PREVIOUSLY

Kevin: Because I'm you're Dad.

Duke: You're not my Dad, not my day-to-day Dad.

Kevin: No, I haven't been. I'm trying to be that now.

Duke: Can we just go to camp now?

Kevin: (Sighs.) Ok. But I'm not done with you about this, ok?

Duke: (Looks out of his car window, sullen.) Whatever...

Kevin: (Sigh, blowing the hair off his forehead as he starts the car up and they pull out.)

[Scene ends.]

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

[Scene: Park, afternoon, after camp has let out.]

Viki: (Walking together slowly as they talk:) Why isn't Duke with you after camp today?

Kevin: He's with Joey and his cousins.

Viki: Starr and River?

Kevin: Yes.

Viki: Is Jessie with them?

Kevin: I think she said she'd drop Duke off with Joey and Andrew and then go meet Cris.

Viki: Ok.

Kevin: Duke will barely speak to me, Mom.

Viki: You hardly know each other.

Kevin: I know, I mean, I do realize that... I just didn't expect this to be so hard.

Viki: Is he angry about you and Cassie?

Kevin: I think so, I think it's part of it. I think he's very mad at me for not being there while he's been growing up. Evidently, my visiting him wasn't nearly enough for him.

Viki: You've barely done so, Kevin, Duke has every right to be angry about that. Do you remember how angry your cousin Drew was about Bo not being there when he was growing up?

Kevin: Yeah. All that time, too...

Viki: Don't let that happen with my grandson. It won't be good for either of you. It isn't now.

Kevin: Mom, it hurts so much to be apart from him, and now to have him here with me and so angry at me and so closed off hurts even more. (His face is anguished, his eyes glassy with sudden moisture.)

Viki: You have every reason to be upset about this, too, Kevin.

Kevin: Mom, I just don't know what to do for him. For me. Cassie.

Viki: Talk to them both and talk to your family and even your friends. Gather support for you and Duke as a team from all of us and from Duke and yourself.

Kevin: How do I do that, when my little boy won't even talk to me about what he's feeling? (Takes a breath to calm himself.) I want to know, but he won't talk to me about what he feels. I don't know what he's really thinking.

Viki: Maybe you should talk with Leeann?

Kevin: And have her think I've failed and he should just go home right now? That'd be like giving up. I'm NOT giving up on my little boy, Mom.

Viki: Good. It will work out in the long run, but I can see this will be very difficult for both of you.

Kevin: I had no idea it would be this hard and hurt so much.

Viki: I think it's a good thing that he called you and asked to come see you this summer, though.

Kevin: (Remembering.) That's right, he did. Leeann hadn't known, although he'd asked her in a roundabout way at first and then she said he'd dropped it. Then he dug out our number and just called me up that day. Leeann was as surprised as Cassie and me, but I was thrilled he wanted to come.

Viki: Now you're not so sure it was a good idea?

Kevin: (Sadly:) Yeah.

Viki: Even if this summer ends up not being so great between you two, he will come away knowing that you did try to reach out to him and be his father. Don't lose the perspective that your son did ask for you and you said yes.

Kevin: I guess that's something to try to talk with him about, so he'll remember it later. Maybe I'll get somewhere, I just don't know.

Viki: There, you have a place to start a dialogue with him.

Kevin: Yeah. I just hope I don't mess it up.

Viki: Kevin, I know you love your son. One day he'll understand that, too.

Kevin: This has been hard on Cassie, too.

Viki: There are a lot of issues for all of you to work on together.

Kevin: I think he maybe sees her as the Wicked Step-Monster or something.

Viki: Does he want you and Leeann to reunite?

Kevin: It was one of the first things he said. We were in the airport waiting for Grandpa's Limo to take us to the Mill House and he indicated that that was something he wants. I had to tell him it just isn't in the cards. He's not happy at all with that idea.

Viki: He's still a little boy, with little boy hopes for a whole family. I bet even you as an adult have those feelings about your father and I.

Kevin: Clint? Yeah. Joe? I had to give those up once I understood that he was never coming back. Once I understood that my Daddy was dead.

Viki: Do you still remember him?

Kevin: I have flickers of memories, yeah. I can remember him tossing me up in the air when I was barely walking and his catching me and snuggling me close, doing zerberts against my neck or stomach to make me laugh. Then he'd toss me up in the air again, or hold me above him, making funny faces just to make me laugh.

Viki: You loved it when he tossed you in the air. Joe loved you boys so much, Kevin.

Kevin: I can see that in that memory.

Viki: You hadn't been home all that long when he started doing that with you. We were just so happy to have you back.

Kevin: Oh, right. My kidnapping. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to my son.

Viki: We were distraught for months looking for you.

Kevin: I can only imagine.

Viki: It was an effort not to over-protect you and Joey, especially with his asthma.

Kevin: You and my Dads, you did well with all of us. I just hope I can live up to that with my own child.

Viki: Let him guide you, let him teach you and show you what he needs, yet also use your own judgement and you and Cassie should be fine. Cassie is also a parent, and I'm sure she knows some things you don't that you can all benefit from.

Kevin: I guess she does. Thanks, Mom. (Leans over and kisses her cheek.) I think we should head back to the office again.

Viki: Let's go then.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: At the other end of the park, a few minutes later.]

Andrew: You look familiar? Do I know you?

Del: Delmonico Delgado. You know my sister.

Andrew: Yes, I do. I think we must've met at some distant point. (Juggles the softdrinks in cups he's holding so he can shake hands with Del.)

Del: (Shakes Andrew's offered hand.) Last year or so, as I recall.

Andrew: Palace Bar?

Del: Yes.

Andrew: Ok. What brings you back here?

Del: My sister. She's back with that animal, isn't she?

Andrew: Todd?

Del: Yes.

Andrew: He's not an animal. He's not my best friend, either.

Del: Is he anyone's?

Todd: (Out of earshot but watching closely, Todd stands again and begins to walk towards Del and Andrew, unseen. He keeps an eye on the kids out of the corners of his eyes periodically. The kids are apparently unaware of his presence as yet.)

Andrew: (Looks for the kids, sees Todd, looks back at Del.) Probably someone's. I think he's Tea's. Del, no matter what you and I may think of him, Tea loves him. She seems to be one of the few who can find good in Todd that no one other than they can see.

Del: (Follows Andrew's gaze and briefly locks eyes with Todd at a distance as Andrew speaks.) It seems impossible there's any good in him at all.

Andrew: As hard as it has been for me to find it, there is some. He keeps it well hidden.

Del: He's a rapist.

Andrew: Ex. (Del looks at him.) Believe me, he doesn't do it anymore. Excuse me, I have to get back to my son. I see Todd is with our children, so they're being watched, but these are melting. (Holds up the two softdrink cups to show Del.)

Del: Watch him.

Andrew: I always do. That's why I know who and what he is now. Nice meeting you again, Del. (Leaves to go to Todd and the children, meets Todd part way.) You were watching us, weren't you?

Todd: Yeah. You shouldn't've left the kids all alone like that.

Andrew: I kept my eye on them.

Todd: They should've gone with you to the food cart.

Andrew: Well, you must've watched us for a little while then. I guess none of us was in any real danger of abduction, then.

Todd: (Clenches his jaw.) Cute, Rev. You'd be at just as much risk of losing your kid as me under these circumstances. (Looks angrily at Andrew, beginning to seethe.) Why'd you talk to that spook? I bet the sodas were just an excuse to meet with him.

Andrew: Spook? Oh, he's FBI, right?

Todd: Yeah, a spook.

Andrew: I ran into him on my way back with these. (River and Starr come closer, into the frame.) Here, River. Do you two want to drink them now or take them to the slide with you?

River: Slide.

Andrew: Go, then.

River: C'mon, Starr. I think they want to be alone.

Todd: Be good, Starr. Don't go out of my sight.

Starr: Yes, Daddy. (Goes to Todd and hugs him tight. Quietly, as they lock eyes:) I love you, Daddy.

Todd: (Hugging her against him:) I love you, too, Shorty.

Starr: (Lets go of Todd, who reluctantly lets her go.) C'mon River! (They run to the slides carrying their drinks.)

Todd: (Watches the kids run off together. He turns angrily to Andrew and begins:) You -- !

Andrew: -- Before you launch an attack, we talked about you and he's concerned about you being with Tea. He doesn't trust you --

Todd: (Swallows, as if swallowing his anger. Casual but cold:) He never did.

Andrew: Most people don't.

Todd: Look, I don't trust him. He's a spook. He even threatened to kill me if I hurt his sister.

Andrew: When?

Todd: Before we got married again. Night I proposed. You were there, too.

Andrew: I didn't see this conversation. Was he serious?

Todd: What do you think? I told him to do it if I ever hurt her.

Andrew: I bet you feel pretty lucky right now.

Todd: Whatever.

Andrew: You don't have to talk to me about it. It's really not my business at this point.

Todd: No, it isn't.

Andrew: Why is he here?

Todd: He didn't tell you?

Andrew: No. Did he tell you?

Todd: Oh, that's just great. My brother-in-law-the-Spook's in town and I don't even know why, and he's already threatened to kill me.

Andrew: Hmm...

Todd: I wonder if he's here to make good on it...

Andrew: For Tea's sake, I hope he isn't planning to.

Todd: I told him if I ever hurt her I hoped he would kill me.

Andrew: I see.

Todd: (Grim expression.) Yeah. I bet you'll be ecstatic.

Andrew: If it makes any difference, I'm hoping he doesn't.

Todd: Why? You don't care about me. Isn't that a sin or something, Bible Boy?

Andrew: I could pretty much care less about you, but I love Tea and Starr, and I love your sister. It would rip them apart if anything ever happened to you, though it pains me greatly to say so to your face.

Todd: (Sarcastic:) How nice of you.

Andrew: Seriously. Too many bad things have passed between you and me for us to ever be buddies, but your demise would wreck them and I don't want that for them. I don't think you do, either.

Todd: (With feeling, but quietly:) Maybe they're all better off without me.

Andrew: (Exasperated, but continuing anyway:) Again, Todd, I don't much care about you, I barely tolerate you in fact, but people I care deeply about care deeply about you. If I have to work to protect you to protect them from hurt, I guess I'll have to. But it would never be strictly for your sake.

Todd: You take those vows pretty seriously, don't you, Rev?

Andrew: As often as God lets me do so.

Todd: More like as often as you let you do so.

Andrew: (Flashes anger on his face, and then his expression changes to one of sudden comprehension.) I was about to get very angry, and then I saw you're exactly right.

Todd: I rarely let anyone get away with anything.

Andrew: And you didn't let me off this hook, either. Why is that?

Todd: I hate hypocrites.

Andrew: Something you've accused me of many, many times.

Todd: You bet. The kids are waiting.

Andrew: (Looks at the kids, who are indeed waiting for them.) Ok. You win this round. We're not done.

Todd: (Rolls eyes, exasperated and seeming tired:) We'll never be done.

[They walk toward the kids in silence. Scene ends.]

[Scene: Outside the DK Diner, a few moments later.]

Jess: I'm a little nervous about talking to your Mom about this for real.

Cris: So am I, although she's always been very supportive of us being together.

Jess: She and my Mom have been so close while we've been dating, I hope this'll work out ok for all of us.

Cris: Stop worrying. I think she'll be ok with this.

Jess: I hope so.

Cris: What're you really worried about?

Jess: I want our parents' support, you know? This is a big step for us.

Cris: We don't have to get married right away, we can take time to plan it all.

Jess: (Sighs heavily, squeezes his hand in hers, blows her bangs off her forehead.) Let's just go in.

Cris: (Kisses her and hugs her.) It's going to be ok. I think Mami'll be thrilled.

Jess: I hope so.

Cris: Mami's always liked you, Jess. Ready?

Jess: Yeah.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2, afternoon, same day.]

Tea: (Answering the doorbell, a perplexed scowl on her face, she has been reading legal briefs and has had to remove a stack from her lap and rise from the couch to answer the door. She stretches at the door, and then, taking a breath, lets it out and answers the door.)

Roseanne: (Looking sullen as usual.)

Tea: Come in, Roseanne.

Roseanne: Is he here?

Tea: Who?

Roseanne: (Looking around the room at the surroundings in the guise of searching the room for any sign of Todd:) Your rich husband, that's who. Your Mr. Moneybags.

Tea: Roseanne...

Roseanne: Well, he did buy you, Tea.

Tea: Yes, while he was also falling in love with me, something I'll bet you'll never know in your life if you keep up this attitude.

Roseanne: (All innocence:) What attitude is that, Tea?

Tea: Entitlement and manipulativeness. You're fooling nobody but yourself, Roseanne. Cris has wised up and he's on to you, too, now.

Roseanne: (Trying to look hurt, but her eyes and jaw have gone hard.) He is not. There's nothing to be "on" to, anyway.

Tea: You've got that right, Roseanne. The way you carry yourself and the way you stalk him, you really are nothing for him to be on about.

Roseanne: How dare you --

Tea: Tell you the truth? Huh? Is that your complaint? Because that's what I'm doing right now, Roseanne! If you don't like it, you can turn right around and leave my house!

Roseanne: I am NOT stalking Cris!

Tea: What do you call following him everywhere? What do you call following him to this town? What do you call attacking his girlfriend of several years and trying desperately to break them up?

Roseanne: I haven't done anything wrong, Tea!

Tea: There are laws against what you've been doing, Roseanne, do you know that?

Roseanne: And just what am I doing?

Tea: Harassing Cris, harrassing Jess, harrassing me. You think your magic is doing you any good?

Roseanne: (Trying to look cold and menacing:) Voodoo is real, Tea.

Tea: Only if the intended victim believes in it, and none of us do. Nice try. You must feel awfully powerless against Cris' love for Jessica and her love for him, huh?

Roseanne: I heard you and Mami, you know. I know what you did.

Tea: Oh, so now we have a change of subject wherein you try to make something of an unfounded accusation made in the heat of an angry and bitter argument between two sisters-in-law years ago? One you only heard your Mami's part of, in fact. Hmm? Finish what you started, Roseanne! Finish what you came here to do! I dare you to try to make me admit something that's untrue.

Roseanne: My Mami would never lie! You did cause Mami and Papi to break up!

Tea: Oh, don't stop now, Roseanne!

Roseanne: I heard Mami say you were to blame and I believe her! You did it! You told Papi she was having an affair with Miguel, and Papi made Mami leave me!

Tea: Oh, so it's all about poor little Roseanne, is it?

Roseanne: Mami left me!

Tea: You know what, Roseanne? My Mami left me, too! It doesn't let you corner the market on childhood grief.

Roseanne: You did it! You made her leave!

Tea: No, I told my brother what everyone in the neighbourhood already knew, especially the girls of age, and that was that Miguel Ramiro Enriques was a sexual predator who went after all the girls who were about 15 to 18 at the time and got too many of them into his bed, many without protection. He got, I could name you names, Roseanne! I could tell you who I knew then who you knew then, too, who he got pregnant. I could go up and down that neighbourhood and point out the houses of girls who ended up raising his children, and some whose children were put up for adoption.

Roseanne: (Is stunned for a moment.)

Tea: Yeah, Roseanne. Pregnant.

Roseanne: But Mami wasn't 17!

Tea: No, and that's the saddest part of all this sad business. Your Papi and Miguel were rivals and had had a long-running angry fued simmering for years. Miguel finally found the one way he could get back at your Papi.

Roseanne: (Covering her ears.) Stop it! Stop it! You're lying! You're trying to put the blame on someone else so I'll stop blaming you! I won't listen to anymore of your lies, Tea! (Rushes to the door, starting to cry now.)

Tea: (Blocks her passage with her body and makes Roseanne hear her out in a cold and angry, quiet voice.) You will hear the rest of this, Roseanne.

Roseanne: No! I refuse to listen to this! (Tries to rush Tea again and peel her away from the door, but Tea is unmoved.) Let me out of here!

Tea: (Coldly:) Not until you've heard the rest of this, Roseanne.

Roseanne: (Slumps resignedly, her head down, crying.)

Tea: While Miguel was going after all of us -- yes US, Roseanne -- he and my brother got into another argument. Miguel threatened to go after your Mami if my brother didn't concede that Miguel was right (he was wrong). Enrique refused. Since your father traveled a lot for work, Miguel knew your mother was an easy target. He knew how lonely she was, and he knew he could ply her with gifts and sex very easily. She lived for you and your father, do you remember that? She lived for you, Roseanne.

Roseanne: She died.

Tea: She lived for you. You are what kept her alive.

Roseanne: Mami loved me.

Tea: More than you've ever seemed to grasp, but she had her own problems. She was terribly insecure, like you, and she was terribly volatile and prone to doing rash things in an attempt to get attention. When that all came crashing down on her, she saw no other way out. Your mother just wanted your father's attention again.

Roseanne: You made it all crash down on Mami! You did!

Tea: I only told my brother what I had put together, after he had torn Miguel off of me one night on the way home and after I had seen friend after friend coming up pregnant and we all compared notes and realized Miguel was a sexual predator.

Roseanne: (Seething and in tears:) See? You just admitted it! You did it to Mami! You, Tea! You! You did kill my Mami! You did!

Tea: Roseanne, your Mami killed herself! She didn't want you to live with the shame of her affair and the child she knew was about to result of that! Everyone knew, Roseanne! Everyone knew! This was not the way to get your father's attention, but she did it anyway.

Roseanne: If you hadn't told Papi, she'd be alive now! It's your fault!

Tea: What, and lie to my brother? I couldn't lie to him, Roseanne!

Roseanne: Is that why he paid your way through law school?

Tea: We were poor, Roseanne, and he demanded that I let him pay my way through college so that one of us could get out of the basement by our own efforts.

Roseanne: (Looking over her shoulder and into the livingroom again.) You're definitely out of the basement, now, aren't you?!

Tea: I went to law school, Roseanne! What have you done with your life? What happened to going to Med School?

Roseanne: Why should I, when I could marry some rich guy like you did and just have it all?

Tea: You don't understand any of this, do you?

Roseanne: Oh, I understand it all, Tea! My father paid you off for ridding him of the burden of my mother!

Tea: That's not it at all, Roseanne! You haven't listened to me at all, have you?

Roseanne: Why should I? I know you're lying! You killed Mami! Now, get out of my way and let me by!

Tea: Fine! Live in your little delusions! (Opens the door wide without looking and Roseanne storms out, bumping into Todd as if he's not even there as she passes him, and not turning back. She stomps right over to the elevator and stabs her fingers on the buttons, tears streaming down her face as she waits impatiently for the elevator.)

[Cut to: Todd in the doorway staring for a moment after Roseanne, an eyebrow raised, then looking at Tea and not looking away from her until he is in the Penthouse and has shut the door behind him.]

Todd: Whoa. Hurricane Roseanne has struck. What was that all about? I heard it coming out of the elevator. You ok, Delgado?

Tea: (Wiping her face with the side of her hand.) We had a nasty little argument about her parents and that bastard Miguel Enriques. She still thinks I killed my sister-in-law.

Todd: Oh. That's the guy your sister-in-law did the horizontal bop with?

Tea: You have such a way with words sometimes... Yes, him.

Todd: I think you either chased her away or she's gone to Hell to gather her minions, to return at the stroke of midnight to hurt you. Maybe you should stay at Carlotta's tonight? Maybe you and I should stay in the Church tonight?

Tea: (Chortles in an aggravated sort of way.) I'm surprised you'd want me anywhere near Andrew at night.

Todd: Well, since you put it that way, no.

Tea: Thought so.

Todd: No really, she's very creepy. I mean I think she's harmless, but she's so creepy. There's all that chicken bone mumbo-jumbo, too. That stuff's pretty twisted. She's gotta feel pretty powerless to resort to that stuff, don't ya' think?

Tea: (Nods.) Those big eyes of hers don't help her Public Relations much, hmm?

Todd: It's not just that, it's the Voodoo and her prancing around like she's got The Power in her little bag of chicken bones. (Waves a fist near his face briefly like rattling a bag of chicken bones.) She tries to intimidate people, even me, but she just ends up annoying people and making herself look silly. You see how well she managed to intimidate me, of all people.

Tea: Fat chance.

Todd: "Oh, I'll put pins in this little magic doll with a lock of Jessica's hair and she'll --" whatever it is Roseanne wants to happen to hurt my niece. That's just twisted.

Tea: She believes that stuff, you know.

Todd: I know. I just can't take her seriously, but she's also just not worth spending time with. How do you stand her?

Tea: She's pretty annoying, but she is family. I wonder if she really will be following Will to Columbia? She needs a life of her own, really.

Todd: I'll pay for their apartment if I have to.

Tea: Sam probably already has.

Todd: Oh, probably.

Tea: I kind of feel sorry for Will.

Todd: Don't. He's a little loser.

Tea: Can we talk about us?

Todd: As long as we're not talking about your relatives or anything legal.

Tea: First, where's Starr?

Todd: I dropped her off at Viki's so Blair could take her out to dinner. I'm not sure I like this idea, but I don't want to screw this up and Starr wanted time with her Mom.

Tea: Then we should have a little time alone until Starr and Tina get home. [The beginning strains of Sarah McLachlan's "Fear" begin playing under the scene.]

Todd: (A little tense:) Time alone... for... what?

Tea: At least for talking... Ok... Why don't you ever kiss me?

Todd: (Anxious:) Ohhh... Not that touchy-feely love junk, Delgado...

Tea: Oh yes, Manning. I want to know.

Todd: I DO kiss you! All the time.

Tea: No, I mean really kiss me.

Todd: I DO. What's wrong with my kisses all of a sudden?!

Tea: (Steps up to him and takes his face in her hands.) You kiss me like this (gently kisses his lips the way he kisses hers, he melts, closing his eyes and soaking it in) which is wonderful, but I want more.

Todd: (Opens his eyes and looks at her. Gulps.) Umm... Tina might --

Tea: Come in and see her little brother happy? See him intimate with his wife? Enjoying himself?

Todd: Um, yeah. Uhh...

Tea: What are you scared of?

Todd: (Quietly:) Being on display.

Tea: (Quietly:) I promise not to rip your clothes off. Unless you want me to?

Todd: Umm...

Tea: Do you want me to?

Todd: No.

Tea: Do you want to know how I want to be kissed?

Todd: (Gulps.) Ok. Umm, sure. I wanna make you happy. I'll try.

Tea: Like this. (She gently takes his face in her hands, and opens her mouth a bit and gives him an open-mouthed, hot kiss.) [Play song a bit louder, just so the words can just be made out, in time for the chorus.]

Todd: (He gasps, and then he tentatively lets her kiss him, closing his eyes and opening his mouth a little. In a moment he moans softly as he relaxes visibly as they continue to kiss.)

Tea: (Withdraws her tongue from his mouth and gently kisses his lips, which he closed to swallow, his eyes remaining closed. She slowly grins at him, stroking his cheek with her thumb.) [Song plays under the dialogue again.] Mmmm. You liked it, I can tell.

Todd: (Slowly opens his eyes. Takes her hand and kisses her palm, his eyes never leaving hers, and holds her palm against his cheek. Quietly:) Why did you do that?

Tea: I wanted you to see it could feel good again.

Todd: Don't do it again, ok?

Tea: Oh, I'll do it again, Manning.

Todd: Not yet. (Gently squeezes her hand and takes a deep breath, his eyes closed. He swallows again.) It felt really good. (Opens his eyes.)

Tea: Oh. (Smiles gently at him.)

Todd: (Leans into her and kisses her in his usual sensuous but careful way, but somehow there's more passion evident to it, as if he feels more bold. He holds her head gently in his hands as he does this.)

Tea: (Runs her hand through his hair and holds his head against hers with the other hand, gently stroking his head and neck as they kiss.)

Todd: (Finally comes up for air, taking a deep breath.) See? I kiss good, right?

Tea: (Strokes his lips a moment with a finger.) You do.

Todd: I'm... relearning it all. I don't expect you to be patient about it. (He kisses her finger, closing his eyes as he does so. He nuzzles his lips against her fingertips.)

Tea: We can learn it together, Todd.

Todd: (Opens his eyes slowly.) No groping in the middle of the night, huh?

Tea: That night still bothers you?

Todd: You freaked me out.

Tea: I never meant to, I was asleep.

Todd: I know that. I do. It still freaked me out pretty bad.

Tea: I'm still sorry about it.

Todd: Like you said, y-you were asleep. Even I was asleep. I actually slept... Well, until you did that.

Tea: No small thing, you sleeping. Is it any easier now?

Todd: Harder as the court date approaches.

Tea: I'm sorry. What can I do to help? (Takes his face in her hands.)

Todd: Don't leave me.

Tea: I have no intention of ever leaving you, and you know it.

Todd: Just don't.

Tea: I won't.

[Scene ends.]

TO BE CONTINUED