A/N: It was quite the sojourn to get there, but our girls are in NYC!
Yeah, Jade and Tori both want to go further but their issues continue to delay it. But they are making strides here and there.
Jade stretched as she noticed Tori talking on the phone.
"Morning," she yawned.
The Latina lit up when she saw her partner was awake and put her cell away.
"Good morning!" she reciprocated with a kiss on the nose, making Jade scrunch up her face.
"What time is it?"
"Almost nine!" Tori replied. "The girls are starving! So, get up and let's get some complemental breakfast."
The former goth giggled, hiding her face.
"That's continental, babe."
Tori frowned.
"So, the pastries won't tell me my hair looks nice?"
She did look nice. Her hair was wrapped in a ponytail since today would be a warmer day to be out and about in the Big Apple. Tori's long summer dress with a red and beige pattern that happened to show off her curves. She liked wearing these kinds of dresses before, like at the beach. However, with her changing look, it became apparent that such outfits were meant for ladies lacking in boobs and booty. That was Tori then, but definitely not her now. Not that Jade was complaining. She licked her lips at her fuller figure, which was barely getting suppressed by the dress. There went her dirty imagination again, wondering what wonders lay beneath the thin fabric.
Jade reached up, silently begging Tori to come closer. She did and the dark-haired one pulled her close and kissed her on the lips.
"Don't worry, I will tell you your hair looks gorgeous."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"MOM! Are you up?" asked Alice.
The couple smirked and broke apart.
"Yeah, baby!" called out Jade. "Just give me five minutes to get dressed!"
"FIVE MINUTES?" whined Mia.
"You two keep up with that and I'll take longer!"
The other side of the door was quiet.
"Either you got through to them or they finally died of starvation," sighed Tori.
She stepped aside so Jade could get herself up.
"Who were you talking to?"
"Cat," Tori replied. "Just checking that tomorrow was still a good time and she said sure."
The plan was to do all of the touristy junk they could think of today to unwind from yesterday. Beck was working today but he would be off tomorrow. That would be perfect so that the Vega-West clan could pay them a visit. Tori thought they could spend the day catching up. Cat and Beck haven't seen either of the girls in years, plus the moms really wanted to meet the twins in person!
Jade had picked out a plain black t-shirt and some jeans. It was complimented with a pair of black sneakers, as boots would wear on her poor feet in no time. The girls were dressed similarly to the author, t-shirts and denim shorts. Though Alice and Mia had more colorful tops. Leaving the room, they had a playful argument about light colors are best in the heat versus darker colors. Jade retorted that it didn't matter, you sweat anyway.
Soon, they were downstairs and eagerly helped themselves to the spread. It was a long buffet of fresh fruit, croissants and muffins, different kinds of toast, yogurt and assorted cheeses. There was also fresh coffee, tea, milk and orange juice to enjoy. It was actually the best thing to have a light breakfast to begin the day, which would consist of a lot of walking. You don't want to feel heavy while out there on a hot day.
Alice was dipping her croissant into her strawberry yogurt, which garnered looks from her party.
"You're one of a kind!" Mia grinned.
She just responded with a big bite of her sweet combination.
Since tomorrow would largely take place in Brooklyn, they decided to kick off the day with heading north to the Bronx and end the day on the upper east side of Manhattan Island. These boroughs were further apart than anticipated. It's worse than trying to hop from one Disneyworld theme park to another in a single day. Cat and Beck lived down in Brooklyn, which was about the same distance in the opposite direction.
Jade researched that a train from Queens to the Bronx would take an hour and a half. But by car, they could cut the time in half. The former goth tried to get a rental car, but there were none available at this time and to check the next day. Tori ordered them a cab to take them, Jade volunteering to treat the next cab ride. Tori shook her head when they reached their first stop in the city's northern most borough: The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage.
Built in the early 19th century, Poe and his ailing with, Viriginia moved into the residence during the spring of 1846, along with her mother. After her tragic death the following year, and Poe's passing in Baltimore two years after that, presumably because nobody was paying for it anymore, the mother-in-law left the house. Jade only learned of this place recently while planning the trip. Being in New England for years, she was abreast of all kinds of Poe lore. While the true crime savvy and history buffs preoccupied themselves with the Salem Witch trials and the Lizzie Borden house, Jade was enamored with walking in the footsteps of the man who wrote "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." He was one of her biggest inspirations.
"What do you think, Jade?" Tori asked. "Do you sense vibes here?"
She closed her eyes as they walked through the very plain, very 1800's dining room. What was it about tables and chairs back then that they were so tiny? Beyond the wood, there was very little color here. The house might as well exist in a world that was black and white, like the illustrations from his collected works. Speaking of which, some of his final writings were conducted in this little house. When they were finished, Tori asked for a tour guide to take a picture of all four of them standing on the white porch.
"Everybody say, morbid!"
They all smiled as the pic was taken and she handed the camera back to Jade.
Next stop on their first full day in New York was checking out the local zoo. Since it was about fifteen minutes away, they took a cab.
The Bronx had an amazing zoo, with tons of creatures in it. It's funny how towns used to me so small they lived within nature. Now, you have a city that has grown so much in size that nature has a space within it. Alice laughed at the sea lions, who the employee explained were all rescues. The silliest one was named Silas and the crowd liked him best as he was a little clown, making noises and doing pratfalls into the water. Silas wasn't trained to do these things, they were told. He's just a goober. Been that way since he was a pup.
Mia liked the butterfly garden, which was this big enclosure that had more than the colorful insects. There were birds flying around and even a koi pond. The sign said of a red-footed tortoise, but they didn't catch it. Jade moaned for Tori and when she turned around, she couldn't believe the sight. Ice queen herself was standing stiff, covered with nearly a dozen butterflies.
"Get them off me!" she uttered through gritted teeth.
"Hold that thought!" Tori smirked before taking her picture. "Need the evidence."
"Wait, mom! Don't move."
Alice had a sightseer guide in her hands and walked around her mother, pointing.
"Okay, that's a luna moth, that's a painted lady, monarch. Ooh! a malachite! You're lucky, mom!"
"I've got another monarch over here," pointed Mia behind Jade's back.
Tori tried to stifle her laughter at Jade unable to shake off the butterflies. Her eyes narrowed at the Latina.
Feeling hungry, they went to the Dancing Crane Cafe to get some lunch. They had hotdogs and fries, with sodas. Jade scowled at Tori when she showed her the picture of her with the butterflies. She thought it was adorable and the teens were having fun. Thinking back to how despondent Mia was at the airport yesterday, it was nice to see her smile and get into it. The least she could do was be a good sport. Tori put her hand on hers and smiled warmly, her eyes appreciative for not losing her cool back there.
She forgets sometimes that this isn't quite the same Jade as in Hollywood Arts. This Jade is more patient and kinder, downright nurturing. Sometimes Tori wrestled with the concept that anyone would leave her for someone else. She was determined to not let Jade slip through her fingers. Jade West was one in a trillion and Tori was going to treasure her, always.
The author ended up enjoying the next attraction much more, which was the chance to get up close and personal with a fully grown cheetah. They were on a leash with a trainer to keep her calm. Jade was eager to pet the soft big cat. It purred at her gentle touch, which had more base to it than the purr of a housecat. She remembered having a stuffed animal of one as a kid and she slept with in every night. Jade had envisioned going on an African safari one day, but you couldn't get this close. It was a dream come true to feeling this champion of the land animals.
"Sweet kitty!" she grinned. "I want one!"
"We're not getting a cheetah, Jade!"
She frowned and looked back at Tori and the girls, who were standing several feet away.
"At least come closer and per her. She's gorgeous!"
"We can see just fine back here, thanks!" Mia said, holding Tori.
The girls' favorite part was the Wild Asia Monorail, which showcased huge animals like rhinos and elephants to the little curious red pandas. One hung on a branch, watching the tourists roll by. Tori snapped a picture of the little guy with a dopey grin. Jade made a point of capturing the moment of Tori taking a pic of the mammal. She liked watching people she loved enjoy things. To think this enthusiasm would have been the kind of thing old Jade might have chided her over. She didn't realize what she was missing. Having this ray of sunlight in her life was wonderful.
Jade's biggest regret was they hadn't gotten together sooner. But Tori had her own issues to work through and she was thankful that she came around and accepted her. They were together now, spending time at the zoo with their daughters and very little could top that in Jade's opinion. People think of the lofty, dreamlike scenarios when falling in love. But the little things, the domestic stuff nobody talks about. That's the good stuff. The things you miss most when someone wasn't there. Her and Tori still had separate living situations, but who knows what the future will bring?
So, she will savor moments like these when she can get them. Her arm snaked around her girlfriend, kissing the back of her neck which almost caused the Latina to drop her phone. Tori managed to sigh in relief and gasp in ecstasy at the same time.
"What was that for?" Tori asked.
"Nothing, you beautiful idiot" Jade whispered. "Just...never stop being you."
(Only Jade West can make me feel like the most loved person in the world while using the word "idiot.")
Leaving the zoo, the gang went down to the subway station. They would have to go clear across town, but the girls were in the dark why.
"Okay, anybody need to use the bathroom?" Tori asked.
Mia raised her hand.
"Buddy system, you know the drill," Jade pointed to both girls. "Alice, you've got it right?"
The youngest one rolled her eyes and showed her mom the little can on a keychain.
"What's that?" asked Tori.
"Mace," shrugged Alice. "I've had it since the first day of school."
"WHAT?" asked Tori and Mia in unison.
Jade threw up her hands.
"Okay, what is the huge deal?"
Tori massaged her temple. "Jade, we don't allow weapons at school."
"It's a self-defense trinket, Tor! I didn't exactly give her an AR-15."
"Come on, Dirty Harry..." Mia quipped while leading Alice to the women's restroom. "I can't hold it anymore!"
"We'll be right here!" Jade nodded.
"Okay!" Alice waved.
The girls entered the open entrance for the bathroom.
"Damn it!" Jade facepalmed.
"What's wrong?" asked Tori.
"I shouldn't have given Alice that mace."
Tori smiled warmly as she held her girlfriend's hand.
"It's okay, babe. She's your only child and she just entered high school."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"What? No, I mean this is New York. I should have given her a taser."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Jade" Tori sighed.
The Latina couldn't help but grin at her girlfriend, how she loved with such an intensity it was cute (if not reckless) at times. She pulled the subway schedule out of her pocket and examined it. Tori nudged Jade, showing her what she had planned next but kept from the girls. She was going to surprise Alice with a trip to the Natural History Museum since she liked that kind of stuff. Jade smiled at her, leaning her head on her shoulder.
"Should take about 20 minutes," she explained, running her finger across the map. "The B train will get us across the river, underneath Harlem, and boom! There's the museum."
"Too bad the exhibits don't really come to life," Jade sighed. "Like in that movie."
"I've got gum-gum, just in case!" Tori grinned.
"Of course, you did."
A dull roar became audible from the surface entrance that grew considerably by the second.
"What's all that?" Tori queried.
Jade shrugged, "Rush hour maybe. Maybe all of the animals from the zoo broke free?"
It was a stampede of sorts.
Her eyes widened at the multitude of men and women pouring down the stairs wearing Yankees shirts and hats. Turned out they were down the street from the Yankee Stadium and today's game against the Braves just let out.
"Oh...shit..." swallowed Tori.
Before they knew it, the women became overwhelmed by the massive crowd, all talking with enthusiasm about the game. It was like a tidal wave of sports fans and Tori and Jade had a time just keeping together.
"HEY! HEY!"
But Jade's protests fell on deaf ears as the mass exodus from the ballpark filled the subway cars, unwittingly forcing the women along with them.
"STOP! HOLD ON! WE HAVE..."
"OUR KIDS ARE WAITING YOU DRUNK ASS-"
An empty beer can knocked the author upside the head, angering her further. Tori pushed through the thick of passengers, clinging to Jade's arm. She didn't want to lose her, and she really didn't need her to murder some drunk idiot. But the doors shut with a hiss and the car began moving.
"NO!"
Tori tried to pry open them, but it was no use.
Alice and Mia emerged from the bathroom and their faces went white when they saw Tori and Jade banging on the doors, shouting something at them. The girls raced to keep them in their sights, but the platform came to a point and the subway cars vanished into the tunnel.
"What the hell just happened?!" Mia asked.
"Did they get on the wrong train?" Alice pondered.
"Still, they said they would wait for us."
Mia's phone buzzed and she saw it was her mom.
"Mom? MOM? What happened?"
"We got the damn bum's rush is what!" came Jade's exasperated voice.
"What do we do, mom?" Mia asked, concerned.
Alice hung next to her, paying attention.
"Listen, there should be another train in a few minutes. Just take the B route, make sure it says 6 Avenue Express! And get off at the 81st Street stop. Okay?"
Mia nodded, "6 Avenue Express, 81st Street, got it!"
"Just stick together and keep your phones on, alright? I love you."
"Love you, too!" the taller teen sighed. "We'll meet you there."
She looked down at her travel buddy and smiled with encouragement.
"Don't worry, just a little snag. I know where they're going."
Mia took Alice by the hand and let her to the middle of the platform, where she could lean against a grey pillar.
"Look at us!" the younger girl chuckled. "Taking public transportation again."
"At least we're not going to school," Mia sighed, folding her arms.
Tori was scratching her face with worry. Jade was trying her best to hold it together as well. Fortunately, it thinned out somewhat when the passengers began walking through the gangway doors, the throughways that connected car to car. Now it felt less like a sardine can and after the most recent stop, the ladies could at least sit down.
"My nerves are shooting up!" huffed Jade.
"Your head okay?" Tori asked, feeling her temple for a bump.
Jade took the tan hand and kissed it, grateful for the concern.
"I'll be fine. Not bleeding. Just sore I didn't get to find whoever did that and castrate him."
Tori hugged her close.
"Our babies are lost in New York!" she shakily said.
"That's a bit dramatic, Vega. Those girls are smart and most of all, they have each other. Mia got the directions?"
The Latina nodded.
"Then we shouldn't worry," Jade smiled, biting her lip.
(Please let them be alright.)
Ten minutes later, the girls were on the next train heading southbound toward Brooklyn, but they would be getting off halfway through Manhattan. Alice and Mia sat on the end of their subway car, paying close attention to the signs. They didn't want to miss their stop.
Alice took her souvenir hat out of the bag and put it on her head. It was white and green with an elephant underneath "BRONX ZOO" in gold letters. It made her look like a dorky tourist, but the girl could care less. That bit of silliness help calm her down from the fleeting thought of being separated in the big city.
Mia looked at Alice with a smirk.
"What?"
"So, you've been packing this whole time?"
Alice shook her head.
"Oh. My. God. It's just mace."
"Ever had to use it?"
"Not really," Alice shrugged. "Your right hook sort of made it unnecessary."
Mia blinked.
"What does that mean?"
"You know, since those girls picked on me and you clocked Savannah in the face, people didn't mess with me after that."
The tan girl chuckled and put an arm around her partner in crime.
"Aww, really?"
Alice tensed up when she saw a strange-looking older man. He was staring at them intently.
"Mia?" she whispered. "There's a guy looking at us."
"Who?"
She cocked her head to the right and sitting on one of the double-seats was this man in ratty clothing. He was balding and had wild eyes. Honestly, his intense gaze sent shivers through the teens. Mia thought back to that old movie, Ghost she watched with her mom. Vincent Schiavelli played a creepy subway apparition who at first terrified Patrick Swayzee only to teach him how to manipulate physical objects in the living world in a later scene. This oddball bore a striking resemblance to the subway ghost.
"Let's get out of here," the older one whispered.
"Please," Alice agreed.
They stood up very slowly and made their way toward the accordion-like corridor to the next car. Panic arose in Alice as she looked back and saw the man rising up and following them. He was tall, maybe taller than Mia, and that somehow made Alice even more scared. She gripped the tan girl's hand even tighter with a low whine. This taking a subway in New York business was a far cry from the relatively safer city bus back home.
"He's following us."
Mia turned her head around just enough to allow the sight to register into her peripheral vision. The scary man was entering the car along with them. She tried to keep her senses from going off the deep end, so she tried to rationalize it in her head. Maybe he had wanted to change cars, and this was a coincidence? Mia put on her best brave face for Alice's sake, who must be freaking out right now. They only had each other right now, and being the oldest in this situation, she had a responsibility to keep her calm and safe. Not that it didn't register for Mia to do otherwise. She loved Alice very much.
"Just keep walking," she advised the shorter girl.
The held onto each other as the long subway squealed to a stop. Seconds later, the side doors opened, and swaths of people began filing in and out. Mia pulled Alice through the opening, hoping to lose the strange man in the shuffle. The girls fought their way past the onslaught of passengers. Alice spotted a sign pointing to the Museum of Natural History.
"This way! There's the exit!"
Mia nodded and the pair ran, the taller one leading the charge of course since she was the fastest. If she were stronger, Mia would've made it easier having tiny determined on her back. They ran up the stairs and were met with the sunshine, literal light at the end of the tunnel. Now, the girls were topside and hugged victorious.
"Made it!" Alice breathed.
"I was worried back there," Mia admitted.
Alice smirked and elbowed her.
"Kind of figured that out the way you squeezed my hand extra hard."
"What?" Mia asked, arms folded. "I just didn't want to lose you."
They locked eyes, both knowing that previous statement was bullshit.
"Better text mom where we're at. What is this...81st street?"
Alice sighed at the signs pointing to the world-famous museum. She thought about that time Becky took her to the art museum in L.A. after school. Alice imagined taking her to this place, maybe some ice cream. Only a couple of nerds like them would appreciate such a date. She shook her head, coming back to reality. Mia's finger tapping her shoulder made her focus.
"Did you get a hold of them?" she asked.
Mia's tense facial expression made her blood run cold. She forced herself to look in the direction Mia was and sure enough, the creepy guy from the subway was standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes locked onto them. Without thinking, the girls took a hard left and ran right into Central Park.
"Wait, what if I use my pepper spray?" Alice asked in a huff, as she was running.
"I think you would have to get pretty close for that to work," Mia surmised.
Alice made a disgusted look and decided, "Fuck that! Keep moving."
The teenage girls flew so headlong into the urban park, they didn't take much stock into landmarks or anything. Once more, it didn't register to them at first just how gargantuan Central Park was. It was an 843-acre green rectangle in the heart of Manhattan. And they were two needles in a haystack. Sunset wouldn't be much longer, so they would have to lose the lunatic, get out of this park before dark, and find their moms (somehow).
Alice's side started to burn and even Mia's feet were feeling the strain, so they opted to rest by The Lake, which overlooked Belvedere Castle, a Romanesque/Gothic facade with an observation desk. Recognizing this spot from so many movies, Mia figured this area would be iconic enough that their moms could find them. She called her mom on the phone, but service wasn't working well, so she was stuck texting again. She told Tori that they spotted the stranger and fled into Central Park, and they think they lost him.
"Hey, Mia? Make sure your location is turned on."
The older girl nodded and checked her phone. Alice was a genius; now they could be pinpointed their exact location when her mom and Jade would enter the park looking for them. Alice looked up and a familiar unfamiliar face was standing in the distance.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" sighed Alice.
"Fuck, he's back!"
Alice went ahead of Mia this time and she was quick behind her.
"Can't believe I wanted to come here!"
They managed to get past The Lake and made it onto one of the many hiking trails, using the trees around them to their advantage. Hopefully this would keep them hidden. They ran for as long as they could until the pain was too much, and they had to rest beside a huge arbor. Alice was not a runner and now she was running for her life, which sucked. She was grateful that her ankle had healed, or she would have been in trouble.
"This was...HUFF...not the...HUFF...day I ex...HUFF...pected..."
Mia nodded in agreement when a shadowy figure caught the corner of her eye. The man dressed in a camouflage jacket jumped out of the bush and grabbed Alice, holding a knife to her face. The smaller girl yelped and quickly closed her mouth at the sight of the knife. Mia took a step forward but hesitated when he shot her a look of warning.
"Purses...NOW!"
"W-W-We're not c-c-carrying p-purses," Mia stammered.
The mugger rolled his eyes.
"Fine, wallets then!"
"Okay, okay..." Mia said, putting her hands up and holding back tears.
She slowly reached into her pocket and fished out her own black imitation leather wallet. Any quick moves might spook him and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Mia blinked rapidly toward her travel companion, hoping she remembered her little trinket.
"Now you!" he ordered Alice.
"Okay," she replied with erratic breathing. "Just..."
"Jesus, put the knife down!" blurted out Mia.
The thief was getting impatient but relaxed the blade away just enough from Alice so that she could reach into her pocket. Her fingers felt the pepper spray just beneath her own red wallet. She positioned her hand just right so that the can could be obscured by the wallet, so he didn't see her take it out. But in a drop in dexterity, Alice lost her grip and both the mace, and the wallet fell to the ground below. Alice cursed herself for blowing her only chance to get away from this man.
"Sorry..." the pale girl said, looking even paler right now.
"It'll be alright, Alice..." Mia swallowed. "Look at my eyes. It will be okay."
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!
The sudden noise offset all three of them right before the robber was struck in the head by lid of a trash can. That made him drop his knife and Alice capitalized on the confusion to escape into Mia's arms. They never held on tighter. Meanwhile, the thief was fighting...someone.
"Let's go!" Mia commanded as the girls took off.
It sounded like an all-out fight and from the yells, it seemed like Mister Mugger was losing. The pair were about to break off into a run before bumping into a couple of park rangers.
"Oh, thank god!" Alice squeaked.
"We're heard a commotion!" the one uniformed man said.
"That way," Mia pointed in the direction they came. "Hurry!"
Jade and Tori looked like two chickens with no heads, running through Central Park in a total panic. Every worst-case scenario flew through their minds, what could have become of their babies? Jade would burn this town to the ground to find Alice and Tori wouldn't blame her. She was haunted by flashbacks of Mia running away that horrible night and to see her hours later at the hospital looking all bruised and broken. It was the worst night ever. Now, this was the worst day tied with learning of Sam's death.
"Please, God! Don't take her!" she muttered to herself. "No more. I don't want to lose any more people!"
She wiped her tears and glanced over to see that Jade's face was just as wet.
Jade was overcome with guilt in the moment. This whole trip was her doing and she also had the brilliant idea of taking a detour in New York City beforehand. If anything happened to her little girl, she wouldn't allow herself to feel anything anymore. Jade couldn't imagine her life without her daughter. Nothing could change that. And she was scared for Mia as well. She grew attached to the girl, who reminded Jade more of herself than her actual factual mother.
"Hold on, Jade. Hold ON!"
The writer stopped in her tracks, catching her breath.
"What?" she asked.
Tori showed her phone.
"They texted us their exact coordinates," she explained, entering the info into Google Maps and turning on the walking option. "Over here!" she pointed. "Not far now."
"Oh, thank you technology!" Jade huffed.
The concerned mothers converged upon what was ostensibly a crime scene, with barriers in the form of men keeping onlookers away.
"Excuse me?" Tori told the police officer. "Let us through, our daughters are over there!"
"Sorry, ma'am" the cop said, shaking his head. "But I can't allow you to..."
Jade stepped forward, balling up her fists when Tori grabbed the young officer by the lapel.
"LISTEN, DICK! OUR GIRLS ARE IN THERE AND YOU BETTER LET US THROUGH NOW!"
"S-s-ss-sure!" he stammered.
The scene was bathed in red and blue flashing lights.
"ALICE!"
"MIA!"
Their faces lit up as they ran to their mothers, Tori bringing both families together in a massive embrace. She kissed both Mia and Alice on the head in relief. Jade noticed and smiled for the first time in a while. Tori really adored her daughter, too.
"What the hell happened?" asked a perplexed Jade.
"So, there was this strange guy on the subway," Alice started explaining.
"And we thought he was bad, so we ran" Mia continued. "But then we'd turn around and he was there."
Alice waved her hand, indicating the flora around them.
"That's when we ran into Central Park, which in hindsight, we should have just run into the museum."
Mia chuckled, though still shaking a little.
"Then we thought we lost him, and then this creep tried to mug us."
Jade held Alice's head and studied her face.
"Did her hurt you?"
"No!" Alice sniffed. "I was just so scared."
They all hugged her, even Mia.
"How did you get away?" Tori asked.
Mia shook her head, still wrestling with what they saw.
"Turned out the weirdo from the subway was a good guy. He saved us!"
Tori and Jade looked to see the cops escorting the thief in cuffs while another officer was talking to the subway man. Both women's jaws dropped.
"Is that...?"
"No fucking way."
The ladies escorted their daughters toward the good Samaritan, who turned to smile at them.
"SIKOWITZ?" they both asked in unison.
"Tori Vega and Jade West," he said with a nod. "Been a long time."
"Wait, you know him?" Mia's eyes bugged out.
"He...was our old acting teacher," Tori explained.
"Last thing I heard he was wandering the Namibian desert putting on a production of The Little Prince, or something."
Alice scratched the back of her hair.
"But why did you chase us?"
"I thought you were your moms," he shrugged sheepishly. "I mean, come on! I don't exactly have pictures."
"Plus, he had been known to indulge in coconut water of questionable freshness," Jade whispered into Alice's ear.
Sikowitz regarded Jade and Alice more closely.
"Yeah, that was my bad!" he shrugged. "I thought Jade seemed much shorter than I remembered."
That made the group laugh, driving home just how Alice was the spitting image of her mom.
"THERE YOU ARE, SIR!"
The former Hollywood Arts teacher grumbled when a concerned-looking middle-aged fellow dressed all in black with a black beret. He looked like a chauffeur.
"I've been looking for you all day!" he exclaimed. "Were you riding the subway again?"
Sikowitz rolled his eyes and got closer to the man.
"Come on, Bennett! You know I prefer the chariot of the people!" he said with a flourish.
"What the fuck is going on here?" asked Jade to nobody in particular.
The fancy man identified as Bennett sighed.
"Mr. Sikowitz, it is my job to take you anywhere you need to go. Now, we have to get you all cleaned up. You've got a lecture at NYU in an hour!"
He adjusted the old sportscoat full of holes. Sikowitz looked like a college professor who drank the whole fraternity under the table. And was left under a bridge.
"Alright, FINE!" he groaned. He then turned back to his old pupils. "Ladies, this was fun, but I am needed elsewhere! Let's do lunch sometime..."
Bennett approached Tori and handed her a business card.
"Have a pleasant rest of your day and good luck on the whole parenting thing! I never had any myself, but I owned a pet snake once. They're sort of similar. BYE!"
The driver led the man away, leaving the two women and their daughters speechless.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Mia?"
"Can we go back to the hotel? I think I've had enough today."
"And take a taxi?" added Alice.
Jade hugged her precious baby, "Yes we can!"
A/N: SURPRISE! Looks like that trip to New York had one more blast from the past.