Disclaimer: The Show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.
Someone to Watch over me
Chapter 3 – Worry
No One's POV
Even though Jade knew she had left Tori safely in her bed, she still worried. Jade wasn't used to being worried about anything or anyone, the sunrise being the major exception. As soon as she got up she walked to the window in her luxury penthouse and looked out over the city. It was about 8:30 in the evening and Jade knew that Tori would be at work.
Jade tried to relax for a bit, taking time to sit in a big leather chair and do some reading. Over the years Jade had grown to be rather fond of reading. In her penthouse she had a whole room with shelves of books ceiling to floor. Though she preferred horror and suspense, Jade would read just about anything if it kept her interest. Books passed the time and allowed Jade to be something she was not. She had been a vampire for several millennia and now a days she would just want to be something else for a bit of time.
Tonight she was reading Mickey Spillane's 1952 detective novel Kiss me deadly. Jade had seen the 1955 movie and thought it was classic film noir movie. The ending where woman opens the case was her personal favorite part. Jade had decided to read the original book to see how different it was. Jade had also a glass of blood from her refrigerator. Jade had bought a slaughter-house some years ago and due to that had a near infinite supply of animal blood. Jade did hunt occasionally anyway, just for the fun of it.
Though the book did keep her interest, it only kept half her interest. The other half being firmly fixed on Tori Vega. Jade kept looking at the clock to see if it got closer to 12:30 so she could see.
Tossing the book down at about 11 she turned on the nightly news, to pass the time. There was nothing particularly new or special about the news. No mention of last night incident, which reminded jade she had to dispose of the body before she went to see Tori.
Upon getting home earlier, Jade stashed it in a locked freezer in her private parking garage.
As she watched, one headline caught her attention.
"Now missing for just over 3 weeks, Police have still no leads into the disappearance of Socialite Cassie Hartwell. As you may remember Miss Hartwell was out with some friends the night of the 3rd and was last seen leaving the exclusive Essen nightclub. Her father Hedge fund manager Brent Hartwell has set up a reward for information leading to her recovery. Channel 5 news interviewed today her boyfriend Todd Samuels who's still very worried for her safety."
The channel went on to show the young and very handsome man saying how much he missed Cassie and pleaded for her safe return.
"I was going to keep this a secret, but I had already bought this one carat diamond engagement ring and was going to ask her to marry me. So who ever has Cassie, please return her so I can spend my life with her."
Jade couldn't help but laugh hysterically. "One Caret….One Caret. Oh my god this is so funny. She was going to so dump your ass, Todd. Now every woman in New York sees you looking all heartbroken and will want to mend your shattered heart, that and screw your brains out.. You're phone's going to be ringing off the hook, believe me. Todd. I did you a huge favor."
Jade turned off the TV, figuring nothing could top that very funny story. Figuring she needed to start her night, Jade dressed casually. Biker boots, faded blue jeans, A rolling stones t-shirt and a well-worn black leather biker jacket.
As she put it on, she remembered the day some years ago when she spotted that biker chick and the stunning Leather Jacket she was wearing. It was late one evening at a rest stop in Arizona as ,Jade had been traveling down the old route 66. At the stop, she paused to momentarily admire the woman's jacket. Jade actually hadn't intended to actually do anything other than admire it. However the female biker misinterpreted Jade's stare and called her a dyke. 5 minutes later the biker was dead and Jade was the proud owner of a new jacket.
As she left, Jade could be heard singing quietly to herself. "Would you get hip to this kindly tip and go take that California trip. Get your kick's, on route 66."
After disposing of the body of the dead rapist from the previous night, Jade made her way to the diner. At 12:30 sharp Tori emerged from the door and sat down to eat her lunch. Jade carefully watched the Latina to see if she seemed alright.
Jade could tell that Tori seemed just a bit troubled. There was a definite look of apprehension in her eyes as she quietly ate her dinner. Several time she paused to look around as if she thought someone was there.
Jade did tell Tori it was a dream, but now Jade kept thinking that she really should have just wiped Tori's memory completely. The nightmare must have really shaken her up, Jade thought.
For a long time Tori sat and quietly ate. When she didn't look nervous she looked lost in thought. As time went on Jade began to worry.
However Tori did eventually did begin to sing quietly, but only just before her break ended.
"Raven hair and ruby lips
sparks fly from her finger tips
Echoed voices in the night
she's a restless spirit on an endless flight…"
Jade recognized it as the first part of the Eagles song "Witchy Woman", but her voice trailed off as she began to think again. Just hearing those lyrics and the sad way Tori sung them gave her a chill.
"Does she remember me? I knew I should have wiped her memory." Jade said quietly.
Jade looked down to Tori again who picked up her things and went back inside. For a while longer Jade sat and wondered what to do next.
Eventually she decided on the rather risky move of actually going into the diner. At least then she could get another closer look.
So Jade made her way down from the roof, grabbed a book from her car and went around the front of the diner.
Despite being an ancient powerful vampire, the thought of facing Tori made Jade a bit nervous. The woman was so beautiful that it put her off-balance. For Jade that was part of the thrill, the allure of this young Latina.
"a mere human and she's driving me nuts." Jade mumbled as she walked into the restaurant. But one sight of Tori behind the counter made jade add to her previous statement.
"She's no mere human at all."
The restaurant was a typical greasy spoon diner. A number of booths along the windows, a seating area with several tables to the right of the door and to the left a long lunch counter. Jade went to the end and sat down. But as she did she put her head down and made a point not to look Tori in the face.
At the lunch counter, Jade spotted Tori out of the corner of her eye. She could see the Latina making coffee several feet away. Jade grabbed a menu and looked it over. While she didn't need to eat real food, Jade often did.
Tori finished with the coffee and walked up to the Goth gal at the counter. Almost immediately she got a strange vibe from the raven haired woman who was intently studying the menu. While she couldn't see Jade's face, the rest of her looked rather appealing to Tori. But beyond all that there was something else, but Tori couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Do you need some more time to decide?" Tori asked.
Without looking up Jade responded. "No, I'll have a cup of coffee, black, and a slice of pecan pie."
Tori jotted down the order and went to get the coffee. As she poured the cup, she glanced back at the Goth who pulled out a small book and began to read it. It appeared to be some old detective novel. To Tori, Jade appeared to be any of the other customers who came in and minded their own business. But something was off.
Actually a lot of things were off in Tori's mind. Those green eyes she had seen in her memory, continued to haunt her. They were both beautiful and mysterious.
Jade meanwhile read her book and kept a watch on Tori through the corner of her eye. She could see Tori appeared to be slightly distracted but otherwise ok.
Within a few minutes Jade had both the coffee and the pie. Jade actually liked pecan pie and hoped it was halfway decent.
Tori went about her work but kept walking back and forth past Jade behind the counter. Something kept drawing her to the quiet Goth who kept her nose in her book. Something was bothering her.
Jade also noticed Tori walking back and forth and soon realized she was under scrutiny. Jade realized that she probably should just finish her pie and leave. Jade figured she was just rattled from her dream.
Tori noticed that the Goth seemed to eat her pie and drink her coffee just a bit faster. As Tori made another pass she asked Jade.
"More coffee?"
Jade shook her head and finished the last bite of pie. "No. Just the check please."
Tori went and got the check. She was about to dismiss the Goth as just another weirdo when something clicked in her mind. She needed to confirm something. She took the check and placed it down next to Jade's book and carefully took a long sniff.
The perfume!
Tori to her shock realized that the Goth chick was wearing the same strange perfume she remembered smelling last night. It smelled faintly of lavender.
Tori was paralyzed and just stood there at the counter in front of Jade.
Jade quickly noticed the Latina's whole body begin to stiffen. Being a predator with thousands of years' experience hunting humans, Jade spotted a fear reaction in an instant.
"Fuck!" Jade cursed mentally.
The last thing Jade wanted to do was scare her Tori. She could have hypnotized her, but Jade decided to simply exit quickly. She pulled out a 10 dollar bill from her pocket and tossed it on the bill, which was only $2.35.
Tori watched the Goth quickly grab some money and toss it on the counter, scoop up her book and moved to leave. She seemed to be doing it in a hurry.
However Jade couldn't resist one final look. When she did however, their eyes met for one split second.
Tori who was already freaked out about the same perfume suddenly found herself looking into the same green eyes that had been haunting her since she got up. But before her mind could even register the Goth turned and made for the door. A second later she was out.
Though partially freaked out, every instinct in Tori's body told her to go after that mysterious woman.
Tori turned to the cook. "I'll be back in a sec…"
Then she ran out the door. She spotted the Goth chick walking quickly down the sidewalk. As Tori began to move, Jade began to move faster.
"STOP!" Tori commanded.
Jade's legs involuntary stopped. Only then was Jade realizing how much effect this woman had on her.
Tori ran up and around front of Jade.
"I paid my check." Jade protested. Some part of her didn't want to hypnotize Tori and after a brief struggle, it won out.
Tori pointed at the beautiful Goth, with green eyes and ruby-red lips. "You…You are the one that saved me from that person that was going to rape me."
Jade wasn't used to fear but suddenly began to panic. "No… it wasn't me. You're mistaken."
"No. It was you. I know it. You saved me."
Jade shook her head. "It wasn't me. I was at home last night."
As soon as she said it, Jade knew she blew it. "Stupid" Jade cursed herself.
"HA…I never said it happened last night. You are the one."
Jade slowly nodded. "It was nothing."
The more Tori saw of Jade the more she felt that there was much more than meets the eye.
"No. You saved me. Lord only knows what he was going to do. You did something to him."
Jade's feelings were running amuck. Fear, panic, desire, love, all of them were running around like hyped up children on a school playground. The normally cool Vampire found herself quite flustered.
"Don't worry about him Tori."
Tori stopped and gave him a strange look. "Why did you call me Tori?"
"It's your name." Jade responded.
Tori looked down at her name tag which in neat letters read.
"Hi My name is Victoria"
"My name tag says Victoria, but you called me Tori, only my family and friends call me that. The people at the diner usually call me Victoria or Vicki."
Jade knew she was totally screwed and had completely fucked up her little mission. Even Vampire's screw up on occasion and Jade was well aware of that.
"Ah….." Jade started to say before Tori cut her off.
"You're the person that's been following me. Yes. It's you. For the last 10 months, someone's been following me. Or at least I think someone's been. Every once in a while I catch glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of my eye, but when I look it's gone." Tori said, her voice a mixture of anger and curiosity.
Jade ran through the options in her head. The first was to hypnotize her into forgetting this whole thing happened. The second was to talk to her. Jade desperately wanted to talk to the brown haired beauty, with the chocolate eyes.
For an instant Jade looked at Tori and her heart half melted. A second later the truth came spilling out her mouth.
"I heard you sing one night in the alley. I love your voice. It's beautiful, the most beautiful I've ever heard. I followed you to make sure you make it to the bus stop ok."
"My god, she's like kryptonite to me. I should have just hypnotized her." Jade ranted in her head. Yet still Jade continued the conversation as she couldn't resist.
Tori stood there processing what she heard. An insanely hot looking Goth chick is protecting me because my voice, was the thought that ran through her mind.
"Look. Tori er.. Victoria. I overstepped my boundaries. I'm sorry. I'm just glad you weren't hurt. I'll leave you alone." Jade said, her spirits falling as she started to move away.
Tori reached out and grabbed Jade's arm.
"If you wanted to hurt, me you could have done it last night. But you didn't you protected me and calmed me down. The man…"
Jade lied and hated doing it. "I stunned him for a few minutes, he ran off when he woke up."
"What are you a cop or something? My father is a cop."
Jade shook her head. "No, just someone who can handle herself. I'll leave you alone."
Tori knew she should just walk away and put this behind her but she couldn't. She had to know the person behind the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. The whole thing was crazy, but Tori couldn't help herself.
"No. You have to let me thank you. I can buy you a drink."
Jade wanted to do nothing more and hearing the invite was music to her ears but quickly remembered what she was.
"I'm not a kind of person you'd want to know."
Tori put her hands on her hips and in an assertive tone said. "Well..Miss what ever your name is. I'll be the judge of that. I don't work tomorrow night. Meet me at 9:00 at Murphy's Bar on Bradwell street. You saved me and apparently are my biggest fan so I owe you a drink. Don't stand me up."
Jade had to fight every instinct in her body to avoid smiling like total idiot. Instead she only let out a small smirk. Gutsy girl, Jade thought. Jade simply couldn't resist spending just a bit of time with the girl she loved. One drink, what could that hurt she reasoned.
"Ok Victoria. You talked me into it. 9:00 it is."
Tori smiled. "Unless you want me calling you Hugo, you'd better give me a name."
Jade let out a small laugh. "It's Jade."
"Is that your real name?" Tori said with mock suspicion.
Jade shrugged. "It is at the moment." That was actually the truth. Jade had had dozens of names in her existence.
"Fair enough Jade. Don't disappoint me. I need to get back to work. Good night."
That was a terrible fear of Jade's but every time she looked into those brown eyes, something in her pulled her closer.
"Good Night Victoria." Jade said, as she turned and began to walk away.
I don't own the rights to the songs Route 66 or Witchy Woman
