Storyline from 1991-1996
After Tad's death, Dix had a hard time going on with her life. Then one day Dixie's life was saved by a grifter named Craig Lawson. He claimed to be a "former friend" of Tad's from California. He was really after her money. Eventually, Dixie and Craig eloped and were married for a short period of time. What a sweetie he was. On his wedding day with Dixie, he slept with Gloria, his partner in crime. Gloria Marsh, a con artist, blackmailed Craig (her ex-fiance) into committing adultery with her. She pretended to befriend Dixie.
Brooke became aware that Craig was only using Dixie. Dixie's brother Will became maniacal. He raped Gloria, who became suicidal. Dixie forgave her and cut Will out of her life. Will then married Hayley Vaughn, introduced her to Champagne, and turned her into an alcoholic. He was about to rape her when Janet Green murdered him with a crowbar.
Dixie and Craig divorced after she found out that Craig was using her. He had only met Tad once. A lurid videotape of Craig and Gloria was played for all during the trial to convict Brian Bodine of Will's murder. Dixie lost it after Will was murdered. She began living in Will's apartment, "seeing" Will, and going to Hal's bar to pick up men, only to reject them when they got back to Will's. Red, a burly guy, wouldn't take no for an answer. Brian Bodine broke into Will's and saved Dixie. Dixie leaned on Brian and recovered from her momentary insanity. A relationship grew, much to Hayley's chagrin.
Adam sued for custody of Junior again. Meanwhile, Tad had serendipitously returned to Pine Valley thinking he was "Ted Orsini". Poor Nola Orsini was convinced she had found her son, Ted after nearly 30 years. "Ted" began to have memory flashes and migraines. Nola, suffered a heart attack near Christmas and was hospitalized. While there, she became aquainted with her patient advocate's history and custody problems. Little did she know that the man that Dixie was still pining for was her "son!" However, she did know a good thing when she saw it and tried to play matchmaker with Tad and Dix. Nola died as she found out the truth about Tad. Thanks to Tad, she died happy thinking that the pair had reunited.
Dixie thought she was going insane again because she kept "seeing" Tad, who she knew to be dead. Knowing that Adam would find out and take Jr away from her permanently, Brian and Dixie decided to take the kid on the run. They headed to NYC to hide out, on their way to the Caribbean. Once his memory returned, Tad set out in search of Dixie and Brian. Gloria got Adam to drop the custody suit. Dixie thought she was going insane again because she kept seeing Tad, who she knew was dead. After what seemed like forever to fans, Tad and Dixie came face to face at an apartment in Brooklyn. She slammed the door in his face.
After Tad passed muster with Dixie who wasn't convinced it could be him, it seemed as if the star-crossed lovers could pick up where they left off. Dixie was overjoyed that her one true love had returned to her and Tad couldn't wait to hold her once more. But, unfortunately, she had married Brian that morning. Tad was crushed. He told her to divorce him immediately. Dixie couldn't. She wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him. She needed time. Tad wouldn't give it to her.
He got involved with Brooke once he found out about his son, Jamie. Dixie divorced Brian and wanted Tad back, but he got engaged to Brooke. On the night of his wedding, Dixie decided, while at the cabin at Willow Lake, that she was being ridiculous and had to tell him she still loved him. "Tad" literally fell into her arms. He was sick and passed out. She got him to the hospital, and stood by his side. As luck would have it, this was not "Tad" but a man called Michael Williams who all would eventually find out was the real Ted Orsini.
Ted had it bad for Dixie. Dixie tried to cope with the fact that she didn't save Tad and he did in fact marry Brooke. After months of denial, Tad and Dixie were left all alone at his home in Napa. They admitted that they were still in love with each other, always had been, and made passionate love for the first time in almost 3 years.
Who does Dixie love? | Does Tad still love Dixie? | Ah.... more words to sigh by. | What feels good? Hmmm... LOL!
Tad had to decide between a life with his one true love or with one his wife and son. Dixie refused to pressure him. They continued their affair. Ted, who Dixie had just turned down as a fiance, learned of their affair and set up Tad while on a "hunting trip" with him in Canada. Seems it was "Tad season." Dixie flew up to Canada to save Tad. She knew Ted had gone 'round the bend, but ended up injured by one of Ted's Tad traps. She fell off a cliff and into a river/waterfall. Tad managed to save her and took her to a cave for safety. She had a broken ankle. Tad told her that he had made a decision. He was divorcing Brooke. He would always love Dixie.
But, Ted found them and let them know that he planned on taking Tad's place. Ted and Tad struggled over a rifle and Tad was shot in the shoulder. Ted left the two of them to die, lost in the wilderness without food, water, or warmth.
They made it to the river the next morning but Tad passed out while helping Dixie cross. Dixie managed to keep unconscious Tad afloat but couldn't get him to shore. She wasn't strong enough. Her cries for help attracted Ted's attention. He had a change of heart because of his love for Dixie and helped get them back to safety before he disappeared. Tad and Dixie were reunited just in time for Christmas.
Brooke didn't take the news of the affair well and fled town with Jamie. She had also tricked Tad into fathering another child in her desperation. Unfortunately, it was an ectopic pregnancy and she was convinced to return home and terminate it.
Dixie and Tad remarried in May at Cortlandt Manor and honeymooned on a cruise with many fun mishaps.
Click here for Brooke's opinion about Tad and Dixie.
Tad and Dixie were planning on having children when Dixie found out that Del "Henry" Hunkle was her half-brother who came to town expressly to ask her for a kidney donation. He was dying. After much heming and hawing, she agreed. Tad was upset, but supported her decision. Because of this, Dixie was advised not to have any more children. There would be too great a strain on her remaining kidney and she may die.
Tad was working long hours at Orsini and had to fly to CA more than Dixie and the children would have liked. Meanwhile, Tad's accountant "Jane Cox" was revealed to be Janet Green, Will's murderer who was given early release from prison in exchange for experimental surgery to alter her face. Lucky Janet's voice was also altered due to an illness that required surgery on her vocal cords. Dixie forced Tad to fire Jane from Orsini and started a Victims' Rights Campaign to run Janet out of town. Janet hired an actor named Justin Carrier, who looked like Will, to appear to Dixie and drive her insane. It almost worked until Tad and Dixie realized the trick. Janet ended up "leaving town" after Tad bought her off with a suitcase full of money.
Dixie went back to school and wanted to become a teacher. Tad started producing The Cutting Edge with Erica Kane for Orsini. Eventually he left Orsini, at Joe's urging, so that he could spend more time with his family. Dixie was study buddies with Jason Sheffield and was Assistant Teacher for Mike Delaney's American History class at PVH. Tad and Dixie were having marital troubles. Neither had enough time to devote to their family. Tad became more involved in WRCW than he ever was with Orsini. Then Liza Colby blew into town snatching the Station Manager's postition from Tad's grasp. Tad continued to work at WRCW, eventually becoming host of The Cutting Edge, and Dixie found out about Tad and Liza's tawdry past history. Jason, Liza's intern, helped Liza drive a wedge between the couple. Dixie became jealous, with good reason. Liza was out to get Tad back for her ruination as a teen. She plotted to destroy his marriage and get him into bed. She cut down Dixie at every opportunity. Jason, meanwhile, wanted more than friendship from Dixie. He kissed her. Tad found out, thanks to Liza. Tad and Dixie continued to fight, that is when Tad was actually home. Liza sent him on phony business trips. Tad knew that Liza was out for him and warned her that he loved only his wife. After 3 kisses between Tad and Liza, Dixie found out from Junior, who had caught the two kissing. She blew up at Tad at Cecily and Charlie's wedding. WRCW filmed an episode on Mike Delaney's dismissal from PVH after he "came out" to his class. Kevin Sheffield announced his homosexuality while taping. Jason lost control and went to shoot Mike for getting between him and Dixie and "turning" his brother gay. He ended up killing Laurel Dillon. WRCW, at Liza and Adam's insistance, aired the tape. Tad tried to stop it at first, but was convinced to air it as a PSA on gun control and hate crimes. Tad and Liza became the town pariah's. They were asked to leave Laurel's funeral by Trevor who refused to listen to Tad's apology. At Jason's trial, Dixie was so livid with who Tad had become since joining WRCW that she told him their marriage was over. She called him a murderer and was moving out. Hitting rock bottom, Tad and Liza slept together. After a conversation with Jason, Dixie realized what a fool she had been and how mean she was to Tad. She waited at home for him.
After leaving Liza's, Tad was surprised to find Dixie at home. The two reconciled and made love. Tad fought to hang on to his marriage and told Liza that she meant nothing to him. As Liza recorded the converstation, he told her off. He loved Dixie, always had. It was just sex between them. Things were going great for Tad and Dixie. They were making time for each other and the children.
Click here to hear Tad's words to Dixie.
Dixie supported Tad and defended him to co-workers and even to Marian when she told Dixie that Tad and Liza slept together. Liza denied the event to Dixie. Everything unraveled when Marian played the tape that Liza made on a live broadcast of The Cutting Edge. Everyone, including Dixie, found out that Tad and Liza had slept together. Dixie was utterly demolished. She had total faith in him, had trusted him, and he betrayed her. He made her look like a fool defending him. Tad tried to convince Dixie to forgive him, give him another chance, but it was too late. She told him that their marriage was based on more than just love, it was complete and utter trust. And he had proved that he couldn't be trusted. He not only cheated on her, but he lied about it. "Why didn't you just kill me?"
Click here for what Tad told Liza about their affair.
She packed her things and left for Pigeon Hollow the same day on Adam's jet. Tad made one attempt to get her back, but she refused to see him and sent a note telling him to get on with his life. It was over. Tad was crushed. Through his own fault, he had lost "the best thing that ever happened to him." She became a teacher in Pigeon Hollow and was supposedly engaged to a fellow teacher, childhood friend, and author, "Jonas." Recently, she has aided Tad in his search for answers about Joy Hawkins and is currently watching and raising Jamie for Brooke and Tad.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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