Who's the Real Todd? Chapter 24

Jack looked sick. He had been avoiding his mom all morning and when she didn't yell at him at breakfast he figured she hadn't heard about the day before but from the looks on Samuel's and Tea's faces the jig was up.  He had nothing to lose, he tried to bluff his way out of trouble by pleading ignorant. "Hey mom, I don't know what you mean. I came because you told me I needed to be here but I don't know what's going on." he looked at his mom and then he caught the look in Samuel's eyes. He was in for it.

Todd knew from the moment that Jack spotted Tea, that his son was guilty. Now he needed to know exactly what Jack was guilty of.  "Why don't we all sit down. Tea is here to tell me all about it. You might as well hear what she has to say too. Tea, the floor is yours."

Tea looked at her stepson and felt sorry for him. Somewhere along the way Jack had gotten lost and all the adults in his life were to blame with the exception of his real father. Todd hadn't asked to be separated from his son and he was still trying to find a way to reestablish that relationship. Tea knew how important Todd's kids were to him and this was going to tear him apart. "I'm not sure where to start. Yesterday Jack and I were visiting his father when we ran into Shane Morasco and his dad. Jack blurted out his surprise at seeing Shane and suddenly red flags went up all over the place. Shane informed his father Rex, that the cyber bullying had taken a different turn and that Jack was still behind it. When Shane said his mom was aware of it, they all got worried because Gigi was supposed to meet them so she and Rex could get married. Gigi, it seemed, was missing. Rex borrowed my laptop and brought up Shane's my face page only to find an invite to some party from a girl online. Shane claimed the girl was really Jack. Rex took off to look for Gigi and Jack and I went for our visit with Todd. I informed Todd about Shane's suspicions and they chatted and then Todd informed me that Shane's suspicions were true. Jack had engineered a trap for Shane only it looks like Gigi got caught in it. Here's where things turned bad. Rex found Gigi but she was unconscious. She was taken to the hospital." Tea paused. Blair was looking stunned and Todd had gone eerily still, just watching his son. Starr too was looking stunned and scared about what her brother had done.

Todd sensed Tea's hesitation and knew the reason. He had been watching Jack. The boy was fidgeting and looking at everything in the room to avoid eye contact with his family. Jack was scared. If the rest of Tea's news was what he suspected, then Jack better be scared. "Go on Tea, don't stop now. What happened to Gigi?"

Tea cleared her throat and looked at Blair knowing how deeply this was going to hurt because she was hurting too. She loved Jack but she wasn't sure if he could be saved from this situation. "Rex found Gigi in a sealed room with a running generator. There was no ventilation and therefore the room filled with Carbon Monoxide. I'm sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am. Gigi is gone. She was pronounced brain dead last night."

"No! It can't be. Gigi can't be dead. Jack, what have you done!" Blair cried. Starr grabbed her mom's hand and together they looked at Jack waiting for some explanation that would make sense.

Jack saw how hurt his mom and sister were and he knew how angry his dad had been last night. But what really scared him was the look in Samuel's eyes. He saw anger and pain in those eyes and then he saw pity. Samuel's reaction scared him the most. He had expected an explosion from Samuel. He had witnessed Samuel when he was furious. He figured Samuel would be as mad as his dad. But Samuel looked like he had been kicked in the gut.  He tried to make excuses. "Mom it was just a prank, we just thought Shane would spend the night and be none the worse this morning. I didn't know there was a generator in the room. We didn't turn it on. Mrs. Morasco did. I didn't mean anything to happen you have to believe me. We just thought Wheezy might get scared and need to use his inhaler. It was just a ..."Jack's voice petered out. Everyone was looking so disappointed in him, but the one that bothered him the most was Samuel's reaction. "I..."he stopped because Samuel met his eyes and held up a hand stopping him.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Todd. "Don't Jack, there's no excuse that you can say to get you off. Your actions have caused a tragedy. This isn't going to be fixed with an ‘I'm sorry.’ What you did was criminal negligence and there are going to be hard consequences to face." Todd looked at his son, "Do you understand what happened, Jack? I mean really understand. Jack, you killed someone. Do you get that?" Todd looked directly at Jack when he said the words. "You're never going to escape it and it will haunt you the rest of your life." There was such agony behind those words as Todd's voice cracked a little. Blair and Tea knew Todd was remembering his part in Suede's death.

Todd stood up and walked to the window lost in thought, thinking back to the anger and impulsiveness that caused him to react violently against Suede all those years ago. In his mind, he saw Suede hit the podium and then fall smashing his head against a wrench. He remembered the horror he felt when he realized Suede was dead. Now he saw his son facing that same horror, but as of yet it still hadn't sunk in for Jack and when it did his son was going to be a mess. At least he prayed for some reaction that would show Jack had some remorse for Gigi's death. He could help if Jack was remorseful but Todd was so worried that Jack still was in denial of any wrongdoing on his part and if he failed to recognize his part in Gigi's death there was no telling if he would ever see it.

Jack looked helplessly at his mother. She and Starr had tears in their eyes but they said nothing to him. Tea just shook her head.  She had talked with him the night before and he still couldn't see how he was responsible. Jack was counting on her and his dad to get him off and Tea was fearful her Todd just might do exactly that. "Well, I came to clue you in. Rex is going to be out for blood. We need to be prepared if charges are filed."

Todd turned to look at her. "What are his chances? How much time is he possibly looking at?"

"I don't know, it depends on if they charge him as an adult and what they charge him with. Like I said. Be prepared. I'm sorry." She hugged Blair and Starr. She worried about Todd but he had Blair and Starr and the three of them might be able to get through to Jack. She really hoped so. She left shaking her head at Jack, as she let herself out.

Todd looked at Blair and Starr. Blair saw a look in Todd's eyes that spoke volumes. She sensed the anger that Todd was currently holding in. She knew he was furious with Jack's lack of concern, and she also knew Todd was struggling to come to grips with his own feelings of frustration because he had failed to be here for his son. She felt some of those same feelings because she had failed Jack too.

"I need some time alone with Jack," he said. "Maybe you two could take Hope to the park and come back in about an hour."

"Todd are you sure you can handle it?" asked Blair.

Todd's look was bleak but his voice was firm. "He's my son Blair, do you really need to ask?"

Blair's eyes filled with tears, she knew she had hurt him just then.  It was too late to take the question back. She stood up and walked to him. "I'm sorry. That was unforgivable. I hope you can get through to him." She kissed his cheek and she and Starr departed.

Jack felt very vulnerable. He was alone with Samuel and this time, there was no one he could go to for support. He had been scared of his father the day before, especially when his dad had yelled at him, demanding to know if he had trapped Gigi. This was worse because he sensed that the man in front of him was capable of even more violence. He had caught the exchange between his Mother and Samuel. He knew that for one moment his mother had been afraid for him. She knew his real father and what he had done in his past. Jack was worried that he was going to find out just how bad his father had been.

"Come here Jack," said Todd as he made his way back to the window. He turned back when Jack made no move to join him. "You don't need to fear me. Unless you make me angry. You don't want to make me angry. Now come here."

There was something chilling in Samuel's tone that said if he didn't move on his own he might be very sorry indeed. Jack quickly moved to stand beside Samuel. Samuel smiled at him but there was no warmth in that smile. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Uncle Pete. Your father decided to let me out so you could see what anger was all about. So you've been feeling neglected and decided to act out and bully someone because it made you feel good. I know someone like that and I hated him. So much so that I almost killed him one night. I hated him and the whole world, for the hurt he inflicted on us as we were growing up. That hatred and anger built up inside me and it chose many instances to erupt." Pete turned toward Jack. "I'm the one who raped Marty Saybrook. The thing is Jack, I felt good about it. That's the monster I've become. Each time the need for revenge boiled up inside your father became a chance for me to come out and take it. Your father keeps tight control of me because he doesn't understand himself yet. He thinks I have no control, but I'm very selective about who deserves my wrath. You're fortunate Jack, we love you, myself included, as much as I can love. You're our own flesh and blood. So he'll never lift a hand to you. Believe me, I think you should be taken out and horsewhipped, but you see, even if I think you deserve it, I would never do it. Let me show you something. You might want to move away. I don't want you to think I'm going to harm you, I just need to take off my shirt."

Jack backed up fascinated, and a little scared. He watched Pete remove his shirt and then Pete turned so that his back was lit by the sunlight coming in the window. His back was covered with scars. They were ragged and ugly. Jack had seen a picture of slaves with similar scars in his history books, but he had never seen an actual person have any.

"How??" Jack asked shakily.

"My adoptive father gave me those. He got a perverse thrill out of hurting your father when he was your age. Todd and I ran wild the year after raping Marty. He was filled with rage toward Marty and her friends and it was glorious for a while but then Todd began to feel remorse for his deeds. The accidental death of a man called Suede Pruitt opened both our eyes. Even I realized I hated and wanted to hurt but I'm not a killer. The weight of his death was unbearable because I caused it. That loss of control is why I'm confined most of the time. Todd is afraid the next time won't be an accident." Pete was so nonchalant about his part in the death of another man. Jack began to feel really uncomfortable. How could his dad be so cold about killing someone else? He said he carried the weight of that death but it didn't sound like it bothered him at all. "I'm curious about something. Tell me young Jack, how does it feel to find out you've killed someone? You can be honest, you can tell me that you actually are enjoying this. That you got a thrill knowing you hurt this Gigi. I won't tell your mom. Just how much like my adoptive father and your degenerate grandfather are you?"

Jack backed farther away. Why was the guy saying that? "No you don't understand, I didn't mean to hurt her. I never meant for this to happen, I was just so mad at Shane. I couldn't believe it when he dropped a weight on my toe. I went a little crazy. All I wanted to do was get back at him for making me look like a fool in front of my friends."

"Hey kid, I understand revenge. but it has consequences especially when plans go wrong. Your father felt that way and look what happened to him. He wears scars across his face as a constant reminder of how things get out of hand. I hear a lot of excuses coming out of your mouth kid, but it sounds to me like you expect us to forgive you because you didn't mean to do it. It doesn't work that way. You see unless you realize the extent of the harm you've caused, all you're ever going to do is keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Believe me, I know. So kid, be honest with yourself, do you or don't you care that you killed Shane's mom?" Pete stood there impassively waiting for an answer. He looked at Jack's face and saw the indecision and then he saw what he was looking for. But he needed to push Jack to his limit. " Come on Jack just tell me. You're happy aren't you, no more crybaby Wheezy. Now he'll probably go away because his mom's dead and you won't have him around anymore to get on your nerves. Isn't that right Jack, admit you're glad that Wheezy's mom died, admit it, Jack."

"Stop it! Stop it! I'm sorry I didn't want it to happen, I'm sorry please stop saying I wanted it, It's not true. Please stop saying that." Jack collapsed in a heap on the floor crying.

Pete stood impassively over him. Deep inside he felt like that little boy of fourteen who finally fought back against his father. He turned inward.

"Have I earned your trust now Todd.'

"Yes, Pete. Thank you. The door will remain unlocked. I think I'm going to be needing your services coming up. Thanks for rejoining the family, and thank you again for helping my son really understand what has happened. He needed to face someone like you to see what he's become. Now maybe he'll understand what he must do to make things better for himself and Shane.  Hopefully, he'll let me help."

Todd looked down at his son and sat down next to him on the floor. He gathered him into his arms and let him cry. When Jack was all cried out, Todd let him go and just sat there as Jack composed himself. Jack looked into the eyes of the man sitting next to him and felt something strange come over him. He reached for the face and said in a very childlike voice. "Dad?" Todd's heart felt like it was bursting. Jack had finally recognized him.

They sat there looking at one another for a moment. Jack actually felt a little shy. He didn't know what to say to his Dad. He found it a little strange to be thinking of Samuel that way but it felt right. He realized too that Pete was no longer there. The man sitting next to him, his dad, only had love shining out of his eyes. He wasn't scary at all. Jack couldn't help himself he had to ask. "Where did he go? Is he going to come back?"

Todd knew Jack was asking about Pete. So he answered truthfully. "He's around and yes he might come back. But you do know he'll never hurt you, don't you. Pete is a part of me I've been scared to show people because of what he is capable of, but I needed you to see what you could become if you failed to realize what you've done. I'll be honest with you Jack, Pete scares me too. When he offered to help I couldn't believe it, I thought he might be using the excuse to talk to you as a means of getting loose. He surprised me today. I realized I've misunderstood him. He's angry but not homicidal. I've always felt he was a demon I had to control because of the things I've done when Pete is in control. He's relentless and cruel but it wasn't until today that I recognized he's just that part of me that pushes emotions like pity and forgiveness and uncertainty aside and just gets the job done, no matter the job. Unfortunately, sometimes what he considers just a job is, in fact, something horrific like the raping of Marty. I let that happen, just like I let him fight Suede Pruitt and as a result, I now have to live with the fact that a man died because of me. I killed a man. It's not something I ever wanted you to live with but now you have to face the fact too. Jack, you killed someone. It was unintentional, but you put the circumstances in play and as a result of your actions, Shane no longer has a mother." Todd paused watching his son, he saw Jack's face fall and knew he was close to tears again.

"I don't know what to do. I'm scared, what they will do to me. I can't tell Shane I'm sorry, he'll never believe me. He hates my guts and now I...I... God...I killed his mom." his voice cracked as the enormity of what happened hit him. Jack looked at his dad, tears streaming from his eyes. "What happens now?"

Todd shook his head, he was hurting for his son because now they had a long road ahead of them. The fact that Jack recognized what he had done was a step in the right direction but he was still in the path of some heavy duty charges and the possibility of prison time. "For now, we wait. This is serious Jack. If I know Tea she'll be doing everything in her power to keep you out of jail, but you need to understand that she might not succeed. In the past I would have bribed anyone who would take it, to get you off, but I'm not going to do that. It didn't help me. It just made me think I was above the law. I lost out on eight years of your life because someone wanted me out of the picture here. As a result, I wasn't here to guide you away from destructive behavior and now we're here. I'm fighting a great deal of rage toward the man who did this and there are times I just want to kill him. The thing is, I want the life I have right now more than revenge. I just got your Mom back, we want to have a life together. I've chosen to work with the police for the first time in my life. I can't go behind the law's back to save you. I can offer you my love and support through everything coming up. And I'm going to trust that you might get out of this with little to no time in prison." Todd ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe himself and his actions at the moment. Who are you kidding, you want to fight this with all the money at your disposal. He pushed the thought away because he knew that kind of action wouldn't really help his son. Todd rose from the floor and Jack did also. They made their way back over to the couch and sat down again.

"But I don't want to go to prison. I'm just a kid." the fear in Jack's voice was palpable.

"Believe me, I don't want you to go there either. I've been to prison and it's not pretty, it's ugly and violent and you would be eaten alive there. It almost destroyed me, but in the end, I learned from it. I don't believe the courts would send you to some place like Statesville because of your age. That doesn't mean they would let you off scot free either. We have to be ready for the possibility of a minimal security facility for underage offenders.  Jack, I'm not telling you this to scare you. I want you to know the worst that could happen, to prepare you. This is why your mom and I were trying so hard to get you to see the path you were on. But in your stubbornness you ignored us. Now we sit here looking at consequences that I swore would never happen to my son. I owe you an apology. I've made mistakes with you from the get-go. Now I'm seeing my worst nightmare coming to fruition. When you were just a little guy, I used lies and deceptions to try and get you and your mom and sister back, but inevitably those lies came back and blew up in my face and I lost you all. Before I could make it up to your mother I was kidnapped and the rest is history. All I can do at this moment is be here if you want me. What do you say, Jack, do you want me to be with you through this?"

Jack looked at his dad and knew he needed him. His other Dad was going to be trying to get him off and he hoped Tea would succeed. If something bad happened, he could count on the guy sitting next to him to be there the whole time no matter what. He believed it because he saw it in Samuel's eyes. His dad cared that much for him. Jack once again felt tears in his eyes. This guy really loved him. It had been a long time since he had felt like he mattered to someone. In the last year, he had felt more and more isolated from his family as they had all been wrapped up in their own dramas. None of them had seemed to notice him and he had felt himself becoming invisible unless they thought he was coming down too hard on Sam or getting into trouble. He had just wanted to be noticed and now he had their attention but was it too late. Samuel made it seem like it wasn't, his dad was looking at him and really seeing him but Samuel wasn't writing him off. "You'll stay no matter what?" His dad nodded. "Please don't go away, I do want you here. I'm really scared." Jack begged.

Todd drew him into a hug. Giving his son whatever comfort he could. He was scared too. The days ahead were going to be difficult for everyone. Todd wasn't really the praying sort, but he found himself asking God for any help he could give.

Todd felt Jack pull back and immediately released him. Jack was looking embarrassed so Todd decided to change subjects for a little bit. "Jack, I need to ask you a question and it has nothing to do with all of this. Tea said you saw your Dad yesterday, aside from his displeasure at yesterday's events, how did he seem to you?"

"I don't know, he was just Dad. He kept trying to find out what happened to Shane's mother and boy was he mad. I thought you would be mad like my dad. That night you came to the house, you got really angry. Was that Pete?" Jack asked.

Todd ran his hand through his hair and cleared his throat. " No Jack, that was me. Pete's anger is cold and deadly while I'm afraid I just fly off the handle sometimes. I'm sorry my frustration got the better of me that night. I'm more volatile than Pete and he's more deadly. If you should encounter him again just don't rile him up. He proved to me today that he wouldn't hurt you but that doesn't mean you couldn't get hurt just because you got too close to whatever he might be up too. Pete's a bit of a loose cannon. So now you've met Pete and Samuel, do you still think I'm a wimp. I remember you weren't too impressed with Samuel because he paints. Whether you realize it or not, Samuel is one of my stronger alters. He's the reason I'm sitting here today. Samuel took care of me and all the rest of the alters for eight years. You have no idea the strengths he has. Pete is strong but that's because Pete needed to be after my father abused me. Don't think for a minute that any of my alters are weak because they are parts of a whole. All of my alters are like tempered steel because together we've been through so much. Some people think I split because of my father and that might have been true in the beginning but you see I found out about my alters and I've used them throughout my life to help weather events that would kill an ordinary man. I'm stronger because of my alters. They are like brothers to me, and you, your sister, Sam and Hope are like nieces and nephews to them. When you're with me you get the advantage of calling on them for advice and aid and if I'm unable to respond they will. I know it sounds a little crazy doesn't it but you met Pete today. You were scared of him but did you learn anything from him?" Todd paused and waited for Jack's answer.

"I didn't know what to expect but meeting Pete was scary. He's totally different from you or Samuel. He's cold and mean and he kept throwing Shane and his mother in my face. He kept saying I got pleasure out of hurting Shane's mother. You've got to believe me. I'm sick inside I feel like I've eaten an alien and it's churning up my insides." Jack suddenly turn three shades of green and ran to the kitchen.

Todd heard him throwing up in the sink as the truth finally hit home. Todd walked over and grabbed a towel off the bar and wet it down with cold water then he joined Jack at the sink and turned on the running water and put the towel on his neck. Jack suffered through the dry heaves and began sobbing once more. He leaned his forehead on his arms and cried because of what he had done and because he was scared of what was going to happen next. Todd heard the front door open as Blair and the girls arrive back home.

Blair and Starr walked in and saw the scene in front of them. Blair saw her son crying and said a little prayer of thanks. Somehow Todd had gotten through to Jack. She walked up to her son and touched his shoulder and he turned to her, hugging her and crying on her shoulder "Mom I'm ..sorry.. help me...Mom." Blair's eyes filled with tears as she heard the anguish in her son's voice. "I'm here Jack, we're all here and we'll get through this together."

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.

Chasing the Monsters: 39

After settling Sam and his mother in for the night, he tumbled into bed, waking Blair.  He felt her move in the darkness, and fling a sleepy arm over his middle.  "Are you awake?"  Blair whispered to her husband.

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes.

"It's like five a.m."

"Okay."

"I forgot to tell you something important."

He turned toward her, and kissed her gently.  "Okay, I'm listening."

"You just ran out so fast with Sam, I just got blindsided.  I should have told you last night."

"It's something not so good, I can tell.  Otherwise, you would have been telling me before you sang me to sleep."

"I . . . guess you're right.  But it's important, especially after last night."

"Is this about Sam?"

"No, it's not."

"Momma, then."

"Yes."

"You should have seen her with him.  She . . . knew just what to do."

"She loves him.  And she's well.  When you were her little boy, she wasn't well, Todd."

He grimaced, visibly.  She petted his cheek.  He said, "I know.  I don't hold her to blame for that."

"I know you don't."

"She does.  She holds herself responsible for everything wrong in my life."

"Then she has nothing bad left to be responsible for.  It's all behind."  He nodded.  She said, "John came by yesterday."

"He made the moves on my wife?"  he said, feigning anger.

"No.  He didn't, stop that.  He . . . had something to tell me.  I just can't keep it from you."

He sighed.  "Okay."

"When Ray was taken by Peter,"  she noticed his jaw clench.  "It's all right, My Love, Ray's safe now, we're okay.  Your mother saw to it that Peter can't hurt anyone."

"When Ray was taken by Peter what?  John knows something?  Something happened to my boy?"

"No, no, no, Todd, not that.  No.  John went to see Mitch to get the address of the compound.  Remember, we told him that's where we thought Peter was?"

"Yeah, I remember.  He didn't hurt Little Ray, Blair, that's not what this is about, right?"

"No, Todd.  It's not about that.  I promise."  She took a breath and ran her hand through his hair.  "John wanted that address.  He thought he was saving our son.  He told Mitch that he would do something for him if he gave the address."

Todd didn't respond, he just listened.  His eyes searched hers for a hint of what it might be.  Then she said, "Mitch wanted to . . . see your mother."

"What?"

"Mitch wanted to see Bitsy, and John told him that he would do it.  Of course, he had no intent, but now he's in some trouble over it."

"I've been in jail, Blair, I know what this means."

"He just wanted to tell me about it.  And, we have a decision to make."

"What decision?  The answer's no.  No."

"She's a grown woman, Todd.  She . . ."

"No," he said, throwing back the covers and getting out of the bed.  He went into the sitting area and paced, and she noticed his hands, tight, at his sides.  "she's not seeing him."

"Todd," Blair said, getting up and walking toward him.

"You didn't tell John she would."

"No, of course not.  It's not my choice, and Todd, it's not yours either."

"It is my choice!" he bellowed, and she jumped back, startled.  He caught himself.  "I didn't mean to scare you.  I didn't mean to yell, I just . . ."

"Calm down, please,"  she said, and sat on the sofa.

He stood in front of her, his taut stomach and chest evident, his hands at his sides, tight and angry.  "I can't.  He almost . . . killed our children, and you."

"He did more than that, Todd.  I know, I know what you're feeling."

"He raped my sister.  Kidnapped you.  Threatened my family.  He buried me . . . alive."

"Stop, My Love, please?  This isn't what I hoped to accomplish in telling you.  I just couldn't keep something from you, I can't.  Not anymore.  You know that."

"I'm not mad at you for telling me, Blair,"  he paced wildly, "I'm not.  I'm fucking pissed that John McBain promised away something he had no right promising!"  His voice had escalated again.

She yelled back, "To save our son!  He thought he was saving OUR BABY."

Without warning, he went to the glass door and pulled it open, rushing out onto the balcony, shirtless, hugging his arms in the crisp air.  She went after him and then realized he needed to be alone with it, and hung back.  She turned around sharply, and standing in the open doorway was Bitsy.  

"Blair?  I heard yelling?"

"Momma, you're awake?"  Blair said.  "Not the greatest welcome, I suppose."

"Nonsense, I just heard yelling.  I am a light sleeper."  She tried to look past Blair.  "Why is Todd outside, undressed?"

"He needed a moment, Momma.  He just needed to be outside for a minute."

"He's angry, Blair.  I can see it.  I don't like him out there, up this high.  Is he all right?"

"He's fine, Momma.  He is, believe me."

She didn't seem to want to take Blair's word as an answer, and said, "I heard some of it.  It's . . . about me, isn't it?"

Blair wasn't sure what to do, and where to tread, so she pulled open the glass door and said, "Todd, your mother is here, we woke her.  Todd?"

He turned toward her, seeing Bitsy looking out from inside the master bedroom.  Blair's expression said urgency to him.  He walked toward her, and crossing the threshold into the room, he grabbed her to him, and whispered, "I lost it, I'm sorry."

Her hand went to his back, and she closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck.  Bitsy watched, her eyes glistening with tears, and started to go.  "I don't belong here, right now," she said.

"Momma, wait, please?"  Todd said.  "This isn't about you, or your fault."

She stood, her face showing utter disbelief.  "Okay, Todd."

"No, Momma, Todd's right, it's not your fault.  This is something . . . that's upsetting him.  It does involve you, but it's nothing you've done."

"Then why won't either of you tell me?"  she pleaded.

Todd looked at Blair and realized it was his responsibility.  He said, "Momma, someone . . . John McBain, the policeman, he made a deal, last year, with Mitch Laurence, and Blair and I were just discussing it."

"A deal?  What kind of deal?" she said, walking absently toward the sofa to sit down.  Todd paced, grabbed a t-shirt and threw it on, and Blair sat beside Bitsy, and took her hand.

Todd continued, "A deal to save our baby.  He thought he had to do whatever it took.  But I don't want you to worry about it.  I don't want you to spend any time worried about it, because he made that deal without consulting you, and he shouldn't have, and he has to deal with the outcome."

"What is the deal, Todd?"  she repeated.

"He promised Mitch that he would bring you there to see him.  And there's no way that's happening."  Todd said, finally stopping and standing still.

The room fell silent.  Both Blair and Todd looked at Bitsy, and Blair suddenly grasped understanding.  

She wants to see him.

Todd must have figured the same thing because he said, "No way in Hell."

Bitsy looked at her hands, and then back to her son.  "Todd.  I . . . I want to."

"You're kidding me, right?" he said, his hands falling to his sides.  

Blair instinctively got up and walked to him, "Todd, let's talk about all this later, when Momma has a chance to think it over."

He pulled away from her.  "No, Blair.  Momma, you're just saying that, right?  You want to make things easy for John, or for us?  You don't have to do that . . ."

"No, Todd."  She interrupted him.  "I want to see him."

Todd just turned from the two women, and grabbing a jacket, raced out of the room and down the staircase.  They heard the sliders whoosh open and closed.  

Bitsy looked at Blair.  "I . . . made him angry."

"He's just . . . Momma, he and Mitch are long-standing enemies.  Todd can't reconcile it."

She just blinked at her daughter-in-law, and said, "I need to see Mitch.  I . . . can't stop thinking of him, Blair."

Blair felt an awkward embarrassment for her mother-in-law.  "It's all right, Momma.  You have to make your own decision," Blair said, hugging her, and then standing, "but right now, I have to go after my man.  He needs me," she said, grabbing a sweater and pulling it over her night clothes.  "I'll be back, Momma.  Don't worry, he's just blowing off steam," she said, walking briskly to the bedroom door and out after her husband.  "Keep watch on the kids."

Bitsy, tears in her eyes, fell back against the cushions. There was barely light outside, and she looked to the ceiling and the skylight, and saw the deep blue of the sky starting to lighten to denim color.  She let her tears spill over, and closed her eyes.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.

Memories Unlocked #10

Sam sat down and joined Sawyer for breakfast.  She reached into her purse and drew out the envelope with the newly developed pictures.  Pulling them out, she set them down next to her plate and took a sip of her coffee.  

Sawyer reached across the table and picked up the top picture.  He slipped the original  picture of Todd from underneath her purse and studied the two pictures together. “Well, he does look like the guy.  How come you didn’t talk to him?”

Sam ran a hand through her hair.  “I don’t know.  He was having a conversation with someone else and well... let’s just say I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“I don’t get it,  We’ve been looking for this guy for months and now you hesitate to approach him.  I thought this guy was a friend of yours.  Who was he talking to?  Did you think you were going to interrupt something shady?” He started to reach for the other picture but Sam stopped him.

“It’s not anything like that.  I guess I didn’t talk to him because I was disappointed.  In my line of work, it’s not uncommon for a guy to step out on his wife.  I just thought Todd was different.  I never figured him for a guy who would just abandon his wife and kids.”

“Oh, I get it.  The person he was talking to was a woman.” Sawyer pulled the picture as Sam relinquished her hold on his hand.  “Well, she’s definitely beautiful.  So you think she’s the reason he’s still here.”

Sam shrugged.  “It has to be, but something’s bothering me.  I look at that picture and it says the guy has found someone else and doesn’t care that his wife and family miss him.  Yet Tea Delgado and Ross Rayburn both insisted he took off on that raft months ago because he wanted to get back home.  Not only that but once he got here, he could easily have gone to some other destination.  Yet he stayed here and to top it off he’s working at the hospital on the Children’s ward.  None of it adds up.”

“I thought you told me the guy originally tried to kidnap his own kids and the authorities in Hawaii were looking for him when he was lost at sea.  Maybe that’s why he’s staying here and keeping a low profile.  Perhaps he’s just biding his time hoping the whole thing will blow over and then he’ll make another try for his kids.  The woman could just be a diversion while he’s here.”

Sam sat back in her chair and looked at the man opposite her.  “I just don’t remember him being that calculating.  I know in his past he was capable of a lot of terrible deeds, but the man you just described would have to be pretty cold-hearted.  He once told me he would love his kid and be there for him no matter what.  I believed him.  It also doesn’t fit with what the nurse and volunteer told me.  The volunteer was clearly taken with him and said he was charming.  The nurse gushed about him and said he was the best thing that had happened to the kids on the Ward.  You see.  It’s confusing as all get out.  I need to find out more.”  

Sawyer wiped his mouth with his napkin and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was warming up to be a pretty hot day. “How much were you able to tell his wife when you called?”

Sam looked down at her now congealed eggs and push the plate away.  She sighed at Sawyer’s question.  “We had a bad connection.  I have no idea how much she heard but I know I heard her say they would be here by today.  I checked the flights scheduled to come in here from the States and there is only one and it arrives around two this afternoon.”

Sawyer stood up and walked around to her side.  “Well, it looks like you have a few hours available to investigate that woman.  I’m headed to the airport to do some work on the plane.  Why don’t you meet me there, and I’ll help you pick them up.  I’ve been wanting to meet the  woman who helped me pay off my plane.“  He leaned down and gave her a kiss.  

Sam returned the kiss and agreed to meet.  As soon as he left, she paid for their breakfast and called a cab. “Okay Sam, this is what you do best.  Blair has a right to know what or who has been keeping her husband here.”

****

Todd rolled out of  Physical Therapy in a bad mood.  His arms had fully recovered from the broken bones and his back was equally strong, but no matter what, everything below the waist was dead weight.  He was fed up.  What good was the physical therapy?  The therapist told him it was to keep his muscles from atrophying  but if he couldn’t use his legs what did it matter?  

He had felt so helpless when they strapped him on the electric bicycle and turned it on. He looked down at his useless limbs and hated them. He felt disconnected watching them move but feeling nothing.  Every day, when he laid on the table and the therapist began using the electrical stimulation therapy, he prayed for some sensation, anything, to give him hope, but it was the same thing day after day, there was no change.  Todd rolled into a quiet alcove, stopped his wheelchair and looked down at the offending limbs.  He slammed his fist down as hard as he could on his thigh hoping to feel something, but he might as well have been hitting a pillow.  Unable to control his rage at his predicament, he began clawing at his legs frantically trying to get some feeling in them.  Pounding and  clawing he cursed as the blows landed and there was still no feeling. With tears running down his cheeks, Todd finally stopped what he was doing.  The anger was spent and he leaned his head back against his chair and cried silently.

After a few moments, he sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.  “Well Todd, did your pity party make you feel any better?   You’re a fool.  You put on a good show for the children and they’re ten times braver than you are.  They’re all living on borrowed time and here you are upset because you no longer have the use of your legs.  Get over it.” He straightened up in his chair and pulled out of the alcove.  Luckily, his meltdown had gone unnoticed by anyone else.

 Needing time to gather himself, Todd returned to his room long enough to change before going to see the children.   As he removed his sweats, he saw the marks he had made on his legs and knew there would be bruising later on.  "Good job, Todd.  Now you'll get to hear a lecture tomorrow from your therapist.”  He lined the slacks up and slid them on his feet.  Once he had them halfway up on his legs, he reached and pulled them the rest of the way up.  He had found he could lean to one side and then the other in order to lift his body enough to slip the pants around his waist.  With his pants on, he slipped his sandals back on his feet and grabbed his white hospital shirt off the bed and put it on.  Tucking it in, he checked his appearance in the mirror above the sink.  “You look fine, the kids will never know.”  

The activity room was full of laughter a short while later.  Todd sat behind the table and had a small makeshift theater in front of him.  On his hands were the puppets he had found and the children were laughing as Red Riding Hood chased the wolf around the forest.

In a high pitched voice, Todd pretended to be Red. “But Mr. Wolf, I need the practice.  Grandma said if I passed my beauty school, she’d make me some more cookies.  Come on, you have so much hair, let me give it a trim.”

“Sorry, Red.  No way am I letting you touch this fur.  You have no idea, how much the other wolves laughed after you cut it the last time.  It’s a dog eat dog world, girl.  I have an image to protect.”  Todd growled.

“Oh Pooh,  Well, I was going to share my lunch but I guess you can just go be macho with the wolves instead.”

“You didn’t say anything about food.  I’m all yours, Red.” Red and the wolf moved behind the curtain and Todd looked at the children.  “Well, what do you think happened next?” Underneath the table, he was putting the finishing touches on Red and the wolf.

Li piped up.  “The wolf ate Red.”

“No silly, Red gave him a haircut,” said Blanca. The other children jumped in, some of them taking Li's side and others agreeing with Blanca.

He let them chatter as he finished making his adjustments on the puppets then Todd smiled: “Do you want to see?”  As a group they all said yes and Todd opened the curtain and there stood Red in a fur coat and next to her was the wolf looking like a skinned rat.   The children roared.  

Then Blanca said quietly. “Oh Poor Wolf, how will he stay warm in the winter?”

Todd said gently. “Don’t worry about Wolf, Red told him he could borrow the coat anytime he needed it.  You see Blanca, Wolf would do anything for Red, even give up his fur coat if it would make her happy.”  

It was lunchtime and the children made their way back to their rooms.  Todd cleaned up the theater.  He threw away the glove he had cut the finger off of to make Wolf’s skinny body and slipped the covering off of Wolf making him whole again.  Then he put Red’s hooded cape back on and put the fur coat back onto the Barbie that had been in the toy box.

“So that‘s how you did it.”

Todd jumped at her voice and his head whipped around to see Miguela standing behind him, laughing.

“That was very clever, Todd.  I heard the children talking about a skinned wolf and I wondered what on earth they were going on about?”

Todd looked up at Miguela.  “Doc,” he acknowledged her with a nod. “I’m glad they enjoyed the tale.  It’s good to hear them laugh.  I marvel at them.  With everything they’re facing, they seem to take it all in stride.  I envy that.”  He closed the toy box. and started to leave the room.  “I better get down to the cafeteria before they give away all the baby corn and Chinese noodles.  Who knows, maybe my fortune cookie will actually have a fortune I can believe in.”

Miguela stopped him as he rolled past her.  “Todd, I thought you might want to get out of the hospital today.  I talked to my super and he said the ground floor apartment is available.  He’s been having trouble getting a tenant because the family above is pretty noisy.  If you’re still interested in getting your own place, we could go get some lunch and I could take you there.”

Todd sat still for a moment.  Here’s your chance Todd.  A chance to leave this place and start that new life you been spouting about.  What are you afraid of?  Todd closed his eyes and for one brief moment, he heard another voice asking him that same question.  It was a woman’s voice but he couldn’t put a face to it.  “Damn it, No!” In his frustration trying to hang onto the memory, he wasn’t even aware he had spoken aloud.

Miguela was surprised at his vehement response. “I’m sorry Todd, I obviously picked a bad time.  I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”

Todd reached out and stopped her as she started to pass him.  “Wait.  I’m sorry, That outburst had nothing to do with you or your offer.  Look, I’d love to get out of this place, if your offer still stands.”

Miguela smiled.  “It still stands.   Now tell me, are you really set on having Chinese for lunch?”  She placed her hands on the back of his chair and began pushing him.

“To tell you the truth, I’d give anything for a slice of good pizza.  Does Guam even have a pizza parlor?” asked Todd.  He had almost protested when she began pushing him but then realized he needed to accept the help when it was freely given.

Miguela laughed.  “Hey, this isn’t a deserted island.  I’m sure I can find us some pizza.” She turned down the corridor leading to the parking lot.  A few minutes later, they pulled out the lot and headed down the main boulevard towards the busier section of town.  

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.

Who's the Real Todd? Chapter 23

By the time they arrived at the Penthouse, Todd was feeling stronger and a little upset. He kicked himself for letting John see him vulnerable.  Ray would say he shouldn't let it bother him but he hated being thought of as weak in any capacity.

Blair knew Todd had built up some anger on the way home and she knew he was directing it at himself. He didn't like it when people saw his weaknesses. For him, it was tantamount to giving them an advantage over him. He had been quiet in the car, pretending to sleep. He had had plenty of time to build up steam. Hopefully, he would let it blow once they hit the apartment. She followed him in and closed the door. Starr's car wasn't in the parking garage which meant they were alone. "Okay Todd, let it go."

Todd had been all set to scream his rage when he heard Blair. It caught him by surprise. He realized Blair had been waiting for him to blow up. She knew him that well. "Damn, I'm getting downright predictable." Instead of exploding, Todd started laughing. He had gotten so predictable that Blair read him as easily as that. Well, he was going to have to put a stop to that. If she knew him that well, he'd never be able to surprise her again. He loved surprising her. He looked at her and saw the surprise on her face when he started laughing and that just made him laugh more. It was actually hilarious and he sat down on the couch letting the anger go with the laughter. Just seeing her face at that moment had been priceless. She had so been expecting something else.

Blair had been all ready for his rage when he started laughing she was nonplussed. What the heck was going on? She saw the look on his face and something told her he was laughing at her. What had she done? He continued to laugh and Blair started getting angry. "Alright that's enough of that, I don't know what I did that's so hilarious but I want you to stop it right now."

Todd couldn't stop laughing, now she was mad and the reversal of the roles just caused him to laugh harder. "Go ahead Blair let it out. Don't keep anything in," he said between laughs.

He wouldn't stop laughing. Furious, Blair picked up a pillow and flung it at him. "Would you stop that!"

Todd caught the pillow and said. "Temper Blair, you really shouldn't let your anger get you that way." He let the laughter die and went to her. She was seething. "My, my, You're really hot under the collar right now." she turned away and he put his hands on her waist and whispered in her ear." Why don't we see if there's a way you could let off a little of that steam." he began kissing the nape of her neck and then worked his way up to her ear. Todd felt the anger leave her body as she relaxed against him. God, she smelled so good. His hands began to roam down her lovely figure then he turned her to face him. "Still Mad?" she shook her head no and he proceeded to take her lips as she wrapped her arms around him.

Some time later, Todd cradled her on the couch and said. "I'm starving. I don't know about you but I need some sustenance after that. My body already protested once today ."

Blair looked at him in alarm, he did look a little pale. God, what had she been thinking? "Oh my God Todd, I completely forgot. You take it easy and I'll get you something." she started to get up but he stopped her.

"I'm fine Blair, just hungry. Let's order some pizza and stay here and just let me hold you until it comes." he handed her the phone and played with her hair while she made the call.

Blair snuggled back down into his arms and let him hold her. She loved it when he played with her hair. It sent little chills down her spine. It felt so good and peaceful as they listened to the strains of jazz.   The sound of the doorbell indicated the pizza had arrived and Todd let her up to answer the door. He got up and grabbed a wine bottle and some glasses and joined her at the coffee table where he poured them something to drink and they began eating. They were still eating, when Starr and Hope arrived home. Blair had ordered plenty of Pizza so Starr and Hope sat down to enjoy some too. Hope clamored over and sat in her Dragon's lap and began breaking her slice into little pieces. They all watched as she separated them into two piles.

Todd was intrigued and so he asked. "Princess Shorty why are you making two piles? Who is the second pile for?"

Hope looked at him and said solemnly " Why you Dragon, 'member, you like pizza bits more than candy." at that she reached and picked up a piece and handed it to Todd.

Blair and Starr looked on. This was obviously something between the Dragon and Princess Shorty that they didn't know about.

Todd took the piece from his granddaughter and popped it in his mouth. "Why thank you Princess Shorty, you're right. I do love pizza bits the best." his eyes got watery and he began eating the bites that Hope had separated for him 'specially. Together they finished her slice. Then she gave him a hug and said: "Can we have more." Todd laughed and grabbed her another slice. When they finished Todd hugged his granddaughter and handed her to Starr. "I think it's time to get ready for bed Princess Shorty. I'll see you later."

"Dragon tell story?" asked Hope.

Todd beamed at her and nodded. "Dragon will tell story." Todd and Blair cleaned up while Starr got Hope ready for bed. They were in the kitchen when Starr came in and gave her dad a hug. "What's that for?" asked Todd.

Starr giggled "I just wanted to let Sir Dragon know how much I love him. But he better hurry upstairs, Princess Shorty is getting impatient."

Todd smiled and tossed his towel to Blair and headed out. He loved telling stories to Hope and it had been a while since the last one. As he approached her room he started growling and heard her squeals of laughter coming from inside as she waited for her Dragon. He got down on his knees and slowly pushed the door open, "Yum someone smells so good. It's a good thing Sir Dragon is full. He won’t be tempted to eat Princess Shorty tonight." He pounced on the bed making Hope pop up and she screamed happily, then he gathered her in his arms and leaned back in the bed. "So Princess Shorty do you want a happy story or a silly story tonight."

Hope replied "Dragon being silly, tell silly story" Blair and Starr were standing outside listening eagerly to the latest tale Todd might tell.

"I have just the story for you."said Sir Dragon and then he began.

'Once upon a time, in a land far away, lived a beautiful queen. This queen had everything she could ask for except the ability to laugh. Everywhere in her kingdom people could be heard laughing, but try as she might she couldn't even produce a single giggle. The queen decided to offer an award to anyone who could make her laugh. Jesters and people from all over her kingdom came to see if they could make their queen laugh.

Nothing was working the queen didn't crack a smile. The queen announced that the first one who could make her laugh would share the throne with her. The news went out past her kingdom and Princes from around the globe tried to make her laugh. In the mountains outside her kingdom, the Dragon Prince heard the announcement. He had watched the beautiful queen for a long time and this was his opportunity to have her for his own. He made his way into town and asked to see the queen. Everyone was fearful of the dragon but the queen thought he looked quite handsome even if he was a little arrogant. "What can I help you with Prince?" she asked and he informed her he was seeking to become her King. She said he was welcomed to try with all the rest of the suitors but she didn't think he would be any more successful than the others in getting her to laugh.'

“We shall see," he said. "We shall see." At that, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her out of the palace till he arrived at his favorite watering hole. Suddenly and without warning, he dumped the queen into the muddy water. Then he stood back and waited . The queen came up sputtering, fit to be tied, and the expression on her face sent the Prince into a fit of laughter. The queen couldn't believe it, the arrogant prince was laughing at her . She stomped her foot only causing her to slip back into the water. Now the Prince was rolling on the ground laughing harder because the queen was covered in mud from head to toe.'

“You stop that" she cried. but her anger just seemed to make him roar even more. " Oooh just you wait." He was so laughing so hard that he wasn't ready for what happened next.'

Suddenly a great glob of stinky mud smashed directly into his face and he stopped laughing. As he went to wipe the mud from his eyes he heard a little giggle coming from the water. He started to say something when a second glob smacked him right in the mouth. From the water, a roar of laughter peeled out. She was standing there covered in mud laughing triumphantly at the Prince. He grinned wickedly at her and said. "You think that's funny do you." he walked forward and grabbed his own handful of mud. The queen laughed nervously edging back into the water now she was in for it. Suddenly he was on her covering her in mud and she quickly retaliated with some more of her own until they were both rolling and laughing having a grand old time. They were having so much fun, they never noticed the crowd of townsfolk who had gathered to watch.'

Then a small voice filled the air. "Mommy why can't I play in the mud like that."'

“Shush child, why they're just being silly."said her mother.

The townspeople began to laugh at their Queen and the great Prince as they sat in the pond. The Prince and Queen looked at each other and once more the valley was filled with laughter as both realized how utterly silly they truly looked. The Queen rejoiced because she had finally learned to laugh and true to her promise the Dragon Prince ruled alongside her and they found many other ways to make each other laugh. The end."'

Todd looked down at Hope and she smiled a sleepy smile and said "Good Night Dragon." "Good Night Princess" then he leaned down and gave her a kiss. He turned down the light and left the room only to run smack dab into Blair and Starr.

"Sue us," said Blair smiling. "We love to hear your stories."

Todd smiled and walked his girls back down the stairs. It was good to be with them, sometimes it felt like he had never left.

****

Todd awoke refreshed and realized he made it through the night without a nightmare. Starr and Hope were already up as he smelled coffee brewing. Ray was coming by again and he was a little leery about the session they had planned but he needed to know what had happened at that facility. Todd joined the girls in the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee and a roll. Kissing Hope and getting a hug from Starr, he returned to the living room and sat down at his desk.

The Sun was already sitting there, thanks to Starr and he took a look at the recent articles. He was so far out of the loop. There on his own front page was an article about Marty disappearing. Blair hadn't mentioned it, but he wasn't surprised. Marty wasn't one of her favorite people. It appeared that Marty had fled leaving his niece's baby behind. He and Natalie had never really liked each other but Todd loved Vicki and he knew how devastated a mother could be over a lost child. He had found out the hard way when he had lied to Blair about Jack, and he had never gotten over the shame he felt for giving his own child away. For that reason and for Vicki he was glad Natalie had her son home.

Todd pulled the laptop over and opened it up to view some of the other stories out there today. In the Who's Who section, there was a write up about Clint Buchanan in serious condition at the hospital. It seemed Clint confessed to all sorts of wrong doings. Todd wondered what Clint was up to and who he was protecting. There was more going on with Clint and Todd knew that it would make a juicy story. He sent a message to the reporter of the original article telling him to dig deeper into the sudden confession. He signed it Todd Manning. It was a good bet the reporter probably wouldn't realize that Manning wasn't yet home from the hospital.

He needed to check on Manning's Status. So he put a call through to Tea. She answered and by the tone of her voice he knew something was wrong. "Tea, it's Samuel.  I was just calling to find out what was going on with Manning. You sound upset. He's alright still isn't he?" Todd waited. There was definitely something off, Tea was hesitating."Come on Delgado what's up?"

Tea looked at her Todd. They had been discussing the problem all morning. How was she going to tell Jack's father what he had done? Well, there was no way to sugar coat it. "Samuel, we have a situation. It concerns Jack and you have a right to know. Gigi Morasco, Shane's mom was brought into the ER last night. It isn't good."

Todd's blood froze. What did Tea mean when she said Jack was involved? What exactly had happened to Gigi? "Isn't Shane the boy Jack was harassing?"

"That's right Samuel, unfortunately, events escalated and Gigi has suffered for it. I'll come by and give you the details. I don't think Blair is even aware of what has occurred. Samuel, you and Blair need to know, Jack is in big trouble. I'm leaving here now and I'll be at the penthouse shortly. You need to get Blair there if she isn't already." Tea hung up.

Todd lowered the phone.  Damn! What did you do Jack? What had Tea said? Gigi was in the hospital and it wasn't good. Surely she was going to be alright. God, please let her be alright! He called Blair. "Have you spoken to Jack this morning? Is he still at home? Good. You and Jack need to come here pronto. Don't ask any questions and don't let Jack weasel out of coming. It's important. Hurry!" Todd dropped the phone and started pacing. Thoughts were rushing through his head but none of them were good. If Jack had done something to cause Gigi's injury than he was in trouble with a capital T. He headed for the kitchen to speak to Starr. "Starr, do you have any idea what your brother Jack has been up to recently."

Starr looked at her Dad and got a little worried. He seemed really preoccupied and very serious. " I haven't seen him much Dad, I know he's upset with Mom because she took away his laptop. But if Jack wants on the Internet he'll find a way. Heck, I know one of his buddies, Brad, is always at Jack's beck and call. Why are you asking? Has Jack done something I don't know about? He's not still bothering Shane is he?" Starr saw her dad's face and felt a chill go down her spine. "Dad, what has he done?"

"I don't know the details yet but it's not good. I was hoping you could shed some light, but you're as in the dark as your mom and me.  Tea is on her way here and your mom and brother will soon be here too."

The doorbell rang and Starr answered. It was Tea and she looked unhappy. She gave a hug to Starr and they entered the room where Todd was still playing with Hope. Starr grabbed up Hope and gathering some toys said she'd be right back and then she took Hope out.

"That's what I was afraid of.   How bad is it Tea?" asked Todd.

"It's pretty bad. I take it we're waiting for Blair." answered Tea

Todd nodded and offered Tea a seat. "Blair's on her way and she's bringing Jack.  Whatever he's done I want to hear him tell us. Since it's obvious you already know, he won't be able to talk his way around this."

Starr returned downstairs just as the front door opened and Blair and Jack entered. Jack paused in the doorway a look of pure horror on his face when he saw Tea there. He looked from her to his real father and knew he wasn't going to be able to lie this time.

Blair looked at all of them and knew in her heart, that this time, Jack had really messed up. She turned to her son. "Jack what have you done?"The question hung in the air, as they all waited for that answer.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.