Viki and Susannah didn't know it, but when Tom finally decided to trust them Miss Perkins, watching from inside, was smiling. She was extremely pleased that Tom would take the chance to open up to someone and she felt that both Viki and Susannah could be trusted, or she would have tried to stop Tom herself. She was also relieved that at last someone was there to help her to take care of her boys. It wasn't that she minded or that she didn't love them. It was just that it was so much for one person to handle and she wasn't getting any younger. She was tired, very tired. Now, for the first time, perhaps she could rest.

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The fresh warm air felt good on Pete's skin. He hated being indoors. He hated being confined in any way. He looked around the estate he was on. Llanfair, he thought, with it's well kept, manicured lawns and its gazebos and all that crap. Well, Viki can have it. If that pervert who fathered Todd had given him the deed to this place I would have thrown it in his face.

Pete thought about the look on Viki and that woman doctor's face when he had come out and laughed to himself. He knew the element of surprise had been on his side. And that moron Tom, what the Hell was he thinking telling them about us? Well, I took care of him! Pete thought.

Pete felt like going someplace for a drink. He wanted to celebrate his victory over Viki and her friend, the shrink. He noticed a garage in the distance. Hot wiring one of Viki's cars was no problem for Pete and he was soon on his way to have some fun, but first he had to make one stop. He had to stop to get his wife.

Téa had been staying at the Palace Hotel, because Blair had been staying at the penthouse with Starr. Téa was doing what she had been doing for days now; thinking about her husband and thinking about what she should do. She loved Todd and she wanted a life with Todd, but it seemed to her that her dream was becoming less obtainable every day. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health,Téa thought. She knew that if the situation were reversed, Todd would stick by her, but how could she be with him now?

"Would it even be good for him to be with me," she said aloud. She was glad that she wouldn't have to make that decision for a while, as the court had ordered him to stay with Viki.

Pete knew Téa was not really his wife, but he liked to think of her as if she were. Actually he thought of her as "his woman." She was much more his type than Blair was, so much so, that he had left Blair pretty much to Rodd and Todd. Not that Todd knows what to do with a woman, Pete thought. He didn't come out too much when Todd had been married to Blair. Except, when he became furious upon discovering Blair lied to Todd about being pregnant and right after Todd had come back from Ireland. Pete remembered how Todd, after seeing Blair on the floor with Patrick Thornhart, had gone back out into the hallway. He felt like he had been kicked in the stomach, like he was about to throw up, his head spinning. Pete knew Todd couldn't handle that situation so he had forced his way out, the way he usually did, by shouting at Todd, terrifying him and making his head hurt.

Like the others, Pete knew he had a job and that job was to help and protect Todd, but Pete resented it. He had his own agenda and he was tired of being tied down to Todd and the rest of them. Secretly, even from the other alters, Pete always believed that he could survive alone. Even if something happened to Todd. In fact, he believed that all his problems were because of Todd and that if he could get rid of Todd, he, and the others could be free.

Téa kept the radio on for company while she was in the shower. It was funny. Eventhough Todd was not home much during their marriage (and certainly wasn't one for conversation when he was) now alone in her room, Téa could not stand the silence and kept the radio or TV on all the time. With the shower running and the radio blaring, Tea did not hear the door to her hotel room open.

Good thing Todd had some credit cards in his pocket, Pete thought, Never leave home without it. Pete laughed to himself.

When he entered the room he heard the shower running. Téa turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She reached for the towel and screamed when, instead of touching the towel rack, she felt someone's arm.

Pete liked to intimidate women. He liked making them feel powerless and frightened. Téa was no exception. Téa was shocked to see her husband standing there.

"Todd, what are you doing here! You scared me to death!" Téa screamed, at her husband. Then, trying to compose herself, she asked in a calmer voice, "Aren't you supposed to be at Viki's? You're not supposed to be wondering around town, Todd."

Then Téa noticed the way Todd was looking at her and she quickly covered herself with the towel that had fallen to the floor. Pete had seen Téa naked before on the night of the blizzard. She ended up being thrown out into the snow that night. She had tried to force Todd that night, Pete thought and that had made him very angry. Pete hated to be forced into anything, including having feelings or emotions; in fact the only emotion Pete was comfortable with was rage.

Now as Téa stood naked before him again, he thought, Maybe now it will be my turn to do the forcing. Téa looked into her husband's eyes and to her horror, armed with the knowledge Viki had given her, she realized it wasn't Todd. She had seen these eyes before.

Trying to sound calm, Téa asked, "Do Viki or Sam know you're here?"

"No, only you know," Pete answered, smiling.

"Then why don't we call Viki so she won't worry," Téa suggested, as she tried to step past him and out of the bathroom.

"Nice try Delgado, but no cigar," Pete declared, with an amused look on his face. "But we can go inside, it's too hot in here."

Téa pulled her robe around her as they walked out of the bathroom. Téa was now sure this wasn't Todd. Who are you? She thought, And what do you want?

Pete stretched out on the bed and asked, "You got anything to drink? A beer or something?" Téa shook her head and offered, "I can call room service, if you like, or we can go out?"

Pete knew she was trying to trick him somehow, but he didn't care. He wanted to go out. He always liked to make the best of the time he had out. Sharing was not one of Pete's favorite things and he hated that he had to share Todd's body with the others.

"Okay Delgado. Let's go out."

Téa was relieved. If they were around other people, she would be safe. Téa noticed that Pete did not watch while she got dressed. He had turned the TV on and was paying attention to that. For Pete, the fact that Téa had been frightened was enough for now and some of his rage had dissipated. Besides, it was that lady shrink he was really angry with. It was Doctor Hanen that was a threat to his existence. Luckily, Pete didn't know yet that Susannah was Nora's sister. Pete had never forgiven Nora for throwing Todd to the wolves at the rape trial.

"I'm ready," Téa announced, wanting to get out of that room as fast as she could. Pete stood up and took the car keys off the dresser where Téa had left them.

"Let's take your car, after all I did buy it for you."

Téa did not want "Todd" to drive. "You look tired why don't you let me drive and you can relax," she offered.

"No." Pete said, with a smile.

Téa could not believe she never realized that this wasn't Todd. How could she have missed the look in those eyes? The coldness that was there now and on the other occasions that she was sure this alter had been there for. Téa was afraid, not only for herself, but also for Todd.

Pete made sure they pushed the elevator button for the lower level parking garage and not the hotel lobby. They got into the car and Pete started the ignition and they were off. Pete drove to a bar on the outskirts of Llanview, a place he liked that Todd didn't know about. Pete liked to have some things that were his, and his alone. He had even built a hidden shelf in Todd's closet so he could hide his stuff in there. He had laughed to himself when once, by accident, Todd had come upon the hidden area and really freaked when he saw all the things he didn't remember buying, nor for that matter, did he know about the secret compartment.

Miss Perkins had been very upset with Pete over that incident. She warned him that she would not tolerate him hurting Todd in any way. "He owes me! He owes me big time!" Pete had told her.

Like the others, Pete had always known it was his job to protect Todd, but sometimes he just couldn't help himself and he needed to have a little fun and Pete had been taught by the master that torturing Todd was fun.

The bar was crowded and smoky. Pete was the only one of the alters who didn't hate the smell of cigarette smoke.

"You never brought me here before," Téa commented. Pete gave no response. He walked to the bar and ordered two beers. Todd knew that Téa preferred wine.

After the drinks were served, Pete carried them to an empty table and he and Téa sat down.

"So, how do you like living at Viki's?" Téa asked, as she tried to think of what to do next.

"It sucks!" Pete answered.

"You know your sister loves you very much. So does Sam," Téa said, trying to reach the good part of Todd.

"What about you, Delgado? Do you love me?"

Téa noticed the mocking quality in "Todd's" voice when he said the word love.

"I love the good parts of you," Téa responded.

"Bzzz, wrong answer, Delgado. What makes you think there are any good parts of me?"

"I've seen them; I've seen the good parts of you, Todd. I've seen the parts that are sweet and tender and generous and loving. The parts your father wasn't able to destroy."

The mention of Peter Manning filled Pete with rage. He jumped up and turned the table on it's side sending the beer glasses flying.

"Don't you talk about my father, EVER!" Pete shouted, and with that he grabbed Téa by the arm, hurting her. Then, just as suddenly, he released his grip and left the bar, leaving Téa standing there trembling. Téa heard a car engine start and realized she had been left stranded. Still, relief flooded through her that she had not been hurt. The relief immediately turned to concern for Todd. Now he, or whoever this personality is, was out there, alone, and God only knows what he will do.

Sam Rappaport was greatly distressed by Viki's phone call. She told him what had happened during Todd's first session with Susannah. Sam headed over there and was with Viki when the phone rang.

"Viki, it's Tea. Todd came to my room tonight and well, I don't think it was Todd, but whoever it was really scared me. Not just for me, but for him. Viki, he was so cold and then he was totally out of control."

Viki could hear the fear in Téa's voice and after finding out where she was, Viki said she or Sam would be there to pick her up right away. Viki told Sam what Téa told her and he said he would go and get her and start looking for Todd as soon as he dropped Téa off. He advised Viki to stay at home, in case Todd came back.

As Sam took the forty-five minute drive to the bar Téa was waiting in he thought about what Viki had told him about the alter that had been the last to come out. Even without seeing this alter Sam just knew that this is the one he met fourteen years ago, the one who had tried to kill Peter Manning.

TO BE CONTINUED

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