She woke to continue her thoughts, leaving the house for a walk. She needed to move after spending a day stuck in place without properly resting. It was also an attempt to clear her head. She succeeded after three days of work and wandering, happy when she finally stopped thinking of Tori in any way. She received a new target and eagerly took off in search of her prey. She was certain with this one, so she left her phone at home. Blood was already hard to clean off clothes, and if she left it, she could rinse off on the way home without worrying about getting it wet too.

She strode down the street at a fast pace, thoughts on the information she read. The guy was involved in a local gang that dealt drugs and participated in gang wars. He was arrested once but got out of it on technicalities. Whoever he worked for must have paid off people to keep him out of prison. Excitement shot through her at the thought of a fresh kill. Animal meat could only do so much, and she couldn't wait to sink her teeth in a human. She came upon him in the back of a bar his info said he frequented. She followed him out back while he was on the phone, keeping to the shadows for cover.

"No. Why would he do that? Let me guess, his new whore told him to. Look, if he wants to listen to her, then fine, but he's lucky he got away with that hit and run weeks ago. Taking the heat for him doesn't mean I'll like the stuck-up bitch. He can get out of things on his own without her help. He's been doing it for years. I don't know why he suddenly takes advice from some chick. Yeah, whatever. I'll get it done. Alright, bye," he snapped, pocketing the phone and cussing under his breath. Jade's interest was piqued.

She couldn't help but wonder if he had been referring to Trina Vega. It seemed like a coincidence, but something told her it wasn't. She stalked closer just as he lit a cigar and leaned against the wall. She lunged, claws tearing at his hand before the cigar could reach his lips. She hated how they tasted if they had any kind of drugs in their system. He was about to scream but she was already on him, throat torn out with another swipe of her claws. She threw him to the ground and let her jaws do the rest, basking in the rush of feeding.

The tear and snap, the warmth and taste. How energized it made her feel, unlike anything else she ate. Bone crushed between her jaws and echoed in her ears when she heard the sound. A gasp, small but inescapable to her ears. Then a stumble of feet. She pulled away from the mess that used to be a man and stood to snarl at the person at the end of the alleyway. She hated her relaxed reaction to seeing Tori Vega standing there. Her very presence seemed to tear down Jade's defenses.

"Tori? What are you doing here?" she demanded. The human almost fell in her haste to back up. The shadow Jade cast under the lone light wasn't human. She must have lost a hold of herself when she was feeding. She glanced down to catch a glimpse of her swaying tail. The weight of her wings pulled at the muscles of her back when she stood up. Her gray skin was muddled in bright red gore, claws caked in it.

"Vega, wait," she requested but Tori bolted. Jade sighed and took to the sky, seeking out the small pond a few blocks away. What was left of the man wouldn't be recognized. She made sure to take his phone and lose it in the water when she rinsed off. She then tracked down Tori, dropping from the sky when she found her. She screamed when Jade yanked her off her feet and into the sky, purposely dangling her with a tenuous grip on her wrists. Tori panicked and swung around, trying to grab on to something stable.

"Do you want me to drop you? Stop struggling!" Jade yelled over the wind.

"Let me up!" Tori shouted back. Jade effortlessly pulled her up, wrapping her in her arms. Tori clung to her without hesitation. That is, until Jade landed in the park. The same one they had met in for the first time. As soon as they were on the ground, Tori punched her. Jade took the hit with barely any reaction, but Tori howled in pain, cradling her bruised hand.

"You, you monster! How could you?! Shhhhoot! This frickin' hurts!" she bit back, refusing to curse. Jade merely watched, amused.

"You know, swearing makes the pain easier to handle," she advised, wings tucking back as she took a seat on a stone bench to watch the human pace in a flurry of emotions.

"What are you made of? Oh geez, I hope it isn't broken…" Tori continued to whine, still holding it.

"I think it's hilarious that you're buggin' over your hand more than the fact you walked in on me eating a guy," Jade pointed out. As if she just remembered it, Tori was now babbling to herself about that too.

"You-you killed someone. You ate him. I saw you. If only I didn't stick my nose in her business, I wouldn't have seen it," Tori agonized, rubbing at her hand. Jade perked at the admission.

"Her business? You mean Trina? What did you find out?" she asked, getting up so suddenly Tori skittered away.

"Oh please. If I wanted to eat you, I would have done it when I had the chance," Jade reminded her. Tori glared at her.

"Now what did you find out about Trina?" Jade said, taking a step closer. Tori eyed her distrustfully, taking in Jade's true appearance. She looked so strange. Otherworldly but still…beautiful.

"What do you care?" she sulked, looking over her hand. Jade approached her carefully.

"There's a reason this is all connected. You were mixed up with your sister and then I get a hitman of some sort that works for someone who is apparently in a relationship with her, and now I find you on the same trail. It's not a coincidence," Jade pointed out.

"Do you think my sister is involved in something?" Tori questioned, worried.

"Yes. But there's more to it. I can feel it," Jade replied, perturbed. She glanced at Tori's hand and then held out her own. Tori eyed the slender, clawed fingers with distrust and held her own hand closer to her middle.

"Give me your hand, Vega," Jade said, voice even and a bit stern but without ill intent. Tori slowly held it out and Jade took it, surprisingly gentle despite the smooth, hard texture enveloping it. The cold against her skin felt good on the minor injury. Jade pressed lightly into bone and muscle, evaluating. She hadn't torn apart bodies all her life to not know how they were put together.

"You sprained it but nothing's broken. Ice it and don't put any strain on it," Jade told her, pressing it lightly between her claws as an example. Tori sighed at how good it felt.

"Thanks," she murmured reluctantly.

"Look, I think you should tell someone about your sister. Maybe have the police look into it. She's involved in something bigger than what's on record," Jade mentioned.

"I can't," Tori said with a shake of her head.

"Yes, you can," Jade pressed.

"No, I can't! She's my sister!" Tori exclaimed, yanking her hand free and wincing at the tug on her injured hand.

"I know, but sometimes those you think you could trust aren't who you thought they were," Jade replied, expression giving nothing away. But the way she said it made Tori listen.

"Can I trust you?" she whispered. Jade took a step back, bothered by the sudden shift. She was uncomfortable with the question. Could the human trust her? She was a monster. She shouldn't get involved in something that didn't concern her. But Tori stood there with hope plain on her face. A hope that she had someone to rely on and help her figure it all out. Jade shook her head.

"No. You shouldn't trust me. My concerns are my own. As yours should be. Tell the police and don't look for me," Jade muttered, turning away.

"Jade, wait!" Tori yelled, her voice ringing in the silence of night. Jade flinched, pausing. A warm hand gripped at her wrist.

"Please don't leave me with this. I'm scared. My sister could be in big trouble, and I can't just sit around and wait for the police to do something," she said, hand tightening as much as it could on Jade's wrist. A weak human grip. A weak human asking for help. Never in her whole existence. Why now?

"What do you expect me to do?" Jade asked, turning around so fast Tori stumbled to avoid a wing to the face.

"Look at me. I live by hiding. Why would I risk exposure just to help a human? A human that was supposed to have been just another meal for me. You're turning out to be more trouble than you're worth," Jade growled, succeeding in hurting her. She could see it in her face. In her frown and tearing eyes.

"You are a monster," Tori whispered, walking away. Jade hated that word, even though that was what she was. She always had an unhealthy interest in humans. In what it meant to be human. A disgrace to her kind. An outcast. Her father would be ashamed. That interest was what brought her here. In the end, it was all her fault. The least she could do was help one stupid human. What harm could it do?

"Fine. I'll help you," she blurted out. Tori stopped.

"I don't want help from a reluctant…whatever you are," she said, starting to walk again. Jade darted forward to cut her off, startling her.

"Gargoyle. More or less," she supplied with a shrug.

"Those exist?" Tori inquired, skeptical and looking her over as if she was lying. As if how she looked didn't match up with what the human knew of gargoyles.

"Well, the lore isn't quite what you know it as. But yes," Jade confirmed.

"Well, you do feel like stone. Smooth stone. More like marble," Tori guessed. Jade rolled her eyes.

"That's part of it, but not the whole story. Look, how about I tell you some other time? I can trust you if you trust me. Together we'll figure this out. Deal?" Jade bargained, holding out her hand in truce. Tori stood there a moment then slowly raised her hand. And even though she already forgot it was injured, Jade didn't, and carefully took it into her own to shake once. Tori noticed her gentle hold and smiled.

"Alright. Partners," she agreed. Jade dropped her hand with an uneasy groan.

"Please don't say that," she denied, turning to walk away. Tori grinned and ran to catch up.

"Do you lose a lot of shirts to those?" she wondered, looking at her wings.

"And the questions already start," Jade griped, regretting her decision.

"I'm taking that as a yes," Tori concluded.

"I don't always lose control of my form. Tonight, I was just…excited to feed after I had to wait so long," she explained.

"Oh, sorry," Tori said, as if she was apologizing for not being eaten. Jade shook her head and couldn't help but laugh once without humor.

"You're a weird human, you know that?" she commented.

"Is that good or bad?" Tori replied.

"In this case, good. You wouldn't have gotten this far if you hadn't let your curiosity get the better of you. I know because I'm in the same boat," Jade admitted, her tail swaying apprehensively at the honesty she showed. Tori offered a reassuring smile, subconsciously walking closer to Jade until her tail flicked against her leg and she put space between them.

"Um, is it possible for you to walk me home again? I mean, I don't want anyone to see you, but I'd feel safer if you did," Tori said, gesturing in the general direction of her house.

"Unfortunately, I can't just turn it off right now. If you want me to get you home it won't be by walking," Jade replied, pointing at the sky. Tori glanced up nervously and then down the path at the dark city ahead of them.

"Alright," she gave in, taking the lesser of two evils. She couldn't believe she just walked around at night alone. Yes, she had things to ward off people, but monsters? Now she couldn't even fathom being alone at night knowing they were out there. The law be damned. She was sure if there were human criminals then there were monsters out there that didn't follow the rules either. And why should they?

Jade seemed to understand her reluctance but swept her off her feet without warning, looking for one last thrill. Tori instantly clung to her again, seeking safety. It warmed a part of Jade to know that even if it was just circumstantial, Tori sought safety in her arms. She held her close and headed to her house, aiming for the open window of her room. She neatly landed inside and let Tori go.

"You sneak out an awful lot to be so scared of nightfall," Jade commented, looking around subtly. Tori whined and plopped on her bed.

"I know. I'm not going to be so risky anymore," she swore.

"We'll have to figure out where and how to meet up. I can't meet you during the day," Jade reminded her. Tori looked up and bit nervously at her lip.

"Can you tell me why?" she asked. Jade looked away.

"What do you know of gargoyles?" she replied instead.

"They're ugly winged creatures on architecture that were originally used like a gutter for rainwater runoff but also symbolized guardianship of a building and they were believed to ward off evil," Tori answered. Jade frowned at the mention of an ugly creature and tried not to take offense.

"Yes, well there's more to it than that. Somewhere in there, humans got the idea from an actual living creature. I can educate you properly the next time we meet," Jade offered, heading for the window. It was then Tori understood that she offended Jade.

"You're not ugly though," she tried to elaborate.

"Gee thanks, Vega. You aren't half bad yourself. You know, for a measly human," Jade deadpanned, though her tone was light. Almost playful. Tori smiled. Jade didn't return it, features blank, but she did look back before departing. She returned home to pace her room, bothered by the exchange. She was getting too close. She never talked this much with a human before. She didn't want to let her old interest take hold of her. All it did was get her in trouble. But she was already invested. She could only hope nothing bad came of it. Like the last time she allowed herself to trust.

She curled up in bed, refusing to let her mind return to the past. It was behind her now. She was still free. They wouldn't find her. She fell asleep and her body turned to stone as it did every morning, releasing her when it grew dark. She got ready to head out for work, taking her time as if she could stall the inevitable. She was surprised when she found Tori waiting for her near the office.

"Hey. I hoped you would come by here to start your shift. I figured we could meet afterward if you're up for it," Tori suggested. Jade took a quick look around them, uncomfortable talking in the open. She nodded.

"I'm fine with that, but you'll be up late," she said. Tori waved it away.

"I told my parents that I want a dorm for the full college experience. I was able to get one last minute since I just started my classes. It'll give us a place to talk and it's close by. Any day you have off you could go there as soon as you're able," she proposed.

"You thought this through," Jade stated, further interested in the human.

"Well, yeah. I want this to work. You took the first step and trusted me. Now I'll trust you," Tori reiterated her words, smiling. Jade only allowed an amused smirk.

"Right. Then I'll see you at midnight," she said, heading for the office. She glanced back to see Tori walking away and hoped no one saw them talking. It occurred to her that it sounded an awful lot like a different kind of rendezvous. She steered clear of the thought and got to work. Thoughts like that would get her nowhere. It was thankfully an uneventful night. Sometimes a boring night was preferred to another turn of events. She was on her way out when Tori showed up again. She came out from the dorm room building and waved her over. Jade took her time heading over to her.

"Hi," Tori greeted simply.

"Hey," Jade responded, hands in her pockets. It wasn't lost on her how awkward she was feeling.

"So, uh, come on. You only have so long," Tori said, leading the way. Jade let out a calming breath and followed along behind her.