Date Submitted: 5/16/00
Title of Story: "Set Him Free Ch. 6"
Author: KBobMom@aol.com

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Passions and don't own any of the characters.

"Good evening Mama" Theresa said to Pilar as she followed Ivy up the stairs.

"Hello, Theresa, Mrs. Crane" Pilar noted as she continued cleaning the living room in the Crane Mansion.

"Theresa, you are definitely a lot happier than you were earlier this week." Ivy stated as she searched her papers for a certain file.

"I just had that speech." Ivy exclaimed frustrated.

"Perhaps, it's still downstairs" Theresa suggested "I'll go check."

"Mama, Ivy can't find the speech I typed for her." Theresa asked as she came downstairs. "Did she leave it . . ."

Theresa stopped in her tracks. Her eyes filled with fear. "Lu…Luis, what are you doing here?"

"No, dear sister, what are you doing here?" Luis demanded angrily.

The charade is over. I can't keep my job a secret from Luis any longer. "I work here!"

"You what?"

"I work here as Mrs. Crane's personal assistant." Theresa mustered the courage to admit.

"How could you go behind my back and take a job for the Cranes?" Luis screamed. "I told you to stay far away from them."

"But Luis" Theresa tried to explain.

"Get your things. You are leaving now!" Luis commanded.

Theresa was angry. "No!" she yelled back. "You can hate me if you want to be pigheaded Luis Lopez Fitzgerald, but I'm not quitting my job." She ran out the side door.

Theresa didn't know where she was going and did not care, as long as it was far from Luis.

She kept running until she ran into something, rather someone.

"Hey, where's the fire." Ethan joked at first then she looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked as he gently wiped tears from her eyes.

"Oh! Ethan!" Theresa cried and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back caressing her head.

"It will be okay" He assured her.

Theresa looked up with tear tracks running down her face. "I don't think so."

Ethan shook his head "Now what happened?"

Theresa explained the situation in complete detail. Ethan just held her and listened.

"I'm sure, everything will be all right by tomorrow." Ethan guaranteed.

"I hope so, but I can't go home and I can't face Ivy now" Theresa said.

"You don't have to. Come with me!" Ethan said.

"I don't know, Ethan" Theresa said skeptically "we're going to get into trouble."

"Nonsense, I come here all the time." Ethan explained as they got to the lighthouse entrance.

"Besides, the mighty Cranes own it." Ethan joked.

"Come on lets go." He said.

Theresa grabbed hold of the banister and shook her head.

"Don't tell me you are scared of heights!" Ethan teased.

Theresa's eyes got larger. She didn't think it was very funny.

Ethan saw the fear in her eyes. Ethan took hold of her hands and looked into her eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course Ethan, but…"

"Then follow me. I have something special I want you to see." Ethan said looking straight into her eyes.

Theresa's eyes meet his and the gentleness and reassessment made her know that as long as he was around no harm would come to her.

Ethan led her up to the very top of the lighthouse, never once did he let her go. When at the end of the stairs Ethan turned to her.

"This is a very special place that I go when I'm upset or need time alone. I haven't shown it to anyone but you…not even Gwen." Ethan admitted as he swung open the door to perch.

The fresh salty air swept through Theresa's hair when the door opened and she tightened her grip to Ethan's hand.

He turned to her and asked again "Do you trust me?"

She looked into his eyes and replied softy and confidently "Completely!"

Ethan then led her to his secret place. Theresa stepped onto the platform and was in awe at the beauty that surrounded her.

"It's magnificent!" She exclaimed as she inhaled the sight.

It was almost sunset. They stood there silent watching the seagulls fly, the waves crash upon the rocks, and in the far distance a small sailboat.

Ethan noticed that Theresa was shivering, so he wrapped his jacket and arms around her.

Ethan then motioned to her to look a something. It was the sun setting. The fiery ball was slowly melting into the ocean.

Ethan whispered softy in her ear from behind "If you listen carefully, you can her the sun kissing the ocean."

Theresa was so amazed the beauty of the ending day. She gently touched Ethan's arms that were still around her.

"Thank you, Ethan." She leaned back and whispered. When she did their eyes locked and he bent down and kissed her forehead, not to scare her away.

He could feel her accept the kiss so he kissed her on the tip of her nose. Then his lips found hers.

He tightened his hold around her, not to let her escape, then slowly she maneuvered and turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Realizing what she did he cupped her face as the kiss became more passionate, more urgent.

"I love you!" Ethan whispered.

Theresa opened her eyes and searched his for the truth.

"I love you!" he repeated in reassurance.

Tears started pouring from Theresa's eyes and she lowered her head. My whole life I have waited to hear those words from him.

He reached up and touched her chin. She looked up and gazed into his loving eyes. The look in Theresa's eyes told Ethan that she loved him. He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her into his chest.

"I can't believe it took me so long to come to the realization that I was in love with my best friend." Ethan whispered.

Theresa looked up at him a searched his eyes. "Where do we go from here?"

"As long as we are together, I don't care where we go."

Theresa smiled then bit her lower lip "What about Gwen."

Ethan heart sank a bit. "I really care for her. We have been together so long and been through so much over the years…"

Theresa lowered her head.

"But I don't love her anymore…I'm not sure that I really did." Ethan admitted thinking back on the relationship.

"All that I know is have I have never been more sure of my feelings than I am about you. I have NEVER felt so alive and it's because of you. I was afraid of change, of rocking the boat." Ethan looked into her radiant eyes. "I love you so much!"

Theresa smiled and leaned up her tiptoes and softly whispered "I have loved you before I ever met you."

Ethan looked at her with a puzzled expression so she explained "Mamma always came home with stories of you. Over time I fell in love person Mamma always talked about. I always knew we were soul mates, even though we never met."

Ethan tilted his head, then a funny smile appeared on his face. "Soo…Gwen was right about you?"

Fear filled her body and she searched Ethan's eyes.

"Your not mad at me?" Theresa realized as she relaxed.

"No…I'm not mad at you." Ethan laughed "I'm mad at myself. I was so stupid. Deep down I knew but I just refused to admit it."

He pulled her to him "I'm wiser now and I will admitted to everyone."

"You know, I think I will" Ethan stepped up on one of the perch railings "I LOVE THERESA LOPEZ FITZGERALD!!"

Theresa tried to pull him down "Get back over here. You're scaring me."

He turned at saw the fear in her eyes. He climbed down and rushed over to her. His mood changed from funny to completely serious. He cupped her face in his hands "I will never do anything to hurt you."

This page has been visited. Since May 17, 2000.

Back to: Passions Fan Fiction
Back to: Passions Central