Marty shook her head slowly back and forth, looking for any sign that Todd was kidding. None came.

"And people say I'm crazy," she said softly to herself.

"Why did you yank me in here, Marty? Why'd you kiss me?" Todd challenged her.

She sighed slightly, but stood her ground. When it became clear to her that he wouldn't leave without an answer, she said, "I came here for some peace and quiet, same as you probably did. I was trying to relax, but you showed up before I could calm down. I saw you through the crack in the door, and then I…I had to prove to myself that I wasn't afraid of you anymore."

"And are you?" Todd asked.

After an endless moment, she shook her head. Todd felt his hands loosen; he wasn't even been aware he'd been clenching his fingers tightly.

"No, Todd, I'm not afraid of you, because there's nothing else you can do to me now."

"Except love you, and I do," Todd told her softly.

"How can I believe that?" Marty yelled, tears finally slipping from her wide eyes and down her flushed cheeks.

"How can you not? Todd challenged. "You tried to make me off myself, remember? I almost died, and it wasn't for lack of trying."

Marty looked away from him for the first time that evening, and Todd was shocked to see what looked like regret cross her face.

"And now you want to get me back for that?" she asked quietly.

"No, I don't blame you. I deserved worse," Todd told her. "My choices are mine, Marty – just like you are."

She gasped. "I'm not,'" she told him, shocked at his words.

"You are."

"I can't be!"

"I'm still here, Marty," he said, daring to take a step closer to her, "After everything that's happened, everything I did," he said, his hushed voice barely a murmur, "I'm still…here. Doesn't that tell you anything? I need you, Marty…"

"No, you don't mean that," she shook her head.

"You know I do," Todd whispered, holding her with his dark blue eyes. "You're too smart, and you know me too well to believe I don't still love you, because I do."

"You don't," she still insisted.

"I could have left Llanview the day after the trial ended, Marty," Todd reminded her. "The restraining order is still in effect. Blair's going to need time to cool off before she lets me see Jack or Sam. Knowing her, I'm not going to hold my breath. Starr's in mourning, and that's my fault too. I'm sure she'll need months before she'll even talk to me on the phone. I could have taken the jet to our house in New Mexico…"

"Then why don't you?" she challenged him.

"I will…" Todd took another step towards her. "If you come with me."

Marty gulped, and for a second Todd dared to think he saw a struggle taking place behind those expressive eyes of hers. But then, of course, she shook her head again.

"No, how can I?" she whispered.

How could he resist such a question?

"Let me tell you," Todd said quietly, firmly.

A last step brought Todd right next to her, where he could smell her tempting scent again. He reached out, put his arms around Marty's waist and drew her to him in a tight, warm embrace. He started to rock her gently as he answered her question.

"First we're going to go upstairs. I'm going to stand by you while you tell Granger that you never want to see him again. Or Talia Sahid or Antonio Vega can be with you while you do that, if you insist. I don't want you talking to Granger alone. Next I'm going to tell Blair that Tea will be filing papers this week on my behalf to have the restraining order lifted so I can at least call and talk to the kids. Then I'm going to find John and tell him to leave us alone unless he wants one to deal with one bitch of a harassment suit. You won't have to say a word to him."

Todd brought Marty's hand to his lips, closed his eyes and fervently kissed her fingers as the hopeful scene played out in his mind. Fresh tears fell freely down Marty's cheeks as she heard the undeniable conviction and warmth in his voice.

"Then we're going to take my limo to the airport. I'll call and have them start up the jet on the way," Todd said. "We don't even need to go to our house here in Llanview – the keys to our place in Taos are right here." Marty couldn't suppress a gasp as he drew a shining set of keys from his suit jacket pocket.

"You can rest on the plane while I call ahead and order some groceries to be delivered to the house, or we can talk," Todd told her, and stroked her silky hair.

"I've bought you a Lexus I hope you'll like. It's been waiting at Taos airport since October, waiting for you to pick it up. I've programmed the address of the house into the GPS. You can drive, or I will if you're tired. The house is about an hour from Taos airport – we can go straight there, or do some shopping if you like, but your things are already at the house."

"My things?" Marty asked. She took a step back, but didn't pull out of his arms. Her eyes were brighter than ever. Whether or not she admitted it to him, or to herself, Todd's hopeful words had had a deep effect on her. Her cheeks were flushed, her gaze shining and her breath slow and deep.

"I had the wardrobe I got you from Logan's sent on," Todd said. "You only really unpacked your blue sweater and the black dress you wore when we – when you told me you loved me. Most of the clothes are still in the bags – you didn't unpack them, and I couldn't bring myself to."

"Todd…" Marty started to shake her head, but he wasn't finished.

"We'll have a shower and change clothes, and then…the day is yours, just like I am," Todd said plainly. "We can drive into Santa Fe, we can get to know the house, or we can spend the day by the pool. I check the Taos weather report every day, Marty – today was 84 degrees and sunny. In the middle of February."

"Todd, I can't," she told him.

He pulled her back into his arms. She leaned her head into his shoulder, but her voice was bereft as she said, "Please go, Todd, just go, and forget about us, okay?"

"Not without you, and no, I won't," Todd said, his eyes closed as he savoured the feel of her warm, lithe form in his embrace again. Even earlier, when she'd been furious with him, her lips and arms had been a balm, soothing the aching loneliness he felt without her.

"What I told you on New Year's is true, Marty – I can't live without you," he told her, hugging her tighter. "Tell me you need me too."

"Todd-"

"Come home with me, sweetheart," he whispered desperately as he ran his hands up and down the satin-smooth flesh of her back under her snug red top.

"I can't."

"Marty, tell me you love me," he murmured low, desperate to find the magic words to make her trust him, believe him, stay with him.

"I won't!" she hissed.

"Yes, please? Come home with me. Come home come home come home…" he said these words against her lips as he leaned gently in for another kiss.

"Mmm-no!" She broke free of him, an easy task since Todd didn't hold her against him, though it cut like a dagger wound to let her go.

"We're not over, Marty," he told her, but she was already at the door.

She turned back, clutching the doorknob. "I shouldn't have done this tonight. Just forget it, Todd, okay?"

Forget what? The way she'd hugged him tightly against her smooth body? The way she'd moaned when she kissed him? Forget the dream of being with her? It didn't matter exactly what she was referring to, because the answer to all those heinous impossibilities was -

"No. No, I won't forget it, Marty. We belong to each other, and we belong together."

She turned and left. But Todd saw the way her face crumpled and her shoulders fell as she walked away from him.