Welcome to The Masquerade, my second FF for OLTL.  Before I start, I would like to say thanks for Mary for including me in the Halloween challenge.   I feel honored, I just hope this is worthy. ~smile~

Secondly, this is just a fluff piece, a snippet if you will.  No magic work here, no magic potions to fix Jilly Kruger's handiwork but maybe if this goes over well, I'll do a Thanksgiving one. ~smile~

Feedback is highly encouraged, flames with be used to light my fireplace. The characters aren't mine, they belong to ABC, Disney and/or whatever entity owns them…I am just borrowing them, I will give them back, slightly used but still in working order. With all that said, enjoy the story.

Whlwtcher

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The invitation came by personal messenger.  Tea took the cream-colored envelope, giving the messenger a nice tip before closing the door. 

Mr. and Mrs. Asa Buchanan cordially invite you to a masquerade ball Palace Hotel Ballroom October 31, 1999 Please RSVP…

Tea smirked as she tossed the invitation on the coffee table as she sat down on the couch, picking up her glass of wine, taking a drink.  Asa and Renee are throwing a party, she thought to herself as she looked at the envelope, her name, Tea Delgado, written in calligraphy on the front.  Must have been what Hank was talking about earlier, how Asa wanted to celebrate finding his new heir. She had half a mind to tear the thing up, sit home on Halloween night with a big tub of popcorn and her tape of "Night Of The Living Dead" in the VCR.  She didn't think she could face all those people in one room, celebrating Halloween as her mind thought back to her first Halloween in town.  The Pirate Family, she thought with a smile as she remembered her, Todd, Starr and even Moose dressed up for the holiday.  Her smile turned quickly to tears, which it always did when she thought of them, together as a family, for the short time they had.  Tea sighed, wiping the tears away, taking another drink of her wine.  What the hell, she thought picking up the invitation.  Why not?  It beats sitting home alone. 

The palace ballroom was decorated spectacularly.  Asa spared no expense with this party.  Every few feet was a waitperson with glasses of the best champagne, trays of the best caviar and nibblets, crystal twinkling throughout the room.  He was excited about his new heir and to celebrate, wanted to hold a masquerade ball in his son's honor.  Everyone was invited, even people Asa hated, which, of course was half the town.  Guests arrived in their elaborate costumes, women in full, Victorian gowns, and men in period formal wear, all wearing full facial masks.  Tea watched the crush from the sidelines, her eyes scanning each beautiful costume after another.  She had to admit, this did beat vegging out on the couch, pigging out on popcorn, pizza and cult movies, dressed in her most comfortable, ratty sleepwear.  It was difficult to tell who was who, with everyone wearing masks but she amused herself by trying to figure out who might be wearing what. 

A shiver ran down Tea's spine as she viewed the man in the mask across the room.  His eyes, something about his eyes and then he was gone.  Tea stood on tiptoe, trying to peer over the heads of the guests to see where he had gone but she couldn't find him.  She had lost him.

As Tea listened, she saw him again, off to the side, a glass of champagne in his hand, watching the crowd as they danced on the dance floor.  Tea's heart beat faster as she looked at him as he leaned against one of the pillars, hand in pocket, leisurely looking at the dancers.  Sensing someone watching him, Tea watched as he turned in her direction, his hazel eyes locking with her.  Tea's stomach fluttered and her heart leapt, it couldn't be!  Excusing herself from her companion, Tea pushed past the crush, trying to make her way over to the man.  It couldn't be him, she thought to herself as she snaked her way through bodies on the dance floor, her eyes still on the man in the mask.  He couldn't be Todd.  Tea watched as he turned, opening one of the French Doors to the patio, stepping out into the night air.  Tea followed.  Standing in the doorway, Tea watched as the man in the mask, his back to her, stood by the railing, looking out onto the country clubs expansive lawn.  Tea noticed his chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail and her mouth went dry.  Unable to resist the urge, Tea shouted, "How dare you!"  The man turned as Tea advanced towards him, her eyes narrowing, her heart beating faster.  "How dare you come here after everything you did!"  Reaching him, Tea reached up and tore the mystery man's mask off, her eyes wide.  "Hey, lady!"  Tea felt her knees go weak as she stood in front of a man, a stranger, his eyes full of confusion and anger.  "What the hell is your problem?" he asked her, taking his mask from her hands.  "I'm, I'm so sorry" Tea sputtered, embarrassed beyond belief.  "I thought you were someone else.  I'm sorry."  Tea turned quickly, hoping her legs wouldn't give way as she rushed back into the ballroom, shutting the door behind her. 

The man in the mask shook his head, moving over to the furthest side of the patio, away from the French Doors.  "It's done." He said, speaking to the shadows.  Hearing rustling to his left, the man turned to see another man, dressed exactly as him, emerge from behind a large plant that was in the corner of the patio.  "Did she see that it was you?" the man asked, to which the other man nodded.  "Good."  Todd reached out his hand and the man placed the mask Tea had ripped off his face into it.  Reaching into the breast pocket of his dress coat with the other hand, Todd removed a plain white envelope, exchanging it for the mask.  "Now leave." He barked, to which the other man laughed.  "Easiest $500 bucks I ever made." The man smiled before climbing over the railing of the patio and slipping into the darkness.  Todd placed the mask onto his face then entered the ballroom through the doors from which Tea escaped.  Scanning the room, he found her, standing by the bar, looking mortified.  She caught his glance and smiled sheepishly.  Taking a deep breathe, Todd moved his way over to her, his eyes never leaving hers.  "I am so sorry," she started as he approached her, standing before her.  "I thought you were some one else, please forgive me."  The man dipped his head slightly, making Tea smile.  Todd's heart skipped a beat at her radiant smile. God how I have missed you, Delgado.

"Usually I am not so rude," she said through her smile "How can I make it up to you."  Tea watched as the man extended his hand slightly, his eyes holding hers.  "Oh," she said, surprised at the stranger's silent invitation to dance. "Oh, no, I don't-" The man extended his hand further towards her, an indication Tea assumed as he was not going to take no for an answer.  Taking his hand, Tea allowed the mask man to lead her onto the dance floor, watching as he turned to her when they had found the perfect spot and stood before her.  With her right hand in his and her left hand on his shoulder, his hand on her waist, Tea danced with the masked man, her eyes looking up into his.  "You have his eyes." She whispered, not really caring that he might not understand.  "He has such beautiful…" Tea stopped as she felt the man's hand on her waist guide her to him, closing the gap between them.  She was so near to him, looking up into those wonderful eyes.  Tea tried to tell herself to stop, that it wasn't Todd but she couldn't.  This man's eyes hypnotized her like Todd's always had, pulling her deeper into his world, into his soul. 

Todd watched, as her eyes looked deep into his, those beautiful, brown, trusting eyes that he could never get enough of.  Those same eyes that tore his soul when he saw tears in them as that stupid tape played drew him in again, filling him with pain and desire.  She smelled of an exotic scent, as enticing as her costume.  All night from the patio he had admired how beautiful she looked as it clung to her slim form.  She felt soft next to him; he could feel the heat coming from her body.  If he hadn't had a full-face mask on, he would have kissed her, just once, to feel those lips upon his again but he didn't dare take off the mask.  "You can't be him, right?" she whispered up to the man, her eyes full of confusion.  "I saw that, out on the patio.  It wasn't him but-but-I feel him."  Tea continued to look into the masked man's eyes as she leaned closer into his body, the man's arm around her waist now.  "We were so connected that when I would see him, I would always get a tingle up and down my spine." she told him letting go of his hand to place it and the other one around his neck.  Todd placed the other arm around her waist, drawing her closer still.  Their movement had stopped and now they were gazing into each other's eyes.  "Like now.  I could feel him in the room even when I didn't see him.  That's how I feel now…but that can't be possible, can it?  I saw that you weren't him."  Todd remained silent as Tea slowly moved one hand up to the masked face, caressing the hard plastic, his eyes fluttering closed as he imagined feeling her soft, warm hand on his face.  When he felt her hand start to slide the mask up, Todd gripped her gently by the wrist, holding her hand in place on the mask.

"Everyone, I would like to make a toast!"

Asa's booming voice over the microphone brought Tea out of her trance and she moved slightly, turning to see Blair and Max take their place next to Asa.  Uninterested, Tea turned back to find the man in the mask gone.  Frantically, her eyes scanned the room, trying to find him but he had slipped away.  Tea's heart filled with loneliness as she tried not to shed the tears that wanted to fall.  It was silly to get upset, she thought to herself, moving closer to the bar for the announcement.  It wasn't him.

Todd watched silently from the entranceway of the ballroom, securely hidden from view by the guests.  You only wanted one dance, he reminded himself, remembering how his want turned into an obsession as he read of the Ball in the society page of the Llandview paper that he got special delivered. Yes, he thought.  One dance with his wife, one more moment to have her in his arms again and then he would leave, back from which he came.  But not for long, he thought to himself.  I will be back, Delgado and we will dance forever.  And with that thought, Todd Manning slipped out of the palace ballroom, as quietly as he came.

The End.