated. They are afraid there are still more bombs. The people who aren't badly hurt are still being brought here so I asked to ride in with them instead of going to the shelter. I wanted to see how you all are."

Ethan smiled at her. "They're good. Well, Gwen broke her ankle, Theresa hurt her hand, and Jared has some kind of head injury but they should be just fine. My sister though..." He sighed heavily. "We don't know."

"I'm so sorry." Rina's eyes filled with tears.

Before anyone else could speak, Paloma reached out to her. "I'm sorry too, Rina. I won't pretend I am OK with what you did, because I'm not. But I don't know

what I would have done in your shoes. It must have been such a nightmare for you."
Rina gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you. I hope-"

She went silent as a harried looking nurse suddenly approached. She looked at the clipboard she was holding with a frown. "Winthrop!" She barked. Ethan stood up hurriedly. "Your wife is good. Her ankle is broken, leg is not. She will have pain. We have given her medicine. She is coming now." The nurse dismissed Ethan with a glance and flipped a page on her clipboard. "Casey must stay. He has concussion. He leaves in morning." She gave them a look as if daring them to argue with her, and Paloma hid a smile.

"Crane, Theresa. Her hand, it is crushed. Bad injury. She will have surgery. She has concussion as well. Leave tomorrow, maybe next day." She consulted her clipboard again. " Crane, Fancy." She paused for a moment and everyone sat up straighter, except for Luis, who got to his feet and started pacing nervously. "She has internal injuries, fractured ribs, and head injury. We had to operate, but she will be fine." She gave them a wintery smile, something that looked like it was probably a rare concession from her. "She stays. I do not know when she can go yet, but she is good."

"Thank you!" Before the nurse could step away, Luis jumped forward and kissed her soundly on both cheeks, feeling the relief flood through him, making him giddy.

"Sir!" She smacked him away from her, holding out the clipboard like a weapon. "I call security!"

"No, no!" Luis laughed at her outraged expression. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. See, I'm sitting down." He made a show of sitting and cast an angelic smile her way. Then suddenly he bounced back to his feet, and the nurse took a step back, giving him a wary look. "Can I see her?" He asked, as hopefully as a kid on Christmas morning. The nurse gave him a very reluctant look. "Very quick. Come this way-and keep hands to yourself!" Luis followed her out of the room, whistling.

The rest of them got to their feet as well. "I want to see Theresa. I'm going to ask." Paloma grinned. "Rina, do you want to come with me? I'm sure she would like to see you."

Rina smiled shyly and Paloma grabbed her hand, dragging her off to the nurses station. That left Kieran, Sarah, and Ethan. An awkward silence fell between them. Ethan still wasn't sure about this brash stranger with the Irish accent, who seemed to insert himself into the role of Gwen's protector every chance he got. Not that he had any room to talk. He exhaled deeply, and Kieran looked at him questioningly.

Ethan raised an eyebrow at him. "Can I ask you one thing?"

Kieran shrugged. "Of course."

"OK, then. What the hell are you wearing?"

Kieran looked down at his uniform with a rueful smile. "These outfits was designed specifically by Claude Moreau." He shook his head in disgust. "I should have known he was evil the minute I saw it."

Ethan laughed. When he stopped, he looked at Kieran again. "I'm grateful to you, for everything you've done. Gwen says you saved her and Theresa, and most of all, you gave us back our daughter. And you safeguarded her all these years...I don't know what she would have done without you."

Kieran looked at Sarah's sleeping form with a hint of sadness. "I don't know what I would have done without her. Maybe I would have become like the other guards, loving power, not caring about human life...I don't know. It has been a very dark time."

Ethan nodded. "It has...for all of us. I can only hope that things will get better."

Kieran looked at him steadily. "Things don't just get better. We have to work at it." He looked up and a smile broke out on his face. "Gwen!"

He and Ethan both got to their feet as a nurse wheeled Gwen towards them. An enormous smile broke out on her face as she looked at her sleepy daughter. "I still can't believe it." she whispered. "It was agonizing, just being away from her these last few hours. I kept thinking I was going to wake up, and she'd be gone."

Ethan stroked her face. "Never again." He said softly, unable to help but notice how her face went impassive the minute he touched her. "I think it's time we go."

Gwen nodded. "Yes, let's get back to the hotel. I've never been more exhausted in my life."

Ethan followed behind, noticing how Kieran had automatically taken charge of Gwen's wheelchair and how carefully he pushed her. He hadn't missed the looks between them. Gwen had only been in Jesenik a short time, but it was long enough, apparently, for the whole state of his marriage to completely shift. They were going to have to talk it out..everything. He'd waited long enough. Things couldn't go on this way, any more. Especially after what he'd read in Theresa's letter.

Prague-Hotel Moravia

Kieran settled Gwen on the couch in her suite, making sure her cast was carefully propped up, then finding a small blanket in one of the other rooms to tuck around her. Sarah was asleep, tucked on the loveseat across the room. She could have had a bedroom of her own, but Gwen wanted the child with her at all times, both because she needed to be able to see her, as well as the fear that Sarah would wake up in a strange place by herself and be terrified.

"Where's Ethan?" Kieran looked at her curiously.

"He's calling the hospital. Luis and Paloma decided to stay, so I guess he just wants to make sure they haven't changed their mind and need a ride here." The lie was so automatic, ingrained in her from all those years of being married to Ethan. He was checking on Theresa; there was no doubt about it. She knew it, and by the look on Kieran's face, he knew it too. She sighed.

"Thank you for getting me a room here." Kieran smiled at her.

"Of course, Kieran. It was the least I could do. I owe you so much." She smiled warmly at him and he took her hand and squeezed it.

"My room has a fireplace." Kieran grinned. "I'm going to burn this God awful garment. Well, as soon as I get some other clothes. Can't be walking around naked, after all."

Gwen had a sudden, very vivid picture of what that would look like and her face turned scarlet. She crossed her fingers that Kieran couldn't see the blush in the dimly lit room. "So what will you do now?" She looked at him curiously. "Are you going to stay in Jesenik?"

"Oh, no." Kieran shook his head firmly. "The locals...well, to them I'm a monster. I can't blame them for feeling that way. If Rina hadn't intervened, I would have been arrested with the other remaining guards. As it is, I'd like to get out of here before the authorities change their mind and come after me regardless. They need a scapegoat now that Claude's dead and their corruption is coming out. The destruction of an entire village is rather hard to cover up. I suppose I will keep wandering. Maybe I'll stop back in Ireland for a little while, see my family, but it's not where I belong."

"Is there a chance..." Gwen hesitated. "Is there a chance you will wander our way? I know that Sarah would love to see you. I don't know how she's going to do without you, really, and I-" Looking down, she blushed even more.

Kieran touched her face gently. "Keep looking at me like that, Gwen, and I will follow you to the ends of the earth." They just sat for a moment, looking at each other, and then Gwen started to speak. Before she could form the first word, Ethan came in from the other room.

"Oh, Kieran, you're still here." He held a glass of water in one hand and Gwen's medication in the other.

Kieran stood up. "I'm leaving, actually. You know where I am, should you need me." He gave Gwen a final look and then left the suite.

Ethan sat down next to her. "I thought you'd like something for the pain." He started to hand her the pill but Gwen pushed his hand away. "I don't want it, Ethan." She eyed his bruised face. "Maybe you should take it. Your nose looks awful."

Ethan touched it gingerly and winced. "The doctor said you broke it."

Gwen smiled, but it was a cool one. "I hope you're not waiting for an apology, because you're not going to get one."

Ethan sighed. "I know I deserved it, Gwen. Believe me, I know."

Gwen just shook her head, tears in her eyes. Ethan looked at her worriedly. "I know we need to talk, but you look exhausted. Would you like me to help you get into bed?"

Gwen shook her head determinedly. "No. We really do need to talk. You start."

Ethan looked at the ground. "I guess I don't really know where to start, Gwen. This has been such a mess for so long. I want you to know how sorry I am that I didn't take you seriously when you thought that Sarah was alive. I should never have threatened to institutionalize you. I don't know what I was thinking. I just-I was so afraid you would get hurt again-and I was afraid for me too. I was so scared to hope and then go through that pain again."

Gwen flinched lightly at his words. It was almost exactly what Theresa had said he was feeling. The knowledge that Theresa had been right once again ate at her. "Ethan, I think you'd better put Sarah in the other room. This is going to go on for a while. Leave the door open, so we can see her."

When Ethan returned, he again sat next to her, taking her hand in his. "It's not only Sarah that I'm sorry about, Gwen. It's everything. I haven't been here for you, and I haven't been honest with you. There's always been three people in this marriage. I could never let go of Theresa the way I should have. I could never give myself completely to you, and you deserve better. I-I've made a decision." He was silent for a moment and Gwen felt her heart shrivel in her chest. Tears filled her eyes and slowly overflowed. Ethan looked at her sadly and squeezed her hand. "Gwen, maybe we should do this later. You're hurt, and Sarah's here..."

"No, Ethan, no! I have waited so long for you to be honest with...too long! Why can't you say it, Ethan? Just say it! Say it! Please, stop this-you're killing me! Do you really think you're doing me a favor, refusing to tell me the truth out of pity? You said I deserve better, but you don't believe it. You think that having a husband in my bed, but who has given his heart to someone else is the best I could do? You think that no one else could ever want me, or love me, no one else could actually see me as the only woman for them, is that it?" Gwen's voice rose angrily.

Ethan looked at her. "You're talking about Kieran, aren't you? Something is going on between you. Well, he's a fast worker, I'll say that for him."

Gwen's hand flashed out and slapped Ethan across the face, hard. "Don't you even start. I barely know him! I'll admit that I'm flattered by his attention. Kieran looks at me like I'm a real woman. He looks at me and I feel wanted and I feel like I'm the only woman in the world. That's how a husband is supposed to make his wife feel, Ethan. That's how you're supposed to make me feel! Well, you know how you really make me feel? You make me feel desperate, and bitter, and ugly, and hateful. You make me feel pitiful. I'd forgotten what it could be like to feel beautiful." She wiped the tears off her cheeks. "So if you think you're doing me a favor, staying with me out of guilt, you can get over that noble notion right now, because you have wrecked my life for the last seven years and I refuse to let you any longer. If you can't say it, I'll say it for you. I want a divorce."

Ethan looked at her, stunned. "Are you serious?"

Gwen gave him an angry stare. "I'm serious, Ethan. If you refusing to help me look for our daughter wasn't the nail in the coffin of our relationship, finding out that you've been sleeping with Theresa behind my back certainly was."

Ethan went pale. "Did she tell you that? I can't believe she'd be that malicious!" He shook his head.

"Oh, shut up, Ethan. You're not going to weasel out of this one by blaming it all on Theresa. I seriously doubt she had to work very hard to get you to drop your pants."

Seeing the raw pain in her face, Ethan reached for her but she flinched away. "Don't touch me, Ethan." she whispered. Putting a hand over her face, she began to sob.

Ethan stood up. "I wasn't trying to blame Theresa. It's not her fault. It's mine. I just couldn't - I couldn't stop loving her. I'm sorry, Gwen...I'm so sorry. This is...it's all my fault. I ruined all three of our lives, and I take full responsibility." Tears were in his own eyes as he spoke. "I don't know how my children are going to think of me when they're old enough to understand. I don't know how to put this all back together, Gwen, I don't."

He sat back down, putting his head in his hands. Seeing his misery made Gwen's heart ache. She was furious at him but at the same time, she knew it wasn't finished. He blamed himself for everything, but she had her share of the blame, and it was time to come clean, for his sake, for her sake too.

"Ethan." she touched his hand. "You may not be so sorry when you hear what I have to say."

Ethan looked at her with damp eyes. "What are you talking about, Gwen? We both know who the guilty party is, the one who's destroyed your life, and that's me."

Gwen looked down. "I destroyed your life first, Ethan, and I don't think you're ever going to be able to forgive me."

Ethan looked at her, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

Gwen swallowed hard, hardly able to believe she was about to say it. "The tabloid. Theresa was right all along. I did it, Ethan. I sold them the story about your true paternity."

Ethan felt like a huge weight had slammed into his chest. He couldn't breathe for a minute...couldn't speak. "You can't be serious." He finally whispered. "Gwen, you didn't...tell me you didn't."

Gwen looked down, the guilt written all over her face. She wished now she could snatch the words back, but she couldn't. It was out..she wanted it to be out. She was so sick of barely being able to look herself in the mirror, so sick of being on the edge all the time, waiting for her house of cards to fall. "I did, Ethan. My mother and I found the information on Theresa's computer. I thought if we exposed you she would leave you. I thought she only wanted you because you were a Crane." Gwen's hand nervously played with the fabric of her shirt.

"You..you lied to me, all this time? You set Theresa up to take the fall? I don't..." Ethan stood up, pacing the room, then turned. "How could you do this to me, Gwen?" He wanted to scream at her, he wanted to break something, but Sarah was in the other room, so he did his best to keep his voice down. Having to control himself was frustrating at a time when he wanted...no, he needed to shout.

Gwen was crying again. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm so sorry!"

"That's not good enough!" Ethan cried. "That doesn't even begin to cover it, Gwen! You sold me out, Gwen! You destroyed my life...you ruined everything! I thought you really loved me but you betrayed me in the worst possible way!"

"I do love you, Ethan, please don't say that I don't." Gwen shook her head tearfully.

"How can I believe that? I feel like I'm going to be sick! I have been such an idiot, for so long. I believed in you, I trusted you! Gwen, do you hate me that much?"

Gwen was sobbing again, her hand over her face. "No, I don't, Ethan...I don't now." She sniffed. "But I did. You left me for Theresa...the night before our wedding! I was devastated, humiliated in front of the whole world...and I missed you so much. I'd lay awake in bed at night wondering what I did, why I wasn't good enough. I wanted you back but I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to hurt you both." She wiped her eyes. "Well, I guess I succeeded, didn't I?" She was crying so hard now she could barely breathe.

"Stop it, Gwen...stop crying, stop trying to make me feel bad. You are the one who was vicious. I know I hurt you but what you did to me...it's unfathomable!" Ethan's voice rose, ringing throughout the suite and suddenly Sarah awoke with a little cry.

Ethan and Gwen both froze as Sarah sat up. Her unfocused eyes darted around the strange room and then she began to shake, and then to sob. Ethan ran to her, kneeling at the side of the bed while Gwen sat on the couch, helpless due to her heavy cast.

"Shhh..shhh...sweetheart, it's OK. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." Ethan whispered as he smoothed her hair. Sarah cried for a moment longer, then looked at him tearfully. "Daddy..." she whispered softly as her eyes closed. A moment later her breathing was back to normal and her face peaceful as she curled up on her pillow. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as he left the room. He stood in the doorway a minute, watching Gwen as she anxiously looked from her perch on the couch to her daughter. Finally, he sighed heavily and Gwen looked at him, fear in her eyes.

"Gwen...I don't know what to say. I am so angry at you I can't even put it into words. But in the end, what's important are the children. Jane and Sarah have got to be our priorities and you...you went across an ocean and risked your life to bring us back our daughter. I think after that...well, it's going to take awhile, but I can forgive you." He sat down beside her, looking hurt, angry, and most of all, sad. Sad for all they had lost. Not even lost..they'd ruined it.

They sat in silence for several minutes and then Gwen looked at him. She'd been so angry at him while they were in Jesenik that it had almost seemed like ending their marriage would be easy, that she'd be OK, maybe even glad to see him go. But it hurt...more than anything, it hurt. She still loved him. There was no denying that. If she could change the world, she'd be with him, and he'd love her more than anything. But it wasn't to be, and she knew it. Still, she had to try, one last time.
"Ethan." she reached out to put her hand on his arm. "I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to answer me with complete honesty. Do you love me, Ethan? At all?"

He looked at her with aching eyes. "Of course I do, Gwen. I always have."
"OK." Gwen looked directly at him. "Ethan, do you love me enough, that, with enough time, we can try to forgive each other and work things out? Can you let Theresa go? Do you love me enough to try and save our marriage?"

Ethan paused for a moment, not because he wasn't sure of his answer. He hesitated because he knew his answer would hurt, but she had asked for honesty, and she deserved it. He deserved it too, and so did Theresa.

"No, Gwen. I don't. I'm sorry."
Gwen nodded as she felt her heart break for the last time. It was the answer she'd expected, but deep down, she had hoped...

They sat in silence for a long time, both of them lost in their own pain. Then finally, Ethan spoke. "This is really it, isn't it? It's over."

Gwen nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yes. I guess it is." She wrapped her arms around herself, but it wasn't enough to take away the chill in her heart.

"We should file for divorce as soon as we get back to Harmony. This has gone on too long. We'll make it as quick and quiet as possible. I just want it to be over with, and I think you do, too."

Gwen nodded again, unable to speak as pain coursed through her. Ethan stood up, and suddenly she reached out, grabbing his hand. He looked at her in surprise, and she spoke hurriedly before he could pull away. "Ethan, don't hate me, please. At least for the children's sake. I don't want to be like Theresa and Julian, constantly battling, hating each other. Forgive me, please, so we can raise our children in love, even if we're not together. Please, Ethan, please!"

Ethan knelt down, feeling his own heart ache. "I forgive you, Gwen. I can't ever forget, but I don't hate you and I never will. We'll be united for the kids, OK? Don't ever worry about that."

Gwen managed a trembling smile. "Thank you, Ethan."

He nodded, standing. "Gwen, I need to get out of here. I'm going.." The lie jumped to his lips, but he turned it away. No more sneaking around, no more deception. "I'm going to the hospital. I need to see Theresa."

It pierced Gwen sharply, those words. She looked down for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "If you could be back in the morning, early, before Sarah wakes up, I'd appreciate it. I would like us to have breakfast together, let her get used to us."

"Of course." Ethan leaned down and kissed her head. "Goodbye, Gwen."

She couldn't say it. Even after he turned and left the suite, she couldn't say it. But then the tears came again, and the pain was overwhelming. She'd always known this day would come; maybe if she'd let it come sooner it wouldn't feel like her very heart had been ripped from its body.

"Goodbye, Ethan."

TBC...
Coming soon...
Theresa wakes up to find Ethan by her bedside. Will it be the moment she's dreamed of?
The group goes back to Harmony.