A Shuis Valentine’s Story

Sequel To: Operation Ball Drop

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters I write about. They belong to JER and NBC’s Passions.

Chapter One: The Perfect Gift

They strolled along the snowy path. The trees were covered in snow and ice and snowflakes continued to drift from the sky. They walked hand in hand as they trekked through the snow. They didn’t mind. They were on a walk, in Central Park, enjoying the ambiance the flurries produced. Sheridan and Luis were in New York City visiting Luis’s sister Theresa but she was at class right now so they were enjoying their time alone. Theresa was all set to graduate from the fashion institute and they were here to attend her first fashion show. It was her final exam and they were more than willing to come to the city and show their support. Not to mention that New York had some of the most romantic places in the world and it was closing in on Valentine’s Day. There were only five more days to go. Today was Saturday and the big day was Wednesday.

They had driven in from Newark this morning. It wasn’t a long drive and they vowed it was one they should take more often. Theresa’s show wasn’t until tonight and then there were parties afterwards so they hadn’t planned to leave until the following day. Luis’s whole family was going to be here so they would spend Sunday together and then leave later that night. Everyone else would be leaving Monday. Sheridan and Luis would have liked to stay too but Sheridan had to teach and Luis had to be in court. It was out of their hands.

After their toes were so cold it was impossible to walk anymore they decided to call it a day. And unfortunately for them it was also the end of their time alone together today. Sheridan was meeting his mother, Antonio’s fiancée Monica, and his sisters for a girl’s day to help Theresa get ready. Luis was off to spend time with his father and brothers.

They were all staying at the Plaza. Martin had decided to splurge for his baby girl. That was where Sheridan was to meet the girls. It was in walking distance and after fighting with Luis that she could make it there alone he watched her walk off. Luis was off to the Statue of Liberty to meet his group. So he hailed a cab and got in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The girls were all in the same room taking turns painting each other’s nails and gabbing about how much of a success Theresa was going to be. In appreciation for them all coming to support her, Theresa had designed them each a gown to wear tonight. These were too traditional to have in her show, but it was free advertisement at the after parties. So everyone won.

Sheridan was helping Monica with her hair when the conversation turned from the playful banter. Sheridan was in need of ideas and Monica was just the one to get advise from.

"Monica, if you don’t mind me asking, what did you get Antonio for Valentine’s Day?" Sheridan asked as she pulled a brush through Monica’s hair.

"I don’t mind at all. I got him this power tool he has been admiring for months. Don’t ask me what it is. I kept telling him it was too expensive and he had enough gadgets. You have never been to our house, but trust me our garage is a Tool Mecca. I know it sounds boring and very NOT romantic, but we have been together for 6 years and our getting married in a month. We have become practical"

"Practical is okay" Sheridan replied.

"But not for your first Valentine’s Day. It has to be special"

"Luis refuses to tell me what we are doing. He has the whole night planned out so I have no control over that"

"It has to be something outstanding, like telling him you’re pregnant" this statement caused Sheridan to drop the brush.

"I’m not pregnant" Sheridan replied in a quiet voice so Pilar wouldn’t hear her.

"I didn’t say you were. I meant it had to be something LIKE that" Monica corrected her meaning. "Enough about that though. You’ll think of something"

"I sure hope so" Sheridan agonized.

"But I want to hear if you have gotten Luis back yet" Monica inquired.

Monica was referring to the day Luis pulled a fast one on Sheridan. It had been a week or so after they moved in together and Luis had been working late. Sheridan was making dinner when she heard the door open and something stumble inside. She rushed to see what was happening. Standing in the doorway was Luis, on crutches and wearing a neck brace. She asked what happened and said one of his cases got out of hand. He told her he’d be fine as long as he received some TLC. So she babied him and caudled him the whole night. She made sure to kiss him everywhere he was hurt and even places he claimed hurt. By the end of the night he said she was a miracle worker and he was healed. He then took her to bed to thank her for all the care and attention she had given him. She found out later it was all a setup and Luis had just borrowed the gear from a doctor friend. And she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"NO!" Sheridan groaned. "Every time I try and get him back her catches on too quick. But you know what, I think you gave me an idea"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Luis, Antonio, Miguel, and Martin stood and looked at the statue of liberty in awe of her beauty. It wasn’t the first time they had seen it but it was still amazing every time. They hadn’t gone over to the island, but it was tradition to at least visit her each time they were all in New York. Luis tried to share in the tradition but his mind was preoccupied.

"Papa, I know this was supposed to be a day for the guys but…" Luis started.

"But there is something urgent you need to do?" Martin grinned he knew to well where this was going. Luis had the same nervous, happy, and dumb expression on his face that Antonio did when he was about to propose to Monica.

"I don’t think I will be able to get back here before Valentine’s Day and I want to hit some of the stores to find Sheridan the perfect gift" Luis explained.

"It’s not a big deal Luis" Martin assured him. "We are done here"

"Thank you Papa" and Luis promptly hailed a cab.

"Hey Luis" Martin called after him. "Why don’t you take Antonio with you? He has experience in ring shopping" Martin pushed Antonio towards the cab and they drove off.

Chapter Two: The Payback

The shopping mission was completed. Luis and Antonio were in the cab going back to the hotel. They had only had to make one stop, Tiffany’s. Luis started at one end of the counter and just started walking. He insisted that the perfect ring would make him stop dead in his tracks. And low and behold, it did. Antonio couldn’t believe this love struck baboon was his brother. Wait till Monica got wind of this story. She would rag on him for days. The whole ride home Luis kept taking the box out his pocket, opening it, smirking, closing it and then putting it back in his pocket.

"Luis, you are such a sap! How am I related to you?" Antonio teased.

"I can’t help it" Luis defended himself.

"Right. You know could you at least play it down when Monica is around. All I ever hear is Luis did this for Sheridan or Luis is so sweet why aren’t you more like him"

"And you’re not even married yet" Luis quipped.

"Shut up little bro. She can yell at me all she wants. She’s beautiful and caring and I love her"

"See you ARE a softy" Luis gave him a jab in the ribs.

"So now how are you going to propose? I am guess you will do it on Valentine’s Day"

"Wrong buddy. I am going to give her subtle and not so subtle hints that I am going to propose then I am going to make her sweat the whole day. I’m not going to propose till midnight, so it will technically be the next day"

"For someone who is such a sap you sure have a devious streak a mile wide"

"And it bothers the hell out of Sheridan. You got to love that" Luis smiled.

They enjoyed the rest of the trip home talking about Knicks basketball season. They needed to have a more manly conversation. When they reached the hotel, Luis took out the ring but this time he shoved it in Antonio’s hand. He told him to guard it with his life and he would get it back when he and Sheridan left for Newark tomorrow. He didn’t want Sheridan to have the chance of actually seeing it before Wednesday. Reluctantly Antonio took the box. If Monica saw it, Luis might as well have shown it to Sheridan. Monica’s mouth was so big a whale could swim through it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan sat in the on the bed in their room all done up. Her hair and makeup were done to perfection and all she had left to do was slip in her dress. But that was kind of hard because Theresa hadn’t delivered it to her yet. So she sat on her bed reading a magazine she had purchased this afternoon. She flipped through the pages of Parents magazine and waited for her prey to return from his day. She heard the keycard enter the lock and could hardly contain her excitement. It was show time.

"Luis" she act surprise and quickly through the magazine to the other side of the bed. "I didn’t expect you back so soon"

"Sheridan we have to be ready in an hour. What were you reading?"

"Nothing" she said with guilt written over her face. Luis took the bait and walked over to the bed and picked up her discarded magazine.

"Parents?" He looked at her not fully understanding. "Why are you reading this?" he questioned.

"I… um … er" Sheridan stuttered.

"Sheridan you’re not…" he couldn’t finish the sentence.

"I wasn’t going to tell you until Valentine’s Day" she said shyly. "It was going to be your present"

"Then you’re really?" he still couldn’t say the word.

"Yes Luis, I’ pregnant" she helped him along to which he quickly sat on the bed.

"But…but…how? We were always so careful. I always used…" his voice faded away. This was better than Sheridan imagined.

"One of them didn’t work" she stated flatly. "Luis aren’t you the least bit happy?"

"We’re going to have a baby?" he struggled to say.

"You look a little green honey. Are you ok?" Sheridan scooted to the end of the bed to sit next to him.

"I think I just need to lie down" he flopped back and closed his eyes.

Sheridan was sure he fainted there for a while but when he came to he insisted he just fell asleep. She wasn’t so sure how long she was going to let this charade go on but she was going to prolong it for a little longer. He deserved it for the way he got her to act when he was ‘hurt’. It was payback time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan’s dress had arrived to the room while Luis was in the shower. She was dressing when Luis came out, clad only in a towel. Her heart raced just as it always did when she saw him like this. She didn’t think he had a right to look that sexy. He saw the look she was giving him and quickly told her no. Her hair and makeup were already done. She would yell at him for messing it up later if he gave in to her. Even though she took his breath away standing in her silk slip. She noticed that he was hardly looking into her eyes and when she followed his gaze it ended at her stomach. He was looking at it like it was going to pop out spontaneously. It was so endearing she almost felt guilty for tricking him, but now was not the time to own up to that fact.

"Luis" Sheridan called for his attention. "What are you thinking about"

"Kieran if it is a boy or Claudia if it is a girl" he said still in a trance.

"Excuse me?" Sheridan was shocked he was getting so into this but that was the plan wasn’t it.

"Names, for the baby. What do you think?"

"I think we have plenty of time to decide" at least that wasn’t a lie.

"I guess you’re right. Come on get dressed. Let’s get to Theresa’s show"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The family watched the show proudly even though they didn’t quite understand. The clothes Theresa designed for the show looked nothing like the elegant dresses the women were wearing. But they clapped to their hearts content when Theresa walked down the runway with two of her models. She was beaming and the critics were nodding with approval. There was sure to be some job offers at the party tonight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At the party Luis was bombarded by all sides. It seemed as though Sheridan had told everyone but him. He asked her why she didn’t wait so they could tell him together but she replied that she was so excited and she had to tell someone so she told Monica. Then he understood. In his mind Monica was the one who told everyone else. She was known for her blabbermouth. In reality they were all part of the plan and all had their parts to play. They were all too eager to help seeing as the all had something to get Luis back for. At the moment he was hearing it from his brother.

"So I get it now" Antonio remarked as Luis watched Sheridan from across the room.

"Get what?" Luis couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off her, off them.

"Why you are marrying Sheridan so quickly. You knocked her up"

"That isn’t why I want to marry her"

"Oh really? Come on man. You met her the day before Christmas and not even two months later you want to marry her? I don’t think so. It’s ok that you want to take responsibly Luis. You were always that kind of guy"

"I am going to propose because I love her!" Luis was beginning to get irate. "No other reason!"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say little bro" he continued to bait him.

Luis was sick of it. His brother was being more annoying than usual. He wanted to talk to Sheridan but on his way across the room he was stopped by his mother. She was there to throw her two cents into the situation. He hoped that maybe she would congratulate him. This was after all going to be her first grandchild.

"Hi Mama" Luis gave her a small hug which she shrugged off.

"Luis I can NOT believe you did this"

"Did what Mama?" why was everyone goading him tonight.

"Children are supposed to come after marriage" she scolded.

"This wasn’t planned…" Luis tried to explain.

"You should have been more careful. Actually no I take that back. You should have waited"

"I’m almost 30 Mama" he argued.

"Exactly and by now I would think you would have learned right from wrong" she left in a huff leaving Luis to wonder what just happened.

Luis continued on his quest to get to Sheridan’s side but there was another roadblock in the way. This time it was Theresa. He wondered what she had to say about the whole situation. She was usually the bright-eyed optimist. Hopefully she would have something nice to say. At this point he would settle for something civil.

"Did you like the show Luis?" Theresa asked putting his mind at ease.

"It was very…creative" he didn’t know the right word to express what he saw.

"Thank you. I have already been approached by representatives from Calvin Klein and Guess, but I am holding out for Versaci"

"That’s great Theresa"

"I know isn’t it?" she glowed. "I am going to be so busy when I get a job"

"I know the feeling"

"Luis what are you going to do when the baby comes? Sheridan has already called me and told me she thinks you work to much as it is"

"I know she thinks that but…"

"So what you are just going to add some hours to the day when the baby arrives?"

"No, I will cut back on my case load"

"And you wouldn’t do that for Sheridan?"

"Ok, point taken. But I am still wrapping up my old cases now. It will slow down a bit soon"

"Slow down for you is still way into overtime for the average Joe"

"Theresa I really want to talk to Sheridan" Luis couldn’t take this anymore.

"Okay, I see the Versaci men anyways"

Theresa kissed her brother’s cheek and was off. Luis was getting more frustrated by the second. Didn’t anyone think this was a good thing? He needed to talk to Sheridan. She would be excited. She loved children and always talked about having ten of her own. Finally he made it to her. No more family members got in his way.

"I want to go" he said as soon as he got to her.

"So soon? We just got here"

"We need to talk" he said ever so seriously.

"Then talk" Sheridan said as a waiter passed by with a tray of champagne. She took a flute off the tray and held it in both hands.

"What are you doing?" Luis snatched the glass away from her. "You can’t have alcohol"

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

"You’re pregnant!" he gasped.

"Oh about that" she said deviously.

"What about that?"

"Gottcha!" she said as she snatched the glass and downed the bubbly liquid. She licked her lips and had a triumphant smile on her lips. It was then he knew he had been had.

Chapter 3: The Revelation

Sheridan and Luis were now in their car heading back home to Newark. Luis had hardly spoken to her or any of his family since she told him the truth. When she first told him she was pregnant he had been shocked and scared. But as the day progressed and he became more comfortable with the situation he began to get happier. He realized this was all that he ever wanted. It came a little sooner than he planned but that was beside the point. To start a family with the woman he loved was nothing short of a miracle. And then he learned it was all a farce. It was then that he vowed never to trick Sheridan again. The payback she could dish out was hell. He knew he would have to talk soon she was going to begin to think he was mad at her when the truth of the matter was he was just sad.

"A penny for your thoughts" Sheridan asked because he seemed to be staring into space. She was glad she was driving for once.

"Just plotting my revenge" he teased.

"What?" she swerved off the road slightly.

"You never know what I am going to do next" he wasn’t going to let her off the hook. She played dirty and even though he had no intention of ever tricking her again he also had no attention of telling her that.

"I’ll keep watching over my shoulder" she said in all seriousness. "How mad are you?"

"Not mad. I got what I deserved" Luis replied.

"I wasn’t too mean was I?"

"Nah. I still love you" he bent over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good cause I love you so much and I would hate to think you could love me any less"

"Actually I love you more now. I like that you don’t let me get away with things"

The ride home to Newark was fast. They talked the whole way home and not once did Luis let on that he was saddened by the pregnancy rouse. He didn’t want to bring it up because she seemed unfazed by the whole thing. But then again she never thought she was about to start a family. Sheridan looked over at Luis. He had said he was all right but there was something about the look on his face. It wasn’t anger but it was definitely something. It almost looked like sadness. Could he be upset that she wasn’t pregnant? She’d bring that up tonight at dinner for now she would let it go. They pulled up to their two story brick house. It was everything they both imagined living in when they were young. It was now covered in snow and never looked so picturesque. Although it was nice to get away nothing could compare to the feeling of returning home. They got inside and dropped their suitcases just inside the door. They were too tired and hungry to bother with unpacking now. Luis followed Sheridan into the kitchen and without saying a word they started to get things together to prepare spaghetti. Sheridan was filling the pot with water while Luis was getting the pasta and sauce ingredients from the pantry. Luis returned and noticed Sheridan bent over digging in the refrigerator. Even the most mundane things she did got a rise out of him. Maybe he could convince her they should start trying to start a family. Then he shook his head. They had only met on Christmas Eve and he hadn’t even properly proposed yet. They would have plenty of time for these things.

"Luis!" Sheridan yelled.

"Huh?"

"Can you get me the oregano?" she repeated for the tenth time.

"Yeah sure" like a robot he got it out and handed it to her.

"Where is your head?" she questioned.

"Sorry just thinking" was his reply.

"About? Is it the same thing you were thinking about in the car?"

"You noticed?"

"You don’t hide your emotions too well. So what’s on your mind?"

They left the sauce to simmer and the pasta to boil. Sheridan retrieved some wine glasses from the cupboard while Luis pulled a bottle of Pinot Grigio out of the rack and uncorked it. They sat at the table sipping the dry liquid. Sheridan reached her hand across the table and opened her palm. Luis met her half way and slipped his hand in hers.

"You look so sad. What’s wrong Luis?"

"It’s nothing really. Nothing of importance anyways"

"Luis if it is hurting you then it is important to me"

"You didn’t wear your twisty tie last night" he remarked as he looked at her bare left hand. Now that he thought about it, last night was the first night out she didn’t wear it.

"It broke" she sadly explained. "I think I wore it out. I am going to laminate it at school this week. Then I am going to take it to be framed"

"All that for a twisty tie?"

"It is my most treasured possession"

"God I love you Sheridan" he squeezed her hand.

"And I you. More than you can even fathom. But is that what was bothering you? That I didn’t wear it last night?"

"Yeah" he lied. This was the perfect cover for the real reason. She would think him insane if she knew the truth. It was way too soon for a baby.

They finished their dinner and went straight to bed. They were exhausted from the weekend’s events. Sheridan thought was still a little sad and distant during dinner but he continued to come back to her. They lay in each other’s arms spooning, like they did every night, when Luis shot up in bed.

"SHIT!" he just remembered Antonio still had Sheridan’s engagement ring. With all that was on his mind with this pregnancy thing he forgot to get it back.

"What!?" she sat up with him.

"It…it’s nothing…I just forgot to do something for the case I’m working on. It has to be done by tomorrow" he covered. "You get some rest. I’ll be back in bed as soon as I can"

Luis jumped out of bed and ran to the phone. What kind of Valentine’s Day was it going to be when Sheridan’s present was in Harmony and he was home in Newark. This was definitely going to thwart his plans for the big day. It was late and Antonio was going to kill him for calling at this hour, but at this point he couldn’t care less. First he tried Antonio’s home number but when he got the answering machine he remembered the rest of his family was staying at the hotel until tomorrow. So he called the hotel. Antonio reached over to the phone and grumpily said hello.

"This better be important" Antonio grumbled.

"It’s Luis" his voice was laced with panic.

"Oh right, I’ve been expecting this. You forgot the ring. Call me in the morning"

"ANTONIO!" Luis exclaimed and then forced himself to lower his voice so he wouldn’t disturb Sheridan. "I need that ring!"

"Calm down, you’ll get it"

"How?"

"Well you can drive up here tomorrow morning and get it"

"Not an option. I have a case to try in the morning. Could you rent a car and drive it down here? I’d pay for the car"

"No time before out flight back to Boston"

"Shit" Luis was frustrated more at himself than anything. How could he forget such a thing?

"I could send it to you" Antonio offered.

"It is only three days until Valentine’s day!" Luis argued.

"Luis, it’s the 21^st century. There is a thing called over night express delivery"

"Do you think it would be safe?" Luis inquired.

"I’ll bubble wrap it to death" Antonio assured him.

Luis hung up the phone and returned to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Until that ring was back in his hand he was going to worry. He was going to have a long day in court tomorrow. Luckily Sheridan was soundly sleeping when he crawled next to her. He was so frazzled right now he didn’t know if he could handle any questions without letting something slip. Hopefully tomorrow would be ordinary since what had happened the past two days was enough excitement for a while. Luis closed his eyes and joined Sheridan in slumber land.

Chapter 4: An Ordinary Day

When Sheridan woke up in the morning Luis was already gone to work. She vaguely remembered hearing his alarm sound earlier but other than that she hadn’t heard a thing. They needed a dog. The more Sheridan thought about it the more she was convinced. She slept like the dead, nothing could wake her. Luis often worked late and after the first week of trying unsuccessfully to wait up for him she gave up. A dog would make her feel safer. Plus Luis didn’t make any friends being the D.A. He put a lot of criminals behind bars and who knows what they will do when they get out. That settled it, she was going to talk to Luis about getting a watch dog. Finally with all her random morning thoughts out of the way she rolled out of bed.

Sheridan arrived at Wintersbrook Academy at 8AM. She loved working for this private academy, school didn’t begin until 9:30AM. Usually she didn’t even come in until 9 or so but she had things to catch up on since she was gone the entire weekend. Plus she had her twisty tie safely in her purse ready to be laminated. She unlocked her second grade classroom and prepared to begin her day. After grading homework until almost 9 Sheridan called it quits and went into the teachers workroom. She fired up the laminating machine and put on a pot of coffee while the machine warmed up. When the machine was read she guided two pieces of the plastic sheet through the machine. When it was finished the twisty tie was secure in an airtight casing. She let it cool for a moment and then took it back to her classroom. Sheridan was surprised to see one of her pupils already sitting at his desk.

"Charlie, what are you doing here so early?" Sheridan asked.

"Grandma had to work early so she just dropped me off now" Charlie replied.

Charlie had one of the key reasons for Sheridan and Luis’s first fight but he also had a major part in getting them back together. Charlie wasn’t like most of the kids at Wintersbrook. At age 8 he was already excelling at hockey. The scouts were already keeping an eye on him. Wintersbrook seeing the opportunity offered him a scholarship. Even though it wasn’t guaranteed that Charlie would play for Wintersbrook in high school the chance that he would was enough for the big wigs. Sheridan helped Charlie when his mother disappeared. His Grandmother was now his legal guardian. Charlie’s mother was found three weeks ago dead from a cocaine overdose.

"How’s Luis Miss Crane?" Luis had taken Charlie to a Rangers game and now Luis was his hero.

"Luis is fine, Charlie. He asks about you all the time" she watched Charlie’s face brighten. "He keeps asking when you are going to teach him to play hockey"

"Anytime" he replied happily.

"Charlie, you think if Luis and I got a dog you could help us with him?"

"I’ve always wanted a pet" his eyes were so wide they were magnetic.

"Well we’ll need someone to help walk him and take care of him when we are out of town. I’ll call your grandmother to make sure it is ok. Oh and of coarse we would pay you" Kids at this school had money in abundance and she wanted to give Charlie even the smallest chance to fit in. it wouldn’t change everything but at least he could go to the arcade and play video games all day with them. It was something.

"Really? Grandma has to let me help. Then I can do more things with the guys here"

More and more kids started filtering into class so Sheridan’s talk with Charlie ceased. The bell rang and Sheridan began the day’s lessons.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Luis finally had a break from the trial. Right now he was trying an alleged rapist, and the defending attorney had just blown the most convincing piece of evidence against the defendant to pieces. They took a recess to try and put the case back on track and Luis took the opportunity to call Antonio. He needed to get an update on the ring situation.

"Antonio, what’s going on?" Luis asked nervously.

"I put the package in the hands of Federal Express man myself. It should be at your office in the morning"

"Should?"

"WILL, will" Antonio corrected. "How is the case going?"

"Awful, my brain seems to be bubble wrapped with that ring" Luis confessed.

"Get a grip Luis. It is just a ring. You have rings in Newark"

"NO! That is the perfect ring! It picked me and I know she will love it"

"You are too much of a sentimental sap to be my brother" Antonio teased. "Now if you want to be able that beautiful blonde for the rest of your life you better screw your head back on. Otherwise you are going to lose your job"

"I guess your right" Luis conceded.

"I’m always right. You should know that by now"

"All right omniscient one. I’ll talk to you later"

Luis hung up feeling a little nervous that the ring was now in the hands of a Federal Express man but decided he couldn’t jeopardize the case by worrying too much over something he had no control over. So he went back to work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While the kids were in their gym class in the afternoon Sheridan took the opportunity to call Luis’s mother Pilar. It was after 2PM so she was sure she would back from New York by now. She needed some puppy advice.

"Hello?" Pilar’s cheery voice rang through the phone.

"Hi Pilar, it’s Sheridan"

"Sheridan dear, how are you?"

"I’m fine. I was just wondering if Luis liked dogs"

"That’s a question I wasn’t expecting" Pilar laughed.

"Well I’m alone at night a few times a week and I wanted a watch dog" Sheridan explained.

"Why don’t you talk to Luis about this?"

"I wanted to surprise him. I still feel guilty about tricking him this weekend"

"Sheridan he tricked you first" Pilar pointed out.

"Yes, but I still feel terribly guilty. I want to make amends"

"Then this is a perfect way. Luis has always wanted a dog. But all the woman of the family are allergic"

"Has he ever said what kind of pup he wanted?"

"Yes he has always wanted a Golden Retriever"

"Thank you Pilar. You have been a big help"

"You’re welcome Sheridan. Talk to you soon"

They hung up just in time to see her class walking down the hall towards her room. She hurried to join them but when she reached the room she recognized a substitute teacher the school often used in the room. She searched her brain for a reason why and then suddenly remembered she had a doctor’s appointment today. She ran to get her things and hurried out of the school.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan was home cooking dinner when Luis returned home. She had his surprise safely hidden at Charlie’s house. They would have to go get the little terror later. Sheridan could already tell he was going to be a troublemaker. Luis came up behind her and kissed her neck as she stirred what every concoction she was making tonight. She brought the spoon up for him to taste and gave a nod of satisfaction.

"How was your day?" she asked hoping the case was going well.

"After a minor speed bump in the morning we were able to wrap things up"

"Well?"

"You know I hate winning because that means there was a victim"

"Yeah but the person was victimized before you had anything to do with it. You are just giving the victim a small sense of justice"

"I know but I still hate being in the presence of people that can take away a 10 years old girl’s innocence but enough of that. How was your day?"

"Pretty ordinary, laminated the twisty tie, talked to Charlie, taught, went to the doctor, and ran some errands"

"Wait a minute. You went to the doctor? Are you ok?"

"Yes Luis I am fine. It was just my annual OBGYN check up. Nothing to scare you. But I have a surprise for you"

"Oh really? You know I love surprises especially from you"

"Well we are going to have a new addition to our household"

Luis thought he was dreaming so he shook his head. Sheridan had gone to the doctor, said she had a surprise for him, and now she was telling him there was going to be a new addition. She was really pregnant! It was Luis’s dream come true, whether he admitted it or not. He picked her up in his arms and twirled her around.

"I am so happy" he exclaimed.

"You know what the surprise is?" confused she asked.

"Yes and I am so excited"

"How do you know?" she giggled through out her sentence he refused to put her down. "Did you talk to your mother?"

"You talked my mother about this?"

"Yes I needed advice. Luis please put me down I am going to be sick" he did as she commanded instantly. "You really think we will be able to handle the little monster?"

"I’m sure it’ll be a little angel"

"Oh no, he has the devil in him I swear. Let’s go pick him up"

"Pick him up?" How were they going to pick up a baby that wasn’t going to arrive for months?

"Yeah, Charlie is watching him" Sheridan turned off the stove and took Luis’s hand and started to drag him towards the door. "He really is the cutest puppy. You are going to love him"

And then it happened Luis was socked in the stomach again. Sheridan didn’t mean to do it this time but it didn’t hurt any less. He tried to put on a happy face as they went to retrieve their puppy. He always enjoyed seeing Charlie so hopefully that would help. He couldn’t disappoint Sheridan, she was obviously very excited about this.

Chapter 5: Passing Notes

Sheridan was sitting on the floor happily playing with the new puppy. Luis, however, was sitting in a recliner only sometimes looking on at them. He wasn’t acting as excited as she had hoped. In fact he looked a lot like he did in the car yesterday. For someone who always wanted a dog he was hiding it well. She, who never even thought about owning a pet before this morning, was way more into it than he was. Even now with the puppy pulling at Luis’s pant leg he continued to ignore the cute yellow fluff.

"Luis, what is up with you? Your mother said you always wanted a dog. And how can you resist these eyes?" she held the puppy up to his face. The puppy then proceeded to lick Luis’s nose. Luis didn’t even crack a hint of a smile. "Ok now I know something is wrong. We just had the cutest puppy moment and you are Mr. Stone Face"

"I didn’t think a puppy was the surprise" he was sick of holding in his feelings.

"What did you think it was?"

"I thought you were pregnant"

"Did you want me to be pregnant?"

"Honestly?" she nodded. "Yes"

"Luis, I don’t think we are ready for a child. We aren’t even married yet"

"That doesn’t mean I don’t want all that with you" he confessed. "It’s my dream to have all that with you"

"And it’s my dream to marry you and have children with you too. Just not yet. It’s too soon"

"Too soon for marriage or children?" he thought about the ring that was en route as they spoke.

"Both I guess. I am still getting to know you. Everyday I learn something new about you. And everyday I fall deeper in love with you. I’m not ready to change that yet"

"Every time I think I can’t love you anymore you do or say something that makes my heart swell. Like that little guy" he joined her on the floor. "And I don’t want that to change either" even though she said she wasn’t ready for marriage he didn’t let that change his mind about proposing. They could have a long engagement if she wished.

"I’m sorry I’m not pregnant"

"Don’t be sorry. You’re right, it is too soon. It will happen when it is destined to, and not before"

"You’re too good to me"

They started to kiss and instantly his heart started to mend. She was kissing away his pain and slowly he began to realize it just being the two of them had its advantages. They were rolling around on the floor when their new friend decided he wanted to play too. He jumped up on top of both of them and started barking. Sheridan and Luis broke apart laughing. Apparently they weren’t paying enough attention to the little guy. They sat up and started to play with the pup and this time Luis looked happy to own this puppy. He was enjoying wrestling with him and getting the dog riled up.

"What should we name him?" Sheridan asked as she watched the puppy unsuccessfully nip at Luis’s hands.

"Dennis?" he suggested.

"As in the menace? Cute, but I don’t think so" she replied.

"What then?"

"He needs a cute puppy name like Snoopy"

"He isn’t a beagle Sheridan" Luis pointed out.

"Rover? Spike? Lassie?" she suggested.

"I don’t think so" Luis crinkled his nose. "Busta?"

"No!" Sheridan laughed. "He’s not a gangster. Tulip?"

"He’s a manly dog" Luis said in a low husky voice. "Not some pansy flower. Clyde?"

"Then we would need a Bonnie. Casper?"

"He’s not a friendly ghost"

It went on like this for half and hour. They hadn’t even notice that the puppy had fallen asleep. They put the puppy in his basket in the kitchen and gated him in so he wouldn’t get into trouble while they slept. They headed to bed still firing names back and forth. So far they hadn’t come close to agreeing. Everything from Spot to Arthur to Lunar and Zeppelin were suggested. The way things were progressing this puppy was going to be nameless for a while.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day started out just as the last. Sheridan woke to find Luis had already left for work. She reached over and hit her snooze button. She wasn’t quite ready to get up. Then she heard some faint whining coming from downstairs and her heart broke. They only had this puppy for a day and already he had her wrapped her around his paw. She rolled out of bed, who needs that extra nine minutes of sleep anyways? She walked into the kitchen to find the dog’s food dish flipped over hiding all the food underneath it. After she rectified the situation she walked to the refrigerator to get a drink. There she found a note from Luis hanging.

S,

Already took out the godfather this morning and will come home this afternoon to take him out again.

L

She swiped the piece of paper from the refrigerator and crumpled it up. There was no way in the world she was going to have a dog named the godfather. She wrote him a not back and went back to their room to get ready to face the day.

Sheridan arrived at Wintersbrook a little late. She barely had enough time to get a cup of coffee and when she reached her room there were already children there waiting to get in. She let the early birds in and waited for the other’s to arrive. All the children were in attendance so she began the reading lesson. She was feeling a bit sluggish today so while the children were working on a math worksheet she went to refill her coffee cup. She was passing the office on the way back and heard Mrs. Klaussen, the school’s secretary, call her name. She went into the office to see what Mrs. Klaussen wanted.

"Yes Mrs. Klaussen?" Sheridan asked the older woman who was rumored to have been with the school since its creation.

"I have a message for you Miss Crane" she handed Sheridan a note.

"Thank you" Sheridan replied as she returned to the hallway.

AS she walked down the hallway she unfolded the piece of paper and took a peak inside. She didn’t like what she found.

Dr. Mason called. She said there were some inconsistencies with your test results. Would like you to call at your earliest convenience.

Sheridan hated things like this. All they did was worry her. It didn’t tell her if the inconsistencies were good or bad but just that they existed. But she couldn’t imagine an inconsistency being a good thing. She went into her classroom and forced herself to put it out of her mind for now. She had children to teach. She would call back during her free hour in the afternoon. If she thought it would be a short call she would make it right away but she knew this wouldn’t so she chose to wait until she had a block of time to spare.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Luis sat at his desk violently tapping a pen against the mahogany. He had informed his secretary, Sheila, that when the Fed Ex man arrived she was to usher him into Luis’s office. He buzzed Sheila about half a dozen times in the past 15 minutes. He would have buzzed her again had she not come into his office and threaten to break his fingers if he buzzed her again just to ask if the Fed Ex man had arrived yet. He knew not to cross Sheila. She might be his secretary by night buy she moonlighted as a bodybuilder. When she threatened his life he was scared. Finally Sheila opened the door and the Fed Ex man entered behind her. He handed Luis a box about the size of a shoebox. Luis signed for it and Sheila and the man left. Luis frantically opened the box and pulled out a bundle of bubble wrap. He began to unroll the bubble wrap. He flattened the wrap on his desk and found nothing. The ring wasn’t there. Luis quickly panicked. He hadn’t thought to look and see if the box was tampered with before he ripped it open. He grabbed the phone and dialed Antonio’s work number.

"Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald"

"Are you positive you put the ring in the box?"

"Well hello to you too Luis. And yes I am sure I enclosed the ring in the package. Monica and Mama watched me. What’s going on?"

"It’s not here Antonio!" Luis explained. "All you sent me was bubble wrap"

"Are you sure?" Antonio tried to contain his laughter. This was too easy.

"Yes I am sure. All I have is clear plastic bubbles! No black velvet box in site"

"I don’t know what to tell you Luis. When I sent you the parcel the ring was in there"

"I have to call the police" Luis said ready to end the conversation.

"You do that. Did you get my note?" Antonio asked even though he knew Luis hadn’t.

"What note?"

"I knew you wouldn’t even look at it. It was in the box. Check for it. See you later little bro and good luck"

Luis hung up and before calling the police looked in the box and saw the note taped to one of the sides. He reached in and pulled it out. He opened it and turned red with fury.

Little Lu,

I can’t believe how gullible you still are. I sent two packages one to you without the ring and one to Sheila with the ring. Wow I can’t believe how good I am! Sheridan and I are going to have fun competing for the title of top trickster. Now go get the ring you sentimental sap!

Antonio

Luis rushed out of his office and found Sheila waiting there with the box in her hands.

"Wow ten minutes. I would have thought about three but then I bet you had to call your brother and get a hint"

"Give me the box!" he grumpily took the box from her hands.

Back his desk he took apart this box to find the ring safely inside. He made a mental note to kill Antonio next time he saw him. Luis deciding he needed a break from all this excitement got his coat and headed home to walk the puppy. He would return to work but he needed to get away right now. Plus he wanted to put the ring in their safe at home. He new it was risky but he couldn’t figure why Sheridan would need to go in the safe before tomorrow.

He arrived home and the puppy welcomed him with endless barking. Luis took him on a little walk and then brought him back inside and filled the water and food dishes. He found a note from Sheridan stuck to the refrigerator and couldn’t help but laugh.

L,

Clover and I had a fun morning we played tug of war with one of your shoes. You will find the remains on display on front porch. Love you lots.

S

Luis didn’t even have to go on the porch to see his shoe. He knew exactly what pair she had the dog destroy. It would be a pair of his tennis shoes he had since his freshman year of college. She had begged him to throw them away but he refused. I guess she got the last laugh now. He went back to work with a smile on his face. She never ceased to surprise him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan was sitting on the couch wrapped in an afghan when Luis came home. The lights were out and the TV and radio were off. Luis walked in and tried not to disturb her because he thought she was asleep. He walked over to her and found her eyes open. He said hello but got no response. She looked so lost.

"Sheridan, honey, or you ok?" he sat next to her and put his arms around her.

"I’m fine" she said emotionlessly.

"How’s Spartacus doing?" Luis asked hoping she would look at him.

"Fine"

"Ok now I know something is wrong. You didn’t argue with the puppy’s name. What happened?" he soothingly rubbed her back.

"The doctor called today" was all she offered.

"And?"

"There were some inconsistencies with my test results"

"I thought you said it was just a check up"

"I thought it was"

"Do you know what is wrong?"

"Yes"

"Well…?"

Sheridan turned looked Luis straight in the eye.

"I’m pregnant"

Chapter 6: The New Valentine’s Day

Luis just looked at Sheridan and laughed. She wasn’t going to get him this time. She had the help of his family last time but she should have been more original in her first solo attempt. He had to admit though she was a terrific actress and was playing the situation well.

"I’m not buying it this time Sheridan" Luis told her but she was confused.

"Buy what? I am pregnant Luis" she insisted.

"Antonio tricked me this morning and wrote to me that you have this challenge going. I’m not going to be fooled twice in one day"

"I’m not trying to trick you Luis" Sheridan stated honestly.

"I’m sorry I’m home so late" Luis changed the subject still not believing her.

"Luis!" she yelled trying to get him back on the correct subject.

"I’m starving. Did you make anything or to I have to fend for myself tonight?" he still dismissed her arguments.

"No, I was a little distraught!" she followed him into the kitchen.

"Yeah I bet. Spend too much time scheming did you?" he opened the refrigerator and pulled out some lettuce for a salad. Then decided against it threw it back in and took out the milk. He wanted something as easy as possible. He took out a box of coco puffs and filled a bowl.

"Would you listen to me" Sheridan started to get mad. "I am carrying your baby"

"Yeah, yeah sure" Luis chopped on his cereal. "How was your day?"

"Oh well the usual" she decided to play along with his game. "Got up, saw your note, tore it up, Spartacus’s name is not the godfather, went to work, got a message to call the doctor, called the doctor, found out I was pregnant, came home, threw up, walked the dog, and sat on the couch waiting for you. How was your day dear?"

"Don’t you think you are being a little melodramatic? But anyways, we got a new case and we strategized all day which is the reason for my lateness. Nothing out of the ordinary, just work and a lot of it"

"Are you going to believe that I am pregnant?" she got annoyed with his tactics.

"Do you have proof?" he finished his cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

"You could call my doctor" she suggested.

"Well isn’t that convenient. It seems to be a little late to call. So for tonight I am not going to believe you"

"Thanks for trusting me" she said sarcastically. "I’m going to bed. You can have the couch" she stomped her way up the back stairs. Luis followed her though knowing she could shut the bedroom door but it didn’t have a lock.

"Can you blame me? I mean, you told me you were pregnant this weekend to get me back. I get hopeful and then I my hopes are crushed. Then you tell me a surprise and I think yet again you are pregnant and are you NO! So sorry if I think you have cried wolf a couple too many times" Luis yelled.

"This isn’t some Aesop’s fable! This is real life!" Sheridan fired back.

"Well if I didn’t know that you had this challenge going on with Antonio then I might believe you"

"What challenge are you talking about?"

"Antonio wrote to me and told me you were trying to one up each other with practical jokes directed at me"

"He wrote you a letter saying that? That is utterly ridiculous" Sheridan stated.

"No, he sent me a note with your ring!" he slipped. "SHIT!!!"

"My ring? What ring?" her anger was quickly replaced by excitement. Luis started pacing and refused to say anything. "Luis?" she walked over to him and poked him in the stomach. "What ring?" she asked him sweetly with wide eyes.

"Maybe I was planning to propose to you tomorrow" he mumbled with his head down and made sure it was barely audible.

"What was that Luis? I couldn’t understand" she teased even though she knew exactly what he said.

"Hold on" he grumbled and left the room. She peaked around the doorframe to see him go into his office. He came back with a velvet box in his hands. "Now you will have to work with me since this is kind of spur of the moment"

Luis guided her back and seated her on the bed. He looked around the room and saw a vase on the dresser and walked over to it. He took a yellow rose and shook the water from the stem. He then walked back over to Sheridan who remained seated just watching his actions. He kneeled in front of her but didn’t give her the rose as she expected. She waited, with eyes wide, in anticipation. He opened the velvet box near the floor making sure she couldn’t see the contents and then carefully slipped the stem of the rose through the ring. He made sure that all she could see was the band. He held the rose and the ring with his right hand and then reached over and took her left hand in his left.

"Miss Crane, since I meet you it has been a whirlwind of happiness, joy, and love. I can’t believe I only met you two months ago because it seems as though I have know you for a life time. I love you much more than I ever thought it possible to love another human. I can’t promise you that we will never fight, because we will, take about ten minutes ago for example, but I can promise you that I will spend my life trying to make you happy"

Tears began to slip down Sheridan’s cheeks. Yesterday she thought that it was too soon for marriage and a baby but now that it was happening she would die if someone took it away. This is how her life was destined to happen and he was her future. Luis now took the rose and placed the tip of the rose against her left ring finger.

"This rose symbolizes our life together. It may start off perfect and sweet but there is bound to be a long road ahead. It may not be an easy one, probably filled with bumps to try and send us off track" he let the ring go and slowly it slipped down the stem hitting thorns on it’s way. Then the ring got stuck on one of the thorns. "Sometimes we may get stuck and need a little push" he pushed the ring and it resumed its journey. It was now rested on the tip of her finger. "But just know we can get through anything if we just come back right here" he twisted the ring around. "This ring represents our love, unbroken and forever lasting. When we are having troubles we just need to come back here and realize it’s our love that brought us here and will keep us together. I want to be yours forever and always, please allow me the honor of being your husband. Will you marry me?"

Sheridan was unable to say anything. She was so overcome by emotion it was impossible to say anything through her tears. She leaned over and kissed him instead. She kissed him with all the love for him she had contained in her heart.

"Is that a yes?" he asked as he wiped her tears with his thumbs.

She nodded and managed to squeak out a small "Yes" He then pushed the ring down to the base of her finger and finally let her have a good look at the ring. It was everything she would have picked out. It was a platinum ring with a square cut diamond. It was antique in design with intricate lattice workings on the side. She fell to her knees and joined Luis on the floor. He took her in his arms and held her to his chest. They could feel each other’s hearts racing.

"Luis" she whispered when she finally managed to choke back the tears of joy and utter happiness. "I really am pregnant"

"Seriously?" he felt her nod into his shoulder. "In less than five minutes Sheridan Crane, you have made me the happiest man alive. I’m going to have a wife I adore and a baby I hope looks just like her. Thank you"

"No, thank you Luis. After going up the way I did, I didn’t think this possible. Thank you for showing my how fulfilling life can be"

"How about we stop thanking each other and just kiss"

"O.k." she said as she felt his lips brush against hers. Luis stood them up and gently placed her on the bed. It was time to show each other how much love they possessed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan was on her back and Luis was on his side facing her. The moments they had just shared had been beautiful. He had his hand resting on her stomach willing it to grow. She had her arm outstretched in the air fascinated by the moonbeams reflecting off the stone. But their peaceful moment was interrupted by the sounding of the grandfather clock downstairs. It had just struck midnight.

"It’s Valentine’s Day" Sheridan pointed out.

"Do you think we could top what just happened?"

"Never" she confessed.

"Then I have a suggestion"

"What?"

"We move our Valentine’s Day to the 13^th. Then it will always be special"

"An what will the 14^th be then?"

"Another day I get to love you"

She thought he deserved a kiss for that and quickly agreed that in their household the day of love would be celebrated on the 13^th of February. They were about to embark in a whole new world but they knew if they just came back to what matters most they would be just fine. Love would guide them through any situation and love they had in abundance.

THE END