Don't Be Fooled

Chapter 1:

He was so happy. Sheridan was going to be ok! Despite Roger and Pierre’s attempt to have her die underground, she had come back to him. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw her at Midnight Mass last night. He wanted to take her home immediately, hold her in his arms, and never let her go. And he would have—if Eve hadn’t said that she needed to stay in the hospital a little longer to make sure that she was ok. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Eve was right. She had died, and he had died with her. Now that she was back, he knew that he would give anything to protect her. He loved her and needed her in his life. —+—+—+—+—+—

A few weeks passed. Eve was finally going to allow Sheridan to go home, even though she was told to take it easy. Luis was ecstatic, but he knew that he wouldn’t be satisfied until he could fall asleep with Sheridan in his arms. He glanced in the window and saw that Sheridan was awake. Smiling, he walked in the room. —+—+—+—+—+— “Luis!” Sheridan cried, breaking out in a huge smile. “What’s up?” “Well, I just talked to Eve, and she told me that you could go home today.” Sheridan was thrilled. “Really?” she asked excitedly. Luis couldn’t help but return the grin. “Really. So get ready to go home. I’ll be back after I check with Eve to make sure that there isn’t anything else that I need to know or get. I’ll check you out too, sweetie.” “Thanks, honey,” Sheridan said. Luis leaned down and gave her a long, soulful kiss. “I love you so much.” “Mmmmm. I love you too. Now go check me out so I can go home with the man I love!” “Sounds good to me. See you soon, sweetheart.” “Bye.” Sheridan grinned. In just a few minutes she would be going home with the man of her dreams! She couldn’t wait. —+—+—+—+—+—

10 minutes later, Luis walked back in the room. “Ready to go, baby?” “Am I ever! Let’s go!” Sheridan told him. Luis helped her into the wheelchair and quickly wheeled her out of the hospital and out to his car. Sheridan was so happy to be out of the hospital that she barely even thought about the route that Luis was taking. After about 15 minutes she began to wonder what was going on. Why weren’t they home yet? “Luis, where are we going? Shouldn’t we be to the cottage by now?” “Well, baby, I thought that we would go for a trip into the mountains. I mean, your life has been so crazy these past few weeks. First us driving each other crazy when I was your bodyguard—plus Roger and Pierre trying to kill you. Then, Hank tried to kill you, and you almost died. Besides, I think we need some alone time—don’t you?”

He sounded so weird when he talked about Hank trying to kill her. She knew that he felt responsible for that, but it wasn’t his fault. “Oh, Luis, it wasn’t your fault. Hal made you go with him. Besides, if Hank hadn’t ‘killed’ me, Roger and Pierre would still be trying to kill me! I love you so much, and I know you feel the same way.” “Of course I love you, baby. Now get some rest. We’ll be there soon.” —+—+—+—+—+— Luis groaned. He had a splitting headache. He tried to rub his head, but his hands wouldn’t move. They were tied behind his back—and his mouth was gagged. Where the hell was he?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 2:

Luis tried to move some more to try to figure out how he could free himself. His legs were tied at the ankles, his arms at the wrists, and he was gagged. Great. Now how was he supposed to get out? Suddenly, he remembered where he was. He was at the hospital, visiting Sheridan. Damn. Now he knew that he had to get out of this room. Sheridan needed him—he could feel it. —+—+—+—+—+— ‘Luis’ couldn’t believe it. Everything was working just as he had planned. He and Sheridan were heading up to the mountains—and she wasn’t the least suspicious. Luis was safely tied up in a closet in the hospital. It would be hours before anyone found him. He knew that he was pulling off the whole Luis thing—after all, if Sheridan couldn’t tell the difference, no one could. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis knew he only had one way to get out—he had to get help. Since he was gagged, he obviously couldn’t yell, but maybe he could bang around and make some loud noises to catch someone’s attention. He carefully scooted over towards a wall. He felt around until he felt the metal of a door. He turned around and began repeatedly banging his feet against the door. Damn, that door was hard. But he didn’t care how long he had to bang. He knew that he had to save Sheridan, and, as of that moment, hitting the door was his only option.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 3:

Ethan was walking out of the hospital. He had come to visit Sheridan, but Eve had told him that she had just left with Luis. He knew he could probably find them at the cottage, but he also knew that they were most likely in the middle of some much-needed alone time. He decided that since he didn’t need to visit Sheridan, he would head over to the Lopez-Fitzgerald house and visit with his fiancée. He knew that it would take a lot of courage to go against Father and Grandfather’s wishes, but he knew what he had to do. It had killed him to hurt Gwen, but he had had to follow his heart.

Suddenly, he heard this banging coming from…somewhere. What the hell was that noise? It wasn’t steady, but it wasn’t stopping either. He followed the sound of the thumping until he reached a solid metal door. The door was shaking from all the pounding! Ethan knocked on the door. “Is someone in there?” —+—+—+—+—+— Luis heard a voice outside the door. Finally, someone had heard him! He tried to talk, but the gag prevented that. All he could do was bang harder and harder. He just hope that whoever was out there knew that someone was inside and would try to get him out. —+—+—+—+—+—

Ethan heard the banging get louder and quicker. Someone was in there. He knew it. He didn’t know why the person couldn’t talk to him, but he knew that he had to work to get him or her out. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. “I’m going to go find someone who can unlock this door. I’ll be right back.” Soon, he returned with a janitor. The janitor quickly unlocked the door. The handle turned, but the door refused to open. He locked closer, trying to discover why the door was stuck. “Glue,” he concluded after a few minutes. “Someone put Krazy Glue between the door and the door frame. This could take awhile. I’ll get some tools and be right back.” He walked off, leaving Ethan outside the door. “Hey, whoever’s in there, it’s gonna be awhile longer. Someone put Krazy Glue in the door. We’ll try to have you out as soon as possible.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Krazy Glue? Now Luis knew something was up. First, he was tied-up in this room and then Krazy Glue was put in the door. Instantly, his thoughts went to Sheridan. He had this sixth sense as to when Sheridan was in trouble. If the Krazy Glue wasn’t a big, flashing warning sign, he didn’t know what was.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 4:

A few hours later, ‘Luis’ pulled up to a small cabin in the mountains. So far, so good. He only hoped that his luck would hold. “Sheridan,” ‘Luis’ whispered. “Sheridan, we’re there. Wake up, baby.” Groaning, Sheridan opened her eyes. “Luis?” “I’m right here, baby.” “We’re there, aren’t we?” she asked looking out the window at the cabin. She may be gorgeous, but she’s not exactly the brightest crayon in the box, now is she? ‘Luis’ thought to himself. “Yeah, we’re there, baby. C’mon, let’s go in.” He opened her car door and helped her into the cottage. He laid her carefully on the bed and then returned to the car to carry the suitcases in. He had gone to the cottage and grabbed some of her clothes. He had also taken some of the clothes that Luis kept there. His wardrobe would be very similar to the real Luis’s, and Sheridan would never realize that he wasn’t really Luis. His plan was ingenious! —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan couldn’t believe how sweet Luis was. They both knew that she could do any…strenuous activities…for awhile, yet he had still taken her on a romantic getaway. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was! She had Luis, who was probably the sweetest guy to ever walk the Earth. He was romantic. He had saved her life more times than she could count. And—most importantly—he loved her despite her last name, not because of it. She knew that she should follow Eve’s orders, but she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to handle not sleeping with Luis. “Uh, Luis?” Sheridan asked. “Since we’re not in Harmony anymore, how am I supposed to go in for my checkups?” —+—+—+—+—+—

Damn, thought ‘Luis.’ What can I say? “Uh, baby, Eve said that you could just check-in with a doctor up here if you think that you need to see a doctor. Otherwise, she said that you should be ok. Sound good?” Sheridan grinned. “Sounds great! But if I’m not checking in with Eve, how will I know when I can do…strenuous activities…again? If I don’t need check-ups, how will I know?” “Well, uh, Eve, uh, said that you could do whatever you feel strong enough to do, baby. So, basically, wait at least a day and then whenever you feel that you have enough energy.” ‘Luis’ thought he was doing pretty well. Especially considering that he hadn’t even talked to Eve… “Ok, honey. Since I need my rest, I’m gonna go to bed. Good night, sweetie.”

Sheridan gave him a long, passionate kiss that made him yearn for more. Oh, God, he wanted her. But he knew that he had to wait. “Good night, baby. I’ll be to bed soon. I love you.” “I love you too, Luis.” ‘Luis’ walked out of the bedroom whispering to himself, “C’mon, man. You can do this. Just keep up the charade for a day or so more and she’ll be yours—not Luis’s.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 5:

Luis knew that they were working on the door, but it seemed to be taking an eternity. But, then again, whenever Sheridan was in danger, one second was too long to be stuck somewhere. Finally the door opened, and he was nearly blinded by the light. He had no idea who had just rescued him until he heard a voice ask in disbelief, “Luis?” It was Ethan. —+—+—+—+—+— Ethan was confused. The receptionist had told him that his aunt had checked out with Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, but that was impossible since Luis had been tied up in the closet for the past few hours. He had dozens of questions, but he knew that he had to untie Luis before he could try to answer any of them. —+—+—+—+—+—

Quickly, Luis was untied and helped to his feet. He rubbed his sore wrists, but his mind was on Sheridan and the trouble she was in. “Luis! What happened? How’d you get in here? Where’s Sheridan?” Ethan bombarded him with questions. “What do you mean ‘Where’s Sheridan’? Isn’t she in her room?” Luis asked worriedly. “No, she’s not. The receptionist told me that you checked her out hours ago.” “I didn’t though. I was on my way there, when something hit me over the head. Next thing I know, I’m in this stupid closet. Someone must have taken her.” “Roger or Pierre?” “Can’t be, Ethan. Could be one of their minions though.” Luis slammed his hand against the wall in anger. “Dammit, Ethan! She’s in trouble. I can feel it. But I have no idea where the hell she is…”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 6:

Luis and Ethan called Sam. He got to the hospital as quickly as possible—he could tell from the tone of Luis’s voice that it was serious. “Guys, what’s up?” he asked anxiously. “It’s Sheridan,” Luis told him. “We think she’s been kidnapped.” Sam looked at them skeptically. “What? Kidnapped? She’s in a hospital, for crying out loud!” “Uh, not anymore, Sam,” Ethan told him. “Luis supposedly signed her out this afternoon, but I just found him locked in a supply closet. He was tied up with a gag over his mouth—and there was Krazy Glue on the doorframe. Someone locked him in there so they could take Sheridan.”

Sam couldn’t believe it. Why would anyone want to kidnap Sheridan? He thought that whole Roger and Pierre thing was over, but here she was, in trouble again. “Luis, buddy, you ok? How are you holding up?” “How the hell do you think I am, Sam? First Sheridan died, and now she’s been kidnapped. It’s almost like there’s a curse on our relationship, Sam! I can’t live without her. I’ve already learned that. She’s in trouble, and I need to find a way to save her.” “Luis, I know that when it comes to Sheridan, your gut instinct is always right. I’ll get some men on it immediately. But, Luis, I don’t want you on this case. You might do something that you’ll regret later.”

“Sam, whether you officially put me on this case or not, I’m going to search for her. If I don’t do something to look for her, I’ll go crazy. If she’s not here, I have to work to find her. I tried to live without her twice already, and I know that that’s just not going to work. I’m going to work on this case, Sam, like it or not.” “Fine, Luis, but I don’t want you doing anything to anyone or going anywhere without my permission first. I know how you react when someone is hurting anyone you love. Getting yourself arrested won’t help Sheridan. Be smart, Luis,” Sam cautioned. “I will, Sam,” Luis promised. “But after I get proof, there’ll be hell to pay.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan was having trouble sleeping. She didn’t know what it was. Luis had taken her to a romantic cabin in the mountains, and she couldn’t get comfortable. Usually, Luis’s arms were the cure for all that ailed her, but something was wrong. She didn’t know what it was, but it was something. It’s just because we can’t make love yet, Sheridan though. I’m just uncomfortable since I want to be doing something…else…in those arms. And that’s just great since I can’t do what I want until I get some rest. How the hell am I going to deal with this? —+—+—+—+—+— The next morning, Sheridan woke up to find Luis already out of bed. She stretched and prepared to get out of bed when the door slowly opened. “Hey, baby,” Luis said softly. “I made you Belgian Waffles!” He set the tray on her lap.

“It looks really yummy. Thanks, Luis,” Sheridan replied. He was so sweet! “Now eat up! If you want seconds, just give a yell. Ok, baby?” “Ok, honey.” Luis walked out of the room. Sheridan couldn’t believe how romantic Luis was being. Her gaze followed him longingly out of the room. Damn, that man was hot. Her eyes traveled from head to foot. Suddenly, she froze. Luis didn’t have a birthmark on the behind his left knee. She knew that he had a large birthmark back there—she had seen his legs numerous times before. For crying out loud, he had lived with her for a few months…and she had even seen him naked a couple of times. But if that WASN’T Luis, who was he? And where was Luis?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 7:

If that’s not Luis, who the hell is he? Sheridan asked herself. Instantly her thoughts traveled to Roger and Pierre. Could they be behind this? Could they have arranged for a Luis look-alike to kidnap her? But they’re dead, she reminded herself. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. But if it’s not them, who is it? —+—+—+—+—+— Luis, Ethan, and Sam spent all night at the police station, trying to think of who might have taken Sheridan and where he might have gone. They racked their brains, but they had no idea who it could have been. “What about Roger or Pierre? Couldn’t they have arranged this?” Ethan asked. “They’re dead, Ethan. That can’t do that anymore,” Luis informed him. “Well, what if they started this plan before they were killed?”

“Drug lords don’t think about failing. Besides, they aren’t smart enough to come up with something like this. You know, Luis, I can only think of one person with the capital to fund something like this, the brains to dream it up, and the cruelty and motivation to carry it out.” Luis looked at Sam. He knew who Sam was talking about. He said the words as if they were acid, with a murderous look in his eyes. “Alistair Crane.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 8:

Ethan looked at Luis in shock. “Grandfather? But you can’t seriously think that he is to blame! Why would he do something like this? And to his own daughter!” He had always known that Luis had hated the Cranes, but to accuse them of such a horrible thing as kidnapping? “Sam, you can’t possibly agree with him!” “Ethan, I realize that you may not be like Julian or Alistair, but they are cruel, cold-hearted people. You wouldn’t believe many of the things that they have done.” “Luis, I know that you blame them for your father’s disappearance, but you have no way to prove that. You shouldn’t blame your assessments of my family on a hunch.” “First off, I know it’s true. It’s not a hunch. And secondly, that’s not the only thing that they have done to hurt people.” —+—+—+—+—+—

As Luis said that last statement, Sam flashed back to his love with Ivy. Before her father stole their letters. Before she was persuaded to marry Julian. Back when it was just them. Back when they were so in love. Luis’s voice brought him back to reality. “What do you think Sam?” “Uh, what?” Sam asked. “What do you think? Do you think that Julian and Alistair could be to blame?” Luis repeated patiently. “I don’t think. I know. But, as usual, we have no way to prove it.” “I still can’t believe that you think that my family would do something like this,” Ethan said stubbornly. “They love Sheridan!” —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis couldn’t believe Ethan’s naïveté. If he thought that they loved Sheridan, he was in for a rude awakening. Sure, they loved him—Ethan was the Crane heir. But Sheridan? She did nothing but bring them unwanted publicity—and bring him closer to uncovering the truth about his father’s disappearance. He simply laughed. “What the hell is so funny, Luis?” Ethan asked angrily. “We are talking about who kidnapped Sheridan and you’re laughing? I thought you loved her.” “I do, Ethan, with all of my heart and soul. But Alistair and Julian don’t. They don’t give a damn about her. She could fall off the face of the Earth, and they wouldn’t blink.” “How dare you say that!” Ethan exclaimed.

“What, are you going to try to tell me that I’m wrong?” Ethan was about to respond, but Luis cut him off. “If they love her so much, why wasn’t Alistair at her funeral? If they love her so much, why did Julian refuse to get Crane Industries workers to dig her out of her grave? If they love her so much, why the hell won’t they stop telling her that I only want to use her and hurt her? They are the only people in her life who continuously give her grief. If she should cut anyone out of her life it should be them—not me. I love her, Ethan. I do. All I want right now is to hold her in my arms and to tell her that everything will be all right. But I can’t. And it’s all because of those bastards!” Luis was shouting by now. He was full of rage, and he looked ready to kill somebody. —+—+—+—+—+—

Sam saw this and knew that he had to step in before Luis lost control. “Luis, buddy, calm down. You promised me that you wouldn’t do anything until we got proof. And we don’t have any yet. So, calm down. Losing your temper isn’t going to help us find Sheridan any quicker.” “You’re right, Sam, as usual. But so help me God, once I find proof, there’ll be hell to pay.” As much as I’d like to see the Cranes pay for what they’ve done to everyone in Harmony, I hope Luis doesn’t find proof. For his own sake, Sam thought to himself. If Luis did anything to Julian or Alistair, Luis’s family would be devastated.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 9:

Sheridan racked her brain. Who was the fake Luis? If it wasn’t Roger or Pierre, who was it? Who would want to kidnap her—but not kill her? Who would treat her so sweetly and romantically if he wasn’t really Luis? Most importantly, who would want her to think that he was Luis so that she would sleep with him? Hank, she thought. It has to be Hank! Who else could it be? If it was a drug dealer, they would’ve killed me or raped me by now. Hank always wanted me—and he was devastated when I chose Luis. I thought he had come to terms with it, but maybe he didn’t. I haven’t seen him since he “shot” me, but I assumed it was out of shame. Maybe, just maybe, he was off somewhere getting plastic surgery to look like Luis. But the only question remains is where did he get the money? Just then, the door opened, and Luis walked in. He’s not Luis, Sheridan reminded herself. He’s Hank.

“Baby, why haven’t you eaten anything? If you want to get better, you have to eat. Is there anything in particular you want me to make you?” Hank asked sweetly. God! Get a life—your own life!! I’m not going to sleep with you, so you can just give it up!! Sheridan’s mind screamed. But her mouth responded more politely. She couldn’t tip Hank off. Who knew what he would do to her if he realized that she knew? “No, I’m just not hungry, I guess. I’m sorry.” “That’s ok, baby, but you have to eat. Can’t you try just a little corner of the waffle?” He ate a little. “Mmmmm. Yummy. Here, you try it.” Sheridan knew that if she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, she’d have to eat some. “Ok.” She ate a little corner. “I think I’m going to sleep some more, ok?” Hank grinned. “That’s fine, baby. Sweet dreams.” He gave her a wink and walked out the door. Ooooh, the nerve of that man! Sheridan thought. My ‘sweet dreams’ are going to be of Luis…not him. And she fell into a dreamless sleep. —+—+—+—+—+—

Hank walked back out to the kitchen. What was wrong with Sheridan? She didn’t seem too interested in the food—or in him. She hasn’t figured out that I’m not Luis, has she? Hank panicked. No, Hank, of course not. You covered all your tracks. She has no reason to suspect that you are anyone but her…beloved Luis. Luis… Hank thought. Some friend you turned out to be. Well, I’ll show you. I’m going to sleep with the woman that you thought you had ‘won.’ She’ll be mine, Luis…all mine. And never yours. —+—+—+—+—+—

“Luis…” Sam said cautiously. “Calm down. As of right now, we have no reason to suspect Julian or Alistair.” “Yeah, except for the fact that those bastards are the only ones who have the money or motivation to do this! Sam, how could they do this to me? To us? I had just convinced Sheridan that I really loved her and that I would never try to hurt her. And then, then the go and pull this! First my brother and father disappear and now the one person in the world that I know that I can’t live without! Why, Sam? Why? Why do they hate me and my family so much?” Luis broke down in tears, all of his anger subsiding.

Sam motioned for Ethan to leave the room. Ethan understood and quickly left. He knew that Sam would call him and give him an update later. “Luis, buddy, it’s ok. We’ll find Sheridan. We will. I promise you, if it’s the last thing that I do, we will find her.” “Sam, I need her. I’ve never needed anyone in my life. Not Mama, not Theresa, not Miguel. Not even Beth. If anything they needed me. But I need Sheridan.

I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can barely think straight. I mean, it was hard enough with her in the hospital, but I could at least see her. Now I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. Sam, I don’t know if I can handle this. I can’t live without her. Without her, I’m not whole…I’m not who I should be.” With that, Luis collapsed into tears. Sam couldn’t believe his friend was in such bad shape. “Luis, buddy, I’ll be right back, ok? Wait here.” He needed to call Eve. Hopefully, she would have a sedative she could give him or something. He was in bad shape, and Sam knew that only Sheridan could make things better.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 10:

Luis groaned and hit his alarm. He couldn’t believe that a week had already passed. They had made little—if any—progress in the search for Sheridan. Sam, Ethan, and Luis were dedicating almost every waking moment to finding her. Due to Alistair and Julian’s lack of interest in the search, Luis felt that his and Sam’s suspicions were being confirmed. If they cared about her in the least, they would have volunteered to help however they could. Instead, Julian had just asked Sam to inform him if “my dear sister is found.” Dear sister? Hah! Luis thought. The only one who ever really loved Sheridan was me. Sure, Mama and Ethan love her, but it’s not the same. God, I miss her! But, as he had every day for the past 9 days, Luis shoved that thought out of his head and climbed out of bed. Maybe when he went to the station today Sam would have some good news for him. —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan woke up in Hank’s arms. She couldn’t believe how uncomfortable it was. Luis’s arms, on the other hand…well, suffice it to say that it seemed like heaven on earth. She didn’t know how much longer she could pull off the whole “too weak” routine. She could tell that Hank was getting suspicious. What hadn’t Luis come for her yet? —+—+—+—+—+— “What is it, baby?” Hank asked once he realized that she was awake. “Do you think that I could write a postcard to Ethan? I mean, I know you told him where we were going, but I just want to let him know that I’m ok. Or Gwen? Please?” Hank thought it over. He supposed it would be all right. He would have to make sure that it was sent from another part of the country to throw Luis and Sam and the rest of the police department off the trail. Hmmm…wasn’t a bad idea after all. He would just have to make sure that Sheridan didn’t give anything away about the location—not that she knew anything anyway. This was perfect!

“Of course, baby. I’ll get you one when I run into town today. Do you want anything else?” “No, that’s it. Thank you.” Oh, Luis, just wait until you read the postcard about your woman, having the time of her life with me! It’ll be great! Hank gloated to himself. If only I would be there to see your reaction… —+—+—+—+—+— A few hours later, Hank returned with the postcard. Sheridan knew that she had to ask for help, without Hank realizing it. She knew that if she said anything that might give away their location, it would never be sent. Then, she got an idea…

To Be Continued…

Chapter 11:

“Ethan, Having tons of fun up here in the mountains. Everything is good. Love you tons! Please say ‘hi’ to everyone—especially Gwen and the Lopez-Fitzgeralds! Sheridan” Luis couldn’t believe it. Ethan had gotten this yesterday, and he was shocked. I thought that Sheridan knew me well enough to know that that guy—whoever the hell he is—isn’t me. I mean, she said that she loved me! But, instead, she writes a postcard saying that she’s having fun without adding a damn clue as to where she is. Sam walked over. “How’s it going, Luis? Any luck?” “None, Sam. Absolutely none! Judging from this, she hasn’t even realized that it’s not me that she’s with!” “Really? Let me look at it.” He read it over a few times, making sure that he understood it. “Luis, is she real close to Theresa or Miguel?”

“Not especially…why?” “If she didn’t realize that it wasn’t you, why would she write to say hi to the “Lopez-Fitzgeralds”? She must have meant to say hi to you and Pilar!” “Are you sure, Sam?” “No, I’m not sure, but it makes sense. Don’t you think?” “Do you see anything else that I missed?” Luis asked desperately. “Let’s see…she’s in the mountains…but this was postmarked ‘Chicago, IL.’ Are there any mountains near Chicago, buddy?” “Huh?” Luis asked. “Mountains in Chicago? No, Sam. Definitely not.” “So this fake you is trying to cover his tracks. If he were smart, he would have sent it from Denver or something. I don’t know what else to say, Luis. I think we’ll just have to wait for another message from Sheridan, unless you can figure it out from this.”

Just then, Theresa walked in with Ethan. If Luis didn’t know better, he’d swear they were attached at the hip now. “Hey, Luis! Any news on Sheridan? Were there any clues in the postcard?” “No…she just said that she was in the mountains. Meaning we can rule out about half of the country.” Luis sighed in frustration. “We think that she’s figured it out, but we’re not sure. I mean, she doesn’t come right out and say ‘help me!’ or anything!” “Can I look?” Luis nodded, so she read it over a few times. “Luis, look! She does say ‘help.’ Read the first letter of each line. Having, Everything, Love, Please. H, E, L, P. Help! She probably knew that the guy would read it, so she had to disguise her cry for help. Cheer up, Luis. You’ll find her soon enough.” She grinned. “Oh, and Mama wanted me to tell you to make sure you’re home for dinner tonight. She’s worried about you.”

“Ok. Tell her I’ll try to be home around 7. And thanks for the help.” “You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything else. ¡Hasta luego!” “¡Adiós!” He watched as his little sister happily walked out the door with Ethan. He was making progress. He knew that Sheridan realized something was going on and that she was in the mountains. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 12:

Okay, Sheridan thought. How can I give Luis and Sam more clues as to where I am? I need to send another postcard, but it would help if I knew where we were first… How can I convince Hank to let me write him another one? She racked her brain for an idea—any idea—that she might be able to use. Then, she got it. “Luis, sweetie?” Sheridan called. She was surprised that she hadn’t choked on those words yet. First off, he was not Luis. Secondly, he most definitely wasn’t a sweetie. But if it got her back in Luis’s arms…well, it would all be worth it in the end. “Yeah, baby?” he responded, sticking his head in the door. “Do we have a radio here?”

“Yeah. I think there’s one somewhere. Why, baby?” “I would like to listen to know what’s going on the world. I know that we don’t have a television up here, so could I listen to the radio? Do you think you could set it up for me?” “Oh, of course, baby. Just give me a couple of minutes.” “Thanks, honey.” He walked away to get the radio, and Sheridan almost gagged. Relax, Sheridan, she told herself. Only for a little while longer. The sooner you can tell Luis where you are, the sooner he can find you. And then you’ll live together, happily ever after. She grinned. Tomorrow, she’d convince him to let her send another postcard to Harmony. As horrible as everything was right now, things were looking up. —+—+—+—+—+—

“Luis! Luis!” Ethan ran into the police station. “Sam, is Luis here?” “Relax, Ethan. He’s here, I think. Try my office. He’s been checking out some stuff on-line.” Ethan ran down the hall into Sam’s office. He knew that Luis would want to know what he had found. This was big time stuff. He only hoped it would help. Theresa had told him that she was worried about Luis. He barely came home, and when he did, it was usually to try to sleep for a few hours. He knew that Luis spent most of his nights at the station, looking for something, anything that would give him a clue as to Sheridan’s location.

The door was closed, so Ethan knocked and called, “Luis? You in there, bud?” Amazingly, the two men had grown closer during these past tough weeks. Luis knew that Ethan was the only one who had cared about Sheridan as much as he had. They had bonded over the sense of loss that they felt—and the love that they shared for Theresa. Ethan knew that if he ever hurt Theresa, Luis would kill him—and Luis knew that if he hurt Sheridan, the same would happen to him. “Ethan? Is that you?” Luis asked from inside. “C’mon in, will you?” Ethan walked inside. “Hey, how are you doing? Any new leads?”

Luis sighed. “Nope. Nada. If we don’t find anything soon, I won’t find Sheridan until we’re both old and gray. But enough about that. What’s up with you? Didn’t you and Theresa have a date tonight?” “Yeah, we do. I’m headed over to your place next. But first I am going to put a smile on your face.” “How the hell do you plan to do that? Unless you have Sheridan hidden in there…” Luis motioned to the manila envelope Ethan was holding. “I don’t see how that is going to happen.” “No, sorry, but I do have information on the location of a Luis Lopez and a Cher Craine.” “What? Who the hell are they?”

Ethan almost laughed, but the solemn look on Luis’s face sobered him immediately. “I figure that these two people would be the fake you and Sheridan. The guy was smart enough to change the names a little so it wouldn’t be easy for us to follow them. But this also made it hard since I can’t guarantee that it’s them. But 17 days ago—the day that Sheridan left the hospital—a Luis Lopez signed a credit card receipt at a small diner in Carmen, Vermont. This Cher ordered some things from Bethany’s Baskets 6 days ago. She signed a personal check and it cleared at a bank in Chicago—obviously the work of this Luis guy. But Bethany’s Baskets is in Eden, New York. That’s not too far out of the Adirondack Mountains. That’s all that my guys have found on this Luis and Cher so far, but they’re still searching. The check took awhile to find, but they have connections all over the country. I hope it’ll help.”

Ethan set the folder on the desk. Luis looked through it carefully. He couldn’t believe some of the amazing information that was in there. “Wow. Ethan, man, thanks. I really owe you one. Could you send Sam in here on your way out? And have fun with Theresa tonight, ok?” “I will, Luis. I’ll tell Reesa that you say hi. Good luck, Luis.” Ethan walked out of the office to find Sam. Luis leaned back in Sam’s chair, absorbed in his thoughts, his dreams of the future he and Sheridan would share. Suddenly, he was brought back to reality by a woman’s shouts. “I’m telling you, let me see Luis—NOW!!! This is urgent. I have news about Sheridan Crane.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 13:

Luis ran out of the office. If this woman knew anything about where Sheridan was, he needed to speak to her—now. He glanced around, looking for this mystery woman. Suddenly, he saw her—Gwen Hotchkiss. “Luis! There you are!” she cried. She ran to him and gave him a hug. “How are you holding up?” “Honestly, I’ve been better. What’s up, Gwen?” “These two imbeciles over here don’t believe that I know Sheridan Crane—or you for that matter.” Luis glanced over at the two officers who were standing over by the door, looking at Luis and Gwen curiously. “It’s ok, guys. Gwen and I are going to be in Sam’s office if anyone needs me. Send Sam in there when he gets back, ok?” “Sure thing, Luis,” Officer Marrin responded. Quickly, Luis led Gwen to Sam’s office. “Well?” he asked anxiously. “What do you know about Sheridan?” “I got this in the mail this afternoon. I remembered my mother saying that Sheridan had disappeared, so I knew that I had to take this to you immediately.” She handed him a postcard. “I hope it’ll help.” “I hope so too, Gwen. Thanks.”

“If there’s anything else I can do… I’ll see you later, Luis. Good luck.” “Thanks. Good bye.” Luis watched her walk out of the office. She had a good heart. Now hopefully, this postcard would give him a clue. “Gwen, I don’t know if you read the postcard that I sent Ethan. What’s new with you? Did you ever see the Younkers owner again? The cabin is beautiful—it almost seems like the cottage. It just seems so homey—the perfect place for Luis and me. When we’ll be back in Harmony is still a mystery, but I can’t wait to see you. Say hello to Ethan and the Lopez-Fitzgeralds for me. Sheridan”

Luis’s eyes immediately went to the first few letters of each line. GIDSWHS. That wasn’t the clue—or if it was, Luis didn’t have the slightest idea as to what it meant. Dammit! he thought. He was so close to figuring out where Sheridan was, and the only clue that he had was that she was in a cabin somewhere that reminded her of the cottage. He needed someone else to help him, but who? Sam wasn’t in the office and Theresa was on her date with Ethan. He knew that his sister would be able to make heads or tails of this, but he wasn’t going to steal her away from Ethan. She and Ethan needed some time alone, he knew that. But who could he call? —+—+—+—+—+—

Hank paced nervously. He knew that The Boss would be calling soon. He couldn’t believe that Sheridan was still feeling weak! He had done everything in his power to try to make her recover as fast as possible. What could be wrong? The ringing of his cell phone interrupts his thoughts. “H—Hello?” he answered nervously. “Bennett,” the voice said with contempt. “Please tell me that your mission has been accomplished.” “N—No, sir. She, uh, she says that she still feels weak. She says that she doesn’t feel ready yet.”

“She what?!? Look here, Bennett. I don’t care if you have to get her drunk, drug her, hypnotize her, whatever. Just get the damn girl pregnant. I ask you to perform one simple task—one that you’ve wanted to do for months now—and you are having trouble completing it. Need I remind you of the consequences if you fail me?” “No, sir. Definitely not, sir. I’ll work on it right away, sir.” “When you’re hired to do a job, I expect results. Remember that, Bennett.” The Boss disconnected, leaving Hank in the cabin wondering how the hell he got himself into this situation.

To Be Continued…

Chapter14:

Luis had no idea what the postcard from Sheridan meant. There was almost no new information in it! She expected him to figure out where she was from this? “Wait a second, Luis,” he said to himself. “Calm down and re-read it. Maybe there’s something that’s a little out of the ordinary in it. Hmmm…” He scanned the postcard carefully. Why can’t I understand this? I’m supposed to be a smart police officer. Think, Luis! he thought to himself. Wait a second…what’s up with all these underlined words? Could that be a clue? “New…Younkers…Mystery. Okay, so those are the underlined words. But what can they mean?” —+—+—+—+—+—

Hank was getting desperate. The Boss had warned him that if he didn’t impregnate Sheridan—or at least get her to sleep with him, the Bennett clan would begin to thin out. He had to act quickly. Luis might somehow—against all odds—find out where they went. As much as he hated to admit it, with the help of the police force, Ethan, and maybe even the FBI it was a possibility. He thought over what The Boss had said. Getting her drunk looked like his best chance for success. He hated the idea of taking advantage of her, but he knew that he had to. Besides, after that Sheridan might be more willing to sleep with him. The ends justify the means, Hank. Just keep telling yourself that. What would you rather lose…your morals? Or your family?

Reluctantly, he took a glass from the cupboard. He filled half of the glass with various juices from the refrigerator. The other half was pure alcohol. He almost felt bad about doing this to Sheridan. She was a beautiful woman, and she didn’t deserve to be treated like this. Then he remembered that his family. The Boss was ruthless. If he would do this to Sheridan, who knew what he would do to Hank’s family? He knew it was his only choice. He carefully carried the glass into the bedroom. It was now or never. —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan was lying on the bed. Where was Luis? Why hadn’t he rescued her yet? Oh, God, she missed him. Just then Hank walked in the room. “Hey, baby,” he said with what Sheridan assumed was supposed to be a sexy grin. “I made you some of the Lopez-Fitzgerald Miracle Drink! This should get you back to normal in no time!” The only thing that will get me back to normal is Luis—and I mean the real Luis, Sheridan’s mind screamed. “Ok, let’s try it.” She took the glass and took a small sip. “Hmmm…tastes interesting. What’s all in it?” “Oh, a bunch of juices—whatever we had in the fridge. Uh, apple, orange, cranberry, pineapple, grapefruit, uh, maybe some grape juice. I think that’s what it was? Why? How does it taste?”

By now Sheridan has finished the spiked drink and is beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol. “Just fine, sweetie. Could I have another glass?” “Of course, baby. I’ll be right back.” Hank returned in a few moments with another glass of the spiked drink. Sheridan downed this one in mere minutes. “Luis, darling, sit here,” Sheridan slurred. She patted a spot on the bed beside here. Hank sat where she told him to, and she began to remove her clothes…

To Be Continued…

Chapter 15:

“Maybe I need to change the order,” Luis muttered to himself. “New Mystery Younkers? No. Mystery Younkers New? No. Younkers New Mystery? No. Mystery New Younkers? No. Wait a second. Ethan’s clues said that she might be in the Adirondack Mountains. If he’s right, then she’s in New York. Could Younkers stand for York? Could she be in Mystery, New York?” Quickly, he grabbed an atlas. He hastily searched for any city in the nation named Mystery. Luis read all the cities named Mystery in the nation. “Mystery, Alabama. Mystery, California. Mystery, Minnesota. Mystery, New York! Quick, Luis. Flip to page 43.” On page 43, he saw the map of northeast New York, with Mystery, New York at the northeasternmost corner of the Adirondack Mountains. Yes! I know where Sheridan is!”

He immediately beeped Sam. He needed the support of the police department to get to Sheridan as quickly as possible. —+—+—+—+—+— The next morning, Sheridan woke up and, oddly, felt very cold. Suddenly it hit her. Ohmigod, she thought. I’m naked. I didn’t sleep with Hank, did I? She tried to recall the events of the previous night, but it was a total blank. She glanced around the room and saw her pajamas lying haphazardly all over the room. Just then Hank entered the room in nothing more than his boxers. “Hey, baby. How you feeling? Did the Lopez-Fitzgerald magic work yet again?” He gave her what she supposed was meant to be a sexy and alluring wink. Oh, no. Oh, God, no. I cheated on Luis! And by sleeping with his so-called best friend! How could I do this to him?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 16:

Hank felt horrible about what he was doing. Here he was leading Sheridan to believe that they’d slept together, when in reality it wasn’t true at all. Yes, he had gotten her drunk and naked, but he hadn’t been able to go through with it. He had never been able to take advantage of a woman, and he knew that he wouldn’t—and couldn’t—start with Sheridan. He had kept giving her sips of alcohol until she passed out. He knew that she wouldn’t remember anything and would assume that they had slept together. Hopefully, she would be convinced that she was strong enough for that type of physical activity and would sleep with him of her own accord. If, through some miracle, Luis did manage to find them, Sheridan would be too guilt-ridden to ever get back together with him, thus solving the boss’s problem. Am I a genius or what? Hank asked himself. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis paced anxiously in Sam’s office, waiting for Sam to return his page. As much as he hated to, he had beeped Ethan as well. He felt horrible for cutting his and Theresa’s date short, but he knew that Ethan would understand. Luis hoped with all of his heart that when they reached Sheridan, she would be fine. She was the most wonderful woman in the world and if anyone hurt her…well, there would be hell to pay. The ringing phone interrupted his thoughts. Quickly, he answered it. “Hello?” “Luis? What’s up?” Sam asked. “Is something wrong?” “No, Sam, everything’s right. I think I know where Sheridan is.”

“I’ll be right down, Luis,” Sam promised. Luis hung up the phone and heard a knock on the door. “Luis?” Ethan asked. “Can I come in?” “Ethan! Sure, come in,” he replied. Ethan entered Sam’s office. “I’m sorry to interrupt your date, but this is urgent.” “Uh, Luis, the date ended hours ago. It’s 6 in the morning. Did you sleep at all last night?” “It’s already 6? Wow. No, Ethan, I didn’t sleep. I think I figured out where Sheridan is. Mystery, New York.” He quickly explained to Ethan that Sam was on his way. “But how are we going to catch this guy? If he could sneak Sheridan out of the hospital, he must be pretty intelligent. How can we outsmart him?” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan’s mind raced. I slept with him! How can I avoid having to do so again? Oh, Luis, I didn’t want to cheat on you! But I did. Oh, God, how can I get out of this situation? Then, it came to her. “Luis, honey, I think I overdid it last night. I feel horrible—almost like I’m going to pass out. I—I’m sorry, but I think I need more rest.” —+—+—+—+—+— She knows. Hank didn’t know how she figured it out, but she did. Dammit! Now what do I do?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 17:

Sam had arrived at the station, and Luis explained to both of them why he thought that Sheridan was in Mystery, New York. Both Sam and Ethan were impressed with his deductions. “Wow, Luis,” Sam told him. “If you’re right, you could be looking at a promotion in the near future. Great detective work. But nothing’s official, so don’t say anything yet.” Luis smiled for the first time since Sheridan had been kidnapped. “Really, Sam? Wow, I can’t wait to…” He said excitedly before he remembered the reality that he was living in. “But without Sheridan, it means nothing. Nothing means anything anymore.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Ethan could see that Luis was getting more and more depressed and knew that he needed to change the subject. “So, speaking of Sheridan, what’s the plan of action? How are we going to do this? I can fly some people there in the Crane Jet, if necessary.” “That sounds great, Ethan. The three of us will go, of course. And Detective Gerard, Officer Marrin, and Officer Fossum. I’ll call ahead to the police in Mystery and ask for assistance as well in a missing person’s case. They can meet us at the airport so we won’t have to worry about renting cars. Then, we can ask around town for Luis’s identical twin brother. But, Luis, you’ll have to have a different name. Any ideas?” Luis thought for a moment, before responding softly, “Antonio.” “Great, I’ll call in Gerard, Marrin, and Fossum. Then we can head to Mystery, New York.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan crossed her fingers under the sheets, praying that Hank would believe her when she said that she overdid it. “Of course, baby. Just rest up, and maybe you’ll feel better by tonight.” “Ok, I will,” she replied, thankful that her excuse had worked. But she knew that she wouldn’t be feeling better by tonight. She would never sleep with him—not by choice. But if she already did, how had he slept with her the first time? And how could she keep that from happening again? —+—+—+—+—+—

Hank was almost positive that she had figured out that he wasn’t really Luis. He was panicking. What could he do? Wait a second, Hank. Calm down. She doesn’t know where we are, so she couldn’t convey our location to anyone in Harmony. For all they know, we’re in Chicago. He grinned inwardly. But he knew that he’d have to get her drunk again—and soon.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 18:

A little over an hour had passed. The Crane Jet was landing on a temporarily closed freeway at the base of Enigma Peak, as there were no airports on the mountain. Luckily, Enigma Peak was on the northeastern corner of the Adirondack Mountains so it was easy enough for the pilot to land at the base of the mountain. All of the officers and Ethan quickly disembarked the plane to find an FBI agent waiting for them. “Whoa, Sam. Called in the big guns, I see?” Luis asked in shock. “Actually, Antonio, I just called the police chief, and she said that she’d see to it that someone was here to meet us. I had no idea that she would send an FBI agent.”

Ethan interrupted their conversation by saying, “Look, guys, the sooner we go talk to that man, the sooner we can get to Sheridan.” “Good point, Ethan. Let’s go, Sam.” The 6 passengers all went to go talk to the agent, wondering what if he knew anything that they didn’t. —+—+—+—+—+— FBI Agent Timothy Kennedy watched the people disembarking the plane. He was watching carefully for Antonio Lopez, the twin brother of the man that this contingent was hoping to arrest. He knew that Antonio wasn’t the man’s real name. He also knew that he wasn’t the man’s twin, let alone his brother. He froze when he saw a tall, dark-haired man walk down the staircase. That was Luis Lopez Fitzgerald. Luis looked just as he had envisioned. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis walked off the plane towards the Agent. There was…something…about this man. His graying hair and piercing green eyes looked familiar. Luis didn’t know what it was. Maybe he had worked on a previous case with him. The FBI was in Harmony every now and again dealing with Crane cases. He knew that that must be it. After Sam had talked with Agent Kennedy, he made an announcement. “Everyone, this is Agent Timothy Kennedy. He and his partner, Anthony Ramirez, will be the two FBI Agents working with us on this case. Agents Kennedy and Ramirez are also working on a smuggling case for the FBI. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Chief Bennett. We are collaborating with you on this case since some of the players involved are overlapped. The Cranes seem to be behind both.” Luis was appalled that Kennedy would even imply that Sheridan was at all to blame in any smuggling. “Agent, I don’t know where you get your information, but Sheridan is nothing like her father and brother. She is a wonderful, kind-hearted, loving woman. And she’s been kidnapped by a cruel-hearted villain!” Sam placed his hand on Luis’s shoulder, trying to calm him down. “Antonio, you can relax. Your brother won’t hurt her. And Agent Kennedy wasn’t implying that Sheridan was to blame, but rather Julian and Alistair—right?”

“That’s right. I’m sorry that I wasn’t clearer. We believe that Julian, with a lot of help from Alistair, is heading a smuggling ring from Canada. We also believe that they are behind the kidnapping of Sheridan Crane.” —+—+—+—+—+— Ethan couldn’t believe his ears. He couldn’t believe the gall of that man. To think that anyone would arrange the kidnapping of his or her own daughter was preposterous. He would have thought that the government, the FBI was a lot more intelligent than that. And from the looks on Luis and Sam’s faces they believe it as well. “I can’t believe all of you! My father and grandfather would do no such thing. They have no need to smuggle goods. They are two of the richest men in the world! I’m sorry, but you must be wrong. They just wouldn’t do something like this.”

—+—+—+—+—+— Luis laughed mirthlessly. He thought that he and Sam had already had this conversation with Ethan. “Ethan, we talked about this. Julian and Alistair don’t give a damn about Sheridan. But more than they hate her, they hate me. They’re afraid that if we’re together I’ll discover what happened to my father. And they should be afraid—because I will. And if they’re at all responsible, I’ll hold them responsible in every possible way. And as for the smuggling bit, I don’t doubt that at all. Yes, they are rich, but they are also ruthless. They don’t care what they have to do to get what they want. They have bribed hundreds of people in Harmony alone! If there were something they wanted, they would smuggle it in. Or, they might just do it merely since they have the power to do so. Ethan, if you doubt this for even a moment, you are not as intelligent as your Ivy League education would make you appear to be.” He paused to glance over at Ethan. Ethan looked shocked. It was time someone finally made him realize the truth about his screwed-up family. “Well,” Luis continued. “I think that I’ve wasted enough breath on Julian and Alistair. From now on I only want to concentrate on the most wonderful, beautiful Crane—Sheridan.”

—+—+—+—+—+— Timothy was glad that Luis’s rants against the Cranes were finally over. He wasn’t sure how much longer that he could have taken that. He hoped that no one had noticed his surprise and fear when Luis mentioned searching for the truth about his father’s disappearance. If Luis discovered the truth, many lives could be ruined—including Timothy’s own. But he shoved those thoughts away and responded to Luis’s comment. “Antonio, you’re right. Let’s head up the mountain. But before we go, I’d like all of you to refer to me as Tim. And Anthony prefers the name Tony—that will make it easier anyhow, considering we have both an Antonio and an Anthony on this case. So, if that’s ok with everyone else, we can head up the mountain to Mystery. We can meet up with Tony at Allen’s General Store. He’s got a job there since he’s in town, undercover. But let’s head up the mountain. The sooner we get up there, the sooner we can rescue Sheridan.”

“That’s a great idea, uh, Tim. Well? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Tim led each of them to the waiting cop cars. They were taking two up the mountain, and a police van was waiting for them atop the mountain. Luis knew that with a little luck, Sheridan would be back in his arms within the hour.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 19:

Okay, Sheridan thought. How did Hank get me to sleep with him? I don’t remember anything about last night, so he probably drugged me. But I didn’t eat much of anything last night. She rubbed her forehead in an attempt to soothe her splitting headache. Oh! That’s it! I have a hangover! He must have slipped me some alcohol last night…in that Lopez-Fitzgerald Miracle Drink!! Well, no more. He couldn’t pay me to drink any more of that. Just then Hank walked into the room. “Hey, baby. I brought you some more of that Lopez-Fitzgerald Miracle Drink. It worked like a charm last night, and, hopefully, it’ll do the trick again. With a little luck, you’ll be back to full strength in no time.” I’ll be damned if I drink any more of that! Sheridan thought. “Oh, thank you, but I’m not thirsty.” —+—+—+—+—+—

She’s figured it out, Hank thought. She knows! Now how am I going to get her to sleep with me? —+—+—+—+—+— Luis hated the curvy mountain roads. It was taking forever to get up the mountain. Then again, no matter how long that it took, it would be too long. One thought continuously ran through his mind—Sheridan. What he wouldn’t give to be able to hold her in his arms, kiss her softly, and tell her that everything was going to be all right. —+—+—+—+—+— After what seemed like a lifetime, the cop cars finally came to a stop in front of Allen’s General Store. Tim walked in to find Tony. “Hey, Tim, what’s up? Are they here? Is he here?” “He’s here, and he looks just like I figured he would.”

“I can’t wait to see him—it’s been a long time. Well, we really should get going if we’re going to get up to that cabin before nightfall. Do you have the warrant?” Tim patted his jacket pocket. “Right here. Now let’s go.” The two men walked outside to where Luis and the rest of the Harmony contingent were waiting. —+—+—+—+—+— With a police van added to the caravan, everyone headed up the mountain. Tony had discovered that the cabin was located about 10 miles further up the mountain. Each moment that was spent in the van was pure hell for Luis. He couldn’t take it anymore! Finally, they pulled up to the gate that surrounded the cabin. Now, they had to get past security. “Why do you need to get in to the cabin?” the security guard asked.

“We have a search warrant,” Tim informed him, flashing his badge and the warrant. “You need to let us through or face prosecution.” Reluctantly, the guard opened the gate to admit them. They continued driving up towards the cabin. Once the cabin came in sight, Luis prepared to run out to the cabin to save Sheridan from that psycho who had kidnapped her. Tony stopped the van, and Luis hit the ground running. “Antonio!” Sam yelled. “Wait! You need to wait for the rest of us. You don’t know what the situation is in there. You may need backup. Wait for the rest of us.” For a moment, Luis forgot his “identity.” He kept walking, until he realized that he was Antonio. Reluctantly, he came to a stop. “C’mon, Sam. Hurry up! Who knows what kind of danger she could be in!” “Relax, Luis. We’ll be right there.”

—+—+—+—+—+— “Hey, Sheridan?” Hank called into the bedroom. “Would you like some water?” Sheridan thought about it for a moment. Was there any way for him to slip alcohol into a glass of water? She didn’t think so. “Actually, that would be really refreshing. Thanks.” —+—+—+—+—+— Hank walked back to the kitchen. After searching the cabin, he had found the perfect thing—GHB. It would be perfect! And since it could be hidden in a glass of water, she would think it was safe. He had to congratulate himself. He was a genius. It was a flawless plan.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 20:

“Here’s your water, baby,” Hank said as he walked into the room. Sheridan took a long gulp. “Mmmmm. This is great. Thanks.” “I’m glad that it helps, baby. Anything to make you feel better.” Quickly, Sheridan finished off the glass of water. “Could I have another glass?” “Of course, baby. I’ll be right back.” Hank walked out to the kitchen a quickly prepared another glass, with less GHB in it. He knew that there were serious consequences if she drank too much, and he didn’t want to incur The Boss’s wrath. He soon returned with the glass of drugged water, which Sheridan quickly drank. “Oooh, you’re so sexy!” a drugged Sheridan exclaimed. “C’mere and give me a kiss.” Hank obliged and walked over to the bed and kissed her on the cheek.

“What kind of kiss is that?” Sheridan asked. Authoritatively, she grabbed his face and forced her lips upon his. —+—+—+—+—+— “Ok, Antonio,” Sam said. “We’re here. Let’s go—slowly. We don’t want to alarm your brother. Otherwise, he may hide Sheridan, or find some way to conceal the evidence from view. I know that you’re worried, but try to relax. Ok?” Luis nodded. “Then let’s go.” Luis led the group towards the door, setting a blistering pace. Detective Gerard, Officers Fossum and Marrin, Tim, Tony, Sam, and Ethan all followed in his wake. Soon enough, they reached the cabin door. Tim walked up to the door and knocked 3 times. “Open up! We have a search warrant!” He continued knocking for a few moments, but there was no response. “We’re going to have to break the lock. Tony?”

Tony nodded, and started to run back to the van for a crowbar. Luis couldn’t believe how long this would take. There wasn’t time for this. “Tim, move out of the way.” “Antonio, there’s no way that you could bust this door down. It’s solid. We’re going to need the crowbar,” Tim protested. Luis simply looked at him, motioned with his hand, and said, “Move.” Skeptically, Tim did as he was told and watched in amazement as Luis backed up and ran at the door at full speed. To the amazement of everyone watching, the door opened. “Guess all that anxious energy was good for something after all,” Fossum remarked. “Ok, everyone. Let’s head in. Remember, we need to try to get the suspect unharmed. We also can’t let him use Sheridan as a hostage. Everyone ready? Let’s go,” Tim instructed. They quickly followed Luis inside.

—+—+—+—+—+— Luis had searched the living room and kitchen, but there was no sign of Sheridan or his double. There was only one room left in the cabin, and that was the bedroom. He headed off towards that door, preparing himself for whatever he would find. He opened the door and saw Sheridan kissing his double. “Sheridan!” he gasped. —+—+—+—+—+— Sheridan glanced over at the door, surprised to hear someone else in the cabin. But she was not prepared for what she saw. “Luis?” she asked in surprise. She glanced from him to Hank. Suddenly, her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 21:

“Sheridan!” Luis cried. He rushed to her side, and held her in his arms. Hank was shocked. How had he found them? And so quickly! He looked around at the group of people that were entering the room. He was surprised to see Tony Ramirez from the general store among them. “You!” Hank accused. “You sold me out, Tony!” Tony grabbed his handcuffs and walked over to Hank. “That’s FBI Agent Anthony Ramirez to you, Luis Lopez.” He put the handcuffs on him. “I’ll put him one of the cop cars, Tim.” “Ok, Tony. You can take him back to Mystery, if you want. Just wait for us there.” “Will do.” Tony then focused his attention on the prisoner, and began to read him his Miranda Rights. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one…”

Hank couldn’t believe he had been caught. He knew that the FBI would try to get him to implicate the Cranes, but he could never do that. If he said who had set up this situation, The Boss would make him and his family pay. —+—+—+—+—+— Luis cradled Sheridan in his arms. He couldn’t believe this. After all that they had been through, all the time that they had already been forced apart, he had finally found her. But when he found her, something was wrong. He didn’t know what it was, but he’d be damned if he let anyone or anything keep him away from Sheridan any longer. He’d get to the bottom of this if he had to beat it out of that kidnapper.

Softly, he kissed Sheridan’s cheek. “I promise, sweetie, everything will be ok. I’m here now, and everything will be just fine.” Luis didn’t know how he’d keep that promise, but he knew that he had to. Everything had to be ok. He and Sheridan had to find their own happy ending. They just had to.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 22:

Sam ran over to Luis. He had seen Sheridan hit the ground, and he knew that something was wrong. “What’s wrong?” Luis looked up at him with sad and worried eyes. “I don’t know, Sam. I don’t know what happened, but something is wrong—very wrong.” They heard a siren pierce through the air. “Tony must have called for an ambulance. Calm down. They’ll make sure that everything’s ok with Sheridan.” “Let’s hope so, Sam. Let’s hope so.” Silently, Luis said a prayer. Please, God. Please let Sheridan be ok. I love her so much, and I need her. Please don’t make me live without her. Please, God. —+—+—+—+—+—

The EMTs rushed into the cabin, and put Sheridan onto a stretcher. They quickly rushed her back to the ambulance while they began to monitor her pulse and blood pressure. As she was lifted into the ambulance, Luis asked to ride along. “No, Antonio, you need to stay here,” Sam told him. “I know that you’re worried about her, but you need to let them do their job. She’ll be back in Harmony soon, and you can check on her then. She’ll be ok, Antonio. Trust them.” “Ok, Sam,” Luis sighed. “I won’t go with her, as much as I want to.” —+—+—+—+—+—

After Tim searched the cabin for evidence, with help from the others, they headed back to Mystery. There, they met up with Tony and the fake Luis. Sam went to the hospital to stay with Sheridan. The two of them would fly back to Harmony in a helicopter. Everyone else headed down the mountain to take off in the Crane Jet. Everyone from Harmony could tell that Luis was worried about Sheridan, so they steered clear. Luis was known for his short temper when someone he loved was in trouble. Tony, however, apparently didn’t know this. Only a few moments into the flight, he walked over to Luis and began to talk to him.

“So, Luis, how’s your mother handling this whole situation? I know that Pilar is really close to Sheridan. She must have been really worried.” Luis was very surprised that Tony knew his real name—and those details about his mother. But he dismissed it, thinking that the FBI must have given Tony and Tim a background on him and the other officers involved. “Actually, she was more worried about me. She loves Sheridan, but she knew that Sheridan’s kidnapping was killing me. She practically had to force food down my throat to get me to eat and tie me to my bed to get me to sleep.” “Wow, so you must really love her, huh?”

Luis grinned. “Sheridan is the most beautiful woman that I have ever known—inside and out. I love her with all of my heart. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.” Luis noticed that Tony looked puzzled. “This might be none of my business, but don’t you hate the Cranes? How could you fall in love with one?” Luis laughed, remembering the circumstances under which they met. “I do hate Julian and Alistair, but Sheridan is nothing like them—and neither is Ethan. But when we first met, I hated her. I pulled her over for speeding, and she tried to use her name to get out of it. I arrested her, and she ended up doing community service with me. During those hours, I reluctantly began to fall for her. And now…well, I’m in so deep, that I couldn’t get out if I tried.”

“Wow. That’s certainly…interesting!” Tony laughed. “What about the rest of your family? How are your brother and sisters?” “They’re all doing ok. Actually, my sister Theresa is engaged to Ethan. She’s wanted him ever since she’s little, and she keeps talking about how Fate brought them together.” Luis was beginning to wonder why Tony cared about his family. Why would an FBI Agent care about the family of a police officer? What was he up to?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 23:

“Ummmm, Miguel is in a very serious relationship with Sam’s niece. They’re practically married and they’re still in high school. Paloma, my youngest sister, is living with our Aunt María. She loves it there. Why?” “I was just wondering. I’ve been to Harmony before, and I used to know your mother fairly well. But that was a long time ago, and she probably wouldn’t remember me. What about Sunset Cove? Do you still go there?” Tony asked. Sunset Cove? Luis wondered. How the hell would he know about that? The only other person who called that place Sunset Cove was…Antonio. Ohmigod! Tony is Antonio! —+—+—+—+—+—

Antonio could tell from the expressions crossing Luis’s face that he had figured out his true identity. He knew that he had to stop Luis from blurting out the truth. No one else could know. “Espera, Luis. Para. ¿Puedo explicar, por favor? (Wait, Luis. Stop. Can I explain, please?)” Antonio asked. Luis nodded. “Hablamanos en español, ¿vale? (Let’s talk in Spanish, ok?)” “Está bien. ¿Qué pasa? (That’s fine. What’s up?)” Luis replied. “Una noche, muchos años pasados, Papa estaba hablando con Señor Crane y porque de esa conversación, Papa creyó que él sea una contrabandista.

Papa habló con el padre de Sam y yo escuché. Señor Crane descrubrió que nosotros sepamos y él traté de matarnos. Salimos para protectar nuestra familia—tú, Theresa, Miguel, Paloma, y Mama. ¿Comprendes? (One night, many years ago, Papa was talking with Mr. Crane and because of this conversation, Papa believed that he was a smuggler. Papa talked with Sam’s dad and I listened. Mr. Crane discovered that we knew and he tried to kill us. We left to protect our family—you, Theresa, Miguel, Paloma, and Mama. Do you understand?)” Antonio attempted to explain. “Sí, entiendo, Antonio. ¿Dónde está, Papa? (Yes, I understand, Antonio. Where is Papa?)” Luis asked. Then he gasped. “Tim Kennedy es Papa, ¿verdad? (Tim Kennedy is Papa, right?)” “Sí, tienes razón, Luis. (Yes, you’re right, Luis.)”

“¡No puedo esperar para decirle Mama! (I can’t wait to tell Mama!)” Luis exclaimed. “No, Luis. No puedes decir nadie hasta Julian y Alistair Crane están en prisión. Nadie pueda saber nuestros nombres actuales. Si ellos los descubrió, Alistair pueda tratar de matarnos. ¿Vale? (No, Luis. You can’t tell anyone until Julian and Alistair Crane are in prison. No one can know our real names. If they discovered them, Alistair could try to kill us. Ok?)” Antonio explained.

Luis hated the idea of lying to his family, but he knew that he had little choice. “Vale, Antonio. No diré nadie. (Ok, Antonio. I won’t tell anyone.)” Luis knew that Antonio didn’t like the idea any more than he did, but Luis understood that the Cranes were ruthless. If they discovered that Martin and Antonio were alive, their lives would be put in danger, almost instantaneously. —+—+—+—+—+—

Meanwhile, Sam was at the hospital, waiting for Sheridan to wake up. She had been out cold for the past hour, and he was beginning to get worried. “Chief Bennett?” A doctor approached him. “I’m Doctor Morgan, and we have the results of Miss Crane’s blood work.” “Do you have any idea why she fainted, Doctor?” “Well, she has a high amount of GHB in her system. As you know, the date-rape drug can be very toxic if a lot is taken and can, in some cases, be lethal. We don’t know how much her body can tolerate, so we don’t know what her chances of recovery are. I wish I could give you more information, Chief, but right now, it’s really more of a wait and see type of thing. In a few more hours, I will be able to make a more accurate assessment. Do you have any questions?”

“She was very weak about 6 weeks ago, from oxygen deprivation. Do you think that she has recovered from that?” “Well, Chief, I can’t tell for sure, but I would assume so. But you have to remember that Sheridan is the only one who can tell us if she has truly recovered. And until she awakes, we have no way of knowing.” “Okay, Doctor. Thanks for your time.” “No problem, Chief. Just let me know if you have any more questions.” Doctor Morgan walked away from Sheridan’s cot to continue his rounds. “Sheridan, please wake up. If you don’t come to soon, I’ll have to get Luis down here. I would have let him stay, but I had no idea that your condition was this serious. I’m sorry, Sheridan. You need to wake up and get better. Luis has been a mess these past few weeks. He needs you.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 24:

“Antonio, tengo una pregunta. ¿Por qué estás diciéndome, pero no estás diciendo los otros? (Antonio, I have a question. Why are you telling me, but you aren’t telling the others?)” Luis asked. “Luis, si estarémos trabajándose, tengo que decirte. (Luis, if we will be working together, I had to tell you.)” Antonio replied. “Entiendo. (I understand.)” Now that Luis understood what was going on, he was much more comfortable with his brother. “So, how long have you been dating Sheridan?” Antonio asked in English. “Not long. Basically, she got the idea that I was using her, and it took me months to convince her that I love her. We were just about to get together when my friend Hank faked her death, with help from Agent Freeman. She almost died—and I died with her. When she found me at Midnight Mass, it was an answer to my prayers. Then, she was going to leave the hospital and that—that damn double of mine kidnapped her from the hospital. And now something’s wrong with her. She has to be ok, Tony. After all that we’ve been through together, I know that I can’t live without her.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sam sat in the chair by Sheridan’s cot, looking for any signs of consciousness. She had to be ok—for Luis’s sake. Suddenly, he saw her hand move. “Sheridan? Sheridan, are you awake? Sheridan, wake up. Talk to me!” Sam begged. Sheridan opened her eyes, and said 4 words. “I love you, Luis.” Then, her eyes closed and her body became limp. A loud beeping filled the air, as her heart flatlined. Doctor Morgan and a large group of doctors and nurses rushed into the room. “Code Blue! We need to resuscitate her—now!”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 25:

A nurse forced Sam out of the room. Sam knew that Sheridan had to survive. If she didn’t Luis would never return the officer he once was. He would never be able to achieve his goals without Sheridan in his life. He knew—simply from that one horrible day when Luis believed that Roger and Pierre had killed her. Luis had turned into a zombie with only one reason for living—to find the hit man, Roger, and Pierre. Since they had the suspect in custody, Luis may no longer have a reason for living. “If Sheridan doesn’t survive,” Sam whispered to himself, “God help his family.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Everyone on the Crane Jet landed at the Harmony Airport, oblivious to Sheridan’s situation. Everyone, that is, except Luis. Luis felt his heart give a painful squeeze. Something was wrong with Sheridan, he could tell. He instinctively grabbed on to Antonio’s shoulder. “What?” Antonio asked, turning around to look at his brother. “Luis, what’s wrong? Are you ok?” “Yeah, I’m ok, but Sheridan’s not. She’s in trouble. I can feel it.” Antonio just looked at Luis quizzically, not comprehending what Luis meant. “What do you mean you ‘feel it?’ I don’t get it.”

“Sheridan and I have this…connection. I can tell when she’s in trouble. I saved her from Roger and Pierre in Paris because I knew she was in trouble. I showed up at the cottage after she had been shot because I knew that something was wrong. Tony, I have never had this feeling about anyone—anyone but Sheridan. Ask anyone from Harmony. When it comes to Sheridan, my instincts are always right.” Ethan had been eavesdropping on their conversation. “Sheridan’s in trouble, Luis? Are you sure? But she’s with Sam!” “Yeah, Ethan, but she’s also in the hospital. Something’s happening,” Luis told him. Between tears, he added quietly to himself, “Sheridan, you have to pull through. I need you, sweetie. If you don’t survive, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 26:

As Sam was pacing nervously outside Sheridan’s room, he heard a loud, steady beeping. “We’ve got a pulse,” Doctor Morgan announced with a sigh of relief. “Good work, team.” The group of doctors and nurses left the room, moving on to save another life. Cautiously, Sam walked into the room, hoping for the best. He took Sheridan’s hand, and gently rubbed it. He thought of her like a daughter. God knew that her own father didn’t give a damn about her. She could die, and Alistair wouldn’t even bat an eye. Suddenly, Sam felt something squeeze his hand. He glanced up and saw Sheridan slowly open her eyes. “Hello, Sheridan. How are you feeling?”

Sheridan moaned. “Like a truck ran over me.” Her eyes quickly scanned the room. “Where’s Luis?” “I sent him back to Harmony,” Sam reluctantly told her. “He wanted to stay, but I didn’t want him to be in the way. I’m sorry, but as soon as Doctor Morgan gives the ok, we’ll take you back to Harmony.” “Ok, Sam. I think I’m just going to try to get some sleep first.” “Ok, Sheridan. Sweet dreams.” —+—+—+—+—+—

A few hours later, Sheridan and Sam were in a helicopter, heading back to Harmony. “Sam, I think I know who the fake Luis is.” “Really, Sheridan? Who is it?” “Sam, you may want to sit down.” Sam was confused, but he did as she asked. “Ok, Sheridan. Who is he?” “I think that he’s your brother Hank.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 27:

“Wh—what? Sheridan, Hank would never do anything like that. You and Luis are two of his best friends. He would never hurt you two like this.” “Sam, I could be wrong, but I am almost positive. Everything fits. Just promise me that you’ll investigate it. If I’m wrong, I’m sorry, but please just check it out.” “Ok, Sheridan, I promise. I’ll have a DNA test done. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sam had called ahead and told Luis that they would be landing soon. Luis was waiting anxiously at the airport with Antonio. He was glad that Antonio had decided to stick around—he needed his brother there for moral support. It seemed like he had been waiting for an eternity. “Luis?” he heard a voice call. Luis spun around to face the owner of the voice. He saw none other than Sam walking towards them, supporting Sheridan with his arm. “Sheridan!” he cried with joy. He began sprinting towards them, with Antonio following, shaking his head. “Luis,” Sheridan replied with a smile.

Luis threw his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. “Sheridan, my love! You’re ok!” He leaned down to give her a long kiss. “Sam, how’s she doing?” “She’s still a little wobbly on her feet, but she’ll be ok,” Sam informed him. “Well, in that case…” Luis grabbed Sheridan and began to carry her out of the airport. Sheridan hated being treated by a weakling, but she was so glad to be back in the real Luis’s arms that she didn’t complain. —+—+—+—+—+— They returned to the police station where Ethan, Luis, and Sheridan each gave Sam their statements. They all were in Sam’s office together, talking about the case. “Sheridan told me that she thinks that Luis’s double is…Hank,” Sam said quietly.

“What?!?” Luis exclaimed. “Hank? He wouldn’t do this—not to us, not to anyone. Sheridan, you can’t be serious.” “Luis, I am serious. It all makes sense. Oh, and Sam, I need to talk to you after we’re done here.” “Ok. I’ll leave then. Sheridan, if you need me, you know where to reach me if you need anything, right?” Ethan asked. “Of course, Ethan. I’ll call you later, ok?” “Ok.” Luis remained in the room, and put his arms around Sheridan. He was so glad to have her back. “Uh, Luis, honey, could you leave too, please?” Luis was confused. What was wrong? Why didn’t want him there? What was she hiding from him?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 28:

“Luis, please?” Sheridan asked. Luis sighed. When she looked at him with those deep, blue eyes, he couldn’t refuse her anything. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Ok, sweetheart. I’m going to go talk to Tony, so if you need me…” “I’ll come get you. I promise, Luis. I love you.” “I love you too, honey.” Luis walked out of the office, wondering what she had to tell Sam that he couldn’t know about. —+—+—+—+—+— Sam looked at Sheridan quizzically. “Ok, Sheridan, care to explain that one?” “Yeah. You see, I don’t think that I’ll be able to say what I’m going to tell you with Luis here.” She sighed softly. “It’s hard enough as it is.”

“Well…?” Sam prodded. “What were you going to tell me?” “Sam, rape needs to be added to the list of charges against this man—whoever he may be.” “What? Sheridan, when we got to you, you still had all of your clothes on. I mean, yeah, he tried to use the date rape drug, but it didn’t work.” “Sam I was gone for about 6 weeks. How long do you think that he believed that I was still ‘too weak’ for physical activity? Last night…I think that’s when it was…he gave me a few glasses of the Lopez-Fitzgerald Miracle Drink. Basically it was a bunch of juices all mixed together—and it was spiked with alcohol. I don’t remember what happened that night, and I’m not sure that I want to.

But the next morning he told me that it had worked its miracle again. God, Sam! I slept with this guy! I didn’t want to—not after I realized that he wasn’t Luis. He tried to be as sweet and romantic as the real Luis, my Luis, but he wasn’t. But the thing that tipped me off was the birthmark that was missing behind his left knee. He wasn’t Luis, and I knew it. Anyhow, after that moment, I never would have slept with him willingly. So it has to be rape. Oh, God, Sam. I cheated on Luis!” At that point, Sheridan burst into tears, and Sam tried to console her. —+—+—+—+—+—

Outside the door, Luis was talking to Tony, but he wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation. He was more worried about the conversation that Sheridan was having with Sam. He couldn’t hear much since Sam’s door muffled the sound pretty well, but he could pick up bits and pieces of the conversation. He knew that whatever the topic, it was upsetting Sheridan a lot. “So, Luis, what do you think of checking out Sunset Cove together tonight?” Antonio suggested. “Uh huh. Sure,” Luis replied automatically. “Maybe you should change your name to Shane Miller.” “Fine.” Antonio stifled a laugh. “Maybe I should introduce Theresa to some bikers and let her rebellious side come out.” “Sure thing.”

“Maybe I should just take your wallet here and never give it back…” Antonio continued. “Sounds great.” Antonio couldn’t take it anymore. He laughed and hit Luis on the arm, finally catching his attention. “Look, man, if you don’t want to listen to me, that’s fine. I know that you’re wondering what she’s saying. Is she professing her love for Sam? Telling him that she’s planning to run off to Europe with a country club guy?” Antonio glanced over at his brother and saw the blood drain from his face. “Chill out, Luis. I was just kidding. Relax, will you? The girl loves you and you two are going to live ‘Happily Ever After.’” “I hope so, Tony, but right now I’m not too sure.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 29:

Luis began to pace anxiously outside the door. He was no longer even pretending to talk to Antonio. He was worried about what Sheridan and Sam were discussing. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally walked out of his office. “Sheridan, where are you going to be staying?” Antonio asked. “Well, I was going to stay at my cottage. Why?” “Well, we suspect that Julian and Alistair may have arranged your kidnapping. If they would do that, who knows what else that they would do? Is there anywhere else that you could stay?” “Sheridan, you can stay with us. Mama would love to have you,” Luis told her. “Luis, I—I couldn’t. Your house is crowded enough as it is. I—I just couldn’t do that.”

“Well, Sheridan, I know that Liz would love to have you stay with us. And we have plenty of room. What do you say?” Officer Fossum offered. “Erik, I—I couldn’t. I’ll just go find a hotel room. Don’t worry about me, guys.” “Actually, Sheridan, I’d feel better if you were staying with someone. That way if anything happens, someone will be right there to help,” Sam explained. “C’mon, Sheridan. Stay with us,” Fossum pleaded. “Fine, Erik,” Sheridan sighed. “But I’ll need to go to the cottage to get some of my stuff.” “Sure, Sheridan. I’ll give Liz a call so she can get the guestroom ready for you. Then we can head over to the cottage and get your stuff. Sound good?” “That’s great, Erik. Thanks.” Erik and Sheridan headed out to his car, leaving Luis wondering what the hell just happened. —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan was in her bedroom deciding what clothes she was going to take with her to Erik and Liz’s. She knew that she shouldn’t pack too much, but who knew how long that she would be there. She decided that she was going to take 2 duffel bags, and she could always buy more clothes if necessary. She was so preoccupied with her packing that she didn’t notice her door open or a man sneak into her room. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she tried to scream.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 30:

“Sheridan!” Luis said, as he clapped his hand over her mouth. “It’s me. Calm down.” “Oh, Luis. It’s you.” Sheridan collapsed into his arms. “Sheridan, sweetie. What’s wrong?” Luis asked, as he began gently rub her back. “Oh, Luis, I’m fine. It’s just that all of Sam’s worries about Father or Julian trying to do something to me really has me on edge. I didn’t hear you come in, and when you put your hand on my shoulder… Well, it really scared me.” “I’m sorry, Sher,” Luis apologized. He leaned down to kiss her, to make all her fears evaporate into nothingness. They kissed for a few moments, before Sheridan pulled away. “Luis, We—I—I can’t do this.” Luis was confused. What was this about? He thought that she loved him. What now? —+—+—+—+—+—

Meanwhile, Sam was back at the police station, waiting for Eve to give him the results from the DNA test. He paced nervous, hoping that the fake Luis wasn’t his brother. Hank wouldn’t do something like this—he just couldn’t. Sam didn’t know how he’d be able to tell his family that their Uncle Hank would do something like this to Luis and Sheridan. Just as he was contemplating this, Eve walked through the door of the police station, with a stack of papers in her hands. “Well? Eve, do you have the results?” Sam asked anxiously. “Yes, Sam. I know the identity of the fake Luis. His name is…”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 31:

“Sam, the fake Luis is your brother—Hank. Sheridan’s suspicions were right. The DNA matches.” Eve looked at Sam’s shocked face. “I realize that this may be hard for you to accept, Sam, but unless he has an identical twin somewhere, it’s him.” Sam couldn’t believe it. His own brother would do something like this? It seemed unreal. But now that impossibility had become a reality—and he had to face the music. “Ok, Eve,” Sam said wearily. “Thanks.” Eve quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Sam to his thoughts. Sam knew that he had to talk to his brother, as difficult as it may be. He had to figure out what could make Hank act so out of character. Hank hurt his two closest friends by what he did. The big question was why? —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan looked at Luis’s face. He looked hurt and surprised. She knew that she had hurt him by what she had said, and she wanted to set him straight. She just wasn’t sure if she had the guts to say it—or if Luis would let her. “Sh—Sher, what do you mean you can’t do this?” Luis asked cautiously. “How do you feel about me?” “Luis, I love you. You know that. But I can’t be with you. I’m sorry, Luis. I love you so much, but I can’t do this. I hope you can understand.” With that, Sheridan bolted from her room, tears rolling down her cheeks. She finally stopped once she reached the gazebo. She sat on the ground and contemplated her ruined relationship. She knew that her explanation to Luis had been cryptic, but she couldn’t have told him the reason for the end of their relationship.

She couldn’t tell him that it was because she felt guilty for sleeping with Hank. She could almost see the look of disappointment in his eyes. She knew then that she had made the right decision. Luis would get over her—eventually. He could build a life with Beth or some other girl who wouldn’t sleep with another guy. She didn’t deserve a great guy like Luis. She knew that now. Her life would be miserable without him, but if he was happy, she would be too. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis watched in complete and utter shock as Sheridan ran out of the room in tears. What the hell did she mean? She loved him, but she couldn’t be with him? Why? They loved each other with all of their hearts and souls, but she still couldn’t be with him. What was wrong with her? Luis was about to run after her, when his cell phone rang. “Lopez-Fitzgerald,” Luis answered. “Luis, it’s Tony. Sam found out who your double is, and I think that you need to get down here. He’s pretty upset.” “Who is it, Tony?” “It’s Hank.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 32:

“HANK?!?” Luis yelled into the phone. “HANK did this to me? To us? I thought he was my friend! Damn him!” “Luis, you need to forget about that for a moment. Think of Sam. Sam is almost ready to take him out himself. And if you don’t get down here and help him calm down, he could get in some legal trouble himself. He needs you here, Luis. You’ll be the only one who can get him to calm down. You need to get down here right away.” Luis couldn’t believe the horrible timing that his brother had. “Ok, Tony. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” “Hey, Erik?” Luis called out to Officer Fossum. “Yeah, Luis? What’s up?”

“Well, my double is Hank, and Sam’s almost ready to kill him. At least that’s what Tony just told me. So I’m going to head down to the station and make sure that he doesn’t do something that he’ll regret later. Could you, uh, tell Sheridan that I love her and that I’ll talk to her later?” “Sure thing, Luis. I’ll see you later.” Luis nodded and walked out the door to his car. He prayed to God that he would get to the station before it was too late. —+—+—+—+—+— Sam walked into the jail. He was still having problems believing that his own brother would do something so mean and cold-hearted. He found Hank’s cell, and he saw his good-for-nothing brother taking a nap. “Wake up, Hank! WAKE UP!!”

Hank sat up, startled by the sudden noise. “What? My name isn’t Hank. I’m Luis.” “Hank, you can shove that ‘cause I don’t believe a word you say. Eve gave me the results of the DNA test. You are none other than my brother Hank Bennett.” “Fine, Sam. I’m Hank. You figured it out. Congrats. Now let me get some sleep,” Hank told Sam emotionlessly. He lay back down and closed his eyes, attempting to fall back asleep. “Like hell I will let you sleep! How much sleep do you think that your supposed ‘best friend’ Luis got while you were off in the mountains with the love of his life? ZERO!! He spent almost every night here, searching for clues as to where Sheridan was. When he actually went home, he couldn’t sleep since he was so worried about her. You made his life a living hell, and I should do the same to you.”

“Sam, you have no idea why I did what I did. You don’t know what my reasoning was.” By this time, Hank had stood up and approached Sam with little more than the cell bars between them. “Who the hell cares why you did what you did? The bottom line is that you screwed over your best friend and the woman that he loves. I can’t believe I’m related to you.” “Well, there’s nothing more that I want than to not be related to you! Do you have any IDEA what it’s like to be the younger brother of the ‘perfect’ Sam Bennett? Nothing I ever did was good enough in Dad’s eyes. I never excelled enough at school, sports, and I didn’t become a police officer like he always wanted. Dammit, Sam, I pray to God that you weren’t my brother!”

Sam was insulted. “Damn you, Hank.” He had been trying to keep his anger in check, but he couldn’t do it any longer. He was going to make Hank hurt as much physically as Luis had hurt emotionally. Screw the consequences, Sam thought. Hank is going to pay! Sam pulled his fist back and prepared to rearrange his brother’s face. It was rather ironic. When they were younger, Sam always stopped bullies from picking on his little brother. Now he was the one who was going to beat up Hank, and there was no one there to stop it from happening.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 33:

Sam’s arm started to head for Hank’s jaw, but suddenly, it stopped in mid-air. Sam spun around and saw Luis standing behind him, grabbing his arm. “Luis, you don’t understand. This is something that I need to do.” “Sam, I do understand. Tony called me and told me about Hank. I’m just glad that I got here before you did something that you’d regret.” Sam couldn’t believe that Luis wasn’t getting in line behind him to get a piece of Hank. “Oh, trust me, Luis. I would not regret it. Not for a single moment. Now let me at him!” —+—+—+—+—+— Luis couldn’t believe the red fire that was burning in Sam’s eyes. Tony had been right. If he hadn’t gotten there to stop him, Hank would have ended up in the hospital—or worse. “Sam,” Luis said in his most even voice, “we need to talk about this before you do anything. C’mon. We’ll go into your office.”

Reluctantly, Sam walked towards his office, with Luis slowly following behind. Before he left, Luis had to say one thing to Hank. He looked at him and simply said, “Don’t think this is over, Hank. I’ll be back and we can finish this.” With that, he walked out of the room. —+—+—+—+—+— Hank sat in the cell knowing that he was in deep trouble. Sam’s anger was bad enough, but he knew that Sam couldn’t hurt his little brother too bad. But judging from the look of pure fury in Luis’s eyes, he was in for some serious pain. He had seen first-hand how Luis had punished people who had tried to take advantage of his family. Luis and Sheridan were practically married, and Hank knew that nothing would stop the punishment that Luis’s short temper practically guaranteed. —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan had returned to her cottage and finished packing. She and Erik then drove to the Fossum home, where Liz met them excitedly. “Oh, Sheridan! It’s great to see you! I’m so glad that you’re ok! Oh, when Erik told me what happened, I was so worried!” Liz exclaimed as she raced forward to give Sheridan a hug. Liz led Sheridan inside where she began to give Sheridan the grand tour. “I know that you haven’t seen our new house yet, so here’s the kitchen. And the living room’s in there. Up those stairs is our room. And your room is down these stairs. There’s even a back entrance in case Luis wants to sneak in late some night.” Liz winked at Sheridan. But then Sheridan did that last thing that Liz had expected. She burst into tears. What did I say? Liz wondered.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 34:

“Sheridan? Are you ok? What’s wrong?” Liz asked worriedly. “No, I’m not ok, Liz! I miss Luis!” Sheridan said between sobs. Now Liz was more confused than ever. “Well, don’t worry, Sheridan. I’m sure that he’ll come over tonight. He loves you so much.” “I know he does!” Sheridan cried. “But I broke up with him. Liz, Hank got me drunk, and I slept with him! I can’t be with Luis now. Not after I slept with another guy. I feel horrible about it too. Oh, Liz, what am I going to do?” “Luis will forgive you, Sheridan. He’ll get past this.” “Yeah, maybe he will. But I don’t think that I can ever get past it,” Sheridan said sadly. —+—+—+—+—+—

“Sam, why were you going after Hank like that? I mean, I know that you’re disappointed in him, but if anyone has reason to want to kill him, it would be me.” “Luis, part of it was the shock in finding out that he would hurt his friends like this. And the other part is what Sheridan told me that I needed to add to the list of charges.” “What?” Luis was confused. “Sam what did she tell you to add.” Sam walked over to the door and closed it. Then, he handed Luis the list of the charges that were being brought against Hank. Luis quickly scanned through the charges. They were what he expected…until he reached the last one. “RAPE?!?” Luis yelled in disbelief. He ran for the door, but Sam stopped him. “Luis, don’t do this. You could lose your badge.” “Dammit, Sam. I don’t care! I’m going to make him pay for all the pain that he’s caused me and Sheridan!!” Hank heard the commotion coming from Sam’s office, and he knew that Luis had discovered the most recent accusation. Great, thought Hank. This is just great. Luis is going to kill me.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 35:

“Luis, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to put you in handcuffs until you do. Your family needs you. Sheridan needs you.” “No, Sam, you’re wrong. Sheridan doesn’t need me.” “What? Luis, she loves you with all of her heart. She told me as much on the helicopter ride back here.” “Yeah, I know. But she also told me that she can’t be with me. ‘I love you but I can’t kiss you.’ Dammit, Sam! This is probably why she can’t be with me! She thinks that I could never get past the fact that she slept with Hank! Oh, Sam, I need to go talk to her. I’ll be at Fossum’s if you need me.” —+—+—+—+—+—

After Luis left, Sam walked back over to Hank’s cell. Hank cringed and moved away from the bars as Sam drew nearer. “Hank, you are such a pitiful, shameful coward. I’m not going to hurt you. I wish I could make you hurt as much as Luis and Sheridan are hurting right now, but I can’t. You hurt them, Hank. Your selfishness has hurt them so much—and could possibly even ruin the love that they share. You screwed up, Hank. And I don’t think that there’s any way that you can earn their forgiveness.” After saying this, Sam walked away, leaving Hank to his thoughts.

Hank knew that his brother was right. He was afraid. That’s why he had done this. He was afraid that Jessica or Kay would be hurt. He didn’t doubt that The Boss could carry through on his threats—but would he? He was too scared to find out. He knew that he had hurt Luis—his best friend. Despite everything that had happened between them, Luis was his closest friend—although it may have been more of a one-sided friendship at that moment. He knew that he couldn’t even try to ask for Luis and Sheridan’s forgiveness. Hank couldn’t even forgive himself for what he had done. —+—+—+—+—+—

“Hello?” Luis’s voice called, as he walked down to Sheridan’s new room. “Hey, Liz, Sheridan. Erik told me that you guys were down here.” “Yeah?” Liz asked. “Well, I think that I’ll go find that cute husband of mine then.” She smiled encouragingly at Sheridan, and walked up the stairs. “So…” Sheridan trailed off. It was weird. She could no longer find the words to talk to the man that she loved. Her guilt was making her so uncomfortable around him, that she almost stood and followed Liz up the stairs. “Sheridan, I know,” Luis told her gently.

“You know…what?” Sheridan asked, hoping he didn’t mean what she thought he meant. “I know why you ended Us. Sam showed me the crimes that Hank is charged with. I’m sorry that you felt that you couldn’t tell me.” Luis tried to lean forward and give her a hug, but Sheridan backed away. She knew that if she let him embrace her, she would never find the courage to leave those loving, comforting arms. She had hurt him so badly—she couldn’t risk doing it to him again. “Luis, I—I couldn’t find the words to tell you. Telling Sam was bad enough, but telling you would have made them so real—too real.” “I love you, Sheridan. Always and forever.” This time, she dodged a kiss. “Luis, I love you, too, but I still can’t do this. I’m sorry. I wish I could, but if I can’t forgive myself, I can’t expect you to forgive me.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan was crying. He had made the woman he loved cry. He was horrified by what he had done. He still loved her, of course, but he couldn’t pressure her any longer. He knew that as much as he wanted to kiss all her cares and fears away, he couldn’t. She wouldn’t let him. “Sheridan, I can’t say that I like your decision, but I will respect it. I love you, Sheridan. Now and forever. I dreamed of us growing old together, with our adorable children, but now I realize that that may never become a reality. Goodbye, Sheridan.” Holding his head up high, Luis walked up the stairs, out of her room, and out of her life. —+—+—+—+—+—

Oh, God. He’s gone. He’s really gone! Sheridan’s mind screamed out in anguish. She had known that this was what she wanted—what she needed to do. But she had no idea that it would be so difficult. She wanted that future that Luis had imagined for them, but she could no longer see it happening. She couldn’t let it. So, instead, she lay on her new bed and cried, as her heart broke into two pieces. Whether she was with him or not, her heart would always belong to Luis. But her heart might never be whole again.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 36:

Over a month had passed. Sheridan was trying her best to move on—learn to deal with life without Luis. She couldn’t believe the way she was acting. More than anything, she couldn’t believe that Liz and Erik hadn’t kicked her out yet. She snapped at every little thing that they said. God, Sheridan thought. I have been a total bitch this past month. I can’t believe they’ve put up with me for so long. I need to get over Luis and quick. It’s been a month, Sheridan. Quickly, Sheridan grabbed her calendar. It was April 16. She was late. —+—+—+—+—+—

She immediately hopped into her car and drove to hospital. Ohmigod. Could she be pregnant? She could have easily used a home pregnancy test, but she needed to know for sure. She also knew that she could trust Eve to keep quiet about the results…whatever they were. —+—+—+—+—+— Luis was getting frustrated. It was bad enough that Sheridan had ended it between them because Hank had forced her to sleep with him, but now Hank was creating more problems. Despite all of the great plea bargains that were offered to him, he refused to name those who had funded his plastic surgery.

Luis knew that Julian and Alistair were behind it. Now if only he could get Hank to admit it! He and Tony were growing closer and closer, but he was having trouble keeping this secret from Mama and the rest of his family. He knew that they all missed Tony and Papa, but he couldn’t tell them. “Dammit, Hank,” Luis said to himself. “What am I going to have to do to get you to tell us that they put you up to it?” Luis knew that he would do almost anything in order to get Julian and Alistair behind bars. But how much would it take?

To Be Continued…

Chapter 37:

Luis walked over to Hank’s cell. This had become almost a daily ritual. He wished he could get what he wanted from Hank. All he wanted were some names, but Hank continuously refused to answer his questions. “So, Luis, back again?” Hank’s voice greeted him. “Hank, you know that I’m not going to stop until I get names. I don’t care if I have to come in here every day for the rest of my life. I will find out who put you up to this.” “No one did, Luis. This was all my idea. You know that I’ve always wanted Sheridan. This was just my chance to get what I’ve always wanted.”

“That’s total bullshit, Hank, and we both know it. There’s no way that you have the kind of money that would be necessary to pull of something this elaborate. You look exactly like me. That alone had to cost thousands of dollars. So, tell me. Who made you do this?” “No one, Luis. This was totally my idea.” “Look, Hank, I realize that friendship must not be all that high on your priority list anymore, but hear me out. You ruined what Sheridan and I had. You ruined the best thing that ever happened to me with your selfishness. I thought I was your best friend, Hank. But if I were your best friend, why would you do this to me? To us? Hank, if you ever cared about me and Sheridan in the least, tell me who put you up to this? Who paid for it? Goddamn it, Hank. Tell me!”

Luis glanced up at his ex-friend. He saw Hank was torn. He wanted to tell, but something was holding him back. The question was, what was it? —+—+—+—+—+— Sheridan was waiting anxiously for the results of her pregnancy test. She didn’t know what she would do if the test came back positive. “Well, Sheridan, I’m surprised that Luis didn’t come with you,” Eve commented as she walked back in the room. “Uh, well, Eve, we’re not together anymore,” Sheridan admitted quietly. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sheridan. I had no idea.” “That’s ok, Eve. So…? Am I pregnant?”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 38:

“No, Sheridan, you’re not pregnant.” Sheridan breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t pregnant! If she wasn’t so depressed by this whole Luis situation, she’s dance around the room a bit. “Thank you, Eve. Thank you so much.” Eve was puzzled, but she knew that it was none of her business. “You’re welcome, Sheridan. Let me know if there’s anything else that I can do for you.” “Ok, Eve. I will.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis was watching the battle that was being fought in Hank’s mind. To tell or not to tell? Luis wondered what could make it so difficult for him to tell the truth. After a few moments, he saw that the battle was over. But the question was what was his decision? “Luis, this was all my idea. No one else was involved, Luis,” Hank told him expressionlessly. Damn, Luis thought. Now what? —+—+—+—+—+— A few minutes later, Sheridan arrived at the police station. She prayed that Luis wouldn’t be there, but, somehow, she knew that he would be. Cracking this case had become his life. “Hey, Sheridan,” Erik called as she walked through the door. “Hi, Erik,” she replied listlessly.

“Uh, Luis is in talking to Hank. Just so you know…” Erik warned her. “Thanks, Erik. Actually, I was hoping to talk to Hank by myself. Is there any way that you could get him out of there?” “Sure, Sheridan. I’ll see what I can do.” Erik walked off to get Luis away from Hank’s cell. A few moments later, they both emerged from the jail. “Sheridan,” Luis said evenly. “Luis,” Sheridan said in the same tone. She knew that this was tearing him apart. It took every ounce of her courage to keep from throwing herself into those loving, protective arms. Instead, Sheridan just walked right past him, towards Hank’s cell. —+—+—+—+—+—

Hank was surprised to see her. Sheridan hadn’t shown her face in here since he was arrested. Hank got the idea that she had something that she needed to get off her chest, and he figured it would be easiest if she believed that he was sleeping. Since he was trying to sleep, he knew that it shouldn’t be that hard to fool her. He closed his eyes, and began to play possum. —+—+—+—+—+— Oh, thank God, Sheridan thought. She knew that she never would have been able to get out everything that she wanted to say if he had been awake. Looking into his eyes would have shattered her strength and courage.

“Oh, God, Hank,” Sheridan sobbed softly, making sure that she wouldn’t awaken him. “Did you have any idea what would happen if you did this? What you would do to me? To Luis? To us? Hank, you got me drunk and slept with me. Now I can’t even think about Luis without feeling guilty. And this morning, I thought that I might have been pregnant. Oh, God, Hank. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I were! Luckily, Eve told me that I wasn’t, but just the thought of it…” Sheridan paused to compose herself. “Hank, I thought you were my friend. Mine and Luis’s. But a friend wouldn’t do this to us, Hank.

We all know that Father and Julian put you up to it, but we have no proof. Why don’t you just admit it, Hank? At least then Luis will be happy. I can never be happy without Luis, but I want him to be happy. God, Hank! Why can’t you just confirm what everyone already knows? Why?” Sheridan wished that she could find a way to convince Hank to tell Sam the truth. She would do almost anything to give that to Luis, but she had no idea how to accomplish it.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 39:

Hank heard the slam of the door and knew that Sheridan had left. He propped himself up on his elbows. Now he had his decision to make all over again. It was tough enough was Luis was standing right over him, staring into his eyes. But now Sheridan had made her plea to someone who she believed couldn’t even hear her. She had simply laid out the facts of her life, rhetorically wondering what he would do something like what he did. Honestly, Hank was beginning to wonder why he had done it. He knew what he had to do. He quickly stood up and began to bang on the door to his cell, rattling the locks. He had to get someone in here, before he lost his nerve. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis heard the banging and wondered what the hell was happening in the jail. Quickly, he stood up from his desk and walked in. He saw Hank standing at his cell door, making a racket. “Hank, what do you want? What are you doing that for anyhow?” “Luis, I need to talk to Sam. Get him in here, now.” Wondering what was going on, Luis opened his mouth, and then shut it. If Hank wanted to talk to Sam, he may tell him who was behind this whole plan. He quickly did as Hank had asked and brought Sam into the jail. “What do you want, Hank?” Sam asked skeptically. “Sam, Luis, I’m ready to tell you everything. But I have a plan that we will have to follow…”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 40:

Sheridan was sitting down in her room at Liz and Erik’s house. She was remembering all the great times that she and Luis had shared. It was funny. Now, after they had broken up, she thought of all those times that she had hated him as good times. The car crash. Their first tango. The kidnapping in Paris. His parachuting to her rescue. He had loved her for so long. She knew that now. Now if only she could learn to make a wonderful life of her own—without Luis. Suddenly, a loud knocking on the door interrupted Sheridan’s thoughts of Luis. God, it almost sounded as if the door would break down at any moment. “One moment!” Sheridan yelled, as she ran up the stairs. Who was at the door?

She opened it. “I’m sorry. Liz and Erik aren’t—” She gasped as she saw who was at the door. “Luis.” —+—+—+—+—+— Luis laughed. “Yes, Sheridan. Liz and Erik aren’t me. I am a one-of-a-kind type of guy. And, I need to talk to you.” With that, Luis walked into the house. “Ok, Luis. What’s up?” Luis walked over to Sheridan and did the one thing that he had wanted to do for over a month. He cupped Sheridan’s face and gave her a deep and searing kiss. Sheridan instinctively threw her arms around his neck and gave herself to the kiss. A fire was ignited inside Luis the second that his lips touched hers. The wildfire raged, capturing his entire body, his entire heart, and his entire being. He knew at that moment that he could never build a life without Sheridan, no matter how much she wanted him to. Luckily, he would no longer need to worry about that.

After a few minutes, Luis broke the kiss so that they could each catch their breath. He held her in his arms, and he could feel her shaking against his chest. “Wow,” Luis told her softly. “Luis, I—I—we—” “Yes, Sher, we can. I can’t say how yet, but Hank’s trial is tomorrow. Meet me there, and I guarantee that you’ll get a repeat performance of our kiss today. Trust me.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, Sheridan. And tomorrow we will be one.” With that, he quickly walked out the door, leaving Sheridan wondering what he had planned.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 41:

The next day, Erik drove Sheridan to the courtroom for the trial. He had offered to walk her inside, but Sheridan had declined. She knew that this was something that she had to do on her own. Sheridan was scared. She didn’t know what Luis had planned, but if he did as he had promised, this would be the best day of her life. —+—+—+—+—+— Luis kept glancing towards the courtroom doors. Where was Sheridan? He knew that she needed to be here for Hank’s plan to work. The judge had entered and was preparing to call the court into session. Then, he heard the door open. He spun around and saw Sheridan. He breathed a sigh of relief and flashed her a confident smile. She was here. He walked over to her and pulled her into his embrace. Together, they sat down to watch the proceedings. Now Sam just had to find two more people… —+—+—+—+—+—

The judge called the courtroom to order and both of the lawyers gave their opening statements. Then, they called the first witness—Hank. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” “I do,” Hank promised. “Hank Bennett, do you admit that you kidnapped Miss Sheridan Crane from the Harmony Hospital on January 23, 2001?” “Yes.” “During this time, did Miss Crane ever give you any signs that she wanted to sleep with you?” “No.” “Yet you slept with her anyhow?” “No,” Hank said, crossing his fingers. His plan had to work. Sheridan and Luis deserved to be together—he knew that now. But would Sheridan believe him? —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan gasped in shock. She didn’t sleep with Hank? She felt Luis’s arm slip reassuringly around her shoulders. She saw his encouraging smile, and felt her heart melt. “But, Luis,” she whispered. “How do I know that he’s telling the truth?” “Just wait, my sweet. Everything will become clear in a moment.” —+—+—+—+—+— “No?” the DA asked. “But then why did you tell Miss Crane that you had?” “Because of what I had been hired to do.” “And what would that be?” “I was hired to get her pregnant.” “Who hired you to do this?” the DA prodded.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 42:

“Julian Crane hired me, on orders from his father, Alistair Crane.” “Well, we have the two Crane men in custody at this moment. But why would you do this to Miss Crane and Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, two of your friends?” “I did this because Julian threatened to hurt my family. I wished that I hadn’t done it. You have no idea how much I regret what I’ve done. But I was worried about my nieces, Kay and Jessica. But while I protected my family, I hurt my two best friends, Sheridan and Luis.” “No more questions, Your Honor.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Sheridan looked over at Luis, smiling for the first time in over a month. She hadn’t slept with Hank! “Oh, Luis!” she cried. “Shhhh!” he said softly. “Let’s take this outside.” He grabbed her hand as they snuck out of the courtroom. —+—+—+—+—+— After they had reached Luis’s car, Sheridan threw herself into his arms and began to kiss him as if there was no tomorrow. After a few moments, Luis knew that he had to pull away. “Sheridan, we need to slow down. I want to do this the right way. So tonight, I’m going to take you out on a date.”

“Where are we going? What should I wear?” “It’s a surprise. Wear whatever you want—you always look sexy, Sheridan. I’ll pick you up at 7.” —+—+—+—+—+— Moments later, he dropped her off at the Fossum’s house and only gave her a peck on the cheek. “That’s it?” Sheridan pleaded. “Yeah…otherwise I may never be able to prepare for our date tonight.” “Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald! What are you planning?” “Me?” he asked with an innocent smile, which quickly changed to his sexy grin. “You’ll see, love. You’ll see.”

To Be Continued…

Chapter 43:

Sheridan rushed into the house and ran down to her room. She began searching through her closet for the perfect outfit, but nothing would work. This was the biggest night of her life, and she had to look perfect. “Sheridan, what’s going on?” Liz asked, looking at the disaster area the room had become. “Oh, Liz, I need your help! Luis and I are going out tonight, and I have nothing to wear! I don’t know what to do!” “Ok, Sheridan. First, breathe. What exactly did you have in mind?” “Something sexy. Something that will take his breath away. The perfect dress.” Liz racked her brain. “I got it! Follow me, Sheridan.” —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis couldn’t believe how happy he was. He was back together with Sheridan, and he was able to share Papa and Antonio with his entire family. In fact, the three of them were heading to the Lopez-Fitzgerald house at this very moment. “Oh, Mama won’t believe her eyes when she sees you two. She’ll be so happy!” Luis exclaimed. “She won’t be the only one, son,” Papa reminded him. “It’s been far too long since I’ve seen my Pilar. And I can’t wait to see Theresa and Miguel. They must be grown by now. I can’t believe we missed so much, Tony.” “Papa, we did it for them. They’ll understand.” —+—+—+—+—+—

“Oh, Liz! It’s perfect!” Sheridan cried as she looked at the dress. She knew that Luis would love it. “Okay, Sheridan. Go try it on, and then we’ll do your hair and make-up.” “Oh, I don’t know what I’d do without you! Thank you so much!” “No problem, Sheridan. I’m just glad to see you smiling again.” —+—+—+—+—+— “Hola, Mama,” Luis said as he kissed his mother on the cheek. “Mijo, you’re in such a good mood. What happened?” “My life is perfect, Mama. Sheridan and I are back together, and I have a surprise for you.” “Oh, Luis, I don’t need anything,” Pilar protested. “Mama, this is something that you have wanted for a long time. But Miguel and Theresa need to be here too.” A few moments later, Miguel and Theresa walked into the room. “Ok, Luis. What’s your big surprise?” Miguel asked. “C’mon in guys!” Luis called outside.

Pilar couldn’t believe that Luis had gotten something for the family. It really wasn’t necessary, but she was sure that it would make Miguel and Theresa happy. Then she heard a voice that she had been yearning for years to hear again. “Pilar, honey, I’m home!” Pilar glanced towards the door and saw her Martin and Antonio walking towards her. “Luis! This is your surprise?” “Of course, Mama. I told you that it was something that you had wanted for years. And here they are: Papa and Antonio.” “Oh, my Martin!” Pilar cried as she ran into his arms. He held her tight and she felt all her worries slip away. —+—+—+—+—+—

Hours later, Luis was standing outside the Fossum house. He knew that he had cut the family reunion a little short, but he had promised Sheridan that he’d be there at 7. And here he was—at exactly 6:59. He knocked on the door. “Hey, man.” Erik answered the door. “Give her a minute. She and Liz have been hidden downstairs for hours working on…who knows what.” “Ahem!” Liz said as she walked towards them. “May I present Miss Sheridan Crane!” Luis’s gaze automatically flew to the top of the stairs. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Sheridan was more gorgeous than ever. She was wearing a long and flowing scarlet dress that hugged her every curve. Liz had put sparkling ruby clips in her hair, and now he could see long silver dangles in her sexy ears. He wanted to take her in his arms and make love to her then, but he knew that he had to wait. But he also knew that it was going to take all of his willpower to keep his hands off her. —+—+—+—+—+—

“You look beautiful, Sheridan,” Luis said appreciatively. “Thank you, Luis,” Sheridan replied with a sexy grin. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Sheridan knew that she was having quite an effect on him. She also knew that he was having the same effect on her. In his cargo shorts and tight black t-shirt, he was to die for. All she wanted to do was run her hands all over his sexy body—hell, that was all that she’d wanted for months. But she knew that she’d have to wait. “What do you say we head out to our mystery destination?” “I’d love to.” Luis grabbed Sheridan’s arm and led her out the door. —+—+—+—+—+—

Luis stopped the car in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere. He climbed out and motioned for Sheridan to follow him. Puzzled, Sheridan began to follow him. They walked across fields full of tall grasses, beaches of sand, and piles of rocks. “Luis,” Sheridan began as they were walking across a pile of rocks. “I’m not exactly dressed for this, you know.” Luis glanced down at her high-heeled feet. “Yeah, I guess you aren’t. Well, I can fix that.” He walked over and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald! Put me down!” Sheridan cried. She pounded on his back as hard as she could. “We’re almost there, Sheridan.” Luis tried not to laugh. “Now close your eyes.” “Like I can see anything other than your back anyhow!” Sheridan complained, but she did as he asked. A few moments later, Luis came to a stop. Gently, he lowered Sheridan from his back to the sand. “We’re there, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Can I open my eyes yet?” she begged. Luis laughed heartily. “Yes, love. Go ahead.” Sheridan scanned the scene around her. It was unbelievable.

To Be Continued…

Chapter 44:

Sheridan was amazed. What Luis had prepared was everything that she had imagined and more. They had a small beach all to themselves, and there was a small cave beside it. There was a small campfire lit on the beach, with a large blanket spread out on the sand. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset. “Oh, Luis,” Sheridan whispered in awe. “It’s beautiful.” —+—+—+—+—+— Luis was glad that Sheridan liked his surprise. He knew that she didn’t really care where they went, but he had wanted that night to be perfect. “Anything for you, my sweet.” “Luis, what is this place?” Sheridan asked after a few moments. “Sunset Cove. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Sweetie, it’s perfect. So how many girls have you brought here before?” Sheridan asked jokingly. “Hmmm…” Luis thought, as he counted on his fingers. “Six…Seven…Eight.” He saw the look of disbelief on Sheridan’s face and he laughed. “No, you’d be my lucky first.” “Really? You never even took Beth here?” “This was always my and Antonio’s place. After he disappeared, I couldn’t come back. There were too many memories here.” “And now?” Sheridan prodded gently. “Antonio and Papa are back, Sheridan. Didn’t I tell you?” She shook her head. “They were Tony and Tim from the FBI.” “Really?” Sheridan asked in shock.

“Yeah. Now I have them back. And I’m here on a moonlight beach with the sexiest, most wonderful woman in the world who is madly in love with me. My life is perfect, Sheridan. And it’s all because of you.” “Oh, Luis…” Sheridan reached for Luis and kissed him passionately. He responded with a hunger that seemed insatiable. He felt that fire burning through his body, but this time it was different. It wasn’t an explosion searing through his body.

It was more of a slow melting away of all his cares and worries with her gentle touch. He had never felt anything like that before, and he knew at that moment that she was The One. The woman that he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. “I love you, Sheridan Crane. With all of my heart and soul.” “I love you, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. More than you could ever imagine.” He captured her lips in another passionate kiss. Soon they began to shed the other of their clothes. They made passionate love under the stars all night long.

The End!!