Author's Note: With this chapter, much of the story will shift to Llanview, Pennsylvania, the setting of One Life to Live. For those unfamiliar with the show's canon, I'm afraid it might be difficult to follow this story. I'll be referring to its canon with great frequency and, while I'll always try to explain in the text the history of that canon, some of the story necessitates that it be written with familiarity in mind. I hope you'll stick with me on it.

Some other asides: Bree Williamson is playing Jessica in this. As much as I loved Erin Torpey, Bree became, at least for me, Jessica Buchanan. I love Gigi Morasco, and not just because I love Farah Fath, the actress who portrayed her (and who follows me on Twitter!). I dislike Natalie intensely, so her fans might be disappointed here. I love Todd. I love his flaws. Roger Howarth is and always will be the real Todd Manning, at least to me. I love Blair. Todd/Blair FOR LIFE. TSJ is a great actor, but I never bought into him as Todd. They didn't even write him as Todd. The things he did as Todd were SO un-Toddlike that ... no. Also, making some characters gay just because I can. Some characters who are dead are really not and others who have been gone a while will be making returns.

I'm setting this at about six months after the show ended on ABC. I'm ignoring the shit Prospect Place did because WHAT THE FUCK. They almost ruined one of my stories. Hell no! So, Victor Jr. survived and escaped from Allison. Todd was cleared of all wrongdoing. Todd, Blair, and Starr never went to Port Charles, so Hope is just fine. YOU DON'T KILL OFF LEGACY CHARACTERS! AUGH. Marty, Patrick, and Cole reunited and moved to New York. I'm ignoring that INSANITY that was Marty's last few years on the show. That rapemance with Todd/Victor was DISGUSTING and then her breakdown was just stupid. She survives a gang rape, her husband being (supposedly) murdered, her son the addict, etc., but she's felled because of some man and Natalie Buchanan? HAHAHAHA! NO.

On with the soapiness!

Santana stood before the rest of Glee and tamped down her anxiety. She didn't give a shit what these people thought; all that mattered was protecting Kurt. She gave Finn the side-eye and repressed a scowl. The idiot looked like he was going to burst into tears at any moment. She doubted he'd be any use to her. She didn't think Finn had much use, period.

She still wasn't sure she had made the right choice about asking Pillsbury to attend, but she thought it better to be safe than sorry. She certainly couldn't count on Schuester to act like an adult. Besides, Pillsbury had a damn degree in psychology and it was about time she used it.

She also has asked Sylvester to monitor the proceedings. She figured a bouncer was in order.

"Santana has an announcement to make," Will said, frowning, "regarding Kurt."

She rolled her eyes as Rachel and Mercedes blinked owlishly and sat up straight, opening their mouths at the same time. She held up a hand.

"Patience, hags," she said dismissively. "There's a lot of information I have to impart and you will keep your mouths shut until I've finished."

"Santana ..." Will began with reproach.

The gaze she turned on him was so fierce, he blanched and backed up two steps.

Sylvester smirked.

"And just what is it you think you know about my boy, Chola Barbie?" Mercedes huffed, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

Rachel, still seated, narrowed her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and sent an ineffectual glare at Santana, who rolled her eyes and waved it off.

"Wheels! Asian! Riddle me this: you've known Kurt since kindergarten; who were his best friends through eighth grade?"

Everyone turned toward Tina and Artie with questioning eyes.

"Matt," Artie said.

"And you," Tina said.

"No way," Mercedes breathed.

"Way, Queen of Tots," Santana barked. "Rainbow was mine long before he was yours - if he ever was yours - so kindly shut the f ..."

"Watch it, Lopez!" Sue growled.

Santana glared mutinously but complied.

"It's true," Mike said, gazing at Santana with curiosity. "Kurt and Matt were best friends for a long time, even before Matt and I met and became best friends. Then something happened freshman year and suddenly Kurt started acting like he didn't even know Matt."

Brittany frowned. "I remember that." She turned toward Santana. "I remember you being upset because Kurt kept ignoring you."

"Can you blame him?" drawled a snotty Rachel.

"Shut up, Rachel," Finn said crossly.

She gasped and her eyes filled with tears.

He rolled his in reply. "Yeah, no. Remember when you showed me you could cry on cue? Spare us."

Santana looked at him with mild appreciation.

Rachel scowled and closed her mouth.

"Look," Santana growled, "I have things to do, so could you all let me explain what's going on? Or do you not care why Kurt wasn't here today or that he's withdrawn from McKinley altogether?"

A collective gasp rose, including even Puck.

Mike's face was marred with hurt.

"Just let me explain, okay?" Santana asked, her tone more gentle.

He nodded.

She sighed. "Kurt is ... very sick. He's had to withdraw from school this semester - and probably for the entire year - to get treatment and ..."

"Oh, god!" Rachel screeched, leaping to her feet. "He's got cancer! Just like his mother!"

Horrified chatter broke out.

"That is it!" Santana bellowed, crossing the space and throwing Rachel back into her chair before getting up in her face. "Now you listen to me, you little bitch, we're all sick and tired of your obsession with Kurt. He doesn't have cancer and who the fuck are you to insinuate as much?

"And don't you ever speak of his mother again. You didn't know her. I did. She was like another mother to both me and Rutherford and if you think for one minute that you can invoke her name to supplement your pathetic bid for a spotlight which is not even yours, I will kick your uppity ass until Hell won't have it again!"

Rachel had been sinking lower and lower in her chair until she was danger of slipping from it. Her face was beet red and she couldn't meet Santana's eyes.

Thankfully Artie had the presence of mind to start a round of applause, which was quickly picked up by Sylvester, Tina, Puck, and even Finn.

Mercedes stared.

Will and Emma's mouths hung open.

Santana cleared her throat and stepped back. "Before I tell any of you any of this, you will swear not to tell anyone. If you do, I will know and I will find and hurt you. Is any of what I just said in any way unclear?"

They all obediently shook their heads.

"The teachers present are free to speak of this amongst themselves. For whatever reason, Kurt likes and/or trusts you." A look passed across her face, one which the others were unable to determine. "As for the students, you may speak to each other and your parents, but no one else. Kurt has been the subject of far too much gossip at this hellhole and I will not have his personal, private business spread around like low-fat margarine."

They all nodded.

She sighed and sat down on the piano bench. "Kurt is very sick, but it's not a physical sickness. Kurt ... is mentally ill."

Just saying the words pained her and, against her will, tears began slipping down her face.

That signaled to Brittany and Puck just how serious this was. Santana never cried, especially not over other people. Panic slowly infiltrated Brittany's mind. Kurt was sick or hurt or scared, and that just was not okay.

"What do you mean?" Mike barked. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

Finn sighed. "Dude, just let her talk, okay? I know he's your boyfriend, but she's his best friend. She and Matt are the only ones he trusted with this. Matt's coming this weekend to talk to you about it; we figured you'd only really believe it if he verified this."

Mike stared. Matt was traveling across the country just to back up this story? The fuck?

Puck was bewildered. "The fairy is hardcore, man," he said, shaking his head. "He's super smart and has his shit together. How is it that he's crazy?"

"He's not crazy!" Finn and Santana screamed.

"Puck," Emma said in a frosty voice, "if I ever again hear you refer to Kurt or any other student by that derogatory term, I will issue you a detention for the rest of the school year. No one, including Principal Figgins and Coach Beiste, will be able to overturn it. So start thinking before you open your mouth. Is that clear?"

Puck stared at her with wide, startled eyes. Eventually he nodded his understanding.

She kept an eye on him as she addressed Santana. "I'm aware of Kurt's condition." She turned toward the girl. "I can only assume it's reasserted itself?"

"Yes," Santana whispered.

Emma bit her lip and shook her head. Her acknowledgment that Kurt indeed had a condition signaled to the others that he truly was ill.

"What's wrong with him?" Tina asked softly. "I remember seventh and eighth grade. He was gone for months at a time."

Santana nodded. "He was receiving treatment. Unfortunately, it wasn't successful." She rolled her neck and looked out at the audience, her gaze ensnaring them all. "Kurt suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder." She paused. "Do any of you know what that is?"

Sylvester bellowed with rage and stomped from the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I guess she knows," Finn said, shrugging.

"You're talking about multiple personalities," Quinn said, her voice shaky. "Are you serious? Kurt has multiple personalities?"

Puck burst out laughing.

"Dude!" Finn screamed, leaping to his feet. "It's not funny, you fucking douchebag! Kurt is my brother and he doesn't know who I am! He doesn't know who my mom is! He's had to be sedated! He has to go to a special clinic outside Philadelphia to get help! There's nothing funny about this!"

Puck shut up and swallowed heavily.

"H-How can Kurt not know who you are, Finn?" asked a hesitant Rachel.

Finn heaved a sigh and sat back down heavily in his chair. He shook his head and looked down at the floor.

"Why the hell should we believe any of this?" Mercedes demanded.

"Because I've known him since we were in Pull-Ups, princess," Santana said, glowering. "Matt and I knew about one of the personalities, or alters. His name is Dylan. He's, well, he's like Puck, actually; a violent, hypersexual sociopath."

"What the fuck!" Puck howled, face flushed.

"And how is it you know this Dylan?" Mercedes asked, tone mocking.

Santana fixed her with a steady gaze. "Because he tried to kill me, Jones." She raised an eyebrow. "What do you think? Do you think that means I know who Dylan is?"

"What do you mean?" asked a horrified Brittany.

Santana pursed her lips. "Uncle Burt was working a lot, so he missed a lot of the signs, but Kurt and I were together all day, almost every day. I saw the changes. When I finally pieced enough together, I confronted him at my house. He laughed and admitted his name was Dylan.

"He told me to look into his eyes and said that Kurt wasn't home. He then grabbed me by my waist and threw me down my basement stairs, all twenty-two of them. Concrete. I was unconscious. He left and locked the door behind him. Luckily, my mother found me before it was too late."

"Jesus Christ," Puck whispered, shaking his head. "Holy shit."

"You actually believe this mess?" asked an incredulous Mercedes.

"Why the fuck would she lie about this?" Puck hissed. "What does she get out of it? Nothing."

"You can ask Burt or my mom," Finn grunted. "Or Santana's mom. She's Kurt's psychiatrist."

Mercedes fell silent and looked down at her hands, which were twitching in her lap.

"Kurt doesn't know who most of you are," Santana said, not unkindly. "He, for lack of a better term, woke up last night. As far as he knows, he's fourteen years old. He thinks he's just started at McKinley."

"That's ridiculous!" Rachel denied.

Santana glared. "He knows Artie and Tina. He vaguely knows you and Jones from the handful of glee club meetings he remembers attending but, as far as he's concerned, you're not friends. You're barely acquaintances."

Rachel again burst into tears - genuine ones - and Mercedes began sobbing.

Santana dismissed them from her mind. She felt sorry for them, sure, but she had never liked them, never would, and thought Kurt could do much better. She turned toward Mike and her eyes softened.

"I'm so sorry," she said quietly. "He doesn't remember you either. He doesn't remember being your boyfriend."

Mike shook his head, stood, and fled from the room.

"I'll go after him," Emma said, quickly giving chase.

Santana sighed and nodded.

"Why does he think he's fourteen?" Tina asked. "Why that age?"

"We don't know," Santana said. "That's the last time Kurt remembers being out."

Quinn frowned. "Being out? What does that mean? I don't understand. You don't mean out of the closet, do you?"

Santana shook her head. "That's what it's called when one of the other alters is in control. Kurt is the core personality, called the waking self. Dylan is the alter who Uncle Burt, my mom, Matt, and me knew about." She paused. "But there's another one. We don't know its name or function, but it's been in control of the body for the past three years."

Quinn and Brittany began crying.

"Kurt distinctly remembers starting McKinley, but as far as he knows, he's only two months into his freshman year. We don't know why. Something happened that necessitated this unknown alter into taking control."

Something flashed in Puck's eyes. Santana narrowed hers and filed it away to interrogate him later.

"He really tried to kill you?" asked a skeptical Will.

Santana rolled her eyes. "No. Dylan tried to kill me. He and Kurt are completely separate identities. They don't think alike. They don't talk alike. They don't even look alike. They're not even the same age!"

Mercedes gave an exaggerated blink. "What does that even mean?"

"Dylan is perpetually twenty-one," Santana explained. "As I said, he's a sociopath. He cares about nothing but himself and his pleasure. He has no emotions. He speaks differently, he has different handwriting, and he has different personality traits. He drinks, he smokes, and he's always looking to get laid."

Rachel burst into hysterical laughter. "He trolls for sex?" She shook her head. "That's not Kurt."

"That's the point," Finn interrupted. "Dylan isn't Kurt. They have nothing in common. Dylan hates Kurt. The only reason he hasn't tried to do anything to Kurt is because he understands that if Kurt dies, so does he."

Rachel stared at him.

"Wait," Quinn interrupted. "You said that you and Kurt were in seventh grade when Dylan was last ... out. Are you saying that he was ..."

Santana gave her a flat look.

Quinn shook her head dumbly. "He would have been twelve."

Santana said nothing.

"Oh, god," Artie murmured, gripping his chair so hard the vinyl on the armrests began to tear. "But who would ..."

"Pedos," Finn hissed, swiping at the angry tears he was shedding.

He was still furious; furious that it had happened and furious that Burt and his mom hadn't wanted to tell him. He never thought he'd be grateful for Santana, but she was the only who realized that if he was going to be of any use at all to Kurt, he had to know everything. He had to know in order to understand. She had told him the truth and, though he had been horrified and murderous, he appreciated her honesty.

Brittany's cries turned to heaving sobs.

"But what caused this?" asked a devastated Sam. He flinched when everyone turned to stare at him, as though they had forgotten he was even there, as if he wasn't part of the group. It happened all too often. "Why is Kurt like this? Why the split?"

Santana looked away. "Typically, the etiology for DID is severe child abuse; specifically, sexual abuse," she said, voice tinny and robotic.

"What the hell are you saying?" a disbelieving Mercedes gasped.

"He was raped!" Finn exploded, voice raspy and wet. "That's what she's saying. Do you get it now? When he was a little kid, we don't know when, Kurt was raped. That's why he shattered into these alters, Dylan and this other one with no name."

The girls began to keen.

Sam clenched his hands into fists and looked down, forcing back his tears. He and Kurt weren't close, were barely friends, so he had no reason to be reacting this way. He had told himself over and over that Kurt was with Mike, that they were happy, and he had forced himself to accept that. Mostly.

He had thrown himself into other relationships, first with Quinn and then Santana and now Mercedes, but it wasn't working. He was coming to realize that it never would. He could never be what they wanted and they could never be who he needed.

He needed Kurt. He wanted Kurt. But apparently Kurt wasn't even Kurt, so who the hell was Kurt? Sam suspected he would never really know and was desolate for it.

"Are there others?" Artie whispered. "Are there other alters?"

Santana sighed. "There usually are. Five years ago, my mother tried to integrate Kurt and Dylan. It appeared to work, but now it's obvious that it didn't, most likely because this other alter, the one who's not Dylan, already existed. We don't know if there are others, but it's highly probable.

"Look, I know that I'm not explaining any of this very well and, for that, I'm sorry. I am. I never thought I'd be here. I never thought I'd have to explain this to anyone. I thought it was over."

Her breath hitched and, against her will, tears began slipping down her face anew.

"You have to understand, I've lived through this once already and I lost the best friend I've ever had because of it. It kills me that I can't help him, but I can't. None of us can. Kurt has to do this work alone. It's the only way he's ever going to be whole. He needs specialized treatment, which he'll receive in Llanview."

"Llanview," Tina repeated. "That's in Pennsylvania, right? Why there?"

Santana and Finn exchanged a glance. He nodded and she sighed once more.

"This disease is unique. It's rare and a large portion of the medical community doesn't even believe it's real, but it is. I know it. I've seen it." She cleared her throat. "Kurt will be receiving treatment from Susannah Hanen; she's successfully integrated other cases of DID." She paused and pursed her lips. "She integrated Kurt's cousin."

Will gasped. "This ... this runs in his family?"

Santana shook her head. "It's not a biological condition, but perhaps there is some predisposition. His cousin had it, and so did his cousin's daughter."

"Who is this cousin?" Mercedes demanded. "Kurt doesn't have any other family!"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Why? Because he didn't tell you about them? Do you think nothing about Kurt's life is real unless he shares it with you? Have you even comprehended that Kurt, the real Kurt, has no idea who you are? You're best friends with an alter ego."

Quinn meant to interject but was cut off.

"His cousin is Victoria Lord."

Silence.

All of them, even Puck, knew the name.

"The publisher of The Banner?" Rachel asked.

Santana nodded.

"The owner of Lord Enterprises?" Artie pressed. "The heir of Victor Lord?"

"She's one of them," Santana acknowledged.

"How is she related to Kurt?" asked a confused Quinn.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Why is this even an issue? Who cares!" She threw up her hands. "You know what? Fine, let's do this. Victor Lord had one sister and one brother. His sister was Gwendolyn, who birthed Olivia, who birthed Suzanne, who birthed Kurt. The brother was Powell, whose descendents aren't worth much notice, save the one who was a serial rapist and was killed a few years ago."

Tina's eyes widened. "Was he the one who ... ?"

"Powell was institutionalized for most of Kurt's life. Kurt has never met him. Powell is not responsible."

"I've read about Viki Lord," Brittany said, frowning. "I did a paper on her for my Modern Media class. She had six alters."

"Six?" whispered a horrified Mercedes.

"Her father raped her for years," Brittany continued. "Her daughter has DID, too." She looked around at the others. "Remember that big story a couple of years ago? Jessica Brennan switched her dead baby with her cousin's live one. Well, one of her alters did that."

"I remember," said a distracted Artie, trying to recall the details. His mouth fell open. "Her cousin ... her father is Todd Manning."

Another name that was well-known and drew hisses in response.

"Save it," Santana snapped. "You don't know Todd."

"And you do?" Rachel demanded. "You know the gang rapist, do you?"

"Fuck you, Berry," she seethed. "You don't know these people. I do. So does Kurt. They're his family. You have no idea what they've been made to endure, so shut your trap before I rip your intestines from your gut and hang you from the rafters with them!"

"Whoa," Puck whispered.

"I'd be careful, Rachel," said a prim Quinn. "That threat was far too detailed to be considered merely idle."

Rachel was about to retort, which was never a good idea.

Finn, sensing Santana's impending explosion, decided to intervene. "I'm not sure you all are really getting this. Most of us have never met the real Kurt. He has no memories of the last three years and this is way beyond just New Directions. He doesn't remember any of his classes. He doesn't remember learning anything in high school. He doesn't remember how to drive. We've had to keep him away from mirrors. We all know how much he's changed physically in just the past few months. He won't even recognize himself."

"Oh, my god," Rachel whispered, shaking her head, the scope of the situation finally beginning to sink in.

"Is that why he's sedated?" Sam quietly asked.

Finn nodded. "It's a light sedation, but it's constant. We have to keep him relaxed until we can get him to the clinic." His lip quivered. "We can't take the chance that the other one - or, god forbid, Dylan - will come out."

"That's the thing," Santana added. "Uncle Burt, my mom, and I know Dylan, but this other one, whoever it is, had all of us fooled. If it takes over again, we won't necessarily realize it. The longer Kurt is in control, even if it requires sedation, the stronger he becomes and the less likely it is that Dylan will be able to sublimate him."

"You're really scared of this Dylan person," Puck noted with unease.

"He tried to kill her!" Brittany screamed. "What part of that wasn't clear?"

He cringed and slunk down in his seat.

"And when Kurt realized that," Santana said softly, "when he knew that a part of him hurt me, even though he wasn't in control of the situation, even though he wasn't cognizant of it even happening, that's when things really came to a head."

Finn nodded. "Whoever this other personality is, it knows Kurt and how to impersonate him. It even shares some of his traits." He exhaled. "We all know that Kurt, the person we know as Kurt, never defends himself, but he will always defend his friends."

The others nodded.

"Well," Santana continued, "the real Kurt is like that, too. Most of the time when Dylan took over, Kurt didn't fight him too hard. Maybe it's because he couldn't or didn't know how; I don't know. But when Dylan attacked me, the shock of it was enough to cause Kurt to emerge." She looked down. "He was so angry, so furious, and so hurt that any part of him had hurt me, we thought that he might hurt himself to make sure Dylan would never have the chance to hurt anyone else."

Mercedes gaped. "You mean ... "

"I mean that we didn't know," Santana interrupted, "but it was something we had to consider. We have to consider it now, especially when we don't know who this other alter is or what it wants."

"How can we help him?" Sam asked.

Santana blinked and turned to stare at him. "Thank you for asking, Trou ... Sam." She gave him a tight smile. "And isn't it sad that you're the only who did?"

Todd and Blair were lying next to each other on their bed in her suite at La Boulaie.

"What the hell is a Boulaie?" Todd demanded, apropos of nothing.

Blair snickered. "It means birch grove."

Todd gave her an incredulous look and sneered. "Whatever. When are we moving out?"

"Why should we?" Blair asked. "These digs are pretty sweet and we don't even have to pay Dorian rent."

Todd averted his eyes. "This used to be Marty's house."

Blair blinked owlishly. How in the world had she forgotten that? Suddenly she didn't want to live there either. "We'll start looking for our own place tomorrow."

He nodded, pleased.

"So are you going to tell me about the big powwow after lunch at Llanfair," she asked, "or why Jessica and Starr were hanging all over you for the rest of the day?" She raised a brow. "And why you let them?"

Against his will, he blushed. "Our cousin Kurt is moving to Llanview. Do you remember him?"

She scoffed. "Of course I do. He's only a few months younger than Starr." She smiled. "He was an adorable kid. He had both you and Dorian wrapped around his tiny finger. He was six years old and flirted outrageously with you, leaving you a blushing, blubbering mess. It was awesome."

She frowned deeply when she heard his breath hitch.

"Todd, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "This, whatever this is, is about something more than Kurt just moving here."

"He's going to live at St. Anne's."

She sat straight up and looked down at him, her heart racing. She had been committed there once. Hell, half of her family and most of Todd's had been committed there at least once. "Why?"

Todd turned over on his side, faced the wall, and drew himself into the fetal position. "Kurt has DID."

She stared at the back of his head. There was nothing she could say. There was nothing he would want to hear. They'd had enough experience with Viki and Jessica to understand what DID was, as well as what usually precipitated it.

"Fuck," she finally whispered.

Todd giggled hysterically. "The powwow basically turned into one big family rape survivors meeting."

"Viki and Jessica," she murmured, "and Victor."

He sighed. "Natalie was attacked twice, once by Mitch and once by your cousin, Paul Cramer; neither were successful and, as much as I'd like to shove her face in a dirty toilet every day for the next year, I'm grateful for that. Johnny Dee tried to rape Tina, but Niki Smith shot him. We know what Zach tried to do to Starr. Jessica has Norman Leeds; Mitch tried to rape her, too, even though he believed, at the time, that she was his daughter. Mitch did rape Viki ..."

She laid a hand on his shoulder.

"... and he raped me."

Her grip tightened. "What?" she asked, voice tiny.

"Mitch raped me, Blair, in front of his entire congregation when I was twelve. Didn't you know? I know there was a videotape. Mitch told me to smile and look at the camera as he forced himself in my mouth." He ignored her choked gasp. "Victor never told you? Irene gave him the memories."

"She did what?"

"Peter had been raping me for years so, by that point, it was all old hat."

"Don't do that," she begged. "Don't make it out as less than what it is. Please don't do that to me and especially not to yourself."

How could she not have known this? How in the world had she at least not suspected it? It made so much sense! It explained why he did what he did to Marty - it didn't excuse it of course; nothing could ever do that - but it provided an impetus. It explained why he had been terrified that Starr would be a girl; he didn't want to become Victor Lord.

It explained, at least in part, why he had given Jack away. It had little to do with Max and everything to do with Todd's fear that he would become Peter or that Jack would become just like Todd himself.

It explained why Todd rarely initiated sex, rarely even asked for it. When he did want it, it was usually in a bedroom in the dark where no one would see and where he couldn't see himself.

Bile splashed against the back of her throat as her eyes burned like they had been scrubbed with sandpaper. Unlike Viki and Jessica, Todd had lived with his memories of rape; he hadn't been able to block them out. It also made sense why he had been able to fake DID so convincingly; not just because of his experience with Viki and Jessica, but perhaps because some part of him wished he had developed the disorder so that he could forget what he knew to be true.

Oh, Jesus.

"Viki grew up with our father raping her. I grew up being raped by the man I thought was my father but who was actually my cousin. Viki and I were both raped by Mitch Laurence. He tried to rape two of Viki's daughters and your cousin Cassie." His laugh was dark and bitter. "What a family."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to," he said frankly. "I don't want you to know now, but I know that if I didn't tell you, Starr would have. She made that clear."

He turned over to face her and she laid back down, their noses almost touching. "I never wanted to use it as an excuse for what I did to Marty, because there is no excuse. I made that choice. I chose to do that to her." He glowered. "So did Zach and Powell, no matter what they claimed later. I didn't force them to do anything. They, especially Powell, never wanted to take responsibility for their actions. That's something else that runs in our family."

Marty was never a subject Blair enjoyed discussing, but after what Victor had done to the woman, she couldn't help but feel for her. She was disgusted with herself for all of the times she had accused Marty of using her rape to garner attention.

What the hell had she been thinking? What was wrong with her?

She closed her eyes and gently stroked the apple of Todd's cheek. She was glad the scar was still there. It was now less of a scarlet R than it was a memorial of his personal growth. He could never deny who he had been, but he was no longer that man. She knew that. Starr and Viki and Jessica knew that. Hell, even Marty knew that.

Hopefully one day soon Todd would know that, would feel that.

"Starr told me about what Spencer Truman tried to do to you."

She inhaled sharply. That was something she had tried to push down and far away from her consciousness, but it always resurfaced at the most inopportune or innocuous times.

"How is this our life?" Todd wondered. "Why does this keep happening to our family?"

"I don't know," she said in a low voice. "I'm a product of rape, Todd. I've never known who my father was; he was just some man who raped my mother while she was in a mental institution. We don't know who Kelly's father is either. Dorian has always suspected Melinda was raped while she was institutionalized, but Kelly doesn't know and Melinda never said before she died." She sighed heavily. "And there's my cousin Paul, the baby thief and potential rapist."

"I can't believe this happened to Kurt," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm so scared. What if happens to Starr or Jack or Hope or Bree or the other kids? I couldn't go through that, Blair. I couldn't stand it."

Blair ran the pad of her thumb over his full lips. God, she had missed that mouth. She refused to contemplate such an evil preying on her children. "Viki and Jessica got through it; Kurt can too."

He scoffed. "They got through it according to whom? Every time they're supposedly integrated, something fucking awful happens and they fracture again."

Again she said nothing. She couldn't argue that very real truth.

"Hell, even Megan turned into Ruby Bright when things got too tough."

"That was a completely different situation," she argued. "Megan fully recovered and you know her split wasn't caused by what happened to Viki, Jessica, or you."

"Yeah," he said bitterly, "she just died of lupus. It was her sister Sarah who was raped."

She sighed again.

"Can we please talk about something else?" he muttered. "I don't want to talk about Kurt anymore. I don't want to think about it anymore. It will be hard enough when he gets here, when I look into those big Bambi eyes of his and know what happened to him. I'm exhausted by the idea that rape has probably infiltrated almost every generation of my family for as long as we can trace it back."

"Does he know what happened?"

Todd shook his head and fell silent.

"When do you think Jack will tell us?" she asked, acceding to his request to change the subject.

Todd rolled his eyes. "When he'll tell us that he's gay or when he'll tell us he's obviously in love with Shane Morasco?"

"Buchanan," Blair corrected. "Rex had their names changed."

He chewed on that for a moment. "I'm no fan of that name or that family outside of Jessica, but ... Shane's been through a lot. He deserves that name."

She nodded. "When I found out what Jack had been doing to that poor kid ..."

"And how he had absolutely no remorse?" Todd finished. "Yeah, shades of me, I know. It scared me too."

She looked into his eyes. "Do you really think Jack felt no remorse?"

"I don't know," he muttered, scrubbing his face with a hand. "I think it quickly spun out past Jack's control. I think he allowed himself to succumb to peer pressure. I think he didn't immediately understand his feelings for Shane; or, if he did, he was scared of them, of what they might mean and what people would say. Still, it was a hell of a lot more than pulling pigtails or punching Shane's arm and running away. Shane contemplated suicide."

Blair shuddered. "And what Jack did to Gigi, intentional or not ..."

Todd smirked. "I like Gigi. I can see why Viki likes her. She doesn't take shit from anyone. She'll give you more shit than you can handle and will cram it down your throat with a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She reminds me a lot of you, actually."

She raised an eyebrow. "Should I be jealous?"

"Please. If anything, I'd like to swap out Tina for Gigi so that I'd have two awesome sisters. Let Tina be married to Rex. Monkeys belong together."

She snickered wildly and buried her face in his shoulder. She had about as much use for Tina and Rex as an ox would to be yoked to a kangaroo. She sobered quickly. "What do you think about the fact that our son might be gay?"

He raised a brow. "Blair, I was raped by two pedophiles, not two gay dudes. I'm not confused about that. I have no problem with Jack being gay if indeed he really is."

She gave him a dubious look.

"My roommate at LU, Mason Jennings. Did I ever tell you about him?"

She shook her head.

"This was before I joined the fraternity. Mason was gay and I didn't care. It didn't bother me to share a room with him. He was like anyone else; he just liked guys. So what? I like dogs instead of cats. I'd rather live with Mason than with a cat."

She bit her lip to stop her grin. She had missed this so much. Victor had never made her laugh like Todd did and she again rued that she had bought so easily into the lie. Victor had Todd's sarcasm, but never his quick wit. She knew Starr, Viki, and Jessica had their own regrets about not rooting out that Todd was being impersonated.

"Mason was a great guy," he continued. "He was good to me, even when a lot of other people weren't. He warned me about the frat." His brow furrowed. "About my anger and letting it control me."

He sighed. "When they came to arrest me, I was living at the frat and Mason was coming over to tutor me. He just ... he looked at me and he knew. He knew I had done it and, as much as I know he liked me, that he was a true friend, I knew he wouldn't defend me.

"That's why he was a friend. He wouldn't defend the indefensible. He wouldn't compromise his integrity no matter how much he liked me. He was one of the few who was never cowed by my being on the team or in the frat or that I had money. He stood up to me. I liked that. I admired that."

"He sounds like a nice boy," she murmured.

Todd nodded. "Last I heard, he had gone to Vanderbilt for medical school."

"Did you ever think about looking him up?"

He blushed. "I don't think he'd want to hear from me."

"Maybe you'd be surprised."

He ignored her. "If Jack is gay, then he's gay. I hope he dates really hot boys with big dicks. I want my gay son to have all the cock he wants. But they will be made to know how lucky they are and should be terrified of me and/or you. Or even of Dorian. It doesn't matter, as long as they're terrified."

She stared at him with her mouth hanging open before finally shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"I'm hungry," he complained.

She rolled them again.

Téa and Victor were having a similar conversation at their home. Dani was sleeping over at Destiny's house.

Téa was having a strange reaction to the revelation of Todd's rapes. It wasn't that she couldn't believe they had happened; it was frighteningly possible. It wasn't that she was unsurprised he had never told her; he had rarely told her anything personal during their marriages. It wasn't even that he had so casually announced it this afternoon in that family meeting; Viki and Jessica had been there and Todd always felt safe with them.

It was that he hadn't told Blair.

He told Blair everything.

She stamped down that lingering tinge of jealousy whenever she thought of Blair where Todd was concerned. It was stupid and immature, she knew. She and Blair were not in competition for Todd; he had always belonged to Blair and everyone knew it.

She and Blair had come a long way in their relationship and she now regarded the woman, rightfully, as the best friend she'd ever had. She wasn't about to let some man - not even Todd - come between them.

"He said that in front of everyone?" she quietly asked. "Even Estrella?"

Victor slowly exhaled. "Yeah, that surprised me too, although I don't know why it did. You know how close ... they ... have always been."

Téa regarded him solemnly. She knew he had many regrets about his relationship with Starr. They had both overheard Starr confessing to Jessica how guilty she felt for not recognizing sooner that Victor was not Todd. Todd never would have done the things to her that Victor had, especially not throwing her down the stairs while she was pregnant or plotting to steal her baby.

They both knew she was right, that such behavior had been totally out of character for Todd. When Todd had learned about it, he had practically become homicidal; of course, that didn't take much. But Starr was his firstborn and he absolutely revered her. They had always been closer than parent and child; they had been best friends from the day she had been put into his arms.

Viki and Jessica's dynamic was similar and had given Natalie fits for years.

And then there was the fact that Starr wanted little to do with Victor now. She had forgiven him his sins against her because she had felt that, as his daughter, she owed him that. Now that parentage was off the table, she had traded in Viki's halo for Todd's crown of thorns. Truthfully, they were all a little glad that Starr had started showing some of the spunk she'd had as a child, before life and hard choices had turned her into a somber teenager far older than her years.

Téa knew Victor was hurt over Starr's defection, but she couldn't blame the girl. Victor had done some truly heinous things in the name of love to most of Todd's family, Blair definitely included.

Hell, sometimes she wondered if the reason she stayed with him was because he was the closest she would ever get to Todd. The thought shamed her, but she couldn't deny it.

Victor looked pensive. "I think today was the first time I really got how much I hurt Jessica."

Téa looked at him with surprise.

"I watched her today with Bree and Ryder." His eyes darkened. "Chloe should have been there. I'm part of the reason she isn't."

"Victor ..."

"Don't," he said shortly. "We both know it's true. If there's one thing that Todd and I actually do share, it's our love for Jessica. Outside of you, Blair, the kids, and Viki, Jess is the one we love the most."

He looked down at the floor. "Todd never would have allowed Tess to run amok. She wouldn't have been able to blackmail him about Marty because we both know that never would have happened with Todd. Even if she had found something else to use, he would've just tied her up and hauled her off to St. Anne's.

"I didn't. I let Tess stay in control. Tess gave Viki literal heart attacks. She almost killed her in a trap designed for Natalie. I knew what Tess was doing to Natalie and I didn't care. I cared in the abstract because I knew that if something bad happened to Natalie, it would hurt Viki, but I've never had any use for Natalie. I had no use for Jared either. As far as I'm concerned, he killed Nash; a part of Jessica died with Nash, and I'm not sorry Jared's dead because he was a complete asshole."

"Tina was a part of that too," Téa gently pointed out. "Your sister knew exactly what Tess was doing and went along with it because she was being blackmailed just like you were."

"And Viki cut Tina out of her life for that," Victor said, "and that was the worst punishment in the world. Tina, Todd, me - we need Viki. We need her in ways we can't even articulate to ourselves, let alone her or anyone else. I don't really know Tina, but I know she was devastated, truly devastated, when Viki told her to leave town and never come back.

"She never said that to me. It was how she looked at me. That's what I began to understand that Viki had higher expectations for me - well, for Todd - than she did Tina. There was something beautiful and awful about that, that someone would have expectations for me to do the right thing."

His hands curled into fists. "The one thing I hate most about Tess was how she went on and on about how Bree was her daughter, that she had conceived Bree with Nash. That was bullshit. When Tess was out, she didn't gave two shits about Bree. She bleated about her new baby but couldn't be bothered to keep a single doctor's appointment. One blood test - one - and Chloe could have been saved."

He laughed bitterly. "Natalie is always bitching about how Tess and Bess are parts of Jessica and that Jessica never takes responsibility for the actions of her alters. That's bullshit, too. Jessica is the one who always takes responsibility, even for things that are absolutely not her fault. Her alters hurt her more than they've ever hurt anyone else."

"Is that why you didn't press charges against Jessica over Hope?" Téa whispered.

Victor shook his head. "That was entirely Starr's decision, but one of which Blair and I both approved. Jessica has lost two of her children; Blair has lost three. Starr understood what it was to be a mother without a child. Jessica needed help; we knew it and she knew it."

"I've noticed Jessica is the only you really bother talking to anymore," Téa carefully noted. "Even more so than Viki."

He soured. "Viki feels guilty and I understand why she does. I don't like it, but I understand. If someone had replaced her with an imposter and I hadn't been able to tell the difference for eight years, I know I'd never get over the guilt. I know she still loves me; that's never going to change. I'm still her brother, I'm just not Todd."

"And Jessica?"

"Jessica loves far too much and with too little restraint, but that's why everyone loves her."

He was silent for a very long time.

"I hate that Kurt is going through this. I hate that this is the family into which he was born because our only legacies are pain and sexual violence."

"You aren't a rapist, Victor."

"Sure I am. I raped Marty." He held up a hand to stave off her protest. "We both know it's true even if you don't want to call it that. No, I might not have forced her, but I lied to her and I manipulated her and I isolated her. If I had been honest from the beginning about the fact that she had a son, that Cole needed her, that John was looking for her, she never would have been with me.

"She was physically hurt. She was emotionally unstable. She was mentally incapacitated; she might have had all her faculties, but she also had amnesia. I didn't have her true, informed consent. I did rape her."

Téa looked away. She didn't know what to say. Part of her agreed with him; another part didn't. She remembered when she returned to Llanview to defend him ... the looks of disgust that people had leveled at her ... the revolt on Blair and Starr's faces ... even now it was difficult to stomach.

Victor flushed with rage. "If I ever find the bastard that did this to Kurt, that caused him to fracture, I'm going to rip them apart with my bare hands."

"Todd would probably help you."

"Nothing brings a family closer together than premeditated murder."

Dr. Marty Saybrooke pressed weary fingers to her closed eyes, trying to dull the throbbing behind them. She didn't notice her husband and son enter the room.

"Jessie," she said quietly, "please don't be upset. I'm glad you called me. My past with Todd aside, you're my best friend. There's nothing you can't tell me, okay?" She paused. "Does Blair ..."

Marty listened intently and nodded, murmuring words lost to Patrick and Cole, who were staring at each other with worry and upset. Any mention of Todd Manning was never a good one.

"Okay," she said. "Just know you can always call me, all right? I know how much he means to you and I know how good he's been to you. Before Blair, before the kids, you were the one who sent him on his road to being a better man, and he is that now." She nodded. "I love you, too. Get some rest, honey."

She disconnected and released a slow, raspy breath, clearing her throat and staring out the picture window of their living room.

"Margaret?" Patrick whispered, wincing when Marty jumped.

"Is everything okay with Jessica?" Cole cautiously asked.

He was still mixed on his feelings about her. On the one hand, she had stolen his daughter and allowed he and Starr to believe Hope was dead; on the other, Jessica had been a mentally ill woman who had lived through the death of her husband and child. He didn't know if he should have gone along with Starr and not pressed charges, but he felt he had done the right thing. Jessica had needed help, not jail.

Marty sighed. "No."

"This about Manning?" Patrick asked, steel now tingeing his voice.

"Indirectly."

"Are Starr and Hope okay?" Cole asked anxiously.

"They're fine, sweetheart," she said soothingly. "Today, the entire family gathered at Llanfair and discussed some ... things."

"Such as?" Patrick asked.

Marty ignored him. "Starr and Todd were there, as well. You might want to call her later, Cole. According to Jessica, Starr is ... very upset about what she learned today."

"Which was what?" Patrick demanded.

"Calm down," she said sternly. "It has nothing to do with me or us." She gathered a breath. "Starr's cousin is moving to Llanview; specifically, St. Anne's." She looked away. "He has DID."

Patrick was horribly confused. "I thought the only male cousins Starr has are the twins' little boys, Liam and Ryder."

Cole sat down heavily and shook his head. "No, she has another cousin. He's the great-grandson of Todd's father's sister. His name is Kurt. He's three years younger than Starr and two years older than Jack." He stared at his mother. "If he has DID, then that means ... "

She nodded. "Most likely, yes."

"That family is cursed," Patrick muttered. "It's not right. It's not fair."

"No, it's not," Marty said, "and apparently it extends farther than any of them thought."

"How do you mean?" Cole asked with urgency.

"You know that Mitch Laurence raped Viki and tried to rape her daughters."

They nodded.

"He also tried to rape Dorian's daughter, Cassie, years ago." She ran her tongue over parched lips. "And he raped Todd."

"What?" asked a horrified Cole.

"Todd was twelve," Marty continued, voice hazy. "Mitch raped him in front of his entire congregation. Apparently there is also a videotape that has been exchanging hands for over twenty years."

"How did Laurence even get his hands on Manning?" Patrick asked.

Marty raised her eyes and stared into her husband's own. "Because Peter Manning, Todd's adoptive father and maternal cousin, handed Todd over to Mitch." She laughed bitterly. "Peter had been raping Todd for years."

Patrick blanched and had to sit down. "Jesus Christ."

"Starr must be devastated," Cole whispered. "She loves him so much."

"So does Jessica," Marty agreed. "They were with him for most of the day. Starr made him promise to tell Blair." She closed her eyes. "Blair and I will never be friends, but she's already been put through far too much." She shook her head. "She doesn't deserve to bear this, too."

Patrick gnashed his teeth. In truth, he was very concerned about Blair. He had loved her once and probably always would in some fashion. They had lost a child together. Still, even the thought of Todd Manning drove him crazy. "Please don't tell me this changes your view on what Manning did to you."

"It doesn't," Marty snapped, "but neither can I ignore it. I remember Peter Manning, Patrick. I remember how Todd acted around him, like a beaten dog terrified of its master." She bit her lip. "Back then, I suspected he had physically abused Todd, but never did I think ... " She shook her head. "It doesn't excuse what Todd did to me and he would be the first person to agree with that, but it's motivation. Those types of behaviors repeat themselves. We all know that."

She laughed sardonically. "I can't help but feel sorry for him. To be raped for years by the man you thought was your father, only then to be handed over by that same man to yet another rapist?"

Cole shuddered.

"Viki and Todd grew up being raped by their fathers. The fact that Peter was Todd's cousin is incidental; Todd believed Peter was his father and I have to wonder if Peter was aware of what Victor Senior had been doing to his daughter. A mobster once tried to rape Tina. Victor Jr. was raped by Margaret Cochran.

"Mitch Laurence, the same man who later raped Viki, also raped her brother. That man tried to rape both of Viki's daughters. He tried to rape Cassie and later forced her mother, Dorian Lord, to marry him."

She shook her head. "Cassie was there for me after my rape. I could not have survived it without her, yet she never told me about what Mitch tried to do to her. I don't even know if Andrew ever knew." Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't help but wonder if that attack isn't part of what eventually drove Cassie to being institutionalized.

"Viki developed DID. Jessica was raped as a child and later developed the same condition. Now their cousin is going through the same thing.

"Blair is a product of rape. Spencer Truman tried to rape her. I have my suspicions that she was probably victimized while growing up in the foster care system, but she's never said anything and she never will; that's not who she is. Blair's cousin, Kelly's brother, also tried to rape Natalie."

She scowled. "And Irene Manning, who must be gunning for Bitch of the Century, knew what was happening to Todd, her own fucking son, did nothing to stop it, and then transposed his memories of his rapes into Victor's mind so that he could better impersonate Todd."

Cole clapped a hand over his mouth as he ran to the bathroom.

Patrick sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," she said. "I don't know if I should do anything. I can't help Todd. I can't help Kurt. My training has been focused on counseling offenders, not victims, and I have no clinical experience with DID." Her eyes filled once more. "Jessica told me how much Todd loves Kurt. Viki, Joey, Kevin, Jessica - they all love him and they don't know how to help him."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "You were right; they are cursed, and it shows no signs of stopping."