This story was written just prior to Tea and Todd leaving town with Starr and heading to the Rainbow View Inn in Niagara Falls.

[scene - motel room. Todd and Tea have adjoining rooms - Tea and Starr are spending the night in one room and Todd is alone in the other.]

It's late at night. Starr fell asleep hours ago. Tea lies in bed staring at the door that connects to the room where her husband is sleeping. At least Tea hopes he is sleeping. She knows he needs the rest but she also knows that sleep doesn't come easily to him. She wishes she could be in that other room lying next to her husband, to her love. Tea closes her eyes. She knows she can never have what she truly wants...what she needs. Todd will never allow that.

More time passes, Tea's mind won't allow her any rest, not with Todd so close by, yet so completely distant from her. Finally, she gets out of bed and walks slowly to the door that is slightly ajar. She listens for sounds...Todd pacing or turning over in bed, anything that might signal he's still awake. She doesn't hear anything so she slowly opens the door wide enough so she can slide through the opening.

She stops just inside the door and stares at the sight. Todd is laying on the bed, fully clothed, including his shoes. His eyes are closed. His face is turned toward Tea. The light from the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed shines on his face - his beautiful face.

Tea can't help herself she wants so badly to touch him, to hold him. She slowly walks toward him, waiting after each step to make sure he hasn't awoken. When she finally makes it to where Todd is, she kneels down beside the bed.

While she watches him sleep she is reminded of the picture she had found weeks ago. Todd had taken it while she slept. She later found it ripped to shreds after one of his angry outbursts. Watching him sleep she wondered what he thought about all those night he had walked through the open door to her bedroom. Did his heart feel the way hers did now? Did he ever want to reach out and touch her face the way she wanted to touch his? Had he ever gently caressed her cheek? She had awakened many times from dreams of him touching her that had seemed so real. Was it possible that he had actually touched her while she slept?

Tea couldn't control herself she knew she was risking waking him but she had to feel him, to touch him, to caress him. A strand of Todd's magnificent mane of hair had fallen onto his face. Tea gently placed a finger on his forehead and slowly moved the hair and looped it behind his ear. She gently let her finger run down Todd's jaw until she could feel the hair that lay just below his lips - those luscious lips. Tea was tempted to lean in and kiss those lips, the ones that she longed for. She remembered each time since their almost year long marriage that she had felt those lips on her own - all four times. She wanted to feel them again but knew that Todd would wake up and she didn't want to risk enraging him tonight.

Tea looked at Todd's face for a moment longer and then getting up from her position beside his bed she turned off the lamp on the nightstand and headed back to the other room.

As Tea reached the doorway the room suddenly filled with light. Tea froze where she was. Afraid to move. Afraid to breathe. Afraid to look at her husband. She wondered how long he had been awake. Had he been sleeping at all? Did he just lay there and let her touch him? Why didn't he stop her?

Suddenly Tea's thoughts were interrupted by Todd's voice.

"Close the door!"

As Tea closed the door that adjoined the two rooms she could see that Starr was still asleep. She hoped that the yelling she was sure was coming would not awaken her.

"Lock it!"

Tea did as Todd demanded still afraid to turn around and see the anger she was dreading would be in Todd's eyes.

Todd, sitting at the side of the bed with his feet on the floor, watched his wife across the room. When Tea didn't turn around, or even move, he stood up and took a few steps away from the bed.

"Lay down on the bed!"

Tea looked down at the floor as she walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"I said lay down!"

She put her head on the pillow and swung her feet onto the bed putting her arms at the sides of her body. Time passed uncomfortably. When she couldn't take the silence any longer she turned her head on the pillow. For the first time Tea looked directly at his face. She tried to read his expression but there was none. No obvious anger but no obvious love either. She waited for further instructions but he offered none. Todd didn't move from where he was standing, he just stared at his wife.

As Todd looked at Tea the feelings grew stronger inside him. Finally he walked over to the bed and sat down at the edge, his body touching Tea's. He reached over and began to unbutton her shirt, the shirt she had borrowed from him to sleep in. After unfastening the first button Todd leaned over and kissed the spot on Tea's neck the shirt had been previously covering. He then unbutton another button and kissed the new skin that was now exposed. Todd continued this same pattern of unbuttoning and kissing until the shirt was completely open. Placing his hand on her stomach he gently caressed her skin as his soft lips kissed every inch of her stomach.

Tea had closed her eyes after the third button and was lost in the feelings Todd was invoking in her until suddenly she heard his voice again.

"Turn over!"

Tea flipped onto her stomach and closed her eyes again, waiting and hoping to feel his touch once more return to her skin. Todd pulled the sides of her shirt out from under her and began to carefully move it up her back. He then began to caress her back with his hand and his lips the same way he had her stomach. He took his time and teased Tea with his touch.

As soon as Todd's hand and lips left her body Tea felt something missing. She waited for them to return but instead she could feel the weight of Todd's body leave the bed. She opened her eyes and saw Todd back at his previous position several steps away from the bed.

"Now get out!"

Tea was stunned. He had been so loving and now he looked bitter and angry.

"Leave now!"

Tea began to speak, "But, Todd..."

"Now!"

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