Sweet Loving (Continued)

Chapter 16: Discoveries

"Flight 143 to Spain is now boarding at gate 87. Zone 4 only." Sheridan grabbed her bags and headed onto the plane. She took her seat and waited for take off. She decided to call Theresa before she left. She dialed her number. "Hello?" Theresa said. "Hi, Theresa. It's Sheridan." "Hi Sheridan." Theresa and Rachel were sitting on the floor and Rachel was playing with some toy blocks. Sheridan said, "I just wanted to check in and see if everything's okay."

"Oh, everything's great. Rachel and I are having so much fun together. You're daughter is so sweet. She even made me a card." Sheridan smiled at the thought of Rachel trying to write a letter to Theresa. Rachel reached her hands out towards the phone and said, "Gimme. Gimme." "Sheridan, it seems like Rachel wants to talk to you." Theresa said. She held the phone up to Rachel's ear.

Sheridan said, "Hey honey." "Mommy," Rachel said joyfully. "Where are you going?" "Oh, I'm just going away for a week. You get to stay with Aunt Theresa for a while, okay?" Sheridan said. "Okee-dokey." Rachel said. Theresa got back on the phone and said, "Rachel is the sweetest little girl." "Thanks. Well, the plane's about to take off, so I had better go. Are you sure everything fine?" "Yes, Sheridan. Everything's great." "Okay, just call me if you need any help." Sheridan said. "Okay, bye." "Bye."

Sheridan hung up the phone and looked out the window. She loved to hear the sound of Rachel calling her Mommy, but she really missed the sound of 'Daddy.' She still couldn't get it out of her head. Why did Luis leave like that? They were so happy together. She remembered when Jullian tried to convince her to marry Warren...

**FLASHBACK**

"Sheridan, it's for the best." Jullian said. "But Jullian. I don't love him." "You'll grow to love Warren." "But he's not Luis." Sheridan said. "Luis? Sheridan, he's been gone for over a year now. Don't you think it's time to move on?" "Don't you think I've tried that already? I can't." "Sheridan. Rachel needs a father in her life." "Well... it would be nice for Rachel to have a father." "So?" "No. I can't. I don't love him. I won't marry Warren."

**FLASHBACK ENDS**

Sheridan could never marry Warren. Her heart was still set on Luis, even though he was gone and she will probably never see him again. Why did Luis leave her? If he wanted to, why didn't he just file for divorce? What happened? They had been so happy together. Even if she could never see him again, she at least wanted to know what happened to make him leave like that. 'Oh, buck up, Sheridan. You can't stay like this forever. Move on with your life. You're going to Spain, the most beautiful place in the world. Make the most of it.' Sheridan said to herself. The plane got onto the highway and took off. The plane began it's journey to Spain.

Luis sat at a bar, leaning his head on one hand while the other held his glass of bear on the table. Not even beer could cure the pain he had inside of him. Everyday without Sheridan made him more miserable. He felt that if he didn't find her soon, he would crack. He had now had four glasses of beer and was drunk. The guy at the counter said, "Okay, I think you've had enough. One of our drivers will take you home." He snapped his fingers and a tall man who looked to be about Luis's age helped Luis up. He dragged him outside and put him in his car. On the drive home, the man said, "You've gotta take it easy on the drinks. You're gonna kill yourself."

"I have nothing left to live for," Luis murmured loud enough for the man to hear. "What are you talking about?" "I've lost the love of my life." Luis said. "How did you loose her?" The man asked. Luis passed out. 'Mmm... I'll ask him later,' says the man. He looks down at Luis and smiled. Little did Luis know who this man was, but he knew Luis... very well. He decided to stay with him until he was sober. He wanted to know about this woman in his life. The woman he said he lost. Maybe he could help him. They arrived at Luis's place. He took him inside and waited for him to wake up.

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

Luis woke up with the biggest hangover ever. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a man sitting in a chair next to him. "Who are you?" Luis asked. "You got drunk at a bar last night. I took you home." The man said. "Oh... thank you." Luis said. "You seemed pretty stressed out. You kept talking about you loosing a woman." Luis head jerked up. He remembered. He had gone to the bar because he had missed Sheridan so much, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to find a way to ease his pain.

"You wanna talk about it?" The man asked. "That's okay," Luis said as he stood up and looked out the window. "You can trust me, Luis." Luis turned around, "You know my name?" "Yes." "But, I don't know you." "Yes, you do, Luis. You and I know each other very well." The man said, smiling. "Who are you?" Luis asked. "Look at me, Luis." Luis looked into the man's eyes and he suddenly saw a vision. He saw himself when he saw five years old. He was sitting on the floor with his older brother, Antonio, playing with some legos. "Well... you do remind me of someone." The man smiled. Luis asked, "Who are you?" "The person you think I am." "No. You don't know what I'm thinking. That would be impossible." Luis said, "Who the hell are you?"

"Tell me, Luis. How is Mama? I know it was hard on her when Papa left. I bearly remember Theresa, put I know she was a sweet little kid. Luis, how is that little rascal Miguel? Are they all happy?" The man said. Luis felt tears well up in his eyes. "No, it can't be." The man stood up and walked up to him. "It's me Luis... Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald." For a second, Luis just stood there, shocked. Then, he hugged his brother tightly. "My god. It is you." Luis said. "Yeah, Luis. It's me." Luis was shocked. He couldn't believe it. He found his brother...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 17: Lost & Found

Luis and Antonio sat on the couch. It still hadn't completely dawned on Luis that Antonio was here. "I can't believe this." Luis said. "Believe it, Luis." "But... but... why did you leave?" Luis asked. Antonio's face suddenly turned cold. He stood up and looked out the window. "Antonio, what is it?" "It's a long story Luis." "Tell me." "When I was still living in Harmony, I fell in love." Antonio said. "Fell in love? With who?"

"With a Crane." "A Crane?" "Yes, one of Jullian's daughters, Bianca. God, we were madly in love with each other. We wanted nothing more than to be together, but then... then, Jullian found out about us. He sent me here to Spain forever and convinced Bianca that I left her." Antonio looked at the floor, tears welling up in his eyes. Luis said, "Oh my god. That was exactly what happened to me. I fell in love with Jullian's sister, Sheridan. We got married and even had a daughter, but then... Jullian sent me here."

"I know, Luis." "You do?" "Yes, I know and I'm so sorry you had to go through this." "I'm sorry you had to go through this too." "Luis, it's too late for me and Bianca, but it isn't too late for you and Sheridan." "How can you say that? It's been over a year since I was sent away." "There is a way, Luis. I'll figure it out." Antonio said. "I hope you can, bro. Cause I miss her so much, and my daughter too." "Don't worry, Luis. I promise you. Soon, you will have Sheridan back."

**SEVERAL HOURS LATER**

Antonio went back to the bar to finish his work. He decided to let Luis get some rest. He would talk to him later. It hurt him to know that the Cranes hurt his brother too. He wouldn't let the Cranes ruin Luis's life. He had to find a way to help Luis. Antonio suddenly spotted a woman with short blonde hair sitting at the bar, in the same seat that Luis was sitting in before. He walked up to her and sat down next to her. "Excuse me, Ma'am." Antonio said.

Sheridan looked up and saw a man sitting next to her. She politely smiled. Antonio said, "You shouldn't be out in this bar this late at night. It could be dangerous." Sheridan took a drink of her beer and said, "I don't care. My life isn't worth living anymore." "Why is that?" "Because I have lost the love of my life." 'Mmm... geez, that's the second one today.' "What is your name?" Antonio asked. "Sheridan Crane." Antonio's mouth dropped open, "Sheridan?" "Yes." "Oh my gosh." Antonio said as he got up and put his hand over his mouth. He couldn't believe it. It was like what his little kid sister, Theresa, used to call fate. At the exact same day, Luis and Sheridan were in Spain. This was too good to be true.

Sheridan asked, "Is something wrong?" "Oh my god. This is incredible." "What is?" "Sheridan... I just ran into someone who knows you." "What? I don't know anyone in Spain." Sheridan said. "Yes, you do. His apartment is close by. Let me take you to him." Sheridan hesitated. She didn't even know this man, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw trustworthyness and sincerity. She agreed.

They got into Antonio's car and drove off to Luis's apartment. He was beaming. Luis would be so surprised when he saw Sheridan. He was going to be so happy. When they arrived at Luis's apartment, Antonio led Sheridan into the living room. He then said, "Just wait here. He must be sleeping. I'll go get him." Sheridan nodded and then Antonio left. She looked around the room. It was a nice place. It reminded her a lot of the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. Oh God, it reminded her of Luis. She still missed being in his arms.

She had gone to the bar to try to dull her pain. She tried to have fun in Spain, but she hardly got anywhere, so she just went to the bar. She wasn't too sure about coming here. Who could she possibly know in Spain? Who was this man at the bar? He reminded her a lot of Luis. She walked around the room and looked at the picture frames. Among them, was a picture in a special frame. It was a picture of HER... and LUIS! "Luis. Luis. Wake up." Antonio said as he shook Luis. Luis woke up, "Antonio? What is it?" Antonio pulled Luis out of bed. He was still wearing the same clothes. Antonio was beaming as he said, "Have I got a surprise for you?" He took Luis by the arm and pulled him into the living room.

Luis saw a woman with short blonde hair looking at the picture frames. Antonio whispered, "Your Sheridan is here." Oh my god. "Sheridan?" He asked loudly. Sheridan jumped as she turned around. When their eyes connected, their mouths dropped open. They stood there for a few moments, like they were paralyzed. Then, Luis broke out into a shocked smile, "Sheridan!" He cried. "Luis!" Sheridan said. They ran straight into each other's arms and held on for dear life. Antonio smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 18: Together

A few seconds later, Luis pulled back a little to look into her eyes. They both had tears streaming down their faces. Luis stroked her hair with his hands, then kissed her passionately. When they broke away, Luis pulled her back into a tight embrace. Luis cried, "Sheridan. Oh god, it's you." Sheridan suddenly pulled back, "You left me! Why did you leave me?" She screamed. "Shhh, please, Sheridan. I can explain..."

Luis was interrupted when Sheridan came back into his arms. "Don't leave me again." She cried. "I'll never leave you, Sheridan. Never." He held her tightly and stroked her hair. He led her over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck. After a few minutes, they both stopped crying. "What happened, Luis? Why did you leave me?" Sheridan asked. "Sheridan, I would never leave you. Never. I love you." Luis started, "Sheridan. Jullian kidnapped me. He threatened me.

He said that he would hurt you if I didn't make tracks. I couldn't let anything happen to you, or to our daughter." "Oh God... it was them all along." Sheridan said, shocked. "What did they do? Did they try to hurt you?" Luis asked. "Oh Luis. They're trying to marry me off to that Warren guy." Sheridan said, hugging Luis tighter. "They what?" "They tried to marry me off to Warren, but I wouldn't stand for it. My heart was still set on you." Sheridan said, pulling back a little and looking into his eyes.

"Oh Sheridan. I love you so much." "I love you too, Luis," Sheridan said, hugging Luis again, "and i've missed you." "I'll never leave you again, Sheridan. I promise." They held each other for a long time, until Sheridan fell asleep in his arms. Antonio came in. "Hey Luis." "Shh... Sheridan's sleeping." Luis said, smiling down at the beautiful woman in his arms. "Okay," Antonio said quietly. "I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you, Antonio. How did you find her?" "She was at the same bar you were at.

She was crying her eyes out because of how much she missed you." Antonio said. Luis let out a depressed sigh and stroked a strand of hair out of Sheridan's face, "I can't believe Alistair and Jullian would stoop this low to do something like this. They hurt her so badly." "This hasn't been the first time," Antonio muttered, sadly. Luis made a move to get up, but Sheridan clung to him and groaned softly in her sleep. Luis laughed. Antonio said, "Looks like she'll be stuck on you for a while." Luis smiled, "Maybe so, but that's the way I like it. I'm never leaving her side again."

Antonio said, "Well, you look tired since it seems like you're not going anywhere, can I sleep in your bed?" "Sure Antonio." "Okay, good night." "Good night." Antonio walked out of the room and closed the door, but he took one last look at Luis. Luis was smiling down at her happily, then rested his head on hers as he drifted off to sleep. Antonio smiled, but it was a sad smile. "We could have had what they had." He sighed deeply then went off to bed.

**IN THE MORNING**

Luis woke up and for a moment, thought that it had all been a dream, but then he saw Sheridan lying in his arms, fast asleep. His beautiful Sheridan was back. He had missed her so much, and thanks to Antonio, she was with him again. He was feeling hungry, so he tried to get up to go to the kitchen, but Sheridan clutched onto him and groaned, "No," in her sleep. Luis giggled and tried to pry her off of him, but it wouldn't work.

Suddenly, Sheridan's eyes popped open. "Where do you think you're going?" "I thought I would make us some breakfast." "I don't think so, I don't ever want to leave your arms again." Sheridan said, snuggled her head into his chest. Luis smiled and started ticking her, causing her to let him go. She screamed with laughter and squirmed around. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll let you go." Luis stopped tickling and they both stood up. Sheridan walked into the kitchen and Sheridan stood in the doorway.

Sheridan suddenly became uneasy and hugged herself. She looked around her as if trying to find something. As Luis was cooking, he turned around and saw Sheridan. He became concerned and he put his stuff down and walked over to her. "Sheridan... what is it?" Sheridan suddenly hauled herself into his arms. "Woah, Sheridan. What's wrong?" "Please... just hold me, Luis." Sheridan whispered as she buried her face in his shoulder. Luis was confused, but held her close and whispered soothing words into her ear.

A few minutes later he pulled back and saw tears coming down her face. He wiped them away, "Sheridan, what is it? Why are you crying?" "Luis, I'm scared." "Sheridan, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you." "It's not that Luis. I mean... look what my family had done to keep us apart. What if next time they do something worse?" "Sheridan, don't worry like that. We'll figure something out. Sheridan, I will never let anyone separate us again. I promise." Sheridan found hope and love in his eyes and she smiled. She kissed him and hugged him again...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 19: The Incident

There was noise that came from the other room that made Sheridan jump. "Shh... it's okay. It's probably just Antonio." "Antonio?" "Yes, my brother." "Your brother?" Antonio walked in, with a smile on his face. Luis and Antonio smiled at Sheridan's shocked face. "Oh my gosh. Y... you're his brother." Sheridan said, pointing to Antonio. "Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you." Antonio shook hands with Sheridan.

Luis said, "Antonio is the one who found you and me last night, and brought us together." "Oh Antonio. I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Sheridan said. "Hey, I would do anything for my little brother. Anyway, I thought I would make you some breakfast." "No, no. You've done so much for us already. I'll make you breakfast." Sheridan insisted. "What? Sheridan Crane can actually cook?" Luis asked. Sheridan turned around and starting tickling him. Luis laughed and tickled her back. Antonio looked at them and laughed inwardly. Sheridan said, "Well, anyway, Antonio. I'll be happy to make you breakfast" Sheridan walked towards the stove and started to make breakfast. "She's quite a woman." Antonio said. "The best," Luis said.

Luis turned around to Antonio and said, "Bro, I think I'm gonna go out and get some things for Sheridan. Do you think you could keep an eye on her for me while I'm gone?" "Sure Luis." Antonio said. Luis went up to Sheridan and said, "Sheridan. I'm gonna go run some errands. I'll be back soon." "No," Sheridan said as she grabbed onto him. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I'll only be gone for a little while, and Antonio will keep an eye on you while I'm gone." Luis said as he caressed her cheek. Sheridan nodded her head and backed away. He gave her a longing smile before leaving the apartment...

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

Luis pulled into the driveway and got his things out. He had brought groceries for a week and some chocolate and flowers for Sheridan. He couldn't wait to be back with her. He wanted to be quick, but he wanted every thing to be perfect, so it took longer. He got his stuff out and walked inside. He went up to his floor and to his door. He knocked on it, "Hello?" He called. No one answered. He tried again, "Hello?" No one answered. He turned the knob and realized that it was open. He opened the door and dropped all his things at what he saw.

There were over turned tables and broken glass everywhere. The curtains were torn and water pitchers were knocked over. "SHERIDAN... ANTONIO?" Luis yelled as he ran through the house. He was panicking. Suddenly, he saw Antonio sitting on the floor, holding his head. He went to his side. He saw that he was bleeding from the head. He said, "Antonio. What happened?" "They came... they came," Antonio said, half consciously. Luis started to panic again. "Where's Sheridan?" Antonio didn't answer.

Luis jumped up and ran through the house, calling Sheridan's name. Suddenly, he heard someone crying. 'Sheridan.' he thought. He ran towards the cries and realized that they were coming out of the closet. When he opened the closet door, he came face to face with the woman he had been looking for. When she saw him, she threw herself into his arms and sobbed hysterically. Luis wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Shhh... it's okay. It's okay. I'm here now," Luis said, trying to comfort her, but at the same time, fear was in his heart as well.

What the hell had happened here? They must have been attacked by someone, but who? When he found out who tried to hurt his Sheridan, he would kill them. He pulled back and looked at Sheridan. Her face was swollen from all the crying and she had a bruise on her forehead along with a small stream of blood down her face. Luis felt his heart cringed. "Oh God," He said as he put a hand on her cheek. She had a look of pain and fear in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her again, holding her as close as possible. Her knees startled to buckle, so Luis lifted her into his arms and carried her to the couch.

He sat down on the couch with her in his lap and rocked her slowly. "Shh... it's okay, sweetie. I'm here now. I'm right here." Luis said and he started to hum a small tune to her. She rocognized this from a long time ago when she had had nightmares and he was comforting her. Sheridan relaxed at hearing his voice and soon fell asleep in his embrace. Luis continued to hold her as she slept, afraid to ever let her go again. Antonio came in. "Is she okay?" Luis looked up at Antonio. "What happened here?" "I'm not sure. All of a sudden, a group of people charged in and started destroying the place and attacking us."

"What did they do to Sheridan? Did they hurt her?" Luis asked, angrily. "They tried to take her away, but she fought against them. They threw a glass vase at her head and she ran off." Luis looked down at the woman he loved, lying in his arms. He looked at the trickle of blood that was coming down her face. "Oh God, my poor, sweet Sheridan." Luis whispered, sadly. Antonio said, "I'll go get the first aid kit." Antonio left the room and a few tears trickled down his face, but they were angry tears.

Luis stared at Sheridan. He knew who had done this... Jullian. That bastard could have killed her. God, when he got his hands on him... his thoughts were interrupted when Antonio came back with the first aid kit. Antonio went to lie down as Luis healed Sheridan's wounds. Once she was healed, Luis took Sheridan into his room and laid down on the couch with her. He held her tightly and looked at the beautiful woman he loved so much. He shouldn't have left her alone here. He thought it would be okay to leave her alone with Antonio, but he didn't expect a group of people to attack the place. He knew that it had to be Jullian. Who else would try to hurt Sheridan?

He remembered Sheridan telling him that Jullian tried to marry her off to Warren. He would be damned if Warren ever laid a hand on her. Sheridan was his, and only his. Not only had he missed Sheridan terribly, but he missed Rachel and Mama and Theresa and Miguel. He hadn't seen them for so long. Once he was sure everything would be okay, he would come home with Sheridan. He made a promise to himself right there and then that he would never leave Sheridan's side again. He would not take anymore chances. He was going to get Jullian back for what he's done to Sheridan, him, and his family. He fell asleep with Sheridan in his arms...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 20: Missing Home

Luis woke up when he felt something wet land on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw Sheridan crying softly. "Hey, hey," Luis sat as he sat up with her, "It's okay. You're safe now." He held her close and asked, "Are you alright?" Sheridan nodded her head, "What do they want from me? What did I do to deserve this?" "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Sheridan." Luis said as he rubbed the tears away from her cheeks, but a tear ran down his face too and Sheridan brushed it away.

Luis said, "Sheridan. I'm making a promise, right here and now. I swear by my love for you, that by this moment on, I will never leave your side. I'm not going to take the chance of you getting hurt again." "But Luis, you can't just stick to my side forever." Sheridan said. Luis chuckled a little, "As much as I would love that, you're right," he turned serious, "I'll gonna make Alistair and Jullian pay for what they have done to us, and to Rachel." Sheridan nodded her head.

For the first time in a long while, Luis saw Sheridan smile. He missed that smile so much. Sheridan rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you, Luis." "I love you too, angel." "Luis?" "Mmm?" "When can we go back to Harmony?" "Anytime you want, sweetheart. I can't wait to see my family again. I've wanted to come home for so long, but I didn't want to take the chance of you getting hurt. Now that I've found you again, I am going to make sure that no one ever hurts us again."

"Great. I can't wait for you to see our beautiful daughter. Theresa has been taking care of her a lot. Your sister and I have become best friends." "Really? Why is that?" Sheridan hesitated. She knew that he reason Theresa and her got closer was because Ethan and Theresa would start seeing each other. She slowly got off of Luis. Luis asked, "Is something wrong?" Sheridan didn't say anything.

Luis sat next to her, "Baby, what's wrong? Is it something I said?" "Listen... Luis. I have something to tell you about Theresa, and you're not going to like it." Sheridan said. Luis asked, "What is it? Is she hurt?" "No, no. As a matter of fact, she's never been happier." Sheridan said. "Well... tell me what it is." Luis asked. Sheridan took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Luis. "Well... Theresa and Ethan starting seeing each other."

"WHAT?!" Luis said as he jumped up. "Luis, please, don't get mad." "Don't get mad? Theresa can't get involved with someone like Ethan. Ethan Crane is evil. And I'll be damned if he gets involved with my sister," as Luis said the last sentence, he turned a small table over, sending it to the floor along with the glass vase. Sheridan let out a cry. Luis turned around to see that Sheridan had tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly, his anger disappeared. He ran to her and sat next to her on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Sheridan. I'm so sorry." She silently cried on his shoulder. Luis felt awful about how he acted. He knew that after what's happens, Sheridan was a little vulnerable. He cared about his sister, but he couldn't stand to see Sheridan cry. "Sheridan. I'm so so so sorry. Please, don't cry." Luis said as he pulled away from her. Sheridan wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry." "Don't be sorry. I... I was just upset. I mean, I love my sister. I don't want anything to happen to her. And I know that Ethan is your nephew, but I'm just not so sure he is honorable enough to be seeing Theresa. I'm afraid he might break her heart." Luis said.

Sheridan said, "Ethan would never ever do that." "Well, that's for me to find out." Sheridan smiled a little, "I'm glad you aren't angry at me." "Hey, I've been away for a while. And anyway, when it comes to you, you're my weakness." Sheridan smiled. Luis said, "Let's go get some breakfast?" "Sure." Sheridan said. They got out of bed and made breakfast. Antonio came out and little while later. "Hey," Antonio said. "Hey," Luis and Sheridan said. Antonio asked, "You guys okay?" "Yeah, we're fine. And we've made a decision." Sheridan said. "What that?" "We going to go back to Harmony." "Ate you sure about that, Luis?" "Yes, I miss my family and I miss my daughter." "But what about Jullian?"

"When I get my hands around his neck..." Luis said angrily. "Luis," Sheridan gave him a knowing glance. Sheridan said, "You should come back to Harmony too, Antonio." "I couldn't do that." Antonio said, "It would be too painful for me." "What would be?" Sheridan asked. Luis then realized that Sheridan didn't know why Antonio disappeared. Antonio said, "You wanna tell her Luis?" Antonio walked away and Luis said, "Antonio fell in love with one of your nieces, but Jullian didn't except it, so he sent Antonio away, just like what he did with me."

"Oh my god, it wasn't... Bianca... was it?" Antonio heard her name and rush back to them. "Yes, yes, Bianca. Is she okay?" "Well, kind of. Everyone knew that she had a secret lover, but she never told anyone who is was. Oh, when you disappeared, she was heartbroken. I remember her saying that she couldn't understand why you left her?" "What happened to her?" "She traveled the world." "So, she's not in Harmony," Antonio asked sadly. "No... no wait! She always comes back for Ethan's birthday. It is about a week from now." "Oh, my gosh." Antonio said. "So will you come back," Luis asked. "Yes, yes I will." "All right then. Let's get packed." They disappeared into their rooms and got their stuff ready. Within an hour, they were ready to go...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 21: Home At Last

Antonio, Luis, and Sheridan boarded on their plane to Harmony. Luis was so excited to go back to Harmony, so was Antonio. They both hadn't seen their familes in so long, and now that Luis found his true love, he would make sure that Antonio found his again. Antonio sat in the seat across the aisle and Luis and Sheridan were together on the other. Sheridan laid her head on Luis's shoulder as they stared at Antonio. He looked so sad. Luis said, "I can't believe Antonio fell in love with a Crane." Sheridan pulled back and smiled into his eyes, "I guess it runs in the family." Luis laughed because he knew that she was right. Antonio had falling in love long ago with this, Bianca, Theresa was starting to see Ethan, and he was happily married to the most wonderful, beautiful woman in the world, Sheridan.

Luis's smile suddenly turned into a frowm as an idea popped into his mind. "Luis, what is it?" "Sheridan, what if Jullian does to Theresa, what he did to Antonio and me?" Sheridan's face dropped. He did have a point. Ethan and she would have to protect the Lopez-Fitzgeralds at all cost. Theresa said, "I'll call her on my phone before we take off." Sheridan took out her cell phone and called Theresa. "Hello?" Theresa asked. "Hey, Theresa. It's Sheridan." "Hi, Sheridan." Luis's eyes lit up when he heard Sheridan talking to Theresa. He motioned for her to give him the phone, but Sheridan turned to him and said, "I want it to be a surprise." She returned to talking to Theresa. "So, Theresa. How is Rachel?" She smiled at Luis as she said it. "Oh, Rachel is great, but she really misses you. When will you be coming back?"

"I'm on the plane right now." Sheridan said. "Great." Theresa said. Sheridan said, "And I have a little surprise for you and Rachel when I get home." "Oh... okay. Well, see you then." "Okay, bye." Sheridan said and hung up the phone. "They are doing great." "Good. I can't wait to see them." Luis said happily. Sheridan snuggled up to him again and sighed. She had missed him so much in the past year. It was too good to be true that she was back in his arms, where she belonged.

Luis also couldn't have been happier. He had found his brother, found the woman he yearned for for so long, and now, he was going back home, to his family and to his life. At the same time, he was worries though. He was worried about his family, he was worries about Rachel, and he was worried about Sheridan. He couldn't let Jullian hurt them ever again. He felt bad that he had to do this to Sheridan's family, but he had no choice. Once, he got home. He would take care of Alistair and Jullian for good...

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

Sheridan, Luis, and Antonio drove to Sheridan's house. Luis and Antonio were thrilled to see Harmony again. They had missed the town as well. They couldn't wait to see their family again. They pulled into Sheridan's driveway and Luis practically flew out of the car. "Wait, Luis. Let's go in together." Luis smiled, put his arm around her, and the three of them walked inside. When they walked in, just around a corner, they could see Theresa and Rachel playing with some blocks. Theresa's back was turned to them. Rachel looked up and saw Sheridan standing at the door and ran to them.

Theresa laughed and started to put away the blocks. But then, she heard Rachel say, "Daddy," and she froze. She then heard a man's voice say, "Hey, there." The voice sounded familiar. No, it couldn't be. She stood up and turned around. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Luis standing there, holding Rachel in his arms. Then, her eyes averted to a man who looked like an older version of Luis. 'Oh my gosh. No, it's can't be them.' At the same time, Luis and Antonio said, "Hi Theresa." Theresa for a second pulled her lips into a kind of scared smile, then, she fainted and fell to the floor. They were at her side instantly. "Theresa, wake up," Antonio said.

Then, Rachel walked over to her and pulled on Theresa's hair. "Tesa, tesa," Rachel said, she didn't know quite how to say it yet. "Ow!" Theresa said as she woke up. When she saw Luis and Antonio, she jumped into their arms. "Oh my god. It's you." They held onto their younger sister as she cried on them. A few minutes later, she pulled back and said, "What happened to you guys? Where have you been?" Luis said, "Antonio. Why don't you take her outside and tell her? I need to talk to Sheridan." "Alright." Antonio took Theresa outside and Luis and Sheridan sat down on the couch together.

Sheridan picked up Rachel and put her in his lap. " Daddy," Rachel said again. Luis smiled. His daughter was so wonderful, and she was beautiful, just like Sheridan. Luis looked into Sheridan's eyes. Tears were running down both their faces. He smiled and said, "I love you, Sheridan." "I love you too, Luis." They leaned towards eachother and kissed passionately. "Kissy, kissy." Luis and Sheridan pulled back and laughed. Rachel was in their laps, looking up them. "We have quite a smart girl, here." "She's perfect, isn't she?" Sheridan said. "Just like you," Luis said as he put an arm around her shoulder. They sat there, looking down at their daughter. They were a family again...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 22: Family

Theresa came back inside with Antonio and she was speechless by what she had just heard. "Luis, this is amazing." "I know." Luis said. "I'm just so glad that you're back in Harmony. You have to see the family." "That's just what I was thinking." They all went outside and got in the car. As they rode in the car, Luis took Sheridan's hand in his and felt that she was shaking.

"Sheridan? What's wrong?" Sheridan looked at him with fear in her eyes and said, "I'm just so scared about what Jullian might do next. It broke my heart when you left me before. I don't think I could ever go through that pain again." Luis gave her a weak smile and pulled her into his arms. "You won't have to. I'm never letting you out of my sight again. I swear by my love for you, I won't let you out of my sight." Sheridan smiled and reveled in the feeling of being in his arms again.

When they arrived at the house, Luis and Sheridan jumped out of the car, but for some reason, Antonio didn't seem that excited. Luis shook it off and they walked up to the house. Luis stood back a little bit. Sheridan rang the door bell and Pilar opened it. At first, she saw Sheridan, then, her eyes shifted to a man standing behind her. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Luis and she ran into his arms. "Hijo. It's you!" Luis held his mother as they both shed tears. When Pilar opened her eyes again, she saw another man come out from the other side of the car and up to the pathway. He smiled at her and she immediately knew who it was. She pulled back from Luis and looked at him. Luis smiled at her, then at Antonio.

Suddenly, Antonio and Pilar ran to each other and embraced. They were both crying with happiness and shock as they held each other. Luis had tears in his eyes as well as he watched them. He turned and looked at Sheridan, who was smiling in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. He smiled, ran up to her, took her in his arms, and kissed her with all the love, passion, and happiness deep inside of him. When they pulled apart, they walked back slowly to wear Antonio, Pilar, and Theresa were embracing. When they got there, they joined in the group hug. For the first time, Sheridan actually felt like she was in a real family. Miguel, who had heard the commotion, came outside and was frozen as he saw Luis and Antonio smiling at them. He ran to them and joined in the hug as well.

After about twenty minutes of hugging, they all walked inside and into the living room, tears still fresh in their eyes. They all sat on the couch together. Pilar was clinging to Antonio and Sheridan was sitting in Luis's lap, leaning against him. "Oh my gosh." Pilar finally got the words out. This had happened all too quickly. It was a huge shock. She got herself together and asked, "What's happened? Where have you two been?" Antonio explained to Pilar what had happened to him. Falling in love with Bianca, being sent away, finding Luis, reuniting him with Sheridan, and coming home.

Pilar said, "I want to go get the camera." Pilar went to get the camera. Theresa said, "Come on, Miguel. Let's get our brothers something to eat." "I'll come with you," Antonio said. They left the room and it was just Luis and Sheridan. Sheridan pulled back and looked at him. "Well... this has been an exciting day, hasn't it?" "Yes, it has," Luis said, looking at her lovingly. "Now that you're back with your family, you can watch over them again." Luis kind of smiled, but then, shook his head. "I don't think so." "Why not?" "You're my number one priority, Sheridan." He stared at her intensely, "Don't get me wrong. I do want to watch over my family, but I'm going to make sure that I concentrate on you 99," he kissed her, "point..." He kissed her again, "9... 9... 9... 9."

He started to kiss her face and her neck softly. Sheridan sighed in contentment. Just then, Antonio, Theresa, and Miguel came back in. Antonio cleared his throat loudly and Sheridan and Luis looked up. They blushed a deep red as the three laughed. Pilar came back with her camera and told everyone to pose for a picture. Sheridan stepped away and Luis walked up to her. "Sheridan... get in the picture." "Oh, I couldn't. I'm not part of this. This is your family." "You are my family. Please, get in the picture with us." Sheridan smiled as he pulled her towards the rest of the family. They took many pictures and sat down to talk.

During the conversation, Sheridan quietly got up and walked into the kitchen. Luis had been keeping a close eye on her, and when he saw her walk into the kitchen, he excused himself from the conversation and went after her. Sheridan was standing at the window, looking outside and hugging herself. Luis came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He moaned softly as he kissed her on the neck.

"What are you doing?" "I just thought I would get some water." "Not without me, you're not." Luis said. "Luis. You're so over protective." He turned her around to look into her eyes. "I don't want to loose you Sheridan. I won't. This past year without you has been the worst year of my life. I never want to go through that again. I'm going to protect you, and our future, with my life. I mean... you were kidnapped by Jullian so long ago, you were raped by Hank, you almost had his child, and then this whole thing happened. Too much as happened to you already and I won't let it happen again. I swore by my love for you that I would never let you out of my sight, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Tears started to come down Sheridan's face as he said this. Luis brushed away her tears and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Then, they walked back into the living room, hand in hand, to join the others. For the next few hours, Luis, Antonio, Sheridan, Pilar, Theresa, and Miguel just talked about what has happened in their lives. When the door bell rang again, Pilar went to answer it. When she opened the door, she suddenly got quiet when she saw who was standing at the door... Jullian...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 23: Come Home

Luis and Sheridan were standing hand in hand and when they turned their heads, they saw Jullian red, angry, shocked face, staring back at them. Sheridan suddenly let out a whimper and Luis wrapped his arms around her, fear in his eyes as well. "What the hell?" Jullian said, staring at Luis. Jullian stepped slowly into the house and up to them. Luis's face suddenly turned to anger and said, "That's right, Jullian. I'm back and this time, I'm not going anywhere."

Luis was going to tell show Antonio to Jullian to, but when he looked over at him. He was hiding away, motioning for Luis not to say anything. Sheridan said, "How could you do it, Jullian. How could you destroy my life?" Jullian didn't say anything. He knew that he was stuck. Sheridan took one step out of Luis's arms and slapped Jullian across the face. As soon as she did, Jullian grabbed her around the arms and yelled, "You bitch..." He couldn't get anymore out, because Luis punched him in the jaw and sent him flying against the wall.

"Sheridan, are you okay?" Luis said, looking at Sheridan. "I'm fine." Jullian tasted blood in his mouth. The next thing he knew, Luis was holding him by the collar and glarring at him. "You bastard. I'll make you pay for what you've done to me and Sheridan. I may not have proof yet, but I will. I warning you Jullian, if you EVER lay a hand on her again, I swear to god, I'll kill you!" Jullian suddenly smiled evilly and laughed. "What are you laughing at?" "I remember the last time we had a chat. I warned you that I would destroy Sheridan if you stayed with her. You didn't heed my warning." Luis pushed him again the wall again and punched him in the face. Jullian looked at him and saw in his eyes, more anger than he had ever seen before.

"Now, you get out before I throw you out." Luis said. Jullian slowly stood up and walked out of the house. When Luis looked back at Sheridan, she was looking at the floor with a look of sadness. He went to her side, "Sheridan. Are you all right?" "I'm fine, Luis," She said, but he could tell that she was troubled about something. They sat on the couch and Sheridan just seemed to gaze off into space. Luis put his arm around her. "Sheridan, tell me. What's wrong?" "Nothing, Luis." "Sheridan. You can't lie to me. I can tell something is troubling you. Please, tell me." Luis said, stroking her hair.

Sheridan sighed, "I'm just depressed, I guess. Why can't I have a normal loving family like you do?" Luis sighed and pulled her close to him. "You have a new family now, us. My family really cares about you, and I love you." Sheridan smiled a weak smile. Antonio came out from hiding and Luis said, "Antonio, why didn't you help me get back at Jullian?" "I can't." "Why not?" "Because if he finds out that I'm here, he will make sure that Bianca doesn't come here. He can't know that I am here until I have Bianca back." Sheridan and Luis nodded. They had to make sure no one else knew that Antonio was here. They also had to get Bianca to come back to Harmony, but how?

Sheridan said, "I have an idea." "What?" "I can call Bianca and ask her to come home." Antonio perked up, "You can." "Yes, she lives in Rome." She picked up the phone and dialed Bianca's number. Sheridan waited until she heard a pick up, "Hello... Bianca, it's Sheridan." Antonio smiled happily. Sheridan said, "What's wrong, Bianca. You sound sad." She was silent for a few moments, then looked up at Antonio with eyes full of sadness. Antonio asked, "What? What is it?" Sheridan heard Bianca speak again. "Oh sure, Bianca. I'll call you back in a few minutes." She hung up the phone and had a scared shooked look on her face. "Well, what is it? Why did you look at me that way?" Sheridan hesitated, "I... I..."

"Damit, Sheridan. Tell me!" Antonio yelled as he shook her arms. Luis pulled Sheridan away. "Antonio. Stop. Sheridan, what's going on? Is something wrong?" Antonio asked, "Did something happen to her? Is she hurt?" "She... she was raped." Antonio's mouth dropped open. "She was what?" He asked, angrily. "She was raped." Sheridan repeated. Antonio was shocked. "Who did this?" "He was arrested about two hours ago. She's a mess." "What did she say?" Antonio asked. "She says that she wishes you were there." Antonio sighed and walked outside to get some fresh air.

Sheridan said, "Luis, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset him." "Hey, it's okay. It's better that you told him." Luis said as he cupped her face in his hands. He kissed her cheek softly before pulling her into his arms. Sheridan loved to be in his arms again, but she couldn't help but feel awful for Bianca. She knew what she was going through. Being raped was the worst thing that she ever experienced. She hated that her niece had to go through that.

Luis felt tear drops on his neck and pulled back to see her crying. "Sheridan, shh. Don't cry. Please." "I'm sorry, Luis. I just, I feel for her." "I know." Luis said understandingly. Antonio came back in, trying to rub the tears away from his cheeks. "Antonio, I'm so sorry." Sheridan said. Antonio said, "No. I'm glad you told me, cause when I find that bastard, I'm gonna kill him." He had a angry frown on his face as he went into the kitchen. "It'll be all right, Sheridan. Someday, Antonio and Bianca will be as happy as we are." Luis reassured. Sheridan smiled and kissed him softly. They went back to their house and into their room and fell asleep in each other's arms...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 24: The Way It Should Be

Luis woke up to find that Sheridan wasn't in his arms and was quite disappointed, but he suddenly heard her voice and opened his eyes. She was sitting on the couch, talking on the phone to someone. "Please, Bianca. Everyone misses you... oh, please... I know what you're going through, Bianca, that's why I want to help you..." She waited while Bianca talked and then her face took on a happy expression. "... oh yes. You won't regret this, Bianca... Okay, I'll see you then... bye."

Sheridan hung up the phone and jumped when she saw Luis standing right behind her. "Luis... I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" "No. Who were you talking to?" Luis asked. Sheridan smiled a huge smile, "It was Bianca. She's coming home." She flew into Luis's arms and they held each other tightly. "That's wonderful. We have to tell Antonio." They ran out of the room and shook Antonio. He woke up and groaned, "What?" "Antonio. It's Bianca. She's coming home." "What?" Antonio jumped up, fully awake. "She's coming home!" Sheridan repeated. Antonio suddenly pulled Luis and Sheridan into a big hug. "I can't believe it." "Believe it, bro. Soon, you will be as happy as me and Sheridan."

Antonio suddenly pulled away and said, "Oh my gosh. What am I going to say? What if she will be mad at me?" "I think she'll be too happy to care, but we'll surprise her. She'll be so happy to have you back." Antonio now had tears streaming down her face, "When will she be here?" "Tonight. She is going to come here to see us." Sheridan said. Antonio said, "That doesn't leave me much time. I'm going to go buy her some flowers and a present." "Are you sure you want to do that when Jullian or Alistair could be around?" "I will go to any lengths to make my Bianca happy. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Antonio left the house. Luis and Sheridan smiled and each other until they heard a, "Mommy. Mommy." It was Rachel. "Oh Rachel. She's awake." They went to her room and Sheridan lifted her into his arms. "Mommy." She said again. Rachel wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. Luis smiled at this picture. It was perfect. "Hungy. Hungy." Rachel said. She couldn't really say hungry yet. "Okay, hun. Let's get you something to eat."

They walked into the kitchen and Sheridan put Rachel in a chair. Luis said, "What I would like to know is how you were able to take care of her when you don't know how to cook, or take care of children." "Well, Theresa and Pilar helped me out. They taught me how." "It's great that you got along okay." Luis said. "But I wasn't okay, Luis. I was miserable." Sheridan said sadly. Luis sighed and said, "I know. But it's over now. I'm here." Sheridan smiled and made Rachel her breakfast.

After breakfast, they sat on the couch playing with Rachel. Luis said, "Can I hold her?" Luis asked. "Sure," Sheridan handed Rachel to Luis and he said, "Hey Rachel. You wanna see some magic?" Luis showed her that there was nothing up his sleeve. Then, he pulled out a small teddy bear and handed it to Rachel. She laughed with glee. Then, she cried out, "Uppie." Luis looked at Sheridan, confused. She smiled, took Rachel, and put her on Luis's shoulders, one leg on each side of his head. "Yippee," Rachel cried out. Luis bounced her up and down and Rachel continued to laugh. After a while of playing, Luis and Sheridan put her in bed for her nap. They sat on the couch together in each other's arms, waiting for Antonio to come back.

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

Luis, Antonio, and Luis were getting ready for Bianca's arrival. They had decided to take her out to dinner. Antonio had bought her a ton of flowers and gifts. Luis finished shaving in the bathroom. He came out in a towel and stopped cold when he saw Sheridan in a white, sparkling dress. It exposed her tan back and her cleavage. Luis looked into her eyes with desire and slowly walked up to her. "You know what would look great on you?" "What?" "Me." Luis pressed his lips to hers and quickly backed her up against the wall. She responded to the kiss eagerly, but knew that they had to stop.

Luis's lips left her mouth and started kissing her neck. "Luis... we can't do this. She'll be here in a few hours." Luis pulled back a few inches and looked into her eyes. "I don't care. I can't resist you any longer." He kissed her again and as he did, he reached next to her and locked the door shut. Sheridan tried to protest, but she soon fell into the kiss. Luis pressed her up against the wall as he roamed his hands up and down her body. He pulled one strap down her shoulder and replaced it with his mouth. She tasted so sweet. He softly began sucking on her neck. He pulled the other strap off of her dress and sensually slid it down her body.

Sheridan's hands went all over his bare chest. Her lands landed on his waist and she slowly opened the towel and let it fall to the ground. Luis was so aroused by this, that he turned and threw her on the bed. Then, he fell on top of her and continued kissing her. His hands met her breasts and he caressed them through her thin bra. He then reached behind and unsnapped it. Once her bra was off, he caressed one breast with one hand, while the other slid down her body to her panties. He slowly slid them down her legs and he kicked them off of her.

Sheridan wrapped her arms around her neck as Luis slowly pushed her back against the headboard of the bed. He trailed several kisses down her neck and chest. He pulled back for a moment and said, "No matter how old we get, I will never get tired of this." He lowered her onto the bed and made love to her like she was the most wonderful woman in the world, and in his mind, she was...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 25: Finally

Luis and Sheridan lay in each other's arms after making love yet again. Her upper body laid on top of him as he held her closely and their legs braided with each other. Sheridan could feel him breathing on her neck. "I love you so much, Luis." Luis kissed her neck and said, "I love you too, Sheridan. More than anything." Sheridan sighed and they continued to hold each other. Suddenly, they heard Antonio call out, "You guys? Are you ready? She'll be here in thirty-five minutes." Luis and Sheridan's eyes popped wide open and a second later, they jumped out of bed and rushed to get their clothes on. "Argh, this is all your fault, Luis!" "My fault?" "Yeah, if you didn't have to be so sexy and irresistable, I would have been ready by now." Luis had to laugh at that.

In less than ten minutes, they were both ready. They all waited anxiously for Bianca to arrived. Luis saw that Antonio looked nervous. "Hey, bro. Don't worry. Everything will be fine" Antonio smiled weakly at Luis and looked around the room. It was filled with flowers and gifts. Rachel was being taken care of by Pilar, so the house was quiet. It seemed like forever until the door bell rang. Antonio jumped up as Sheridan said, "That's her. Antonio, hide in the bedroom. I'll get the door." Antonio went into the bedroom. Luis waited on the couch and Sheridan walked up to the door. Just as she thought, it was Bianca. "Bianca," She smiled. She hugged her niece close. Her hair was blonde and a medium length. When she looked at her again, she saw her smiling, but could see fear and sadness in her eyes.

"Hello, Sheridan. I've missed you." "I've missed you too, Bi." Bianca's gaze drifted to the young man sitting on the couch. "And who is this? Your husband?" Luis walked up to them and put his arms around Sheridan, "That's right. I'm Luis." They shook hands and Bianca said, "You look... somehow farmiliar to me." Luis and Sheridan shared a knowing glance. They let Bianca into the house and walked over to the couch. They sat down with some tea and talked about how life was.

Finally, Bianca asked, "So, Luis. What's your last name?" Luis and Sheridan looked at each other knowingly and Luis said, "Lopez-Fitzgerald." "WHAT?" Bianca said as she jumped up from the couch. Luis repeated, "Lopez-Fitzgerald." Bianca turned away and put her mouth open her mouth. It couldn't be true. Could this be Antonio's brother? That was Antonio's cue and he walked in quietly. He saw Bianca's back turned to him and his heart jumped. He took a deep breathe and said, "Bianca?" She instantly turned around and saw him. Tears instantly ran down their faces as she ran towards him and flew into his arms. Luis and Sheridan watched in awe as they kissed.

Luis tapped Sheridan on the shoulder and signalled to her that they should go outside and leave the two alone. As soon as they were outside, Luis pulled Sheridan into a passionate kiss. It was filled with happiness and love. When they broke away from the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. Little did they know that Alistair was watching them at that very moment on one of his TV screens. "Oh Sheridan, Sheridan. You shouldn't have gotten involved with that cop. I warned him what would happen if he came back, just as I told Antonio. And now... all four of you will suffer for what you've done. Especially you, my Sheridan." Alistair shook his head sympathetically and lit his cigar.

After waiting outside for about ten minutes, Luis and Sheridan came back inside and saw that Antonio and Bianca were sitting on the couch in each other's arms. When Bianca saw Sheridan, she got up, ran to her and hugged her. "Thank you so much, Sheridan." Antonio also walked over to his little brother and gave him a hug. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you Luis." "You already have. You brought me and Sheridan together. Now, we have done the same for you."

Bianca pulled away from Sheridan and said, "I am so confused as to what is going on. Will someone explain things to me?" They all sat on the couch and snuggled up to their partners. Sheridan said, "Bianca. After Jullian found out that you and Antonio were together, he ordered Antonio to go away to Spain and stay there, or you would get hurt." Antonio said, "I couldn't let anything happen to you, so I had to do it."

Sheridan continued, "Of course, Antonio obeyed and then, the same thing happened to Luis and me. Well, I eventually took a trip to Spain and that's where Antonio found Luis. After they were reunited, Antonio found me and found out that I was Luis's wife. So, Antonio reunited Luis and I, so we decided to return the favor." "Oh my gosh. This is amazing." Bianca said. "Yes, but right now. We are going to take you out to dinner." Luis said. "Oh no, I don't have anything to wear." Bianca said. "You are wearing a dress. You're perfect." Antonio said. Bianca finally agreed and the two couples walked out of the house, hand in hand...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 26:

When Luis, Sheridan, Antonio, and Bianca arrived at the Seascape, there will already a lot of people. They went inside and began dancing the night away. "It so wonderful that I with you again, where I belong." Luis said, holding her close. "Oh, you have no idea, Luis. I've missed you so much," Sheridan said, "If it weren't for Antonio, we might have never found each other again." They both looked open at Antonio and Bianca, who were dancing closely. They saw Antonio whisper something into Bianca's ear and she laughed. Sheridan said, "Oh. They're so good together. Look at the way Antonio looks at her, he must really love her." Luis stared into her eyes, "I don't think anyone could love anyone as much as I love you," He leaned in to her ear and whispered, "And when we get back from this dinner, I plan to show you just how much I love you."

Sheridan blushed, "Luis. Stop it." "Stop what?" Luis said, brushing his lips on her neck. "Luis, we made love only over an hour ago," Sheridan said. "An hour is too long. I want you more and more every time I see you." Luis whispered. Sheridan had to force herself not to moan out loud. She said, "Luis. You can't seduce me in public." "Why not? I don't care what anyone thinks. I love you." "I love you too, Luis."

"Let's go outside, Sheridan." Luis said. They took each other's hands and walked outside. It was a dark, beautiful night. Luis wrapped his arms around Sheridan as they gazed up at the sky. "Wow. Isn't it beautiful, Luis?" Sheridan said. Luis looked at her and giggled. Sheridan suddenly knew what he was going to say, "Don't even say it, Luis." "Okay, I won't. But it's true. You're the most beautiful thing in this world." Luis said sweetly.

She gave him a sweet kiss and said, "Will you do me a favor and get me some punch over at that table." She motioned for the punch table that was about twenty feet away. "Sure. Just don't go anywhere." Luis left her and went over to the punch. As soon as he was gone, Sheridan heard someone say her name from behind her. She jumped and turned around, only to see Jullian there. "Jullian." She exclaimed, backing up against the waist-high wall. "Don't worry, Sheridan. I won't bite." "I find that hard to believe. You can try what you can, but nothing will keep Luis and me apart." "That's what you think Sheridan, but you and Luis are wrong, just as Antonio and Bianca are." Sheridan's mouthed dropped open.

Jullian said, "Don't look surprised Sheridan." "How did you know?" "Father. He knows everything that happens... and he's coming home." Jullian said. "What?" Sheridan asked. "I said... Father is coming home." Sheridan couldn't speak. She couldn't believe it. Jullian walked away and Luis came walking up from behind her. "Sheridan?" He turned her around and saw the fear in her eyes. "Sheridan... what happened? Did he hurt you?" Luis said fiercly. Sheridan shook her head and said, "It's just that..." Her voice trailed off. "What Sheridan?" She suddenlt hauled herself into his eyes, "Oh Luis. He's back." "What? Who?" "My father!" Sheridan sobbed. "What?" "My father... he's home."

Luis felt his heart tighten. Oh god. Her father was home. "It's okay Sheridan. Everything will be okay." He said, but in his heart, he was scared too. Who knew what Alistair and Jullian would try again to keep them apart? He looked up and some distance away, he saw Jullian staring at them. He tightened his hold on Sheridan and glared back at him. He had a look of possession and anger in his eyes. Jullain slowly walked away.

When he was out of sight, Luis looked at the woman in his arms. The woman he loved more than anything, the woman he loved ten times more than everyone he loved put together. He would be damned if they got torn apart again. Sheridan said, "Luis. Can we go home? I'm really not in the mood for dinner." Luis agreed and they went to find Antonio and Bianca.

"You guys. Sheridan doesn't really feel up to it, so we're going to head home now." "Luis. Would it be all right with you if we stayed a little while?" Antonio said. Luis said, "Well, I don't think Jullian should see you." "Don't bother, Luis. He already knows My father and Jullian know." Antonio looked at Bianca then back at Luis. "Even so, this is my first evening with Bianca in a long time. Please, Luis. We'll only stay for a couple of hours." Luis sighed and said, "Okay. But only for a couple of hours and be careful of Jullian." "We will," Bianca and Antonio said. Luis and Sheridan said goodbye and left the Seascape...

To Be Continued...

Chapter 27: Hold Me

Sheridan lay in her bed while Luis was in her shower. This had been the first time he was in a different room than her in the past fews days. He had put locks on all her windows and door and alarms all over the house. Sheridan was glad to have him back with her, but now, she feared that she had more to loose. She was scared of her family, of Alistair and Jullian. By Jullian's high paying lawyers, he was able to slip out of being arrested for kidnapping her. They had destroyed her life by taking Luis away from me. She was after what they would do next.

Luis came into the bedroom quietly with a towel around him. He looked at Sheridan lying on the bed. Her tiny nightgown exposed her bare back which was tan from all the sun she had gotten. She looked so beautiful. He slowly crept up to the bed and got in next to her. He laid down and wrapped his arms around her. She instantly knew who it was as he kissed her neck. "Hey, gorgeous." He laid many more soft kisses on her neck and shoulder and said, "Did you want to take me up on my offer?" He turned her around to face him and held her close as he kissed her lips and trailed kisses down her face towards her neck. When he pulled back to look at her a few seconds later, he noticed that she was dazing off into space with a sad look.

"Sheridan, what's wrong?" "Huh... what?" Sheridan said, snapping back into reality. "What are you thinking about?" Luis asked. "What Jullian said to me?" "Did he threaten you?" Luis asked, angrily. "No, no. But he knows. He knows about me and you. He knows about Antonio and Bianca. And now, my father's home..." She hugged him close as she continued, "Oh Luis. What will we do? I'm so scared." "Shh... it's okay, baby. We'll be all right... hey." He sat up with her in his arms and said, "I've missed you so much in this past year. It was an unbearable pain.

I let them hurt us once before, I won't let them do it again." A few tears fell from Sheridan's cheeks. He pulled out of her embrace and kissed her sweetly. He traced her face with his fingertips and said, "Do you still feel like making love?" "Would it be all right if I said no?" Sheridan asked, nervously. Luis said, "It's all right, Sheridan, but you owe me one night." Sheridan snuggled her back into Luis and said, "I have an idea." "What's that?" "Let's go away on a camping trip. You, me, Bianca, and Antonio." "That sounds great Sheridan, but right now, let's get some sleep." Sheridan smiled and drifted off to sleep...

**A FEW HOURS LATER**

Luis and Sheridan were asleep in each other's arms. Luis suddenly woke up when he felt Sheridan shake. When he sat up, she turned over and let out a shaking breath. Luis stared at her curiously. He stroked her hair gently.

**IN SHERIDAN'S DREAM**

"Oh Luis. I love you so much." "I love you too Sheridan. Nothing will keep us apart." Suddenly, they were thrown from each other and a glass wall appeared between them. Then, he entire Crane family came up to her. "You can't be with Luis, dear. You must not be with him." Her father said. "Sister dear, we will never ever let you be with Luis." Jullian said. Then, Warren came up to her and started to pull her away from Luis. "Luis! Luis!" She called out.

**REALITY**

"AHHHH!" She screamed and she jumped awake from her sleep. "Sheridan, what's wrong?" Luis asked, putting his arm around her waist. She turned to see him and threw her arms around his neck. "Shh... Baby, what's wrong?" Luis whispered. "Oh Luis. I never wannna loose you." Sheridan sobbed. Luis instantly knew what she was talking about. "Sheridan, nothing is going to keep us apart, ever. I won't let anything come between us."

Sheridan buried her face in his chest, "But what if my family does something. What if they take you away from me and force me to marry Warren?" Luis tightened his embrace around her protectively. He didn't like the sound of his Sheridan in another man's arms. "Sheridan. Everything will be all right, trust me. First thing tommorrow, the four of us will go on a camping trip. That way, no one can interrupt us." Sheridan smiled. She settled back into his arms. He could make her feel better a quick as a snap. She sighed and drifted off to sleep...

To Be Continued...