A/N: It's good to be back, Invader Johnny. Honestly I was hesitant to pull the trigger and start this story for a long time because I was worried nobody would be interested.
Thanks again for the kind words.
;-)
SIX WEEKS AGO...
...
...
Jade was pacing around their apartment; a much bigger place than their first.
It had a couple of spare rooms, Jade turning one into an office. She felt better the last few years when she started writing again. One of her short stories, Where the Buses Don't Run, was published in a horror/sci-fi magazine and got good reviews. Maybe there was a novel on the horizon.
She brainstormed for a bit but decided to shelve the idea for right now. Jade sometimes needed to walk away from a story before she could "crack" it and ultimately resume hashing out pages again.
Jade's mind was reoccupied with other matters anyhow. And she might be taking a leave of absence from writing indefinitely come next year if the doctor's prediction was accurate.
Every time she passed the dining room table, the plain manila envelope sat there, teasing her to no end. Jade's OB/GYN confirmed her test this morning and inside was a litany of health advice for the coming weeks and soon months. Jade would have to make some changes during the pregnancy. Alcohol and caffeine were out.
"Might as well take four out of five food groups away, doc."
As much of a headache it would become, she had been grinning like a fool since the positive at the office. Jade was equal parts elated/scared/dizzy. She paused at the body length mirror hanging in the hall leading to their bedroom. She turned to the side and imagined what she would look like when she started showing.
A baby bump would emerge right on her otherwise slender torso.
"If some stranger tries to rub my belly, I'll deck them in the face!"
Jade cupped her breasts and moved her hands out about an inch or two.
"And how big are these chesticles gonna get?" She smirked with a raised eyebrow. "Vega out to be pleased."
That reminded her. She checked back at the clock and it read 5:00. Tori was normally punctual but she knew she would not be a minute late because she had called earlier, promising some big news. Tori made her promise for almost ten minutes that it wasn't anything bad.
The dark-haired woman turned around at the sound of keys turning the lock.
"Hey babe!"
Tori was only able to get this out before having the wind knocked out of her from Jade wrapping her arms around her tightly. This made her drop her dark blue duffle bag.
"Jade..." she groaned. "Damn, girl. I missed you too."
"Sorry," Jade blushed, releasing her. "I have just been ready to burst all day."
Jade had real excitement and anticipation in her eyes. This was big, Tori realized. Much bigger than getting picked up for that short story a while back.
"Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm here!" Tori smiled. "I'm here, I'm back, I'm all yours!"
Pale hands directed the half Latina to the sofa and sat her down. Jade then ran to get a cup of coffee for Tori.
"Do I need to sit down?" she chuckled nervously.
"I...don't...know," Jade said coyly. "It couldn't hurt."
Tori lovingly accepted the cup of hot liquid made palatable with lots of cream and lots of sugar. She took a long sip, savoring it like a chain smoker enjoyed a long drag following a hectic day. This definitely made her begin to unwind.
"Alright, lay it on me, West."
Jade held her hands to her lips, shaking with excitement.
"We're going to be parents!"
Tori's eyes bulged out of their sockets. She set her coffee down on the table, thankful that the initial shock didn't make her drop it.
"You're serious?"
Jade nodded rapidly, smiling broadly.
She leapt up and embraced her wife.
"This is amazing!" Tori exclaimed, kissing Jade right away. "When can they see us?"
"Oh, no. There isn't going to be an interview..."
Tori looked at her puzzled.
"So...we're on the shortlist? Babe, I told you before we shouldn't get our hopes up..."
"TORI! LISTEN!"
The cop relaxed and let her continue.
"There won't be any interview, or forms, or any red tape. We're not adopting. We're pregnant!"
The tan woman was no more concerned than bewildered.
"Hold on, hold on, hold everything! How are we expecting when we've been so..." Tori gestured the space between the two of them, indicating physical relations. "unexpected?"
"I found a donor," Jade flatly stated. "No big deal."
"Oh, yeah, sure" Tori shrugged. "Give me a bun in the oven and a side order of fries. Please drive to the second window."
Jade massaged the bridge of her nose.
"Look, Vega; it's not like I ran out and fucked someone to get pregnant! I didn't exactly post it on Craigslist!"
Tori ran her fingers through her long brown locks. This was a lot to take in. 24 hours ago things were pretty ordinary and suddenly whammo! they were a pair of expecting mothers.
It wasn't for lack of trying. Tori had expressed interest of starting a family for some time now. She was even ready to consider quitting the force if that meant the adoption agencies would be more inclined to give a child to someone with a less risky job. It took a while but even Jade eventually warmed up to the idea.
With most of Tori's family gone and hers being virtually non-existent since day one; Jade could sympathize with the urge to create a family unit that was loving and would last. The home they would create for her or him or them would be an evergreen; rain or shine it will only grow and get stronger.
Just when they were doing research in the adoption process, the unthinkable happened.
A new Republican governor, Gerald Miller, won the office in a landslide and began a crusade (his words) to revamp the state of California. A huge aspect of his administration was staunch anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. And defunding social programs like planned parenthood. These conservative setbacks would make a gay couple adopting a child practically impossible.
Jade saw how that devastated Tori. She was fearful of this all happening. They both campaigned hard for his opponent Warren Weidner, who was openly bi. He wanted better schools for the inner cities, state-supported healthcare for struggling households and even started a petition to convince the federal government to no longer mint pennies, which would save the nation millions.
But the alleged "radical" lost and California was poorer for it.
With this massive roadblock, Jade saw little recourse. She refused to allow Tori to give up on her ambition to become a mother, something they both craved as children. So she took matters into her own hands.
Tori was understandably taken aback, as anyone would. But she came around.
While being truthful, Jade didn't exactly tell Tori...everything.
"Wait, how did you get a donor?" asked Tori.
Jade was put off by the question.
"What do you mean?"
"I called them like three months ago and asked them about anonymous donors. I wasn't sure of our options so I looked into it. They said that they were not currently accepting new deposits at the sperm bank. And what little they had were being kept from someone with, as she put it...my background. She claimed it was my past in law enforcement but I knew she was full of shit."
"Oh damn it!"
"Jade?"
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..."
"Where did you get it?" pressed Tori.
She folded her arms after that, now sounding like she was leading an interrogation. This would've pissed Jade off if she wasn't so scared to tell the truth.
"I believe you that you didn't do anything unfaithful," she said. "But I don't believe that you're giving me the whole story."
Jade backed up several steps, throwing up her hands.
"Okay, FINE! I know the guy. He did me a favor."
"Who?"
"Nobody important," Jade sighed. "Just an old friend...th..."
"WHO?"
"Beck."
Tori blinked, her cheeks flushed with so many high emotions right now.
"Beck? As in Beck Oliver? From school; that Beck?"
Now Jade had her arms folded, refusing to be high-roaded.
"You know more Becks than that one?"
She didn't like how flippant Jade was being in this moment. And the stepping back so swiftly just then also made her mad. What the hell was that about? Did she think she was going to hit her?
"Explain!" demanded Tori.
"I bumped into him like last year. It was one in a million; we both saw each other at the same Starbucks one Saturday afternoon. He asked me how I was and we got the talking. Apparently he's seeing some yoga instructor from San Diego and was only in LA for the day. He said that he was happy for both of us that we found each other."
But Tori wasn't listening to this. She tuned out after that first thing.
"So you hooked up with your ex a year ago?"
Jade stomped her foot "IT WASN'T A HOOKUP! IT WAS JUST COFFEE!"
"You're Jade-fucking-West!" Tori spat. "It's never just coffee with you!"
"Aaaand this is why I didn't tell you because I knew you'd freak out."
Tori began circling the room, holding her head in her hands.
"So I'm supposed to be cool with you and your ex hanging out behind my back?!"
"It. Wasn't. Like That! He made his contribution in a container at the doctor and they did the test tube thing. That's all!"
Tori stopped and stared at her wife of eight years in disbelief.
"Why Beck? Of all the people on the fucking planet...why him?"
"You're gonna laugh," growled Jade.
"Trust me, West; I don't find any of this shit funny!"
Jade drew in a breath so deep and held it. She looked at Tori in the eye and exhaled.
"Okay, you wanna know? I know Beck and his family. I knew that there no pre-existing conditions. That our baby had a really good chance of growing up healthy. And if you're worried about him claiming the child, RELAX! He had me sign an agreement that he is out of the picture, he surrenders all parental rights. He wants this baby to be ours as much as I do. We do."
The fair skinned one started to tear up. Being angry was too exhausting after the day she had. She could feel herself crumbling.
"And I remember how people used to say that you and Beck looked so much alike. You were mistaken for siblings before! I thought it would be the closest thing to having not just a baby like we always wanted but wouldn't it be amazing if they looked like our combined DNA?"
Tori just stood there, unable to move.
"Have you not been paying attention, Tori? I got myself pregnant to make you happy! I did all of this FOR YOU! Figured Tori Vega, of all people, were used to getting whatever they wanted."
Those last words hurt.
"Can I have time to process this, please?"
"Time? TIME?" Jade said through gritted teeth. "Just take all the time in the world!"
She brushed past her and stormed out of the door, the slam causing all the tchotchkes to rattle on the shelf.
Tori stared at the door for a second and went to it but was startled by Jade returning with hatred in her eyes.
"You know something Vega! I love you and I am not giving this child up. So if you don't love me anymore, then I don't need you. I don't need anybody."
She charged past Tori and retreated to their shared bedroom and came out with a small bag.
"I was bored," she sniffed. "So I started a maternity bag for the hospital. Now...I think I'll leave you alone for a while. Give you some time to...think."
Then she slammed the door a second time, this instance causing a framed photo from their wedding falling to a shatter. Innumerable pieces that once made up the glass littered the floor.
Tori dropped to her knees and began to sob.
She didn't sleep much that night.
Or any other night since for that matter.
"You blew it, stupid piece of shit!. She's gone."