Purgatory is not a sequel to my earlier series, “Trials of the Heart.” Readers will recognize that story as the height of Delusionland fiction. Don’t like the Garden Shed, the fake DID, or John Sykes? Well, write a story where none of them exist! However, with the passage of time, I have forced myself to accept the unmitigated mess handed to us by Pam Long and I am now trying to deal with it. Purgatory is the start of yet another version of “Todd’s Return.” I choose to make the DID fake, basically because I want to spend time on the story, not researching psychiatric disorders. While Todd’s therapy is a part of this story, it is a minor one. Plenty of other TnT fiction writers have handled that story beautifully, and I feel quite comfortable leaving it in their hands. I end this note with a plea for readers to stick with me through the first chapters, even if they are hard to take for true TnT romantics. Yes, everyone dumps all over Todd pretty hard, including Téa. But I promise you the answer to Blair’s query at the end of Part One is, “Yes, true love does conquer all.”

MCW

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“Damn you, Todd!” thought Blair as she sat watching the windshield wipers on her red Corvette failing to keep up with the latest downpour. “You’re not even back yet and you’re a pain in the ass.” A persistent tapping on the passenger window caught her attention. She cautiously rolled the power window down a crack, mindful of the raindrops hitting the expensive leather upholstery. A policeman in a yellow slicker peered in at her.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but this area is for loading and unloading only. You’ll have to move on.” Blair batted her long eyelashes at him.

“But Officer, I am picking someone up. He’s just running a little late.”

“I can’t let you stay here, Ma’am. With this rain, we need to keep traffic moving, so unless your friend is here now, you’ll need to leave immediately.”

“He’s not my friend!” said Blair, realizing too late that the man couldn’t care less what relationship the awaited passenger had to her. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Can’t I just stay a few minutes longer?” The officer’s eyes grew hard as he pulled out a ticket pad.

“All right, lady. I’ve tried to be nice, but I’ve had it. If you’re not out of here by the time I finish writing this up, you’ll be paying a $200 fine.” Blair’s eyes flashed in anger as she put the Corvette in gear.

“Fine. If you see that jerk of an ex of mine, show him the bus stop, will you? I’m out of here.” As she checked in the driver’s side mirror for an opening in the traffic, the passenger door flew open and someone slipped into the seat with barely enough time to pull the door closed before Blair floored the gas pedal. Sparing no more than a quick, angry glance at her companion, she merged into traffic.

“Jeez, Blair, take it easy, will you? Keeping a low profile means avoiding a head-on collision with the airport express, you know?”

“Shut up, Todd. I don’t need you to tell me how to drive. And I have better things to do than sit around waiting for you at the airport! You said the flight arrived 45 minutes ago.”

“Yeah? Well, I lied. That should be no surprise to you, Blair.” He chuckled at his own joke as he set his small canvas bag in the narrow space behind the seats. A few tense minutes passed as Blair wove in and out of the heavy airport traffic. When they were finally on the expressway headed for downtown Llanview, she relaxed a bit and took a moment to glance over at Todd in the passenger seat. He wore a simple black hooded parka. With the hood drawn back, Blair could see that he had on a plain black baseball cap-definitely not his usual style. But what surprised her the most was what she didn’t see hanging down his neck.

“You’ve cut your hair!” she said in surprise.

“Yeah, so? I’m supposed to call you and inform you every time I go to the hairdresser?”

“It’s just that you’ve had long hair as long as I’ve known you. I’ve seen you clean-shaven before, but the hair seems…well…weird. I’m sure Starr will find it strange, too.”

“She’ll get used to it. I was ready for a change.” Todd was staring at all the buildings as they drove through the downtown area. “Besides, hardly anyone will recognize me this way and that’s the way I want it.”

Blair stared at the street in front of her, and her eyes became hard. “So, are you going to tell me why, after months without a phone call, fax or letter to your daughter, you’ve suddenly decided to grace us with your presence, Todd?” She slammed on the brakes at a red light, causing the tires to squeal. “Do you know how much Starr has missed you? How could you just leave her with nothing but a stuffed frog?”

Todd gazed upward, trying to make out the Manning Building through the rain. “Shorty and I understand each other, Blair. And I was going through some bad stuff when I had to leave. You know that better than anyone, since it’s your fault that dumb tape got played and my life was blown apart.” Blair glared at him through narrowed eyes until a honk from behind reminded her that the light had turned green. “As for why I came back now…well, I needed to see Starr again.” Todd put his head down as they entered the parking garage at the apartment building, not wanting the attendant to recognize him. Blair pulled into the designated space and turned off the ignition. “So, Blair,” said Todd in a deceptively calm voice. “How in the hell could you lose my paper to Asa Buchanan!!” She turned toward him and there was no mistaking the fury in his eyes.

“You have no one to blame for that but yourself, Todd!” said Blair defensively. “You’re the one that gave Kelly and Max controlling interest. I earned the Sun, covering up your lies all those months. I should have had the whole thing!”

“I did that so it would be easy to prove I wasn’t in my right mind when I made that agreement, and I could get the Sun back whenever I chose to challenge it. But I never thought for a minute that you couldn’t handle Max and Kelly. You have more smarts than the both of them combined!” He shook his head in disgust. “Well, I won’t make that mistake again. I came back to wrestle the Sun away from that ditz and old goat, and when I do, I know better than to leave you in charge next time. I’ve already got the legal challenge rolling and the paper should be mine again by the end of the week. I’ve hired a new guy that will answer only to me. You get to write for the Sun and that’s all.” He opened the car door, grabbed his bag and stepped out.

“You can’t do that!! I own 49% of the Sun!” said Blair, slamming the door with a bang.

Todd snorted. “Not anymore, Babe. You should be getting the papers nullifying that arrangement any day now.” He smirked at her obvious chagrin. “Seems that the acquittal by reason of insanity means that I wasn’t in my right mind when I signed those papers. So….poof! Another judge voids the agreement and ta da! I’m the sole owner of the Sun again. Isn’t it too, too bad that Asa spent all that money paying Holden for his piece…the piece he never really owned.” He turned and headed for the private elevator to the penthouse. “I hope the old jackass keels over from a heart attack when he finds out I’ve beaten him.” He chuckled. “That would make the whole thing worthwhile.” Blair glared after her ex, wondering why in the world she had agreed to pick him up when he had called the night before.

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Entering from the kitchen, Blair started as she saw Todd sitting on the floor staring into the fire. She still wasn’t used to the new look. His hair wasn’t all that short by most men’s standards. It covered the tops of his ears and tapered down to his collar in back, but compared to the long, flowing locks that had been his trademark, the hairstyle seemed severe. Silently, she handed him a mug of coffee, then sat down on the ottoman, and took a sip from her own. “I thought Starr would never settle down,” she said, starting the conversation. “She was so excited to see you.”

“I can’t believe how much she’s grown in just 5 months,” he said. “She made me tell her every story I’d ever made up, and if I forgot a detail, she called me on it.”

“She’s always telling me that I don’t tell stories like her Daddy does.” Blair looked carefully at her ex. “You came back for her, didn’t you? You could have done all that stuff with the paper from….where was it you said you were?”

Todd looked at her with a blank expression on his face. “I didn’t say, Blair, and you don’t have to know where I’ve been.” He sighed deeply. “I can only stay a few days this time. After things get a little…better…I’ll contact you and arrange to have Starr come to stay with me for a few weeks.”

“And I’m supposed to trust you? I have full custody now, remember? I’m not letting my little girl out of my sight! You’ll disappear with her and I’ll never see her again.”

“Blair, I wouldn’t do that to her. She needs a stable home and you’re the one who can provide that now. But I need her to be a part of my life.”

“Todd, I don’t understand why you can’t come home now. You’ve got the paper back-why not stick around and bring it back to its former glory? I can help you with that, you know, and you can be here for Starr…”

“I’m right in the middle of something. If it works out, I…I might be able to come back…to be a better father for Shorty. But I need more time, Blair.”

“What about Sam and Viki, Todd? You know they’ll want to see you if they find out you’re here.”

Todd snorted, but his eyes looked sad. “Yeah, right. You weren’t around when each of them told me to hit the road. So much for their promises to stand by me no matter what.”

“They’ve had some time to think about it. Maybe they’ve forgiven you.”

“Don’t count on it.” Todd stood up and moved to the large window over-looking downtown Llanview. He stared out at the skyline so long, Blair began to get bored and started flipping through a magazine. Finally she stood up and grabbed the two empty coffee mugs.

“Well, you still have your key, so I’ll just go on with my routine tomorrow. I take Starr to school, then go to my job at the Banner.” She saw him stiffen. “I know, I hate it too. But I had to do something when Kelly fired me. I don’t like the way you duped me about ownership of the Sun, but it will almost be worth it to see the look on that little flea’s face when she finds out she’s out on her ear.” Blair stared at Todd’s back as she continued. “I’ll give notice at the Banner tomorrow. If I’m going to be a lowly flunky, I may as well be at the Sun. I’m sick of the way your saintly sister looks at me like I’m something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.” Todd still didn’t say anything, so Blair shrugged and turned toward the kitchen.

“Blair?” Something in his tone made her stop and turn around. “Tell me about Delgado,” he said in a quiet voice. Blair let an exasperated hiss escape her lips.

“Todd, you’re not still carrying a torch for her, are you? She hasn’t wasted a single chance to tell anyone within earshot about how badly you treated her.”

“I did treat her badly, Blair.” His shoulders slumped. “So, I guess she hates me.”

“Sometimes I think she hates everyone, Todd. Do you know she charged me with perjury because I went along with your little fake DID scam? She dropped the charges, but she’s definitely let her power as ADA go to her head. Téa’s on a rampage all the time these days.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Take my advice and forget about her. If she finds out you’re here, even for a few days, she’ll try to put you in jail. She’s that vindictive.”

“Maybe she has good reason,” he said with a tired sigh. Blair set down the coffee mugs and moved up next to Todd. She reached out and put a tentative hand on his shoulder.

“There’s more, and you’re not going to like it. Téa has been hanging around with Detective John Sykes. They seem….close.” Todd turned toward her and Blair could see the pain in his eyes. She reached up to caress his face. “You know, we were close once, Todd. We have Starr in common. I’m lonely, you’re lonely. Maybe we could comfort each other, you know?” Todd suddenly hardened his mouth as he reached up and pulled her hand away from his face.

“Forget it, Blair. The last thing I need right now is to get involved with you again. Besides, I don’t feel….that way….about you anymore.” He turned away, so he didn’t see the sudden fury in her eyes.

“Fine! Moon around over Téa all you want, Todd. You’ll find out her feelings for you soon enough, I’ll bet.”

“Just drop the subject!” he said angrily. He marched up the spiral staircase, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll see you tomorrow evening when you get home with Starr.”

“What are you going to do?” she asked in exasperation.

“None of your business,” he called down the stairwell. Blair’s eyes narrowed as she stared after her ex-husband. She walked over to the desk and looked for a long moment at the telephone. Slowly, she picked up the receiver and dialed a number.

“You think you can come back here, disrupt my life and order me around anytime you choose, don’t you Todd?” she muttered to herself as she listened to the phone ringing on the other end. “I’m the screw-up, but Saint Téa can do no wrong. Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we?”

“Téa Delgado,” said a sleepy voice as the phone was picked up. “My God, look at the time! Who is this?”

“ADA Delgado?” said Blair, affecting a clipped British accent and a nasal voice. “You might be interested to know that Todd Manning is back in Llanview.” She hung up the phone abruptly and looked up toward the second floor of the penthouse with an evil grin. “Well, Todd, we’ll see if true love conquers all, won’t we?”

TO BE CONTINUED

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