Somehow I will ch.47   Standing Strong
by LilAngelGirl
 

Standing Strong

"What’s the yelling about?" Chad asked as he approached Theresa and Ethan.
"Ethan is just being Ethan." Theresa frowned looking over at Chad. "Nothing to worry about."
"Resa I heard you yelling out here, didn’t sound like nothing to me." Chad said wrapping a arm around Theresa’s waist.
"That was my fault." Ethan frowned, "I was being a jerk, and Theresa was simply telling me like it is."
"Theresa knows how to tell it like it is." Chad smiled.
Theresa looked up at Chad, "How’s Miguel?"
"He’s still in the study with Gwen." Chad told her as a frown fell on her face. "You want to talk to him don’t ya?"
Theresa nodded her head. "I just need to see how he feels." She said with a faint smile.
"Then go." Chad told her. "Besides I need to have a word with Ethan."
"Chad."
"Theresa, go talk to your brother." Chad said again.
"Fine." She sighed. "But Chad, be good." She smiled kissing his cheek.
"I love you." He smiled back, as she walked away.
Turning back to Ethan, Chad let out a heavy sigh, "My father is worried about you." He said bluntly.
"He’s worried I’ll ruin his life." Ethan said with a hateful laugh.
Chad crossed his arms, as he shook his head, "No, he’s upset about how he treated you man, He just wants to make it right."
"You sound like Theresa." Ethan grunted turning from Chad.
"Yeah well the girl makes a lot of sense most of the time." Chad explaining placing his hands in his pockets. "Dude, my father is trying to make things right here, don’t make it no harder on the man. He wants to start over clean, you know what I’m saying?"
"I hear you Chad, I do, but I’m afraid I know Julian Crane a bit better than you do, you see, he can show you a pretty picture when he wants something, and right now he wants something, he wants me to keep my mouth shut."
"Man, he’s changed I tell ya." Chad frowned.
"Julian Crane change? He’s a better person yeah, I’ll give you that one, but I don’t trust the man because I’ve saw him in action. I studied under him Chad, so one day I could run the business. I know him and I can’t trust him."
Chad sighed, "Look, Julian has came a long way, now if you wanta play it off as just a act go ahead, but I can’t. I’ve been looking for a family my whole life, and I’ve got one of them now. I have a father, and a child, and people that love me and what I’ve learned is that when you care about someone you protect them."
"What are you saying Chad?"
Chad inched closer to Ethan, "I’m saying Julian Crane is my father and I will protect him! Keep your mouth shut Ethan, if you have ever cared about that man, leave it alone. He might not be a blood Crane, but the dude has earned everything that is his, and I think you know that."
Ethan lowered his head, "I’m not going to say anything, I told Theresa I’d keep quite and I will, but I can’t forget what Julian did to me."
"You really are a spoiled brat, you know that Ethan?" Chad said before turning and walking off.
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Can I come in?" Theresa asked opening the study door.
Gwen smiled, "I’ll just go play with the kids or something."
Miguel looked at his sister as Gwen walked out of the room. "Here to yell at me?"
Theresa shook her head "No. But it is weird isn’t it? " She smiled over at her brother. "Papa is finally back with us and Luis can’t be here to enjoy it. It’s so bittersweet."
Miguel frowned, "Bittersweet? Is that what you call it? Luis spent his whole life searching for papa, for answers to why he was gone, and now that he’s gone, Papa is back. "
Theresa nodded her head, "In some sad way, loosing Luis, gave us Papa back." Theresa said a frown on her face.
"I’d take Luis any day." Miguel growled.
"Miguel!" Theresa almost yelled.
Miguel shrugged., "Well its true, and you said you wouldn’t yell!" He reminded her. "Luis raised us, he was our father Theresa, not that man in the other room. He’s a stranger to me!"
Theresa let out a heavy sigh, walking over to her brother, " Life isn’t fair Miguel, we know that better than anyone. Luis was the one there for us, you’re right, but Miguel, Papa made us, doesn’t that count for anything?"
Miguel sighed, "Men make babies all the time, he could have found a way to let us know he wasn’t dead Resa, that’s all I’m saying, he could have found a way!"
Theresa looked at her brother, she understood what he was saying, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief knowing her father was alive. "Miguel, he left to save us." She reasoned. "You heard Julian."
"A phone call Resa? Why not a phone call? Was that too much for him? Sneak and call Mama and said, ‘I love you and the kids, and I’m all right’, couldn’t he do that?" He questioned his sister.
Theresa smiled," You know, when you talk like that you really sound like Luis. You’ve got that whole protective thing going on just like him Miguel."
Miguel lowered his head, " I can never be as good as Luis." Sinking down to the floor, Miguel leaned into the wall. "Luis helped make me who I am, how can I just forget that?"
Theresa sat down in the floor beside him, turning to her brother she smiled. "No one is asking you to forget what Luis did for us, just because Papa is back doesn’t mean we have to forget all that Luis did. Luis helped raise us, he taught us so much, but Miguel, we can’t hate Papa because Luis isn’t here, that isn’t his fault."
"I know it isn’t his fault, and I could never hate Papa but Resa, we don’t know him, and I can’t trust him until we do."
"Luis taught you that didn’t he? Don’t trust anyone until you know them? He used to say that to me about guys all the time." Theresa laughed.
"And he was right." Miguel grinned looking at his sister, "Luis was usually right."
Theresa nodded her head. "Even when we didn’t want to admit it." She sighed.
"Oh yeah, he was always right then." Miguel laughed.
 
 

"You two better stop it!" Luis yelled at his baby brother and sister.
"The Kitty is in the tree." Theresa yelled back her long brown hair in pigtails. "Miguel’s gonna save it."
"I’m superman!" Miguel yelled out at Luis.
"You’re not superman, you’re a six year old." Luis yelled as Miguel stuck his tonuge out at his brother.
"Don’t listen to him, we can do it." Theresa coached as little Miguel began to climb up the huge tree.
"Miguel get down now!" Luis ordered.
"I can do it!" Miguel shouted as he climbed a step higher.
"Kitty! Miguel’s gonna get you kitty." Theresa called out to the yellow cat in the tree.
"Miguel now!" Luis said again.
"No!" He said shaking his head, as his foot suddenly slipped. "Help!" Miguel yelled as he crashed down falling on Theresa and knocking her to the ground with him.
Luis rushed over to his brother and sister. "My arm!" Theresa yelled. "It hurts!"
"I’m bleeding!" Miguel cried. "I’m dying, I’m dying!"
"You’re not dying." Luis said looking at the two injured children. "But you both need to see a doctor." Luis frowned touching his sister’s arm.
"Ouch!" She yelled.
"Next time you need to listen to me." Luis sighed. "Big brother’s know best."
 

"I had to have stitches from that fall you know." Miguel frowned. "Still have the scar."
"What are you complaining about? You broke my arm when you fell on me." Theresa laughed. "And that cat didn’t even like us. "
"But Luis did buy us ice cream after we left the hospital." Miguel smiled. "I’ll never forget that."
Theresa looked at Miguel, "What would Luis tell you to do concerning Papa?"
Miguel frowned, "Luis would tell me to be glad Papa’s back, but at the same time he would search out the truth, the complete and total truth sis."
"Then that’s what you have to do isn’t it?" Theresa sighed touching her brother’s arm. "You have to do what feels right for you."
"Will you stand behind me?" Miguel asked.
Theresa nodded her head, "As long as you listen to my advice, after all, big sisters know best too." She joked hugging her brother.