Here is the last of the detours/flashbacks. After chapter 16, we will be starting with my contribution to this fic, so hopefully they'll end up okay.
Disclaimer: Don't own any part of this except for the detour chapters and the chapters from 17 and on.
A few months after the assault, Tori makes a decision. One she was afraid to make since before graduation. Though UCLA gave her an excellent opportunity, she wanted to leave LA, fear of seeing her friends since the assault months prior. Shortly before graduation, she also received an acceptance letter to NYU, which she put to the side originally so she could go to UCLA with her friends. Since the assault, however, and fear of how her friends would react to her being pregnant, even though André already knew but promised not to tell unless she did first, she decided to attend NYU.
Though her assaulter is away, no chance of getting out anytime soon, Tori has started to relax a bit around the house. Though she refused to enter through the front door for the first two months, and goes the long way around the living room, avoiding where it happened.
Now, four months into her pregnancy and showing the expected bump, Tori walks around the NYU campus, her left arm instinctually over her baby bump, as she watches the students getting ready for the new year. Unfortunately, she is unable to attend this year since she fears the potentially heave work load will put to much stress on her. So, with her parents help and a relative who lives near the campus, Tori is taking the year off, plans to attend next year.
As she walks around, smiling at the carefree students the day before semester starts, Tori catches the eye of someone leaving the main building. The woman, a blonde with a few pink streaks, a couple of piercings in her cartilage, a white tank top, skinny jeans, a jacket to combat the cool breeze with the sleeves rolled up a bit, and as she got closet to the youngest Vega, an outline of what looks to be a heart on her wrist.
"You new here?" She blonde asks, eyeing the half-Latina with slight caution because of the look on the girl's face.
"No, not yet anyway." Tori answers, hand over the bump. "I'll be starting next year though. Just wanted to get a feel for the campus." She says, smiling at the blonde.
"Okay." The blonde says with her eyebrow raised in curiosity. "My name's Lila. What's yours?" She asks, holding her right hand out.
"Tori." Tori answers, returning the gesture. "Is this your first year?" She asks, staring at the girl's dark blue eyes.
"Yeah. Just started. How come you're not joining this year?" Lila asks, leading Tori to a nearby bench to talk.
"Uh, kind of hard to explain." Tori answers nervously, both hands over her stomach.
"Why? You still in high school?" Lila asks, taking the seat beside Tori.
"No. I graduated a few months ago." Tori says shyly, not looking at Lila's face anymore. "I'm taking the year off for personal reasons." She says, hoping Lila doesn't asks.
"Okay. What are your plans for the year then?" Lila asks, making the half-Latina smile a bit since the blonde didn't ask what she feared she would.
"Work, save some money. I'm staying with an aunt who lives a few blocks away. She's gonna let me stay with her while in college. She doesn't want me working, but I insisted. I'd feel worthless if I don't do something to help." Tori says, looking back into Lila's eyes.
"Why didn't she want you working, if I may ask?" Lila asks, confused at the statement, since in New York, you can never be too safe when it comes to money for bills and essentials.
"Part of the personal reasons." Tori answers, starting to shift uncomfortably. "It was nice meeting you Lila, but I promised my aunt I'd be back before two." She says, standing up.
"Oh, okay." Lila says, confused. "Let me give you a ride." She says, following Tori towards the front of the school.
"No, it's okay. I don't want to make you go out of your way and I don't really know you." Tori says, slight fear in her voice at a near stranger offering her a ride.
"Which way is your aunt's place?" Lila asks, not losing a step with the half-Latina. At the silence of the tanned girl in front of her, Lila stops, wondering why the other girl's steps seemed to become quicker, as if she was afraid of something. "Okay, never mind." She says, sensing the other's discomfort. "Look, I don't have any classes tomorrow, so why don't we hang out, get to know each other. I promise I won't do anything to you." She says, walking at a quick pace to walk besides Tori.
"I'm good. I'm having brunch with my aunt tomorrow and I promised her I'd help clean up around the apartment in the morning." Tori says kindly as she walks.
"Where at?" Lila asks, keeping up with Tori's now slowing, though slightly, pace.
"The bistro across the street." Tori says with a sigh, hoping her trusting nature won't stab her in the back, indicating said small, family owned place across the street.
"Cool. I might stop by and we can talk after your aunt leaves. I promise I won't so anything. It'll just be a chance for you to get to know me." Lila says, following Tori towards a large apartment building not too far from the bistro.
"Why do you want to get to know me so much?" Tori asks, turning to face the blonde. "What is it about me that's making you want to know me?" She asks, slight fear in her voice.
"You just seem intriguing." Lila says with a shrug. "One chance, okay? If you don't want to be my friend after tomorrow, then fine. I'll leave you alone." Lila says, tone serious.
"Fine. We can talk after brunch." Tori says, smiling a bit. "We'll be at the bistro by ten tomorrow morning. She has to be at work by noon, so she'll be leaving by eleven to get dressed. See you there." She says, heading into the apartment building.
The next day, Lila does indeed stop by the bistro at around a quarter to eleven, making small talk with Tori and her aunt. After assuring Tori's aunt that she'll be okay, Tori heads out with Lila after Lila eats the small breakfast sandwich she ordered since she couldn't stay without eating or ordering anything.
Spending the day together, getting to know each other, both girls walk around New York. The two meet up every once in a while when both girls have a free day. One day, about three months after they met, Lila decides to ask Tori a question she's been wondering about for over a month now.
"Tori, we know each other well by now, right?" Lila asks while the two girls sit and eat lunch on Saturday.
"Yeah. Why? Is something on your mind?" Tori asks, setting her cup of water down, her left hand unconcsiencely oh her bump.
"Are you here because your pregnant and didn't want your family to know?" Lila asks, her eyes on Tori's bump.
"Not exactly." Tori says, shifting slightly. "They know I'm pregnant, and are okay with it. But I did move here because of the pregnancy." She starts, both hands on her stomach now. "Remember you telling me about that story you heard on the news about the guy who sexually assaulted a girl in LA months ago?" She asks, staring at the girl in front of her. With a nod from Lila, she continues. "I was the girl assaulted. They kept my name out since my dad's a cop and pulled some strings to keep my name out. I didn't want my friends finding out, why I don't actually know, and moved out here after I got out of the hospital. They guy who assaulted me is the father. I know because it's the only time I've ever had sex." She admits, looking down, wondering why she just shared all of that.
"That's why you moved here? Because you were afraid of your friends finding out you were raped? I'm sorry, but if they really were your friends, they'd support you." Lila says, staring at Tori with concern in her eyes.
"That's not what I meant." Tori says with a sigh. "I know they'd support me, but I was afraid of the questions. One of my friends, André, knows. He's the one who found me."
After Tori's admittance, both girls stare at each other in silence.
After that day, Tori and Lila still talked, just not as much. One day, a month before Tori gave birth to her child, Lila stopped by her apartment.
"I'm sorry I basically avoided you since you told me." Lila says when Tori opens the door. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" She asks, staring at Tori with hope in her eyes.
"Sure." Tori says, turning to tell her aunt that she'll be back later.
Taking a walk towards the bistro from where Tori and Lila first got to know each other, Lila finally speaks after a few minutes of silence. "What are you planning on doing with the baby? Keeping it or adoption?" She asks, already knowing how Tori feels about abortion, agreeing with her that though it should be the mother's choice, she's against it.
"I'm keeping him." Tori says, her hands on her big baby bump, a smile on her face.
"Him? I thought you didn't want to know the gender?" Lila asks, opening the door for Tori.
"I didn't, not originally." Tori says, following Lila to an available table. "But last month, I was curious, so when I was at the ultra-sound, I said I would like to know the gender." She says with a smile.
"Do you have a name?" Lila asks, ignoring the menu.
"Blake." Tori answers, her smile widening. "I'm naming him Blake."
After that, both girls order their food, already familiar with the menu. After eating, Lila walks Tori back to her apartment, a thoughtful look on her face.
"What's up?" Tori asks as they near the apartment.
"Remember when you told me a few months ago that you were bi-curious?" Lila asks, focus on the door in front of them.
"Yeah?" Tori asks, confused.
"Will you go out with me next weekend?" Lila asks, facing Tori.
"Seriously?" Tori asks, her confusion still standing.
"You don't have to." Lila says, cutting off whatever Tori was about to say. "I know it was weird and out of the blue..."
"Yes." Tori says, cutting off Lila's rant, a smile on her face. "I would like to go out with you next week."
The date went well, and a few months after Blake's birth, Tori asks Lila to officially be her girlfriend, which the blonde agrees to with a kiss.
Now, almost 8 months after Blake's birth, finds Tori living in Lila's apartment, bumping into someone she thought she'd never see again.
"Jade?! What're you doing in New York?"
The last line is the first line from the first chapter.
This is it for the flashbacks, and after I finish posting the rest of the original chapters, there will be new chapters. I am thinking about writing another flashback for Blake's birth. Would anyone be interested in seeing that?
Again, if there are any mistakes or confusement from this chapter that don't go with past chapters, feel free to let me know.
I hope you all like them.
Blessed Be.