Todd and Marty Ch. 08

AUTHOR'S NOTE ::: This is the love story of Marty and Todd. It also includes several other characters as well as their storylines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the hit soap One Life to Live, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all the parts of this story will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot. First and foremost, this story is a romance/drama, not a sex story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own ABC's One Life to Live or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please don't forget to REVIEW...

*~John and Blair~*

Five months had passed since the incident with Cole Thornhart. Considering the circumstances, Cole had been sent to a drug and alcohol rehabiliation center in another state. He was pretty messed up, so he was going to be there awhile. After that, he would have to do time for attempted kidnapping, breaking and entering, as well as assault and battery.

John and Blair were enjoying married life, now that he had given up on trying to save Marty all the time. Things had been crazy with Todd, too. Todd's lawyer at first called, saying Todd didn't want to see the boys, but then later, Todd apparantly changed his mind. The boys had been going over to see Todd every other weekend, and Jack's behavior improved dramatically after spending time with his dad. Now Jack was going through that awkward pre-teen stage, and he was becoming interested in girls. All the time he was talking about stripper ladies, and once John had even found a nudie magazine in his bedroom.

Sam was the same sweet little boy. He had started kindergarten and he loved it. Everyone at school loved him and he had lots of friends. One day John came home and he had a surprise for Blair and the boys. "Hey everyone!" he called out.

Sammy came running, hugging John with excitement. He then pulled back, hearing a yelping sound. "What is that?" Sam asked.

"Look," said John, pulling a tiny puppy from his coat.

Blair watched John with the kids and waited to see their reaction to the puppy. They had always wanted some sort of pet for the longest time. She had been holding off till they were older and could show more responsibility. Jack seemed more mature now, so maybe it was good time to see if they could handle caring for a pet of their very own.

"Ohhh wow, it's a puppy!" Sam said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"A puppy!" Jack exclaimed. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure," said John, as he handed Jack the little bundle of fur. "I got him at the pet store today... and he's a new pet for all of us... but we all have to chip in and take care of him."

"Can we name him Mickey Mouse?" asked Sammy.

"What do you think, Jack?" Blair asked. "Do you think he looks like a Mickey Mouse?" She wanted the two boys to settle on a name so there would be no fighting about it.

Jack couldn't help but laugh when he heard Sam's suggestion for the puppy's name. "How about we all just call him Mickey then?" Jack suggested. "Since he's not really a mouse."

"Okay!" Sam said in approval.

The puppy started licking Jack's face. "Ewwww, he kissed me," Jack said, handing the puppy to Blair.

John chuckled. "Well, that's what puppies do," John said. "And they pee on you too, if you forget to take them outside to go potty."

"I don't want him to pee on me!" Jack exclaimed.

Blair laughed, taking Mickey from Jack. "We should probably get Mickey settled in, then we can show you what to do when you take him out," she suggested, so that Jack would understand.

"Yep," John said when Blair stated she would show the boys how to take the puppy out to potty. "And I got some supplies for him in the car... puppy toys, a dog bed, food, a bowl, everything he's going to need."

"I want him to sleep with me," Sammy said in a sad little voice.

"He's too small... you might roll over and squish him," John said to Sammy. "Besides, Dorian would have a fit if we let him get on the furniture."

"I hope he doesn't pee on Aunt Dorian!" Jack then exclaimed.

Blair laughed, picturing Dorian's reaction if that should happen. Then, putting on a straight-face, she said, "Ohhh yeah, your Aunt Dorian would not like that at all."

"Okay, come on, boys," she said, holding the puppy and leading Jack and Sam outdoors.

"Since Mickey is still a pup you'll have to watch him at all times when you take him out as he might try to wander into the street or something and that's not good. He's just a baby," Blair reminded. Once outside she set the puppy down, keeping her eye on him incase he decided to go too far.

The men of the family joined Blair outside when she took the puppy out to do his business. At first Mickey sniffed around the yard, then he lifted his little furry leg and peed all over Dorian's prize tulips. "Whoa!" Jack gasped when he saw what Mickey had done. "Don't anyone ever tell her!"

John chuckled, then went to his car to get the puppy supplies. When he returned, he saw Sammy bent down on the grass, rolling around with Mickey. "Look, Mommy... he loves me too!" Sammy said happily as the puppy jumped on him.

"Oh boy," Blair spoke. "Yeah, we need to work on keeping Mickey away from the tulips. "If Dorian catches him doing that, it's not gonna be pretty." Then she smiled, watching Sammy play with Mickey.

John took the puppy's things into the house and got them all set up, then came back out to see both the boys now rolling around in the yard playing with Mickey. He walked over to Blair and took her into his embrace. "It's nice to see the boys having so much fun," he said as he held Blair close. "And it's great to see Jack smilling again."

Blair smiled as she leaned back against John's chest. "Yeah, it really is," she admitted.

"I know its been rough but I'm glad to see him at least starting to adjust. I just want everyone to be happy," she said. "Especially the kids...though I guess Starr's not a kid anymore, huh?"

"Yeah, Starr's not a kid anymore. She's a young woman. And it's good to see her so happy with Schuy. He's a great guy... and Hope has been like the icing on the cake," John said as he placed a kiss upon Blair's lips. "I'm happy, too. There's something I've been meaning to ask you though... I just haven't been able to find the words."

Blair smiled at her husband. "I am glad to see Starr happy, too... and glad that she has Hope back," she said, returning John's kiss. Then, hearing his words, she looked at him curiously. "What did you want to ask?"

"It's about us... just you and me," John said as he wrapped his arms tight around Blair. "First of all, I was kind of thinking about you and I getting our own place. I know how you love your aunt... but this place can be a zoo at times, you, me, the kids, Dorian, Starr, Hope, Langston... and I think it's time we consider finding a place that's just perfect for us as a family. I'd like to go house-hunting."

"And you know I love being a stepdad to your children. They bring so much joy to our lives..." John said, watching the boys play with the new puppy. "But I've been thinking... I want a little person to call me "dad." Would you consider adopting a child together, a little person to complete our family?"

"That sounds fantastic; all of it," she said, kissing John. "Though convincing Jack and Sammy about a new house may be a little tough. We can give it a shot though."

"If we do decide to adopt, I think we should get a girl to even the score out," she teased.

"I was hoping you would say that!" John said as his smile widened. "I definitely want a little girl. You talk to the boys about getting a new house... and I will go contact the adoption agency about adopting a baby girl. Maybe they have someone who is close to giving birth soon to a baby girl. And as soon as the baby arrives here, we could become the baby's parents. That would give us some time to prepare the boys and get a room set up for our new daughter." John's grin widened, liking the sound of "our new daughter."

"Yes, I think I can handle that," she said as she kissed John again softly.

"I'm very much looking forward to this," she admitted. She thought would be nice having a new baby in the house once again. Sam had grown up so much these past few months.

"I'm glad, Blair; I just can't wait to become a daddy. You talk to the boys, and I'll go make that call," John said, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. He then disappeared into the house to make that phone call. While he was on the phone, he also called the real estate office, asking about any possible houses on the market.

Blair went over to the boys. "Hey, guys," she said. ":I wanted to talk to you for a minute. I got some news and I'm hoping that you might like it."

Sammy looked up at his mother. "What is it, Mommy?" he asked.

"Yeah, what could be more fun than a puppy?" wondered Jack.

"Well, you know how you two keep insisting you need your own rooms and there isn't that kind of space in Aunt Dorian's house right now?" she asked the boys. It had mostly been Jack who was insisting that he needed his own room.

"Yeah, I really need a room of my own, Mom," Jack stated.

"Me too," said Sammy. "Are we moving?"

John made his phone calls and got great news. He then went outside to see how Blair was progressing in her conversation with the boys.

John came over to Blair and took her into his embrace again. "The real estate office says there are couple of houses just the right size for us, if we wanna take a look," he told her.

"We'd like to move. How would you boys feel about that?" she asked after John spoke. "We could all go and check out the house that John was talking about. I bet it has a nice yard too for Mickey and you to play in."

Sammy jumped up and down when he heard the news. "I wanna move!" he announced.

"Yeah, that would be great," agreed Jack. "If I get my own room, can I have girls over?"

John just smirked, waiting for Blair to handle that one.

Blair choked out, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NO GIRLS ALLOWED!" Oh God, her son was growing up a lot faster than she had thought. It was one thing for him to be curious about girls but now he wanted them up in his room.

Jack looked crushed. "But Mom... I like girls... I really really do," Jack spoke. "And there's this girl I like at school. Her name is Cyndi. She said I'm really mature for 12. If I bring her over and you meet her, do you think I could take her on a date?"

"Jack, you are bit too young for dating," John spoke up. "But maybe if it's okay with your mom, we could take you and Cyndi to see a movie, but only if your mom and I get to chaperone."

"Really?" Jack said with excitement. "Ohhh Mom, could I? Could I?"

Blair didnt want her baby boy growing up so soon. If Jack was already growing up then that meant Sammy would be growing up faster than she could blink.

"We'll see... maybe a Saturday or something," she suggested. When had Jack started crushing on girls?

"Kewl," said Jack. "I can't wait."

Then he said to Sammy, "Come on, Sam... Let's take Mickey inside and show him the upstairs."

"Okay," Sammy said as he picked up Mickey and followed his big brother inside.

Once they were alone, John gave Blair a squeeze. "I found us a baby girl," he said. "The baby is due anytime. They had another couple who was going to adopt the child... but they mysteriously died. Looks like we are going to be parents soon."

Blair found that slightly morbid and couldn't help the chill that ran down her spine. How did two people just die mysteriously? Weird. But she focused her attention on John. "We didn't exactly prepare the boys for their new sister. Do you think they'll be okay with it?"

"It's okay; we'll tell them all about the new baby tonight. And they also have a new baby over at their dad's house," John reminded. "I am sure everything will be fine. Do you still have any of Sammy's old baby things... or should we do some shopping? After all, this baby is going to be a little girl..."

"And since the baby is due anytime, should we start thinking of some names?"

John asked excitedly.

"It's been awhile since I've had baby girl stuff in the house, so I think we may have to go and get some new items," Blair said. She didn't know how the boys felt about their new sister at Todd and Marty's. The boys never talked about it.

"Okay, we'll talk to the boys tonight then... and we'll go shopping tomorrow morning when they are both at school. We'll get everything we need for the little one," John said with a smile. "And then we will go house hunting...

just you and me."

"Sounds absolutely perfect," Blair said, wrapping her arms around John and kissing him deeply. "I hope we find something we like though..."

"The real estate lady said there are a couple of choices to chose from, so hopefuly something will catch our eye. Just so long as we don't have to live in Todd and Marty's backyard... now that would never be good," John said as he hugged Blair close.

"Oh God, don't even joke about that," Blair said. "I'll take anything... anything at all before I'd ever do that. I'm sure that we will find something we like."

John just smiled at Blair's reaction. "Don't worry, I am sure we can find something just perfect for us... and we won't even have to live in Todd's garden shed." Taking Blair's hand, he walked with her back into the house.

~*o*~

The next day, Blair and John dropped the boys off at school, then went to the mall to get some clothing and furniture for the new baby. "Why don't they have any black baby clothes?" John asked.

Blair giggled as she was looking through a rack of baby clothes. "Babe, that's not likely, unless there is a Baby Goth store," she teased.

She couldn't stop giggling though. Black Baby clothes. Then all of a sudden, her laughter stopped. "John, you could start your own line for babies and toddlers, a clothing line featuring black baby clothes."

"Now you're teasing me," John smirked. "Really though, I don't think the baby would look all that cute in black. And we gotta think of a name for her. Got any ideas?" John picked an armload of baby girl clothes and infant items and added them to the cart.

"No actually I'm not," Blair responded. "Because I just realized if you're asking that question there are probably a few others who want black baby clothes as well. Certain people have their own tastes and style - not everyone is into the cutsie baby stuff with ducks and frogs and cows and those sort of things, ya know."

"Names," Blair said as she began to wrack her brain. "Traditional or non-traditional?"

"I'm glad we are on the same page here," said John as Blair said that not all parents wanted cutsie things for their babies. He had been thinking of doing the baby's room in bright colors, not the traditional pastels. He was actually thinking of decorating the room in red and black. "How about Kassia?" he suggested for their new daughter's name. "Do you like it? Kassia McBain.

It has a nice ring to it."

"I like it," Blair agreed. "It sounds nice. It's not too common which is a good thing. I think it'll be perfect for our daughter."

John smiled as he gazed at Blair. "Our daughter," he spoke. "I really like the sound of that."

After they finished up with the baby shopping, they went to check out the houses from the real estate. The first place was a two-story house with five bedrooms and a full basement. There was even a big fenced-in back yard. As John and Blair looked around the house, John was really impressed. "What do you think?" he asked Blair.

Blair thought that the house was fantastic. "Oh my gosh! This is house is amazing," she breathed as they had looked around it. "It could fit all of us."

"Yeah, it could," John agreed. "And we could convert the basement into a playroom/family room. The place has so much potential. I say we tell the lady we want it. I'm sure the boys will fall in love with it, too."

"Sounds good to me," Blair spoke with a grin. "I'm sure they will. They'll love the backyard for sure now that we have Mickey."

"We have it all now, Blair... two great boys, a cute little dog, a house... and a baby girl on the way," John said as he took Blair's hand and walked back out to the car. "Everything's perfect. Nothing is going to ruin it now."

That night over supper, Blair and John told the boys that they would soon be getting a new sister. Sammy looked at his mom, very confused. "But Mommy, you don't have a baby in your tummy," he observed. "Are you going to get my new sister at the pet store... just like the puppy?"

Blair had to stiffle the laugh at the innocent question. "No, you're right, Sammy; Mommy doesn't have a baby inside of her tummy this time. And no, we're not getting your sister from the pet store. Sometimes there are babies who don't have a mommy or a daddy to love them," Blair explained. "So those babies are adopted by people who want to add a new baby to their family." She didn't know if Sammy could completely understand although she was doing her very best to explain.

"Okay, so... when is the baby coming?" Sammy questioned.

"Sometime very soon," John spoke up.

"I don't like babies all that much," said Jack. "They just poop, puke, and cry."

"Ewwwwwww," said Sammy. "I like babies though. Paloma is cute. She doesn't puke all that much... but sometimes she cries."

Jack rolled his eyes. He didn't care too much about getting a new sister. He was more excited about girls and taking Cyndi to the movies.

Blair tried not to laugh. "Babies do cry," she explained. "Because they can't talk and it's their way of letting the adults know if they're hungry, sad, or hurt."

John was amused by this conversation. As far as he could see, the boys would do fine when their new sister got here. He had been right, the new baby would help make their family complete.

"Jack, Sammy, we are going to really need your help over the next couple of weeks before your sister gets here... we are moving, and you both can help us pack," John suggested.

"I'm a good packer," said Sammy. "See, I'm getting big muscles." Sam showed off his little biceps.

Blair pretended to look shocked. "Oh my goodness, what big muscles you have, Sammy! Yes, you will definitely be a good packer with those," she exclaimed, glad the boys were okay with the move and a new sister.

~*Todd and Marty*~

Todd had survived caring for Paloma while Marty had been hospitalized. After she got out, Todd came to get her and then helped her get settled in with the baby. At first Todd had insisted he go, but then he realized Marty still needed him as she was yet recovering from surgery. As Marty continued getting better, Todd was always nearby, but things were strained between them. He helped her with the baby, but other than that, he spent most of his time at work. The days went by, then weeks and months, and Todd continued to sleep on the couch.

He wanted and needed Marty, but he felt he wasn't good enough for her. He felt he had let her down. But now he couldn't even think of leaving, because she and Paloma meant everything to him.

He had even called, asking his lawyer to make arrangements so the boys could start coming over for visits. Jack was indifferent to his little sister, but Sammy was absolutely fascinated and couldn't wait for Paloma to get bigger so she could play with him. Once the boys were back in his life, Todd felt that at least one thing in his life was back to normal.

He and Marty hadn't really talked about what happened that night when Paloma had been born, but mostly it was because Todd refused to discuss the issue. Now, Marty was completely recovered and as beautiful as ever, and Todd wanted her so much he could barely think straight. Being in her presense was was like torture for him, because all he wanted was to take her in his arms and make passionate love to her.