Ethan glanced back at the familiar figure walking down the street in the dark. "Chad?" he said into the silence of his Mercedes. "Where’s he going?" He pulled over to the side of the road and stepped out of the car, jogging to catch up with his friend. "Chad, wait up!"
Chad started and turned at the sound of someone calling his name – even as his ears registered the owner of the voice, his heart was hoping it was Whitney following him to beg him not to leave. He swallowed hard and made a mental note to berate himself later for thinking she might still care.

"Hey Ethan, what brings you by this neighborhood?"

Ethan glanced around at the rows of single-story track houses with their cheap plastic lawn ornaments and sun-faded paint jobs. "I was on my way to Theresa’s..." He trailed off as he wondered what Chad was doing over here. His apartment was all the way across town. "What are you doing? And what’s with the bag? Did you have a gig over here or something?"

Chad couldn’t help smiling as Ethan said the word ‘gig’. He was a nice guy and Chad had grown to genuinely appreciate his friendship, but things like ‘gig’ and ‘wait up’ didn’t ring true coming from the mighty Ethan Crane. "I’m on my way to the bus station, man. It’s time I moved on."

Ethan felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach. Sure, they came from different worlds and they’d probably never had anything resembling common ground between them, but Chad was probably the first real friend he’d ever made besides Gwen. He definitely couldn’t talk to his prep school friends or the other junior partners in his law firm about his feelings for Theresa, or the pressures of being the heir apparent to the Crane dynasty. "You’re leaving? Without even saying goodbye?"

He looked at Ethan’s crestfallen expression and felt a sudden pang of regret at his rash decision to skip town in the middle of the night. "Listen, man, it’s nothing personal – I mean, you’re my boy, I won’t forget everything you tried to do for me, with Whitney and all. But if I started going around town, making all sorts of weepy goodbyes, I’d never get out of here." Chad set his jaw and told himself he wasn’t going to let Ethan talk him out of going.

"This is about Whitney, isn’t it?"

"This is what I have to do," he said quietly, not quite meeting Ethan’s eyes.

"Listen, Chad, I know she’s hurt you. I don’t understand what her problem is, but it’s not a reason for you to leave town. There’s more for you in Harmony than just Whitney." Ethan took another step toward him and saw the look of fear in Chad’s eyes – if he was going to talk him out of leaving it would take nothing short of a miracle.

"Like what?" he asked, his voice a low growl as he tried to keep the tears that were forming in check. There was no way he was going to let himself cry about her, not ever again.

"Like the reputation you’re building as a DJ, for one," Ethan said, his mind working overtime to think of a good enough reason to keep Chad in town. "And there’s Coach Russell, and Beth, and Simone, and me. We’d all miss you. Not to mention the reason you came to town in the first place. Don’t let her take that away from you too."

Chad scowled at Ethan, part of him wanting to tell his friend to go to hell, but the rest of him irritated because he had a point. "Man, I already told you, there’s nothing left for me here! The last hope I had to find my parents died with Crystal the night she got shot. She was the only one that could help me, and now she’s gone."

"Chad, she’s not the only one that could help you. For all you know, she didn’t even know anything that could help you. You set all your sights on the information she claimed to have, and we don’t even know if it’s right. The truth is that you’re giving up because it’s too hard to deal with all the build-ups and let-downs. The main reason you were still hanging around town was Whitney, and now that she’s betrayed you you’re throwing in the towel and walking away. I never took you for a coward."

He felt his temper flare up and he met Ethan’s eyes again, ready to lash out at his friend regardless of who his grandfather was. But as he took a step forward he saw the glint of amusement behind Ethan’s serious expression and he relaxed, smiling sadly. "That reverse psychology stuff only works on Sheridan," he muttered, suddenly aware of the weight of his duffel bag on his shoulder. He let it fall to the sidewalk and stared at Ethan. "So you really think there’s still a chance I could find what I came to town to find?"

"If you let someone help you for once in your life, yes," Ethan said. "I know you’re too proud to take my money and you want to make your own way in the world, but if you let me hire a private investigator..."

"No way," Chad said, shaking his head. "I’m not taking your money. Besides, Whit told me about that last P.I. you hired, and he didn’t do you any good."

Ethan laughed at the memory of Frank Lomax trying to discover the identity of his "stalker". "True. Fine, so we won’t hire Lomax, we’ll get somebody new. And it doesn’t have to be charity. If you won’t let me help you out as your friend, you can trade the services of my private investigator for your services as DJ at Theresa’s birthday party."

"For real?" Chad turned the offer over in his mind, his trip to New York suddenly forgotten. "Yeah, I guess that could work."

"Terrific," Ethan said, smiling as he leaned down and grabbed Chad’s duffel bag before he had a chance to change his mind. "Come on, I’ll give you a lift."

Chad slid into the leather passenger seat of Ethan’s car and checked the urge to covet his best friend’s vehicle. "Man, this is a sweet ride," he whispered, more to himself than to Ethan.

Ethan studiously ignored the comment as he cast a sidelong glance at Chad and reminded himself of how little his friend really had. He wished for the thousandth time since they’d met that Chad was lose his stubborn pride and just accept some help, but he knew if he were in the same position he wouldn’t let anybody help him either. "You realize that you’re going to have to put your travel plans on hold at least through the spring," he told Chad, smiling mischievously. "Theresa’s birthday isn’t until April."

Chad leaned back against the leather upholstery and smiled. He couldn’t believe he’d just let Ethan talk him into staying, but deep down he knew that was exactly what he’d been looking for. If he’d really wanted to leave town nothing could have held him there, not even Whitney herself. An image of her floated into his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut, reminding himself that he was staying to discover the truth about his past, not for the vain hope that she would fall in love with him.

~

"Buddy, are you okay?" Sam asked, leaning across the table at the Book Cafe and staring at T.C. "You’ve been staring at Sheridan Crane since she walked in here."

T.C. shook his head and silently cursed himself for losing himself in another memory of her. He forced his focus back on the here and now and looked at Sam. "Sorry, I was just thinking about work. Where are Eve and Grace, anyway? It’s getting late."

"You know those two and their shopping sprees," Sam laughed. "We might not see them again for days. Are you sure you’re alright, pal? You seem a little distracted."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine," T.C. said, stealing another glance at Sheridan. She happened to look at him and catch him staring, her eyes lighting up as she smiled. He smiled back in spite of himself – those eyes, they were a carbon copy of her mother’s...

"T.C., give me a break. Harmony may be a small, boring hamlet, but Chief of Police still requires some powers of deduction. Don’t tell me you’re fine and then go back to making eyes at Sheridan. What is with you? Come on, buddy, you can tell me."

The look on Sam’s face was a mixture of sincere concern and confusion. T.C. knew he was acting crazy; he shouldn’t be staring at Sheridan, for one thing, and he shouldn’t be plagued with thoughts of a twenty-year old death that he’d probably never understand. He couldn’t tell Sam, as much as he wanted to. Sam had trusted him with the truth about Ivy, true, but this was different – this was so much bigger, and the truth would literally tear his family apart.

"Sorry, buddy. She just reminds me of someone that I can’t quite put my finger on. You’re right, I shouldn’t be staring at her. She’s a Crane, after all, she’ll probably accuse me of stalking her and make you haul me in." He forced himself to smile at his joke, but he felt a pang in his heart as he said those words about her. Sam would never understand what Luis meant when he said that Sheridan wasn’t like the other Cranes, but T.C. knew. He knew exactly why she wasn’t like the rest of her miserable family, and it was a secret he was prepared to take to his grave.

Beth walked up to their table then and T.C. positively beamed at her, grateful for the distraction. "Can I freshen those up for you?" she asked, her coffee pot poised to top off their cups.

"Sure, Beth. Thanks," Sam said, pushing his cup toward her. She finished filling their cups and smiled, glancing toward the door as it swung open.

"Chad!" she gasped, her whole face lighting up as she rushed toward him. She set the coffee pot down on the counter and threw her arms around him. "What are you doing here? I thought you’d be in New York by now."

"Change of plans," he said, forcing back the tears that her enthusiastic reaction to his presence was causing. "So if my job’s still available..."

"Of course it is, don’t be ridiculous." She linked her arm through his and dragged him to the couch, forcing him to sit down. "I’ll get you a cup of coffee, on the house and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Then you can tell me all about what changed your mind." She flashed him a knowing smile and he knew that she thought something had happened with Whitney – somehow Beth seemed to know everything that was happening with everyone in town, whether they wanted her to or not. It must come from running this place, he thought, glancing around the room. It was amazing how easily people forgot that they weren’t alone while they whispered to their friends across these tables. His eyes fell on Coach Russell and Sam Bennett and he waved. T.C. smiled and waved back and Chad felt that old familiar tug at his heartstrings. ‘What is it about him that gets to me so much?’ he asked himself.

Before he could come up with an answer Beth was handing him a cup of coffee and sliding onto the couch next to him. "So, what happened? I’m so glad you’re staying!" she gushed, squeezing his hand.

"Thanks, Beth," he said, wrapping his free hand around the warm coffee cup. Winter was quickly descending on Harmony and he hadn’t realized until he sat down just how cold he was. "I was ready to skip town, had all my stuff packed and I was on the way to the bus station when Ethan caught up with me. Now I know why he became a lawyer, he argued me right out of my bus ticket."

"Well, remind me to thank Ethan for whatever he said to change your mind," she laughed. "As long as you’re here, that’s all that matters. I hated to think of you all alone in that big city anyway. You belong here, with the people that love you."

Chad stared at her for a long moment, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. Until that moment he’d never allowed himself to think of Harmony as a place he could call home. He was just passing through, he’d always told himself, on his way to something bigger and better. He was just looking for his roots so he would know once and for all who he was, and then he’d leave them behind forever. But somehow, along the way this little town had wormed its way into his heart. The thought of leaving it actually struck fear in him, something he’d never felt before. "Yeah, well, I’m not going anywhere for awhile," he choked out, venturing another glance at T.C. He followed Whitney’s father’s line of vision and his eyes fell on Sheridan Crane. She glanced over at him and smiled and he gasped.

"Chad, are you alright?"

He shook his head and looked at Beth as though just realizing she was sitting next to him. "What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just remembered something I forgot to do." He ventured another glance at Sheridan and wondered why the sight of Ethan’s aunt suddenly filled him with a sense of foreboding.