Chapter Ten: Roller Coasters and Romance
**There is one line of dialogue in here that I borrowed from another soap. But, I will say this in my own defense: I fell in love with Sonny Corinthos long before I ever met Mr. Manning. And somehow, I don't think Sonny'd mind.**
Todd tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, then knocked hesitantly on the door to the penthouse. It was flung open before he could knock a second time, and Starr came barreling into his arms. "Daddy!" she caroled. "You and me and Mommy are goin' on a date!"
Todd picked up his daughter, slightly confused. "Oh, yeah?" he asked, walking into the penthouse with her in his arms. "Seems like Mommy left out a few details about our date, kiddo." Just as the words left his mouth, Blair came down the penthouse stairs with a smile, wearing a pair of tan suede slacks and a dark green sweater. "Hey Blair," Todd said, slightly nervous but more perplexed, "what's going on?" he asked, with a significant look at the little girl in his arms.
"Oh, I decided to make tonight a family affair," she said breezily, sitting down on the black leather chair by the fireplace. "Sorry about not wearing the red dress but I thought it probably wouldn't be appropriate for where we're going."
Todd looked from Starr's smiling face to Blair and then let out a groan. "Okay, spill it. Where're we going?"
"To the fair, Daddy!" Starr piped up. "Mommy says we can have cotton candy and ride all the rides and that you can win me a big prize."
"She did, huh?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at Blair. "The fair?"
"She's been wanting to go all week, Todd, and tomorrow's the last night. So, I thought it would be the perfect thing for us to do together. Here," she tossed him a pile of clothing, "these might be a little more appropriate. Though," she stood up and walked over to him, running her hand lightly down the sleeve of his imported Italian suit, "this is an awfully fine looking -- suit."
Todd's eyes met Blair's over their daughter's head and the air between them sizzled. "Blair--" he said deep in his throat, then broke off. Todd let Starr slide out of his arms and down the couch as she giggled. "Lemmee just go change," he glanced at the jeans and v-necked black sweater she had tossed him dubiously. "Where'd you get this stuff?" he asked, heading into the bathroom off of the kitchen.
"It was around the penthouse," Blair called, as she sat down beside an excited Starr. "From, you know, from before. I just never," she rolled her eyes at herself, "I guess I just never threw it away."
He emerged a moment later, looking 5 years younger, and shrugged at Blair who hid a grin by reaching over and tickling Starr. After a moment's observation, Todd strode over and swung Starr up into his arms, rescuing her from her mother. "C'mon Shorty, let's go to the fair; we'll show your Mom how it's done!"
"Can we ride the roller coaster, Daddy?" Starr asked, excited. She glanced back at Blair, who had stood up to join them. "It's Mommy's favorite."
Todd looked back at Blair, quiet for a moment before holding out his hand to her hesitantly. "How 'bout it, Blair? You ready?" he asked, softly, their daughter on his hip.
She returned his gaze before responding, in equally quiet tones. "For what, Todd?" Blair raised one eyebrow. "The roller coaster? I think I can handle it, if you can."
"You're asking Todd Manning if he can handle a roller coaster?" Todd threw back his head and laughed. "I was born to handle it; my life is a roller coaster. But," he glanced down as she fitted her hand in his out-stretched one, "you knew that."
"Yeah, I guess I did. So, looks like we're ready, then. For -- whatever comes next." Blair reached up and kissed Starr lightly on the cheek, her hand firmly ensconced in Todd's as they started for the door. "Let's go!"
the penthouse, several hours later
Blair walked in through the door, a sleeping sticky Starr in her arms as Todd followed, carrying two giant stuffed animals, one bag of neon pink cotton candy and a plastic sack of goldfish. "She's out," Blair whispered, nodding at the little girl who's head was on her shoulder. "I'm gonna take her up to bed."
Todd hastily deposited his hard-won prizes on the couch and turned to Blair. "Can I?" he asked, a light in his eyes. "C'mon Blair, it's been -- it's been a long time since I've tucked my little girl in, but I think I still remember how it's done."
She hesitated, then handed Starr to Todd, gently cushioning her head as she was passed between her parents. "'Night, Princess," Blair whispered, even though Starr had long ago passed the point of hearing her. "Angel's bless, baby girl." She kissed her on the cheek, feeling soft baby skin and remnants of cotton candy under her lips. As Todd carried her up the stairs, she watched them, tears pricking her eyes lightly.
He came down, several minutes later, his hair pulled back in a tidy ponytail after struggling with bedclothes and sticky faces. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly on the bottom rung as Blair spoke from the darkened doorway leading to the kitchen. "In this light, with those clothes and your hair pulled back, you look like you did when we first met," she said, softly.
"What, an ex-con college drop out with a dead-end job, no money and no future?" he asked, walking towards her again.
"No," she said, stepping out into the candlelit room. Todd inhaled sharply as he took in the sight of her in that red dress he had asked her to wear, her hair twisted simply on top of her head, two glasses of wine in her hand. She handed one to him and continued, conscious of his gaze on her body. "Like a man who'd been given a second chance with everything ahead of him."
"You look," he paused, swallowing as she stepped near enough for him to smell her perfume, "you look beautiful, Blair." She swayed toward him as the music she had chosen earlier started up on the stereo.
Round about midnight
In the quiet, quiet room of my mind
Well lonely, lonely, lonely
A lonely feeling
That I'm feeling for you baby
all the time
And round, round about midnight
In the quiet room of my heart
So empty, since you've been gone
And the days I spend in my room alone
Blair moved closer to Todd, her body swaying lightly with the music as his hands almost involuntarily reached for her, one arm about her waist, pulling her against him. Her hands wound themselves about his neck, gently tugging at the rubber band holding back his hair until it fell about his face and through her fingers. She made a small noise deep in her throat and leaned into him, trying to get closer, until they were moving in unison, almost like one body, one soul.
Round about midnight
I get that feelin' that good old feelin'
I need that feelin', I want that feelin'
Bring it back
Take away the midnight
The lonely, lonely, midnight
Bring back the feeling
Oh baby, bring back the feeling
Take away the midnight
Oh, I just don't want to be alone no more, no more
She closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar smell of him. It was like she had stepped back in time, to that one brief shining moment in her life when everything was right with the world. But, she hadn't; they hadn't. They had done the one thing she had almost stopped believing was possible, they had moved forward, finally. And in moving forward, they had come right back to where they had started. "Our song," she murmured into his neck.
"We have a song?" Todd asked, almost not wanting to break the spell this night was casting with his words. He loved her, he could admit that now, even to himself. Especially to himself. He loved her.
"They're all our songs," she answered, pulling back so she could see his eyes, clear and not haunted by ghosts or the past. "Every one ever written." So slowly and so in synch that it was impossible to say which of them moved first, their lips met, at first gently, tenderly and then with a passion that they had held back for longer than either of them could remember. His hand found the zipper at the back of her dress as she began tugging at his shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of his jeans.
Suddenly Todd paused and pulled back, as she looked up at him in confusion. "You're sure, Blair?" he asked, hoarsely. He wanted this, God, he wanted her, but he needed to hear the words, to know that she wanted him.
"Oh, Todd," Blair whispered achingly, "yes." She pulled him to her with an even greater need, sinking down to the floor in front of the fireplace. "Yes," she whispered as she began kissing each inch of flesh she uncovered as she unbuttoned his shirt, "yes, yes, yes."
No more lonely midnights
No more lonely nights
No more lonely midnights
No more empty nights
No more lonely nights
He reached down, smoothing her hair back from her face, remaining still as he simply gazed at her for a long moment. Then, as his eyes grew heavy and he could hold back from her no longer, he slipped her dress off her body, tracing patterns like liquid fire down the bare skin left behind. The urgency grew until it reached a fever pitch as each of them teased and tantalized the other, as if to hold off the final moment as long as they could, wanting to make it last forever and forever and forever. Finally, neither could hold off any longer, and they came together, moving at first with a gentle pace born of a long recognition of each other's bodies, but quickly moving faster and faster, their lips, their bodies, everything melding into a white-hot blur of passion, and desire, and love. "I love you," Todd whispered, his mouth at her ear.
"I love you," Blair returned, tugging slightly at his earlobe with her teeth. "Stay with me?"
"Always," he answered, shifting so that he crouched above her. Suddenly he rose to a standing position, Blair in his arms as he started for the bedroom upstairs. "How 'bout something like, as long as we both shall live?"
Blair wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing in pure delight. "I'd love to, Mr. Manning. As long as we both shall live."
