Chapter 2

Antonio sat with an arm wrapped around Talia's shoulders, holding her close to his side as Blair descended on them in the hospital waiting room demanding answers about John and how they could allow him to be hurt.

"God, are you still flying around town on your broom?" Tina wondered as she sauntered towards the couple and the screeching woman. "I thought for sure that by now you would've been run out on a pole."

Flipping her hair back, Blair turned on the older woman: "at least I don't dance on them," she retorted, feeling superior and thinking the retort was funny.

"No, you just take money for sex," Tina shot back. "Maybe not directly, but any other way you can get it. Surprised my brother put up with you so long."

Blair blew out her breath: "why are you here, Tina? I have a reason for being here. John and I have something that's. . . special."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Talia muttered as she pushed out of Antonio's hold and headed towards the bathroom.

"Booty calls aren't something special," Antonio couldn't help but remark. "Don't think anyone thought you were more than that other than you," he continued. "John loves one woman and you're not her."

"Marty's dead."

"Never said that was the woman he loved," Antonio responded evenly. "In fact, I know she wasn't. But, she was someone he could talk to. Someone he could be with. A friend. So, I guess in that case, she was more than you to him.
But you see the thing about John is he doesn't know how to turn a woman down easily."

"He said no enough times to Natalie," Blair responded hatefully.

"And how many times has my brother said no to you?" Tina wondered. "God, you really do give new meaning to dumb blonde don't you? You love someone so much sometimes the only way to deal is pushing them away.
But since you don't know about love. . ." Tina shrugged as she slid onto a chair.

"You're not wanted here Tina."

"And neither are you, Blair," Marci said from a doorway. "Do you think with everything going on that Michael needs to have the Mannings in his face right now?"

"You don't mind our being in your faces when you're talking about taking my grandchild."

Marci straightened as tall as she could and glared at the other woman: "people like you and Todd shouldn't get to have kids. You think you're all so high and mighty. That you can convince Star to do whatever you want.
Don't think I don't know that you'll go and try to talk her out of giving Mike and me her baby because I'm standing up to you right now.
But the truth is, you're no better than Todd.

You drop by with your sob stories to cry on John's shoulder and you shove my nose in the fact that you have Sam.
You married Todd to get him away from me and Mike and then when you could you stole him from Todd because you could.
Because you wanted to hurt him the same way he hurt you time and time again.

Well, you're not going to hurt me.

Not anymore than you already have.

So leave.
Leave before Mike shows up.
Before I have security throws you out.

Because there's only one woman besides his mother who should be here for John right now and you sure as hell aren't her."

"Newsflash, Marci, no one's seen Natalie in weeks. No one, not even John, cares about what happened to her.
Frankly, I wouldn't care if she went out and got herself killed. It certainly would make a lot of people around here a hell of a lot happier."

"Mom!" Star yelled from the doorway. "I don't believe. . ."

"Star, honey. You don't understand. She provoked me."

"Mrs. McBain provoked you to say that you wished Natalie was dead? Jesus, Mom, I haven't been exactly close to her in ages because of Cole, but. . . and you call Dad heartless?" the teenager asked before turning around and running off in tears.

"Now see what you've done?" Blair asked annoyed before she flounced out after her daughter.

"Well, that's one way of getting rid of her," Tina remarked.

"Natalie really hasn't been seen for weeks?" Antonio asked Tina.

"Well, not exactly," Tina demurred uncomfortably.

"Tina. . ."

"Let's just say, that Jess is a lot like Vickie in all their forms."

Antonio frowned at that: "what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing and everything. I'm sure you'll figure it out. I'll just be going. . ." Tina started nervously as she rose and hurried towards the door.

"Tess is back isn't she? And she did something to Natalie and you know what," he called after her.

Tina turned around: "you're good detective."

"Why the hell. . ."

"She made threats. Very. . . Nikki Smith of her. I had to protect Sara and. . ." Tina shook her head. "There's a new secret room in the basement. Come by later. I'll make sure there's some sort of distraction. . ."

"Tina, you had better hope it's not too late for her. . ."

"I do. I mean, she is my niece after all, isn't she?"