Missing ~ Chapter 17

When Tea opens her eyes again, she's looking sideways at a wall. She makes a face, then sits up, cautiously, looking all around. The hours had gone by so quickly, it was all jumbled in her memory now. But things start to come back, slowly...she's on a bed, in a motel room...somewhere. Where did we stop? God, I can't remember... She puts a hand to her forehead, then runs it through her mussed hair as her eyes find the corner of the darkened room, and stop.

Todd sits there, in a chair about as far away from her as he can get. His head is tilted back, held up by the wall. Sleeping or awake, she can't tell...so she licks her lip, trying to wet her dried out mouth.

"Todd..." she says, whispering. No answer.

"Todd?" she says again, louder, but still hoarse.

He still doesn't answer, so she pulls her legs around, stretching them out before sliding off the bed, standing up tiredly, like an old woman, bending back and forth to unkink her back as she makes her way over to him.

"Hey..." she whispers, just barely touching his arm.

Todd jolts out of his dozing state, springing up out of the chair. Startled, Tea gasps, jumping back from him. Breathing hard and fast, he looks all around, then finally sees her...but...Tea notices his eyes, even in the dimness of the room, that familiar glaze of...she never could say what, exactly, but she knows it's not good.

"Hey..." she says again. "It's okay...it's just me."

His eyes narrow, studying her as his breathing slows. Tea studies right back, not liking the vibe she's getting from him. He looks as if he's seeing something else in the place where she's standing, a very unsettling thought, like the ground she's standing on could give way at any time.

She squints back. "What?"

Todd continues to stare around, through her...indeed, seeing something else...a rapid succession of images, just like when he was in the hospital. Those splintered, frayed bits of memory, none of them complete enough to make a whole picture...but the feelings that come with them, are as old and familiar as they can get.

Remember...remember what you have to do.

Finally, he straightens up a little, rolling his shoulders back...the sudden surge of pain clearing his head. Then he takes the deepest breath ever, before speaking.

"Thank you...for getting me out of there, but..." he starts, needing to swallow hard.

"...but either you should go, or I should."

Tea's mouth falls open at that. To not hear his voice for so long...and then, for this to be the first thing he says...it blindsides her.

"Wh-what?" she finally says.

"We can't do this again...not again, not ever..." he replies, shaking his head. Tea stands there, still a bit too sleepy to keep up...then suddenly, she realizes...wakes up. She sighs, shoulders dropping.

"Okay...look...just...listen to me for a second, okay...?" she asks, softly...and so warm, he feels the words melting his determination. He shakes his head, backing up as she steps forward.

"Don't," he says, his tone harsh...but raspy and desperate at the same time. Tea can't help but let out a breath at that, at what always affected her most about him...his never-ending struggle with himself...with the ghosts, the demons, the memories that hung on him like manacles. She remembers a time when she would have immediately backed off, bowed to his self-knowledge. And she does stop, hesitating for just a second, questioning herself...but then, a voice calls to her from some secluded place inside herself...

...don't you see, don't you realize how close you both are to having everything you want? It's right there, you're almost there, both of you. But you need to be brave, you both need to face your fears head on. Because THAT...is all that stands in your way.

...be brave...

...and just like that, her foot moves forward, on its own almost, with new determination. Todd's face twists with frustration, as he stretches an arm out, pointing at her.

"STOP...stop right there, Tea, I'm warning you..."

"No," she finally replies, hearing the voice again...reminding her...

...if you let this fear beat you back, you're denying your own happiness. That goes for both of you...

"You listen to me..." she says, continuing her slow advance. Todd takes one more step back, almost tripping, as his back hits the wall. He pushes up against it, trying to sink into it, as Tea steps right up to him...eyes glossy with tears, but wide and alert as well.

"I...I'm so sorry...about what I did. I just...panicked. It was a stupid thing to do, and...now I've made such a mess of everything. I'm sorry."

She notices the strangest look crossing his face at her apology, like...it was unexpected, and more than that, like it was wrong. She wrinkles her brow at that, watching as he shuts his eyes for a second...but doesn't say anything. Tea bites her lip, trying to interpret the look quickly...and the question comes out of her before even she quite realizes it...

"Todd...do you even REMEMBER what happened?"

And without a word, she gets her answer. The subtle change in his eyes, the body language...suddenly it all falls into place, and she does back off this time, covering her mouth. Then she shuts her eyes, the hand on her mouth moving up to rub the knotting muscles in her forehead.

"Oh...shit..." she whispers to herself, but of course, Todd hears it. He pushes away from the wall, standing on his own two feet.

"Oh, don't worry. I remember enough," he says, finally...but again, with that certain flat, almost emotionless inflection, that throws her off...and she opens her eyes, dropping her arm to her side. The two of them face off for a moment, the patterns of headlights streaking across the room occasionally, like searchlights, accompanied by the muffled whooshing noises of the cars passing by. Tea continues to study him, analyzing, interpreting, trying to come up with the appropriate response. After another moment, she picks up on something...whether it's the infinitesimal movement of his eyebrow, or his stance changing a millimeter or two, she can't tell...but it prompts her just the same.

"Wait...why do I get the feeling we're not talking about the same thing...or...we're not REMEMBERING the same thing?"

Todd's chin lifts at that...then he looks down, starting to lose his focus. Tea's question wasn't computing. It was starting to make him doubt what he THOUGHT he knew. Tea tips her head slowly, picking up on his confusion.

"Todd...look at me."

And he does...first the eyes move, then the head follows, cautiously. She takes a step toward him.

"It...I mean...you didn't...HURT me, you know that...don't you?" the words fall out of her mouth sloppily, but she manages to get the right ones out somehow. She waits, again, studying every move, every twitch...because she knows it's all important. But the room was so dark now, even with the lamps on, it seemed darker than before. He was, literally and figuratively, getting harder to see...slipping out of her grasp, and receding from her.

Todd's cloudy memories flash across the screen of his mind again, suggesting the opposite of what Tea just said to him, and now...he was at a loss. Suddenly he feels like there are a million words backing up in his mouth, but...they just won't come out, and it starts to cause a pileup of emotions inside him. He could feel it, building, compounding in its intensity, as one slams into the other, and another into the one before it...

...all because of one thing. He loved her...more completely than there were words to describe. But in spite of that, it seemed that all he could ever do was harm her. He'd done it before, and clearly he had done it that night, he must have...but why she saying what she was saying, he had no idea. Was she so deluded in her idea of happiness that she'd say anything? Did she care so little about herself...or...

...had she just...lost herself?

The very thought of that brings tears to his eyes, the unbearable idea that if he hadn't come into her life, she'd be free to live as she deserved to. He was the cage, trapping her in this hellish existence simply because he was too selfish to let her go. He sees her face changing, reacting to him as she steps closer...her face revealing, offering all that she is to him...yet again...

...and if it was ever possible to love somebody as much as he did right then, he wasn't sure. But if the measure of his love was equal to how badly he hurt, then...well...it was clearer now than ever.

Remember...what you have to do...

Tea sees an awful lot going on, on his face...and what it all meant, she didn't know. But they were here now, and the important thing was to keep going forward...not to stop now. Take the risk, and say what needs to be said. So, with a deep breath, she raises a hand to his face, gently moving his hair, smoothing it, pushing it behind his ear...

...which draws an audible sound out of him, a painful exhalation of pent-up stress which goes right through to her soul, moving her deeply...encouraging her to continue.

"It's okay, shhhhh...it's gonna be okay..." she whispers, but it's not even words to him...more like breezes, gently caressing his face...weakening his resolve. Tea gets bolder, allowing herself to get lost in the moment, in how much she missed him...craning her neck to bring their faces closer.

"...I love you...that's all there is to it..."

Todd lets out another harsh breath at that, fighting...fighting so many things at once, within and without. Remember... he thinks, over and over, as her lips barely brush by his, making him lightheaded with need, longing...

...do it...do it now...let her go...

"No..." he whispers, in a heart-wrenching, tortured plea...and Tea stops immediately.

Then, instinctively, and despite his fragile shoulder, Todd grabs her by the upper arms suddenly, and pushes her back.

"...no...NO...get away!!" he yells, as she stumbles backward, thrown off for a second...a different emotion now flashing in her eyes...the instinct of apprehension. Todd breathes hard, seeing it...the instant shame of it, and the pain in his shoulder acting like accelerants, feeding his new sense of purpose.

"You need to WAKE THE FUCK UP, Delgado!!! You're living in a fuckin' dream world if you think we're gonna be happily-ever-after! I'm not your fuckin' PRINCE...and NOBODY'S getting rescued here!! Get it through your fuckin' head!!!!"

Tea reels from the verbal assault...then after a second, she just shakes her head, which ties his insides tighter, into an excruciating knot. He takes the offensive, advancing on her now.

"There is no LOVE with me...there's just..." he starts, using his hands to pull the words out of the air.

"...DEATH...don't you GET THAT YET??? A slow, painful, soul-sucking DEATH that takes a LIFETIME...and no amount of love is gonna save me...OR YOU!!"

She shakes her head more vigorously, but he counters before she can say anything.

"YES...PAIN, Tea...that's what I'M ALL ABOUT! And you know it, too, SOMEWHERE in that head of yours," he says, poking her forehead, pushing her back farther.

"I live with it...it's like breathing to me...and I'll inflict it on ANYONE who gets close enough!! Don't you remember...THAT'S why you ran!!"

Tea lets out a breath, as her legs hit the bed. She looks at him, then does the only thing she can do...she pushes him back. He stops for a second, caught off-guard by her defiance...loving it. But he can't stop now. He has to make sure she gets away...

not again...NOT again...let her go...

"You finally saw me, didn't you? You saw me, you felt me, the REAL me...pulling your hair, holding you down..." he breathes, advancing again, invading her space now as their clothes start rubbing together. She turns her head for an instant to look behind her, but he grabs her chin, pulling her back, right into his face.

"THAT'S the real me...you saw it, and you ran. And I dunno what the hell made you think you could handle it in the first place, but now...you're gonna run again...and you're gonna STAY GONE."

Tea's eyes flash, furiously...as the words trigger the big realization. She grabs his hand and yanks it off her face.

"Oh, no...no-no-no-no-NO! YOU...are gonna cut the SHIT, that's what YOU'RE gonna do! You don't get to do this anymore, Todd...you are NOT...gonna push ME away and go hide in your own personal hell, you fuckin'..." she spits, through clenched teeth, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

"...chickenshit...bastard...YOU DEAL WITH ME!! Don't fuckin' threaten me with shit you don't mean just to get me to go away!! 'Cause it's not gonna happen!! Do YOU...GET THAT??!!"

Todd stares at her, reeling...amazed, scared and confused all at the same time. He studies her face, and can almost feel the heat in her cheeks, the new flush of temper running through her. This was so hard...getting so much harder to do with her right in his face, furious...and strong...and beautiful.

He makes the next move before even realizing it, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her down on the bed. He gets on top of her fast, before she can make a move...and grabbing her wrists, stretches her arms up over her head. She looks at him, eyes wide, as he gets on his knees around her.

"Does this feel familiar at all? Ringing any bells yet?" he whispers, trying to sound as cold as possible.

Labored breaths escape Tea's mouth, as she starts to struggle, like any other person would. But he just tightens the grip, putting his mouth by her ear.

"That's it...struggle..." he whispers again, but...knowing she can't really see him, he shuts his eyes...biting his own lip so hard it hurts.

not again...NOT AGAIN...

"...if you won't go, I'll MAKE you. You wanna know how I did Marty? Huh?! Want me to SHOW you??"

Tea busts out crying at his sickening suggestion, unable to stop herself...and Todd cries right along with her, knowing it's starting to work...it's working, and he just wants to die.

"I'll make you remember why you can't love me, Tea."

Just like that, Tea stops struggling, hearing it...that something behind the words, the certain tone and cadence of his voice, that was so revealing. It stops the flow of tears immediately, opening her eyes again. And she just waits for him to get up the nerve to raise his head and look at her. When he does, the silence between them is powerful, each of them seeing the tear tracks on the other.

"Let me go," she whispers, calmly.

He shakes his head.

She shuts her eyes, breathing deep. "Todd...let...me...go. Please."

That's what he was trying to do, let her go...free her by being as cruel as he could possibly be...drain her of her sympathy, of her love. It was killing him to do it...but he didn't know what else to do anymore. His shoulder seizes just then, making him twitch a little, making Tea grunt with the all the weight on her...and he shakes his head again, the pain serving as a reminder of what had to be done. So he bears down on her, making her as uncomfortable as possible, even trying to see something else in her place, something horrible, something deserving of all this brutality. It was so hard to do, though...especially when he could feel her under him, straining to hold his weight, struggling to get a full breath into her lungs. He could feel her ribs, the bones in her wrists...and all he wanted to do was love her, and feel her love in return.

How did things get to this point...when did it become more rational for him to assault her than to love her? No idea...he really had no idea. He shuts his eyes for a second, feeling so very tired all of a sudden...drained, and defeated.

Tea sucks another breath in, as he bends down, putting their faces close.

"How many times, Delgado...how many times am I gonna have to punch you in the face? How many times do I have to tie your hands and gag you before you'll get the point?" he whispers, with a different tone now, calmer and gentler...and even though it sounded insulting, Tea's face softens, realizing how...reasonable...the question actually was.

A long silence follows...during which, Todd sits up, abruptly releasing his hold on her. Tea stays down for a moment, still a little overwhelmed...but eventually, she pulls herself up too. They rearrange themselves on the bed, making room for each other. Tea gathers her legs under her, Indian style...then wipes her face, as she looks at him again.

"Y'know...when you put it that way...I seem like...an idiot," she says, with a small, pitiful laugh.

Todd just wags his eyebrows at that, roughly wiping his own face. Tea shrugs back.

"And for some reason, all that's coming to mind is that...I love you...and now that sounds even MORE pathetic, doesn't it? I should shut up..." she says, laughing again, but crying again, at the same time.

Todd bites his lip at that, feeling so horrible, but so close to her, at the same time...and he moves in a little, cupping her face in his hands. He has to close his eyes, at the overwhelming difference...touching her this way, brings such different emotions, more powerful and scarier ones, to the surface.

He opens his eyes again. "You're not an idiot...you're beautiful..." he replies, and she doesn't know what else to do except laugh, with tears rolling down her face. She tries to look away, but he pulls her back, gently, but firmly.

"...god, you're beautiful."

Another silence, as she smiles at him, through all the tears on her face.

"You think we're ever gonna make it?" she asks, matter-of-factly.

Todd's brow crinkles in at that...then wags. "Yeah...I do. I---" he stops, wanting to use a word that he never uses. Tea smiles a little wider, knowing already.

"You hope..." she finishes...then nods, sniffling. "...well, so do I...and that's why I come back. And maybe...I AM stupid, maybe...I'm the biggest fucking moron who ever lived and you're a selfish bastard, and we both deserve everything we get. I mean, it's not like I'VE forgotten anything. I remember VERY CLEARLY...getting punched in the face, I remember you getting rough with me in bed, I remember every single rotten thing you've ever said or done. And I remember being just as rotten sometimes...I remember it all..." she stops, realizing again, how pitiful she sounds.

And she sighs, taking a second to close her eyes, rubbing her face into his palm...then she looks back at him.

"...so yes, I suppose...the sensible thing is to cut ties and forget the whole fuckin' thing. But y'know...we just tried that, in a way, and didn't seem to help any..." she says, putting her own hands on his, pulling them down into her lap, allowing her to move in closer.

"...so I...I dunno...I have no idea what to do," she finishes, in a whisper, with a weak shrug, and another long silence passes. They find themselves drawn in closer, their foreheads gently bumping together.

"But if you really want me to go, I'll go," she says, and he looks up at her, pulling back a little. She half-smiles, squeezing his hands tighter.

"I'm so tired of fighting about this, Todd. I'm so tired of us...rehashing the same bullshit over and over, and over again, and never getting anywhere. So if cutting the ties is what we think is best, then...okay, but...it has to be a mutual decision, and...we have to stick with it this time."

Todd stares into her, deeply...always amazed at her eloquence, her ability to be so up-front, in the face of terrible things. He takes a second to think, then sighs.

"I don't KNOW what's best, Delgado. All I know is that...I can't let you live like this, with me, it's...it's not fair to you. You don't deserve anything I've ever done to you, and you don't deserve to live out every day, worrying about whether or not I'm gonna lose it on you. I know I told you before, you had no life back home with your family and your job...and RJ...but...at least you didn't have to worry about stuff like what was gonna happen to you from one minute to the next. That's no better."

She takes that in, with a little nod. Then she shrugs. "Yeah...true."

"I mean...that IS what happened, right? I scared you?" he asks...and she hesitates, looking down guiltily. He waits for a second, then tips his head a little, to keep her looking at him.

"Delgado?"

She looks up, with a sigh. Then she nods. "Yes. You got rough with me, and...I panicked. Panicked and ran."

His face softens at that, at how she doesn't rationalize or overexplain it. He nods back.

"I'm sorry, y'know. I really am sorry."

She nods too. "I know."

Silence again...a bit of a mental rest for them both. Then Tea sniffs, wiping her moistened eyes yet again.

"So...um...I guess we're back to 'what do we do now?'"

Todd glances away, thinking...then shakes his head, at a loss. "I don't know."

"Me neither," she replies, softly...looking down at her lap.

Silence again, as they run out of things to say. Finally, though, Tea sighs...and Todd watches her as she lies back down, pulling a pillow under her head.

"Look, I'm still really tired. Can we just...come back to this in like, an hour or so?"

Todd nods, actually sinking down himself. "Yeah...good idea."

"Okay..." Tea replies, with a huge yawn. Todd turns on his side, watching her big eyes getting heavy, closing, opening, closing longer...opening again...then closing...and staying closed. Her breathing slows, getting deeper, heavier, as she falls back to sleep.

Todd watches her for a long time, looking down at her. The decision to be made still hangs heavy in the air...and somehow, even with all the truth and honesty that just passed between them, he feels as if they haven't really gotten anywhere...like she had just said.

Then the thought occurs to him suddenly...

...go.

He makes a face at that, tempted...always tempted to run. It was the easy out, the option that was always open. She'd wake up, and probably be angry...and hurt, like he was when she left...but...she'd know why. Just like he did.

He sighs, realizing...the pointlessness of it. Round, and round, and round we go...will we stop? Who the hell knows. He sinks down again, resting his head on the same pillow she's using, their faces only inches apart.

And as he goes back over their confrontation in his mind...he realizes...or more like, admits to himself, finally...that it all comes down to one thing...well, two things, actually...love...and fear. Love is what they both want. Fear is what they have to overcome in order to achieve it. Not just his, not just hers, but both...and he realizes too, that it's not impossible to do. There was nothing that either of them didn't know about the other now, not at this point.

So the question was not really, what do they do, but...were they willing to take the risk, and abide by the outcome? And even more than that, were they willing...really willing...to do whatever it took to make it work?

Big questions, he thinks, unconsciously reaching out, moving some of the hair out of her face. Questions he honestly didn't know the answers to...but...what would be the alternative? He could still leave, give her the chance to live her own life. But...if their love is for real, and runs as deep as it seems to, what kind of life would she really have? A better one? Safer, maybe...but not better. And he...what kind of life would HE have, without her? He could comfort himself with the idea that he'd given her her freedom...but would that really balance out with how much he would miss her? Would that really fill the hole her absence would leave...

...and would either of them really be free, without the other?

He sighs heavily, at the headache coming on from all the questions. It forces him to close his eyes for just a minute...

...a minute...then another...and another.

The sun hits Todd in the eyes, going right through his closed lids. He tightens them, but ends up opening them anyway. Then he squints, with a muffled grunt...the light was right in his face, blinding him. So he sits up, quickly, getting out of the way, back into the shade. He rubs his face with both hands.

"OW! Fuck!" he hisses, at the pain that shoots through his shoulder. That wakes him all the way up, making him look around...up, down, next to him.

...next to him...

...as warm as the room is, with the sun coming through, he feels the coldest chill run down his spine, at the sight of the empty space next to him...where Tea had been, when they both fell asleep.

No...

"No...oh, god..." he whispers to himself, looking around more frantically now. "...no...no, no, no..."

In that instant, he knows exactly what he wants, and what he's willing to do...because the sudden, stabbing fear he feels, drives it straight home.

Then suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere...

"Hey."

He freezes...then looks slowly toward the sound, but it's right in the sun. He squints at it, starting to think he's hearing things...then a shadow stands up into the light, shading him again.

"You okay?"

Todd blinks, quickly, trying to get his eyes to see...and gradually, details become clearer...as does the voice. Tea stands there, silhouetted by the sun, holding a blanket around her shoulders, looking at him. He lets out a loud, relieved sigh, as he jumps off the bed and moves over to her in two quick steps, grabbing her.

"Jesus..." he breathes, into her hair. "...I thought you'd gone..."

Tea makes a clicking sound in her mouth, that 'of course not' sound, as she lets the blanket drop off her shoulders, so Todd can get his arms around her. She hugs him back, tightly, rocking back and forth gently.

"No...I'm still here."

A short silence, as they just hold onto each other for dear life...then Todd pulls back a little, so they can look each other in the eye.

"I don't want you to go, Tea..." he starts, fighting an urge to cry, watching as her lips part at that. "...I don't...I...and I don't want ME to go, either. I'm so fucking confused right now, I don't know what to do, and it's pissing me off..."

She just looks into him, speechless. He puts his hands on her face, holding it on either side.

"...I do love you...and that scares the shit outta me. I still don't know how to handle it, I never have...so how do I do this, tell me...tell me what to do..."

Tea bites her lip, as new tears fall down her cheeks. She thinks...and thinks...and can only come up with only one thing. She shrugs a little, wrapping her hands around his as she whispers to him.

"...be brave, baby...every day of your life, just...be brave...and I'll do the same."

Todd lets out a breath at that...at how oversimplified it sounds, and yet...how true it is. They hold each other's gaze for a while, letting the answer just sink in...then he nods.

He looks at her, the eyes-mouth-eyes look she loves so much...then he moves in fast, kissing her before she even realizes it. She stiffens up for just a second, caught off-guard...but she relaxes quickly, and gives into everything she's feeling. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him back hard. Her boldness encourages him, and he pushes the chair she was sitting in out of the way, backing her into the wall. They waste no time, not giving themselves the chance to think, or talk, or question anymore. Hands roam, undoing, unbuttoning, pulling and tugging as they kiss deeply, getting needier with every passing second. Tea sighs as she pulls away, just a bit, to yank clothes down and out of the way...but Todd only gives her a few seconds, before suddenly lifting her up off the floor, pushing her into the wall as he wraps her legs around him.

Tea tenses up, instinctively bracing herself, throwing her hands up behind her, against the wall, as she gasps at the sudden increase in force...and for a moment, things stop dead. Todd watches her, frozen, as she closes her eyes, and breathes deep. He loosens up too, not realizing how tightly he was holding her...and he feels her relax, slowly. Her eyes open...and she looks into him, eyes soft and warm again. She smiles the gentlest smile...then she brings her hands down, locking her fingers behind his neck. She pulls him into her, holding their faces close...saying nothing, just letting out a breath as he enters her, and crying softly as he thrusts into her again and again...something that would have scared him, normally...but...something about this very different.

They weren't tears of pain or fear, but a quiet release of emotions too powerful to hold inside. Todd slows his movements, watching her the whole time, fascinated...wanting to remember everything...and feeling closer to her than he's ever been. Because it wasn't just their bodies connecting...it was a fusing of their souls, expressing everything that words could not.

And suddenly, he feels hopeful for them both...that maybe...things really were going to be okay...someday.

*****

~Epilogue~

Kevin Buchanan flies up the express elevator to his office at the Banner, with his usual air of trendy self-importance...freshly cleaned suit, neat hair, tiny cell phone in his pocket...a palm pilot in one hand, containing all his notes for his newest article...and in the other hand, a giant soy latte. He smirks, as the doors part, and the sights and sounds of a busy office greet him. People walk around with purpose, or sit at their computers, madly typing and researching. And when they see him...they all stop, even if it's just for a second, to stare at him...the second-in-command, the most important person in the entire company besides his own mother...

...and with the most powerful last name in town. He smirks again at that, as he floats his way through the maze of cubicles to his corner office. Thank god for my name, he thinks, knowing how it had saved his ass so many times in the past...and continued to do so now, just recently, in fact. The unpleasantness with RJ, and Todd and Tea...what a mess that had turned into. But he was still fairly sure it had been a good idea. If only RJ hadn't been such a hothead, and Tea hadn't been so stupid, he would've had Todd. He SO would have had him. But instead, RJ shoots Todd, then up and disappears, leaving him to hold the proverbial bag.

Which would've been a problem for anyone else...but with his uncle being police commissioner, he didn't have to worry too much. Especially since the other side of the story was coming from Todd. He instantly cracks up at that...Todd, who couldn't tell the truth about anything if his life depended on it, and Tea, his brainwashed, mouthpiece-slash-punching-bag. And in addition to that, seems they had both disappeared too. Slipped out of Bo's custody, getting lost in the crowd during a false fire alarm, of all things. When Bo came back to town, thoroughly pissed, he'd sort-of ripped him a new one over it...but...that was about it.

He sighs, as he gets to his office finally, winking at his assistant as he shifts his latte to his other hand to unlock the double doors. He tosses his keys on the desk, punching up his computer and sinking into his thousand-dollar, leather chair. He rubs on it a little, enjoying the feel of it through his clothes...then he downs the rest of the latte, catching sight of something on the desk, out of the corner of his eye. He tosses the cup, reaching for the envelope sitting there, as his assistant, a cute little thing in her twenties, walks in with his messages.

"Hey, Kev."

"Hey yourself," he says, absent-mindedly, as he turns the envelope in his hand...soft, expensive paper. He looks up at her, holding it out.

"Did you put this here?"

She looks at it, and does a take. "No...no, I didn't. Maybe Mrs. Carpenter did."

He wags his eyebrows. "Yeah, maybe...what've you got?" he asks, dropping it to take the message slips.

"Nothing major. You have a meeting in twenty, though, don't forget."

"I won't...thanks, " he says, as she backs out of the room, politely closing the doors. He looks through the messages, then tosses them all aside, his eyes drawn back to the good-looking envelope. He picks it up again, turning it over and over...trying to recognize the handwriting, in a simple, neatly printed 'Kevin.'

He chews on his lip...suddenly wondering why it's bothering him so much. It had to be a note from his mom...had to be. So he laughs it off, finally tearing it open to read the blasted thing already. He pulls out the note card, which only has one sentence on it:

You never know.

And in that instant, all of Kevin's arrogance drops right through the floor, as he covers his mouth.

"Sssshhhit."

*****

Todd shuffles his way through the sand, through the grove of swaying palm trees that stand like a gateway to the beach. The sun's heat immediately disappears in the shade, then abruptly reappears when he comes out the other side. He squints, holding a hand above his eyes as he looks up and down the deserted beach...

...deserted, except for one person, sitting down a ways, by the water. He makes his way over, the rush of the waves hiding the sound of his steps, as he gets closer to Tea. He takes her in, sitting there with her knees up to her chin, arms hugging her legs...staring wistfully at the water through her hair, blowing all over the place.

He sits down next to her, and she looks over at him, squinting.

"You need sunglasses," he says.

She grins. "Mmm...so do you."

He cracks up at that, nodding. "Yeah...probably shoulda picked some up back there."

Tea turns to face him, pulling her hair back. "What were you doing, anyway?"

He stares at her, poker-faced. "Oh, just...stuff."

She cocks an eyebrow. "Uh-huh...like?"

"Calling Starr," he replies.

She nods...slowly, though, not really buying it. "You called Starr last night."

"So?"

She laughs, shaking her head. "Okay, fine. Don't tell me. I probably don't wanna know anyway," she says, looking back at the water.

He watches her for a moment...and she knows it, seeing him out of the corner of her eye. But she just waits...and it isn't long before she feels his lips by her ear.

"You really wanna know?" he whispers, perfectly audible, even with the ocean noise. She grins.

"Sure. You're gonna tell me anyhow, so..." she replies...and hears him laugh a little.

"I, uh...I sent Kevin a little note. Actually, I had Briggs do it."

Tea busts out laughing at that, then she shakes her head again. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't leave it alone...you're such an asshole."

He cracks up too, at her bluntness. "Well, thanks, lemon pie. I love you too," he says, sarcastically.

She turns her head, the biggest, slyest grin on her face. "You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Oh, shut up. He SO deserves to get fucked with."

"I'm not debating that."

"Then what ARE you debating?"

She thinks, scrunching her mouth over to one side...then she shrugs. "Nothing, I guess."

They squint at each other, listening to the ocean for a moment...then Todd moves in, quietly, giving her a soft kiss on the mouth. Tea closes her eyes, loving it, making it last as long as she can before pulling back, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Just don't send TOO many notes, okay?" she asks.

Todd looks at her, studying her face...then he nods, as he moves back in, kissing her again, deeply. Tea's hand slides up into his hair, holding him to her as he lowers them down into the sand...both of them feeling uninhibited enough to make love right there on the beach. And even though they couldn't return to the world they'd left behind, for the first time ever...

...they were free.

The End