Lets finish out this lovely weekend! a change is definitely coming in the company, and its tarts in 5...4...3...2...

Twenty-Six

"Whew." Tori adjusted the strap on her laptop case and handed over her suitcase to the skycap, as Jade bent her head to listen to his mate, who was offering guidance to the hangar. "Sure could use a cup of coffee, Jade… you interested?"

The dark-haired woman glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "You bet." She rejoined her companion, zipping up her jacket a little as they rode the cart toward the hangar where their plane waited. "I think we're getting outta here just in time… did you see those clouds?"

Tori peered back the way they came, where lowering, gray clouds obscured the sunset and nodded. "Yeah... I think you're right, pardner." She patted Jade on the back. "Unless I'm really mistaken, you're going to miss a snowstorm."

Jade's ears perked up. "A snowstorm?" She grinned and bumped into Tori's shoulder with her elbow. "That wouldn't be so bad… I always wanted to have a snowball fight with someone." She let out a breath and paused before they entered the terminal. "Maybe next time."

"You want a snowball fight? You got it but let me warn you it's only fun for about the first ten minutes." Tori smiled, her eyes crinkling up all the way. After that, You just want dry towels and hot chocolate. Problem with that?"

"Nope." She tucked a hand into the crook of Jade's elbow as they climbed up the stairs to get into their plane. "I guess it's time to reconnect to the network.

"Yeah Jade, we've had our phones turned off what if Andre needed us for Chino?" Tori said and they both sighed.

Jade shrugged, and flipped the devices on, then counted under her breath to ten. At six, both Phones went off with notifications of texts and voice mail.

Jade sighed, picking up her device, and glancing at it. "Damn it… there must be three dozen new conversations on this stupid thing."

"Yikes." Tori picked hers up and pressed the button. "Oh… gee, I'm glad I'm just your assistant... I've only got two dozen." She shook her head. "I mean.. didn't they figure out we were together?"

Jade was muttering, and cursing under her breath as she reviewed her messages."Idiots."

"What's up?" Tori said dropping her laptop on a tabletop. "I got pages from half the office. Rob, Cat, what the hell did they all want, a personal explanation of what happened?"

She tossed her phone back in her pocket. "I'll go get some coffee." She stated as Tori settled in the living area of the plane. "Be right back."

"Do you think the crew grabbed the paper?" Tori requested, as she leaned back and watched her companion walk off. A grin wound its way onto her face as she enjoyed the little rhythm in Jade's walk, too slight to be a swagger, but definite nonetheless. She was wearing a pair of worn, black stone-washed jeans with her high-top sneakers, and Tori found herself wishing she were once again between Jade and her Calvins.

Not that Jade didn't look good in a business suit, oh no.. she certainly did, the brunette woman reflected. Especially that black linen one with the silver silk blouse… no, there wasn't much her lover couldn't pull off in the clothes department, but she got the feeling Jade was most comfortable just like she was right now.

Tori stretched out her feet and crossed her ankles, regarding her tan boots wryly. She had her most comfortable pair of really nice, faded, soft jeans on, almost white from washing, with spots a little worn around her knees, and brass buttons with the letters rubbed right off them. Her thick, warm flannel shirt was tucked in neatly, and she folded her arms across her chest, letting her head lean back against the Leather of the cabin seat.

It had been a good weekend, she decided. Despite the bumps, and the little moments of doubt, it still had brought them closer together, and put some truths on the table. They'd come out of it rested, and pretty much relaxed, and… Tori wiggled her fingers and regarded the ring on her hand. "And pretty much committed to each other, I think." She took a moment out and allowed the joy she was feeling to bubble up, making her skin tingle.

"Tori?" Jade's hesitant voice broke her out of her dreamy state.

"Uh… sorry." She pushed herself upright and took the cup her lover was holding out. "I was um… just thinking."

"Uh-huh." Jade dropped down in the chair next to her. "I'm not going to ask about what.. but based on that look you had, I hope it wasn't the coffee." She handed her the requested paper. "Here... it's tomorrow's edition of USA Today."

Tori took it, and laid it down in her lap, then gave Jade a look over the rim of her cup. "It wasn't the coffee." She admitted, taking a sip. "I have this little ball of happiness inside me, and I was just playing with it."

Jade bit down on her cup edge, and her eyelashes fluttered in surprise. "That's an interesting way to put that." She chuckled. "Very poetic."

brown Eyes twinkled gently. "I said you bring that out in me, didn't I?"

Her companion grinned frankly. "Funny… why do I bring out the worst in everyone except for you?" She leaned on the chair arm and pressed her shoulder against Tori's, glancing down at the paper. "Anything interesting?"

Tori flipped through the pages as Jade relaxed, closing her eyes and taking slow, idle sips of her coffee.

"Hey, Jade?"

"Mm?"

"What's a CIO?"

Jade regarded the popcorn ceiling reflectively. "Chief Information Officer… it's a person who sits on the board of directors of a company.. charts strategy for IS, sets policy, that kind of thing. " She sucked down a mouthful of the mocha. "Why?"

"We didn't have one of those," Tori remarked.

"Nope... Alastair has been waffling on that for two years.. since the last guy threw up his hands in disgust and walked off… he's got to give up control for that, and he just can't stand it." Jade crossed her ankles. "It's worked for me because it takes out a layer of pretty useless management."

"Mm." Tori slid closer, and put her arm around Jade's shoulders, putting the paper in front of her half-closed eyes.

"What's that… " Jade's brow scrunched. "Oh.. shit, he finally found someone? Damn it..how was I not in on that Board meeting? Who is it?" The headline stated their company had named a CIO.

"You."

Jade went absolutely still, her eyes wide and staring for a long moment, before she shot upright, and grabbed the paper, bending her head to read the text. Her jaw dropped open, and she took in and released several breaths before intelligible words came out. "That son of a bitch.. I'm gonna kill him." She managed to squeak out.

"Jade, honey… isn't that a good thing?" Tori murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. " She watched Jade's nostrils flare, and her jaw muscles work. "Hey…?"

Blue eyes pivoted and met hers. "He's toast."

Tori touched her cheek. 'Why? It's your company, he's just giving you more control over what happens isn't he?." She rubbed the soft skin gently. "Why are you so upset?"

"He promised me nothing would change." Jade snarled. "Bastard."

"Jade… " Tori leaned closer, catching her eyes. "Weren't you just telling me this morning you didn't want to go back to the same old thing? This gives you a chance to change things from the top."

The long hands gripped the chair arms with convulsive strength, as Jade's gaze turned inward, thinking. Finally, her body relaxed, and she took a deep breath, returning her eyes to Tori's face. "Fuck…Thank god I bought this plane."

Tori felt the tension drain from her. "I'm willing to bet you won't even have to change offices, Jade… he just saw a way to fix a problem, and this was it." She smiled at her lover. "He is giving you more control, isn't he?"

The pale blue eyes blinked, considering.

"I just wonder why he didn't do it before." Tori sighed.

Slowly, a grin started to twitch Jade's lips. "He knew he never had anyone who could step into my Ops job before." She drawled softly, putting a finger on the very tip of Tori's nose.

"Oh no.. no. I'm not.. um... " Tori held up a hand. "No... Jade, I've only been here for a few months... no I… no... Jade.. no… stop looking at me like that."

A dark brow lifted in question.

"Jade, don't be silly… I can't do your job." Tori wailed softly.

"No." Now Jade's gaze was sharp, and appraising, and reminded Tori very much of the cool judging she'd received on that very first day. "You can't do what I did the way I did it… but I bet you could find a way to do it your way."

"I can't.. "

"Then I can't accept this," Jade stated quietly. "Because you're the only one I trust to replace me."

Tori felt breathless. "Jade, that's not fair."

"No. it's not." Her lover replied. "Life sometimes isn't."

They looked at each other in silence. Jade sighed. "At least think about it." She asked quietly. "Please?"

Tori glanced down at her boots, kicking the carpet a little, and then she looked up." All right.. I'll think about it." She nibbled her lower lip. "Give me a day or so, huh?"

Jade looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded. "Sure.. take your time." She settled back in her chair and shook her head. "I'm gonna kill him."

Tori poked her lip out. "So am I." She muttered.

Slowly, they turned and regarded each other seriously. Then Jade started to laugh, and after a moment, Tori joined her. They both wound down, then started up again, until Tori just buried her face in Jade's shoulder, and curled a hand around her arm, helpless with giggles.

"I got an idea." Jade pulled her sneakered feet up and tucked an arm around her knees. "Why don't we change our flight plan, and go to New York, and show up at his house with rubber hatchets?"

Tori peered up at her. "You really are a brat, aren't you?" She laughed.

A wicked, sexy smile answered her. "YOU.. bring that out in ME," Jade told her, shaking a long finger at her. She looked up as the captain was boarding. "Ah.. looks like it's time to go."

Tori finished off her coffee and leaned back in the reclining chair, flexing her arms and wincing as her shoulder popped into place. "Ow." She reached out for her laptop but found it taken from her fingers, and a warm hand holding her hand.

"Be glad to get home." The other woman sighed Playing with Tori's fingers.

"How's your knee doing?" Tori asked as she leaned on the console between them. "I noticed you weren't limping anymore."

Jade nodded a little. "Fine… it doesn't hurt… it was a little bit stiff this morning, but it feels great now." She gazed at the joint, hidden under the stonewashed fabric. "Find out tomorrow when I run on it, I guess."

A brunette brow lifted at her. "And if it hurts?" She knew better than to argue about the running.

Jade took a breath to answer, then found intense brown Eyes watching her. "I can worry about myself, you know."

A smile. "I know... " Tori wrinkled her nose. "But it's my privilege to do it." She told her lover. "It works both ways, Jade… we're responsible for each other, okay?"

"Okay." Jade snuggled back in the leather seat, and accepted a glass of wine from the steward, passing it to Tori and then taking one for herself. She took a sip and rolled it around her mouth a few times before she swallowed it.

Someone else is responsible for her. What a weird thought. It'd been a very, very long time since anyone had wanted to do that.

But you know... Jade considered it seriously. I think I like that idea.

Tori keyed the door open, and entered, smiling as she heard the raucous yipping from Chino's room as she flipped the light on. "Okay, honey.. hang on.." She pushed the door back and let Jade move past her, then closed the door and plopped her laptop case down on the couch as Jade set the suitcases on the floor. "I'll go let her out…and I sure could use some coffee.. you?"

"Uh-huh." Jade agreed, straightening. "Damn weather.. we must have circled over San Jose for an hour. " She complained, rubbing her neck. "Thank god we flew private." She shouldered her laptop and moved into her office, turning on the light as she dropped the case on the desk and moved around the other side, flipping her pc on and sitting down in the comfortable leather chair with a sigh. "Let's see... it's nine o'clock… it's Sunday… he's home." She cracked her knuckles, then wiggled her fingers before she punched a phone number on her phone.

It rang once.

Twice.

A voice picked up. "Hello?"

Jade smiled and steepled her fingers. "Hi."

Momentary silence. "OH..oh.. hello, Jade!" A pause. "Heh heh.. so.. how was your little vacation?"

Jade let him wait for a beat. "It was great until I picked up a god damned newspaper at the airport a few hours ago." She growled intimidatingly.

"Now Jade... " Alastair' voice turned soothing. "Let me explain."

"Explain? " Jade barked. "No no. .it was perfectly clear to me.. in black and white, in fact."

"Jade.. Jade… now listen.. " Alastair cleared his throat. "I tried to call you...I tried to page you... several times… but you never answered me."

"I was on vacation." The dark-haired woman reminded him. "You knew that." She looked up as Tori entered, carrying a steaming cup, and dressed in a soft, brief cotton t-shirt which just barely covered her thighs. She grinned at her lover, almost forgetting the man on the phone.

"All right, well.. but I tried to get you, Jade... I had to make a decision, and you know, when I've got to go, I've got to go... I can't just wait around for things to happen. " He cleared his throat. "It was the right time... I needed something to boost things… and it worked!"

"What worked?" Jade asked, taking the cup with one hand, and tracing the soft curve of Tori's leg muscles with her other.

"Stock went up five damn dollars!" Alastair chortled. "Now c'mon… you can't be that mad at me." He chided her. "Good grief, Jade.. you'd think I'd asked you to go off and become a missionary… we are putting things right, in case you hadn't gotten that part down."

"What if I don't want to move to CIO?" The dark-haired woman asked, mildly. "I'm not moving my ass to New York, Alastair, so forget it. Find some other dog out there to wag their tail for you."

Silence.

"Alastair?"

"Hmm.? Oh.. sorry, Jade... I was just contemplating the image of you wagging your tail at me." The Chairman remarked cheerfully. "Hell.. I'd move to San Francisco for that, never mind bringing you out here."

Jade sighed. "Alastair… "

"I know... I know... EEOC… but listen, Jade... I never considered you coming out here.. I've got a nice, peaceful office.. I don't need Hurricane Jade coming in and blowing everyone out of the water.. no… that's not why I did it." He paused. "I just thought it would make things easier there…some of the problems seem to be from the committee mentality... I just made you a committee of one."

"That's a lot of added responsibility." Jade slid her hand up a bit, twitching the edge of the shirt, and getting her hand slapped. She looked up at Tori with a wicked grin.

"Well… It's your company, Jade, you should get all the perks of owning it. Including not having to deal with a committee to do what you need to do."

Jade remarked dryly. "Nifty.. just what I needed… Alastair, I don't need more crap, all right?"

He sighed. "I thought you'd be happy."

"Don't whine," Jade told him, testily. "Maybe I just like to be asked, first, before I have to read about it in the damn daily news!" She glanced up as Tori unfolded the business section of the paper she'd picked up outside the house. "Oh shit." She covered her eyes.

"It's a nice picture of you," Tori remarked, diplomatically. "I like your hair."

"Is that Tori?" Alastair asked, brightly. "Hello there."

"Hi, Mr. Rosenthal," Tori responded. "There's a big story on the front page of Business Monday in the Herald about Jade." She patted her lover, who had covered her eyes and was moaning, on the shoulder. "It looks great."

Alastair chuckled. "Oh yeah… they called up here for copy and a photo… I think they gave them the one from that company picnic last year." He cleared his throat. "So, what about it, Jade? I'll concede I should have asked you, but I really didn't think you'd mind."

Jade sighed and studied her hands. "I need a few days to think about it, Alastair." She told the ChairmanChairman, her eyes meeting Tori's. "I'll let you know."

"Jade, I hate waiting." The Chairman complained. "Besides, what am I supposed to tell the board?"

A soft chuckle, almost unheard. "Tell them I said to kiss my ass." Jade drawled in reply. "I'll let you know in a few days, Alastair." She paused. "Goodnight." She hit the release, then took a sip of her coffee, regarding her computer screen in pensive silence. "I wonder how much easier running this company would be?"

Tori flicked her fingers through the dark hair, then glanced at the phone when it rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"

A low, raspy voice responded, causing her to smile. "Oh.. hi…yeah.. yeah, that's your kid in the paper, all right." She watched Jade's whole demeanor perk up when her words registered. "Here… say hello." She handed the phone to her lover and kissed her head. "I'm going to put my stuff away." She whispered, then eased out of the room.

Chino trotted over to her, licking her chops from the snack Tori had provided the puppy, and attempted to catch her feet. "Hey.. cut that out." She laughed, reaching down and picking the animal up, then carrying her upstairs. "You leave your mom alone for a few minutes, okay? She's talking to her daddy."

"Woo?" Chino yawned at her. "Yeep."

"Yeah... I know." Tori entered her room, and put the puppy down on the bed, then sat down herself, laying back on the soft surface and regarding the ceiling. Chino curled up by her side, and she stroked the puppy gently as she thought.

"Chino.. I'm twenty-seven years old." She told the animal. "I'm not ready to be a vice president of anything more vital than the condo association here."

"Yeep." Chino licked her chops again.

"I mean, it's ridiculous…I can't do her job." Tori argued, waving a hand. "I can't even begin to do it… look what happened in only one day without her here?" She shook her head. "I don't know what she thinks she's doing by even suggesting it…she's just being nice, Chino… she can't seriously think I can do that."

She played with the puppy's ears. "I can't do it... I'm not good enough, Chino." She felt a little sad. "I'm no match for her capabilities… even though she says she put me in here because she thought I was… I'm not."

"That's not true." The low, vibrant voice came from the doorway.

Tori felt momentarily confused. "Jade… "

"It's not true, Tori." Jade crossed the room and settled onto the bed. "I know you believe that, because you've had assholes telling you you're not capable half your life, but it's not god damned true." Her voice deepened with anger. "And you do me a disservice by thinking I'd put someone into a job unless I believed in their ability." A pause. "Unless I believed in them."

"Jade-"

"I have to live with my decisions, Tori. Do you really think I'd open myself up to the embarrassment of that kind of failure?"

Tori had no answer for that, so she simply closed her eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, then she opened them. "I can't do it Jade…please don't ask that of me." She put out a hand and captured one of her lovers. "All my life I've had to fight to make people believe I earned what I got… I'd never be able to fight hard enough on this one."

"But.. "

"Jade." Tori gazed up at her, heartsick. "You know it's true… no matter what I did, nine out of ten people in that company would believe I got that job because we're lovers." And I'm one of the nine.. don't you understand that? Her conscience silently added.

Jade's shoulders slumped, as she exhaled in resignation. "But it's not true… I swear it, Tori… I swear it. If I didn't even know your first name, but I'd worked with you as much as I have… I swear you're the best choice." She got up and paced to the sliding glass doors, opening them and going outside onto the breeze-licked balcony, leaning on it and gazing out over the water.

The soft sound of the waves breaking came to her ears, as Tori just lay there, unable to come up with even a ghost of a possible plan, one that would get both of them what they wanted. Or didn't want to, as it happened.

"Okay." Jade had returned and was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, jaw shifting lightly as she thought. "What about this… "

"Jade.. "

"Just listen to me, will you?" The dark-haired woman insisted. "Just listen a minute… how about, I don't fill the position." She moved forward, holding a hand up. "I just leave it empty.. because you're right, you've only been with us for a few months, and frankly, there isn't anyone in the immediate chain I'd be able to put in there anyway."

Tori regarded her warily. "Yeah?"

"Okay… and you… you can take on a little bit at a time.. no, wait.. wait… just listen… " Another hand. "Just try things out, see if you think you can handle things." She paused, and waited, aware of the cautious, green eyes regarding her now in silence. "No pressure... you just fill in for me here and there.. just to see how you like it."

"What if I don't?" Tori asked, hesitantly.

"Then you stop.. and after six... eight months… you'll know if you can do the job or not. If you can, great.. you get it, and by that time you'll have proven yourself so thoroughly, everyone will be slamming my ass for not promoting you earlier. If you decide you can't… then you can help me pick someone who can." Jade stopped again and raised a brow at her. "What do you think?"

Tori got up and paced around the area near the bed, her hands behind her in a classic pose, while a sleepy Chino watched curiously from the bed. Finally, she stopped and regarded her lover dourly. "I think you're too smart for your own good, Jade Giana."

A cautious twinkle appeared. "So, is that a yes?" Funny how nice that name sounded, coming off those lips.

The brunette woman ran the idea through her head again a few times, looking for pitfalls. It did make sense… and it gave her an excellent, fairly low-pressure way to really find out if she had what it took, without putting herself, Jade, or their relationship at risk. "I can just back off at any time?" She questioned closely. "If I get in over my head?"

"Anytime," Jade reassured her. "You just come and say, 'I can't do this.'"

Hmm. By waiting, Jade would defuse the sure charges of nepotism that would start flying…, by not acting immediately, she would put everyone else off balance. "All right." She finally said, putting her hands on her hips and exhaling. "I think I can cope with that."

Jade's head cocked gently to one side. "You sure?"

Tori's brows lifted. "NOW you're asking me that?" She demanded. "And don't give me those puppy dog eyes."

Jade's gaze dropped guiltily. "I… Tori, I don't want you to think you're being forced into this. If you really don't want to do it, just tell me." She replied, in a steady voice. "I mean that."

The other woman let out a breath, then she walked over to where Jade was standing, feeling the soft carpet under her feet, and the cool breeze coming in the open doors. She stopped right next to Jade and looked up. She could see the tension in her lover's body and the effort it was taking for Jade to keep a cool, calm façade.

Her choice.

What the hell? Life was short. "It's all right." She put a hand against Jade's belly and gave her a tiny, friendly shove. "I can live with the compromise." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on the taller woman's collarbone. "I think it's a really smart idea."

Jade wrapped her arms around her partner, and pulled her close into a hug, tucking her head in against one shoulder and pressing her lips to the dark hair. "Thanks." She felt Tori's body shift under the light cotton shirt and pressed warmly against her, and she rocked them both gently for a few quiet moments.

"Does that mean you'll be moving into the CIO slot, then?" Tori asked finally, in a murmur.

"I guess." Jade shrugged. "But let's make them sweat for a few days… in case you change your mind." She rubbed Tori's back. "No rush."

"Mm." Tori listened to her heartbeat for a moment. "What did your dad have to say?"

Jade laughed a little, then cleared her throat. "Let me tell yah, rugrat.. " She imitated. "Was a fine thing me walking into the dad blasted government center station, jest to see my kid plastered all over the damn place.. made me spit my coffee halfway to San Diego."

Tori burst into giggles. "Oh god... you sound just like him." She gasped, thumping her head against Jade's sturdy frame. "But.. " She quieted and looked up. "I bet he was so proud of you, though, wasn't he?"

The other woman shrugged nonchalantly. "He's not much into status stuff." She dismissed the idea. "I doubt it."

"Jade." Tori took hold of her lapels and tugged them. "That is so bogus, and we both know it... I bet he was ready to explode. He was so proud of his kid." She scolded her lover.

A hesitant smile. "Well.. actually he did say he was going around and 'collecting' copies of the paper to find the one with the best picture." She admitted sheepishly.

"Why don't we just give him an original?" Tori asked gently. "We can go get your picture taken professionally…I bet he'd like that."

"No.. no, I… " Jade hesitated. "Only if you're in it too." She changed her mind. "I'd…um… I'd kinda like one of those for my desk."

A startled, but giddy grin split Tori's face. "You're on." She agreed enthusiastically. "This weekend."

Jade nodded, apparently satisfied. Then she glanced over her shoulder. "Hey... it's a pretty night out…wanna go for a little walk?" Chino's ears perked up at the sound of the word, and Jade smiled at the puppy. "And you too."

Tori chuckled. "Sure.. let me just throw some real clothes on…it's a little chilly for just a T-shirt."

"And nothing else." Jade teased, sliding a hand down her back and giving her a pinch on the behind.

"Eek." The brunette woman jumped a little, grabbing for Jade's fingers. "No fair!"

"Arf." Chino sat up and barked a puppy bark at her.