Téa: You know what? Um, I'll tell ya what. You go get your divorce and I'll think over your proposition.

Todd: Proposal.

Téa: Right, your proposal. And if I don't agree to it, I will help you try to find another suitable candidate.

Todd: Suitable candidate? There's no other suitable candidate.
You're the only girl for me!

While Todd is in San Domenico, getting a quickie divorce from Blair, Téa informs both Rachel and Andrew about Todd's 5mil. "marriage proposal", and both try to talk her out of it. Although a little disturbed by some of the "Bad Todd" stories she hears about from them, when Rachel accuses her of "selling her soul "..... Téa responds...."What's left of my soul wouldn't fetch $5 in funny money. Anyway, the point is I'm not selling my soul, but I'm perfectly willing to lease it on a temporary basis until Todd's custody of Starr is firmly established".... But Téa is singing a decidedly "different" tune by the time Todd is back in Llanview.....

[The following scenes later at the Penthouse play like "TnT Showdown at Ok Corral". Both Ts are staring each other directly in the eyes, both with looks of cold hard determination, as if daring the other to "blink" first. But underneath that, we see their "emotional vulnerabilties" and that the motivation for each of them is to "protect themselves" in more ways than ONE... they also have a need to protect themselves, emotionally. It's very clear that this has been a lifelong defense mechanism for each of them. These scenes really highlight just how alike and equally matched Todd and Téa are. ]

Todd: If it isn't money, then what's the problem?

Téa: Do you think it's smart to imply that you can buy me?

Todd: Are you implying that I can't? (noticing that Téa is upset at this last statement, sits down on the stairs, behind her) Oh come on, I thought we had some "refreshing honesty" here, what, what.... was I wrong?

Téa: Look, this is about more than money.

Todd: Yeah, you're right, this is about my little girl's life.

Téa: And mine. I'm pretty confident that Starr's safe with you. I'm not so sure that I am.

Todd: (sarcastically) Oh, I love it when you cut to the chase.

Téa: I'll propose some terms to this "agreement." If you don't like them we'll call the whole thing off. I'll still try to get you custody of Starr, frankly I think you have a good chance.

Todd: I stand a better chance with a loving wife by my side who also happens to be a legal pilar of the community and a loving step-mother to boot.

Téa: Yes, that would certainly help to offset some of the unsavory details of your past.

Todd: (disgusted) Lawyer. You don't mince words, do you? Alright, so what is it that you want, huh? Some time off now and then? How about every other Sunday or something?

Téa: (quickly snaps at him) Don't treat me as a servant, even as a joke.

Todd: Oh, okay fine, no jokes.

Téa: You'll respect me, at home and in public.

Todd: Yes ma'am.

Téa: And you'll respect my friends.

Todd: No. No, I draw the line at hypocrisy. You have lousy friends.

Téa: Well then you won't deliberately alienate them.

Todd: Well I can't stop breathing. Look, why don't we just agree to separate lives now and then.

Téa: Look, I come and go as I please.... no questions asked.

Todd: Fine. Anything else?

Téa: Well, if.... if this is going to be my new home, I'm going to want to have my friends over every once in a while.

Todd: Wild parties?

Téa: I'm not a party girl, and I don't have a lot of friends. But the ones I do have, I value, and they don't like you any more than you like them.

Todd: Well I have that effect on people.

Téa: So, if you can't promise not to deliberately alienate them, I'd expect you to absent yourself when they were here.

Todd: Absent. With notice.

Téa: Of course.

Todd: And not often.

Téa: An evening every other week.

Todd: Fine. Any other rules and regulations?

Téa: I need a guarantee for my physical safety. You can understand, I'm sure.

[At this point, Todd is standing a few steps up on the stairwell and Téa is on the ground floor. After she says this, Todd, trying to intimidate Téa, walks closer to her and looms over her.]

Todd: No, I can't understand. You wanna spell it out for me?

[I think the following dialogue shows us just how quickly Téa has been able to "get Todd", what kind of man he really is, because she hits on something here that would eventually occur between TnT (later in the relationship), an event which would be an extremely painful and pivotal moment in their lives.... forever.]

Téa: (totally NOT intimidated by him) I realize the newspaper accounts I read on microfiche in the library didn't represent the whole story, but they were, uh, disturbing.

Todd: You've done your homework.

Téa: I'm very thorough, that's what makes me such a good lawyer.

Todd: Right, and this is your life that we're talking about.

Téa: Exactly.

Todd: Mine too.

Téa: Yes. We both have a lot at stake. So, we should probably negotiate some incentives.

Todd: To ensure my good behavior. You know, you either trust me or you don't. Personally, I don't trust anybody. What's a contract anyway, right? It's just a.... just a piece of paper.

[Todd sits on the couch as Téa proceeds to rattle off her "terms" in her best "Delgado, the tough as nails defense attorney" mode.]

Téa: I trust my instincts. I think I'd know if I was in trouble and I'd get out. But, you'd probably throw me out first, to save yourself if nothing else.

Todd: Oh, you're a smart woman.

Téa: But, uh, as you suggested, let's spell out the consequences. If you attempt to abuse me in any way, the deal is off at that point. But I still get the five million, plus an additional million as penalty.

Todd: So what's to stop you from crying foul, taking off with my money one or two months into the deal?

Téa: (looks him dead in the eye) My honor.

Todd: (sarcastically) How noble.

Téa: If you were to expose this little arrangement, my career would be in jeopardy, but that would not stop me from getting out if I had to.

Todd: What exactly do you mean when you say abuse?

Téa: Any attempt to use shame or intimidation to try to control me. Emotional abuse, using words to hurt me, deliberately, yelling, cursing. Physical abuse from jabbing an angry finger in my face, hitting, slapping, shaking, anything that hurts..... including rape.

[Trying to be flippant and nonchalant, Todd glances at Téa, from head to toe and back up again, finally meeting her eyes, and speaks to her with a very overt sexual tone in his voice.]

[With a look in her eyes and tone in HER voice that is as cold and hard as STEEL, Téa moves a few steps closer to Todd.]

Téa: (powerfully) Rape..... isn't about sexual attraction.... it's about violence. And if you can't understand that, then we have nothing more to discuss!

Todd: Look, I didn't know what to do. Starr will tell you what to do. And I've seen her with you. I just need to know that you're gonna do your best.

Todd: That's all I needed to hear. So fine, do we have a deal?

Todd: You want it or not?

Téa: Oh my god. Does this come out of my five million?

Todd: (laughs slightly, amused by her) No. It's payback, you know, for not putting me through that whole thing where you gotta buy a wedding dress and I gotta sit around and wait while you get your hair done. So does it fit?