Disclaimer: Still don't own. Those who do seem okay with me playing with their characters, as long as I make no money.
:}
After takeoff, the weather was calm enough for people to move about, so Jade helped Tori to her feat. Then they made their way down to the luggage compartment so they could get Tori changed into something from the her day bag. But as Jade did so, something on the pop princesses back caught her attention. It seemed that the singers entire back was covered in bruises and reddened marks, shallow cuts not like scratches, but the type left after being beaten with something. 'He..' Jade couldn't think of what he'd done to her, but knew she needed to know more. Checking the pop princesses phone, which the bodyguard could unlock, she saw new pictures of Tori, wearing a choker tight enough to make her agreeable to anything, while Beck was striking her with a multi-tailed flogger of some sort.
'That bastard!' She thought, sending a text to Trina. She then found a fist aid kit and started treating the wounds.
"What's so important." The manager asked as she descended into the luggage compartment, Andre and Ryder in toe. They stopped as they saw where Tori was laying, her back still exposed, while Jade was applying some kind of medicinal ointment. "Shit! He promise me he was just experimenting, that it wouldn't happen again."
"He's done this before?" Jade asked, receiving a curt nod. She continued. "From what I got listening to her mumbling, she doesn't seem to like it. But she does it for him. I swear, I'm ripping his nuts off when I see him again."
"I warned you." Ryder said, looking peeved. "Becks only doing this cause he feels powerless, like she's in the better position or something due to her successes. I knew he'd do anything to make himself feel superior."
"There's more, and it's on her phone." The blue eyed girl said, showing Trina the pictures.
"Great, we'll talk to Tori about this later." The older sister said. "Until then, Jade, watch her. She's your responsibility until we go to sound check. Make sure she can perform."
"But she's hurt..." Jade protested.
"She's hurt, but Beck's not stupid." Andre chimed in. "She'll mostly recover by showtime. And Trina, I'll watch over her." His mouth opened to continue, but he was cut off.
"No, your not officially back on the tour yet." Trina said. "You can be with her, as a friend, but Jade's responsible. And Jade, that bastards good at getting Tori to agree to shit, so she was technically a willing participant. We don't do crap to him. But I'm gonna have a long talk with him, let him know this doesn't happen again."
Trina left them to finish taking care of Tori for the rest of the flight, asking only that Andre and Jade make sure Tori gets plenty of rest for the next few days. 'Superficial wounds, but it affects what she can wear for the next few days, and that hurts the image. Why didn't Phillip want to use the jerk in one of those mindless action films? He's a descent stage fighter, and he knows how to dance. He's a natural.' She wondered again
Her phone was in her hand, waiting for the other end not pick up. "Lucy, it's Trina, where the hell did Beck learn how to use a whip?"
"He frequents a brothel in Nevada, lots of S&M shit there." The magazine editor said. "Place is a favorite of a lot of Nevada political players, so even we would be hesitant to profile what goes on there."
"Fucking perfect." Trina bitched. "He went all S&M on Tori, hurt her, nothing permanent, but I'm left rethinking our arrangement." She knew her arrangement with the gossip editor would keep this secret safe.
"Pity, he's such an eager little snitch." The other woman replied. "But I'm not surprised. We can help a celebrity get back on track, but we're no substitute for talent, or good choices in their projects. Beck always had the talent… But you, Trina, you've been good for us too, helped out more then you'd know."
"Can it, I know Shapiro's grown out of control." The manager was short, angry. "He's after Tori, and I'm worried about how much of your secrets he knows."
"Only what I feed him." Lucy assured her. "Look, I admit he's a better journalist then I ever gave him credit for, and he has someone keeping an eye on your tour. But he's not keeping secrets from me, which is how I know Tori's new bodyguard is Beck's ex, from before he was on American Voice."
"So, thats not a story." Trina said, still fuming.
"It is, the beginning of a breakup story." The editor said. "You're so good at painting narratives, think about this. Beck's infidelities, we pretend that someone everyone can hate was responsible for cleaning that up, then we expose his cheating. Blame it on the new guard, say she was acting to protect the star. I'll bet there are plenty of things she can tell you about what kind of boy the man was."
"No, I'm not ruining her career, not just to hurt Beck." The Latina declared. "No, I've always played everything as upbeat as I can, hiding the ugly underbelly of Hollywood from Tori, while making it seem like she's just that perfect innocent who made it through hard work and talent. No, we go another way. You can keep your fucking snitch, and protect him if you like. I'm out. I'm gonna have my people draft an announcement that Tori and Beck have grown apart, and that while she still loves him, their careers just got in the way. Neither wants the other to give up their dream, and since neither can spare the time, they agreed to part amicably."
"And how are you gonna convince your sister of that?" Lucy asked.
"By hurting her, and having Jade tell her just what kind of boy Beck was." Trina said, her voice falling. "Tell Shapiro that anything he finds on Beck, he has to make sure it doesn't blow back and hurt Tori."
"Pity, it would have been a hell of an issue." Miss Spiller griped, then said her farewells.
Trina next called Beck. "Beck, how're you enjoying the vacation?'"
"Wasn't sure I could spare the whole ten days, but now I think I'm gonna have fun here." The actor said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.
"I saw what you did to Tori." Trina growled. "Jade wants to rip your dick off."
"Let her try." The boy said, sounding very confidant.
"You have a good bodyguard who can stop her?" The Latina asked. "I have Andre, I could send her back on the next flight."
"Trina, you seem to forget my charms with the opposite sex." He gloated. "I got Tori to agree to playing a little rough, and she hates the pain. I can Talk Jade outta anything."
"Then I'll just have her deliver my message in person." The manager said, smirking. "Then lets see how you react. I'll even pay her for her time in prison, for assault, and I'm assuming a minor amount of damage to your body, since it isn't that big."
"You tell her this is part of the British commonwealth, so their sentencing is vastly longer then in the U.S. She'd spend years in prison." He sounded nervous now. Trina almost smiled at him not being so cocky any more..
"Then I'll tell you now." She took a deep breath. "I can't have you hurting Tori, not any more. You were told the rules, and yet you hurt her."
"Why didn't Phillip call me?" He asked.
"He doesn't like you." Trina shot back. "I had Cat call to make arrangements, and she said he wouldn't talk to her once your name came up. I've exerted every ounce of my influence with him, everything short of giving him a hand job, but he won't budge. Besides, we both know how nonsexual that freak of nature is. But the point I'm making is, I'm sorry, I have no idea what you did to piss him off, but I can't help you." Her voice hardened as she prepared for what comes next. "However, for taking it out on Tori, and risking the entire tour, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to let you go."
"Like Tori could let me go." He scoffed.
"She will, cause I'm gonna have Jade tell her what she told me, about how many times you cheated on her. Then, every rumor, no matter how well disproved, will haunt her." Then the older sister shifted tactics. "This way, you two just drifted apart, and your still good friends. Cross me, and I'll tell everything I know to Robbie, and let him loose on you. However, and I say this carefully, he may still find out about that ranch in Nevada, the one where you go to learn how to whip girls and make then beg for mercy, just to feed your ego."
"I don't take well to threats." Beck growled.
"And I don't like that I let such a beast be that close to my sister for ten fucking years." Trina growled back. She was holding her voice down, keeping the call as private as possible. "Look, it's not a bad career move for you, probably hurts Tori's image more then yours. She'll just have to find another someone to love, while you'll be able to spend some time being a swinging bachelor. Enjoy the spotlight."
"Okay, you talk her into it, and I'll go along." Beck said, but it was obvious he wasn't going down without a fight.
After finishing her call, the manager made her way up to the passenger section, checking on her sister and making sure everyone was settled in. "Okay, Ryder, Andre, Jade, I need to talk to you, privately. I need someone to watch over Tori while we're having this meeting. Bill, Ron, you're on."
"No." Jade cut in. "If this is about security, they should be involved. We have a plane full of people with a vested interest in making sure she's okay. If this isn't about security, then yes, they should be here." The boss gave her a dark look. "Just thinking about including the core security team."
"It involves them, but not right now." Trina said, glaring at the raven haired girl. "Right now, it mostly involves you."
They made their way to the cargo section, for the privacy. "You don't have the time in to be talking back to Trina like that." Ryder was scolding her. Andre, it seemed, was talking to Trina in low tones.
Once out of earshot, and they'd made sure the stewards weren't listening in, Trina began. "Jade, I get that you take security very seriously, and you're sticking up for your crew, but NEVER challenge my authority in front of the whole crew again. Got that?" The taller girl nodded. "Good, you're job, for the next four days, is to watch over Tori and help her heal. That, and telling her the kind of boyfriend Beck was to you. I believe you mentioned he cheated on you?"
"I never said that." Jade stated. "But yea, all the fucking time. Sorry, I forgot, no swearing."
"We swear, just not in front of Tori. It just upsets her." The older girl said. "Was he trying to hit on that girl, the one who's boyfriend you got in a fight with?"
"Yep, but he only wanted her for the sex. He has this thing about power. He loved being around powerful girls, but hates that they hold power over him. I think its cause his mother was and is a powerful woman who earned the money in the home, and his father always felt emasculated by that." Jade was watching the walls as she spoke, memories of the Oliver house coming back. "Becks mom's family was from India, by way of Canada, and his father had assumed she'd be docile and submissive. But the woman wound up earning most of the families money. Somehow Beck believed her family, that his father wasn't really a man because he stayed home and raised the kids. I think, for Beck, he has a lot to prove. I'm sorry he's such a dick. You'd think his mother earning the cash would have made him more of a feminist."
"Depends on how she was at home." Andre cut in. "If she resorted to being submissive, maybe with a sharp edge to remind her husband she was the provider of the family, then Beck would have a lot of hate for girls who stand up for themselves. I'm not able to speak for him, just, I'll bet they hated you."
"His dad seemed to like me, but I think it was cause I was so afraid of losing Beck that I let him get away with cheating on me, showing a lot of jealousy, but always forgiving him. I guess that his dad felt I would put up with whatever Beck wanted. And Beck wanted to be the man."
"And thats what you need to convince Tori of, that Beck is still that little boy playing at being a man." Trina instructed.
"So Beck's out?" Ryder asked. "I just need to know so I know what I'm drinking tonight. Champlain, maybe, with a bit of dancing."
"You didn't like Beck?" Jade asked.
"He's charming as hell, but never be the hired help around him." Andre said.
"I'm privy to a lot of Trina here's venting." Ryder added. "I know the kind of bastard he is. I never liked him, cause he reminded me of me. Except, I'd have happily been a kept man, sneaking shit on the side, if I got Beck's deal. Taken care of for the rest of my life? Who wouldn't."
"You, in high school." Trina said, smirking. "Look, I get why each of you might not like him, but we have to work this right. He knows a lot that could hurt us, so we keep him safe, and he doesn't hurt us in return. Jade, you and Andre will help Tori get over him, and then we'll find her a new man."
"No!" This time it was Andre, who had the right to talk back in private. "Tori is in love with that jerk, who, might I add never treated me bad, just her. But she's in love, and is gonna need time to recover before we set her up again. And Trina, let me have a vote in the setup. I know what she likes, and can help make sure this mistake will be better then the last one."
"Agreed." The manager said. "Go back and try to enjoy the last moments of the flight. Jade, talk to her, be discreet, but slowly admit how bad Beck was to you."
"Working on it." The bodyguard said, and went back to her seat. 'How the hell do I tell Tori her boyfriend is a jerk?'
By the time They landed Tori was feeling only marginally better. The flight hadn't been set up for people to sleep, or even lay down, and it certainly didn't have the sleeper options set up for her to recline and get comfortable, so she'd had to sit in her seat, pushed back as far as it would go, and try to get relaxed against a seat that wasn't set up for napping. She'd found it difficult due to the pain radiating from her back. She needed to be able to recline, lay on her side, but without that option, it wasn't happening.
The drive to the hotel was worse, in it's own way, then the flight. The seats didn't move nearly as much, were a touch harder, and the bus bounced on the road. Tori endured, trying not to be a burden, but her bodyguards and management were now hyper aware of every flinch and shift she made trying to be comfortable, or relieve the pain she was feeling.
Once they got her to the hotel and checked in, they rushed her to her room, almost as quickly as they could get the key. For Tori, it was yet another layer of torture, not being able to meet with her fans. But it was obvious she hadn't rested well, either on the trip or the night before. "Rest until we come get you for the sound check." Trina instructed. "Kasey, your with me. Jade'll get her whatever she needs." She never told Jade to take care of Tori, she just knew the girl would.
They didn't speak, not at first. Jade figured it would be better to let Tori nap, be there for her, until they got the call asking them to get her ready for the sound check. There was an interview scheduled, but due to health concerns they had to cancel. Trina had expected their would be rumors, rumors that would persist once the news of her and Beck breaking up made it out to the public, but for now they made their excuses and hoped the fans would understand.
That evening, Tori's performance, while still good, lacked her usual energy. Her dancers seemed to sense that something was wrong, and they did what they could to make up for it. Her support people also saw that things weren't quite normal, offering every bit of help and encouragement along the way. They knew she wasn't feeling well, and wanted to make sure she was cared for as much as possible. They all could tell that Tori was hurting, just enough to have effected her performance.
After the show, Tori wanted to go see her fans. Late as it was, she wanted to go see them, be with them, feel their love. But she was hurting too much to give them the time. Instead, she went back to the hotel and went to bed, crying herself to sleep over what she couldn't do for her fans. She'd felt guilty over not giving them her time. She felt bad that they didn't get that precious moment of her time that she felt was so little to give, but to so many meant the world. Just like it had meant the world the first time she was in the presence of one of her childhood idles.
It wasn't until he next day, on the plane, with Andre safely next to her, that Jade felt safe to broach the subject of Beck with the injured pop princess. She'd waited for a moment when it was just the three of them, stretched out and relaxed, to start. She leaned in closer to Tori, so their voices could stay low, and said "I'm worried about something."
"This, it's nothing." Tori said, hand gesturing to her body. "I wanted to try something, and it didn't work out the way I wanted. You know, after ten years, you have to work to put a little excitement back in the old romance." She gave a convincing smile. If they hadn't seen her, over the last twenty four hours, hurting both physically and emotionally, Jade might even have believed the girl.
"Look, as much as I'm wazzed off about that…." Jade was cut off.
"Beck uses that term, a lot." Tori said in an attempt to avoid the discussion. "And what the holy heck is chiz?"
"Some kind of cheese, I think." Jade replied. 'Lets see if I can't redirect this back.' Jade thought as she elaborated. "We used it when fuck or shit wouldn't do. What the chiz, chiz just got real, who the chizzing hell cares. That kind of shit. But thats really not what I wanted to talk to you about. What I wanted to discuss, well, it's something I was hoping had changed, and I would never have to tell you. But Cat saw, and so I'm worried that you'll find out without hearing my side of things. I didn't even let him into my room. I said we could talk in the hall. I didn't want to give him an excuse." She felt weak, not coming out and saying what Beck wanted, but it was better in her mind to approach this delicately. 'Vega's already endured so much for him, best not to challenge that yet.' She wasn't ready for the almost immediate reply.
"So he tried to talk you into blowing him?" Tori asked, suddenly very hurt. "What, you think I'm stupid? The rumors, there are always rumors. Most successful men and women have rumors. Infidelity, cheating, there's always someone accusing them, mostly men, of stepping out. It's just, Beck, he has a hell of a lot more. I've suspected for a while now. I mean, Robbie may have it out for him, but he's not the sours of most of those rumors. Boy's far to happy to report them, elaborate, but he's not the source."
She held back a tear, holding up a hand so she could finish speaking. "You have to understand, us, Beck and I, we got together as kids. Neither of us knew what we were in for. I had my career, and he has his. It's hard to make things work. I know, I've tried so hard. But then this chiz keeps coming up. So I forgive him, and do what I can to show him I love him."
"By letting him beat you, flog you, until you're no longer able to perform?" Jade asked. "Tori, he's always had a problem with strong girls. He loves em, wants to be with them, but he's chiz at dealing with it when they do better then he does. Do you wanna know why I don't sing any more? I mean, other then getting myself blacklisted from acting, by some casting director, after I reacted to his suggestion I put out by threatening to cut his balls off." There was a dangerous smile, just for a second, on the bodyguards lips. Then her face got serious. "I stopped singing when he kept telling everyone he was the most likely of our group, the gang that auditioned together, to make it. Back then, I was a far better singer then he was. But he hated that about me. He hated everything he felt I had over him, like how I was training to fight, could hurt people, and was the heavy among our friends. He hated that I could do so many of the things he liked to think were the mans job. But I had to let that go, singing, along with my old feelings of hate and envy, so I could focus on moving on. I just wish the money wasn't there in underground cage fighting..."
"So what are you saying, other then it's a good thing you got control of that temper." Tori asked, still looking like a wounded puppy. She'd shifted to laying (Across several seats) with her head in Jade's lap, looking up at her. "Are you suggesting he'll keep cheating on me?"
"No mater how good a girlfriend you are, yea, he'll keep cheating on you." Jade replied. "Back in the day, he wasn't half as bad a jerk as he is now, and he cheated on me. Even when I ignored it, or tried to be a better, more submissive girlfriend, he cheated. So in the end, as much as it hurt, him breaking up with me was the best thing to happen to me. I just wish I wasn't tossed off of American Voice."
"Sing for me." Tori cooed.
"I'm way outta practice." The bodyguard objected. "And you gotta let him go. It's whats best for you."
"Doesn't matter, Beck and I are more then a couple, we're an image." Tori lamented.
"But you can talk to your sister, maybe find a way to break it off that doesn't hurt either of you." Jade was surprised to hear Andre chime in. "Tori, I know you love him, but from what I can tell, hearing what Jade has to say, he's been changing, and not for the better." The man shifted just a scoot closer to his friend and client. "I'm thinking, you may need to give him the freedom, just to see if that helps him grow up, or lets him continue on the path he's been on. Either way, I agree with Jade here. Those wounds, minor as they are, are the last staw. I'm not letting you become an abuse spouse, constantly blaming yourself for when your hubby goes bonkers and hurts you. My momma was an abused spouse. Trust me, it's not fun."
"You're mother..?" Tori muttered, sitting up. "I never..."
"I lived with my grandma, my dad's mother, and no one ever asked me why?" He complained. "Thing was, my grandpa, on my mom's side, he was an abuser, and so when my dad turned out not to be what my mom was looking for, she high tailed it out to a man who believed in using force to get what he wanted. Called it being old school. And dad, he knew that there was good money being made up north, way up north, where men worked in towns made just for the oil industry, or catching food that was more hazardous to catch then to eat. Thats where he was, paying for me and gran to have a nice life while my mom sought out the kind of men who she felt showed her the proper affection. Dad risked his life, so my mom could be some duds punching bag. Now that ain't right."
"I-I'm sorry?' Jade tried.
"For what? Not knowing? Thing is, for every jerk like Beck, to whom hurting girls is a newish thing, there are hundreds of them who learned from someone that this is how you treat a lady." Dre explained. "And Tor, for the record, he was abusive to me, my stepdad, but only when I broke his lame ass rules or tried to stand up for my mom. The rest of the time, he could be almost okay. They, dad and gram, they moved me as much so I wouldn't grow up to be like him as for my own safety. Sad, I haven't spoken to my mom in over six years..."
Tori had pulled her one time body guard into a hug. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Do you need help? Maybe me to set you up with someone who you might have a lasting relationship with?"
Jade cringed at Tori's suggestion. "Thats okay, Tori, I'm good. I'll keep dating whats available, as long as these tours are my bread and butter. Maybe, along the line, I'll talk to Trina about a different job, but for now, I like my life. I'm seeing the world, working with people I like, and hell, I'm figuring that whole DJing thing out. Who knows what I'll wind up doing. Just, let me be your shield, for a while longer. Okay?" The dark skinned man said, hugging the starlet back. "So, you realize that Beck needs to be set free, right?"
"Yes, mother." The singer said, rolling her eyes. "I get it."
"No you don't." Jade chimed in. "He may know it's the right thing to do, but he won't do it. You see, he's manipulative, likes to control things. He'll try to talk you into staying, being with him longer. And you know what? You'll agree. Just because he's hurt you once, cost you that time with your fans you keep telling me is the best part of being on tour, you'll still go back to him once he turns on the charm. No, it's better if you guys have a clean break. Don't worry about being strong. Andre, right?" He nodded. "Andre and I will be here for you the entire time. Just, you relax, let yourself cry. It may hurt, but you'll feel so much better at the end of this. Promise." She gave her best sympathetic eyes, a skill she wasn't sure she even had any more. 'Whens the last time I showed sympathy for anyone? Not important. We'll be able to keep her safer now, with her all mopy and missing him.'
They got to the next island, and Tori was sad all the way to the hotel. Then, as if by magic, she cheered up, demanding to spend some time posing with her fans, showing what love she could in the fifteen minutes her bodyguards let her be that exposed. Then once safely in her room, she reverted again to the morose girl who was letting go. "I really don't get it?" She asked. "Why was it so hard to love me? I know, I have a lot of fame. Made a lot of money. But I saw what others went through as they got rich, losing their roots, and I made sure not to lose my home town values. So why couldn't Beck love me?" She whined, crying and throwing her pillow, only to diligently tidy things up again before her next bout of doubt filled tantruming.
Jade had watched the cycle a couple of times, trying to understand what kind of person cleaned up after a breakdown, only to have yet another one. 'Maybe she just needs to break chiz. I could find a lamp or two...'
"Tori, its not you, it's him." Andre tried. The bodyguards were all watching her while she worked through things before the sound check.
"Wrong approach." Ryder chimed in. Trina was absent, busy making sure all the pieces were in place so the show would go down with as little drama as possible. "One thing I learned from being a user, is that some people just need to be heard. You can try to fix everything later. Just let her be heard, and let her heal. Crying is good for that, assuming it's the right crying."
"Girls are crazy." Jade commented, watching her client cycle through the pain one more time. "Do you think it'd help if we got more pillows?" She absorbed the icy glares off all the people in the starlets room, including the singer, before everyone went back to watching the pop princess tearing the room apart, in as careful a way as possible so as not to damage anything.
Tori was able to pull herself together by sound check, and made conversation with her dancers as they got ready for that evenings performance. "Hay, Jade, do you know why we schedule a tour here before going to Europe?" She asked.
"Um, to make money?" The blue eyed bodyguard guessed. It was freaky, how cheery the singer seemed to be. Only Trina, Ryder and Andre knew what a front she was putting up.
"No, silly, to give our sets time to get to Europe." The pop star said. "We sent the sets by boat, and it takes a few days. Then they have to be set up in transports, and the whole thing practiced being packed and unpacked to make sure everything is right. We then show up, and just go. A full show, with props and sets, for us to use all throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Of course, I hate the costumes we'll have to use in some parts of the world, but they have modesty laws."
"Wait, we're going to places that have modesty laws?" Jade wondered.
"Well, we have a whole set of things we have to do to play those countries, but hay, it's my fans, and I love giving them the chance to see me. You'll see, once we get there. The weirder it gets, the weirder it gets. Also, I think we have a couple of USO shows planed. That'll be a trip."
Sighing. "The things you do for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year." Jade griped.
"It'll be fine." Andre assured her. "We've done this for years. Trust me, Trina has this. Or she mostly does. In some countries, she has to hire an interpreter to speak for her. Not that they don't speak English, but it lets them deal with a man, and pretend it's not a slight on anyone."
"They're gonna so love me..." Jade groans.
:}
So, that was that. We found out a bit more about Beck, and a bit about Andre. Think that'll help Tori get over him? I think she'll need a bit more time. Also, I loved how Tori tantrumed.
Review, cause why not? I wanna know your thoughts, if you liked this, and who's a fan of this Beck. Just, you know, review. I'll see you next time, and thanks.