Strong implications of rape, just to warn you.
"Tell me that you love me anyway…"
Tori Vega grinned infectiously down at Andre Harris from her seat on the piano top as the song faded from her lips. Something magical always seemed to happen between them when they performed together and tonight – despite the circumstances – had been no exception.
Andre grinned back at up at her and Tori's heart skipped a beat. He was just so good-looking! And when his eyes sparkled like they were just now… though she loved him any day that was when loving him was easiest. Not that she'd told him that she loved him, of course.
After the duo sang a few more songs, the manager informed them and their group, "Alright, you're free to go."
They all thanked the man – except Jade – and hurried out of the restaurant.
Andre fell into step beside Tori as the gang ambled across the parking lot, complimenting her, "You were really good tonight. And you look real great too."
Tori blushed and stammered out her thanks.
And then she groaned aloud, realizing, "I left my purse inside! I have to go get it; I'll be back in a minute."
"Alright," Andre shrugged. "That's fine. I'll make sure that we wait on you."
"Thanks." Tori turned and hurried back inside, and, after retrieving her purse, reentered the cool California night.
She never once took note of the man following her. Never even saw him slip a mask over his face as they cut through a shadowy part of the parking lot. Never even noticed him. Until he pressed a knife to the edge of her throat, that is.
"Keep moving." He ordered gruffly from behind as she yelped.
Shaking violently, Tori did as ordered. "What do you want?" She asked desperately. "I don't have any money. Please, just, just-"
"Shut up." She was ordered, so she did.
They kept moving until they were a block away from Maestro's and he yanked her into a dark alley.
"My friends are going to get worried if I don't come back soon." Tori tried.
"Tell me that you love me, Tori Vega." He ordered as though he hadn't heard her.
"I… I" Tori stammered.
"Tell me that you love me!"
"I… I love you!" Sobs were racking her body by now.
"Take your dress off."
"What?" she squeaked through the tears.
"Take it off!"
Alone in an alley with a man with a knife, she had no choice.
After ten minutes and no sign of Tori, Andre was starting to worry.
"She's fine," Jade declared. "She probably just got hung up with her new fans or something."
"Yeah." Andre nodded. "Yeah, sure." But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
After a half an hour, Beck sided with a now truly worried Andre and they reentered the restaurant to see if Tori was there. But she wasn't.
"Guys," Beck said after explaining Tori's apparent disappearance. "We have to go look for her."
"Now?" Robbie asked. "But it's dark out."
"Exactly." Beck answered, pulling Robbie out of his seat.
"Yes, now." Andre added, forgetting that Sikowitz was with them and taking charge. "Beck and Jade go north. Robbie and Cat go south. Sikowitz, go west. I'll go east."
They dispersed without another word, tension now palpable between them all. Andre called Tori's name until his throat felt raw, but still no sign of the beautiful brunette singer.
If anything had happened to her…
Jeez, why hadn't he told her before she went to get that stupid purse? Before they'd left the restaurant? At any time, really? It was just three little words, three syllables, eight letters. I love you. And yet he'd never found the courage to bring them any farther than the tip of his tongue. Well, if – no, when – he found her, he would tell her right then and there, no more chickening out.
He was a block away from Maestro's, yet still no Tori.
"Tori! TORI!"
"Here…"
He thought that he heard a faint response, and wheeled in the direction of it, towards an alley.
"Tori?"
"Andre?" Tori stepped into the faint light provided by a street light, face tear-streaked, dress torn, and body broken.
"Tori, sweetheart, what happened to you?"
"Oh, Andre," she fell against his chest, sobs ripping out of her slim frame. "It was awful, just so awful!"
"What happened, baby? What is it?" The sobs came harder, stronger at his questions, and on instinct he wrapped his arms around her holding her close. "It's alright now. Whatever it is, it's gone." He tried to sooth her, smoothing back her hair, rubbing her back, anything that he could think of.
"He." It sounded like she was correcting him, but Andre didn't understand.
"He who?"
She buried her face in his shoulder and pointed behind her, toward the side of the alley. Andre unwrapped her arms from around his waist. He took a step toward the pile she had pointed out, barely believing what he was seeing. A knife jutted gorily out of the man's chest.
"Tori?" he asked softly.
"Is he still alive?" she asked softly.
Andre kicked the corpse a couple of times. "No." He turned back to her, putting a hand on each of her shoulders and forcing her to meet his gaze. "Did you kill him?" he asked, eyes begging her to make him understand.
She was still crying softly as she answered, voice barely above a whisper, "I – I just had to make him stop. I just wanted it to stop."
Andre shuddered, knowing that he would never again ask her to explain what had happened in this alleyway, and pulled her back into the circle of his embrace. "It's alright. I promise, it'll be alright."
"Andre, tell me that I did the right thing."
Andre nodded his head. "You did. It was pure self-defense, baby. Everyone will know that." He pulled away, so that she was looking him in the eyes again, and said with gentle conviction, "And let me tell you something else, Miss Tori Vega: I love you anyway."
She smiled, a bit of the Tori that he knew coming back into the girl before him. "You do?"
He nodded, whispering, "I do."
He wanted to kiss her, but he didn't dare, not considering what had obviously just happened.
But she kissed him anyway, saying, "I love you too."
I'm pretty sure that this is the darkest thing that I've ever written! My first shot at Tandre. This has been a plot bunny in the back of my mind for a while, so I decided to write it. Please don't hate me! Please review, give me a pick-me-up after a failed algebra test! Thanks!:)