This triangle involves Blair Cramer, John McBain, and Marty Saybrooke. I tossed Todd Manning into the mix as well to shake things up a bit!
~*~o~*~
Stepping down from the barstool haphazardly, Marty had collided by accident with Blair. "I'm sorry," Marty said as she did her best to steady herself.
"Watch where you're going, Marty!" Blair gasped, shooting Marty a glare. But suddenly, she noticed Marty's very pregnant stomach, and Blair's eyes became huge.
"Ohhh my God! You're pregnant!" Blair exclaimed. "Who was it? Who knocked you up?"
"I don't have to answer that," Marty bit out.
Blair looked over at John, a questioning expression upon her face. "Don't look at me," he said with a slight shrug as though he too hadn't a clue who the baby's father might possibly be.
"You probably don't even know yourself," Blair taunted as a smug smile spread across her face.
Marty reached for her glass of 7up, throwing the icy liquid into Blair's face. "Go to hell!" she growled as she turned and walked away.
"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Marty?" Blair yelled after her, reaching for a napkin and wiping the chilled soda off her face.
Cheeks flaming with anger, Marty entered the alleyway behind Rodi's as she did her best to calm her frazzled nerves. What terrible luck she was having; first an awkward confrontation with John, followed by a heated argument with Blair. She knew she couldn't take much more. As she continued walking toward the parking lot, she suddenly stopped in her tracks when she realized she was being followed...
~*~o~*~
Todd had been minding his own business, enjoying his beer and his cheese fries when he overheard the very loud altercation between Marty and his ex-wife Blair. Although he couldn't see much of the argument due to the crowded atmosphere of Rodi's, he couldn't help but get an earful of it. He found himself wondering why they were bickering, but when he caught a glimpse of John McBain sitting on a nearby barstool, he assumed they were quarreling over him. Todd was rather amused by the whole thing- he had always enjoyed a rather good catfight, especially when it involved a couple of his exs.
Suddenly Marty breezed out of Rodi's, so Todd stood up, following after her. He hated to let a perfectly good beer and yummy cheese fries go to waste, but he needed to question her about she and Blair's argument. Curiousity had the better of him when he stepped into the alleyway behind Rodi's. He was only a few steps behind Marty when she turned around suddenly, staring at him in shock.
"Todd, what are you doing here?" she asked, looking surprised to see him.
"I was just in Rodi's enjoying some delicious cheese fries and a cold beer when-," Todd began saying, but suddenly his words trailed off and his eyes got huge, seeing her extremely pregnant stomach.
"Whoa, you're pregnant!" he gasped, looking astonished as hell.
"Yes, I am," she replied, pulling the edges of her jacket around herself as though she wished to suddenly cover her rounded belly. "I can't really conceal it any longer..."
Todd just stood there, staring at her as though he wanted to ask something, but he hesitated. Finally, he just spit it out. "You know, it's really none of my business... but who's the baby's father?" he heard himself asking.
Marty sucked in her breath as she wondered just how many times she was going to get asked that question tonight. She too was apprehensive, not knowing how Todd might react when she gave him her answer. Before she could say a word, he asked, "Is it Patrick's?"
"No," she replied, her words soft with caution. "Patrick isn't the father of my baby. You are."
"Ohhh no... no way!" Todd exclaimed, looking completely terrified. "I didn't-we didn't-!"
"Yes, we did. About six and a half months ago when I first returned to Llanview, on a night very much like this one in fact. Here at Rodi's, we met up. We both had several drinks and started talking about the old times. I guess one thing lead to another... and I took you back to my place and we-."
"No," Todd said firmly in denial. "It didn't happen. I would never-."
Seeing the painful expression in his eyes, Marty hesitated. She had kept it hidden long enough, hoping he would remember and come to her on his own. Months had passed, and he hadn't, so she had no other choice now but to try to refresh his memory.
"Todd, I'm not lying about this. It's true. I'm pregnant with your child."
Todd looked as though she had just slapped him. He wasn't taking the news well; not at all. "But I swore I'd never touch you again. I swore I would never-."
"Ohhh my God, did I-?" he gasped. He couldn't even say the words. He had no memory of what had happened that night. What if he had hurt her; forced her?
"No, it wasn't like that at all. It was entirely consensual," Marty assured. "But after it was over, something happened..."
"You seemed to disappear inside of yourself. You just got up and left. But the expression on your face scared the hell out of me," she told him. "Todd, you have some sort of mental roadblock; that's why you can't remember."
"I feel like I am losing my mind," Todd confessed, and it was true. Standing there in the alleyway of Rodi's, sudden memories assaulted Todd.
"I gotta get out of here," he groaned when he came to realize that this had been the place where he had nearly raped Marty a second time.
"Todd, where are you going? Come back!" Marty called out as he rushed away from her and headed off toward the parking lot.
~*~o~*~
"Thank God she's gone. I can't stand that annoying little bitch," Blair said with hostility after Marty had left Rodi's.
John couldn't help the hint of a smirk that came to his face. "What are you up to tonight, Blair?" he asked her.
She took a seat upon the barstool Marty had recently vacated, giving John a fliratious smile. "I'm in the mood for a drink," Blair answered. "How about you?"
"The same. That- and drowning myself in my sorrows..."
"What kind of sorrows do you have, Detective McBain?" Blair asked as their eyes locked and held.
John settled his gaze upon the glass in his hand, then looked at Blair once again. "Nothing for you to worry about as most of them are of my own doing. Like when I lost you..." he responded. "I don't always make the best decisions, and I'm sorry I hurt you, Blair."
"John, you're apologizing?" she said quietly with great surprise.
John nodded. "Yeah. I have been a fool. A stupid ass," he admitted.
She stared down at his drink. "Are you drunk?" she questioned. "Is that YOU really saying these things?"
"Yes, it's me. Blair, will you go home with me? I want to show you just how sorry I am..."