Guarding Sheridan Ch 11-18

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Subject: Guarding Sheridan Ch 11-18
Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP
Posts: 296
Posted At: (8/21/03 7:50 pm)
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Chapter Eleven

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheridan watched as her father and the nice man continued to argue. The nice man was yelling at her father. He kept saying he knew the truth, he knew the truth and he was going to make sure everyone else knew it too. That's when her father had hit him over the head with something. Oh god, oh god. The nice man fell to the floor and Sheridan watched as her father tied him up. Then her father and Julian carried him out the front door. Where were they taking him? Where were they taking the nice man?

A door opened and Sheridan turned to find Ivy coming out. "What are you still doing up Sheridan? You should be in bed. Go on now. It's awfully late."

"But Ivy, I saw-"

Ivy interrupted her so she didn't get to tell her what she had just seen. "Sheridan, please do what I said. It's late. You and Ethan are supposed to go to the park tomorrow remember? You don't want to be too tired to play do you?"

"No, I want to play on the swings."

"Well then you'd better get back to bed." Ivy said holding out her hand. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

Sheridan took one last look downstairs then took Ivy's hand and walked back to her room. She couldn't wait to go to the park tomorrow. She and Ethan would have so much fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheridan woke up to her someone calling her name. It sounded like Luis, but she couldn't be sure. When she opened her eyes no one was there. She managed to get herself into a half laying/half sitting position and then she looked around the room. She saw Luis laying on a bed not far from her.

He turned toward her and she saw that he was asleep. He looked so peaceful she didn't want to wake him up. She figured he probably needed the sleep. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday. Had he been there all night?

"Sheridan,” Luis murmured. "Don't leave me. I have to tell you. I have to tell you that I love you."

Sheridan's jaw dropped in surprise. She must have made a sound, because Luis suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw she was awake, he bolted out of the bed. He was at her side in one stride. "You're awake."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luis watched as Dr. Russell finished her examination of Sheridan. "So is Sheridan going to be all right?"

"Yes, everything seems to be fine. Her vitals are all normal. In fact, I don't see why she can't go home this afternoon."

"Really?" Sheridan asked. He could see the hope in her eyes.

"Yes, unless of course you'd rather stay?"

Sheridan's laughter filled the room. God, he'd missed her laugh. "No, I am sooo ready to go home."

"Okay then, I’ll go get started on your release papers. I'm sure you and Luis want some time alone so you can talk." She gave him a pointed look and Luis knew she was referring to their earlier conversation.

Dr. Russell was right. Now was the perfect time to tell Sheridan how he felt. "Sheridan, I -"

"Wait," Sheridan said putting her finger over his lips. "There is something I need to tell you first. Something very important. And I need to say it right now, before I lose my nerve."

"Okay," Luis said grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm listening."

Chapter Twelve

Sheridan didn't quite know how to begin. What she had to say was so confusing, she wasn't sure if she could tell it to Luis without totally confusing him too. Maybe she should wait until she knew for sure. No, she thought giving herself a mental shake, she had to tell Luis now. "Luis, what I have to tell you is... well, it may change things between us."

Luis raised a brow at her. "I can't imagine anything you have to say will change the way I feel about you."

Sheridan groaned inwardly. He wouldn't feel that way once he knew. "When Julian grabbed my hand at the cottage, it reminded me of something from my childhood. Something so painful that I... that I blocked it out. "

Luis squeezed her hand. "It's okay. Just take your time."

"Luis, do you remember that night I got locked in the magician's box?"

"Yeah, you were so upset. You kept saying you didn't mean to do it. Is that what this is about? You remember what you did?"

Sheridan shook her head. "It's not that simple. I'm not sure I did anything. I remember saying that, but... god this is so hard to say."

"Luis, when I was about six I was made to believe I killed a man."

"What?!"

"I didn't kill him," She said rushing on before Luis could say anything else. "but I know who did. At least I think I know. I... I was sleeping upstairs in the mansion and something woke me. I heard arguing, one of them was my brother Julian and the other was a man whose voice I didn't recognize. I went downstairs to see what was going on and as I reached the bottom of the stairs one of the maids came out only half dressed. I think she and Julian had been... well you know. The man must have been her husband. He was angry, he was so angry."

"Julian was holding a gun on the man. They argued back and forth for a few more minutes and then the man lunged at Julian. The next thing I remember is hearing a loud sound like a firecracker and watching as the man fell to the floor. I screamed and that's when Julian saw me. He started toward me and I ran. I was so scared that I ran from him. I was running so hard that I tripped and hit my head. When I woke up I was... I was holding a bloody letter opener with my father was standing over me and... And lying next to me was a body covered with a white sheet."

"But I don't understand." Luis said rubbing her hand. "What made you think you killed a man?"

"Julian, he... he told father that he saw me stab the man with a letter opener. He was so detailed in his account that I must have visioned it in my head. I was so scared and then father asked me what I had done. I just kept saying over and over again that I didn't mean to do it. But you see, I didn't do anything. Julian did and he led me to believe that I did it. I was so upset that they called the doctor to come and sedate me. When I woke up I wasn't in Harmony anymore. I was in Paris... in a mental institution."

"Son of a-” Luis broke off abruptly and let go of her hand. Then he stood and started pacing the room. "Julian made you believe that you had killed a man? Then had you institutionalized so you couldn't tell anyone? The bastard."

"Luis, there’s... there's more."

"More? Good god, what else did they do to you?"

Sheridan took a deep breath. "It's not what they did to me. It's what they did to you and to... Luis, all this happened the night your father disappeared."

"You're not saying-"

"No!" Sheridan interrupted before he could finish the question. "No, the man under the sheet was not your father. I had seen another man arguing with my father earlier. I'd seen him before... with Pilar. The man I saw was yelling at my father. He kept saying he knew what he did, he knew and he was going to make sure everyone else knew too. I have no idea what he was talking about, but my father must have. Because the next thing I knew my father hit the man over the head with something, I have no idea what it was. I just remember seeing the man fall to the floor. I watched as my father and Julian tied him up and carried him out the front door. That's when Ivy caught me."

"I was supposed to be in bed because Ethan and I were going to the park the next day. She made me go to bed and... and I never saw that man again. But then the next day I was in Paris in the institution."

Luis didn't say anything. He was just standing there looking at her. She wished he would say something. "Luis? Luis, please say something."

Luis just shook his head and without looking at her walked out of the room. Sheridan wondered if he would come back. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't. After all, if the man she saw arguing with her father was Martin Fitzgerald... well, then she had just given Luis the proof he needed - the proof that her family had been responsible for his father's disappearance.

Chapter Thirteen

Luis walked out of Sheridan's hospital room fighting to control his emotions. He had to get his temper under control before he talked to Sheridan again. The last thing he wanted to do was say the wrong thing and end up in another argument. Their talk had definitely not gone as planned, he thought running a hand through his hair. He'd imagined them admitting their love for each other. But what she told him defied belief.

Her own brother had made her believe she killed a man, had her committed to a mental institution, and for what? So he could cover up the fact that he was the one that actually shot the man? It didn't make sense. From what Sheridan said, Julian could have easily claimed self-defense. The man had lunged at him after all. Julian could have easily said he feared for his life. Why would he feel the need to cover up the man's death? And what did it have to do with his father?

Was the man Sheridan saw arguing with Alistair earlier that night really his father? If it was, then she had just given him the ammunition he needed to bring down the Crane family once and for all. But what would it cost her? If Julian or Alistair went to the trouble of having her committed at six years old, what would they do now? Would they kill her to protect their secret? After what he just heard, he wouldn't put it past them.

Sheridan was right about what she told him changing things between them. Because know that he knew what her family had done to her, he would do everything he possibly could to keep them away from her. There was no way in hell he'd let Julian or Alistair anywhere near her now.

Luis pulled his cell phone out of the back pocket of his blue jeans and dialed the station's number. He was relieved when Sam picked up the phone. "Sam, yeah it's Luis. Listen, I need you to come to the hospital ASAP."

"Why? What's going on?" Sam asked. "Is it Sheridan?"

"Sheridan's alright, but she... she remembered something when Julian grabbed her at the cottage... something that happened in her childhood. Sam, she says she saw my father the night he disappeared - at the Crane Mansion."

"I'm on my way." Luis hit the disconnect button and prayed Sam got there soon. If even half of what Sheridan told him was true, then her life could be in even more danger than either of them thought.

And if it does turn out to be true, Luis thought walking back toward Sheridan's hospital room, then he planned to make Julian and Allistar Crane pay for what they did to his family... and to Sheridan.

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Sheridan had just finished tying her shoes when Luis walked in. The look in his eyes was one of pure fury, but then he masked it so quickly she couldn't be sure it had been there at all. She knew it had to be though. How could he not be angry about what she'd just told him? He'd suspected all along that her family had something to do with his father's disappearance and now she knew he was right. "Luis -"

"Sheridan -" Luis said at the exact same time.

"You go first." Sheridan said wishing he would come closer. He was so far away she felt like their was an ocean between them.

Luis never took his eyes off her face. "You were right when you said this changes things between us."

Sheridan felt the tears start to form in her eyes and she looked away before he could see how much that comment hurt her. "I... I understand."

"I don't think you do. " Luis said walking closer and cupping her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. He wiped away a tear that had started to trickle down her cheek "What you told me puts things on a whole new level for us. If Julian or your father even suspects that you told me this, your life could be in serious danger."

"Luis, I -"

"Let me finish." He said interrupting her. "I called Sam he's on his way. I want you to tell him what you told me and then I want us to disappear for a few days. Sam can look into what you told me while we're gone. Those drug dealers are still out there and now we have Julian and your father to worry about. We need to go where they can't find us. I know a place, but I'm going to need you to trust me."

"I do trust you. " Sheridan whispered. "I trust you with my life."

"Good." Luis nodded. "Now there's just one more thing..."

"What?" Sheridan asked waiting for him to continue. But instead of talking, he leaned closer and touched his lips to hers. The kiss was unlike their other kisses. This one was sweet and gentle and filled with tender emotion. If he hadn't already had her heart, Sheridan thought, he sure would of had it now. After a few minutes, Luis pulled back and looked into her eyes. Then never taking his eyes from hers, whispered "I love you."

Chapter Fourteen

Sheridan didn't think she had ever been so happy in her entire life. Oh, she'd heard Luis say he loved her when he was sleeping, but hearing him say it to her face was something entirely different. "Luis, I lo-" The ringing of the phone interrupted what she was about to say.

"I'd better get that." Luis said reaching for the phone on the table beside her. "It could be important. Hello, oh Ethan. Yeah, hold on a sec, she's right here."

"Sheridan," Luis said placing his hand over the phone so Ethan couldn't hear him. "I don't think it would be a good idea to tell him what you remembered. It might place him in danger."

"Okay, I understand." Sheridan said taking the receiver from Luis.

"Good. Why don't I go see if Dr. Russell has your release papers ready? Give you and Ethan a chance to talk?" Luis grabbed the chair he'd sat in earlier then drug it toward the door. "I want you to place this chair under the door knob so no one can open it from the outside."

"Okay. Ethan," Sheridan said placing the phone to her ear. "I need you to hang on a second while I bar the door. "

"Bar the door? Sheridan, what is going on?" Sheridan didn't answer. She just followed Luis to the door. Then ran right into him when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Don't open the door to anyone but me. Okay?" Luis asked looking into her eyes.

Sheridan smiled. "Yes, Officer. I promise. I won't open that door to anyone but you."

"Good. " Luis said leaning down and placing a small kiss on her lips. "Now I'm going to go see if I can take you out of here."

Sheridan smiled as he walked out the door. Then she grabbed the chair and placed it under the handle just like Luis told her to do. "See, I'm being a good girl." She said looking at Luis through the small window in the door.

"It's about time!" Luis said as he turned and walked down the hall.

Sheridan laughed and walked back to the phone. "Okay, Ethan, I'm back."

"Good, now would you mind telling me what is going on?"

Sheridan sobered quickly, then proceeded to tell Ethan why she was in the hospital, carefully leaving out the fact that she remembered his father was a murderer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luis had Dr. Russell paged and asked that she meet him in the waiting room down the hall from Sheridan's room. She arrived a few minutes later with Sheridan's release papers in her hand. She told him that he could have Sheridan sign them and then they could give them to the duty nurse on their way out. Luis thanked her, then started to make his way back to Sheridan's room. He was so lost in thought about his plans to get Sheridan to a safe place that he didn't hear the supply closet door open behind him or hear the man that walked out of it . He was just about to walk through the double doors leading back to Sheridan's room when someone hit him on the back of the head. Then he saw nothing, but darkness.

Chapter Fifteen

Sheridan wondered what was taking Luis so long. She'd hung up from talking to Ethan almost ten minutes ago. She pulled her clothes out of the small closet and continued packing her things. She nearly jumped a foot when someone tried to open the door to her room. She relaxed when she turned and saw Luis standing there looking in the window at her. She immediately walked toward the door to open it. Just as she started to remove the chair a sudden thought occurred to her. She smiled slyly. "What's the password?"

"The what?" Luis asked clearly confused. "Sheridan, just open the damn door!"

God, Sheridan thought as she removed the chair from in front of the door, he couldn't even take a joke. As soon as Luis opened the door, he grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing?" Sheridan asked feeling her temper rise slightly.

"We need to get you out of here now!" Luis said.

"Why?" Sheridan asked immediately rescinding her anger. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, but please don't ask any questions right now. We need to get out of here ASAP. You trust me, don't you?" Luis asked looking into her eyes.

Didn't they just have this conversation? "Luis, you know I do."

"Good, then let's go. Before..."

"Before what?" She asked when he didn't continue.

"Before unexpected company arrives."

What the hell did that mean? "Luis, did you see someone? Is it Julian? Is that why you want to leave?"

"Yes, now we have to hurry." He said pulling her toward the door

"Okay," She said struggling to get out of his grip. "Hang on a second and let me get my bag."

Luis released her immediately. But as soon as she grabbed her bag and he once again grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. She felt a shiver go up her spine as they walked by a door that said Hospital Personal Only. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. She just wished she knew what it was.

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Luis' head felt as if something had exploded inside it. Something was trickling down the side of his head and he wondered if it was blood. He tried to raise his hand to see, but he couldn't. His hands were tied to his feet. Then he remembered someone hitting him over the head and the darkness that followed it. Someone had knocked him out. Sheridan. Oh god, Sheridan was in danger! No, he thought trying to calm himself down, she’s fine. She's in her room and no one can get in. She promised not to let anyone, but me in. She has to be fine. She has to be.

Luis went about trying to get the ropes untied and smiled into the darkness when they gave easily. Whoever had hit him hadn't wanted him to be tied up for very long. Either that or they didn't see the need for him to be. Luis threw the ropes aside and stood. He felt his way around in the darkness and smiled when he found the door knob. He started to turn it and found it wouldn't budge far. Damn, someone had locked him in.

Luis started to bang on the door, praying someone... anyone would hear him. "Hey, I'm locked in here. Someone help me!"

He continued to bang on the door for what felt like hours. Finally, someone heard him and opened the door. Luis squinted at the sudden bright light and when his eyes focused he found Sam standing in front of him. "Where's Sheridan?"

"I thought she was with you?" Sam replied peering into the closet. "The guards said you two left fifteen minutes ago."

"What? I've been locked in that damn storage closet for the last..." Luis checked his watch and then let out a string of curses. "twenty minutes. I've been in the storage closet for twenty minutes."

"Luis, that's not possible. The guards said they saw you and Sheridan leave together."

"What? Sam, you just let me out of a locked closet! How the hell could I have been with Sheridan?" Then it hit him. Sheridan had removed the chair from the door. She had promised him she wouldn't remove it for anyone but him. Which meant either she broke her promise or she thought it was him. "Sam, I told Sheridan not to open the door to her room to anyone but me. She promised me."

"Do you think she broke her promise?"

Luis remembered the look in her eyes when he'd asked her to promise him. "No, I don't think she broke her promise."

Sam nodded obviously in agreement with him. "Then she must have thought it was you. The same as the guards did."

"But how is that possible?" Luis asked.

"I don't know, but we had better find out and fast." Sam grabbed his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and punched in some numbers. "James, which way were Sheridan and... Luis heading when they left?"

"Toward the wharf, are you sure?" Sam asked.

Luis didn't wait to find out. He was off and running before Sam even finished talking. He heard Sam yell for him to wait, but he didn't stop. He had to get to Sheridan. He only prayed he wasn't too late.

Chapter Sixteen

Sheridan followed along behind Luis. Not that she had a choice in the matter. He still had a hold of her arm. She didn't get it. All the times she and Luis had been together, he'd never once treated her like this. Something was seriously wrong. Sheridan stumbled over a rock and would have fallen to her knees if Luis hadn't caught her. She looked up into his eyes and felt another shiver go up her spine. Why did Luis suddenly make her feel unsafe?

"Luis?" Sheridan asked hesitantly. "What's wrong? What happened at the hospital?"

"I can't explain that now. We're almost there just please trust me for a little while longer."

"Where are we going? And why are we at the docks? Is this the way to the place you knew? Where we would be safe?"

"Yes, but first we are meeting someone. Someone you need to talk to."

Sam. She had forgotten she was supposed to tell Sam what she remembered. "Sam. You know I forgot I was supposed to tell him about Julian."

Luis stopped in midstride. "Julian?"

"Yes, it is Sam we're meeting isn't it? I mean you did tell me I had to talk to him before we left."

"Yeah, I did. Sam is waiting for us at the wharf."

The wharf? Sheridan tensed immediately. She hadn't been to the wharf since the night that Crystal got killed. Why would he be taking her to the wharf? Wasn't it dangerous for them to be out in the open like that? She wished Luis would tell her what was going on. Then maybe she wouldn't feel so scared.

Luis started walking again and Sheridan had no choice, but to follow him. They arrived at the wharf a few minutes later. "So when is Sam supposed to be here?"

"Oh, any second now." he said smiling. She didn't like that smile. She didn't like the look in his eyes either.

"Luis, please tell me what is going on. You're starting to scare me."

"Scare you? Sheridan you know I would never do anything to hurt you. I thought you said you trusted me?"

She did trust him. But something wasn't right here. She didn't know what it was, but something felt terribly wrong. Just as she started to ask him what was going again, she heard a noise from behind her. But before she could turn around and see what it was, a gunshot rang out. Then all she saw was Luis' falling to the ground and blood soaking his shirt. "Nooooo! Luisssss!!"

Sheridan knelt beside Luis, and put her hand to his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. Her head knew it was no use, but her heart... her heart wouldn't let him go. "Please god, don't take him from me! Don't take him! I love him so so much! Please take me instead. If someone has to die then please let it be me. Let it be me!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched Luis gasp for breath. "Luis, just hold on. Please just hold on. Don't leave me. Don't leave me."

Luis raised his hand to her face and she felt another shiver run up her spine. "Sheridan... it was... Julian."

Julian? "Luis, what do you mean? Was Julian the one that shot you?" Sheridan watched as Luis' eyes started to close. "NOOOO! LUIS! No, don't give up. Please Luis, don't give up!"

Sheridan watched as Luis took his last breath. "NOOOOO! Please, god, no! Don't take him from me. I never got to tell him that I lo -"

Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Luis. She turned and found herself face to face with Roger and Pierre. She didn't even struggle to free herself. They had killed Luis. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. Luis died because of her. Sheridan closed her eyes and raised her face toward the sky. She knew that it was over. She knew that she wouldn't make it out of this alive.

Sheridan opened her eyes and looked Pierre right in the eye. "You killed him. You bastard! You killed Luis."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Crane. It is unfortunate that the American cop had to get in the way, but at least now we know there is no way he can save you."

Sheridan glanced down to where Luis' body lay. She didn't care what Roger and Pierre did to her. It didn't matter anymore. Luis was dead and all she wanted in the world was gone. When Sheridan raised her eyes, she thought for sure she was hallucinating. "Luis." she whispered.

Pierre and Roger turned to see what she was looking at and then they grabbed her and put the gun to her head. "Don't move or I'll kill her. Drop your guns now!"

"You hurt one hair on her head, and I swear to god, I'll make you suffer in ways you can't begin to imagine!" he said still holding his gun on Roger and Pierre.

Luis. She wasn't dreaming. It was Luis. He was alive! Sheridan glanced down to where she thought Luis had been and screamed when she saw him still lying there in a pool of his own blood. Then she saw nothing at all.

Chapter Seventeen

Luis heard Sheridan scream his name and wondered what the hell was going on. As he neared the wharf, he saw Sheridan standing next to a body, his body, and she was crying not even seeming to care that Pierre and Roger were holding a gun on her.

Just then Sheridan looked up and saw him. He motioned for her not to say anything, but it was already too late. She whispered his name and Pierre and Roger turned, holding a gun to Sheridan's head. "Don't move or I'll kill her." One of the said. "Drop your guns."

Luis felt Sam walk up beside him, but he didn't turn to look. All his attention was focused on Sheridan. "You hurt one hair on her head and I swear to god, I'll hurt you in ways you can't begin to imagine."

Sheridan's eyes widen for a fraction of a second and then Luis watched as her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Roger and Pierre were trying to hold her, but they couldn't do that and hold the gun at the same time. One of them had to go and Luis smiled in relief as they let Sheridan slid to the ground. Then everything went haywire. Pierre and Roger fired their guns at the same time Luis and Sam did.

A bullet grazed Luis' left arm, but he remained focused on Roger and Pierre. Sam fired a shot and Pierre felt to the ground. Roger wasn't far behind. He and Sam made sure they weren't going to get up and then Luis ran to Sheridan's side while Sam checked on the three men lying beside her.

"Sheridan, baby, can you hear me?" Luis asked patting her on the face gently. "Come on sweetheart, open those blue eyes and look at me."

Sheridan moaned and lifted a hand to her head. Luis noticed it was bleeding and wondered if she hit it during her fall. She opened her eyes and blinked. "L...Luis?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me."

"Am I dead?" Sheridan asked raising a hand to her head. She grimaced in pain the moment she touched the open would. "No, I can't be. My head hurts too much. How is this possible? I watched you die. I heard you take your last breath. How can you be sitting beside me?"

"Sweetheart, it wasn't me. It wasn't me they shot. It was someone who was impersonating me."

Sam walked up then holding something in his hands. "I think this might explain how he looked so much like you."

Luis glanced up and saw Sam holding some kind of mask... a mask of his face. "What the hell? Who the hell is that guy?"

"I don't know. He wasn't wearing any id. But whoever he was, he had very expensive friends. This mask had to cost a pretty penny."

"Julian." Sheridan said breaking into the conversation. "It was Julian. That's the last thing the man said. It was Julian. I thought he meant Julian shot him, but..."

"Sheridan?" Luis asked grabbing her arm and helping her up off the ground. "What are you saying? That Julian paid the man to be me? Why? Why would he do that?"

"To keep us apart. He did it to keep us apart." Sheridan said not even looking at Luis. She was staring at the man she had thought was him. "It must have been him that night. Julian must have hired him."

"Sheridan?" Luis asked turning her around to look at him. "What night? What are you talking about?"

"The night you kissed me. We were standing right here. Do you remember?" Luis nodded and she continued. "I came back not long after I left. You were here talking on the phone. I heard you call me a spoiled princess. I heard you tell someone that you were only using me."

"And that's why you slapped me?" She nodded and Luis finally understood what went wrong between them. "Sheridan, I would NEVER say those things about you. I could never use you. I love you."

"I know that now Luis. I didn't then. I didn't know someone was going around impersonating you." Sheridan lowered her eyes to the ground. "God, I should have known it wasn't you. I should have realized."

"Sheridan, how could you? The man had my face, even my voice. Hell, if I saw him I would have thought I was looking in a damn mirror! There was no way you could have known."

Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked back up at him. "I should have trusted you, Luis. I should have known you wouldn't use me that way."

Luis wiped the tears away from her face and pulled her into his arms. "Sheridan, this is not your fault. We barely knew each other back then. Not the way we know each other now."

Sheridan pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. Then placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Luis."

"I love you too Sheridan. More than I ever thought possible." Luis leaned down and kissed her then. It started out as a gentle kiss, but it quickly turned into a passionate one. He pulled back when he heard someone ask, "What the hell was going on here?"

Luis turned around and saw the horror on Julian Crane's face as he saw the body of the imposter lying on the ground. Julian started to back off, but Luis was on him in a flash. "No so fast, Crane. You've got some explaining to do. A lot of it."

"Get your hands off me!" Julian screamed. "I'll have your badge for treating me this way."

Sheridan walked up then and forced her way between them. "I know what you did Julian. I know what you did to keep me and Luis apart and I know what you did when I was a little girl."

Julian's face paled. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No? How 'bout the night Martin Fitzgerald disappeared? You thought I wouldn't ever remember, didn't you? Well, I probably wouldn't have if you hadn't grabbed my hand at the cottage. I know what you did Julian. I know what you AND what father did. I won't let you get away with it. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars!"

Luis pulled Sheridan away from Julian and together they watched as Sam placed handcuffs on him and started to read him his rights. Luis turned to look at Sheridan who was watching the scene with a smile on her face. The first one he'd seen in a long time. "Sheridan..." She turned toward him and his breath caught in his throat. The love in her eyes shone brightly. "I love you."

She smiled. "Enough to marry me?"

Luis laughed and shook his head. "Dammit, I was going to ask you that!"

Sheridan laughed and put her arms around him. "Is that a yes?"

Luis took her face in his hands and when his lips were less than an inch away, he whispered, "yes."

Chapter Eighteen: The Final Chapter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Six months later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheridan Crane stood in the backroom of the church staring at herself in the mirror. The wedding dress Theresa had designed was exquisite. She knew Luis would be pleased.

They had gone through so much over the last few months. Her father and Julian were now behind bars where they couldn't hurt anyone else. Luis finally learned what happened to his father. She still couldn't believe Julian paid that maid to convince an amnesiac Martin that he was her husband. The husband that Julian had killed the same night Martin disappeared.

Martin didn't remember what he and her father were arguing about and according to Eve he never would, but his family didn't care. The only thing they cared about was the fact that he was alive. Sheridan was glad he was here for the wedding. She knew it meant the world to Luis to have his family together again. Even Antonio had come home. Yes, today was the best day of her life. After all, she was about to marry the man of her dreams.

A knock on the door brought her out of her daydream. "Yes?"

"It's Theresa."

Sheridan moved toward the door. "Luis isn't with you is he?"

"No, he tried, but I wouldn't let him."

Sheridan laughed and opened the door. That was Luis, all right. He'd been trying to convince everyone, all morning long, to let him into to see her. He said he didn't believe in superstitions, but Sheridan knew he wasn't about to take a chance today. "Come on in.

"Thanks," Theresa said walking into the room. "I brought you something. It's from Luis."

"Luis? Oooh, what is it?"

"I don't know, all he said was it was something old."

"Hmm, I wonder what it could be. " Sheridan murmured as she took the gift and started to unwrap it. The minute she lifted the box, tears sprang to her eyes. There sitting in the box was the compact Luis had given her. She picked up and turned it over in her hand. "I thought I'd never see this again."

"What is it?" Theresa asked.

"It's the compact Luis bought me. I lost it in Paris, or so I thought. I had no idea Luis had found this."

"That's my brother. He's just full of surprises."

Yes, he was, Sheridan thought as she opened the compact to check her makeup. As soon as she opened it and read the inscription inside, tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Sheridan,

I give you this along with my heart.

I love you,

Luis

Sheridan knew that nothing and no one would ever keep them apart again. She had finally found love and in the process she had gained a wonderful new family. This was the best day of her life, but then she remembered it was only the beginning. Because in seven months, they would have a wonderful bundle of joy to add to their new family. Sheridan smiled as she placed her hand on her stomach, she couldn't wait to tell Luis. He would be so happy!

Sheridan checked her appearance in the mirror one last time, then followed Theresa out the door. Today was the first day of the rest of her life and she was the luckiest woman in the world to be spending it with a man like Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald!

The End!

The sequel to this story is To Love & To Cherish

Author of over 40 fan fiction stories, some of which include: Too Hot To Handle, Playing With Fire, Guarding Sheridan, An Affair Of The Heart, and The Thing Called Love

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Guarding Sheridan Ch 1 - 10	OKDeanna	8/21/03 7:49 pm
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