When Worlds Collide
Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N: This chapter's title is from Christina Aguilera
Chapter 25 (Fighter)
Trina stood on the bow of the Atlantis, her hands grasped firmly the metal railing as she leaned forward against it. The wind lapped up the water below and threw the ends of the long red scarf around her neck like a flag in the wind. Her hair seemed to float in the air and her piercing gaze studied the distant shore.
"It's almost over, been a fantastic cruise." Jason walked up and hugged her from behind. Trina bent her head and smiled as she moved her left hand to her waist to grip his forearm. He set his chin on her shoulder and she leaned her head back with a sigh.
"God it's beautiful. Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio can suck it." Jason chuckled softly and turned his head down to kiss her neck and shoulder. Her muscles relaxed and she leaned her head away, gazing serenely into the distance.
"You're tense." She looked back at him, his eyes were full of concern for her. She smiled gently and shook her head.
She had a lot on her mind lately, of course he knew this. "The things your uncle said, what Lindsay told me last night…" Lindsay discovered Monica had been stalking Ian for some time. She didn't know what to do about it, or if there was anything she could do; but at the very least she was sure Monica wouldn't be a huge problem. "I'm not at all worried about Monica though."
"You shouldn't be. She can't do much else." Jason's parents had been divorced for many years, and most who knew him were well aware his mother lived in Texas while his uncle was in California. "My dad will take care of that mess."
"Good." She smirked and set a fiendish glare onto the coming shoreline. "Your father's a decent man when you get down to it." Jason's father recently rose to become Superintendent of the Las Angeles school district, and when Trina met him for the first time, she made him well aware of Monica and her influence over the teachers and students at Sherwood. "Monica has had her last hurrah." Jason nodded gently and let out a soft exhale.
"What about your mom and your sister, have you thought about going back to them?" Her heart began to sink and she closed her eyes. A breath of air rolled away from her lips and she contemplated whether or not she ought to return to them. "I'm not sure. I want to, but I need to hear from them…I need to believe they genuinely want me back."
"I understand."
"It's not enough that your uncle tells me that he hears they want me back, it's simply not enough what Jade tells him. I need to hear it from my mother's lips, my sister's lips."
"You know your mother was never at fault. You left because of your father, because of your sister's friends."
"I know." Her hands tightened around the rails and her eyes narrowed further. "Dad's looking for me. If I go back now, I don't know what I'd do if he hurt them because I went back…" Off to her right, she saw an incredibly large boat, one that was vaguely familiar. "Is that another cruise ship out there?"
"No," Jason replied. He moved beside her and leaned over the railing to look out, using his hands on the rail for leverage. "Smaller than a cruise liner. Probably a yacht."
Where are you now?
Atlantis.
Under the sea, under the sea…
Jade hummed along to the song playing from her radio. The crisp ocean air spun through her hair and kissed her face. Ian stood nearby, leaning over the rail of his uncle's yacht and staring at her from over his shoulder with an arched eyebrow. "That song…"
"Alan Walker's got a few good tunes out there." Jade could see the exhaustion in his eyes, but it wasn't from the journey. After hearing from Lindsay that Monica revealed she'd been stalking him, they decided to take the yacht out a few days early so he could try and relax. "Are you letting Monica get to you?"
"I try not to." He sighed and dipped his head, running his hand along his forehead and through his hair. "Might be best we not think about her, she makes me sick to my stomach."
"Tori tells me you really don't like her, I can see it."
Ian grunted and looked back across the sea. "Yeah, Monica's something else all right." Jade understood what was bothering him as well, as she had an unsettling feeling in her gut as well from what he told her.
If Monica had been following him around, then she would know a great deal, such as where Trina was. There were many conversations she would have had to listen in on, so she'd be well aware of Tori's situation.
"She's being allowed to continue through to the end of the school year, as per the superintendent, but after that she's being expelled." Ian chuckled sorely and shook his head. "I don't think that's going to resolve much."
Monica's parents were the ones to talk the superintendent into allowing her to finish out the school year. He was a hard man to convince, from what Jade understood. She'd never met the guy herself, but when hearing him described, he was described as having a stony face and stern exterior. Overall, he did not seem like a man to tangle with.
"Must have taken a bit for them to convince him." She felt her phone vibrate and reached into her pocket with a sigh. She intended to silence the phone so that she could enjoy fully this experience on the yacht.
Ian raised up a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck and peered through them as Jade checked her texts. There was a text from an unknown number, struck with curiosity she checked it and was surprised to see it was from Lindsay.
"Hey Ian, I got a text from Lindsay." She looked up at him and he lowered the binoculars for a moment.
"What does she say?" He seemed just as surprised that Lindsay would be texting her. Jade read the message and her chest began to tighten.
This is Lindsay Peterson, I heard you were out on a yacht with your cousin. Keep an eye out for the Atlantis. I've been informed by Monica that she heard it from you and Ian that Trina was aboard that ship and she made contact with David 'out of kindness'. I'm letting Trina know, her father knows where she is.
"Monica overheard our conversation about Trina." Ian started to pale and Jade mentally cursed having that conversation with Ian in a pubica area. "She's sought out Mr. Vega and told him where Trina was."
"Shit."
Jade stood up and walked to the railing, frowning as she looked across the ocean waters. "She's done it out of spite, I'm sure."
"Of course she did. Probably told Lindsay out of spite too, knowing the connection." He raised the binoculars back, his knuckles turning white as he gipped them. "I'm not sure if she has any idea what she's done."
"Does it matter?"
"No." A knot formed in Jade's throat and her heart began pounding. She could make out a large ship on the horizon. With a gasp, she nudged Ian's side and pointed out. He turned and leaned forward. "Yeah, that's it. Atlantis."
He handed the binoculars over and she put them to her eyes, gasping softly. She saw the well engraved name of the boat on its hull and felt the relief crashing through her. "Oh god, she's right there, right in front of us." Ian called to his uncle, who was steering the ship, and told the man to start making his way towards the ship. Jade raised an eyebrow, scanning the ocean with the binoculars. "What are you trying to do? Why would we go towards it?"
"I'm not sure. We can't board the boat without being tossed off by security."
"Sure. So how would we be getting in touch with Tri-" A speedboat caught her attention and she turned to focus on it. It was a small black Little Twister speedboat. The rider on it was like a ghost, a familiar face she'd not seen in ages. "Oh my god. Ian. Ian!"
"What?"
"It's Mr. Vega!" He had a wetsuit on, but his head and face were well exposed. The man had a beard grown out and his once short curly hair had become much longer.
Ian ran up behind her. "Stay on him!" She tried to focus on the speedboat, and when she saw a small box nestled on the seat behind David, her heart began to sink. David pulled up to the back end of the Cruise ship, stopping just where an emergency ladder was. "What is he doing?"
David reached into the box and pulled out what looked like a pair of pipes tied together. "Is that a pipe bomb?" She furrowed her eyebrows and watched as he tied the device between the ladder and the boat. "I think that's a bomb."
"Fuck. I'm calling the cops." David grabbed the ladder and began climbing, looking over his shoulder and scanning the area as he did so. Jade could make out a gun attached to a belt around his waist. A tightness spread across her chest and her hands began to shake so much that she nearly dropped the binoculars into the sea. "What's going on now?"
"He's boarding the ship. Ian, he's boarding the Atlantis."
"Oh god."
"Why would he do that if he just put a bomb on it?"
"The bomb's not going to kill everyone, he might want to be sure Trina's taken out." Ian dialed the police on his phone and looked to the sky. Jade's heart was racing so fast she expected it to leap from her body.
There was nothing they could do but watch and wait. She lowered the binoculars, listening as Ian notified the police of the events. He mentioned Detective Malone, which was a relief to Jade; if Gary was the one responding, then shit was sure to get done.
"We're the closest boat in the vicinity." Realization dawned upon her and she ran for Ian's uncle. Their yacht couldn't hold all the passengers on board, but it sure enough could hold enough.
On the Atlantis, Trina and Jason had returned to the bedroom. They turned to lovemaking to take their minds off the matters that had been pressuring her. She was above him, straddling his waist with her knees and running her hands through her hair. The covers were pulled up over their legs and draped around her hips.
Trina flung her head back with an intense moan, her eyes rolled back and when she felt her body about to give, she flung herself forward and planted her palms firmly on his chest.
Their eyes connected and her chest shook with each breathless pant as her hair fell beside her face and caressed his cheek. He raised a hand to her cheek, caressing it with his fingers. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. Her cheeks grew red and she leaned down to kiss his lips.
The door swung open, slamming hard against the wall. "Finally," a voice echoed in the air. Trina stiffened and her eyes moved slowly to the side. "Do you know how hard it was to find the guy with the passenger list, and this room?" Trina curled her fingers inwards and shut her eyes. "Get the fuck out of the bed."
She flared her nostrils and turned her head over her shoulder. Her eyes opened up into a violent glare and set upon her father. He had a pistol aimed upon her. "Dad…Lindsay texted me that you found me." She threw the covers off her body and slid off the bed, growling as she stood exposed. "Are you really going to kill your daughter while she's naked in her lover's arms?"
David stepped forward, growling menacingly and narrowing his eyes. "The trouble I went through to find you."
"I'd hate for you to be disappointed." She bore no fear of this man, even now as she stared down the barrel of his gun. "What is it you want? Grandma did say you weren't good enough for her money."
"You've been a thorn in my side for too long. You don't deserve that money."
"Is that so?" She tilted her head and chuckled softly. "Sorry you can't have everything you wanted." Jason began to leave the bed and David shifted the gun upon him. Trina's eyes widened and she motioned for her father. "Don't aim that gun at him, asshole."
"I have no desire to kill him, but he better stay the fuck where he is."
Jason narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine, I'll stay right here; but if you think I'm letting you do anything to her…"
Trina raised up her hand and closed her eyes. "Relax honey, I've got this. I know what Dad wants. He wants me to hand over the fortune that grandma gave to me." She flicked her eyes over and smirked at David. "Isn't that right, Dad?" David growled and pushed the gun forward. "Let me get dressed, then we'll sit down and talk about this."
David raised an eyebrow and grunted. Trina started for the closet, keeping her eyes fixated on her father. "Dad, come here." David approached cautiously. Trina kept her back turned, but turned her head to gaze over her shoulder. Her hair curled at the center of her back and the smirk on her face grew. "I've got plenty in my wardrobe, what do you think I should wear?"
"Why do I care what you wear?"
"Oh you know, I'm sure you at least want your daughter to look decent. I could wear a fucking midriff." He had his attention glued to Jason, who hadn't moved from his stance at the bed. Trina grabbed a purple blazer, cheap and worn. "After all, your reputation is at stake too. For a man to kill his daughter and daughter's fiancé in their bed during sex…that's an entire level of crazy you don't want to breach."
Jason raised a hand, poking out a finger. "She does have a point, sir."
David growled, lowering the gun. "What's going on here?" Without hesitation, Trina gripped the edges of the blazer in her hands and spun around, throwing the blazer over his head and pulling it back.
"Now, Jason!" Jason ran forward, swinging a fist towards David's stomach. David yelled out in pain, dropping the gun to the floor. A bullet shot out, shattering the window nearby. Trina performed a sweeping kick, striking her heel down on the center of his back just at the bottom of his neck.
He crashed to the floor and Jason swung a fist down onto the man. Trina ran for the gun, grabbing it up, then aimed at David. Jason leapt away and David pulled the blazer off his face with a powerful hiss. His eyes froze on her and widened.
"I should shoot you down right here, right now." Trina narrowed her eyes and walked forward. "Cut you down, spare my mother and my sister all the fucking trouble they'd have dealing with your ass." She nodded to Jason. "Grab him."
Jason yanked David off the floor and locked his right arm around the man's neck while gripping David's wrists behind his back. "You'd kill your own father?" David inquired with a scowl.
"Coming from you? Now? Please. I'm not a murderer, and certainly not a patricide." An alarm began ringing throughout the boat and Trina turned her head, chuckling softly. "Looks like you must have been spotted. There was a yacht out there earlier, was that your boat?"
"No. I was on a speedboat…"
"Ah, well that explains it. Hold him in place for me, dear." Trina walked to the closet as David struggled in Jason's grip. Eventually, Jason knocked David unconscious and laid him on the bed.
Once the couple got dressed, Trina returned the gun to her father's hand and left the bedroom with Jason. "There you two are!" Sikowitz ran down the hallway, meeting them halfway. "There's a bomb on the ship, we're being ordered to evacuate. We have to get to the lifeboats."
Trina nodded and pointed to the bedroom. "My father's in there, Mr. Sikowitz." She had been fully aware her father wasn't going to kill her right then and there, he wasn't an idiot. He wanted the money, and what use would that money be if he were in prison? This was the only reason she was able to manipulate him into allowing her to get dressed.
Sikowitz grew pale. "What?"
"He attacked us. He should be unconscious, but it's better we leave before he wakes up and tries to kill us before we get away."
"Right, there's a yacht nearby; it's taking some passengers."
"Great!" They ran for where the passengers were grouping up, and saw an emergency connection from the yacht to the boat. They were able to get onboard, but as Trina looked back to the boat, she saw her father was awake and running for the edge. "Shit…"
He dove into the water, most likely heading for the speedboat he had. She waited for a minute, until she could see the speedboat zipping away. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and shook her head, listening as an explosion tore through the air.
Safely aboard the yacht, she stood with Jason and Sikowitz, watching sorely as the Atlantis prepared to sink beneath the sea to fade away forever.
We have Trina, though she won't go straight to Tori and Holly-David did survive after all. She's not going back to them as long as he's out there, she doesn't want to be the reason they get hurt. At the very least, Jade and Ian might be able to talk to her about Tori and Holly. David may not have initially planned to shoot her then and there, but who knows, he was willing to take out a ship to get to her...If nothing else, he's bound to be in hiding. What are your thoughts on everything here? And yes, the alan walker song inspired the sinking of Atlantis.