PROMISES-PART TWO
Drifting and floating in a softly changing haze of memories Tea tosses and turns amongst the tangled sheets of her bed. She reaches over and feels her hand touching warm skin. Startled she awakens to see Todd beside her. His hair still appears damp from the terrors in his sleep. Conflicting emotions struggle within Tea as she looks at Todd. Fear and worry that he will never get well combined with such an overwhelming feeling of love that it is hard to breath. Who would he be when he awakes?
Lovable, goofy Tom, the Italian stallion Rod.... her own real Todd? Or taking a deep breath ...Pete. She tentatively untangles herself from the sheets so as not to wake Todd. She silently slips out of the bed and tiptoes around it to go to the bathroom. As she passes Todd he reaches out and grabs her hand.
"Where are you going?"
Gasping from surprise Tea looks down at him and sees his exaggerated eyebrow movements and she gives a wry little laugh.
"Good morning Rod"
Todd starts kissing her hand all over trying to pull her into the bed with him.
Trying to remain serious Tea struggles halfheartedly
"Rod, you know how I feel about this. Come on let go...."
"Ah, but how does one let go of beauty such as yours.... I will die without you..." with a wicked grin " I must have you ...now"
Tea starts laughing in earnest at his ridiculous expression and is pulled directly on top of him.
Looking very pleased with himself he says, " Now I have you just where I want you."
Tea is unnerved by her close proximity to Todd combined with their current state of undress and it takes every bit of her will power to pull away from him.
Slightly breathless and with flushed cheeks Tea says, " We have an agreement Rod. You know that I..."
Todd sits up and quickly steals a kiss. He sits back and looks defiant and very proud of himself.
Tea looks hesitant and then swiftly pulls away and stands up.
"Sam and Viki are going to be here any minute now Rodd. I have to get dressed and so should you."
With an amused smile Todd says "Do you need any help cara mia?"
Shaking her head Tea backs away towards the bathroom
"I...ah...no, I can manage quite fine all by myself thank-you."
Todd slowly stands up letting the sheets fall away and Tea's mouth falls open. Todd starts to walk towards her, which propels her into furious movement towards the bathroom. She quickly runs into the bathroom and closes the door behind her trying to catch her breath and regain her lost senses.
Todd smiles to himself and starts to get dressed. He looks at the closed bathroom door and once again thinks to himself.... not much longer.... not much longer and this game would be over. He could reclaim his life and finally begin to live. Live in a way he had never thought possible.
A few minutes later Tea peeks out from behind the bathroom door and sees that the coast is clear. She briskly walks into the bedroom and suddenly Todd jumps out from behind the door she just opened.
Gasping Tea yells, "Todd, you scared the hell out of me!"
With a bashful smile he replies, "Sorry, I just wanted to make you laugh. I-I like it when you laugh. You're so pretty when you're happy."
Looking remorseful for yelling Tea says "Tom...good morning. I'm not really upset. You just startled me, that's all."
Shuffling his feet back and forth Todd smiles "Good. I don't want you to be mad. No one should get mad.... it's not nice. I think it's scary when people yell...I don't like it."
Tea walks over to him and hugs him "I'm not mad Tom. I could never be mad at you. "
Todd closes his eyes at her warmth and love. It surrounds him and fills him with sensations he has never known before. Not like this, not so completely.
Tea breaks away saying, "Let's go downstairs now and get ready for Viki and Sam. Didn't you say Blair and Starr were coming over sometime too?"
Reluctantly Todd lets go of Tea and replies "Yup, I don't know when, but they're all coming."
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Viki and Sam are outside of the penthouse door talking. Viki asks, "So Sam.What was the latest report from the doctor?"
Sam shakes his head " Well he says that we are a long way from reintegration with these alters. Even though Todd is sometimes appearing, he is basically unaware of what all the others do and still seems uninterested in talking about what happened with his father."
Viki shakes her head " This could take a very long time. I wonder how long Tea will hang in for? It took me years and years to even realize the depth of my problem."
Sam puts his arm around Viki " Listen Viki… from what I can see Tea is not going anywhere. She loves him and she is sticking by him."
Trying to compose herself Viki nodds "Yes, of course you are right. I worry so about him. I know what he is going through and it just breaks my heart..." she is close to tears " I just want him to be whole again. I want him to have a chance at a normal life. He's my brother and I...I love him."
Sam consoles Viki with " He knows you love him Viki, and he knows he's got me and Tea. He also has Starr. With all this support how can he not get better?"
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The doorbell rings and Tea walks over to answer the door. She walks by the coffee table and spots the tape on the table. She absentmindedly thinks to herself that she will have to listen to that as soon as she gets a chance to. Tea opens the door with a huge smile for Sam and Viki.
"Hi, come in. Todd's...I mean Tom is in the kitchen. He'll be out in a minute."
Viki hugs Tea and asks, "How is he? Any change at all?"
Tea looks down " Not really Viki. I had a chance to see Todd for a while last night. He awoke with terrible nightmares. It was awful but he seems just fine this morning."
Sam says " Don't forget he has an appointment for this afternoon with his doctor."
"I'm not going to forget Sam. I want him to get better just as much as you do. So are you taking him or am I?"
Just then there is another ring of the doorbell and excited giggling that can be heard outside of the front door.
All three of them smile and Viki says "I wonder who that could be?"
Laughing Tea walks to the door and looking back whispers loudly "Don't forget that Todd is just 'Dad' whenever Starr is around. Okay?"
Sam and Viki nod in agreement.
Tea opens the door and an excited bundle of energy bursts through the door exclaiming loudly "Daddy! ...Daddy where are you?"
Todd makes a dramatic leap into the living room from the kitchen
"Super dad is here..." he makes flying motions throughout the room swooping down on Starr picking her up in his arms and twirling her through the air. Her delighted giggles fill the room.
Blair looks skeptically but fondly at Todd's antics.
"Hi all, I have a few errands I have to run is it okay to leave Starr here?"
Sam walks over to Blair "Anything I can help with?"
Smiling softly at Sam Blair replies "No, just some stuff I have to do for Dorian. Will I see you later tonight?"
Sam pulls her to him and kisses her "You bet you will beautiful."
Blair returns his kiss and lovingly squeezes his hand "Okay then.... it's a date."
Starr wriggles out of Todd's arms and runs over to Blair.
"Mommy, don't go.... stay with me.... please"
Blair kneels down and hugs Starr
"I won't be gone long. I'll come back for you. It's okay sweetheart."
Starr pleads, " I want you to stay Mommy "
Sighing Blair looks up at Todd
"Well.... okay. Just for a little while though. Mommy has things she promised Auntie Dorian she would help with...okay?"
Beaming from ear to ear Starr jumps up and down "Goodie...." she hugs Blair again and then runs to Tea
"Tee, do you have cookies?"
Smiling affectionately at Starr, Tea says "I sure do...come right this way "
Blair studies Todd and says, "So who am I speaking with today?"
Todd gives Blair a quick fierce look and immediately turns on his goofy smile "Me....who else?"
Nodding "Ah.... Tom... how's it going?"
Looking innocently around "Okay I guess. I wish Shorty could be here all the time but I guess she might get confused, so that's okay."
Tea and Starr come back into the room and Starr has found her tape player. She is proudly holding it in one hand and a cookie
in the other.
"Look Daddy, I found my 'corder' "
Smiling at her Todd says, " I like taping stuff too, it's fun"
Sam looks at Todd and says "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Todd nods in agreement. Tea and Viki walk over to the kitchen to discuss the upcoming doctors appointment.
Blair looks at Sam with Todd and decides she needs to talk with him for a moment and then looks at Starr and says, "Honey.... we have some stuff to talk about. Why don't you go upstairs and play with some of your toys for just a little while...okay?"
Starr kisses Blair on the cheek and happily skips away. Blair turns away and no one sees Starr as she notices the tape on the coffee table and picks it up to bring it with her to her room.
A few moments later everyone in the room is deep in the conversation when Starr comes running down the stairs all excited.
"Daddy...daddy.... listen...it's you!"
Everybody turns around as Starr pushes the play button on the recorder and Todd's voice on the tape reverberates throughout the room.
"It's just a game. There never was Tom and there never will be, and thank god.... I hate him, pathetic little runt. No... I am what I am...I always was and I always will be Todd Manning"
Starr pushes the stop button." See Daddy...did you hear it?"
Todd stands in stunned silence as four sets of eyes turn towards him.