This story is AU. In this particular story, Todd hasn't been married to Blair and doesn't have any children with her.
~*~o~*~
Todd stared down at the little girl, dumbfounded by her claim that she was his daughter. "Ummm... you must be mistaken, little girl. I don't have any children," Todd told the child.
*At least not any that I know of,* he was thinking.
"That's not what SHE told me," said the child as she looked at Todd so seriously. She was incredibly beautiful with a sweet pixie face. Who was this child... and why was she here?
"Who? Who left you on my doorstep?" Todd demanded. He looked around, but there wasn't a car in sight. How had this little girl gotten here? The walk up the hill would have been almost impossible to accomplish on foot.
"Auntie sent me," the child responded.
"You better come in," Todd said with a heavy sigh.
Tabitha entered the house and silently looked around. "So this is where you live, Daddy?" the little girl spoke quietly. "I like it."
*Daddy.* Todd forgot to breathe. Was this little girl REALLY his child? Who was her mother?
"Tabitha," Todd spoke as he knelt on the floor, crouching to her level. "I have to ask you some questions. You have to answer all of my questions honestly. Can you do that?"
"Yes," the little girl replied.
"First of all, how old are you? And when is your birthday?"
"My birthday is September 11th. And I will be four years old."
Todd went silent as he computed the math in his head. He hadn't had a lot of lovers- not since...
"Ohhh my God," he gasped.
"Where is your mother?" he suddenly asked. He didn't have to ask WHO, because he knew that now. What was important to him now was the WHERE.
"She's gone," Tabitha said softly. "She hasn't held me since I was just a baby..."
"Gone?" Todd said as his voice broke. "What do you mean she's gone?"
"My mommy died," the child said matter-of-factly.
"No," Todd cried out. Marty couldn't be dead. Is that why he had never known there had been a child? Had Marty died when this little girl was just a baby?
Todd had so many questions... but most of all, he just had to know- was Tabitha REALLY his daughter? "Tabitha, you mentioned your auntie leaving you here... What's her name?" Todd questioned.
"Auntie Kiki. She left me at the door. She told me I need to help you..."
"Help me with what?"
"I have to help you find the answers. She's not coming back. I have to stay here with you, Daddy."
Todd sat there, totally speechless. Tabitha touched his face with her soft little hand, lightly tracing his scar. "Aren't you glad to see me, Daddy?" she asked him in a sweet little voice.
Todd looked at her, taking in her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes. In that moment, she looked so much like Marty that his heart hurt. "Yes, Tabitha, I'm glad you are here..." he said as he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm just surprised... I never knew I had a daughter."
"I have been wanting to see you for a long time... but Auntie Kiki said it wasn't time..."
A sudden thought came to Todd. Kiki had always been hateful and selfish. Maybe she had stolen this little girl from Marty at birth. Perhaps Marty wasn't dead after all. Even if that were true, that still didn't explain why Tabitha had ended up standing on his porch steps. There were so many questions and so little answers. First of all, he had to find Marty. After he found Marty, all those questions could be answered.
"Tabitha, do you like burritos? Would you like some dinner?" Todd asked the child.
Tabitha shook her head as she looked over at Todd's plate of burritos sitting on the tray. "I'm not hungry. Where will I sleep?" she asked.
"You can sleep in the guest room. Are you getting sleepy?"
Tabitha nodded as she let out a soft little yawn. Todd took her tiny hand in his and lead her down the hallway to the guest room. Gently he tucked her into bed. "Did you bring any clothes with you? Or maybe some of your favorite toys?" Todd asked her gently.
"No. I don't have any clothes... and I've never had any toys."
Todd's heart ached for her. Kiki must have been so mean to her, just as she had once been to Marty. When he got his hand on that hateful woman, he'd-.
His thoughts were interrupted when little Tabitha reached up and gently kissed his cheek. "Good night, Daddy. I love you," whispered the sweet little girl. She closed her eyes and lay back against the pillows.
Todd caressed her hair as gazed down at the slumbering child. His daughter. But was she really? Tomorrow he'd pay a visit to Doctor Larry Wolek, then maybe he'd have some answers. Where was Marty? And when she left Llanview had she been pregnant with his child?
