| SMALL BLESSINGS BY TIMA |
CHAPTERS 101 - 105 |
SMALL BLESSINGS
chapter 101:
[Todd returns to the bedroom. As he makes eye contact with Tea, he can tell from the expression on her face that she heard Starr yell that she hated him and wished he wasn't her father.
Todd quickly turns the light off in the room, trying to avoid an emotional exchange with Tea right now.
In the darkness, he makes his way to a chair near Tea's bed. Tea ignores his obvious desire for solitude and kneels down next to the chair, seeking to comfort him. Todd pulls away from her touch and quickly stands up.]
Todd: Don't.
Tea: I can help.
Todd: My kid hates me because of you. You've helped enough.
Tea: You're blaming me?
Todd: Who else?
Tea: I can think of two people who are responsible for the mess they've made with their daughter.
Todd: No way! This isn't my fault. Everything was fine when I was giving her everything she wanted. You're the one who wanted me to stop doing that.
Tea: Obviously, spoiling her wasn't working.
Todd: It was working just fine. But, you had to mess everything up, just like you always do. Now everything's screwed up and it's all your fault.
Tea: You don't think that any of this is because of any of the choices you've made?
Todd: No.
Tea: It's all my fault?
Todd: Isn't that what I just said?
Tea: It's just so moronic, I wanted to make certain I understood you correctly.
Todd: You did. If you hadn't fucked everything up, my kid wouldn't be out there pissed off at me right now.
Tea: None of this is my fault.
Todd: How can you deny what you did?
Tea: What did I do? I loved you. I loved Starr. I wanted to be a family.
Todd: Families don't split on each other.
Tea: Mine does. Yours does.
Todd: Starr's does, too, because of you.
Tea: Despite the lies your ex-wife has been telling Starr, I'm not responsible for your break-up with her mother...not now, and certainly not when Starr was a baby.
Todd: You told me to get a divorce. You told me to marry you.
Tea: You wanted to fight for custody of your daughter. That wasn't my idea.
Todd: Fucking up my life by marrying you was definitely your idea.
Tea: You didn't have to marry me. You could have married anyone to fake stability and help your custody case. You chose me, not the other way around.
Todd: I only chose you because there was no one else.
Tea: Is that why you chose me this time, too?
[Todd doesn't respond. He needs to vent his anger. He can't allow himself to truly do that with Starr. He knows that he can trust Tea to forgive him for whatever he says as his way of releasing the anger building inside him. But, he also knows that there's an imaginary line drawn at an unknown point. If he crosses it, he could lose Tea forever. If he doesn't release the pressure inside himself, though, he's afraid of the possible explosion that could later result.
Tea is surprised as Todd moves closer to her and tenderly caresses her cheek with the palm of his hand.]
Todd: You're such a bitch, Tea.
[Despite his words, and despite the increase in his volume, the softness in his voice, and the affection in his touch, allows Tea to know that he doesn't mean what he's saying, anymore than she does as she adds her raised voice to his.]
Tea: I'm a bitch?
Todd: Yeah. You're a total bitch.
Tea: If I'm such a bitch, why are you still here?
Todd: I won't be for long. I'm taking my kid and getting as far away from you as I can.
Tea: Go ahead!
Todd: I will!
[Todd brings his lips close to hers and whispers.]
Todd: You can't get rid of me this easy.
Tea: I'm counting on that.
[They share a brief kiss before Todd reluctantly pulls away and moves toward the door. As he opens the door, he screams one final word.]
Todd: Bitch!
[Todd slams the door, leaving a smiling Tea alone in the bedroom.
Moments later...
Todd bursts into the room again, startling Tea.]
Todd: She's gone.
Tea: What?
Todd: She's gone.
[Todd leaves the room again. Tea hurries after him.]
Tea: She wouldn't have left because she heard us, would she?
Todd: She must have split before we even got started. If she had heard us, she would have stuck around to gloat. I would have been her hero for ditching you for her.
Tea: I thought it would work, too.
Todd: Only if she had stuck around for it. Now, I'm still the bastard who chose you over my own kid. I can't get anything right.
Tea: Are you sure she's gone? She's not in the kitchen? Or, on the deck?
Todd: Her bag's gone. The front door is open. She's gone.
Tea: She left the door open? Someone could have come in and hurt the baby.
Todd: My kid's out there. Something could happen to her. And, you're worried about something that didn't even happen?
Tea: It could have. She endangered all of us.
Todd: You can lecture her about all the horrible people in world, after I find her and bring her back here. Right now, I have to get out of here and find her.
Tea: I'll call the police.
Todd: No way. I don't want any idiots getting in my way.
Tea: The more people looking for her, the better.
Todd: Leave them out of this.
Tea: Where could she have gone?
Todd: Anywhere that I'm not.
Tea: Where will you look for her?
Todd: Everywhere.
[Todd leaves the house and enters the garage. Moments later, Tea hears Todd's loud stream of profanity and joins him in the garage.]
Todd: Your fucking car won't start.
Tea: Call the police.
Todd: Those assholes aren't good for anything.
Tea: If you don't call, I will. This is your daughter, Todd. Put aside your personal feelings about the police.
Todd: None of this would have happened if that old broad of yours hadn't swiped my car.
Tea: You gave my grandmother your car as a bribe so you could have time alone with me.
Todd: What a fucked up idea that was.
Tea: You're scared right now. I'll ignore your comments.
Todd: Like I give a fuck.
Tea: I'm calling the police.
Todd: You're not getting them involved.
Tea: What are you going to do? Run around the neighborhood looking for her all by yourself?
Todd: She's got small legs. How far could she be by now?
Tea: You don't even know which direction she went.
Todd: She's headed back to Llanview.
Tea: But, how do you know which street she took?
Todd: I'll check them all.
Tea: You need help. You need the police. Just this once, for your daughter's sake, trust someone else.
Todd: Do whatever the hell you want. I'll find her before those idiots even finish their latest donut break.
[Todd rushes out of the garage and down the street. Tea returns to the house and phones the local police department.]
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SMALL BLESSINGS
chapter 102:
[Hours later...
Tea is pacing in her living room when the telephone rings.]
Tea: Hello?
Todd: I found her.
Tea: That's such a relief. Is she okay?
Todd: She's pissed off.
Tea: But, she's okay?
Todd: Yeah.
Tea: Good. Where are you? I'll pick you up.
Todd: Your car's a piece of junk that doesn't work, remember?
Tea: I called my grandmother. She came right over. I have her car.
Todd: You mean...my car.
Tea: I wish it were your car again. She's already gotten a speeding ticket.
Todd: Good for her.
Tea: You would approve. Where are you?
Todd: You don't have to bother. I already took care of everything. I'm taking Starr back to Llanview tonight. This whole family thing was a stupid idea.
Tea: I understand.
Todd: I'm not splitting on you, Delgado. That's why I called. I knew you'd be all pissed off at me, thinking I had, if I didn't let you know what was going on. Tell the kid I'll be back tomorrow.
Tea: You don't have to.
Todd: You're not getting rid of me.
Tea: You need to spend time with your daughter.
Todd: Is this about before? You know why I said all that junk, right?
Tea: Of course.
Todd: You've said way worse to me when you've been ticked off about whatever.
Tea: This isn't about what was said.
Todd: What is it about? Because, I don't have much time.
Tea: Take your daughter home. Spend a few days with her. Time with her father is probably just what she needs right now.
Todd: You're sure?
Tea: Absolutely. Enjoy your time with your daughter.
Todd: That would be easier if she wasn't refusing to talk to me.
Tea: Give her some time and she'll forgive you.
Todd: What did I do that she needs to forgive me for?
Tea: You disappointed her.
Todd: I disappointed you, too. How long before you forgive me?
Tea: I always forgive you.
Todd: And, then, you always regret forgiving me.
Tea: It's up to you whether I regret it this time, too.
Todd: So, you do forgive me for whatever the hell you think I did this time?
Tea: If you ever figure out what you did and honestly feel bad about it, I'll forgive you. Good night.
[Tea hangs up the telephone. Todd stares at the receiver, confused about what he did this time to upset her, but feeling certain from the tone of her voice that he must have done something.
Several days later...
Todd tries to reach Tea by telephone and is frustrated that she isn't answering her phone. He's convinced that she's angry at him and ignoring him on purpose, just to punish him. He considers being stubborn and making her be the one to contact him, but a feeling keeps nagging at him.
He knows that if Starr finds out he left Llanview to see Tea again, his daughter will make his life even more miserable. If he doesn't make sure that Tea and Little Enrique are okay, though, his mind will torture him with the worst possible scenarios.
After spending the day letting his daughter torture him by making him do things that she knows he hates, he drops her off. She tries to force him to spend time with Blair, but he refuses. She finally relents after Todd offers enough cash to temporarily soothe her.
Moments later, Todd is speeding his way toward Tea's house. Not wanting to believe that anything bad has happened, he spends his drive convincing himself that Tea and the baby are fine and she's not answering her phone just to play games with him. Each mile intensifies his anger at her. By the time he pulls into her driveway, he's built his anger into a nearly uncontrolled rage.
Todd's anger grows even greater as he tries to use his key and finds that it doesn't work in the lock. He pounds on Tea's front door, yelling loudly for his ex-wife.]
Todd: Open this damn door, Tea! Do you hear me? Get your ass out here, right now!
Tea (through the door): What do you want, Todd?
Todd: I want you to open the fucking door.
Tea: Go home.
Todd: I'm trying, but you just had to be a bitch and change the lock on me. Chicks!
Tea: Men!
[Todd pounds on the door several more times.]
Todd: If you don't open the door, I'll kick it in.
Tea: If you do, I'll call the police.
Todd: What the hell is going on, Tea? Why are you so pissed?
Tea: Take a guess.
Todd: I don't know, that's why I'm asking.
Tea: I'm not in the mood for this anymore. Find someone who's willing to put up with you. That's not me anymore.
Todd: You're not this pissed about that fake fight, are you?
Tea: Go home.
Todd: Tell me, or I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay out here and embarrass you in front of all your loser neighbors.
Tea: You couldn't be bothered to call me. Why should I waste my time on you anymore?
Todd: You didn't bother to call me, either.
Tea: I called. I left messages. None of them were returned.
Todd: Maybe I didn't get them. Did you think of that?
Tea: Mr. Briggs told me he gave you my messages personally. He wouldn't lie about that.
Todd: Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway because I called. You didn't answer your stupid phone. That's not my fault. And, I came all the way out here just to make sure you and the kid were okay. I should get points for that.
Tea: I know exactly when you called, Todd. It wasn't the first day. It wasn't the second day.
Todd: Who's counting?
Tea: I am.
Todd: Why should it matter when I call, as long as I call.
Tea: It mattered to me. Past tense. We're through. Accept that and move on. I have.
[Todd's anger intensifies.]
Todd: Are you in the middle of screwing Dick Head? Is that why you won't open the door?
[Todd kicks at the door, startling Tea.]
Todd: I'm not playing around. Open the fucking door.
[As Todd continues to take his anger out on her door, Tea rushes to Little Enrique's room and quickly packs a bag for him. She carries her nephew through the house and into the attached garage.
Moments later, Todd hears the garage door open and runs toward the garage. He stands in front of the car. Tea's eyes blaze with anger as they share eye contact.]
Todd: Calm down and get out of the car.
Tea: You want me to calm down? This from the man trying to kick my door in?
Todd: Only because you were acting like a bitch and not letting me in.
Tea: I'll never let you in again, Todd. Get out of my way.
Todd: Forget it.
Tea: I won't forget. Not this time. This is over. We're through, for real this time.
Todd: Okay...I get it. You don't have to take the kid anywhere. I won't come back. No matter what you think of me now, I wouldn't have hurt you, or the kid. I wish you still believed that. I just needed to see you. I needed to know that you were both okay. Now I know. I won't bother you again.
[Todd walks away, gets into his car and speeds away, leaving Tea even more confused and depressed.]
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SMALL BLESSINGS
chapter 103:
[Several weeks later...
Viki arrives at her brother's office. Finding the door open, she enters.]
Todd: Go away. I'm not in the mood for you today.
Viki: Your mood is precisely the reason for my visit.
[Todd leans back in his chair and puts his feet on this desk.]
Todd: Let me get comfortable. I feel a long lecture coming on.
Viki: You're very perceptive.
Todd: Which story brought you here?
Viki: All of them.
Todd: I have had some good ones lately.
Viki: You have been more vicious than usual. Do you know why that is?
Todd: I don't control what people do, or when. This town is full of perverts. It's my job to catch them with their pants down and print the stories...and the pictures. I think my favorite is Nora's. I always knew she blew a lot of hot air, but I never really thought of her blowing, in that way. She's probably just desperate to hold on to that young doctor she's got snowed into thinking she's an interesting person.
Viki: I read your theories in your newspaper.
Todd: You read The Sun?
Viki: When it tries to destroy the lives of people I care about.
Todd: Destroy? She's way more popular now than she deserves.
Viki: That was a private moment you invaded.
Todd: A private moment in a public place. I'm allowed to print pictures of people when they're doing stuff outside. You should have been here when she was ranting about suing me for screwing up her reputation. I tried to explain that she should be thanking me for actually giving her an interesting reputation, instead of that boring, self-righteous one she's been dragging around for years. She was having trouble seeing it my way, so I had one of our lawyers explain the law to her so she would shut up and let me get back to doing what I do best. She got this look on her face. It was so priceless. I wish I had a picture of that to print.
Viki: Who will be the next on your revenge list? Me?
Todd: If you do that kind of thing for Benji, I don't want to know about it.
Viki: I suppose I should be thankful for that.
Todd: So, is the lecture over?
Viki: It has barely begun.
Todd: I'll save you the time. I'm scum. I'm a disappointment. I'm a disgrace to all the legitimate journalists in the world. I should be ashamed. I should waste my time looking at myself in the mirror. I am kind of cute, so I guess it wouldn't be a total waste. But, this lecture is a total waste of my time. It won't change anything. I'll do whatever I want to do with my newspaper.
Viki: Perhaps, if you tried to talk to Tea again...
[Todd jumps from his chair.]
Todd: This has nothing to do with Tea.
Viki: It was after whatever happened with Tea that you began this smear campaign against everyone in Llanview.
Todd: I've been publishing the truth about the perverts in this town since before I ever even knew there was a Tea Delgado. This has nothing to do with her.
Viki: Why are you doing it?
Todd: Because the people have a right to know what's going on.
Viki: They have no such right.
Todd: Okay, but they really, really want to know. That's what counts. The Sun is outselling The Banner because of those stories. I'm not stopping them. As long as the people in this town are stupid enough to keep doing stuff in public that they don't want to get caught doing, I'll continue my crusade of exposing them.
Viki: Have you tried to speak with Tea?
Todd: I told you, this has nothing to do with her.
Viki: Clearly, you're miserable.
Todd: Clearly, you need to get a more interesting life so you'll stay out of mine.
Viki: You should try...before it's too late.
Todd: Do you know something?
Viki: None of us knows how long we have.
Todd: Are you sick again?
Viki: No.
Todd: Good!
Viki: I am relieved that you at least care enough not to want me to have cancer again.
Todd: If you did, you'd use it to guilt me out of beating you in our race to see which newspaper has to fold first.
Viki: If printing trash is what success requires, I would prefer to fail.
Todd: Spoken like someone who inherited a ton of money and only works as a hobby.
Viki: I can assure you, my job is not a hobby to me.
Todd: When was the last time you even went to work?
Viki: I may have cut back on my time at The Banner but I do still work there.
Todd: Whatever! Are we done here? I have lives to ruin.
Viki: Including your own.
Todd: Shut up about Delgado.
Viki: I didn't mention her. It is interesting that she seems to come to your mind so easily.
Todd: Because you keep bringing her up.
Viki: Can you honestly say that you haven't thought about her...that you don't miss her terribly?
Todd: She doesn't want to have anything to do with me. There's nothing I can do about that.
Viki: There's always something you can do.
Todd: Sure...if I want her calling the cops on me because I'm stalking her.
Viki: I could speak to her on your behalf.
Todd: Don't bother.
Viki: You need to do something. You're miserable.
Todd: I've always been miserable. Now, I'm just miserable and alone. It's better this way.
Viki: It doesn't appear to be better for you. And, I venture to guess, it isn't better for Tea, either.
Todd: She doesn't want me around anymore.
Viki: Do you know why?
Todd: I don't have a clue.
Viki: Try asking her.
Todd: Why are you pushing this?
Viki: I want you to be happy. When you're with Tea, I see something in your eyes.
Todd: Terror?
Viki: Hope.
Todd: It's terror.
Viki: What are you terrified of?
Todd: Me. Tea's terrified of the same thing now. I thought I could count on her to never be scared of me. I guess I was stupid to expect that.
Viki: Did she have reason to be scared?
Todd: I don't know. Maybe. I wasn't going to hurt her. I did want to tick her off.
Viki: Why?
Todd: So she'd make the choice for me.
Viki: What choice?
Todd: Tea would never make me choose between her and Starr. But, Starr made me choose. How the hell could I not pick my own kid?
Viki: You shouldn't give in to children when they're having a tantrum.
Todd: Starr wasn't having a tantrum. She was being her normal self.
Viki: From what I've seen, whenever she's with you, or Blair, she's in a constant state of tantrum.
Todd: Tantrums are kids rolling around on the floor, screaming.
Viki: Perhaps she doesn't roll on the floor, but she does scream, doesn't she? She demands things of you and refuses to take no for an answer.
Todd: That's just how she is.
Viki: Not when she's with me.
Todd: She's worse?
Viki: She doesn't act that way, because I don't allow it.
Todd: How?
Viki: I let her know that I'm the adult. I make the rules, and determine the boundaries, not her.
Todd: It's different for you. So what if she hates your guts? You've got tons of people around you all the time. All I have is Starr.
Viki: You had Tea. You shouldn't allow Starr to determine whether you are with Tea. If you love her, be with her. Starr will learn to accept it.
Todd: She'll hate my guts and never speak to me again. That's what she told me.
Viki: Children exaggerate.
Todd: She ran away, more than once. If I don't give her what she wants, she'll do it again. Do you have any idea what could happen to her on the street? Maybe your kids bluffed about that kind of stuff. Mine doesn't. I don't have a choice. Besides, Delgado was way more pissed than she should have been. She wanted it over, too.
Viki: This is very sad, Todd.
Todd: I never wanted any of that happiness junk, anyway.
Viki: I don't believe that.
Todd: Tea's better off without me. Believe that. Let this drop.
Viki: It's your life. You can waste it if you want to.
[Viki leaves Todd's office. He bellows toward Briggs' desk that no one is to interrupt him for the rest of the day.
He closes the door to his office and walks around his desk. He opens the safe on the wall and removes one item. He sits at his desk as he slowly goes through the photo album Tea had given him months earlier, soon after they re-entered each other's lives. His heart aches for the family he finds in the photographs but no longer finds in his life.]
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SMALL BLESSINGS
chapter 104:
[The next day...
As the sun rises, Tea leans out her front door to pick up the newspaper. She's surprised to find a copy of The Sun, instead of her usual newspaper. The subject of the large picture on the front page catches her eye.]
Tea: Nora?!
Todd: You always did hate her, right?
[Tea looks up at the sound of his voice. She feels shaky from the unexpected surprise of his presence but tries not to show it.]
Tea: Hate is a strong word.
Todd: But, it's the right word.
Tea: Not exactly.
Todd: Jealousy?
Tea: I liked hate better. What is this about, Todd?
Todd: Briggs talked me into blacking out certain parts, for whatever reason, but I thought it was still pretty clear what's going on in the picture.
Tea: That much is clear. Vividly clear. Nora must be so embarrassed.
Todd: Speaking of bare asses...
[Todd moves closer to her and hands her a folder containing copies of several recent front page stories he's run in The Sun. Tea is stunned by the photographs of compromising situations of different Llanview residents Todd has managed to print.]
Tea: Did you set up hidden cameras in every bedroom in Llanview?
Todd: Didn't have to. Those are all public places.
Tea: That may help when the court cases begin.
Todd: What court cases? These things are all legit. The only thing I did was let Briggs decide what parts to cover up. He really didn't want to go to jail for showing stuff you're not supposed to show in a newspaper. He's such a wimp.
Tea: Even if you're not arrested, you surely will be sued.
[Tea continues to look through the stories. She knows she shouldn't, but her curiosity is too great.]
Tea: Bo? What is he doing?
Todd: Whacking his weed.
Tea: He did this in public?
Todd: Technically, he was on his balcony. But, anyone could have seen him. Luckily, one of my photographers did.
Tea: This is what you've been doing since...
[Tea is unprepared to even refer to their previous relationship so she changes the subject.]
Tea: Where's my newspaper? The real one.
[Todd hands it to her.]
Todd: I don't know why you're wasting your money on this junk when you could get The Sun...at a slight discount.
Tea: Not free?
Todd: What do you think I am...a millionaire?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: Okay. I guess I can give you a freebie.
Tea: Why are you here, Todd? And, why are you dressed like that?
[Todd looks down at the tuxedo he's wearing.]
Todd: You don't like it?
Tea: I didn't say that.
Todd: It took you long enough to say something about it.
Tea: It surprised me. That's not normally how you dress.
Todd: This is how I always dress now.
Tea: Oh, really?
Todd: Okay...you want the truth?
Tea: That would be nice, for a change.
[Tea finally notices the bag on the ground next to Todd as he leans down and pulls out a tuxedo that matches his own, except that it's many times smaller.]
Todd: The kid and I went through hell getting fitted for these things. I figured we should both wear them at least once before we burn them.
Tea: You came here for a playdate with Little E?
Todd: I made the mistake of looking at that thing you gave me.
Tea: What thing?
Todd: That thing, you know, with all the pictures in it. The ones of me and the kid, and you and the kid.
Tea: The photo album.
Todd: Whatever you want to call it. I was looking at that thing and there were some empty pages and I thought they shouldn't stay empty. So, I came to get my picture taken with the kid.
Tea: In your matching tuxedos?
Todd: Yeah.
Tea: And, that's the only reason you came?
Todd: Maybe there are other reasons.
Tea: Like what?
Todd: Do we have to do this outside? Before you tell me to go to hell...
[Todd leans down and removes more items from the bag.]
Todd: I brought you flowers...because you're a girl. And, I brought you booze because, if you say yes, you'll have to put up with me and this stuff will help a lot...especially if you drink a lot of it. And, I brought you candy because it's the kind I like so I'll get to eat all of it, but it still counts as me being a decent guy for bringing it. And...
[Todd reaches into the pocket of his tuxedo and pulls out a toy for the baby.]
Todd: I brought something for the kid so he won't feel left out. What do you say, Delgado?
Tea: I would have to be certifiable to allow you back in my life again.
Todd: Yeah, pretty much.
Tea: Come in, Todd. We'll talk. That's all. Okay?
Todd: Sure. We'll talk.
[Todd walks passed her and enters the doorway of her home.]
Todd: Then we'll get married.
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SMALL BLESSINGS
chapter 105:
[Tea follows Todd into her living room. He plops himself down on the sofa and stretches his arms out along the back of the sofa, making himself comfortable. Tea remains standing, her arms folded in front of her.]
Todd: Is the kid still snoozing?
Tea: He'll be up soon. We're not getting married. You'll have to accept that.
Todd: You'll come around to my way of thinking. You always do.
Tea: Not this time.
Todd: Every time. I can always count on you.
Tea: You walked out on me again. That changed everything.
Todd: I didn't walk out. You locked me out. I forgive you. I'm hungry. Get me something to eat.
Tea: Get it yourself, preferably somewhere else.
Todd: You agreed to marry me. We have a deal.
Tea: Any agreement we had was negated by your actions.
Todd: Stop acting like you're a lawyer.
Tea: I am a lawyer. As a matter of fact, I'll be returning to work next week.
Todd: What about the kid?
Tea: My grandmother will be taking care of him while I'm working.
Todd: But, you're his mom now.
Tea: I have a career.
Todd: No, you had one. Now, you've got a kid.
Tea: Your Neanderthal attitudes are another reason we won't be getting married, now or ever again.
Todd: It has to be today.
Tea: Do you have a custody hearing tomorrow?
Todd: How'd you guess?
[Todd notices the hurt look on Tea's face.]
Tea: When Little E wakes up, you can have as long as you need to say good-bye. Then, you're leaving. Is that understood?
Todd: I was kidding, Delgado. Why would I fight for custody of my kid? I already have full custody.
Tea: Is Starr living with you now?
Todd: She's holding out.
Tea: For what?
Todd: The usual.
Tea: Your reunion with her mother?
Todd: That won't be happening.
Tea: Blair threw you out again?
Todd: You think I hooked up with Blair again? Is that why you were so pissed? You thought I didn't call you because I was busy boffing my ex?
Tea: Were you?
Todd: Were you screwing a Dick Head?
Tea: I haven't seen Richard since that night...uh...
Todd: That night you ditched me in the middle of a date to go fuck that Dick Head?
Tea: I haven't seen him since that night.
Todd: You know, you still owe me for that one. I figure I get to screw up at least one hundred times to equal what you did with that...that...
Tea: Dick Head?
Todd: You're sure you're through with him?
Tea: I'm positive.
Todd: Okay...I'll marry you.
Tea: That's very generous of you.
Todd: I'm a generous guy.
Tea: Too bad I haven't agreed to marry you.
Todd: Sure, you did.
Tea: That was before.
Todd: You let me in your house. That's the same as accepting my proposal.
Tea: And, I suppose you think that coming to my house this early in the morning equates a proposal on your part.
Todd: I am wearing a tux.
Tea: If it were just the two of us, we could be foolish enough to make this mistake again. But, we need to think about the children.
Todd: Little E digs me.
Tea: He does. He's missed you.
Todd: He told you that?
Tea: Not yet, but he does chatter a lot now. None of it makes any sense.
Todd: To you, maybe. I'll be his translator.
Tea: You'll translate every noise he makes into his insistence that I allow you back into our lives.
Todd: I'm just his translator. I can't control what he tells me.
Tea: You can't control me, either.
Todd: I'm not trying to control anything.
Tea: You'll stop insisting that I marry you today?
Todd: Okay, there's one little thing I want to control.
Tea: Your daughter doesn't want us to get married.
Todd: She'll deal with it.
Tea: She ran away.
Todd: I found her. I took her home.
Tea: Exactly! You took her to Llanview. You didn't bring her back here. This isn't her home. This can't be your home, either.
Todd: I can't stay in Llanview anymore.
Tea: Are you in legal trouble again? Is it for the stories you've been printing?
Todd: I can't want to marry a lawyer, just because I want to marry a lawyer?
Tea: There are always ulterior motives with you.
Todd: I thought taking her back there was the best thing I could do for her. I was giving her what she wanted.
Tea: Maybe giving in to her every demand isn't what's best for her.
Todd: I figured that out. I gave her what she wanted and she just wanted more.
Tea: She may always want you to reunite with Blair.
Todd: She'll change her mind.
Tea: If she doesn't?
Todd: She will.
Tea: But...
Todd (interrupting): She will. Someday, she'll change her mind about all this.
Tea: Why are you so certain?
Todd: Because, I know what it's like. I'm not getting into this junk today. Your wedding day is supposed to be a happy day, right? Or, at least as happy as any day with me in it gets for you.
Tea: Our wedding days have never been happy days.
Todd: Maybe you weren't happy...
Tea: Are you saying that you were?
Todd: I think I smiled at least once at the last one. Starr was smiling, too. I remember that. She was happy about you sticking around. She didn't know you'd be ditching me within a couple of hours.
Tea: I had good reason.
Todd: So, you admit it was all your fault?
Tea: I was only responding to your actions.
Todd: I married you. I tried to get you to stick around forever. You're the one who walked out on me.
Tea: There's not point arguing about this now.
Todd: Because, you know I'm right.
Tea: Because, clearly, you don't intend to take responsibility for your actions. What really matters right now is that Starr wouldn't be happy about our getting married this time. I know you won't be able to do something that you know would hurt her.
Todd: She'll be happy about it...someday.
Tea: I wish you would tell me what you're trying to tell without being so cryptic.
Todd: I'm not giving you an opening to dig into that junk today. But, I do know what it's like to want your folks together, even when it's the worst thing for one of them.
[Tea sits down next to Todd on the sofa.]
Tea: Your mother?
Todd: I told you, you're not getting an opening.
Tea: You wanted her to stay with your father and you regret that now?
Todd: She would have split sooner. I talked her out of it. Every time he hurt her after that was my fault. That's all you're getting out of me. I'm not talking about this anymore.
[Tea tries to touch his arm. He jumps off the sofa, needing to avoid physical contact with her in this moment.]
Todd: I'll go wake the kid up so we can go.
Tea: Wait.
Todd: I'm not talking about any of that with you.
Tea: You could. I hope you know that.
Todd: I just did. I ripped my guts out and showed them to you. Now, I'm shoving them back inside, where they belong. They're not coming out again...ever. Deal with it!
Tea: Starr may never view things differently than she does right now. Are you prepared for that?
Todd: Someday, she'll get it. She'll know how miserable everyone was when we were trying to pretend we were a family. She'll know how...not miserable...I am when I'm here, where I don't have to pretend.
Tea: Little E and I are your family?
Todd: Yeah.
Tea: But, Starr is your family, too. Even if, years from now, she does see this differently, for now, she doesn't. You'll have two families that will have to remain separate. Can you handle that?
Todd: I'll have one family.
Tea: I know, in your heart...
Todd: I'll have one family.
Tea: What are you trying to say?
Todd: She made it clear. If I don't stay clear of you and the kid, she doesn't want me around anymore.
Tea: You can't do this. You would regret it.
Todd: If I don't do this, I'll regret it.
Tea: But, you'll regret hurting Starr more. Go back and be with your daughter.
Todd: I can't.
Tea: You have to. I won't allow you to do this.
Todd: What do you want, Delgado?
Tea: That's irrelevant.
Todd: Not to me.
Tea: I know you. I know that your daughter has always come first in your heart, and always will. I accepted that a long time ago. Go back to Llanview.
Todd: She'd never forgive herself. She might feel lousy now, but she'll feel worse if I don't do this.
Tea: This won't work, Todd. As long as your being here makes your daughter miserable, you'll be miserable. Your misery will make me miserable. And, Little E will pick up on all the misery filling this house. I can't do that to him. I can't do that to you. Go home to your daughter.
Todd: Don't you get it? I'm miserable there, too. It sucks! I hate it!
Tea: I'm sorry. I don't have a magical way to fix this.
Todd: We could go to Llanview...the whole family...and try again. If she spends more time with the kid, he'll suck her in. You used him on me and look how well that worked.
Tea: I did not use him on you. But, he is adorable.
Todd: Chicks go for adorable, right? Starr's a chick-in-training. It might work on her, too.
Tea: I don't know.
Todd: Come on, Delgado.
Tea: I haven't even forgiven you myself, yet.
Todd: Sure you have. You wouldn't be sitting here, using that voice on me, if you were still totally pissed at me.
Tea: What voice?
Todd: That voice that lets me know that you don't think I'm total scum, like everyone else does.
Tea: We can't keep doing this. We can't keep going back and forth. It's too confusing...and painful.
Todd: We're getting hitched. You'll be stuck with me for the rest of your life. No more ditching me whenever you get hormonal.
Tea: It isn't hormones that pushes me away from you. It's you.
Todd: Not anymore.
Tea: I'd ask you to promise me that, but you've gone back on that promise so many times before.
Todd: But, I keep coming back.
Tea: Because you have no better alternatives at the moment.
Todd: Because, out of every place I could waste the rest of my life, I want to waste it here, with you. Tell me that you still want to throw your life away on me.
to be continued...
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2002 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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