The rain was pouring down and he held onto her baby while she was passed out on the ground. Could he really go through with this? Could he really let this woman believe that her baby died?

He stared at the lifeless body of Tea's beautiful boy and willed it to breathe so that he didn't have to go through with this, but he knew that Tea's beautiful baby boy, his nephew, would never breathe a breath of life...he would never open his beautiful eyes because he was dead. He was afraid of breaking Tea's heart anymore then he already had. He had killed her husband so he owed her and Heather had said that this woman was going to abandon her baby anyways, so he would be doing the right thing by taking him. That was the lie that he had told himself anyways.

He went outside and placed Sam's baby in Tea's arms as he heard the painful screams coming from inside the cottage and he knew that he had scarred another heart beyond repair

He sat up with sweat pouring down his face as Sam's heart-wrenching cries still echoed in his head. He took a swig from the bottle of vodka and headed into the bathroom. He splashed some cold water onto his face and looked up and saw the scarred devil that he hated most staring back at him. "I fucking hate you," he whispered as he left the room.

XOXOXO

Sam stared at the crumpled article about her baby's death. There was just something about that article that didn't sit right with her. Spinelli was probably right...the article had probably belonged to Heather and she probably threw it out at Todd's house, but what if the article wasn't Heather's, what if it was Todd's? He didn't know her so why would he go through all the trouble of cutting it out just to throw it away? Why would he hire a crazy nutjob like Heather to work for him? There were too many questions that she had, not just about Todd and Heather, but about her baby as well. She didn't know why but her instincts was telling her that Todd Manning was the key to all of her questions.

She finished getting dressed and then headed to his office so that she could finally meet Todd Manning.

XOXOXO

Todd was looking at the layout of the paper trying to force his mind to focus on something other then Sam when she walked in.

"Mr. Manning, I'm really sorry to interrupt you, your secretary wasn't at her desk and I just really needed to talk to you."

"That's okay and please call me Todd. How can I help you-" he pretended not to know her name. That was the only way that he could play it. To her they were strangers, to him she was so much more, but he needed to play it cool or she would grow to be suspicious.

"Sam, my name is Sam McCall."

"How can I help you Sam?" he asked genuinely. At this point, he would do anything to make it up to her. He owed her a debt that he could never repay and he knew that the nightmares would never stop plaguing him if he didn't at least try to make up for the pain that he had caused her.

"I...I need a job. I don't have a lot of journalistic experience, but I'm willing to learn and I'll start anywhere," Sam stated.

"Would you be willing to start as my personal assistant?" Todd asked. He wanted to keep her close and show her the ropes and make sure that nobody ever hurt her again.

"That would be great. Thank you Mr. Manning-I mean Todd," Sam stated as she shook his hand.

XOXOXO

Marty stepped off the elevator and headed straight to Todd's office. She needed to see him...she didn't know why, but she had the feeling that he was in trouble and needed her help.

She walked into the office just as a pretty brunette was walking away. She noticed the guilt in Todd's eyes as she walked away and she knew that he had done something terrible.

"Marty, what are you doing here?" Todd asked as he suddenly spotted the other woman who haunted his dreams.

"I'm here because you need me, so tell me Todd, who's heart have you scarred this time?" Marty asked as she sat down.

XOXOXO

"I...I um...I don't know what you're talking about," Todd stuttered. "I haven't done anything wrong Marty so I don't need you to save me from myself, but even if I did why would you even bother after all the pain that I've caused you?" Todd asked as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes for answers. Was it possible that she cared about him...maybe even loved him...after all these years? He shook his head...it wasn't possible...having her love again was an impossible dream that he couldn't afford to hold onto.

"You're a terrible liar Todd. Maybe you can sell your bullshit to others, but I'm not buying, I know you too well for that. You look like I've caught you with your pants down which ideally means that you've been up to no good. Maybe I shouldn't care Todd, but you're in my blood, just like I'm in yours and I can't shake you. I won't turn my back on you when you need me, so talk to me and tell me why you look so guilty."

"It's not guilt Marty, I have no soul...I'm just a heartless monster. Isn't that what you used to call me? Indigestion is all I'm feeling so maybe you don't know me as well as you claim."

"I was wrong, I've come to realize that you're not a soulless monster, you just do monstrous things, but if you don't want to tell me that's fine, I'll find out sooner or later, I always do."

"Go home Marty, Patrick can't be happy that you're here trying to save me."

"What I do with my life is no longer Patrick's concern," Marty stated.

"Is there trouble in paradise Marty? Maybe you're the one who needs help not me."

"I'll see you around Todd," Marty stated as she left his office. She didn't want to talk about her failed marriage to Patrick and certainly not with Todd.

XOXOXO

"He gave me the job Spinelli," Sam stated into the phone.

"That's wonderful news. The Jackyll will follow the crazy one while you investigate the scarred one and we'll have answer's in no time," Spinelli rambled.

"I'll call you back Spinelli, somebody is here," Sam stated as she heard a faint knock on her front door.

Sam hung up the phone and answered it to find the same pretty blond that she had seen in Todd's office earlier. "Can I help you?" Sam asked.

"I hope so, I saw your ad in the paper and I'm hoping that you'll let me move in?" Marty stated.

"You can move in," Sam stated. She desperately needed a roomate and she had a feeling that this women would be able to provide insight into Todd Manning.

"That's great, I'm Marty Saybrooke," Marty stated as she shook Sam's hand.

"I'm Samantha Morgan," Sam stated as she shook the blond's hand.

XOXOXO

"So, how do you know Todd?" Sam asked as she helped Marty move the last of her belongings into their apartment.

"Todd and I went to college together," Marty explained.

"So you've known him a long time?"

"Yeah, I know him better then most. Why do you ask?"

"Todd offered me a job at his paper and I just thought that you could offer me some insight into his personality."

"Todd is very complicated," Marty stated as she sat down on the couch.

"Yes, I gathered that much. He seems to be very guarded and secretive most of the time, but every once in awhile, he lets his guard down and he can be quite charming and funny."

"Yes, he can be all of those things. There's many sides to Todd and although I probably should hate him for the things that he's done to me, I just...I just can't."

"What do you mean? What has Todd done to you?" Sam asked.

"When Todd and I were in college he raped me," Marty confessed.

XOXOXO

Todd was just about to shut off the lights and go to bed when he heard someone pounding on his front door.

"Patrick? What are you doing here?" Todd asked as he opened the door and saw the hairy ape poet standing in front of him.

"Marty! Marty," Patrick bellowed as he pushed his way into his house.

"Marty's not here Patrick," Todd stated.

"Where is she? What have you done with her? I have to find her...I have to make her see how sorry I am for..." Patrick stated to himself and then stopped when he realized that Todd was glaring at him.

"For what Thornhart? What do you need to apologize for? What did you do to hurt Marty?" Todd asked.

"It's none of your business. I'm going to find out where she is and when I do, I'll be taking her home with me."

"Marty will always be my business and I promise you Thornhart that I will find out what you did to her and I'll make you regret the day that you ever hurt her. Now get the hell out of my house," Todd stated as he pushed him out on the front porch.

"This isn't over Manning," Patrick stated as he picked himself up and got into his car and drove away.

XOXOXO

"When Todd and I were in college he raped me," Marty stated.

"I'm so sorry. I know how it feels to be violated, so how can you possibly be so comfortable around him?"

"I wasn't for a very long time, but Todd and I have been through a lot together. I've tried to keep my distance from him, but there's just something about him that makes it impossible for me to stay away."

"Have you been able to forgive him?"

"I can't forgive the act, it's unforgivable, but I'm working really hard on forgiving the man."

"Do you think that Todd has changed?"

"I know that Todd is sorry and will never hurt anybody else that way ever again. He's changed for the most part, but there are times when I see tiny glimpses of the man that raped me."

"It's obvious that you care about him very much. Do you love him?" Sam asked.

XOXOXO

"Hand me a bottle of vodka and a shot glass," Patrick ordered as he sat down at Jake's.

"Rough night?" Coleman asked as he handed the Irishman his vodka.

"The worst," he said as he drank the first of many.

"What happened? Maybe I can help?"

"I've hurt the person that I love most and I don't know if she'll ever forgive me. I need to find her so that I can apologize, but I don't know where to start looking for her."

"Do you have a picture? Maybe I've seen her around."

"Yes, her name is Margaret Saybrooke," Patrick stated as he slid her photo across the bar counter top.

"Your wife's Marty? I saw her in here earlier with her new roommate Sam McCall. They are staying in the apartments right outside of Kelly's on the brink of town.

"Thanks for all of your help," Patrick said as he took one more swig from the bottle and placed a $100 dollar bill on the table and walked out.

XOXOXO

"Briggs, have you been able to determine where Marty has been staying? I need to find her before Patrick does."

"She's been staying with Sam McCall in the apartments right outside of Kelly's."

"Thanks Briggs," Todd muttered as he hung up the phone. He grabbed his jacket and headed out into the night.