Todd is in his and Blair's old penthouse (read: Dorian's penthouse that she has now asked to have back) watching one of the movers load boxes to be transported to the new penthouse.

Todd: Okay, I need you to hurry up. I've got an important meeting in here, and I'm going to need some privacy.
Mover: Hey, no problem, Mr. Manning. This won't take long at all. You and the missus really aren't taking too much stuff, ya' know?
Todd: Mostly just clothes. We're leaving all this ugly furniture here. We're gonna start from scratch in the new place.
Mover: If you ask me, it's the only way to go. I mean, me and Mrs. Marchetti, when we left Philly, we --
Todd: (interrupting) Okay, shut up. I just told you I need you to move out.
Mover: You got it. You're the boss.

The mover leaves with the boxes. After he's gone, Todd takes this opportunity to look at the letter he received earlier at the Palace.

Todd: (reading) "Todd, it's vital I see you. I'll meet you at your penthouse at noon. Viki." Still doesn't make any sense. What could my big sister want from me now?

--end scene--

When the scene returns, "Viki" has arrived. Of course, it's not actually the real Viki -- she has been "replaced" by one of her alternate personalities, Tori.

While Todd has unknowingly "met" two previous personalities who were pretending to be Viki (Jean Randolph and Niki Smith), this is his first experience with Tori, who is bright, cheerful, fast-talking, and (as we will see) hell-bent on destroying Victor Lord's legacy...which is (again, unbeknownst to Todd) the reason she has requested a meeting with him today.

Tori breezes into the penthouse and looks around.

Todd: We've gotta stop meeting like this, sis.
Tori: Um, I saw movers downstairs. Are we alone?
Todd: Oh, yeah.
Tori: Oh.
Todd: Except for the private detective I've got in the bathtub. He's recording everything you say.
Tori: (smiling, putting her purse down) This is serious, Todd.
Todd: Is it?
Tori: Mm-hmm!
Todd: Who can tell? Last time I saw you, you were getting tanked in an airport bar while you were waiting for your flight to Bermuda or someplace.
Tori: I wasn't myself.
Todd: Oh. But this is the real you, huh?

Tori smiles at him and says nothing.

Todd: Oh. I get it. Clint and Kevin sent you over to, uh, tell me to back off from The Banner. They think since we're brother and sister that I won't go after all the loyal peasants on your farm. Well, if that's what you think, you can forget it --
Tori: (interrupting him) Why don't you just be quiet? I'll tell you what I think!

--end scene--

Tori: Well, if I were you, I guess I'd be skeptical as well. After all, the Lords and the Buchanans haven't exactly welcomed you with open arms, have they?
Todd: Oh, gee, I don't know. I wouldn't go that far. When I saw you in that airport bar, you were so friendly, it was weird.
Tori: Well, I told you, that wasn't me!
Todd: Funny. Looked like you.
Tori: (back-tracking) I guess what I meant was I have always been a little nervous around you, a little unsure as to how to behave. After all, there's a part of me that wants to accept you as my brother. (smiling at him brightly)
Todd: Well, that explains all the touchy-feely stuff.
Tori: And there's a part of me that doesn't want to. That's because of your history. Also, you have to realize that I'm going to be a little bit cautious because I was terribly misled and lied to by David Vickers.
Todd: David Vickers was a fake. I'm the real deal, whether you like it or not.
Tori: Mm, sometimes I like it! Sometimes I don't. The fact remains, you are my half-brother, and I can't just ignore you or even deny that we don't share a certain bond!

Todd is starting to lose his temper.

Todd: Oh, gosh, that's so big of you, Viki! Even though I've polluted the gene pool, I get to be a part of your little family.
Tori: (smiling) You're twisting what I'm saying.
Todd: No, you're twisting what I'm saying. You and the Buchanans and the Lords -- all of you! All of your yakkity-yak about family and privilege and place! Did it ever occur to you that I don't want anything to do with your stupid family?
Tori: No reason to take my head off!
Todd: No, there is! See, you and your family have treated me like a social disease ever since you found out I was one of you. Well, guess what? I don't accept you. I've got my own family, with a kid on the way. And I don't want anything that you have to offer.

Tori smiles smugly at Todd.

--end scene--

As Tori speaks again, she heads back over to the couch to pick up her purse, as if she's preparing to leave in the event that she can't quickly diffuse the situation.

Tori: You know, Todd, it's going to surprise you to find out that I didn't come here to offer you anything, or even to talk about our family! Nope, I came here to talk to you, publisher to publisher.
Todd: Okay. Fine.
Tori: Now, it's not going to come as a surprise to you that the people at The Banner are hardly pleased that you went and raided the city room of all the best, uh, reporters and editors.
Todd: You call it a "raid" -- I'm going to call it "competition."
Tori: Mm, you can call it whatever you like, but it's going to arouse some pretty strong feelings, especially from Kevin.
Todd: Well, you can tell your little son that I'm not trying to settle any scores. I'm just trying to build the best paper in the state.
Tori: (grinning) Spoken like Victor Lord's son!
Todd: There's no need for you to make fun of me.
Tori: I'm not. I happen to think competition is very good for both sides. The only problem is, if it becomes a war, then everybody loses.
Todd: I'm not the one that's trying to make it a war. It's Kevin.
Tori: Yeah, why don't you let me worry about Kevin, okay? The point is you and I are the publishers of two rival papers. It's up to us to maintain the peace. I'm willing if you are.
Todd: Fine by me.
Tori: Good! Good! By the way, I heard that you're changing the name of your paper to The Sun. That's not that bad!

At the compliment, Todd softens ever so slightly.

Todd: Thanks. Yeah, I'm changing everything. Including the staff.
Tori: So I'm told! Actually, it's kind of too bad that you gave Quincy Johnson so much time to consider your offer. He may very well wind up staying at The Banner.
Todd: Look, if you're trying to blame me for going after a good reporter --
Tori: No, no, no, no, I'm trying to give you some of Father's very good advice. If you want to be successful, then you can never give the talent too much time to brood or second guess you. Take it or leave it -- that's the best approach! Well, I'm sure you'll do better next time. A good businessman always learns from his mistakes!

Tori winks at Todd and flashes a cheeky smile. And from the look on Todd's face, we can guess that he's starting to wonder exactly why "Viki" is giving him advice about how best to lure talent from a rival newspaper.

--end scene--

Tori sees a nearby mock-up of The Sun's first edition and picks it up. The headline reads, "LLANVIEW AFTER HOURS."

Tori: Is this the new baby?
Todd: Yeah.
Tori: Hmm!

As Todd watches her looking over his work, he seems to become a bit more vulnerable and insecure. He obviously wants her to like it.

Todd: What do you think? (quickly) Be honest with me.
Tori: I'm always honest! It's, uh, a great logo. Real eye-catcher. (handing it back to him)
Todd: (genuinely) Thanks. You know, we hope to have the first edition on the stands by next week.
Tori: Really? Well, you're going to need a lot of luck! In fact, you're going to need more than luck. You're going to need a managing editor! What happened to John Zenger?
Todd: What, you mean the guy that used to run The Intruder?
Tori: Mm.
Todd: That bozo? Let's just say we had creative differences.
Tori: Hmm, well, I'm not really surprised. But, of course you know you can't really publish a paper without someone in charge -- someone whose judgement you trust. Like, we at The Banner, we really trust Charles Briggs.
Todd: Sure. My people say he's the best in the business.
Tori: Oh, absolutely! And fiercely loyal!
Todd: Yeah, they tell me that, too.
Tori: Yeah, to his -- to his family! He has three of the most lovely daughters. They are all just about college age. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I think the oldest one was just accepted at Brown. And you know how much that costs!
Todd: No, I don't.
Tori: Ooh, that costs a lot!

With that little hint dropped, Tori apparently figures that she's done enough damage and it's now okay for her to leave.

Tori: Well, good luck, Todd! So long!
Todd: (seeming a bit unsettled) Bye.

Tori waltzes out the door. After it closes behind her, she smiles in satisfaction.

--end transcript--