A/N: Hoped to get this out before the week was over. Have a camping trip this weekend, so needed to get both of my updates in.
I already posted chapter 2 of My Victorious Summer in case you haven't checked it out yet!
Jade woke up to the alarm on her phone.
She was tempted to buy a clock for her place, but she didn't see the need as the app on her phone was better than any clock radio. Besides, she wanted a buzzer or bell or siren, not music. Jade only got out of bed for something alarming, not soothing.
The brunette was absolutely giddy this morning because the night before she went on her first ever sapphic date. And it just so happened to be with her co-worker, who just happened to be a tall, fearless Latina with muscles.
In other words: perfect.
"She kissed me..."
Jade let herself fall back onto the bed after saying that.
This lateral move to California was getting better all the time, falling through a destroyed store front notwithstanding. Jade considered that unpleasantness a wash because immediately after, she was in the strong, capable arms of Tori Vega.
Thinking back to the incident, she bounded to the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror.
Minor cuts were beginning to heal pretty well. She was always good with her blood clotting. Only time that worked against her was when she was donating plasma to earn money for books. A hundred bucks, tax free, and you just have to lay there with a needle in your arm for an hour? Jade could just play with her phone with her free hand while the machine did its thing. Easy money.
She did her first donation earlier in the week and was back for her second. The rule was two successful donations in a week, no more. Their rules were very strict about that. You walk in, get paid a little and then earn the rest with the second visit. Jade was about to earn the bulk of this week's cash when the machine malfunctioned. In donating plasma, the contraption takes out your blood, spins it around separating the orange substance from your blood. Then what's left is mixed with a saline solution and put back into your veins through an I.V. to replenish the milliliters you have lost.
This is why most people aren't lightheaded after donating plasma the same way as donating straight up blood.
Jade's machine was acting up on the removal of the blood and the nurse tried to quickly switch arms and make a new connection. Unfortunately, since her blood clotted quickly inside the tubes of the machine, they had to call off the entire thing. But she was still compensated for her trouble and was paid. The center made a note to act quickly the next time there is a trouble with this person because she is "a strong blood clotter" as they put it.
"Not bad," she said regarding her reflection.
Her hand felt better, too. She was able to open and close it and wiggle her fingers without issue.
"Good," Jade sighed. "That's what I was worried about the most."
The buzzing of her phone snapped her out of it, and she ran back to the bedroom where it sat on the nightstand.
She picked it up and grinned when she saw it was a text from Tori.
TORI: Morning, cutie! Ready for another day?
Jade quickly typed back.
JADE: Work is work. Hope I run into that sexy stunt lady.
She blushed hard and figured that might have been too cheesy. But she accidentally hit SEND instead of DELETE and there went her sappy little reply. Jade thought she was going to die when the message hung there for a few seconds and the indicator that Tori was typing popped up.
Tori's reply was a blush emoji and a trail of hearts.
Jade sighed with a big smile.
(She really does like me! I just did the cheesiest, lamest thing ever and she just rolled with it!)
She sent her reply in the positive that she will see Tori at work and to have a safe commute.
That made her think. Back when she suggested that Tori spend the night at her place, and they could go to the studio together.
Jade stared at her unmade bed longingly.
Fleeting thoughts of what could happen there, with the right company, sent shivers through her body: pure electricity. Years of reading spicy lesbian stories gave Jade a rough idea of what she had wanted to try and a standing list of things she wasn't sure about. It was hard because for the longest time, she had nobody to try any of this with.
Right when she turned on the shower, another thought crossed her mind:
(Thank you, Emily for talking me into the bigger bed!)
Tori took the bus that passed through a few blocks from her apartment. She relished the walk to begin the day. Then she could rest her legs on the way to the studio.
The studio run public tours daily, so this bus stopped in front of the main entrance. That was convenient. As she was working, Tori would present her badge to security, and they would let her in through the special door used by the talent. This way the stars would not be hassled by fans wanting autographs.
Jason the guard made the same joke every day when Tori showed up, as Shelby Marx would always arrive before her:
"Excuse me? But you're already inside, Miss Marx!" he guffawed.
The tan woman stretched in her seat when she observed a shifty-looking white guy with a hoodie get on with a tense-looking girl about maybe 10 or 11. They just boarded and sat next to each other on one of the double seats. They appeared to be traveling together but the young girl looked way more uncomfortable than the adult.
Something about all of this rubbed Tori the wrong way, so she kept a watch on them from her spot in the back of the bus.
Every little movement clearly made the kid flinch. The guy's right hand was on his side while the left hand...it was hard to make out. The girl recoiled and said a very small "no." He whispered something to her, and she moved close to the window. There was little else she could go.
Then the man started doing something with his phone. The child used the opportunity to look back through the space between her seat and the wall. She locked eyes with Tori and hers were wet from crying earlier. The girl mouthed the word "help."
On the next stop, the guy looked up, checking the sign. It seemed where he was getting off was coming up soon. Tori took advantage of the stopped bus to get up and move up to a closer seat by the front. Now she was sitting between the two and the doors. They couldn't leave without passing her.
"Excuse me," Tori finally said.
"Is there a problem here?" the guy grumbled.
"Why don't you move away from the child."
The kid's eyes went from the man to Tori, back and forth.
"Leave us alone, okay? I'm just taking the bus with my daughter."
"HE'S NOT MY DAD!" she screamed.
His efforts to keep her quiet had run out. Now he was exposed as a kidnapper in a confined space. What's more, the strange woman stood up and looked bigger than originally perceived.
Fight or flight took over and he charged at Tori with a knife. This wasn't the movies. He was desperate and ready to kill of given the chance. He was also caught by surprise and sloppy as he looked like he was on something. The stuntwoman caught his wrist, stopping the blade from reaching her. She punched him in the side and made him drop the knife. At this point the bus driver made an emergency stop.
When he got up to see the situation, Tori was already on top of the creep with his arm behind his back like she was getting ready to hogtie him.
"Make another move and I break your arm!" she warned.
The strange man used his last bit of strength to push back, and Tori unleashed a restrained but effective tap on his forearm.
AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
"What did I say? What did I just say?!"
Some ladies on the bus were there to comfort the girl and call for help. She locked eyes with Tori again and whispered, "Thank you."
Tori nodded with a small smile.
She then leaned in, so she was right at the disarmed kidnapper's ear.
"How does it feel picking on someone your own size, you piece of shit!"
"Has anybody seen her?"
Tony wandered the set, being met with shrug after shrug.
"Jade!"
"Yeah?"
"Have you seen Tori? We're ready and Shelby's stand-in isn't here."
Worry came across her face.
"No," she said shakily. "I texted her this morning and everything seemed fine."
Jade's phone then dinged and she checked it.
She exhaled and smiled.
"She's running late," Jade explained to Tony. "There was an incident on the bus and she was giving her statement to the police."
The ginger fellow fiddled with his spectacles.
"Say what now?"
Jade made a face.
"She said she would explain later; she's just trying to get here ASAP."
Tony rubbed his forehead and sighed.
"Okay, I'll tell Malcolm just a little while longer. We can check the lights again or something."
He wandered off. Jade inside was panicking, sweating over what the hell happened on Tori's commute.
She was giving a statement, so she was likely a witness to something. It could have been worse, Jade rationalized. Better than having Tori in trouble or Tori being the trouble. No talk about getting arrested or going to infirmary, so Jade just had to be patient and get the story later.
Less than an hour after the message, Tori was on set. She must have jogged the rest of the way she seemed so out of breath.
"Sorry, guys!" she shouted. "You're not gonna believe the..."
Tori stopped dead in her tracks when the crew gazed on her with awe and applause.
"What's going on?" the stuntwoman asked, perplexed.
"Tori," Andre grinned. "It's all over social media. You've been blowing up!"
He handed her an iPad and it showed the KTLA, Channel 5 official YouTube channel.
The latest upload had half a million views in just half an hour. It was amateur video of Tori laying the smack down on the creep from earlier.
The news anchor narrated over the footage:
"...convicted child molester and kidnapper. He would have gotten away if not for the actions of one Tori Vega. She single-handedly subdued him and saved his current victim before authorities arrived. While the perpetrator thought she was an average woman, Vega turned out to be a work-a-day stunt performer with martial arts training. We have an interview with someone who worked out with Vega..."
Tori paused the video, her ears turning red. She wasn't used to this kind of attention.
"Dude, you're a hero!" exclaimed Beck.
"Fucking-A!"
She turned and there stood Dorian Pierce.
"I came down when I heard you didn't show, but now I see you had a damn good reason!"
Tori was overwhelmed with all of the praise for her actions, and she was appreciative but her mind was elsewhere. She searched through the crowd and caught sight of the production office where Jade was visible in the window.
"Excuse me, guys. I just need a few minutes, thanks."
She made her way through the swath of crew members and went up the few steps to enter the office.
Jade stood frozen, looking right at her as she closed the door.
"Are you alright?"
Tori nodded.
Jade shook her head and ran over to hug the woman.
"I was nervous when you didn't show. I mean...I knew you could handle yourself but..." the shorter one tightened her grip. "I'm just happy you're here."
"Guess you heard the news, too. Word travels fast."
Jade pulled back and touched Tori's face affectionately.
"You saved that girl," she sighed. "She's safe now because of you!"
Tori brushed back her hair.
"People should really stop making a fuss."
"Tori!"
Jade folded her arms.
"You don't get it. Everyone was upset when you weren't here. I had to talk Pierce into not firing you. But then it turned out that you were helping someone in trouble! Now, everyone feels terrible."
"What about you?" Tori asked.
"I had no doubt you would've been here no matter what. It was just...an unexpected thing, you know. Thank god you were there."
Tori was shaking a bit and sat down in a nearby chair.
"You okay?" asked Jade.
"Yeah, just the adrenaline is wearing off. I was so pumped up that everything on the bus felt so unreal. If it weren't for that video...I thought I'd imagined it, like a really vivid dream."
Jade pulled up the other chair and sat beside her.
"I mean...what if something else did happen?" Tori added. "What if he had a gun, or he wasn't alone?"
She noticed the strong woman's hands shaking and instinctively held them. Tori smiled at her appreciatively.
"All I could think about was that girl. How scared she was..." Tori bit her lip. "To feel all alone, like nobody has your back."
Tori chuckled.
"You know, I don't think much of the danger because at the end of the day, it's all well-planned. The risk isn't as great as it seems. Things can still go wrong but on a set, it's not the norm. But in real life..."
Jade kissed Tori's cheek and let go of her hands so she could hug her. Her arms scarcely wrapped a,round the larger woman.
"And here I thought you never got scared," Jade said.
Tori shook her head.
"Guess I forgot for a while, too."
"You know..." Jade said, pressing her face against Tori's toned arm. "As production manager, I can't have the talent be tardy, or try to be the Bay Area Batman beating up real criminals. How about we revisit that plan to travel to work...together?"
Tori looked at Jade and smirked.
"You sure it won't be any trouble?" she asked.
Jade shook her head.
"You kidding? I'm already a morning person. Spending it with you is the cherry, fudge and chopped nuts on the ice cream."
"We could make it real easy and I could spend the night," Tori suggested.
The pale girl regained some rouge in her face.
"That could be...fun..."
"How about...tomorrow? I would need some stuff so I could have a bag ready when we leave."
Jade licked her lips while Tori watched on eagerly for her answer.
"Oh-okay," she grinned. "Tomorrow it is."
A/N: I donate plasma myself and yeah, it's a passive source of income that BONUS: helps people in hospitals with blood disorders.
Tori, bad ass even when the cameras aren't rolling! Thought it was good to show that while Tori is a tough cookie, she is human. It's nice that they both can be vulnerable with each other.