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OKDeanna's Passions Fan Fiction Forum > Gwen & Hank Stories > More Than Friends: Ch 9-10 *Story #3 in Falling Fast Series* |
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Subject:
More Than Friends: Ch 9-10 *Story #3 in Falling Fast Series* Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP Posts: 256 Posted At: (10/15/02 9:11 am) Reply |
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Final Chapters... CHAPTER NINE Hank ran a hand over his face then glanced out at the choppy water in front of him. Just two days ago the water had been as smooth as could be and now... now it was anything but. It reminded him of what was going on with him and Gwen. Two days ago their relationship was that of good friends, easy and fun. And now, thanks to last night, things were in an uproar just like the water he looked at now. He knew they had rushed into bed before either one of them was ready and because of it she was now in a tailspin that he wasn't at all sure he could shake her from, especially considering the fact that he was in a spin all of his own. He sighed then lowered his hand to grip the railing in front of him. He had no idea how to deal with the situation they were in right now. She had said she loved him, but then she had taken it back, claiming she wasn't ready to say the words. But he had wanted to hear them, he thought his fingers automatically tightening their hold on the railing. He hadn't known that up until last night, but he had fallen in love with her and he wanted to hear her say she loved him too. He wanted to hear her say those words, because he needed to know that she felt the same way. But he couldn't tell her that because she was running scared of anything and everything that had to do with those three little words. Wasn't it just his luck to fall in love with a woman that the very mention of the words I love you sent her running off in the opposite direction? He shook his head then let out a sigh of frustration. He wanted to call Gwen and see how she was, but somehow he didn't think he should. Somehow he knew he should wait until she called him. But damn he'd never been good at waiting. When the Bennett family genes were being passed down the one for patience, along with a few others, he thought with a grimace, had been missing from his batch. He raised his hand from the railing to run it through his hair then froze when a familiar scent floated to his nostrils, he turned expecting to find Gwen, only to frown when his eyes landed on her mother. He turned back around more than content to ignore the woman, when he suddenly found her standing next to him staring at him with those suspicious eyes of hers. "Hello, Mrs. Hotchkiss." "Nevermind that." Rebecca stated icy disdain practically dripping from her voice. "I want to know what the hell you did to my daughter? I called to her this morning and the only thing I managed to get out of her was Hank and a bucket full of tears! What did you do to her?" "Tears?" Hank asked in a choked whisper as the blood began to pound in his ears. "She was crying? Over me?" "I don't know." Rebecca said her eyes narrowing on him like those of a hawk stalking its prey. "That is what I would like to know. I want to know why the very mention of your name would cause my daughter to break down in tears." Hank opened his mouth then closed it again not quite sure what to say. He thought about it and decided to regard her honestly. "I'm not sure. She was upset about something she told me last night that she really didn't mean to say and it brought back some painful memories for her, memories of Ethan and what he did to her." "What did she tell you?" He swallowed hard then averted his eyes. "You'll have to ask Gwen that." "Well, I'm not talking to Gwen right now." Rebecca answered placing her hands on her hips, her eyes looking almost lethal. "I'm asking you. What did my daughter tell you?" "I -" "Well spit it out!" Rebecca yelled at him. "What did Gwen tell you?" "Mother!" Gwen's voice called out from behind him causing him to turn around so fast that he almost lost his balance. "Quit badgering Hank!" "It's okay." Hank said taking a step toward her only to have Rebecca cut him off when she walked around him and enveloped Gwen into a hug. He frowned then sucked in a deep breath when Gwen's saddened brown eyes swung in his direction. Even if Rebecca hadn't already told him she'd been crying this morning, he would have known it anyway. He could see the tears in her eyes even now. "You okay?" He mouthed needing to know the answer, but unable to voice the question for fear it would set her mother off asking more questions than either one of them wanted to answer right now. She nodded against her mother's shoulder then sent him a small smile as pulled back out of her mother's embrace and turned her attention away from him, leaving him with a sudden sense of loss. He shook his head sadly then averted his eyes from the two women in front of him and turned to look back out at the water, steeling himself to wait until her mother left before attempting to speak with her further. Somehow having Gwen's mother privy to what was sure to be an awkward conversation at first was just not on his top ten list of things he wanted to do today. * * * * * Gwen cast a glance at Hank out of the corner of her eye and wised she could get rid of her mother so that they could talk. She hadn't expected to run into him down here, but now that she had she couldn't say she wasn't happy to see him. She had spent the morning trying to figure out exactly how she felt about what happened between them last night and the only thing her mind seemed to want to focus on was the fact that she had told him she loved him. That had gone from friends to lovers, in the blink of an eye yet that wasn't what had sent her mind reeling and had her gasping for breathe when her chest became to tight. No, what had her so messed up was the three little words that she whispered to him in the heat of the moment and also the three little words she knew he felt, but hadn't been given the chance to say because she had told him she wasn't ready. It was true, but at the same time her heart begged her to let him say them, which was the entire reason her emotions had been all over the place this morning. When her mother called this morning to try and talk her into going out to breakfast at the country club, the only thing she'd been able to say in answer was Hank. And then like a blubbering idiot she had burst into tears, causing her mother to freak out and evidently track Hank down to find out the reason why. God, she had to have told him that she caught her crying over him this morning and he had to be upset about that. If there was one thing she had learned about him, these last few months, it was the fact that he took things to heart and he would not like being the reason she had cried. In fact, she was pretty sure he was going nuts over there looking out at that water, waiting for her mother to leave so they could talk. She swallowed hard then turned her attention back to her mother, only to freeze when she recognized that shocked look in her eyes. "Don't start mother." "Oh my god." Her mother whispered placing her hand over her heart. "You and... You and Hank? Oh no! I simply won't stand for it! No daughter of mine will be involved with the brother of the chief of police!" "You have no say so in the matter." Gwen said her eyes narrowing on her mother. "If I want to be involved with Hank that is my choice, not yours. I did what you wanted and got involved with Ethan. And yes, I did fall in love with him. But look where it got me." "Ethan will come to his senses, Gwen. Just give him time." "TIME?" Gwen asked raising her voice and causing Hank to turn around in surprise. "I'm not going to give Ethan time! I don't want to give Ethan time. It's over and you're going to have to accept it, because I've moved on and so has he!" "To Hank?" Her mother asked looking over her shoulder to send him a glare. "Is that what you're telling me? You no longer want to wait for Ethan, because you've gotten involved with Hank?" Gwen glanced at Hank and as he eyes connected with, she told her mother the truth. "Yes, Hank and I are involved, but that is not the reason I am no longer waiting around for Ethan. I am no longer waiting around because frankly I realized that he doesn't deserve me." "What are you saying?" Her mother asked stepping in front of her and blocking Hank from her view. "Are you telling me that you are no longer in love with Ethan?" "A part of me will always love Ethan, because of the history we share, but I am not in love with him anymore. Just as he is not in love with me." Gwen shook her head then took drew in a deep breath of fresh air. "I'm starting to wonder if we were ever really in love with each other. I think it was more about being comfortable with each other than it was ever about loving one another." "Are you crazy?" Her mother asked grabbing onto her elbow in a death like grip. "Ethan Crane is worth billions and you're just going to let that gold digging hussy get away with taking him from you? You're just going to let her get away with making a fool out of you? Of making you into a laughing stock of the social circle?" "That's enough!" Hank roared suddenly appearing at her side and taking her mother's hand off her elbow. "What are you doing? She's your daughter and here you are wanting her to go back after the man that broke her heart? What kind of mother does that?" "The kind that knows what's best for her daughter." Her mother replied clipped tone while her eyes glared daggers at Hank. "And I know what's best for her is Ethan. He may have made a mistake in -" "A mistake?" Hank asked incredulously. "Lady, you'd better look up the word mistake in the dictionary because right now I'm pretty sure you'd find your picture there!" "How dare you -" "No, how dare you!" He said his voice angrier than she had ever heard from him. "This woman is your daughter yet you seem more concerned about what Ethan's decision did for your reputation in the social set than how it affected her. Do you even realize how much pain Gwen was in after Ethan broke it off with her? No, of course not! You were too busy worrying about yourself and what the other country club snobs would think than to worry about how your daughter was feeling!" Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but Hank didn't let her. He just barreled on not even caring that several people were watching the scene with avid interest, including his brother and Luis. "Yeah, you can tell yourself you're doing what's in your daughter's best interest, but you can't tell me, because I know whose interest it is you're looking out for and it damn sure isn't Gwen's!" "Hank," Gwen said tugging on the sleeve of his jacket until he finally turned his angry brown eyes in her direction. "Stop. It's alright." "No it isn't!" H snapped then immediately closed his eyes and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just -" "I know." She said smiling as she raised her hand to his cheek, causing his eyes to fly open and lock onto hers. "You were taking up for me and I appreciate that. But your brother and Luis are over there watching and if you don't go explain to them that everything is okay then they might decide to come over here and I think we've caused enough scenes for one day, don't you?" His eyes widened as he slowly turned his gaze to the two men standing off to the side, a smirk on one's face and a worried expression on the other. "Damn. I'll go talk to them, but -" "I'll be fine." She said rubbing her thumb across his cheekbone then smiling when his eyes met hers again. "I can handle my mother. I've been doing it for years." He nodded then raised his hand to capture hers resting against his cheek and brought it to his lips to place a kiss against her skin. "I'll be right back." She smiled at him then leaned in to place a kiss against his cheek. "Go, I'll be fine. I promise." He smiled back at her then with a regretful sigh, he released her hand and walked around her to deal with his brother and Luis, while she turned to deal with her mother. She inwardly laughed when she saw the shocked expression on her mother's face then groaned into the air when her mother's keen intuition kicked in. "My god," She whispered into the air as Gwen met her eyes. "You're not just involved with him, are you? You're in love with him. You're in love with Hank Bennett." CHAPTER TEN Hank took a deep breath as he neared his brother and best friend. Of all the times to run into them, it had to be when he lost his temper with Gwen's mother. Damn, Luis had that cop mode protector look about him and Sam… Sam had that very unflattering brotherly smirk that always drove him crazy. He gave an inward sigh then stopped a couple of feet in front of them, waiting to see which of them would react to his defending Gwen to her mother first. His gut said Luis, but he couldn't really discount his brother at this point either. "Why didn't you tell me you were involved with Gwen Hotchkiss?" Luis asked as his eyes shot over his shoulder to the two women currently involved in what he knew was a serious discussion. "Because it wasn't any of your business." Hank muttered under his breath drawing a laugh from his brother. "Sam, don't you dare -" "They are more than involved." Sam replied his blue eyes dancing with laughter. "I think my little brother has fallen head over heels in love with her." "What?" Luis asked his dark eyes widening in surprise as he glanced back and forth between him and Sam. Sam bobbed his head up and down then let out another laugh and turned to Luis. "I've been suspecting something was up for the last few months, but Hank never would tell me what was going on or who the mystery woman he's been seeing for the last three months was. Then I caught him coming in early this morning. His shirt was open, buttons ripped off, and he had this totally perplexed expression on his face. But also looked like he lost his best friend. Now I know the reason. Hell, I should have realized it sooner. My baby bro is in love." Hank closed his eyes as Luis and Sam continued to talk about him as if he wasn't even standing there. He didn't know why he was surprised really. They'd done that to him more times than he could count. Usually though it was when he did something incredibly stupid. He frowned at that thought then glanced over his shoulder to where Gwen and his mother were standing. He did love her. He loved her with everything he had inside him, but… but she wouldn't let him tell her and that hurt. It hurt more than he could ever say. "HANK!" Hank started in surprise as a voice filled with what sounded like laughter, practically yelled into his ear. "You don’t have to yell Luis. I'm standing right here." "You may be standing here, but your head was over there where Gwen is standing." Luis shook his head then let out a laugh. "Man, I never would have bet on you and Gwen. Not in a million years. What on earth do you two have in common?" "A lot more than you and Sheridan do." Hank quipped earning himself a scowl from Luis and a laugh from Sam. He turned toward his brother with a glare. "What the hell are you laughing at?" "Right now?" He asked his lips breaking out into a wide smile. "I'm laughing at my totally unprepared for what's going on brother. I swear Gwen's got you tied in some pretty tight knots. What's going on? You two have a fight this morning? That why you were so upset this morning?" "None of your business." Hank replied still glaring at his brother. "So just butt your nose right back out." "No can do, brother of mine." Sam replied with a chuckle. "I would not miss seeing you this tortured for anything in the world. Would you, Luis?" "No way." His best buddy replied with a laugh. "He gave me hell when I was going through the same thing with Sheridan. No way am I going to miss the opportunity to repay the favor." "And you call yourself a friend?" Hank said swinging his glare in Luis' direction. "You're supposed to be better than that!" "Yeah well, we all have our faults." Luis said trying to stifle his laugh, but not being very successful. "Man I have waited years to see you fall for a woman. And to think it's Gwen Hotchkiss of all people. That's just priceless." Hank narrowed his eyes at that. "What is wrong with Gwen?" Luis' eyes widened at the anger in his voice and the laughter that had been in his voice quickly died. "Nothing is wrong with Gwen." "Then why did you say it like that?" Luis sighed and turned to look at Sam. "Man, he is so gone." Sam laughed then looked at him and grinned. "Yep." "Dammit!" Hank yelled as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Would you two please stop talking about me like I'm not even here!" Both men looked at each other then broke out into a fit of laughter. Hank broke out into a fit of curses, which only made the men in front of him laugh harder. * * * "Mother," Gwen said for the third time in less than five minutes. "My relationship with Hank is none of your business." "I don't see why you won't answer my question." Her mother replied with a raised brow. "Are you or are you not in love with Hank Bennett? It's a simple question. Yes or no?" Gwen frowned then turned her head to look at the man in question. He stood with his back to her, but she could tell by his stance that his conversation with Sam and Luis was going about as well as hers was with her mother. She sighed. What had they gotten themselves into? It was easier when they were just friends. No one knew they were friends. No one knew they hung out as much as they did. Sure they had been in public places together before, but no one questioned them about it. They just assumed they had run into each other by accident. No one thought about the possibility that they had planned on meeting up or had arrived together. But it would be different, now she thought turning her attention back to her mother and raising a hand to run it through her long blond strands. Now everyone would be questioning them. What they felt for each other. How long they had known each other. Why they kept the fact that they knew each other a secret. She sighed. She didn't want to answer questions. She wasn't ready to admit what she felt for Hank out loud, which was the entire reason she was in the mood she was in now. She was scared of what she felt for Hank, because if what she was feeling really was love, which she knew it was, then that placed her heart in danger again. She knew it didn't make sense to keep it a secret when she had already blabbed it to Hank, but that had been a heat of the moment type confession and she knew he wanted a confession from the heart. But she wasn't ready to give neither that confession nor was she ready to hear the one that he would give afterwards. She just wasn't ready to… to deal with it yet. She just - "Gwen!" Her mother yelled, her high-pitched voice jerking her out of her thoughts. "Are you listening to me? I asked you a question! Do you or do you not love Hank Bennett?" "Mother -" "Just answer me!" "I don't want - " "Gwen, are you in love with Hank or not! It's a simple -" "Alright!" Gwen yelled finally unable to take it any longer. "Yes, I love Hank! Are you satisfied?" "She might not be." A voice replied from behind her. "But I sure as hell am." Gwen took a deep breath as her heart began to beat to an erratic tune. His warm, gentle fingers circled her arm and her tongue shot out to moisten her suddenly dry lips, as he slowly, gently swung her around to face him. Her eyes were level with his jaw, but one finger of his left hand placed directly under her chin, quickly remedied that situation and before she could even blink, she was lost in an intense brown stare. "You said it again." She licked her lips as the cotton in her mouth intensified and then froze, when his eyes darkened to a deep black pool. "Hank?" "Don't ask me to forget it again, Gwen." Hank replied as he took a step closer and cut the few scant inches between their bodies. "Because I can tell you right now that I can't do it. I can't forget that you said you love me anymore than I can forget that I love you too." "Hank?" "I mean it." He whispered as he raised a hand to move a lock of her blond hair behind her ear. "I love you too, Gwen. I know neither of us expected it to happen, but it has and I'm not sorry. Are you?" Was she? Was she sorry that Hank had said those three little words that she'd been so afraid to hear? No, she thought as a smile spread across her face, she wasn't sorry. She wasn't afraid of the fact that Hank loved her. She had been before, but now that he had actually said the words she felt… she felt…free. "I'm not sorry, Hank." "Does this mean that you want to be more than friends?" Hank asked the corners of his lips curved upward into a smile that sent every nerve in her body into a frenzy. She smiled. "I think we were always more than friends. It just took us a little while to realize it." "I think you're right." Hank replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body tight against his. Just before his lips covered hers, he whispered four words, four words that she knew without a doubt in her mind would remain a part of her memory for as long as she lived. "I love you, Gwen." I love you too, she thought losing herself in sweetness of his kiss, with all of my heart. THE END Thank you for reading! Author of over 40 fan fiction stories, some of which include:
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Replies
| Sweet Kiss Of Revenge *Story #1 in Falling Fast Series* | OKDeanna | 10/15/02 9:01 am |
| A Kiss Among Friends *Story #2 in Falling Fast Series* | OKDeanna | 10/15/02 9:03 am |
| More Than Friends: Ch 1-4 *Story #3in Falling Fast Series* | OKDeanna | 10/15/02 9:06 am |
| More Than Friends: Ch 5-8 *Story #3 in Falling Fast Series* | OKDeanna | 10/15/02 9:09 am |
| More Than Friends: Ch 9-10 *Story #3 in Falling Fast Series* | OKDeanna | 10/15/02 9:11 am |
| this story was very intriguing, learning from both of their | unknown | 10/21/02 6:24 pm |
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