Victor entered the house, and Téa immediately demanded to know where he'd been. He replied that he'd gone for a walk. She told him that she hadn't heard from Dani and that Dani hated her. He didn't think that was true, but she explained that after she'd lost their son, she'd basically walked away from her responsibilities as a mother. Téa didn't blame Dani for trying to punish her mother.
Changing the subject, Victor had something to tell Téa and knew that she wouldn't like it. He cautiously looked out the window and said that he had to leave town. Téa wondered if someone was after Victor. "The less you know, the better," Victor replied.
Téa wouldn't let Victor leave until he told her what was going on, and she pushed him. He grabbed her and pushed her back. She wondered who had made him the way that he was, but he only hugged her. Téa offered to help, but Victor refused. He needed to leave so that the people following him wouldn't find Téa and his kids.
Téa related that she had lost Victor and their son within a year, so it was a miracle to have Victor back. He apologized and suggested that he shouldn't have returned in the first place. He had originally planned to stay out of sight, but he had seen Dani pass out at the club. When he'd seen Todd giving Téa a hard time at the hospital, he hadn't been able to stay away any longer.
Téa was awestruck that Victor hadn't planned on returning. She said that his return had saved her life. He related that, if he didn't leave, there might not be a future for the two of them. "If I come back, I'll never leave again. I swear," Victor promised. "If?" Téa asked.
Téa promised to let Victor leave if he said goodbye to the kids. He didn't think he had time. However, Téa spat that he couldn't be ripped out of their lives again without a goodbye.
David and Jack were behind the closed doors of the living room, yelling about how "hardcore" something was. A confused Blair listened at the door. Once Sam joined in, Blair burst in the room, demanding to know what was going on.
Jack showed Blair the expensive gaming console sitting on the table. Blair wondered where Jack had gotten it. David left to meet up with his crew and promised to play later with Jack. Jack admitted to his mother that it was a gift from Todd. Blair told him to pack up the console and send it back. The boys refused.
Blair was not happy that Todd had tried to solve his problems by "throwing cash around." Jack suggested that Todd was doing the right thing. Jack thought he would "milk" Todd for all he was worth, because Todd owed Jack for "screwing up my life." Jack's phone rang. It was Téa inviting Jack and Sam over because Victor had something to tell them. Jack left the house with Sam.
Dani sat on the new leather couch that Todd had gotten her. There was a knock on the door. Dani told Matthew to answer it because she was reading. Matthew was surprised to see Destiny and Drew at the door. He informed her that he had plans, and she couldn't just "dump" Drew on him.
Destiny informed Matthew that Dani had agreed to babysit Drew while Destiny was at work. Dani related that Destiny looked amazing, and Jeffrey agreed. The two complimented each other, which drew a surprised look from Matthew. Dani's phone rang, and she walked away to answer it.
Jeffrey picked Drew up and put him in the bedroom so he could nap. Destiny remarked that Jeffrey was good with kids, but Matthew spat that Jeffrey was only trying to impress her. "God forbid someone would want to do that," Destiny said, rolling her eyes.
Dani returned and said that Téa had invited her over because Victor had something to tell her. Destiny told her to go, so Dani left apologizing. Jeffrey offered to take care of Drew instead. "I can take care of my own son!" Matthew yelled. Matthew promised to handle it and guilt-tripped Destiny for making him stay home to give her a "night off."
Angry, Destiny informed Matthew that she went to school and worked in order to support herself and Drew. Matthew replied that he hadn't wanted a child. She shot back that he should have thought of that before he hadn't worn a condom. He suggested that she should have thought before she'd decided against an abortion. She slapped him hard across the face.
Jeffrey attempted to intervene, but Matthew demanded that he stay out of it. Destiny informed Matthew that she loved Drew and that the only thing she would change was that Matthew was Drew's father. She refused to let Matthew judge her life with Drew and stormed out of the apartment.
Jeffrey observed that Destiny was clearly struggling. Matthew related that Bo would take care of Destiny and Drew. Jeffrey told Matthew that a struggling single mother had raised him, so Matthew should cut Destiny some slack. "Stay the hell out of it," Matthew spat.
Jeffrey wondered how Matthew had expected to get Destiny pregnant, not want anything to do with her or the baby, and also expect no one else to care about them. Jeffrey realized how much of a "spoiled, rich brat" Matthew was. Drew began to cry. "Good luck with that," Jeffrey said, storming out of the apartment.
Jack entered Victor's house, wondering what the big announcement was. Dani asked if Victor and Téa were getting married again. Sam wondered if he could be the best man. Victor admitted that he had to leave "for a while," because he had business to take care of. He told them that he needed to leave immediately.
Jack, Dani, and Sam were clearly upset. Victor reminded them that he loved them more than anything and that he wouldn't leave if he didn't have to. Dani hugged him, and Jack, Sam, and Téa joined in. Jack pulled away, and Victor asked him to give Todd a chance. "Sorry, never," he replied. The kids left.
Téa closed Victor's bag. She told him not to regret returning and made him promise to return. "I promise," he replied softly. He told her that he would always love her. He kissed Téa, picked up his bag, and left the house. Once the door closed, Téa threw everything off the desk in frustration.
Todd and Viki stood outside the coffee shop. He wanted to introduce Viki to "the new me. The zen Todd." He confided that he'd made peace with Victor. Viki was happy but wondered about the change of heart. Todd told his sister that the kids hated him, so he'd thought that making peace with Victor could fix a little of it.
Viki knew that both Todd and Victor had difficulties with forgiveness. Todd related that he'd never forgive Victor. Viki suggested that if they played at forgiveness for long enough, it might become real. She left to take care of some business.
David entered and complimented Todd on the gaming console he'd sent to Jack. Todd was happy to hear that Jack liked it and smiled.
A short while later, Todd arrived at La Boulaie and walked in. Blair told him that Jack was impressed with the gaming console. Blair was disappointed because she wanted Jack to know that money couldn't solve everything. Todd offered to teach him and make things right.
Todd informed Blair that he'd made peace with Victor. He thought that the olive branch could help "repair" Jack. Blair didn't think Jack would believe it. She attempted to explain why and finally said that "your son is you."
A short while later, Todd was gone, and Jack was there. He looked at the card that Todd had sent with the gaming console. It read, "You deserve the best. Love, Dad." He put the card down and smashed the console into pieces on the floor.
Matthew laid Drew's things out on the couch. Dani entered glumly, tears on her face. Matthew hugged her.
Todd entered his hotel room and poured himself a drink out of the decanter. He sat down and looked at his phone.
Moments later, Victor arrived in front of Todd's hotel room and knocked on the door. Todd opened the door.
Chapter 3, Part 2
Cutter watched as Natalie descended the stairs to the main floor of Shelter. He looked at her admiringly. "Well look at you," he said. He offered to buy her a drink and admitted that he always did so for the pretty women at the club. They headed to the bar where Cutter introduced Natalie to Nikki, the club's new bartender.
Nikki handed them cocktails with a mixture of ingredients that she had thrown together in Cutter's honor. "It's awful," Cutter and Natalie agreed after taking sips. The pair made their way through the club and ran into Rama, who was busy serving drinks. Rama and Cutter flirted, and Rama said something in Indian. She confessed that it loosely meant not to trust guys like Cutter.
Cutter and his attitude to "always leave the ladies wanting more" appeared to turn Natalie off, and she returned to the bar to request a tab of her own.
Blair arrived to audition a new singer for the club. She looked around and admitted that while the scene wasn't entirely the one she'd envisioned, she was happy that the place was filled with paying customers. She was putting her trust in Cutter.
Natalie returned from the dance floor, and she and Blair talked about their children briefly. A young female without a wristband made her way to the bar and asked Blair and Natalie to buy her a drink. She made rude comments about Rama, who had refused to serve her.
Blair tried to determine the girl's age. The girl noted that she usually carried fake identification with her, but she had lost it. Blair finally introduced herself as the owner of the club and advised the girl that she wouldn't be getting any drinks there. Blair learned that the girl was there for the audition.
As Dani poured shots for herself and her new roommates, Jeffrey tried to establish the history of Dani and her three dads. "It's complicated," Dani told him. Matthew announced that Drew was asleep, and the trio agreed to play a drinking game based on the use of the word father or dad. Dani quickly downed two shots.
Later in the evening, with bottles and cups strewn everywhere, the friends decided to switch from a game of quarters to one of strip Truth or Dare. Shirts and pants were quickly removed as the group chose their dares from pieces of paper in a hat. Matthew pulled one last dare out of the hat. It simply read kiss.
Matthew decided to kiss Dani as opposed to Jeffrey. He looked at her affectionately, and their kiss was passionate. Matthew declared that the game was over, and Dani announced that none of it would happen again. She and Matthew headed to their bedrooms.
"I want to make a truce once and for all," Victor announced when Todd answered Victor's knock on the hotel room door. Todd offered Victor a drink, and the men toasted to their kids and family. Victor revealed that he had to leave town and couldn't give anyone any details. He wanted Todd to look after Dani, Jack, and Sam.
"The kids are counting on you," Todd replied angrily. He added, "I should have killed you when I had the chance." He ordered Victor to leave. "I played you like a bad piano," Todd continued. He revealed that he hadn't really wanted to be friends with Victor anyway.
Victor suddenly punched Todd in the throat. As Todd gasped for air, Victor confessed that Todd really hadn't been suffering from the flu. Victor had put arsenic into Todd's scotch. Victor choked Todd, and Todd fell to the floor. "I hope you burn in hell, brother," Victor said.
Téa wandered aimlessly around her house and remembered all of the places that she and Victor had made love. Crying, she made her way to the nursery and found the toy giraffe with the stuffing pouring out of it.
The young girl sang for the crowd, and Blair hired her. Cutter argued with Nikki about serving the girl a drink, but Nikki was adamant and stood her ground. Blair paid the bills, and Nikki wouldn't go against her. Cutter thought that Nikki was jealous and angry because of Natalie's presence.
Jack found Todd on the floor when he walked into the open door of Todd's hotel room with a friend. "Call 9-1-1. Hurry!" Jack shouted.
David stood outside of Bo and Nora's door and gave his cameraman some instructions. He knocked on the door, and Nora opened it, clad in a green facial mask and curlers. Surprised, she hurriedly closed the door on David and called through the door for him to go away. David entered the apartment and informed Nora that he'd made an appointment with her through her office. He wanted her to be a part of his reality show, The Real Life and Times of Vickerman.
Nora told David that she couldn't go on camera looking like she did. David commented that his audience wanted more than gorgeous women -- they wanted real women to whom they could relate. He begged her to help him.
A short while later, the cameraman filmed David knocking on the door again. Nora opened the door with fake surprise, still wearing her facial mask, but without curlers. She invited David in but had second thoughts. She threatened him if he didn't cut the take. She promised to help him out some other time. He massaged her back, trying to relax her, but she made him and his cameraman leave. Once out in the hallway, David asked if his cameraman had gotten the entire encounter. "Every minute," the cameraman responded.
Viki sat in Todd's hospital room and implored him to sit. Todd wanted to leave the hospital and called for a nurse. Viki told him to relax because he had nearly died. Todd confided that he feared no one would believe that Victor had tried to kill him. Viki wondered what could have pushed Victor to try to kill Todd.
A short while later, a nurse told Todd where to sign his discharge papers. She instructed an impatient Todd to call if there were any changes in his condition. He left the room after signing the papers. Viki apologized to the nurse on his behalf and followed Todd out.
Bo and some officers were investigating Todd's hotel room when Todd entered and attempted to get into his room. Bo wouldn't let Todd into the room because it was a crime scene. Bo inquired what Todd had done, and Todd wondered why he would strangle himself. He related that Bo needed to find Victor. Bo informed him that a manhunt was going on.
Bo thought that Todd had finally killed Victor and had staged his own strangulation. Viki, who had entered just in time to hear Bo's thoughts, was irate at the suggestion that Todd was lying. She informed Bo that Todd's doctors had said that he was lucky to be alive. Todd instructed that Bo check the decanter for fingerprints, since Victor had been poisoning Todd. Bo told one of his men to "bag the decanter."
Blair angrily told Cutter that he was going to put her out of business. They argued about pricing and money. Another thing Blair needed to talk to Cutter about was the bartender Nikki. Blair liked her but thought that she could end up being trouble. Cutter explained that good bartenders like Nikki had followers, so she would be good for business. Blair told him that he was "the most full of shit person I've ever met" but hoped he was right.
A short while later, Blair was sitting at the bar of Shelter, using her computer, when Todd walked in. She was surprised to see him out of the hospital after his "delusions and fake strangulation." He insisted that he was telling the truth and that Victor had poisoned him with arsenic, strangled him, and left him for dead. Todd poured himself a drink and asked Blair to drink with him. She told him that she was busy and that he needed to leave. After he left, she grabbed his drink and took a sip.
Jeffrey entered the coffee shop and was happy to see Destiny and Drew. He was still shocked that Matthew had a child and related how hard it must be for Destiny to raise Drew alone. She answered that it was hard and that Jeffrey should "tell your roommate." She apologized for being cranky and explained that she had worked all night at the Banner.
Jeffrey related that he worked freelance for the Banner. Destiny offered to leave so he could get some work done, but Jeffrey liked the distraction. Destiny told him that she and Drew were both going home to take naps anyway. Jeffrey baby-talked to Drew, which made Destiny smile.
Outside the coffee shop, Clint was shocked that Viki was "putting all your eggs in one basket." He suggested that she call to stop the order that would put all of her money into the Pellegrino Fund. "When it comes to money, you're never wrong," she replied.
Viki and Clint were happy to see Jeffrey, Destiny, and Drew when they entered the coffee shop. Clint wondered where Matthew was, and Jeffrey replied that Matthew was working from home. "So that means he's hardly working," Clint cracked. Destiny had to go, so she and Jeffrey said goodbye and left.
Jeffrey invited Destiny over so that Drew could spend time with Matthew, who didn't have any plans. Destiny replied that Matthew knew where to find her and Drew. Jeffrey thought that, if Destiny waited for Matthew to show up, Drew would already be off to college before getting to know his father. Destiny finally agreed, and they walked away.
Matthew set up his camera, posing shirtless for the automatic timer. He was flexing and doing push-ups when Dani entered, shocked at what she saw. She offered to help him so that he didn't humiliate himself. She suggested that he use some self tanner and helped him put it on. He asked about her father, but she didn't want to talk about it. Changing the subject, she teased him about sending naked pictures to girls. In response, he tickled her, tackling her onto the couch.
A short while later, Dani had Matthew posing for the camera. She handed him a jar of peanut butter and instructed him to lick some off of his fingers. He did so, but Dani told him that he was supposed to look "sexy, not hungry." She demonstrated it for him, and he was clearly distracted. Just then, he got an idea and ran off to his room. Matthew returned wet and wearing a towel.
A short while later, Dani took pictures of Matthew, who lay on the couch, while she sat on top of him. She leaned in closely to fix a stray hair, and they locked eyes. Obviously uncomfortable, Dani thought they had gotten enough good pictures, and she leaned back. Matthew thought they were "just getting into the groove." Just then, Jeffrey, Destiny, and Drew entered and saw Dani on top of Matthew. Destiny stormed away from the apartment.
Bo arrived at Natalie's office and asked her about the fingerprints found on the decanter and the liquid found inside the decanter. She replied that she'd only found Todd's fingerprints, and there had been only scotch in the decanter. She promised to notify Bo immediately if she found anything else. Bo wondered if she would bet on the eventual findings. She was surprised to hear that Bo thought Todd was lying.
A short while later, Natalie was looking into a microscope when Bo asked what she had found. When Natalie responded that she hadn't found any arsenic, Bo went off about how Todd had lied and how Bo never should have believed Todd. He remembered that he could arrest Todd for making a false statement and abusing city resources. Bo related that the evidence didn't lie. "That's the one thing I can count on," she said quietly. Bo wished things had turned out differently for her. He kissed the top of her head and left.
Moments later, Natalie got an idea and ran back to the microscope. She immediately called Bo. She told him that she'd found arsenic on the stopper of the decanter. She related that whoever had washed the bottle hadn't washed the top. She stated that Todd hadn't been lying.
Chapter 3, Part 4
Dani watched as her mother began to dismantle the nursery. Dani was concerned with Téa's sudden action, but Téa assured her that it was time to move on as Téa had been able to mourn with Victor. Dani was worried about her mom, but Téa responded that it was the mother's job to worry about the child and not the opposite.
The phone rang, and it was Bo. He asked Téa to visit his office to talk about Victor. Bo thought that Todd might have been telling the truth about Victor, but Téa was certain that Victor had his own side of the story.
After Téa ended the call, Dani expressed her feelings about Victor's behavior. She thought that he had been acting strangely and hiding something from them. Téa explained that Victor had had a lot on his mind, and he wouldn't jeopardize his family.
David found Vimal sitting in the coffee shop and announced that he wanted to ask about the intimate details of Vimal's life. "It's complicated," Vimal replied awkwardly. He confided that he was in an open marriage with Rama. Cutter walked in and asked about Rama's whereabouts, as he wanted to talk to her about work scheduling. "You see her more than I do," Vimal shouted.
Vimal's statement piqued David's interest, and he wondered if Cutter were part of Rama's bed-hopping. Cutter was confused until David explained the open marriage. Vimal stated that he hated it, though Cutter thought it was a great idea and an opportunity for Vimal to experience other women.
Vimal announced that he didn't want other women, as Rama had been the only girl he'd ever been with. He corrected that quickly to the only girl he wanted. The other guys thought that Vimal should get experience, but they also convinced him that Rama would be jealous if she saw him with someone else.
Clint showed Viki two plane tickets to Paris and told her it was for their honeymoon. He was in a hurry to get married and thought they might even do it that day. Viki announced that she wouldn't settle for a "quickie" and wanted a perfect wedding ceremony with friends and family. Clint argued that that was "a luxury for the young."
Viki wondered why the sudden rush, and Clint reminded her that he'd been held in the house for over a year, and she had been busy with the newspaper. He thought that they should look at "why we can" as opposed to the negative. He was a problem solver, he said.
Viki asked about the license, and Clint said he'd already obtained it. She was concerned about a witness to their marriage. "That's why God gave me Nigel," Clint replied. For every question, Clint had the answer. When he advised her that she wouldn't have to pack because he'd already arranged for a personal shopper in Paris, Viki had to give in.
Matthew eyed Dani's underwear in her laundry basket and waited for his new Facebook friend, Michelle, to call. He wasn't disappointed. He was thrilled and told her she had a sexy voice. "Do I?" she asked. Matthew thought that they had a "connection." Dani returned, and Matthew ended his call. He told Dani that the girl was great, and Dani seemed impressed.
Matthew thought that Dani seemed down, and he asked what was bothering her. She denied it at first, but then she blurted out, "I think my dads are trying to kill each other. Again." She stated that Victor had been strange during his visit home. "Why can't my parents be normal?" Dani asked.
"Like us?" Matthew asked. They agreed that they'd both done "stupid stuff." Matthew added, "Sometimes we get caught up in the moment," and they were busy acting instead of thinking, thus accidentally hurting people. Dani wondered if Matthew had had a dose of sensitivity pills, and Matthew joked that it had probably been the peanut butter.
Dani picked up her laundry basket and looked back at Matthew curiously. He didn't see her.
Todd paid Jack a visit to check on him after Jack had found Todd on the floor. Jack assured his father he was fine. "I just want to thank you for saving my life," Todd said. He realized that it had probably been difficult for Jack to see Todd unconscious on the floor. Jack assumed that had Todd been in Jack's place, Todd would have left the body on the floor.
Todd took exception to Jack's perception of him and asked to be allowed to introduce himself to Jack. Todd stated that he'd tried to make peace with Victor, and Todd cared about Jack and his feelings. Jack defended Victor in his absence, noting that Victor wasn't there to defend himself.
Jack didn't believe that Todd cared about Jack, though Todd explained that his own father had left him when he was a child, and Todd had never seen him again. He didn't want to do the same to Jack. The boy reminded Todd that he already had a father in Victor. Todd said he loved Jack, and he wondered why Jack had visited his hotel room.
Jack stated that he had merely stopped by to inform Todd that he'd destroyed the computer that Todd had given him. "You didn't let me die," Todd reminded him. "I wish I had," Jack retorted.
Destiny was thrilled that she would be able to run some errands while Nora babysat for Drew. Nora was equally happy to spend time with her grandson. Nora handed Destiny some gifts for both her and the baby, but Destiny didn't want to accept them. She felt like a "charity case," Destiny explained.
Nora reminded her that they were family just like Destiny's parents. Destiny appreciated it, but she wanted to be able to take care of herself. Nora pulled out a box of Matthew's old favorite boyhood items, and the women shared a few laughs. Destiny picked up a teddy bear and learned that Matthew had slept with it every night for five years.
Destiny couldn't believe that one day she'd be doing the same thing for Drew. Nora gave her the items to give to Drew later. Destiny explained that she wanted to do things on her own, and both women wished that Matthew would show more of an interest in his son.
Natalie found Bo in his office and informed him that the body found in the water had been there for six or seven days. She showed Bo the photo of the unknown man's tattoo that had been snapped and advised him that the man was definitely a homicide victim. Just then, Téa walked in and asked why there was a photo of Victor's arm.
Bo informed her that the photo had been taken of a homicide victim found in the river, and Téa explained that Victor had the identical tattoo on his left wrist. Bo suggested that there might be a connection between Victor and the body, and Téa worried that someone had been after Victor.
Bo pointed out that Victor could be the one after someone. He was interested in Victor's DNA after checking the scraping from the dead man's nails. Natalie offered to accompany Téa home in order to obtain an item of Victor's, and Téa pulled Victor's handkerchief from her purse.
As Clint and Viki were headed out to get married, Jack arrived to talk to Viki. "We'll do all this tomorrow," Clint said kindly and left the pair alone. Jack complained that he refused to believe that Victor had tried to strangle Todd. "Why are they like this?" the boy demanded to know. "What if it's in my DNA?" Jack wondered.
Calmly, Viki gave her views on the subject. She explained that she believed that everyone had good and bad in them, and it was up to the individual to decide how to use that. She thought that both of the men had been trying to work it out for Jack's sake, and she knew that Todd really loved Jack and wanted to "make things right."
Natalie visited Téa at home to deliver the news personally. The DNA on the handkerchief matched the DNA found on the victim. Téa was certain that it had been self-defense on Victor's part because there were people after him. Natalie confided that it made Todd's story about Victor seem true. Téa disagreed, but she was thankful for receiving the update in person.
After Natalie left, Téa opened her laptop and looked to see what sites Victor had visited. It led her to "500 Ways to Kill" and then to arsenic.
Someone watched a roomful of monitors showing the activities of some Llanview residents.
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