RJ puts his cup down. "Well, well. What can I do for you, doc?"

Joely squints again. "So we HAVE met. I thought so. I'm terribly sorry, but I don't remember your name."

He shrugs. "That's okay...I don't remember yours, either," he says, laughing, extending a hand.

"I'm RJ Gannon."

She shakes his hand. "Joely Reese-Atherton," she replies...then she gasps, remembering.

"Oh! I saw you at Mrs. Carpenter's house. You...you helped rescue Tea, yes? Oh, God, that's right...you were shot."

RJ glances at his healing shoulder. "More like grazed, actually."

Her voice lowers. "That was a very brave thing you both did."

He shrugs. "I was just along for the ride...just making sure militia-man didn't do anything stupid like getting himself killed."

She makes a face. "Militia-man?"

RJ cracks up. "Oh...it's this sort-of...running joke I have with Tea. Back when she found out Todd had run off to Montana, I told her he always seemed like the militia type. He's already scruffy-lookin'...I can just see him holed up in some log cabin, living off deer jerky and homemade gin, sending letter bombs to people, y'know?"

Joely grins...then smiles...then cracks up too. "That's a pretty funny picture, I must admit."

He smiles wider. "So what'll it be, Lady Atherton?"

"Oh, please, call me Joely...and a glass of white wine would be lovely, thank you."

RJ grabs a glass and pours for her. "So...if you don't mind my asking...what're you still doing hangin' around town?"

Joely takes a sip. "Actually, I haven't been. I just flew in today, to see Tea."

His face suddenly darkens with concern. He leans on the bar, closer to her, lowering his voice.

"She alright? I haven't gone by the house, I didn't wanna bother her...something wrong?"

Joely sighs, not sure if she should say anything. RJ's brow tightens, sensing bad news. She glances away, looking over at the door. Her eyes widen, seeing Todd standing there in the entrance. He spots them both and walks over, sitting next to Joely.

"Thought you were going to bed."

"I was," she replies. "But I wasn't as tired as I thought, I guess. I felt all cooped-up."

Todd runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know that feeling."

He looks at RJ, who nods at him. "Wha's up, man?"

Todd sighs, shaking his head, not even wanting to get into it. "Got any decent coffee here, Gannon?"

RJ grins. "What're you talkin' about, man? 'Course I do," he says, reaching under the bar for a cup. He pours some and pushes it to Todd, who grabs the cup and takes a big sip.

"Well, if YOU'RE here, it must be bad. What's wrong? Tea okay?" RJ asks, leaning on the bar again.

Todd glances over at Joely, then back at him. "She's alright...I guess. I mean, she's not hurt or anything. We just...had a fight. She's hiding in the bedroom now, doesn't wanna talk to me. I probably won't see her 'til tomorrow."

RJ makes a face. "YOU alright?"

Todd shrugs. "Yeah, I just couldn't stay there anymore. It was too quiet, I couldn't take it. How's the arm?" he asks, trying to get off the subject.

RJ gets the hint, grinning slightly. He shrugs back. "Eh, it's fine," he replies, then straightens up.

"Listen, I gotta check on the folks here. Hang in there, man."

Todd nods at him as he walks around the bar, out into the club. He watches after RJ for a moment, then turns to Joely, who's staring right back at him.

"Didn't go well, did it?" she asks, finishing her wine.

Todd polishes off the coffee and pushes the cup away, leaning on his elbows, resting his face on his shoulder.

"Coulda been worse. She didn't throw me out."

Joely smiles at that...then reaches into her purse, pulling out a few bills. She lays them down on the counter and slides off the stool.

She pats Todd's shoulder. "Walk me to my car?"

He nods, reaching into his pocket and tossing a couple bucks on the counter. He follows Joely out, catching up to her and opening the door for her. They step outside into the night air, still a little warm...and walk down the street together, slowly. Todd shuffles along, hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. Joely tips her head a little, trying to get a look at his face, but his hair is in the way. She looks ahead, tossing her head a bit as the breeze blows her hair around.

"Was she very angry?"

Todd sighs, heavily. "Yeah...and no. She told me she knew I meant well...but then she got really mad again. I dunno...it was weird."

She nods, but doesn't say anything. Todd glances over at her, then down the road.

"I told her she never woulda gone for it if I'd asked her first."

Joely makes a face at that. "Oooh. That went over well, I'm sure."

"Well it's true."

"I know it is...so does she. That's probably why she got angry again."

"Yeah, she got angry alright. Know what she said to me?"

She shakes her head. Todd stops walking...Joely stops too, turning to face him.

"She said that...if SHE had done the same thing to ME, like a year ago...that *I* woulda kicked her out without even thinking about it."

Joely makes another face, eyes wide. "Well."

Todd nods. "Exactly...I mean, what do I say to that? Nothing, that's what. That really stung...but..."

"...she was right?" Joely finishes. He looks at her...then nods, reluctantly.

She sighs. "Well...she didn't throw YOU out. So there's that, at least."

Todd rubs the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, well, I couldn't stay there. So I ended up leaving her anyway. What the hell's the difference? God, I'm so tired..."

Joely's face softens with concern. She steps a little closer to him...he looks at her, his voice down to a whisper now.

"I dunno what to do for her, Doc. I really don't. I'm screwed no matter WHAT I do...and I'm standing here wondering how the hell she ever dealt with ME, y'know?"

"She loves you, Todd. That's how she dealt with it. No matter what else was going on, no matter how awful it got...she always knew she loved you. And that gave her the patience and the determination she needed to keep going."

"Yeah, but...I dunno how much longer *I* can keep going."

Joely shakes her head. "It's the same for you, Todd, the very same. You love her...you'll stand by her."

He glances away, getting more upset. "That's not the point. I mean, is THIS how it's gonna be when the twins get here? For the rest of our lives? When will she stop having nightmares? When will she NOT be afraid of me touching her? When does it stop? When does it get better?"

She steps to the side to get in his view. "I can't even imagine how hard this must be for you, to see so much of yourself in Tea now. You know what kind of pain she's feeling, and you're trying to protect her from it. But you also know, Todd...that recovery is a long, and inherently painful process...one that she HAS to go through...just like you did...like you're still doing."

Todd listens to her...but sighs again, running a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Yeah, I got all that, Doc. But I can't help her...I can't get NEAR her... and it's driving me nuts! You know how LONG it took us to get to where we were? Took forever...and now it's like somebody just picked us up and threw us back two years!"

She nods. "I know, but she's feeling it too, you know that. There's no pill she can take to make her forget what she's been through, just like there wasn't one for you. You can't force her to open up, just like she couldn't force you."

He walks a few steps away from her, then turns back, throwing his hands up and yelling at her.

"Well then WHAT THE HELL do I do? WHAT?!"

An old couple walking by stop and stare at Todd. He glares back, barking at them.

"What're YOU lookin' at?! Mind your own business!"

Both the old man and woman gasp in response, then toddle off down the street. Joely sighs at Todd, folding her arms and approaching him as he slaps his hands over his eyes, trembling with stress. She hesitates a moment...then reaches out, gently touching his arm. Todd jumps a little...then moves his hands away from his eyes. Joely bites her lip, seeing the sadness in them, the helplessness. She sighs again.

"Go home, Todd. Be there for her. It's the only thing you CAN do."

A short silence passes as they look at each other. Finally, Todd sniffs, glancing away...and nodding. Joely offers him a smile, then walks past him to her car. He glances over at her as she starts it up. She smiles again, waves...then pulls away from the curb. Todd turns his head slightly, following her... then stands there alone on the street for a moment, staring at the ground, letting the warm breeze toss his hair around. After a moment, he starts walking back, in the general direction of the penthouse.

*********************************

Dean sits in his cell, slumped against the wall, staring into the empty cell where Roseanne used to be. He couldn't have been happier when they transferred her to the women's correctional facility for holding. They'd been arguing constantly, and would have killed each other if they didn't get separated. Now it was just him, pretty much alone except for the guards...just waiting. He'd done jail time already, so it wasn't a big deal for him. Every once in a while, he'd felt a longing to talk to someone...but it passed VERY quickly, whenever he looked into the next cell and realized his only option was to talk to Roseanne.

He runs a hand over his hair, growing longer and more unruly every day. He sighs, knowing he must look ridiculous with his two-tone hair...brown roots coming in on the bottom, peroxide-blonde on the top. He lets out a quiet chuckle, laughing at himself...

...hello, reality check...a haircut? A decent dye job? What the hell are YOU talking about?

...you're in jail, moron.

His giggles subside...the silence returns. For a split-second, he feels a pang of worry...

...god...I could be stuck inside for twenty years or more...easy...

He shudders at that, putting that thought out of his head as quickly as possible. No, that wasn't gonna happen to him...no way. He'd made the play...and somehow, he just knew...

...she heard me...I got to her...I know I did...she'll come.

Suddenly he hears the front gate slide open, as if on cue. He sits up, moving over to the bars, peering into the dark, trying to see.

Tea walks down the long hall with the guard, who rubs his neck tiredly.

"I could get fired for doing this Tea, you know that."

She nods. "I know. I really appreciate this. And I'll only be a few minutes, I promise."

They approach Dean's cell and stand in front of him. Dean's eyes widen...he stands up, slowly, eyes locked with Tea's. The guard looks between them...then he starts to walk away, calling to Tea over his shoulder.

"Make it quick."

She nods, as if he could see her doing it. Then she just stands there, a strange mixture of emotions going through her as she stares at Dean. He approaches the bars, wrapping his hands around them. He smiles at her, feeling an overwhelming rush of relief.

"Wow...I can't believe how fast you got here...what time is it?"

"About two-thirty...AM," she replies, quietly.

He makes another surprised face. "Dang. How'd you get away? Manning know you're here?"

Tea sniffs at that, folding her arms and taking a step toward him.

"None of your business. What do you want?"

Dean does a bit of a take...then tips his head slightly.

"You have got SUCH an attitude, y'know that?"

She laughs, humorlessly, as she shakes her head and starts to walk away. Dean sees this, his mouth dropping open. He lunges forward, reaching out and grabbing her arm. She jumps, wrestling out of his grip and slapping his hand away.

"Don't you touch me!"

Dean puts his hands up. "Okay, alright, I'm sorry. Just...don't go...please?"

She folds her arms, eyes flashing. "I'll go if I damn well feel like it. Now what the hell do you want?"

He sighs, suddenly remembering that she has every right to be hostile towards him. His voice lowers, becoming less sure of himself.

"I...um. I need your help."

She nods, her tongue running along the inside of her cheek. "Uh-huh...MY help...with what?"

Dean puts his face between the bars. "Oh, come on Tea, don't play dumb. What do you THINK?"

There's a silence as they stare at each other...Tea stands there, confused by what she feels. She knows what he's asking...and on the one hand, is furious at him for assuming that she would want anything to do with him, much less defend him in court. But at the same time, her jaw stiffens, remembering that night...how horrible it was...and how much worse it would have been...

...if he hadn't saved her.

But still...she finds that words are coming out of her mouth before she can think about what she's saying.

"How dare you..."

His shoulders sink at that. Tea steps closer to him.

"...you actually think that *I* would defend YOU in court?"

"I know...I know I have no reason to ask you...but I thought..."

"What? WHAT did you think...that I OWE you, or something?"

Dean just stares back at her...straight into her. Tea feels her own eyes welling up, like a dam ready to burst.

"I would never say that you owe me," he replies, quietly...sincerely.

She shuts her eyes, and the cracks in her armor leak with tears. Dean whispers to her, gently.

"But I'm...I'm begging here, okay? You know I'm not all bad, Tea...and this DA...I've been hearing that he's gonna try to slap me with rape charges on top of everything else. I don't deserve that, you know it."

Tea looks at him a moment...then shakes her head. "Who's to say what you deserve?"

"I didn't rape you, Tea."

She looks at him, speechless for a moment...the words hitting her like a cold, hard slap. Then she looks down at the floor, shaking her head again.

"No...no you didn't. But you DID kidnap me..." she says, looking back up at him.

"YOU were the one who drugged me. YOU were the one who stuffed me in a trunk. YOU were the one who tied me up, and YOU...were the one who left me in that place...alone..."

Dean shakes his head. "I was only gone for a minute, I...I didn't think anyone would bother us there! Look, I never MEANT for you to get hurt...at ANY time. If I could take back the whole thing, I would."

Tea's voice cracks. "That doesn't do me any good. Can you even understand what my life is like now, because of this? Huh? Can you even FATHOM what any given day is like for me? Well, I'll tell you. I have dreams that plague me all day...and keep me up all night. When I try to go to sleep, I get scared. When my husband tries to touch me, I get scared. When I have to take my clothes off to take a shower, I get scared. Do you get it? I'm scared...ALL THE TIME..."

She steps closer, bringing their faces within a couple of inches of each other, pointing at him.

"...and it's all...because of YOU."

With that, Tea's head drops, as she starts to cry harder. There's another silence as Dean stares at her in shock...and humiliation...knowing that there's nothing he can say in his defense.

"I'm sorry, Tea...I'm so sorry..." he whispers, feeling his own eyes misting up a little.

She says nothing at first...but after a moment, she replies...whispering more to herself than him, the words almost hidden by her cries.

"Why did you leave me...why..."

Her words hit him like a punch in the face...at a loss, he bangs his head against the bar. The sound makes Tea look up at him. He swallows hard, feeling his guts twisting up as he looks at her face. Before he can stop himself, he reaches out...Tea feels the initial urge to jump back...but something keeps her where she is. Dean wipes her cheek, barely touching her skin.

"You'll never know how sorry I am."

She stares at him...taken aback by the sincerity in his eyes. Dean lingers on her face...then as if suddenly snapping out of a trance, he sniffs, trying to blink back his own tears.

He steps back from the bars. "...and I shouldn't have asked you to come here."

Dean turns away from her, pacing the tiny space in his cell. Tea wipes her face, still staring at him, conflicting...another long silence goes by. Finally, she puts her face between the bars.

"I'll, uh...I'll talk to Hank."

He looks at her, suddenly, eyes wide. Tea locks her eyes with his, getting a bit lost in them for a moment...then she looks away.

"I'm not promising anything...but, uh...but you're right...you shouldn't be charged with something you didn't do. So I'll...I'll talk to him."

Dean walks back up to the bars...she steps back. He sighs, wishing he could touch her again.

"Thanks," he whispers.

Tea nods...lingering on his face. Then she sniffles, turning and walking away, slowly...but as she does, she can feel his eyes on her back...a feeling that she finds she likes more than she wants to admit. But then, suddenly, her mind brings a single image to the front of her brain...

...Todd. Her eyes widen...and she freezes, for just a second.

Her head turns ever so slightly toward Dean, who's still watching her...but then, she turns back and walks faster, almost sprinting to the front gate. The gate opens and slams shut with that familiar noise, then settles...leaving Dean alone again. He stands there, still looking toward the front, as if Tea were still there. He can't help but feel a tiny nervous flutter in his chest, wondering...if she might actually feel something too.

*************************************

Tea steps off the elevator, panting as she approaches the penthouse door. She stands in the hall for a moment, eyes closed, trying to compose herself...wondering why she's so tired all of a sudden, and feeling like she just did a workout in the short distances she walked. She wraps an arm around her belly, as if she were checking that, too. Finally, she pushes her hair, damp with sweat, back behind her ears. Still breathing heavily, she fumbles for her keys in the dim light, trying to be as quiet as possible. She starts to go for the doorknob...

...when the door opens, suddenly. Tea gasps, jumping back. She looks up, eyes wide, as Todd pushes the door back and leans on the frame. He shoves his hands in his pockets, staring at her with a look she knows only too well...without a word. All Tea can do is let out a long sigh, knowing the next few hours...next few days...next few weeks...months, maybe...were not going to be pleasant.