She looked so peaceful sleeping. He went and shed his sweaty t-shirt, taking a moment to wipe his chest and arms down and getting most of the dust and debris off, from his walks in the woods. He grabbed his good shirt and slip it on, and headed back to his wife. His restless nights and yesterday’s scare had worn her out. It had been a little over a year since he had returned from the exile Carlo and Mitch had consigned him too. Blair was the reason he was even there. He reached and ran a finger delicately along her face, capturing a soft wisp of hair and letting it curl around his finger. The color of golden wheat, it was a perfect frame for her beautiful face. He leaned over and gently kissed his own personal Sleeping Beauty.
She was still in the throes of her dream as her eyes sleepily opened at his kiss. She smiled seductively and wound her hands up into his silky mane of hair and pulled him back in for another kiss.
The passion of the kiss took him by surprise for just a moment until he realized she was probably still dreaming, and who was he to break up what was obviously a very good dream. He melted into her kiss giving her what she needed. When her hands moved to begin undressing him Todd decided he wanted her to know he was real. If they were going to make love he wanted them both aware.
“Blair,” he said as he nuzzled her neck “wake up babe.” her hands stilled for just a moment and he lifted his head looking again into her emerald eyes. She blinked and then bewilderment became recognition.
“Todd,” she said huskily.
“Hi, sleepyhead.”
She smiled and once more her hands began to remove his shirt. “You have far too many clothes on.”
“Do I now? I guess you’re going to do something about that.” he grinned as she divested him of his shirt.
“Most definitely.” and she began caressing and kissing his chest and trailing her kisses down, as her tongue flicked out across his nipples.
Todd’s muscles quivered in response and his pants got considerably tighter, he wasted no time opening her blouse and began fondling his wife in earnest, both of them breathing faster as their passion took over. A short time later, Todd rolled over onto his side caressing her lithe body, admiring her curves.
Blair gave him a contented purr and moved under his caress, loving the feel of his hands as he stroked her. “Your assistant could come in any time you know.”
“Not likely, I locked the door and she knows it would be professional suicide to disturb me.” He gazed at her lying next to him. His hand moved to cover her taut belly and he imagined when it would begin to show everyone that he had another child on the way. God had given him another chance to do things right, and he didn’t want to mess it up, but in the back of his mind, he worried that Mitch might ruin it all for him, just like the last time.
Blair felt the shift in Todd’s mood. Something was bothering him, and it seemed to have to do with the baby. Was he worried about the pregnancy? She laid her hand on top of his. “Todd, the baby is going to be all right. We’re going to take all the precautions that Larry told us.”
He glanced at her, trying to find the right words to let her know about his fear. “I’ve made so many mistakes in the past. When Mitch took you all those years ago and I came home to find Starr waiting with the story about what happened, I panicked. I went off half-cocked and everything fell apart. You kicked me out of yours and the kids’ life and I remember sitting in my father’s tomb convinced I should do the right thing and leave. The thing was I couldn’t, I could no more leave you than I could cut off a hand. I had done that once and I refused to do it again.”
Blair wasn’t sure where all this inner turmoil was coming from but she knew she had to do something to ease his mood. She reached for his face and was going to trace his scars, when he grasped her hand, stopping her. She saw the pain in his eyes. “Todd, what is it? Please tell me what’s wrong.”
He kissed her fingers and took a deep breath and touched his scars. “You know how I got these. The first I deserved. The second I received the night I disappeared. Those hours I spent locked up with my father....” He couldn’t go on. He was back there once again, struggling to free himself from the bonds listening to Mitch laugh and prattle on outside his tomb. There was nothing but darkness and the stench of his father beside him. He fought to breathe finally succumbing to the lack of oxygen and the delusions that follow. Todd’s chest was tightening unable to stave off the panic attack overtaking him.
She watched as he lost himself to the memory, then became alarmed as his breathing escalated and she feared he was putting a strain on his heart. “Todd stop this. Come back to me. You’re not there in the tomb but here with me.” She pulled him into her embrace as he gasped for breath, “Baby, listen to me. You’re safe; he can’t hurt you. Listen, that’s my heart you hear. I’m beside you, not your dad. Breathe honey, please!”
Todd collapsed in her arms sobbing and she held him She didn’t understand. It had been months since the awful session with Ray when Vicki and she had watched Todd almost die as he relived the revelations of that night in the tomb. She now knew what his recent nightmares were about, but she wanted to know why they had started up after all this time. The day before Todd had told her that Mitch might be out there, but he had no real proof to indicate that Mitch was alive. What had changed?
Todd got himself under control. He knew his psyche was damaged by the events of that night all those years ago and he had tried so hard to put it behind him. Finding out Mitch was back out in the world was too much. It had all just come crashing down on him; his disappointment at not being able to recapture him, along with his anger at himself. Mitch had forced it all back to the forefront and with it came that awful fear that someday he wouldn’t be able to escape the memories and he’d be trapped in his own private Hell. Blair was his lifeline and he used her to get his control back. She was still holding him and murmuring words of comfort; he just wanted to remain in her arms for all times, but he knew he was scaring her. He released his crushing hold on her and kissed her neck, signaling to her he was all right. He felt her take a deep breath and loosen her hold and he raised off of her. The worry was evident in her eyes as she gazed at him, waiting for him to speak. “I’m fine.”
Her eyes said ‘like hell you are;’ the tears were shining in them. He wiped his eyes and then wiped hers. “Well maybe not fine, but I’ll be okay.” He sat up and leaned against the couch. Reaching over, he grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and laid it across them. He wasn’t sure why he did it. It was like he needed something to provide a barrier, separating their lovemaking from the horror that Mitch had managed to place in front of them again. Pulling his knees up he clasped his hands around them and got quiet again.
“Todd, talk to me, this is about Mitch, isn’t it? What happened?”
His gaze was bleak, all the earlier sparkle that had been there when they made love was now gone. “Mitch is alive.”
There it was, the one statement she had been hoping she would never hear. “How is that possible?”
“Blair, I didn’t go to meet an informant earlier. I went with John and a team of officers to Carlo’s Compound, not far from our home. We were looking for Alison Perkins and Ivan Kipling. We didn’t get there in time. They were gone, all three of them.”
“Why did you tell me you were going to see an informant?” For just a brief moment she had felt a burst of anger ripple through her but then she just felt relief. She knew what his answer was going to be, but she wanted him to tell her anyway.
“I wasn’t sure what we were going to encounter and I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily. The only clue we had that they might even be there was the fact that Alison was known to be on the mountain.”
“I don’t understand. How did you find out Alison was on the mountain?”
Todd took her hand in his. “Because she had been seen there. You remember Sam’s Sleeping Beauty?”
Blair gasped in horror. “No! Are you saying that was Alison?”
Todd nodded, rubbing her palm gently, “I found out first thing this morning after you dropped me off at the police station. I had left pictures with John and Natalie of our intruder and the enhanced photos revealed it was Alison. It was then that I remembered Carlo’s place. John and I went to Bo and we decided to check out the compound. Bo didn’t want to let me go, but I told him I was going regardless, so he deputized me.” Todd was calmly tracing her fingers and then he started to raise them to his lips when she quickly pulled free, and sat up in surprise.
“Bo did what?”
“Bo told me I couldn’t go because I wasn’t a law officer, so I told him to make me one,” Todd grinned at her, enjoying the look on her face. “Yep, you’re sitting here with a deputy of Llanview.”
“You’re serious.”
“Scout’s honor. You can ask John if you don’t believe me.”
Blair started laughing and it was infectious, soon Todd was laughing with her. “Oh my god, Bo must have been choking as he read you the oath.”
“He was a little green.” Todd smiled at the memory. Then he got pensive again.
Blair once again reached for his face and this time, he didn’t stop her, instead, he leaned his face into her hand. She held it for a moment and leaned over to caress his lips, tasting the salt from his earlier tears. He greedily possessed her, opening his lips to her exploring tongue and tangling it with his. They were both breathless from its intensity when they came up for air. Emerald eyes met hazel ones, then Blair rested her forehead against his for a moment. She moved a lock of hair behind his ear and said. “You need to stop dwelling on Mitch, he can’t come between us or harm us if we stand together. What he did to you was horrific, and I know you’re still reeling from it. You’ve come so far since last year. You’ve acknowledged your illness and have faced many of your demons. The memory of what Mitch did to you is more damaging than the man himself, and that’s what he is, Todd. Just a man. He’ll be caught and returned to prison for his crimes, then we’ll get on with our lives, free of him at last.” She watched his eyes and frowned when they dropped from hers. He was giving in to his feelings that nothing ever went right for him for long, and she hated to see that. “Any other man would have folded and died, but not you. It one of the things I love about you the most. No matter how much you’ve been beaten down, you’ve always pushed yourself up and asked for more. That’s the man I love with all my heart. That’s you.”
She was fierce when she loved someone, and by God she loved him. And he loved her.
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