It's a bustling, festive atmosphere...but the look on her face never changes. Being in this gorgeous place, feeling the cool ocean breeze mixed with the pulse of the city, brings no smile...not even a wistful one. She pulls the wispy curtains back over the view, and turns away from the window. She sits down on the bed, doing nothing for a moment...just looking down at her hands, folded in her lap. The breeze comes in, parting and lifting the light curtains, and playing with her hair, tossing it around a little.

Finally, she sniffs...wiping her nose as she lies back on the bed, reaching for the phone on the table. She pulls it onto the bed with her and dials.

*****

Del lies on the couch in his apartment, snoring...an empty beer bottle in one hand, the phone in the other. When it starts ringing, he nearly jumps out of his skin. He sits up, dropping the beer bottle on the floor with a dull clank. He rubs his bald head as he answers.

"Yeah...hello?" he says, tiredly.

Tea closes her eyes, relieved to hear his voice. "Hi."

Del's sleepy eyes suddenly widen with recognition. "Oh! Are you alright??? Where the hell ARE YOU??"

She turns over on her back, and reaches behind her to prop herself up with some pillows.

"I'm okay. I'm, uh...I'm in a motel...in...Isla Verde."

He sighs at that, getting up and pacing. "Tea...y'know, not to get on your case or anything, but...what the hell were you thinking?? Why didn't you wait for me??"

She looks up, feeling the tears coming on again. "I'm sorry, Del...I just...I dunno, I guess I panicked."

"Yeah, I'll say you panicked. I can't BELIEVE you would just run off on me like that! And you don't even know where Abuelita's house is! DAMN, girl..."

Tea sighs. "I got scared...I heard Carlotta's message and I just panicked and ran. It was the only thing I could think of to do."

"What, so you don't even trust ME to take care of you, is that it?"

"No! That's not it at all...and you know it, so don't even go there, Del."

There's a short silence as they both back off for a second...then Del sits on the window ledge, looking out at the city.

"Well, anyway...Carlotta wasn't kiddin' around. He was here...waiting around outside when I came home."

Tea sits up at that...running a hand through her hair. "Wh---well, what happened?"

"I told him to get lost...then I came up here and found out you'd gone. I went back downstairs and gave him your note...so he'd know I wasn't lying. Of course, he thought I knew where you were...got kinda pushy on me...so I had to push back."

...a pause on her end, then... "Push? Or punch?"

"Oh, I just had to get the upper hand on him, that's all. Don't worry, I didn't hurt him. But..."

"But what?"

"Well, I was trying to get to the airport to stop you, so I kinda just drove off on him. He was gone when I came back."

Tea bites her lip. "Well...I'm sure he...he probably went back to Viki's...it's kind of a safe house for him, y'know."

"Yeah...eh...I was just thinking about what Carlotta had said, though...about those other guys...RJ and Kevin?"

There's another silence as Tea suddenly remembers that...her eyes widen.

"Oh my god..."

"What?"

"Did they ever contact you? Did you see them?"

Del thinks...then shakes his head. "No...no, I...I never did see them...but..."

Tea gets up, grabbing the phone and pacing around. "Del...you have to call that number...the one Carlotta left on the machine, Kevin's number...do it right now."

"Why?"

"I just...I have a really...really bad feeling...just do it, PLEASE!"

"Tea, what do you care if they dogpile that jerkoff? He deserves it."

"No...you don't know RJ...he's...he's just as dangerous as Todd is. If they find him, there's not gonna BE a dogpile, you understand me? Please...PLEASE...you have to call them, right now...you have to stop them!"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it! But...in the meantime, will ya do me a favor? Get yourself over to Abuelita's...let me get you the address and her number..."

Tea scribbles the info down, nodding. "Okay...I'm on my way now. Hurry, Del..."

"I'll call you over there," he says, hanging up. He goes over to the machine and replays Carlotta's message again, jotting the number down. Then he looks at it, making a face...it looked...familiar...like he'd seen it already...

...he grabs the pager off his belt, suddenly realizing he'd forgotten to turn it on. He scrolls back, looking at the pages he'd missed... all of which were from Kevin. He curses to himself, tossing the pager onto the couch and quickly dialing the number.

*****

Kevin's cell phone rings, echoing around the abandoned warehouse where he's been waiting with RJ...and an unconscious Todd. RJ looks up from his newspaper as Kevin flips open the tiny mouthpiece.

"Buchanan."

Del takes a deep breath. "It's Del."

Kevin brightens, nodding at RJ. "Finally! What took you so long, man?"

"My pager was turned off, sorry. So...what do you want?"

Kevin glances over at Todd, still passed out on the concrete floor. "Y'know, it's amazing how much trash you find out on the street...we picked up a big piece, right outside your place."

Del shuts his eyes for a second, getting it. He hesitates...unsure about how to play this now...wanting to find out about Todd, but not wanting to give away anything about Tea.

"Uh-huh..." he finally says. "...and just what do you plan on DOING with that...trash?"

"Well...we were ABOUT to haul it back to Llanview...but...were HOPING to get Tea to come back with us. Where's she hiding out?"

Del's defense goes up. "Y'know, I don't think Tea's ever been so damned popular. The hell do YOU want with her?"

Kevin lowers his voice, turning away from RJ. "She tell you what Manning did to her?"

Del makes a face, confused. "Well...yeah, I mean...she told me what happened, yeah."

Kevin makes a confused face too...at Del's lack of reaction. "Well, then...you know how serious this is. I mean, the warrant's still out for the shooting attempt on RJ, but---"

"What??! Wait a minute...he SHOT somebody??"

"Yeah...took a shot at RJ before he ran off with Tea. If he hadn't been wearing a bulletproof vest, ol' Todd would probably be going up on murder one."

Del rubs his forehead, feeling a sudden headache...he sits down on the couch. "She didn't tell me THAT."

"Yeah, well, everybody knows he did it, including Bo...but Todd's way too slick to leave evidence behind, so he could still get off, easy. What we need...is Tea to come back with us---"

"Ain't happenin'..." Del interrupts. "...not right now at least. She took off."

Kevin's brow wrinkles. "Took off?" he starts, turning to look at RJ, who walks over to him. "...took off WHERE? Didn't she know we were coming? I thought Carlotta told her."

"Yeah, she did...she got the message, alright. She left me a note...said she couldn't face ANYONE right now, including you two."

Kevin's shoulders sink, as he glances at RJ...who does the same thing, getting a bad feeling.

"Well...where did she go?"

Del lets out a long sigh. "She didn't say. I'm assuming she's gonna call me when she can, when she's ready...but until then, I'm afraid you guys are S.O.L."

Kevin holds the phone away for a minute, cursing to himself...then he gets back on, a thought occurring to him.

"Wait a minute...you said she told you what happened, right?"

"Right."

"Well, what exactly did she tell you?"

Del hesitates, making a face. "I don't think that's any of your business, Buchanan. Now I'm no fan of Manning's, believe me...and I'm real sorry that Tea's not here to testify against him for that shooting, but---"

Kevin shakes his head, cutting him off. "No-no-no...I'm not talking about the shooting. I'm talking about RAPE."

Del's mouth falls open at that. "Wh-what? No...no, no...there was no rape, I even asked her flat out. She said she got a little scared, but...he DID NOT rape her."

Kevin tips his head slightly...then turns around to look down at Todd. "That's not what he said."

Del stands up at that, feeling his blood starting to boil. "Alright, you better explain yourself, right now. What the HELL are you talking about...and...and how do YOU even know about ANY of this, anyway?!"

RJ watches as Kevin paces around the warehouse, casually stepping over Todd.

"Todd was hiding out at my mother's house when he came back to Llanview...I just happened to overhear him talking to his kid. He admitted it to her," he says...then grins when he hears nothing but silence on the other end...knowing he's got Del where he wants him now.

Del stands there in the middle of the living room, a hand over his eyes...unable to respond...still not knowing what to think. Unconsciously, he lets his thoughts slip out aloud...

"No...no, she woulda told me...she wouldn't lie to me...I ASKED her...she said NO..."

Kevin leans up against some empty crates stacked in a corner. "Well, no offense, but...of course she's gonna say that. I mean, god only knows what Todd would do to her if she actually TOLD somebody what REALLY happened..." he says, then pauses...no response. He grins again.

"...look, Del...obviously Tea's scared out of her mind...and she's figuring the only way to stay safe is to run. And I can't really blame her, but...you know as well as I do, it's just as dangerous for her to be out there alone. She's completely cut off from everyone who cares about her. Now we'll take Todd back to Llanview, but...I can't guarantee how long Bo's gonna be able to hold him..."

Del paces back and forth...debating...still not sure if he's telling the truth. "I don't really see how I can help you, bro. Like I said, she didn't tell me where she was going. I may not hear from her at all."

Kevin straightens up, walking back across the floor toward RJ, with that smug grin.

"Uh-huh..." he says, unconvinced. "...well...something tells me you might suddenly FIND OUT where she went. And when you do...I suggest you do whatever you have to do to get her to come home. 'Cause if she doesn't press charges, all Todd's gonna have to do is dip into those deep pockets of his, post bail, and BAM...gone. He'll be right back on her trail..."

Del bites his lip at that, as Kevin hammers in the final blow.

"...and then it's only gonna be a matter of time at that point, man. I mean, Todd's pretty obsessive normally, but when it comes to her...forget it. He WILL find her. *I* know it...and YOU know it, too."

There's a silence as Del tries to make sense of everything...finally, he speaks quietly.

"Look, I got your number, okay? I'm not promising anything, but IF she calls me, I'll tell her what's what. But it's her call from there."

Kevin laughs a little. "Oh, believe me...Tea already KNOWS what's what. She just needs a little reminder...that the only way she's EVER gonna be truly safe...is if Manning's locked up...or dead."

With that, he flips the mouthpiece closed, abruptly hanging up. Del stands there in the middle of the room...listening to the dial tone for a moment, before he shuts the phone off and sinks back down on the couch, burying his face in his hands...even more confused now, than he was before.

*****

Kevin puts the phone in his pocket, and turns to face RJ, standing right in front of him, arms folded.

"Well?"

"Well...we wait."

RJ's shoulders sink again. "Where'd she go?"

"I dunno...but Del's covering for her, that much I could tell. So we just sit tight until we hear from her."

RJ laughs, humorlessly. "And how the hell do YOU know we're gonna hear from her? She might NEVER come back now."

On the floor, Todd's eyes start fluttering...the first signs of consciousness. Kevin laughs back at RJ, pacing around.

"Oh, she'll come back. She will...you just watch."

Fluttering becomes blinking...and slowly, Todd opens his eyes. He squints at the strange, sideways, ground-level view...then recognizes feet...and voices... Kevin's... RJ's... talking... talking about...him...and Tea. He feels the familiar urge to get up and run...but stops it before he can move...before he can give away the fact that he's awake. He quickly shuts his eyes again, and concentrates on their voices. He hears Kevin's voice, coming closer, along with his footsteps.

"Tea never learns...Todd suckers her in every time, just like he does with Sam, just like he does with my mother. They'll stand up for him no matter what he does...and if there's one thing they can't stand, it's seeing Todd, the poor, miserable, abused child...suffering," he says, with a mock sappiness...looking at RJ with wide, puppy-dog eyes and a pouty lip.

RJ shakes his head...as Kevin puts his normal face back on, and points at him, knowingly.

"Think about it, RJ. Todd never did anything but abuse her...mentally, physically...and okay, yeah, she walked out on him what, twenty or thirty times? But in the end...what did she do?"

Todd opens his eyes, ever so slightly...feeling his temper starting to flare, deep down in his gut. RJ just stands there, as Kevin walks back over to him, still pointing.

"...she went back..." he finishes. "...she ALWAYS ended up going back...and as sick, and disgusting as it might be to think about, I know it's still the same, even now. He could've raped her a million times, he could've beaten her to a pulp...doesn't matter. I will bet you ANYTHING...as soon as she talks to Del, as soon as she knows Todd's in trouble..." He snaps his fingers, and it echoes all around. "...she'll be on the next plane."

RJ's mouth opens a little at that...and he squints at him. "You really think Tea's THAT stupid? THAT pathetic? You don't know her at all."

Kevin laughs again. "No, man...YOU'RE the one that doesn't know her... 'cause if you did, you NEVER woulda gotten involved with her in the first place. Tea is RUINED...FOR...LIFE...don't you see that yet? She is INCAPABLE of EVER cutting the ties with Todd. He can do anything to her...ANYTHING...and she will ALWAYS go back to HIM. Jesus, man...what the hell's it gonna take to get it through that thick head of yours? She DOESN'T LOVE YOU...she CAN'T."

RJ bites down hard, setting his jaw. On the floor, Todd does the same thing...fuming at Kevin's words, but still just listening. A heavy silence has fills the room for a moment...

...then RJ crosses the room like a shot, grabbing Kevin by the jacket lapels and slamming him up against the stacked crates. He leans in close, putting them nose-to-nose.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that YOU CARE about her? Uh-uh...I see what you're up to now, Buchanan...you're standing here talking about how Manning abused her, what the hell you call THIS?? You just wanna USE her to get HIM locked up! You don't care WHAT happens to her after that!"

Kevin tries uselessly to push him off. "Well, it's not like anything's GONNA happen to her! Besides...it's just a means to an end, man...and once he's back in Statesville, that'll be the end of it...problem solved. She can go back to living a normal life."

Todd's eyes open wider at that, as RJ laughs...a loud, sarcastic laugh that makes Kevin feel like he just said something really dumb.

"YOU...don't know ANYTHING...and what's worse...you don't give a damn. You don't give a damn about the fact that she's gonna have to go through a VERY PUBLIC trial...you don't give a damn about the fact that she's gonna have to re-live every little graphic detail in front of the entire town...you don't give a damn about the fact that she's gonna have to stare Manning in the face and NAME him as her rapist---"

Kevin finally manages to shove RJ away. "Spare me the theatrics. She'll LIVE."

RJ just grabs him again, getting right back in his face. "You actually think that just because Manning's gonna be locked up for a few years...that all her problems are solved FOREVER?? What, you think he's just gonna VANISH once he gets there??"

Kevin squirms, uncomfortably...unable to get away from him.

"Well, let me tell you something right now. When you're inside...you have NOTHING but time...time to think about the people who put you there...time to plan what you're gonna do to them when you get out. And Todd knows how to play the game better than anybody. So even if they do send him up for thirty or forty years, chances are he'll be out in TEN. And where do you think he's gonna go first, huh? You REALLY don't get it...Tea's gonna have to spend the REST OF HER LIFE looking over her shoulder. That's pretty FAR from normal."

Kevin glances into his eyes...but only briefly, looking down at the floor. RJ stares at him intently...then pushes him off, walking away.

"But you weren't thinking of THAT, were you?"

Kevin shakes his shoulders roughly, trying to readjust his jacket. "Oh, gimme a break, RJ. If this was such a lousy idea, if you CARE about her so damned much, why the hell did YOU go along with it??"

RJ turns around...but says nothing. Kevin nods, pointing.

"Uh-huh! See? This isn't about Tea...it's about TODD...getting what he so richly deserves. So don't EVEN gimme THAT crap!"

RJ laughs again. "Hey, man, I never made any big secret outta the fact that I wanted some getback. The difference is...I DO care about her...and MY only mistake was getting involved with your stupid ass. I dunno why I didn't see it before, but I see it now. This little plan of yours...is only gonna make things worse for her..." he says, walking back over to him. "...so y'know what? I'll take over from here."

Kevin makes a face at that, as RJ whirls around to look at Todd...who lies there with his back to them, motionless...but with eyes wide open now...eyes that dart back and forth, as he gets increasingly anxious with the silence.

RJ nods to himself, looking back at Kevin...then he strides over to Todd, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up. Kevin looks on as Todd seems to suddenly come to life...taking RJ by surprise, as he wriggles out of his hold and turns around...and before he can do anything, Todd punches him squarely in the face. RJ staggers back, and Todd takes the opportunity to hit him again, with everything he has. RJ lets out a grunt as his knees buckle and he falls to the ground, holding the side of his head. Todd stands there, chest heaving, looking down at him...then raises his eyes to Kevin...who just stays where he is, too shocked to move. Todd stares at him for a second, through the hair that's fallen down over his eyes...with the coldest concentration. Trying not to look threatened, Kevin raises his chin, defiantly.

Todd glances back and forth between the two of them...then turns and bolts, out through the first opening he can find...a big, corroded-out hole in the wall. Kevin runs over to RJ, who's just getting back on his feet.

"Hey, man...you okay?"

RJ pushes him off, wiping his bloodied nose on the back of his hand...then reaches behind him, grabbing the gun tucked in his belt. Kevin's eyes widen.

"Whoa...wait, what're you gonna do?"

RJ just glares at him...then takes off after Todd, through the same hole. Once outside, in the dark, he stops...listening for movement, as he gingerly pulls the slide back on the gun, chambering a round. Then his ears perk up, hearing footsteps moving away...he steps out from behind some crates, into the pier area...and sees Todd, hauling ass down the dock. Kevin steps out through the hole, just in time to see RJ raise the gun and take aim. RJ sees him out of the corner of his eye, twitching slightly as he fires...sending the bullet off-course.

Todd lets out a startled breath as he hears the bullet impact, hitting the wall of the warehouse he's passing...ricocheting off the wall with a loud PING! as it flies off toward the water. The sudden adrenaline surge puts even more speed into his stride, and he just continues flying down the dockside. RJ curses to himself, whirling around on Kevin, who jumps back, hands up.

"WHOA!!! What the hell are you DOING??? Are you NUTS???"

RJ shakes his head at him, his expression dead serious. "I'm gonna end this...RIGHT NOW. Go get the car."

Kevin's shoulders sink, as RJ turns and runs off, pouring on the speed to catch up with Todd, whom he can barely see in the dark...a tiny figure, way, way ahead of him. But RJ just keeps moving, even more determined now.

At his end, Todd takes a second to look behind him, not noticing the change in the sound of his footsteps, as he leaves the concrete and starts pounding down the wooden boards of one of the piers. Turning his head both ways, he sees...someone...back a ways, but on his tail nonetheless. He looks ahead again, just in time to see the end of the pier, coming up fast. He stops, almost falling over...he turns around as he regains his balance, and sees RJ moving in quick, his long braids flying out behind him. Todd starts backing up, looking around wildly for another way out...

...but there isn't one...it's either RJ...or the water.

Todd stands there, panting...his heart beating fast, sweat falling down his face and into his eyes...watching as RJ reaches the pier...and stops, immediately taking aim. It gets disturbingly quiet as the two of them stand there for a moment...the only sounds being the water, the slight creaking of the pier as it lists back and forth...and their hard breathing. RJ takes a step forward...and Todd takes a step back, raising his hands slightly...taking his eyes off RJ for a second, to look around. And in that second, Todd makes the horrible realization...that he is about to die...for the second, and last time. He remembers the first time...and can hear the voices of the men who shot him in Ireland...thinking he was someone else.

Someone else...he'd spent most of his short life wishing he were someone else...either that, or wishing he was dead. He thinks of all the times he'd WANTED to die...those nights when he used to hide from his father, in the dark corners of closets...every single day in Statesville...every time he had to look Marty Saybrooke in the face...after he recovered from hell in Ireland, only to find his wife banging the guy he'd taken the bullets for...when he let his closed fist swing at Tea's face...

The last thought sends a chill through him, as a million other thoughts race through his mind at once...as if he were trying to get all his thinking done before RJ pulls the trigger. He thinks about Starr...about how beautiful she was...about how many times he'd left her...about how much he wanted for her...about how he'll never get to see her grow up...

...but mostly, he thinks about Tea. He shuts his eyes, and tries to remember the last time he saw her face...it was dark, like it was now...but the moon shone in, onto the bed, coloring her blue...highlighting her hair, and putting a bright glint in her eyes as she looked back at him. He can almost feel her hand on his arm, preventing him from running away...and he can almost feel her...as he remembers reaching for her, his hand on her back, pulling her toward him. He twitches slightly...almost, but not quite feeling the head rush that went through him when her lips touched his.

But that quick, the thought disappears...along with the almost-feelings it brought with it...replaced by the thought of her, out there somewhere...alone...and scared...of him. He suddenly sees her face again, bruised this time...from those times he lashed out at her. He opens his eyes again, to see RJ...and the gun...even closer than they were before...

...and he thinks maybe this is...how it should be. If he really did what he fears he did...then...

...then I deserve it.

The two men make eye contact again, and another long silence passes between them...but neither one has any intention of speaking to the other. The pier sways gently, with the current...and Todd takes in a deep breath, letting the salty air into his lungs...and gazes into RJ's clear, steady eyes, shining in the dark.

...do it, man...I want you to...do it...do it for Tea...so she won't be afraid anymore...

Back at the warehouse, Kevin pulls the car around, leaving it running as he gets out and looks for them.

BANG!!!!

He instinctively ducks, hearing the shot echoing all around. He straightens back up, eyes wide, looking all around...but sees nothing. Then he slumps against the car, covering his mouth with a closed fist...completely in shock.

After a moment, he hears footsteps approaching...he gets up and jumps into the car, slamming the door shut...looking out, nervously. RJ appears after a second, and Kevin watches as he looks around, then hauls back and throws the gun toward the water as hard as he can. The gun makes a sort-of whistling sound as it spins through the air, finally landing in the water with a tiny splash. Then RJ opens the car door, and gets in, slowly...casually...shutting the door quietly. Kevin looks over at him, eyes wide, gaping slightly....but RJ just stares straight ahead, and says nothing. At least a minute passes before Kevin starts babbling, in a panic.

"Well, what...I mean, where...I mean, did...Todd...what---"

Without a word, RJ reaches over and grabs Kevin by the back of the head, roughly. Then he slowly turns to look at him, putting his lips to his ears.

"Problem solved..." he whispers. "...now do me a favor, okay? SHUT UP...and get us outta here."

He pushes Kevin away, and folds his hands in his lap...staring straight ahead again. Kevin stares at him for a second, rubbing the back of his neck...then he puts the car in gear and drives off. The car speeds down the dock, making a hissing sound as the wheels make contact with the wet pavement...

...passing the pier where RJ and Todd were standing just a few minutes earlier. It continues to rock to and fro, peacefully...the only evidence of trouble...a few of the ratty wooden boards...now stained with blood.