PREVIOUSLY

Tea: I'll teach you to dance with me to this one.

Todd: That's going a bit far.

Tea: You dance very well.

Starr: (Hugging yet another teddy bear:) Daddy! I like the new bear, thank you!

Todd: There's more there.

Starr: (Talking to the bear and setting it down by her side:) Now, you help me with these, ok?

Todd: (Smiles at Starr.)

[Scene ends.]

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

[Cut to:]

Tea: (At the stove with Starr watching excitedly and Todd on the other side of the kitchen counter watching them, smiling.) And when it pops, the top puffs up like magic, see? (The top begins to puff up as the popcorn pops audibly.)

Starr: (In excited awe:) Oh, Tee, how's it do that?

Tea: The popcorn pops and as it gets bigger it fills the pan. The top keeps it from popping all over the kitchen.

Starr: (Making little explosion motions with her hands as she says:) Pop! Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop! Pop-pop! I can hear it still popping in there. (Giggling. Turns and looks at Todd:) This is so much fun, Daddy!

Todd: My Mom used to make me this stuff when I was little, too.

Starr: You had a good Mommy, Daddy.

Todd: (Thinking:) Yeah. Yeah, I did.

[Cut to:]

Todd: (He keeps throwing popcorn in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth as she talks.)

Starr: (Comes and stands with him.)

Tea: (Looking at the label on the videotape:) A copy of Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story"? Not 'It's a wonderful life' this year?

Todd: (Standing near the couch with the pan of popcorn, sharing it with Starr.) I wanted something I could laugh at that wasn't the same one this past Christmas. One we didn't see together. This helped. I stayed sober for this, and... it was ok.

Tea: You missed me.

Todd: Did you miss me?

Tea: Every moment.

Todd: Even when you were polishing someone's machine?

Tea: (Looks at Starr protectively, a warning look at Todd.) Yes. Now, where's that list of yours?

Todd: Oh no, you're not gonna see it, Delgado. You're never gonna see it.

[Cut to: Later:]

Todd: I want more popcorn. (Gets up from the couch, crosses to stove, he begins to heat the popcorn pan. Cut to: pan is on fire and he's frantically trying to bat it out while Tea and Starr are on the couch laughing at him. He finally runs outside with it and the garden hose can be heard being applied to the pan outside. Smoke and steam rise. We see the running form of Muhammed passing a window. Todd growls loudly:) I'm FINE! Go away! (Muhammed crosses back through the yard past the same window. Todd comes back in wearing the oven mitt he ran out wearing and Starr and Tea try not to giggle at him, refusing to look at him.) Don't say it. (Starr bursts out laughing helplessly and Tea starts giggling again, holding Starr. He glares at them.) I hate you both. (Stomps back to the kitchen to start another pan of popcorn. Cut to: Todd sits on the couch eating his popcorn from the pan watching the movie with Starr and Tea. He is not sharing. He's tossing it in the air and trying to catch it in his mouth again, a kernel at a time.)

[Later, sitting on the couch after the movie, Starr is lying with her head in Todd's lap and her feet in Tea's:]

Tea: What's your favourite part?

Todd: The whole turkey thing with the neighbour's dogs and the kid's Dad. "You'll put your eye out, kid!" gives me fits. (Laughs.)

Tea: I would never have expected you to like this movie. You like horror films too much.

Todd: There is a certain unbelievability to this movie. I mean, nobody lives like that, where the worst things to happen to you are gonna be so mild.

Tea: Even the tongue thing?

Todd: Stuck to the flagpole? See? There are moments of gore. I knew a kid that did that once. We were all laughing at him.

Tea: You cruel children.

Starr: You were a mean little boy, Daddy.

Todd: I'm not mean now. Well, not to you.

Tea: (To Starr:) He has his sweet moments.

Todd: Ok. Time to pack it up and go home.

Starr: I'm too tired, Daddy. (Closes her eyes and snuggles in.)

Todd: That's ok. You're not driving. You can sleep in the car.

Tea: I guess we should, although I'd really love to stay.

Todd: Then we should stay.

Tea: I'm so swamped I even brought work here.

Todd: That worked well, huh? You have all those piles of paper in your office to shift back and forth and all. (Smirks, trying to look innocent.)

Tea: Very funny. I do occasionally actually read them and sign them, too. I have at least a day and a half solid of that to do and a trial to study up on that'll take half a day, plus the hearing for it tomorrow afternoon. Not enough time to do all of it.

Starr: (Has fallen asleep.)

Tea: (Quietly:) Starr's asleep.

Todd: I guess we're going back then. (Stands up carefully, so as to not disturb Starr. Starts to clean up and pack things.)

Tea: (Does likewise and follows him to the sink.)

Todd: (Fills the sink with soapy water.)

Tea: You're being remarkably neat.

Todd: (Cleaning a plate by hand at the sink.) Viki'd kill me if we left a mess and she ended up with rats. We gotta take the garbage out with us, too. All the way back to Llanfill.

Tea: (Drying the plate with a towel.) And there I thought you'd turned over a new leaf. I thought you like rats.

Todd: Viki hates them. Well, other than her boys Kevin and Andrew.

Tea: (Putting plate up in cabinet.) See? No new leaf.

Todd: (Washing another plate.) But you still like me for some odd reason. Why didn't we just not use plates? It'd be so much easier.

Tea: Because we had s'mores. Because someone had to have a hotdog with all the works. That chili's gonna come back to haunt you later, especially since you dipped into the jalapeno jar.

Todd: Hot going in, hot coming out. (He smirks.)

Tea: You may not be so flip when it hits.

Todd: I've been practicing. (Tea looks sceptically at him. Hands her the wet plate:) Dry.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Still in Viki's cabin cleaning up a little later.]

Tea: Are you gonna save the tinsel?

Todd: Might as well, since we have to bring it back out, anyway. It's not like it attracts rats.

Tea: We could just leave it here on the counter. Here -- (holding out her hand for the tinsel, he drapes it in hanks across her palm until it's all off the little tree.)

Todd: That's a silly idea.

Tea: (Laying the tinsel out along the table.) You've gone along with far sillier ones, shut up.

Todd: I kind of want the ornaments, though. They're sort of heirlooms now.

Tea: You're being mighty sentimental, here.

Todd: An illusion. (Packs ornaments in a box and closes it. Reaches into his pocket and rips his list into tiny bits, puts them back in his pocket.)

Tea: (Notices this but says nothing.) We're almost done. All the toys are in the car.

Todd: Close enough for Viki. I'll get Starr. (Goes to the couch and gathers his daughter in his arms, dropping the new teddy bear. Tea picks it up and hands it to him.)

Tea: Time to go. (They leave, closing the doors.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2, same night.]

Todd: (Carrying Starr, whispering:) I'll put her to bed.

Tea: Then what?

Todd: I dunno. (Goes upstairs carrying Starr.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2, livingroom, later same evening.]

Tea: I saw you ripping your list up. Everything went ok, then?

Todd: Yeah. I'm astonished. Something has to go wrong now.

Tea: You did burn the popcorn...

Todd: Aren't you glad we didn't use Viki's grill?

Tea: Yes.

Todd: You should get ready for bed. You have all that girl stuff to undo.

Tea: Can I ask you something?

Todd: It's not a girl thing is it?

Tea: It's an us thing.

Todd: (Rolls his eyes.)

Tea: (Makes a face at him, then:) I was wondering if...

Todd: No funny business!

Tea: No...

Todd: (Wary:) Yeah...?

Tea: Well...

Todd: (Groans:) Spit it out, Delgado!

Tea: Aren't you the testy one!

Todd: I just don't like this, I dunno, vibe I'm getting is all.

Tea: Then I'll just say it.

Todd: Oh, god, please... (Rolls eyes again.)

Tea: I'd like it if you'd lay down with me to help me sleep, even if you don't sleep. If you have to leave once I drift off, then go. I'd just like to feel you breathing next to me, feel your warmth against me, hear your heartbeat in my ear...

Todd: You... uhh... no funny business. No nookie.

Tea: Unless we change our minds, no.

Todd: What's that supposed to mean?

Tea: Whatever happens or doesn't happens or doesn't. I am tired, and this would help.

Todd: You're making this very complicated.

Tea: I am not. I simply want to fall asleep in the arms of the man I love.

Todd: That's all?

Tea: It doesn't have to be more, no.

Todd: You're sure?

Tea: Oh, come on! Here I am asking for intimacy with you again and you're talking!

Todd: This time you're not in a bathing suit in a cabana with cops all around and trying to get me in the sack!

Tea: (Sighs tiredly.) We shouldn't be yelling at each other over this. If you don't want to help me fall asleep, I'll let you go do what you have to do.

Todd: No. I will. I want to make you happy, and I know from experience you can't be very happy if you don't sleep at least some of the time.

Tea: Then I'll get ready, and you can sit with me and help me fall asleep.

Todd: I think I can do that. Ok. You go do all that stuff girls do to get ready for that sleep stuff you do so well.

[A little while later, MBR.]

Todd: (Lying on the bed, leaning against the headboard, ankles crossed, watching Tea brush her hair:) You're lucky we have similar hair.

Tea: Why?

Todd: Rebecca? Her hair is long and very curly and brushing that is like brushing out a rat's nest from Spanish moss or widow's weeds.

Tea: (Watching him from the mirror, over her shoulder:) Sometimes that happens with straight hair like ours, too.

Todd: Yeah. I guess.

Tea: Miss her?

Todd: Who?

Tea: Rebecca.

Todd: Twinges here and there.

Tea: You seem to talk about her a lot recently.

Todd: Sorting it out, I guess. She saw good in me, too.

Tea: Like I do.

Todd: You're both nuts.

Tea: Sometimes I watch you fixing Starr's hair by running your fingers through it and untangling the knots. You're so gentle with her.

Todd: She's my one and only baby girl.

Tea: (Finishes, puts brush down, crosses to bed and crawls in next to Todd.)

Todd: Maybe I should tuck you in.

Tea: Kiss me?

Todd: Do you think we should, Delgado? (He looks from her mouth to her eyes, concentrating intently. He seems sorely tempted but sorely conflicted.)

Tea: (Looking in his eyes:) Kiss me.

Todd: (A slight smile:) You don't have to twist my arm.

Tea: I think maybe I do.

[Eyes closed, Todd leans in and nuzzles her neck intensely, as if hungry, and then moves to her cheek, and then her mouth. At her mouth, he whispers gentle kisses against her lips, barely touching, as if this is more a nuzzle, too. Tea presses closer, so this becomes more than a hesitant, gentle nuzzle, and he responds. She laces her hands in his long hair and gently holds his head down to hers. Todd's kisses grow more intense, as if he is losing control somewhat slowly, and he opens his mouth a little to enter her mouth, all the while his whole body melting and sinking into hers, moulding against her as he holds her very close. His hand encirles her waist and he holds her to him for a while as they kiss. Then he begins to stroke her stomach and his hand begins to move up as his kisses grow more intense and sensous. His breathing quickens some more, as does his kissing, and suddenly he backs away short of breath and frightened. He pushes her away, backing away and laying on his back, looking at the far wall away from her, anguished.]

Tea: What is it, Todd?

Todd: (Looks at the ceiling. Tries to catch his breath as he speaks:) Too close... Very close...

Tea: To what?

Todd: Losing it, control. Gotta keep you safe. Stay in control... (Stands up and goes to the foot of the bed, leaning on his hands on the edge of it, fidgeting from one foot to the other agitatedly. He starts pacing, running his hands through his hair.)

Tea: Sssshhh. You're panicking, take a breath, ok?

Todd: That isn't gonna help. I gotta get outta here. Umm... I'll go to work or something. I'll take Starr in.

Tea: Will you be ok?

Todd: (Turning to go:) I don't know. I just don't know if I can do this.

Tea: (Stunned and concerned, but frustrated. Hurls a pillow out the doorway after he's left.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Day camp parking lot, next morning.]

Andrew: Hello, Todd.

Todd: What do you want?

Andrew: You're all sweetness and light as usual. What's gone wrong now?

Todd: None of your damn business.

Andrew: It is if it involves my friend.

Todd: Is that all she is to you now?

Andrew: I admit she once was much more, but not now. She's all yours.

Todd: Oh? No lingering pining for what you used to have?

Andrew: None of your business.

Todd: See! I knew it!

Andrew: No, you don't know, Todd. I'll tell you what's going on here. For whatever reason my friend really loves you, she wants to be with you, and for whatever reason you're in a foul mood and taking it out on other family members, or at least on me.

Todd: I gotta go.

Andrew: No, you gotta listen for once in your miserable, violent life.

Todd: Says you, Reverend Boy.

Andrew: My guess is you're feeling pretty lost for some reason right now and you're lashing out at me 'cos you think I'm an easy target. Guess again. I lost Cassie, I do have an idea what marital strife is like, and I do counsel people --

Todd: Get to the point, Andy!

Andrew: If you and Tea are fighting, then you have to go back and talk to her and tell her your reasons for fighting with her.

Todd: I gotta keep her safe.

Andrew: Safe? Well, I can't disagree with you there.

Todd: Fine. Send me your bill.

Andrew: (To Todd's back:) Talk to her, Todd. Let her know what's wrong.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Llanfair Millhouse, same morning.]

Kevin: Cassie?

Cassie: Yeah?

Kevin: We need to talk about Duke.

Cassie: Has he spoken to you?

Kevin: Not much, no.

Cassie: He makes it pretty obvious he doesn't want me around. It's very upsetting for River.

Kevin: It's upsetting for me, too.

Cassie: What did you expect when you said he could come visit?

Kevin: I honestly don't know. I guess I didn't expect him to be so unhappy about our arrangement.

Cassie: Well, I think that was pretty naive.

Kevin: I thought I was better prepared to be a father, after being around River all these years.

Cassie: But you can give River back when you've had enough, and he's got two other parents who do the real looking-after.

Kevin: Duke is my flesh and blood and I don't know what to do to raise him well.

Cassie: Do the kinds of things you do with River. Take him bike riding, or horseback riding, or have him show you some talent he has that he would like you to know about. Cook with him on the grill out back. Stop being so afraid of your son and just be yourself and just be his Dad. That's what we do with River and I'm sure LeeAnn has done with Duke.

Kevin: How'd you get to be so wise?

Cassie: Practice. I also talked with Andrew and your mother.

Kevin: I don't even know if he'll let me now.

Cassie: Don't you dare give up on your son.

Kevin: Is that what you think I'm doing?

Cassie: You sound like you're giving up on yourself as a parent. If you do that you're giving up on your son. You might just as well send him back right now and admit defeat. Of course, he'll grow up hating you.

Kevin: I don't want him to grow up hating me. That's the last thing I want!

Cassie: Well, then you have to go and do your best with him. We all talk to River about things all the time, that's something you have to start doing with Duke, or he won't talk to anyone. Do you want him to feel so isolated within his own family? He's a little boy, Kevin! If he feels he can't confide in his own father, who will he confide in? That has to start someplace.

Kevin: I've made such a mess of things with him already, haven't I?

Cassie: You never visit him, and now that he's here he hardly sees you. How would you feel in his sneakers?

Kevin: Like maybe my Dad didn't want me around. Like maybe he hates me. Oh, god. Now I really feel like the worst father on the planet.

Cassie: Don't you dare give up so easily. If you screw this up now, you screw up your relationship together for the rest of your lives.

Kevin: He won't talk to me. I feel like I already have.

Cassie: We have to keep trying to get him to see he's safe here with us, or at least you. He may never accept me or River.

Kevin: I hope he can.

Cassie: Well, it's not gonna happen today.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: The Sun, office of The Publisher. Midday same day.]

Tea: (Passes Tyrone in the hallway near Todd's office door, quietly:) Tyrone.

Tyrone: (Nods curtly, face impassive.)

Tea: Is he in?

Tyrone: Yes, Mrs. Manning.

Tea: (Steeling herself:) Thank you. (She goes to the door and carefully pushes it open, entering and closing it behind her.) Querido?

Todd: (Deep in work, his feet on his desk, a legal pad in his lap, sits writing and thinking intently. His tongue sticks slightly out from the corner of his mouth as he works.)

Tea: (Approaches the desk and stands before him.) Todd?

Todd: (Not looking up:) What do you want?

Tea: Nice greeting.

Todd: (Looks up at her:) Can't you see I'm busy? (Puts his feet down and the pad on the desk, and keeps writing, resting his cheek on his left fist.)

Tea: We need to talk.

Todd: (Upset cast to his face, aggression in his voice:) I'm not discussing it.

Tea: I wanted to apologize.

Todd: (His shoulders briefly slump, anguish briefly flashing across his face. He straightens up and looks right at her.) I'm not listening to anything you have to say about it.

Tea: Oh, I see. I was right, then.

Todd: (Begins to seethe.)

Tea: I got too close, or rather you let your guard down and scared yourself, so now you're running away from what happened.

Todd: I'm not afraid of anything.

Tea: Yes, you are. You're afraid of yourself. You know it, I know it, and now you're hearing me say it back to you again. You wanted to make love to me very badly last night, but you stopped yourself out of fear you'd lose control. You thought you'd hurt me, didn't you?

Todd: (Growling:) I said I don't want to talk about it.

Tea: Fine. I'll give you space today, but only for the day. In the evening, we have to sit down and talk this out.

Todd: We'll just see about that! I'll be here, and you'll be home. I'm not discussing this. (Quieter:) I have to protect you.

Tea: From what? From the monster inside you?

Todd: Stress. It's doing a number on my self-control. Go. I won't discuss last night. (Affecting aggression:) Go, before I lose control, right now!

Tea: Fine. We will talk this out soon.

Todd: Just go!

Tea: I do love you, Todd. I'll go. (Leaves.)

Todd: (Throws the notebook at the closed door. Sits heavily in his chair, inhaling loudly and loudly exhaling, holding his face in his hands.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2, that night. Tea has fallen asleep on the couch, legal materials all around her, and a pencil behind her ear. Her laptop rings on her lap, she awakes with a start, nearly dropping it. She taps a few keys and her face falls.]

Tea: Hank, you are not the person whose email I wanted to be woken up by. (She logs out, shuts her laptop down, unplugs the phone line jack, and puts the laptop on the floor next to her. She drops the pencil, goes to the kitchen, and returns with some water. She sips it, thinking, sets it down, and settles back down to sleep on the couch.)

[Cut to: Todd at his desk at work, staring at his computer screen. He makes several aborted attempts to type things, and we hear his voice over the action: Dear Tea... (Out loud:) No, I can't do this. (Tap-tap-tap....) Dear Tea, I -- (Sighs)... I don't have the words for any of this, I don't know what to say or how to say it... I -- (Out loud:) give up is what... (Runs his fingers through his hair, agitatedly.) I can't do this. (Logs out of his email account, switches directories, starts typing up his notes from the legal pad next to him.) Cut to: Dawn next day, PH2. Todd creeps into the Penthouse again, and finds Tea asleep on the couch. He gently goes to her and stands over her watching silently as she sleeps. He leans down to gently kiss her lips, pulls back to be sure she's still asleep, and puts a peach rose in her hand on her chest. He quietly leaves again. Scene ends.]

[Scene: Sunrise same morning, PH2.]

Starr: (Whispering:) Tee? Tee? Wake up. (She shakes Tea gently.)

Tea: (Stirs, finding the rose in her hand.) Hi, sweetie. Is your father here?

Starr: No. I know he was here, he left you that flower.

Tea: (Looks at rose.) Yes, he did. I guess it's my turn to take you to camp, huh? (Yawns, makes face at taste in mouth.)

Starr: I already asked Aunt Tina.

Tea: You're sure?

Starr: Yeah. That way, you can go look for Daddy.

Tea: I'll see what I can do. I'll tell him we both love him very much and we miss him.

Starr: Ok.

Tea: He's been having a hard time with the custody process, and when he gets like this he tries to keep to himself.

Starr: Oh...

Tea: Starr, this is not your fault, ok? This started when you were very little and in a lot of ways it really has nothing to do with you.

Starr: Yes, it does. I'm the reason Daddy's so unhappy.

Tea: Oh! Never think that! I've never seen him so happy except when he's with you. He's so proud of you. He wants the best for you, and that's why he's working so hard to make a good home here for you. You've told everyone this is where you want to stay, and he wants to make sure you're happy.

Starr: But he's never here!

Tea: He keeps strange hours, he's here when you're here more than you think. Who do you think puts you back into bed at night and tucks you back in when you fall out? Who carries you up to bed when you've fallen asleep someplace else and tucks you in?

Starr: Daddy?

Tea: Daddy.

Starr: Oh. I didn't know.

Tea: You're usually asleep. It's been pretty often lately.

Starr: Oh.

Tea: I think I know where to look for him, so I'll tell him what you said.

Starr: Ok. And then bring him to me.

Tea: That sounds ominous.

Starr: What's "omnius"?

Tea: Ominous. It means something to do with an omen, like something foretold that's not necessarily good.

Starr: Like a fortune-teller?

Tea: Sometimes they tell of omens, sure. So what will you do to your Daddy if I bring him to you?

Starr: Punch him, and then make him say he's sorry.

Tea: Hmmm. (Thinking.) Ah. I see what you mean. I may punch him first.

Starr: You're mad at him, too?

Tea: A little. Different reasons.

Starr: But you still love Daddy, don't you?

Tea: As much as ever. He's just being difficult lately because he's having such a hard time with this. He'll get through this.

Starr: We'll get through this, Tee. We're a family.

Tea: Yes. I guess we are.

[Scene ends.]

TO BE CONTINUED