Tori spent the last forty-five minutes talking with her dad on the phone. Her disappearance for almost 24 hours did warrant an explanation, Jade thought.

She hung up and walked over to Jade who was trying to dress herself. "It's all in motion."

"What?" Jade seemed distracted.

"Dad told me that it was going to take time but he believes he has enough evidence from dumping your phone's records."

"They can find him?"

"I guess. I kind of lost it when he got into triangulation and other stuff."

Jade rolls her eyes. "In other words, big mean man leave digital footprint."

"Here," Tori smiles as she helps Jade with her clothes. "Let me."

"I have to be able to do this, you know."

Tori sighs. "Yes, I know. But I like helping. Especially when it's you."

"Jeez, Vega! What are you made of; butterfly farts?"

Tori stood there looking hurt. Jade immediately regretted ribbing her. She touches her face delicately.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I know I can be difficult sometimes. You are a good friend."

The two of them hug. The doctor catches them.

"Nice to see you're feeling better. Just don't overdo it."

Jade nodded, though mildly annoyed by the intrusion and scolding.

"Oh, shit." Jade says as she looks up at the ceiling.

"What is it?" Tori was caught off guard by the sudden outburst.

"I left some stuff at the house." Tori looked confused. Jade rubs her shoulders. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm staying with you. Lately my house has been…inadequate."

"Oh, okay, sure. I'm sure that my parents won't mind considering…"

"Will you come with me? I…really don't want to go back there myself. Not after what happened."

Tori kisses Jade on the forehead and nuzzles her neck. "Don't worry, Jadey. I'll stay with you."

"Tori?"

"Yes?"

"Call me that in front of people, and I will break your arm."

Tori giggles at the threat. At least this whole thing hasn't changed her.


They pull up at the West house, surrounded by yellow strips of "DO NOT CROSS – CRIME SCENE." Jade hesitated getting out of the car for a minute. Tori takes her by the hand and helps her.

"It's even more alien than before. Like I've never lived here. Like nothing ever lived here."

Jade feels the squeeze of her love around her shoulders. She breathes deeply and proceeds forward with Tori by her side.

The front door opens to a deathly darkness. Quiet.

Jade starts up the stairs. "Okay, I got this. Stay here in case a cop comes. I guess technically we're trespassing."

"Kay," Tori looks around and leans against the wall of the living room. She begins texting.


Jade paces around her room, her mind racing. What else? What else? What else? I don't want to have to come back here. Then she remembered the silver scissors from the set of her favorite movie that Cat gave her two Christmases ago. Jade runs to the closet and pulls the chain but the light bulb doesn't turn on. She shrugs and begins rummaging wildly through the junk.

There they are! They caught what little light shown through the window, glistening. Before she could make out what was moving in the scissor's reflection, a foul pain overcomes her head and everything got dark.


Tori thought she heard something upstairs. "Jade!" she calls out. No answer. Her senses made her run to the stairs and hallway up the steps came Jade literally flying toward her. The surprise and the awkward weight thrusted upon her made Tori stumble backward down the steps. Her leg was sore from the fall.

But Jade didn't look so good. She was out cold. After pushing her off, Tori felt her hair being pulled hard. She was dragged several feet back into the living room. When she finally got her bearings, she saw the face of a scruffy 40-ish man brandishing a knife before her.

"Hello, Tori."

That voice. There was no mistake.

"I'll ask you one more time, little girl: do I have you to thank for the cops showing up?"

Tori was so paralyzed with fear she didn't know what to say. Before she could even think to react, Lucas stood her up and bear-hugged her against his body. The knife stayed prominently in her face. She has seen this stance before in a movie on TV where a woman was raped in the park.

"What are you gonna do?" She didn't know what possessed her to ask that; like dangling meat in front of a dog.

"That's debatable. I mean, you gave your friend's phone to the pigs and now they're finding out everywhere I've been. You think you can shut me down? I own half this city and the other half fears me. And you're going to learn all about fear."

Lucas's breath reeked with vodka. Tori wished he wasn't so close.

"Detective David Vega, LAPD. Who would've thought that the man at the peephole of every door of mine knocked down had a daughter? And not just any daughter, but the same girl I 'borrowed' the night before."

Lucas slides his hand down Tori's exposed skin under her shirt. "I hit the jackpot; this is too good to be true."

He then turns her head so their eyes meet. He studies her scared expression for a few seconds.

"Oh, I see. You think I was gonna…"

He smiles and pats her head like one would an animal.

"Sorry, you're not my type. I go for them a lot younger." Tori felt her stomach churn with how matter-of-factly he could say such a thing. Her thoughts were muted by the cold of his blade against her cheek. "Pity. A shame to waste it. I mean, you're so petite and those big eyes…"

Tori's breathing became more constricted as his arm tightened. "I bet you've never even been with anyone." Her not answering was the answer he wanted to hear. She suddenly felt something from below his belt that wasn't there before. "Well, well, well…maybe we can make this work."


A/N: Yikes! One more chapter to go! More fav's, more follows and more reviews. Let's keep 'em coming!