PREVIOUSLY

Starr nodded and broke into in the first real smile Todd and Tea had seen on their daughter's face in over a year.

And to them, it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

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Part 3: Diversion

"Are you really going to have a baby, Tee?" Starr asked her step-mother as Tea washed her long brown curls.

"Yup." Tea replied, gently scrubbing the shampoo through Starr's hair.

"When?"

"In a few months. Around February."

"Will it be a boy or a girl?"

Tea laughed. "I don't know. Your daddy and I want it to be a surprise."

"I hope it's a girl." Starr said. "Then I can have someone to play Barbies with."

"And you can't play Barbies with a little brother?" Tea smiled. "Boys don't like to play with dolls, Tee." Starr stated frankly.

"Okay, close your eyes now. I'm going to wash the shampoo out." Tea cautioned, filling a large Winnie The Pooh canister with water from the tub.

Starr squeezed her eyes shut and Tea poured the water over her head, watching the shampoo suds sliding out of her hair and into the water below.

"What are you going to name the new baby, Tee?" Starr asked as she wiped her eyes.

Tea frowned slightly, clutching her side as she was hit with a sudden swell of cramps. "I don't know. We haven't really thought about it too much." She lifted Starr out of the tub, wrapping a blue coloured bath towel around her shivering form. "But I do know that you ask way too many questions for a six year old."

"Six-going-on-seven!" Starr declared.

Tea laughed. "You're right. Six-going-on-seven."

Tugging a brush through Starr's tangled mass of curls with one hand, she helped the girl into her pajamas with the other.

"Daddy's waiting to read to you in your room, Starr." Tea said softly.

"Goodnight, Tee." Starr said, hugging her step-mother tightly.

"Sweet dreams," she replied, patting Starr's back lightly.

"Now scoot."

Starr scampered out of the bathroom, leaving Tea alone with her thoughts.

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A half hour later, after cleaning up the bathroom and washing up, Tea opened the door to her bedroom. Her jaw dropped. Todd danced on the bed, dressed in nothing more than a pair of flimsy black boxer shorts, wailing loudly, badly out of tune, with Amanda Marshall's "Sitting On Top Of The World".

Tea stood in the doorway, shocked into silence by this behaviour that was so uncharacteristic of Todd.

Unaware of his wife's presence in the doorway, he jumped off the bed, selected a bottle of hand lotion off of Tea's dresser and sang into it--a makeshift microphone.

"Never seen a sky so blue

I've never been happy with anyone

Like I am when I'm with you

Look at the sun shining up in the sky

I feel a little closer to heaven

When I look into your eyes..."

Todd screeched, his hair flying wildly about his face. It was all too much. Tea burst into a fit of hysterical giggles and Todd stopped singing mid-verse and whirled around, grinning sheepishly.

He held out a hand. "Care to dance?" he asked.

She took his hand and he pulled her close to him, whirling her in crazy spins and twists and circles while he sang.

"Sing it, Tea!" he yelled, sticking the "microphone" in her face.

Just humour him she thought to herself, and smiling, she began to sing. Timidly at first, but as she, too, got caught up in the moment, she began to sing with all her might.

"And as long as we're together

I'm sitting on top of the world

Wanna feel this way forever

I'm sitting on top of the world..."

Both were so caught up in the song that they didn't notice Starr standing in the doorway, looking at her parents with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Daddy?"

They stopped dancing and stared at Starr in the doorway, blinking sleepily.

Todd frowned, crossed the room in three easy strides and stood over his daughter. Tea turned off the music.

"What are you doing?!" Todd demanded. Neither answered. Todd smiled. "Tea, turn that back on!"

Starr smiled and Tea laughed, and Todd scooped his daughter into his arms. Taking her into the centre of the room, he and Tea each took one of Starr's hands and then held each other's, forming a circle, where they jumped and danced and sang together.

"And everybody's got an opinion 'bout how this should be

But they don't understand it

No, no they just can't see

That I belong with you

And baby, you belong with me..."

The song ended and the music faded out.

Starr, breathless and exhausted, didn't complain when Tea took her by the hand and put her back to bed.

Five minutes later, finally back in her bedroom, Tea climbed into bed beside her husband, sighing greatfully as her head hit the soft feather pillow.

"Tired?" Todd smiled.

"Yeah...I'm not used to life with a six year old." Tea groaned, closing her eyes.

"Six-going-on-seven." Todd reminded her.

Tea rolled her eyes. "I was talking about *you*!" she quipped.

Todd grinned.

"Well, it's good practice for when our little one comes along." He added, leaning over and kissing her stomach tenderly. Tea's expression suddenly turned serious.

"What is it?" Todd asked.

"I realized tonight that we've planned for this baby in every possible way....except we haven't picked out a name yet."

"I say we name him Todd Jr." Todd announced.

"What makes you so sure it'll be a boy?" Tea asked, a frown creasing her brow. "Would you rather have a little boy? I know that you and Blair lost a son--"

"No." Todd interrupted curtly. "Tea, any child of ours will be perfect, whether it's a boy or a girl."

Tea saw his eyes flash with amusement.

"We just have to pray he or she will have your brains and my good looks."

Tea swatted his arm playfully.

"I had an idea tonight while I was giving Starr a bath."

She pulled the covers tighter around her, flipping onto her side to face him.

He looked at her expectantly, his eyebrows raised. "Well? You gonna tell me or are you gonna keep me guessing?"

"Why don't we let Starr name the baby? It would....I don't know, make her feel special. Needed." She dropped her gaze.

Todd grinned. "It's a great idea, Delgado, and I love you for it."

He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her long and full on the lips. "Now you get some sleep. Tomorrow's Saturday. Starr will be home all day." Tea sucked back a quick lungful of air as another sharp, stabbing pain shot through her side.

Todd seemed not to notice.

The pain subsiding as quickly as it came, she nestled into Todd's arms and snuggled deeper into the covers as he turned off the light, letting the shadows take over.

TO BE CONTINUED

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