I had this thought the other day, and it was a really profound moment - it doesn't happen often - so I quickly went to write it down. In my stories I've always written Jade and David Vega as friends because in my mind it made the most sense, but then I thought, what if he absolutely hated Jade? Then I started writing, and suddenly this was born - partially out of a deep love for parkour.


"I can't fucking believe you got us pulled over."

Jade stretched out her leg and quickly pulled it back to kick Beck's shin, "Shut your face before you get their attention." Beck grunted in pain and squirmed away from her, though his hands cuffed behind his back made it difficult to get very far. Jade leaned over toward Robbie, "Give me your pen."

"What?"

"Did I fucking stutter?"

Robbie huffed and rolled his eyes, but struggled to maneuver himself to get his pen out of his pocket. Jade took the pen and bit her lip in concentration. The boys waited a few seconds before Beck got impatient and he whisper-yelled to her, "What are you doing? We have to get out of here!"

"Beck," Jade began calmly as she turned her gaze toward him, "If you don't shut your mouth, I'm going to leave you here."

A small click from behind Jade's back brought a proud smirk to her face. She shrugged off the cuffs and reached over to pick at the lock on Robbie's cuffs. "Don't move," she grumbled as she looked around, trying to figure out where they were, and how to get away. "Is Rex in the car?"

"No," he answered quickly. Another click and Robbie's hands were free, though he kept them behind his back, "What's the plan?"

She turned to work on Beck's handcuffs next, "The woods behind us. Run in about a hundred feet, then head south. You two rendezvous at the gas station on the other side and head home when its clear."

"What about you?" Beck asked as one last click signaled his freedom.

"I'm already fucking late," Jade growled. "You two ready?" They both nodded and Jade picked up all three pairs of handcuffs and threw them as hard as she could down the street. "Go!"

Beck and Robbie took off running toward the treeline, while Jade took advantage of the distraction to run down the street in the opposite direction. The guys disappeared into the forest just as Jade slipped between two buildings. She could still see the flashing red and blue, but she was free. She made a running jump to quickly scale the side of the building, using handholds from both sides until her fingers finally gripped the roof of the building. She hauled herself up onto the roof and stopped to take in her surroundings. Two blocks over was a fire escape that would easily let her drop back down to street level, as long as she could manage to jump between rooftops, then she just needed to make it to the other side of town.

Tori checked the time on her phone again. 43 minutes late. She looked around the cobblestone street; the bars and restaurants a couple blocks away were still bustling with activity, though the smaller stores around her were dimly lit and empty. She heard a familiar, rhythmic thud, louder with each step. She smiled and slowly licked her lips. It was difficult to tell where the sound was coming from, but a moment later, she heard the loud thump of heavy combat boots on cobblestone from behind her.

She turned around, "You're late."

"But I'm here."

Tori rolled her eyes and shook her head just as the warm streetlights glinted in her lover's piercing green eyes. Tori tilted her head slightly and stood in place as the ominous dark shape stalked toward her. She raised an eyebrow and reached out to tug her hood off her head, "Why are you climbing around rooftops like a criminal?"

Jade just smirked and curled her hand around the back of Tori's neck. Tori eagerly met her halfway in a feverish kiss. She moaned quietly as Jade backed her up against the side of her car. She grabbed Jade's wrist, then pulled away.

"Did you get arrested again?"

"...No."

Tori pulled up Jade's hoodie sleeves to expose the red marks on her wrists, then looked up at her, "So you ran from the cops again."

Jade gave her a sheepish grin, "I didn't want to be too late."

"Did they run your name?"

"The fake one? Yes."

Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's neck and shook her head, "If my dad finds out, he's going to kill you."

Jade winked, "He'd have to catch me first."

"You were in handcuffs."

"Were."


One month earlier

Tori blew out a sharp puff of air as she double-checked her outfit in the mirror. Her favorite Pink Floyd t-shirt, stolen from her ex-boyfriend, pulled into a knot around her waist, ripped jeans, and beat up all-white converse. She wasn't thrilled to start at a new school in the middle of her senior year, but after things with Ryder blew up in her face, her dad was determined to get her to focus on her education, and for her to stay out of trouble.

"Tori! Let's go!" Trina yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

She gathered up her things and left her bedroom, only to meet her dad at the top of the stairs. He smiled at her and rested a hand on her shoulder, "Have a good day, and please, stay out of trouble."

"Yep, sure thing, dad," Tori replied dryly, though she softened it with a hug.

The school was every bit as bright and eccentric as Trina described. Trina, unsurprisingly, ditched her the moment they entered the lot. Tori looked around, though her eyes were easily drawn to an old, shiny, black muscle car parked next to them. A Ford, she guessed. It reminded her of her ex-boyfriend, and of the thrill of a street race. She reached out to run her fingers across the hood when she heard a voice behind her.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

Tori turned around to see a guy with long brown hair, deep brown eyes, and an easygoing smile. He was cute. She raised her chin defiantly, her instincts driving her, "Why not?"

He just grinned, "I left a fingerprint on the dashboard once and ended up having to do an oil change, replace all four tires, and replace the brake pads."

She raised an eyebrow, "How the hell did you get roped into all that?"

"Some people have that influence," he smiled and reached out his hand, "My name's Beck."

Tori bit back a smile at the strange gesture and shook his hand, "Tori."

A pale, skinny guy with curly brown hair, glasses, and for some bizarre reason, a puppet, approached from around the side of another car and Beck gestured toward him, "This is Robbie," he hesitated, then added, "And Rex."

Tori assumed 'Rex' was the puppet. Said puppet then turned to look at Beck, "The boy can introduce himself."

"Shut up," Robbie quickly hushed him. He looked up with a slightly awkward smile, "As previously stated, I'm Robbie, or Rob – whichever. And you are?"

Tori bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing, "I'm Tori. What's up with the puppet?"

"I'm not a puppet!"

She scoffed and just turned to head toward the school's entrance, both boys close behind her. Beck opened the door for her and asked, "So what do you do?"

Robbie split off from them to his own locker across the hall. Tori remembered her brief tour of the school and made her way toward her locker. "I sing, mostly, sometimes acting."

"Yeah? You sing your own stuff?"

Tori shook her head, "Nah, usually not, I've never been much good at making the music myself."

"I know who you'd like," he started as they stopped in front of her very stark locker, surrounded by much more elaborately decorated lockers, "My friend, Andre. He's a musician too, more of the songwriting side of things, though."

Tori slowly started to tune him out as another figure across the hall caught her attention. Standing next to Robbie was a woman; dark hair accentuated by red streaks, her Grateful Dead tank top left several tattoos on her arms on prominent display, and she had piercings in her eyebrow and lip. Tori swallowed the sudden rush of salivation when her eyes trailed further down to a pair of impossibly tight ripped black jeans.

Beck followed her gaze, "You like danger, don't you?"

Tori just licked her lips and raised her eyebrows, "If it's exciting, I'm there."

"She'll keep you on your toes, for sure."

She looked back up and this time met piercing blue eyes. Tori held her gaze for a moment, then bit her lip as the woman looked her up and down. Her eyes met Tori's again and there was a tiny smirk on her face. Tori was so allured by the gorgeous stranger that she entirely forgot about Beck's presence until he spoke again.

"Fair warning – she doesn't settle."

Tori huffed. After her previous relationship, she wasn't keen on the idea of getting involved with anyone new. Of course, that didn't mean she she'd turn down an opportunity for something a little less serious. Even if her ex wasn't the one, there was an appeal to his way of life, and just from the appearance of this woman, Tori could tell she fit the type.

A little fun never hurt anyone.


Tori didn't learn her name until later in the afternoon. She, and her new shadow, Beck, walked into Sikowitz's class, where only a few students had already gathered. Next to the stage, with her heavy combat boots up on the edge, she sat far back in her chair with her tattooed arms over her face.

"Wake up, Jade, time for improv," Beck called out as he deposited himself in the seat next to her.

Jade.

Jade didn't move at all, "I'll castrate you in your sleep."

Beck turned back to Tori with a grin, "She's friendly, too."

"What the fuck are you-" Jade sat up slightly to look at him, then caught a glimpse of Tori in her periphery. Her lips curled into a devious smirk and Tori finally noticed her light blue eyes were tinged with green, "Where'd you come from?"

Tori crossed her legs and matched her challenging gaze, "What do I get for telling you?"

Jade raised her eyebrows slightly as her grin widened, "The thrill of doing the right thing."

"The right thing?" Tori scoffed and nodded slowly, "Come back to me when you've got something better."

Something flashed in Jade's eyes, though Tori couldn't quite catch what it was before it was gone. A man who appeared to be homeless climbed through an open window, tripped, fell, then rolled and sprang back up on his feet as if nothing happened. He threw his hands up in the air, "Improv time!"

An hour and a half later, Tori was perched up on the trunk of Trina's car as she scrolled through her social media, waiting for her sister to finally come out so they could go home. She had no idea what Trina spent her time doing, considering most people didn't even want to talk to her. She propped her elbow up on her knee and rested her head in her hand.

"No way," Tori looked up at the sound of a familiar drawl. Jade stopped in front of her as she twirled her keys on her finger. She looked down at the license plate, then back up at Tori, "You're a Vega?"

"Allegedly," Tori muttered.

Jade just laughed, "How in the fuck did your parents manage that? She's so..."

Tori raised an eyebrow, "You're talking to the girl who lives with her."

She crossed her arms and leaned against the black muscle car parked next to Trina. Tori couldn't quite decipher the expression on her face, though she wasn't oblivious. Jade looked around, then her eyes settled on Tori again, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Depends," Tori looked up at her through her lashes, "What are you offering?"

Jade tilted her head toward the black car, "I can bet it'll be more interesting than whatever your banshee sister has planned."

Tori scoffed, "That isn't a very high bar."

"Satisfaction guaranteed," Jade called back as she slid in the driver's seat.

Tori licked her lips, scanned the lot, and still saw no sign of her sister. She huffed and hopped down, then opened the passenger side door. "If I go with you," she started as she didn't hesitate to sit down on the worn leather seat, "You have to promise I'll make it home in one piece."

"Or else?"

"My dad's a cop," Tori replied.

Jade chuckled as she quickly put together a playlist on her phone, "And I've escaped his custody three times, that's hardly a threat."

"Three?"

Jade released the emergency brake and switched gears before she sped out of the lot and down the street, "Oh, yeah, me and LAPD go way back."

Tori sent a quick text to her sister so she wouldn't raise the alarm before she tucked her phone under her thigh. "Where are we going?"

Jade didn't answer her question. "You 18?" She asked as she glanced down at her phone.

"Yeah, why?"

"Making sure you can get into this club."

Tori glanced at the clock on the dashboard, only to see there wasn't one, then she checked her phone, "It's 4pm."

"We've got time to kill." As Jade turned to look at her, she noticed the way her eyes lingered on her lips and her tongue darted out to wet her own. Jade exhaled sharply and shook her head, "What do you feel like doing?"

The answer came to her easily, "Anything but felonies."

Jade grinned and nodded as she focused on the road. She seemed to be driving toward the more industrial side of the city. Tori assumed if she asked where they were going that Jade would just evade the question again, so she just took in the scenery instead. It was bleak; with large buildings of concrete, brick, and only a few sparse windows near the roof. They drove past active warehouses and into a quieter part of town, mostly abandoned, though with some buildings in construction. There was colorful graffiti on almost every available surface.

Tori looked back at the dashboard and saw an embossed Pontiac logo, "What kind of car is this?"

Jade turned down a small side street that led between two buildings, and opened out into a massive courtyard between several other buildings. She answered without looking at her, "Pontiac Catalina – 1965, 2+2 model."

Tori pursed her lips, "I thought I knew about cars, but I have no idea what that means."

Jade chuckled and turned to grin at her, "It means it's got two seats in the front and two in the back. Real profound stuff, isn't it?"

Tori just laughed along with her and nodded, "Yeah, okay, fair enough."

Jade was quiet as she parked her car near the side of one building and got out, only to quickly duck back in to grab her backpack. Tori got out of the car and her shoes crunched on the gravel with every step. On the other side of the car, Jade had already taken off her boots and replaced them with a pair of all-black high top converse – the opposite of Tori's all-white, albeit severely beat up pair. She looked around, but everything looked abandoned.

"Can I ask where we're going now?"

"We're already here," Jade answered simply. Tori rolled her eyes but followed her as she made her way across the courtyard. She slipped between two buildings with Tori close behind, though Tori hesitated when she realized it was a dead end. Jade didn't stop, however, as she effortlessly ran at the dead end, only to use the brick wall as a springboard to reach a window of the adjacent building about 10 feet from the ground. As she slipped through the open window, she glanced back down at Tori, "Comin'?"

Tori scratched the side of her head and frowned, "I don't think I can do that."

"Why not?"

She faltered as she looked between the wall and the window Jade somehow had managed to climb through in fewer than three seconds. "I'm not really...athletic."

Jade crossed her arms on the windowsill and smirked down at her, "Give it a shot, it's not hard." Tori narrowed her eyes with determination and ran at the wall, though when she tried to kick off of it, she only managed to scrape her knee. Jade chuckled, "Go on, put some ass into it, Vega."

Tori huffed and gave herself a longer running start, this time she was able to get enough of a foothold to make the jump up to the window, though she could only grip the edge of the frame. Jade shrugged off her backpack and reached down to grab Tori's arms to help haul her through the window. Tori was able to find her footing again but Jade didn't move away from her for another few seconds. She looked around the room – some type of abandoned office – as Jade scooped up her backpack and moved toward the doorway.

The way Jade easily navigated the dusty and dilapidated building made Tori think this was far from the first time Jade had come here. Jade opened an unmarked door off to one side of the hallway that led into a stairwell. The door clicked shut behind her as Jade took the steps two at a time and Tori followed at a more leisurely pace. Jade reached the top long before Tori did, and she was surprised by the sudden rush of fresh air and sunlight as Jade opened another door.

Tori finally reached the top and stepped out onto the roof of the building. Jade was crouched near the wall of the rooftop entry, apparently digging through her backpack. Tori walked toward the nearest ledge to look over the side, though she couldn't tell quite how far it was from the ground, she assumed it was at least five or six stories high. She heard a strange rattling behind her and she turned to see Jade shaking a can of spray paint while studying the ground, her lower lip between her teeth. Tori clicked her tongue and rested her hands on her hips as she watched Jade kneel down and started her drawing.

Sorry, dad.

"Green?"

"It was on sale."

Tori walked up behind her to try to figure out what she was making. Just as she realized it was a pair of scissors, Jade abruptly turned around, then stopped. Her eyes drifted upward slowly, then she raised her head with an open-mouthed smirk, "To what do I owe this honor?"

Tori scoffed and shook her head, "Shut up."

Jade called her bluff with a pierced, raised eyebrow. Tori closed her eyes tight in a vain attempt to fight off the temptation, but the moment she opened them, she folded. She felt helpless to resist the pull Jade had on her. She reached out, only for Jade to quickly dodge and slap the can of paint into Tori's hand. Jade stood up with a smirk, "Have at it."

"You…" Tori gritted her teeth and huffed. Jade wagged her eyebrows in silent challenge, and Tori just rolled her eyes and shouldered past her. She shook the can as she thought about what she wanted to draw. She suddenly had an idea and crouched down to add her own art.

"Hey, don't fuck up my- oh, oh," Jade laughed loudly as Tori added a little flair to her own pair of scissors, directly across from Jade's, "Daddy would be proud."

Tori sneered and tossed the can back at her, "Do not call him that, it's so weird."

"Aw, is that what you call your boyfriend?"

"It was," Tori ran her fingers through her hair, "Now it's just a word I hope to keep out of my mouth."

"Knew it."

The can began rattling again and Tori whipped around, "Hold on, knew what?"

Jade laughed, seemingly amused at her own ability to rile her up. She started on a new piece, which appeared to be very distorted letters, though Tori was unable to figure out what they were. She paused and looked up at Tori with a smug grin, "I know a bottom when I see one."

"Now hold on," Tori nearly shrieked as Jade hopped up onto her feet again. She wanted to come up with a retort, but Jade was far faster than her.

"To what?" Tori lunged at her, but Jade effortlessly dodged away from her again, and she just laughed. As soon as Jade took one step back, Tori took one step forward, and with a smirk, she ran toward the edge of the building and jumped. Tori followed her to the edge and looked over the side to see Jade on another rooftop, only a small drop down from where Tori was, "You're slower than your dad!"

Tori huffed, "I'm not built like you!" Faster than she could even keep up with, Jade only used a short running start to jump back up on the ledge next to her. Jade sat on the ledge of the building and grinned at her. Tori shook her head, "No wonder he can't catch you. Do you do this all the time?"

"Not as often anymore," Jade answered as she rubbed her hands together to get the dust off, "I can't resist, though. It's too fun."

Tori crossed her arms and leaned back against the ledge, "How come?"

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "When you have to run for your life at least once a day, you learn a few tricks."

Tori closed her eyes and sighed, "Are you ever going to elaborate?"

"Maybe," Jade hopped down and made her way to the can she'd dropped, "Not today."

"I'll take a maybe," Tori conceded and followed her back to the rooftop entrance they'd come from.

"Your turn now," Jade tossed the can down into her bag and turned to face her, "Where'd you come from?"

Tori grinned, "In general or…?"

Jade leaned against the wall next to the door with her hands behind her back, "Nobody switches schools in the middle of their senior year unless they have to."

She assumed Jade wanted the underlying reason, but she wasn't any more willing to elaborate than Jade was. She raised her chin slightly as she tucked her hands in her back pockets, "You aren't wrong."

"Well, no shit." Tori bit her lip, utterly captivated by Jade's brash attitude. "I wanna know why."

"Maybe we'll have that talk someday. Not today."

Jade shook her head slowly, "You know, before today, I thought Trina was the only Vega kid. You're nothing like Trina – or David. Do you get off on being the rebel?"

Tori laughed, "I don't usually look for trouble. It usually finds me."

"Is that why you're here?"

Tori subconsciously began to move forward as she shifted her weight, "I'm here because I thought it'd be exciting."

"Is it?"

"Could be better."

The corner of Jade's lips twitched, "How so?"

Tori took a small step forward, "Maybe if you weren't so evasive."

She smirked, her eyes shining with an alluring spark, and she shrugged, "You've got me cornered, Vega."

"Hardly," Tori scoffed and moved closer. Jade didn't move. "You jump between buildings like it's nothing."

"What, you wanna handcuff me?"

"Might have to."

Jade chuckled quietly and shook her head, "You're a little fucking spitfire, aren't you, Vega?"

As soon as Tori was within reach, Jade's hand darted out to grab a fistful of her shirt. Tori suddenly found herself pinned between Jade and the wall and a pleasant shiver ran down her spine as she looked into Jade's piercing eyes. Tori noticed several small scars around Jade's face – almost as if she regularly got into fistfights and her wounds never quite healed properly. It wasn't hard to imagine that being the case just based on what little she'd learned about Jade that day.

With Jade's fist against her abdomen and the intensity in her eyes, Tori completely forgot that she barely knew this woman. Her breath hitched as Jade moved closer and she briefly wondered if she was going to dodge away from her again. Jade's eyes darted down to Tori's lips, then back up to meet her gaze again. Tori reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of Jade's neck as she leaned forward, and this time Jade took a step closer to her.

Tori whimpered quietly as Jade's lips met hers and her hands moved to Tori's hips, holding her firmly in place. She tried to keep up with Jade's chaotic pace but was quickly left breathless. Jade pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes again, and she slowly shook her head, "Fucking unbelievable."

Her brows furrowed and she frowned, "What?"

Jade licked her lips, "I'm last person you should be getting involved with."

That's why it's so fucking exciting.

"Why?"

"I'm on a first name basis with David, for one," Jade started, "And we also exist on opposite sides of the law."

Tori scoffed and smiled incredulously, "Who gives a shit?" Jade just stared at her, completely nonplussed. "I definitely don't," she added before pulling her back into another kiss.

"Fuck,"Jade gasped against her lips, "You're gonna get my ass in trouble."

Tori bit and tugged on her lower lip with a grin, "Ditto – but I kinda hope to get it in other places, too."

"You might," Jade smirked as her hand drifted up to Tori's ribs, "You're not so bad for a Vega."

Tori wrapped her other arm around Jade's neck, "You're not so bad for a criminal."


Let me know if there's any interest in continuing this story or if it's better left as is. Any reviews are greatly appreciated