Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. I make no money, and in fact, am still looking for seasons three and four on DVD. Hoping.
This is a companion piece to "Bonding."
:}
Trina waited next to the phone, wondering why this had to happen. 'I owe her.' The older Vega girl thought. 'We're even friends, kinda. And yet, she just vanishes, no trace, cause she thinks Beck was cheating on her. Doesn't mater that he was, cause the girl she saw him with isn't the girl he's been seeing. Beck doesn't want a girl who's better then him, he wants a girl who needs him. Poor boy, thinks he needs her to be difficult, a challenge, without realizing that life's enough of a challenge. So he's slipping away from Jade, cause she doesn't need him to fight her battles. No, she needs him to support her. I wish I could make her understand. Instead, all I can do is offer her the best thing I have, the one thing that, hopefully, will help her fight those inner battles. But to do that, I need her to appear, or at least answer her phone.'
Tori paced by, coming down from her room in a hurry, only to stop, because the younger girl really didn't have anywhere to go. "Cat, listen, I'll call the moment I find out anything. But really, do you think she'd call me?"
"Tell her I said hi." Trina said, breaking her own vigil long enough to remind her sister that Cat was her friend too.
"Trina, Cat's freaking out about Jade." Tori scolded "She doesn't want some random greeting form a gir… Whats that?" Tori's shoulders dropped. "Cat says hi back."
"Now you can go back to worrying about your scary friend." Trina said, not elaborating. 'Of course, she's my friend too. Jade, where the holy hell are you? Talk to me, let me help.'
"Cat, I'll text, call, and email, just as soon as I know anything. Just, The problem is, Jade and me, we're not really friends." Tori tried to explain. "I want to be, but she makes it so hard. And lately..."
"Jade's been on a tear, I get it." Trina finished for her sister.
"K Cat, bye." Tori started to end the call, but hesitated for one moment. "Okay, bye." The call ended. "Man, I get she's worried. Jade's her friend. But it's not like Jade'll do anything stupid. Maybe illegal. Hell, I'm worried about what'll happen when she tries to get Alyssa Vaughn. So, yea, worried, a bit, about Jade spending the rest of her life in jail."
"Jade's into self harm." Trina pointed out. "And she won't do anything that can be traced back to herself. I think, maybe, she needs a friend right now, and depending on Beck to be her world is catching up with her."
"It's her own fault." Tori snapped. "But what about me? Or Cat? Or, or, or Andre?"
"Don't you dare include Shapiro." Trina warned. "Jade really only tolerates him. If the boy wasn't the single most likely candidate to marry Cat that Jade wouldn't feel obligated to kill, I shudder to think of what she'd do to him."
"Wasn't gonna mention Robbie." Tori said, slinking down to the couch. Worry started to etch it's way onto her pretty face.
"Now, Andre considers himself more Beck's friend then hers, so even if he is willing to be her rock in this storm, Jade won't go near him. As for Cat, do you think Jade believes, for an instant, Cat would be able to help her? No, Cat would listen, confused, then post about it. Jade's worried that her business will become public, so she has to avoid Cat. Also, miss Puckett had taken over as Cat's best friend, at least from the outside, and that adds a wedge to their friendship."
"And me?" Tori asked.
"You know she still thinks of you as a rival." Trina explained. "Poor girl doesn't quite get that you can be friends with a rival. Good friends, even. It's about competition, friendly or otherwise, that drives you. That makes a rival. The need to hate the rival, that's just popular culture. Jade's getting there, but it'll take a while."
"I suppose..." Tori sighed, looking at the television, which was off. The younger girls brown eyes looking deep into the blackened, mirror like glass, until something hit her. "Wait, how would you know any of this?"
"Jade's my friend." Trina said, watching her sister for the inevitable reaction.
"Yea, and I'm buddies with Jenifer Lopez." Tori let her sarcasm drip out, while trying to figure out why Trina would claim such a thing as a friendship with Jade.
"So do you call her Jenny from the block?" Trina asked. "And did she help you out of a tough situation, cause Jade did that for me. Maybe she did it because she was making sure no one would do the same thing to Cat, but she did help me. Toilet papered Milton's house…."
"I thought Lendell did that, defending your honor. Him and a friend did it while Milton's parents were still there, and got away clean." Tori said. "I mean, I did think it was Jade, for a while, but I never could answer why she'd do it. Plus, you two were here, all night."
"Except for the few officers who saw us at the Lenny's near his place." Trina said. "Okay, not that near, but close enough. We stopped for coffee."
"You and Jade did it?' Tori asked. "I knew it felt like her work. So, what'd you have on her?"
"If Milton got away with it, then he could do the same to Cat." Trina said. "Hell, any guy, any one, could do that to almost any girl, and the school proved far to willing to accept the guys word, even in the absence of proof. So yea, we did it, and afterwards, Jade and I became friends."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Tori asked, now sounding hurt.
"It was one of those things that worked better in secret." Trina admitted. "But now, I need something else from you. I need you to be her friend, in a way you've rarely ever done. I need you to be willing to just listen, cause this betrayal, it's wounded her far deeper then I ever expected. Also, I, we have to find her, and I can't do that alone. So, will you help me?"
"I don't know." Tori said. "Right now, my whole life is shook by a lie. A huge, obviousness, why didn't I see it lie."
"We all miss things." Trina told her sister. "Now, help me find Jade, cause like I said, girls into harm, both to herself and others."
"How do we do that?" Tori asked. "I mean, Cat doesn't even know where she went. If Cat doesn't know, and Beck doesn't know, then what chance do we of finding her?"
"Well, maybe she went to the house where they filmed the Scissoring? I hear it's here in L.A. That sounds like the kinda place she'd go." Trina suggested.
"We can check, but we need a list of places. If we only look in one, the obvious one, then she may be missed, and as you keep reminding me, time is of the essence." Tori said, pulling out her phone to make the list. "Now, lets start with the obvious. Have Andre go keep an eye on the girl Jade thinks Beck cheated with."
"As opposed to the one he actually was with?" Trina asked. "Alyssa Vaughn has security, so she'd have to plan any kind of revenge out carefully. Still, having someone check on her isn't the worst idea. We also need to have someone check on the girl Beck was actually with, just in case."
"And that would be?" Tori asked.
"Fawn Libawitz." Trina hissed. "Girls hooked up with him once she got out of jail. Turns out, you can spend a surprisingly short time in Juvenal hall, and then, get yourself in a group home. Yea, her's is a therapeutic one, but she has enough freedom to have a boyfriend, and Beck loves himself a challenge. Girl certainly needs someone."
"Ponnie?" Tori asked. "Beck's seeing Ponnie? The girl who tried to drive me crazy?"
"You gotta admit, she certainly fits his criteria." Trina said. "I'm thinking it started with him trying to help her move on, and wound up some kind of sick, twisted romance. I'd bet she seduced him, to get his help in her next scheme."
"What kind of scheme?" Tori asked.
"I don't know, but her mind is kinda demented." Trina pondered. "Reminds me of Jade, in an odd, less loyal, more crazy kinda way. I admit, after you told me all the chiz she did, I had to admire her creativity."
"Not as tough as Jade." Tori noted. "I mean, you were majorly sick when she drove us off in the police car, and yet, you managed to kick her ass sideways." Tori smiled at the memory. "I remember, you tricking her to let us out of the car, kicking the living chiz outta her, then tossing her into the back, wearing the very handcuffs she tried to put you in." An odd smile crossed Tori's face. "Yea, happy memories."
"And now, Beck's with her." Trina reminded her sister. "Probably working up another plot to hurt us. So… Lets find Jade, and work this chiz out. Jade's first priority, then find out what the holy hell Beck is doing with that psycho."
"Dating a crazy psycho." Tori said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yea, lets make a list of where Jade could be. Um, Scissoring house, Hollywood Cemetery..."
"Yea, those sound like her kinds of places." Trina agreed.
"Morgue." Tori added.
"Of course… But lets just hope she's there looking, and not being stored." Trina said.
"Morgue again." Tori added to the list. "There has to be other places."
"I don't know..." Trina hesitated.
"I'm gonna call around, get help." Tori said.
"Andre checks on Alyssa." Trina reminded her sister.
"Yo, Rob, could you do us a solid?" Tori asked.
"I thought we agreed he wasn't her favorite person." Trina snapped.
"You want me to send Sinjin to check the morgue?" Tori asked. "I certainly don't wanna be around so many dead bodies. So either we do it, and I have nightmares for a month, or we get someone else to do it. Robbie's the best choice, for now."
"What about, you know what, never mind." Robbie said over the phone. "Can I call you if I do find her?"
"Sinjin is just weird enough to get distracted, so yea, lets ot have him go to the morgue." Trina agreed.
"Sure, you do that." Tori told the boy, already moving on to her next call. "Gonna call Dre, get his help."
"I'll call Alyssa, let her know Andre's on the way." Trina said.
"Good idea." Tori said. "Wait, you have her number?"
"We met, got along great, for a while." Trina told her sister. "But I had to ask her to stop texting me. Girl gets board easily, and starts looking for someone to entertain her. I realized I didn't wanna be that person."
"Can't imagine you not wanting to hang around with a rich celebrity." Tori said.
"Yea, but you haven't tried being her friend either." Trina griped. "You know what, lets roll. We can contact people on the road, and we haven't found Jade yet. I owe her too much to let her falter now. No, right now, we move."
They headed out, making their way to one of several teen hangouts Trina knew about. Places where someone like Jade would feel at home. "Get Burf to check the cemeteries." Trina said as the car sped through the early evening.
It was an hour later, as Tori and her sister were checking the house where they'd made the scissoring, and discovered the current owners were less then thrilled to find out that someone had been sneaking onto the property. "I mean, you fix the security, make sure no one can get in, and another crazy fan finds a way past the gate. So, you know how this one gets in?"
"I'm afraid she never told us." Tori told the man.
"There's a whole in the ground on the southern side, behind a bush, probably made by a largish dog, and she just slides through." Trina added. "It's dirty, uncomfortable, and her way past security."
"I see." The man said. "Okay, you can come in, look around, but no pictures."
"It won't take long." Trina told him. They walked around and made a quick scan of the area, then started to head back. "She's not here."
"That man's checking out our asses." Tori hissed, keeping her voice low.
"Of course, otherwise, he'd probably never let us near this place." Trina agreed. "Small sacrifice, considering what we're looking for."
"Yea, but you told him how Jade gets in." Tori pointed out.
"One way." Trina said. "That tree, it has branches that go over the fence as well. Sometimes, she climbs a near by tree, and makes the jump. I think she has other ways through as well."
"What makes you say that?" The younger girl asked.
"Cause you said she offered to show Moose this place, and he wouldn't be able to use either of those methods of entry." The older sister explained. "Girl has to have another way in."
"Well..." Tori was interrupted by the sound of her phone. "Rob, please, if she's there, let her be all right."
"Jade's fine." Robbie said. "But she's not at the morgue. There's..."
"Where is she?" Tori demanded.
The now frustrated boy started over. "There's a place at Hollywood Arts, an electric storage closet up near the attic, where Cat lived for a while before she moved in with her grandmother. I realized, if she wanted to be alone, Jade would need someplace no one would look, and this place is pretty out of the way. I mean, only three of us knew anyone had ever lived up here. See, they store electric wires and other chiz here, and Cat was able to set up lights. Jade, however, didn't have any, and was sitting in the dark, with the rats."
"Is she okay?" Tori asked quickly.
"Doesn't look like she got bit, which is a good thing." Rob replied. "Those rabies shots are a bitch."
"So, where is she?" Trina asked, guiding her sister back to the car.
"Hollywood Arts." Tori told the older girl.
"Not anymore. At great personal risk, and threatening to tell everyone where she was, I convinced her to accompany me to your place." The nerdy boy said. "I kinda promised that I wouldn't tell anyone, other then letting people know she's safe."
"But we'd fine out anyways." Tori said.
"Find out what?" Trina asked, sitting her sister in the car.
"Jade's at our place." Tori told her.
"Jade and I are on rout." Rob corrected. "Jade didn't take her car. You'd be able to figure out where she was by that being there. So, we're taking my transport to her car, and then driving from there. ETA at your place, maybe twenty minutes. Can you be back by then?".
"We'll be there." Tori promised the boy, then ended the call. "We have maybe twenty minutes to get home before they show up." Tori then told Trina. "Lets ride."
"We're not cops in a seventies television show." Trina said as she started the car.
"It'd be cool if we were." Tori said, smiling.
"You're imagining what it'd be like to be driving in the 'Starsky and Hutch' car, aren't you?" Trina asked. "I don't know what was the bigger mistake, letting you see reruns of that show, or watch 'Scrubs'. I mean, no one gets that lost in fantasies in real life."
"Who knows." Tori replied. "But it's not that hard to think about what it's be like, in a cool sports car, racing down the street..." She smiled off into the darkness.
"Tor, could you do me a favor?" Trina asked as they drove through the evening. "I need you to look up a number on my phone. Thing is, it's not someone you know. Guy named Travis, met him at a party. Really great guy..."
"Ohmygod, areyoudatinghim?" Tori asked.
"Sista, breath." Trina said. "Try separating your words."
"Are you…?" Tori started.
"Not yet." Trina said. "We're kinda in a gray area. But I was thinking, maybe he could help me out. We may need someone hot for Jade, in a one night stand kind of way."
"You're setting her up." Tori asked.
"It's too soon for us to find her someone long term, but she may need someone to hold her." Trina explained.
"Oh, okay." Tori dutifully looked up the number. "Um, so this guy, he'd..." She left it hanging.
"Not sure, whatever Jade needs, to a point." Trina said. "No sex, cause I believe she'd regret it later. Jade's just not the causal sex kind of girl. No, we need to use him to find out the kind of guy she'd be willing to date, someone very very brave, and then, a month or three down the line, set her up. Jade will be able to move on, and we can all put this part of Beck's betrayal behind us."
"Still can't believe Beck cheated on Jade." Tori griped.
"Of course not, cause that's so not him." Trina agreed. "Except, we're dealing with a crazy person bent on revenge. Who knows what their capable of." She hesitated for a second. "Speaking of, we need to work hard tonight to help Jade calm down, let her know this will pass. This is the kind of thing where the best thing to do is let Beck be the villain."
"So, what'll happen to the group?" Tori asked.
"I think we'll need to find out what Fawn Libawitz is planing first." Trina said. "And where Beck fits in with that plan. Once we know that, countering her will be that much easier."
"I… Say, um, Trina, how'd you know it wasn't Alyssa Vaughn?" Tori asked.
"Cause Alyssa and I share a very special bond." Trina replied.
"Stalking isn't a bond." Tori scolded her sister.
"I told you, I didn't stalk her." Trina said. "In fact, she almost stalked me." Silence covered the car for several seconds. "Or at least wouldn't stop calling."
"Right, cause a rich socialite like her would be so charmed to meet lady cheese boobs." Tori poked.
"I told you, we have, er, had a very special relationship." Trina repeated. "The kind that some people just don't forget. It's also another reason why I'm against setting Jade up with some one night stand. See, most one night stands have a winner and a loser."
"How would a one night stand have winners and losers, unless someone is cheating." Tori asked, doubt shadowing her words.
"One person is very aware that this is a one off, while the other somehow believes that it's leading to more." Trina said with a shrug.
"Like falls in love?" Tori asked.
"Sometimes." Trina replied. "Sometimes they just think that since both of you enjoyed it, then you'd like to be their friend with benefits. Turns out the movies about that are right, and its hard to have that kind of relationship without it potentially morphing into something more. I mean, people do it, all the time, but when Alyssa and I did, I found she wanted a fuck buddy…." Trina's voice faded.
"You..." Tori started, but words failed her.
"I'm not that into girls." Trina said, shrugging again for emphasis. "I admit, had Ally been interested in more, like a relationship, then I'd have stayed with her, cause the girl had it going on. Tall, svelte, smaller tits, but I'm not that into boobies."
"Money." Tori added.
"Since when have I been known to have that as a criteria?" The older girl asked.
"Does Jade know?" Tori asked. She didn't know why, but it was suddenly very important to find out.
"Jade is about the only one to know." Trina answered. "Beck set it up, but left it to Jade to find someone who wouldn't do it thinking it would lead to him wanting them."
"But why you?" Tori asked.
"I admitted I'd had fantasies about her." Trina told her sister. "And like I said, there was a possibility. The term gay for you exists for a reason. But Ally, she gets off with girls, can enjoy sex with them. However, emotionally, friendship is about it. Not gonna fall in love with someone, and me, I need that to be able to return the feelings. Too bad, cause we were so compatible."
"Compatible? As in..." Tori pushed for clarification.
"As in... oh god, this is kinda hard." Trina gulped. "Look, when we get home we don't talk about any of this. Jade needs us, and whatever guy Travis can find for us."
"Did Alyssa introduce you to him?" Tori asked.
"I get the feeling she wanted me to be her dirty little secret." Trina said. "Thing is, for girls, it can take a bit to make things work. Um, you may have figured that part out already, or maybe you got ungodly lucky, and haven't yet. But with Ally, it was orgasm city. We both got off almost every time."
"Wh-what did you do?" Tori tried to sound casual.
"No, we're done here." The older girl snapped. "Jade, we help Jade out."
"What did she say about you and Alyssa?" Tori asked.
"That if it wasn't love, at this point in my life, it's better to get out, find myself someone, then allow myself to be made a kept woman." Trina told her. "Oddly, I only kinda agree."
"Kinda?" Tori smiled, despite herself.
"It's not for me." Trina said. "No judgment for those people, boys and girls, whom feel it's right for them."
"We should probably stop talking about this, as we're almost home," Tori told her sister.
"You know, I can still push you out of the car." Trina warned, but it was already too late, as they pulled into her parking space.
The two sisters raced to the front door, finding it comfortably locked. "Mom and dad aren't here..." Trina was telling her sister as they walked in, to find the lights on, and two figures sitting on the couch. Jade was leaning on Robbie, crying on his shoulder.
"This isn't what it looks like." Robbie spat out.
"It looks like you giving Jade comfort." Trina said.
"Okay, then it's exactly what it looks like." The boy amended. "But the crying, this time, I didn't do it."
"Why's she letting him comfort her?" Trina asked.
"Cause she doesn't like to cry in front of the cool kids." Tori said. "So, Jade, you good there, cause we're here if you need us."
"I'm good." Jade said, pulling herself off of the boys shoulder. "Just needed to cry it out."
"I got her here by promising information on who Beck was screwing." Robbie said.
"It's not who you think." Trina started.
"I already told her." Rob said.
"And how would you know?" Tori asked, an odd, accusatory tone in her voice.
"I..." He exhaled a long almost sigh. "I had someone watching Fawn Libawitz." The boy replied. "After everything that happened to Tori, back when Jade was out for revenge on Cat for taking her eyebrows, I figured it'd be better to have someone keep an eye on her. So, I asked Sinjin, cause Sikowitz has him spying on people all the time, so I figured he'd know what to do. Of course, Sinjin's Beck's buddy now. So I leveraged my friendship with Burf, spent an afternoon going antiquing with him, and he spilled that Beck was seeing this crazy Ponnie girl."
"So who's side are you on?" Trina asked, eyeing the boy suspiciously.
"I'm like Cat, don't wanna be on a side." The nerdy one said. "But Jade is one of my video gaming buddies, so I figured it was worth helping out. And, once here, I got me some cuddle time, cause she needed a friend to cry upon."
"Perving out much?" Tori asked.
"I'm just amazed you admitted it while still in striking range." Jade said, her grip on the boy tightening. "You're more then aware that I'm wazzed off beyond belief, and yet, you go and admit you had an alternative motive for letting me cry on your shoulder." Her hug was now like a vice grip, crushing the air out of his lungs, even as it threatened to do bodily harm to him.
"Jade, let go, or I won't give you what you really need." Tori said.
"And what could I really need?" The pale girl asked.
"Let go, and I'll tell you." Tori tempted.
"Fine, it's not like I wanted to kill him." Jade let go, and the boy fell to the ground, breathing erratically as his body tried to gulp down full breaths. "So, what is it you think I need?" Her blue eyes shot to Robbie. "Don't go too far, in case I need someone to hold for a bit."
"Me." Tori said.
"Um, Tori…?" Trina warned.
"Look, Tori, we're closer to friends then we've been, but..." Jade tried to be as diplomatic as possible, another clue how odd this whole situation had become. "It's just, I kinda hate you. Not the way I hate others, but..." She inhaled, trying to find the words.
"You hate that you want me as much as Beck does." Tori corrected. "I didn't see it until Trina told me about her relationship with Alyssa Vaughn."
"They were fuck buddies." Jade said, finding it easy to say that.
"It was her describing the nuances of their relationship when it hit me." Tori continued. "We're gay for each other. Not just can enjoy snoodling each others brains out, but honestly gay for one another. Problem is, we're not so gay as to be attracted to most girls, so it was easy to deny. But I get it now. I know what you want, what you need, and I'm thinking, maybe this could be a win-win. So, I'm offering me. Not right now, cause, not a rebound."
"Tori, I said be her friend." Trina said. "I can find her a boy."
"But Jade doesn't need a boy." Tori never took her eyes off of Jade. "She doesn't need a man. She needs someone she has a connection with, and I realized I'm one of what? There are maybe two people you've met in your life you have that kind of connection with. Three if we count Cat, and I don't know if we should. But we do have it, that connection, and that's why you couldn't be my friend."
"You're a threat, taking everything I worked so hard for at Hollywood Arts." Jade snapped. "Even Beck. Hell, I was so sure you'd be the one he cheated with. But of course, I realized, along the way, you do kinda value our friendship. So why ruin it now?"
"I'm not." Tori said, now very calm. "In what, two months, we'll get together on a Friday, have us a date. If things work out, fine. If not, we'll both live. Hell, I'll even take us not being ready yet, and wait another month. Just, this is your guarantee. Things will get better. Date me, and you not only won't be alone, you'll be dating one of the top people at Hollywood arts. Hell, you won't even need to tell anyone, just knowing..."
"I'd tell everyone." Jade jumped in. "I'm not ashamed of what I feel. I..." Jade gulped, standing up to look the Latina in the eye. "You realize, your sister has been becoming one of my best friends, right?"
"Then we'll have to be careful, consider each others feelings." Tori said, her smile growing stronger. "We're here for you, right now. And, in two months, we can take it slowly, or as quickly as we both feel comfortable. Just let me know what you want."
"I don't know what I want." Jade said.
"How about I call Travis, set you up on a few dates." Trina suggested. "If nothing clicks, you have Tori. Then, once we've done that, we can start trying to figure out exactly what Ponnie is after."
"Beck." Robbie said. "You honestly thought I didn't try to find out? Girl has issues with you, Tori, but what she needed was someone to love her. Someone who can love all that crazy. Beck fell into her trap, and she got exactly what she wanted. Will she plot some other kind of revenge? Probably. But she'll have to be careful, cause she now knows she's no match for Trina, and probably not Jade."
"I'm way tougher then she is." Jade pointed out.
"I'm belted in martial arts." Trina said. "A yellow with two stripes in Vovinam. Thats the equivalent of a third degree black belt. I can teach."
"You're a great fighter." Jade agreed. "I'm tougher. Imagine what I'd be like if I were as skilled as you?"
"I'd be happy to teach you..." Trina and Jade drifted off into conversation.
"Trina is gonna teach Jade how to fight, huh? Well, there's the stuff of nightmares." Robbie said. "So, Tori, do you really think you and Jade will be hooking up?".
"In time for Christmas." Tori assured him. "Now I need to call around, let everyone know Jade's okay."
"You don't trust Fawn, do you?" The boy said.
"Not one bit." Tori confirmed. "But I do trust you. So, keep an eye on her, and we'll find out whats going on. Me, I have two months to figure out how to date Jade."
"Good luck with that." Robbie said as he got up to leave.
"And Robbie..." Tori called after him. "Thanks for your help. I know Jade doesn't particularly like you. But you are my friend." She smiled at the boy. "And as your friend, I gotta warn you, if you perve out on my girl again, they'll never find Rex." The boy gave a short, shocked inhale, strangling his scream. "So, go home, and have a really good night." Again, the friendly smile crossed Tori's face, as she started up to her room, intent on enjoying the rest of the night. She hesitated, glancing back at Trina showing Jade some moves. 'Two months from now, that girl will be mine.'
:}
I get the feeling I shouldn't have so many stories where the writers note is "Well, that happened." But, it did, and I kinda like it. This is a companion piece to bonding. Took a while to figure out how I wanted it to go, but you got it. Hope you liked it.
"I love that Beck needing crazy sent him straight into Ponnie's arms. He gets to be the bad guy, for now, but also a victim of a vengeful girl and her need to have a win. Just about any win. I doubt, long term, she'll be a threat to anyone not born in Northridge, cause she has something worth holding on to. I wonder if she'll be able to.
Review, cause what else are you gonna do. (And if you have something else to do, go ahead and let me know. Use that convenient review space. No one will care...)