"Thanks, RJ. You're a great drinking buddy."

He pulls his coat closed, laughing to himself and shaking his head. Dorian looks at him strangely.

"What'd I say?"

RJ smiles at her, but it's a sad one. "I think the word was buddy."

She smiles. "What...you don't want to be my buddy?"

He sighs. "It's not that. It's not YOU. It's just...well...that's all I seem to be good for with chicks these days. Good buddies...friends...pals...whatever."

He shrugs, making disgusted faces. Dorian laughs.

"Ohhhhh. Something tells me I'M not the one you're pining away for, though."

RJ's brow furrows, and he lists to the side slightly, buzzed. "I'm not PINING away for ANYBODY."

Dorian gives him a knowing look. "Mmmmhmmm."

He sighs again. "Oh, hush up. I never had a chance with her anyway."

She leans against the doorsill. "Well, if you ask me, Tea Delgado is a stupid woman...it's the only way to explain WHY she would CHOOSE to marry that psychopath. I mean, either it's stupidity, or she's as nuts as he is. Why would you WANT to get mixed up with her? You don't need that."

She pauses, then folds her arms. "You're too good for her."

RJ sighs once more, holding his hand up in a "don't go there" gesture, closing his eyes and wincing from the oncoming headache. He starts to take a few steps away.

"Well, thank you, Dorian...but I'm NOT asking you."

She shrugs. "Oh, fine."

"I'm leaving now...good night." He turns and walks down the path slowly.

She shakes her head, smiling. She watches him for a bit, then goes back inside and closes the door.

Down closer to the street now, RJ stops, taking a few deep breaths of the cold air, trying to shake his headache. Suddenly, he hears a sound off to the side, in the bushes somewhere. He turns toward it, eyes wider. He stands there silently for a moment, listening. Nothing for a few seconds...then he hears it again...leaves rustling.

He thinks to himself. Animal, maybe...raccoon...or cat. He shrugs and goes to take another step, when another idea hits him. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck are standing up...something's not right...he turns back again, listening. After another minute or so, he hears the leaves rustling again, back in the direction of the house. Concerned now, he walks cautiously back toward the front door, listening for more sounds. As he gets back up toward the door, he hears more rustling...but it's farther down. He walks past the front door to the corner of the house, leans against it and slowly pokes his head around the corner.

The greenery around Dorian's house is lush and thick. RJ can hardly see anything...but he waits a moment. He's not hearing anything now. He bites his lip, thinking. After another moment of nothing, he decides to investigate. He slides along the side of the building quietly, checking out the bushes and trees as he goes along. He gets to the approximate area where the sounds were coming from and stops, looking around. The leaves are still...no movement, no sound now. He stands there for a minute, stock still, listening. But he doesn't see or hear anything else. Making a face, he goes to start back. For whatever reason, he looks down...and stops. His brow creases, and he squats down lower.

It's dark, and hard to make out, but he sees something in the slightly muddy ground. He bends over further, eyes focusing. The bushes hide it some...he reaches out and pushes some of the leaves back. He pulls back a bit. It looks like...footprints? He bends around it, trying to see if he can make it out from another angle. From the side, the bit of moonlight coming through the trees illuminates it a little better, and he can see more clearly now...a pair of footprints in the dirt...pretty big ones, so...it must be a man's. RJ's lips pucker a little, as he thinks. After a second, he stands up, and turns, looking up at the windows above him. He thinks another moment, then decides to go back. He shimmies back around to the front and knocks on the door.

After a moment, Dorian answers. "Oh...hi! Forget something?"

"No...uh...this is gonna seem weird, but...I heard some noises coming from the bushes, and I went and took a look. I found a pair of footprints in the dirt back there."

Dorian folds her arms, thinking. "Hmmm. Well...it could be the gardener...it probably is."

"This late?"

"Well, no, I mean, they could be old footprints. Did you see anyone back there?"

He shakes his head. "I think I scared them off, whoever they were."

She sighs. "Well, it's not like this would be the first time someone's scoped this place out for a break-in."

RJ scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah...well. You should probably call your security guys, get 'em to patrol here more often...and make sure you keep those doors locked."

He starts to walk away again. She smiles, nodding. "I will. Thank you, RJ."

He throws his arm out in a "yeah, whatever" motion, then heads back to his car. Dorian takes a couple of steps out, glancing around. After a moment, she shrugs, then goes back inside.

Tea's eyes flutter open, then blink slowly. Her brow crinkles, seeing it's still very dark...and she turns her head, wondering why she woke up. Todd lies next to her, sleeping soundly. They'd been sleeping in the same bed ever since that night when she confronted Pete. She goes to sit up, and only goes so far before she remembers Todd's holding her hand. She stops, leaning on her elbow and looking at him for a moment. Smiling, she gently lifts their attached hands, and plants a kiss on his...which causes him to stir. He lets go of her hand and turns over on his back, letting his arms fall where ever. He takes a deep breath, then settles back into sleep.

She slides down to the edge of the bed and gets up, straightening her twisted-up t-shirt and cutoff sweats. She rubs her head as she walks over to the small kitchen. She opens up the fridge...the light makes her squint, and illuminates the room. She reaches in and pulls out a bottle of water, pops the top and takes a few big swigs before pulling it away from her mouth with a suction sound. She puts it back in the fridge and shuts the door, shuffling back to bed. She stretches her neck from side to side, as she sits down and pulls herself back. She slides back under the covers, pulling them up over her as she turns on her side, toward Todd. She listens to the unusual sounds of deep, relaxed breathing coming from him. She lies there a while, sleepy, but still wondering why she woke up in the first place. She tries to remember what she was dreaming about, but can't seem to recall. She sighs, and closes her eyes, trying to shake it off.

Down the street from a cheap motel just outside of Llanview, a man picks up the pay phone on the corner and dials. He takes out a cigarette and lights up as it rings on the other end. The man is young, maybe late twenties, of average build and height, with a buzzed, almost military-style haircut, dressed all in black. He drags off the cigarette until someone picks up on the other end...he speaks with a husky, deep voice.

"Yeah, it's me," he says, stopping to blow some smoke out. "Yeah, I did...well, I don't think it'll be a problem. As long as YOU take care of the security company and the..."

He pauses, listening, taking another drag and blowing out.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to sound bossy," he says sarcastically. "But I'M gonna be the one with my butt on the line tomorrow night, so...yeah, yeah. I got it...right...over here, 1AM...yeah...damn right I'll watch my ass."

He hangs up, tosses the cigarette butt into the street and walks back toward the motel.