Chapter Six

He returned home with roses…

Six long stemmed, blood red roses that were covered in raindrops…

It had begun to rain since he left the bar, his driving impaired more by the pain in his heart and the butterflies in his stomach than the beer he had consumed. When he saw the little floral shop on First and Main hadn’t closed yet, he immediately pulled over and picked out the nicest six roses the woman there had. He knew this wasn’t exactly going to make up for not believing her, for mocking her, but he knew that it was a step in the right direction and maybe this would give him a foot in the door…

Put them back on the road to recovery…

But her car wasn’t in the driveway and the lights weren’t on.

That was odd. Sheridan rarely went out at night; terrified that someone was lurking in the dark, trying to take her life like they had Dustin’s. Her nightmares had returned, filling her dreams with images of blood deaths for all in the household. Many nights he had woken to find her gone from bed, her sobbing coming from Dustin’s bedroom where she lay clutching that filthy dog…

She hadn’t even vacuumed Dustin’s room, refusing to lose the scent that was in there…

He’d have to beg her to do that soon…

Sighing, he walked inside, throwing his keys on the coffee table and dropping his coat onto the arm of the couch. Something didn’t feel right about the house; it was too still, too quiet. He felt as if Sheridan had barely been here tonight and that worried him…

More than he was willing to admit.

Grabbing the phone, he dialed her cell phone number, waiting impatiently for someone to pick up…

No one did…

Sheridan NEVER turned her cell phone off! NEVER!

He hung up the phone, beginning to pace the length of the living room as he tried to piece this together. The entire situation puzzled him and he hated enigmas. Lately, he wanted answers, straight ones that left no room for argument. But this left many questions…

Where could she have gone?

Did she turn off her cell with the intention of avoiding him?

Would she do that?

Before he could find the answer to even one of his questions, the phone rang.

“Sheridan,” he asked quickly, clutching the phone in his hand.

“No, Luis, it’s Ivy.”

He heard sobbing on the other end of the line and her voice was filled with fear and panic. Unsure of why his sister-in-law would be calling, Luis preceded carefully. “Ivy, where are you?”

“I’m at the station with Sam. Luis, I need to see you. It’s an emergency. You have to come down her quickly!”

“Ivy, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t tell you over the phone but it is of the utmost importance that I see you tonight…Sheridan might not be alive in the morning!”

She had his undivided attention now. “Ivy, stay with Sam. I’ll be down there in ten minutes.”

“Hurry Luis! Please! For Sheridan’s sake!”

Luis didn’t bother returning the phone to the cradle as he rushed out the front door, grabbing his keys but leaving his jacket. He didn’t notice that in his rush he had trampled the roses, grinding their petals into the throw rug that Sheridan had purchased on a trip to Castleton, the bloody red color ruining the white of the carpet…

The fragile flowers completely destroyed…

A foreshadowing of the blood that would be spilled before dawn…

Luis arrived at the station in record time, making it there in four minutes and twelve seconds…

A drive that usually took about ten…

Without traffic…

He raced inside, his stomach in knots as he looked for his boss and Ivy Crane, the only two people that had any idea what was going on tonight. Ivy and Sheridan had been very close since their wedding several years ago. In fact, Ivy was so happy for the pair that she had allowed Pilar to retire and helped her find better work while keeping her on the pay roll. Luis trusted her with his life and well being, often leaving little Dustin with her so he could take Sheridan and Pilar out for lunch.

Tonight he knew his trust was going to be rewarded, especially since it involved his wife…

The only person he had left in his life…

Luis wasn’t sure where to look for the pair, but he rushed through the station praying he would be led right too them. Eventually, he found them in Sam’s office; Ivy still in tears, her body quivering as Sam held her close. If Luis wasn’t so worried about his wife, he probably would have wondered just what was going on between the Police Chief and Ivy Crane…

But now was definitely not the time for rumors and speculation.

His wife was missing and Luis knew of only one person that could help him find her…

Ivy Crane!

“Sam? Ivy? What’s going on?” he asked, slightly out of breath from his sprint through the station house.

Ivy looked up, one eye completely swollen shut, the eye a shade of purple he had never seen before, and her lip busted and bleeding. Tears rolled down her cheek as fast as she wiped them away. “He’s got her…”

“He who? What’s going on?” Luis was confused, looking back and forth between Sam and Ivy. “Someone feel like cluing me in?”

Ivy looked at Sam, terror in her eyes, but he merely nodded. “He has to know, Ivy.”

She swallowed hard, relating her tale…

Ivy Crane searched both floors of the mansion for the incompetent woman that had been in charge of doing the laundry. Serena had become quite useless at doing chores and it was about time the woman was fired. Not that Ivy really had the heart to fire the woman; after all, she had been a dear friend of Pilar’s. Finally unable to find the wretch, she decided to see if she could at least LOCATE the dress she had asked the woman to shorten.

No luck.

However, upon searching the mansion, she stumbled upon a stairwell she hadn’t ever seen before. It was hidden in the corner of one of the back halls, near an old grandfather clock that her parents had given her on her anniversary one year. She assumed it was merely a servants’ passage, but decided to test the theory. After all, there wasn’t much else to do around the mansion anymore and this seemed too tempting to pass up. Turning on the lights, she headed down the creaky, musty passage and into a darkened tunnel. The smell down there was sickening and she could hear the scurrying of mice.

She hated mice.

Small cobwebs adorned some of the corners, their mistress spiders sitting in the middle just waiting.

Ivy hated spiders more than mice.

Deciding that this was NOT something she wanted to explore further, Ivy turned back, heading for the now closed door at the top of the stairs. The old wood and stone staircase groaned from her weight and she wondered if she would fall through them by stepping on the boards. She didn’t have time to find out, however, as she hadn’t made it more than three steps when a bloodcurdling scream reverberated through the halls.

Running towards the scream, her heels clacking on the stone flooring beneath her feet, Ivy came face to face with one man she hadn’t seen since her wedding to Julian. A man whose very name brought terror to the hearts of those who heard it…

Alistair.

His cold blue eyes bore into hers, causing Ivy to shudder. She had never liked her father-in-law; in fact, she loathed him with ever fiber of her being. Ivy hated that he was able to keep her from Sam, ruining her life and trapping her in a loveless marriage. She turned her eyes away; looking past him, she caught sight of Sheridan’s body in a little room, her pale form shaking on the cold, rocky basement flooring.

“What are you doing here, Ivy?” he growled, grabbing her arm and pushing her up against the wall. She felt a sharp rock prod into her spine and causing her to groan in pain.

“I…I…” she couldn’t explain.

“You don’t belong down here, woman! You shouldn’t have come!” Alistair left no room for argument.

“I didn’t know…I heard a scream! Is Sheridan all right?”

“You always were a stupid girl, getting yourself into problems that you couldn’t get out of! You never should have come here…” he tightened his grip leaving large purple marks on her upper arm.

“You’re hurting me!” she struggled in his arms.

He slapped her, the crack resounding against the cold stones. “Never raise your voice to me, Ivy! Never!”

She got up, fire in her eyes and raised her hand to slap him, receiving a blow instead. She fell to the ground, sobbing, the sound echoing in her ears.

“Take care of her too,” he called over his shoulder to his lackey. “Just finish the job in there first,” he laughed, walking away.

Ivy looked up at the shadowy figure in the door and he motioned to a tunnel to the right. “To her old cottage…go find Luis.”

“And so I came here, thinking you were on shift by now,” Ivy finished shakily. “Luis, she’ll be killed if you don’t get there soon! Whoever let me go isn’t going to be able to hold Alistair off for long!”

But Luis didn’t have to hear the last line because he was already out the door and halfway to his car…

Destination: Crane mansion…

Alistair sipped on his glass of brandy, a sickening grin on his face. Oh yes, his plan was working nicely... too bad he had too kill his daughter-in-law too. Ivy had never become the wife Julian needed, the vicious, vindictive woman that would assist him in raising the Crane Empire to new heights. In fact, Ivy had done nothing but bare children and bring the empire down with her stupidity. The more he thought about it, the more Alistair realized having her taken care of would merely advance the empire further.

He laughed, finishing off his drink and pouring another. Sheridan’s death would look like a suicide, her depression having ruined her mindset and finally causing her to take her own life. Dustin’s murder would never be pinned on him or his mercenary; there wasn’t a witness left. As for Luis…

Well, that wouldn’t matter because with that man gone not a person in Harmony would be willing to question the almighty Alistair Crane. Yes, life was good!

“Mr. Crane, we have a slight problem,” a sweet voice filled his room from the intercom. “Ivy has escaped and gone to Chief Bennett.”

Blast it all! If that woman managed to tell what she saw, his plan to destroy Luis and slowly bring him to the brink of despair would never work! Stupid Lopez-Fitzgerald! Damn Ivy! “Tell him to forget about Sheridan right now and get his ass in here, Sarah, and make it fast! We have extra work to do…”

“Yes sir!”

“And Sarah…”

“Yes, Mr. Crane?”

“Keep an eye on my son-in-law, please. If he comes to the mansion, assist him in finding the passage, we’ll take care of him down there.”

“Right away, Mr. Crane.”

“Good,” he clicked off the intercom. So much for being able to watch Luis suffer, but that was life. Instead he would make sure his son-in-law witnessed the murder of his wife before his own life was claimed in the most brutal way he could think of.

Yes, being Alistair Crane certainly had its perks…

And he planned on using them all tonight!

Chapter Seven

CRASH!!!

A clap of thunder shook the car as he looked at the gates of the mansion…

FLASH!!!

Lightening highlighted the dreaded house that loomed above on the hill…

THUD!!! THUD!!! THUD!!!

Large drops of rain fell heavily on the windshield and roof of his car repeatedly, sounding like dozens of tiny fingers tapping on the metal to get his attention…

And all he could do was stare out the mansion with hate in his eyes.

Luis’ hands clutched the wheel, his knuckles turning white as he sat in his car, waiting for the damn guard to open the gate. Mike had been a dear friend of his wife’s; someone she had trusted for as long as he could remember and now was the only one he felt could help him. He needed to get onto the grounds, and fast, before he found himself all alone in this world. Sheridan’s life depended on it!

But he hadn’t expected Mike to stab him in the back by calling Julian Crane down from the main house. What was Julian supposed to do for him? Tell Alistair exactly what time he arrived and which way he went? Sure, Julian would be loads of help!

Finally, the large black wrought iron gate opened slowly, creaking as the wind blew the eerie oak trees and another flash of lightening brightened the sky. Luis pulled the car forward, surprised to find Julian just inside the gate, wearing a raincoat and holding a dark black umbrella. He rolled down the window, looking at his brother-in-law with contempt and expecting some snide remark from his drunken lips.

He was quite surprised when Julian said, “Open the passenger side door and when we get to the mansion I’ll help you find the passageway.”

“You’ll actually help me?” Luis was stunned.

“As opposed to popular belief, I do have a heart, Luis,” he rolled his eyes. “Sheridan didn’t deserve the poor treatment from my father, especially this. I want to see her own personal hero save her again.” He offered what resembled a smile. “It was a promise to my mother.”

‘Funny how he’s never kept that promise before,’ Luis thought, closing the window and opening the passenger side door. Julian immediately slid into the car, closing the drenched umbrella and quickly swinging the door shut. He sighed, looking over at Luis with the small smile still on his lips. “Ivy was the only one lucky enough to get away tonight. My father is on a rampage, Luis, I hope you brought your gun.”

“Never leave home without it,” he started the car up the hill. “What does he have against Sheridan?”

“Might be easier to say what he likes about her, and if we don’t hurry that will be the fact that she’s dead.”

“Not if I have anything to say about that,” he sped up, the roar of the engine filling the deathly silent car as he flew towards the house, slamming on the breaks when they reached the front steps. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

“Because I’m not stupid enough to mess with a man twice my size and half my age that’s carrying a loaded weapon. Look, I shut the power off in most of the house, which means his damn cameras aren’t working and you can take him by surprise. It also means that in that ensemble,” he looked Luis’ dark suit over, “you should be able to sneak up on him. My father is a devious man, Luis, and he won’t think twice about killing someone. I’m trying to make the playing ground a bit more level.”

“Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he looked at the house. “You haven’t saved her.”

“I don’t plan on leaving this house without her…”

Julian laughed mirthlessly. “Oh Luis, either way you’ll leave this house will be with her…be it dead or alive.” With that he exited the car, heading inside for Luis to follow.

Luis crept into the dark tunnel, the stairs whining under his weight. Ivy wasn’t kidding when she said it was a cold, damp place to walk through and at least she had the benefit of light. But he would do anything for Sheridan, even if it meant crawling through the musty underground passage to face the devil himself.

He continued along, sliding his hand across the rock wall to find his way towards the room where his wife was being kept. Julian had told him it was the only doorway he would find if he traveled straight from the steps. Of course, he also warned that there were five or six turn offs and if he wasn’t careful he could be lost down there. Not to mention that there was a sudden drop in the one leading to Sheridan. Wonderful warning before he entered a pitch-black strip of hallway!

Pausing a moment to listen, he could hear voices at the end of the hall, echoing slightly against the cold rocks. Two men were obviously discussing Sheridan in a nearby room. He was almost there!

“Why hasn’t she been disposed of?” the first spoke, his voice tinged with anger and authority. Luis could immediately identify it as Alistair Crane’s.

“I was told to wait, sir. Your secretary…” the second fumbled for the right words. He couldn’t place this voice, despite its familiarity.

“Yes…yes…but I expected the duo to be done with by now!” Anger was clearly in the Alistair’s voice this time. Even Luis shuddered to think of the poor agent that was working for Alistair Crane.

“He hasn’t arrived yet, sir…and then the power went out…”

“And Ivy’s escape?” He seemed intrigued this time.

“An accident, I assure you.”

Not another word was spoken and the hall became eerily silent again. For a second, a portion of the hall flooded with light as the door at the end was open, the candles from inside casting an orange hue against the gray stones. Luis ducked into a small alcove, listening as shoes began to head in his direction. Holding his breath, he prayed that they wouldn’t spot him…

Luckily, they didn’t and soon Luis was able to continue on, hearing the mice scatter about and walking into a spider’s web, the gossamer strings clinging to his coat. He planned to brush them off without making a sound, but decided against it in case someone was waiting for him.

How right he was!

Three steps further into the tunnel he felt something heavy come down upon his head and the last thing her heard before he passed out was Sheridan’s screams.

Luis groaned, the pain in his head clearing as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He was surprised to find his hands unrestrained as he reached up to touch his head, finding the spot bloody where he had been hit. Scanning the room, he saw that it was rather empty, save a desk and chair on the other side of the room. He also found Sheridan beside him, her head on his shoulder as she cried. Her sobs were cutting into his heart like a knife and he gently pulled his arm out from under her to carefully put it around her shoulders. She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears and red from crying.

“Luis,” she whispered, her hand tracing his cheek. “Why did you come?”

“Superman always saves the helpless damsel,” he teased. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “How’s your head? I saw him hit you…”

“I’m fine. Come on, I’m hardheaded remember? Nothing can penetrate this skull,” he cracked a smile. He had to stay positive if he was going to save them this time.

She glared at him. “Luis, now is hardly the time to joke around!”

“And arguing is going to get us out of this?” he asked sarcastically.

Sheridan groaned. “Sometimes I really hate you, Luis.”

He shrugged the words off. “Well it might be that pent up anger that gets us out of this alive, Sheridan, so trust me, ok?”

Her eyes met his again. “I always trust you,” she whispered, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. It had been a long time since they kissed, too long, so she did it again…and again. She couldn’t get enough of the gentle meeting of their lips, but found words that needed to be said. “In case we die tonight, I want you to know…”

“No goodbyes, Sheridan! None! I fully intend…”

“To what? Make it out alive?” Alistair’s voice and laughter filled the room, making Luis clutch his head. Damn was this man loud! “Oh, Luis, you’re more naïve than my pitiful daughter. At least she knew that her end was near!”

“I won’t let you have that satisfaction,” Luis growled, looking around for the source of the voice. “Where the hell are you, you spineless bastard? Face me like a man!”

“Flattery will get you no where, son,” Alistair mocked, spinning his red leather chair around to face Luis and Sheridan, his gun perfectly aimed at his daughter’s forehead. “Pity I didn’t hear more of your praise before today.”

Luis started to get up, grabbing his head as a wave of dizziness struck. “You slimy son of a bitch!” he yelled, making his way back beside Sheridan until his vision cleared. “You dirty rotten scumbag!”

Alistair laughed. “How’s life been without your son? Lonely in that house with a zombie for a wife…bedroom must be quite amazing with a cold fish in bed.”

Rage flashed in Luis’ eyes and had Sheridan not grabbed his arm he would have fought the pounding in his head to beat his father-in-law into a bloody heap of flesh. “You cold hearted bastard!”

“Thank you,” he smiled. “You know what makes this game all the better, Lopez-Fitzgerald? The fact that I’m the reason you no longer have a son! *I* had him killed,” he laughed wickedly. “And you’ll never believe who I hired to do it!”

Luis’ eyes were pinned on Alistair, hate clearly written in the brown orbs. This…monster had killed his son, taken away the only thing that meant anything to him besides his wife. He had basically destroyed his marriage, turning his wife into the walking dead by tearing her heart straight from her chest…

And now he was laughing over it!

Luis darted up, heading for a desk when he heard Alistair’s gun cock, the one pointed right as his wife! His eyes glanced back at Sheridan, checking to see if she was ok, before returning to his father-in-law.

“Don’t try me, Luis!” the devil growled, eyes filled with fury. “I’ll kill her now so you can watch her bleed to death right here! I’ll make you suffer by watching the life pour out of her beaten and broken body! You’ll ruin all my surprises, never get to hear my plan but I’ll make you suffer by killing your SOULMATE here and now!”

Luis froze, looking over at his wife again, finding terror written in her blue eyes. She was shaking terribly; tears rolling silently down her cheeks.

“Now sit down, Luis! I have a surprise for the two of you.”

Luis reluctantly returned to his wife, his arms wrapping around her and hugging her close. Suddenly, the room was flooded with light and their attention was drawn to the source, another doorway. Two figures entered the room, their faces hidden in their shadows as the light source lightened their sides and back.

A light overhead flickered on, causing Sheridan and Luis to groan as their vision became blurry from the extra light. Soon, their eyes cleared and Sheridan realized just whom they were seeing.

She gasped! She knew the pair in front of her!

“No…” she shook her head. “It can’t be,” she covered her mouth….

Dustin…

And Martin Fitzgerald!

Chapter Eight

Not a sound could be heard in the room as Sheridan and Luis looked at the pair in the doorway. There, plain as day, was Luis’ father and Dustin; no question about it. Sheridan just shook her head, a shaking hand covering her mouth as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. This wasn’t possible! This was some sick joke! Her son…their son…had been buried weeks ago!

She had been there to cradle his bleeding body in her arms…

To touch him one last time before they closed the coffin…

To watch as they slowly lowed him into the cold, dark resting place…

“No,” she finally whispered. “No…you bastard,” she sobbed.

Luis pulled her closer, his left hand gently caressing her arm as she buried her head in his chest. This was unreal! Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his son was still alive and yet here he was in a well-tailored little suit, his hair parted from the center and perfectly styled. He looked…

Like Alistair!

A little facsimile of the evil man that had ruined his life from the start!

Luis looked over at his father-in-law, rage and hate in his brown eyes. The man was smiling! Bordering on laughing even! How could someone be so heartless? How could someone be so cruel? Why was he doing this to them?

“Amazing isn’t he?” Alistair asked, walking towards his little protégé and gently placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “An exact replica of me as a lad, except I was lacking the olive toned skin. No matter. This little gentleman has been trained since birth to be the heir of the Crane Empire. Haven’t you lad?”

“Yes, Grandfather,” came the boy’s mechanical reply, but Luis noticed that he gripped Martin’s hand tightly and even shivered. Terror danced in his little brown eyes and Luis could have sworn a tear started to roll down his son’s cheek.

“How…how could Dustin be programmed liked you? He was with us!” Luis asked, utterly perplexed.

Alistair snickered. “Some detective you are,” he shook his head, the words reverberating off of the walls. “This isn’t Dustin…”

Luis looked at the boy, confusion clear as day on his face. And then it hit him all at once…

This wasn’t Dustin…

It was his twin…

His missing little brother…

He had nearly forgotten about the boy, the one that disappeared that day, the one he was told never had existed in the first place. He and Sheridan had been expecting twins, but the doctor that performed the C-section on Sheridan that day said there was only one baby. That same doctor had argued with specialist about the sonograms that showed two fetuses. He swore only one child had been born and demanded that they no longer question his medical integrity. Sheridan had insisted Luis continue searching for their son and he, in turn, had questioned the hospital staff for hours, never finding the missing sibling and only assuming there had been a mistake…

There wasn’t a twin.

Sheridan had been slightly depressed, hoping that this, the only pregnancy to survive so far, would have given them two beautiful children to love instead of one. But she was still thrilled with their son and nothing had brought her more joy than Dustin…

Or more pain since his death…

And now there was a twin…

And here he stood, looking identical to his deceased sibling and never knowing his real parents.

“Son of a…”

But Sheridan covered his lips with her hands. Even in her pain she was being the doting mother. “Little ears,” she whispered tearfully. “Little ears…”

“That have probably heard and seen worse!” Luis grumbled angrily, wishing he still had his gun. His father-in-law would be worm food right now! This man should be in the grave, not Dustin!

“Yes, do be nice,” Alistair mocked with a laugh, finding his son-in-law’s obedience quite charming. “Or else you won’t live long enough to hear how it all happened.”

Luis had to bite his tongue, the sugary sweet tone Alistair was using made his fists automatically clench and unclench. He hated this man! Hated him for causing so much pain and fear in their beautiful little town! He wanted to kill him!

But he knew he had to calm down, he had to stay cool if he wanted to beat Alistair at his own game…

And he wanted to beat him…

Into a bloody heap of flesh!

“You do want to know…don’t you darling,” Alistair looked at his daughter, nearing her slowly. “You want to know how someone who loves you so much could hurt you…”

“You never loved me,” she replied viciously, slapping him when he was just a hair away. “You never gave a damn about anyone but yourself!”

“Finally, my daughter has the epiphany I’ve been waiting for. Welcome to the bright side dear,” he laughed haughtily. “Oh such fun, too bad it will all end soon. But before you go I might as well ease your curiosity.”

Sheridan’s head left Luis’ chest and she glared at her father. Her gaze was so cold Luis swore he could feel the ice forming in the air. Alistair had their complete and total attention, which was just what he wanted.

“It all started when I found out my dear daughter, who had miscarried several times, finally conceived a baby and seemed to be progressing nicely. I spoke with all her doctors and they seemed to have the same conclusion, that Sheridan was having twins. Months went by and I learned that Sheridan’s due date was nearing and that in all probability the twins would be male. Of course I was ecstatic, grandsons would be quite wonderful, don’t you agree Martin?”

No reply came from the stoic man beside him.

Alistair laughed again, lighting one of his cigars. “Well, when I heard Sheridan had gone into labor, I contacted the man that you hired as a physician and I hired as a kidnapper. Yes, dear, the man that helped you deliver your children later snuck this little dear out and brought him to me. You never saw this child, was told he had never existed and yet he was with me the entire time, raised by the finest nannies I could fine and treated just like you were as a child.”

Sheridan shuddered, feeling her stomach begin to turn at the thought of her son suffering like she had as a child. The poor dear had to be scarred for life.

Alistair smirked at her fear. “I would like you to meet your son, Sheridan, meet Douglas Alistair Crane…”

“NO!” she shrieked. “NO! HE’S NOT A CRANE!”

“Oh, but dear he is by blood,” Alistair faked a soothing tone. “Besides, little Douglas has been trained to be powerful and strong. To be the heir of my empire! To fill my shoes in my untimely death!”

Sheridan’s shaking and Luis’ anger just caused Alistair to laugh again; the rumbling noise echoing off the cold stonewalls. He was enjoying the scene of his daughter in so much pain and her Latin Lover sitting there beside her without a leg to stand on. Neither could do a thing to stop him; that made him feel good…

Great…

COMMANDING!

“I’m afraid this fun has tired me,” Alistair dropped his cigar, crushing the barely used Cuban beneath the heel of his shoe. “I have a company to run. One last thing before I go, Martin here might act slightly out of character from the man you remember as a child, Luis. That’s because he’s my mercenary now. The same man that gave you life, that took the life of your son is about to take your life as well. Ironic twist, isn’t it!” He chuckled. Casting a look at his worker, he added, “Martin, you know what to do. Destroy them and let the boy watch…it will build character.”

And with that he headed for the door.

Luis’ eyes sought his father’s, but the man wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at Alistair’s retreating form, the gun hanging loosely at his side. As if he could read his father’s mind, he whispered, “Do it, Papa. Free yourself.”

Suddenly the noise of a gun cocking filled the air, followed quickly by a round of shots…

Then it all was quiet…

Chapter Nine

Sheridan opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in her old bedroom of the Crane mansion, her head resting on the silky pink pillow with a little body tucked beside her. Unconsciously she hugged her son closer, feeling him hug her arm tight. Didn’t she do this with Dustin when he had a bad dream? Didn’t she hold him like this when he was sad? She groaned. What was going on? Where was Luis?

“Mommy? You awake?” the little voice asked, his body shifting on the mattress so that his head was now resting on her stomach. This was Dustin’s favorite position with her, especially when she was singing to him. A tear came to her eye. How she missed her son! Little Douglas certainly was the spitting image of his brother. Sheridan sighed.

“Yes, I’m awake,” she replied, brushing her fingers through his brown hair. “Are you ok, Douglas? Are you hurt anywhere?”

He shook his head no. “I’m ok. Mommy, my name isn’t Douglas.”

Sheridan looked down at him. “What is it then, sweetie?” she asked, her fingers brushing his soft cheek.

“Dustin. Dustin Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald. Grampy Martin told me so,” he closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of his mother’s love again. He missed her and his little dog while he was away.

“Douglas, he must have been mistaken, dear. Your brother…he’s…”

“No, Sheridan, he’s right,” Martin’s voice interrupted from the doorway. Behind him was Luis, who looked completely shocked. The duo had just come upstairs after speaking with Sam, who was now debating with Julian over his reluctance to press charges in Alistair’s murder. Julian figured his father finally had received what was due to him and saw no reason to persecute a man that was simply saving his family. In fact, Julian applauded Martin.

Sheridan scurried to sit up, gripping her son to her body. There was no way in hell this man was coming near her and her son! He had taken away one child; he wouldn’t get the other. “Go away…you killed my Dustin. You bastard! You killed my son!”

“Sheridan…” he tried to move closer, but she merely back into the headboard in fear.

“Papa, let me,” Luis placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes she listens to me,” he looked at his wife. “But only sometimes.”

Martin nodded and left the room. Sheridan gasped.

“Luis! Why isn’t he handcuffed yet? Why are you being so kind to him??” She hugged Douglas for dear life. “Why?”

“Sheridan, Papa wasn’t lying to you. This is Dusty. He’s alive and well and has been for weeks now.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I buried him! I was there!”

“Sheridan!” Luis crossed to the bed, gripping her in his arms. “Dustin is alive…he’s right here! Papa didn’t kill him. I promise, I’m not lying about this.”

She shook her head. “But the blood, Luis! The body!”

“Douglas…”

“What?” her eyes met his.

“Papa killed Douglas by mistake. Doug and Dusty were both at the park that day, Sher. Remember? Mama had taken him to the park near her house, the one on the corner.”

Sheridan nodded.

“The nanny that was with Douglas looked like Mama from behind! She had the same height and build. Papa thought the little boy with her was Dustin, who he was programmed to kill as a mercenary working for the Cranes. When he realized his error, he had to find Dustin, but he couldn’t kill them both. So he switched them and convinced Dustin to play along…”

“It was a fun game!” Dustin giggled. “But the clothing was bad!”

Luis laughed. Only his son could find this situation to be a game with bad clothing! “Don’t you see, Sheridan? We have our son back!”

Sheridan didn’t reply, her eyes finding the small little body beside her. He was smiling and happy, just like she remembered him. The son she hadn’t known about had been taking away and her own returned. She wasn’t sure how she felt anymore. Disappointed that she didn’t know she had another child, distraught because she had lost that child and yet ecstatic because she had her son back…

Her darling little Dustin, pranks and all!

“Dusty?” she asked through a teary smile, silent crystal tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh Dustin!” she hugged him, placing kisses in his hair and on his face.

“Ewww, MOM! Don’t be gross!” he huffed, wiping her tears and kisses from his skin. “Gee wiz, it’s not like I died or something.”

Sheridan laughed, despite her sadness, and wiped her tears away. “Right, you’re alive and healthy,” she sought Luis for verification.

He nodded.

“Good. Then why are we still here?” she asked, starting to get up.

“Because there are a few things we need to talk about before we go,” Luis replied, making her sit back down on the bed. “Dusty, Aunt Ivy and Uncle Julian are downstairs having cookies. Why don’t you go have some too?”

“Really?” his eyes grew wide. When his father nodded, he leapt from the bed. “Cool!”

Once his son was out of an earshot, Luis took Sheridan’s hands into his own. “Remember what happened downstairs?”

“Vaguely. I think I hit my head on something. I remember blacking out.”

“You fainted,” Luis’ thumbs caressed the tops of her hands. “When the gun went off you panicked and fainted. I thought he hit you, but you weren’t bleeding…Sheridan…” he hesitated, looking down at their hands.

“Luis. You know you can tell me anything.”

“Sheridan, your father…Papa killed him, Sheridan. He’s dead. One of the bullets hit him in the head, the other in the heart.”

“He had no heart,” she replied coldly.

“Sher…”

“No,” she shook her head. “I refuse to mourn for him. How many years has he done nothing but punish me? Kill the innocence of myself and my children? That man murdered everything that was pure and good in a little boy…in his own daughter. I can’t mourn that.”

Luis sighed. “Okay, if that’s how you feel.”

“It is. As far as I’m concerned Alistair Crane can burn in hell.”

Luis smirked. “I’m pretty sure he is.”

She smiled slightly. “So how do you feel about all of this, Luis? I can’t seem to process it myself.”

He shrugged. “I’m confused. Papa’s back, but he’s been a murderer for so long. I’m not sure what to do about it. Sam wanted to arrest him, but Julian says to let sleeping dogs lie and have Alistair’s death be some random act of violence. Scary thing is, Julian could pull that off.”

Sheridan nodded, looking down. Her brother did have a heart after all. Sometimes he choose the oddest times to show it, but he did have one…somewhere. “Is that how you found the tunnel?”

“Yea, Julian showed me. He and Ivy were rather indispensable for once.”

Silence filled the room for a moment as the two tried to absorb some of the happenings from the day. Their sanity was bordering non-existence and Sheridan was sure one more moment like this would have broken her will. Amazingly enough, though, they had made it through and she was proud because they had done it together.

Yet things were unsettled and Sheridan couldn’t have that.

“What do we do about Douglas? About Martin?” she whispered. “Luis, there are so many questions.”

“Douglas is resting in peace now, Sheridan. I don’t think you would have liked what he was. Julian showed me some of the tapes your father made. Douglas was a little Alistair Crane, vicious and cruel. He wasn’t a child at all. He spoke to people as if they were insects and showed no respect. Alistair truly killed his spirit.”

“And Papa?” she looked into his eyes.

“Eve thinks with some help he could get better, but that depends on us. Do we want to try him for a murder he was programmed to carry out?”

“What good would it do? He wouldn’t be punished if he was evaluated…I hate to say it, but we might as well be like Julian and let it go. Let him go…”

Luis hugged her. “I love you, Sheridan.”

“I love you too, Luis,” she returned his hug. “Can we go home now?”

“Yea, love, we can go home.”

Epilogue

Sheridan stood alone at the foot of Douglas’ grave, the bright spring sun shinning over her. For the first time since they had buried her son’s body, she wasn’t here crying. She was here to finally say goodbye and close that chapter of her life…

Not that she never intended to come back, but she planned on being here less than once before…

It wasn’t going to be easy and Sheridan knew that. In fact, the last few months had been quite a challenge, adapting life to include a new member of the family…

Martin…

Well, almost two new members.

Sheridan smiled, caressing her budding stomach lightly. After five years of trying to conceive another child, only to be met with heartache, they were finally pregnant again and Luis was simply rapturous. Sheridan wasn’t sure that was even the word she would use to descrive this bliss, but there simply was no other word to describe what they had been feeling or the look that had been on his face when she told him they were going to have a baby.

And when they found out a few months later that this one would be a daughter…

Well Luis was in heaven! He had already stocked up on the dolls and frilly dresses a little girl just had to have!

It was the perfect ending to a not so perfect year…

Heck, a not so perfect decade!

Martin was coming along nicely in his rehabilitation, seeing Eve twice a week and another doctor once ever two weeks. He had even dressed as Santa for Christmas and the Easter bunny recently during their egg hunt. The children adored having their grandfather around, especially since they had never met him before, and Luis’ siblings held no resentment to the man that had disappeared…

Even if they did loathe Alistair for taking him away…

But who could blame them? Her father had been the Devil!

And her mother-in-law…

Well, Pilar was overjoyed to have her husband home again, even if he did have a tarnished past. She loved him and that’s what mattered. That was definitely the same love Sheridan had for her husband, one that could see the good in even the worst situation. So it might not have helped her through her grief at first, but they were still together and stronger than ever!

As for Dustin, well he was her little angel with the halo balanced on horns once again. He had hidden a frog in the bathtub without warning Sheridan and he would have gotten away with it had she not needed to take a shower. That wasn’t a pretty sight. Two days later he bought some goldfish with his allowance and since he couldn’t buy a bowl for them, he decided the bathtub would again have to do. He filled it with cool water, something the man at the store had told him to do, and then dumped the fish into the tub. Sheridan nearly had a coronary when she went to release the water and found five fish floating on top quite deceased…

Her son had decided they needed bubbles and added some to the water!!!

Poor fish never saw it coming!

Oh! And the morning he walked in on Sheridan and Luis in a rather compromising position, only to tell the neighbors that his parents were making some funny noises and bouncing on the bed.

Such an angel!

She chuckled.

At least he was home again.

She heard Luis call out his name and watched as her son broke a mausoleum window with his baseball…

Oh he was definitely home!

And now he was having a little sister, who she was sure he would torture until she was old enough to deck him.

This was definitely the life!

“Sheridan, are you coming?” Luis called from the gateway to the cemetery. “Mama’s waiting, babe.”

Sheridan sighed, waving him off. “Be right there love,” she called, watching as Luis led Dustin to the minivan, scolding him for playing with the baseball in such a place. She would have to pay for that window soon or else they would never hear the end of it. With a sigh, she placed her hand to the cool headstone. “I wish I would have known you and given you the chance to be someone that knew real love. I didn’t know love until I met your father and we both regret that you never knew us. We would have loved you…we still do.”

Placing a kiss to her other hand, she brushed it against the head stone. “Rest well,” she added before she waddled away to the van. Climbing inside, she pulled her seatbelt around her and felt her daughter kick her hand.

Just what she needed! Another kicking fit!

“Bout time, I was starting to think I should unload the tent for you,” he joked, buckling Dustin into the back seat. In no time he was beside her in the driver’s seat.

“Oh ha,” she rolled her eyes. “Your daughter is kicking up a storm, Lopez-Fitzgerald. I’m afraid you’ll have to sing to her again.”

“Oh heck no,” Luis looked back at his son, who was laughing quite loudly. “I don’t sing.”

“Daddy sings like a girl,” Dustin was cracking up. This was too good.

“Thanks kid.”

“Welcome Dad.”

Sheridan laughed.

“Great, just what we need, someone to encourage him,” Luis shot Sher a look.

“Can’t help it if he’s entertaining,” she felt another swift kick to her ribs. “Come on Luis, sing to her. Please,” she begged, blue puppy dog eyes shining back at him.

He groaned. Not the face! Anything but that face! When he turned to look at his son, Dustin was wearing the same look.

“Damn.”

“OHHH Daddy cussed!” Dustin covered his ears, humming a tune to himself.

Sheridan chuckled. “Yea, buster. Little ears.”

“Ok, Ok, I’ll sing,” he sighed, turning on the car and shutting off the radio. “What am I singing?”

“Mommy’s song!” Dustin cheered.

Luis smiled, taking his wife’s hand into his own as he drove away. “You are the sunshine of my life…That's why I'll always be around. You are the apple of my eye…Forever you'll stay in my heart…”

Sheridan smiled.