[A/N] Here it is, the final chapter… for now. I might not have any more plans just yet (that's a lie I totally have plans for these two but you won't see them for a few months), but you never know what the future holds.
I can't seem to give Tori a break, can I? I can't seem to write more than two or three chapters without some kind of crappy emotional conflict. I feel disgusted with myself sometimes.
Be warned that I am a terrible person for this opening bit.
She was in a void, surrounded by black. There was nothing all around her, and she couldn't move.
Tori looked around helplessly. She struggled against the darkness, but was still unable to move.
A figure walked out of the blackness. The figure looked familiar. She looked up into its face, and saw that she was looking into her own eyes.
Not-Tori smirked at her. "Look at you. You're helpless and hopeless. Can't even get out of a little darkness."
Tori glared at her. Not-Tori put on a sickening smile.
"Nothing to say, huh? I'm not surprised. It's not like you'd be able to get out anything intelligent."
"I don't need to listen to this," Tori said, closing her eyes. "I'll wake up soon."
"What makes you think this is a dream?"
"Because I'm the real one. You don't exist."
Not-Tori's smile grew wider. "Don't I? Didn't you see me just a short time ago?"
Tori tried to keep her eyes squeezed shut, but an unseen force wrenched them open and tilted her head up towards Not-Tori. She put on the most fearsome glare she could muster.
Not-Tori feigned a look of fear. "Oh, noooo, I'm soooo scaaaared. Not. Let's have a little fun, shall we?"
Another figure melted out of the shadows. It was Jake. Tori stared at him, and he grinned wickedly at her.
"Hey," he said. "Oh, this is hilarious. This is the funniest thing I've seen all day." His tone turned colder. "You're absolutely pathetic. You actually think you made me love you? You couldn't be further from the truth. What is it in that stupid little head of yours that makes you think that anybody could ever love you?"
Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she ducked her head down again. "Stop talking," she said quietly.
"Hmm, let me think about that. No," Not-Jake said mockingly. "You're useless. There's only one thing you've ever gotten right."
"And what's that?" Tori asked, afraid to hear the answer.
He walked closer to her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. "Your body." His tone made her flinch, and then his lips descended on to her face. He was kissing her as his hands wandered all over her body without any sort of restraint. She struggled to get away, but still couldn't move.
"S-Stop," she pleaded.
"Why would I want to do that?" he asked. "Haven't we done it before? And in real life, too. What makes this any different?"
"This isn't real life, and you aren't Jake," Tori replied. "This is a nightmare. And I don't want to do this. Especially not after what you just said to me."
"Well, that's cute," Not-Jake said. "Too bad you don't have a choice." And he continued, going faster now. Tori screamed at him to stop, but he continued to ignore her. It felt like hours before she finally woke up.
Her eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright in the bed. She was still in pitch blackness, but now she could move. She wiggled all of her limbs, just to ensure she was completely out of the dream, before settling back down on the bed, listening to the real Jake's rhythmic breathing next to her.
But try as she might, she just couldn't get back to sleep. The memory of her nightmare was still fresh in her mind, and she couldn't seem to shake it, no matter how hard she tried. Realizing that she wasn't about to get any more rest, she slowly crept out the door, constantly keeping one eye on Jake. He stirred, but didn't wake up.
She flicked a light on, grabbed a book, sat on the couch, and started to read. Anything to get the dream out of her head.
{asterisks}
There was something wrong, he knew that much. Jake had never been good with body language and stuff like that, but he could read Tori like a book. Something was bothering her.
Heck, a child could've seen that much. She had been avoiding him all day, as much as she could in the small apartment. He noticed the subtle way she scooted away from him on the couch, excusing herself from the room much more often… She didn't want to be around him, no doubt about that. He had to find out why, and that was just what he was gonna do.
She was on the couch in the living room, in much the same position she had been in most of the day. Tori hadn't even spoken to him much. Her nose was in the same book she had had since that morning, and it was starting to get on Jake's nerves. He silently crept up behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder.
She yelped, and visibly jolted. Placing one hand over her heart, she turned around and looked at him. "Don't do that!" she said. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry," Jake said. He walked around and sat next to her on the couch. "I need you to put the book down, though." She obeyed.
"Jake, what's wrong?" she asked. "You're starting to scare me."
"I haven't done anything, though," he pointed out. "All I said was that you need to put the book down." When she didn't answer, he pressed on. "Look, Tori, I know something is bothering you-"
"Nothing's bothering me," she interrupted.
"That's crap," Jake said. "I know it is. I know something's wrong, Tori, and I want to help. I've noticed how you've been avoiding me, and you've barely said a word today. Now, please, tell me what's wrong."
Tori stared at his face. He was serious. He didn't usually look this serious. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and Tori leaned forwards, aiming her lips toward his. Jake jerked back. She looked at him, surprised and a bit hurt.
He shook his head. "I'm not letting you distract me. We're gonna talk about this, whether you like it or not. Tell me," he finished firmly.
They stared at each other for a short time longer before Tori sighed. "…Fine. We can talk."
"Excellent," Jake said. "Now tell me what's wrong."
And she told him. She told him all about the nightmare that she had. She faltered a second when she thought about what Not-Jake had said to her, but, after a moment of deliberation, opted to say it aloud anyway. Jake arched an eyebrow, but didn't show any visual reaction other than that.
When she was done, he spoke. "Okay. First of all, I want to make sure that you know I'd never do something like that to you."
"I know," Tori replied. "You proved that to me already. Remember?"
Jake nodded. "Second… Really? You've been avoiding me all day because of a nightmare you had?"
"You weren't there," Tori said quietly. "You weren't there and it didn't affect you like that. Do you have any idea how it feels for the person you love to tell you everything wrong about you? Even if it's just a dream? It didn't really happen, and I know that, but that doesn't change the fact that your face was the one that gave me that look. Your mouth was the one that said those words to me. Your lips kissed me, and your hands touched me even when I told you I didn't want it. No, it didn't really happen, but it may as well have." Her voice was completely flat. Tears began to run down her face, but her voice didn't waver. There was no emotion to it whatsoever.
Jake hung on to every word that she said, but one thing near the beginning of her speech stuck out to him. "I told you what was wrong with you?"
"Weren't you paying attention?" she asked coldly. "You said I was pathetic. You said that I could never make anyone love me, and you said the only thing I ever got right was my body."
Jake shook his head. "No, I didn't."
Anger started to rise up from within her. "Yes, you did. Those were the exact words you said-"
"I didn't say those things. Tori, I know it's hard to tell right now, but it was just a dream. I never said those things, and I never would."
"The only reason you'd never say those things is because you're too nice to say them," she replied miserably. "I don't deserve someone like you."
"Tori… no. That's not what it is at all. I don't say those things because they aren't true, not because I'm too polite to. They aren't true, at all. They couldn't be further from the truth. Look at me." She obliged, looking directly into his eyes. "Tori, you're perfect. You aren't pathetic, you aren't unlovable, you aren't any of those things. You're amazing. If anything, I don't deserve you. You're beautiful, and not just in a sexy way. You have a beauty that comes out every time you smile. Every time your lips come up like that, I'm reminded why I fell for you. And I mean every word that's coming out of my mouth, from the bottom of my heart. I know that sounds cliché, but just bear with me, okay? Don't you dare believe any of the words you heard in that dream. They're lies. Every last one of them. And I'm not gonna let you sit here and believe them when I know they aren't true."
Tori's lip started to quiver, and a new wave of tears flowed out of her. She buried her head in his shoulder, quietly crying. He held her close to him, comforting her.
When she was silent again, he pulled her away, and looked at her. "You good?"
She brushed the tears out of her face, nodded, and smiled.
Jake smiled back, planting a kiss on her forehead.
They sat there together for a moment, before a loud sound from outside made them both jump. It sounded like words.
Curious, they walked down to the plaza, and saw what the commotion was about. The big screen in the plaza was making an announcement. They couldn't quite make out all the words; all they could hear was the word "announcement."
The familiar jingle of Inkopolis News was heard, before the Squid Sisters appeared on the screen. They were obviously excited; Marie was wearing a grin wider than anyone had seen it before, and Callie was, well, Callie. A crowd had formed, and was staring up at the screen.
"Hold on to your tentacles…" Callie started.
"It's Inkopolis News time!" Marie finished.
"So, I bet you guys are wondering why we called you all down here, huh? Well, we got something REALLY important to tell you!"
"You remember how Agent 3 beat the Octarians a while ago? Well, their leader came back!" There was a collective gasp throughout the crowd. "And he beat Agent 3!" The crowd burst into muttering.
"But, these two managed to take him down before anything bad happened!"
"Oh, no…" Jake groaned.
"What's wrong?" Tori asked.
"We're gonna be famous. I don't wanna be famous."
"Who are these mysterious Inklings, you may be asking yourself," Callie said. "Well, you'd only be half right! Because one of them's not an Inkling!"
Nervous murmurs spread throughout the crowd.
"Our saviors are known as… Jake!" An image of Jake appeared on the screen.
"And Tori!" She appeared next to him.
All eyes in the plaza looked around frantically for the two of them. Jake tried to keep his head down, but was spotted almost instantly. Somebody shouted something, and suddenly everyone was looking at him and Tori. He buried his head in his hands.
"Ugh, I'm terrible with crowds…" he said.
"So in order to thank these two…" Callie said.
"We're coming at you live!"
The screen abruptly shut off, and an unseen spotlight shone a short distance away, where the Squid Sisters were standing on a stage. Somehow, everyone had been so occupied with the announcement that no one noticed the stage. The Sisters grinned at their audience.
"Hello, everybody!" they shouted. The audience cheered in response.
"We're real glad you came down and saw the announcement! So let's all welcome the night's stars!"
The spotlight moved toward Jake and Tori. The Squid Sisters watched them expectantly. When they didn't move, Marie said "What are you waiting for? C'mon up! No need to be shy just because we rock so much!"
The crowd laughed, and Tori looked at Jake. He was white as a sheet, barely moving. "C'mon, Jake. It won't be that bad."
"I c-can't go up there," he replied. "Everyone will look at me."
"Jake, the Squid Sisters are up there. Do you think anyone'll be paying attention to us?"
Jake swallowed, and shakily made his way up to the stage. The audience cheered as they saw him, and a few catcalls rang through the crowd when Tori stepped up. She blushed deeply, having already been proven wrong.
"So how's it feel to be up here with us?" Callie asked.
"It's… really…" Jake stammered. "Really… fresh…"
Marie gave him a playful grin. "Aww, does someone have stage fright?"
"I'm just… not good with crowds…"
"What about you?" Callie asked Tori. "What do you think?"
"I'm starstruck!" Tori replied. "I'm a huge fan! He is, too. He just can't really say it. I can't believe I'm up here!"
"You wanna speak for him, then?"
"Um, sure. Let's see…" Tori said, counting on her fingers. She put on a devious smile. "He's absolutely smitten with you two, even though he's already got me; he keeps your music blasted constantly whenever he's in the apartment; and it wouldn't surprise me if he's- MMPH!"
Jake had reached up and clamped one hand over her mouth. He was blushing furiously.
"She's LYING!" he said, a bit too loudly. "None of that is true! Don't listen to a word she's saying!"
There was a moment of silence, before the Sisters started laughing uncontrollably, and the rest of the audience joined in.
"Don't worry about it!" Callie said, brushing a tear of laughter from her eye. "We've had worse! Now c'mon, let's get started! Any song requests from the two of you?"
Jake grinned at Tori, beckoned the Squid Sisters a bit closer, and whispered to them. They smiled.
"I guess we could do that!" Callie said brightly. "For you two, at least! What do you say, Marie?"
"I say we're doing it!" Marie replied.
"Then let's get this show on the road!"
And they launched into the only song that Jake or Tori would've requested. They stood on the stage with the Squid Sisters, watching the two dance and sing in awe. Every song they heard before, every time they saw the idols on TV, it couldn't compare to the two of them dancing right in front of their eyes.
The Sisters sang a few more songs after that before they deemed it was time to end the performance.
"Thanks, everyone!" Callie cried. "And let's have a big round of applause for our saviors!"
The audience erupted into cheers, and a few more catcalls. Jake and Tori waved at the crowd. "Still think that dream was true?" Jake muttered to her. She smiled at him and shook her head.
"Well, I'd say we're done for the night!" Marie said. "Thanks again for coming out! And remember…"
The Sisters did their signature pose. "Stay fresh!"
The audience cheered one last time before dispersing. Callie turned to Jake and Tori. "You guys stick around, okay? We wanna talk to you."
The two of them nodded, stepped off of the stage, and waited.
"What do you think they wanna talk about?" Jake asked nervously.
"Who knows?" Tori replied with a shrug. "I doubt whether it's just congratulations."
"Well, I guess we'll find out soon."
Just then, Callie and Marie approached them. Both of them held their hands behind their backs.
"You guys are wondering why we asked you to stay, right?" Callie asked.
Jake and Tori nodded in response.
"Well, just give us a second and we'll show you," Marie said. "C'mon, Callie."
The two of them walked backward into their nearby studio. Neither one revealed what was behind their backs. After a moment, they came out again, but they had changed their clothes. Callie wore a pink beanie with a small yellow star mounted on it, a pair of sunglasses, and a pink sweater. Marie sported a green cap with a small orange insignia, a surgical mask, and a green T-shirt. They stuck out their hands.
"Hi!" Callie said. "I'm Agent 1."
"And I'm Agent 2," Marie added. "Nice to meet you."
Jake and Tori's jaws dropped as "Agents 1 and 2" retracted their hands and giggled.
"You guys-" Jake stuttered. "You were- the whole- what the-"
"Yup!" Callie said excitedly.
"But don't tell anyone!" Marie said.
"I can't believe this!" Jake said, flabbergasted. "You guys were Agents 1 and 2 the whole time? Helping us out when we fought Octavio; that was you?!"
"You got it!" Marie replied.
"We should be thanking you!" Tori said. "I don't think we could've beaten him without your help! So… thanks."
"No problem!" Marie said.
"Oh! Almost forgot the other thing!" Callie said, digging in the pockets of her sweater. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and scrawled something down before handing it to Jake. "Here you go!"
Jake looked at what was written on the paper, and his eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.
"What? What is it?" Tori asked.
He showed the paper to her, and her expression matched Jake's. Two phone numbers were written down.
"Are these your-" Tori started.
"Yup," Callie said. "It's the least we can do. We, and the rest of Inkopolis, owe you a huge favor, so this is our way of paying you back! Call us up if you need anything!"
None of them said anything for a minute. Then Jake spoke up. "Thanks. Thanks a lot. For everything."
"Like I said," Callie replied. "It's the least we can do."
"Then I guess we'll see you later?" Tori asked.
"Sure!" Marie replied. "Can we have your number?"
Jake tore off a small piece of the paper. Callie gave him her pen, and he carefully wrote down his phone number and handed it to them.
"Great!" Marie said. "We should set something up some time. I'd love to get to know you guys a little better. You seem pretty fresh."
"Agreed!" the other three replied.
They said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.
[A/N] OF COURSE THE LONGEST CHAPTER I WRITE FOR THIS STORY IS THE ONLY CHAPTER THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY
And BOY, that changed directions real quick.
Regardless, that's the end of Protector. And for now, it's the end of Jake and Tori's story. For now.
Before I go, I want to share something with you; birthdays. I know this'll seem a bit redundant now, but I'll tell you why in just a second. Jake's birthday is July 27th, while Tori's is on October 19th. Why those? Well, Jake's birthday is the same as mine (of course), and Tori's… well, I wanted it to be in October, for obvious reasons, but other than that, I just kinda chose a number I thought sounded good.
The reason I'm telling you this is that I'm gonna write stories for these dates. It'll be a while before you see them, of course, but I'm planning to upload a story for both of their birthdays when those birthdays roll around. Thank God I have 6-9 months to work on them.
Also, from the beginning of Colour Blends onward, they're both nineteen years old (that's legal, right? I think it's legal where I live, at least). The birthdays they'll be celebrating will be their twentieth, for both of them.
I got nothing more to say for now (except that I'll maybe upload that Pokémon story between now and Jake's birthday), so goodbye! I'll see you back here (well, not here, but you know what I mean) in six months!
