Just in the Line of Duty

Sheridan Crane sat tensely behind the steering wheel of her rented Mercedes Convertible as she took the nearly three hour trip back to Harmony. She was nearly home and her mind was invaded with thoughts of Luis the entire trip. Every few minutes she would scold herself for having signed the complaint having Luis arrested for kidnapping her. She knew why he did it, or at least she thought she did, but that still gave him no right to take her back to the States without her permission.

"Damn him," she said out loud to herself as she gripped the wheel even tighter. "Why did he make me do it?" Sheridan put her foot on the gas as she raced back towards Harmony. "Why am I even going back to Harmony?” That's the last place you want to be Sheridan. Luis isn't there though, remember? You had him arrested in Boston and he is sitting in a cold jail cell right now. Oh, why do I feel so guilty? He kidnapped you remember? And don't forget that phone call on the wharf. He's only out to use you to get what he wants."

Sheridan groaned as these thoughts kept racing through her mind. She sped the car up determined to get home. The sooner she was out of the car, the sooner she could forget about Luis, or so she thought. She was so deep in thought it took a few minutes for her to realize she was being hailed by a police cruiser. She checked her rear view mirror when she heard the siren

Sheridan pulled her car over to the side of the road and a young police officer walked up to her car window. "License and registration please?" The officer asked her.

Sheridan handed the man her license and registration. Before looking at them the officer said, "Miss, do you have any idea how fast you were going? This road is posted at 45 and I clocked you at nearly 75 mph."

"I wasn't paying attention to the speed limit Officer" Sheridan replied. She was not about to fight this man as she bitterly remembered the last time she was pulled over for speeding. "I am sorry."

"Oh, Miss Crane" the officer said in surprise. "I didn't realize it was you. I'm going to let you off with a warning this time. Please try to stay within the posted speed limit." He handed her back her license and registration.

"Luis would never have done that" Sheridan said as she started her car back up. "He would have thrown the book at me. If he'd caught me speeding again, I would have been sentenced to community service at the Youth Center for life!" Sheridan thought back on her first meeting with Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald and smiled. "He certainly knew how to make a lasting impression on a person..... Sheridan you need to stop this now. He's where he belongs... in jail." Tears came to her eyes as she thought about being responsible for putting Luis in jail.

Sheridan began driving again as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "No matter what he's done to me, I can't be responsible for ruining his life... his family... Why did he make me fall in love with him? Damn you Luis! Why can't I forget about you? After all you've done to me, why am I still in love with you! I should hate you." Sheridan's mind was a whirlwind. Finally she made up her mind what she was going to do....

Roger and Pierre sat in a rented car just outside the Crane estate. They knew from their sources that Sheridan left Boston several hours ago and was returning to Harmony.

"Yes Roger" Pierre said. "I have a perfect view. "I hope your informant was right in telling you Sheridan lives in this cottage. It doesn't make sense to me that she doesn't live in the mansion. It is so much nicer."

“My informant was very specific about this Pierre. He did not go into details, but assured me Mademoiselle Sheridan Crane lived in that cottage" Roger said as he pointed towards it. "Now are you sure you only have tranquilizer darts in that gun? We do not wish to kill her here. There is too much security. We will tranquilize her and take her to a more remote location. We will then kill her and dispose of the body. I will not rest until Sheridan Crane is dead."

"Yes, very unfortunate for her indeed. She is very unlucky in love, mon ami. She does not see real love when it is right in front of her. She only sees men who want to use her" Roger said shaking his head. "Her American cop will be heartbroken when he finds out she is dead. He too, will be unlucky in love."

"It is ironic is it not, that this cop kidnapped her to keep her away from us and she will be the cause of her own death by having had him arrested?" Pierre said smugly.

"Yes Pierre. It seems that Miss Crane's stubbornness will be her downfall" Roger said. "We are very fortunate she is so stubborn. Tonight will be her last night to be stubborn mon ami. We shall kill the very beautiful Sheridan Crane by morning."

Sheridan waited at the Police Desk for Sam Bennett. Pacing nervously she finally was escorted to his office. Sam looked up from his desk very surprised to see Sheridan there.

"Yes, Luis brought me back Chief Bennett. That is what I need to talk to you about" Sheridan said unhappily. "I've done something to Luis that I regret and I need your help to fix it."

"No thank you Sam. I just want to take care of this matter as quickly as possible. I am afraid that my temper and stubbornness is going to cause Luis much trouble. No matter what he's done to me I don't want to hurt him. I would never hurt him intentionally, but I'm afraid I have." Tears began to form in Sheridan's eyes. The more she thought about what she'd done, the worse she felt.

"My ex-fiance, Jean-Luc apparently was involver with a drug ring in Paris. I met these two men, Roger and Pierre the last night I was with Jean-Luc, though I had no idea who they were. Luckily for me, I found him with another woman and I left the house and him immediately. Jean-Luc and the other woman were killed several minutes after I left Jean-Luc's country house in a car bomb explosion. I was meant to be the other person in the car."

“Anyway, when I returned to Paris, I thought Jean-Luc was still alive. I made arrangements with him, or so I thought, to return some of his possessions to him. When I went to meet him, Roger and Pierre were waiting for me. They planned to kill me. They tried in fact, but Luis arrived and helped me get away from them. Then later, they broke into my hotel room and once again

Sheridan smiled for the first time since she was in Sam's office as she remembered his quick thinking. She thought about their walk on the ledge, her falling and their swing on the cable wire that caused them to go crashing through a window.

"And he prevented me from falling off the ledge from the seventh floor of my hotel and he prevented me from being poisoned." Sheridan felt the tears well up again as she actually stopped to think of how many times Luis had actually saved her life in such a short period of time.

Sam sat there listening to the amazing story Sheridan was telling him. He didn't say a word. He just sat there totally riveted by the whole encounter. His mouth was practically hanging open as he pictured the two of them swinging on a cable wire seven stories high crashing through a window.

"Be that as it may, when we finally touched base with the Gendarmes, Luis decided they couldn't provide adequate protection for me. He wanted to be my personal bodyguard." Sheridan was beginning to regain her composure and there was a hint of anger that had returned to her voice. "He said something about their witness protection program. I guess 57% of the witnesses that

"Luis said the exact same thing Sam. But they assigned me my own bodyguard" Sheridan returned slightly annoyed. "I was perfectly safe in Paris but no, Luis wouldn't let it go. He had to keep pressing me to return to Harmony with him. I told him I needed to stay there in order to testify against Roger and Pierre. He suggested I come back here and not testify at all! Can you imagine that? Mr. Law abiding, I arrested my own mother for jay walking Lopez-Fitzgerald, wanted me not to testify?"

"He chloroformed me and kidnapped me! He forcibly took me against my will and dragged me back here." Sheridan sat back and folded her arms, waiting for a response from Sam.

"Yes he did. He told me I made the wrong decision wanting to stay in Paris, so he conveniently left his plane ticket in my hotel room knowing I'd bring it to the airport for him. That's where he abducted me. He had the chloroform ready to go" she said venomously.

Sam was concerned by what he heard. "I don't understand Luis' behavior Sheridan" Sam said with a frown. "I can see him forcing Theresa or even his mother to come with him if he thought they were in danger but he's never before gone to such extr....." Sam suddenly understood exactly why Luis did what he did. Luis was in love with Sheridan. There couldn't be any other possible explanation for his behavior. Sam fought back a smile. "What did Luis have to say about all of this? Did he say why he kidnapped you?"

Sheridan rolled her eyes again. "He kept telling me his `gut' instinct told him I was in danger. It told him I was still in danger and he didn't trust the Gendarmes. He said it was the cop in him."

"IN JAIL? IN BOSTON?" Sam was shocked. "Tell me you didn't have him arrested for kidnapping, Sheridan? I mean, I know what he did was wrong, but I believe his intentions were good."

"I know Sam. I was livid. I wasn't going to let Luis control my life. NO ONE will ever control me again, do you understand? Not my father, brother or Luis. No one. He needed to learn a lesson, but now that I've calmed down a little I want to drop the complaint. That's why I came to you. Can you help me? Or do I need to go back to Boston to do it?" Sheridan started speaking with strength and conviction, but her voice softened before she was finished.

Sam sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, there is one way to find out" Sam said. He picked up the telephone and asked the operator to get his The Boston Police on the line. He then hung up the phone. "The operator will call me back when she has them on the line."

Sam pondered over everything he had heard from Sheridan. The whole story was incredible. He was a bit concerned about the two drug lords who were still on the loose. He read the same fax Luis had read concerning Jean-Luc. He knew they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. Sam decided he would call the Gendarmes after Sheridan left to find out what was happening. A minute later the phone rang.

"Yes, this is Sam Bennett, Chief of Police in Harmony. I'd like to speak with the officer in Charge of the Sheridan Crane kidnapping? Yes. Thank you." Sam cupped his hand over the receiver and said, "they're connecting me to Detective Alvarez."

"Yo Tina, I have a Chief Bennett on the phone that would like to talk to you about the Crane kidnapping case" the desk officer shouted across the busy Boston precinct.

"Detective Alvarez? This is Sam Bennett, Chief of Police in Harmony. Sheridan Crane is sitting in my office right now. She is having second thoughts about having signed the complaint against my officer, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. She's had a chance to think it over and she decided she doesn't want to press any charges."

Tina looked at her watch. It was exactly three hours and ten minutes since Sheridan left the precinct. "Let me guess, she hasn't even been home yet? She drove straight over to the police station when she got into town?" Tina was shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well that figures" Tina laughed. "I tried talking her out of filing the complaint when she was here, but she was adamant. She was madder than a wet hen. I've never seen a couple more in love and more in denial in my life. You should have seen them. They were quite the pair to watch."

Sam laughed. Sheridan was looking at him wondering what could be so funny. "I have to agree with you on that one Detective. So is there anyway Sheridan can drop the charges and get this mess cleared up without going back to Boston?"

"Sure Chief. I really didn't want to keep Luis in here, but I had no choice. He's worried sick about her. He still believes these two men will try to get her. He says his instincts tell him Roger and Pierre are either in the States or on their way. We've checked the airport, but so far no sign

Sam again laughed. Sheridan shot him a dirty look. She didn't like people laughing at her expense and what else could they possibly be talking about. "So what does Sheridan need to do?"

“Have her sign a sworn affidavit stating that she no longer wishes to press charges against Luis. Then fax it to us and mail the original later. We will let him out as soon as we have the faxed copy. But Chief, could I talk to her for a minute?" Tina asked.

Sheridan's cheeks were turning red. "Well, I just couldn't do this to his family. His mother means the world to me and I wouldn't want to see her suffer from having a son a kidnapper."

"Miss Crane, I've explained to Chief Bennett what you need to do to drop the charges. Just do what he asks and Luis will be released immediately afterwards. I do have some advice for you though. I suggest that you and Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald stay as far away from each other as you possibly can. It is very obvious to me that he is in love with you and you have no feelings at all for him. I like Luis and I don't want to see him get hurt. I feel that if he stays around you much longer, he will wish he were in jail. He'll end up with a broken heart. I've never met a man that has put himself through so much for the woman he loves, gets so little in return and still,

Sheridan was fuming as she listened to the detective tell her she had no feelings for Luis. Who did she think she was anyway? "Listen, DETECTIVE" Sheridan said. "You have no idea what my feelings are for Luis. And I resent you telling me that. I also don't know where you get off telling me that Luis cares about me. He's nothing but a two faced liar and a user. He only dated me to get back at my family. He's hated the Cranes for yea..." Sheridan suddenly went pale. "Why am I telling you this? I never even told Luis this. He doesn't need to know my business."

"Miss Crane, please forgive me for saying this, but if the man sitting in this jail cell is using you for anything, I'll eat my badge. I've been a cop for fifteen years. I've never seen a cop go to the lengths to protect someone that Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald has gone through to protect you. Now,

even after you treated him like the dirt on the bottom of your shoe, all he keeps asking us is to please find a way to protect you. He knows now you won't listen to him. He knows now you want nothing more to do with him, but he still is trying to save your life. So do him one last favor and don't get yourself killed." Tina was smiling as she tried to sound as disgusted as possible with Sheridan. "Now if I may speak with Chief Bennett for a moment?"

Sheridan handed the phone back to Sam, glad to have it out of her hands. Her mind was racing as she kept hearing Detective Alvarez's words in her mind. `She has no idea what she is talking about' Sheridan thought as she paced the floor in Sam's office.

"Chief, I was playing a bit of reverse psychology with Miss Crane. Those two need to let each other know how they feel before one of them explodes. I'll tell you one thing for sure. When they do finally get together, there will be some fireworks display. You may need the fire department standing by to hose them down. Good luck from your end. I'm going to see Luis now and have some fun with him. I'll have him released as soon as we receive the fax. Please don't let her change her mind?" Tina implored. "Call if you need anything."

Tina walked back to the jail section of the police station and stopped in front of Luis' cell. He was lying on his bunk with his eyes closed. "Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald?" She called.

Luis immediately jumped up and walked to where the detective was standing. She was opening the cell. "It seems that your lady friend had a change of heart as soon as she got home. She drove straight to the police station and asked Sam Bennett to help her withdraw her complaint.”

Tina left briefly and returned with two cups of coffee. She handed one to Luis and placed the other one in front of her as she sat down at her desk. Luis thanked her for the coffee. "I'll tell you Officer" Tina said, "that girl had is bad for you."

Luis who was sipping on his coffee almost choked. He spit a small amount of coffee out as she said this. "Are you nuts?" Luis said in shock. "She hates my guts. What would make you say something like that?"

Tina smiled as she watched Luis' reaction. "It's obvious Luis. She's in love with you and you only went to Paris on you cop instincts. She knows you were only doing your job and it was tearing her up inside. She couldn't bear to have you near her not returning her feelings, so she had you arrested. After the ride to Harmony she had time to think about what she'd done to the man she loved and couldn't live with ruining your life, so she changed her mind and is withdrawing the complaint."

"I know you don't have feelings like that for her, which is why I don't blame her in a way for what she's done. If I were in love with someone as gorgeous as you and you didn't return my feelings, I wouldn't want you hanging around me either" Tina said.

Luis was starting to get angry. "Look, you have no idea what my feelings are for her and I don't appreciate you telling me I don't have any for her. Of course I have feelings for her. I wouldn't have spent every dime of my savings on just anyone. She is the one that hates my guts."

Tina continued to bait Luis. "Look Officer, you don't have to pretend with me. We are both cops. I know the score. You are trying to make detective, right? She's a member of a prominent family? You had a chance to make yourself look good. I don't blame you a bit. I guess you didn't figure on her feeling the way she does, huh? Love does strange things to people." Tina fought back the urge to smile.

"I NEVER in my wildest dreams, planned on using my saving Sheridan from those thugs for my own gain." Luis' face was crimson at this point. He was nearly in a rage. "I told you. I had a sick feeling in my gut that Sheridan was in danger in Paris and when I got there I found out I was right. There were at least four attempts on her life in France. Those drug lords have a cop on the payroll and I couldn't leave her there to die. Almost six out of every10 witnesses they have in their witness protection program, that were to testify against this cartel were killed. Sheridan was too stubborn and pig headed to listen to me, so I did what I had to do. I couldn't protect her in Paris. I needed her here in order to protect her. I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to her."

Sheridan was carefully reading the document over as soon as it was handed to her. "Now remember Sheridan, there could be serious consequences if you change your mind and decide to re file charges against Luis" Sam reminded her.

"I understand that Sam" Sheridan said flatly. The fatigue was evident as she poured through the papers. Satisfied with what she read, she signed the papers and handed them to Sam.

Sam gave her a warm smile and walked over to the fax machine. Sheridan watched as the machine started dialing up a number and the papers began feeding through the machine. She felt a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders as the papers were disappearing through the machine. "Sam, can you just call them back and make sure they received the fax? I don't want to find out later there were any problems."

"Sure Sheridan" Sam replied. "I'd be happy too." Once the fax was finished, Sam picked up the phone and called the number Detective Alvarez had given him. A minute later he was off the phone again. "They received the fax with no trouble Sheridan. Luis will be leaving there any minute now."

"I'm really glad you dropped the charges Sheridan. If you hadn't Luis would never be considered for detective and he probably would have been removed from the force as well, no matter what the outcome of the trial" Sam said.

"I know Sam" Sheridan said frustrated. "I don't expect you to understand this, but Luis needed to be stopped. He is a total control freak and was trying to make my decisions for me. My father and brother have been doing that for me my whole life. Then Luis decides that he's going to fly

4000 miles and control my life for me out of some cop instinct? I don't think so. I told him I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I had a bodyguard with me, but no, that wasn't good enough for him, because he wasn't in control."

"Sheridan" Sam said, "let me ask you a question. Do you really believe Luis would have flown all the way to Paris, spent his entire savings, risked his life more than once, risked his freedom, his job, his reputation and his family's future just on a cop's gut instinct for just ANYONE?"

Sheridan was looking for something smart to say, but could think of nothing. She stood there with her mouth open and a puzzled expression on her face. She was at a loss for words.

"I don't know what happened between you two a few months back, but I can tell you this. Luis was hurt badly when you broke things off with him. He wouldn't admit it of course, but I've known Luis for a very long time and he can't hide things like that from me. Even though he knew you didn't want a relationship with him, he still cares a lot about you and just wants to keep you safe. He sometimes becomes overbearing when it comes to people he loves. So try to be careful, will you?"

Sheridan was stunned by Sam's statement. She again was at a loss for words. She thanked Sam for everything he had done and left the police station. As she was driving back to the Crane mansion she kept thinking about what Sam and Detective Alvarez had said about Luis loving her. `Is it possible he really cares for me?' She thought to herself. ` I need to talk to Ethan' she thought as she entered through the gates to the Crane Estate.

"Because I love her, damn it!" Luis shouted before he had a chance to realize what he'd said. "Uh, that's not what I meant to say" Luis stammered, his rage gone, now embarrassed. "Look can you just check to see if that fax came through yet? If I'm to be released then I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible." Luis changed the subject, since he had no idea how to get out of this one.

Tina smiled broadly at him. She'd gotten to him and he knew it. "Sure Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald. I'll go check on it right now." With that she walked off towards the fax machine. A minute later she returned holding several papers in her hands. She held the papers up for Luis to see. "You are free to go. One last thing. Sam Bennett asked that you call him

"Listen Luis" Sam said gravely, "I just got off the phone with the Gendarmes. It seems they believe those two French goons have left the country. They seem to think they came here looking for Sheridan. They are sending two police officers here to work with us, seeing they have been working on this drug cartel thing for quite awhile now. One of them is an Antoine something and I didn't get the other man's name, but he seemed to know you." Sam fought back a laugh as he remembered his conversation with the gendarme.

"She headed to the Crane Estate as soon as she signed the affidavit" Sam said. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about these two cops coming here from Paris, so I know what type of men to expect?"

"Sure Sam," Luis said quickly. "Antoine is supposed to be the best they have. That's what the gendarmes say, but from what I could see, I'd have to strongly disagree. He never suspected or saw a thing when a man tried to poison Sheridan in the bistro. There's just something about him I don't trust Sam."

"I didn't get that, but he said he'd talked to you several times. He told me what a great James Bond impression you did and also said you'd never make detective because you didn't know l'amour when it was right under your nose." Sam again fought back laughter.

"Sam, I'll tell you all about it when I get back to Harmony. But first things first. I have to find Sheridan and make sure she's O.K. I know she's not going to want to see me, so I'll just keep my distance. Sam," Luis said "I won't rest until these guys are caught. They won't quit until Sheridan is dead."

Luis hung the phone up and saw Tina standing there watching him. "Well I don't mean to be rude but I have to get going. It seems Roger and Pierre have headed to Harmony after Sheridan. I need to get there and keep her from getting killed. Lord knows she won't help herself."

"That would be great" Luis said. "Thank you very much." Luis couldn't control his excitement. He was worried to death that three hours might be too long. Sheridan might be dead by then. Tina excused herself while she made the arrangements. Moments later, she and Luis were on their way to the Police Helicopter Pad, ready to depart for Harmony.

Sheridan Crane arrived at the Crane Mansion. She walked through the rooms one by one looking for any signs of life and found no one. Finally she decided to call out Ethan's name. When he didn't emerge, she glumly headed for the front door. Just as she was opening it, Ethan appeared on the other side.

"Sheridan, boy am I happy to see you!" Ethan said happily. He grabbed his Aunt and gave her a huge hug. "Did you just get back? Have you been hurt? What has been going on? I've been out of my mind with worry!"

“Thank you, Ethan. I'd appreciate that very much" Sheridan said as she sat down in a chair. Ethan disappeared for a moment and returned with two glasses of iced tea.

"I shouldn't" Sheridan said bitterly. "I should hop on the next plane back to Paris, but since I am here, I will probably stay awhile." Her tone softened slightly.

"You've made me very happy, Sheridan" Ethan said. "It's been lonely here without you." Ethan and Sheridan sat in silence for a few minutes sipping their drinks. Finally Ethan asked, "are you ready to tell me what's been happening?"

Sheridan took a deep breath and recounted all the events of her Paris adventure, including her plane trip home and having Luis arrested. She told him in great detail everything, as she was subconsciously seeking Ethan's opinion on whether he thought Luis had feelings for her.

“I may have done the same thing if you'd insisted on staying. It sounds to me like the Gendarmes are unable to protect witnesses very well. I'm glad Luis brought you back here. Now we can protect you, here."

"Ethan, I don't think you understand what I was feeling at the time. You are the only person that knows the entire reason I went to Paris. Luis was using me. He was playing me for a fool. I couldn't seem to get over him here so I went to Paris to forget how much he hurt me. Then he shows up and plays super hero and thinks he's going to RUN my life? Tell ME what to do?

Why? Just because of some stupid gut instinct? I refused to let him get away with that. Ethan, he chloroformed me for goodness sakes! Was I to let him get away with that?" Sheridan asked furiously.

Ethan sat there watching Sheridan's animated reaction to Luis with amusement. Sheridan was far from amused by Ethan's reaction. "Why are you looking at me with that face? This is anything but funny, Ethan!" Sheridan fumed. She stood up and was now pacing the floor glancing angrily at Ethan.

"I don't believe you, Sheridan" Ethan said. "How can you believe that Luis is still using you after everything he's done for you?" Ethan sensed Sheridan was about to blast him, so he put his hand up to stop her and let him finish.

"Before you protest, let me finish please. I am not saying that what you heard on the wharf didn't happen. But judging by what I've heard today, I can't believe Luis would say those things about you. The man that said the things you heard that night on the wharf, would not give up his entire life savings, put his life at risk saving you numerous times from those drug dealers and then risk his freedom and the future of his family by kidnapping you for your own good."

Sheridan was once again unable to speak. She didn't know how to answer Ethan's question, because he was right. None of it made any sense. How is it possible that Luis could have said those appalling things about her that night? "Ethan," Sheridan finally managed to say, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, heard it with my own ears, I..."

"Have you told him yet Sheridan?" Ethan asked. Ethan took one look at him and knew she hadn't. "All right, if you won't tell him I will. He deserves to know. He deserves the right to explain why he said those things about you and you deserve to hear him explain it."

"Right now, I want you to go to your cottage, take a shower and get dressed" Ethan said firmly. "I am taking you out to dinner and then you and I are going to the Lopez-Fitzgerald house and you are going to tell Luis the truth. He should be back in Harmony by the time we finish dinner."

Ethan was not taking no for an answer. He loved Sheridan, but could see that she needed a little shove in order to get things straightened out with Luis. He knew Sheridan was in love with Luis and from what he'd heard, he was almost as sure that Luis was in love with Sheridan.

"Roger, something must have gone wrong" Pierre said as he nervously fingered the trigger of the dart gun he was holding. "She should have been here hours ago. I don't like it."

"And rest assured, that American cop friend of Sheridan's will not be around to ruin our plans this time. He is safely locked away in a jail cell in Boston. He can not possibly help her from there. Tonight will be Sheridan Crane's last night to live."

Pierre took aim and caught Sheridan in his scope. He pulled the trigger of the dart gun. Just as he pulled the trigger, Sheridan dropped her keys and stooped down to pick them up. The tranquillizer dart sailed above Sheridan's head and stuck in the front door of her cottage.

When she put her key in the lock, she noticed the dart stuck in her front door. She felt her body go ice cold as she looked at the dart. She quickly opened the cottage door and locked it behind her. Her heart was pounding. She ran to the phone. The phone line was dead. She was trapped in her own cottage with no way to get out. Luis was right. He'd been right all along and she was too stubborn to listen to him. Now he was nowhere around and either Roger and Pierre were somewhere outside waiting for her, or some other hit men. "I'm so sorry, Luis," she said as tears began falling down her face.

The helicopter took off and was in the sky on its way to Harmony. Luis was fidgeting in his seat anxiously, wishing he was there already, but grateful for the ride. Tina Alvarez was sitting next to Luis watching him. She smiled as she watched him look out the window, check his watch, and then return to looking out the window. "So Luis, what are you thinking about?" She asked.

Luis was almost in a trance when her voice seemed to break him from it. "What? Huh? Oh Detective. I was just hoping we'd be there in time. I have a feeling in my gut Roger and Pierre are already in Harmony. Maybe they've already killed her, I don't know." Luis voice trailed off.

“Well, from what I've heard from both you and Sheridan, I'd say your gut instinct where she is concerned is right on the money" she said. "You know Luis, it is very rare for one person to be so connected to another person that they can sense they are in danger. Very rare in deed. Sheridan is very lucky to have you in her life."

Luis let out a quick laugh. "Tina, don't you get it? Sheridan doesn't want me in her life. She's made that perfectly clear." Luis voice was filled with anger, regret and sarcasm.

Tina shook her head. "You've got it all wrong, Luis" she said quietly. "Sheridan does want you in her life. Desperately! I'm not sure what it is, but there is something that happened between you two that's bothering her. She made some mention of you using her and I could see the hurt in her eyes when she said it. I have a feeling that she had you arrested more for whatever that was, than for kidnapping her."

Luis was getting very angry. His fists were clenched. "There are those words again. `USED HER.' Why does everyone seem to think I've used her! I've asked Sheridan over and over again id she would PLEASE tell me what I did to make her so angry. She keeps telling me I'm a cop, I should be able to figure it out myself. Well I've tried and I can't figure it out."

"I was just thinking that someone should kidnap the both of you, lock you in a room somewhere and not let you out till you've killed each other or made up" Detective Alvarez said.

"Actually Sam, I'm about to land on your doorstep" Luis said with a grin. "Detective Alvarez offered me the use of their Police chopper. I'll be there in five minutes. Sam, can you get me a cruiser ready to go? I'll need a gun too. Mine is at home. Tina and I are going over to Sheridan's cottage. I have a really bad feeling about this." Luis' face was now stone.

"Damn Sheridan Crane!" Roger said. "She has escaped death once again, but it will not last long. Pierre, you will try to get in through the front door and I will try the window on the side. She will not escape this time. There is no American cop to rescue her and her phone is dead. She too, will be dead soon."

Pierre nodded at Roger as the two men slinked off towards Sheridan's cabin. They continuously checked to make sure there was no one else around as they approached Sheridan's cottage. Roger moved off to the side, while Pierre stood in front of the front door. Pierre pulled out a small tool kit from his coat pocket. He opened it up and selected a tool. He proceeded to attempt picking the lock on the door. Roger was doing the same thing at the window on the side of the cottage.

Pierre had almost succeeded in opening the door when he heard, "Stop, police!" A uniformed officer stood there several feet from Pierre with a gun pointed at him. Pierre backed away from the door with his hands in the air. The uniformed officer started walking towards Pierre. Pierre remained still with a small smile on his face. The Officer looked puzzled at the smile on Pierre's face. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He whipped around, but it was too late. Roger had pulled out his gun and shot the police officer several feet away. The man slumped to the ground, lying there silently. There was no sound, due to the silencer on Roger's gun.

Sheridan had peered out her window when she heard the officer approach. She witnessed the shooting of the police officer. She held her hands over her mouth as she gasped in horror. Tears streaming down her face, she retreated from the window in a panic. She still was trapped. She had almost no hope. She ran to the kitchen, getting away from the doors and windows.

"I'm sorry mon ami, but we can not take the chance. We can not afford to be caught. We must finish off Sheridan Crane tonight" Roger said. Roger and Pierre returned to the window on the side of the cottage.

"And call me Sam" he said smiling. He then looked over at a very anxious Luis. "OK Luis. There is a squad car waiting for you. There are two radios in the car and your firearm as well."

"Remember to call for backup if there is any trouble out there Luis" Sam shouted after him. "Silvano should be there by now. I sent him to keep an eye on things until you got here."

Luis and Tina were gone in a flash. The closer they got to the Crane mansion, the worse Luis' gut feeling became. He had the car started and in gear almost before Tina had her door closed. As soon as he heard the door click, his foot was on the accelerator and he was headed for the Crane Mansion. Once on the road, Luis picked up his radio and tried to reach

"They can find me there” Luis said. "There isn't time to sit tight, Sam." With that Luis put his foot deeper on the accelerator and sped towards the Crane Mansion.

Ethan had just finished getting dressed and was walking down the stairs. He checked his watch and decided he was early, but he'd go to Sheridan's cottage anyway and wait for her to finish dressing. He grabbed his keys and headed out the front door of the mansion towards the cottage. Ethan was walking towards Sheridan's cottage, noticing it was just starting to get dark. He continued his trek towards the cottage, unaware he was being watched.

Roger and Pierre heard someone coming and Pierre peered around the corner of the cottage and saw Ethan closing the distance. "Roger!" Pierre announced. "Someone is approaching. Some young American male."

Roger was getting quite irritated with all the interruptions. "Shoot him Pierre. You have the tranquillizer gun. He won't be hurt permanently. We can not have anymore interruptions. Just shoot him and don't let him see you do it!"

Ethan stepped up to Sheridan's front door and knocked on it. He waited a moment and there was no answer. He turned the handle and the door was locked. He knocked again. "Sheridan? Sheridan are you in there? It's Ethan."

Pierre raised his gun and aimed it at Ethan. Ethan began knocking on the door again. Pierre pulled the trigger and Ethan grabbed his neck an instant later. He pulled a small dart out of his neck. He was puzzled for a few seconds when he suddenly felt his head start to spin. Within another few seconds, Ethan was dropped in a heap at Sheridan's doorstep unconscious. Pierre smiled wickedly as he watched Ethan fall. "He will not be bothering us Roger" Pierre said with satisfaction.

"Let's hurry Pierre" Roger said. "We must get into Sheridan's cottage and kill her. We no longer have time to take her from here. We will kill her and leave. Sheridan Crane must die tonight!"

Sheridan was in the kitchen when she heard the window open. Her heart began beating faster and faster as she heard the men enter her cottage. She stood behind the kitchen door waiting. Roger and Pierre crept through the cottage which was almost dark by now. Pierre walked off toward the bedroom, while Pierre searched every nook and cranny of the living room. Pierre came out of the bedroom.

Luis' patrol car finally came to a slow down when he reached the Crane estate. He did not want to alert Roger and Pierre of his presence if they were there. He parked the car near the main house and he and Tina quickly ran towards Sheridan's cottage. Luis suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Tina almost ran into him. He pointed to a car hidden in the distance partially covered by brush.

Tina nodded in agreement and the two began jogging again towards the cottage. Daylight was almost gone. They were almost on top of the cottage when Luis again abruptly stopped. He suddenly felt his whole body shiver and his stomach was about to leave him. He saw a body laying at Sheridan's front door. Tina saw this as well and now completely understood Luis' fear.

Luis inched closer to the body laying there. "Oh my God! It's Ethan!" Luis said in shock. This was getting much too close to home for him. He carefully walked up to his body to feel for a pulse. He heaved a sigh of relief when he felt a strong pulse. He then noticed something in Ethan's hand. He picked it up and examined it. "It's a tranquillizer dart" he said handing it to Tina. "Thank God that's all it was."

Tina stood up and walked away from Luis and Ethan, as she carefully decided to check the perimeter of the cottage. She had her gun drawn as she quietly crept around the house. Luis stood up as well and tried the front door. It was locked.

"Psst! Psst!" Tina was trying to get Luis' attention from around the corner. He finally looked up and saw her motioning for him to follow her. Luis didn't hesitate. He quickly turned the corner and saw what Tina was so excited about. The window had been jimmied open. Luis felt his stomach sink again.

"Did you see Ethan lying there? If I wait, Sheridan will be next with a bullet in her head instead of a tranquillizer dart. If she doesn't have one already" he finished quietly.

Luis didn't wait for a reply from Tina. He had a look of determination on his face that refused to let anyone stop him. He quietly climbed through the window into the dark living room. It was almost pitch black in there and Luis had to let his eyes adjust to the light. As his eyes came into focus, he saw Pierre and Roger about to enter the kitchen. He quickly crouched down to avoid being seen. He watched as they entered the kitchen. As soon as they were in the kitchen, he quickly jumped up and followed them to the kitchen door. He stood on the opposite side of it and waited.

Suddenly Luis heard a loud clinking thud. He pushed open the kitchen door to see Sheridan holding a cast iron frying pan in her hands and Pierre lying on the floor unconscious. Roger had been momentarily startled, but now was face to face with Sheridan. He raised his gun to her head and said, "Say good-bye Mademoiselle Sheridan Crane. You will die now." He cocked his

Sheridan screamed as she watched Roger tumble to the floor. She stood there in horror and looked up to see Luis standing there with his gun in his outstretched hands. Luis walked over and checked for a pulse. He looked up at Sheridan. "He's still alive." Luis stood up, put his gun back in his holster and walked up to Sheridan. She was standing there with a look of total shock on her face.

"Oh Luis" Sheridan sobbed as she threw her arms around his neck. Luis returned the gesture and embraced her. She sobbed for a moment while Luis just held her as he caressed the back of her head. He closed his eyes as he was becoming intoxicated by her scent when he suddenly pulled away, realizing what he was doing.

"Sheridan, Luis said in a very cop like manner "I'm staying here until back up and the paramedics arrive. Tina is outside. Go tell her what happened and stay with her for now. I need to call the station."

"I don't know Sheridan" he answered. "Ask me again later." Luis turned his back on her and picked up his radio and called in to the station. Sheridan slowly left the kitchen and walked out side. She turned back briefly to look at him, pain in her eyes.

Sheridan emerged from the cottage to find Ethan lying on the ground by the front door. "Ethan!" she screamed. "Ethan, please" she started sobbing as she fell to the ground next to him. Tina heard Sheridan screaming and ran around the corner to see what was going on.

Sheridan explained everything to Tina about what happened with Roger and Pierre in the kitchen. She'd just about finished when she saw Sam approaching in his patrol car followed by several other police cars and several paramedics. "Did you find the other policeman?" Sheridan asked Tina.

Tears welled up in Sheridan's eyes. "They shot him" she said. "I thought this was him until I realized it was Ethan. They must have moved him somewhere. He was right here. They shot him right here."

"Men, spread out. Get your flashlights. Silvano must be here somewhere and he's been wounded. Find him!" Sam ordered angrily. Then he asked, "Where is Luis? Is he hurt? Where are these drug lords?"

"Sam" Tina said, "Luis is inside guarding the two drug dealers. One has been shot, the other knocked unconscious, but both are alive. He didn't want to leave them in there in case they regained consciousness."

The three other policemen that arrived with Sam were searching the grounds around Sheridan's cottage. Within several minutes one of them shouted, "I've found him. He's here!"

Sam rushed over to Silvano. He checked for a pulse. He thought he found a weak one but wasn't sure. "Get one of those paramedics over here now!" Sam shouted. The paramedics were attending to Ethan. One of them immediately ran over to Silvano when they heard Sam's call. The paramedic did a quick assessment of Silvano and shouted for his partner to join him.

"This man's in bad shape Chief," the paramedic said. "He's suffered a bullet wound to the chest and has lost a lot of blood. "Jim, get an IV of lactated ringers going wide open, stat!" the paramedic yelled at his partner. He then called the hospital and informed them of the patient's condition.

"Yeah, this is Ray, we have a 32yr old white male, a police officer with a gunshot wound to the chest. Entry wound appears to be close to the apex of the heart. He's unconscious, diaphoretic, estimated blood loss approximately 1500cc's, pulse is weak and thready 140's and bp is 50 over nothing. We've started....."

Sam had heard all he wanted to hear. Things didn't look good for Silvano, but there was nothing he could do to help. He knew Silvano would get the best care possible. It was now in the hands of the medical professionals and God. All he could do was hope and pray. He asked one of the other officers to make sure there were enough ambulances to take everyone in need to the hospital and had the other two officers relieve Luis inside. He then walked over to Sheridan and Tina.

"I'll take you to the hospital to see Ethan after we get all this straightened out. Ethan appears to be the luckiest of the group going to the hospital" Sam said. Sam looked up and saw a figure coming toward them in the darkness. He felt a slight churning on the inside as he watched the

figure closing the distance, but he quickly shook his head and continued. "Besides, I don't think he will be alone." He motioned to the figure who was flabbergasted by all the commotion. It was Ivy.

"What on earth is going on here?" She asked as she tried to take in the various scenes. "Sheridan!" she said in surprise. "What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were in Paris?"

"Oh Ivy!" Sheridan said as she choked back her tears. She went up to her and gave her a big hug. "It's been awful. It's a very long story. Ethan is my concern right now."

"Ivy, listen to me. Ethan is going to be fine. I promise you. He WILL BE FINE!" Sam said emphatically. "He was hit with a tranquillizer dart, that's all. He'll probably be asleep for awhile and when he wakes up he will have nothing more than a headache."

He'll be ok, Ivy. You have to believe that. The paramedics have already checked him over and he's going to be ok. Why don't you ride to the hospital with him. It will make you feel better."

"Yes Sam, I'll do that" Ivy said thankfully. She left Sam's side and walked over to Ethan who was being loaded on to a stretcher for transport to the hospital. Sam, Tina and Sheridan watched as Ethan and Ivy got into the back of the ambulance and drove away. Silvano's ambulance had left a few minutes earlier. Two more had arrived to take the two gunmen to the hospital as well. As the paramedics were entering the cottage, Luis finally emerged.

Luis ignoring Sheridan completely did not go unnoticed by Sam or Tina. Sheridan felt a lump in her throat when she heard Luis' voice, but was heartbroken when he didn't even acknowledge her presence.

Now" Sam said glancing back and forth between Luis and Sheridan. (Tina was doing the same thing.) "I need all three of you to follow me back to the station so I can get the whole story of what happened here tonight. Allthree of you were part of this, so I need statements from all of you."

Sure thing Sam," Luis said. "Ready to go Tina?" He extended his arm to usher Tina to his squad car. She glanced back at Sheridan who was standing there with a very hurt look on her face.

Luis was silent as they drove to the police station. Tina kept looking for some kind of reaction from him, but saw nothing. "You know Luis, ignoring Sheridan like that was not a very nice thing to do."

"Luis, look" Tina said patiently, "I'm not trying to make you mad. I'm not trying to defend Sheridan's having you arrested. But you need to realize, you aren't totally blameless here."

Tina continued. "I mean after all, you did bring her back to the States without her permission. Technically, that is kidnapping. She did have a right to be angry."

"Look" Luis said hotly, his face turning red, "I told you. It was for her own good. Those guys meant business. Didn't you see that for yourself tonight? If I had left Sheridan in Paris, she'd be dead right now. She almost ruined my entire life with that kidnapping charge. I could have lost

Tina knew he was angry and hurt, but also knew Sheridan was hurting very much. For some unexplainable reason, she felt the need to help these two sort through their problems.

"Luis, you two are so much alike it's scary. That's what the problem really is here. Neither one of you is willing to let the other one get the better of you. You both keep egging each other on until one of you explodes. Sheridan felt the need to win and she was holding the ace this time. I really think you need to talk to her."

Luis was still very angry, but he said, "Yeah, well she did say she wanted to talk to me. She said she wanted to tell me what has been bothering her all this time."

As she finished her sentence, they pulled up in front of the station house. "I'll think about it" Luis said. "No promises though!" he gave Tina a half smile, half frown. Tina smiled back at him. She had a feeling she'd at least gotten Luis to think about things.

Sheridan was very quiet in the car with Sam. All she could think about was how hurt she was that Luis was ignoring her now. She was silently chastising herself for feeling this way. Every time she let her guard down with him she found herself hurting. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. His mere presence in a room had an effect on her like no one ever had before. He made her crazy. One minute she wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him and the next minute he has her ranting like a lunatic. Why did he make her feel this way?

`If only he would talk to me' she thought. `I need to get things out in the air with him. Ethan is right. My pride and stubbornness have only made matters worse.'

"Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how hurt you were when Luis ignored you earlier. He's hurt right now Sheridan and angry. After all, you did have him arrested for kidnapping. That's a federal crime. It's not like a traffic violation. He could have lost everything."

"I know Sam" Sheridan said in frustration. "I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't really think about the consequences when I filed the complaint. I just wanted to teach him a lesson. I was angry. I'm sorry I did it, but now he won't even talk to me."

"Sheridan, he'll come around" Sam said soothingly. "After all, the first thing he did when he got out of jail, was make sure you were all right. It's a good thing he did too, or you'd probably be dead. He'll come around. Just give him time."

Sheridan nodded her head in acknowledgement. She gave Sam a small smile as they pulled up to the station. She and Sam walked into the conference room that was designated for their debriefing and Luis and Tina were already there. Luis greeted Sam and just glared at Sheridan. He said nothing to her, but did at least look at her. A pot of coffee was brewing, and the four of them took their seats, ready to explain the events of the afternoon.

Sheridan, Luis and Tina sat in the conference room for several hours as they recalled the events of the day to Sam. They told their stories, filled out their statements and gave Sam a full understanding of what had happened. Sam taped the entire evening as members of the Gendarmes and Interpol would be in Harmony the next day and would need access to the statements. Sam also told each of them, they would be needed for further questioning when they arrived, but with these statements, it would not be an immediate request. This would give them enough information to get started with.

Sheridan stole glances from Luis frequently during their session. Every once in awhile, she would catch Luis looking in her direction. Though he would immediately break eye contact, she still had hope he was willing to talk with her. She was determined to talk to him tonight. She needed to get some things cleared up with him as soon as possible.

Sheridan was getting anxious as their meeting was coming to a close. Her mind was filled with doubt. 'What if he won't speak to me?' she thought. Sheridan's mind was a whirlwind and she barely heard Sam when he told them they were free to leave for the time being. The other three had already left their seats. Luis was almost out the door when she called him.

Luis stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath and turned to face Sheridan. He knew he had to talk to her eventually. It might just as well be now. He turned and met her gaze.

"Listen, Sheridan" Luis said, "Tina is going back to Boston tonight. “I'm going to walk her to the chopper pad and then I'll be back. We can go get a cup of coffee or something and talk then, all right?"

Sheridan sighed with relief and smiled. "That will be fine Luis" she said gratefully. Sheridan suddenly felt better about the talk she was about to have with Luis. At least he was speaking to her again. He wasn't totally ignoring her, as he had earlier. Her mind wandered as she remembered all the good times she'd shared with Luis over the past ten months. She also remembered all the fights and misunderstandings they'd had as well. How she hoped that what she about to tell Luis would yet be another misunderstanding, but her heart sank as she remembered listening to him on the wharf that night. She could still hear him and see him as clearly as if it were yesterday. The pain was still there from hearing him speak those cutting words. She shook her head, unable to understand the conflict within herself.

'How can I love someone who would use me in that manner?' she asked herself. 'How can he be so different other times? If he would just admit it to me, I can get on with my life and forget him. But every time the subject comes up of why I'm angry, he acts like he doesn't understand. I just don't get it.'

Sheridan began aimlessly pacing the floor awaiting Luis' return. After a few moments Luis returned and stood in the doorway. She stopped her pacing and looked at him. 'Why does he make me fell this way every time I see him?' she thought. Sheridan waited for Luis to speak.

“So, Sheridan are you ready? We can go to the book cafe if you like, or if there is going to be a lot of shouting, maybe we should stay here" he suggested with the slightest hint of a grin on his face.

Sheridan didn't want to fight anymore. She was tired of fighting. "Luis, I don't want to fight with you" she implored. “The Book Cafe will be just fine, if you like, but I was thinking more along the lines of a walk on the wharf" she said quietly. If that's ok with you?"

Luis shot her an angry look. She saw it and realized he'd heard her last remark and misinterpreted it. "Luis, that wasn't necessarily meant as an insult. I just meant I remember all the conversations we've ever had. Except a few in New Mexico when I was delirious. By the way, you still haven't told me what I said when I had that fever."

A smile formed on his lips as he thought about Sheridan saying that. He realized she was watching him intently and quickly forced the smile from his face. "I'll tell you one day, Sheridan. Maybe. It isn't important. Right now you have something you wanted to tell me. That's what I'd like to hear" he said.

"And you will, Luis. In just a few minutes" she said. They continued to walk towards the pier in silence. When they reached it Sheridan walked to the exact spot she saw the impostor that night. She stopped walking and stared out into the ocean for a moment. She turned to see Luis and he was just leaning against the railing waiting for her to say something.

"Very well" Luis said quietly. "I remember everything that happened to me that night" he said softly. "It was the happiest night I've had in as long as I can remember."

Sheridan felt her heard skip a beat. There was a look in his eyes that caused her to go weak in the knees. She held onto the railing for support as she continued.

"Well, if you want my every move, I'll tell you. "After I hung the phone up with you, I went back to the station with Silvano. I had to change back into uniform and fill out a pile of paperwork on the drug bust. I had a couple of cups of coffee while I was there. I'd say it was an hour or so, then I went back to the wharf."

Sheridan just stared at him with her mouth hanging open. She was in shock. "That can't be Luis" she said. "I know what I saw and I know what I heard. It's impossible for you to have been at the station for an hour."

"Sheridan" Luis snickered "I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I know where I was. I have police documents and at least a dozen witnesses to back me up. What's the big deal with where I was after our phone conversation anyway?"

"Luis" she finally said "I saw you here, at this very spot not fifteen minutes after I talked to you. You were on the phone with someone. Does any of this sound familiar?"

Luis was starting to get annoyed. "Sheridan, I've already told you where I was and what I was doing. You didn't see me here because I wasn't here. What's this about anyway?"

"Luis, I know what I saw" she said. "I saw you standing right there on your cell phone talking to someone." She pointed to the spot the impostor was standing. I had just finished talking with Julian. He was trying to convince me you were just like all the other men I have dated. He tried to convince me you were only using me. I told him he was wrong and I was going to prove it. I then came down here and found you on your cell phone. As I came closer, I heard what you were saying. You were talking about me. You said, and I quote, Sheridan Crane? Don't worry. I intend to use the very rich Miss Sheridan Crane for my own ends. Then you laughed. It was a laugh I've never heard out of you before."

"Luis, it was you. It was your face. Your voice. You said the Cranes have been using and abusing your family for years. Now you had a chance to use one of their own. Their spoiled princess Sheridan."

The tears were freely flowing down Sheridan's face as she continued to tell Luis all of the horrible things he'd said that night. Luis was in total shock. He now understood why Sheridan had been so mad with him. What he didn't understand was how this happened. He never said those things. He was no where near the pier when this happened. How was he to convince her it wasn't him?

"I agree you should be angry, but not at me, BECAUSE IT WASN'T ME!!" Luis shouted back. He then reached over and grabbed Sheridan's arm. He forced her to look directly into his eyes.

"Sheridan, I want you to listen to me and listen well. "I did not nor will I ever use you in any way. I've told you that before and I meant every word of it. Sheridan, have you ever BEFORE or SINCE you saw someone who looked like me say those awful things, heard me even hint about using you? Have I ever given you any reason to believe I would hurt you?"

"No" he repeated quietly. "Sheridan, do you really believe I would try to hurt you.?" He picked her chin up forcing her to look in his eyes. "I want you to look into my eyes when you answer me."

Sheridan looked at Luis for what seemed like an eternity. She found herself lost in his beautiful hazel eyes that were now sparkling from the reflection of the water. All she saw in his eyes was a very loving, caring, compassionate man. The man she'd fallen in love with. She saw no hate, revenge or malice.

"No Luis" she said as if she was mesmerized. She threw her arms around his neck and continued to sob. "Luis, I am so sorry for doubting you. I should have known you could never say those things about me."

Luis in turn wrapped his arms around her. Finally he knew what had been bothering her all this time. It didn't solve the mystery of what happened, however. Luis was quite disturbed about someone walking around Harmony impersonating him.

"I know Luis" she said. "But I didn't want you to have the satisfaction of knowing how deeply you really hurt me." She looked down, still unwilling to let him know how painful the whole matter had been.

There was a moment of silence while both Sheridan and Luis gathered their thoughts. Neither one knew exactly what to say at this point. Luis was the first to break the silence.

Sheridan looked at Luis. There was pain and longing in her eyes. She so much wanted to wrap her arms around him, but so much had happened in the last few months, she didn't know if they would ever be able to repair what was almost the most wonderful relationship of her life.

"Luis," she said demurely, "I won't blame you at all if you don't forgive me. I should have had more trust in you. You are the only person who has ever been completely honest with me. The only person I could trust with my life and I threw it out the window. I let my pride get in the way, instead of asking you about it at the time. I also said many things to you in a deliberate attempt to hurt you the way I thought you had hurt me. I know you can never trust me again Luis, but I do want you to know I am very sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've said and everything I have done to hurt you." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she realized she'd let the man of her dreams escape through her grasp. She knew there would never be a man like Luis again. But that was to be her destiny she thought.

"Sheridan" Luis said gently as he took her face in his hands and lifted it so her eyes would meet his, "I know we have both caused each other much pain and heartache recently. That was the last thing I ever wanted to do. I never wanted to be responsible for causing you any pain. Even though I was not the one at the wharf that night, you thought it was. So in a way, I am

Looking into Luis' eyes while he said this caused the tears to flow freely down Sheridan's cheeks. Luis brushed them away as they fell. Sheridan closed her eyes at the feel of Luis caressing her face. She tried not to let him make her feel this way, but she had no control of her emotions when Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald was involved. She inhaled deeply and enjoyed the touch.

Luis smiled and slowly leaned in. Sheridan could hardly breathe in anticipation. Luis continued to lean closer and Sheridan slowly raised her head to close the gap. When their lips touched, Luis felt something inside of him explode. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He quickly pulled back and caught his breath. Sheridan felt it too. It was if a part of her had awakened after sleeping for twenty years. When Luis pulled back, Sheridan was almost heartbroken, until she saw the look in his eyes. It was a look of wild passion she'd never seen before. This caused her to tremble at the very thought of what could be with this beautiful, wonderful man of her dreams, standing before her.

Again, Luis leaned forward, this time kissing her with a passion neither of them had ever known. Neither even bothered coming up for air. They caught quick gasps while kissing. Their feelings for each other were being unleashed in this kiss. Neither one had actually told the other how they felt, but neither one was willing to let go of this kiss. They each knew in their hearts how the other felt. They knew the words would come later. Right now they wanted to keep this kiss for as long as they could. It meant the beginning of the new relationship that was starting between the two. The relationship that would be built entirely on trust and a love that no one could ever understand. They continued their kiss, not knowing what would happen next, not caring about anything except this moment in time.