PREVIOUSLY

Todd: Oh, do you now? Oh, by all means enlighten me, dear sister!

Tina: Ok, I will, dear brother of mine! It's very simple, really.

Todd: Spit it out already!

Tina: You're hurting badly, and it's because I got our mom, and you got Peter. It's that simple.

Todd: (Todd looks back at the Daily Reminder, to the page he opens at the entry where Victor had called him simply "The Boy" in the entry discussing the lawyers. He looks at the page a long time in silence as Tina watches him. He becomes very sad but still won't look at her. Finally, she simply, tentatively, puts her hand on his head and he seems to melt under that simple gesture, calming and nuzzling his head slightly under her hand.)

[Scene ends.]

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

[Scene: Penthouse, midday same day.]

Tea: (Arriving.) Ah, you're here. Briggs said you might be.

Todd: (Nose in his work, not ready to face anyone:) Didn't go in.

Tea: He said you were working from home. Hungry?

Todd: (Sounding tired or down:) Yeah, I guess.

Tea: Let's go out for lunch. Diner?

Todd: (Looks at her, his tone belying the sadness in his eyes:) And have your surrogate mom all over me?

Tea: It's a risk. If we went to the Palace, it'd be Renee or even Asa -- (She studies him carefully, trying to keep things casual.)

Todd: (Sarcastically perky:) Oh, joy! I can't eat unless I'm being accosted by someone.

Tea: Very funny.

Todd: (Still sarcastic:) No, really. Carlotta or Renee? Carlotta or Renee...? For a really good time we could go to Rodi's and I could beat up on someone else. Or get beat up. Better yet, we could go to RJ's club and Bo could beat me up again.

Tea: Let's try our luck at the Diner. I have some say with Carlotta.

Todd: Right.

Tea: I don't think Bo has it in for you.

Todd: Only at the moment.

Tea: The fridge is practically empty, and we need to eat.

Todd: Yeah, all right. You'd better be ready to jerk her choke chain when she comes after me.

Tea: You're the vicious dog.

Todd: (Gives her an incredulous look.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Diner, moments later.]

Nora: (Over some pie and coffee:) So, I figure what I really need to do is to just come out with it, cut to the chase.

Antonio: Does Sam know?

Nora: I think he's coming to the realization that it's going to go this way, yeah.

Antonio: I guess it really will be short after all.

Nora: Maybe not painless, but it should be short.

Antonio: Have you decided whether to do the change in the birth certificate immediately?

Nora: I guess we'll see how things go. I might do it the next day.

Antonio: Bo seems to want this, to want to take both of you back.

Nora: I don't know if I'm really ready for that. I need to know that it's because he really wants to try again, not just because of our son.

Antonio: Drew would've wanted you to try again.

Nora: Oh, thanks. Bring in guilt, why don't you?

Antonio: (Chuckles.) You know it's true, though. From everything you've told me since I got back here Drew really changed and he'd been looking forward to the birth of this baby and being a big brother. I hated it when Cris was born, but we're much closer in age. I think Drew would probably have loved Matthew and probably gotten in the way wanting to pitch in.

Nora: Oh, god, Antonio.

Antonio: Sorry.

Nora: No, I think you're right. I think he would've been such a doting older brother he would've been underfoot. But you know what? I would've loved it. Rachel's sometimes such a doting sister she's underfoot, the two of them would've been impossible! (Laughing.)

Antonio: So, give Bo the chance to prove himself, for all of you.

Nora: You miss your dad, don't you?

Antonio: Almost as much as my mom does.

Nora: I'll see what Bo and I work out after we get through this.

Antonio: Good luck.

[Todd and Tea arrive.]

Nora: Oh, joy. Frankenstein and The Bride Of Frankenstein make their entrance.

Antonio: (Trying to hide his eagerness:) I could kick them out.

Nora: No. This is a small town. As long as they leave us alone we're all fine.

Antonio: And if they don't?

Nora: Both barrels.

Antonio: (Walking up to the booth Todd and Tea are sitting in:) Well, well, well. (Crossing his arms and looking pointedly at Todd.) Beauty and The Beast.

Todd: (Rolls his eyes, looking at Tea.) What do you want, Vega?

Tea: (Trying to smooth things over:) That's a very nice suit, Antonio.

Antonio: (Icily, almost formal:) Thank you, Tea. As to your... companion, I have fewer nice things to say.

Todd: What a surprise...

Tea: Antonio, stop this.

Antonio: Why, Tea? And why are you still with this... animal?

Tea: We've discussed this, Antonio. Please tell me: why are you not with Andrea?

Antonio: None of your business, Tea.

Todd: (Finally looks at Antonio:) Woah-ho! Tsk tsk. Trouble in paradise, mmm?

Antonio: You just keep your nose out of things that don't concern you.

Todd: (Coldly calm:) By all means. After you, Vega.

Antonio: (Working up to a very angry start:) You think that --

Carlotta: (Approaching warily, trying to diffuse things:) Tea! Hi, mija! Antonio, you do have a client...

Antonio: (A little resigned and almost formal, coldly:) Si, mami. Nice to see you, Tea. Manning, you and I are not finished here.

Todd: Oh, we are, Vega.

Tea: (Warning tone:) Boys...

Carlotta: Yes, boys. Play NICE in my establishment, or I will throw BOTH of you out of here, understood? We will not have another incident like at home during a certain visit, will we?

Antonio: Yes, mami. I mean no, mami. (Returns, seething, to Nora.)

Nora: Oh, that went well.

Antonio: (Glares at her.)

Nora: Like I've told you, Todd has been very supportive in all this.

Antonio: Colour me incredulous. Again.

Nora: I know, it's been very weird, but like I've also told you Todd seems to identify with Matthew's situation and he's genuinely concerned that what happened to him not happen to another child.

Antonio: I still think it's another manipulation of his. He's up to something, he doesn't care about anyone but himself.

Nora: Ordinarily I would agree, but he's kept his distance in this except from Sam and mostly from Bo and he's been completely consistent. I really do think he's actually sincere this time. His protectiveness for kids is legendary, look at your brother Eli.

Antonio: Fine. I still think the bastard's got some scheme going.

Nora: I think once this is settled in a few days he's likely to back off entirely about Matthew.

Antonio: Or zero in for the kill.

[Todd and Tea's table. Todd is now standing next to the booth looking edgy.]

Tea: We're staying. No, you sit back down, Todd.

Todd: Why?

Tea: We came for lunch, we're going to eat lunch. Here.

Todd: Fine. (Sits heavily.)

Tea: (She pauses as she watches him fuss and then grab the menu and stare in it, suddenly almost motionless.) Do you know what you want?

Todd: Yeah...

Tea: Well?

Todd: (Looks up into her eyes. Quietly:) You.

Tea: (Smiles a moment:) Later. You're not getting out of lunch. Off your feed?

Todd: (Still quiet:) Kind of.

Tea: Then you need to eat this meal.

Carlotta: (Returns to their table.) Hi. I'm sorry about Antonio.

Todd: I'm sorry FOR Antonio.

Tea: Todd...

Todd: What? He came to me, I didn't go to him.

Tea: Shall we order, dear?

Todd: Fine, whatever. Babe.

Carlotta: (Raises an eyebrow at Todd, who doesn't see it.)

Tea: Ok. (Looks up at Carlotta, who accepts the menus from Tea.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Sun Offices, Blair's office.]

Blair: Del.

Del: Yes, I'm glad you could meet to go over your files on Asa Buchanan with me.

Blair: I really don't know what more I can tell you about that article.

Del: It says you did a lot of traveling and under an assumed name. Is there some significance to the name you used?

Blair: Not much, no. Why?

Del: Chelsea Reardon is a sort of unusual name.

Blair: Not really. There's a song called "Chelsea Morning". A lot of women around my age seem to have been given that name or named their daughters that.

Del: I see. Is Reardon a family name?

Blair: Why do you care?

Del: Just curiosity. Do you know who the original source is, this anonymous tipster?

Blair: Not a clue. (Watches him a moment.) Well, ok, a little clue but I was never able to adequately substantiate who it was.

Del: Clearly it was someone inside Buchanan Enterprises, or even a family member. Are you sure you didn't come up with this yourself?

Blair: (Scoffs.) You can't be serious? I haven't been a member of that family since Asa and I got divorced.

Del: There's no paper trail, it could be anybody.

Blair: Certainly. Have you talked with Briggs?

Del: Yes, and he denies any knowledge of the source. As the main Editor of the paper I would think it would be his business to know. I find this curious.

Blair: Well, if he doesn't know I'm out of leads. It's all in those notes.

Del: Who was your assistant?

Blair: My assistant demanded anonymity in this, as well.

Del: I see.

Blair: I know my assistant, I don't know the informant. They're definitely not the same person.

Del: I suspect you do and you either aren't aware of it or are hiding the informant's identity.

Blair: (Annoyed:) I've said I don't know who the anonymous source is.

Del: Speculation centers on your cousin Kelly Cramer, Max Holden, or one of Asa's sons. Possibly his manservant, Nigel Smythe.

Blair: Nigel is as frustratingly loyal as they come.

Del: I've discovered that.

Blair: Kelly accounted for herself, and so did Max. You saw what Nigel had to say in the notes.

Del: I see. Other than employees, this leaves very few choices.

Blair: I didn't say it because I have no way to be sure.

Del: (Sure of it:) I thought it was him.

Blair: (Gives him a look pleading genuine innocence.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Diner.]

Todd: (Eating frenchfries from Tea's plate as if it were his own, his mouth full:) You know...

Tea: What?

Todd: (Chews, swallows some.) Umm...

Tea: Stop stuffing your mouth a minute and just talk to me. Eat your own fries! (Bats his hand away.)

Todd: (Swallows, but his mouth is still not empty.) Ok.

Tea: Not ok, you're gonna choke, Manning.

Todd: (Swallows and clears his throat.) Ok. (Sips his soda.)

Tea: Ok. So, what?

Todd: I talked to my sister.

Tea: Viki?

Todd: Yeah. Look, she wants us to stay at The Ancestral -- or is that Incestral? -- at the family fortress through all this court stuff.

Tea: Lemme guess: you told her no and you knew I'd make you do it anyway.

Todd: (He looks up from his burger, his mouth full as he chews, and looks a little sheepish.)

Tea: Why? Because I know you. She took it as a yes, and you know it. You were just trying to save face.

Todd: (Mouth still mostly full:) Starr.

Tea: Oh. Sooner or later Viki will catch on, you know. I think she has long ago, in fact.

Todd: (Gulps audibly.) You people...

Tea: You mean the women in your life? That's what I hope you meant...

Todd: You told her to do this, didn't you? (Munches a pickle spear.)

Tea: Not a word. Believe me, this was Viki's idea. Do you want me to pack an overnight bag for you?

Todd: No, we stay home tonight, and so does Starr.

Tea: Tomorrow night?

Todd: By the time my sister is done with me she'll have me saying yes to this stupid idea anyway. She usually gets what she wants.

Tea: You let her. You know that she loves you and doesn't want you to get hurt.

Todd: She worries too much.

Tea: You've died on her how many times now? She doesn't worry enough.

Todd: (Eats in silence, looking a little sheepish, but happy and trying to hide a grin as he eats. He avoids her eyes, but Tea is watching him as she eats. She smiles to herself when she thinks he doesn't see.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Sun Offices, that evening.]

Todd: You're still here?

Blair: Yeah, I work here, remember?

Todd: You do?

Blair: Your little chiquita's brother was here today.

Todd: Again?

Blair: Yeah. We went over my notes from that big expose' on Asa.

Todd: No new leads?

Blair: He thinks he knows who the anonymous tipster is, but he didn't tell me. (Looks at him as if expecting something from him.)

Todd: (Looks at her expectantly a moment.) What?

Blair: You know who it was, don't you?

Todd: No, not a clue.

Blair: It was you, wasn't it? I know when you're lying to me.

Todd: You do, huh? You think you know me that well?

Blair: We were best friends --

Todd: Not that again!

Blair: Well, we were before we got married.

Todd: Yeah, and before we started having sex together. Sex ruins love every time.

Blair: Trouble in paradise?

Todd: (Raises eyebrows and looks at her from under his brow as he sorts papers on his desk.) You're fishing, Blair.

Blair: I knew it! That's why your little Puerto Rican Rent-a-Wife's not pregnant!

Todd: Blair, it may come as some surprise to you, but my wife works and she loves her job. Neither one of us is ready just yet for another child, but when we have the next little Manning bun in the oven, I'll be sure to make you the first one on my list of people to tell the happy news to.

Blair: I will always be your first, Todd.

Todd: No, Blair, you aren't. Someone else got that job in high school. I wonder if you can even still remember who your first was, you've had so many guys one after the other.

Blair: Very funny. I meant kids.

Todd: You meant sex. You've been back and forth through the men of Llanview so many times I'm surprised you haven't worn ruts crisscrossing this whole town, rutting away.

Blair: Oh! You are a vile excuse for a human being, Todd! I see what you're trying to do!

Todd: (Coolly:) Whatever it is it looks pretty successful from here, Blair.

Blair: Just wait until I get you in that courtroom tomorrow morning!

Todd: Go ahead, knock yourself out. You and I both know you're going to lose.

Blair: No. You're going to lose, Todd. Starr was mine long before you ever slithered back into Llanview.

Todd: That's where you're wrong, Blair. She's my kid, too, and that means she was mine just as soon as she was yours, only by her own declaration now, she's ALL mine no matter what the judge decides or what you and The Red Queen want.

Blair: It isn't up to Dorian.

Todd: No, then why does she keep screaming "Off with her head! Off with her head!"? Maybe she means your head?

Blair: You wish, Todd.

Todd: I don't wish, I act.

Blair: Is that a threat?

Todd: It's a statement of fact, and you know it.

Blair: You'd kidnap her again, wouldn't you?

Todd: You'd like me to, wouldn't you?

Blair: Answer me!

Todd: I can wait, I'll win this time either way. I won't need to kidnap my daughter, she'll come to me on her own.

Blair: Dorian's right. You're manipulating my little girl!

Todd: Have you talked with Starr lately? Really listened to her?

Blair: Todd: By all means, tell me what you want her to tell you she wants, Blair. As if I don't already know.

Blair: She wants to live with me, me and Max.

Todd: Then you haven't heard a word Shorty's been saying to everyone.

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Llanfair, that evening.]

Viki: (Answering front door.) Tea, I'm glad you could make it. He chickened out?

Tea: Supposedly not, but it remains to be seen.

[They cross into the study, Viki fixes them both a goblet of white wine.]

Viki: (Crossing to couch and sitting next to Tea, handing her a goblet.) I hope this is ok, I took the liberty of choosing.

Tea: No, this is fine, thanks. (Sips her wine.)

Viki: How did he tell you about tonight?

Tea: He knew you'd eventually keep working on him about it and he knew I'd want to stay here, but I think tomorrow night is when he'll try to save face and make a show of --

Todd: (Bursts into the house and crosses to the study.)

Viki: I'm glad you could come, Todd.

Todd: Yeah, well, we're not staying.

Tea: We ARE staying. For dinner.

Todd: Whatever. Just not all night. You're not gonna start one of those all-night gabfests where everyone talks themselves to sleep on the couch and the next thing you know we hear those perky little monsters cheeping outside the window at each other gossiping about us.

Viki: You mean birds waking up and starting their days?

Todd: (Snarky:) No, I mean the Press. Birds are, like, the definition of perky. Bleah.

Viki: So, I take it not tonight?

Todd: Not any night. Not here. Too many birds.

Tea: I thought you liked birds!

Todd: Only Moose. Well, Hitchcock's birds are a riot.

Viki: Let me know when you're ready.

Todd: (Scowls at her.)

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: Palace Restaurant, same evening.]

Mel: And what would you like, dear?

Dorian: Something light, I think.

Mel: Well, I'm having something more substantial than a cob salad.

Dorian: You won't be able to sleep.

Mel: I'll be fine. It's you who won't be sleeping tonight.

Dorian: We have to win this custody battle, Mel. It's not good for Starr to keep going from home to home.

Mel: It was a sleepover at a friend's house, for pity's sake!

Dorian: I'm convinced they were hiding her from me.

Mel: When my children were little, they all went to sleepovers, and sometimes we hosted them. Of course, nobody slept.

Dorian: Oh, so now she's being kept awake in a strange house to all hours?

Mel: You're really unbelievable. Were you ever a child?

Dorian: Of course I was a child! I had sisters, we had our own slumber parties at home.

Mel: You had Miss Stonecliff, she wasn't exactly what I'd ever call a Party Animal.

Dorian: We were very quiet.

Mel: You were three normal children living in a very abnormal environment, how could you manage to always be quiet? You didn't run outdoors and get a safe distance from the house and then just scream and run around like loons?

Dorian: We were good little girls.

Mel: (Rolls his eyes.) Oh, god. You are not the same person, then.

Dorian: Yes, I am!

Mel: Good little girls do not make as much noise as you do, and good little girls definitely do not do what you do to me in bed.

Dorian: I could show you what a good girl I am after dinner.

Mel: I bet you could.

Dorian: However, we need to be in top form tomorrow for the custody hearing.

Mel: You get me all interested... You will never die a saint.

Dorian: I never planned to.

Mel: Why am I not surprised?

[Scene ends.]

[Scene: PH2 hallway outside front door, late same evening.]

Todd: (Whispering, carrying Starr with her head on his shoulder:) It's better this way. What if we lose?

Tea: (Touches his cheek, his eyes close.) We won't.

Todd: She's getting heavy. (Unlocks and opens the door.)

Tea: (Following him in carrying various items.) Do you want to do this alone?

Todd: Yeah. (He crosses to the stairs and begins to climb them.)

[Starr's room. Todd is settling Starr in her bed and working on getting her sneakers off.]

Starr: (Eyes droopy but open, lying on the bed, sleepily:) Daddy?

Todd: (Softly:) Hush, go to sleep.

Starr: (Whispering:) I gotta pee.

Todd: Oh.

Starr: (Stumbling as she tries to walk, Todd scoops her up and brings her to the bathroom. He sets her on her feet.)

Todd: I hope you can manage. After I stopped changing your diapers I stopped that girl stuff.

Starr: (Irritable and exhausted:) I only gotta pee. Go away.

Todd: (Looks surprised a moment, but retreats.)

Starr: (Finishes up and goes back to her room. Todd is sitting on the edge of her bed.) I can finish. (Moves, stands, and watches protectively as Starr gets down to her underpants and her shirt.)

Todd: You're going to wake up to a dead cat in your mouth, you know.

Starr: I know. Move, I have to fall over now.

Todd: (Starr falls over onto and scrambles into her bed. He tucks her in and kisses her, but she's already out. He leaves the door open a little for the light from the hallway.)

[Scene ends.]

TO BE CONTINUED

---

---