Thomas Todd Manning looked out of the small window next to his seat. He could't see anything but clouds, of course, they were way too high for anything, else. But still...if he concentrated real hard, and focused, he could almost imagine that he saw under those clouds. And underneath them, there were people, as tiny as ants on the ground. He concentrated harder, and it was like a zoom lens in his head brought them into focus. He saw Sam and Viki. He saw Jessica. He even saw Blair. But best of all, he saw Tea and she was holding Starr. They were all smiling at him, and waving, as if wishing him bon voyage and safe journey. He saw them and he smiled because he knew that he was looking at the only people in the world that gave a damn about him. Even if he was a screw-up who destroyed everything he touched, he knew that they still cared. And he let them down. His chest expanded and expanded with air until it could hold no more, then he let it out in a deep, sorrowful sigh.

Way to go, Manning, he thought, Got yourself exiled from LlanSpew. What are you gonna do now?He didn't know. All he knew was that he'd overstayed his welcome in the small, but bustling metropolis. But he promised himself that he would be back to claim what, and who, was his, and he'd prove to everyone that he wasn't a monster. Some how he would.

He looked out his window again and saw that they were still there, waving him on. The zoom lens was put to work again, and he concentrated on each face, examining every pore, taking in and memorizing every line, every twitch of a muscle. He categorized them, kept them with him to draw on when he got lonely.

Viki and Sam looked worried, Jessica looked confused, Blair smirked in that old Blair way of hers. But Tea and Starr were the ones he really concentrated on.

Tea was smiling only slightly, but her eyes were shining, and he could see they were wet and glistening. Tears. Shed for him. Would he ever stop those tears from falling from those lovely eyes? But when he looked closer, he saw that behind those tears was love, and a promise to be there for him when, and if, he ever came back, if not in body, than in heart and spirit. She loved him still and it tweaked his heart to see it.

But then he looked at his daughter. Oh Starr, he thought, Oh Shorty... Starr's round face was drawn into a pout; her eyes blinking rapidly, as if forcing back tears. She looked sadder than he'd ever seen her and he cursed himself for putting that look on her young face. He'd tried to make her life happy and care free, give her the childhood he never had, but still she was sad. A fat tear rolled down her apple cheek and she mouthed the words, "Bye Bye Daddy, Bye Bye..." Todd felt a lump in his throat. How could he leave her? She was his princess, his treasure, his only child and his one true love.

No, he thought, there's no way. No way I can leave Starr. I just can't do it, no matter what's happened, or what I've done, I have to go back to her, I have to go back--

"Mr. Manning...Mr. Manning..."

A feminine voice pulled him out of his dream reluctantly. The stewardess. A perky blonde who smiled apologetically at his annoyed look. She was glad at first that she only had one passenger to deal with, it would be an easy ride, but she could see that he was troubled. Maybe enough for a plane ful of people.

"What?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, but well, you seemed to be having a bad dream of some sort, talking in your sleep. I just thought that I would..."

"What did I say?" He interrupted, his voice strained.

"Well, uh, I don't know exactly, sir, just something about having to go back somewhere. I..."

"Miss, I'd like a drink please. Scotch and Soda. I need to get...I need a drink. Pronto, okay?"

"Uh yes sir, right away sir." The stewardess went to the front to fix his drink thinking, Strange man. Good-looking, but strange.

Todd picked up the framed photographs of Starr and Tea and ran a finger lovingly over them. He would miss them so much, all of them. He wished he'd brought a picture of Viki too, but for some reason, he never had one.

Well, he didn't really need one, his sister's face was tattooed onto his brain, as well as every loving word and gesture she'd shown him since they found out their relation. That would have to be enough. For now.

His mind drifted to the first dream he'd had. Because it had to be a dream. He couldnt have really seen what he thought he'd seen. There was only one Todd Manning, him, no tough in a leather jacket, no dimwit who spoke like a child, no latin lover, or wherever he was from, and no little old lady with her hair in an untidy bun. A dream, that's all it was. He didn't even want to consider anything else.

He didn't get a chance too. The plane started to shake and shimmy and lights started to flash. Todd sat calmly in his seat, showing no fear, but inside he was green with fright. What was going on? The stewardess came out and offered him words that were supposed to soothe him, but he could see that she was just as panicked.

"Stewardess!" he called, "What is this? What's going on?"

"Sir, its going to be okay, don't worry!" she answered, but her eyes belied this. He could see her knuckles turning white as she grabbed onto a seat and squeezed.

"Turbulence," the pilot tried to assure it's sole passenger.

The stewardess took a seat and strapped herself in. Todd thought about asking her where his drink was, but figured it wouldn't be the right time. He chuckled a little to himself, but it was a nervous chuckle. He only had time to think, once more, that he wanted to go back home, back to Llanview, back to his family before his plane started to fall.