Hope and Clarity - A Gwen Short & Complete Fan Fic
by SIPort
 

Hope and Clarity

" Gwen, honey, are you still packing?", Rebecca asked, with concern. " Did Dr. Russell tell you what's wrong?"

" Yes Mother, I know what's wrong. Let's sit down."

Rebecca steeled herself. Her little girl was all she had. " Gwen…is it ….serious?"

Gwen looked at her mother. Faults and all, she knew Rebecca tried to love her as best she could. But, thank goodness for her father. Gwen smiled at her mother. " Mother, I'm pregnant."

" Pregnant. PREGNANT!! Oh, Gwen, this is fabulous! You've beaten Theresa! I can't wait to tell the little bitch!" Rebecca stands up and Gwen pulls her back down.

" You will do no such thing, Mother."

" But, Gwen…"

" Mother. I never expected to get pregnant. I certainly didn't plan it, but it's like things have become so clear to me. I'm leaving for New York. Tonight."

" Leaving? Gwen, you've won!"

" Mother, Ethan bought a ring for ME and then winds up going to propose to Theresa. What does that tell you?"

" That he's a fool!"

" That maybe true, but it was a sign. Theresa always yammers on about 'fate', well, I think this is fate. Fate could have had me find out yesterday about the baby, but I didn't. I found out when I knew for sure about Ethan's decision."

" Gwen, this changes everything!"

" Mother, please listen to me. You want to know what Ethan said to me when I told him that I was pregnant? He said ' IS IT MINE?" "

" Oh no he didn't!"

" Yes, Mother. Yes! He KNOWS HE is the only man I've ever been with, the only man in my life…but, that was his FIRST reaction. I'm NOT the one who goes off, gets drunk, sleeps with his stepfather and gets impregnated, but he had the nerve to ask ME 'who the Daddy is'. It also told me that 'I' was going to have to be the primary parent for this baby. Ethan doesn't want this baby. It interferes with his Theresa devotion. I won't do it. I won't subject my child to it. It's bad enough that I was willing to humiliate myself for Ethan - my child deserves better."

" But, Gwennie, moving to New York?"

" It's what I have to do, Mother. I've been thinking about things and scenarios have been running through my mind. Ethan showed more concerned for Theresa's baby than he has for his own child. I need to do the right thing, Mother. This baby has to be #1 in somebody's world - and that somebody is ME. I'm not going to cut Ethan out of the baby's life, but I don't want Theresa as a major influence in my child's life. I'm not going to sign on for that, which is why I have to leave. "

There was a knock on the door. A Crane Maid stepped in. " The limo is waiting for you, Ms. Hotchkiss."

" Thank you. Will you take my bags?"

Gwen hugged her mother. " I'm going to have to ask something of you."

" Anything. "

" One. Don't hassle Ethan about the baby. It's my choice, Mother. Two. I'm going to need you and Daddy more than I have in a long time. Can you work with him?"

" You have always been the first concern for Johnathan and I. Gwennie..", Rebecca's eyes begin to tears.

Gwen wipes away her tears. " Mother, for the first time since the night of the engagement party, I'm finally back on solid ground. Don't worry about me. I am your daughter, after all."

" I hope you got some of me in you."

" Always."

Gwen kissed her mother. " Bye."

" You call when you get to New York."

" I'll be calling everyday. I'm sure of it."

" Love you, Baby."

" I love you too, Mommy."

Rebecca walked Gwen down the stairs and saw her into the limo. She walked quietly back into the Crane Mansion and sat down on a chair in the foyer, just thinking about her little girl.

Then she heard the scream..

" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ethan, you can't mean it!"

Ethan was walking into the living room.

Theresa ran and held his arm, pulling him back.

" Ethan, you can't leave me. Gwen's lying! She's not having your baby! It's a trick!"

" Sorry, Theresa, but Gwen showed me the test. It's true. She wouldn't try and trick me."

" Of course she would, Ethan. How else would she get you?"

" Gwen doesn't lie like that, Theresa. Only you do."

" That was mean, Ethan. "

" It's the truth."

" Theresa, I grew up without my biological father. I'm not going to have my child growing up without me."

" The marriage would be a farce."

" I care for Gwen."

" But, you LOVE me."

" I love my child, more."

" But…but, we can raise little Ethan together! You don't need Gwen's baby!"

Rebecca sat and listened with half-hearted glee.

" Gwen's child is MY child, and we're going to be a family. I'm going to propose to Gwen."

Ethan pulled loose from Theresa, and was on his way up the stairs when Rebecca called out.

" She's not there."

" Then where is she?"

" Hopefully in a plane getting far away from you." Rebecca went up to Ethan and slapped him hard and walked away.
 
 

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" There's been a backup, Ms. Hotchkiss, but I've received word from the tower that we'll be able to go soon.", the pilot said over the phone.

" Thank you."

Gwen was reading a magazine when the plane steward came to Gwen. " Ms. Hotchkiss, there's a situation."

" What kind of situation?"

" There's a man in a car who won't move his car from in front of the plane. Says he has to talk to you."

Gwen sighed. " Let him on the plane."

Gwen knew who it would be. " Hello, Ethan."

" Gwen, I'm glad I caught you. We have things to discuss."

" I told you that I'd call you from New York."

" But..you don't have to go to New York." Ethan got on his knee and pulled out the ring. " Gwen, will you marry me."

Gwen looked at the ring, which had been so important to her only 24 hours before and began to laugh.

Ethan looked up at her in confusion.

" Get up, Ethan. Get up." Gwen took the ring box and closed it and gave it back to Ethan.

" No, Ethan. No, there's no way in HELL that I'm going to marry you. "

" You won't? But…why?"

" Why? Why? WHY? You break my heart, and then wonder WHY I'm not going to let you do it again? Let me count the ways, Ethan. I gave you my heart, my virginity, my soul. You repay me by LYING to me for MONTHS as I asked you if you had feelings for Theresa. You then decide that you can't marry me mere HOURS before our wedding. I think I was in shock or depression or something along those lines, because I actually thought up that 'let's date Ethan' bull golly . You make a decision, and INSTEAD of telling me - in private, and letting me take my lumps with A SHRED of dignity, you DUMP me, in front of the entire town, and proceed to propose to Theresa IN FRONT OF ME and stick your tongue down her throat in the process. Not once did you ever apologize, Ethan. Not really. And, for me not seeing that, and how it revealed a deep lack of character on your part, is my misjudgement. But, I was so gullible. I thought you were 'taken in' by Theresa. That you were her patsy. The truth is, you LIKE being her patsy, so much so, that no matter what - no matter how many LIES she tells, no matter how many manipulations, it doesn't matter. You're there for her. I blamed her, and she is a lying sack of golly , but the truth is, if you like being her patsy, then you're to blame too.

It's all become crystal clear for me. I tell you that I'M PREGNANT, and you have the AUDACITY to ask ' IS IT YOURS?' Tell me Ethan, did you get me and Theresa mixed up? I don't get drunk and sleep with your relatives and get pregnant by them. You arrogant golly you had the nerve to ask me that. That was it, Ethan. That was my waterloo. All the fog cleared. I'm cured of you, and not a moment too soon.

So, No, Ethan. No, I'm not going to marry you. No, I'm not going to stay in Harmony. Yes, I'm going to have MY child. IF you would like to visit it, you are welcome to, but my line in the sand is drawn. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald will NEVER be a major influence in MY child's life. I have the responsibility to protect him or her from that woman. You get off this plane, Ethan. And, don't for one moment think you'll ever challenge me for custody, Ethan. You don't want to 'GO THERE'. As psychotic as Theresa's been in her pursuit of you? That's how I feel about protecting my child. So, you go and have a nice life, Ethan. Cause I sure will."

Gwen didn't let Ethan say anything else. She pointed to the exit and Ethan went and got off the plane. Once the door was closed, and Gwen sat down, she felt her stomach and broke out into a big grin.

" God, that felt great! I'M FREE!!! FREE!!!"

Gwen laughed a deep hearty laugh to the bottom of her soul.
 
 
 
 

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