Blair comes into Rodi's and sits down at a table, lost in thought. After she takes a seat, Cassie enters the bar and approaches Blair's table.

Cassie: Blair.
Blair: Hi, Cassie.
Cassie: I saw you pulling into the parking lot.
Blair: Yeah. I just got here.
Cassie: Cord stopped by the house.
Blair: Did he?
Cassie: Yeah, he's a wreck.
Blair: I guess he -- he told you, huh?
Cassie: You're pregnant with Todd's baby -- that's why you married him.
Blair: Cassie, look --
Cassie: Oh, Blair, how could you do such a thing to Cord?? My God, they don't come any better than that! And Todd -- think about what he's done! How could you possibly sleep with him while you're dating Cord, never mind let yourself get pregnant. My God, what are you trying to do -- purposely ruin your life??

--end scene--

Blair: Cassie, how can you say something like that to me? You make it sound simpler than it is!
Cassie: Well, you just tell me one thing. Are you really pregnant with Todd's child?

Blair hesitates a moment over what to say before she finally settles on continuing with the lie.

Blair: Yes.
Cassie: Blair!
Blair: Look, all right, so I slept with Todd when I was seeing Cord. Are you happy now? Why don't you just go home to your devoted husband and your precious little boy and leave me alone, all right? Leave me alone!

Cassie gets out of her seat and storms off. Seconds later, however, she has a change of heart and returns to her seat at Blair's table.

Cassie: I'm sorry. I know I sound like your mother.
Blair: (emotionally) There's -- there's another side to this story.
Cassie: Well, tell me.
Blair: Cord was never -- he was never there for me when I needed him. He was off saving Tina from some disaster, or he was telling me his kids had to come first, were more important -- or he was sledding with his kids. Did he ever put me first? He said that I was first, but I didn't come first -- not once. Not once did I come first, Cassie. Well, I can't live like that, all right? Just once, I would like to be first in someone's life. I would like, just once, to come first.

Cassie is very obviously moved by what Blair's saying.

Cassie: Oh, Blair. You deserve that.
Blair: (sarcastic) Yeah, oh, "Blair deserves that." That's why Cord went off to save Tina.
Cassie: That was a -- this -- this mess with David Vickers -- I think it's an unusual situation.
Blair: Oh, come on, Cassie! Get real. "Unusual"? It's always unusual when it comes to Tina.
Cassie: Well, I know it seems like that --
Blair: Because it is.
Cassie: Okay, Blair, Blair, let's forget about Tina. What about you?
Blair: Me -- what about me?
Cassie: Well, don't you think this thing with Todd is --
Blair: What -- are you gonna say it's stupid?
Cassie: Well, no, well, it's -- it's reckless!
Blair: Cassie, you don't understand. Cord dumped me. He dumped me over and over again. So maybe this thing with Todd was reckless. I'm -- look, I'm not denying that, but I'm -- right now, I just have to do what I think is right for the baby.
Cassie: Blair, why do you always do this to yourself? First with Max --
Blair: Max, well, there you go -- I came in second with him too, didn't I?
Cassie: No, not at the beginning. He loved you, but you didn't trust him.
Blair: Yes, I did!
Cassie: To take care of your mother?
Blair: Come on, that was -- that was different!
Cassie: So you go off and you marry Asa for his money.
Blair: What? Look, I paid -- I paid for that, too.
Cassie: And now you're doing the same thing. You found Cord. He backed you. He defended you.
Blair: I know.
Cassie: But you didn't trust him.
Blair: I didn't trust him because he was off chasing after Tina.
Cassie: No, he was concerned about Tina. They've got two children, remember? But he loved you! He loves you. And now you're Mrs. Todd Manning. Blair, when are you going to start to trust the people who love you?
Blair: I'm just trying to do the right thing, but -- oh, Cassie, please, please...don't you turn against me, too.

--end scene--

Cassie: Blair, I'm not turning against you. I want to help, believe me. But you have to at least talk to Cord. I'm telling you -- he loves you, and he's a wreck.

At this moment, Cord enters the bar. He sees Blair and tries to leave before she can see him, but Max comes in and stops Cord from going. They head over to the bar together and talk about Cord's recent problems with Tina and David Vickers.

Meanwhile, back at Blair's table, Blair and Cassie are still talking.

Blair: What's the point?
Cassie: The point is I'm scared for you. This thing with Todd -- don't you know that it's dangerous?
Blair: Todd's not dangerous.
Cassie: Blair, come on! I'm the one who sat next to Marty Saybrooke after her rape -- I did! Todd is a very dangerous man!
Blair: You don't even know him like I know him, Cassie!
Cassie: (outraged) Blair!
Blair: Okay, okay, so the guy's got a few problems. I won't deny that. I'm telling you, Cassie, he has been a good friend to me, and he cares -- he cares about this baby. And he didn't have to marry me, but he did, and we --

Cassie becomes distracted looking at something over Blair's shoulder.

Blair: What? What are you looking at?

Blair turns around in her chair to follow Cassie's gaze to see Cord sitting at the bar. They meet each other's eyes for a moment before she turns back around.

--end scene--

Blair: Cassie, it wasn't easy coming up with this decision -- making this decision! There were other choices that would've been much easier.
Cassie: Like what?
Blair: Well, I could've -- I could've told Cord that the baby was his.

Cassie stares at Blair in open-mouthed shock and then bows her head to bang it on the table in frustration.

Blair: Well, I -- I could've, but I didn't! I didn't. It wouldn't have been fair to... (she gestures toward Cord at the bar) Or Todd, or the baby. Cassie, I know that -- that we can make this work -- I know that we can -- but I need you. I need you to stand beside me, Cassie. But I know -- if you can't, I'll understand. Look, I -- I know that this was reckless -- I'm not gonna deny that -- but right now I just -- truly, I want to do the right thing for this baby.

Back at the bar, Cord has just informed Max of Blair's pregnancy.

Max: Pregnant? Oh, man, she really knows how to twist a knife, doesn't she?
Cord: Yeah, well, that's how my gut feels about it.
Max: She's going out with you, and she gets pregnant by Todd. Incredible.
Cord: Yeah, hard to believe when I first heard it, too.
Max: Well, I don't blame you. No, knowing Blair the way I do, there's something else going on here.

Cord casts a quick look back at Blair and Cassie's table before turning to look back at Max.

--end scene--

Cord puts some money down on the bar and gets up to leave, much to Max's surprise.

Max: Hey, where you goin'?
Cord: I gotta get going. Uh, take it easy. Thanks. Appreciate it.
Max: Cord --

Max gets up to try and stop Cord, but Cord leaves the bar and doesn't look back. So Max heads over to Blair and Cassie's table, gets behind Blair's chair, and stoops down to talk to her.

Max: You know, you never cease to amaze me. Just when I think you've done your worst, uh, I realize how much I've underestimated you. I just want you to know that I hope you get what you're after out of Todd, because you just threw away the best fan you could ever hope for.

Max turns and leaves the bar, as Blair holds her face in her hands and Cassie gazes at her in sympathy.

--end transcript--