Dance with the Devil: Chapter 21

When the Mannings arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by cheers. Leading the pack was Viki, with Tina standing next to her. Sarah had a grin on her face for her beloved uncle and even Natalie was there, with Liam standing on a chair. John and Cord stood in the back eying the family, unsure of how to react. Todd had an embarrassed look on his face and tried to get the family to quiet down. That just encouraged them, especially Sarah, to get louder.


Finally, Todd raised his voice over the noise. “Hey, look,” he began as everyone quieted down, “Look, I appreciate all of you being here for me, I really do. But the truth of the matter is the only reason I’m here,” he pointed to the wheelchair, “is because…of my own stupidity, my own cowardice. I really…really don’t deserve any party, any celebration.”


Viki looked at her brother lovingly. He had fallen back into his self-hatred and hadn’t realized the real reason they were here to celebrate. “Todd, the reason for all of this is because you’re still with us. We nearly lost you this week. Also, despite all that you’ve done recently, you also recognized that it was wrong. You saw that and you’re making amends.”


“I’ll never be able to make amends for all I’ve done. That’s just a fact of my life,” he replied quietly. “Victor and his son…it’s all my fault.” He saw the look Viki was giving him and was further embarrassed. “Look, I’m starving. Can we eat?”


It was then that he noticed the ramp that had been placed by over the two steps. He wheeled himself down and positioned himself at the end of the table facing the entrance to the restaurant. As everyone took a seat, Tina commented, “This is actually reminding me of when you came back from Ireland.” When Blair threw her a look, she expounded, “Well, he really didn’t want anything then, if you remember.”


Sarah had to agree with her mother. “You did have the same attitude then like now,” she said.


“Well, that was an equally stupid move on my part,” Todd admitted, thinking back. When he saw the expressions he was getting, he told them, “Well, the overreactions I had at some points, the hiding in attics and cabins, all of it.”


“Ah, yes, the cemetery reappearance,” Viki said. She turned to Natalie. “We thought he had died in Ireland, helping Marty Saybrooke. Months later, though, he came back.”


“To find Blair with Patrick Thornhart,” Todd said with disgust. He winced at the memory. “Look, that was really the beginning of the list of stupid mistakes I made in my lifetime. Can we please not rehash the tonight?”


As Viki grew silent, Starr was able to signal John off to the side. Jack joined her as she asked the cop, “Anything on what we discussed at the station?”


John looked back at the family and drew the older Manning children further away. “We did review the feed from the park. There are a few shots of Molly and a woman and man from the time she stated. The techs are working on enhancing the images as we speak. Jack, what were you doing in the park this morning?”


“Uh, practicing for tryouts. Sam was with me at the time,” he stated. “There was a soccer field there so I was doing some drills.”


“The woman can be seen moving further into park and eventually stepped out from behind some trees,” John continued.


Jack closed his eyes, trying to remember that part of the park. “Yeah, there was a wooded near it. Before Molly got there, the ball rolled into it and Sam went to get it for me.”


“Ok, well, right now, I still don’t have enough hard evidence to back up anything that was told to me at the station. We keep it quiet until I have anything to tell the family,” he said, looking at everyone. With that, he moved back to the table.


As dinner was being served, Todd caught Cord’s attention. “My sister tells me that you’ll be sticking ‘round these parts,” he said, smirking and teasing his brother-in-law.


Normally, Cord would have gotten annoyed with Todd’s smug sense of humor, but he had made a promise to both Tina and Blair that he would tolerate Todd more than usual. He merely chose to answer the question, “Yeah, an acquisition for BE but ELQ just put in their own bid for it, and if Tracy Quartermaine is anything like her old man, it may be tough. I kinda wish Asa was around. He and Edward Quartermaine go back a ways.”


It was then a voice spoke up. “Trust me, Tracy is far more dangerous in business then Grandfather ever was.” The collective Manning/Lord family looked up to find Skye Chandler-Quartermaine standing at the at the top step of the room. Viki rolled her eyes at the other woman, while smoke was already coming out of Blair’s ears.


It was Todd’s amused voice that was heard next. “Skye Chandler, long time no see,” he said, remembering the woman who, a decade ago, learned what happened to those who messed with his family.


Sky walked over to where he was and gave him an appraising eye. “What did you do to Blair to have her shoot you in the back?” she asked sneeringly.


“It wasn’t me this time.” Blair’s voice was low and deadly.


Sky raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”


Before Blair or Todd could answer, Tina spoke up. “Um, who would you be?” she asked confusedly.


Viki looked at Tina. “Tina, Skye Chandler. She was briefly married to my husband, Ben. Then, when she couldn’t get him back, she decided to move onto Max Holden.”


“Unfortunately, at the time, Max was married to Blair and pretending to be Asa Buchanan’s son,” Todd informed Tina. “Blair got so mad at Max for his affair with Skye here that she shot him.”


“Yeah, then you helped her cover it up and frame me,” Skye reminded him. When she said that, though, there was a surprising amount of amusement in her voice. “I hear you’ve taken Port Charles by storm these last few months. Buying the Port Charles Press, Crimson. You’ve built your own little media empire.”


Todd merely smiled at her. “What can I say? I got bored in Llanview.”


Blair could tell he was messing with the other woman. She decided that she wanted to have a little fun of her own. “So, tell us Skye. Did you finally find a family to take you in?” she asked with faux sweetness.


Skye gave her a cool look. “As a matter of fact, I did. Alan Quartermaine adopted me a number of years ago.”


At that moment, a little girl about Sam’s age came running up to her. “Mommy, can I have ice cream?” she asked.


“We need to eat dinner first, Lila Rae, but I promise you, you can have some afterwards,” she said as she picked up the girl. “Lila, sweetie, these are some old friends of Mommy’s. Why don’t you wave to them.” With that, little girl obliged her mother as Skye said, “I look forward to seeing you around Port Charles. And I promise, Blair, I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.” With that, she walked to the other side of the restaurant.


Todd’s laughter broke the silent stares directed towards the red-head. It was Jack who finally asked the question that those unfamiliar with the backstory were wondering. “What’s her deal?”


It was Starr who answered. “If there is anyone who really started the whole debacle about you, she was half of it.” When he continued to question her with a look, she glanced back at her parents as she said, “She and Max set it up to look like Mom and Max had slept together right before Mom and Dad were going to get remarried. That led to Dad having Mom arrested to shooting Max,” she explained.


“Which led to my insanity defense for it,” Blair continued.


“Which led to her ‘confessing’ to Max that she was pregnant with his kid, which led to Mexico and…” Todd finished sheepishly. “God, I can’t get away from my mistakes tonight, can I?”


Blair reached for his hand. “Hey, that’s all in the past, alright?” She then looked back at Skye. “Though I would like to give swirly for old time’s sake.”


Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “You did what, Mom?” he said in amazement. He had a hard time picturing his mother doing anything like that.


Blair gave him an innocent grin. “No one messes with my man. If they do, they pay the price.”


Todd had to smile at Blair’s words. He remembered the fight at the Haunted Star the night of Starr’s debut between Carly and Blair over him. It may have been cruel but it had worked as he knew it would. As he thought of that, he reached behind his back and pulled out the bag Tina had brought him in the suite earlier. It was small, from Wyndham’s Department Store and contained what was obviously a velvet box. Starr’s eyes were glowing and Jack actually had a happy look on his face as they watched their father pull it out and set it on the table in front of Blair. “Look, I know I really haven’t done this right in the past. Maybe with the exception of on the jet. Unfortunately, I can’t get down on one knee, but, with my family here at least, I want to do this formally.” He opened the box and showed Blair a three-carat pear-shaped diamond. “I want to ask you again, will you marry me?”


Blair hadn’t been totally surprised by seeing the ring box. Her first tip-off had been when Tina had come to their room before dinner. So, Tina had been convinced to run this particular errand for Todd, eh? She kept that thought to herself as she silently allowed Todd to slip the ring on her finger. After he had done that, he gave her a gentle kiss, to the toast of the family. They broke apart and he had on that shy smile that she so loved on him. Then he whispered in her ear, “We can continue with the celebration in private if you like later tonight, Mrs. Manning.”


“Oh, I would love that, Mr. Manning,” she whispered back to him, kissing him again. Tonight would be all theirs.
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