Chapter 4
~at the Lobster Shack~
"So, what exactly happened all those years ago?" Sara asked.
"Oh… it's a long, complicated story," Sheridan said.
::Flashback:: After Casey had hung up, someone came barging into the room. "Excuse me, but you know, there's such a thing as knocking… Oh, Grandfather, excuse me. I'm so sorry for making that comment," Ethan said.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Alistair Crane said. Then he turned to Casey and Sheridan. "It was you," Casey said, dumbfounded. "You were the one that kidnapped us."
"That's right. And do you know why?"
"I don't know! All I know is that I want to be with my wife. She needs me. Our baby needs me."
"Oh… you so remind me of Luis, you know that. Always talking about love, and caring. Ha. None of that truly exists."
"You bastard!" Casey slapped Alistair. The old man got furious and held Casey in a headlock. "Now you know what it's going to be like to mess with Alistair Crane."
~a year later~
"Nicole," Casey said, talking to Sheridan, "let's go and find something to eat."
"Okay, Nathan," Sheridan responded. Alistair had taken away their identities, literally, and had given them new lives. They stayed in Harmony, but no one knew them as Sheridan and Casey anymore. Sheridan still didn't have her memory back, and it was driving her crazy.
Casey had gone home to fix up a leaky pipe, so Sheridan decided to take a walk. She ended up in the park and decided to watch people… but them a sad feeling came over her.
Watching lovers walking,
hand in hand they pass me by, yeah
Wish I was one of them,
wish I had somebody waking up beside me
Looking into my eyes at night
I want a love to call my own
I want someone that I can hold
Want someone wanting me
I wanna feel how it feels to be
Somebody's somebody
Someone's someone
Some sweet lover's lover
I wanna be that one
Someone faithful to someone faithful
Someone kind to someone kind to me
Somebody to somebody who loves me
Spending all of my time
Spending all my time on me
Where is that someone who I can give my time to?
Searching for that lover
With a love that will change my life
I want two arms to hold me close
I want the thing I need the most
Somebody needing me
So I can feel how it feels to be
Somebody's somebody
Someone's someone
Some sweet lover's lover
I wanna be that one
Someone faithful to someone faithful
Someone kind to someone kind to me
Somebody to somebody who loves me
What I'm looking for
is someone to love me more
than I've been loved before,
with love so right
What I need to find
is someone to hold me tight
What I mean is that I want to be
Somebody's somebody
Someone's someone
Some sweet lover's lover
I wanna be that one
Someone faithful to someone faithful
Someone kind to someone kind to me
Somebody to somebody who loves me
Somebody's somebody…
"Somebody's Somebody" is by Christina Aguilera.Sheridan sat and a tear fell from her eye. "No one loves me…"
Just then, something came flying at her head and she fainted.
"Casey?" Sheridan blinked her eyes to see who the person was. "What… what are we doing here? Last thing I remember, we were talking about Sara and the baby…" Then she remembered the events of the past year. She smiled. "Casey… I mean, Nathan, guess what?"
"What is it, Nicole?"
"I have my memory back. I remember everything."
::Reality::
"Basically, we got kidnapped by Sheridan's dad and he took away our identities, so we couldn't go back to Sunset Beach. That's why we never came back," Casey explained.
"But why would he kidnap you, Case? I mean, I can understand why he could kidnap Sheridan… her father is a mean, nasty person and doesn't care about Sher at all, but you? You haven't done anything wrong," Luis pointed out.
"Well, according to him, I have," Casey said.
"Like?" Sara asked. "What could you have done?"
"I told Sher about 'that night,'" he responded.
"That night?" Luis and Sara wondered aloud, in unison. "What's the harm in that?" she asked.
"Well, obviously, Sheridan is a witness to a crime. And Alistair doesn't want his precious Crane Empire to crumble. That's why he and Julian stopped you and Sheridan from ever getting together-or at least, tried to--, because they were afraid that you were a gold digger and that you were going to find them out."
"Those bastards!" Luis said, a little too loudly. Neighboring tables turned to look at him, and he quickly apologized. "All they care about is money and power. I would never do such a thing! All I care about is Sheridan," he said, his tone softening as he looked over and smiled at his fiancée.
Sheridan smiled back. Just then a slow song came on. "Would you like to dance?" Luis asked Sheridan. She accepted, and Casey and Sara got up, too. The two couples began to dance.
I wanna know whoever told you I was letting go
Of the only joy that I have ever known
Girl, they're lying
Just look around
And all of the people that we used to know
Have just given up, they wanna let it go
But we're still trying
So you should know this love we share
was never made to die
I'm glad we're on this one way street, just you and I,
Just you and I
I'm never gonna say goodbye
'Cause I never wanna see you cry
I swore to you my love would remain
And I swear it all over again and I,
I'm never gonna treat you bad
'Cause I never wanna see you sad
I swore to share your joy and your pain
And I swear it all over again
All over again…
Some people say that everything has got its place in time
That even the day must give way to the night
But I'm not buying
'Cause in your eyes, I see a love that burns eternally
And if you see how beautiful you are to me,
You'll know I'm not lying
Sure, there'll be times we wanna say goodbye,
but even if we try,
there are some things in this life won't be denied,
won't be denied
I'm never gonna say goodbye
'Cause I never wanna see you cry
I swore to you my love would remain
And I swear it all over again and I,
I'm never gonna treat you bad
'Cause I never wanna see you sad
I swore to share your joy and your pain
And I swear it all over again
The more I know of you is the more I know I love you
And the more that I'm sure I want you forever and ever more
And the more that you love me, the more that I know, oh,
that I'm never gonna let you go
Gotta let you know that I…
I'm never gonna say goodbye
'Cause I never wanna see you cry
I swore to you my love would remain
And I swear it all over again and I,
I'm never gonna treat you bad
'Cause I never wanna see you sad
I swore to share your joy and your pain
And I swear it all over again
All over again…
all over again…
and I swear it all over again"Swear It Again" is by Westlife.
They resumed eating until all of a sudden, two shots rang out. The first one hit Sara. The force of the bullet sent her right into Casey, and the two of them fell. "Sara? Are you okay, honey?"
"Yeah… I'm not going to die… but it hurts, Case. It hurts really bad." Just then he saw the wound on her right arm. She squeezed his hand, and he held her and helped her ease the pain.
The second bullet was coming straight for Sheridan, but Luis pushed her out of the way and received the shot. He fell to the floor, bleeding. "Luis! Oh, my God!" Sheridan knelt over him and saw the crimson spot spread over his shirt. The tears came to her eyes. "Luis… don't leave me… I need you…" Sheridan started to cry. Casey yelled out, "Someone call 911!" He helped Sara sit down and then took a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around her wound. He smiled as he did this, because it brought back a memory.
::Flashback:: "Casey, if we don't get out of here soon, we're going to die!" Sara and Casey were circling the S.S. Neptune, which had capsized. They were trying to find a way out of the boat when they ran into a corner and Casey winced.
"Casey, let me see that cut," Sara said.
"No, I'm fine, don't worry about it." Sara took his arm anyway and examined it. She ripped off a part of Casey's shirt, which she was wearing, and wrapped it around the cut. "Ow, ow, it hurts, Sara."
"It's supposed to hurt, Casey." Just then she finished tying the makeshift bandage. "There. All done."
Casey examined the "bandage." "Where'd you learn how to do that?"
"I took pre-med in college. I was originally going to become a doctor."
"Dr. Sara Cummings. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"Yeah, well… we'd better get out of here, and soon."
::Reality::
Casey looked back up at Sara and saw that she remembered it, too. That was ages ago… I had no idea that she was going to become my wife… Just then they heard the familiar siren of an ambulance.
"Okay, where's the victim?"
Casey pointed to Luis. "Right there." Luis was still conscious, but very weak. "Sher?" he whispered.
"Luis? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah. I love you, Sher."
"I love you, too, Luis." She kissed him, and then the paramedics took him on a stretcher. Sheridan broke down and Casey hugged her. "Sher, it's going to be okay. We've been through a lot together, and we'll get through this, too."
"But Casey, they just got here! Why is this happening to us?" She buried her head in her cousin's shoulder. Casey just held her and said, "I don't know, Sher. I don't know why this is happening to us." He had a feeling, though, that someone was out to get them.
~at the hospital~
"Is Luis going to be okay?" Sheridan asked Dr. Russell.
"Well, it was only a flesh wound, so we expect him to make a full recovery, in time. But for now, he's in critical condition. He's going to have to stay here for a while."
"He's not going to die, now, is he?"
"No. He'll be fine."
"Oh, thank God." She went and sat down next to Casey. "How's Sara?"
"They're checking her out. I don't know how she's doing though." Just then Sara and another doctor came out of the examination room. "Well, Sara's going to be okay, but she needs to stay here overnight, just so that we can give the wound time to heal."
"Is there any way I can bring her back in the morning?"
"I'm sorry, but we really need to keep her here. Sara's wound can get infected if we don't."
"Okay, okay." The doctor left and Sara said, "Casey, just go home. Rachel and Andrew need you."
Casey smiled at the thought of his children. "But--"
"No buts. I'm going to be fine. I've spent the last two years without you. I guess one more night won't hurt."
"Okay, okay," Casey agreed. "Fine. But you owe me."
Sara giggled. "How about this?" She kissed him, a passionate one, and they didn't stop until Sara's arm started to bug her. "Is that good enough for you?"
"For being without you one night? Yeah." They kissed again, until the doctor came and took her away. "Sweet dreams, Sara."
"They will be, Case. You'll be in them." She smiled at her husband and then blew him a kiss. "I love you," she mouthed, as she was led farther and farther into the hospital.
"I love you, too." He blew her a kiss, too, and after she was out of sight, he went to go check on Sheridan. She was in Luis's room.
"…Luis, please, don't leave. We just got back together after two years, and… and I love you. We need to get married soon, Supercop. I can't live without you. Please don't leave." The tears were streaming down her face as she talked.
::Dream:: Luis walked into a room. It was empty, except for three doors. There was light coming from two of them. Just then, someone appeared in front of one of them.
"Luis, it's me, Papa."
"Papa?" He ran to hug his father. "I missed you so much! Where have you been all this time?"
"I've been in Heaven. As I was making my way to the Crane Mansion that night, I was in a car accident, and they covered it up. I've missed you and your mother and your sisters and brothers. You all have become wonderful young adults and I'm proud of you."
"Papa, why am I here? Am I dead?"
"Not yet. Whatever door you walk through will decide that. And once you walk through it, there's no turning back." He motioned to the three doors in the room. One of them had a brilliant white light streaming through it, and Luis heard heavenly music. Then Luis looked at the two other doors. One of them had evil laughter coming through it, and the other one had nothing behind it. He was about to make his way to the door with the bright light, but then he heard someone talking. *Luis… please don't go… I need you… I love you…*
"Sheridan?" He looked around wildly but couldn't find where the voice was coming from. "Sheridan, I'm not leaving you," he said. Then he heard her again.
*We just got back together after two years… I don't know how I'm going to survive without you…*
"Where is the voice coming from?" Luis asked.
"That's for you to find out." Luis walked to the doors again. He opened the third door and there was nothing behind it, except for a faint light far away. He could hear Sheridan. *I love you, Luis… don't leave me… please…* He was about to walk through the door when his father said, "Are you sure?"
"I have to, Papa. Sheridan needs me."
"Okay, then, son. Until we meet again…" The image of Martin Fitzgerald faded, and Luis walked through the door, never looking back.
::Reality::
Luis opened his eyes. "Sheridan?"
"Luis! You're alive! Thank God." She hugged him gingerly, being careful not to hurt him. "I love you so much, Luis."
"I love you, too, Sher. More than anything." He kissed her gently, and then he smiled. "I saw my father, Sher."
"You did? Where?"
"I had a dream. I was about to die, you know. But then I heard your voice, calling me, and I came back."
"Oh, Luis…" She hugged him again. "I'm so glad you're okay."
She crawled into the bed with him and they held each other, until Dr. Russell came into the room. "Luis…" She stopped when she saw Luis and Sheridan curled up in each other's arms, fast asleep. "I guess TLC really does work." She turned off the light and closed the door.
Chapter 5
