Tea's nose twitches, getting a whiff of that scent...that wonderful, pleasing smell that makes her feel warm all over. She opens her eyes, slowly...letting the sticky stuff in her lashes peel away. And all of a sudden, she grins...feeling like she was in that commercial, the one where everyone in the house wakes up with smiles on their faces as soon as they smell the coffee...ready to face whatever the day had in store for them...as long as they had some good joe first.

She stretches a little, yawning...then she starts to roll over. But as she does, she feels an arm snaking around her waist, gently grabbing a hold of her. She stops, suddenly feeling the warmth of another body next to hers. She reaches behind her...and her hand finds his hair, and tangles itself in it. She feels him nuzzling the base of her neck, kissing her ever so lightly...and she closes her eyes as she snuggles into him, and his arms wrap around her.

Nothing is said. It's just the two of them, snuggling...letting their hands roam over each other, kissing gently at first, then more passionately, as cuddling gradually develops into lovemaking. And Tea smiles to herself, again...because there was nothing she loved more, than making love to Todd as soon as she woke up in the morning. There was something about that particular time...the spontaneity, the warmth, the intensity...it was like they were all magnified.

But then...something happens. A blanket of cold seems to settle down around them, like it was floating down from the ceiling. Eyes still closed, Tea shivers, feeling a sudden chill...the absence of him...like he had just moved away from her, exposing her bare skin to the air. She opens her eyes, but the room is even darker than before...like the sun had gone back down. She sits up, pulling the covers up around her, looking all around...

...but Todd is gone...and she is alone.

*****

Tea's eyes open suddenly, and she sits up like a shot, looking all around her, just like she had been doing in her dream. Her chest heaves, like she'd been running a marathon. When she finally realizes where she is...when she is...she runs a hand through her hair, letting out a long sigh...trying to let the dream go with the breath. But it didn't ever seem to work permanently...because it was the same dream as the night before...and the night before that, and the night before that.

Dream...well...that implies fantasy... she thinks, realizing that 'dream' isn't the right word. She didn't dream. She just remembered things in her sleep...things she didn't want to think about when she was awake. She sits there for a while, feeling her dreamlike memory wearing off like a sleeping pill...leaving that icky fogginess behind. And she squints, suddenly becoming aware of her hand...her cut fingers throbbing with soreness. She looks at the cuts, the dark red lines...and sighs again, getting angry at herself for doing what she did.

Then she sniffs...and sniffs again...also becoming aware of the smell that was wafting through the bedroom...the smell of coffee. Her eyes widen as soon as she recognizes it, knowing that she certainly didn't make any.

And if she didn't...

She gets out of bed, slowly, quietly...trying not to make any noise. She puts her bathrobe on over her clothes as she tiptoes over to the door, and puts her ear to it. She listens...but hears nothing. So she stands there for a minute, wondering what to do...wondering who it is...

...wondering...but knowing damned well who it is, all at the same time. She lets her head rest against the door...dreading opening it...knowing a fight was just on the other side. She was too physically tired, too mentally exhausted to deal. But what other choice did she have...stay in the bedroom forever, with the shades drawn and the covers over her head? No...that wasn't an option she was willing to live with.

So what then?

What was she willing to live with? What did she want? She bites that familiar spot inside her lip, feeling that foggy-headedness, that numbness all over...as the answer comes to her, ever so slowly. Then she ties the robe around her waist...and she puts her hand on the knob, taking a deep, deep breath, as she opens the door. The coffee smell hits her hard as soon as she steps into the hallway, waking her up. She steps lightly, feeling the cold floor under her bare feet as she looks into the living room.

She sees the chair...with his coat draped over it. Her breathing starts to pick up speed, and she takes another step forward, as her eyes wander over to the window. She sees Todd standing there, with his back to her, staring out at the city, with a paper cup of coffee in his hand. She ducks back, covering her mouth to muffle a short sob that comes up before she can stop it...the image suddenly bringing another painful memory to mind...of all the mornings that she came out of the bedroom and saw him doing the exact same thing.

It used to make her so happy.

But it seemed like that was in another life...so far away from where they were now. She swallows hard, pushing the pain down as far as she can. Then she takes another deep breath...and steps out into the living room, standing directly behind him. She says nothing...and just waits for him to sense her presence.

Todd hears a slight creaking in the floorboards behind him...and suddenly feels her, feels the change in the air around him. He shuts his eyes tightly for a second...scared... dread and hope running through him in equal parts as he turns his head slowly, the rest of his body catching up as he turns to face her. He feels a sudden weight on his chest, as he finally sees her. Standing there in her bathrobe and bare feet, she seemed so small now...so delicate and pale, like she'd been sick for a long time.

...god...her eyes...

He feels the breath catch in his throat as he stares into the eyes that usually shone so brightly, even though they were so dark...but they weren't shining now. It was like a fog had rolled over them...a thick, cold fog that was obliterating the light...

...obliterating HER light...her soul...killing it...yes...it's dying...SHE'S dying...

...and YOU are the reason...YOU are the fog that's rolled in...YOU'RE the one who's killing the light...

...YOU'RE the one...who's smothering her soul to death...

He watches as Tea blinks slowly, her eyelids covering the dying light for a second. Then she looks away, glancing out the window at the gray skies. Gray...everything seemed gray to her now...no color...no life. She sighs, looking back at him...still feeling slightly drugged. Her senses were dull...her feelings, so twisted up and confused that she couldn't feel any one emotion clearly. She was just a mess...inside, outside, any side. No words were coming to her. No thoughts. She could feel her eyes tearing up...but she couldn't feel the pain that was causing it to happen. She just...couldn't feel anything...

...except maybe...emptiness.

She closes her eyes for a moment...and Todd sees a tear brim over and streak down her face. He notices that she makes no attempt to wipe it away as it pools on her jawline and falls down, splashing onto the front of her robe. Her head dips down, and she directs her gaze at the floor...staying silent.

Todd stands there, watching her...afraid to utter a word...afraid to make a move or a sound...afraid of upsetting the tenuous silence that seemed to be the only thing steadying them at the moment. He suddenly realizes that seeing her like this was just as scary as seeing her blood on the sink. Everything about her seemed so...sick...so unhealthy...so unlike herself. And the silence gets heavier with each passing second, threatening to shift the balance...until finally, Tea looks back up at him, with a strange expression, like she'd just made a decision about something.

And in the split second before she moves, Todd realizes what she's going to do...and starts to back off. But Tea covers the distance between them in a few quick steps, and grabs onto his shirt, roughly. Todd takes a quick breath, startled by her sudden strength, as she pulls him close.

"I want you out of here. NOW," is all she says, as she turns them both around. He struggles, but he can't loosen the grip she has on his shirt...and before he knows it, she's dragged him to the door.

"Wait...Tea...wait a minute!" he says, but she's already opened it. She shoves him through, then grabs his coat off the chair. She reaches into the pocket, and pulls out his keys, which she holds onto as she throws the coat at him. They stare at each other for a moment, both of them breathing hard.

"Please...it's important...will you just listen to me for a second? Please?" he asks.

Tea sets her jaw, hard...then reaches for her own coat. Todd watches as she pulls a piece of paper out of one of the pockets. She looks back at him...then she crushes the paper in her hand, and throws that at him too.

"There's NOTHING you can say that I wanna hear."

Todd's shoulders sink at that. He takes a step forward, with a pleading look. "Delgado...please..."

Tea backs away, suddenly pointing at him. "STOP," she commands, stern...but keeping her voice low. And Todd does exactly that, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Don't you ever...EVER...come near me again. You got that?" she says, in the angriest whisper he's ever heard...and all he can do is stand there, helpless...still trying to plead with her through his eyes. Tea stares at him for another moment, the anger in her eyes dissipating...revealing that deep sadness for just a second. Then she steps back inside, and closes the door.

Todd hears the deadbolt turning, with a heavy click. He stands there, at a complete loss...hearing her fiddling with something on the other side. And just as he opens his mouth to speak, he hears her pushing something under the door. He looks down, and sees his keys there. He bends down and grabs them, holding them up...he looks at them all, recognizing each one...but suddenly realizes that his key to that apartment was now missing. He shuts his eyes at that, letting his head hit the door with a dull thump.

Then he looks down again...and sees the paper that she threw at him, right at his feet. He squats down, picking it up...he unravels the tightly crumpled ball, and as soon as he sees what it is, as soon as he sees that picture of himself and Blair...he crushes it all over again. And with a sudden flare of anger, he throws the balled-up paper as far away from him as he can. He stands up, and paces back and forth in front of the door for a good five minutes, his mind racing, desperately trying to come up with something...

...anything.

On the other side, Tea sinks down the wall, next to the door...holding the key in a tight fist. She pulls her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She lets her head rest against the wall, and her eyes glaze over with tears as she zones out, staring at some miscellaneous point in the air.

Finally, Todd stops pacing, and just stares at the closed door... symbolic of so many things...but right now, it was a wall...a barrier...locking him out, literally and figuratively...keeping him away...protecting her from him. He flinches a little, at the tightening knot in his stomach...and he sinks down too, along the doorframe, until he's sitting on the floor. He reaches out, running a hand over the wood, as if he could feel her through it.

"Tea...can you hear me?" he asks, whispering...and he waits for an answer, though he knows he won't get one. After a moment, he moves as close to the door as he can, resting his head against it.

"I...uh..." he starts, having to clear his throat. "...I wanted to tell you...how...how sorry I am...but...just doesn't seem like enough, y'know?"

He pauses again...listening. No sounds come through, but somehow...somehow...he knows she's there.

"And it's NOT enough?it's not, I know...but..." he begins again, but the words aren't coming. He stops, sighing...reaching deep down to try to explain the unexplainable.

"...god, I can't believe how bad this is. Y'know, I don't even think *I* stopped to think about what I was doing until yesterday, after it was all over. I was sitting there, hiding from everybody in this back room...and I...I suddenly realized how bad I screwed up."

On the other side of the door, Tea finally closes her eyes, resting them as she listens to him.

"Do you know what happened to me...why I left...why I...married Blair?" she hears him ask...and as if he could see her, she shakes her head no.

Todd shifts around on the floor, half-laughing to himself. "What am I talking about... 'course you don't...and maybe you don't care anymore...maybe..." he says, trailing off, feeling the lump in his throat getting bigger, harder to swallow.

"...maybe you're not even there...maybe I'm talking to myself out here in this stupid hallway...and maybe you don't even wanna know, but...I'm gonna tell you anyway. I started noticing...things...things about myself, that were starting to change, like...well...like...you remember that place we had dinner at all the time? I remember this one night we were there, and it was really crowded...and you were sitting in the bar, and I came out of the bathroom, and I saw you sitting there alone. And I saw all these other guys staring at you...staring at you like you were a pizza or something, and they hadn't eaten for months..." he says, with a slight grin, and a small laugh.

Eyes still closed, Tea's face softens into a little smile...remembering.

"...anyway...one of them finally got up the nerve to come up to you, some suit...and I watched you for a while...and...well, y'know. I hate that. I start thinking...all kinds of...bad stuff, usually. I get all paranoid and...stupid. But this time..." he says, pointing like she were right there. "...this time was different. I stood there for a good minute or so, watching this guy try to score, watching you smile at him, all polite and stuff...and I kept expecting to get pissed...but I never did. It was like..."

Tea opens her eyes...the smile fading...listening closely.

"...like I knew, y'know? I knew nothing was gonna happen. I knew you'd tell the guy to get lost, 'cause you were with...me. I just knew...and it was weird...I'd never had that kind of feeling before."

A tear suddenly forms, and falls down Tea's cheek, and she bites down on her lip to keep from making noise.

"It's called trust," she whispers.

"And I noticed other stuff, too. I was actually starting to sleep at night...without waking up all the time. You probably noticed THAT. A few hours, at first...then longer...and longer...until I was finally sleeping through the whole night...and the weirdest thing was that I wasn't dreaming anymore. Well, I mean, I guess I was, but it wasn't the same two or three bad dreams I always had. I wasn't being chased anymore, or falling down some hole that never ended, or..." he trails off again...hesitating for a moment.

"...or...dreaming about losing you...about trying to live without you...you and Starr...I used to have that one all the time."

Tea lets out a short, hard breath at that...dropping her head down, burying her face behind her knees.

"Tea, you don't know what that's like. I was so USED to feeling like crap all the time...I'd gotten comfortable with it...and then it all started to change on me. I was actually feeling okay...good, even...and I'd forgotten...I mean, COMPLETELY forgotten how good 'good' can feel. And it started to affect everything...everything I did, everything I said, thought...everything I felt..."

She raises her head a little, hearing him let out a long sigh.

"...until that one day...when I woke up, and I'd slept all the way through the night again...and you were laying there next to me, you were still sleeping. I realized...that everything that was happening to me was because of YOU. I mean...I thought I'd realized that before, but...it was like I was just seeing it for the first time...like something had kept me from really seeing it before. And all I could do was look at you. I don't know if you even noticed...but I just kept staring at you... 'cause all of a sudden I realized how important you are...how beautiful you are...and all I could think...was how much I wanted you."

Slowly, Tea turns toward the door, resting her head against it now, too.

"It took everything I had to reach for you. I was so scared to do it, I was always so scared that I might hurt you. But I promised you...that I wouldn't push you away...and I wanted you more than I ever wanted anything. I wanted to show you...how much I love you...and you let me...and then I REALLY knew...how good 'good' felt," he says, quietly, taking a moment to wipe his own eyes.

"...y'know, Tea...being with you is the best thing in the world. Doesn't matter if I'm watching you brush your teeth or...or making love to you. It's like getting high without all the side effects...there IS no downside. Do you know how scary that is for me? Or how 'bout this...do you think I DESERVE a life like that? After all the things I've done? You think I DESERVE to have someone like you? 'Cause I don't think I do."

Tea shuts her eyes tightly, shaking her head...feeling the sadness turning into frustration, at hearing that.

"You think if Marty saw me now, she'd be thinking, 'oh yeah, Todd deserves this. He SHOULD have a good life...he SHOULD be happy.' I don't think she would...in fact, I think she'd be pretty pissed...and she'd have every right to be. THAT'S why I left. I realized that I'm not entitled to a life with you...I haven't done anything to deserve it."

A silence passes...then Tea gets up, slowly, quietly...and starts backing away from the door.

"So I went back to see Starr...and what do I find? Max screwing around on Blair. Big surprise, I know...but Blair was getting herself so worked up over it, she started to scare me. First it was, 'oh, Todd, please help me get him back.' So I'd go and do it, and then BAM...turn around and she's freaking out on me for doing what she just TOLD me to do. She didn't know which way was up...still doesn't. And THEN what does she do? She goes and SHOOTS him. Now I mean, personally, I couldn't care less if Holden lives or dies...but godDAMN...she REALLY wasn't thinking. I helped her cover it up as best I could. I had to... 'cause if she ends up in jail, the LAST thing I want is Starr going to some foster home. So I...I figured I had to marry her...so if something happened to her, then...I'd get full custody."

Todd pauses again, realizing that he's been going on for quite a while. So he gets up, putting an ear to the door, listening...but he still doesn't hear anything. He sighs.

"Anyway...I know that probably doesn't help YOU at all. I'm sorry...I really am. I didn't mean for...I never mean to hurt you, Delgado...but I always do," he says, picking his coat up off the floor.

"I'm sorry, I mean it...and if you haven't heard anything else I've said, I just hope you hear this one thing. I love you...I really love you...and I may not deserve you, but I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I'm not gonna let ANYONE hurt you...not McIver, not anybody. I'll always be there to protect you...always."

With that, he runs a finger along the door one more time...then he walks away, leaving quietly, heading down the stairs.

Inside, Tea stands there, a few feet away from the door...arms wrapped around herself, listening. She hears the inner door downstairs, then the outer door, closing. She runs over to the window, peering out. Tears form in her eyes as she watches him walk away, getting smaller as he gets farther down the street. After another moment, she turns away from the window and sits down on the couch...curling up, and clutching a pillow to her chest. She sits there for a long time, trying to process everything he told her through the door.

"I love you...I really love you...and I may not deserve you, but I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I'm not gonna let ANYONE hurt you...not McIver, not anybody. I'll always be there to protect you...always."

She makes a face, sniffling...who the hell is McIver? Protect me from WHAT? God...the hell is he talking about...?

She lets out a long sigh...feeling totally drained, like she's been up for days, even though she slept like a rock. She hunkers down further, sinking into the couch...letting her eyes get heavy again, letting them close...hoping she can rest for a while without thinking...

...and without dreaming.

*****

Slouched down in the front seat of his car, Colin watches the sky turn dark blue, as the sun goes down. He yawns, checking his watch...then looks up at the building again. Tea's building. He'd been sitting out there for hours, but she hadn't made an appearance all day...in or out. He makes a face, starting to wonder if the P.I. gave him the right address. He sits up, reaching over and grabbing the piece of paper he'd scribbled the address on...then he checks the number on the building again...

...well...this is definitely it...he thinks, his brow crinkling. Hmmm...

He drums his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if he should stay on the watch...or go back to the gym.

"Eh...screw it," he mutters, after another moment. He starts to turn the key in the ignition...

...when he suddenly hears a door closing. He looks up...and sees Tea, standing on the front steps, digging through her purse. Colin quickly slouches back down in his seat, watching her as she goes down the steps, and starts walking down the block, away from him. He watches her go for a moment, then gets out of the car. He glances around, then starts following her.

Tea walks the city walk, fast...but not too fast...not looking anyone in the eye, just looking straight ahead. She weaves through the crowds, and Colin almost loses her a few times. He sees her stop at a corner, looking back and forth for traffic. Even though the light hasn't changed, she and several other people start walking across when the street clears. Colin tries to do the same when he gets there, but as soon as he steps out, a cab goes speeding by, nearly taking him with it. Colin jumps back, startled, as the cabbie lays on the horn, screaming obscenities as he drives past.

On the other side of the street, Tea stops, hearing the commotion. Instinctively, she turns around...wondering if Todd is behind her. She looks closely, but doesn't see him...or Colin...too many people in the way. She turns back around, hesitating before she starts walking again.

Colin sprints across the street when the light turns, craning his neck to find her again. After a moment, he spots her, a good bit ahead of him now. He pushes through the crowds, catching up quickly...just in time to see her go down into the subway. He follows her down into the smelly, echoey tunnel...watching as she runs the gauntlet, passing the many street vendors, bums, junkies...all of them eyeing her, whistling at her.

"Yo, babeeee...back that thing up!!" one of them yells after her. Colin walks right by him, closely, giving him a dirty look.

Suddenly, the tunnel is filled with noise, as the train approaches. Colin stops, having taken his eyes off of Tea for just a moment. He searches the sea of faces...and finally sees her, way down the platform. Again, he pushes through the crowd, getting closer to her as the train pulls in. The doors open, and a flood of people spill out onto the platform, as the people waiting start pushing their way in. Tea finds a seat by a window, as Colin steps into the same car at the opposite end, grabbing a seat in the corner as the doors close.

The train starts moving, and everyone starts pulling out their reading material, or putting on their headphones. Colin watches Tea closely, from his perfect viewing spot in the corner. She clutches her purse tightly, shifting in the seat...trying to put as much space as possible between her and the man sitting next to her. Then she lets her head rest against the window, staring out at the tunnel...with the saddest expression he's ever seen. She doesn't move at all. Colin stares at her, his vision narrowing, focusing on her...completely fascinated by her face.

It only seems like a few seconds before Tea stands up and moves toward the exit. Colin stays put, not wanting to draw her attention by getting up too. He keeps his eyes on her, as the train stops and the doors open. And as soon as Tea steps out, he jumps out of his seat and slips through the doors, just as they close again. He looks up and down the platform, finally spotting her, on her way up the stairs.

Tea stops when she gets to the top of the steps, taking a second to look behind her again. She makes a face, wondering why she keeps getting the urge to do it. She doesn't see anyone following her...she didn't the last time, either. She sighs, starting to walk again, merging into the foot traffic. She only walks another block or so before she sees her destination...a long line of people, standing outside a nondescript-looking building with no windows. She joins the line, leaning up against the wall.

At the end of the block, Colin stops for a second...seeing her in the line. He crosses the street and walks down the block, checking out the building...hearing a loud, thumping bass coming from inside. He keeps going, and disappears around the corner, stopping at a small newsstand. He checks his watch, trying to figure out how long to wait before going back.

Tea moves with the line, slowly making her way up to the front. When he sees her, the six-foot-something bouncer smiles down at her in recognition.

"Buenos noches, senorita," he says, with a deep, deep voice...his Spanish sounding a little weird.

Tea smiles up at him, nodding. "Not bad...keep working on it," she says, as he lifts the velvet rope to let her in. She walks up to the doors, and hands some money to the man standing by the door, who grins at her as he opens the big door for her. The music comes blaring out, and he leans in to her.

"Was hoping you'd be back!!! Save a dance for me, huh???" he yells. Tea smiles back, nodding as she walks inside.

She takes off her jacket, as she takes a few steps in, surveying the crowd...already pretty big, even though it was early. She walks over to the bar and pushes her way in, slapping a twenty dollar bill down on the counter. The bartender walks over, a pretty boy, wearing the club uniform...a tight black t-shirt, and tight black jeans. He looks her up, down, and back up...at her chest, accentuated by her skimpy dress.

"Well, look at YOU!" he yells, over the noise. "Honey, you in the WRONG PLACE, know what I'm sayin'??"

"Actually...I'm EXACTLY where I wanna be!!!" Tea yells back.

The bartender cocks an eyebrow, taking the bill from her. "If you say so, honey...what can I getcha???"

"How many shots of tequila will that get me???"

The bartender makes a face. "You sure you wanna do that???"

"How many???"

"Oh, enough, baby...believe me," he says, as he grabs the tequila bottle and pours her a shot. He watches as she grabs it and downs it in one long swallow. Then she slams the glass back down. He makes another face, leaning in closer.

"You're gonna get wrecked in five minutes, you keep going like that."

Tea does a take at that...then grins...but a sad one. "That's the plan."

The bartender sighs...then wags his eyebrows, as he pours her another one. She does the same thing, downing it as quickly as possible, then slamming the glass back down. The bartender pours her a third...and she inhales it. Then she staggers back from the bar, reeling from the fire racing down her throat and burning in her stomach.

"Oh, god...I think that's enough for now!!" she yells, walking away...a little unsteady. The bartender watches her go, shaking his head.

Tea makes her way onto the dance floor...and within seconds, she's completely surrounded by people, all moving around her in a sweaty, rhythmic wave...pulsing to the heavy bass. Tea looks up, at the lights, swirling, strobing...temporarily blinding her. So she closes her eyes, raising her arms above her, sinking down like she were in a deep, deep pool of water...not at all concerned about anyone bothering her. She starts to move to the beat as well, caught up in it...feeling the heat of the other people around her, and the desired effects of the hard liquor...the warm, fuzzy fogginess, sedating her brain. She drowns herself in it, pushing every other thought out of her head.

But it isn't long before she becomes aware of another person, right behind her...she feels hands on her waist, pulling her closer. She opens her eyes, starting to turn around...but whoever it is won't let her. About to pull away, she suddenly feels lips by her ear, whispering to her.

"Don't be afraid," a man's voice says. She makes a face, not recognizing the voice. She looks around, but looking at the other people only made her dizzier. So she shuts her eyes, as the man whispers to her again.

"You are so beautiful," he says, as his hands roam downward, over her legs. She knows she should push him off, punch him, even...but her head was completely fogged up now, blocking all rational thought. All she could feel now were her most base emotions, amplified by the alcohol, the loud, thumping bass...and what she was experiencing...his hands, all over her, holding her to him, moving suggestively against her...whispering to her, over and over, how beautiful she was.

The crowd moves around them, providing a sort-of protective wall...oblivious to them. Tea feels his hand moving down between her legs, starting to slide back up along her inner thigh. She bites her lip at the sensation, letting her head drop onto his shoulder, and wrapping an arm around his head. She feels him kissing her bare shoulder...then she feels herself getting lifted off the floor. She opens her eyes, and barely sees the dance floor, moving away, as she gets carried through the dark room.

Before she knows it, she feels a rush of cool air hitting her sweat-covered skin...and feels the ground beneath her, as he puts her down. She turns around, slowly, unsteadily...and sees him standing there. She makes a face, one of slight recognition...and Colin grins, as he sidles back up to her. Then he wraps his arms around her lower half, lifting her off the ground again. He carries her over to the far wall of the building, putting her back against it.

Tea stares at him, watching him with a slightly puzzled, vacant look in her eyes...like she was watching this happen from somewhere outside of herself. Everything was moving so fast...too fast for her to catch up...and as she feels her dress getting lifted, her legs getting wrapped around him, all she feels is...

...nothing. She just...didn't care anymore. All she wanted now was to forget...everything.

So she shuts her eyes, going limp...giving over...turning her face away from him. Colin feels her suddenly getting heavier in his arms, and looks up at her. He sees her face turned away, her eyes...just staring at the ground. He stares at her, confused...then his shoulders sink down, as he feels all the urgency of the moment suddenly leaving him. Then he reaches out, gently turning her face back, to look at him...and as they make eye contact, Colin reacts to the look in her eyes, backing off a little. Tea blinks back at him, slowly...making no moves to get away...holding his gaze for a moment, before looking away again. Colin swallows hard, taken aback...he could tell she was drunk, but there was also a huge wave of sorrow radiating from her, that he couldn't help but feel.

Without a word, he sets her down...staying close to her, but giving her enough room to stand on her own. Tea looks back at him, a little suspicious...she starts straightening her dress, nervously, wondering why he stopped. Colin just sighs...then he reaches out again, barely touching her hair...and Tea notices a softness in his eyes, a sort-of empathy...

...then the back door of the club flies open suddenly, with a BANG! Both of them turn to look...and in that second, a huge, blurry shape comes flying out at Colin, tackling him. Tea backs up against the wall again, startled...watching as Colin gets the crap beaten out of him. She starts backing away, as Colin starts to get a few hits in, finally managing to throw his attacker against the wall.

The two men stand off for a second, and as Colin wipes his bloody lip, he gets a good look...at Todd, standing there, panting. He shakes the hair out of his face, then looks over at Tea, who's still backing away. Colin looks back and forth between them, at the intense stares they're giving each other...then he grins...and actually starts cracking up.

"Hmm...bet you're wondering what we're doing out here, huh?"

Todd lingers on Tea for a moment...then turns his head back, directing his icy glare back at Colin, who puts his hands up, backing off in a mocking way.

"Ooooh, like THAT look...very sexy."

From a distance, Tea looks between them, confused...not about Todd's following her and showing up there, that wasn't anything new. But the man she was with...seemed to know him. A short, tense silence passes before Todd grabs Colin around the neck, and slams his back into the wall...putting their faces close.

"That your idea of fun? Huh?? Taking advantage of her when she's drunk and depressed? Think that makes you a man, or somethin'??"

Colin makes a face, raising an eyebrow. "Well, for your information, nothing actually happened... 'cause I can SEE she's drunk...and very, VERY depressed. And I wouldn't have forced myself on her, if that's what you're gettin' at. Uh-uh...that's YOUR thing," he says, pointing at him.

Todd grits his teeth at that...and Colin struggles to get out of his grip, as he hauls back with a closed fist. But before Todd can land the punch, Tea grabs his arm.

"Alright, stop...STOP!!!" she yells, pulling him away. Colin quickly moves away from the wall, walking out into the open alley. Tea turns and looks at him...and at the crowd who's gathered to watch the fight. She looks at them all, then down at herself...and suddenly feels the hot rush of embarrassment, like a spotlight shining down on her. She looks back up, at Colin, who takes a step toward her...

...but that quick, Todd gets in front of her, pushing her behind him...blocking Colin's way. Colin stops in his tracks...then tips his head down, looking at Tea.

"Y'know...you don't have to go home with this loser."

Tea just stares at him, saying nothing...and Todd starts to walk backwards, pushing her along. But she stops after a few steps, and steps out from behind him.

"Look, I don't know who you are. But whatever game this is you're trying to play, you'd better quit. Leave ME alone...and leave US alone," she says, with a sudden clear-headedness. Then she gently tugs Todd's arm, and they both start walking backwards again. Colin squints, watching them back their way toward the end of the alley...then he takes a few steps forward.

"Y'know, you better think long and hard about what you're doing, Tea!! You probably have no idea what he's been up to lately!!!" he yells down to her.

Todd and Tea finally get to the street...but Colin's voice bounces off the walls, and echoes all around them.

"He tell you he?s helping Blair cover up that shooting?? Or how he packed up Sam Rappaport's kid and shipped him off to Ireland in a BOX?? OR...or how he kidnapped Nora Buchanan after her accident??? She was comatose...had NO IDEA what was happening to her...and that sonofabitch you're walking away with had NO intention of bringing her home!!! Do you hear me??!!?

Tea stares at Colin's small shadow, at the end of the alley...taking it all in, even as she continues to walk away. Todd glares in the same direction, unable to see clearly...then he grabs a hold of Tea's hand, leading her away.

Colin watches as they disappear from view. The crowd breaks up behind him, heading back inside. But he stays there for a good, long while, thinking...planning...

...not done by a long shot.