Chapter 1: Homeport
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war, love is a growing up.”
-- Unknown

Luis lifted the bottle of Coors Light to his lips, taking a long, unhealthy sip of the alcoholic liquid. After a full twelve seconds of drinking he narrowed his eyes at his best friend and Beth Wallace who were sitting at the table across from him, their lips fused together and their tongues perpetually down each other’s throats. The sickening public display of affection was riding on his last nerve and he was very close to throwing the cool contents of the bottle in his hand on the two horny people in front of him. Suddenly an idea dawned on him. “Hey guys, Mrs. Wallace just walked in here!”

Hank shoved Beth away and practically fell out of the chair, as he tumbled to get as far away from her as possible. Beth turned to the door of the Pool Hall in confusion, her cheeks flaming bright red. “Mom?!”

Luis let out a hoot of laughter as Hank composed himself. “Got ya.”

Beth’s eyes narrowed dangerously at him. “That was low Lopez Fitzgerald. Even for you.”

“Buddy,” Hank complained as he brought his chair closer to Beth’s again. “Just when I was getting comfortable! You have the worst sense of humor ever.”

“Well next time, remember to come up for air.” Luis grunted taking another sip of his beer. “If you two insist on making out than do it at home ‘kay?”

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Beth teased as Hank wrapped a hand around her shoulder. Luis looked at the two of them, his best friends in the world and couldn’t help but be happy for them and envious of them at the same time. There they were, sitting at the Pool Hall, disheveled, hot and bothered and completely in love. They had everything.

“Yeah Luis. Ever since you came back from Boston you’ve been awfully quiet. Not a lot of action there, huh?” Hank grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Luis smiled half-heartedly at Hank’s pun and turned away from him muttering he was just fine. Luis’s eyes rested on a tall redhead across the room and then he closed his eyes trying desperately to ignore the memories of what had happened in Boston. It had been six weeks since he had returned from that trip and he still couldn’t figure out why things turned out the way they did. He didn’t expect to see Gwen there, he didn’t expect to dance with her and kiss her and he definitely didn’t expect that they would have sex. He was still trying to figure that one out.

Gwen Hotchkiss. Ethan’s ex-fiancée, Theresa’s sworn enemy and Sheridan’s one time best friend. And he had slept with her. Without thinking of the consequences or ramifications. He never did anything without thinking. But there had been something in her eyes. A deep, overwhelming loneliness and he had felt it too. He couldn’t explain it – that feeling of just doing whatever it was that felt right and it was driving him crazy.

“Really Luis, what’s up?” Beth asked seriously.

“Nothing,” Luis replied looking over at his ex-girlfriend. “Why would something be wrong?”

“Oh, just the fact that you have hardly said a word and you’re disgusted whenever Hank and I kiss.” Beth challenged.

Luis leaned forward on the table. “I’m always disgusted when you and Hank kiss.”

“Jealous there, buddy?” Hank joked slapping him on the back. “Welcome to my world.”

“Funny Hank,” Luis said as Beth smacked him upside the head. “And I am not jealous. It’s just embarrassing to hang out with the two of you all over each other.”

“Now you know what it feels like,” Beth said as she took a sip of her beer. “It wasn’t a picnic for Hank or me to watch you and Sheri…oh, sorry. I didn’t mean it like…sor-”

“You don’ have to apologize Beth,” Luis said holding his hand up. “I’m not going to break every time you say her name you know. It’s been almost a year since we broke up. I’m over her.”

Hank and Beth nodded, not convinced. Hank took a sip of his beer and Beth sighed. “Well speaking of the aforementioned ex, I saw her at the hospital yesterday when I went to pick something up for Mom. Is she alright?”

“I don’t know,” Luis replied his concern apparent. “I haven’t talked to her in months. Maybe she was there visiting a friend.”

“Maybe,” Beth replied unconvinced yet again.

“Did she look sick?” Hank asked realizing both Beth and Luis were dissatisfied.

“No,” Beth answered. “She looked fine. Just a little tired.”

“Oh,” Luis replied. He could hear the concern in his voice and his friends seemed to pick that up as well.

“You want us to go see her?” Hank asked.

“It couldn’t hurt,” Luis rationalized. “You are still friends with her right?”

“Of course.” Hank answered. “I’ll drop by on her tomorrow.”

“Oh you know who else I ran into?” Beth replied leaning forward. “Rebecca Hotchkiss.”

Luis tensed up a bit at the name but managed a tight smile. “So?”

“Seems Jonathan Hotchkiss has taken ill,” Beth replied and then rolled her eyes. “And Rebecca was beside herself with worry. She kept running in and out of the room complaining about the temperature of the room. That woman is so fake. Wasn’t she the same person who wanted to divorce Mr. Hotchkiss so she could get her paws on the Crane money?”

“Rebecca Hotchkiss is a witch,” Hank agreed with a small smile. “Ranks right up there with Cruella De Ville and The Wicked Witch of the West.”

“I wonder why he’s is still married to her,” Beth pondered. “Oh well, who cares?”

“Well,” Hank said suddenly. “If Papa Hotchkiss is sick then Gwen must be dropping by any time. She left Harmony so fast and between everything that’s happened I wonder if she’ll make an appearance.”

“Never underestimate Gwen Hotchkiss,” Luis said finally. “With her, you can never tell.”

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Gwen Hotchkiss tapped nervously on the armrest of the backseat of the limousine that was taking her from Harmony Airport to the hospital. Her mother had called her in Florida telling her that her father had suffered from another heart attack and she had hopped on the next flight back to Harmony. Whether or not she was ready for it.

Thoughts plagued her mind. Her father’s health and the mere fact that she was returning to the scene of the crime so to speak were first and foremost on her mind. But the underlying and most probably worst thing she was dreading was seeing all these people she had sworn never to see again. She had sworn if she saw Ethan and Theresa ever again, it would be too soon.

And then there was Luis.

Memories of their night in Boston assailed her pushing everything else out of her mind. For the past six weeks she had skillfully and successfully managed to keep Luis Lopez Fitzgerald and their night of frenzied passion out of her thought completely. She had thrown herself into a week of pure rest and relaxation after the Boston trip and then into a demanding physical fitness program in New York City. Finally she had landed in Florida for the perfect tan and then hoped to return to Hotchkiss Enterprises.

But fate had something else in store for her and here she was back in Harmony, Luis completely on her mind. She had tried, a million times in the flight from Florida to Harmony to rationalize what had gone down in Boston and the only thing she would come up with was that she was lonely and the two glasses of champagne they had consumed had made them a little tipsy. It was just the alcohol, she repeated to herself. It will never happen again.

It could never happen again because Luis was a dangerous man for her. He was totally not her type and he was Theresa’s brother. And the last thing she needed was to get thrown together with another Lopez Fitzgerald. Theresa had caused her enough pain to last a lifetime and she didn’t need to put her heart on the counter for Luis to steal and break anyway.

There will be no heart stealing, the voice in her head said. You’re here to see your father and there’s a slim to none chance that you will even see him let alone him having the chance to steal it. And really, Luis can never steal your heart. Whatever the two of you had was purely physical and it was just one night.

Her thoughts came to a stop along with the limo as it pulled up into the curb of Harmony Hospital. Not bothering to wait for the chauffeur to open the door for her, Gwen made her way to the front desk. “Mr. Hotchkiss, which room is he in?” she asked the receptionist.

“Are you family?” she asked pointedly.

“Yes I am,” Gwen answered impatiently. “I’m Gwen Hotchkiss.”

“Room 215 ma’am,” she replied. “Second floor.”

Gwen made it to her father’s room in record time. She approached the room and peeked through the window and saw her father lying in the hospital bed. Her mother was standing by his side, watching him sleep. Gwen narrowed her eyes at her mother, disgusted by the woman’s lack of concern. With a sigh, she turned the steel know and entered the room. Her mother looked up startled. “Gwennie!”

“Mother,” Gwen said as she quickly pulled a chair to her father’s bedside. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s been stabilized,” Rebecca answered. “But he’s still unconscious.”

“Hey Daddy,” Gwen said stroking her father’s face. She had read somewhere that people in comas heard what was being said to them quite often. She found it a little odd to talk to her father but she knew she needed to come through. “It’s me. Gwendolyn.”

“I don’t think he can hear you dear,” Rebecca said coming up behind her. “I’ve been talking to him for so long. No response.”

Gwen ignored her mother and continued to stroke her father’s hair. He was fifty-two years old and to Gwen he was the most handsome man in the world. His gray-blue eyes and soft smile were a constant sense of comfort to her over the years and she didn’t know what she would do if she lost him. She choked back a sob and smiled determinedly at her father. “You’re going to be okay Daddy. You’re too stubborn to give up.”

“Did you come here straight from the airport?” Rebecca piped in.

Gwen turned to her mother and checked the urge to snap at her. “Yes. I didn’t want to go home without seeing him.”

“You’re tired darling,” Rebecca cooed. “Why don’t you go home and freshen up? Or better yet, get a good night’s sleep and come to visit him in the morning. He’s not going anywhere.”

“I won’t be able to sleep,” Gwen replied with a sigh. “Not until he comes to, anyway.”

“Nonsense,” Rebecca replied. “If you insist on staying here, at least go get a cup of coffee. You look like hell.”

“Thanks Mother,” Gwen muttered. “Yes, I think I could use a cup of coffee.”

“Well good,” Rebecca said as she picked up her sequined purse from a nearby chair. “We need to catch you up with everything that’s been happening here anyway.”

Gwen nodded disinterested. “I’ll meet you outside, Mother.”

After Rebecca left she kissed her father’s forehead and slightly squeezed his hand. “I love you, Daddy. Don’t you leave me, yet.”

Gwen stepped outside the room and was immediately enveloped by her mother in a choking embrace. “Oh Gwennie, it’s so good to have you here. I’ve missed you so much. The house is so empty without you.”

“Thank you Mother,” Gwen said as the two women made their way to the elevator.

“So is there any new man in you life?”

Gwen’s thoughts drifted to Luis for a minute before she gave herself a violent mental shake. Her mother reached in front of her and pressed the elevator button. “No Mother, there’s no one.”

“Well that’s a good thing,” Rebecca answered with a mischievous smile as the elevator door pinged open.

Gwen looked at her perplexed and stepped inside the elevator. “Why?”

“Because now that you’re back in town,” Rebecca stated gleefully. “You can win Ethan back!”