Todd and Marty Ch. 05

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.

*~O~*

Hearing Michael's words, Marty looked alarmed. "He didn't give any indication as to where he was going?" Marty asked.

She didn't understand it; Todd had been looking forward to Paloma's birth for months, and now suddenly he was mysteriously MIA. What in the world could have happened? Where could Todd have gone?

"Uhhh... Thank you, Dr. McBain ... for telling me," Marty said quietly. She had absolutely no clue what she should do now.

*Why would you leave us now, Todd? Why?* she silently questioned.

*~O~*

Todd wasn't thinking clearly. His head hurt considerably and he was a little weak from having given his blood. He arrived at the Palace Hotel and asked for room 719, the same room he and Marty had gotten on New Year's Eve night. Sitting beside the fireplace, Todd poured himself a drink. He downed the alcohol in one shot, then wandered up onto the roof. As he stood there,

staring off the ledge, he could hear Marty's voice and everything that she had said to him that terrible night. He had told him that she would be better off if he would just jump and that she would be happier if he was no longer in her life.

Right now her words were echoing in his head, making it difficult to think with any sort of clarity.

*~O~*

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, the nurse had returned to check on Marty and baby Paloma. The nurse smiled, seeing that one of the bags of blood had already emptied, and already Marty's color was beginning to return. "Would you like a bottle for your baby... or would you prefer to nurse her yourself?" the nurse asked, seeing that little Paloma appeared to be getting hungry and was making sucking sounds.

"I'll try breastfeeding her," Marty said as she sat up and repositioned Paloma so she could nurse her. The infant drank hungrily as Marty looked down at her beautiful baby.

Her heart was aching since Todd had just disappeared on her. He had left them... her and Paloma both.

*~O~*

Nora had gotten a call from her friend at the hospital that her dear friend Marty Saybrooke had just given birth to a baby and had gone through emergency surgery. Nora went to the hospital right away to check on Marty and the baby.

She knew that Marty was living with Todd, and although Nora wasn't a fan of Todd, she still considered herself Marty's good friend. Nora breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Todd was no where around in the hospital. She really didn't feel like having a confrontation with the infamous ex gang-rapist.

Nora entered Marty's hospital room, seeing Marty lying there in the bed holding a sleeping infant to her breast. "Ohhh Marty, she's just beautiful,"

Nora said with a happy smile. "Cole has a new baby sister."

Then Nora glanced around the hospital room, a frown on her face. "Marty,

where is Todd?" she asked.

*~O~*

Meanwhile, at the Palace Hotel, Todd was still lurking on the roof. By now the rain had stopped, yet rivulets of it continued to move down Todd face,

looking like tears. He longed to cuddle and see Paloma, just as much as he needed to be with Marty, holding her close, too. He left the roof then and returned to room 719.

Warming himself by the fire, Todd sighed deeply, reaching for a piece of paper and a pen. He began writing a note to Marty. Then, his clothes still soaked by the rain, he went to his house and grabbed a couple of things. He called a taxi, and once again, headed over to the hospital.

*~O~*

"Thank you," Marty said, smiling brightly as she let Nora see Paloma. "Her name is Paloma. I hope Cole is going to be excited about this."

Then she frowned. "Todd? I don't know where he has gone. He gave blood for me and then just disappeared. I don't have a way to reach him because I have no idea where he might have gone..."

Nora gazed at the adorable baby who looked a great deal like Marty.

"Paloma, what a beautiful name," Nora said as she cooed at the baby.

"That's strange," Nora said when Marty stated that Todd was now MIA. "I hope everything is alright. Did something happen tonight? I heard it was John McBain who brought you here to the hospital..."

*~O~*

Todd walked into the hospital and went straight for the nursery. He looked through the window, but he didn't see Paloma. A nurse was looking at him suspiciously, so he hid in the shadows, not wanting to be seen.

*~O~*

Marty sighed, "Tonight was a mess. Todd and I were going to pick up his kids from Blair's as he has vistation rights now. Then it started to rain, so we pulled over. I went into labor and the car wouldn't start. Todd delivered Paloma in the car, and I don't know what happened after that."

"All I remember is Todd getting knocked out and the next thing I knew,

I was brought here. John was here, and Todd went ballistic, saying John knocked him out ... and now Todd's gone," Marty explained. "I know it doesn't sound good, but really, Nora, Todd's not a bad guy."

"Oh dear God, Marty, thank heavens you and that baby are okay. That sounds just awful,"

Nora said after Marty described Paloma's birth. "No wonder you barely remember anything... it's a miracle you're even still alive... with all that blood loss,

then the surgery."

When Marty had said that Todd really wasn't a bad guy, Nora didn't know what to say. Nora did not trust Todd Manning. He had done so many bad things, and every time it even looked like he was trying to change, he would end up doing something totally awful, like kidnapping a child. "Marty, I really don't know what's going on with Todd, but for your sake and the baby's, I do hope he comes back..."

A nurse walked in the room then, reaching for Paloma. "Time for Sleeping Beauty here to go back to the nursery... and remember you need your rest, too," reminded the nurse. She walked out of the room, carrying Paloma in her arms.

"Marty, I should go... but if you need anything, you call me, okay?" Nora said after the nurse had taken Paloma over to the nursery so Marty could get some rest. "I'll tell Cole you had the baby... hopefully I can presuade him to come by and see you ... I know he misses you, he just won't admit it."

Todd was lurking near Marty's hospital room in the shadows down the hall when he saw a nurse walk out, holding the baby. A few minutes later, he showed up at the nursery, wearing hospital scrubs. "Paloma," he said, standing over the baby's isolette.

"Thanks Nora," Marty responded. "I will talk to you tomorrow, and if Cole is agreeable,

please tell him he can come whenever; I miss him." As Nora left, Marty lay her head down upon her pillow for some much-needed sleep.

*~O~*

Gently Todd reached into the isolette, withdrawing his newborn daughter.

With sleepy blue eyes, Paloma looked up at Todd. "Hello, Paloma," Todd said in a whisper. "I'm your daddy. And I know your mommy probably won't let you see me now, after what I did tonight. I let her down... and I never meant to do that."

Paloma made a slight fussing noise at being awakened so abruptly, so Todd held her gently against his chest, lightly caressing her back. Looking around the nursery, Todd saw that the nurses were busy with another baby in a separate room, so he edged his way toward the door. Holding Paloma close against him,

Todd took her into a deserted hospital room, lying her down on the bed. Gently he pulled the blanket away, so he could see his baby girl. She was dressed in a little hospital t-shirt and a tiny diaper. She looked so much like Marty that it made Todd's heart hurt.

Wrapping her up again in the soft baby blanket, Todd cuddled her close. "I love you, Paloma... I'm sorry I messed things up for me, you, and your mommy.

I really didn't mean it..." he said in a whisper.

Todd then took two snapshots of the baby with his camera. He wanted to keep this memory forever. It might be all he would have of his little girl. Now he had four kids and sadly he couldn't see a single one of them. "Paloma, I gotta take you back... your mommy needs you... I've already hurt her so much. You're the best thing that ever happened to both of us," Todd said as he kissed Paloma's soft fuzzy head.

Weaving his way through the halls, Todd returned to the nursery, putting Paloma back down carefully in the isolette. Once again, no one seemed to be around. "Goodbye,

Paloma," Todd said sadly as a tear slipped quietly down his face.

A couple of minutes later, he arrived at the front desk of the hospital,

wearing his usual clothes. "Give these things to Marty Saybrooke," he said,

handing the receptionist a bag Marty had packed for the hospital a couple of weeks ago for herself and the baby, along with the note he had written earlier.

"Hey, aren't you the guy who was here earlier all covered with blood that I called Security on?" asked the uppity receptionist at the desk.

"Yeah, that would be me..." Todd answered, his voice expressionless. He then turned on his heel and left the hospital. After going back to his place to gather his belongings, he returned then to the Palace Hotel and room 719.

The receptionist at the desk called a nurse in the materity ward to have her pick up the items for Marty. The nurse didn't want to disturb the sleeping mother who had just given birth and gone through major surgery, so she decided to bring the items to Marty the very next morning.

Marty was sleeping peacefully due to exhaustion. What a long day it had been. She had forgotten that she and Todd had never called Blair to let her know why Todd hadn't shown up to pick up Sammy and Jack. It was there at the back of her mind though. She assumed that by now, John had spoken to Blair, letting her know the reason Todd had not arrived.

*~O~*

Morning came as a harsh reminder and Todd wondered if Marty had read his message yet. He got on the phone first thing and called his lawyer. "I want to cancel all further visits with my kids, Jack and Sammy... and I'd like to have my house put in Marty Saybrooke's name. And about my car, it needs a professional cleaning, can you take care of that, too?" Todd asked. His lawyer promised to see to everything, then Todd hung up the phone.

No sooner had he hung up, when his cell was ringing once again. He growled,

realizing the caller was Tea. "What do you want?" he asked, a muscle twitching in his jaw when he spoke to his former lover and ex-attorney.

"You Todd, I want you... have you and Marty broken up yet?" Tea asked in a fliratious voice. "I told you it's just a matter of time before she dumps you... she always does."

"Tea, I don't want to talk to you," Todd said in a sneer.

"It's just a matter of time before Marty goes running back to John McBain...

once Blair dumps him, Marty is going to have John ALL to herself," Tea taunted.

Images of John holding Marty's hand the night before came to Todd and he nearly crushed the phone in his fist.

"Look, Tea... I have to go... don't call me again," Todd said, disconnecting the call.

*~O~*

As soon as Paloma awakened in the nursery, a nurse brought her in to Marty.

"I think someone is hungry," said the nurse as she placed the baby in Marty's arms.

"Ohhh I almost forgot... someone left this for you here last night," said the nurse as she went to retrieve Marty's overnight bag. She set the bag next to Marty's bed. She then handed Marty a note that had been written by Todd.

"Thank you," Marty said to the nurse, wondering when Todd had dropped off her things.

He had obviously come to the hospital, but where was he now?

After the nurse left, Marty fed Paloma while reading the letter.

The message read:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Marty,

After last night, I realize I do not have the courage to be the man you need me to be. I tried... I truly did, but it's not going to happen. I love you... and I love our baby, but I guess that in our case, love was never enough.

I won't be there when you and our daughter come home. But I will be speaking to my lawyer, and the house and everything in it, I will put in your name. I want to be able to see Paloma, but I am not sure if that would be what is best for her.

I'm sorry, Marty. I never meant to hurt you. I will regret it for the rest of my life.

Sincerely,

Todd

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Marty sighed. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't raise Paloma alone,

could she? She had hoped that Todd could change and become a better person, but suddenly he was denying that he could. And he was giving her his house? What? It didn't make a bit of sense to her; it was just so insane.

Marty tried to think. If she wasn't in the hospital this would be so much easier to resolve. When Paloma finished nursing, she looked down at her precious girl. "It might just be me and you, Paloma," she said sadly. "Looks like big brother Cole doesn't want anything to do with us and your Daddy can't seem to handle it."

*~O~*

A couple of hours later Todd's lawyer had delivered Todd his car which had been thoroughly cleaned and was now in working order. "Thanks," said Todd as he took the key. He really liked this lawyer so much better than Tea; at least Remington wasn't always trying to seduce him. Todd couldn't help but laugh at that absolutely absurd thought.

After Remington left, Todd went out to his car. There was no sign of Paloma's birth in the backseat. His car was now as good as new. He cussed the car out then, for all the trouble it had cause him and Marty the night before.

He then headed over to The Sun, pouring himself into his work.

Todd was sitting at his desk in his office reading over the current manuscript for the paper when the door opened and someone came inside. He looked up,

seeing it was Tea.

"Tea, what the hell are you doing here?" he gasped, dropping his paper and pencil down on his desk.

"Marty left you, didn't she?" Tea demanded.

"No, for your information, I left her," Todd bit out, standing up so he could throw Tea back out.

As Todd approached, Tea opened her long grey trench coat, showing Todd that underneath she wore nothing. Todd's mouth dropped open when he realized Tea was nude beneath the coat.

"This time I forgot to wear my underwear," said Tea with her infamous sexy giggle.

"Tea, I'm not in the mood. Get the hell out!" Todd insisted.

Tea didn't listen - instead she threw herself at Todd.