The Last Crusade

“Let's go Miss Crane,” Antoine said as he shoved her out of the cabin door. Her hands were tied tightly behind her back. She tried to escape twice already and he wasn't taking any chances this time. Sheridan yelped in pain from the butt of the gun he'd shoved in her back.

She staggered down the driveway trying not to lose her balance. She'd long given up any hope of Luis coming to her rescue. She'd called his name so many times in the last day, hoping and praying he would again come to her aide, but she knew it was too late. She'd done everything in her power to drive him away. She fought him bitterly on every aspect of her safety, because she refused to allow him to control her. She never understood why he kept coming back for more. She kept hoping against hope he did it because of his feelings for her, but knew it was just a pipe dream. Luis was doing it out of a sense of duty. Once she'd agreed to hire a bodyguard, he'd made it perfectly clear he'd never lay eyes on her again.

Sheridan fought back the tears as she surveyed her surroundings. She'd only been at the cabin a few times and wasn't that familiar with the area, but there had to be a way to escape. Her mind frantically searched for an answer as she found herself being led deeper and deeper into the woods.

“Sam, I have to do this. I'm telling you, my gut tells me Sheridan is in real danger. I knew something was wrong and when I saw Mike this morning and he told me Sheridan went up to the cabin alone. I had this feeling of impending doom come over me. I can't explain it, Sam. For some reason every time Sheridan is in grave danger I know it.”

“It's just like the night Crystal was murdered on the wharf. I felt like I was walking over the grave of a loved one. It lasted a few minutes and then it was gone. I didn't give it a second thought until today, when I started having a similar feeling. It all made sense since I now know Sheridan was the intended target, not Crystal. My feeling went away when Crystal was shot instead of Sheridan.”

“I'm not involved with Sheridan, Sam!” Luis said with irritation. “It's just my cop instinct, that's all! Julian will just have to get over it. Once I know Sheridan is safe, I'll never lay eyes on her again.” Luis felt a sinking feeling in his gut when he made that remark. The thought of never seeing Sheridan again bothered him, but he had more important things to think about now.

Luis jumped out of the airplane. He had to do everything in his power to concentrate on his jump. The vision of Sheridan in trouble and calling for him was growing stronger with each passing moment. If he was to save her he must make this landing safely. He pushed the thoughts of Sheridan out of his head successfully as he sailed through the air. He fell through the sky, wind rushing over his body causing a rush of adrenalin to circulate within. At precisely the right moment, he pulled the cord and began his decent to the edge of the woods.

“I am so sorry Mademoiselle Crane,” Antoine said with sarcasm, “But I need to have your grave dug before I kill you. That's the way Roger wants it. Once you are dead, I will have you covered with dirt in a matter of a few minutes and no one will ever find your body.” Antoine tightened the knots, making sure there was no way she could escape. “Don't go away Sheridan,” Antoine winked. “I shall return shortly.” He flashed her an evil grin and turned around and ran off in the direction from where they had just come.

“Why is this happening?” Sheridan said out loud. “You know why it's happening, Sheridan” she scolded herself. “It's happening because you were too proud to let Luis help you. You are going to die tonight and it's all your own doing. You told Luis to stay out of your life and that is exactly what he's finally doing. You won, Sheridan! Brava! Aren't you pleased with yourself? You will never see Luis Lopez Fitzgerald again.”

Sheridan felt her eyes well up with tears when she heard those words out loud. Somehow until this moment, she never truly believed she'd never see Luis again. “Why do I feel like this?” She continued with her monologue. “Luis was using me and he's the last person on earth I should be thinking about missing. But all I can think of right now is wanting Luis to come take me away. Luis, please come? Sheridan you fool, you need to think about getting out of here, not about a man who hates you.”

Sheridan struggled against the ropes. She found the more she struggled, the tighter they became. “Maybe if I move from this spot, Antoine won't find me when he comes back? Maybe Luis will have more time to rescue me?” Sheridan began scooting and rolling in another direction hoping to at least buy herself some time. “Stop thinking about Luis, Sheridan. He's NOT coming this time. If only I could see him one last time. I so much wanted to confront him and hear him tell me to my face how he was using me and why? I just figured there would always be another time. If only I didn't have to love a man I should really hate and hates me... Oh Luis, Please come one last time...” Her voice trailed off.

Luis made a perfect landing. He brushed himself off, clad in a pair of khaki pants, fitted white t-shirt and a well worn brown leather jacket. He gathered up his chute and other tools and quietly made his way to the Crane Cabin. He'd studied the map of the area for the last three hours and had a very good idea of where he should be going. As he lightly ran through the woods, his thoughts were consumed with Sheridan. `I hope I'm not too late,' he said to himself. `I should never have trusted her to stay with her bodyguard. I know she hates me, but why is she being so stubborn when it comes to her life? Why can't she just let me keep her safe until these guys are caught? If only I knew why she hated me so much? She never did tell me. I'll promise you one thing, Luis, you can never see Sheridan again only AFTER you find out why she hates you so much.'

Luis continued his jaunt through the woods and he felt pangs of terror go through his body. He could again hear Sheridan's voice in his head calling him. `Luis, please come? Luis, please come one last time?' Luis began running faster and faster as the voice haunted him. He had to find her. He had to get to Sheridan before it was too late. He couldn't bear to see anything happen to her. “How can I live without her?” He said out loud.

Luis jerked to a dead stop, “Whoa, Luis, where did that come from?” He asked himself out loud. “Can't live without Sheridan Crane? Are you nuts? Just find her Luis and get this whole mess cleared up. You can live your life perfectly well without Sheridan.” Luis spoke the words, but knew he was lying to himself. He knew the thought of Sheridan dying was killing him inside. He continued walking towards the cabin when for some unknown reason, his gut told him to change directions. All reason told him the cabin was the best place to start, but he couldn't get rid of the feeling if he went to the cabin he'd never see Sheridan alive again.

He hesitated a moment. “I need to get to the Cabin” he tried to convince himself. He took several steps toward the cabin and his instincts took over. He completely changed directions and headed towards an abandoned railroad tunnel. “I hope I'm right” he said. Luis steered his way through the thick brush toward his new destination.

Sheridan continued to roll and scoot as fast as she could. The more time past, the more fear engulfed her body. She knew she hadn't gone that far from the spot Antoine had left her and was beginning to panic at the thought of him returning. “Come on Sheridan” she said trying to motivate herself. “Hurry up. If you don't hurry up Antoine will get you and you will never get out of this mess. She looked up and saw what appeared to be an opening in the side of the small mountain. “I wonder what that is?” She said as she made her way closer to the opening. When she got closer, she realized it was a very old railroad tunnel, that by the looks of had been deserted for years. “If I can just get over there, I may be able to slip between the boards covering up the entrance.”

Gathering every ounce of energy she had, Sheridan managed to close the distance between her and the abandoned tunnel. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, she laid in front of the entrance. She caught her breath as she surveyed the ancient boards covering the mouth to the tunnel. She found what appeared to be a weak board and began kicking it with all the strength she could gather. She heard a board crack and a rush of energy flowed through her as she attempted to slip inside the tunnel unnoticed.

Sheridan was now covered in dirt and scratches from her escapade through the woods. Her pink oxford shirt was practically in tatters and no longer resembled it's original color. She was very grateful she was wearing jeans as they managed to absorb much of the punishment she'd inflicted on her lower body.

Again, fear overtook her, as she screamed, “Nooooo!” Tears trickled down her face, stinging terribly as they ran over the open cuts. `Now I'll die never seeing Luis again,' was the only thought that came to her mind. Sheridan refused to open her eyes. She did not want to see the smug look on Antoine's face as he brought her to the spot he would kill her.

“Thank you God,” Luis choked out looking towards the heavens. He then returned his attention to the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on. Sheridan alive and well. He fought back his tears of joy as he pulled a knife out of his back pack. He began cutting the ropes that bound Sheridan's arms and legs.

Luis held her tightly and reveled in the joy he was now feeling having Sheridan alive in his arms. He slowly pulled back and looked directly into Sheridan's eyes. He saw fear and sadness, that made his heart ache. He also saw a glimmer of hope. “I've got to get you out of here Sheridan,” he said quickly pulling back. “It's not safe here.” As Luis started to stand them both up, he saw a look of horror appear on Sheridan's face. “What is it, Sheridan?” He asked with concern. Before she had a chance to answer him, Luis felt a searing pain go through his head and everything went black.

Luis groaned as he felt his head pulsating with pain. He tried to lift his hands to his head, but discovered they were pinned to his sides. He slowly opened his eyes. He looked down and realized he was completely tied up around the middle.

Luis, who was still waking up from his bash on the head earlier, realized Sheridan was tied directly to his back. As he scanned the area, he realized they must be in the old railroad tunnel. 'This is not the safest place to be' he thought to himself.

As if reading his thoughts Antoine said, “ As I am sure you have noticed, this tunnel is not exactly stable. I regret to inform you Monsieur et Mademoiselle, that this old railway tunnel is about to collapse.” Antoine dangled several explosives in front of Luis. “I'm afraid you both will be caught in the cave in.”

“Oh, but you underestimate me, Monsieur. The explosion will be timed for two hours from now. That will give me plenty of time to escape from the area. No one will even think to search for you here. The authorities will believe it was just a major cave in and they will regret not blowing the tunnel years ago.”

Luis could feel Sheridan's body shaking behind him. He wanted to hold her, but couldn't. He decided not to speak until he was sure Antoine was gone. Luis watched as Antoine placed the dynamite in the entrance of the tunnel and attached the timer/detonator to it.

“Luis, why did you come?” Sheridan asked. “You should have just let me be. Then only one of us would be dying here.” Sheridan meant what she said but secretly was glad to have Luis with her. She didn't want to see him die, but he always brought her a sense of comfort and security. This sounded very odd to her right now as the two of them were about to die together.

Luis felt a shiver flow through his body as Sheridan's hand gently felt around for his pocket. `Get a grip on yourself Luis. This is no time to be having these feelings.' Luis tried to ignore the sensation he was feeling but it was impossible.

Sheridan finally found his pocket and slowly put her hand inside, looking for his knife. She felt something cold inside and grasped her hand around it. In the process of grabbing the knife, she also managed to give Luis' backside a gentle squeeze.

“I have it back as far as I can get it. You'll just have to search for it.” Luis suddenly got an impish look on his face. “See if you can find my hand as easily as you found my butt.” He laughed to himself as he waited for her to explode.

Sheridan continued her search for his hand. She finally hit something in the air, which was warm. She began feeling it and it was Luis' hand. She lightened her grip on the knife, as she inched her hand closer to his open palm. His palm closed around her loosely clenched fist and she gently opened her fist and placed the knife in his hand. She now felt her body tingle at the touch of his strong hand and she quickly pulled her hand back. “There you go” she said. She took a deep breath and tried to shake the feeling.

Luis smiled to himself. He knew she'd been affected by the their hands touching. He then brought his full concentration to cutting the ropes. It was a slow tedious process at first, but after the first few ties had been cut it was easy. Luis grabbed hold of the rope when he was able and completely removed it from both of them. Once freed he turned to make sure Sheridan was o.k.

“I'm fine Luis” she answered quietly with a shy smile. She wouldn't tell him, but she loved when he acted this caring towards her, even if it was all an act. `Get hold of yourself Sheridan. This is neither the time nor the place.' “Do you have a plan to get out of here?” She asked.

Luis didn't answer immediately. He looked around the tunnel for any sign of light. The only light that he found came from the way they'd come in. Unfortunately it was too risky to leave that way, as the entrance was now covered with explosives. It was too dangerous to chance setting off the detonator. There was only one other way to go. Follow the track through the tunnel, which led into complete darkness. He then spotted his backpack and his face lit up. He ran over to it and picked it up.

“I know you don't use your brain very often Sheridan, but since this tunnel is inside a mountain, we may need the rope to get out when we get to the other side. Who knows where we'll end up. We may come across a cave in or we may not make it out at all.”

Sheridan gave him a dirty look and walked in front of him with determination down the long dark tunnel. She held her flashlight in front of her as she led the way for them. Luis grinned to himself. He picked up his stuff and followed Sheridan.

“I don't know Sheridan” Luis answered honestly. “But I'm not giving up as long as there is breath in my body.” He paused for a minute and then smiled slightly. “Besides, the feeling I had earlier is gone. I believe we're going to make it.”

“How on earth did you know where to find me?” She asked softly. Sheridan was touched he had such strong feelings concerning her. He'd mentioned the same thing to her when they were in Paris, but said it was only his police instinct that caused him to feel that way.

Luis laughed. ”That's the strange part Sheridan. I was headed towards the cabin. I learned from Mike that you ditched him, so I figured the cabin was the best place to start. But after I started running through the woods, I kept getting a strong feeling to take a different direction. I can't explain it, really. I just knew to follow my feelings, not my head.”

His last words echoed in her head. `Isn't that what Ethan was trying to tell me?' She asked herself. Sheridan looked long and hard at Luis. In all of her personal encounters with him, he had never been anything but completely honest with her. He fought with her only when she instigated it or egged him on. After everything she'd done to him, he kept coming back for more. Her head told her he was using her but her heart... that was a different story.

“There's only one way to find out!” Luis announced with a smirk. He looked around and they seemed to be at some kind of emergency area. The walls were hollowed out for a large alcove. There was a small table, two broken chairs, a shovel, length of chain, cans of oil, extra ties and spikes. There was also a coat and hat lying across the table. “Sheridan, grab me one of those cans of oil over there, would you please?”

“Sheridan,” Luis said in all seriousness, “from the looks of this place, I don't think this tunnel has been used for 70 years or more. I didn't even know it existed. I imagine it's been long forgotten or else it would have been filled in years ago. So yes, there is a very good possibility of a cave in. Besides, if we don't get a move on, we'll be caught in one hell of a new cave in! The explosives Antoine planted are enough to take out that whole side of the mountain.”

Sheridan suddenly looked frightened. “Hey,” Luis said in a reassuring voice as he walked over to her. “I said I'd make sure you were safe. I didn't jump out of a plane, get hit in the head with a shovel and trapped in an abandoned tunnel for nothing!” Luis' smile was so sincere and genuine, Sheridan felt a tear come to her eye.

“Come on Sheridan, let's get going. We only have an hour left before this place blows.” Luis walked over to the alcove area and gathered up some tools and oil. Sheridan helped him. She grabbed another can of oil and the hat and coat that were laying on the table.

“I don't know” Sheridan said with a childlike voice. “As you said, you never know when something will come in handy. Like this hat for instance. It will help keep dirt out of your hair if you're in a cave in. Besides, it's a Stetson slouch hat. I've always been fond of a m... of them.”

“So you think that's funny, do you Luis?” Sheridan said with irritation. “Let's go!” She jumped onto the handcar and threw the jacket and oilcan on the car. Luis was still laughing at her decision to bring along a hat and coat, which infuriated Sheridan. She still had the hat in her hand and before she realized it she roughly placed it on Luis' head.

“Well it's... I just... You look... look Luis, we don't have time to discuss this right now. We have less than an hour. I'll tell you later, o.k.?” Sheridan didn't wait for a response. She quickly turned her back on him so he wouldn't see the color of her cheeks turning crimson. `God he looks so sexy in that hat' she said to herself.

Luis stared after her trying to figure out what she was up to. He didn't dwell too long, though. It was time to get moving. Luis jumped up on the car. “Can you pump this with me?” Luis asked. “It's all oiled up so it should be easier now.”

The car was going along smoothly for sometime. They managed to cover at least three times the distance they would have covered by foot. Every now and again Luis would point his flashlight in front of him looking for any obstructions that may lie in their path. Suddenly on one of his checks, Luis screamed, “STOP!! Where the hell is the brake on this thing?” Luis frantically searched for the brake. “Damn! There's a cave in up there! There's no brake on this thing. Grab my hand. We have to jump!”

“Ahhh” Sheridan screamed as she and Luis tumbled off the car. Luis landed first and pulled them into as soft a roll as possible until they stopped up against the tunnel wall. Sheridan stopped lying directly on top of Luis. She was too stunned to move at first. Suddenly there was a crash, as the car ran right into the pile of rubble blocking the track. Sheridan buried her head on Luis' chest as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

Small stones fell from the walls as the impact caused a slight tremor. Sheridan was shaking, afraid they would be buried alive right there. Luis held her tightly. He felt her shaking and tried to calm her. “It's all right” he said in a soothing voice. “It will stop in a minute.” He gently stroked her hair with one hand, not letting go of her with the other. Sheridan was amazed how this simple gesture seemed to alleviate her fears. She soon became aware of the close proximity to Luis and felt a shiver go through her. Her gaze caught Luis'. He was staring right into her soul which caught her completely off guard. It took all her will power, but she finally managed to break eye contact with him and she slowly removed herself from on top of him.

Luis walked over to the wrecked handcar and grabbed the shovel he'd taken from the alcove. “Here you go!” He gave Sheridan a huge grin as he watched with amusement, Sheridan Crane doing manual labor. He then retrieved his backpack and removed a small fold up shovel he'd brought with him and began digging beside her.

Luis and Sheridan looked at each other and then both raced towards the pile of dirt. They saw rays of sunlight peering through the new hole that had been made by the shifting of rubble. Luis grabbed his shovel and began increasing the opening as fast as he could. Sheridan wanted to help, but Luis wouldn't let her, as he didn't know where he would end up. He crawled further and further through the hole as dirt flew frantically behind him.

Luis held out his hand waiting for Sheridan to take it. She gingerly walked up the mountain of dirt and began crawling through the small opening Luis had dug out. “Come on Sheridan,” Luis encouraged. “Grab my hand. Sheridan inched closer and closer until her hand met Luis'. He pulled her as close to him as he could. “We're getting out of here together Sheridan,” he smiled.

Sheridan smiled back at Luis. They were now at the other side of the tunnel, which was boarded up much the same way. “I need to turn around so I can kick these boards,” Luis said. He carefully turned around in the very confined space they were in. He couldn't help but leaning against Sheridan for most of his turn since there wasn't much room. “Sorry about that,” he said when he was positioned properly.

Luis smiled back at her. There was something about the smile she was giving him that gave him a glimmer of hope all was not lost. He tried to get thoughts of Sheridan out of his head and concentrate on the task at hand. He began pushing against the old wooden planks with his feet. He only needed two pushes when he heard the first crack. The third time one of the planks went flying out of the tunnel.

Luis slowly pushed the rest of the decayed boards out of the way. He inched his way forward. His movements were tentative until he felt the ground beneath his feet. Once outside he stood up and stretched for a brief moment. He then bent down and looked at Sheridan who was peering out at him. He extended his arm toward her. “You're home free Sheridan,” he grinned.

“SHERIDAN! NOOOO!” Luis screamed in horror. He tried to reach her but he couldn't. Luis began digging dirt with his bare hands. The adrenalin flowing through his body was phenomenal. He suddenly had the strength of four men. He dug as fast as he could. After several minutes, he felt her arm. It seemed like he'd been digging an eternity, though. Once he touched her flesh, he dug faster than before and tried pulling her out. It seemed like it was taking forever, but Luis was like a man possessed.

He finally dragged her limp body out of the rubble. He felt tears come to his eyes as he noticed she wasn't breathing. “Damn it Sheridan, You can't die on me! He felt for a pulse and she still had one. He felt slight relief, but she still wasn't breathing. He laid her on her back and gently lifted her chin tilting her head back, hoping to open her airway. He leaned over her and gave her two rescue breaths.

Sheridan wheezed loudly, then began coughing. Luis fell to the ground as a wave of relief overtook his body. Luis said a silent prayer and then pulled Sheridan into an upright position, hoping to ease her breathing. She continued to inhale deeply, followed by coughing. “Sheridan, are you o.k.?” Luis asked with great concern. He gently rubbed her back.

Luis picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and began to run. He ran faster than he thought possible. He ran through the trees blindly. It was almost as if he'd lived in the forest his whole life, knowing the location of every piece of growth. He never slowed down, until he heard a giant explosion. The initial force of the explosion knocked him to the ground. He managed to land on his back, taking special care not to hurt Sheridan in the fall. When the initial blast was over, he resumed his retreat from the area.

The air was now very thick with dust and smoke from the blast. Sheridan's coughing had increased again, which worried Luis. After placing several miles between themselves and the tunnel, Luis stopped. He gently sat Sheridan in front of a tree. “Sheridan, are you all right?” he asked softly.

Luis put his phone back in his pocket and returned to Sheridan's side. He knelt down next to her. She was still coughing and wheezing. “Sam's sending a helicopter for us very soon. We're going to have to leave here and look for a clearing,” he said softly.

“I'll be o.k. Luis,” Sheridan lied. She feebly attempted to stand up, but fell back down before she'd gotten half way up. “Just give me a minute and I'll be able to walk.” Sheridan was feeling awful, but didn't want Luis worrying about her anymore than he already was. She managed one breath without coughing, and said, “See, I'm all right now.” That lasted two seconds and she began coughing harder than before.

Sheridan finally placed her arms around his neck, giving into Luis, as she wasn't up to fighting him. She closed her eyes and her mind took her back to New Mexico, when she nearly drowned. Luis had carried her to safety that night as well. Sheridan felt safe right now. She somehow knew, no harm would come to her as long as she was in Luis' arms. She felt as if this were the place she was meant to be. `How can this be?' she wondered to herself. `He's only using me, yet I feel so good when I am with him.' She rested her head on his shoulder.

Though Luis had been carrying Sheridan for miles, he never felt the burden. He carried her as carefully, lovingly and effortlessly as a mother carrying her newborn child. It was as if Sheridan were part of him. Why did he feel this way about someone who claimed she hated him? He didn't know the answer, but decided before this was over, he would get the answers he wanted. The answers he needed.

Luis stood in the clearing with Sheridan in his arms waiting for the helicopter to arrive. They didn't wait long when he heard the chopper over head. The wind whipped through his worn leather jacket and “new” Stetson. He turned around and bent over in order to prevent Sheridan from any further trauma. When the helicopter had successfully landed, Sam ran out to greet Luis, taking Sheridan from him for the moment. Sam seated Sheridan in between Luis and himself and strapped her in. Luis wrapped his arm around her and she immediately laid her head on his shoulder. Sam motioned for the pilot to take off.

Sam watched Luis as he held Sheridan protectively. He shook his head and silently prayed that a way would be found to keep Luis out of jail, because he knew no matter what happened, these two would be continuously drawn to each other. As many times as Luis swore he'd never see Sheridan again, insisted he had no feelings towards her except animosity, it was evident to him that Luis had deep feelings for Sheridan. He also suspected she felt the same way. Now was not the time, however to mention this to Luis.

Sam smiled. “Well I'm glad everything worked out. Truly I am. By the way, the FBI is on their way. It seems that our feds are now getting involved in this case. They don't like the idea of Parisian drug lords coming to U.S. soil and blowing up tunnels with our citizens in them.”

A paramedic and nurse were at the helicopter landing pad waiting for Sheridan. As soon as the chopper landed, they removed Sheridan from her seat and placed her on a stretcher. They immediately placed an oxygen mask on her face and rushed her into the emergency room.

“Come now Officer. Let's not be modest here. Your reputation precedes you. I've read your file as well as the file on Sheridan Crane and the Paris drug lords.” Agent Freeman was quite impressed with Luis' heroics. “You should be commended for your actions. I haven't encountered a police officer yet who thinks on his feet as well as you do. Actually, I do believe this look is much more fitting than that of James Bond. Yes indeed.”

Luis was visibly nervous. “Look Sheridan,” he said in an official tone, “despite what you think about me, I really was only concerned with your safety. I have no interest in controlling your life. I just wanted to see you safe.” Luis couldn't look her in the eyes as this was not the entire truth.

Luis flashed back on his conversation with Julian. “What else would it be?” he asked evading answering her question. Before she could ask him anymore questions he said, “These guys are waiting to take you to x-ray and the FBI is waiting to talk to me, so I'll talk to you later. Luis gave her a tentative smile and walked out of the room. Sheridan felt her heart sink as she watched him leave.

“If you're worried about breaking a confidence, don't be. We already know that Sheridan Crane filed kidnapping charges against Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald and Julian Crane had the charges dropped. We also know that Miss Crane tried to rescind filing the charges within minutes and was told it was too late,” Hal explained.

“We also know that the Cranes have a habit of yielding their power whenever it suits them. Anytime anything hits the legal system involving the Cranes, it comes directly to the F.B.I. We were very disturbed to learn that Miss Crane had filed kidnapping charges. When we learned the details involved, we were even more concerned,” Hal said with an irritated demeanor.

“What concerned us more than Sheridan filing the charges, was her brother Julian having them dropped,” Hal said with disdain. “Though I've never actually met the man, I do know, he and his father Alistair do NOTHING without a reason. That's what I want from you. The reason.”

Sam and Hal sat at a small corner table in the hospital cafeteria as Sam began his story. Agent Freeman had a notepad in front of him to take notes. It was one of his life long dreams to take down the Crane family, and he was hoping this would be a break for him.

“Luis has always hated the Crane Family. He blames them for his father's disappearance. Sheridan spent most of her life in Europe and only returned to Harmony last summer. She and Luis met when she slammed her car into Luis' police cruiser. She was speeding and broke a few other traffic laws. She tried to get out of the ticket by using her last name, which ticked Luis right off. He arrested her and she ended up spending the night in jail. After she went to court, she was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.” Sam took a deep breath. He noted Agent Freeman was hanging on his every word.

“Yes you are,” Sam said with a grin. “For months, Sheridan and Luis fought constantly. I've never seen anything like it. At the same time Luis was hell bent on finding a connection between the Cranes and his missing father. He and Sheridan somehow went to New Mexico together to track down a lead on a man who was using his father's social security number. The man later came to Harmony and kidnapped Sheridan, holding her at gunpoint. They were both about to fall through a skylight and Luis saved Sheridan over the man he thought was his father. As it turned out, the man was an impostor and was carrying Julian Crane's private telephone number in his pocket.”

“Of course not,” Sam sneered. “But Luis was more determined than ever to prove the Cranes were not only responsible for his father's disappearance, but for the Martin impostor as well. He threatened Julian, which is not something he's used to.”

“Something happened, which caused Sheridan to become very angry with Luis. I'd never seen Luis so happy and then WHAM! Sheridan slapped him and told him she never wanted to see him again. Luis had no idea what happened and she wouldn't tell him. She just kept saying you should know what you did. Luis was heartbroken, but refused to admit it to anyone. He still does. Anyway, Sheridan decided to move back to Paris. When we received the fax about Jean-Luc's death, Luis decided he needed to warn Sheridan. She wouldn't listen to him on the phone so he flew there to save her. And you seem to know what happened in Paris.”

“What got me,” Sam said, "was his gut instinct. He was right on the money. It's very rare for two people to be so connected they can sense when the other person is in danger. Anyway, after Luis returned from Boston, out on bail I might add, Julian came to see him. He offered to have all charges dropped if Luis promised never to see Sheridan again. Luis and Sheridan weren`t even civil towards each other, so he figured it was the only thing he could do. He was facing forty years in a Federal prison.”

Hal shook his head. “No. I don't buy it. They're afraid of something. They are afraid Luis is close to exposing them. From where I sit, I'd bet anything that's why Julian made that deal. Why else should he care that much? Especially if he hates Luis the way you say. He should have been happy to see him in prison and out of his hair.”

“I may not be able to bring down the Crane Empire, but I certainly can chip away at it's base. If Luis and Sheridan can work out their differences, I'll make sure that deal won't be the stumbling block,” Hal said seriously. “It's time I put a little scare into the Cranes.”

Luis held out his hand waiting for Sheridan to take it. She gingerly walked up the mountain of dirt and began crawling through the small opening Luis had dug out. “Come on Sheridan,” Luis encouraged. “Grab my hand.” Sheridan inched closer and closer until her hand met Luis'. He pulled her as close to him as he could. “We're getting out of here together Sheridan,” he smiled.

Luis smiled back at her. There was something about her smile that gave him a glimmer of hope. All was not lost between them. He quickly pushed his feelings for Sheridan out of his head and concentrated on the task at hand. He began pushing against the old wooden planks with his feet. He only needed two pushes when he heard the first crack. The third time one of the planks went flying out of the tunnel.

Luis slowly pushed the rest of the decayed boards out of the way. He inched his way forward. His movements were tentative until he felt the ground beneath his feet. Once outside he stood up and stretched for a brief moment. Then he bent down and looked at Sheridan who was peering out at him. He extended his arm toward her. “You're home free,” he grinned.

“SHERIDAN! NOOOO!” Luis screamed in horror. He tried to reach her but he couldn't. Luis began digging dirt with his bare hands. The adrenalin flowed through his body at a phenomenal rate. Suddenly had the strength of four men. He dug as fast as he could. After several minutes, he felt her arm. It seemed like he'd been digging an eternity, however. Once he touched her flesh, he dug faster than before and tried pulling her out. It seemed like it was taking forever, but Luis was like a man possessed.

He finally dragged her limp body out of the rubble. He felt his eyes well with tears when he realized she wasn't breathing. “Damn it Sheridan, You can't die on me! He felt for a pulse and she still had one. He felt slight relief, but she still wasn't breathing. He laid her on her back and gently lifted her chin tilting her head back, hoping to open her airway. He leaned over her and gave her two rescue breaths.

Sheridan wheezed loudly, then began coughing. Luis fell to the ground as a wave of relief overtook his body. Luis said a silent prayer and then pulled her into an upright position, hoping to ease her breathing. She continued to inhale deeply, followed by coughing. “Sheridan, are you okay?” Luis asked with anxiously. He gently rubbed her small circles on her back.

“I'll be okay. Luis,” Sheridan lied. She feebly attempted to stand up, but fell back down before she'd gotten half way up. “Just give me a minute and I'll be able to walk.” Sheridan was feeling awful, but didn't want Luis worrying about her anymore than he already was. She managed one breath without coughing, and said, “See, I'm all right now.” That lasted two seconds and she began coughing harder than before.

Sheridan finally placed her arms around his neck, giving into Luis, as she wasn't up to fighting him. She closed her eyes and her mind took her back to New Mexico, when she nearly drowned. Luis had carried her to safety that night as well. Sheridan felt safe right now. She somehow knew, no harm would come to her as long as she was in Luis' arms. She felt as if this were the place she was meant to be. 'How can this be?' She wondered to herself. 'He's only using me, yet I feel so good when I am with him.' She rested her head on his shoulder.

Luis flashed back on his conversation with Julian. “What else would it be?” He asked evading answering her question. Before she could ask him anymore questions he said, “These guys are waiting to take you to x-ray and the FBI is waiting to talk to me, so I'll talk to you later. Luis gave her a tentative smile and walked out of the room. Sheridan felt her heart sink as she watched him leave.

“What concerned us more than Sheridan filing the charges, was her brother Julian having them dropped,” Hal said with disdain. “Though I've never actually met the man, I do know he and his father Alistair do NOTHING without a reason. That's what I want from you. The reason.”

“Yes you are” Sam said with a grin. “For months Sheridan and Luis fought constantly. I've never seen anything like it. At the same time Luis was hell bent on finding a connection between the Cranes and his missing father. He and Sheridan somehow went to New Mexico together to track down a lead on a man who was using his father's social security number. The man later came to Harmony and kidnapped Sheridan, holding her at gunpoint. They were both about to fall through a skylight and Luis saved Sheridan over the man he thought was his father. As it turned out the man was an impostor and was carrying Julian Crane's private telephone number in his pocket.”

“Of course not” Sam sneered. “But Luis was more determined than ever to prove the Cranes were not only responsible for his father's disappearance, but for the Martin impostor as well. He threatened Julian, which is not something he's used to.”

“What got me” Sam said, "was his gut instinct. He was right on the money. It's very rare for two people to be so connected they can sense when the other person is in danger. Anyway, after Luis returned from Boston, out on bail I might add, Julian came to see him. He offered to have all charges dropped if Luis promised never to see Sheridan again. Luis and Sheridan weren't even civil towards each other, so he figured it was the only thing he could do. He was facing forty years in a Federal prison.”

“Sure Sam” Luis said wearily. He took a sip of his coffee and began telling his tale. He explained how he found Sheridan and the fact he found her purely on instinct. He told them about being hit over the head and then tied up in the tunnel. Luis explained that Antoine was the leak from Paris police department, which really didn't surprise him and that he was working directly for Roger. The story continued with Luis explaining how Antoine set the explosives to go off on a timer and that's the only reason they made it out alive. He didn't want to be anywhere near the scene when the explosion happened. They then cut the ropes with Luis pocket knife and traveled on foot till they found the hand car. He described the crash, the digging and finally the cave in that almost cost Sheridan her life.

“It's too bad everyone doesn't feel the same way Sam” Luis said bitterly. “Sheridan will soon be over her “Thank You” phase and be blasting me for kidnapping her off Crane property and Julian will probably reins... Well you know what he'll do.” Luis caught himself before saying too much in front of the FBI. He didn't want any bigger risk than he's already taken.

“Antoine is still out there Sam. Sooner or later they're going to figure out we didn't die in that explosion and they're going to come after her again. Sheridan doesn't seem to understand that these guys mean business. She heard them with her own ears and still doesn't believe it. Roger vowed to get her if it took him till the day he died. What would that tell you?” Luis said angrily.

“Sheridan still needs protection. She needs a bodyguard. One that she can't order around or threaten. She needs one that will do anything it takes to make sure no harm comes to her. She refuses to hire one and her family doesn't deem it necessary.” Luis ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Hal spoke up for the first time since Luis had joined them. “Sam, if you'd care to join me, I need to speak with Miss Crane for a few moments and I'd like a witness. Sam also, if it's all right with you, I'd like Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald, to be temporarily assigned to me. Just until this case is solved. He seems to know more about it than any of my agents and I have a very important assignment for him.” Agent Freeman kept a stone face through the thing, which amazed Luis. Luis face beamed at the thought of working for the FBI.

Sheridan was very nervous now. She looked up and glanced at each man. They both wore cold expressionless faces. “Luis chloroformed me and put me on a plane against my will” she said defensively. “I told him I didn't want to leave Paris and he wouldn't listen to me.”

“Miss Crane, forgive me for saying this, but what had you done to that point to prove to Luis you were capable of taking care of yourself? Did you or did you not hear Roger threaten to find you and kill you if it took the rest of his life?”

“Miss Crane, that's exactly what you meant. Luis put you on that plane for the same reason he followed you to Paris. “He had a gut instinct you were in trouble and followed it. In case you hadn't noticed, he's been right on every feeling he's had involving you.”

“Well, that's exactly what he was doing. He's been using Sheridan all this time to settle an unwarranted vendetta against our family. He never cared for Sheridan, that's why Sheridan wants nothing to do with him.” Julian was so thrilled with the idea of getting Luis in trouble with the Feds, he didn't realize the full impact of his revelation.

Julian went pale. He realized now what he'd done. He had to come up with an answer fast. “Well, I dropped the charges for the sake of Luis' mother, Pilar. She's been a loyal servant to us for years and I couldn't imagine her pain if her son was sent to prison for 40 years.”

“I know exactly who you are Mr. Crane” Agent Freeman said staring directly into Julian's blazing eyes. “I don't take threats from anyone including you. If you don't leave now, I'll have another agent here in a heartbeat and throw you in jail for obstruction of justice.”

Julian was livid. He stormed off leaving Sheridan and Sam in shock and Agent Freeman with a smile on his face. Hal turned back to Sheridan. “Now Miss Crane, do you believe that Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald was only doing what he felt was best for you? Or do you believe it was just a control issue as you eluded to earlier?”

“Let's just say that Julian was right. Luis was never interested in a relationship with me. He said The Cranes had used and abused his family for years and now he had the chance to get even by using one of their own. Their Spoiled Princess Sheridan.” Sheridan choked on her own words. It still hurt remembering what she saw and heard that night.

Hal stood thoughtfully for several minutes. He pulled his notebook out of his pocket and flipped through the pages. “Ah, I did remember correctly.” Hal looked up from his notes. “You mentioned there was a man posing as Luis' father. Luis thought the man was his father and then after he died, you found Julian Crane's private phone number in his pocket?”

Hal and Sam returned to Sheridan's room. When they got in there they found Sheridan signing her release papers. Though she was very interested in finding out what Sam and the FBI agent were up to, she was even more interested in getting away from the hospital. “How much longer is this inquisition going to last?” Sheridan asked having regained her composure.

“Miss Crane, I need you to do something for me. I have reason to believe that the charges your brother dropped against Luis will resurface. If that doesn't bother you, then fine. But if you believe that his actions DO NOT warrant spending 40 years in prison, then I need YOU to officially recant your complaint.”

“Miss Crane, the local police do not have the authority to let you take back your complaint because once it's in the system it becomes a Federal Case. Since the FBI is Federal, we have the right to allow a complaint to be recanted. In this case, we believe it is the right thing to do.”

Sheridan blushed slightly. She felt rather awkward at this moment for some reason. “Yes, I did. Agent Freeman said he had information that the charges might resurface and I couldn't bear to have you thrown in jail again. So I signed it.”

Luis slammed her door and walked around the car to get into his own. Once inside the car he said, “Look Sheridan, I know you don't believe anything I say, but I had nothing to do with this. Agent Freeman asked me if I would like a temporary assignment with the FBI until this case was solved. I assumed it was because of my involvement in it so far and I jumped at the chance. I never dreamed THIS would be the assignment.” Luis started the engine and started driving towards Sheridan's cottage.

“Sheridan, this was never about winning. At least not with me. All I ever wanted was to make sure you were safe. I thought when Sam finally convinced you to hire a bodyguard it would do the trick, but I was wrong. I know I can keep you safe, so for that I'm grateful.”

"All right Luis, look. I'm going to say this once and only once. I want you to get all your gloating out of your system so I don't have to listen to it for the duration of our time together." Sheridan looked at Luis directly in the eyes. She saw those beautiful brown eyes looking back at her and it caused her to catch her breath. They were the same brown eyes that caused her to fall head over heels in love with him. Her eyes glanced up at his head and it caused her to smile. He was still wearing his hat.

She looked down at him and said softly, "Luis I want to apologize for having had you arrested. You were right about my life being in danger and yes, I am stubborn and pigheaded sometimes. But that still doesn't change the fact that you were acting like a macho super cop with absolutely no regards for me, as a person. You thought you could just order me around like I was a child." Sheridan paused for a minute and took a deep breath before continuing.

"You know Luis, maybe if you'd asked me to come with you, or shown a little concern for ME as ME, rather than treating me as a statistic in a drug war, I might have come with you. But you never asked. You just tried to control me. I've had enough men in my life try to control me, I didn't need another one, especially you."

Luis stared at Sheridan and saw all the hurt and pain in her eyes. "Sheridan, I never meant to try to control you. I'm sorry for that. I just couldn't seem to get it into your head how worried I was about you. I knew those drug dealers meant business." Luis continued to gaze into Sheridan's eyes. He didn't seem to be making any headway.

"Sheridan, I don't know if you'll believe this or not, but I'm going to say it anyway. "I know I can be stubborn, hotheaded and demanding sometimes. I'm not always the most tactful person, but the reason I was so upset with you, was because I cared about what happened to you. And I don't mean as a cop either."

Luis, you have to admit, with you dressed the way you were today, and the stunts you pulled, jumping out of planes, crashing handcars, digging in a tunnel, saving me..." Sheridan's voiced trailed off for a moment. "Anyway you were very much Indiana Jones today.”

"Nothing major," he said sarcastically. "We're just being followed by Antoine." Luis sped up the car and picked up his two way radio. "This is Lopez-Fitzgerald here. I need Sam ASAP" Luis kept his eyes peered in his rear view mirror. "Sheridan, make sure you're buckled up tight."

"Sam, he's shooting at us. He just shot out our rear window. We're on Elm right now going West just past the Country Club. I'm going to try and circle back and head out towards the airport. I don't like the idea this moron is shooting up the neighborhood.”

“Be careful what you promise Sheridan, I may hold you to that later!” Luis said with a small grin. They could now hear sirens in the distance that seemed to be getting closer by the second. Luis checked his mirror again and saw that Antoine had backed off. He stopped his car and turned around racing in the other direction.

“Well I'm very glad to hear that” Luis said. “Because you're going to be seeing a lot of it for awhile.” Luis placed the dufflebag Sam had had his mother pack for him earlier on the floor. Luis bolted and chained the front door and then went from window to window, checking locks and pulling drapes.

Luis finished his job of securing all doors and windows, then checked all rooms, closets and all small hiding places. “Everything is secure,” Luis announced. “Now Sheridan, please don't stand in front of or near any windows or doors and at least for tonight, let's leave all the curtains drawn?” Luis requested.

Sheridan was only inches from Luis. She looked up at him and caught his gaze with her own. “Luis, I learned something about myself today,” she said softly. Looking into Luis' eyes was stirring up emotions she'd been trying to suppress for weeks now.

“I'm too stubborn for my own good sometimes,” Sheridan said. “At the cabin today Antoine told me he was the one that killed Crystal. I knew that you'd been right all along and at that time had almost resigned myself to death. I knew you wouldn't come this time. I tried to escape several times, but he caught me each time.”

“Anyway, much to my surprise, you did come and once again saved my life,” Sheridan said very gently. She was losing herself in his mesmerizing hazel eyes. “I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life, Luis, but I promise I'm not going to make your job difficult this time.”

Luis stared back at Sheridan. He knew by the look in her eyes she was being completely honest with him and it floored him. “I'm very glad to hear that Sheridan” Luis said. “It will be so much easier if we work together than against each other.” They stared into each others eyes for a moment, both longing for what they almost had, both believing it was something the other didn't want.

Sheridan had emerged from the shower and informed Luis it was all his. She then retreated to her bedroom and changed into an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She felt much better after her shower and realized she'd had nothing to eat since that morning.

Sheridan picked up the telephone and called her favorite pizza place and ordered a large pizza. She asked it be delivered to the gate and told them the guard would take it from there. She then called the gate and told them what she'd done. The guard informed her he'd have it delivered as soon as it arrived.

Sheridan whirled around and stopped dead at the site in front of her. Luis stood there soaking wet with only a towel clad around his middle. She felt her cheeks get hot with embarrassment, but was unable to take her eyes off his perfect body. After gawking for a moment she tried hard to regain her composure.

Luis couldn't help but notice the expression on Sheridan's face and was actually quite amused by it. “I forgot to bring clothes with me into the shower,” he said with a quick laugh. “You don't mind if I use your spare bedroom do you?”

Sheridan shook her head. Her gaze was again fixed on his muscular chest. “No Luis,” she said quickly. “Make yourself at home. I mean after all, it will be your home... Until the drug dealers are caught that is.” Sheridan felt like she'd embarrassed herself enough for one night. “I'm going to get a drink, can I get you one?” she asked.

Sheridan disappeared into the kitchen and heaved a big sigh. “Why do I let that man get to me like that?” she said quietly. “You know he wants nothing to do with you Sheridan. He's made that perfectly clear. Just get hold of yourself.” She grabbed two cans of coke out of the fridge and two glasses. She then returned to the living room and set them down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

Sheridan gave a faint smile and retreated to her room. When Luis was satisfied she was gone, he pulled his gun from its holster and peered out the window. He saw a guard standing there with a pizza in his hand. Luis carefully opened the door and looked the guard in the face. He recognized him as a long term Crane guard and nodded as he returned his gun to its proper place. “Thanks” he said, as he took the pizza from the guard. Luis knew that Crane security had all been informed of the situation and would be on the lookout for anything suspicious.

Sheridan walked over to her video cabinet and began searching for the movie she wanted. She was getting slightly frustrated when she finally spied it. “Here it is!” she said triumphantly. She took the movie out of it's jacket and returned the jacket to the cabinet, as she didn't want Luis to figure it out until the movie was actually playing.

“Since I'm a big “horror” movie fan, I vote off,” he said with a sly look. Luis walked over and turned the light switch off, while Sheridan popped the cassette into the player. She was secretly glad he'd decided to turn the lights off.

Sheridan picked up a slice of pizza and began to eat while the previews were playing. Luis retuned to the couch and sat down next to her. He made sure he left a comfortable distance, but was still sitting close to her. Sheridan stole a quick glance and smiled. “I think you're going to like this Luis,” she said mischievously.

“I hope so Sheridan,” he grinned back. He couldn't help but notice how her blue eyes were sparkling in the dim light of the television. He held her gaze for a moment, a lump developed in his throat as he realized how much he missed what they once shared. He finally pulled himself out of his dreamlike state and stood up to take a piece of pizza himself. When he sat back down, he was several inches closer to her than he'd been just a moment before. Sheridan was fully aware of this and felt her heart begin to pound slightly. She returned her attention to the television when she realized the movie was about to start.

She kept looking over at Luis to see his reaction. When the movie started, she saw his face break out into a huge grin. He put his hands up to his face for a second and started laughing. He then looked at Sheridan with a foolish grin on his face. She saw his eyes dancing and it caused her to grin as well.

Sheridan and Luis watched in silence for awhile. Each stole glances of the other when they weren't looking. Luis hadn't felt this comfortable around Sheridan in along time and was beginning to really enjoy himself. She was almost back to the old Sheridan, the one he'd fallen for so hard. Though he really did like the movie, he found himself spending more time thinking about Sheridan than focusing on the screen.

At one point Sheridan took her turn in standing up to get another piece of pizza and she managed to inch closer to Luis when she returned to her seat. She turned her head to look at Luis and noticed him staring at her. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable. “Sorry” she said shyly. “I didn't realize I'd moved so close.”

Sheridan was about to move when Luis stopped her. “I don't mind Sheridan,” he said with a very soft voice. She looked at him again and felt her heart flutter at his smile and close proximity. She involuntarily smiled back. She felt a lump develop in her throat and no longer felt as if she could eat the slice of pizza she'd taken.

“Here,” Luis said extending his hand, “I'll put it back for you.” Luis didn't want her moving further away from him when she returned to her seat. In fact, he managed to move closer to her when he sat back down. They were now sitting so close their legs were touching.

“I'm sorry Luis” she said as she backed away slightly. “I shouldn't have done that.” She then stood up and began pacing the floor. Luis sat back and sighed heavily. He rubbed his face in his hands, saying nothing. He waited to see what Sheridan would do next.

Luis threw his hands in the air. His eyes and face showed he was clueless as to what she was talking about. She was surprised he had no look of recognition on his face. She looked him in the eyes. “Do you remember the night on the wharf when we kissed?”

“It's a game right?” Luis asked with slight annoyance. “O.K. I'll play. After I talked to you the first time, I went back to the station. I filled out all my reports involving the drug dealer Silvano and I busted. After that, I talked to a few of the guys for a couple of minutes and then I went home. I changed into my uniform and then went back to the wharf.” He paused for a moment. “Did I leave anything out?” He asked glibly.

“How could you have seen me if I wasn't there?” Luis asked nearly shouting. Luis stood up and walked up to within a few feet of Sheridan. “Sheridan, I'm going to tell you this one last time, then I want some answers from you” he said in a much calmer voice. “It couldn't have been meyou saw or heard at the wharf. Not unless it was at least ninety minutes after we talked. Now what is this all about?”

Luis sat down next to Sheridan and took her hands in his. “Sheridan,” he said in nearly a whisper. She looked up at him trying to fight back the tears but it was impossible. “I don't know who you saw that night, but I need you to believe me when I say it wasn't me. I know it must have hurt you terribly to hear what you did. Someone else did this Sheridan. Someone must have hired a look alike or something and try to make you believe it was me.”

“It could have been any number of people. Maybe it was the drug cartel, maybe it was Julian, or even Hank for that matter. I don't know right now, but I will find out and God help whoever is responsible. I don't like the idea of someone walking around Harmony masquerading as me. It's a criminal offense for someone to impersonate a police officer.” Luis was becoming irate. He got up and started pacing. He began laughing. It was a laugh filled with irony. “You know what the funny part is? Whoever did this, did it right. They wanted you to believe I was using you. They wanted you to hate me, and it worked.”

Sheridan was sobbing now. “Luis, I want so badly to believe you. So badly. I never would have believed it if I'd just been told about it. But I wasn't. I saw it. I heard it. With my own eyes and ears. And I never hated you Luis. Believe me I tried to hate you, but I couldn't. I left Harmony and went to Paris not because of you, but because of me. I went to Paris because I couldn't control my feelings for you even after I thought you said those things about me.”

Sheridan got up and walked into her bedroom. She lay there thinking about her conversation with Luis earlier, tears continuing to trickle down her cheek. In her heart she knew he was telling the truth. She knew he couldn't possibly have made all that up. In a way her heart was rejoicing. He hadn't been the one at the wharf. But there was still that small part of her brain that had a doubt. 'How do I get rid of that nagging doubt?' She thought to herself. That was her last thought before she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Luis had cleaned the dishes and returned to the living room to contemplate his earlier talk with Sheridan. The movie was still on so he decided to sit down and finish watching it while he thought. He soon put his thoughts aside for the time being as he became involved in the movie.

For some reason he kept comparing events in the movie to his life with Sheridan. When he watched Indy and Marion's stormy relationship, it reminded him of him and Sheridan. Watching Indy fighting the bad guys in foreign countries, reminded him of fighting the drug lords in Paris. It didn't matter what scene he watched it reminded him of Sheridan. He chuckled slightly when he remembered her calling him Indy. 'If she only knew,' he said to himself. The movie was finally at the very end. He watched as the bureaucrats crated up the ark and wheeled it into the warehouse with hundreds of thousands of other crates. Lost in the middle of red tape forever. This scene stuck with him more than the rest. Indy's greatest treasure was taken from him because someone with power didn't want him to have it. All he could think of was Alistair and Julian Crane. How ironic.

Sheridan thrashed in her bed. Her mind was going a million miles a minute as she entered REM sleep. She saw Luis on the telephone at the wharf. He was laughing evilly looking directly at her, “Who am I Sheridan?” She saw Hank at the Youth Center...”Luis is one of the best people I know...” Ethan at the mansion... “Trust your heart Sheridan...” Luis in the Boston Police Station... “I've never lied to you Sheridan...” Ethan at the mansion... “Why would he spend his own money to go to Paris and save you if he was using you?...” Pilar at the cottage....”Luis is the most honest man I know, he even arrested me for jaywalking...” Julian at the mansion...“he's just using you Sheridan...”

Sheridan continued to toss and turn as the images kept going through her head. Ethan at the cottage....”What if it turned out not to be Luis at the wharf that night?”... Sheridan's response... “That would change everything... Alistair on the phone... “He's just using you dear...” Sheridan at the cottage... “It's like he's two different people...” Julian at the cottage... “Sheridan I'm warning you there will be dire consequences...” Luis at the cottage... “What bothers me the most is thinking I may have hurt you...” Sheridan on New Year's Eve “Luis you saved me over your own father...” Julian in the mansion... “NO! Sheridan you can't tell him...” Alistair on the phone... “We just don't want to see you get hurt dear...” Ethan at the cottage... “Talk to Luis, Sheridan...” Luis everywhere... “Tell me what I did to make you turn on me...” Sheridan... “He's like two different people... like two different people... two different people...” Sheridan woke up in a cold sweat.

“Luis, I am so sorry” she said. “I believe you! I believe you! I know it wasn't you on the wharf that night! How could I have been so stupid to ever believe it was you?” Sheridan sadly looked Luis in the eyes through a tearstained face. “Can you ever forgive me for doubting you?”

“Luis, I know I didn't imagine what I saw, but I now know it wasn't you. It couldn't have been you. It had to be someone who looked like you who wanted me to hear him. Luis I am so sorry for doubting you. Please tell me you forgive me?”

“Sam, I'm not saying he did, but he's one of only a few people that really wanted Sheridan and me apart. The other possibilities are the drug cartel, maybe they wanted to force Sheridan back to Paris and finally her family. We all know how much Julian Crane hates my guts.”

“It wasn't too long ago there was a man in Harmony posing as your father, now was it? You and I both know that Julian and Alistair Crane are involved but we can't prove it. My guess is they are really afraid of you Luis. They're afraid you'll uncover some of their skeletons if you get too involved with Sheridan.”

“I understand that buddy, but remember how you felt when she turned on you? If you pursue a relationship with Sheridan, Alistair and Julian will find another way to keep you apart and it will make this whole impostor thing look like a walk in the park.”

Luis was in agony. He knew Sam was right, but he couldn't help but think about how he felt when he was with her. She made him feel like no other and knew deep in his heart, no one else would ever make him feel the same way. He stood there and shook his head. “I don't know Sam. I just don't know. You know only too well how hard I tried to get her out of my mind and I couldn't. No matter what I tried, nothing worked.”

Sheridan slipped back onto her bed. She'd heard enough. What Sam said made perfect sense. The only people who ever had a bad word to say about Luis were her father and Julian. They tried to bribe him. They threatened her. Now this? What were they afraid of anyway? Sheridan knew one thing. She was not going to let her family get in the way of her happiness. She loved Luis and from what she just heard, he at least cared about her, though she already knew that. She was determined to convince Luis to work on this relationship with her. She had to. Luis after all was the man of her dreams.

Luis stood for a moment in the darkness thinking. “It's now or never Luis,” he said out loud to himself. “Don't let her get away.” With a new determination Luis walked into Sheridan's bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for his return. There was something different about him. There was a look in his eyes of a man on a mission. She stiffened as Luis slowly walked towards her.

“This” he said. Luis pulled her to her feet and before she could do or say anything he'd pulled her into an earth-shattering kiss. Sheridan was stunned by the suddenness of his actions but didn't wait a moment responding. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Her lips parted, inviting him to deepen their kiss. He did so willingly. His tongue entered Sheridan's mouth causing her to moan in delight. Luis felt the desire within him escalate. He could feel the heat radiating from his body. His heart was pounding. Waves of new sensations filled his body in a way he'd never experienced with anyone. He suddenly pulled back from the kiss and caught his breath.

“What does this tell you?” She said in a sultry voice. She pulled his head down and this time she kissed him. She deepened the kiss, this time exploring his mouth with her tongue. Luis held her face in his hands. He moved one hand to the back of her head pulling her closer. There was a sense of urgency about this kiss. Neither of them could seem to kiss the other with enough fury to express how they felt. Sheridan slid her hands down his back, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Luis could feel every curve of her body underneath her t-shirt, which only excited him more. He knew he had to break away now or he never would. He found his hand traveling down her side. She felt a flood of warmth gush through her body at his sensual touch.

“Julian, I don't care how you find him, JUST FIND HIM! I shouldn't need to tell you how imperative it is to the survival of the Crane Empire that we not be investigated by the FBI. I also may need for him to make another appearance once this whole thing blows over. Your sister has decided to rekindle her infatuation with Luis and we need to put a stop to it immediately.”

“Outrageous or not, we will not raise any suspicions. I'm working on a plan now, to end things once and for all between Sheridan and Lopez-Fitzgerald. When those drug lords are gone so is any relationship between my daughter and that local cop.”

Luis stirred slightly as the sounds of birds chirping filled the air. He felt a warm body next to him and his eyes fluttered open. It was still dark in the room as dawn hadn't broken yet. He smiled when he saw a sleeping Sheridan nuzzled in the crook of his arm. He'd slept peacefully and woke feeling fully recharged. He silently flipped onto his side and stared at the beautiful woman lying with him. He raised a hand to caress her face lightly. He pulled it away when she started to move. He noticed a smile appear on her face and she then sighed contentedly, not waking up.

Luis carefully climbed out of bed and retreated to the kitchen. He put on a pot of coffee and went to the guest bedroom to grab a change of clothes and then a shower. After his shower was finished, he returned to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Since the moment he woke up, his mind was filled with thoughts of Sheridan. He couldn't believe she had finally told him what had happened that night on the wharf. After months of asking, over and over, the truth was finally out. He was certainly pleased with the results of their conversation, but deeply troubled by the cause of the misunderstanding, Alistair and Julian Crane. Luis knew in his head that they would stop at nothing to keep him away from Sheridan, but until this realization, he never fully understood what NOTHING meant. He now knew the only way he and Sheridan would ever have a chance at happiness. He would have to beat them at their own game.

As Luis sat at the kitchen table contemplating the events of last night, he was shaken from his reverie by a loud knocking at the front door. Now clad in a clean pair of tight fitting jeans and a black t-shirt, he grabbed his shoulder holster that was sitting in front of him and put it on while he carefully set out for the front door. “Who is it?” He asked suspiciously. He looked at his watch and noticed it was only 5:30 a.m.

Hal looked at Luis in his usual stone face. “Luis, I thought you needed to know that some of our agents have spotted Roger and Pierre at Kennedy Airport in New York. They tailed them for awhile, but unfortunately lost them. We're sure they are headed to Harmony, probably to kill Sheridan since Antoine fouled up.”

Sheridan's body was filled with fear. She blindly walked out into the living room to find out more about this situation. Half in shock, she stumbled into a small table and knocked it over. An expensive antique lamp came crashing down with the table and shattered.

Sam, Hal and Luis quickly looked over at Sheridan who was standing in horror next to the fallen table and remains of the family heirloom. “Sheridan, don't move” Luis ordered when he noticed she had no shoes on. You might get cut.” Luis quickly reached Sheridan and picked her up placing her on the couch away from the broken pieces of blown glass.

“Luis, what are we going to do about Roger and Pierre?” Sheridan asked as Hal continued to sweep up the mess. “Antoine is still out there and now those two will be looking for me as well. I don't know how much more of this I can take!”

“Sheridan” Luis said soothingly, “You will have the FBI and the Harmony PD working together making sure you are safe. Not to mention you have your own personal bodyguard. Not only does he take his job seriously, but he also has a personal stake in this case. He refuses to let anything happen to you.” Luis gently rubbed her back and smiled at her in a way that brought a small grin to her previously anguished face. “That's better” he said. He was pleased to see her relax slightly.

Sam returned with the paper bag and Hal carefully swept the pieces of the lamp into the bag. He put the table back where it belonged and walked towards the front door. “I'll be right back” he said. With that Hal left the cottage and headed for his car.

Luis looked over at Sam in surprise. “Okay Sam” he said with a feigned dirty look. Sam opened the door and left to find Hal. Luis turned to Sheridan and said mischievously. “Now that we're alone for a few minutes, let's make the most of it.” He jumped over the back of the couch and landed right next to her, nearly falling in her lap. He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

“Yes but you're forgetting something. Sam can't come in unless I let him!” He said leaning in very close to Sheridan. His smile was mesmerizing. Sheridan all but forgot about the danger she was in as Luis leaned closer and closer until his lips were only a hair from touching her own. Her heart sped up and she felt chills go through her as Luis' warm breath tickled her face. She closed her eyes in anticipation and Luis finally pressed his lips lightly against her own. He'd only meant to give her a light kiss on the lips, but when he felt her soft lips beneath his own, he placed his hand behind her head and pulled her closer to him. The “light” kiss lasted only a split second as they both hungrily responded to their kiss. Sheridan leaned in towards Luis in an attempt to get closer still, which only caused him to topple backwards onto the couch. She went right with him, now lying on top of him. Neither one missed a beat as they allowed their feelings for each other to take over for the time being. Sheridan now ran her hands through Luis' hair and he let out a soft pleasurable sigh.

Hal paid no attention to Sam. He carefully continued his search and finally found what he was looking for. He slowly lifted it out of the bag and held it up for Sam to see. Sam looked at what Hal was holding and then returned his gaze to his face with his mouth opened in disbelief.

Back inside the cottage, Luis and Sheridan were hot and heavy on the couch. Neither one seemed to be able to get enough of the other. They kissed each other with steamy sensual kisses. Luis' hands were now roaming free, caressing the different curves of Sheridan's upper body. His moves were slow and methodical. Luis found an undefined pleasure in exploring Sheridan's body. He was equally delighted with the moans of excitement he was eliciting from her. He'd never become this aroused from a simple make out session, nor had he found it so difficult to break free, but he knew he should. His head told him he needed to stop now, but his heart and his body told him otherwise.

Sheridan was completely caught up in the moment. Luis was causing her to feel things she didn't think possible. She kissed his face and neck as she ran her hands over his muscular chest. She lightly caressed each muscle, which caused Luis to inhale sharply. She was in awe of his perfect body and longed to run her hands over his bare chest. Since he was wearing a t-shirt, there was only one thing she could do. She looked up at him with a very seductive smile as she slowly ran her hands down the length of his body. Luis was thoroughly enjoying Sheridan's touch and he felt a shiver go through him as she ran her hands down his torso. He gave her a sexy smile in return, now hopelessly lost in the moment. When she reached his waistband, she gave him a very impish grin and circled his waistband teasingly. Luis felt his heart begin to beat wildly and his breath caught in his throat. After circling his waist very slowly, she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled it out. She then slid her hands gently back up his body, this time underneath his shirt. Luis gasped as he felt Sheridan's soft hands caressing his body. He reached for her head with his hands and pulled her in for a fiery kiss.

Luis broke their kiss for a moment to catch his breath. He started trailing moist kisses across her face and neck, down to her shoulders. “Sheridan do you know what you are doing to me right now?” Luis asked in a gravelly whisper between kisses.

A huge grin appeared on his face and his eyes sparkled brightly. “I'll do you one better” he replied with a raised brow. “I'll show you.” With that Luis pulled the tie on her robe and it fell open. He returned her earlier favor and slowly slid his hand down her body, making sure he didn't miss an inch. When he reached the bottom of her t-shirt, he slid his hand underneath and started caressed his way upward.

“This is a VERY highly sophisticated, state of the art spy video camera that was cleverly implanted in that lamp. If Sheridan hadn't knocked the lamp over, no one would have ever found it. No one would have ever thought to look for it,” Hal said grimly.

“That would be my guess. I'm also willing to bet there are more of these little babies elsewhere. He probably has them in every home, office and building in Harmony,” Hal scowled. “If that's the case, then he's one sick, sick bastard.”

“It's just a guess Sam. I only know that we have been trying to pin anything on him for years and so far have been unable to. He seems to know everything that is going to happen in this town, even before it happens. I could never understand that. I assumed he had his informants scattered throughout town, but this way seems to be a bit more effective, don't you agree?”

Hal reflected on what Sam said for a few minutes. “The first thing we do is prevent Sheridan from getting killed by those goons and then we set a trap. I'm taking a chance that these are just monitors rather than actual recorders. Chances are Alistair hasn't noticed this one isn't working yet. When he does he's sure to send a repairman out to fix it. When that happens we will be ready for him.”

“Sure Hal” Sam agreed in shocked. He thought he was joking when he made that comment, but Hal didn't find it funny. Sam was very nervous about every move he made now. The sooner they were all safe in Hal's car, the better. He slowly made his way towards the cottage, completely lost in thought at how devious and dangerous Alistair Crane indeed was. Much more so than he would ever imagined.

Sheridan felt her body catch fire as Luis' hand worked it's way over her stomach towards her breasts. As she gazed deeply into his eyes she say a look of wanton desire she'd only dreamed of. She moaned lightly when his hand reached its destination. “If what you're doing to me right now is what I did to you, I have a feeling it's going to get pretty hot in here” Sheridan said in a throaty voice.

Sheridan gasped. Her heart was racing as she stared into his glazed over eyes. She'd never wanted anyone so badly in her life as she wanted Luis at this very moment. Her entire body felt alive and was filled with a yearning for one thing. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. She didn't have anymore time to think. With his free hand Luis pulled her head back down into yet another passionate kiss. Sheridan immediately responded to him with an increased fervor.

They remained entwined on the couch, both causing the other to become more aroused by the minute when they heard someone banging on the door. “Ignore it,” Luis said breathlessly, then continued his quest. Sheridan didn't argue. She was too caught up in the moment to care.

Sheridan begrudgingly sat up allowing Luis to answer the door. She sat back breathless and completely hot and bothered. Luis stood up and shook of his irritation. He didn't even try to straighten his appearance. He ran his hand through his hair and walked towards the door. He checked the window to make sure it was Sam and unlocked the door.

Sam stepped into the cottage and noticed Sheridan pulling her robe back in place. He couldn't get the grin off his face, but was rather embarrassed at the same time. He knew he'd interrupted something pretty hot and heavy for them both to look as they did. Luis' t-shirt was out, his hair a complete mess and his lips were swollen. Sheridan didn't look much better.

Sheridan was quite pleased to leave the room. “No problem” she said. With that she got up and all but ran out of the room. Once in her room, she let out a huge sigh and smiled. “Soon,” she said out loud. Very soon Luis.” As she was dressing she couldn't get over the way she was feeling a few minutes ago. It was incredible and it only caused her to want him more.

Several minutes later they both appeared refreshed and walked outside with Sam to Hal's car. They all got in, Sam in the front and Sheridan and Luis in the back. They drove for some distance in relative silence. During the ride, Luis slid his hand over to Sheridan's and took hers in his own. Neither one dared look at the other, but both smiled as they quietly sat there holding hands completely unobserved.

Hal looked at the group and then focused his attention on Luis and Sheridan. The reason I brought you all here is that I have something important to show you. He reached into his pocket and brought out the tiny camera and dangled it in the air.

“I'm sorry Miss Crane” Hal said with his usual stone face, “but yes. We believe that Alistair Crane is the one who had this camera planted there. I have men checking out your cottage for other devices right now. We also believe your cottage is not the only place in Harmony that he has bugged. That is the reason for the visit to the cemetery.”

“Now, we concentrate on keeping Miss Crane alive. Continue you're ordinary activities, just remember there are cameras and listening devices there. By the time we get back, my men will have swept the place and we will know where every one is. We will let you know where there is a safe place within the cottage, if you need to communicate something of importance. We don't believe they are actual cameras, more likely they're monitors, but I'll know better when we get back.”

“Just remember not to say or do anything you don't wish Alistair Crane to see or hear,” Hal warned. “I wouldn't even trust the outside of the cottage. I've seen only a few people go to such lengths before and they even have cameras set up in bushes and trees.”

“Oh my God!” Sheridan cried. “Why? Why would he do such a thing?” She now had the feeling of being completely vulnerable. One of the reasons she chose to live in the cottage over the main house was for privacy, and she now found she had less privacy than a prisoner behind bars. Luis protectively wrapped his arm around Sheridan. He gently rubbed her arm in a soothing fashion.

“Miss Crane, the FBI is very interested in finding out why your father is so interested in the lives of the people in Harmony and we intend to find out. When we are through, there won't be a device left in the town, of that I will assure you,” Hal said.

“Well fortunately for us we're not on an exploding bus, so we have time to make more than three minutes of tape. Once we know the location of all the bugs, we will attach our own cameras to the same locations and film. We'll then have agents edit the tapes and switch around different scenes in order to create the illusion of more scenes.” Hal paused for a moment gathering his thoughts, then continued. “Once we have enough tape, we will begin airing it and then we'll have a secure location within the Crane estate in which to work. We will continue to have you and Luis periodically taped with different clothing to keep up the illusion. If we find the place is wired for sound as well, we'll have you orchestrate different conversations and play them as well.”

“We also plan on shadowing Alistair's repairman once he comes out to the cottage. When the time is right, we'll grab him and find the location of every wire in Harmony. Maybe we'll get lucky and find the source as well” Hal said in his usual flat manner.

Sheridan was in shock, though the full impact of the situation hadn't hit her yet. She knew her father wasn't the most honest man in the world, but she never believed him capable of doing what was being suggested. Last night she'd to come to terms with the fact that her father and Julian were responsible for hiring a man to impersonate Luis. It had distressed her beyond words that her family was responsible for that one event that had triggered so many other events, causing her and Luis to experience more heartache than any two people should ever endure.

Now she was supposed to believe that he was a peeping Tom of sorts? What possible reason did he have for wanting to spy on nearly all of Harmony? What was he afraid of? All Sheridan had ever wanted from her father was love. She tried to please him her entire life and she was nothing but a disappointment to him. She began to wonder if he was even capable of love? Every conversation she ever had with her father involved his disappointment in her, or how what she had done to soil the Crane image. She had never had a normal conversation with him. Never had he asked `How was your day Sheridan?' or 'What's new in your life?' Things that normal parents talk to their children about. Things that she remembered talking to Pilar about.

Luis watched Sheridan as she walked away and knew something was wrong. He excused himself from Sam and Hal who were still talking and walked over to Sheridan. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “What's wrong Sheridan?” He asked in a calming concerned tone.

Luis' simple gesture caused the floodgates to open. She turned and buried her head on his chest and began to sob uncontrollably. “Luis,” she sobbed,” I know what my father has done is horrendous, but he is still my father. I was just remembering how much I always tried to please him. I would have done anything for him and it was never good enough. All I ever wanted from my father was for him to love me. The way a parent loves a child. He never did. I don't think he's even capable of love.”

Luis stroked her hair as she shed her tears. He knew how important it had always been to her to gain her father's love and it angered him that Alistair had been so cruel to his own daughter. Sheridan was so filled with love for other people especially her family and she never had anyone return her love except her nephew Ethan and his own mother, Pilar. He felt proud that it was his mother who had brought what little joy to her childhood, she had.

“I know Ethan loves me” Sheridan said, as the tears seemed to slow. “He's the only one in my family that cares. I'm sorry for acting like this Luis” she said as she pulled away slightly trying to compose herself. “I hate it when I get like this. You must think I'm just a blubbering idiot.”

“Sheridan I wish I could just wave a magic wand and make all the hurt go away, but I can't” Luis said staring directly into her sad blue eyes. “ What I can do is assure you that others love you, even if it's not your family. You said yourself Ethan loves you.”

Luis brushed away one last lone tear. He left his hand on her cheek and lightly caressed it as he gazed adoringly into her soft blue eyes. They were still filled with pain, but his words had helped. “I know one other person who loves you Sheridan” Luis said in almost a whisper.

Sheridan was shocked. She'd only dreamed such a thing could happen to her. She'd hoped against hope the man she loved would love her in return, but never really believed it would happen. She knew instantly he was telling the truth. She knew by the look in his eyes. The tears that had stopped were beginning to well up in her eyes again. This time they were tears of joy rather than that of pain and sadness.

Luis leaned in. He was about to kiss her when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Instead of kissing her, he grabbed her and threw her to the ground, shielding her with his body. They heard a loud shot and a bullet went whizzing above them. Had Luis been a split second slower in his reaction, Sheridan would have had a bullet in her head. Without waiting a second, Luis pulled Sheridan to her feet and dragged her through the cemetery, bullets flying through the air. Hal and Sam ducked behind the opened car door. They both had guns drawn.

Sam spotted the gunmen. “There are three of them” Sam yelled. He saw two of them shooting at Sheridan and Luis and Sam fired off several shots in an attempt to at least buy some time for them to make their escape. Hal called for backup while Sam continued to fire on the gunmen. One of the gunmen then whirled around and began firing on Sam and Hal.

Luis pulled Sheridan behind a large monument sized headstone. He pushed her head down just as a bullet ricocheted off the stone. Now with a little cover, he pulled his gun out and returned fire. “Sheridan!” He shouted between rounds. "Do you see that crypt over there?” Luis pointed to a large crypt about 100 yards away with the name McDuff on the front.

Luis began shooting frantically at the gunmen. He stepped out from behind the stone to block Sheridan's path as best he could. Sam and Hal began shooting on their mark. The gunmen's shots were wild which is exactly what Luis wanted. They were momentarily taken off guard and he used it to his advantage. Sheridan ran as fast and as low as she could. With fear as a great motivating factor she made it to the backside of the crypt in no time. When Luis saw she was safe, he started running himself. Every few seconds he shot behind him, with Sam and Hal still shooting. Luis soon was also on the backside of the crypt. He was breathing heavily as he backed up against the wall. He held his gun outstretched in one hand and his head to the side, glancing at Sheridan. “Are you all right?" He asked with great concerned.

“Right here” Luis grinned impishly. He knew he was about to shock Sheridan beyond words. He bent down and felt around the smooth stone of the back of the crypt, found the notch he was looking for and pushed it. Suddenly a hidden entrance slid open next to the notch Luis pressed. Sheridan knelt on the ground, her eyes wide, her mouth opened in utter disbelief. Luis gently but quickly pushed Sheridan through the entrance and followed behind her. Once inside, he found the lever and the door slid closed.

The crypt was almost completely dark, save a small ray of sunlight peering through an inch wide window on the front door of the crypt. Sheridan was totally amazed something like this existed and even more amazed Luis knew about it. “How?... What?... Where?...” She was having difficulty forming a simple sentence.

Luis held his finger up to his lips in an effort to get her to be quiet. She understood and said nothing else for the time being. It wasn't too difficult really as the events of the last few minutes left her speechless. She watched in awe as Luis walked around the crypt, which housed six caskets, all entombed. He seemed to be looking for something.

Sheridan watched Luis in fascination and wondered what he was looking for. Once her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting she noticed the walls of the crypt. Her eyes widened when she saw Egyptian hieroglyphics and she almost felt as if she were visiting the pyramids. She was totally confused. Here she was in a Catholic cemetery, in a crypt with the name McDuffon the outside and the inside resembled King Tut's tomb. She was about to say something to Luis when she remembered he'd asked her to keep quiet. She then returned her gaze to Luis who seemed to have found whatever he was looking for.

Luis was running his hand over a small section of wall that had a drawing of Cleopatra on it. He touched the stone in Cleopatra's scepter and another hidden door slowly opened. This one seemed to be a tunnel. Sheridan peered inside and saw a long dark tunnel that appeared to be spiraling downward. It was a steep drop from what she could see at the beginning. The floor of the tunnel appeared to be dirt and the walls had the same hieroglyphics on it that the crypt walls did.

Luis saw the terror in her eyes and pulled her into an embrace. “It's all right sweetie” he soothed with a comforting smile. “We'll go together.” Sheridan felt a shiver and wasn't sure if it was from the terror she was feeling, or the soothing tone of Luis calling her “sweetie.” It was the first time he'd ever called her an endearing name like that.

Luis walked up to the entrance and put Sheridan directly in front of him. He sat down on the ground pulling her down with him. He then scooted to the entrance and pushed off like he was going down a slide. Sheridan fought back the urge to scream. The only thing that actually prevented her from screaming was being in Luis' arms and her unshakable trust in him.

They slid down the spiral tunnel and after what seemed like forever and was actually only a few seconds, when they slowed to a stop. Luis stood up bringing Sheridan with him. With Sheridan holding on to him for dear life, Luis reached into his pocket for his keys. Attached to them was a small pocket flashlight. It wasn't much at all, but considering they were in pitch-blackness it helped.

Luis scanned the wall again, this time finding his mark much easier. It was the same stone on the same drawing of Cleopatra's scepter. He pushed it and they heard the door above them retract. The tunnel was only wide enough for one person, so Luis carefully placed Sheridan behind him and started the trek. Sheridan had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Neither one said a word as they walked in complete silence. The flashlight only gave off a faint glow, but it was enough for Luis to see the turns in the tunnel. They walked for about fifteen minutes when they saw a wall in front of them. Luis stopped and turned to Sheridan. She could see the huge grin on his face.

Luis grinned broadly. “O.K. Sheridan. Here goes.” Luis stepped back from the wall and pulled his foot up and began kicking the wall. With four powerful thrusts, Luis kicked a hole through the wall, allowing light to escape the other side blinding them momentarily in the tunnel. Sheridan couldn't see anything yet but she heard footsteps that sounded like they were running down a set of stairs. As Luis pulled Sheridan through the hole he'd just created, they heard a woman screaming. Luis looked up to see his mother standing there screaming her head off.

Pilar stopped screaming. She stood there blessing herself and said a quick Hail Mary in Spanish. When she was done she just stared at Luis and Sheridan who were standing in front of her. She looked at the wall behind her. It was a light wood paneling that Luis had put in for her the summer after Martin disappeared. It now was broken in many places with a huge hole right next to her washing machine.

“I'll board up this hole for you temporarily until I can get it redone,” Luis said. “I'll only be a few minutes.” Luis strolled away and grabbed a hammer, nails and a large piece of particleboard that was leaning up against the far wall. Pilar ushered Sheridan up the stairs. As they climbed the stairs Luis called after them, “Close the curtains and drapes Mama and please keep Sheridan away from all windows and doors.” Pilar nodded in acknowledgement as she and Sheridan climbed the stairs to the kitchen. Before they'd reached the top step, they heard Luis pounding the nails to cover up the hole.

Sam and Hal waited for a few minutes after the shooting stopped. They heard sirens in the distance and knew their backup was on the way. Sam looked around for the gunmen and saw no sign of them. He and Hal both were unsure if they'd hit anyone, or if Luis and Sheridan were still alive. They only knew all shooting had ceased and there was no sign of life anywhere.

The first unmarked Government Issue car arrived escorted by a cruiser. Two agents and two cops emerged from the cars and they split up. They looked at Sam and Hal and they pointed in the two directions in which to look. The agents headed toward where the gunmen should be and the police towards Luis and Sheridan's last known location.

When they arrived there they found the two FBI agents standing over two bodies. One was Antoine, the other they weren't sure. Antoine was dead, the other man unconscious, but still alive. Sam picked up his two way and called for an ambulance.

Alistair Crane sat in his “control” room drinking his morning coffee and reading his Wall Street Journal. He glanced up every once in awhile at the monitors in front of him. During one of his glances he caught a snow filled screen. He started pressing buttons and discovered that view should be Sheridan's cottage. He silently swore as he picked up the telephone on his desk. He pushed a button on the phone and waited a few seconds.

“Yes, this is Alistair Crane. The camera at my daughter's cottage isn't working. It needs to be repaired post haste... I don't care. I pay you an extraordinarily large sum of money to keep this equipment in top working order and I expect service. It needs to be done this morning.” With that Alistair hung up the phone.

Pilar gave Sheridan a hot cup of coffee and a fresh baked blueberry muffin. Both women were almost afraid to talk about what had just happened. Sheridan graciously thanked Pilar for her coffee and muffin and sat down to eat. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she took a bite into the warm muffin.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later when they heard the pounding of nails cease and then Luis' footsteps on the basement steps. Luis emerged from the basement with an impish grin on his face. He saw the place Pilar had set for him and eagerly sat down to enjoy his breakfast.

Luis picked up his muffin and took a bite. “Oh Mama! Blueberry muffins my favorite! You outdid yourself this time. Let me guess you knew I'd be over for breakfast this morning and made them especially for me?” He gave his mother a big kiss on the cheek. He saw her roll her eyes and say a little prayer and it only caused his eyes to dance with amusement. “This really was thoughtful of you.”

Pilar gave Luis a feigned smile. “Okay Luis. Now would be a good time to start explaining to me how you came crashing through my wall from what appears to be the middle of the ground!” Pilar knew Luis was enjoying himself way too much. “From what I can see, Sheridan appears almost as puzzled as I.”

“Sam and Hal arrived early this morning at Sheridan's cottage to let us know Roger and Pierre were headed for Harmony. Sheridan accidentally knocked over a lamp when she heard the news. It seems as though a high tech spy camera had been hidden in the lamp. The FBI feels Alistair is responsible,” Luis began.

“Dios mio!” Pilar exclaimed. She noticed the sad look in Sheridan's eyes and her heart felt as if it would break for her. She knew how much trouble Sheridan had endured in her life because of her father. She gently placed her hand on Sheridan's. She just smiled at her that nearly brought a tear to Sheridan's eye.

Luis continued. “Anyway, because of the discovery of the “bug” Hal needed to talk to us and the safest place he could think of was the cemetery. He took us all there. While we were outside talking, the goons from Paris showed up and started shooting. Sheridan and I got separated from the others and were running blindly between headstones as we were dodging bullets.. When we found one to shield us, I spotted McDuff's tomb.”

“When I was about ten, Hank and I were playing in the basement. We were pretending we were the Hardy Boys out solving a case and we were looking for secret passages. We started banging on the wall, and almost fell over when the wall moved aside and a secret passage lay before us. Well, as you can imagine, Hank and I had to find out where it led. We followed the tunnel and found it led to McDuff's tomb. It took us several trips to figure it out. We found all the secret levers and one day we found the one that led to the outside of the crypt. I'd say Hank and I played in that tunnel for a year or so before Papa found us.”

“Kevin McDuff was the original owner of this house. He married a woman named Katie Alyssa. Katie Alyssa had a small amount of Egyptian blood in her and was fascinated by Egyptian folklore. She especially was obsessed with ancient Egyptian pyramids and death rituals. She told her husband she wanted a tomb built that would help her with her passage to the here after. Kevin was Catholic and thought she was crazy, but loved her dearly and would do anything for her.”

“So Kevin worked overtime, weekends, did anything he could do, to make his wife's dream come true. He had the crypt built at the back of the cemetery so it would be in as close a proximity to the house as possible. He later had the tunnel dug. It took years for him to do this, especially since he had to do most of it in secret. Everyone in town thought he was a damned fool for building a crypt such as he did. He was too embarrassed as to what they might think, so he just told everyone his wife was afraid to be buried under ground, so he needed to make arrangements for them early, so they wouldn't be put in the ground. The town's people still thought he was crazy, but accepted his answer without question.”

"After the tunnel was finished, Alyssa spent all of her free time going back and forth between the crypt and the house. She was a very talented artist and she painted everything herself. She'd spent most of her life studying this stuff, and knew exactly how she wanted her tomb to look. The last thing that was done was the mechanisms for the secret passages. Kevin became gravely ill one winter and Alyssa knew it wouldn't be long. She spent all of her savings to get those mechanisms put in before he died, as she didn't want anyone discovering the tunnel when they went to entomb him.”

“I bought this house from Kevin's son, Patrick. He felt it was necessary to let the new owner know of its existence. He offered to have it filled in, but I told him it wasn't necessary. He had taken me through the passage and I found it too intriguing to destroy. I had to promise never to tell anyone. He didn't want people talking about his parents in a bad way, so I agreed never to tell a soul. I figured who knows? Maybe that tunnel may save someone's life someday.”

“How could they have just disappeared like that?” Sam asked out loud to no one in particular. He was in the squad room surrounded by several officers and FBI agents. Sam paced the floor of the squad room and saw Pilar walk in carrying what appeared to be a basket.`I hope she's not here to ask me about Luis,' Sam thought to himself. He walked up to Pilar with a smile on his face. “Pilar, how are you today?” Sam asked pleasantly trying to hide his concern for her son.

Pilar handed him the basket of muffins and smiled. Sam smiled back. It was a smile of gratitude and total relief. “Give my love to Sheridan and Luis when you see them, Sam. I miss not seeing Luis all the time.” She smiled again and turned leaving the station house.

Again Sheridan's cheeks flushed. She looked at Luis and found him gazing at her in a way that sent her heart into flutters. She cast her eyes down for a moment and then gathering a bit of courage said demurely, “I was thinking about what you said to me right before the gunfire started.”

A boyish grin slowly appeared on Luis' face. He pulled Sheridan closer to him and his eyes caught her gaze. “Oh, really?” He said with a raised brow. He watched Sheridan shift uncomfortably for a brief moment. “You know what Sheridan?” He said in a very tender, but serious tone, “I meant every word.”

“You've made my day sweetie,” Luis said in a soft whisper, “I only wish we could spend the day showing each other how much we love one another.” He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, then looked at her with a hint of sadness. Reality came screeching back as Sheridan suddenly remembered about Roger still being out there, wanting her dead.

Luis leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Sheridan felt her body tingle as his lips lightly touched her own. Their kiss remained sweet and innocent, as they were both fully aware of what might happen if they got too carried away. After Luis let his lips linger a few moments on Sheridan's, he pulled back and grinned seductively. “I only think it's fair to warn you Sheridan, that as soon as Roger and the others are caught, the plans I have for us will make that kiss this morning look like the Disney version.”

“Is that so Luis?” Sheridan asked in a sultry tone. “Well then, I guess I know what I'll be dreaming about until that happens.” Her blue eyes never left his. She gently stroked his cheeks with both hands and then let her fingers run down his face to his chest. She slowly ran her fingers down his chest and abdomen until she reached his waist. She looked down at his waist briefly and then returned to gaze in his eyes. She watched as his eyes turned black right before her and it caused her body to ache with desire. She grinned wickedly and she teasingly circled his waist until she reached his hips and then allowed her hands to continue their trek down his sides for a moment until she pulled them away.

The days that followed were by no means boring. Luis and Sheridan longed to be with each other but had plenty to do to keep their minds focused on the tasks at hand. For starters, they learned that Antoine was dead and Pierre in a coma. Roger had escaped and since he was the ringleader, Sheridan was in just as much danger as ever.

Luis was learning all the traits that make a good FBI agent as he worked as Sheridan's bodyguard. He had much to think about during this time because Agent Freeman also planned on bringing down the Crane Family at the same time. Luis and Sheridan learned that the only room that was completely safe in her cottage was the bathroom. They were both instructed to act as naturally as they could, knowing that the cameras were there.

Luis hated the idea that Alistair Crane was watching his every move. It unnerved him in a big way, but he also knew that in a day or so, Hal would have enough tape so that at least they would have several hours each day in which they could talk and move around freely.

Thanks to Hal being so perceptive, Luis knew exactly where every camera was located in Sheridan's cottage. While they'd been gone from the cottage the day the lamp broke, Hal had sent several agents over to the cottage to have it swept. While they were there, a man claiming to be an insurance adjuster from Crane Industries appeared to appraise all the artwork in the cottage. The agents let him in and insisted on following him. The adjuster was very cordial to them, and allowed them to watch his work. He inspected every painting, wrote things down in his notebook and when he was finished there was a new camera in the painting on the wall behind the table where the lamp had been. The agents that were with him were totally perplexed when they found it. They were sure that he didn't plant anything. Hal shook his head in frustration. 'Alistair Crane certainly knows who the best are,' he thought.

As good as he was, he never expected to have the FBI tail him when he left. This was what Hal was hoping for. He assigned 24-hour surveillance to tail the man. He put his best agents on it, as he didn't want any foul-ups like they had in New York with Roger and Pierre. This man would soon be a big lead for him, in tracking down all the hidden cameras in Harmony.

Hal also was fascinated with the possibility of an impersonator in Harmony. After everything he'd learned in the last few days about The Crane Family, Sheridan and Luis' rocky romance and Luis' father's disappearance and appearance of an impostor in that case, he decided to consult Sam.

Hal took Sam to the nearby town of Castleton for a little privacy. He told Sam what he wanted to do and Sam offered his full cooperation. Sam offered to check police records of anyone arrested or convicted on any charges similar in nature. He also gave Hal the names of all the local bars and taverns where he might find a lead.

Back at the cottage, Sheridan was instructed to wear similar outfits to bed each night. This would make it easier to make their own tapes. Luis was told the same thing. The first night in the cottage Sheridan and Luis actually had a rehearsed discussion about their attire.

Luis, who had been engrossed in a movie turned to say good night. Instead he laughed. “Is that what you Cranes wear to bed?” He asked rhetorically. “Where are your silk PJ's or the satin negligees? Sweats? You are wearing sweats to bed?”

This only caused Luis to laugh harder. “Good idea! I hate laundry anyway. I think I'll do the same thing! I hope you don't mind my stealing your idea, but it's just such a good one!” Luis said jokingly. “Too bad though. Mine are navy and yours are pink. If you had navy ones we could be twins!”

Luis had to remind himself they were on candid camera. That line wasn't in their script. He wanted so much to chase her at that moment and tackle her. He smiled to himself. “I still think blue would be better Sheridan,” was all he would say. “Anyway, I bet I can hold out longer than you can.”

'Oh Luis, if you only knew what I wanted to do right now,' she thought to herself as she watched him enter her bedroom. 'If I could I'd lock you in there and never let you go.' “Fine Luis,” she said. “Just hurry up will you? Spending all night in the bathroom isn't what I had planned.” `Though if you were here with me I'd spend a week in here,' she thought. Sheridan deliberately left the bathroom door open and prayed Luis would pop his head in when he was through.

Sure enough, he did just that to inform her everything was secure. Before she could say or do anything, Luis had her in his arms kissing her passionately. She kissed him back hungrily, knowing in the short time they had together she'd never get enough of him, but she tried anyway.

Luis and Sheridan did everything they were supposed to do. Luis had established a routine with his security checks in order to make it easier for the guys who would be editing the tapes later. The more consistency in the real scenes, the easier it would be to recreate them. Sheridan as well started doing things routinely. She had several good books and she plopped herself in the same chair each afternoon to read. Luis would read his newspaper while Sheridan read her book. Meals were served at the same time each day and they would have a similar conversation each night before going to bed. They were dying inside at the monotony of it all, but knew in the long run it would be worth it.

The day finally came for the big test. The FBI video guys had been working diligently splicing tapes together. They now had nearly a week's worth of footage and decided it was time to see if their plan would work. Everyone was pretty nervous at first, but with only a split second flicker, the monitor switched from the live view of Sheridan's cottage to the recently doctored taped version.

The agents were thrilled with what they saw. No one would ever know which was the taped or which was the live version as long as the men running the tapes, paid attention to what they were doing. After half an hour or so, they switched back to the live view and continued adding more tape for the future.

Luis was ecstatic when word was received that the plan had worked. He so wanted to be able to run the tape full time, but knew it wasn't possible. He might ask later for a little time on tape so he and Sheridan could talk, but for now, knowing he could was enough.

When it came time for bed that night, Sheridan and Luis continued to follow what seemed to be their ritual for the past week. Still clad in her pink sweats, Sheridan appeared to announce she was going to bed. Luis got up and made his check of her bedroom. Sheridan retreated to the bathroom to brush her teeth and Luis patiently waited for her to finish, so he could have his only alone time with her of the day. It was quite ironic that he was now living in Sheridan's cottage 24/7 and had less chance of being with her than ever before.

Luis was feeling a little mischievous tonight and after he made his security check of Sheridan's room, he made a stop in his own room and grabbed something. He then returned to the bathroom and popped his head in the bathroom for his long awaited good night kiss. Sheridan grabbed him frantically and began laying wet sloppy kisses all over him. She was becoming increasingly frustrated with their living arrangements. She wanted nothing more than to be with Luis and now felt like she was further away from him than ever before. It was sheer torture to have him so close and not be able to touch him, talk to him about anything other than Roger or the FBI, or even smile at him the way she wanted.

Luis too was feeling the affects of the last week. He'd been so happy last week when they admitted their love for each other. Since then, they'd hardly been able to talk or even steal glances at each other. All they had was this brief time together each night before retiring. Tonight he was calling the video guys and asking for a few hours of privacy.

Luis returned Sheridan's kisses with passionate kisses of his own. They were beginning to get caught up tonight. The two seemed to shut the rest of the world out for a brief moment ,as they reveled in the feeling of being in the arms of the person they loved. Sheridan let an excited moan escape her lips as Luis deepened their kiss for the first time since they started watching their every move. Luis suddenly pulled back. Sheridan's heart sank for a moment. He looked at her with a very playful smile. “Close your eyes,” he said.

Luis took the item he grabbed from his room and placed it on his head. “I thought you might like to know that I'm calling the video guys and telling them we need a few hours of privacy,” he said in a very seductive tone. He pulled her close to him and caressed her cheek.

“I love you too,” he whispered. “And tonight I plan on showing you exactly how much. His eyes were dark and penetrating. Sheridan shivered from his look. She leaned her head up as he lowered his and the two met in a fiery kiss. It was a long passionate, deep kiss that stirred up all the pent up desire within them. Luis was struggling to remember to make his phone call. He was reminded of that when he heard the phone in the cottage ring.

Sheridan felt her knees go and she was headed for the floor. Luis ran to her side and prevented her from collapsing in a heap on the floor. He picked her up and carried her over to the couch. “Sheridan, it's o.k. I won't let him hurt you. I will protect you with my life if I have to.”

“What year was this cottage built? Any idea?” He asked, as his mind was a whirlwind. Luis couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong outside, but he had a nagging feeling that if they stayed inside the cottage things would be much worse.

“I was hoping you would say that,” he answered. “Look Sheridan,” Luis said seriously. “Trust me on this o.k.? I have a bad feeling about leaving through a door or even a window. I can't explain why, something is just telling me not to open the doors.”

“No way,” Luis shook his head. He glanced around the room, his eyes resting on the fireplace. Just then he heard the front door knob jiggle. He grabbed Sheridan's hand. “Come here,” he demanded. Sheridan felt a wave of fear flow through her body as she followed Luis.

Outside the front door was Roger. He was diligently picking the lock with his tools. “You will not escape this time Mademoiselle Crane. If you attempt to open the rear door or a window, you will find yourself in a very explosive situation,” he laughed evilly. “There is no escape for you this time I am afraid. Nor will there be an escape for your American cop bodyguard. He too will die tonight. I will have my revenge!” He held onto his gun with one hand as he heard the door click open. He pushed the door with his shoulder breaking the chain free of its holder. The door flew open to reveal the living room, empty of human life.

“Come on now Miss Crane,” Roger goaded, “You might as well make this easy on yourself. I will find you! Of that you can be assured.” Roger slowly checked out each and every room with his gun raised high. He was becoming angrier by the minute as there was no sign of Sheridan or Luis.

Sheridan's head popped out of the chimney as Luis helped push her. Her face and clothes were covered with soot as she stepped out onto the roof of her cottage. Luis emerged from the chimney immediately after Sheridan. She angrily went to stand up as she saw Luis coming. “Do you mind telling..... Ah AHHHHH” Sheridan began screaming as her foot hit a loose tile and she began to slip.

“Sheridan!!” Luis screamed. He reached his hand out and grabbed her leg as she was falling preventing her from rolling off the roof. He quickly freed himself from the mouth of the chimney and hurried to her side. He scooped her up in his arms and she clung to him for dear life. Her face was white as a sheet beneath all the black of the ash.

Sheridan seemed to gain strength from Luis. His comment about them doing it together made her feel almost as if she could do it. She loosened her death grip slightly and looked into his eyes. They showed strength and determination. “O.K. Luis. I trust you. Let's get out of here.” She managed a very slight smile.

“That a girl,” Luis said proudly. He glanced over at the chimney before starting the trek to the side of the house. There was something odd about it, but he couldn't place it. He shrugged it off and returned to their immediate problem. Getting down. Holding Sheridan tightly they made their way to the end of the roof. “We're going to sit down now and scoot to the edge Sheridan. Then we will slide down the rain pipe.”

Sheridan nervously acknowledged him and sat down on the roof with Luis' assistance. Luis sat down as well and guided them to the gutter. “Sheridan, wrap your arms and legs around my back as tightly as you can,” he ordered. “And don't let go, do you understand?”

“Yes Luis,” she answered. Sheridan had no difficulty in complying with his order. She held on to him almost to a point cutting off his breathing. Luis carefully positioned himself on the rain pipe and prayed it wouldn't give way under all the weight. He slid down as silently as possible, both landing gently on the ground.

Luis made sure Sheridan was all right and then grabbed her hand and began to run. He glanced once at a window of the cottage on his way by and silently cursed. “Plastique,” he muttered. He and Sheridan ran as fast as they could away from Crane property.

“Last time I checked that's where the chimney led. Luis must NEVER learn anything about his father's disappearance. It is now our job to make him disappear for good,” Alistair said firmly. “Call me when you locate the impersonator. We must act quickly.”

The FBI surrounded the cottage while Roger was inside. Roger must have forgotten about his own trap, as he tried to open the back door to escape and the door exploded. Sheridan's cottage was a fireball in a matter of seconds. Hal put out a call for the fire department and EMS, but it really wasn't necessary. The explosion and fire could be seen for miles.

Luis threw his body on Sheridan's and the two fell to the ground when they heard the earth-shattering explosion, followed by a raging ball of fire. The two looked up and watched in shock as they realized the explosion had come from Sheridan's cottage.

“Good answer,” he said with a wink. Luis grabbed Sheridan's hand and then began running away from the fire. They ran through town until they reached their destination. Sheridan's face lit up when she saw the familiar steps of the place Luis had brought them.

“It's perfect Sheridan,” Luis said as he fit his key into the lock at the Youth Center. “I haven't spent anytime here since before I followed you to Paris, so I doubt the drug cartel even knows about this place. We have a couch, a shower, recreation and the Book Cafe next door for all our dining pleasures.”

Sheridan felt a feeling of warmth and security as she walked into the Center. Sheridan was assailed with memories. Memories of time she'd spent getting to know Luis. Memories of all the fights they'd had, the misunderstandings, the talks, the dances... A huge grin appeared on her face as she thought about the dance they shared on New Year's Eve, and then the Tango.

'Oh the Tango,' she remembered happily. She closed her eyes and vividly recalled that wonderful day. That was probably the single most sensual experience of her life. She'd never felt more alive than she had during that dance. Luis had also asked her out on their first date followed that perfect dance. Life that day was perfect.

Luis grinned broadly, as his memory too was flooded with the time he'd spent with Sheridan. “I think I'm going to have to start spending more time here,” he said contentedly. “It's ironic, come to think of it. The reasons I love this place are also the same reasons I couldn't spend time here.”

“Let's go into the office,” he said, not really wanting to ruin his memory, but realizing they had life and death matters at hand. “I need to call Hal and let him know we're o.k. It'll probably be hours before they can sift through the rubble and know for sure we're not there.”

“Sir, the firemen have found one body so far,” the young agent reported to Hal. “It appears to be a male in his early 40's from what they can determine. They said it would take several hours before they can determine how many others were in the house.”

“Yes sir. It's already taken care of. The ER is expecting EMS shortly and an agent has gone ahead to talk to the ER doc before the ambulance arrives. They will make arrangements for an ICU bed and several agents will be posted day and night.” The young agent was nervous. He knew Hal was the best there was, but for some reason, Hal seemed to be more involved with this case than was his normal practice.

Luis hung the phone up. He turned to Sheridan. His expression was difficult to read. It was filled with relief and disappointment and Sheridan was unsure what this meant. He pulled her in for a hug and whispered in her ear. “It's over Sheridan. They have Roger.”

Sheridan instantly knew what Luis' reaction had meant. She felt great relief that Roger had been caught. This meant her life was no longer in danger. It also meant that Luis would no longer be her bodyguard. She pulled back and looked at him. Her own eyes were filled with relief and sadness. Even though she hadn't been able to spend quality time with Luis since he was her bodyguard, he was still there. He'd spent night and day with her for the last week and it brought her a sense of comfort she'd never known.

“Sheridan, there is nothing in this world that could keep me away from you. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love another human being. I gotta admit, I really was beginning to enjoy this assignment, but just because this case ends doesn't mean we do,” Luis said as he kissed her forehead.

Luis led them over to the locker rooms when a thought struck him. He struggled to hide the grin that was threatening his lips. “You know Sheridan, I don't know if it's such a good idea that we both take showers at the same time. After all I'm still supposed to be guarding you and I can't keep my eye on you if you're in the women's locker room and I'm in the men's.” He gave her the most innocent concerned look he could, but Sheridan could see right through it. She knew what he was insinuating and she wasn't about to let him get away with it. She had a plan to make him suffer, temporarily of course. Sheridan planned on making her last night with Luis as her bodyguard a night to remember.

“You are absolutely right, Luis,” Sheridan agreed. “So I think I should take a shower first, while you wait in the women's locker room, and then you take a shower while I wait for you. That way we can both take our showers and you won't have to worry about me being to far away from you.” Sheridan managed to give him a very sweet smile void of any underlying motives.

Sheridan saw the frustration in his eyes and laughed inwardly. 'Just you wait Luis,' she thought to herself. They both walked into the women's locker room. “Do you think you could find something for me to wear while I shower?” She asked sweetly.

“Sure,” Luis answered with a smile. He watched as she disappeared into the shower stall. He caught his breath and his pulse sped up as he imagined Sheridan undressing. He heard the shower turn on and he envisioned her stepping into a steaming stream of water. He closed his eyes for a moment and he saw the water rushing over her silky skin. The mental image he'd conjured up was causing beads of sweat to appear on his brow. He shook himself from his reverie and searched for something for her to wear.

“I said sure thing Sheridan,” Luis covered. He shook his head and went to get her a towel. He slowly walked over to the shower stall and handed her the towel over the door. His heart pounding so loudly he was afraid she'd hear it. “Here you go,” he said.

Sheridan took the towel from him, but made sure her hand touched his. She made contact at his wrist and very slowly ran her wet hand down the length of his hand as she took the towel from him. She knew exactly what she was doing to him, even though she couldn't see him. “Thank you Luis,” she said in a soft voice that was just a but seductive.

Luis' entire body shivered as Sheridan caressed his hand. He felt his breath catch in his throat. He pulled his hand away and walked away from the shower. He needed to compose himself before she came out. As he stood there gathering his wits he realized he still held the clean clothes in his hands. He began walking back over to the shower stall to give them to her, when she emerged clad in the towel, her body still glistening in places from the water. Luis was only inches from her. He tried to hide his expression, but it was impossible. “I... um... I forgot to give you these,” he managed to say. His cheeks were turning a dark shade of pink.

“Come on Sheridan,” he said with a foxy grin. “It's your turn to wait for me.” He gave her a raised brow letting her know he knew what she was up to. She smiled devilishly at him. He handed her the clothes and she followed him out of the women's locker room into the men's.

“What's wrong?” Julian repeated mockingly. “Sheridan's cottage was blown up tonight Father. This place is crawling with every lowlife reporter between Portland and New York, not to mention Harmony finest and those morons from the FBI. There's nothing wrong Father.” Julian filled his glass and took a huge gulp.

“The FBI won't be looking for anything other than the cause of the explosion and that was painfully obvious. What concerns me right now, is your inability to carry out the simplest of requests. Find that impostor and find him tonight! It is imperative we put out plan into action soon. We must get rid of Luis Lopez Fitzgerald once and for all. Do you understand that Julian?”

Hal arrived at Police headquarters with Sam. As they walked into the station house Sam said, “We have a small interrogation room behind my office that is free of any bugs. We kept him under strict cover until we brought him in there. I understand how imperative it is, this not get back to Alistair Crane that we have this man in custody.”

Hal nodded his head in approval. He was thinking about what they could do in order to persuade this man to cooperate. “The more we know about him the better, Hal said. “Let's let him sweat it out for a little while we pour over his records. Have a man you trust get him something to eat and drink and watch him through the two-way glass.

Hal had been investigating the Crane family for years from a distance. He'd never had any real reason to come to Harmony before to investigate them closer to home, until now that is. He was not going to let the fact that Roger was now dead deter him from his life long mission. There were people whose lives had been ruined thanks to Alistair Crane. It was time for Alistair to get a taste of his own medicine. He only hoped that Sheridan would be willing to play along with him for a little while longer.

Sheridan dried herself off while she waited for Luis to finish his shower. She couldn't help the flashes that went through her head as she stood in the locker room. She felt her cheeks turn hot as she remembered walking in on Luis months ago when he'd just gotten out of the shower. She'd opened the door by accident, not knowing it was the locker room and was certainly surprised at the eyeful she had. She thought about how affected she'd been even back then by how gorgeous he was. She closed her eyes picturing his perfectly formed muscles still glistening from the shower. She felt her heart begin to race as she imagined herself walking up to him like that, running her hands over his still wet body.

She was shaken from her daydream by Luis' voice calling her name. She opened her eyes and didn't see him. The she heard him again. She turned her head and found him standing in the entrance to the shower, with his arms in the air as if holding up the walls. He started walking towards her. He was soaking wet, totally naked as he walked towards her. “I'm glad you're here Sheridan,” he said in a sexy voice.”

Sheridan stood there speechless. She felt her entire body go up in flames. He looked like she imagined a Greek god would look like in the flesh. She felt her eyes travel up and down his entire body. She had a huge lump in her throat and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. Her mind was reeling. She felt the need to pinch herself, as it was surreal. Déjà vu. Why did she have the feeling she'd been here before? Then it hit her. Like a ton of bricks it hit her. This was her fantasy. She'd had almost this exact fantasy after the faux Martin's death. Now she knew for sure it was a dream. She pinched herself to convince herself of it and winced in pain when she did.

Luis just smiled at her. It was a very sexy, seductive smile, the kind that would cause some women to faint. Sheridan was close to that herself. She'd never been so turned on by a man in her life, including this man. Luis finally was standing right in front of her. She could feel the heat coming from his body and she was sure he could see her heart pounding through her tight shirt.

Luis placed one hand on her face and caressed her cheek. She took a deep breath as she felt electricity flow through her body from his touch. It was literally electrifying. Sheridan just stared at him. His dark eyes filled with desire and wanting. She knew exactly how he must feel, it was exactly what she was feeling. She'd never wanted anyone the way she wanted and needed Luis at this moment.

`Oh God, this man is too sexy for his own good. He's going to kill me' she thought to herself, as a smile crept on to her face. Somehow Sheridan managed to get back some of her composure and was over the initial shock of the situation. “Prove it,” she challenged with an equally seductive look.

Luis didn't need to hear more. He pulled her face to his and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Sheridan parted her lips on contact and Luis' tongue entered her mouth and sought hers. She moaned in pleasure at the feel of his mouth pressed against her lips, his tongue exploring hers expertly. His body was still wet. She ran her hands slowly over his entire torso, feeling every contour of every muscle. Luis gasped suddenly at the feel of her soft hands on his chest. She then ran her hands up his neck and through his hair. Luis pulled her body close, as close as he could. Her t-shirt was now completely wet from meeting with his body. This seemed to only excite them both more.

Luis' hands gently slid down her back resting on her buttocks. He gave them a gentle squeeze, which elicited a fierce groan from Sheridan. He then moved his hands to her sides and slowly glided them upwards, bringing her shirt with them. In a swift move he pulled the shirt over her head, exposing her damp breasts to full view. Luis stood back slightly as he admired her pliable breasts. Sheridan's mind whirled and her body was cpmpletely on fire. All she wanted to do was make love to this man like she'd never made love to another. She'd never had a man look at her the way Luis did and it was causing her to lose all self-control.

After looking appreciatively at her well-formed breasts, he returned his mouth to hers in a crushing kiss. One hand slowly slid down her neck until it reached her chest and he began a gentle massaging action. Sheridan groaned nad threw her head back, completely lost in the pleasure Luis was bringing to her. It was an excitement unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

Luis was feeling the same effects as Sheridan. He could hardly control himself at this point. He wanted her. He wanted to make love to her right here and now. Sheridan wanted the same thing as Luis. Without thinking, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Make love to me Luis, I want you to make love to me now,” she said in a hoarse whisper.

Sheridan's breasts were resting right below Luis' eye level. His arms wrapped tightly around Sheridan. “Whatever the lady wants,” he said with a sexy smile. He placed his mouth on one breast and began gently sucking as he started walking out of the locker room. This action elicited a loud groan from Sheridan. She felt tiny waves of pleasure flow through her body as Luis fondled her breast with his mouth.

They were well past the point of no return as they headed toward Luis' office where there was a couch. Just as they entered the office they heard someone pounding at the outside door of the Youth Center. Luis tried to ignore it and returned to kissing Sheridan frantically. “They'll go away,” he panted.

“Ignore it Sheridan,” Luis said as he laid her on the couch. “We won't let anyone interrupt us.” Luis laid his naked body on top of Sheridan and they both felt another wave of warmth surge through their bodies. The knocking persisted. This time much louder and longer. It was followed by a man's voice.

“I don't know,” Luis said breathless. He reluctantly began to get up. “But whoever it is better have a DAMN good reason for being here at this hour of the night.” He stood there for a moment, regaining his composure. Sheridan was now sitting on the couch. “Come on,” he said. "Let's get some clothes on to greet our unwanted caller. "

They walked out of the office only to hear the banging louder yet. It was a man's voice yelling. Luis yelled back, “Just hold on one minute will you!” His voice was filled with complete frustration. He and Sheridan quickly put some clean clothes on and returned to the gym. Luis grabbed his gun and with Sheridan behind him, he walked up to the front door.

Sheridan still stayed behind Luis. She really wasn't in the mood for Hank tonight. “How did you see the lights on?” Luis asked with a frown. “You know how much lighting there is in there! And with those windows it's nearly impossible to see anything!”

“Sheridan,” he said happily. Sheridan barely moved as she felt Hank's arms wrap around her. She watched Luis stiffen, his face glaring at Hank. She saw the anger still in Luis' eyes become angrier still. She started to pull out of Hank's embrace and Luis moved to the side to help separate the two. Sheridan was grateful for the assistance. She turned her head away from Hank's gaze. The last thing she wanted tonight was a confrontation with Hank.

“Not that it's any of your business Hank, but Sheridan and I were almost killed tonight. Again! Roger came to the cottage and covered it with explosives and blew the place up. We're here until morning, when the FBI lets us know what's going on.” Luis explained.

“We're just fine Hank,” Luis assured him. “Now you really need to get going. We don't need to bring any more attention to this place than is necessary. Thanks for pointing out the lights. I'll make sure we shut them all off before we go to sleep.”

“Look, Luis, why don't you let me take Sheridan back to the B&B. There are still a few vacant rooms and I'm sure she'd be much more comfortable there then sleeping on a lumpy old couch in your office,” Hank offered, trying to deny what he knew in his heart.

Sheridan had had enough of Hank's badmouthing Luis. “Hank, Luis has been nothing but a perfect gentleman. He has done absolutely nothing to me that I haven't wanted him to do, or even asked for. I TRUST HIM with my life Hank and I'm not leaving his side for a second.”

“Yeah, good night Hank,” Luis repeated with a sarcastic overtone. Hank walked out of the Youth Center and Luis loudly locked the door behind him. He glanced at Sheridan and said, “Come on. We'd better get some sleep.” His eyes were no longer filled with anger, but rather a little hurt and confusion. Sheridan followed him to the locker room while he turned out the lights. They then both retreated into his office.

“Luis, I love YOU. Not Hank and there is nothing that is going to change that. I've had feelings for you since the day I ran into your police car. It took me awhile to sort them out, but YOU were always the one that I wanted, no matter what I may have said.”

Luis knew Sheridan loved him, but it still didn't change the fact that Sheridan had dated Hank on and off for quite some time. He tried to keep himself from being jealous of Hank, but it wasn't easy. After all, she'd accepted a date with Hank the day after their first date. He never told anyone including Sheridan how much he'd been hurt by that.

“Luis, I came to the Youth Center that day to ask YOU to the party at the Seascape for New Year's Eve. I was afraid you'd say no and I was nervous. I asked one of the kids where you were and he told me you were in the supply closet. Instead of asking you face to face, I asked you from behind the door. I was totally taken by surprise when Hank came out of the closet. He was so thrilled and I didn't know how to get out of it.”

“Yes Luis, I am. Ethan and Gwen insisted I ask someone to the party. When I told them there was no one in Harmony I could go with, Ethan told me to think about who I wanted to be kissing at the stroke of midnight. The only person that came into my head was you.”

Sheridan took a deep breath. “That time, I thought I was ACCEPTING a date with you. I found the flowers on the bench addressed to me with a card asking me on a date. The card was unsigned and I assumed they were from you. We'd had such a wonderful time the night before, there was nothing else on my mind. I felt someone put their hands on my shoulders as I was reading the card and I thought it was you. I accepted the date before I turned around.”

Luis laughed. Inside he was elated, but he did find it rather amusing at the same time. “I must admit” Luis agreed with a smile, “You're right. I do believe that we can learn from this. You and I need to learn to communicate better.”

“I'm not going to lie to you Sheridan. Even though we've had feelings for each other for months now, much of that time there was a lot of bad blood between us. It's only been a week since we've reconnected and yes, it is happening pretty fast.” Luis paused and saw hurt in Sheridan's eyes. She cast her gaze towards the floor, unable to look in Luis' eyes.

“Hey,” he said softly as he lifted her chin gently. He stared deeply into her blue eyes. “That doesn't mean I didn't want this to happen. I love you more than anything and I have no intentions of seeing anyone else or even looking at anyone else. I just didn't think I had the right to consider us `exclusive'.”

“I also have no intentions of seeing anyone else Luis,” Sheridan said in a soft whisper. “I love you more than I ever imagined I could love another human being. I don't want to even think about what my life would be like without you. Not anymore.”

Luis lay down on the couch and pulled Sheridan on top of him. He gently placed the blanket over her and she snuggled closely against his warm body. Luis wrapped his arms around her. The couple fell asleep peacefully as they laid wrapped in each others arms. Neither had been more comfortable or content in their lives.

Hal stood before the man who impersonated Luis and just stared. He watched his every move, noticed every nuance. “Mr. Mitch Smith is it? or do you prefer Mark Jones? Maybe Dennis Sweet? I have a list of so many aliases here I don't know where to start,” Agent Freeman said in a very calm, but sarcastic tone. “I guess we'll call you Mitch for now, since this appears to be your real name? Is that correct, Mr. Smith?”

“Mr. Smith, you have a list of priors here that would cover this room with wallpaper,” Hal informed him. “Once you are convicted of impersonating an officer, I am afraid you're going to be doing some hard time. Not to mention all the parole violations we have against you.”

“I thought that might grab your attention,” Hal said smugly. “Now Mr. Smith, I have the power to make or break you. If you cooperate with me, I can see to it your record is wiped clean of all past and current charges. When I'm through with you, you can start a new life somewhere else with no police record to plague you. No jail time. Or, I can see to it that you are put behind bars for such a long period of time, you will forget what the outside world even looks like by the time you're released. That is, if you live that long.”

Hal smiled. He started walking towards the door. “I'm going to leave you right now Mr. Smith. I want you to think about it. Think about it long and hard. When you come to a decision, let me know.” Hal walked out of the room, leaving Mitch Smith to decide his future.

“I'm not sure yet,” Hal said. “He's a pretty cool character, but his tune changed a little when he found I was FBI rather than local. I don't think he liked that very much. I also made him a very enticing deal. I offered to wipe his record clean in exchange for his cooperation. That would include dropping the charge of impersonation an a police officer.”

Sam felt a sense of excitement at the thought of going after the Cranes. It was something he'd longed to do since... well for a long time. He knew better than to do it on his own. He knew only too well the wrath of Alistair and Julian Crane, but he'd always hoped someday he would be around to see them get what was coming to them.

Sam was also slightly unnerved by Hal's preoccupation with this case. He felt somehow Hal had a personal interest in seeing the fall of the Crane Empire. `But why?' He thought to himself. `Did the Cranes do something to him or his family in the past? Or is there someone he knows that was hurt by them?' Sam didn't know the answers, but vowed to himself to find out. Not that it mattered, but for some strange reason, there was a sense of brotherhood among victims of the mighty Cranes. There were so many people in Harmony that had had their lives ruined in one way or another by that family, Sam could only imagine there were others in other parts of the country that were affected as well. Maybe even other parts of the world. Hell, even members of their own family were subjects of the wrath of Alistair Crane.

Hal nodded as he stood up. He took long steady strides as he returned to the interrogation room. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. He sat at the table facing the impostor saying nothing. Mitch held his stare for a moment before giving Hal his long awaited answer.

“Just one. You will be required to testify against the Cranes when the time comes. I know they are a very ruthless family, but they aren't the mob. Once we've taken them down, there won't be any other family waiting to take over and I doubt Ethan Crane will be the type of person to seek revenge. He is very unlike his Father and Grandfather.”

“The first thing you will do is answer your cell phone the next time it rings. According to the caller ID on it, Julian Crane is trying to reach you. I'll get some agents in here momentarily to get things set up. Then I'll tell you exactly what you will say to Julian.” With that Hal left the room.

Hal started making calls on his cell phone calling in several agents to meet him at police headquarters. He also made arrangements for three connecting suites at the Harmony Hotel, all with connecting doors. He gave the names of Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald in one suite and Sheridan Crane for another, with agents occupying the third.

FBI agents began flocking all around the Harmony Police Station as well as the hotel. Security was the number one goal at the hotel and communications was the number one priority at the police station. Sam was in awe at how efficiently these men worked. Each had a specialty and carried out their job with ease.

The impostor's cell phone was modified so that any incoming or outgoing calls would be monitored and recorded. Hal and another agent discussed the job that Mitch had done for Julian, down to the last detail. Hal kept notes, as well as recorded every word. In his own mind, Hal knew the reason Julian was calling him again was he wanted Mitch to do an encore. This was exactly what he was hoping for. Having Julian make the first contact would make his job much easier and his plan would be able to run smoother.

Julian didn't like being spoken to in this manner, but he knew he had no choice but to deal with this low life scum. “All right,” he growled. “Meet me at the mansion at Ten sharp. I'll meet you at the door myself so there won't be any servants asking questions."

Sheridan awoke the next morning lying peacefully on top of Luis. Her head was nuzzled in the crook of his arm and his arms were wrapped around her. She smiled as she silently watched him sleep. She felt his every breath as her body raised and lowered with his chest. She so wanted not to wake him, but could think of no other alternative, so she decided the best thing to do was wake him up slowly. She felt an impish grin form on her face as she formulated her wake up plan.

Sheridan lifted her head very slowly. She began gently kissing his shoulder. She glanced up every after every few kisses she placed on him, as she made her way to his neck. She watched a small smile appear on his face and heard him sigh happily. She smiled in amusement at the reactions she was getting from a sleeping Luis. As she kissed his neck, she made sure the kisses were more sensual and lingered longer. She noticed his smile grow and he continued to sign in contentment.

Luis was starting to stir and Sheridan knew it was only a matter of a few seconds before he was fully awake. She continued laying kisses on his neck, making her way up towards his earlobe. When she reached his ear, she gently began tugging on it with her lips. Her warm breath blew into his ear. Her eyes were dancing as she anticipated his reaction when fully awake.

Luis awoke but didn`t open his eyes. He was considerably affected by what Sheridan was doing to him. He felt her curved body on top of his, her gentle tugging at his earlobe with her soft full lips and her warm breath blowing in his ear. Luis had never been aroused quite this early before, especially to the extent he was. He knew Sheridan was teasing him and he loved every minute of it. `God I love this woman,' he said to himself.

“Well that you did. I can't think of a better way to wake up.” Then he added with a more serious tone, “Sheridan, I also can't think of anyone I'd rather wake up with in my arms. I'd love nothing more than to wake up like this every morning.”

Sheridan blushed, but her face glowed. The idea that Luis loved her as she did him was still new to her. It was a dream come true, which was not something she was used too. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. “I'd like that too Luis.” Sheridan didn't sound as convinced as Luis. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. Luis was concerned about her sudden change in behavior. He too assumed a sitting position on the couch.

Sheridan gave him a slight smile, but she was far from convinced. “I know you think that Luis, but did either of us see the impostor coming? We both knew they'd try to stop us. Julian tried to bribe you on our first date. When that didn't work, it appears he and father concocted some sort of impostor to make me think you were using me. Do you really think it will end here?”

“Sheridan, please talk to me,” Luis implored. “We need to be able to talk to each other about everything. I really want this relationship to work and if that's going to happen we need to trust each other enough to tell one another everything.”

“Oh Luis, I want nothing more than for this relationship to work. I've never wanted anything so much in my life. God I love you,” Sheridan said through a stress filled voice. She was now turned facing him, gazing deeply into his warm brown eyes. She pressed her head against his chest and pulled him close to her. “Luis, this is so hard for me. You won't understand.”

Sheridan pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. Those wonderful, beautiful, caring, love filled eyes that made her weak at the knees every time they looked at her. “Luis, I'm struggling here with my feelings for my family. I know how you feel about them. You've never made that a secret. I just can't believe that my father is the way he is. Why Luis? Why did I have to have a father as cruel and vindictive as Alistair Crane?” She felt tears start down her cheek. She tried to will them back, but it wasn't possible.

Luis did his best to comfort her. He knew she was in pain. He just stood there and held her head in his hands, brushing her tears away. He said nothing, waiting for her to get it all out. What she was feeling. The anguish of knowing her family would stop at nothing to hide their secrets including sacrificing one of their own. In this case her.

“That's sort of how I feel right now. I know my father isn't dead, but in a way it's the same thing. I'm ashamed of myself for feeling the way I do about him. I had a talk with Hank that night and I told him I didn't think I would be able to do what you did. No matter what my father has done to me, or to anyone else, the fact remains he is still my father. I'm all torn up inside Luis. He deserves to be punished, but he is still my father!”

They just stood there for a few minutes in front of the window and said nothing. Luis just held her. He was there for her to lean on, to listen to her and if at all possible help her. He knew only too well the conflicting feelings she was experiencing and no words could help.

Luis was visibly disappointed, but didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready. He suspected it had something to do with her nightmares, as she mentioned the vivid imagination of a child, but couldn't imagine what it could be. “O.K.” he agreed. “I'll call Hal and find out what the plan is.”

Luis walked over to the desk and called Hal. He was told to bring Sheridan to the Harmony Hotel and check into the suite in the name of Sheridan Crane. Hal told Luis to be careful and he would explain everything to both of them when they arrived at the hotel. Sheridan and Luis went to the Book Cafe and grabbed a coffee and muffin to go and made their way carefully to the Harmony Hotel.

They checked themselves into the suite in Sheridan's name and found their way to suite 212. They opened the door to the suite and were very surprised to see FBI agents everywhere. It was like walking into a command post of a major sting operation and both Luis and Sheridan were in shock. They were under the impression that Roger was in custody and this would be winding down. Both suspected there was more to this that met the eye.

When they walked into the room further, they realized there were actually several suites of rooms all connected. Several agents spied them as they walked through with looks of disbelief on their faces, but no one did or said anything, just returned to their conversation or job. After walking through two suites to the third, they finally saw Hal and Sam talking to a man in a far corner of the room. They slowly approached the trio. Hal looked up and saw Sheridan and Luis coming towards them. He stood up straight and waited for them to close the distance. Sam also eyed them as they approached. Luis and Sheridan knew something was up. Luis noted the time on his watch as they stood facing Hal and Sam. It was 9:00 a.m.

“Luis, Sheridan,” Hal acknowledged in his usual stone-faced manner. He shook hands with Luis. Sam nodded at them both with a knowing look. The other man, who was sitting in a chair with his back towards them, never looked up, nor acknowledged their presence. They both glanced at him. Luis found it odd the man never turned around. Sheridan was staring at him for another reason. She saw something vaguely familiar about him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had the feeling she'd met him before. Hal interrupted her thoughts.

“I need to talk with both of you,” Hal said as he ushered them to another part of the room. Sheridan, Luis, Sam and Hal gathered in a corner at the other end of the room, away from the mysterious stranger. “I'd like to tell you both some good news,” Hal stated. “And then I have a question to ask both of you. It's actually a request, but it's one you both need to be in complete agreement about.”

“It's over Luis,” Sam said with a huge grin on his face. “Antoine and Roger are dead. Pierre regained consciousness last night and confessed to everything. Interpol has enough information to arrest several hundred members of the cartel in France as well as other European countries. Pierre is being extradited back to Paris as we speak. With Roger out of the picture, the cartel is as good as dead.”

“This is fantastic news,” Luis said excitedly. He smiled at Sheridan and gave her a quick, but passionate hug. “Well Sheridan, it looks like you're free at last. No more bodyguard.” He gave her grin, which was soon replaced with a woeful look.

Sheridan suddenly lost her breath. She felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach and had the wind knocked out of her. Though she knew in her heart her family was responsible, now it was confirmed. Real proof her family cared nothing about her.

Luis placed a protective arm around her shoulder and gently rubbed it. “It's O.K. Sheridan,” he whispered soothingly into her ear. He looked up and stared at Hal. He then looked over to the corner where the mysterious stranger still sat. “Is that him?” Luis asked angrily motioning to Mitch.

“Luis, you need to think about this for one minute. As of right now, you WILL receive that promotion to detective as well as a commendation from the department. What you have done goes well above and beyond the call of duty. Do you want to jeopardize your future for him? He's just a flunky Luis. He was hired to do a job.” Sam was slowly releasing his hold on Luis as he felt him begin to relax.

“No Miss Crane. We don't want that at all, we want your brother and your father. Mitch" Hal said motioning to the corner, "is willing to work with us. We want to know what Julian and Alistair Crane are up too. Mitch can get that information for us.”

“We haven't publicized the fact that Roger is dead, or the fact that the drug cartel is defunct. We want to keep up the illusion that Miss Crane's life is still in danger. This way, we will have an excuse to still be here and not bring about any suspicion from the Cranes. If you are willing, we will put you up here in one of the suites. Mitch will occupy another suite, which will be in your name Luis and the third suite will be for our command center of sorts. For this plan to work, Julian and Alistair must believe that Luis is still guarding Miss Crane. We also must keep any information from the public regarding the impostor and the drug cartel. We will still search for those men so as to avoid suspicion.”

Hal ushered everyone out of the suite, leaving Sheridan and Luis in private. Sheridan was amazed how quickly the room was transformed from a busy center of activity to a quiet suite for two. Luis walked over to the loveseat at the far end of the room and sat down. He threw his head back and sighed. “Wow,” was all he said.

Luis was sympathetic to Sheridan's dilemma, but needed to point out the obvious. “Sheridan, if you don't help them, there will never be an “us.” Julian and your father will make sure of that. He's already set his plan into motion. Who knows what he's planning this time. Neither one of them will stop until we are apart for good.”

Luis quickly jumped up and went to the connecting doors of the suite. He told Hal of their decision as Sheridan watched. The scene almost felt as if it were unfolding in slow motion. As soon as Luis gave the word, she saw people move into action. Sheridan felt her world beginning to crumble. She had the horrible feeling that soon everything would come out and when it did she would lose Luis forever. She felt sick and ran for the bathroom.

Luis sat in a chair in total silence. He didn't know how to feel after listening to Mitch and Julian's meeting through the wire that Hal placed on Mitch. Sam and Hal kept silent as well. They didn't know what to say to Luis. Luis finally stood up and began pacing the floor. He jammed his hands in his pockets as he thought about the conversation he'd just heard. Finally he spoke.

“You are to make sure Sheridan sees you with another woman. I mean really sees you intimate with another woman. You make sure she hears you tell this woman how you still managed to deceive her. Build yourself up. Let her hear you talk about the insurance policy you took out on her life. How you are planning on killing her as soon as you are married. Then you'll not only have money from the insurance, but the drug cartel will pay you a huge fee for finishing the job. You'll have the perfect cover.”

“She will never say a thing. My sister does not like being used. This will be the biggest insult of all to her pride. It's one thing for her to believe he used her, but now she'll think he's trying to kill her. You will allow her to escape and we will leak the news to the press. Luis' name will be ruined. He will go on the run and search as they may, no one will ever find him. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald will never pose a threat to this family again.”

“Isn't that clear, Luis?” Hal said simply. “They are hiding something. Something big. Something that could destroy their precious “empire.” You either know something, or more likely will learn something through your association with Sheridan that will give you what is needed to bring their family to their knees. Something big enough to kill for.”

“Luis, they are right. You will be the one to bring down their family. They fear you for a good reason,” Sam said grimly. “You do know those hit men were actually a blessing in disguise. Had this never happened and you and Sheridan got back together, chances are Julian's plan would have gone off without a hitch.”

“Good. Sheridan and Luis must never be allowed to talk. We know she hasn't told him yet. If she had we would have already felt the fall out. Luis' name and reputation MUST be destroyed. His word MUST be worth nothing. Sheridan MUST be convinced he is out for blood and finally Luis must NEVER be seen in Harmony again. Do you understand Julian? Do you know what NEVER means?”

Luis stood there in shocked silence. What had Julian meant when he said “Damn Martin Fitzgerald”? Luis had always known in his heart that the Cranes had been responsible for his father's disappearance, but hearing Julian mention his father's name in the manner he did, was the first time his suspicions ever had a basis in positive proof. The Cranes were without a doubt responsible for Martin's disappearance.

Luis was no longer nervous about what the Cranes had in store for him. He now had a renewed anger and determination. He would not run from them, but would face them head on. Luis would solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. He would protect himself and the woman he loved. The Mighty Cranes would soon fall.

Sheridan waited until Luis left the room before she climbed out of bed. She was in a near panic as she paced back and forth in her room. Somehow she knew the events that would unfold would affect her entire life. She knew her secret would come out. 'How can I possibly tell Luis?' she thought to herself. He'd vowed since the day I met him to find out what happened to his father. He made it clear that he would make the person responsible for his disappearance pay.

Sheridan couldn't bear the thought of losing Luis. She loved him with all her heart. She loved him more than she'd ever loved another living soul. She stopped at the window and tried to imagine life without Luis. The images were cold and dark. No happiness. No love. Just a pitch black hole swallowing her essence. She shook her head from these thoughts. As much as she didn't want to tell Luis, she knew one day, it would come to this. She also knew it would be much better coming from her than from someone else. She knew what she had to do.

She was very tired. She returned to the bed and lay her head on the soft pillow. Scenarios floating through her mind of ways to tell him. Different reactions from him. How would he react she wondered as her mind slipped into a fitful slumber.

Sheridan tossed and turned. Her mind continued to whirl. The nightmare returned. The bloody hands, the body under the sheet, the voice telling her,” You've been a naughty girl Sheridan.” Her response to the voice, “I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to do it!” The voice continued to accuse her. “Yes you did Sheridan. You must never tell anyone. No one will ever love you Sheridan if they find out what you did.”

Sheridan thrashed in the bed. She kept mumbling, “I didn't mean to do it,” over and over. Suddenly another person appeared in her dream. It was a man. He walked up to the sheet and lifted it up. He looked at her. She was no longer the child, but the woman Sheridan. The man looked into her eyes. They were filled with pure hatred. It was Luis. “You did this Sheridan? You are responsible? You killed my father! Sheridan you did it. You did it! Sheridan you will pay for killing my father...”

Once again Hal and Sam were at a loss as to what to say to Luis. Both knew Luis was absorbing everything he'd heard. The fact that Julian had mentioned his father's name in the same breath with his own. The fact that he (Julian) had to go through this again. Though he hadn't actually admitted it, it was pretty clear that Martin had posed some sort of threat to the Cranes years ago. They had done something to Martin to prevent him from returning to his family.

As Luis lost himself in thought he suddenly heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the other room. He felt an ice-cold chill course through his body. He ran from the room to Sheridan's bedside before the others had a chance to take their first step.

He found Sheridan thrashing in bed screaming, “I didn't mean to do it, I didn't mean to do it.” Luis climbed on the bed and gathered her in his arms. He'd heard her cry these same words before, though not for a very long time. The nightmares that plagued her as a child had returned. Luis just sat there on the bed cradling her in her arms. He spoke soft soothing words to her hoping to calm her from her fears. Maybe, just maybe, these nightmares were what Julian and Alistair were afraid Luis would find out. Luis knew one thing for certain. He would find out. This time, he would get the answers.

Luis emerged back into the suite occupied by the FBI. He took a good look around and noted it was the largest of the three suites. There were two bedrooms, each with two king size beds as well as a huge living area which was the command center. Luis realized this made sense, as there would be round the clock agents in and out until the sting was over. This way, some would be sleeping while others worked and all could stay at the hotel. Luis wasn't sure, but he believed Hal probably had his own room somewhere else in the hotel. He also saw the door they'd initially entered the command center from on the other side of the room and was pretty sure that was the room occupied by his double.

Luis motioned for the two men to sit down and began telling them about the nightmares that Sheridan has had all these years. Sam listened intently and was in shock as Luis relayed the events of her dream. Hal hung on every word. His stone face never revealed what he was thinking, but his mind was in overdrive as he listened to Luis.

“I agree Luis. That part makes no sense,” Sam said thoughtfully. “But there are too many other coincidences with everything we know. Let's not forget the Martin Impostor. I'm surer than ever that the Cranes hired him. The question is, why?”

Hal was listening to every word that was being said. His mind racing to keep up with his own thoughts as well as the new information he was learning. He was suddenly struck by a thought. “If I may interrupt for a moment here, I have an idea,” Hal said.

Luis thought for a few seconds. He began to nod his head slowly. “Yes, I believe she does. She did say that she and Ethan did some investigating last fall. She was trying to determine whether it was a dream or real. She said every time they had a lead, they ended up at a dead end.”

“I'd bet my badge on it. I don't believe for a minute that an 11-year-old child would have a nightmare that detailed and continue to have the same nightmare for the rest of her life. Sorry but it doesn't wash in my book. She's probably blocking the rest of it out. It was probably too traumatizing for her to remember everything that happened that night.”

“It's not that Sam,” Luis answered, it's just, I worry about Sheridan. It could be very traumatic for her to suddenly have all those memories come back to her. Besides, Sheridan spent time in a mental institution when she first went to Paris. She said the doctors spent a lot of time trying to convince her it was just a nightmare. I wouldn`t doubt it, if they did a little brainwashing at the same time.”

“I understand that Luis” Hal said. “We have agents specially trained to do this. They are M.D.'s who also have degrees in parapsychology. They know how to deal with repressed memories and they know how to treat the subjects afterwards. They can also find out if her mind has been tampered with in the past. If something happened back then and those doctors “brainwashed” her in anyway, it will come out. Somewhere in her mind is the truth. Luis, I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought there was a danger to her. I know the memories may be painful for her, but once they're out, she can put it all behind her and live a normal life free of the past.”

“Luis, why don't you and Sheridan take the rest of today for yourselves?” Hal offered. “I mean both of you have been through a lot these past few weeks, either almost being killed, on the run or afraid to say anything due to what Alistair Crane may hear. These suites are completely clean. You could stand on your head and spit nickels naked and no one would ever know. Just call me when you talk to Sheridan and let me know what she says about the hypnotist. And for your own sake don't leave the hotel. Remember, the only place we are sure is completely safe are these three rooms.”

Luis stifled a grin. “You know, I may just take you up on that offer, Hal. I don't think Sheridan would mind either having the rest of the day to herself. Oh, what's the routine for ordering food up to the room? Can we just order room service or is there some special protocol?”

“If you want to go to the dining room you may Luis,” Hal said. “But if you order food, it must come through here and then we'll bring it in. We need to make sure there is nothing on the cart besides food. We already had someone try to slip a bug in with the coffee this morning.”

Luis' face lit up and Sam gave him the evil eye. Luis noticed Sam's look and shrugged his shoulders. “It never hurts to talk Sam,” Luis said with a subdued grin. Luis walked over to the phone and ordered lunch for himself and Sheridan. Hal left and went to one of the bedrooms to make his call.

Hal was on the phone with headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was speaking with their psychology department. Hal explained what was going on and what he needed to the agent in charge of the department. He agreed to send the two most qualified agents to Harmony on the next flight out of Washington.

“Hi” Hal said. “I have news... It's happening... She told him... Yes about her nightmare... He doesn't believe it... Yes, he believes it was her father or brother... He hasn't said for sure... I think he believes he's dead... No he doesn't blame her... Yes you did tell me that... And I told you if we were patient this would happen... Hopefully it will come out tomorrow... Yes, you should come tonight... You will be in room 312... Call me when you arrive... I know you are... That's right... Very soon... Tell them very soon.... O.K. Good bye. Be careful! Don't let anyone see you.”

Luis wheeled the room service cart into his room quietly. Sheridan was sleeping peacefully on top of the bed, a small smile on her face. Luis suddenly found his palms sweaty and his heart begin to race. He parked the cart over by the window and slowly approached the bed. He chuckled to himself when he realized he was nervous. He wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous, except that he's told Sheridan point blank the next time she saw him he planned on making love to her.

Luis was about to gently wake her when he pulled back. He felt a lump develop in his throat. `Why am I feeling like this?' He thought to himself. He glanced down at Sheridan and she looked so peaceful. `She must have just fallen asleep' he thought as he noticed her hair was wet and she was wearing a short terrycloth bathrobe. Luis decided that was a good idea and left to take a shower himself.

In the shower Luis relaxed as the warm water pounded over his muscular body. He closed his eyes and all he could see in his mind's eye was Sheridan. Visions of the two of them from last night when they almost... He again felt his heart begin to race as his body responded to the thoughts in his mind. He and Sheridan had been through so much in the last few weeks, but none of that even came to mind. Neither did any thoughts of Julian or Alistair Crane cross his mind. His head was totally consumed with thoughts of Sheridan.

He tried to concentrate on something else for a few minutes, but nothing worked. He wanted her. He needed her. No woman had ever gotten to him the way she had. From the moment he laid eyes on her when she crashed into his jeep, he knew his life would never be the same, but he never imagined he's feel this way. Luis suddenly thrust the water lever into the cold position to cool down his overheating body. He shivered as the cold water blasted him back to reality and he quickly turned it off and got out of the shower. He dried off a bit and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked back into the bedroom to find Sheridan was awake.

“You're welcome,” He said walking over towards her. “I figured you would be. I know I was.” The effects of his cold shower had already worn off. Seeing Sheridan sitting there smiling, looking at him with those beautiful blue eyes was more than he could take.

“What do you mean you were hungry? It doesn't look like you touched...” Sheridan's voice trailed off as she saw the look in his eyes. His eyes were dark and filled with a fire and intensity that caused a shiver to go through her entire body. She felt her heart begin to beat wildly and her breathing become irregular as he closed the distance between them.

She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She stood up without another word and waited for him to approach. Luis finally stood only a foot away from her. She could feel his breath on her face, which caused her to catch hers. His eyes were filled with desire and longing. “Sheridan, we're not going to be disturbed this time,” he said in a low deep voice. “Do you still want this?”

“More than ever Luis” she answered in a whisper. Luis leaned in and kissed her slowly. He wanted to savor every minute with her. He placed one hand behind her head and the other around her waist. Sheridan wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close to her. She gently ran her hands up and down his back, occasionally lightly raking her nails in the process.

Their kiss remained slow for a bit. Each enjoying the feel of the others soft lips. Sheridan longed to deepen their kiss and she gently tugged on Luis' lower lip with her own and he parted his mouth slightly. She slid her tongue into his mouth and Luismoaned slightly as he met her tongue with his own. Luis expertly kissed her, causing her to gasp at his maneuvers. Their slow kiss was filled with passion. Sheridan moved her hands from Luis' back to his front and now began exploring the various tight muscles of his chest. Luis moaned in pleasure when she gently began to massage certain areas of his torso. He parted their kiss and began kissing his way down her neck.

Sheridan felt the heat in her body begin to rise as she felt his warm wet kisses moving down her neck to her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment and reveled in the glorious sensation she was feeling. Luis pulled his hand up from around her waist and gently laid it on her neck. He slipped his hand underneath the robe, moving it off her shoulder allowing him more access. As he kissed his way down her shoulder, he didn't remove his hand from underneath her robe. Instead he slid his hand down further. His heart was pounding as he felt her silky smooth skin beneath his touch. He continued enjoying the feel of her skin until he met with the curve of her breast. He stopped kissing her shoulder for a moment and looked into her eyes. Her breathing matched his own. Ragged. Her eyes matched his. Filled with fire. Without losing eye contact, he slowly moved his hand until it covered her soft supple breast. He began gently massaging it. Sheridan's body temperature rose and she felt little shockwaves surge through her as Luis continued to caress her. He watched as her eyes seemed to glaze over and her mouth parted slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

Luis found himself becoming increasingly aroused both from the feel of her breast and the reaction he was eliciting from Sheridan. Sheridan needed him to kiss her. She moved her glance from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes again. He knew what she wanted. He immediately granted her wish. His mouth covered hers and he slipped his tongue into her already parted lips. Their kiss was anything but slow this time. Luis was quickly losing all sense of reality. Sheridan's senses were a blur as well. She was moving her hands everywhere over Luis' upper body, slowly learning each and every muscle by heart.

Luis began walking towards the bed. Sheridan walked right with him, neither one missing a beat of their exploration of the other's body. Sheridan finally felt the bed behind her and they both came to a dead stop. Luis pulled back for a moment and just stared at her. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. It didn't hurt matters that the look of desire and wanting in her eyes was for him. He scanned her body, noticing the robe that was still intact less one exposed shoulder. Sheridan saw him looking and knew what was going to happen next. She gasped excitedly as he slowly untied her robe letting it fall open, exposing her faultless curves and trim body. He took his hands to her shoulders and slowly guided the robe until it slid down her arms landing on the floor.

Sheridan now stood naked in front of him as he committed her image to memory. She slowly backed up and climbed onto the bed. Luis followed her, laying his body on top of her. “I love you Sheridan,” he said breathless. His voice was deep, almost a whisper.

“I love you too Luis,” she returned. Again he kissed her, this time fiercely. She kissed him back with an equal passion. He moved from her mouth to her neck as he slowly trailed his warm wet kisses down to her chest. Sheridan threw her head back as his mouth reached its destination. Luis massaged one breast with his hand while he took her other breast in his mouth. Sheridan was feeling a pleasure she'd never known as Luis massaged and fondled her breasts. She moaned his name loudly several times and arched her back slightly.

She wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingernails down his back. It was Luis' turn to groan and he pulled back slightly as he pressed his body closer to her. Sheridan was really feeling the effects at this point. She pulled Luis' head up to meet her and kissed his with more passion and desire than she'd ever thought possible. They could both feel their hearts beating wildly and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. Sheridan slid her hands down his back again and circled his waist where the towel was wrapped. Luis stopped kissing her for a moment and gave her a raised brow followed by his killer smile. She smiled seductively in return and ripped the towel from his body.

Hal returned to the command center with Mitch. They found Sam sitting at a small table jotting down notes. Sam looked up when he saw the two men approach. He noted Hal was carrying something in his hand. It was a small paper bag. `Hmm, I wonder what that is?' He thought as he greeted Hal. Sam still found it difficult to be civil to Mitch so he never said much. He would nod or shake his head but that was about it.

“No, you've seen Mitch Smith. I want to introduce you to Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald,” Hal said. “Do your stuff Mitch.” Hal handed him the bag. Mitch turned away for a moment and took something out of the bag. He walked over to a mirror on the other side of the room. Sam looked on with great curiosity. He couldn't see exactly what he was doing as his back was turned to Sam and Hal.

Mitch placed the mask on his face and examined it in the mirror. He pulled it tightly across his face, melding it into his own features. He pulled a comb out of his pocket and ran it through his hair, matching the hair from the mask to his own. He stood up straight and examined his face. He shrugged his shoulders several times and cleared his throat. He was preparing to become Luis. Once satisfied with his appearance and demeanor, he turned and walked over to the two men.

“Hey Sam, Agent Freeman,” Faux Luis said. “What do you guys say we cut out of here and go to my house for some of Mama's home cooking? She certainly makes better food than they serve here?” Faux Luis grinned. The grinned mimicked perfectly Luis' killer smile.

Sam had a totally solemn look about him. He was devastated thinking of the consequences of Mitch's actions, had the FBI not caught up with him before Julian. “Hal, do you realize what would have happened to Luis if we hadn't found this guy first?” Sam motioned to Mitch.

“I'm afraid I am only too well aware of what would have happened Sam,” Hal answered with his usual stone face. “Not only would Sheridan have believed he was the biggest cad in town, but also a murderer. Anyone else in town would probably jump to the same conclusion if they saw him in action.”

Sheridan lay breathless beneath Luis. She was holding onto to his glistening body tightly, relishing in the shower of kisses he was laying all over her neck. Luis too was breathing heavily as he tasted her moist skin. He kissed his way up to her face and gently kissed her nose and both eyes. “Sheridan, that was… incredible!” He said almost giddily.

Sheridan was elated that Luis' experience had been as wonderful as her own. She'd made love to other men in the past, but never had those experiences even come close to what she just had with Luis. Sheridan's face glowed as she stared deeply into Luis' big brown eyes, which she swore led directly to his soul. She kissed his soft sweet lips and let her lips gently linger on his. Their eyes never lost contact and the happiness they exuded was phenomenal. Their mouths both formed smiles and they began laughing through their kiss.

Neither one knew exactly what had gotten into them, except of course each other. Their love and passion for each other seemed to connect and created a place in time for just them. A place reserved just for them, to be together as one person. Neither could ever share this connection with another, it was meant for them as a couple. Only they would cherish the desire and feelings they now possessed. This place to be visited by only them. It was the beginning of a new dimension to their lives as individuals and as a couple. They'd found the true love they'd each sought and it had created this special place for them to experience that, which no other would ever know. Pleasures, for them and only them.

Sheridan laughed playfully. “Oh Luis, it is a good thing. A very good thing!” She leaned in just enough to brush her lips against his. Luis met her kiss and extended it just long enough to cause her body to once again feel the desire to be close to Luis.

“I can't lie to you Sheridan” Luis said stroking her cheek tenderly. “I've known in my heart for some time now, that you were the one. You were the person I was meant to spend my life with. I closed those feelings off for awhile, but they were always there. Making love to you just now made me realize how right I was. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced before and I know it's because it was shared with you. I love you Sheridan and I think my love for you gets stronger by the minute.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips. He smiled as he watched her blue eyes dance with happiness.

Sheridan had never felt happier or more loved than she did at that moment. She wanted to be with Luis every moment of everyday. He completed her. Right now, at least she had her wish. He was right there with her. “So Luis” Sheridan said with a very playful look, “Are you up to trying to see if you make a new 'most incredible experience'?”

“Luis!” She screamed out in laughter. “Luis, stop it!“ She continued to laugh loudly. He was driving her insane. The tickling was causing her to laugh, but the feel of his hands, lips and hot breath were causing her desire for him to build at an alarming rate. After a few moments of the two of them tickling each other, their laughter turned to moans as the tickles turned into sensual touches and deep caresses.

Mitch had taken off the mask and was sitting with Sam and Hal listening to the plan involving the female FBI agent. Hal was working on a script that would include all of the aspects of what Julian asked for. The fact that Luis had taken out an insurance policy on Sheridan. The fact that he's really managed to pull it off after all. His plans for marrying and then murdering Sheridan.

Sam toyed with the mask that was now in his hands as he listened to Hal's ideas. He couldn't get over the likeness to Luis. He heard Sheridan laughing from the other room and shook his head. All he could think about was her reaction if this had really happened. It would have killed her to believe Luis was capable of murdering her for money. Sam had personal reasons for hating the Cranes himself, but they'd never done anything this bad to him. Sure he's lost his first love, but had managed to continue on with his life and make something of himself. He'd also met Grace who had been a Godsend to him all those years ago. She had helped heal the wounds Ivy caused when she left him that night all those years ago. Left him to be with Julian Crane.

“Good,” Sam said bitterly. “I can't wait to see Julian and Alistair Crane pay for what they've done to so many people in this town. He continued his examination of the mask, though his thoughts were still of his tortured youth. He again heard Sheridan and Luis laughing loudly in the other room. 'I hope things work out for you buddy. I really do,' he thought to himself.

“Don't worry Sam,” Hal said mysteriously. “Alistair and Julian have no idea what's going to happen to them. When we're through with them, they'll regret the day they ever crossed paths with me.” Hal instantly regretted what he said. “I mean the FBI has been watching those two for years and now we will stop their reign of terror once and for all.”

There was a knock on the door and everyone jumped to attention. Hal motioned for Mitch to leave and he immediately retreated to his room. Sam gave Hal the mask of Luis' face and he placed it in the desk drawer of the desk he was using. An agent opened the door.

Hank was standing on the other side of the door. He'd stopped at the front desk and inquired about Luis and Sheridan. He found out that they each had suites there, but in order to see either of them, he had to go through the FBI suite. Hank was quite pleased that Luis and Sheridan weren't sharing the same room. Maybe his impression had been wrong after all. He smiled to himself as he thought about Sheridan and the fact he may still have a chance with her.

Luis stopped for a moment and stared into Sheridan's eyes. He slowly lowered his head and kissed her waiting lips. Sheridan eagerly responded. She ran her hands through his hair as she pulled him closer to her. Luis opened his mouth against hers. She did the same and they both deepened the kiss. Sheridan felt an ache in her heart. She wanted Luis so badly and couldn't get enough of him. Their kisses were untamed, as they sought out the pleasure they received from each other. They also wanted to please their partner at the same time, which made their desire even more intense.

Sheridan gasped as she felt heat rush through her body at his touch. Luis lay there propped up on his elbow resting his head on his palm. He raised a brow and waited for Sheridan to make a move. Sheridan sat up on the bed and grabbed Luis' hand pulling him to a sitting position as well. He smiled suggestively as Sheridan pulled him into a steamy kiss. Luis kissed her with equal fervor as he caressed her silky smooth back. Sheridan inched closer to Luis and ran her hands through his rumpled hair...

“Yeah, I did. I saw the lights on and stopped by to see who was there so late. I left when I was sure they were all right. I went back this morning and they were gone. Pilar told me they were here, but there's a big note on Luis' door to come in this way,” Hank explained.

“I'm afraid that won't be possible Mr. Bennett. Officer Lopez Fitzgerald and Miss Crane left explicit instructions they are not to be disturbed until morning. They have both been through harrowing circumstances the last few days and they requested some time alone.” Hal was stone faced while speaking.

“Yeah that's true” Hank said disappointed. He wanted to talk to Luis and find out for sure what was going on with him and Sheridan. He didn't like the way things were left from last night. “I guess I'll just leave their clothes then. You will make sure they get them?”

Luis was quickly losing himself under Sheridan's spell. He let his hands slip down her back and rest on her hips. The more sensual Luis' touches were, the more frantically Sheridan kissed him. Luis tightened his grasp on her hips and suddenly lifted her into the air and pulled her completely into his lap. Their torsos brushing each other, their faces mere inches apart.

“What does it look like I'm doing?” Luis said with an impish grin. He began kissing her cheek gently. Then he trailed kisses down her neck. Sheridan tilted her head and enjoyed the feeling of Luis' tender lips on her skin. Each lingering kiss caused her to shudder slightly.

“It feels better than good,” Sheridan grinned. “It feels great!” She laughed at the devilish smile on Luis' face. Luis continued trailing kisses over her neck and shoulders. He then began kissing his way down her shoulders towards her chest.

Sheridan held onto the back of Luis head as he kissed his way down her neck. He reached her chest and held one breast in his hand sending shivers through her spine. He then gently lifted her breast to his mouth. Sheridan moaned loudly, “Luis, Oh Luis!” as a sense of warmth engulfed her. She held onto him for dear life as his exploration drove her further towards the edge..

Luis too was considerably aroused. He finished with each breast and kissed his way back to Sheridan's waiting lips. Sheridan was frantic by the time his lips met hers. He parted his lips and their tongues instantly collided in their most sensual kiss yet. Luis groaned loudly as Sheridan unleashed her passion for him. He held her close, wanting to make love to her. Neither of them able to wait much longer, they began making love sitting in each other's arms. Their bodies moved in unison, causing each of them to moan loudly. They continued to make love until they both reached their special place together.

Hank looked at Hal with disbelief in his eyes. He could have sworn Hal told him they were resting and didn't want to be disturbed. Then he heard more noise coming out of Sheridan's room. This time it sounded like Sheridan moaning Luis' name and he could have sworn he heard Luis' voice as well. He looked at his brother who was trying to keep all expression off his face. Then he looked back at Hal who was keeping all expression off his face. He turned and stared at the door that led to Sheridan's room and heard another loud moan. Hank closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He knew exactly what was going on in the other room. How could he have been so stupid? He should never have believed Luis when he told him he had no more feelings for Sheridan. Their time together in the cottage must have brought them closer together. Now he would never have the girl of his dreams for himself.

Hank forced a smile. “I guess you're right. Luis would never allow any harm to come to Sheridan. After all, he's save her, how many times?” Hank laughed not even wanting to total up the number of times Luis saved Sheridan from certain death. 'Now he's getting his hero reward,' Hank thought bitterly.

“That's exactly right Mr. Bennett” Agent Freeman said. “That is why Officer Lopez Fitzgerald was picked to guard Miss Crane. He seems to have this uncanny knack of keeping her alive. For some reason he senses danger where she is concerned and that is a very valuable asset.”

Luis and Sheridan now lay in each other's arms after another wild lovemaking session. The two just couldn't seem to get enough of each other. All of their activity of the afternoon had left Luis with a ravenous appetite. He kissed Sheridan sweetly on the cheek.

Sheridan's curiosity was piqued now. She was nervous and excited at the same time. Nervous to find out that maybe she did in fact kill someone, but excited at the possibility of remembering the rest of that night that had been haunting her all these years.

“Are you sure you won't change the way you feel about me, if I remember everything that happened that night? What if it does turn out that I did kill your father? How can you stick by me if I killed your own father?” Sheridan was sick with worry over the thought of losing Luis.

“I'll be honest with you Sheridan. I won't be happy if it turns out that way. But I also would bet my badge that if you indeed killed my father, it was either an accident or in self-defense. If my father was half the man I think he was, then self-defense is completely out of the question.” Luis paused for a moment and took another sip of his tea. He watched Sheridan who looked extremely worried.

Sam returned the next morning to meet Hal, Luis and Sheridan. Hal decided that they would use one of the rooms he'd arranged for the Parapsychology Doctor's rather than the suite, as fewer people knew about it. The foursome left the suite under heavy FBI escort and went to room 312. Luis held Sheridan's hand tightly and squeezed it every now and then in a reassuring manner. He knew how nervous she was and wanted to make sure she knew he was there for her. She smiled appreciatively.

Hal had been secretively pleased that Luis and Sheridan had decided to order out last night. He hadn't wanted them to feel like prisoners, which is why he told them they could eat in the dining room. After careful consideration last night, he was going to rescind that offer and request they remain in the room unless accompanied by an entourage of agents. They were to close to breaking this case wide open, he didn't want anything to interfere with it now.

An agent knocked on the door of room 312 and a very pretty female agent quickly opened it. She was slim, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She appeared to be in her late 30's and most of the men in the group including Sam and Luis couldn't help but notice her beauty. Sheridan saw this and shot Luis a dirty look.

Hal dismissed the agents in tow and the foursome entered her room. It was also a suite, but much smaller than the one downstairs. As they entered the room, Dr. Harrington motioned for them all to take seats. The room was set up with a large couch, several loveseats and chairs scattered in different places. There was a small desk and chair in the corner. Sheridan and Luis occupied one of the love seats while Sam and Hal each took a comfortable chair. Dr. Harrington walked over to the windows and pulled all the curtains closed. The room darkened immediately, looking as if it were a very overcast day rather than one in which the sun was shining brightly.

Sheridan was becoming nervous again. Luis sensed it without even looking at her. He again slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. She looked at him and he mouthed the words, “Everything will be o.k.” Sheridan smiled back gingerly, just wishing to get this whole ordeal over with.

Sheridan nodded and made herself comfortable on the couch. Catherine went over to the three men and spoke. “I need for everyone to remain quiet during our session. Don't try to help her or stop this in any manner. I know exactly what I'm doing and Sheridan will be under my control at all times whether it looks like it or not. Is that clear?”

Sam, Hal and Luis all nodded affirmatively. “Good. I don't want to ask anyone to leave but I will if I think you could possibly jeopardize this session. We are not only dealing with repressed memories here, but possibly altered memories, which is more difficult,” Catherine said. “You are free to take notes, but remember this is all being recorded, so you will have that to go over later on.”

Catherine returned to Sheridan who was patiently waiting on the couch, trying to relax. She pulled up a chair and sat next to Sheridan. She turned the tape recorder on and held a small note pad and pen in her hands. “Now Sheridan, I need you to answer a few questions for me before we begin. Sheridan nodded. She asked Sheridan questions about her name, date and place of birth, name of parents and close relatives, schools, different places she'd lived and finally her age at the time and date of that night.

“Very good Sheridan” Catherine said. Now I want you to listen to the sound of my voice, only my voice. You will hear nothing except that. Sheridan nodded. “Now take a deep breath and hold it. She waited a few seconds. “Now let it out.” Sheridan let it out. They practiced this exercise several more times.

Sheridan I want you to close your eyes and relax. Feel the tension leave your body. Catherine talked Sheridan through relaxing each part of her body, beginning with her head and working her way down to her feet. Hal, Sam and Luis watched with great interest. Catherine's voice was monotone and very hypnotic, which was the idea. Sheridan was soon completely relaxed. She appeared to be asleep on the couch.

Sheridan smiled slightly. “I was so excited” she said in a child like voice. We were all waiting for our parents to get there. My best friend Amy and I sat in the courtyard and waited. Her family finally came. They were very nice.” Sheridan's expression suddenly changed. A tear fell down her cheek.

“The head mistress came out to get me” she said with hurt in her voice. “She told me my father wouldn't be coming. He was sorry, but he had a very important business meeting to go to. I'd understand he said. He'd make it up to me he said.” Tears were freely flowing down her cheeks.

“O.K. Sheridan, you're asleep again, no longer at your high school graduation” Catherine said. The tears ceased flowing. “We're going back further in time. Back to a time before you left Harmony. Back to the time you lived in the mansion with your father and brother and cousin Ethan.”

Luis sat on the edge of the love seat as tense as could be. He knew this must be a very painful memory for her to be acting this way and it was killing him to see her hurting so much. Sam and Hal as well sat on the edge of their seats, listening and watching intently.

Sheridan again started to frown. “He was short and had a big belly” she said calmly. He was dressed in polyester, too. He had stains on his shirt too. Sheridan made a disgusted face which Luis and the others smiled at. “He was a fashion nightmare.”

Sheridan started to breathe rapidly. She seemed to be remembering something she didn't want to remember. “He had a smile on his face that made me uncomfortable,” Sheridan said. He came over to me and told me how pretty I was. He said all his nieces had to be very pretty.”

“Relax Sheridan. You are becoming deeper and deeper relaxed. Listen to the sound of my voice and only my voice,” Catherine said in a soothing tone. Sheridan instantly relaxed. “Deeper and deeper relaxed Sheridan. Deeper and deeper relaxed.” Catherine turned to Sam, Hal and Luis. “Something very traumatic must have happened to her that night. More so than having blood on her hands. I'm warning you all this may get ugly for awhile.” She searched their eyes for a reaction and then focused on Luis.

“I don't know,” she said. “Just funny, that's all. No one has ever looked at me like that before. He keeps telling me I'm beautiful and I know I'm not. My Daddy keeps telling me I'm a bad girl and no one will ever love me. He's never told me I'm beautiful and Daddy knows everything, so this man is lying.”

“I told him I wasn't beautiful and he told me I was.” Sheridan was becoming increasingly restless. “He told me Uncle Stan only like beautiful women and he liked me.” Tears were beginning to trickle down Sheridan's face. Luis sat there in agony and watched the scene unfold. It was killing him slowly on the inside to hear all of this. He felt tears come to his own eyes and he fought them back. Sam sensed Luis' pain and joined Luis on the small couch. He patted his back to let him know he was there.

Sheridan started crying loudly. Tears now streaming down her face. He started touching me,” she cried. “I told him to stop and he wouldn't. He had his hands all over my face and kept telling me I was beautiful. I told him to stop but he wouldn't listen. He said Uncle Stan had a surprise for me. One I would never forget. I tried to get away, but I couldn't... I couldn't get away from him!” Sheridan was lost in the world of her past now. She was reliving the horrible memory she'd locked up inside of her.

“Help me! Someone help me!” she sobbed. “Please, I'll be a good girl, I'll be a good girl. Please don't hurt me!” Sheridan started pushing at the air with her hands. As if she were pushing someone off of her. “Stop it! Stop it!” she screamed. Suddenly her hands stopped and she sat up on the couch and looked in disbelief. She was sniveling back the tears, as she appeared to be watching something.

Sheridan continues to struggle as if trying to escape his clutches. “He just turned me around and is trying to kiss me!” She shrieked. Sheridan contorted her face in total repulsion. Suddenly she lifted one hand and started plunging it. One! Two!! Three times she plunged her hand. She flew backwards several steps and threw something from her hand. Her face now shone in horror. She held her hands out in front of her and started screaming.

“I helped Martin stand up. He sat on the couch. I thanked him. He told me it wasn't my fault. The man asked for it. He said I was protecting myself and trying to help him. He thanked me. He put his arm around me and hugged me. It feels so nice to be hugged by him. He's as nice as Pilar.”

Luis tried fighting back the tears to no avail. He covered his eyes with his hand to prevent being seen crying. He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his father was involved in that night. He also knew his disappearance had nothing to do with embezzling money from the Cranes. He knew as well that Sheridan hadn't been responsible for his father's death.

Sheridan shook her head vehemently. “It's all your fault this happened Sheridan, he said. No one will ever love you. Look what you've done. Look what you've made me do? Sheridan this is all your fault. You made that man come after you he said. No I didn't I screamed. Yes you did Sheridan he said. You asked that man to come after you. You've been a very, very naughty girl Sheridan. No man could ever love you after this. No one will ever love you if they find out he said.” Sheridan was crying hysterically.

“I woke up the next morning and went into the living room. There was no blood. No body or casket. The room looked like it always looked. I tried to tell everyone what happened. No one would listen to me. The next thing I remember I was in Paris.”

“Sheridan, you are very relaxed. Very calm. You are getting further and further away from that time in your life. You are getting older Sheridan, high school, college, you are back in Harmony. Your at the Harmony Hotel right now. Luis is your bodyguard and you're being protected by the FBI. You are calm and very relaxed.” Catherine paused for a moment. “Sheridan, when you wake, you will feel refreshed. As if you've had a good night's sleep. You will remember everything that's happened here today. It will become part of your memory. You have nothing to fear. You've done nothing wrong. “You are being protected. Do you understand me?”

Sheridan's eyes opened and she sat bolt upright on the couch. She scanned the room for Luis. She saw him looking at her in a way she'd never seen before. “Luis, I didn't kill your father. I didn't kill anyone!” she announced. She jumped off the couch and ran towards him. Luis stood up to greet her in waiting arms. He hugged her as tightly as he possibly could without hurting her.

“Sheridan, what you remembered is very important,” Luis told her. “It proves your father was involved with his disappearance. It proves he never embezzled anything from Crane industries and it proves you had nothing to do with it.”

“He'll be here very shortly Hal said with a stone face. Hopefully he will be able to answer some of the questions Sheridan couldn't.” Just then as Hal finished there was a knock at the door. “See, he'd here already.” Hal walked towards the door and opened it. Sam, Sheridan and Luis were watching Hal's every move and anxiously awaiting to see who would walk through the door.

Sheridan stood there and watched the reunion between the man she loved and the father he had been searching for all these years. Tears of inexplicable joy streamed down her face. She'd never been so touched as she was witnessing this. The love in that family was absolutely overwhelming. Sam too, struggled with a few tears escaping his eyes as he watched Luis' reunion with his father. He knew Martin well and missed him, but never believed he'd be found alive.

Hal wore a genuine smile. The first one anyone had seen since he arrived in Harmony. Obviously, he knew more about this case than he'd let on to anyone. There were many questions in everyone's minds right now, but that would wait until Luis and Martin had their moment of happiness.

When they finally broke their embrace, both men had tear stained faces and swollen eyes. They laughed when they realized what they must look like and quickly wiped away their tears and regained their composure. Martin stood back from Luis for a moment.

“Let me look at you Luis,” Martin said proudly. He shook his head and wore that familial killer smile. “You certainly turned into a very handsome young man Luis. And from what I hear about you, you have the biggest heart in all of Harmony. Your mother must be very proud.”

Martin stood back and looked at Sheridan in much the same manner he looked at Luis. He let out a soft whistle. “Well if you didn't turn out to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,” Martin said approvingly. “Except for Pilar of course!”

Martin turned serious for a moment. “And I'm very glad your family didn't break your spirit Sheridan. I've worried about you more than my own family. I knew they had each other to lean on, but you... Let's just say I'm very pleased to see you standing here.”

Sheridan felt tears well up in her eyes. She smiled at him through the tears. Sheridan hugged him again. She looked up into his warm blue eyes and realized Luis was a carbon copy of his father. “I'm ashamed to say this Martin, but your family has shown me more love and compassion than my family ever could.”

“I'd be happy to Papa,” Luis said as he took Sheridan's hand in his. “Sheridan and I are in love with each other. Head over heels, madly, passionately in love.” Luis smiled at Sheridan in a way that spoke volumes. Sheridan glowed listening to him talk openly about their feelings for each other.

“Martin,” Hal said walking over to his old friend, “There's a lot I haven't told you. I suggest we all go back to the suites downstairs. We have much to tell one another and plans to discuss. I'm sure Dr. Harrington needs to be getting back to Washington anyway.”

Sheridan suddenly realized where she was and what had happened. She walked over to Catherine. “Thank you so much Catherine for giving me back my memory. As painful as it was recalling the events, it's not nearly as painful as what I've lived with for the past 15 years.”

Once back in the suite, Hal made arrangements for lunch to be served for everyone. Sheridan's hypnosis session and the reunion with Martin had taken up the rest of the morning and part of the early afternoon. There was still so much to go over. Sheridan Luis and Sam still needed to learn from Martin what had happened to him all those years ago and Martin needed to know what the Cranes had been up to recently trying to keep Sheridan and Luis apart. He knew by personal experience that it wasn't something simple. He knew the way they operated. It was also time for Sheridan to learn the whole truth about her father and brother.

They all agreed to have lunch first and then they would start their meeting. Martin spent the next hour catching up on what Luis had done with his life since he'd left. He was clearly impressed by the sacrifices Luis had made for his family. As proud as he was of his son, he couldn't help hiding the sadness within, that his leaving had caused Luis to give up his dreams. He had to concentrate on the idea that once this whole mess was cleared up, he would make it up to Luis. He planned on making it up to his whole family.

Lunch soon came to an end. Hal stood up and began to talk. “I believe in everyone's best interest Martin should tell his story first. Once he's told his story, it will make sense to everyone why Julian and Alistair are so desperate to keep their secrets. Sheridan, I must warn you, what you are about to hear is most unpleasant. It will completely change any previously conceived notion of there being any good in your father. If you don't want to know, I suggest you leave. This will come as quite a shock I believe.”

“Anyway, it was usually pretty routine stuff. I balanced the books, did a lot of inventories and that was about it. One day, however, I found something. I found a huge cash deposit. It was a deposit for over $1,000,000 for the month of September. It was not unusual to find deposits of that amount, but they were usually made from one of the Crane Industries holdings. Those deposits always had a name. There was never a cash deposit in that amount.”

Sam Luis and Sheridan hung onto Martin's every word. Martin continued. “I'd never paid much attention to the different companies that Crane Industries owned. Frankly I didn't care. I was there to do my job and that was exactly what I did. I was curious about that cash deposit though. There was something about it that just didn't feel right. Call it a gut instinct if you will.”

Sam and Sheridan both looked at Luis and smiled. Luis grinned. There was something else he inherited from his father. Martin noticed the looks, but just shrugged it off. “I decided to check all the deposits of the different holding companies for the last year and see if I could trace a connection between the cash deposit and which company it may have come from.”

“Now we didn't have computers back then the way we do today, so it took a little bit of work before I compiled the information I was looking for. After a few weeks, I'd finally found the connection I was looking for. Every single Crane Industries Holding Company had made deposits every month except one. I figured that company had to be the one that made the cash deposit. The company that had not made a deposit for September was Starlight's Exposed Film Company. I never thought anymore about it. The Cranes had their hands into more pots than I could imagine. The only reason I stayed working for them after they so rudely threw our family out of the cottage was because it was very difficult to find a job in Harmony at a place not owned by the Cranes.”

Luis detected a touch of bitterness in his father's voice for the first time. Luis hadn't even realized they'd lived in that cottage until several weeks ago. He was very glad that he didn't really remember his life living on Crane property.

“Well, I wanted to straighten the books out, so I called the film company to find out if they indeed had made a cash deposit for the month of September. I talked to some one named Stan who assured me he'd never heard of Crane Industries. I told him I had records of their company making deposits every month for a large amount of money. The man became quite rude with me at that point and hung the phone up on me.”

“Something didn't sit right with me about this Stan character. I did some research and found out something that disturbed me greatly.” Martin's face became cold and hard. He had a look of a man who had been totally disgusted by something. He stopped for a minute before continuing. This was not going to be easy to say, nor easy for Sheridan to hear.

“Sheridan, I am so sorry you had to hear this. Truly I am. If there were any other way, I certainly would have found it.” Martin's heart went out to her. This poor innocent girl had been put through the tortures of hell by these people who claimed to love her. The man she'd spent her entire life trying to please and obtain his love was nothing more than a low life scum.

Sheridan appeared to be in shock. She never shed a tear. Luis put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She didn't resist him, just went with it, as if in a trance. Luis sensed her feelings and just wanted to be there for her, which is exactly what he did.

“Needless to say I was in shock when I discovered this. I knew Alistair Crane wasn't the most honest man in the world, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined him for being into porn, never mind with under aged girls. I was totally sickened by the whole thing. After I gathered my wits about me, I decided I needed to confront Alistair about this. I understand that certain types of porn are legal. If that's what he's into, that's his business. But I could not stand by and work for a man that would use underage girls in such a filthy manner. It went against everything I believed in.”

“So I went to Alistair's office in the mansion and I had my meeting with him all right. He didn't like what I had to say at all. He tried to bribe me, threaten me. He did everything he could think of to keep me from taking what I knew to the police. I refused. I told him what he was doing was not only illegal, but he was responsible for exploiting the lives of countless children and destroying their lives forever. I stormed out of his office which is when I ran into Sheridan in the living room. I recognized “Stan's” voice at once. There was no way I was going to let him ruin another child's life, especially one as sweet and innocent as Sheridan. We fought and he seemed to get the better of me. He went after Sheridan again and she defended herself with the letter opener. He fell to the ground. I know I should have checked to see if he was dead, but I was so relieved he was down, all I could think of was making sure he didn't hurt Sheridan. “

“Before either of us knew it, the man was up again and coming after us. I was getting ready to fight him again, when we heard a gunshot. The man fell backwards. He had a bullet in his head. I looked up and saw Alistair standing there holding the gun. Before I knew it I was being ushered into Alistair's office.

Martin got up from his place at the table and walked over to the wet bar and poured himself a large glass of cold water. He drank the glass quickly as if he'd not had a drink in a week. The expression on his face right now was one of deep pain and sorrow. His memory of the event obviously still vivid in his mind. He returned to his place at the table and sat down.

“I'm not going anywhere Mr. Crane,” Martin said emphatically. “In case you haven't noticed I have a life here. A good life. I have a wife and five children. I can't just uproot all of them and leave on a whim. Your whim at that. I'm not going anywhere.” Martin was becoming angry at the suggestion he leave town. Who the hell did Alistair Crane think he was anyway?

Alistair started laughing. There was a demonic quality to his laugh and Martin was very unsettled by it. “Ah, Sheridan. Sweet innocent Sheridan. A pity, really. She's such a pathetic thing. I keep looking for a redeeming quality about her and can't find one. She has this obsession about wanting to love people and be loved in return. It sickens me really, but it does make her easier to deal with. It makes it very easy for me to get her to do what I want.”

“I never fully realized until tonight what a sick twisted man you really are,” Martin said loathingly. “How could you say those things about your own daughter? I don't know her very well, but from what I do know of her, she is a sweet, beautiful, intelligent loving child that would make any parent proud.”

Alistair's face turned stone cold. “If I were you I'd worry more about my own daughter than Sheridan. After I get through with Sheridan she won't remember anything that's happened here tonight. What she does remember she'll believe was a horrible nightmare and no one will ever believe her. She's been having nightmares ever since her mother died. But what about you daughter, Martin?” Alistair's face now wore a sinister smile.

Martin went pale. Alistair knew that remark had gotten to him so he pressed on. “She's at a very impressionable age Martin. She's what 10? Just a year younger than my daughter Sheridan that you can't seem to think highly enough? What do you think would happen to her when she hears her father is going to be executed for murder?”

“How can I Martin?” Alistair asked. “A young innocent child like that? She'll be devastated by something like this. She'll seek comfort and answers elsewhere. Maybe she'll even find the answers she's looking for right here in Harmony? Most girls of that age so confused would run away from home and go to Hollywood. And you know what happens to runaways on the streets of Hollywood don't you?”

“Paloma won't have to go that far Martin,” Alistair said in a mocked soothing tone. She can stay right here in Harmony and seek out `Starlight's Exposed Film Company`. She'll be in a perfect frame of mind to join them. And if she has any of her mother's good looks she could actually be a star. Just think about it Martin. You daughter a child porn star. Is that what you want for your children?”

Alistair knew he had Martin exactly where he wanted him. “This is what I want from you Martin. You left work at 5:00 p.m. today. A missing person's report can't be filed for 24 hours. I want you out of town right now, tonight. Don't attempt to contact your wife or family in any manner. If I don't hear that a missing person's report is filed at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, then I'm going to report this man's death as murder and I'll have a dozen witnesses who will testify before God himself that YOU murdered him in cold blood. Your family will then suffer the consequences, including your precious daughter Paloma.”

Martin just stared at Alistair with hatred in his eyes. Alistair continued. “And don't even think of trying to come back here. Remember there is no statute of limitations on murder. Even if I am dead and buried, Julian will know exactly what to do to make sure you are silenced. He'll know where the body is buried. He'll take care of everything. And if Paloma is of no use to us by then, you have a baby girl don't you? What's her name? Theresa? And if she's too old we'll go after your grandchildren. We have ways Martin. No one will ever beat the Cranes. We invented the game.”

Sheridan was resting her head on Luis' shoulder as the tears streamed down her face. Luis held her tightly, his face filled with a bitter anger. He'd always hated the Cranes, but this? This was... This was beyond hatred. He didn't know what to feel anymore. Sam was in shock. He was angry. Both at Alistair for what he did to Martin and the threats against his family and angry with himself not having realized how evil Alistair Crane truly was. Everyone knew he was capable of many things, but this was unthinkable even for the Cranes.

Martin's eyes were filled with anger, hurt and loss. Angry for the things that had been done to destroy his life and that of his family. Hurt and loss for the time he'd lost from his life, from the love of his family, from the memories that would never be. He again stood up and walked over to the wet bar and poured himself another glass of water. This time he drank more slowly. He stood there for awhile and contemplated on what he'd just told his son.

Luis left Sheridan for a moment and went over to his father. He didn't have any idea of what to say to him. The only thing he knew, was he didn't blame his father. He never did, but never realized until now, why he'd left. He understood completely why Martin had left. He left to save his family from ruin. Alistair Crane had left him no choice. If he stayed he'd be wrongly accused of murder, his family totally humiliated and his daughter caught in Alistair's disgusting ventures. If he left, his family would be hurt, but could survive. Luis put a hand on his father's shoulder. “I am so sorry Papa,” Luis said with anguish. “I had no idea Alistair would be this totally heartless.”

Martin and Luis retuned to their seats. Sheridan was staring off into space trying to hide her pain. The pain of coming to the full realization that her father had no use for her at all. The realization that her father was responsible for all the pain inflicted on the entire Lopez-Fitzgerald family. She cringed at the fact that her last name was Crane. She would never admit to that fact again. The first thing she was doing when this mess was over was changing her last name to something else.

“I'll get it sweetie,” Luis said in a very soft voice. He held her hands, gave her his killer smile and kissed her sweetly on the forehead. Luis left and poured Sheridan and himself a glass of water. He returned with the drinks and handed Sheridan her glass. “Here you go,” he said in the same caring manner.

“After I left the mansion, huh”? Martin asked. “O.K. After I left the mansion that night I grabbed a bus out of town. I headed straight for Pilar's sister Maria's in Boston. I decided not to go to any of my relatives because I figured that if Alistair were looking for me he'd check my family first. I knew I didn't have much time, so I went straight to Maria's.

“I told Maria enough to convince her that what I was doing was the only thing I could and I swore her to secrecy. She called home for me and talked to Antonio and asked him to go to a payphone and call her back. A few minutes later he did and I talked to him. I told Antonio I had to leave. I told him the same thing I told Maria, but I also told him to get Paloma out of the house. I told him to get her away from Harmony and keep her away. Maria suggested she come live with her and it sounded like a very good idea to me.”

“What your mother told you is true Luis,” Martin said. “That is exactly what Maria told your mother. Paloma really didn't want to go at first, but after awhile she really began to enjoy herself in Boston, so your mother decided to let her stay. That was the best thing that could have happened. It eased my mind considerably.”

“What you didn't know was I bought that car from Hal. He lived in Castleton and I saw an ad in the paper for the car. I bought that car before I married your mother and could never part with it. Anyway, Hal and I got to talking that day and became pretty good friends. Actually we got to become very good friends. He'd applied for the FBI and a couple of years later he was accepted. I was thrilled for him, but it meant he had to move to Washington D.C. We kept in touch and he told me if there was anything I ever needed not to hesitate to call.”

“As you know Luis, I don't like accepting favors from people, but this was different. Not only had Alistair Crane destroyed my life and made my family's life a living hell, he was also responsible for ruining the lives of numerous young girls. Somehow I had to find a way to stop him. I wasn't going to just lay down and die.”

“When Martin came to me, several nights had passed since the incident. I knew enough about Martin's character to realize he would never make a story like this up. I also knew enough about the Crane family and Alistair in particular to realize with him anything was possible. I agreed immediately to help Martin, but it needed to be done in secret. We couldn't chance a full blown FBI investigation at that point or Alistair may suspect Martin instigated it and would carry through with his threats. Once he accused Martin of murder, I would have had no choice but to have him arrested and turn him over to the Harmony officials.”

“Martin did bring a copy of the notes he'd made during his research, but unfortunately, he didn't think to take the books. By the time we researched the film company, it had been completely dissolved. All evidence of it ever having been in existence destroyed or altered in some way. We never had a last name on Stan, so we could never prove there was a man at the mansion that night either. That wasn't our priority though, as that would only prove Alistair's theory. We did find out through tedious research, however, that Alistair managed to change all the entries in the books from Starlight's Exposed Film Company to The Cannery. According to Martin, Alistair never owned the cannery until after he left their employment, yet deposits to Crane Industries went back for years and for very large amounts. The problem was, Alistair is very clever and hid the trail well.”

“For years we looked for something to connect him to that film company. We looked for anything illegal about any of his dealings. We had the IRS look into his holdings and nothing. A big fat zero. We finally came to the conclusion that Sheridan was our only possible hope for getting at the truth. Things looked pretty bad for awhile, as she never seemed to come home from Europe, but when she came home last summer for good, we were both tickled pink that somehow we could get to her and find out what she remembered.”

“Believe it Luis,” Martin said. “The man is relentless. When it comes to protecting the Crane name and power he will stop at nothing. Julian is nothing compared to Alistair. Don't get me wrong, he's no angel, but he doesn't have the killer instinct Alistair has. Julian is nothing more than a pawn to his father. In a way he's like Sheridan. Always trying to please him and never being good enough. It makes me wonder what kind of a man Julian would be given half a chance away from his father.”

Luis nodded his head that he understood. Hal continued. “I kept a close eye on Sheridan ever since she came back to Harmony. I knew she and Luis had a “relationship” of some kind, but never quite understood what it was, so I thought it best to not say anything to Martin until I knew more. After you followed her to Paris and saved her life several times, I had the feeling you were in love with her, but nothing made any sense. Not until I talked to Sam and he explained a few things to me. I must have been asleep or something when the two impostors showed up. I can't believe I missed that, but anyway, I worked with Interpol for 2 months trying to convince them to allow the FBI to get involved in the case. It wasn't until after Antoine abducted her that I made any headway. I was allowed to assign Miss Crane a bodyguard and help investigate the case. I told Martin some of what was happening and that I was going to do everything in my power to get to the bottom of this while I was in Harmony.

“I arranged for Luis to be Sheridan's bodyguard for several reasons. The most important reason, was he had demonstrated on numerous occasions that he could indeed keep her alive and seemed to have a knack for sensing danger. I also wanted to get a little closer to Luis so I could report back to his father and let him know what kind of a son he had. I was very pleased to tell Martin he would be very proud of the way Luis turned out. No father could ask for a better son.”

“Sure thing Sam,” Martin said flashing him his killer smile. Sheridan smiled herself every time she saw Martin smile. Luis looked a lot like his father, except for the eyes, but when Martin smiled it was almost as if she were looking at Luis.

Martin was a very handsome man, but his features were somewhat lighter than Luis'. His hair was several shades of brown lighter, his skin tanned, but one could still tell he was Irish through and through. Besides that, and the color of their eyes, there was a striking resemblance between the two men.

Sam waved good-bye and left. Martin was amused at Sheridan's comparison between his appearance and Luis'. Well, if you think Luis looks like me, then you'd think his brother Antonio was his twin. He's a slightly shorter version of Luis.”