And ... it was with this deathly quiet hanging throughout the Penthouse that the night turned to daylight and daylight turned to night again, the lasting silence between Todd and Blair speaking louder than any kind of conversation could because it confirmed a certain ... and distinct ... emptiness in their hearts.

But soon, Blair could not keep to herself any longer as she could not tolerate Todd's coldness nor the fact that he never came to bed. She, as always, needed him to come crawling back to her ... she needed him to come to her and reaffirm his commitment to their "family," to decry the claims of ... the original home-wrecker herself, Tea Marisa Delgado. That's what Blair needed NOW. It was the way things usually worked. That's the way it HAD been working. Yes, yes ... it was his obligation to come to Blair and re-establish the careful balance that had been created in this relationship.

In fact, it was this balance that Blair made sure to test as often as she could. The test consisted of her making a fuss over her life, raging over the things that she lost, what she could have had, and openly blaming Todd. She would prod him ... she would poke at his fragile ego, and he would listen. Then he would fume about it, more like a mild brooding irritation ... and then he'd come to her. Oh he did, all right. And she loved that. Why? Why .... because it made up for her aching desire to go crawling back to Max Holden, formerly Max Buchanan; it made up for the ever-existing fear of losing her mind to her true love. To watch her husband capitulate to her wants, to see him beneath her, literally and figuratively, all in the name of preserving this "family" for him, for her, well ... it provided the necessary yet temporary bandaging of her broken heart. It fed her ego, it gave her power, it eased the pain of losing Max.

But now ... Tea was messing up this balance ... this carefully contrived, carefully worked, existence, reminding Todd of the baby's questioned paternity, reminding Todd of his past.

"Power," Blair muttered as she looked at the nursery in progress: painting mats protecting the carpets and baby furniture, the smell of paint lingering, the room representing a promise of a future. One suddenly at risk. "Power," she said again, "...over myself, over everything... and you, Tea, are trying to wreck it. WRECK THIS family of mine .... no. He belongs to me, he's my beast that I tamed ... yes. He comes to me, now ... he's on his knees for me. Did you ever get THAT, Tea? Huh?"

Blair sniffed as she fought a surge of pain in her chest ... in her heart. Did all this power really make up for what she didn't have with Todd? Did all this power really make up for the fact that she had no idea what was in Todd's heart? That he never told her that he loved her, that he had never told her what had happened with Tea ... that he never shared anything with her? Silence ... today's continuing silence was only more of the same. That was the truth. And even Tea's shocking appearance did nothing to stir him out of that mode.

With a determined step, Blair stomped out of the nursery and headed to Todd's study. She stood at the door and watched a few seconds as he clicked away at his computer keyboard. Tapping out ... another editorial perhaps, a letter to a judge to find out about this ... annulment ... maybe a request to have Tea killed? She chuckled, causing Todd to stop and look at her.

"What?" he grumbled.

"She never changes, Todd," Blair commented as she sat on a love seat across from him, Todd resuming his work. "She comes into our life with an intent to screw it up. Just like before ... just like always."

"I brought her into our lives the last time .. if you might recall."

"It doesn't matter who brought whom ... the point is ... it's the same intent. She shows up to ... wreck things. She - doesn't - change."

He scowled and snapped, "And what do you know about ‘change'?"

"‘Change,' Todd ... what you have done ... what I have done. CHANGE. Look at us, a picture of domesticated ..." She paused, searching for a word.

"Try ‘domesticated animals'," he said softly. "We don't know anything about change either - we haven't changed. So don't go commenting on whether or not Tea has."

Blair flashed a hurt look, surprised now. Maybe he had been affected by seeing ... her. It was so hard to tell with him. Blair got up and sauntered over to him, asking as she made her way, "Is that how you see us? ‘Domesticated animals'?"

He glanced at her, annoyed. "Yeah, so what?"

"You're wrong ... we have a real family, here - we're married ... we're expecting another child ..."

"Having kids ... Blair, any animal can procreate." He gave her a sidelong glance, "Any woman can create a life with ANY man. Paperwork, legalities ... they don't mean anything when it comes to ... mating. Simple biology, simple zoology."

Blair sniffed angrily, tired of Todd's games. "Are you going to just let her .... mess this up? For you?!"

Todd once again resumed his typing, "Listen to this, ‘Hanky Panky Discovered by Linen Mogul Mayor - Can he Clean Up His Mess?' Idiot ..."

"Todd! If you don't get to the bottom of this ... thing ... I will!"

Todd turned quickly to stare down Blair, he needing to look up at her, "Don't you go near her. You got me? It's MY mess, MY problem." His tone was ... calm.

Blair moved in to him, her voice silky, "Todd ... she's not going to tear us apart. What we have ... is ... powerful, permanent. Real. Legal. Let me remind you of that ... legality." She touched his hair, his neck. "Come to our bedroom. I ... missed you last night." Power, she thought ... taming the beast ... look how quiet he is ... look how he doesn't make a move ... he would never hurt me ... he would never hurt a fly when I have him like this ...

Todd bristled though at her touch, getting up abruptly. "I gotta go."

Blair was shocked, forced to move out of his way. "Todd!"

Silence ... iciness ... the only thing Blair heard was the slamming of the front door, echoing Tea's earlier action. And the quiet seemed more deafening than ever. After some pained moments, Blair picked up the phone and dialed a number she'd had memorized, but never used. Thankfully, the person she called answered right away to which Blair demanded, "Max, she's back in town and she's trying to screw up my life ... YOU have to fix this!! You HAVE to tell Todd the truth about what he saw!"

"And why should I do that?" Max said, plainly. "To make HIS life easier ... after what he did to me? After what YOU did?"

"MAX!! YOU TELL HIM THE TRUTH!"

"Are you sure you want me to tell him the whole truth, Blair?"

Blair pressed her hand into a fist ... Max would always be ... Max.