DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, blah, blah, blah. I am
simply borrowing them from NBC and James E. Reilly. I do, however, own
Bethany Virginia Winthrop-Crane.
Chapter 1:
As I lay in bed, all these thoughts flutter through my head. It's amazing how my life has completely changed in one day. It's funny how things can seem so perfect, and then suddenly you don't even know who you are anymore. I jump as I hear my alarm clock go off and I look at the time: 5:30am. I don't want to go to school. How am I going to face everyone? I pull the covers back over my head. It's just too much for me to bare. I think about my mother... well, I think about Ivy. How could she keep this from me all these years? It just wasn't fair to do to me. I think back on the events of the previous day.
****FLASHBACK****
Ivy walks into the Crane mansion, to find her youngest daughter crying on the sofa. "What's the matter, darling?" Ivy said, as she rushed over to a hysterical Bethany. "It's... it's Father." Bethany says, in tears. She's barely able to talk. "Is it true?! Why! Why wouldn't you tell me!" "Tell you what?! Sweetheart, take a breath and explain to me what you're talking about." Ivy, utterly confused, tried to console her daughter. Bethany continued to cry and she wrapped her arms around her. "Please, tell me what's wrong." She said, sympathetically to Bethany. She couldn't bare seeing her daughter this way. Bethany suddenly pulled away from Ivy and took a deep breath, preparing to tell her mother what had happened.
"Father told me the truth, Mother. He... he said..." she studdered on her words. "He told me I wasn't worth his time because I wasn't yours or his daughter anyway. And... and... that I'm just a nuisance to him." Bethany continued in tears. Ivy couldn't believe her ears. HOW could Julian do this. It was over. Ivy had to tell Bethany the truth. She felt tears coming to her eyes, thinking she was going to lose her daughter forever. "Sweetheart. We have a lot of things
to discuss. First, I have to tell you something. It's about time you knew the truth."
Bethany starred at her mother, anxious to know what she was talking about but frightened at the same moment. She knew something was wrong. Was it true? Was she really not the daughter of Julian and Ivy Crane? She suddenly felt a sharp pain go through her heart, feeling like it was just torn in two. If she
wasn't their daughter, who WAS she? "Bethany, the truth is..." Ivy trailed off, teary-eyed. She paused for a moment and stared at Bethany, then smiles. "You know, you have your mothers eyes. I've never noticed that before." She tried to smile, but could only
cry. She hugged Bethany tightly. "No matter what I tell you I want you to know how much I love you and that you will ALWAYS be my daughter."
****End of Flashback****
"Yeah, right. Always your daughter." I laugh to myself. "Wait until today, when you have to tell Sheridan the truth." What is going to happen to me?
What's going to become of me when the truth's eveiled? I lay in bed, scared of what the day has in store for me.
To Be Continued...
Chapter 2:
I look at the clock again. It's now 8:30. I get up, get dressed, then go downstairs to find no one home. I flop down on the couch, still confused. Then it occurs to me that I should call Tania! She always knows what to do. Tania Hotchkiss -- my best friend in the whole world! I dial Tania's number, hoping she'll answer. She never goes to school... she runs a night club. I've always found this strange. She's only 18, yet has the time to run a night club and go after Ethan behind her sister's back. I dial Tania's number and wait for an answer. "Hello?" I hear Tania's voice on the other line.
"Tania!" I shout, and suddenly feel tears coming to my eyes. "Bethany? What's wrong? Are you okay?" She says, with a hint of worriedness in her voice. "No. I'm not fine!" I cry. "My life is over, Tania!" "What? Your life isn't over! Tell me what happened!" "It's horrible!" I wail. "Just tell me!" She pleaded.
"My mother told me that..." I stop and take a breath realizing Tania probably can't understand a word I'm saying. "My mother told me that Sheridan is my
mother." I manage to blurt out really fast.
"WHAT?!" Was all Tania could say. "She's your WHAT?! Did you just say what I think you said?" "I know. I don't believe her. I think she's lying to me. It's just wrong." "Oh my... Bethany! Sheridan's only 13 years older than you!!" I roll my eyes. I'm having a crisis here and Tania decides to bring up age
differences. "Don't you think I know that?!" I scream at Tania. "Sorry! It's just... ewww..." I stare at the phone amused. Tania is NOT helping. "Tania, will you stop! My mother said she was... raped."
"Oh my --"I cut her off before she can make another insane comment. "Yeah, my mother and I had a little 'heart to heart' last night. What am I going to do? Do you know what they did?! Grandfather made Mother and Father pass me off as their daughter all these years and Sheridan didn't even know! This is so wrong. My life's turning into a soap opera! You watch All My Children right?" "I used to..." "Yeah, me too. Well remember Kendal?! Remember how much Erica hated her when she found out she was her daughter? Well... I AM KENDAL!" I sobbed. "Sheridan's going to hate me!"
"Oh, Bethany stop. You're not Kendal. You're much prettier. Although I do like Sarah Michelle Gellar much better now that she's Buffy and her hairs blonde and..." "TANIA!" I yell. Was I not getting through to her? What goes on through that brain of hers? "Do you comprehend a word I'm saying?!" Tania was silent. "I'm sorry, Tania. I didn't mean to blow up at you... I'm just... it's just confusing. I don't know what to do." All of a sudden, I heard the door opening. "Oh no, Tania, someone's here!" I see Pilar walk through the kitchen door and I feel relieved that it's only Pilar. "Tania, I have to go." "Okay, well, I'm going to stop by a little later to see you, okay hun?" "Sure. Bye." I hang up the phone and go over to Pilar.
"Hello, Bethany. Why aren't you at school?" Pilar questioned me. "It's a long story. Have you seen my mother by any chance?" I ask her, trying to change the subject."Actually, I believe she went over to Sheridan's cottage." "What?!" Oh no! What am I going to do?! I rush over to the cottage and peak through the window. Inside, Sheridan and Ivy are talking to each other on the couch. I lean my ear up against the window to eavesdrop. What are they talking about? I suddenly feel sick thinking about it.
To Be Continued...
Chapter 3:
I sit there, with my ear glued to the cottage door. "This can't be happening." I repeatedly tell myself. "It's all just a bad dream." I feel the tears rush to my eyes as I listen to the conversation inside. I lift my head up to the window again and peak inside, unnoticed. I see my mother giving Sheridan a hug, but I can't see the reaction on her face because she has her head hidden in Ivy's shoulder. It's obvious she's crying. I put my ear closer to the house, hoping to hear the conversation more clearly.
"I'm so sorry Sheridan. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I couldn't bring myself to do it." Ivy told Sheridan, as she hugged her maturnally, as if she
were a small child crying in her arms. "I'm sorry for bringing back horrible memories, but seeing as its now out in the open, I thought you should hear the truth from me." Ivy then wiped the tears away from Sheridans face.
Sheridan pulled away and stood up, looking at Ivy teary-eyed. "How could you do this?! How could you not tell me? Fifteen years... and you couldn't bring
yourself to tell me the truth?!" She was obviously very angry with Ivy. "Sheridan, please calm down." Ivy said, as she motioned for her to sit back
down on the couch.
Sheridan backed up further away from the couch at this. "I..." She trailed off, not really knowing what she was about to say. "It was bad enough knowing
I had a child somewhere out there, always wondering where she was and what she was doing; but now I find out she grew up right in front of my face and I didn't even know it!" She rambled on, apparently very confused, maybe more so than I was. She sat back down on the couch and put her head in her hands. Then she started talking. It seem not to anyone in particular, just basically talking out of confusion. "I've hated my father for years for giving her away. How cruel is he? He took her away from me and gave her to my brother! Did he actually think I wouldn't eventually find out and want her back?" She looked up at Ivy with watery eyes.
Tears started coming down Ivy's face. "You...you want her back?" Her voice shivered as if she were terrified. "You can't! She's MY daughter! I raised
her!" Her voice weakened. "I love her. You can't take her away. You can't." Now her cheeks were drenched from the tears.
I quickly pulled away from the window and my whole body shivered as I slide to the ground and sat leaning up against the wall. I couldn't stop shaking. A cold feeling went up my spine, and I put my head in my hands and cried. Why was this happening? Suddenly, I heard footsteps. Before I could look up, I felt someone lean down and put a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Luis staring at me concerned. I immediately felt embarrassed and my face turned bright red as I tried wiping away my tears. He just looked at me and I burst into tears again. "What's wrong Bethany?" He asked, as he pulled me into a hug.
To Be Continued...