Whitney was practicing her tennis screen with the televisions on. She wasn’t paying much attention until a Breaking News story interrupted.

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled program with this breaking news. Andrea Rose Winthrop is missing from her home at the Crane mansion earlier this evening. Ethan Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald and his mother Theresa Lopez -Fitzgerald are also missing. It is believed that Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald took both children and is now hiding from the police. We ask anyone that has any information at all regarding this manner to please phone the Crane mansion where police are standing by. There is a substantial reward for information leading to the safe return of Andrea and Ethan Martin.”

Whitney’s jaw dropped at the news. A picture of Theresa grinned back from her screen. “Unbelievable,” Whitney muttered. She knew Theresa was losing it, but she never thought she’d go to such lengths to get Ethan back. How could it have come to this? Just then, the doorbell rang. Whitney found David standing at the doorstep.
“I just got a call from your mom,” he said. “She would like you to come with me to the Crane mansion to brainstorm with the police about where Theresa could be. She said you have known her all your life and maybe you could think up somewhere that she would feel safe to take the babies.” Whitney nodded and hurried after David to his car. “I thought I knew her,” Whitney thought to herself as she started to cry. “Oh Theresa, why couldn’t you listen, even once.”

Pilar was pacing the floor of the Crane mansion. “No, I won’t believe this. My daughter isn’t the sort of person who would take two babies for any reason, I don’t care what any of you say.” Luis sighed as he watched his mom pacing. He had fallen right back into his policeman role once he got the information. The police had set up phone lines all over the house. He pulled together all of the information he had received so far this night.

Eve had said that while she was running the paternity test on Lil Ethan, she had been called away because one of her patient’s machines had been unplugged. Theresa had been standing next to the lab door when she started the tests, was not there when she was called away, but was back when she returned. Theresa had been very aggravated when Eve saw her first but very pleased when she had returned. She then realized a few days later that the results had been tampered with for Ethan was not Lil Ethan’s father where the test said he was. It was impossible because of the blood type of the child. Eve stated she not only believed that not only had Theresa tampered with the paternity test results, but that she had unplugged her patients machine that was vital to keeping him alive. Under Eve’s professional opinion based on Theresa’s past, Theresa was very capable of taking both children in an act of desperation in order to get Ethan away from Gwen.

Luis sighed. He honestly believed that Theresa was behind this as much as he hated to admit it. Theresa had the motive, the means, and was desperate enough, even by Luis’ own opinion to take the children from their home in order to win Ethan back. Eve’s statement on top of Paloma’s statement that Theresa had attacked her for holding Lil Ethan and accused her of trying to take over her life, Ethan’s statement that Theresa had been harassing both himself and Gwen, and Pilar’s own admission that Theresa had been acting strangely this evening added up to a lot of evidence against Theresa. Luis stood and put an arm around Pilar, slowly coaxing her to a seat.
“Mama, we both need to face facts. Theresa is completely capable of pulling such a stunt when she is desperate enough. She has put herself and others in danger numerous times since she and Ethan had a relationship, and even before.”
Pilar burst into tears. “How could it have come to this? What did we do wrong Luis? How could she do this? She was such a perfect child. So sweet, so understanding. Why didn’t we realize that this obsession with Ethan could lead to her doing something like this? Why didn’t we get her help? This is all my fault!”
“Yes Mama, we should have gotten her help a long time ago. But I promise you now, we will get her the help she needs when we find her. We have to Mama.”

Chad raced to the Crane mansion as soon as he saw the bulletin. He burst through the door and found Fox and Paloma sitting on the couch watching the news in shock.
“How could you accuse her of such a horrible thing! Theresa would never take those babies! She would never do something like that! Why aren’t you looking for who took her? Why is all the blame…”
Just then a policeman raced through the room carrying a sheet of paper.
“Luis! Come quick. We just got a phone call from a gas station attendant on the outskirts of town. He said he saw a woman fitting Theresa’s description filling a car with two babyseats in the back. He said he didn’t get a good look a the babies, but the car was heading west out of town.”
Chad’s eye grew large as he plopped onto the couch next to Paloma.
“She wouldn’t….It’s not possible.”
Fox put a hand on Chad’s shoulder.

Gwen was upstairs shaking and crying. Sheridan and Ethan were doing everything in their power to calm her, but she was delirious.
“My baby. How could she take my baby? What are we going to do? Andrea! I need my daughter!”
Eve appeared and gave Gwen a sedative. Ethan left to check on the progress while Sheridan stayed behind with Gwen. Ethan’s anger grew as he watched the police rushing around the house and saw the stricken faces of all his and Theresa’s family around him.
“Damn her!” he thought to himself. “How could she do this? Why couldn’t she just leave us alone! I asked her time and again. I thought I had gotten through to her. This is my fault! This is all my fault. If only I hadn’t given her the time of day. If only I had realized sooner that what we had wasn’t love. Oh my poor Gwen!”
Ethan overheard Luis and some of the police talking.
“That’s right, they said she is heading west out of town. We don’t know much more than that.”
“The Crane cabin!” Ethan said aloud and all turned to look at him. “Why didn’t I realize this before! She wants to go where she thinks I fell in love with her. I know what she wants now! She wants me to follow her and tell her I still love her and that we can run away with the children. Why didn’t I think of this?”
Luis nodded. “That sounds like her. Alright, I need units headed to the Crane cabin and detain her without hurting any…”
“No!” Ethan said. “She will run if she sees anyone but me. I have to go alone, I have to convince her to give herself up. She will run with my daughter if she sees anyone but me. It has to be this way.”
Luis nodded again. “We have to at least have someone follow you. What if the babies are hurt? We need EMT units and police there to detain her once you find her and calm her.”
“No!” Pilar yelled behind them. “You can’t arrest my baby! She hasn’t done anything!”
“Mama she kidnapped a baby that wasn’t her own and took Ethan Martin off Crane property when she was ordered by a judge not to! She’s going to be punished for this.” Luis shouted.
“No! You will not touch my daughter! I will not…”
“Pilar!” Ethan shouted. “She has my daughter! She took her from her house and ran with her! I am prosecuting! Now this conversation is over. I am going to get my child and that is it!”
Without another word, he turned and walked out the door, got in his car, and drove off.
“Okay guys! I want you a safe distance from Ethan so that Theresa doesn’t see you but make sure nothing goes wrong. Make sure she doesn’t get away.” Luis said.
Pilar shook her head and glared at Luis. “Your own sister,” she said as she walked out of the room.

Theresa parked the car outside the Crane cabin.
“Ethan will come. I know he will. He wants us to be a family as much as I do. Once Gwen is out of his face, he will return to me. I have to get ready!” She said as she raced into the cabin, leaving both Lil Ethan and Andrea in their carseats.