PREVIOUSLY

Todd: (Walks upstairs.)

Tina: (On her way downstairs, passing him on the stairs.) Hi, little brother.

Todd: (Grumbles and makes a face at her.)

Tina: (Smiles at him, clearly trying to taunt him endearingly.)

Todd: (Gets upstairs, goes into the MBR, and shuts the door hard. He leans against it, eyes closed.) [Fade to black.]

[Scene ends.]

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[Scene: PH2. Almost noon, same day. Door knocks, Todd answers looking rumpled and unwell.]

Todd: Sam.

Sam: Where did you go last night after you left my office? Did you get any sleep at all last night?

Todd: (Crosses arms across chest.) "'Hello, Todd. Hello,' says Sam. 'Hello, Sam. Hello.' says Todd." "See Sam greet Todd. See Todd greet Sam."

Sam: Fine. Hi. How are you this morning? (Smirking sarcastically:) No, nevermind, I can see you're your usual sweet, endearing self this morning.

Todd: (Leans against door frame.) Tea call you?

Sam: Last night?

Todd: Yeah.

Sam: Yeah. She was worried. Got me outta bed and dressed in a heartbeat, then I didn't hear anything more. Fell asleep again.

Todd: She left. She was gone when I got back. I thought she'd walked out on me.

Sam: But you hadn't been home yet by then, she was here.

Todd: Isn't it afternoon?

Sam: Almost.

Todd: Walked around for a while. Stood at a spot on the docks I like, looked at the water, boats.

Sam: Then where did you go?

Todd: Out drinking. Got a bit plastered.

Sam: That doesn't help.

Todd: Oh, yes it does. The panic usually goes away when I drink.

Sam: Did it?

Todd: Some.

Sam: How did you get home?

Todd: RJ walked home with me so Tea wouldn't kill us both.

Sam: He was there with you?

Todd: He was there when I got there. He refused to let me drive, although he didn't know I'd walked.

Sam: I'd say he was being a good friend, but we both know it was to Tea and not to you. If it were to you, it would be amazing.

Todd: Whatever. Look, I'm hungover and not in the mood for this.

Sam: Fine. I'm just being a Dad right now and checking up on you.

Todd: Oh.

Sam: (Smiles at him:) You're welcome, Todd.

Todd: Right. (Closes door wearily.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: The Rectory Livingroom. Afternoon.]

Andrew: (Answers the door.) Tea, hi. What brings you here?

Tea: I have a favour to ask you.

Andrew: About what?

Tea: Blair just handed Todd custody papers again. She wants to sue for sole custody all over again.

Andrew: Why come to me about it? Isn't this between them?

Tea: It's between the three of us, as usual. She still resents me for what she sees as taking him from her, and taking her daughter. Those were Todd's decisions, I tried to talk him out of hurting Blair like that, even tried to get him to return to Blair on many occasions, but he wouldn't. He didn't want to. She'd hurt him terribly and he didn't want to go back to more of it.

Andrew: He told you that?

Tea: I watched him go through it, yeah, and we talked about it.

Andrew: He's always so closed.

Tea: Especially around people he knows don't like him. He knows I like him.

Andrew: I gather it's more than that, Tea.

Tea: Funny. Anyway, yes, he did tell me. He shut down almost completely after Blair and he's been struggling ever since to pull out of that.

Andrew: I guess I have to concede that I understand that.

Tea: Cassie?

Andrew: Yes. I'd never go to the lengths Todd did.

Tea: You didn't have to.

Andrew: True. I guess I can see some of Todd's point now. Ok. What are you asking?

Tea: I was hoping that as my friend you might testify on our behalf if this goes to court. Knowing Blair she might choose that.

Andrew: Ok. Really this is for Starr, but ok.

Tea: You'll be notified if this is needed, which I hope it won't be.

Andrew: If I know Blair, she'll want to drag this on and she'll be goading both of you into looking bad in public.

Tea: Yes, she will. Thank you, Andrew. (Hugs him goodbye.) I have to get back to the office now.

Andrew: Ok.

(Tea leaves. Andrew closes the front door again. Todd can be briefly seen ducking out of view.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Saybrooke Mansion. Same afternoon.]

Dorian: And when you get custody again, Blair --

Blair: Wait just a minute, Dorian. Starr has to be swayed into thinking this is the best thing for her.

Dorian: She's young, what does she know? She'll be much better off away from that lunatic, she'll come around.

Blair: I'm less and less sure of that, Dorian. She's started getting angry at Max more and more, the nicer he tries to be.

Starr: (Entering the livingroom:) Because I know something's up when he's extra nice to me, just like when Aunt Dorian is. The cookies and milk were nice, but you can't buy me. I'm living with Daddy, and that's that. Both of you. I won't live with Max, and Mommy won't leave Max, and I want to be with Daddy all the time and with Tee, so I'm going to go live with my Daddy.

Blair: You don't have all the say in this, Starr.

Starr: You don't have any say in this, Mommy. You picked Max over me, and I picked Daddy and Tee over you.

Dorian: Starr, dear, has your father been pressuring you about this?

Starr: No. I haven't said much to him about it at all, but I know he won't say no. He'll fight for me just as hard as you will, but Daddy'll win 'cos that's what I want.

Blair: Starr honey? You don't want to live with Mommy anymore?

Starr: No, Mommy, I don't. You're never there and usually when you are, you're with Max. I can't stand Max, and where are his kids?

Dorian: She's got a point, Blair. You could do much better than Max, even Starr seems to think so.

Blair: Dorian! Who're you to tell me that! I love Max!

Starr: And I love Daddy more than you, you're never around and Daddy always makes time for me, so does Tee and I like being with them.

Blair: Because your Daddy gives you all kinds of things?

Starr: Because my Daddy loves me and he makes time to be with me no matter what, so does Tee. You and Max are so wrapped up in each other, you don't have time for me.

Blair: We'll make time, Sweetheart.

Starr: No you won't, Mommy. You'll always go back to being alone with Max and not spending time with me. My Daddy's a busy guy, but he makes time for me when I ask and a lot of times he just comes and gets me out of the blue to do it. You don't do that, and I hate it when Max tries to.

Blair: Max loves you, Starr.

Starr: Max hates Daddy. I can't trust someone who hates my Daddy to not hate me, too.

Dorian: I don't trust Max, either.

Blair: (Glaring:) Dorian... Now, Starr Sweetie --

Starr: No, Mommy. Even if you got me to live with you all the time, I'd go to Daddy or Tee every chance I got. You can't stop me. I want Daddy.

Blair: You're too young to know what you want.

Starr: I'm old enough to know what I don't want, Mommy.

Blair: You're living with me, when this is through. It's for the best.

Starr: No, I won't be, and it isn't. You'll see.

Dorian: Starr!

Starr: So will you, Aunt Dorian. Daddy'll bring me up, not you and Mommy and Max. Daddy.

Blair: We'll have to discuss this more later, Starr. It's time to go to the Rectory before I go to work again.

Starr: And then I go home.

Blair: Starr...

Starr: With Daddy, Mommy. And Tee. I live with them, Mommy.

Blair: (Rises, takes Starr's hand in hers, and leads her out of the house.)

Dorian: Bye, Starr dear.

Starr: (Ignores Dorian.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Rectory livingroom. Later in the afternoon.]

Andrew: (Answering door:) Todd.

Todd: I'm here to pick up my kid. Blair said she'd drop her off with you.

Andrew: Yes, she's here. She's in the back yard practicing soccer with River.

Todd: (Leans against the door frame.) Tell me something, Rev.

Andrew: What?

Todd: I saw you hugging my wife.

Andrew: Just a friendly hug, Todd. I won't ask how you saw that or why. I know you're paranoid and you often follow her around, I'm resigned to that. I'm not sure I'll ever really understand what drives you.

Todd: Whatever. When you went after my wife the first time, (Andrew sighs) if Jesus had been a nice big piece of chocolate instead of a small cardboardy circle of flat bread, would you have been more satisfied with your religious beliefs? Would you not have strayed? Or have celibacy and divorce proven too much of a challenge for you?

Andrew: (Bristling, but under control:) You know, Tea came to me earlier to ask me to speak on both your behalfs as her friend. I thought of what I observed of you and Starr that day we ran into each other at the park and the kids made us shake hands.

Todd: I remember that.

Andrew: There are many things I could do to you, Todd right now but as a Minister, I can't.

Todd: That hasn't stopped you before, Collar Boy.

Andrew: You know, I was about to mention to you now that I was considering what Tea had said, that I could maybe help you in your fight for Starr's custody. Those remarks have made me seriously reconsider.

Todd: (Wide-eyed.) You-you'd do that for me? We're not exactly friends.

Andrew: I might've.

Todd: Might've?

Andrew: I said I was considering it.

Todd: What? You've stopped considering it?

Andrew: I may.

Todd: Hold it. Why would you do this for me? You hate me.

Andrew: For Starr.

Todd: That's who I'd want you to do it for, not for me. I'm not worth it.

Andrew: If you could produce a child as loving and compassionate and polite as Starr, maybe you do deserve this. I'm still thinking it over.

Todd: Fine. Whatever.

Andrew: You care so little about this?

Todd: No. I care. I'm hungover, but I do care.

Andrew: I won't ask. (Silence, he watches as Todd becomes more uncomfortable.)

Todd: Ok. You win. I care a lot. She's my kid. I want to see she's happy and nothing bad happens to her. I can't guarantee her that if she lives with Blair.

Andrew: Why not?

Todd: Do I have to spell this out?

Andrew: Yes. Convince me.

Todd: Convince -- ? You're a Reverend, you're supposed to not judge people, but you judge me all the time.

Andrew: You've given this whole town good reason to judge you.

Todd: Ok. (Sighs.) So I have. (Rubs head painfully.) That's no reason to hurt my kid by making her live with Blair in Cramer Hell, or with Max!

Andrew: I wasn't told the circumstances of your taking Starr back out of my mother-in-law's home.

Todd: (Rubbing head again, grimacing.) Starr didn't tell you?

Andrew: No one's told me.

Todd: My daughter doesn't really want to talk about it, she's still very angry at Dorian and the whole thing just totally freaked her out. She won't even talk to me about it, and that's saying something.

Andrew: I'm a little surprised, Dorian can hardly keep a secret and I'd've thought she'd've rushed here in the night to tell me. I did ask Starr, and you're right, she refused to discuss it. She said she just didn't want to "go there" and changed the subject.

Todd: Ok. Well, she doesn't. So you know enough to know it happened at night. What else do you know?

Andrew: That's it.

Todd: Starr didn't tell River and he didn't tell you? How do I know you're not just pumping me?

Andrew: You don't. If I don't hear your version, how am I to make my decision?

Todd: It hinges on this?

Andrew: And your being on your best behaviour towards me until I decide and if I were called to testify, after I'm done.

Todd: (Rolls his eyes.) Great.

Andrew: So, tell me what happened.

Todd: (Gulps.) Not much to tell, I missed most of it.

Andrew: Tell me what you know.

Todd: All I know is I was working late, Blair had her turn with Starr and left town. Starr was alone with-with-with- ... the lead Witch of Eastwick, and Mel. They had a huge fight while Starr was sleeping upstairs, things were getting thrown, making a lot of noise. Starr woke up, panicked, freaked out, came downstairs, saw the mess, heard them arguing, freaked out some more and decided she had to see me and wouldn't stop her tantrum until I got there.

Andrew: Where did she learn that?

Todd: (Scowling sourly at him:) Oh, you're a regular Art Carney, aren't you?

Andrew: What else happened?

Todd: You still wanna hear this, or do you have more jokes? I'll wait.

Andrew: I'm listening.

Todd: You better, 'cos you did ask for this. I'm not saying this all twice.

Andrew: Continue. Please.

Todd: Ok. Well. Mel told me, well, your mother-in-law she told me some over the phone and I could hear my kid screaming at the top of her lungs for me, so I took off running to the house and took her home. She's been home ever since, except for some nights with Blair at Max's, and that's where she's gonna stay. With me and Tea. End of story.

Andrew: (Casually:) Ok.

Todd: Ok? Just "ok"? You interrupt me to tell jokes and it's just "ok"?

Andrew: Ok.

Todd: You gonna testify, or what?

Andrew: If your team calls me to.

Todd: (Closes his eyes and sighs deeply.) Thank you. You believe me. (Opens his eyes.) You-you got me to jump through all those hoops just so you could tell me it's "ok"? You'd already decided, hadn't you?

Andrew: Yes, but I'm doing this for Starr, not for you.

Todd: Yeah, right. Ok. She's the most important part of this whole mess. She's the best parts of me and Blair.

Andrew: (Studies him a moment.) I'll get the children. You ok?

Todd: Yeah. Thank you.

Andrew: My friend asked me to, for my cousin's sake.

Todd: Whatever. I'll go with you.

(They exit the room together.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Backyard at Rectory.]

Todd: (Seeing the children, sounding very relieved:) Shorty!

Starr: (Kicks the ball to River, after a deft foot trap.) Dadddeeeee! Look what River and I can do!

River: (Kicks ball to Starr down length of yard. She runs up to it and kicks it back, although it's a wild kick and River has to run after it.)

Starr: Oops. Sorry, River!

Todd: That's not too bad.

Starr: We want to be on the Olympic Soccer team.

Todd: Well, there's a Women's team that I hear is very good, but River can't be on that team with you.

River: (Stands next to Starr, the #3 ball under his arm:) Why not, Cousin Todd?

Andrew: 'Cos you're a boy, and there are Professional Men's Soccer teams for you.

River: Do they ever play each other?

Andrew: Men and Women?

Todd: Not in the Olympics. I know sometimes there are teams that play for fun that are mixed Men and Women.

Andrew: Yeah, so maybe when you're older you could play on the same team again.

Todd: Ok, Starr, say goodbye to your cousins. It's time to go meet Tee.

Starr: Bye, Andrew. Bye, River. See you tomorrow.

River: Bye, Starr.

Andrew: Bye, Starr.

Todd: (Takes her hand, then picks her up and carries her, and they leave.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2, night time. Livingroom.]

Todd: (Reading and writing, working on a legal pad at his desk.)

Tina: (Reading a cheap gothic romance novel.) This stuff is terrible. How can Tea read books like this?

Todd: I don't know. They're sappy as hell.

Tina & Todd: Mushy. (Tina turns and looks at him, trying not to laugh. Todd avoids looking at her.)

Starr: (From upstairs, can be heard crying out in her sleep.)

Todd: (Looking to the ceiling.) Was that her?

Tina: Yes. (Looking to the ceiling.)

Todd: Shut up a minute. (Starr continues to make noise.) I better check. (Tosses the pad and pen on his desk roughly. Lopes off up the stairs.)

[Upstairs, outside Starr's room, Todd peers in. Starr is tossing and turning in her sleep.]

Starr: Daddy! No, Daddy! Don't send me away, Daddy! No! Don't go, Daddy! Don't go! Don't go, Daddy!

Todd: (Watches in horror, and then finally enters the room and crosses to Starr's bed. He sits on the edge of her bed and tries to wake her up, but she's too deeply asleep. He finally lifts her in his arms and holds her tight. He begins to rock her.) It's ok, Starr, Daddy's here, Daddy's here. Husssh, baby, Daddy's here. It's ok now, Starr, I'm here. Please don't be afraid, Starr, I'm here. I'm here. Please don't cry, Sweetie. (He gently lifts her out of her bed and brings her to the rocking chair across the room and sets her on his lap, holding her close. He starts to have trouble remaining composed as he rocks her in his arms in the chair and tries to stop her crying.) I love you, Starr, please don't cry. I'm here, Starr. I'm here... Daddy's here, Sweetheart. Daddy's here.

[Tina is framed in the doorway, watching unnoticed. Fade.]

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Later that night. Ph2 livingroom.]

Tea: You ok?

Todd: No.

Tea: Your sister said Starr had a nightmare or something?

Todd: Yeah. She's afraid either she'll get taken away, or I'll leave her again. I'm kind of worried, she won't talk about things. She knows what's up, I guess she's been hearing us all talking when we didn't think she was.

Tea: Tina said you came back down and your eyes were red and you were ashen.

Todd: I was upset, ok? I had a stiff drink or two and it was a little better.

Tea: Why?

Todd: Remember how I was screaming during the nightmare about Peter chasing me?

Tea: How can I forget those screams? You were utterly terrified those nights.

Todd: It just sounded so much like how I'd scream for my mom not to leave, only she'd already left.

Tea: You don't think she feels like you're already gone, do you?

Todd: I don't know what to think. She doesn't say much about it, but I can see it's bothering her a lot. These are the kinds of nightmares I never wanted for Starr, and yet she has them anyway. I'm a lousy Dad.

Tea: Don't go there, Todd. Max is the lousy Dad here. We are not giving up. Besides, Starr wouldn't let us, and she's not going to.

Todd: She believes in her Dad, I guess. I guess I can't let her down, can I?

Tea: No. We can't let her down. We have to try to get full custody again.

Todd: If I have to shake the world until Blair falls out of it into the ether and smothers, I will. She's nottaking my kid!

Tea: Exactly. Welcome back, Todd.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Publisher's Office, The Sun. Next morning. Todd sits at his desk, immersed in work, Kelly is on the couch working on a story in longhand, frequently glancing at her notes on the couch and jotting her narrative down on a legal pad.]

Blair: (Opens door roughly and stomps in:) Todd! How dare you turn our little girl's head around about me!

Todd: I haven't done anything to turn Starr's head around, you're doing too good a job of that yourself by living with Max.

Blair: You're lying. She said to me yesterday that she wants to live with you, and that she will be living with you, you'll raise her. Over my dead body!

Todd: Then I guess you need to commit hari kari or something. Here. (Offers her his letter opener, smirking.) It's good and sharp.

Kelly: (Simply observes all this quietly, knowing that Blair has yet to see her in the room.)

Blair: Nice try, Todd. Now I can claim you tried to kill me.

Kelly: I wouldn't try that, Blair.

Blair: (Wheels around to look at Kelly:) What're you doing here, Flea?

Kelly: Work. I work here, Blair. My office is being repainted.

Blair: And he lets you work in his office with him? What else have you been up to with him, hmm? A little office hanky-panky?

Kelly: You're going off the edge, Blair, get a grip. We can barely stand each other.

Blair: Oh, those make the best affairs. Then it's all about sex, pure animal lust. I could make this into anything I want, you know.

Todd: You could try, sure. But, you see: everyone, even my enemies, know that I am not unfaithful to my wife. Knock yourself out, Blair, really. Make yourself look good.

Kelly: (Smirks at Todd behind Blair's back.)

Todd: (Flashes her an impassive look. Looks back at Blair:) Now, if you don't have anymore tricks up your sleeve, we have to get back to work. I'm sure Briggs has something for you to cover.

Blair: This isn't going to end peacefully, Todd.

Todd: (Sarcastic:) Oh, don't make promises you can't keep Blair. Now, get out of my office unless it's work-related. We've got deadlines.

Blair: (Makes a huffy noise, turns around and leaves.)

Kelly: I could strangle her some days.

Todd: I wish someone would. More work, less talk. (Sits back down and goes back to work.)

[Scene ends.]

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