Disclaimer: I don't own.
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Jade's eyes snapped open, and she took a quick, half panicked look the darkened room. 'This didn't happen. Please, this is the last thing I needed...' Jade tried to focus, but for some reason, the warmth of the bed made it hard for her to think.
She pulled herself out of the bed, and felt around until she found a phone. As the screen lit up, she could tell it was still early for being so late, just after one thirty in the morning. 'Everyone's asleep, so now's time to split.' She reasoned, as she used the lit screen as a makeshift flashlight to look for her things, like her bra, and her underwear, and her phone. 'Okay, not my phone.' She thought, trying to keep her body between the dim light and the other body sleeping peacefully in what was not bed. Carefully she placed Tori's phone back on the charger, checked her phones indicator to see it's battery level, then sorted through the pile of her own clothing she'd formed..
Over three years with Beck had taught Jade how to quickly, and quietly, get dressed in the dark. 'The difference was, I never fell asleep after one of our sessions.' The pale girl reminded herself. The lingering warmth of the bed had given way to the mild chill of the night air, and a mild panic about something else, another difference to worry about. 'Okay, his parents got him a trailer, so he could live under his rules, so sneaking out was more a mater of not waking him up then avoiding armed parents.'
She had managed to pull everything she needed on, including her boots, and even found her way to the DVD player. 'Okay, I'll have to risk turning it on to get my movie back. Shit, why did I let this happen. "Rent" usually doesn't get me so horny, but tonight, with my very own Meme in my arms, I went too far, made love to her, and then I went and fell asleep.' Her eyes flashed back, looking at the Tori shaped lump in the bed. 'Our first time was supposed to be all sappy and romantic, like she wants. I had it planned out and everything, several moments that could each lead to us making love. It was just about setting the perfect moment up, and letting things happen. But noooo, we have to watch a movie about love and longing and friendship and music, one song literally about the passing of time, and I got all emotional. God, I'm pathetic...'
Jade quickly wrote a text telling Tori she had to go home, and would call her in the morning. However, Jade held off on sending it, not wanting to risk Tori's text alert waking her up, then having to say an awkward goodby. 'I'll just leave the movie too. She can watch the special features, and enjoy the cut scenes. Maybe she'll find another level of enjoyment for the movie. Or maybe she'll laugh about how an actor best known for his years and years playing a cop on "Law and Order" played a gay anarchist collage professor.'
Jade allowed herself another moment of levity at that thought before she slowly, carefully, opened the door and made her way out. The hallway was quiet, dark. Jade knew that everyone was in bed, sleeping, dreaming about things like tomorrow and whatever adventures the day might bring. 'Faculty training day, so I'm free to go home and sleep until noon. But Tori, to her parents, it's just like any school night. They go to bed early, and get up early, cause it's a habit. God, why don't my parents give a flying chiz about my schedule like that...'
Jade realized she'd stopped, at the top of the stairs, to think about how much Tori's parents cared, even if they could be distant sometimes. Her own parents, meanwhile, didn't seem to care beyond a few rules that made their own lives easier. Forced steps brought her down the stairs to the ground floor. The large sliding glass doors were hidden behind blinds Jade had never before seen closed, cutting off the abundant but dim residual light that the city around them would generate until dawn. But in the living room, a room she had only seen bathed in some form of illumination or another, it was dark. Dark and not quite familiar enough to rick moving without being able to see. As much as she felt maybe she deserved slamming her toe into the piano, she didn't wanna risk even that level of noise. Pulling out her phone, Jade lit her way down from the rise and off towards towards the door.
"And why are you sneaking out?" The voice almost gave Jade a heart attack. She'd jumped, literally, and was thankful they'd waited for her to get down from the landing where the piano was before speaking, or she could have fallen and maybe broken something.
"You almost gave me a heart attack." Jade hissed, keeping her voice low while going on the offensive. She knew it probably wouldn't work, but it was the best idea she could think of at the time.
"But why are you sneaking out?" David Vega, police officer and parent, asked from his place on the couch. The lamp next to him had come to life, illuminating the room with it's single glow.
"I didn't want to wake people up." Jade tried, sounding like it was obvious. "I'm polite like that."
"But why are you sneaking out of this house?" He tried again.
"Tori and I, we were having a sleepover, and..." Jade tried to write her excuse quickly, so as to avoid finding out if he had his gun on him. Fathers could be irrational like that.
"Jade, I know you've been seeing my daughter." He said, his voice both soft and patient. "I also know what you two were doing. I suspect what woke you was my checking in on Tori. It's something I like to do when I get home late. So, why are you sneaking out?"
"Because I didn't want to have to explain myself to..." She stopped, waiting for the hammer to fall. "Wait, you're not angry?"
"Didn't say that." David replied, now showing a bit of ire. "I'm just thinking about the kind of message I'm sending my kids. You may not realize this, since she dated Danny for eleven months, but you're her first real, serious relationship. I'm taking this very seriously. So yes, I'm upset. Not surprised, just upset. I'm thinking that maybe we should have us a little talk. But first, we call your parents and let them know..."
"Do we have too?" Jade jumped in, her voice, despite not being that loud, seemed to thunder in the quiet.
"Let them know you're okay, and are spending the night." The police officer finished. "So, phone? I'll watch as you call."
Jade looked at her phone, waiting, deciding on what to do next. "Um, you see, mister Vega, my parents really don't care if I call or not, cause right now I'm staying with my dad, and he really doesn't care..." Her voice faded. She was grateful for limited light, so this man couldn't see the half tears that had formed in her eyes. She hated that she wasn't loved enough for her parents to worry about her. 'They could at least pretend. I mean, if they trusted me, thats one thing, but this is just not caring if I live or die, just as long as I don't embarrass them.'
"Call him anyways." David instructed.
Jade hit the appropriate saved number, and called. "Hi, dad, it's me, Jade, letting you know I'm spending the night with Tori. Her parents already okay'd it, so.." She went to end the call, but her phone was already in Davids hand, with him listening for a response.
"Voice mail, huh?" He asked as the saving slash sending instructions started. Her screen was like another slap, telling this man she'd done what he'd asked, and gotten exactly the response she expected. No one cared if she called or not. "Okay, lets say I believe you about your parents. That doesn't make what you were doing okay. Now, here's the question and answer part of the test. Do you know why?"
"I should respect her, and not try to take advantage of her?" Jade asked.
"Okay, lets get this covered. I don't want you hurting my girl." David had walked back to the couch, and motioned for Jade to sit on the other section. "There is the implied threat, of course, but with you, it's a bit deeper that than. Jade, you just showed me how damaged you could be, and I'm supposed to be okay with this. And it's not even better that I know your a deeply caring person who would never intentionally hurt the person you loved. I saw how hurt you were that your dad didn't even try to get it. You expect that response. So Jade, now I'm worrying about what you might do that could hurt Tori indirectly. So this is where I educate you on a little etiquette. Sneaking out may be the norm, but it's also sending a clear message, this could have been a mistake. So you're gonna go back and sleep next to Tori, and she'll have the experience of waking up next to you. Lets see how that panic shapes her up."
Jade's was so grateful she wasn't drinking anything, cause that was a spit take waiting to happen. "So, um, I'm staying so you can freak Tori out?"
"No, your helping me make a point to both my daughters." David said. "You've already done the crime, so why bother worrying about the punishment."
"So I'm getting grounded?" Jade almost chuckled.
"Why not?" He asked. "I know, your parents let you run wild, but as I said, I saw how you reacted when you got your dad's voice-mail. Trust me, a little parental discipline will do you good. Then, after, you'll be able to feel better about the new norm here."
"So I'm going back to lay next to Tori, knowing that tomorrow, I'm gonna be yelled at and punished?" jade asked.
"It'll be a lot worse if you sneak out." David assured her. "But just to be clear, I'm not so naive as to think my children will practice abstinence up until the day they get married. And yes, this is a little early. Don't you guys wait at least three months these days?"
"Hundred days together." Jade replied.
"So thats what the hundred day kiss is." He said, smiling. "So glad Steven didn't get that far."
"Actually, it's just a kiss, at midnight, on the hundredth day of dating, that signifies that the sex can now happen." Jade explained, a little sheepish because she's implied something else.. "I suppose that a lot of couples do it immediately after the kiss. Lord knows Beck and I did, and neither of us was remotely ready. Okay, he was ready, physically, but boy didn't have a clue about how the female body works. He believed, still believes, in the magic power of the penis." Her head snapped up, her hand over her mouth.
"Been married a long time." David pointed out. "I know how that stuff works. Trust me, my tongue has had many a workout..." He gave a sly smile.
"Didn't need to know that." Jade said, looking around. "Um, it's getting kinda late, and you folks get up pretty early on days when there's no school, so..." She pointed at the stairs.
"It's okay, you go, sleep." David assured her. "Just, in the morning, be ready. After, you'll find you may have a chance to catch up on that missed sleep. But for now, go, and remember, Tori hasn't had that many more lovers then you have. She's still learning."
Jade froze. "H-how many lovers?"
"Thats between you and her, but lets just say, there are a couple of camps I'm never sending my kids back to." He joked. "Camp Arawak wasn't anything like the brochures."
"Sleepaway Camp reference, nice." Jade said as she ascended the stairs. "You realize, there's a chance things might heat up again. I mean, I can keep it down, controlled..."
"No, as I said, this isn't just about sex." David told her. "It's about respect. Now, you go get some sleep. I have a busy day for you tomorrow. I'm off, so we're gonna be having this talk, all over again."
Jade mumbled something like "So looking forward to that." She was grateful he didn't hear, or react, tot he sarcasm in her voice. But she ascended the stairs, quietly, with her girlfriends father behind her. She only hesitated at Tori's door to watch him walk past and to his room. He gave her a look, mouthed "Good Luck" and went inside. Jade let the darkness cover her, now sure she had a way out of the house, if she chose to take it.
Jade snuck into Tori's room and undressed. She found her place in the bed, and as she got comfortable, she felt an arm wrap around her. "What made you come back?" Tori asked.
"You're dad, he caught us. Gonna be hell in the morning, but he sent me back to bed." Jade replied.
"Look on the bright side, no one ever died from being grounded." Tori assured her, kissing her head.
They drifted off to sleep, enjoying each others body warmth. They'd find it an odd comfort in the two weeks that followed, where Jade was required to go straight to the Vega residence after school every day, and stay until after dinner. As odd as it was to have someone else grounding her, it also meant a dozen dinners with Tori and her family, bonding time with Trina, and avoiding he awkward explanation of how she'd been grounded.
Mostly, Jade realized that this wasn't just a punishment, it was an exercise in family. If she and Tori were going to be sleeping together, then she needed to accept the rest of the household, including the rule that Trina was a part of her new, caring family. 'Took me long enough to accept that talentless one as someone I could ever rely on, cause let be honest, she's not.' Jade had thought as she cuddled into Tori the next morning. Neither was in any hurry to get up and face the music about their sleeping together. So Jade lay there, her arm around her girl, thinking about how much things had changed in her life. 'But there's nothing malicious about Trina. She's just thoughtless, self centered, tends to think of herself, and only realizes she needs to help out after the fact. But Trina, she helped Tori distract Mrs. Lee, back when we presented the unaltered version of "Well Wishes." Trina has been on my side, more often then I'd ever like to admit. And over the last few months, we even get along. So, yea, family.'
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I'm sure I've done something like this before, but I liked how this one turned out, so you get it. I'm sorry if I didn't catch all the misspellings.
So, thoughts?