CLUB INDIGO, THE FOLLOWING EVENING

John Sykes downs his fourth shot of whiskey. The beautiful late summer evening had done nothing to alleviate his anger and jealousy over Téa. The thought of her going back to Manning drove him nuts.
But remember..she doesn't love him..she loves me.
He keeps telling himself that, convincing himself further that the only reason she is with him is because she's afraid of him. John sighs.
I have to save her, he thinks, she needs me.
He slams his shot glass down on the bar, wanting another.
RJ walks over to him. "Another?"
"Yeah," Sykes mutters.
Sykes stares down RJ as RJ pours him another shot.
"Seen Téa?" Sykes asks, almost accusingly.
RJ looks at Sykes out of the corner of his eye.
"Yeah," he answers evenly.
"So, what do you think of Manning?" Sykes asks.
RJ eyes him warily, curious about this line of questioning. "I'm for anything that makes Téa happy. I don't know him all that well....but he seems okay."
Sykes rolls his eyes. Another one sucked into Manning's act.
"Think he loves her?"
RJ leans his elbows done on the bar. "None of my business...yours either."
"Téa and I had a thing going."
"What, you had a couple of dates....Todd's her husband....what did you think was gonna happen?" RJ asks, incredulously.
"Manning is a monster...he's gonna hurt her again, like he hurt her in the past," Sykes answers, in a definite tone.
"You don't know that...nobody does...besides Téa's a pretty smart girl," RJ answers, beginning to get a strange vibe from this whole conversation.
Sykes grins, staring into his drink. "Pretty smart, ....smart enough to know how NOT to get hurt....that's why she went back to him....." he says quietly, to no one. RJ, though, faintly hears him.
"What the hell does that mean?"
Sykes looks up, seemingly startled, and the booze starting to loosen his lips a bit.
"Manning's a monster, I told you. He wants her back....she knows what he's capable of! She's afraid to tell him to go to hell!" he answers, voice rising.
RJ shakes his head. "Man, you don't know a thing about Téa if you think she's walking back into that relationship to avoid getting hurt. Look, I don't know Todd that well....but I know Téa does...if she thought she was in danger with him, she would certainly have no problem telling him to go to hell. She's stronger than you think."
Sykes barely hears him, his mind completely focused on thoughts of his Téa. "I'm gonna make sure he doesn't hurt her....I'm gonna make her safe," he whispers.
"Maybe what you should do, Sykes, is leave them both the hell alone," RJ says, getting angry. Maintaining his composure, he walks to the other side of the bar.
"I'm gonna make her safe," Sykes whispers again, downing another shot.

********************************************************************

Club Indigo, same evening, several hours later

Todd walks in and heads straight for the bar. RJ sees him and walks over.
"Todd."
"RJ."
Todd looks at him warily. He begins to feel jealousy rise, remembering seeing RJ with Téa the other day, but pushes it down. He thinks about his conversation with Téa, and his own previous conversation with RJ, and begins to let some of the jealousy go. He trusts that there is nothing going on between Téa and RJ.
"What can I get you?"
"I'll have a beer."
Todd sits down on the stool. RJ brings him over his beer and opens it.
"Seen Delgado?"
RJ chuckles. "Popular question tonight."
"Huh?"
"No...I haven't..not tonight anyway."
"Oh...she's probably running late."
"She meeting you here?"
Todd immediately gets defensive. "Yeah, so?"
"Hey no problem, man...just asking."
Todd takes a swig of his beer. "Yeah....okay.....so who else was asking about her?"
"John Sykes."
RJ notices the look of anger that flashes across Todd's face at the mere mention of Sykes' name.
"Oh, was he?" Todd asks, almost menacingly, his mind recalling the scene in Téa's suite.
"Yeah...listen...what do you know about the guy?"
"Not much...cop....loser....gotta thing for Delgado...why?"
"Look," RJ begins, "he was pretty smashed when he was in here before....but I got this really strange vibe from him, I can't really put my finger on it...look just keep on eye on him alright? He seemed pretty ticked that you and Téa are trying to work things out... I just don't trust the guy..something about him always bothered me."
Todd takes in RJ's words. This was strange for him. RJ seemed to be ...trying to help...him and Téa.
"Me too, actually. The guy has always seemed a little off to me."
"Yeah...well this thing he's had for Téa has been going on since right after you left. She put him off for a long time, but then she gave in, I think basically to get him off her back. Look, like I said, it's just a feeling.....I'll keep an eye on him too...I don't want to see Téa hurt, and I'm sure you don't either....I just thought you should know."
Todd eyes him warily. "Okay, thanks man."
RJ nods silently. The two men are interrupted by Téa's voice.
"Uh oh...you two ...having a civil conversation? This could be very dangerous for Llanview," Téa says grinning.
Todd grins back, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. She looks stunning in a simple flowered sundress, her hair hanging loosely on her shoulders.
"Cute, Téa. What can I get you?"
"Oh, I'll have what he's having," she says, pointing to Todd. RJ leaves to get her a beer.
"Hey Delgado," Todd says.
"Hey, so...what were you two talking about?"
"You."
"Todd..."
"No...not about that....you said you guys were friends....I believe you. About Sykes."
"Why?"
RJ walks back into the conversation, handing Téa her beer.
"He was in here tonight...drunk...talking about you."
Téa rolls her eyes. "This guy has got to get a life. I've told him in no uncertain terms that there is nothing between us! What is with this possessiveness?"
"I don't know Téa...but I would keep an eye on him if I were you."
She looks at RJ, and then to Todd. He nods his agreement.
"Delgado....he's right...I mean...how well do you know this guy?"
Téa smiles, a look on her face that makes it clear that she thinks they are overreacting.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, guys...I do...but come on...John Sykes? He's harmless!"
Todd and RJ glance at each other. Téa shakes her head.
"Okay...look...I've got to go put in one last call to Hank...I'll be right back."
Todd watches her go, admiring her, and now...a tiny bit of fear rising inside of him.
"You buy that?" RJ asks.
"No way...I don't trust anyone...certainly not Sykes. I'll be watching him...closely," Todd mutters. There was no way he was going to allow that loser cop near his Delgado.

*****

NEAR YOU ALWAYS 24

Tea's office, one week later

Téa sits at her desk, mulling over another stack of paper work. She glances at her watch. She was meeting Todd in a few hours. She smiles. Today was the day they were going to break the news to Asa about the Sun. She picks up the notarized paper on her desk, giving ownership of the paper back to Todd. It would be good for him, to have his paper back. And the look on Asa's face was sure to be priceless.

She had also been considering Todd's offer over the past few days. He had asked her about it several times, but she had put him off. She had to admit to herself, it was an attractive offer. Going back to being a defense attorney, her real love, having her own practice. And...if she were to admit it to herself, the prospect of being around Todd more was not a bad one. Still...she hadn't made up her mind yet. Sighing, she turns back to her paperwork.

"Hey Counselor."
Téa looks up, startled to see John Sykes standing in the doorway of her office. She eyes him warily.
"John," she says, her tone somewhat cold, as she remembers the little scene in her suite.
"Can I come in?"
Téa nods, and John walks in slowly and sits down.
"Listen, Téa, I wanted to apologize."
Téa looks at him strangely. "For what?"
"For what happened at the Palace the other day....it's just....I really care about you....and I think you're making a big mistake getting mixed up with Manning again."
Téa rolls her eyes. "Look John, it's sweet that you're concerned, but my relationship with Todd is none of your business."
"Téa..."
"No, John, listen...we had a few dates...but that doesn't give you the right to judge my relationships...I'm sorry but that's how I feel."
John feels his anger rise. Manning really has her snowed this time, he thinks. He attempts to calm himself, remembering his reason for coming here.
"Okay, Téa....you're right....I just wanted to apologize....and say that I hope that maybe we can be friends."
Téa shoots him an odd look. This whole conversation was very strange to her.
"Ummm....yeah sure...okay John," she says, hoping to appease him enough so he would just leave.
John smiles, inwardly praising himself for what he perceives is his first step in winning her back.

********************************************************************

Sun Offices, Later that day

"So, you ready?" Todd asks, grinning.
Téa smiles. "Oh, yeah...very."
They stand close together, Téa holding all the necessary papers. They both look, somewhat impatiently, at the still closed elevator doors, waiting for it to finally stop on the right floor.
"So...you gonna be my lawyer or not?"
Téa shakes her head, grinning. "I think that's a record, Todd. We've been together for a whole 20 minutes...and that's the first time you asked me that!"
"So, do I get an answer?"
"I'm still thinking about it."
"Come on, Delgado...it's not a hard decision. You can go back to a job that you love and by the way you're perfect for, or you can stay at a job that is wrong for you...plain and simple."
Téa looks up at him. "Okay, Todd. You have another appointment tomorrow, right?"
"You had to remind me."
"Yeah...well...look, I'll come by tomorrow night, we'll have dinner...and I'll give you my answer. Deal?"
Todd grins. "Deal....but you might as well just tell me now, cause it's gonna be yes...and if it's no...you're not going home til it's yes," he says.
Téa rolls her eyes. Finally, the elevator doors open. Todd and Téa look at each other.
"Here we go," she says. Todd nods, and begins the walk towards his old office.

Sitting at his desk, Asa looks up just in time to see Todd and Téa walk through the door.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Asa sneers.
"What's happenin' Gramps?" Todd grins.
"I don't recall you two having an appointment...so get the hell out of my office," Asa says, standing.
"Actually, Asa...I think you should be the one getting out of MY office," Todd says, stepping closer to his desk.
Asa chuckles. "Come on Manning, who ya pretending to be now? Or are you just playing dumb? The Sun is mine!"
"Actually, Asa, it's not yours," Téa interjects.
"What is this, a tandem? Of course it's mine, I bought the shares, fair and square. Deal with it Manning."
Todd grins at Asa. "Show him Delgado."
Téa walks over to the desk and pulls out the legal document signing the Sun over to Téa. Asa takes it and looks at it, perusing it.
"What the hell!" he yells.
"Read it and weep Grandpa!" Todd says, laughing. "The Sun was never Max's to sell...hell it was never Blair's or Kelly's either....it was Delgado's all along. Which means you own one big fat nothing!" Todd says, still laughing.
"No...no this can't be legal...."
"Oh, it's very legal Asa. Any court or any judge would uphold it...as they would this one," Téa says, holding up the document returning the Sun to Todd. "I gave ownership back to Todd...so the Sun is his...as it should be."
Todd watches Asa squirm. Then he glances at Téa, and sees the life in her eyes. He can tell she's missed this.
Asa stares at the both of them, and then back at the papers. "This isn't over you two...I'm gonna get a lawyer to look at these....you're not going to get away with this Manning!" he shouts, and storms out of the office.
Todd grins at Téa. "Well, Delgado...I think that went well."