Thomas Lord: Cloaked Chapter 9 (adult)

       Blair felt the heat from Todd's hand even through her light sleeve and led him over to the Nurses station. "Excuse me I know this is extremely unconventional but I was wondering if there is someone here who could check out my husband for me. I believe he's running a fever and he has an angry wound just under his ribs from an incident that occurred several weeks ago. I'm afraid it might have gotten infected. Perhaps there is a doctor around who could just have a look."

      Todd pulled her arm. "Blair what are you doing? I told you I would be alright. This is completely unnecessary." Todd looked at no one in particular. "Don't bother anyone. My wife is just a worrier." He started to turn away, but Blair stopped him cold.

      "You are not alright, you're burning up. You've been overdoing it for days, probably weeks and it's caught up with you. You're about ready to collapse and yet you refuse to get some help. Well, we're not leaving until someone checks you out. If I have to, we'll go down to the emergency room."

      One of the nurses behind the desk had already put in a call to the doctor on staff. She had been studying the man and had seen the sheen of sweat and his pallor. She recalled him from the night the young girl had come in and had remembered how concerned the doctor had been about him. "Mam, if you'd like to just bring him into this room, I'll be glad to check his temperature. Then at least we'll know if he's got a fever. I can also take a look at his side for you."

      Blair smiled in relief. "See Todd, this will just take a minute. If you're running a fever then we can get you something for it."

      Todd shook his head, he had had enough of hospitals to last two lifetimes. But he could hear the worry in Blair's voice so he grudgingly agreed.

       They entered the small room off the end of the counter and the nurse had Todd sit down. It took but moments to confirm he was indeed running a fever. But what alarmed the nurse more was the condition of his side. When Todd had unbuttoned his shirt, the nurse had seen the massive amount of bruising and it was obvious the man had taken a recent beating. She carefully felt along his ribs but found no sign of anything broken. The wound, on the other hand, was definitely infected. The nurse recognized a bullet wound, but it was obviously an older wound then the more recent beating. Whoever this blind man was, he definitely had enemies. A call came into the room and she had to leave to answer it. The next thing Todd knew someone was taking his pulse and he had a sneaking suspicion that it was the Doctor who had seen Lily, she had taken over for the nurse. "Good evening Doctor, this is a surprise."

       "I imagine it is, but you're the one that surprises me. Just how did you sustain such bruising Mr.... I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." said the Doctor.

        "That's probably because I never gave it. Before I give you my name and the answer to your question, I have a question for you. How come a male nurse was assigned to my great niece? You were aware of the girl's ordeal. Who was the idiot that let him near her? She was a basket case this evening and she had been doing so well. As her doctor, you should have written orders prohibiting any male staff to work with her." Todd had grabbed the hand taking his pulse, but he was unaware just how tightly he gripped her as he remembered Lily's reaction. The doctor gasped at the pain and Blair put a hand on Todd's shoulder and squeezed, at which point Todd realized what he was doing and loosened his grip. He didn't apologize he merely released her and said. "Well how about it Doc?"

       The doctor rubbed her wrist and saw for the first time a man close to the edge. Before he had grabbed her hand, his pulse had been slightly elevated but it had escalated when he had asked about his niece. He was really upset. She had been making her rounds and had yet to check on the girl and this was the first she had heard of the incident. She didn't like what he had just said and she would definitely check into it but what concerned her more was his reaction.

       Blair spoke up. "Doctor, please excuse my husband, as you can see he's not feeling well and what has happened to his niece has hit pretty close to home for him."

       "Yes well, as I'm aware of what his niece went through, I'll grant he has a reason to be upset. I was not aware of the incident you just told me and I will certainly look into it. I assure you there were orders in place to protect Lily from any strange men being in her room, but let's get back to the matter at hand. I answered your question to the best of my knowledge, could you answer mine?" she had continued her examination of him, taking another temp reading and noting it had climbed a half a degree. "You were going to tell me your name and how you got the bruising."

       "The name is Thomas Lord, and the bruising happened last night. I'm afraid I got a little too close to some action last night." Todd reached up and touched Blair's hand, his fingers running absentmindedly over hers in an effort to calm himself.

       The doctor paused, had she heard right, "You're Thomas Lord?" She had read the article and been discussing with other colleagues about last night's raid and rescue. They had eight young women in one of their wards who were suffering severe mental withdrawal because of their ordeal. It had been necessary to call in extra doctors from a few surrounding towns to aid those girls as well as the thirty-one others that were in the same shape as Lily. It was a shock to realize that the man who had been instrumental in freeing those children was currently sitting in front of her. It couldn't be true. How had a blind man accomplished what the police had been mystified for months about? "You're not serious are you? That seems a little hard to believe. You're telling me you're the man who wrote the article in the paper."

       Blair bristled, "He's not lying, I watched him write that article, and I was there with him last night on the docks. Do you think just because he's blind, that he's incapable of doing something like that? My husband is capable of so much more than people realize and if he's passionate about something he's unstoppable. Those children needed someone and my husband stepped up to the plate and did something."

        Todd was overwhelmed by Blair's defense. He hadn't expected the doctor to believe him. It hadn't really mattered if she did or didn't. He had merely told the truth. People believed what they wanted to believe. In the real world, it was far fetched that a blind man could accomplish what he had. But strange things happened all the time. He gripped Blair's hand still on his shoulder and said. "Blair, you have to admit given the circumstances, it's natural for her to be skeptical. Doctor, I assure you, I am Thomas Lord and I was on the dock last night completing my story. In the process, I, unfortunately, was caught and detained for a short time by a few of the men who took out some anger issues on me. Those men are now in custody and I sit here before you. You can believe it or not."

      The silence was deafening. The doctor knew she had been in error when she had summarily dropped Mr. Lord into a handicapped slot. She knew perfectly well that handicapped people were capable of extraordinary things. After his wife had defended him, she had felt like crawling into a hole. Then he himself had been gracious and given her an out. She owed him an apology.

       "Mr. Lord, your wife is right, I apologize for my insensitivity and let me say I admire what you did for those children. Getting back to you, you do have an infection and it's not good. Your temperature is still rising so we need to bring that under control. I'd like to admit you and start you on an IV antibiotic, this kind of infection can get out of hand fast."

      "You can stop right there, Doctor, it's not going to happen. I have too much to do over the next few days and I refuse to spend another night in a hospital. Give me a prescription and my wife and I will be on our way." Todd couldn't believe it, he kicked himself for not paying more attention to the wound the last couple of weeks. There was no way Blair was going to get him to stay.

         Blair knew that look on his face, and heard his resolve. There had to be someway to make sure he got something that would knock the infection and let him have his way too. "Doctor, could I talk to you for just a moment?"

       As Blair started to walk out the door with the Doctor, Todd remained adamant. "I mean it, Blair, I will not spend another night in the hospital."

****

       Several hours later, Todd waited as the last of the IV dripped into his arm. He had given into Blair a little bit because she and C.J. had ganged up on him. In a weak moment, because he was beginning to feel a little woozy from the fever, they had talked him into at least staying for the IV. The Doctor had agreed to do it on an outpatient arrangement although she hadn't been happy. He had been given a temporary room just down the hall from Lily and he had been hooked up to the antibiotic. The nurse who had originally checked him out, also redressed his wound after cleaning the visible infection out of it. That hadn't been a picnic, but Todd had taken the pain stoically. Chase had come down and kept him company telling him more about his life, Todd had just let the little boy chatter while he tried to control the chills and then hot flashes that came with the fever his body was fighting.

       As the last few drops of solution entered his body, Todd had started getting antsy. He had lost a whole day, between the sleep that his body had craved and now these last few hours. He wanted to know if John and the Feds had managed to track down the missing three men. He had also promised Kym he would get her some help and he had failed to do that so far. She must think he had forgotten about her. He had to get back on track. He had wanted to do a follow-up piece for the paper too. The rescue wasn't the only story, the aftermath for the children and their families needed to be told. He hoped he could talk Blair into staying down in Savannah just a little longer.

        Blair walked into the room, followed by the Doctor. She walked over and gave him a kiss and said "How are you feeling?"

        Todd looked at her incredulously. "You have to ask? Oh, gee Blair I don't know, how about this. I feel like crap! I'm not staying here any longer. Is that the Doctor with you? You people pumped that stuff into me. I sat here and let you. Now when can I expect it to start working?" He was cranky and had snapped at Blair just a little because she was the reason he was here, he'd make it up to her later. 

        He was still a little scared by what had occurred when they had started to set up the IV. The doctor had insisted on him being hooked up to the monitors so they could watch his temperature and his blood pressure. In the process, the nurse had wanted to take the pouch from around his neck and the armband off. Todd had panicked. He was afraid they would lose the two things that enabled him to see. His blood pressure had spiked alarmingly and Blair had quickly taken control of the articles, reassuring him they wouldn't leave her sight. She had known the ring was in the pouch but hadn't realized that Todd had been hiding his watch in the armband. It had been a clever way to disguise a valuable watch, something a dockworker most likely would not wear. They had managed to bring the heart rate back down and Blair kept quiet about Todd's heart condition. If the doctor found out about his heart, it wouldn't take too long for her to begin to put Thomas Lord's ailments together with the reports circulating the hospitals about Samuel Toddman. If she found out he was Samuel Toddman, the Feds would move in and take Todd back home for security reasons. Blair knew Todd wasn't ready to return home just yet.

        The doctor was checking out the monitors and she still didn't like his pressure or his heartbeat, but she couldn't force the man to stay. His temperature was responding for the time being to the antibiotic and that was all he had agreed to."Mr. Lord, I strongly urge you to take it easy. the antibiotic will be more effective if you don't push your body past it's limits. That being said I'll release you into your wife's capable hands. Hopefully, she will have some influence on you."

       Todd sighed, at least he was getting out of the hospital, he would work on Blair when they were alone, because he knew what Blair was going to try and do and she could forget it, he didn't have time to just sit and rest. A few minutes later Todd had retrieved the implants from Blair. He put the armband on and slipped the pouch around his neck. He suddenly felt his heartbeat steady. It was strange the effect the implants had on him. He hadn't been without them since the night of his revenge. Even though he hadn't been using them, he had kept them with him and when Blair had taken them away for that short time, Todd had felt like a piece of him had been taken with them. Now that he had them back in his possession he knew he had an unhealthy attachment to them that was only getting worse the more he wore them, but he couldn't give them up. They were still a part of him even though they were no longer in his brain. Todd felt it best not to mention anything about his feelings regarding the implants to Blair. She had never been too fond of the idea that they were helping him see.  She feared there might still be a piece left behind in him that was communicating to the other two pieces. Todd was afraid after what had just happened that Blair might be right. He made a promise to himself to call and talk to Michael after he finished with everything in Savannah.     

        Todd and Blair took their leave of C.J. and his family. After they entered the taxi and before Blair could say anything Todd told the driver to take them to the Herald offices. Then Todd took out his phone to make a call to John. "Hey, are you still in town?"

        John had been waiting all day for a call. New information was coming in hourly about the slavery ring, but the whereabouts of the three men who had disappeared the night before was still a mystery. The Feds were all over him because of the story that had appeared in the paper. John had reminded them it was the freedom of the press and they wouldn't have saved all the kids they did if it weren't for Thomas Lord. "Hell yeah I'm still in town, I'm not leaving without you. Nora would have my head if anything happened to you now. Where the hell are you and where have you been all day?"

        Todd held the phone from his ear as John yelled "Hey don't blame me, Blair didn't wake me, and then she made me spend the last several hours at the hospital. You know how she can be."

       John frowned at the phone in his hand. Blair must have had a real good reason for letting Todd sleep and the visit to the hospital meant Todd had issues with the beating he had taken the night before. "Yeah, I know Blair." Okay, he couldn't get after Todd for the delays but he sure had taken his sweet time to call. The guy was irritating, but John admitted to himself that this Todd Manning was actually growing on him. John wasn't sure how to approach this next subject. "Todd, we've got another problem. I got a call earlier from Bo. Someone shot and killed Jake Boudreau. Tea and Dani are a mess. Vicki's opened her home to them. Bo says you need to come in for your own protection. We have officers watching your place and LaBoulaie keeping an eye on your kids."

       Todd frowned, Hesser's partners had struck and this time succeeded. God what if they should decide to go after the kids just to get him? "John meet us at my hotel." he quickly gave John the location and told the taxi driver to change routes as he headed to Cassie's. "Blair I'm dropping you off to get packed, we're going home. I'll send this taxi back for you. It's important, just get ready to go and wait for the taxi to come back." the car pulled up in front of Cassie's and with a quick kiss he sent Blair inside and ordered the taxi to take him to his hotel. He called Amos and informed him that an emergency had come up, if possible he would try to return but right now the matter was a life and death issue. It looked like Thomas Lord was going home sooner than expected. He didn't care what Bo thought, he was getting his family out of Llanview. He would bring them back to Savannah. No one but John knew he was Thomas Lord. For the time being until it was safe to return home the Thomas Lord family was taking up residence in Savannah.

****

       Todd returned to his hotel, John was waiting and they made their way to his room. Once inside, John caught Todd up on the events that had transpired earlier in Llanview. Jake had been shot by an unknown assailant as he was leaving the Sun offices. The wire services were all over the report and it was a publicity nightmare. Bo said that Christian had been delivered into Witness protection along with Carlotta after giving his statements to Nora and the trial for Carlo and Kipling was moving forward. Nora just needed Samuel's statement to seal the deal.

"How on earth did someone get close enough to Jake to kill him, I thought the police and Feds were on top of this mess." Todd was kicking himself. None of this would have happened if he had just gotten a little more information from Carlo that night. His need for revenge had made matters worse.

         "Jake was killed by a sniper using a high powered rifle. No one knew another assassin had come into the city. The Feds thought they had gotten all of Hesser's associates and Hesser has stopped being cooperative. He and Kipling both are now saying they were coerced into a statement claiming we took advantage of their condition to get the confessions. They have no proof and the doctor that examined them said they were lucid and showed no sign of drugs when they were brought into the ER. In fact, they were both insisting that they had been injured by the other. They're still claiming each had the other hurt. It's just that now they've decided to cry police brutality saying we used their condition to make them vulnerable and then convinced them in that moment of vulnerability to confess. Carlo's lawyer, in particular, says we took the opportunity to get the confession while he was in severe pain."

       Todd knew why they had confessed and what had motivated them, but he kept his face still. "Do you think he'll beat the wrap?"

       "Not very likely, Hesser was telling me and everyone who was in the room when we found them all about his plans and how he had used you and Boudreau. He even told the doctors and nurses all about it, he said he wanted to get it off his chest. He told me when we arrived that while he had been forced to sit there in pain next to the man who had ordered him injured, he had come to a realization that life was too short to live with the guilt of what he had done to you and the other men he had used in the project. He felt we needed to know so he told us. I must admit I was stunned, but I had my officer take his statement and then Kipling piped in and said he wanted to tell me everything too. It was weird and I asked the doctors to run blood tests to make sure they weren't on something. The tox screens came back negative for drugs." John shrugged and looked at Todd trying to get some reaction from him. " Do you want to tell me why you disappeared that morning?"

       Todd had been listening to John's tale and wondering when John would bring up his disappearance. The time had arrived. Before he could answer, the room started spinning a little bit and he reached for the desk chair to stabilize himself. A chill ran through him and he sat down in the chair rather abruptly. His fever must be coming back. With a shaky hand, he reached for the pills in his breast pocket. He opened the bottle and took one and then turned to John. "Sorry about that. Now what did you ask me?" he remembered but he needed a little time to get his thoughts together they were a little fuzzy at the moment.

       "What's going on Todd? Why the pills? Why were you at the hospital so long?"

        "It's nothing, I let myself get run down and got an infection where Christian shot me. Last night's beating aggravated it further. I'll be alright, just fighting a fever right now. Blair should be arriving soon. You wanted to know why I disappeared. John, it's been a rough nine months. That night I hit a wall. There had been one too many attempts on my life and the last one was in the home I shared with my wife and family. I suddenly saw myself for the danger that I was. With me around, everyone had been in turmoil.  I couldn't take it anymore and left, feeling they were all safer without me." Todd rubbed his temples and tried to focus as another chill shook his body.

       John watched Todd, he saw the shiver but could see Todd was sweating.  Obviously he was pretty sick. "Todd, Blair was right you should be in a hospital."

      "No time, you go back and tell Bo and Nora to wait for my call. I'm sending Blair home too.  John, I'm counting on you to keep Blair and the kids safe until I can work out the logistics of getting them out of Llanview without making Hesser's people suspicious.  After Nora gets my statement, don't look for me. I'll know when it's safe to bring my family home. Forget you heard of Thomas Lord, he's just a figment of someone's imagination." Blair arrived at the door and John waved Todd back into his seat and opened the door for her.

       "John what's going on. Todd gets off the phone with you and all of a sudden he's dropping me at Cassie's and telling me to pack. What happened?" Blair looked from John to Todd getting the distinct impression it wasn't going to be good news.

       Todd held out his hand "Blair come here." Blair walked over to Todd, she noted his fever was up, but he was so serious. "Blair, Jake was killed."

       "Oh my God, how?" Blair turned back to John.

       "Hesser's partners succeeded this time. He was killed at the Sun. Bo knows I came looking for Todd, he asked me today if I found him and I let him think I hadn't. That's when he informed me of Jake's death."

        "The children!  We need to get home to the children. Jack and Sam will be devastated. Todd, you should rest, I'll pack for you." Blair said.

       "Whoa, Blair. I'm sending you home with John."She started to protest and Todd said."I'll be following shortly but Blair we're not staying in Llanview. I want you to get the kids ready for a trip. Tell Addie and Starr too. You should be there for Jake's funeral and Tea and Dani need you. I'll contact you when I get home. Hesser's men are looking for me too. I'm not giving them a chance to find me, but I'm not letting Hesser and Kipling walk either. I've got to give my statement and appear in court especially now that they've silenced Jake. I'm going to get all of you out of the line of fire though. We'll relocate for now, and when Hesser and Kipling are safely locked away. Then we'll return home."

       "Todd, why don't you just come with us. You're not in the best shape right now. Why must you stay here?" Blair didn't like leaving Todd . "John talk some sense into him. Todd, wouldn't it make more sense to return to Llanview with John? No one would attempt to harm us if we're with John."

        "Blair that's not the point. You heard John, Bo doesn't know John found me and we want to keep the fact that he did just between us. Hesser had people everywhere, you know that. He probably has someone in the department. If word got back to the wrong people that John was bringing me in, I'd be a dead man when we landed. I'm not going to make it easy for them Blair. Nor do I want you or John dead alongside me. Please you need to go back. Let Cassie know what's going on and warn her to be careful who she talks to. Will you go with John?"

         Blair hated everything that Todd had just said, but she knew he was right. "I'll go, but only if you promise you'll be right behind."

        Todd nodded, he was drained, he had just gotten Blair back and now he had to let her leave without him. He really didn't want her out of his sight, but someone needed to go home to the boys. John had obviously not arrived by commercial means and Todd was betting his ride was still in Savannah, and putting Blair on that flight was the safest way to get her home. "Blair, I'll be there. Promise.  John, before you go. I need to know. Did the feds manage to find the missing men from last night?"

       "No Todd, they're still at large. Thomas Lord also has a bullseye on his back, thanks to last night. You need to keep a real low profile while you're still here, don't draw attention to yourself. Luckily, no one really knows what Thomas Lord looks like, even your editor stated that he's never seen you and that you sent your work in by computer. Right now, the people behind this ring don't know a whole lot about you. I suggest you keep it that way. Blair, you stay here and I'll be back for you before dawn. I suggest you talk Todd into getting some more rest he looks like he's going to drop. Todd, dropping dead from that infection will only help the bad guys. Get some rest." John smiled as Todd frowned at him. He nodded to Blair as he departed, giving one final command to both of them. "Lock up!"

        After John had gone, Blair had talked Todd into laying down. The antibiotic was taking it's sweet time working and Todd was soon dozing fitfully because of the fever. Blair sat there going over everything in her mind that Todd had used as an argument for her to leave and kept coming back to one thing Todd had refused to see. She didn't want to go. She pulled out her phone and began making some calls. She called Cassie first and after a lengthy discussion, plans were finalized with her. Then she called to talk to her mother. She would have to be careful how she worded the conversation in case someone was listening in. Hopefully, her mother would pick up on things once they got further into the call.

        "Momma, sorry for such a late call but I just heard the news about "Todd" being shot. How are Jack and Sam holding up?"

        "Blair, I'm so glad you called. Sam is actually holding up a little better than Jack. Jack just lost the father who raised him and he had just started getting close to "Samuel" but now with Samuel missing and Todd dead Jack feels adrift. He needs you, they both need you and Samuel. Sam and little Hope really miss him. Starr has been a rock since "Todd's" shooting. Trying to be there for her brothers and Hope. She's been praying you'll call and tell us you've found Samuel. Have you found him yet? Are you going to be coming home soon?"

     God bless Momma, she had picked up on Blair's tone and was calling Jake, "Todd". She answered."Momma, I'm close to finding Samuel so I can't come home right now, but I want you to do something for me. I want you to bring the boys and Starr and Hope here to Paris. We can stay with Adriana. I don't want you there alone. Whoever killed Todd is also after Samuel. They might decide to grab you or the kids in an effort to bring Samuel out into the open. We'll be together here and we'll be able to give each other the support we need during this time. Now this is very important Momma, I'm arranging the flights. Adriana will meet you and bring you to me. In the meantime keep a close eye on the boys and don't lose your bodyguards. Tell Tea and Dani how very sorry I am that I won't be able to attend the funeral. I'll be sending the information on the flights sometime tomorrow. I love you, Momma."

        "I love you, Blair, I'll take care of the boys and I'll watch for the tickets. We'll all see you soon. Goodnight my sweet girl."

        "Goodnight Momma."

         The last call she made was to John. He hadn't been happy to hear that plans had changed, but he wasn't surprised. Blair could be very stubborn when she wanted to be. He assured her, he and the police would keep extra eyes on her family and he personally would make sure they all got on the plane after the funeral, in turn she promised to keep Todd from doing anything foolish with regard to the story he was working on. They would make plans for getting Todd's testimony as soon as the family was safely out of Llanview.

        Blair felt like she had done the right thing, and she would face Todd's anger when he was feeling better. She knew one thing for sure, she wasn't going to let him get rid of her. She had meant it when she told him she wasn't going anywhere.

        She made sure all the locks were in place and turned out the lights and crawled into bed. She was staying close no matter what. Todd needed her even if he didn't want to admit it.

       He had been alternating between feeling cold and burning up, then he found himself walking again. She held his hand as they walked among the trees, the fall leaves drifting down around them. It was so peaceful, then in the blink of an eye it turned dark and stormy, the wind came up and Blair cried out in alarm. A flash of lightening illuminated the forest around them. There was a crack from above and Todd watched as a huge limb began falling toward them. It was headed straight for Blair. He grabbed her and pushed her away. The limb fell between them and he yelled "Blair are you alright? Are you hurt?" there was no answer, suddenly the limb burst into flame. He couldn't see her anymore and she wasn't answering.

       He tried to go around the limb but the fire was all but surrounding him. He was being forced away from her location. He stumbled pushed farther from her by the heat, then he felt the blistering cold assail him, he looked back and the fire was gone, everything was gone.

       Where was she, she had just been with him, he couldn't have lost her again. The cold was biting into him and then the laughter began. It was coming from behind him. Todd turned slowly and found himself facing his old home once again. He was being drawn toward the doors which opened like the gaping maw of some putrid monster. He was so cold and the interior of the house flared up with heat but he felt himself straining to be free, as cold as he felt, the warmth of the house was cloying and all he wanted to do was get as far away from it as possible. The harder he strained to pull free, the louder the laughter became.

        He was losing the battle. He stood there struggling against the force pulling him in and watched as the heat took shape and reached for him. Great fingers of flame roared out the door and grabbed him and he found himself engulfed in fire. He tried to scream but the only sound to be heard was the laughter, flames were peeling away his skin and he saw an oily black substance taking its place, it was flowing up his body once again trying to encase him. Noooooooooooooooo! He had escaped it. It had gone away. Why was it back. He needed Blair. Blair kept it away, but he had lost her again. He had to find her. "Blair, I need you, please don't go. Come back." It was no use. She wasn't coming back he had pushed her away.

       Blair awoke in alarm, Todd was deep in the throes of a nightmare, his shout had awakened her. He was calling to her. Blair wrapped her arms around him. Somehow she had to get through to him she was there. She began stroking his fevered brow and started humming softly.

          The substance was almost to his face when he heard her voice. She was singing to him. Todd looked over his shoulder and she was there, the light surrounding her. "Wake me up I must be dreaming, I can't believe that you are real. Heard somebody call us crazy, don't know what we feel..." he turned and began walking toward her, she was calling him. The laughter was gone and he only heard her. As he drew closer her arms opened to welcome him home.

          Todd turned to her and wrapped his arms around her and fell into a peaceful sleep. His fever had broken. Blair gently moved his hair out of his face and just held him. She had made the right decision. Later they would find a way for him to get to Llanview but they would do it together. She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her once again.

           He awoke to find himself wrapped in Blair's arms. It was strange, there had been a number of mornings when he had been the one holding her. This was a first. It felt right. He glanced over at the clock startled to find out it was mid-morning. They should have been up hours ago. Why hadn't John called? He and Blair were supposed to go back to Llanview. Todd continued to hold Blair and realized he didn't want her to go. The problem was, someone had to be with the kids right now. His children had to be hurting over the loss of the man they had known as their father all these years. He felt for Tea and Dani. They had loved the guy.

         He had been able to come to some sort of truce with Jake because they had shared a common enemy, but there had been a lot of things Jake had done during the last eight years that Todd would never forgive him for. He knew it hadn't all been Jake's fault because he had been manipulated by Kipling and Hesser, but his actions had been his alone. Todd's sympathy went out to his family, but he felt no sadness for the man.

        He needed to find out what had happened to John. Todd carefully extricated himself from Blair's arms and rolled out of the bed. A small chill ran through him because of the dampness of his clothes. Obviously his fever had broken during the night, in fact, he felt pretty good. He called down to room service and ordered some breakfast, then headed to the shower.

        Blair felt colder and awoke realizing that Todd had left her. She heard the shower going and smiled to herself. Slipping out of bed she walked toward the bathroom and dropped her gown on the floor. Before he could protest she slipped in to join him wrapping her arms around him from behind and reaching for the soap.

        Todd was startled as she joined him but relished the feel of her body rubbing against his. She took the soap and began covering him with it rubbing her hands around all of him. The last time they had showered together had been in Vicki's cabin after their lovemaking among the flowers. That time he had been washing her and now Blair was doing the washing. Her hands caressed him lathering his shoulders and back slowly making her way down his backside and his legs. He was becoming more and more aroused with every caress.

      He was almost mesmerized by the sensations flooding him when he heard her say huskily "Turn around." Todd did as he was told and found himself face to face with his beautiful seductress. She smiled provocatively and began lathering his chest and arms then she moved downward.

       Blair had never gone down on Todd because she knew he had grown up in a very repressed atmosphere and he had always treated her with respect and care when making love to her. But as she gazed at him standing there glorious and hers, she found herself eager to treat him. She wanted him to know what it was like to be brought to heaven. She began lathering and caressing him, kneading him, then she dropped to her knees and began fondling him in earnest, feeling his arousal, her lips started at his waist and before he could realize what she was about to do, she took him into her mouth.

      Todd reeled back his senses a riot of sensations as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over him. God, what was she doing? No one had prepared him for this kind of lovemaking. He felt himself coming and knew there was no stopping this climax. He reached to brace himself against the wall as she released him and began her exploration back up his body with her mouth and tongue. His heart was beating erratically as he gazed down into her green eyes watching her come back up to him. In one heartbeat, he gripped her and pulled her up and captured those luscious lips and turned to press her body against the side of the shower. She eagerly met his kiss and soon he had her squirming as his hands found her already slick with her essence, she had been just as turned on as he. Todd had long ago discovered ways to carry Blair to new heights and soon she joined him in release clinging to him spent.

       They clung to each other their kisses turning gentle , Blair gazed up at him, her hand reaching for his hair "Let me wash your hair. " He nodded and turned as she once again reached for the soap and lathered his head. She gently massaged and worked the lather through his hair careful to keep the soap from his face then she had him rinse. With her fingers she combed it back from his face and brought her hands down on either side of his face to once again steal a kiss.

       Todd took her and turned her toward the nozzle," My turn." he said and proceeded to wash Blair's silky tresses. When he had rinsed through her longer hair, he gently did as she had done and ran his fingers through the strands. Todd reached around Blair, turned off the water and grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around her and followed her out of the shower where he grabbed a second towel for himself. They made their way out of the bathroom just in time to hear "Room Service." Todd looked at her and suddenly began to laugh. It took a moment but then Blair joined him. There had already been a great deal of room service going on and only Todd would have seen the humor in those two words.


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