Identity Crisis

Chapter 1:

"Ms. Lorray! Ms. Lorray," shouted an excited voice. Sheridan shook herself from her thoughts and looked down at the excited 7-year old who looked like he was ready to burst with excitement. "What is it Tommy?" Sheridan returned his smile and enthusiasm. "Do you like what I made in art class?" He proudly held out a picture full of colors and designs. "Well Tommy, that is just beautiful. We are going to have to put that up on the bulletin board. Tommy was beaming. "Where is the rest of the class Tommy?" "Oh, those slow pokes, I wanted to show you my picture first Ms. Lorray!" Sheridan smiled at him.

Tommy was definitely one of her most enthusiastic students. Sheridan was hanging his picture as the rest of her class filed through the door returning from art class. Suddenly the room was buzzing with "Ms. Lorray, Ms. Lorray." The students all rushed to show their teacher the pictures they had made in art class and Sheridan happily ooohed and ahead over them and put them up on the class bulletin board.

As Sheridan admired her student's artistic efforts she couldn't help but think how even after nearly six months as Ms. Lorray, it still felt strange to be addressed that way. It was still strange to think that six months ago she had been Sheridan Crane and now she was Cheri Lorray, and for all the rest of the world knew Sheridan Crane was dead. She shook herself from her uneasy thoughts and focused on her students smiling faces again. This wasn't the time to think about the past, after all, she had a class full of second graders to teach. Sheridan smiled as she began the day's lessons.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 2:

Sheridan waved goodbye to her pupils as they filed out of the classroom. "Have a great weekend everyone." She noticed that Tommy was hanging back a little and looked towards him. "Everything okay Tommy?" Tommy shrugged his shoulders and had his hands behind his back. He looked nervous. Suddenly he bolted towards Sheridan, who was sitting at her desk, and put another picture on her desk before all but flying out the door. Sheridan looked at the picture and chuckled inwardly. It was a picture of her floating on a cloud smiling at some kids below. Sheridan thought it was so cute. Tommy had developed a bit of a crush on her. Sheridan smiled as she put the picture on the board with the rest. She thanked god for this job everyday, it had made her life worth living again after she shook her head. "Okay, not going to think about that," she warned herself. "Think about what?" Sheridan looked up surprised to see that anyone had heard her.

"Oh, hi Edward." She smiled at him "Nothing, nothing at all." Edward was a fourth grade teacher at the school Sheridan worked at. "Well, Cheri, I figured you'd be thinking something along the lines of TGIF isn't that what most teachers think on Fridays." He shot her a smile and Sheridan laughed lightly. And I was wondering, if you weren't busy, if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight?" Sheridan politely declined, making up some excuse about having a lot of work to do for next week's classes. Edward said he understood and left. It wasn't the first time he had been turned down by Ms. Lorray. Sheridan sighed deeply as he left.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. Edward was a perfectly nice guy, and it wasn't like she had any plans at all. He just wasn't. Sheridan groaned sadly and rested her head in her hands. How did he still manage to creep into her thoughts every time? "Damn!" She could feel herself tearing up and reached into her purse for a tissue, but instead came up with silver make-up compact, and not just any compact, the one he had given her. She starred at it for awhile. Why do I still carry this thing around she thought to herself? She rubbed the lid affectionately. For some reason it was still comforting to her. Sheridan closed her eyes and thought back six months ago.

*******Flashback**********

"What do you mean go into the witness protection program?" Sheridan had an absolutely stunned look on her face at what the two FBI agents had just presented to her. "Well Ms. Crane. We, the U.S. government, feel that the only way to protect you from the French drug cartel is to assign you to the Federal Witness Protection program. It's obvious that they will stop at nothing and until they are brought to justice and you and anyone remotely connected to you is in grave danger." Sheridan just starred at the agent, she couldn't believe what he was suggesting. It was a couple of days after the whole Antoine cabin incident, and Sheridan who was still shaken from the incident but alive thanks to Luis, sat there stunned and bewildered. Slowly it began to sink in.

"What exactly would this entail agent? "Well Ms. Crane, essentially you would no longer be Ms. Crane." "Who would I be?" "You would be assigned a new identity, a new social security, new name, new location." Sheridan felt uneasy, this all felt so strange; to try and comprehend becoming a new person. She shook her head. "No, it's impossible. You can't just throw me into some program. Incase you'd forgotten my family are the Cranes. We are kind of in the public eye and all. People are going to notice if I just up an disappear." "That's true Ms. Crane, which bring me to my next point. To pull this off we would need to fake your death." Sheridan eyes went wide.

"Are you totally serious?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. "Very serious." From the tone of his voice Sheridan knew that he wasn't joking. Her uneasiness increased. "You can really do something like that?" "Yes Ms. Crane. And in your case it is especially important because you are a high profile name and because if the drug cartel thinks you are dead then you shouldn't have any more problems, and when they are caught, and you testify against them this whole thing will be over." "And how long would that be?" "Well, that's impossible to say." "How would you do it? How would you fake my death?" "We're not at liberty to say Ms. Crane, for your own protection." "You mean I don't even get to know how you're going to get rid or me?" Sheridan was upset and starting to get angry now. "I'm sorry agent, but this just can't be necessary. I won't do something so drastic like this." Sheridan had started to get up to leave when the agent had put his hands on her shoulders and sat her back down. He sat down to and looked at Sheridan very seriously. "Ms. Crane.

I know that this is not easy to hear, believe me. But you need to seriously consider this. If not for your own safety then for anyone that you care about at all. These men have already proven multiple times that they are out for your blood and don't give a damn about who gets in the way in the process." Sheridan knew he was talking about the death of Crystal. She closed her eyes tightly. She had to admit the agent was right. Ever since she had found out that Crystal had died because she had been mistaken for her, Sheridan had been riddled with guilt, she could barely sleep at nights thinking about it and feeling responsible for Crystal's death. And she hadn't even known Crystal.

What if someone she knew or someone she loved was hurt or killed because of her. Her mind wandered to Ethan. God, she knew she could never live with herself if anything happened to him. She thought about other people too. One man in particular Luis. Even if he only cared about her as another citizen that needed protection, part of her knew that she could never live with herself if something happened to Luis because of her. Sheridan felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Ms. Crane, let me give you a few days to think about it. I understand this isn't an easy decision at all." Sheridan looked the agent straight in the eyes. "I'll do it."

******************End flashback*******

The rest, of course, was history. Sheridan had entered the witness protection program and Sheridan Crane had caused to exist, at least on paper, and Cheri Lorray had come into being. She had gotten her way about her new name, insisting that she get to pick it. She had chosen Cheri because it sounded a little bit like the beginning of Sheridan, and Lorray because it was a variation of her mother's maiden name. She needed to have some kind of connection with her old self to find the strength to do this. The FBI had not like it but she had persisted and gotten her way, because it wasn't like anyone was going to go looking for a dead woman.

So she was Cheri Lorray, a second grade teacher in Chicago, Illinois. Still, it had been the hardest thing she had ever done. Seeing Ethan for the last time, although he didn't know it would be at the time, had truly choked her up. And seeing Luis for the last time had been just as difficult for different reasons she herself still didn't understand. But she had done it, and while she knew her "death" might cause some people pain, she had done it for those same people's benefit. Because she loved them. Sheridan sighed deeply before placing the compact back in her purse, gathering her things, and leaving her classroom for the weekend.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 3:

Sheridan slowly climbed the stairs to her third floor apartment carrying a small bag of groceries in one arm and fumbling for her keys with her other. The stairs creaked and there was a perpetual musty smell in the building that Sheridan now called home. She opened the door to 3C, her small one-bedroom abode and turned on the lights. It wasn't much, at least not by Sheridan Crane standards, but Cheri Lorray had come to like it just fine and had done her best to make it into a nice home for herself. And she was proud of it too because it was her home. She paid the rent, she did the cooking and cleaning, sometimes the repairs, and she liked it that way. Of course, it had been a hard dose of reality six months ago when she had been left with nothing but a small stipend from the FBI to live on. She had learned the hard way that without the Crane name there were no Crane funds, and it had been a hard lesson to learn. But somehow she had managed and was proud to say that the word budget was now a common word in her vocabulary. Sheridan had no sooner taken two steps in the door when she was greeted by a familiar sound that she had become accustomed to hearing.

"PRRRRRRRRR." A beautiful orange and black tabby cat was there to greet her purring fervently and rubbing up against her legs, obviously grateful to see her. Sheridan smiled as she reached down to scratch him behind the ears. "Hi Harmy," she said as she stroked the cat. "I'm sorry that I'm late, but I had to stop at the store to pick up a few things." No sooner had she said that then the cat bounded into the small kitchen and leapt up on the counter top, meowing non-stop.

"Okay, Okay I've got dinner for you right here." She started unloading the groceries and opened a can of cat food for her hungry friend. She watched smiling as the cat gobbled down his food and thought back to when she had first met her furry roommate.

**********Flashback******

Sheridan sat in her bleak apartment shaking and crying her arms wrapped tightly around her. It had only been three weeks since she had "died" and she was certain that she was going to die for real. She couldn't stop crying, she just couldn't. Why had she ever agreed to this? Her heart was pounding and she was having trouble breathing. She was so scared and lonely here. She had never felt so bleak and hopeless in her entire life. This wasn't an unusual scene for her, actually, all she had been doing was crying since she had begun her new life if you could call it that. On this particular night what had started it all was when she had been flipping through the channels (all 8 of them) on her small television and came across some TV gossip program doing a piece on the death of the Crane heiress. They had somehow gotten some film of the mourners leaving Sheridan's funeral and Sheridan had lost it. First of all it had been unsettling in general to see one's own funeral but then she had seen a glimpse of Ethan. He was sobbing with his heads in his hands looking more distressed then Sheridan had ever seen him. She had wanted to grab the phone and call him. NO, she wanted to get on the next plane to Harmony and just find her nephew and hug him and tell him she wasn't dead. But she hadn't because she couldn't. Then the story had switched to a clip of her brother, Julian, talking to reporters.

He had said something to the effect of he was certain his sister was in a better place but this set back would not effect future plans for Crane Industries. The news story had concluded by mentioning that Alister Crane had been unable to attend his daughter's funeral because of unavoidable conflicts. That had been all Sheridan could take as she had switched off the TV and collapsed to the floor unable to control her emotions. That was what her death was to her father and brother a setback? She knew they weren't close but how could her own father not attend her funeral. It had hurt to the very core of her heart and she had cried for hours, until she heard another sound coming from somewhere outside her window. The sound had gotten louder and louder until Sheridan had finally stopped her own crying and went to the window to see what could be making such a horrible noise.

It had been pouring outside and Sheridan peered out onto the fire escape trying to see through the pelting rain. The noise was definitely nearby. That's when she had met the beautiful orange and black cat that was eating from her very own dish on Sheridan's kitchen counter right now. But they hadn't started out on very good terms. The cat had gotten his paw stuck in the fire escape bars and was crying painfully trying to get free. Sheridan had gotten a towel and carefully wrapped it around the wet, dirty, crying mass of a cat, freed it and brought it inside. But almost as soon as the cat was inside Sheridan was thanked by the raking of its claws down her left arm as it leapt to the floor and began hissing at her.

"OWW!" Sheridan looked at the large scratch marks on her arm and then to the hissing ball of shaking matted fur that was now on the other side of the room. "Well that's gratitude for you," she said nursing her wounds. "You remind me of a certain cop I used to know." The cat just hissed louder. Okay, okay lets see her. We just need to calm down I think. Sheridan slowly went into the kitchen and got some milk and put it in a bowl and opened a can of tuna and put that on a plate.

The cat was still hissing but seemed to quiet down as the smell of tuna filled the room. Sheridan had no intention of going up to the Tasmanian devil again, so she had slid the plate of tuna across the carpet towards the cat who hissed again and backed away. The cat had no intention of letting its guard down with her there so she finally laid out a blanket, the bowl of milk and put on a small room heater before she had gone into her bedroom and closed the door. "Damn stubborn cat," she thought to herself smiling as she fell asleep. It had been the first time she had smiled since she this had all begun.

*************End flashback*********

So after that day Sheridan and her furry friend had slowly but surely become rather fond of each other. They were both trying to start over and trust people, both wounded by the past and uncertain of the future. After a couple weeks Sheridan decided he needed a name, besides stubborn cat. She named him Harmony, or Harmy for short, because somehow sitting with Harmy purring in her lap made her feel closer to home. And no matter who she was now, Harmony would always be home. Sheridan sighed as she watched Harmy finish the last bits of his dinner and look at her approvingly. "Well, you're very welcome Sir," she said jokingly. Harmy nuzzled his face against Sheridan's cheek and Sheridan smiled looking into his beautiful green eyes. She wondered if anyone ever thought about her at home.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 4:

Luis held a small handful of wild flowers and starred up at the sky with his eyes closed tightly. He inhaled deeply, trying to sort through his thoughts. He had stopped trying to justify to himself why he came here so often, stopped making excuses in his head for his frequent visits, it had just become part of his routine, something he did without thinking about why he did it anymore. He slowly opened his eyes and felt that same fleeting hope that he felt every time he did this. That somehow this wasn't real, that things hadn't ended this way. But, like always, when he looked backed down at the ground below him the head stone with Sheridan Crane etched into it was still there, just has it had been for nearly six months now. It still felt strange to Luis that she was gone, maybe that's why he came her so often, to try and believe what his eyes kept telling him. He sighed and set the flowers down by Sheridan's stone, which stood next to her mothers, Isabella L'Orae-Crane. He thought about the last conversation he had with Sheridan.

*******Flashback*********

He had been in the station catching up on some much overdue paperwork when she had come in and walked over to his desk. It had only been a few days since the incident at the cabin and Luis was alarmed to see Sheridan alone. "Where the hell is your body guard?" He couldn't believe that after all this she was still taking chances. He had waited for her smart remarks about not needing a bodyguard and prepared for another argument but had been surprised by her response.

"Actually Luis, both of them are right outside," she said quietly. Luis looked up and saw two FBI agents standing outside the station. "Oh. Well that's good. I'm glad you finally came to your senses." "Yes, I finally did I guess," she had replied meekly. She had starred at him intensely not saying anything almost like she was trying to memorize his face or something.

"Um Sheridan is everything okay? I mean I know you went through a lot but are you okay now?" She seemed to come out of a trance when he spoke. "Oh yeah Luis. I'm fine, thanks to you. I mean, I would never have made it if you hadn't been there to." Her words trailed off and she finally just smiled at him. "Well you know what you did." "Well I had to protect you, I mean I just couldn't let you…" Luis realized he had taken several steps closer to her. He backed up a little. "I mean I couldn't just let a citizen of Harmony who was in danger be hurt. It's my job to protect everyone."

"Yes, your job, of course." Sheridan smiled weakly and looked down at her hands. There was an awkward silence between them until he had finally spoken. "Well, I guess now that you're under FBI protection, you won't be needing the Harmony PD. So are paths probably won't be crossing for awhile." Sheridan had looked up and given him the oddest look when he said that. "No, they probably won't be crossing for quite awhile." She had almost whispered the last part. Luis was a little concerned again. He put his hand on her shoulder lightly.

"Sheridan, are you certain you're okay?" She has just starred at his hand on her shoulder for a moment before looking back up at him. "I'll be fine Luis. Anyway, I should let you get back to work, the agents just needed to pick up my file." "Oh, Sure." He handed her the file and their hands had touched briefly as she took it. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. Thanks for this," she said holding the file. "No problem Sheridan, just be careful."

"I will Luis." She had walked to the exit of the station and opened the door to leave but had hesitated and looked back at him. Luis looked up from his paperwork to see her starring at him again. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at her. "Thank you Luis," she said sincerely. "It's just a file Sheridan." "I mean thank you for everything." "You're welcome Sheridan. I'll see you around." She had closed her eyes and looked down briefly when he said this. "Bye Luis." She slipped out of the station and was quickly escorted away by the FBI agents. He had watched her until they turned a corner, not knowing it would be the last time he would ever lay eyes on Sheridan Crane.

************End Flashback***********

His cell phone ringing shook Luis from his thoughts. He reached in his pocket and flipped it on. "Detective Lopez-Fitzgerald." "Detective, this is Sargent Wilson. We need you to come down to the station to go over the Marlin Investigation forensic results with us." Luis glanced at his watch. He always lost track of time when he came here. "I'm on my way Sargent." He flipped his cell phone shut and took a last look at Sheridan's resting-place before he left.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 5:

"You were right all along Detective Lopez," said an incredulous looking young officer. "The forensic results prove that Marlin isn't guilty." Luis chuckled inwardly at the young officer with his shocked expression. Luis had been promoted to detective only three months ago, but was finding that he had a real flare for the job. "Well don't worry about it officer, the important thing is that we solved this case." The young officer nodded his head in agreement. "Thanks again detective, I think I can finish things up from here." They shook hands and Luis turned around and saw Sam Bennett watching him with a smirk on his face.

"So I guess someone is enjoying their new position eh?" Luis smiled and him and they shook hands. It was true. Luis loved his new job as Detective Lopez-Fitzgerald. He could still remember how excited he had been when Sam had given him the good news about his promotion. He had wanted to call everyone and tell them about it.

****Flashback*******

He had picked up the phone and dialed, wanting to share the news with everyone he cared about. He remembered how surprised he had been when he had gotten her answering machine. He had dialed Sheridan's number, which for some reason was still working and still had her voice on the answering machine even though it was nearly three months since her death. He hung up the phone slowly, wondering why on earth he would do such a thing. He knew Sheridan was dead, and why would she be the first person he wanted to call anyway? He had a confused look on his face when Sam had interrupted his thoughts. "Hey Luis, Did you call Pilar and tell her the good news?" "Uh yah. I'm doing that right now. I just dialed the wrong number."

*********End flashback********

"Hey Sam, it's good to see you." "Yah, we don't see too much of the DETECTIVE around her since he started making the big money," joked Sam, playfully jabbing Luis in the side. "Well, you gotta do the big work to make the big money." They both laughed. "But seriously Luis, it's great to see you. Hey, why don't we go shoot some hoops for old time sake."

"Sure Sam, that sounds great, but I wanted to say hello to a couple of the guys first." "You can do that any time Luis. Come on lets get out of here." Sam was all but dragging Luis towards the door, and Luis noticed his urgency. "Sam, what the heck is going on?" But as soon as he finished the sentence he had seen him out of the corner of his eye. "What the hell is HE doing her Sam!"

To Be Continued...

Chapter 6:

Luis felt his anger rising and his fists clench. Sam sighed realizing it was too late to keep Luis from seeing him. "Okay, just calm down Luis. He's only here to close out the file on," Sam hesitated, "on Sheridan's death. It's just FBI procedure." Luis felt his anger rising. He couldn't help it. Agent Felps was the FBI agent who had been assigned to protect Sheridan, and in Luis's opinion he had done a miserable job, and Luis had made that quite clear to the man. Luis remembered that day he had met Agent Felps. The day Sheridan was killed.

********Flashback*******

He had just returned from Castleton, because he had some business that he needed to handle at their police headquarters. He was pulling up to the station and had decided he was going to call Sheridan to make sure all the security arrangements with the FBI had been arranged, and because he wanted to hear her voice, of course, only to make sure she was okay. He had been in the middle of his thought when he had been stunned to see reporters swarming around the outside of the station and flash bulbs going off non-stop. Luis had suddenly had a sick feeling in his stomach. He parked and flew out of the car, barreling through the reporters and into the station, which had shut all the window shades to keep the reporters from taking pictures.

"What the hell is going on?" he had demanded to know, but suddenly he knew immediately what happened. He saw Ethan Crane sitting in a chair, actually doubled over in a chair, tears streaming from his face and his mother, Ivy, also crying trying to comfort him. Julian Crane was on his cell phone in the corner looking distressed. Luis had run over to Sam with a wild panicked look in his eyes.

"Luis. I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this." Luis had looked at him, with eyes begging him not to say what he knew he was going to say. "Luis, Sheridan was killed in a car bombing about an hour ago. I'm sorry." Luis had felt his head start spinning, his knees grow weak and his vision cloud over. It had taken him several moments before he could speak, and he could only manage little more then a whisper. "That can't be true." His voice was shaking but getting louder. "I JUST saw her less then five hours ago."

"I'm sorry Luis. Apparently the FBI was taking Sheridan to a safe house and the car she was traveling in had been rigged with explosives, most likely by the drug cartel." Luis still couldn't believe what he was hearing. His anguish turned to anger and he lashed out. "How the hell does a FBI vehicle get rigged with explosives?? Where was her protection?? Who the hell let this happen??" His fists were clenched and his face was red with anger. Suddenly a very tall, very built man had stood up.

"That would be me officer." Luis had whirled around and looked at the FBI agent with anger and all but lunged at him. When he spoke his voice was dripping with anger. "What the hell kind of protection were you providing? Sheridan was under your protection for less then three days and you let her…get killed." His voice had cracked on the last words. "What kind of half-ass bumbling morons do you FBI jerks employ?" Luis was speaking out of pure anger but he couldn't stop. If he did he was afraid he would break down. Agent Felps had taken a few steps closer to Luis and stood several inches above him. "That's quite enough officer. Ms. Crane's death was a professional hit. I assure you that the FBI took all known precautions to protect her."

"Then why the hell is she dead!?" He took a step closer to Felps, and both men starred at each other angrily. Sam had finally stepped in between the two of them and put his hands on Luis's shoulders. "All right. That's enough. This isn't going to bring her back Luis." Felps had started walking away. "NO, you wait a damn minute! I still want to know how it is that Sheridan is dead from a car bombing but you don't appear to have a scratch on you." "Not that the FBI owes you any kind of explanation at all, but for your information, I had left Ms. Crane in the secured vehicle for less then two minutes when we arrived at the safe house to check it out before we went in. That is when the bomb went off." He said it in such a matter of fact way that Luis had wanted to punch him right then, but Sam had put his hand on Luis's shoulder.

"Luis, this is not Agent Felps fault. This is the French drug cartel's doing." Luis felt his anger turning back into anguish and stepped back leaning against a desk. "Well, Chief Bennett, just so you are aware the FBI will be handling the entire investigation. We won't be requiring any help from the Harmony PD, in fact this case is closed to everyone but the FBI." "Agent, I'm sure that our force could be of some help, and Sheridan was a citizen of Harmony. I'd like to offer our services in the investigation."

"No Chief Bennett. As I said, this is a federal case now. The FBI has full jurisdiction and will conduct the investigation accordingly. I hope you also understand that any interference by ANY of your officers in this investigation would be a direct violation of federal laws." He had said this last sentence looking straight at Luis, who returned his stare coldly. "I understand agent," said Sam. "None of my officers will give you any trouble. You have my word."

"That's good to know." Felps had looked at Ethan and Ivy who were still there. "The FBI is terribly sorry for your loss, please accept our deepest condolences." With those words and one last icy look at Luis, Agent Felps had left to deal with the mass of reporters outside. Luis had starred after him in disbelief. Suddenly he knew he had to get out of there. He started to leave from the back entrance when Ethan had called out to him.

"Luis." Luis turned and starred at him, he couldn't speak right now. "Luis, I hope that you'll come to Sheridan's memorial service," Ethan had said in a weak voice. "I think it would have meant a lot to her." Luis had nodded before barreling out of the station. The next few days had been a nightmare-like blur for Luis. He had left the station and walked and walked and hadn't come home until early the next afternoon. He barely remembered where he had gone. All he knew was that something had changed in him. It was like some part of his heart had hardened and closed up, never to be touched again. He remembered Sheridan's funeral in the same blurry way. It had all been so unbelievable. He didn't understand why, but he had never been able to accept her death. Maybe because they had never been able to recover her body because of how extensive the explosion had been or maybe just because something about the whole thing just never felt right to him.

***********End Flashback**********

Luis felt all the old emotions of Sheridan's death surfacing as he starred at Agent Felps across the way. He watched him close out the files on Sheridan's case. She was just another bad statistic for the FBI to him. Luis realized that even after six months he still didn't have any closure on Sheridan's death. "Luis, come on. Let's get out of her for awhile, Ok?" Luis nodded. He suddenly wanted to be far away from here. "Ok Sam. Lets go."

To Be Continued...

Chapter 7:

"No Stanley, I'm absolutely certain it was in Florida! Yes, it was most certainly in Florida." Sheridan couldn't help but chuckle as she sat in the recliner in her neighbors, the Talons, apartment. Stanley and Harriet Talon were Sheridan's downstairs neighbors. They were a retired couple that Sheridan had become quite fond of and they often invited her over for coffee. Sheridan especially loved the way they argued. It was so cute. The more they argued with each other the more in love they seemed to Sheridan. Currently they had been telling Sheridan about their most recent road trip and had started arguing over whether they had gotten lost in Florida or Georgia.

"No dear. I really do think you are mistaken. It was in Georgia! I remember quite clearly since I was the one doing all the driving." The two had argued back and forth for awhile until Harriet had given in. "Oh fine, Stanley. If YOU say it was Georgia it MUST have been Georgia," she replied sarcastically. "Cheri, let me fill up your coffee cup." She had taken the cup and as she passed behind Stanley's armchair turned towards Sheridan and mouthed the words "It was Florida," to her. Sheridan suppressed her laughter. Sheridan looked around their apartment and sighed deeply. It was so lived in and homey. There were pictures of their children and of the two of them together on all their various road trips together covering the walls. They were not rich people by any means, but they had such a full and happy life. Sheridan loved spending time with them but she couldn't help but feel they had what she never would have and had always wanted. Mrs. Talon noticed Sheridan's deep sigh as she came back with her filled coffee cup and handed it to her. "Well ladies. I do believe it is time for me to get some shut eye." Stanley kissed his wife good night and turned to Sheridan. "Well Cheri, it's been enchanting, as always we are thrilled you could join us old folks. Although, I have to admit I'm always surprised you're not out with a new guy every night, beautiful young think like"

"Okay, Okay. I think Cheri gets your point," Harriet said sounding playfully jealous. Mr. Talon winked his eye at his wife before heading off to bed. The two women laughed as he left them. "Oh Cheri. I'm sorry about him. But he does have a point. You really should be out there dating and enjoying life." "I enjoy life." She said it with as much vigor as she could, but it came out sounding more like a question. Harriet had given her a look. "No really, I do. I absolutely love my job. The kids make me so happy. I love teaching."

"Oh honey, I know you do. The way you talk about those kids of yours, you'd think they were all your own, but I'm not talking about your career. I was talking more along the lines of your," Harriet raised her eyebrows suggestively, "Your love life!" Sheridan had blushed a bit when she said it. "Now I know I'm an old fogie, but I remember what it's like to be your age and looking for love. You know it happens when you least expect it." "Yah, I know." Sheridan looked down at her hands. "Oh, I'm sorry dear. I'm being so insensitive. There was someone in the past wasn't there? A love of yours? A lost love?"

Sheridan didn't know exactly what to say to Harriet. She couldn't talk about her past since the Talons only knew her as Cheri Lorray, and she wasn't sure exactly how to explain what she was feeling anyway." "Who was he Cheri?" "Um he was a man that I thought I had a future with but then, well things happened, and I mean it wasn't anything really. We argued constantly and we were always at each others throats, and we just drove each other nuts anyway." "Hmm sounds like love to me." Sheridan shot her a look. "So what happened to this man that broke your heart."

"Well, there were umm...circumstances that separated us and we never really resolved our differences. I mean it was all for the better in the long run, because he never really felt the way I did about him...I don't think atleast. It just wasn't meant to be. "If it wasn't meant to be, how come you still think about this man all the time?" "Well, I mean because only because I think that well," Sheridan had stammered for words, but Harriet had finished her sentence for her. "Because you still love him." Sheridan looked up at her with a surprised and sad look on her face. "No, that can't be true. I just never had any closure on the whole situation is all."

Suddenly Harriet had handed her the phone. "So call him!" Sheridan eyes went wide at the very idea. Considering everyone who knew her as Sheridan Crane thought she was dead, she couldn't just exactly call anyone up to say hello. "NO, I can't." "Why not dear? I mean at the very least you could resolve your differences to give you some closure on the whole thing." "NO, It's impossible! I can't ever talk to him. Not ever!" Sheridan felt tears stinging at her eyes and needed to leave. "I'm sorry Harriet, but I have to be going."

"Oh Cheri, I'm so sorry honey. I didn't mean to upset you so much. I thought I was being helpful. Oh, me and my big mouth. Please forgive me dear." Sheridan managed a weak smile. "I'm fine Harriet. I just need to get some sleep. Thank you for the coffee and I'll talk to you soon." "All right dear. Goodnight." Sheridan had left and gone back upstairs to her apartment and collapsed in a heap on her chair. Harmy had quickly jumped onto her lap and Sheridan began stroking him absent-mindedly, still thinking about what Harriet had suggested. If only it was that easy, if only she could just call him and talk to him. But it wasn't that easy, in fact it was that impossible. She just had to face the facts. He would never be in her life again. And she would never be in his.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 8:

"Well, I asked you a question Luis?" Luis and Sam sat at a table in the back of the Book Cafe. Luis exhaled deeply before shrugging his shoulders and trying to look indifferent. "I don't know what you mean Sam." Sam threw his hands up in frustration. "Oh come on Luis, it was a simple question. Are you over Sheridan or not?" "I don't know Sam. No, I mean yes. I mean I don't know how to answer that question. Sheridan and I were never really together. We were just I dunno what we were. We just argued and got on each others nerves." Even as Luis said it, he had to suppress a smile remembering some of their sparring matches.

"Yah, there was definitely quite a bit of heat between you two as I recall." "Well, I don't know if I would call it heat?" "Oh no? What would you call it? How about passion, or chemistry, or maybe just good old fashioned LOVE." Luis shot him a look. "I don't know Sam. What does it matter what it was or what it wasn't? She's gone now, end of story." "You're right Luis, she is gone. So if this is the end of the story, why is it that you haven't moved on with your life?" "I've moved on Sam. It's DETECTIVE Lopez-Fitzgerald remember?"

"I'm not talking about moving on with your career Luis. I mean who was the last woman you dated." Luis thought about it. He hadn't dated anyone since Sheridan. "Uh I can't recall off the top of my head." "Well let me help you out Luis. It was Sheridan Crane." Luis sighed and looked down at his coffee. "So what. All that means is that I haven't had the time or met anyone I want to get involved with lately. You know that I've had a lot more work since I got the promotion. That's all there is to it." Sam looked at Luis doubtfully. "Fine Luis. Whatever you say. But answer me this last question will ya?" "Sure thing Sammy. What?"

"If you are over Sheridan's death, why is that you put flowers on her grave practically every day?" Luis had been in the middle of taking a sip of his coffee and he choked slightly as he swallowed. He didn't know that Sam knew about that. "How did you know about that?" Luis's voice was softer and Sam had obviously struck a chord in him. "Sorry Luis, I'm not trying to butt in on your private life, but I patrol that area around the Harmony Cemetery and I've see you there a lot, and even if I don't see you I always see fresh flowers on Sheridan's grave everyday." Luis sighed, stretched out his arms and pondered it for a moment. There was no use lying to Sam, he knew him too well.

"All right Sam. You win. You're right. I haven't been able to fully accept Sheridan's death or get over her." "Hey, it's not about being right Luis. I just want to help you. I want you to move on with your life. I just think you need to deal with your feelings about Sheridan for that to happen. It's been six months and you're still dwelling on it." "Well great. Trust me it's not like I haven't been trying Sam. I just have no idea how to do that." "It might help if you admitted how you really felt about Sheridan all along." Luis was silent. "Ok, well you don't have to admit it out loud, but at least admit it to yourself."

"So you're saying if I admit that I had feelings for Sheridan to myself, then I'll be able to move on." "No, not at all. Probably more like the exact opposite actually. "Great. Thanks a lot Sam. You've been a big help." "Hey, I'm just saying that admitting you cared about Sheridan is the first step to letting her go so that you can move on with your life." Luis rubbed his temples with his fingertips. What Sam was saying made sense, but he just wasn't sure if he could do it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let her go at all. "It's not gonna be easy Luis. It takes a long time to get over someone you loved."

"You sound like you're talking from personal experience?" Sam suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well, no more experience then anyone else has had." "I'll try to take your advice, but it's just been really hard. Sometimes everything here in Harmony reminds me of her," Luis admitted softly. "Which brings me to my next point Luis. I was thinking maybe a change of scenery would do you some good." "Change of scenery? What are you talking about?"

"Well, I need some or our officers, or even a detective, to participate in The National Child Safety Program. It's where you talk to kids at schools about being safe and keeping them out of trouble. It's a great program and the Harmony PD has been chosen this year to fill two spots in it." "That sounds great Sam. I'd love to do it, but how is that a change of scenery?"

scenery?" "Since it's a national program, they send the participants to various cities across the country for a week or two to talk at a bunch of schools. For instance, if you agree to do it you can either go to Los Angeles, California or Chicago, Illinois. Those are the two cities we've been assigned to send a representative to. "Nice. And do I get first pick?"

"Nice. And do I get first pick?" "Yah sure Luis. You're the first person I've asked." Luis thought about it for a minute. It sounded like a worthwhile opportunity, and Sam was right; getting out of Harmony for a couple weeks would probably do him some good. "Ok Sam, sign me up for the job." "Great Luis. So where do you want to go? Los Angeles or Chicago?" "I think I want to go.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 9:

Luis sat in the plane shifting uncomfortably waiting for takeoff. He hadn't been on a plane since he had drugged Sheridan and taken her back with him to get her out of Paris. He thought back over the events in Paris and afterwards briefly, before shaking his head and reminding himself that one of the reasons he was taking this trip was to get over Sheridan and move on with his life. He sighed deeply and was about to put his headphones on to try and sleep when the pilot came on the intercom. He announced that the flight to Chicago would leave on time and that the flight should be smooth sailing.

That was good new at least Luis thought to himself. He wasn't exactly sure why he had decided to go to Chicago rather then Los Angeles. Originally when Sam had asked him he had requested L.A. but for some reason, at the last minute, he had changed his mind and decided to go to Chicago. He still wasn't sure why, but he had decided to trust his instincts and besides he didn't want to be too far away from home incase his family needed him. Luis settled back in his chair and was about to doze off when a sharp kick to the back of his seat woke him up.

This was followed by several harder kicks and giggling. Luis tried to ignore it but it was quickly getting on his nerves and he turned around to see the culprit behind him. A little blonde girl who must have been five or six looked at him innocently and batted her eyelashes at him. Luis turned back around, but as soon as he did the kicking began again. Luis turned around again.

"Well, you sure seem to have a lot of energy now don't you," he said smiling at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. Suddenly the lady next to the girl who had been dozing, her mother Luis guessed, woke up and caught her daughter in the act. "Sheridan! What do you think you are doing?" Luis's' eyes widened. Had that woman just called the girl Sheridan? He starred at them blankly. "I'm so sorry sir," started the mother. "My daughter, Sheridan, has never been on a plane before and I think she is just a little nervous." "Your daughter's name is Sheridan?"

"Yes it is sir, and she is very sorry for disturbing you, isn't she?" said the mom looking at her daughter. "Sheridan, apologize to the nice man." The little girl looked up at Luis and flashed him a smile. "I'm sorry Mista. I didn't mean to bother you."

"That's okay Sheridan. I understand how being on plane for the first time can be a little scary." Luis smiled at the mom and little girl and turned back around in his seat. He couldn't believe that her name was Sheridan. It seemed so strange. It wasn't like it was a common name. Theresa would probably say something like that it was a sign or fate. Luis shook his head, so far his trip to get over Sheridan and stop thinking about her was a miserable failure. Besides, this was definitely not fate at work. Fate couldn't bring people back from the dead.

Luis walked through the airport in Chicago and quickly spotted a man holding a sign with his name written on it and walked up to him. "I'm Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald." "Great. It's nice to meet you officer. I'm Officer Cagney, but call me Bill, and I'll be your tour guide of sorts while you're visiting the Windy City." The two shook hands and Luis could tell they would get along right away. Officer Cagney was about Luis's age and looked like a good guy. "Please call me Luis."

"Great, Luis it is. Now let's get you to your hotel and then we'll hit the town." "Hit the town?" Luis was puzzled. "Well I mean, your training for the child safety program doesn't start for two days, and you just looked like the type of guy who would want to paint the town red." "Well I don't know about painting the town red, but yah, I'd like to look around." "GREAT!" Bill slapped Luis on the back. "So, are you single Luis?" "Uhh yah I am."

"GREAT! Then you'll definitely like where we're headed. A bunch of the guys from the force are meeting up tonight at this club and I thought it would give you a chance to meet some of Chicago's finest and maybe even some of Chicago's finest single ladies." Bill raised his eyebrows and slapped Luis on the back again. "How does that sound to you Luis?" Luis had to smile, Bill was starting to remind him of his friend Hank Bennett a little. He hadn't really planned on going out a lot, but he did want to see the city and he wanted to meet the Chicago officers so he figured he would go along with Bill.

"That sounds like a plan Bill." "GREAT Luis! You're gonna love it here. Hell, you won't wanna leave after you've spent some time here, trust me." Luis highly doubted that, but he smiled and figured when in Rome, do as the Romans do, as he followed Officer Cagney to his car.

Sheridan sat in her apartment petting Harmony and Reading a book, her somewhat usual routine on a Saturday night, when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Hi Cheri. It's Marlene." "Oh hi Marlene. How are you?" Marlene was a teacher at Sheridan's school whom she occasionally went out with. "I'm great Cheri, but I'll be even better if you say you'll come out with me and some of the single teachers from school. What do you say?" Sheridan didn't want to go out. She rarely ever felt like doing anything very social." "Well, I don't know. I mean I was kind of in the middle of something and I'm kind of tired Marlene."

"Oh come on Cheri! You hardly ever come out with us. I promise it'll be fun. We're going to this new club, it's supposed to be really nice. And there are sure to be lots of nice single guys there!" Sheridan thought about it. She still didn't really want to go, but she really did like spending time with Marlene and the girls from school and she figured if she kept saying no to them, they were going to stop asking her to go out at all."

"All right, that sounds like fun," Sheridan lied. "GREAT Cheri! I know you'll have a great time, and maybe we'll even meet some nice guys." They made plans to meet up at the club and Sheridan hung up the phone and looked at Harmony. "It might be fun." Harmony gave her his typical look that implied that he didn't see how anything could be more fun then spending time with him. Sheridan laughed at him and got up to get dressed for her evening out.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 10:

Luis sat at a table in the Club Rendez-vous surrounded by several other Chicago officers. He had to admit he was having a pretty good time. He had toured the Chicago precinct and he was getting along great with the officers. He was hardly thinking about Sheridan. Or at least not too much, or at least not constantly. Luis sighed and took another gulp of his beer. Every time one of the guys motioned to the rest of the group about a good looking girl coming their way Luis would look, but instantly he would compare her to Sheridan and somehow they never measured up.

"Excuse me, would you like to dance?" A very pretty dark haired woman smiling at him brought Luis out of his thoughts. "Um...no. I don't think so. Not much of a dancer. But thanks anyway." The woman looked disappointed. "Well, let me know if you change your mind." Luis smiled weakly at her as she walked away. "LUIS! What the heck is wrong with you? That girl was gorgeous!" The officers starred at him like he was nuts. "Oh well, like I said, I'm just not much of a dancer."

Bill eyed him suspiciously. "You said your single right Luis?" "Yah, sure am." "Hmm..well then either your deaf, dumb and blind not to dance with that girl or you're suffering from a broken heart. And since you seem like a bright guy to me, I'd bet my badge it's the latter." Luis gave him a look implying he really didn't want to talk about it. "Ok, now I'm certain it's a broken heart. Don't worry bud, I know where you're coming from, hell, we've all be there before." The other guys nodded in agreement. Luis wasn't really comfortable talking about it so he just went along with them.

"Yah, something like that I guess." "Don't sweat it Luis, trust me. Any day now you'll see a girl and you won't even remember that other girl's name." "That'll never happen!" Luis said it a little too forcefully. "Whoa. Sorry. Didn't mean to offend you. Just trying to help." Luis managed to calm down. "Geez, I'm sorry Bill, didn't mean to snap like that." "Hey, like I said, we've all been there before. Must have been some girl huh?"

"Yah, she was definitely something." "So what happened, things just went sour?" "Not exactly. She was...killed." "Oh, sorry man. That's rough. Why don't I get you another beer, I think you could use it." "Thanks, that would be great." Bill got up and headed to the bar and Luis starred down into his drink. "Dammit, what can't I get you out of my head Sheridan?"

Sheridan sat at a table in the opposite corner of the club, her back to the rest of the club, sipping at her drink and trying to have a good time. She rubbed her eyes. The smoke was bothering her brown contact lenses. She hated wearing them but Cheri Lorray was a brown-eyed girl, not a blue-eyed one anymore. The girls laughed and pointed out cute men to each other, but Sheridan's heart just wasn't in it. She looked, but she was just never impressed. "Come on Sheridan, forget about him, and try to have a good time," she pleaded with herself in her head. She was stirring her drink absent-mindedly when a voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Hello there." Sheridan looked up to see a man smiling back at her. "Um...hello." "I'm Bill, and I just had to come over and introduce myself to such a beautiful group of ladies." He smiled at the other girls but then focused back on Sheridan. "And might I get your name?" Sheridan tried to look interested. "Uh...sure. I'm Cheri." She shook his hand lightly. "Well Cheri, how would you feel about taking a swing on the dance floor with me?"

"I'm not really much of a dancer, but thanks anyway." Marlene kicked her underneath the table and shot her a look that implied she must be crazy not to dance with him. "All right then. It was nice to meet you Cheri and all of you ladies." "Well, I'd love to dance with you!" Marlene all but threw herself into his arms and the two headed off to the dance floor. Marlene gave Sheridan a look that said, hey if you don't want him, I'll take him. Sheridan didn't care one bit. She just wasn't interested in being in any guy's arms. She was only interested in the arms she dreamed about at night, the arms of the man she could never be with. Sheridan looked down into her drink and suppressed a tear.

Bill finally made it back to the table with the guy's drinks. "Hey bud, took you long enough," joked Greg, another of the officers. "Yah, well duty called," laughed Bill flashing Marlene's phone number to the rest of them. "I had to take a little detour to the dance floor." "Nice. She looked like a sweet girl." "Yah, she's great, but there was a real knock-out over there, just gorgeous."

"Yah, so why didn't you dance with her?" "Uh..well, she said she wasn't much of a dancer." "Oh yah right! The Cag man is denied!" The other officers laughed and Bill jokingly punched Greg in the shoulder. "Yah, she was really something though." Luis looked over in the direction of the woman Bill was so enamored with. It was kind of dark and smoky in the club and he could only see the woman's back as she was facing the other direction. He starred at her intensely.

All he could make out was her shoulder blonde hair that swayed around her as she talked, but for some reason he felt a strange sense of deja-vu, like he had seen her before. Bill noticed Luis starring. "Hey Luis, no offense but I mean, if Ms. Cheri over there wouldn't dance with the Cag man, I highly doubt she'd give you the time of day." Luis looked at him. "Did you say her name was Cheri?"

"Yup. Why? You got a thing for girls named Cheri?" Luis tried to make her out more clearly. Even though he couldn't see her face, he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere. It was the strangest feeling." "Well Bud, why don't you go over there and try it. I'll put down ten bucks that you're denied by the lovely blonde-haired, brown-eyed Ms. Cheri." Luis's attention was suddenly distracted from the woman to Bill. "Did you say brown eyes?"

"Did you say brown eyes?" "Oh yah man. Gorgeous big brown eyes. I'm serious Luis, go for it, I wanna see this." Luis suddenly felt foolish, realizing what he had been thinking; that the woman was Sheridan. How ridiculous. She was dead, and anyway Sheridan Crane had unforgettable blue eyes, not brown. Luis slumped back down in his seat and finished his beer in one long gulp. "Hey, what's the matter? Brown eyes aren't good enough for Lopez-Fitzgerald?" "Um...I'm just not in the mood to hook up is all."

"Well suit yourself. I guess you knew you'd lose that ten bucks and came to your senses." Luis managed a smile and gave the woman one last glance. He still had the oddest feeling of knowing her from somewhere, but he shook it off. He wasn't interested in anyone with brown eyes. He was still hooked on blue eyes, two particular blue eyes that he would have given anything to gaze into again. Luis drowned his sorrows in another beer and didn't even notice Cheri Lorray and her friends leave the club.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 11:

"Thanks Ms. Lorray, I get it now," said one of Sheridan's students smiling up at her. Sheridan smiled back at her and finished explaining the math problem to her before letting her catch up with the rest of the students in art class. Sheridan sighed happily as she watched her leave. She loved teaching. It was the one thing that her new identity had given her that she truly appreciated. She had always wanted to be a teacher, even when she was Sheridan Crane.

She had even studied education in college, but her father had forbid her from becoming a teacher calling it a meaningless job for an heiress, and when she had tried to get a teaching job, (because when did Sheridan ever obeys her father) she had found that being an heiress worked against her. People weren't too thrilled about hiring someone to teach their children who was so high profile. So when she had taken on her new identity, teaching had been the ideal career for her. Her father was so wrong, teaching was definitely not meaningless.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Sheridan looked up and smiled at who she saw. "Hello Principal Brown." "Hello Ms. Lorray, how are you on this fine day?" "I'm great." Sheridan motioned for him to have a seat and he accepted. Principal Brown was one of the nicest men Sheridan had ever met. He was an older gentleman who had been a teacher and principal for over 35 years. The kids loved him and so did the teachers, nicknaming him Santa Brown, because of his physical and personality similarities with Santa Claus.

"To what do I owe the honor?" "Well Cheri," realizing there were no children around and they could be less formal, "I just wanted to drop in say hello; let you know what a fine job you're doing as usual. I just got a call from Carlas's mother yesterday thanking you for all the extra time you've spent with her helping her with math." "Oh, well Carla is a great student.

She just needed a little encouragement." "Now Cheri, don't doubt yourself. You've really helped bring her out." "Thank you." Sheridan watched him furrow his brow and tap his fingers on her desk the way he always did when he was trying to remember something else. She waited patiently for him to remember. "OH Yes! I nearly forgot. Tomorrow there will be an officer coming to visit the students. It's part of the National Child Safety Program. He'll be speaking about being safe and stranger danger and what have you, a very beneficial program I think you'll agree.

"It sounds like a good thing for the kids to take part in. Is it a Chicago officer who will be speaking to the kids? "Uhhh.. No, I don't believe so." Principal Brown reached into his pocket. "Ahh, I have it right here, an officer from the East Coast." Sheridan's head jerked up and she was suddenly very interested. "Uhh Do you have his name?" She was gripping her desk rather tightly. "Hmmm let see here. It looks like his name is Officer John Jacobs."

Sheridan shut her eyes and inwardly criticized herself for thinking what she had been thinking in the back of her mind. My god Sheridan, there must be a million cops from the East Coast. "Cheri, are you all right?" "Oh yes. I'm just fine." She smiled back at him. "The program sounds wonderful and I'm sure the kids will enjoy it." Just as she said it the room suddenly became alive with Sheridan's students returning to class.

"Well I'll let you get back to your class Ms. Lorray." He smiled and left the classroom and Sheridan started her lesson. Luis sat in his hotel room on the phone waiting on hold. Since he had decided to go to Chicago last minute most of the schools still had the other officer who had been originally scheduled as the person who would be coming to their school. Finally someone picked up on the line. Hello, this is Principal Brown."

"Hello Principal. This is Detective Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald with the National Child Safety Program. I just wanted to let you know beforehand that I'll be the officer visiting your school tomorrow." "Oh? I had that an Officer Jacobs would be here." "Well, there was a last minute change and Officer Jacobs was sent to Los Angeles and I am covering the Chicago schools. If that is okay with you sir?" "Oh of course detective. That is just fine. Thank you for telling me about the change and I look forward to meeting you tomorrow."

"Great, thank you Principal Brown. I look forward to coming." Luis hung up and lay back on his bed. Tomorrow was his last school visit. He couldn't believe how quickly the two weeks had gone by. He had really loved visiting the schools, the kids were so enthusiastic and he loved all their questions. He looked at his date book. Sam had been good to him and scheduled an extra four days in Chicago for him after he was done tomorrow, but he wasn't sure he wanted to stay.

It was one thing while he was busy doing the Safety Program but when he was alone his thoughts still wandered to his family and friends and of course, to Sheridan. Luis picked up the phone and was about to call the airport to see if he could get a flight out tomorrow night but hung it up after a few rings. "I'll just see how things go tomorrow, I can always get an earlier flight out tomorrow if I still want." Luis watched TV for a few hours and then drifted off to sleep dreaming about Sheridan's blue eyes.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 12:

Sheridan filed her students into the already crowded gymnasium that was full of the sounds of talking students. She made sure all her students were seated and sat down in a chair next to them like all the teachers. She smiled at Marlene who was sitting near her own students and Marlene smiled back. Sheridan did a quick head count and became alarmed when she only counted 23 instead of 24 heads. She quickly looked at all her kids and realized that Tommy wasn't there.

Sheridan sighed, asked Marlene to look after her kids and went looking for him. Luis walked through the hallways of the school trying to find his way to the gymnasium through the maze of hallways. He stopped suddenly when he saw a small boy who couldn't have been more then six or seven squatting down on his hands and knees trying to reach under some lockers. "Hey kiddo, can I give you a hand there?" The boy looked up and his eyes went wide momentarily when he saw Luis in his cop uniform looking down at him.

"Oh, you must be the policeman who is going to talk to us today. My teacher, Ms. Lorray told us about you." Luis smiled at him. "Yup, that's me. I'm Officer Luis. Did you lose something under there?" "Yah, I made a drawing for my teacher and I dropped it and it slid under these dumb lockers and I can't get it out." "Well, why don't you let me give it a try." Luis bent down and easily slid the drawing out from under the lockers.

He took a look at the picture as he handed it back to Tommy. "That's a great picture of a tiger you made there." "It's not a tiger silly, it's a cat! His name is Harmony." Luis looked closer at the picture and sure enough the word Harmony was written below the picture. "Hey, you have a cat named Harmony? That's the name of my hometown." "It's not my cat. It's my teacher, Ms. Lorray's cat, sometimes she brings him in for show-n-tell." Luis looked at the picture one last time.

It was odd that the cat was named Harmony. Luis laughed it off, probably just a sign that he should head back home as soon as he could. Luis and Tommy walked the rest of the way to the gymnasium together, Tommy all the time bubbling on about his teacher, until they reached the door where Luis went one way towards the stage and Tommy went the other towards were his class was sitting. Sheridan came out of the doors an instant later and bumped right into Tommy. "Tommy! Where were you?" She scolded him lightly.

"I'm sorry Ms. Lorray. I dropped my picture for you and I couldn't get it out from under the lockers." Sheridan took the picture and smiled. "That's really nice Tommy, but you need to stay with the rest of the class from now on, okay?" Tommy nodded and Sheridan led him back into the auditorium and had him sit down near her chair. He looked up at her. "Hey Ms. Lorray, guess what?" "What Tommy?" "I already met the officer. He helped me get my picture out?" "Did you now? That was very nice of him to help you out."

"Yah, he was nice. His name is Officer um Lewis...or... umm..Louise or something like that." Sheridan smiled down at him. She could have sworn Principal Brown said that the officer's name was John Jacobs. But she didn't have any more time to worry about it as Principal Brown came out on stage and motioned for everyone's attention. Sheridan listened attentively as Principal Brown made some opening remarks to the students about the program. She settled into her chair to listen as Principal Brown continued with his introduction.

But what he said next she couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams. "Everyone, I'm very pleased to introduce Detective Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald." Sheridan had been looking down her row of students when she had heard it, or what she thought she heard. Suddenly her world felt like it was moving in slow motion as she turned her eyes back towards the stage. She couldn't have controlled the gasp that escaped her lips if she had tried. All of her students looked up at her. Her heart skipped about three beats and her hands began to tremble as she laid her now wide-eyes on him.

The tidal wave of emotions that she suddenly felt nearly knocked her off her chair. It was him. It was Luis. He was smiling, walking out onto the stage shaking hands with Principal Brown. Sheridan hadn't realized how much she missed that smile until now. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes. She felt an almost instinctual urge to run to him, to be in his arms. She never thought she would even see him again. Someone tugging at her arm pulled Sheridan from her daze. She looked down, still very much out of it, at Tommy.

"Ms. Lorray, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost." Suddenly it dawned on her that she hadn't just seen a ghost, she was the ghost. Luis thought she was dead. She looked up at him. He had just introduced himself and was panning the audience with his eyes. "Good God, he's going to see me." As much as she wanted that she couldn't blow her cover, especially not like this, in front of the whole school.

All the emotions of seeing Luis and the panic of the situation were too much for Sheridan to handle and she suddenly bolted from the gymnasium just before Luis's eyes scanned her section. Sheridan ran through the gymnasium doors and collapsed on the floor against some lockers. She had never felt so happy and so sad all at the same time before, and she hugged her knees to her chest as she listened to his voice and tears fell from her eyes. Had they said detective? Luis had made detective. She was so proud of him. This was all so unbelievable. She would have thought she was hallucinating the whole thing except that she could hear his voice.

What were the chances, the odds that of all the cops in the country, Luis would be the one to come to her school? Maybe this was happening for a reason. Sheridan was suddenly filled with the need to see him, or actually to be seen by him. She didn't care what the consequences were, even if it meant giving away her identity. She couldn't walk away from him again; her heart just wouldn't let her. Sheridan started walking towards the stage doors. It was now or never.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 13:

Sheridan started walking towards the stage doors. It was now or never. She started to push open the door and the sound of Luis's voice inside gave her more strength to do what she was about to do. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she slowly pushed the door farther open. Just as she was about to take a step forward a hand grabbed her around the waist and forcibly pulled her back. Before she could react her mouth was covered by another hand and she was up against a wall. She looked panic-stricken at her attacker and let out a shocked sigh as she laid eyes on him. He took his hand away from her mouth but was still holding her up against the wall.

"Agent Felps! What are you doing here?" "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing Ms. Lorray." Agent Felps was Sheridan's FBI contact in the witness protection program. He was the man who had organized her "death" and whom she was supposed to contact in case of an emergency. "I..I..the cop...it's Luis." "I'm aware of that. So why the hell were you heading towards him when I got her just now?" Sheridan looked down. She knew the first and key rule in the witness protection program was that if you saw anyone who could recognize you from your past you were to get the hell out of there and call your contact. "I had to see him." It was all she could manage in response to his question. Agent Felps looked at her angrily.

"Do you realize how dangerous this situation is? You could have blown your whole cover by doing what you were about to do. Well, at least he didn't see you, did he?" "No, not yet." "Good, I would have been her sooner, but we just found out a few hours ago that Luis was in Chicago." Agent Felps shook his head. "The odds that he would wind up at your school are unimaginable." Sheridan looked towards the door longingly. "Maybe there is a reason he is here. Maybe he is supposed to find me." She starred at Agent Felps hoping he would understand her but he was all business. "Do you understand that you are under federal witness protection because you are in danger of being killed? That if the drug lords who are after you were to find out that you are alive you wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of seeing next week!"

His harsh words shook Sheridan out of her Luis-induced daze and she tried to focus." "I just couldn't believe it was him. I never thought I would see him again." "Well that was the way it was supposed to work," said Agent Felps. "I still can't understand how this happened." Sheridan suddenly became angry herself. "Maybe this was supposed to happen. Maybe I'm meant to be with him." "You're not making any sense. This is all just a bad coincidence. We have to get out of here now. You'll have to be relocated." Sheridan felt her frustration kick in.

"NO! I won't go. I'm sick of running. I can't walk away from Luis again, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Sheridan started towards the stage door again more determined then ever to see Luis when Agent Felps grabbed her wrist. "Alright Ms. Crane." Sheridan was surprised he had used her real name. "You're right. I can't stop you from doing this but just hear me out first." Sheridan nodded, but she knew there was nothing he could say that would change her mind.

"Everyone who knew you as Sheridan thinks you are dead, including Luis. They've all come to terms with your death, all found closure. They've all moved on with their own lives." Sheridan hadn't thought about that, but she shook it off. "No, Luis wouldn't forget me." "I'm not saying that he forgot you. I'm saying you are part of his past now, that's all. You heard, I assume, that he is a detective now? Obviously he has moved on with his career, probably with other aspects of his life as well."

Sheridan hadn't thought about that. Maybe was Luis was involved with someone, god, maybe he was even married. An image of him and Beth together came to her and she felt sad and foolish for assuming that Luis would miss her the same way she missed him. Agent Felps was right. He was Detective Lopez-Fitzgerald now. He had his own life now and all she represented were some dim memories from his past.

Meanwhile, inside the gymnasium Luis was continuing with his presentation. He was at the part where he did a skit on stranger danger and he found that the kids got a real kick out of it if he had a teacher do the part of the stranger. "So kids, I need you to nominate a teacher to help me out with this next thing." The kids immediately started throwing out names to him. There seemed to be an over whelming chant of Ms. Lorray coming from a lot of the kids in the back. "Well, it looks like we have a winner! Can Ms. Lorray come up here and give me a hand?"

Outside the gymnasium Sheridan stood frozen. She was mortified. She had heard the kids calling her name and then Luis calling her up on stage to help him. She looked at Agent Felps asking him with her eyes how she was supposed to get out of this one. "We have to get out of her right now," he said. He started to lead her away. "Wait! I can't just up and disappear right in the middle of the school assembly. Don't you think that would raise some suspicions?" "Well you can't go out there," he said motioning toward the stage door. Sheridan had to do some quick thinking. "I'm going out there." "What? I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this!" "Don't worry agent, I've got it under control." Sheridan felt anything but that way as she opened the closet where the school kept their theatre props and costumes.

Luis was about to give up on Ms. Lorray and ask for another volunteer for his stranger danger skit when the kids suddenly began to clap. He looked towards the end of the stage and saw someone coming up. The person was dressed in a black trench coat, had a black wig and scarf on and big black sunglasses covering her eyes. Luis was a little confused at first but as the kids started laughing he realized that Ms. Lorray was just being creative, playing the part of the stranger and all. He smiled at her as she came up to him. "Ms. Lorray, I presume?" He reached out his hand to shake hers. Sheridan could barely hear anything else except the beating of her heart as she walked towards Luis. She starred into his eyes and into his smiling face. She reached out her hand and shook his, trying hard not to let her fingers linger in his hand, but couldn't help it.

Luis went to shake her hand, just like he had done with all the other teachers who had done this skit with him before, but was struck for a moment when her hand touched his. He had the strangest sense of familiarity and tried to look at her face, but it was almost completely covered by her costume. He let go of her hand and noticed that it seemed to be trembling a little. Luis starred at her for another moment but quickly remembered that he had a gym full of kids watching him and shook off the strange feeling and chalked the trembling up to her being a little stage fright or something. They did the skit, which was relatively short and didn't require Sheridan to do much except represent the stranger.

When it was over the kids clapped and Luis was about to turn around to thank her for helping but she had already slipped off the stage. He shook his head. What was with him? He had that same strange feeling that he had at the club his first night here, about another woman who he had barely been able to see. Sheridan walked off the stage quickly and out of the doors and almost collapsed on the ground, had Agent Felps not been there to steady her. She held the hand Luis had touched in her other hand and just starred at it for awhile. "That was quick thinking on your part," Agent Felps said. "But now we need to get out of here." "Do you have any idea how hard that was for me to do?" She was on the verge of tears.

"I know it was difficult, but it was what had to be done for both of your benefits." Sheridan didn't see how this was benefiting her, but agreed that she didn't want to hurt Luis. She followed Agent Felps out of the school, stopping at the office to say she was going home sick. She really did feel sick; heart sick. Knowing that she wouldn't ever be back here to teach her students and that she was walking away from Luis yet again.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 14:

Luis wrapped up the presentation with a question and answer session with the kids and said his good-byes. The kids clapped and cheered for him as he gathered his things to leave. He was really glad that he had decided to do the program. So the trip hadn't exactly gotten him over Sheridan, but it had still been a great experience. He stood in the main office waiting for Principal Brown who had needed to take a phone call. While he was waiting he began paging through a school newsletter that was out. He read under the section marked "Happy Anniversary to Our Staff."

It had Cheri Lorray listed underneath for being at the school for six months. Luis remembered that she was the teacher who had helped with the skit. He starred at her name. For some reason it was familiar to him. He starred harder at her name written on the paper. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew it from somewhere. He began to go over the facts in his head, the way he usually did when something kept nagging at him. He doubted that he knew her from somewhere because if she had known him wouldn't she have said something. He was about to let this little investigation in his head go when a small boy who Luis recognized as the boy he had helped earlier came stomping into the office. He marched up to the secretary looking determined.

"Where is Ms. Lorray?" There was her name again, Luis thought to himself. "I'm sorry Tommy, she went home ill a few hours ago." "But she forgot the picture I made for her!" He flung the picture of the black and orange cat that Luis remembered seeing, on the secretary's desk. "Well you can give it to her next week Tommy when she comes back. Now you better go back to class young man." Tommy left looking defeated and annoyed. Meanwhile Luis's mind went back into investigative mode. So it was Ms. Lorray who had the cat named Harmony.

And according to the newsletter she had only been here a little over six months, just about how long ago it had been since Sheridan was killed. Luis shook himself from what he knew was a ridicioulous thought. No Luis, just stop it. But his mind just wouldn't let it go. The familiarity of her name, the cat named Harmony, the timing fitting so perfectly. Luis jumped up and went towards the secretary. "Excuse me, is there anyway I could get some information about one of your teachers?" He couldn't believe he was doing this. "A Ms. Lorray." "What kind of information detective?" She gave him an odd look. Luis tried to think of something to say besides well I have this feeling she might be the love of my life who died six months ago.

"Umm..I never had a chance to thank her for helping me out with the skit earlier today and I really wanted to." "Well actually, Ms. Lorray went home ill right after the skit today." "Oh?" Luis hoped the secretary would tell him more. "Yes, she was practically in tears the poor thing. She said it was a migraine but she looked like she just lost her best friend or something. I do hope she is feeling better soon." "Oh, that's too bad." So she had left right after the skit, the skit that she had kept herself disguised through the whole time. He had to find out more. "You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Ms. Lorray would you?" The secretary gave him another odd look. "I mean so that I could come back tomorrow and thank her. She was in costume the whole time and I really didn't see her face very well."

"No, I don't detective. I'm afraid she hasn't been her long enough to be in any of the year books." Luis let out a frustrated sigh. He had nothing to go on except some wild clues and strange feeling in his gut that told him to pursue this. "I don't suppose you could give me Ms. Lorray's phone number?" Luis knew it was futile, but he has the sudden feeling that time was not on his side. "No, I'm sorry detective. I can't give out any personal information about our teachers." "I understand." Luis thanked her and left, but he wasn't done yet. He decided he would go to the Chicago precinct and find out where Cheri Lorray lived. He knew that would take time but he didn't care. A fire was set inside of him again. A fire he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Hi. I couldn't help over hear you asking about Cheri in there before. Do you know her?" Luis didn't want to blow this opportunity to find out about her. "Umm yes. I think we may have gone to high school together or something and I really wanted to get in touch with her." He hoped she bought it. "Well, didn't she know you when she saw you today?" "Umm..she probably didn't remember me." Marlene couldn't imagine how anyone could forget a man who looked that good and always wanting to get her friend Cheri to have a more active love life she happily gave Luis the information. Luis watched wide-eyed as she wrote the address and directions to Cheri Lorray's apartment down and handed it to him.

"I'd give you her phone number, but I just tried to reach her myself a few minutes ago and I kept getting a busy signal. She probably took the phone off the hook or something so she could rest." He thanked her as he took off towards his car. He still couldn't believe what he was doing; rushing off to track down someone who was probably a total stranger. Luis started the car but then stopped. He inhaled deeply. He wasn't sure his heart could take this again. But he had to do it. If he didn't he knew he would always regret it, always wonder what if. He said a small prayer in his head. "I know this is crazy but please let it be her, and please dont' let me be too late." Luis reved the engine and headed towards his destination.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 15:

Sheridan was frantic as she threw some of her clothes into a suitcase that lay on her bed in her now ransacked apartment. Tears were threatening at the corners of her eyes as she tried to gather her most treasured possessions, since that was virtually all she could take. Agent Felps had given her only a couple of hours pack up her life as Cheri Lorray. A FBI car was supposed to be picking her up in just over a half-hour. She stopped for a minute and starred out the window.

The sky had darkened considerably and from the low rumble of thunder she heard, it was obvious that a storm was quickly approaching. She couldn't believe that this was happening again. She could still hear the persistent meowing of Harmony in her head, when she had given him to Harriet Talon, her neighbor. She had begged Agent Felps to let her take Harmony, but he had insisted that it wasn't possible. Sheridan had finally given up and asked Harriet to take him, telling her that she had to go out of town for awhile. She had tried not to look upset but she was certain Harriet had known something was wrong.

Sheridan had made her promise that she would look after Harmony until she came back for him. She had given Harmony one last hug before she handed him over to Harriet. Sheridan slid a picture of Harmony into her suitcase now as a tear escaped down her cheek. "Don't worry buddy, I'll be back for you." Of course she hadn't told Agent Felps that but as soon as she was settled in her new life, somehow she would come back and get Harmony. "Her new life." She repeated it in her head over and over. She couldn't believe this was happening again. Her whole world flipped upside down, her identity gone, the people she cared about gone, and the man she loved gone again.

. She thought about his smiling face and her hand still seemed to tingle where he had touched it. She finally couldn't stop the tears and sank to the ground burying her face in her hands. When she had seen Luis she had been so certain that they were supposed to find each other, that they were supposed to be together. Sheridan inhaled deeply forcing herself to stop crying. She knew she had to do this. Luis had moved on with his life and she had no right to interfere in it. She hastily gathered a few more things, closed the door to her apartment and said goodbye to her life as Cheri Lorray. She walked down the stairs slowly and opened the back door. It was pouring rain outside. An FBI vehicle was supposed to pick her up in the back in just a few minutes. She stepped outside into the rain with a heavy heart.

Luis jumped out of his car into the pouring rain and ran towards the building. His feeling that time was running out was getting stronger. He tore up the stairs to the apartment number Marlene had given him and stopped suddenly at the door. This was his last chance to turn around and forget this wild goose chase that would probably just land up with him trying to explain to a total stranger why he was there. The logical part of his brain told him to turn around, that what he was thinking was impossible, but some other part of him took over and seemed to take control of his hand.

Without even realizing he was doing it Luis began knocking on the door and then pounding on it more forcefully as his heart began to race faster. After a few minutes of knocking with no response Luis stopped and let out a frustrated sigh. "It's probably just as well that nobody is here," he thought to himself. "Kept you from making a fool of yourself." He was about to turn around and leave when his eye caught site of the doorknob just for an instant. Like before, his heart seemed to be guiding his actions, and his hand reached out and turned the knob. The door opened easily. He stepped inside, his brain screaming at him to stop and realize what he was doing, but something stronger inside of him pushing him to go on.

He was immediately aware that whomever lived here had left in quite a hurry. The place looked like a hurricane had blown through; Books, papers, and clothes were everywhere. Luis moved through the small apartment taking in the surroundings, although he had no idea what he was looking for. He glanced into the bathroom and stopped in his tracks. A contact lens container was open on the sink. Inside of it were two brown contact lenses. He flashed back to the club he had gone to with the Chicago cops and the strange woman whose face he hadn't been able to see, but who he had felt such a strange sense of familiarity about. Bill had said she had brown eyes.

"Could it have been Sheridan all along?" Luis felt his heart quicken and his breathing become rapid. He still didn't have any proof but he knew he had to find whoever lived in this apartment. He headed back towards the front door in such a hurry that his foot bumped into something on the ground, sending it sliding across the floor until it hit the door and stopped. His breath caught in his throat and the adrenaline rushed through his body as he laid eyes on all the proof he would ever need to know that she was alive.

Sheridan had just climbed into the FBI vehicle and shut the door. Agent Felps was the driver and he turned around and gave her his usual all-business stare. "Agent Felps? I thought you said Agent Kent would be escorting me?" "Change of plans," was all he replied. "All right Ms. Crane. Here is how it is going to work." He handed her a large envelope that she slowly and dreadingly took from him. "You're new name will be Laura Turner." Sheridan didn't say anything. She just starred blindly at the papers issuing her a new identity. Her mind wandered to Luis.

They had been so close to each other today. She could still feel his hand in hers. He still felt close to her even now. She shook her head. Luis was probably halfway back to Harmony. "Ms. Crane, are you listening?" Agent Felps interrupted Sheridan from her thoughts. "Yes sorry I just..I mean is this really how the rest of my life is going to be?" "I would not worry about the rest of your life Ms. Crane." "What? Why not?" There was something odd about the way he was talking to her but she couldn't pick it out. "This is all for your own safety." Sheridan nodded, but she felt stinging tears at the corners of her eyes as Agent Felps started the engine.

She reached into her purse, the way she always did when she needed something to comfort her and felt around for her cherished silver compact. But it wasn't there. Sheridan searched again for the compact but she didn't have it. Agent Felps had just begun to drive away when Sheridan screamed, "STOP THE CAR!" He was so surprised by her outburst that he slammed on the breaks, causing the car to skid in the pouring rain of the storm. "What the hell is going on!" "We have to go back! I forgot something important." "No. I am sorry. It is impossible Ms. Crane."

"Please. It'll just take a minute. I have to get something. It's very important." Sheridan started to open the car door. "Ms. Crane, if you get out of this car now, then let me assure you that your FBI witness protection will be over." "But it will only take a minute please." "NO!" Agent Felps started the car again and sped up quickly. Sheridan suddenly had the uneasy feeling that something was very wrong with this situation. She starred at the man driving uneasily.

Then it dawned on her. Agent Felps never called her by her real name, only by her alias. She was sure that this man wasn't Agent Felps at all. Sheridan only had a split second to think as she felt her terror increase. She flung the door open and leapt from the moving vehicle. Luis flew down the stairs of the building grasping the silver compact in his hand. He had to find her. He was yelling her name as he flung open the back door and rushed out into the pouring rain. He saw a car about a block ahead speeding up and started to run after it.

. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew she was in it. Suddenly Luis was shocked to see a door of the moving car fly open and someone lunge out of it and hit the pavement. He ran faster still screaming her name. For a moment the car seemed to brake like it was going to turn around and come back, but then turned around a corner, its wheels squeaking on the slippery road as it sped away. Luis ran faster. His breathing was ragged and his heart was pounding in his chest. He skidded on his knees to where she was lying on the street. He knew in his heart that it was Sheridan. But even still, the breath still caught in his throat as he laid his eyes upon her face.

That beautiful face that he never thought he would see outside of his dreams again. His heart swelled as he gathered her into his arms to protect her from the pelting rain. He ran his hand down the side of her face and across her cheek. It was raining too hard and he was too wet to tell if he was crying, but he didn't doubt that he was. Suddenly her eyes popped open and Luis again had to catch his breath as he gazed into those crystal blue eyes. They were more beautiful then he had ever remembered them. Sheridan starred up at him at Luis.

At first she was certain she had died and gone to heaven, but slowly realized that she was still out in the pouring rain. But maybe this was heaven, because how else would she be in Luis's arms gazing into his gorgeous eyes again. She slowly raised a hand to his face, expecting him to disappear when she touched him. But he didn't disappear. All that happened was a shock of electricity that seemed to run through both of them. Sheridan felt strength rush back through her body as she slowly raised herself up in Luis's strong arms, their gazes never leaving each other. She still had her hand on his face and she traced his jaw line as she moved closer.

It was still pouring rain, but neither of them seemed to notice anymore as their faces got closer and closer. No words needed to be exchanged, as their eyes portrayed all their want and need for each other. Suddenly his lips seized hers. Luis tried to contain his desire, but couldn't contain six months of thinking she was dead and dreaming about this moment, as the kiss became more fierce and passionate. Sheridan responded with just as much zeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him for dear life, still afraid he would disappear into thin air. They stayed like that, kissing passionately in the pouring rain, until they finally had to break for air.

Luis finally spoke, still gazing into her eyes. "Is it really you Sheridan?" She smiled up at him and was about to speak when suddenly five police cars with lights and sirens blaring came speeding out of every direction and came to a halting stop surrounding them in a circle, causing them to break their intense gaze for the first time. Sheridan suddenly felt weak again. "Hi Luis." It was all she could manage before she passed out in his arms from the exhaustion of the day's events, but mostly because of the fiery kiss they had just shared.

To Be Continued...

Chapter 16:

Luis felt panic briefly rush through him as Sheridan slumped in his arms, but it subsided quickly as he realized she had just passed out. He thought he might follow suit himself as his head swam with what had just happened, the pouring rain beating down on him and the blaring sound of sirens all around him. But before he could ponder it further FBI agents jumped out of the vehicles and surrounded him with their guns pointed.

"STEP AWAY FROM HER NOW!" barked one of the agents. Luis gave the man a look that simply said there was no chance of that happening. He still didn't know what the hell was going on, but he knew he had Sheridan in his arms, that she was alive, and that he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon. "Agents, put your guns down now! That's an order," barked another voice that sounded oddly familiar to Luis. He tried to peer up at the figure, but the bright lights of the squad car prevented him from seeing who it was." The agents obeyed and backed off. The figure stepped forward and Luis suddenly recognized exactly who it was.

"Hello Detective, we meet again." "Agent Felps. What the hell are you doing here?" "Funny, I was just about to ask you that." "I..my god it's her...Sheridan, she's alive. I found her," Luis stammered looking down at Sheridan's beautiful face, his emotions getting the best of him. "Yes, yes you did," Agent Felps said sounding mostly annoyed. "And undoubtedly you have a lot of questions and we at the FBI have some for you as well, but I think it's best that we get you out of danger and out of the rain right now."

Luis had become oblivious to the rain, but now noticed it was still pouring on all of them. His head was swarming with questions. Agent Felps being here? The FBI? Danger? Luis had no idea what it all meant but he stood up with Sheridan in his arms. "Let's go." Luis walked with Sheridan resting in his arms and Agent Felps and another man ushered him back into Sheridan's building "I'll take Ms. Crane if you'd like" offered the agent but his words trailed off as Luis flashed him a look that could have vaporized him on the spot.

"Umm...or she could stay with you." Luis listened to Agent Felps order the others to secure the area and that there was no way they would be coming back here any time soon. "Who the hell is they?" thought Luis. It only added another question to the mounting pile of them that was growing in his head. They entered into Sheridan's apartment and Agent Felps told him to have a seat on the couch while he and the other agent secured the place again. Luis sat down and starred down into her sleeping face. It still hadn't totally set in that Sheridan was alive.

But there she was breathing steadily resting in his arms. He tenderly wiped some of the damp hair from her face and just the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips made him smile. He thought about all the times that he had imagined this moment in his head standing over her grave. It was like all of his prayers had been answered. He leaned down and kissed her gently on her forehead. Someone cleared his throat across the room and Luis jumped slightly and looked up. It was Agent Felps. "So Detective, I imagine you have a lot of questions." Luis nodded and was about to speak when suddenly Sheridan began to stir in his arms.

She had been having a dream about Luis. They were out in the rain engaged in a passionate kiss, wrapped in each other's arms when suddenly Luis had just disappeared into thin air and Sheridan was completely alone in the pouring rain on a dark street. "NOO! Luis don't go!" Sheridan shot up in his arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Luis was surprised but immediately hugged her back. "It's okay Sheridan. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She pulled away from him and starred into his face still in a bit of a dreamy haze.

"Just don't leave me again Luis." Luis smiled slightly at her but suddenly looked away from her. He gently slid her out of his arms onto the couch and slid over to the opposite side of it, much to Sheridan's dismay. "Luis, what's wrong?" "I'm not the one who left Sheridan, apparently you did." Suddenly everything came flooding back to Sheridan. Seeing Luis at her school assembly, packing up her life as Cheri Lorray, jumping out of a moving car and the kiss she had shared with Luis. Somehow he had found her, although she had no idea how. She looked into his eyes and saw the confusion and maybe even what she thought was hurt in them.

Sheridan, what's going on? Up until about twenty minutes ago I thought you were dead everyone thinks you're dead." Sheridan wasn't sure how to begin. There was so much to explain. "Luis, let me explain." She was silent for a few moments trying to organize her thoughts while Luis stood up from the couch and rested his head in his hand. He had never felt so happy and so confused at the same time. It was overwhelming. Sheridan watched him with concerned eyes. "Luis?" He looked at her and sighed deeply.

"Sheridan, why don't you start by telling me this isn't all just a dream." Sheridan couldn't help smiling a little at that. She stood up and walked over to him. Luis felt a soft hand wrap around his hand and gently pull it away from his face. His dark eyes immediately locked on her two ocean-blue ones. "I promise you this isn't a dream," Sheridan said in a soft voice her face slowly moving closer to his. Luis knew it wasn't. He didn't know how to explain it, but the part of him that had felt empty and closed off since Sheridan's "death" suddenly felt alive again. He let himself get lost in her eyes as his lips got closer to hers.

"AHUMMM." Someone cleared their throat from across the room causing Sheridan to jump about a foot. She turned around to see Agent Felps sitting in a chair in the corner with the annoyed look on his face that seemed to be permanently etched there. "Agent Felps! I didn't even know you were here." "That was obvious." Sheridan blushed slightly. "Anyway, now that the two of you have been reunited, are we ready to sit down and answer each others questions?" Sheridan and Luis both nodded and went to sit back down on the couch. "But before we begin, you might want to change into something slightly less damp." They both realized that they were still wearing soaking wet clothes.

"Yah, that's probably a good idea," Sheridan said getting up and heading towards her bedroom. "I'm okay," said Luis. He hadn't exactly brought a change of clothes with him. "I think I have something you can wear Luis." Sheridan went into her bedroom and Agent Felps went into the kitchen to make a phone call. Luis felt his body tense up. If Sheridan had clothes he could wear; that must have meant she had men's clothes, which must have meant that some man spent time here. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before.

Sheridan had obviously not been dead for the past seven months and she obviously had some kind of identity and life here. He didn't know why he had assumed she didn't have someone in her life, just because he hadn't had anyone in his life since her death. Luis fought down a twinge of jealousy. It wasn't like they had ever really been together. Whatever they felt for each other had always been so hard to figure out and even harder to admit. Still, nothing had felt unclear about that kiss they had shared outside in the rain.

. Luis let out a deep sigh as Sheridan came out of her bedroom. She had changed into a white tank top and flannel pajama shorts, towel-dried her hair and brushed it as best she could. He noticed how much longer her blond tresses had gotten since the last time he had seen her, reaching down past her shoulders. Sheridan must have noticed him looking at her hair because she twirled a long blonde strand around her finger and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner. "It's nice," Luis responded trying to sound casual, but wondering how everything about her seemed to be a hundred more times beautiful then the last time he had seen her.

"Thanks. Here you go." Sheridan tossed him some clothes and Luis caught them still wondering to whom they belonged. As he unfolded them a smile suddenly crept across his lips. "Umm Sheridan. These clothes look kind of familiar. In fact they look real familiar." Sheridan blushed slightly as she realized that they were Luis's T-shirt and shorts that she had borrowed one time at the youth center after a water fight with the kids and conveniently forgotten to give back to him. But they were so comfortable and she loved how the shirt always smelled like him. Of course she couldn't tell him that.

"Oh um...yah, look at that. I guess they are yours. I didn't even realize." She refused to meet his gaze as she spoke, but she could pretty much see the cocky grin on his face as she pointed out the bathroom to him. Luis stood up, still smiling, and headed towards the bathroom. He looked back at her as he walked. "Sheridan, I'll be right back. Do me a favor and don't disappear on me, okay?" He said it half-jokingly, half-seriously. She smiled slightly at him. "I'm not going anywhere Luis. I promise."

To Be Continued...