Llanview
The Following Morning

Alex smiles at Bo, who looks vaguely annoyed. He glances at his watch and back at Alex.

"You know, I don't have all day."

"Oh now Bo, I told you, my lawyer is coming in from out of town."

No sooner do the words leave Alex's mouth than the door to Bo's office flies open. Bo looks up and his eyes widen in shock. From the doorway, Téa grins.

"Hello Commissioner. I certainly hope you haven't been attempting to question my client here."

Bo rolls his eyes. "Can we just get started?"

Téa walks in and takes a seat next to Alex, who flashes her a quick grin.

"Ok Bo, give it your best shot."

*****

"Daddy, where are you going?"

Todd turns around and sees Starr standing in the archway.

"Goin' to meet someone."

"Mommy?"

Todd sighs, leaning back against the door. "There are more people in the world than your mom Starr."

Starr squints at him. This wasn't like she had planned at all. She had thought that when her mom and dad finally got back together, everything would be perfect.

She thought.

But the truth was, she was disappointed. Her mom and dad were barely ever in the same room together and when they were, all they seemed to do was snipe at each other. She tried to rationalize it in her young mind, Mommy and Daddy were upset about the baby. Well at least Mommy was. Daddy just seemed to snap at her to get over it. But then, Daddy still thought the baby was Max's, and Mommy had sworn her to secrecy.

"Maybe you and me and Mommy could all have dinner tonight?"

"Yeah whatever," Todd mumbles, and turns around and heads out the front door. He gets in his car and leans back in the front seat.

What the hell was he doing?

It had seemed like such a great idea. And really, what choice did he have? He had abandoned his daughter on more than one occasion, and when he returned to Llanview, he had no one but her. So, when she told him she wanted him back with Blair, and she made it clear that her feelings for him would be affected if he said no, well, he figured he didn't have anything to lose. He'd already lost the only other person who ever mattered to him.

After a while, it became habit. It's not like he had anything better to do, and no one else gave a damn about him. And, he had to face it. Blair was exactly what he deserved. Two gutter rats constantly bashing each other's brains in and waiting for the other to stab them in the back.

Now Blair walked around in a complete snit. He knew she blamed him for her baby's death. Even though she never outright accused him, he knew that she blamed him. She blamed him for everything.

If she only knew...

It seemed like the perfect plan. Starr insisted on them being together. He wanted Starr's love. And it's not like he had any other choice. So, he managed to spirit away Blair's baby. What she didn't know....

wouldn't hurt her. Starr didn't want Max's spawn anymore than he wanted to have the kid around. He was trying to do the right thing, to give Starr a happy home.

Too bad the 'happy' was missing.

He slips the key in the ignition. He hated to admit it but he was looking forward to seeing Alex. She always managed to make him laugh and entertain him. He could still see her, traipsing around the living room of the penthouse coming up with some scheme or another...

and then..his mind's eye sees the other person in the picture. The one Alex had inadvertently help bring into his life. And he kept hearing a little voice in his head...

What would Téa think of you now?

Biting his lip, he shakes the thought out of his head.

"Screw Téa, she's the one who gave up."

But as he drove along, he couldn't help but wish that he could see that look right now. The look only she gave him.

The look that said he wasn't as bad as he thought he was. The look that said he was a better person than anyone thought. The look that said she would love him, no matter what.

"No matter what lasted what..three months?" he mutters bitterly. Pounding his hand against the steering wheel, he did what he always did when Téa entered his mind. He shut down, made his face a wall of impassiveness. He had become so good at that in the past year. No one would ever know how much he still hurt over her leaving. And no one would ever know that he would give up everything to see her walk back into his life again.

*****

A familiar cheshire cat grin crosses Alex's face as she leaves Bo's office, Téa trailing behind her. As the door clicks close, Alex whirls around and gives Téa a hug.

"Have I told you lately that you are absolutely brilliant?"

"No, actually, you haven't."

"Well, you are. Bo didn't know what hit him!"

"I'm just glad it's resolved. Now, want to head over to the diner with me?"

Alex pauses. "Oh, right now?" She glances at her watch. Ten to one.

"Yeah, right now. I wanna pick up Jeremy and grab a bite before we hit the road. You can hold him while I eat," Téa smiles.

"Well, I can't wait to see him of course, but..."

"But what?"

Alex glances around wildly, trying to figure out a way to stall. "I...I have to make a phone call."

Téa rolls her eyes. "Fine. You know what, maybe I'll go run and say hi to a few people in the back. I'll be back in a couple minutes." Téa heads off to her old office as Alex grins. She leans back against a desk, wondering how it's possible that one person could be so clever. She reaches into her bag and pulls out her compact, flipping it open and smiling at the perfect reflection she sees in the mirror.

"Vain as ever I see."

The voice startles Alex out of her self admiration. She turns and smiles.

"Wow, do you look different!"

"Whatever. So where are we going to chow?"

"Patience dear boy."

"This place gives me hives, come on," he says, heading for the door.

"Wait...I just need to talk to my attorney for a minute," she calls out, smiling as she notices Todd freeze at the words, knowing exactly who that word conjured up in his head. He turns and walks back toward her.

"So you managed to find an attorney without my help huh?" he says, his tone a bit quieter than before.

"Sort of."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, you might have had a hand in finding me this attorney."

"I'm not in the mood for your little word games. Who the hell is this guy?"

"Typical male, assuming it's a guy. You, of all people, should know what great lawyers women make."

Todd steps closer to her, his tone icy. "If you're even thinking of saying that name, don't."

"Wow..."

"What?" Todd replies gruffly, stepping back a bit.

"You still got it bad."

"Aw, what the hell do you know huh? My life is just peachy."

"Oh yeah, I can tell by your fine mood."

"Whatever, let's just go eat so you can hit me up for whatever money you need."

"I didn't ask you here to beg for money Todd."

"Then why the hell did you?"

"Because, I care about you. And I want to see you genuinely happy, not just a miserable attempt at faking it."

"Ok, now I'm really starting to break out in hives. Where the hell is this attorney of yours?" He looks at his watch, and freezes when a voice comes from the direction of the back of the squad room. He forces himself to look in the direction of the voice.

"Alright Alex, I'm ready...." Téa stops short as she walks out into the squad room and sees the person Alex is talking to.

Todd exhales a sharp breath, as he sees the eyes he loved getting lost in more than anything staring back at him. Téa, for her part, clutches her purse in a desperate attempt to maintain some semblance of composure.

With a self satisfied grin, Alex leans back against the desk, looking back and forth between them.