Why can we never ask for help? Glad Tori is the person she is... enjoy!

Seven

"Ugh." Tori closed her eyes, and allowed Jade to steer her inside the House, where a cold blast of refreshing air immediately dried the sweat on her forehead from the fans. "I feel like an airboat rolled over me." They'd just gotten back from the island gym, and she was fiercely regretting the two weeks of slacking off while she was traveling. It had been a really long day at work as well, and with the two combined, Tori felt like crawling into bed right that very instant and curling up into a ball of exhausted and sore muscles, both physical and mental.

Chino was wriggling in Jade's arms, and now the taller woman leaned closer, and allowed the Labrador puppy to lick Tori's face. "C'mon… how about we share a shower, then relax? I've got my stuff all packed, so… "

Ah. Tori forced her eyes open. That's right.. tomorrow was Friday, and Jade's flight up to Connecticut. She hadn't had the chance the past few days to broach the subject of joining her, so now… She sighed. Now she'd have to find a moment, and just accept whatever answer Jade gave her.

It was bothering her wifebadly, she knew. Jade had been very quiet the past few days, almost withdrawn, and had taken to retreating into silent reserve, obviously deep in thought. Tori had been caught between her anxiety, and the understanding that this was one area Jade kept her barriers up about. Well, maybe after they relaxed a little, she could test the waters. And speaking of waters…"Shower. Mm."

Jade set Chino down, then put their bags on the couch before she led Tori into the bathroom, turning the water on before she started stripping the smaller woman's workout gear off. Tori blinked wearily, sucking in a breath before she gathered some energy and started doing the same for her partner. "What a day."

"Mmhmm." Jade agreed, tugging Tori's sports bra off, then tickling her under her arm. "Got some bad news right before we left.. our friend J.D. Ankow's supposed to be here on Monday."

"Ugh Great.. just great.." Tori stifled a yawn, then tugged Jade along with her as they made their way into the large octagonal stall shower, where warm water hit both of them. "Boy, that feels good."

Jade picked up a sponge and poured some body wash on it, then started scrubbing Tori, beginning with her shoulders, then moving down her strong back as the brunette woman simply fell against her. "Yeah, it sure does." She teased.

"Mmm…. " Tori nuzzled her, taking a playful nip as her hands circled Jade, running lightly over her wife's powerful body. "Are you still mad at me for that cake?" She felt the movement as Jade laughed. "You were so cute yesterday… my god, Jade… I've never seen you blush like that before."

Jade made a gurgling noise. "I can't believe you let them do that."

"Let them??"

Her wifesighed. "It… no, it was nice.. thank you. I appreciated it, Tori.. I was just.. um.. "

"Surprised?"

"Yeah."

"That was the point." Tori captured the sponge and started making little soapy sculptures across Jade's belly. There were lots of little valleys and ridges there for her to explore now, and she made sure all of them were clean, hitting several ticklish spots and getting soap flying all over when Jade laughed and her abs contracted. "You've got a nice laugh… have I ever told you that?"

Jade lathered up her hair, scratching her behind the ears where she had a sensitive spot and making her utter a little moan of pleasure. "No, you hadn't mentioned that before." Her wiferumbled. "Have I ever told you you've got really tasty ears?" She explored one with tiny nibbles.

A mewling sound escaped the smaller woman, as she felt the weariness of the day fall away from her, banished by a rush of energy. Her skin started to tingle and her touch changed from playful to seductive, getting an immediate response from Jade, as she nuzzled sensitive areas and stepped forward, pressing her body against her wifes and reveling in the skin on skin contact.

A dilemma. Tori was losing the ability to really decide, but she wondered if the effort of getting out of the shower would be worth the greater comfort of the waterbed. Then Jade slid a knee between hers, and she was beyond caring, wanting Jade's touch with an intensity that was almost scary.

The water's pressure alternated with Jade's touch, and she forgot about the day, concentrating only on the skin under her fingertips, and the taste of Jade's lips, and the rapidly building sensations that were making it hard to breathe. Then the world tilted, and she was vaguely aware of being lifted up, and the chill of the air conditioning, and the warm, slightly rough texture of the sheets as she was put gently down, and the touch became relentless.

She surrendered to it gladly.

Jade wasn't sleeping, Tori realized, as she lay tangled in the sheets and her wife, contentedly somnolent in the low light. She tilted her head and confirmed that, seeing the half open eyes regarding the ceiling in pensive thought. "Mm."

Blue eyes opened wider, and Jade's head inclined. "Thought you were asleep."

"Almost." Tori admitted, tracing the thin line of very fine hairs that went down the center of Jade's chest. "Why aren't you?"

"I was thinking."

Tori nodded solemnly. "About tomorrow?"

Jade exhaled heavily. "Yeah."

"Is it going to be a big ceremony?" Tori probed, very gently. Jade had been extremely resistant to talking about the issue at all, politely deferrring all of her wife's tentative nudges of concern.

Long silence, and Tori had decided Jade wasn't going to answer, when she did.

"Probably… my mother has a fairly large family.. five brothers and sisters." Jade paused. "Lots of cousins… friends.. ."

"Who you haven't seen in a while."

"Mmm."

"They going to be surprised?" Tori whispered, getting a short, wry chuckle in return. "I bet."

"Last time I saw most of them was at the service for my father." Jade's voice spoke from the darkness, colored with a sad pain she usually didn't exhibit. "Going back there just.. rakes that whole scene up again for me… I felt very alone among all of them."

"Sounds pretty awful."

"It was…they're all pretty intelligent… sophisticated.. I had always gotten the idea that they looked down on Dad, because he wasn't that kind of person. I know… my mother didn't take him to big family gatherings a lot. " Jade spoke slowly, and awkwardly. "God knows I was far from…I really wasn't very polished back then, let's just put it that way. I felt.. pretty small, with all of them looking at me… the way I was dressed…. My world was so different than theirs."

"Jade, you're not the same person you were then." Tori murmured, hurting for her.

"I know….but that was a very bad time for me." Jade admitted. "Brings up all kinds of nasty memories."

Tori rubbed her skin with tender fingers. "I'm glad you decided to talk about it. I was getting sort of worried…I know it's hard for you." With her ear pressed against Jade's chest, she could hear the irregular heartbeat, and feel the increase in her wife's breathing. "Is there anything I can to do help you?"

The heartbeat skipped, then sped up a few beats.

Tori waited through the silence, then started a soothing trace over Jade's skin.

"No.. I'll be all right.."

"Jade." Tori laid her hand flat on her wife's stomach. "You're my best friend. If you can't ask me, who can you ask?"

"It's… juvenile." Jade muttered.

"C'mon, Jade… cough it up… do you want to take one of my teddy bears?" Tori asked, in a gently kidding tone.

"No." The blue eyes now were looking at her, glints of light in the gloom.

"Do you want me to go along with you?" Tori felt the movement under her fingers stop entirely for what seemed like a long time.

Jade shifted, as though her body wanted to escape, but was being pinned in place by Tori's weight and her own will. "I can't ask you to do that.. " The dark haired woman muttered. "But thank you for offering."

"Tch tch tch." Tori hiked herself up and kissed Jade on the lips, "I f you can't ask your wife… who can you ask? Jade?" then rolled over and reached into the drawer next to the bed, pulling something out and dropping it on her wife's naked chest.

"What's that?" Jade asked, in a small voice.

"My tickets."

"When did you get those?"

"Same day you did."

Jade lifted the folder and examined it, then looked at Tori, lifting her body up. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked curiously, a look of consternation mixed with relief on her face. "Damn, Tor.. I've been trying to find a way to…"

Tori curled her arm over Jade's shoulder and put her head down. "Well." She exhaled thoughtfully. "You're a very private person, Jade… and I know this is a very sensitive area for you." She ran a finger down Jade's jawline. "If it's any consolation.. I was trying to find a way all week to ask you if you wanted me there." A smile. "I'm glad you do."

Jade let out an audible sigh of relief. "No wonder Mariela looked at me so damn funny when I told her you were going to schedule a meeting tomorrow afternoon." She gave her wifea wry look. "It's not going to be pleasant, Tori."

"That's all right. Coming to Connecticut after me wasn't very pleasant for you, was it?" Tori inquired. "It makes me feel good to be able to give you something back that way."

Jade hugged her suddenly, trading speech for physical contact.

Look down on Jade, would they? Tori felt her protective instincts rising. Intellectual snobs? Uh huh. We'll just see. "So I'll just Go Ahead and cancel these… because I was going to be there for you whether you asked me to or not." She picked up the phone and canceled her commercial flight and gladly paid the cancellation fee.