[As they continue to kiss, Todd's hands grab at the material of Tea's nightgown and robe, as he tries to pull the garments up her body, wanting her flesh to be exposed to him again. Tea ends their kiss and tries to pull away from him. Todd doesn't let her go.]
Todd: No way.
Tea: We'll regret this.
Todd: Tell me how to do this without hurting the kid.
Tea: You don't want this.
Todd: We can have the light on in the bedroom, the way you like, and you can see how much I want this.
Tea: That's how you like it. How much either of us wants this is irrelevant.
Todd: Why are you teasing me, Delgado?
Tea: I'm not.
[Todd finally relents and allows Tea to leave his embrace.]
Todd: Like hell you're not!
Tea: Just because we shared a few kisses doesn't mean that we'll be having sex tonight, or any night.
Todd: Kisses don't mean sex?
Tea: No.
Todd: Even when there's tongue?
Tea: Not always.
Todd: What about when you grab my ass, Tea? Is it okay if I think you want to have sex with me if you grab my ass while you shove your tongue down my throat?
Tea: I didn't do that.
Todd: Your memory isn't very good about these things. Remember forgetting when you gave me that hickey a bunch of months ago? Do you have any idea how much I hated having to wear all those turtlenecks to cover that thing up so no one would know that you seduced me?
Tea: You seduced me.
Todd: Like I could ever do that.
Tea: You have before. You probably will again.
Todd: But, not tonight, huh?
Tea: I don't think it would be a good idea.
Todd: What changed your mind?
Tea: I realized what a disaster it would be.
Todd: I said that I didn't want to hurt your kid.
Tea: I appreciate your concern, but...
Todd: But, what? Do you think this is easy for me? You're all fat and everything.
Tea: Good night, Todd.
[A hurt Tea quickly moves down the hallway, toward the master bedroom. Todd knows that he hurt her feelings. He hates his inability to express himself the way he genuinely wants to...the way that would allow her to know how much he truly cares for her, and wants to be with her, despite her pregnancy.]
Todd: I didn't mean that in a bad way. You are fat.
[Tea closes the bedroom door. Todd runs his fingers through his hair and sighs loudly, not knowing how to take the feelings he has for her and translate them into the words that he knows she needs to hear.
Todd quickly approaches the door and lightly taps his knuckles against it.]
Todd: Come on, Delgado, look in the mirror. You are fat. You're really fat.
[Tea responds with sarcasm, unable to hide her hurt feelings.]
Tea: Enough compliments, Todd. I don't think I can take anymore of your idea of sweet, flowery verbal foreplay.
Todd: Don't you get it, Tea?
Tea: No...and, I'm not the only one who won't be getting it tonight.
[Todd turns the doorknob and, finding it unlocked, pushes open the door.]
Tea: Excuse me! I thought I made myself clear.
Todd: Now, I'm going to make myself clear. And, you're going to shut up long enough to let me.
Tea: You want to tell me what a big, fat cow I am again and how unappealing I am to you, and how...
Todd: I told you to shut up!
Tea: Now, I'm telling you to shut up! I'm your lawyer. I will continue to be your lawyer as long as you show me some respect. You can start by leaving my room.
Todd: This is my room.
Tea: I refuse to sleep on the sofa. So, as long as I'm staying here, this is my room. You must have known what the living arrangements would be when you manipulated me into moving in with you again?
Todd: I didn't manipulate you. I didn't have to. You wanted this.
Tea: You think I wanted to be treated like this?
Todd: How am I treating you?
Tea: Horribly.
Todd: I treat you better than I treat anyone.
Tea: That's not saying much, considering how you treat everyone else.
Todd: Yeah, but I do treat you better than all the losers in this stupid town, right?
Tea: You insult me. You infuriate me. You...
Todd: I turn you on.
Tea: You flatter yourself.
[Todd steps into Tea's personal space. Tea is stunned as Todd loosens her robe and allows it to fall open. She doesn't stop him as he takes the material of her nightgown into his hand and slowly raises it up the front of her body. It's only as his other hand touches her bare thigh and begins to move tantalizingly higher that she finally responds by stepping away from him.]
Tea: What do you think you're doing?
Todd: I'm proving that you're a liar. I turn you on. And, we both know your favorite way to show how much being around me gets to you.
Tea: I never said that I wasn't attracted to you.
Todd: I never said I wasn't attracted to you, either.
Tea: You've said it plenty of times.
Todd: I never meant it.
Tea: What about how fat I am? What about the fact that I'm knocked up...with another man's baby?
Todd: Doesn't matter.
Tea: Since when?
Todd: Since the second I saw you again.
Tea: You're repulsed by how I look. You've made that clear.
Todd: I always wondered what you'd look like knocked up with my kid. I knew you'd be beautiful. But, I didn't know you could ever be this beautiful when it wasn't even my kid.
[Tea is stunned. She had no idea that Todd found her attractive right now. She's even more startled that he would admit that to her. Unless...]
Tea: It's late. I'm not in the mood for your games anymore. You should go back downstairs so we both can get some sleep.
Todd: Damn it, Tea! I think the words came out right this time and you're not even paying attention.
Tea: I'm paying attention. I'm also remembering your fondness for playing games with me.
Todd: I do want to play games with you. I want to play all our favorite games.
Tea: I know you're not serious.
Todd: Do you want me to show you how serious I am?
Tea: Even if that were true, it wouldn't matter. You never give me what I want. You may give me an occasional glimpse, or even a brief sample, of what I want, but you always ultimately pull it away from me and enjoy yourself at my expense.
Todd: I will be enjoying myself tonight...with you.
Tea: You enjoy teasing me. That's all this is.
Todd: You're the one doing the teasing tonight, not me.
Tea: You came in here while I was sleeping, woke me up, kissed me, left the room and then tried to deny that you had been in here.
Todd: I never know if you'll go for it, or just laugh your head off at someone like me wanting to be with someone like you.
Tea: I have made it clear so many times that I wanted to be with you. It never mattered to you. It was never enough.
Todd: This time could be different.
Tea: I'm pregnant. You and I both know that you're not mature enough to overlook that.
Todd: I'm trying.
Tea: I need more.
Todd: You always do. I give you whatever the hell it is you say you want and you always shove a new list of demands in my face. Tonight, it's my turn to start making some demands on you.
Tea: Like what?
Todd: You know.
Tea: Say it!
Todd: You say it!
Tea: I'm not the one trying to make something happen tonight.
Todd: You're the one who started all this.
Tea: Tonight?
Todd: Tonight...last night...months ago...years ago. It's all your fault.
Tea: There is something that I do want to do before going back to sleep.
Todd: Something that involves me? Even if it doesn't, I still want to watch.
Tea: Todd Manning!
Todd: Tell me what you want, Tea.
Tea: Sit down on the bed and I'll show you.
[Todd sits on the edge of the bed.]
Tea: Wait right here.
[Tea leaves the room. Todd immediately stands up and follows her into the bathroom.
After finding what she was looking for in the medicine cabinet above the sink, Tea closes it and is startled to find Todd staring at her through the mirror on the door of the medicine cabinet.]
Tea: Could you please stop scaring me like that. Make noise when you enter the room, so I know you're there, okay?
Todd: Fine! I'm here. I'm in the room with you. Why are you in here? You obviously don't need birth control...unless you're scared you'll catch something from me and you want me to wear one of those things.
Tea: Is there any chance of that? You don't have to answer that. We won't be doing anything that would allow for that possibility, anyway.
Todd: Like hell!
Tea: We're not having sex tonight.
Todd: You'll do what I tell you to do.
Tea: You can't bully your way into my bed.
Todd: I did before, remember?
Tea: The times we were together in the past, you didn't act like a bully. You acted like a...
Todd: Like a sap?
Tea: You were sweet, and gentle, and funny, and...
Todd: When a chick starts telling you that she digs your sense of humor, it's all over.
[Todd turns and leaves the bathroom. Tea follows him all the way to the living room.]
Tea: I'm not through with you, Todd.
Todd: You want me to amuse you some more with my humor? Or, was it seeing me totally bare that you thought was so funny?
[Todd doesn't allow Tea the opportunity to respond, before he leaves the living room and rushes into the kitchen. Tea again follows him. She finds him ransacking the cupboards in search of alcohol.]
Todd: What the hell happened to all my booze?
Tea: You must have already drank it.
Todd: There has to be more. I always make sure there's more. You know, I knew you were laughing at me. All those times you were smiling and pretending you liked it, I knew what was really going on in your head.
Tea: I did like it. I liked it very much.
Todd: At least you're not pretending anymore.
Tea: Are you listening to me? I enjoyed being with you. I enjoyed making love with you.
Todd: You hated every second of it.
Tea: Why won't you hear me?
Todd: I hear you. I hear all your lies.
Tea: I wouldn't lie to you about that.
Todd: You'd tell me if it was totally horrible for you? If I was really lousy?
Tea: Okay, maybe I would lie, but I don't have to. You were great. It was great.
Todd: Then, why were you laughing at me?
Tea: I wasn't.
Todd: You just admitted it.
Tea: I said that you were funny. You were, especially our first time. That wasn't an insult.
Todd: We were having sex, Tea. I wasn't doing a comedy routine for you.
Tea: You did make jokes. You made self-deprecating comments about yourself. We both did. It helped ease the tension.
Todd: I knew you were tense.
Tea: I was nervous. It was our first time together.
Todd: It's no big deal. It's just sex.
Tea: For you, maybe. For me, it was making love. I was making love to the man I love. That was a big deal to me. I wanted you to enjoy it. I wanted you to feel that you had made the right decision, coming back here and taking me with you. I wanted to be whatever you imagined I would be, but I had no idea what that was. I was scared of taking that step, of accidentally setting off one of those land mines you have surrounding you. I knew that if I made one wrong move, it would all blow up and I'd be without you again.
Todd: I told you we didn't have to do it. I remember telling you that a lot.
Tea: I wanted to. You were right, what you said upstairs, you turn me on.
Todd: Present tense?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: So, we're doing it?
Tea: First things first.
Todd: Go ahead...get naked!
Tea: First, we do what I want to do.
Todd: You want me to go first?
[Tea shows Todd the roll of bandages in her hand.]
Todd: What kind of kinky thing did you have in mind?
Tea: I want to take care of your injuries first.
Todd: It's just a few scratches. It's no big deal.
Tea: Let me be the judge of that.
Todd: Don't say judge.
Tea: I'm sorry. I won't use that word again tonight. I do need to check your wounds, or I wouldn't be able to relax and consider doing anything else.
Todd: If I let you play nurse, you'll let me play doctor?
Tea: We can talk about it more after I know you're okay.
Todd: I don't want anymore talk. I want action.
Tea: I'll consider it. Will you let me take care of you, first?
[Todd responds by taking off his shirt and sitting down at the table. Tea sits down next to him and begins the task of putting fresh bandages on his recent wounds.]
[Todd studies the concerned expression on Tea's face as she cares for his wounds.]
Todd: They're just a few scratches. I don't know why you're making such a big deal about it.
Tea: I don't want them to become infected.
Todd: Even if they did, no one would care.
Tea: I would care.
Todd: You've got other stuff you care about more.
Tea: Not more, just differently.
Todd: You won't take off with me again. We both know that.
Tea: I have responsibilities.
Todd: What about your responsibility to me?
Tea: I'm here. I'm taking care of all your needs.
Todd: All of them?
Tea: As many as I can, in the time that we have.
Todd: But, you'll split again once this case gets settled.
Tea: Is that why you refuse to consider a plea bargain?
Todd: I don't want you to go.
[Tea stops administering to his wounds. She feels unable to decipher between an expression of genuine emotion and the mind, and heart, games that he's played with her in the past. She wants to believe his words but knows from experience how painful it can be to trust the words of her ex-husband.]
Todd: Stay.
[Tea's heart breaks. Whether he means his words in this moment, or is playing a game with her, she knows that they could never be together now. Todd would never be able to accept her child.]
Tea: The baby...
Todd: I would try...for you.
[Tea looks into his eyes, wanting to believe his words, but fearing the fallout if she does.]
Tea: Could you?
Todd: I don't know. I hate what you did. I hate that some other creep had his claws on you. I hate that you let anyone but me touch you like that.
Tea: Do you hate me?
Todd: I thought you would be different.
Tea: You thought I would wait around for you to come back to me again, no matter how long that may have taken?
Todd: Yeah.
Tea: You didn't wait for me.
Todd: That's different.
Tea: We both had a child while we were apart.
Todd: But, it's totally different.
Tea: How?
Todd: It just is.
Tea: Try to explain it to me.
Todd: Do you like what I did? Are you okay with it?
Tea: What you did, kidnapping the baby...
Todd: I'm not talking about that. I know you'll get over that.
Tea: That wasn't an insignificant action.
Todd: I did what I had to do. You know that.
Tea: Because you wanted to be with Blair, and you felt that was the only way?
Todd: It was the only way I could get what I wanted.
[Tea pushes her chair back and stands up.]
Todd: It's what Starr wanted.
Tea: Don't use your daughter as an excuse.
Todd: She didn't want Max's kid anywhere near Blair. She's a smart kid. She knows me. She knows Blair. She knew that the only way for her to get what she wanted was if we were both free, without any ties to the people we really wanted to be with. She wanted Max out of the way, so Blair wouldn't go running back to him again...I took care of that. She wanted Max's kid out of the way...I took care of that, too. Now that everything's out, guess who's shoulder Blair's crying her phony tears on.
Tea: But, you married Blair again. That wasn't Starr's decision.
Todd: Are you kidding? She told me when to propose and how to propose. She picked out the ring. That was her wedding we had. She got everything she wanted. And, the baby even turned out to be mine, so she really did get everything she wanted, because she wanted that, too. She wanted that whole stupid family thing, so I gave it to her.
Tea: I don't believe that you would do all that you did if it didn't benefit you somehow.
Todd: I got what I wanted out of it.
Tea: Blair.
Todd: Starr. I had the chance to get custody of my kid when Blair went nuts and shot Max. And, I did it. I got full custody. I was all set to ship Blair off to prison. I never would have had to worry about losing my kid ever again. But, Starr wanted Blair around. She wanted that whole family thing. I did what I had to do.
Tea: You wanted a family, too, didn't you?
Todd: I was doing what my kid wanted me to do. End of story!
Tea: It's late. I'm going back to bed. Good night.
[Tea turns to leave. Todd quickly jumps in front of her, blocking her exit from the kitchen.]
Todd: Okay. I wanted to feel like I had a stupid family. I wanted, for once in my life, to feel like I belonged somewhere. Is that such a lousy thing?
Tea: Of course not.
Todd: Isn't that why you did what you did? You wanted all that family junk. You found someone who didn't scare the hell out of you and you settled for that. You could have had my kid, but you didn't want that. You wanted one with someone who didn't make you feel anything, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt.
Tea: I always get hurt.
Todd: Yeah, so do I. Life sucks that way. I wanted to only be doing that family thing for Starr but somewhere along the way, I started wanting it, too, and so did Blair, I think. It was never going to happen between us, though. I knew it. Blair knew it. All the people in town who were placing bets on when she'd finally find a reason to shoot me, knew it. The only person who didn't have a clue was Starr. Now she knows that love sucks, happiness is an illusion and family is a sick joke that people made up just to make everyone feel lousy for not having one that works.
Tea: Some families work.
Todd: Do you really think yours will? You don't even love the guy who knocked you up. You drop him in a second, anytime you have a chance to be with me. It won't work, Tea. There's no way.
Tea: It wouldn't work between us, either.
Todd: Not a chance.
Tea: Why am I here? Why did you want me here?
Todd: I don't know.
Tea: You could have lived with Viki. You chose me. Why?
Todd: I don't know.
Tea: I need more of an answer.
Todd: This can't work out. There's no chance.
Tea: So, it's safe?
Todd: It doesn't feel safe.
[Todd looks down for a moment before looking back into her eyes, determined to risk everything and reveal all to her.]
Todd: I could have died. Blair's a lousy shot, but she's had practice trying to kill her husbands. For a minute there I thought maybe she had gotten better at it. For that minute, I wanted to see my kids and I wanted to see you. Is that what family is -- the people you want to see when you think you're about to croak?
Tea: What would you have said to me, if I had been there?
Todd: Duck!
Tea: Seriously.
Todd: Seriously, I don't know. I probably would have told you to stop crying. You're one of the few people on this stinking planet that I think would actually care enough to cry if it looked like I might die. Everyone else would be smiling. You, though...you would cry. You'd actually care. You'd miss me. You'd forgive me for every lousy thing I've ever done. You'd understand it all.
Tea: Maybe not understand, exactly.
Todd: You'd understand. You'd defend me. Anyone who said anything to you about how great it was that the world was finally free of me would get their ass chewed out. You'd never let anyone get away with celebrating my death. I thought about that. I thought about having someone call you. I knew you would come. I knew you would care.
Tea: Did you want Viki to find my business card?
Todd: I knew she would.
Tea: You wanted me to come?
Todd: You always do, when I need you.
Tea: You need me?
Todd: You're the only one who gets it, Tea.
Tea: What?
Todd: What I need...what I want...why I'll never have any of it.
Tea: You could.
Todd: Not a chance.
[Tea takes Todd's hand in her own.]
Tea: Come with me.
Todd: Where?
Tea: I know now why you wanted me to come.
Todd: I needed a lawyer who isn't hung up on all that right and wrong junk.
Tea: I know why you wanted me to move in with you.
Todd: Sex!
Tea: You wanted me to lie in bed next to you, to hold you, to make you feel loved. That's exactly what I'm going to do tonight.
