Ethan took another sip of his ice tea and tried to focus on what Gwen was saying. He was glad that she had convinced him to have lunch on the Terrace, he needed a distraction, but the more he tried not to think about his meeting with his stalker, the more he ended up thinking about it. Theresa had set the meeting up for that afternoon and Ethan still wasn't sure that this was a good idea. Still Theresa had set up the meeting and Ethan was convinced that she would never do anything to put him in harms way. She was his lucky charm and if anyone could put an end to this whole stalking business he was sure that she could.
"Funny," he thought "When did I start expecting Theresa to do the impossible?"
Gwen noticed that Ethan was distracted. She had been leaving not so subtle hints that she wanted them to go away together. Ethan had been so distracted with this whole stalker business and with that mousy secretary Theresa that Gwen was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to have Ethan all to herself again.
"Hey earth to Ethan." said Gwen throwing a napkin playfully at his face.
The feel of the napkin brought Ethan back to earth and he turned to look at Gwen.
"Where were you just now. You seemed to be miles away."
"Sorry," said Ethan giving Gwen a weak smile.
"Don't be sorry Ethan just tell me what's going on," said Gwen more impatiently then she would have liked. She really understood that Ethan had a lot on his plate but ever since he settled in Harmony it seemed to her that she wasn't one of them.
Ethan moved from around the table and sat next to Gwen. He had decided not to mention anything about meeting the stalker until after it was done, but he could tell that she was getting impatient with his preoccupation with this whole matter and decided that the best thing he could do for their strained relationship was let her in on Theresa's plan.
"Gwen I know that I have been a little distracted lately.."
"A little distracted," said Gwen interrupting Ethan before he could finish his sentence, "a little distracted? Ethan ever since we came back to Harmony the only thing that you seem to care about is finding your stalker."
"Well with good reason Gwen," said Ethan starting to get a little impatient himself. "For all I know this girl could be a crazy killer or something. I have to protect my family Gwen."
"Ethan you said it yourself. You believe Theresa when she said that the stalker moved to South America," said Gwen letting out an exasperating sigh. " I'm starting to think that its you that is obsessed with this girl not the other way around. Its over move on."
"I am. Today I end all this."
"How?" asked Gwen giving Ethan a skeptical look. "Are you planning on flying to South America and tracking this girl down?"
"I don't have to. She's back in Harmony."
"What?" asked Gwen sitting up in her chair and looking at Ethan with panic in her eyes. "Have you seen her?"
"No," said Ethan rising from his seat." But Theresa says..."
"Oh Theresa again," said Gwen with a bitterness. "What does your mother's mousy secretary have to do with all this now."
"First of all Gwen she is not mousy," said Ethan turning around to face Gwen. He could understand Gwen's frustration. He was becoming frustrated with the situation himself. But he was getting sick and tired of her taking her feelings out on Theresa. Besides she wasn't mousy. She was natural and pure. Two things that Ethan found very charming about her. "And secondly she knows how I can end this."
"How?" asked Gwen skeptically. She had only met Theresa one time but from what she was hearing from Frank Lomax she was beginning to think that their was more to this girl then meets the eye. Besides Ethan was becoming way to protective of her and she didn't like that one bit.
"Theresa is going to set up a meeting between me and the stalker."
"What?!!" said Gwen raising her voice in surprise. "You just said a minute ago that this stalker could be dangerous now you want to meet her, presumably alone?"
"Theresa says..."
"Oh.." said Gwen standing up to face Ethan. "Theresa says, Theresa says, who cares what Theresa says. Ethan has it ever occurred to you that Theresa may be in cahoots with this stalker. That they maybe working together to hurt you?"
"That's ridiculous," said Ethan. "Theresa would never do anything to hurt me."
"And how would you know Ethan? You hardly know the girl?"
"I know that she is a good person, that she.." Ethan stopped talking when he noticed that Gwen slumped back in her chair in disgust. He knew that Gwen had her reservations about Theresa and that he probably would never be able to get her to see how good and special he was. Right now though he was concerned about how Gwen was seeing them. She was right things had changed since they came to Harmony and he did need this to be over for the sake of their relationship.
"Gwen," said Ethan taking Gwen's hand and sitting right beside her. "You're right. This whole stalker business is getting old and that's why I'm going to meet this girl and end it one way or another. If she is harmless then great, case closed, but if she is sick then maybe we can get her the help that she needs. And when it is over then I can concentrate on what's important."
"And what would that be?" asked Gwen not looking at him.
"Us," replied Ethan touching her chin so that she would look at him. "Us he whispered again."
"Oh Ethan," said Gwen hugging him. "Just be careful."
"Hey why would I take any unnecessary risks when I have you to come home to."

Whitney was sitting on Theresa's bed trying not to panic. She couldn't believe that in a half an hour Theresa was going to meet Ethan as herself. She really couldn't believe how calm Theresa was. She watched her friend try out different hairstyles in the mirror and marveled at her ability to tune reality out.
"Whitney," which hairstyle do you think goes with this outfit?" asked Theresa pinning her hair up and turning away from the mirror to look at Whitney.
"I don't know Theresa. Besides what does it matter? Nothing looks good with an orange jumpsuit and ankle chains."
Theresa put her hair down and gave Whitney an amused look. She knew that Whitney was worried about her meeting with Ethan, but she wasn't. She had spent a lot of time with Ethan and she knew that he would never do anything as hurtful as to have her arrested. Ethan was her knight and shining armor, the greatest man that ever lived. He would understand. She had been making such progress with him. She could feel it. He was really starting to develop feelings for her. And when this was all over, they would be together she just knew it.
"Whitney if I told you once I told you a thousand times you worry too much."
"And if I told you a thousand times you don't worry enough," said Whitney figiding around nervously. "Has it ever occurred to you that Ethan could have the cops waiting for you when you arrive at your little meeting."
"Not going to happen," said Theresa smiling triumphantly. "Ethan trusts me. He knows that I would never do anything to hurt him and I wouldn't set up a meeting between him and somebody that was dangerous."
"Theresa. Don't you feel bad about lying to Ethan?"
Theresa looked at her friend for a moment and then sat down beside her. It was times like this that she really regretted that Whitney was so deeply involved in this whole mess. She knew that Whitney hated lying ,she did to. But the difference between the two of them was that she understood that sometimes you had to lie for the greater good, Whitney didn't get that. Besides she did feel bad about lying to Ethan, but she just didn't have another choice. It was that or loose him forever and Theresa couldn't bare the thought of that.
"Of course I do Whitney. That's why I'm doing this, to end this whole stalker misunderstanding once and for all."
"No Theresa," said Whitney getting up and grabbing Theresa's wig off the dresser." If you really wanted to end this you would tell Ethan the truth. The WHOLE truth Theresa. You would tell him that his mother's plain secretary and the girl he thinks is stalking him is one and the same."
"I am."
"Thank God," said Whitney breathing a sigh of relief.
"Just as soon as the time is right?"
"What?  asked Whitney moving from the dresser. "Theresa are you telling me that you're not going to tell Ethan who you are today. Then what is the point of this meeting?"
"To get Ethan use to the idea that I am not stalking him. Then once he believes it I can pick my moment and reveal my true identity. Just like Clark Kent," said Theresa smiling as her thoughts went to that moment: Ethan would be waiting for her and the park. She would come in her disguise. He'd look up at her:
 "Theresa what are you doing here I thought the stalker would be here," asked Ethan getting up from the park bench he was sitting on.
"Yes Ethan," said Theresa coming towards him. "I'm right here," said Theresa pulling off her wig.
"Theresa you're my stalker?" asked Ethan confused.
"Yes Ethan but It's not what you think,"  she said coming towards him.
" I thought that you were stalking me," he said putting his hand on her face," but now that I see that you just wanted to be near me."
"Yes Ethan. I love you." said Theresa smiling. "You're not mad?"
"No I guess I knew it all along. That's why I kept trying so hard to find you. I guess deep down inside I knew that my search would lead me to you. I love you Theresa," said Ethan moving in for a kiss..
"You're dreaming Theresa," said Whitney trying to talk some sense into her friend. "Ethan would never let you off that easy. Why don't you just tell Ethan the truth and beg for mercy.
"Because I don't have to Whitney everything will be ok. All we have to do is just hold on. Oh and stay out of Frank Lomax's way, no matter how hard that may be."
Whitney looked up at the mention of Frank's name. She couldn't help but flashback to how good it felt when he was leaning so close to her. She was interested in him. She couldn't deny it, but she sure wasn't going to let Theresa know that. This situation was complicated enough without adding the fact that she had the hots for Frank Lomax to the equation.
"For the last time Theresa I do not have the hots for Frank Lomax," said Whitney trying not to blush.
"And you call me a liar."
 

Gwen hated this. Talking to her mother was always like talking to a drill sergeant. No matter what she did she always expected more. It was bad enough that she was getting anxious about Ethan proposing to her, but her mother was now harping on how great it would be for her to marry into the Crane family as soon as possible. She was pacing up and down the Crane living room trying not to scream.
"After all," said Margaret Hotchkins on the other end of the phone for the millionth time. "Ethan Crane is quiet the catch. You've managed to hold on to him for 5 years dear, but he is young and he IS a MAN. You have to snap him up before some other pretty young thing catches his eye."
"Mother," said Gwen trying not to loose her temper. "Ethan loves me. He has never even looked at another women."
"Keep telling yourself that," said Margaret on the other end.  "He is the son of Julian Crane and we all know how much he loves the ladies."
"Ethan is nothing like his father," said Gwen trying to surppress the image of Ethan moaning Theresa's name. "He is strictly a one woman guy."
As Gwen was finishing her sentence she noticed Frank Lomax coming in.
"Mother I have to go," said Gwen hanging up before her mother had a chance to say good bye.
"Hello Frank," said Gwen walking over to the detective." If you're looking for Ethan he isn't here."
"Damn," said Frank blowing air through his teeth. "I can't believe that he actually went to meet that girl."
"So you think that this meeting is a bad idea too," said Gwen relieved. Finally somebody was thinking clearly.
"I tried to talk him out of it when that Theresa girl suggested it I mean who knows what she's up to?"
"So you don't trust Theresa either?" asked Gwen offering Frank a drink.
"No thanks," said Frank turning down her offer." That girl has done nothing but lie to me and to everybody since this whole thing started."
"Do you know that for sure?" asked Gwen. Theresa was really becoming a thorn in her side and she wanted desperately to knock her off of that sweet little pedestal that Ethan had put her on.
"No," said Frank sitting down." But I know that she is in league with the stalker and that she has somehow managed to drag Whitney into her scheme."
"What makes you think Whitney is not involved?" asked Gwen joining him on the couch.
"A gut feeling. She's just too sweet for that. Theresa is definitely the bad guy in all of this."
"Thank God that somebody sees through that girl," said Gwen relieved. " Ivy and especially Ethan think that she is this sweet innocent girl, but I know better. I know that there is more to that girl then meets the eye."
"Me too," said Frank happy to finally have an ally. He was beginning to think that Theresa had snowballed everyone in this house. He couldn't understand Ethan's loyalty to her, but he suspected that they were more romantic then he cared to let on. Frank couldn't see him being interested in Theresa especially with such a pretty girlfriend, but to each his own. "And I'm going to prove."
No," said Gwen." We're going to prove it. Theresa has been manipulating Ethan from the get go. I want her exposed." Its the only way Ethan will be all mine again.
Frank smiled at Gwen and she took h is hand.
"Partners?"  she asked shaking his hand.
"Partners," he said smiling broader.

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