Ch. 6
Pilar paused for a moment before answering. "What do you want, Alistair."
Alistair smiled on his end of the phone. How he loved hearing her voice which became that much more sexy when she was nervous.
"I was just wondering how our grandchild was doing." he said. Pilar cringed. Though she knew that Lil Ethan was both her and Alistair's grandson, she hated being reminded of it, especially by a man she distrusted as much as him.
"Ethan Martin's doing fine" she said coldly, hoping that would end the conversation.
"Good, good" replied Alistair. he was truly enjoying this. "I was wondering what time you would like me to send Phyllis to pick him up."
Pilar frowned at the phone, disappointed. She had hoped Theresa would come get Lil Ethan, giving them a chance to talk. Theresa claimed to be busy with work, but Pilar feared she was back to her old tricks, trying to win Ethan back. Pilar loved her daughter. She had hoped motherhood would change her, but it hadn't. Theresa didn't spend much time with Lil Ethan, much to Pilar's distress.
"Is after 2 okay?" Pilar asked, defeated. Alistair smiled, "Two would be just great. You take care Pilar."
Pilar hung up the phone without saying goodbye and returned to making her enchaladas. This time without singing.

Alistair placed the phone in the cradle and leaned back in his chair. He visualized Pilar's face and sighed. He had had many women, but he knew none would ever replace her in his heart. His fantasy was interupted by a knock on the door. "Enter!" he ordered.
Gwen opened the door and smiled.
"Ah, Gwen my dear!" Alistair greeted her. He genuinely was fond of Gwen. She was a strong yet gentle girl, the kind he would have chosen for his grandson, were Ethan trully his grandson. "Please, sit down."
Gwen graciously sat. She had had a busy day going through her and Ethan's possessions, deciding what to keep for the move. "Thank you Alistair."
"So what can I do for you?" Alistair asked.
"I know Ethan Martin is at Pilar's and I was wondering if I could go with Andrea to pick him up instead of Phyllis" Gwen said. Alistair smiled kindly at her. He knew how fond Gwen was of Lil Ethan. She had, of course, delivered him herself. While Ethand and Theresa were no shows at the house while at work, Gwen had spent hours with Lil Ethan, becoming more of a mother to him than Theresa was.
"Of course," said AListair. "I'm sure Phyllis would enjoy that as well.
"Thank you!" Gwen exclaimed with a huge grin. AListair waved her off, glad he still had the power to keep at least one person in his household happy.

Gwen smiled as she walked back to her and Ethan's quarters. It had been a long time since she had seen her best friend, Sheridan. She was eager for a visit and she hoped Pilar was not still harboring ill feelings towards her. She wanted Andrea to have a good relationship with Cayden, Brandon, Lil Ethan, and especially Callie. She knew how important good friends were. She and Sheridan had relied on each other for their whole lives and she was thrilled to be able to spend some time with her. Life was wonderful, she thought as she picked up her angelic daughter.

As Gwen was getting ready to visit the Lopez Fitz-Gerald house, Ethan was working hard on a report at Crane Industries. He loved his job and was wonderful at it. Just as he was nearing the end, Theresa burst through the door. "Do you mind knocking?" he asked as she marched across the room.
"Why should I knock? I am Vice President!" she practically shouted at him.
"That may be, but this is still my office" Ethan retorted.
Theresa stormed to his desk, glaring at the happy family photos of him, Gwen, and Andrea sitting next to his computer.
"I just wanted you to know that I am having to lower the budget so you will be being paid less" she said.
"You don't have the power to do that, only AListair does" said Ethan, not even looking up from his papers.
Theresa fumed. Her brain tried to come up with another plan to keep him at the Crane Mansion.
"That house you want...it's condemned" she tried.
"You haven't even seen the house" Ethan answered.
"Yes I did...I followed you..." Theresa stopped.
Ethan finally looked up from his papers. "You followed me?"
"No! I...well...Gwen...Ergh..." Theresa was lost for words.
Ethan looked at her angrily. "Aren't you finished with this yet, Theresa? I am happy with my wife and my daughter. You and I are never going to happen."
"But..Ethan, you loved me once, you can love me again" Theresa pleaded. "Just give me another chance!"
"It's too late Theresa. I never really loved you. What we had was a juvenile crush, it was never love. Love is the feeling you get when your watching your beautiful wife giving birth to your first child" Ethan said, a smile on his face.
Theresa was outraged. "How do you know know it's even yours?" she retorted.
Ethan glared at her. "Because unlike you, Gwen never cheated on me. Now leave please. I have work to do."
Theresa tried to come up with another arguement, but she couldn't think of one. She angrily stormed out of his office, but not before purposely bumping into a picture of Ethan and Gwen on their wedding day, causing it to shatter on the floor.

Ethan sighed. If it weren't for the enormous bonus and raise Alistair had given him to help him buy his and Gwen's dreamhouse, he would have been out of there in a heartbeat. He seriously considered leaving Harmony, but he couldn't bring himslef to leave his mother when she was just barely getting back to her old self and he coudln't ask Gwen to leave her best friend. Theresa will get over it, he thought to himself. At least, he hoped she would.

Theresa stood outside Ethan's office door, tracing his nameplate with her fingers. "Theresa Crane-Winthrop" she said to herself. "No. That doesn't sound powerful enough. Theresa Winthrop-Crane. Yes that's better." She smiled. "You will be mine again Ethan. If it's the last thing you or I ever do, you will be mine again" she said to no one as she walked back to her office, meticulously calculating her next move.