~Chapter 3
When Jim Valenti went inside his house with Victoria, Kyle met them just inside.
"Ah no, dad you didn't! Have you forgotten--" -Kyle.
"No I haven't. And I also haven't forgotten if she hadn't told Maria where you were, I wouldn't have a son right now. I also haven't forgotten that you liked her not too long ago." -Jim Valenti.
"That was then. That was before, when I didn't know what she'd been up to." -Kyle.
"I don't really lay the blame on her door, of all that's happened. It was that Adam Winthrop behind it all. Besides, she's been through a lot. And look at her. She doesn't look like she's eaten for a month of Sundays."
Victoria turned towards the door. Jim grabbed her and turned her back around. "Now listen son she's staying here with us for a while. And that's final."
Kyle grudgingly really looked at Victoria and then turned away. "How many more stray alien she-demons are we going to take in anyway? Well I'm not giving up my room for this one." He walked to his room and shut the door.
Jim Valenti turned to the kitchen. "I don't have anything fitting for a meal, like you should have." He said, rifling through the cabinets and fridge. "But I'll find something pretty quick here."
A short while later, he came back into the living room bearing a lunchmeat sandwich, milk and a bag of corn chips.
Victoria ate like she was starved. The truth is, she couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten.
After a few minutes passed, Victoria looked up at Jim Valenti, who sat on a chair across from her, looking at her, and something puzzled her.
"Why. . . why would you do this? Let me stay here and be - kind to me?" -Victoria.
"I'm not like that man who called himself your father. Nothing like the man. I don't suppose you've been shown much free kindness in your life, but I want nothing in return. No matter what's happened, I do believe you told the truth in the café tonight." He stopped and looked at her searchingly, serious, then continued, "And in essence you saved my boy's life. That does mean a lot to me."
"I never wanted Kyle to be hurt. I did care about your son, Mr. Valenti. When I found him down there, I was going to help him escape, but Adam found me and he said - " Victoria stopped talking, remembering.
"What did he say?" -Jim Valenti.
Looking down at her food, but not really seeing it, she said, "He said if I helped him, he'd kill Michael and others, too. I know you don't believe me, but -"
"I do." Jim Valenti interjected. And then he said, "You really care about Michael Guerin don't you?"
Victoria nodded. "With all that I am." She said quietly, fighting back tears.
Jim Valenti nodded and stood, like he'd found answers to questions he'd wondered about. "Well, uh -" He looked around at the living room.
"You can sleep in here. I don't have much that will probably fit, but I'll find something." -Jim Valenti.
While he went to find something, Victoria heard loud noised like furniture being moved or something, in the other part of the house.
"What are you doing in there, Kyle?!" Jim Valenti shouted, banging on his son's door.
"Barricading the door, dad. What do you think? If you feel free to sleep with your bedroom door open, that's your problem, but I'm not going to take any chances incase she decides to come and kill me during the night!" Victoria heard Kyle shout back. There was more conversation, but quieter, and she couldn't really hear what was said.
Victoria turned when Jim Valenti came back before long. He had a big, long flannel shirt and socks and a sheet and pillow in his hands. He handed her the items and said, "I guess that's going to have to do for now."
"Goodnight," He said and turned to go to his room.
". Thank you." Victoria said, disturbing the silence. He turned back around and nodded before going.
Victoria took a shower and dressed in the shirt - which mostly made a short dress on her, because it was big and long. She lay down on the couch that night and got the soundest, best sleep she had in what seemed like forever.
She didn't even awake in the morning to the sound of Kyle moving all of the stuff away from his bedroom door, that he had used as a barricade the night before, so that he could get out and go to school. -=-=-=-=-
Later that morning Victoria awoke to the sound of knocking at the front door. She sat up on the couch as Jim Valenti opened the door. Victoria's heart almost stopped when she saw Michael standing there. He just stood outside the door, having not seen her.
"Hey, I'd like-" Michael stopped in mid-sentence as his gaze riveted instinctively to where Victoria was. "-your advice." He finished what he was saying, quieter.
"I gotta go." Michael turned right back around.
"Michael, what did you want my advice on?" Jim Valenti asked, going after him out the door.
"Never mind." She heard Michael say before the door was shut.
-=-
Feels like you made a mistake . You made somebody's heart break . But now I have to let you go . I have to let you go .
You left a stain . On every one of my good days . But I am stronger than you know . I have to let you go .
No one's ever turned you over . No one's ever tried . To ever let you down, . Beautiful girl . Bless you heart .
I got a disease . Deep inside me . Makes me feel uneasy baby . I can't live without you . Tell me what I am supposed to do about it . Keep your distance from it . Don't pay no attention to me . I got a disease .
Feels like you're making a mess . You're hell on wheels in a black dress . You drove me to the fire . And left me there to burn
. Every little thing you do is tragic . All my life, oh was magic . Beautiful girl . I can't breathe . I got a disease . Deep inside me . Makes me feel uneasy baby . I can't live without you . Tell me what I am supposed to do about it . Keep your distance from it . Don't pay no attention to me . I got a disease . I think that I'm sick .
But leave me be while my world is coming down on me . Be, be strong . Keep telling myself that it won't take long till . I'm free of my disease . Yeah well free of my disease . Free of my disease . Be, be strong . Don't pay no attention to me . Keep telling myself that it won't take long till . I'm free of my disease . "Disease" by Matchbox 20
When Jim Valenti went inside his house with Victoria, Kyle met them just inside.
"Ah no, dad you didn't! Have you forgotten--" -Kyle.
"No I haven't. And I also haven't forgotten if she hadn't told Maria where you were, I wouldn't have a son right now. I also haven't forgotten that you liked her not too long ago." -Jim Valenti.
"That was then. That was before, when I didn't know what she'd been up to." -Kyle.
"I don't really lay the blame on her door, of all that's happened. It was that Adam Winthrop behind it all. Besides, she's been through a lot. And look at her. She doesn't look like she's eaten for a month of Sundays."
Victoria turned towards the door. Jim grabbed her and turned her back around. "Now listen son she's staying here with us for a while. And that's final."
Kyle grudgingly really looked at Victoria and then turned away. "How many more stray alien she-demons are we going to take in anyway? Well I'm not giving up my room for this one." He walked to his room and shut the door.
Jim Valenti turned to the kitchen. "I don't have anything fitting for a meal, like you should have." He said, rifling through the cabinets and fridge. "But I'll find something pretty quick here."
A short while later, he came back into the living room bearing a lunchmeat sandwich, milk and a bag of corn chips.
Victoria ate like she was starved. The truth is, she couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten.
After a few minutes passed, Victoria looked up at Jim Valenti, who sat on a chair across from her, looking at her, and something puzzled her.
"Why. . . why would you do this? Let me stay here and be - kind to me?" -Victoria.
"I'm not like that man who called himself your father. Nothing like the man. I don't suppose you've been shown much free kindness in your life, but I want nothing in return. No matter what's happened, I do believe you told the truth in the café tonight." He stopped and looked at her searchingly, serious, then continued, "And in essence you saved my boy's life. That does mean a lot to me."
"I never wanted Kyle to be hurt. I did care about your son, Mr. Valenti. When I found him down there, I was going to help him escape, but Adam found me and he said - " Victoria stopped talking, remembering.
"What did he say?" -Jim Valenti.
Looking down at her food, but not really seeing it, she said, "He said if I helped him, he'd kill Michael and others, too. I know you don't believe me, but -"
"I do." Jim Valenti interjected. And then he said, "You really care about Michael Guerin don't you?"
Victoria nodded. "With all that I am." She said quietly, fighting back tears.
Jim Valenti nodded and stood, like he'd found answers to questions he'd wondered about. "Well, uh -" He looked around at the living room.
"You can sleep in here. I don't have much that will probably fit, but I'll find something." -Jim Valenti.
While he went to find something, Victoria heard loud noised like furniture being moved or something, in the other part of the house.
"What are you doing in there, Kyle?!" Jim Valenti shouted, banging on his son's door.
"Barricading the door, dad. What do you think? If you feel free to sleep with your bedroom door open, that's your problem, but I'm not going to take any chances incase she decides to come and kill me during the night!" Victoria heard Kyle shout back. There was more conversation, but quieter, and she couldn't really hear what was said.
Victoria turned when Jim Valenti came back before long. He had a big, long flannel shirt and socks and a sheet and pillow in his hands. He handed her the items and said, "I guess that's going to have to do for now."
"Goodnight," He said and turned to go to his room.
". Thank you." Victoria said, disturbing the silence. He turned back around and nodded before going.
Victoria took a shower and dressed in the shirt - which mostly made a short dress on her, because it was big and long. She lay down on the couch that night and got the soundest, best sleep she had in what seemed like forever.
She didn't even awake in the morning to the sound of Kyle moving all of the stuff away from his bedroom door, that he had used as a barricade the night before, so that he could get out and go to school. -=-=-=-=-
Later that morning Victoria awoke to the sound of knocking at the front door. She sat up on the couch as Jim Valenti opened the door. Victoria's heart almost stopped when she saw Michael standing there. He just stood outside the door, having not seen her.
"Hey, I'd like-" Michael stopped in mid-sentence as his gaze riveted instinctively to where Victoria was. "-your advice." He finished what he was saying, quieter.
"I gotta go." Michael turned right back around.
"Michael, what did you want my advice on?" Jim Valenti asked, going after him out the door.
"Never mind." She heard Michael say before the door was shut.
-=-
Feels like you made a mistake . You made somebody's heart break . But now I have to let you go . I have to let you go .
You left a stain . On every one of my good days . But I am stronger than you know . I have to let you go .
No one's ever turned you over . No one's ever tried . To ever let you down, . Beautiful girl . Bless you heart .
I got a disease . Deep inside me . Makes me feel uneasy baby . I can't live without you . Tell me what I am supposed to do about it . Keep your distance from it . Don't pay no attention to me . I got a disease .
Feels like you're making a mess . You're hell on wheels in a black dress . You drove me to the fire . And left me there to burn
. Every little thing you do is tragic . All my life, oh was magic . Beautiful girl . I can't breathe . I got a disease . Deep inside me . Makes me feel uneasy baby . I can't live without you . Tell me what I am supposed to do about it . Keep your distance from it . Don't pay no attention to me . I got a disease . I think that I'm sick .
But leave me be while my world is coming down on me . Be, be strong . Keep telling myself that it won't take long till . I'm free of my disease . Yeah well free of my disease . Free of my disease . Be, be strong . Don't pay no attention to me . Keep telling myself that it won't take long till . I'm free of my disease . "Disease" by Matchbox 20