Long Way to Perfect (Whitney/Ethan) - Chpt 1
by soaphater

-Please, please give me feedback. Let me know if you think this is a good idea!! If not, please let me know, and I'll try a different approach. I appreciate any and all feedback!!
Whitney sat, primly, properly, her hands placed, one over the other, in her lap, her eyes a mixture of interest and boredom, as she stared fixedly at her mother, Eve - she was watching Eve's lips move, but not really hearing what she was saying. Her thoughts were elsewhere. Staring over Eve's shoulder in the coffeehouse, transfixed by the vision of incredible masculinity and charm streaming out of a man on the other side of the bar, his thick chestnut hair falling in a lovely lock, over his left eye, his broad shoulders encased in only the most exquisite of designer sports coats.

- What would he want with me? she chided herself internally, angrily. And why would I even want to go there???

And then she thought about Chad, so far away from her, from Harmony, almost on the other side of the globe, it seemed, but only in L.A. He'd left without her, to pursue his dreams and music.
- It's me or your family, Whitney, he'd warned her.
- Don't do this to me! she'd pleaded.

And he'd left, just like that. Worn out by her flakiness and undecidedness, exhausted with hiding their relationship, almost decimated by the horrible after effects of Whitney's sister, Simone, discovering the truth - that it was, indeed, a two-way street between Whitney and Chad. That Whitney was not completely to blame. That Chad had indeed loved Whitney from the very beginning.

Whitney bore this cross gallantly, gratefully, and for that, Chad would never forgive her. He'd never understand her playing the martyr. That she'd found a certain sense of peace in coming to terms with how she'd hurt Simone, and that she had decided to stay behind, to care for her sister, who'd spiraled into a depression so deep that she hadn't said a word in over a year. That she'd stayed behind to be a companion and confidante to her mother, whose affair with Julian Crane had caused the disintegration of her marriage to TC, Whitney and Simone's father. That now, with Simone in a speechless slump and T.C. gone, his violence gone with him, Whitney and Eve had found a new relationship as mother and daughter, a close and healthy one that each cherished....this is what Chad could not stay behind to help her with. So he'd left.

Jerked back to the present, with Eve casting her a questioning gaze:

"Whitney? Have you heard a single word I've said this morning?"
"What? Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Mom. I'm just tired from having the late shift last night at the hospital. Sorry for being so out of it!" Whitney offered a small laugh, and picked up her cappucino, warming her hands around the ceramic.

"I'm so glad you decided to work there for the time being - things will get better, and once you get back on your feet, we'll figure out how to get you in to the University, and make sure you get that degree!"

Eve smiled back at her beautiful daughter, a tug grasping at her heart. She knew that music was Whitney's dream, but she also knew that the woman needed to be grounded, in a good education and a good career after that, or maybe grad school. Music would always be there. Whitney would always have her voice. She felt a bit selfish and almost hypocritical in thinking so, but she was secretly thrilled to have Whitney so close to her, especially after losing both Simone and TC in so short of a time. But life couldn't be better. She and Julian were rediscovering one another, and their long-ago feelings for one another, and even Whitney sensed the change in her mother, the happiness and the peace. She and Julian even got along, in their own way. Now, Rebecca was still a bit problematic, as was Theresa, and Theresa and Whitney hadn't spoken in months. This concerned Eve greatly. They had their hands full with those two! Thank god Ivy had finally snagged Sam - at least Ivy was out of the picture. And, with the divorce from Theresa final, Julian and Eve could finally begin to explore their own feelings. theresa was, still however, a thorn in all of their sides. Julian had settled with her, a sizeable portion of his estate, to be rid of her so he could be with his beloved, Eve, but Theresa was greedy for more, and wouldn't give up. Now, with her in control of Crane Industries, she would continue to be in their lives for a long time to come.

Eve tried to dismiss all of these negative feelings and thoughts.
"So....what were you thinking about just then?" she asked Whitney, who still had that far away, dreamy look in her eyes.
"I don't know....do you ever wonder, Mom, what would have happened if you'd never met Julian those many years ago?"
Eve was rather taken aback. She knew it had taken Whitney some time to get used to Julian being around, but this question had come out of left field, so to speak.

"You know the answer to that, Whitney. I used to wonder what would have happened, but now, I'm just so happy to have him back.....I don't know what I'd do without him...and without you - in my life."

This seemed so simple and straight forward to Whitney. She pondered it a moment, turning it around in her head, before forging ahead with another question.
"How do you feel now, about the Cranes? Have you changed your opinions now, with Julian in your life?" she asked her mother.
Eve thought long and hard on that one, and in a very measured way, responded:
"The Cranes aren't as bad as you would anticipate. Julian is wonderful to me now, and Sheridan has always been different. I guess, when it boils down to it, it's really on Alistair that I have a genuine problem with. The kids are alright - Ethan's a bit on the thick-headed side, and Fox and the sisters are just a bit cunning, but not dangerous, like Alistair..." Eve let her voice trail off.
"Why are you asking me this?" she said, her voice a little sharper this time.
Whitney blushed furiously, and studied the dregs of coffee in her mug, twisting it this way and that.
"No reason..." she mumbled, but that was so far from the truth....

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