*****

She motions for Todd and Téa to take the seats across from her desk. They sit down, Todd not taking his eyes off of Angela. He was having a hard time comprehending that this seemingly strong, independent woman in front of him had once been a victim of Peter Manning.
Angela watches him intently, wondering what is going through his mind. She looks at Téa and smiles. "It looks like congratulations are in order."
Téa smiles in return. "Yes, thank you," she says softly.
Angela turns back to Todd. "You look well, Todd."
Todd shakes his head slightly. "I'm not so sure about that...but I guess I'm better than before."
Angela looks confused. "What do you mean?"
"It's a long story," Todd replies, looking down. He looks back up at Angela. "So, things worked out okay for you?"
Angela grins. "It was a long road, Todd....a very long road. But yeah, in the end, things worked out."
Téa looks back and forth between Todd and Angela, and suddenly feels like she needs to give them some time alone. She leans over and touches Todd's arm.
"Todd...I'm feeling a little tired, you know what, I'm gonna have Sam take me back to the hotel. Then I'll send him back for you."
Angela is touched by the concerned look that passes over Todd's face as her takes her hand.
"You okay?" he asks worriedly.
Téa smiles, "Yeah...Delgado Junior is just wearing me out."
"I could go with you."
"No, you stay and catch up, okay? I'll be fine...I'll see you later," she says, squeezing his hand. She stands up and turns towards Angela. "It was very nice to meet you," she says sincerely, holding out her hand.
Angela takes Téa's outstretched hand. "You too, and good luck," she replies, smiling. Téa turns to leave, her eyes connecting with Todd, smiling reassuringly.
Angela watches her walk away, and focuses her eyes back on Todd.
"She's beautiful," she says, smiling.
"Yeah....she's great," Todd says.
There is an somewhat awkward silence as Todd contemplates what to say next. He runs his hand through his hair and just begins to talk.
"So...the last time I saw you....you were at that halfway house," he says quietly, looking at her.
Angela takes a deep breath. "Yeah....that was probably the worst time for me....losing the baby," she pauses and swallows hard. She looks up at Todd, her eyes shiny. "I hated leaving you....you have to believe that. I always thought you were such a sweet kid, and I knew what Peter would do to you....I just couldn't stay."
"I know," Todd says quietly.
"The baby....it was his," Angela continues, in an emotion filled whisper, "I was so afraid to tell him...I was going to that night...but he came home drunk....and you know the rest," she says sadly.
"I'm sorry," Todd whispers.
Angela looks up at him sharply. "For what? It wasn't your fault."
Todd takes a deep breath, looking down, playing with his wedding ring. "I wanted to help you....to stop him...and I couldn't."
Angela stands up and walks over to him. She kneels before him and places her hands on his. "Todd, you were a little boy....there was nothing you could do...please don't blame yourself. Put the blame for all of this where it truly belongs, on Peter."
Todd doesn't answer ,but lifts his head to look at her, his eyes filled with tears.
"Look Todd....Peter Manning wasn't the first man to abuse me...but he was the last. I chose, after what happened, to let him go...to not let him haunt me...to turn my life around," she smiles gently at him, "And I did! I got counselling, I got a job to work my way through school, I met and married a wonderful man, and I even have two kids of my own. And every day, I get the opportunity to help someone like I was helped. Now, unfortunately, all of these cases don't turn out with the happy ending mine did, but we do our best," she pauses and squeezes his hand. "You can do that too...in fact it looks like you're well on your way. You have a beautiful wife, a baby on the way..."
Todd interrupts her, "I got another daughter, too....Starr," he whispers, a smile brought to his lips at the thought of his Shorty.
"See?" Angela says, smiling, "You can let him go."
Todd shakes his head, and averts his eyes from hers. "But you don't know....you don't know what I've done."
"Okay, tell me."
"I hurt women,"he says, his voiced choked, "I was....convicted...of rape....and I ....I hit Téa once," he finishes, looking down.
Angela swallows hard, and lifts his chin to look at her. "Okay...but it looks to me like you got help."
"Yeah....I did...I'm still screwed up..you know? I had..umm...Dissociative Identity Disorder....you know like split personalities?" he pauses, looking at Angela, who nods, "I had a breakdown...that's when I...." he pauses, struggling to get the hated words out, "I hit Téa....we worked it out...therapy and stuff....and I worked through the stuff about the ...the rapes....but don't you see...I'm just like him...repeating the same stuff he did," he finishes quietly, a tear slipping down his cheek.
"Todd, you are absolutely not like your father. You know why? Because Peter never showed any remorse for his victims....it was almost too natural for him to be mean and hateful and violent. But you....you realized you were in trouble...that what you did was wrong...and you got help."
"I didn't exactly always get help willingly."
"Maybe not...but you still got it...and it still helped you...because you let it. You can let him go, Todd...he's dead. Everything that happened with me, you, and him....everything in your past....you can put it behind you. Not forget, but move on. Enjoy your wife and your children....you do deserve that."
Todd stares at her, wanting to believe her.
"I moved on, Todd, I built a wonderful life for myself....you've got the chance to do the same," she says softly, "Take it."

*****

Todd and Téa's hotel room, Chicago

Todd walks in and finds Téa resting on the bed. She had changed out of her dress and now wore just a big t-shirt. He kicks off his shoes and joins her on the bed. Téa's eyes flutter open as she feels him next to her.
"Todd?" she mutters drowsily.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he says.
"It's okay," she says, smiling. He lays on his side and props his head up on his elbow, looking down at her.
"How'd it go?" she asks softly.
"Uh...okay...yeah....I mean...I'm glad she's okay you know? What happened...it still bothers me..you know? But it probably always will....but now that I know she's okay....maybe I can move on."
Téa smiles, "She seems very nice."
"Yeah...she's great...she's got kids now," he says, smiling slightly.
"That's great...after everything she certainly deserves happiness," she pauses and reaches up to stroke his face, "and so do you."
He grins. "I'm not sure I'll ever believe that, Delgado....but I'm working on it...having you and Shorty and Delgado Junior here makes it a little easier."
She grins. "I'm gonna make you believe it Todd..if I have to spend the rest of our lives trying."
He leans down and gently kisses her. "The rest of our lives? Yeah, I could deal with that."
They lay there silently for a few minutes, Todd gently stroking Téa's protruding stomach.
"So, Delgado, you scared?"
"Of what?"
"Having the baby."
Téa grins. "Terrified."
"Really?"
"Yeah...I mean....I don't exactly have a lot of experience here. Not too mention the lousy role model I had."
"Delgado...you're a great mom....you're great with Shorty."
"Yeah....and I couldn't love Starr more if she were my own child...but I didn't even meet her until she was a toddler! I know NOTHING about infants!"
"Well...that's something we're gonna have to learn together, cause I missed a lot of that with Shorty too."
She grins at him. "This could get interesting," she says,and covers his hand on her stomach with hers. "So, what do you think she'll look like?"
Todd smiles, "Like you."
"Not just me," she says.
"Oh yeah...I can see her...a little miniature Delgado running around....muttering Spanish at me," he continues, a mischevious gleam in his eyes. Téa laughs. "And getting in my face when I say something she doesn't like...just like her mom," he says, grinning.
Téa replies through her giggles. "And that would be a problem?"
"Not at all, Delgado...not at all."

To be continued......