Who You Really Are Chpt. 19
by lillbugg
 

Theresa walked gradly into the Crane Mansion with Chad at her heels carrying her bags. She smiled smartly at Julian, Ivy, and Alistair who were at the front door.
"Where's Ethan?" she asked.
"He went to talk to a lawyer," Alistair informed her. "At least he was smart enough not to represent himself," he said, more to himself then to anyone else. Theresa's smile fell a little. She wondered why he wasn't there to greet her.
"Well, I want my bags taken to the room closest to Ethan's quarters. That way I can be closer to my son."
"Yeah right," Ivy said under her breath. Julian held up a hand to shush her. Theresa acted liek she hadn't heard it.
"I will expect to be treated with respect here. Or I will take my son and leave."
"Whatever Theresa. Just stay out of our way and away from Gwen. We don't want you upsetting her," AListair said, then turned and left the room, motioning Ivy and Julian to follow. Theresa grinned at their turned backs as some maids came to collect her bags.
"Common Chad," Theresa said.
"Where are we going?"
"To pay Little Miss Winthrop a visit."
Ethan sat in the lawyer, Mr. Frank's office. He had traveled to Post Falls, a town outside of Harmony to talk to him. He wanted to get as far away from Theresa's influence as possible, and he knew there were very few people in Harmony that would cross her. Mr. Frank was tough, but fair. He had come highly recommended by many people in the law business. Mr. Frank looked over the papers Ethan had presented him.
"So you say your ex fiance married your father, lied to you, then ignired your son once she didn't find him useful anymore?"
"That's basically it in a nutshell."
Mr. Frank shook his head. "At least the nut part is right. This whole situation is crazy. I don't know what goes on in that town of yours, but this case is a mess."
"Tell me about it. I am trying to remember what I even saw in her in the first place."
Mr. Frank looked at a picture of Theresa that was included in the files. "I could tell you," he said, smiling. "But that's beside the point. She is definitely not fit as a mother. In fact, she sounds as though she is hardly fit to be out on the streets. You do know you are in for a tough battle. She is going to try to make herself sound like a victim and she might very well succeed. The Crane name is notorious. That and very few judges will approve taking a child away from their mother unless the child had been hurt or neglected in some way that was harmful to them."
Ethan nodded. "I know it's a tough case, but I trust you completely. My son is in danger staying with her, that I am sure of."
"I agree with you. Next time, bring your wife in with you and let me know who Ms. Lopez Fitz-Gerald hired as her lawyer. I would like to talk to them as well."
Ethan shook hands with Mr. Frank then walked out the door. He sighed to himself as he walked to his car. He would do anything to protect his son and keep Lil Ethan with him and Gwen.
 

AListair motioned Ivy and Julian into his office. Ivy was fuming.
"WHo does she think she is! Ordering us around like we are her servants. I can't believe her!"
Alistair put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, Ivy, but we must put up with at least some of her demands in order to keep her in the house so Lil Ethan stays here. I will make sure this custody battle is fast. Believe me, I want her out of this house as much as you do. I regret ever having her declared the legal Mrs. Crane."
"SO do I," Julain said as he poured himself a brandy.

Gwen had done the smart thing and packed up Lil Ethan and Andrea and fled to Sheridan's cottage. She called Sheridan from there and Sheridan came right over. Sheridan looked around the cottage.
"You know, sometimes I miss this place."
"If it were up to me, we would be out of there and into here as fast as possible," Gwen said. "Unfortunately, I know Theresa has demanded to stay close to Lil Ethan and I am not leaving in that house without Ethan and I."
"I don't blame you at all. You do know that being close to Lil Ethan also means being close to you and Ethan as well."
Gwen shuddered. "Yes, I know that very well. But Ethan has proven to me that he can be trusted when it comes to her. I don't doubt that he will resist her at all anymore."
Sheridan smiled. "He certainly has grown these past few months. I have to say I'm proud of him."
"As am I," Gwen answered.
A knock on the door startled both of them. Sheridan opened it to find Fox standing there.
"I just came to let you knwo that Theresa is on her way over here. A maid told her you had come here and she looks fit to be tied. SHe has ner new little lap puppy at her heels too," he said, smiling.
Sheridan groaned and motioned Fox inside. "So what are we going to do about this? You know she'll demand to be inside until she gets Lil Ethan."
Gwen nodded. "I have no idea. She is nothing if not persistent."
Fox smiled his cunning smile. "I have an idea!"

Theresa tried to open Sheridan's cottage door. Sheridan opened it, "Why Theresa. What a surprise!" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Theresa burst past her into the room followed closely by Chad. She looked feircely around, her eyes coming to rest on Gwen. "Where's my son?" she asked.
Gwen sipped some tea thoughtfully then turned to the raven haired girl trying to hide her smile. "His uncle Fox took him and Andrea out for the day. He said he wanted to spend some quality time with them."
Theresa glared. "He's not his uncle," she spat. "How could you let him take my child?"
He's gone out with them before and you've never cared before now," Gwen said. "why does it suddenly matter to you now?"
Theresa stared at her in silence,trying to come up with a good reason. Sheridan jumped up and down behind her. "Ooh ooh! I know! It's because Theresa can use Lil Ethan as bait to get to big Ethan again. Suddenly, he's worth something to her." she said, glaring down at her sister in law.
"You don't know who you are messing with, either of you. I will make you pay, I promise that. Now where has Fox taken my son?"
"Honestly, he didn't tell us," Gwen said. "We didn't want to know." She met Theresa's glare head on.
Theresa stood fuming, trying to come up with something else. "You will pay."
"Yeah, you already said that," Sheridan said, yawning. "Now I would ask you if you have no other business with us, please leave this cottage. It does not belong to you anymore."
Theresa turned on her heel and pushed Chad ahead of her out of the door, slamming it behind her. Sheridan and Gwen dissolved into laughter once she left.
"Thank you Fox!" Sheridan and Gwen said together.
 

Fox laughed as Lil Ethan and Andrea made messes of ice cream all over their faces. He had taken them to a toy store and the ice cream parlor, some of their favorite places to go. He enjoyed spending time with them as they seemed to with him as well. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have kids, someday.
"Well hello stranger," a voice behind him said. He turned and looked into the dark eyes of Whitney. Smiling he motioned for her to take a seat. She looked at the two babies in front of her.
"So, you decided to kidnap a few Crane babies, huh?" she asked.
"No, theres actually a much more entertaining story to this," he said, quickly filling her in on the plan he came up with. WHitney laughed appreciatively, whipping chocolate sauce from Lil Ethan's face.
"I hope more than anything that Ethan gets custody of this child," she said with sadness in her voice. "His mother is way too immature to take care of herself and a child."
"I agree. Grandpa will do everything in his power to make sure that Ethan does get custody, though Theresa is very good at sob stories."
"That's what I'm afriad of. There is something seriously wrong with her, I think....mentally."
Fox nodded in agreement, watching Andrea. She turned and smiled at him, a radient smile, complete copy of her mothers. He smiled, then ordered another rounds of ice cream for all of them.
 

Theresa maarched up the stairs, her face a picture of disgust. Chad had bid her farewell, needing to head to work. He had hoped that she wouldn't do anything stupid, but he didn't count on it. He knew he was falling in love with her now. He didn't want to see her hurt. She had seen Ethan's car as they were saying goodbye and had barely acknowledged him as she raced into the house to find Ethan. She searched high and low, and finally found him walking from the kitchen.
"Ethan, Ethan!" she yelled, running up behind him. She latched herself to his arm and began chattering. "Isn't it wonderful! We live in the same house again, just as it's supposed to be. We'll be staying right next door to each other. Of course, soon we might be staying in the same room," she suggested, looking into his face. His face was blank. He didn't even acknowledge her.
"Um, I was wondering Ethan, would you represent me in court?"
Ethan spun around, wrenching his arm from her. "Are you crazy? I'm the one taking you to court!"
"But you're the best lawyer in Harmony. And I know you don't really mean to take my son away from me."
"Yes actually, I intend to do just that. You have proven to me over and over that you are untrustworthy and neglectful. I do not want my son in your care. Now this conversation is over. I do not want to see or talk to you again outside of the courtroom even if it means I need to hire bodyguards."
"Oh Ethan, you don't mean that."
"Yes, I do mean that! Stay away from me!!!!"
With that, he ran up the stairs, shutting and locking the door to his quarters behind him. Theresa stood and looked at his door for a while. He will come back to me, I know it. Once he sees me with our son, he will come back. Because Lil Ethan is our son. I don't care what any paternity test says. Ethan is Lil Ethan's father.