Legal advice, plus the girls make another decision about their future.. and it's different from the source material .Plus an "explosive" confrontation . Don't say I didn't warn you.

Twenty Eight

"Those poor kids." Ceci sat down in the chair near the window, and rested her head on one hand.

Jim carefully closed the connecting door, after checking on the soundly sleeping pair. "This is a pile of trouble, all right." He took the chair next to her, and they gazed at each other. "'Specially for Tori."

Ceci flicked on the room's television set, and turned it to the news channel, turning the sound way down. Scenes of the investigation flashed by, from the riots of the morning, to a stark image of Tori as she testified. "She's got a lot of guts, Jimmy. I don't think she had any intention of admitting that."

"Naw." Her husband picked up a half a grilled cheese sandwich on his plate and took a precise bite off the end of it. "Damn Rep's dumber than a shotgun cartridge, pushing her like that." He took another bite. "Figured they were trying to make it look like Gigi'd rigged the whole thing." A sip of coffee washed the sandwich down. "Made me damn mad."

"Why would Jade bother?" Ceci pulled over her bowl of salad and selected a leaf, popping it into her mouth and chewing. "She had what she wanted. There wasn't any point in going further. "

"They don't know that." James glanced up, and promptly forgot his lunch on seeing a familiar face looking back at him. "Hey. "

Ceci obligingly turned the sound up and the room was filled with Jade's low, even tones. It had been a fairly short interview, mostly concentrating on exactly what had gone wrong, and what WesTrek had done to correct it. Jade had given a brief, educated layman's explanation of the situation, and then had responded to the reporter's questions about the likelihood of it happening again, and what she thought would happen as the end of the year approached. Dry and boring, surely, for anyone who really didn't give a damn about high technology, but Jade had, as she finished speaking, changed her focus and looked directly at the camera, treating the audience to a startling image of attractive intelligence that definitely left an impact. "Bet that kicked the stock up. " Ceci had to chuckle. "She certainly has… presence."

James reluctantly moved his gaze from the television. "Never figured that kid livin in torn fatigues would end up looking like that, huh?"

"No." Ceci agreed ruefully. "All the nights I wanted to bang my head against the wall.. I should have just told myself to wait a couple of years."

"You two get to talk any?"

"Yes. " A pause. "Yes, we did. It wasn't. "Ceci recalled the warm feeling she'd gotten. "It went a lot better than I'd expected." She looked up. "It's hard, Jimmy. There's just so much between us."

"She's got a good heart, Cec."

"I know. She got it from you." They twined fingers. "We'll keep working on it, Jimmy." The phone rang, and she glanced at it in surprise, then lifted the receiver. "Yes?"

"Ceci, Richard Edgerton here."

She winced. "Hello, Richard. What can I do for you?"

"Other way round, I think. They won't let me talk to Jade's room, so can I come up and chat? I figured maybe a lawyer's input's not a bad idea." He had a point. "Sure.. c'mon up. It's 890." She hung up the phone. "Rich Edgerton."

"Huh." Jim looked thoughtful. "He's not a bad feller."

"No.. he always had a soft spot for you. He was the one. I won't say friend, because we weren't that close, but he was the one person I felt I could talk to the past few years." Her lips quirked a bit. "He kept trying to get me and Jade back in contact."

James got up and went to the door as he heard the elevator open. His hand was already on the knob as the knock came, and he pulled it open to reveal the lawyer's tall form. "'Lo, Richard."

Edgerton rocked back a little, gazing at him. "James." He collected himself, and held a hand out. "I knew, of course, but somehow it didn't seem real until now."

James clasped his hand and motioned him forward into the room. He followed the lawyer inside. "Glad ya stopped by. Hell of a situation, ain't it?"

"Hello, Ceci." Edgerton grinned. "Stop being mad at me yet?" He regarded the slight, fair haired woman who rose from the chair and came towards him. The silent, withdrawn artist he'd seen become more and more distant over the course of seven years was gone, replaced by an old friend whose wry smile and gently sparkling eyes made the distinguished lawyer beam.

"You.. .are a meddling troublemaker, and always were." Ceci poked him in the ribs. "And keep your voice down. The girls are asleep next door."

Edgerton glanced at the door, then took a seat on the small couch while they resumed their own chairs. "You two have been playing on the beach, I see?"

"On the beach, in the water, rolling around in the sand. you bet." Ceci allowed herself a moment of intense joy. "How's Charlie? Has he unclenched yet?" She found her fingers reclaimed by her husband, and smiled.

"Eeeyah, well, Cec, he's not a happy man, and he's certainly not happy with me." The lawyer rubbed his square, handsome jaw. "Especially after he found out I knew about James, and didn't tell him, and that I happily processed May's trust fund over to Jade's stated beneficiary without saying boo either."

"Ah. so he knows?" Ceci hid a grin.

"Oh yes." Richard winced. "Definitely wasn't popular." He turned to James. "Did Jade get everything set up for you all right? I gave her all the papers. " He smiled a little. " You should have seen my face when she told me - I swear, I thought I was going to fall right out of my chair."

James nodded. "Yeap. got me an account, put a bunch of them dollars into different things, impressed the hell out of this bitty old woman at the bank." He glanced at his wife. "Me and Cec are fixing to pick us up a place to live, settle down a little."

Richard chuckled. "Little apartment downtown, maybe?"

The two exchanged glances. "Not exactly." Ceci murmured, as her husband chuckled.

The soft burr of her cell phone nudged Jade out of a really good dream, one that involved fudge, and cherries, and a very messy boat deck. She pried an eye open and glared at the instrument, then reluctantly disengaged one arm and answered it. "Yeah?"

A breath. "Um.. is that. is.. Jade?"

"You had a fifty percent chance, and you won. What can I do for you?" Jade closed her eye.

"Jade, it's Trina. Can I speak to my sister, please?"

Jade jolted awake. "Sorry. I didn't. you don't sound like… I... " She gently shook Tori. "Are you okay?"

"I'm in the hospital. please, can I talk to her?"

"Tor.. " Jade shook harder, feeling the gathering resistance as Tori dragged herself out of a very deep sleep. "Tori, c'mon. It's your sister on the phone."

"Mmm?" Tori sucked in a breath, and rubbed her eyes. "Wh." She lifted her head and peered upward. "Who? Trina?"

"Yeah.. here." Jade handed her the phone. "She said she's in the hospital."

"Oh. " Tori pressed the phone to her ear. "Trina?"

"Hey." Her sister's voice sounded exhausted. "Listen. the baby's coming, and I'm. having a really tough time."

"My god. what's going on? Are you okay?" Tori pulled herself up, her pounding heart sending blood to her head in a painful wave. "Where are you?"

"I saw you on tv." Trina replied. "I. They took me here yesterday, Tori. It's been hell all night. It just hurts.. and hurts. I don't know what's going to happen, and I wanted... I wanted to talk to you, so you. so I could tell you. I didn't want anything to happen, and then I. "

"Trina, it's okay." Tori murmured. "Don't worry about anything. what's important is how you're doing."

There was a brief silence. "Ow." Trina finally sighed. "I'm so tired of hurting." A rustle of linen. "I saw you.on tv, sis."

"You did, huh?"

"Yeah." Katrina took a breath. "I'm sorry I didn't come over when Shelbs did yesterday."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not okay. " Trina replied. "You have to stand up and be counted sometime, Tori. "

"Trina, don't worry about being counted. Just worry about yourself, and your baby." Tori told her. "Where are you? Can I come over and see you? Is Richard there?"

"No." Trina whispered. "He's out of town."

"What about Daniel?"

There was a long silence, then her sister sighed. "He's chosen not to be involved."

Tori's eyes closed. "Oh, Trina."

"Yeah, well. Better this way for the kids." Katrina replied. "Maybe I'll at least get points for a cute baby, right?"

"I'm sorry, sis." Arms closed around Tori in a secure hold. "Listen, hang in there. I'm going to come over and see you."

"Be careful." Trina whispered. "I will. take it easy, sis. I love you."

A hiss of pain. "I love you too."

Tori hung up, then scrubbed her face with a hand. "I feel like I've been run over by a bus, Jade." She sighed. "Can we find a way over to the hospital without dragging half the DC press corps with us?"

Jade kissed her head. "We'll find a way." She looked up as the room's phone rang, then answered it. "Yes?" "I'm sorry, ma'am, but this is the hotel operator, and I have a Mr. James Herkins who is very insistent on wanting to talk to Ms. Vega."

"It's theSenate investigator." Jade held her hand over the receiver. "You want to talk to him?"

"Now he wants to talk to me?" Tori answered with a touch of sarcasm. "Not really.. but I guess I'd better." She took the phone. "Thank you. put him through. Sorry if this is being such a pain for you."

"Oh.. " The operator seemed surprised. "Well, thanks for saying that. Most people don't." She clicked off, then a male voice came through. "Ms. Vega?"

"Yes." Tori answered.

"I'd like to set up a meeting. We need to talk."

"Now that I have something to say that you want to hear?" Tori shot back, getting a mildly raised eyebrow from her listening partner.

There was a pause. "Ms. Vega, I had no reason to think you were the cornerstone of the situation. My information on you was that you were just another one of Holly's kids." Herkins hesitated. "It's not like you came forward and said otherwise."

Well, that was true. Tori had to admit.

"And I don't think you want to go through another day like today. Am I wrong?"

Also true. "All right. But it can't be today. I have something I have to take care of." Tori told him. "Besides, I've pretty much said all I have to say."

"Except why."

"Excuse me?"

"Why, Ms. Vega. You solved a big problem for me today by saying how - there was always a question as to how that information got released. The question that's coming to everyone's mind right now is why. Why would one of Holly Vega's kids, seemingly a nice, intelligent, successful young woman, deliberately release information so damaging?"

Tori was silent for a moment. "I was just asking myself that same question." She responded. "I guess I just felt it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Still think that?" Herkins asked, shrewdly.

Tori let out a breath. "Morally? Yes. She did things that were not right, and not legal."

"Well.. " The investigator's voice sounded satisfied. "I'd agree with you there, Ms. Vega, and you sent a very powerful message today, whether you realized it or not. How about you and I meet for breakfast, and we can talk? Maybe I can work things out so you can finish up here, and go home."

Home. "I'd like that." She admitted. "Honestly, I really don't have anything else to add to the case one way or the other. I didn't know, or even suspect until I was looking at it in black and white on my screen."

"I believe you, Ms. Vega." He replied. "She fooled a lot of people." He paused. "Tomorrow morning then? I'll pick you up in the back, we'll go over to a little place near the hearing chambers. Okay?"

"All right." Tori agreed. "Are the hearings over for today?"

A soft snort. "They requested a delay. Apparently you rocked their apple cart pretty thoroughly."

"Okay."

"Ms. Vega, don't be surprised if they contact you. It's up to you if you want to talk to them, but I think you realize they're not your friends."

"I understand." Tori answered. "I'll see you tomorrow. eight all right?"

"Perfect. Have a good night, Ms. Vega."

Tori hung up the phone and stared at it. "He's supposed to be the good guy." She looked up at Jade. "So why do I feel like such a traitor?"

"Because you have a conscience." Jade responded promptly. "And a good heart."

Tori sighed. "I want this to be over, Jade." She rubbed her neck tiredly. "I want to be back in my office, listening to Jose complain, and having something stupid and disastrous to work on waiting for me." Her shoulders slumped. "I want to have a cup of café con leche, and one of those cheese empanadas, and know when the sun sets that there's a climbing wall waiting for me."

Jade rested her head on her arm. "Are you telling me you're happy with your life?" The question slipped out really without her realizing it, and was more serious than she'd intended.

"Yes." Tori's eyes were unfocused, as she stared across the nondescript hotel room. "Maybe I didn't realize until this moment just how happy I am." She blinked. "True hearts are such a rare gift, Jade."

Jade wasn't sure where this was coming from. "Yes, they are." She answered cautiously.

Tori turned, and put a hand on Jade's chest, right over hers. "How in the hell did I rate one?"

Jade had no idea of how to answer that, and was saved from having to improvise by a light knock on the connecting door. "Yeah?" She kept her eyes locked with Tori's, searching the shadowed brown depths as the door opened inward and her father's head emerged.

"Thought I heard voices." James cocked his head at the two of them. "You two all right?"

Tori exhaled, then turned her head. "We're fine, dad. but my sister's in the hospital, having trouble with the baby. I need to go see her."

"All right, kumquat. We'll put on the hip waders and slog through all the pony paddies wherever you want to." James pulled his head back inside to relay the request.

"Jade?" Tori turned back to regard her wife seriously. "You need to have children."

"Wh--" Jade's eyes went round and huge.

"You just do." Tori got up and went to the sink, rinsing her face with the cold, metallic water.

Jade pursed her lips and turned to dress. But the thought lingered in her mind as they readied themselves to go see Trina.

Having a father who spent the balance of his life in clandestine operations was, Jade was discovering, a damn useful thing when you were in the public spotlight. James guided them out of the hotel and around the corner into a small alley, then out onto the street where they captured a taxi with little trouble. Richard promised to return the next morning, and was pleased that Tori took him up on his offer to attend her meeting with her.

They'd been surprised to find a crowd outside the hospital, but it wasn't anything having to do with the hearings. The hospital was home to a family planning facility that performed abortions, and the group was protesting outside, picketing the entrance and chanting.

Jade found herself ambivalent about the subject. The slightly frantic, almost overdone aggressiveness of the protesters set her on edge, but on the other hand she firmly believed a person had to take responsibility for their actions, and that included having sex, and the potential result of it. You play, Jade reasoned, you pay, and once the child was started, you owed it the right to come into the world. But that was her choice for herself. She wasn't about to impose those opinions on others. Made it easier that she didn't play that particular team sport.

Now they were sitting in a small waiting room outside the hospital's obstetrics wing, while Tori approached the nurses station in search of her sister. Jade paced quietly in one corner, reading the meaningless notices on the cork board while her mother claimed a chair, and her father poked around the few vending machines nearby.

"Jade?" Ceci cocked her head, after she watched her daughter for a few minutes. "Is that list of pregnancy symptoms so fascinating?"

Jade nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned, and gave her mother a dire look. "No." A pause. "Why?"

Ceci's brow knit. "Just asking. You've been reading it for a couple of minutes, and I know your read faster than that."

Jade paced over and sat down. "I wasn't reading it." She tucked her hands under her arms.

"Okay." Ceci murmured. "I..um… don't think it's anything you have to worry about." She ventured. "Unless you two are um…" She found herself the recipient of an outraged, blue eyed gaze. "Guess not. Hm?"

"I mean I could… Tori Mentioned it just before we left the hotel." She said wanting reassurance from her mother that she could do it.

"She isn't wrong." Ceci answered softly. "You come from an excellent stalk, if I do say so myself."

A snort.

"Oh yeah, I'd make a wonderful parent." Jade muttered. "No, Chino's family enough for us."

Ceci cleared her throat, and pulled a small sketch pad from her shoulder bag, setting it on her knee and removing a pencil. "Well, her college costs should be minimal." She flipped the pad open to an empty sheet and paused, then started to work. "Just make sure your wife agrees with that."

Jade glanced at her mother, then at Tori who was trying to get any information on her sister. And sat down in an uncomfortable plastic chair to brood some more.

"My sister is here, I think she's in labor?" Tori asked the nurse, who was busy writing something behind the desk.

"Well, if she's here, she sure ain't got a broken leg." The woman answered. "Hang on a minute." The nurse was struggling with a terminal keyboard. "Stupid thing…. Jesus, I hate these stupid computers."

Tori scratched her jaw. "Make a deal with you."

The nurse looked up. "Excuse me?"

"Tell me where my sister is, and I'll fix your computer."

Long, dark lashes flickered. "You're one of those nerdy people?"

Tori nodded.

"Sure.. Have at it. What's your sister's name?" The nurse moved out of the way and let Tori get to the terminal.

"Katrina." Tori unplugged the terminal and gave it a whack, then turned the keyboard over and rapped it smartly on the desk. Crumbs the size of a postage stamp were dislodged and she brushed them away as she flipped the keyboard back over and restarted the machine. "She's been in labor a while, she said."

"She's in that third bay down there." The nurse was watching Tori in fascination. "She's having a bit of a rough time.. hey, that worked!" She took the keyboard back and typed in something. "Wow. That was really cool… is that what you do? Are you one of those field services people?"

"Mm.. I don't usually do hands on, but yeah, something like that." Tori leaned on the counter. "Is it okay for me to go see Trina?"

"Sure..sure… um, we're kinda outside visiting hours, so if anyone says anything…"

"Don't worry." Tori smiled. "I just want to see her for a minute."

The nurse paused, then looked at Tori for the first time. "Stay a while.. it really helps the mothers sometimes, and she hasn't had anyone in with her at all… I felt kind of bad for her." She held a hand out. "Call me if she needs anything.. My name is Stacy."

"Tori." She took the hand and grasped it. "Thanks… no one else has been here to visit?"

"No." Stacy shook her head. "The doctor said he's going to give her a little while longer, then he might have to look at other options after that."

Tori nodded. "Okay… thanks." She left the desk and walked quietly down the hall, passing two darkened bays before she reached the third. "Where the fuck is Shelby…" she murmurred before entering the room. The room was partially lit, lamps making a friendlier atmosphere than harsh fluorescent would. "Trina?"

Her sister turned her head, sweat dampened hair plastered across her forehead. "Oh…hey." A tremulous smile crossed her face. "Nice to see someone I know." She held a hand out and Tori walked over, taking it. "God, it's so good to have you here, Tori."

"Hey." Tori put her arms around her and pulled her into an awkward hug. "Wish you'd called me sooner…it's not right for you to be here by yourself, Trina."

Trina curled half onto her side and kept hold of Tori's hands. "You were busy."

"I'd have rather been here." Tori admitted.

"I bet." Katrina blinked wearily, and put her head down on the pillow. "You looked great on TV, though. The cameras kept showing you in the gallery before they called you up there." She inhaled, and winced, her face tensing in pain for several very long seconds. Then she relaxed "Who was that guy you were with? He's scary looking."

Tori leaned on the bed rails. "That's Jim…. James West, Jade's father." She adjusted the sheets. "He's the sweetest, most wonderful man I know."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Tori smiled quietly to herself.

"He knows about you guys, I guess."

"Absolutely." Tori told her. "He's so cool about it, and you wouldn't think he would be, because he's from the military and all - but it's like… Jade's his daughter, and it wouldn't matter what she was or what she did. He just loves her."

Trina shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "That's different."

"Mm."

"Um… I saw Jade on TV today too." Trina changed the subject. "She looks great… I didn't understand one word in six of what she was talking about, but boy, she impressed that reporter."

Tori smiled. "I haven't seen the interview yet… it was happening the same time as I was in that hellhole." She exhaled. "But after last night, I guess they wanted to talk to her." She caught Trina's puzzled look. "The ATM thing yesterday?"

"Ew… that was you guys?"

"Sort of… it was the guys we used for the network, but Jade fixed it." Tori rubbed her eyes. "We were up all night though.. I'm so wiped."

"You look as tired as I feel." Trina admitted, grimacing as a contraction took hold again. "Augh… god, I'm getting tired of this."

Tori took hold of her hand. "Anything I can get you? Water or something?"

Katrina shook her head. "It's just nice to have someone to talk to." Her lips curled into a smile. "Are you here alone?"

"No.. you up to a few more visitors? I'd like you to meet Jade's mother and father… I don't know when I'll have the chance to introduce you again. "

Katrina shifted, and pulled herself up a little, pushing her hair back. "I must look like a mess… was that who was with you yesterday? Her mom?"

Tori nodded. "Don't worry… they're not really formal people." She ducked out.

"Yeah, sure." Trina whispered to herself, listening to the footsteps come back down the hall. A moment later her room door was filled, and a slight, silver blond woman entered followed by the tall, scarred man she'd seen on television. Then Tori came back in with Jade right behind her, the dark haired woman glancing nervously around the room like something was going to bite. "Um… hi."

Tori slipped in front. "Okay… Trina, this is Jim and Cecilia West.. Jade's mom and dad, and of course, you already know Jade."

Ceci came over and smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, Katrina." She laid her hands on the railing. "Having a rough time of it?"

"Ungh." Trina glanced shyly at her. "The doctor thinks it's a nice, big baby, and that's what's causing the problems."

"Ah… yes." Ceci nodded seriously. "Been there, done that." She smiled at Trina's puzzled look, then turned and glanced first at Jade, then back at the woman in the bed. "Eight pounds, thirteen ounces." Then she indicated her slight form, and raised an eyebrow.

"Ooooo." Trina made a face. "I think you just made my toe hairs curl up."

"Hey!" Jade affected an insulted look. "I wasn't that big."

Katrina and Ceci looked at her, then snorted. Jim chuckled and patted his offspring on the back.

"You were bouncing baby girl, all right, squirt." He told her.

"Emphasis on the bouncing." Ceci remarked dryly. They all chuckled and the tension relaxed.

"So… Do you have any tricks I should know?" Trina asked. "My first wasn't this bad… but she was a preemie." She held her hands apart a little. "All of five pounds… this one's gone full term and more."

"Well, there's a famous eastern technique that involves transcendental meditation and the out of body thing, but I found drugs to be the best trick." Ceci replied. "Have they tried to dilate you?"

Tori leaned against the foot of the bed content to listen to the conversation, and watch Jade and Jim edge curiously around the room, investigating the machinery. They both had a way of cocking their heads a little when they were figuring out something, and seeing them do it together was pretty funny.

Seeing Trina smiling was pretty nice too. Her sister was animatedly trading baby stories with Ceci, which Tori was keeping tabs on to tease her partner with later. Jade had been, unsurprisingly, a very active baby who had gotten into some wild situations.

"And there she was, sitting on top of the car hood with the garden hose." Ceci was saying. "Terrorizing the squirrels."

Jade sighed, then returned her attention to a blinking readout.

"Did you really?" Tori murmured, bumping her with a hip.

"I don't remember a thing." Jade muttered back. "She could say I picked my butt up and flew across the front yard and I'd never know if it was true."

"Sure you would." Tori disagreed. "There'd be a National Enquirer article archived somewhere."

Jade rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I wasn't half as homicidally destructive as my mother describes." She picked up a device. "What's this?"

"It's to suck fluid out of the baby's nose." Tori advised her, watching the taller woman drop the instrument as though it was hot. "Jade… relax, would you?"

"I hate hospitals."

"You're just visiting, so calm down."

"Yeah? So what was that about me having kids?" Jade whispered.

"Shh… " Tori had to muffle a grin. "I just meant that… I think you've got really good genes, and they deserve to stay in the pool." A pause. "If you know what I mean.. besides, your dad would make a great grandpa."

"Oh" Jade peeked at her father. "Well, maybe you have a point there." She smiled quietly to herself.

Tori blinked. "I do?"

Jade nodded. "Maybe okay? We'll talk with Beck when we're ready…. And… I'm having the kid at home."

Tori chuckled. "Deal…"

Trina laughed, bringing them back to the conversation between Tori's sister and Jade's parents. "Oh my god… if my kid ever did that.. I think I'd just die on the spot."

"Wall.. "James stuck his hands in his pockets. "Ah seem to remember a morning where I had to be standing in the CO's office, having to explain to him how an M1 tank happened to get cross the repair yard and take out half the mess hall."

"Oh no." Jade winced. "Not that story."

"Is it true?" Tori whispered. "Never mind.. it must be. You're blushing."

"Well, given the food in there, I can't say I blamed her." Ceci remarked, drawing a laugh even from Jade. "If I remember correctly, we had to have Marriott cater the base for two weeks, and everyone came over and gave Jade candy."

"Heh heh…. " James nodded. "Fergot about that part."

"Mm… I didn't." Jade licked her lips.

Trina laughed again, relaxing back against her pillows. Then she gasped suddenly, and her hands went to her belly. "Oh my gosh."

"Water break?" Ceci asked immediately.

"Yes… " Trina hissed, grabbing for the railing as a contraction hit. "Whoa…. I think I just jump started something." All the unproductive pushing of the previous hours faded, as her body seized up. "Oh… my…. God…."

Tori swallowed, her hands tensing on the rails. "Um… is there…what can we do?"

Cecilia glanced up. "First off, get those two out of here before they end up on the floor. Second, stop and tell the nurse."

"Wh.. "Tori turned her head, and saw the widened, rounded pairs of blue eyes. "Oh boy.. right… okay. " She grabbed Jade's and Jim's arms, and started tugging them towards the door. "C'mon, guys…let's go boil water."

"Tori…. I think I changed my mind…" Jade said, a little pale.

They emerged into the hallway, and headed towards the desk, their footsteps echoing in the quiet space.

"Babe, It only hurts a little while." Tori answered her mind never really leaving her sister. "I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl?" Tori mused, as they turned the corner.

And came face to face with her parents.