day after date....

at the youth center....

"hey sheridan you feeling okay....you don't look too good..."luis wagetting things ready for a basketball game...while sheridan was trying to put up a banner.

"that's really something women love to hear..."she got down from the ladder "whoaa..."she leaned against it because she was suddenly dizzy.

"see what did i tell you" luis was by her side

"i just got down too fast..." but before she could say another word she fainted into his arms.

a few minutes later....

"so you're finally up..." hank held a towel to her head...

"i don't feel well" she quickly ran to the bathroom.

when she came back she had a sickly expression.

"i think i should take you to the hospital and have you checked out..." luis offered

"you won't hear any protest from me...i've never felt this way in my life....i'd better call ethan...he'll be worried..." at the hospital......

well we ran some blood tests....and...i don't know how to tell you this but you're pregnant..." eve informed sheridan

"ha....no...nooo....no...no..you don't understand....that's impossible...." sheridan was shaking and undoubtedly in a state of shock...luis and hank just looked on with the same expression

"well...i don't know what to tell you....the tests are 100% acurate"

"well i know exactly what to tell you...if those tests are acurate...then you'd better prepare everyone for the second coming of christ...." sheridan sat down....

"sheridan...." hank not knowing what to do.....

"ummm.....well...." luis also still dazed..." maybe i'd better take you home...they all walked out of the hospital blindly. throughout the drive none of them spoke.

pilar opened the door....

"luis, hank....what are you guys doing here....." she turned to sheridan who was mummbling..."sheridan?...."

"it's impossible....it'simpossible...ha....this isn't happening..." ethan saw his aunt in the state and ran to comfort her.

"what's wrong sheridan..."

"we just....we found out....that sheridan was pregnent..."he finished off quickly.

"but it just can't be...." she stared at all of them..."you see i haven't slept with a man since....let alone be in bed with...."and she trailed off as she remembered new mexico...."OH MY GOD!!....AHHH...OH...OH...YOU" she turned to luis..."YOU SAID NOTHING HAPPENED..."

"nothing did..."

"wait....what you guys talking about..."hank was just as astounded as ethan and pilar

"I HATE YOU...." sheridan was hyperventaing and shaking her hands as she paced....pilar tried to comfort her....ay jos miyo...what happened in new mexico luis..."

"yes i'd like to know as well..." ethan with his lawyer demeanor.

"well....we fell in the river...the firew went out...and i didn't want her to catch hypothermia...so i decided to keep her warm with my body heat.." i couldn't say it fast enough.....and all the mouths in the room dropped.."but i swear NOTHING HAPPENED..."

"if nothing nothing happened...THEN WHY THE HELL AM I PRENGANT...i hate you....i hate you...I HAT YOU...." she started whimpering...

"if anything she was the one who kissed me....she was delusional...i did what i had to...nothing more..."

"luis how could you...." hank feeling and loking like he'd just been stabbed in the back...

"sheridan is what luis is saying true...." ethan was doing the investigating

"well....i...yes....but i was unconscious...."

" well except those time you woke up and told me to....to...."

"wait...you both fell in the river right?" ethan turned from one to the other...

"yes..."

"and sheridan was dillirious.....so....maybe the same thing happened to you....and you just didn't know it....you guys could have made love without knowing it...."

"ETHAN!!! i don't believe that that's the logic you have for this...." sheridan covered her face with her hands

" i know my son sheridan...he would not take advantage of a woman...."

"well it's the only logical thing..." hank having calmed down a bit....

" i don't belive you are all doing this....ARRGHHH..." she ran up the stairs followed by luis

"sheridan...be careful....you don't want to hurt the baby...."

"NO....this is a nightmare...and you...YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME..."

a couple of days later...

"sheridan you should really talk to luis..." pilar who during the past coupe of days could not conceal her excitement for having a grandchild.

"i am not talking to THAT man...i don't ever want to see him again..."

"now sheridan i will not have a scandle...you will marry luis..." alestair's voice came over the speaker.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE ALL OF YOU....father how can you even talk like that...i'd expect you to want me to get an abortion..." she was biting her nails.

"OH NO...sheridan crane...you will not harm that child in anyway....i love the idea of having two grand children...." the delight was obvious in the man's voice.

"all right!...HELL JUST FROZE OVER..."

"sheridan you shouldn't talk that way...the baby can hear you..you know" gwen was coming through the door.

"will all of you just leave me ALONE...this is my body...it's my choice..."

"you're not seriously concidering abortion are you sheridan..." julian came in with concern.

"NO! of coarse not....i'm just......i'm just confused okay....i need time away...i need to get out of harmony....that's it..."she ran upstairs...and came back down a few minutes later with her suitcase in hand and walked out the door with glacing back at any of them.

at the police station...

"mama...what is it..."luis was filling out some paper work.

"it's sheridan...she's decided to leave town..."

"WHAT!....i'll talk to you later.." he hang up the phone and ran to his police car.

sheridan was on the highway when she saw a police car blocking the road...

luis came towards her car..."sheridan what do you think you're doing...?"

"look luis....i...i just want to get away...just for a couple of days..." she tried not to look at him...but she could feel his stare.

"okay...give me an hour..."

"WHAT!"

"give me an hour to get my things and notice of leave..."

"no...no..."she covered her face with her hands "i don't want you near me..." she looked at him for one second but it was too late...she was trapped in his eyes.

"am i really that horrible sheridan...do hate me that much...i'm a man of responsiblity as well as a man of god...i have full intentions of marrying you...and taking care of you..."

tears were stinging her eyes now...."that's exactly it...you're going to marry me out of responsibility...not because you want to but because you feel you have to...and i will not allow you to do that..."

she turned her face away from him....

"sheridan...."

"just leave me alone luis..." she snapped at him "i hate you..." she muttered under her breath but by the way his jaw locked it was apparent that he heard her.

"another thing sheridan...you can't leave town you'll be breaking the law.."

"what are you talking about?"

"you still have you're hours and the youth center...i'll escort you back to town.."he said coldly...

when they got back to the crane mansion luis walked her to the door...

"and sheridan...i think you should come to the youth center tonight...there's going to be a dance...and i think that my future wife should be there..."

" LIKE HELL I WILL!!!"

"i suggest you go...after all the cranes don't want a scandle...and by now everyone knows it's my child...i think you should really consider it..." he whispered in her ear before he walked away.

"DAMN HIM! that man is driving me crazy.."

later that night....

"so you made it after all..." luis was dressed in a tux....and sheridan had on a black knee length dress..."now don't look so sad...we want the people of harmony to think we're a happy couple"

"screw you..." she snatched her arm away from his grip...

he tracked her down and had her cornered on a wall...

"we should dance..." he pulled her to the floor...

"Luis let go of me..." she said through her teeth...

"tell me something Sheridan...is baby really mine..." his muscles were tense and he held her very firmly.

"what are you talking about..." she was shocked

"hank told me...he told me you were lovers..." he stared at her with fire in his eyes....she considered telling him there was no chance...but if she did tell him that it could be hanks...then he can leave her alone...

"what if we were..."

"then why the hell did you say i was the only man you've been in bed with..."

"ha! don't flatter yourself Luis...I've been in bed with dozens of men..." his grip tightened on her...

"you're hurting me..." he released her but gave her a rough almost desperate kiss before he finally let her go and went to dance with Beth...at the instant that she saw him with Beth she regretted not telling him the truth...that she only went to bed with men that she loved...and that he was the father of the baby without a doubt...

she had to find hank...how could he do this...but she had no luck...just as she was about to walk out of the door...

"whoa...wait a minute...you can't go anywhere..."

"like hell i can't...luis why are you doing this to me..."

"me do this to you...you're the one who did this...now we just have to continue to play along..." her fist was cluntching together...luis sensing she was getting really upset...lead her to his office...

" here drink this...he offered her some water..." her hands were shaking...

"luis i have something to tell you...umm...well hank isn't the father of the baby...you are..." he didn't say anything but have her the go-on look

"i was mad at you...that's the only reason why i told you those things..."

"i know..."

"what?" she was confused...

"hank never said you guys were lovers..." her jaw dropped open and before he could get another word in she through the water on his face...and ran out the door...

"SHERIDAN!!!" the music and everyone came to a sudden halt.

"YOU...YOU!! YOU ARE A ...ARRGHH...i don't even have a word for what type of man you are..."and she went outside and into her car.

luis turned to everyone..."well...you know the moods swings.. "and ran after her...

back in sheridan's cabin...

"sheridan let me explain..." he threw open the door....but was greeted by a flying vase...he ducked only in time to prevent it from colliding with his face....

" i want you out of my life..." she had another vase in her hand...

"okay...okay...i know that that was a arrogant thing to do...i just had to be sure..."

"had to be sure...why?" she let her guard down for a minute...

"because when we got back from Santa Fe...hank and I were talking...and he said that he planned to be your lover...and i had to be sure..."

"well that's still no excuse for how you've treated me today and tonight..."

"i'm sorry about that...i've just been on edge...cause i wanted to ask you something...and i wanted to be in the most perfect way...and with you avoiding me all the time...it kind of put my plans to hell..."

"well what was it that you were going to ask me..." she was calmer and put the vase down...

"well...i wanted things to be resolved first...i wanted us to talk about the future.. and i wanted us to be at least on friendly terms...having the last thing you say to me is that you hate me...didn't exactly make things easier..."

"luis...just ask me whatever it was you were going to..." she was growing impatient...

he sighed..."well here it goes..." he looked in her eyes and took her hands in his.."sheridan...umm...well....will you marry me..." she smile and was about to say yes when he continued "i know we never meant for this baby to happen...but i take full responsibility...." a look of horror stuck her face...and she quickly pulled her hands from his...

"no...i won't marry you..."

"but sheridan...be reasonable..."

"get out luis...just get out" she turned her back to him...

"no i won't...not until you say you'll marry me..."

she turned around..."oh and what...to have a marriage like julian and ivy...out convinience...to prevent scandle...i don't think so..i will not deprive myself nor my child of a man who loves as both...responsibilty does not equal love luis..."

"yes i know that..."

"then you already knew my answer...this doesn't only concern me and our unborn child..." she paused at the phrase..."this is your life too...i want you to be with the woman you love......and besides...you don't know me..."

" i know you well enough to know to know that...that i love you..." he cupped her face and looked into her eyes...she looked at him with disbelief...

"you..you love me...but i've been such a...and i've been such a problem in your life..."

"yes...you have.." he pressed his fagainst hers "but you've also made me feel more alive then i've ever been in my life...i didn't think i could find the kind the love my mother and father had....but i know now that i have...because so many times...i've tried to imagine my life without and i can't...listen even if w didn't mean to get pregnant...i'm glad we did..." he smile at her and put her hand to her stomach..."see i think my son is agreeing with me..."

"SON!...how do you know that...what if it's a girl...." she said playfully....

"well then we'll just have to try again..." he laughed "but whatever they turn out to be...i'll be very happy.."

"THEY!....we're not even married and you're talking about having more than one...

"oh that's right....well then say yes..." he drew her close and kissed her...

"okay...yes..." she smiled back at him....

"but wait luis...i think i need to tell you everything..."

"it doesn't matter...sheridan can we just have this moment...and deal with the rest of the world later..." he kissed her again....."okay..."

they decided to take a drive to the beach...they got out of the car and walked to the shore barefooted...the moon was full the the sea mist set the perfect mood...

"luis you know my nightmares..." she began...

"shhh...it's okay...my mother explained everything to me...and i know she promised you to keep it quiet...which she actually did...it was ethan who told me the truth...ever since we got back from santa fe i wanted to know what it was that caused your nightmares...it's just with all the complications with my father...i just haven't been able to get you alone to confront you about them..." sheridan stood by silent and looked towards the waves crashing...luis put his arms around her..."well then i found out you were pregnant and it all just hit so hard....i had to be sure you loved me back...and i had to clear things up with everybody..."

"and it didn't exactly help me saying i hated and never wanted to see you again...did it....i was just kind of shocked....ever since i ran into your police car it seems every minute of my life is unpredictable..." she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck....and they began to sway with the breeze to the music in their hearts...

" well i told ethan i planned to marry and that means all the bad along with the good...and i needed to know everything...so he told me....and believe me sheridan...i don't blame you...i'm going to use you...and i won't control you...i know more than anyone that you can be a tough woman...but on your fragile days..i'll be here...and i won't let anyone ever hurt you again...especially not your family...we'll find all the answers we're looking for...together..."

"and no matter what we find...good or bad we'll stick by each other..." they sealled the agreement with a kiss...they didn't need to tell each other their love for one another...because even though the night air was so cold...the atmosphere around them was warmed by an emotion only found deep in the soul..

just then......

alestair crane woke up....

" thank god it was only a dream...what the hell was that all about...i've probably just been thinking too much of this predicament...i can't let sheridan and luis get involved with each other...then all i've worked for will go straight to hell..."

he picked up the telephone..

"hello...sheridan..."

"father what a pleasant surprise...we haven't spoken in such a long time..."

"i want to talk to you about luis lopez-fitzgerald....i warn you to stay away from him.."

The End!