Todd (through the answering machine): Tea? Tea? I know you're there. You might as well pick up the phone because I won't stop calling you until you do and you know it. (pause) You really know how to hurt a guy, you know that?

Tea (giving in and picking up the phone): How am I hurting you, Todd?

Todd: By making me call you so many times. I have better things to do with my time than calling and leaving messages on some stupid machine.

Tea: Then do them, Todd.

Todd: You know what I really want to do.

Tea: I can't tonight. You know that. I explained to you why I can't. This is an important case for me. Why can't you understand that?

Todd: I understand. This is for you, Tea, not for me.

Tea: Really?

Todd: Of course. The drive out here will be good for you. It would give you time to clear your head and think about your strategy for ruining that poor defendant's life.

Tea: He ruined his own life when he committed that crime.

Todd: There was a time you had compassion for the criminals, remember? There's a particular criminal sitting alone in a motorhome that could use some compassion...or maybe some passion. So...get up here!

Tea: This is my job. This is important to me. I need you to understand this.

Todd: Hey, if you want to work on the wrong side of the law that's your choice. I just want to spend some time with you. I thought that was what you wanted, too.

Tea: You know it is. Christmas is almost here and we'll spend a lot of time together then.

Todd: That doesn't do anything for me now.

Tea: Todd, why don't you come into town if you want to see me so badly?

Todd: So I can sit there and watch you work? I don't think your job is as interesting as you do.

Tea: I could take a break when you get here.

Todd: Well, take a break now and come see me.

Tea: I can't waste so much time, Todd.

Todd: I'm a waste of time? You've wounded me, Tea...deeply.

Tea: I can't waste the time driving out there and driving back. Come to the penthouse and I will definitely make time for you.

Todd: If I'm not worth a little drive time...

Tea: If you think it's such an easy commute then drive down here to be with me for once. I'm always the one driving to meet you. Why can't you ever come to see me?

Todd: Someone might see me.

Tea: Wear a disguise. Besides, you'll be revealing yourself soon anyway.

Todd: Starr has to be the first one to find out I'm back...well, besides you.

Tea: I'm going to go back to work now. I'll get through as much of this as I can so when you get here we'll have plenty of time together, okay?

Todd: I never said I was coming.

Tea: Well, if you do, you'll have to knock because I changed the locks.

Todd: You were that angry at me, huh?

Tea: There were too many people who had keys to the place. I thought it would be a good idea to change the locks.

Todd: Great way to keep me out.

Tea: I don't want to keep you out. In fact, I want you in. You have no idea how badly I want you in right now. I want you inside of me. I want you to come...not just to the penthouse but inside of me.

Todd: Oh, really? Um, Tea, maybe you should get here really fast.

Tea: I won't be driving out there tonight but I do hope to see you. I really hope you'll consider the drive worth it so we can spend the night enjoying each other.

[Todd and Tea end their conversation with Tea continuing to insist that she won't leave the penthouse despite Todd's attempts to lure her to his motorhome.

An hour later...

Tea is sitting at the desk with her head resting on a pile of papers. She's not asleep but her eyes are tired from reading so much. She's gotten a lot of work done since Todd called.

Tea looks at the clock on the desk. Todd didn't call again after his last phone call. She hopes that it means that he's in the process of driving and will be at the penthouse soon but she also knows that it could be because he gave up on the idea of convincing her to put aside her work to drive out to him.

Tea prepares to dive back into the papers in front of her when she hears a slight noise against her door. She approaches the door as quietly as she can and listens carefully, uncertain if she really heard anything or was just imagining it because more than anything she wants Todd to be outside the door right now.

As Tea steps in front of the door she is startled by a sudden knock on the door.]

Tea: Who is it?

Todd (whispering): Who do you think it is? How many people you got coming around this time of night, Delgado?

Tea (opening the door): You came!

Todd (moving passed her): Stop smiling and get inside. No one can know I'm here, remember? (looking around the living room) You alone?

[Tea closes the door and turns toward him.]

Tea: Of course I am...well, I was anyway. I'm so glad you came, Todd.

Todd: Will you say that when we're finished?

Tea: Finished?

Todd: Yeah...with this.

[Tea is still standing in front of the door. Todd places his hand behind her head and brings their mouths and their bodies together.

Tea responds instantly. As hard as she was trying to focus on her work while waiting for Todd, her mind was continually distracting her with images of Todd and memories of the way it feels when they make love. Her body has been in a constant state of arousal waiting for his arrival.

Now that Todd is finally with her, Tea completely forgets about work and focuses entirely on Todd and her physical need for him.

Todd also is in a heightened state of arousal. The entire time he spent driving into Llanview he was picturing Tea's body, longing to touch and taste her.

Ever since their lives reconnected on Halloween and their bodies connected for the first time both Todd and Tea have an insatiable appetite for each other.

Initially, sex was their way of communicating with each other after their long estrangement. Even as they started to communicate verbally and express their feelings for each other they continued to express themselves physically.

They both find comfort in physically being with each other. Even when they're not having sex they find themselves touching each other, each needing that extra proof that the other person is really there and really theirs. They both had dreamt many times while they were separated that the other was with them only to wake in a panic as they realized there was nothing but emptiness where they wanted the other person to be.

Now that the other person is finally, truly there beside them, they both feel the need for the other person even more. They each feel the other person filling some of the emptiness inside them and they desperately seek for more to be filled.

It has been several days since they've seen each other and neither wants to wait another moment to connect physically, to lose themselves in each other again. They don't even want to wait the minutes it would take to go upstairs or the seconds it would take to move to the couch.

They each forget everything else in their lives...all of the stress that they both are dealing with right now. Todd is worried about seeing his family again...about trying to explain to Starr why he was away from her for so long. Tea is worried about the big case she's working on and her secret doubts about whether she really belongs in the District Attorney's Office.

They both have other concerns as well but none of those concerns or worries exist for Todd or Tea in this moment as they focus completely on pleasing each other and themselves.

As they kiss passionately, Todd moves his hands up and down Tea's sides frantically, not wanting to move too fast but having no desire to go slow. Tea sticking her hands down the back of his pants and pulling him tighter against her gives him the idea that maybe she's okay with moving ahead.

Todd opens the robe she's wearing and isn't surprised to discover that it is the only thing she is wearing. He touches her chest briefly before sliding his hand down her stomach and then lower. He places a finger inside her, making sure that she's ready for him. Learning that she is, he places a second finger inside her.

Tea reaches between their bodies and unfastens his pants and pushes them down before checking his readiness for her. More than satisfied, she groans into his mouth to signal him to remove his fingers. She places him at her entrance as she raises one leg to his side and Todd raises her other leg as he holds her up and enters her while pressing her more heavily against the large wooden door.]

TO BE CONTINUED