THE CONTRACT - PART TWO

PREVIOUSLY

Blair pushes past Tea and walks towards the penthouse door with a look of victory in her eyes. She knows that she's shaken Tea with her little warning. Tea needs to beware, Blair thinks to herself. Her little make believe world is about to come crumbling down all around her.

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Tea sits in the garage awhile, remembering Blair's warning. It sent a chill down her spine. For some reason, she didn't think Blair was just making idle threats. There was something behind this warning. Blair was up to something. But what?

She stays in her car until she sees Blair come back down from dropping Starr off. After Blair leaves the parking garage, Tea goes back upstairs to the penthouse. When she walks back into the living room, she sees Todd on the couch with a strange look on his face. He has that look he gets when he's been attacked and he's trying to come up with a way to protect himself and retaliate.

"Oh no. She is up to something. What happened, Todd? You look distressed."

"Well, you would be distressed too if some lunatic was trying to take your child away. And Tea, if we don't come up with another plan, she just might get away with it this time."

"How can that be? The courts are convinced that we are providing the best home for Starr. What did Blair do to change their minds?"

"Nothing. Yet. It's what she's about to do that scares me. Delgado, Starr's as good as out of here. Especially with our contract being up in a few months. It's going to be a whole new ball game once you leave."

"Todd, let's not think about that now. Just tell me what's going on and then we'll figure out what to do next."

"It seems that Blair has landed herself a turkey to marry. Her and that bum Max Holden are getting hitched."

Tea's eyes widened at this revelation. This news really did change things. With Blair getting married, she was practically guaranteed joint custody of Starr. Or worse yet, she might petition for full custody - and win. Todd was at risk of losing Starr altogether. They needed a plan B. And quickly. Tea paced the floor, wracking her brains for a clue as to what they should do now.

"Blair's getting married. Todd, I don't see how there's any way we can guarantee you'll keep sole custody of Starr, short of framing Blair for some hideous crime, hoping she'll go to jail and be out of your hair forever," she teases.

"Very funny, Delgado. Don't even go there. Besides, nobody can prove I've ever done anything like say blowing up a yacht to send an innocent man to prison. Speaking hypothetically, of course," he says winking at her.

"I was just kidding, Todd. Anyway, Blair in jail, as tempting as that seems, wouldn't really be in Starr's best interest. But one thing I know for sure, my leaving when the contract is up is going to be a big mistake. I think I should stay for awhile longer."

"Really, Delgado?" Todd asks with a sigh of relief. "I was thinking the same thing. I didn't want to say anything, but you're right. Your leaving in a few months wouldn't look very good. You'd really stay longer to help me out?"

"Hello! I seem to remember going out of a window to help you out. You should know that I'm committed to this," she says, looking up at him. She wasn't seeing the face of the monster he wanted everyone to believe he was. She was looking into the face of a loving parent, terrified of losing a child. She was looking into the eyes of a man with a heart and deep feelings that Todd tried to hide, even from her. She got momentarily lost in his eyes.

"So, should we put this extension in writing?" Todd says, pushing away that loving man Tea was just so entranced by. This wasn't the time for feelings to get in the way, he thought.

"Yeah. An amendment to our contract. An extension might not be sufficient. Maybe we should just make this an indefinite arrangement, but also make sure there are out clauses for the both of us."

"Agreed. You can draw the papers up whenever you want and I'll sign them. I trust you. After all, you are my wife," he says with another wink and a little grin.

But she isn't really paying much attention to him. She thought back to that man she'd just seen in Todd. That man had so much love to give. She feared that man would forever be lost if Starr went away. She had to think of a way to keep that man around. She looks at him again, this time with a little gleam in her eyes.

"I know that look, Delgado. I can almost see the gears in your head turning. What's on you mind?"

"Todd, you're a really good father. Starr brings out a side of you that nobody ever sees."

"Thanks for the compliment. But I don't see where you're heading with this."

"With Blair's impending nuptials, our being married will no longer be enough to ensure sole custody of Starr. We need something else. Something big. Something that'll make the courts see that kind, loving man that I see when Starr is around. And I think I've come up with just the thing that will do that."

TO BE CONTINUED