Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 1

Todd's well-planned renewal of vows had left very few dry eyes, an empty gazebo, and several hundred floating gold heart balloons.

"I feel like I owe you so much for this, and for everything, Todd, that you do for me and the children," Blair said, moving his hair behind his ear.

Todd looked at her, handsome in the ways she had come to lose her breath over, and said, "How?  You could never owe me anything.  And somewhere in that head of yours, you know it."

The adoption and remarriage ceremonies both turned out to be beautiful events.  Todd had several reporters there covering both for the society pages of The Sun.  The family was slowly coming back to a resting place.  Blair, overjoyed that he brought her aunt and cousins in to town, could not stop thanking him.

Cassie, Blair, Dorian and Kelly walked with linked arms toward Unforgettable.  Cassie said, "Blair, this place is magnificent."  Todd, who lingered behind, carrying Sam under one arm like a package, and Little Ray in his carrier, kept his ears pealed as they talked.


"Todd built it, the whole thing.  He designed it, he bought it, and he made it just for us.  Wait until you see the inside,"  Blair boasted.


Cassie turned her head toward him, "It's beautiful, Todd, really."


"What do you know, the convict can do something right," he said, looking to Dorian, who was just about to say something.  "You were saying, Auntie Dorian?"  he added.


"I was saying it's to die for," she said.


"Oh, please let her die," he said, under his breath. 


Sam said, "What, Dad?"


He said, "Nothing Sam, just keep quiet about that before I throw you in the pool, clothes and all."


"Yay!  Do it, Dad!"


"It's too cold, and stop being such a daredevil," Blair said, turning slightly back, and then, as an aside to Todd, "I heard that."


He said, "Auntie Dorian, would you and the cousins like a tour?"


She said, "Why certainly, Todd, we'd be glad to see what you've done this time."


When they walked into the house, through the kitchen, Dorian's face said it all.  In all her Todd-doubt, he was impressed.  The simple beauty of the home, complete with the children, Blair's happiness, almost explained Todd's current hold over her niece.  Almost.  She said, "Lovely."


"Thanks," he said, tossing Sam onto the couch, and putting the baby on the side table in his carrier.  As they all sat down, he unstrapped Little Ray, and Dorian watched him handle the baby with love and a strong connection she didn't expect.  He said, "Come here, Buddy, tell Dad about your day." 

Cassie moved her attention from Todd and the baby to Blair's face, and saw things in her cousin's eyes that she had not seen before.  She spotted total admiration, love and a twinge of pain.  She said, "So, Todd, how are things at The Sun?"


"Great.  We have a nursery there.  We bring the baby to work with us," he explained.


Kelly chimed in, "Oh my God, that's so romantic."


Blair said, "Well, it works for us.  Most everything he thinks of does."


Dorian rolled her eyes, "Blair, Little Ray is darling.  What an adorable baby."


"He's an angel, Dorian," Blair said, "He's been a saving grace for us."


"Especially me," Todd said.  "Been through a lot lately, and this little boy, he just, he makes everything all right."


Cassie could not take her eyes off how Todd was holding his son, and the emotional dance the two were doing.  She said, "Well, people can have that effect on each other."  She looked at her cousin, and watched her face.  There was no denying what Blair was feeling.  Cassie reached across and took her cousin's hand, and finished, "Like you two."


Cassie was surprised to see Blair falter a little, and then pick herself back up.  Standing, she went to her husband and stood by him, her hand resting on his bicep as he held their baby son.  She looked at all of them and said, "Cramer women, I want to say here and now that this man has saved my life . . in more ways than one."


". . . Not to mention she saved mine," he said, taking his eyes off Ray and moving them to her.  All three of the Cramers felt themselves fade into nothingness in the room with The Mannings standing there, eyes locked.  


Dorian spoke first.  "Well, I certainly hope he's through putting you in danger.  It's been more than enough."


Blair's anger flared and she went to talk, but Todd stepped in, "There's no more of that, Auntie Dorian.  No more.  She's safe with me, always.  You can count on that."  The whole time he talked, he stared into her emerald-colored eyes, that had now moistened with tears.  She rested her head on his shoulder, again, and looked at Ray, as he did.  


Kelly said, "Well, uh, we're here, remember, you two?"  She snapped her fingers, pretending to summon them.


Blair said, "Yes, and I'm so glad," she said, moving next to Cassie and Kelly on the couch, and sitting between them, the three of them started to chatter.  


Dorian, sitting back and listening, looked at Todd, "You love that little boy."


"I do, and his mother," he said, and then looking back to Blair, "more than my life."


Dorian swallowed, and said, "You'd better.  I've seen all of what you've brought to her life, Todd.  Good and bad, and I dare say, mostly bad."


"I won't argue with that," he was very serious.  "And I've done everything in my power to change it."  The chattering of the other three women lead to their laughter, which distracted him momentarily.  He went on, "Ask Blair how things have been.  She'll tell you the truth.  I've been through Hell and back, so has she, in her own way."  He knew it was up to Blair to reveal what she wanted Dorian to know about Carlo, Sommer, the recent events in Greece, and even though it seemed a lifetime ago, the near kidnapping by Leona.


Dorian said, "Well, I read about the death of your daughter, Todd.  So sad.  But again, wasn't that about Carlo Hesser?  The man whose wrath you brought down on your family?"


His eyes became steel.  Blair, who had been partially listening, turned her attention, "Dorian, stop it.  Please.  You have no idea what we've been through, and what he's done for me and the children."


Dorian did not respond.  Cassie said, "We know, honey, we can tell.  Mother knows that, don't you Mother?"


Dorian crossed her legs and shrugged, "It remains to be seen.  Earn those praises, Manning, and keep her safe and those children close to you."


The irony of her comments was powerful to Todd, but overwhelming for Blair, who stood up again, and pointed her finger, saying, "If you can't accept Todd as my husband after all this time, then don't bother being around me.  You don't know much of anything where he and I are concerned, and if you're basing what our life is like on some twenty-year old mistake, then you can just leave."  She folded her arms.  

Todd, trying not to show his reaction much, turned his face, and raised both eyebrows, tucking a smile beneath his hand.  In an effort to be the peacekeeper, he handed Ray to Dorian, and said, "Auntie Dorian, Ray really wants to meet you."  


The baby said, "Da-da," and Dorian smiled at him.  He smiled back.  Todd, who had walked to Blair's side, said, "That kid, always a charmer."


"Like his father," she said, but he could hear her anger still in her tone, and she purposefully grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him into an open-mouth kiss.  Dorian's jaw dropped and she was entirely speechless, as Todd and Blair's kiss extended for several minutes.


"Whoo!  That's what I call 'cat got your tongue.'"  Kelly said, looking at Dorian, matter-of-factly.


"Mother, really.  Can't you just stop for one damn day?"


Dorian shrugged again, "Stop what, Cassie Dear?"


Todd and Blair, pulling free of the kiss, looked at Dorian, their cheeks pressed side-to-side.  She said, "Thank you, Cassie.  Now, do you all have a place to stay?"  Blair asked.


Todd's head whipped around toward her, and he widened his eyes.  Dorian said, "We're going to La Boulaie with Addie.  Don't worry Todd, we're not going to infringe on your hospitality," she added a hint of sarcasm.  


"Mother!"  Cassie said, "He's been gracious enough, considering how you've acted."


"Cassie, don't worry.  Auntie Dorian and I have an understanding."  Todd said.


Kelly stood, "Let's just get going, we'll have plenty of time for conflicts another day.  Besides, I'm tired, we'd been traveling all day."


Jack came into the room, and said, "Hi Aunt Dorian, Cassie, Kelly."


"Hello, Jack," Dorian began, "Nice to see you dressed so maturely.  You're growing up."


"I guess."


"How's school been?"  Dorian asked.


"Fine.  Doing well.  I'm a Junior now."


"That's wonderful."


"I heard what you all were talking about, and Aunt Dorian, you don't get them," Jack started.  "Dad and Mom, they're totally like one person.  You just don't get them."


"And you do," she said.


"Yeah, I do.  The man that almost took Mom, he was . . . like crazy or something. Could have killed her.  Dad came in and stopped it all.  Saved her and baby Ray and gave himself up for it."

"Took Mom?  Blair, what is this about?"  Dorian said.

"Nothing, Dorian.  At least nothing you need to be worried about now.  It's done.  Over with."  Her words were certain.  It seemed so long ago, and so much more had happened.


Dorian closed her eyes, as Cassie and Kelly both took each other's hand and sighed.  Cassie said to Jack, "Your father is very special.  You love him very much."


"Yeah, so?  That doesn't mean I can't tell whether or not he's good for her.  And trust me, he is.  The two of them are like a single person.  I never saw it before ever, and I've been around Mom all my life.  But they are."  Jack said.


Dorian said, "Thank you, Jack, but I won't be going anywhere.  I plan to stay here, with your mother.  She needs me."


Cassie said, "Mother . . ." cautioning her.


"You two can go to La Boulaie, and once things even out here, I'll be there."  Dorian said, decidedly.


"Mother, I can't stop you," Cassie said, "but it's clear to me what Jack said is true.  No matter what we can say about Todd, he's always loved Blair so much.  Maybe he's learned what it takes to forge a life with her, after being kept from her for so long.  He's always adored her.  He just . . . didn't always know how to show it."


"Then that was a different Dad.  He knows," Jack assured them.


"Maybe.  We'll see about that," the matriarch said. 

***

Todd turned over in his sleep, and his limbs jerked with tension as short, unidentifiable flashes went through his mind:  Low ceiling and dark-paneled walls.  Something, horrible, in the corner, an animal?  No light, chains with shackles.  Clanging noises.  A pull chain on a bulb . . .

He sat upright.  Careful not to wake Blair, he let his breath out slowly.  He didn't want her to wake or to know.  Even though he had promised her to share everything, he wasn't sure about this.  Now, with Dorian around, there'd be more scrutiny of him.  At least, he'd keep it from her until he understood what the flashes were.  He'd seen them before but just couldn't recount them.

He hadn't told her, but since they had returned from Ireland, and slightly before, his dreams had taken on new life.  They weren't as often, as detailed and as gripping, but now, he was victimized by short, little bursts of strange things he could not place.  Sometimes, they were accompanied by sounds, and other times, even by smells.

Right then, he was afraid of what the flashes meant.  More than anything, he feared that they were real, memories from the past, and inside he felt the dank hollow fear that he didn't want to acknowledge.  Were these memories of his past, and if so, what did they mean and what had he done?

He lay back down and turned toward her.  So much of him wished she would wake and hold him, but a larger part of him did not want her alerted to his pain.  She'd seen enough.  And she still had her own, the visit to the courtroom had opened that wound.  He was becoming a nuisance, some kind of burden, and it seemed it would never end.  At this point, she was convinced his hard time was behind them and that they were moving on.  Let her believe that, Manning.  Suck it up.  Handle it.


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